Lex Chase's Blog, page 9

Scale Tales: Bite it? Write it!

Hello, Internet! Welcome back to Scale Tales! Holy crap. I’ve really kept this up for a month. Thank you all for reading and commenting! I can be pretty self-conscious sometimes…okay…most of the time, but your kind words have really gotten me through some tough spots! When people comment this is what they needed to hear today, I’m overjoyed I could help someone.

Now. The topic of the day. Tracking.

Augh.

Tracking.

Augh. Augh. Augh!

For those of you that don’t know what that is, in Weight Watchers lingo it means recording everything you eat for the day. That includes calculating Weight Watchers Points values. And you being A: shocked that you haven’t eaten enough in your day. Or B: horrified because you ate what you shouldn’t have and now you have no room for dinner.

If you’re diligent, it’s easy. If you’re like me, it’s work.

If it feels like work, I hate it on principle. Am I right or what?

I quit Weight Watchers last year, which may or may not have led to my predicament. But truth be told, I’ve even been up and down the scale while on the program as well. Part of it, I was a horrible tracker. If I could wiggle my way out of tracking I would in three seconds.

But just because I’ve quit doesn’t mean I’ve lost years of knowledge. (And I do mean years.) I have all the tools. I just have to use them.

When the New Year started, I had written in my planner to track my food for two weeks. I could do two weeks. I have the S Health app on my Droid. No sweat. I didn’t do it. And when I resolved to try again, I still didn’t. What was wrong? Why was this so difficult? The answer was right in front of me as I skimmed Twitter.

My phone.

I am hopelessly addicted to my phone. I would go to do something I actually needed to do, and then find myself on Twitter, Tumblr, or scrolling through Facebook. My phone is shiny and distracting. My phone in making other things super convenient, made tracking my food incredibly inconvenient.

So, I started writing it all down. Physically. With a pen, and on a notepad of cute paper. It only takes less than a minute, and I remember a lot easier of what I ate instead of “what brand was this? how many points?”

I write down what it was, how much of it I had, and that’s it. That’s all there is to it. I even write down how much water I drank. No calories, fat grams, sugars, Points. It’s that simple. If I take a bite out of it, I write it down. Right now, it’s to get a baseline of my regular eating habits. Also it serves me well to know what my biggest meals of the day are. Also my trends. I eat a PB and J nearly every morning because it’s easy and convenient. But I should really be eating something more substantial.

So. Do you have trouble writing things down? You have no problem making grocery lists on scraps of paper, why can’t you swing this one simple thing?

Pick yourself up a cute pad of paper. Might I recommend the dollar section at Target? Because Target amirite? And a cute pen if it makes you happy. Writing things down shouldn’t have to fill you with dread. If you can jot down a story idea on a Post-It, you got this.

So, I am giving it an honest go in tracking my food for two weeks to start out. And on the 17th, I’ll report how it went. I encourage you to try! Start small if it seems to daunting. Way small. Just track how much liquid you drink in a day. Water? Coffee? Soda? Write those down!

Let’s compare notes next week, okay? Say it with me: Bite it? Write It!

Get Some Assembly Required At 30% Off!

Hey, Internet! Looking for the perfect meet-cute for a dreary winter day? Dreamspinner is having a 30% off sale until January 31st! And that includes pre-orders on Some Assembly Required!

My partner-in-crime Bru Baker and I went on a crazy trip about two dead guys meeting in a Big Box furniture store in the afterlife. So welcome to CASA, where people are dying to get out, but some people wander the halls for all eternity.

Have one of my favorite scenes from Guardians of the Galaxy that inspired one of our main characters, the snarky jackass Patrick Bryant.

But Wait There’s More!

Also my second home DSP Publications is having a 30% off sale until the 31st! That means my superhero dramadey anthology Checkmate Ever After and pre-orders of my high fantasy paranormal Chasing Sunrise!

Laugh and cheer with the double-fisted justice in Checkmate Ever After, and desperately cling to fragile hope to conquer the demons within ourselves in Chasing Sunrise.

Don’t forget about the Checkmate Ever After freebie, What The Water Gave Me. A somber story commemorating the Day of Silence where we learn even superheroes fail.

Scale Tales: Watch Life Bloom

Hello, Internet! Welcome to this week’s edition of Scale Tales! Quick. Stop what you’re doing. Hold the freaking phone.

Last week I talked about the frustration of the scale not budging for three weeks of starting this adventure. I was at my breaking point yesterday that I was so irritated I wanted a burger in the worst way. I haven’t wanted one in months. And all of a sudden, my brain said “What the hell. I want one. It doesn’t matter.” Like in all of my perky positivity in this column, it felt like I was almost living a lie for the last three weeks. Encouraging others without feeling the slightest bit encouraged myself.

But as I was sitting in my car, where I honestly do have this photo clipped to my visor:

I had this photo in my hand and I texted C.S. Poe telling her I wanted a burger. All she says is “Be good.” And that was all she needed to say. I remembered I was getting on the scale the next day. I felt determined for the scale less than cheap McDonald’s. So no burger!

Not only no burger, drum roll please…. I dropped five pounds! Like my body finally decided to cooperate! Like BAM. Gone.

And I got to thinking about it, more like a follow-up to feeling frustrated. But there’s another part to this. Not just the frustration of not seeing results as fast as you’d like, but now the overwhelming feeling of “OMG this is my life now? I have to give up Coke? NO WAY!” It’s sticking with it even through the tough patches.

But even sticking to your healthier choices can get frustrating and holy crap annoying. You’re stuck with a bland salad while everyone around you is having that death by chocolate cake. Healthier choices don’t have to be bland or boring! Might I recommend Laaloosh or Hungry Girl also Sodium Girl?

So, my thought of the day is you can’t grow grass where you haven’t planted any. What do I mean? You need to be patient with yourself. And yeah, it requires a bit of leg work to find what you like. When I go grocery shopping I buy a single item I never tried before. I bought a prickly pear once, then a persimmon, and then a pomegranate. I would get home and ask Google “How do I cook with this?” I discovered very late in the game pomegranates are amazing. I discovered prickly pear is especially good in a vinaigrette. My persimmon turned before I could use it. Crap!

Think about it this way. You’re not seeing a number you like on the scale, or a number at all. You are more than that. You are a mere seed, with some patience, self-care, and acknowledgement of your goals, you will bloom.

It’s in my nature to be compassionate with others and want to solve the world’s problems. I rarely take time for myself. I always have to be doing something that serves a purpose. But I never seem to understand taking care of myself also serves a purpose. It’s impossible to be compassionate when you don’t have it in you to be sincere about it.

My editors understand my health comes first and I refuse to fall into a deep, dark pit of working myself to the bone and compromising my health because of it. Why on earth would you put your career before your own needs? The answer is not “Well. I can’t and that’s how it is.” No. That’s only that way because you think it needs to be.

I challenge you to do something for yourself. It could be something as simple as just going outside for five whole minutes, taking a long hot shower, watch cute YouTube videos about kittens, puppies, or hedgehogs, or chatting with a friend.

You are a seed, and you need to nourish your own soil. It’s not a matter of if you’ll bloom.

You will bloom.

 

And time for a giveaway! Tell me about the thing you did for your well-being this week! Comment here or on Facebook. One lucky winner will walk away with a $5 USD Dreamspinner Gift Certificate!

[Flash Fiction Friday] Asta Idonea with “A Study In Taste”

Hello, Internet! Asta Idonea joins me today for this edition of Flash Fiction Friday. In “A Study in Taste,” we meet Anna, a selfish girl who gets lost between the stacks of the library. Monsters are not only in books.

A Study in Taste
by Asta Idonea

I enter the study hall later than usual and, to my consternation, my favourite spot is occupied. I huff, earning a glare from a bespectacled student seated nearby, then stride across the room. The place is busy and I’m forced to accept a table at the rear. Far from both windows and overhead lights, it’s gloomy and unwelcoming. But I have no other choice. It’s this or return to the noisy dorm and accomplish nothing. Only one other student is seated at the table, and I settle a couple of seats down and take a moment to study my companion.

Her glossy chestnut hair hangs forward as she leans over a heavy tome which, from my upside-down viewpoint, appears to be a medical reference book. She stares at the text with such fierce concentration I doubt she has even noticed my arrival. As she reads, she scribbles notes. I only know this from the movement of her arm; she has her notebook balanced on her lap. A strange place to keep it with so much desk space available, but I figure everyone has their little quirks.

My gaze is drawn to her full, pink lips as she moves them, forming silent words I can’t make out. I notice she wears no make-up; that porcelain skin and those perfect lips are all natural. Kissable lips. I wet my own as I imagine it. My type is usually blonde and blue-eyed, but something about this young woman intrigues me. Aside from her beauty, there’s an air of mystery surrounding her. I know I’ve never seen her here before; she’s not someone I’d forget.

She must have sensed my scrutiny, because at that moment she looks up. I can’t repress a faint gasp. Her eyes are a vivid emerald, the colour more intense than anything I’ve ever seen. I know I should look away, but all I can do is stare. A wave of pure desire floods through me, and I can feel the warmth spreading across my cheeks as a corresponding fire ignites in the pit of my stomach. It takes all my willpower to stay in my seat; I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want this goddess before me.

When she returns her gaze to her book, I am at last free to look away. I try to open my own text, but the words are a blur. Perhaps another would be better. Moving away from the table for a moment might offer me the respite I need to gather my thoughts and restore my composure, so I rise and head toward the bookshelves. The route takes me behind the young woman’s chair, and I can’t resist a glance down to see what she’s writing.

She moves her hand as if forming words, but the pen nib is retracted and the page remains a virginal white expanse.

She raises her head, meeting my eye, and once again it is as if I’m frozen in place. Then she stands and slips her hand into mine, and I shiver. Her lips twitch into a brief smile, and when she leads me from the room, I follow without question.

The lecture hall we enter is empty and dark. She guides me up the stairs to the rear of the room, far from the door, and presses me back against the wall. The brush of her body makes me moan.

“What’s your name?”

“Anna,” I croak. My mouth is dry and I struggle to form the simple syllables.

“Anna.” She runs her tongue along her lips, and the action fills me with a hunger beyond anything I’d ever dreamt. “I am Mara. I have waited days for someone like you. Do you desire me, Anna?”

I can’t speak; all I can do is give a desperate nod.

Then her lips are on mine. I groan, and the kiss deepens as she slips her tongue into my mouth, tasting me. I whimper when she pulls away, but she doesn’t cease her attentions. She trails kisses along my jaw and down my neck. I tilt my head to grant her access and feel the scrape of her teeth across my skin.

There’s a flare of pain—momentary but intense. When it’s gone, I blink, but everything’s blurred. With my sight impaired, my other senses kick in. I feel Mara’s fingers digging into my skin, holding me in a vice-like clasp. I taste something bitter and metallic at the back of my throat. I hear my blood thundering in my ears and, below it, deep gurgles, like water sloshing down a drain.

My limbs turns to jelly. The only thing keeping me upright is the weight of Mara’s body, pressing me against the wall, and her grip on my arms. The world begins to darken, and the last thing I hear before it all disappears is Mara’s voice in my head.

“Your desire tastes exquisite. Thank you, Anna.”

 

Author Bio

Asta Idonea (aka Nicki J Markus) was born in England, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.

Asta launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!

As a day job, Asta works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theater, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel; all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing.

Website
Twitter
Facebook Author Page
Goodreads

Dishing about Dream Books at the DSP Blog!

Hello, Internet! Join me today on the Dreamspinner Press Blog about Dream Books! Today, I’m talking about the top five books that have always stuck with me. Leave a comment on your favorite and there could be a $5 Dollar USD DSP Gift Certificate with your name on it!

Also! Get your Amazon One Clicks ready! You can now pre-order Some Assembly Required on Amazon! Co-written with Bru Baker, we can’t wait for you guys to meet Patrick and Benji. Just two dudes. Who happen to be dead. Haunting CASA, an affordable minimalist furniture super store. And it’s a love story! Click here! 

Scale Tales: Frustration Is My Middle Name

Hello, Internet! I wish I could greet the world with a happy and perky hi! How do you do? But today on Scale Tales we’re going to get a little real. And that is with every struggle with weight comes The OMG Frustration!

I’ve made an effort to track my weight for a solid month. Once a week, I’d weigh, and jot down the number. I thought I’d be awesome and share the start weight when I started this column, so we could all keep track of the pounds together. Well. I was excited at first. And then it all fell to pot.

For three weeks of tracking my weight, I’ve gained one pound.

That’s crap. While one pound isn’t a huge deal. It’s frustrating. Because right out of the gate, bam, not a loss but a pound put on. And for someone who it waaaaay isn’t their first rodeo with trying to lose weight, if I was a first timer, I’d toss up my hands and quit on the spot.

Looking through my old photos, when this column started, I had posted this one:

Crazy right?

And then I found this one from 2013…

That was shortly before my first GRL in 2013. And that was the very first time I had ever fit into a large tee from Threadless since they run obnoxiously small. I was 25 pounds lighter. And if I remember, I was down to 224. It took me 13 years but I was 56 pounds lighter.

But now I am here, this is from last year in 2015 in Disney World…

I had put on 26 pounds since 2013. Even though that’s not entirely true. I was actually back up to 250 before I started making an effort to lose it again before my trip to Disney!

I’ve been on and off and on and off the weight loss cycle for over a decade. When I had left for Savannah College of Art and Design in 2006, I was at my lowest at 222. On the nose. I was excited. New school. New me. New environment and a place I could start over. But I wasn’t prepared for the stress, the constant functioning on pure adrenaline, and the deadlines on top of deadlines. It all seemed impossible, but it all got done under any means necessary. From no sleep, to living off granola bars because you had zero time to cook.

But I was on adrenaline, and the highs stayed high, and it all felt good, real good for a while. I was dropping pounds every day. I was excited! Finally the weight was coming off faster than ever. It didn’t dawn on me till later I was dropping it from pure stress. That, my friends, is no bueno.

Now that I have the luxury of writing full-time, and writing from home, I have to be extra vigilant. Though I’m not always. I live with my parents, and my brother. As we know, my brother is a chef who specializes in pastry. My father retired this past November, and amazingly has discovered the joy of cooking. Not even a month ago all he could make was grilled cheese!

But it’s not their fault. They’re good at what they do. And saying it’s my fault is doing the whole negative self-talk thing that no one likes these days. But let’s get real, it is my fault. I can still eat what they make, but limit the portion. Just to quit cold turkey will only backfire. You’ll feel deprived and soon you’ll be eating all the things.

But if there’s one thing I learned about any of this. Even if you hate getting your picture taken because you’re self-conscious, do it anyway. Even if you don’t share them with anyone, keep them. Look at them every month. I mean that. You look vastly different from month to month. It shows in your emotions, and your body. It shows you how far you’ve come, and how far you have to go.

Are they all bad pictures? Then that’s your kick in the pants to do something about it.

Are they all great pictures? That’s your kick in the pants to keep going!

So, you guys, yes you, all of you that have followed this lovely column. You have an assignment. I want you to post one positive thing about yourself. Either leave a comment, or comment on this post on Facebook. Let’s think positive this week!

And you wanna know what you’re playing for?

All commenters will be entered to win a shiny $5 USD Dreamspinner Gift Certificate!

Winner will be named next week!

So think positive!

Two New Fairy Tales of the Open Road Teas!

Hello, Internet! I am pleased to announce Tumblr user A Quick Drink has released two new Fairy Tales of the Open Road teas from Adagio Teas! Back in October, A Quick Drink created the Taylor and Corentin teas just out of love for the series. Completely unprompted, and nervous as all get out if I’d like them. I love them! We traded ideas and I have made her the official tea maker for the boys.

Chasing Sunrise Exclusive Cover Reveal At The Purple Rose Tea House

Hello, Internet! The wait is over, the new superduper shiny cover my upcoming horror/high fantasy release Chasing Sunrise is here. Come check it out on Charlie Cochet’s Purple Rose Tea House! As a bonus, read the entirety of Chapter One!

Hot Heroes In USA Today!

Hello, Internet!

My lovely Some Assembly Required co-writer, Bru Baker and I chimed on Happily Ever After on USA Today for our Hot Heroes of 2016. Wanna know what my pick was? Spoiler Alert: It wasn’t Adam Driver or Oscar Issac or Chris Pratt GASP.

I am so transparent in my pick, it’s ridiculous. #Iamsuchtrash

Take a look here!

 

Scale Tales: Eggs-traordinary Adventures

Hello, Internet! And welcome back to this week’s Scale Tales.

As I mentioned in passing, one of my goals is to better learn how to fry an egg. I can cook eggs just fine. But I can’t do them to the skill my mother, or my friends do. (Also my second goal is to learn how to cook pancakes. I can’t flip ’em.)

There’s an urban legend that the 100 folds in a chef’s hat is the 100 ways to cook an egg. It’s such a simple, yet integral part of cooking. And so easy to screw up. So today’s culinary breakfast adventure, I set out to try my hand at poaching eggs. Now. I can poach eggs just fine. But they never turn out pretty at all like you see on TV.

But first. Coffee.

Mmmm… Feeling the power of the Dark Side.

For Christmas, we gave my budding chef father a book called How To Boil Water. It breaks it down for beginners without making them feel stupid. Yes. There really is instructions for how to boil water. And it breaks it down for the rest of us that want to get better. You can pick it up here at Amazon!

So armed with this recipe I’m ready to give it a shot.

I love how it says “Don’t panic!”

First thing’s first. Get a skillet and bring the water juuuuuust to a simmer.

Yup. Simmering.

Add the eggs.

Easy!

Cook.

And cook.

And cook some more.

Damn these things take a while. I made toast, and picked up the kitchen. As I waited forever for my eggs to look like the picture.

Ah! Done!

#Flawless!

“But wait!” you cry. “Lex? Wasn’t there two eggs?”

And I say…eh. Details. Meanwhile, just ignore this photo.

#YOUTRIED

While my singular egg was quite delicious (and just a smidge overcooked) my reject egg was waaaaaay overcooked. I have issues with eggs not looking quite done. So I cook the poor bastards to death.

But you know, you have to break a few dozen eggs to reach perfection. I’m more of a might as well take a bomb to a hatchery to reach perfection.

One of the tips I learned in life is to set up small attainable goals as you work toward the big end game goal. Dream big! Now how do you get there? Make a map. Find the star to steer your ship.

It’s such a little thing, but I want to learn how to cook eggs. It seems so insignificant, but it isn’t at all. Perfecting eggs is another step in boosting confidence. Like hey! I can make eggs! What else can I do? Yesterday, I walked six miles. How? Just by parking my car in the furthest spot in the lot possible, lapping the lot, and then shopping, and then doing it all over again. I didn’t need a gym. I made it work for me. Now if I can make working in gasp exercise work, I know I can make eggs work.

I got this.

So what about you? What is the smallest, tiniest, itty-bitty thing that you could never get quite right, but want to get better at doing? Don’t know what that is? Start today. Make a list of five things you wish you were better at doing. The smallest thing possible. The smaller the more precious, and the more delicate the work.

Maybe you wish you could say Hello and Goodbye in a foreign language better? Maybe you wish you brushed your teeth better? Maybe you wish you could boil water?

Imagine accomplishing that tiny thing. By paying such care, and grace to mastering even the smallest of tasks can give you the power to do anything.

For me, it’s mastering eggs.