Despite some pretty impressive bad weather, I made it back home in one piece. I made good choices, food-wise, while I was in Alabama, but had too much chocolate on the delayed trips there and back. My sinuses were better, but 24 hours after getting back home, I was sneezing like a cartoon character. I've gotten through the work day thanks to drugs.

Marie, thanks for sharing the photo of the quilt! It will be gorgeous when it's done. Keep me posted re your iPhone. I may get one when my BlackBerry dies, which might be sooner than I'd like.

Ah, Penny, Casablanca, "I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray, you wore blue." They don't make movies like that anymore! The weather here is chillier than it should be, so I'm colder than it should be, and wanting big hot meals more than my usual salads. I found that I like Healthy Pop butter popcorn. The one-serving bags help me when I'm feeling munchy while watching a good movie.

Auntie, I love cut flowers. I was really spoiled by living in NYC, where it was easy to get them relatively cheaply on at any corner "deli." I respond strongly to flower and scents. I love oils, potpourri and smelly soaps and lotions. I've cut back since so many people seem to have allergies. I miss the days of my youth, when people had signature scents, and even the men loved wearing aftershave.

Okay, once again I'm working way too late. This will be a bad week, as I will be out of the office so much this next month. Wish I was going somewhere exciting, like Thailand! Marie, we need more details.

judy

Marie - I love your quilt - thanks for posting the photo. Your trip to Crater Lake sounds like fun. Your flowers may not be out yet, but you get a lot more sunny days down there. I'd be happy to make you some more soaps - it doesn't make any difference what time of the year. I made some of the orange blossom soaps for a girlfriend's birthday gift and she said she put one down the side of her sofa to scent the room! A bit weird - but hey if it works for her. I hope everything goes well for you and your daughter in Thailand. I'll be thinking of you and sending healing thoughts.

Judy - I'm glad your trip to Alabama went well and that your sinuses are better. It sounds like you are allergic to something in your home town. My allergies always disappeared when we went to Hawaii or Europe. I'll have to get some of that healthy popcorn. It will give my mouth something to do that's less calories than the usual snacky stuff!

Auntie - I hope everything's going ok for you.

I saw an interview about diets and the woman who was being interviewed said you should view food as a bank account. If you withdraw calories for a treat, say a large breakfast, you have to 'pay it back' by deducting calories later in the day. A bit simplistic, but an interesting way of looking at it. My account has been way overdrawn lately!

Well, I've been in Chapter 11 for six months, based on my calorie mismanagement....

A confession: I was so aggravated by the time I left the office last night (after 8PM) that I went to a restaurant near my home, sat at the bar and ordered a drink and nachos. It was enough nachos for a table of five. So I was mite embarrassed, and jokingly offered some to the folks sitting nearby. I probably ate two people's worth of chips and guacamole, while reading a book on using Microsoft Office for task management . It's the kind of thing I would have done in my 20s and 30s, except it would have been a funky dive, not such a nice restaurant. And I would've had more than one drink.

Today I have been eating on program. I should be at a reception as I write this, but think I'm just going to go home at a reasonable hour.

Marie, I hope you get to see a little of Thailand while you're there, even though it's not a pleasure trip. What will we do on this thread without you for three weeks? I hope you'll be able to check in to let us know that your daughter is doing well.

Penny, my sinuses have calmed down, thank goodness. It's the pollen from all the lovely trees. It pouring down rain today, which is good, but I hope that we're done raining for a few days, so that the tourists can roam around outside instead of being stuck in the museums and the ESPN Zone.

I do hope that all the other chickies are okay!

Judy - I hope you enjoyed your little nacho splurge the other day. Well, if you're Chapter 11 in the calories department, I must be close to going bankrupt! I think my scale is conspiring against me - I don't know why it's being so uncooperative! Maybe I'm just in denial, so I'll have to review exactly where I've been going off track lately and hopefully make some adjustments that work. The pollen is pretty bad here too (the downside of the lovely blossoms) and my car windshield had a thick layer of pollen on it yesterday.

Auntie - I love gerberas too - they're such cheerful little flowers. My hyacinths are just poking through - I just love their scent. I'm also finding it hard to log my foods. I know I should do it but since I'm so inconsistent with it, it doesn't seem worthwhile. I just don't seem to have the mental energy to log when I'm stressed. I started gaining again as soon as I stopped logging. I need to give myself a good and just do it! You can get the pure perfume oils at Whole Foods. They come in tiny glass bottles - usually around $10-$12 but you only need a few drops mixed with plain lotion like Curel. You can buy online, but the shipping is kind of high.

Marie - Owww! A bikini wax must be like some kind of torture! I get tears in my eyes when I wax my upper lip! Like I said, I'm going to have to log consistently if I want to lose again. It's been very discouraging lately with the scale creeping forever upwards. I'm going to have to be a lot more frugal with my calorie spending. Your new bed sounds nice - i've heard they are very comfortable and you can adjust the hardness to your liking. The weather has been pretty chilly here too and we're hoping it warms up a bit on the weekend. I'd like to see the sun come out so I can take some photos of the flowers before they fade.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Today is Office Clean-Up Day--because i can't find anything, and it's gotten to the point where I'm shuffling through too many papers and piles on my desk. I'll be away all next week, so I need to locate stuff to take with me to San Francisco and Seattle.

I haven't acted out with more pub food, thank goodness. I have been working out more, although not this morning, as I had an early-morning meeting at another office. I figured out that I'm rebelling against anything else that I 'have to' do, as my life already seems to have an overwhelming list that I can't do anything about. So some mornings I just crank up dance music and shake my groove thang for 30-40 minutes, and that's better than nothing--and great for stress, too.

We've had a lot of wind and rain, so some of the grass is covered by beautiful feathery pink clouds. I walked through a swirl of drifting magnolia petals this morning, and the smell was delightful. Now the sun is out and the touristas can shed their clear plastic drugstore ponchos.

judy

Congratulations, Marie!!! That's really worth celebrating.

I will weigh myself when Iget home next weekend. I am majorly annoyed by the way my favorite spring clothes are (or aren't) fitting.

Off to the airport--Judy

Yay Marie! Congratulations on your success!


You are such a great inspiration to me. Thank you for helping me to stay focused. Right now, I'm where you were about 8 months ago - up 20 lbs. from my lowest weight. As of today I am going to religiously log my foods again. Luckily, I have most foods and meals already set up on Spark. Maybe it was a sign, but one of our cats threw up all over my bathroom scale today!! I hate not fitting into my smaller clothes and I know that if I don't do something now I'll just keep ballooning up till I'm thoroughly discouraged. Again, congratulations and keep up the good work! I had to smile thinking of you dancing with Kai Bear - I bet she loved it!

Judy - I loved your description of the clouds of pink petals. Looking forward to hearing from you when you get back from your trip.

I went clothes shopping today but couldn't find anything that looked nice. I'll have to go through my closet and see if there are still a few things that fit . At least the weather is lovely today so that helped lift my mood. When I log my foods I have to think twice whether it's worth having to log every bite and it's usually easier to stay on plan than have to go to the trouble of logging every mouthfull. So far I'm on track today with 1350 calories. I only have 250 cals left for dinner as we went out for lunch, so I'll just have some cottage cheese and strawberries.

Hello girls so glad your still here ! I have been busy and not online much but think its important to get back on track. Like you Marie we all get off track and you are so right about logging and scale I will start today. I got off plan a bit about 2 weeks ago during a stress inc. got to learn to deal with it better I guess. At any rate still haven't used the scale but I will on Tues. morning. Logging thanks for reminding me how important this step is. I just read about 10 min workouts when you can't fit in longer they add up.
CONGRATS on getting back to where you were and I don't blame you for wanting to just go forward its hard work getting there. Well with that said guess I'd better get back into it to. I have started to workout again and that is good but white bread found its way in and white rice got to get rid of the whites again it did help so much.
Judy sounds like you got the bull by the horns. Keep up the good work.
Auntie G hello how your doing well.
Penny I am right there with you needing to make some changes but we can do this right? Just make it happen the tools are in our hands just got to use them. I am planning to be good everyday this week and save up for a nice dinner on sunday. So this week will work out one extra day to help balance out Easter. Its a special day and I know there will be extras. I am planning the dinner so I can control somethings. Having 19 for dinner. It should be fun and sending out an Easter package to HI today for the kids. Made some cookies yesterday one batch wasn't so good new bad recipe never again. Made snickerdoodles mailing out today out of the house.
Take care girls. Workout today and yesterday.

Thanks for the chat Marie. How true it is!
I had a crazy work day but didn't over eat. Actually made a big pot of blk bean soup hot and spicy. Nice you have good weather here it was nice a wk ago now threatening snow and cold weather. But just talked to the kids in HI and can't wait to go in Sept. for 3 weeks. That will be a goal for me to be in shape and look nice. I am working out after work on Tues. Going to get it done!
Take care and have a good evening. I am off for some ice water and my book off to bed to read. No more food today.