Wow Mrs Madcat!! Nice post. It's not often that we get that many words out of you!! In my defence...it was Shad's use of the snowballs with Suzi that made me think of X***!!! When I saw them here, I couldn't help myself!! Glad you have some different places of work to choose from in case this one gets too boring. Have fun tossing ideas around. When you and Shad find the answer to why we are gaining or stuck....let us in on the secret But I was happy to hear you are feeling good Your day sounded lovely to me and I especially liked the part about BIG MACHINES!! I find stuff like that amazing and could watch it all day.

Shad~ sometimes I get advice from all the Drs that I run into. One young man told me that "those" that are unlucky enough to have weight issues are usually the ones most affected by hormonal changes, stress and enviromental issues. Especially with all the hormones going into foods.
maybe that is our problem.....what the answer is, I do not know. of course he told me to buy as much "organic" as possible. Including fruits and veggies. but it is WAY out of MY price range He was also the one who told me he had women with hormonal issues well into their 80's!!!

Suzi~ Most of the foods that are in the vicinity of TOURIST ATTRACTIONS is of the unhealthy variety. Loaded with sugar and fat. It's all over this country and probably all over the world by now. Mickey D's are everywhere!! Fast food is the "thing" for vacationers. I understood exactly. I was always glad to get home and eat "normally" after being away and am also quite the homebody! I love everything in it's place, very little change and my "old" comfy wheelchair. The only thing "jet set" about me is the adjustable speed of each chair I own

Ceejay~ Hope you just ignore the wench at work...... she's jealous. I say that because that's usually the first reason people at work do things that are either annoying, offending or just plain silly. And good luck with the mower buying!!

Holly~ International company I can imagine how you would like to be all finished with the renno!!

Happy~ so how was dinner??? Was it chili and potato salad? Now I have the chili and need the salad I am thinking chiki and a baked potato!!!
I was shocked to see how much work went into the making and delivering of the newsletter. Would be nice if others were onboard!!! I also cannot believe that woman had no answering machine!! But there are many in my bldg that don't have one either and I then have to go floor to floor rounding them up when needed. Feel better my Transplanted Southern Bell

Once again I am amazed what one pain pill and a good nights sleep will do for the psyche.....especially codeine Thank God I have them for emergencies.
Our roof is leaking still, heads are rolling over the "neglect" of duty that was required to take care of it. so far I am the ONLY one not yelled at. Yesterdays rain and wind was ferrocious(sp) and of course it found another way in. People on the 8th floor are having conniption fits. One woman has a brand new "water" bed too bad it wasn't that way when she bought it!!! I thought the "Town Father" was going to commit murder. This entire operation is frozen by depression and anxiety ridden people. It was like a cancer and spread to each and every office. I don't know how to fix it and told "someone" so. god knows what's going to happen. I guess when enough crap hits the fan, someone will actually do something about it..... the more I stay away the faster it will happen.
I need to find the courage to stay out! I visualize lots more time spent away from the bldg. all the busses are fixed up now and running so the time is ripe
NOTHING is on my agenda for today except to steam some rice. the chili is already simmering away on the stovetop. I lit a vanilla candle and the house smells deeeevine
Even the "grandson" is happily watching Postman Pat.... gotta love VCR machines and 6 & 8 hour tapes!!!
Have a great day Chicklettes Sweet dreams Shaddie and Suzi

Helloooo ladies,
Suzi and Shad, oops I guess my words came out wrong. What I was trying to say **thinks hard here ** was that as I read your posts I see that the foods you eat down under are quite different from what we eat. You seem to use more spices and vegetables and lamb and things whereas we rely more on fats and cream sauces I was just curious for you to elaborate on what you didn't like vs what you were craving for back home. But I suppose being in theme parks you don't get the offerings of nice salads, naked but tasty seasoned meats and steamed veggies that you would if you were eating in restaurants in the cities. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Shad, I still feel badly that one night "dinner" consisted of shredded cheese on an english muffin. - we had gone downtown to see the skyline and take a boat ride on the lake. We ate a late afternoon lunch and were not up for an early dinner. We wanted to be on the lake to see the sunset so we took an 8pm tour. By the time we got off the boat it was after 10pm and we were all kind of hungry. We had intended to introduce Shad to the American hot dog but much to my surprise by the time we got home just before 11pm, everything was closed for the night. Hence the english muffin which Shad said "hit the spot" yum yum but I still felt like the bad hostess.

I know what you mean Suzi about craving your normal food. A long time ago we went on a two week vacation - we've only done that twice in our lives. We went to Colorado and the Rocky Mountains which was astounding. Of course we ate in restaurants for all of our meals. I can still remember staring at a menu towards the end of the trip telling DH that not a single thing appealed to me on the menu. I had always thought that if someone else did the planning and the cooking for me that I would love it but just like you I couldn't wait to get home to a nice simple meal that I was used to cooking myself.

I have started the new medicine. I am happy to report that I did not stammer, studder, wobble or fall asleep and pee myself. Even after just one pill my feet feel 1,000 better. The terrible pain is gone, now I just have the regular arthritis aches which I can deal with. Yesterday morning my eyes were a bit fuzzy and I had trouble clearing them but that seemed to dissapate by morning.

And I don't know what's going on but when I went to the doctor this week I was horrified to see I gained 5 pounds. And that was confirmed with my scale at home. Thing is, usually when I gain weight I can feel it - I feel bloated or extra jiggly and my pants are tighter. None of that tho. I actually feel a bit thinner and my feet are not swollen so I know it's not water. And that's 5 pounds in one week which is usually water with that much of a gain. And TOM is a thing of the past for me so I can't blame that. The only thing I've done out of the ordinary is drink a whole lot of tea this week. yes, with sugar

It's hot and sticky out. I am going to help DH later trim the front entrance to the subdivision. We have several bushes and shrubs that are so overgrown they are obliterating the lights that shine on the wall with the subdivision name. DH says it looks disgusting - it does. The last person who was on the beautification committee not only arranged for the twice a year plantings but also did the trimming and weeding herself. The person doing it now I guess feels her job is just to arrange for the plantings. As a result it looks very shaggy out there. I found out on Thursday that the president of our homeowners association is moving out of state to a new job. I almost want to put forth a motion to dissolve the homeowners association if we can't get more people to participate and be concernced about the neighborhood. Oh well I'll get off my soapbox before I really get going...

Mel, I'm sorry to hear that things are so bad in the office. There is so much of that going on all over, I do don't know what to do about it. Feels like there are more holes in the dike then we have fingers to plug them and everyone else is walking around in soggy shoes oblivious to the fact that the walls can come crashing down any minute. So we pull into ourselves and walk away. Enjoy your chili. Stay warm and dry.

Dinner last night was a tough steak, cheesy sliced potatos - half of which were not cooked all the way through They forgot to put the mushroom sauce on the steak but when that came it was yummy. The salad was good too. We keep forgetting that this restaurant is not the better of the two in the chain. Perhaps that's why it's not as crowded as most of them.

Madcat, it was nice to see such a long post from you. I can completely understand how nice it was to sit on the balcony and relax. Kind of like sitting in an Imax theater and watching the world go by. It's good that you keep putting money away for retirement - I was surprised to hear that you won't count on a government pension either. Didn't think Canada was the wild spendthrift that our goofy politicians were. Just keep squirreling away what you can, it does add up over time. And maybe this is one of those times to keep eating clean, moving about feeling better and ignoring the scale. I could swear that sometimes we pick up extra weight just because it's humid outside.

Shad, I loved your definition of sport. Enjoy the game. And what's wrong with sitting around in the pajamas all day?

Ceejay, I was just kidding about the 3 pints of blood - just feels that way! Sounds like quite the bit of work journalling all the foods but in the long run, it will pay off for you.

Hope the potato salad comes out a winner Holly and that you have a good time at the family gathering. My secret is that I bake the potatos instead of boiling them and sometimes I add a touch of dijon mustard to the dressing. People seem to like it.

Laundry is done, time to go switch loads and get busy around the house. Have a fun weekend ladies.

To Mel, Happy and Madcat (and me) Have you guys measured? It may be that the scale do not lie, but the muscle content is improving and the body is staying the same but tightening up? Maybe we should just all measure for a month and see what happens at the end of it. I with Madcat - down with all rotten scales, over the balconey with them. Although what that will do to the peak hour traffic, I can't imagine.

New definition of sport - I went to the fight but a game broke out!!!! Last nights game was marred by a whistle happy referee, so real *****iness on both sides and a total desire not to lose it. Some of the refs decisions were a bit weird - it's not just me, even the commentators said it. He pinged guys that weren't even in the ruck or maul and didn't ping those who he should have. On both sides - so there I am not totally bias'd My AB's won, but it was close. My niece went to the game. We expected to see her out on the pitch with the guys harassing them, but maybe it was too much effort to go done the 100 or so steps to get to the arena.

What idiot posted that???? instead of going advanced.


Happy - I'm not sure we eat a lot of different foods than you guys. The stuff in the supermarkets seemed very similar to me (only more of it). Maybe we do spice it up somewhat. I think that is probably the Asian influence coming through. We do tend to look towards that part of the world for inspiration these days rather than Europe - although having said that, the Mediterranean influence is still very strong. Besides which, we are told not to eat too much salt, so one has to spice it up to get flavour - especially since some of the veges come from far away and could be hydroponically grown or stored for periods of time and are therefore not as fresh as they could be. That is the very reason I don't buy fruit and veg from the supermarkets anymore. But I digress (again). If I ate a cheesy muffin, then I probably really enjoyed it because cheese is the all time favourite food even if it ain't good for the diet. We walked plenty so I can't see a problem.
And all of you are right - theme parks are not known for great cuisine!!!!
We can have cream sauces down here too - you ought to see some of the pasta dishes swimming in it in some restaurants - 1000 calories per forkful. I just tend to stay away from them because cream now gives me indigestion.
And I am so pleased to hear the meds have the required effect on none of the undesirables. Phew!!!!!

Mel - he was probably right with the hormones in food - it's not so bad for me since I have a good wage, there is only me and I can buy the stuff. But for families it must be a nightmare to have kids who react to some of the stuff we put in our food to make it grow bigger, more meat, more shape, different colours etc.etc. Makes me want my vege patch again.

Oh dear Madcat - you may end up like me and unemployable. I've been contracting too long, and no there won't be much of a pension for me at the end of it all either. I have my management company take out the required amount each week and there are two other 'superannuation' policies in the wind, however I think I may have to work to age seventy and die at 74 to enable me to live as I would wish when retired. In other words the so called experts are not doing a lot with the superannuation investments at this point. I would get better odds leaving it in a term deposit in the bank.
This is the same renovation. I've been at it for years. Everytime I get on a roll, I go away somewhere for weeks at a time. Makes it hard to book people like electricians and plumbers and plasterers so I end up doing some of that myself. Doesn't always help that I change my mind about what I want from time to time either!

Suz - sometimes it is just good to be home.

Okay, time for the gym. I'm back to 5 days a week and no excuses. So I will return to the routine of Saturday to Wednesday. I'm in a training course all week which starts late and ends late so I should be able to manage the mornings okay. I like the mornings. It's mean I don't have to look 'forward' to the gym all day.

Catch up later.

Hey everyone! What a chatty bunch you have all been while I have been sleeping, it must be a Friday/ Saturday thing.
I was just thinking, you know we all have the same things going on in our lives in varying degrees, it's a comfort to know there is so much understanding and as women we all "get" each other.
Shad; it was good to see the AB's win but as your said a weird game, very agro...more than usual. I got a little bored when the score didn't change for a while still it is nice to know that the AB's kept the cup. The commentators on this side were so annoying!! I hope the new job is going well...have been thinking of you.
Happy, it's funny you mentioned about the English muffin with cheese. I once had my MIL over and we had vegemite and chip sandwiches ( which is a childhood fav) sometimes those foods just hit the spot.
I am so glad to hear the arthritis meds are not proving too taxing. I suffer a little too from Oesteo Arthiritis, I find fish oil and glycocymine a good combo but the pain is mild compared to yours. I hope you find some relief. I hate it when we find lbs and have no idea where they came from. I have found a few and am now focussed at losing them, they are all centred around my middle and no...i did notice them, esp in photos...ug
Mel...ugg for all the work problems, i wonder if anywhere they will ever be resolved,
Madcat, lovely post...in some ways I miss that heat but the weather is nice here at the moment.
I'm sorry about limited comments...
Have to fly we have a do on
Cheers

Wow we have a talkative bunch this week end.

Happy-glad the new med is working for you without all the side affects.

Mel--Thought about you today. I saw a New Jersey license plate. I've decided that "the wench" is jealous and that I'm not going to contribute any more of my knowledge.

Shad--I've decided that I'm just going to try and get as healthy as I can. Some of this is genetics. I'm going to measure on the first of August.

Madcat- Hope things work out for you.

Holly and Suzi-hello

Happy~ i felt exactly as you said!!! There is just no hope to fix it and I did pull into myself And ow I am hungry for English muffins!!! or maybe hotdogs!! lol
I am very happy to hear about the new meds. Thank god something worked. I was thinking of you Friday night. My jaw felt like your described feet etc. I was in agony and took took the codeine. It turns out that I "think" it was because I chewed gum while my glands are swollen. Too bad about the Hme. Assoc. sounds just like this place

Shad~ i don't need to measure....my stomach is sitting in my lap the rest of me seems ok but there is a wee bit of bloat in the face but then the sinus and glands do that too. Feet and arms are Ok though. I'm just FAT The sports description was too funny but oh so true!! Enjoy your new week when you get up:drive: and good for you with the exercise schedule do some extra sets for me....maybe you and Madcat can take turns doing mine

Ceejay~ Some good ideas there. Let it all float out the window and just worry about yourself. Those that are unworthy of our time and help shouldn't get any!!

Suzi~Are you back to work already??? I forgot to ask if you still were. I bet the son will love the BD present!!! What a good choice. I love gift thoughts like that. Happy Birthday to your DS

Holly~ hope the DD's finger is OK and on the mend. I forgot that yesterday!!!

I woke this morning thinking it was Monday and left repair messages for John!!!(maint.) I had to call back and clarify the first call He'll have a good laugh tomorrow morning and will know how the last few days have been.
I won't be going to the Mall on Monday. The new sinus med is NOT working and I need them to give me the old one back. Remind me never to complain again
a quick trip outside before it heats up and then I need to saute my mushrooms and maybe make a quiche...crustless and with eggwhites and spinach. YUM!
Happy Sunday

morning everyone,
I'm at work. Things are going good. My co-worker is giving me the silent treament. But this is the way she does. Like I said before, I'm not petting her anymore.

I' ve been doing some more research on my thyroid problem. I'm asking the doctor on next visit about running some different test.

I started a new challenge for myself. I'm keeping up with the exercise that I do in the form of calories burned. In the past couple of days I've burned 1200calories out of 3500 calories. I weighed this morning and I will weigh again when I've burned the 3500 calories. I think my main problem in loosing weight is the IBS. It makes my body flucuate.

A weird noise just came through the plant and one alarm went off. Everything is still running. There's no need to call the boss. I'll go outside to check on things there to see if any thing is out of the ordinary.

Have a good day.

Happy Sunday Chicks,

It's a hot and sweaty one out there. Finishing up the laundry, have to go grocery shopping and then I'm going in the pool. While the sun is still out so it can keep me warm in the coolish water.

Holly, I have not looked into a naprapath yet, but the idea was intriguing. I'd rather not take medicines and believe in the concept of natural healing where possible. Thanks for the suggestion.

Ceejay - have you considered going to see an endochronologist for the thyroid? My regular doctor used to do my thyroid and I was much happier with the "endo" who specializes in that. Down side is that also takes in all the diabetes patients so most practices are very busy. I have learned alot about the thyroid on 3FC - most of all that you don't have to accept feeling badly and often you have to keep pushing (or changing) doctors until you get one who will actually to you. I think it's good that you are tracking - often that's a good motivator.

Starting today I am going to start journaling for a week. No judgements, just write everything down and then go back and see where I mess up or could improve.

Last night I watched an Oprah Winfrey show that I had taped earlier this week. She had Bob Greene on - the person who helped her lose the weight this last time around. I like Bob - he's very down to earth and practical. They were talking about weighing in. Since our bodies are mostly made of water and water fluctuates, you can get false swings on the scale which really don't have anything to do with muscle and fat. Thus supports my theory that sometimes we weigh heavier when it's really humid out. As Shad said - measuring and dress sizes are the most accurate indicators.

Mel - wow- chewing gum can send you into fits of agony? I did not realize your body is that sensitive. I have nothing to complain about... Want to share your recipe for crustless quiche? I love quiche but it can be so high calorie with the egg yolks and crust. I find that eggs more than anything keep the hunger at bay.

Suzi, enjoy the nice day. Are you going to start bike riding again?

Shad, that's funny that you talk about not only a long time gettings the renos done but the gaps also provide you time to change your mind. There's a few things that need doing around here, I keep procrastinating about whether I want to spend the money and what I want to actually do if I do decide to do things. So why is it that you can't get fresher fruits and vegetables? Are the conditions not suitable for local farming? Or do the conditions simply limit the kinds of foods that can be grown? Gosh I thought Hawaii was the only place that had to import everything besides sugar and pineapple Shows you how dumb I am about the world - but then again, that's why I have you chicks to educate me.

Ok, best I go finish up the housework if I want to get in the pool soon. Love to the chicks, enjoy the rest of your weekend which for Shad and Suzi is probably over by now...

Yep, it's over and I am up and at em at 0433 so I can hit the gym at 5.30. This week and next I am sitting in a Train the Trainer class so I can get to learn the way the company wants me to present the information in class. I'm not a good student - know how to break all the rules and distract the trainer - and generally find the mob out there doesn't really want to know the ins and outs of the processes, flow charts, and psychobabble. He just want's to know how to do his job. So eventually all the hi tech stuff goes out the window as we go back to hands on with teacher and not sort of hands on without trainer chatting and the guys filling in the squares. Sounds peculiar - what I just wrote - but if I was to learn something new, I would rather have someone there to ask questions of and to sound off to than to go through a simulation which a: gives me the answers to type in and b: doesn't take any notice if I ask it a question. When they bring in interactive training, I will be at the end of my job. Go find another trade Shaddie.

Happy - as long as you don't buy them in the supermarkets, our veges are fresh. There are farmers markets as well that sell the local produce in season. Certainly the prices of veg and fruit are fairly high at the moment. Drought across the land has seen to that and that also means the quality is not always there. The supermarkets here have got greedy. They are importing as much as possible because it is cheaper! but those prices are not reflecting in the shelves. I have a problem with the so-called 'fresh' coming in from places like China and Mexico. China because of the practices they use to grow things on the land to make crops grow large and fast. Mexico because - well how does fresh relate when it takes three weeks to get here and go through the distribution processes. I know that it takes 3 weeks to get a banana from North Queensland to a store in Brisbane. All of this rant and rave means that the fruit or vege must have been picked before it is ripe for eating. How then does it pick up the appropriate nutrients which are normally provided by the sun, water and soil in the maturing process. No wonder an apple off the tree tastes 1000% better than one from the supermarket. Apples grow on trees - well I never!!!!! End of

Right, I have 10 minutes to get prepared, brushed and out of the door. Another day dawns. I'll be back to comment further later. This lot seems like one big grizzle.

Happy--I would love to go to an endochronologist. I am like you and would love to use the natural way of healing. I feel that most of my problem is going to lie with in the lack of vitamins and minerals. I do feel that I owe it to my body to try this.

Hi Shad-- your egg light is on .

Hello all. I love it when I come to read after a day and you all have been busy.
I hope you had and have wonderful Sunday/ Mondays.
The house is almost quiet and I almost have time to myself. Two loads of washing later and the mop attached to my hand I decided to come for a little read.
I am envious of you SHAD that you have already exercised. i hope the "watch the training" session went well. I know what you mean about not being a good student esp when you are going over stuff! I get so bored!
You are right about the fresh fruit and veges here. I do tend to shop independently, sometimes organic it depends what is available. I wish I lived in Bondi as there is this wonderful organic grocer and I would go regularily, now it's just a matter of when I am there.
Ceejay...hmmm how annoying with your coworker. That is such a pain. It's a good approach though just to ignore as she is probably looking for a bite or two. Isn't it funny how some people waste their time? I hope your weekend was good. Are you going away soon?
Happy.,....oh I envy you. The pool. I am thinking it might be another month or so before we Christen ours, we usually get one swim in late August after heating it up with the Solar. At the moment the sun doesn't hit it but it won't be long. I always get so excited when the angle of the sun shifts! I am such a summer girl.
Mel your crstless quiche sounds YUMMY I would love the recipe for that....ugg aches for chewing gum. Poor thing. I hope you are feeling better today.
We had a lovely day yesterday. Went to a 70th birthday party for a lovely swiss man who works with DH. He has such a great crowd of friends. It was a real tribute to him.
cheers for now...enjoy your days.

HI all,
Another weekend done. The reunion was nice. Especially spending most of the day in the lake at 34C out out there. 100% humidity. We were happy to come home and sleep in this morning.
Today was very social.
I am still wobbly emotionally but also had some bright moments today.
Kids had fun at the party and I had fun with the church ladies making salads. Had a lovely dinner with my dear step cousin twice removed*grins*. She has 3 lovely babes, ages 4,3 and 1.

My friend the accountant came by. We are officially poor but at least dont have to pay taxes this year. Had a nice visit with her.

A couple from church came by with leftovers from the church supper, a whole roast,4 heads of romaine ,2 dozen rolls, gingerale and juice and a flower arrangement from the woman whose bday it was.
Another family brought me a whole bag of size 8 pants for DS.

I have not mentioned my woes to anyone IRL. Prayers are being answered.

Have been thinking about the home equity loan idea. I will research it tomorrow. The value of our home had almost doubled since we bought it and it is mostly paid off. Might be a time to reinvest and finish the renos and put aside a little extra for now.

it is still HOT and humid....ew.LOL!

Holly
I'm glad to hear that your reunion went well...woooohooo !!! No taxes, now that is good news, you may be poor but at least you don't owe!
What a sweet caring community you have there...lovely.
Your life is so full my dear. You are blessed!
Wow 34 and 100% humidity!!! Eeeek, now that is hot.

Poor John already called here and is trying to get back into the swing of things. Many "pots" are boiling at the asme time. but I was ready for him and even had him come and get a written report. He loves me
I am going to clean and try to get on some kind of "schedule" again. things got a wee bit out of hand again. I am getting a late start due to the call and visit so I bid you all adieu Happy Monday!

FOR THE QUICHE I AM NOT A GREAT MEASURER)

DOZEN EGG WHITES
8 OZ OF SHREDDED MOZZARELLA CHEESE(or cheddar)
ONE BOX OF FROZEN SPINACH-PARTIALLY COOKED AND SQUEEZED OF ALL WATER
1 diced onion
1 diced pepper(sometimes I add cooked mushrooms)
salt & pepper(I don't use either)
A sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top.
POUR IT ALL INTO A GREASED TEFLON LOAF PAN AND I BAKE IT ABOUT AN HOUR OR SO TILL THE CENTER IS FIRM.

Happy & Suzi~ The recipe is an adaption of the South Beach Diet "Vegetable Quiche Cups To Go" that is on page 135 of Phase I. I just experimented one day because I wanted to use a loaf pan and not a muffin pan. then I have been making it ever since. I cut it up and it lasts all week.
I usually make 6 slices and that is 2 egg whites each day.
sometimes I let 2-3 yolks "accidently" fall into the bowl Enjoy.

Shad~does all this mean you will be going back to school??? I mean at a later date?? Or are we ALL going to be replaced by computers??????? I never thought of all the days it would take to transport veggies & fruits to distant lands. Hmmmmm no wonder the "hothouse" varieties have abounded all over. I find it funny that tomatoes are grown in abundance in NJ and we ship them out to mget better money for them. then these crappy hothouse varieties are trucked in!!!
Anyway......hope the class is ok and you don;t cause too much of a disturbance

Ceejay~ hope the plant was OK and the alarm was nothing serious. Good luck with the burning calories thing. I am at a loss what to try next but am sure we will all come up with something

OMG this radio/cel phone is still going off.....better to just go down, take care of business and come back up and restart my day... so much easier that way. Adios