Whew, Kathy ... I'm tired just reading about your day. Hopefully, tomorrow will be more restful for you.

Thanks, Vickie and Kierie, for telling me I don't sound grumpy! My DH would beg to differ with you! But y'all are both sweet to say such a nice thing ... big hugs all around for everyone, okay?

Frannie, gosh ... your sister gets in touch with you out of the blue after 4 years????? Sounds like there's a story there.

Angela, I hope Annika will mend quickly with the medicines. Take care of yourself too!

Cher, I think I'll be visiting the health food store this weekend. You and Vickie have convinced me that I might stumble upon some wonderful treasures that I can't find anywhere else. After all, I've got to find something to take the place of couscous ... somehow I finally finished the box! Ugh! Not my favorite stuff, that's for sure!

I hope Froufie made it back okay from the doctor's office. We're all hoping you're feeling better, Frouf ... and if the doctor says rest in bed, you better do what the doctor says or we'll get tough! You know what that means!

To all you snowbound folks, stay warm and be careful out and about! Maybe this is the last wintry blast before spring shows up.

Almost time for 24 so I'm gone for the evening ... see you tomorrow!

I think we were posting at the same time Deborah - so I think I just escaped all those nasty rolling pins...YIKES!

Frouf

I guess we were posting at the same time, Froufie ... rest and get better!! Go get your x-rays and do not give the job another thought. You have a right to be as cranky as you want to be but take care of yourself in the meantime!

Do you think we can post at the same time once more ... for old time's sake? Hope your medicines kick in and you have a restful sleep! Have lots of sweet dreams about enjoying those margaritas on the beach!

wow......lots going on tonight that is for sure and yes deborah a story is there.....lots to work out. have one of those headaches from it, missed my walk because of it, will not overeat or stress eat yettttttttttttttttt.....

frouf, glad you are getting some relief...i know by now the tylenol 3's??? would have kicked in......make sure when eating to eat lots of applesauce.....experience, codiene's one bad side affect is yes, constipation, and we know you don't need that.....gosh, i hope all works out for you and that this is a mild strained back that needs some tender loving care.....

march, tomorrow, in like a lion i think..........

Kathy, you have had QUITE a day.

Froufie, lay down! Sciatica does not get better unless you stay off of your feet. Put on your best pink robe and sit yourself up in bed and watch TV. Your Boss will figure something out. If you never went back, they would get the work done!

Angela, hope the Nyquil works and that your house gets healthy quick.

I've got a real busy next couple of days but I'll be stopping by in the mornings at the very least.

I've got to get busy handling first of the month reports and such but just wanted to send everyone good health vibes for this first day of March. Froufie and Angela, hope both of you are taking good care of yourself. Kierie, I hope you managed to shake your fever from yesterday also. Kathy, hopefully you'll have some help today so that you won't have to work yourself to a frazzle. I know Zuki will be thrilled to see you today too!

Frannie, I'm sorry it was stressful business hearing from your sister but it sounds like you are coping well. You know we are all here if you just want to yell and vent. I hope the reorganization thing at work is not stressing you too much either ... we are all still in limbo here at my work, waiting for the Congressional vote as to whether we will close or not. Not really conducive to relaxed days. But we are all getting by as best as we can.

Vickie, how is your nephew doing? I know you had mentioned in an earlier post that you would be returning to visit on Tuesday. Hope he is mending and receiving better care. Be careful out and about at the hospital ... I think you mentioned it wasn't the safest neighborhood.

Guess I better get busy ... have a good Tuesday!

Well just popped another tylenol 3 and will need to eat pretty soon so it is not sitting in my empty stomach!!! My weight is still up a bit? but presume that won't change for a while! Pain seems somewhat less this morning?? but have not done much yet...just got up.

Thanks for everyone's get well wishes - still in my jammies but will have to mobilize myself later to go get the x-rays (it is blowing snow out there - looks pretty nasty!)....waiting till some of the early morning traffic has died down and hopefully some of the roads will be cleared!

Today is also the day that we finally have our COUNSELLING APPT (3;30 pm). Dh is somewhat apprehensive and seems afraid that I will make him out to be the "bad guy" (well you are the bad guy!)..... I think he will be surprised at my "list" of problems - he has been on his best behaviour the last month - making some efforts to get along, but frankly too little, too late in my opinion. I intend to lay it all out there - including the "I've been unhappy cuz you're fat so I've been taking it out on the kids" confession. Wonder what the therapist will think of this? (or will she just run screaming from the room? )

Usually after these "sessions" he becomes quite depressed and goes back into his shell and does not communicate w/anyone for awhile - not fun as I need to continue to manage the household (which is a hard job on a good day without sciatica issues to keep me immobile), and put on a happy face like nothing is wrong!...sigh..... I guess we'll just muddle thru.

Deborah - good luck w/your reports! Hope a decision regarding jobs is made soon - nothing like being left in limbo for awhile!

Vickie - hope your busy days include some "fun" - check in when you can!!

Frannie - family issues do have a way of rearing their ugly heads at the most inopportune moments - sounds like you are doing great - hang in there!

Kathy - hope you are well rested today - and that Zuki will be home soon!

Angela - hope you also got some rest and that you and your kiddies are on the mend!

Time for breakfast!

Frouf

Good morning everyone. Well, we survived the night. All the Nyquil did was make me dizzy and dried out - guess I should learn, huh? Annika woke up at 1 with a raging fever. She had vomited in her bed, and on the floor. She gets that way with a bad fever, so I wasn't too surprised. We got her cleaned up and some Tylenol in her, and she slept the rest of the night. She looks like death warmed over this morning, but she seems to be acting all right. I'm thinking after we drop Madeline off at school, I'll give her a nice bath and settle down to read books to her. That's my girls' favorite activity. And I'm splurging and paying for Madeline to have hot lunch today, so I have one less thing to do this morning. I'm a little apprehensive about this evening. I'm starting a "How to Really Start Your Own Business" class tonight, and it runs from 6 to 9:30! I will bring lots of Kleenexes and hope dh can handle them all while I'm gone. He's really good with them actually, so they should be fine.

Ainsley's yelling to get up, so I'd better go. Oh yes, one good thing has come from this sickness...I got to cancel our parent-run preschool this morning. It's my week to teach, but I don't think any of our parents want to come here now!!

Angela

Morning ladies
Frouf I'm glad the Tylenol with Codeine is working for you (is it OTC there?) as for the counseling I hope it goes well. . .Communicating with anyone is a pain and alot of times if you know someone well it's extra hard a huge hug for the froufy one this AM
Angela i'm glad you're feeling a bit better You're having a rough week. . .re Nyqyil any amount makes me dizztastic and numb
Debbie Still have the fever but am dosing with Alleve So it's on the mend! How are you lady?
Kathy I hope the puppies doing ok
One quick Question: I was talking about my cornbread concoction in another thread and one of our chatters is a WW leader and she said regardless of whether or not it's made of core ingredients b/c it's bread it's not core... What do you think?
Hi to everyone I've missed BBIAB

Regarding the cornbread, that's the general rule that I've seen before but we've all pretty much decided that unless you sit down and eat a tub full of it, it's okay -- especially if you continue to show consistent losses. We'll see what everybody else things.

Froufy, good grief, girl! Your hands are FULL with the back/leg issue and now this counseling appointment on top of it!! I hope your DH behaves himself and at least owns up to the things he has done. I hear you on that "too little, too late" thing though. He has been making some great strides in the last month, but only after he practically crushed you with that totally insensitive remark about your weight. That still makes me see red everytime I think about it. Good luck and be sure to let us know how it goes, and how you're feeling this afternoon. And stay off your feet as much as possible!!

Angela, poor you! I'm so sorry you and your poor babies are going thru all this sickness! I hope you starts getting better for everyone very soon. I'm glad the preschool thing got cancelled. Even if your girls weren't sick, you probably don't feel like having people over!

Deborah, you hang in there with that job stuff. I know it's scary but at least all of you in the office are sort of in the same boat, I guess? Happy report-making to you today!

Vickie, have a great day out and about! Are you going to see your nephew too? Stay warm -- I see where you show scattered snow today on the news but not as bad as New England at least! Good night, those people are getting DUMPED on today!!

Frannie, I hope the issues with your sister get worked out. Four years is a long time with no contact! But you're doing good about not stress eating ... don't let it get you sidetracked!!!

Cher, I'm glad you're back!! Don't worry about your WI -- just stay strong this week and we'll keep our fingers crossed for you this Saturday!

Lisa, what did you think about American Idol last night? I just absolutely love love love that Bo Bice! He's my pick -- what a guy!!!!

Happy Tuesday to all!!

Kierie, I think there was some back and forth with WW about baked goods made with Core ingredients ... but on-line, I'm pretty sure it now says Core + Core = Core. But as with everything on Core, like Kathy says, it stops being Core once you can't control the amount that you eat. I hope you get over that fever soon.

Froufie, big hugs to get you through this tough day. Be careful when you go for your x-rays and don't slip on any icy patches. You won't like this suggestion (being the independent, strong-minded Froufie that you are ) but maybe a wheelchair might be a good idea since it's difficult and painful for you to walk? I hope DH is going to drive you and make sure you get safely in and out of the car. I hope you do share all your feelings during this first joint counseling session ... DH needs to fully comprehend how selfish and brutal he has been. You've been pretty considerate of his feelings all this time ... at the expense of your own ... so it's time to put Froufie first!!!!

Angela, so sorry that Annika had a tough night but I'm glad she is resting comfortably now. How are you holding up? Have fun reading if your voice isn't too strained. I miss those days when my DH wanted me to read to her for endless hours ... seems like just yesterday! Enjoy your class tonight and don't forget the tissues! With you as an example, how can DH be anything other than a competent caregiver? I'm sure he and the girls will be fine for a few hours.

Kathy, I'm so glad you got to bring Zuki home. Poor fellow ... hopefully, just being home will do wonders for his pain and discomfort. He'll be with you and your husband and his other buddies so that will surely help him recover more quickly. And I meant to mention what a nice thing it is for you to fix so many lunches for the shelter. I can well imagine how much they appreciate that. And my DH and DD LOVE American Idol ... my husband's favorite is Bo too (I think he's the one ... sang an Allman Brothers song last night?) while my DD likes the music teacher guy the best of the males. Their favorite female is the girl from Pontchatoula, LA ... Lindsey, maybe? Or is it Carrie? I can't remember. At any rate, they'll both be glued to the set tonight and DD will be voting every spare minute thereafter!

Thanks for the kind thoughts about the job everyone ... just one of those things, I guess. I'm trying not to be bitter about it but the timing is so lousy since I could retire in a hair under 4 years. Oh well ... no news is good news, right? Maybe it will take that long for Congress to make their decision and implement the closure. And in the meantime, I can always win the lottery, right?

My stomach is growling like crazy. I had the rest of the rhubarb stuff for breakfast this morning plus my SF/FF yogurt for a snack about an hour ago but clearly, it doesn't have any staying power today. Thank goodness I'm alone in the office today or I'd be pretty embarrassed. I think I'll head to Wendy's for lunch today ... 4 points for chili sounds like a nice treat on such a cool, windy day!

Hi Guys! I'm going to see my Nephew tomorrow. He's doing ok but may be stuck in the hospital for another 30 days. He's waiting to hear from BC/BS to see if they can find one of these machines that he can take home. Evidently, it's normally used after plastic surgery so it may not be available for rent. They are using it to pull his wound closed so that no more infection can get in. Yuck! I'm gonna try to find him a steak to take tomorrow.

Today is just general errands and bank business. Didn't sleep too well tonight but poor Angela, I'm sure I slept better than you. Sounds like you are being a great nurse. Better than I would be if I was sick too!

Frannie, I too have a Sister that I'm estranged from. It can be a very stressful situation. I've just decided that she was toxic for me and that until she changes her behavior, things will not be close for us. My other Sister and I couldn't be closer. Families can be difficult business.

Froufie, I'm glad you are having your session. Maybe DH will surprise you tonight and change some of his behaviors. I'll hope for that for both of you because it sounds like you still have something worth salvaging. Try to give yourself some rest so that you can mend. Tylenol 3 with codeine can be VERY hard on your stomach so don't mess around with that.

Kath, we did get about an inch or so of snow here but I'm SO happy that we didn't get what the East Coast is getting. They have really been pounded this year. One thing you can say about Chicago though is that it isn't Spring until the middle of April. We still have time!

Kierie, forgive me but I do not agree with the Leader. WW Headquarters has come out and said Core ingredient + Core ingredient = Core final product. If you couldn't combine things and cook them then oatmeal wouldn't be ok, or chili, or soup, etc. What WW DOES say is that you need to be careful of ANY Core food or combination of Core foods that might be a trigger for you. Like Kathy said, if you can't stop eating the cornbread or cornbread muffins, then you shouldn't make them because they are a "trigger" or "redlight" food for you. If you can eat one serving a day, then it's ok. L.J. from our board can't eat couscous because she can't stop. Technically, it's Core but she can't eat it. I LOVE avocado. I can't have it at home because I wouldn't stop eating it until it's gone. So even though it's Core, I have to be careful. Hope that helps. Off my soapbox now!

Jim and I are loving American Idol this year. I don't know if he has a favorite but I like Anthony Federov. He was the guy who had a trachiotomy (sp?) when he was a kid and they never thought he'd talk let alone sing! He still reminds me of Dennis DeYoung. I wish I could tell him to sing "Babe" because I bet he'd blow them away if he could hit the high notes. Lots of range in that song. Of course, he's probably afraid to sing another ballad. None of the girls have really blown me away so far.

Just wanted to wish you a good day, Vickie ... looks like we were posting at the same time! I have a knack for that lately! And we almost sounded as though we were quoting from the same book, regarding the "is cornbread Core?" issue ... great minds think alike, right?