di
If I find a woman that loves lunges I am going to shoot her in a but with a pea shooter lol. Lunges are the hardest things in the world for me lol.

We live out in the country. You can only shoot so close to peoples houses but my back back yard butts up against someone Else's woods and they bow hunt over there. One year they got a deer and it ended up in my yard lol. They had to come and ask me if they could get it ( that is the law ) I said sure as long as I get a deer steak out of it and laughed. The man brought me two of the sweetest deer steaks I have ever had . The neighbors that are against that part of my yard ( 3 of them but only 1 complained and she just moved out here a couple of years ago ) really complain that I don't mow that part that is at the end of their back yard. The woman told me I should mow it down and get rid of the brush and brambles. I said oh and when I do that are you going to tell those people to clean the dead wood out of their woods. You won't believe this. She said YES, it would look nicer if they got rid of the dead trees laying on the ground and maybe raked up some of the leaves lol. To bad, all the animals live back there. As more and more woods are being cut down it is my little haven for the rabbits and so forth. Man you don't want to live by woods and brush and such, don't come live out in the country lol. When we became a city instead of just a township I went to the zoning board and asked it it had to be mowed down. They said no way and laughed. Only the yards that face a street have to me mowed and maintained. The guy laughed and said from the day we became a city there were people calling in wanting people to do just what that woman told me she wanted me to do. They were told to go back and live in the city with sidewalks instead of the country with cows and woods lol.

Happy
As I walked down the stairs this morning I knew I was a bit, shall we say, sore lol. I didn't know how much until I did my first workout of the day and started to do kick backs. Oh my gosh it just about took my breath away with the first kick. I didn't expect it to hurt like that lol. Every time old Leslie said doesn't that feel good I wanted to shoot her in the butt with a pea shooter lol. They don't feel any better now than they did before the workout but I still have two more workouts to do today so I am sure they will after that. I usually do one of those workouts a day that has the lunges in it not both of them in one day. Bet I don't do that again lol. Oh the riding lawn mower. My kids laugh because if I don't pay attention I am just about doing wheelies on ours when I go back to empty the baggers lol. When you are use to mowing in 2 or 3 you don't realize how fast 6 is going to take off lol.

Oh my gosh, I must have started to post earlier. I looked at my task bar and had two different pages of posts going lol.

Morning all,

Coffee is brewing, so you can all come on down now if you want some.

Happy - I hear you on the slowness of this site. I've had extra memory stuck in this machine and now have the 'fastest internet' service in the west (if you believe advertising) and I still have some problems from time to time with accessing this and other sites. I'm convinced it is not me. Yesterday I was working away very happily when I lost all access to the work site and couldn't get it back - so a short day yesterday and I will have to make up for it today or tomorrow.
We understand that you are really flat tack at the moment. Just pop in when possible - one liners to let us know it's you - and get on with enjoying having Mum around.
I can sympathise with the DH's shopping remark. I've said for a while now that with my Superannuation and the lack of profit on any stock that I own - only the house value is going up and I have to have somewhere to live - that I can retire at 70 and have to be dead by 74. That gives me 15 more years - so I had better get on with it.
Yikes - the gyms there have business hours??? Majority of ours are open 5.30am to 9pm. Saturdays are 8.00 to 4.00 and Sundays 8.00 to 1.00. In my one, you could fire cannons around the joint between 9.00 and 3.00pm and that's when they put on a whole heap of interesting classes. They are presently doing a 6 week trial of Pilates - time 9.30am Friday. Now I ask you.

Annie - do you have a website over there that brings together old school friends or workplace friends. We have one in NZ called Old Friends.co.nz and you can go register there and catch up with the doings of all your old buddies. That means you can approach anyone through the internet. If all you get is silence back, then they are not interested in maintaining contact. I've met up with and chat to a couple of 'old loves' through there and I have to say that one who was a real hunk in the 'old days' now more resembles an old hulk. Sad what time does to some.
Enjoy the mental health day.

Michelle - You mean you enjoy the gym???? Geez I wouldn't mind a serene one. I really don't like the music they pump out at my gym. It's good to get new instructors once in a while because it means different movements which can only be good and confuse the body into doing the right things. My body balance class trainer is still the same one for the next couple of weeks anyway before she moves back to Sydney to go back to Uni and do another degree. Who knows who they will get then. It's not a big class generally but grows from time to time and is mostly women and it seems that the Saturday class is the one that most often gets cancelled or shifted around when they want to do training for instructors. It becomes really annoying and is one reason why it is always a small class. People just don't like being bumped off the gym studio so that some others can sit in there and chat. Wonder if they would do it if it was a male dominated boxing class?? The other reason I am quitting this gym this year is that the personal trainers have an area of their own for their clients. It has just about everything that we do out in the main gym, we are asked to respect their right to the equipment and that's fair enough and I do. However when they ignore that bit of the gym and start bringing their clients into the main gym and they sit on the equipment I want to use and talk about the thing next to it, then I get a bit grumpy. It's hard enough to find the time to go, much less having to wait to use the equipment.

Almost time to go to work. I'd better get on with it. More later if I get time.

I apologise if we have had any of these before, but I've sort of lost track abit and don't have time to go back to see if I have put them up earlier. These dogs are having a great time with water. At least I think they are.



Or is this one having a problem after a hard night?

Just weighed myself. I am so tired of this up and down, up and down. Seems like everytime I get into a good place something happens to the brain or the body that says hang on to the water/ fat/ whatever.

It's impossible to put on 1.4kg in 2 days. This has to be water.

*sigh* its back to boot camp for me.

Shad
Looks like that black lab had a long hard night on the town lol.

I GLANCED THRU THE POSTS AND HAD SOME LAUGHS. JEN AND RICHIE ARE ENJOYING THE PERKS OF A VERY GUILTY MAN AND THE GF DOESN'T LIKE IT ONE BIT THAT JEN RATES HIGHER THAN SHE DOES I'LL SEE THEM ON MOTHER'S DAY.
MARIE IS IN NYC TONITE AND WILL BE IN AND OUT AND SEEING OTHER FRIENDS. THEN SPENDING A NIGHT IN NYC WITH ANOTHER FRIEND. SHE LOOKS WORSE FOR THE WEAR AND IS NOT STICKING TO HER DIABETIC DIET....IF SHE EVER HAD ONE! WE HAD A LONG CHAT, SHE ACTUALLY TOOK NOTES AND I HOPE TO GET HER TO SEE THE LIGHT BEFORE SHE LEAVES. LOOKING VERY MUCH OLDER THAN HER 57 YEARS. EVERYONE THOUGHT SHE WAS MUCH OLDER THAN ME! SHE IS EXHAUSTED FROM ALL HER TRAVELS THIS TIME AND FAR TO MANY COUNTRIES.....INDIA, TURKEY, SPAIN, FRANCE, ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND NOW HERE. I THINK I REMEMBERED THEM ALL.
ANYWAY......SEEING HER MADE ME FEEL POSITIVELY HEALTHY!!!!!!!!! HOPE THAT DOESN'T SOUND MEAN BUT SOMETIMES I FEEL SORRY FOR MY SELF A LITTLE BIT AND NEED A WAKE UP CALL.
SENDING LOVE TO YOU ALL. I WILL READ AND CATCH UP OVER THE WEEKEND. SHE WILL BE GONE A LOT OR MIGHT EVEN SLEEP OVER THERE. WAITING TO SEE. LOVELY VISIT BUT I AM TIRED. HOT SHOWER, FLANNEL JAMMIES, MY A/C IS ALREADY ON AND SOME TV. MAYBE A MONARCH OF THE GLEN TAPE!!!
HAVE A GREAT NIGHT/MORNING

Mel
I know exactly what you mean about seeing friends and making you feel healthy. That's the way I felt when I saw my cousins awhile back.

Had a full day in Jonesboro, AR. today. Mammeogram at 1 p.m. and poke and prod at 2.40 p.m. I spent some time in Barnes and Knoble, my favorite book store. I did buy the Thyroid Diet book to add to my other collections of diet books. I didn't eat anything because I wanted to see if the doctor's scales matched. No such luck, the fluid retention had already begun.

Came home and mowed the lawn. It took me an hour to mow this time cause it was cooler. I said I was not going to count this as exercise minutes but I'm changing my mind. I didn't see any snakes.

After this I went to Sears and had them to put on a new battery on the RAV4This battery was the original one and I was getting a little skiddish about it. It could take out at any time and with a trip to Springfield Mo next week end I wanted to play it safe. I'm really getting excited about the trip.

My stimulus check was in the bank this morning. Yipee.

It's finally Friday! Yippee!!

I walked into the gym last night for my 1/2 hour weights class and 1/2 hour dance class and said to the receptionist and instructor, "Okay, I'm here for my daily endorphin fix!" They got a kick out of that, and the instructor asked me after the classes if I got a good enough "fix". I'm going to take MIL to the nursery today after work and get some plants and then tomorrow is going to be spent outside - DH getting our small fishing boat ready for fishing this spring/summer and I'll be working in the garden. Sunday it's supposed to rain, so I'm not sure what we'll be able to do with MIL.

Rennie - you cracked me up when you said you'd take a pea shooter to any woman that loves lunges. I think they are hard for everyone. And I'll bet Leslie's glad that she's on the TV and safe from your pea shooter

Shad - Isn't it crazy when gyms offer classes during the day when no one is there? Some of the daytime classes where I go are geered toward seniors, but still. And yes, I do really, really enjoy my gym. They have music during the classes, but the rest of the gym is quiet, you can bring your own MP3 with headphones or watch the several gym TVs (listening to the audio on various radio stations - again, with headphones). All you hear is the sound of the ellipticals and treadmills and occasional weights. It's really nice. Some trainers are really...self-absorbed for lack of a better world. They don't see anything outside of them and their client. It was that way at the gym I used to belong to, not at this one though. Thank goodness. Great doggie photos (and captions)! Thanks for the great laugh! As for your weight gain, it's gotta be water. You're working hard and doing the right things. It'll come off soon.

Mel - I hope you can get Marie to see the light. Changing diet/lifestyle isn't easy, but it is the best thing a person with diabetes can do. Her travels really do sound exciting and exhausting at the same time. And maybe it's hard to make healthier choices when you travel so much. Hopefully she can come around. In the meantime, I understand what you mean that seeing where someone else is at can make you realize how far you've come in your health journey.

CeeJay - Phew that you didn't see any snakes while mowing. And I do think an hour of mowing definitely counts as exercise minutes. Congrats on getting the stimulus check! Ours hasn't shown up yet, but hopefully soon.

I hope everyone has a fabulous and fit Friday and a Wonderful Start to Mother's Day Weekend!

Good morning ladies,

Weekend here at last - well at least after getting through the work day. This is the last weekend before vacation - how'd it get here so fast - and there is SO much to do. Just have to stay focused on the tasks at hand...

Shad, I'll take a cup of that coffee, thank you kindly. It certainly does bring up a dilema in retirement planning that we have to at least consider living to a ripe old age - maybe 20 or more years and you have to make sure the money will last. Biggest worry for me is being feeble and put into a state home to rot away. Sounds like it's high time to find a new gym. I totally agree with you - no different from the trainers "hogging" the equipment than the gymrats - except the trainers should know better. My trainer would stand right next to me, stare into my face the whole time and "urge" me to go faster, longer, just a bit more I hope that you can find a new place more accomodating. They seem to be all over the place. Loved the pic of the black lab - reminded me of the late 70's early 80's And try not to get too frustrated with the scale - I find the same thing myself - even more frustrating when you read about these people who say "the pounds just fell off..." Maybe you should just put the scale in a closet and focus on your healthy habits. You can tell by the clothing if you're tightening and toning the way you want to.

Rennie - hope you've stretched out. Good one with the pea shooter when you're feeling that way I'm sure her uber cheeriness is all the more cheesy. But lots of water and stretching is the only cure for achy muscles. That and a nice jacuzzi...

Mel - guess Marie is an example of that saying - "if you can't be a good example, then serve as a horrible warning". Maybe not that extreme but you get the picture - shows the difference that taking care of yourself makes. I'm glad you were feeling a bit better about yourself, everyone needs one of those now and then. I was feeling kind of good and then I was reading a magazine at the beauty shop yesterday and saw that Rene Russo is my age -- can you make the wah wah wah sound of the balloon being deflated? Anyway hope you had a nice, quiet evening. Isn't it getting too warm for flannel pjs?

Ceejay - lawn mowing ALWAYS counts as exercise - even if you're using a power mower. Yard work is a serious work out, that is unless you're just standing there limply holding a hose and watering the flowers

Michelle - that's a huge difference between the Y's. Is one a YMCA and the other a YWCA by any chance? Do they still differentiate between them in this day and age? We had a YMCA down the street up in Chicago. It was a nice one, just catered to alot of families so you had to tolerate a bunch of kids running wild there. And forget trying to use the pool. But the rates were very good.

Ok, I have to get going. Not only behind on home things but work as well and being out for a week will put me behind even further. I really should go in early but my head just can't wake up at 5:30. Have a good one chicks, hello to the rest of the crew

I JUST CANNOT GET THE NEXT PAGE TO LOAD. GUESS THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO OUR NEXT PAGE IS POST A REPLY HERE....LET ME TRY THIS......

HAPPY~ I HAD THE A/C ON ALREADY SO THE FLANNELS WERE A GOOD CHOICE I ALMOST CRIED WHEN I READ YOUR FLOWER EATING DOG STORY I CANNOT BELIEVE IT i HEAR YA ON THE DEFLATED BALLOON RENEE STORY TOO....BUT IF WE HAD ALL THAT MONEY MAYBE WE WOULD LOOK BETTER!!

MICHELLE~ I USED YOU AS A GOOD EXAMPLE AND OF COURSE LEFT OUT THE STRAWBERRY SUNDAE CONFESSION I ALSO TALKED ABOUT ALL YOUR EXERCISE. THE RIDING LAWNMOWER RACE I HAVE HEARD ABOUT BUT I AM WONDERING IF YOUR DH COULD SUPERCHARGE ONE OF MY CHAIRS

ANNIE~ I HAVE BEEN USING MIRALAX ON AND OFF FOR A FEW YEARS NOW. IT WAS PRESCRIBED AT THE TIME. CAN I ASK WHAT TIME OF DAY/NIGHT YOU TAKE IT? I'M STILL TRYING TO FIND A GOOD COMBO TO MOVE THINGS ALONG I WOULD APRECIATE ANY INFO.
WHAT IS THE LATEST ON THE OLD BOYFRIEND PHONE CALL????

SHAD~ YOU REALLY HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD WITH RICHIE'S DAD. HE SEES HE IS MORTAL AFTER ALL.....BUT HOW LONG WILL THAT LAST???
GLAD THE IT MAN VISIT WAS MUTUALLY PRODUCTIVE AND YOU HAVE SPEED OF LIGHT CONNECTION AND THE FASTEST DRAW IN THE EAST!!

CARLA~ LOTS OF PEOPLE THINKING OF YOU AND SENDING GOOD THOUGHTS YOUR WAY

CEEJAY~ WOW!!! 5 LBS!!!! LOVE THE SB DIET!!! A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU!! I AM GLAD THE DR VISIT WENT WELL. I LOVE NEW BOOKS. THEY GIVE ME SUNC MOTIVATION! I ALSO SECRETLY LOVE THEIR NEW SMELL! I COULD SPEND HOURS IN B& N BOOKSTORE. I LOVE THEM AND BORDERS. GLAD YOU HAD SOME TIME OUT TO BROWSE AND SHOP!

RENNIE~ I AM HAVING SIMILAR CHANGES IN MY SLEEP. JUST CANNOT GET ENOUGH HOURS IN A ROW TOGETHER. WITHOUT THEM I AM "LOST". WONDER IF IT'S THE CHANGE IN SEASONS. OR LACK THEREOF. IT'S HOT THEN COLD THEN HOT. WISH MOTHER NATURE COULD MAKE UP HER MIND. MY DD IS HAVING THE SAME PROBS.

HOLLY~ GOOD LUCK WITH THE NEW CHANGES AND ALSO THE SUSPICIOUSLY NEW HAPPY MAN THAT INHABITS THE OLD DH'S BODY!

MARIE CAME BACK LAST NIGHT AS SHE COULD NOT FIND HER FRIEND. WE HAD ANOTHER LONG TALK JUST ABOUT HEALTH. DR MEL'S DIAGNOSIS IS SHE HAS BEEN AWAY FROM HOME TOO LONG, EATEN ALL THE WRONG FOODS, DROWNING HERSELF IN DIET COKE, AND IS GENERALLY TRYING TO KILL HERSELF WITH DENIAL
OF COURSE I WAS MUCH MORE POLITIC ABOUT IT WHEN WE SPOKE AFTER OUR DISCUSSION, SHE CALLED A FEW PEOPLE AND CANCELLED VISITS UNLESS THEY ARE IN A GROUP. THEY AGREED TO ONE NIGHT OUT.
I ALSO ENLISTED THE HELP OF A MUTUAL FRIEND. MARIE REALLY NEEDED A GOOD LIE IN AND IS DOING THAT THIS MORNING AT AT THE OTHER FRIEND'S HOUSE. WHEN SHE HAS SOME REST WE WILL VISIT AND SPEAK AGAIN. SHE HAS CONFIDED THAT HER DRS ARE ABOUT FED UP WITH HER. SO WE'LL SEE IF SHE LEARNS ANYTHING ABOUT HERSELF ON THIS YEAR'S QUEST. WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT. THE CRUX OF THE MATTER IS VULNERABILITY AND THE RECOGNITION THEREOF. HOW WELL I KNOW THE FEELING AND I WAS VERY HONEST WITH HER WITHOUT BEING DEPRESSING BUT NOW I AM TIRED TOO!
THE OFFICE IS EXTREMELY SHORT-HANDED TODAY BUT I CALLED IN SICK......ROFLMAO
JOHN WILL CALL, LIKE I ASKED, ONLY IF THERE IS "FIRE OR FLOOD"....

HAPPY FRIDAY AND THANK GOD THE WEEKEND IS HERE

RECIPE ALA DR. BISHOP:

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:
skinless chicken breast halves on the bone, about 2 pounds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

½ pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup dry white wine

1 (14 ½ ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, chopped and juice reserved

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste

Cooking Instructions:
Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a sauté pan over moderately-high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken.
Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the onion and pepper, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and juice, oregano, red pepper flakes and ¼ teaspoon of salt and simmer the mixture covered for 10 minutes.
Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer, covered, until the chicken is just done, about 20 minutes longer.

Makes 4 servings

Morning all,
I'm busy cleaning house and I can not be messy this week. I'll have to do a 15 minute pick up each day and try to do laundry each day. Vacation next week end.

Happy
Are you planning on going anywhere on vacation? If you've said I've missed your post.

I've been reading some of the new book-The thyroid diet. She has three different diet plans. I'm going with the carb sensitive plan. It's similar to South Beach.

You gym rats have made me get in the mood to go do some weight lifting today.

Katie Couric's Lemon Chicken

Category: Lemon Chicken
Serves/Makes: 4 Ready In: 30-60 minutes

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 lemons, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste




Directions:
Pound chicken breasts with meat mallet to a uniform thickness. Dredge lightly in flour, shaking off the excess.

In a large saut頰an, over medium heat, melt butter and oil until it sizzles. Add chicken breasts and saut鬠turning once or twice until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add lemon juice to the chicken stock and whisk into saut頰an.

Whisk in flour and cook for one minute until the mixture boils. Reduce heat to a simmer and return chicken to pan to heat through thickening sauce to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and ground white pepper.

Serve the chicken over a bed of Basmati rice and spoon the sauce over the chicken.

Happy - How long is your vacation? Are you off work the whole time your mom is with you? Both of my gyms are YMCA and my membership is good for both. The gym I prefer is adults only and geared toward the beginner to intermediate exerciser but of course you can up the intensity of the machines and weights as much as you want - And the classes show modifications for beginning exercises and ways to make the moves more challenging. The other Y is all ages - adults and kids (kids running around) - with more advanced and longer classes. I try not to worry too much about retirement. I do everything I can to minimize stress and any stressful thoughts nowadays. Stress just leads to all sorts of bad things for me. It is what it is, it'll happen when it does, and I'm saving for it the best I can. And, Happy, Rene Russo may be your age, but she doesn't have to work as hard as you, and she has the money for trainers, chefs and skin treatments. So no fair comparing yourself to her! I still get carded when I buy alcohol at the grocery store, so I figure I must look okay for my age, and I'm sure you look great too - at least you did the last time I saw you!

Mel - I'm with you....if we had Renee's money, we'd all look fabulous - but at the same time, we are all lovely ladies who are loving life! If your chair has a motor, chances are my DH could supercharge it. Then you and I could race - you on your chair and me on my mower! That's good that Marie is paring down her busy schedule. It's not smart to overdo/over-extend yourself. And if her drs are fed up with her, she must really not be taking care of herself. Doctors can only do so much, the rest we have to do. There are SO MANY scary complications from diabetes: blindness, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, nerve damage, etc. It's no fun giving up (or cutting drastically back) on foods you love, but it's necessary. I love pizza, but haven't had any in months because it's got way too many carbs and I know I cannot limit myself to just 1 or 2 slices. I could have WW pizza, but it's not the same. I could make my own using foccacia, but that's not the same either. I'll have pizza again someday as there are really no forbidden foods - I just have to eat smart to keep my blood glucose in line. I'm really honored that you are using me as an example to Marie. I've kind of plateaued at the weight loss and size loss, but I'm not getting too discouraged. I just need to keep working at it. At least I'm feeling wonderful - better than I've EVER felt. I feel better now than I did in my 20s! BTW, good for you for taking a day off to rest and relax. The chicken cacciatore recipe looks great!

CeeJay - Good for you for cleaning house! I'll bet you are looking forward to your vacation. Have fun weight lifting!