Hi all,
Got home late last night and almost did a teel - falling asleep in front of the computer - so I managed a journal entry but nothing here.

It's raining in SE Queensland this morning - drat. I have washing to do and gardens to tend - at least that is what I had planned to do. The tomatoes have gone feral on me and I need to stake and prune them, not to mention picking some of the cherry variety which are hanging on the vines and the snails are eyeing them! The grass needs a mow and the weeds are growing again! On the plus side, some of the roses have decided it is flower power time and are competing with each other for display.

When I got to Brisbane last night, I turned on my phone to get a message from the DS telling me we have a house guest for a week. It is a young American lady whom he met through the net several years ago and who is now living in Sydney with the B/F. She has come up for a break from work - B/F forgot to get leave??!!! and she comes from Prescott, Arizona, about 30 minutes away from my friend in Chino Valley whom I stayed with while in the States. Yeah it's a small world.
Hey Teel, I think it is all those Sumos and Rolling pins that are keeping you awake. Better try for some more restful friends in your posts. Pat that hound for me!

Mmmmmn...Thank you Shad, I might just give that a thought or two!!

I am really wiped off my feet this morning nd dearly want to go back to bed...but I meet my support worker on a Friday and we go for a jackuzzi so she rang me up to arrange the time, forgetting that I have a haircut bokked in for 11:00.Soooooo. I have changed the entire layout of the day.
I think the sleeping pills and the increased oxycodine is helping a smidget, but not wearing off quick enough in the morning so I feel(AND DARESAY LOOK) like a comlete zombie, ha ha ha .

I had a scrummy dinner last evening....cous-cous with a gravy mixture left from the turkey casserole, with some stuffing mix thrown in to thicken it up.In the gravy there were bits of turkey, onion and reg and green peppers so the outcome was far more delicious than at first it may have seemed!!!
WellI will quietly go away now, leaving lots of cool relaxing message helpers!!

Good morning ladies,

Awoke to frost on the window pane this morning, went well with a nice cup of tea and toast for breakfast. I do hope to be able to get out this weekend for a little bit and enjoy those colors before the winds blow and knock down the rest of the leaves.

Enjoy your massage Teel. I too need to get a haircut but keep forgetting to make the appointment even though I think about it several times a day.

So Shad is DS's friend coming to visit by herself if BF didn't make plans? Are you going to be home then or travelling as usual?

Time for me to get to work now so have a good weekend all...

Simon's friend is here for a week or so by herself. Boyfriend rings every 5 minutes of the day and they email each other frequently. Wel maybe not every 5 minutes but close. Apparently they are also going back to the States for a holiday soon too. Will have to get my A into G and see if they will deliver a care parcel to my friend in Chino Valley who must have eaten all the chocolate biscuits by now.
Had a good day off yesterday, didn't do a lot, but I sorted of rested up and shopped a bit and thought a bit and cooked a bit. Watched the All Black (NZ) rugby team defeat Canada last night in the Rugby World Cup. Poor Canada, I really feel for these teams who have the guts to take on the top nations with very little know how, tradition or money behind them. Apparently the Canadian Rugby Union is nearly broke and although they qualified to come to the RWC they have very little to come and go on. Which reminds me that the US team (did you know you had one?) came very close to causing the tournament upset on Wednesday. They lost to Fiji by one point. I do enjoy a good game of rugby!!!! The Poms are charging along in their pool Teel and Prince Harry paid a visit to their game last night - just in case you were interested.

Weighed in yesterday and again today. Yesterday I had gained .5kg from the weighin 2 weeks ago, I was pleased with that but today those pesky scales have added 3kg onto the weight. It simply has to be the scales. My clothes are loser on me than previously so I think the exercise is making its mark. Can't at this point of time find the tape measure so I can't check but I will before I go back to Cairns tomorrow.

Remember when I was over visiting with you Happy, I mentioned the coffee was not what I expected. No offence meant but I thought it was weak - yours had the neat vanilla flavour - Ngaires didn't. Anyway I was checking up on coffee because I couldn't find my regular variety in the supermarket and I have decided that you guys get a different species of beans than we do. I currently have one from the 'Rainforests of Colombia' (according to the packet) and it takes nothing like my usual coffee and regardless of how much I put into the plunger, it does not have the strong flavour of my normal one which is a blend of Australian, Kenyan and Papua/New Guinea beans. So mystery solved once more.
Time to get off here. Wake up the sons friend so she can spend the next couple of hours getting the 'look'. Which if you'll excuse me is not much different from the previous look. Forgive me, this girl is nearly 6 foot tall and weighs less than I do. Legs go on forever etc etc etc and she is also very nice. I'm green.
Then I should bath Shad the dog and have a go at the cat. It is getting time for their summer medication against fleas and ticks.

You're right about the coffee Shad. Most of our typical store coffee comes from Columbia. You can get it in light roast, medium roast and dark roast. The darker the beans, I believe the more intense the flavor. We Yanks seem to prefer the medium roasts for the most part. Many of the more popular store brands make a pretty weak cup of coffee. I prefer to pay a little more, get the small bags of beans and grind it myself. Starbucks generally has pretty strong coffees, that's why I get the latte's there. I had a cup of regular coffee there, it was so strong I had a tummy ache for hours. Can't imagine gulping an expresso from them would probably be up for days - don't try this at home Teel

Speaking of food, on the airplane home from out east I was in the middle seat. Delighted to find a skinny girl next to me on the end (was squished enough in my own seat without my seatmate trying to infringe - bad enough DH was leaning on me. Anyway, we had a nice chat all the way to Chicago. She was from California and traveled extensively for her job. She had been to Australia several times and we got to chatting. Have found several times already that Australia is a common bond among lots of people. We talked of sayings and words and foods - thanks to you ladies I am somewhat conversant. She told me about Jaffas. Said she wasn't much of a candy eater but a friend had told her about them and she was instantly addicted. Orange chocolate is the best chocolate in my mind. We rarely get it here. I picked up a candy bar at some store I couldn't remember - might have been out east for all I recall. I left it on the counter and forgot about it. Days later I'm sitting here at the computer and I hear rustling from DH sitting across from me. He's EATING my candy bar! I was able to rescue one small square before it disappeared into his belly. Boy this was good he said.

So next time you cruise by this way Shad, bring Jaffas. Not that I need them mind you.

Hi everyone. I was gone for a night and am back now. I had to go to the wet side of Washington for a meeting today. You're right, I live in the desert part of Washington, which many folks don't realize is here. The Western side is rainy and the far eastern side is more dry and has pine trees and mountains. I live in the middle where we are very dry and our trees are sage brush and tumbleweeds.

Going in the car this week hasn't been bad, but sitting in meetings all day was hard as I wanted to nibble to stay awake all day! I think I had consumed all of my ww points for the day by 4pm yesterday and today. So I did go over on both days, but hope to get back on track or under a bit so I will still see a minus on the scales.

It sounds like you all know each other pretty well, how long have you been visiting together on the boards? My husband and I lived in England in the late 1980's for nearly 5 years. We absolutely loved it and wished we could have stayed. We both look forward to the days when we can travel abroad again and both definately have plans to see Australia.

Well, I hear kids coming home so I'd better sign off and see to them. Bye all.

Morning all,
Kim, I guess we've been cyber friends now for 18 months maybe 2 years. Time does fly when you are having fun. I went on a round the world trip in July and August and was lucky enough to stay with both Teel and Happy. So we have also met each other physically. I like to think we are good friends and will remain so. They are both lovely people.

I would love to live in Scotland. I just really really feel at home in Scotland. Don't ask me why - maybe the scenery is similar to that of my native New Zealand. I also like Ireland and the Irish a lot, but my Grandfather came from Ireland so I guess I do have ties there. I certainly have relatives there!

You talk about wanting to nibble in meetings. Is there nibbly type food available to eat? Or do you have to provide your own? If you have to provide your own go for fruit snacks or something like strawberries which are actually amazing diet food. Same with frozen grapes. I guess they would be somewhat expensive up there now you are settling into fall and winter. Mandarins - if you can get them - are also good and you get to stock up on Vitamin C with them as well. My only other suggestion might be sugar free gum if you can bear to eat it! Maybe Happy or Teel might have some other suggestions.

Jaffa's huh - well okay can do. Anyone else want some as well. Jaffas were very popular when I was growing up. They are round and about the size of a small marble or Kool Mint if you know what they are - I'm trying to think of something about the right size. They used to come in a box not a packet and they rattled around in the box and made an awful noise. One of the favourite pastimes was to go to the movie theatre, buy a box of Jaffas, sit up the very back upstairs and roll them down the (in those days) uncarpeted stairs. What a noise they made. Haven't seen them in a while although I'm fairly sure they are still around. Will check and see. Must admit that as much as I enjoyed Jaffas as a teenager, if we could rake up the cash, there was a chocolate bar which if I remember rightly was English and made by a company called Fry or Hudson Fry and they made these bars with a chocolate coating and a creme inside. One was a peppermint and the other an orange creme. They were (in my memory) magnifique!!!!!! Those were the days when I could eat anything and still stay at 118lbs. That was a long time ago.

Happy, I spent a long time yesterday putting some flowers and insects (including the butterflies) up on my Webshots site. Give DH a nudge and tell him to go look. When I uploaded the Chicago butterflies from the digital, I found I had taken a photo of him taking a photo of the butterfly. I haven't put it on the site. I wouldn't do that without asking permission as it is easily recognisable as to who it is! Back views I may do. But for the rest I'd ask permission. I may e-mail it at a later date. Anyone else wants to look at my pics go to
http://community.webshots.com/user/joy_clover
Anyway, it's back on the plane for me this afternoon so it is time to make some moves in the packing direction. Spent a lot of time while sorting out my pictures yesterday watching the footy on TV. Australia won their game, so did England (must have been Prince Harry Teel) Japan gave France a run for their money before running out of puff. Tournament is hotting up. USA is doing well - not expected to win anything but they sure gave the gamblers a bit of a fright the another night!

Okay, time to go. Scale still not co-operating, but I will take the tape measure with me to Cairns tonight and will measure up there at the end of the week.

Shad your pictures are great. I especially like the waterlily - the pinks are so intense against the dark water. And you have a couple that would make beautiful backgrounds. DH said you can post his pic if you like and he also liked several of your castle and scenery pictures from Scotland and Ireland. Told him we get to travel vicariously through you! When you've lived in the city all your life and most of your travels are to other cities, you don't realize just how pretty rolling hills and the countryside can be.

Kim, Shad has been on the boards here the longest of the group. I joined up June of 2002 and about a month later saw Annie's plea for some help. Teel knocked on the door a month later. We've lost a few people along the way Leuelu from NZ, Noah from the Seattle area. That happens and you are sad to see people go who you have come to know well, but at times life does take you on a different path. We have had our share of the giggles amongst the group here. For me it was not only neat to make some cyber friends across the world but to actually get to meet and spend time with them like I did with Shad this year was something very special to me. It's also been fun to learn about all kinds of things I've never heard of before - bikkies and savouries and clotted cream. I had to try and explain how to make s'mores to Shaker in NZ. Didn't realize until she asked that Graham Crackers are something unique to Canada and the US. When Shad came to visit, we went to the grocery store and I got a lesson on the differences between what we call things and what they do.

As for eating in the car while travelling, that's a tough one. So easy to stop at the nearest fast food place because it's convienent and easy. When we take car trips, I pack a cooler bag with carrot strips, grapes, string cheese - stuff that's easy to grab and doesn't crumble all over me - I have enough of a problem keeping food off my shirt as it is I also like the Teddy Grahams - bite sized graham crackers that satisfy the sweets craving without being too sinful. When I was on the old WW program, Graham crackers were a legal food but with the points system, I think carbs get rated pretty high in points so that may have changed. Probably the best thing to do is get out of the habit of eating in the car. Eat decent meals and if you want something, make a habit of pulling off to a rest stop to snack and stretch your legs for a few minutes. Also, read this a while ago and it does seem to be true. They said that often when you are sleepy, it's because you are dehydrated - so drink your water even if it means several pit stops. I also have to avoid pasta for lunch as the carb overload sends me to la la land, especially if I'm sitting in an all day meeting or conference and can't get up and move about.

Last weekend DH went out to run some errands and called on his way home asking if I wanted him to bring lunch. I suggested a fast food place and was looking at their nutrition numbers for various foods. I was thinking, salad is a good choice. Well with the cheese and croutons and high fat dressings, it was over 40 grams of fat. I got a burger and small chili for less than the damage of a "healthy" salad. So I guess it pays to take some time to check out your food choices. I was also surprised at the people I know on WW who gulp down V8 juice because it's zero points. (V8 is a tomato juice with several kinds of veggies mixed in). It might be zero points but there is so much sodium in V8, drinking 2 cans is like eating a box of salt. For someone like me who has to watch the salt too, I be sticking to points but not losing any weight from the salt intake.

Well, it's Sunday, lots to do today as yesterday was a part "take some time to relax" kind of day. Better get myself in gear here. Have a good one...

Don't know what I did tomy post but it seems to have disappeared. Never mind. We are having all sorts of fun and games with this system today. It is so slow that I am typing at least 3 words ahead of what is showing on the screen. Makes for some interesting typos I can tell you.

My class today which was supposed to last for two days has finished which leaves me with 1 day to spare. So I am driving around the branches tomorrow and will be checking out the trainees in their branches. One branch is at least 1 hour drive down the road. On the way back I will be stopping off at a couple of interesting places. One is a waterfall and the other is a place called the Boulders. It is sort of a Gorge (canyon) which has massive great boulders and rushing waters and beautiful still pools. Lots of things like turtles live in these waters. So I may have my lunch there with my toes dangling in the water!!!

My apartment is about to be changed again. Last night I got in and found that the telly didn't work on the Fox Sports channels, happy and teel will know that I love my rugby union footy and I like to watch it as much as possible. So I got shifted to another room. Today I receive a message saying that I have been allocated a 2 room apartment with better cooking and cleaning facilities. Yahoo. Hope ithas a telly that workd!

Well best be off before I lose my temper with this computer. Time for a swim and a shower before dinner and picking up some groceries for the week. I'll catch you all tomorrow.

Nice to hear from you all. It sounds as if everyone is pretty busy. I am recovering from yesterday. We have a group of friends over from our church every other Sunday for a day of fellowship, study and food. There were 8 adults and 11 kids ranging from ages 3-15 here from 3pm to 9pm. It's a lot of fun and I enjoy the group, but I'm worn out the next day! So I stayed home from work today, no car !!! and did administrative stuff. The last time we did this meeting I did ok with eating mostly fruit/veggies. BUT this time the 'theme' for the meal was mexican food, which I really love. So I didn't do so well in the eating department. I'm hoping that the days I've done good this week will cancel out yesterday...

Shad, it sounds like you travel a bunch too, but by plane? What do you do for a living? Thanks to you all for your suggestions. I was lucky at the meeting that I was at, that they provided fruit and lunch. I was able to eat well, but more than normal as it was a LONG day with a three hour drive at the end of it. I have pretty much set myself a goal not to stop except for fuel and to use the restroom on my trips, unless I'm going into a Subway or something. Do you have this restaurant where you all are? If not, they do deli sandwiches and salads and it is pretty easy to eat healthy and correctly there.

Everyone have a good week. My 'break' is over so I'll get back to work.

Hello guys...sorry I have not been here for a few days, don't know where I have been really!! But you all seem to have filled the pages....hi again to Kimallen, glad you felt brave enough to stay with us nutcases on this thread... I have been posting here slightly less time than Shad and Happy and "the disappeared ones!"I found this site a year ago and celebrated my 1st " birthday" on about the 6th October 2003!!

I have to confess that I have not weighed in for ages but have recommited again.Ever since I received my slo-cooker I have been busy cooking portions galore to freeze so I can eat healthier...last week some extra lean diced beef for stewing was on offer so my freezer is full of 6 pots beef stew with vegetables, already to defrost and reheat and consume
I have also bought the required ingredients for ratatouille (peppers, onions, courgettes..(ok....zuchinni..oh!!how do you spell it, Happy??!!) mushrooms and then realised I had used the last tin of plum tomatoes in the stew so all the ingredients are stacked in the kitchen....on the freezer, in the fridge...on the worktop...perhaps I should chop them up, bag them and freeze them ready or they'll start walking out to the bin on their own
Talking of bins...I took my glass to the recycling bins yesterday...I had filled one mini-bin outside the house and stuffed the rest in a bag. The lid on the mini-bin had broken and fallen off and I knew some rain water had got in and I put the awful stench down to brackish water...until I got to the tip and pulled out a couple of the wine bottles and there at the bottom....was a dead ....something I could only see half a head and two pink front paws as there was still some glass bottles on top of it.... so I'm afraid I tipped the bin over the hole and shut my eyes as the remainding items slid out into the recycling bin...squeek and all...yuk yuk yuk!!!!! bleh!!
On that somewhat delightfully ill-making scenario I shall bring this to a close....

Oh by the way I am away on respite leave from Sunday for four days so I will get on when I can..
Bye bye
Be good.

Teel, thank you for the graphic description of the dead whatever. What did he die of? Alcohol poisoning?
I'm just off back on the road to another store, but remembered that the lunch for todays course was due to arrive so diverted here for that.

Kim sounds like a busy day down your way. Good that you could have some time off to catch up on the paperwork.

We have Subway here in Aussie and I think in NZ. I rarely go in to any of the fast food stores. We have enough reasonably priced fruit, veg and bread not to have to worry about it. No fast food faster than biting into a juicy apple. I'm a fruit addict and my eldest son and I have the nicknames of FruitBat 1 and Fruitbat2. It is interesting to see however that McD* and a few of the others are now introducing 'healthy salads and burgers' Like happy said, you have to watch the sugar and sodium contents in some of these things.

Kim, I can't remember how much it was that you had to lose - it certainly is difficult when you are travelling and eating out a lot. I seem to be able to manage to maintain or even lose if I stay below the Tropic of Capricorn - ie in the temperate or cool areas of Australia, however the tropics (like now - I am in Cairns) defeat me. Don't know what it is. I eat well but don't overeat, I exercise and I try to keep busy but somehow it just sneaks on.

I'm self employed and I am a workplace trainer. That means I move around workplaces training people to use IT programs. At the moment I am contracted to a company called Tradelink, they are plumbing suppliers. They are putting in a new system and it is my job to race around and train people. 1800 of them in various locations. Luckily enough I am not the only trainer. Usually I train in structured classroom courses but occasionally like today I get to drive around. So saying that I best go and do it. No time like the present to go and annoy some of my trainees!

Are you the same happy to be me on Free Republic????

Interesting that you have a more difficult time in the tropics Shad. I find it easier to deal with food the hotter the temperatures get. Am really having trouble getting the water in now that it's gotten much cooler. And Subway has built a whole marketing campaign on low fat sandwiches, unlike their fast food counterparts. I have yet to try them though not being a big fan of Subway but everyone says their low fat Chicken Teryaki sandwich is wonderful.

Teel you make me smile with your adventures with the back yard wildlife. But what a nasty surprise in the bin. I always rinse out my recylables because as winter nears, we have a problem with field mice in the area. I especially noticed it the winter after our cat passed away - guess even as old and meek as she was, it kept the critters away. DH has been begging me ever since to get another but I am so horribly allergic to them that I said no, and we won't discuss it again. EVER. So now he wants a bunny again. Hope you get some rest while away, we will miss you while you're gone. Kim can help us from slumping down to page 2 on the listings.

Kim I love Mexican food too. And it's really hard to be good when eating that what with the sauces and add ons and things that make it so delicious.

I have decided in my next life I want to come back as a man. They really have it much easier than we do and they get to whine and moan as much as they please and do what they want on their schedules and no one thinks the worse of them. I'm still trying to figure out why they think we are the ones who have it made... DH has not given me an answer yet that I agree with, but I keep asking...

I have heard that Subway low fat stuff is not too bad. However I would also be wanting to know how much sugar or sodium is also included and whether ithe nutritional advice is per portion. Certainly portion control has more to do with losing weight for me than fat, sugar or salt content. Subway is not a place I go to often. For me fast food is fruit from the fridge, lo fat dip and bikkies, vegetables and crackers, yoghurt or a lean cuisine (infrequently). If I am eating out, I tend to go for fish restaurants or Thai. I love Italian and Mexican but it is definitely not low fat!. I well remember the Cheescake Factory that you took me too Happy and I think of the portions they served there. Unbelievable what they expected a person to be able to eat!!!!
I'm back in the classroom again. Yesterday was a disaster as far as training goes. I don't think I achieved anything at all work wise.
One thing though, I am now finding I am enjoying my exercises and the walk first thing in the morning a lot more . It is quite novel walking along the beachfront in Cairns at 5.30am. The Esplanade has distance markers on it and I am now managing a 3km walk (about 1600metres to the mile) in about 15 minutes and I feel good with it. Hot and sweaty but good. My knee is not bothering me much so somewhere along the line those stretching and bending exercises must be doing me good! Geez never thought I would hear myself say that! Yesterday I did the exercises, took the walk and had a swim late in the evening (after I watched the Canadians play football against the Italians). Gee the Canucks played well last night. They lost but certainly not be the margin they were expected to lose by!

Anyway time to move along. Time to get that genie out and prod Annie back into action I think.