Early good morning, Chickies! The time change has me a bit screwed up. The stars are brilliant this morning so it looks like we are going to have a sunny day again! It's 45ºF here right now - that's outside but the house doesn't seem that much warmer. I may have turned the furnace off instead of down last night! Duh!

Coffee is ready and I'll probably do scrambled eggs with mushrooms and onions. The phase II chicks can have some of my frozen fruit salad.

This is going to be a day when our willpower is tested! Let's leave the H. crud alone, OK?

Good morning, Chicklets~~

Another rude awakening from the Rockhead. I think this morning before I leave, I'll just pop all three dogs in DD's room.

Yesterday, dh and I got the upstairs hall and the stairwell painted. It's a lovely color. Think pumpkin pie filling before you add the spices.

Not much else going on.

Ruth, I envy you the beautiful night sky. All I can see from my back yard is yucky loblolly pine trees.

H. crud is really a non issue for me, thankfully. I have enough trouble with the "real" fresh" baked good stuff, bread, coffee cake........
I have DD home sick woth a very croupy cough. She rested on the couch all weekend. MOstly on daddy's lap yesterday. Good excuse for him to be a couch potato. DS hung out with me all day. We had the BEST time. He was so easy going. It was wonderful!!!!!
Avon order comes in today and I have lots of flitting about to do. I need to make a healthy snack for DS class party today. He also has hockey from 4:30-6 and home for trick or treating. I will make a cabbage casserole in the slow cooker minus the rice.( I always use brown but I have to detox from that pie).
I worked all weekend and now I get to work all week. I really hope I earn some money over this season with the Avon.That is the whole idea of the time I am putting into it.
My goal is $500 every 3 weeks. I am almost there now.I keep telling myself that is good for a new rep,of 7 months. The ladies with 20 years under their belt do double that. I want it!!!!

Good morning Ruth and Mamacita!

Good Morning, chicks!! Well, yesterday I talked about how I couldn't wait to add more furbabies to my family. I guess I spoke too soon because as of yesterday afternoon I now have two new babies. I just inherited two teenage rats. Yes, rats. One is albino with red eyes and the other is brown and white. They are brothers and love each other very much. I decided to name them Alfred (brn/wht) and Percival (wht). Very hoity toity names for two little rats. I think the irony is cute.

I got them from my friend, the walking human animal shelter. Apparently a teacher at the school she teaches at wasn't caring for them at standards that suited my friend. Last week she asked if I would take them and I said sure not really thinking she was serious (she tries to pawn several animals off on me a year). Well, yesterday I go to her house for a visit and she says, "Here are your new rat-babies". I was like, OK, I guess I have rats now! They are a little squeemish but settle right down in your hands and even try to nuzzle and groom me. Cute little buggers. I have been winning them over with blueberries.

I plan to search online for a decent sized rat cage for them. I just spent about $40 at the store on toys, bedding, food, etc. and now will spend another 50 or so on a cage. Rats are expensive!! At least I'll make my Dad proud. He had two of the sweetest rats he resuced from the research facility he works at. They were two cool little girls. Did tricks, came when called and everything. Maybe I can get my boys somewhere close to that.

So, enough about rats ! The chicken tagine I made last night came out delicious. The only thing was I think the recipe called for way to many sweet potatoes. Next time I'll just halve the amount. Yummy! Not sure whats on the menu for today. Something I can fit inbetween grading, teaching, and working in the lab. Fun!!

Have a great day, chicks!!

Hi Ladies!

I went out of my mind on food this weekend. Someone needed to smack me! I don't know why I did it. I ate bad stuff until I was uncomfortably stuffed. I never did that BEFORE I started SBD. I paid dearly for it last night and I will have to keep that in mind. I am back to myself this morning and ready to be good.

But, enough about my craziness. My dear friend at work that started SBD had her first weigh in.... 7 pounds!! I am sooo happy for her! It feels as good as when my numbers are down!!! That big jump at the first is so motivating!!

Oh, and I went shopping with mom this weekend looking for another pair of pants. I had to ask her to get a smaller size. I stood in the dressing room when I put on those 12s and just stared at the mirror. It was a wonderful feeling, but felt surreal. It was just the type of pants b/c I tried on another type and they were snug (but I could zip them). I bought the ones that fit and am wearing them today for a gentle reminder, if you know what I mean.

Well, I'm off to fry up some egg beaters. I hope everyone has a good Halloween!

Morning Girls
My weekend was a disaster! Thenagain Our Kitchen is packed up in Tubs (moving!)
Hopefully if the bed and the kitchen get put together tonight (if the heat is on) we can hit the grocery tommorrow or Wednesday
Good Morning Ruth!
Mama that color sounds great!
Holly aww Poor DD I'm a sucker for fresh bread too
Pear new fuzzies! While I'm not a huge rodent fan I'm sure your babies are prescious
Dana you'll come back and kick some but especially in those new 12 pants!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN CHICKS!!

Not feeling great this morning,have some kind of a head cold. Yikes Not good for this time of year,hope I not getting the flu.

HI Ruth- Our temps are going into the 50's today,but its stioll cool for our little trick & treaters without a jacket over there costums.I love those starry clear skys,and we have lots of them,comparing to where I use to live In the big city.

Hi Mamacitta

Holly- Hope your DD get better soon send some healthy : vibes her way.

Pearshape-Good Luck with your new furbabies.If you need more I can give [trick or treat] you the field mice that come into my house in the winter. Should post the chicken tagine in the recipe section sound so delish....

Djette-Don't beat yourself up,making the bad choices. I think its the comfort food we need with the months start getting colder. I did that this weekend also. Just get back on track,and if you fall off, we're here to catch you.

Ko-Have fun moving.Glad I won't have to do that anymore.I here to stay, unless ..............

Have a wonderful day, I think I going back to bed. Hugs BB

Happy Halloween Ghoulies!

It's a nice, chilly day here on the West Coast. We finished decorating our front yard last night. Bring on the ghouls and goblins! I'm ready!

I lost 3.5 pounds last week! I'm thrilled!

Have a good day!

Good Morning! After a very busy and eventful summer, I am back to stay. A lot has happened, both good & bad, since I last posted, but things seem to be getting back to normal for now. I have basically stayed with the SBD, but did a lot of emotional eating over the summer and have gained several pounds back, which I desperately want to lose! I've been reading the posts, so I'm pretty much up to date with most of you. HELLO to the newbies! CONGRATULATIONS to Barb - hon, you're almost there! Beachgal - all I can say to you is WOW!!! You just keep on losing, you AMAZE me! Everyone else is really doing great, too, and I hope I can get some inspiration from you to finally get to my goal this time!

Good morning everyone! Quick drive by ...my finger still hurts from Sat. I lost a fight with a blade from my food processor & ended up in the ER.Have a great day!

Morning, gals! Tonight Brian has a birthday/Halloween party to go to so I'm going to have to rush home from work to take him to that. This is going to be a busy week (as normal). We are actually supposed to get rain during the day today which will be wonderful since it will be gone by this evening. We're down over 11 inches on rain this year so everything is really dry.

Happy Halloween everyone! After a whirlwind morning, I'm ready to sit for a few. Had a haircut at 10, came home, made my lunch then took off for Kid's Hope at noon. In between I emptied the dishwasher, and made a couple of phone calls too. I mentor a little first grade girl every Mon. at noon. This kid keeps me on my toes believe me.

I visited the cats this morning, the female now comes out without being called. Last night the male came up for the first time. He was all over, snooping around, on my DH's lap, on my lap, on the couch! We watched him go downstairs and then a little later we decided to go to bed too. My DH came back down the hall and said that he was laying on our bed. Made himself right at home. He jumped down when we got there and I thought he went back down. Nope! by the time I got out of the bathroom from washing my face, taking pills etc. my DH was in bed, and that cat was up on my side of the bed laying there sleeping. He stayed down at my feet till 3:30 this morning then I heard him jump off. He's been down ever since, except for a while when DH was going to eat his lunch. Now, I'm waiting for the female to make up her mind to come up too. She's much more skittish than the male, but I do feel like we're making progress.

I weighed in this morning and I THINK I lost one more lb. but am not sure enough to change my ticker. That would make 9 lbs. for Oct. which pleases me. My eyes are not seeing the best that early in the morning, so will try again after another few days. I can't get enough light on the scale face to really read it well. We'll see.

It's a nasty day here, rainy on and off, why couldn't it have stayed nicer for Halloween tonight? We don't get many kids anyway, but any more rain and we won't have any. It's not so cold, 56º, but dark and cloudy, so not a pleasant day at all.

Time to get something else done around here. Been visiting with the cats, and letting "stuff" go.........GrannySmith

Hey ladies.............well, the holidaze are beginning! Things in my life have been wild.....work has been the wildest............big shake up in the hospital here...all for the better, but it has taken an emotional toll on me. Glad it's starting to resolve.

Well, i went to the dentist, went home and weighed in and ate chocolate. How's that for smart on day 10 of phase 1. Eh, it's OK.

Welcome back, cottage, I've missed your posts. Sounds like things are busy with school carnivals for everyone and getting ready for the trick or treaters.

I'm headed for a nap..........lazy I know. Happy halloween. I'm sending everyone cybertreats!

Happy Halloween everyone!

We don't celebrate it here in Australia, but had a few kiddies come past last night.. all we could offer was fruit or wheatfree muesli bars I don't think they got much from the neighbours either.

I was going fairly well for the month, but we had a party with some vegan friends and it was catered by the hari krishna restaurant.. so it was all rice, and curries loaded with potato and pumpkin.. did the best I could.. but that triggered a bad weekend ....grrr

But today is a new month... so back on the wagon.

But I am really enjoying all of the exercise I am getting lately.. very excellent indeed.

take care and I am sorry that I am not replying to everyone - once exams are done in a few weeks I will catch up