White House by dcJohn
I have impeccable table manners.
Partly because my father would poke me in the elbow with a fork if I put my elbows on the table.
Mostly because you could hear my mother, almost every night of my childhood, tell me about how I need to practice good table manners… for the day that I would (potentially) eat at the White House. Wouldn’t want the President catching me using the wrong fork.
Why does this matter today, of all days (why is this day different from all others?)
Ann-Marie Harrington, founder and president of Embolden in Pawtucket, an Internet consulting and Web development firm, has been named Small Business Person of the Year by the Rhode Island office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
That’s right, my boss is a rock star. And tonight, she’s at the White House with the other winners from around the country.
Brush up on those table manners folks, because you never do know…
This is a 5 pound chocolate cake! I wish I could tell you that it was given to me as a gift, but I am afraid to say that I bought it myself. Honestly, I do not know what came over me. I went shopping to get items for dinner and passed up several cakes with cute pink and green frosting on them, no trouble at all. Then I come around the corner and there it was, right in front of me chocolate freakin’ heaven! So I bought it for dessert after dinner, I am certain you all would have done the same. (this is where you agree.) When I got home I put dinner in the oven and decided I would have my slice of cake. When you take a 5 pound cake and eat 1/10th you eat 1/2 of a pound. Yeah think about that one! When I got done eating it I felt like a cheap cheating sleaze ball. I realized although I had not been perfect in the last 21 days I had not touched a pastry or baked sugary anything. Right away I knew that I had to counteract the damage I had done. I decided to go on a bike ride. When I was leaving my house I suited up in my calorie counting gadget, helmet and mp3 player. The last words out of my mouth were “I am not coming back until I have burned 600 calories.” Heading down the road I knew that I was going to have to go down “THE HILL” to burn the necessary 
calories, now the hill is a monster. I have been avoiding it for a while because honestly I did not think I could make it back up. The devastation would be huge if my neighbors saw me pushing my bike and my fat butt up the hill. As I approached the hill I got that feeling you get when you go on an amusement park ride, you know that one of no turning back when you are strapped in and it’s to late. That’s the feeling. So I just sucked it up and down the hill I went. It was exhilarating! My little speedometer thingy said I went 27 MPH just coasting down the hill. The ride was so much fun I realized how much I have missed the feeling of freedom that bike riding gives you. It had been 2 years since I dared to go that far on my bike. I enjoyed every 
minute of it . The smell of the lilac bushes as I cruised by smelt so very good. They are my favorite. It seemed to go from lilacs to BBQ’s, there were a few times I thought about stopping for a hot dog…but I didn’t. I kept cruising along trying to avoid the streets that have dogs that chase you, along with the streets that my friends live down who would make fun of me in my bike helmet. The next thing I knew, I was 5 miles away from home. Then it hit me, I had to eventually turn around and go back. So I headed up the road. All of a sudden the easy going bike ride started going up hill. I was huffing and puffing certain that people could hear my panting as I rode by. Although my speedometer said I was going 7 MPH I am sure it was 8 or 9! My legs were burning and I started trying to focus on the music, then all of a sudden I found a little friend. It was like he was cheering me on as I rode by. Letting me know I was going to make it. It was a goat. He just gave me such a look 
as I sped by at 6 MPH that I could not help but feel a little bond with him. He is now one of my diet buddies. I did make it up that street and then turned to head home. The rest of the ride was fairly easy, but I knew what was coming. I had it all planned out in my head, when to switch gears, when to say it’s okay and push my bike up the hill all of it, I had mentally prepared myself for this hill. My bike started out at 12 MPH and I just kept telling myself I was going to make it, I kept peddling away and was about half way up the hill then my speedometer went to 8, 6, 5 and then 3 MPH. My little chubby legs were peddling as fast as they could, I was just hoping that my bike did not tip over from lack of motion. I put my head down and then all of a sudden I was at the top of the hill! I made it!!!! Then I started to cry, I cried because I did it, I cried because I am strong enough and I cried because I found that I can do whatever I set my mind to even when I feel like I can’t. This may seem small to some people but to me it is huge! It is something I have not done for 2 years because I was afraid of failure. Biking is something that I have loved so much and I kept myself away from it out of fear. How ridiculous is that? So my fear is gone, I proved that I can make it back up that damn hill and I will conquer it again and again! The only thing that holds us back is ourselves no one else. My plan this week is to ride a total of 50 miles because I CAN do it, because it will make me feel better and because I deserve to do something I enjoy so much. Long story with weird stuff but hey this is me and I CAN have a goat as a diet buddy if I want! Who knew 1 piece of chocolate cake would lead to this?
