Well, ladies, the skies cleared in plenty of time for a smooth take-off Saturday night. The flight was actually a pleasant one (Virgin America rocks!) and my hotel room is great. I did a lot of walking yesterday, and hung out with old friends. I've been working this morning. I'm about to head to the hotel gym (which is only so-so), then have lunch and meetings this afternoon.

Marie, I hope your Monday is an easy one, to make up for your busy weekend,

Carol, I'm moving at the end of the month. Pear sauce sounds lovely....I love harvest fruits and veggies.

Penny, thanks for the success stories link. I've been feeling fat and lumpy the past few weeks (after weeks of feeling inordinately 'skinny' :dizzy:), so I need to do some mental work to back on the fast track. I've been odd ever since I fell a few weeks ago...maybe I hit my head and didn't realize it:?:. It's been hard to get my mojo back.

Auntie G, you're like me! If I start Xmas shopping too early, I go overboard and over budget. But if I wait 'til the end of November, I feel frantic...there's gotta be a middle ground.

My eating isn't too bad, except for some yummy sweet potato fries with friends yesterday. I'm not drinking enough water, though, and I'm a bit low on the veggies.

Time to sweat!

judy

Auntie G can't yeah just bet thats one of my favorite days to shop and save also. I am cuting back this year a bit. A little less shopping as the kids want a wil game for the tv so I am giving some family funds towards that. And some clothes to go along with it for each gchild. I got some great deals the other day and so I got started with 10 off a 25 dollar purchase and sales to go along with it all. I figure if it comes a little at a time it won't hurt as much.
Yes I will be busy with those pears bear has decided he likes them and ate into a few so I had to move them crazy doggie!
Judy have a good time its sounding like you have your mind in the right direction knowing what we need or don't need is a big step in the right direction. I felt fat last night think it was due to a sub for lunch. Today I have tuna in a baggie with a little mayo and celery, onion, carrot sticks and pepper wedges and will have it on a bed of greens. A new dressing my male coworker offered me with roasted red peppers and currry. I will measure my amt. as its not lite. An apple to add to it and there is lunch.
Our weather is changing this week tonight to be in the low 40's. Good night to read I finished a book and now I am reading The Memory Boxs Keeper. Oh its good. I need to have it finished by the 13th or renew it. Gotta push myself.
Penny boy it sure is time to make some soap. I need to work on some jewelry as well. Need to pick up a few supplies today.
Auntie g homemade sauce is so good and wish we got enough tomatoes to can but not this year too much rain made some rot quickly before they ripened. I did make chili last night with my own tomatoes except for one little can.
Work is crazy this week the State has been to one site monday and ck'd my books yesterday. I passed that one without any issues. Now they are at another house I found out at 3 yesterday and picked another one of my folks so I need to get ready again this a.m. and ensure everything is in the right place etc... Wow and its only wed. I am taking some workout clothes and plann to take off an hr. this afternoon and go work out. I THINK its a super idea soon my membership will run out and I am not sure my ins. is giving us money towards it this year.. Might have to build a gym at home.

Carol - I don't have any pear recipes, but I love pears. We don't have a very big crop this year and the critters get most of them anyway. I'm going to be making some soaps soon for our fall bazaar. You asked about soaps for men, well I make some different kinds such as peppermint or eucalyptus with pumice (I buy fine ground pumice online). Guys seem to like the scent as it's not too "girly". I also sometimes make clear soap with coffee grounds as it is a good odor remover. Another popular one is when I put a 1" slice of loofah into a soap - they are good for use in the kitchen or as a "gardener's soap".

Auntie G - I just make the Birchermeusli with cooked oats (I use steel cut kind). The original recipe calls for uncooked oats that is soaked in water overnight but I prefer it cooked. I use about 2 cups cooked oats, handful of raisins, 6 oz. container of yogurt, 2 tbsp. honey, 1 lg. Gala apple grated on large holes of grater and a handfull of chopped nuts. It keeps in the fridge for a couple of days. As I mentioned, it's incredibly filling and very tasty. If you don't care for yogurt, you could try using a few tbsp. sour cream or whole milk.

Judy - I'm glad your trip to SF is going well. I'm glad you reminded me about the Success Stories as I need some inspiration too right now. I'm also feeling very frumpy lately, so let's hope we both get our mojo back soon!

Marie - I really enjoyed our trip to the Oregon Garden and even though I'm not a real "car buff" I enjoyed looking at all the beautifully restored cars and trucks - they don't make them like that any more! They had over 100 cars and trucks on display. It was kind of unusual seeing the cars posed next to lilly ponds and flower beds! Here is the Oregon Garden website http://www.oregongarden.org. Here is info on the Car Show http://www.oregongarden.org/Carshow.htm. They have an events calendar on it so you can check if they have another car show next year.

I had a very long and stressful meeting yesterday - our first one after the summer hiatus. I can't believe we're already organizing our Christmas bazaar. I wasn't feeling well and after filling my plate at the buffet lunch I couldn't eat a bite - very unusual for me. I'm still having sinus problems, so maybe that had something to do with it. I seem to have my appetite back a bit today. It would be handy to be able to turn my appetite on and off at will like that!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!

Work - a little better but not great. But truly I see an end in sight of the insanity.

Carol, good luck with the starting of Christmas shopping.

Penny, don't forget the unscented aloe soap you made my hubby. He has dry, sensitive skin and the soap has been wonderful. He really likes it and he doesn't stink so it must be working. :D

Auntie g, I too think that making marinara with real tomatoes is too much work. I always make my own, but with canned tomatoes. I do know that homegrown tomatoes make the marinara really awesome, but the work is too much for me.

Judy, hope the trip is good.

I'm on track food wise, staying in my 1500 cals. Today is less clear as my boss took our dept out for lunch. They chose a restaurant (Mexican) that had no one healthy item on the menu. And in a group of 7, making a big deal out of special ordering wasn't wise. I had a chicken quesadilla. I figured the tortilla was in the 250 cal range, didn't have much chicken, maybe 1-2 oz so that would be about 70 cals and then some cheese (it wasn't too cheesy). So I guestimated (with cal database help) about 550 cals and I had a tablespoon of sour cream. So adding that in with breakfast, I don't have a lot of dinner room. I decided a protein drink would be healthy so that will keep me in the 1500 range (at best guess). The awesome part of lunch was the chips and salsa. I did NOT eat even one. At one point I sat on my hands, but I didn't have any. YEAH!!!!!!:carrot: I did 3 miles WATP this am and then 10 minutes toning/crunches. I'm thinking of no exercise this evening as I'm enjoying being home. It's relaxing and I'm not really working (just monitoring the server then I'll do a file transfer later as I haven't had time to automate the process). So I'm being a bum, playing with Kai, Kody and Blizzard (aka skunk breath). I just love 'em so much. They take all stress and irritation away from my day. Although today was a good day at work, at least relatively speaking to the last few weeks.

One other things - do you all remember my trip to the great cyber mall a couple weeks ago? Well I had a little Christmas yesterday. The Black jeans skirt that jumped in my basket arrived and I LOVE it (wearing it now). It's not snug (I bought my current size). I liked it so much when I tried it on yesterday that I decided to order another in 2 sizes smaller. It will be my incentive to continue being angelic with food. I won't lose new clothes that I like. BTW, I didn't mention that purchase to DH. He wouldn't get it. :)
Marie

Today was a nice light day. :carrot: I made stuffed peppers for the first time in my life, and only because I planted peppers this year. It was actually the first time I ever even ate a pepper! Much easier than making tomato sauce, I must say!

Carol, now you've got me thinking about starting Christmas shopping, but I'm going to try to resist a little longer! Keep up the good eating, and good luck with work!

Penny, I am definitely going to try that muesli soon - thanks for the info! Hope your sinuses are improving!

Marie, unscheduled eating out is the worst! But it sounds like you did a fine job, and congrats on staying away from the chips! Hope it's a great night with the dogs, they really do erase a lot of life's miseries... And a woo hoo on the skirt- it's so nice when it works out and you don't have to send it back.

Have a great Thursday everyone!

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Help, I've fallen and I can't get up:eek: Okay, I guess I can get up, I just feel too depressed and would rather lay here and wallow for a while....I got back home early Thursday morning, after flying a red-eye, then fighting through roadblocks and traffic jams caused by the opening of the 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon, which is just a mile from where I live. I got a few hours of sleep before coming to the office for half a day. I'm still tired today, so again, no exercise and a few too many calories. The thin veneer of cordiality around my boss's firing is about worn off. I'm in a tough position, trying to get her and the board to come to agreement. I expect fireworks any day now. All this is bad for my sleep and my stress levels. I hope it's like a painful procedure at the dentist's office--excruciating pain, seemingly for an eternity, a little discomfort, then it's over.

I worked out some while I was away. The hotel's fitness room was the only disappointment I had. The few cardio machines seemed to be purchased from a yard sale! I didn't walk around nearly as much as I usually do on a trip to San Francisco, and overall I ate poorly. Overall, I feel like a fat, listless slug. Must snap out of this...

auntie G, I love stuffed peppers, although I haven't made them in ages. It sounds like your garden is introducing you to some new recipes--cool!

Marie, good luck with the foot doctor. I hope you have a fun weekend, with no work.

Carol, I hope the rest of our visit with the state went okay. Is the book you're reading Memory Keeper's Daughter? If so, I read that last year, it was good.

Penny, I hope you're feeling better today. Sinus problems can really sap your energy.

Okay, back to work. Have a great weekend!

judy

Yay! It's the weekend!:carrot:
Even though I'm PMSing, I'm hoping the scale behaves tomorrow, at least a little bit.:crossed: I had a great NSV last night- I was finally able to take off one of my rings that had been so tight that it would not even turn! That really got me excited, so I bought new sneakers today in hopes of starting a new walking routine. I, too, have been having some serious heel pain for a while now. I think I did some damage that day I ran barefoot after that creepy lurking guy. The pain's worse in bare feet than in cushioned shoes, so hopefully I'll get down on it!

Marie, glad you have the weekend off. Don't let Mr Scale get you down, he'll come around... It was probably from sponging up the pool water anyway! How'd you make out at the podiatrist?

Judy, sounds like you need a nice restful weekend! Job stress and travel sure can have an effect, so take a break if you can- at least for the weekend. Give yourself time to recover, and you'll get back on track. :yes: This mess, too, shall pass...

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Auntie G, you rock :bravo: But I'm happy with the warm weather, and I bet it's a little hotter where I am. It felt great to bask in the sun. I will will try to remember exactly how today felt in a few months, when I'm shivering one evening at the bus stop :goodvibes

Marie, I hope you had a nice nap on the way home from the doc's office. And you're right, losing 26 lbs is a lot better than a sharp stick in the eye, as my mom would say. My boss will be gone in less than two weeks. She has stuff to close out or hand over, and she still wants to leave in a responsible manner. She has the option of speeding things up and getting out earlier, and I hope that for all our sakes she does that.

Today is the first day I felt "normal" in a few weeks. I finally got a good night's sleep, and did a 60 minute workout this morning. I went to the grocery store, and will check out the farmers market in the morning. I also got a free facial at the mall, and they threw in a makeover, too! Very self-indulgent and relaxing (and cheap, since I managed not to buy anything). I looked very glamorous, I'm sure, browsing in the produce section.

I signed up for another online Stickk commitment, this time to do something centering at least once a day for the next six weeks. I've asked my friend Susie (who I met on another 3FC thread a couple of years ago) to be my referee. If anyone here wants to be a supporter--which means checking now and again and giving me a pep talk--PM me your email address, and you can sign up. The stress thing is key to staying on the path, and I have a tough couple of months ahead. Today felt like a day off altogether. Tomorrow I'll have to do more things on my moving list, and I brought work home, as well.

Penny, Carol and all you lurkers, hope you're enjoying this weekend. Take a moment and think about those folks dealing with Ike down there in Texas.

judy

Oh how crazy life has been lately. And yes I sure have been lurking. I will be better starting today I promise myself and everyone else. I guess sometimes things get in our way of doing what is best for ourselves and we put exercise and eating properly on the side lines. I have just made up a little journal which will start today. It has all my info. needed to make my jouney a sucess. I know taking the time to jot down my intakes is important and I have been a slacker.... So time to get on with being a good girl and making it an important part of everyday.
Auntie g wow your doing well and inspired me today to get it going.....
Marie too bad about the footsie thing my best friend has had issues on going for over a year yuk for both of you she has tried the insert which was formed for her but no changes there. Guess sometimes its not so easy to get things fixed up. Hope the med takes the edge off of it for you good luck.
Judy wow I know how frustrating work can be been there. I am thinking about you I let my feeling from work frustrate me to no end before and now am trying to be better with controling it. But at times still have ill thougths of some of it still. Much better than the past but stress levels can surely make us eat differently and exercise less etc... Got to jot down my exercise into my weekly schedule as an appt. and ensure I get there. Soon my membership will be up..... Then a decision will be needed....
Well take care the kids are coming and my mom for dinner not til 5 or so gives us all time to do things for the day. I am making a homemade pie but will make a little one with less sugar etc. and still have a treat for me but healthy way of baking.
Take care it is to be around 80's today gee who's idea was it to make spaghetti and meatballs at least there in the crock pot.

Auntie G - Congrats on the 2lbs. loss! :carrot:

Marie - I hope your foot soon feels better. Good thing you have your pool to exercise in (at least while the weather lasts).

Judy - I hope your new stress reduction plan helps. Stress is definitely a major cause of weight problems. I think all of us here are searching for coping mechanisms to help us deal with it. Good luck.

Carol - Good idea to start your journal again - I hope it works for you.

I have bursitis in my right shoulder, which makes typing very painful, so please excuse me if I lurk sometimes. I've had it before and sometimes it lasts for several weeks. My scale is still stuck so I've changed my tracker.

Penny, I'm sorry to hear about the bursitis. Soon we'll all have voice recognition software on our computers, and all this ergonomic stuff will be history. I sympathize with being reluctant to change the ol' tracker! I was so happy to see 210 lbs that I stopped updating my tracker when the weight crept up and wouldn't budge. I was able to knock a pound off it today. I want to be back where I was at the beginning of July, before the wheels fell off....I want to hurry up and post each little loss, but I promise not to go more than a week without recording my true weight.

Carol, no wonder you're not maximizing your gym membership. You're too busy cooking up feasts for family and friends. Perhaps you can figure out a "kitchen workout" and write a best-selling book.

Marie, I love spaghetti, too, but I've figured out that mostly I love the combo or tomatoes, onions, garlic and spices. I can't eat regular pasta, and the gluten-free stuff frustrates my taste buds (the way veggie burgers used to do), so when the craving hits, I use spaghetti squash, or even brown rice or quinoa, and it seems to work.

Auntie G, Stickk.com is a fun website that helps you keep commitments. You can ask folks to be your support system, and you can even pledge to make a gift (or pay a fine) based on your success. People use it for everything from finally finishing a project to kicking the cigarette habit. It got a lot of attention in the media earlier this year, and I used it last spring to focus on my weight loss goals. Doesn't sound like you need something like that, you're cruising right along! I hope to be right behind you momentarily.

The weekend wasn't as productive as I'd hoped, but I didn't skimp on the relaxing part, which was crucial. I'm loving the summer weather! I did yoga today for the first time in many weeks. I'll spend the evening preparing for the new work week and not allowing myself to fall into a Sunday-night funk.

Happy Monday, everyone!

judy

Well here it is tues after the storm. Yesterday morning no power but yes today we have it. A tree fell over my deck gracing my back wall and my two doors one to SIL and one to the Adirondack room. Oh how lucky we were. It was also only about 24 inches round in the middle but about 38 ft. long and bushy all over. It isn't even good fire wood for the daughters house. Dang!! But we are all okay only a couple of hrs. sleep and went to work. The boss said she was proud of me still coming in I said I won't make it the whole day and took an hr. off. I was beat last night but the tree is already chopped up thank goodness for good friends and family..... I am starting to see some hard times for my daughter as her husbands pay got shortened but the company stayed in business. Its tough with three kids. So I have been helping out lucky I had it to do. I just had to do what I could. But I see so many young couples headed for harder times than I have had to have I think. The cost of everything going up and shrinking the sizes of products etc.. My heart goes out to all of them. So less big folks will get gifts this year I am purchasing extra for the kids but things they need along with fun things as well. For now just ensuring they have what they need for school. I just ran to the music store for two tuba books our gd in 4th is trying this out. Fun and why not she should beable too. Thank goodness I had grandparents whom taught me to help as they helped us when mom couldn't. Oh so sorry for rambling guess its better than over eating!!!
Judy we just hired a new director I met her yesterday seems nice. She worked from home for 5 years also thought we should have laptops I'd go for just not sharing a computer at this pt. and a new office location. We'll see how it goes at least first sight was nice..... good luck with yours.
Everyone else I will catch up later gotta go the school bus just went by that means I need to go to..My warning of time.....

This will have to be quick, I need to run home and straighten up a bit before the guys shows up to give me an estimate to do my move.

I've been eating on plan and working out. I also found time to meditate before coming to work Monday morning (very helpful!).

Carol, a falling tree is very scary, I'm glad that no one was hurt. Yes, more and more parents are helping out their grown kids, but this can't go on much longer! You're good to be so generous.

Marie, my boss seems be on an even keel now, and because of her other commitments, she was only going to be in a few days next week anyway. I could really use her help in sorting out and forwarding files, emails and other information, so while there are immediate benefits to her disappearing, it's much better this way. As long as she can maintain her equilibrium...

Auntie G, I used to share your nasty little habit. I don't miss it at all, but if I could take a few puffs whenever I feel "munchy," geez, I'd have hit my goal two years ago :devil:.

Gotta go, I'd be mortified if the mover saw my place as it looks right now!

judy

Marie - I also make tiny portions of things I love to eat - that way at least I don't feel totally deprived. I make these little almond tarts in mini pans instead of muffin pans and enjoy one with a cup of tea. I don't think the bursitis is from working out - more overuse from my laptop! I took a left over pain pill so I'm able to type this but those pills make me feel weird! :dizzy:

Carol - What a scary experience with the tree falling in the storm. Thank goodness nobody was hurt. You are a trooper going in to work after all that.

Judy - I hope you get a reasonable estimate for your move. I'll have to give meditation (and maybe some aromatherapy) a try again. Whatever works eh?
I gave some of my favorite Weleda lavender massage oil to my friend who is very ill with bladder cancer and going blind. She said it has really helped her to relax.

Auntie G - Voice recognition would be marvelous! I wonder how we'd do the smilies? :) I also get carpal tunnel when I use the mouse too long. I can't imagine how people use their Blackberries all day long! You mentioned crockpot cooking. I've just bought a new crockpot with a removable inside part (sooo much easier!) I've made several yummy meals in it and I even "roasted" a 1/2 chicken yesterday. I just put a couple of tbsp. of bbq sauce on it and 1/2 cup of water and put it in the pot. It turned out delicious and so moist.

Well, I bit the bullet and made an appointment on October 15th to get my nose/sinuses fixed (at least try). I'm only breathing through one nostril most of the time and I think this is why I'm so tired all the time as I "suffocate" at night. By straightening out my septum it may solve the problem, also my recurrent sinus infection on that side. My doc is one of the top ENT specialists in the country, so I hope he is more successful than the last time I had it done. It's a really awful surgery - almost worse than my mastectomy! If it works it will be worth it though.

Girls the week is flying by so quickly. Work loads been managable but crazy stuff to deal with. I think my handful of chips was stress related and before dinner so I was hungry too. Gotta plan better today I am going to take an apple to munch on for the drive home. I had a healthy breakfast of mothers oats, and an oatmeal english muffin so on target this a.m. a little pear for the 10:00 snack and salad with feta ch. for lunch with an apple. Gotta preplan!! Sunday I swam and did garden work for exercise other than stairs and walking in at work nothing since gotta kick my but and add that to my schedule. Today I am planning on going to the gym right after work.
Judy sounds like the boss needs to make some good choices at work. Good for you mediating before work...
Marie over the mountain sounds like it was a positive thing for you and the coworker. The groomer a new one never again one told the hubby my doggie is aggressive. I guess he didn't like them doing his nails. My doggie?? Anyways have you seen that nail filing thing advertised for dogs nails? If so what do you think as your the queen of 3?
Penny good luck with the surgery and sounds like you got the best guy for the job.
Auntie G your a trooper!! Keep up all your efforts their paying off rub some on me girl....
Next week some friends and I are crossing the boarder to Canada only 2 hrs. away just a day trip. Some shopping and celebrating my 10 years at the same job...... I have reached my 5 weeks vacation hurray!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My good friend started a couple of days after me and we share an office. So off we go to have some fun to celebrate good times, crazy times and hopefully a good future.
Judy your right more parents are helping their kids something does have to change I agree. But when they don't normally ask for help and then do you know its not good. Hopefully they can get things going better but with pay cuts its so hard to adjust and with 3 kids with needs not just wants. Thank goodness we are able to help a bit cause if I couldn't somehow it would just eat me up. Gotta be greatful for somethings I guess. Taking the gd camping this saturday now there is some exercise we are going to hike a bit. I will pack some healthy foods as well for me.
Gotta go put my stuff in the journal.

The Downward Slide to Weekend
 

Hi everyone, I just had quite an evening. I signed up to bring my 3 doggies for portraits. Holy smokes, my wrists are killing me from trying to make three huskies behave. I told them upfront that I really didn't expect it to work and for the longest time, it didn't. They got one really decent shot of the 3 of them together so my Christmas cards are ordered. :) I'm also getting a 5x7 for my office and an 11 x 14 canvas portrait. Then they did individual shots and my gosh, I have gorgeous doggies. So I'm getting an 8 x 10 of each of them. I'll scan them and post them when I get the package in 3 weeks. Because there were leashes involved, they'll photoshop them out. The little print out I have are wonderful. They chose a blue background because of their blue eyes. Really wonderful but my hands hurt. I'm thinking I won't do that again for another 5 years. Wasn't cheap either, but I'm glad I did it.

I'm on track for about 1400 cals today - took longer at the photo shoot. :D So I don't want to eat a good portion of calories right before bed. I took the doggies for their 1.5 mile walk this am. So all is good on that front. Mr. Scale was evil, but I expected it after riding in a car as long as I did. Now, if I'd climbed the mountain as per auntie's image, I'd have lost weight. :D

auntie, 3 WW fudgicles is pretty darn good for going off plan. I'd say you get a pat on the back. I had a WW cookies and cream bar at work today. Man, it's tasty!!!

Carol, congrats on the 10 years with the company. 5 weeks vacation is awesome. I'm at 3 weeks (plus 5 extra days). I don't 5 weeks come until 25 years and I'm sure not staying there that long!!!! I'm planning on retiring long before that.

Penny and Judy, I hope all is well.

TGIF for Real....
 

Sorry about being AWOL! It's been an unusual week at work, to say the least, and I'm in the hub of every possible conversation and email loop. I haven't been eating too badly, considering how much I could use some deep dish pizza and a cold beer...I've been fighting sinus/allergy stuff for several days, including annoying soreness and popping in my ears. I didn't work out at all Wed and Thurs, but I did 50 minutes of cardio this morning, and felt better for it. I'll change my profile, I can take another couple of ill-gotten pounds off my weight. I'd celebrate, but I'm too annoyed that I regained them in the first place :mad:

Penny, I hope your sinus surgery does the trick. It sounds horrible, though. How long will you be recovering from that? I may be joining you in trekking back and forth to the doc's. My foot is acting up again, but the last time I went to the podiatrist, she casually mentioned something about a bone saw, so I won't want to go back. I think my little toe is twisting around or something.

Auntie G, I quit smoking for good about five years ago. It was purely a nervous/bored/angry reflex for me, more than a deep craving. Once I got rid of my ex (a pack-a-day smoker), most of the nervous and angry stuff went away :D. Counting cigs helped me stop; soon I decided that I wasn't buying any more, and that was that. It also helped that I don't spend the time in bars that I used to, where it still seems like a natural thing to do. Plus working out felt so much better when I could inhale deeply!

Marie, I hope Kai is doing well and has forgiven you for torturing her this way! Dogs probably look at their humans and wonder what the heck we're up to, and why we do these things to them....

Tomorrow I take my certified check to my new landlords and pick up the keys. Most of my boxes have arrived, so no excuse, gotta get started packing.

judy

Marie - I bet the photos of your pups are adorable. We had a family portrait done before our son went off to college, so I know how spendy it is. I'm so glad we got it done though. I hope Kai recovers quickly from her surgery - I'm sure you'll thoroughly pamper her. I hope your foot is feeling better.

Judy - I hope your move goes well and that you settle in quickly. I hope your foot problem clears up soon too. It's the last thing you need with your move. Bone saw doesn't sound good :yikes:. You asked about how long it takes to recover from my sinus/septum surgery - it's 3 days of bed rest then 7-10 days till I'm back to "normal" (whatever that is!) :dizzy:

Auntie G - Congrats on staying on track today! :broc:
Your job sounds interesting - surrounded by pretty dolls. I hope your weigh in goes well.

Carol - Congrats on reaching your 5 weeks vacation and 10 year anniversary! :carrot: I hope you have fun with your friends in Canada. We're having some company from Denmark next week and I know they'll want to go shopping. Everyone who comes over from Europe goes crazy shopping as they say everything is so cheap here.

I'm trying hard to stay on track but it's hard. Being sleepy all the time from lack of sleep due to my shoulder and sinuses makes me so hungry for carbs! The weather is already very "fall like" so I guess I'm already going into cavewoman mode stocking up for winter! At least I worked out today although I couldn't do some machines because of my arm.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hi all, just a quick update. Kai is doing great. She's happy to be home and I was snuggling with her on the floor and I swear she was asking why with her eyes. I told her now she'd never have to have sex. :) She was napping for a while so I did a 50 minute workout. I'm tired now. I also took a 1/2 mile walk at work so I did plenty of exercise today. The walk and aerobics killed my heel, but not doing it is worse. So I'll limp for a while and pray my new orthotic arrives soon.

Judy, enjoy your new apartment. Fill the boxes and just get it over. Like a shot, just do it. I loved your ill gotten pounds comment. I'd be thrilled with the pounds I've lost but I'm still mad I re-gained them. So I just keeping thinking in the 14 to go, then when I lose I can really celebrate.

Penny, I hope you start feeling better soon. You're certainly having a tough time medically lately. Be very proud of yourself for staying basically on track.

Auntie, what a cool thing to do. My mom did the collectible dolls - porcelain ones I believe. She an artist with a sewing machine and so people started paying her to make their dolls clothes. Her outfits even won ribbons at her state fair. Once she made a wedding dress that was so intricate, I realized it was fancier than any of her daughters' dresses. :)

Well, time to log the calories. Too busy at work to do it so I need to see where I am.
Marie

Hello everyone. Yeah its the weekend. Well cooking at my house will be a bit different for awhile. My SIL whom takes most meals with us has too much potassium in her system not good. The doctor told her that she has kidney disease so nice her regular doctor never told her just said due to her higher levels in blood work they were sending her to see him. Wow what a blow.... I will be speaking to her about it on my next visit we have the same doctor. At any rate no potatoe, tomatoe, bananas or oranges at this time new blood work thurs. Then another appt. for ultra sounds and another visit the 30th of next month. They think the damage came from some medications in the past. Be careful taking pain meds. one was an over the counter for any length of time.
I have been trying to get into the swing of better eating. Its coming along slow but sure. Today we are packing up and camping only about 15 min. away from home with the gkids. It should be fun nice sandy beach to cold to swim as our nights are low but will be around high 70's today. They can hike, play in the sand, have a campfire and make smores. I am bringing my computer for quiet time later they can watch a movie at bedtime when they turn in. Hopefully they will have a good time and some memories to look back on. My 9 year old gd is so excited to be playing the tuba I helped with the cost. She was up an hr. early yesterday got up on her own and all of a sudden the tuba sound was throughout the house!! Hah worth every cent I helped with.
Marie your doggie pictures sound great. I think for christmas I am going to steal my daughters kids away for a day with nice outfits and have my photo daughter take their pictures as a gift for their parents for christmas with a nice frame from the kids. They haven't had a family photo done in a longtime.
Work is good new director starts monday. Our boss handed out little award notices yesterday thanking each one of us for all our help training new folks etc. and new folks thanking for all their hard efforts to do a good job. We are hiring another worker expanding in our dept. I guess I must have a little job security now adays thats something. We will see when those medicaid cuts come in how crazy its all going to get.
Penny I agree its cheaper here for stuff but they have some things we don't and its different. Only around 2 hrs. trip from my house to Canada.
Auntie g oh at least they were ww. YOUR so good even when you mess up its not so bad good for you.
Judy seems like everyone is have allergy or sinus issues.
Have a good one.

OK, where are all my friends??? Just a quick note... Mr Scale is evil - no news there. I painted my guest bathroom yesterday and then worked on my quilt. It was a great weekend. I stayed in my 1500 cal range for DS2's b-day on Saturday except yesterday was harder (munchies) because of the b-day cake. But I made it through with a little less than 1500 cals. I'v done the 50 minute aerobic tape every day like promised.

And now I'm back at work... :(
Marie

Okay, I'm back. I focused on moving-related chores on Saturday, inspected my new place, and went to a surprise party, where the birthday boy was positively slack-mouthed (or gobsmacked, as Penny might say) with shock. I did a bit of packing on Sunday, but not nearly enough. I stayed away from the Internet all weekend, knowing it would distract me. Sorry!

Carol, I agree with Marie that you shouldn't change what's working for you and your hubby, but that's easy for me to say, I'm not the one who would be cooking two sets of meals. But you're a creative cook, and you like experimenting with new recipes, so maybe you can make do until the potassium thing stabilizes. It would be hard for me to function without tomatoes. A crate of Paul Newman's spaghetti sauce would be one of my desert island foods. I'd love to see your GD with a tuba, that must be quite a sight!

Penny, if your gifts like to shop so much, maybe they can buy some things for struggling Americans like me, in a gesture of global solidarity? I also accept gift cards :D. Good for you for keeping your goals in mind despite one physical thing after the other. It would be so easy for you to throw in the towel at this point, you're doing really great :flow1:

Auntie G, I like turkey burgers...but not dried-up and old. Your job sounds very interesting. I hope you liked playing with dolls when you were a kid. I do the cavewoman thing in the fall, too. My body thinks we have to lard on an extra layer of fat for a brief hibernation period :lol:. I get around that now by cooking up big batches of healthy comfort food and keeping it in the freezer--soups, chili, etc.,--when the urge for 'harvest time' food strikes. I roasted some beets yesterday, yum, yum. I always hated beets because I only had them from a can, but these were quite a treat.

Marie, teaching your son to cook sounds like fun. I always felt sorry for young guys who couldn't find their way around in a kitchen. They spent too much money on take-out and sports bars and gain weight. Thanks for the Just Do It advice re packing, I've been procrastinating :drill:

Food has been okay, but I had a chocolate fit at the birthday party on Saturday, which carried over into the next day. Today I had chicken b'fast sausage and an apple; at a meeting I had a tall skim chai tea and some trail mix (too many carbs); a big salad w/hard-boiled egg and the aforementioned roasted beets for lunch; grapes; and a cup of chili for late afternoon snack. I worked out Saturday and Sunday but not this morning.

Back to work--I'm absolutely swamped, help!

judy