Thanks so much, chicks. Would you believe that I took flak from BIL (indirectly thru DH) about not providing a "welcoming home"???? Yeah. Um, dude ... have you forgotten that only five years ago, I hosted over 100 people at my house, with 3 weeks of warning, for your wedding????
thanks, bargoo - I love dogs too! If I'd known she was coming (I was given NO warning) I could have moved the rabbit cage to a safe location ahead of time. Lucy's an awesome dog ... but I have a prey animal for a pet, and we came awfully close to a tragedy on Sunday that I thought general etiquette could have easily prevented.
I'd never take my dog to anyone's house without prior confirmation. In fact, there was only one house we used to take my old Golden to--my BFF and she had a Lab. We'd all go swimming (dogs included) and then have a BBQ. It's what we used to do. If she lived nearby, we might still do it, but still I'd get permission to bring my dog along first.
Becky - I agree, I think it is totally inappropriate to bring your dog into someone else's home unannounced, even if they are family. And really - BIL gives you heck over not having a welcoming home? Really? I can't type the words in my head because the sensor would flag them. And I'm glad that the rabbit was uninjured.
Megan - I've been asking myself why I live in Georgia a lot lately. It has been hot and sticky, just miserable out there. I just ordered a 50z camelback with an insulated liner to keep the water cool for running this summer, as my little 10oz hand bottle just isn't going to cut it this year I don't think.
Michele - I feel like I've had a lot of fat and squishy days lately, I'm wondering if the heat is making me feel ickier.
I'm feeling a little better today than earlier this week, and while I still have TOM water retention hanging on I'm wearing an awesome dress.
Has anyone ever reacted badly to the drink mix, Crystal Light Lemonade, such that their ankles ballooned up after chugging a lot of it on a hot & humid day?
I think I've solved the mystery of my fluid retention. This one surprised me, as the sodium content on the packet seems analogous to a can of Diet Pepsi.
I know I've read that humidity causes one to retain fluid. Why, I wonder? How does your body know? I figured this is simply because we drink more in response.
And also I've solved the mystery of my weight not changing. My scale seems to stick on the previous day's weight unless I reset it by weighing something other than myself in the interval. It's been lying to me! How could you tell about gaining with a device like that?
My ire today is reserved for HSBC bank, which sold its Upstate branches to a bank that does not do business downstate. I opened my account Upstate maybe 17 years ago. I did not realize that made it an Upstate account, though I've been banking in greater NY ATMs and offices for over a decade. (I live in a digital world, folks, in which transactions are no longer regional. They just sort of float through space & time.) The bank kept sending materials about the transition and I kept returning them stating I did not wish to be part of the transition and to keep my account with HSBC. They ignored any communication, I guess like those mortgage companies that didn't really READ the forms submitted to them. There was never any opt-out option, only default opt-ins. So now I'm scrambling to reopen an account at a bank where I already had an account, and which has no branches anywhere around me, and trying to do it without having to travel to visit a branch. This apparently despite our digital world is impossible. Consequently, I have nearly no petty cash about me. This is so very annoying.
As for a relative just walking through your front door and without warning, letting their dog galumph in and attack the resident pet ... I don't know of anywhere that this wouldn't be considered rude and even dangerous behavior. Particularly among people who know and love animals, because they understand that pets are animals, and subject to the hierarchy of predators and prey.
Hi. Decided to take a month-to-month gym membership. Need AC in the summer, and the variety of gym/classes/tapes should keep me moving. Weights this morning, cardio this afternoon.
Has anyone ever reacted badly to the drink mix, Crystal Light Lemonade, such that their ankles ballooned up after chugging a lot of it on a hot & humid day?
Two possibly problematic things besides sodium come to mind when I think of a drink mix like crystal light: sweetener and dyes. I just looked at the product website and don't see a readily available ingredient list or sweetener type (and then my internet browser started popping up horrible "you're not supposed to go here at work" messages, so I got off of that site). But Saef, what kind of sweetener does your package indicate, and have you ingested that sweetener before? Also check the dyes - I think Becky can give you some advice on dye elimination diets.
I see on their website that one serving (doesn't list size there - would that be 8 oz?) contains 35 mg of sodium, or 1% DV. Unless you're drinking many, many servings a day I wouldn't think the sodium alone would cause that much fluid retention.
I used to drink tons of Crystal light, in all flavors. In more recent years I stick to Raspberry Ice in the summer, and this year have tried to give it up in favor of unsweet iced green tea (drinking more tea to help my cholesterol levels). I never had a negative reaction, but have never reacted badly to sweetener or dyes.
FWIW, in the summer here in hot, humid FL when I try to go for long power walks (4+ miles), my fingers will often swell so much it is hard to bend them. I don't know if it's a reaction to drinking more water due to the heat/humidity, Saef. I've found if I walk with no water, I swell. If I walk and bring water, take water breaks, the swelling still occurs but is lessened. If I work out in the AC of the gym in the summer, the problem doesn't really occur.
Maybe we are similar to sponges, absorbing the humidity from the air?
I too feel all "swollen" in the high humidity - we had two days of it just past and it was pretty awful. I could hardly button my shorts and today - normal humidity for May - they are fine. I have drunk the same amount on all 3 days.
Good to know about the Crystal Light - I was planning on trying it as a substitute for the diet pop cr*p I keep drinking.
Well, there's low humidity today and I've switched from Crystal Light Lemonade to some other flavor, colored pink, that has 0 grams of sodium. I don't usually buy this stuff. It got into the house because of our neighbor's death. Her family immediately began purging the house of her belongings, including various foodstuffs that she liked & that no one else ate, and that included large quantities of Crystal Light. My mother can't bear seeing stuff thrown out so she retrieved it.
I'm in a low and stressed-out mood and trying not to eat to soothe myself. Once again, another work stoppage at my apartment complex, this time just after UPS delivered my bathroom floor tiles, and I think before my countertops were installed. I have motel reservations for two weekends from now, and was planning to start moving stuff into the apartment. But now, with work stopped, maybe it won't be worth it. The president of the board at the co-op has sent a letter to the bank basically pleading for funding to continue. Does that tactic ever work with banks?
And I've got a lot to do at work, including co-presenting today at a training session.
Off in a Pittsburgh hospital, an aunt of mine is dying. I foresee a trip to Pittsburgh fairly soon.
I need a good long shower since I'm sitting here in my damp sweaty spinning class gear. That may clear my head a little. That, and some coffee.
Saef, I feel you. Yes, coffee. Start with that. You have a large load of poop right now. I am of the mindset: Just. Get. Through. It.
Start with the coffee, then the shower. Good luck. I'm certain, that even tho the poop is still on your (so-called) plate, you'll be feeling at least a little better.
Just sucks about the work stoppage. Eye on the ball. Persevere.
Coffee's always good, saef. Very sorry to hear about the work stoppage - I don't know how well I'd be dealing with it. Unfortunately, there truly is nothing there to control or influence. I think you should be giving yourself a lot of points for not eating the world, and for continuing on with the good things you do for yourself. I hope you'll get some good news on the apartment again soon - how frustrating to be so close! Re the Crystal Light, of course my immediate suspicion is the dyes. (When the only tool in your box is a hammer, everything looks like a nail). My two cents is, it's a sunk cost and free to you. If it's adversely affecting you, get rid of it or let your mom drink it all.
kitty -
I too am a "sweller" in the heat/humidity. I don't have any solutions for it, except swimming instead of running. It can cause real trouble for me if I forget to take off my rings!
Having a bit of a wild week. It's still strange to me that the place of quiet and routine that I look forward to is now ... work. Last night was the final rehearsal for Sunday's final choir concert, followed immediately by the end-of-season party for the church choir; tonight DS12 will do a comedic reading of a short essay he wrote about a sledding incident (they put him last, knowing that this should be a great performance), and tomorrow we're all going to my mom's to eat, and take care of the to-do list. Weekend is soccer, and the final choir stuff. Phew. One foot in front of the other. I am staying out of the beer and anything salty, with a simple calorie target of 1200-1500. I feel like I don't have time to indulge in anything that's going to get my head off track ... it's a kinda weird place to be. My inner drill sergeant has duct-taped my inner child to an out-of-the-way corner - it's mercifully silent in my head.
I got up late this morning, having coffee,now ,.I am going to make a smoothie in a few minutes including some beautiful strawberries I bought yesterday, some of them will go into my smoothie and a banana. I eat a banana everyday hoping the potassium will ward off leg cramps.Weight is still holding, it just doesn't want to budge.
saef, at times like this maybe you can try the serenity prayer.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the differance.
My weight may be finally budging as it's been inching downward slowly. This morning it was 120. I prefer it to be under 120 but I'll take what I can get at this point. Now my challenge will be to not gain this weekend with the wedding in New York!
Yesterday was a day of slight disappointments. Dh didn't get the new position he applied for. He is getting frustrated in his current position but I feel he isn't seeing "the big picture". Basically they told him that the position he applied for (within his company) was below him and they didn't want to put him into it because then he'd be "stuck" there for 2-3 years. They told him to be patient and wait for bigger positions that will be coming soon. Unfortunately, they've been telling him that for awhile and he's getting tired of hearing it and seeing less deserving candidates get positions he is applying for.
Then, dd and I went to her awards ceremony last night. We didn't know if she was getting a scholarship, a teacher nominated award, or something else. She was extremely anxious and I was having difficulty calming her down. It seems that she, my older dd, and I all have anxiety in some situations-- not too many--- but disconcerting when they do happen. In the end, she just got recognized for having received a scholarship from the college she will be attending in the fall which we already knew about. It made for a late night, and I think she was a little disappointed-- plus she worked herself up so much she gave herself a migraine!
Today she is re-taking part of her calculus final in hopes to bring up her suffering grade. The teacher was nice to let her to that (and other students too) but she just found out yesterday and she has already turned in her textbook so I'm not sure she will see any improvement. We'll see.
Busy day for me as I didn't get any packing in yesterday. Ugghhh..
Um, dude ... have you forgotten that only five years ago, I hosted over 100 people at my house, with 3 weeks of warning, for your wedding????
(When the only tool in your box is a hammer, everything looks like a nail). My two cents is, it's a sunk cost and free to you. If it's adversely affecting you, get rid of it or let your mom drink it all. 
It can cause real trouble for me if I forget to take off my rings!
