It's been a busier Sunday than I like for Sunday's to be. We did some cleaning yesterday but didn't get it all done and I only did one load of laundry yesterday so today has been finishing all that.

I'm sorry to say that I'm about to put in a couple of hours finishing a powerpoint presentation that is needed for a meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Thank goodness DH likes to go to the grocery.

We did have fun yesterday going to the mall and out to eat Cheese Cake Factory. I bought a Fitbit! I have been wanting one for a long time and I have been saving some of my OT towards it. I decided to not get it right away but to work and save for it and make sure I really, really wanted it. I did and I have it. I'm trying to learn to use it and pairing it with MyFitness Pal. I also had some JC Penny reward points and so I bought a couple pair of sandals to put back for next year. You know that you always need black and brown sandals every year! DH picked up a couple pair of dressier shorts and 3 new polo type shirts. We did well on all our purchases. I'm a "saver" or at least a bargain hunter.

Happy: Did the computer at the Thrift Shop get fixed?

Ceejay: Isn't it fun to find things from your childhood?

Terra: I see you are making good use of your WATP DVD....good for you! Did you have Scott fold the towels? I think it was a good idea! lol

Shad: I hope the washer gets fixed and I'm glad to hear that your cold is a bit better. Good idea to make use of those lemons especially with your cold.

Hi Annie, Laura and Michelle.

Ok..need to get this powerpoint done. I will have completely made up the time I took for vacation days this week...oh well, it's a good thing to save them back I guess. Maybe I'll have a lot of days to take off at Christmas time.

See you all tomorrow.

Been back home for awhile. I have the hallway cleared but still need do some more things. I just don't have the gusto to do it. I'm going to do one more thing and call it quits. If they come tomorrow they will have to move some things around to suit themselves. And I'll deal with it. I really don't know where else to put things. Think I'm going to ask around at work to see if anyone needs a chest of drawers and a chair. I'll give them away if they will take it off my hands.

Hope every one is having a good week end.

Susie ~ Yeah Im making good use of my WATP's dvd, No, I went ahead and folded the towels myself, I had nothing else to do so it was okay.

I got up at 7:00 AM and like always I let Clyde outside, Gave him fresh food and took my pills and now Im eating breakfast, My only plans for today is to do my work out dvd after breakfast and again later on tonight and I might do some sewing tonight as well and those are all of my plans for today.

Morning all.

My weekend was pretty good. I went to my Jazzercise class Saturday morning. It was tough after missing at least 2 Saturdays of it, but in a strange way it’s good to feel soreness in the day or two after a workout – at least I know I still have some muscle under the flab, LOL. It was pouring rain when I left class, but had stopped by the time I got back home. It came down so quickly, I took a detour home to avoid an underpass that’s notorious for getting flooded.

By the time of the graduation party, the weather was breezy and partly cloudy, so it was rather pleasant until the wind died and the bugs began to pester us. We went on to the birthday party after that, but it was muggy out, so after sitting outside for a while (and two games of baggo), we went indoors to escape the humidity and bugs. I thought the birthday party would be a small-ish gathering, but nope. Tons of my friend’s family were there, which is sort of funny because it was her husband’s birthday, not hers, LOL. In fact he has a very small family. Oh well, it was crowded and noisy – c’est la vie. What was nice was seeing another HS friend I haven’t seen since maybe a year or two after HS graduation – we had a nice time catching up. Bf and I left before 9:30 and were home before 10. We were both tired and went to bed right away.

Yesterday was lazy – I did a couple loads of laundry, changed a lightbulb…that was about it, LOL. Okay, that’s not true. I also read my book and the newspaper, and we did some grocery shopping and took doggy to the dog park and later on we brushed him. It was a much nicer day for weather, but it did get a bit warm. The AC was running all weekend, but I think it’ll get a break for a few days this week – I believe a few days are forecast for highs in the high 70’s and lows in the high 50’s. Aaahhh.
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Happy – Wow – your friend with all the acreage has a nice setup with the hottub, office space, man-cave, gym…nice. Glad you enjoyed your day with them. I hope you can time your pontoon rental just right so the weather is nice. What would be better than a peaceful, sunny day floating around on a lake?? About when are you going to be leaving for the visit with your mom?? Re the plumbing – the stringy stuff didn’t seem at all like hair or corn silk…who knows. Apparently we’ve never had the entire house’s plumbing rodded out, maybe just the kitchen. LOL re your comment that you ran and hid under the bed ‘til the cussing was over. Yup, that’s about the jist of it. Did the thrift shop computer cooperate with the rebuilding? The humane society is lucky to have you and hubby as volunteers. Did you get to do an ATV ride over the weekend??

Ceejay – Your landlord has been fortunate to have a good tenant for over 20 years. I’m glad you’ll have some new appliances to enjoy until you relocate after your retirement. Hope you have the space cleared out sufficiently so the installations can go smoothly. Must have been something looking at the stuff in that box of your mom’s!! Nice to have the baby photo of yourself, and it’s cool that you also have the shoes you were wearing in it.

Susie – I absolutely hate taking a day or two off when it falls during the workweek – just hate having to go back to work. Don’t know why it makes such a difference, but I much prefer tacking days onto the beginning or end of the week. So is a co-oop like an intern, or is it a permanent resource whose cost is shared with other departments/units?? I hope you get one so you can ease up on the OT. On the other hand…nice to have the extra money for things like that new Fitbit! I thought I might want to get one, but honestly, it sometimes it feels like everything we do is tracked or monitored. I suppose this would be different, right? I mean, all you have to do is wear it and beyond uploading the data, it does the work for you, correct? (unlike tracking your eating) Be sure to let us know how you like it once you’ve gotten the hang of it. Congrats on your loss last Thursday!!

Re the plumbing - I’m fortunate to have a very handy bf, because having all that stuff contracted out does cost a lot of moola. But you’re certainly right about the snaking of the pipes – why go through what we did for the past 4 days if we could have avoided it??!! Not only did bf have to snake a giant bunch of stringy gunk that was blocking the pipe, but he also had to re-install almost all the plumbing under the sink when he broke one of the pvc pipes AND redo the one sink’s drain fitting because the putty seal broke when I put pressure on it while using the plunger on it. I’m happy to say that after some tweaking, everything seems to be resolved now, fingers crossed. Bf was telling our tale of woe to our neighbor yesterday and he agreed that once you start working on one plumbing thing, it seems to set off a chain reaction of issues. I’ll say! Anyway, preventive maintenance is the best way to avoid this stuff and we'll be setting up reminders in our phone calendars to do monthly drain treatments with some kind of enzyme powder we were told is helpful in keeping the pipes clear. And investing in pipe snaking every couple years.

Terra – Haha, yeh, I suppose hand quilting is for people with a lot of time and patience!

Shad – I hope the washer’s been repaired by now and you’re through with your packing. Will you be going straight to the South Island from Wellington, or will you be going home first? Seems a shame to be taking all the suitcases with you if it’s the former – I imagine you don’t need everything for your vacation. Glad the cold is improving. Re the bike vs. walking – given equal distance traveled, I actually think walking burns more calories – it sure feels like it, LOL.

Hi Michelle!! Hi Annie!!
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Bf’s basic riding course began today and by the end of this week he should hopefully have his motorcycle license. My class isn’t until the last weekend of July.

I think that’s about it for me. TTFN!

Morning everyone,

The sun is playing peek-a-boo today. It's quite cool out - in the 50's right now and not warming up much more than that. I decided to skip yoga this morning due to some residual issues with the vertigo and knowing that lying on my back for some postures seems to "jazz up the ear crystals". I am looking forward to this afternoon - there is a fruit vendor that sells off the truck and they are coming to town for their once a year stop. Georgia peaches and Michigan blueberries. We are the last stop of the day and I am hoping they are not going to be sold out. I don't feel like dragging DH out to some of their earlier stops more than an hour's ride away. I'm not so concerned about the blueberries as we have several "you pick 'em" farms up north of here - although I will be away when they are just ready for the picking. Raspberries should be ready to pick the end of the week and while I like them, I don't in such abundance as the blueberries. I am looking forward to the peaches though. The ones we've had from the store this year have been really, really good. They said conditions this year for the peach crop have been almost perfect. The last 2 years they looked pretty from the outside but were either bland or mealy. Anyway that they have a box each left for me. I will no doubt have to do a bit of freezing as we won't be able to eat 25 pounds of peaches before I leave.

DH got the computer at the thrift shop rebuilt. As a thank you the president is taking us for a boat ride later this week on the lake she lives on. She knows about DH's love of photography and he's been jonesing for some eagle pictures. There is a family of eagles in a nest along the shoreline so that will be a special treat. It's going to be a busy week for us, every day we have something going on. In between I am trying to clear out some of the clutter and finally get a box or two of things out of here and over to the thrift shop. I wound up working in the garage yesterday - the pleasantly cool weather we have been having yesterday and today make it ideal to do that sort of thing. Also reminds me that by the time I come back from Chicago, September will be right around the corner and it will quickly become too chilly to work very long outside - so get it together girlfriend

I am down 10 pounds today. It has been an extremely slow journey and I am probably eating far too few calories but it seems that's the only way I can make the scale go down. In fact they had a set of toddler's dishes at the thrift shop - divided plate, 1/2 cup container, drinking cup and 1/4 cup container. I debated about buying it as that is about the size of the portions I should be eating. But I decided against it in the end. I should use my new walking stick and go for a walk but with the bear out in the day time, DH said that's not really a good idea. In fact, when I was in the garage yesterday (the door faces the wooded part of the grounds), he said it would be better not to use my iPOD and instead keep a background ear for noises - no peeking in the door Mr. Bear I have cut out evening snacks, generally don't eat before 2pm - light lunch and a reasonable dinner and I try to eat as much fresh and unprocessed as possible. If I could give up the white sugar / simple carb stuff I'd be better off but one thing at a time.

Terra - sounds like you're an early riser. Do you take Clyde for walks sometimes as part of your workout? Sometimes a dog makes you quicken up the pace

Ceejay - are you rearranging things to make room for the appliance replacement? Amazing how quickly things fill up a home. I could never live in one of those "tiny" houses that seem to be the rage right now. Might as well live in my camping tent Sometimes the thrift stores take furniture and will pick it up from your place. Salvation Army does up this way but they have paid young hunky guys to do the heavy lifting. Sounds like you got a couple of nice things from Mom's drawer. Just enough for a small box with nice tissue paper. Hard to believe as a grownup we were once a tiny baby!

Susie - this is the time of year to combine sales and coupons and get some bargains. I gave up on wearing sandals, I need something that supports my feet a bit better. Found a brand new pair of Ecco's sandals in one of the boxes yesterday - expensive shoes that should have been returned because they just aggravate my foot. Please let us know how you like the Fitbit. My sister just got one and she likes hers although she said it can register false steps if it jiggles a bit (she wears hers clipped to her bra strap). It sounds like you are really committing to the weight loss - good for you!!! Sorry you had to lose some of your time off to get the presentations together. I do hope that the time you worked goes back on your vacation clock and that you were quickly able to get done what you needed to.

Shad - glad to hear you are feeling a bit better - sorry to hear you have infected everyone within breathing distance of you but that's how it is out this way. The virus or whatever is very contagious - as my sister said "nobody wants your plague" Did you get all the washing sorted out and the packing done? I hate travelling in the winter weather - the warmer clothes take up so much more room.

I guess I'll post now and catch up with the rest of you later. Have a good Monday!

Hi Laura,

I see we are typing over each other again you have picked up where Mel left off - we were always doing that to each other. I'm glad you got the plumbing issues fixed - I think you are right about compound problems - at least it seems that way. I agree that you are lucky with BF being handy - not only does it save money BUT you know the quality of the work that is being done. My Mom is always getting ripped off by people who charge a lot and do a half *bazzed* job of things.

I am coming in to town August 7 and leaving August 29. Will probably spend a week with Mom in the city, go to my sister's for some sanity relief for a week or so and then back to Mom's again. I'm trying to figure out some way we can meet. Sister is in Orland - far south. My Mom is not in the best neighborhood - I am not opposed to taking the Orange line to downtown but I sure don't want to take it back in the evening so trying to meet after work for dinner one night is probably not a good idea. Maybe we could meet for lunch downtown on a Saturday? I haven't been downtown in over 10 years so I don't even know where to suggest. My Mom lives about 8 miles from Midway and there's no place really to meet in her area. Hopefully we can figure something out - would be nice to spend some face time with you. Ooh... just thought about it - maybe we can meet at Oakbrook. I don't think my sister would have a problem driving over there. Think about it. I would be totally freaked out renting a car and driving in city traffic and expressways again. Yes, you can call me a whussy.

That's great that you and BF are taking safety classes for the motorcycle. Just in time to enjoy some nice autumn rides through the countryside.

I'd better get off the computer before I spend the whole day here.

Oh and speaking of quilting, as I was going through boxes yesterday I came across a pot holder / hot pad that I had picked up for Mel years ago when I was visiting the Ozark area. It's hand quilted and has frogs all over it. This amazing woman who had to be in her 80's had a shop with the most incredible hand quilted items. I was fascinated watching her. Just makes me sad that I misplaced the hot pad and never got it to Mel

Happy Monday ladies -

The weekend went by too quickly as usual. D's cataract surgery went well. Today, he leaves to drive to Vegas to work at a bridge tournament there for two weeks. The doctor said he'd be okay to drive the day after surgery, and he did fine over the weekend. Friday night, we went out to dinner and then I took Santa to the dog park. Saturday, D had to work, and Santa had obedience training. After that, I dropped Santa off at day care, then went to the gym and did 40 minutes on the bike. My step-mom called me. She just got back from a trip to Italy with a friend, so I went over to visit her and help her organize her trip photos. Saturday was a quiet evening at home, other than a trip to the dog park. On Sunday, Santa and I met up with some Westie friends at a dog park we used to frequent. Then after dropping him at day care, I went to the gym for 40 minutes on the bike, then to yoga class, an early dinner with my friend B, then you guessed it...back to the dog park.

I guess I lead a boring life...going to the dog park so often...but I find it lots of fun, great entertainment (some of the dogs are so funny), and relaxing.

Tonight is water aerobics, and since it's going to be a hot one today, a workout in the pool will feel great!

My eating was not great over the weekend. It wasn't outrageously bad...meaning my meals were quite healthy...but I did indulge in ice cream a couple times. Thankfully, with D out of the house for two weeks, I will have total control of what's in the frig. Our other roommates have been away for several weeks and probably won't be home for a couple more. Our disabled roommate is still in the convalescent hospital for at least another week or two. They're trying to get his COPD under control. And D's brother has been in North Carolina since the end of May and returns Aug. 1. It's been nice having the place to ourselves, even if D and I do work opposite shifts so we don't see each other much.

It's going to be weird having the place to myself for two weeks...but I've got a good companion/guard dog in Santa.

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Laura - Sorry to hear about your plumbing problems. It is good your bf is handy and was able to fix it. My bf is handy with some household repairs. Good on ya' for doing the Jazzercise class. Like you, I kind of like the soreness after a workout...as not as isn't too bad. And I love the endorphins! If I skip several days or weeks of exercise, it's tough to get back in the groove. I just have to remember how good it feels after. Glad you had fun at both parties!

Happy - Wow, that's quite a lot of land your friend has! And with all the out buildings, that does sound like the perfect set up for retirees, where each person can have their own space. And on 110 acres, that's plenty of space! LOL Bummer you're experiencing the polar vortex in July. I wish I could send you 20 degrees from here. As for my friends' chickens, they are used solely for eggs, not meat. Wow, down 10 lbs! That's fantastic!! Good for you!!! That toddler plate set is a great idea! Even though even those small portions may be took big for me after surgery. I'm still trying to give up the sugar/simple carbs too.

Shad - I feel so bad that S is prone to bronchitis so early on. My lung issues (asthma, bronchitis, occasionaly pneumonia) didn't kick in until my late teens/early 20s (coincidentally that was when I started smoking). That was one of the best "gifts" my ex gave me, giving me an ultimatum to quit smoking because he wouldn't date a smoker.

Susie - I don't envy you the calendar support you do in your job. I used to hate trying to schedule meetings with executives (even though I didn't manage their calendar per se). Their availability was always a moving target...very subject to change and something would always come up and then they couldn't attend the meeting where their approval/buy-off/input on a project was required. Thankfully, I work in a small enough company now that doesn't come up. The execs still have their meetings, but I can usually catch them walking past my cube and ask for a quick approval or comments. Congrats on the weight loss! What is a co-op? Is it like an intern? or is it a consultant/contractor? So cool that you bought a Fitbit. I've been thinking of getting something like that, but since nearly 50% of my exercise is done in the water, I was wondering if I could get a waterproof one (not just water resistant) as my hands are frequently submerged in water aerobics class.

Ceejay - So nice to look through old photos and baby stuff from years ago. I love family heirlooms. My older sister isn't into heirlooms, so I have them. And then when I'm no longer around, I'm going to pass them down to my nieces and nephews.

Terra - Keep up the great work on using the WATP DVD!!

Annie - I hope you had a great weekend! Sending you lots of :


Much love and many hugs to all,

Happy – Congrats on the weight loss!! Now I know where my extra pounds have come from, hahaha. The toddler-sized dinnerware is a good idea. Portion control is a huge key to not overeating! Bummer about having the bear around and keeping you from taking a walk through the woods. It sure would be nice to be out walking in nature, enjoying the peace and beauty. Too bad you missed the yoga class today, but I understand not wanting to risk bringing on another bout of vertigo! Yum, the fruit sounds good. I hope they aren’t sold out when you go there to buy it. We just bought some tasty cherries yesterday. Nice thank you from the president for rebuilding the computer – should be a fun outing. That’ll be a good long trip back home. Meeting in Oakbrook would be just fine with me – it’s a straight shot south for me. So will the week of 8/18 be the week you’re staying by your sis? Let’s try and nail down a date/time.

Michelle – Sounds like a nice weekend with plenty of exercise. Re the dog park – I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Coal tires out rather quickly now, but still enjoys it a lot. He was really tired out after our visit yesterday. I was tired and my muscles were sore yesterday, so it was nice to skip the walk and just sit at a picnic table and watch all the dogs romp around….but I did feel lazy for not walking, lol.

Nice that you and Santa have the house to yourselves for a bit, and it will be easier to control your eating with only you to prepare meals for. Enjoy your water aerobics class tonight!
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Bf told me about his first riding course session today while he was driving home – he found it very interesting and informative. Sounds like walk-in students are allowed in spite of the registration process…I might try to get into this weekend’s class instead of the following one. We’ll see.

Happy - Very nice of the humane society president to take you and DH on a boat ride! Can't wait to see his eagle photos!

Laura - Glad you and Coal enjoyed your time at the dog park. After a day at day care, often Santa is pretty low key at the dog park. But he still enjoys greeting the other dogs, and especially greeting all the other people from whom he demands their undivided attention! I enjoy petting the other dogs, when Santa allows me to. And the other doggie "parents" are so nice. I meet the nicest people at the dog park. I think it's because you have to be a pretty nice person to love your animal enough to take him to a dog park. I hope you're able to get into the riding class this weekend.

We are fixing to get bombarded with rain and maybe some wind. My nerves are on edge.

Happy
Congratulations on the pounds lost.

Ceejay - Sending : to you, hoping that the storms aren't as bad as they predict. Breathe deep, my friend.

Hi everyone--I just checked in and read the posts. I will have to do personals tomorrow...it's late.

I do want to congratulate Happy on the 10 lb loss!!!

I'll write more tomorrow.

Good morning all,

Thanks for the congrats - the first 10 were hard, the next 10 will be even harder to get off. But we keep plugging away. There is a produce company that picks up fruit from around the country and delivers it here in the Midwest. They only come up this way once a year and yesterday was the day. We pulled into the parking lot and there were lots of people sitting in cars and waiting. It was a rainy, drizzly day so not the best weather out there. They had Michigan blueberries and Georgia peaches. We got some of each. The blueberries are the hugest things I ever saw - they are good, not over the top sweet and I would say our blueberries north of here from the u pick 'em farms are actually better if not as big. The peaches are hard as rocks which is good for transport and should ripen in a few days. They look quite gorgeous and my friends who have gotten them before said they are fantastic.

Off to the shop shortly for my shift for the day and then back home to work on the garage cleaning a bit more.

Ceejay - I hope your storms weren't too bad. We've been getting some hard rains lately.

Michelle - I would have to agree with you - people at the bark park seem to always be sociable and in a good mood. Maybe because dogs bring that out in us.

Laura - glad that BF found the class interesting. I am a big supporter of safety education like that although there are a lot of people who poo poo it.

Gotta run and get ready for work now. Hellos to the rest of you chicks, will stop back later.

Morning all.

Happy – Hope you enjoy the blueberries and peaches. I’m tempted to buy some blueberries just to make some muffins that actually have enough blueberries in them! I suppose it’s a good thing that I’m almost always disappointed in the muffins I’ve occasionally bought – I rarely bother with them. Have a good shift at the shop.

Hi Susie!

Michelle – You’re right – it’s nice to meet other “dog parents” at the dog park.

Ceejay – Hope the rain/wind wasn’t a big deal.

Hellos to Shad and Annie.
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Nothing much to report. I didn’t exercise last night. Bf and I watched a DVD from the library - “The World’s End”. It’s one of those Simon Pegg movies that starts off as a straight comedy and end up as a crazy zombie movie. We really enjoyed it.

Tonight I’ll probably go to the movies with the girls. The movie “Begin Again” was chosen. I did a quick lookup on it, but I can’t remember anything about it except that Mark Ruffalo is in it, and that’s enough for me, LOL.

Back to it. TTFN.