Ooh, this is exciting - I can choose icons and all sorts! I have tried to add a file on the bottom but who knows if it will take ... if it does, it is one of my favourite paintings, that I am looking forward to visiting when I go to Madrid - 'Desnudos en la playa' by Togores. If not, I recommend you all go and look it up! It is a gorgeous painting of a couple who look so in love and so healthy and so happy together it's just inspirational ...

Just starting the thread for today off ... going to WI in 20 mins, my last one before Spain, so will come back and report later.

Hugs!

Lolly
xxx

ps:- what happens if I click on post a poll?
Ooh! Found out! Come and vote everyone (couldn't think of a more original question, but it will be fun to see when we all go ...)

lolly - that is so cool!
i might be in oxford on march 15th for jesus college easter dinner. are you going with m? if not, wanna be my guest (as ex president i can take 3 guests!).
finally the IT man fixed my PC today so now i can do some proper work and check my email (it felt like i was lacking a limb i can tell you!).
so, better go read all yer posts and probably do some work.
hope everyone is doing well,
kirsty
ps i am trying to make up for the sticky gingerbread last week and be very good on points all this week. fingers crossed! esp with free drinks at work tomorrow night!

Hi Lolly and Kirsty!

I really like the new features!!! Love the pic too, very sensual.....

Better get back to work, I was out yesterday, took my DS to the doc again, has a terrible case of bronchitis and we have found that he has asthma, so we received our nebulizer yesterday and have begun breathing treatments. Hopefully this will help him!

I am trying to get thru everyone's posts since last Friday, holy cow!!

A big "Hi" to everyone!! Hopefully I will get a chance to post later today, I had a terrible weekend (I see others did too, now I don't feel so bad!) but getting back on the wagon today. Going to walk a couple miles at noon.

Well, check in later!

So cool about the attached picture! I think I will send one once I get it scanned in!!!

HOW DID EVERYONE DO ON THEIR FIRST DAY OF THE SELF CHALLENGE??? I did great! I did my 30 minute aerobic workout AND 10 minutes of flexibility AND did good on points! Awesome for me! I wanted so badly for a soda.... but didn't have enough points, so I drank Crystal Lite instead! Yah for me!

Poor Emma had 4 shots yesterday and was a huge crab monster at night! But she woke up all refreshed and giggly!

Lolly... I am glad you have the time to experiment with all the new features! I love the poll and painting additions!!

Kirsty... what is sticky gingerbread?? Sounds like something wonderful! You can stay within points, I know you can!!

Well, I am back to doing YUCKY work. I have a HUGE deadline on Friday and just may be scraping the bottom to meet it! I hate that!

Oh and I don't know why, but I am so achy all the time, especially when I wake up. Not sure if it is because I had a baby and am back to trying to get my body in shape or that I am just getting old. I hope it is the first!! I feel rotten! Doesn't help that I gained at WI and feel depressed. Also, we went shopping this weekend because all I wear are these ugly black knit pants because my pants don't fit yet. I had the rudest lady in this one store. I picked out 2 dresses for work and Emma started fussing so we were going to quickly buy the dresses and leave so I could get her a bottle. Well this lady was a huge B**** and told the other lady to watch me closely.... they thought I was going to steal the dresses. I was really offended. So the second I walked out of the changing room the old lady grabbed the dresses out of my hands and said "I'll put those back for you"... and I was like, "but I am buying those"... So hubby went to the counter to pay for them and the lady was all weirded out that he had a platinum Visa. Then hubby told me what they said about me while I was in the room. I was so upset. So I marched back in and talked to the manager.... who was the one that originally made the comment about watching me... and told he I didn't appreciate the rude way that I was treated. She was all flustered and apologized. I think because I was young (28) and had a little baby, she was a bit discriminatory against me. I was greatly offended! I told hubby that I wanted to return the clothes, but he said I liked them, so I should keep them. Isn't that the worst. Nothing like making a girl feel like crap!

OK, off my box now. Have a great day all!

AND.... if the pic below shows up... that is me before I got PG after losing 30 pounds on WW (I still had 30 to lose, but really looked and felt good!).... now I am back to where I started, but I have a little baby to enjoy!

Hello all. Well I just posted this huge message and then my netscape went down and I lost it. AHHH. Now I have to get to a meeting and I don't have time to post...again.

Lolly: cool thread! I love that painting.

Kirsty: glad you had a good vacation.

Tonya: Good job on getting right back on track. Sorry to hear about DS...hope the med does the trick.

Jen: What a great picture. I bet you still look wonderful. I would write a letter to the store corporate public relations office!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, must jet. Talk with you soon.

Trish

Sounds like my painting made it, huzzah! Did you notice how the woman is so beautifully rounded? ie not stick thin? I think that's one of the things that made me like it so much.

Jen, that's such a lovely photo. Do you know that (apart from Kirsty) yours is the first face I can put to a name on this board? I don't think the scanner here is working at the moment, but as soon as it does, I will scan in a photo (and maybe even a before photo too ...) for all of you. Good on you for going and talking to the shop manageress - maybe that will make them think twice before being snide about people in the future.

Kirsty - going to Madrid on Monday otherwise I would LOVE to come to the dinner. I will be there in spirit! Oooooooh sticky gingerbread, I went to the Alternative Tuck Shop for lunch today (they make fabby sandwiches to order and have all sorts of healthy fillings - roast chicken and mango chutney, YUM!) and I was THIS close (imagine the tiniest space you can!) to getting a big sticky brownie. I am saving it till the end of the week as a PMS-buster ...

Trish - you were on line when I logged on! It's so weird seeing who's about - makes you all seem so much more real. We really exist!

Tonya - sorry to hear about your son. If it's any consolation, I had asthma until I was about 15, but then I just grew out of it. I don't have any problems at all now. And YAY! for getting back on the wagon. You're so good about walking - where do you go? Do you have somewhere nice to walk? And do you go along with anyone?

I was so tempted to put another picture but I will save it - risking overkill! I will try and find one of the Oxford College where I live so you can all be as amazed as I was when I first saw it. Oh , and before I go - WI was cool, down 1.5 (including the pesky .5 I gained last week) so now I am only 3lbs from my second 10%. By the time I get back from Spain I plan to be right on top of 200!!!

hugs,
Lolly
xxx

Would someone please fill me in on the self challenge???

I’m not having a good morning. You know when you have those days when you are just not up to dealing with people? This is mine. What I need is fuzz therapy from my puppy, or spending time with one of my ‘nieces’ who are each a year and a half, or some quiet time enjoying the blue sky and the fact that I’m alive and healthy *sigh* Why is it that an office with a window can feel so much like a cell??

I did OK on points yesterday until my hostess offered me a lemon square last night. Oh well, at least I’m counting things now instead of just ignoring how many points I’m eating!

I have puppy pictures with me today. Maybe I can get someone to scan one of him and me in.

Lolly: That is a great picture. I really hope you find a great ciber café to keep in touch!! Where are you seeing that everyone is online? I have started my buddy list but I'm not seeing it. I need to spend some time at home playing around here to see what all I can do.

Kirsty: Toss me a free LIIT will ya?? I’ll send you a buck to tip the bartender.

Tonya: Sorry to hear about your son! Poor guy. I hope the breathing treatments help! You need to put up your website address again or post that great picture of you and that friend!

Jen: I’m so glad you went back in and told that manager how you felt. I would have wanted to return the clothes too! That’s a GREAT picture of you!

Trish: Hi!!!

Everyone else, come out and play

Cool!! I wanna scan a pic now!! This is very cool, to whoever did that....

Anyway, Jen, you look really good in that pic as well!

Well, I did OK on the self Challenge - I did 35 cardio and some stretching but no strength will have to do it tonite!


WEll, I made an important decision last night - I decided to move out - not withb/f, not with my sisters, but on my own, a place of my own. I think that I need that. I realized that I don't really live withb.f or my mom, I live out of my car and that is the only thing I have that belongs to me, so I figure it is time for me to move out, pay for myself and get on with my life - have my OWN life. You know? I talked to my mom aboutit for awhile and she wasn't very happy, she brought up that she and I used to do lots together and don't anymore, it was very sad really. I know I used to go places with her and she thought I'd stay until I get married, but I just need Belle space now, not mom's house or b/f's house. Does that make sense?

Anyway, b/f was totally sucky on the phone - he was playing Playstation until like 8:30 and then he had a bath and talked to me for about 45 min about this and that, I told him my idea and stuff. We had a nice talk, he was calling my cutsie. Its pretty cute. He used me as a reference but assured me that he very likely wouldnt' take it and that he is hopeing for a job withthem in the fall in Calgary. I hope that is true.

WEll, I Weighed myself this am on my home scale - I do that every Tues morning and last week it was 219 and this week its 215. I was happy!

Day 2 of Self Challenge.....lets go girls!!

Have a good day, sorry for the LONG letter and not much responding to other people, I will at lunch! Just had to get that off my chest.

Belle

Hi everyone! The pictures are so cool! Jen - that is a beautiful picture of you.

Yesterday I did pretty well - I ate 28 points, 3 over my max but I earned 3 exercise points. I didn't really mean to eat them but when I calculated, I had already done it. Hopefully I overstimated some though.

Well last night DH's gmae show was on TV. He was on the game show network on Hollywood Showdown at 8:30 ET. It was fun to see him on the show. We taped it on 2 TV and I thinkl he taped it again when it was on at 12:30. We have to send copies to our family since not a lot of people get the Game Show network. Now I can tell you what happened - he won $13,160!!!! Yipee!!

I gotta go but I will try to post more later.

Sarah
194.4/167.6/153WW

Eek, my skin decided to break out again... Who knew I'd still be spotty at 23. I am really tempted to go on ortho-tricyclen now (my dumbTOM is still acting up).

Sarah: wow, 13000$ is impressive. My parent's were on a game show (14 years ago I guess) and were doing kick *** and then the other team suddenly began to zoom ahead, the producers had never seen anything like it. Well my parents only walked out with $400, then again it was a low budget Canadian game-show.

Belle: I am finally getting my own place as well, I live in rez and that's not the same thing, so next year I'll have an apartment and I can't wait. I think it is important to have a year or so living on your own. Good Luck in finding an apartment though.

Brenda: I am sorry that you're not having a great day, hopefully things will get better.

Lolly: Congrats on the 1.5 down!!! Yeah I am tempted to post pics as well. My great-uncle is an artist (and actually makes a living from it even) and I am trying to start and really look and sense the art I am looking at. I loved the painting you posted!

Jen: I am sorry you had that experience in the store. My brother is always followed around poor guy.

Tonya: I am sorry your son has bronchitis.

Kirsty:mmmmm Gingerbread.


Take Care!

Ali

Yesterday was my day of crisis?
why you ask?
My best friend from Highschool called me out of the blue to say she is getting married in 2 weeks
which i was excited about but also kind of freaked out Just because in alot of ways I still feel
Like a kid and shes building her life mind you shes already out of grad school
so im invited to the wedding and i was actually going to take stacker 3 till the big day its march 24
b/c i had a looooow self esteem night
BUT! and its a big one b/c its mine The morning brings enlightenmentz
Although I am single very Single I like my life **** I might be in ireland this time next year if
my application for study abroad is approved Everybody pray! i need to meet some attractive men with nice accents lol oh yeah and celtic studies ;D Im not going to lie this morning i was not OP
BUT! i will be the rest of the day Spinach or salad for lunch and im experimenting for dinner muhahahahahahahhaha
Im goign to terrify my roomies again this time with MEat Loaf > ok turkey loaf but same thing

Lolly that painting is amazing you can almost feel the sun on them
JEN you Gorgeous creature! dont sweat the sales lady her ignorance will inhibit her

Belle Congrats on the soon to be moving out i know how you feel Im planning on summer school all summer so i can keep having my own space

Alli I know what you mean when i finally ahve a senior year whenever that will be I want to live offcampus so i dont have to move back when im done
Sarah wooowooo $13000 didja go on a shopping spree?

alright now i have to go be productive
this is a pic of me prolly 20 pounds lighter
Hugs
Kierie

Hey Brenda, sorry you missed this last week.

The SELF challenge is a challenge that Self Magazine has every year. You can register and get more info at http://www.self.com or get the magazine. A bunch of us are following it. It will last for 3 months. I started it last year, then 1 week into it I found I was PG... This year I am determined. Every month the challenge gets harder!

Good Luck if you decide to follow it... and keep us posted!

I keep looking at the picture I posted with tears in my eyes. I worked so hard to lose that weight and felt great that day (friends wedding)... now I am 30 pounds higher and sad. I know, it was worth it, but darn it, it took me a YEAR to lose 30 pounds. That is a long time. Now my sexy clothes don't fit, I'm not is the same exercise form, I'm sluggish... and the list goes on! Oh I am sad!

I just wanted to get that out!

Oh, and I will post a picture of Emma as soon as I get one scanned. I am slow at getting the scanner fired up (it is on my home computer!) Just keep bugging me about it!

O.k. I have logged on to read the posts about 4 times now but have not had the time to post. So here Goes.
I love the picture, Lolly. I've never seen it before, WOW. I love seeing voluptuous woman portrayed as sensuous rather than stick thin plastic ones. It is a bit refreshing and more importantly realistic in today's culture. Anyways, I had a good night last night. I did well on the Self Challenge. By the way someone wanted to be informed. Log onto the Self magazine web site. I am not sure of the address but it should not be difficult to find and it will explain the self challenge. Some of us 20 somethings are planning on doing that. Today at work is slow and I am actually planning a ski trip with a bunch of friends. Well we are just going for the day on Sat. but I am so excited I love to downhill ski! Anyone else enjoy this? I am going to go to lunch now but I'll pop back in later. Also Jen, You look beautiful in that pic. ( I hope it was you, I am still struggling with remembering other's posts as I post) Does anyone have a good way of doing that, that I may be overlooking?
Anyways, I think that is a great idea we should all scan pics or ourselves. I will have to do that at home but maybe I will. Kieri, when I logged on I couldn't access your pic. OH well!
I am starving!! Need lunch
Checkin later,
Becky

O.k. ladies, I just paged down and realized that the past posts are down there! Wow sometimes I scare myself :0
Becky