Greetings all. As the Galactic Hitchiker said, Thanks for all the fish... Especially since they were colorful and PAPER and non-caloric. Thanks Shad for the sociology lesson. I am defiitely in Hilarium. (Not to be confused with Hillary-ium.)

Today was a pretty good day. Slept a few more hours than I have been doing of late, saw a couple of clients, didn't pig out. (need to get a plan... but for now, portion control and content are all I can handle)... painted at home for a couple of hours then went to life drawing class. The MODEL doesn't have a bulbous belly. I went in and out of thougts where I compared her shape to mind and where I just tried to get hers transferred to my paper. The latter feels better all around.

Annie-- The MD had good-enough news? Is your inner twist a common complication? I've thought about LB surgery, but with the chemo after effects, Couldn't make myself think it was "worth it." Of course now that standing in front is NOT an option, it might be "worth it."

Carla-- are you REALLY in a place where there's bouganvilla? I loved it at the beach in S. California. Texas has Wisteria (which can take over EVERYTHING) and pear trees and trumpet vine. Not bad, but not bouganvilla, either. Do you make your own greek food? We have some specialty grocery stores here, but I don't know of any Greek "havens." Too bad. The Tahini/cucumber sauce sounded great. Hmm.

CeeJay: Howdy! Hope things are drying out appropriately.

Diyana: Thanks for the uplift and good cheer. The body of a Goddess Indeed. And the mental image of the 160 lbs that would be good for me to dump is quite inspiring... But even the idea of a 20# dumbbell (or those weight lifter's "plates" makes me realize why it's longer than I'd like to lose 5 pounds. Good for you grabbing the BS by the horns (either kind!)

Happy: You are one busy chick. Thanks for your support.

MadCat: Another Leonard Cohen fan! Loved him when I was 16, love him at 56+ Amazing. A national treasure. Oh, and I'm much more of a thinker than a doer, too.

Mel: Thanks for the END acronym. I definitely live in an EVERYTHING NOW DILEMMA! How mature is THAT? Like a 2 year old or so, don't you think? Well, some 2 year olds aren't ALL bad... just need a little extra loving... And here's extra for you as YOU face your deprivations. I read some interesting stuff about herbal teas and the like... I'm willing to try them in moderation. Heck, I'd be happy for a good placebo effect. Don't worry about the elevator that "doesn't go all the way up" neither of us are jumping of any cliffs, OK?

Shad... I like the idea of a series of self-portraits. And all those marinades and rubs!! Have I said recently how much I appreciate your steadfast presence here. It's a good thing we don't ALL go bonkers at once.

UPSwife-- I was glad for the company when we were both having bad days. Company's a good thing. I'm not that great at reaching out... but thanks for letting me know that you were in the same bind I was. My grocery store has RASPBERRIES! and strawberries. They aren't cheap, and they're probably imported as a minor crop from some Colombian drug cartel farm or something. But boy, do I like those. (As much as unmentionable previous treats).

TTFN.

with spring comes sciatica.
see you all tomorrow

Morning everyone

Good morning ladies --

A quick check in for me as I overslept and am running late. My legs and butt are a bit sore from working out last night. But hopefully they'll feel better before I hit the gym tonight. Today, I'm leaving work early to meet with a diabetes dietician to get an idea of a proper food plan for me. If what I'm currently eating needs to change, I hope it's only small changes as I'm feeling so good doing what I'm doing.

Shad - Thanks for explaining April Fish Day, and thanks for the anniversary wishes. DH has been sick, so we are postponing our anniversary celebration until this weekend. Thanks for the suggestion about piling up pounds of butter to get an idea what 20 pounds looks like! I'll bet I would get some weird looks from other shoppers. :lol: A job in Jakarta! Wow! How exciting! How long would the job be for? Would you be home on the weekends? Okay, I'll stop pestering you with all the questions. Sorry...it just sounds very exciting! Racking up the $$ and the frequent flyer miles!

Carla - I managed to get through all of April Fools day without any pesky fish stuck to my back. How about you? Thanks for the Tzatziki recipe!

Ellen - That's a great point about using something familiar to gauge weight loss. My dogs weigh just over 20lbs. It is great when we lose a pound of "our" lard! :lol:

Ceejay - :wave:

Painter - Portion control and content are two huge steps toward a healthy eating lifestyle! Good for you! Hang in there, Painter. It's hard to love and accept our bodies in their current state, but I think it's important. And beauty should not be measured by measurements or numbers on a scale, but rather by our inner glow and I know it radiates from you! I can tell you've got a beautiful, creative, loving soul that radiates throughout your body - therefore, your body has to be beautiful too. Your body is nurturing and strong - it certainly has been strong enough to get through rough times. Like you, I've considered LB surgery. For me, it's not a road I'm ready to go down right now. Quite frankly, I'm afraid of the risks and complications (though I recognize my fears may be unfounded). For me, I view WL surgery as an option that works well for many, many people and something I may or may not need to consider in the future. BTW, my grocery store has strawberries, expensive strawberries probably from the same cartel, but still strawberries. And WW lets you have more than 1 cup for 1 pt.!! So my 2nd breakfast (around 10 am) consists of 1/2 cup of FF cottage cheese and 1.25 cups of sliced strawberries! Yummm!

Mel - Sciatica? What made it flare up? I've heard that's so painful. The part of my back that I injured 2+ years ago was my SI (sacroilliac) joint between the hips and pelvis, and it feels like I sprained my butt and if I don't rest it runs down my leg -- similar to sciatica - but I've heard sciatica is worse! Hang in there, dear Mel, I hope you feel better soon.

Happy - Where are you this morning? Work must have you very busy! I hope you are doing well.

:wave: to anyone I have missed!

Here's to a Wonderful Wednesday for all of us!

Big hugs, :grouphug:

Have to run so just a quick :wave: from me. Have to get moving and get the kitchen floor washed this afternoon.

Hey Ellen - Once you're done with your kitchen floor, do you wanna drive up to Wisconsin and help me with mine please?

With Spring (nearly) comes The Flood. My dog garden is starting to fill up with water despite the foot of snow and ice out there. The basement sump pump is chugging away too so I guess this is "it". The lads from Natural Resources have lowered the water level in our two lakes by about three feet. Watch out Toronto - Lake Ontario is about to rise!

Spent the morning with Claire getting rid of my huge fabric collection and keeping everything suited to quilting. She's really happy and my sewing room looks great! I have visitation rights for my fabrics, by the way.

Dealing with a lot of Newbies right now so no time for personals but I do read.

Morena,

Ruth - visitation rights on your fabrics :rofl: May the fabric will come visit you in some other form. I'll bet your sewing room looks all clean and sparkly and neat now.
Newbies - must be spring up in the north.

Ellen - not much use asking you to do my floor. I'm about to rip out the old lino today. Theres a step in the forward direction.

Michelle - Jakarta is not that exciting for me - although I may get to visit some of the out islands of the area once in a while. This job is a fly in, fly out basis - 2 weeks up there and one week home flying business class all the way (thank you lord) until September. It will be hard yakka but I have to actually get it yet. And it won't start until May. This is one project that has actually thought about the trainers it wants before it actually needs them. Hallelujah!
When I say Indonesia is not exciting for me - it's not a place I really wanted to visit. It's sort of like Cuba was to the Americans. Has the largest concentration of Muslims on earth and although it takes $$$ of Australian aid and expertise, has no hesitation in putting down the Australians or making an example of them as thought required. Now that is a generalisation, some of the people of Indonesia are lovely folk. Can't actually say that for their politics though. And before you ask if it will be dangerous. No I don't think so. The politicians are all for extracting more money from the land and it's people so until the job is done and up and running, it should be fine. I'll tell you more about the job if I get it! No one has made an offer yet. As I think I explained some time back. I'm looking at three jobs, but no decisions as yet. This one was the last to come to me and the first to get back to me. Oh and another 'are you interested in working yet' phone call came up yesterday but I'm not sure if it will even get to be a job yet.

Oh Mel - not sciatica! That is so painful. You take care now you hear?

Carla - are you still on the 1st Biggest Loser Australia? We are in the business end of the third series. Bob and Jillian have just arrived. One thing about this programme, one gets to see the best and the worst of people. Last week they brought back some of the finalists from the last two shows. There was Adro, Kristy, Big Wal, Tracey from the 1st show and Damien, Patti, Courtenay and Munalita from the second. Big Wal looks hot. There was a rumour around that he had put the weight back on, but if he did, it is in all the right places. All of those 1st four have gone on to bigger, better and brighter things. Adro was complaining that previously he was always picked last because he was the fattest kid, now he gets picked last because he is the skinniest kid. He is not a big person any more.

Okay well what's up today? There is no gym because I've got time off for good behaviour. Weight is down this morning but I'll not publish it until it actually sticks.
Today I want to rip up the floor, take some more tiles off the wall (splashback), more plaster and sanding. Carla I think you asked about the holes in the walls, well some come from taking off the cabinets, some are the chips and dents of living in a place with two boys, two dogs, two cats and a DH for so many years and some are the repair of the builders boo boo's. And some are as my DS2 says because I am as fussy as all h*ll and find things that don't exist and plaster them anyway. Be that as it may, and even though some of the holes and gouges will be covered by cabinetry, I would like to think that if someone takes my kitchen out at some time in the future, they will not have to go through what I have to refinish the house. I daresay this is what comes of buying a spec house in a cheap neighbourhood, but it doesn't have to stay that way!

And with that, shower time, breakfast and on with the day. Umm Shaker - where are you? I hope the news from DH's back was not bad.

And I thought it would be a quiet night. Nope.

Shad
I'd be glad of any kind of a weight loss. It must be from all that movement in redoing the kitchen.

Mel
((hugs)) Feel better soon.

PW.
Contentment would be nice.

I'm looking forward to my day off tomorrow. I've done a lot of work these past few day's and I'm mentally exhausted. Ugh,forgot that I have a dental appoiintment in the morning. I'm no looking forward to it.

It's supposed to be raining this week end so I'm staying put.

Hello to every one else.:wave:

http://www.ricksteves.com/images/rick/rick_shutters.jpg
LOOK WHO HAS THE ROOM NEXT TO ME....RICK STEVES!!! I JUST LOVE THIS GUY. HE KEPT ME COMPANY ALL DAY TODAY. 6 HOURS OF VHS TAPE!! :rofl: I WILL READ YOUR POSTS, WATCH CLASS REUNION ON RV LAND CHANNEL AND GO TO BED. FEELING MUCH BETTER AFTER ASSORTED DRUGS...KIND OF LIKE A COCKTAIL!:dizzy:
IF ALL GOES WELL, I'LL GO TO THE SUPERMARKET IN THE MORNING. I'LL PROBABLY COMMENT TOMORROW THOUGH. TRYING NOT TO USE THE SHOULDER/BACK/WAIST. SEEMS LIKE ALL 3 ARE INVOLVED WHEN I TYPE. HASTA MANANA!

THE RAIN AND COLD CONTRACTED MY MUSCLES AND PINCHED THE NERVES ON BOTH BUTT CHEEKS! AND THE DR'S OFFICE WAS COLD. SOMETIMES SPRING AND FALL I HAVE THIS OR TOO MUCH WORK ETC. BUT ALL SEEMS TO BE GOING WELL....NOT GONE....BUT BETTER.

MICHELLE~ FREE COACHES:cheer: HOW WONDERFUL!! PUT THEM TO GOOD USE!! :lol3:

CARLA~ LOVE THE AVATAR. TALKING FISH??? :lol3: LOVE THE DIP RECIPE. SHAD WON'T LIKE THE DILL! :cry: THE BIGGEST LOSER AMERICA WAS IN AUSTRALIA AND I LOVED IT LAST NIGHT.

RENNIE~ THE TORTOISE WON THE RACE THOUGH! LOL

RUTH~ HAPPY QUILTING AND WITH THE VISITING RIGHTS DO YOU ALSO HAVE TO PAY MATERIAL SUPPORT EACH MONTH??? :rofl:

CEEJAY~ HAPPY DAY OFF AND GOOD LUCK WITH THE DENTIST!

SHAD~ HAPPY WRECKING!!! ENJOY AND LET THE FRUSTRATIONS GO ALONG WITH THE HAMMER :dance: HOPE THE DB IS DOING BETTER TOO. I AM SUITABLY EDUCATED WITH APRIL FOOLS IN FRANCE !! GOOD LKUCK WITH JAKARTA!!! :hug:

ELLEN~I TOO HAVE TROUBLE COOKING IN SMALL AMOUNTS...COOKING FOR ONE IS A PAIN!!!!

PAINTER~ YOU CRACK ME UP LADY. THANK GOD FOR SENSES OF HUMOR, NO???? :lol3: :lol3: CONTENT AND PORTIONS...THE MAIN CRITERIA FOR GOOD HEALTH!! BUT MOVE THAT BUTT A TAD ALSO!!

OK GALS THAT'S IT. GOING TO WATCH THE NAKED ARCHAEOLOGIST NOW AND GET FURTHER EDUCATED!!!
SWEET DREAMS ALL :cloud9: AND GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE :sunny:

If you ever want to get some serious exercise in at home, try taking up the lino in the kitchen, especially if it has been put in by a crazed carpet layer. I've finally got it up apart from a few bits and pieces where the glue was put on a bit thicker. Now I have to chisel off the white patches in the floor, but I am drenched from head to toe in sweat, my back aches, my legs have had a work out. My butt has been dented and bruised from where the vinyl gave and I fell over backwards and my arms are beginning to resemble the Terminator! I'm so glad I don't have a huge kitchen.

Whew - better go lie down for a while. It hurts to sit. I'll be back = still more work to do yet.

Shad
It is unbelievable how much work it is to remodel. Things that you think are going to be sooooooooooooo easy turn out to be nightmares.

Melody
I hope you feel better. I really have to wonder what kind of videos you watch lol.

HOT OFF THE PRESS

I have the job in Jakarta. It seems that I will be up there around 21st of April for a week and then back here. Now to see if I can fit in the Gemco stuff as well.

Just thought I would let you know.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b118/gunbo1/val1.jpg
Now to break the news to the cat, and then back to plastering.

Hi all,

Quick post for me, big important meeting tomorrow and I should have been in bed 20 minutes ago...

Shad :congrat: on the new assignment. I hope this will be an exciting one for you. You are due a good run. As for the floor, DH and I took up the kitchen floor in our first house. I know exactly where you are coming from - you have my utmost sympathies and deepest admiration. Passing the linament along to you...

I like the new avatar Rennie!

Mel - sorry to hear about your butt cheeks. Who is Rick Steves? Can you love a man who keeps his shirt on? :rofl:

Ick Ceejay - no one likes going to the dentist - even WITH the happy gas. By this time tomorrow it will be all over.

Ruth - seeing as how you are Welcome Wagon for April - we'll give you a fly by pass for the month, ok?

Michelle - happy belated anniversary. :congrat: If you have to delay the celebrating, hope you have fun.

Painter - I know what you mean about the fresh berries. Ummm. Have you tried sliced strawberries with Chocolate Cool Whip? Yum.. and not bad on the calories either - as long we don't eat the whole tub. Some people talked about freezing dollops of cool whip (dessert topping) - like ice cream they say. I don't know - but I'll be the chocolate or strawberry flavors would be good. I didn't like the French Vanilla one and I love vanilla.

Ok, time went off - I really need to get to bed as I have to be very alert and on time tomorrow.

Regrets to those I have missed. Will try to be back Friday or so. Be good or at least have fun being bad :devil:

Flyby again. There have been a few problems on the boards lately - Spammers have too much time on their hands.

I suspect Spring is really sneaking up on us as we are going way up to a torrid 45ºF today! I'm off to town shortly to get my new tires, drop off my 1983 sewing machine at the "spa", do a wee grocery shop and take my WINTER coat to the dry cleaner! I may buy myself some flowers while I'm in town to celebrate the good parts of April.

Shad, I remember taking the lino off the kitchen floor of my next door reno house! Oy! What a job! I finally ended up putting down a new plywood floor.

Mel, I am so sorry about your butt. It's one thing to be sore from "exercise" of a certain type but not from weather changes.

Diyana, listen hard when you meet with the dietician. Remember carb control is really what it's all about.

Happy, the problem we discussed has been resolved permanently! Think MOD Mafia.

Ceejay, too bad your day off has to have a dental appointment. Enjoy what's left of it.

Painter, I love reading your posts. Your humour shines through. You make me want to get back to painting.

I'm sure I missed a lot of folks but hugs to you all and here's a wee greeting from Hershey.

Good morning chicks :cofdate:

Ruth - thanks for your assistance :hug: I am just LOVIN that doggie pic. Sooooo cute. I might even have to "borrow" it for my collection but don't tell the cats :lol:

Sorry I can't stay and have coffee with y'all in the gardens today - I have to get my rear in gear and get into the office early.

Hope everyone has a terrific Thursday on their agenda :grouphug:

Howdie Chickies..............

I am so excited for the weekend to get here. Supposed to be 65 and sunshine!! The ground is too wet to do any planting and such, may clean out my flower bed and get it ready to go.

Feeling pretty good today, pooed my pants yesterday. hahaha. Lap Band has more bad side effects and problems than the Laproscopy surgery. That is why I chose the Lap surgery. Two years of research and getting the nerve up finally got me there. Now I don't know why I ever waited to do it.

DS & DD are in good spirits and trying to recover from there funk.

Work has been h*ll and has worn me out this week.

Hello to everyone, hope everyone is doing great.

Love and Hugs

Good morning ladies -

Meeting with the dietician went very well. I showed her my log of what I've been eating. She said I'm doing very well and making good choices and balancing my carbs, proteins, veggies, fruits and dairy. She wants me to have no more than 12 to 13 servings of carbs per day, and she says it looks like I'm doing 14 servings now...so a very minor tweak. She wants me to learn to be more flexible and to allow myself to indulge in a very portion controlled treat once in a while, and then check my blood sugar afterward to see how it affects me. I could go on and on about what I learned but not enough time. After meeting with the dietician, I went to the gym and tried doing the elliptical for the first time in over 2 years (since I hurt my back), and I was able to do 30 minutes! Then I did 30 more minutes of cardio using my usual recumbent machine.

Ruth - Glad to hear that spring is starting for you! It is here too! Good for you for going through your fabric collection and cleaning your sewing room! Got a laugh out of visitation rights for your fabrics! Thanks for the advice on the carbs - that's what the dietician said too!

Shad - Congratulations on getting the Jakarta job. Will you have access to the internet from your hotel in Jakarta so you can still post? I don't know if I could go two weeks at a time without your wit and wisdom! Congrats also on the weight loss!! And I'm sure you got workout enough doing the remodeling, but please don't hurt yourself!

Ceejay - Hope your dental appt. goes well and that you enjoy the rest of your day off.

Mel - I hope you're feeling a bit better today! Hang in there! I'm not familiar with Rick Steves, but he looks like a nice guy to have in the next room!

Happy - I hope your meeting goes well today!

A big :wave: to everyone!

Big Hugs :hug: and Terrific Thursday wishes to all!

I FORGOT TO SAY THAT RICK STEVES IS THE GUY WHO HAS A TRAVEL SHOW ON PBS TELEVISION. I TAPED A LOT OF HIS SHOWS AND WHEN I DON'T FEEL GOOD, I PUT THEM ON. YOU CAN FALL ASLEEP AND NOT MISS ANYTHING :rofl: AND HE IS SOFT SPOKEN SO YOU CAN JUST MELLOW OUT OR SNOOZE AWAY! :cloud9:
A FRIEND SHOWED ME THE ERROR OF MY WAYS THIS MORNING. PUSHING A SHOPPING CART ONE HANDED AND STEERING IT WITH MY FOOT WOULD JUST BE STARTING THIS WHOLE THING ALL OVER AGAIN. I HAVE SINCE GIVEN HIM MY BANK DEPOSIT AND MY SHOPPING LIST TO JEN. WILL GET SOME SUN AND FUN OUTSIDE LATER ON WHEN/IF IT WARMS UP AND THE WIND EVER LEAVES!!!! :tantrum: BIG STORM HEADED OUR WAY BUT SHOULD BE OVER SOMETIME SATURDAY MORNING.

HAPPY~ SENDING HUGS FOR THE MEETING AND THE BUSY DAY:hug: STAY STRONG MY FRIEND...THE WEEKEND IS SOON UPON US! :beach: I WILL SHARE A LITTLE SECRET...WHEN LIFE GETS IN THE WAY OF PC LIFE, I JUST START AGAIN AND LET THE PAST CORRESPONDENCE GO. LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO KEEP TRYING TO CATCH UP. BETTER TO BEGIN AGAIN AND NOT LOOK BACK. CAUSES TOO MUCH ANXIETY!! GOD KNOWS WE HAVE ENOUGH OF THAT ALREADY :rofl: :rofl:

SHAD~ :yikes: HOPE YOUR BACK IS OK. DON'T DO ANYTHING THAT CAN JEOPARDIZE THE JAKARTA JOB!! :rollpin: POOR SUNDAY!! POOR SON!!! HOWEVER WILL THEY LIVE WITHOUT YOU AGAIN...AND ALL THE DUST...AND NOISE...AND SORTING!! :dunno:
I LOVED THE GRAPHIC!! YOU ARE LOVED AS WELL :love:
FEEL BETTER! :hug:

RENNIE~ I WATCH CHARLIE CHAN, NANCY DREW(BLACK & WITHE OLD MOVIES) AND LOTS OF OLD ROMANCE AND NEW ROMANCE. NO BLOOD OR VIOLENCE FOR THIS FATCHICK! :lol3:

MICHELLE~ WOW!! ALL GREAT NEWS. DON'T YOU LOVE WHEN YOU CAN FIND A MEDICAL-TYPE PERSON AND CAN LEARN SO MUCH? I DEAL WITH A LOT OF RECENT GRADS OUT AT THE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. MOST ALL I HAVE LEARNED HAS BEEN FROM EITHER THEM OR THE COMPUTER :rofl: I AM GLAD THE VISIT WENT SO WELL AND THE EXERCISE WAS WONDERFUL!! JUST DON'T OVERDO AND HURT THAT BACK!!!

RUTH~ TAKE GOOD CARE OF THE NEWBIES!! IT MUST BE A FULL TIME JOB!! I REMEMBER VERY WELL MY OWN BEGINNINGS! MAYBE YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE ENCOURAGED ME!!! :rofl: MAKE SOME 'RUTH" TIME IN THERE FOR YOURSELF TOO!!! LOVE THE DOGGIE AND SAVED HIM TO MY PC!

ANNIE~ I THOUGHT OF YOU YESTERDAY WHEN I DECIDED TO POO ON THE TOILET SEAT AND THEN SAT ON IT!!!! :rofl: :rofl: AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE LAP SURGERY AS AN EXCUSE !!! GLAD THE KIDS ARE WORKING THRU THE TOUGH TIME. KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED AND SENDING GOOD HEALING THOUGHTS THEIR WAY...HUGS FOR MOM AS WELL :hug: I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS WEEKEND TOO :beach:

Ladies! Wow what a few days it has been. My sis came over yesterday and as she was leaving she fell and twisted her ankle very badly. She is doing better today, but I had to pick her up and drop her off at school, as it is ver uncomfortable to drive. Since I won't make it to the gym I have been doing some outdoor work, as it is in the 50"s and very nice. We are having a quick lunch then off to the park for a little while so DD1 can play witha friend. will try to hop in tonight to post indies!!! Have a lovely day!

Upswife
Sorry to hear about your sister. Hope she gets well soon. Hope everyone has a wonderful time outside. The day looks like it is going to be nice. Not quite so warm here as it is for you.


Melody
I love horror. Not slasher but horror. Oh my gosh Christopher Lee can come suck on my neck any day of the week lol. I love the old movies remember Mr. Belvedere with Clifton Webb. The remarkable Mr Pennypacker is one of my favorites and the ma and pa kettles still make me laugh. I don't watch much tv but I have a great collection of the old movies and older tv shows. Sometimes it is to darn hard to play catch up. We just pick up and go on. You take care of yourself and try not to do to much. There is always tomorrow to do things.

di
The dietitian can just make or break your day lol. I told you, always have some kind of snack. This isn't about doing without. This is about eating a healthy balanced diet and making sure we get the things we love.

Morning all,
Had a lazy morning this morning. Had to get up and get the DS2 out of bed. He is a right horror with hours and things (I think there is a new lady friend on the horizon but don't tell him I said that) and he slept in. Then I went back to bed and read for a while. Sunday the cat got me up because she needed to go outside.
I have a whole raft of things to consider with the new job and overnight have had a massive email from the 'boss' with dates and instructions and things. One thing he hasn't mentioned and I'd better check it today is whether I need to apply for a working visa and does it make any difference that I am travelling on an NZ passport. All these things take time and I only have two weeks before the first trip.
The DS2 has put in his resignation from the job. I'm actually quite pleased about this believe it or not. It is a dangerous and dirty job he has, and I personally don't think any safety improvements have been made since DS2 had his accident at Christmas and that poor man died just before New Year. So he is considering his options at the moment. There is a mountain of work around at the moment, he won't be stuck for long. He wouldn't have been even if there wasn't much work around. He is a good worker and is constantly being offered jobs by people. I just want him to do his Pre-voc course and get into an electrical apprenticeship because I think that he will regret the lost opportunity later in life. But there is no use pushing this child, he will just go the other way, so generally I try reverse psychology first and often it works. And maybe this is because yesterday he asked me to check on pre-voc courses. :woohoo:

Rennie - snacking is good, apparently it levels out the blood sugars. I usually have yoghurt or fruit on hand or sometimes rice crackers and tomato.

Ellen - hope your sister is okay.

Mel - He looks not too bad at all. And if he is into travel, then I am all for him being at the villa. Take it easy with that back. I'm only going to be away for 2 weeks at a time so don't fret the son or Sunday. They will have me back one week in three - although I might be fairly dopey on the first day.

Michelle - Good going on the dietician and also that infernal elliptical. 30 minutes WOW :woohoo: YGG. I manage 16 minutes on a level 10 and the legs are just about jelly when I get off.
I will have internet access on my laptop which the new boss is now organising for me. I have to hit the ground running with this job. So you will hear from me. All the moans and groans, all the whinging about the job. Ask Happy, she always gets to sympathise with me about my projects and contracts. There have been some bad ones in the recent past. And no, I couldn't go without the support of my friends in my computer. They keep me sane.
First up on the new job will be the Training Needs Analysis. Something I did years back and am not at all sure whether I'll remember how to do it again, but I guess it will all come roaring back - and it is not as if I have a huge clientiele to deal with this time round. I think there are less than 50 employees who will work on the project. Nothing like the 1600 I had to sort out last time.

Annie - Glad to hear the kids are doing okay. I guess in time the colonic involuntary interaction will settle - yes? If not, do you have to drag a complete change of wardrobe around with you or can you sort of anticipate the 'bad' times?

Happy - nice of you to drop in when you had to be out and about early this morning. I didn't think we would hear from you until tonight. Hope the meeting goes okay.

Ruth - Thank Hershey for the morning greetings. Cute pic. What is this Welcome Wagon anyway? I've seen it on other mods posts and no doubt it has been explained, but I rarely have the time to trawl through the wealth of information on this site. Instead I have to specifically go looking for what I want otherwise I could be here all day. :spammer: Gotta love that smiley - it says it all. I was checking out my address book the other day getting rid of some I hadn't heard from in years and discovered that my blocked senders list is twice as long as my 'I love my friends' list. Do wish someone in Canada would get the idea that I don't buy medicines over the net much less from the Canadian cheap drugs store. I wouldn't mind getting my grubby mitts on the person who supplied them with the mailing list!!!!!

Okay - better get off and take out my frustrations and misfortunes on the tiled splashback in the kitchen. Deconstruction continues. But after this it is a matter of removing the floor cabinets and sanding, sealing and painting. :woohoo: But of course, nothing but nothing goes according to plan in this house. So I should get on with it, assume the worst and maybe :lol3: be pleasantly surprised! :rofl: :lol3: :rofl: :lol3: :rofl: :lol3: :rofl: :lol3: :rofl: :lol3: :rofl: :lol3: :rofl: :lol3: I should be so lucky.

Shad
There really is nothing we can do but support them. My son is stuck on going into the navy. We keep getting the run around because of all his meads. He is asking again about college which is a good thing. We are going next week to ask some questions and see how college might go for him. I do know they have to follow his ipe so that is a good thing.

What a talkative bunch of chicks!

It's been a stormy day in the midsouth. My dentist appointment went okay. He gave me a script for pain meds which I had filled but don't think I'll have to use them. The sight is a little sore where he's worked.

Not much else is going on.

More later.

Cee
Oh i hate the dentist. I am sure she works for the devil lol she is a very good dentist but still lol. I sure hope you are feeling better soon.

Good morning chicks,

Just running in to say hello. Heavy storms all through the night messed up my sleep. Very tired today. I'll try and come by tonight. :wave:

Happy, We had hella storms last night also. Miss Bella couldn't sleep close enough to me. For being such a real b*tch dog, she was a little wimpy last night.

Not much going on this weekend. DS is having a few friends over tonight, never fails...give the house a thorough cleaning and the kids have a card party. Go figure. Got about 4 loads of laundry to do that is about it.

Have a wonderful Friday all.

Love and Hugs

Happy Friday ladies --

I'm taking today off to get caught up on some home stuff, and the day is flying by fast and I haven't accomplished much yet. So, this will be quick! I did 1/2 hour of cardio and 1/2 hour of weights last night, and later today I'll go do 45 minutes or an hour of cardio. Tomorrow, my coach is teaching a weight class, so I'll likely go to that. He teaches the weights class on Thursday nights too and I really enjoy it.

Mel - good for you for delegating stuff so you can relax. I hope your back is doing better.

Ellen - So sorry to hear about your sister's injury. That's nice of you to drive her around. Good for you for doing the outdoor work in the nice weather! I hope you enjoyed your time at the park.

Rennie - Thanks for the advice about snacking and making sure we eat healthy and eat foods we like.

Shad - You do have lots to think about with the new job. I hope you get answers to all your questions soon. That's good that your DS2 is leaving his job and looking for something better and safer. It's great that he's going to check into pre-voc courses! As for the elliptical, I did 30 minutes at level 2 - I didn't want to push it too hard with too much resistance right away. You do 16 minutes at Level 10?! That's awesome! You must be incredibly skilled and talented at your profession! You seem to get a lot of offers that you can pick and choose from! Good for you!!

Ceejay - glad the dentist appt went well.

Happy - glad to see you're doing okay. I saw the storms in your area when I turned on the Weather Channel last night. You hang in there.

Annie - I saw your storms too. I'm glad they didn't come up here. Phew!

Anyway, chickies, I've got cleaning to do, errands to run, and a workout later.

I'll try and check in tonight (or it might be tomorrow).

Hugs,

Happy
We had those storms also. At least I got to sleep in a little later. It's still a little dreary with a light rain.

Annie
Just be thankful that you know where the kiddo's are.

Michelle
Good job with the work out.

Shad
wow your new job sounds like they are expecting alot out of one week.
it would be nice if the ds could get a vocational license in do electrician work. There is money in that field. Are you gonna play match maker?

Rennie
Still haven't needed those pain pill's. He was in a very good mood yesterday plus there was a girl doing her clinical's. He and I usually are at the gym at the same time. He asked where I'd been.

Mel
Good for you in not over doing. This is what I really need to tell myself especially when doing my 12 hour shifts.

Just got off the phone with a dell rep. I know enough about the computer to really get myself into trouble. It's amazing how they can tap into ones computer with my permission of course and straighten things out.

Got my nephew's wedding invitation yesterday. It's different but I really like it. This is going to be a very sophisticated. I'm sending my rsvp back today. I'm really getting excited.

My goal is to lose 2 inches from each area of my body by this event.

Afternoon ladies!!!

I love being outside in such nice weather, unfortunately while we were at the park it got cloudy, and windy...felt much cooler. My back was spasming because of the change. :( Trying to feel better and get to the gym this afternoon when DS gets home from school. My hubby's nephew's wedding is tomorrow hoping to have a blast!!! Will try to check back in later tonight or tomorrow morning.

Have a wonderful weekend all!!!

Shad
Isn't it amazing the things we get in our email. We keep blocking them and they seem to find us again lol. One of the things I keep in the car for just in case I forget to take something is South Beach Peanut Butter cookies. They are a bit high in fat and such ( I think 5 grams of fat for two cookies ) but they are filling and keep me going until I get home. Since they are individually packed ( 2 cookies ). They can just be tossed in the glove box or arm rest and left there until I might need them.

I am the only person on my computer. I have a password no one can get into my system. I come to this site. Msn home page, my email sites and a few sites that I play cards on and other games on. I do go to sites to look up information but sure not to the kinds of sites that I get email from. Where on earth do all these people get my email address.

I do not buy drugs on the net. I do NOT need to find out how to make my woman happy lol and I sure don't need my male appendage made bigger ( good heavens they have no idea who they send stuff to ). I do not want a face lift, botox, nor do I want longer stronger nails in 10 days ( my nails are claws now and strong enough ). I do not want another credit card, I don't want want to buy porn, see porn or talk to woman who seem to want to talk to me. Where on earth did they get my email address. I have often wondered if I should send back messages to those woman and ask them to church. I do not want to buy a dell computer or any other computer I build my own, leave me alone. I do not need a credit report, on line education in another state, nor do I want to know my horoscope. I swear some how you get on a list and it gets sold over and over to people and company's you would never have anything do do with.


annie
I am going to do laundry tonight too. Get it done and out of the way. Somehow, my kids will have forgotten " just one piece of clothing " in their rooms and Sunday afternoon I will find their hampers full again lol.


di
I tryed swordfish today. It was ok I guess but for the price it should have prepared itself and then jumped on my fork lol. Think I will stick with wild salmon and wild Tilapia.

Cee
Glad to see you have been able to do without the pain pills. Doesn't it make you feel great when someone notices you haven't been around.

Upswife
It is nice her today but a bit chilly because it rained this morning. Was nice to sit on the porch this morning :) with a cup of tea and watch the world go by. Hope you have a great time.

Ruth
lol so sorry to hear about the snow. I would rather have the snow than the rain rain rain all the time for the next couple of months lol.

Let's get the frassin' weather out of the way!
 

Morning all,

It is not frassin' snowing here, however the natives should be starting to mutter about the cold about now. The temp has 'plummetted' over the past couple of days to early morning temps of around 15 degrees C. That's around 60F to you people. One morning it went down to 12.5. Dire warnings of a long hard winter according to the local population - and of course it is ALWAYS the politicians fault. Soon there won't be any winter clothes left in the whole of Brisbane.

Ruth - you do not hate that country - it is absolutely beautiful and soon enough you will all be complaining about the heat, dust, flies, fleas, midges, bitey things and things that eat the roses!!!! Spring will come, now get on out and clear out the back room or something to take your mind off the weather. Change the snowdrops for something like hibiscus and see if you can entice Spring that way. Plan a cross country snow shoe shuffle and invite Carla (who has disappeared into hibernation again) that's sure to stop the snow and bring on dust storms.

Rennie - At the moment I am getting women from Poland and Russia who are 'coming out to Australia' and NEED a friend, some of them with a view to marriage!!!! Needless to say they are blocked before they even see the light of day. I spoke to a friend in IT one day about this spam and he tells me that the people who send all this rubbish are actually very clever. It seems that they don't even need to be sold mailing lists now, they can trawl across the internet with some very sophiscated programs and people like me who make a lot of noise over the internet (his words not mine) get caught frequently. Basically the only thing I can do is to change my address and that will only work for a while. Well any person in business for themselves will know that doesn't get them any work and think of the expense in business cards!

Upswife - take care of the back and enjoy the wedding.

Ceejay - I am definitely not playing matchmaker :rofl: The kid would run a mile in the opposite direction. Besides which I haven't met her yet - she is a big secret and all I know about her is that she is doing a double degree in Business and something (Commercial law??). This makes a big change for the DS2 as normally he only finds lame ducks or people with baggage (physical and/or emotional) or those out to spend his money. Don't get me wrong, he has brought home some lovely people, but he is inclined to put them on a pedestal and they can't all take the care and loving he wants to give them. I keep telling him he needs someone who can stand up to him and who will work with him and not for him and who will be able to stand on her own two feet and who will push him to his limits as well. Sometimes he listens - but he is only 32! no brains yet.
The new job is exciting - it is going to push my boundaries I can tell you. There are a lot of thoughts swirling around in my head.
When is the nephews wedding?

Michelle - I don't think I ever explained my job, although someone did ask a while back. I do workplace training and development of training materials - mainly on computer programs such as SAP, Peoplesoft and Microsoft. Generally my chosen field is Plant Maintenance or Warehousing logistics (purchasing and inventory stuff) but I have been known to dabble in Finance, Quality Management and transport. I go out to mines and refineries - I've trained in nickel, coal, oil, electricity, fertiliser, manganese, bauxite, aluminium, uranium, gold, diamond and iron ore mines and refineries. I've also done retail, plumbing, government and corporate stuff. This is the first time I have really gone into HR (something that I have previously tried to have little to do with) and payroll. So it will be a fairly steep learning curve for me.
In this industry, you get to know a lot of people in a lot of places. It pays to be reasonably nice to each and every one of them since it is quite likely that in your next job, you will be working for or with some of them again. I've been doing this for 14 years. It seems I have a good reputation for hard work and a willingness to work until the job is done. With this job I did not apply for it, I didn't even know it was happening. It just so happens that the Project Manager on this job was a man I worked alongside (but not with) in a previous job in Townsville. When he was putting his team together some months back, he asked them to put forward names of trainers they had worked with previously who they considered to be good at their job. He tells me that my name was put forward by three people - one of whom had never met me nor worked with me but had heard of my work through various people he had worked with on other projects. So Mike rang me to see if I was available and I am. I just hope I am up to the job and the hype!!!!
Sorry about the long rant there.

Happy - you poor wee thing. Racing around at work again. Hope the meeting went off okay and there was no suggestion of staff cut backs or such?? It is Friday - weekend is here. Hope there is some time for Happy to enjoy herself for a while.

And with that, it is time to move on and get some bits done before my body balance class at 9.30. I got all the splashback tiles off the wall yesterday. Now I have to plaster the holes I just made, sand and clear everything up. Last thing before painting and removing the last of the old cupboards. It will be another busy day. I have a couple of friends to visit this weekend and a fair amount of thinking and planning to do.

Catch you all later.

THERE WAS A PRE-ELECTION SCREW UP GETTING SIGNATURES. WORKED ALL DAY. I MUST SAY THAT I AM GOOD AT WHAT I DO. A LITTLE BRAGGING HERE :dance: IT'S ALL DONE. EVERYONE IS VERY HAPPY. GOT SEVERAL CALLS OF THANKS. TOO BAD THEY DON'T SEND CASH!! :rofl: BUT IT FELT GOOD TO STOP FEELING SORRY FOR MYSELF, TAKE SOME MEDS AND MOVE ON. I GOT A NOTICE AGAIN FROM THE GOVT. I'LL BE GETTING ANOTHER CHECK FOR AROUND $300 (HOPEFULLY) AND COUPLED WITH THE INCOME TAX $$ I SHOULD BE ALMOST DEBT FREE. I TOLD JEN THAT I WILL HELP HER THIS SUMMER FINISH OFF HER DEBTS AND THEN SHE IS ON HER OWN. WITH A LITTLE BIT OF LUCK, WE HAVE LEARNED OUR LESSON AND THIS WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN ANY TIME SOON. I HAVE SCRIMPED AND SAVED TO GET US BOTH TO THIS POINT AND GOTTA TELL YOU LADIES...I AM FEELING MIGHTY PROUD. :encore:

WILL WRITE AND READ TOMORROW. A LITTLE BIT OVER TIRED RIGHT NOW. SEE YA IN THE MORNING. :hug:

ELLEN~ SO SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR SISTER'S ANKLE. LIFE JUST HAS WAY TOO MANY SURPRISES FOR MY LIKING!!! HOPE SHE FEELS BETTER SOON.

RENNIE~ LOVE CLIFTON WEBB IN ALMOST ALL HIS MOVIES. I BOUGHT A SET OF DEANNA DURBIN MOVIES. THE SENIORS WANT A DVD PLAYER NOW SO THEY CAN SEE THEM TOO!! :rofl:

SHAD~ ARE YOU GETTING EXCITED YET FOR THE NEW TRIP? I AM !!!!! :dance: GLAD THE DS IS LOOKING ELSEWHERE AND KEEPING FINGERS CROSSED ABOUT THE VOC!!! :cheer2: ASK RUTH TO SEND SOME SNOW AND YOU CAN HAVE A WHITE BIRTHDAY THIS MONTH!! :brr:

HAPPY~ WANT A WHITE BIRTHDAY THIS MONTH TOO? WE CAN GO VISIT SHAD....BRING THE LONG JOHNS!!!

CEEJAY~ I WAS THINKING OF YOU ALL LAST NITHG. WE WATCHED THE STORMS AND THE DAMAGE DONE TO YOUR STATE. TORNADOES ARE POPPING OUT OF NO WHERE AND GOING CRAZY. STAY SAFE MY SOUTHERN FRIEND!
THE INVITE TO THE WEDDING SOUNDS LIKE GREAT MOTIVATION! FOR A MANY YEARS NOW, AT WORK WE HAVE" PC ANYWHERE" WHICH ALLOWS THE PC REPAIRMEN TO GO INTO OUR PUTERS AND DO THE SAME THING. NOW EVERYONE HAS IT!! GREAT HUH?

ANNIE~ STORMS AND A CARD PARTY! YIKES!! I AM SENDING MY WASH OUT STRAIGHT AWAY...SHOULD LAND IN YOUR WASHER ANY DAY NOW:lol3:

MICHELLE~ YOU REALLY ARE AN INSPIRATION. HOPE YOU'RE GIVING YOURSELF LITTLE PATS ON THE BACK. YOU HAVE REALLY TAKEN CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE!! I AM HOPING YOUR DEDICATION RUBS OFF ON ME TOO!!!

:write: OK, I AM ALL CAUGHT UP. TIME FOR A CHAT BUT I ALREADY DID THAT in LAST NIGHT'S POST! :rofl:
JEN AND RICHI WILL BE BABYSITTING THE FIL'S HOUSE AND DOG WHILE HE VISITS THE FAMILY IN FLORIDA.
THE FAMILY IS STILL IN THE GRIEVING/CALM MODE SO NO DRAMA TO REPORT AS YET....THANK THE LORD.
HAD A GOOD CHAT WITH MY FRIEND HERE LAST NIGHT. WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE, WE MAY TALK ABOUT EACH OTHER BUT STILL HAVE EACH OTHER'S BACK AND HAVE KEPT OUR SENSES OF HUMOR. :lol3: ONE OF THE GIRLS WAS OUT. I WORRY ABOUT HER. SHE HAD THE SERIOUS SURGERY FOR WEIGHTLOSS..I FORGET THE NAME OF IT...AND SHE IS UNHAPPY HERE. I KNOW THE FEELING AND WISH SHE COULD FIND A HAPPIER JOB LIKE MY YOUNG FRIEND DID LAST YEAR. SHE WAS ON MY MIND YESTERDAY. ANYWAY.....THOUGHT I SAID I HAD NOTHING TO SAY??? :lol3: :lol3:
HAPPY SATURDAY/SUNDAY!!!
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! :moped:

DR. DOUG'S APRIL NEWSLETTER:

Last week I was fortunate enough to be in Vancouver for a few days. The morning after my arrival, I went out for a jog across from Stanley Park. Without a doubt it was one of the most enjoyable runs I've had in a long time. The reason: I was outside. Although a lot of you had told me how much you were nibbling at night, and how little exercise you were doing, I hadn't realized myself how little time I had spent outdoors this long winter. Just being outside, with good footing, wearing light clothes and getting fresh air was invigorating. So, if you've been off-track with eating or exercise, don't be discouraged. As the snow melts, I know everyone will have more energy and more focus. In the meantime, review your goals. If you are struggling with your eating, you may have lost sight of why you want to lose weight.

When you are feeling stalled, (and I'm sure a lot of us are feeling that way right now), it's important to review your goals. Don't give up; start making a list of the important reasons for you to lose weight.

Health may be a major factor. Remember that increased abdominal girth is associated with diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, hypertension and maybe even dementia. So, you might say to yourself that you want to lose 2 inches off your waist as a start.

Being in control of your eating is a positive thing. So many people spend a lot of negative energy remembering only all of the "bad food choices" they have made. When you are eating good quality food in reasonable portions you will feel mentally and physically better. Focus only of doing a good job today; don't worry about the long term and don't reflect on past failures. Just know that if you eat well today you will go to bed feeling proud of your eating accomplishments.

Being fit can be a very important goal. This means different things to different people. Maybe you just want to be able to walk upstairs and not feel breathless. You may want to lose weight to decrease the aches and pains in your joints and muscles. Perhaps you've always wondered if you could walk or jog 5 or 10 km; it IS possible. Doing regular physical activity is a great stress reliever. Even if you feel tired at the end of a day, a short walk or a trip to the gym will heighten your energy and you'll be less likely to over-eat.

A lot of us want to lose weight to gain self-respect and confidence. It's true that as we lose weight, fit into smaller clothes and tone up we feel great. This is a very important. However, we can't expect to lose weight continually and we shouldn't beat ourselves up for every indiscretion. Losing weight is a marathon; not a sprint. At the end, however, you will feel amazing.

So, get ready for spring with a powerful mindset and a re-affirmation of why you want to lose weight. This is a mental game, and it takes daily work, but the benefits are huge, so keep working at it.
Don't ever give up. You can do it.

Dr. Doug

Morning chicks,

I was browsing away here when DH announced that if we're going to the Humane Society today, it would be better for him if we left in 30 minutes so he could spend the afternoon on other chores.

So, I'm off and running again. No time to post. Sorry. :o

Happy Saturday!

just popping in to say hello--Going to go grocery shopping in a few minutes.
Hello to everyone.

Have a wonderful weekend ladies!!! The weather here is nice so DH decided to do some yard work b4 the wedding (so sorry Ruth) so I have to get moving...will try to catch up tomorrow.

luv and hugs!!!