Angela, I'm worried about you. You're not posting your daily trials or your menu. Is there something we can do to help? All is never lost.

I'll have to check it out, Kathy! Free? Wow!

I'm looking forward to the ballgame tomorrow.

hi there. looks like a lot of you got here before me. that's good. I NEED YOU!! the air quality here is poor because of smoke. curtis and i will be staying in today. i will go to w a later, though. we were talking about leaving the area. we did that back in the summer 00 because of smoke and went to the oregon coast for a few days. when we got home, there was still smoke. we're thinking it will be best to just stay put. we'd have to be outside a lot loading the travel trailer, etc.... if we left. oh, well.

enough complaining. sorry about that. the good news here is we are both healthy and working on getting even healthier. life is good.

rhonda, i just printed your profile. i also saved it in my "doyle and rhonda" folder. thank you for posting it for all of us. i am getting to know you better and better--and i'm loving it!

kathy, i know what you mean about getting stuck in a certain decade. just wish mine were the 40's. i'm sorry you two didn't sleep last night. curtis woke early today, too, cuz of smoke allergies. we have an air purifier next to our bed as well as a fan and a/c in the house. i can't imagine how folks who have none of those are surviving.

stacey, will you send us some of your rain? we could use it.

niki, i have 2 bags of clothes in the car. so far i haven't found anyone who wants them. i keep saying i'm giving them to tops. i just need to do it. my closet is still full with clothes that should last me about 10-15 more lbs. (thank goodness.)

vickie, i totaled my wpa's a few min ago. i've used 10 this week. thank goodness my week begins on fri. i am so proud of you. have i ever told you what one leader said for us to say to ourselves when we see something we want but don't have the pts? "i've had it before and i know what it tastes like." and to keep thinking also that you can have it anytime you want. it's not an emergency. hope this helps. it has helped me.

sometimes my mother would cook us meals with foods from the garden. i'd call them "country dinners." so the title for yesterday's lunch was just made up by me. i'm making enchiladas today. i need to tell myself what i told you to tell yourself. i'll let you know how i make out.

got to go make those temptations. i'll be back later. have a grand day, all.

Oooohhh, Sandra, that's part of my problem. Tomorrow is my last ballgame until next year. I can't have another ballpark kosher (they taste better there than anywhere else in Chicago) until next April. Does that qualify as an emergency?

I'm SO sorry about your air quality. I'd hate it for sure. Good luck this afternoon!

Vickie,
Just to check in.....top of the 6th Yanks -2 Detroit - 0

Stacey

vickie. it definitely does. have that kosher. you know how to plan for it. if you don't have the last chance of the year one, you'll probably crash and eat other things that could be higher in points. well, you know what i mean.

after all those words of wisdom i typed in the earlier post, i did not make the enchiladas. we had a "lo country dinner."

looks like we'll have a laid back day today. i am going out around 4 pm to w a. i'm looking forward to that.

Stacey, Jim has the MLB package. I buy it every year for him for Christmas. We're watching....go Yankees!

Sandra, GOOD GIRL! You are SO right about the Kosher. It looks like we aren't going out for dinner after the game so I can splurge at the game a bit. I have the points but not many left after that. I would feel so deprived if I didn't eat it and I would do EXACTLY what you said when I got home. Yum yum....kosher coming my way....well done with mustard and sauerkraut!

So maybe I'm confused, Sandra. Was the enchilda better for you or the lo country dinner. I was reading that you made the better choice. That's why I said "good girl". Did you make the good choice?

I have to go eat lunch. It's almost 2:00 here and I'm hungry.

Aww, Vickie, thanks for being concerned about me. I'm fine, just taking it easy the last few days here. I am still battling sinus infection after sinus infection - I think this current one is just one long melded continuation of the last one. Sigh. But I'm getting back on track with my eating. A group of ladies from my church have started up a weekly meeting to discuss health & fitness and to have accountablility to each other. So, it's like WW but free. They want me to present some info about Core next week. Of course, I can't give all the details, but I will give them some of the basic ideas. There are a few in the group that badly need to hear it.

I've been walking pretty religiously this week with my mom - we're up to about 3 miles a day, and my legs are sore! I just keep thinking of the toning/tightening I'm getting from it.

It's nice having the kids at school, because I can spend more time with little dd, who really needs the attention. Kids go through phases where they need more attention, and she's in one of those big time now.

In fact, it's time for me to go read books to her and then put her down for her quasai-nap...not that she really sleeps, but she still has a quiet time in her bed. I just may try for a 20 minute power nap myself...I'm exhausted lately.

I introduced a WW idea at our little meeting today...I suggested that everyone pick one habit this week that they were going to change. I think mine will be journaling. I know we don't NEED to on Core, but it'll be good for me, at least for a few weeks.

Okay, going now...
Angela

sounds like a great plan, vickie. enjoy every bite! here are more words of wisdom from my former ww leader. (not mine. i don't have much wisdom.) she said when there is something you really want, have it--and SIT DOWN AND EAT WITH DIGNITY. i've thought of those words many many times. she's right. we deserve to enjoy our choices and shouldn't feel any negative thoughts about doing so.

okay, i can't remember anything else. i'll go do some surfing. see ya'll later.

i'm already back. actually, i never left.

vickie, the lo veggies, etc... was the better choice because it was quicker and lower in points. also, curtis said he didn't really care what i cooked for lunch today, so i'm saving the enchiladas for a another time.

angela, you have a lot of good information to share with the ladies in your group. they are lucky to have you. it will help you, too, to be helping them. this makes me smile.

Angela, I'm glad that your weight issues are under control. But, I'm very sorry to hear that the sinus stuff is still raging. I'm guessing that surgery is rapidly becoming your only option? Your girls are lucky. You seem like a great Mom. The group sounds like an incredibly great idea. I'm sure you'll be a success. I always thought you'd make an excellent WW Leader. This will help you keep your eating in the forefront of your mind.

Sandra, so you WERE a good girl! I thought so.

I'm off to make a smoothie. I need another milk and I'm hungry. TOM is demanding the Chocolate Frosty one.

Another dramatic day for me - yes I would love a boring uneventful one for a while!

Big crises again due to database problems - seems the 30 min timeout session is a standard IT security measure - so I ask for 60 minutes and all **** breaks loose - (like Oliver saying "may I have some more please") - well it's never been done - and you need all these approvals - so I say fine - let's do it - yes my IT guy is again calling me a 'pit bull" - how cute!

Worst news is due to the technical problems we have decided to SHUT DOWN THE DATABASE - I am so sick about this (you'd think this was my baby or something?) - so there is now a 'sorry we are experience technical difficulties' message on the application form link! How sad is that? I actually turned the lights off in my office (using ambient light from upper windows) as I was getting so agitated - I find the low light much more calming and I am trying to keep things in perspective.

Still trying to manage the two jobs - and at the same time trying to write up the job requirements so we can post on our internal gov site for jobs - sure hope someone turns up - altho it's almost too late - I need someone yesterday (yes I even screwed up stamping something on an invoice - I did it upside down - but it sure came out well!)

Trying not to stress eat (but I would sure like one of those kosher dogs Vickie w/mustard and onions - my mouth is watering!). Someone around work is offering dq ice cream cake - colleague comes around saying' listen the cake is calling your name - come eat me' - I say no I hear it saying 'don't eat me cuz you won't be able to fit into your cruise clothes" - ha ha ha.

Angela - hope the sinus issue clears up for you (pun intended!) - when is your appt w/specialist?

Vickie/Sandra - I agree with the 'sit down and eat w/dignity' - too many times we sneak things into our mouths and then feel guilty about it and this is not good. I say have the kosher dog and ENJOY IT!

...and I would love nothing more than a meal from the garden - how lovely that must be!

Okay now we have diagnosed the 'other' database problem - seems applicants are writing WAY TOO MUCH into the text boxes - we obviously thought we gave ample space (e.g. 1000 characters) but some respondents using over 3000 characters - so now we need to fix it. Good news is we did get the 60 minute timeout approval - how hard was that?

I am trying to destress and take deep breaths - I can't believe how much this is affecting me? It's only a job right?

Am I ready to cruise? you betcha - 10 days til I leave YIPPEE

Frouf

frouf, those 10 days will be over quickly. i'm envious of your going. lunch was from somebody else's garden. my old garden is now a rose garden. i just buy what we need. are you going to the gym tonight?