Good morning everyone! Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian friends

It's a sunny but cool day here in PA. The leaves are beginning to change and looking at the forecast for leaf changing we are heading into peak time now.

DH has a follow up appointment today at 12:30 for his leg. It's still pretty swollen but the redness is going away thank goodness. We're hoping we'll be able to go on our trip but we're going to wait and hear what the doctor says. I'm being a little pessimistic about it.

My eating hasn't been the best over the weekend and I'm trying to keep myself on track. I haven't been out walking and can tell--hopefully I'll get some in today.

So how was everyone's weekend???

It was pretty warm this weekend--80's, but pleasant. I went to some garage sales on Saturday. Took DH out for his birthday. I was hoping to golf, but that didn't work out. Otherwise, it's just getting estimates, cleaning up the yard and pool area over and over. It's rainy today and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that no rain will come in the house.

I have WI tonight. I'm hoping for no gain or even a small loss.

Melissa, what was the cause of your DH's infection. Were you told anything? That is pretty scary. No wonder you haven't been eating well. I would be stressed out. I've kept walking. Sometimes that helps just to clear the mind.

Yes, Happy Thanksgiving to Susan.

Hello, lala and Pam.

Happy Thanksgiving up North!

Melissa -- glad to hear that DH is on the mend, it would be great if you guys could go on vacation.

Lisa - sounds warm. I wish you could have come over to our house this weekend. I posted five freecycle.org messages about stuff we're trying to get rid of. I have another 5 to post.

I weighed in on Saturday and was only up a lb. not bad as we went out on Friday night and I ate alot and had not weighed in in 6 weeks.

This weekend we did a bunch of garden stuff, tried to study and got stuck in football game traffic. I hate football.

Yesterday, we took everything out of our inner basement (everything), decluttered a pile, got rid of old stereo boxes, blah, blah, in preparation for our friend to rip out our old insulation (eueew) in preparation for putting in a boiler and pipes for radiators through out our house. It is not a fun job, but neither is the cleaning out all the gack. At one time we had a rodent problem and I'm glad I'll be gone next weekend.

Our guest bedroom is totally full of boxes and furniture. I guess no one can stay with us for a bit.

Lets hope those bids for heating get in soon.

My mom is still waiting for the fly by night moving company my father hired to come their furniture. I am not amused.

lala

lala, you're so funny. Maybe that's the way to keep guests out--fill up the guest room with boxes and stuff. Fly by night moving companies are scary.

Are there still houses with boilers and radiators?? I thought those were gone. That's interesting.

I'm glad you didn't have a big weight gain.

Went to WI and I'm down 2 pounds. I was really happy about that, but then again two hurricanes is not a great method for losing weight!! It must have been all of those AP's.

Yeah Lisa!

Okay, here's the scoop. Our house has baseboard heat and not very efficient baseboards at that. Our house is an interesting remodel of a 1920's craftsman with floor to ceiling windows on the south side, great for catching sun, but not very good for heating a room using normal heat. We had a oil furnace at one point,but that was removed. We have rooms without any heat. Its not like we're living in some country bumpkin cabin in the woods or in a low income community. We're living in a pretty plush older home with some poor remodel decisions. So, from October 15-March 15, I am miserable because I can never get the house warm, rooms in our house are freezing and I hate paying large electricity bills.

Hydronic heat is basically your old fashioned radiator, the best part is that if you don't have existing ductwork, you just have to pipe to radiators (not easy) and put in radiators where you want them. That means I can have them in any room I want them and they turn off. The other thing that is great about them, they don't blow around pollen, dust and dog fur, they are good if you have allergies. They are also in high demand right now in urban and ecologically friendly Seattle, so getting one installed is sloooow.

They are also costly. Oh well, I can ammortize at least 500 bucks of misery a year from being cold...

I spent yesterday dealing with mom and the movers. Everything is moved, they brought up the strangest combination of things and honestly, it looks a bit like the
stuff your parents would have sent to their summer house if they had one, but not really. Three wing back chairs and no couch?

One of our dining room chairs is broken and a few other our damaged. I also got another huge Persian rug which will not fit our decor or house, but I can't bear to see it rolled up, so its going into our bedroom which looked pretty bare. I think maybe I'll ship it to Berkeley and use it there.....

Anyways, I'm stressed and hopefully will calm when the furniture is all put away and my mom is back home.

How is everyone else?

lala

Good afternoon ladies

Things here are progressing well...DH met with the podiatrist this afternoon and they put a "una" boot on his foot. Basically it's a wet wrap to keep the area moist and will help with the healing. The doctor said it was ok for him to travel we just need to stop so that he can walk. It'll actually work out well because we're not in any major hurry. I'm looking forward to the time away.

Eating wise it hasn't been great and I'm hoping to stay somewhat on track while we're out of town. I'm looking forward to the seafood

Lala: I agree, the radiators are a great way to heat. Our building here at the university has it and I can turn off one of the radiators and still keep the office comfortable. I hope you get the contractor to get everything installed soon.

Lisa: Sounds like things are progressing with your house as well. Congratulations on the loss!!!

[/b]Pam:[/b] Hope things are going well with you!

I'll be away until next Monday night and won't be able to check in (I'm not going to take the laptop with me). Catch up with everyone next week!

Hi Ladies,

Kind of a strange week, even though Monday was a holiday I went to the office to try and clear my desk. Did manage to get a bit done since it was very quiet. Short week for me, I'll be out on Friday, must bring DD to a doctor's appointment then maybe a shopping afternoon for the "girls". Hopefully the shopping will help my mood, I'm PMSing and nothing seems to be going right at work....sigh....things must get better.

Lala we heat with an oil burning furnace. When we bought the house 10 years ago the previous owners had just had it installed. Before that, they were heating the house with electric which must have cost a fortune. The furnace runs well and has not given us any major headaches so far..Although I'm hearing oil will go for $2 a gallon this winter. Yikes its going to be a costly winter. Good luck with the installation of the hydronic system. Your floor to ceiling windows sound lovely.

Melissa Glad DH is doing better. Enjoy your vacation!!

Lisa Yeah 2 pounds down! Did you have any luck at the garage sales on Saturday. Seemed like a lot of tag sales going on in my neighborhood this weekend.

Well ladies don't forget to cheer for the Boston Red Soxs tonight.

go socks!

I just freecycle.org ed a anniversary clock, carpet scraps, two coolers, some food grade storage containers and christmas lights.

I am going to do the same for some really nice photo paper from my grad school days, a couple of tins for cookies and some ice cube trays. I am sick of having all this stuff hanging around....

Our basement bedroom is soo scary, then again, there are some people who live like this day in and out...

yikes.

Pam ! Hope you and DD have a good time shopping.

lala

It's cooler here this morning and on Saturday it will be in the 50's--that's a big change. I have a professional meeting tonight. This weekend, DH, some friends, and I are headed to Tallahassee for the Florida State-Virginia football game. It should be fun. It will be cooler up there--about 5 hours from our house. I'm taking sweatshirts!

Pam, shopping always cheers me up. I'm off on Friday, too. Our company has a work schedule with every other Friday off. I didn't look--did the Sox win? I'm for any team that plays the Yankees. Re: the garage sales; it was one of those neighborhood ones. A gated community here had 60 families with items for sale. I found some cooking things and a golf shirt. What was amazing was the furniture for sale. If my DH and I were just starting out, we could have bought some gorgeous stuff. Nope, don't need furniture.

Melissa, glad to hear DH's leg is healing. How did the infection start?

lala, I was just so surprised to hear about radiators. I didn't know that your home was that old. I'll bet it's great. I can't believe you've been suffering in past winters--no heat?? Not my cup of tea. I was just thinking that I need to de-clutter again. Right after the hurricanes, I was looking at our stuff. We just have too much of it.

Hi, Susan.

Hi everyone.

It's Day 2 of my new woe. I admit yesterday didn't go well but I'm looking at it as a "tapering" day. Actually, I did just fine until I saw the chocolate in the fridge after dinner last nite. I'm going to trash it when I get home tonite since DH really isn't interested in it.

We had a lovely weekend. The wedding went well; my sister and her beau made for a fine-looking couple and the reception/dance were great, although the day was really long.

The spa was wonderful - the room was outstanding and the food superb. Maybe next time we'll book a spa service (they don't offer them on Sundays). The only down side was a slightly big head after champagne and wine

Congrats to Lisa on the loss and lala for holding things steady.
Wishing Melissa a great holiday and Pam a good day off on Friday. This is also a very short week for me (off on Friday). I'm supposed to go to Prince Edward Island this weekend for the half-marathon. I've decided against it due to lost training time, but my hotel room is unrefundable. I may go anyway and cheer for my friends.

Hi everyone,

Susan sounds like you guys had a blast! Champagne will make one's head get bigger more than anything. I think its the bubbles. Glad to hear the wedding was a success and the spa sounds great. I am sort of holding steady, didn't go the gym yesterday and today its only kickboxing.

Lisa- I am decluttering like mad. I got tired of the many emails from freecycling, so I am taking the station wagon to goodwill chock a block full of everything that I put out to give away. I will be happy to get rid of it. I am getting our kitchen cabinets (teak and glass) refinished soon and that will give me a great opportunity to declutter all that stuff. Its amazing how much stuff you can fill up if you have the room.

Our house is old, but not to the NorthEastern Standards. It has its charm. I like living in it and we have had heat, not very efficient heat.

Melissa -- hope everything is going fine on vacation!

Pam- how did those sox do? The only thing I looked at in the paper this AM was the fact our WNBA team are the champs. Didn't even open the NYTs as I have no time to read it!

Short week for me too, I am leaving on Friday AM to go to Chicago with a bunch of people who fly too much and most of whom I am not too crazy about. However, I am dragging my friend from DC and DP and they are both way more fun. We're spending Friday night at the Peninsula hotel at the Chocolate Buffet. Yikes.

okay, gotta go. Have a great day ladies!

lala

Hi Susan sounds like you had a great weekend.

Lisa and Lala the Sox lost 10 - 7. I hate the Yankees.

I'll be back with more later.

argh. i did it again. I ate a bag of cheetos. Its been a long week.

lala

Hi Ladies,

I feel like I weigh about 300 lbs. Lately when TOM is due to arrive I get very bloated..honestly it is almost funny, my stomach is huge. Tonight I couldn't wait to get home and put on my sweatpants. Anyway.. not too much to report. I left the office early to watch DD's soccer game, which was finished by 5:00, they lost . So I had time to get home and make a pretty good dinner (pot roast, potatoes, carrots and onion cooked in an oven bag, or as my son use to call it meat in a bag) very easy preparation and everyone likes it which is great.

Lala a bag of cheetos...are you PMSing too. I love cheetos..actually I love almost anything cheesy. That's OK I'm sure your earning lots of AP's decluttering your house. I'm not familiar with freecycling, is that a site where you post items you want to get rid of? Have you had much success with it?

Lisa the footbal game in Tallahassee sounds like it will be fun. Definitely bring a sweatshirt! Your Friday work schedule is great..that must be nice to have every other Friday off...I'm jealous.

Susan I guess we are all taking this Friday off. Your weekend was very nice. Hope you can make it this weekend to cheer your friends on. Trashing chocolate...I admire your willpower!

Well, tonights decision will be whether to watch the Red Sox game or the debate. Unfortunately I think I'm rooting for the underdog in both cases. Talk to you later.