Linda, I loved reading about your decorations for the birthday party! We are thinking about what to do with the kids' rooms at the new house and I might have to get your advice!

Karen, have fun at the gym!

Rose, how fun that you were able to stay in the same place for ten years! I would have liked to have stayed in Germany but since Tom made rank last year, there weren't any positions available for him to extend into.

Jasmine, good luck tomorrow at the competition! Hope the kids have a blast!

Morning girls. Yesterday was a rough day. There was a bad 6-car accident close by work. Cops were flying around me when I was on my way in yesterday. As it turns out, my high school principal had a heart attack while driving to the school and died. He was only a year older than my dad, and probably the best example of what a human being should be. My dad worked side by side with him at the school for a number of years and they became close friends. He had to leave work yesterday, he was so upset.

A lot of people would think "You were close with your principal?" but I'm starting to think it's a Lutheran thing. Chris went to a small Catholic grade school and high school, but even he doesn't understand. I don't care if you went to a Lutheran school or not, if you're a Lutheran in Central IL, you knew who Ralph Nitz was, and you liked him. He performed in the Springfield Muni Opera, and you knew if he was visiting your church that morning after the first note sung during the first hymn. He was the founding principal of Lutheran High School in Springfield, and touched the lives of thousands of people. I am relieved to know that he's up in heaven with his wife, Judy, riding his John Deere and mowing God's lawn. My dad said that heaven needed Mr Nitz up there to make sure the choir kept perfect pitch.

SO, needless to say, when faced with the option of drowning my sorrows in alcohol or food, I chose food. (I did NOT have chocolate though! That's something, right?) Complete binge. Back on track today. One of my good friends is in town so I'll spend time visiting with her tonight. Just a real downer.

Sorry for pouring all that out there. I hope everyone has a great day.

Lisa

Morning All,

I am beyond tired today....uggg. Can't get moving.

Lisa, I was so bummed to hear about Mr. Nitz yesterday...he was truely a great man and will be missed by so many people!

Well, Dallas is having their big St. Patty's day parade tomorrow and we are debating if we should take the kids...so many people, and so many sloppy drunk people! I am not sure if we will be able to find a PG-13 area to stay in. LOL

Anyways, hope everyone has a great day. I get off work at noon and will be getting a pedicure and heading to the chiropractor. Should be a good day if I ever WAKE UP!

Jess - Yeah it sucks. Springfield's parade is tomorrow too, but after I nearly broke several noses downtown last year, we've decided that we'll have a small gathering at our place tomorrow night for those trickling out of downtown drunk-fest. I'm bowling for kids' sake (Big Brother Big Sister) and otherwise, just grocery shopping tomorrow before we have people over. Good luck finding a PG-13 area

Hi all!

Lisa - sorry to hear your news.

Kara - good luck with your move! I bet you'll miss Germany!

Everyone else, have a great day!!

I am having a chilled out day today, voice is slowly coming back and i've got nothing planned tonight except running, cleaning and having a nice long bath. Tomorrow i'm going shopping with a friend to blow our paypackets (erm kind of)!

Morning everyone ok, I'm up, had my coffee, showered, cooked breakfast for DH and just got back from walking. It is so nice outside, a no jacket day with big old fluffy clouds. Nice quiet walk this morning. Believe the beavers are winning the battle with my neighbor. I saw the pile that he pulled out of the pond yesterday but by this morning the beavers have built an even bigger dam. They must have worked all night.

Heidi, so proud of you vs artificial sweenteners. I can't imagine doing that right now.

Kara, hope you sell what you want/need to. I can't imagine moving as often as you do. DH and I have lived in this same house for almost 39 years now.

Ruth, twenty bolts, how great is that! We have a local church group of ladies that make quilts and every year they donate as many as we need for the non profit that I volunteer for that helps women escaping domestic violence. They are very much appreciated and so needed by these women and children. Good luck with your passport photo. Hopefully it will turn out better than driver's license photos :

Matilda, aren't those weight gains awful? I've been bouncing up and down now for weeks it seems. Will be glad when my body and the scale stop messing around and get serious.

Rose, oh, prom dress shopping. I remember how much fun I had with both our girls doing just that. In fact, I believe I still have some of their dresses hanging in the spare closet and believe me, it was a few years ago that they wore them. memories :

Lisa, so very sorry about Mr. Nitz.

Well time to get on with my day. Let's all concentrate on staying on plan or as close as possible. Later

Lisa and Jess, I'm so sorry for your loss.

Claire, have fun with your shopping!

Tall, your walk sounds so nice!

I have the munchies today. I have restricted myself to the second floor to be out of reach of food.

I am mighty late getting to the "daily" chat - but sending thoughts and prayers to those in Japan, and those here who have had such san .

Today was day 10 on Phase 1 - but I did slip and have about 5 tortilla chips as my beloved Tarheels nearly lost to Miami - but I did slick with hard boiled eggs for breakfast with V8, and grilled chicken with salad and avocado for lunch. Cheese stick for am snack, peanuts for pm. Dinner yet to be decided -

Thank you all for being on here.

Just popping in to say hello. Got up early for DanceFit class this morning...finally got to go to a class w/ my roomie. It was fun!!! Then this afternoon I walked Shadow for 3 miles...she was pooped when we got home. Got my 5K in the morning, then the dog park, then a cookout w/ some friends, and then a night out possibly. Gotta run...hope you're all having a great day!!!

Lisa and Jess, I'm sorry. The two of you and Mr. Nitz's family and friends will be in my prayers.

We had a great time with Dan (our son) tonight. I'm so proud of him and pleased that he's grown into a responsible young man and made a nice life for himself but I sure miss having him around all the time. We ate at a Mexican restaurant and I had grilled fish and a salad, very tasty and not too far off plan.

I did something dumb on the way though. I wore a different jacket and found half a pack of SF gum in the pocket. I guess I just acted out of habit or something but I popped a piece of that gum in mouth so fast. It wasn't until after I'd chewed it for a while and swallowed it ( bad habit I know) that I thought about what I'd done. Duh! One stick of Trident isn't going to make me or break me but I sure feel like an airhead.

I'll be thinking of you and your 5K tomorrow Natasha - good luck!

Good night friends!