Hmmm, an odd weekend. I left work a little early on Friday to play golf with DH. We had a good time, but we just missed a bad storm. The weekend was pretty much a washout--it rained off and on the whole time. I know that we need it, but it sort of made me feel blue. On Saturday, I took a Pilates class and that was great! I had awakened with a backache, told the Pilates instructor that and she did some exercises with me that made it go away

Saturday night was the opening of the comedy show I was in. Note the operative word, "was." I quit the show Saturday night. It was such a bomb. We only had 27 people in the audience and most of them were gone by the end. The show had potential, but the producer wouldn't listen to any input from the experienced actors. I'm so glad I'm out of it.

On Sunday I went to a rehearsal for Vivaldi's Gloria. I think it will be a great piece to perform. The music is great. Other than that I just putzed around the house.

Can't wait to hear about Melissa's vacation.

Eating-wise this weekend, I did all right, except for Saturday night after the show, went to a bar and had some onion rings.

Lori, yes it has gotten so dark. I walk in the morning, but I carry a flashlight. It is still very warm here--we are supposed to get a break later this week. It would be great to open the windows in the house.


Lori-- you said: "As far as the blood, it requires them to not only draw it, but mix it with some other media." I didn't realize that. It must be a complicated test. Regarding cysts, mine have been filled with fluid, but the one that got infected in April--it hurt bad because it was filled with infection. I was hopeful after the minor surgery that it would go away--60% chance, but it didn't.

Hello to Susan and Pam.

Lisa - Sorry to hear about your comedy group I was in a wind ensemble for a bit and quit because of the director. It was something I was doing for fun (like most everyone else in the group) and he was very strict. Once, I went when I had a really bad cold. I drove 45 minutes to get there. When I ran out of tissues, I got up in the middle of a song and ran to the bathroom because my nose was dripping. He yelled at me for doing so. I thought, "You know what? I get this crap at work, and I don't do that for fun!" and then I quit. I just practice on my own, but it would be nice to be in a group again (I play flute).

I got on the scale yesterday and had lost 0.4. "That's all?" I thought. But then TOM came this morning and I knew why it was only down 0.4. In fact, today I am up from yesterday's weight by 1.4

My friend's visit was great this weekend. The kids were really excited and they missed naps, so you can only imagine what that was like! I think it was too much screaming and tantrum throwing for my husband, but he dealt ok Yesterday DH and I did some work to get our dryer vented to the outside of the house. Went on short walks both days, and hoping to continue that. Today it is supposed to be unseasonably warm (75 degrees) but it gets cold tomorrow, and I think on Thursday it is supposed to be around 58! I'm really glad now I bought a jacket from Columbia that is moisture wicking and super warm so that I can go walking even if it is cold out

Lori, yes, TOM will do it to ya! I don't have that any more and I LOVE it (used to have bad ones). Yes, I would have quit that ensemble, too. I think people forget when there are volunteers in some effort that they're doing it for fun! Your weather sounds refreshing to me. Keep on walking!

Hi guys.

It's going to be another warm day here - we hit record highs yesterday just about everywhere in Atlantic Canada. I wish I could bottle this - along with the spectacular fall colours - and open it up sometime in late January...

I got out for a short run yesterday. My knee (for which I've been going to physio for the past month) is still a little weak but there is no more pain. I am thankful for that. I have a physio apptmnt today and am hoping it will be the last one.

The weekend was a rough one. My sister and her new beau came for dinner on Saturday nite (which was fun) but I drank too much wine (which was fun at the time) and was miserable the next day. I certainly won't be doing that again (at least until I forget that awful headache).

Lisa: Sorry about the comedy show, but it sounds like a good decision to me. If you're not having fun, what's the point??

Lori: The good thing about weight gain around TOM is that it disappears right afterwards. I wish I had that as an excuse but, like Lisa, that is over for me. And I don't miss it.

Is Melissa due back this week? Hi to Pam.

Susan

Susan, good to hear from you. That is strange weather for you, isn't it? Too much wine does make the head hurt. Glad the knee is doing better. DH got third place in a 5K on Saturday. He's really made a lot of progress since his knee surgery.

Good morning ladies!

It's raining here this morning and the temps are still on the warm side for ths time of year; the fall colors are not as bright/spectacular as they have been in the past. Tomorrow it's only supposed to be 55!

DH and I had a wonderful vacation! We both said it was the best one we've taken. We left at 4 a.m. last Saturday--yes, 4 a.m., we came to a compromise because he wanted to leave at 3! Anyway, the ride was long and we had a couple of patches of construction and an accident which threw our schedule off a little.

We stayed in Scarborough for 3 nights and basically took each day as it came so there wasn't a schedule as to doing things on a certain day, etc. We went to Freeport (LL Bean) and spent the day there--it was great. The nice part about Maine is that there is no smoking in restaurants/bars! I was in heaven! Anyway, I ate a lot of seafood and of course had to try the seafood/clam chowder almost every day. Each was unique. We spent one day in Portland where we parked our car in the morning and walked all over the downtown/Old Port area. I had a blister on my heal at the end of the day from all the walking! We did find a great little bakery, Standard Baking Company, which was listed in the Fodor/Frommer's books and they suggested the "morning buns" which are like a pecan roll only better! We got the rolls and their blend of coffee and sat outside at the tables and enjoyed ourselves.

The seafood in Maine is wonderful--I enjoyed the haddock and had it almost every day. DH and I sometimes split a sandwich for lunch so overall I don't think I did that bad with eating. I'd love to go back and spend more time in the area--there were a lot of places that we didn't get to see. We did get to see 5 lighthouses and did a bunch of walking along the rocks/beaches.

The B&B in Kennebunkport (The Maine Stay Inn) was perfect--we had an outside cottage so it gave us a little privacy. We stayed there for 2 nights and took road trips to Ogunquit and walked along Marginal Way, which is a 1.5 mile trail along the coast. It was hard coming back to work on Monday.

Pam: We didn't get a chance to stop along the way but I did see the houses as we whizzed by the Palmer/Ware exit. DH was on a mission to get to our hotel and after having the construction/accident along the way we just kept going. I would love to live in the area that you're in because you're so close to a lot of things. Congrats on the Red Sox! I was really hoping Cleveland could've held on but they didn't play well at all the last 2 games so the better team definitely won.

I'll catch up more later.

Hi Ladies,

The weekend sure went by quickly as usual I guess. Weather here is cooling off. Yesterday it was close to 80! Unbelievable for this time of year but so very nice. Work is busier than usual since I will be out of the office starting Friday through Nov. 12th. DH will be having surgery next Tuesday in Boston so please keep him in your prayers. I may not be posting too frequently until things settle down but I will try and pop in from time to time.

Susan good to hear from you again. Glad the knee pain is gone, I know how much you enjoy running. Yikes wine headaches are the worse!

Melissa I was thinking about you a lot this week! I'm so glad you enjoyed your vacation. Maine is beautiful especially the area you stayed in. Sorry we didn't get a chance to meet maybe we can schedule that when DH and I go to visit his son in Ohio in March. Yes, the play off games where very good, both teams played well. Don't know how the Sox's are going to fare against the Rockies but I'm sure DH and I will be watching every minute of it!

Lisa I'm sorry your weekend was a washout, rain should only occur during the work week I think! Great that your Pilates instructor was able to help with the backache. Sorry about the low turnout for the show. I don't blame you for backing out of that. Vivaldi's Gloria...you are one talented lady!

Lori Glad you had a nice visit with your friend and her children. You and your DH and very good with performing home repairs. I read your post last week where you mentioned recalking around your windows...I wish DH and I were able to do more things like that. Being down .4 with TOM is quite an accomplishment...I don't think that ever happened to me!

Well ladies hope you all have a nice Tuesday. Talk to you tomorrow!

Melissa, Welcome back. It sounds like you had an awesome time. Oh, I want to go to Maine so bad. I love seafood. Sorry about the rough trip up there. There seems to be no end to road construction.

Pam, Nice to hear from you again. Sorry about DH's surgery and will keep him in my prayers. Hooray for your Red Sox.

Melissa - That vacation sounds great! I'm already thinking about my next vacation Lots of options. We would like to go to a friend's wedding in June in Los Angeles, so we are thinking of possibly extending that. I've never been to Disneyland, so that would be neat. Plus, we have other friends out there and it would be nice to visit them! I don't envy the seafood though. I'm allergic. The only thing I eat is canned chunk light tuna fish because I've never had a reaction to it.

Pam - I hope everything works out with your husband's surgery. Are you taking all that time off of work to take care of him after?

Susan - Have you noticed that the colors aren't as bright this year? They aren't here. Apparently it is due to the warm weather and not enough rain.

Lisa - I used to not have TOM as well when I was on a different form of BC. I loved it. I get horrible cramping and it is very heavy for me. I wish I could go back on that BC, but my OB/GYN didn't recommend it right now.

So last night a friend called and offered to take DH and I out to dinner. That was nice, since we're always feeding him and giving him beer because he always hangs out at our house (he lives with his parents still) and hasn't had a decent job in a while. Well now he does and got a bonus so offered and we said yes. Went to Chili's. I ordered a salad with grilled chicken and a glass of wine. The horrible part? I REALLY dug into the cheese fries our friend ordered !!!! Well it wasn't TOO bad. At least I still have 11 of my weekly points available still.

Tonight I'm going to make a whole chicken, some mashed root vegetables, and asparagus. Yum! That was what was planned last night that I didn't get to make

Hi ladies! Well I went to my meeting today and was up 1.4#--not bad considering I had a week of eating out. I'm okay with it and this week I'm really going to focus on keeping my journal up to date. I've really slacked in that area lately.

Pam: Where in OH does DH's son live? I hope your DH's surgery goes well and that there are no complications. You'll be back on board and I'll be off. My surgery is scheduled for Nov. 14th.

Lori: DH and I went to Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm on our honeymoon 25 years ago. It was a lot of fun. Don't be too hard on yourself for getting into the fries--you most likely would've went home looking for something to satisfy that taste and would've eaten more than what you did.

The leaves here definitely aren't as bright as they have been in the past--of course we haven't had a freeze yet either. The temps have been warmer than normal so it doesn't seem like it's the end of October.

Melissa, Sorry about the gain. You'll get back on track. Oh, yes, your surgery is coming up.

I went to a concert rehearsal last night and some "nice" people had food there. Of course, there was fruit and cookies, and cheesecake. I ate the cookies! LOL

Hi ladies,

A cold rainy morning but hopefully the sun will shine later today. Watched the World Series last night....GO SOX! I hope the next 3 games go the same way but somehow I doubt that will happen.

Melissa DH's son goes to Miami University in Fairfield Ohio. He's in his second year and really loves the school and the area. I'm looking forward to our trip. DH has been to the school several times but I've never been. Being up 1.4 after all the great food you had in Maine really isn't too bad. I also must focus more on journaling.

Lori That was nice that your friend took you out to dinner he must appreciate all you and your DH have done for him. Your dinner of chicken,veggies and asparagus sounded delicious. Yes, my time off will be to take care of DH. He'll be in the hospital for a week and could have a 2-4 week recovery period following.

Lisa Thank you for saying a prayer for DH...that means a lot to me

Hi to Susan hope all is well.

I may not be around tomorrow but will try and check in on Monday. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Newsflash--it will only be in the 70's here today! Aaaah! It feels great.

Tomorrow's my Friday off, so I may not be around much on this board. Getting my hair done tomorrow, then a wedding rehearsal. Wedding on Saturday. My involvement is as church wedding coordinator. Then a dinner at a friend's house. Other than that, not much happening.

Pam, I will continue to pray for DH.

Melissa - 1.4 isn't that bad, you can easily get that off! Well worth it for a great vacation though, isn't it?

Pam - Its been rainy and cold here, too. I actually like that its getting colder. I love that the seasons change as much as they do here. While sometimes I think I'd like to live in Florida or California and have warm weather all year round, I would really miss fall and winter!

Lisa - Good luck with the wedding!

Yesterday I went to a physical therapy appointment. It was my first one, so they did an evaluation. Its supposed to help with my back and hip. Help it did! I could immediately tell a difference in my hip. He asked if anyone ever told me my right hip was higher than my left. I told him no, but I actually mentioned to DH that it felt that way when I walked. Apparently that is due to a tight muscle, which pulls the pelvis up. That then causes other problems because you compensate for it. Well after he fixed the hip, it felt like the OTHER hip was too high but it wasn't - they were even and I just hadn't walked like that in a long time. So the PT guy wants to see me twice a week for 8 - 12 weeks. I'm happy because afterwards he said I should be able to walk, jog, and hike. But it is a $20 copay each time, so it is going to be expensive

Good morning!

It's cool and dark here this morning--we're supposed to be getting more rain and I'm hoping we have a "window" this evening during the football game. Temps here are still above the normal range for this time of year--it's 59 this morning and I know this evening it's supposed to cool down.

Pam: How about those Sox?? They pulled off another win last night--I didn't stay up to watch the game but did see the score this morning. I'm not sure where Fairfield OH is but I'll have to check it out. I-90 is pretty much a straight shot across. I'm happy with the small gain because I enjoyed a lot of the regional food (chowders) and I know those are not low in POINTS! How long with DH be in the hospital?

Lisa: Enjoy the day off! I hope the wedding goes well without any glitches.

Lori: The gain was well worth it--I really enjoyed myself, ate pretty much what I wanted and drank beer & wine so overall it was great. If I bump up my activity a little more I'm sure I could get the weight off. Next week TOM is due, although lately it's been arriving early so it could be anytime! It's amazing how you can have something out of line and it creates more problems. I'm glad you're feeling better and that the prognosis is good.

No major plans for the weekend--football game this evening, tomorrow probably do some things around the house and play catch up. Next week is a short one for me because I'll be traveling to Chicago Thursday afternoon and will be there until Sunday.