i'm working on christmas stuff this am. the tree will be up soon. however, my weight is down this am. life is good.

Hi everyone! I can't stay but I just wanted to say hi. I'm sorry I haven't been around. Just finishing up with school stuff and trying to get ready for the holidays. We are having a party friday night for the band and choir that Aaron works with at church. The floor is done (well as much as we are doing before Christmas) and it looks beautiful. I'll try to take some pictures and post them tonight.

Kathy, did you really get your eyelashes dyed? I've never heard of that.
Vickie, I hope that you got everything wrapped up!
Sandra, what a great NSV!!
Rhonda, glad to hear that you are feeling better.
Angela, welcome back to the core wagon.

I've got to get to cleaning! BBL!!

I'm still wrapping! Hope you are all well.

I had a roommate in college who dyed her eyebrows...it ended up looking really funny because they were way too dark for her complexion. She spent a long time that evening scrubbing at them.

I'm looking forward to watching the Biggest Loser finale tonight. I don't care very much about any particular contestant this time around, but I still like the inspiration of seeing their transformations.

Maybe it'll help me become inspired.

Later,
Angela

melissa, i'm excited you're almost finished and will get to be with us more. i'll be watching for your photos. i know your floor is gorgeous. have fun at the party.

vickie, i haven't done much today. curtis and i shut down and watched "lucky number sleven." i need to start wrapping.

I didn't get to go because (1) I left my gift certificate at home and (2) I couldn't find a contacts case this morning. The girls gave me a GC to the salon where I get my hair cut, which is where I would go for the dyeing. I will have to take my contacts out while they're doing it so I either have to look harder for a case or stop and buy one tomorrow. I wear disposables so I rarely need a case.

My mom used to get her eyebrows dyed and they always looked really funny for the first few days. It was actually a bit shocking, but we tried not to notice.

I'll try again tomorrow. They've been staying open late for people to get all purty for the holidays.

Good Evening Everyone:

Melissa, I hope you're doing OK with the school work; it can get rather hectic this time of year.

I'm just getting started on the Christmas activities. It will be a quiet one, without too much wrapping going on. We're broke- after the wedding and honeymoon-just the way it ought to be!

There's always great music in Toronto this time of year so we might go to some concerts at various places. We'll also have a nice meal here and there with friends.

I won't be able to help wishing we were back in Texas with the grandbaby, although I have some important little ones in my life here in Toronto.

Friday, I'll start back to Pilates classes, after almost a month of doing nothing. I'll barely be able to keep up I'm sure, but I'll be there!

Have a good night everyone.

Rhonda

Well, after DAYS of procrastinating, I'm done wrapping. I still have to put bows and decorations on most of the packages. My presents to Jim have bows and are under the tree. The ones going out of the house have tags and will get their bows tomorrow. Then they'll get packed in shopping bags for us to carry out on Christmas Day.

I'll try to finish up tomorrow morning before my foot doctor appointment. If not, I'll do it afterwards before we go out for dinner. Jim is excited that he can start wrapping his presents to me.

So that leaves cleaning my entire house from top to bottom, baking, and cooking for my little party the day after Christmas. I'm further along than normal which is what I wanted. I'm really trying to avoid stress which makes me eat badly.

I cooked dinner tonight even after the chicken I had defrosted was spoiled. I sent Jim to the store to get more and I cooked the meal that I had planned. In another life, I'd have sent him out for a pizza!

I also got a call from Doug, Cindy's husband. Cindy is doing better. They've dialed down the respirator to minimum and are considering weaning her off of it. She's had some bleeding but it has stopped for the moment. The only bad thing is her platets now. I told Doug the only thing that could have been better about his phone call is if she had called me herself to tell me! I cannot wait to hear her chipper little voice again.

I'm exhausted. Jim made me a huge mug of tea and I was going to have some Natural Ovens cookies but I'm too tired. I'm even too tired to shower which is VERY unlike me. I'm going to finish the tea and go to bed.

I'll be a better friend soon and catch up with all of you. I didn't even have time to read the chat thread today. I just tried to keep up with the miscellaneous threads.

I hope you are all well.

we've been working on christmas cards tonight. we're getting the spirit for sure. tomorrow i will work on either decorating or wrapping or shopping. life is good.

vickie, that's good news about cindy.

rhonda, could you e me erin's husband and baby's names? i have a card ready to send them. i do have their last name. just not the first.

kathy, we need a picture when you get dyed. we're curious.

i need to go edit my menu. i did great today!!

Good Morning Chicks! I slept horribly but I'm now up and ready to go. I've actually got a few minutes to go and read the board to see what I missed yesterday while I was being a wrapping fairy!

Sandra, I'm going to try the Fall Muffins today. I'm going to use pumpkin instead of apple or pear. I just have to figure out the measurements. I sent Jim out to get more Farina for me so I could make them. I've never had a massage. I'm sure I could use one. I'm SO happy that you guys are decorating. It does help with spirit, doesn't it? How flattering was it to have your Neighbor not recognize you! I know you must be looking very cute now.

Angela, you guys are going to bring down the house today! I hope you have lots of fun. I know that you will brighten the lives of all the people in the nursing home. I hope you figure out what's causing the fatigue. I felt tired all the time too and had my blood tested. I'm fine...just tired. It must be horrible to be exhausted and have little children to take care of. I'm also glad that your getting back on program. I'll be on your wagon, in your boat but mostly in your corner!

Kathy, did you like the movie? How does Shaun feel about going to Iraq? How do you feel about it? Not that either of you have any control over it. I can't wait to hear what you think when he comes home. I bet you'll notice a huge change in him. You know....let a boy came home a Man? Did the wrapping fairies arrive at your house? I sent them to you so I hope they didn't get lost.

Rhonda, I'm glad you're feeling a tiny bit better at least!

Froufie....oh Froufie....where are you?!!!!

Woo Hoo! Party at Melissa and Aaron's tomorrow night. I have to go find something cute to wear!

Well, I'm all caught up. I'll make a menu thread. I've got to eat breakfast and get ready for my Doctor appointment at 1:15. Then I'll put bows on the packages in the daylight when I can see better with my 50 year old eyes.

Oh yeah...and I'm having a bubble bath and reading my book after breakfast. It's my reward for finishing the wrapping!

Wrapping fairies should either be here tonight or tomorrow. The Christmas card fairies just left because someone came up with a few more people that weren't on the original list.

The movie was nowhere as good as the book. If you've never done either one, I recommend the book over the movie. I think Shaun would be okay with going to Iraq. I had already seen a big difference in him when I was up for graduation, and just talking to him you can hear a change. It's mostly in his philosophy; since he's one of the older ones, in a way he feels responsible for the younger ones. He tells me about their various mess-ups and troubles, and says "I just don't know why they can't do the right thing. If you follow the rules, everything's fine!" I sometimes feel like saying, "Yeah, that's what I've been telling YOU for 28 years!" Oh well, huh? He's a late bloomer.

It's going to be another one of those long days and after work I have to go back to Staples for the umpteenth time. I'm making a company cookbook and it's nearly done. Today's step is the final one before the binding, which will probably be done this weekend. They said they could do it in less than a day. It's very good and looks professional since I had the covers printed and am having the spiral coil binding. Everyone's excited about it.

I've also been doing an Overseas Coupon Program and that has taken a while. People at work bring me their expired coupons and I sort and batch them up to send to a base in the U.K. that we have adopted. It's a little time-consuming and I don't really have much extra time these days between the long working hours and what all I have to do at home in the few hours each evening.

Enough griping though ... I need to get busy. I'll check back later! Happy day to you all!

Hi everyone, its been a while. Work has been crazy and my home pc is on its last legs. January we WILL get a new PC and cable connections.

Our WW at work session ends next week - I'm out and in all honesty I've strayed in a big way over the past few weeks. The January session starts 1/10. I will be back and getting serious. I do hope to stabelize over the next few weeks. I'm still hovering around 180 - I guess it could be worse, But I really want to get back to my goal of 174.

I'm motivated by the new books for the revised plan. Some great recipe ideas, I may buy the intro pack shown that has reciepe book and full food listings. January is my MONTH!

I'm impressed with the wrapping fairies - can you send them my way? I have done my cards, DH should have mailed them today. I have my family over this Sunday - I need to wrap those gifts tonight so I can spend Saturday getting food and the house organized. The one issue I have is that I ordered a gift card from Best Buy for my brother after Thanksgiving. It was shipped at the end of November and it still has not shown up. The customer service said they can't consider it lost until after Friday. I guess I need to go pick one up on Saturday so I can give it to him on Sunday. If the other one shows I can always return it -- or so they say.

Otherwise I'm in good shape for Christmas. I'm off of work next week, although I thin I'll need to come in on Monday just to get some things done. Santa has been busy as well, just need to wrap. Sarah is in school next week so that will give me some elf time.

I'm off to read and catch up with everyone. Have a good day!

Kathy, your cookbook sounds spectacular! I'm sure it will be worth all the work to the recipients. I hope you get a few moments for yourself today.

Paula, you sound determined to get to goal soon. I believe you will. I still haven't had time to read my new program materials. Maybe tonight or tomorrow.

I'm home from my Doctor appointment and errands. I have an hour to put bows on before we leave for dinner. Gotta run. I'll check back in later if I can.

Frouf......where are you?

i'm not in a good mood. i hope my posts doesn't come across grouchy. curtis has been in pain and is in a grouchy mood. it's contagious i guess. i'm op, though.

vickie, one thing they said on the board when i got the recipe was that the grated apples "made it." let me know how the muffins are. i'm going to make some "fudge" in a bit using a brownie mix and pumpkin. i'm a bit doubtful about that one but i'm game to try.

kathy, you're not as gripey as i am. maybe we need to get together and have a pity party or something.

paula, i love your enthusiasm. way to go, girl.

Sandra, what's gotcha grouchy? You don't sound grouchy at all. I'm sorry Curtis is in pain. I watch Jim suffer and it's hard. Jim got a new prescription pain reliever. I don't know the name of it but it seems to be giving him some relief in his shoulder. The Ortho said he has pain because he is favoring the shoulder. I'll tell you the name if you're interested. You were so happy yesterday. I hope you feel better soon.

I'm off to watch TV. I'm done with bows and packing!