Seven Surefire Ways To Lose Weight This Year

1. Go to the gym.

Now I know what you’re thinking. Oh no, not a gym membership! I’ll go once and never go back again. How on earth is this method ever going to work? Simple. What you’re going to do is WALK to the gym! That’s right. Even if it’s 50 miles away. Walk all the way to the gym and once you get there, walk all the way home again. That should help shed some pounds.

2. Tape a photo of one of those perfect-bodied Victoria’s Secret models onto your refrigerator door.

Or multiple photos, if you want. Yes, a refrigerator adorned with a montage of perfectly sculpted beach bodies might just be the ticket to total fitness in 2012. Why? ‘Cause every time you’re tempted to open up the fridge and grab a handful of fried chicken, darn it all, one of those babes will look you in the eye, admonishing, “You’re eating again? Piggy!”
Of course, you’ll slink away in embarrassment.

3. Tape a naked photo of YOURSELF on the fridge.

No explanation needed.

4. Buy yourself a dog that runs really, really fast (such as a greyhound or a whippet) and take it for a nice walk at least 3 times a day.

Did you know the whippet is the fastest dog on earth? Take your whippet out onto the bike path and perhaps he’ll take YOU for a nice long walk (make that RUN).

5. Run for President of the United States.

Hey, it IS an election year, right? Might as well throw your hat into the ring and run as an Independent. Some of the candidates ain’t looking all that great, anyways. Since it’s sure to be stressful and hectic out there on the campaign trail, with long days and nights, you probably won’t have time to eat anything.

6. Buy a whole bunch of bigger, baggier clothes.

What we’re going for here is the illusion of weight loss. An acquaintance sees you at the grocery store in your oversized shirt and says, “Wow, that shirt is just hanging off you, girl! Have you lost weight?”

And finally, if all else fails there’s this one:

7. Have your lips surgically sewn together.

Nothing beats this one! If the food can’t get into the mouth, the fat can’t get onto the hips. Or anywhere else, for that matter.


Happy New Year!

January's here!

As December was coming to a close, I looked out the kitchen window one day and thought the sky looked rather picturesque. There was this unusual contrast--like 2 different blue layers of the sky.

I grabbed my camera and shot a few pics.

Some Fall Photos

Bare November, winter's frost,
Another day is lost.
The trees shed their leaves like skin
and leave behind a ghostly grin.

Anniversary Photo Session

My husband and I celebrated our 26th anniversary back in October. As a photojournalist who takes pictures of people, places and things of interest on a regular basis, you would think I'd take pictures of my own family, wouldn't you? Well, I usually don't.

So, on our special day, I decided to remedy that situation by making sure to capture the two of us in a photograph. The trouble was I couldn't possibly take a picture of my husband and me, and none of our kids was around to snap the photo. So we decided to just pose for it and snap it ourselves.

The result was rather comical, but we got maybe one good shot out of the deal. Below you'll see what we captured that day.

A Mouse in the House

There may be a mouse in my house. Oh yes, there are signs!

Have I spotted the little critter? No. But I've found some little droppings here and there and I know they're not mine.

They're clever, these mice. They come out at night while I'm snoozing in my bed. And honestly, if they're going to leave their droppings somewhere, I'd prefer they leave them in the toilet!

We have a plan of action. We started by leaving the kitchen light on last night. My husband's theory was that mice would be afraid of the light, afraid of being spotted. But that didn't work; this morning the evidence was in full sight.

Sneaky little buggers. So now we have to go with Plan B. My husband will buy some mouse traps over the weekend and we'll do some mouse trapping. Let's see them wiggle their way out of that.

It makes me think back to my old third floor apartment in Pawtucket. Why, before I even moved in my 5-year-old nephew from downstairs announced, "Aunty Kathy, if you live here you're gonna have bats and mice."

Hmm. Surely the young man is yanking my chain, I hoped. I mean, he's only five, right?

However, on my very first night living there, I padded into the kitchen to get a glass of water before bed and right in the middle of the kitchen floor sitting there staring at me was a---

You guessed it, a mouse.

And of course, I screamed.

My brother-in-law from downstairs was summoned (the great white hunter, according to my sister), and the mouse problem was dealt with. At least for the time being.

There were other mice in my future... and bats, too.

We've been pretty lucky in this house, but I guess that luck has changed. I don't like the idea of sharing living space with rodents so they better beware!

I'm gonna go all Wicked Witch of the West on this mouse--

"I'll get you, you critter, and your little turds, too!"

And the beat goes on:

Here are some more of my neighborhood on the day of the storm;oh, the last one was from yesterday--the bike path completely blocked.

More Irene damage

More hurricane pics I shot after the storm.