Just read that the hurricanes may hurt the fall supply of pumpkins. My immediate thought was that I'd better go get some pumpkin pie before it was all gone. Leaves me wondering how long it will be before I can read the news and not think of how it'll affect my eating, LOL.

Bill on the news/eating. My first thought was for Halloween. No pumpkins, no jack'o'lanterns? And I wonder where the term jack'o'lantern comes from?

Well now we can Google or Wiki almost everything. DH and I chatted about this yesterday while enjoying a spectacular view of Toronto's skyline from a waterfront park we were cycling in. There was a kind of pond in front of us, with large carp that swim there all summer. They always disappear in fall and we wondered where they go. DH said that, if I had a smartphone, I could immediately look it up. Then he looked around us, at the still-green vegetation, ducks and swans, brilliant cloudless blue sky, and bright white sailboats, and said "and miss all of this while you were doing it".

I am at the same standstill re weekend eating, above red line, as always . DH is doing better than I am re stress eating as he has now been able to apply to several job postings and is much less anxious about things. We are also doing our "weekend outside exercise" and did a long walk on Sat. and biking yesterday. DH also chopped a bunch of roots out of a flower bed for me. That took him close to an hour, using a mattock.

I have made a therapy appointment for Thursday of this week. This is the first time I'm being pro-active about depression so that's something.

Good Monday (is that an oxymoron?) all!

Dagmar

It's 6 AM and in a humorous, sitcom sort of role reversal, I'm wondering where the heck my mother is. Last night at about 8 PM, she drove off to the Indian casino about an hour and a half away from here and said not to worry about what time she got back. She tends to play on Sunday night into Monday morning because she gets more credits or something when the next day begins. I know she's come home around dawn on previous occasions, so I'm not worried. Yet.

Well, I am on edge a bit, admittedly. Because I've sustained one loss, I'm freaked out about the possibility of another one.

As for me, I'm not a gambler. To me it seems like an elaborate way of throwing away money. My mother is a hard bargainer though, from a very poor background, and nothing enchants her quite as much as the idea of paying less for something, or possibly getting something for nothing. Understanding her way of thinking, I know why Lotto tickets & such have tremendous sales in the poorest neighborhoods.

And speaking of Lotto, I'm reminding myself to go online immediately at 8:30 AM on a NY State gov't site to get a voucher toward purchasing an Energy Star refrigerator. As a flood victim who lost her refrigerator, I'm eligible for this relief. But it's only available while vouchers last, so I'm clock-watching on this one. Wondering if the site will crash or freeze. New York has a lot of flood victims this year, mostly down on the Southern Tier area of Upstate NY. I was reading about them in Sunday's paper. On the one hand, I felt validated in hearing my experience described; on the other hand, it brought up bad memories of the salvage operation. And on the third hand (like that insurance guy in the Nationwide commercial) I felt sympathy for those people. I wanted to contribute toward a canned goods food drive or something.

[Ah, the garage door is humming. As I write this, mother has returned in the minivan from her night at the Indian casino.]

Morning, all! It's really Monday, huh?

Hope you get that voucher, saef. I'm shaking my head at your mom's all-night casino trip. My parents are in bed by 8:30 most nights, so in my mind parent=early to bed. I went to Las Vegas once (visiting a friend) and spent about $5 in a slot machine, and think that was pretty much all the gambling I ever want to do in my life. It just wasn't that fun to me.

Bill - A damaged pumpkin crop?! Say it ain't so! I love pumpkin bread in the fall, not to mention in my oatmeal and yogurt. Maybe I need to go out and hoard some canned pumpkin.

Dagmar - I'm wishing you well on your week and Thursday's therapy appointment.

I would say it's going to be a busy week, but I think with the extra responsibilities I've taken on at work this semester ALL weeks are going to be busy. This is my new normal, and I'm trying to figure out if I like it. Hmmmm.

Bill, I was just reading about the pumpkin shortage as well. Admittedly I thought first of jack-o-lanterns but now I am worried for my pumpkin pie! I already broke down and bought some iced pumpkin bread (cream cheese icing). oooo what a sinfully delicious breakfast!

Dagmar - it always seemed a mismatch when I went camping in college and people brought cell phones (though this was before the smart phone era started) - eventually someone would complain about losing their signal and I'd just laugh. Though I suppose they are useful if you can get a signal and need to make an emergency call for help.

Saef, I hope you can snag one of the fridge vouchers. BTW I haven't been on the site for a bit, but your new profile pic looks great! I love your hair!

Jen I've had a similar gambling experience - I believe $5 in Vegas and $5 in Atlantic city. Maybe if I'd won something I'd be hooked but after those two losses I have decided gambling is not interesting at all!

I'm having some unpleasant GI issues lately and debating if I should go to the doctor. Ideally I'd give it a few days to see if it clears up on its own but scheduling is difficult and I'm wondering if maybe I should go while I can and am able to see the doc I want - but what a waste of money if it's going to clear up anyway...

I also thought of pumpkins for Halloween but I'm not a real fan of pumpkin pie.

Saef-- glad your mom returned! I would have been concerned too. Hope you get that fridge!

Jen-- I feel the same-- all of my weeks are crazy, just some more than others!

Dagmar-- I am constantly amazed at how often/easily I google things on my smart phone. There is nothing we can't find out in a minute if we are the slightest bit curious.

This is bound to be a L-O-N-G week for me as I am SICK! I hate to be sick. I fight it tooth and nail and declare it must be allergies... but I know better.... a month with the kiddos at school sneezing and coughing on me and the library books-- yea-- about time I got sick.

Saturday was our intro to scuba dive class. I should have cancelled because I didn't feel well but when dh and I were on a cruise, we tried to do an intro to scuba class. I answered the health questionnaire honestly and was blocked because I said I was on thyroid medication. Really?! I asked my endocrinologist when I returned and he said I was 100% fine to scuba (and he dives himself). So, this time around, I denied everything and said I just had allergies (which I was still hoping). I was so nervous about the diving that I practically backed out before it started. I thought because I was fibbing about how I felt, my ears would explode or something! Anyway, dh and I both loved it. It was just in a pool so I figured I wouldn't drown! Now I've gotten the "bug" and want to take the full class for certification and plan our first trip. The dive shop was advertising an amazing sounding trip to the Philippines but dh started getting cold feet when I talked about it-- what would we do with dd for a week, where would we find the $$, etc. We'll see.... he leaves for China/Asia tomorrow for 2 weeks and he is stressed and exhausted so not the best time to bring things up. He's been home more or less for a month which is unusual for us so we're a little sick of each other-- LOL!

I have almost zero voice. It should be interesting trying to read to all of the kiddos this week.

Morning all,

Last week was a busy week for me! I did go scalloping as often as possible as I mentioned earlier in the week. I'm hoping to get in another trip or two this week before the season closes. BF was on a trip all of last week, but finally got home yesterday, so I'm not a "single (dog) mommy" any longer. My internet at home has been out since Tuesday, and there was no way I could be home for a repairman during business hours last week. BF is going to work on it today. In the meantime yesterday I had no TV, no internet, so after taking Emma for a really long walk I cleaned the house for about 5 hours! My house is really clean now. Does anyone else suffer from seasonal allergies? Are yours worse than normal this year? Mine are really horrible. I wonder if they're getting worse as I get older or this really is a bad year.

Another pumpkin shortage??? But what about pumpkin for my pumpkin custard (read: much healthier pumpkin pie filling sub) and pumpkin protein pancake recipes that I enjoy on a regular basis? And pumpkin in my oatmeal with lots of cinnamon and cloves? The pumpkin industry is just recovering from the last pumpkin shortage of two years ago! Excuse me, I must go stock up right now. No, I swear I'm not pumpkin obsessed.

Saef, I'm laughing at waiting up for your mom. Last summer I was with my parents and went to visit a friend. They knew I would be home very late but waited up for me - not in a "where are you?!" panicked way, but I did get a text from my mom at midnight making sure I was ok. It's hard even if someone tells you they'll be late not to worry. Did she win anything? I hope you get your voucher.

Dagmar, sounds like you had a nice bike ride and weekend w DH! Glad he's being proactive about applying for jobs, and you're being proactive about finding a good therapist. Let us know how the session goes/if you like this therapist.

Have a good week all!

Michele, we posted at the same time. I'm so glad you loved your scuba class. I love to scuba dive! It's really fun. I hope you & DH enjoy it.

Also last week I drove past a fruit stand on the side of the road selling watermelons and pumpkins. I kind of shook my head - only in Florida. They seem so seasonally conflicting.

Some soreness today - ran a 15k this weekend and my legs are somewhat stiff. Better than I expected, though. Weight looks good after the weekend, which is a first in a while.

Megan - I have seasonal allergies, and mine have been terrible for the last few years, getting worse pretty much every year.

Michele - glad that you enjoyed the scuba class!

Iris - hope you get your GI stuff figured out. I had some troubles off and on the last couple of years and a lot of them resolved when I stopped eating Splenda. I definitely feel better now that they are mostly gone.

Jen - I tend to volunteer for extra and then struggle with the new busy, too.

Saef - glad your mom came back safe! And I hope that you get your refrigerator voucher.

Dagmar - I made a conscious effort to not bring my smart phone everywhere this weekend so I wouldn't miss things around me while I googled.

Bill - pumpkin shortage? I just learned to like pumpkin pie, it can't go away now.

Hi folks!

Megan, we had watermelon and pumpkins at our farmer's market last weekend too. The end of summer and beginning of fall do overlap a bit! Now, if I saw strawberries and pumpkins at the same time, I'd know I was in a warmer climate.

As for pumpkins in general, there was no shortage at our local farmer's market so while canned pumpkin might have a national shortage, I forsee no problem with us getting local pumpkins.

Dagmar, let us know how your therapy appointment goes.

Saef, glad your mom got home safe.

Iris and Michele, I hope you feel better soon!

Hi Jen and Shannon!

I'm having success so far trying to drop a few pounds. 137 today -- 2 down, 4 to go. And that's only after one week. I don't think I've lost 2lbs in a week since I was at my high weight. Could be that my thyroid is properly balanced now?

Hooray for weight loss Jessica!
I go to the endo tomorrow to find out if my thyroid is balanced after getting on new medication. My weight has been pretty low so I hope he doesn't tell me I'm getting too much medication! The only symptom I'm still having is hair loss so we'll see where my numbers are....

Aaah, home from Costa Rica.

We almost didn't make it as there was a huge marathon in the village where we were for the last day. Our driver arrived 15 minutes early but it took us an hour to go less than 2 miles! Thankfully we arrived in time for our short flight from Liberia to San Jose (in a 19 passenger plane--I sat at the door in the back, DH in front right behind the open cockpit. The door leaked and we flew through a storm and I was soaked from knee down!)

We had the most wonderful time! I snorkeled for the first time (Michele--makes me think I'd like to learn scuba but I don't know of schools here in the desert). The river rafting was amazing--another first where we hit rapids on the scale of 3 and 4 (5 being a waterfall). Ziplining was so fun. The volcano hike was the least fun--more of a nature hike, although we learned a lot. My friend thought the hike was more strenuous and would take us to the top of the active volcano (which we learned was illegal). It was a short walk with a bit of climbing over big volcanic boulders at the end.

Saef~your avatar is beautiful. I like your smile!!! Your last avatar, while still pretty, was rather somber. This is much better.

Dagmar~I hope the senior group can help your dad.

Pat~welcome back! We've missed you. Glad you've been busy but hope your depression or whatever is fleeting. Perhaps part of your BIL's death?

Bill~another pumpkin shortage? I remember reading about one last year and worried about being able to buy canned pumpkin for my dogs (I keep it on hand in case of diarrhea or stomach upset). So far, I have not seen a shortage.

In another note, my DD commented on a photo from my trip. She asked how much I had lost prior to my trip as I looked "amazing." I felt less than amazing because I felt I still needed to lose another 10, but it made me feel really good. She said she did 30 minutes on the elliptical today. She said she was proud of that. I am too. I hope she is able to lose a few before we go to Hawaii in June. I know she'll be much happier when we go snorkeling there if she is able to lose some.....

Oh, and if anyone is planning to to go Costa Rica, the Pacific side, near the beaches, I recommend Tamarindo beach and please stay at the Capitan
Suizo hotel. It is a small hotel--wonderful. They have regular rooms (sitting area, wonderful king sized bed, good sized bath), bungalows, suites and even a 4 bedroom bungalow. Restaurant and bar were great. Wildlife like you would not believe. Raccoons visited during dinner (outdoor dining), howler monkeys grunted at night and they had two that were "tame" and doted on during the day by the maids (they were housed inside at night to keep them on the tame side). Five resident cats (owned by various staff members), a dog that visited often and even a porcupine which we didn't see. Rustic but five star all the same.

Allison-- your trip sounds divine. I love snorkeling! The first time I ever snorkeled was in Hawaii about 20 years ago. It was by far the best snorkeling I've done so far so make sure you snorkel there!

My day was rough as I felt worse and worse as the day went on. I didn't even make the gym which is very rare for me. I am just praying I feel more human tomorrow.

I have a question that I want to ask your opinion??? My younger dd is a senior in high school and my older dd is a senior in college. Much to our chagrin, our girls have never gotten along. I am an only child and I wanted so much for my two girls to get along but they barely tolerate each other. I think they are just such different people. They also seem to harbor a great deal of jealousy towards each other. Anyway, younger dd doesn't want to go to older dd's college graduation and we've just about said she has to be there. She said she'd be busy with senior stuff but she really didn't have anything tangible going on. Now it looks like her big choir trip is going to be at the same time as the graduation. Choir is her passion and the trips are what she looks forward to all year. Dh wants to demand that she go to the graduation and miss the trip but I'm not so sure. He feels that if we don't force her to go that they'll always have that to throw back at each other-- you didn't go to my graduation so I'm not going to your wedding (or birth of your child or whatever). We haven't mentioned to older dd anything one way or the other and I'm not sure how much she'd care anyway. I'm not sure I want to drag a grumpy teenager there.... what would you do??

michele Someone (other than me) said a variation of the following:

"We get to pick our friends but we're stuck with our families".

I think you should let your daughters do their separate things. They may change their minds about liking each other once they are both adults. But they have to decide that.

I too am an only child and I would dearly have liked to have had siblings. DH is one of 3 and he never really got along with his sisters until I reintroduced them all to each other. Now his 2 sisters are again not speaking to each other but they both are in touch with DH. All their choice.

Dagmar

DH has a job interview this morning - . I hope this is a trend. I don't think he should jump at the first thing he's offered but I'm glad he got an interview. Apparently his combination of experience, skills, and now the CMA put him much in demand in the large construction industry. He will have to be at a more junior position for awhile but that's fine. It's a good start.

DH seems to be galvanized by these new developments. He was complaining yesterday about what an embarrasment his belly is - maybe the diet and exercise program will finally start. Maybe I will even get to goal : this year.

Lots of positive change coming. We've been stuck in our respective ruts for over 2 years. We are now climbing out of them.

Dagmar