Heeeellloooo All! Just came back from dropping my grandkids off at their mother's...whooo wee! They're sooo sweet (my 2 little crumsnatching darlings!) But...last night, they decided that they were not going to sleep...at all! So...I got all of 3 hrs sleep! I think when they come over to visit...it's "Party Time"...so like Aerosmith they "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing!" Anyway, the ungrateful DD of mine didn't answer her phone this morn...and when I brought the kids over (unannounced), she was half naked with a strange car in front of her house! This coming after yesterday's argument with her cuz she's always asking me for $$$ and using the kids as a way to get it! That pisses me off more than words can say!! She says (on a Saturday night...like I'm really stupid), "I don't have any $$$ for diapers and I'm out of gas"...so I say..."I told ya before...stop coming to me last minute with this give me..give me...give me...crap!...It's my weekend too and I'm not going to address this sh*t now!" I then proceeded to tell her, "if your out of gas...it seems you'll need to sleep over (while passing her a package of diapers that I buy for my house)...and next time don't leave the house if you don't have gas to get back!" Well, after raising her voice in front of the kids (which is something I will not tolerate), and getting threatened to be expelled physically from my house, she left and miraclously made it home! Who knew a car could work using "air" as fuel! Wow!

As far as raising kids...I think I'm still tryin' to figure out what works!! Maybe you guys (Aud & SIC) got it right...and all this protecting sh*t from the outside world is really not best! I think I'm kinda in the middle right now. My first daughter (the 21 yr old brat)...I totally protected/shielded her from just about everything...didn't work out too well though cuz she's in a world of her own now (thinks the world owes her something & hasn't really seen or known what hard times are really like)...and the 9 yr old, I'm more liberal with...like I tell her more and let her see more about what life really is (no Tequilla or Flavor Flav though)...but I don't shield her quite as bad as the first! I don't know what the **** to do...my parents didn't seem to have all these issues and they had 7 kids!!! We just all seemed to "stay in our kid place"...we didn't speak out in front of adults on adult issues, we didn't ask our parents sh*t like, "how much $$$ do you make" or even want to concern ourselves with the crap these kids are into today! We just went to school, came home, did our homework and looked forward to "going outside to play"! Hmmmm...those were the simple days!

On the accountability tip...Day 12 (I think) of my "Ripped" program. I worked out (20 min. cardio only) yesterday. Felt good...increased to level 2 on eliptical...sweat nicely...would've slept great had it not been for my 2 sweet little crumsnatchers!...but that's okay...I'll make up for it tonight...oh wait...BF's coming over...well, eventually I'll get some rest! hee hee! I will say though...although the scale hasn't moved a bit (not even 1 damn pound)...I'm definately shaping up quite nicely (ifIdontsaysomyself!)...so I'm still motivated, but that damn scale better move by next week or else I'll think it's all in my mind! I've been chatting with other woman (bodybuilding) on another site and getting some good weight lifting tips. Ya know...these woman had like 100 lbs to lose and lost it all using weights. It seems weights are really the thing to do (to lose fat), of course, with diet and some cardio...but from what I'm getting...lifting works best (better than cardio) at stripping that fat away!!! We'll see...as I do my lifting today and, of course, will report to you ladies...I'm trying all sorts of different techniques and diet tweeking sooo...if I find out anything good...I'll let you all know. Enjoy the rest of your weekend all! Joyce

One thing I miss here is hanging my clothes out. I used to hang them out all the time in PA but it doesn't appear to be acceptable here-no one does it. We are having another beautiful day although a bit more wind. Took the doggies for another nice walk. Was nice until someone's dog who was not being appropriately restrained came running across the street at us. Fortunately, no one got hurt. The owner was outside and came and retrieved his dog and apologized.

Went to church at 7:30. Was a reader today. I also made a great lunch with steak on the grill and blue cheese sauce on top and some left over veggies.

I want to do some dog grooming but my shepherd is hiding in her crate. She hasn't learned to tolerate this yet. I've only had her about 6 weeks and she was a rescue so I don't think she had much experience with grooming in her previous life. Fortunately, they don't shed a lot.

Joyce-I know what you mean. Seems like it was easier when we were kids. No cell phones, no computers, no video games. We went outside and rode our bikes and played kickball with the neighborhood kids. Like I said, I stick to dogs so I can legally put them in a cage.

Happy Sunday: Just finished weeding and working on the front yard. It is 11:15 here. Also made some hot wings for DH which are cooling now on the counter. Aud it is pretty windy today here too. We got a wind advisory which doesn't normally happen but it is supposed to die down by 2:00ish.

DD and DH have turned the frigging Iroquios Longhouse diarama into a bloody production. About a yard of styrofoam base, a river, the longhouse, glued all over with birch bark, moss, etc., little people, cooking fires, blah, blah, blah. All the base pieces are being sprayed right now in the garage so they have the appropriate mottled effect. This project is not going to look as if a child did it. It looks like one of those little scale models that architects use. In my day we glued crap into a shoebox and if you were really fancy you might cut a window in the back of the thing. Aud since my family is going nuts over a school project I am not going to say there is anything strange about trying to keep a white furred dog snowy looking. I feel disgraceful as I have not even brushed the dogs after their bath yesterday. They hate being brushed. What I usually do is simply shave them but right now I'm scared we get another cold snap and they won't be comfortable when they go outside to do their business. I have never had the cocker's fur grow to the length you see at dog shows. It the most it has only ever been allowed to grow about an inch. She seems much more comfortable that way. Espeically since she hates brushing.

No worrisome dead or half dead creatures were brought in last night (that I know of anyway). The cat must have worn herself out. I did have something funny happen while I was weeding. We have a storm drain system drain inlet a few feet from our house in the street. It is big so the racoons use it to travel from place to place. You see them go in and out of it all the time at dusk or at night and we have a neighbor kid that is always throwing crap down there for them to eat (stupid, stupid, stupid). So it is broad daylight and I see this shadow out of the corner of my eye. I turn around (on my knees and see this huge raccoon coming over to me. I stand up and say "shoo" and that darn thing kept coming! It came within a couple feet of me and sat up on its hindlegs and hissed it me. I sprayed it with the hose and literally had to blast it back down the driveway and into the street before it gave up stopped charging back at me. I'm pretty sure it now associates people with food and someone has been hand feeding it (stupid, stupid, stupid). Also, I have never experienced racoons wandering around during the day. The lady next door has a daycare and afterschool care so I went over to leave her a note since she lets kids play in the front yard and street during the day. DH hates those racoons. He has to go up on the roof a couple of times a year to hose off any racoon crap and usually there is a lot of it. Gross gross and triple gross.

Hope all are having a fabulous day.

Xo
SC

I'm gonna shower in a few and get out of the house for awhile but I'm not sure what I want to do. I should go up into the garage attic and pull down the easter decorating stuff but I'm not in the mood for easter stuff yet.

We have a similar drainage system but armadillos live in them. I've not seen them because they are also nocturnal animals but my neighbors have. They dig in my flower beds at night.

Racoons that are rabid are also not afraid of humans and can be quite aggressive. Don't know if you have any in your area but it is endemic here. We have to get our dogs vaccinated every year because it is such a problem. In PA they only needed vaccine every 3 years.

That is what I'm afraid of! The raccoons used to hang out in the backyard until we got dogs. Now they don't. I'm so lucky because my sister is a vet so she comes over once a year with her little black bag and gives the two dogs and the two cats a shot. We don't keep any animal food outside and I took out the apple tree that was in the backyard after we moved in because the raccoons were always eating the fruit. It was like a frat party out there everynight once fruit was present. The second night we moved into the house I had just finished putting some stuff away in the kitchen and I turned around and there was a raccoon 1/2 way through the pet door! I chased it away with the broom but after than the latch was on the pet door until I actually had dogs using it.

Our family has a ranch about 2 hours from here. Growing up we never saw any wildlife except deer. In the late 90's raccoons and skunks all of a sudden became a huge problem. Again the vet comes in handy. They put out peanut butter with sedative in it, knock out the interlopers and then drive them deep into the forest where they release them. No getting bitten, no getting sprayed. The animal wakes up somewhere else. The only difference is when the animal is lactating. Then they put it in one of open fencing corrals and let it wake up and go on its way. Last three years have brought out bears and cougars as well. When I think of the times I walked down the trail from the main house to the guest house with my daughter and she was just of walking age I shudder. It is not a super short walk, about 8 minutes or so. We had to get permits to trap both a bear and a cougar two years ago. The bear had become very dangerous, coming up to the guest house and ripping the door off of the chicken coop and trying to get into the fenced front yard to get at my sister's dogs. They trap the bear in a huge circular drum thing and put watermelon and other fruit in there to attract the bear. The first attempt was a catch and release into another area but the bear came back (2 times over 30 miles) so it was finally shot. Actually, it was not shot in the trap that time, it charged the house two nights in a row (seeing people inside or on the deck) and my poor brother in law had to sit in his truck the next night with a rifle waiting for it to come around again. It did. He shot it once and it turned to run then became enraged turned around and charged him and he shot it again. The second time it was killed. We had to use a backhoe to bury it. My nephew made a granite stone to go over the spot honoring the noble bear.

P.S. Armadillos are the strangest looking creatures. Are they nasty or docile natured? We never have a problem with possums at our suburban home because they are so docile. It cracks me up when one is spotted by the dogs on the fence, on the roof of the jacuzzi or in a tree. The dogs stand there are bark and the thing just freezes. It will stay that way for ages. Frozen in place. Often long after I have dragged the dogs inside and told them to leave it alone. There are a lot of squirrels too. They slap the trees and yell at you to get out of "their yard".

SC

That is more adventures with wildlife than I would care to have.

I've never gotten close enough to an armadillo to know much about their behavior. I've just seen their holes in the flower beds. We also have foxes here but I haven't seen them either. The other strange thing to me-coming from PA is the deer are really small. They almost look like big dogs. In PA we had BIG deer-like 12 point bucks. Handy to have a vet in the family.

StayinCalm - oh, lord, love - I do hope you're feeling better soon! I'm so sorry you've got all this crap to deal with!

Welcome, fellow teacher - and sing it, sistah! I've got twenty kids in my class, aged 6-7, and they're SPLENDID. Today we also had a heap of parents, because this morning we had a Coffee Morning, where the mums and dads were invited to come in and watch their child's Phonics class, and then to come along to a workshop on Phonics, given by the Key Stage 1 teachers (that's those of us who teach the 5-7 year olds). It went very well, actually - but, jings, it's been a busy day! First the coffee morning, then I was on lunch duty (and today's canteen lunch was totally, iredeemably offplan - so I ended up scurrying across the road to the little foodcourt and buying mystery Thai food that looked pretty carbless - a beef stir fry thing and some green stirfried veggies). Then this afternoon I took the Key Stage One Assembly, and THEN, when school ended, I had my Drama Club kids to work with!

But Drama Club was great fun, actually - they've learned most of their lines, they've brought in fantastic costumes - they're going to be AWESOME! They're mostly aged 7-11 in the Drama Group, although I've got one four year old (who's The Cutest Thing EVAH, and will make a fantastic Little Red Riding Hood, bless her). So I've got us a date pencilled in - insh'allah we'll perform in 2 weeks' time to the whole school. Bless the little buggers. I'm very excited for them!

I'm also very excited for me, because I finally DID hear back that I'd been cast in our May production of Rumours - Go Team Me! And on Sunday night we went to the director's house and had our first read through. It is freaking HILARIOUS! Really looking forward to it! (And that's a nice tangible new goal to work towards too - it's at the end of May. I want to be down to 200lb by then.)

Speaking of weight loss - today was my WI, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I'd maintained, rather than regained. Because of the whole unpleasant constipation issue, and then the whole eating-lots-of-maltitol-chocolate thing, one way or another my eating plan was just screwed this past week. Really. I made lots of not good decisions - but I also made lots of good decisions, and didn't get all fatalistic and self destructive, which is good. I went to a Ball on Saturday Night, and although I am still assuredly a fat lass, I was looking pretty damn good, imho. Black dress (which is actually rather too big now, since I bought it at Christmas), cleavage down to here and lovely strappy (by my standards) high heels. I felt good! Well done me! At the meal I eschewed the bread and the potatoes, but I did drink a modest amount of red wine and decided that the chocolate mousse with fresh berries was an off-plan thing that I was prepared to allow myself. I considered not having it, but decided that since it wasn't a floury thing I'd permit it - since life is too short to be in self-denial mode when you're at a freaking ball.

This week, though - going to shed me some pounds! **** yes!

But...I'm starting to think that I may want to adapt (sorry, sorry, I realise that this may get me a verbal spanking) the Atkins plan a little, to incorporate more fibre. Or at least - can you guys tell me what you do for fibre on plan? Because I'm definitely less, ah, regular than I used to be, and I think that just having salad vegetables and the occasional brocolli/asparagus/cabbage isn't cutting it. Last week's whole constipation sensation was just No Fun At All - I actually went home early on Thursday, the only time I've ever had time off since starting at this job, because of the whole feeling crappy thing.

I'm thinking that whole grains or legumes would be sensible? Of course, I know that legumes ARE permissible during OWL - is that what you folks do? But...beans are very high carb. But...I really don't want to be constipated, and they are at least low GI. Hmm. Thoughts? (I'd rather be eating whole foods than popping fibre pills, you know?)

Oh! Forgot to mention - Azure, LOVED your link to the Xena Challenge! And, Gosh, I'm unspeakably envious of your LARP and Ren Faire possibilities. Would SO love to get involved in that! You Go, Girl!

Glad you enjoyed that, Fay! Join me in kicking butt, if you'd like It's certainly keeping me inspired! I hit the gym more days last week in a row than I've ever done before--and here I am, up at 6:00 again so I can get to the gym at 7 I'm definitely NOT a morning person, but I'm just doing it. Because warriors must train their bodies after all!

Yeaaaah Team!!! Hiyallll!

Faye - Friggin YEAAAHHHH! I was thinking about you and your play (Rumours)...I knew you would get it...I just knew it! Congratufrigginlations girl! Also...sooo nice to hear from ya! Glad to hear to got out in your sexy black dress and enjoyed yourself...great attitude...your right...this is not about denial...it's about control...so go you! BTW, I've stayed regular (not sure why), but I think it's all the fruit that I eat...if you don't wanna go there yet...a fiber pill every day should help.

Azure - Go Zena girl!!! Go! I too checked out your Zena Challenge...KOOOOL! I love the whole kick-a$$ thing...it's empowering! I wish I could post a pic of my ex-hubby's face to get me kick-boxing, sword wheeling motivated! I too am not a morning person...so not...and am trying to get my a$$ motivated to work-out in the a.m. 7AM...WOW! That's so great...I'm working towards 9AM...that would be good for me...I also love your motivation...I can tell...your going ALL THE WAY this time! Go you!

SIC & Petra - As I used to live in PA..I could tell you both some horror stories I've had with the deer, bear, skunk & racoons (nasty creatures...be careful!). Petra's right about the racoon (when their rabid...they are extremely agressive)...scary! It was like Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom! Hee hee! Glad that's over! However, now...here in VA..the people are worse than the skunks! Guess you can't have it all!

Well, on the accountability tip, today is Day 12 of my yes..."Ripped" program. I am proud to announce that the gottdamn scale finally moved!!!...YEAH...FRIGGIN YEAH!!! I am down another 2lbs! Wouldn't ya know...only took 2 friggin weeks! But I'm happy...and the mirror is saying a whole lot more than the scale soooo...wooo hoo! Have a great day all! Joyce

Linking to the New Chat Week: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=135995