Well, Angi will be holding her baby soon, and today I let go of my baby. She joined the Navy and ships out for boot camp in Illinois tomorrow. I am proud of her, scared for her, excited for her, and, surprisingly, sad for me. I have been looking forward to finally becoming an empty nester. They keep boomeranging back to us (my son moved in with us in September, but has sublet my daughter's apartment), but unless she fails boot camp for some reason, I guess she's out of the house for the next five years.

And on the same day, my dentist told me I need a root canal. I was pretty much resigned to the fact because my tooth has been hurting me a lot. But I absolutely HATE dental work and have to take plenty of valium and get lots of novacaine and even then I practically shake the chair loose.

And my other son called me to tell me he may be getting a divorce.

All of this has resulted in some serious overeating. I thought I was over that cr*p. Guess not.

So, it's not been a good day today (except for hearing about Angi getting Elijah soon!) and all I can say is. . .

Tomorrow is another day.

Sheila,

Hang in there Sweetie!! I think all of us discover during times of great stress that our first inclination is to head for the food. I know that's definitely true for me. It's something most of us have always done and it's our first reaction, so know that you are not alone. It doesn't mean that you've failed either. It's a big accomplishment that you realize that you're reaching for the food because of your emotions. This is a lifelong process, not a short term thing, so it's expected that we'll have setbacks.

Your family is changing so much, but you know that they all still need and love you. The best thing you can do for them is to just be there for them and it sounds like that's exactly what you're doing.

Don't let this overwhelm you, just get right back on track and look at all that you've accomplished. Keep up the great work, and when the temptation to eat strikes, just come here and share it with us.

You're absolutely right, Sheila -- tomorrow is another day. I think it's important for everyone to always remember that. Sounds like some family stuff is kind of tumultuous right now, but you'll pull through. Don't forget to take care of yourself.

Angi had the "best news of the day" hands down. Let's all just agree on that right now, lol.

Life here is.... still interesting... I'll pull through though. Tomorrow is another day, you know. -Apryl

Sheila, I feel for you about your daughter (mine's flown from the nest too), I feel for you about your son's marital problems (we both know how painful that can be) and boy oh boy do I feel for you about the root canal I don't know - I've experienced childbirth, I've had kidney stones, I stepped on a plank and drove a rusty nail right through my foot, but I think I'd rather have that all happen at once than have root canal (okay, I may be going overboard a tiny bit..) But I do have a complete dental phobia and actually did break the arms of a chair during a visit. I don't know what it is...the sound of the drill, the feeling that the instruments are being inserted into your brain during a cleaning, the smells, the scraping that's like chalk on a chalkboard... Luckily I found a dentist who pretty much gives me laughing gas for every procedure. He's been talking to me recently about wisdom teeth removal (keep talking hon). I do have a great fridge magnet from my dentist though; it says "We cater to cowards"

Yes, tomorrow is another day and here's hoping it'll be a much brighter one for you Sheila (but not so bright that you get ahead of me in the October points challenge - okay, that was just mean)

Sheila, thanks for talking honestly.

I've been having a bad couple of days, and thought maybe I'd just hide out, and not post for a week or two, and then I could admit that I had gained a pound or two, and you all would be very nice to me!

I wrote out everything that was going on in my life, and pushed enter, and it seems I had timed out, so everything I wrote has been eaten by the system! So you all get the condensed version:

1. It's time for me to start looking for work again. Had a great summer with kid and getting my food in order, but now I want to go back to being a real librarian (yup, I have an MLS), and I'm petrified that no one will hire me. So I'm thinking of going back to school to refresh my skills, which is also pretty scary -- but who knows, the current Bush depression will be over (I don't know what it is, but whenever there's a Bush in the White House, I get laid off!) by the time I'm done.

2. Wahh! Other people are losing weight faster than I have. Today there's a new post on Success from someone who has lost 80 lbs since April. I started losing in May, and I've only lost 34! I know, I'm post-menopausal, and the point of this whole thing was to get healthy, not skinny, and my food choices, portion control, and exercise have all improved, but I want to be skinnier faster!

So there. I don't want any more graham crackers today (even if they are from Trader Joe's).
Good night, all, thanks for listening.

Tomorrow is indeed another day...
Today was a great day at WW, after 9 weeks of disappointment. I've been staying op, but figuring out these new flex points proved to be more of a challenge than an exciting change...it has taken me the last 9 weeks to drop 5 pounds. I knew it would slow down sometime, but this was crazy...but I didn't quit.

I've got lots of reasons or excuses for the long trek to another star. Lost my biggest cheerleader (the boy I had a great time with from our ski trip in April til mid-July). I'm more upset that he completely dropped out of my life than I am about the fact that the whole dating thing didn't work out for us. We'd been friends for 9 years for crying out loud. I think that's the biggest reason, I survived all my summer obstacles, and then this hit, and it was harderd to get over than I thought I guess.

So here's to getting back on track!

I'm headed to Florida on Thursday for a long weekend with my sister. I'm not quite where I wanted to be, but am still much happier than I was a year ago.

Have a good week all!

Krista - You don't need to tell us sob stories for us to be nice to you (but it helps ). Don't be terrified about nobody hiring you, I went through that recently - I knew I'd already waited far too long to make the change I'd wanted for so long, but the timing worried me (bad economic climate and the fact that everyone who interviewed me was young enough to be my child) but I took the plunge and having lost weight gave me confidence to go forward.

Now, when it comes to the weight loss, I've lost under 5lbs since May, so 34lbs seems as big to me as that person's 80lbs seems to you! I had those heady days of big losses every week and now I've got to accept the fact my body wants to take its time - it's all good. I hope you woke up this morning with a brighter outlook on this fine sunny day.

Daners - That's it, never quit! Did you even have room on your WW card for another 5lb. sticker? (If my calculation is right you must have 11 - AND a 50lbs gold ribbon, way to go!) Sorry that the guy has let you down...who knows, maybe he just needs some "me" time and will be back to refresh the friendship. You know, not quite being where you wanted to be, but being happier than you were, is good - gives you even more motivation to get there! Have fun in Florida (she said jealously...)

Daners, yay for not quitting! I'm sorry, too, about the guy you were dating. I hope that you can go back to being friends in the future. Hope you have a great time in Florida.

KristasMom, I know where you're at about others losing faster. I feel excited for them, but there's a bit of nagging jealousy. I'm losing, though slowly, and that's a lot better than what I would have been doing. Thirty-four pounds in about five months is incredible as far as I'm concerned. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done, and tell those green-eyed monsters to get off your back! Good luck on your job search, too!

You broke a chair, Jill?? Wow--I bow to your greater dental phobia! Your dentist sounds great. Love the fridge magnet. I saw an interview with one of my favorite mystery authors, who said that the dead guy in her first book was a dentist because she'd lived in a town with two dentists--the "rich" dentist who used novacaine, and the "poor" dentist who didn't. She was from a poor family of 8 kids and guess which dentist they went to? That started a long string of her killing off people in her books that she would have liked to in real life!

So I found my wedding ring today! Actually, my DH found it in the dark recesses of his jacket pocket. Neither of us has a clue as to how it got there, but I'm glad to have it back after a month. It's tucked safely away in a drawer until I can put some tape on it.

Didn't I say you'd find your ring in the last place you (or your DH) would look for it? Ah, but you say you don't remember digging into his jacket pockets...likely story!

Sheila, I'm so glad you found the ring!! I know you were so worried about that!

Jill, I've always said that I'd rather go through labor and delivery than even a cleaning at the dentist office. It's terrible!!

Daners, good for you for not giving up. I agree, sometimes guys get wierd (present company excluded Si, Matt, and Howie!) and just need a little space to think things out.

KristasMom-Keep hanging in there and don't give up. Remember that even if the scale isn't going down, your body could still be changing and reshaping. You don't have to hide out when things are going bad, that's when you need us the most, so keep posting and let us know how things are going.

Not much going on here. Fall is here and it's rained all day. I love the rain, but my kids are bouncing off the walls, which I don't love. On my way to tie them into bed, I mean tuck them into bed!

Well, we had an interesting day today.

Kid came downstairs, saying something bit her! Turns out a flock of lady bugs were coming in her window, and one landed on her, and it bit her when she swatted it off.

I had read about these Chinese ladybugs, so I got out the vacuum cleaner, and vacuumed them all up, then my husband took her air conditioner out, and locked the rest of those suckers out! She's sleeping on the couch tonight, since her room is too hot, she says. She has no school tomorrow, or Monday, since she's been sick earlier this week, she's missing a lot of school and loving it. But I have her math homework, and we are setting out to do some every day.

We have had the most gorgeous week here in SE Mich, with temperatures in the 70s, and lots of sunshine. I've been out gardening, getting the last of the summer sunshine.

I know what you mean by the dentist. I'm not fond of them either, but I'm better with them then you all, lol. My dentist is good and other then the needle, it usually doesn't hurt much.

No if I can just get a handle on my asthma, I would be much happier. They put me on a steroid and it makes me want to eat myself out of house and home. But I have started drinking coffee to curb my cravings. I just don't want to gain weight from this. I had a friend gain 20lbs in a week when was put on the same things. So I'll just be happy if I stay the same weight.

Not much else is going on with me. My girls are getting big and I've got my fingers crossed that my husband will be home in January.

Sorry for being MIA latley, I have just been super busy with school, kids, and work. I'll try harder, lol.

Took Miss Foxy Dog out today, thought I'd put her on her run leash while I did some gardening. There was a squirrel gamboling around under the black walnut tree, and after a long and dull puppy sneak, she pounced. I let the leash go, so she could chase (she never catches anything). The squirrel cut back, and dog zigzagged to cut it off.

The dog suddenly screams and falls to the ground, the kid flies out of the house, and I have the dog in my arms -- there is something wrong with her leg . She can't stand on it. Carry her to the truck, call the vet's office, and say we are coming in. They say, wait a half hour or so, I say, no we'll be right there.

We carry Foxy dog into the vets', and they take us back in about 10 minutes. Teenagers can carry 45-lb dogs more easily than middle-aged mothers do. The vet says, oh boy, and they take her back to do an x-ray. I take Krista back to the waiting room, and she sits down and cries, which she needs to do.

Get the results -- she has torn her hock. I know about hocks on horses, but not on dogs. They can't tell from the x-ray if she's broken any bones in there, so we are referred to a doggy orthopedist. They call -- it seems all the veterinary orthopedists are at a conference, and nothing is available til Tuesday AM.
So they put her in a stiff cast, tell us to put a baggie on her cast if the grass is damp when we take her for a walk, give us puppy painkillers, and I write out a check for $195.

Til Tuesday is a long time, poor pup, but I didn't even think about food all afternoon. Will post progress reports.

KristasMom - Awwww!!! Poor puppy! A torn ham hock. It's whe they sick and you can't ask them what hurts that makes you feel so powerless but it sounds like your doc has got it under control. And she sounds pretty darn reasonable in price! $195 for an emergency office visit, an x-ray and a cast. Wow. >>>hugs<<< keep us posted.

I'm not too fond of dentists either, but I've been pretty lucky. I think I've only had two cavities so far.

I'm on cloud 9 right now and have been lately. Had such a wonderful weekend. I'm being courted by a wonderful guy and we did some shopping this weekend ------------ for a diamond engagement ring! We bought one which is being put together for us right now! Won't even see it until Thursday! Tonight, we visited my parents and told them of our intention. I wasn't sure if they would be happy or suggest that we hold back for a while since it's pretty soon, but my mom just jumped up from her chair, threw her arms around my love and said "Welcome to the family!!!" Both my parents were very happy and we were talking for a long time about how my parents met and their relationship while they were courting and about my relationship with my intended fiance. We're not "officially" engaged yet. We've bought the ring, and received my parents' blessing. We'll get it by Thursday or Saturday latest if anything else needs to be done to it, and Steven plans to offically propose on Saturday. He won't tell me the details of his plan. He's such the romantic.