ack.

I'm leaving Sunday on my trip to Berlin and Croatia and am starting to gear up for it. I have a talk to write, and packing to do. And a house to clean (my inlaws are staying with the dogs while we're gone, so I have to finish organizing and cleaning the house and make sure I buy some staples for them.

ack.

Hi ladies,

This morning is actually a pleasant summer morning. Not too much humidity. Too bad its not still Sunday and I could be at home getting work done.

Saturday was blob day. I didn't get dressed all day. I haven't done that in ages. In between movies, I did so some housework. But we didn't leave the house at all. Blame it on the rain. I did pack up some clothes for goodwill. I'm getting bored with some of my clothes and some are getting baggy.

But we had sunshine yesterday so we spent almost all day outside. I worked on mowing down the weeds along the front bank/ditch area. Too bad the county doesn't do that. But we need to keep the grass down out of the electric fence plus we like the tidy look. Yikes, though its hard work. I almost got it done but got too annoyed at having to replace the string on the string mower every few minutes. That was good sweat-inducing activity.

Tonight I'm working around the pool. I need to use the string mower in that fenced off area plus I need to pull weeds around the pool itself. However, I need to do some cardio before I do all that.

Food is okay but the scale is not budging. So I'm not being good enough about the food or working out hard enough - still. I know I've said it before - about every Monday - however, I need to keep reminding myself.

Lilion - for the loss and for not smoking! Keep up the good motivation! Focus on getting back into those clothes, not the number on the scale.

Ruth - Darn, sorry about the vacation. And the neighbors. Hope DH's back gets better and you're on the road soon.

Heather - Is this a one or two week trip? Sounds like you've got a really busy week ahead. I'm so excited that your trip is almost here. (living vacariously through you all who get to travel).

Better get busy. Hope the coffee kicks in here soon and obliterates the allergy drug haze from last nights Zyrtec.

to all!

Good Morning Ladies!

Wow! It has been an incredibly hectic morning! I've disposed of SIX hearings, all before 11 a.m. Thankfully, none actually went to trial or I'd have never done it! Boy did I want a cigarette a minute ago - but I resisted the urge to bum one and am mostly over it.

Saturday we went out to dinner and I was pleased to have made decent choices. Still plenty of calories - nearly as many as my husband with his Sausage and Bacon breakfast! - but I went with a grilled chicken, swiss and mushroom sandwich and a cup of tortilla soup. Was shocked to see the sandwich came out to about 15 WW pts. I figure 6 for the buttered bun, 5 foor the chicken, 4 for the cheese. That might be high, but better high than low when keeping count.

Sunday was my blob day. I really should have gone to the office, but the In-laws brought DS home Saturday evening and so I stayed home with him. We rented "The Bucket List", which we both really enjoyed. I cried, of course, which always amuses the teenager to death.

Heather - What a cool trip! Why did you choose those places to visit? My boss just went to Hungary. Also an unusual vacation spot, huh?

Terri - I SO should have done yard work this weekend. How's the garden? I have TONS of tomatoes - but nothing's turning red! I planted something called "Better Bush" hybrid and I swear, the fruit is hanging on the thing like clusters of grapes - there are 10 tomatoes on ONE branch! But all green as can be! Pity I don't like green tomatoes.

Ruth- What rotten luck about your little trip! I hope DH get's better soon and your trashy neighbors cars and bikes break down!

Got to run ladies!!!

Hi Everyone! Sounds like a good weekend was had by all...
I spent all day Friday and Saturday in class for my MBA program. We finish the weekend after Labor Day & I can hardly wait. We're working on our capstone project -- developing a business plan and delivering it to a panel of VC's -- exciting and I like my teammates & project, but I am just so ready to be done! [Plus, I found out while I was doing this post, that the assignment I turned in last night didn't have all my team's work in it and I have to redo it . Gosh, I am looking forward to being done!]

Yesterday a.m., I went bike riding with my pals from work. I bought this new bike about a month ago or so, and haven't really ridden it that much. My pals are gearing up for this week-long bike trip thru Oregon where they ride 60-100 miles a day. However, they haven't been training all that much yet -- lucky for me -- so we rode 25 miles in S. Washington. It was a beautiful day -- we could see Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood. Saw an osprey family (mom, dad & baby) up close, a coyote far away, and an adult bald eagle. It was great fun.

I haven't been working out the past few days partly due to school and partly due to having a growth removed on my inner thigh and not wanting to aggravate it. Although the area is a little tender from the bike riding, I figured if I could ride 25 miles, I could at least do my upper body workout this a.m. and maybe 25 mins of cardio. So, back on track with that and eating. Yahoo!

This weekend, I'm going backpacking with my work pals -- we're trying to find a place to go though since mostly there is still a lot of snow in the high country. I might try to convince them to go on a trail that isn't fully cleared -- when the snow is hard packed and there has been a lot of traffic on it, it isn't too bad. [Although my friends are uber-athletic, at least compared to me, I have a bit more hiking and backpacking experience.]

Lilion -- good for you for staying OP with eating and nicotine (lack thereof)! I have quit smoking, quit drinking, and am now in the process of losing weight. While it is sometimes harder to live w/o alcohol and overeating, the physical addiction to nicotene was the hardest to kick. I don't know if this helps or not, but what got me through some rough times was the thought that I had already been through X hours or days of withdrawal and if I started smoking again, I would have to go through that all over again.

Terri -- good for you for getting outside yesterday. I have to confess that I hate those hot muggy days in the midwest and I hate doing yardwork. I would much rather go for a 25 mile or even 50 or 75 mile bike ride!

Heather -- hope you can get everything done and have a great vacation. I get kind of stressed when I travel, and often I don't relax until we are "wheels up" and I know there is nothing more I can do to prepare for wherever I'm going .

Ruth -- sorry about your sleepless weekend. I don't know if you have silicone earplugs in your supermarket, but I use them and they do the best of cutting the noise (much better than foam).

Sue -- good for you for your 24 yrs! I picked up my 8 year chip last fall . It is hard getting back into shape -- I hope you can take it easy enough not to injure yourself!

Miz M -- Hope you got a little sunshine this weekend -- your pup is a real cutie!

Got to run all -- have a great day/week!

I'm envious of Terr and Lilion's blob days!

Elmay -- Sounds like you're kicking up the outdoor activities! Or have you always been this active.

My trip. I'm going to Berlin for a conference (thus, why Berlin). I leave Sunday and arrive Monday. I'm giving a talk as part of a symposium Wednesday. On Friday I'm going to Croatia.

Why Croatia? Well, a colleague of my husband has a "summer home" there and he and his wife invited us to stay with them for a week. I've met him, but not her (I do know she's a math professor, and I'm a psych professor, so that's hopeful). It could be a disaster, but I think it's going to be a lot of fun. They live right on a bay and I think we'll be spending a lot of time in the sun, swimming, etc. A real vacation.

I will be with a colleague in Berlin, and meet up with hubby in Vienna, en route to Croatia.

So, you ladies will be without me for about 2 weeks (though I will have some internet access, I think).

Morning ladies,

Not much new and exciting here.

I do have to confess something; even if its just to myself. The weight of the work situation is getting to me and really dragging me down. As much as I try not for it to be that way; the waiting for the unknown is kind of like being stunned and unable to function. I really have to struggle somedays not to just sit and stare. It is far worse when I'm at work. At least at home I can get involved with stuff that is at least satisfying to do. It doesn't help that we've hit a lull in work that we haven't had in several years - and none of us know how to work in maybe normal conditions anymore. So I have been craving sweets while at work. I need to shake off this blanket of impending doom that seems to be hovering over my head. I'm beginning to think I'm manic-depressive.

I didn't go to the fitness center last night as I had more yard work to do. Geez, I cannot keep up with the trimming work. And the weeds in the garden are threatening to overtake the tomatoes. I have my bag packed to stop for exercise on the way home tonight. I need to do some serious sweating.

Okay, this is tough love for the dogs. Hope no one turns me in to the Humane Society. But Wile has taken to breaking out of the kennel or the back yard when I'm getting other dogs. And he runs like a maniac. Sometimes he takes someone with him and they both run like maniacs. So I thought, okay bud, if you want to run like a damn fool, let's run. I got on the four-wheeler and had him on a leash and we went up and down the driveway. I did it to Dixie too but she layed down and begged for mercy. Wile has too much energy. It is amazing how fast they can run. I need a dog treadmill.

Speaking of the garden, we've had several yellow squash. The zucchini are blooming but are very slow to grow. The plants are huge but not much producing yet. They did that last year too. We are having ripe tomatoes finally. And lots of them. But the plants haven't gotten very big this year. I think I need to have the soil tested for nutrients. I have pumpkins growing! They are so cute. I have no idea what I will do with them but they are so cute!

Okay, I better go work on my mental attitude. to all!

Hi ladies,

Just a quick update. I made it to the fitness center last night. 50 minutes of good, sweaty cardio. Got my stuff to go again tonight. I made it through the day yesterday with no emotional snacking.

Having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude is an hourly thing these days and I'm fighting to have it. Since I don't have a boss here to watch me, listening to uplifting podcasts on the Ipod all day helps. It helps me focus on work and not go off the deep-end in negative attitude. Maybe I will find something out next week when the new boss is back down here.

In the meantime, I'm praying for Wile to go live in Denver. He really is a good dog, but I'm ready for him to go to his forever home. Four dogs at around 1 year of age get to be a handful. If he goes, five dogs will be a piece of cake!

Anyone watch Wipeout? I love that show. It is so funny and looks like it would be a blast to do. Good clean (well, sort of muddy) fun. I could use something like that.

to all!

Good Morning All!

The sun is shining and today is a new day! Maybe you can tell I’m fighting to keep myself in a positive mood. The new boss is feeling the need to flex her muscles a bit and hover over us. She’s sending emails to remind us how to do our job (I’ve been doing mine for 19 years, I think I’ve got it now). I’m in a good mood, positive mood, smile, happy-happy. She’s just feeling her way….

Terri – It looks like we’re in the same boat or at least in the same ocean. I’ve been watching Wipeout too. It’s a real kick! I laugh the most when the contestants try to land on the four big balls during the first part of the show. They go through some hilarious moves on the way into the water. It’s good for the soul to laugh, plus you burn calories!



I Googled “burning calories to lose weight”. There is a ton of info, here are some of the results:

"100 laughs are equal to the same calories burned in a 10-minute jog." -- Dr. Dale Anderson

"Laughing can help to diffuse stress, increase your energy levels and allow your body to relax and start to lose weight." -- Deborah Herlax

A 2005 Vanderbilt University study concluded that subjects burned off 20 percent more calories when they were laughing at clips from reruns of The Cosby Show than when they were staring blankly at video of sheep grazing peacefully in a pasture. The researches calculate that someone who laughs ten or 15 minutes a day can burn up to 50 calories.

Having a good day!
Miz M

The big balls challenge is my favorite part! That would actually be hard to get yourself to do if you think about it. Launching yourself off that platform onto a huge slippery ball. My next favorite is the the next round where they have to jump over that swinging arm thingy. They make some great noises as they slam into the pedastal and then fly off. Yes, it is good for a belly laugh and that is very good for the soul.

Terri - I'm sorry that the corporate insanity is rocking your world on a day-to-day basis - You deserve better from people for whom you work so hard.

Heather - Wow - I am so jealous of your trip. I've heard that that part of the world makes the French Riviera look dull, so enjoy.

Elmay - You are so active, and you do the kinds of activities I read about in magazines - me, I bicycle around the cemetary across the street and swim laps at the rec center. And the day I bicycle 25 miles...

I am coming off a 2 day temper tantrum. I ate horribly, on purpose. Monday, brunch was a bacon sandwich - white toast and mayo, and dinner was nachos. Yesterday, I ate ok at work, but had Ramen noodles, cheese, and dry roasted peanuts for dinner. I suspect that this is related to the hormonals I'll be taking for the next five years. I am SO pissed - it's like having PMS all the time. And some weeks I can live with it, and other weeks I can't.
I suspect that there is also something going on here with family issues. DD had her wisdom teeth out Monday, and is completely out of commission. She did nothing all weekend, either, reporting that she was stressing out over her upcoming surgery. She still felt well enough to spend hours PMing friends about a party they are going to this weekend.
I am working on finding a therapist - it does look like I have PTSD from this experience - it's more likely in women with traumatic pasts, and I have tried everything I know of to make it go away.
Sorry that I'm not more upbeat - I was going to report that as of Sunday, I was down another lb, but this AM it was back, so I don't get to count it. Damn!

Sulky Sue

Just wanted to say that I am doing a little better

Sue

Good Morning Everyone!

Just a quickie before my 8:30 hearing starts!

Sue I'm glad you are feeling a bit better and I hope you get thru this rocky place soon. I also hope DD feels better - having had all 4 wisdom teeth out at the same time when I was about 19, I feel for her. (Although I'd have told her that housework is a great stress reliever! ) Take care!

Hey Miz M! Your post made me smile - which I'm sure doesn't burn calories, but probably doesn't hurt, either!

Terri Sounds like that pup is a terror! When's he go home? WTG getting back to the gym. That has to be at least helpful for stress reduction, in addition to just making you feel good about yourself. I wish I had words of wisdom for you on the job front. But I'll just give you a instead.

Heather That vacation sounds great! Sun and fun is always better away from home. I hope you have a great time. DH and I are trying to start planning our 10th anniversary trip. It isn't for another 21 months! But we are big on planning ahead. We're thinking Rome, Sicily, Greece and Crete (with side trips to Pompeii and Santorini) - if we can swing the entire thing in 14 days and within our budget!

Oops, reminder just popped up that I'm late for my 8:30 - got to RUN!

Popping back in---

Elmay! Woman you wear me OUT with all that biking! I'm proud of myself for 5 miles on the rare occasions I actually get on my bike. You must have buns of steel! Seriously, it's amazing the distances you bike. I try not to even DRIVE that far if I can help it! Keep it up!!!

OH - and everyone - proud to report still not smoking and 12 days OP! I think that's some kind of record for me - at least in the past couple years!

Hi ladies,

I'm taking a mental health day. Yesterday, the new manager positions were posted. I found out via email instead of a personal conversation with the manager. Nice. I applied for two of the manager positions and both are a step backwards for me. Two of the positions, I have done for years. So I don't possibly see how they could tell me that I am not the best qualified for either. But I don't put anything past this group. To add insult to injury, not only do we have to apply but we have to provide a resume, be interviewed by HR, be interviewed by phone and in person by the CFO, and then be interviewed at least two of the other business unit management. Now, all four of us have 10-20 years of service. Sometimes, corporate people are just flamin' idiots. But at least I know what the position is and have made that step. I was surprised at the anxiety I experienced when I read about the position and during the whole application process. I was just a big anxiety mess all day. And I ate to prove it.

I did go to the fitness center last night. I didn't have quite the endurance as I would have liked, but I did it. Think I will go today sometime too.

I am not going to let this take me down or make the scale start going back up. That's why I took today off. I need to get my mental state back in the game and start moving ahead with my life.

One day soon ladies, I hope all this mental stress, and my whining about it, is over. How nice it would be just to be able to gripe about just hating to work, instead of being tortured by iditiots. I am ready for some normalcy.

Lilion - Twelve days is awesome!!

Sue - Sometimes a tantrum helps clear the mind. I hope you find someone soon that can help you sort things out. Let's pull out of the sulky crap together. Because really, it only hurts us and life is too short for us to not be enjoying it.

Elmay - I am so jealous of your bike riding. And so happy for you too because I know how wonderful it feels. I do so miss bike riding. But around here, the roads are not very conducive and DH won't let me ride down the road for fear of some idiot running me down. I'll live vicariously through you! Keep up the good work and soon you'll be riding 50 miles and not even hestitate. I've done a 100 miles and weighed about 240 at the time so you can do it too.

Okay, ladies, since I am home "sick" with bad allergies i think I am going to head outside and do some yardwork. I need to pull weeds around the front landscaping; weedeat around the pool area, weedeat the front down by the road, pulls weeds around the tomatoes, float in the pool, exercise, and ride Spanky. Oh yeah, go to the dentist and hopefully pick up two gallons of blueberries at the Berry Patch. It all sounds heavenly!

to all!