That's kids for ya (especially teenage girls!)!! I think they instinctually go opposite of everything their mother's tell them or think we want! The good news is that somewhere (in that head of theirs) the stuff we tell them does "stick" whether they like it or not...so keep providing her with the information you know she needs (maybe printout something off the net about Physics...it's not too late for her to change courses). Sadly, they never let us know how much they are really listening.

YOU COULDN'T BE RIGHTER!!! I may dissappear on that elipticle when she moves in!:lol: She's really a smart, sweet girl (to everyone else)...but she's got such an f'd up attitude...it totally drives me nuts! I just can't wait for my 2 little PAYBACKS (their names are Destiny & Alexander)! Oooooohhhhh that's gonna be good!!!

Enjoy your vacation...really...you deserve it!! Relax...and let all of us here live vicariously through you!!! [[[[sending fun, sun & relaxation]]]] vibes your way! Joyce

aud-a psychiatrist should be prescribing lithium to your daughter. It requires regular monitoring with blood work. I'd be worried about a family doc prescribing it.

physics was one of the hardest courses I took and I'm actually pretty good at math but more power to your daughter. It's basically a math course where all you do is word problems.

Doggie is home with her foot all bandaged up. She still isn't eating. just wants to lay around. I have to keep her bandage clean so everytime she goes out I have to put a plastic bag on her foot. She looks kind of silly but seems to be tolerating it pretty well.

Azure-sorry about UConn. I went to med school at Penn State but the med school is in Hershey not at State College. I empathisize with the cost issues. I'm still paying my student loans back and it's almost like a second mortgage but it was definately worth it. As I say, they can take away my house, my car, but they can never take away my education. Good luck with your decision. I'm sure you'll make the right one.

Happy Friday Evening All! It is 5:59 here. We have rain on the way for tomorrow but right now we have big puffy clouds with blue sky and breezes. It is quite lovely. SSSSooooo, I think...

BEST ADVICE OF THE DAY ADVISE GOES TO PETRA. How lucky are we to have both a Doc and a shrink in the house!!!! Azure, I hope that you follow your dreams even through the disappointments. It takes a lot of guts to look forward to the expense and difficulty of being away from family and BF but you are such a gifted and bright young lady. It will be worth it. I wish you had gotten the school that you wanted. Is there any kind of protocol to tell you if you would be eligible for space that might open up between now and the start of the program? I'm sorry honey. It sucks.

SC

Good morning ladies. My day has certainly been.......interesting so far. Apparently, my shepherd does not do well with anesthesia. She threw up all over the house last night. Thank God for steam cleaners. This morning I'm trying to feed her rice and believe it or not, she doesn't want it. I don't have any chicken right now but will get some later. Chicken and rice will cause a fight in my house so Kobe has to get some too even though he isn't sick.

I've also decided to return to strict protein power rules. My scale really isn't budging. That means a protein minimum based on Lean body mass (for me about 100 grams/day) and no more than 40 grams net carbs/day. The goal is also 25 grams of fiber daily but as you all know, that is hard on low carb.

I made one of my old favorites for breakfast this morning. Ricotta pancakes. I made them with oat flour but I ran the nutritional analysis with oat flour and with almond flour and I won't be doing oat flour again. BIG difference in carbs. They were very good. I put some fresh berries on top. I have to run a bunch of errands this morning. Will catch up with you all later.

Aud, so sorry...My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours. :hug:

Azure, it seems like a letdown (and I know it must be) but there may be something BETTER in store for you! Think positively and hold hope!


I get at least 25 grams of fiber a day. Here are some suggestions for HIGH fiber, low net carbs:

Artichoke hearts: 3 pieces= 3 grams of carbs and 2 grams of fiber

1/3 Cup frozen spinach: 2 grams of carbohydrate, 1 gram of fiber

Hemp protein powder: 120 calories, 13 grams of carbohydrate, 14 grams of fiber http://www.thedailyplate.com/nutriti...protein-powder

Eden Organics Black Soybeans: 120 calories per 1/2 cup, 8 grams of carbohydrate, 7 grams of fiber http://www.amazon.com/Eden-Organic-B.../dp/B000GZS9Q6

Azure - bummer. I'm delighted that you've got some options, but I'm sorry that you didn't get your first choice, love. That sucks.

Well, we've had most of the Parent-Teacher meetings this past week, and, yay, nobody was mean or shouty or whatever! Yay! (Sometimes parents are psycho - last time I had one lady who got very shouty, but it was my fault - I offended her, and nothing I could do seemed to undo it.)

My play will be performed on Thursday and Friday. Really, I very much wish that I'd had the balls to audition for the 15 minute Hamlet instead - but they made the audtion be improv, and I've never done improv, and I found it intimidating. Which is stupid, because my whole bloody DAY consists of improv with random bits of standup comedy, really...but there you are. In my head, it's a bit intimidating. But I could totally have rocked the script, I think (It's Tom Stoppard's take on Hamlet - tells the whole story in 15 minutes, using nothing but lines taken from the play. It promises to be HILARIOUS.) And the director is awesome. I was feeling a bit glum about this. But then I reflected upon it, and I thought that actually, if I'd not been involved in the play I AM in, my friend (who's playing the lead) would likely have had a much more stressful and less enjoyable time of it - I've really done a lot of working with her and boosting her confidence (as the director seemed kind of oblivious to the need for this). And I can't help but notice that the director also tends to tell people what they need to change and do better, but not tell them what they did WELL - and our cast consists of me (a couple of years' amdram experience, no theatre training), my friend (sod all experience or training) and 2 teenagers. So, you know, you really SHOULD be praising people when they do stuff well, you know?

Anyway, it's Thursday and Friday. I don't know that we're exactly ready, but fingers crossed - it can be very funny. But it would be better with a better director. (He's a lovely bloke - I do like him a lot. But...he's not great at directing, unfortunately.)

Meanwhile, I've finished Jemima J (great fun!) and have decided to start the Couch-2-5k program. Had an experimental crack at it today, and was happily surprised to find that it wasn't hellish, despite my fears.

I can barely imagine that: being able to go running. Wow.

Mind you, I'll need a proper sports bra, and purchasing such a thing here in Thailand (for 40DD) is going to be like finding sushi at McDonalds, I fear. Still, we'll see how it goes...

Petra - You can also try adding some flaxseeds to some of your dishes...(small amounts cuz I added 2 tablespoons to my oatmeal this morn and gaaag!) I choked it down anyway...but I'm gonna just add 1 tsp here and there throughout the day...I think that way you won't taste it and it's a good way to sneak that fiber in! Sorry to hear about sick doggie...they seem to eat better than most people!:lol: Oh yeah...BTW, I checked my protein powder ingredients and there is L-Glutamine in it among other amino acids...

BAB - Good luck with your play! You rock! I think you could have rocked Hamlet as well. BTW, what's couch 2-5K??

Aud - I'll be having a "Lily" day too today! This house is a mess! Baby milk spills everywhere! I have a housekeeper that comes biweekly, but the carpets need to be cleaned, windows, leather sofas, etc. So, I'm gonna do what I hate most...housecleaning!!! I wan't to say try to enjoy yourself somewhat, but I know it's also a sad occasion for you. So...have a safe trip!

Good Day All! I'm finally gonna get cracking on my house this weekend (DD21 and grands are moving in)...wish me luck!!! Weather is spectacular today! Hope it's nice in your neck of the woods! Enjoy! Joyce

BroadAbroad, is Couch-2-5k a book you found somewhere? I have been threatening to train for a marathon for years. My DH just looks at me like I've lost my mind. Probably because I have never been a runner. I did start running the last time I was doing Atkins. I am getting back to running.

Oh Crap: Now the other tidy maids have inspired me to shovel out my house. I woke up at 5:00 but didn't do any cleaning. I went to get groceries at 6:30 (only because we were out of coffee). DD has an open house at school today (I swear, I think we have one like every 2 months...) and one of her little demon friends is coming back home with us after. I would hate for a nine year old from a different family to walk in here and everything be such a mess. I am getting so that I just hate cleaning. Sigh.

Petra: Sorry the doggie is sick. Come to think of it though, I don't want to eat anything when I feel barfy. Sorrier still about having to clean up assorted upchuck. I don't know what is worse...cleaning up cold vomit (I use a specially designated spatula for that by the way) or stepping in warm vomit in the middle of the night. Aud: What is your favorite?

Fay: The upcoming play sounds fun. O.K. Here is what I learned about improv in my former life and I'm going to share it because I believe it is right up your alley but is not being presented to you in the right way and as such is freaking you out when I think you would be fabulous with it. O.K. Here it is. Improv is not really improv. Yes, you heard me. I felt the same way you do when was in my second or third year of studying acting. I thought the people that could improv at auditions were the poo and I just thought I couldn't do it. To get over it I participated in class, after class and group after group dedicated to improv. It was like practicing. THEN, when I had to utilize improv skills in an audition, I was drawing on little bits of business and acting based on successful previous experience. The same is true when we go to see those improv groups and people think they are pulling stuff out of the air and are so amazed by it. The aren't. They have rehearsed the same scenarios hundreds of times and funny things have evolved. The improv part comes in where you switch around the business and different reactions you have experienced and so does everyone else in the group. On top of THAT, most of the time, when you are working with an improv group, it has been for quite some time and everyone pretty much knows what the others in the group have packed away somewhere in their bag of tricks and the trust level allows you to be more creative.

So for me, my best traditional acting experiences were after I had the verbiage of the play down cold backwards, forwards and in between. Then I could listen and react to my fellow actors and actually be creative with the acting and find new things (practicing, practicing, praticing until you find something new in the work that makes it better). The notes given by the director after each rehearsal absolutely should focus on what you did well and what did not work. You definitely want to keep the good and chuck the bad. The improv work is very similar for preparation to audition. You can learn the existing script backwards and forwards, do the character prep for the part you want and develop the business that you think fits. If you have already done the script work and the character prep pretty much anything they ask you to do with the audition improv wise I think you can handle. You just speak and react in a manner similar to the script that you know so well and use the business you have developed.

Now, after spewing my humble acting advice, here is the best tool I was ever taught about developing thinking behind a character when I was stuck in something I thought was cliche or rote. I had a director make me pick up a chair and carry it from one side of the stage to the other,put it down, pick it up and carry it to the other side. He made me do this over and over while I was saying my lines. OMG, you would not believe what a difference it made in the organic growth of the character. Why? Because we don't typically stand around saying things. We are usually DOING something. I had to concentrate on two things, the moving and the talking and suddenly my character came alive. I have used that tool over and over in different ways and it really works. I will never underestimate the power of the business you are performing along with the words. Of course, I didn't carry a chair around. Once I got the trick down I used other things, rubbing an imaginary stain on my skirt (doing my lines that are unrelated and thinking at the same time, "this stain bugs the crap out of me). etc.

Geez. Aren't I free with my "pearls of wisdom"? I hope there is something in there that works for you though. YOU CAN DO THIS. In fact, you may have been born to do it:)

SC

SIC-so far I have avoided the stepping in vomit in the middle of the night. That sound dogs make right before they vomit, wakes me up quicker than my pager. I bolt out of bed like a lightening bolt! Called the vet this morning and picked up some prescription dog food for the baby. Of course, Kobe is jealous because Tammy is getting something special. She needs to eat because she is on antibiotics and they will make her sick if she takes them on an empty stomach so this is a delicate balance here. Also cooked up some chicken and rice for them for dinner.

Went to the health food store and they were sold out of Greek yogurt. I got some kefir which should be okay since I mostly drink my yogurt anyway.

Faye-good luck with your play. I'm sure you will do great.

Petra: I want to come eat at your house with the dogs!!! Oh, wait...Darn! I can't have the rice. I definitely miss rice. One of the items I used to really enjoy was steamed rice with a little salt, pepper, slivered almonds and diced chicken. Yum. I also used to love the same rice with some sliced mango (or pear)thrown in the last five minutes of cooking. Sigh.

Hope the doggie improves today. Mine got a new squeaky toy treat. It will last about 1 hour and then they will shred it. We have dozens of them but they always fight over the same one. I guess sibling rivalry exists in the animal world as well.

Have a great day!

SC

I've given up on squeeky toys for that reason. I just end up cleaning up all the fluff all over the house. Yes, the dogs are getting spoiled. I had left over jasmine rice from when I was still eating that sort of thing so that is what I cooked for them. She does seem better now that she has gotten some food in her. I'm attaching a picture of my baby. I think she's beautiful but I'm biased of course.

I'm looking for a good but not too complicated cheescake recipe. I've made a good one but it is too labor intensive so I'm looking for something less complicated.

Awwwwhhhh...Is she a Red Shepherd? She is beautiful...I'm kinda biased towards German/Red Shepherd's since my best friend growing up was my dog Smokie! It's the only kind of dog that I can feel any attachment to really. I loved my Smokie sooooo much...I miss him.:(

She's black and tan. Very sweet personality-kind of shy.

I think I found something better than a cheesecake recipe. I found a low carb key lime pie recipe. I have everything but some heavy cream to make it so I'll pick that up on my way home from church tomorrow and try it. I'll let you know how it turns out.