Sorry no time to get personal today. Dd and Dh are both in Attila the Hun moods.......so there is no peace here.......Kerry, sounds like your day is none too nice either....why does my family have to fall apart on weekends? Hmmmmm..........

Sorry to bellyache.......actually, I think the reason that this is all falling apart this weekend, is because Dh and Dd now face life as it normally is~ not all pumped up with softball games. The rest of us live normal lives- household chores etc....
Gotta go......hopefully I will be more cheerful later
Take care!
Ginny

Hey all....sounds like all of the men are about in the same mood....sorry to say! My oldest son went to a sleepover, came home at 9:30 and went directly to bed....
my dh has been up since 8ish....biting for "something to do"...I suggested that he measure the bathroom or do some other chores he went nuts! Guess KINGDH isn't up for chores! ARGHH!

enough...gotta go feed the crew before they turn on me further! hehe!
hang in there everyone! don't forget to take a few moments for yourself! You count!

take care
meee

Afternoon Ladies,
My day got a little better when everyone left for a little while. So I was able to talk to my best friend on the phone for a little while without being interrupted. Plus I was able to read for a little bit. I am just not happy about going to the fair tonight. I guess after the way I was treated last night has a lot to do with it. I talked to my dh after he woke up. He wanted to know why I yelled at his boys last night and got on their cases for knocking on the front door. I said that a normal person would have called to tell their spouse that the kids were on their way home and could you please stay up with them until they fall asleep. So I told him next time I will wait for everyone to come home before I fall asleep, so I can attend to everyone else's needs and then I will think about myself. He never has yet to apologize to me. He then was complaining because I didn't go to the grocery store and the bank last night. I laughed at him and told him that he said he would take care of those items and so it wasn't my fault. It is getting close to that TOM for me. My mother-in-law told me this morning, she thinks her son is on his right now. Why is it that us females have to be so strong for everyone? Why can't they look out for us sometimes? So I guess I am not the only one having a crappy weekend. Time to go fold laundry. Talk to you all later.
Take care,
Kerry
P.S. I promise I will be in a better mood the next time I post.

Ugh, Kerry! Sounds like quite a night. I overslept this morning and missed my water aerobics class, because I usually do that AND swim on Saturdays. Oh well.
I hope your day has improved and that you got some sleep.

As far as the surgery goes, I do have insurance through work. But my insurance company apparently has a horrible reputation among plastic surgeons and has very few that they've approved. The first lady I saw was primarily because after calling 3 or 4 other places, they were the only ones that would finally give me an appointment. Most of the doctors didn't want to deal with my insurance company or didn't accept my insurance. When the first surgeon turned out to be such a goat, and wrote all that horrible stuff about me, I refused to see her. I guess its a case of biting off my nose to spite my face, but I just COULD NOT let a doctor that put lies in their report do a procedure on me. And I guess she probably wrote those things to get them approved by the insurance company, but I don't know that for sure. And I have a hard enough time dealing with this, I couldn't get treated by a doctor who thought I smelled bad, who said I had personal hygiene issues, and wouldn't talk to me. In any case, the insurance company denied the procedure saying it was for weight loss. That would be a benefit of the surgery, but isn't why I'm doing it. My endocrinologist thinks that it would make the endocrine dysfunction less severe. Two other doctors that I've spoken with agree.
The second surgeon I saw isn't on my insurance companies list. He said he tried to get added when he started his practice, but they wouldn't approve him because they already had surgeons in the area.

Although, today, I ate like a little pig. :sigh: And I feel guilty, even though I shouldn't because I still burned more calories than I ate. But it was definitely more than my usual turkey sandwich and salad.

Afternoon Ladies,
I finally got some much needed sleep, so I am a happy camper. I am still feeling a little tired but that is okay. My dh finally apologized after I wouldn't speak to him and he asked what was wrong. So I guess that is a good thing or he just wanted me talking to him again.
I am sorry to hear that you can't get your insurance to cover your surgery. Can they not see that you get very sick without this surgery. I can't believe people could be that cruel when it came to needed medical expenses.
Well I am off to mow the grass. That will be my excerise for the day. Talk to you all later. I think before I go mow the grass, I need to eat something first.
Take care,
Kerry

The insurance company can only respond to what the physician gave them... and the first surgeon submitted it as a weight loss procedure. They can't see why they should pay $12,000 for surgery so I could lose weight when I should first go on a diet and try exercising. And that is exactly what the insurance company said: lose weight and get some exercise.
The next obvious step is to submit to them that I am a member of a gym and do track my eating... but even then they might not pay for it because its not a medically supervised weight loss program. I'm going to try and see if they'll pay for everything but the surgical fee: IE, the hospital and anesthesia. That is less than half, because the surgeon's fee is $8500. Between myself and my mother we can probably come up with that. But I'm not sure it'll work because since this is considered "elective surgery", I have to pay the hospital fees and such in advance to the surgeon.

I dunno. I know that the computer is acting funky, its raining again, and the cat kept waking me up because he doesn't like crumbs. He is doing his bi-monthly round of Dental Diet food, and so he crunches it up and winds up with crumbs at the end of the month...and he won't eat those, so he wanted me to get up RIGHT THEN and re-fill his feeder.
So I'm grumpy, because I know I should have the surgery, but $12,200 would mean finding an extra $300/month for 5 years to pay it off. I can do that if I take a part-time job and give up on grad school for now. But I don't WANT to do that. A part-time job would also mean giving up swimming because I won't have enough energy to teach from 6:30 to 3:30, work part-time (probably till 8 or 9), and weekends, and still go to the gym. Its not possible.

Evening Ladies,
Ginny are you surviving the weekend with your family all being home? Hope your dd and dh aren't grumpy for you today.
Robyn are you having a better day today too? Your family didn't harm you yesterday because they were hungry did they?
Mouse I now fully understand what you are faced with. I will keep saying my prayers for you. Hope everything works out okay.
I mowed the yard this afternoon. So I got my excerise for the day. I might see about taking a walk here in a little bit with my dh after the kiddos go home with their mommy.
I hope everyone is having a nice Sunday. Talk to you all later.
Take care,
Kerry

Thought I would share this bit of news with you. My dh must have a heart today. I was sitting on our front porch reading a book after the kids left this evening. He came outside to see what I was doing and to ask me if I wanted to go for a walk with him. Then he looked at me and said you are looking great. I am proud of you! Just think two years ago, you were around 270 pounds and now you have lost almost 70 pounds so far. I was shocked at his kind words. That made me feel really good. Especially after how my weekend had started out. Well I think it has stopped raining, so I am going to see if he still wants to go for a walk. Talk to you all later. Have a wonderful week.
Kerry

Kerry- your story about what heartfelt words your Dh had for you made me smile........
And especially how this weekend had started out for you. I hope he did go out for that walk with you. Store those kind words in your heart.......they are so hard for some to say.

Mouse- I hope you are having success resolving your medical/insurance issues. This seems so unfair....It must seem overwhelming to you. I too will keep you in my prayers.

Robyn- Hope you found some time for you too!!!!!!!!!!!!! How did your weekend end up?

Me, I am feeling kind of low key......TOM showed up today and I just feel a bit drained.
Dd is bellyachin' because we are not going away for a whole week this year (partially financial reasons, partially schedule reasons). I am at the point that I really do not care if I go or stay home, I just do not want to have to listen to any complaining or do any cooking! (am I lazy or what?).
Got called in to work today again for 2 1/2 hours......could have been worse.
Gotta go take Dd to the Dr, she has some rash on her (looks like hives, but she feels crummy and benadryl is not helping).
Hope everyone's week is starting out great!
Ginny

Hi Ladies,
My week is starting out great. I kicked it off with a trip to Curves this morning. I felt that I needed to be relaxed and ready to start another crazy week, so I went in at 8 this morning to workout.
My dh and I went for a walk last night. It was after 11 and not many people were out. So it was a nice quiet walk. Had to laugh at a guy and his dog. He saw us walking down the sidewalk towards him and he had to hurry up and go across the street. His dog was making a fuss over seeing us and the guy said don't talk to them we don't know them.
Sorry to hear that you are feeling drained, Ginny. That is what that TOM can do to a person. Hope your dd's appointment goes well at the dr.
Hope everything is going great for the rest of you. When is Summer coming back from WDW?
Have a wonderful day!
Kerry

It does drive me nuts, especially since... oh, how horrible of me to say this, somebody tape my mouth shut, PLEASE.... I have students who get medicare and assistance, yet get to pick the kind of hearing aides and such that they'll wear. And my one student has lost or done away with 3 pairs in the last 4 years... He refuses to wear them, but they still keep buying the expensive in-the-ear models for him. Hearing aides, digital ones like he has, cost as much as a car! But that is just awful for me to say, I know it is, because its not my student's fault that his family gets medical assistance... but the same thing drove me nuts when I worked 3 jobs (1 full time when not in college, the same one part time during the year, plus tutoring and work-study jobs) to pay for my undergrad degree and saw other students getting free-rides because their parents didn't work. I had just about every bit of financial aid out there, but it was still a struggle each semester to pay that bill!
And I KNOW its wrong of me to think that way, and I'm not being a nice person... but, but... but!!!!
Okay. That's why I go swimming... I swam for an hour and twenty minutes today, so I did at least a mile and a quarter. I probably could've gone longer, but had to grocery shop (did you know that counts toward exercise? FitDay lists it with at least 4 calories per minute!).
You'd think I was PMS'ing or something. Hmmm. Can you PMS without having a cycle????

Mouse I understand completely what you mean. It is not that some people work their tails off to make ends meet. Well others get a free ride and get things handed to them.
I didn't know that about grocery shopping. That is an interesting tibbit of info though. I guess all the reaching, bending and pushing you do. Plus the walking would all add up.
You all will never believe how my dh is acting about his birthday coming up on Friday. Mind you he could have cared less when it was my birthday. I had to go get my own birthday cake, take my bike out of layway and eat the dinner his kids' wanted that day on my birthday. He was telling the kids tonight when their mom came to get them that he would have them all day and night on Friday. They told him no that Friday night started mommy's weekend. But he said that it was a special day for him since it was his birthday and he could have them spend the night. I walked out onto the porch with his ex-wife and said what is so special about his birthday. I had to do what they all wanted to do on my birthday. She just laughed and said that is how he has always been. Is this mean of me to feel this way? I decided that I wasn't going to buy him a present or even a card. Last year, he complained about the gift from his kids and me. Plus he told his kids he didn't want a birthday cake from them. So that still hurts alittle bit. But this year he told me last night I could take him out for his birthday on Friday to the local steakhouse for dinner. I just laughed and walked away from him. Men, you just can't always understand them all the time.
Well I better go and watch my movie while it is quiet around the house.
Talk to you all later.
Kerry

Kerry: I don't know a whole lot about guys. My male friends are pretty great. In fact, they remember my birthday and Hanukkah without reminders. I have one very good male friend from college who is fantastic in this area. And pretty darned good at the gifts he picks out. I NEVER know what to give him, though, so I currently owe him a Hanukkah and birthday present! He's a computer/video-game nerd, very smart, into science fiction, and comics. But I can't give him comic strip prints: that's what he gives ME! I have a great Rose Is Rose sweatshirt that has Peekabo (the cat) on it from him, and a couple of Dilbert prints that I need to get framed.
The sweatshirt has Peekaboo getting his head scratched by Rose when she comes in from outside with her gloves on. She takes the gloves off, and the next frame shows them empty on the table. The last frame shows Peekaboo with a glove on his head thinking, "Needs a refill!" That sweatshirt ALWAYS makes me smile, and I tend to wear it when I have something I don't want to do... or if I need cheering up. I wore it to my last GYN appointment during the winter, in fact...
My friend also wears the typical nerd glasses, so he gave me a teddy bear in a coffee mug and the bear is wearing nerd-glasses when I received my master's degree. So he sits on my bookcase and makes me smile too.
Actually, come to think of it, my father is the way you describe; but I don't get along very well with him!
I feel a little better... I have a ton of assessment reports to write for the incoming students, but its hard getting the assessments themselves done. My TA throws a little fit everytime I'm out of the room (I think I told the story about NCLB and her pay decrease!). So I've written a total of 2 reports; 45 more to go!

Robyn- gotta love the blue writing.........could that be the color of your bathroom?!
Congrats on getting done, though. Sounds so pretty and fresh and bright! Keeping my fingers crossed for you on the new position too! Sounds good........hopefully good news is coming your way!

Mouse-oh, I hear ya........There seems to be almost a bias against those who work, but are not wealthy. I am just getting used to some of the stuff that goes on regarding governmental help......yesterday, when I was asked to monitor in the morning, I assisted a student (age 7) with muscular distrophy (also appears to be somewhat autistic, but I am just guessing). He could have gone to the program in our county - which is huge and well respected. His parents decided to send him to the next county- an hour drive versus a 15 minute one- and had he stayed in county he would have been on a bus with maximum 6 other students, airconditioned at that, with a monitor. Mom decided to send him to this other program- again an hour away- and my school district picks up the tab for one driver, and a monitor to drive him to school daily in a suburban an hour each way. Kind of makes me scratch my head......and if I am being ignorant- Please- someone enlighten me. Just when so many other programs that could help many are scrapped for lack of funds...... As I said, if I am on the wrong track here please wake me up. Hope you got your assessments done- or at least got a large pile out of the way!

Kerry- you have my total sympathy!!!!!!! My Dh, although he does not usually call too much attention to his birthday, in the same respect ignores mine......Mother's day too.......can't remember the last Valentines day I got anything either, and I swear the ONLY way he remembered our anniversary was because he woke up before me that day and saw a card out for him and was able to save face with a quick trip to the store that opened at 6 am. Mind you, my Bday is just before Christmas. So a cake.....aw, at this point why bother. My Dh has spent the entire week before Christmas mumbling around the house- "I hate this time of year" and "Who the **** would have a baby in December!". Yet, we always try to get him a nice gift and do something special for his birthday, which is next month- and unhindered by any holidays. Am I hurt by this???? You bet! But at this point I really just downplay my birthday.......don't really even try to celebrate it. I know it is defeatist, but it is the only way to avoid his bad attitude. Let us know when yours is. I'll be sure to make an embarrassingly big fuss over it!!!!!! And, no, it is not mean of you to feel the way you do.

Sort of a quiet day- we looked for cars for Dd, and she has thankfully volunteered to pick up her brother from Bball camp. My 8 year old is a at a friends....so at least for the next hour I have some peace and quiet. (much needed, Dh was not in the best mood last nite).

Off to assemble the stuff I want to donate to the Salvation Army........cleaning closets!
Ginny