Hi guys! Yup, I've been MIA for a few days, Blokey and I have been moving house since Wednesday and we're still not done. Lots of humping heavy boxes though, down 3 flights of stairs, across town, and up 3 more flights of stairs (ok, i lie, in the new place we have a lift ). I think we should get it done today, in maybe 2 more trips. The new flat is FAB and it's all starting to come together and look nice - yesterday we got a new futon and Blokey put it together with his new hammer that apparently makes him feel like a Man (I built the last futon, so no sexism here!!!). Scary now we are officially Living Together Ok, not that scary

This has to be quick because I have to go home ( ) and do more moving, but I wanted to check in and say hi. Going to Spain next Wednesday till Sunday for a conference, gotta write the paper plus do a translation before then. Eek! WELCOME to all the newbies, and WELCOME BACK to Brenda (we miss you). Belle - YAY! on virgin fat, Kier - YAY! on under 200, we will all have to count down to 189 together Everyone else, HUGS, and I'll try and check in properly later on.

Lxxx

Hi Everyone <<yawn>> I am exhausted today for some reason. The last few nights I haven't been sleeping well and getting up early...I guess that might do it. I wake up every morning in a panic thinking that I'm missing something or whatnot. It's very weird. Nothing much new to write really... everything has been pretty status quo here.

Lolly... that's awesome about the new apartment! I'm glad you like it and I hope everything works out well for you. I hate moving tho LOL... I'm trying to avoid the thought of it even since I'll probably be moving in the next few months.

Anyways... I hope you all have a nice summer day and a great weekend!

Hello all. Lolly: good to hear from you. Happy new home!

Tomorrow I go to South Carolina for vacation!!! One week on teh beach. I am so excited! But before I go I have a ton of work to do here.

Belle: I was thinking about your situation and I think a lot of it has to do with you working for a "profession" and you are in communication. I have an enitre career of working in communication for firms that traditionally have not had much marketing (lawyers/CPAs). I think they have a hard time taking us seriously. But you just have to chin up and pick your wars. I have to say, Attys were some of the best to work for. I also get to plan a lot of dumb stuff.. I think they figure that in communication you plan stuff like seminars and events for clients so you must always be the go-to person if they need a cake. Oh well, I think all jobs have an element of BLAH to them because it is work and it is always going to be that way. Also, I agree that one day soon you will wake up and no longer be the youngest person at work. It is a sad and scarry day for sure. Hugs to you!

Hello to everyone else. Happy Friday and if I don't get a chance to post more today I will see you all in a week. Then I will be 20 weeks preg. Halfway there.

Trish

OK.. work sucks big time at the moment. I am having a Belle moment with the management here (I am one of them tho!) Fell like h*e*l*l at the moment. Uggghhh. Plus, Emma is still in her middle of the night screaming spells, so I am tired. Doctor said this is normal, but I am not liking it at all. Hope it ends soon! We tried just letting her cry, but I think the girl could cry all night!

Ohhh, Brenda says HI!!!!!!!!!!!! Poor girl has no internet access from work. I would die if that happened to me.

Lolly... yah on the new place!!!

I ate pretty good yesterday... didn't figure all the points, but I was OK. I have a lot of stress on me now and that makes me a slacker in the journaling part! Hopefully more later, if I decide to make it through a whole day here!

Yippee!! This has truly been the longest week for me!!!
I am ready for 5:00, though. Unfortunately, I have a stack of work staring at me so I'd better get on it.
Trish: Have fun on vacation! Use lots of sunscreen!
Lolly: Cheers on the new house! I understand the moving stuff...hey, at least you're burning points! heehee
Shalyne: I'm with you on sleep deprivation! I keep going to bed later and later each night. I promise myself in the morning that I'll go to bed early that night, then when nightime comes, I'm finding stuff to do before I can go to bed!
Jen: Hang in there at work!! Just think...the weekend! Do you have to work tomorrow?
OK...better get to work myself. Hopefully if I can get some stuff done, then I'll be back online later. Have a great day!

Trish - I think you have a great point. I have thought about what you wrote today and you are probably right about the crap work and about "professionals" not seeing communicators as professionals. I guess that goes with the territory. Esp since I am not on a real'communications' team. The only thing I can't deal with is being treated badly, like the VP incident I told you about. I guess I am just going to toughen my skin and go look for a job somewhere else. But I won't burn my bridges here, afterall, I have a car to pay for....

I hate to say that I didn't think it could ever get worse, but it did. B/f and I fought via phone for 3 hours last night. Originally b/c he made me walk home when I was hurt b/c he wanted to drink with his co-workers. I was really pissed. He thought I wasn't allowed to be. Then I went to my sisters, and when I called him when I got home, he had been drinking beer and crying over Dawson's Creek b/c "I made him emotional". WE fought over the ex, who he DID call when I wasnt' ther, and who he says is dating someone now (thank you GOD!) But regardless, he said some pretty horrible things to me. After awhile I just didn't bother fighting back. I was too tired and out of things to say. He finally, at 1am felt bad and "uncancelled" our camping trip. I feel like we don't fight often, like once every 2-3 months, but its horrible. And he expects me to just forget what he said the next day. He phoned at 6am to see if I was okay and asked me to pick him up. He gave me a PDA and said sorry, so I guess I should forget it. You know, I was looking forward to our one year on August 18, and now I feel like its goofy to feel that way I have made him a mug with electrical poles on it (b/c he designs them) and a picture frame with three photos, its v. cool, from Pier one, with me and him, his mom sister and him and his best friend and him, and last night I made a mixed CD with my brother in law. Its v. cool. I did a cover with pics of him and of me and everything.....I feel really goofy now and I am embarassed. I don't think I'll give him that stuff, maybe just the frame.

Well, at least its not as "rollercoaster"y as it was in the first few months though.

How come when it rains, it always pours??

BUT on the bright side, I WI tonight before vacation and I think I lost, even with my leg injury and not being able to run! I am so excited to WI (wow, you don't hear that everyday!!)

Lolly - moving give you buns of steel! Have fun (I know its hard work, but the unpacking is fun!) and enjoy your time with Blokey (that's so cute what you call him) in your new place. Also have fun in Spain. I leave for BC from tomorrow to next Sunday as well!

Shay - I always wake up panicing. My doctor says that is a sign of depression, I figure its a sign of stress!! In University I used ot dream that I was missing a class or exam and wake up all upset and it took a long time to snap out of it. I hpe you get some rest this weekend!

Jen - ha ha, now we can dub bad work moments "belle moments". The whole letting them cry thing is so hard! I can't let Jules cry, I have to go get her. Good thing she is not my baby!! I wonder if I 'll be a good mom or a loser mom that either spoils her kid or messes up raising them somehow. I have a fear that I"ll overfeed my kid and then they will have to go through what I did as a fat kid. I am really really afraid of that.

I am listenig to a Dennis Leary song "traditional Irish folksong" its halarious! "we drink and we puke and they cut off our heads" Its funny, ifyou could hear it.

CANDADIANS - have a great long weekend!!! If Americans get it too, have a good long weekend as well!

Well, I better go. If I don't check in before I leave here today (if I leave here today?) see you all on August 13th! Hopefully I'll be a few pounds lighter, I am only eating good food on this trip (I think I can, I think I can...)

Belle

It's been so quiet around here the past few days...where has everyone gone?! How dare you all take vacations and not invite me!!!

Trish - Have a great time in SC!! Here's to lots of sun and relaxation (the best kind of vacation!)

Lolly - Congrats on the new place! You definitely have gotten your exercise in the past few days!

Belle - Hugs to you! It sounds like things have been rough for you lately on a few fronts. I hope things start looking up soon. I'm sure once you start looking for a new job you will feel better. When it rains, it certainly does pour!

I'm looking forward to a nice, relaxing weekend. I don't have too much planned, which is nice. After the emotional week that I've had, nothing sounds better than being curled up on the couch watching movies! The weather is supposed to be really nice though, so maybe I can fit a trip to the beach in there as well! Have a good one!

Jen

HI all... OK, managment had a huge blow out meeting and basically everyone was told to cut the attitude!! It was AWEFUL!! Don't know if it will help, but I hope so!

Belle... Ugghhh, if I didn't have to work, I wouldn't! Have fun on vacation... and thank god for the ex's bf.... hope she can keep him!!

Trish... Have fun too! I am super jealous!

I am going to the Fair tomorrow... gonna meet up with the in-laws. It is supposed to be very hot and humid, I hope Emma can stand it! She may get a bath when we get home from it!

Back to the grind. Hubby and I are sneaking away for a long lunch... SHHHHH. We deserve it after all the crap that has been going on!

Kirsty, Lolly: I just heard about some bombing outside a nighclub in London. What's up? Have you heard anything?

Just a quick hi ... some co-workers and I are taking our intern to lunch. It's her last day, thank goodness! She's a bit on the annoying side. She's the type who doesn't know how to stop talking.

Anyway, I'll be back later!

hi guys,
i'm pretty busy here but thought i'd post quickly about the car bomb in london last night.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/...00/1471863.stm
7 people were injured, but luckily it was just before the pubs closed so there weren't too many people in the street. it could have been a lot worse cos the bombers gave false information to the police (the road they claimed it was on didn't exist and they gave the wrong time, it went off early just as the police were approaching the car). they reckon it was the real IRA (same folk that did the Omagh bombing).
anyhow. i was luckily nowhere near there. i caught up with a friend from edinburgh uni who has now moved to london. the couple of drinks turned into a BNO (big night out) and i ended up in some dodgy club off oxford street playing pool and boogieing away till 3am!! the DJ gave me a free bottle of champers (no idea why). got night bus home and then slept in this morning so i wouldn't be hung over on the tube! i told my boss i had earplugs in and slept through my alarm...


i want to post more, but i have to finish work, so a big hello to you all and a big hug to those that need it.
lolly - hooray on yer new pad - can't wait to see it!!

love kirsty

Ok, the number of posts waas deceiving. I didn't think I had much to catch up onn but I was wrong! DH came home a day early and I am glad he is back. I lov the furntiture we got from my dad and my grandmother's house. I am working at home today but am almost done with what I wanted to accomplish. I think next week will be very slow b/c boss in an vacation and some of my work has not come back from the clients yet. Oh well, not my fault. I don't mind having extra free time when I work at hone Alos, have done well on points this week. Since Monday, I have eaten between 22-25 points each day and earned 5-6 exercise points If I was going to WI tonight, I think I would lose. Not sure that I am going though, depends on DH. Also, I don't totally understnad the lifetimes WI and courtesy WI yet. I wanted a courtesy WI last week but she wrote it in my book. Since it is now August, I don't know if they will count this week too?

I think we are going out to dinner tonight. Not sure where since I finally do not have to pick! Tomorrow we leaver (EARLY) for NJ for a wedding. We come home Sunday in time for the Girls Night Out concert. Should be very good.

Belle - I am so sorry that work sucks. I agree that you should look for another job if it is making you that miserable. I hop you have a good trip with b/f. Try to forget about his ex. IT is no big deal that he called her back.

Jen- Sorry about your work woes. You deserve the long lunch, enjoy!

Kirsty - Glad to hear you are ok!!! I love your story about last night and the lady with the hat box. Good for you for speaking up!!!

Lolly - You are getting major exercise as you move!! Way to go!

Kim - Have fun at lunch! I want to go out too!


Jen2 - Have a nice weekend. I would love to relax but I am now travelling every weekend until Labor Day!

Trish - Have a great vacation at the beach. congrats on 20 weeks

Tonya - Have fun at SIL's wedding. Post some pics!

Stacey - sorry you are so busy I hope you finish soon. I am so ready for the weekend!

Shaylene - Have a good weekend!

Ok, hi to everyone else. Have a nice weekend. See you on Monday!!

Sarah

Ugh. Too much food. Too much bread. Bread is my downfall! Pasta with scallops in a cream sauce. Bad, bad!

Kim... I love bread too! Especially crusty rolls!!! You aren't alone in that!

I want to go home. 3 Hours. Been busting my butt today to get all the paperwork done. BLUCHHHHH! I am listening to a funky CD of songs that hubby put together for me (songs that I like)... one is Paul Simon Kodachrome... I was blaring this song on Sunday when I was tooling around in his sports car. Makes me feel young again! Also, I have been getting into Letters To Cleo, but since they aren't really out there now, I can't find the CD anywhere. I love their (remake) song Gotta be Cruel to be Kind. I was blaring that in his car too. All the Thump Thumper Teens gave me nasty looks... I was a cool chick in a cool car and blaring not cool songs! I LOVED IT! I have always been against the norm... and always will be. That's why I am loved!

It is a great feeling when songs make you remember your young days (college for me.... EEEK I have been out of college for 7 years!)

YOU GUYS, I AM AWESOME!! I have the LDC List on-line for us all to see!!!

http://www.martechsys.com/loucks/20LDC.html

There were a couple people on there that haven't posted except for the one time to get in on the challenge... I dropped them until I hear from them again... mostly for space! COME SEE! And if you want to see me at my heaviest weight... and wedding photos from almost 3 years ago... come see at...

http://www.martechsys.com/loucks

That page hasn't been updated in a long time... but if you hang in there... I may get to it soon! I have been wanting to update it for awhile and add Emma pics... heck, I don't even have Sadie Pics!

OK... sorry about the LDC page. I have the page created and out there, but for some reason it is not linking properly. BUt my personal page works. I'll see what I can do about the LDC page! Sorry again!