Congrats Vickie on the LOSS - way to go - sure shows that not giving up works! - even over the holidays!...and I am very jealous of your pink bra! I would love one (I do have a baby blue one tho? - but not a pink one....yet!).

I think I shopping in a that "bath" store when in Florida this summer - EVERYTHING smelled so good it was so hard decided, I ended up getting a fragrance called "Breathe" - spray and body lotion - very nice scent - if only dd would stop using it!!!

We saw the Jennifer aniston movie last night - Rumour Has It - very cute - but basically Shirley MacLaine steals the show - she was so 'in character'.

And I too am that night owl that won't be able to wake up and get to work tomorrow!

...and I proud that I did avoid the pizza (okay just a bite) - and have left the kitchen due to continuous grazing - not really hungry - but feeling a bit low blood sugar/shaky? Just had some popcorn and a club soda - dinner should be ready by six (yes the roast is GORGEOUS and in the oven, and found some chicken breasts on sale so a few of there are in the oven as well for dinners and or lunches).

My fridge is now packed full (did I ever mention how much I dislike my side-by-side fridge) and I can't even imagine how I will get any leftover roast beef in there - let alone two hugs whole chicken breasts!

Kathy - definitely go for that contract work! ...but the real estate deals sound good to me too - esp if you are handy!

Okay little ds just came running upstairs - something about smoke in the kitchen - just checked the roast - it kinda tipped over - supposed to REMAIN upright in the pan - ya right!...chicken breasts looking good - temp lowered to 350 for the last hour! Smells great down there! (also having brussel sprouts, sweet potato and sauteed mushrooms/onions - which I guess I should start working on pretty soon?). Dh is on the treadmill right now - which is where I should be sometime this evening....altho dd dances form 8-9 pm so will need to plan accordingly.

Hey Saundra - we sure are neighbours - I actually used to live in Barrhaven - now live in Centrepointe!!! Where in Mexico are you going? Have you been before? I love mexico! - well actually any blue water, and warm sandy beach will suffice at this point.

Kathy - how is dd doing? able to keep anything down yet?

Angela - good luck tomorrow morning getting the gang back to school!

Patti - enjoy the noise and busyness while you can - I agree that it will get very quiet once your dds are back to school!

Melissa - so what did you get???? (inquiring minds want to know!).

Time to go do some more kitchen prep work - at least I will have some lo for lunch tomorrow!

Frouf

There was standing room only at my meeting this morning. Us regulars wondered how many would still be around in April.

April??? I'd say more like February!

I have decided if we start up the WW@Work program again soon, I'm joining. I think I need it.

I hear Kate moving around upstairs, and the shower was going a little while ago, so I'm hoping she feels better. She's been asleep since the big fiasco this morning and I'm over my gagging now. The worst part was ... WARNING: TMI AHEAD ... she had started feeling bad so she thought she'd drink some red Gatorade. Use your imagination for the rest of the story.

Everything's ready to start cooking dinner but now Judd says he's going to the gym. I guess I'm off the hook until around 6:30 or so.

I just put some color on my hair. I can't get in to get the highlights re-done for a few weeks (need to work some OT first!) so I thought I'd disguise the fact that it's growing out. It was supposed to be medium blonde and ended up totally DARK AUBURN. Hmmm ... a quality control problem at the factory or my kooky hair? I'm going with the second option. My hair is naturally red and anything I put on it, no matter what color it's supposed to be, ends up with a red tint. Hopefully the highlights in a few weeks will tone things down.

Kathy, what's WW Work program? Never heard of that one.

Melissa, I've got two dil's trying for number 2 right now. One for more than a year, and getting down about it. It can get stressful.

Okay Frouf, we used to live in Centrepointe. Went from the big house in Arlington Woods to a townhouse in Centrepointe (rented) and now a semi here. We were suppose to go to Central Park, but they built the wrong house on our lot. We are going to the Iberostar Lindo in the Mayan Riviera. I just got a note from them because I requested an upgrade to a jacuzzi suite. They let me know there is a charge, so we might do it for one of our two weeks. The perks of being older is that you don't have the kids to support any more, now it's for us.

Saundra

Saundra, Weight Watchers has a program where they'll come to your company. We've done it before and it worked out fine. I think we had to have a minimum of 20 participants but that's usually no problem. Anyway, they bring everything to the office and we had our meetings at lunchtime once a week.

We are scuba divers and go to Cozumel quite often. We've always heard good things about the Iberostar there but since we're hardly in the room, and have friends there whom we visit and eat with occasionally, we don't want to be locked down to an all-inclusive. Our friends are a former divemaster who we got to be friends with and his family. We love going to their house. Anyway, we also meet them in town for dinner and so my point is that we would never be at the resort for meals! Anyway, enjoy your trip. It sounds like fun.

I'm waiting for the day when these three kids are gone and I'm not supporting them. Big DD has 4 more years of college -- she's going to pharmacy school. Little DD might be moving out in a month or so if she can get a job where her BF works. As for Shaun (who will be 28 tomorrow) ... I'm not sure. I'm the only parent he has and he's a bit needier than the girls. Hopefully he'll be gone sometime next summer.

Okay Kathy, another coincidence, dh is a pharmacist. Good thing to be with all us boomers getting on.

My yougest son is going to be 31 in February. He just broke up with his partner (male) but is okay with it. He has a decent (no university) job. He has MS which is under control, but we always worry.

I don't blame you for staying at a friend's. I'm still looking for one with a beachfront lacation. At least my sis has a cottage in a beautiful spot in Ontario.

Oh wait, we stay at a hotel but not an all-inclusive! Usually it's Plaza Las Glorias -- but we eat all over town so that's why we don't want to stay at the a-i. We would feel like we should eat there if we did.

My DS has just had a life of tough breaks, and that's all there is to it. I was married to his dad for only about 3 years, and the dad is now in prison. Shaun's (DS's) grandma blames Shaun for the reason his dad is in prison, if you can believe that! She tells him he should have been a better son. I'm like GOOD LORD WOMAN! YOU RAISED HIM!! I just can't believe the nerve of some people.

And so this summer, DS lost his job and made a long series of bad choices. He now has a job and a company car (which is good because he has no personal vehicle now) but he is behind on every bill, owes everyone in town, and seems to be unable to deal with it all. I suspect adult ADD but with no medical insurance (yet) he can't go to the dr. I will strongly suggest that he go to the dr. when insurance kicks in.

My oldest DD (22) has worked at Walgreens pharmacy since she was 16. She's a registered tech and really enjoys it, but will be happier when she's just verifying the Rx's and not dealing too much with the counter customers. Those are the people who are the meanest. She's been cursed at and spit at and has come home crying more times than I can count. She's a very petite girl, like 5'1" and maybe 100 pounds and looks like she's still 16. People really take advantage of a young-looking worker. Fortunately, her boss really likes her. It's the only job she's ever had and she has done well to stick with it thru high school and all 4 years of college. She's applying to pharmacy schools now and since there are only 3 in Texas, we have a good idea of where to plan on sending her. It's going to be tough but we'll make it somehow. She's a good girl.

Goodness, with kids life is always interesting isn't it?

Vickie, CONGRATS!! I'm so impressed. Angela is right, your dedication is so inspiring. Not only did you cope with the holidays but with not feeling well too. You are just amazing!!

Saundra, two weeks in Mexico sounds nice!

Frouf, it sounds like you've had a good day. I actually didn't buy anything, just traded in a shirt (for a different size) that we got MIL for Christmas. So nothing as exciting as Vickie's pink bra!

Kathy, glad your dd is feeling better. I think stomach illnesses are the worst. And I knew you had great business ideas! I was also thinking of the one Vickie mentioned, with the food prep. I think that would be really neat. DH and I have dreamed of opening a used book/cd store for years. I think we might eventually.

Well we are watching a movie and doing nothing. I need to finish up some laundry and get ready for work tomorrow...... I am so dreading it. But I'm going to try not to think about it!

Where's Sandra?

Okay, one more. Adam (youngest) is a Rx tech too. He's really smart, but didn't want to go to university or college. He wasn't "out" when he was in highschool and was struggling at that time. Oh, how I wish we had second chances to change things. I know he won't go back to school, but as I said, he really is an upbeat guy.

Saundra, your family sounds very cool! I started working right out of high school and ended up having an incredible 30 year career with the U.S. government. Granted it was the late 1970's but I think some companies still reward longevity and good workers. I went to college for a couple of years at night but never finished. I ended up retiring with a buy out as a GS-15 Director after starting as a GS-3. Not graduating from college was always something of an embarassment to me but I just worked hard and was rewarded. I'm sure your Son will make his mark and maybe even go back to school someday. I decided....why bother when it didn't seem to be holding me back professionally.

Melissa, thank you so much for your support. You made me tear up a bit. Sometimes I forget to give myself credit for how hard I'm trying. I sure don't feel amazing.

Frouf, you dinner sounds absolutely scrumptious. I had SUCH a craving for red meat today. I don't eat brussel sprouts (I call them baby cabbages) but maybe I should try them again sometime since my tastes have changed since Core.

Well, we are back from dinner. I had a beautiful salad, NY strip, ww pasta with smart balance and fresh broccoli. I'm very satisfied after being hungry all day. I love this restaurant. They have prime meat and the steak is cooked on the grill. And, imagine having ww pasta available and fresh steamed veggies. I'd eat there every night if I could afford it.

Time for me to go put my pj's on and watch a movie. I promised Jim I'd make SF/FF pudding. I think I'm done for tonight except for a cup of hot tea and water.

Oh poor Kate.....red....ugh! Kath, I hope that you'll find the meetings to be motivating and inspiring. Today my leader says they started 17 weeks of new meeting material. The 17 words to live by. Today was planning. How appropriate! I'd be completely freaked out if my hair turned out the wrong color. I am not good at not sweating the small stuff!

Did Sandra have the greats today?

BTW, my Leader says no program changes! I can't remember the last year that no changes were made. I was hoping for some additional Core items.

Sandra, let me know what you hear at your meeting.

You know I was thinking at my meeting today that it would be very cool if some of our old friends came back to the board to renew their journey with us.

So if you're out there lurking, please jump back on the bandwagon with us. Calling Deborah (Starting Over Again), Frannie (Frannie57), Rita (PureTCrazy), Terry (Monkeypoodle) and anyone else I haven't remembered is certainly welcome as well. Come on girls.....we miss you!

Vickie, I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true. To be going through all that you have experienced and still losing weight, that is incredible. You are a reminder to me that this is possible. Your dinner sounds awesome. I would love to have a really good steak. I can't wait until we can afford a nice gas grill so that we can do our own.
I've been thinking about how many people have disappeared from around here too. I wish that they would at least just drop by to say hi and let us know that all is well!

Hey, don't get me wrong. I didn't go to university, got married at 19. I wound up with a very good job and earned more than a lot of my "educated" contemporaries. As a parent you just want what's best for your kids, and in the 2000's it's getting harder out there.

A restaurant with ww pasta, what a treat! Boy, do I wish we had one like that.