I'm already way behind on this thread!

Megan, cute picture of Emma!

Michele, DH's grandma just bought a tempurpedic bed. She slept on one while visiting a friend and said it was the best thing ever. My parents have a Duxiana bed which they like. Also, you were mentioning being at your lowest weight ever somewhere (this thread? another?) -- didn't you change your thyroid meds recently? Could you possibly be overmedicated and hyperthyroid? That will cause weight loss...

Shannon, good job on the Peachtree!

Hi everyone else!

Things are chugging along here. Super busy at work since we're finishing up a project. I managed to get my weight barely back under my red line, so that's at least progress. Managed to hurt my achilles tendon somehow, to add on to all my other tendon injuries. I think I have pretty firmly decided that when I go back to the rheumatologist in two weeks I am going to ask to try steroids. It's the only thing that seems to have made the least bit of difference.

We also turned in early last night. The sun sets so late here that fireworks don't start until 10:00, and DH gets up at 5 for his workouts. I fell asleep around 9:30 and actually slept through all the fireworks!

Jessica-- my weight has been lower than ever and I did recently change my meds. I also wonder if I'm getting too much but I recently had my physical and the doctor said she thought I may still be undermedicated or at least not overmedicated because I have almost zero reflexes and my pulse is super low. I'll have the thyroid rechecked in another month or two and I'll be very interested to see the results. In the meantime I'm enjoying my lower weight and trying not to get too cocky about it!

Michele - I was wondering that when I read your low weight post, too. Definitely enjoy the lower weight!

I've been waiting for a plumber to arrive all afternoon. The scheduled time was 1-3, he arrived at 4:30. I'm aggravated now because he'll still be here after 5 and I've lost my exercise window which was planned for 5 pm. If they had let me know he was running late I could have exercised in the 3.5 hours I was waiting. We have friends coming over tonight, so won't have time after he leaves to get the workout in and fix dinner. Frak.

I'm trying to just accept this day for what it is, since very little happened according to plan.

I got to the gym late, showered late. Then it turned out that I had to get online & get something on PwC finished for work. (I know, I know. Won't do that again.) By the time I got offline, the best part of the day was done. The mechanic couldn't take the car for an oil change that late in the day, having committed earlier that morning to other jobs. Okay, so I did get my passport photo taken. (Mine expired & I need a new one.) But didn't get to the P.O. to get it processed. Then I found I had no cash on me, and my bank's ATM was broken, so I had no small bills for a tip for my pedicure & also I had put on Dansko clogs that covered over my toes. So I said heck with it & did not go to the nail salon & instead went home. I baked homemade bread. (Which I never do because I don't have time.) Roasted veggies & a tray of tomatoes while the oven was hot. And watched P90X videos, trying to learn new routines.

So far, not a relaxing day. More like an errand-running Saturday.

Tomorrow I'll go downtown. I plan to wait in line at TKTS. (I never get tickets that way because I never have time. Also the line is annoying.) I think "House of Blue Leaves" is closing this week. Or else I'll see "Jerusalem" for Rylance. Also ICP has an exhibit that's supposed to be good. I still haven't seen the McQueen show at the Met, either. Tomorrow should be invigorating.

Michele, FWIW, I've slept on a mattress with a thermopedic top for the last 2 years. I really don't like it, and would gladly trade it in for a regular extra-firm mattress. It retains body heat like crazy so I'm often hot, and it's so squishy that I feel stuck in it sometimes.

Jessica, big congrats on getting back under your redline. Please, please think twice before going back on steroids. Yes, it is a quick-fix for rheumatologic pain, but the side effects are horrible (including water retention and big-time fat gain). If the rheum. has any hypotheses about what's ailing you, or has more tests to run, I would highly recommend being patient and trying any immunosuppressants OTHER than steroids first.

Saef, that sounds like a classic "anything that can go wrong..." sort of day. Ugh, how disappointing when that happens during a vacation. Also, what did you think of the P90X videos (have you bought the series?) I'm surprised, since you mention that you go to a gym every day, and that's a home-based program.

Finally, I'm going to cross-post this question here, since there are many more participants in this thread: I am leaving for a 2-week trip to Paris on July 14th; just me and DH, though the first week I am attending a Neurology conference and will be quite busy all day with little time for sight-seeing. Weight maintenance is strongly on my mind; I will of necessity be doing only jogging and body-weight training during our vacation, and the food options will be mostly out of my control. Do any of you have experience with ordering food in Paris? Will they put the dressing on the side, leave off the sauce and grill instead of fry if you ask? Are there certain types of places that are more apt to have lots of (steamed; grilled; raw) veggies in their food? Any advice for keeping the calorie count down (besides the obvious of staying the h*ll away from baked goods and cream sauces)?

Andrea All I've ever heard regarding Paris is that it's expensive to even have a cola there! I would look for some kind of street market (depending on where you are staying) and buy fruit, bread, a bit of cheese etc. for lunches when you aren't working. If you speak french it will be a lot easier to order things in restaurants - maybe mark a couple of key phrases in your guidebook if you don't speak it? And do indulge a couple of times - it's PARIS!

saef Hope you have a smoothly running day today, whatever you are doing to relax.

I finally have my brain caught up to my body with regard to lbs. gained over the weekend. I used to post every Monday about how much weight I'd gained on the weekend and btch and man etc. etc.

Now I finally realized (with my brain ) that it all disappears by Wed. weigh-in. My challenge is to stay OP for several weekends in a row and get below my red line (which I'm balancing on this morning).

Great hump day all!

Dagmar

Andrea, I have been to Paris. Do not worry about the language , I had no problem finding English speaking people in stores and restaurants. The places I have stayed had a buffet type breakfast with just about anything you can imagine for breakfast. You should have no problem watching your diet there as long as you stay away from the croissants.We ate mostly in sidwalk cafes the rest of the time. You can also find food at the Louvre. We didn't always get what we ordered. or what we thought we ordered but it was all OK.

Andrea (thanks for putting your name in your sig!), I thought steroids were an anti-inflammatory at low doses and an immunosuppressant at high doses? My family doctor had given me a one week dosepack a while back and it had helped a lot and I figured it was because it was an anti-inflammatory. Thus far I have not had any blood tests indicate that I have an autoimmune problem although it is the most likely suspect despite all the negative tests. I thought maybe doing a two-week course of the steroids might kick the inflammation out. Then again, obviously I am not a doctor so I'm not very well educated on all of this. I'm afraid the rheumatologist will tell me something like, "I treat joints and your problem is tendons so go see someone else."

In any case when I go back to him I can at least tell him that the Lyrica has basically the same effect as taking a bunch of Tylenol and I want to try something else. This appointment can't come soon enough.

Shannon, there is one plumbing company around here that advertises itself as the "on-time" plumbers. I think if they're late they do the service for free or some such.

Saef, what kind of bread did you make?

Still under red line, hanging out around 137. After-dinner snacking is my big problem. I think it's because DH is constantly eating. He is exercising so much that he needs to eat a massive amount of food. Last night starting from dinner on I watched him consume about 1500 calories worth of food -- two servings of dinner, a PB&J sandwich, a bowl of oatmeal, a pile of watermelon slices, and a protein shake. Sometimes I wish I was a man.

Super-busy day at work. Just popping in to say hello!

Andrea, I have no advice, but I'm SO JEALOUS of your trip to Paris! Whatever the food situation, I hope you're able to enjoy the trip as much as possible.

I can never understand how one day can be so different than another! Yesterday was dreadfully slow and quiet at work. Today? The phone has been ringing like crazy all morning (it slowed down a bit after lunch thankfully) and I've been inundated with requests of all kinds. Glad it's making the day go faster!

I almost got to go home early today for two reasons. First the power went out, but it turned out to just be the breaker, so no go there. Then I got online and found that we're under a flash flood watch until 11 PM. Well, I've got to get to higher ground, right? My house is up the hill, so it just makes sense that I should get to go home! DH just laughed at me and then I confessed that if I were to leave, I'd probably end up going shopping!

So the new jeans I got last weekend need to be hemmed. They're ridiculously long even for me who is tall. They're a trouser style and made to be worn with those super high heels. Well, I suppose I could go get some shoes like this: shoes but they're not my style and they'd make me way taller than DH (he who claims to be 5'9" is really a tad bit shorter than my 5'8"). So I wonder, should I take them to a tailor or try a DYI job at home? I think the best solution would be to actually cut them shorter and then hem. They currently have a 1" hem and if I were to cut that off and then re-do a 1" hem, they ought to be short enough to wear with my usual high heels.

I want to go to Paris! Have fun, Amanda! And you'll do just fine with the food. I remember a lot of breads and chocolate from the time I was there, but other than that nothing stood out.

Allison - I do love those shoes, but there is no way that I could wear them without breaking my neck.

Andrea - I was thinking about my time in France, and remembered a few things I hadn't thought about. I lived with a family when I was there and the father was recovering from a heart attack, that may have impacted the foods we ate in the house and the restaurants we went to when we went out. I also remember eating a lot of food from street vendors as well, and a lot of fresh bread in the mornings on the way to class. My most commonly eaten things were sandwiches from one stand - one made on a half baguette with ham & butter (eek!), the other a grilled cheese on a baguette with cheese and onion. Also a pastry that I fell in love with and had every couple of days - chocolate & cream cheese filled pastry balls stacked like a snowman and dusted with powdered sugar. So - sugar, butter, and cheese. Maybe it was the walking that saved me.

I do hope that you enjoy your trip - it is a beautiful city.

I gotta get out with people more - just had a "conversation" with one of my cats about his dinner.

Allison Gwen Stefani's label - I really like some of her clothes but I can never pull off any heels more than 2 1/2 inches. Unless someone carries me around . Most independent dry cleaners (here at least) have a person who can do alterations. I have found one who is superb at shortening pants (almost all my pants need to be shortened and I'm 5"4').

Jessica My DH should not eat as much as he does but I too have watched the amazing "man-eating machine" in action and it's kinda scary.

I found yet another cell phone today and am hoping its owner will try to call it. This is #6 this year and I have been able to get 4 of them back to their owners. The blackberry I had to have help with as I just couldn't figure out how to answer it.

Time to get dinner started - noodle bowls with chicken, veggies, spinach, and low fat peanut sauce - yummy!

Dagmar

July 3 - BBQ w/ too much beer!
July 4 - 167
July 5 - 166
July 6 - 164

... and all is back to normal.

Shopping today, got a bunch of new shirts and 2 new pairs of shoes. LOVE shopping. My favorite thing to do since losing the weight.

Either my feet are still shrinking or they're vanity sizing shoes now. I've always been a 9 1/2 or 10. Now apparently I am an 8 1/2 or 9. Bizarre.

Thank goodness I slathered myself with sunblock before heading downtown today. I got into the TKTS line at about 9:30 AM, and so stood there for about 45 minutes in full sun before getting to a cashier at the ticket booth. The crowd seemed mostly American, with many teens, although there was a Belgian father & son just ahead of me, three Japanese behind me & an Irish couple just a few people back. Hawkers for "The Fantasticks" handed out paper paddle fans instead of playbills, a brilliant strategy today. I did a toenail survey, thinking of my coming pedicure. No one in line had on crackled polish. Nor was anyone in blue. I saw several pinks, pearlescent, blacky-red, scarlet, coral, bronze and gold. Oh, and the French tips.

I got a really excellent orchestra seat. (It's interesting that TKTS puts a "P" next to titles on the board, to warn people about the show being a Play. A warning in case they really, really wanted singing & dancing?) Rylance deserved his Tony in "Jerusalem." How the man can limp & wink & rant twice on Wednesdays -- well, he's earning his pay, as his must be a special kind of tiredness, an emotional drain. This play was very funny, mostly having to do with the juxtaposition of the characters' elaborately literate speech & their seedy appearance.

I also picked up tickets to "Mofo With a Hat" and "Master Class," the latter of which opens tomorrow night. The guy at the ticket booth & I had a nice conversation about the play, which I liked really well, years ago, with Zoe Caldwell playing Maria Callas. I remember it as being quite well-written.

Also I saw a billboard for "Follies," so that is being revived. I loved that several years back & it broke my heart a little. I think I'll have to see that again.

I went to ICP to see the Elliot Erwitt exhibit & was delighted to put a credit next to some well-known photos. His visual puns were delightful.

http://www.google.com/search?q=ellio...2&ved=0CEcQsAQ

I feel a little more at peace with the world.

The trick seems to have been getting out of my context of my neighborhood & the usual errands.

I was psychically at peace but physically uncomfortable, melting like a candle in the heat.

As I understand it, coral is the color of summer (which I love as it's my favorite color--something that always looks good on me). I'd never do that crackled. I've even seen "lace" which looks like spider webs. Ick.

Sounds like you're having a great week off!