Showdown

Like something out of an old western, my scale and I are circling each other. The sun beats down upon us, dust glitters in the air, and cowardly townsfolk run for cover only to peer out their windows through their moldy lace curtains because they cannot help themselves. I can even hear the old twang of the "High Noon" harmonica music that ends on a whistle as tumbleweeds cartwheel past.

It's been over a week since we've faced one another down. When last we met, I walked away the victor... but I'm certain that is not the case now. So the question becomes, how badly can I lose? How much blood and carnage will there be?

I went on vacation with all the best intentions. We even stayed in a unit with a full kitchen. I brought good food. You can practically see my halo, can't you? It all went wrong on the first day. We visited the World's Longest Candy Counter (I'll be doing a whole lot of pictures and commentary about my vacation Monday.) I faced down old friends from the world of sugar that I had long forgotten. I did so well... until I hit the custom chocolates area. They had a stretch of liqueur filled chocolates... Amaretto, Irish cream, Rum... These were right next to the chocolate covered cookie dough and 30 varieties of custom flavored malted milk balls.

It all gets kind of fuzzy after that, but I ended up leaving with a sack full of goodies and a rather buzzed sugar high of epic proportions. After that, it was a free-fall into food debauchery that should probably not even be described, due to the contact sugar high you all would likely get. Let me just say that not only did we go to that candy store, we also went to two other chocolate outlets (Lindt and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory) as well as several restaurants during the week. And there may have been some champagne in there too.

In my own defense, I was also being stalked by Reese's. Seriously, check this thing out (and don't mock me, taking these pictures was mortifying because people were laughing at me. We're talking blood, sweat, and tears, people!)
I, of course, had to put myself in the picture to prove that I snuggled with the BEST VENDING MACHINE EVER!
See! I was there! It only took my family a little while to get me to separate from the giant Reese's. But I did. Eventually... (do you think they sell those machines on eBay?)

But now, the party is over. The check has come to the table, and the bill must be paid. I have started taking inventory, trying to decide if it's worth stepping on the scale or not. I'm sure some of you have done this at one time or another... I can still zip up my pants and sit down in them and breath: Bonus! But they don't look quite right: Penalty. I swam and walked and did active things while I was away: Bonus! But then I ate enough to hibernate until next Spring: Penalty.

I know, for a fact, that it will be a bad number: noted. How bad....? If it's really bad, will I continue to slide downward into Reese's and gourmet chocolate oblivion? No, but it might make me a not very nice person for a few weeks. But would it change anything to know how bad I was if I plan on being good anyway? Shouldn't I just move forward and do good... and maybe step on the scale in a few weeks? Maybe... but what if I need to see the corrective progress, to make sense of the disappointing number in a few weeks from now because I got over excited about how great I was doing?

I hate my scale. It doesn't matter how many times you tell yourself that it's a piece of metal simply calculating mass... it still has the powerful and mysterious ability to influence my moods. Especially when I know I am trying to lose between 15-20 lbs by graduation and there simply isn't any time left to mess around. I'm an educated woman. I know that the scale lies. I even restrict my personal training clients from it. Which is rather funny actually, because it makes me feel like the evil witch in sleeping beauty with the very last spinning wheel in the entire kingdom secreted away in the top-most chamber of the castle... just waiting to do it's evil deed.

Just call me Maleficent.

I think I shall wait to prick my finger for at least another day.

Edit: I forgot that I need to ask you all something! I would like to know whether an "older" *ahem* student such as myself should be sending out graduation announcements (not invitations, I can only invite four people, and I'm already over with my parents attending + Mr. Savy and the mini-mes)? This is my first bachelor's degree. I only completed my Associates in Fine Arts... almost a BFA, but things shifted and we moved. 10 years later (two years ago) I went back to college full-time and now I am about to graduate with my BS in Business Administration (summa cum laude, most likely.) So... am I supposed to send out announcements? Am I even allowed? If I am, and do... when am I supposed to send them? Maybe I'm too old and I should just graduate in secret from the standpoint of people I actually would send them to. I've tried googling it, and I can't figure out the details of who, when, etc.