Hugs to you, Arabella, as you come to terms with all the reasons for your "downiness". Yes, do the things you and ex loved together and give you emotions the respect they deserve. It's all a part of you and who you are/became.

And hugs to you, Kaylets, as you wade uncertain territory and also face the "mirrorwoes". I'm there too - just too much of the "dryer shrinking my clothes".

And hugs to you, wsw, as you plumb the uncertainties of your most recent water woes. So draining to have to deal w/household problems when we'd rather be doing the fun things. And not to mention the pocketbook drain..........

I'm at 208.6 today too, Arabella. Ate a great lunch out yesterday. Enjoyed the company and the food but not the aftermath.

Well, great plans and all................my cousins who were to come today for a much needed visit had to cancel. DH of one had emergency surgery yesterday. And of course I got that call when I had just come home from the grocery store with things I don't normally buy.............

On the good side, place is more or less in order, laundry done and now I won't have to change the sheets again, checkbook up to date, etc., etc.
DS "might" come up this weekend and food can be shared with post-operative friend (what won't freeze well)....

SO - it's October and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE October. Feel like a new, younger person today. Cool, brisk, blue skyed - at least for today. Wunnerful, wunnerful, wunnerful. After today's doctor's visit, I'm planning another of my long "vacation" weekends. Good days for exercise outdoors. Still nursing sore shoulder from gym overdo (and I wasn't doing much).

Have a great trip, Kaylets, no matter what news come from the "brass". I'm trying my best to ignore all that's going on in the financial world and hoping eventually I'll come out without too much damage. Have never totally recovered from losses in earlier and lesser changes but mostly the higher prices scare me to bits. Grocery store very scary - another reason to eat less, I guess.

I want to hear lots of strains from "The Messiah" emanating from your waterloged territory, Arabella. A soul lifter any time. And remember, it's October, October, October. Two ladies in the group I lunched with yesterday were saying how they hate October because it reminds them winter is coming. I just kept repeating I LOVE OCTOBER, I LOVE OCTOBER, I LOVE OCTOBER. (January and February are another story but they're still far away.)



Durn, I wish I could change her outfit to orange

Hello all.....

Am looking at nearly a perfect day 1....

even did the stairs....

3 flights....

Once at lunch time

Another about 3:30....

Drank lots of Earl Grey and had a med container of soup instead of the vending machine trip....
Ta da!

WSW.... YIKES !! I would not be at all pleased with more water issues either .... Here's hoping your next update will be less water and more FINISHED.....

Anagram.... yes, grocery prices are scaring me too. Am using a cheaper store more often but nearly fell over when a "Medium" Miracle Whip ( salad dressing/mayo) was $5.00. It would last forever except DS ( yes, he's still here tempoarily) uses mayo like it was a side dish.
I am thinking more and more soups and so taking advantage of my "Better" food plan to carry more meals and cut way back on cafeteria purchases.

Maybe we can share tips ion ways we've found to stretchhhhhhhh our $$$$. I am eager to see what other folks do..... I am always looking for new ideas....

Wood Nymph.... You are so, so right....its seeing what I really look like.

Silver.... How goes your battles?

Kat...How about yours too??

*****

Luckily, when I came home from work tonight, Dr Phil's show was about food that helps your brain deal with stress and son of a gun, there they were.....
Beans, Lentils, quinoa, carrotts, mushrooms, etc, etc......
Of course, good for you means good for your brain and all that goes with it.....
Why didnt that occur to me before??

Hmmmmmm......

As odd as this might sound, having a "food plan" is oddly comforting.
Is that because its the only thing right now I can really control??
Could be. But its also a relief to quit pretending that the weight isn't there.
I'm not ready to see the scale but I am ready to

TAKE ACTION!!!!

I'm washing clothes tonight so, off I go....


And no, I havent heard any more news about the job. Not a peep. Even the rumor mongers were quiet today....

Sort of grayish and cold today but it's STILL OCTOBER. I'm planning a walk a bit later. Missed tai chi as I was sort of in "on call" mode. DD still having lots of pain w/kidney stones and saw dr. today. If she had to go hospital or something, I was prepared to dash down. He thinks she's doing ok and eventually the "lead" stone in a bunch will pass then the rest will. If not by NEXT WEEK or so, he'll DO SOMETHING maybe the week after. She is awfully upset but said I shouldn't come today. We'll see about tomorrow............

I've been doing my usual stock up when on sale and coupon thing. But am much more careful about using up a lot of gas for a little saving. But I'm not stocking up as much on some food items because I use a lot less than I used to and sometimes change about my food patterns.

My declutter today was that I had to go to the bank anyway so I took all the accumulated change and ran it through the counting machine. It only came to about $60 but that's now in the checking account and I gained perhaps a foot of shelf space in a closet because I threw away the container and decided I'm not going to accumulate change any more - it was really something DH did more than I and I just haven't made that change yet. So now, it's done. Soon I'm going to have no excuse for not having always neat shelves

I'm looking forward to a good weekend no matter how it turns out. I did have a nice little plan for tomorrow and don't know how that it will work out now. So I sort of started on it today....Better Early Than Never. Besides who says I can only "celebrate" one day. I seldom drink but I had a most enjoyable Scotch/Rocks and a semi-nap this afternoon.

Life Can Be So Good - Especially When It's October! I'm going to think up some more ways to be nice to me now.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND, lies - I may not be in for a day or two.

Brrr - feels a little Novemberish this a.m. but I'm sure it will brighten. Your sudden storm sounds a bit winterish as well. However, it's still October.

Good for you and your "new day", Arabella. You've just been working too hard. I know I definitely need a certain amount of "get out" and if I don't get it (and I sometimes have to work very hard at it) I can get downish in a very wee amount of time. Interesting dream and so clear too. I had one this week that seemed so much more clear than most - involving irritation mostly. Irritation going back many years but finally requiring acknowledgement. There was another a couple of months back that also was more clear. I'd really like all my dreams to be that way - most that I remember at all are confusing.

I do envy your wide range of interests and variety of friends and groups though. Must work on mine a little more. Still looking for that next thing to poke a toe out of my box.

Well, didn't get called to DDs yet! She had a little "breakthrough" yesterday and felt better for a while. Then more stones started moving. I'm absolutely amazed at how many she's reporting. The doctor says the big one broke up very well - it was just so big that there are just so many fragments. And that it all might take a couple of more weeks. Needless to say, that news DID NOT charm her.

So it's semi-settled. DS will come today and we'll go to church tonight where his Dad's name will be mentioned and where altar flowers are in his name. I think I know where I'll ask to go for dinner afterwards. Maybe. Then tomorrow, he gets his chore list. I must try to keep that list low so he doesn't get the idea I love him only for his muscle.

The maple in neighbor's yard (which I see from the window just to my right) is in full color and gorgeous. It's bro - right next to it in my yard and dug the same day from the same place -is just beginning to think about it. This is every year; I'm wondering if even trees of the same species have different "personalities".

Hello all.....


Its official. Most of the US divisions of the world's largest insurer will be sold, divison by divison. There's a possiblity of course, that someone might be a couple of our divisions but it all remains to be seen.


And, I leave Sunday for a conference in Atlanta regarding what I do.

Yes, great way to network. Except I still have so many birdies flying around my head, I just would like to zone out and let it all sink in.
But I will go on the trip ( with other coworkers) and be grateful I am bringing my Ipod.

So, there you have it.

I will be back on Wed afternoon.

I will not have internet access. Just a low guy on the totem pole.

Just a quick note this morning to say goodbye. It's an odd feeling this morning.

Anyway....

see you on Wed!

So, it appears I got lost on the way to the palace, but I finally made it back! I'm a little bedraggled, and the crown is knocked a bit askew, but all in all, I'm not too much the worse for wear.
I spent too long catching up on posts to leave one of my own tonight, but I thought I'd better let you all know that things are starting to clear up, and my world is looking a lot brighter. I even got my new gym membership (free with the insurance for my job!), and the entire family went today. It felt so good to be doing something that positive for myself.

Andria

I caught up on all the posts last night.

Andria, sorry to hear about your Mom. on the employment.

wsw....a stalwart in the face of great obstacles! Good job on the weight loss!

Anagram...smokin'!

Arabella.....your loss is a huge step in the right direction....a size a year is nothing to sneeze at. How long did it take you to gain those sizes? Perspective is what we need all the time.....and your little uppies and downies in the late summer. You were just adjusting for that final swoosh to onederland! You will do it!

Kat Sounds like you are as busy as ever....and that your new job is definitely agreeing with you.

Kaylets...I'm with you on that clothes thing. Those lights are harsh. And keep us apprised of that financial boom...it sure is affecting everything!

'K. Have an eleven o'clock appt with the chiropractor...which is a good thing because my left side of my shoulder is very ouchie this am. I want to go for a short woggle...I did 32 minutes total yesterday with 1 min walking interspersed with 1 min running....to a total of 10 minutes running, 22 walking. I take a stopwatch and time myself. Also ladies, drinking that water is tres important.....glug, glug!

I am breezing in (once again, SORRY!) to say I'm still out here... just seems like there is no spare time whatsoever anymore! I'm killing the last few minutes at work, doing this, before I can punch out... then I'm off to the dentist. He and I are becoming best friends, can you tell? Tomorrow I have a meeting, Wednesday a dr appt. At least I'm getting all caught up, healthwise... mammo last week, GYN next. Then I think I'm done with the health stuff. Well, not DONE, just up to speed!

We had a celebratory brunch gathering, in honor of my dad, yesterday. Very nice. He would have been thrilled with the crowd!

Weight continues to teeter totter... Must keep that cupcake thought in mind, Kaylets!

Gotta run... will really try to get back in later. Miss you all!

Another good day. I continue to walk eventhough the shoulder is ouchie. Actually the knots have eased up this morning slightly. Heighdy-ho, off for a coffee and heating pad!

Have a great day all!

will respond on the morrow but just wanted to sneak into the back door of the palace and tell one and all that I am very contrite. Got through Saturday ok but after DS left on Sunday, my day just seemed to deteriorate and I had me a good pity party/siege of melancholy on Sunday evening and felt ENTITLED to devour stuff (familiar feeling, anyone?).

So naturally yesterday I felt physically miserable and still down - that "feed me" never takes away the bads, does it?

So yesterday and today were better. Walked outside twice today, did tai chi yesterday. Well, sort of. Instructor was held up in traffic, facility director came over and led a couple of stretches, then said "you're on your own". So I stepped out of my box and said I could lead a little. I did and it was hilarious. The group was laughing them selves silly when the instructor showed up. But laughter is good for us, no?.........................And I was thinking of Eydie all the while and how that little step out of her box led to a lot different in her life. Won't happen here but think I picked up a new friend in the process. Hoping she'll be anyway.

So - sneaking back out through the alley again. Hope to be back holding my head a little higher tomorrow.