Hello's to MELLIE and LAURA!!

Welcome to the first day of Spring. It was my grandmother's favorite time of year. Maybe this is why I've been down a bit this week. Thinking of this special lady that was in my life. I have plans to go to Missouri on Easter week end. This snow better not interfere.

My co-worker was talking about donuts this morning so that gave me a taste for them as well. My supervisor can be nice most of the time. So I asked him if he'd go get me some. I told him to get a dozen for the guys as well. He did. These donuts are as good or better the Krispy Kreme.

I left for work this morning as it was breaking day. I'm coming home in the light also so that's helping my mood.
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Laura
Think along with the thought of my GM that the weather has been having an effect on my mood as well. Hope the weather clears up soon cause I need some sun shine.

Mel
Are you still on the mend? We miss you.

Back later.

Morning all.

Ceejay - We have the sun today, but it's along with very cold temps. But still, I do appreciate the sunshine. I didn't mention my doughnut lapse on Sunday - after my Zumba class I stopped and bought myself a doughnut and bf an apple fritter. I ended up eating both!! Oops. Sorry to say, I should be immune to your mention of donuts, but no, if there were donuts sitting in the coffee/copy room right now, I'd eat one.

Annie - The mood I'm in, your half day off work sounds like heaven. Enjoy lunch with your sweetie.

Michelle - Good luck with the results of your blood test today. I have my annual physical next week and I haven't been taking my bp readings at all for months. For some reason the bp software doesn't work on our computer anymore - doesn't seem to work with the OS we have on it. I put a little notebook and pen by the bp machine a week or so ago, but I'm so out of the routine I forget to sit down and take a reading each morning or evening. Now's the time to get back to it. Oh well, at least I have some weight loss to show. Enjoy the Springtime Festival this weekend!! Congrats on all the responses to your resume, even if they aren't from your target city!!

Shad - So what kind of cold drink did you end up with last night? The topic of the ww meeting was the amount of points in various beverages. A bloody Mary has 4 points (for 5 oz - tell me who only drinks that small amount??), so does 5 oz of white wine, but a frozen Mudslide (12 oz) has 27 points!! Good thing I generally don't like to drink my calories... Oh, it's 16F degrees right now, feels like 2 w/ the wind. High will be 25 - yes, I wore the longies today.

Happy - Glad the road to DH's procedure is going smoothly and you're prepared with lodging. I'm sure you'll find someone to escort you in the elevator. Sorry you had a difficult drive to and from Duluth. This darn weather! I've had enough. Too funny re dh clearing a path for your critters. I thought the gutters in the photo I posted were a nice reasonably priced contrast to the pricey "systems" (if you want to check them out, they are at livewall dot com). I've attached another cool thing from the show that looks like it might be a good diy project. In the meantime, your comment about the wooden shelves attached to your fence reminded me that I actually have a purchase from a previous f&g show that I never used - some brackets that mount to a wall or fence that hold flower pots. I'll dig those out of my "garden box" and use them this year. Our fence is no longer new and I won't feel too badly about drilling a hole here and there.

Hi Mellie!! Hope you're starting to feel better. FYI, I signed up for the meditation a while back and got nothing at first, but finally started getting the e-mails. Just did the first meditation on the train to work today. But I have to play catchup so I might need to double up - unless you know if it remains accessible for a bit even after the 21 days are done??
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Okay, had a loss of exactly 1 pound at yesterday's weigh-in. Quite a surprise. I have my doubts about the accuracy of the ww scale...but I'll take it.

I decided to make the frozen tuna steaks from Trader Joe's last night for dinner. The whole meal was a near-disaster. I pulled the tuna too soon and it needed to go back in the pan. The soy-ginger sauce I made (from an Amer. Test Kitchen recipe) was flavorless thanks to using ground ginger because I didn't have fresh, the boxed soba noodle w/ sauce mix was just vile. I knew I should have just grilled the squash I had in the crisper!! We ended up dumping the noodles and eating the tuna with some of our TJ's bottled "Soyaki" sauce - much better. The rather large tuna steak was enough for me, not sure what bf ate later after I went to bed... I've put fresh ginger on the shopping list - It doesn't go bad quickly, and I've heard it can actually be frozen too, so there's no reason to not have it in the kitchen.

So the first day of spring feels like Janurary, but as I told Ceejay, at least it's bright and sunny. My weekly status call re the software has been rescheduled for Friday, so I'm not unhappy about that. That's about it for me. TTFN!

Hi ladies,

Not sure if you saw on FB but Patty's Dad passed away last night. to Patty and family.

It's overcast and like most of the country on the chilly side for the first day of Spring here. 11 degrees and it's almost noon and we got a dusting of snow cover again last night. I am ready to be done with this already as are most people. I tell myself the snow is good to refill the underground water supply that we all tap into.

Laura - 27 points for a Mudslide? oh shock and horror. That's as bad as 55 points for 1/2 - yes HALF of a Stouffers chicken pot pie. I guess when you start to measure these things out, it's a bit easier to understand why we think we are eating not so bad and cannot lose any weight when the reality of it is that we're consuming way more calories than we ever imagined. I had to laugh at the Bloody Mary points - is that with or without the traditional accompaniements (which is how they rate the good drinks from the bad up this way). Let's see the olive and asparagus stick are probably free points but the pickle, cold shrimp and definitely the beef stick would more than double those points I'm sure. Thanks for the link on the garden stuff - I like the second picture also. I did get a nice book at the home improvement store about starting a garden from seed. Geez that sure is alot of work! Re: the garden box on the fence make sure you get good drainage and don't have wet wood (and soil) resting against wet wood so it doesn't rot. Garden boxes are so pretty. Sorry your dinner turned out not quite as good as you hoped - sometimes it goes that way. Actually the best way to store fresh ginger is to freeze it. I learned this the hard way after having alot of fresh either mold or dry up in the salad crisper. It freezes well since it doesn't have a high water content and because it's hard, it grates nicely to add to a dish. And when I need a hunk to pop in my tea (which I often do to settle my stomach instead of taking antacids), the frozen piece helps cool my tea.

Ceejay - totally understandable to be missing your grandma this time of year. I'm sure she would not want you to be sad so think of happy times with her and have a conversation with her in your head. I do believe they can sense us more than we can them. If not, at least it makes you feel better. I can't get used to the time change - it stays light so late it feels way earlier than it really is. Nice to not have to drive home in the dark though.

As for the elevator - I am very claustrophobic - once when Shad came to visit we went to see some caves in the Ozarks - she and DH were very excited about them and I was not (but didn't want to ruin the moment for them). I had a tranquilizer but either I didn't take it soon enough or it was too weak to work. We took an elevator to the interior of the caves and were in a hollowed out tunnel waiting for the second half of the tour group to arrive. Standing in a narrow tunnel made of rock knowing I was under / inside a mountain was enough to make the mind run wild with fear. I told DH I could not stay here and went to the park tour guide and said I had to leave the tour. He was a wonderful man and said that while this tunnel was narrow this was the most enclosed area we'd be in. In a minute we would walk into the caves which had 30 foot high ceilings and it really was a beautiful area. Did I think I'd be okay with that? I said yes and I'm so glad he convinced me to try it out because it was an incredible tour. I mostly have a problem being by myself in tight spaces. It's not the falling in an elevator that scares me, it's being stuck. I'm ok with other people because if anything happened I could talk to them. But if I'm by myself my brain goes nutso and I have to fight to control the panic. Small hydrolic elevators like in parking garages are the worst because they bang and lurch and go slow and often seem like they are stopped. Someone from the hospital might escort me to my car at night but I doubt they will walk me the 3 blocks through buildings and skyways to get between the hotel and the hospital. I have to go through 4 buildings and each has an elevator as well as the hotel. I was hoping the path would have been more straight forward that it was but I will just have to suck it up and deal with it. As for the stairs, I will always take the stairs over the elevator although growing up in the city sometimes I worry that there might be an unsavory person in the stairwell waiting on a victim. That's why at least in downtown Chicago and in Tennessee most interior stairwells are locked on each floor. You can enter a stairwell but all doors are locked except for the ground floor for fire escape purposes. I know this because I have gotten locked in interior stairwells too Phobias are a pain

Annie - the song "Chapel of Love" keeps running through my head. Hope you have a nice afternoon with C. This is a rare day off for him too, isn't it?

Michelle - did your favorite win on the BL? I think they make such a big deal of it that it does turn people's heads. Like People Magazine's annual w/l article, they seem to focus on the big, big weight losses - 100 pounds or more - and I think it takes away from some other people who worked just as hard and maybe lost less - like 60 pounds or so. I just hope they can manage their losses going forward. That's great that you got a good response from your resume - I just hope you don't get on spam lists. One of the things I hated about headhunters were the kind who completely ignored your interests or needs and were just looking to shove a body - any body - into openings they had available, hence the "do you understand that North Carolina is on the OPPOSITE coast of San Diego???" To your question - the classes I am taking are writing classes. How to write for fun, profit, how to get published, etc. Some of them look interesting - I hope that they are. They are cheap continuing education classes but I'm sure highly profitable for the university as they write the course once and then everything after that is profit. But I hope to cull at least an idea or two from that. This topic is one of those that there is sooooo much information on the Internet and the library that it's really hard to wade through everything and find some solid information. If nothing else, it keeps my brain busy and is way cheaper than the doctor's bills I spent at the podiatrist ($350 for just one foot x-ray) tending to the bursitis I developed at my minimum wage job.

Shad - sounds like your preventative tests and general wellness care is covered but you still have to pay out quite a bit out of pocket. Hopefully it's not too much.

Good morning Mel - hope you are on the mend. We miss you.

Sorry ladies, did not mean to write a book here - just rambling on and on. The library called - my first season of Downton Abbey is in. Must pick that up. Also need to think of things that have to be done as DH will not be able to do any heavy lifting for a while after his procedure so we will have to stock up on deer corn - the other day there were 11 of them in the yard. We are developing herds now... I also need to do some grocery shopping and we need to pick up DH's meds so busy day ahead.

Also Michelle - I hope your A1C test goes well for you. Mine is tommorow and I haven't been that attentive to my sugars either I was testing with the finger prick occasionally but my endochronologist said fasting blood sugar doesn't parallel the A1C so don't use that as a guideline. Hope it goes well for both of us

Talk to you later...

Morning all,

Last one out, first one in. Sure does make a difference when Mellie is out.

Gah - it's cold here - single digits and below overnight. They keep promising the 40's but that's at the tail end of the long range forecast and by the time those 10 days get to now, it gets cold again. It's done that for about 2 weeks running now.

We're going to try the blood test again. I hope there are people who know what they are doing. I am drinking an over abundance of water this morning which will really interfer with running errands afterwards but I'm doing my part. I guess it was on my mind because I woke up this morning - early before the alarm which was set really early - and had a disturbing dream about being in the hospital and the nurses kept trying to stick me with IVs and would not tell me what they were giving me or why. Crazy!

Started my 2 online classes yesterday. I think this is going to involve a fair amount of reading, writing and participation in discussion threads. If I continue with this in May, I have to remember to only take one course so as not to impact warm weather outside stuff

No one here to write personals to so I'll finish my coffee and go get ready for the day. On the list is grocery shopping, my scale is showing the ill effects of not enough fresh fruit and vegetables lately. Have a good one all.

Quick post for me. What a busy evening I had between the doc appointment, picking up Santa and then rushing home to call into a conference call.

Good news though...my A1C is 6.0!!! The doctor is very pleased! It means my diabetes meds are working well! The meds I take for cholesterol are also working. In fact, everything on my blood test was perfect! Now, I would like the blood test to be perfect without having to take meds...but this is a start. And hopefully, with diet and exercise and less stress in my life (since the past 6 months were probably the most stressful in my life), I'll be able to get healthy and reduce the need for all these meds.

A big to all! Hopefully I'll get to check back later.

Much love and many hugs,

Good Morning..It's a Brand New Day....

Burrr, freezing here! Got up to 19 degrees, Sassy made a bee line to the yard and back, record potty time. lol We had bursts of snow here and there throughout the state. Little snow here none there. I am so over this cold weather and snow...come on Spring...Yah!

Positive thought today: Glad the marriage license is done. Got Cs suit, he needed on anyway. Went to Men's Warehouse, BOGO suits, so with shirts,ties, shoes and two suits we spent about 800. bucks on him. We also stopped at Jared's Jewelry and purchased my wedding bands, was gonna use momma's band and diamonds but come to find out the diamonds were actually cubic zerconia (sp). Not worth paying the 120 to have it sized. SOOOooooooooooo we purchased to diamond bands and having them soldered to each side of my engagement ring.

Went to Charlie and Barney's for lunch, had chili over spaghetti...so yummy. Have not been there since about 1981 when I worked downtown. Yes, it tasted the same yummy.

HAPPY...goodluck with your bloodwork today. Hope your veins stick out nice and plump for the stickin. When I read your comment about deer corn, my brain read it as DEAR corn. I thought what the heck does DH need corn for because of no heavy lifting...was confused. Guess I will just have to come and hold your hand when DH has his procedure.

CEEG...I could pass on the donuts, but bring me a bag of fritos and some bean dip. Yum!

LAURA...I love tuna steaks but the fiasco you went through didn't sound to appetizing. I am with Happy on freezing ginger. I freeze it as I do not use it often at all. and yes, where the H is spring...I am thinking we will go directly from winter to summe and it will skip spring. Looks like we will have this cold stuff for at least another 7-10 days.

CHELLE...congrats on bloodwork! Something is going right. I have to get my annual bloodwork done here in the next week. My annual appt is April 8, so I will find out the results then.

Hello Shaddie and Mellie....

later ladies

Happy - Sending you lots of : for your blood test today. I hope the technician can get the blood painlessly. I hate it when they have trouble getting to the veins in my arm. Sometimes they take it out of the top of my hand, but that hurts like heck.

Happy - good luck w/ the blood work today.

Michelle - yay for the good results!!!

Annie - another cold day here, but sunny. Right now I'd be content to get temps over 40.

Hellos to the rest of the gang.
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Asked bf for a lift to the train this AM. & the car was dead. We had a new battery last June, so who knows - alternator? We'll see. On the next train, so I'll be late to the office.

Ok, better email the boss re my late arrival. TTFN.

Dang, I am tired. I'm so glad this work day is just about over. I'd love to take a quick nap after work, but I'd rather spend the time sending my resume out to a couple companies in San Diego. Then, I've got a meeting with my wellness coach at the gym, and after that I'll be picking up Santa.

Three more calls from recruiters today...hopefully, I'll start getting some takers regarding positions in CA, preferably in San Diego, but if a good opportunity in the San Francisco/Silicon Valley area comes knockin'...sign me up.

Me, the kids, the dog...haha

We need Shaddie and Mellie, with their great posts...hurry back sisters.

Going Home shortly. Will try and post from the airport.

Well here we are at the airport waiting for the plane (will be at least 10 minutes late coming in - better than normal) to come in. Don't know how this airline gets the title of most online airline. The others must be worse.

I'm trying to download some photos of Sophia to show you, but it seems my phone doesn't want to play ball so, I guess you will have to wait until I get home. Then I might be able to force them over. Technology - bah humbug.

Michelle - recruiters only do the job they do because they can't do the job that they have listed as a vacancy. They have no idea most of the time what the terminology means. I've dealt with a few of them in my time, and we have had a few shouting matches as well. Read the CV, read the covering letter, get a feel for what I am looking for. I don't mind if they don't have it straight away, just keep an eye out for me. That's what I pay you to do. Dumkopfs. Very please to hear about the bloodwork.

Annie - yes, it was a cold, adult beverage I was referring to - I got some vodka and I got some wine. I then proceeded to put them in the fridge to get even colder. I rarely drink soft drinks or colas or what ever you call them over there unless they are mixed with something hard!

This site is going beserk. Keeps going on about compatibility view. I'll finish this at home. Time to think about boarding the plane anyway.

Shad
Safe travels home.

Annie
Wow, You are going to have one dressed up man/groom at the wedding. To bad on your mom's wedding rings. That would have fit in with the something old, something borrowed, something blue.

Laura
So sorry about the food porn. But glad you lost a pound at weigh in.

Michelle
You had great lab results. Keep up the good work. Stress does play a big role in things.

Happy
Were you taking music theory or music appreciation? Just curious.
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I had a laid back kind of day. Slept till almost 9.30. The phone rang at 10. I forgot it was girls day for lunch. After this I had a few errand to run but after this I went down to a friend furniture store and visited with her. I tried to leave a couple of times but she didn't want me to. So I stayed till she closed. Stopped by mcd's but the burger to me wasn't good. only ate half of it and threw away the rest.
It's been snowing like crazy but luckily the ground here is to warm to stick. They are getting more in Jonesboro so my trip over there may be cancelled. I really would like to get the oil changed in the RAV4.