Hi, Everyone,

Here's my "official" version of the fable:

The Hare and the Tortoise

A hare met a tortoise one day and made fun of him for the slow and clumsy way in which he walked.

The tortoise laughed and said, "I will run a race with you any time that you choose."

"Very well," replied the hare, "we will start at once."

The tortoise immediately set off in his slow and steady way without waiting a moment or looking back. The hare, on the other hand, treated the matter as a joke and decided to take a little nap before starting, for she thought that it would be an easy matter to overtake her rival.

The tortoise plodded on, and meanwhile the hare overslept herself, with the result that she arrived at the winning-post only to see that the tortoise had got in before her.

Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.

This comes from a book handed down from my grandmother to my mother to me. The book is so old it doesn't have a copyright date or an author/editor's credit.

That fable has been the motivation for us turtles for about three years. Someone on the ancient WW forum mentioned the fable and I discovered it was very motivational for me. I talked about it in posts and other people said that the tortoise philosophy worked for them, too. So, I started a thread for us turtle types.

We work toward accepting that our bodies have a natural speed of weight loss when we choose to live a healthy life, instead of "going on a diet". Many of us have experienced "the diets" as go on/lose weight-- go off/ gain the weight plus more back.

We choose to perservere with each choice we make throughout the day. We believe that choosing to be slow, steady turtles helps us to learn the skills we need to in order to lose and keep off the weight. Our main focus is to become the healthiest people we can be.

So, welcome to all who realize that losing and maintaining a weight loss is a lifestyle change. And who want support as we all learn the skills we need to successfully make the changes that will allow us to reach our goals.

Lin

Hi, Turtles,

Kathy, I'm not surprised that you're up a little from the sodium. From what you said, it didn't seem like you had enough time for it to go away before your weighin. But, that's a small amount and you can get rid of it this week.

Glad you had fun at your BBQ. You said that you "probably" overate. I'm a little confused about that. Didn't you figure out your points? It sounds like maybe you need to challenge yourself to write it all down, which will help you to stay focused and within your range when you eat. Just a thought. Hope you don't mind the unsolicited advice.

Judy, congratulations on the weight loss. And super congrats on the preplanning for your vacation. I know how challenging social situations are for you. Way to go on preparing ahead so you can meet your challenge goals.

I was OP all week, but I'm up a pound. We ate out last night, so it's possible it's water retention. Restaurant food is so salty.

But, my challenge to myself this week is to exercise 3-5 days. I think that I'm back into the journaling habit well enough to focus on exercise.

Everything else is going fine. My challenge for today is to get all the papers I have to deal with organized again. I hate dealing with it because I don't have a file cabinet or a real desk. I now have a small desk in my bedroom, but it has no real storage space. It's like a student desk and it's perfect for writing when my family is watching movies or listening to music and I need a quieter environment. (But my son may take it back when he gets back from my mother's. Sigh!) Anyway, the point is that I can't keep paperwork organized because I have such limited storage space for all the garbage you have to keep, but don't need to look at on a regular basis.

Hi, to all of you who haven't posted this weekend. Hope it was a good one.

Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Hi, tortoises.

Well, my company (mom, step-pop, brother) left today after a lovely 10-day visit. With the exception of the past two days, I remained within points every day -- a first for me, I think. My family does NOT eat well, and I've often been influenced by that. Not this year. I just kept thinking of my weight-loss goals and strong desire to get to the 100-pound mark this October -- and also of my cholesterol. It also helped to be in control of the menu. My family ate a lot of junk between meals, but apparently not as much as they usually do. My mom said she hadn't eaten this healthy in years.

It's good to have the house back to myself, but I do wish they lived closer. I won't see Mom again until Christmas, won't see Pop until next summer (he hates Michigan winters). At least my brother lives nearby.

I peeked, and my weight is up. I think it's mostly sodium, but I haven't gotten in the exercise I'm used to. I think I got about 2 or 3 hours in the past week -- not enough for me. I really started to miss it, too -- I feel so much more sluggish and tired without it. DH and I went yesterday to the club and plan to go again tonight. Anyway, I may not make my birthday goal.

This coming weekend is a family reunion in Tennessee -- this is my dad's family. I haven't seen them in a couple of years (including my dad). It will be a big group, since my dad is the youngest of 11. I've lost about 50 pounds since I last saw them, which is nice, but I get my perfectionism from my dad (he absolutely HATES fat) so I have to constantly fight being self-conscious about my weight around him. The past couple of days I've wanted to eat more than normal; I suspect that's low-level stress. I'm also think that I'm underestimating my points again -- time to start measuring.

I could use some advice here. I've seen the menus for the evening meals at this reunion, and they're not pretty. Hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, that kind of thing. (It's happening in a state park.) I've got four days of this to get through. Breakfast and lunch I can do my own thing, but I'm not sure what to do about evenings. (We've already paid for the evening food.) I'm thinking right now that I'll just eat lightly at the evening meals -- a half of a hamburger, that kind of thing. Any other thoughts welcome.

Lin, good for you sticking to your plan and staying within points. I ALWAYS gain weight after eating out; I know it's the sodium. You'll see a loss as soon as you release the water; it's inevitable.

Judy, WOO-HOO on your nice loss this week! And on bringing the lighter foods to the barbecue. Very, very smart. Hmmm, wonder if I could bring my fat-free hot dogs to this reunion and try to find some cold place to store them ...

Kathy, you have a great attitude about that sodium gain. I swear, my body does great until I go to WW to weigh in on Tuesday nights. I think pounds of water wait under the counter until I step on the scale and then attach themselves to my stomach. You should see a nice loss soon.

Erin, hope you're doing well.

Well, best try to start picking up after the company and get my life back to normal.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/184.5/184 by August 4

Sorry; I forgot to answer Judy's thoughtful questions about my university writing gig.

The meeting went very well. They agreed to pay me hourly instead of by the project, which made me very happy. (I'll feel much better about doing multiple revisions for them.) It's a good rate. I liked them, and they seem fairly laid back. I do like a university environment much more than a business one.

Next up: a planning meeting with them and with their graphics company. Once we have that meeting, I'll be able to start writing. Don't know when that'll be, but we have a lot of deadlines coming up, so I hope it's soon.

Thanks for asking, Judy.

Hi, Turtles,

It's so good that you had such a good time with your family. Congratulations on controlling your eating and not letting them make your decisions for you.

I'm sure you will get back on track with your exercise.

I always measure. I'm not really good at estimating portion sizes. Heck, I'm the one who dirties two bowls because the first one I think the leftovers will fit in is too small.

I think the only thing you can do is to eat lightly. If they allow it, bring some cut veggies and fresh fruit to replace the potato salad or other super high fat foods with. If they don't allow it, resign yourself to really small portions and eat hearty the rest of the day so you won't be too hungry. Expect a sodium gain. Good luck!

Have a great time. That's the important part.

Glad to hear that your writing gig is working out so well. Maybe after you finish this project, they'll have more for you to do.

I weighed myself again and I've lost one of those pounds. So, I'm assuming it was sodium. As for the other, well, PMS is showing up and I can tell I'm starting to retain water due to that. It's going to be a lo-o-o-ng cycle this month.

But, I'm not craving extra food, so I think I'll be OK.

Everything else is going fine. Except that my son didn't get the music job after all. He gave the lowest reasonable bid for the amount of work they wanted, but someone else came in lower and promised he could do 7 arrangements in just a few days. (My son is very fast and he didn't think he could do it in less than a week.) But they're still considering him for the FT job and if he gets that one, maybe he'll be in a better position to do music occasionally. I hope so.

Hope the rest of you are doing well. Have a great day!

Happy turtlin'!

Lin
272/248/242/final:

Lauren,
I know about Dads who don't like fat and are vocal about it.
Boy, do I know. Maybe it will help to remind yourself that you are at a good weight, you have worked hard for this, and you are doing every thing possible to get thinner and healthier and fitter.
Try to let each and every comment concerning *your* weight that comes your way, positive or negative, roll off your shoulders. You have a great head on your shoulders, have worked through a lot of the emotions connected with eating over these last few years. You can do this.
As far as the evening food, can you bring a watermelon or a pint of blueberries or some other fruit for dessert? Is it being catered?
Can you just tuck a luscious peach in your purse? I would definitely bring a small cooler (6-pack size), load it with ice from the motel or wherever you're staying, and bring your ff hotdogs with you.You can put 2 on a regular bun and get away with a filling dinner for 4 points. There should be tossed salad somewhere. How about bringing carrot sticks, celery, radishes, peppers, etc. for crudites and eating that if everything is loaded with mayo? Of course you could eat 1/2 a hamburger, but then you might want to have a backup of your favorite foods to eat back where you'll be staying because after I ate at the barbecue yesterday, I was really hungry at one a.m. and came downstairs for a simple snack. That did the trick.
Glad you like the setup of the university writing project. thanks for such a nice, complete answer.
Lin,
I always think I'm a great estimator, but LOL at this: I *always*
choose the right size bowl for storing leftovers. However, having said that once to a guest who was helping me clean up, when the food overflowed, I threw it out. So, in essence, I was making foods fit the containers whether they did or not! I guess that's better than eating the overflow which I've also probably done many times as well!
Sorry your son didn't get the music job, but hopefully he'll get the ft spot which will work out even better. We're big believers in doors closing and windows opening in my house, it's just tough to trust that things will work out. You're doing great with this challenge and the weight loss. Good for you!

Well, it's really hot here and I have to get going. Just had a strong chocolate craving, but had a WW 2 point bar and I think I'll be okay. I'll drink some water and watch some tv to be distracted.
Running around like crazy to get things done before I head out for my road trip. I'm really looking forward to it, but am terribly disappointed that I'll miss my granddaughter's first birthday. This is not fun! I thought they were going to keep it immediate family, but they've changed their minds last minute and are trying to get some folks together. They promised me that they'd videotape and that'll have to do this time around.
I'm OP and coping very well with all the challenges of food around me. Handled the barbecue very well yesterday. Had minute servings of a few desserts==really just spoonfulls--and today I ate half of my dinner at a restaurant and put the rest in my freezer once I got home. Let's all do this!
Judy
234/225/thinner

Hi, tortoises.

Well, in very tortoisean manner, I gained a half a pound this week. I'm guessing sodium (do FF hot dogs have a lot of sodium? I had two last night), but who knows. I plan to weigh myself before I leave this weekend, since my birthday comes while I'm gone. I'd love to make that birthday goal.

DH pulled out a photo of me yesterday that he found while going through our files. It was a passport photo, taken at my heaviest. Wow! He said it didn't even look like the same person. I remember he was ticked at the time that I didn't want to use the photos for my passport (and ended up not getting a passport at that time). Now he says he understands. I put one copy of the photo on the fridge and another in my wallet. I don't ever want to forget.

Lin, I'm with you on the sodium gains. Our bodies are just weird. You've been doing everything right, so no doubt it's just a readjustment of some kind. I do think the bodies of women in perimenapause have a different agenda.

Judy, you're doing so great -- wonderful! Thanks for the thoughtful comments on handling weight-related comments this weekend. I suspect my dad will say very little; he's learned (finally) that this subject is off-limits between us. But I'm still aware of what he's thinking; that's the harder part. I'm not too nerved up about it, fortunately -- as I've gotten older, I've gotten less invested in what other people think of my shape. One of the many benefits of aging, I guess.

Thanks both of you for the suggestions for handling the meals this weekend. The cooler is a great idea; I think I'll try that. Unfortunately the meals are being catered, so bringing my own food may not be a comfortable option. But I can certainly eat very healthfully the rest of the day and eat very small portions at the barbecues.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/185/184 by August 4

I've been lurking around the last few days and decided to jump in here. I think I might be a turtle since I loose very slowly. Here's a little about me.....

I joined WW in 1977 and lost 95 pounds and made goal. I didn't stay there very long since I thought I could then eat anything I wanted to....well you know the rest of the story.

I've been back to WW many times with the most recent rejoin January 2001 when I was at my all time high weight. I did well for about 11 months and lost 25 pounds, but since last December I can't get back in the groove. I seem to struggle with the same 5 pounds for months at a time. Up and down and up and down. Some weeks it doesn't matter if I eat at the high end of points or the low end I gain.

I look forward to meeting you all.

Hi Turtles..Kathy here. I guess I wasn't a good turtle on Sat...I made the decision not to worry about food, that I was celebrating at my friends bbq, celebrateing her moving to a new state, and being in mourning cause we were losing our best friends, our camping budies..I just went to the party and lost all power over myself, to tell you the bold truth, I didnot want to watch what I ate, didn't want to count points, I was being rebellous as usual. I will do better!!! I promise..I will try to be a good turtle!!! I don't mean to be an evil one.

I have been doing good since then, I did real good yesterday, stayed within points, and drank my water, Today is going well too, and I have no plans on going to any parties anytime soon, so I am on the safe side. My compute is going in and out but will try to post when I can. The bow flex is up and running, will learn all the in and outs tonight when it gets cool, it is out side on theback porch. I got my nordic track out and will dust that off as well, my goal when it is cleaned up is to do that 30 to 45 min a day. I love that machie,just as much as the elicp machine at the gym. I will miss tht machine.

I did'n't tell you about my bike ride did I??? My church's youth group is going to take this 26 mile bike ride, from our town to the next along this wonderful road. 13 down, 13 back. I have always wanted to do it. Always, but was always kinda scarred. I am not into traffic at all and although this doesn't have very much, my dh always told me someone drunk along that rode would run me down and kill me, so I never attemepted it. Well after pledgeing some money to a lady who is so wonderfully kind to my daughter (giving her money to live while in Kiev) I decided to do it myself. I along withher and along with this teenage youth group, will be starting out at 7:00 on Sunday morning, and we will all ride there and be back by 12:00. Church will be at the half way point wiht the whole church there. We decided that would be the perfect day. Hardley any traffic on Sunday, and it will be cooler too. I have no idea if I can ride 13 miles, let along 26 miles. but I am going to try my hardest. I will check out my bikes tonight and try to decided which one will be the best for me.
The money is going to a good cause. There is this church called Dream Center and it is LA. They have this big outreach ministry that our youth want to bring to ukiah, so they will go down, bring them the money and learn how to do it. I won't be going but wish them the best.

Welcome Himimon...welcome welcome welcome..You sound like a very nice turtle. We are glad to have you. I am Kathy/aka miata, I have prob 60 lbs to lose, and it coming off just one lb at a time, I Live in California and I have a dh at home and 2 dd but not living at home, one is in SAc, married and going to start nursing school, the other is in Shreveport LA in the airforce. Wish I could show you all her picture I took of her before I came home, she was in this galaxy fitness contest and had to pose in a string bikini. She looked great. Did not win, infact she fell over a hurdle in the obstictle course and scratched up her face, but she was a tropper, just hit it with makeup and went on to do the compititon.

Well, better get some water in me, I am about to melt..

Miata...

Welcome Himimom,
I think you'll be a great turtle. The gals here are wonderful. it's amazing that after a while we can almost predict what the others will do and make suggestions (kindly) to help get heads straight in the healthy life direction. We'd love your input.

I'm Judy--I never reached lifetime in WW, but lost over 60 pounds in two different times of my life. Right now I have about 70 pounds to lose. I spent the last two years in WW losing 25 pounds and put back 18-22 of those pounds since Jan., 2002. Ugh. Right now I'm doing well but, as you know, that can change at any time. I come to this site because the turtles know how much I want to lose weight, understand the obstacles I put in my path, and offer sympathy, encouragement, and great ideas to help get me back on track. I'm going to drive south from NY and meet my sisters and dad for a mini family reunion . My sisters aren't keen on eating well during our get together, so I'm going to do well, but keep quiet about it. That seems fair to me.

Mousie,
I'm worried about you and miss you. Chime in soon, please.

Lauren,
good luck at your reunion. Eating well during the day and eating small at the catered dinners will definitely work. Good luck and enjoy the relatives.

Miata,
You're not an evil turtle. You know there are just times when
eating seems to be soothing, etc. That's all that happened. Glad you're right back on track. Also congrats on the bicycle trip. sounds very ambitious. Way to go!

Lin,
You sure make me think about what I'm doing in the weight direction. Thanks.

Gotta run--really busy. everybody take care.
Judy

Hi, Turtles,

Welcome, Carol. We're a small, but steady group. Check out our challenge. We started it to rev up our motivation. Motivation can come and go, so we try to do different things to boost it along. I should warn you. We're pretty long-winded. Don't let our long posts get intimidating. We don't expect you to write novels just because we do.

Judy, well done with staying OP handling the bbq well. Congrats.

Lauren, I know what you mean about perimenopause. So, I'm just doing the best I can do. Yes, FF hot dogs have a lot of sodium, unfortunately. I'm sure the half pound will go away, since you're doing well with the program. Good luck with meeting that birthday goal.

Kathy, your post bothered me a little, and I'm not sure how to explain why. I'll try, though. It reads as if you're doing this for us. But you won't be successful until you do it for you. Until you do it because it matters more to you than giving in to those rebellious feelings. (I know those feelings well, as you may remember from several times when I've been under a ton of stress and just didn't care.) It's a decision we each have to make every day. One reason I post my progress daily on the challenge thread is because it emphasizes that point for me. That's what's helping me to stay OP right now. Mabye it can help you, but only you can make that decision. Good luck. We're here to support you in any way we can.

Have fun on your bike ride. Hope you get a lot of money for your charity.

I'm not facing any particular challenges or anything in the near future. Just the usual PMS water retention. No food cravings right now.

I had a really good day's work on the book. I figured out one of the major complications my protagonist will face during the course of the story. The novel writing class is going OK. Had a little setback because someone critiqued my work and couldn't find one positive thing to say. Some of her points were things I was already working on and it bothered me that she hadn't checked to see if there was a revision before she wrote the critique. But, I discussed the areas I was not sure about in a brainstorming session with some of the other folks and it seems she's a minority of one. So, I'm moving forward and things are OK.

It looks like the rest of my projects are on hold for a while. The web work is waiting until our friend gets back from vacation. The volunteer work is waiting on the burearcracy at AOL Time Warner to finish the cyberpaperwork so I can start training. I keep pulling potential jobs off the web, but when I look up in a reverse phone book to find out what the company is and where it's located, I run into the same problem over and over. They're not really in Salinas. They're in one of the other towns and transportation becomes an issue since I don't have a car. So, I'm just keeping on with things. Something will turn up eventually and if it does't, well, maybe the book will sell and I'll get a contract to write more.

Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Hi, tortoises. Boy, did I have an interesting evening. I am trying various foods and supplements to get my cholesterol levels down so I don't have to go on drugs. Last night I tried niacin. BIG mistake. I took a relatively small dose (100 mg), but ay carumba. DH wondered if he would have to take me to the hospital. The flush was unpleasant but bearable, like a very sudden, bad sunburn. But the GI problems had me curled into a fetal position for most of the evening, moaning. Bleah! So that one's out for now.

Anyway. I hereby declare that I have reached my birthday goal. The scale can't decide if I'm 184.5 or 184, probably somewhere in between. But I'm taking the lower number. So there. Must've been the FF hot dogs Monday that artificially bumped up my weight. After August 4, I'll set my new Labor Day goal.

Welcome, Carol. Glad you joined us! I think all of us here are familiar with losing and gaining it back. About 18 years ago, I lost more than 100 pounds on the Diet Center program. I lost it all within one year. I was a size 6 for about 10 minutes. Then, over the next 14 years or so, I gained it all back plus another 40 or 50. I did it very gradually -- less than one pound per month. It added up to about one extra banana a day.

When I looked back and realized how much very small changes could do over time, I realized the reverse would also work. By making small changes to the way I eat now, I can lose weight slowly, get down to where I want to be gradually, and learn the lessons I need to learn along the way.

So that's what I've been doing this time. I started losing weight just over 4 years ago and have lost 90 pounds (as of today ). One year I ended up at the same weight I started, because I gained back a bunch of weight then lost it again. But I learned a great deal from that experience, and I haven't had that large a gain again.

I hit plateaus; I lose motivation; I gain back a few pounds. Then I take them off again, regain my motivation, lose a few more. I'm making gradual lifestyle changes, seeking progress rather than perfection. It's a HUGELY different approach for someone who was always fixated on doing this perfectly in the past.

Anyway, that's my story. Looking forward to learning about you!

Miata, good luck with that bike ride! I'm impressed. I do love riding bikes, but like you, I hate the traffic. Sunday morning sounds like a good time to ride. Let us know how it goes.

Judy, did your WW leader talk about family sabotage this week? Ours did. We looked at different ways our plans can get sabotaged, and family was a big one. I know my family supports my efforts, but they have rotten eating habits (my mom, stepdad, and brother); if I'm not careful, I can let them derail me when they visit. During their last few days here, I found myself wanting to join them in all their snacking. Much as I miss them, it was probably a good thing they left when they did! (By the way, my brother lost 3 pounds while he was here. )

Lin, I'm impressed with how you're dealing with your classmate's criticism. But I'm not surprised. You have a strong sense of yourself and your boundaries, combined with a genuine desire to improve your writing. Very powerful. My hat's off to you.

Argh -- I just noticed that they're digging up the pavement on our street today. This should make it interesting trying to get out of our driveway.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/184/184 by Aug. 4 -- achieved birthday goal 5 days early

Now a little more about me.....
I'm married to a great guy for 27 years. We have no kids, but I have a great furchild, his name is Ralphie and he's a chocolate point himi (hence, himimom). I'm in the process of getting another blue cream himi girl, since I lost my other kitty May 14th. She lost her battle with inflammatory bowel disease.

I have 90+ pounds to lose. I go to WW meetings every week, but only weigh in officially once per month. I do my own WI every Sunday morning. I used to WI in every week at WW, but it got to be really embarrassing since I did so much up and down stuff.

Like I said yesterday I seem to do well for a about 3-4 weeks, then some occasion comes up and I lose all my resolve. I know intellectually that this is all about a lifestyle change, but somehow my mind keeps up the "diet mentality". Since I lost my original weight so many years ago when I was 30 years younger, it seems to be coming off more slowly now, between perimenopause and PMS

DH and I are on vacation for the next two weeks. This Friday we're planning a trip to the Wisconsin State Fair. I'm hoping to find out how many points there are in one of their famous cream puffs. You don't go to the fair and not have a cream puff. They've been making them there since the fair opened in the early 1900's.

Bye for now, hope you all have a great day

Hi everybody!
This is my last post till I'm back from vacation. I've got 4 hardboiled eggs, slimfast bars (instead of candy bars), water in bottles, and diet coke in cans for the driving trip down there. I'm sure I'll eat real meals in restaurants, etc. but these foods will be good for snacking. I'll throw in some carrot sticks too because they're crunchy and I like them.
I am determined to do well. I'm a bit nervous now and had a bagel and cream cheese because that's what I wanted. It's a combined breakfast/lunch meal and I'm fine with that.
You all keep on with the challenge. I will too. I'm actually bringing my angelfood mix and cherry lite pie filling as well as the high fiber muffin mix in case my sisters are eating nonstop on snacks and I'll need some WW friendly foods for myself.
Good luck to us all. I'll catch up with your posts when I get back.
Judy
234/225/thinner

Hi, Turtles,

Yuck, Lauren. That sounds awful. Good thing dh is a doctor, huh? Good luck with your efforts to keep from needing drugs.

Congrats on reaching your birthday goal!!

Thanks for the compliment on dealing with that interesting critique. I'm just glad she didn't write one like that for a young or beginning writer. We both took a great class on how to critique, which was mostly worthwhile review for me since I'd had a similar class in college a while back. What I hope she came away with is that it's possible to be honest, but tactful.

Carol, most of us have a lot of weight to lose and most of us have been working on it for a very long time. I tend to stick with the program and lose about 50 pounds, then start waffling until I've regained some of it back, then I get motivated and lose more. The net result is that I've not been back to my highest weight, but I'm currently higher than my lowest. (If that makes sense.)

I do WW at Home, with my turtle buddies and my family as my main support. As you can tell, I'm not in a hurry to reach goal. I want to keep moving in that direction, but slowly, so I don't regain it (plus more) once I get there.

Have a great vacation. And enjoy your cream puff--one cream puff! I will either just be slightly envious or I'll make some lowfat ones. (One of my hobbies is cooking. I used to work in a gourmet cooking school and store.)

Judy, you have a great vacation, too. Your planning will pay off, I'm sure. If you can't get online, keep a little journal so you can post your challenge progress when you get back. We're rooting for you.

I had an interesting afternoon. I was cleaning out and consolidating files on my hard drive. And I ran across some interesting stuff I'd saved. One thing was the old WW program from 1970. Wow, did that bring back memories. And it helped me to appreciate the ease of this new program. Reading it seems to motivate me to stick with the points, probably because I don't have to eat liver anymore and I can, at least occasionally, eat the stuff on the absolutely forbidden list. If anyone wants a copy, I'll send it to you.

Well, I have to get back to work on my character chart homework for the class. (In case you haven't deduced by now, I'm pursuing a long term dream and writing a novel, Carol. I'm taking an online class in novel writing.)

Erin, hope things are OK with you and you're at least able to lurk.

Happy turtlin'!

Lin