WOW Sandy, I was just thinking of sending you a PM to see if you're ok! I'm sorry about your 'woman' problems, but at least your doctors can sort you out now. WTG on losing (almost) what you gained, that's the trick; nipping a gain in the bud, before it gets TOO BIG!!! Your SD must be really silly as I smoked a little pot as a teen & neither my parents nor any other people in authority noticed, though I WAS 17+ & only did it at weekends otherwise I'd never get up for work. Her mum sounds so bad, sorry, but does she care at all? Your poor hubby must be so glad he got the FIRST PRIZE- YOU!!!! rather than the booby prize, her! At least you are trying your best for her. HUGS xxxxxx
Misti, so sorry about your leg/knee, it's great to have you back!!! I hope your pastor's daughter continues to improve, it's amazing how resilient the very young are.xxxxx
Weigh-in is VERY soon, in the next half hour or so, fingers crossed, lol.I LOST 4lbs!!!!
Nancy, good luck with the flat.xxxxx Lisa, WTG on not needing a belt extender this time, here's to you NEVER NEEDING ONE AGAIN!!!xxxxxx
Wyllen, MAINTAINING is more than half the battle, so you want to lose a FEW more pounds, at least you are 'normal' now, that's all most of us here wish for! You are an inspiratiuon, NEVER FORGET IT!!xxxxx
Zelma, there's no shame in needing meds. you have been through a lot & if there's help offered, TAKE IT!!! I'm getting off mine & feel like a new person, think of the tabs as being an emotional bandage for your soul, soon you will be able to stop them when you're healed.xxxxxxx
Ammi, I bet you're SO GLAD to see the back of the dentist!! lol.I will try you on MSN later & let you know how my WI went.xxxxxxx
xxxxsharon
Good Morning ladies just wanted to post a quick hello before im off to work. hope everyone has a great day LISA and DJCRUN: i just wanted to say, you are both doing awesome, and if nobody acknowledges that, they are blind. alot of times, people that are overwt themselves cannot compliment others who are losing as they arent ready to face their own wt problems. dont worry what anyone else says, your both doing great XENA: congrats on the loss and avoiding the binge. im sure you did great on your test
SANDY: hope you are feeling better glad to see u back MISTI: welcome back LITCHICK: sorry about the job,im sure a better one is just around the corner! EVERYONE: have a great day! as for me, i am happy to report i lost another 2.5 lbs im very close to a short term goal i have, hopefully i will make it soon take care and see you all later
Lesley, Thanks so much for your kind words. DH & I really ope to know something next Tuesday. Keep your fingers crossed.
Misti, Good to see you. Hope you're feeling better soon.
Sharon, You are just the sweetest thing. Yes, Andy knows he has first prize. LOL Actually I have first prize in him too. He sent me flowers on Monday. The card said I am "the most extraordinary woman he knows. All my love, Andy." How sweet was that. As for sd's mother. Yes, I can honestly say she loves her kids, she just has no interest in parenting. Or setting any limits. There are so many horror stories about her I could write a novel. I really can't stand the sight of her. She's lazy, easy and a poor excuse for a woman. In fact, she and I are polar opposites. But so is Andy and my ex. And yes, we try our very best with my sd. It takes so much energy. She always has a story for every little thing. I finally told her the other night that I know she's very intelligent, but I find it very, very said she wastes her intelligence and creativity by lying about everything. Everything. Always a story. Anyway, thanks for thinking of me. It means a lot. AND CONGRATS on your FOUR POUND LOSS~That's just great! I'll bet it had to bring a smile to your lovely face.
Erica, I owe several people emails. Hopefully I can get all caught up tomorrow on emails. I have a ton of Andy's good clothes for work to wash, iron and put away this afternoon. And I'm determined to make him a yummy dinner. Baked fish, salad and oven baked potato wedges.
Speaking again of my honey, he's losing like 4 pounds a day, has all kinds of energy, is fitting into old clothes and is so, so happy. I hope he's not sick with any thing....... and guess what, he got a call from the dr today about his blood tests and of course, they can only tell him cuz he hasn't remembered to sign the stupid form for them to talk to me. It makes me nervous. I'm taking my sd for the drug screen this afternoon. It'll be a hair strand drug screen. They say it goes back 90 days. I'd be so happy to pay $65 for it to be negative. We'll know about that the beginning of next week. It would be much easier to apologize sincerely for misjudging her, than figure out an appropriate consequence. The police and child services don't really care cuz it would be her first offense. The only think I can really think of is prohibiting her from visiting her mother, which we legally can't do and we can't make her mother keep tabs on her either. Oh, I do have a smidgen of good news. I had a plate of cabbage and potatoes for lunch today. It was soooo good! The reason I could resist McDonald's today is cuz I hopped on the scale this morning and it was down 4 pounds! Hooray! So, I've lost all that I gained back plus 2 more.
I'll try to never ever leave the house hungry again though. I went to get a hair cut and literally forgot about breakfast. But when I smelled Mc Donald's, a Chinese restaurant and a Mexican restaurant all across the street from the "beauty shop" it was dreadfully hard. But I'm very proud of my self for coming home and having veggies! OK, I think that's enough roller coaster emotions for the moment. I'll check back later. Huggies!
I'm sure if I were weighing myself right now, I'd be up a few pounds. I have yet to find my way back into "the zone." I even ordered out for Chinese with my team at work today for lunch (I have issues where I don't really feel like part of the team--they don't always include me in things--so when they asked if I wanted to order with them, I jumped at the opportunity and didn't pay any attention to WHAT I was ordering).
Anyway, I posted something in another thread on here that inspired myself right up off my butt--I went outside and took a quick walk around the building. Not 30-60 minutes all at once, but those smaller spurts add up, too!
Lisa-I remember what it is like to not have to ask for an extender. It was wonderful. It’s nice that your staff attorney has got your back in case something bad comes up.
Misti-That was great to hear your pastor’s daughter is on the mend.
Sandy-My mom had all that same stuff. It is just the side affects of having had children. I often said when my foster kids were in their teen years that it is a shame we can’t freeze dry them until they are about 25 years old.
Sharon-That’s 4 more pounds you’ll never see again.
Jill – I hope small spurts add up, because that is all that I am capable of at times.
Ammi-After what you said this time, I have decided to go ahead and publish in two parts. I’ve got one manuscript that I am editing for one of hubby’s writers (a science fiction novel set in gothic England if you can believe that, and it is every bit as bad as that sounds), and one last formatting of one his manuscripts, then I will polish mine for the printers. Being married to a book publisher does have its advantages. After reading what you said, it isn’t just about the conclusion, it is also about living as a large woman and surviving it. So we will see.
Lesley-You’re right about being the largest person I’ve ever known. That can be such a solitary feeling. But there is strength in numbers.
I am so pissed right now, I could spit!!! They had to cancel our WW meeting today and might have to cancel the whole program!!
Freaking Administration hates our Principal, and does everything to make his life miserable, so since he was part of our group, and someone who is evil and spiteful , told them that the Leaders sell WW products at the meetings, and that may be against the Union contracts!? Since the Union put out the money for the insurance so we could get the permits (which Administration signed off on and also already signed off on the next round of meetings too!!), it may cause them to stop the meetings altogether!!! ARGHHHHHHH!!!
I know I can always go to the WW Center, but it's not the same as having it right at work, with the people I know and like. I am sure I can do the program on my own by now...but it was a little time set just for me that will truly be missed. I won't really know the true outcome until tommorrow, but once Administration gets a bee in it's bonnet, say bye, bye!!!
Sorry no personals right now, but I will let you guys know the rest of the saga tomorrow...{sigh} it's always 2 steps foward and 700 back with me!
Well, 3 or 4 days relatively back on plan. Still slipping in a few candies at work, or a couple GS cookies at home, but overall I’m eating far more wisely than I had been and I’ve got the overall intake way down. Hope blooms eternal. Apparently I had even pushed the scale back up over 280, but as of this morning it’s retreated back down to 278-ish. I even had a proper lunch packed for my trip to the Equine Affaire this morning, but at 5am, less than 20 miles in to a 250 mile trip, I started having car trouble and had to come back. <HUGE WHAAAAAH!> (The Equine Affaire is a fabulous opportunity for horse lovers to soak up anything and EVERYthing horsey for 4 days. There’s shopping, clinics, demonstrations, seminars – given by some of the leading horseman in every discipline: dressage, jumping, reining, driving, you name it! All for the absurdly low admission of $13 a day!!! I live for it!)
SHARON/VooDoo – Hello! Way, WAY cool that you’ve slipped in to those jeans again! Awesome!
Yes, I did finally start cantering on Cody. I’ve also started schooling him in western style riding, which he’s taken to amazingly well. I have someone leasing him again, but this time he’ll stay close to me and I’ll supervise their riding. I have a good feeling about the arrangement this time.
Gabe had been ridden at a walk off the lunge line a couple of times, but on the third such ride something spooked him badly. Jen, the young women riding him that day is a trainer and a wonderful rider, but it was the first time she was up on him. I don’t believe he had had a chance to come to know and trust her, and she (at 26) is still young and gutsy enough to have gone too quickly for him. She had just gotten on him when he bolted. He did two laps of the arena like a big, black, runaway freight train, hitting the fences when he couldn’t make the turns. After two laps she finally lost a stirrup and decided that was enough. She reached out and grabbed the rail on one of the turns and abandoned ship.
I feel so guilty. Neither of them should have been put in such a situation. I was finishing up a lesson with Cody and his new riders, and Jen started on Gabe before I could get to them. I didn’t anticipate the problem, but I should have. Jen was just a little too quick with him, and I remember glancing at her just after she mounted and saying ‘Just walk – he looks tense.’ He could have killed her, he certainly came away with a bad experience, and it was my fault for not properly overseeing things. I’ve decided at this point that I will be the only one on him from now on until he’s totally mellow with EVERYTHING. I can’t risk anyone, horse or rider, getting hurt. He knows me, trusts me, is perfectly capable of carrying me, and I’m the one person who knows exactly where he is as far as his training and experience goes. I, on the other hand, have a long way to go to get back in shape to ride HIM, but if I do things properly that shouldn’t be much of an issue.
After the ordeal was over, I worked Gabe quietly on the lunge line at walk and halt with a little bit of trot to settle him in something he was comfortable at. Jen sat on a barrel for a long time, waiting for her knees to loose that jelly feeling. After about 45 minutes, we put her back up while I just led him for a few minutes. Since then I’ve gone back to ground driving him and just leaning as much of my weight as possible on him from the mounting block. It’s time for me to get past my own fears and quit being a sissy manager-on-the-ground. In the next month or so, when the weather gets decent again and I have another reliable handler, I’ll slip on to his back myself. Of course, once that actually happens, you won’t be able to get me off of him! <BG>
WYLLENN, Sorry to hear your knee is giving you grief! It certainly would be worse if you hadn’t lost the weight… just one more NSV? No, I think more than that! And yeah, this aging thang ain’t for sissies!
KYMBERLY, That is SO AWESOME that you came in 3rd out of 50 teams! As fantastic as you did, there must have been some other folks really working at becoming healthier, too. My hat’s off to them as well as you! What great momentum for you all to have worked together. Let the b**y chicks BE AFRAID! Be Very Afraid! WOW. 113 pounds off! Fantastic!!! * Bravo for skipping that cake on Easter too. You succeeded where I failed.
LKB/LISA, You mentioned the lettuce tasting better. I remember saying to my husband when I first started this journey that food actually tasted better. Isn’t it amazing? Great that the Easter candy didn’t tempt you. Deceitful stuff, sugar. * I’m sorry that Easter dinner was so hard for you. I sure can’t blame you for feeling so hurt, but please try to look forward. Your journey isn’t about that one day. It’s about your future and your health. Look at NEXT Easter – You will have SO kicked this thing in the butt! Think of what they’ll say at the 4th of July – or Labor Day – or Thanksgiving. Maybe that doesn’t help now, but I know you’ll keep your focus on the future and all the joys that a healthier weight will bring you. There’s so much ahead for you! *…. “Haven’t eaten any dogfood yet…” hahahaha!
EMILYMAY, WONderful that you’ve changed your gaining each year to losing this past year. I believe you’ve re-determined your future! Congratulations and Happy Anniversary!!
ERIKA – Sorry about the pinched nerve. I know they can be eXtremely painful! So was the Dr able to fix it up that quickly that you’re able to get back to your exercise plan?
XENA – Hi! I hope that Calc test went well. I always used to understand it when it was explained, but drew a total blank when it came to the homework. I hope you smoke the whole course!
BRENDA, I understand about the chocolate. That’s been a major problem lately. The SF kind gives me a rather extreme reaction if I have more than 1 piece – not an option. The detox thing is great and I hope you’re back at it full swing and happy with it.
LESLEY/LitChick – 23 pounds is Brilliant! What a fabulous month you’ve had! Bravo!
LILION – Happy Anniversary! All that fruit, esp. the strawberries, sounds great. Glad your weekend was good. I’ve been gone lately myself.
CATHERINE, It’s interesting for me to have this window on your journey. It’s encouraging, hopeful, reassuring and thought provoking when I read that you have feelings or thoughts similar to my own sometimes. Sorry if you don’t want the job, but you’re something of a poster child for me, and certainly a leader. You’ve accomplished so much, and even though you made it look easy at first, you’ve really struggled - on the way up the scale, and to get it back down. I know you’ve had set-backs, but certainly not failure. When you said “when I stop doing so for even a week, my portions creep up like crazy. When I start measuring again, I am again stunned by the difference. My view of food is as permanently warped as an alcoholic’s view of booze. The difference is that alcoholics don’t have to drink everyday to live” it was like a page from my own life. I guess that while I’m always sorry to see someone else struggle, I know that we do, and in your writings I find myself (selfishly) not feeling so alone. Through it all, you’ve maintained a sense of humor and compassion. I’m sorry if I haven’t said this right – what I mean to say is ‘thanks’ once again.
Hi NANCY, I hope your back is feeling better and your home/apartment hunting is fruitful soon. I must have missed something about the “crazy aunt”, but as a crazy aunt myself, I’m glad you found her to be appealing on some level. After all, that’s why we’re crazy – for the entertainment value to others.
BRANDNEWME – I’m sorry you’re feeling discouraged and that you haven’t been able to lose so far, but I’m very glad that you’re still looking positively to the future, seeking help, and giving consideration to tools like lap band to ultimately conquer this! You’re still on the mission, and I’m very glad of that. I don’t get the feeling that think LB or RNY are just quick easy fixes. It seems to me that you are still determined to be healthier and are just willing and ready to use some alternative help. Don’t be upset that you haven’t lost weight the way you think you should have – Just take hold and use the tools you need and have available to improve your tomorrows, and be Proud of yourself for never giving up! I’ll be so happy to read it when you are suffering less pain and feeling more in control of your life. Keep us posted and know we’re cheering for you!
Hey, VICKI – Welcome back! I’d put on 5 or so myself, but it’s time to get back on the losing trail again. (How many times have I said that?) Ah, well, ONWARD! Glad you’re here!!
NIGHTKATT! Hugs to you too! I’ve been gone a while, and I know you lost your one sweet lamby, but I hope the other is well? Did you every get him a new friend? I hope the new shop does wonderful business for you!
AMMI – Glad to see you back. You were certainly missed! Just a few pesky pound up, but you’re back in the drivers seat now and I have no doubt you’ll have those few pounds gone again in short order!!
METACHICK – Please accept my ‘Welcome’ a bit late. You’re so right when you talk about the negative thinking. It can be self-determining – as can positive thinking. You’ve done really great, BTW!
LANNE – Glad to hear you’re making such great progress and feeling well doing it!
SHADY – Long time no see! It’s so nice to have you back!!!!!!!!!!
ANNIE – Unless you’ve posted in the last 2 days that I haven’t caught up with yet, WHERE THE HAY ARE YA??!?!? Miss ya!
Friends – as long as this is, I still have 2-3 days of post to catch up with. I’ve already written a book, so I’ll go get some exercise and check in later. Now, let’s see if I can get this posted or if I’ll loose it in cyberspace…
I am late posting today, though it seems it’s been quiet here today so I don’t have too much to catch up on which is good
I didn’t get to the gym today, Daren didn’t feel like going, so we did our grocery shopping today instead and will go to the gym tomorrow. I still exercised at home, but it’s not half as much fun as going to the gym.
Sandy - that’s so weird reading about the bad weather you are having there. It definitely doesn’t seem the time of year to be having those kind of temps. It’s much nicer to be having weather like over here, lovely, sunny and not a spot of rain
WOW another 4 lbs down you are on a roll!! No wonder you could happily eat a plate of vegetables rather than eating McDonalds!
Your hubby is doing amazingly well too, you will both the slim and sexy couple before too long. I hope his tests come back OK by the way, and that he remembers to sign that form so the docs can talk to you about things like that in the future.
Nancy - any news on that apartment, are you going to be able to take it?
LAnne - that’s wonderful that your knees haven’t given you any grief despite the bad weather. Is that a weight loss related thing do you think? How did your WI go today?
Sharvanne - Hi and a belated from me. It’s never bad is it when we see a gain that we deserved. I am always OK with deserved gains, it’s the undeserved ones that kill me!
Which Gazelle Rider do you have? Does it have the resistance pistons? Mine doesn’t, but I still get an amazing work out on it and it’s definitely the best exercise equipment I have ever bought.
Lesley - great news that you are feeling much better and don’t even need to take meds now Bad news about the library job though. What would you have been doing there? When I was in school I wanted to be a Librarian but when I found out how many years in college I would need to do I soon changed my mind
Xena - oh boy I can’t believe the Sanjaya is STILL going strong. OK so he’s a sweet guy and like the judges say, he is an entertainer, BUT come on, the good singers are going now, it’s time the guy was voted off Blake, Melinda, and Jordin are my fave 3 now.
I am sorry you felt so discouraged when you went clothes shopping, I think we have all been there! I always feel down after clothes shopping because I want to be buying clothes in a size 14 not anything from a 22 to a 28 depending on where I buy them from!! Good for you for not giving in to temptation and not pigging out, AND you went walking too for half an hour. You should be really proud of yourself
You are sooooo close to being in Twotown I bet you can taste it, I am sure by the time you weigh next you will be there
Lisa - I am happy to hear that you are feeling much brighter now and aren’t being so hard on yourself. I think if we get too hard on ourselves it just ruins our diets even more. We have to forgive ourselves and move on when we don’t stick 100% to our plans.
Great news about the seat belt extender, maybe you were just a bit bloated on the flight out
I bet you enjoyed having a cuddle with your dog, and he/she is happy to have you home.
Sue - how wonderful to see you posting, I worried that you had decided not to come here anymore. Sorry that you have been so incapacitated by your pulled muscle. Hope you haven’t had much of a gain because of it. Whatever you have gained I am sure you will lose it again as soon as you can exercise properly again.
That’s cool that Blake is from where you live, I think he’s amazing and I hope he gets into the final 3
Lily - I looked at your before and after pics, posted on that thread, but just had to say again here how fabulous you look. You look so happy and so much younger. Well done
Sharon - I emailed you earlier but in case you haven’t been able to log in to Hotmail, I couldn’t do that earlier, nor onto messenger which is why we couldn’t chat today. I hope you didn’t hang around waiting for me. I will try to catch you tomorrow. on the 4 lbs lost, you are just shrinking away aren’t you!!
Kymberly - another 2.5 lbs gone you really are doing brilliantly. I remember a time when I lost regularly like you, time to get back on that wagon
Erika Leigh - Are you on different anti depressants now, or are you off them altogether? I take Lofepramine and touch wood apart from helping with the depression I don’t notice them doing anything else, not even a hint of drowsiness.
Catherine - I am so THRILLED that you are going to do your book in two parts and I am putting in my request now to buy an autographed copy from you I understand about what you want part two to be, in fact there could even be a part 3 years down the line where you just update people on how you are doing.
Donna - that sucks about your WW meeting possibly being cancelled altogether. If you do lose that time for you, maybe you could use that time doing something else for you? Who knows, maybe you will have a huge surprise and the meetings won’t be cancelled altogether
Valerie - glad to hear from you . Sorry you missed that Equine Affaire, I bet you really were cursing your car this morning. When is the next event like that?
I am glad to be back on track, I went over my points by 2 tonight, but geez I am sure I can afford that considering I rarely use my flex points
Em - I missed wishing you a happy anniversary, sorry about that. Did you have a lovely time? Did you have to work?
I better make a move, Cold Case is starting and I need to really concentrate on it to keep up with it lol. I might be back later, if not I’ll be back tomorrow. Bye for now,
Donna-Just like exercise, when something is convenient, affordable, and you like it, you are much more likely to stick with it. When they stopped letting the kids pray in school, the just met by the flag pole before school. Maybe you guys could do that too.
Valerie- There’s nothing wrong with the way you put things. I do struggle, and I know I will for the rest of my life, but everyday that I wake up and take a lung full of air is a good day. We’ve all been given crosses, and some are just heavier (literally and figuratively) than others. With us we wear our shortcomings around us like armor for all to see. You usually can’t tell a compulsive gambler or a porn addict just by looking at them. By the way, if it had been a used book show or fabric show, I would have rented a car, and then went ahead and gone to the show.
Ammi-I actually quite scared now that I’ve decided to go ahead an publish. It’s so open and personal, that it is really scary.
Ammi- I am glad to hear your dental work is over for a while. Ouch! I always did hate the dentist, even though it was never that bad. Thanks for the encouragement on the weight I have lost. I finally feel like it is coming off! So what is a love spoon anyway, it sounds cool.
Sandy-Congrats on losing almost all of you weight!!!! All I can say is HUGE HUGS and SUPPORT from me. I don’t thank heavens deal with depression on any kind of clinical level anyway. But I can still offer support. I do however have LOTS of experience with kids. And the thing I can say with lots of confidence is 14-15 can really suck. Do what needs to be done, but keep in mind that she is a kid. She just wants someone to be a real parent, no matter how much she fights back. So the more you piss her off pat yourself on the back for doing what is right. That has always been my barometer for kids, if they don’t like what your doing, you are probably doing the right thing. Give her until she is in her twenties to blame it on her. It sounds like she has quite a piece of work for a mother, so in your heart, give her a break, in your actions be steel fisted. You will be the one she counts on. Good luck with everything. My thoughts are with you.
Catherine-You are so full of words of wisdom, it is no wonder that people all over 3FC are quoting you on their signatures. It’s a good thing you are writing a book or you could possibly explode from all of that hilarious wisdom. I love it.
Ammi- Your fair weather friend sounds like a *****, plain and simple.
Nancy-Fingers crossed and at the ready!
LAnneCarrington- I am sure you have lost inches if not pounds! Great Job, and you knee feeling good for such a long workout! WooHoooo!
Sharvanne- Just jump right back on that horse! It sounds like you are in the right frame of mind anyway. Did you have fun visiting your folks though?
Lesley- A resounding, !@#$F#$@@U@#$#$@@#$C@###@@@K####$$%%%% I hate it when that happens! I have done it so many times. One time I was so emotionally charged I lost my post, with all my smilies and what not and I actually cried! I totally know how you feel. I am so very sorry about the job too. You were really excited about that. It must have just been kismet or something. There could have been all sorts of things wrong for you with that job. That is what I tell myself when that sort of thing happens to me. I guess the universe has other plans for you my dear. Good job not bingeing, you are doing great.
Xena2005-I am sure that you did just fine on you Calc test, I hate the anticipation though. HUGE congrats on your not pigging out and going on a walk. I make a point never to go clothes shopping unless my ego is particularly strong that day! Ha Ha Ha
Lisa- Nothing like a seatbelt to make all things better!
Misti- Hi, nice to meet you. Glad to hear you are feeling better. I hope to see more of you!
Sharon- Congrats on the 4 lbs.! You rock!
Kymberly-Thanks, and you are so right about others noticing. I am very happy with myself! You should be too! You are just rockin' it all the time now!!!!!
Donna- Sorry about your WW meetings. That is just not right. I wonder if anyone thought of how much insurance money they would save if the employees were within a healthy weight! I hate admin crap.
Well, off to go sew some more costumes. I love you all and will talk more tomorrow!
Just a quick post to report that we got our Calc tests back. I got a 97! MUCH better than I had anticipated.
Misti - Welcome back! That is so neat you are from Blake's hometown. I love him. I think he and Jordin are my favorites. Although I have to admit I can't wait each week to see what Sanjaya's going to do. (Sorry, Ammi )
Hope to have more time to post this weekend. In the meantime, take care everyone!
They had to cancel our WW meeting today and might have to cancel the whole program!!
, told them that the Leaders sell WW products at the meetings, and that may be against the Union contracts!? Since the Union put out the money for the insurance so we could get the permits (which Administration signed off on and also already signed off on the next round of meetings too!!), it may cause them to stop the meetings altogether!!! ARGHHHHHHH!!! 
you are on a roll!! No wonder you could happily eat a plate of vegetables rather than eating McDonalds! 
from me. It’s never bad is it when we see a gain that we deserved. I am always OK with deserved gains, it’s the undeserved ones that kill me!
Bad news about the library job though. What would you have been doing there? When I was in school I wanted to be a Librarian but when I found out how many years in college I would need to do I soon changed my mind 
Blake, Melinda, and Jordin are my fave 3 now. 
you really are doing brilliantly. I remember a time when I lost regularly like you, time to get back on that wagon 
I always did hate the dentist, even though it was never that bad. Thanks for the encouragement on the weight I have lost. I finally feel like it is coming off! So what is a love spoon anyway, it sounds cool.
I don’t thank heavens deal with depression on any kind of clinical level anyway. But I can still offer support. I do however have LOTS of experience with kids. And the thing I can say with lots of confidence is 14-15 can really suck. Do what needs to be done, but keep in mind that she is a kid. She just wants someone to be a real parent, no matter how much she fights back. So the more you piss her off pat yourself on the back for doing what is right. That has always been my barometer for kids, if they don’t like what your doing, you are probably doing the right thing. Give her until she is in her twenties to blame it on her. It sounds like she has quite a piece of work for a mother, so in your heart, give her a break, in your actions be steel fisted. You will be the one she counts on. Good luck with everything. My thoughts are with you.
MUCH better than I had anticipated. 
