[Starting Over Again]

Welcome, Caroline! Froufie will be glad to have another Canadian join the ranks! I've actually been to Toronto ... many, many years ago! I was driving a rental car from NY and didn't know where I was going so everyone kept honking their horns at me ... needless to say, I was anxious to leave! We look forward to sharing in your Core experiences!

[aghiowa]

Welcome Caroline! You've found a great group of ladies. We'll be looking forward to hearing from you.

Angela

[cher123]

Angela, those are terrific pictures! Just goes to show what can be done with persistence!

I'm hanging onto what seems to be a loss this week. Just have to make it through two more days. I have some fish at home for dinner tonight, but I'm going to be really stressed out from the doctor visit, I know. Ds had his best ever report from school yesterday, but I'm afraid it was just a flash in the pan. He only has a half-day today, but my hopes are not high. Curiously, the report yesterday noted that his regular teacher was out and it was just the student teacher and a substitute he has had before. One thing my dh pointed out to me is just how much adult interaction he gets with us at home. Maybe he just expects that at school, too? I'm just feeling really rushed by the school.

Sorry to ramble on about this, but it's really stressing me out.

[Vickie]

Glad you found our hangout, Caroline! You are absolutely gonna love it here!

[Froufy]

Howdy neighbour! HI Caroline and welcome - nice to see another canuck here (who can commiserate w/me about the lack of nf/ff foods we get here!).

By the way speaking of canadians - where is FRANNIE???? Has she disappeared? come in frannie!

It's quite NIPPY here today - like -6 with the windchill this morning - now in the winter I would have worn my winter coat - but are u kidding? Just threw on a fleece jacket and out I went. Sounds like everyone is having some wierd weather today (is it the Russians w/their weather machine?)

Did my walk at lunchtime - now remember how yesterday I had "trickles" down my neck? Well today it was just enuf to keep my hands tucked up inside my sleeves, jacket zipped up to my neck with the cold wind blowing and making my nose all cold and red! I DID IT THOUGH - 30 whole freezing minutes. Now having lunch at my desk!

TOM is kinda hovering around - can't decide whether to stay or not!!! Have a bit of a hormonal headache today too - but so far not a busy day at work so I have been able to catch up on a lot of stuff. In a bilat w/my supervisor this pm and I'm sure I'll leave w/more stuff to do!

Angela - I think becoming a leader or receptionist is a great idea! I think it will help keep you on track and you can share your success w/others! Definitely a shopping trip and a reward is in order! Have fun and let us know what you get!

We're full of great saying todays - loved yours Kathy so true - and even Sandra - boy I never thought about it that way - will be watching that clock more carefully now as it hits midnight!

Sandra - good luck w/the mil issue - I know that is such a hard decision to make and lots of arrangements required - so don't feel guilty for feeling bad or maybe stress eating! Just try and do the best you can.

Deborah - enjoy the performance tonight and bravo for only one little bag of m&ms - what supreme control! (So what are you having this weekend??? inquiring minds want to know!! )

Vickie - good luck w/WI tonight - don't sweat it - as you know and we have all witnessed - it eventually comes off!

...and if you think everyone is on their best behaviour - ....well dd went to bf's house again - WITHOUT PERMISSION - and furthermore his MOTHER WAS NOT HOME!!! She called me yesterday at 4 pm to let me know where she was - but of course once I knew the situation I had to pack up and leave work to go pick her up! Not very convenient for me. BF played dumb when I mentioned his mom's rule of not inviting her over if his mom was not at home. I am planning to call her today to let her know...and dd punished yet again - no TV til the weekend......no rest for me!...and Dh was all cranky last night cuz I drove 18 yr old to a meeting he had to go to (for his band promotion job). Not far maybe 10 mins each way? but poor dh couldn't handle it - thought he was spoiled, I should not be a taxi service....blah blah blah. Then when ds called when meeting was over for ride home - dh did not answer my cellphone (I was upstairs it was downstairs near him) knowing full well it was probably ds calling - wanted to know what "arrangements" I had made w/him....and why was I being abused as a taxi service??? I just don't get it? Is it jealousy? just plain nastiness? I do intend to bring this up next time we go to the therapist - I feel he is still trying to drive a wedge between me and my children and I'm not sure why???

Frouf

[aghiowa]

Froufie, here's a hug for you. Sounds like more hair-tearing from your family.

I got 2 pairs of jeans, a pair of capris, a pair of shorts, overalls, 4 shirts, a skirt, a shirt and skirt for oldest dd and a raincoat and a dress for middle dd. And the best part, everything fits, and I only spent $22!!! I love Goodwill.

Angela

[Starting Over Again]

Wow, Angela! If only I could make $22 stretch so far!!! How about becoming my personal shopper?

Froufy, I'm sorry I attributed positive behaviors to DH when clearly he is still in his selfish, woe-is-me mindset. Good for you on sticking firm on punishment with DD since she is continuing to test you. I think she is depending on you to be the one unchanging thing so it's good that you're staying tough and not letting her manipulate you. How often will Emily be meeting with her own therapist? I'm proud of you for braving the cold and the wind to walk during lunch ... hope you had some of your world-renowned soup to warm you up upon your return! And I'm planning to have some kind of wonderful concoction ... to be decided upon when I get there ... from the Cold Stone Creamery. I'm salivating just thinking about it! What a Pavlov's dog I am! Okay, pick up a rolling pin in each hand! I deserve it!

Cher, I'm sorry you're stressing out but hopefully, things with DS WILL continue to go well. That's wonderful that the pounds are staying off!

[Vickie]

Wow, Frouf, I don't know what it is but DH definitely has issues. Hope he works them out soon and doesn't make you chose.

Angela, you are quite the shopper!

Deborah, did you get your money from the church yet? I've never eaten Coldstone Creamery but they are popping up around here everywhere. My Niece says they are fabulous. Maybe my birthday cake should come from there. Have you had one?

[aghiowa]

I went to Cold Stone a while back, and I was actually kind of disappointed. I got the Boston Cream Cake flavor I think. It was SO sweet and rich. I got the child's size, and couldn't even finish it. I bet another flavor would be better. Go for the child size - it's still really large, and it's way cheaper than the huge ones.

Angela

[tennis girl]

Thank you everyone for the welcome :-)

Glad to see a fellow Canadian Froufy. You can understand how we can be outside in shorts on Monday and be back to cold weather jackets today ! Crazy weather !!

[Starting Over Again]

Vickie, the little boy's parents have called me twice, stressing that the little boy is going to be paying me out of his savings. I sent them a copy of my invoice this past Saturday so if I don't get a check from them in the next day or two, I'll touch base with the church and ask them to pay me and collect from the child's parents. I don't know why the child's parents have called to tell me that ... it's almost as though they expect me to feel guilty for collecting the cost of my expenditures.

I've never had cake or ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery but I thought the ice cream was divine. However, if you thought Jim's birthday cake was too sweet the other day, you might be like Angela and find that it's too rich and sweet for your new tastes. The Cold Stone Creamery here will let you sample different flavors so you might want to do that before you buy anything. I generally use sweet cream ice cream as the base and mix in some kind of chocolate with some kind of nut. My DH loves using sweet cream ice cream as the base and mixing in strawberries and graham cracker crust crumbs topped with whipped cream for a strawberry shortcake. It IS expensive but very much worth it for an occasional splurge!

Quitting time! Have a great night everyone!

[ontarget]

girls, thank you for the support. vickie, i'm fighting hard to not gain right now. it's a battle, isn't it?

angela, i haven't known you for long, but i can already tell you'd be a fabulous leader/receptionist/inspiration.

{{{{{frouf}}}}}} i'm sending you a special hug.

cher, my students used to act up more when there was a sub. it's sort of like they were looking for boundaries.

dh and i celebrated at a cold stone creamery immediately after shooting a national tournament in louisville, ky. we both got large concoctions. mine included white cake mix ice cream, bananas, walnuts, and caramel. i couldn't finish it and was sick. it was super rich. i'll never buy a large one again.

deborah, stand firm. call the church. you shouldn't have to wait to be re-imbursed.

[Froufy]

Wow - I want to live right next door to that Creamery place - sounds divine! I would have to experiment of course to get just the right mix! Sounds so yummy!

I'm salivating here - and we just had yet ANOTHER celebration (my cubby neighbour is leaving for a new job on Monday - boohoo I will miss her so much). So there was this FABULOUS lemon cake w/white sparkly icing - smelled really nice and lemony and fresh, but this frouf WILL NOT LET CAKE PASS her lips. No thank you I said as I politely declined - I am sweet enuf! I went back to my desk after the party to eat my fruit salad (purchased last night at the grocery store) and it tastes YUCKY! I am so upset - the fruit tastes a bit off so I ate the three grapes and will just chuck the rest - how disappointing! Will eat my apple I guess then head home.

Thanks to everyone for the hugs and support - I am trying very hard to deal with everyone's issues and it does sometimes wear me down!

Angela - what a great and inexpensive shopping spree you had!!! Enjoy your new purchases.

Now I am starting to worry about tomorrow's lunch out! http://www.newportrestaurant.com/flash/main.html
Need to remain vigilant in order to see a loss on the scale this saturday - what a change that would be as I have been the same weight for over a month now! Everyone keep their fingers crossed and Deborah I expect some major blinking from you!

Thanks
Frouf

[Monkeypoodle]

Wow, this is a busy board today! I think there've been four new pages since I checked in yesterday afternoon.

Welcome Caroline! You've come to very special group. We're glad you're here.

Coldstone?!?!? They are really yummy. I believe they have a chocolate peanut butter concoction that is 'da bomb'. And I'm sure it's core.

Melissa, you fall off the exercise ball? Seriously? I haven't blown mine up yet so I guess I shouldn't be grinning. I just have this mental picture of a woman sitting on a ball and falling over. Who knows, that woman may be me this weekend...

And I hope it's a baby, not a virus!

Frouf, congrats on your walk in the cold. You Canadians are hardy folks! It's a bit chilly here - I think in the 40s, but that's downright balmy for you, isn't it? I'm doing 30 minutes daily at lunchtime too, so we're sort of walking buddies, eh? I used to have lunch at my desk and never leave the building. Isn't it great to get away from work for that walk? I wish I had a magic wand to give you for your family issues. Suddenly walk into a Brady-like household, complete with Alice the housekeeper. You hang in there girl.

Angela, the pictures were great. Congratulations again on your achievement. I think that working with WW is a great idea - could help you with your maintenance. Sounds like some great finds at goodwill. I love shopping the resale places, but there usually isn't much in my size. You, on the other hand, would have plenty to pick from since all the people who gain weight are giving away their skinny clothes. Enjoy the new clothes.

Cher, I'll keep blinking if you keep eating core for the next couple days.

Sandra, I can't imagine how stressful the situation with your mil is. Try to hang in there. Treat yourself gently, maybe a nice bubble bath if you like them, just to give yourself a break.

Deborah, you're planning to eat really badly this weekend? Although I must say that having just the snack size of M&Ms is very impressive. Hope you win at gambling and have a good time.

Cher, I hope you find clarity in handling your ds issues. And I'm with you on the TV. I never had one when I was single - but now we have a full blown home theatre with all the latest electronics. My dh spent the first few years of our marriage having me watch all the movies and TV shows that he couldn't believe I had never seen. If it all went away tomorrow, I would be upset that I didn't get to see the end of 24. Outside of that, I think I'd be okay.

Kathy, what can you say about HMOs -- they're there for you, after you've dealt with the red tape and got better on your own. I am happy that you are feeling better and finally get to see the doctor. I wish you could have gotten there without the hassles. Congrats on re-committing to core.

Linda, did you ever see the Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds"? My mental picture of you going to get the mail in the morning is like the closing scene of that movie, but with lizards. Hang in there!

Vickie, good luck tonight. Dress in layers so you can strip for the scale. And if you choose to wear a skirt, you know the secret!

As for me, DH invited our neighbor over to watch some Star Trek episode that apparently is very amazing if you know all of the Star Treks. So I asked him if just the husband is coming, or if the whole family is coming. DH doesn't know. Then I asked if they were invited for dinner or after dinner. DH said he didn't specify.

Of course, DH doesn't understand why asking these questions is important. I don't know if I'm making just snacks, or dinner for 3, or dinner for 7. I don't even know what time we're expecting him / them. So here's my plan. I'm going to make the cornmeal chicken, cut into strips. I have a good-sounding recipe for oven fries, plus I have some broccoli and cauliflower and I'm making a core spinach-avocado dip. So if it's dinner, I have chicken tenders and fries (should be acceptable for children if the family comes), with veggies and dip for an appetizer. I also bought a bag of tortilla chips and we always have salsa, so I can have everything core except the chips, and I'm covered for all eventualities.

So that's what I'm doing tonight.

Enjoy your thirsty Thursdays! Oh yeah, that reminds me. I have to go fill my glass.

[septembersgoal]

DH is on the phone right now with someone about a great job! Prayers, finger crossing, winks....do anything!!!