Hi friends! I hope that you're all doing great. I'll be catching up this weekend. I SO miss knowing what's going on with all of you!!

Kathy, I'm sorry that you're worried. Your shrimp/pasta thing sounds great. I bought some frozen shrimp for the first time the other day. It was buy 1 get 2 free so I figured I ought to go for it.

Sandra, I love the dress!

Frouf, I hope you're out for a relaxing evening. Your dinner sounds really great.

Vickie, are you doing okay??

I've got a PC show tomorrow night at MIL's house. I've still got plenty to do and I'm super tired so I'm off to get it all done. Have a great Friday everyone!

Thanks, Melissa. I'm sure it'll get better soon. Some mail came for Shaun today that upset me ... I'm sure it's time-sensitive but there's no way to get it to him. And so the saga continues. I wonder if the day will ever come that I don't stress about him. I don't even worry about baby Kate as much as I do him!

I hope your show goes well tomorrow night. It's very exciting to see how this has really taken off! I'm sure you're exhausted from working all day and then dealing with PS at night though.

Saundra, if you ever read here, thanks for some advice you gave a while back (and I'm sure you didn't even realize it at the time)! I've been messing with this Donvier yocheese maker for so long that I was about to give up, but then went back and read where you used Organic Meadow. I found some Stonyfield Farms FF plain tonight (they had small cups), which I think would be very close to what you bought, and put it in the yocheese maker tonight. I could already tell it was going to be better than the Yoplait plain. I think the Yoplait is too soft because it just runs right thru the strainer. Tomorrow I'm going to roast some garlic to mix in with the yocheese. It'll be a good thing to eat with my carrots and celery.

I'm going to bed now. I hope everyone has a good night.

The prize is mine!

How's everyone this morning? I slept horribly ... well, I take that back. I slept from 11:00 til midnight, when I woke up realizing Judd wasn't home yet. I waited about an hour, tried to call his friend's cell phone but got no answer. He got home around 1:30 and was making all sorts of noise, leaving lights on, flopping down on the bed to take his shoes off. I finally got back to sleep around 2:30 and then at 5:30 he came back in the bedroom (he had been in the family room until then) and so I got up and came on in to work. I figure I got about 4 hours of sleep so that means it's going to be a nice, long day. But when I got up this morning, I made to sure to leave the lights on, slam the doors, drawers, etc. If he mentions it, I'll just reply, "Oh, I guess I thought we were going to stop the 'being considerate to each other' thing."

Today I must get over to the post office to see my friends. The head dude that we saw last weekend at the restaurant was telling me that the lady who works there has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. She's back at work now and was wearing a wig, but I think they've convinced her to stop and just go au naturel. He said her hair is growing back and although very short, it looks good and she's doing much better. It will be nice to see them all.

I might as well get back to work -- will check back in later.

good morning. i'm up early getting ready to go to ww and wi. afterwards curtis and i are going to visit some friends and go out to lunch. i did an extra 40 min in the water yesterday before class. it really felt good.

melissa, have fun at your pc party tonight. i'm glad it's working out so well for you. you sound much much happier now.

kathy, i hope today's better for you. i hate those nights when i can't sleep.

rhonda, the more i think about that dress i'm getting, the happier i am. the ones i lost bidding on were "too much". this dress is more sensible for me. now i'm waiting on the shoes to get here. this will be a big test to see if my "crippled" feet will survive in them. they're supposed to be made especially for folks with feet problems so i'm hopeful.

i'll bet doyle enjoyed his dinner. sounds like he's getting some "loving from the kitchen." i was just thinking of that advertising song, "nothing says lovin' like something from the oven......"

i normally don't eat before wi, but i had my banana already. i can't take my arthritis meds unless i eat something first and today i needed to take them early.

frouf, did you go to the movies last night? i admire the way you and dh go out on dates. i think that's very romantic.

i'm going to do some surfing for a bit. be back later.

Romantic? We just want to get out of the house and away from whining children! Yes we did go to the movies - I had popcorn and diet coke (I was actually hungry after dinner). But scale is my FRIEND this week - started out the week at 214 (after my fast go figure) and today it's reading 210!!! Need to get down at least 1 more pound before dr appt on Tuesday - which will be hard given our weekend of turkey eating! Will try to get to the gym after work today.

By the way I love the dress and hope the shoes work! Good luck at WI.

Rhonda - I think getting prepared food is absolutely positively okay - esp if it prevents you from eating what you shouldn't. Sometimes when I'm super hungry and shopping for dinner I pick up one of those veggie & dip trays - yes they are pricey - but I can munch on that while I'm cooking dinner rather than something else that is not on plan!

DIA: http://www.diahome.org/diahome/
Upcoming conference: http://www.diahome.org/product/11286/06019.pdf

Kathy - you sound like I did the other day! I know how hard it is to function on so little sleep - hope you have an okay day. Love all the stuff you got at the market - very yummy.

Where's Vickie???

Melissa - good luck w/your PC party - hope all goes well.

Angela - how are you doing with the allergies??

Guess I shall pick up a fresh turkey today or tomorrow? (and beat off the crowds in the grocery store). Already have stuffing and sweet potatoes - need to find some cranberries - and of course brussel sprouts! We may have other 'guests' for dinner tomorrow night? and will probably go to sil's or niece's on Sunday. Weekend weather supposed to be sunny and crisp but quite nice on Sunday (around 65-70!). At least we have Monday off to recoup?

So today I am deep into interviews: four of them: 10 am, 11 am, 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm - I'm sure I will lose my voice! Wish me luck - maybe I shall find someone suitable to help me out?

Later,

Frouf

paula, i just reread your post from wednesday about eating the coleslaw for a nighttime snack. i want to congratulate you for making that great decision. this is exactly what core's about--making healthier choices. i confess i'm not doing strictly core now but i do tend to include more core foods. in the past when i'd do straight flex, i'd often spend too many of my daily points on "junk." i think another benefit of core is that it helps a lot of us relearn healthier eating choice making. sounds like you get an A+. congratulations.

frouf, a night at the movies still sounds romantic to me. i love what you posted about prepared foods. i like your idea about the veggie trays. okay, i'm sending you for keeping your voice today. have a great holiday weekend. i may cook some chicken and dressing in honor of you and rhonda. (confession! or maybe i'm cooking it because you're making me hungry for it.)

Hehe! I spied the Froufy name on the conference brochure! But on Halloween?

So far, so good here. This is the day that our water is turned off in the building and we have to schlepp across the street to go potty. I have managed to plan ahead though; made it there just fine. I'm a big girl now.

Hi all. I'm doing fine...still waiting to hear from the doctor about the course of action on my allergies.

Vickie? Where are you lady? You sounded really upset your last 2 posts. I hope you're OK.

We started up our babysitting group again. Tonight we'll have a houseful of screaming girls, but that's OK because it means the next two Fridays, we'll have free.

Later ladies,
Angela

Just checking in - my head is killing me. Allergies are kicking in and I forgot to take some sinus pills this morning. I'm debating on going out at lunch to get some or taking a walk. My 12:00 meeting just got cancelled. Maybe I'll take a couple of tylenol and walk.... hmm, need to decide.

Today is the end of customer service week, to end it off we are having a cocktail party from 4-6. I may have a glass of wine but I need to stay away from the food. Perhaps I'll just skip it all together and sneek out of the office early

Frouf - congrats on your loss this week. It must be a happy scale week! Keep thinking about the loss you had as you go into the weekend. Turkey is good, maybe some potatoes. Will you make core desserts? Enjoy!

I'm off to post my menu for the day. Take care everyone

Rhonda - Congrats on getting into the 180s!!! I just noticed your ticker. Good work.

Froufy:

I bet DIA wouldn't let me in the door! Check out this website. My name is at the end, so you have to read the whole thing!

http://www.caut.ca/en/bulletin/issue...ec/default.asp


OK, I've decided that today is going to be an 18 point day, in preparation for holiday eating in a few days.

I appreciated Sandra's remarks about flex and spending points on junk. I've never really been a serious junk food eater but, boy, can I find it when I want it. I think baked goods are my really weak point....oh, and then there's that ever so wonderful chocolate

I'm gathering up my courage because I've got an afternoon meeting where cookies will be everywhere. SO,
I'm going to follow Frouf's example and go buy a veggie tray for the meeting. I'll eat carrots and feel smug.

Thanks Paula, yes ma'am, I got to move that ticker and I'm gonna do it again in the next few days, regardless of all the temptations around me.

Rhonda

Rhonda, congratulations! All your hard work is paying off!!

I think I'm outta here at noon. I'm debating whether or not I should go to a movie -- it would be by myself and that doesn't sound like much fun. Maybe I'll just go to the bookstore and get a good book, then go to the park and read. Or take myself to lunch! Oh, the possibilities ...

Good job Rhonda on the Apotex case - no researcher should have to go thru that! And I'm sure DIA would love to have you!

Paula - sorry you are not feeling well - hope you took your meds and are on the mend? If you are staying for the cocktail party you might have to have a healthy/core snack before hand? I find if I am not hungry I am not as tempted. My other strategy is the 'chewing gum' one - I will sometimes chew gum during a food event as this usually helps stop me from popping things into my mouth! Good luck.

Angela - I'm sure the girl gang will have lots of fun tonight - any plans to keep them busy? More importantly what are you and dh planning for the next 2 fridays?

Who cares about hallowe'en (should I go in costume?) - what about waking up at the crack of dawn? That's the bigger challenge (and driving downtown and finding parking!)

So there will be a run on veggie trays at all the stores today I am nibbling on a fresh sliced baby cucumber - much better than cookies right Rhonda! And honestly it usually is more expensive to eat healthy - altho I wish it weren't so!

And while my scale is being cooperative this week I know this won't last forever - thinking of another challenge as I need to desperately get back to onderland - maybe a 10 lbs to xmas challenge?

Finished 2 interviews (voice still intact) - 2 more to go. I think this last candidate was actually overqualified and would be bored here. In between interviews trying to get some contracting work going so my head is spinning.

And during the interviews I close my office door (usually always left open) and I have found it gets pretty warm in here - so here I am (luckily in short sleeves) with bright pink cheeks!

Time for my fruit salad now (kiwi, blueberrries and strawberries!).

Frouf and All: in public health we developed a mantra: "make the healthy choices the easy choices."

It's staggering how ineffective we have all been at that...all the way from the national government's choices that affect income, to policies that affect the environment and farming, to grocery wholesalers and retailers, to schools putting in cola machines, to "you name it."

But, we'll make our individual choices the healthy ones today, no matter what the obstacles. Off I go to conquer the inner cookie monster!

Later everyone,
Rhonda

OK, took 2 tylenol and went for a walk. I feel better but not great, just took 2 more tylenol. Had my yogurt and grapes for snack, going into a 3:00 meeting then our cocktail party. I WILL BE STRONG!