On this day before Thanksgiving I am sad to say that I did not make it to Onderland. But it is OK. I am holding at 204. So I guess that is how it is gonna go now. Hold same weight for a few weeks then drop a few in one week. I am good with that. I really am. I am not gaining and I have so much to be thankful for.

I am so thankful I had this surgery. What a difference it has made in my life. I am thankful for my family. Without them this would never have been possible. I am thankful that my parents are healthy and still traveling the world. They are the best parents that a girl could ask for. Mom and Dad, I love you so much.

So Happy Thanksgiving everyone. And I bet I am in Onderland by Christmas.

I can't believe that I missed my first Wednesday update in almost a year and a half. I am sorry you guys. I won't let that happen again. Not much of an update though. I am still sitting at 204. So effing close to getting under 200!!! And a week to go till Thanksgiving. Kinda bums me out. But I have done so well and I am not gaining. I can never lost sight of that.

Here are some pictures from the Magic Game this week. I had a blast!

Me and Sherry:



Me and Mom:



I promise to not be late next week!

Hi All and welcome to the Wendesday update! I am really slammed today, so it is going to be short but sweet. I didn't lose any more weight this week. Holding at 204. And while it is sometimes frustrating, Monday I went to Macy's and fit into my first MEDIUM top! Woo Hoo! The personal training is paying off. So I feel really good.

Here is me in a medium top and a size 12 skirt. Woot!!!

My post today is not about my weight. My weight stayed the same. I am good with that. Here is what I want to talk about:



I was talking to my boss yesterday - a man who voted McCain and is a right of center Republican. He said that he thought Obama was going to win and while it made him a bit scared, he remembered when Bill Clinton was elected. He told me that Bill Clinton scared the shit out of him - didn't know him from Adam and had no idea what he stood for or where he would take the country and thought for sure he was a socialist. Fast Forward 4 years and this man voted to Re-Elect Bill Clinton. Why? Because his business was thriving, he had money in his pockets, and the county was doing well. I think we will see a repeat of that.

I voted for Obama because I believe a woman has the right to choose. That Roe V Wade is holding in the supreme court at 5 to 4. That the next President will probably appoint 2 more justices to the highest court in the land and I am not willing to risk Roe V Wade being overturned.

I voted for Obama because I believe we need alternative fuel sources and that "Drill Baby Drill" is not going to do it for us. We must reduce our dependence on foreign oil. I believe Global Warming is a real thing. I believe in investing in clean energy, in renewable energy and creating green jobs.

I voted for Obama because I believe in tax cuts for the middle class. I believe that tax cuts for businesses that move their jobs overseas should be eliminated. I believe in a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support good American jobs. I believe in eliminating all capital gains taxes on startup and small businesses to encourage growth and job creation.

I voted for Obama because I believe in our children. I believe No Child Left Behind is a failed policy and needs to be reformed. I have always believed that teachers are not paid enough and that is why we lose so many teaches to other, higher paying, jobs. We must adequately fund our public schools. These kids are the ones who will be running the country when I am old and grey and I want them to be educated.

I voted for Obama because I believe health care in this country is in need of a serious overhaul. How many times on this very site have we seen people not be able to get their WLS covered by insurance? I believe in a plan that builds on the existing health care system, and uses existing providers, doctors and plans. And if you don’t have health insurance, you will have a choice of new, affordable health insurance options. We need that in this country. I am currently paying $688 / month for my health insurance - and that is fucking ridiculous.

I voted for Obama because I believe in getting the hell out of Iraq in the next 16 months. I believe in refocusing our resources on al Qaeda in Afghanistan and finish the fight with the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11.

I voted for Obama because, as a woman, I believe in equal pay for equal work. Period.

And I voted for Barack Obama because I believe it is important that people all around the world like and respect us! I have traveled this world in the last 8 years and under GW we have not been respected at all. When I was in Africa this past summer and China last November I talked with people from all over the world (many Europeans go on safari for their holiday) and every last one of them said "We are counting on you American's to do the right thing and vote in Obama." This was all walks of life - young, old, white, black, all ethnic backgrounds. They would tell me "What happens to you, happens to us" and they all were looking for an Obama Presidency. I, for one, will be happy to again travel overseas and when I tell someone I am from America I won't have to follow that up with "But I didn't vote for Bush." There is something to be said for being loved and respected around the world, and like it or not folks, we have not had that for a long time.

The following few quotes are Reactions From Around The World:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/reactions-from -around-the-world/ 

"This is a historic moment not only for the United States, but so we can all get away from perceptions about religion and race and instead consider the quality of the person,”

“The way the world has been enthralled by the contest is a message that the dominant sentiment, after the Bush presidency, is not so much anti-Americanism, but exasperation with the uses of American power and a concurrent belief that with adequate political will the superpower can repair its agenda for the greater global good.”

“The biggest economy in the world has a leader that the world can talk to,” said Alejandro Saks, an Argentine television scriptwriter. “There is the feeling that for the first time since Kennedy, America has a different type of leader.”

“It’s kind of nice to feel good about the United States again.”

That speaks VOLUMES.

I did not vote for Barack Obama because he is black. But I am glad he is. I do think it is important and I do think it matters. It is another wall torn down. Our country has a history of discrimination - not just based on race but also on gender. Hell, fat people are discriminated against all the time. Women couldn't vote. Segregation. All that shit. This further breaks down those barriers, and I think that matters.

I have not felt this optimistic about the future in a long time. I hope this country can come together and mend its fences and move forward. It is important for all of us. This was a historic vote. And it was won by a landslide. There is a reason it was.

In the words of Barack Obama: "We are not Red America, we are not Blue America, we are and always will be The United States of America." Today I am so proud to be an American.