I got lucky for the long drive Upstate, and just passed through one scary snow squall in the Catskills -- that was all, the rest of the way the snow had drifted but not completely across the road. My compensation was seeing a bald eagle perched on the very top of a cellphone tower.
Now I'm in my mother's house and realizing how sore my throat is, and also that my mother hasn't left the house for a couple days except to shovel or blowout her driveway. We'll get out there while I'm visiting. I can tell when she's been shut in too long.
Paperclippy, I had the same experience with Mercedes Lackey. I loved her when I was young, and now her characters seem like whiny brats.
I've officially made it through my first week of maintenance. At this point it's still more maintenance in theory than in practice. I find I'm very anxious about increasing my calories, so after giving myself a big bump the first week to get the ball rolling, I've decided to just go up 50 per week till I get to where I estimate I should be and see what the scale doesas I go. Does that sound sensible? I don't know why I am having such a hard time with this. Yesterday I planned all my meals and decided to have a bunch of snacks, and then today I couldn't bring myself to follow through on the snacks. So tonight I planned four real meals that I know I will like, plus specific healthy snacks. Hopefully then I won't feel so weird about it when it comes time to follow through. I like eating! That's how I got fat to begin with! I don't want to keep freaking out about it! Did any of you go through this?
Swan Any behavioural change is difficult. We have to go ahead and experiment, see what works and what doesn't, and go forward from there. You are experimenting with finding out what works for you re maintenance cals. One week of experimentation won't cause you to regain all your weight. It will give you a direction and enable you to start building a regimen that works for you.
Reports of "wintry mix" and ice tonight into tomorrow morning has everyone in a tizzy here, as do reminders that bridges freeze over first since we've got lots of those. BF reminded me that we do have a generator (for hurricanes) and can plug in a space heater if the power goes out. The dog and I had one more nice wog yesterday afternoon before the weather switched this morning.
My office is once again reminding me of high school and I feel like the unpopular kid. I know I've complained about this before, but not lately. I guess we had gone through a better phase for the last year. I don't want to get involved in the drama or compete for popularity, so I just try to keep my head down and go about doing my work and that separates me. Everyone else ends up gossiping outside while I sit here. Will high school ever end? Sigh. Thanks for listening to me whine and I'll stop now.
I loved My Antonia in 10th grade. Maybe I should re-read it.
Swan, yes. I did go through that. And I still do sometimes, particularly when I get on weird schedules. ("I'll be busy for the next 4 hours, so I should eat my healthy dinner now at 5 PM bc I know I'll get hungry. But I'm not hungry now, and I've spent a long time training myself not to eat when I'm not hungry. Maybe I should wait. If I eat now, I'll be hungry at 9 PM anyway." etc etc etc. Dagmar has given you sound advice. A week of experimentation won't make you gain back all the weight. Your plan to slowly add calories sounds very sensible.
Saef, glad you made it to your mom's alright. How long are you staying this trip? A friend drives her kids to school each day and posts how many eagles she saw each morning on FB. "It was a six eagle morning" etc. We try to appreciate the beauty of where we live. Seeing such majestic birds is always thrilling and beautiful.
Jessica, great pic of Carter and the girls. I love how he is in front, like he's guarding the girls and checking out your DH and what he's doing before he's allowed past. Carter is your bouncer. Maybe you could add some easy veggies, like a bag of baby carrots etc to the grocery list each week. Just in case you need/want it. Frozen veggies are a lifesaver though. I've tried to be better about keep myself stocked. (Canned beans, tomatoes, and better than bouillon are my other pantry staples for easy healthy soups.)
Becky, did the remodel start yesterday? You're once again bracing for another winter storm, right? I also agree about the books. I'm the daughter of an English teacher, so I can relate.
Glad you arrived safely Saef. Take it easy while visiting your mom. My dd (in Houston mind you!) has her second snow day in four days! Last week they "cried wolf" but this week they are actually probably getting precipitation.
Re the books, it is funny (and a relief) how fast cultures can evolve. I hate to see revisionist history, even in fiction - it needs to be explained, it should be contrasted to current norms ... but it shouldn't be hidden or destroyed. That is the stuff of regimes that should not be emulated. I'm the kid of a librarian - is it showing?
I was reading a book to DSS last year about Jackie Robinson. It was written probably 20 years ago? It talked, in very neutral, childish terms about Jackie and some of the threats he faced, and some of the wording, even in the general descriptive pieces that were supposed to be the good parts, weren't things we would say today. I remember thinking about changing some of the words, but then decided that if I hid them from him I was doing him more harm than if I let him hear them and explained the context and why it isn't right today. Nothing obscene or hateful, just things that we wouldn't say today and weren't seen as racist then though they so obviously were. They removed that book from his school library this year, very subtly. It just disappeared with a tag in the catalog that it won't be replaced.
Good evening everyone. I've been reading and getting to " know" you all. I survived the horrible drive to and from a basketball tournament this weekend, a case of stomach bug and the cold and drifting snow totally messing with my exercise plans.
Swan- maintenance is scary. Take baby steps.
Saef-be careful on those roads
Megan1982-don't you hate office drama, I'm never sure why some people can't grow up
So I worked from home yesterday to avoid driving to the office in -5 degree temps (not including wind chill) -- glad I did because it meant I got to be there to see Cecilia crawl for the first time! I took a couple videos, you can see one of them here. Allison can't quite do it yet but instead she has started babbling with consonant sounds!
In other news, I finally made a vet appointment for Carter! Yay! I am taking the day off Monday since we have the girls' 9 month pediatrician appointment in the afternoon, so I scheduled Carter's appointment in the morning. Hopefully the weather won't be too dicey Monday.
Swan, glad to know I'm not the only one who feels that way about Mercedes Lackey! Her books ought to be filed in the YA section along with the other whiny teen angst novels.
Ooh Jessica, babies! Too cute. I got to work out today. I was starving but kept it to salad and fruit so I don't think I did too much damage. We shall see Friday morning when I get on the scale.
It's a beautiful place and it changes all the time. I took those pics in the a.m. and it was quite dark and foreboding. By noon it was sunny and everything looked blue-white and icy, with snow whipping about everywhere.
Whenever I am freezing or have the wind bringing tears to my eyes I try to look at the water and sky and appreciate just how beautiful the environment is where I work.
And I'm pretty good at taking photos so you don't see the utility poles, snow fences, chain link, and garbage cans.
I took a couple videos, you can see one of them 
