LG - 3 Variations on a theme

LIFE'S GOOD! I'm in an obnoxiously wonderful mood today for several reasons. I say obnoxiously because if I was in a crap mood and around someone as happy as I am today, I'd want to smack them. Please don't smack me, even virtually, because I'm very delicate. I'm also feeling silly and could break into song at any moment. Where I work, this is entirely possible because the different classrooms are usually playing some kind of good music.

Why my joie de vivre aujourd'hui? ("hearty enjoyment of life today", for you non-francais speaking bloggers, which actually I am one of as well since 4 years of high school French have gotten lost in my brain's RAM...see, I am almost giddy here!)

1. Tammy, from the great blog From Fat To Fab, gave me this: Thank you Tammy, for this award. I'm delighted and honored. What I'm supposed to do is give it to 7 other bloggers, and then write 6 things about myself you don't already know. So first, I present the award to the following excellent blogs:

*Chris at chrislivessimple.blogspot.com - A Deliberate Life
*Tina at fatgirldivesin.blogspot.com - Fat Girl Dives In
*Jodie at the overweightlife.blogspot.com - The Overweight Life
*Bethany at bethanymcdonald.blogspot.com - The Great Reduction
*Lisa at lgurney.blogspot.com - My Life As A Daughter
*Patsy at weight-off-musings.blogspot.com - Musings On A 100 lbs+ Weight Loss Journey
*Auburn at quest4amile.blogspot.com - Jogging Auburn

These are but a few of the blogs I love, follow and read daily. There are many others, but I tried to not regive this award to anyone who already has it or who already has a zillion followers and other awards. Everyone on my blog roll deserves this and more.

Now the 6 unknown things about me:
1. I'm left handed
2. My first job-age 16 as a nurse's aide at a Nursing Home.
3. I was born in Flushing, New York.
4. My maiden name is Blake. Growing up kids called me Snowflake Blake.
5. I'm planning to do a mini triathalon August 2010 with 2 friends from work.
Better get crackin'.
6. After my oldest child was born,I was on a mission to have another so as not have an only child. I was NOT happy being an only.

Okay - take a yawn break.

Now - onto the 2nd reason for my glee du jour:
2. Remember the Lands' End swimsuit I mentioned yesterday? It came, and upon first glance, I thought. "No way. Cute, but no way". I wasn't even going to try it on because it looked like a...well, a bathing suit. But I slept on it (the notion, not the bathing suit) and tried it on this morning. First the top - not too bad. Hubby said, "Leslie, it looks fine. You look normal." He's quite the sweet talker. I sent him on his way and put on the bottom - also not awful. Acceptable! Not bad at all. I was shocked, thrilled and delighted. The light was low in the bedroom, so I'm sure the pale dimpled flesh was muted, but I think it will be fine, and I see the possibility of a swim in my very near future. WILL SWIM AGAIN! Maybe even at my gym after I get back from the DR. Here's the suit - it's kind of a fat lady tankini with a skirt bottom:
The color is off in this picture - the bottom is black and just a straightish skirt, the top is the same color blue as the blue bar across the bottom of the screen here. All in all, not bad. I may get the nerve to have hubby take a pic of the body in it to post, but don't hold your breath. Like you would.

3. Last reason I'm going to list for now about my excellent mood - the lovely comments I received yesterday after talking about my daughter. Blog friends are so gracious and kind! I think you'd have been positive and complementary if I noted that she was a crystal meth. lab owner. I'm going to post 2 final pictures today, one taken by a friend of Jean's in the Peace Corps, when a bunch of them were at a beautiful beach during the beginning of their training and the second taken by Jean herself.
Jean's caption to this was: "Beautiful Dominican beach instills serious joy". You can see she didn't inherit her mother's body. Yet. And the last picture is of the virgin beach where the first was taken, I think: After posting yesterday about being nervous regarding certain aspects of the trip, I felt better. I told my husband I was a little nervous, and he said he was too! Go figure - and that also made me feel better.

Finally, I'm getting my monthly body composition and measurements done at the gym after work today. Not thinking things will have changed much since 5 weeks ago since my exercise has been mildly curtailed by various aches and strains. I hope everyone has a great day.