Allison Feed Ringo as much as he wants. He's growing and sometimes will need more food than other times. Most cats will self-regulate how much they eat. If he starts to look a little too fat then cut him back a bit.

I would be hit pretty hard by those dog park fees, although I can see why they would charge them. I would hope my clients would pay for me but I guess I'd have to take the hit (like I took the 13% tax hit). And I guess fewer people would want to hire me if they had to pay that additional fee. I hope no one on Toronto City Council reads that article.

Speaking of dogs young Quincy has arrived! I can't figure out how to put his photo in my post but he's really cute - just like any other golden retriever pup!

Good night all

TGIAF (thank goodness it's almost Friday)!

Dagmar

The Kung Pao Chicken recipe was from the current cooking light issue (hopefully this will link!). I used chicken breasts instead of thighs because that's what we had on hand and without the peanuts. It was pretty yummy, especially with the jasmine coconut rice it recommended making alongside. I'm really glad to hear others don't necessarily go by the CL serving sizes!

Shelia, I am considering getting into a foster situation, just have to convince my BF it's a good idea =)

Megan, I'm jealous of your bounty from the CSA! I used to have a "will work for food" share at a CSA. Basically I worked for them a couple of hours a week and got to take home a weekly share. It was fantastic. In my Arizona location, there is a CSA but they don't offer that kind of share. I'd consider joining if I could find someone else around here to split a share with me but getting a whole one from myself and my BF is too expensive and we'd never eat it all.

I read a bit about the new WW plan - I kind of like it. It's very similar to my old weight loss plan in that I never worried about extra veggies and fruit (well, unless they were served with ranch dressing or chocolate or something!).

Dagmar, glad your kitty is home safe and sound! Hopefully the other one will get used to having him around again!

I must admit my eating and making excuses for not exercising is getting a bit out of hand. Tonight I'm going to a friend's house for latkes which will be delicious but I'll have to get back on the wagon tomorrow.

Speaking of dogs again, I feel like we may have finally had a breakthrough with Carter about his nails! Last night we managed to trim all of his nails, without a muzzle, including that he let us use the clipper on some of his front nails! Only on a couple of them though. His nails are really weird (large, thick, and solid black), and when I use the clipper on some of them they split and crack. But even though I had to dremel most of his front feet, he let me pull out the clipper again for his back feet which made the whole process much faster.

Yay Carter! Last time we tried to use the clipper on his front feet I didn't manage to clip a single nail, and he freaked out and struggled so much DH and I ended up covered in scrapes and bruises and Carter couldn't calm down enough to let us use the dremel.

OMG!!! OMG!!! OMG!!!

My godmother (who died in August) left me $10,000.

No one has ever, ever done anything like that for me in my entire life. I am still totally amazed and shocked. It's like someone lit a lamp for me after I'd been in a dark cave for almost a year.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Helga.

Dagmar

What a wonderful godmother you had, She must have loved you very much.

You deserve every penny of it DAGMAR!

and you thought it was a crappy year....wink

Glad you have something good in your life Dagmar. That is a wonderful surprise. You still going to the doctor tomorrow? Good luck!

Dagmar - Congrats on the inheritance great way to end a rough year.

I chuckled a little at your comment that cats self regulate what they eat. I have two overweight beasts that do not fit that description. They have been on a slimming plan forever (much like their human). If we don't give into their demands - our house would be in ruins.

S

Congrats Dagmar! Spend or invest it wisely. And I've been finding with the kitty that about once every couple of weeks he REALLY eats a lot and then controls himself the rest of the time.

We went last night to see Craig Ferguson. Raunchy but funny. Actually the warm-up comedian was much more raunchy, so in retrospect Craig was pretty tame. Still in all, I'm glad I didn't take DS.

Tonight we're going to Fullerton to see DD's concert following dinner at Red Lobster. I've never been to a Red Lobster, but I've heard stories of the cheese rolls. I'll allow myself one and stick to a light entree (grilled or perhaps just soup and salad, although I'm sure the lobster bisque is probably really high in calories). Last night we went to a local Italian place and I had a lite entree (which simply meant smaller portion). I ate it all. I'm thinking that this month really isn't the month to diet, but I will continue to be careful.

DD has been looking at cruises from Portugal, Spain or Italy for this summer. Once again, I feel a little removed from the subject. While I want to go, and we can certainly afford it, all the work involved to do it is so daunting.

I best get moving on my day. Wasting too much time and I have a list of things to accomplish before we leave this afternoon. Everyone have a great weekend!

Allison My first thoughts about the inheritance money were new computer and new bed! Both are at the end of their usefulness.

My current computer is 4 years old (I bought it used) and it whirrs and clanks now . I wake up most mornings with an aching back from sleeping on a 14 year old mattress.

I also thought about paying DH's tuition balance as a birthday gift to him. I know he will refuse though - doesn't want to "owe" anyone. He and I have a very strange relationship when it comes to money.

Then I will sponsor another foster child in Africa. I have been sponsoring a little girl named Safina in Tanzania for two years. I will sponsor another girl - life is even harder for them than for the little boys over there.

Hard to imagine that coffee money for us ($35 per month) is enough to send a child to school.

I will probably put the rest of the money toward a trip to Africa. Going there has been a dream of mine since I was a small child. I already have the trip picked out and hope to visit my foster child (both of them now) while I am there.

The trip and visits will be my birthday present to myself when I turn 55.

Dagmar

Dagmar, congrats! What a lovely gift from your godmother, and sounds like you have wonderful plans for it.

Since I got back from Thanksgiving I've been dogsitting. I figured out why none of this guy's friends will dog sit for him anymore. You all know I'm a dog lover and I hate saying this, but his dog is really hyperactive. She's a 3-year-old lab and I will literally walk her for 4 miles (that's been my cardio this week ) and she's still running and jumping, trying to lick me to death, and then does things like she's too excited to eat. I've taken care of and been around dogs most of my life, and she is the most overly energetic by very far. Then the guy tells me the day I was supposed to start sitting that she has an ear infection and needs drops and her ear needs to be cleaned, the crate he said was collapsible is not so I've been afraid to bring her to my house so I've been driving there... he owes me really big time!

But as crazy as Daisy is it's been a welcome distraction. BF is working ~7 hours away for the next month or so (he's not sure how long the job will last, but he will keep working while he has it). I'm trying to tell myself I'll take advantage of not being around his "bad" (well, he's not terrible) influence and not drinking, work out a lot, make all the bean soups he doesn't like and eat cleanly. But I guess I'm used to having him around. However the working out, eating cleanly etc. part is going very well.

Allison, how did you do with the cheese rolls? Those things are yummy!

Jessica, I'm glad Carter behaved better with this nail trimming! A few more times and he will be sleeping through it, right?

How was everyone's weekend?

Dagmar, that is very unselfish of you to sponsor a child in another country. Good for you!!! But get a new computer. These days you can get a decent one for not too much money as long as you don't get a Mac.

Megan~sorry you're dealing with a hyperactive lab with an ear infection. I found with my lab that regardless of how long I walked him, he still wanted to play fetch for hours afterward. He quickly learned the phrase "take a break." Sometimes they'll just go and go and go, until you tell them to stop.

So last night I went to my first (and probably last) dinner at a Red Lobster. Wow, everything was so salty! Decent otherwise, but just so salty. I had a small salad and lobster bisque and two cheese bisquits. So salty. And they obviously don't know what a vegetable is....DH ordered steak and lobster with mashed potatoes. Got it all but the side was....potato wedges... MIF ordered the same with fries, the side was potato wedges. DS got chicken with mashed potatoes, the side was rice pilaf. MIL ordered shrimp scampi, her side was shrimp with a pina colada salsa. I had soup so no side, but seriously TWO starches and NO vegetable? Even my 15 year old son understood that was just wrong.

Oh, forgot to add, here is a photo of my family at Thanksgiving with my niece in Japan photoshopped in by my DD. http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...ell/family.jpg