Hi everyone, its way past time to start the thread for this week and since I can't figure out how to do what I need to do, what the hey!

Hola to all out there. Its grey and nasty here in Seattle. Its enough to make you want to go back to bed and stay there until Spring.

Thanksgiving is here and I am pausing everyday to give thanks for my life. I may not be always the most positive person, but overall, I am thankful and humbled by the fact I have a roof over my head, a good job, health and an excellent relationship w/my DP and my parents.

So, this weekend was a hard one on the eating front. Tired, overwhelmed by guests and prissed off at one attendee. I need to work this out. I'm going to take the hit tomorrow and try and beat down this 5 lb budge for good.

Patch: I'm so sorry to hear about your dad. I'm heartened to hear he is recovering most of his skills. It is very scary that our parents are getting older. I'm glad you are there to help out and try and take some time for yourself.

I'm sure melissa is having a nice time on vacation. ktis probably at the limbo contest right now too!

Everyone else, what is going on? Should be a quiet week here. Off to SD tomorrow night and back hopefully early (Friday night). I seem to managing one rt trip a week. Only one more to go this year.

lalala (who is feeling much like stuffing herself today)

Thanks Lala, tough stuff but unfortunately we all have to go through it. Dad is home and though moving slowly seems to be functioning pretty well.

I'm here through Thanksgiving and then flying up to Boston to "finally" connect with my hubby and his family... then coming back home to LA on Sunday.

Good luck with your Turkey Day, and it sounds like you also need to take some time for yourself.

Hi la and patch,

patch, sorry to hear about Dad and hope he's feel better soon.

Lala, thanks for the upbeat reminders of what we should be thankful for. I've been feeling pretty unpeppy lately.

Trying to mitigate the eating in prep for the BIG DAY on Thursday. Unfortunately with freezers stuffed with toffee bars (P.S. they are delicious frozen) and cheese straws and other extremely edible items, the resolve has been less than sterling. I got myself on the treadmill today. It did feel good...after about 10 minutes. The first 10 were killers. Could hardly move myself. I didn't realize I'd been exercising less, but I guess I have?

Okay, girlies, i'm still at work tomorrow, so I shall check in. Hey, who am I fooling, I check in from home too!!!

oh laurel, forget the toffee bars, cheese straws are superior!!!!!!!!

i remember making some for a dinner party up at our cabin in the wilds of Northern British Columbia. Delightful. I stupidly left them on the coffee table and Jacques quite enjoyed the rest of the plate while we were in the dining room eating dinner.

Mmmmm.

I'll be checking in from SD. Thank goodness for the cable modem. I also have a proposal to review and finish up by COB Friday. Sigh.

lala

Hey gals -

First off Laurel, wonderful congrats on celebrating your 19th. Enjoy and celebrate the heck out of it. Any particular plans?

I just had my 3rd on Nov. 15th. Defintiely a strange one since hubby was in LA and I in Fla. But, we had a wonderful weekend just before I got the news and left to go to my parents. Ya know, as tough as life can be, it can also be very special. I am grateful I do have my family and friends.

Thanks guys for reminding me.

Hi everyone! I miss not checking in daily on the boards. Being off of work has my schedule all out of whack. Anyway, I'm really trying to stay on track eating wise but it's hard.

I'm trying to get the house in order for tomorrow--lots of cleaning, laundry, cooking is on the list. There's never enough time to get things done. I am, however, taking time out of my day today to head to my weekly meeting. I need it to keep my sanity

Patch: I hope your dad is doing better. It's a slow recovery process. My dad had a stroke a number of years ago and most of the residual effects have gone. He still has some problems but for the most part he has no long term problems. My dad is 73.

Laurel: I can relate to not being as peppy lately. There's been a lot of stress with things at work and I find myself more easily agitated and upset. Doesn't help either that TOM is visiting. I'm also working on getting in some more exercise...I've really slacked off in that department lately.

On a up note, the weather here is crisp and cool. It seems the lake effect snow they were calling for earlier has dissipated...so that means that I'll be able to get out for a walk after dinner tomorrow.

Hope everyone is maintaining some level of sanity. Happy Wednesday!

Ugh, gained a pound at last night's weigh in. Not a good sign for the holiday season to come. But on the other hand, a good wake up call. Wake up and smell the toffee bars!! (Don't worry, Lala, I've had plenty of cheese straws too, straight from the freezer). I am an incorrigble compulsive eater!!! HELP ME!!!!

So this has actually made me think about the upcoming eating opportunities. Maybe I won't say to myself, Aww, I'll just eat whatever I want.

Will def be exercising or walking or something all weekend long, if the Lord is willing. Amen.

Lala, are we talking about South Dakota?? (SD) and COB went right over my head.

Patch, hope Dad is continuing to improve.

Melissa, let's keep moving. We can inspire each other.

Everyone, have a lovely lovely Thanksgiving come what may!!!

Laurel-
San Diego - SD

COB - close of business, a very, governmental term eh???

stay away from the cheese straws or you'll end up like Jacques,
he can barely fit between the seats of the volvo.

poor guy.

happy turkey day early. I'm hitting whole foods in search of things for nutrition.

lala

Hi everyone! I went to my meeting at noon which was much needed. It gave me a little more motivation to keep moving forward. I was up 1.6# this week... but I know what I need to do to move ahead. Some of this gain I know is from TOM but I can't attribute all of it. I need to move more and watch the eating...

They're calling for nice weather here so I'm planning on getting out and walking after dinner tomorrow. I need to move more. I certainly don't want to gain over the holiday season. So, Laurel, we can do this and we know what we need to do to make our goals so let's do it!

My leader had an interesting topic today and we talked about the reason why to stay at the meetings especially this time of year. I'm going to focus more on keeping up with my journal, drinking water and moving more.

Hi all-

Foggy here now. Yikes. Good thing I came yesterday.

Melissa- don't worry that weight will be off next week. I am trying to get home early for a bunch of reasons, one being that I missed my meeting this week, did wi, but didn't stay and really feel its necessary for my success.

Nothing much going on here. My DP was offered a new job and is brooding it over. Sort of glad I'm 1000 miles away for this, it gives her a bit of space to think about it.

I'm about to start the pie thing - pumpkin w/a streudel topping and a cranberry tart.

Hopefully, my bro, friend and I will hit the movies tonight. Gotta see them while we can.

Take care all, have a great turkey day!

lala

Hi everyone.

We moved to new office space a week ago today and it has taken the entire week to get re-connected to email and internet service. It's a long story; we're outside of the normal range of these services, so have to access remotely..yada..yada. Anyway, it's good to be back!

Hope you are having a great holiday with family and friends. We in Canada will continue to work and try to hold up the North American productivity numbers on your behalf.


Patch: I've missed reading some of the posts and I gather that your Dad has had a stroke. I hope he is much improved by the time you read this.

lala: What movie will you be seeing? DH and I saw Heist last nite. It was entertaining, but a little too violent in spots for me. I like Gene Hackman though.

lm: I've never had a cheese straw. Does it look like it sounds? Sorry about the gain, but it's only 1 lb. so don't fret too much. Get some exercise and try to balance off the extra eating that way.

melissa: Ditto. I am weighing in tomorrow and I am expecting a gain also. It is currently TOM for me and my eating has been especially bad. Example - Popcorn and strawberry twizzlers last nite for dinner (at the movie theatre). I'd hold off til next week but I think I need a wake-up call now.

katie: I'm thinking of you, somewhere on the ocean blue, wishing I could be there too, boohoo....

Happy weekend all.

Hi all-

seesaw glad to see back in the world of the internet, and yes, definitely keep north america productive. Its amazing how slow life progresses between end of nov and new years...

well, back from san diego, spent 2 hours on the ground at seattle due to a security breach. The airport security metal detector was malfunctioning. Apparently they didn't plug it in. argh....

so, back at work to figure out how to get all that has to be done
by tuesday pm, done.

DP, Jacques and I went a test-jumped a new car today-The new volvo station wagon. We're trying to decide on getting a demo that is totally loaded and has 4500 miles on it or waiting and getting a new one w/no options for a bit less. The dog liked the car and the guy let him get in it in, so that was a plus. I hate making snap desc. and its a lot of money, so we'll see....

So, moderate week for a week of gluttony. I am hoping to recover next week and go into dec. w/ october's stellar performance.

hope everyone is okay and snug at home.

lala

Back to work tomorrow for me The week off was really nice although stressful at times. I'm just glad this holiday is over. The flip side is that this is just the beginning. I have way too many things coming up and I'll need to plan ahead so that I don't go overboard.

Lala: Gotta love those Volvo's. I have a 1990 that I love. I bought my first one just out of high school and swear by them. I, unfortunately, had an accident with the one I bought in high school just 4 months after purchasing it. The car was totaled but I walked away with just some bruises. I was lucky, especially since I wasn't wearing a seatbelt at the time. (This was back in 1980.) The newer cars are really nice. Maybe you could strike a deal with the dealer to come down a little more on the car.

Seasaw: Glad to see you back!

Hope everyone had a good holiday!

Hi everybody. I have finally waddled over to my little computer room, squeezed through the doorway and rolled into my little computer chair. It's definitely not fitting too well. Jacques mon petite (?) chien, we definitely see eye to eye on cheese straws and so much more in the food department. Folks, I was not a WW posterchild this weekend. Way off the deep end. Well tomorrow is another day. Can we all say "23 points"???

seasaw a cheese straw is a salty, cheesy, crunchy and all-around irresistable baked good I bought at our work bake sale, "for the family at Thanksgiving". The only good news about cheese straws is that you apparently need some heavy duty cookie press to make them, which I'm happy to say I do not possess and now that what remained of the straws is a couple of hours away at Mom's house (P.S. we forgot to put them out on Turkey Day itself), I'm hoping that cheese straws are just a distant fond memory. Good bye cheese straws - hello puffed wheat!!!

I'm seriously considering feeding the leftover pecan pie to the worms or the birds before I consume the rest of it - "just a sliver" at a time.

It's kind of sad to me to know that I still have no self-control at all. Oh woe is me.

Fortunately, I will work out tomorrow and that will be great!!!

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play???