Hey Chickies! How is everyone doing! I have to say that I stayed on plan last week, kept my calorie count below the budget every day, did Pilates every morning, plus rode bikes with my son every night, & only lost .6 of a pound! UGH! We had the family picnic Sunday! My MIL, a/k/a The Wicked Witch of the West, actually had the nerve to tell my husband to watch out that I may be developing an eating disorder! Her basis on this is I only ate "those fake burgers", veggies & fruit! Luckily Hubby grew "a set" recently & stood up to her! Told her that just because I didn't eat all the crap that everyone else did, did not indicate an eating disorder. I can't wait until these pants are too big, so I can ask her if she wants them since they are too big for me!



Ellis, your fridge sounds great! I so much wanted the stainless, hubby threw the cabbash to that though!

Soozie, we are heading to the cottage Wednesday for a long weekend at! You have inspired me, I have vowed to take that darn paddleboat with the kids everyday! Maybe I will actually find it bearable, and not despise every second out there, if I keep the thought going that it will help kick this weightloss into gear again!

Mavis, congrats on the loss this week! I may not lose any myself, so I can live vicariously through the rest of the gang!

Kat, I grew up with my Grandmother too, in fact she can take all the credit for how I turned out, since my parents lacked a lot in the parenting department! Anyway, short of my hubby & children, she was without a doubt the most important person in my life! She was in an accident 2 years ago this August, geez, seems like yesterday, still hits me like a ton of bricks when I ralize that she is not here anymore. Anyway, she was in a coma for a few weeks, on a ventilator as well for the remainder of her time. She did wake up & was able to communicate with us very little, but was in a great deal of pain until she passed away in December. When I went to see her that very first time without any family there, she was still in a coma, I did hold her hand & tell her how much I loved her & was grateful for everything that she did for me, especially when it seemed no one else would. I left there that day feeling much better, even if she couldn't hear me, I felt better just saying it out loud & felt that when she passed it would be OK & I would have no regrets. Well she hung in there for months, coming in & out of it, I soon found myself wishing that she would just find peace! Of course you are never fully prepared when it really does happen. While I knew in my heart she was better, I still wished that she could have hung in there for just a little longer. Hang in there though & know that I will include you & your family in my prayers!

Fluid..., Congrats on taking the step to do what is best for you! It must have been hard to make that choice to take that step away from something that is so comfortable!

Squeeker,....Welcome BACK!!!

OK I need to go pack for my weekend away! I'll check back later!

HAPPY MONDAY!!!!

Well, I finally started cutting back on the food again, although I did have a glass of wine with dinner (for purely medicinal reasons as you'll see in a minute.) I was trying to leave the house to go to work (wearing Birkenstocks) and the door passed over my big toe and ripped the nail most of the way out. I managed to pivot it back into place, and am going to the doctor on Wednesday to see what she can do for me, since I am supposed to be driving to Cleveland early next week with my Mom and the kids to see the Rock and Roll museum. I'm too afraid to even put on my shoes right now, since any pressure on the nail hurts. Hey!! I see that Mauv, Ellis, Christina and I are all on-line at once!!

Shel-I agree with Ellis. I now it was a difficult decision to make, but sometimes you have to let go of that "comfortable but not working out" thing in order to find something better!! I used to be REALLY afraid of taking chances, but every time I have it has worked out for the best!! If you are actually doing BETTER with him since you broke up, maybe you two were really meant to be just friends anyway!! Thanks for posting your picture; I like seeing what everyone looks like. You are a real cutey by the way!! But you make me feel OLD!!!

Kat-Love you! Hope you are holding up okay.

Ellis-OKAY!! You said it! Party at your house! Actually, wouldn't that be fun? We could all move in for a month or two and drive you crazy!!!

Squeak-Welcome back!!

Soozie-Is your daughter starting kindergarten in the fall? How does she feel about that, and how do YOU feel about it?

Christina-Keep remembering that the last 10 pounds are the hardest and slowest! You are doing everything right, and it will work!

Mauv-Keep up the good work sweetie, you're doing great!!

Ruth-Off having a scotch with a kilted man? I am still drooling over that one!!

Hey chickies!

Kat-sorry to hear about your grandma. All that you can really do is pray for her, be with her and let her know you care about her.
I am sure she can feel your presence and hear you spiritually if not physically. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Christina-good for you for sticking to your guns and making healthy choices, especially at a barbeque. I am glad your DH told MIL to back off. Why is it that people try to harass you and undermine you by making comments like that when you are just trying to make healthy changes in your life?

Fluid-congratulations on making this decision for your self. The two of you seem to have had problems for sometime now and taking this step may make you stronger and happier however it turns out. BTW great picture-you look beautiful! Stop using that smiley, it is making me

Ellis your fridge sounds great-I always wanted the ice-maker and water dispenser type fridge. Lucky you! I have not forgotten about our dim sum date but I guess we have to wait for that gad-about Ruthxxx to squeeze us into her busy social life!

Squeeker-Welcome back! Hope you had a fun trip and will post soon with the details.

Sooze- hope your kitchen reno goes well and we want a picture posted when it is done. Did I happen to mention that I am a home decor and reno junkie. I love before and after shots too!

Dentrassi-AAAARGH!!!! Your poor foot!

TiggerDiva and Ruthxxx hope all is well with the two of you, post soon so we can all catch up on what is going on with you both.

Goodnight everyone!

Hi girls!

Kat - sorry about your grandmother. I know how you feel. My grandmother passed away in Jan. and I knew it was coming. It didn't make it any easier though. But my grandfather had died about 6 years ago and she was never the same after. There is a certain comfort to think of her with my grandfather again. Tell her you love her and hope for what she would want.

Congrats on all the weight loss going on in here!!!!!! You girls rock!

Vacation was a blast. I even tried hiking. We didn't get very far though. It had been cold in the morning so I had on a long sleeve shirt & jeans on, and way too much stuff in my backpack. Plus it was all up hill! We made it about half way and then I begged (more like demanded) that I wasn't going any farther. I did get my full body massage though. We also went to a horse show, I went horseback riding which was thrilling and scary. The horse cantored (ran) up a hill. It was just an amazing experiance. We did a lot of walking. I did alot of touristy things, but had a great time. We went to the top of Whiteface Mountain (drove most of the way and then took an elevator up the rest). It was hazy because of the forest fire in Canada. - Squeak & Scribbles
It isnt the best picture but it is the only one of us together. I own the camera so I am not in the pictures.

Went to the Great Outdoor Games. It is archery, dog agility, tree climbing, axe stuff, things like that. It was actually alot of fun to watch. Then we went to Lake George for a day & a half. It was a silly time. Very very touristy-cheesy. A ton of minigolf places & arcades. (I won the Skee-ball play off between the 2 of us ).

We ate a lot of food. But I think I walked it all off! And while my scale hasn't budged my shorts felt much better.

All in all it was a wonderful, peaceful, relaxing time. And the best thing was to see the boy smile for like 3 days straight. He has been having a real tough time of things the last year, I don't remember the last time I saw him like that.

But that is a quite random post, but more or less how it went. My head isn't completely back from vacation yet.

squeak

Hello fabulous femmes

Went to the gym again tonight. I was so hot from the walk there that I just decided that I would swim for an hour instead of both working out and swimming. I felt totally refreshed when I got home. Had a yummy dinner too tonight. A small salad and wholewheat pasta with homemade spicy sauce

Wow Squeeker! It sounds like you had a great trip! Good for you! Nothing like some time away from the usual routinne to recharge your batteries. It sounds like both you and "the boy" needed to have some time together. I can't wait for my vacation in August.

I have a question for all of you...my friends are getting married soon and have already made up their guest list but haven't sent the invitations out yet. In the meantime they have been invited to another couple's wedding reception who they are not close friends with and rarely ever see. Now the bride feels that they have to reciprocate with an invitation to their wedding even though she doesn't really want to or can afford to as this couple is paying for their own wedding. She is feeling really pressured to invite them and feels that if she doesn't she will "never hear the end of it". Any advice?

Hope all is well with everyone!

Mauvaisroux

Yeah, I have advice... screw it! We can't possibly avoid hurting SOMEONE'S feelings. People have different types and sizes of weddings... if friends/relatives can't respect that and be sympathetic to it then they'd better see an analyst.

Mauvais, you're doing great!! You hardly ever pig out anymore! You're becoming a skinny person.... yipeeeee!!

Hi everyone else! I'm just going to move an amoire and a couch with my DH. Does that constitute exercise?
xo

sorry Mauvais, I didn't mean to sound *****y. But if they're not close friends and rarely see them... I just wouldn't worry about it. If it's something that affects their relationship, they'll probably just drift apart ...

Hello again ladies!

Ellis-that is exactly how I see it, in fact a few of us are looking atthis one couple's various activities surrounding the wedding as a bit of giftmongering. They have invited a few people that they are not really friends with or know through other people and don't really hang out with that often. I was trying not to see it in that light but several other people have pointed it out and have said that they feel imposed upon or pressured by this situation both in time and financially. These people aren't even close enough to the bride that drifting is an issue, again she only knows them through other people.

And no, I don't think you were being *****y. And yes, moving an armoire and couch does count as exercise as long as you break a sweat doing it

Hey Girlies, Hope everyone is doing well. I have been holding up okay. Didn't do so well with my food today but didn't totally pig out. I bought donuts for the guys working on the kitchen so of course I had to eat one. And we had friends from out of town visit tonight...can you believe it...with the kitchen stripped down to the studs...and we served pizza...I ate it...and our friends brought us candy...I ate it...and still no exercise with all this chaos...

Overall, still feel okay...will get back on track with exercise after this craziness subsides.

Mauvais- is Mauvais your real name? How do you pronounce it? I have been taking before pictures and in process pictures of the kitchen. Only problem is I'm not too computer saavy... either I'll send copies of the pictures to one of you and you can post them somehow, somewhere, or I'll find someone with a scanner...???? I'm starting to get excited but can't wait until some of the new stuff goes in..they started framing out the new ceiling today and put in a new baseboard heater. Our range, microwave/exhaust hood, dishwasher, and the new flooring are in my living room!!

Den-doll - My chickadee is starting kindergarten this fall. Luckily she is going to go to kindergarten at the same place where she has been in preschool for two years. She already knows the two teachers that she will have, one was her camp counselor last year. The other she knows from saying hello in the hallway.

Our local public school only has half day kindergarten which didn't really work for us. The school where my daughter will be has two kindergarten classes. The classroom she will be in has 11 kids with two full time teachers and is full day. You can't beat that ratio. The kids get alot of individual attention.

So, I feel really comfortable about the whole thing and she does too. It does feel alittle incredible that time has passed so quickly. I remember when she was a baby adding up and figuring out that she would be starting kindergarten in the fall of 2002...it seemed like such a strange number and so far away.

She's getting so big that when I cuddle her she's all legs and arms...she'll be taller than I am so soon. But, of course in my heart she'll always be my baby. My nephew is a year old and I love to snuggle his fat little baby body and kiss his soft little fuzzy baby head. So, when I miss the baby days I just call my sister and ask for some snuggle time with her little one. I expect that she'll have another baby at some point so I'll have access for a quick fix if I start going into withdraw...and I can't snuggle my nephew too much in front of my daughter. She takes great offense to it and starts climbing on my lap and talking baby talk. Being the only child she's definitely used to having my undivided attention and being the light of my life. Boy, I'm rambling...

Chris - go girl with that paddle boat...and don't get discouraged, keep doing what you're doing, as long as the scale is moving in the right direction, even if it just inches along or stays the same some weeks, you'll get there eventually. And you seem to have such discipline...I know that you'll be successful...so don't despair.

Well alternachickquitas, I'm exhausted, what a week and its only Tuesday night. Sorry I didn't send personal messages to everyone but know that I'm thinking of all of you and hope that you all have a good Wednesday.

Love, Soozie

Quick fly-by post as I start into Day 2 of the three weeks of **** that are the week BEFORE the Fair, the week OF the Fair and the week AFTER the damned Fair! I assuage my *****iness a bit by reminding myself that I will not be doing this next year.

I think I have the website right now - www.deltafair.com.

I'll be lurking but not posting much. Pray for me and for the poor suckers that work with me!

Listen girls, Ruth rarely asks to be nurtured, so when she asks us to pray for her, you can be damned sure she needs it! Everybody... prayers for Ruth.
Ruth... can't get into that website. Restricted. Another reason for you to tear out your hair?
Just keep reminding yourself... this time next year you'll be sitting in a deck chair with a whiskey, a novel, and a big cigar... thinking about the poor sucker who's doing your job.

Soozie, where the **** is MY cute little message? I didn't see MY name in that last post!
I know what you mean about your daughter growing up. Because of the age gap between our children, my daughter looks to me like a lean and lanky grown-up, while my son still looks like such a baby. Everyone keeps saying, "Isn't he getting big?!", and I keep thinking, "NO!! HE'S STILL A LITTLE BABY!!" I'm sure if MY sister had a baby he'd suddenly look enormous to me.
Sometimes the best time for guests is during renovations. They have no expectations of a clean house or great food... they just want to see you. Once the kitchen is finished, they'll be expecting a perfectly coifed house and a gourmet meal.

Chris, have fun at the cottage! Get on that paddleboat, girl!!

Mauvais, I hope your friend works out her "problem" okay. The right solution sounds so simple, but the whole situation can be VERY sticky at the time.
And yes, I broke a sweat moving the furniture.

Den darling, how is your poor big toe? Oh, I just cringe thinking about it. Did you get it removed? You know, I think they should just be removed at birth. Toenails, appendix, tonsils, and a complete hysterectomy.
Party at my place? Listen, I wouldn't be able to stand all of you for a couple of months, but I'll let you stay for a week. How's that?

Kat sweetie... how are things going? Let us know how you are when you can. We're thinking about you... xoxo

Squeaker, what a riot you had!! Listen darling, I can't see your face in that photo. You've got lovely hair and you don't look fat at all, but I CAN'T SEE YOUR FACE!! The boy is very tall. I can't see HIS face, either. I'm glad he was relaxed and had such a good time. It's really hard to see someone you loved stressed, isn't it?

Shel, how are things going? Are you still feeling good about your decision? We're thinking about you, honey. Oh, and your store looks SO cool!!

I'm so ticked off. I went to use my "old" computer last night and the damned power supply blew. Crap. I spent an hour looking deep into it's depths ... hoping it was something simple like a faulty cord or a loose connection.
My sweet friend is going to "steal" me one from work. When the computers at his work get noisy, they just take out the power supply, chuck it, and put in a new one. What a waste!

We're going to Toronto tomorrow for a few days. To visit my too-funny sister-in-law. It'll be fun, but I hate driving down there. I'm convinced we're all going to be killed on the highway. So if you don't hear from me by Monday, you'll know I'm dead. I'd like to be buried with all my favourite books, a big bag of Doritos, and a bag of Bridge Mixture. Maybe you'd better throw in a bottle of water in case I get thirsty. Hmmm, but then I'd have to pee... Well anyhow, I expect to see EVERYONE at my funeral.

talk to you when I get back (knock on wood)

hello!
The is my first time in/on this thread. I just really, really need some support. I've been on this "reducing" wagon for about 2 wks. Lots of fruits,veggies,etc....walking,etc. I weighed myself for the first time last night. I gained 2 pounds!!! So yeah, this morn was already a pisser for me. Oh but noooo....could it turn around????
I think not! I set fire to my "low-fat" sandwich in the microwave at work, had to toss it in the sink and run water over it. Don't worry though, I replaced it with a vending cheesebuger,what else could I do?? Then finally I get a death stick break and I stepped in a hole,twisted my ankle and rolled down a hill. You know the single thing that upset me the most is....you guessed it...those damn 2 pounds..Anyone else having a day???
Whew....(normally, although I'm not normal,I'm not usually a raving lunatic either)
Peace and Peaches..
K

Quick drive by as I make dinner -

Ellis - try this one: Us Again (It was taken last Nov. And yes we were both slightly, uh, drunk at the time. We were celebrating our birthdays. Yes, we did have a designated driver.)

And yes he is very tall, but I am also short so it makes him look even taller. I am 5'1" and he is about 6'1". But I also out-weigh him.

And I really wish I was still there. Yesterday all I wanted to do was lay around, read my book, and wait for him to come home so we could go out to dinner, and have him eat half my fries.

Be careful in Toronto and dont get burried under all the garbage. At least I think the strike is still going on......

Welcome kahuna! And dont worry - raving lunatic is just fine.

Ruthxxx - good luck during the **** weeks. I will pray for your sanity

Soozie - I am sure supervising all the kitchen stuff has to be some kind of excerise right????

Mauvais - Where are you going in August?

Hope everyone else is doing well!!!

squeak

Evening everyone!

Welcome Kahuna! Ranting and raving is definitely allowed here... hope your ankle is okay and I personally would have taken my sandwich burning as a sign from the diet gods to go get takeout...
and you are not the only one who had a day.
Mine was stress at work, stress at lunch, and then I got to the gym and worked out but when I went to take my hot tub/pool dip there were a bunch of little kids in the pool and about 10 of them in the hot tub and no room for me.wah So I got home and was all stiff in about an hour from having skipped the hot tub and had a raging headache, had a fight with hubby about money and being tired of getting pushed into social obligations by people and how I need a vacation from our social life and that for one lousy stinking weekend I would like to be left completely alone to my own devices instead of being pulled in three different directions all the time! Blah! I am currently sulking into a bowl of French Vanilla ice cream topped with grenadine syrup

Ellis-have fun in TO, hope you don't need a gas mask to breathe there!

Sooze-I am sure that when you have a lovely new kitchen the stress will have been worth it! Mauvaisroux is just my pen name, it is french and roughly translated means evil redhead. I guess the easiest way to pronounce it would be Mauve (like the color)-eh - roo.

Squeeker-did you post some pics? If so I can't see them here
I am going to Milwaukee in August to a gaming convention, whee!
Your boy sounds like a sweetie

Ruthxxx-I will be praying that you don't lose your mind during those 3 weeks!

Dentrassi, Tiggerdiva, and Christina hope you are all doing well!

Goodnight!

Hi again!

Squeeker, thanks for blueing the pic words, I didn't realize that I had to click there to see them until you did that.
Tee Hee! It's lucky that I am cute if I can't be computer literate.

Anyhoo, the pics are great, you look thinner than you made yourself sound and look quite lovely too! Boy looks good too- tall, dark and handsome!

That darn spinning smiley of yours is making my head hurt