Hi,
It is sunny and very nice here. I am so ready for spring and getting outside again (and enjoying it ) Oh look, new icons, love this one, it is me I look just like this now. 3FC's are always making this place just a little better. Thanks you guys!

Well, DH is now wanting to buy siding and windows for the house. I am really resisting this. Not that we don't need them, I just don't want to do the work ourselves. I know we can do it, we've done this kind of stuff before (not together, but on other houses in other times of our lives). I want to have it done by a regular contractor. I know it will cost a lot more, but it will be so much quicker, plus so much easier. I know if we do it ourselves, it will take all summer and we will be in constant turmoil. He's all for it, so we'll see what happens here. He also wants to put metal roofing on the garage. That is something he did last year on his dad's house, so he know's what he's getting into there. I don't want to have to get on the roof and help with that either.
I am feeling kind of cranky this morning, just thinking about all of that. Oh, and he wants to use a color on that is not what I want either.

I am losing some weight, my pants are bigger. I'm not going to post the amount, I've gained and lost this same weight so many times in the past year, it's embarrassing. But at least this woe is working for me. I am still enjoying not cooking supper.

Lynn, hope your computer problem is ok today. Sugar, how's your DH doing today? Aleka and Anne, hi
Has anyone seen or planning to see Mel Gibson's new movie? I want to go, but can't stand in line for very long, so will wait till it's been out for awhile. I know it's controversial, but so many people talk about how powerful it is. I can't wait to see it.

Talk to you all later, Nikki

Hi everyone,

The new icons are fantastic. Like Nikki, this is me too!

The sun is shining but it's gotten more seasonable, in the 30's. They say we may see some snow flurries tomorrow Yesterday it was very foggy and more snow has melted. I have noticed water lying ontop of the ice on the lake. It shouldn't be very much longer before they have to remove the ice fishing shacks out on the ice.

DH & I have a lot going on in our lives right now. We have decided to close our machine shop because we haven't had any work since Dec. It was very slow last year, but we've had nothing so far this year. Because of extremely high taxes on waterfront property, we are in the process of selling our cottage on the lake. When that sells we've decided to put our house on the market and relocate to FL and start over again. The cold this winter has been very difficult on the both of us. We figured since we have to start over we will do it in a warmer climate. We're planning on going to FL in April to visit my IL's and scout around for either a house or condo. I am dreading cleaning the house and cottage out because there is a lot of stuff. We plan on moving with the bare essentials.

nikki, glad that you're losing again. I'm not weighing myself because I tend to let the scale run my life. I am going by how my clothes feel, and they do feel a lot looser on me too. I've also been doing the Torso Trak faithfully and I am noticing a difference in my mid section. A few months after we moved into the house we're living in now we had new siding and windows put in. We hired two brothers who took the business over from their Dad. They did a fantastic job, but it really took them a long time to do it. Maybe if you get quotes from a few people to see what their best price would be. Sometimes you can get good deals. My girlfriend saw The Passion of Christ with her DIL. As a matter of fact she is going to see it again with someone from either her church or work, I forget what she told me. It is so graphic and violent that I just cannot watch it.

ANNE, are you still Somersizing? On a whim I went into SS website this morning and there are a few posters who haven't been losing weight, or are losing awfully slow. They decided to eat the SS way and count calories. That started them losing. I know you've mentioned you're in a stall and maybe if you do both you can jump start your weight loss.

Hi lynn and sugar, hope you both are enjoying your weekend.

Aleka

Hi Everyone:My computer is better. I had to go though the settings to get it back. I still don't have the right size (to small) but after going though Windows help and trying to figure it all out I am to frustrated to do anymore. When one of the kids or my brother gets here they can have a look at it. I woke up at 3:30 and am still on it. I get so annoyed when things don't go perfect. I did learn a lot and have customized my screen in purple changed my screen saver and a lot of other things. We were sitting here yesterday afternoon and watched a great amount of ice come up the river. It is still frozen up from us and the noise it made as it hit anyway a lot more came and was pushed into the air. We lost one of the supports on the deck over the river but DH was able to retreive it, are watching the rest of the deck the lot beside us is lower and is half under water, so am now on water watch. I think we are going to have to tie ropes around a tree and hope the whole thing isn't washed away. Never a dull moment. Aleka I feel for you last year we broke up house. We are still in tranition. I have stuff at my DH & DS's and still had to be ruthless. My bedroom suite is set up in my DD's spare room and the drawers are loaded with family memento's. The sad part is we still don't know were or what we are going to do. I would love to go back to Mississauga my husband hates to even go down for appointments, He is looking forward to the summer at the trailer I'm not, he wants to go to Florida next winter I don't. So hopefully we can meet on common ground. Also I want a dog yesterday he wants to wait for a few months. Dh just came in and said the water is the boathouse so I am hoping it stays cold for a bit so the ice melts gradually. Nikki we are painting the inside of the cottage and the deck next month and I dread the upheavel it will cause. Also how do you insert the icons? Have you noticed I don't use them? Anne hope your weekend is going well, Sugar how is DH? Talk to you later

HI again,
Aleka, I am so sorry to hear that. I know this will be a big change. Sometimes, when you think something is not what you want, it turns out to be the best thing that could have ever happened. I sure hope that is the case for you and your DH. Will he open a new shop in Florida? Where in Florida will you move? I've wanted to move there for so long. The Dr that I saw last time said that if I can stand the summers in Iowa, I could handle it in Florida (she goes there alot I guess). All I know is, the winter would be so much better.

Lynn, for the icons, just move your pointer on to the one you want and click. It will be placed on your note where ever you last typed or where you last clicked the pointed on the note. If you click on more, a new window opens and you will find many more icons (click on the maximize box for it to open completely). I'm glad your finding out new things about your computer. It is not the most fun thing, but it's important to learn.
I was raised on the river. Every spring it would flood and we'd have to move to higher ground, I know what your talking about when you say flood watch. It would carry away so many things, we were lucky, it never destroyed the cabin, but the flood of '93 took the whole thing, including the land there. Sounds like you are not too sure about where you will end up. Florida would be a huge change from Canada. Wouldn't that be odd if you and Aleka ended up neighbors? I would have to come and visit
I want to get a new dog myself, now that Boots has gone to the farm. DH is not wild about the idea. Guess we'll see.

Later, Nikki

Hello again,

nikki, we're thinking of moving to Ft Myers, FL. That's where my IL's go for the winter and DH & I really like the area. No, we won't be opening another machine shop. Both of us will have to find jobs once we get settled in. DH said he wouldn't mind working in a automotive store and I'd like a job in some sort of gift shop or boutique that closes at a reasonable hour. I was telling the girl who does my hair that we're planning on moving there. She was telling me that her DH had to go to Tampa for some sort of schooling and someone there told him that the best place to be in FL for the summer is someplace close to the ocean because inland is unbearable.

lynn, I just wanted to add to nikki's explaination on how to get the icons. In your post, you will not see the icons themselves until you actually submit your post, then you will see the actual icons. All that you will see are the symbols and words that make up the icon.

Aleka

Hi Again I have always used the quick post Now I know to just post. Fort Myers is nice. I have also been told that the gulf side is the side to be on. Canadians who go to Florida say we shouldn't buy. With the cut backs in health care for our older senior sthey have to pick up private insurance. If they have any serious conditions and what older senior doesn't it is very costly. Apparently the market is loaded with places that can't be sold and you can often rent in Canadian dollars. My DH is very social and is on the go all summer season ( 5 months), we are allways going to barbeques etc. having theme dinners that when we close for the season I enjoy my own company. Also I hate heat if it is hot in summer and there is no breeze off the lake I have to sit inside with the air. I just don't think I could take the social life my husband would get involved in 12 months a year. I'm trying to get him to go and visit friends for a week or 2 in Florida now. Well must go check the water, talk to you soon

Happy Sunday, ladies,

Nikkic, you have a real problem on your hands with the house projects! Good luck. If DH and I ever tackled something that big...either the siding or the roof...**** would freeze over before we could get finished. Ain't no way, baby.

It is sunny and cold with a gale wind blowing here today. Yesterday was great and I worked out in the yard all afternoon. DH is feeling like he got hit with a freight train so no help out of him. He did suggest an early diner at a new Mexican place that just opened up here. I jumped on it but knew it would blow that pound I was boasting about Friday. Yep! Sure enough this morning I was exactly one pound up again, which wipes out all of last week. Darn. Why am I such a sucker for just one meal that I don't have to cook. Three chicken enchiladas simply beckoned and down the garden path I went. I jumped right back on the points today though. I know I am eating too many to lose quickly...probably 27 or 28...but I am going to give it a try at this level because I just am not a good starver.

I would love to see that movie. I want to REALLY REALLY bad. It will have to come here though and it might take a while before that happens. That way we can leave the girls at home while we go. It's awful to let them run our lives this way, but they are worth it.

Aleka, a cottage on the lake sounds so romantic. One June DH and I went to some football meetings on Cape Cod. I took a day trip over to Nantucket and totally lost my heart to those little gray cottages. If I ever owned one, I don't know if I could ever let it go! I know eastern winters are killers though. Florida certainly would take care of that problem.

Lynn, do you live right on the water too? I've always thought it would be so great, but sounds like it also has its darker side! I'm sorry you are faced with such indecision about where to live. That can be so traumatic. My son lives across the street from us and is the technology director for our school district...luckily for me because when computer problems come up, I can do far more harm than good in a matter of seconds. As for the icons, maybe I need some help as well. I have always (ha ha...the two weeks I have been here!) quick posted and then edited to add smileys. If you use the post reply instead, is that how you can do it all at once? I love them. They are so cool.

It would be amazing if you two ended up in the same town in Florida. I don't think I could ever live there. For 16 years, because of DH's job, we had a ten-day "bonus" in Miami, right on the beach across from Bal Harbour from Dec. 28 to the end of the first week of January. It was very beautiful. All of the Orange Bowl parties and such, great area, everyone in our little town would have loved to have gone. We had fun, but the weather was so humid most of the time and usually quite warm or else bitterly cold and everyone was in a state about the freezing of the fruit. Several years we drove and went all over Florida before coming home. It is a neat place to see but I just can't do that humidity well. Don't think I could ever live there year around. I love the cold. DH, on the other hand, is starting to hurt really badly in the deep of winter but he too loves the snow and I don't think would ever want to leave here. He and all his family were born here for several generations. Those roots are hard to sever. Here in Missouri we have all four seasons. In the spring, I work feverishly getting things all in order in our yard because once that humidity strikes, the siren call of the air conditioner is even stronger than that of those chicken enchiladas!

Let's hope this will be a "losing" week for all of us.

Sugardrop

Lynn-I am not a socializer and neither is DH. We spent too many years dealing with people in our work and in public. Home has always been our refuge from the world.

Sugardrop-your right, use the post reply button under the last post, then you can use the icons instantly.
My DH is originally from southern Missouri too as is most of his family. Salem, which is by Rolla. We go down there a few times a year. It is really different than where we live here in Iowa. Lots of hills, trees and so beautiful.
We have many mexican restaurants around here now. The food is so delicious, it's my biggest downfall too. DH is always wanting to go out to eat and that is what does my diet in.
I do the same thing as far as yard work goes. I try to work as fast as I can in the spring, because when the humidity starts to wrap around my body like a blanket, I head for the ac and admire my gardens from the windows
Nikki

Hello everyone,

We're back to more normal temps today and they say we may get some snow flurries out of that storm along the east coast. The last I heard NYC was going to get the brunt of the storm.

lynn, that would be neat if we happened to be in or near the same town in FL and we could possibly meet. The Gulf Coast of FL is all I know. My late aunt lived in Venice, which is near Sarasota. I used to visit her quite often. DH & I aren't that sociable either. We do things and go places with other people, but prefer to be by ourselves.
Heat in the summer really doesn't bother me that much, cold bothers me more. How is the water situation? You sound like all of you are having quite a time with your deck. Hope the water receded a bit.

sugar, Cape Cod is really beautiful. I have never been to Nantucket, but we did get Lacee in Martha's Vineyard. We figured that even if we decided not to get her...ya, right,....we'd treat it as an adventure. As it turned out we went over twice. The first time we saw her, we could've brought her home, but from different comments the breeder made, we felt she wasn't ready to be parted from her mother. She was an only "child". The weekend we went to get her we stayed at a B & B. It was such a nice trip. The cottage on the lake is one that I inherited from my Mom & Dad. I've been summering there since 1957-58. There are 3 cottages on the lot, and two of my cousins own the other two. Mexican food is my downfall too, and thankfully we have to travel a good distance to get to our favorite restaurant.

nikki, we went out to eat Fri. night. DH loves fish, and this one local restaurant was having a fish-fry with seconds on them. I had chicken cordon-bleu, the only bad thing it's in a puff pastry, which I love. Then I had mashed potatoes, which I haven't had in a very long time. They were heavenly. I feel that you can't be good all the time, but that's probably why I keep gaining and losing the same lb.

ANNE, hope you have a good day at work today. Are things still very busy?

Have a great day everyone.
Aleka

Hi Everyone:
Hope you all had a great weekend. We got another light dusting of snow
yesterday
I am at work getting ready to start another hetic week. I don't anticipate
things are going to improve here either. So far the worst part of this job
is dealing with patient valuables. I hate it. I have to factor in I have worked
30 years with this organization and I have about 5 more to go until I
can leave with full pension. I will still be young enough in five years to get
another job because I will be only 52, so what do you do when you live in
a shoe, tie it up or kick it off

Talking about not being a socializer Lynn, I am the worst person you ever met
in this regard. I never go to the office functions, Christmas parties etc.
People don't like it either I figure you can't please everyone so you might
as well please yourself

Nikki, my son saw Passion of The Christ last week. Another one of my sons
will be seeing it with his class during Holy Week.

Aleka, I am still low carbing something between Atkins and Suzanne. I think
my biggest pit falls are nuts and not gazelling. Still, although I would like to
be thinner, I am thrilled at the way I have managed to keep the pounds down.
I figure for sure I have helped my health in a big way or at least I hope so : Talk to you later.
Anne.

Hi,
Another beauty of a day out there. It is less windy now, hope it stays that way. Sugar, did you guys get a lot of wind down your way? It was in the 40 to 50 mph range here yesterday and that made it feel a lot colder than it really was.
DH is now off for 2 nights, so he wants to go to the lumberyard (Menards) and look at siding, windows and roofing. Oh joy We never get along when we do projects together. We are both perfectionists and each wants to be the boss. He has a few brothers that should come over and help, but one never helps (big baby of the family at 37) and the other is building a garage this spring. DH will have to go help with that, but it shouldn't take too long. That brother can do anything, but he also has a family and his wife's family keeps him busy, working on their stuff, so we never ask him to help us.
We really need windows badly. The ones we have are so old, there are holes in the walls around them. I replaced the sills years ago, but now, those have rottened out. The siding is that old asphalt kind that breaks real easy and there is no insulation in the walls. We've put this off for years, we weren't sure we would stay here. After 15 years (procastination is our middle names), we decided we were staying and then couldn't decided if we wanted to tear it down or remodel. After my accident, we realized we couldn't do either for awhile. Now we can just barely afford to remodel a few things. Thank God, we didn't buy a new home for this place, we would have lost it when I lost my job.
Anne, glad to hear from you, hope your week isn't too bad. I never liked dealing with the public. People are so rude and hateful anymore. It's so hard to be nice to someone with an attitude. Especially when they think they are better than you are, made me so frustrated.
Aleka, I can't imagine what this must feel like for you, to have to sell everything, but especially your cottage. That must be really rough. Hopefully, you will find something in FLA that is really super and will help some.
I love mashed potatoes, I could eat them 24/7. That's one of my biggest downfalls, along with corn on the cob, oh baby
Well, DH is going to be home any minute. Better run, Nikki

Hi Everyone: How did all the potato lovers find this site!!! They are my downfall. I was going to ask if somebody could recommend a chain Mexican restaurant that might be up here but I'm afraid that the way you all love Mexican it might be my next obsession. My Dh and I can't work together at all, I have no patience and drive him crazy within minutes LOL My Dh just came in from the river front and was interviewed by the local TV station. Apparently he was up river and saw a lot of ice movind down river and wanted to see how far up river it was going. While he stood there the water went from just under the deck to covering the deck. He also said the Ministery of the Enviroment said this was going on for the next 4 days. This could get very interesting!!!!!! I guess the plans of changing the boat house into a bunkie are on hold probabley for ever. The floor was just poured laast fall. under water as we speak. The river levels have fallen so much in recent years because of the falling water levels that no boats can get this far up the river. Oh well good storage if shelves are built. Well hope you all are having a great day. Aleka maybe we will meet in Florida some day soon. Sugar hope your DH id having a better day. Hi Anne!!!!

Hi ladies,

I just came in from a couple of rounds of yard work again today! I am chipping away at a seemingly endless list!!! I keep adding things on the rear end so I might never get finished. DH is accusing me of doing all this ("working myself to death," he says) just because of the wedding outside in May. He prefers if I devote myself entirely to his own personal comfort. I know he doesn't feel too great yet so he is getting his share of special treatment to be sure...just less than he would like (24/7). The wind is blowing pretty badly again today, Aleka. Yesterday I couldn't do much for very long because the wind was bitter although the sky was deceptively sunny and bright. It is warmer today...about 57...but still the wind blowing.

Lynn, I can't recommend any chain Mexican places. We only have two little chain drive-in in our village...McDonalds and Sonic on the highway. Our new little Mexican restaurant is actually started and run by three real Mexicans. They are so much fun to watch. Did I mention how they were high-stepping off the parking lines the other day? When we went down there, we discovered that the slots are exactly the width of a car...door handle to door handle! They plan ahead so well. If all were full, no one could get out or in!!!

How great to have a puppy from Martha's Vinyard. That would make her even more special to me. Mr. Mills had a neat beginning because he was a Valentine's gift (the only one DH ever gave me) when he was 5 weeks old. He arrived in his pocket but had to go back to his momma for more nursing. I was so thrilled that I told him he didn't ever have to give me another Valentine's present because Wilbur would be the gift that kept on giving. Unfortunately he believed me and has taken me at my word!!!!! It was worth it though.

We must be a group of recluses. DH and I enjoy each other's company more than anyone else's as well. Most of our time is just the two of us. Maybe that's why we love the girls and our yard so much.

I saw Suzanne on the Today Show this morning. Did any of you? I wonder about her new book. I don't know where I would fine any natural products to substitute for my Premarin here in this town, but it does sound interesting. What do you think? Would you try that? Are any of you going to get the book? I wonder if there is much in it besides the natural products theme...like much reference to her diet? I sure do miss just eating that way! I think my perfect choice for life would be yours, Anne...a combo of Atkins and SSing. I don't know if I could lose an ounce on it though...but I sure could enjoy maintaining that way if I could just lose it on WW in a whipstitch!

Nikkic, I am counting my blessings that our only project will be staining our house and gazebo this spring. We would never make it through yours. Already this morning, DH is tart because the painter called to discuss timing and afterwards I mentioned caulking around the windows and painting the doors inside and out and being sure to cover the water garden and plants as it was going on.......etc. It met with disgust from DH. Oh my! "The hours," he says, "are piling up and he isn't even here yet!"

Off to watch Guiding Light, my daily rest period.

Sugardrop

Oops...forgot to use the post reply and don't have time for smiles, darn it!

Good Morning All:

I saw Suzanne last night on Larry King. She looks great! I don't think I
want to go the hormone route though. It is one of those things people have
to make their own choice about. I feel I am content to go along with Mother
Nature. I am in the process of perimenopause but I still do not suffer from
hot flashes or any major discomfort except for irregular cycles which drive
me nuts because I always think I'm expecting each time this happens

Nikki, what I dislike so much about patient valuables is the relatives coming
down. We are not allowed to give out any of the patients belongings without
signed permission from the patient themselves not even to their spouses.
People get furious with us!!!! When a patient has passed away its even
worse.

Lynn, I love fries. I only allow myself those once in awhile but man oh man
do I love those babies With lots of ketshup please

Sugardrop, my DH and I are almost constant "exclusive" companions
my parents were the same way as well. I do have a good friend at work
who minds our autistic son on Saturdays to give our family a little break.

Hi Aleka, hope all is going well with you.

Anne.

Hi!

It's amazing how we all are so much alike socially.

We had snow yesterday, more than the flurries they predicted, but not enough to plow. There were quite a lot of accidents on the roads in the morning. I was supposed to meet my girlfriend for lunch and some shopping, but on Sunday something came up on her end and we had to cancel. It's a good thing we did, because I wouldn't want to travel in that weather. She's leaving sometime today for a month of traveling and by the time she gets back DH & I will be on our way south. We won't see each other until May.

ANNE, I don't know how you can handle difficult people at times. I have no patience whatsoever. How do you handle the belongings when a patient dies?

Sugar, I saw Suzanne yesterday on the Today Show. I definitely would like to find out more about doing things naturally, but I know my health insurance would never cover testing like that, nor would they pay for whatever "cocktail" I'd need. I hope I heard right when Suzanne said that she gets a prescription for whatever she is taking. She is also going to be on The View either Wed.or Thurs. I am debating whether or not to buy the book. I did read on her website of someone seeing it at Sams Club. With this latest news about estrogen, I don't know whether or not to stay on it indefinitely or go off it. I do have hot flashes now on the dosage I take, but I don't know how they'll be once I go off Premarin. What a nice way to present a puppy. Wilbur must've been soooo tiny and sooo adorable. When we picked Lacee up, in was in Feb., not long after Valentines Day, and she fit inside my jacket. We were standing talking to the breeder and Lacee was shivering. He told me that she was probably cold. I put her inside my jacket and covered her up, she stopped shivering and promptly fell asleep. I was thrilled to death that she was so comfortable with me. She stayed inside my jacket most of the ride home. When Lacee is being "Lacee" we threaten to make her swim back to Martha's Vineyard
It doesn't work. She knows they're empty threats.

lynn, I don't know any Mexican Rest. chain except Chi-Chi's. We always go to a local chain, Shorty's Mexican Roadhouse. I don't know if there are any of those outside of NH. There must be because I've seen it on Dottie's Weight Loss site with the point values for WW. That's great your DH was on TV. How is the water situation today? Has it gotten any better?

nikki, how did the lumber shopping go yesterday? DH & I are the same way too. When I do something he looks at it, then he does it over. After a few times of this I throw down whatever is in my hand, walk away and tell him to do it himself. He never learns. If he would stop being so picky, he's have help. MEN!!!! It is rough knowing I have to sell the cottage, but I try not to think about it. I know that I can't see paying those kind of taxes on something that I only use for a few weeks. Actually, I only use the cottage when a cousin of mine comes up, the one I travel with. I live just up the street from the cottage, so I'm here anyway, plus I'm more comfortable at home. Oh, corn on the cob Luckily we only have it in the summer. I do manage to eat 1 or 2 ears during that time. What would summer be without local,fresh corn on the cob!

Have a great day ladies.
Aleka