[Wabby]

OK, cowsies, it's time to get serious. Again. Changing seasons mean changing habits. Kids going back to school means that we can become disciplined in our diet routine again.

Some guy drives by every day when I'm out walking and blows his horn at us. It doesn't honk, it makes a moooooooo sound! What does that tell you? Do I really look like a cow?

[Kiwonk]

That doesn't sound like a good thing, being moo'ed at. Although some would say, better than being ignored. You don't think he has a selector of different sounds in his truck, do you? I've never gotten as much as a honk when I walk on the highway. Of course the cars are going by at least at 55 mph and I have a big flashy black dog at the end of the leash, so honking at me might not be the first thing that came to someone's mind.

The first day of school is over and the complaints are home. Complicated schedule, stupid rules (girls can't wear bandannas--how's that for pointless?), heavy books, picky teachers. Blah blah blah. DD has chosen once again to take her lunch every day, and can't come up with anything different that she wants to eat. PBJs or ramen noodles. Boooooooooring.

Okay, lets do it. I eat breakfast every morning during the school year (not once in the summer), and I get up early. If I can stop going to bed so late, maybe I can actually come up with a healthier schedule. One that doesn't include 10 lbs of late night snack food, and long daytime naps. I was going to go to the "city" today to drop off some bags to Goodwill and go to the $1 movie, but I got an email from a friend telling me he's been diagnosed with prostate cancer and I kind of lost interest in the movies. So I took a nap instead. Maybe tomorrow will be an improvement.

Cheerio
Kiwi

[SugP]

Hi cows! After reading about Wabby's inspirational 9 lb weight loss I actually used her revolutionary new diet trick and stopped eating all the time Even lost a couple pounds myself. Amazing how that works. Instead of stuffing something into my mouth every time I'm in the kitchen (which is most of the the time because I'm pretending to clean it, even thought it never gets done) am trying to stick to well- thought-out meals. Ha! Easy for some, not easy for me.

I love the moo-horn, Wabby! Too funny! Better to get out there and be moo-ed at than to stay at home and really become a cow, eh?

Sorry about your friend, Kiwi - that's a hard blow. Did I tell you that Stevie wrote to tell me he had lost his second job in about as many years through no fault of his own and has to pay mortgages on two houses because they bought one before selling the old one? So much for a nice little life. And to think I coulda married that guy!(NOT!)

My kid was already back at school by Aug. 9 so he's well into the rat race now. Got out of being on the school-PTA and now I just have to weasel my way out of being on it for kindergarten. There's a meeting tonight - ack! What I find unfair is that 1/3 of the parents can't make it so they elect the reps from those who are left. Shouldn't everyone be involved?

[Bagzz]

Now that I have my Darling Fly Lady back as well as KELLLLY, I no longer
need you people. Fly fills my ever need. Kelly is the frosting on the cake.
Not an hour goes by that they don't remind me that they care about me. YOU
PEOPLE won't even post on Thursday, my day off.

so take that you fat messy slobs!!!!

[SugP]

Marla loves US (how can she love 42,000 people she doesn't even know??), but do we love HER???

Peachers is praying to false dieties again WE are the REAL support group. We helped her get thin, didn't we? We helped her get Herbie, didn't we? What did Marla ever do except nag (and wear an adorable denim jumper with her Keds)?

As all you Fly groupies know, it's Anti-Procrastination Day. I haven't done a thing I should have done and everything I shouldn't have ('cept eat! One point for meeeeee!)

My lawyer friend has three kids, a fantastic job, a nice-enough husband and a me for a friend and she's depressed. Go figure.

I subscribed to some recipe mailing list and now I'm getting recipes for things like Raw Carrot Cake with Raisin Icing andMillet Cheesecake (no cheese to be found anywhere!) Eeeeeeee!

[Frappe]

The Summer of My Discontent is almost over. Mario is still at home, I have him sitting at the dining room table doing Latin and writing an essay. Rumor has it he will be able to go to school around Sept 10th but I'm not holding my breath.

We have not been able to enter Gaby's room since June. I am assuming that everything we can't find is there. I give up. I am refusing to buy her anything on the grounds that she probably has 20 of everything already, it's just all on the floor in her room. She hates me. Nu?

We have NO money, my new business is not really taking off, I am doomed to fatness because all we can afford to eat is macaroni and cheese.

Mario is recovering from a concussion received while skateboarding, Gaby has decided she's fat and has stopped eating meals but not stopped messing up my SHINED SINK...she's into midnight baking. Sasha wants to move to Ontario and live with her boyfriend. I have had 3rd degree sunburn, 3 sinus infections, and the flu.

Dh is suicidal because of the NO WORK situation in the film industry.

We had lots of demanding visitors and my parents are arriving next week.

There, don't you miss hearing me whine?

Oh yeah, Mario is nagging me for a pet rat.

AND I'M STILL FAT.

I did a seminar at the Landmark Forum and now drive everyone crazy "inventing possibilities for an extraordinary life."

do you guys want me back after all this? I would understand a resounding NO!

love and kisses
frappe

[Kiwonk]

Hi Frappie!! And everyone else. I have solutions to 2 of your problems (what a summer you had ) First of all, you need to charge admission for parents and friends who come visiting, thus either eliminating the visits or pocketing a little spending money. Secondly, I have an adorable house mouse I could send to your son. We could call it a Northern Penobscot Variegated Domestic Rat. It's not afraid of cats or dogs and it eats anything. It's very smart too -- it continues to avoid baited mousetraps. Let me know when to send it...

Yeah, I'm sure Marla loves us all. I am celebrating Anti-Procrastination Day by rearranging my bathroom "closet". My mother sent me some gorgeous new bath towels for our anniversary (our 15th--that is the terrycloth anniversary, isn't it? ) -- 4 sets plus 2 big bath sheets, so I'm getting rid of some of the old raggedy ones and attempting to make the place look a little better. I think I can throw out the box of nicotine patches from 1998 (DH's, unused), don't you think? I can't bring myself to throw out my ancient makeup. It still looks fine and if I throw it out I will never replace it and then what will I do when the Queen comes to visit? It's just propaganda about it collecting bacteria, right?

Millet Cheesecake? That sounds revolting. Isn't millet some kind of birdseed?

Oh, I forgot to mention that besides my old friend getting cancer, one of our sailing buddies is in the hospital with chest pains, and my cleanie dietitian friend has found a new house and is moving away next month. The good news is that the house is on the way to the coast so we can visit lots, but still My life seems pretty uneventful compared to everyone around me (I can live with that).

Well, we're going out to dinner to see pics of the new house. I told DD to bring along photos she just got from our beach trip back in June (her friend took them). She doesn't know it but I sneaked a peek at them before she showed them to me and I know that she held out the one of Mr. Dreamboat with his arm around her! Haha on her -- and if you're reading this, kiddo, joke's on you--I'm not horrified at all! Of course your dad might be!

Kiwi

[Wabby]

Welcome home! We missed you and of course you may whine all you want. I've got to second what Kiwi said. It sounds like you've opened a bed and breakfast and have just forgotten to charge for your rooms. There are no problems like money problems to really make you realize just how irritating DH's and children can be. Any time it gets tight around our place, that's when ppl start badgering me for money. That's also when I start noticing that my friends children have been leaving the nest for there own places. My 21 yr old says she has no intentions of moving out on her own. She knows a good thing.

Kiwi, sorry to hear that your 3d friend is moving away. Even though I know you love us best, it's nice to have a real live friend sometimes. Congrats on the anniversary and the new towels. Remember how I was planning our big 25th anniversary vacation? Well, my mother pointed out to me that we were married in '77 so that anniversary won't be until next year. DH's off the hook for another year.

Sugar P, Stevie wouldn't be having such hard luck if he would have married you. I'm sure it's that other woman's fault that he hasn't risen to the top of the career ladder.

I have more to say, but it will just have to wait until tomorrow. (do I hear a sigh of relief?) Gotta go.