Thanks everyone for the kind words! I am feeling a little tiny bit better about things now, however, now I can fall asleep. I have been really weepy today and it didn't help that I was watching the MDA telethon. Everyone has been asleep in my house for hours now and hear I am wide awake and on the computer.

Anyhow, DH and I had a bit of a discussion about the baby making business and he is going to stay off of one of his meds for a while. The doctor just put him on it as he was having PMS type mood swings. While I don't really want to deal with those, he said that he would rather deal with his own mood swings then deal with me being unhappy. "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." We will see how this goes, as he just told me that he stopped taking them 3 days ago. I am praying that I do get pregnant this month or at least by the end of the year, so he can get back to what he needs to do meds wise. I am going to suggest that when he sees he doctor, he ask for something that will help the mood swings but not affect the sexual functions.

Well I am going to go downstairs and get something to drink, and hopefully go to sleep.

Night all.....

Susie

G'day mates!

Oh, summer's over...feel that little bit of coolness in the air? I LOVE it! If only it would stay cool from now on. I hate those 88 degree October days...bah! I look forward to sweater weather...a nip in the air, changing leaves, no more cutting the grass! 'course you have to rake those pretty leaves when they fall... Ah well, it's always something. Then we'll have to shovel snow in the winter. Oh! Wait a minute! If you live in the Northeast, I'm pretty sure we solved any snow dilemmas that may have been coming this year...we just bought a snow blower. I GUARANTEE you that we will not have to pull it out once! Just like the year we bought the 4 wheel drive, after a particularly horrific winter...Barely a flake fell for the next 5 years!

Tomorrow is the first day of school...can Halloween be far behind? Apparantly not, according to my supermarket...there were STACKS of Jack o' Lanterns for sale yesterday...*groan* That means SANTA is just waiting in the wings. Yeah, that's right, I said it!! SANTA SANTA SANTA! You'd better watch out!!

Geez, I'm all wound up this morning!

Michelle, Thank you so much for the invite! Unfortunately, my dh is working that day, which means I become lone chauffeur to the boy and his various pursuits. And you don't want a sulky 13 year old at your party! Treasure your little man NOW, before the hormones get a hold of him! We will definitely get together before you go, though...right Barb?

Angela...English was always my favorite subject! Literature! Poetry! Iambic pentameter! Onomatopoeia! Words....ahhhhh...I have been a reader since I was 4 years old...you are ACES in my book! Now, if you were a MATH teacher....ugh! BTW, I'm glad you heard from the fella!

Debra...Batten down those hatches! I hope Frances just passes you by...are you in her path? We're supposed to get rain for the rest of the week up here...far reaching effects of Miss Frances...that b!tch!

Thin...take care of that back...but what are 222s? Drugs? Do you get them at Shipshewana?

Lucky...isn't scrapbooking fun? It's like being a kid again, cutting out pretty patterns with colored paper. Like therapy! It should take me the better part of the next half century to get mine done too!

Susie, your dh sounds like an understanding fellow! (If Momma ain't happy....)I hope everything works out for you guys!

Hi to everyone else and anyone I missed...come on out and play! No LABORING today! Just have fun...

Morning, ladies!

I'm sooooo embarassed! I forgot to mention two terrific weightlosses yesterday.

Michelle and Susie: GREAT job! You girls are going to town! Keep up the good work!!!

Susie: I'm glad hubby wants to cooperate with you. Hopefully going off the meds does the trick for you two.

Katrina: NO, 222's do not come from Shipshewana! They come from Canada!!! They're Tylenol with a bit of a BOOST! (Codeine, that is) Sorta like Tylenol 3's, but not quite as potent. Still good for what ails ya though!

Kat, I could have written the first part of you post. I love Fall, and the brisk air and the pretty colors, but unfortunately we seldom have "sweater weather" here in Texas anymore. I'm hopping that since we had such a mild summer we will had a "bad" winter.

BTW, Thin only touched on my favorite part of Shipshewana. My favorite part is the AUCTIONs on Wednesday. The have this huge huge building and people bring in their stuffs and they have about 10 or twelve auctions going on at any one time. Being an antique dealer (like we were before we became Mustang Maniac's) the auctions were the highlights of or trips.

Okay, I signed up of a new diet (what else is new?) I found it through a magazine article (okay it was Womans World's Diet of the Week, what can I say, I 'm an easy target!) Anyway it was only 19.95 one time fee, and you get a "personalized" (haHAha) diet plan and access to their site which has a fitday type place where you keep track of everything, it also give you recipies and grocery lists and the whole 9 yards. I plan to start it on Wednesday and make Wednesday's my official WeighIn day. I'll keep you posted.

Well we are having a church group in for dinner tomorrow, so I'd better get up and start cleaning the house, we are going outlet mall shopping this afternoon.

Have a great day to everyone.

Hello Ladies, I know I haven't been very much of a poster, sorry gals....I just am so boring I can't stand myself most days!

I decided to go look for some part time work to get me out of the house and maybe get me going out and about more other than to church functions and baby sitting for grand kids.

The only job that was available on this side of town was with a fairly well known telemarketing company doing calling for only Fortune 500 companies....It is something I always thought of as being a bit seedy....and after a week of training I am still not sure it is for me!! It is definitely something most anyone could do but the idea of having half a dozen dales per 100 calls is pretty odd...and you have to not mind rejection! lol It is only part-time just enough hours so I qualify for their good benefit plan. My health insurance and meds are so expensive! The good news is I have a job interview for a receptionist at a university here in town tomorrow. That would be far more to my liking. It is a full time position though. If I were hired I would hope that we would have Summers and Christmas etc off. I will have to find out if I am lucky enough to get the position. At least I have the telemarketing job while I still am looking for something better. We are calling for AOL right now.

My weight issues have not been too bad. The needle on my scales seems to be stuck lol

I haven't written in here for so long please forgive me for not responding to individual posts...I will try and do better. Don't know when but I will try......

Hey everyone

I had to get out of bed and get in here and do some posting. I've been sinking down into my own personal pity party and using it as an excuse to eat whatever I want. The first couple of days after hurting my knee I swore I would stick to eating well so that I wouldn't lose lots of ground. As the temptations have mounted and my willpower has been ground down to dust, I've been finding myself making excuse after excuse until I actually have convinced myself that I deserve to have a piece of cake and two snack-size bags of Doritos. Yeah... I deserve that! Ok, I deserve that as much as I deserve to stay overweight and wallowing in my own misery. I deserve what I can control and bring into my own life. I deserve to reap the benefits of what my actions dictate.

I also deserve to stop beating myself up over a couple of slips and to haul my backside up out of this depression instead of using it as an excuse to slip in deeper. I need to have faith that this will get better and that my outlook will be brighter tomorrow. Besides, I'm supposed to start experimenting with bearing a little weight on the problem knee tomorrow!

Have to admit that sitting here long enough to read a lot and write a little has left me exhausted. I worked the last three nights and that has taken a toll on me as well. I'm going to sit out here in the living room with my girls, though, and enjoy their company instead of boxing myself up in the dark cave known as my bedroom. Feels like a very positive step in the right direction, if a small one.

Andria

Hey girls! I have soo much to catch up on, but just wanted to stop in for a minute to say hello before I get to doing homework.

I was caught in Hurricane Francis - and have been without Power since earl Saturday until just 7pm tonight! We weren't allowed to leave really or anything (even though the storm was hardly trouble at all!). So I did really bad this weekend. I didn't work out, did lots of snacking, had pizza, one beer, some soda.. oh I did horribly! So I really don't think I'll be weighing in the for the Labor day challenge! Regardless, I was unable to get a Scale as well due not being able to leave.

Oh well, I'll have all week to catch up - and tonight when we went out to eat at a buffet (before the power was back on) I only had salad and some other healthy fruit/veggies.

Thin - I do art only as a hobby as of now I'm just a regular undeclared college student and I work as a "receptionist" (though doing many many other things) on campus. But I've been in art all my life, so I try to get some of it in here and there - if I do well in school, I may decide to major in Business.

Alright ladies, hope you all had a wonderful labor day (while I was sitting in the hot dark listening to news on the radio !) and I'll catch up on everyone tomorrow.

Good evening most wonderful ladies!

Well, I just spent the past hour making up a salad for lunch each day at school, chopping up all kinds of veggies for roasted veggies to go with dinners and mixing up my cottage cheese/hommus/peanut butter dip for celery for snacking. I put a bunch of string cheese in a zip loc bag to take to work as well. Let's hear it for starting again!

I need all the support I can get to get through the next 2 weeks...the strictest phase of SB diet. I lost 6 lbs. the first week I was on, then crashed and burned in a verrrrrrrrryyyyyyy bad way last week. Am committed to restart tomorrow.

Hugs to all of you going through difficult times and at the same time a huge "hurrah" to all of us for helping each other and supporting in non-judgmental ways when we slip off our tightrope on the way to being healthier and happier with our inner and outer beings.

Have a great night and beautiful tomorrow!

TTFN

Chris

Hello ladies!

A lovely end to the holiday weekend. It was cool and breezy so it was a "throw the windows" open kind of day. It was great.

We didn't do anything but putz around. I am in the fall house cleaning mode so DH better watch out. I'll have a big list of things to do soon.

I watched To Kill A Mockingbird while I soaked my nails off. I don't think I've ever seen it. It was on my list of classics to see. Loved it.

I'm going to put in to take off the last couple of days in October (the last Thurs & Fri) for coming to Minnesota. I'm not sure I'll get off because of work crap.

I'm not sure how I'll end up on the L.D. challenge myself. I feel pretty good about our eating. Really good considering four days at home. I'm proud of no between meals stupid snacking. Where I fell on my face was the lack of cardio exercise for the last three days. I've gotten really bad about if I don't do it first thing out of bed, then it doesn't happen. Then my TOM cycle is all off whack because TOM came around again this weekend. Not unusual to have unpredictable schedule. Maybe I can finally see some results on the scale.

Because I didn't have enough exercise stuff around the house, I bought exercise bands at Wally world today. I tried to show DH about how he could use them too and he promptly flipped it at the dog's head. I threatened DH that I better not ever see dog teeth marks in them because then I'd know they were playing tug of war.

We've been sitting out on the deck enjoying the cool evening. Got the tiki lamps going and a chicken on the grill.

DH has agreed to going back on SBD for two weeks. We've been having too much bread stuffs lately.

Oh crud, I need to fold and put away clothes that are on the bed. I conveniently forgot about that.

Are we up for another challenge? Anyone else want to throw one out? Two weeks? One week?

Don't forget to post losses. We'll tally them up and add them to our previous 15.85 pounds.

Have a great evening ladies! Good night!

Can anyone believe I went to the Outlet Mall and didn't buy a thing? Ole Alvin couldn't believe it either. Said I must be loosing my touch

Well I've done pretty good on the food front, but I did splurge on some Moose Munch from Harry & David's. My mom and I ate a whole bag!!!

Terry, I'll put in some thought for a new challenge, but I'm not quite up for one right now. I have a colonscopy scheduled for the 16th so I have to do liquids the two day before, but the had part is that I have to stop my arthritis meds for a week. I'm not sure I'll be able to do much exercise the week I'm off my meds.

Tomorrow a friend is having surgery for Breast Cancer, so keep her in your prayers.

Have a great short week everyone.

Hi gals! Just checking in before hitting the bed. Yes, it is indeed before 11:00 PM here.

My cousin is being dropped off in the morning at 7:30 and Honey made me promise not to come up and pack tonight so he could turn in early. I was afraid of being tooooooo far behind if I didn't post again before I left.

I think we deserve a BIG hurrah for keeping the thread going so well over the holiday weekend.

Barbg: I feel for you giving up on the meds. I pretty much forgot about my night-time doses while my mom was tied up and boy did I pay for it. Now I'm back to normal for the past week and I'm beginning to feel more human again. * I probably didn't mention the auctions at Shipshewana because I've never been over there to them. I knew they exist, but just haven't mosied that way. I love auctions but I'm sure the people I'm going with would not be too impressed.

CD: Wow, sounds like you had an interesting weekend! I'm glad you're ok. I'm guessing you must be in Florida. I don't think you ever said. I know someone in Punta Gorda and they got hit really bad with Charlie. Luckily they only Winter down there so they weren't in the area.

Terri: It was lovely here as well today. Pretty hot during the day, but as the afternoon approached there was a wonderful breeze. We had some people over and put the picnic tables up on the side of the house that was totally in the shade by 4:00 so it made it lovely for sitting out and visiting.

Chris: Good for you getting all set up for the week. They say planning is the hardest thing to do, but the best way to make things happen. Good luck at sticking to it all this week. I know that now that you are prepared it will be a piece of cake. (oh dang, probably not supposed to bring up cake, eh?)

Andria: Oh, honey, come out of the pitt and into the light. The girls need you and you're not doing them or yourself any good by slipping into that depression. I know, easier said than done. [[[hugs]]] How did that new writing job turn out? Was it anything worth seeing about? * I meant to tell you that I saw a whole eBay store full of Pampered Chef stuff. She was doing pretty well with her sales. Maybe there's a money making venture for you!

Syn: Glad to see you on the thread. My fingers are crossed for the receptionist job. Hope it all works out for you.

Well, my dears, time to turn in so I can get up early enough to pack in the morning. Hope you all have a wonderful couple of days. I'll be back on Thursday night, but you better behave yourselves because I'm liable to peak in on you while I'm gone! Love ya bunches! I'll miss ya!

Gee... I have been reading FOREVER to catch up.
Now I am too worn out to post. LOL
I made notes after notes after notes. In fact too many notes.
Now I feel overwhelmed to reply to everyone.

My weekend was like a ... a .... a MESS !!!!
We did not fight or anything. We never said a cross word to each other. But the TENSION ... you could cut with a knife.

Overall ... there were good times too.
I did do a LOT of babysitting. But that was not the problem this time. (I GLADLY babysat to be alone in the cabin.)
My 4 year old granddaughter caught her first fish on her own.
She was soooooo excited... and PROUD
My youngest granddaughter slept with me and that was sweet.

Okay... I have decided to not even try to reply to everyone.
Just say... I did read each and every one. I did write notes for each of you.
I am just toooooo far behind to catch up with all that I missed the last 5 days.
I will weigh in Tuesday morning. I am pretty sure I did not maintain my loss ... but I don't thiink I am any heavier than when I began 3 weeks ago.

Tuesday Morning and Frances is outside beating up the trees and throwing buckets of water everywhere. I decided not to make that 77 mile commute to Atlanta, the city is in worse shape than my yard at this point! Winds at 55mph, my Altima will slide off the hwy!
The wind here is howling. I went out on the back porch with my coffee, but the horizontal rain drove me back in. At least it's warm. If the power will stay on all will be well for me. We have an IM at work, and i see no one on it yet, ohoh! I may have to work alone today....eeeek! I guess I'd better get on the laptop and see what's out there for me to do already.
Have a good day ladies!
Debra

Ok, ladies! Just checking in with my challenge progress. Unfortuneately I don't remember whether this one was 1 pound or 2. Anyway, I am down 1.3 this morning. So I either made it, or I didn't.

2cute: Welcome home! Sorry it wasn't WONDERFUL!!! [[[hugs]]]

Debra: Batton down the hatches, baby. Hope you don't blow away!!!

Gotta run. See you all later. Love ya bunches!!!

This has to be quick I'm at work.

Bad choices over the past few days caused me to blow the Labor Day Challenge. I'm up 2 lbs. Then only thing I can say in my defense is that "It could have been a lot worse."

My goal for today: MAKE BETTER CHOICES!!!! and hope to get it off by Thurs. for my weekly weigh in.