Hey, it's almost Mother's Day! Everyone starts the advertising so early nowadays that I get caught off guard. I had to scramble to get cards in the mail today. My mom's birthday is coming up soon, too, and want to think of a nice present (that's easy to mail).

Nikki, I'm so excited for you. So many people drag out their theses until it becomes a black cloud over their lives....good for you to just bear down and grind it out! I'm serious about putting myself on some kind of limited diet for a few weeks. Maybe I have too many options right now, and am undercutting myself with too much mixing and matching. Clearly have a strict routine works beautifully for you!

Carol, I like Cooking Light's recipes, they are so much more interesting than the ones you usually see in magazines. I will be traveling again soon, heading to the Northwest. I might even get to see the wild and crazy Penny! And where did you find that DVD so cheap? Did you buy it from a member of a certain society ? It costs nearly $60 at the store.

Marie, my grandfather was killed by lightening when my father was young, and thunderstorms have always made my mother nervous from experiences she had as a child. So I'm surprised that I actually like thunderstorms. The only issue is that where I live now we seem to lose power at the drop of a hat, and there have been times when it's taken days for power to be restored, for reasons that aren't at all clear to me.

Penny, I have lavendar pillow spritz, but I forget to use it. I like to read in bed, then turn on an hypnosis program as I'm falling asleep. The difficult time is between 8:30 to 9:30 or so, when I settle in front of the tube with the paper....I did well last night, no food after 9PM, which is supposed to be the rule.

Okay, back to work--judy

Judy-
I really did not have a choice. It is due this Saturday. My program gives us a year to do it. Anyhow lol it is almost done we just have to look it over for format later tonight. Today is my first day of having next to nothing to do and I am so antsy lol.

Good job on your eating.
Nikki

Happy Wednesday to everyone!!! It's sunny and pretty out. I think I'm going to walk to the store at lunch for a Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi fountain drink. I love fountain drinks!!! We're going to DS1's apartment for dinner tonight. That should be interesting. Then tomorrow we're going to Eugene for a conf. I have to attend. DH is taking the days off

Okay, now a bit later - I walked to the store (about .5 mile round trip) and it was so cool. I'm wearing a jean skirt (just above the knee) with no tights/nylons. I switched my sandals for walking shoes and went. At no point did my thighs RUB together. No rash, no sweat. How cool is that???

Nikki, you should play outside on your down time. Spring is so fresh and alive. I bet you're so excited that you're done with the thesis. Enjoy induction (I have trouble thinking that would be enjoyable but then...)

Carol, how about you post the recipe here or at least the dressing. It sounds like a great dressing for the summer. Your dinner sounds delicious!

Judy, I sent my mother a gift card to one of her favorite restaurants (TGI Fridays). I told her to open the card when it gets there and that I was taking her and my dad out to dinner on Monther's Day. Worked out great!

Penny, I hope your excited getting ready for your trip to Boise. I sure wish you were going to be in town tomorrow evening. We could have gotten together.

Well, I guess I should work again...
Marie

Carol - You sound very motivated - I hope it's catching! I'm sure you are giving a bit sigh of relief that the shower is over and was such a big success. Now you'll have a little more "you" time. Your Mexican salad recipe sounds nice. I get a lot of recipes online, like a delicious chicken curry salad I made with leftover deli roast chicken. My DH loved it and asked me to make it again soon. It had celery, raisins, halved green grapes and apple in it - so it's quite healthy. I get most of my recipes from Epicurious and Allrecipes. I got some excellent curry powder from a local Indian grocery store. I asked the owner which one was a popular brand. It's so much more flavorful than the one from my regular grocery store.

Nikki - You must be relieved all your hard work is coming to fruition. Don't worry about the little blip on the scale. I'm sure you'll lose again when you go back on induction. I hope the final touches to your thesis go well.

Marie - When I met with you and your DH I was on my best behavior! We brits can be a pretty wild bunch (don't let the accents fool ya!) I'm getting excited about our trip to Boise to see our DS. Sorry I won't be able to get toether with you this time. Hopefully you'll be up this way again before too long. Yay for you and your jean skirt! I rarely wear a skirt, so I don't know if mine still do - I'll have to try it out. I like thunderstorms so much I even told my DH I'd like to move to an area where they have more dramatic weather. Trouble is, it can be a bit too dramatic with tornadoes and hurricanes, etc. that go along with it. I think I'll have to stick with my Thunderstorm CD!

Judy - I think we had more thunderstorms when I was a kid in England than we do here. I remember hiding under the stairs in a little cubby room and drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies (that's probably where the pleasurable connection lies!)

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I probably won't be checking in for a few days while we're away.

Girls I flipped over to get my recipe and lost my note oh well. At any rate I walked an hr. last night and feel a bit sore on my back. But that has been an issue lately. After I am up a bit it goes away. I am trying to exercise a bit everyday and get in at least 8 miles a week or 2.5 hrs. of exercise. I am not sure about the scale as I haven't tried it latey just going by my clothes and how I feel. And that is good! Almost scared to try the scale as maybe it will make me less motivated if I am disappointed crazy huh? Funny how our minds work. At any rate here is the salad recipe and oh so good. I cheated a little and bought a spice mixed already McCormick Chili Lime seasoning oh its great on everything I am hooked.
Black Bean and Chicken Taco Salad Recipe:
1/4 cup chopped seeded tomatoe, 1/4 cup cilantro fresh, 2 T. olive oil, 1 tsp. grated lime rind, 1 T. fresh lime juice, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. cumin, 1/4 tsp. chili powder, 1/4 tsp. blk pepper and one garlic clove minced. Blend it in the blender til smooth. I added a bit extra lime to mine.
Salad: 8 cups lettuce or greens, 1 1/2 cups grilled, roasted chicken (I grilled mine after marinated in lime and lemon with a splash of vinegar and garlic, salt and pepper) 1 cup of tomatoes diced, 1 cup green peppers, 1 cup red onion, 1/2 cup of cheese shredded reduced sharp or taco cheese or both. 4 cups of fat free tortilla chips on the side of it to scoop I used the lime flavor oh so good! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have. You can even leave the chicken out I made it both ways for the veggies in my family.
Well talk to you all soon and have a super day !

Just running though to say "hi." It's one of those days when a dozen or more little windows are always open at the bottom of my computer . I went off program last night with a friend who was in from out of town--wine and creme brulee, and only a short workout yesterday morning. I'd planned to workout in the evening, but the only lifting I did was of glasses and cutlery . But today's another day, and so far, so good.

judy

Judy, I shared your "lifting" with a co-worker at the conference that I'm bored at. We both laughed. You have a great sense of humor. I always have about 12-15 windows open as I work. The queen of mulit-tasking...

So the conference, I'm so bored. Big time bored. I did the two projects they assigned and now I'm here. But it's okay and parts are interesting. They had chicken caesar salad for lunch and that was yummy. I skipped the cookies but did have a piece of garlic bread.

Before we drove up to Eugene, I did the jogging and walking. The hotel has a fitness room so tomorrow morning I should be able tos tay on track. My co-worker and I just found a Dutch Brothers Coffee a block away and we too an unscheduled break. I just had a skinny iced mocha. That was exciting.

Penny, I hope your trip is fun. I looked at a map of how far it was. I hope you have a good weekend.

Carol, thanks for the recipe - the seasoning sounds great. I'm going to look the next time I'm at the store.

Okay, maybe I'll pay attention for a moment...
Marie

Tahnk goodness its friday! Wow what a busy week. Conference all day for me on monday at one of our local hotels. Should be a good one a great speaker its on austisum disorder etc. Something there is always room to learn more on. My job gets more demanding by the day. We are now going to be trained I've already started on abuse etc. as we are to investigate when there is a concern for anyone whom lives at home on our case load. Just one more thing to do. I am not overall comfortable with investigating a rape or allegation if you mess up one little thing it could go the other way etc. no longer can those files be handed over to Adult Protective for our clients. Oh wow! Anyways lots of added stress no added funds to make up for all this extra. I think we should make a list of how many responsibilities we carry on our shoulders though no one higher up seems to care. Okay I have vented sorry guys! Just had to let it out I guess. Well I am real glad its friday and I am buying some nice garden gloves today and going to do yard work to burn cals this weekend at home and moms. Take care and hope you coffee was really tasty Marie. Sounded good! Judy that was a nice outing we all need a break once in awhile.

Hi Everyone

I just wanted to pop in quickly. I hope everyone is doing well. I will be back to normal Monday I can't wait. The first 2 days back on induction atkins went very smoothly.

Penny- I hop your trip is fun

Marie-How long are you at the conference?

Enjoy your weekend everyone. I have a conference Saturday morning where I have to defend my thesis. Then it is all over. My mom and boyfriend arecoming so I am nervous.Wish me luck

Nikki

Okay, I'm back to being responsibly on program again . After work last night I went to the fitness center. I like to do 10-15 minutes on the recumbent bike, 10-15 on a ellipitical trainer, and finish up on the treadmill, for a total of 45-50 minutes. The bike has always bored me to tears, so I do it first to get it out of the way. Because there were a lot of people working out yesterday, I stayed on the bike for 40 minutes, which is unheard of . Before I would have sulked and left after 15 minutes. So yaay, me! I was entertained by a couple of guys who clearly don't really know what they are doing with the weight machines, but act as if they are in the Olympic finals, with extra huffing and flexing their arms . I don't want to be around when one of them hurts himself through carelessness or showing off. The fittest people seem to be the ones who have a routine or a circuit, keep their heads down and just knock it out. I'd rather be one of them...

Nikki, good luck tomorrow! I'm very excited for you.

Carol, you are taking on some very heavy responsibilities. It's one thing to have an opinion, but another to know that someone's well-being (and maybe someone else's criminial charges) depends on your investigation. I hope the supervisors understand how much you're doing. Digging around in your garden should help with the stress.

Marie, I bet you have been whispering and passing notes throughout the conference. I hope that today is a little more engaging!

Penny, I hope you're having a good trip.

I went to Curves on my way to the office this morning. I was the only one there, so it was nice and peaceful. I will try this for the rest of the month, and maybe I'll start enjoying Curves again.

Have a great weekend! I will shop for clothes, work in the office a bit, and start the first week of South Beach (I'm low on fruit, anyway).

judy

Way to go on your workout Judy you rock !

Judy I bring my concerns forward for what ever it is worth. I told my supervisor my thoughts on this matter. She said that if I had to react for someone she feels confident that I most likely would handle things in the right manner. That our instincts are greater than we realize etc. oh now I feel better hah hah! Fill me with confindence huh? Well it is a pretty day and I plan on doing some garage sales then yard work and last but needed grocery shopping too! Well have a great weekend and to all the mothers of the world Happy Moms Day! I will be spending the day helping my mom with her gardens and spring clean up. Hope my back is better its one of those oh it hurts mornings. Not fun but the Advil should kick in soon and then it just goes away morning old age I guess. I hope to kayak at some point and time this weekend. Gotta get it out and ck it out first run for the season. I think it will just be on the canal for the first time if I flip its not to bad of a swim to the edge but of course I have no intentions of flipping. Good arm exercise this weekend.

Happily the conference it over. Day 2 was better than Day 1 probably because I knew I'd be going home to my doggies and pool. But the co-worker and I skipped out early on Day 1 and so DH went to Kohl's and bought new swimsuits for us both so we could use the hotels pool and spa. It was very nice. I then used their treadmill on Friday morning - it's not nearly as nice as mine. When we got home my doggies were thrilled to see me. I truly despise leaving them. I hate it so much.

Today we took dear doggies to Hamaker mountain to run free. The donkey found a rotting animal to dig into and the smell was unbelievable on the way home. I was gagging, trying not to throw up. Did heave a few times but I stuck my head out the window with my sweatshirt over my face. BTW, dear jack *** got a bath...

We then swam this afternoon. I got my new wetsuit and I tried it on. Unbelieveable but the small fit. If I grow it won't. But I didn't need it as the pool is up to 81.5 degrees. The air was way colder at 67. And about a 20 mph nort wind. I stayed in the water this time and swam over 1/4 miles. So with the 3 mile hike, that's a good day.

Nikki, I hope the defensive of your thesis went good. I bet it did. I'm glad you're happy to be back on Adkins.

Judy, way to go on the workouts. I agree with getting bored on the bike. I found it was WAY better listening to audiobooks. Then I could zone out and pedal. You did do better than moi on not laughing at the foolish Olympians. I'd have been too entertained.

Carol, I'm sorry your job is getting even more stressful. I bet you'll be right when you suspect something. You have a good head. I hope you take it easy on the yard work for you mom. I know wshe wouldn't want you to injure yourself, especially when you have so much to do before the wedding.

Well, my pizza is done so I'll chat tomorrow.
Marie

Mothers Day was nice but I didn't hear from my son that hurt a bit. But I will accept the fact that they may of gone away or what ever. My daughters spent the day with me and helped my mom. The one whom is getting married gave me a lovely card and it said it all. It almost brought tears to my eyes and she wrote it herself grateful for all my help, friendship etc. Oh so nice! My oldest daughter brought me lots of love and both girls gave me plants and flower seeds for my beds. My mom enjoyed her day with all of us. We also had my 7 yr old grandaughters birthday celebration too. A busy weekend it was but nice. I have a conference today at a local hotel. It should be nice I am glad you got to get out and enjoy while you were away at yours Marie. We skipped out of the last hr. of ours last month. Sometimes you just get the little devil in you that says hey this way lets go have some fun! I guess our weather temp is to be 80's on tues. sounds great I say! Today is to be in the 70's. I will plan on walking this evening. I cleaned my closet this weekend and got rid of 2 garbage bags of clothes. Still need to do the shoe closet oh no! Not my shoes! But the time has come to part with some things to make room. I tried to organize it so my clothes will be easier to choose for work days. Then I have a pile of camping gear! Got to go buy my life saver for kayaking never got there this weekend. But next week we are off for the weekend and have a site that I can pull my kayak right up to for the whole weekend. I plan on going off on it alot. Just enjoying life and the natural beauty around me. The other couple we are camping with are bringing extra folks. So I plan on spending some quiet time to by myself or with the hubby. Well take care and have a good day not to bad of a weekend food wise except a few chicken wings and pizza friday night. I think I worked them off. I need to go try on a smaller size in my new skirt. Maybe it will fit better or I will need to keep this one? That will be the after work adventure today. At the conference I hope to eat healthy today if there is dessert I will share a piece with someone or bring half home for the SIL.

Hi everyone-

Happy Belated Mother's day .

Carol- I am sorry you did not hear from your son. However, I'm glad you had a nice day with your daighters and grandaughters.


Marie - I know what you mean about being relieved something is over

I am done with school. My thesuis defense went well. Also,my professor is lookng for a research assistant part time for the summer and I applied. It will be somewhat slave labor but it will look good on my resume. I am still on induction and in ketosis. I am seeing 3 ish pound los since I went on it. I am hoping to reach a 5 lb loss this week. By sunday I'd like to lose 4 more I think it is doable.

Nikki