It is time for me to buckle up my seatbelt for this week’s wild ride. It’s finally here…TECH WEEK! My castmates and I have five days of rehearsal left until our play opens on Friday, November 1st. At this point, I can only imagine how this week will play out since I have never experienced tech week as an actor. Right now, I am fired up and ready to perform!
There is more exciting news to announce today. Not only is November 1st the opening night of my play, but it is also the beginning of NaNoWriMo. And yesterday, I signed up to participate for the first time this November (#18 on my 19 for 2019 list). Of course, when I included this item on my list for 2019, I had no earthly idea that I would be performing in a play. I am currently in the prepping stage. I probably should have started prepping back in September with the NaNo Prep 101 Workshop. Nonetheless, I am excited and will do the best that I can to write a novel with at least 50,000 words in it by the end of November.
Another wonderful opportunity that I’m taking advantage of starts on November 4th. Deepak Chopra is offering another meditation experience called The Path of Empowerment. And, it’s free! I’m already signed up and encourage you, dear reader, to sign up as well.
As for my weight loss journey (#4 on my 19 for 2019), I have temporarily stalled this week. I have not lost any more weight, but I also have not gained any weight back. In addition, I have not been eating enough veggies which I think is contributing to bathroom issues. Thankfully, I am drinking enough water, and I am avoiding added sugar most days. I confess that I did eat a chocolate chip cookie at lunch on Fun Fair Friday and a mini chocolate pie (compliments of my mother-in-law) last night after dinner. I anticipate this week (with it being tech week) may be a challenge; however, I need to figure out another way to deal with the stress besides eating junk food.
In Other News:
#8 Read one book a month for self-improvement. This month I am reading The Power of I Am: Two Words That Will Change Your Life Today by Joel Osteen. I have always enjoyed Joel Osteen’s work whether it be a book, a podcast episode, or a televised event. I love his positivity. This book is about the way you speak about yourself and how it can determine your destiny. Even though I try hard to be upbeat and positive the majority of the time, I am guilty of allowing negative self-talk to creep into my narrative and expressing negative feelings towards certain situations or circumstances. Osteen’s message is all about the attitude and the gratitude. For me, I need to work on having more patience and eliminating the complaining while I’m waiting. I need to focus on being me and not get distracted by others. I have so much I want to see, do, and experience in the second chapter of my life. I have to truly believe my time is coming, be intentional in my pursuits, and practice gratitude for the blessings that I have received and continue to receive daily. I AM BLESSED! Those three words are the beginning of the declarations I want to make a reality.
Today is the start of a wonderful week for me, dear reader. I hope it is for you, as well. I have so much to be grateful for and so much to look forward to in the next few weeks. Heck, tomorrow, I have the day off of work and get to take my amazing friend Michelle out for lunch. I haven’t seen her in ages, and I am thrilled we get to spend some time together. Happiness!
“One voice will point out that you’ve reached your limits. You’ve gone as far as you can. You don’t have what it takes. The other voice is clear and matter-of-fact: “You are well able. You can do all things through Christ. Your best days are still out in front of you.” Now, here’s the beauty. You get to choose which voice comes to life.” ~ Joel Osteen
My quest for Big Easy Kombucha is still in full force. I have only been able to find it at my local Wal-Marts. They have added two more flavors, Jammin’ Ginger infused with ginger, Meyer lemon, and hibiscus and Melon Magic infused with cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon. I usually enjoy a cup of Kombucha with my dinner. Apparently, Big Easy Bucha has a tasting room in New Orleans where you can try Kombucha on draft. Road trip!
In three short weeks, the show that I am doing, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, will be opening. It is hilarious and will be so much fun for audience members. Tickets went on sale yesterday. My experience, thus far, has been wonderful. I’m grateful to both Rachael Knaps (director) and Brent Goodrich (music director) for giving me this opportunity. Being in a musical production is a huge commitment and a great deal of work. I am being stretched creatively in so many ways, and I am loving the challenge. While I am extremely excited, I am also incredibly nervous. I don’t want to just perform well, I want to SHINE!
I have completed the reemergence period of The Clean 20 program. I am down another 1/2 pound which puts me at a total loss of 8 pounds since September 2nd. Even though that may not seem like such a stellar accomplishment, I’m actually happy with it. The reemergence period is where foods that were eliminated during the clean eating phase of the program are reintroduced or banned entirely. I did not create the two lists suggested by Dr. Ian Smith. I did not want to ban anything. Restrictions backfire on me. I would rather give myself permission to eat what I want and choose not to eat it than tell myself I can never eat something ever again. I’m also of the mindset that if a poor food choice is something that will only be consumed once in a very long while, enjoy it. Sometimes, feeling like crap after eating it will be enough to not reach for it again in the future. For example, I adore Bonneval’s Cracklin, but that deliciously seasoned snack with fried out pork fat skin attached is not adored by my stomach. So, as much as I would like to indulge in the future, after belching for hours afterwards and having to pop a Zantac to stop the belching, I am no longer in adoration. I confess to you, dear reader, that although I ate clean most of the time, I did eat what I wanted during this period. I ate beef and fried foods a couple of times. And, I ate sugar! I wanted carrot cake, so I ate a third of a slice that I brought home from Outback Steakhouse. It was yummy, but rich, and enough that I enjoyed it without regret. I was stressing and a little hormonal this past week, so I ate part of a chocolate rabbit (top half) on Tuesday afternoon and the other part (bottom half) on Wednesday afternoon. I basically drowned my feelings in chocolate. I must have felt guilty because that night I ended up having a sugar-related nightmare where I was in a room filled with bowls of candy, and I was stopping at every bowl, grabbing a piece of candy, and eating it. The HORROR! I have accepted my moments of weakness and have moved on. Fortunately, I am back on track.
Ever hear of Kombucha, dear reader? Molly Kimball, a New Orleans registered dietician, talked about Kombucha on her 
My life is pandemonium right now, and I’m surprisingly happier because of it. I have a bunch of irons in the fire. Some are way more enjoyable than others. I’m working on making my dreams a reality. It is awesome to set goals; however, I must remind myself that the satisfaction of achieving those goals comes from the journey or the process in fulfilling them.
#8 Read one book a month for self-improvement. This month I read The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People’s Lives Better, Too) by Gretchen Rubin. I’ve always been fascinated by personality assessments and learning how personality influences decision making, job performance, etc. While those assessments share some specific aspect of human nature, Rubin’s framework is based solely on meeting inner and outer expectations and how people respond to them when making decisions, reaching goals, and handling relationships. A variety of personality types can share a tendency. As I have mentioned previously on my blog, I am a Questioner. According to Rubin, “Questioners question all expectations; they meet an expectation only if they believe its justified, so in effect they respond only to inner expectations” (6). Finding out my tendency has been helpful to me. It has helped me understand why I am unable at times to complete a task or make a decision, or it explains my resistance to meeting someone else’s requests. If you, dear reader, are interested in finding out your tendency, visit 
Some processed foods that I have incorporated in my clean eating repertoire include: Wholly Chunky Avocado minis (only one ingredient, Hass Avocados), Sabra Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Fage Total 2% Greek Yogurt (terrific substitute for sour cream), Sargento Balanced Breaks snack pack (not thrilled with the 8g of sugar that comes from the golden raisin medley), Gorgonzola cheese crumbles, Primal Kitchen Ketchup (organic and unsweetened; no added sugar); Amy’s Organic Soup: Black Bean Vegetable (does contain 5g sugar; organic and gluten free; I get two servings (3/4 cup each) out of a can and pair it with a sandwich), Amy’s Bowls (Mexican Casserole), Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat Bread. I also made kale chips this week. It was interesting. I burned my first batch even though I followed the directions carefully. I received confirmation from co-workers that my second batch was successful. So, I can add kale chips to my clean eating list and add a little more crunch to my life.
This week I decreased added sugar, reduced process food, reduced consuming unnecessary additives, and incorporated most of the foods recommended in The Clean 20 by Dr. Ian K. Smith. I lost 3 pounds. One of the main observations that I have made so far is that I do not feel as bloated as I have been after eating meals. Surprisingly, I do not miss the added sugar; however, I do miss the convenience of processed food. Thankfully, I like the foods on the clean eating list because I eat many of them already.
I DID IT! Two weeks ago, I auditioned for my first musical at The New Octavians, a local community theatre in Hammond. The show that I auditioned for is called The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and it will be directed by Rachael Knaps. It is a musical comedy centered on a fictional spelling bee held at a middle school where six oddball teens will compete, and three unconventional adults will run the show. Well (drum roll), my name made its way on the cast list. I was offered a role, and I accepted it! I will be playing Mitch Mahoney, who happens to be an ex-con assigned to the spelling bee to fulfill a community service requirement. HA! I’m SUPER excited about getting cast and cannot thank my voice coach Laura enough for all of her help preparing me for the audition. We worked intensively together for two weeks preparing me to belt out “The Kite” and the hard work paid off. Go, me! The performances will be in November.
The Kat Files 