Sunday, September 22, 2013

Dear Bill Maher

Dear Bill Maher,

I’m sad to say it’s officially over Bill.  I’ve been a fan of yours for since “Politically Correct”.  I have “Real Time with Bill Maher” set to record every Friday night on my DVR and I’m always a little bummed out when you go on break and happy when you return.  I always enjoy your specials and your documentary “Religulous”.    I agree with most you have to say most of the time politically and have always thought you were a pretty smart guy.  Until today.

You’re a comedian and you make fun of people.  I get it, no one is safe.  But on your 9/20/13 New Rules your little fat joke really cut me to the core.   Yes, you usually can’t help yourself and can’t let one show go by without making a fat joke.  I usually cringe or shake my head.  I get it.  It’s really obvious that you have hate for fat people.  I roll my eyes when you make fun of Governor Chis Christie.  I’m not aligned with him politically, but I feel for him when the only thing you can say about him is that he is fat, haha, look at him that’s so funny.  Like Governor Christie,   I am fat too.  I’m what doctors like to call morbidly obese or what I call death fat.  I’ve struggled my whole life with obesity, going to my first Weight Watchers meeting when I was 8 years old.  I’m not going to make any excuses about why I am obese.  I am and every waking moment I am aware of it.

On your “New Rules” segment you started off with a picture of a very ugly blob fish saying that a “British biologist declared that the blob fish is the ugliest animal on the planet”.  The punch line was “He must admit he’s never been to Walmart” then you showed a picture of the back side of a morbidly obese woman dressed in jeans and a tank top shopping at Walmart.  I have to admit I immediately choked up, feeling sadness for this poor, unaware woman who was just shopping at Walmart and then feeling wow, that very well could have been me.  I have no idea if one of your staff took the photo, or if was just some random stock photo, irregardless it was just a vicious and cruel joke to make.  Your panel and the audience thought it was hilarious, and for that brief moment I took that joke personally and thought maybe everyone in whole world really thought that I and all fat people were truly the ugliest things on the planet. 

I tell you Bill, at that moment it didn’t make me feel like going outside for a run.  All it did was made me hurt and angry.  Then you continued on to the end of your “New Rules” talking about how mean Americans are on Twitter, and gee I wonder how they got that way.  You were really knee deep in the very hypocrisy that you hate in politics and religion.   I hate that you are feeding people this crap and making them think its ok to shame fat people.  It’s not ok Bill.  It’s not ok to make people feel sad and worthless.  Fat people are humans too.  You are going to have to live on earth with fat people, we are not going away.   How can you be so quick to judge, just because of the way someone looks?   You may not find us attractive, but why not treat us with dignity instead of making us feel like we are no better then an ugly blow fish.

The good thing is Bill,  I know deep down inside I’m not the ugliest thing ever.  I have a husband and children who think I am beautiful  I  like many other obese people work hard (I have two part time jobs and take good care of my family) and contribute to society.  Sure there are lazy, obese people out there, but there are lazy skinny and in between people too. Governor Christie didn’t get where he is by being stereotypically lazy because he’s fat.

I’ve unsubscribed “Real Time with Bill Maher” off my DVR.  I’m sure you could probably care less, but I would hope maybe that if you or your staff would read this it would at least make you think about changing the way you treat fat people. 


Good bye Bill. 

Marianne


Sunday, July 31, 2011

Teriyaki Chicken Meatball Kabobs

I've been shopping more at Costco and hitting the deli section and have found some great dinner ideas.  One of my favorite is the Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs.  They come already cooked, you just need to warm them up. 


These are great on the grill or broiled.  I took some skewers, added pineapple and red onion, then brushed some teriyaki sauce on it before cooking.  These I broiled for 10 minutes on one side, flipped and cooked for another 10 minutes


They go great on steamed white rice and with some grilled sweet corn.  Perfect easy, quick, summer dinner!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Flip Flops Make You Fat!


I was going to just let this go and not blog about this, but a week later it is still bothering me and I feel like I just need to blog about it and see if I'm the only one who goes through this.

Last week I went to my regular OBGYN appointment (TMI free post, no worries.)  I hate going to the doctor, especially the lady doctor. Girls, I know you'll agree with me that none of us look forward to going to THAT appointment. After disrobing I folded my clothes neatly, strategically hiding my undergarments on the nearby chair and sliding my flip flops on the floor underneath.  I waited an indeterminate time, sitting on the examination table in the teenie, tiny, embarrassingly small hospital gown for the doctor to arrive. 

She arrived and introduced herself (first time seeing this doctor, at the medical group I belong to it's a revolving door of physicians) and then started right out of the gate about my weight.  Yes, I'm fat.  I've been fat all my life. In fact I am what the medical community likes to call morbidly obese, but I prefer what the fat acceptance blogosphere affectionately calls "death fat".   I do expect some mention about my weight when I go to the doctor.  It's one of the reasons I hate going.  But keep in mind I'm at the OBGYN, not my regular primary doctor.  I'm here to get my lady parts checked and I'm out of there.  But no it wasn't that simple.  First she looks down at my flip flops and says "Well there is part of your problem right there, you're wearing flip flops.  You need tennis shoes so you can WALK WITH PURPOSE".  Ok doc, hold it right there.  There are several reasons why I wear flip flops:
 
1. It's the middle of summer and they are cute.
2. I just got a pedi and how else am I going to show off my toes without going barefoot?
3. I had major surgery on my Achilles heel two years ago and it hurts to wear tennis shoes
4. They are comfortable to walk in without pain.
5. You are my OBGYN WHY are you looking at my footwear?!

No worries, I don't only use flip flops. I do use backless (mules) tennis shoes from time to time.

I didn't actually tell her all of that but I did tell her about the surgery and I couldn't help but think that if she checked my medical chart in front of her she would have seen that.  She would have also noticed that I have lost 25lbs since my visit last year (especially since I was just weighed by her nurse 10 minutes ago), which I mentioned to her.  I told her that I go to the gym and swim several times a week and have been "walking with purpose" as often as I can.  You would think that would be the end of the lecture, but no.  She continued to ask me if I wanted to be around and healthy so I can take care of my children.  She thought I should be doing a more strenuous exercise then walking or swimming.  I should take advantage of the workshops on weight loss that my medical provider offers.  She asked me what I weighed when I was 18 because that is most likely what my natural weight should be (HUH?), and even though it would still be considered overweight, it would be much better to be that weight then what I am now. Weight loss surgery, is it something I have ever considered?  She can give me literature on that.  She mentioned my blood pressure is good, my blood sugar and cholesterol is all normal, but yet I was getting a 20 minute sermon from her about how I must lose weight.  Honestly my head was spinning. And she had not even done my exam yet.

I left the Dr.'s office feeling pretty defeated and that no matter how much weight I would ever loose, it would never be enough unless I met the medical standards.  After I snapped out of my funk and crying on my husband's shoulder, I gathered my thoughts.  I'm not unreasonable and expect the Dr. not to say anything about my weight.  But once I told her that I lost weight that year, it would have been encouraging to hear that whatever you are doing keep on doing.  You've lost weight and all your vitals are good.   I am not on a diet and I don't want to be.  I have spent my entire life being on every kind of weight loss program.  Right now my focus is being healthy, feeling good and yes, I do want to be around for my family.  I don't need Dr. Obvious to tell me to eat less and exercise.  I know that.  I don't get how she would expect me to run or do Zumba when that's not an exercise I would ever stick to.  I love to swim.  Isn't that better then doing nothing for an hour?

As far as "walking with purpose" I can do that with my flip flops.  I walk at the mall with purpose.  I walked all over Hawaii and on the beach with purpose.  I walk my puppies with purpose. When I'm at Disney, look out, I'm walking with purpose. As long as it's under 80 degrees, I'm walking with purpose!  Because of my heel surgery, I found out what it is like to not be able to walk, so now that I finally am able to it is with purpose.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

New Layouts

Thought I would share a few layouts I did recently of our trip to Hawaii.  Today is a lazy Sunday and I hope to make get a few more done.



Friday, July 22, 2011

Face lift for my Blog

After returning from our much needed vacation from Hawaii, I have given my blog a little refirb and HOPE (I'm gonna try really hard!) to post at least 3 times a week.  My posts will consist of the following:

1.   Disney news.  There is always something exciting going on at Disney!! When you call the Mouse, I answer so I know a lot of what is going on at Walt Disney World and the Walt Disney Company.   I am looking forward to going to the D23 Expo and sharing what is going on from there and I also hope to be more involved volunteer wise with the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.  That place is amazing and if you a Disney fan you need to plan a trip to go there. TRUST me, you will looove it!

2.  Digital Scrapbooking.  My goal is to do AT LEAST one page a week.  I love all you can do with digital and now that's pretty much the only way I scrapbook.  I of course, like many of you have plenty of scrapbooking supplies still and enjoy making cards and other papercrafts.

3. FOOD Glorious food.  I'm always on the search for meals to serve my family that are tasty and healthy, but I have to do it without them knowing..shhhh.  I'm going to take a recipe from different food blogs, which there are so many wonderful ones, each week and fix a meal and do a review.  Looking forward to this and changing up what we eat, and hopefully put us on our way to eating a little bit healthier.

4.  Finally, an occasional post about my amazing kids, because sometimes I just like to brag because they are both pretty talanted and overall awesome.  I also have really gotten into Instagram, which I have linked on the side of my blog.  If you have an iphone it's a great app to share your photos and to view and comment on others.

I hope you enjoy my occasional blurps in the blogosphere.  And now I will dream about my mornings in Hawaii, when I had a Starbucks (in my awesome Starbucks "Aloha from Hawaii" cup!) and read at the beach with just me and my Nook.  Mahalo!


Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Rapunzel at Disneyland


I'm in a digital scrapbooking mood.  Here is a Maggie and Rapunzel at Disneyland.  "Let Down Your Hair" Kit by Britt-Designs.

Friday, March 18, 2011

More drama!! Maggie in HONK!



Maggie has been working very hard on her latest production "HONK" and we couldn't be more proud of her.  It's a joy to watch her doing what she really loves.  She has a passion for it and it shows!  "HONK" is a story of the Ugly Duckling.  Maggie plays the evil cat who tries to eat the Ugly Duckling.  Yes, she's typecast at 12!  She loves to play the villian, and always goes out for those roles.  After the two week run the had a little cast party.  Her director Mr C. was a dancer in the movie "Mary Poppins" as a chimney sweep and a waiter in "Hello Dolly" along with being in several broadway productions.  He told us Maggie was very talented so we'll take his word for it!!
                                                      Director Mr C
                                                     Cast party cake
                                                   Maggie and Cody, Cody plays "Ugly"

                                          More of the cast and friends of HONK!