Thursday Thirteen #15

13 Random Things and/or Thoughts From JAM 1. I tried, and love those individually packaged cheddar cheese sticks with chipotle peppers in them. Free advice: Don't eat them on an empty stomach. 2. When heating cooked hamburger meat in the microwave, use a lower power setting. Otherwise the high setting will turn some of the little bits of fat into rocks that will break your teeth. 3. I'm only a day's worth of writing behind the proper pace for finishing National Novel Writing Month successfully. I feel good about that, and haven't really been stressed about the whole thing. Don't get me wrong, my novel is complete crap so far, but it is just flowing out of me. That's pretty cool. 4. It's still startling to me to walk outside after work and it's dark. The building I work in has no windows, so the darkness still surpises me. When I get used to it, it will be time to switch the clocks back the other way. 5. I paid $2.19 for each gallon of gasoline the other day. I think the price fluctuates WAY more than the market prices for crude do. But I'm glad I'm paying $0.75 per gallon less than a few months ago. 6. I wonder if that dude in the BWM who passed me on I-95 is still alive. The guy was weaving through morning traffic like a mad man. It's times like that I wish I drove a tank to work, then I'd be sure he was dead. Not really, but the thought did flash through my mind. 7. A few weeks ago, at the surgical center where Lovely Wife had her surgery, there was a guy who had the most unique comb-over I had ever seen. Instead of letting a monstrous flap grow on one side of his head and plastering it over his bald dome, this guy grew his long hair in the back of his head and had it combed straight over his bald dome forward from the rear. AND this long hair was cut into bangs in the front. I couldn't stop staring at him. And obviously I can't stop thinking about it. 8. I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving, but we have to work this coming Saturday to make up for having the Friday after Thanksgiving off. It doesn't happen on most years, but it worked out that way this year. Bummer. 9. Speaking of Thanksgiving, I've lost about 45-50 pounds this year by eating low carb. I've only cheated twice and got right back on the program after a couple of days because I feel dramatically better when I'm eating low carb. I'm looking forward to all the goodies and crazy foods on Thanksgiving, plus, when I get back on the diet after being off for a couple of days, it supercharges my weight loss. So I can look forward to all the good vittles, AND look forward to the quicker weight loss of getting back on my program. 10. I've been watching almost no TV since starting National Novel Writing Month, and I haven't missed it at all. I've gotten out of the "Lost", "House", and "Numbers" habit. 11. I'm so sleepy writing this that I keep zoning out. What should have taken ten minutes has already taken thirty. (sound of snoring) 12. It's really hard to believe that Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays are upon us because it's still so hot here. But I love them anyway. Plus I watch every Christmas show and movie we have on tape and DVD and listen to Christmas music so much that most people would die of overexposure. 13. I'm hoping to make a trip back to visit my family in Monroe, Louisiana the week after Christmas. I haven't been back there in five and a half years due to hurting my back and having two surgeries. Not to mention Lovely Wife and Number One Daughter having surgery too. I'm not getting my hopes too high because I've had them dashed a couple of times the past couple of years, but right now it looks like a trip to Louisiana will be doable next month. Five years is too long to go without hugs from your family. I can't get Mr. Linky to work this morning, so just leave a comment with a link to your T13 and I'll come back in here and manually make a list of everyone's links. Thanks. The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!