Jo - Have a good trip and hope Dom has a great time.

Hi Girls,

Sorry I've not been around for a few days ... the computer has been 'away' ... for repairs yet again!! ... It's the last time we're getting it fixed ... the money we've spent over the past 12 months would have bought us a new one!!

Anyway, just wanted to say 'Hi' ... Still struggling along ... not done too well lately!! I'm really busy right now as our visitors from the UK arrive on Friday and I'm trying to get our apartment sorted to accommodate them!! ... Some holiday it's been for me so far since finishing work for the summer hols ... I'm exhausted!

I'll try to catch with you all again soon.

Nichola

PS ... Welcome to Sparklerose!

The thread's been a little slow lately. Hope you all are doing well. I'm still chugging along. Haven't lost any more weight although I would love to lose 10lbs before hubby comes home from Yemen at the end of the month. Think that'll happen?

Well got to run off. Hope to hear from you all soon.

Love,
Raff

Hi folks, I'm back. No idea how I've done, not dared step on the scales.

The hockey camp was fab for Dom he learnt so much in such a short time...the main coaches were a British hockey star (yes there really is one ), and a Canadian hockey player, and was run by the head coach of the professional team we follow.

At the end of the camp eight trophies were handed out and guess what???? DOM WON ONE!!!! He got a trophy for the hardest/fastest shot. They got a police officer to come to the rink with a speed gun to measure how fast the kids could get the puck to travel with a wrist shot, and Dom did it faster than the other 26 kids......he managed 28 mph and was so happy. He'll never be the best skater or the best puck-handler because his dyspraxia slows him down, so to actually achieve something for a skill is just incredible.

Natty was bored for the entire week and doesn't feel like we had a vacation this summer....although she did like being able to swim every day (there was a pool at the centre where the rink was).

Right, I have a mountain of laundry to tackle. Have a good weekend.

Jo

Hey everyone!

Just a quick pop in. It seems like the summer is slipping away. Hope I can get back on track in September.

Lorraine

Hello Ladies!

Just popping in to say Hi. Mom's still recouping from surgery and she's not feeling very well so we are all a bit concerned. She has another dr's appt on Friday. We're hoping that the dr. can shed some light on why she's not eating.

I'm just waiting for this summer to pass because it has been in the upper 90s and even hit the three digits one day. I can't take this humid NY heat. Fall can't come quick enough for me.

The scale is registering the same weight, which I find to be impossible because I truly feel like I've gained weight. My doctor weighed me the other and I still weigh the same. She said that since I stopped walking because of the weather I may have lost muscle and replaced it with fat. Makes sense.

Jo - It's wonderful that Dom had a great time. I'm sure you are so proud that he won a trophy. Does he hope for a future in hockey?

Hope everyone else ok and hope to hear from you all soon.

Love,
Raff

P.S. Got a little recipe for you.....take a couple of jars of marinated artichoke hearts and one gar of roasted red peppers. Drain and mix together. Add olive oil and sliced garlic. You can also add black olives if you like and any Italian seasoning. Enjoy.

Raff, I hope you find the answers soon for your Mom.

Dom does want to be a professional hockey player in the NHL (but then he wants to be a magician too!). We have no misconceptions about it though, he loves the game, we love watching him play the game BUT with his dyspraxia his fine motor skills aren't what they should be, and we're under no illusions about his future. If he can find a rec league as an adult I think that will be as far as it goes, he will not make it as a hockey player (plus the pay for pros in the UK is not good).

I'm off to the hospital this afternoon for a check up after my bout in hospital in June. I've had two bad days since I got out, one of them was yesterday, and both due to stress....so I guess it probably is an ulcer, or the pre-ulcer indicators.

Talk soon
Love
Jo

Hi Girls,

Don't worry, I haven't desserted you ... my visitors are still over from the UK until Friday, and the past couple of weeks have been hectic!! It's been great having them here but I'm looking forward to getting back to my normal routine this weekend when they've gone home!!

Haven't been near the scales ... I'm dreading it!! Been over induldging in both the food and drink department so I'm going to be starting over yet again when they've gone. My clothes are telling me that I've gained lbs!!!! So I'll just have to buckle down and get really serious about it ... I'm actually looking forward to it ... I'm sick of going out for meals and drinking ... hasn't stopped me though!!

Nick has had a some time off work whilst they've been here but he's had to go into the office for a couple of days and I persueded our visitors to have a day out on their own today ... I'm totally chilled out, still in my dressing gown and not even yet showered ... It's wonderful having the place to myself for the day!! ... except for Tom & Sophie who are also enjoying having their bedrooms to themselves for a few hours!!

Anyway, must get on and do a few chores whilst I have the chance!!

Catch up with you all properly in a few days.

Nichola

So, where has everyone disappeared to in my absence??

At last my visitors have departed ... it was good seeing them all again ... but it's even better now they've gone and we've got the place back to ourselves again .... Does that sound selfish??

Anyway, it's been a very exhausting time and I've just got this week to chill out a bit until going back to work next Monday. In a way I'm looking forward to getting back to some sort of routine ... but not looking forward to the early mornings!!

Needless to say, whilst our visitors have been here, I've gained loads and am now back up to 178lbs and starting over!! Staying with the GI Diet but also going to keep track of calories as it's so easy to kid myself that I'm not over-induldging

So, how's everyone else doing?

Catch up with you all again soon.

Nichola

Hi all,

I'm still around, thankfully! I got rear ended yesterday on my way to work and am starting to feel pretty stiff and sore. If I don't perk up, I'll head to the Dr. tomorrow. Still fully intending to start at WW in September again.

Nichola...I know what you mean about having your own space after visitors. It's nice to have your own place back.
Lorraine

Lorraine, sorry to hear about what happened yesterday but glad to hear that you weren't injured ... hope you're feeling ok soon.

Finding it difficult to get back on track properly and hoping that when I go back to work next week and get back into a 'normal routine' things will improve. I just feel so darn tired lately ... doesn't matter how much sleep I get, I still have trouble functioning properly during the day ... I guess all the late nights with visitors didn't help and it's all catching up with me!

Nichola

I feel completely off track too Nichola! I wish September would be here and be done with it. The weather here today is absolutely abyssmal anyway, so it's not like we'd be missing summer. Bring on school and a reguslar schedule. My son is an orangutan lately. Last night was the final straw. We will be initiating operation "Get to Bed" starting at 7 p.m. this evening come **** or High Water. LOL

Feeling less stiff today, which really makes me happy as I hate the whole insurance thing. I've documented with them in case something comes up, but I think all will be fine.

Nichola...make sure you're getting enough iron too. Anemia can sneak up on you, and just drain you out. Spinach for lunch! LOL

Make today a great day everyone!

Lorraine

Lorraine, glad you're feeling a little better

The weather here has been awful too lately ... especially the last week of my visitors hols ... rain and storms and ridiculously high humidity nearly every day - it would have to be the week that they'd planned on going to the beach/pool to have a sunbathe!! Finally cleared up a couple of days ago but I've not had time to enjoy it ... been trying to catch up with everything since they left!!

As far as the tiredness thing is concerned, it' been bothering me for a while now actually. Not sure whether it's just because I don't get enough rest ... I'm usually late going to bed (no matter how much I try to get to bed earlier it never seems to happen!) and have to get up early for work ... or whether there is some other underlying cause for it Anyway, I'm going to see how I feel when I get back to work, and I'm going to make an effort to get more rest and generally take care of myself more. If it doesn't improve in a few weeks I'll go see the doc.

I've got a bag of spinach in the fridge ... so spinach for lunch it is then!!

Nichola

This is just a quickie to say that I weighed-in yesterday and I'm down 3lbs, so finally back on track!

Hope everyone has a good weekend ... hope to see a few more people around here next week!!

Nichola

Fantastic Nichola! Keep going!

I, on the other hand, and starting to resemble an overstuffed sausage in shoddy casing. Ugh.

Lorraine