Good Morning

I see we didn't do a weekend thread so let's just keep babbling!

Got my snow tires put on yesterday and promptly came home to figure out the next months budget. We have several quite large once/year payments the end of the year and with tires added on it will be a great month to eat from the freezer. Since DH stayed over (with Kirby) I have a nice window to get my eating back in order.

Work today and I believe it will be quite busy. Traffic was crazy coming up from Denver even at 2PM. There is a real bottleneck getting up to Eisenhower Tunnel this time of year, which is why we always leave early when we're headed West.

I cleaned out the refrigerator and froze the fruitcake this morning....did some general pickup/cleanup and paid a few bills. Now I think I'll take a short nap before work calls.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Good morning, Debbie and those to come. Yes, it should have been weekend chat yesterday but the days between Christmas and New Year's just all seem like weekend days!

Watched shots from the NYPD funeral and thought of Jennifer. Yes, I knew the Ottawa force was going to be there. So very frightening - I guess we always think of our officers as invincible.

Had a much-needed quiet day yesterday - just me and the dogs, some hand sewing and TV in the afternoon. I actually felt a tad sick - I suspect too much party food and drink although I seemed to have the fringes of a cold. I made my excuses re Ernie's birthday party via Karen - it was a surprise so I couldn't just phone.

Today I'll do some more puttering around the house and then go to my sister's for lunch. My Montreal cousin and her DH are up for the day and we with feast on Cathie's turkey soup. I love turkey soup - seems like a taste of Christmas. So nice to see Cathie who is my favourite cousin - I was named after her mother who is gone now.

Tomorrow (Monday) I'll try to force myself to get some deskwork done - mainly doing donation receipts. It seems like I have been "Christmassing" forever - Monday, January 5 will be a shock! I consider it Christmas until Epiphany which is the 6th. Call me old-fashioned.

More coffee and then the darling dogs and will cuddle near the tree until it gets light. The days may be getting longer but it's still pretty dark until 7:30.

Have a good Sunday.

Debbie - good morning, hope you got your nap in and that work isn't too bad!

Ruth - glad you had a calm day for you and that you feel normal quick!

I caved and called the doc last night, since my neuro symptoms were almost as bad (worse?) than before surgery. I almost called the service back b/c I still didn't get a callback, when my doc called - instead of the doc on call - he had just arrived at his room on some island somewhere on vacation . He was so sweet and concerned - and called me in steroids. *Hopefully* this is just post op swelling which should resolve with steroids. And hopefully I don't pork out on the meds, lol!!

So today is back to severe restrictions - not even walking except in the house. I'm ready to get off this roller coaster ride anytime! I did get my soup finished yesterday, so there's my meals for a few days .

You are right, Ruth. It's nearly 7:30 here and just beginning to get light outside. I did notice that it didn't get dark until after 5 last night, though!

I got out for a while by myself yesterday, and thoroughly enjoyed my "me" time! I drove down to Delaware (tax free shopping!), and compared the difference between iPads and Tablets at Best Buy, although I didn't buy one yet. Then I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond, where I bought a new vacuum cleaner, then did a shop at Trader Joe's before heading home. It felt so good to get out by myself for a change!

I think today will be an "at home" day, although the rest of the family has been passing around a bad headcold, and I've been doing my best to escape the germs. I'm hoping everyone will be better today.

Good morning I'm almost through the list making part of my day I've got my chores for the day and most of my meals for the week. I do want to plan out our two week menu for the P1/elimination diet adventure. I'm sure it will be much easier if it's all on paper. Kind of funny, I did an elimination diet 6 years ago and found enough good resources to figure it all out. Apparently it's gotten trendy so there's a lot more bad info out there now We are already gluten free but I will miss the dairy. Okay, I'll miss the wine too I'm not giving up coffee because I like my husband too much.

Debbie - It was a new snow tire year here too. Ouch. Still worth every penny but my summer tires were retired too so it's just one of those years. I am planning January meals from the freezer and pantry too.

Ruth - I am a January 6th celebrator too My tree usually comes down then but this year I'll be with the babe so I'll take it down the 8th. I will have to plan a Little Christmas celebration with DD and family. It will be nice to pass it on to another generation

Tammy - I'm sorry you hit a rough patch. Glad the doc got back to you. Hopefully a little quiet time will get you back on track.

Cottage - Good luck with the germs! Do you have this week off too?

I better get dinner in the crockpot. We are going to see the Hobbit so dinner needs to be ready early (and filling enough to keep us away from the popcorn! ). Then I'll plan our two week menu.

Cottage - sounds like a lovely day!!

Cyndi - you made me laugh with your coffee comment . Let me know how the Hobbit movie is - thought of trying to do a date with DH to see that, it's his favorite.

Good morning

Debbie. I'm with you on eating from the freezer. January is usually my month.

Ruth. When I was growing up we always celebrated Christmas on january 7th. Now familt is all back to work by then but I still have some traditional ukrainian dishes on the 6th

Linda. Your day out sounds wonderful. Imust plan one of those with my gift certificates

Tammy please take it easy. Follow doc's orders.

Cyndi. You are so organized.

Sitting here having 2nd cup of coffee and trying to think of what prep I can do for our new year's eve get together. Tomorrow we are going to visit friends who are about 2hrs drive from here. Weather has been create for travelling. Sure miss my dd and her family. Its so quiet around here. My night owl dh is still sleeping.
take care
Sophie
ps eating has been off plan for sure but we all know what to do

Hi Ladies:
I'm nursing what will be the first of at least 2 coffees and listening to my fave soap on BBC 4 online.Meal planning and grocery list making. B's cough is not getting better so probably a trip to the Ped tomorrow along with my Ortho trip for cortisone shots.
Tammy I hope the steroids Work! Your doc sounds amazing !
Cyn LOL! I'm sure your Husband thanks you for that! J hates coffee but he likes when I've had it
Cottage your day sounds dreamy! so glad you enjoyed it
Ruth I like keeping Christmas as long as I can!
Debbie I'd love to get some Freezer recipes How is Kirby
Ok off to the races before the natives wake!

We watched a movie the other night on the recommendation of my son (film studies graduate and a sound designer) called The Conversation. It stars Gene Hackman and was a bet project of Francis Coppola after he made Godfather. It was a great movie. One of those you won't forget. Anyone see it. Son saw Hobbit, he said it was o.k.
take care
Sophie

Good morning chicks. Overcast and gray here but no snow so I am not complaining. Life is easier without it!

Sounds like everyone is having a great holiday week. I'm with Ruth, the tree will stay up until the 6th, the white lights on the stairwell might stay up longer.

Cottage, good luck avoiding the germs.
Tammy, take it easy today; hopefully the medication will help.
Cyndi, we're coffee addicts too. (I figure in the world of vices it is a fairly benign one.)
Thinking of Jennifer and her long shift today.

Have a good day, chicks.

Good morning all!

Debbie - It seems like every time we are on 70 we hit a bottleneck at the tunnel! I hope work isn’t too crazy for you today.

Ruth - Enjoy your soup today! I love the time after Christmas when you still get to see family but the rush of the actual day is over.

Tammy - So sorry about your ickies! Hopefully the meds will do their thing and you won’t get that dreaded steroid weight!

Linda - Sounds like a great shopping day. My DH went with me yesterday but I always feel rushed when someone else is with me. I really need a by myself shopping day!

Cyndi - Too funny about the coffee!! I’m with you on that one. I’ll be curious what your menu plan looks like. Is there somewhere on the boards where folks post those sorts of things? I planned out our first two weeks on Friday and went shopping last night. Even when we aren’t doing phase 1 I find meal planning to be the bane of my existence!

Sophie - I’m still on my first cup but that 2nd is calling my name. Luckily I don’t have to do any prep for NYE. We are going to a charity event early in the evening and then snuggling in at home with a bottle of champagne. That will be the last of the alcohol for me until the end of January! ps…we will have to look for that movie. We are always on the hunt for good movies.

KO - I hope you have a restful day today - sounds like tomorrow will be full! Good luck with all the doc visits.

Beth - I’ll keep my fingers crossed for no snow for you. I think our snow is going to stick around a while since we aren’t supposed to get above freezing for quite a while. It’s actually quite strange here to have weather like this. Normally we will get some snow and it will be all melted in a day or so. The white is much prettier than our normal winter brown but gosh the roads are awful!

The plan today is for more sewing. I really need to get this order finished so I can sew up some fun things for the cruise. We went out shopping yesterday but I just didn’t find anything. I did get a few winter pieces but I won’t be taking those on a Caribbean cruise! I also used a Hobby Lobby gift card yesterday that I got for Christmas and picked up some fun paper crafting supplies that I’d like to mess with. I have just too many distractions to work on those uniforms!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day today and thanks again for your warm welcome! It’s so nice to have some friends who understand the struggle.

Hugs ,

Gabby

Sneaking in from work. Been here since 0300. I think I will see a little water woosh tomorrow. My legs were pretty swollen from standing and walking yesterday. It seems like everyone is off this week but me. My plan is to work doubles to earn some $$$ to pay off my holiday spending. I get a holiday che k in January which I always use as my vacation club. Maybe this year I won't need to.
Cyndi I am freezer eating all week. I started P1.75 lol no fruit and only quinoa for grains. Basically I would say I am doing P1 for a week, but I was weak and ate 2 cookies yesterday

I was pretty good with exercise earlier this month. Right now I need to concentrate on cleaning up my food choices. Exercise will be on next month'a calendar.

gabby, I failed to say this earlier, "welcome!"

Look for the On-Plan Thread; that is where people post their menus. If you want feedback on yours, feel free to ask. There are lots of members here who will help.

Glad you have joined us!

Once I started menu planning I realized I'm doing more of a 1.5/elimination hybrid. The elimination diet we designed has no gluten (we are already doing that for DH's likely celiac's), no soy, no sugar, no corn, and no dairy. With those limits I'm going to eat low GI fruits but no grains. DH will eat rice but I want to get closer to P! so I'll skip it.

I'm all about the science so one of the things we are doing is listing the markers we will watch, things like bloating, joint swelling and ache, headaches, etc. Yup, I'm a serious geek

We made it to Denver and tomorrow we travel through the pass hopefully weather will not be bad.