Good morning guys!
I don't think i have time for personals, as I do need to get a few hours of packing in today before I head off to do other things.
Spent the night last night babysitting my niece, who is 6 mos and SO CUTE, and then went and slept in my new apt for the first time. So lonely! Can't wait to get some art on the walls and bring my kitty over, that should help. My roommate apparently lives at her boyfriend's on the weekends, which could be nice to have the place to myself, but...well...I don't know. I'll see how it goes.
I think it might be time for a rebound boyfriend.
S

oh a nice transitional man would be fun.... I'm an old married lady....

Courtnie - So what do you do for a living, then? And what concert did you go to last night? How was it?

Nessa - eat those points, woman! Where in VA do you tend to travel? Are you in the DC/B-more area of MD, or elsewhere?

Magz - Way to go on the OP week! And I'll keep my fingers crossed for your WI monday, let us know how it goes!

Faerie - I think you are making a good decision, culling those old frumpy clothes. I am starting to feel uncomfortable in the rest of my 14's, like I look sloppy, and I can't stop pulling at them all day - but I want to hold out just a leeeettle bit longer before just dumping them. So I know how you feel. It's time to let go That's true about the life choices - what could it hurt to try something new? Except for the going back to school bit - if I end up not liking that, it'll have been a large investment with no purpose, like my MA. So that's still scary, and I still need to think about that. As for you going to school... well, I am kind of mixed on that. I did what I (thought I) loved, ended up hating it, and at a dead end career-wise because of it. I think if you can see yourself in a job because of your preferred degree choice, you should go for it - but if you are like I was, and just looking at a degree because it was something to do with your time, re-evaluation is a good thing.

Sonja - Heya. I feel your pain on the packing. I think weekends alone could be great, actually - I would love to have weekends off from DH sometimes I'm not sure I've asked, is that your kitty in your avatar, or is that just a random kitty?

THE STORM. Holy moley. It has been raining all night - which is great, we need the rain, and I love the sound it makes on our roof (we have a roof! woot! [excitement at the fact that our roof is actually a roof, not someone else's floor, still loving that about the new place])... But talk about a harrowing experience driving to my WW meeting this morning. Actually, the drive to wasn't bad as it was early enough that the ... less intelligent... quota of the city hadn't gotten out of bed yet, but the drive back was awful - I came close to accidents twice, both times because someone decided that even though everyone else was going slow and being careful over the flooded roads, they deserved special treatment and would exceed even the normal speed limit. Yikes. Got my heart racing early, that's for sure.

My sister is having some early, mild, but constant contractions - her baby is due the 18th but as her midwife says, he'll come when he's ready. I am getting excited to meet the little bugger. I thought it was funny, she told me about how she had an exam where her midwife felt her belly to determine the position of the baby and he was suddenly breach - he had been head-down for the last series of exams. So this freaked my sister out, who wants to have a home birth and a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarian), and having a breech (breach? I don't know which is right) baby is a complication she wasn't prepared for. Anyway, they ordered an ultrasound, and as they were waiting in the waiting room my sister felt this big woosh of movement inside her - sure enough, he had flipped back to head-down positioning, and apparently just wanted to start terrorizing mommy just a little early. The stinker.

Anyway, point being, I need to spend the weekend knitting or that kid's gonna have half a blanket from his auntie when he comes out I guess I could pass it off as a scarf he can grow into.....

I'm in Baltimore.... Ravens Camp country Owings Mills!

we like to go to harpers ferry (well that's WV) and we have a trailer on the river in North Fork
we've been to Richmond for the race this year
i hit DC for the day sometimes....

Gosh, Jaime, you and I should start a quarter-life-in debt-have a master's for no reason support group! I totally feel your pain.
Seriously. Back to packing now.
S

Nessa - I like long road trips I've got some extended family in PA. And, how funny, a co-worker is moving to NC at the end of the month!

Lizzy - I was that roommate who left for most weekends It can be nice to have the place to yourself sometimes, believe me.

Suite - I don't know... I like learning things. A classroom is my learning domain. Knowledge sticks with me that way. I think that's part of the reason why I want to go back. But, I have this intense need to finish school. Quite honestly, not for a job, but for myself. Will I regret it? But I know I'm regretting not having finished school now, so.

hey everyone. i've been MIA again. summer THREW me off the wagon. but i'm back on bouncing happily. i kept trying for a week here and there to get back on and summer would rear it's ugly head (aka my lack of inhibition) and ice cream and bbqs took the best of me. since march i have gained about 10 pounds. NOT all fat, i'm couting about the 3 pounds of water weight/bloat that creeped up on me as well when i weighed myself this week to get back on track. so we'll say 7 pounds of ugly jiggly flab.

it's ok though. i'm moving past it. we're all in it for the long haul right? right.

Lizzy - maybe it's because i still live at home (aka with my mom, (rip dad) and my sister..) i would DIE DIE DIE to have weekends alone. i bet it will be a WONDERFUL THING! esp when you attain that rebound boyfriend hehe

Suite - it was supposed to storm here, knock on wood, but it hasn't shown up yet. i canceled plans today because of it so honestly i hope it comes and causes a scene. haha. just rain and some wind and such though, i'd like to keep my trees and house and car thank you

everyone else - hi!! haha. sorry didn't read more than this page yet.

Faerie, yay Target! Thanks for supporting my family . I bought one of the C9 sports bras on clearance and was very excited to see that an XXL fit me. In fact it was a bit loose. The most recent one I got was a L. It's very exciting to be able to buy what we want without worrying if the biggest size will fit us. Congratulations on the new stuff!

When I went from 22 to 20 to 18 I had a horrible time with clothes. I didn't have the money (or the love of shopping) to go out and get new ones so I skipped size 20. I don't really have a need for a lot of clothes since I wear red and khaki all the time so it wasn't a big deal for me.

Umm, Nessa...I'm about 2 1/2 hours from KC. Give a holler LOL.

Jaime, good luck to your sister! I'm totally having a giggle over that little turkey . He's already giving momma some troubles! Boys are so much fun! Maybe the blankey could be a burp rag LOL.

We had the rain Wednesday and Thursday from Gustav. We had a pool party in our basement sigh.

We were on our way to the bank today and encountered a "road closed" sign. We looked down the block and a parade was starting! We hurried up a different street to park the car and ran to the parade lol. It was a Labor Day parade full of huge construction vehicles and big trucks. The boy loved it! I've been to a few parades in my day (lol) but I've never seen so much candy! Zach really cleaned up. He had a blast picking it all up off the street. Then one of the local companies (Central Dairy) was handing out little dixie cups of ice cream. Seriously the best parade ever. Now I just have to figure out what to do with 4,000 Tootsie Rolls.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Jaime -- what is a vaginal birth after cesarean? i can't figure that one out...
Hope all is well with your sister. That is funny about the baby's positioning! And, as for the knitting, I still have the blanket I made for my niece (who arrived in march), and it's totally done except for weaving in the ends! I'm such a procrastinator.
Oh, and to answer your question, that is my kitty, Piper, in my avatar.

Tarah -- Welcome back again!! I know you'll do great, getting back on the wagon. I need to do the same -- I'm planning on attending my very first meeting this week. I need a kick in the now expanding booty!

Magz -- maybe you could make a Tootsie Roll log cabin?

Well, sad news this morning. I officially reached the weight at which I said to myself, "If I get back up to 135, I'm going to bug out." Of course, I've done nothing to AVOID getting back to 135, I just needed to set a point at which I would really start counting points, or at least stop binging, and perhaps even get back to the gym! I'm still not smoking, and also haven't had any alcohol for almost a week, which is kind of a big deal for me. I do want to forgive these few pounds I've gained back since returning from camp, and I can be comfy here at 135, but I really don't want to get back up to 140, 145...

Today is my official last day living at my old place. I'm moving me and my kitten tonight, after I show the place to a few potential new tenants. I hope that helps with my general mental health.

S

Sonja - A VBAC is when the previous baby has been born by cesarian, and it is hoped that the second baby will be able to be born vaginally. It can be tough to deliver vaginally once you've had doctors slice through your abdominal muscles and uterine wall, they used to not even let women try it. But a lot of people are successful with it and it's so much easier on the body than a major surgery - my sister is kind of bitter that she even had the cesarian as it was unnecessary and doctor mandated - and as a first time mom she was just accepting of whatever the dr said. so now she's all anti-doctor, pro-midwife and homebirth. Anyway.... You realize eventually your niece won't be a baby, right? Get that blanket done!! Good luck getting back on track, we know you can do it

Magz - Oh no, I hope the flooding isn't too bad! The parade sounds like a lot of fun!

Tarah - Welcome back again! I know how it is with summer - but then again there are a lot of food-related events in the fall and winter too so you might as well start getting used to the idea of managing them


DH and I had a fun night last night - we went for a run (yay! first time since we moved here, needed to be done!), then went and played ping pong at our apt complex's community building place. Came home, played Settlers of Catan until the wee hours. I feel pretty gross today though because I drank a lot of wine It'll pass, but my tummy is pretty unhappy with me right now! And might I mention all my FPs are gone for the week... the week that for me starts on Saturdays... it was a good time though

morning....

i tried for VBAC back 22 years ago... no go.. my body just does not wanna give up those babies...

last night we went to barbarshop quartet singing and then out to eat....

i was great till i had oreo cheesecake. i counted 20 flex points and moved forward.

ugh. oh well.

today is lane bryant shopping then gaming at friends.

see all you lovely ladies later.

Good Morning All,
I was feeling kind of guilty because I gobbled a bunch of mac and cheese before my healthy fish taco dinner last night3333. The kids like the mac and cheese and I just can't resist spooning it out of the pan. I did count the points, but it put me over and I was trying hard to save up my 35 for my trip to San Francisco today. A friend and I are off to the city and I know I am going to eat some yummy stuff. I did pack low point snacks, though, for the drive. Anyway, have a great Sunday!

Work, work, work, work... my family doesn't see me much these days!

School started with a vengeance. The second day, and again on our third day, our building got struck by lightening and it took the network down. I had to 'rig' the network to work so we could function at a minimal level, and ordered $20,000 worth of equipment, parts, cables, etc. It took out a couple of drops (those places you plug the computer in to access the network) and I had to crawl through the tunnels underneath the building (with the spiders & mice) to run new cable. Then of course, there were many students who couldn't remember passwords, teachers who didn't know what to do with the new computers (Office 2007) +, +, +.....

Been working 12 hour days + remoting into the network from home at night to take care of programming and working on the active directory, and I worked 10 hours yesterday and am getting ready to go in and (hopefully) finish up today. Plus cooking, cleaning, laundry, helping DD with homework (math-which I suck at) and paying attention to DH....

I am exhausted.
________________________

Vdaybaby! Missed you!
Tarah - Missed you too! I am sure the both of you will get back on tract in now time.

All the new people - welcome! I have been reading your posts and you guys make me smile and laugh!

Anyone seen/heard from LeeAnne or Paint?

Shrink! Glad you are back too. Hey, if you didn't have all of this 'stuff' going on, life would be boring right? LOL (I would take boring for a week or two to be honest).

Jamie - I could very easily be a full time student for the rest of my life. I love college. Have you ever thought of becoming a teacher? I could see you teaching English AP courses at a high school, private school, or college. You have that 'caring teacher' vibe about you.

I am sure I missed many someones.. will try to catch up later. I am getting socks/shoes on and heading out! Hopefully I will make it home in time to actually cook dinner rather than ordering out or having everyone scavenge for their super..

suite - i know i know, haha, that is definitely something i need to work on! managing those food surrounded events. i'm working on it. i think my problem is admitting defeat and basically saying eff it to the rest of the week over ONE day. THAT is what i need to stop doing. cause i've LOST even went i went over on ALL my points before, especially if it was done farther away from weigh-in. so i need to get that written in my brain and MOVE ON. i'm working on it hard. i'm learning to CHANGE my way of thinking and doing for life. it's just taking me a while, haha.


Sonja - i know how you feel , haha. keep on trucking!

i don't go to meetings.. i've kinda done this all on my own, starting with online tools that a friend had and let me use her password and stuff but it's not like i could put my name in there. i know different places are probably different but i'm beginning to think maybe i would do better if i went to meetings and was more accountable. just wondering how much they cost, how much registration is, etc., and how people do with meetings vs. on their own. i know everyone's different but i would love some feedback!

Tarah, when I was going to meetings I did the monthly pass. I think it was $39.95 for the month. That includes the meetings and the online tools. I really miss the meetings. The group that I went to was awesome. Funny and lighthearted but serious about the important stuff. We had a blast.

Family reunion today...enough said