I’m there, right now.

The Font Thing was such a great font management tool, and followed me from XP to Vista, and then attempted to follow me from Vista to Windows 7. Now, it shouldn’t come as a shock to me, but I can’t even install it; Windows says “nope! Not gonna happen!” I hadn’t realized that development on The Font Thing stopped 10 years ago. Holy cow.

So, I seem to be in the market for a new font management program. I’ve got over 1000 fonts that I need to organize and selectively install.  Does anybody have a good recommendation for a new font manager? I prefer free (ideally open source) where possible, but I’ll consider commercial options.

I’ll miss you, Font Thing!

Today we added the first few fish to it.

I’m working from the living room today so I can observe. They are obviously still in adaptation mode, but I need to make sure that nobody gets bullied. I did my homework and found a list of fish that can be (relatively) safely housed with a male betta, so I’m keeping an eye on them to make sure he doesn’t start picking on the other fish.

Their initial reaction was a bit different than I’d have expected. Here’s a photo of the tank before I put any fish in it:

So, the betta immediately swam into the big tree decoration. He’s come out a couple of times, but mostly is camping out inside, in the dark, far away from the other 5 fish.

I got two mollies, a white molly and a dalmatian molly (mine is more black than white). The white one initially was hanging out near the surface, and ate most of the food I put in there. Now he’s exploring a little bit more, but still spending more time near the surface than anywhere else. The dalmatian one has been exploring pretty thoroughly and likes to follow the bottom feeder around. Now the two mollies are spending more time near each other.

The neon tetra was initially cowering behind the tall plants (literally, he looked like he was shaking) for a while but is now out and about.

The guppy seems the best adjusted so far, he’s been exploring the whole time and is now content to hang out with the tetra; they’re BFF’s hehe.

And, the cory catfish, in true bottom feeder fashion, is playing with the gravel at the bottom of the tank.

So far everybody looks happy but the betta; I prefer hiding in the dark to attacking other fish though, so we’ll see how he does when he’s done playing in the dark.

Once these fish are established, we’ll pick up a few more; either of similar types or more of what we’ve got.There’s a few other kinds that can co-exist with a betta as long as he’s not snarky. If he seems really docile, I might try some angel fish - they’re labeled as “use caution”, so they may or may not get along with the betta, depending on individual temperament.

So, Oregon has this state law that says we’re not allowed to pump our own gas, because apparently if we do, we will set ourselves on fire.

Today, Jeffry and I went up to Vancouver, WA to visit a friend of the family and some of my relatives that were in the area for a wedding. The gas light came on shortly after we left their house to come back home, so we stopped at a gas station. Two seconds later, he goes ,

“Awwwww crap.”
“What’s wrong dear?”
“It’s self serve!”
“... and?”
“............”
“... you seriously don’t know how to pump gas?!”
“NO.”

Ladies and gentlemen, my boyfriend doesn’t know how to pump gas.

So I got out and did it and proceeded to laugh at him for the next hour. Heehee

I noticed that George was really fond of laying on top of the little plactic plants that were in there but they didn’t seem to be treating his fins well, so I bought some live plants and a little cave to put in his tank. That triggered the need for an aqaurium.. his tiny tank seems so FULL now, and OMG I really want to do more aquascaping.

A few weeks ago, George got really sick. He turned grey, stopped eating, and spent all his time laying in the corner of his tank. After a few days, his breathing started looking really strained as well. I took in a sample of his water for testing to see if it was a problem with the ph balance or something but I was told that the tank water was nigh perfect. I started reading all about betta illnesses and stuff trying to figure out what was wrong with him. I was worried that I’d look over and find him belly up (and at one point he looked so bad that I almost hoped I would just so he wouldn’t be suffering anymore, cause it broke my heart how miserable he seemed to be) but George is a trooper. I took him in to the fish shop to see what they thought and they said “well, he looks pretty terrible but an antibiotic might help him. don’t get your hopes too high though.”

So we came home and started his antibiotic and stress reducing treatment. Within 3 days he was back to his old self again

But all the research made me realize how fascinating fish really are, and how they have personalities and all that. Pair this with the want to do more aquascaping and I seem to have a problem. I want a 10 gallon community tank for my living room. George is going to stay here by my desk so I can see him all day cause he rocks, but there’s a bunch of fish that you can (relatively) safely tank with one male betta. I saw one once; my friends dad had a large tank with about 9 fish and a male betta; he was HUGE. It was cool. I want a tank like that.

I might get one this month, which would be exciting. I’m researching what kinds of fish I can put together. Anybody have any suggestions?

The final tally wound up being 5.6 pounds less than I started at, which isn’t bad at all. I still really think it was all water weight, and noticed the slowdown right at Day 4, which I assume is when I ran out of excess water to drop. Measurements are all about a half inch lower, except stomach which is a full inch lower. Not really a visible difference but not a bad start.

I don’t know that I can confidently say that the SLIMQUICK Cleanse had much, if anything to do with this though… I honestly think that drinking a lot of water (which I am notorious for not having done before starting this program) and eating reasonable food did it all. I’m going to hit all the points that The Cleanse says it helps:

1. Eliminate TOXINS: SLIMQUICK cleanse contains ingredients which help eliminate toxins from the digestive tract.  Toxin elimination is a key process in any cleansing or detoxifying regime.

It’s hard to comment on this specific point. What do toxins look like when they vacate the premises? How do you feel after? I don’t feel any cleaner… *shrug* No ideas on this one.

2. Increase METABOLISM: An increase in metabolic rate helps contribute towards weight loss by increasing calories burned throughout the day. SLIMQUICK cleanse contains clinically researched key ingredients to boost metabolism.

Another one that’s hard to comment on, as you can’t really *feel* your metabolism. Can’t really weigh the weight loss results against anything either as I drank more water and ate less calories while my metabolism was “faster” so there’s no way to measure this claim.

3. Improve functions of DIGESTIVE TRACT: SLIMQUICK cleanse contains ingredients to help with daily functioning of the digestive tract as well as ingredients to help promote a healthy intestinal flora.  Healthy intestinal flora is central to the functioning of the digestive tract.

My digestive tract did not seem improved. More on that in Point 5, which may be a bit TMI.

4. Increase ENERGY: Increased energy expenditure or calorie burning through physical activity is a key factor in any weight-loss program. SLIMQUICK cleanse contains ingredients shown to elevate one’s energy levels.  By increasing energy, women are able to get through their busy days and still have energy to undertake regular physical exercise and maintain an active lifestyle.

Not at all. I felt just as tired the whole time I was on the cleanse than I did before it… moreso on some days. I even cheated one day and had a cup of coffee in the morning and was still not more energized.

5. Cleanse the COLON: SLIMQUICK cleanse contains ingredients which have been shown to help increase one’s ability to achieve effective bowel functions by increasing the frequency of bowel movements and improving the efficiency of the colon.

NO. No, this did not happen at all. If anything, I pooped less than I usually do. I feel rather constipated and would love nothing more than to have an “effective bowel function” right about now. The only effect SLIMQUICK Cleanse had on my poop was making it softer (which wasn’t necessary, my poop was not rock hard thx), smaller and stinkier. I think I’m more backed up now than I was before.

6. Balance BLOOD SUGAR: SLIMQUICK cleanse is designed with ingredients to help balance blood sugar (glucose) and promote healthy blood glucose homeostasis. It is important to maintain blood glucose homeostasis for overall maintenance of bodyweight and good health.

This point, however, I am more than happy to give them. I am inclined to say that it did help stabilize my blood sugar, as I didn’t get dizzy when I got hungry, which happens to me often. My blood sugar has been known to tank with no warning, leaving me feeling horrible on top of being hungry. This did not seem to happen during my cleanse. I was, however, chronically hungry all week.

So, over all, it seems like many of these claims are not really measurable. I did lose 5 pounds during the week long cleanse and am very happy about that, but I just don’t know that I believe the Cleanse had anything to do with that. Drink plenty of water and eat reasonably, and I suspect those first 5 pounds will come off easily… if it works like I think it does you’ll simply pee them away. In a nutshell: I wouldn’t do it again.. at least, not without trying the water-and-healthy-food thing first, to have something to compare to.

I do have the SLIMQUICK Caplets, which I intend to try out starting tomorrow (I really need a break from swallowing ginormous things, ugh!) and will share my thoughts on as they come up. Stay tuned.

SLIMQUICK Cleanse series: Intro · Day 1 · Day 2 · Day 3 · Final Review

<-- wow…

I skipped the Rise and Shine Liver Flush today… I just can't do the warm lemonade today. Stomach says "do it and die, woman".

There's not much new to report today. Yesterday's menu left a bit to be desired (I was hungry ALL DAY) but I drank tons of water and that helped a bit. Today I'm cheating a little because I didn't make it to the store, but I've made it a point to stay within the calorie guidelines so I think it'll be okay.

Still doesn't seem to be any negative side effects from the Cleanse, which makes me happy.

That's all for now!

SLIMQUICK Cleanse series: Intro · Day 1 · Day 2 · Day 3 · Final Review

That’s almost 2 pounds less than yesterday; I’m sure it’s all water weight cause I’ve been peeing like a racehorse, but it’s a nice start

My first thoughts on the Cleanse caplets.. holy crap they’re huge! And I have to take 4 of them! It’s a good thing I mastered the art of swallowing horse pills throughout the years of having a bad immune system!

Within minutes of taking the first dose (right before I was planning on eating lunch) I felt really bloated and like my stomach was way too full. I was hungry right before taking the pills. Food was not an option for a while. After about an hour, it went from bloated and full to kind of gassy and like I really needed to burp, but couldn’t. I managed to eat lunch then, which helped a little, but my stomach felt awful for about 5 hours.

Lunch on day 1 was awesome. I was amazed at how much food I got for so few calories.. I didn’t even need to eat it all (though I contribute some of it to the feeling I got from the capsules).

After a few hours my stomach started to feel better (burping helped; I drank some carbonated water). The second dose, and this afternoons dose did not have the same effect on me, so I think it’s smooth sailing from here. I’m feeling pretty alright, though breakfast is never enough food and I’m hungry straight through lunch time. After lunch I’m fine, though.

More tomorrow.

SLIMQUICK Cleanse series: Intro · Day 1 · Day 2 · Day 3 · Final Review

Can I just say that the Rise and Shine Liver Flush is going to kill me? OMG. My brain/stomach just doesn’t know how to handle the idea of “warm lemonade” and it was a struggle with my body to drink (and keep down) the warm water with lemon juice. Part of it is because I was queasy to begin with (yay sick!) but I had the same problem with the lemon flavored Theraflu... warm lemonade = ick.

So I’m having Breakfast now (blueberry smoothie) and took some starting measurements. They’re really depressing.

Weight: 157.6
Butt: 43 inches
Stomach (at largest part for me): 40 inches
Waist (actual): 33 inches
Hips: 38.5 inches

(oddly enough, my WHR seems to still be within “healthy range” haha)

The first caplets come before lunch.. I’ll be following the actual Cleanse diet pretty closely today (assuming I can find trout for dinner). Tomorrow I’ll let you know my thoughts on the caplets, and how today went. I’ll be posting scale weight (taken first thing in the morning, after I pee, before my shower, just like today) daily.

Wish me luck!

SLIMQUICK Cleanse series: Intro · Day 1 · Day 2 · Day 3 · Final Review

We’re blogging for Doctors Without Borders; if you’d like to donate, you can sponsor us

———————
Update: July 26, 12:41am

Here’s my posts!
Shiney and Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Chicken Marsala
Piña Colada Bread and Mango Bread
Bacorn, Heart Attack Sauce, and Pepperoni Frittata

As a child, my doctors would (mostly jokingly) ask my mother if she ever fed me; she replied with a stoic “Doctor, she eats more than me and her brother combined. Yes, I feed her”. I suppose the amount of running and jumping and falling and climbing I did factored into that, but the truth was I could eat all i wanted, and did. People would be amazed at how much I could eat, and ask me where all that food goes. My typical answer was “to my toes!” My nickname was Katie No-Butt Wagner. It was true. There was no meat on me, anywhere.

When I hit Jr. High and the joys of puberty, I became “curvy”. Still skinny, but with hips that could move a mountain. I’m Hispanic; I expected that. I wore a size 7 juniors jean which was too big for me because a 5 wouldn’t get past my hips. I wore the same pants until college.

In college, my metabolism was still a good friend of mine, but without marching band to keep me moving all the time, I gained a few pounds. No really, only a few. I was not a victim of the Freshman Fifteen; it was more like 5 pounds, max.

After I dropped out of the art school (that’s a whole other story for a different blog post), I got into kickboxing and other strenuous activities. I dropped those last few pounds and was wandering around in that elusive size 5 for a while. I was stoked; I looked good and was in my prime! Wheee. If only I had known those days were so short!

In the 2 years that I’ve been in Portland, I’ve gained a lot of weight. Granted, I probably needed to gain 5-10 pounds, and I did, and felt pretty good… but it didn’t stop there. I am the heaviest and biggest I’ve ever been, and I am not happy about it. I’m not “fat” persay, but having always been so thin, this is kind of a downer for me.

So, now I’m ready to do something. I chatted with the people at Jenny Craig but really, my problem isn’t portion control, so I don’t think that’s quite the right thing for me. My problem is that I eat bad foods and drink too much beer. Ah, beer. Portland has more microbreweries per capita than most places do.. anyway. I know that if I just start eating better foods, and working out more, I can lose the weight. I wanted something to help jumpstart me though.

I’d heard people raving about The Master Cleanse a long time ago, but it just stricks me as way too extreme and probably extremely unhealthy. I can’t imagine not eating for 10 days. And the salt water chug? No thanks.

Recently, on my plane ride back to Portland from a vacation to LA (where I ate horribly, because I was on vacation, sigh), I was reading a Glamour magazine and saw and advertisement for SLIMQUICK Cleanse; a 7 day cleanse option made specifically for women that helps with issues specific to women’s weigh loss. It’s a supplement that you take while still eating actual food, so it seems less drastic than other programs.

I did some research on my good old trusty friend Google, but I couldn’t find anything that didn’t sound like a sales pitch or fake reviews. But, I did find the Cleanse package and the followup SLIMQUICK Caplets for a damn good price, so I figured.. what the hell? I’d try to kill two birds with one stone.

So I bought them, and will be starting the SLIMQUICK regimen (including their recommended diet [as closely as possible, as I’m allergic to most fish] and excercise plan) on Thursday next week to see if I can drop some weight (I’d start tomorrow, but it’s my birthday tomorrow and damn it, what good is a birthday when you’re on a diet?!) (when I get paid, so I can actually afford to buy healthy foods) for Bird One, and I’m going to document my experience for Bird Two; that way, when the next girl that wants to drop some pounds Googles the product, they’ll hopefully find my saga that will be full of useful information. Yay!

Wish me luck!

SLIMQUICK Cleanse series: Intro · Day 1 · Day 2 · Day 3 · Final Review

disclaimer: comments will be monitored more than normal on these posts; I don’t need some sap coming along being rude, and I also don’t need a million weight loss spam comments on my blog. You know who you are… *dirty looks*. Trusted, registered members can post normally (when logged in) but all other comments will be in a queue for moderation.