[Pearlrose]

Good morning Chickies,

Sorry no time for personals- my thoughts are with everyone regarding Gustav hope he dies down.

Have a great day

[beachgal]

Yuck, Cottage! That sounds awful! DH and I have been using this ancient (it almost has a fabric cord) percolator he got after his grandmother passed away. Funny enough, it works extremely well. Things these days are literally made to break early so companies can make more money from your continually buying new ones. Awful! Hope you got some decent coffee at Wawa! for your packing for Maine. Good for you for taking Jake at his word. Let's just hope he cleans up after himself, too!

Cat, sending {{{{{go away}}}}}} vibes to our dear friend Gustave, and sorry to hear about open house. That's just awful, for you and the kids!!!

Oh, Ruth, I'm so sorry about the diagnosis for Hershey. But I know it'll be a relief to know what's wrong and start dealing with it instead of worrying about what it might be. You and Hersh are both strong, independent, and hardy Canucks and I know you'll both be able to get through this with great results. Poor Disney/Daisy! Too funny, though, if she was milking it! Now, you just shush about that evil W word. Just think about F words instead.

Wow, Mandy, I don't know how y'all do it. I'd be a wreck watching and waiting. I'm used to earthquakes, but not to tornadoes or hurricanes. Up here in the boonies, the worst we can worry about is the river flooding. Lots more {{{{{go away}}}}}} vibes to Gustave for you, too!

LC, I saw this yesterday and could totally relate. Maybe you can, too?


Belle, I hear you on the new month thing. Robert Fulghum (author of All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten and many wonderful other essays) says that he thinks the Jews have it right: the new year should start in September. He notes that it's much easier to get energized about new routines and exercise when it's nice and crisp out rather than freezing (when you just want to get under your blankie and stay there until spring! ). I agree! However, I think it's super important for you to figure out why you had so much trouble in August. If you figure that out, it'll help you avoid those problems in the future. You might want to try blogging about it on the 3FC blogs. That way, other chickies can read it and give you their advice and insight.

Good for you for walking, Cyndi!

Twynn!!!! Guess great minds think alike, eh? (re: CDO) Sorry about the yogurt. I'm always so sad when that happens to me. You might try using plain yogurt and adding flavored agave nectar to it. Regarding pants, I love Dockers City/Metro pants. I get them at Kohl's (where there's inevitably a sale). They fit well for us big butt & hips/small waisted girls!

The only way an all-day meeting can be more boring is if you are not actually there to interact!

No doubt, Schmoo! Although, they won't know if you're knitting or something, right? So you can make it more fun!!! Sounds like you really are getting hit with it while DH is away! Can you plan for a little vacation just for you when DH gets back? Maybe a lovely spa visit? Or even just a retreat at a retreat center? Even a motel 6 and a stack of good books could be relaxing! Seriously, you deserve it. Then you have something to look forward to. Feel free to vent anytime, girl. Those who stay at home always have it harder. Sure, he misses you and his familiar surroundings, but you have to miss him and deal with real life!

Yikes, Weezle! That's darned inconsiderate! Uggh...maybe it's time to change the rule for those who are lacking in the common sense arena. "Call 8 hours before OR the night before if 8 hours before falls anytime between 9 at night and 7:30 in the morning!!!" Grr! Hope you feel better...have you tried those "5 hour energy" things? It looks like they're SBD-safe, but I haven't really looked into them much. Here's some coffee in the meantime --->

to all the other chickies (and Matt) that I've missed...I had to go help a student just as I finished this!

Me:
Whew, responding to all the early birds has me too worn to want to write about myself! Not much happening here. Spent most of last night on the computer listing things on e-bay to try to get them off the office floor, where they're lying in a pile and irritating DH. I made a super-yummy dinner...crockpot beans from an SBD online recipe site (don't remember the name), coleslaw, and BBQ chicken from a Cooking Light recipe, which I'll post in the forum.

Hope you all have a great day!

[hmacneil6]

Good morning ladies!!! I'm back from NC!

Cottage - Sorry about the coffee, but glad to see that you're already over it. Go with the flow is often my motto. Have fun packing for Maine!

Cat - Sorry to hear that you have a bunch of students with uninvolved parents. Having parents not invested is so hard. You want so much for your students (especially at this young age) and to not have parent support is difficult. I hope you can find some way to inspire the parents to want to get involved. Saying prayers that Gustavo stays away!

Ruth - There's got to be some relief in having confirmation on Hershey. Even though it's not "curable" at least you know how to treat it! I'm sure things will be better soon.

Mandy - Keep yourself safe in the threat of the storm. I'm really hoping things are going to be just fine for you and the other in the path of the storm.

l/c - Morning!!!

belle - Good job taking account for the way you've been eating and noticing you need to reconfigure some things. And remembering that exercise is an important component is really good! Keep it up!

Cyndi - I'm going to read back to find out what's going on....I'm sorry to hear that things are yucky right now. I hope they get better!

Twynnb - Sorry to hear that you pulled something. I hope it heals soon, because I know how much you love to go running and hiking.

Schmoodle - I just want to give you a giant hug today! It sounds like you've had quite the rough go since dh has been gone. I hope things get better and you can seen the end of the tunnel soon. Hang in there!

Weezle - You poor thing. Drives me crazy when people don't have common sense. I swear that if people thought before they acted, most of the time they'd make the right choice....but they just don't think. I hope things get better today.

Zeff - Glad to hear that you made it home safely. I hope you don't find yourself in the path of the storm. Have fun potty training today!

Gonnabe - Hey there

Lori - I was truly hoping to come back to find you had gotten a job.....so sorry to hear that this new company is dragging their feet. I hope you hear from them soon.

Me - We had a fantastic time while in Raleigh/Durham, NC. The weather was AMAZING.....not super hot like we thought it was going to be. I ate so poorly (as expected....and kind of planned, I might add). I really didn't eat giant quantities of food, however, I ate what I wanted. Today were back on P1 for a week or two. I really need to get my veggies in....I didn't eat too many of those while on vacation. DH had a little scare while we were driving around town on our first day in.......He thought he was having a heart attack (REALLY SCARY!!!!), but I think it was more of an anxiety attack. It calmed down quickly but I was really scared for a bit. And it scared him enough to recognize that he needs to really work on dropping some weight himself. So out of a scary situation comes good. He's also making a MD appointment just to make sure it was "just an anxiety attack".
I'm going to be uploading my pics a little later today, so hopefully I'll get them in and be able to share some of the great places we went to. Today is all about recovery from the trip. Chiro appointment this morning, then grocery shopping and laundry. I go back to work on Friday, so I really want to get ready for my return to the regular routine.
Have a good Wednesday!!!! Glad to be back!
ENJOY!!!

----------------------------

Pearlrose & Beachgal - Missed you while I was working on my post. Have a fantastic day!!!!

[Barb0522]

Cat - Sorry to hear more parents didn't make it. I felt horrible missing Brian's Meet the Teacher night but the notices of the date as well as the date/times for the School Supply sale were sent with the letters from the teacher so it arrived 2 days before the Meet the Teacher night and we were out of town. At least I know his homeroom/science teacher from when she was one of his den leaders and I know his math teacher (wife of the Cubmaster) so there is only 1 teacher I don't know. We have curriculum night in a few weeks where I will meet them all. Although they don't let us bring kids to the curriculum night which is tough when you're a single parent.

I just dont' get to reply early enough to have time to write to everyone. At least I am feeling better today. I'm trying not to let the stress bother me so much today (but it isn't easy). At least I have lots of work to keep me busy.

[Kim_Star060404]

Hey everyone. Thanks for the well-wishes both yesterday and today. Things are going better today. I decided it was better to end the turmoil and let go of a friend who is quite toxic. At least I did my best to make things right.

In a hurry today. DH and I are leaving for S. Texas in the morning to visit his family. Should be fun - lots of "real" shopping! Yay! I may check in tomorrow, but I doubt it. Have a great Labor Day weekend and I'll "see" all of you on Tuesday!!

[zeffryn]

Kim - doing the right thing with friends is sometimes the hardest decision of all. I've recently had to let go of some friends that we too bad for my life - negative, etc. I tried sticking it out with them for years, but it always ended with me in tears.

I hope you have a good time on your trip...and keep an eye on Gustav! If he hits land, it should be Monday.

[Loriann7]

Kim, I finally read the post in general and responded to you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
While I'm not out of the running, I do know they are conducting another bout of first interviews. So, to me, It seems they are continuing with their search. And so must I. NOt that I stopped, but I did slow down, a LOT!

[zeffryn]

To all my Louisiana girls, the Daily Advertiser is saying that everything in the Acadiana area is getting ready for a big storm. Hospitals, Cajundome, schools, etc.

ULL is starting to enact their hurricane preparedness plan......DH is po'd because he needs to work on his dissertation and only has a few more days to work! Hopefully this won't set him back too much and if it does....they understand!

[Fat Melanie]

Hi everyone, it is raining it's big @ss off here.

Hcmacneil, I am glad the weather was great when you were in NC and that you had a good time! I wish I had as good of a time living in this state.

So who is that hurricane/storm/whatever it is supposed to be hitting? BF watches the weather more than I do. All I know is right now, it's raining and thundering.

[Kim_Star060404]

Originally Posted by zeffryn

Kim - doing the right thing with friends is sometimes the hardest decision of all. I've recently had to let go of some friends that we too bad for my life - negative, etc. I tried sticking it out with them for years, but it always ended with me in tears.

I hope you have a good time on your trip...and keep an eye on Gustav! If he hits land, it should be Monday.

This is the only friend I've ever felt that way about, like I just need to get away for my emotional health and outlook. It's very weird because all my friends are so much younger than this person and yet so much more mature when it comes to respecting and honoring our friendship. I guess I was expecting too much out of her because of the relationships with all of my wonderful girlfriends back home. Lost friends make me sad, in any situation.


Thanks for the Gustav update! We're watching it semi-closely. We'll be in Corpus Friday and Saturday and will be moving about 60 miles in-land on Sunday morning. We're headed back home on Monday, so I think we should be okay. If it looks like it's going to be a direct hit, we'll head to San Antonio and stay with my fam if need be.

[zeffryn]

Originally Posted by Kim_Star060404

This is the only friend I've ever felt that way about, like I just need to get away for my emotional health and outlook. It's very weird because all my friends are so much younger than this person and yet so much more mature when it comes to respecting and honoring our friendship. I guess I was expecting too much out of her because of the relationships with all of my wonderful girlfriends back home. Lost friends make me sad, in any situation.

Indeed. The last time I had to let a friend go, I cried for days....It hurt so bad because I had poured my heart into the friendship with her and I took it very personally when it didn't work out.

Almost 4 months later, I look back on it and am happy about my decision. I've felt better about myself and my ability to be a friend without the baggage that she brought to my life. When I reflect, I see that she was really putting a damper on my marriage as well.....which should have been my number 1 clue that she wasn't worth the effort. Since, I've been able to put more energy into my friends that are healthy for me and it makes me feel wonderful to have a group of friends who care about me as much as I care about them.

Thanks for the Gustav update! We're watching it semi-closely. We'll be in Corpus Friday and Saturday and will be moving about 60 miles in-land on Sunday morning. We're headed back home on Monday, so I think we should be okay. If it looks like it's going to be a direct hit, we'll head to San Antonio and stay with my fam if need be.

You're welcome. I've been following a few local weather updates on twitter....

Just keep an eye to the sky, dear. Be safe and have a fun trip! That area is so wonderful! We need to get out to San Antonio more than we do. I love it there!

--

So, I feel like the worst mother ever. We've been sitting in front of the TV watching cartoons the entire day (I've taken breaks to bake and clean). DS has been on the pot since 8 a.m. with a 2 hour break for a nap. I've also been giving him kool-aid because it is the one thing that he will guzzle. Usually he drinks water or milk, so it's a HUGE treat getting kool-aid. When I bought it last night, he clapped and asked to have some then and there.....I told him he could only have it if he was pottying in the big boy potty. He's been peeing like a champ today!

Noggin and Sprout are wearing on my brain....

[Fat Melanie]

Ohhh maaaan! The cool/fun thread got closed. I was about to post this and saw it was closed:

I think debates are healthy and fun, I would like to add. It's not always so fun being on the overly safe side and refrain from stating opinions because it might 'offend' someone. I think sometimes on this board things get boring because everyone's so afraid to disagree with someone else, and it really is perfectly okay to disagree as long as it's on civil terms. I understand the reason for not offending people, of course. But to debate in a way where all parties are mature and are just discussing their differing opinions, is interesting. It livens the board up. So I'm enjoying the discussion because everone here is being mature, civil, and most importantly (well at least in my own head) I'M ENTERTAINED.

I thought it was a interesting discussion. Can we have more of them, people? Liven up the board some? Fun!

Note: Mods, hope you don't take offense, I'm not complaining or moaning about the thread being closed or trying to start Scarlett's discussion back up. You gotta do what you gotta do. I'm just commenting that it was fun and we should have discussions more often if they don't get out of hand.

Anyway, now I'm bored. How is everyone now? It's still raining and storming and whenever BF gets back from installing something on someone's computer, we're going to watch Constantine. Gavin Rossdale from Bush is in it! Yum.

[KO]

Hey um I write about fashion on the side and I had some links go live today I went to a shoe show. . .I didn' want to violate the rules so if you want to read them PM me and I'll Pm you the links
in re to the closed thread I try not to judge anybody's food its not worth it and it sucks when it happens to you!
ok back to looking busy

[Schmoodle]

Hey Kierie, I checked out your links on fbook. Fun stuff! Who doesn't love shoes? How did you know I loved the muppets?

Finally released from my phone for the day, off to cook some dinner - Chilean sea bass and kohlrabi slaw.

Hey the AWOL hamster showed up today, found her down in the laundry sorter in the basement again. Still can't figure out how she is getting down 2 flights of stairs and up into the sorter. She has to be riding down with the laundry, but since she has been missing I've been checking it. One of these days she'll wind up in the wash.

Welcome back Hmac, glad you had fun! I wasn't sure there was anything much to see in Raleigh. Glad you found some things.

Good to hear Kim and Barb are feeling better today! Have a fun weekend Kim.

Batten down the hatches Southern chicks.
Thanks for the hugs! It's all small stuff, we're all healthy and relatively happy, what more can I ask?

[zeffryn]

Schmoo- that is hilarious about the hamster

So, when it rains - it pours. DH has been coming home every day this week with worse and worse news. Monday, it was that he had only been approved for 1 extra class in addition to his stipend classes -instead of the 3 that he had been promised. Tuesday, it was that the extra class that he was approved for and promised hadn't materialized because the demand wasn't as high as it had been the day before. Today, someone hit his car while on campus and didn't leave a note or anything. It is still driveable....but we'll have to pound out the fender until we afford to fix it. DH hardly ever drives his car, so we have a really high deductible and no comprehensive. GAH!!

I don't even want to think about what is going to happen tomorrow...I have an OB appointment....I just hope it isn't anything wrong with the baby.