So very sorry that I didn't check in ~ except once (briefly) ~ during the LONG weekend! We kept pretty busy at the lake and entertained my 2 nieces all day Sunday. Got several walks in during the weekend, but they were shorter than planned. Ate decently, but snacked a bit, as usual up there. Haven't weighed in for a few weeks.

As a few of you have mentioned, I am also very thankful for the sacrifice that our military and their families have made so that we may live as we wish in this country. Especially remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

I don't know quite where to jump back in with personals, and I hate to say that I don't have the time for them tonight. I have to get some sleep. Please know that I am reading along and will check in whenever possible. I am so busy with the end of the school year for both my kids and preparing for an upcoming trip to Ireland. I will be without a computer and wi fi while there, so please keep on posting and welcome any new people to the group! I will be here to start up the June thread, though. For safety reasons (for lurkers), I don't want to give the exact dates of our trip, although someone is staying at our house with the pups.

So happy to see that Chelsea checked in, but sad that you have been struggling. I am keeping you in my prayers. I often fall asleep thinking of our group and praying for everyone. It is wonderful to know you are all here!

Ohio,

It's good to hear from you! I hope you feel better! I've had a dry cough lately, it's no fun, hugs! take care and it's nice to see ya!

Believe,

It's nice to hear from you! I understand that you get busy, take care. I am also grateful for the military service that so many gave to our country. Take care!

Hello friends,

I cancelled working with one client and I am waiting to hear from another one to see is she wants me to come work with her, when I am sick.


Today is my daughter's 21st birthday. I have no idea what to get her?

I hope you all are well. You are in my heart.

It feels like it's been a long time since I posted: I've been so busy with the BERP! I had a great time Saturday when my 13-yr-old great-niece Grace came over to help me sort clippings up in my collage studio. She was a whiz at it! I gave her some gifts to help move her along in her own collage efforts, and from all reports she had a splendid time, too. Plus, I paid her for the four hours—minimum wage, which seems reasonable for her age. =smile=

The rest of this week I have to focus on getting ready for the book guy to come on Saturday: I'm giving away some 1500-2000 books to a local charity, for distribution to schools & prisons—plus for selling, perhaps, to support the running of the charity. There's a lot of unshelving and sorting of books to do before I'll know what I'm getting rid of. Bob has promised to help me with the unshelving part today, because that activity, when I did it once in the past, caused a painful back spasm that crippled me for days. Onward we go!

Ohio— It's nice to see you back posting regularly: I sure hope you feel better soon!

Amy— You posted, but you didn't say anything about what's going on with you! What's the latest news?

Best wishes to everyone else...I'm reading your postings & thinking about you, just really crunched for time!

I'll try to do a personal post tomorrow. I feel like I haven't talked to y'all in ages!

My manager kicked butt and took names over the whole "issue" last Friday when I was out. And has decided that we are not going to fix it for them, just give them guidance, which really relieves the pressure for me. Although I didn't enjoy having a meeting about it at 8am today, lol. So, hopefully this is mostly resolved and won't cause that much more stress.

But when one thing goes away, another comes up. My aunt, uncle and grandma are going to be visiting today. Normally that would be a good thing, but my family, being Italian, is very loud and argumentative about everything. I used to be okay with that, but since the whole divorce fiasco I have what I can only describe as PTSD about family conflict. Last time he was here he ended up having an argument with my dad and I completely freaked out. Like curled up in a ball hyperventilating and crying. It was not good.

My littlest sister had her ninth birthday yesterday. And guess what she wanted? Real handcuffs, lol. Specifically not those lame ones at wal-mart that just open with a button. And another sister ordered her a cane with a dragon on top. My family is so weird. My 14 yo brother got a cane and a pipe for his last birthday. No, he doesn't smoke, just thinks it is cool. They also caught a snake and were feeding it toads in the backyard. I never know what I'm going to find when I go home now. Crazy kids!!

That right there is one of those great Non-Scale Victories!

I hope you get back on track, lilturtle!

sorry that Snick is scared of his kewl ball it was nice of you to think that he'd enjoy it. If you got another opinion, would you have to give up the surgeon you do like?

I hope you got through the physical today without too much angst..and congrats on the goal to join a gym this week! and LOL @ what you thought the Snickers/exercise ball was

I am soooo very sorry to read that I have done that also!! and it especially SUCKS when you think that you've exerted such effort and gone hungry and sweated, and not found joy in a smaller size BUT i bet that it will happen soon for you! hang in there Sabrina I try to not get too hurt by thinking of the positives that are happening that aren't visible...yet.

I'm so sorry you're so sick! i sure hope you feel better soon. Oh and Happy Birthday to your daughter

Kathleen - Oh Ireland will be so great!! we will miss you so much but we will continue our support as if you were here

...Holy...schnikees! That's alot of books!!! I gave away close to 500 last year, and I know how many boxes that is, I carried them all downstairs and out to the car. Do take care with you back! and arms!

I am sure glad that the pressure on the work issue is relieved for you. And I hope the family visit is not so stressful as that last time.

Well I am having a much better day today, than yesterday! and all because it hasn't rained since last night. So this morning after coffee I did work out, then finished mowing the side yard, then went to town for errands and few food items, now back home and it's only 2:30 pm I could do a quick trip to town on my motorcycle but I really don't have any destination. Suppose I could pick up a quart of skim milk and I hope to be able to ride to work for the next few days, no rain forecast...yet.

I think I'm also down another pound As of now, I am almost just 10 pounds away from my lowest adult weight, 142. That is hard for me to grasp because I still feel so pudgy. Our minds are weird aren't they

Ohio - I hope you feel better soon!

Thank everyone for the encouragement. I did good yesterday so I may be back on track. I had a meeting today with the people I rent my apartment from and the pressure to move is not as great as I thought. They just want me to be moving in that direction by doing things like filling out applications and getting on waiting lists. So that is a relief.

Hi there...

Fi... Thanks for asking about me. I still don't understand what the BERP is...

I am okay, just very tired and I have a lot of things to do, especially packing. I feel like a bomb went off in my place, ugh. I have 2 weeks as of tomorrow to finish packing, I feel very overwhelmed. Sigh, thanks for asking but things feel a bit unnerving right now between lining everything up for the move and getting my healthcare from Medicaid to transfer over. Ugh!

Holly- thanks for your concern, I don't plan on telling my current surgeon about getting another opinion, I like and respect him very much but my hospital experience when I had my first operation was a nightmare, not his fault. His staff apologized but it has left mental scars, I like him a lot but I feel rather nervous after that experience. I've made an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon in NY, a top notch hospital. I'd prefer to recover with family, not strangers. I also found out that the hospital may provide financial assistance due to my not having much income.

Yes, it's funny about Snickers not liking his ball, that's ok, I'll return it.

Have a good night.

Amy

Amy - I hate moving and packing. I am so unorganized by nature. You have my sympathy. Just think it will all be over in a couple of weeks and you can move on to unpacking which to me at least seems less daunting. I dread the time I am going to dace when I move from here.

That reminds me...I really need to organize. Any tips Fi?

Oh I got on the scale this evening. Yes I know you are supposed to do it in the morning but I just had to do it when I had the courage. Down 11 lbs since 4/29. YAY!

I just realized something - I have lost over 100 lbs in less then a year!!!!!

IBelieveInMe2 – welcome back to posting! Enjoy your busy and fun summer season!

seabiscuit – sorry things are chaotic and unnerving, this too shall pass! And it sounds like to you a well thought out surgery and recovery plan – do what’s best for you.

ohiofreespirit – sorry to hear you are not feeling well. You know what helps a stupid (pee oneself) kind of cough – gargling warm salt water a couple times a day and vicks vapor rub on the bottom of the FEET (under socks) when you sleep – crazy, but it really helped me! For a 21 yr old, dinner and money? I know that sounds trite, but at that age I loved going out to dinner somewhere nice and was often saving up for things.

Fiona W – wow that is a lot of books! Do be careful of your back!

MonteCristo – I think most people are getting busy as the season changes, and all of us will be in and out more. Sounds like you have an active and fun life, what helps me is realizing that if I love my family and respect them as adults I have to let them solve their own problems and ignore it while they pick fights (a lot of my family are drunks and nut cases) Whatever you do, don’t take all the burden and none of the fun from their visit.

VermontMom – I’m glad to hear your doing much better today, you always take time to say the kindest things to everyone and we appreciate it very much! And WOW! on getting so close to your lowest previous weight – that is super impressive! You are an inspiration!

ilturtle – glad to hear things are getting better! You can do it, you can stay on track! And CONGRATULATIONS ON THE LOSS! And on 100 LBS IN LESS THAN A YEAR SUPER AWESOME!!!!!!

I still am in shock that I have made it past 100 lbs. I still have a ways to go and I haven't seen much difference myself. I will with the next 100 though. My goal is to be down in the twos by the end of the year.

That is so wonderful. I am so proud of you.


I am feeling a little bit better today but just a little bit. I am getting ready to leave for school. I have to drive to Columbus for my Math class.

Have a great day everyone. I will try to get back in here tomorrow.

Another day of dealing with books—moving out unwanted books buried in the far corner of the dining room, dusting off books piled up in the downstairs hallway and sorting them into keepers & nonkeepers, carrying up books on the stairway that go in my collage studio, and so on. It's exhausting, of course, because books are so heavy, especially art books. But the good news is, the work Bob & I did yesterday cleared out a whole floor-to-ceiling segment of the huge built-in case that Bob built (years ago) in our living room. That means there are spaces for the recent keeper books to go. I'm especially pleased to be bringing together all my scattered books on collage, and on the Dada & Surrealism movements, since they provide me with a lot of inspiration.

This morning something happened that reminded me of how short a time it's been since I went binge-free and sugar-free. I had a number of errands to run, starting with the post office and on from there to the drugstore. As I was walking out of the P.O., I was slammed by a sudden downturn in my mood. I got in my car and sat there a while, thinking, "Why do I feel so depressed, when morning is my best time of day?" And then I realized: I used to buy candy at the drugstore, so going to that store is no idle proposition.

Even after figuring that out, I still had trouble when I got to the drugstore, because they'd rearranged everything, so I couldn't just grab what I needed quickly. I walked and walked down the rearranged aisles, looking for one elusive item. It seemed like every aisle had candy on it! I had to walk by this candy display and that candy display, where I could smell the chocolate right through the packaging. It was an ordeal, I'm telling you.

I wonder how long it'll be before encounters with cookies, candy, and donuts don't make me miserable. They don't incite cravings anymore, but they do come loaded with all those negative emotions I used to feel while binging—almost always in my car, 'cause I was ashamed to do it at home. =sigh=

Amy— BERP stands for Big Entropy Reduction Project—a massive decluttering and reorganizing effort all through my whole two-story house. Good luck with the packing!

Trish— How utterly fabulous that you have lost 100 pounds in less than a year! Man, it took me 20 months to lose the first 50 pounds, and I have a ways to go before I'll have lost 100. I am most impressed! =smile=

lostbutstilltrying— You wrote personals to everyone but didn't say how you are doing. What's up in your life?

Holly— 10 pounds away from your lowest adult weight is terrific! Just hang in there until your mind gets with the program: you're doing great, gal. When I get to 10 pounds away from my lowest adult weight, I'll be 5 pounds away from my goal: I'll probably post a video of celebration, or something equally extreme...

This is about the 5th LOOOOOONG post with personals I have lost recently with one faulty click of a button on my keyboard!!!!!!!!! I am going to try the idea of copying and pasting from a notepad or Word. Hopefully, I will have time to finish getting to everyone this time around....... again! ARGGGGGGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wishing everyone well in the meantime!