That's Dad, Mom, DS-Jake, Me, DS-Samantha.

Shad
Savannah is a little cutie.

Annie
Nice picture of your family.

Mel
Good that you have everything down to your level.

Michelle
Sounds like you had a good time at the races.

Happy
What kind of herbs are you planting?

I've had a good visit with the uncles yesterday. One of my aunt's was telling us that my cousin, her daughter, is having a bad time right now. Think she is going through the change of life. She's 47. She is undergoing a lot of medical test to find out the cause.

Ceejay...Glad to hear your visit with Uncles went well. Yeah 47 is the age of changes...probably nothing wrong with cousin, just normal woman stuff.

Happy Monday worldlies -

I had a great relaxing weekend! Ahhhhh. Nice! And it's a gloomy, rainy day today...so I might as well be at work, right? I have a lot to get done, so hopefully the computer systems work quickly and efficiently. I've got PT over the lunch hour and am hoping to get to the gym tonight since I didn't go on the weekend (although I did A LOT of walking on Friday). I am getting serious about my eating and exercising starting NOW. I had my photo taken with several of the race car drivers at the drag races on Friday and I got hit with the shocking reality of how I really look - very scary. But it's okay...it's a starting point, and I'm committed to not letting anything stand in my way.

Annie - Happy Early Birthday! Great photos of your family! Sounds like you have a fun time in St. Louis! So 47 is when everything changes. Yuck. I'm heading that way and fast. And I think I'm already getting hot flashes, especially yesterday, just during the day though...not at night yet.

Ceejay - Glad you had a nice visit with the uncles.

Shad - I hope your work week is starting off well.

A big wave to Mel, Patty, Happy, Ruth, Jolly and everyone!

Much love and hugs,

Thanks for the BD wish Ms. Chelle...it is not till Friday, however a tough one...49 YIKES!!

Hey Ms Annie - Don't feel bad about 49...I'm right behind ya' (turning 47 in September). Age is just a number. Most of the time I forget I'm in my mid to late-40s and feel like I'm in my late 20s to mid-30s. And I'm sure the same holds true for you - as youthful, energetic and full of life as you are.

SAYING HELLO BACK TO JOLLY

MICHELLE~ NICE DAY OUT YOU HAD!! AND A REAL LONG ONE TOO! HOPE YOU DID GET TO REST UP AND I CPOULD SMELL THE POTROAST ALL THE WAY OFER HERE! YUM YUM YUM THE PHOTOS WILL BE A NICE KEEPSAKE FOR THE DAYS OUTING...HOW CUTE!!

ANNIE~ FOR A SICK PERSON YOU SURE HAD ONE BUSY WEEKEND! HOPE YOU'RE FEELING BETTER TODAY.
YOUR BD IS ON MY CALENDAR NICE PICTURE AND CUTE FAMILY SHOT!!!

JEANETTE~ YOUR SECRET ABOUT MISSING THE AUNT IS SAFE WITH ME...I PROMISE NOT TO TELL ANYONE GLAD THE VISIT WAS A GOOD ONE AND HOPE THE CIUSIN FEELS BETTER AND THEY FIND OUT THE CAUSE.

I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FINISH THIS FOR HOURS NOW. JOHN CAME TO GET ME. WE'RE PUTTING NEW LINERS IN SOME OF THE BATHTUBS AND HE NEEDED SOMEONE TO ORGANIZE THE TENANT'S LETTER, SCHEDULE WHICH TUBS ON WHICH DAY ETC. THEY JUST CANNOT GET STUFF LIKE THIS DONE ON THEIR OWN. SOMEHOW THEY LACK THE INTELLIGENCE (ROFLMAO) TO GET THEIR DUCKS IN A ROW! ANYWAY IT'S DONE. GOOD THING HE DID GET ME CAUSE ONE OF THE TUBS IS JEN'S AND WE WERE TOLD IT WASN'T TO BE DONE TILL LATE AUGUST.....THE MAN IS COMING THE 8TH OF JULY!!!
THIS WAS A GREAT DAY. I DID 3 LOADS OF WASH, CHANGED MY SHEETS, WORKED IN THE OFFICE AND FINISHED UP WITH JOHN....AND ALL BEFORE 4PM!
NOW I NEED A SNACK AND SOME PEDALING THEN THE SHOWER. THE REST OF THE DAY BELONGS TO ME.
JEN AND RICHIE ARE STILL AT DAD'S HOUSE. THE DAD GOT SICK IN FLORIDA AND CANNOT BRING THE KIDS BACK YET. SOME KIND OF VIRUS. AND THE HOUSE SOLD UP HERE AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET THEIR STUFF SORTED, PACKED AND OUT OF THERE BEFORE JUNE 30TH!! MORE DRAMA. THANK GOD I LIVE ALONE
HOPE YOU'RE ALL HAVING A HAPPY MONDAY. I AM OFF TO FOOD SHOP TOMORROW SO HAPPY TUESDAY AS WELL!

Hey all. Not much to report here. Trying to get back in gear with the eating and the training.

I also decided to actually put some effort into the whole on line dating thing. Scary, but . .. If only I can find a guy that is attracted to Chris Farley.

Have a good night all

Must have forgotten to post yesterday!!!

Well today has gone to **** in a handcart and I don't know how much longer I will have a job. I'm refusing to pass what I consider to be sensitive information about myself over the internet to a company I have no knowledge about. No doubt it is okay, but what if..........

So excuse me, while I sort out my arguments for round three!

I'll be back when sanity (mine and theirs) prevails.

Good luck with finding sanity! I hope all goes well.

I am going to be good. I am off to the gym!

Happy Tuesday ladies -

I'm feeling AWESOME! I LOVE endorphins!! I had a really good PT session yesterday, where I layed down on the floor on a thick, cushy exercise mat and the PT actually walked on the back of my leg and on my...well, glutes, to work out some of the deep knots. She held onto a chair, so she didn't put all her weight on me...but wow, it actually felt really good! Talk about a deep tissue massage! She said that my back may continue to give me pain while walking until I lose some weight and some belly fat. So she wants me to stick to a 1500 calorie a day diet, try to eliminate all refined sugar for at least a week, and do 30 minutes of cardio 3 or 4 days a week. Last night, I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the recumbent stepper followed by 10 minutes of elliptical (just to see if I could do it without pain - which I did). I'll stick with this routine for the next week or so, and then maybe increase the elliptical time.

As for counting calories...I'd rather count WW points, so I'll start doing that tomorrow (going out to dinner and then to a baseball game tonight, and while I'll try to make healthy choices, I may not be able to figure the points values for everything). As for giving up refined sugar for a week....that's a toughie, not sure I'm ready to tackle that just yet - gotta psych myself up for it.

Mel - Hope you have a good food shopping trip! It sure is good they have you around to coordinate/schedule the bathtub project! Sounds like more chaos in Jen and Richie's lives. Glad to hear you are steering clear of the drama.

Jolly - Have a great time at the gym!! Online dating does work. Many friends of mine have met their S.O.'s through online dating. And my DH and I met because he placed a personal ad (before there was online dating - LOL). DH and I have been together nearly 20 years. BTW, don't ANYONE believe Jolly's Chris Farley comment. She's tall, statuesque (sp) and lovely, not to mention she's very intelligent and has a great sense of humor and is fun to be around.

Shad - I sure hope things go better for you. I agree with your concerns. They should have a better and more secure way to collect such information, if in fact, it is even necessary. If you do find some sanity and have any left to spare, could you send it my way please?

A big to Annie, Happy, Patty, Ceejay and everyone else!

Love and hugs to all,

Good Morning All

...sorta rainy and gray at the moment however supposed to turn in to sunny and 81. Tony and I have a planned bike ride after work today so I am hoping the weather turns out as expected by the newscast...we all know they can be wrong..lol

Went to Curves last night, tanned, came home, fixed a margarita, went out and watered the garden. Harvested some spinach, enough to share with two co-workers. It is a mix spinach and really tasty.

Today is D-day at my prior place of employment, American Funds under the Capital Group umbrella (mutual funds), there is supposed to be a massive lay off. All my buds there tell me how blessed I am to be 8 months ahead of them. I AGREE. I prayed for strength for them today.

Jolly....good news about the on-ling dating...THAT IS WHERE I MET MY TONY.....yahoo personals. We had both just signed up, had been on there a week, met, and then deleted our profiles. It does work, just be picky. Email back and forth a bit, then talk on the phone for a bit. then when you meet them in person, drive your own car to a very public place like Starbucks or busy restaurant. AND BE SURE TO TELL SOMEONE, A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER, WHO YOU ARE MEETING AND WHERE YOU ARE MEETING THEM, CARRY YOUR CELL PHONE WITH YOU, DO NOT LEAVE IT IN YOUR CAR. Sorry to sound like your momma, however for now, I AM. LOL. Seriously, be careful.

Ms. Chelle...I do feel young, however my body tells me different sometimes. Like driving to St. Louie Friday night, back on Saturday night, I was completely listless on Sunday. Just wanted to lay around and couldn't due to the BBQ. Your PT sounds wonderful, I really don't need it, but would love for someone to walk on my legs, back and heiny. You sure have come a long way from a few months ago when all this started. Good for you for starting WW. It is such an excellent program. Day 1 tomorrow....Cheers!! Go gettem girl!! You can do this!!

MEL, MEL, MEL...what the H*LL, would that place do without your magnificent organizational skills? If you pronounce skills like skells with an 'e', that line could be a cheer. lol I am full of sh*t today. Well not really, was a few minutes late getting to work due to bathroom explosion, luckily no one was hurt, Bella just snorted, must of been the bomb oder. ba haha Oh kewl, new tubs, them them Jen would like a massaging garden tub installed. They are wonderful, if you can ever find time to tub it. Mostly showers for me.

Shad....sanity...I didn't know there was anyone out there with any left. I feel the same about putting my personal info out there in cyberspace. You just never know what might happen. Altho I did have to submit my info on-line to Humana before I started on here. The difference was, I know this company. Try to have a great day, smack someone if necessary.

Hello to Happy, Ceejay, Patty, Ruth, Holly, and anyone else I may have missed.

Much love and loads of hugs,

Jolly - I totally agree with Annie about her cautions about meeting someone online (or through personal ads of any sort). DEFINITELY, take your own car, meet in a very public place, tell someone the details, do not go anywhere in his car, always have your phone. Now I sound like a momma. Seriously, I met this guy in a public place, had a nice dinner and then stupidly agreed to going for a drive with him...luckily nothing happened, but I realized while we were driving how in danger I could be. I kept insisting he drive me back to the restaurant, which he eventually did. But when I met my DH, we had SEVERAL phone conversations and four or five dates where we took separate cars before I even let him know where I lived. You can meet Mr. Right online, but you have to be very picky and very careful.

Annie - You need to not be so hard on yourself. Of course you felt listless and low energy on Sunday, you were sick and you went on a very busy/very short weekend trip. Heck, I'm not sick and I still felt exhausted Saturday and part of Sunday after a long day at the races on Friday. Our bodies don't bounce back as they used to...But I wouldn't go back to my 20s for anything (unless I could know what I know now, and have the body I had then). I got a great laugh out of "try to have a great day, smack someone if necessary"! You crack me up, Annie!

Hi all,

Talk about meeting. The night I met DH we were at a dance club. He was over 21 and had a few drinks in him. He wanted to take me home (so he'd know where I lived for our date the next night). I wouldn't let him take me home because I thought maybe he was a horny drunk and I'd rather take him on sober Now you can't get in a car with someone because you have to worry about them abducting you. How times have changed. Scary Mary.

I agree with the group not to rule out all possibilities Jolly. Just remember the old "gotta kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince" which I think we all can attest to.

Annie - nice family pic. Mom's got a hint of a Mona Lisa smile there - very subtle. Do you know they are recommending you don't smile on your driver's license photo because it makes it harder to counterfit if you've got a serious face? Don't fret about the age - we're rounding the bend now where we can't waste time fretting over stuff - instead we have to embrace aging. Besides, how would you like to have to work another 50 years like DS and DD? No way baby Is Tony feeling well enough to take you out this weekend and celebrate in style?

Michelle - so funny that you mention the pictures of yourself. Our activities committee distributed some pictures from our last event and OMG Talk about a wake up call! I also agree with you about giving the up sugar tantamount to I WANT MY MOMMY! It seems like a daunting challenge but I will support you if you will do the same Glad you are getting some relief from the PT. I'll take your word for it that deep tissue massage feels good.

Shad - I agree with you getting ticked about relinquishing the sensitive info. Especially with all the rampant identity theft. And they don't have a good answer as to why they need it other than "we've always done it that way". Good luck. Oh and I was disappointed to find that the yogurt is Wallaby "Australian style" yoghurt - actually made by a company in California. It was good but not authentic I suppose. Savannah is adorable. Such beautiful eyes ready to check out the world around her. There was a lady walking the halls today that sort of sounded like you accent and pitch wise, for a wistful moment I thought you were coming over to talk to me, then I realized I was AT WORK and was just daydreaming.

Mel - for Jen getting a new tub. I can imagine how long it takes to get repairs, much less upgrades. Hope they do a good job. Are they doing the walls too or just the tub? As for the herbs - they are meant to be snipped - a bit at a time. I planted curly parsley (for the butterflies to lay eggs), flat parsley for us, dill, Italian sweet basil and cilanto. I'm thinking I might want to do a rosemary tree also. No veggies this year, I think it will be easier just to get them at the farmers market.

We have pots of flowers all over the back yard. Just touches of color, nothing excessive but I'm loving it. Looks so pretty. DH did a good job. Pool opens today so now I can sit on the deck on the swing and enjoy my flowers and the soothing sounds of the water gently circulating in the pool.

Ceejay - I'm glad you had a nice visit last weekend after the past drama. Is the new mattress comfy? I think the cousin gets confused because no one ever really explains to us all these subtle things that start happening from age 40 onward. Sometimes we just think we are going crazy, oftentimes the doc's just ignore us.

Patty - how goes it your way?

I have a homeowners assn meeting again tonight. We're going to try (ha ha ha) to get some other neighbor's involved. Last weekend my sweet neighbor down the street decided on a project for her young children. They had a lemonade and cookie stand, the proceeds going to the church missionary couple who take care of 31 orphans in South Africa. The kids made the most adorable fliers (think pictures drawn by a 5 year old) and were all excited about this. We took a walk down the street and several neighbors came by. It was the first time we've met some of these people and we've lived her 4 years. It was really nice to talk under the shade of the tree with a cool glass of lemonade. Of course, people are more likely to come and support children or a worthy cause rather than just socialize. But it was a good idea.

And with that, lunch is over, back to work. Enjoy what's left of the day.