Unpleasantly Plump week 22

For those of you who read my Sunday blog just to hear how my weight loss is going, the wait is over; I lost 5.2lbs since last week 😆 This is the first time I am UNDER 200lbs in over 6 months. I weighed in at 197.4lbs this morning but it might as well have read 150lbs because I am on cloud nine. I even put my wedding ring back on! I told Kev, I feel married again! (he didn't think that was as funny as I did 😂)

I am taking some supplements, a day time one to curb my cravings and a night time one that includes a few helpful sleep agents (all natural, of course). Aside from the appetite changes that were NECESSARY to give me the boost I needed to keep my hands out the cookie jar (literally), I have cleaned out the pantry and fridge of processed foods and I am very careful what I choose to consume. I am going to keep on this path, no other changes for now, until I feel that I need to step up my game (i.e. add some workouts and give myself a cheat day once in a while). As exciting as the weight loss is, it doesn't come close to the elation I have felt all week over The Little Mermaid - the musical. Let me give you a bit of context... My childhood best friend, Ana Almeida (currently, a talented and beautiful Canadian television News host), used to own The Little Mermaid on VHS (for those of you who have no idea what that is, they were these heavy bulky film holders - the size of a tablet but as thick as a 350 page novel, that goes into a VCR - I'm not going to explain that one, there's no point). Ana's parents had a television in their bedroom and we would sneak in there with popcorn and candy and watch The Little Mermaid as many times as we could. Whatever mess was happening with my parents divorce; my dad's excessive and dangerous alcoholism and my mothers disinterest in anything other than her own personal issues, my world was full of magic thanks to the safety and security I received in Ana's home before she and her family moved away. I remember playing with Barbie's too, skipping rope or riding our bikes but my ultimate favorite thing to do was watch The Little Mermaid. Fast forward now, roughly 30 years later, I am proudly sitting in a high school auditorium in Myrtle Beach South Carolina watching my very own nephew play the iconic role of Prince Eric! I knew, from the moment he called me to say, 'I got the lead!', that I would be a blubbering mess BUT I had no clue just how much I would LOVE the show. Granted, this was my first experience with this type of production on this grand of a scale, but the adoration I have for the whole cast and crew is what really surprised me. Tuesday was opening night a.k.a. Sponsor's Night where we received free tickets because we sponsored an advertisement in the Play Bill (which, unfortunately had a spelling mistake - we wished Ethan Conratulations instead of Congratulations 🤦🏽‍♀️). I was there for the premiere and I knew I was going to come back, so I bought a ticket and went with a girlfriend of mine to the Wednesday night show. Then, I thought since Kevin was busy with the Car Show this week, why not go to the Thursday night show (that one I went to alone 😂). Friday, I was going to take a break from the performance but Carissa (Ethan's mom) was going and she was also helping feed the cast and crew for dinner so I volunteered to help and thought, 'why not stay for the show?' Saturday was the first and only day I missed, the Finale is tonight at 7pm and I've had our tickets purchased since February.

I am in complete awe of the community support, the volunteer hours for these kids, the dedication and determination of the musical theatre instructors and coordinators and of course, the acting, singing, dancing and character portrayal of ALL the students. One of the people I had the pleasure of meeting was Robert Lukey, a photographer that has been to the show more often than I have (he didn't miss Saturday☝🏻). I am including his still shots at the end of this post because I had so much trouble trying to upload my cell phone video clips to my blog-site.

***If my nephew/Prince Eric is reading this, I want to tell you how incredible you are. The tone of your voice, especially as you sing your solo (properly named 'Her Voice' even though all I hear is YOUR voice). To say I am proud is an understatement, you have awakened a love I have always had for musical theatre. I could watch you perform everyday (literally) and I would never be bored or any less amazed. If this is your first and last musical, it's an honor to have been a part of this small piece of your teenage years but if this is just the beginning of your stage experience than please know that I would move heaven and earth to help you attain your dreams. Robert Lukey said it best, there are people who love the camera, and there are people that the camera loves; you are most definitely in Column B.***

Here are the photos that Robert took this week, ending with a few shots of my own (you'll know the difference 😂) I wish I could keep typing but I have to get ready for the last show!!!

(yes, I bought the t-shirt)

(Tia is Aunt in Portuguese,

I'm Tia... that's me❣)