Hi all of you Golden Girls! Well today was weigh in day and guess what??? The scale didn't move an ounce! Again. For the 4th week or so in a row. I'm going to go and stick my head in the oven now. Catch up with you all later.Sigh...

Uh oh - I have NOT lost those 2 lbs and this morning, I added 2 more! Guess it's time to get back to logging my food intake again!

It really scares me when that scale number is back over 145. I know how easy it is to gain and how hard to lose.

I think I got over-confident.

Lynn

Hello GGs

Had a yuk day at work today and needed to pick up some groceries at the supermarket on the way home. A fatal combination - a time of day when I am most likely to cave in to temptation plus the lure of comfort eating ... And now the guilt. Oh well, the scales will go onward and upward, and tomorrow is another day to pick myself up and get back to it. Grrrr.

Karen31 - wow - what an amazing new car! Now that was worth holding out for

Karen3 - your operation experience sounds horrible. But, what's done is done - please don't distress yourself thinking about it, use your precious energy to focus on your recovery. The pits are not a good place to be. Another great film in your DH story

Marie - sourcing your own green coffee and then roasting it??? Do you live in a time warp and have 34 hours in every day??? I never cease to be amazed at all the things you do I spent part of my holiday on a coffee plantation in north Bali earlier this year - it was such a serene place, and the coffee was awesome

Freda - sounds like we are all in accord about the ones that got away Here's hoping the weather cools down. Nothing worse than high temps overnight - everyone gets cranky!

Bobbi - I have no idea what Pillsbury sugar free cake mix is - but anything with raspberries gets my vote Fresh raspberries are excrutiatingly expensive here, and you only ever buy a few - maybe to sprinkle over a fruit platter for a treat, say at Christmas time.

Donna - LOL at "Gaggle of Goldens" Re your teaching dilemma - in a former life, I spent 16 years teaching 13-18 year olds and I was definitely over it by the time I moved on to another career. What would the class size be? For kids with issues (which sounds like these kids would be) to have any hope of making a difference to their educational outcomes, - let alone managing their behaviour/emotions/hormones/helping them become good citizens, I would say maximum class size should be around 10 kids - seriously. I think the few who are natural teachers have a vocation, and for every one else, you have to at least like kids to survive. Sorry to not be more positive, but it sounds like a very tough gig, with a constant 2 steps back for every 1 step forward. The reward would be the rare occasion where you felt you had briefly made a difference. Believe me, those small victories are so sweet because they are so rare.

Mary - your and Karen3's stories at the hands of the medical profession make me think that you really need an advocate who will stick up for you when you are at your most vulnerable. It really is terrible that sometimes they don't remember that they are dealing with a living breathing person, not a "case".

Gayle - sorry to hear you have an upset tummy, hope you feel better soon.

Rie - your desk sounds like mine! Everyone laughs at my "strata" filing system!! But, whenever they need a document I immediately retrieve it from exactly the right spot! Woe betide the person who tries to "help" and do some filing for me - things would be lost forever!! I had to clean my desk the other day as I had an appointment for the OT to do a workstation assessment - the spray and wipe made me cough and splutter, and my rude co-workers asked if I was moving to another desk!! As if that would be the only reason I would clean it!!

Tea Granny & Lynn - oh so true that the weight is easy to find and hard to lose. Seems like someone somewhere got the process wrong - it should be easy to lose and hard to gain

Toodles!!

Good Morning GG's,

Spent yesterday evening at DGS's baseball game and came away with an awful headache, with is still lingering. Bless you Bobbi, for enduring the headaches for so long. Hopefully, it will cool down the way the weather people are promising. Had to call in sick at work today..just didn't think I could manage feeling like this.

Lynn, We all get over confident at times and forget how hard it is to lose those few pounds and how quickly we can gain them. You know what to do, and you know you can do it.

Rie, NO COFFEE? oh no! I get a headache from withdrawal too. I also say it's ny one vise, and it's cheap and legal. Could be worse.

Gayle, Hope you are feeling better.

Mary, After reading your and Karen's story, I just have to say, What were they thinking! One of my jobs as a nurse to to make sure my patients are comfortable, and who could be comfortable being exposed like that! I don't think too many nurses are guilty of that, but i've seen it with the doctors. And when they throw back the covers, It's my job to see that they are put back where they should be, and arranged to give some dignity.

Karen, I'm glad that the male nurse restored your faith in the nursing field, at least some. And doctors, and nurses, should always listen to the patient. They know what going on with their bodies, they are the ones suffering.

Donna, I think teaching is a very hard profession. Teaching kids with emotional and learning problems is a very, very hard profession. My brother taught public school for awhile, got burnt out, and went to teach GED in the prision system. he thought he would change the world. For awhile he would talk about the poor inmates who didn't have a chance, parents were druggies....After about a year of it he was ready to throw int he towel. You do touch some of the students, and may be the one to help them turn their life around. the others, You do the best you can and realize that they have to want some help to. I think working contingent for awhile, to see how you like it, would be a good idea too. And, I lvoe the idea of the trailers in a circle. Can I call for the purple one?

Sorry, gotta git. DGS is here. Gotta go do grandma stuff.

Freda

On my way out the door to Dr. Bones and massage. I'll have good news for the chiropractor, 2 days in a row with no headache and my back is back to it's normal non-hurting stage. My family doctor wrote out a prescription for a massage twice a week for 6 months, Yipee! Insurance covers 80%!The massage therapist works on all the hard, hard knots in my upper back and neck muscles.
Later Gator

Ole and Sven were having a holiday at the beach in Australia on vacation, but they couldn't seem to
make it with any of the girls. So they asked the local lifeguard for some advice. "Mate, it's obvious,"
says the lifeguard. "You're wearing them old, baggy Minnesota-style swimming trunks that make ya
look like an old geezer. They're years outta style. Your best bet is to grab yourself a pair of Speedos -
about two sizes too small - and drop a fist-sized potato down inside 'em. I'm tellin' ya ... you'll have all
the babes ya want!"

The following day, they hit the beach with their spanking new tight Speedos and their fist-sized
potatoes. Everybody on the beach was disgusted as they walked by, covering their faces, turning away, laughing...looking sick! So they went back to the lifeguard again and Sven asked him "Vat's wrong now?
We still aren't picking up babes."
"JAHEESUS!" said the lifeguard. "The potato goes in front!"

It’s been a rough week. I feel comfortable enough with my GG friends to share a bit of what’s been going on.

Our daughter (age27) has bipolar disorder and she was last in the hospital over July 4th week. Then she came here to the Cape for a visit last Wed. I knew when we picked her up from the bus station that she was just not herself yet. She’s been diagnosed for 10 years now, and still has not accepted the disease. She now realizes that she needs certain medications to maintain her balance, but the lack of health insurance creates many obstacles. This last month, she ran out of medication in late June. She had written to Astra-Zeneca for their free prescription program, had gotten a letter that she was accepted, but then the medication never came in the mail. Turned out it was sent to her MD, and he never got it. Thus the trip to the hospital.

When she was here over the weekend we watched as she gradually lost touch with reality. The police were here a couple of times (she called them as she was paranoid) and then on Sunday we called 911. Unfortunately, they said after an evaluation that she was not a danger to herself or others and left. 3 hours later she grabbed her suitcase and walked out of our house without telling us where she was going. We were worried sick as she was not very coherend when she left. We went to the police around 7 pm and reported her missing. By 11 pm they located her via her cell phone and she was near Boston. Turns out the guy who was going to give her a ride home on Monday came down and picked her up (he is a film-maker and was filming near Boston). She is now back in NYC and hopefully ok.

Them by sister from CA came and it was actually a God-send. She is a very spiritual person and we prayed and I was able to relax a bit. She said my DH and I need to let our daughter go and find her way. We can’t save her.

I just get so angry at our health-care system. If she had health insurance she would get the support she needs. She applied for Medicaid in NY, but at that time she was waitressing and made too much ($300/week!!!). Now she lost her job, so maybe if she gets it together enough she will re-apply.

I have gotten lots of support through NAMI (National Association for Mental Illness) and a local group here on the Cape. It is extremely difficult to witness one of your kids going through this.

On the plus side I have lost about 4 pounds…I do not recommend this method of dieting!!!!

Thanks for listening..

Lyn

Lyn, prayers going out for you and your family. So sorry that you have had such a rough week. It really is tough to see your kids have to go through something like this.

OK Before I get busy and don't get back to it again today. The way I met my hubby--- I was actually with another guy and had been going with him for several months. We were riding up and down and a street in Colorado Springs, the local hang out street I guess back then (1970) it was called "Dragging Nevada". I was up front with my "boyfriend" and had two of my girlfriends riding in the back seat. When a Corvette convertible pulled up next to us with two guys in it. Well, of course we started talking back and forth, them and my two girlfriends in the back. I noticed the guy who was riding in the Corvette was really cute.... so I started talking too... He asked after the conversation went on for awhile, mind you we are still driving side by side on the street... Where do you live? And I get this elbow in my side so I pop up with "In a house!" I then proceed to tell them that we are going up to the Pizza Hut for pizza and they are welcome to meet us up there. They did and we all laughed and had a good time for a couple hours there. Then while my "boyfriend" was paying for our share of the pizza I went outside to "see the Corvette" and ended up writing my phone number down in the dust on the dashboard! The next day he called and that was on May 16, 1970---we were engaged on June 12 and married August 1!! Everyone just knew I was pregnant!! Well, our first son was born in January 1973!! Now this is where most of you would write "and the rest is history" NOT ME!! We ended up getting divorced in 1982 and he went his way and I mine. I ended up getting married again in 1992 and moved to Kansas. He ended up getting married again and moved to Ohio. Well, needless to say those second marriages didn't work for either of us. I had heard that he was divorced and living back in Colorado. So I was having such a horrible marriage. I had already had the police at my home in Kansas several times for abuse and the "then hubby" was out of my home and living in a halfway house. I called Tim and we started talking quite often. I was determined to make it on my own in Kansas, but soon found out that my "hubby" had no plans on leaving me alone. Got a restraining order an everything but decided I didn't want to be one of those people that ended up hurt or worse because the restraining order did nothing to protect me. I decided to move to MO. and be with family BUT had no car or any money to get moved either. I called Tim and asked him if he would come and get me and take me back to my Dad's house. He said he would and we made plans for him to come the next weekend. I got everything all packed up and when the hubby there wanted to know where I was going I told him I was going back to my Dad's.. Tim and I talked almost everynight until he left to come and get me...it seemed like our feelings were growing stronger for each other again. When he got to my house about 3:00 am, I said "I was just wondering, instead of taking me to MO. to my Dad's, do you think there is a chance for us again?" He said, "I was going to try to convince you to come back to Colorado with me before taking you to MO!" So that was in May of 1993... My Dad sent me a check for Christmas (always sent money at Christmas time to all of kids) and he made it out to me but used Tim's last name, not my married name! So Tim said, "Well, guess we should get married so we can cash the check!" I told my Dad and he had a good laugh about it and always told everyone he was the reason that we gor remarried!! So guess that would be where I put in "The rest is history"

WHEW!! That was a long story!!! Now need to get busy....Everyone have a great day!!!


Oh by the way--- never did tell my ex that I was going to Colorado--- I had my address as my Dad's and had HIS lawyer send divorce papers to my Dad, then my Dad sent them to me!! Did now want him to even know where I was!

Good morning, everyone –
Lyn, I’m so, so sad to hear about your daughter’s issues and their impact on you and your husband – as well as on her, of course. I’m so glad that you felt comfortable enough to share it all with us. I’m glad, too, that your sister arrived at just the right time to provide some much needed support. I’ve often heard it said that “we all have our crosses to bear, and the older I get, the more I know it’s true. Why it’s true is the Great Puzzle. I’m so glad that we’ve formed this community of GG’s where the things we need to say can get said to people who truly care. I, too, will be praying for you and your daughter.
Glad you’re feeling so much better these days, Bobbi….as for that story….well, euuuuuuuuuwwwweeee. Ack. What a visual!
Freda, I’ve been having kind of low-grade headaches myself lately – figuring it’s the humidity and all. We’ve had a very hot, moist couple of days. NOT my favorite weather. Took Ibuprophen when I went to bed last night, woke up feeling nauseated. Oh, the joys of summer, huh?
Koala-Lou, Your grocery stop was 100% Zoë, trust me. I get into the same, sad groove…eat lightly all day at work and then start with the cravings on the way home. I’ve been climbing in and out of this pattern since Spring, and I can’t keep it up or I’ll be looking downright awful at the wedding this fall.
Oh, Lynn….yeah. Constant vigilance is what’s required, and boy does it ever get tiresome! I know that with all your exercise, you’ll get it right off again, but it really doesn’t seem very fair…I mean, how much exercise do you NEED just to be able to eat a few things you like? This just makes me mad.
Hey, Tea…long time, no see/hear/read. Stop weighing yourself. It’s too annoying.
Oh, Rie/Val….I don’t think…I know…we are kindred spirits! Many, many similarities – maybe not so much in background, but for sure in philosophy and beliefs. Hey…you don’t go to any drumming circles, do you? (That would be too coincidental, I’m sure.) Oh…..I knew you’d know who Abbie was! He was really my hero – and mentor – when I was young. It makes me kind of sad that people just know that he was arrested, imprisoned…but don’t always realize that he was practicing civil disobedience in protest against some very real societal inequities. Ah, well….
Hey, Gayle. I’m going to join that “no more men” club. If this one that I have now is no longer around for any reason, that’ll do it for me. I’ve discovered that I truly value my own company, and have no interest in sharing it on a permanent basis with anyone else ever again. Okay, with my cats, yes.
Mary, yes. I was such an idealist back then. Now, if I can save myself, I figure I’ve accomplished something. Well, I guess I’m not quite that single-minded, but let’s just say that my protest days are behind me, and these days, I’m all too aware of my limitations.
Karen3, I am delighted at your anger! Growl away at those unfeeling twerps. There are good and bad in every field, and as you well know, nursing is no exception. I’m never afraid to say what I think…I’ve even been known to ask if they’ve washed their hands before touching me – or especially touching my grandbabies. My daughter was mortified when I did this one time in the emergency room when we were there for one of the twins on a weekend. I actually insisted that she (the doctor) wash right there in the room where I could see. Too many infections get spread in hospitals, because too many people are afraid to say anything.
Marie, “procrastinatorsRus”. Me, too. HATE reports, have to do them. DON’T do them until I’m down to the wire. Ack. Strawberry shortcakes for dinner? Oh, girl….send me one?
“..you can join our commune of crones when the time comes that our social security checks are taken away. We’re going to get double wide trailers, paint them outrageous colors, put them in a circle and gather every evening at the fire pit! You’re welcome to join us!”
PT, I LOVE it!!!! Our Commune of Crones! A circle of wildly-painted double-wides! I’m in! I’m in! Let’s DO it! Now, that’s the life I’ve always wanted! I need a Jacuzzi in mine – but I’m up for gathering at the fire pit and being all earthy with y’all… KarenMo, you can take us all grocery shopping once a week in your Mustang!
Rosey, those pictures are making me really want one of those itty-bitty puppies……<sigh>
Nancy, I KNOW you’d never go on Jerry Springer! I’m thinking Oprah….is she still doing some kind of human interest show on her own network or something? (I don’t get a chance to keep up much because I’ve never been home when she was on, anyway…she’s a lot classier than Springer, though, so I vote for you going on Oprah, okay?)
Mary, you are such a darling woman….it just feels like you and your dh are so perfect for each other and all….it gives me renewed faith in romance and happily-ever-afters, if only for a few of us. Hey, you could visit us in our double-wides, though…we’ll keep the light on for you!
See y'all later...
Z

Now Donna what would make you say that??? Just because a week before I was getting married my Mom was going to put me on 2 weeks restriction for coming home past curfew!! I was just 18 when I got married and 2 weeks restriction was her favorite punishment!!

Good morning GGs! It's another cool but nice day (meaning no rain!) here and we enjoyed our time at the gym. I had a small sample bottle of an energy drink and drank it before I worked out and it did seem to help me. I won't buy any but if I have a sample I take it for a little extra perk if it is not carb...this had less than 1 carb.

Marie and others - I took your advice and upped the difficulty level on my bike from 3 to 4 and did my usual 15 min. then I upped the treadmill from 3 to 3.5 and did 20 min. I could tell it did increase my heart rate because I was breathing a little fast. I'm not sure whether you can trust what the machines say so go by how I feel. After that I worked on three machines, but I only do two sets of 12 reps. I left feeling I got a good workout. Oh and this was after my 30 min stretch class. Probably doesn't sound like much but at my age I have to increase it slowly!

Koala and others who commented on hospital privacy issue - I agree about patient advocates and actually they are there but they just aren't present when these things happen. Most nurses are not like this and in my case, I think it was the doctor's fault as much as the nurses...they probably were intimidated by the situation and him and felt they had to work fast. I was an RN too and I was also careful about patient's privacy, not only because I was taught that but also because of this experience.

Marie - Wow hope that shot helps you after all that! I agree with the getting naked part LOL! I have already decided that I will not remarry should my dh go first. I've told my dh and my kids that I'd be very lonely but I still won't remarry unless God taps me on the shoulder and points to a man saying YOU marry Him!! And even then I suspect I might be inclined to argue a bit! In my case, it's not because I've had a bad experience but because I'm doubtful I'd ever have as good again and I don't want to go through the hassle and discomfort of a difficult relationship.

Lyn - Sorry to hear about your dd. I know that must cause you a great deal of pain. I'm glad your sister was able to help you and that you found strength and rest in prayer. My faith has gotten me through so much in life! Our oldest dd has caused us a lot of pain, sometimes I wonder what's going on with her mentally..always wonder if I've done enough...but we can't get through to her and I've learned to trust the Lord to take care of her as I sure can't.

Lynn - It is good that you are very aware of the need to be diligent about getting back on track. As I've told you before that's where I made my mistake the last time I lost a significant amount. I thought I'll wait til I go up 5# and then work on it but before I knew it way beyond that! You are my inspiration and I know you will do it.

Glynne - My dh protects me too much...before his accident last year, I rarely changed a lightbulb and hadn't mowed the lawn in many years. But I learned I can do many things I never thought I could while he was disabled. Now he's back doing most things but I notice I got in the habit so I still do some things I didn't do before. I'm glad because I want to know I can if anything happens to him. Of course you never know but he's eight years older than I, and being a man, it is likely to happen some day. I can't bear the thought of ever losing him but I know I will survive and that I am stronger than I think I am. Every now and then I ask him to teach me something that he alone does like with the car or household maintenance because I know he does protect me too much and I need to learn these things.

Bobbi - So glad things are improving!! You've been through a lot recently!
Good to know your insurance is paying too.

Well, need to get something done around here. Have a good day, my GGs!

Quick fly.....BIG Step taken. Good bye cardiologist! I had just hung up the phone when DH walked in and he read my expression. That SOB lower my coumadin after gets today's INR report at it was only 2.0 dropping from 2.2. That's below therapectic at 2.5-3.0. Went to reg doctor and he assuming all my care....the sound you hear in my happy dance. k3