Starting the topic. Be back on later this morning after my interview.

Anne - I think I missed your plan about putting money in the hotel pot - what's it about? Good for you for showing a maintain - better than a gain anytime.

Carla - good for your for maintaining while you away. Even with last week's result (new starting weight), I hope you gave yourself some major pats on the back for doing so well when you were on vacation. No, my leader hasn't said anything about a re-vamp of the program. There were a couple of weeks in May I missed though so maybe she mentioned something then. I'll ask this Saturday. Thanks for the good wishes about the severance. I haven't heard anything yet and if I don't hear from the boss's boss by tomorrow (almost a week), I'm going to send her a note (she's in SF on business this week). How did Ana's party go?

I'm pleased to report a maintain this week - that's was with TOM starting on Friday so I'm pretty pleased. I did so-so this weekend but am back on track. I just got back from the TA interview - there were three of us they interviewed as a group - never saw that before. The positives - the place was really great - very warm, very good ratio of teachers and TA's to students. The kids were also fairly high functioning. The ed supervisor said she's let us know in a week. They give you up to $6000 a year in tuition reimbursement but for every year or reimbursement, you have to work there 2 years, otherwise you pay it back like a loan. The negatives - the salary is atrocious (although I knew that about TA positions - in the fall I would get the lowest on the scale, once I start school (for a Masters) in January I would get the highest on the scale - still atrocious but better than the lowest. The school is a 12 month program - you get 2 weeks off in June and 2 weeks off in August (as well as the regular breaks of the regular school calendar) and you work 30 days in the summer. That would mean I couldn't load up on classes in the summer. Still, as I told Tony, if I get offered the job, I'd take it. If I find something else in a school district that is either higher pay and is summers off, I would switch. Of course, I'm putting the horse before the cart here.

Back to work - have a great one!
Judy
163.6/154.4/135
and 103/240 workouts

Good Morning,

Judy - hope your interview goes well this morning. Glad to hear that your meeting with the bosses seemed to go well too.

Anne - congrats on your 1 lb loss, that's great!

Carla - hope Ana's party went well...that's three parties isn't it??

I had a mixed weekend. Saturday morning I very slightly dinged a brand new Acura...which led to an all day food fest . Yesterday we worked in the garden all day, and the food thing was fine. This morning I have to go for a mammogram - I hate those things. I will be going to the WW meeting tomorrow to kick start myself. I'm on vacation this week; I have 2 papers to write so I'll be busy.

Have a great day.

Karen

Judy - we must've been posting at the same time. Congratulations on your maintain! The place you interviewed at sounds pretty wonderful. The $ part doesn't sound too wonderful though. Anyway, the steps you're taking are going to pay off big time in the future.

Hi all.

Judy - Glad to hear your interview went well this morning. It sounds like a great place. Too bad that the salary isn't great. What a mixed-up society we live in that the people who teach our children, especially children needing special attention, get paid some of the lowest salaries. Congratulations on your maintain - that's quite a victory given that TOM has started.

Karen - Sorry to hear about the mishap with the Acura. Glad to hear you were able to spend the day in your garden and were able to get back on track. Enjoy your week off and try to take some fun breaks from your school work. Yes, that was party number 3 for Ana, if you count the small one that was just me, John and Ana.

I had a pretty good weekend. Ana's party went well. I just did finger foods. Of course, in the true Italian tradition, I had about three times more food than I needed. That's ok, lots of leftovers and since just about everything was low/reduced/non-fat, I'm well stocked now, especially with fruit and veggies. The cake's still hanging around, but it's not my favorite and anyway, I'll be freezing a good portion of it. I hopped on the scale on Saturday and a couple of pounds were gone, so I think I was still holding on to some water. Now to keep it off until Wednesday.

Have a great day.

Carla

Karen - we must have been posting at the same time. Sorry about dinging the Acura. Of couse, I say this knowing full well I have done that and more (like snacking 'cause things are moving along well!) but did the food repair the ding? Yeah, I know - it's so tough. I know I use almost any reason to snack. I guess we've been using food for so long, it's sort of natural that it would take us a long time to stop doing it! Good for you for getting back on track and not using the slip up as a reason for continuing the slip up! Good luck with your papers. I'm looking forward to hearing about your meeting. I'm hoping to do a little gardening after work today. Thanks for the encouragement!

Carla - Way to go on a good weekend and great work with the party! I definitely have the "make too much food" issue but it's GREAT that in your case everything is point friendly! That will be great for this week. Good idea about freezing the cake - I feel a good loss on your part coming! Yes, there is something wrong with our society that the people who teach our children are among the lowest paid professionals. Still, we have plans to deal with the low salary - hopefully they will work out as we have planned. Thanks to you for all the encouragement too! This is hard but I'm glad I'm taking the leap.

Hi Ladies,

Judy, I will chime in my congrats and good wishes on the interview. There is a group in our town who feel that teachers salaries should reflect the average income of the families who go to our schools. That would be great if we lived in a well to do area, unfortunately we live in a tourist town, were there are a lot of families who's income comes from cleaning the hotels. The teachers suggested they base their salaries on the average salary of those in town who have completed their bachelor degrees and then gone on even further in their education. As you can tell teachers salaries are a sensitive spot for me ( a former teacher who is married to a teacher). I just find it silly that they want to base my hubbie's (who has taken 75 units past his bachelors degree) salary on what the dishwasher who is 19 makes. On a more positve note, I don't think there is a more rewarding career than teaching a child. I hope you love it as much as we do.


Karen, It sounds like you are doing well. Let me know how the meeting goes. You seem to really want to get going on this again.

Carla, I had to dump the rest of the birthday cake at our house. I just kept finding myself taking small bites. Way to go on the finger foods. Wishing you a good weigh in.

The hotel pot came about because a couple of girlfriends and I wanted to get ourselves moving on weight lose. What we do is we each have a jar/container of some sort for ourselves and then we have a hotel pot. If you lose weight each week you put $5 into your pot, if it is a gain or maintain the $5 goes in the hotel pot. We haven't chosen the weekend yet, but eventually we will take the hotel pot and run away. You can use your pot for anything you like, I'm thinking about a massage or new clothes. My friend is going to get a manicure when she gets $20 in hers. It is looking like the hotel will be getting another $5 from me this week.

Take care, Anne

Anne - I didn't know you were a former teacher. That has to be one of the sillier ideas I've heard about teachers' salaries! The "hotel pot" is a great idea. I just might have to institute something like that for myself. I think a massage would be my reward!

I did OK yesterday - a little too snacky but I had the points in the bank from a whopper of workout yesterday. The sneak peek was very good this morning. I realized that's a pattern for me - it's great early in the week and then it gets worse and worse as the week progresses. I'm going to make darn sure it doesn't happen this week - I want my 10 pounds lost on Saturday!

Things are going to be a bit hectic for me this week. The new business analyst who reports to me is starting tomorrow - most of my day will be spent with him. I'm coming into the city Thursday morning (same reason) but as of Thursday afternoon, I'm out of here for the rest of the week. We have a lot of things to do before the party on Saturday. Speaking of the party on Saturday (at which there will be few low point foods), I decided that I am going to let myself have whatever I want, just in reasonable portions. We're spending too much money for me not to enjoy it and anyway, if I try to scrimpt too much, I *know* I'll just binge in the evening!

Have a great one!
Judy

Good Morning...

Carla - It's funny how we alway prepare incredibly huge amounts of food for parties with a fear of running out, isn't it? Hope all goes well with the cake. Drink yourself silly today (H2O only) with hopes of flushing out all that excess fluid for tomorrow.

Anne - I think your hotel/you pots is a great idea. Judging from how well I've been doing lately, my hotel pot would have me staying at the Ritz. What a ludicrous formula for reimbursing teachers. I think they're reasonably well paid in BC; they're all unionized.

Judy - Hope the rest of your week isn't too crazy! The party prep should be fun though.

Got into a massive snack attack last night. I hardly ever munch in the evening, but I stayed up later than Mike (almost unheard of) and grazed in the kitchen. I'll have to be aware that being up alone in the evening is a danger time for munching.

My Acura mishap cost $519. Expensive. I could have just driven away as no one was around, but I think paying for the damage is a small price to pay for a clear conscience.

My mammogram was uncomfy, but the spot they've been watching for a year has disappeared.

I'm looking forward to my first WW meeting tonight, I'll let you know tomorrow how it goes!

Have a great day!

Hi all.

Anne - The hotel pot/you pot is a great idea. Unfortunately, at this point I'd be staying at The Ritz like Karen. What a stupid idea for teachers' salaries. Imagine if something like that got implemented state-wide. At least here in IL, the wealthly areas would be even better served than they are today and the poorer areas wouldn't be able to attract any good teachers at all. Sheesh.

Judy - Congrats on a good sneak peek. Now, I know you're not going to rest on your laurels and you'll have a good weigh-in on Saturday. And a good weigh-in on Saturday will help motivate you to keep your portions of the party food reasonable. I agree with your plan to have what you like. After all, how often do you get to enjoy catered food in your own home.

Karen - You certainly did the right thing with reporting the damage to the Acura. It's a small price to pay to not have it weighing on your mind. I hope you enjoy your meeting tonight!
Sorry to hear about the snack attack. But now you know to be on guard next time your awake past Mike.

I did some snacking last night too, probably for much the same reason as Karen. John went back into work and I was up late surfing the net. When will I learn to just go to bed? At any rate, I paid for it today with a very unhappy tummy. I met a friend for lunch today and did very well. We went to California Pizza Kitchen where we each had a 1/2 salad (mine with fat free balsamic vinigerette) and shared a pizza (which is allegedly individual size). The pizza was Thai Chicken and it really didn't have much cheese on it, so it was a pretty good choice. I think for dinner tonight I'll let Ana and John have cheese sandwiches and we'll continue munching on the fruits and veggies.

Talk to you tomorrow.

Carla

Hi All...

Carla - Misery loves company, that must be why we had simultaneous snack attacks. Sounds like you did well with your lunch out today.

I went to my first WW meeting this evening. The scale thing was brutal...I've been weighing in at around 240 at home, but that thing said 252.8, which I'll have to accept and use as a baseline. Considering it was evening and I was fully clothed and didn't even take off my shoes, I guess it's not that far out. Anyway aside from the horror of the scale, it seems like a very nice group, and the leader seems very good too. So starting tomorrow morning, I shall be a model Weight Watcher.

Have a great one.

Karen - that's great news about the mammogram. Sorry to hear about the cost for that ding - ouch! Yup- it's tough when the "offical" scale says more - mine was not quite as much of a difference but then I weigh in in the morning. Still, I'm glad it seemed like a nice group and you like the leader. You are doing good things for yourself!

Carla - sorry to hear about the snacking. I hear ya' although when I end up staying up late and surfing the web I tend not to eat - when I surf channels on TV watch out for hand-to-mouth disease!

Well, I didn't do so well last night. I got a mesage from the boss's boss that the severance package is not possible. I have a call into her to make sure she understands that I have not and am not now resigning (I'll do that once I have something else). Needless to say, I was disappointed, angry and well, I knew that I was using the food to make me feel better (didn't really help) and I did it anyway and didn't care. Still, I'm back OP today and will remain so. I'm also in the frame of mind that now I take care of myself - the job will get 2 weeks notice when I'm ready to resign and in the meantime, I'm doing the minimum to get by and stay sane. Not my usual way of working but that's what they are getting. Tony and I talked and now it's plan B. I will save as much of the salary I'm getting as possible; we will cut down on discretionary spending and take it from there. Tony is looking for other work and I will start school in the spring and apply for financial aid next year (since this year's income will be far less than last years).

OK - better get back to work (for what it's worth!)
Have a great one!
Judy

Hi all.

Karen - Forgot to say - good news about the clear mammogram! I'm glad to hear that you liked your meeting and it's leader. Bummer about the weight differential, but so much of it can be attributed to an evening weigh-in, fully clothed.

Judy - Sorry to hear about the severence package. But you're right to do now what you need to do to take care of yourself. It's amazing that since they're doing so many layoffs they wouldn't take a volunteer.

My scale showed me up .8 of a pound this morning. I'm sure it will be back down soon. I'm stuck at home right now waiting for the guy who interviewed me to call. He sent me an e-mail yesterday afternoon saying he wanted to speak with me. I e-mailed him back saying I'd be available all day today and tomorrow. I wish he'd call soon so I can run some errands and maybe take a walk.

Have a great day everyone.

Carla
278/278.8/140

Good Morning,

Judy - sorry to hear about the severance package or lack thereof. If that's how they intend to treat you, you're fully justified in giving them minimum while you concentrate your efforts elsewhere. Maybe a little yelling screaming and throwing things is in order for some emotional purging - could be a good alternative to feeding your face (sage advice from someone who seldom practices what she preaches).

Carla - sorry to hear about your small gain; you should have it back off in no time. I'm sending good vibes that the guy who calls has good things to say....

I'm well on track this morning. Have journalled, drinking like a fiend, and have gotten my milk quota in with a Starbucks grande nonfat latte (my most recent addiction). I;m meeting a friend for a sushi picnic today... I'm picking up the sushi, picking her up from work at noon, then we're heading out to sit by the river and watch the world go by for a while.

Enjoy the day!

Carla - sorry about the 0.8 - was it gone this morning? I'm sure it was. So, did the guy form the interview call? I hope so and it was good news! Yes, isn't it amazing that they won't take a volunteer?

Karen - sounds like you are OP and on track! Good for you for getting that milk in in such a delicious way! I love sushi - we had some Saturday and it was great - not bad pointwise either.

Thanks for your support. Yesterday was a crazy day at work (new business analyst for the project starting) and as much as I tell myself I'm giong to do the minimum, last night after dinner I was reading my email on the blackberrry and if Tony hadn't stopped me, I was halfway to the basement to check on something that one of my users reported! At least I decided to call in to my meeting this morning instead of going in. Today is my usual telecommute day and I *was* going to go in for this meeting this morning (long story why) - after I heard about the severance package answer I decided, forget it - they'll get me on the phone instead! I did snack a bit too much last night - Karen, yup, I should have yelled and screamed when I got home - or at least it would have been better had I done a workout.

After this meeting, I'm off for the rest of this week - but we'll be busy getting the house in order for the party. I'm planning on doing a workout after work though to be sure I get it in. I think getting busy for the party will "help my head" and keep me from snacking too much tonight.

Have a great one!
Judy