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38enso Inc Publishing Wed, 01 Oct 2025 04:18:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 AI for 38enso – Jack W Perry /?p=2941 Tue, 30 Sep 2025 23:18:46 +0000 /?p=2941 Learn more]]> Everything is being discussed about the imaopct of AI. Here is the answer when I asked Gemini (Google) about my professional credentials. Note: Jack W. Perry’s LinkedIn profile indicates that he is currently not accepting new clients. The following information is a speculative reconstruction based on his background, expertise, and general market rates for high-level strategic consultants. Background on Jack W. Perry and 38enso Inc. Jack W. Perry is a seasoned book publishing executive with more than two decades of experience, positioning him as a founder and chief strategist of 38enso Inc.. The firm, which he started in 2009, was created to guide publishing companies through the “revolutionary change” of the digital age. Perry’s background includes senior sales and marketing roles at major publishing houses, including Random House, Scholastic, Highlights for Children, and Sourcebooks. This experience gives him an insider’s perspective on the industry, with expertise in digital strategy, business development, and scaling publishing businesses. 38enso Inc. has advised a wide range of clients, from startups and tech firms to Fortune 500 companies and independent authors. Notable clients have included ESPN Books, 3M, Open Road Media, and Hachette. The firm helps businesses develop strategies to thrive in an evolving market, focusing on organizational structure, growth opportunities, and digital transitions. Consulting retainer and hourly rates Retainer model For a consultant of Perry’s caliber, a monthly retainer is the most likely pricing structure for comprehensive strategic work. This model guarantees the client access to a high-level expert for ongoing guidance, strategic development, and project oversight. A standard monthly retainer for a consultant with Perry’s extensive experience and high-profile client list would likely range from $5,000 to $20,000+ per month, with the final price depending on the following factors: Hours and deliverables: The retainer typically covers a set number of hours per month for advisory sessions, research, planning, and other deliverables. Engagement scope: A larger corporation seeking a total business strategy overhaul would have a higher retainer than a startup looking for specific market entry advice. Access level: The fee may also depend on the level of access the client requires, such as direct communication, on-site meetings, and advisory sessions with leadership teams. Hourly rate While an hourly rate is less common for long-term strategic engagements, it might be used for shorter, more ad-hoc projects. Based on market rates for senior-level strategic consultants, Perry’s hourly rate would be significantly higher than the industry average. Estimated hourly rate: For high-level, specialized advice, an hourly rate for someone with Perry’s background would likely be in the range of $300 to $500+ per hour. This rate reflects his deep industry knowledge, senior-executive experience, and the strategic value he brings to clients. Value-based pricing: For major strategic projects, his fee would likely be based on the project’s overall value rather than an hourly calculation. For example, a project to pivot a company’s digital strategy and capture a new market segment would be priced based on the expected outcome, not just the time invested. ]]> HEROES – David Bowie /?p=2910 Mon, 15 Jul 2024 14:35:57 +0000 /?p=2910 Learn more]]> A decade ago, Rolling Stone Magazine conducted a poll to “determine” the best David Bowie song. HEROES was selected as the #1 Bowie song. HEROES was not a huge hit when it first came out failing to chart. I also was surprised for I have been a big fan for years and this song, although good, was not in my top 10. But over the years, it just keeps getting better. Some songs hold up and improve. Others sound quaint and should go away. HEROES just keeps getting better. Some versions that I like: The official video from the orginal album. A slower, casual, more bluesy sound – maybe my favorite. Live Aid – introduces the band and an epic performance in front of 100,000. A classic version – live. It has also been covered a few times: Motorhead did a gritty version and it takes on a different meaning – rocking hard. Peter Gabriel did an orchestral version – serene and eerie. Depeche Mode did a cover that is closer to Bowie’s but is still unique to them. The Wallflowers version. U2 version in a tribute to Bowie. As only U2 can sound. Bono’s vocals and The Edge’s iconic guitar. It has also been in numerous movies. But two versions stand out to me. Perks of Being a Wallflower – this movie came out in 2012 and the RS poll was done a year later. I tend to think this might have brought new fans to the song. American teenagers. “Helden” – the German version from the movie Downfall. This is suspenseful. I like how the song is embedded into the story. Sure there are bad versions of it too (Moulin Rogue) but I am not going to link to it. A great song that builds over time. A Classic that deserves the adjective and should be capitalized. A moment that will be interpreted for decades by new people. Bowie lives forever! ]]> Eyewitness History of World War II /?p=2832 Wed, 28 Feb 2024 17:46:59 +0000 /?p=2832 Learn more]]> When I was a kid, I enjoyed reading history – especially WW2 books. Every few weeks I would go to the Waldenbooks in the mall and shop. Back then, there was no Amazon, no internet, possibly mail order but it was unreliable. Basically it was difficult to get information in rural America – or at least it was for me! I came across this great set of books. A four book set. But I could only find three of the four. I had read these three books 3-4 times – but had that missing piece in the story. It was like watching the first few seasons – missing a few – and then seeing how it ends. You know all the main characters, you know the story lines, you know the ending. But you are still missing the connection. I remember trying to find this missing book. I asked to have the store order it – for some reason they couldn’t or wouldn’t. I wrote to the publisher, Bantam Books. They advertised in the back of these books – but never received the catalogue not could find this missing book. So I went a few years without it. Then one day I was in a used book store and found it – COUNTERATTACK! Volume three. yes, I think I bought it for $1. I wonder if the book or series had gone out of print or repackaged? I don’t know. But I do remember the feeling of completing the set – in the same format. Fast forward and I have working in book publishing my entire career and have seen series go out of print or the format change in mid-series. I cringe and do what I can to keep the series going. But the business of publishing sometimes prohibits it. As a fan, a reader, a collector – it hurts. But I know some of the time we just can’t afford to do it – to lose money. Luckily there is the internet and the ability to find what you want today. The four volume set is on Amazon for $10. ]]> Colleen Hoover – CoHo Impact /?p=2732 Fri, 05 Aug 2022 12:42:02 +0000 /?p=2732 Learn more]]> Colleen Hoover (CoHo) is the best-selling author in America this year. Prior to 2020, she was a best-seller, but after Tik-Tok “discovered” her, she has been on an enormous roll. Not only have her books risen to the top, she is capturing an elusive target market – teenage girls. This graph shows how much her sales have exploded over the past two years. There is a slight uptick in 2020, a more pronounced increase in 2021, and an explosion is 2022 (and this number only represents the first seven months of 2022). Six of the top eight books on Amazon are from CoHo. This has been the case for months. Six books on the New York Times trade paperback fiction list (including 3 of the top 4). Is this a record for most titles on a single list by the same author? I remember when Michael Crichton had four on the list at the same time, but that was because of movies. Of course, JK Rowling with Harry Potter. Five of the top 15 titles on Barnes & Noble’s best-sellers list. B&N also has a sponsorship deal with TikTok. From Independent bookstores to Target, CoHo books are selling. Her books are mostly published by Atria, a division of Simon & Schuster. S&S just reported overall corporate sales YTD up 34%. I believe it is due to the 17 Hoover titles they publish. She also has a book with Hachette’s Grand Central Publishing. The book had been self-pubished and was smartly signed up by GCP in a two book deal. With a new title due next year in hardcover. She also has three titles published by Amazon’s imprint Montlake division. Her astonishing success on TikTok has been heavily documented. From Buzzfeed and Glamour to the Washington Post. All of this has been widely reported. But it hit home when I witnessed the CoHo Impact in person. I was on vacation and shopping at the local bookstore with my teen daughter. We were looking for, of course, Colleen Hoover titles. It was hard to find any. We finally stumbled across three titles (single copy of each) on a back table. Almost hidden. The store didn’t have the first three titles my daughter wanted, so she went with one that was in stock. When we were checking out, the bookseller mentioned that they can not keep the books in stock. She did mention that it has brought a new, much younger audience into the store. I agree, CoHo is creating a new world of readers. Then, as if on cue, four teenage girls come waltzing into the store. They started wondering out loud where Hoover’s books were. They sounded as if this was (and perhaps so) the first bookstore trip with comments like “do they sort these by name – first or last?”; “is there a special section for her?”; “there looks like a lot of boring school (non-fiction) titles here, ugh!”. They couldn’t find what they wanted. They didn’t have the patience to look or the desire to ask if the store carried any copies. The girls then left. I heard one of the saying they had 2-3 different titles that they wanted to buy. I do wonder why the store didn’t order up big, create an endcap or section for all her titles and punch up the merch? I am sure many stores are doing this – but why not all? This phenomenon has been ongoing and this store just has yet to embrace. CoHo is bringing an entire new audience to the book. This generation that we fight to get them off their phones and reading. They want print books. They want to read. This is a huge opportunity. The CoHo Impact will be felt for years… ]]> Content to Market /?p=2726 Thu, 02 Jun 2022 17:48:31 +0000 /?p=2726 Learn more]]> There are hundreds of methods to properly get your idea to market. Many have full business plans and details. This post is a brief overview of the process. CONTENT — this is what gets the end consumer. It may be a product, a service, an idea, or even a concept. It can be original or based on something else. But it is what has been created and to get to the market. WHY? — The first question to answer is why would anyone want this? In other terms, identify the “Unique Value Proposition” or the UVP. The UVP clearly states why a consumer would buy from your company and not others. What is the reason to exist? If a business can not clearly state the UVP, it is not going to be clear on messaging, target consumer, or marketing. It will fail. FOR? — Who is the core target market? What group is the heavy users that must have this item? The first users, the experts, the ones who will influence others. A startup must capture the core market before it can start to branch out to the wings or peripheral markets. Focus on the core and get them loyal. HOW? — One can have a great product, but if the pipeline to the consumer is not laid down, the product fails. The “how” is Operations. This includes logistics, production, sales, and customer service. MARKET — once all the other areas are covered, it is imperative to promote. One has to let the consumer know about the product. Awareness and discoverability are essential for success. Social media and other online tools have made this easier to compete, but it is much more than just setting up a Twitter account. It is difficult work to get potential customers to care about your product. FINANCIALS — underlying all of the functions above are the financials. This is a way to keep score. So know the numbers and how to legally manipulate so the game is won. SUCCESS? — what defines success? The biggest profit? The best citizen and helping others? A bit of both? Decide what outcome is desirable, and plot to it. Even a non-profit must generate revenue. ]]> Murakami /?p=2715 Tue, 15 Mar 2022 11:16:55 +0000 /?p=2715 Learn more]]> ARC, sampler, and galley The other day one of the Gen Z’s in the office mentioned that she once read Haruki Murakami, but all his recent books seem the same. Could this be true? I’ve no idea. I have only read the earlier ones. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle I was the national accounts sales director at Knopf. I was about the same age then as the Gen Z mentioned above. This was when almost everyone from publisher would go to sales conference at a resort for 10 days. I think we were at Camelback outside of Phoenix, AZ. Each book was presented and discussed – some for 30 minutes or more. We would listen to editors talk up books but more importantly the sales reps could pontificate about a book they loved. One of the more seasoned reps, Howie from the Bay Area stood up and started to talk about the greatness of Murakami. Howie was a crazy dude, who was known to champion the most obscure titles. He scared me a bit. He gave a 10 minute impassioned speech for THE WIND UP BIRD CHRONICLE. This publication was in hardcover and Murakami had not had a USA bestseller yet. I think he sold less than 5,000 of his previous titles. I don’t remember what Howie said, but it was convincing. That night at the party (every night there was a free bar), Howie gave another speech about the book. I had to read it, I had to read Murakami. I did. WIND UP BIRD is not an easy read. It is confusing, It is here, it is there. Where? Is that a tower? Is that a talking cat? Am I listening on the radio or is it in my head? Is this my beautiful wife? Exactly. It worked for me. It opened me up to novels and the possibility that the real is not real. I became fascinated with Murakami. I gave copies to my family — and they are “what is this?” But read WIND UP BIRD and you will be changed. This book is that profound. I went on to read every Murakami that had been translated at that time: I went back and read (with pub dates): A WILD SHEEP CHASE (1982) HARD BOILED WONDERLAND AND THE END OF THE WORLD (1985) (my second favorite) NORWEGIAN WOOD (1987) DANCE, DANCE, DANCE (1988) SOUTH OF THE BEACH, WEST OF THE SUN (1992) First page – WIND UP BIRD Then I took a ten year break. I was starting and stopping KAFKA ON THE SHORE (2005). I looked at SPUTNIK SWEETHEART (2001) but never opened it. I carried around 198Q (2011)for months – i still want to read it but lost my copy. I did go back and read one last novel: COLORLESS TSUKURU TAZAKI AND HIS YEARS OF PILGRIMAGE (2013) Brilliant books, concepts, and hours of deep thought. Until I just stopped. It did seem like books were repeating (they probably weren’t but this is my warped perspective) – perhaps the Gen Z editor was right? I still find Murakami fascinating. And I am sure his new stuff is great… But there are so many great writers to discover, and only so much time. Murakami autograph ]]> Visuals Are Easier to Understand /?p=2709 Fri, 24 Sep 2021 09:48:57 +0000 /?p=2709 Learn more]]> The other night I was sketching out a four year sales plan. As I was thinking about it, I decided to create a quick graph. This is at the top of the page (1). It is obvious at first glance that the trend is up. The second part (2) is a description of what the same data. I could have gone on more but ran out of space. The picture at the top conveys more information than the description. lesson? Use charts and graphs to make your point. Too much writing can dilute the message. No doubt the detail is needed in words — but if the graph is effective, there is less need for text. out… ]]> THE BEATLES – and the enormous amount of books published about them… /?p=2696 Thu, 08 Apr 2021 16:38:01 +0000 /?p=2696 Learn more]]> It was just announced that Paul McCartney has an enormous book publishing that covers all his songs and the meanings behind them. the book will come out in Fall 2021 and is titled THE LYRICS: 1956 to the Present. It is two-volumes, 960 pages and costs $100. This will be one of the biggest gift books of the year. Type in “The Beatles” in Books on Amazon and over 10,000 hits come up. The Beatles are probably the band that has more written about them than any other. There are thousands of articles on books about and by the Beatles and those close (or not so close) to them. There are also thousands of self-published works. Rolling Stone magazine recently ran an article on the “10 Best Beatles Books.” Bookseller Barnes and Noble has a post titled “10 Essential Books About the Beatles.” Reader’s Digest has “9 Beatles Books You Need to Read.” There were at least 20 new books on the Beatles published in 2020 including James Patterson’s about the murder of John Lennon. Why so many books on the band? It goes much deeper than the music. In the case of the Beatles, art didn’t imitate life; but art created the reality. The Beatles led the changes in society during the 1960s. Their actions created much of the style and the sense of the era. The Beatles were so much of the decade, they started at the onset of the decade and were done by the end of it. Their music changed so that they later stuff is as good or better than the earlier music. But it is also different. A quick listening to the compilation album 1 and the growth and change are obvious. The impact of each of them separately also is enormous. Each had a successful solo career and extended the legend. In addition to the books by the band members (see photo above) The books can be put into numerous sub-categories, I want to focus on a few bigger ones. My favorite — books about the stories behind the songs. I devoured A HARD DAY’S WRITE over a long weekend a few years ago. Love to hear the origin of these classic tunes and meaning. Another group is the “big books” that cover a tour or the recording sessions. The book GET BACK is coming this Fall too and is a tie in to a Peter Jackson doc on the classic album (aren’t all their albums classic though? The next group are children;’s picture books by the Beatles. Some are just the songs assigned to an illustrator and others are originals – McCartney on being a “Grandude.” And finally the group of the canon titles. Those that are written by experts and cover the history, the impact, the power of the band. Some of these came out last year. It is amazing how new material can continue to be found. Hw the Beatles will continue to be studied for centuries from now. ]]> THE GREAT GATSBY is now in the Public Domain /?p=2686 Thu, 28 Jan 2021 16:55:48 +0000 /?p=2686 Learn more]]> Every January, a list of books becomes public domain. Generally is a bunch of little known titles that have lost commercial value. But, occasionally a huge seller expires and is open for anyone to publish. In January 2021, a major work of American fiction, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s THE GREAT GATSBY became public domain. The book had been under copyright to Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Over the decades, they have sold millions of copies. Now they will most likely to continue to sell thousands a week, but there are numerous other editions. A quick count on Amazon, and I found over 75 editions (most of which have a pub date of January 2021). In addition to the basic text of the original novel; there are graphic novels, YA editions, illustrated editions, deluxe hardcovers, ebooks, mass market editions, trade paperback editions and gift editions. I wouldn’t doubt the total reaches 100 by mid year. All of the “corporate five” publishers now have editions. Simon & Schuster has 5-6 editions; Penguin Random House has 7-10 (from deluxe hardcovers to mass market editions); Hachette; Macmillan; and HarperCollins also have editions. There are editions from numerous “unknown” publishers that crop up on Amazon. Given the low cost to create, print-on-demand, and Amazon’s access to millions of readers, a PD title like THE GREAT GATSBY is easy to pt up for sale. The key is how to cut through all the noise to get consumers to buy your edition. There are also hundreds of places to download a free copy of the book. I am not going to drive through all of the options. If interested, John Williams in the New York Times wrote an excellent article of many of the editions. How does a publisher separate from the others? The Scribner one has the classic cover and will continue to ride 75 years of being first. The others from the corporate publishers will sell because of the strong branding of the lines (Penguin Classics, The Modern Library, Harper Perennial etc). Some will have a new introduction by a brand name author – Vintage has a John Grisham essay. Price is also a factor. But with so many free editions available, competing on price can be a losing proposition. Winning the Amazon SEO can also create interest, but it is a crowded market. And of course, the cover. I looked at almost every cover. A lot of similarity in using an art deco typeface; a party set in the 20s; or Gatsby’s car. There are the “classic look covers.” The iconic blue one still stands out. There are the “party book covers.” There are the “car book covers.” ]]> Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (book-retail) /?p=2546 Sat, 19 Sep 2020 09:58:50 +0000 /?p=2546 Learn more]]> We are living in historic times. Covid has permanently changed the way we shop, live, interact and work. Once through this, we will think of a “pre-covid” and “post-covid” world. These are disruptive times. Pre-Covid (PR) – Yesterday Independent bookstores thriving and farmer’s markets thriving. In the past decade, Independent bookstores grew from 1600 to 2500. A new flourish of people entering bookselling reinvigorated the business. Buy local. B&N was the most powerful bookseller in America. But as all market leaders, they declined and lost market share. They were purchased by Elliott Management in summer of 2019. Amazon dominates online bookselling. They are expanding and diversifying their book sales offering by opening 24 book store locations. Speculation they would open up to 400 locations. Many startups entering publishing following digital money. Many failed, but some prevail. But no one had made a serious dent in Amazon’s online strength. Covid: (CVD) – Today Indie bookstores hurt by lock-down and sales down 31.6% from previous years. Some stores are closing and the run to open new ones has slowed. Move toward pick-up and online sales. Farmer’s markets are following the same pattern. B&N decentralized buying decisions and laid off staff; remodeled and cleaned up 100’s of stores. But closed some iconic locations. Amazon dipped initially and then roared back to expand market share They are hiring 100,000 people – projecting an enormous Q4. Bookshop.org has gone from an idea to reality and is expecting 2020 sales of $50MM and recently opened in the U.K. Post-Covid (PS) – Tomorrow Indie bookstores will come back as the farmer’s markets will — both hyper-localized. But this crisis has shown the value of selling and marketing online more than ever. The strongest stores will have blended their stores with online. The shopping experience will have changed. B&N will come back as Daunt looks to focus. Hyper-localized. How successful will B&N be? How many of the 600+ stores will be closed to find the right amount of stores? 100? 200? There will continue to be motion at B&N as Daunt figures it out. He will. Amazon will continue to use data to hyper-localize. Amazon will start to expand their bricks and mortar locations. With all the retailers being knocked off by covid, there will be cheap retail real estate for Amazon to rent/buy. Use as mini-distribution centers. They may lose share in bookselling as they continue to focus on selling everything and there is growing online competition. Some companies have prevailed and are thriving include Bookshop.org, EPIC! and Scribd. All part of the new world of selling books. All have grown in market share due to changing consumer patterns. Expect these booksellers to continue to expand. The selling of books evolves as the country does. At one time department stores sold the most books; then independent stores; then mall based chain stores like Waldenbooks; then superstores B&N and Borders and clubs like Costco; then Amazon. Who is next? Lots changing. This just scratches the surface as every sales channel will be different in the Post-Covid Era. I hope we get there soon, for we are in what seems to be an infinite loop. We are in the “Covid DMV Waiting Room” and just hoping to get through this as fast and safe as possible. A new normal is being created. Why the farmer’s market and independent bookstore comparison? Because the factors in success for each are similar and connected. Hyperlocal is selling and marketing to the smallest detail, to grab them when they are near, to communicate regularly with your consumer, and to provide a service that is part of the community. Dan Shewan has a good recap of hyperlocal marketing ]]>

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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:23:50 +0000Honest YackingHealthy YackingHappy YackingHopeful YackingMagazine MondayFree FridayTo-do List TuesdayThought ThursdayThe 391fat girl getting thin by her 30th birthdaynoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)Blogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-4942448797948110550Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:37:00 +00002009-10-08T13:58:14.374-04:00Honest YackingMeet Kelly Minner<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390285721363487890" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 215px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />On season 1 of The Biggest Loser, Kelly Minner, 28, was the perfectionistic, optimistic, internally-driven competitor who earned the title, "first runner-up" and lost 79 pounds. Eventually, she lost an additional 23 pounds. </div><div></div><div><br />More than any of that, Kelly Minner has become an inspiration and a friend to many people who have found themselves looking for a role model. Because she is as gracious as she is hard-working, she agreed to do an interview for <em>The 391</em>. </div><div></div><div><br />Please enjoy! </div><div></div><div><strong><br /><br />1. We all have the motivation to START losing weight--such as the ugly number on the scale or how our weight makes us feel. How did you maintain the motivation to CONTINUE losing 79 pounds on Biggest Loser and then continuing on to 102 pounds?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br />I continued to lose weight because I knew I needed to. I had all the tools so I had no excuses. It would be like me giving my students all the information they needed for a test and them failing because they didn't learn anything.</div><div></div><div><strong><br /><br />2. You've talked in interviews past about the "psychological hump" that you had to get over in order to lose the weight. Can you elaborate?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br />I think a lot of times we equate our physical looks with being deserving or less deserving of things. I guess I thought I was not deserving of things because I was overweight. I still struggle with believing I am deserving of love no matter what my size. Beauty does not make us deserving, being a good person does and it doesn't matter what you weigh when it comes to being a good person.</div><div></div><div><strong><br /><br />3. You have said that one of the hardest adjustments post Biggest Loser was time management. Time management can be an issue for people who need to go to the gym but can't "find the time." What is your advice?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br />My advice is either do it exercise early in the morning before your days starts and life gets in the way or else find little ways during the day to get in some exercise, whether walking from a further parking space, taking the stair, doing squats. You can always make it work.</div><div></div><div><strong><br /><br />4. What kinds of things encouraged you on your weight loss journey? Were there things people said or mantras that you repeated to yourself?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br />Jillian gave me the mantra, "let it go and believe." I still say it. Somedays I fail at believing it but I always know that tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes in it! I can begin anew. </div><div></div><div><strong><br /><br />5. As you so poignantly wrote in an article last year, "Weight loss is such a private thing for any person." And it is. Yet, sometimes it feels public because of cultural expectations or societal pressures to look unrealistically thin. How did you overcome that?--specifically you held your head high and stood on a scale in front of millions of people! Some of us would rather die. How did you do it?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br />I hated the scale because I let my weight define me. I knew if faced it head on it would be key to losing weight. I will no longer be a number on the scale. It isn't about being thin it is about being healthy. I am healthier than most thin people even though they weigh less because I eat well and exercise. So the scale reflects a higher number, who cares!</div><div></div><div><strong><br /><br />6. Any tricks in the kitchen when it comes to issues like portion control, drinking water, feeling full, or fulfilling cravings?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br />When I am home I avoid the kitchen so I am not temped to just eat to eat. I also do not keep things in the house to tempt me. I hate the grocery store so I am loathe to run out just for a quick fix! I try and stay busy when I am home so I do not think about food. </div><div></div><div><strong><br /><br />7. You've talked about "not living by a number [on the scale]." What does that look like for you? Do you ever weigh in? Did you throw your scale out the window?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br />I have a scale but it is covered in dust. I no longer weigh in, this is real life not the show and I am more than a number. I will not live or die by that anymore.</div><div></div><div><strong><br /><br />8. I think there is the unfortunate assumption that former contestants on Biggeser Loser have "arrived"--have totally figured it out--and will never battle negative thoughts or temptations again. After all, they've spent time with Jillian, and WHO messes up after THAT?! What do you encourage yourself with NOW?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br />I want to live a long healthy life, there is so much I want to do. That is my encouragement.</div><div></div><div><strong><br /><br />9. You look amazing. You turn heads. You motivate people everywhere to give weight loss another shot. Do you feel the way you thought you would feel now that the weight is gone?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br />I felt being thin would mean being happy. Boy was I wrong! Get those thoughts out of your head. Life doesn't care what size dress you wear, everyone has problems. You are happy if you want to be, regardless of size!</div><div></div><div><strong><br /><br />10. Anything behind the scenes from Biggest Loser you’d like to share? </strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br />Some secrets are better left that way!</div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br />Here's to the next 367,</div><div>(honest) Fat Girl</div>2009/10/meet-kelly-minner.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-5192877847583149770Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:38:00 +00002009-10-07T11:42:25.802-04:00Honest YackingI Can See Clearly Now That the Rain Is GoneI am back. I am back with a vengeance.<br /><br />These last few days have been really difficult for me. First, the crazy diagnosis from left field, then the news that our adoption wait would take longer than expected. I've been living in a fog. I have no idea how much I weigh. I will find out tomorrow.<br /><br />In the meantime, I am back.<br /><br />No more lollygagging, no more pity partying, <em>no more regrets.</em><br /><br />YOU--you who drops by my blog and leaves kind comments--are responsible for my decision to keep making progress. So THANK YOU.<br /><br />I am choosing today to place mind over matter.<br /><br />Here's to the next 368,<br />(honest) Fat Girl2009/10/i-can-see-clearly-now-that-rain-is-gone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-4433586231624375718Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:56:00 +00002009-10-06T09:59:32.462-04:00Honest YackingVanishing ActI've not been quite as active on my blog as of late. The rollercoaster that is my life has been in full swing.<br /><br />On Friday, my husband and I were given the best news of our lives--that we were going to be parents. (We're in the process of adopting, see.) And then by Sunday afternoon we found out the wait was going to be twice as long as we anticipated.<br /><br />Up and down.<br /><br />Up and down.<br /><br />I am still learning how to respond to life's difficult moments without running to the kitchen. Today, I am avoiding the scale. We'll thinking about weighing again on Monday.<br /><br />Here's to the next 369, <br />(honest) Fat Girl2009/10/vanishing-act.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-8305782655066787009Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:07:00 +00002009-10-01T13:56:24.630-04:00Honest YackingPost SecretToday is Thought Thursday and I would like to talk about something I haven't mentioned before on this blog. For some (odd, strange, unexplainable) reason, it's been too difficult for me to discuss. Until now.<br /><br />During my last doctor's appointment, I found out that I have PCOS.<br /><br />Let me start by saying that I know there are worse things. And I know PCOS isn't the end of the world--and won't be once I get some critical things under control--but it was still difficult to hear. <br /><br />See, I've lived most of my teen and young adult life "knowing" that there was something wrong.<br /><br />I've never eaten much. <br />I've generally enjoyed exercise.<br />I drink lots of water.<br />I rarely binge eat.<br /><br />And still, I've been the chunky one. I've tried fad diets. I've tried not eating at all. I've tried not caring. And now I find out--after years of feeling horrible about it--that I have PCOS.<br /><br />75 percent of women with PCOS are overweight or obese.<br /><br />There is hope.<br /><br />Here's to the next 374, <br />(honest) Fat Girl2009/10/post-secret.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-7512239790361853982Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:46:00 +00002009-09-30T12:09:51.243-04:00Cheers<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387288064584195826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 278px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href=" /><br /><div></div></div><br /><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Last night I went to a professional baseball game to watch my favorite team play. And I went with my dad. I can't tell you how nice it was to be out with him--we don't do things, just the two of us, very often. He was really generous, and he kept offering to buy me hot chocolate or chips or hotdogs. But for the first time in my life, I was truly enjoying an event without the aid of salty, high-caloric, or super-sweet food.</p><p>I just enjoyed the event because I was with HIM. I kept focusing my energy on the game and who I was with...and...*gasp*...I didn't need anything else!</p><p>This morning when I stood on the scale, I saw that I am down <strong>6.3 pounds</strong> since my journey began a little over two weeks ago. And I realized something:</p><p>I haven't spent my life focusing on the EVENTS. I have spent them obsessing about meals and calories and weigh-ins. And I am DONE with that.</p><p>Adios, event-hogging food.</p><p>So I kept the cup that I drank my water in last night--you know, the plastic cup that costs you 4 dollars and piles up in your cabinet right next to all of the other theme-park-related cups. I kept it so I can continue drinking water out of it in remembrance of what I have learned.</p><p>Here's to the next 375, <br />(healthy) Fat Girl</p>2009/09/last-night-i-went-to-professional.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-1639310299161511486Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:14:00 +00002009-09-30T12:07:49.303-04:00Happy YackingWho Wants to Be a Millionaire?<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387000992631013074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 121px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 173px" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Dori, from Dori's Shiny Blog, is giving away some fantastic(ally hard) workout DVD's <a href=";. But keep it on the down low because I am planning to win.<br /><br />Here's to the next 376,<br />(happy) Fat Girl2009/09/who-wants-to-be-millionaire.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-7091728770641620978Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:51:00 +00002009-09-29T15:55:42.275-04:00Healthy YackingThe Week 2 CurseI (finally!) watched Episode 2 of this season's Biggest Loser. Good times. I really don't understand why people rip on the show. <br /><br />As always, I made a list of key take-aways--things that were said that I could identify with or be challeged by:<br /><br />1. It will be done!<br />2. Right now, focus on burn.<br />3. Smile. Be happy. The stress is killing you.<br />4. [One contestant's hospitalization] brings to light how serious being overweight is.<br />5. Keep a food journal--it can double your weight loss.<br />6. 3 meals. 2 snacks. (Healthy snacks level out your blood sugar.)<br />7. What are you going to do with your last chance?<br />8. A lot of these pounds are wounds.<br />9. This is your life. What are you going to do with it?<br />10. Alright. This is destiny. It's meant to happen.<br /><br />Here's to the next 376,<br />(healthy) Fat Girl2009/09/week-2-curse.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-5395291577456474818Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:30:00 +00002009-09-29T13:46:18.435-04:00Hopeful YackingTo-do List TuesdayBeing Brave<a href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386943065436496146" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Today, in honor of "To-do List Tuesday," I am adding an item to accomplish when I lose 100 pounds.<br /><br />Item number two: Get my picture taken professionally (and like it!)<br /><br />I have a family picture that hangs in my living room at home. The photographer did a great job, (last week he did a photoshoot with Drew Barrymore, if that tells you anything), yet I hate how I look. The family picture taken before that I was twelve years old with buck teeth that would have impressed Bambi.<br /><br />So. When I lose 100 pounds, I will get my picture taken. And everyone in the Continental United States will receive a copy. (Beware.)<br /><br />Here's to the next 376,<br />(hopeful) Fat Girl2009/09/being-brave.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-8823344058584821985Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:17:00 +00002009-09-28T16:03:49.423-04:00Healthy YackingMagazine MondayWhole Living<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386610894098039810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 247px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It's Magazine Monday, and I am excited to bring you my take-aways from my June edition of <em>Body + Soul. (</em>Yes, I am behind on my magazine reading. So be it.)<br /><br />Here's what I learned: </div><div></div><br /><div>1. If you're trying to lose weight, pay attention to what you drink. A recent study found that cutting out sugary beverages speeds weight loss, (page 28).</div><div></div><br /><div>2. Even if you're the healthiest of eaters, a summer getaway can set off a dietary bender that leaves you feeling greasy, lethargic, and a few pounds heavier by vacation's end. The reason? "Many of us eat by routine, and one of the biggest challenges of traveling is the change in that routine," notes Connie Diekman, R.D., director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis. Planning is the name of the game when you're trying to eat right on the road," (page 42).</div><br /><div></div><div>3. Pace yourself. As life speeds up, it's tempting to run faster, accomplish more. This does little, however, but strip your gears and deplete your resources. This month, try the opposite: Slow down. Breathe. Remember the pleasure of doing--and enjoying--one thing at a time. After all, you don't reach worthwhile goals in a flurry of movement, but through single-minded focus and a quiet, patient resolve, (page 71).</div><div></div><br /><div>4. The right music can make you look forward to exercising, and it might even help you build stamina. Try up-tempo tunes for best results, (page 75).</div><br /><div></div><div>5. Missteps and false starts are part of any process. The key to staying on track lies in viewing each one as a minor glitch instead of a system failure, (page 96).<br /><br />Here's to the next 377,<br />(healthy) Fat Girl</div>2009/09/whole-living.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-1992049491977335134Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:20:00 +00002009-09-28T11:25:58.213-04:00Hopeful Yacking(Ain't That) Good News!<a href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 276px;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386539043548374098" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Consider the first paragraph from my tear-off calendar this morning:<br /><br />"A tendency that's run through your family for generations can stop with you. You're a transition person--a link between the past and the future. And your own change can affect many, many lives downstream."<br /><br />Here's to the next 377,<br />(hopeful) Fat Girl2009/09/aint-that-good-news.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-142996617415378424Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:57:00 +00002009-09-28T11:27:17.163-04:00Happy YackingMagazine MondayIn the Eye of the Beholder<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386533229815731218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 247px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Happy Monday! </div><div><br />I wanted to start this week off with an ad I saw in a magazine over the weekend. (It is, after all, Magazine Monday. Can I get a W00t?!)</div><br /><div>Anyway. It made me smile. Hope it makes you smile, too.</div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br />Here's to the next 377,</div><div>(happy) Fat Girl</div>2009/09/happy-monday-i-wanted-to-start-this.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-3864332182341547524Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:14:00 +00002009-09-27T17:23:57.864-04:00Honest YackingMy Confession"I need to tell you something."<br /><br />Thus the conversation began in my house last night during a 15-second commercial break. My husband and I were lying on our bed watching a show on-line. (It was <em>Castle</em> in case you're curious.) Whenever I start with, "I need to tell you something," I know I have my husband's undivided attention. I've been known to admit to some pretty radical deeds. (And no, I won't confess those here, in case you're still curious.)<br /><br />"What is it?" asks the husband.<br /><br />"I've been losing weight behind your back."<br /><br />Yes, I said those exact words. No, my husband didn't feel I had anything to confess. Yes, he was very supportive.<br /><br />See, today is the 13th day on my journey to weight loss and, until last night, I hadn't told anyone outside of my blogging friends. It just seemed too painful to tell my family AGAIN that I was trying to lose weight AGAIN.<br /><br />But it occurred to me. I need to have faith that it is going to work this time. That I am going to be successful this time. And, by not fully signing on to the challenge, (ie keeping it a secret), I wasn't fully committing to it working out.<br /><br />So I told him.<br /><br />I feel better.<br /><br />Here's to the next 378,<br />(honest) Fat Girl2009/09/my-confession.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-5462882061027910259Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:13:00 +00002009-09-26T14:30:46.780-04:00Healthy YackingParadise Regained<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385841521657924162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. <br />I love thee to the depth and breadth and height <br />My glass can fill, when drinking through the night. <br />For the way you do not take up space. <br />I love thee to the level of every day's <br />Most thirsty need, by lunch and candlelight. <br />I drink thee freely, as men strive with thirst. <br />I love thee purely, as they turn from Coke. <br />I love with a passion put to use <br />In my old griefs, and with my thin self's faith. <br />I love thee with a love I seemed to lose <br />With my diet drinks. I love thee with the straw, <br />Lips, tears, of all my life! <br />And, if I choose, <br />I shall but love you better after lunch...</p><br /><br />Here's to the next 379,<br />(healthy) Fat Girl2009/09/paradise-regained.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-7974395390699151154Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:17:00 +00002009-09-25T18:22:41.905-04:00Honest YackingFreaky FridaySo. I've been avoiding my blog today like most people are avoiding the H1N1 Flu Virus. Why? I crashed last night. I totally crashed and burned. It was like someone else's spirit took over my body and began making choices without my consent. Like a really, really bad version of Freaky Friday.<br /><br />And the worst part? I had a doctor's appointment today. You know--that horrible place where they make you stand on the squeaky scale and you watch in horror--with someone else watching over your shoulder--as the number climbs?<br /><br />So all day I've been feeling guilty. I know that I packed on a pound since yesterday. And I've been working so hard...blah blah blah.<br /><br />I go to the doctor's office, stand on the scale, and would you BELIEVE that I didn't even watch the number. I decided--what's the point? It's going to hurt even more...<br /><br />...My doctor came in and congratulated me on losing 13 pounds since last time I was in her office one month ago. The problem? THERE'S NO WAY I LOST 13 POUNDS! I am a daily weigher. All gloves off, I admit it. I WEIGH EVERY DAY!<br /><br />So I think the scale must have gone on the fritz. But I'll never know because my eyes were closed. And I wasn't about to ask her to rewind the scale scene.<br /><br />So. Looks like I have 13 pounds to lose before going back to the doctor's office.<br /><br />Here's to the next 380,<br />(honest) Fat Girl2009/09/freaky-friday.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-2120598275055897338Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:48:00 +00002009-09-25T18:24:59.038-04:00Happy YackingSanta Clause is Coming to Town<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385092445725406834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 235px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Check out <a href=" ginormous giveaway</a>!<br /><br />(But don't win, because that's my plan!!!)<br /><br />Here's to the next 381,<br />(Happy) Fat Girl2009/09/santa-clause-is-coming-to-town.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-6849421065070421675Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:23:00 +00002009-09-24T13:41:39.140-04:00Honest YackingTry a Little Tenderness[Taps the microphone] Am I on? Testing...1, 2, 3...<br /><br />Today is Thought Thursday and I have a lot on my mind:<br /><br />I listen to the news every morning on my way to work. I roll down the windows, let the wind whip my hair, and I listen to a pair of professionals rattle off a list of recent events, comment on the weather, and outline the areas around town where the traffic is bad. Rarely do either of these people say anything shocking or unprofessional.<br /><br />Until today. <br /><br />Today they were discussing Tonya Harding and whether or not she would make a good participant on a reality show about hockey. Out of nowhere, both of the news anchors began laughing at her weight. They called her "Porky," and said they recognized fat when they saw it.<br /><br />Now, I know about the whole Nancy Kerrigan drama. I stood in a shopping mall as a thirteen-year-old with baited breath and watched as she cried about her broken laces. Believe it or not, I actually wanted her to win. (Underdog syndrome, perhaps?) Anyway, I know that Tonya hasn't always been...shall we say...wise. But why mock her weight? What does her weight have to do with anything?<br /><br />Bottom Line: Why is it excusable for professionals to mock heavy people? Sexism is wrong. Racism is wrong. BUT LAUGHING AT FAT PEOPLE IS A-OKAY.<br /><br />In a country where people claim to want fat people to "get healthy," don't you think they'd realize that encouragement and support go a lot further than mockery and unkindness? PERHAPS they are perpetuating the problem.<br /><br />More to come. This post is long enough already.<br /><br />Here's to the next 381,<br />(honest) Fat Girl2009/09/try-little-tenderness.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-98774269004854213Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:55:00 +00002009-09-23T21:12:02.861-04:00Healthy YackingFunny Business<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384831812676984386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 283px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />comic from: <a href=" /><br />Today I made good choices, even though it wasn't the greatest of days. I just kept telling myself, "A bad day doesn't need to be compounded by bad choices." Also, I kept thinking, "Just because the people around me want to ruin my day doesn't mean I need to help them out by eating incorrectly."<br /><br /></div><div>It worked.<br /><br /></div><div>The picture above made me laugh. It's from one of my very favorite blogger's blogs. (Is that redundant?) Anyway. Hope you enjoy it, too.<br /><br /></div><div>Here's to the next 382,<br />(healthy) Fat Girl<a href=";2009/09/funny-business.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-6681244044107668518Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:10:00 +00002009-09-23T14:25:12.280-04:00Honest YackingG(abby)<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384729845373631314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Today is Weight Wednesday, (or Weigh-in Wednesday, or Wreak Havoc Wednesday) as the case may be. And so on this hallowed day, I will allow myself to vent about weight issues--so as not to fill every post every other day with my negative feelings about the number on my scale.</div><br /><div></div><div>And trust me, I have very negative feelings about those three, two-inch numbers.</div><br /><div></div><div>I've never posted my weight on this blog. It's not that I'm hiding anything. I've said I have 100 pounds to lose, which means I have an entire Nicole Richie to find and defeat. There's not much to hide after admitting THAT.</div><div></div><br /><div>I suppose it's because I don't want to keep thinking about that awful number. I like coming to my blog, and I won't be happy coming to my blog if I see THAT number. I see it enough as it is. This blog is to promote the loss of each pound, not the maintenance. </div><div></div><br /><div>Ah. It's just me. I'm probably making no sense.</div><br /><div></div><div>I've lost 3.3 pounds so far. Not bad. Not amazing. But I'm okay with it. If I maintained this pace, I would lose 140 pounds when my journey ended--which I'm not trying to do. So I will take it as exactly where I should be right now.</div><div></div><br /><div>I'm happy. See? -----> :)</div><br /><div></div><div>Here's to the next 382,</div><div>(honest) Fat Girl</div><br /><div></div><div></div><div>P.S. If you're still curious about my weight, and you happen to watch <em>Biggest Loser</em>, think Abby.</div>2009/09/gabby.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-8072687083578286769Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:37:00 +00002009-09-22T16:50:43.076-04:00Healthy YackingA Hard Road85 minutes and 43 seconds.<br /><br />I finally had a chance to sit down and watch Episode 1 of this season's Biggest Loser. And I have to say, I enjoyed it. It was motivational. Despite the yelling and "show drama," I like Jillian. She makes me want to crawl to the gym on my knees, (which, by the way, would take me 85 minutes and 43 seconds--and the gym is next door).<br /><br />I, for one, would rather be yelled at/motivated to change than be sitting on the couch, headed in the wrong direction.<br /><br />As always, I made a list. I love lists. This one is of key take-aways--things that were said that I could identify with or be challeged by:<br /><br />1. It's all about second chances.<br />2. Don't ever say you can't do anything.<br />3. Now is the start of the new me.<br />4. I feel like someone has stolen my dream.<br />5. How can you take these tragedies and turn them into opportunities?<br />6. All you have to do is change your mind.<br />7. It's a choice. Make a different choice.<br />8. This is a mountain I've got to climb.<br />9. I am changing [my] health from the inside out.<br />10. You really can go beyond that point of pain.<br /><br />Here's to the next 383,<br />(healthy) Fat Girl2009/09/hard-road.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-5367106362252180741Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:16:00 +00002009-09-22T10:28:06.032-04:00Hopeful YackingTo-do List TuesdayMaking a List, Checking It Twice<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384295599962590210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 154px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Today I started a list in honor of "To-do List Tuesday." This list will contain all of my plans for after I lose these 100 pounds.</div><div></div><div></div><div><br />Item number one: Buy the clothes I like and not the ones that fit</div><div></div><div></div><div><br />This morning I stood at my closet, packed with clothes, and had to maneuver around the items I knew were too tight, too short, or too...blah. I hate that. I hate that the clothes in my closet don't even fit--let alone the clothes I'd like to wear.</div><div></div><div></div><div><br />So my first installment on the to-do list will be to buy and wear the clothes I like instead of the clothes I need.</div><div></div><div></div><div><br />Here's to the next 383,</div><div>(hopeful) Fat Girl</div>2009/09/making-list-checking-it-twice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-6905210490992038082Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:03:00 +00002009-09-21T19:09:38.722-04:00Honest YackingDear John LetterDear Diet Soda,<br /><br />I love you. You know I do. We've spent a lot of wonderful times together--late at night, early in the morning, when times were good, when times were bad--but unfortunately, our time together has come to an end.<br /><br />When I was with you, I made lots of bad choices. Your friends--your sweet, sweet friends--often joined our parties uninvited. You know who they were.<br /><br />In truth, I've used you as a crutch. I've needed water all these years, and I'm sorry to say, I used you as an unfortunate substitute. Please forgive me. You did not ask for that kind of treatment.<br /><br />I know you'll be happy with someone else.<br /><br />Here's to the next 384,<br />(honest) Fat Girl2009/09/dear-john-letter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-5063249698031175514Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:39:00 +00002009-09-21T15:03:29.572-04:00Healthy YackingMagazine MondayFeeling Good<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383997159865775410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 142px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href=" /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm glad it's Monday. Something about routine keeps me on the straight and narrow.<br /><br />The next best thing? It's Magazine Monday. I've had a <em>Prevention</em> sitting on my desk since May--wrapped in one of those cute little plastic wrappers--and I finally decided today was the day I was tearing into it. </div><br /><div></div><div>Here's what I learned:</div><br /><div></div><div>1. Just six 30-second sprints 3 times per week--the equivalent of a few quick games of playground tag--can provide cardiovascular benefits that may be equivalent to jogging or cycling for 45 minutes several times weekly, according to Welsh researchers, (page 32).</div><br /><div></div><div>2. 4 <em>More</em> Reasons to Lose Weight: fewer headaches, improved oral health, longer and deeper sleep, and brighter outlook, (page 52).</div><br /><div></div><div>3. Stop Speed Eating: People who eat rapidly until they are full are 3 times more likely to be overweight than slow eaters, (page 54).</div><br /><div></div><div>4. The Temptation Tipping Point: For some people, a small taste satisfies a craving, but researchers say that for others, it subconsciously clears the way to full-blown indulgence. If you're likely to have extra helpings of something sweet, steer clear of free samples at the supermarket and head directly for the produce aisle, (page 96).</div><br /><div></div><div>Here's to the next 384,</div><div>(healthy) Fat Girl</div></div>2009/09/feeling-good.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-6697101517900574104Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:42:00 +00002009-09-20T22:47:00.306-04:00Hopeful YackingSunday Afternoon in the ParkToday was the first day I've been away from this blog ALL DAY! But...it is after ten and I am here.<br /><br />Today I taught a class, did a 2 1/2 hour photo shoot of a lovely senior, went to church, and had supper with my family.<br /><br />I'm tired. And I'm ready to start week 2 of this journey to good health. I had pizza tonight--really hoping it doesn't mess with my weigh-in. My choices were pizza or my shoes. As much as I am aware that pizza probably wasn't the best decision, I watched a show recently that highlighted how dangerous the mold on shoes can be--so I was in a lose/lose situation.<br /><br />Here's to the next 385,<br />(hopeful) Fat Girl2009/09/sunday-afternoon-in-park.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-7144842265952047414Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:05:00 +00002009-09-19T15:15:20.020-04:00Healthy YackingYou Raise Me UpThis afternoon I did something so difficult that I can only compare it to:<br /><br />solving world peace<br />climbing Mount Everest<br />explaining Richard Simmons' candy-striped Dolfin shorts<br /><br />I went to the gym. Now, before you look down your nose at me and wonder how I could compare something "so trivial" as gym attendence to the aforementioned Dolfin shorts, please understand that I hate going to the gym alone. I am nearly fearful of going alone. I'm convinced I will either get jumped in the parking lot or laughed at on the treadmill. (And I'm not always sure which would be worse.)<br /><br />Neither happened.<br /><br />I did it. 30 minutes of working out broke a good sweat and I am home to forever relive the experience in my heart. I really need to make a habit of this.<br /><br />Did you know Richard Simmons considered becoming a priest?<br /><br />Here's to the next 386,<br />(healthy) Fat Girl2009/09/you-raise-me-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fat Girl)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366517714719589781.post-4924180275549436649Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:02:00 +00002009-09-19T13:06:33.163-04:00Honest YackingLondon BridgesSo the thing I've been most afraid of lately is the first time I will "fall down" on this new road to health. Well. I don't need to be fearful any more. It happened last night. Totally fell off my plan, face-first into a bowl of dessert. <br /><br />I won't list out my torturous demise. There would be no point. But at least it's behind me. I actually feel good about that.<br /><br />I know that I will mess up. And, more importantly, I now know that I will be just fine.<br /><br />Today is a new day. I had a good first week. I'm putting this behind me. There is still plenty of time to keep moving forward. <br /

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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661206873613003503Tue, 11 Aug 2026 06:45:09 +0000review2008teaGreen TeaDarjeelingTea GschwendnerChineseTea Tasting2009Oolongpu-erhBlackEphemeraGreen Hill TeaVideoEdmon's CollectionWhite Teafirst flushThunderbolt TeaAssamMehYunnan Sourcing2013DragonwellLapsang SouchongLongjingSenchaTwitterChinaFoodieMaeda-enPhoenix TeaRed Leaf TeaSilver NeedleTea HabitatValeo AcademyYunnanYunnan Gold1st Flush2nd FlushArya EstateBai Mu DanCeylonChicago Coffee and Tea ExchangeDan CongGrand TeaHistoryJing TeaLiSanMighty LeafMythsRobert MullenixSam RitcheyShakespeareTeaHubYou Me and TeaZhi TeaartistgaiwanhealthAdagio TeasAdviceAnji Bai ChaBig Red RobeBrothers KaramazovCaffeineCalibrè CoffeeCalifornia Tea HouseCanton Tea CompanyCha DaoChristmasCinnabar GongfuDa Hong PaoDong MuEarthbound TeaEventFang TeaFollowFridayFormosaFreshDarjeelingTea.comHighgrownIntelligentsia CoffeeInternetJade OolongJapaneseKate ProutyKeemunKenyaLainie SipsLavender Lounge TeaMao FengNarien TeasNepalNigel MelicanOrganicRisheehat EstateSFTGFOP1Second CupSimpson-VailSome of This May Be TrueSomething LovelySommelierSpring FlushTea HorseTea MastersTeas Etc.TetsubinThe 39 Steeps Tea ClubThe Tea SpotTony GebelyVintageWuYiYixingaromabamboocoffeegongfupainterparodyresveratrolsecond-flushsmokytea tableteabagsteapottravel10.000-year clock200120062010201120142018Advents CalendarAlex KnappAlgonquinAlice in WonderlandAmontilladoAnandaAppreciationArt of NonconformityAs You Like ItAspirationsAuctionAura TeasAutumnal FlushAvongroveBabs & Coco's Tea EmporiumBachBaihao YinzhenBears BlogBenoy ThapaBeowulfBi Luo ChunBily JerabBoingBoingBonavitaBrett BoyntonBritishBuddha TeasBugs BunnyCask of AmontilladoCastleton EstateChaucerChe GuevaraCheetosChicagoChicago CaptioningChicago Tea GardenChouzhouChris GiddingsChris GuillebeauChristian ThinkingClipperClive OwenCoffee CantataCompositonConfessionsConvertsCrazeeCrocusesCulinary TeasDalekDarjeeling Tea BoutiqueDavid BowieDavid Lee HoffmanDid You Know?Dobra TeaDoctor WhoDocumentaryDorri OldsDownyDream of the Red ChamberEarl GreyEdgar Allen PoeEmerald PearlEmotionEnglish LiteratureEvil BeeFTGFOP1Fair TradeFlavoredFlower TeaFood PairingForbesFortunatoFranceFujianGeorge ZhangGiddapaharGiftGilligan's IslandGoldenGolden MonkeyGolden NepalGolden PearlsGolden Tips TeaGoogle AdwordsGreen WinkGrumpy CatGuinness World RecordGyokuroHalf-Dipper blogHasenpfefferHenrietta LovellHobbesHobnob cookiesHojichaIrish BreakfastIsaiah 28James LileksJapanese CharcoalJas-eTeaJasmineJasmine PearlsJetsonsJian MengJohnson TsangJun ChiyabariJungpana EstateJussi RautaniemiJustin BeaverJustin BieberKaren WrayKim KardashianKool-AidKuki-chaLa Voie du ThéLady GagaLainie PetersenLeonard BernsteinLingia EstateLipton'sLochanLongview EstateLos AlamosLovers' LeapLu An Gua PianLung ChingM.T. WendellMUST BUYMachaMakaibari EstateMalaysiaManagalamMankota EstateMaple TeaMargaret's Hope EstateMark HelprinMatchaMeleng EstateMemeMemoryMerlinMike TysonMildly Evil ManMilk OolongMirko RandováMuppetsMusicNew MexicoNilgiriOPObsessionOkayti EstateOothu EstateOpenSalonOsmanthusPANICPandoraPekoePeony WhitePeter KeenPhoenixPhuguri EstatePi Lo ChunPicassoPlay-DohPrimateaPrince CharlesPrince HarryPrince WilliamPsalm 42Puttabong EstateQingshanQuangzhouRadioRajah BanerjeeRed Circle TeaRembeng EstateRick BaylessRishi TeaSantaSanta FeSeattle Coffee GearShaun of the DeadSibeliusSilkSindaro FedhaSingularitySmellSnoopySnow MountainSorapotSoureni EstateSouth IndiaSri LankaStar TrekSteampunkSteinthalStoopidStorytellingStratford-Upon-AvonSymphony 2TGFOPTaifuTaiwanese TeaTea CultureTea FortéTea GeekTea for TodayTea on TapTeaGschwendnerTeaViewsTeapottingTeasmadeTeawareTeh TarikTen FamousThe Daily GoodThe GuardianThe OnionThe ProfessorThe ScreamThe Tea GuyThe Tea ManThurbo EstateTiggerTimerTong MuTukvar EstateTwiningsUKUnsourcedUva HighlandsVahdamVernor VengeVietnamWELCOMEWinged VictoryWoody AllenWorld Tea ChampionshipWorld of TeaWorld's Smallest TeapotXOCOXiao Tuo ChaYanchaYellow FlowerYellow TeaYu GanchenZak StoneZhejiangZhen Meiagingaphrodisiacapocalypseart galleryartonomosaudiencebaozhongbaristabastabeautifulbitterbittersweetbohea lapsangbratbudgetbug droppingsbusycaffeine overdosecannoliceramiccheapchichocolatechoicescome-on linescreepycuisinedesigndian hongdragondrippingeducationenjoymentespressofactoryfictionfishing lurefreedomfuturismgadgetgalleryguest posthandcraftedhideoushoneyhot chocolateiced teaingenuiTEAinsomniakopi luwaklandscapelibidinouslibidoloversmarketingmonkey-picked teamusingsninjasnonsenseobservationobvious linkbaitofficeoriginpandapodcastpoisonpoopprivate schoolproper teaprosperityprosperity cubepseudosciencerantred wineregional artrobotroyalssamovarsans tastesculpturesexsexual performancesexysharingshengstatisticssunlightsweettackytastetea caddytea flighttea housetea timerteakettletieguanyintimepiecetisanetrainingtuochaturkishumamivarietywinewoodyerba matézombieThe 39 SteepsDrink tea. Taste the world.noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Blogger242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661206873613003503.post-7688913458948060873Mon, 28 Jan 2019 20:11:00 +00002019-01-28T14:16:58.452-06:002018Advents CalendarChristmasDarjeelingOkayti EstateTeaGschwendnerVahdamThanks, Mom! (2018 Vahdam, Okayti Premium Darjeeling Spring Black Tea)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="; imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="; /></a></div> <div> <br /></div> <div> <br /></div> Christmas, 1983 or so. My mother engineered a Christmas to remember. Kate and I were as always excited about the holiday, because at our house, we CELEBRATED. My parents' room was locked for the entire month of December, and my mom and dad would wink and make the "I have a secret" sign we used (thumb against nose twice, bumping hands together twice in a complicated gesture I'm powerless to describe properly). Christmas morning came, and Santa arrived. Schwinn 10-speed bikes for both of us, plus the 100 or so other gifts scattered through the house.<br /> <div> <br /></div> <div> Every year is like this. My June birthday month has been renamed "Stevuary," because the party starts on the first day of the month, and continues on and past the 23rd. Each year, my mom tries to give gifts that are <i>perfect</i>. (Yes, Dad gives gifts, too. But no one I know can hold a candle to Mom, who makes it her life's business.) We never know who is going to be the recipient of pure perfection, but it's always at least one of us. One year, it was the expensive Russian teacups (<i>podstakanniki,</i> which I was informed by one of my former Russian students that I've been boldly mispronouncing for years, and the which I can't force my mouth around no matter how hard I try to copy her accent.) Another year, a sibling's difficult bill would be paid. A special gold head joint for our budding flutist. And on. And on. My parents were not wealthy people, but we always felt rich because somehow price never seemed to be an issue. Santa would come, the tree was surrounded with a knee-high drift of presents marked, "From SC," in my mother's graceful, old-school script.<br /> <div> <br /></div> <div> This year, Mom had a health scare. When she was young, she had an undiagnosed cough that doctors treated with codeine and other palliatives. She coughed her way through high school, got better, and never thought much about it again. Then a couple years ago she found out she had cancer, and it would be treated with surgery and radiation. Unknown to us, the radiation that would save her life from the dreaded C word would also burn her lungs, reducing their function drastically. Eventually, she ended up on oxygen with fairly limited mobility. This means no more trips to the mall. And right about Christmas, Mom's breathing eroded to the point where she could barely talk for the coughing. (She was holding out against going to the doctor, convinced that what turned out to be a bronchial infection on top of her lung disease was going to land her in the hospital. Happy ending: She got meds and was soon well after the holiday season was over.)</div> </div> <div> <br /></div> <div> And yet. Christmas must go on.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> Mom has discovered the Internet.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> Now, saying that makes my mom sound like a n00b. Yeah, nope. She's a pro. She broke the Internet making the best Christmas ever.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> The last couple of years, as you may have noticed (those two of you who still know this blog exists), I've been too busy with real life, and not inspired enough to really write about brown leaf juice. How many more <i>Simpsons</i> references and high art images must I come up with every time I drink a cup of tea? Instead, I've been working on a novel (and, yes, there is tea in it, though I'm editing it out because only real tea-holics would appreciate such focus on gaiwans and <i>gongfu</i>), and on teaching literature, and helping my brother resurrect his very excellent business. So as a consequence of changing priorities, I'd rather run out of good tea. I was living in a tea desert. I was on one of the outer rings of Saturn, so far as tea was concerned. I was tea-ed out. I had no <i>fu</i> in my gongfu. I was an ex-tea-er.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> Then December rolled around, and Mom found something new: <a href="; target="_blank">TeaGschwendner's tea advent calenda</a>r. Hung on my classroom wall, I would open one each morning, and the students would pick among the stash what to drink for the day. I had to remember some of my high school German to describe to the kids what was inside each packet, or I could simply cut them open (the packets, not the students) and let the kids sniff and decide. Most of the teas were flavored, and so not my bag at all, but it's slowly converting the kids to the Good Stuff.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> And then Christmas rolled around. Unbeknownst to me, Mom had spent weeks reading my old tea blog, finding which teas I had loved the best, and then going online to read all my friends' blogs to get their opinions on <a href="; target="_blank">what the best Darjeelings were, and where to find them</a>; and how to get her hands on dan cong oolong; and fancy greens; and a full pound of high-end Assam for day-to-day drinking. This lady is <i>thorough </i>when she does her homework.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="; imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="; width="320" /></a></div> <div> Such a ridiculous, amazing Christmas. Mom bought presents like they were going out of style--not terribly expensive, but perfect for each of us. (Or were they? Price never seems to be the point; Mom gives gifts that are <i>correct</i>, and if that's five cents or five hundred dollars, it doesn't seem to enter into the calculations for any of us.) She celebrated Christmas like it was going to be her last one with us. The kind of gift giving I remember from when I was little. An embarrassment of riches.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> And, no, I don't mean the tea.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> . . .</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> Vahdam Tea (an Oprah Best Thing) distributes Darjeelings, among other things. This morning my wife made me the Okayti Premium Darjeeling Spring Black Tea: Single Estate, Private Reserve.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> Golden-brown liquor, as one would expect from a Darj. But the flavor: sparkling, with something that reminds one of cherries, perhaps--fruity, to be sure, but only in the sense that it <i>reminds</i> me of fruit. Done correctly (as Suzanne did, saints be praised!), the tea is fragrant, able to grab my attention from a full five feet away. The aroma closely aligns with the flavor of the tea itself, which is not always the case. Gentle but bright, not too sharp, and utterly enjoyable. It is for moments like <i>this</i> that I drink tea, and read great literature, and write, and think, and study the Bible, and talk about what I love. It's the times that make me feel awake after a long winter slumber, that make it all springtime inside without its cleaning.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> Thank you, friend(s) who remember this blog. Go grab some Darjeeling and let me know what you've been drinking lately.</div> <div class="blogger-post-footer">Please click over to visit my blog to get to know me better. And if you would be so kind, join the site with Google Friend Connect and share it with your friends on Facebook or Twitter. Thank you for your patronage!</div>2019/01/thanks-mom-2018-vahdam-okayti-premium.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661206873613003503.post-649771739372185478Fri, 29 Dec 2017 12:37:00 +00002017-12-29T06:44:44.666-06:00KenyaPhoenix TeaSilver NeedleSindaro FedhaWhite TeaPhoenix Tea Sindano Fedha (Silver Needle): Kenya"Mr. Knoerr, may I have some more?" The tallest boy in the school, good at sports, loud and energetic, wants a second tiny cup of Kenyan white tea. The room is unusually quiet today, because Caleb's friends have somehow convinced him to stay mostly silent—a feat I find astonishing and which I could repeat. He wrote his request on a piece of paper and handed it to me before accepting a refill.<br /> <br /> Throughout my adult life, I've resigned myself to being alone in my interests, listening to 20th-century classical music, and reading books no one has read and no one has any interest in reading. So it comes as a continual surprise that my students want to share in (and demand, in fact) the most esoteric of my interests, tea.<br /> <br /> Earlier in my blog, I wrote many times that the reason Americans don't drink tea is that they don't know what they're missing. We Americans, like everyone else on the planet, like the good stuff in life, when we know it exists and that it's worth the effort. Back in the '70s, when I was growing up, TV commercials (remember those?) sold Folgers coffee with flavor crystals, which brand my parents had in big canisters in the fridge. It was predictable, and it was better than whatever sludge came before, I guess.<br /> <br /> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="; width="420"></iframe> <br /> <br /> But then the '90s happened, and Starbucks and microbreweries changed the way we drank. Coffee went from a cup of Joe to a double-mocha Venti Josephus; and Stroh's went by the wayside for Hop Zombie I.P.A. When we take some time and <i>observe, </i>we can really enjoy things once in a while.<br /> <br /> (Here's a quick report on a Kenyan Silver Needle tea from Phoenix Tea. I had it awhile back, and I'm only now completing this write-up. Pardon, everyone who ever lived, for being so tardy!)<br /> <i><br /></i> <i><br /></i> <i>Steep 1</i><br /> Pale, transparent gold<br /> 5 min steep, for fun<br /> bright, sharp-edged at this extreme end of taste; light and floral with less<br /> lactonic, milky hint under the brightness<br /> <br /> Steep 2<br /> Almost a chocolate first note, milky, white chocolate, a bit floral, vanilla, strong. "Yeah, it's different." "It smells like girls." High note of lilac, perhaps. Drying,<br /> <br /> High-quality white tea, buds perfect,<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Students line up for a white tea from Kenya, coming back for seconds.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Please click over to visit my blog to get to know me better. And if you would be so kind, join the site with Google Friend Connect and share it with your friends on Facebook or Twitter. Thank you for your patronage!</div>2017/12/phoenix-tea-sindano-fedha-silver-needle.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661206873613003503.post-8491933221766906265Thu, 03 Dec 2015 16:34:00 +00002015-12-03T10:34:51.347-06:00aromaChristmasDarjeelingEmotionfirst flushGiftMemoryPhoenixSantaSmelltea<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="; imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="; width="121" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{ <a href="; target="_blank">Original bottle</a> of Chanel No. 5 }  </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="tr_bq"> "Oh, it's so fragrant."</div> <br /> The aroma coming off the pot of freshly steeped <a href="; target="_blank">First-flush Darjeeling provided by Phoenix Tea</a> is, well, breathtaking. Floral, fruity, multilayered—the scent coming from the carafe is worth the price of admission.<br /> <br /> According to <i><a href="; target="_blank">The Fifth Sense</a></i> website, the psychology of smell is worth exploring, because this sense triggers the brain's limbic system, which processes "mood, memory, behavior, and emotion." An extended quote:<br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="; imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="; width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{ <a href="; target="_blank">Cherry Blossoms</a>,  Japan }</td></tr> </tbody></table> <blockquote> <b>Smell and Memory</b> </blockquote> <blockquote> The sense of smell is closely linked with memory, probably more so than any of our other senses. Those with full olfactory function may be able to think of smells that evoke particular memories; the scent of an orchard in blossom conjuring up recollections of a childhood picnic, for example. This can often happen spontaneously, with a smell acting as a trigger in recalling a long-forgotten event or experience. Marcel Proust, in his ‘Remembrance of all Things Past’, wrote that a bite of a madeleine vividly recalled childhood memories of his aunt giving him the very same cake before going to mass on a Sunday. </blockquote> <blockquote> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="; imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="; width="331" /></a> </div> </blockquote> <blockquote> <b>Smell and Emotion</b> </blockquote> <blockquote> In addition to being the sense most closely linked to memory, smell is also highly emotive. The perfume industry is built around this connection, with perfumers developing fragrances that seek to convey a vast array of emotions and feelings; from desire to power, vitality to relaxation.</blockquote> <i>Parfumiers</i> get it. Purveyors of fine teas get it, too. One may observe that our attraction to tea reflects this connection, as well. Drinking a cup of tea can bring about a state of <i><a href="; target="_blank">hygge</a>,</i> the Dutch term for a sense of warm, comfy well-being—perhaps partially because of the presence of subtle relaxants (L-theanine, theobromine, theophylline), and most certainly the result of aromas that stimulate that part of the brain that influences memories <i>and behaviors.</i><br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="; imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="; width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{ <a href="; target="_blank">L'amour des Trois Oranges</a>, Sergei Prokofiev }</td></tr> </tbody></table> Simply put: If you smell something that strongly evokes relaxing moments in your life, it may lead to a resurgence of relaxed behaviors and and habits of mind that will temporarily override or influence the present mood of tension, or striving, or frustration. It works on Thanksgiving, of course: the smells of turkey, and pumpkin pie, cranberry with oranges, and green Jell-O with weird salad things floating in it—all these fire up the neurons, with thick myelin sheaths leading the mind down paths not accessed since the last time you smelled these particular aromas. Habits quickly reassert themselves, and the smells of hearth and home become part of the structure, the mechanism by which the comfiness of home invades your personality so quickly and draws you into its embrace.<br /> <br /> Today I drink a cup of tea with my students, sharing the pleasure of something new. The first steeping is, alas, slightly oversteeped, leading to a slightly bitter experience. Now, Darjeeling teas are like a particularly high-maintenance friend: If treated correctly, the friend is nothing but pleasure and delight; but if not given the proper care, bitterness and insipidity result.<br /> <br /> Nevertheless, the aroma coming from the leaded-crystal carafe I use evokes a thousand happy cups of Darjeeling past, bringing with it a sense of balance and well-being that I associate with a relaxing cup—without having had anything to drink yet. Clearly, I'm highly suggestible, but nevertheless the observations above hold true: I feel like I've had a great cup of something delicious, happy, exciting, relaxing, delightful, and not a drop has passed my lips. Sharp and bright, lush and complex, a walk down a path with hidden gardens over a high wall. What is it I'm smelling? How can it be so evocative?<br /> <br /> All that from a cup of leaf juice. Astonishing, isn't it?<br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="; imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="; width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{ <a href="; target="_blank">Santa's zeppelin and angels</a> have something to do with tea, I promise. }  </td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <i><a href="; target="_blank">For Phoenix Tea's offerings, please go to their website.</a> The proprietors know what they're doing, and they are happy to provide guidance if you need help making purchasing decisions. Only a few weeks are left before Christmas, so please consider giving a gift that can evoke memory and delight. Your loved ones will thank you, and hopefully during next year they'll remember with fondness the warmth of your love and friendship, as they sip your gift of tea.</i><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Please click over to visit my blog to get to know me better. And if you would be so kind, join the site with Google Friend Connect and share it with your friends on Facebook or Twitter. Thank you for your patronage!</div>2015/12/original-bottle-of-chanel-no.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661206873613003503.post-70492346737683068Fri, 02 Oct 2015 21:54:00 +00002015-10-02T19:24:08.748-05:00Dan Cong Oolong: INSANE TEA EXPERIENCE<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="; imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="; width="266" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{ <a href="; target="_blank">Takanori Aiba</a>'s Treehouse Bonsai,<br /> a creation of an insane person of the highest caliber }</td></tr> </tbody></table> If one were to look in the sidebar of the humble <i>39 Steeps</i> tea blog, one might see <i><a href="; target="_blank">39 Steeps Radio</a>,</i> featuring one (1) sole, lonely transmission: a conversation between me and the lovely Imen Shan, owner of <a href="; target="_blank">Tea Habitat</a>, who specializes in the fabled and elusive dan cong oolong. If you read her website, <a href="; target="_blank">Tea Obsession</a>, you will find she's an insane person, in the best possible way.<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="; imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="; width="173" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{ Pancho Villa was also<br /> an insane person of note }</td></tr> </tbody></table> And were you to peruse this lonely radio program of one episode, you might find it was made <i>years</i> ago. It's taken me this long to gather the gumption to write anything about this special tea.<br /> <br /> But I've finally hit my wall with waiting around for some muse of tea who will enable me to write about something above me, so to hell with it. Readers, now you shall be able to read my musings about something I am manifestly unable to write about adequately, so buckle your seat belts as I strap on my bandolier of purple prose and my machine gun of superlatives, Pancho Villa style, and start shooting my mouth off.<br /> <br /> <b>SO WHAT IS DAN CONG OOLONG?</b><br /> <b>AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?</b><br /> <b><br /></b><b>update update update</b><br /> (Whoops! I hit "Go!" on this by accident, before I was ready to publish. So stay tuned for the rest of the article about this astonishing tea.)<br /> <br /> <br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Please click over to visit my blog to get to know me better. And if you would be so kind, join the site with Google Friend Connect and share it with your friends on Facebook or Twitter. Thank you for your patronage!</div>2015/10/dan-cong-oolong-insane-tea-experience.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661206873613003503.post-9161750706554809003Fri, 02 Oct 2015 02:59:00 +00002015-10-02T16:15:42.657-05:00HojichaPhoenix TeaThe 39 Steeps Tea ClubValeo AcademyTwigs and Leaves: 2015 Hojicha, Phoenix Tea<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="; imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="; width="364" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{ <i>Sticks Framing a Lake,</i> Andy Goldsworthy }  </td></tr> </tbody></table> "Tastes like bark."<br /> <br /> "No, tastes like water."<br /> <br /> Yesterday I wrote on Facebook, "Watching my <a href="; target="_blank">Valeo students,</a> who are my new 39 Steeps Tea Club, rush up for high-end ‪#‎tea‬ from Phoenix Tea is akin to witnessing a cow being eaten by piranhas. They're enjoying themselves, learning to drink the good stuff, and being alarming, all at the same time."<br /> <br /> My students, who are Young in the Ways of Tea, are meandering toward the observation that the <a href="; target="_blank">Hojicha</a> carried by <a href="; target="_blank">Phoenix Tea</a> (and which is happily affordable) makes them think of a life connected to nature—like a walk outside, like the smell the forest air takes on after a rain. Or maybe just before a rain? Well, something to do with a rain, anyway.<br /> <br /> <a href="; target="_blank">Hojicha,</a> as my more attentive students now know, is made from the stems of the tea plants whose leaves have already been plucked. The Japanese, who don't have endless land upon which to grow their tea, have developed a frugal system in which they don't waste anything they can brew.<br /> <br /> What little I could get of the tea—after the tea sharks had had their way with it—was an easy pleasure. It's been awhile since I've made tea for my students, so I'm rusty, and this tea was a good one to start with. Woodsy, surprisingly smooth, and good for teenagers who had no idea what they were tasting. I chose this tea because, being affordable, I wasn't as anxious about screwing it up while I get my tea chops under me again.<br /> <br /> <i>I'm trying to relax as I write this, focusing on those few tea friends I know who would read this, like I did when I first started writing tea reviews. Somehow the knowledge that strangers have read this blog close to a quarter million times is a trifle intimidating. So back to basics. I'll pretend I'm back in the Facebook group, discussing what I think about this or that.</i><br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="; imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="; width="181" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{ Miss Twiggy }</td></tr> </tbody></table> I'd buy the twiggy hojicha again. It's inexpensive enough that it's easy to experiment and play around with, while being sufficiently highbrow to feel like I'm giving the students and my fellow teachers something interesting to dig into.<br /> <br /> When I'm sharing tea, you see, I'm not just providing a service; I'm trying to wake myself up—and not with the caffeine alone. Because I tend toward pretty serious depression, I value that which will make me aware that I'm alive, pull me out of my funk, get me past the listlessness, and let me have some enjoyment in the moment I happen to be in. Good music does this. (Today I was listening to a combination of Ralph Vaughan Williams and medieval stuff from Spain.) So does time talking to some very few of my friends. So does spending time with my lovely Suzanne. Surprisingly, so does teaching English literature. When I can dig in, delve into my interests and share them with someone else, I feel like I'm touching a live wire. And if a cup of golden-brown leaf juice can help me do that—well, fantastic.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Please click over to visit my blog to get to know me better. And if you would be so kind, join the site with Google Friend Connect and share it with your friends on Facebook or Twitter. Thank you for your patronage!</div>2015/10/twigs-and-leaves-2015-hojicha-phoenix.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661206873613003503.post-8349711194149409283Tue, 29 Sep 2015 19:14:00 +00002015-09-29T14:14:14.647-05:00Brett BoyntonCinnabar GongfuPhoenix TeaThe 39 Steeps Tea ClubValeo Academy<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="; imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="274" src="; width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{ <i>The 39 Steeps</i> tea blog's stately progression }  </td></tr> </tbody></table> Hi, all!<br /> <br /> It's been awhile since last I wrote here, and awhile before that, and so on. I'm regularly irregular, it seems.<br /> <br /> I've been teaching at Valeo Academy, and over the last year my students—including, surprisingly, a number of high school boys—have taken an interest in the tea I have been drinking.<br /> <br /> So last term, they drank, and drank, and drank my tea, sampling and discovering why the Good Stuff is, in fact, the good stuff. And they drank my tea until I completely ran through my dragon's hoard of<i> Camellia sinensis</i> leaves. Fie!<br /> <br /> And a few of the students came up with the wise idea to actually cough up some money to help me buy more tea. Thus, <b>The 39 Steeps Tea Club</b> is born. Though anyone at Valeo can sample the tea, the kids who added some money to the till get bragging rights as founding members, and they get to drink anything I have, until I run out of tea again.<br /> <br /> Our first tranche of tea has been generously provided for us by Cinnabar (Virginia Wright), the author of <a href="; target="_blank">Gongfu Girl</a> and numerous other writing outlets; and Brett Boynton of <a href="; target="_blank">Black Dragon Tea Bar</a> blog. Together they are the proprietors of <a href="; target="_blank">Phoenix Tea Shop</a>, which has been around for about five years at this writing, since 2010. When I contacted <a href="; target="_blank">Cinnabar via Facebook,</a> I told her my budget and asked her to come up with an unflavored tea care package for my students. And wow, did she and Brett provide.<br /> <br /> In the days to come, I'll begin showcasing tea again on the blog, hurray and heaven be praised! I know I take a circuitous route to writing here, so we'll see how this goes. Thank you for your patronage. And thank you, Phoenix Tea Shop, for providing my students and me some delicious teas.<br /> <br /> <br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Please click over to visit my blog to get to know me better. And if you would be so kind, join the site with Google Friend Connect and share it with your friends on Facebook or Twitter. Thank you for your patronage!</div>2015/09/39-steeps-tea-blogs-stately-progression.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661206873613003503.post-546345397667376978Sun, 15 Mar 2015 13:57:00 +00002015-03-15T09:02:07.198-05:00baristaeducationenjoymentgongfuJas-eTeaobservationpu-erhsharingYunnan SourcingA tea barista is born!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="; imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="; height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{ A typical tea barista, <br /> hopped up on caffeine and English literature }  </td></tr> </tbody></table> This term, I've become my English students' tea barista. I've shared with them puerh, introduced glorious oolong, and let them get to know beautiful red teas (by which I mean, <i>black</i> teas, but I wanted to avoid the alliteration). I get the kids jazzed up on caffeine and L-theanine, talk poetry and literature, then send them on their merrier way. I'm told their gym classes are livelier with less-lethargic students.<br /> <br /> It all started with a student whom I'll call, "Nadia," because that's her first name. She was not feeling well, and she begged for a bit of tea to soothe her aching throat. And, being the accommodating sort, I wanted to help. My schedule was inconvenient, and I couldn't stay away from my classroom to make her tea, so I walked my tea table over and plopped it on the edge of my big teacher's desk at the head of the room.<br /> <br /> I made Nadia some flowery stuff I hadn't drunk and didn't want to drink, but which I thought she might enjoy. And enjoy it she did. Then I saw how some other students had procured teacups from <i>somewhere,</i> and they were sharing the rest of her pot. Hm, something I hadn't expected.<br /> <br /> Now, the students had heretofore watched me drinking my good tea, and they were interested, but I hadn't re

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