Hi Everyone,

Busy, busy....can't keep up with this group when you're gone for a few days! I'm so glad everyone is so active here. I've seen other groups come and go and we just keep on ticking! It's warmer today and the snow is almost gone. You can see bare spots again. Worked the weekend, and cleaned house all morning. Now it's time to get the kiddies. DGD and I are going ice skating (perhaps I should be more clear. she is going ice skating. I'm taking her and will watch. Hopefully with a thermos of hot chocoalte).

Gayle. We all slip and slide. But we just keep trying and and we get it right more often than we get it wrong. Just work on it every day and do the best you can. Don't be so unkind to yourself.

Dee, I love the Evanovitch books too. And I had a "mental" cast. Almost the same one you had, except for Steph I had Sandra Bullock. Did not at all like the cast they chose.

Isabella, love your new kitchen look. I have everything picked out, a person to do it, but haven't called him to start yet. I just hate the mess, and the time it takes. Also hate my old kitchen, so I got to decide soon which one I hate most.

Jess, My grandma passed away when she was 97, still chipper up untill her last month. She was a joy, and we all miss her.

Rosie, I thought you already had the exercise going? How about the pink punching bag? Didn't you mention water exercise? If you haven't started yet, you've got to try it. It's fun and a great way to start.

Rie, Hi skinnie back seat rider. Ain't it grand, getting complemnts like that?

Karen3, DH finally told off the darling neighbor huh? Bout time. and were you the one that said you finally landed dh by showing up in shorty PJ's? You naughty girl you. I was going to say hussy, but I thought you might take it the wrong way......but what the heck! ha!

Karen, I'm crossing my fingers and toes that the house deal goes through this time.

Marie, Love the rocking horse. That's something that the grands will keep and hand down to the great grands. My mom bought all her grandkids a rocking chair and had it painted and decorated for them. It was very cherished.

Lynn, did the Dr. check you for the cistitis? I think Marie mentioned it. You have the same symptoms that you have with a UTI. I hope you get some relif soon. Miserable feeling.

Carol Sue, how is the incision looking? Should be seeing a big change really soon.

Z, hey, where are you? I always miss you when you aren't around.

Freda

Freda and Gayle - My incision is really improving! There are 2 holes (seromas) left and the opening to them is really tiny. They are having a harder time getting the packing in but they have to continue to pack them until they are completely gone. If not, there's a risk of them opening up again. They are around 1 1/2 inches deep and also wide inside. They no longer hurt, so I am completely off the pain pills. Things are really looking up. The nurse said two weeks is the goal for complete healing.

I haven't seen a post from Chickadee lately. Is she MIA or am I just missing her posts?

Hi everyone from the chilly South! Had a killing frost last night but temps are rising. Strawberries were packed in ice on the vine.

Freda...Have a couple of clarifications. 1st Dh the younger only remembers sticking a hamster up my pj leg when we were kids until then I was the kid he loved to tease...hence the shortie pjs! Lost the title "the kid" quickly that night. 2nd It is not the nasty neighbor that was the problem this week, but Dh's bud who also has a place out in Colorado... He is a dirty hound who rushes women but has no respect for any woman. He greets every woman with his eyes on the chest or .....well you know the type.

Chickadee is hanging out down on the South Beach site.

Glad someone spotted Nancy.....we worry about our family when they don't report in.

Played bridge today (actually will play 4x's this week). Did okay came in 3rd. It's what they call a Stac game and games all over the state report their scores in on the same predelt hands and you have a chance to place high in the whole state. Mon/Fri games are the biggest and state wide will probably several hundred tables. No money just silver points. still it's fun. see Rie even when you get as old as me you will still be competitive it's in the genes!

CarolSue....So glad to hear you are healing. 2 weeks!!!!

Dh brought me red roses and a tub of red tulips. This a man who has never shopped before I got sick last year. He priced everything and found he could buy the roses without baby's breathe, the tulips and a card for the same as just the arrangement with baby's breathe! He must have drove the girls over at Winn Dixie crazy! Gotta love him he is trying! And no candy!!!!!!! I haven't opened the card yet...tomorrow. Drives dash wild when we hug, he starts singing like a husky....the woo woo song!

Back into my chair with kindle and blankie...nuth'n on tv so a good book will do....hugs all k3

Hi everyone. another snowy day here.our satalite receiver kept getting covered with snow so no reception. i turned on the cd player and listened to fleetwood mac,the eagles,josh gorban,rascal flats. while finnishing my quilt top. i even did some dancing hanging onto the counter,exercise for sure and sadie did some dancing too,who knew she liked music. am gettin excited for 2 reasons my youngest dd and family are moving back to alaska,they leave march 17th and my other dd and family will be here this weekend and i will see my grson play basketball. i love that. hope your day was awsome rosey

breakfast
coffee

lunch
1 egg
1/2 slice gluten free toast

snack
coffee mocha
8 mini berry rice cakes

dinner
sm swiss steak
green salad

Good evening GG's,

I've had a better day food wise. Not perfect but better.

I am going to try to put up my eating, exercise and what I am calling my success points (kind of a little reward system/challenge to myself) on here. I haven't figured out what I might do to reward myself yet. I'm not good at the self discipline, so we'll see, but I'm gonna try. I'm gonna give myself a point for sticking to my plan (WW 29 points/day and a bank of 49 bonus points a week to use from), 1 point for walking in the am, 1 point for walking in the pm, 1 point for tracking my food, one point for avoiding snacks/candy at work, 1 point for not buying snacky stuff (chips, candy, cookies etc.) at the store when I go. I guess there would be 2 points that I could get every day, and the other 4 are kind of variable as I don't know if I will walk or do some kind of exercise on my days off, and I don't have to fight eating the candy at work on my days off, and I don't go to the store and have the challenge of leaving the snacks there every day.

Breakfast: oatmeal packet with raisins and apples, coffee with creamer and splenda, greek yogurt ~ 10 points
Snack at work: bottle of Glucerna hunger smart shake ~ 5 points (I sip on this a little at a time and make it last all day).
Lunch: Turkey on whole wheat bread with lettuce and miracle whip light, fruit salad ~ 9 points
Snack: apple ~ 0 points
Supper: soup, crackers, salad (lettuce, celery, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms) salad dressing and shredded cheddar cheese ~ 6 points
Snack: rice cakes ~ 4 points and sugar free iced tea ~ 0 points.
Total ~ 34 points for the day.

Success points ~ 3 (for tracking, sticking to my plan, and not getting into the candy at work).

I'm chewing gum this evening I don't think of that often enough.

Thank you all for your kind words, support and help to me ~ your listening ears. You all are awesome

Hope you all rest well tonight.

Felt like a wasted day...I spent a great deal of it on the phone dealing with the realtor and the maintenance people, and trying to decide how to handle the recent issues with the house. They are meeting at the house to assess what needs to be done and should get back to me in a few days.

My newest blender works ok on my mochas...that's all I've used it for. I reduced the amount of ice to only three cubes and now I can actually drink it. I think I might want to use one or two more to make it slightly thicker. Only thing I don't like is that there is always a little powdered mix at the bottom which is very sweet. None of the other blenders left that. Not sure why that is happening. I put the liquid in first and then mix. Thought that was best as the bottom is where the blades are and then when done, the bottom becomes the top...and I drink right out of the single serve jar. Hope that makes sense.
Haven't had a chance to use it for anything else. I'm sure it will do fine with fruit smoothies. I like using it but it's kinda scary for me (ok I'm a silly goose!) when I first push on it to start it working as it really takes off hard and fast!

Glynne - Looks like you're doing well. Keep it up. Don't be like me. Actually so far today I've done ok. I wish Nancy would stop in and let us know how she is. I hope she's ok. I miss her.

Rosey - love your disciplined eating but wonder are you getting enough fruits and veggies? Or are you suppose to limit them due to your surgery?

Karen3 - I think you have a good man who loves you! No man is perfect but most have their good points.

Rie - You will have earned that great smile by the time you get it! I thought you looked fine already but you are a hero (guess I should say heroine) to me not only for your disciplined eating but also for going through all this suffering so gamely!

Slmn - Glad your incision is healing so well! Seems like you've been going through this for quite a while now. I've been there so I know how good it feels when you finally start feeling more normal. Funny thing I kept "packing" mine even when there was no really no "trench" to pack. When I finally got back to the doctor he said you'll STILL packing this thing?!! I guess I could have quit and just left it open to the air but I wanted to be sure it I did it right and that it healed well!

Yes that's the other book I liked...never look away...it really gets your mind working trying to figure it out. I had some of it fairly soon but not all the details...it's a good story. I'm still reading Bad Guys...remember I said it wasn't as good as the other two?...well I'm really enjoying it now. It was never slow and was always kinda funny, but I didn't think it was going to be as good a mystery story but now that's the part that's getting good. So far the three books I have read of his have all been about fathers who really love their children.

Jenye - I don't know how many pounds 400 gms is but congrats! I've been gaining, gaining...so sounds good to me!

I've been so busy recently that I haven't been entering many sweeps, but today I got a small win of a $5 GC for Little Caesars. Also included a couple other small things but they will likely go to the gc. We do like their pizzas and live near one so I'm sure we will use it. I also got two prizes today...one was from a Nov win...it was suppose to be $50 AMEX GC but they had some problem with AMEX so I accept it as an Amazon Certificate instead and they sent it to me right away. I'm sure glad I told them I hadn't received the prize!
In the mail today I got another book I won and it turned out to be two books! So I'm sure set for reading as if I didn't have enough books but the way I look at it, a person can never have too many books..dh has a different opinion though... I'm still waiting on a hair care Prize, a $50 GC (different company) and another mystery book. I also got a Johnny Cash book (one of many biographies) I had ordered. So it was a good mail day!

Marie - It doesn't look like we buy enough to maintain our executive membership with Costco. We only got a $1.19 rebate so far (two months left). Got the renewal bill today and they billed us $110 but gave us a $9.50 check to spend on anything we want at Costco. Tell me again how it works if you don't get enough rebates to pay for the membership?

You all have a good evening!

Happy Birthday CK ~ have a great day

Happy Birthday to you missy Karen, Happy birthday to you

Happy Birthday Karen : val2:

Quick note: Bobbi I think the book you are wondering about is: "The Art of Driving in the Rain" (forgot the author) it is written from the perspective of the family dog.

Later.

Happy 39th Birthday, CaddyK!

And, while I'm at it,

Happy Valentine's Day to the GG's !!!!!

For me, it's just another <sigh> day in the office, and then I'm on "vacation" (working on my consulting gig up in Vermont) Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I'm figuring all this is going to pay off once I retire, or, heck, if I drop dead before I can do that, at least my kids and grandkids will be well looked after.

Haven't been posting much lately because of work and then family stuff on the weekends and such...or just plain too pooped, if you know what I mean. But I read, I think of all of you, and I am trying my best to stay on the straight and narrow diet-wise. I don't know why I've had so much trouble with it lately. Stress eating, maybe?

Dh would like a nice, candlelight supper for just the two of us tonight. Nice sentiment, I suppose, but honestly speaking? I guess he has plenty of time, being retired and all - and only doing a little bit (a day here, a day there) of consulting - he has plenty of time to sit around thinking about how we need to renew the spark and all that bologna. Me? My spark gets burned up working, and that's the truth. Now, maybe if I just sat around all day, I'd have some energy to burn and want to do something exciting, but...yeah, no - not really. I looked under my computer desk at home last night and it's all piled up with dust and cat hair. HE actually pointed it out, and I looked at him in utter astonishment. I'm supposed to work all the time and then come home and clean? What, exactly, is he responsible for? Okay, sorry about the kvetching here. Some valentine's spirit...bring on the hearts and flowers, right?

Okay. Glad I got that off my chest...apologies to all of you for the whining. See? Probably better that I don't post, because this is what comes out. Frankly, I want to boot that man...oh, hey, are any of you old enough to have watched the Jackie Gleason show when it was on TV...maybe re-runs? I used to watch - maybe the reruns, I don't know - with my father. LOVED the Honeymooners....Jackie was always going to send Alice to the moon. "One of these days, Alice...." That's how I'm feeling myself right about now with dh. (d does NOT = "dear"). I'm feeling resentful, and the more resentful I feel, the less pleasant I am...and then HE feels resentful...and I'm thinking, "Well, too bad..." and can I say that I'm truly enjoying these nights on my own in my lovely little suite in Vermont?

Ha ha...there I go again! I've got to stop this, now. (I think he's even the reason why I haven't been eating right...and pretty soon, I'm going to be blaming him for global warming...)

Have a lovely day, everybody, and enjoy your flowers and candy or whatever...I'm sure I will.

Z