Ok, I'm boo hooing now because you are all so sweet and as kind, maybe kinder, than any "inperson" friends I have. So far no one is giving me anything for the discomfort. I didn't ask the Surgeon but I'll be asking my Internist when he calls me back.

The Surgeon says I have to stay on my weight loss journey as good as I can because there are risks associated with my BMI. He also said that the hernia shouldn't affect my cardio and walking on the treadmill. Problem is the backache and the other discomfort. I'm going to try to walk anyway in the hopes that if it doesn't make me feel better, maybe at least it won't make me feel worse.

I'm writing letters to get copies of my pelvic ultrasounds and the original CT scan film sent to the Surgeon. He wants to see everything I have about me so he knows everything. Isn't that SO cool?

Now if I only he had a magic wand!

Hocus pocus alamagocus - banishing all boohooing, ballyhooing and bahumbugging too!

With a wave of my magic Frouf wand - I send you wonderful 'feel better' wishes and lots of strength in your journey back to good health.



You know we are all behind you 100% and will support you thru this - you are not alone! Do whatever you need to, to make yourself feel better. Sending lots of cyberhugs your way!

Frouf

Frouf, that's a very cute bunny! I hope your "magic" does the trick!

Vickie, bless your sweet heart. I know you wanted answers today, but maybe the answer is that this doctor will be the one who eventually gets you fixed up! It sounds like he's on the ball -- and good for him to want your other reports instead of making you repeat them.

I hope you don't have to spend much longer in this misery. It's time for things to look up.

ohhhh lost my post.

Afternoon everyone,
Vickie Im so glad you went to see the surgeon. He sounds like just what you need.
Volleyball starts back again tonight,,,,and of course not playing for two weeks Im not looking forward to it,,but I know Ill be fine once I go, and feel better when i get back home.
Not a very good eating day for me today,,,felt like I was running late all day ,,,grabbing a sandwich and running again, then grabbing a sandwich for supper again. Too much bread today, but I had the wpas for it so not totally off program.
Coco, weigh to go on the loss!!!! YOur doing great.. keep up the great work.
im off to the couch before I head out.......
ttyl

vickie, it sounds like you have a good surgeon, but i'm wishing you were getting relief quicker. i wish we could help you somehow so you'd feel better.

frouf and coco, thank you for the birthday wishes.

frouf, i'm really hoping you get to go on a cruise. you know i'm living my life through your adventures.

coco, i like meetings where folks stay, too. i understand about not having much time but meetings are very important.

patti, we all have days like that. just keep on keepin' on.

i'm up to my elbows in cookies. i made 4 batches today and am going to freeze them for the weekend. no nibbles at all. if i can keep from taking that first bite, i'll be all right. i'm making sure i write down everything that goes into my mouth. that also will help me stay focused.

does anyone know if it would be all right for me to make muffins ahead and freeze them? i'm using those box mixes for muffins. i think they'd prob taste better if i make them each day but that's going to be difficult. i'm having to prepare 3 snacks per day sat/sun and a pick up food dinner for fri night, and a lasagna dinner for sat night. sat and sun we're going to golden corral for lunch. i'm picking up sunday dinner at kfc.

any suggestions will be GREATLY appreciated.


we're feeding about 20 people this entire time. (maybe more!) i'm new at this. actually, this is a first for me to be doing by myself. (guess it's not really by myself as golden corral and kfc will be helping.)

also, i'm thinking of making a hash brown casserole that you make the night before. i am not sure i still have the recipe. it's a ww recipe. does anyone know offhand where i can find it? i'll start looking in a few minutes.

yikes!! i'm also teaching friday night and need to prepare my visuals. i'll prob do that tonight or tomorrow. curtis and ken are doing most of the teaching. they just booked me for about an hour or so fri night cuz i'm the food guru.

Vickie, Lots and lots of hugs! You are coming to the end of this, I just know it. You may not have heard what you wanted, but you're getting there. We love you!!

Sandra, what did I miss? What is this weekend? Sorry, I really got lost somewhere! It sounds exciting, whatever it is!

Eating has not been good today chicks. That's what not planning will do for you!! Of course we already knew that. Anyway, here's to tomorrow being a better day! Off to relax and do some laundry (aren't those contradicting!?).

Alright, I made a sticky birthday thread. Go look at it and tell me what I messed up and who I left off. I know there's got to be something!

Now I'm also wondering where I was when Sandra talked about her upcoming weekend! Are you running a winter camp or something????

Thanks for making that thread, Kathy. Very helpful!!

Now that I have your attention - I will vent profusely (please skip this post if you are so inclined!)

I have HAD IT with coming home to a disastrous kitchen - I will not longer take it anymore. I am hungry and tired when I get home and I want to prepare a nice healthy core dinner - I want to start cooking NOT CLEANING UP AFTER MY DISGUSTING CHILDREN WHO CAN BARELY PUT A PLATE IN THE DISHWASHER LET ALONE CLEAN UP AFTER THEMSELVES!!!

We are not talking 2 yr olds here - we are talking a healthy capable 14 and 19 yr old! I can just feel my blood boiling!

Called home at 4 pm - spoke w/both kids - ds was going to work tonight so asked dd to unload/reload dishwasher and ensure kitchen was presentable (we're not talking washing floors here). She agreed - but when I got home at 5:30 and saw that NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE - I WENT BERSERK! (yes the 7 yr old went running upstairs!)

Says she doesn't want to do it! Well ya - I don't want to drive you to dance class, and I don't want to get you the shampoo and conditioner and $15 razor blades you asked for, and I don't want to buy you new clothes!

So the Internet has been DISCONNECTED until further notice and I also called ds at work and left him a voice message on his cell phone - advising him that when he gets home he and his sister better make up a weekly schedule amongst themselves for ensure the KITCHEN is in order before I get home!

Of course everyone is pleading innocent - "it's not my mess - I didn't do it" - like I REALLY CARE! I'm telling you it ain't going be pretty tonight (guess i'm still pmsing huh?)

I was so hungry and not cooking dinner cuz I refused to go downstairs - finally went down and had a bagel w/egg salad, sliced tomato, cucumber and CHOCOLATE milk - a real binge right? I was going to top it off with a chocolate sandwich skinny cow - BUT GUESS WHAT - DD ATE THAT TOO - YES SHE FINISHED OFF THE WHOLE SIX PACK OF SKINNY COW ICE CREAM IN 2 DAYS! ....did you think of maybe leaving just ONE for me????? (I had to have a sf/ff fudge bar instead).

I have now come upstairs (yes my internet is obviously back on) and staying out of the kitchen cuz I am afraid of inhaling everything in sight! Can't wait til ds gets home - cuz he will go BERSERK when I tell him internet is off.

They both whine and cry that they need it for school - YA WELL TOUGH LUCK KIDDOS - DO WHAT LESS FORTUNATE KIDS DO AND GO TO THE LIBRARY OR SCHOOL OR SOMETHING TO DO YOUR WORK - no sob stories here! Fail if you must - or even as I told dd - tell your teacher to call me and I'll let him know why you have no computer privileges! Ya right!

Okay I think I"m done now!

Sandra - so when's the big party?

Patti - sounds like you did not do too badly? Tomorrow is a new day!

Kathy - thanks for the birthday sticky - I guess we can add to it as required!

Time to call the cruiseline and bug them some more (so sandra can enjoy my adventures ) I'm in such a pissy mood that I will coerce them into giving me a cabin!

Stay tuned!

Frouf on the Warpath!

Oh, how I remember days like that! Hang in there kiddo

Yowsers! You GO, GIRLFRIEND! And I'm right behind you, waving a big flag! We will organize a union!!!

I think I'm lucky (um, lucky?) that my kids don't eat at home anymore. Between work and school, they aren't here. I keep a huge supply of very unhealthy, but much-loved Lunchables so that if they actually DO want something, they have it. They eat them, throw away the container, and all is good. Oh and pizza and paper plates. So their messes stay upstairs and I don't have to go there more than once every few weeks. When I do though, I feel those veins starting to enlarge and I have to get out fast. Thank GOD my bedroom is downstairs with the kitchen and other common rooms.

Really though, she didn't FEEL like it? Did she really say that? She didn't FEEL like it? You were well justified in saying you don't feel like doing anything for her! And by damn, I wouldn't lift another finger on her behalf. I'm like you -- I'd be saying "Welcome to the real world, baby girl!"

Well as for me, I came home and made Judd some dinner so he'd have it when he got home from the gym. The easiest food in the world though ... WW rotini pasta with RF cheese and frozen broccoli. He's pretty easy to please when it comes to food. Just now I took a bath and washed/dried my hair. A few good shows are on at 8 so we'll have to watch one, TiVo the other and watch it at 9. I'm still a little tired but I think I can make it.

Grab hold of something and hang on, Frouf. It CAN'T last forever like this.

well, girls. i guess i thought ya'll were reading my mind. sorry. we are hosting and conducting an NAA (national archery association) level 2 instructors' course this weekend. people are coming from across the state to be certified as level 2 archery instructors. this means they will have the certification to run JOAD programs. JOAD stands for junior olympic archery development. NAA is the national group that sends folks to compete in the olympics. JOAD is a base for that program where young folks are taught archery skills. there are state JOAD tournaments as well as national level ones. another job of level 2's is to train level 1's. an example of this is we trained a boy scout leader as a level 2. then he went back to his people and trained a lot of them to be level 1's so they could work with the scouts. we've done the same with girl scouts, camp fire, camp mak-a-dream, boys and girls clubs, etc.....

if you are a certified level 2 instructor, you qualify to become a level 3 coach. for this training you go to one of the us olympic training centers. level 3 coaches train beginner to intermediate level archers. -if you become a certified level 3 coach, you qualify to train again at an olympic training center to become a level 4 coach. level 4 coaches normally train intermediate to elite archers. curtis and i are level 4 coaches. there is also level 5, but that is an honorary coaching certification that's given to olympic or national team coaches.

now back to this course this weekend. folks are coming from around the state and will be in intense training friday 6 pm - 10 pm. (at our house)
saturday 8 am-9pm (at the archery center till dinnertime. dinner then after dinner they will be viewing video of themselves shooting and coaching on the tv here at home.)
sunday 8 am-9 pm (at the archery center all day)

so i'll be hauling food, etc.... to the archery center from home.

we included money in their fees to cover materials for the class as well as food since we wanted them to take all their breaks and meals together so we wouldn't lose much instruction time.

here's our food schedule:

fri night--pick up food and snacks

sat--am snack
lunch--golden corral
pm snack
dinner--i'm cooking lasagna and probably another entree
evening snack

sun--am snack
lunch--golden corral
pm snack
dinner---kfc (3 chicken tenders, 2 sides, biscuits/gravy)

for snacks i'm preparing:
several batches of cookies
cake squares
mixed nuts
chips/dips
lots of fresh fruit
vegetable trays
rolls and deli meats and cheese for sandwiches
ham and cheese biscuits for the am snacks as well as muffins

i'm also in charge of
coffee
tea
pop
bottled water
hot chocolate
milk
paper plates
napkins
cups
etc........

we are expecting 17-20 students. there are 3 coaches instructing. so you can see i'm up to my neck. actually, i'm having a blast. i have a grocery list, a walmart list, a costco list and am really enjoying this. i have never done anything of this magnitude before. (in fact, i used to be a "non-cook." in my former life before curtis and retirement from teaching. friends back in texas would be shocked!!)

curtis assigned me just one hour of instructing. i do that friday evening. he wanted to keep me free to do what all is needed with the food, etc...

i welcome any suggestions any of you might have. the ham/cheese muffins will be good for bfast snack but i'm thinking i need more to go with them besides muffins and fruit.

i'm having to think non-diet as well as diet. I PLEDGE TO YOU THAT I WILL STAY ON PROGRAM. so far i've baked 4 batches of cookies and haven't licked my fingers or done any nibbling at all. if i don't take that first bite, i'll be fine. i have already started and will continue to journal dilligently. i'm thinking that will help keep me focused.

sorry i got so long-winded here. again, i'd love some suggestions. thanks for listening.

melissa, i wish you the best of success tomorrow. i'm taking this one day at a time, too. that's about all we can do, isn't it?

frouf, i'd have gone ballistic, too. did you take her to dance class? i doubt i would have.

Wow Sandra - I am supremely impressed! You can now become a party organizer and/or go into the catering business as well. I am very impressed with the instructing scheme and wish you all the best of luck! I could not do all that cooking and baking and not eat anything - good for you for planning to stay on track!

I hear dd cleaning her bathroom now - did I mention that was also A PIGSTY? with wet towels and clothes all over the floor and the counter covered in makeup, hair elastics, bobby pins, etc. I actually made dh get the digital camera out and take pictures as most people wouldn't believe the mess! (hey maybe I can try and download one here when he gets home )

So called the cruise line and it's worse than I thought - got a very nice fellow on there ( I guess it's a slow night) and asked him a whole lot of questions and found out the ship is actually OVERSOLD - do you know what this means? I have no chance in @#$#@@ of sailing on the 22nd - seems this is a common practice as they always get cancellations. Right now 29 people are without cabins/bed on this cruise? Can u believe this? They have paid and are guaranteed to sail - but no cabin yet!

They obviously get first dibs on any empty cabins - I asked what do they do if there are not that many cancellations? Well they start calling people and offering them some sweet deals - like an upgrade on a future sailing and/or shipboard credit or some other enticement (I should be so lucky!).

Got the fellow to check future sailings for me - more bad news and one piece of good news. Nothing available for Jan 29, Feb 5 and Feb 12 sailings (so much for valentine's day on the high seas)....BUT...they had ONE BALCONY CABIN left on the 19th - and yes I have it on a courtesy hold until tomorrow.

Bad news - not a bad location, but we are below the lido deck restaurant (the lido deck is the main outdoor deck w/the pools, buffet, bars, hot tubs, etc)- and I am wondering if it will be noisy as I have heard they drag tables/chairs around early morning as they wash the floors/deck???

And I have just realized I am scheduled to go on a course Feb 22-24 - so not sure how my boss will feel about me missing this? oh well - it was nice while it lasted.

Just for fun I shall go check out airline prices for those dates and cry a bit - god knows I deserve to!

Frouf

frouf, this is very disappointing news for you. i am so sorry. i hope you and dh get to take a cruise later on if you can't soon. i don't know if i'd want to be over that restaurant or not. curtis would be throwing fits if he got awakened by noise. i prob would, too.