Jay, that sounds wonderful. I don't have much opportunity to attend opera, but I do love classical music. We have a small symphony in town and I have a decent classical collection as well.
We had more sunshine today It felt sooo good. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Hi again everyone. A lot has happened here. Sorry to hear about the loss some of you are going through. Difficult times.
I have finally got to the gym and gained some momentum for my own life.
It is interesting how we can be full speed ahead for someone else and have no time for ourselves. Last weekend a friend talked me into signing up for the infa red spa. It is a deal for 30 days go all you want to. I started on last Sunday. It is supposed to cure every thing that ails you. It is really hot and you sweat big time for 30 minutes. It apparently burns off 600 calories in 30 minutes.
I am losing weight and when you are done it feels like a major work out too. Plus I go to the gym for an hour before. I have been so stuck so am really glad to have done this.
I have a new food plan and it is a struggle. 1500 cal a day and stick to it. I have done pretty good so far this week.
Any one have any suggestions how to make it threw the weekend. My friends are having a progressive dinner and I would love to see them all but it would ruin my first week and I do not want to be pissed at myself again.
I could not go and just eat a few things. Too early in my journey.
Jay good for you for going to the community center gym. It is hard to work out on old equipment but it is better than nothing. Our community center is big bucks. Almost $5 to walk through the door. It is cheaper for me to belong to the gym.
So I hope every one is good and you all have a wonderful weekend.
I'd say--don't go to the progressive party. You don't need to say why--this is a case where I would come up with an illness or a previous engagement before I'd tell them I was trying to lose weight. Sometimes people don't take that seriously and get miffed. Of course, I don't know your friends.
I know I'm lucky to have the free fitness center--it's certainly a bonus! I sure need some motivation right now...
Is anyone else familiar with the music of Alan Hovhaness? He was a 20th century composer who wrote some lovely music, much of it with a somewhat oriental or middle eastern flavor. One of his better known pieces is a symphony titled "Mysterious Mountain." I discovered him in the last couple of years.
I agree, make up a "little white" and pass on the progressive dinner, JUDE. Friends (at least the kind that don't need to diet - or don't diet) would never understand the real reason.
Must admit that I'm not familiar with that composer, JAY, but I will be taking a look the next time I'm at a music store. My favourites are some of the really old stand-bys -- Wagner, Rimsky-Korsokov, etcetera.
Jude - I agree - pass on the dinner - or maybe go for the first course only - say hi to everyone, socialize and then skip out letting them know that you have another engagement (which could be with a good book, a bubble bath, etc. )
Jay - I have heard Mysterious Mountain, but nothing else by Hovhaness.
We are trying to raise money for a "Y" here. Other than one full-service health club and a lot of smaller "gyms", there aren't really any options around here. I used to like to swim, but the health club is quite pricey, and I don't think I would use it enough to justify the expense.
I'm blessed to have a fairly large house with no children at home, so adding exercise equipment is an option if I want. In the past, we have owned several different pieces - some I used - some I didn't. Things that have left the house are a treadmill, health rider, and a stationary bike. Things that have stayed have been the Gazelle and the weight machine. Though, if I don't get back on the Gazelle soon, it might be another casualty
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I'm off to finish laundry and clean. Good thing I downloaded a new Audible book to keep me company
Last edited by CountingDown; 01-26-2008 at 12:44 PM.
I was facing the same sort of food challenge today. I get together with six quilting friends once a month for a potluck lunch. The hostess provides the main dish and the others bring salads and desserts. Usually at least 3 people bring a high sugar/high fat dessert. I am a sugar addict and end up far too of the stuff. I find it hard to eat less than 1600 calories while trying to shed weight. I lose about 1/2 pound a week, which is an OK rate since I only have 10-12 pounds to lose. A major pig-out can easily undo all the hard work of the previous week.
I was going to take fruit and just eat that. But that probably would have been awkward. Then I got a nasty cold so I won't be going.
I also have only finished my first week of my diet and exercise plan and probably would have caved and eaten far too much of the high fat/sugar stuff. I do pretty well with portions during the main meal, but rich desserts just make me want to have more, more, more.
I should post on here more than a couple times a month but I have been so busy with posting on other sub-forums that I run out of gas.
I am really sorry to hear that you are in the depths of grief, Spinymouse. My mom went in for a hysterectomy for advanced cancer and after more complications than I can list she is alive butin ICU with a trachetomy and feeding tube in after having a stroke. I am not really sure if I will ever see the Mom I spoke with the night before her surgery. I have had a lot of talks with my only sister and sibling about what to do. My Dad is so grief-stricken he is inconsolable.
In order for me to get through these kinds of situations, and I have have suffered different loses over my life time, I have found that the best thing to do is do what you can. Following my food plan, getting busy and watching some good tv programming helps. I have prayed a Rosary every day since she told us she has cancer. All of these give me some sense and purpose to life, especially when it seems so cruel and unfair. I have found that gives a person a sense of control back into their life and then you are doing something more constructive rather than destructive like the drinking or binging. Why add more misery, like JayEll mentioned, to the misery you are already experiencing?
On top of this, I haven't got the money to go and see my Mom either. My family understands. I do keep in touch via phone to both the nursing staff, doctors and my family members but I have to stand by like a spectator during this time of need in my family. I have had the offer of a plane ticket home for my DH and I but I am holding onto that in case this gets worse and she dies. At this point, I do not know whether she will fully recover from this stroke she had a week ago and then I have to consider that even with chemo she had a 5-10 year chance of survival. If she spends that time trying to be rehabilitated from this stroke on top of that what quality of life would she really have? I have to also wonder how my parents will be able to afford all of the expenses as well. Will they lose their house? Will they be bankrupt?
Life is not fair, Spinymouse, but who ever said it was? Allow yourself a period of grief but don't become destructive and wallow in self-pity. It is not showing respect for yourself or for the person you are grieving. Ask yourself what would she/he want for you and then try to make that happen.
this is all said with a lot of love and respect, we all want you to heal and not have all of your good work go for naught.
Keep warm and focussed. Life is still good in spite of the few speed bumps along the way.
CountingDown, did you like Mysterious Mountain? You might also want to hear Hovhaness's "Spirit of Trees," which is a sonata for harp and guitar.
pamatga, good to "see" you here again! I'm sorry to hear about your mom. It sounds terrible.
CatR! Welcome! I know what you mean about an episode of really overeating undoing the hard work of a week. Been there!
BillBlueEyes, I'll definitely report on the performance. Yesterday my friend and I drove over to Tampa to make sure we know where we're going. We're relatively new to this area, even though we've lived in Florida for several years now. It's an easy drive from where we live. And the Tampa Bay Performing Art Center is really wonderful! Many different-sized performance spaces, a wonderful library nearby, and a restaurant and cafe right there at the center.
Hi Everyone. It has been a rough week, to say the least.
Pam, I am sorry to hear about your mother's complications. How awful. You are blessed to have such inner strength through all of this.
I plan to do a fire ceremony as my way of sending my friend on his way but the weather has not been cooperating. Will try for today.
Jay - I really did enjoy it! I will look for "Spirit of Trees" - thanks for the suggestion
Jo - glad to hear from you. I hope you get a chance to say your goodbyes today. You are in my thoughts!
pamatga - Thanks for letting us know about your Mom. Stay strong! I will keep your family in my thoughts and prayers as well. Having aging parents is really hard. Both my Mom and SF are ill - it IS something that weighs heavily on us - doesn't it?
HUGE NSV for me today. I decided that it was time to dust off the X country skis after 7 years of storage. We hit the trail and did 2.5 miles. It was beautiful! And DH told me that he had a hard time keeping up with me - that I was really flying I had so much fun! I'm hoping the weather holds so we can get out again next weekend
Had company for lunch today and that was great . . . however it is now 6:45 pm and they have just left and that is not so great; especially since we are supposed to have a very nasty day tomorrow and I never got out to get milk and stuff this afternoon -- imagine I'll survive, though. It was a terrific visit and everybody loved the homemade soup.
Sounds like the rest of you have had a pretty actiove day . . . keep up the good stuff, gnag . . .
Well -- they definitely got the forecast right. I'm going to go back to bed for a little while and hope this stupid headache (weather-related) goes away.
Hope the rest of you are having a great and fun kind of day . . .
Not much fun on the docket today, I'm afraid. But I hope to go for a walk when it warms up a little. I did MAKE myself go to the fitness center yesterday and I rode the exercise bike. Of course, I want immediate results from that, but no such luck.
I have been doing the knee exercises that my DH got from his physical therapist. I think maybe my knees are feeling better. I have been doing my stair-stepper thing for a few minutes every day. This is what I need to learn - I don't have to do it for two hours the very first time I try. I am an all or nothing sort of person. Anybody here recognize me? I have also been doing my "car exercises" regularly.
Cross country skiing!! That has got to be one of the hardest sports there is. It has been many years since I tried it, and I didn't like it because it was just too darned hard. I'm very impressed, Counting. Keep up the good work!
Gail! Where you been? And what's this about knees--I guess you never did get those new shoes... You're right about the stair stepper and all those other machines... 2 hours the first time is just a leeeetle bit excessive! Gosh, the first time I tried a stair stepper, I lasted maybe 5 minutes and that was it.
It felt sooo good. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
It is a deal for 30 days go all you want to. I started on last Sunday. It is supposed to cure every thing that ails you. It is really hot and you sweat big time for 30 minutes. It apparently burns off 600 calories in 30 minutes.
and 
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Stopping in again to see how ya'all are
It sounds terrible. 
I had so much fun! I'm hoping the weather holds so we can get out again next weekend 
I'm going to go back to bed for a little while and hope this stupid headache (weather-related) goes away.
and I rode the exercise bike. Of course, I want immediate results from that, but no such luck. 
You're right about the stair stepper and all those other machines... 2 hours the first time is just a leeeetle bit excessive! Gosh, the first time I tried a stair stepper, I lasted maybe 5 minutes and that was it.