South Beach Diet - Wacky Wednesday Chick Chat

Morning all, I just wanted to get things started and I'll be right back. :coffee:

Good Morning, Cottage and Beachers,

Nothing new here. Today I'll do a manuscript critique and evaluation for a young girl who has written her first book. I'll get a haircut, and then try to do some writing later.

I hope everyone has a great Wednesday!

Good morning! Another summer day is about to happen. We nearly broke the record yesterday.

No big plans for today although I may go to town and brave Wal-Mart. I need to do one of those boring shopping trips - things like a new mop, a BBQ cover, batteries and cleaning supplies. Exciting, eh? I just may have to buy some quilting fabric to cut the boredom. My next Block-of-the-Month course starts this Saturday.

Hope your day isn't too wacky!

Good Morning All!

Well I haven't slept yet and I'm craving Lightly Salted Dry Roasted Peanuts.. I could say I overindulged the past two days with them cause they are all gone. Guess I'll need to start Phase 1 for a couple days..

I'm back. My computer needed to shut down and re-start. :dizzy:

It's supposed to be a hot, humid day after getting used to cooler temps. :( I'm getting back into my normal routine today, which means getting over to Curves first thing. I'm going to stop off at Mom & Dad's afterwards for a quick coffee and chat. They're eager to hear all about my trip and how Caite made out. The girls start gymnastics this afternoon, and I'm taking them out for supper afterwards since C & R have a PTO meeting. The girls want to go to the Chinese buffet that's right next to gymnastics, so that's the plan. Oh, boy, that's going to be a toughie for me. :eek: Any advice, Ruthie? ;)

Cottage! :rofl: Advice from me? You know I'm addicted! I'm also going to town today and had better get going so I'm not there at noon. (I wonder if they do breakfast.)

JellyBean, proper sleep is essential when you are dieting. Why on earth are you not sleeping? Ditch those peanuts.

Belle Mer, I'm sure the young girl will appreciate your help. It's nice to have a mentor.

Good morning Chicks :coffee2:

Just a quick stop in because I've frittered away my extra time again!

Lucky for me Chinese buffets are completely off-limits with MSG sensitivity so I've never actually eaten at one. Sounds like a good thing :)

Have a good day all!

Good morning chicks!

DS had a great first day of school..til he came home and the stomach bug his sister had! Now, he doesn't want to go today :(.

Off to inspire kindergarten in a little boy!

Regarding Chinese Buffets, they usually have one or two things that are close to SBD friendly.

Eat a lot of broccoli first. Then go back for the protein. Choose what looks like it isn't too full of fat or sugar, and don't stress over it. Have fun.

Good morning all. Cottage, VEGGIES! :)....

Twynn, sorry to hear DS isn't feeling well. :( poor kids.

I have to prepare for an interview I have at 11. NOt sure I want this one. (that probably means they'll offer it). ;)

So yesterday I had a pleasant surprise. My dog started carrying on as she was tied out so I went to bring her back and I hear "hello Lori!" I looked and there was a semi-familiar face! OK, back up...my mother raised us 9 kids while Bob And Bev raised their two girls, and I raised my son while Bob and Bev raised Brent. It took me a minute to realize it was Brent! This kid I've known since he was born! He's 22 now. He worked the state fair out in Syracuse and was headed back home to Buffalo, I'm directly in the middle so he stopped to say hello and hung out for the day.

My son needed a ride to go for an interview so we picked him up in the convertible Mercury Brent showed up in! I drove! I'm not a fan of fancy cars or convertibles let alone sports cars, but I had fun. But then, I think it's due to the fact that for 8 weeks I've been bored out of my mind and this put a break in the day for me! I got some sun on my arms and face :).

Good Morning All!

Well I haven't slept yet and I'm craving Lightly Salted Dry Roasted Peanuts.. I could say I overindulged the past two days with them cause they are all gone. Guess I'll need to start Phase 1 for a couple days..


get some sleep
eat some protein
drink some water

eat well move some sleep enough drink plenty.

good rules...


MORNING gals.

tonite is my first WW weigh in. I ate BEACHY all week but kept it within points and the scale is showing it! woo-hoo I think i found my way.

status quo here... nothing bad, nothing good. nothing changed...

did i mention bagel is still not recovered 100% he still falls A LOT... poor baby.

girl child seems to be doing well with school.

DH is sucking up getting up at 5 so far but it's only the second week of school.

I have a horrid meeting today and i need to leave early to go fight the post office who promised me a delivery on Monday (to a friend out of state who needed meds) and she did not get it. she went and picked it up yesterday at the post office herself.

Ladybug, Monday was a HOLIDAY!!!!!!! NO mail happened hun!

Ladybug, Monday was a HOLIDAY!!!!!!! NO mail happened hun!


it does when you pay extra for it.

Nessa (hugs)) I did not know that ! :)

I hope there were no complications in your friend for not having the meds!

Get your extra money back!!!!!!

A quicky hello! Today is a very auspicious day. It's my 40th B'day, also here in India, Lord Ganesh's Birthday is celebrated... I have a friend catering a Chinese spread and 20 friends coming shortly. My pledge to myself...no second helpings! Have a great day everyone! kitty

Nessa (hugs)) I did not know that ! :)

I hope there were no complications in your friend for not having the meds!

Get your extra money back!!!!!!



we will get the holiday fee back. she's spoken to the supervisor. it's her new vacation home. she forgot her anti-depressants and is down for over a week so I sent her some. it's what friends do ya know...

I have been trying to get on for the longest but kept getting an error message - the good thing is I am on now :)

Cottage good luck with chinese - i don't have to worry about that to much as I don't like chinese food seems to not last long

Nessa good luck on that weigh in

Indigal :bday2you:

Twynn hope the kiddies get better soon

Softball practice this evening and thats about all i can report.

hope you guys have a super day

Morning chicks, I feel human today after getting a good nights rest!

Cottage oh dinner plans sound great! Lucky for me DH won't eat chinese so I don't ever have to worry about the temptations!

Ruth Thought of you on my trip back from Michigan, saw a store somewhere (perhaps Holland) that was strictly for quilters! How fun would that be? I think it was called Quilters Square.

Belle I envy your reading and writing, sounds so much more fun than numbers.

Jelly Get some sleep girl!

Cyndi, Twynn & Gonna :wave:

Loriann what a nice suprise!

Nessa :crossed: for your weigh in tonight, sounds like you found something that is going to work for you! :carrot:

Kitty Happy Birthday! I'll join at 40 in December.

Me Found out yesterday I am going to have to take a 3 day course in mortgage lending basics, UGH! 4 years in the business and I have to take a course that the outline says day one "how to use a calculator"! The state is making all offices get liscensed now (we have always been exempt because we have an FHA liscense). I am all for getting the liscense but there should be some kind of waiver or something for this damn 3 day class. Let me take the test and if I fail then make me take the course! This is going to mean closing down our office for 3 days, and that my friend is poor business.

Beyond that it's life as usual! Have a great day chicks!

Indigal ---

:woo::celebrate::hb: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!:hb::celebrate::gift:

Mornin! Still on vacation.... :D Had a great day with Tom yesterday. Going with my mom today to get the title from Grandma's car transferred to me. Otherwise, just another lazy day!

I'm enjoying all these lazy days but already don't want to go back to work Monday. Got a text from my assistant saying that the new shift leader we took on from another store put in her notice and her last day is September 9. Great. Can't wait to go back to work. Wish I could afford to stay home. I will gladly get Little Guy off to school, pick up the house, do the laundry, get Little Guy from school, and cook. NO PROBLEM!

Well, time to get Little Guy ready and off. Have a good one girls!

Lisa

PS Happy Birthday Indigal!

Good morning all! Happy Wednesday!
Cottage - Good to hear that you're getting back into your routine. I hope you're enjoying your workouts as much as I am these days!

Belle - Wow....you can read through an entire manuscript in a day. That's impressive!!! I hope it's a good book.

Ruth - Enjoy your trip to wal-mart. I always stop by the clothes to see if there's anything I "can't live without". Maybe you could treat yourself with a new pair of pants that fit well??

Jellybean - Nessa's right....sleep, eat well, and exercise. You've got to start taking control of yourself.

Cyndi - Be grateful. Chinese buffets have taken a number of us down! I'm not quite ready for an all out free-for-all. Hope your day is productive.

Twynnb - Sorry to hear that ds is not feeling well. I hope he's feeling good enough to go to school this morning.

Loriann - Good luck on the interview. I know you think it's not one that you'd want, but getting the practice in will be good for you!!!

Nessa - I hope the weigh in tonight is an inspiration booster for you. Glad to hear that points + SBD are working for you!!!

Indigal - Happy Birthday!!! I hope your day is SPLENDID!!!!

Gonnabe - Have fun at softball tonight!

Stephanie - That sucks!!! I hope the teacher is at least entertaining and understands that there are a number of people in the session who are completely qualified already. Good times!! ;)

Me - Back at work and feeling good. It's amazing how much better things seem to go when you're doing what you're supposed to do. Already I feel better in my skin after a day of eating right and exercising. We've got the new computer up and running.... the new monitor is SO PRETTY!!! I love it!
It should be a quiet night. Which is lovely!
Have a good day, Ladies!!!
ENJOY!!!

Lisa - Missed you......Sorry to hear that you have someone quitting when you come back from vacation. At least they waited to leave until you came back. I hope you're able to find a replacement quickly!

Morning, everyone! I was so worried about all our Southerners this weekend. I hope everyone was okay and stays that way through our oncoming storms. :grouphug:

Belle, what a fun job! Do you do manuscript reviews often?

Ruth, I love the new avatar! I need to change mine. Definitely get some fabric...who can resist the $2.99 pile of fabric bolts at Wally*Mart? :love:

Jelly, you only have to do P1 if you think the nut overindulgence was due to cravings. Lots of us find that nuts are easy to overindulge on. You could try parceling them out into little cups and then only taking one cup at a time...or you may find you have to use a different nut to keep you from overindulging. :shrug: Good for you for paying attention to what's happening, though! :D

Cottage, does the Chinese buffet have green beans? Several of the ones around me make these delicious garlic green beans and I could eat them by the bushel-full. :T I'm sure they have oil on them and, hence, more calories, but they take a while to chew and are very filling, so I end up eating much less (and avoiding the really bad stuff) overall. :D

Cyndi, love that avatar!

Poor DS, Twynn. That sounds awful! Hope he's feeling better!

Sounds like a fun weekend, Loriann!

Nessa, congrats on the loss! :hug: Sorry about the horrid meeting and the P.O. Hope it all goes better than you expect!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/beachgalgarner/rainbowsparklyHBcake.gif Kitty! Hope you and Lord Ganesh have a wonderful birthday full of friendship (but not overfull of food! ;) )

:wave: Gonna

Yikes, Stephanie, about the 3-day class. Blech! Hope it goes fast!

Me:
Well, back to "real" life, eh? I have choir practice tonight--should be interesting. We have a new director who's a LOT more laid back than our last. I'm not sure he's even advertised our practice night...I asked him and it turns out they've been practicing for weeks...but I'm not sure he let the rest of the choir in on it! :rolleyes: He's having it on Wednesdays and I'm busy at least half of them each month with my Food and Mood support group. I also have Theology on Tap on Wednesdays. Guess I'll just have to juggle. :dizzy:

Have a great day and stay dry! :rain:

:wave: Weezle and Heather! Simulposting!

Morning Ladies!
Before I forget Happy Birthday Indi!!!
Cottage Do they have Mongolian BBQ then you pick what they put in. . .they might even have a steamed veggie choice?
I'm highly allergic/sensitive to MSG it kicks off my fibromyalgia so I stay away from all the "fun stuff" and usually go chicken with black bean or chicken and broc
No real time for personals ARG I'm swamped of my own accord and have some extra projects to do while "maintaining productivity" That's goign to take more coffee! :coffee:
The Pants-O-meter and I had a chat this AM and while I've been doing well with the upper body workouts (due to the now healed foot) The lower bod has suffered and my legs are a bit flabtastic GRRR
WATP here I come!
I'm goign to print out a pic of Mad-Eye Moody (From Harry Potter) and post him all over to remind myself
"constant Vigilance"
Day 1 Ph 1 AGAIn! but I think the pants will keep me on track!
bbl
Kier

Happy Birthday Indi!

Good morning everyone,

Sounds like everyone is busy as usual.

Indiagal Happy Birthday!!!!

Everyone have a good day!!! too busy for personals we are down 4 staff members

Morning chicks, I have been trying to get in here all morning but it's been hectic at my house. 3 kids on 3 different schedules, seems like it takes all morning to get them all out the door. At least next year the younger ones will both be in middle school and out the door at 7:30. :carrot: And maybe the big one will move out by then! DS's best friend's mom called in a panic because her son missed the bus and she was at work an hour away, so I ran him to school for her. I didn't mind doing it, she is sweet and never asks for favors, plus I think moms need to stick together and help each other out, but that was my shower time and boy did I need one! (not that you needed to know that...)

I'm thinking about putting together a trip to Orlando in October. Seems like the stars are aligning as far as days off school, condo availability, and $$. DH would be very happy if we just went ahead and did it without him, he is a Disney-hater. I just need to decide if I want to spend the money and take the time away from work. I'm hoping to take the fam to France next summer, so maybe better to just save for that...

The kids drag me to the Chinese buffet periodically. I hate it, there's not much there I can eat. They have steamed shrimp but they're watery and flavorless. Usually, I eat a big plate of those greasy garlic green beans, just shake off as much oil as possible, then a bowl or two of egg drop soup, then a teriyaki chicken stick. Not completely on plan, but the best I can do there. Then I expect to see a couple of pounds of water weight next day.

Happy Birthday Indigal and Lord Ganesh!!!!
Now that you are 40 you can expect all your parts to start heading South!

Happy hump day chicks! Did we lose Matt Twynn? Too much TOM/booby talk?

schmoodle wow! france next summer what a vacation. i too am planninga family gathering in orlando in october a trip to sea world. good luck with all your planning

Morning girls. I'm extremely tired this morning, so I'm just going to do a quick flyby. I'll post more later.

We got power finally about 2 am this morning, finally went to sleep around 3

The house was so hot....

lost a few large trees, a few small trees and a few parts of fence...nothing that can't be replaced.

Some friends who had evacuated came over yesterday....really got to see what an emotionally (and sometimes physically) abusive relationship they have. Not sure how to handle the relationship from here on out...those kind of words - in my house, in front of my two year old...I'm stunned. Too stunned to say anything at the time - DH and I just ushered DS into the other room and started playing with him.

I need to get some more sleep....or a coffee IV...

Talk to you guys later - xoxo

Zeff Glad to hear you made it through the storm well. :hug: for you with the friend situation.

Zeff, I'm happy to hear that you've "weathered" the storm pretty well. :) As far as your friends go, I would just take them aside and tell them nicely but firmly that you have rules in your house about language and respect that you want to instill on your son. If your friends don't appreciate that you've told them your rules, then they aren't worth having as friends, IMHO. ;)

Quick check-in for me. DH's boss' wife had her baby about 3 months early this morning (around 2 am). Luckily, the neonatal unit from the city (3 1/2 hours away) was able to fly in just as she was delivering. Baby Dawson Riley is fine, but will have to be on an incubator in the "big city" for at least a month. They airlifted him there once he was stabilized. Mom and Dad are still here in town as she hasn't been released from our hospital yet.

Happy Birthday, Indigal! May your year be full of fun and health!!

Cottage - I know what we have to do, and DH is gearing up to talk to them....they both have massive alcohol problems (in 8 hours yesterday, the two of them went through a huge bottle of vodka, a huge bottle of tequila, 2 big bottles of margarita mix, 2 cases of beer, a fifth of Seagrams 7, and they cracked open a bottle of DH's best bourbon - only to be promptly shut down on the bourbon consumption (it is only for special occasions around here - not shot gunning) and that definitely exacerbates the problem.

The saddest thing is they have a 4 year old girl. She is going to grow up thinking this is what love is supposed to be...poor girl.

The husband came out and started laying into his wife for not sticking up for him when we were playing cards (there was a discrepancy in the rules - he was wrong) - he called her every name in the book, precluding each with a huge, loud f-bomb.

I was scared of him, DH was worried that he would start doing something and accidentally hurt either me or DS....which would make DH have to physically extract him from the house. (He's almost 30 - way too old for street fights)....but the guy was just out of control!

He actually called this morning and apologized for "hurting my feelings" - probably referring to when he was arguing with me about the game rules. I didn't know what to say, there was so much else he needed to apologize for...

He also gets really hard on DH when he drinks....making fun of him for being too smart, or saying that his dad makes too much money....stupid things. It's easy to see that he feels completely inadequate (the guy only has a 9th grade education) and constantly cuts DH down to make himself feel better. Thankfully DH is aware and doesn't take it to heart - but still hard to hear from a friend. It is a difference in values - education is very important to our family...beer is very important to theirs.

Zeff so glad to hear you guys are okay. hope everything works out with the friends situation

Zeff - Sounds like a peice of work. I'm glad your dh is going to talk with him. Your son doesn't need to hear that, and it's your home. I hope things go ok and that maybe your dh will be so persuasive that he'll start re-evaluating decisions he's currently making. :crossed:

I think I already know the answer to this, but I am going to ask anyway.
Is WW pasta allowed during phase 1? I was going to make that recipe for the meatball casserole, I need to serve it with pasta for DH and the kids. Just wondering if I could have a bit too.
Thanks,
Jenny

Jenski - nope.

Thanks Zeff. I figured, but it didn't hurt to ask!
Also, thanks for the kick in the butt about sugar in my coffee!! I haven't had sugar in my coffee since I asked that question last week. I happily switched to Splenda, and um, it isn't that bad anymore!
Everytime I think about it, I remember what you said, "1TBS is like putting 1 CUP in there".
Jenny

Thanks Zeff. I figured, but it didn't hurt to ask!
Also, thanks for the kick in the butt about sugar in my coffee!! I haven't had sugar in my coffee since I asked that question last week. I happily switched to Splenda, and um, it isn't that bad anymore!
Everytime I think about it, I remember what you said, "1TBS is like putting 1 CUP in there".
Jenny

You could try spaghetti squash - it always got me through my P1 pasta cravings. I wasn't really craving the actual pasta...but I felt a little deprived that I didn't have SOMETHING on my plate like DH and DS. Spaghetti squash is great and really easy to prepare - I usually microwave it.

and, you're welcome :)

--

MIL just called. FIL is supposed to be coming home today - apparently the northern part of the state has more gas and he should be able to make it home.

They are still w/o power and are supposed to be w/o it for quite awhile. MIL asked if I could come pick up food from her freezer - She said we were free to eat it and she would just replenish later. Yay!

Belle, what a fun job! Do you do manuscript reviews often?




I'm a writer - I'm not yet published in novel-length fiction, just one short story so far. I do manuscript evaluations and critiques (not grammar editing) to help new writers, and make a little money, too! :smug:

Morning girls. I'm extremely tired this morning, so I'm just going to do a quick flyby. I'll post more later.

We got power finally about 2 am this morning, finally went to sleep around 3

The house was so hot....

lost a few large trees, a few small trees and a few parts of fence...nothing that can't be replaced.

Some friends who had evacuated came over yesterday....really got to see what an emotionally (and sometimes physically) abusive relationship they have. Not sure how to handle the relationship from here on out...those kind of words - in my house, in front of my two year old...I'm stunned. Too stunned to say anything at the time - DH and I just ushered DS into the other room and started playing with him.

I need to get some more sleep....or a coffee IV...

Talk to you guys later - xoxo


Glad you are okay. Been thinking of you and the other LA ladies.

Zef glad you are alright.

Well, interview, I think it went alright. I liked the owner, it's not bad pay for the work they want, but this position is more "audit" or "secretarial" and my forte'is more bookkeeping. But, the hours in summer are 35 hours, and in winter more like 45 (cpa, tax season), and they have entire week between xmas and ny's off. benie package is not the greatest. The pay is lower than I am looking for. IF the present an offer, I'm not sure I'd turn it down.

[QUOTE=zeffryn;2345417]You could try spaghetti squash - it always got me through my P1 pasta cravings. I wasn't really craving the actual pasta...but I felt a little deprived that I didn't have SOMETHING on my plate like DH and DS. Spaghetti squash is great and really easy to prepare - I usually microwave it.

This sounds like an interesting idea. Is spaghetti squash something I buy? Is that what it is called?

It's a roundish yellow squash you'll find in the grocery store: Bake it and scoop out the innards, and eat! Delish!

Well I'm waiting for my mother to show up. She wants to meet my boyfriend's 28 year old friend. My mother is 46. I'm not even sure if BF is bringing his friend today or not, I guess it depends on how late they get off of work. This should be entertaining, anyway. BF and I had a fight last night so I'm not speaking with him. He's really got insecurity issues regarding a certain good friend of mine. And one of her friends is this guy who likes me. My BF apparently thinks I'll jump into the sack with this guy and that my friend will influence me to do so. Crazy, huh? So I will be quite immature and ignore him. :p

So I'm on Day 3 of phase 1 and haven't cheated. Doing pretty good.

This Friday a hurricane is supposed to hit us. I'm supposed to go to court with my friend's mom for moral support in a custody case, but we're thinking court might be canceled. My other friend lives all the way down by the water and she may get flooded out. I think we'll be fine but there is a huge tree looming over us and I'm not sure I want to be here in the event it crashes down.

I hope everyone is having a good day. I have to go wait for mom. I hope I'll be able to get my exercise in today!

It is so good to hear from Zeff, now all we need is to get the other LA chicks back in the nest and I'll stop worrying about you girls. I'm nuts, I admit it. Now that all my own children are out of the nest I look for others to focus my worrying on. BUT if you think this is bad you should see me when the hurricane is heading towards SC, my oldest brother lives there ... darn it, what is Hanna up to ...

melanie FWIW (remember my hubby is 11 years younger than I am) my bestest friend whom i adore and had breakfast with on Saturday (sans hubby) is a 26 yr old guy. i"m nearly 49!

What does FWIW mean? I've been meaning to ask.

I think it's awesome when women get with younger men. Nothing wrong with that at all (unless it's a minor!) I will do the same when I get older if I'm not with BF, who is a bit older. It's amazing how people can find wonderful friends in all sorts of different packages; age and other factors don't matter when someone is truly a good friend. I've made friends with people from all different walks of life and different ages and race before, including people in their 50's and 60's.. It's incredibly enjoyable & fulfilling to me to have such friends. :D

FWIW for what it's worth

It's in the acronym stick above, FWIW. :lol:

Back from town where I had a lovely shop. It's really warm here and the AC is on. Strange to not use it in August but need it in September. The Dogs are trying to convince me to fill their wading pool but it's already cleaned and ready to go away so I'm ignoring them.

Glad to see Zeff posting and hope Cat and Mandy show up soon. Hannah is heading up the East Coast but seems pretty fickle. Maybe she'll go off into the Atlantic - sure hope so.

Time to figure out what to have for dinner and get those tomatoes out of the dehydrator.

HUGE willpower plus for me today!!
I made DH and the kids cheese & meat rav with SF sauce for dinner. What the heck was I going to eat? And how was I going to resist the rav?
Ah! It came to me, I'll mix some ricotta cheese with an egg, parsley, parm. Cook it in the microwave. Top it with a little SF sauce, moz and a sprinkle of parm. Tasted close enough to the rav that I didn't miss them, and didn't touch them! Added a nice heap of roasted veggies drizzled with olive oil and seasoning... Dinner is served! :-)

That sounds good, especially since I'm a huge cheese ravioli fan myself.

I need to get around to reading the acronym sticky 'cause (I didn't notice it, heh) I have asked three different people in the past week what three different acronyms meant. I'm learning, slowly but surely.

Oh yeah, I forgot to add this earlier because I heard the roar of my mother's mustang in the driveway, but Lady Nessa, you look younger than my mom who is 46. I would put you more at 39 than 49. (My mom would be so angry if she knew I said that.)

DH and I finally got home from getting milk, eggs and yogurt. The stores were absolutely packed - Walmart was the only store close to us that was open and the rest of the stores...forget it, traffic to get there was insane!

It was also the first day that any grocery store had been open since the early dispersal of WIC and food stamps. MILLIONS of people had their little checks out and the cashiers had to meticulously check through their goods. Took forever.

One thing I noticed while waiting and while in the parking lot was the amount of people that had their YOUNG kids in the car - front and backseats- without a child safety seat. A car pulling into the spot next to us had a tiny baby on the mom's lap and three quite young children (maybe 1-3?) in the backseat - standing up, backwards on the seat...not buckled in, no carseat...

it appalls me. Why would someone purposely endanger their children's lives? It cannot be that child seats are too expensive - there are govt. programs all over the place down here dispersing car seats....or that they don't know - you HAVE to have a carseat to leave the hospital!

I'm thinking about writing a letter to the editor of our local paper. Something needs to be done! The fine for not having your child in a seat is $100, with nothing else to come of it. It can happen again and again without recourse...unless your child dies in an accident of course. What is to stop these parents from continuing to endanger these kids?

*end rant* Sorry girls, I needed to get it off my chest.

The car seat was the first thing we bought, before we went to the hospital.

I hope they get stopped by state troopers and arrested. It IS appalling.

I looked into what the penalties for not having a child in a seat were - and throughout the states, it is a fine only - with Louisiana being one of the steeper fines at $100. Some states are only $25.

It isn't an arrest-able offense, unfortunately.

That sucks. I think they should be arrested and charged with neglect, or investigated by DSS for neglect. Maybe some would find that extreme, but it would hopefully teach them a very important lesson: don't play russian roulette with your children's safety.

My youngest daughter was so good about buckling up that one day I picked her up from daycare, she must have been about 4, I started backing out of the driveway before her belt had clicked and she started crying. I stopped the car to see what was wrong and she was all upset because she hadn’t gotten her seat belt fastened yet and she thought that not having it snapped before the car was moving would cause an accident. I had been telling them to buckle up so they wouldn’t get hurt if we had an accident and she thought the secret to preventing the accident was having the belt fastened. All that time she had been doing her part to protect us by making sure her seatbelt was snapped shut.

That sucks. I think they should be arrested and charged with neglect, or investigated by DSS for neglect. Maybe some would find that extreme, but it would hopefully teach them a very important lesson: don't play russian roulette with your children's safety.

oh please it's a law now but many of us survived just fine without car seats.

Back then safe car seats were not available. They are now. Our parents had little options. I see these same parents smoking in the car with their little ones with the windows rolled up. I usually shake my finger at them when I drive by. :mad:

Back then safe car seats were not available. They are now. Our parents had little options. I see these same parents smoking in the car with their little ones with the windows rolled up. I usually shake my finger at them when I drive by. :mad:


they are also very expensive. not everyone is as blessed as we are.

and i don't mean to be argumentative but you have no idea why the kids are not in car seats or anything else. I do agree that smoking in the car is wrong. smoking in general is bad for us but folks find ways to ignore that, being fat in general is bad for us but folks find ways to ignore that too...

i know car seats were not available. I went through the windshield of a VW beetle at age 3 because no car seats were available. my kids rode in car seats.... if i had kids now they would ride in car seats. cause it's the law. but i'm not without sin so i can't condemn someone without knowing the whole story first.

We provide one at the hospital through social services if anyone cannot afford one with a newborn. Also our local Salvation Army & other charities provide car seats (used ones, not new) to parents of older kids. Garage sales always have them cheap too.

Although it pains me terribly to see kids not in car seats, it's really not my concern, unless I am a law enforcement officer and they are breaking the law.

I'm a big believer in protecting privacy, and personal, individual, responsibility. People reap what they sow.

they are also very expensive. not everyone is as blessed as we are.

and i don't mean to be argumentative but you have no idea why the kids are not in car seats or anything else. I do agree that smoking in the car is wrong. smoking in general is bad for us but folks find ways to ignore that, being fat in general is bad for us but folks find ways to ignore that too...

i know car seats were not available. I went through the windshield of a VW beetle at age 3 because no car seats were available. my kids rode in car seats.... if i had kids now they would ride in car seats. cause it's the law. but i'm not without sin so i can't condemn someone without knowing the whole story first.

There are plenty of state programs available now (at least here) that offers car seats at either very low or no cost to the parent. I see flyers for the program right next to the WIC flyers at the doctors office.

When I was a kid, I remember riding without a car seat in the front seat of my Dad's pickup - I was around 3? I was also always buckled in....no restraint at all is just unacceptable....especially with what people know now. I cannot criticize parents years ago...the availability of such information wasn't as broad as it is today. Heck, my grandmother smoked the entire time she was in labor with my mom.

Just today, I saw 3 instances within a 15 minute span of kids - and we're talking infants through toddlers that were not in a car seat. It wasn't like the parents were just parked in the parking lot and were pulling up....there wasn't a car seat even IN the car. Kids were on the parents lap, bouncing around in the backseat...those kids become projectiles when the adult gets into an accident....although, I guess I can't ask too much from these parents. They don't strap themselves in, why would they strap their kids in. It's almost as if they forget they are driving a huge metal killing machine on wheels.

Sorry, but I'm passionate about the use of car seats. We talk to new parents over and over again about how important they are to use. We also talk about lots of safety issues in general. When someone chooses not to use them and breaks the law, I'm going to butt in a little. I'm also a mandatory reporter of child abuse. To me it's child abuse not to put your kid in a car seat. It's also the law. No, you can't know what their situation is from looking I agree. But there are options for people who need one and don't have one.

Although it pains me terribly to see kids not in car seats, it's really not my concern, unless I am a law enforcement officer and they are breaking the law.

I'm a big believer in protecting privacy, and personal, individual, responsibility. People reap what they sow.

I am a huge believer in protecting one's privacy as well, but my concern is this:

Why let these people get away with this kind of thing over and over? This country doesn't let people drink and drive over and over again (or at least we're not supposed to) because of why? They are endangering innocent people's lives.

Isn't this rather the same thing? A personal decision to endanger the life of an innocent?

Why should the children have to reap what the parents sow? Seems rather unfair.

Why let these people get away with this kind of thing over and over? This country doesn't let people drink and drive over and over again (or at least we're not supposed to) because of why? They are endangering innocent people's lives.

Isn't this rather the same thing? A personal decision to endanger the life of an innocent?



It's dicey because drunk driving is committing an act of violence (drunk driving) on a victim. I think it is much more serious than neglect.

[/quote]
Why should the children have to reap what the parents sow? Seems rather unfair. [/quote]


It is unfair that children reap what parents sow, you're right, unfortunately. But that's life. I think at the heart of that is really more of a moral issue than a legal one.

You and others here have kids, I don't, so I'm sure you know more than I do about the subject. You know that some folks out there have poor parenting skills. But what should we as individuals do besides help educate people where we can?

It's the parents that have ultimate responsibility for their children. Sometimes that's a bad thing, unfortunately. If the parents break the law, they should be held responsible by the state that made the law, not by individual citizens. The citizens of that state or city have agreed to that law, and they expect the police to enforce it, indeed, they pay taxes for that service.

Much as I'd like to walk over and give parents a piece of my mind when they do something dumb like not use a car seat, I've "hired" my local police to do that job for me, or I and others become the law enforcers, and where does it end?

If they're not doing their job, like you indicated, I'd complain to the police or my local official, and/or write to the newspaper like you mentioned to shed light on the problem. It's a good idea.

While I do believe that it's safest to have children buckled into car seats, I also would like to give some of these people the benefit of the doubt. Didn't you all just weather a hurricane? How do we know that these peoples' vehicles aren't crushed under a tree with their car seats trapped inside, but they HAD to have milk to give to their babies and all the babysitters were gone (or they couldn't afford one considering there's a downed tree on top of their house, car or etc.).

I doubt that these "free car seats" are being handed out at the moment, what with food, gas and etc., being people's main concern.

I'm sure this isn't the case for all of them, but it is a possibility for some. If it were an isolated incident under typical circumstances, I'd be miffed, but I can't reasonably assume that all of these people flaunt their children's safety like that on a regular basis.

It's dicey because drunk driving is committing an act of violence (drunk driving) on a victim. I think it is much more serious than neglect.




It is unfair that children reap what parents sow, you're right, unfortunately. But that's life. I think at the heart of that is really more of a moral issue than a legal one.

You and others here have kids, I don't, so I'm sure you know more than I do about the subject. You know that some folks out there have poor parenting skills. But what should we as individuals do besides help educate people where we can?

It's the parents that have ultimate responsibility for their children. Sometimes that's a bad thing, unfortunately. If the parents break the law, they should be held responsible by the state that made the law, not by individual citizens. The citizens of that state or city have agreed to that law, and they expect the police to enforce it, indeed, they pay taxes for that service.

Much as I'd like to walk over and give parents a piece of my mind when they do something dumb like not use a car seat, I've "hired" my local police to do that job for me, or I and others become the law enforcers, and where does it end?

If they're not doing their job, like you indicated, I'd complain to the police or my local official, and/or write to the newspaper like you mentioned to shed light on the problem. It's a good idea.

Belle, DH and I were just discussing this issue at length.

Drunk driving, in itself, is an amoral action. We legislate against it because it increases the risk of victimization. How is that any different than neglecting to put a child in a restraint? In both cases, the driver is willingly putting another human at an unnecessary risk.

The laws that you seem to hold so dear are made by the same fallible people who failed to put their kids in car seats and who drive under the influence. Man made laws are just that, man made. They are not immutable. It is our duty as the citizenry to ensure the laws are consistent with the principles which conceived them.

The motto of the police force is to serve and protect. That protection is not just limited to those who can pick up a phone and call 911.

Regarding the educating parents comment.

How many Americans smoke? How many of them are ignorant of the harmful effects of it? How many parents will answer "yes" to "Is junk food bad?", yet childhood obesity is a growing problem in America. There is enough evidence to know that conscious knowledge is not enough to warrant a behavioral change in people. Education is great as a thing in itself, but thinking education is a panacea for all of man's troubles is misguided and unsound.

Personally, I think the real issue of the matter is the underlying corruptness of the culture which breeds this dereliction of duty. Since this line of thinking is not politically favored, we just prefer to avert our eyes.

btw, :hug:

While I do believe that it's safest to have children buckled into car seats, I also would like to give some of these people the benefit of the doubt. Didn't you all just weather a hurricane? How do we know that these peoples' vehicles aren't crushed under a tree with their car seats trapped inside, but they HAD to have milk to give to their babies and all the babysitters were gone (or they couldn't afford one considering there's a downed tree on top of their house, car or etc.).

I doubt that these "free car seats" are being handed out at the moment, what with food, gas and etc., being people's main concern.

I'm sure this isn't the case for all of them, but it is a possibility for some. If it were an isolated incident under typical circumstances, I'd be miffed, but I can't reasonably assume that all of these people flaunt their children's safety like that on a regular basis.

Yes, we did just weather a hurricane. Today wasn't the first time I've seen this either. I see it whether there is a hurricane or not. How many times can I give them the benefit of the doubt by saying that their car seat was just smashed in a car accident, or something completely sporadic and destructive happened to every single one of these people? How many times am I supposed to overlook the fact that instead of simply buckling their children into seat belts, they simply let them roam free in a car - giving them the potential to be projectiles if that car was ever in an accident.

If they did just have a car smashed by a tree, I guess I'll never know...but surely nobody needs 3 cases of beer and a carton of Newports badly enough to endanger their children's lives (which is what one carload of unstrapped kids were buying).

Cottage! :rofl: Advice from me? You know I'm addicted! I'm also going to town today and had better get going so I'm not there at noon. (I wonder if they do breakfast.)

JellyBean, proper sleep is essential when you are dieting. Why on earth are you not sleeping? Ditch those peanuts.

Belle Mer, I'm sure the young girl will appreciate your help. It's nice to have a mentor.


I always have trouble sleeping, ain't nothing new. I still lose weight regardless, lol