Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Back to TOPS, save for the door handle incident(s)


All that and a plate of low-carb chips. That’s what my TOPS group is.

I love weighing in there once a week. I’m externally motivated (I’ve never been a ‘do it because it’s good for you’ kind of person), so having to face the scale every week is fantastic and keeps me super accountable, even on days I’d rather fall face first into a bowl of Apple Happies.

Sure, I’m the only low-carber there, and it’s weird when you’re registering 4-10 pound losses half of the time, but it’s so nice to be with a group of folks who are working towards better health. They’re also super sweet ladies and gentlemen.

I have just started back in the last month, now no longer working full-time (yay!) and it has been awesome! I can’t believe I hadn’t been there since last September (boo!).

Only, today I can’t go in. Why, you ask? Because I’m taking my vehicle to a dealership to be repaired. Why, you ask? Because I only have one door handle left, aside from the rear hatchback.

I know. Sounds weird, right? Son #1 has been in weight lifting this year. He gave a tug on the rear driver door handle. SNAP! I looked back at 6′1″ son, curly locks hanging by the sides of his face with an entire door mechanism in his hand. “Oops,” he said in a lackluster, teen way, followed by, “Do you want this back?” I threw the handle in the glove box.

Only a couple of months later, same son tried opening the front passenger door on a particularly cold day. CRACKLE! The entire door handle panel this time has a huge crack running through it ans wobbles when you open the door. Son sighed, offering up, “Well, at least the door still works, if you do this…”

A week ago, I went to pull open the rear passenger door (the only rear door that works) and heard a POP! My husband dead panned. “Did you… did you just break the door handle? “I’m not even in weight lifting,” I marveled.

We have two door handles that barely work now, other doors opening either through manipulation of inner slides and levers, or through entry through the back of the vehicle.

I am a fan of Toyota vehicles, but would warn against fiberglass handles for vehicles frequented by weightlifters.

Note: The chips pictured are just my cauliflower pizza dough recipe baked, cut into strips and then diamonds (second cut goes diagonally), sprinkled lightly with popcorn seasoning and then dried in a dehumidifier. Crunchy!