New Obsession

As all of my friends know, I have been fighting the battle of the bulge for the past 16 years. Okay, I have been winning so far. I have lost 152 pounds since January 2006. I still have 45 more to go, but that is another post.

In an effort to not focus so much on my food obsession, I have taken up a new hobby. Well, rather an old hobby that I have taken up again. I started knitting when I was 12 years old. My catholic grade school made us take home economics for 3 years. You know the Nuns were trying to make us girls into the perfect homemakers!! lmao....Cooking, sewing, knitting, blah, blah!! We are talking the late 70's, early 80's people!! Anyway, I found that I enjoyed knitting a lot, despite trying to make the nuns think otherwise. I made so many hats for my parents, granparents and friends. Then I progressed to scarves and slippers. Everyone was tired of my gifts of knitting by the time I was 16. I am by NO MEANS a knitting great, but I can hold my own. I can do basic patterns... nothing that makes me think too much.

I found that knitting helps me forget my thoughts and cravings of and for food. I know I should be getting up and exercising, but knitting is more fun. I started watching this show on DIY networks called Knitty Gritty. I love this show. I can't make half the stuff they show on there, but I like to look at it. I have realized that my technique sucks, but it is hard to change old habits. In essence,I have become obsessed again with knitting! Now I actually forget to eat. My stomach is growling, but I don't want to stop. I just keep going and going. I love seeing the progress of my projects, which eventually turn into finished pieces to thrust off on my friends and family. I have started scavenging for easy knitting pattern, started a stash of yarn and I am ready to go!

I am currently working on a blanket for my best friend. She is always talking about she is cold in the winter. So, hopefully, she will wrap up in this blanket on a cold winter night, and know I made it just for her!! She loves the beach, so I tried to pick colors of the beach and the ocean. So when she is in 20 degree weather, she can pretend she is in Miami, at the beach. Here is a sample of what it looks like now. I am more than half way finished. I hope to be done in a few weeks. I said I was obsessed, not fast! LOL

Halfway point
Pattern up close

I would like to have this done by her birthday, which is in December. I have to have deadlines with my knitting or it goes into the UFO pile...UnFinished Objects!! It will be DONE!!! OBSESSION!!!!

Life Lessons

How do you teach life lessons to your teenager? When they are younger, it all seems very easy to do. Don't touch because it is hot/cold. Don't pull that because you will clonk yourself on the head. Don't bother that knife/scissors because they will cut you. Come let Mami make it better when you get a boo boo. That is a piece of cake compared to the teenage years. This is what I am dealing with: Finances from first job, first love, driving, trusting the wrong people. HOW THE HELL DO YOU TEACH THAT SHIT??!!! Can someone help me on this?

Here's scenario number one: Said teenager gets 1st job. Teenager has run up a $400 cell phone bill because of text messages (gets 1000 per month, but always seems to do 2000 to 3000 per month instead). So said mami takes cell phone away and says no more cell phone until bill is paid in full. So you have to give me all your paychecks until your bill is paid off. Well, teenager has balance of $200 and has decided she doesn't want to work anymore because she is TIRED!! Ummm WTF?! Why didn't someone send me the memo that we can quit when we are TIRED!! So mami reminds teenager, no money - no cell phone. So teenager thinks mami is soooo f'ing unfair (not said in those words but I know she was f'ing thinking it!!). I also reminded teenager, no driving until she is able to pay her car insurance bill and until she can make better grades. How do you teach fiscal responsibility? How do you teach someone to have a hard work ethic?

Scenario number two: Teenager is introduced to boy by teenager's BFF (not a BFF in my eyes, but I don't count). Boy is really feeling teenager. Boy takes her out on first date (disaster, but that is another post). Boy and teenager talk on phone, via IM, and go on more dates. Teenager says, " Mami, I have found my 'soulmate'!!" Ummm WAIT!! WHAT?! Okay, Mami is trying to be cool and say, "Oh really? That is great sweetie. But make sure he treats you nice and like a lady and NO SEX!!" OPPS...Did I say that?!! So, teenager goes on family vacation and was away from boy for a WHOLE week. During the week, she texts ($400 bill was the result) boy and BFF. BFF says she and boy have been "hanging out"! Teenager is okay with that because she just KNOWS boy is HERS. So get back from family vacation. Teenager finds out by accident that Boy and BFF are now dating or as they in teenager talk "going out". Why the secrecy? Why can't you just be honest about it. You are a big ho, be the best ho you can be and be honest about your ho'ing. Dayum, I sound really old. Any who, Teenager is devestated. "How could BFF do this to me. She knew I liked him. She INTRODUCED him to me! and now she decides she wants him!" How do you explain something like that? How do you explain that BFF totally violated the unspoken best friend rule...You don't mess around with your friend's current boyfriend or ex boyfriend? Is that still a rule or am I old and things have changed? I don't think it has changed because this rule has been going on for centuries. I have never understood why someone who is supposed to be a friend would want someone else's man or ex-man...why do you want my sloppy seconds? Why do you want to be the other woman or the slut that stole someone's man or decided you wanted my ex man? There are fucking limits people. But once again...How do you teach a teenager this life lesson? Her heart is breaking and Mami can't kiss the boo boo and make it better. How do you teach someone not to trust the wrong people? You don't know until the fuck you over and betray your trust. How do you teach that not everyone is your BFF... Not everyone is your friend period. The crying is killing me inside.

These are life lessons I am trying hard to teach but I don't know how successful I am. This is a teenager we are talking about. They think they know everything about everything. Part of me just wants to say forget it and let her learn on her own. But the Mami part of me says no I can't do that...I have to take control of the situation. So where is the line? When and where do I step back and when do I step in?

Okay can I have my baby back???