Lucy - I want to borrow that eyeliner ASAP! LOL! You are not a geek at all!

You crack me up!!!!!

No, Lucy is a geek. So am I. Geek, and proud. Read tech manuals for craps & giggles. Code HTML by hand, because the programs muck it up & can't lay it out as cleanly. Will use CSS "just because I can." And if this makes sense to anyone but Lucy, then you're a geek, too!

((( We've got the greatest chickies here! )))

Jennifer - I want to be a Geek too!! *whine* But, I have no idea what a HTML or CSS is. I have watched CSI on t.v. - can that count?

p.s. I agree with you - Our chickies are the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lisa, it has to do with web design & development. I'll have to post some discreet links to stuff I've had to do for school, and then what I've been tinkering with on my own. I've got a final project in development...I'll share when that's ready...

Hey chickies...if anyone is still with me! I have been a little off kilter today, so forgive my off plan day! Didn't want to do the bike this morning, but did anyway and I quit early...only did 25 minutes instead of 30, but tomorrow I will make up for it! I promise!

Food was not great today, but not soooo bad!

Kind of long story here...but I will eventually get to the point!!! LOL! Every year for St. Patty's Day a friend invites Kaleigh and I over for corned beef and cabbage (boiled dinner, basically). How can I resist that? It's the one time of year that we really spend any time together...sad that she only lives about 20 minutes away! She buys Kaleigh and I presents and feeds us. How much better can that get??? Anyway...she's a little...out there...a 60's throw=back hippie type! But ya gotta love her...and her cooking is awesome! So I told her I would bring the dessert and I made a sugar free key lime cheesecake. I must say, it was pretty good. I would have left out the lime next time I make it...which would make it just plain ole cheesecake...but it was pretty good, anyway. She has a severe reaction to "sulfites" and apparently the lime juice in the containers have sulphites in it, so she couldn't have any after one bite. Drat! Had to bring the darn thing home with me! I will take it to work tomorrow.

The corn beef and cabbage and carrots and potatoes were really good! I had almost 2 pieces of cheesecake, though. Only one was planned...oh well!

Back up to my afternoon. Remember that I am an Activity Director in a nursing home and holidays = food with our residents, soooooo I made about 4-6 batches (blenderfuls) of Mint chocolate chip shakes! I only had one small cup (about 6 oz.) of one. I figured my milk for the day! OK...you can now get out the tazer and hit me with your best shot! All of you!!!
When will I learn that I can not resist something so sinful??? So I am probably about 400 calories over today, especially with that 2nd piece of cheesecake! Yikes!

Breakfast & Lunch were both good. Does it count if my co-worker shares her deep fried shrimp with me at lunch (only 4 small pieces)? See, I told you I had an off-kilter day! Must be the Irishness (is that a word?) going on!

Work was very strange today! Our administrator (who had been with the company for 20+ years) got fired yesterday afternoon (while I was playing hookey) and today the new one started. He's very nice, but it still seemed a bit surreal, ya know?? It's not that I had any kind of friendship with our old administrator, but she's human and all and, well...I felt for her a bit! That is, until... I found out that she's so angry that she wants all of us to be afraid of losing our jobs that she started saying that "so and so" is going to get fired for...AND...I was one of those "so and so's"! The rumor is just a rumor and until I am gone, I am grateful for a job and will just do the best I can at what I do! Can't worry about something that hasn't happened. I will keep you posted!

Other than that...it was a stressful day and a lot more happened, but I won't go into it here! Just know that strange things happened...and keep me in your prayers for SANITY!!! Thanks!

Hugs to all!

I love you all! Geeky and everything! That's what makes you chickies so special! It's that you each have your own special quality and I love that about each of you.

All this 80's talk has me wanting to get some 80's funk music and put together a workout CD! Most 80's music I don't like, but some of it is ok. What do I remember about the 80's??? Hmmmm...I had some teal blue stretch jeans and bright yellow tops and probably some really gross other stuff...and my hair, although short...was BIG!!! I will have to dig up some pictures. I lived in Hawaii in 1987-1988 so I wore a lot of pastels and sandals and was really tan! I did look pretty good then! Wonder where those pictures are???

I need to hit the hay so I can get up at a decent hour and hit the bike or do a Leslie tape in the am. Anyone else think it's crazy to exercise before your first cup of coffee???

Have a great night!

PS...why are my posts always so long and why do I feel the need to write so much??? Blah, blah, blah!

I know, I said I was going to bed, but then had to read and write in the journals. As I was reading, it occurred to me that I really need a challenge. I mean, this is a challenge, but I need a personal challenge. I need to see if I can do this:

I want to be 100% clean and pure with my "plan" (which Jennifer posted a link to yesterday) for 5 days straight. I will then reward myself with....hmmmm! I need to think on this, but I am thinking about a music CD or one of the Pilates videos/exercise ball! This includes NO sugar...here I go again! I sure hope I don't set myself up for disappointment...

NO! Stop that! That is negative thinking and I will not do that! I will think positive loving thoughts to help me find the peace I need to find. To find the strength inside me! Oh I must be tired because I am just rambling here and I sound a bit hippie-ish myself!!! LOL! Ok, call it what you want...but I am challenging myself here, for all of you to hear! 100% clean and pure. 5 days! That's the challenge and if I could figure outhow to attach those links, I would do it! Another day!

Peace (don't they have a peace sign smilie???)

Jennifer: Omg. *G* I won't use CSS 'cause I dropped out of the techie race after getting laid off from being an NT Net Admin in 02, but I still do my html by hand!! haha!! WE ARE geeks!! I love it. *G*

Hikein: Hon, there is not a thing wrong with being a little bit hippie, so long as you still shower & don't reek of patchouli all the time. (I just don't like the smell, haha!) I'm a chameleon - hippie, freak, goth, dork, pc nerd, raver, all of those things. I change pretty much every day!! =) It's a good thing to have a little of everything in your life, I think. It keeps us well rounded and down to earth. (You'd never guess I was a minister, eh?) hehe! But seriously, your challenge sounds good!

Today was good. I only had 1 small glass of wine, so I was way under calories for the day. When I found out that my photographer wanted to use the pics of ME for her college project, I was so stoked!! (See? The 80's dork emerges... lol!) So, I ditched the wine, and to celebrate, hubby and I each got a little blizzard from DQ. Yeah, yeah, I know. Ice cream bad, but we were celebrating!!! *lol* And I'm Irish, so I deserve a little celebration today, I say. Hooray. (Let's see how much more I can rhyme today!) Haha, okay, enough of that!

Anyway, the only bad part of today for me has been our !*@*&^$@!!! neighbors downstairs, who simply refuse to SHUT UP at midnight, and won't turn their stupid BASS down!! Agh! So, tomorrow, I get to call the apartment management and complain about them. AGAIN. This will be the FOURTH TIME in TWO MONTHS. Hmm. And if they keep it up, I am SO calling the cops. This = not cool. Even if they are Irish and just drunk... it's not cool, especially when they have a little kid (under 10 yrs!) in their apartment, and they're screaming and drinking and being super loud past midnight. Ehhh... *grinds teeth* Bad, stupid neighbors. *Sigh*

Oh well! I still have something like 400 calories to use today... time to raid the kitchen! *G*

What a morning already- 53 minutes to go 5 miles to work...the hard way. More about that in the journal for today.

Lisa- You can be an honorary geek. CSI only counts if it's CSI Miami (ok, I'm biased...lol) You get immunity for the polo/sweatshirt thing alone

Lucy- Cmon....get with it. CSS isn't that bad..better control...cool as crap...Click Here to check out my first CSS assignment for school. Then, THIS here is the rough layout so far of my final project for school...figured why have to do 20 pages from nothing if I already had a lot of content together. Girl! What is with you & the ice cream? If you lived closer, I'd bop ya one. Heck, now I'll have to tazer you, too! ZZZZT!

Julie- 25 minutes on the bike is a lot better than no time on the bike...it's making time for what you can get into your day. 15 minutes here, 10 minutes there- they all add up, and are much better than nothing. Bring that cheesecake in, let the vultures devour it, and toss anything else out. Better to trash it, than eat it & carry that around on your butt, knowwhutImean? And 80's music....jeez....I am almost ashamed to admit that I do have the Sounds of the 80s CDs...lolol I am going to hold you accountable for the 5 day challenge. It'll be tough with the weekend coming up, but if you can do that, then chickie, you can make this work, and you will succeed. We're here when you need to vent- sounds like you were having a hard day yesterday, chickie.

Today I have a meeting at lunch time, so I am forced to have lunch out. I at least got to pick the restaurant- Cuban- so I can safely pick a chicken breast and black beans and white rice, and push it around on my plate to look like I got through more than I really did.

More after the meeting- I gotta leave for that in about 10 minutes.

(((big huggles to all my favorite chickies!)))

Jennifer - Those are awesome designs. =) I wish I had the time to learn it... I want my site to be rad, but I just havne't any time for it!! Aww, the ice cream wasn't too big a deal. I have little things that I set aside for myself every week, like 2 glasses of wine one day, or a small ice cream, or something. Half the time, I don't even finish it. I didn't finish the ice cream, hah. *G* I left half of it there... and I still came in right on target yesterday for calories!

Today = super stormy! I LOVE storms. I wish I was out on the San Juans watching the storms over the Pacific. *Whine* My favorite place, with my favorite kind of weather, and I'm stuck in my home office typing. BLAAAH. *beats her computer up* Release me, demon machine!!

Eh. Food is easy today, and very good.

B - 1/2 cup granola w/ 1/8 cup milk.
S - Banana
L - Taco Salad (didn't get one yesterday...)
S - Chips & salsa (pre-measured)
D - Chicken breast, steamed rice, salad w/o dressing.

Sounds pretty darn healthy to me!! =)

Workout today is getting easier. Especially since I decided to read my book while I'm on the bike. Time flies, and I accomplish 2 things. Haha!! My new goal, however, is to do the balance-ball workout 3 times a week from now on. I know that using it will make my back feel better, and it helps the muscles around my bum discs support me better, which in turn, creates a lower, less intense (but still horrid) level of chronic pain. I know that if I do the tape 3 times a week, I'll feel better, but I hope I have the time for it. I'm up to 6 tapes a day now -- yikes! That's around 6 hours of work every day. Eep!

Oh, something I should =probably= have mentioned to you guys. I have massive chronic back pain (2 of my thoracic discs are degenerative, and basically un-repairable. I was in a bad wreck, and my neck problems are pretty much solved, but my mid-back is ruined now), and so I generally take 8 aleve, 3 times a day. Now, before you freak out and tell me I'm going to overdose... this is what my doctor has TOLD me to do. That dose is equal to the prescription painkiller of Naproxen that they give me, but costs 10x less. Hopefully I get to see a pain specialist someday soon, but until I'm rich and have health insurance, aleve it is. So, with the aleve every day, it's REALLY hard to get myself to work out, and even harder to lose weight, because you're just not... well, you have no energy at all.

But, darnit, I've lost almost 100 lbs, and I'm not quitting now! AAH!! Fear the wrath of Jess!! *breaks a large empty building in half* Fear me, fat. Fear me good! haha, sorry.

So my workout today, as usual, is...

30 min bike (while reading! yay!)
8 min stepper w/ ankle & free weights
400 situps

Keep it positive, girlies! Okay, a giant black fluffball just decided to nap on my wrists, so off I go. Have an awesome day, you guys!

Lucy - Hon, my heart goes out to you, and I just said a big prayer for you. I lived for a year with chronic back pain. I had a degenerative disk that herniated and then ruptured. The disc was pressing on a major nerve, and I was losing use of my right foot! I was trying to juggle 3 kids (one a little baby), and had developed a pronounced limp. I ended up seeing a Neurosurgeon and having surgery, which was a blessing to me. There is NOTHING to compare with pain like that!!! It was worse than childbirth, and there's nothing to describe that kind of pain! I, too, was on a major anti-inflammitory (Bextra), and also painkillers. Oh, Lucy, you hang in there girl. Chronic pain like that is hard to take. (If you're interested, I went to a PT for my back pain, and my brother in law is a PT as well. I've heard others say that PT helped them. I have the sheets of exercises, and would be more than happy to e-mail them to you). By the way, your food/exercise sounds great! Go!!!

Julie - Your challenge sounds awesome. I just know in my heart you will be successful! p.s. Do not apologize about your posts - I really enjoy reading them, and they motivate me - so keep on writing!!! Girl, it sounds like to me your life is having a few twists and turns, eh? Sorry for the stressful day yesterday! I hope today was a bit calmer!

Jennifer - Hey girl!!! I hear you were in a bit of a "Jam" this morning??? Hope the roads are clearer now! Thanks for letting me be an honorary Geek!! Actually, with my nose in a book all the time, I truly feel like one!! Hope the rest of your day was better, and that you had a good time at your lunch thing.


Guess what??????? Today is my 10th anniversary. I have had such a good day. I got 1 dozen red roses at work. My kindergarteners thought that was way cool. I also got a mushy, gushy card that made me cry and cry. And, this weekend we are going away to a cabin in the mountains (on a river). We are leaving the kids with the grandmothers. So, I will not get to check in on Saturday at all. I will feel lonely without connecting with the chickies!!!! But I am excited!! We have never gone away by ourselves before.

My eating and drinking today are good. I feel good about my goals.

Gotta go - crying baby is up from nap - I'll check back in tonight!

Lisa - I hear ya. =) Thanks for the support - I do appreciate it. I've pretty much learned how to deal with it, now, since I've had the 2 disc issue since Feb. 2000. I agree with the PT idea -- it usually does help. Unfortunately, everything they've tried on me has just made it worse, or done nothing. I go to an awesome Chiropractor once a month, and I -was- going to an awesome friend of mine, Jeff, who does massage therapy. Unfortunately, I can't afford Jeff right now, but I would LIKE to see him twice a month, to work out the scar tissue n whatnot. I love that man. *G* He gave me back the use of my right arm after my last wreck (July 03, 3rd degree burn on right arm & nerve damage to my hand - just started to feel it in December!). =) If you have good exercises, tho, yeah, I'd love to see 'em! I'm always open to suggestions and whatnot! Thanks, my dear! Also, this weekend sounds awesome!! You'll LOVE being able to get away... =) Congrats on 10 years together!! That's awesome!

Okay, off to do my 6 (blech!) tapes for today. Not looking forward to this, chicas. Not at all. But, if I can do these today and have time for BB (balance ball), I will do it! Dinner will be easy tonight, so I won't have to spend a lot of time cooking, either. 20 minutes for cooking. Woot!

I'm on bottle #2 of water already today, which is halfway to my daily goal. =) I am kicking butt today, ladies, and so are all of you!

Lucy, what are the tapes you do? Do you preview something, edit??

Less than an hour left in my day. All my work is done. Nothing to keep me here but obligation, and a darned watchful receptionist

The lunch meeting thingie...

It was productive...we went to Padrino's, a nice Cuban place where they have a buffet, and still offer menu choices for lunch. I did well- had 1 small piece of cuban bread with garlic & just a hint of butter passed over the top of it- whatever melted onto it got to stay...everything else discarded. Chicken breast with lime juice squeezed onto it, about 3/4 cup white rice, and about 1/4 cup black beans. Didn't eat the friend plantains- think overripe, stringy bananas, fried & still holding all that oil. Bleah!

We're trying to partner with some different grant organizations, in order to offer some different loan options for first time homebuyers, so hopefully this results in more business, and a positive move...and I'd still have a job for 2005!

I'm still full- lunch was earlier than usual, so I adjusted my breakfast- only had 1/3 cup smart start & the diet coke. Lunch as listed above- dinner, I think, will be more of a snack-type thing...try to limit carbs after all the bad carbs with lunch, and just to keep thing on the downward trend. No exercise for a full day, plus nothing this morning....it's that whole female time, too...so if I could remove that general region & do something, I would! LOL. I think if anything, tonight is a bike night- get the heart rate up, but not a lot of moving around & other "placement" issues...LOL...I'm so glad we're all ladies' here. (((( awesome chickies ))))

Lucy/Jess/Kitty/et al... Chickie, ok, what do you want us to call you? Your choice here...Narrow it down for us. Whatever you prefer...now's your choice. Thanks for your kind critique...I've got some other stuff that I need to re-upload before I can link it- I weeded out my hosting to work on other stuff, then upgraded the hosting & never put things back. And I dare not post something with broken links..you'd rip my geek insignia right off, wouldn't you? Food & exercise looks good- and amazing loss so far. Owwwies, big time with the back, chica. That sucks, girl. Yowza. I'd be curled up in the fetal position crying for mommy. Seriously. You're so damn strong- you rock, you know that?

Lisa- Oww, for you, too! I am super-wimpy compared to what you & Old what'shername up there have gone through! Egads! I really have to give you both so much credit....to find the strength to do what you do..even with that pain. Total geekitude with the reading, though...what genre? favorite authors? I'm such a dork- I can so identify with that. I'm always reading...in the tub, in bed, at lunch...well, I've tried at other times & it didn't work too well...let me share that in the next paragraph...lol. Happy, Happy, Happy Anniversary! You & Hubby have a wonderful time this weekend, and don't worry about us- we'll be here plugging along, and you'll come back refreshed, and ready to take control of that tazer to use on Julie.

Funny image...read Lucy's post about reading on the bike...and had to share this, so you can all feel my pain. I tried that. I got nauseus. Here's the visual. Right now, my arms are getting more toned...starting to firm up biceps & triceps, forearms are becoming more defined. I have killer calf muscles- no fat there at all...marching band, waitressing, retail sales, 3 story high school, and 2 mile college campus all led to developed legs. The thighs are finally starting to shrink. Now, the midsection is another story. It's gooey. Now great, I'm on the bike, the legs are moving, but the upper thigh nudges the lowerbelly fat. The lower belly fat bounces as the legs move up & down & up & down & up & down...well, then the belly fat hits the uniboob (large boobs mashed together in a sports bra or tank top) ((large DDD/FF cups even when thinner)) Now, for your entertainment...where to put the book? hold it above the jostling uniboob? nope- boobs hit the book, making it impossible to follow the line of type. Hold it on the handlebars? Nope! Jostling uniboob hits the arms, shaking the book so you can't read it. Short of buying a large-print book & trying to prop it up on something...it's just not happening. I can see the TV from the bike, so I figured one of these days I'm going to bike to the LOTR movies, but 3 hours on a bike might just kill me- I'd be so absorbed, I'd forget to stop pedaling until my legs broke off at the knees.

Ok, half hour killed...time to check the journals, pack stuff up, and start to slowly sneak my way towards the door....skulk, skulk, skulk...