tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78101912366029852322024-03-12T21:57:08.798-05:00Shade Of AshesMy life, hobbies, crafts, projects, faith, family, friends, and ramblings.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-17375693959470807392014-10-15T14:07:00.002-05:002017-12-04T14:29:02.187-06:00Dreading Journey: Two (2) Years with Dreadlocks (PICTURES)<pre class="ad-code _ngcontent-vwu-49" style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.13px;"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
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Hello Otherbeasts! So, wow. Here we are and it's been two (2) years since I've had Dreadlocks. It was my Two Year Dreadiversary back in July but I was so busy I had to put it off until now; I'm so sorry for the delay, my lovely Beasties. So, without further ado, I give you:<br />
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Two Years with Dreadlocks<br />
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Yes, yes, ah my, how they grow up. Now granted they're only 2 years old... and what have we learned about dreads? That they take closer to 3 years to mature (at the very least). I'm sure you're more interested in the pictures, so I'll let those speak for themselves... with little editorials by Yours Truly of course.<br />
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Fun Fact: I started out two years ago with 64 dreadlocks... two years later I have 62. I lost two somewhere. (Thanks to Ratty for asking this question.)<br />
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Remember how I talked a while ago about my dreads being a signal of change, they were a commitment for my health, etc? Remember? Okay, well, two years ago when I put my dreadlocks in I was at a very unhealthy weight (200 lbs for my 5'6" frame). Well today, two years later and I'm a healthy 118 lbs. "How do you know you're healthy, Shade, you're just going by your weight... that's not very indicative." Okay, Doubting Thomas, I also just had an entire blood panel run, cholesterol levels all perfect across the board. Hormones? Another A+. Lipids and all that other junk? Awesome. Blood Pressure? 117/77 with a resting pulse at 56. Boo-ya-ka-sha.<br />
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All right, on with the show. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i22TCOJTI3I/VD7BDVQwewI/AAAAAAAACFI/FsYNX1RvIf8/s1600/IMG_1145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i22TCOJTI3I/VD7BDVQwewI/AAAAAAAACFI/FsYNX1RvIf8/s1600/IMG_1145.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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So, here you can see that my dreads are exactly that... dreadlocks. I still have a lot of fuzzy bits (the cycles, they keep coming around) but for the most part they stay well behaved.<br />
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Just a different angle, you can still see the unintentional ombre job from my old dye growing out.<br />
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You can see I've gained back a little length... okay, a lot of length. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KRRHp0EkTrU/VD7BHZ1v7VI/AAAAAAAACFg/17S719u7Qdo/s1600/IMG_1149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KRRHp0EkTrU/VD7BHZ1v7VI/AAAAAAAACFg/17S719u7Qdo/s1600/IMG_1149.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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A lot of my dreads are still very quirky and do their own thing... and you can see I still have paintbrush tips even after two years. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-duW-YTQqXwA/VD7BKEy84cI/AAAAAAAACFo/UXK58VUhPK8/s1600/IMG_1150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-duW-YTQqXwA/VD7BKEy84cI/AAAAAAAACFo/UXK58VUhPK8/s1600/IMG_1150.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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See the two dreads I'm holding away from my face? That was my Big Fatty... that dread got way too big and so I combed it out and split into two... as you can see I have two baby dreads again. Awww... and damn it!<br />
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Okay, so this might be a new favorite, I don't get to see myself from the back very often... I love them minus my bald spot!<br />
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The wind was blowing, you can see my locks are still light enough to be moved a bit... although they look a bit funny and my ear is sticking out, boo hiss.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S7sxeB3iRIs/VD7BTcjawPI/AAAAAAAACGA/ZwtvzwfAJ7Q/s1600/IMG_1153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S7sxeB3iRIs/VD7BTcjawPI/AAAAAAAACGA/ZwtvzwfAJ7Q/s1600/IMG_1153.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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A view from the underside. Because how often do you get to see that part? You can see all my little loose strands that don't want to assimilate.<br />
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Just a length shot.<br />
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So that's me and my dreads...<br />
My Latest Complaint? Stray Hair That Doesn't Dread in Anywhere!<br />
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It will be written about.<br />
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Okay Otherbeasts, well that's two years of dreadlocks right there. Wanna see something cool? Okay.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y57i0hkUctI/VD7Eor6SOgI/AAAAAAAACGk/UJbSLcdDYmk/s1600/IMG_1142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y57i0hkUctI/VD7Eor6SOgI/AAAAAAAACGk/UJbSLcdDYmk/s1600/IMG_1142.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u7WST8Mqf3w/VD7EjjI1-pI/AAAAAAAACGc/9y3qlnjhxyk/s1600/IMG_1144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u7WST8Mqf3w/VD7EjjI1-pI/AAAAAAAACGc/9y3qlnjhxyk/s1600/IMG_1144.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tOntk7wvCuI/VD7Eoo6ZytI/AAAAAAAACGo/iakQrwm6QME/s1600/IMG_1143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tOntk7wvCuI/VD7Eoo6ZytI/AAAAAAAACGo/iakQrwm6QME/s1600/IMG_1143.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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I've started making dreadlock cuffs and beads because, well, who knows dreads better than a fellow dreadhead? I thought I'd give my creativity a shot in this direction. Check out my shop on Etsy for more like this and many other unique ones!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My Etsy Shop (<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/staceylstaudt" target="_blank">Wings and Things by D&D Studios</a>) is full of Handmade Dreadlock Beads and Cuffs! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Made by - Yours Truly - by a Dreadie, for Dreadies. <3</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8dj7q2rFEPc/U2kyaIXvLKI/AAAAAAAACDI/vt337XXLsWQ/s1600/UntilNextTime.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8dj7q2rFEPc/U2kyaIXvLKI/AAAAAAAACDI/vt337XXLsWQ/s1600/UntilNextTime.png" width="197" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: small;">Until Next Time,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><3 Shade</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>See My Other Blog Posts About Dreadlocks:</b></span><br />
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<ul>
<li> <a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2013/09/my-dreading-journey-one-year-of.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey: One Year with Dreadlocks</a> </li>
</ul>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/08/why-i-decided-to-dread-my-hair.html" target="_blank">Why I Decided to Dread My Hair</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-dreading-journey.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey Part 1</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-dreading-journey-part-two.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey Part 2</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/10/dreading-journey-part-ii-3-months.html" target="_blank">Dreading Journey Part 3: 3 Months</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/06/greatest-thing-since-sliced-bread.html" target="_blank">The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/11/20-little-unknown-things-about-having.html" target="_blank">20 Little Unknown Things About Having Dreadlocks</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/12/dreading-journey-part-4-6-months.html" target="_blank">Dreading Journey Part 4: 6 Months (Pictures) </a></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"> Two Years with Dreadlocks (PICTURES)</span></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-64065470882278858072014-08-03T14:30:00.000-05:002017-12-04T14:29:13.086-06:00How I Lost 80 lbs Pounds: Hello Healthy Girl (PICTURES)<pre class="ad-code _ngcontent-vwu-49" style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.13px;"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
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<br />
Hi Otherbeasts! The countdown is still ticking... my 2 Year Primal-versary is coming up in November. Remember, this phase is "Hello Healthy Girl" and I've got 3 more months to whip myself into shape.<br />
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Reminder: Back in November of 2012 I weighed 200 lbs. Now, almost 2 years later, I'm holding fast at 120 lbs. So, I've lost about 80 pounds. It feels good, so good.<br />
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I wanted to show you the progress so far though...<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dnXotOws5NY/U96M8rBgQyI/AAAAAAAACDo/cTNP9Wj2wLc/s1600/1FrontRE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="614" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dnXotOws5NY/U96M8rBgQyI/AAAAAAAACDo/cTNP9Wj2wLc/s1600/1FrontRE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUrn1hyrn7Y/U96M8vOpc3I/AAAAAAAACDk/HrRxJb4v-Zc/s1600/2RightRE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="624" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUrn1hyrn7Y/U96M8vOpc3I/AAAAAAAACDk/HrRxJb4v-Zc/s1600/2RightRE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yysndWLWduY/U96M8cLDJtI/AAAAAAAACDg/-eyI_FqjqnE/s1600/3LeftRE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="628" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yysndWLWduY/U96M8cLDJtI/AAAAAAAACDg/-eyI_FqjqnE/s1600/3LeftRE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kUsayiXSi8w/U96M9f0QZ8I/AAAAAAAACDs/Zofzly_E-O8/s1600/4BackRE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="626" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kUsayiXSi8w/U96M9f0QZ8I/AAAAAAAACDs/Zofzly_E-O8/s1600/4BackRE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Remember, this was all possible by following Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint.<br />
Healthy... here I come, ready or not!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8dj7q2rFEPc/U2kyaIXvLKI/AAAAAAAACDI/vt337XXLsWQ/s1600/UntilNextTime.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8dj7q2rFEPc/U2kyaIXvLKI/AAAAAAAACDI/vt337XXLsWQ/s1600/UntilNextTime.png" width="197" /></a></div>
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Until Next Time,<br />
<3 Shade</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-80070420469853616812014-05-02T19:57:00.000-05:002017-12-04T14:29:22.888-06:00Goodbye Fat Girl! (75 Pounds Lost in 18 Months)<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Hello Otherbeasts! I hope you've been well during my hiatus! I didn't mean to stay gone so long but being an adult sure is time consuming. Ah, well... here's an update:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Goodbye Fat Girl! 75 Pounds Lost in 18 Months!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Yeah, it took a bit longer than expected... those last 15 pounds really took some effort to get rid of. No pain, no gain, amiright? Here's the pics:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Back:</span> </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uo-qsSMONuQ/U2Q9hr9kuII/AAAAAAAACCE/MK7q9tmi5Mo/s1600/Back.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uo-qsSMONuQ/U2Q9hr9kuII/AAAAAAAACCE/MK7q9tmi5Mo/s1600/Back.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Front:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yitJQP1yIJA/U2Q9ikle8uI/AAAAAAAACCQ/MGvCKDOc2fg/s1600/Front.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="546" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yitJQP1yIJA/U2Q9ikle8uI/AAAAAAAACCQ/MGvCKDOc2fg/s1600/Front.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Right Side:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bZ0fHNxylDM/U2Q9hwFoUrI/AAAAAAAACCA/gAXKsH_H-PA/s1600/Side1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bZ0fHNxylDM/U2Q9hwFoUrI/AAAAAAAACCA/gAXKsH_H-PA/s1600/Side1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Left Side:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zcQ8lFCkWXE/U2Q9ljOE_iI/AAAAAAAACCY/BgflX7eS4ss/s1600/Side2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="560" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zcQ8lFCkWXE/U2Q9ljOE_iI/AAAAAAAACCY/BgflX7eS4ss/s1600/Side2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I reached 135 back in August of last year (9 months into eating clean) but continued to fluctuate between 144 and 135 from September until March of this year (I admit some bad habits *cough* candybinges *cough* crept back in for a few months but I overcame them). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just this first week of May I actually saw "130" on the scale... which was my "mini-goal" for last year when I turned 30; now I'm about to turn 31. Joy. But I reached 130 in my 30th year! Hooray! </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-goTc4n3XxhI/U2khOXz93VI/AAAAAAAACCo/70j5GUuKWAQ/s1600/2014-05-05+21.43.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-goTc4n3XxhI/U2khOXz93VI/AAAAAAAACCo/70j5GUuKWAQ/s1600/2014-05-05+21.43.45.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Here's where we look forward to ushering in the next phase: <b>"Hello, Healthy Girl!</b><b>"</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">These next 6 months will be devoted to toning, tightening, building, and strengthening. Why six months? Well, 6 months from now will be my TWO YEAR anniversary from when I first started eating clean... and I think it's a more realistic goal than my previous one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">So, stay tuned!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Until Next Time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><3 Shade</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8dj7q2rFEPc/U2kyaIXvLKI/AAAAAAAACDE/EjKXoVdHSAo/s1600/UntilNextTime.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8dj7q2rFEPc/U2kyaIXvLKI/AAAAAAAACDE/EjKXoVdHSAo/s1600/UntilNextTime.png" width="197" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tHqSOltlhyU/UONeOT1ZY_I/AAAAAAAABw8/LylrEYUCR1Q/s1600/HeartShade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-70008857329422459822013-10-21T19:00:00.001-05:002017-12-04T14:29:34.092-06:00"Hide The Last Soda" Kitchen Hack<pre class="ad-code _ngcontent-vwu-49" style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.13px;"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
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<u><br /></u>
<u>Have</u> a roommate that always beats you to the last soda, leaving you parched, wanting, and a little resentful?<br />
Well, now you can prevent any thievery and/or pilfering with a nifty little kitchen/life hack.<br />
Ingredients:<br />
- The Second-to-Last Soda Can<br />
- An Empty Butter Carton<br />
Proceed after this fashion:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-X8MgYJKZU1c/UmXAzVhgtzI/AAAAAAAACBQ/1IMNN0K85D8/s1600/20131021_185434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/-X8MgYJKZU1c/UmXAzVhgtzI/AAAAAAAACBQ/1IMNN0K85D8/s640/20131021_185434.jpg" /> </a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8ixrezmOVQA/UmXA0oQYpEI/AAAAAAAACBU/oY4yBDu4G4g/s1600/20131021_185409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://lh4.ggpht.com/-8ixrezmOVQA/UmXA0oQYpEI/AAAAAAAACBU/oY4yBDu4G4g/s640/20131021_185409.jpg" /> </a> </div>
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<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-0a64Seb3YGg/UmXMR7A4IGI/AAAAAAAACBw/4AM15bU-D_k/s1600/20131021_185339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://lh5.ggpht.com/-0a64Seb3YGg/UmXMR7A4IGI/AAAAAAAACBw/4AM15bU-D_k/s640/20131021_185339.jpg" /> </a> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-12037371143219372232013-09-01T13:14:00.000-05:002017-12-04T14:29:44.329-06:00My Dreading Journey: One Year of Dreadlocks (Pictures)<pre class="ad-code _ngcontent-vwu-49" style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.13px;"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
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<br />
Hello Otherbeasties! I know many of you have been waiting for this update to arrive and so here it is... time to talk about my dreadlocks being a year old! Back in June/July they celebrated their first birthday, so now officially in August I can post about it, no more waiting! So without further ado:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Dreading Journey: One Year of Dreadlocks </span></b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DDiE7_aAj2w/UiN8ffp9p_I/AAAAAAAAB-E/BHycSGE9ba0/s1600/IMG_0072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DDiE7_aAj2w/UiN8ffp9p_I/AAAAAAAAB-E/BHycSGE9ba0/s320/IMG_0072.JPG" width="224" /></a></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KMvZSeV8T6M/UiN8f-DZLzI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/AR-Ptw2HXpk/s1600/IMG_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KMvZSeV8T6M/UiN8f-DZLzI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/AR-Ptw2HXpk/s320/IMG_0069.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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<i>Left: Just showcasing a quick tied back style for when I start doing yardwork or it's hot outside. </i><br />
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<i>Right: Loose and in the sunlight. :)</i><br />
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Time really flew for me, if you'll remember my reason for dreading my hair was a commitment to becoming healthier, growing spiritually, and being a happier person. The journey is far from over... but the amount of personal growth in the last year was astonishing. I fully believe dreads really do something magical to people.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_azgd1X_128/UiN8iItCpRI/AAAAAAAAB-4/0Ol8_mo43FI/s1600/IMG_0091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_azgd1X_128/UiN8iItCpRI/AAAAAAAAB-4/0Ol8_mo43FI/s320/IMG_0091.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7_4NjDEo_iI/UiN8i9J_GRI/AAAAAAAAB_E/tV1N5gd0Kyw/s1600/IMG_0093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7_4NjDEo_iI/UiN8i9J_GRI/AAAAAAAAB_E/tV1N5gd0Kyw/s320/IMG_0093.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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<i>They still like to do some crazy stuff, but mainly they're pretty well behaved for only one year old.</i><br />
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So, since putting my dreads in over a a year ago I've started eating clean - no processed anything - and started doing yoga or walking everyday, and because of those things I have lost a total of 60 pounds. Yeah. Don't believe me? Go back and look at the very first blog entry about my dreads: <a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-dreading-journey.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey Part 1. </a><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hfs5tjRbQjg/UiN8f7jLHqI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/2d9r5OrRiQg/s1600/IMG_0080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hfs5tjRbQjg/UiN8f7jLHqI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/2d9r5OrRiQg/s320/IMG_0080.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4zYJXl9Qtk/UiN8gc_enlI/AAAAAAAAB-g/EneB2b7iu-4/s1600/IMG_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4zYJXl9Qtk/UiN8gc_enlI/AAAAAAAAB-g/EneB2b7iu-4/s320/IMG_0082.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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<i> From the front and from the back.</i><br />
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Anyway! Thought I'd give you all an update with pictures! Ready? Okay. Well for starters they had shortened up quite a bit in between 6 months and now, but in the last couple months I've seen some length coming back. In fact my dreads now reach the bottoms of my shoulder blades.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aPqXRDQ_6wk/UiN8hyjgxZI/AAAAAAAAB-0/qPVUFqVCgNg/s1600/IMG_0089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aPqXRDQ_6wk/UiN8hyjgxZI/AAAAAAAAB-0/qPVUFqVCgNg/s320/IMG_0089.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TEoRY-Nukug/UiN8hSCuL2I/AAAAAAAAB-o/iDhS7kXz62E/s1600/IMG_0083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TEoRY-Nukug/UiN8hSCuL2I/AAAAAAAAB-o/iDhS7kXz62E/s320/IMG_0083.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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<i>Just a little lefty and righty shot of the two different sides.</i><br />
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They've gotten wilder, crazier, loopier, nuttier, and more a part of who I really am. Anecdotal: I was just up in Austin visiting my family and friends when I decided to pop in on one of my best friends whom I've known since high school. When she saw me her face lit up and she said, "You found your hair!" That right there has been one of the coolest things ever said to me. I love her. <3<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tiWgnfClha8/UiN8jdW0zkI/AAAAAAAAB_I/6hal9Ehd4vk/s1600/IMG_0096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tiWgnfClha8/UiN8jdW0zkI/AAAAAAAAB_I/6hal9Ehd4vk/s320/IMG_0096.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LL-K0bRdxes/UiN8jiLAukI/AAAAAAAAB_s/1I9pyLNPqkk/s1600/IMG_0098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LL-K0bRdxes/UiN8jiLAukI/AAAAAAAAB_s/1I9pyLNPqkk/s320/IMG_0098.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<i>In the shade versus in sunlight, as you can see my dreads are happy, healthy, clean, and shiny. :)</i><br />
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<i>P.S. The reason they're two-toned is because I used to dye my hair and
now it's growing out... so, it may look weird but I still love it. </i><br />
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Almost everywhere I go, I have at least one person complimenting me on them, asking me how I did it, as well as asking me if they're real. It's quite funny and I don't mind it in the least. I've become a happier person, a healthier person, and I love my dreads. Sure I miss being able to comb my hair and sometimes I glance longingly at women that walk by with silky smooth tresses, but right now this is me. Maybe I'll have my original silky straight hair back eventually - but right now, this very moment - this is me. And I'm happy.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjZwvUIL3DM/UiN8kYBB75I/AAAAAAAAB_Y/tOxYrGK-6l4/s1600/IMG_0101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjZwvUIL3DM/UiN8kYBB75I/AAAAAAAAB_Y/tOxYrGK-6l4/s320/IMG_0101.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hsq1O-fIZec/UiN8kkxYEhI/AAAAAAAAB_U/xP32XE662t8/s1600/IMG_0105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hsq1O-fIZec/UiN8kkxYEhI/AAAAAAAAB_U/xP32XE662t8/s320/IMG_0105.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<i>Right: Just an up-close of several dreads.</i><br />
<i>Left: Two that I "love-hate" right now. Damn bumps.</i><br />
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The real part? Well, I must separate my dreads during every shower because they like to stick together and start forming a monster dreadlock, but that's a sign of healthy dreadlocks. I also only use natural soaps on my dreads, meaning the good stuff made with lye and plant tallow, essential oils, and not much else. I really recommend Zum Bar Soaps from <a href="http://www.indigowild.com/">www.indigowild.com</a>. They're fantastic and come in great scents like Lavender-Mint, Cedar, and Citus-Sandalwood.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rONPb2Tp8O0/UiN8mcCbouI/AAAAAAAAB_0/GWyGJh1jF2s/s1600/IMG_0109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rONPb2Tp8O0/UiN8mcCbouI/AAAAAAAAB_0/GWyGJh1jF2s/s320/IMG_0109.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<i>Right now this is one of my favorite dreadlocks because it started out as a braid and has developed a sort of herringbone-like look to it, so I call it my Red Herring.</i><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9KnUhIcvlo/UiN8mpZVISI/AAAAAAAACAA/D78FkdmmZY4/s1600/IMG_0111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9KnUhIcvlo/UiN8mpZVISI/AAAAAAAACAA/D78FkdmmZY4/s320/IMG_0111.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>I also have this annoying genetically-inherited part in my hair at the back of my head that screams, "Look at me. Look. At. Me... LOOK AT ME!" So, I'm debating on how to disguise it... maybe by merging two dreads together. </i><br />
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<i>See it? I know you see it. Right there. It's shouting at you to stare at it, isn't it? </i><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JvB3DR83LNU/UiN8lVoqJlI/AAAAAAAAB_8/M8RsEitMHug/s1600/IMG_0107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JvB3DR83LNU/UiN8lVoqJlI/AAAAAAAAB_8/M8RsEitMHug/s320/IMG_0107.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>This guy is absurd. It's literally a bubble of hair on the side of my dread... like a growth.</i><br />
<i>"It's not a tumor." </i><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CgWgjo6HHdE/UiN8louYtXI/AAAAAAAAB_o/RxnRMxv42eM/s1600/IMG_0108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CgWgjo6HHdE/UiN8louYtXI/AAAAAAAAB_o/RxnRMxv42eM/s320/IMG_0108.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Here's my Big Fatty. He hasn't changed much, other than entering his teen years and starting to lump and bump here and there. Whippersnapper.</i><br />
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Anyway, I'm not sure what kind of pictures you guys would like to see, or what angles, but feel free to leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer questions or snap photos that showcase certain features of my dreads.<br />
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So, there you have it. Dreadlocks at one year old! Thanks for reading Otherbeasties!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EMVwxVfleas/UiODZAy1ItI/AAAAAAAACA4/SFNE5lo69jc/s1600/HeartShade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EMVwxVfleas/UiODZAy1ItI/AAAAAAAACA4/SFNE5lo69jc/s200/HeartShade.jpg" width="162" /></a></div>
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Until Next Time, <br />
<3 Shade<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Etsy Shop (<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/staceylstaudt" target="_blank">Wings and Things by D&D Studios</a>) is full of Handmade Dreadlock Beads and Cuffs! Made by a Dreadie for Dreadies. <3</span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Other Blog Posts About My Personal Dreadlock Journey:</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li> My Dreading Journey: One Year of Dreadlocks </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2014/10/dreading-journey-two-2-years-with.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Two Years with Dreadlocks (PICTURES) </a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/08/why-i-decided-to-dread-my-hair.html" target="_blank">Why I Decided to Dread My Hair</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-dreading-journey.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey Part 1</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-dreading-journey-part-two.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey Part 2</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/10/dreading-journey-part-ii-3-months.html" target="_blank">Dreading Journey Part 3: 3 Months</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/06/greatest-thing-since-sliced-bread.html" target="_blank">The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/11/20-little-unknown-things-about-having.html" target="_blank">20 Little Unknown Things About Having Dreadlocks</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/12/dreading-journey-part-4-6-months.html" target="_blank">Dreading Journey Part 4: 6 Months (Pictures) </a> </li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-45073072898941332752013-08-06T11:26:00.001-05:002017-12-04T14:29:55.605-06:00Diamonds<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.13px;"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script></span><br />
<pre class="ad-code _ngcontent-vwu-49" style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.13px;"><ins class="adsbygoogle"
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Diamonds</b></span><br />
<br />
Start loving yourself regardless of whatever "flaws" you may think you have.<br />
<br />
For instance: the true hallmark of a real diamond are inclusions or "flaws," (which is just a negative way of saying "characteristics") and without those flaws that diamond would just appear fake and transparent much like an imitation diamond; however like a real, honest-to-goodness, from-the-earth diamond the brilliance of your character will outshine any major flaws and all anyone will ever see is something beautiful. <3<br />
<br />
Unless you get thrown under a microscope. Then your flaws become glaringly obvious.<br />
<br />
So maybe we should avoid scrutinizing the people we love because really - even if you know the flaws are still there - <u>that</u> doesn't change the fact that it's still a diamond.<br />
<br />
Until Next Time,<br />
<3 <u>Shade</u>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-83000808762428530442013-06-14T18:20:00.000-05:002017-12-04T14:30:25.953-06:00Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Challenge Completed! (Pictures)<pre class="ad-code _ngcontent-vwu-49" style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.13px;"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
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<br />
Okay, I just finished Day 30 of the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. I have results and I have pictures. Since I'm already eating clean, I ignored the diet program and continued on my merry Primal/Paleo way. Wanna see how I did? Read on.<br />
<br />
I'm not gonna lie, Jillian is a tough trainer, even at home through a screen; more amazingly, she actually motivates me the way I need motivating. Even better than that? She uses mainly resistance training in the 30 Day Shred series, which is fabulous. She kicked my butt every single day, and I'm a former athlete - granted I've been out of practice for the past few years - but even on the last day I was dripping with sweat and breathing heavy; but the exercise itself isn't that hard, it's actually pretty easy... which is great for anyone looking to break back into fitness or if you're a beginner.<br />
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Pictures:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AxhUVmtQgMc/UbuOIz7JIiI/AAAAAAAAB8g/khF_djByJM8/s1600/1LeftSide.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AxhUVmtQgMc/UbuOIz7JIiI/AAAAAAAAB8g/khF_djByJM8/s1600/1LeftSide.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TNr4_WMpH1I/UbuOI58yyqI/AAAAAAAAB8k/J14AnUwmUtM/s1600/3FrontSide.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TNr4_WMpH1I/UbuOI58yyqI/AAAAAAAAB8k/J14AnUwmUtM/s1600/3FrontSide.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7kFxGx3uXcM/UbuOJ-fA8-I/AAAAAAAAB84/xADjQtxzRpc/s1600/4BackSide.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7kFxGx3uXcM/UbuOJ-fA8-I/AAAAAAAAB84/xADjQtxzRpc/s1600/4BackSide.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Conclusion: Am I shredded? Hell yeah... underneath the rest of this blubber I need to lose. It didn't give me the exact results I wanted but it did give me *some* results, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. Have I still got a ways to go? Undoubtedly. Am I gonna keep going? Yes.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8I2PJoFz9rI/UbuOeksgwbI/AAAAAAAAB9A/EQC0G5BK0Gw/s1600/l934599228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8I2PJoFz9rI/UbuOeksgwbI/AAAAAAAAB9A/EQC0G5BK0Gw/s1600/l934599228.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Soon.</div>
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Oh yeah. There's also this:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jrwvhWwRMhg/UbuO6SwJWFI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/vWFpDdzhQUA/s1600/Crow5weeksRE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jrwvhWwRMhg/UbuO6SwJWFI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/vWFpDdzhQUA/s1600/Crow5weeksRE.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's 5 weeks of yoga right there. Gonna keep doing yoga, yes, it was the JM's Yoga Shred.</div>
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In fact, I believe I'll try the Jillian Michaels Body Revolution next. We'll see how it goes from there. Either way, the beast is gonna get loosed soon! Watch out. Fitness Beast Mode, here I come...<br />
Ready or not.<br />
<br />
Until Next Time,<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FUAPvGcLe78/UbuOrpedlqI/AAAAAAAAB9I/p1_5rCwqljA/s1600/HeartShade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FUAPvGcLe78/UbuOrpedlqI/AAAAAAAAB9I/p1_5rCwqljA/s1600/HeartShade.jpg" width="162" /></a></div>
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<3 Shade<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-189199949358015362013-05-25T20:23:00.002-05:002017-12-04T14:30:12.548-06:00Primal 30th Birthday: 50 Pounds, 6 months! Fat Loss to the Max!<pre class="ad-code _ngcontent-vwu-49" style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.13px;"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
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<br />
Hello Otherbeasts! I'm glad you're here. Well, I'm sorry to say that I didn't meet my goal of being 125 by May 8th, or even 130 lbs by then. Where I did land? 137.8 on May 8th, 2013... my 30th birthday.<br />
<br />
That is close enough for me! I'm totally encouraged and pumped by my astounding journey because it's not over, oh no, the fun part starts now. Here's how it goes: Sickness, then Wellness, then Fitness, as a dear friend of mine put it. And it's true.<br />
<br />
I used to be sick, all the time. 30th birthday hit and I quit smoking cigarettes. Done. Cold Turkey. This month I feel like I have hit the "Wellness" tier and here's why: I also started resistance training and started doing yoga every single day. Because I'm on my path to fitness.<br />
<br />
So, here's the entire story summed up: Back in October, 7 months ago and at 190 LBS, I made a decision to go Primal and loose weight for the health benefits. I started eating fully Primal in November, and here we are, 6 months later, and I've dropped 50 pounds of FAT just by eating. Now I'm 140, feeling good, and getting toned. End.<br />
<br />
Here's the Journey in Pictures:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ov_Ck5HctEI/UaFdF_Z2heI/AAAAAAAAB7E/KZauenGrqf4/s1600/1Left.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ov_Ck5HctEI/UaFdF_Z2heI/AAAAAAAAB7E/KZauenGrqf4/s640/1Left.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jpLHFk0n6k/UaFdDwtriGI/AAAAAAAAB60/dtMHo_XtONY/s1600/2Right.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jpLHFk0n6k/UaFdDwtriGI/AAAAAAAAB60/dtMHo_XtONY/s640/2Right.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIjuMublGOI/UaFdGJm3U3I/AAAAAAAAB7I/rtXisUak4w8/s1600/3Front.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIjuMublGOI/UaFdGJm3U3I/AAAAAAAAB7I/rtXisUak4w8/s640/3Front.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ug5yusI8Fwo/UaFdF3pMTAI/AAAAAAAAB68/osN5cZmtx7Y/s1600/4Back.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ug5yusI8Fwo/UaFdF3pMTAI/AAAAAAAAB68/osN5cZmtx7Y/s640/4Back.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
So, now I'm determined to fill out my form because I refuse to be "skinny fat." To me, long, lean, toned muscles are beautiful. I'm not talking about those crazy orange body builder ladies... but think someone like Jillian Michaels. She's gorgeous!<br />
<br />
Anyway, I've been stumbling a little because my sugar cravings have been through the roof since I've quit smoking! It's murder... I crave Razzles... and Skittles... and Hansen's Organic Root Beer... SWEET. I swear sugar ought to be a legitimate drug... it's addictive, you need fixes once you become addicted, it's super hard to quit, and it's bad for you! It HAS to be a drug. It's just legal and they sell it in 5 pound bricks at the supermarket. What? Yeah.<br />
<br />
I also had some bummer news because I started resistance training and yoga while I'm losing weight and so my body has hit a plateau at 140. <i>'But Shade, I thought you said you hit 137 on your birthday, it's 17 days later, shouldn't you weigh less?'</i> Okay, maybe I'm being overly self-critical and that's not what you're thinking, but let's say you are, so I say: It's not my fault! I'm kidding.<br />
<br />
What happened was I started working out and started gaining weight. I started freaking when I got back up to 145, started researching, googling everything I could about gaining wait when starting an exercise regimen and it turns out, it's pretty normal... especially if you were a chronic dieter like I was and lost muscle mass. (Believe me, I've never seriously done any sort of weight training or body sculpting in my LIFE, I always had "better" things to do, so I actually have no idea what my lean body looks like with about 18% body fat.)<br />
<br />
(I'm gonna find out.) *GRIN*<br />
<br />
So, I'm gaining some muscle (weighs more than fat) and losing fat at the same time, so it's a little hard to tell what's going on with my physique right now. I've only been seriously resistance training about 15 days now, just over two weeks, and I can already tell a difference. They may be small differences, it may only be an inch, but it is my inch, and I can hold on to that! Sorry for the V for Vendetta allusion. <br />
<br />
So now I have a new part to my journey: Fitness. I went through Sickness, I'm in Wellness right now, and I'm ready to kick it into Fitness... even though I still have about 15 or 20 pounds to go, and some seriously stubborn fat to shed, here's a preview (I'll be doing photographic comparisons in about three weeks) pose because I felt silly:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-33v5_pv8zm0/UaFeK9vbx2I/AAAAAAAAB7Y/3hHd8Y01rhs/s1600/IMG_0538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-33v5_pv8zm0/UaFeK9vbx2I/AAAAAAAAB7Y/3hHd8Y01rhs/s320/IMG_0538.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Everyone remember, it's not until I reach my goal weight, and my goal body fat, that I'll be going to the beach on that day, hitting Dancer posture and thanking the Lord for his help in accomplishing a healthier temple, a stronger temple, and a more peaceful temple. It was for that reason alone that I made a commitment last June and decided to dread my hair, because I wanted to commit to a healthier lifestyle. So far, so good. I'm also convinced that once I reach Fitness my seizures will finally no longer need treating with medications.<br />
<br />
So stay tuned, because I'm about to get shredded. This is a revolution, a metamorphosis, and a transition, and I'm excited about it! Eat like a predator, not like prey. It's time to let the beast out!<br />
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To every Otherbeast, thanks for reading!<br />
<br />
Until Next Time, <3 Shade<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MJvI2Q5su5o/UaFih2N0v3I/AAAAAAAAB7o/yqEawqaWNBE/s1600/HeartShade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MJvI2Q5su5o/UaFih2N0v3I/AAAAAAAAB7o/yqEawqaWNBE/s320/HeartShade.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-91785801645355551852013-04-07T14:14:00.002-05:002017-12-04T14:30:40.863-06:009 Months of Dread (Dreadlock Pictures!)<pre class="ad-code _ngcontent-vwu-49" style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.13px;"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
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<br />
Hello my gorgeous Otherbeasts! I've had dreadlocks now for 9 months and what a journey it's been! I have pictures! I've come to sort of love the unique lumps and loops that my dreads continually surprise me with... or I am getting better at dealing with the chaos. Maybe both.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZSj6LSH-Qs/UWHDrtVPmiI/AAAAAAAAB5k/RmvNUivF6WY/s1600/IMG_0459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZSj6LSH-Qs/UWHDrtVPmiI/AAAAAAAAB5k/RmvNUivF6WY/s400/IMG_0459.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kz5VsEWXlOE/UWHESSyJibI/AAAAAAAAB6E/o5nzwHescV8/s1600/IMG_0466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kz5VsEWXlOE/UWHESSyJibI/AAAAAAAAB6E/o5nzwHescV8/s400/IMG_0466.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
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I hope that your weekend was a superb one filled with joy, happiness, peace, tranquility, and rest. If your weekend wasn't that awesome, then be thankful that you woke up this morning breathing! (It could have been worse.)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UdmL3sQU4cI/UWHD45BvikI/AAAAAAAAB50/ubVD7Z-UjN8/s1600/IMG_0460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UdmL3sQU4cI/UWHD45BvikI/AAAAAAAAB50/ubVD7Z-UjN8/s640/IMG_0460.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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So, yes, 9 months of dreadlocks and they're still wild and crazy. I even have one I named "Ragnarok" because it looks like a Minmatar ship in Eve.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cYHa1s2w_pU/UWHDzOOt_RI/AAAAAAAAB5s/KrE-KemuOao/s1600/IMG_0472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cYHa1s2w_pU/UWHDzOOt_RI/AAAAAAAAB5s/KrE-KemuOao/s640/IMG_0472.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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On the whole though, I'm still in love with them and I believe I'm past the "I want to cut them off" phase... only because when you get down to brass tax, I really hate brushing my hair! And the subsequent shedding.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kCbmPF4J214/UWHD-MpOUVI/AAAAAAAAB58/uyAfK6-wnPA/s1600/IMG_0462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kCbmPF4J214/UWHD-MpOUVI/AAAAAAAAB58/uyAfK6-wnPA/s640/IMG_0462.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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One of my other favorites (yes, for the un-dreaded, most dreadies have favorite dreads) is one I call "my big fatty," because it's still the one that tightened up quickest, hasn't got drastic lumps/bumps/loops, soft like cotton rope, and is a pretty nice size.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r8_qLadvXF4/UWHDhetXQjI/AAAAAAAAB5c/uIU7O91garg/s1600/IMG_0477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r8_qLadvXF4/UWHDhetXQjI/AAAAAAAAB5c/uIU7O91garg/s640/IMG_0477.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Perhaps my favorite thing of all is no hair ties! It's by far, the coolest thing ever.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Me2JaHOWWsI/UWHC3uSftkI/AAAAAAAAB5M/bU8w_EJGKnA/s1600/IMG_0481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Me2JaHOWWsI/UWHC3uSftkI/AAAAAAAAB5M/bU8w_EJGKnA/s640/IMG_0481.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I advise anyone thinking about getting dreads to think long and hard on the subject, they WILL change you as a person... but only for the better. Plus every single day is a surprise because they're all doing something different than they were yesterday.<br />
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Love you Otherbeasts! And thanks for reading! Stay tuned because I can't wait to see what the one year mark (June) brings to my dread party! Take care Otherbeasts.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-68aleLE8Ai4/UWHDEMty_YI/AAAAAAAAB5U/hUj4BUZpt7c/s1600/HeartShade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-68aleLE8Ai4/UWHDEMty_YI/AAAAAAAAB5U/hUj4BUZpt7c/s200/HeartShade.jpg" width="162" /></a></div>
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Until Next Time,<br />
<3 Shade<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">My Etsy Shop (<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/staceylstaudt" target="_blank">Wings and Things by D&D Studios</a>) is full of Handmade Dreadlock Beads and Cuffs! Made by a Dreadie for Dreadies. <3</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Other Blog Postings About My Personal Dreadlock Journey:</b></span><br />
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<ul>
<li> <a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2013/09/my-dreading-journey-one-year-of.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey: One Year of Dreadlocks</a> </li>
</ul>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2014/10/dreading-journey-two-years-with.html" target="_blank">Two Years with Dreadlocks (PICTURES) </a></li>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/08/why-i-decided-to-dread-my-hair.html" target="_blank">Why I Decided to Dread My Hair</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-dreading-journey.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey Part 1</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-dreading-journey-part-two.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey Part 2</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/10/dreading-journey-part-ii-3-months.html" target="_blank">Dreading Journey Part 3: 3 Months</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/06/greatest-thing-since-sliced-bread.html" target="_blank">The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/11/20-little-unknown-things-about-having.html" target="_blank">20 Little Unknown Things About Having Dreadlocks</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/12/dreading-journey-part-4-6-months.html" target="_blank">Dreading Journey Part 4: 6 Months (Pictures) </a> </li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-64364615800818937602013-04-02T14:07:00.001-05:002013-04-02T14:10:16.996-05:0050 Pounds in 5 Months! (PICTURES!)Holy smokes, Otherbeasts! I have lost 50 pounds in 5 months (150 Days) just by eating Primal!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qLPG1Q5nco/UVsqTLByWpI/AAAAAAAAB4M/bt6qsw5toUY/s1600/IMG_0423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qLPG1Q5nco/UVsqTLByWpI/AAAAAAAAB4M/bt6qsw5toUY/s640/IMG_0423.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>These are a size 14 (maybe 16) jeans that were TIGHT when I bought them.</i></div>
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Mini-goal
of 140 lbs reached today! That's 50 pounds lost so far! That means only 10 lbs left to shed to reach my first real goal of 130 lbs.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DHF5RDJsm-E/UVsqWDWGIVI/AAAAAAAAB4s/jjvnXSvZvzc/s1600/IMG_0424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DHF5RDJsm-E/UVsqWDWGIVI/AAAAAAAAB4s/jjvnXSvZvzc/s640/IMG_0424.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>Same jeans, different angle.</i></div>
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Seems
like only yesterday I stepped on the scale and saw "190" and cried
because it seemed like I had so far to go. Go Primal or go home! If I
can do it then so can anyone!<br />
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There's pics this time around, but the big unveiling will happen May 8th... my 30th birthday. I'm talking straight before and after pics! But in the meantime, I had to show you the progress.<br />
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Crazy, right? I'm still amazed... not with myself, but with the Primal lifestyle.<br />
Remember, don't eat processed crap. And visit this site:<br />
- MarksDailyApple.com<br />
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It's called the Primal Blueprint. That's all I've been doing.<br />
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So that's 10 (hopefully 15) more lbs to go until May 8th, my 30th birthday! On that day I would like to step on the scale and have it read "125." So, I'll be hunkering down now and actually doing SOME exercise. Blech. But I am almost there! Thank you Lord! This isn't possible without Him.<br />
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Until Next Time,<br />
<3 ShadeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-8002865571126224592013-02-23T14:20:00.002-06:002013-02-23T14:20:24.203-06:0040 Pounds in 4 Months! (120 Days)Yup, Otherbeasts, you read that correctly. I have lost 40 pounds in 4 months (120 Days) just by eating Primal!<br />
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Mini-goal of 150 lbs reached today! That's 40 pounds lost so far! That means only 20 lbs left to shed to reach my first real goal of 130 lbs.<br /><br />Seems like only yesterday I stepped on the scale and saw "190" and cried because it seemed like I had so far to go. Go Primal or go home! If I can do it then so can anyone!<br />
<br />
Sorry there's no pics this time around, but the big unveiling will happen May 8th... my 30th birthday.<br />
Oh yeah, there WILL be pictures... maybe even some before D-Day... I'm thinking middle of March will be the last comparison photos.<br />
<br />
Remember, don't eat processed crap. And visit this site:<br />
- MarksDailyApple.com<br />
<br />
It's called the Primal Blueprint. That's all I've been doing.<br />
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Until Next Time,<br />
<3 ShadeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-90823635193985172692013-02-01T15:04:00.003-06:002013-02-12T18:10:38.154-06:00Primal Blueprint: 30 Pounds in 90 Days! Pictures!Holy crapploa, Otherbeasts! It's been a long time, eh? Sorry for the non-existent blogging that happened during January but we had a huge move to undertake. It's dwindling now, so don't worry, I'm back.<br />
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I wanted to update you on the Primal Blueprint progress: It has been 90 days on this "diet" and I have good news to report. I have lost <strike>32</strike> 35 pounds! That amazes me and still makes my jaw drop.<br />
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I HAVE LOST 32 POUNDS!<br />
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By just eating. Yeah. It's that simple. <strike>I would put up
pictures, but because of the move I have no idea where my camera is, but
as soon as I do find it, pictures are happening</strike>. Nevermind, I found the camera! Pictures are further down! But I digress, to remind you, I started off at 190 lbs.<strike> I weighed today and my digital scale said 158</strike>. Today [February 12] I weigh 155. Needless to say, I am happy and pleased with my results.<br />
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35 POUNDS... in a rather short period of time... without killing myself at
the gym... without starving myself... and it's amazing. I can't tell you
how many times I've gone over my "caloric intake" in a day but managed
to keep my carb intake at around 80g, and STILL lost weight. Because
it's about the CARBS. <br />
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And I plan to keep at it. My "if-I-take-it-easy" goal weight is 130 by May 8th (my 30th birthday, yikes!) and my more disciplined goal is 120-125. Either way... I have three whole months left to attain that goal and even if I can only shed 8 lbs a month I'll still be 134 lbs. If I can lose 10 pounds per month I'll be 128. Either way, I can't lose. If I really wanna kick it into high gear, I could start jogging again and literally be 120 by May 8th... I can taste it.<br />
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But this means buckling down into "serious mode" where I eliminate things like: sweet potatoes, fruit juice, fruit, honey, agave nectar, berries, banana chips, dairy, etc. So basically eliminating all sugars from my diet. And only consuming the "real carbs" found in veggies, meats, and healthy fats. Oh yeah, and I should probably kick up my workouts, which have been yoga twice a week (if that) to something more intensive... like walking everyday with some occasional jogging. Maybe even some running. DON'T FREAK OUT... I will only abstain from fruits/sugars like that for 3 months... then I'll go into "maintenance mode" and eat whatever I please... so long as it's Primal.<br />
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And of course no grains, breads, pasta, legumes, or candy. (Sad face about that last one.) The only thing I crave anymore are Skittles... but only the new ones called 'Dark Side of the Rainbow' that have flavors like blood orange and pomegranate. Target is the only place I've found them, so ya.<br />
Eh. I hate cravings. My Mantra: "No Processed Crap."<br />
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I STILL eat bacon and eggs almost every single morning. The rest of the day is filled with carrots, sugar snap peas, spinach, kale, red bell peppers, avocados, turkey chili, etc... I could go on because the list of what I CAN eat is longer that the list of what I can't. But I feel good. I feel real good.<br />
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What I can't believe is that I'm only 28 pounds away from my goal weight. That's INSANE. Because if you had told me in October that in 3 months I would lose 30 pounds, I would have punched you in the mouth for lying to me. Okay, maybe that's an overreaction, but I would probably have laughed heartily in your face.<br />
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It seemed like such a huge mountain to climb... but now that I can see the peak and I'm almost there... it's even more incentive to reach that goal. I am unstoppable! Rawr.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> UPDATE!: PICTURE TIME! 0 to 90 Days!</b></span><br />
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There you have it. Go Primal or Go Home!<br />
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<i>I WISH EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY DAY AND THE BEST OF WISHES TO ACCOMPLSH WHATEVER IT IS YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW. </i><br />
<i>You are a capable human being and no one else in the world is like you, and I believe in you.</i><br />
<b>May the Force be with you.</b><br />
<br />
Until Next Time,<br />
<3 Shade <br />
<i> </i><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L7Ilkab9I1A/UQwruLY4oTI/AAAAAAAABzg/sk7egGiqe4I/s1600/HeartShade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L7Ilkab9I1A/UQwruLY4oTI/AAAAAAAABzg/sk7egGiqe4I/s200/HeartShade.jpg" width="162" /></a></div>
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<i><i>Stacey is a semi-professional blogger and writer currently freelancing to appease her free-spirited nature. When she's serious, </i>Stacey is a mixed media artist with a BFA in Studio Art and a specialization in Jewelry and Metalsmithing.</i> <i>She graduated Cum Laude with Honors from Texas State University and currently resides in Texas. In her spare time she enjoys writing, crocheting, knitting, hunting, listening to country music, glass-blowing, blacksmithing, leather working, yoga, gardening, eating healthy, enjoying life, and always creating and dreaming up new things.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-36700772103592834572013-01-01T16:13:00.005-06:002013-01-01T16:18:58.039-06:00New Year's Resolution: Never Smoke Cigarettes AgainHello Otherbeasts! I made another stupid resolution! I decided to quit smoking again... except this time I can't fail because of my health and because I'll be 30 in 5 months. Join me, won't you?<br />
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"Cigarettes are linked to freedom even though they enslave." I've said that so many times over the course of being a smoker for a decade.<br />
<br />
At 18 I began smoking as a freshman in college; to me it meant independence, freedom from parental jurisdiction, and the right to choose my own behavior. Smoking, as it turned out, became about enslavement, bondage, dependence, and robbed me of the ability to choose once I became addicted.<br />
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The world of Nicotine is a binding one. The only time I don't think about smoking a cigarette is when I'm actually smoking one - and then I'm usually involved in reading or writing so I'm unaware of the "indulgence" my body craves anyway - it's not until I am done with a cigarette that every thought becomes laced with anxiety about when my next "smoke break" will be or if I'll even have one.<br />
<br />
Nicotine makes you a prisoner, manacled by a chain that could lift a steel gerter to a pocket-sized pack of paper, dried leaves, and cotton (essentially). I've decided to quit smoking - as I have so many times before - and this time I'm not going to fail (as I have so many times before); because of one simple reason: health.<br />
<br />
But even now, only a day in - a true 12 hours without so much as a puff - both my body and my brain are trying to find any justifiable reason, any excuse, to smoke.<br />
<i>"One drag won't hurt you..."</i><br />
<i>"One set-back won't spoil the whole plan..."</i><br />
<i>"You could just treat tomorrow as a new quitting point..."</i><br />
<i>Even if it's only half, it's still better than a whole one," </i>say the numerous voices in my head belonging to the Nicotine receptors in my brain as they begin to wake up and realize they haven't been fed.<br />
<i> </i><br />
It's literally like listening to a thousand voices <i></i>all screaming, writhing, and demanding the same thing, like several thousand children in a simultaneous tantrum - how easy it could be to shut up all that damn noise by just giving them what they want.<br />
<br />
But I haven't caved... not yet. Quitting smoking feels like I'm losing something or like I'm giving something up - something that maybe I need to find a replacement for - but then I realize that I wasn't born buck-naked, all pink-cheeked, with a cigarette hanging from my lips. So, in reality I'm actually gaining something, not losing it or giving it up.<br />
<br />
Smoking was something I picked up - stupidly - as a dumb kid (okay, teenager) and I've held onto it for... until yesterday at midnight. It started as a rebellion and morphed into an addiction. I've broken a lot of hard addictions and habits: food, biting my nails, having to flip the light switch 3 times, energy drinks, sugar, etc... none so hard as Nicotine.<br />
<br />
My biggest fear is that since this is a last ditch effort, a last resort - one that I've never tried in the past 10 years because I was never able to break the habit - to quit smoking to see if the seizures I have are/were caused by cigarettes/nicotine/rat poison/carbon monoxide/all other poisons in cigarettes. The thing is, my fear is this: that I will have quit smoking and find out the worst possible news my ears could hear, 'The cigarettes had nothing to do with your seizures, they're genetic, hereditary, and life-long.'<br />
<br />
I could quit smoking and if I'm still having seizures... then I have to face the cold hard truth that it's without cure. See, if I never stop smoking cigarettes I can always have a scapegoat for my failing and faulty body instead of just bad genes in the luck of the draw that is my gene pool... especially since I just recently found out from my family ancestry/genealogy book that my Great Great Aunt Clara (my Great Grandfather's sister) had "convulsions" her entire life, was bedridden, and died at the age of 46. That's almost 15 years away for me. 15 years and 5 months. <i>"And then I'll die</i>," says my irrational fear before I punch it in the face.<br />
<br />
But then again, that sounds like a semi-rational fight from the army of cranky Nicotine Monsters in my head. How am I supposed to fight an army? One by one? Hide from them? Flee? Go berserk and kill a bunch in one fell swoop?<br />
I can't retreat. I can't give up. I can't flee.<br />
My only options is to fight... to stand my ground as the yelling and screaming only continues and becomes louder, reverberating off the insides of my skull and echoing. I have to wait for that to pass... and right now it feels like it won't. Ever.<br />
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Even now I'm staring out onto my back porch, wistfully gazing at the bench, and fighting every single cell in my body that is telling me to walk out there and light one up. But who knows, maybe this "no smoking" thing will work out, maybe it will turn out to be the cause of my seizures... and what will I have lost for it? A bad habit? What will I gain? Health?<br />
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The way I see it... it's a win-win situation.<br />
So you see, that's why I simply cannot fail.<br />
_____ <br />
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Until Next Time,<br />
<3 Shade<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-11380403908279639962012-12-23T12:47:00.003-06:002012-12-23T12:47:29.006-06:00Primal Blueprint: 20 Pounds in 60 Days! (Pictures)Holy crap, Otherbeasts! My mind is blown! It's been 60 Days and I've lost 20 pounds... that's right... TWENTY! I was at 190 and now I'm at 169.8!<br />
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This Primal Blueprint has been a miracle for me; I feel better, I feel healthy (that was my main goal: health), and I actually want to get out of the house and do stuff! Ah-maze-zing.<br />
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I'm gonna have to swallow my pride here in a bit and show you the starting photographs compared to the current ones... of me... in a bikini. Those of you that hate looking at fatty-fats leave now! If you wanna see all the gruesome cellulite and fat folds, by all means, stay tuned and keep reading.<br />
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Here's the biggest thing I want to say to you: IT'S NOT ABOUT CALORIES...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">IT'S ABOUT CARBS!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Seriously. I have a great example for you; I use the App <i>My Fitness Pal</i></span> to keep track of what I'm eating so that I'm more conscious of just what I'm putting into my body. Take for instance just a couple days ago, this is what I ate:</div>
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Breakfast:</div>
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- 1 Cup Coffee</div>
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- 1 Cup Goat's Milk</div>
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- 4 Strips Fried Bacon</div>
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- 2 Fried Eggs</div>
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Lunch:</div>
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- 4 Strips Bacon</div>
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- 1.5 Cups Cucumber</div>
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Supper:</div>
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- 1 Whole Avocado</div>
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- 4 oz. New York Strip Steak</div>
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- 2 Tbsp Cold Milled Flaxseed</div>
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- 2 Tbsp Chia Seeds</div>
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Snacks:</div>
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- 7 Fresh Bing Cherries</div>
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- 1 Cup Whole Cow's Milk</div>
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Now all of the calories added up to 1592... most people following conventional wisdom would say, "You need to stay under 1200 if you want to lose weight," which is what the App tells me... however, guess how many carbs I ate in ONE day: Only 51 grams. Yup.</div>
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Most days I try to keep my carb intake to around 50 grams. That's the sweet spot where ketosis kicks in and my body turns into a fat burning machine! Like I said before, it's not "calories in, calories out," it's about freaking carbohydrates... and that includes sugar.</div>
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Now this has been exceptionally hard on me because I've been watching my carbs like a hawk only for about a week, but in that week I lost 4 pounds. I knows it's not water weight because I am drinking water, green tea, and herbal teas like crazy. </div>
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But the hardest part was cutting out the sugar. Nothing in my morning coffee (I used to use coconut sugar or agave nectar), very little fruit, no sodas, mostly veggies... but no added sugar. (Fruits and veggies have natural carbs that you can't get around, which is fine because I'm NOT on the Atkins diet... I just really love bacon.)</div>
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See a couple weeks ago I was stuck at 175 - I had hit a plateau - and my body wouldn't budge. Come to find out that I was leaning on banana chips just a little too heavily, often consuming upwards off 200 grams of carbs in one sitting - that's like what a normal non-dieting person eats in a day - but even for non-dieters, eating that many carbs will result in slow weight gain. So, I wished goodbye to my precious banana chips and BOOM, my body responded by breaking through that plateau. </div>
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20 Pounds in 60 Days!</div>
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I still can't get over it. I guess you might want to see the proof, eh? I mean these are words on a page, not actual evidence right? Right. (I'm psyching myself out so I can summon the courage to post the photographs of my fat-body self... I still have 40 pounds to go, my goal weight is 130. I started off at 190.) </div>
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Please be gentle with me... I wish I had taken "starting" photographs in October when I started eating Primal, but out of shame, I did not; I had the courage to take some though two weeks later in November... the comparison pictures were taken today. I know it may not look like much, but I can tell a difference. These are my truth to the world... they are UNTOUCHED. </div>
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Ouch, those are hard for me to look at... even the current ones. I plan on taking photos every month so I can have visual progress. But there's my truth... and it should speak for itself. In between November 16 and today my weight loss was only at 10 pounds. How I wish you could see the 20 that I've lost! Anyway, there's them. </div>
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The only exercise I really do is walk... that's all I've been doing to watch the fat melt off. I also do Yoga twice a week. About once a week I all out sprint for about 10 seconds, which is hugely beneficial if you check out Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint. All you have to lose is weight! If you're already at your ideal weight, congratulations! Doing the Primal Blueprint will lean you out, increase your strength, help your joints, defeat dis-ease, and just assist you in being as healthy as is possible!</div>
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Visit www.MarksDailyApple.com for for info and success stories!</div>
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But I'm excited to see it come off so effortlessly and still follow only a few simple rules!</div>
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190 down to 169.8 and now to shed some more to get to 130. </div>
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20 down and 40 more pounds to go!</div>
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Go me!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MkrzWuVV4ww/UNdPbSTTtmI/AAAAAAAABtw/DNlYrj-U-iE/s1600/HeartShade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MkrzWuVV4ww/UNdPbSTTtmI/AAAAAAAABtw/DNlYrj-U-iE/s200/HeartShade.jpg" width="162" /></a></div>
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Until Next Time,</div>
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<3 Shade</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-84995346142995883222012-12-03T15:14:00.000-06:002014-10-15T14:12:03.680-05:00Dreading Journey Part 4: 6 Months (Pictures)Hello Cherished Otherbeasts! I'm so glad you're joining me. <3<br />
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December 1st marked the 6 months anniversary of me having dreadlocks! How time flies, eh? I asked some good friends of mine from <a href="http://dreadlockssite.com/">Dreadlockssite.com</a> about the wild notion of combing them out or cutting them off and received a very affirmative cry of, "<i>Just wait!</i>" Give them time, etc. Well, I've decided on giving my dreads a whole year to see if I can't live without them.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BQvfNppa_Kk/UL0O25amnjI/AAAAAAAABqY/dTY0FtXi_ZY/s1600/IMG_9956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BQvfNppa_Kk/UL0O25amnjI/AAAAAAAABqY/dTY0FtXi_ZY/s640/IMG_9956.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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I posted up a blog a while back entitled, "20 Little Unknown Things About Having Dreadlocks," which at the time, I was frustrated with my dreads and thinking about destroying them. Seriously. They were doing some really weird things like turning into S-shapes the entire length of the dread so that it looked like a snake. I honestly called myself Medusa on more than one occasion.<br />
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They were also going crazy and losing length; it was like watching a vine shrivel up because it had no water. WTF was happening to my hair? Turns out it's just part of the process: my dreads were (and still are) in the process of maturing - they were tightening up rather quickly - which explains the loss of length, and just now they're starting to relax and give me some length back. Don't get me wrong, I still have several dreadlocks that are wavy as bad 80's perm, but I have faith they'll work themselves out.<br />
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The part I'm really excited about is that they're feeling less scratchy (they felt like Velcro for the longest time) and more like soft cotton rope that I've heard many a dread-head describe. For me that's exciting because it means they won't itch my boyfriend nearly as much when I lay my head on his chest.<br />
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I'd say my biggest benefactor in having my dreads tighten up correctly is by using old school bar soap made by Yardley that only has plant oils, essential oils, and plant fat for lather. I mean, talk about squeaky-clean; that expression never registered until I started washing my hair with a soap that literally has no - and leaves no - chemical residues. That has helped immensely. I suggest going to your local Walgreens, HEB, CVS, Randalls, or wherever and buying an old fashioned bar of natural soap - my friend who used one with lard in it has had extraordinary results - you'll be amazed.<br />
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I'm still frustrated with the little loops and bumps that appear near the root of my dreadlocks but it's something I am very slowly learning to overcome and just "let it go." Sometimes. The neat thing I still can't get over is the array of styles you can put these babies into and they'll just stay. You can put your hair in an up-do all without bands, pins, or ouchie things! It's pretty amazing.<br />
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Needless to say, at this particular moment, I don't want to cut them off or comb them out... I'm sort of enjoying seeing what they do naturally... as crazy as that can get. My dreadlocks have even made me chuckle on a few occasions because I'll find one that's just... funky. I mean downright zany, crooked, lumpy, and weird... and it makes me giggle. Others I find are nice, full, soft, thick, and amazing.<br />
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I took out all my "effects." I like saying effects like Captain Jack Sparrow to reference all the beads, silk, baubles, cording, leather, etc, that I adorn my hair with because it's pretty accurate. But I digress, I took out all of the beads (with the exception of some wool roving that I felted in and some red silk that has worked its way into one of my dreads) so that my hair could have a period of "doing whatever it's going to do," plus when dreads are babies beads can cause weak spots, etc. I certainly don't want to wake up one morning and find one of my dreadlocks on my pillow instead of being attached to my head.<br />
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Having dreadlocks for six months has been interesting, to say the least. But the main reason behind me getting them has transformed a bit... originally I wanted to get in touch with my more "primal" side as well as getting to wellness. Well, having dreads has done that and more. I actually, literally, went Primal by eating according to the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. I've lost 15 pounds and 16 inches and I feel better. I also gave up sodas and processed sugars like candy. I started doing yoga regularly. I also had my copper IUD removed. (Foreign objects in my body? No thank you.) My last little vice I need to cut out and cut out quickly is smoking cigarettes. It WILL happen. I'm tired of smoking, tired of the smell, the taste, etc. If I don't quit before January 1st, it will happen that exact day. I'm spending my last year in my twenties getting myself healthier than I ever have been (except maybe when I was born and breastfed). I'm actually quite thankful for my dreadlocks because every time I touch them, see them, feel them, I am reminded of this commitment. Plus my grandfather just passed away on Saturday and it calls into sharp contrast just how short our time on this earth really is. He lived to be 95 years old and I'd like to follow that up.<br />
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So I'm saying it in front of God, the Universe, and everything else: Come May 8th, 2013 (my 30th birthday) I want to walk out onto the beach in an itty bitty bikini, healthy as the day I was born, declare myself free of any unhealthy habits, and go dunk myself and my dreads in the seawater. <br />
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So, that's how my dreads are doing at the six month mark and where I'm at personally. I love you all and I wish you the best of luck in everything you do! I will be updating before the year mark... so stay tuned!<br />
_____<br />
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Until Next Time,<br />
<3 Shade<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Etsy Shop (<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/staceylstaudt" target="_blank">Wings and Things by D&D Studios</a>) is full of Handmade Dreadlock Beads and Cuffs! Made by a Dreadie for Dreadies. <3</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>See My Other Blog Posts About Dreadlocks:</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li> <a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2013/09/my-dreading-journey-one-year-of.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey: One Year with Dreadlocks</a> </li>
</ul>
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<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2014/10/dreading-journey-two-years-with.html" target="_blank">Two Years with Dreadlocks (PICTURES) </a> </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/08/why-i-decided-to-dread-my-hair.html" target="_blank">Why I Decided to Dread My Hair</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-dreading-journey.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey Part 1</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-dreading-journey-part-two.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey Part 2</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/10/dreading-journey-part-ii-3-months.html" target="_blank">Dreading Journey Part 3: 3 Months</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/06/greatest-thing-since-sliced-bread.html" target="_blank">The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/11/20-little-unknown-things-about-having.html" target="_blank">20 Little Unknown Things About Having Dreadlocks</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Dreading Journey Part 4: 6 Months (Pictures) </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-63484355994880133862012-12-01T18:18:00.003-06:002017-12-04T14:31:05.580-06:00Dissociative Identity Disorder: Losing a Loved One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello Otherbeasts. I'd like to talk today about having DiD and what happens when confronted with losing a loved one.<br />
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My grandfather was admitted to the hospital about a week ago with pneumonia, kidney failure, and a couple of other complications. Now, my grandfather is a fighter, he's 94 - he's had at least 10 or more strokes and a slew of other illness - and he's kicked every single one of them in the butt. However, when my mother first informed me that he was being rushed to the ER, I felt something different - somehow I felt that wasn't just another run-of-the-mill ER stint and he'd be complaining in a few days about not being at home and wanting to go home, giving the RNs a headache in the process.<br />
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Well, this past Thursday was my grandfather's 95th birthday, the day before he had been sitting up, eating, laughing, and even singing love songs to my grandmother. And even on his birthday he was in good humor and it seemed like things were taking a turn for the better, he was on antibiotics, etc.<br />
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So yesterday morning, I awoke and sent a text message to my mother to see how my grandfather (our family name for him is "Daddy-daddy) was doing and instead of a text message back, my mother called me. No, no, no, no, no, no... no. I picked up the phone and she informed me that Daddy-daddy was suffering from acute renal failure and that they were going to release him and send him home with hospice care - and that it might be 3 hours, 3 days, or 3 weeks that he would stay with us. The moment I heard her voice break as she said, "it's just a matter of when," my emotions choked off and shut themselves up. It surprised me because I expected to feel this overwhelming sadness... but instead I just felt a deep sense of melancholia. A few moments later as I was telling my mother I would be praying and that my grandfather was a fighter, my own voice broke and tears began to stream. I just knew that this wasn't a good thing... I had to prepare for the worst... I had to prepare to face the music if he lost this battle.<br />
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The emotions I went through that day were absolutely mind-reeling. I wanted nothing more than to sit on the back porch, surrounded by my garden (my grandfather and I used to sit outside and just observe nature together) and take in everything: the sunlight, the breeze, the sound of the leaves skittering across the pavement, even the way the air smelled. One moment I would feel the enormous amount of peace settle over me but then I was flung 180 degrees and the sadness would grip at my heart, causing a painful lump in my throat as tears welled in my eyes and spilled over onto my cheeks. When I was in full swing of a crying spell that same tranquil peace would suddenly invade and steal over me. This altered back and forth for about two or three hours, just ricocheting back and forth between emotions. To quote Sylvia Plath, "<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have the choice of being constantly active and
happy or introspectively passive and sad. Or I can go mad by ricocheting
in between."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was stuck in the madness in between. About the <span style="font-size: small;">onset of dusk that peace had won out over the sadness.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>I had finally come to terms with that death might greet my grandfather as an old friend would - I reasoned that he had live a good, long life of 95 years,</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> 72 years married to the love of his life, my beautiful grandmother<span style="font-size: small;">, </span>6 <span style="font-size: small;">successful daughters</span>, 15 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren...a large family
which continues to grow. I felt peace.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Finally, this morning came with confusion... I awoke around 5 or 6am, much earlier than usual, and in a panic checked my phone: no missed calls, no voicemails, no texts, nada, zip, and zilch. I went back to sleep for around 3 more hours when my mother's ringtone shatters the peaceful sleep I'm in... NO, NO, NO, NO, NO... but I answer to hear her voice cracking on the other end, "Mija, I'm sorry, but Daddy-daddy passed away this morning... " The rest of it fell on semi-deaf ears as the truth rang around me. My grandfather had died. He was gone. I hadn't gotten to say goodbye. My mother informed me she was carpooling with two of her sisters to get down to the valley as soon as they could to make arrangements and that she'd send for my dad and I when things were in order. I tried as hard as I could to console her with anecdotes and quotes but I'd choke myself up in the process and a barrage of sadness would assail me. In the middle of all that sadness it was like something would swoop in, interlope, and the sadness would vanish. How was I suppose to grieve when my DiD was mistakenly trying to protect me; the sadness would become too great, I would be thrown out of the driver's seat and into the passenger's, and was left to wonder madly how I would handle this.<br />
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My grandmother passed when I was 12 -back in 1996 - and I felt sadness then, I even cried at her funeral. But I wouldn't go to my grandfather's funeral in 2005 nor my uncle's the next year... I couldn't handle the emotions. Here I am facing another funeral and I've decided to attend whatever service will be held in my grandfather's honor... but facing it with DiD could be the craziest thing I've attempted in my life. What I suspect is that when confronted with the real truth and depth of his absence, my DiD will step in, take over, and I will be watching from the sidelines yet again. It might be awkward because I may be the only one not shedding a tear and instead quietly observing. I worry that bottled up emotions may threaten to break me, but I know my Dissociative Identity Disorder will more than likely stop that from happening, and I'll be at the funeral devoid of emotion... people might wonder what's wrong with me, if I feel anything, etc.<br />
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Of course I feel everything, I feel it just like any normal person, but akin to feeling water through a film of oil; feeling but not quite feeling as someone else might. But I feel it all, whether it's behind the scenes or in company that I trust, I just have to feel it when it comes... even if it is erratic and wild... such is the bondage of Dissociative Identity Disorder.<br />
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So today has seen me ricocheting in between the madness again, crying one minute, laughing the next, feeling nothing in the other. I probably seem out of sorts to people without DiD but for me, it's the only way I can, and know how, to handle the emotions flying through me today... the emotions I will feel tomorrow, the day after, the day of the funeral, or even years from now. Right now though, I am exhausted. Emotionally exhausted. I'm too tired to cry or even to smile. Or maybe my DiD has interloped again, but to me it feels like exhaustion.<br />
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I am grateful for the last memory I have of my grandfather. My wonderful boyfriend J had traveled to the valley with my parents and I for Thanksgiving last year, and on one of the final nights I begged him to sing "El Rancho Grande"<b> </b>by Roger Creager for my grandparents. The song is a Spanish one and while J doesn't speak or understand a lick of it, he had phonetically memorized the song and could sing it with perfect diction. J was so reluctant to sing, but he swallowed his pride and stood up to croon "El Rancho Grande." Not long into the song, Daddy-daddy joined in and began singing with him, followed by my mother and then my grandmother, and of course me on the chorus. We wrapped up the song with yips and gritos followed by a lot of clapping. My grandfather was so overjoyed that he shuffled his feet on the floor while remaining seated in his recliner, to which he spoke up and announced in Spanish that he felt like dancing, to which my grandmother replied in Spanish, "Well, get up and dance then." Which was a funny family joke at the time because Daddy-daddy had a hard enough time getting around his own house, let alone dancing. Women in my family are awesome. But through all of that my best memory is seeing them smile, sing, and even shuffle-dance... all because my sweet J sang them a song in Spanish. I'll cherish that memory forever.<br />
<b>_____</b><br />
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Until Next Time,<br />
<3 Shade<br />
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_____<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-91713618074002414972012-12-01T15:27:00.001-06:002012-12-09T19:38:51.048-06:00Dexter: Angry Birds IRL<br />
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src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6695230.109398;sz=200x200;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463524;pid=4611020;usg=AFHzDLuNmAv92GDXQ1fOUjD5Fzw-L2AjeQ;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.cafepress.com%252F%252Bstein__african_grey%252C4611020%253Fcmp%253Dpfc--f--us--011--4611020%2526sourcecode%253Daffiliate%2526pid%253D6673073%2526utm_cp_signal%253D18;pubid=565325;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.cafepress.com%2Fproduct%2F4611020_480x480_f.jpg;width=200;height=200" vspace="0" width="200"></iframe><iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="200" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6695230.109399;sz=200x200;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463524;pid=4273233;usg=AFHzDLv0H3-4Z8yhz4dnByDHd6JVlRWHGA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.cafepress.com%252F%252Bmousepad__african_grey%252C4273233%253Fcmp%253Dpfc--f--us--003--4273233%2526sourcecode%253Daffiliate%2526pid%253D6673073%2526utm_cp_signal%253D18;pubid=565325;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.cafepress.com%2Fproduct%2F4273233_480x480_f.jpg;width=200;height=200" vspace="0" width="200"></iframe><iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="200" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6695230.109400;sz=200x200;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463524;pid=4273230;usg=AFHzDLvHOwC-7ahreGDjCZfFJhcyMmYweA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.cafepress.com%252F%252Blarge_mug__african_grey%252C4273230%253Fcmp%253Dpfc--f--us--001--4273230%2526sourcecode%253Daffiliate%2526pid%253D6673073%2526utm_cp_signal%253D18;pubid=565325;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.cafepress.com%2Fproduct%2F4273230_480x480_f.jpg;width=200;height=200" vspace="0" width="200"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-31328158453511847802012-11-27T18:26:00.000-06:002012-12-09T19:40:16.135-06:00One Month Primal Blueprint<b>ONE MONTH UPDATE: </b>Here We Go!<br />
<br />
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<br />
Hello Otherbeasts! The numbers have come in, and after only a month of
eating Primal I have lost 15.2 pounds and have lost 16" TOTAL! WOW! I am
now down to 174.8 and I plan on continuing the trend! I can't believe
all I had to do was eat. Amazing. If you want the dirty numbers, here
they are:<br />
Neck: 14" (0")<br />
Arms: 11" (-1")<br />
Chest: 43" (-4")<br />
Ribcage: 34.5" (-3.5")<br />
Waist: 40" (-3")<br />
Hips: 42.75" (-3.25")<br />
Inner Thighs: 24.75" (-1.25")<br />
Thighs: 20" (0")<br />
<br />
Pretty
darned amazing if you ask me. I also wanted to share with you a
personal testimony from my mother and father. They decided to come visit
J and me for Thanksgiving and so I put on a Primal Feast! Turkey,
butternut squash, asparagus, primal coconut bread, primal pumpkin pie...
it was DELICIOUS. My folks thought so too. The next night I made them
spaghetti squash primal "pasta" and so the 3 days they were here, they
had nothing to eat but primal things. My dad was intruigued but
skeptical, my mom had been doing a semi-primal diet already but with a
few cheats left in. Needless to say I fed them pretty healthy while they
were here. After they returned back to Austin my mom shared an
interesting story with me through text:<br />
---<br />
<b>Mom:</b> "Dad actually went
Primal on us... lol! Saturday evening after we got back from Houston,
against my advice, he decided to eat some cereal... not good, but he
argued the point that his body was used to eating cereal and that he
would be fine..."<br />
<br />
<i>Me:</i> Hrm. 80/20, I guess.<br />
<br />
<b>Mom:</b> "Yeh,
but... after eating Primal at your home for 2-3 days, he had been
feeling really good... in fact, I don't know if you noticed, but he was
really energetic and talkative Saturday morning/afternoon at your
home... quite uncharacteristic for him."<br />
<br />
<i>Me:</i> Indeed!<br />
<br />
<b>Mom:</b>
"Well back to Saturday evening... about 30 minutes after he ate that
cereal, we were watching tv, when he turned to me and said, "I don't
think that cereal agreed with me, my stomach doesn't feel good." About 5
minutes later, he got a stomach ache... had to use the potty 2 or 3
times (sorry, tmi)."<br />
<br />
<i>Me:</i> Wow... I guess that spoke for itself.<br />
<span style="color: lime;"><b><br /><span style="color: black;">Mom:</span></b></span>
"So, now he's saying that you were right, that he needs to cut out the
cereal, or at the very least cut way down. Now he wants to read the
book... lol! He said, "You'll have to tell [Shade] that I went Primal,
much better than going postal! LOL."<br />
---<br />
So, isn't that neat? My dad,
the naysayer, has seen proof with his own eyes/stomach that eating
Primal is very beneficial for oneself. I'm glad they're deciding on a
healthier lifestyle choice; I love my parents and I want them to be
around as long as possible. <3<br />
---<br />
So, bottomline is:<br />
<b>STARTING WEIGHT: 190 LBS</b><br />
<b>CURRENT WEIGHT: 174.8 LBS </b> <br />
<b>TOTAL WEIGHT LOST: 15.2 LBS</b><br />
<b>TOTAL INCHES LOST: 16.00" </b><br />
<br />
I'll leave you with that to think about. :3<br />
____________________<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Until Next Time,<br />
<3 Shade<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-14534682899962987742012-11-18T17:36:00.000-06:002012-11-18T17:46:12.689-06:00Quitting Smoking Cold TurkeyOkay, hello Otherbeasts, today I am writing about quitting smoking cigarettes cold turkey. Okay, almost cold turkey. I'd like to share my struggle in hopes of helping others quit and as well as to complain about my own misery as I go through this process.<br />
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<br />
I've been smoking for a decade... 10 years... at least. Because I really started smoking back in high school (obviously not seriously) but got pretty serious in college at around 19 years old; laugh at me now because back then I thought it was "cool," and I couldn't really manage my stress and my dumb ass thought it was a smart option to lean on cigarettes. If I had a time travel machine, I'd go back into the past and kick my own ass just to really drive the point home. Teenagers are so stupid. <br />
<br />
DAY 0:<br />
I was going to originally quit on Thursday evening; our roommate had just bought a new pack and divided it up between himself, me, and my honey - it was to last us just for that night and we would be cigarette free by Friday morning. Well, Friday came but things got stressful and I really wasn't that quite ready yet and so I caved and bought a pack of cigarettes; but all was not lost, I split the pack with my significant other bought another one to split between the three of us again.<br />
<br />
DAY 1:<br />
Saturday was my first actual day without smoking a cigarette. By the afternoon I was having a hard time not caving into buying another pack, and so I compromised by buying myself and my honey an e-cigarette (probably almost as bad, but not as bad as an actual cancer stick). So, we proceeded to smoke on those a bit, but following the same rituals as with "normal" cigarettes like: keeping them outside so we had to take a break from whatever it was we were doing to go have one, having a break after a meal, after a shower, after coffee, etc. We tried to maintain some normalcy about it. I was okay with it, the cravings weren't to bad. I cheated a little bit because the roommate had a cigar and was weaning himself off that way, and I took a drag. Ugh. Disappointed.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
DAY 2:<br />
Today is Sunday and I am having a time and a half. The cravings are bad today... and before I even get to the rest of it, last night was awful! I had trouble sleeping; my sleep was light, interrupted, and not restful at all. Is that a normal thing? Because that SUCKS. Anyway, the cravings are bad, and I'm puffing on this e-cigarette every so often but it just pisses me off because it's not a real cigarette. I'm too far to go back and quit quitting because today marks 2 whole days total without cigarettes, so I guess I'll keep on not smoking. Besides, I did the math: 5 bucks a day is about $150.00 extra dollars a month that I could spend on other things that are far better for me.<br />
<br />
But the irritability is here to stay for a bit, and my little pinkie fingers keep getting numb-ish, like pins and needles. I'm hungry but I don't want to eat anything. I'm thirsty and so I keep drinking water... but of course the one thing I want the most I can't have. Not that I even want it; I took another small drag off the roomie's cigar and it literally tasted like an ashtray full of dirt and feet. I don't want the smell, I don't want the taste, I don't want the feeling, I don't want any of the nasty, I just want something that comes with smoking cigarettes but I have no idea what it is. Maybe I have a fear that I don't know who I am without them. I mean, a decade is a long time, I could be a completely different person without cigarettes, maybe it'll be a bad thing.<br />
<br />
And <i>that</i> was the bargaining phase... you all know what that means, so, if we go by DABDA (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance) then I'm 3/5ths of the way past the craving/quitting phase? Well, nuts. I'm gonna stop typing so that I don't face plant my keyboard.<br />
<br />
DAY 3:<br />
<b><i>Will there be one? How will it go? Stay tuned to find out.</i> </b><br />
_____________ <br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Until Next Time,<br />
<3Shade<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-40767372873515711992012-11-16T18:30:00.000-06:002012-12-01T18:32:47.400-06:00Dissociative Identity Disorder: Hurting Loved OnesHello Cherished Otherbeasts. Today I'd like to write about the effect of having Dissociative Identity Disorder on loved ones. It's a bit of a touchy subject and every person is different, but I thought I'd share what I went through before realizing I had DiD.<br />
<br />
Back in 2006 I got out of an extremely traumatizing relationship with a man who had NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder), which if you've read anything about or done any research on, someone with NPD must have absolute control over most every aspect of their lives. The bottom line of NPD is this: They do not and can not love themselves (though they may claim to). Mind you, it is much different from just plain old narcissism, don't let the semantics trip you up.<br />
<br />
Anyhow, during my three year relationship with this man (we'll call him Tay) I was subjected to every kind of abuse that exists: emotional, psychological, physical, mental, etc. Because I had to endure so many types of abuse, my core self could not cope with the trauma and instead created a "fissure" in my personality. This fissure turned out to become the coping mechanism. For a full background on the events that happened see my blog <a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/11/i-survived-cult-memoirs-of-werewolf.html" target="_blank"><i>I Survived A Cult: Memoirs of a Werewolf.</i></a><br />
<br />
But I digress, this entry is not about what caused my Dissociative nature, but rather about the aftermath and discovering more about it. After leaving Tay and moving back in with my parents I was pretty wounded - my parents of course took me back with open arms and nothing but love and compassion - but the worst part was that they couldn't understand my behavior, not because they were intolerant or cold, but because I didn't even understand it and I couldn't explain to them what was wrong; so if I didn't know, how could they?<br />
<br />
I thank the Lord every single day for my parents and I ask Him to forgive me for the 2 to 3 years of hell I put them through due to Dissociative Identity Disorder. I digress again, it always seemed odd to me that I felt no emotions, none, zip, zilch, nada... save one. Anger. I used to cry at Hallmark commercials (pathetic, I know) but then it was like my emotions were just... gone; they had vacated the premises. Back then, I blamed it on emotional exhaustion from 3 years of bullshit from Tay, and figured the rest of the emotions would slowly creep back in. I was wrong.<br />
<br />
It was like there was no setting in between "off" and "high." No emotions between "normal" and "angry." Now when I say normal, I don't actually mean "normal," that word implies that I walked around like everyone else. My "normal" was kind of like a flat-line, no ups, no downs, just existing, and just surviving. The angry part, now that was something scary, if I became angry it wasn't just anger... it was pure unadulterated rage, but a very cruel, quiet, and hollow rage. A very strange rage... it was as if it were a boiling pot, simmering at first, then rising to a rolling boil, and just as the water was about to crest over the top and spill on to the burners, the water would still back to stasis - no movement, like it had never been boiling at all - but it would still violently burn if touched.<br />
<br />
My anger even scared me at times because somewhere inside I knew it wasn't normal but I just couldn't understand, again I blamed it on the 3 years of pent-up anger against Tay. But, like I said before, it wasn't a normal anger... it was a monster. Once that boiling water would almost crest it would go still and all the compassion and love I had inside of myself for others vanished. Looking back on some drawing I did during that time, it was clearly evident that I knew I was split somehow: most of the drawing contained two or more entities along with myself. I began to call my split "Shade" because she always lurked in the shadows, ready at a moment's notice to take control if I couldn't handle something.<br />
<br />
But Shade was cruel. She had no love for others, no compassion, no sensitivity chip... what she had an abundance of was brutal honesty, spite, viciousness, and cruelty. Her biggest fun was in causing others pain and spreading misery; it didn't matter whether is was my mother, father, friend, or a stranger - to her, they were all just potential victims on which to unleash her fury. Fury for what had been done to me. In a sense, she became my guardian; the one to bear what was too much for me to handle, endure, or tolerate.<br />
<br />
It was like being in a vehicle with Shade as the passenger - most of the time I was the one in control, the one driving - but say if in this metaphorical car situation someone were to cut me off and flip me the bird, Shade would immediately shove me out of the driver's seat, take the wheel, and proceed to rear-end the offender until satisfied. All I could do was buckle up, grab what I could, and just brace for the storm - an outsider looking in at someone else taking control.<br />
<br />
My entire life I have loved psychology, studying body language, and I had an innate gift for sizing people up in a matter of minutes. With those capabilities I possessed, it was easy for me to know people's "hot buttons." You know, the ones you press to really piss someone off. Well, with DiD in the picture, I began to use my powers for evil - when Shade was triggered she would harness all the psychoanalytic techniques and tricks and start assailing the offender with a barrage of cruel words, very often deliberately pressing those hot buttons in the most callous of fashions - with no thought or concern about the person's feelings.<br />
<br />
That's when Dissociative Identity Disorder can become very destructive and very hard to overcome. It became a viscous cycle because very often I was left to handle the aftermath of what Shade had just inflicted, which were more than likely often tears and pleading, which would cause a very deep sadness in my heart... well, guess who would come back to handle that sadness for me? Shade. It was three years that I was saddled with unchecked DiD, fully out of control, full swing, no checks or balances, and no end in sight.<br />
<br />
Luckily I was very fortunate at the time to know a very gentle man with a proclivity for psychology and psychological motivators. Through his encouragement I was able to recognize that I had Dissociative Identity Disorder, although pride would never allow me to see a licensed psychologist, and the more research I did, the more I read personal testimonies, the more I explored it... the more it made sense. I began to be able to recognize the "triggers" that would cause Shade to emerge. The more I was able to recognize these triggers, the more I was able to ask for space when triggered, and because of that I was able to confine myself, compose myself, and approach things as myself.<br />
<br />
It look a long time to heal and overcome the triggers; there were more of them than I had expected and very often I would be caught off guard. That three years was torture and a blessing; torture because I caused my parents and so many loved ones pain and sadness, a blessing because I was able to start "healing" and maintain better control over switching in and out of an alter. The bad news is that my DiD has never fully gone away, nor do I expect it to. It's like scar tissue; the original wound has healed but there is an ever-present mark and reminder that I used to be broken.<br />
<br />
To the friends, family, and loved ones that may be affected by someone with DiD: please realize that most - if not all - cases should be treated by a licensed professional. I was lucky that I was blessed with the next best thing - the closest to licensed you could get - and I'll be forever grateful to that man for helping me and for understanding me through it all. But I digress - as I often do - that if you suspect you or a loved one had Dissociative Identity Disorder, please do seek counsel. In the meantime, try to understand that the person in question has no control over these "switches" that take place, even though they may desperately want it more than anything. Above all, as hard as it may seem, try not to take it personally. The DiD does not care who it hurts... all it cares about is protecting that soft inner core of a person. Try seeing someone as a wounded child hiding behind a big tough monster - realize that the wounded child desperately wants to not have to hide behind that barrier - if at all possible, try your best to encourage someone to recognize what's happening and to take a step back. Objectivity is everyone's best friend. When you can realize your triggers - or help someone else recognize theirs - some perspective begins to take place in the DiD world. That's the starting point.<br />
<br />
Not everything can be repaired back to mint condition, but many things can be gently and kindly sutured back together to allow the healing to begin. There may always be a minute fissure left from the original damage, but it is never so far gone that it can't beloved and understood.<br />
<br />
Until Next Time,<br />
<3 Shade<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com111tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-67922713831828777982012-11-14T16:27:00.001-06:002012-11-16T21:11:44.710-06:00I Survived A Cult: Memoirs of a WerewolfHello Otherbeasts! Today I decided to open up and expose my soft underbelly of truth despite the screaming inside my very soul that says not to. But if I don't share my truth with others, I cannot help others, and that is something I cannot bear. This is a select summary from the book I am writing about this very topic, so plagiarists beware, this title and all information herein is copyrighted to my name because it happened to me in real life. <br />
<br />
When people think of the word "cult," the very first images to come to mind are things like the Heaven's Gate suicides or else the David Karesh in Waco thing. People often don't understand that there are different degrees of severity when dealing with the topic of cults. So, lets take the semantics out of the picture: Heaven's Gate is an example of EXTREME cult practices - hell, it got media coverage - but the more sinister side is that cults are often hidden, subtle, and not covered by the media.<br />
<br />
The definition as provided by Dictionary.com for the word CULT is: <br />
<div class="luna-Ent">
<span class="dnindex"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #0055bb; cursor: pointer;">1.</span></span></span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"> a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">particular</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">system</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">religious</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">worship,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">especially</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">with</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">reference</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">to</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">its</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">rites</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">ceremonies.</span><br />
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<span class="dnindex"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">2.</span></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"> an</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">instance</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">great</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">veneration</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">person,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">ideal,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">thing,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">especially</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">as</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">manifested</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">by</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">body</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">admirers:</span> </span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">the</span> </span><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/physical+fitness">physical fitness</a> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">cult.</span><br />
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<span class="dnindex"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">3.</span></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword"> the</span> </span><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/object">object</a> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">such</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">devotion.</span><br />
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<span class="dnindex"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">4.</span></span></span><span id="hotword" name="hotword"> a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">group</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">sect</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">bound</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">together</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">by</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">veneration</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">same</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">thing,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">person,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">ideal,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">etc.</span><br />
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<span class="dnindex"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">5.</span></span></span><span class="labset"><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword"> Sociology</span> </span></span><span id="hotword">. </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">group</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">having</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">sacred</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">ideology</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> </span><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/set">set</a> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">rites</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">centering</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">around</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">their</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">sacred</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">symbols.</span><br />
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<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Not all cults are media-worthy, but they are all very serious. It's rare to find someone who managed to survive a cult and even more rare to find someone willing to talk about it. Why, you ask? Well, because it's a hard pride pill to swallow to admit that you were suckered into a cult; most people who become involved with cults are intelligent, sensible, kind, and strong-minded... not the type you'd expect to be roped into something that sounds so ridiculous.</span><br />
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<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">So, how do intelligent people get roped into cults? Because a cult never starts off as a "cult;" it starts off as a very benign set of ideas (ideas can be changed), the ideas begin to solidify into beliefs (beliefs are harder to change for they are far less malleable), and then beliefs turn into closely held personal truths (almost impossible to change)... most often the result of gentle nudging from the "leader" followed up by one's own perceived thoughts manifested into solid, unchanging states of truths. This effect becomes magnified and compounded when more than one person becomes involved because the age old adage of "strength in numbers" applies to cult mentality.</span></div>
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<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">More often that not, the "leader" exhibits very charming are charismatic traits: good-looking, well read, well mannered, polite, intelligent, smooth talking, passionate, and at first deception, honest. Cults could never succeed if the Leader were anything less than admirable. From there the Leader often engenders loyalty. The first tiny seed is planted - something that could be plausible if you were more open minded - and from there that seed roots and grows into a myriad of absolutely absurd things that you would never in your right mind would believe, but because the "truths" are coming from someone you trust, it's much harder to disprove them. More often than not these "truths" can neither be confirmed or denied because there is no solid, concrete evidence to support or deny them, save the Leader and his knowledge on the "truth."</span><br />
<br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">In fact, a lot of cult leaders start off pretty benign and then they start pulling strings until these things happen: </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished. </span>Mind-numbing techniques (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in
tongues, denunciation sessions, debilitating work routines) are used to
suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s). The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself,
its leader(s), and members (for example: the leader is considered the Messiah
or an avatar; the group and/or the leader has a special mission to save
humanity). The leadership induces guilt feelings in members in order to control
them. Members' subservience to the group causes them to cut ties with family
and friends, and to give up personal goals and activities that were of
interest before joining the group. Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only
with other group members. It gets worse but I'm sure you get the picture.<br />
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<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Let's journey back to 2002. I had just turned 20 years old, I was in my first semester of my second year in college, and I had just gone through a terrible breakup with my first serious boyfriend, and I was very vulnerable. Let me tell you a bit about myself and who I was, I made Dean's List both semesters of freshman college, I founded my own community service sorority (Chi Beta Delta, which is still succeeding), and I had a TON of friends. Now, I was an only child and a bit of a day dreamer with a wicked imagination and a strong fondness for the unknown and mystical.</span><br />
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<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">It was November 1st, the day after I spent Halloween in Austin with a friend, and my cell phone rings from an unknown number. Back then I used to pick it up because it was usually someone I knew but hadn't programmed yet. I picked it up only to hear an Australian accented male voice, "'Ello? Who's this?" My response was, "Well, who is this? You called me." He introduced himself, explained that my number had been on his cell phone from someone trying to reach me the previous night, and he just decided to dial it to make new friends since he was new here in The States. I was hugely skeptical at first but then I remembered giving my number to a girl friend of mine, who gave it to a male friend of her's, just in case she needed to reach me and her phone died. The accent had me hooked and about 2 hours later I was making plans to meet this man at a kid's carnival community service event where all of my girl friends and sorority sisters would be - I wasn't completely stupid and I knew that he could be a rapist or a murderer - it was still a couple days away on a Saturday, and so I figured that if I saw a man out of place at this Carnival, and didn't like his looks for whatever reason, I could simply claim to not know him and explain that whoever he talked to must have given him the slip. </span><br />
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<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">The day of the carnival came and I was excited and nervous, we had talked on the phone each night leading up to the day of the event. So there I was, at the Carnival, and half the day had gone by, and so I figured this mysterious Aussie had changed his mind. I sat down on the sidewalk and was eating one of those humongous pixie sticks that had turned my mouth blue when I saw him: he was tall, handsome, nice smile, gorgeous eyes, great body, and the sweetest dimples. He hadn't seen me yet and so I hid my eyes underneath the brim of my baseball hat when he sauntered up. His words were like honey as he said my name in a question to me. I looked up and stared into the most amazing hazel eyes I had ever seen. I stood up, introduced myself, and shook his hand. When my hand touched his, it looked as if he went a little weak in the knees, and I was shocked at my effect on him: I had no makeup on save mascara, my mouth was bright blue from the candy I was eating, my hair was up and tucked away through a baseball hat, and this man just faltered at my appearance? Sure enough. And he drove a motorcycle? Sign me up! Enter a man named Taylon (pronounced Talon) which was not his real name anyway, but a self-imposed nickname.</span></div>
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<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Those first few days were amazing, I just knew that I had met my soul-mate, but something inside said it was too good to be true. We were inseparable for four days: we talked, ate, sang, and it was like we had been doing this routine for years. He was attentive, protective, a good listener, etc, and I was never tiring of listening to an Aussie accent speak to me about the sun, moon, and stars. But I started noticing something different about him: he was wise beyond his years, and spoke as if he were a guru on top of some Tibetan mountain, he carried himself differently, and so my fanciful imagination began to try to piece together everything I was being overwhelmed with. My conclusion was that he was not of this world, but something entirely different. We spoke of magic, metaphysics, and all sorts of paranormal things and he had this animalistic nature about him. I asked him if he was something different that I should know about and he just smiled shyly about it and asked what my theories were. I ventured to say vampire only to be met with a look of disgust and a head-shake... next on my list was a quietly whisper-mutter of the word werewolf. He just peered at me through those greenish-brown eyes and smiled slightly. (This was WAY before the vampire/werewolf frenzy that gripped America in 2006, and before I had seen any sort of movies containing them, I just simply wasn't interested). My jaw dropped. Here I was, in a little burger place in a small town, sitting across from a werewolf. A real live werewolf... in human form. Imagine how special I felt. There was a whole world that existed that I was privy to seeing... and I just knew that there was something different out there, that I hadn't seen before, it just HAD to exist... I felt it. I knew it.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Turns
out that the werewolf gene was transmittable, like a virus, if bitten
or if body fluids were exchanged. We had intimate relations very often -
more so because I was already on board to become a creature of the
night - and it turned out that things were "hunting" me because they
knew who I was and that if anything happened to me, it would destroy
Taylon allowing someone else to usurp the throne. How do you kill a werewolf? Turns out you have to decapitate it. Vampires? They existed, just not like people thought they did, turns out the vampires that walked this earth were more like Anne Rice's Lestat than any "mundane person" could imagine. Werewolves used to be the day guardians for the vampires while they slept in exchange for a truce of freedom instead of being a slave race. No wonder werewolves hated vampires. There were other creatures that existed as well: fyrgoyans, werebears, siganaughts, wyrms, cobrakhans, faeries, elves, etc. Almost everything anyone thought was a myth existed in some form or fashion. I was fascinated by this strange new world.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Fast forward to only about four days later when we were out driving around listening to music and talking when we were pulled over, I checked out but he did not - there was a warrant for his arrest - and so they took him. His last words to me were, "They know who I am and they know who you are... I can't protect you if I'm gone, get back inside the car immediately and drive straight home, when you get there lock all of the doors and windows and don't go outside unless you HAVE to. I'll post sentries outside of your apartment for an extra precaution so don't get nervous if you sense a few things lurking around." </span><br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span>
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">So I did exactly what he told me. But after I got home and thought about everything that just happened, I had a thought enter my head, "You are a flippin' moron for believing all of this. This CANNOT be real, it goes against all logic. The guy was just arrested <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">based on allegations of fraud and debt. You are SO stupid." I decided not to have anything to do with him and my resolve lasted a good while until he called me from the county jail and begged me to hear his side, that he would tell me everything if I would just come and see him, he would explain everything. I told him curtly, "You have one shot and if you tell me anything other than the truth, this will be over immediately."</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">He
had a rough time explaining to me through the county jail's plexiglass
that the charges alleged against him belonged to the name, not to him.
How could something belong to a name and not the person? Unless we were
talking identity theft. It was nothing that sinister but what would you
do if you were hundreds of years old and needed proof of identification?
Wouldn't it just be easier to find someone already dead and just assume
living under their name? Better yet, what if some of your clan members
had a son roughly your age that had died, and the resemblance was
passable? Seems plausible. Everything he said seemed to make sense given the circumstances, and I was willing to keep an open mind. He pleaded with me about being careful while he was "locked in a cage." I decided to give him a second chance because maybe - just maybe - I was actually hearing the truth.</span><br />
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<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Imagine
my surprise when I found out that not only was he a werewolf, and part
of this amazing clan, but that he was King of the Clan... which made me
Queen. Queen of the Werewolves? Sign me up please! He informed my that
my wolf's rightful name was Shaderra which meant "warrior queen," I
liked it, it had a ring to it: Queen Shaderra. I got to be a bad ass and
live practically forever? Hell yeah, since I was terrified of death.
Turns out his "father" was also a werewolf - though not his biological
father - and part of the clan whose son died recently hence allowing
Taylon to assume the identity. Turns out that the Aussie's real name was
Taylon J. Philbourne (also not a real name) but it was stamped into his
military tags along with his social security number and other pertinent
information. Then he showed me something unbelievable: the medals he
had been honored with from serving in the military. Everything about his
story was checking out and he told me he had known he met his soulmate
when we first met, that it felt like lightning had struck him since our
skin first touched back at the carnival.</span> </span><br />
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<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">I took his phone calls from the county jail and we conversed through snail mail for a whole almost two months, I would even go visit him when I could, driving an hour each way to see his face. He explained to me through letters the finer details about the clan, about himself, about werewolves, and about what happened with the name he had assumed. Turns out the name that wasn't his had driven a vehicle leased in Texas all the way to Florida without coming back, and he was completely innocent and having to face this other man</span></span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">'s charges. He demonized the name he assumed and made it sound so unfair, I was angry at his "parents" for not telling him about their son's records or what the King was signing up for when he assumed the identity... how dare they! </span></span><br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">There was an even bigger plot, his "parents" knew what their real son's record was, failed to tell him so that he would be arrested and held against his will, bound by the law, so that his "father" could claim the throne. But his "father" couldn't claim it while there was still a Queen holding the throne, and so I was told to watch my back and be extra careful. This "reality" became quite real for me when on December 7, 2002 I was traveling on the county highway to go visit him behind bars, when I glanced at a van sitting at the corner of a three way intersection, I could swear that it was his "parents," and when I looked back to the road the car in front of me had slammed on the brakes and my car was speeding toward it at 45mph. I had two options: rear-end the car at 45mph or swerve around it and avoid a collision. In a split second I had swerved around the car but my own had caught gravel and was thrust into a skid back across the highway, into oncoming traffic, hitting a sign, into a ravine and promptly rolled four times in a field. </span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">All I remember was the beginning, the glass crashing in, and then nothing. The next thing I remembered was "waking up," sitting in my car - somehow still upright - with the contents of my purse strewn about me. There was a man running up to my car and was trying to open the door from the outside but it wouldn't budge since it had impacted driver-side first. I reached for the handle, popped it open, and the guy swung the door open, looked at me and quite bewildered asked, "Are you okay?" To which I responded, "Hi!" He probably thought I had severe brain damage and asked me again if I was all right and urged me to get out of the car. I told him I had to collect what had fallen out of my purse and then I'd step out. For some reason I thought it was important, the good Samaritan must have known I was in shock and calmly waited for me to collect my lip gloss and mascara before helping me out of the smoldering heap that was formerly my Toyota Rav 4. I glanced back at the intersection and the van had disappeared. I thought it was a bit strange.</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">The good Samaritan urged me to sit alongside the highway by his car as I heard the wails of an ambulance growing louder as it was quickly approaching our position. He was asking me if I was hurt, if I felt any pain anywhere, to relax, and that help was coming. I couldn't understand why he was so concerned but before I cold ask him what he saw, the EMTs had jumped out of the ambulance and rushed to my side, taking my vitals, asking me if I knew my name, what year it was, who the current president was, etc. I answered all questions correctly, they asked me if I would like to be transported by ambulance to the ER. I declined knowing it would cost my parents money. My parents. Crap. I had to call them and explain what just happened. The little town of Kyle's Sheriff had shown up to question me as well and call a tow truck since my vehicle was now totaled. I calmly called my mother and said, "Mom, everything is okay and I'm perfectly fine, but I was just in an accident. Could you and daddy please come get me?" I told them my location and then hung up to tell the Sheriff what had happened. He asked me the same questions over and over and I told him exactly what took place. He stayed with me until my folks arrived and after my mother saw the car, she burst into tears and gathered me in a hug. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">I got into my parent's car and explained to them that I needed to go to Bastrop to go see a sorority sister that had landed herself in county because of a MIP charge. I had to get to Taylon because I knew that he would know something was wrong if I didn't show. My parents refused and took me straight home. (The ultimate punchline in all of this was that a couple weeks later I received two tickets in the mail for the accident. The first was for not wearing my seat belt - to which my father took pictures of my collarbone where the seat belt had rubbed a burn into my skin (not to mention the scrapes on my shins from the underside of the dashboard and the huge lump on the left side of my head) to prove I was wearing my seat belt, which if I hadn't been, I probably would have been thrown from the car) - and the second ticket was for, "driving at an unsafe speed based on the condition of the road." What a joke, I had been going 5mh UNDER the speed limit, on a newly paved road, in broad daylight, on a bright, sunny day. What a load of BS.)</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">That incident really raised into sharp relief that someone must have intended that to happen - there were people out to get me - and this was confirmed the next time I spoke with Taylon; one of his lieutenants had informed him of what happened. He was just glad that I was alive. And frankly, so was I. We continued on the phone and through mail until I couldn't stand it any longer and pleadingly begged a friend to help me meet his posted bond. And so with that </span></span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">I bailed him out of jail at the tail end of December, and I knew I was going to live happily ever after... forever. </span></div>
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<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span>
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">The weird thing is, I felt different... stronger, more agile, etc. </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Shortly after I learned all of this, he informed me that I had snapped my neck during the accident, but since I already had the virus coursing through my body, it had triggered an emergency response and the virus when full throttle into a frenzy to alter my DNA, and as a result the break in my neck had healed almost instantaneously. It made sense - I remembered the first part of the accident, then absolutely nothing, and then suddenly "waking up with a jolt" gasping for air - and I knew it had to be true. How else did I survive rolling my car in a field 4 times? He explained to me that there might be some problems due to it triggering so quickly, that my body was going to adjust faster than my mind would be able to cope with (we're talking about 20 years of knowing werewolves didn't exist) and so that we could run into some problems like me shifting and not remembering anything, waking up in strange places, or with strange markings. But he held my hand and promised to help every step of the way.</span><br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span>
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">All of that coupled with the new notion that I
never got sick not even once (we're talking a sinus infection and the flue every fall from the
time I was 4 or 5) and I never really injured myself, and when I did the
healing was a lot more rapid than I remembered it being. I was on top of the world, I was strong, beautiful, immortal, and powerful; I was the Queen and I was going to be able to physically shift into a werewolf with each passing day. </span><br />
<br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Then I learned the most
surprising thing: he was able to communicate with other members
of the clan by "channeling" them. You wouldn't believe how many
celebrities were part of the werewolf clan, but it made sense at the
time - I got to meet lots of nifty people, a lot of them so much cooler in real life than their "media faces." There were also different rankings in the clan, there were Lieutenants - fondly called "Diamonds" - as well as Guardians, Sentries, Mercs, and so on. Then things got pretty serious when I was allowed to speak with my grandmother who had passed away 8 years before... she knew things that Taylon could never have known since I had never told him... even down to the game we used to play when, as a kid, I would not eat the crust off of my toast and so she would make them into Jelly Rolls and threaten to eat them, to which I responded by gobbling them down. I missed my grandmother terribly and hearing from her was such a blessing because I never got to tell her that I loved her one last time or even say goodbye, until then when I was able to. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">(I'll leave out the part where I was forced to stay with my parents - they didn't like Taylon - and when I threatened to call him to come get me, they threatened back with kicking me out of the house. I made the call anyway and was whisked away back to my apartment on a motorcycle, only to be met by my parents pleading with me to come back home. I conceded for a short while until I realized that I was Queen and could do whatever the fork I pleased.) But I will include that during this time each and every single friend I had was being pushed away from me: some were not safe, others didn't appreciate my behavior, I burned some bridges, and everyone I knew sort of vanished into the abyss. I didn't care though because I was a werewolf. Duh.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">A few weeks after the accident Taylon found out that it was set up by his "parents" along with an entity named "Banglador," who was basically a demon spawn. He had to go fight this creature or else it was going to find us first. He left for a whole hour and I was so worried, I was especially surprised when he came back with scratches, welts, and bruises. No one in their right mind would do that to themselves... there were clearly defined claw marks, very wide and thick, on his back that were impossible for him to reach, so he couldn't have done it himself. This world was real and I would just have to come to terms with it. A werewolf versus a demon? It's what happened on more than one occasion. </span></span><br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">How could he do this? What was the science behind it? There wasn't any... it was all metaphysical and spiritual. Then I found out the hardest pill to swallow - one thing that I was forbidden from telling anyone or recording anywhere because it meant my life - the one thing I am reluctant to reveal now, out of fear, as I type... Taylon could speak with God. Yeah, take a deep breath and read it again. He could speak with and channel God Himself because of a divine link provided by his soul belonging to and harboring an angel named Mettatron. Turns out I was harboring one too: Raphael, who was actually a "female angel," with a sister named Sashelle. And since I was part angelic, God was technically my father (my mother had Poly Cyctic Ovarian Syndrome and the chances of having a baby, let alone me, were next to nill, something I had never even once mentioned to Taylon) and so I fondly called him "Dad." (Daddy was reserved for my earth father.) I recorded all information about this and every conversation I had with "God," because I was highly skeptical, in my journal for review months or even years later. Somehow he found out and ordered me to rip the pages out of my journal for no one was to know, save us, and if an enemy broke in and stole my journal all would be put in peril. Conversely you can deduce that if I could talk to God then I was able to speak with Lucifer as well through Taylon's channeling. Turns out "Lucy" and I got along better than peas and carrots, I preferred to converse with him instead of "Dad."</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">As far as handling his 'attempted-to-murder-me' "parents," they were handled by what Taylon called a "Wiper." It was a member of the clan that had the ability of erasing memories and replacing them with others. So the Wiper was dispatched to his "parent's" house and did his job. His "father" still knew that he himself was a werewolf and part of the clan, but he no longer remembered that he had a murderous vendetta against me or Taylon. His "mother," on the other hand, basically forgot everything about werewolves... like she had been "wiped" too many times. The poor woman could count to potato and subtract to tomato, with intermittent babble about the chickens, the dog, or Taylon's "father's" (we called him The Old Man) blood sugar. He had type 2 diabetes and his adrenal glands were shot from overuse, he was what we called a "Beserker:" a werewolf who had no logical sense when shifted but instead just pure rage and adrenaline. I felt badly for Taylon's "sister," her husband was a prick, but her kid was hilarious; she pretended the werewolf stuff just didn't exist, it was never a denial or a confirmation, just a skirting about the topic entirely.</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">About a year after absorbing all of this information and learning the ways of the wolf, I was given a royal task: to have a baby. I dug in my heels and absolutely refused. I was coerced into going off birth control (which I NEVER did, I just hid it very well, I knew I didn't need a kid, nor did I want one) which angered him very much because I never got pregnant. I was given another Royal Task: I must choose a Guardian for myself to act as a protector for when Taylon wasn't there. I was working at the college at the time and looking at Goldenwolf's art when a very tall young girl walked by, then took a few steps back, peered at my screen and asked excitedly, "You like Goldenwolf, too?" Heck yeah I did, she drew werewolves. This young woman and I made friends pretty fast, even after only knowing me a few minutes she drew a wolf's head on a post-it note and wrote neatly beneath it, "Packmates for Life!" A bit of a prophet that one.</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">I'll never forgive myself but I desperately needed a friend, one who could understand where I was coming from, what I was going through, and maybe someone to help me... maybe even someone to guard me. I introduced her to Taylon and we interviewed her for the position of Guardian. She had loved wolves since forever and knew that she was a wolf on the inside, she was sold the second she found out this world existed... just like me, she knew it existed but had never been able to see it before... until now. She became my sister.</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">She lived with us for a year; she was my constant companion, my best friend, my confidant, my guardian, and the only one who was aware of the same world that I was. She, too, learned the deeper secrets - the ones about God, Lucy, and the angels - and Taylon seemed to know things about her that even her closest friends wouldn't. She and I had shared dreams of shifting and running around, we even compared notes and details would match up, it had to have happened or else how would we both know the information? She also shared part of her soul with the angel Metattron. I guess we were more of a handful than Taylon anticipated because we were often dealt with by "Dad," and then a rotating number of "babysitters," most of which were angelic. For every angel we had a nickname which they hated, but answered to when we had questions. For instance Af was Cake (Eddie Izzard joke), Hagoth was "Haggard" (Merle), </span></span>Melchisedek was "Milk" (to go with Cake), Sashelle was "Seashell" (rhyme), and I can't really remember them all, but I remember Sandalfon being my favorite - he was always bright, chipper, and fun. Actually Michael may have been called "Milk" now that I think about it. Through it all we retained our humor and probably pissed off more than a dozen entities. My Guardian was given a name as well, we called her "Blakyra" (but stuck with her nickname of BK for short and ease of use) which meant "guardian" and was the female form of "Blayloch." We called Taylon Zarr because that was short for his wolf's name of Zarrammarra or Zamarra, or Zarrmara... whatever.<br />
<br />
All sorts of odd things were noted and discussed between BK and me. Alongside of the shared dreams where we shifted, she and I both awoke at different times only to see a very tall, dark, fuzzy creature staring down at us - Taylon explained that our "human" minds couldn't yet handle seeing a werewolf and so it distorted into a fuzzy blob upon remembering. Once we went camping and Taylon physically shifted too close to the tent and triggered BK's shift - which her body wasn't ready for yet - and so she awoke to what felt like a red hot metal poker stabbing her in the chest before passing out. I had several moments of excruciating pain as well when a shift would take place to close to me. There were missing gaps of time we had no explanation for along with stranger things like BK being able to pick up the back end of a car. I even witnessed Zarr and BK lift a tractor trailer for sport. At one point I uprooted a 200 pound cedar tree out at a break we were working with his "parents." BK and I needed answers and so she decided to do the unthinkable: she was going to ask The Old Man if it were all true - something Taylon had forbade us from even mentioning, despite him and The Old Man joking profusely about it, only slight mentions that other wolves would pick out of a conversation - but she was after the truth.<br />
<br />
So one evening when we (by we I mean myself, Taylon, BK, and The Old Man) were all piled into the 18 wheeler cab, BK sat in the back and spoke with The Old Man in hushed tones about werewolves... and the Old Man admitted to being one, admitted to Taylon being one, but got furiously livid when BK mentioned Taylon not being his son, and even more irate when she mentioned Taylon being the King. He immediately corrected her and informed her that yes, Taylon was his son - though he had a milkman theory - but that he was NOT the King of any clan, that there wasn't any "Clan" on the scale of which Taylon spoke, but there was a clan consisting of about 15 local members. He told BK that Taylon had lied about those things and then started to explain to her that she was actually a descendent of some old wolf he knew that made her a reincarnation of an indian princess and that the wolf was ancient native american magic and shamanism. Ask her.<br />
<br />
We even spoke to someone, a female, in Florida that Zarr knew who channeled Gabriel... I mean, it had to be true; the Old Man, Gabe, and one other man who were corroborating the werewolf stuff. Different sources! (I won't even talk about Florida here, but suffice it to say, BK and I discovered he was lying and cheating, among various other undesirable things... but that set in motion a dangerous yearning for the real truth... I don't think he knew what a force BK and I were to reckon with, he definitely underestimated two brilliant female minds.)<br />
<br />
Talk about more confusion on top of an already wildly spinning carnival ride. Slowly but surely all the plates that Taylon was spinning began to wobble with the threat of crashing and the loose ends began to surface. He became moody, suspicious, uncooperative, controlling, abusive (mentally, emotionally, physically, psychologically), and just a downright snake. BK and I couldn't even have the conversations we wanted to when he was present, and so we developed a natural sort of telepathy in which conversations were carried on using glances, body posture, looks, and silence. We'd all three be in a room, Taylon usually absorbed in a video game, while we sat on the couch in silence when a look would come across one of our faces and we would crack up. Taylon got real tired of that and started pitting us against each other. He would tell me one thing and tell BK another, and so animosity built between us, the closest friend I had in the world, and we started not talking at all but sulking at each other when Taylon was present, however when he would leave we would immediately complain to one another about him. Taylon was the mutual bane of our existences. <br />
<br />
Eventually about a year later BK and I sat down one evening, sulky and complaining, because Taylon had gone to bed when the issue of a particular night came into question. We compared notes and found about eleventy billion lies involved. We slowly started to unravel the intricately tangled web of lies and deceit and uncovered some truth. He had been telling BK that she was the rightful Queen, that I was suppose to be her guardian but that I wouldn't back down - he was the victim. And at the same time he was telling me that BK had complained about being my guardian, that she didn't like her "job," and that she had hit on him and come onto him - he was the victim. We were so furious that we sat on my couch for about 3 hours in total silence just staring at each other, having another mental conversation, because he was asleep in the next room. We stayed up all night and when Taylon awoke the next morning at 7am, there were two very pissed off women sitting on the couch glowering at him. He immediately knew that there was something wrong. He sat down on his recliner and just stared at us, bracing for the storm.<br />
<br />
BK sat in silence just staring at Taylon until her anger burst forth. She told him that he was an absolutely
worthless human being, that no one would ever love him, and that his
father hated him - from his own mouth. I looked over at Taylon and could see tears brimming
in his eyes; my heart hurt for him. I jumped when
she screamed at Taylon, "What the fuck kind of person ARE you?" I looked
back to him, he had curled up on himself, into the fetal position, pulling his knees to his
chest and was toying with the butt of an extinguished cigarette.<br />
<br />
I jumped again, startled by BK's piercing voice, "LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M
SPEAKING TO YOU, YOU PIECE OF SHIT." I saw disgust in her expression and
she shook her head as if she was trying to dismiss the thoughts. I
watched her stand up. I could see anger wracking her body, making her
hands quiver and tremble. Her lips had pressed tightly closed, making
thin pale, pink lines. I could see she was struggling for self control. I
was so bewildered that I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. I felt like
iron manacles had locked me into place and a ball-gag had been shoved in
my mouth and down my gullet.<br />
<br />
I looked back at Taylon
again, his eyes crawled up from the floor guiltily. I could see that he was wounded, something inside of him
was screaming with anguish; it hurt my heart to look at him. She was
right, his father had never loved him. I could see the pain from BK's
words etched into his face, drudging up painful, unpleasant memories. I
felt so sorry for him – he looked so much like a small child in that
moment. My thoughts wandered to BK. How she must be feeling – used,
abused, manipulated – my heart twisted again, this one a little more
painful, how could he have done that to her? Anger seethed in my jaw and
caused the muscles to involuntarily clench. I looked up at her, her
silvery green eyes already on my face. I locked gazes with the wild,
wounded woman that I loved more than life itself. She was the reasoning
voice in my head, my constant companion, my guardian – I had come to
depend on her so much. She spoke to me, pleading, “Come with me,” her
fierce green eyes burned into mine.<br />
<br />
How I wanted to leave and go
with her! Those manacles tightened around my body, making movement
impossible. The lump had begun to lodge itself in my throat; I was
fighting against it – Taylon couldn't see what this was doing to me; I
wouldn't let him see it. I mustered all my strength and it was only
just enough to stand from my seat on the couch. BK embraced me with a
silent request in her tight bear hug; I wish I could have held on
longer, tighter, so that she would have had to drag me out of there. My
best friend, my sister – the only thing I knew of one - my sister friend soul mate.
Her hug changed and it held finality. It was a goodbye. I felt her give
up and release me.<br />
<br />
My soul wanted to scream for her before she had even
left - wanted to demand that she pick me up and carry me out of that
place because I didn't have the strength or courage to walk out on my
own – wanted to tell her that I needed her so very much... but it all
stuck in my throat, like someone had wrapped a hand around it, and the
only sound that escaped was a croak. I knew she was thinking that she
had just wasted a year on me. I never felt hate from her though – only
regret; only pity. I could feel her anger still shooting daggers into
his body.<br />
<br />
BK was trembling, the adrenaline coursing through her
veins – her mind was made up – as well as I knew her - I knew that she
had made a decision. I could see her etching meaningful thoughts behind
her eyes. Her jade irises locked with my chocolate ones, a softer look –
she was making sure I wouldn't forget her, that I wouldn't forget the
friendship; I lost myself again in choked off tears. She tore her gaze away, altering it
now and piercing him with hard emerald jewels – making sure that he
wouldn't ever be free from the guilt for what he had done to her. I
watched her break eye contact and turn on her heel to walk out. How I
admired her, I was falling to pieces and she hadn't even shed a tear.<br />
<br />
<br />
That
was the hardest full moon I ever had. I went for a walk that night,
claiming I needed to get some fresh air and when I was out in the middle
of our old field, my knees buckled and I collapsed onto the wet, grassy
ground. I stared up at the cruel moon and howled – the pain of loss
wracking my body and choking off the howl into guttural sobs of anguish.
I clutched at the grass and cried into the damp earth. I must've fallen
asleep because when I opened my eyes, the moon was at a different
position in the sky. No one had come looking for me. I dragged myself
back to my apartment, back to an empty bed and fell into a fitful sleep.
I awoke the next morning only to feel that icy dagger of absence lodge
in my heart. It wasn't getting better. It wasn't ever going to. Not
until she was back in my life. BK broke all contact with me - I don't blame her - she needed distance to find herself again.<br />
<br />
In May Taylon and I moved out to the middle of nowhere in Wimberley out on 12 acres of property into a rental house. I was afraid of being so isolated and disconnected and so I would go to the small library in the middle of that tiny town and get on the internet. BK was still recovering from the whole ordeal and wouldn't speak to me for months. I pleaded and begged her to speak with me; she was the only one who knew what sort of danger I was in. Finally a couple months later she resumed speaking to me over IM, begging me to get out of the relationship with Taylon. I started hearing the voice of reason, that spell he had weaved around me slowly began to lose it's strength, and that's when the reality of leaving a cult leader settled into direct clarity.<br />
<br />
Since March I had been emotionally distancing myself from Taylon. If I were to just announce unexpectedly that I was leaving he might have flown into a rage tantrum and murdered me. Taylon was very volatile and uncontrollable when angry. Leaving a cult is risking your life. A few months later around August I really started edging toward leaving but it was so hard. Right around that time BK would call me or IM me and plead with me to leave Taylon; she was my biggest cheerleader in the campaign to escape him.<br />
<br />
In October I went to go visit BK where she was staying with a friend while on a weekend away from college. I had a blast, we hung out, ate sushi, laughed, talked, and cried. I knew I had to leave Taylon, but how? We schemed, we talked, we brainstormed. I prayed for an answer. When I left Houston to drive back to Wimberley I received a call from Taylon, he was parked at the Love's gas station on a run to Katy and back. I was passing through Katy that very moment. On a run my ass - he had been following me. He insisted I meet him and I did, told him I had a good time, and that I was driving back to our house. He sensed my distance and questioned my loyalty; I assured him I wasn't going anywhere but I was lying through my teeth... I had a plan and I received a very clear message to my prayer: after meeting Taylon and driving back home I was pleading for a sign to give me clarity on if leaving was the right thing to do. It was at that moment that I saw a bright yellow billboard with red letters that read, "This Is Your Sign." That was it... I had a mission now.<br />
<br />
But this was no ordinary mission, Taylon had NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder), and not knowing whether I was to face Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde was literally putting me on pins and needles. I had to do this intelligently. So finally in November - 8 months after BK left in March - while Taylon was out on an 8 hour run to Laredo, around 4am in the morning, I pulled all of my stuff out of every nook and cranny in the house and piled it in the middle of the kitchen floor. I called BK and told her that I was leaving Taylon; she met me with nothing but supportive, bolstering encouragements. Then I called my mother and told her that I was leaving Taylon. Since I was afraid for my life she immediately wanted to come get me and bring me home, but I had three dogs to worry about facing Taylon's wrath - he had threatened to kill them before. So my mother agreed to drive to me, help me load the dogs, and then return home.<br />
<br />
Then I made the hardest and potentially the most dangerous phone call of my life... I called Taylon and informed him that I was leaving. He begged and pleaded with me to wait until he was back from Laredo so we could discuss it and work through it, but my stuff was already packed. It was too dangerous for me to stay and possibly incur his wrath. I couldn't even just make a clean break, I had to demote the relationship to "dating" to convince him it wasn't entirely over and that he still had a chance to win me back so he wouldn't kill me.<br />
<br />
I moved back in with my parents and "dated" Taylon for the next 3 months until February. In between those 3 months I didn't know up from down or left from right. I was trying to sever the final tie between Taylon and I over the phone one night when he flipped into a rage tantrum and threatened to come to my parent's house and kill the dog I wouldn't let him have (I could take better care of her) and his exact words were, "If you won't give me that dog back, then I'll go spend 30 cents on a bullet and put it through her skull, and you'll be lucky if I don't do the same to you."<br />
<br />
It was in February that I met a wonderful human being named Andre (not his real name) who repaired the almost irreparable psychological mess Taylon had left in his wake. This man even came to Texas to visit me and BK, but while he was here, his life was in danger as well. Taylon somehow found out which motel Andre was staying at (and I was staying with him) and while I was at an evening college class, went over to the hotel and confronted Andre. Andre did the smart thing and walked with Taylon over to the local diner to buy him a cup of coffee. When I returned from class and pulled into the motel parking lot I saw two silhouetted figures sitting on the curb outside the motel room. Adrenaline and fear shot through my body... this was going to be a double homicide. I cautiously walked up and greeted them both. Taylon had calmed down considerably from what I could tell and we all sat in the motel room talking, while Andre played therapist. Taylon finally conceded and left. The next morning Andre had the perfect separation speech prepared for me to read over the phone to Taylon to finally break things off... and it worked. I was free... for a little while.<br />
<br />
Andre went back to California and Taylon came back around wanting to date me again - I had an ulterior motive - to which I accepted on one condition: that he tell me the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This was over a phone call during the day when college classes were taking place. I should have been in class but I had to have the truth.<br />
<br />
Taylon was caught between a
boulder and a slab of cement. He knew that I knew, but even admitting
it would completely unravel all the intricate lies he had spent so many
years weaving. Though if he were to try and lie again to me, I would
know - without a shadow of a doubt - his betrayal and his twisted words. I would know because my information came from a source unseen, a
source that wasn't him. BK had been courageous enough to tell me that they had slept together for almost the whole amount of time she spent with us. She even told me what the Old Man had told her.<br />
<br />
<br />
I asked him about everything. How we met. How he really got my number. His real name. His real age. The angel and God stuff. His birth parents. His alleged charges from jail. His previous marriages. He wasn't under an assumed name. He wasn't from Australia. He couldn't speak to God. He wasn't the King. I asked him about the werewolf stuff... I will never know the full truth about that one, but what I do know that he was not the King of the Clan. Everything I needed to know was answered. My mind was made up. I was as good as gone.<br />
<br />
<br />
Through the silence of the truth over the open phone line was the man I had never known... he was a complete stranger. The man I once knew was strong, proud and regal... and fictional. This was not that man anymore. I
saw him through new eyes, through a new spectrum. I saw before me a
child. A scared, lonely and insecure little boy who had to create life around
himself because he was so afraid of being unworthy. I saw a demon, raging
against what he knew was right, struggling to prevail and win this
battle. I saw a monster, hideous and lecherous... but what I really saw was my biggest mistake and the hardest lesson I've had to learn.<br />
<br />
Seeing that pitiful shell of a man was sobering and it allowed me to walk away. Three and a half years later I was free... I was finally free. I am also one of the lucky ones to be able to say that I was in a cult, survived it, and walked away with far less damage than other unfortunate survivors. What I did walk away with was PTSD and Dissociative Identity Disorder. I'm lucky it was that.<br />
<br />
It took me three years to stop being angry at God - the real God who answered my prayers - three years to sift through the worst emotional baggage, 6 years to recover from an extremely traumatizing event, and a full decade to build up the courage to speak about it.<br />
<br />
To this day I still have holes and gaps in my memory that should not be there. There are still a handful of things that I've seen with my own eyes or witnessed for myself that cannot be denied or confirmed. There are irreconcilable events that have no explanation no matter how much science or truth is applied. There will always be mystery surrounding certain events that I cannot explain. <br />
<br />
After ten years - a whole decade of silence - it's a weight off of my shoulders to tell the whole truth - not just to my closest friends for fear of judgement, but to the entire world to hear my story. I'm sharing it because I don't want anyone else to have to suffer in silence, feel like they're alone, feel like there's no way out, or any of the ways I felt during that hellish experience. If any part of this is true then I expect I'll be quite dead soon for my treason, however, if I remain alive at least I'll just look like a crazy person who was suckered into something so unbelievably stupid. <br />
<br />
I sincerely apologize to everyone and anyone who I hurt along the way. Please forgive me.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7810191236602985232#editor/target=post;postID=6442712960674677228" target="_blank">My Blog about having Dissociative Identity Disorder: Click.</a><br />
<br />
Otherbeasts, please recognize the warning signs and always be careful. <br />
<br />
Until Next Time,<br />
<3 Shade<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-81449236803536005792012-11-08T15:58:00.001-06:002017-12-04T14:51:34.794-06:0020 (25) Little Unknown Things About Having Dreadlocks<pre class="ad-code _ngcontent-vwu-49" style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.13px;"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
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Hello cherished Otherbeasts, dreaded or not! Today I decided to write about the little things - the fine print, if you will - that are included when one has dreadlocks.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><strike>20, 21, 22, 23, 24</strike>, </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>25 Little Unknown Things About Having Dreadlocks</b></span><br />
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<b>1. The Fuzzies</b><br />
Everybody I know goes through this phase and depending on the hair type it can last anywhere from two months to two years. But this phase is bollocks to most! It's infuriating, frustrating, discouraging, and just a general pain in the donkey. But don't get demoralized, it's just a phase and it WILL calm down. Just be prepared for the fact that phases of fuzziness are just a part of the dreading cycle: it will come and it will go.<br />
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<b>2. Loops</b><br />
Oh, dreadful loops! Thou art the bane of mine existence! Yes, well... they happen. It usually occurs when some of the hair in the dread tightens up faster than the rest, leaving the others to get caught up and billow out into a nice ol' loop. Now some dread-heads I know love - and I mean LOVE - loops because the loops "add character" to the dreadlock itself. Now me, I'm not as free-spirited as those loop lovers - I admire them fiercely - because my OCD simply cannot (will not) stand for loops. I am far to much of a perfectionist to have a loop appear and not meddle with it. However, it's a part of dreaded life, you either embrace it or try to fix it, but either way loops WILL happen... especially if you're waiting for your dreads to mature. Have faith though, eventually those too will pass... and then cycle back around.<br />
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<b>3. "Oh, is your hair real? Your hair is so cool! Can I touch it?"</b><br />
Believe it or not this happens pretty much anywhere you go, be it disc golf, the grocery store, a gas station, the Renaissance Festival, a gathering of friends and family, or just out. If you're uncomfortable with random people asking you about your dreads or wanting to touch them, get over it quickly, it's just a part of having dreadlocks. Most dreadies I know are not uncomfortable when approached by total strangers but rather flattered at the attention. I myself, don't understand why they non-dreaded refer to my hair as "it" instead of "them." I suppose to me, having dreads is like having a lot of pets of sorts, it's a "them," after all, no two are alike.<br />
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<b>4. Favorites</b><br />
All dread heads I know have at least one favorite dread. How can that be? Aren't all of them the same? Well, little Johnny, they're all different; some are fat and thick, others are fine and thin, some are loopy as a loon, some look like a constant squiggle, the possibilities are endless. But for one reason or another, one or more of these become a favorite. But favorites can change on a daily basis, one day you love that one special one that tightened up faster than all the others but the next day you notice it's a little flat and not so cool, but then you find one that looks like a peacock feather... new favorite! It can be on a daily basis. My point is: dreads are ever changing and ever shifting so don't feel bad about loving one on Monday and hating it by Wednesday.<br />
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<b>5. Flakes</b><br />
OMG, really? Yes, really. It too, is also a phase. Remember your hair is not used to this routine. Some people get flakes and others do not. Some people get really gnarly flakes. Here's the thing about them: they aren't gross or from a lack of hygiene, flakes happen when the dry skin sloughs off your scalp (it happens all over the rest of your body, too... shocker, I know), but since so many hairs are clumped together in a small area, the flake usually has about 2 or three hairs holding it in place; the flakes can't simply be combed out and so they just sort of sit there and say hello until the next washing occurs. For some who get the big ol' flakes cause their scalp is angry should just use a baking soda wash with an apple cider vinegar rinse... gets dreads super clean and all tingly feeling, and bye bye flakes!<br />
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<b>6. Stray Hairs</b><br />
Oh, they do happen. One day your dreads are looking super smooth and the next you have a clump of strays sticking out like Alfalfa from the Little Rascals. It happens, some new hair grew in, it didn't grow into one of your dreads, and so now it's just sticking out all goofy like. There is a fix if you want to pull the stray hairs back in and it's simple: dread the strays into a little ball and gently pull that little ball into the base of the dread with a crochet hook (this is the only crocheting method I condone after causing havoc on mine by doing it all over). If you love stray hairs like you love loops, then just let them be, they'll find their way.<br />
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<b>7. Separating</b><br />
In the community we have what's known as a "congo." In laymen terms it means 2 or 3 or more dreads that have adhered to each other like velcro and keep growing together resulting in one massive dread with a bunch of tendrils. Some people LOVE congos. Others not so much, which is where separating comes into play. Every few days run your hands through your dreads and pull each one apart from the rest, it'll prevent dreaded congos that are hard to work through if you don't want them.<br />
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<b>8. The Urge to Snip, Clip, or Trim</b><br />
Yes, it happens, people like me can't stand the "sticky-outies" and get the urge to run a razor down the shaft of a dread and nick off those little pokies, but I insist that you do not. They'll just appear somewhere else. When I first started dreading I thought I was smart by clipping off strays that weren't part of a dread (because I had no idea how to fix them) thinking, "Oh, they'll grow into a dread when they grow out." I was wrong. Instead I got several Alfalfa spikes. Again, just let them go. And again, I strongly suggest not snipping, clipping, or trimming dreads, it'll manifest another problem entirely. Trimming the end when mature and you think they're too long, go for it. Gently.<br />
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<b>9. Paintbrush Tips</b><br />
Since my dreads are still in the maturation phase the tips are wispy and paintbrush like, which is my opinion is a great thing since this allows them to dry faster, but a lot of people want the "blunt" tips for that "mature" look. Sure it's a great look, but if your dreads aren't fully mature, the wispy tips will just come back (trust me, I tried "blunting" my own only to have them go paintbrush again). The only real way to obtain blunt tips is through time and dread maturity, it's like a badge of honor, you must wait to receive yours, my young Padawan. For now, be grateful that it doesn't take your dreads half a day (or one whole day) to dry after a shower.<br />
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<b>10. Cut Up Fingertips</b><br />
If you decide you're a maintenance sort of person and want to tame loops, strays, and etcetera, you might decide to do minimal crocheting on your dreads. BEWARE, if you do, at some point you WILL stab yourself with the hook, be it in the cuticle, in the pad of your finger, or in your knuckle, it will happen. If this doesn't sound bearable to you then I suggest to just "let it be."<br />
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<b>11. The Itching</b><br />
It does happen. You slept on a dread funny, your scalp is irritated, dry scalp, dandruff, and many more reasons, whatever your case may be, can cause itching. It's just a fact of dread life. If you can't tolerate it and you feel like you want to tear your scalp off from your head by your dreads, I suggest a warm baking soda rinse followed by an apple cider vinegar rinse; it's like toothpaste for your scalp... it gets all in there - even the tightest of dreads - tingles deliciously, calms the scalp, and makes your hair squeaky clean. Aside of that, do try tea tree oil or peppermint oil (take it easy with both) in a spray bottle (I really mean take it easy with the stuff, like 4 or 5 drops per pint when first starting) and spray your locks with the solution for instant itch relief (really, trust me on this one, a dreaded friend of mine used too much peppermint oil and 'burned' his scalp, which protested with dandruff and HUGE skin flakes for about 3 months afterwards) plus it makes your hair smell great!<br />
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<b>12. Salt Water Spray</b><br />
You'll hear a lot of dread babies say that to help tighten locks up faster to spritz them down with a sea salt and water solution, and while the salt water does help tighten the dreads, try not to get any on your scalp - salt is very basic, and when sprayed on the scalp it throws the PH off resulting in itching, dandruff, and flakes - a lot of dreadies combat this by adding a few drops of tea tree, lavender, or peppermint oil to the solution for a calming effect on the scalp, but still be careful! I would rather go swim in the ocean and do it the natural way. Even without the salt water, they will tighten up rather quickly on their own.<br />
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<b>13. Dirty Hair Does Not Dread</b><br />
This is a very, very true statement, but it's a commonly misheld (it's an irregular verb) belief that dreadlocks are dirty. Your hair MUST be clean to dread. Let me put it this way... ever made spaghetti and added butter to it? It's delicious right? Aside of deliciousness, the spaghetti does not stick together, it slips and slides all over itself. Ever rinsed spaghetti and then cooked it without adding any butter (lubricant)? It sticks all over itself! It's the same principal with hair: the oilier it is, the harder it is to dread... the cleaner it is, the quicker it dreads! Don't let people scare you out of not washing your dreads because "they'll come undone" if you do it too often or with the wrong product. It's true that you need a residue free shampoo, but why? So that your hair is squeaky clean with no left over "conditioning" products that act like butter and cause your hair to slip and slide all over itself. And believe you me, if you tried to comb out one of your dreads right now, you'd see how difficult it REALLY is, no shampoo can just automatically "rinse out" the knots. Wash as often as you did before, regardless of if your hair is one week or one year old. Clean = Knotty.<br />
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<b>14. Beads Can Cause Weak Spots In Immature Dreads</b><br />
Okay, not if they're the bead wraps or the cylindrical tube beads (well, they do to an extent) but beads that are too small for the diameter of your dread will compress the hair, the hair will find an easier way to knot, and when the bead comes off, you're left with a weak point in your dread. I made the mistake of getting too excited and throwing small beads on immature dreads; well, when the dreads bulked up (expect a 30% increase in mass and volume as the dread knots, or about at thick as the section of hair comprising the dread) the bead basically put a strangle-hold on the dreadlock and when I couldn't take the bead out because it wouldn't move up or down due to the dread tightening above and below the bead (it was dumb wooden craft bead - nothing spectacular) I had to break/crack it off with a few gentle taps with the hammer, and guess what was there... un-dreaded hair! My dread would bend in the most awkward of ways and I was afraid it was going to fall off at the weak point. I did what I could with my crochet hook (very gently) to get the hair to knot, and then I wrapped wool roving around it and felted it in to provide strength. Don't do what I did. Get your beads the right size and do try to have some patience. If you simple cannot wait to decorate your locks I suggest wraps of all kind, cylinder wraps/beads, tube beads, etc.<br />
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<b>15. I Can Wear My Hair Two Ways: Up or Down</b><br />
Wrong! There's lots of ways to wear dreads. You can wear it in a half ponytail and let the other half down. You can braid it into a french braid (or two for braid pigtails). You can wear pigtails. You can wrap it into a bun and stick all the loose ends in for a neat look. You can half-bun it and have all the spikeys in a lions mane around the bun. It's really about wearing your dreads the same exact way that you could or would wear your normal hair. I've seen awesome dread wraps and ponies. What you imagine, you can do.<br />
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<b>16. I Have To Have All Of My Hair In Dreads</b><br />
Wrong again! I know women who can't or won't rock the full dreadlock style due to work, social stuff, and I could go on and on... but there are plenty of women who have one or two dreads at the nape of their neck (they can hide them easily when worn down, or tuck them under normal hair when up: kind of like hair extensions) so that they too can experience having dreadlocks, reminding them of their more naturalistic or primal side, and hell, just to have them... and you know what? Those are some of the coolest people I know. It's not a requirement for you to have nothing but dreads; no one said, "You must dread ALL your hair." No, I know people with one, two, five, and 8, all interspersed throughout the hair, and it's an awesome look. I kind of wish I had done it that way, but I didn't understand that I could just have one or two at the time... I thought it was an "all or nothing" thing. It's definitely NOT an "all or nothing" thing when it comes to dreads. Fair warning, when you have only one or two they will try and consume the loose, non-dreaded hair around them.<br />
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<b>17. Dreads Get Caught On Stuff</b><br />
Yeah, they do. Earring, bracelet clasps, necklace chains, plants, each other, and random objects. Immature dreads are much like velcro, and it's just a part of dread life. Just untangle yourself and move on. If you get your wrist tangled in your dreads because of your bracelet, just ask a friend for help or go stare in a mirror, don't yank it out. Really this is a phase too, more mature dreads are less prone to catch on things because they become like soft cotton rope.<br />
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<b>18. Dreads Are Permanent</b><br />
Not at all. "What? I'll have to cut them off! I can't comb them out!" Calm down you nervous nelly. Sure you can comb them out - it just takes a lot of patience, a lot of time, and a lot of conditioner - but it IS possible because I, and many many others, have done it. If you're a guy, it's not so much of a big deal unless you love your long hair, but this is a big one for the ladies. A lot of women won't or don't get dreads because they believe dreads are permanent. Dreads are not permanent, just like anything else with hair (with the exception of cutting it off or bubble gum snips) it can be undone.<br />
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<b>19. Dreadlocks Mean You're A Hippie</b><br />
Why, thank you! But that's just me. Dreads do not a hippie make. Often times dreads are spiritual, cultural, or deeply intimate with personal meaning to the person. A lot of people do dreads to get back in touch with their animal side, their natural side, their warrior side, or their 'just because' side. A lot of people from biblical times had dreads; remember Samson? He had 7 locks of hair. Samson had dreads, and I like to think that maybe Jesus Christ did too. It was the accepted way of wearing hair back then, if you wanna go further back King Tut had dreads that are still intact to this day! Even if you have one or many, having dreads does not make you a hippie. Rest easy.<br />
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<b>20. Dreadlocks Are Frustrating</b><br />
Yes. And no. They're only as frustrating as you make them. If you obsess over them, then they become frustrating. If you just "let it be" and go with the flow, they are very easily manageable, comfortable, and natural. If you fret a lot over your dreads, you have fretlocks, not dreadlocks. If you fuss over them, you have fusslocks.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S9j1i0zYH7A/UJwm7mDa-GI/AAAAAAAABes/lJjRpdp6xKY/s1600/trueself.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S9j1i0zYH7A/UJwm7mDa-GI/AAAAAAAABes/lJjRpdp6xKY/s320/trueself.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
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<i>Your True Self</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<b>Conclusion:</b><br />
Yes, I could make a joke about dreading your hair and that's why they're called dreadlocks, and it's funny, because it is kind of a love/hate/love relationship, but I assure you the use of 'dread' means: "to inspire awe" as well as "a great fear." Although wearing dreadlocks is as old as humanity itself, the use of the word "dread" before "lock" was credited to the Rastafarian culture (and other cultures as well) in that: wearing dreads with pride of their natural selves (symbolized by hair growing eternally from the mind and soul) and the inspiration of a sublime
spirituality and respect for one's true self with the dread some may feel when confronted with the true natural self.<br />
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<b>Update:</b> It's been brought to my attention that one thing I didn't address was the dreaded shrinkage! (Thank you Arrogant7!) So let's add to this list.<br />
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<b>21. Shrinkage and Lost Length</b><br />
<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d">Shrinkage is very normal, and yes,
by varying degrees ranging from one inch to several! </span><span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d"><span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d">Believe it or not it takes anywhere from
one to three years for dreads to achieve full maturity, depending on
hair type, texture, care, etc. If you're currently experiencing shrinkage don't freak out and start fretting about your locks (they already have the word "dread" in them) - </span></span><span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d"><span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d"><span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d">right now your dreadlocks are just knotting and tightening inside the core of the
dread (what we can't see) so it seems as if nothing is happening!</span> </span>(Sort
of like when a plant doesn't put off any new growth you can bet it's
working in its root structure, just because we can't see it doesn't mean something isn't happening.) Don't turn your dreadlocks into "fretlocks." I started fussing over mine when I lost about 5 inches in between months 7 and 11; the good news is they're starting to lengthen back out. Consider it a lesson in patience. You'll get your length back, you may not get all of it back, but you'll get most of it back. Be patient. Good things come to those who
wait. Remember that dreads also serve the purpose of teaching us
different lessons. Besides, hair continually grows so really it's just a matter of "when" and not "if;" they won't stay shrunken forever. Have faith. <3</span><br />
<br />
<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d"><b>Update:</b> It's been almost two years since I've had my dreads and I've thought of another little unknown thing pertaining to parts and bald spots. Let's add to the list again.</span><br />
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<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d"><b>22. Wicked Scary Parts </b></span><br />
<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d">Most dreadheads I know encounter this phenomenon. You know how undreaded hair has a natural part somewhere up top on the crown of the head? Well, you can't fight nature on this part... pun slightly intended. The fact is we all have a natural part... and dreads, no matter where they may be, tend to follow the path of least resistance, i.e. the natural part. Well, if you're like me and have a cowlick at the back of your head, the part there can look awful funny... and noticeable. Like, I think the Google satellites can probably see my part from space. I have "part paranoia" and when my hair is down I feel like there's a Grand Flesh Canyon visible to all who look. This is simply just not the case. It's only noticable to you and if someone does notice your part, they're probably too entranced by your dreads to take stock of a tiny pink line running slightly crooked down the back of your head. Chill. Your part may be scary but an easy solution is to just lay a few surrounding locks on top of the part if you're really so concerned (like me).</span><br />
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<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d"> <b>23. "Bald Spots"</b></span><br />
<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d">The wicked scary part is nothing compared with this irrational concern, so it's the perfect segue into the second part of this mountain which is only a molehill to others: "bald spots." We all have a favorite sleeping position, and we all have an insane position in the deepest sleep that we're not even aware of... but our dreadlocks are. Since dreads follow the path of least resistance, it's safe to say that if you sleep or lay for prolonged periods of time on the same area of your head, then your dreads are going to flatten and spread away from that spot (cowlicks are a great example of where this can happen). You may notice that your head lacks about a palm-sized area of scalp that doesn't have dreads layered over it. Whaaaat?! Yes. It's normal. In your mind's eye all you can see is a literal "bald spot" where there is no hair and you may be soon rocking that friar's hair-do. Not to worry. Your scalp isn't actually visible. Don't believe me? Go take a mirror and stand with your back to another mirror and check out your head... there's hair there, just maybe not dreads. No, you're not going bald, it's just the area of your scalp that dreads don't hang out. You can remedy this frightful situation by layering dreads over the blank area or you can just (let's say it together): "let it be."</span><br />
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<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d"><br /></span>
<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d">UPDATE 06/13/2014</span><br />
<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d"><b>24. Baby Dreads: "They Don't Look Good."</b></span><br />
<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d">So, if you don't know I'll fill you in: I do install dreads for people on the side because I want to share the joy that we call "dreadlocks." I just spent last Sunday afternoon installing dreadlocks for a new client. Her hair type was exactly like mine: fine, straight on top then wavy at the ends, and not a whole lot of volume; she even knew she wanted to install them using the "rip and tear" method (sounds horrible but is actually the gentlest and most natural way to start dreads, in my opinion). She was ecstatic when we were finished 4 to 5 hours later with a full set of new baby dreads and was just over the moon about finally having them (she's wanted them since she was a teenager). I let a few days pass and then decided to ask her how she was enjoying her new locks. Her response was something along the lines of <i>'I had to take them out, they looked horrible, they were coming undone and [everyone] was saying how terrible they looked [...] so I took them out.'</i> I had to reread that text about 3 times before I absorbed it. Wait...</span><span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d"> you WHAT? Holy tarnation, she took them out. Let me explain something about baby dreadlocks... they take time to mature. Did you run before you learned how to crawl? No (unless you're some weird mutant). Dreads have to grow up, too. Baby dreadedlocks always<i>, almost always,</i> look terrible... especially in their first few weeks. <b> </b></span><br />
<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d"><b>Mistake #1:</b> Don't listen to other people. <b>Solution:</b> It's YOUR hair, do what you want with it. Do you really care what other people think? (If you do then dreadlocks may not be the hairstyle of choice for you and I urge you to seriously reconsider your decision.) If you're like I am and don't give one hoot and a holler what other people think, then plunge right in. Don't let other's opinions sway how you think about your hair... it's what YOU want, what YOU decide, it's YOUR hair. <b> </b></span><br />
<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d"><b>Mistake #2:</b> Taking them out. <b>Solution:</b> Tell your Dread Technician that you're concerned about your locks and would like some advice. If my aforementioned client had texted or called me and said, 'Hey, I'm kind of worried, my dreadlocks look funny," I would have immediately had her come over or go to where she was - tools in hand - and assuage her fears. Now, she's wasted time and wasted money. What's worse is she never even gave them a chance. </span><br />
<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d"><b>Conclusion: </b>Baby dreadlocks look like hell run over when they're in their first few moments of life... it's a phase. Everyone goes through it and it's completely normal. My hair looked terrible after I first installed my dreads. It's taken <i>two years</i> for them to finally start acting halfway right. Heck, it only took a few months for them to look like actual dreads instead of fine wisps of loosely matted hair with fuzzies everywhere; I seriously think I looked like those weird long-haired chihuahuas that get mange. It's no cakewalk but it is worth it in the end; you just have to push through and... LET IT BE. If you're frustrated, I feel you. I get it. It's discouraging. Especially when your closest friends are like, '<i>Hey, your hair kinda looks like crap.'</i> Ouch. Thanks friend. Remind yourself why you decided you wanted dreads, focus on it, (I mean <i>really</i> soul search), now ask yourself a very hard question: Is it still worth it? If your answer is yes then hold tight to that thought and wear it like armor. If not: reconsider. The "Baby Dread Phase" is just that...only a phase and it <i>will</i> pass. Have faith, my friends.</span><br />
<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d"><3</span><br />
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<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d"><b>Update 11/25/14:</b> It's been brought to my attention that one thing I didn't
address was how to comb out dreadlocks! (Thank you Danielle!) So let's once more add
to this list.</span><br />
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<b><span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d">25. You CAN Comb Dreadlocks Out. </span></b><br />
<span id="bc_0_9b+seedBESoD" kind="d">This is completely true for most people with locks. Now some hair textures or salon treated locks may not comb out at all, but for most people the option of combing them out is completely viable. There's some kind of strange stigma in the "normal hair" folk's world and I've heard it at least 642 times, "What happens when you don't want them anymore? Do you have to shave your head?" Let me be the one to say ABSOLUTELY NOT! This is simply not true. You CAN comb them out. I had a huge dread on the crown of my head that, in retrospect, should have been two instead... there was just way too much hair, it was too fat and subsequently heavy, and it constantly fell in front of my face anytime I looked down. I almost cut the entire thing off just out of sheer frustration. Ha ha, "shear frustration", get it? Sheer. Shear. (I love homonyms.) But I digress! I did not cut off my "Big Fatty" dreadlock, I instead went about uncombing it... because no one ever said I couldn't at least try. It took a really heavy duty metal comb, about two tons of patience, and at least 500lbs of determination. I started at the tail (the paintbrush tip) of Big Fatty and started by inserting one tooth of the comb about 2mm into the dread and gently pulling the hair out of the dreadlock. It turned out to be easier if I started splitting the dreadlock with my fingertips and then pulling with the comb in small sections. As I would loosen more hair I would brush out the end and then start back where the knots resumed. It was like I was unraveling my dreadlock rather than uncombing it. Slowly but surely I started getting higher and higher up into the dreadlock until I finally reached my scalp and could comb that section out. Now it was frizzy as all get out and it looked kind of like a lion's mane, but it was undreaded hair! Prepare for a shocker. Remember I mentioned that all the hair you would normally lose on a daily basis gets caught up in your dreadlocks, which is why they thicken up? Well, guess what happened. I pulled out a humongous amount of already shed hair that was just "stuck" in my dreadlock; I mean it was at least two very large handfuls. Don't fret, don't stress, it's just like having baby dreads all over again. If your hair is really stubborn, and I mean REALLY stubborn, try a lubricant like coconut oil, argan oil, or even olive oil, to allow the hair to slide over itself easier. It took me about 2-3 hours to comb out Big Fatty, so if you're undoing your whole head, depending on the number of dreads you have, look at spending about a week or more to get them all out. But hey, it beats the alternative right? Remember: Metal comb, patience, determination, and oil. After your dreads are combed out just wash your hair and treat it as normal; you'll have frizzy hair for a few days up to a little over a week, but your hair WILL return to normal. Caution: if your dreadlocks have been chemically treated by anything such as hair dye, bleach, or any other harsh chemicals, you may encounter a lot more breakage and so I encourage gentleness when pursuing this action.</span><br />
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Until Next Time,<br />
<3 Shade<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Etsy Shop (<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/staceylstaudt" target="_blank">Wings and Things by D&D Studios</a>) is full of Handmade Dreadlock Beads and Cuffs! Made by a Dreadie for Dreadies. <3</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>See My Other Blog Posts About Dreadlocks:</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2013/09/my-dreading-journey-one-year-of.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey: One Year with Dreadlocks</a> </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2014/10/dreading-journey-two-years-with.html" target="_blank">Two Years with Dreadlocks (PICTURES) </a> </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/08/why-i-decided-to-dread-my-hair.html" target="_blank">Why I Decided to Dread My Hair</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-dreading-journey.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey Part 1</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-dreading-journey-part-two.html" target="_blank">My Dreading Journey Part 2</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/10/dreading-journey-part-ii-3-months.html" target="_blank">Dreading Journey Part 3: 3 Months</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/06/greatest-thing-since-sliced-bread.html" target="_blank">The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>20 Little Unknown Things About Having Dreadlocks</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://shadeofashes.blogspot.com/2012/12/dreading-journey-part-4-6-months.html" target="_blank">Dreading Journey Part 4: 6 Months (Pictures) </a></li>
</ul>
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src="https://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6675004.67576;sz=200x200;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463762;pid%3DDCGRL46389;usg%3DAFHzDLu3Wqak2Jc_aeLty-l9jr0iVoMQhQ;adurl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.technooutlet.com%252Fdcgrl46389.html%253Fmr%253AtrackingCode%253D002CF99A-875E-E111-884C-001B21BCB944%2526mr%253AreferralID%253DNA;pubid%3D565325;imgsrc%3Dhttp://site.unbeatablesale.com/img286/dcgrl46389.gif;width%3D200;height%3D200" vspace="0" width="200"></iframe><iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="200" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6695230.108676;sz=200x200;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463524;pid%3D7414749;usg%3DAFHzDLvdMur-xWwqwWt22nLrKBzwA8MzAw;adurl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cafepress.com%252F%252Bdont_dread_my_locks_mug%252C7414749%253Fcmp%253Dpfc--f--us--000--7414749%2526sourcecode%253Daffiliate%2526pid%253D6673073%2526utm_cp_signal%253D18;pubid%3D565325;imgsrc%3Dhttp://images.cafepress.com/product/7414749_480x480_b.jpg;width%3D200;height%3D200" vspace="0" width="200"></iframe><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-44706758179371578742012-11-02T23:05:00.001-05:002017-12-04T14:32:15.034-06:00The Primal Diet and Lost Weight<pre class="ad-code _ngcontent-vwu-49" style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.13px;"><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
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Wanna look good, feel good, eat what you want, and not have to exercise? Read on. I dare you.<br />
Hello Lovely Otherbeasts! I'm so glad you're joining me.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Primal Diet</span></b><br />
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I'd like to talk to you about something today that has literally changed my health. I apologize for the title of the blog post because it is not a "diet," it is, in fact, a lifestyle of eating. I also apologize for the "stream of consciousness" style of writing in this blog but you know me, my brain works in odd ways. But I digress, it is amazing! (After reading my article, if you want more info the best site to visit is Mark's Daily Apple (<a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/" target="_blank">click</a>) for the finer details.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-72NyzUzWG6A/UJSNTqKAMgI/AAAAAAAABaM/BrSxx7vhoT8/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-72NyzUzWG6A/UJSNTqKAMgI/AAAAAAAABaM/BrSxx7vhoT8/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Oppa Gangnam Caveman Style!</i><br />
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<b>The first benefit of Primal Eating is HEALTH.</b> Who can't use more of that these days? Everyone I know has at least one thing "wrong" with them, whether it be a bum knee, diabetes, IBS, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc, ad nauseum.<br />
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<i>There's a reason, lady.</i><br />
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I myself have suspected having IBS for many years but just accepted that it was the way my body functioned (it's amazing what we can justify as "normal") and just tried to avoid things I thought would upset my tummy, but I never got it pinned down... until now. Primal eating is exactly what it sounds like, although in my opinion is far better than the Paleo Diet, because it allows things like dairy, which I feel is beneficial because you get to eat things like yogurt, butter, and milk.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GxNl1czx_nE/UJSOZYK4V_I/AAAAAAAABac/7uybv5rBtjc/s1600/cheeseandmilk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GxNl1czx_nE/UJSOZYK4V_I/AAAAAAAABac/7uybv5rBtjc/s320/cheeseandmilk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Please, cheese, stop staring at me. How rude.</i><br />
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Wait, what? Yes, I said butter and milk. Cheese, too. That's the beauty of it! What if I told you bacon? How about turkey, chicken, steak, fish? Sounding good? What if I told you fruits and vegetables? (Okay, okay, some of us STILL won't eat our spinach even though we're not 8 anymore.) Got a sweet tooth? What if I said honey and molasses? Still raising a brow?<b> How about dark chocolate and red wine?</b> Well, my friends, that's all Primal. AND you can eat however much of it you want, any time you want. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xFXnc-yux_w/UJSO-C-Ji7I/AAAAAAAABak/IAbVpgIGxmA/s1600/milk-chocolate-wine-pairings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xFXnc-yux_w/UJSO-C-Ji7I/AAAAAAAABak/IAbVpgIGxmA/s320/milk-chocolate-wine-pairings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Any diet that allows this is full of sheer win.</i><br />
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<b>Here's the real simple truth to eating Primal:</b> Meats, Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, Dairy, and Miscellaneous Items like Honey and Molasses. Things your ancestors would have eaten. Think way back before Twinkies, Snowballs, and Little Debbie factories didn't exist... you following me? Good.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NyFsoSokVXs/UJSPJzTPEXI/AAAAAAAABas/S_DTuBghuTM/s1600/Primalfeast-92837246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NyFsoSokVXs/UJSPJzTPEXI/AAAAAAAABas/S_DTuBghuTM/s320/Primalfeast-92837246.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>I had a dream like this once... now it's reality.</i></div>
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<b>Basic Rule of Eating Primal: Nothing processed. </b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k_uIJrp_Jgc/UJSPV8EpLyI/AAAAAAAABa0/Xfh8hMOVDi4/s1600/food-pyramid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k_uIJrp_Jgc/UJSPV8EpLyI/AAAAAAAABa0/Xfh8hMOVDi4/s1600/food-pyramid.png" /></a></div>
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<i>Don't. Eat. Processed. Crap. SIMPLE.</i></div>
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You're probably wondering, <i>"Okay, Shade, I get it... now what's the catch?"</i> There are a few I'll admit, but they are far outweighed by the benefits of eating Primal. Rule #1: Don't talk about Primal. I'm kidding! <b>Okay, rule one is: Eliminate grains.</b> Oh I can hear you already, <b>"How do I live without bread!?"</b> It's really quite simple: you just do. Believe it or not, you immediately don't desire it. Plus I found that texture is VERY closely tied with cravings, just a few days ago I was craving a bag of potato chips that were staring at me from the counter... I thought about it and what I really wanted was the crunch, so I chose banana chips... problem solved! <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-plHoo_UP1RQ/UJSQ_crmkiI/AAAAAAAABbE/sfPUZuA-nJ0/s1600/banana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-plHoo_UP1RQ/UJSQ_crmkiI/AAAAAAAABbE/sfPUZuA-nJ0/s1600/banana.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Could have fooled me. Delicious!</i></div>
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I hear you, <i>"Oh this is a no carb diet... it's one of those."</i> Well, just wait, you Snappy Sally.<b> It's NOT a "no carbohydrates" diet.</b> (It's not even a "diet," it's an eating choice, CHOICE implying that you have total control; did you think those Cheezits just climbed into your mouth?) There are carbs in most everything whether it be Applewood bacon or an Honeycrisp apple. I digress again, grains are a poison to your body; I could never attempt to write about it as well or as eloquently than Wellness Mama (<a href="http://wellnessmama.com/575/how-grains-are-killing-you-slowly/" target="_blank">click</a>) so if you want to read about just how bad grains are for you, please do visit the site for some very valuable information. I'll summarize below for you lazies like me.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R7bHypTc4Fs/UJSSc37zaUI/AAAAAAAABbM/XnmBW9RYmHw/s1600/WHOLE-GRAINS-AND-FIBER-AND-CARROT-CAKE-2-610.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R7bHypTc4Fs/UJSSc37zaUI/AAAAAAAABbM/XnmBW9RYmHw/s320/WHOLE-GRAINS-AND-FIBER-AND-CARROT-CAKE-2-610.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Yeah, it's exactly like that.</i></div>
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<b>Why grains are bad, m'kay:</b> the basic law is that consuming grains spikes your insulin levels which affect the hormone production in your body. Insulin is important for storing nutrients and processing glucose in the bloodstream but when overloaded with carbs, your body releases cortisol and adrenaline to handle the surplus; your endocrine and immune systems become compromised. To top that, any extra glucose in your body that you're not immediately using to replenish glycogen stores is stored as FAT for future use. Good for ancient tribal peoples and nomadic folks, but bad for our First World where our chances of facing famine are next to nill. So we don't get to use the stores and the fat reserves just keep packing and piling on. You reading my blog so you're smart enough to know all of the myriad of problems obesity can cause. Gluten Intolerants rejoice! Yes, I made that word my own. Carbohydrate overload causes a nutritional block, preventing your body from absorbing the vital nutrients it needs.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pZnW2RIUvKw/UJSTBc87o5I/AAAAAAAABbU/8h_o23ze7PQ/s1600/Diabetes-Sugar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pZnW2RIUvKw/UJSTBc87o5I/AAAAAAAABbU/8h_o23ze7PQ/s320/Diabetes-Sugar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b> </b><i>Sugar is like crack, hence the hypodermic needle.</i></div>
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<b>Your second worst enemy: processed sugar.</b> You should already know the damage that sugar can cause and why, as kids, our parents would limit our candy intake when all we wanted to eat was candy! When I say sugar I mean that awful processed, refined, white granules of death crap in a 4 pound bag. I do not mean sugars you find in fruits (fructose), veggies, honey, yogurt, etc. As you must know sugar suppresses the immune system, promotes inflammation, suppresses the release of human growth hormone, and raises insulin levels. Please do visit the Nutrition Diva and read her post about sugar (<a href="http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/how-sugar-affects-your-body.aspx" target="_blank">click</a>.) It doesn't mean you can't have sweets the rest of your life, by all means no... eat dark chocolate (70%) or above, and try alternatives like honey, molasses, agave nectar, and coconut sugar.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GE3piJtCqow/UJSTyQwTt4I/AAAAAAAABbc/gij-CGVojGw/s1600/25351949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GE3piJtCqow/UJSTyQwTt4I/AAAAAAAABbc/gij-CGVojGw/s1600/25351949.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>His juvenile diabetes ain't so fabulous.</i></div>
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<b>Bacon? Avocados? But Won't Eating Fat Make Me Fat?:</b> No, silly goose. Eat fat to burn fat! When you eat fat your body immediately uses it instead of storing it. Dietary fat provides energy, protects our organs, maintains cell
membranes, and helps the body absorb and process nutrients. When you don’t have any fat in your diet its like you don’t have fuel to
burn calories. The body requires energy to keep its
metabolism properly functioning. What’s more, “old” fat stored in the
body’s peripheral tissue (around the belly, thighs, or butt) can’t be burned efficiently without “new” fat
to help the process. For the Scientific Proof read LiveStrong's article about eating healthy fats <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/557726-eat-fat-to-burn-fat/#ixzz2B7mW70Er" target="_blank">(Click).</a><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PDGOM2RgEFw/UJST_xzP2kI/AAAAAAAABbk/pHv-MBc6Sa8/s1600/lens19169488_1330347657a_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PDGOM2RgEFw/UJST_xzP2kI/AAAAAAAABbk/pHv-MBc6Sa8/s1600/lens19169488_1330347657a_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Um, yes please.</i><br />
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<b>Let's give you a brief background:</b> I was introduced to the Primal way of eating by my most beloved sister and friend Kim Hair, Founder and Yogini of Moondog of Texas Yoga (<a href="http://moondogsjourney.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Click here to visit her blog and see her astonishing transformation</a>). This took place last weekend while camping at the Renaissance Festival for a grand total of three days. She had been begging me to just give it a try and I figured why not? What did I have to lose? Plus it was that or starve. I love her to death and she loves me (hence her urging me to just <i>try</i> it and if I didn't like it I could do something else, like run 5 miles every day... um, no). She's the main reason I am feeling better, looking better, and pretty much everything better. Plus she's an awesome yoga instructor and so my body feels better thanks to her. Kim, if you're reading this, which you probably are, I love you and THANK YOU for helping me change my eating lifestyle for the amazingly better. <3<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pyt3jXdoVlU/UJSQSxqukYI/AAAAAAAABa8/Jny8VKKtxj0/s1600/kim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pyt3jXdoVlU/UJSQSxqukYI/AAAAAAAABa8/Jny8VKKtxj0/s320/kim.jpg" width="187" /></a></div>
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<i>She's pretty amazing, not gonna lie.</i><br />
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<b>What I Ate:</b> It was amazing. The night we ate steak, red bell peppers, and apples. I know it sounds meager but we were stuffed. The next morning we had coffee, bacon, fried eggs, and clementine oranges. Now that first day was terrible for me, you see I had this horrible addiction to Dr. Pepper - it was a serious one, I mean like 6 to 8 cans per day - and so I went through caffeine withdraw, sugar withdraw, carb withdraw, my feet hurt, I was hot, my bra was digging into my ribcage... I was a literal grumpy beast that day. The foods I ate were what I mentioned above as well as cucumbers, avocados, chicken, chocolate, red wine, coffee, bananas, potatoes, etc. Oh, and primal gingerbread pancakes made with almond meal.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4jQT2ynGXiU/UJSUOCtUYgI/AAAAAAAABbs/V3H8XuLAUdQ/s1600/primal+protein+pancakes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4jQT2ynGXiU/UJSUOCtUYgI/AAAAAAAABbs/V3H8XuLAUdQ/s320/primal+protein+pancakes.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>And you thought you had to say goodbye to pancakes!</i></div>
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<b>The Benefits I Reaped With Very Little Effort:</b> I was rarely hungry during the day, and if I got hungry I just pulled an apple or an orange from my satchel and dug in. Heck, I even got to enjoy turkey legs and a 'bloody caesar.' (It was a cheat, see cheats below.) By that first evening I was happy, over my withdrawls, I had a full tummy, and I felt better. You may remember me saying something about digestive regularity, well instead of being afraid that I might have to find the restroom NOW just in case I got that familiar cramp in my stomach, I was running like a well-oiled machine... finally I got to tell my BMs when I wanted to go, not the other way around.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eH_l4vIVgVI/UJSUqt-ifYI/AAAAAAAABb0/vUjBqOaEO1Q/s1600/likeabossmeme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eH_l4vIVgVI/UJSUqt-ifYI/AAAAAAAABb0/vUjBqOaEO1Q/s320/likeabossmeme.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>To top that off: I lost 7 pounds in one week</b>.</span><br />
<b>I started off at 190 and when I weighed myself two days ago the scale read 183. I didn't even exercise except for walking!</b><br />
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<b>Cheats:</b> The Primal way of eating is not about being super strict or forbidding you from foods you love. It's 80% and 20%: make what you eat 80% Primal and 20% Whatever you want. Moderation is a big factor too, but that's only with cheats... you want that slice of carrot cake with cream cheese icing? Slice it in half and eat it. You want the whole thing? Call it your 20% for the day. Hell, I still put sugar in my coffee (agave nectar or coconut sugar) and that's my cheat, plus I've all but eliminated Dr. Pepper from my diet, if I feel like having one (which I haven't yet) I only have ONE a day.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-prZrU9tscV0/UJSVAFnroyI/AAAAAAAABcE/m1Eh4QwENuQ/s1600/sugar4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-prZrU9tscV0/UJSVAFnroyI/AAAAAAAABcE/m1Eh4QwENuQ/s320/sugar4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Perspective and reality check. Makes my teeth hurt.</i></div>
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<b>What To Take From This: If IT'S PROCESSED DO NOT EAT IT. </b>If it comes from a factory and has more than 5 ingredients (most that you can't pronounce without trying once or twice) don't eat it. If it comes from the field, from a tree, from an animal, from a plant, from a farm, and then goes into your mouth, eat it! When you think Primal, think about our ancestors, the native americans, the biblical era, etc. (Yes, maize and grain are mentioned in both, but grains were processed very differently back then - again, go back to the top of the page and read the link for grains.) Think "hunter-gatherer," think medieval, think healthy. <b>Try to eat as naturally as possible.</b><br />
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<b> </b><i>I thought you needed to see it again.</i></div>
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<b>Always Listen to Your Body:</b> I never want for food anymore because I eat whenever I want. Recently I've learned to actually listen to my body - turns out that years of carb and sugar overloading switched off my hunger mechanism, no matter how much I ate, I still felt hungry - now my body tells me when to eat and I do: I grab a bell pepper, or an apple, or a handful of almonds and I eat them. It could be 1pm or 3am, but I listen. I've had to re-train my ability to read my body's signals, sometimes I'm thirsty instead of hungry, but if I think I'm hungry I eat. This morning I had bacon, fried eggs, and orange juice (can you tell I love eggs and bacon?) and I stopped halfway through because I was FULL! With eating Primal it takes very little time to feel hungry but even less time to feel full. I've been eating my bacon and eggs all day! (2 eggs, 6 strips) I don't even want bread or candy... but I will have some dark chocolate when I am finished writing this article.<br />
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<i>Thank you, Grok.</i><br />
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<b>Oh yeah, the biggest benefit? I FEEL better. My skin looks better. It's like my body is saying, "Thank God that you're giving me REAL food... now THIS I can digest." I'm in this for the HEALTH (and part of me being healthy is losing the extra 50 pounds I'm carrying around.)</b><br />
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<i>Motivation.</i></div>
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I'm looking forward to watching the fat melt off my body with just a few simple guidelines. Get ready Otherbeasts, this is a whole new journey! Be prepared to be assaulted with my progress updates. You've been warned. Rawr :3<br />
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<i>That cougar looks delicious.</i><br />
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<i>_____________________</i></div>
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<b>2 WEEK (14 DAYS) UPDATE: </b><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent">I've
lost 10 pounds - 8 inches total - in just the last 2 weeks (14 days)
since I've started eating Primal . 6" inches total came from my chest,
belly, and hips (2" each!) and the other 2" came off all over!... Holy
crud, I LOVE eating Primal!</span></span></div>
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<i> </i></div>
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_____________________<br />
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<b>3 WEEK UPDATE (21 DAYS): </b>Wanna see the awesome figures?<br />
Starting weight: 190, <u>Current weight: 177</u><br />
Measurements: <br />
Starting: Arms - 12", <u>Current - 11.5" (-1/2" inch)</u><br />
Starting: Bust - 47", <u>Current - 44" (-3" inches)</u><br />
Starting: Ribcage - 38", <u>Current - 35.5" (-2.5" inches)</u><br />
Starting: Waist - 43", <u>Current - 41" (-2" inches)</u><br />
Starting: Hips - 46", <u>Current - 43.5" (-2.5" inches)</u><br />
Starting: Upper Thighs - 26", <u>Current - 25" (-1" inch)</u><br />
Starting: Thighs - 19", <u>Current - 20" (+1" inch)</u> ((Yay, muscle!))<br />
<b>That's: 13 lbs LOST and 11.5 inches of FAT SHED!</b><br />
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<b>ONE MONTH UPDATE: </b>Here We Go!<br />
Hello Otherbeasts! The numbers have come in, and after only a month of eating Primal I have lost 15.2 pounds and have lost 16" TOTAL! WOW! I am now down to 174.8 and I plan on continuing the trend! I can't believe all I had to do was eat. Amazing. If you want the dirty numbers, here they are:<br />
Neck: 14" (0")<br />
Arms: 11" (-1")<br />
Chest: 43" (-4")<br />
Ribcage: 34.5" (-3.5")<br />
Waist: 40" (-3")<br />
Hips: 42.75" (-3.25")<br />
Inner Thighs: 24.75" (-1.25")<br />
Thighs: 20" (0")<br />
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Pretty darned amazing if you ask me. I also wanted to share with you a personal testimony from my mother and father. They decided to come visit J and me for Thanksgiving and so I put on a Primal Feast! Turkey, butternut squash, asparagus, primal coconut bread, primal pumpkin pie... it was DELICIOUS. My folks thought so too. The next night I made them spaghetti squash primal "pasta" and so the 3 days they were here, they had nothing to eat but primal things. My dad was intruigued but skeptical, my mom had been doing a semi-primal diet already but with a few cheats left in. Needless to say I fed them pretty healthy while they were here. After they returned back to Austin my mom shared an interesting story with me through text:<br />
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Mom: "Dad actually went Primal on us... lol! Saturday evening after we got back from Houston, against my advice, he decided to eat some cereal... not good, but he argued the point that his body was used to eating cereal and that he would be fine..."<br />
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Me: Hrm. 80/20, I guess.<br />
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Mom: "Yeh, but... after eating Primal at your home for 2-3 days, he had been feeling really good... in fact, I don't know if you noticed, but he was really energetic and talkative Saturday morning/afternoon at your home... quite uncharacteristic for him."<br />
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Me: Indeed!<br />
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Mom: "Well back to Saturday evening... about 30 minutes after he ate that cereal, we were watching tv, when he turned to me and said, "I don't think that cereal agreed with me, my stomach doesn't feel good." About 5 minutes later, he got a stomach ache... had to use the potty 2 or 3 times (sorry, tmi)."<br />
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Me: Wow... I guess that spoke for itself.<br />
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Mom: "So, now he's saying that you were right, that he needs to cut out the cereal, or at the very least cut way down. Now he wants to read the book... lol! He said, "You'll have to tell [Shade] that I went Primal, much better than going postal! LOL."<br />
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So, isn't that neat? My dad, the naysayer, has seen proof with his own eyes/stomach that eating Primal is very beneficial for oneself. I'm glad they're deciding on a healthier lifestyle choice; I love my parents and I want them to be around as long as possible. <3<br />
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Until Next Time,<br />
<3 Shade<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021033540356870734noreply@blogger.com83tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810191236602985232.post-88251446639045311942012-10-22T18:01:00.001-05:002012-10-24T16:38:07.021-05:00Idiopathic Hypersomnia: A Personal AccountHello Darling Otherbeasts, I'm so glad you're joining me. It's awesome to have you.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5BigV4gZNvU/UIgls8blRVI/AAAAAAAABVI/RBzaWUk5w98/s1600/tumblr_lygg8lvWLN1qd1rae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5BigV4gZNvU/UIgls8blRVI/AAAAAAAABVI/RBzaWUk5w98/s320/tumblr_lygg8lvWLN1qd1rae.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Because y'all are awesome.</i><br />
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Back in September of 2009 my neurologist sent me off to have a sleep study done to see if it had any connection to my seizure disorder, such as sleep apnea. Well, the sleep study went just fine but an unexpected diagnosis came out of it: Idiopathic Hypersomnia. I had never even heard of it before.<br />
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<i>He would have found the cause in only 50 minutes.</i><br />
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Upon doing research some of the valuable information I found came from PubMed Health which defined Idiopathic Hypersomnia as, "[...] sleeping too much (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/n/pmh_adam/A003208/">hypersomnia</a>)
without an obvious cause. It is different from narcolepsy, because
idiopathic hypersomnia does not involve suddenly falling asleep or
losing muscle control due to strong emotions (cataplexy)."<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ekp5Pe0Q-qw/UIgomJfJMaI/AAAAAAAABVY/wWfaL-tmKTg/s1600/really+a+pony+version+of+a+meme+some+bronies+really+_2fb4eedd3de7d2f02ac5b5b683891f6d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ekp5Pe0Q-qw/UIgomJfJMaI/AAAAAAAABVY/wWfaL-tmKTg/s200/really+a+pony+version+of+a+meme+some+bronies+really+_2fb4eedd3de7d2f02ac5b5b683891f6d.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i>Really?</i></div>
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That was coupled with Wikipedia's information which says, "<b>Hypersomnia</b> disorder characterized by excessive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somnolence" title="Somnolence">sleepiness</a>, extended sleep time in a 24-hour cycle, and the inability to achieve the feeling of refreshment that usually comes from sleep."<br />
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<i>They did say.</i><br />
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So, the easiest and most simple thing I learned then was "idiopathic = no known cause," "hyper = excess,"- "somnia = sleep." I was like James Dean in a very bad bizarro-world movie called <i>A Sleep Without A Cause. </i>But no matter how bizarre it was, what was even stranger were the actual results of the sleep study.<br />
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<i>This cat knows what's up.</i><br />
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The sleep study had a routine all laid out for me: I was going to go to bed at the normal time I usually did, I would sleep for 8 hours, they would wake me up for two hours, ask me to nap for 20 minutes, and then wake me up again. There were to be 2 or 3 naps the following morning. Well, nap time came and you guessed it, it was lights out. And it happened like that for every single nap. Turns out I was falling asleep in 7 minutes or less on average, no matter that I had 8 hours of sleep just the last night.<br />
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<i>That looks extremely comfortable.</i><br />
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Certainly very odd. It explains my propensity for sleeping during class in college, sleeping in the hallway between classes, and wanting to sleep all the time. I was actually fired from a job because I fell asleep doing data entry; now mind you, I had taken benadryl because my allergies were out of control, but still, I suppose it didn't sit very well with them.<br />
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<i>Morning nap on keyboard? Don't mind if I do.</i><br />
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I suppose I really should have guessed that something wasn't quite right when, as an assignment for a 3D art class, we had to make something that applied to a skill or talent we had. What did I make? A pillow and a quilt. Sitting in class we had to demonstrate our talent, and so I got up explained my talent for being able to sleep anywhere and sleep like the dead, went over to the professor's desk, laid on it, and promptly fell asleep. I wasn't awoken until the end of the class, apparently after a drum solo that some guy had done using a drum practice pad he had made. I laugh now to think that people were skeptical of my claims. <br />
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<i>Gonna learn these books through osmosis. Like a boss. Don't mind the drool.</i></div>
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To add to all of that, at night I would sleep for 8 hours... or 10... or 12... or 14... or 16... it was like I was never to get enough sleep, and if someone didn't wake me up, I would keep right on sleeping. I know my parents were worried when I would go to sleep around 11pm and wouldn't wake up until the following afternoon at 3pm, after 14 hours of sleep. At least the idiopathic hypersomnia explained what I did and why I did it.<br />
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<i>Don't stick your feet out... there could be monsters!</i><br />
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Here's what Wikipedia says about Symptoms:<br />
"Those who suffer from hypersomnia have recurring episodes of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excessive_daytime_sleepiness" title="Excessive daytime sleepiness">excessive daytime sleepiness</a>
(EDS), which is different from feeling tired due to lack of or
interrupted sleep at night. They are compelled to nap repeatedly during
the day, often at inappropriate times such as at work, during a meal, or
in conversation. These daytime naps usually provide no relief from
symptoms.<br />
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Patients with hypersomnia often experience prolonged night sleep and
have difficulty waking from long sleep, feeling disoriented upon doing
so. This condition is known as sleep drunkenness.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-YourSleep_1-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypersomnia#cite_note-YourSleep-1">[2]</a></sup> Other symptoms may include <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiety" title="Anxiety">anxiety</a>, increased <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irritation" title="Irritation">irritation</a>, decreased <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy" title="Energy">energy</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiety" title="Anxiety">restlessness</a>, slow thinking, slow speech, loss of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appetite" title="Appetite">appetite</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucinations" title="Hallucinations">hallucinations</a>,
and memory difficulty. Some patients lose the ability to function in
family, social, occupational or other settings. Typically, hypersomnia
is first recognized in adolescence or young adulthood.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NINDS_2-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypersomnia#cite_note-NINDS-2">[3]</a></sup>
These symptoms are present in both types of hypersomnia.<br />
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A sufferer of
primary hypersomnia displays these symptoms continually for months or
even years. Recurrent hypersomnia is characterized by recurring periods
of symptoms many times throughout the year mixed with periods of normal
sleep-wake cycles. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleine-Levin_syndrome" title="Kleine-Levin syndrome">Kleine-Levin syndrome</a>
is the most well-known form of recurrent hypersomnia, though it is very
rare; sufferers often sleep up to eighteen hours a day and yet do not
feel refreshed upon waking."<br />
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<i>Haven't even started. Already exhausted.</i><br />
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Symptoms from PubMed Health:<br />
Symptoms often develop slowly during adolescence or young adulthood. They include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Daytime naps that do not relieve drowsiness</li>
<li>Difficulty waking from a long sleep -- may feel confused or disoriented</li>
<li>Increased need for sleep during the day -- even while at work, or during a meal or conversation</li>
<li>Increased sleep time -- up to 14 - 18 hours per day</li>
</ul>
Other symptoms may include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Anxiety</li>
<li>Feeling irritated</li>
<li>Loss of appetite</li>
<li>Low energy</li>
<li>Restlessness</li>
<li>Slow thinking or speech</li>
<li>Trouble remembering</li>
</ul>
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Now I can tell you from personal experience that being excessively sleepy during the day is a complete nuisance; it's the same feeling after you eat a bunch of turkey on Thanksgiving except <i>constantly.</i> Thank God for my boyfriend now because if he sees that I sleep past 10 hours, he's by my side, singing me awake. Sometimes I'm so disoriented and so fatigued that he has to help me sit up out of bed. I thank the Lord every single day for having that man in my life; he is so good to me.<br />
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<i>Hot espresso in bed? Not sure if brilliant idea or really dangerous one.</i></div>
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I used to have these episodes where my alarm would wake me up, I would stand up out of bed, and then immediately lose all sensation of balance and fall over onto the bed with the room spinning wildly. It was like I couldn't balance for the life of me and my body seriously didn't know up from down. I'd push myself up onto my hands but immediatelty fall over on my side; it's a miracle I never fell to the floor during one of these "sleep drunkenness" spells.<br />
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<i>It was seriously exactly like this. Only a lot less graceful.</i><br />
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Some people, upon learning of my condition, will joke with me about how they wish they had Hypersomnia instead of Insomnia, wish they could trade places with me, etc. Well, let me tell you something right now, given the choice between insomnia and hypersomnia, I would choose insomnia. For you people thinking I'm crazy for saying that, let me say this: the grass is always greener on the other side. Imagine trying to wake up for work, feeling like you haven't slept at all, hitting the snooze button, and then waking up two hours later having to call you boss to give him the same explanation you've given over a dozen times before: that you never heard your alarm clock go off. In some cases I never even had the chance to hit the snooze button because I had slept through my alarm clock.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--jV8JKm0Mfg/UIgt-tlLgLI/AAAAAAAABW0/pKVAaoHCjV4/s1600/Case+of+Over+sleeping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--jV8JKm0Mfg/UIgt-tlLgLI/AAAAAAAABW0/pKVAaoHCjV4/s320/Case+of+Over+sleeping.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>It's a legitimate reason, I swear, Farmer Brown.</i></div>
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<i> </i>Let's take it a step further. Let's say it's your day off and you're allowed to sleep in, so you wake up naturally at 11am - with full intentions of getting out of bed - only to realize you dozed off and it's now 12:30pm. So you decide that you're really getting up this time, only to glance at your clock and see that it's 3:00pm. Hypersomnia robs you of your day, your free time, and your life; I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pzYCVjhc--I/UIgu6iafdgI/AAAAAAAABW8/63Dqth5MT4g/s1600/102456960243089036_R3TGoD9d_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pzYCVjhc--I/UIgu6iafdgI/AAAAAAAABW8/63Dqth5MT4g/s320/102456960243089036_R3TGoD9d_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>That's about right.</i> </div>
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Examining my past after the diagnosis in 2009, it occurred to me that I had been having all of these same symptoms since high school, probably around 2000... now it's 2012 and so I've had Hypersomnia for 12 years. They say the average adult sleeps for 1/3 of their life... being someone with Hypersomnia, I'd estimate that I've already slept 1/2 of mine.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4eeqt0GfQLE/UIgtgNVBQWI/AAAAAAAABWs/tv_Oy2LnfCU/s1600/wakeup-easy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4eeqt0GfQLE/UIgtgNVBQWI/AAAAAAAABWs/tv_Oy2LnfCU/s320/wakeup-easy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>And you thought the clock read 4:41am? Try PM.</i></div>
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<i> </i>Hypersomnia has also affected my memory quite severely. My mother would
say that I had "the memory of an elephant, because I would never
forget." Out of all the things that Hypersomnia has done to me, it's what it has done to my memory that I resent the most; my short term memory is crap now. I have to write myself reminders on sticky notes to even remember the simplest things. My long term memory is still intact, thank the Lord, but feeling like you've missed the better part of 5 years because you don't remember things is a hard pill to swallow. I decided to start keeping a journal, written by starting with, "Dear Stacey, Today..." so that I won't forget the things that happened to me, or if I do I can remember when I read my own words to myself. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNAjCTkwiPU/UIgvZ1ohabI/AAAAAAAABXE/Ev7GJEEhhEE/s1600/Memory_Tom+Wang_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNAjCTkwiPU/UIgvZ1ohabI/AAAAAAAABXE/Ev7GJEEhhEE/s320/Memory_Tom+Wang_0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>This guy knows my strategy.</i><br />
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Taking into consideration my seizure disorder that I've had since 2002, but diagnosed in 2008, the medications I'm on for that don't help as they all have a side effect of drowsiness. What really grinds my gears about this is that my Hypersomnia has no known cause - hence "idiopathic" - not sleep apnea, not restless leg disorder, nothing. If they don't know the cause, how can they cure it? They can't. But they can give you medication for it, "alertness medication" that's not caffeine and not an amphetamine, but there are side effects of that medication as well: such as insomnia. So it becomes a vicious cycle.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qtTYV-sIvI8/UIhbbasNc0I/AAAAAAAABYI/yIWfwSZbq8M/s1600/insomnia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qtTYV-sIvI8/UIhbbasNc0I/AAAAAAAABYI/yIWfwSZbq8M/s320/insomnia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Morning vs Night.</i></div>
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Here's another consideration from Wiki: "People who are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overweight" title="Overweight">overweight</a>
may be more likely to suffer from hypersomnia. Although studies have
shown a correlation between lack of sleep and weight gain, sleeping at
the level of a hypersomniac can also lead to considerable weight gain.
This is because excessive sleeping decreases metabolic energy
consumption, making <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weight_loss" title="Weight loss">weight loss</a>
more difficult. Sleep disorders of this nature can also provoke or
initiate weight gain, as sufferers may attempt to manage low energy
levels by eating <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar" title="Sugar">non-complex carbohydrates</a>."<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dj-t8stsFaU/UIhb5w_lR3I/AAAAAAAABYQ/CN05n2Iv7SM/s1600/hot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dj-t8stsFaU/UIhb5w_lR3I/AAAAAAAABYQ/CN05n2Iv7SM/s320/hot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>A fan of fans, I see. I approve.</i><br />
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I used to be thin but over the years it's become harder to maintain my metabolism... sleeping for 10 or more hours sort of turns you into a bear in hibernation, your metabolic rate slows way down and so everything you eat gets stored for energy reserves (FAT). I'm not obese either, but I am carrying around 30 extra pounds than I should be.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uYJbNhJBG3c/UIhcQ9R5z8I/AAAAAAAABYY/xs8r8yXSUHw/s1600/grizzly-sleeping-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uYJbNhJBG3c/UIhcQ9R5z8I/AAAAAAAABYY/xs8r8yXSUHw/s320/grizzly-sleeping-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>I know that feeling, buddy.</i><br />
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The best remedy I've found for combating this is regular exercise and eating healthy, but by no means does it eliminate Hypersomnia. Some days I lose all of the daylight in my day and so I don't get a chance to exercise.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jKCLM6EF2GY/UIhct7iCgqI/AAAAAAAABYg/JFEhKovdfvc/s1600/exercise-at-night-329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jKCLM6EF2GY/UIhct7iCgqI/AAAAAAAABYg/JFEhKovdfvc/s320/exercise-at-night-329.jpg" width="269" /></a></div>
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<i>Run as fast you can to the next street lamp. Light equals safe.</i><br />
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Here's the thing, if you think you might have Hypersomnia, go get tested. If you already have it and you're reading this, first of all, thank you for reading. Second, I feel your pain, my friend... it's not as depressing as it can first seem.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W1AUQEweGTU/UIhc6jY8O1I/AAAAAAAABYo/qg1h3GnYZew/s1600/194499277627598171_WmpypFDe_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W1AUQEweGTU/UIhc6jY8O1I/AAAAAAAABYo/qg1h3GnYZew/s1600/194499277627598171_WmpypFDe_b.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>And lawn mowers that wake me up need to die.</i><br />
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Yes, Hypersomnia can be debilitating, but it doesn't mean that you can't live for you and for what makes you happy. If you have no problems taking medications, try something like Provigil. If you're like me and the medication had adverse effects, counters the medications you're already on, or something else, try these tricks:<br />
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- Have a different alarm for every single day so that your brain doesn't get used to it and tune it out.<br />
- Try to get 9 to 10 hours of sleep a night; to most people it sounds ludicrous, but for someone with Hypersomnia, it's a pretty good number to "feel" like you've gotten enough sleep but not so much that you wake up "drunk" or more tired than you were when you went to sleep.<br />
- Coffee or tea are your friends if you have to be one of those morning schedule persons, but never drink any after 8pm at night. Or if you do, choose caffeine-free beverages.<br />
- If you feel sleepy in the middle of the day, excuse yourself and go to the restroom. Try doing about 20 to 30 jumping jacks, which should raise your heart rate, your metabolic rate, and increase blood flow to your brain for a more alert feeling.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nbHMn8EfJTg/UIhdbEbNdEI/AAAAAAAABYw/_QJ_Y9KYpY0/s1600/jumping-jacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nbHMn8EfJTg/UIhdbEbNdEI/AAAAAAAABYw/_QJ_Y9KYpY0/s320/jumping-jacks.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
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<i>Talent to levitate? She has it.</i><br />
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If you or someone you know has Hypersomnia, research as much as possible on the subject. Parents, you may think your teen is drastically lazy when it could be something else. Employers, you may think your employee is unreliable and can't be counted on, but it may be Hypersomnia. Husbands/Wives, be good to one another; if your spouse exhibits these symptoms, then please try and be understanding instead of getting frustrated.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sZEWnIcG1UA/UIhdtcFEx_I/AAAAAAAABY4/0f2lYJ8N5-0/s1600/Hypersomnia-as-an-Interference-to-One%E2%80%99s-Lifestyle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sZEWnIcG1UA/UIhdtcFEx_I/AAAAAAAABY4/0f2lYJ8N5-0/s320/Hypersomnia-as-an-Interference-to-One%E2%80%99s-Lifestyle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Not even the sun can interrupt her nap time.</i><br />
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My fellow friends with Hypersomnia: make sure to explain to people that you have a debilitating sleep disorder, make sure everyone in your life understands, if it requires your employer seeing your medical history and seeing the diagnosis with his/her own eyes, then do it. It's easy to get labeled as "lazy," "unreliable," "flaky," "irresponsible," "unaccountable," "fair-weathered," and any number of labels that can make your self-esteem plummet like an anvil falling through the atmosphere. It's not your fault, having Hypersomnia isn't your fault, but it is your job to make sure everyone in your life is aware that you suffer from a disorder that impedes your daily life for the sake of understanding. Life is a lot easier when people understand what's affecting you and your life.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5g7BNFdIxlk/UIheG12bDZI/AAAAAAAABZA/RE8Ml4ogj80/s1600/never_give_up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5g7BNFdIxlk/UIheG12bDZI/AAAAAAAABZA/RE8Ml4ogj80/s320/never_give_up.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wish you the best of luck. Never give up.<br />
_____<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZGgE46Hop4/UIXQGMoNngI/AAAAAAAABUI/X2kGiZQAfTM/s1600/HeartShade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZGgE46Hop4/UIXQGMoNngI/AAAAAAAABUI/X2kGiZQAfTM/s200/HeartShade.jpg" width="162" /></a></div>
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Until Next Time,<br />
<3 Shade <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">LIFE HACKS: 42 Hacks to Simplify Life</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_9MX9XPscoY/UINIWKj18gI/AAAAAAAABTI/JJs_sGSzdoc/s1600/success_baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_9MX9XPscoY/UINIWKj18gI/AAAAAAAABTI/JJs_sGSzdoc/s320/success_baby.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Life Hack 101:</b> Oh, the simplest way to explain what a Life Hack is, is from Wikipedia which says, "The term <b>life hack</b> refers to productivity tricks that computer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmer" title="Programmer">programmers</a> devise and employ to cut through <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_overload" title="Information overload">information overload</a>
and organize their data. In more recent times, the same phrase has
expanded to any sort of trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method to
increase productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life; in other
words, anything that solves an everyday problem in a clever or
non-obvious way might be called a life hack."<br />
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Here's why I love hacks: they're always (usually) the simplest way to perform a task, find a solution, or just improve over the old ways. It's kind of a throw back to my "laziness vs resourcefulness" blog entry; see, these tips aren't lazy, they're just resourceful. And that's why I love them. <br />
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Now then on to the hacks!<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_hack#cite_note-0"></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Always fumbling through your keys and can't tell which is which?</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AIdhTpy1Ess/UIMMKgaS1JI/AAAAAAAABJE/kmrY4V3Bapo/s1600/nail+polish+keys.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AIdhTpy1Ess/UIMMKgaS1JI/AAAAAAAABJE/kmrY4V3Bapo/s400/nail+polish+keys.png" width="262" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Have wooden furniture with scratches, scuffs, and dings?</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-10mZd6atzvo/UIMMSyJhXkI/AAAAAAAABJ0/SoSjbLxETf8/s1600/wood+furniture.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-10mZd6atzvo/UIMMSyJhXkI/AAAAAAAABJ0/SoSjbLxETf8/s400/wood+furniture.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Wrapping paper always wearing you out by wriggling out of it's wrap roll? </span></b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o0yupzNMwzI/UIMMUAdnASI/AAAAAAAABJ8/Lj05Y0L7ljY/s1600/xmas.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o0yupzNMwzI/UIMMUAdnASI/AAAAAAAABJ8/Lj05Y0L7ljY/s400/xmas.png" width="293" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Going to the beach and worried about scallywag pirates looting your beach bag when you're frolicking in the waves?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow can loot my beach bag anytime he wants to.) </span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OLlx2mryusU/UIML-9hcGCI/AAAAAAAABH0/-QqKrLf-E84/s1600/beach+safe.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OLlx2mryusU/UIML-9hcGCI/AAAAAAAABH0/-QqKrLf-E84/s400/beach+safe.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Did you roll out of bed as a kid? Do it now? Have kids that do it?</b></span> (I hear it's genetic and hereditary. I used to do it.)<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WVHAVQ0pr2c/UIML_wo6kRI/AAAAAAAABH8/VT4yBZpID_M/s1600/bed+roll.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WVHAVQ0pr2c/UIML_wo6kRI/AAAAAAAABH8/VT4yBZpID_M/s400/bed+roll.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. Hate is too strong of a word but I severely dislike those "sealed-shut-hard-plastic-death-cut-your-fingers-packaging" blister packs that items come in, don't you?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OWejAV1qfnk/UIMMAy0fZsI/AAAAAAAABIA/TuGl8iK-JYA/s1600/blisterpacks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OWejAV1qfnk/UIMMAy0fZsI/AAAAAAAABIA/TuGl8iK-JYA/s400/blisterpacks.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. Can't recycle that shampoo bottle because the recycle code isn't one that your sanitation department facility can process? Go green with it!</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DTiZPOb98iw/UIMMB5B7_qI/AAAAAAAABII/SQL79xyR7Nw/s1600/bottle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DTiZPOb98iw/UIMMB5B7_qI/AAAAAAAABII/SQL79xyR7Nw/s400/bottle.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. Blew out your flip-flops after stepping on a pop top?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G3sLdRulG54/UIMMF2GxSnI/AAAAAAAABIs/cWHogJRwlf8/s1600/filpflops.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G3sLdRulG54/UIMMF2GxSnI/AAAAAAAABIs/cWHogJRwlf8/s400/filpflops.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9. This one could save your life. Have cloudy headlights but don't wanna waste money on that infomercial we've all seen? </span></b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HpLYRFTeEMY/UIMMHY2AWLI/AAAAAAAABI0/1F8nntbvetw/s1600/headlights.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HpLYRFTeEMY/UIMMHY2AWLI/AAAAAAAABI0/1F8nntbvetw/s400/headlights.png" width="306" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>10. Hate digging under the sink for all your cleaning products?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bNSvcrQLFVc/UIMMDDl4qrI/AAAAAAAABIU/lRLeM0avjug/s1600/cleaning+supplies.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bNSvcrQLFVc/UIMMDDl4qrI/AAAAAAAABIU/lRLeM0avjug/s400/cleaning+supplies.png" width="300" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">11. Running out of room in your closet? (Hack for the "too many clothes situation" immediately following.)</span></b> <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O7FZs4ycSJU/UIMMD2XYBrI/AAAAAAAABIc/6zWpsTmqhv0/s1600/closet+space.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O7FZs4ycSJU/UIMMD2XYBrI/AAAAAAAABIc/6zWpsTmqhv0/s400/closet+space.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>12. Have too many clothes in your closet?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FJveJNDs5ZU/UIMTgbxsvWI/AAAAAAAABK4/RFrVDQjJJRA/s1600/Closet-Rack-with-Hangers460x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FJveJNDs5ZU/UIMTgbxsvWI/AAAAAAAABK4/RFrVDQjJJRA/s400/Closet-Rack-with-Hangers460x300.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Put clothes in your closet with the hangers reversed once a year. As you pull clothes out reverse the hanger. Every year donate any clothes that you never took out to charity (hangers face original direction.)</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>13. Can't fit that mopping bucket into your sink and don't want to stoop over the bathroom tub?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ar6BVpbiufc/UIMME23Cm-I/AAAAAAAABIk/aHOBD0Vrm2U/s1600/dustpan+sink.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ar6BVpbiufc/UIMME23Cm-I/AAAAAAAABIk/aHOBD0Vrm2U/s400/dustpan+sink.png" width="301" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>14. Got a new key chain that's completely hard to open to fit even your fingernail, let alone keys?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qR-Xhq3EXjI/UIMMJDVVNlI/AAAAAAAABI8/DNrnGxyiz5w/s1600/key+ring.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qR-Xhq3EXjI/UIMMJDVVNlI/AAAAAAAABI8/DNrnGxyiz5w/s400/key+ring.png" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>15. Renovating the house by splashing some new color on the walls but hate drips?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GNYyjmUt8-Q/UIMMMPKAu3I/AAAAAAAABJM/MNhNmyzFC1k/s1600/paint.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GNYyjmUt8-Q/UIMMMPKAu3I/AAAAAAAABJM/MNhNmyzFC1k/s320/paint.png" width="314" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> 16. Have hard water deposits clogging your once and former glorious Water Massager 9000X Chrome Shower Head reducing it to trickle like a kinked garden hose?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9enMe_bTRDM/UIMMM_BwF7I/AAAAAAAABJU/0R60FLWzxIo/s1600/showerhead.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9enMe_bTRDM/UIMMM_BwF7I/AAAAAAAABJU/0R60FLWzxIo/s400/showerhead.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>17. Misplaced the garden trowel or the dust pan or the chimney scoop or the kid's beach shovels?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o0cZHVqITNA/UIMMOK5lydI/AAAAAAAABJc/FbA2GXgXaJ4/s1600/trowel.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o0cZHVqITNA/UIMMOK5lydI/AAAAAAAABJc/FbA2GXgXaJ4/s320/trowel.png" width="251" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>18. Tied that plastic bag too tight and now it's in a tiny little infuriating knot?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8c-AidqbBO0/UIMMQrDBfQI/AAAAAAAABJk/p1hhbFIihAA/s1600/untie+plastic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8c-AidqbBO0/UIMMQrDBfQI/AAAAAAAABJk/p1hhbFIihAA/s640/untie+plastic.png" width="257" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>19. Dropped your earring or a small electrical component on the floor and it rolled somewhere?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J_mFC8DcgYU/UIMMRkEy-OI/AAAAAAAABJs/g9mdNQbpsTo/s1600/vacuum.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J_mFC8DcgYU/UIMMRkEy-OI/AAAAAAAABJs/g9mdNQbpsTo/s320/vacuum.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>20. Just brought home a six pack and don't wanna wait for it to cool down? Or left your pack of soda pop in the car and now it's the temperature of coffee?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pa_x1kDpHRs/UIMZwqPZpKI/AAAAAAAABL0/YyOtgYuGVyU/s1600/201204-orig-snack-guide-soda-284x426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pa_x1kDpHRs/UIMZwqPZpKI/AAAAAAAABL0/YyOtgYuGVyU/s320/201204-orig-snack-guide-soda-284x426.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b>Chill it out in just 3 minutes by putting them in a container or a pot and cover them in ice. Next add 1 to 2 cups of salt and fill with water. It will be ice ice baby cold in 3 minutes flat. </b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>21. Need more time finishing that Essay Paper or your Thesis or you next big Office Project and it's due today?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YPunG03mxJk/UIMdW1iMr4I/AAAAAAAABMw/5dIh9JmM6Nc/s1600/cutout_thesis_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YPunG03mxJk/UIMdW1iMr4I/AAAAAAAABMw/5dIh9JmM6Nc/s320/cutout_thesis_sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Buy yourself some precious time by grabbing a .jpeg, an mp3 file, or some other media file and rename it, "MyEpicEssay.doc" and send it off to your professor/boss. The "document" will look "corrupted" and should buy you a day or two's more time.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>22. Lost your phone charger and don't want to spend a prohibitive amount on a necessary accessory?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fiFkikxxlG8/UIMe7JS-i0I/AAAAAAAABM4/3P95LXxEdfI/s1600/universal-mobile-phone-charger2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fiFkikxxlG8/UIMe7JS-i0I/AAAAAAAABM4/3P95LXxEdfI/s320/universal-mobile-phone-charger2.jpg" width="293" /></a></div>
<b>Not to fret, journey on down to the nearest hotel and tell them you think you left/lost it there. Cell phone chargers are the #1 most left behind items at hotels, so most places have a big bin full of any and all left/lost phone chargers imaginable that people are too lazy to retrieve.</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">23. Stuck at a crummy hotel/motel and nothing good is on TV to spice things up? Brown Chicken, Brown Cow.</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d6t_chTyNRQ/UIMgIbv9RTI/AAAAAAAABNA/XIb3b0IAMeo/s1600/nokia9500remote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d6t_chTyNRQ/UIMgIbv9RTI/AAAAAAAABNA/XIb3b0IAMeo/s1600/nokia9500remote.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Make sure the remote system is Nokia. Just enter on the remote 2-2-1, the down arrow, and then press and hold down the OK button. Free Hotel Porn. Thank you Nokia for doing something right.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>24. Tires looking low but you don't have any quarters?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QKfT9U4nVn8/UIMhBfeF4XI/AAAAAAAABNI/hobhbPmOWLs/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QKfT9U4nVn8/UIMhBfeF4XI/AAAAAAAABNI/hobhbPmOWLs/s400/images.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<b>Just drive over to a Shell station to the air pump, push the button on the side of the machine 3 times in a row. The pump will start without you having to insert any coins. Free Air!</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>25. Need to cancel your hotel reservations but it's already past the date of the cancellation policy (causing you to lose money by having to pay cancellation fees)?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WnaR52NGLe8/UIMiHPZ0ZRI/AAAAAAAABNQ/SxTK-Jk4VWQ/s1600/concierge_people_img.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WnaR52NGLe8/UIMiHPZ0ZRI/AAAAAAAABNQ/SxTK-Jk4VWQ/s320/concierge_people_img.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Call your hotel and check the policy on rescheduling to make sure there's no penalty. Then ask to reschedule your reservations for a future date beyond the cancellation policy. Call them back, speak to a different representative and cancel free of charge!</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>26. Stuck at an airport and don't want to pay for Wi-Fi?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XK0PoCPVvNA/UIMjFUENjMI/AAAAAAAABNY/nbclm5Yiznk/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XK0PoCPVvNA/UIMjFUENjMI/AAAAAAAABNY/nbclm5Yiznk/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Most airports often don't redirect images on websites, so just type in any url followed by "?.jpg" and this hack should get you trolling and loling in no time.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>27. Got a new job and need to wake up at 5am instead of 8am? Just wanna reset your sleep schedule because you want more daylight in your day?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kk27WSv65dQ/UIMlqEAJKeI/AAAAAAAABNg/eWqEUayZ_cM/s1600/sleeping_sleep_1419758c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kk27WSv65dQ/UIMlqEAJKeI/AAAAAAAABNg/eWqEUayZ_cM/s320/sleeping_sleep_1419758c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Your day/night rhythm (circadian) can be reset by changing your eating schedule. Don't eat anything for the 12 to 16 hour time period before you want to awaken. Once you start eating again - or "breaking your fast" - your body will consider this to be your new waking time.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>28. Hate backsplash when going number two? (You know, that little drop of water that springs back up and makes your buttocks pucker at the cold... you know.)</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-swlUdM44zYw/UIMoHfarMLI/AAAAAAAABOg/aCR7M_mBblk/s1600/toilet-5195638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-swlUdM44zYw/UIMoHfarMLI/AAAAAAAABOg/aCR7M_mBblk/s320/toilet-5195638.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Just drop one or two squares of toilet paper in the landing zone before you do your business and it should suffice as a splash stopper.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>29. Want the superpower to see in the dark? Hate waking up in the middle of the night to go potty and then hitting your toe on the dresser on the way back from not being able to see in the dark after the brightness of the lights?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cigb0WfAmts/UIMrO5vQ5DI/AAAAAAAABPg/5ZW1EWPF_V8/s1600/pirate-eye-patch-pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cigb0WfAmts/UIMrO5vQ5DI/AAAAAAAABPg/5ZW1EWPF_V8/s320/pirate-eye-patch-pattern.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Make like a pirate and keep one eye closed, or hold a hand over one eye when faced with the bright lights until it is dark again. This will assure that your closed eye retained the ability to see in the dark, missing that dresser on your trip back. Why pirates? Oh, because most eye-patch wearing pirates wore it for the same reasons, the ability to see below deck after being exposed to bright sunlight. Yarr!</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>30. Guys, don't want to miss the target when peeing in the middle of the night?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k0L0AyunO1U/UIMtL2j9hXI/AAAAAAAABPo/S-0cA9Wa8Vg/s1600/toilet-guy-hi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k0L0AyunO1U/UIMtL2j9hXI/AAAAAAAABPo/S-0cA9Wa8Vg/s320/toilet-guy-hi.png" width="124" /></a></div>
<b>As you're standing in front of the toilet in the darkness, if the light switch is nearby, quickly toggle it on and then off while staring at toilet, it will leave an after-image of the toilet in your retinas, allowing you to pee in the toilet as opposed to on the floor; remember to keep one eye closed for seeing in the dark after your potty recess.</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">31. Sinus pressure got you feeling down?</span></b><br />
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<b>Thrust your tongue against the roof of your mouth and then press between your eyebrows. Alternating these motions will rock the Vomer Bone back and forth and will loosen up congestion, causing your sinuses to drain. Hello breathing.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>32. Car too far away to unlock or the remote gate key too far away from the sensor?</b></span><br />
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<b>Place the key fob underneath your chin pointing upwards towards your skull. Your head acts as a parabolic reflector (dish) that extends the range forward a few feet, allowing the signal to reach the desired object.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>33. Some person in line behind you at the supermarket called you something nasty under their breath and you want them to suffer a little? Or is that little machine just acting funny?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YqKYl4OOkdI/UIMxoRpQjHI/AAAAAAAABQA/swCFl4t_Wpo/s1600/omni_3200se_credit_card_terminal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YqKYl4OOkdI/UIMxoRpQjHI/AAAAAAAABQA/swCFl4t_Wpo/s1600/omni_3200se_credit_card_terminal.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Misery loves company and instant karmic retribution can be in your hands by freezing up the credit card machine and causing it to reboot. Do this by holding down all four corner buttons on the machine until it powers down to reboot. Gather your things, smile and say, "have a nice day," and stroll out feeling just a little bit like the Grinch.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>34. Hate waiting in an elevator for all the floors previously pressed until your floor is reached?</b></span><br />
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<b>No matter how many buttons are lit up (thanks little kid that wanted to push all the buttons and screamed in a tantrum until mom or dad caved in just to stop the noise) simply just press your floor and the 'close doors' ([>|<]) button simultaneously until the doors close. Your floor will be the next stop despite that little kid's efforts to annoy everyone.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>35. Car lock or house lock iced up and frozen over because it was nasty, wet, and cold outside?</b></span><br />
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<b>Melt through it by using hand sanitizer, which due to its high alcohol content, will melt through the ice; make sure to get some inside the lock as well as well as some on your key. </b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>36. Batteries not included?</b></span><br />
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<b>Just find a 9 volt battery laying around; they contain 6 AAAA sized batteries that can be used in electronics that require AAA batteries. Small sized 12 volt batteries contain 8 1.5 volt cell batteries, which can cost up to 5 bucks a pop. Hello broken watch, you're about to get repaired.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>37. Have a watch that is no longer ticking because the battery died? Don't want to pay 20 bucks to get it replaced?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nzd2H_ZIsnk/UIM3qvFrtLI/AAAAAAAABRY/hrT5fO1qnH4/s1600/free_time_watch_back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nzd2H_ZIsnk/UIM3qvFrtLI/AAAAAAAABRY/hrT5fO1qnH4/s320/free_time_watch_back.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Most low-end watches use 1.5 volt button cell batteries. Make sure your watch back looks like the one in the picture (if it has grooves it usually requires a special tool that looks like a claw because it unscrews, although some grooved backs are just false pop offs to make the watch look higher end... like someone is going to check the back of your watch anyway). Take a small pocket knife and locate the sightly raised area, stick the pocket knife gently under that lip and pull upwards. This will cause the back to harmlessly pop off (trust me, I am a jeweler and changed a gazillionty watch batteries using a "watch tool" that was nothing more than a pocket knife with a big-name-brand-watch-company's logo on it). Once the back is popped off, you can pop out the battery using the same pocket knife and install a new one. To get the back of the watch back on just put it in place, set it on the counter and press firmly on the metal bezel (don't press on the glass, just don't) and there ya go. Tick tock, tick tock.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>38. It's baking time and your apple peels are going to waste? Or you have finicky kids that don't like the peel?</b></span><br />
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<b>Simply toss a handful of apple peels into a saucepan and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Not only will your house smell delicious (toss in a cinnamon stick for a deliciously yummy smell) but you'll have just made yourself a healthy and nutritious tea (tisane).</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>39. Gotta pipe frosting onto a cake or cupcakes in time for the bake sale?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vTnzgSGyBtE/UIM7iopP-bI/AAAAAAAABRo/Jx__IXvWfeM/s1600/cupcake-frosting-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vTnzgSGyBtE/UIM7iopP-bI/AAAAAAAABRo/Jx__IXvWfeM/s320/cupcake-frosting-l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Don't worry about fancy piping bags, just use a freezer bag (or any ziploc-like bag). Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag; if you have the metal or plastic frosting tips stick one of those in first, followed by the frosting, and then pipe away to save the day!</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>40. Always have a habit of running late? Just paranoid?</b></span><br />
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<b>Whether it's for work or for a hot date, punctuality can be preserved by making a playlist exactly as long as you have to get ready. Start with relaxing songs that progressively get more energetic. You will be able to tell how you're doing on time by what song you're listening to, and if your music stops, then you're running late. </b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">41. Hate watching your minutes drag by on gym equipment during your workouts?</span></b><br />
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<b>This is a great hack for running a mile (or five) on the treadmill at the gym so you never have to constantly look down at the machine for a time readout, which sometimes seem to go backward if we really don't feel like working out that day. If you know it takes you 12 minutes to run a mile, fill your playlist with songs to add up to 12 minutes. make sure they're songs that you feel like moving to and that you enjoy, start it up when you begin running, throw a towel over those nasty little red glowing numbers, and enjoy your musical run. When your songs are over, that mile will have been run, all without having to stare at analog numbers.</b> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>42. Feel a stubborn sneeze creeping up but it just won't happen?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FEzkbkwZVxc/UIM_gxvY_HI/AAAAAAAABSA/SffteIhZOvA/s1600/sneeze-god-bless-you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FEzkbkwZVxc/UIM_gxvY_HI/AAAAAAAABSA/SffteIhZOvA/s1600/sneeze-god-bless-you.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>To sneeze faster simply stare up at a bright light and your sneeze will happen more quickly than just waiting on it.</b><br />
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That concludes the list for now. Have a great hackful day!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1-12HfiS-Ac/UINACliaAII/AAAAAAAABSI/ui8pgidNBi8/s1600/HeartShade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1-12HfiS-Ac/UINACliaAII/AAAAAAAABSI/ui8pgidNBi8/s200/HeartShade.jpg" width="162" /></a></div>
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Until Next Time,<br />
<3 Shade<br />
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Sources:<br />
<i>Myself and Things I've Learned</i> <i> </i><br />
<a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/eduardoleon/35-life-hacks-you-should-know-ga9" target="_blank"><i>Buzzfeed</i></a><br />
<a href="http://lifehacker.com/" target="_blank"><i>Lifehacker</i></a><br />
<a href="http://hackaday.com/" target="_blank"><i>Hack a Day</i></a><br />
<a href="http://lifehack.com/" target="_blank"><i>LifeHack</i></a><br />
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