What a start to the weekend. Ike's outer bands are hitting us right now and man is it windy out there. Just hoping we don't lose electricity again since it is still very fragile around here. They have not begun to pick up the Gustav debris yet that is piled in front of everyone's houses and I am praying the wind doesn't spread it around again after all of the work it took to gather it. There are mountains of tree limbs, trunks etc piled up on the sides of all the streets here. It began flooding in low lying areas of S. Louisiana yesterday and is supposed to get worse today. Poor people had wind damage from Gustav and are now having their houses flooded.

My husband's brother lives in Houston and my MIL lives with them since Katrina. They were supposed to leave Houston about an hour ago headed this way. BIL and SIL with stay with her sister in Baton Rouge...which is also very fragile right now and MIL will stay here with us. I just hope they don't get stuck in gridlock with the winds howling around them. We tried to convince them to leave earlier. We are supposed to have tropical force winds around here all day long.

I have a workshop tomorrow so won't be able to spend much time with MIL. Hopefully the weather will let us go out and do something fun after 3 when the workshop is over. Tomorrow is my birthday and I want to go play!!!!

Hope everyone has a great day and for the Texas chickies, I'm thinking about you and hoping you are somewhere safe. And Zeff, I know you are getting it a lot worse than I am since you are closer to Texas. Hope you keep your power. This is not what you need right now with all you have going on!! Bonne chance, Cher.

Good Morning, Cat.

My thoughts and prayers are with you, your family and others living on the Texas coast and surrounding areas.

As for me, the little stomach virus I've had over the past few days has negatively affected my being on Phase 2. Since I can't eat much, I'm reaching for anything that doesn't make me feel bad, and some of it hasn't been SBD-friendly food. So once I feel better, I'm back on plan. I haven't been eating too much, so maybe no real damage has been done. I haven't been exercising either, just didn't feel like moving too much.

I finished helping my friend with her clothing show, yeah! now I can catch up on sleep, menu planning, and my writing.

Hope everyone has a good Friday, and Texas beachers, stay safe!!

(((CAT))) Sorry your going through another storm! So glad the ILs have places they can go!

Belle, sorry your not feeling well. I just now started back walking after having sharp pains for several weeks. So difficult in fact last night, after my walk, I had cramping in my left leg muscle.... NOT fun.

Me, I have to call the repair man. I've been putting it off but I realize I can't do that any longer. The toilet needs repair to flush right, and the tub, the ring around the drain came off and the drain pipe isn't centered correctly so when I shower the water isn't going down the drain but through the edge and under the tub, whatever is under there and it's NOT good! Hope he can come today.

Couldn't sleep last night so made a list of everything I'd like to accomplish between today and tomorrow... I'm going to be one busy chickidee. But I should of been doing all this since I've not been working anyway, but with looking for work, dealing with that other pup, dealing with other issues I just haven't.

With that, I wish all a very nice day, and those getting the storm, remember all things have been sifted through the hand of God!

morning Girls
I have 7 minutes before i have to get my buns in the shower. i ate dry chicken yesterday (a big no no with gastric bypass) and was in pain all day
Still got my butt up this morning and worked out!! it's becoming a habit!
Belle I need to put words on paper/screen to today
Cat we'll be praying for you and Zeff and any assorted TX chicks I hope your MIL and fam make it there safe and sound!
Morning Lori!
sometime this crazy weekend I have to get to the store
HB eggs and taco bake are good just not EVER DAY!! FOOD PLEASE
ok shower time! and the kitty is trying to tempt me to crawl back in bed and snug. . .I wish!
bbl
Kierie

Good morning,

Cat, Mandyleigh, Zeff, Here we go again. I can only pray that the winds and flooding aren't too bad and that you all stay safe and dry. I hope your family makes it safely to you, Cat!

A special prayer of safe-keeping for everyone on the Texas coast, too.

Belle Mer, are you still having tummy troubles? I hope you start feeling better soon. Eat what feels good for you right now, and you can get back on the wagon when you feel better.

I worked late last night, then had a cup of tea with Jake before I went to bed, which was a mistake. It kept me awake, so I finally took a sleeping pill, and slept until 6:30, which is late for me! I'm still feeling a little foggy, but a pot of coffee should chase the fuzzies away. Cindy is supposed to let me go early today, I hope she doesn't get busy and forget!

I got a lot done yesterday morning. Got the house cleaned, laundry done, dropped off a ton of things at Goodwill, and did some shopping for my trip next week. I even had time to make a few freezer meals for Jake to enjoy while I'm away, so I'm feeling good about that. Tomorrow, Monica and Carley are coming out to spend the day, but there's nothing else planned. It's Community Day in our little village, but that will most likely be canceled because of the rain.

Cat, I didn't realize Ike was going to affect you. Stay safe and I hope your relatives get to you soon.

Belle, that tummy thing should be leaving soon, right? Have you checked with your doctor? At any rate, have a good catch-up day.

I have a woman (and her dog) coming for coffee and an interview at 8:30 so need to hustle. She wants to volunteer in the pet therapy programme but needs to know more about it before we test her dog. Of course, it's raining today so I'll have 12 paws putting prints on the floors!

After she leaves, I've got a few things to do in this crack-house. Darn Donna anyhow for breaking her arm and spraining the other wrist!

ETA: Big to Cottage, KO, Loriann and anybody else who pops in before I get this posted! Sounds like we are all having sleep problems!

Thanks all...we really won't be having the big effects of the storm where I am...just the very outer bands of it. But we are under a tornado warning and they have called off school in all the parishes around us...just not us. We are high here, so no flooding for us unless it's a bit of street flooding. I guess I will leave a little early this morning. yuk.

Good morning chicks, we made it to another Friday!
I thought I avoided the kids' colds except for some minor sniffles the other day, but it hit full force during the night and I have a very sore throat and lots of congestion, so count me in with the poor sleepers. I'm going to see if I can drown it in fluids and Vitamin C today. We have tickets to my company picnic at 6 Flags tomorrow and the kids are really looking forward to it, so hopefully we can go. Weather should be okay.
I got a trip to NJ thrown in next week, but it's just a day trip and I haven't had to go anywhere in a while. I decided we will need a vacation in October so I am booking the Orlando thing, need to finish organizing that. Just me and the kids and we'll have a condo, so if any of the chicks want to come sleep on the couch and keep me company...

Cat, hope the ILs don't get stuck in anything nasty and you get to have some fun on your birthday!
cottage, I missed it, where are you going on your trip?
Loriann, definitely get that fixed, water damage is not good.
Ruth, sounds like Donna is going to great lengths to avoid cleaning your house.
KO, what is dry chicken? It doesn't sound very good...
Those kitties are always a bad influence.
Belle, sorry you have to deal with being sick, but you just have to do the best you can under those conditions and give your body what it's telling you it needs. I'm sure you will get right back to the routine when you are better.

I'm going to make more tea and my food plan for the day. BBL chicks.

good morning all

cat be safe.... i don't know if i could take the constant hammering during hurricane season....

schmoodle feel better!

cottage, lori, ko and everyone else i missed: have the best friday possible.

me: dentist at 10:30 for a cleaning... the rest of the day is mine.

hannah cut her paw this morning but she's fine--goofy dog
bagel... not so good he's laying by me breathing hard. I'm gearing up for putting him down.... I am NOT one to make an animal suffer. he's not happy anymore. even eating is a chore for him.... he eats a little, then lays down then might eat some more. the steps scare him we have to hold hannah so he can walk down safely and walk behind him holding his fat tush to help him UP the steps.... can't carry a 115 pound dog....

oh scale today: 209!

Ruth Donna sounds like a walking disaster... oy poor lady

Hey everyone. well, it's the morning before Ike hits us. We have decided to stay here in Houston. It's supposed to go right over us. What fun!!! There's alot to do before Ike comes. He wont be here until after we've gone to sleep but I don't know if I'll be sleeping. DH will be boarding up windows today which I feel might make me even more nervous. I am alittle claustrophobic (sp?) and a huge fear of tornadoes. There is a 50%chance of isolated tornados here in Houston. I really hoping we wont lose power here. But I better get going. Good luck to all those who are in it for Ike also.

Oh, tk, I didn't realize you were in Houston!
Be safe!

Jelly you are always so random!

schmoodle-yeah, we're on the southeast side of Houston so they are saying Ike will be coming our way...right over us. Excited but alittle nervous.