Sandra, I love how motivated you are! Good luck to you this weekend!! I can't wait to hear about your success. Glad you like the cornmeal chicken. I'm thinking of trying it with tilapia fillets sometime soon.

Here's a random question.....I love flavored rices like Rice a Roni. Does anyone have any ideas of how I could flavor brown rice? I know it won't be the same, but to give it a little zing? We love to eat rice a roni chicken flavor with veggies on top. I don't think it would be the same with just plain brown rice. Any suggestions?

Angela, I've been meaning to ask you...do you eat frozen potatoes/hashbrowns as core? I've noticed that you mentioned them a few times. I love frozen hashbrowns.

Kathy, I hope the rest of your night is better. Gosh, what on earth will you do with all of those animals!?! I do good to take care of my one little furball. Speaking of that, he needs a walk.

kathy, i hope you get to go out tonight. you deserve it. 6 animals? that's a lot. are they inside or outside?

For flavored rice, the Mexican Rice on the recipe board is yummy and has quite a bit of "zing."

I don't know that frozen hash browns are officially Core, but since the only ingredient listed is potatoes, I count them as Core. I only have them once in a great while anyway.

I'm working on my menu for the week, and cornmeal chicken is definitely going on it...

Angela

Their 3 will stay out, our 3 stay in although I'd like our big one to stay out because she sheds so much and I'm sick of vacuuming.

DH just told me that Mat Mladin (his superbike racing hero) is on Two Wheel Tuesday tonight on Speedvision ... and he's plunked in front of the TV as we speak. Guess Mat is more important than me? Oh whatever. Maybe I'll just go get something. I told him I was in a funk ... anniversary of Bev's death, bad day at work, want to move but don't want to fix this dump up first ... you know, just random icky feelings. He said he was sorry that I was feeling bad. Then went and sat down in front of the TV. What a sympathetic guy.

*** Katpo, pity party of one, your table is now ready! ***

Angela, I saw that they aren't marked core, but I had the same thoughts about them. Every once in awhile I'm sure they wouldn't hurt (there are much worse things, right?!). Thanks.

melissa, i was just thinking about "frying" fish, too. dh said it's time he went fishing. mountain trout are fabulous. i think they'd be great using the cornmeal chicken recipe. i love tilapia. when we were down south a couple of winters ago, we ate a lot of grilled tilapia with a white sauce. was it good!!!!

i hope i have something good to report monday about the tournament and about my eating choices. ya'll are helping keep me focused. thank you again for that.

kathy, this is a hard time for you. just do what you can to keep your spirits up.

I had my first gain. I haven't cheated since I started, been exercising regularly and it's not TOM.

I knew at some point things would slow down, but I didn't expect to go up. Sigh.

I'm trying to put it out of my mind, but that evil little voice is telling me to go for chocolate - lots of chocolate.

I've got my core foods here with me and a really tasty core dinner planned (oven BBQ pork chops) so I should be okay.

I am just bummed out. It doesn't seem right.

Thanks for letting me whine. I know most of you have had a much harder time with this than I have, so I feel a little guilty for my griping.

terry, you have a right to complain. it sounds like your body is just doing some adjusting. try to hang in there. you know you're doing the right thing and the weight will come off.

Terry, it's NOT right! It's not fair and there's no explanation for it! I'd be plenty ticked off too!

I'm thinking that Saturday's weigh-in news will be bad. I'm very upset with myself right now and need some help, but I'm not sure where to get it. Here goes the short version: Going to bed is my favorite part of the day but I can't sleep. I hate being with people, but don't want to feel ignored. I hate going home but when I get there, I don't want to leave. I am irritated by pretty much everything ... my coworker just sneezed and it was all I could do not to yell at her to STOP IT! I'm uncomfortable, and feel lazy but don't want to do anything about it. I just absolutely don't know what to do.

Kathy,

I wish you lived closer, so we could hang out. I'm in that irritated kind of mood - actually have been there for several days prior to the WI. We could sit on a roof somewhere and just be pi$$ed off at everyone and everything.

Of course, I'd fall through the roof and that would irritate me even more . . .

I'm feeling a little better already!

Hang in there girlfriend.

Okay, how about a little comic relief? Remember how smug I was feeling about putting on the garlic chicken yesterday morning?

Well, the kids and got home from school in the evening and I can smell the lovely garlic smell as we are coming up the walk. I open the door and the smell is even nicer, so I'm looking forward to checking out the kitchen. Hmmmm. We seem to have let a few flies in. Maybe more than a few. Hey, there's freaking flies everywhere! What the.....


Yes, garlic chicken is not only irresistible to humans. We live in an older apartment on the coast and, since the weather is mild year-round, people tend to take a, well, casual approach to weather-proofing. The flies invited themselves to dinner by walking right under the front door, we think. So, I used all the time I gained in the evening having a swat fest. Most of them had found their way to the bathroom window, which gets a lot of light, so we were able to get them out pretty well. Still one or two left this morning, though.

However, the chicken was good, and I have leftovers to make some nice burritos for lunch.

No more crock-potting until we can figure out how to seal things up better. Sigh.

cher, you probably earned some aps last night. i can picture you now chasing those little boogers.

kathy and terry, i don't know what to say except just keep on keepin' on.

I looked up "flyswatting" and it depends if it was light or moderate exercise? Would you say you felt sweaty and out of breath when done?? Glad you enjoyed the chicken and sorry about the "unwelcome visitors".

So now my ex is all gleeful cuz if ds does NOT go to school in the fall he can reduce his support payments (as written in the agreement) - what a sap! We still feel there is an opportunity for him to attend in January - but boy am I finding it hard to bite my tongue and not say too much to ds. When his dad asked about what the guidance counsellor spoke to him about he mumbled something about his "volunteer hours", nothing about math? well nothing much about math (which is so not true!!!). Not sure what ds is thinking but he does seem a bit cranky these days as he completes all his assignments prior to the end of school.

As for me dare I say I am feeling a bit better today? You know something is terribly wrong when you get in your car to drive home after work and by the time you get there you are sobbing? So weird - I am hoping this was just severe PMS (altho my TOM has arrived thank you very much!), altho I felt like I was on the verge of a breakdown or something - so depressed. Just wanted to pack a bag and leave and let them all fend for themselves. Maybe a solo road trip is in order (I could always to visit my gf in Toronto!...all by myself) - would that be irresponsible of me? They would all kill themselves here - and frankly I don't think I would care!

We did go out to a movie last night - I think dh saw I was not in a good place and suggested we go out - movie or coffee - I chose the movie cuz I knew I could at least get 2 hours of major distraction and stop worrying and thinking about what was going on at home...and it did work. Of course popcorn and diet pepsi are not the best dinner?

I am feeling more focussed today and easily avoided the box of donut holes right across from my desk in plain view!...next to the basket of potato chips (did I not mention that my office is like a food fest w/constant influx of not the best snacks?).

Have packed my lebanese moussaka and apple and grapes and yogurt for this pm so I hope I will last. Dinner seems to be my downfall these days. And I have a meeting to go to tonight, but probably there will be some fruit I can eat?

Sandra - I am so rooting for you to get that record - how awesome would that be? And you know if you eat core/healthy that this will help you shoot better??

Terry - hang in there - don't panic - while it was not fair , it probably won't last and your body is just readjusting to the new slimmer you. I'm sure next week you'll have fabulous results!

Kathy - boy I could join you (and Terry) in the "throw water balloons off the roof" scenario and complain about life. I am just trying to fight off the "I just don't care anymore about anything or anyone" feelings and finding it very hard to do (while maintaining a facade of being able to cope and function like a normal human being).

Maybe a spa weekend away is in order? Boy that would be fun!

Lunchtime!

Frouf