Pink it is depression, not actual physical pain, though my body aches 'inside' if that makes any sense! I have no idea of the grading system but I'm sure if you try you can bring your grades up enough to do the course you want. SO glad I don't have a dog anymore, all that poop! Hope he/she gets better REALLY soon!
xxxxxxxsharon

Sharon - I'm driving with my nephew to Alaska - he is finishing pharmacy school and is doing a two month rotation there - it's about 4,000 miles from here. I will fly home - I'm hoping to share a cup of coffee with Annie and/or Catherine - the route keeps changing.

GGG, how's your protein intake doing? My average daily last week was 115g. BikerChick was happy.

Hugs,
Ratkity

Rat - 126 on Tuesday - 110 yesterday. So in other words - not enough! I'm trying really hard to do this without any supplements - may have to break down. The binge on Sunday didn't help though - unless crunchy cheetos have protein (and no sodium). Kinda like grape skittles.

Dang those skittles!!! Not even a trace of protein in them. LOL

Hugs to both you and dawgies.. is the pool ready yet?
Ratkity

Pool is open - clear enough for Gracie (and warm enough apparently). Still kinda green - and did I mention cold.

Hello Peeps!

Catherine, is that 2 classes? Bioethics sounds fun. They better watch out! I know there's that lawyer in you dying to do some arguing!

Amy, sorry the baby has an ear infection, but glad it's not something way way serious. Hope the drugs resolve it quickly. Sorry about the lack of sleep and that you had enough fumes to make it to the end of the day.

Mem, I am walking 3x per week at work. I'm up to a half mile. Walking is difficult because of an arthritic hip and a foot that had surgery on it in 2007 to remove a bunion. I believe I have strengthened the hip enough so it's not bothering me! My lower back pain has improved significantly too.

Sharon, warm blankie hugs.

Jacquie, I'm sooooo glad you are ok! Microbursts are scary. When I lived in TX, one went by and ripped the roof off several college bldgs less than a mile away from my house. Yes, pulling a 6ft wet limb is exercise!!!! LOL.

Cyn, how's the new house (other than the boxes and chaos)? I hope you feel more relaxed and illnesses are getting better.

GGG, great protein days! Um.. green and cold? I'll pass and not feel jealous, despite it being in the mid 80s here.

Lindy, keep up the great work!

I made my 30 min walk today. Food was more decent than I expected and protein high.

Hugs to all!
Ratkity

Rat - good day - 142 today

Hi Ladies...sorry I havent been here lately but Ive been busy looking for work and I havent had anything to really celebrate because since Xmas for some reason I got really off track with my diet and exercise and I started back on my calorie counting yesterday and I also stepped on the scale yesterday which was the first time in awhile and come to find out that I gained 15 lbs back since xmas..i was at 60 lbs lost and now I am at 45 lbs lost and I changed my ticker to reflect that and the last two days have been great diet wise and tomorrow I am going to start incorporating exercise so I hope by next wednesday when I do my weekly weigh-in that maybe i will have a 5 lbs loss cause I am also back to drinking more water than I have been in a long time.

What made me lose my gumption(?) for losing weight I really dont know but I have been stressing alot about finding a job and the last 3 weeks I have had 5 interviews and last week I had 2 interviews for 2 good companies and one would have been making excellent money, full time w/ benefits and I did really well with the testing they gave and the interview and I was sooo positive that I was going to get the position and come to find out that monday they said they would be calling back for a second interview ( which meant you were hired) and I never received a call and then the other interview last week was thru a job agency and the job agency called me to let me know that the company chose another candidate for the position so it has been really stressful for me lately and I just hope something turns around for me soon but I told myself that enough was enough as far as with diet and exercise and that I do not want to go back over 300 lbs I have worked too hard and decided that I need to get serious and finish what I started and that is the road I am on now.

Well, sorry this was so long but just wanted to catch you ladies up on everything that has been going on. I will check back later hope everyone is having a great night and a great week.

thanks for reading (listening)
Heather

I don't know why people always think that I'm constantly wanting to release the lawyer hound from **** within. Although I did get to yell at a realtor today. Poor man didn't even speak English well. He was supposed to come to pick up papers for a unit upstairs that sold before 8:30am since that's when we were leaving. 2:30pm isn't before 8:30am. When I'm cranky, I can tell people off with the best of them.

Hi guys!

I stayed in bed pretty much all day today because I felt ill. I canceled my psychiatrist appointment, and I haven't heard back from her, so hopefully she's not too mad (I canceled the last one too).

I dropped Ancient Greek because it was more effort than I wanted to put into my summer class. I'm taking an intensive two-week "interfaith seminar" instead, where we visit different places of worship and eat ethnic meals. Should be fun, but I am a bit worried about keeping up with everyone because there will probably be a lot of walking involved.

Sharon - I understand about the depression. Are you on anything for it now? I am on Zoloft, not sure if it is working or not.

Hi all,

Lindy: I know you have heard it already here but... You are worth every single bit of effort that you put into yourself! Please know you are a creation in the image of God and that is spectacular! Great job on the choices hon.

Pink: P90X is a workout DVD set that looks super hard but also looks very effective. I still am undecided if I will spend the money on it or not. Sorry that you are not feeling great. Hugs.

Carol: I am here if you can stop by that would be so wonderful. I will still be here if you can't come this time though! Hugs friend.

Catherine: Any kind of camping is fun to me. lol.

Sharon: Hugs, hugs and more hugs.

Cyn: hope you get to see that new grand baby soon :)

Rat: Glad that your tum tum is feeling better.

Jacquie: Whew. sounds like you had the same winds that we did. Glad you didn't blow away!

Amy: Hugs and prayers to your baby!

Memento: I just noticed that you live in Spokane. We should get together sometime. I just live in Post Falls, ID. Let me know if you want to meet up. I'd love to meet you. When did you have your surgery? Who did it for you?

HeatherHB: Hang in there doll. A job will come.

Well, I finally was able to walk 3 miles today. It was no problem at all and I was thinking I would get really tired out. I have been putting it off because of the rain/snow. I just bucked up tonight and did the darn thing before it got too icky out. It felt great to walk that far and be able to. I think about how I couldn't walk outside at all and about our dear Lindy right now struggling like I was and I am so thankful for my ability to walk. I hope that everyone will be able to experience that same feeling of triumph at something that seemed unreachable before soon. My very best wishes for you all.

Blessings and hugs,
Annie

CIRCUS LADY FAT ...my 79 year old dad thought I needed to hear how I was fatter than the circus lady when he dropped by today. Just one of his 45 minutes of shaming me. He is, by the way, perfect - poops ice cream. But He has not figured out after 50 years that verbal abuse has never helped me lose one pound! Of course the girl scout thin mints and fritoes I gobbled up out of my cooler after he left didn't hurt him one bit. I guess it is time for the wet noodles!!!!

Jacquie- I went back and re-read one of your posts about abusive parents and having to take care of yourself to be happy ....hmmm....there is something I need to learn in that post! Hope your cold is better.

Pink - You might want to make another appointment just to make sure a tweak of the meds won't help. I can relate as I've been ill for 17 years now. Not just the agony of 500 pounds on a 5'2" frame (ouch) but metabolic, systemic illness that has been diagnosed as lupus, depression, fibromyalgia, and hypochondria at various times with a variety of docs. Not feeling well is rough, but its better than some alternatives. When I wake up in Pain I know I'm still alive.

Cyn - don't laws insist that relatives get visitation with babies?
What crafts do you enjoy. I used to scrapbook -well now, I collect scrapbook supplies.

Heather - I'll keep you and your job search in my prayers, it can be discouraging. Would a move to find work be an option?

To all of you taking classes and working on degrees - enjoy!
I loved school (good thing since I taught for 21 years). I miss being the teacher and the student. Most of my studies focused on literature and my master's degree is in Arts and Letters with a major in American lit.

As I wrote the last line above I realized that the Lindy who has multiple degrees, taught for years, has a published cookbook, was a Scout leader is just gone. I have a peculiar and unpleasant existence right now that bears faint resemblance to living.

I'm clinging to that faint ember of hope and grateful beyond words that you are willing to help keep it alive.

Happy National Day of Prayer -

Lindy

G'morning mah Peeps,

Lindy, that wonderful person is NOT gone! You are right here, typing about your struggles and sharing your wonderful positives things that you are doing for yourself. With your writing experience, I believe you could document your journey and publish it! Ugh, abusive family members. Right now, I am trying to distance myself from an older sister that I used to look up to (more than my Mom when growing up). She is now drinking, making bad decisions and there is a huge role reversal going on. Yesterday, she tried to call my work 5 times. I just didn't pick up and she never left a message. After calling my house 2x, she finally left a message saying she sent me an email of her tomato plants. geesh. One revelation that I had years ago was that people's hateful comments to me are a reflection of their own demons, illnesses and fears. They are not stating facts about me. "F" em! LOL. I am not a "mistake" because my gods do not make mistakes.

GGG, WTG on the protein for the day. My record is 165, but I'm pushing my average higher and higher. Being at a consistent 120g is my goal for now. Baby steps. How are you feeling with your protein going that high? I can't believe the energy I am getting.

Annie, you are such an inspiration!! For the last 3 days, I've been walking a hallf mile, something I couldn't do 3 weeks ago. My hip is stronger! Today, I will push myself just a tiny bit more and do it with the same gratitude as you while sending strengthening thoughts to others who are struggling.

Pink, I hope you feel better soon. I hate being sick. Hot tea always makes me feel better. Get some rest!

Catherine, it's only because your calm, cool collected **** hound is scary enough during an argument... I shudder to think what would happen if you brought out the big guns! In the original online game of World of Warcraft, there was a beast called a Corehound: a ****-hound on steriods. hehe I always think of your lawyer side as being like that.

Heatherb, welcome back! Sorry for all your stressing. I eat when I'm stressed too. Glad you are back! I hate job interviews because the interviewers have got to act as if everyone gets the job so they don't act biased. I hope the next interviews go better!!

Not much going on here today. I hope to get the lawn mowed today after work so I don't have to worry about this weekend. Next weekend I'll have to do edging and weeding. I have a work event I have to bring a vegetarian dish to and am making quinoa and sweet potatoes.

Hugs to all!
Ratkity

Hey guys! I haven't slept yet and it's almost 9 am. Ugh. My anxiety is just completely out of control. I kind of wish I hadn't cancelled the psychiatrist yesterday, but I felt too exhausted/ill to make it to school on the bus.

I am stressing the **** out because my tuition funding was pulled at the last minute and I have about a week to come up with $2000. Anyone have any brilliant ideas? I have terrible credit, so loan or credit card is pretty much out of the question.