While I’m sitting at my computer tonight, I figured I’d post a pair of recent photos for you to drool over – one of me (always drool worthy, right?  ha!), and one from my trip to CA.  I picked up this new dress at Express a few weeks ago and absolutely love it, and believe it or not, I’m actually wearing my hair down in this picture but it’s been so short lately that you can’t even see it!  I’ve had a bit of a bob since last summer and have been loving it.  It looks ultra-cute and is super easy to maintain, so that’s a win-win situation.  In the second photo, this surfer was just so serene and so not-east-coast that I couldn’t resist capturing him on film while he wasn’t looking.  This photo was taken at about 7:00 in the morning, and the beach was already packed with surfers.  How awesome is that?  Enjoy!  : )

I went out with some friends on Saturday night for some general drinking and debauchery, and dudes, I seriously had so much fun.  It totally rocked.  I fucking LOVE Halloween!  It’s like, all of a sudden, for one night only, anything and everything is socially acceptable.  You can wear whatever the hell you want and do whatever the hell you want, and the more outrageous it is, the better.  What’s not to love???  I think people’s true character comes out to play on Halloween, and I’m no exception.  This referee getup is totally me, from the semi-androgynous costume (I could never be a French maid or something that girly) to the idea of exerting a little control over my potential dance partners (the ref’s calls are final, after all), to the completely AWESOME whistle that I was blowing at anyone and everyone all night.  Hahaha, it was great!

I thought I would use the whistle to get the attention of cute boys who happened to walk my way (and I did use it for that purpose a few times), but mostly I wound up using it to “call a foul” for objectionable hand placement by skanky bar monkeys.  Listen boys, you can grab my ass in a dark crowded bar, but do NOT grab my boobs or crotch – seriously!  That crosses the line, my dears, especially if you’re a skeezeball whose face I can’t even see because you’re wearing a fucking MASK.  Geez, guys!

Despite the skanky bar monkeys, however, it was a completely awesome night and a much-needed release from a long and crappy work week.  I drank and danced until 4:00 am with some good friends, and I met lots of interesting men including the entire cast of Sesame Street, Fred Flintstone, every superhero you can think of, Santa Claus, and Jesus.  I’m telling you, there’s always a Santa and a Jesus.  Halloween just wouldn’t be complete without them – haha.  I met an especially nice Batman, and one of my friends met a very gentlemanly Winnie the Pooh.  It was… a good time.  : )

The best part was all the compliments on my cute little outfit.  What can I say… what girl doesn’t love to be complimented?  My favorite was from a very young-looking street monkey who said, in the exact tone of voice you would expect: “Mmmm… Foot LOCK-er… somebody STOP me…”  I think I responded with a “Damn right!” or something to that effect.  It was fun.  I hardly ever get these compliments in real life, so I was soaking it all in.

Another thing I noticed is that when you’re in a dark, crowded, hot, sweaty, pulsating mass of horny 20-somethings on Halloween night, you can get away with pretty much anything (except grabbing my crotch, which will get you a sharp whistle blow and a firm push in the other direction).  It’s really liberating to be in this highly unusual state of being, and it feels great to just let it all go, know what I mean?  I always refer to the late-night club scene as “pure id” – you don’t think, just feel.  As Freud himself put it, the id is “a cauldron full of seething excitations,” which I think is especially true on Halloween.  Take it from me, if you didn’t go out partying this weekend, do yourself a favor and go next year.  It’ll be well worth it.  : )

I’m not sure what else to say about Saturday night except that my legs/knees are killing me from all the dancing, my crotch is sore from grinding into too many costumed bachelors, I’m still exhausted two days later, and it was all totally worth it.  I’m also super proud of myself for not doing anything stupid – my friends and I stuck together the whole time and all came home together, as it should be.  Super fun, and no need for antibiotics or the morning-after pill!

Hope you all had a fabulous Halloween!

Photo credit: Hot Marine (yes, you read that right).

First up, the scale: I weighed in this morning at a shockingly low (for me) 122.5 pounds.  At 5’8″, even I will finally admit that I’m looking pretty thin at this point.

I busted out the tape measure and came up with the following measurements:

• 34.5 (widest part of bust)
• 26.0 (smallest part of waist)
• 35.0 (widest part of hips/butt)

The size 6 cargo pants that I bought in the spring (right before WW when none of my regular size 4 pants fit me anymore) can now slide on and off without even undoing the button/zipper.  Needless to say, these are way too big for me to wear anymore.

The size 4 work pants that I wore to the office yesterday are sitting very low on my hips… so low, in fact, that I’m debating whether I can still wear these to work without exposing my ass every time I bend over.  Also, even with my highest (4-inch) heels, I’m still stepping on the hem when I walk.

And the extra room at the waist:

My skinny jeans (size 28 waist, which I’d say is about a small size 4) fit comfortably but are no longer tight, and I wouldn’t really call them “skinny” anymore.  They fit well, but after wearing them all day, they stretch out and I get a saggy butt – eww.

And there’s a bit of extra room at the waist:

I’ve been getting pretty excited about all the loose pants (and my new size 2 shorts that fit like a glove), but I kinda feel bad for one of the few victims of this transformation – my boobs.  Yes, I’ve been losing boobage just like I’ve been losing weight everywhere else.  Before WW, I was popping out of my A-cups and fitting comfortably into a B-cup.  Now, sadly, I can’t even fill up the A-cups and my bras are hanging off me!  It’s hard to see in the crappy photo below, but the black space between my boobs and the edge of the bra is just empty space that was once filled by boobage.  How sad!

I’m not sure how much farther I really want to go (I’m happy with how I am now, believe it or not), but I’m absolutely terrified of gaining anything back.  I’ve slowly been eating a few extra calories per day (an extra cookie here and there, dessert at a restaurant if someone will split it with me), so hopefully I’m loosening the grip on my food intake.  But with that said, I’m SO happy I took the plunge and made a change – I feel like my old self again (physically anyway), feel more confident about my body, and have been eating much, much healthier than before.

Unexpected side effects (both good and bad) of the weight loss/dieting include the following:

• Digestive happiness
• Significantly clearer skin (I can count the number of zits I’ve had in the last 4 months on one hand)
• Significantly stronger nails
• Healthier hair (less breakage, less hair in the drain after a shower)
• Bony shoulders, ribs, and hips
• Loss of some muscle mass (my groceries seem heavier these days)
• Somewhat screwed up menstrual cycle (although it’s getting better)
• Heightened understanding of nutritional needs and mechanics

Overall, I think this was definitely a positive change in my life.  If only I had the extra cash lying around to buy myself a whole new (smaller) wardrobe!

(By the way, those shorts are a size 2!)

There’s something about the curves of a woman’s body that is absolutely sublime.  Nature seamlessly combines art and science as the soft, gentle curves form an awe-inspiring sinusoidal wave, triggering both my outer dork and inner seductress.  Ah, if only I could pose in a gallery and encourage onlookers to experience this magnificent exhibit for themselves.  Oh wait, I believe I just did.  : )

 Oh come on, how could I not include a bikini shot?  : )

This is my absolute favorite thing to wear in the summer – a plain old tank top and cargo pants, rolled up to the knees.  I’m so not a girly girl, and it’s in clothes like this that I really feel like myself.  It’s comfortable, casual, and lets me move around without having to worry about anything.  Also, now that I’m feeling a little bit slimmer, the pants sit at the perfect spot on my hips where they’re just kind of hanging down a bit, and I can have that little strip of stomach peek out because I don’t have to cover it up so much anymore.  Ah, I’m feeling so much better these days and can’t wait to lose a few more pounds and get back into my other summer clothes.  It’s amazing what a little 3.4 pounds can do.  : )

P.S. – Things to observe about this shot: (a) my hair is curly today, thanks to the humidity this morning, and (b) my black bra straps are sticking out on purpose – I know, I’m so ghetto.  Hahaha.

P.S. – Thanks to Twitter-friend kmandeville for the heads-up!

Friday night: Girls’ night out.  My single female friends (all three of them, and one of them even brought a guy, hello???) and I went out on Friday night for some standard dinner/drinking/dancing debauchery.  It was totally awesome.  I love my girls!  And speaking of the girls, my boobs looked great, if I do say so myself.  I have cropped out my pretty face (as usual) but was careful to leave in the freckles that you guys seem to get a kick out of.  Behold, the fabulousness:

Saturday and Sunday: Frolicking in the warm weather.  People, it was 70 degrees in New York this weekend!  Hello???  It’s the first week in March, and I was outside in a skirt and a tank top.  In March.  In New York.  I don’t know what kind of freak weather occurrence is taking place right now, but I love it and am eternally greteful for the chance to get outside and get some fresh air for a change.  First thing on the agenda: a REAL run.  Outside.  I went on Saturday and again this morning.  It was fabulous.  As you know, I have a love-hate relationship with running.  While I’m out there hurling myself forward against every natural urge in my body, I feel as though getting hit by a truck would be better than what I’m putting myself through.  But afterward?  Oh, my dears.  It feels SO GOOD afterward.  I swear, just about every muscle in my body is sore right now, but it was SO worth it.  I can only speak for myself here, but actual running is just a much, much better workout than anything I do indoors during the winter.  LOVE IT.  I really can’t wait for the spring so I can run everyday.  : )

Also, I got a bunch of random errands accomplished this weekend, including a little shopping indulgence.  Yay!  I bought some cargo pants online for the spring, I can’t wait to get my greedy little hands on them.  I am so NOT a girly-girl, and my favorite outfit for spring/fall is a simple tank top and cargo pants.  I’m just waiting for the weather to get warmer so I can wear them already!

Finally, some juicy info: My dumpster diving adventures have produced a handful of prospects, and hopefully I’ll have some good stories to share later this week.  Wish me luck!!!

As for the trip, it was actually friggin awesome and even included some drunken debauchery.  Update coming soon.  : )

Edited to add: Ok, comments are back, but I’m still working out a few kinks… please bear with me as I straighten everything out.  Thanks, peeps!

Even more stuff: I finally got myself a Gravatar.  Sexy, no?  : )

I could totally pass for a ski bunny, right?  All I need is a pair of bunny ears and a strapping young lad from Scandinavia or something.  Note to eligible bachelors: to apply, please send age, favorite “skiing” position, and favorite smoked meat.  Bonus points for sexy accent and/or matching sweater.