[CyndiM]

Wow, March 4th?! How did that happen?

Good morning It's another ridiculously cold morning here. I hope it warms up this weekend. Right now I'm pouring my first cup of coffee and trying to wake up. Can I get anyone a cup?

[Mmckellen]

Just grabbed mine. Can I share that I had a woosh and am still a little in disbelief. I got on the scale 2x just to make sure. Yay SBD!!!

Fridays are days for me when I do lots of wrap up and prep for the next week so they are all pretty much the same and I really feel I've accomplished something when I get through them. Today will be much like that except I've got one meeting. This weekend we are going up to see my parents, which should be interesting. VERY long story, but I've been suggesting to my mom that she should see a Lyme specialist because I think her multiple exposures to Lyme disease, as well as having had the Lyme vaccine (which was withdrawn from the market because of adverse effects) could be contributing to her neurological/psychological/pain symptoms. We've had a couple of preliminary conversations about it, and I've sent her loads of information (including the name of a famous Lyme specialist right in her town), but she's not gotten back to me definitively on it and I suspect we will talk about it this weekend. This is completely her decision, but I do hope she pursues it. Anyone out there with experience with chronic Lyme? Please PM me.

Hope everyone has a great day today!

[Heidi58]

Good morning Cyndi, it's ridiculously cold here, too. (13 below 0) and we're headed to Black Mountain for our annual winter fun day. I've got a feeling the kindergarten crew is going to spend most of our morning inside the lodge. *sigh* Luckily, 5 year olds are very good sports and will be almost as thrilled to play games inside as they would be to snowshoe and go tubing. I'm glad I don't teach 4th grade today!

Hey Matilda - congratulations on the woosh! I hope your weekend goes well. I live in the western mountains of Maine - a hot spot for Lyme disease. It's a horrible, life changing disease, I'm so sorry to read that your mom is dealing with it.

I am so glad today is Friday. I'm not sure what's been wrong with me all week. I'm getting lots of sleep but I feel like I'm dragging every day and I'm irritable and keep getting headaches. I've been finding all sorts of excuses (TOM, the weather, getting back into the school routine after our week off, etc.) but I'm starting to wonder if I might be feeling like this because I've quit using so much artificial sweetener? It is a big change for Ms. diet soda/SF gum lady. I'm down a couple of pounds too, but don't know why. So I should be happy, eh? Whatever it is, I sure hope I feel like my old self again soon.

[TwynnB]

Thanks Cyndi, for the coffee, nice and strong! I too am wondering how it got to be March already?!?

MMCK - congrats on the woooosh!! LOVE sbd for that! Good luck with your mom. We get TONS of dogs that are lyme pos, but it doesn't do much to them, thank goodness (most of the time!).

me - work today, then ON VACATION!!! I'm trying to psych myself to eat fairly decent, that's hard to do with 2 kids in a cabin in a forest. Then we're going to a resort with an indoor water park, and I get a massage....WOO HOO!!! I will eat well, I will eat well, I will eat well...

Have a great week, ladies!

[tomandkara]

Good morning! I'm here nursing the baby and then we're going to head t the airport to pick up some friends who are moving here. We were stationed in D.C. together and we've kept in touch since we both moved in 2003. We're super excited to see them! I made them dinner for tonight so they don't have to worry about going out after the long plane ride, and they're coming over for dinner tomorrow. So fun!

Cyndi, your coffee smells fabulous but I'll stick with my water.

Matilda, congrats on the whoosh! Hope your talk with your mom goes well.

Heidi, I hope you don't come home with a class full of popsicles today!

Tammy, enjoy your vacation! A massage sounds divine!

[Mmckellen]

Heidi, I also wonder if your symptoms are related to withdrawal from the artificial sweetners. Can you keep us posted on this? Very interesting.

[cottagebythesea]

Morning! Is there any coffee left in the pot, Cyndi? Mine isn't quite ready yet, sleep-in slug that I am. But, hey! It's FRIDAY and I'm allowed to sleep in on my day off. So there.

Heidi, I'm wondering if you're not suffering from withdrawal from artificial sweeteners as well. It will be interesting to find out. Keep us posted and I hope you start feeling better soon. Enjoy your outing at Black Mountain!

Happy Friday, Cyndi, Matilda, Twynn, Kara, and those to come. I haven't had my coffee yet, so forgive me for not being too chatty right now.

[srego909]

good morning everyone! Its Friday & we are supposed to get 50* weather this weekend. I am so ready for a brisk walk outside & a motivator to stick w SBD.

[TallandThin]

I can't believe I'm up at this hour! But decided if my body didn't want more sleep that I wouldn't fight it. But it's so dark outside! I would start the coffee but that would wake DH up so will be a good wife and tough it out.

Matilda, congrats on your woosh. Feels good doesn't it? Sorry about your mom, hope you can help her figure it out.

Heidi, Good luck with your wee ones today. Sorry you are feeling out of sorts and hope your back to your "normal" soon.

Twyn, Sending your way. Hope you can find the medium to eat on plan and healthy and still enjoy your vaction.

Kara, Have fun with your friends. How exciting.

Not sure what the day holds for me yet but plan on eating on plan, getting my walk in and go from there. Have a great Friday my friends.

[Ruthxxx]

Good morning from ffffreeeezing cold Delta! Cyndi's hot coffee is very .

I turned the furnace down too far last night and it's only 15ºC in here which is 60F. Never mind, this time next fall I'll have a nice propane woodstove to turn on in the mornings. http://www.jotul.com/FileArchive/Pho...SA_BLM_int.jpg I blew the bundle yesterday and ordered it. Next fall you won't have to listen to me crabbing about having to lug wood!

Matilda, for whooshes! I need one myself. I hope you can persuade your Mum to go ahead with checking out for Lyme. I have a friend who suffers from it and it's pretty serious.

Heidi, Black Mountain sounds cold! I hope you and the kidlets are all well bundled. Interesting to think you may be in withdrawal from artificial sweeteners but why not?

Twynn, we have lots of Lyme disease around here and it has become a nationally reportable disease across in Canada. I've never been bitten but have certainly removed ticks from the dogs. Your resort weekend sounds good - be strong foodwise but do enjoy yourself.

Kara, supplying your friends with dinner tonight and inviting them to your place tomorrow sounds exactly right! That's what I do when folks move to a new house or cottage. The Pypers love it that I always take them dinner when they start their cottage vacation.

Cottage, enjoy your coffee and your day off. I dreamed of Cape May last night and I've never even been there!

Srego, Nice to see you joining us in the Daily.

TallandThin, I'm sending the sun your way. He should be there in about another hour or two. By then I hope you have coffee.

I plan to stay home this morning and catch up on niggles. Claire returned my preserving kettles the other day and they are still on the kitchen counter. Today I will brave the stairs to the basement and stash them away. If you saw my stairs, you'd understand why I say "brave" although Paul did put on a rail. I also have Christmas garlands to finally put away. They were covered with ice and just could not come down until yesterday. I may hang my kittywillow wreath - I mean p u s s y willow. Silly censor!

Wishing you a day of sunshine and kittywillows!

[Schmoodle]

Before we know it Cyndi, March will be gone!

I'm picking up DH at the airport at noon, squeeee! He just called and arrived in Atlanta on time. He said he brought as much Chilean wine with him as he could.
I'm mostly off today, going to take care of a few odds and ends this morning, then head out. DS is on the couch, sick. I am so sick of sick. DD1 heads for New Orleans tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed I won't have to bail her out or anything. Apologies, Cat and Zeff if you happen to see her in the area behaving badly.

Heidi, congrats on the whoosh! I live in a big Lymes area too and have several friends that have dealt with it. You are right to be proactive about it. One of my friends was diagnosed late, and has serious health issues from it.
Twynn, have a wonderful vacaton!
Heidi, maybe get your thyroid checked? It seems to be going around.
Kara, I'm sure your friends are so glad there is someone to welcome them. Have a fun reunion!
Hi sreg, don't believer we've met. Very nice to "see" you here. Enjoy your nice weather.
Hi TallandThin, I have been thinking about you - I'm glad to see you here and hope you're feeling much better.
I've got plenty of coffee here for you, cottage!

[WaistingTime]

The Spring Challenge starts tomorrow! The more the merrier

Good morning Cyndi and chicks! Time IS flying by!

Matilda - Woo hoo!

Heidi - Sorry you are dragging. Interesting timing. I have heard before that artificial sweeteners CAN cause weight gain!

Twynn - Have a great vacation! Massage envy.

Kara - Too bad your friends are moving just as you are getting ready to head to paradise. Have fun.

Linda and srego

TallandThin - Thanks for the reminder about that casserole... I'm going to make it today and eat the leftovers this weekend.

Ruth - Your basement stairs are probably like the ones my grandparents had when I was growing up. I dreaded even looking down them!

Schmoodle - Sounds like you are busy with comings and goings.

I'm off to workout with my mom again today, then the grocery store on the way home which is my usual routine. I have dragged out my scrapbooks (okay, weeks ago) and need to start playing catch up. I sure didn't take many pictures this past year!

[tanner'smom]

Good morning!!

Today is a work day at school. Which means no kids and a lot of time staring at my computer finishing up IEPs. I am hoping to get what I need to get done quickly and then leave and go see my uncle.

I am off!! Have a great Friday!!

[CyndiM]

Well I'm back home and trying to thaw out. Without going into boring detail the "vent" window on my car is still not fixed and living up to its name (stupid name normally because it doesn't actually open). I drove half an hour into town with the very cold air blowing directly onto my ear. Gave up and drove a half hour back home. Now I'm huddled over hot coffee trying to stop shivering. That was fun.

Hope your morning is going better!

[weezle]

Voodoo had an.... explosion.... all over the bedroom at midnight. I got back to sleep I think around 4. I am exhausted and headachey and nauseous but I'm worried sick about Voo. She's had tummy issues off and on this week. Not sure if she's getting into something in the yard, or if it's her new Milkbones, or a puppy GI bug, or what. Vet says to give her Pepto 3x a day but if not better in a few days, we'll have to take her to the vet. I just want her to feel better and be ok. Say some prayers and/or send good vibes to our puppydoo, if you would?

So yeah. I'm wiped and struggling to make it through the day. Very excited to stop by my parents' after work - Mom saved coupons for me and has extra veggies and Laughing Cow cheese from Sam's for us. Gonna try making a cheese sauce out of the Light Fresco and Chipotle LC + skim milk + LF Mexican blend cheese.

Anyhoozle, I should get back to work. Just wanted to say hi. Hope everyone has a great day.

Lisa