Skating sounds like fun Shel!

Noodles - your rats are, uh, something.

Aphil - I LOVE your cat's name - AC. I was lucky enough to snag the real movie poster for Clerks from our local theatre.

Ellis - Hope the kids are feeling better!

Hi to Ruth, Mauvais, Den, Virginia and the rest of the chicks!!!

I am still in a "mood". My last "pity party" post still pretty much covers it. About the only good thing about my current mental state is very little desire to eat much.

Trying to plan a trip to see the boy, which I do want to do, but currently seems like too much of a hassle. Plus, he is trying to help, and make me happier, but doesn't know when to back off, so I have been snapping at him too. He takes it personally, even after I tell him that none of this is his fault.

Tomorrow, I hopefully get to see a friend of mine from HS, who I haven't seen in 2 years. I can't wait. He and I can go for long periods of time without talking, then get together once and a while and catch up. Don't get any ideas - he is getting married this summer.

Guess that is all from me for now.

Jessica - you posted while I was still typing - Good luck with the debate!!!

Good luck with your debate Jessica!

I have the same problem - I eat very well during the week then blow it on the weekend I alwasy end up eating out or getting food ordered in or people come over and I end up snacking while watching movies.

This weekend I made a conscious effort to cook at home and only ordered in a small amount of Greek food- salad and a some appetizers- so that I did not pig out

Shel- maybe a pantry and fridge makeover would help? I find that if there is no junk food that I like in the house I am less prone to munching and at least if I pig out on something healthy the results aren't as bad.

squeak

there's something to be said for a best guy friend, no matter how much time goes by between visits. i hope you have a great time.

problem is, it's not just junk food. when i get into these... things... i just eat constantly. sandwich here. some soup there. bowl after bowl of cereal, which is a major comfort food for me. actually, right now, the only thing in the house that can be considered "junk food" is a 1/4 of a half gallon of ice cream, which is freezer burnt. *s* dunno. been live journaling.... i think it's been helping. maybe i'm just expecting results too fast.

Is there anything you can do to distract yourself when you feel like munching? I sometimes eat when I am bored so I try reading, a warm bath, housework, going on line, a walk, anything to stay out of the kitchen

I also sometimes stress eat at work so I have to watch what I am doing there. When I get stressed I leave my office and walk down the stairs (14 flights) by the time I get down to the 1st floor I am over it or I am now focused on the fact that my thighs hurt

Noodles, I have a rat question. Well, mice. Can you tell me if they make mini-mice? There were babies at Petsmart today, and they were like 2 inches long. The adults were about 3-4 inches. Do they have any that stay little? Those don't make me shiver! The smaller the better. I'm trying to find some kind of pet for my son. I'm allergic to cats and gerbils, so probably am to mice/rats, too. But the small ones have less hair, obviously, and I can get 'used' to them better.


Mauv and Aphil, you are making me want to dye my hair red! I've been wanting red highlights - going that direction slowly, I guess. My hair is a mess. I've been trying to grow it out, and it looks terrible. I give up, I'm going to get it cut again this week, and then I guess I'll highlight it. Does anybody do their own color? I want to try some of the color with matching highlights kit. I think Loreal does it. Does your color usually come out close to the little hair samples in the store?

Den, your son has a more imaginative list than mine! All he wanted was Pokemon and Yugioh cards. Or Pokemon and Yugioh video games! We took him to an educational toy store in town and he discovered magnets, chemistry sets, musical items, and a bunch of other fun things. Rob and I went back the other day and bought a bunch of things, so we'll have a fun birthday. His new friend is going with us to eat dinner and play arcade games Wed night. Of course I am thrilled because I promised Cody I wouldn't be on a diet that night! He was very sad on New Years Eve because we didn't eat the traditional snacks, etc. We made them for him, but we didn't get any. I thought he would cry because it is a tradition to stuff our faces that night with finger foods! So we snacked a little and tried to make it look like a lot. Uh-oh, I'm not making paragraphs, sorry Ellis!

Time for bed!

How did you know we'd get ideas, Squeak!?
Have a great time with your friend.
My kids are much better, thank you.

Jessica... debating!! How cool! Have a great time!

Jennifer, that's so sweet that Cody wanted you to chow down on New Years.

I'm sure I came here for some reason...

I have had six pet rats over the years and will probably get some again in the future - they are very social animals and like to sit with you and play with you. I can't handle gerbils or hamsters as they are too small - I feel like I may squash them when I pick them up. I have never had a bad experience with a rat and never been bitten by one.

OK - Rats are better than mice, then? Also - Noodles, you don't have those great big Fancy Rats, do you? They have those at Petsmart and they looked like they were hissing. Not a nice face. The smaller ones were cuter. Is there a name for the smaller ones?

Eek, I might buy him a couple, you guys are making it sound better. They have the cages at Petsmart that are the color tubes, etc for gerbils, etc. Are those for rats/mice, too? Also, if you let one out of its cage, does it run and hide? We lost our gerbil once and finally I put down a paper towel tube in the floor and crawled up on the couch. About a minute later it came running right into it and I scooped it up and put it back in it's cage. I really don't want to catch bigger ones!

Yep, just a mere 46 hours or so until I get 'planned' birthday cake.

For you munchers - try brushing your teeth when you feel the snackies coming on. Another thing I do is chew cinnamon gum. By the time the flavor is chewed out, I almost have a numb feeling in my mouth, and a cinnamony flavor I don't want to mix with food. Don't forget to buy sugar free!