I'm in the TWO TEENS!!!
 

Mel - I sure hope you're feeling better today.

Ceejay - Congrats on the weight loss! You go, girlfriend!! That's too bad about the muscle spasms in your back. That sucks. That's good that at least your BP wasn't negatively affected by the stress of the last few days. I like your goals for the week!

Well, ladies, I had a very pleasant surprise at weigh in today. My home scale this morning said 220...but when I weighed in at lunch time, I was 219.2, so I was down 1.6 pounds, despite the prednisone! :woohoo: I'm in the Two Teens!!! :woohoo: And I have begun to step up (pardon the pun) my exercising...so hopefully this downward trend will continue!

My goals for this week are to:
Journal and stay within points EVEN ON THE WEEKENDS - which is so hard for me
Walk at least 10,000 steps per day
Minimum of 25 crunches per day
Look for and make zero and one point soup recipes.

Morning all,

It's Friday again. Where do the weeks go? Another day, another list of things to do. I wonder when I will run out of things to do. Can't see it happening for another century or so.

DS2 was supposed to take possession of his new house today but the owners have requested another week. It seems their conscience might be pricking them. There is a lot of cleaning up to do both inside and outside of the house and they haven't bothered too much about it so far.

Todays list is something along the lines of mowing lawns, painting, cleaning and laundry. That's not all, but it will do to be going on with. Last coat of paint on the walls of the loo. 1st coat of trim on the windows. Grouting comes after that, but I think that will be tomorrows job. That breathe easy paint doesn't exactly smell great. Fortunately it doesn't last long either.

Mel - maybe you ought to drop an e-mail to Trader Joes telling them about the effects of the product. If they are trying to make it a shelf item, then they need to know that in some people, the canning method or the pasta is causing problems. You never know, they may refund the price or give you some goodies to compensate. They often do over here. Sometimes expensive stuff too. My MIL had a carving knife which she used constantly. One night the blade snapped off at the hilt of the handle. She wrote to the knife company and sent them the bits (in the UK would you believe. Wouldn't be allowed to happen in todays world) Anyway they sent her a brand new knife with their apologies that her 40 or 50 year old knife suffered metal fatigue. She certainly didn't expect that.

Happy - presentation next week. :woohoo: will be good to get that off your plate. Hope you don't have to work on it over the weekend.

Ceejay - a pound is good. You are at least moving in the right direction.

Michelle - Well done on the weigh in. That's a good loss especially since you were on medication during the week. We will see you in the 190's very shortly. I can feel it.

Laura - unfortunately losing weight requires such dedication. It can't be given up on either especially after you get to the required goal weight. Nope, we are stuck with this for life, so better make the most of it I guess.

Annies off to St Louis or wherever. No doubt we will have a blow by blow description when she gets back on Sunday or whenever. I hope she has lots of fun.

Time to get on with it. I will be catching up during breaks during the day, so have a good one or a good night or a bad night with a good man, or should that be a good night with a bad man. What am I saying. Mel cover your ears! You and I know nothing about what I am talking about.

Michelle
Wanted to congratulate you on those 1.6 pounds lost. :bravo:

Shad
I need some of your motivation to do some repairs. Guess I could call the land lord to come do it.

I've completed one load of laundry and the next load is ready to go to the dryer. I've also cleaned the bathroom. I was watching Dr Oz today, his new show started this week, and he was talking about how many germs there were in your bathroom. One of the things my boss was nit picking about yesterday was that I cleaned to much.

Off to exercise.

stupid presentation. Worked late tonight. Came home, ate and worked some more. Have to get up early to get to work to review and probably change again and again and again :mad:

I'll be back eventually.

Didn't read much. Congrats on the great weigh in Michelle - so sorry to hear your account got hacked. Bloody thieves abound.

All I can say about the challenge is pffffttt right now. Sorry.

MICHELLE~ WELL I LIVE ON THE 2ND FLOOR SO I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU BY THE DOOR WITH A BIG OL HUG :hug: I LIKE THE REAL AGE SITE TOO WHEN I WAS COOKING MORE!! :rofl: AND WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!!
:cheer2:CONGRATULATIONS ON THE TWO TEENS!!! :cheer3:

LAURA~ YUM!! TACOS!! HAVEN'T HAD THEM IN A LONG TIME. DANIEL CRAIG IS GOOD TOO. I LIKE RALPH FEINNES(SP) BUT SOME OF HIS SEX SCENES SCARE ME :rofl: OUR FLU SHOT IS NEXT WEEK. NOT H1N1 EITHER. GOOD LUCK WITH THE PLANNING.

SHAD~ I HAVE THE RECEIPT AND SAVED THE OUTER CARTON. I SHOT AN E-MAIL OFF TO THEM BUT......I THINK I HAD A BLOCKAGE THAT IMITATED MILD FOOD POISONING. THEN WHEN I ATE THE LASAGNA...IT SAT ON TOP AND COULDN'T MOVE. TMI???:lol3: :lol3: FEELING MUCH BETTER NOW THAT I TOOK THE PROPER MEDS:rofl: WILL FEEL EVEN BETTER WHEN IT'S ALL OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOPE THE DS GETS THE HOUSE IN DECENT CONDITION WHEN THEY FINALLY LEAVE. AS FOR THE PAINT...THERE IS A PRODUCT OVER HERE THAT YOU POUR INTO A GALLON TO UN-STINK IT AND THAT DIDN'T SMELL GOOD TO ME EITHER! :faint: BUT IT LASTED A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME. :dunno:

JEANETTE~ I DIDN'T KNOW DR OZ HAD A SHOW. I WILL HAVE TO LOOK FOR IT. JEN MIGHT LIKE IT TOO. THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP! HAPPY CLEANING!!

HAPPY~ :hug: :hug: :hug: WHAT MORE CAN I SEND YOU BUT HUGS!!

:cofdate: GOOD MORNING. FAST POST HERE. THE LOO WILL BE CALLING ME SOON AND I NEED TO GET READY. :rofl: ONCE I AM UP AND RUNNING SMOOTHLY, I'LL BE BACK. MY "ENGINE" NEEDS A TUNE-UP! :scooter:

HAPPY FRIDAY/SATURDAY :moped:

Hey gals...I get a quick check in....no time for personals....Chelle...congrats and welcome to the two teens...you teenager you.

My check in, I am down another pound 154.

Everyone strive to stay OP this week.

Love and Hugs to all.

Happy Friday ladies -

Yay! The weekend is nearly here!! :woohoo:

I had a great cardio and strength training workout at the gym last night and got a total of roughly 14000 steps in. Today, I'm going to walk at lunch and after work. I've got to take advantage of this gorgeous weather while we still have it. It's cooled off some from the mid 80s we had earlier in the week, but it's still very nice. DH and I are planning on going fishing tomorrow, and then Sunday, since it's supposed to rain off and on, we'll do stuff around the house like decorating the front lawn for Halloween (some families on our block did this last week), making low points soups, and watching football of course.

Shad - Sorry that your DS2 will have to wait another week to take possession of the house. Hopefully the owners will get the cleaning up done in that time. You always get SO much done! You get more done in a day than I do sometimes in a week. I agree about the "breathe easy" paint. It's a bit better but I think breathing easy is an exageration.

Mel - I'm glad you told TJ's about the product. I could definitely make it up to the second floor. :hug: I get my seasonal flu shot in about 2 weeks. I had my pneumonia shot last year after I got over pneumonia. :lol: My doc says I'm not in the high-risk category for H1N1, so he thinks I should pass on that.

Happy - I hope you can have a relaxing weekend. You need a break from presentation h*ll. :hug: :hug:

Annie - Sending :angel: :angel: for safe travels. Have a wonderful time at the wedding! :dancer:

Ceejay - I like Dr. Oz. I haven't watched his show yet, but I've seen him a couple times on Oprah and am now checking out You: On a Diet. I hope you get some time to relax today and this weekend. Put the do not disturb sign on your door all weekend long.

A big :wave: to Laura, Patty and everyone else!

Lots of love and hugs,

Michelle
I've seriously thought about doing the You on a diet program just because I like Dr Oz. I found him yesterday at 3 p.m. on our channel 5, memphis station. He tells it like it is. I like that kind of doctor. He's on the same time as Oprah but I'd rather watch him.

Annie
Congrats on the one pound loss. Enjoy your week end. Be safe in traveling.

Happy
It's almost done.

Mel
Rest this week end. You deserve it. Put a do not disturb sign on the door. That sure has helped me.

Hi to Shad and Laura :wave:

Exercised 25 minutes last night on the bike. I'm not sure about today. I need to go to Walmart because I still have not purchased the pedometer. I'd like to have a heart rate monitor.
I ended up at the doctor's office a few minutes ago. I have an inflammed hip joint. He gave me a cortizone injection. Upon his examination a lower disc in my spine was involved also. He suspects arthritis.

It's still raining today. I'm ready to see some sunshine.

Ceejay - So sorry to hear about your hip. I hope the cortisone shot helps. It sure helps me with my back. Take it easy, girlfriend. Don't overdo it. :hug:

Posting my exercise minutes. 30 minutes total at the gym 15 of weights and 15 cardio. I've lowered my weight amounts.
I've bought my pedometer so this challenge starts tomorrow for me. I'm active at work. Also walked around Walmart for 15 minutes plus.

Morning all,
Well afternoon actually. The day is getting away from me. I've been shopping for some office stuff to get my filing sorted - what a mess. I always start off the year okay, but it degenerates as it goes along. Taxes are now due. I got most of that sorted yesterday, just have to work out the telephone, fax and internet stuff that I can claim. I've also painted the last coat of wall colour in the loo and now have the trim to finish off and the painting is done. Then the grout. Lousy job, but must be done.

Weight is every which way but down, and I will be struggling for another loss this week I think. Aaah well. How long have I got - to halloween or somewhere?

Gotta go. Things are moving along and I am not catching up. I will be back for personals later tonight.

:snow4:IT'S ONLY 53 DEGREES!!!!:coolsnow:

TURNED OFF THE A/C AND OPENED THE WINDOWS YESTERDAY. GORGEOUS DAY. LEFT THEM OPEN AND FROZE DURING THE NIGHT. READY TO TURN THE HEAT ON IN THE LIVINGROOM. THE GRANDSON IS FLUFFED UP LIKE A BUTTERBALL! :rofl:
ONE GOOD THING IS I WOKE UP FEELING 100% AND SLEPT LIKE A LOG. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT MY NEW WAKEUP TIME SEEMS TO BE 8 am NOW INSTEAD OF 6:30-7. EVER SINCE THE SUN MOVED, THE BEDROOM IS DARKER NOW. :cloud9:
HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND. I AM DOING NOTHING BUT TIDY UP.
HAPPY SATURDAY/SUNDAY :moped:

JEANETTE~ GOING TO TELL JEN TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEWSPAPER...OH...I GUESS I CAN GOOGLE A TIME INSTEAD FOR DR OZ. THANKS. I HAVE A "I AM SICK" SIGN ON MY DOOR. :rofl:

ANNIE~ HOPE YOU GET SOME NICE TIME TO YOURSELF TO ENJOY THE LAST DREGS OF SUMMER.

MICHELLE~ YOU'RE DOING NSUCH A GREAT JOB. WE'RE AL TRYING TO GET SOME OF THE LAST OF THE SUMMER RAYS. WISH WE COULD STORE THEM UP FOR THE WINTER. I HAVE HEARS SOME DRS SAYING THAT THE H1N1 VIRUS SHOT WAS "FAST-TRACKED"(NOT TESTED ENOUGH) AND THUS THEY ARE A BIT LEARY ABOUT RECOMMENDING IT EVEN TO THEIR AUTO-IMMUNE COMPROMISED PATIENTS. NOT SURE WHAT I WILL DECIDE WHEN THE TIME COMES. SIGH. KEEP UP YOUR GREAT MONTH THOUGH!!

:frank: SHAD~ THE CHALLENGE CAN'T BE OVER SOON ENOUGH?? :rofl: HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD WEEK. LORD KNOWS YOU ARE WORKING HARD ENOUGH THAT THE SCALE SHOULD BE MOVING! SUCH A BUSY GAL WITH HOME AND OFFICE. I SHOULD GET MY FILEBOX SORTED. WANNA HELP?? :dance:

LAURA~ I SEE YOU SNUCK IN THERE....THE SOUP IDEA SOUNDS GREAT. I'VE NEVER HAD IT. I LOVE ROMA TOMATOES. WE GOT SOME GREAT ONES OVER THE SUMMER. TRADER JOE'S TOLD ME TO SAVE THE BOXES AND RETURN THEM TO THE STORE FOR A REFUND. BUT I KNOW NOW THAT IT WASN'T THE FOOD....SO EMBARASSED!!! :cry: HAVE FUN AT THE PARTY :cb:

Hi everyone. I'll say a blanket congrats to those who've had a loss and been exercising, neither of which apply to me. Good job ladies!

Nothing much going on here. I spent the last couple days at work hovered over a spreadsheet and I still don't think I have what I need. I think I'm spinning my wheels, but I've sort of dug my feet in on it, so I'll try to get it right next week.

Tonight is a party. I'll be the designated driver, so I'll probably have a couple drinks and then shift to water. Nothing else planned. I harvested a lot of cherry tomatoes, but also a few "roma" plum and one "better boy". I also have my basil, so I might make some tomato basil soup on Sunday.

Ceejay - have you gotten the pedometer yet? I still have to dig mine out. I had a heart rate monitor that went kaput about a year ago. I think my boss has one that doesn't require a chest strap - I wouldn't mind having one of those.

Mel - Hope that TJ meal issue is all resolved. Let us know what you hear from TJ's about it.

Michelle - hope you have a nice weekend and good luck with the fishing. Wow, decorations for Halloween already! I was thinking about buying some mums.

Shad - Ugh, taxes. LOL, good night with a bad man!

Annie, Patty - :wave:

Howdy ladies,

I am so glad to see this week come to an end. Late yesterday afternoon it looked like I was going to have to work the weekend AGAIN but I was spared from it at the last minute. Yesterday driving to work my check engine light went on as well as some of the indicators. $850 to repair some leaky hoses. Didn't need that. Car is 7 years old, guess things are starting to wear out. We have no car payments anymore, talked about a new car but I don't think the time is right for that, particularly since I like my 4Runner and would be hard pressed to consider much of anything else. Did look at a Rav4 while we were at the lot - they sure have improved them since we first looked at them. But, I think we will just pay the repair bill and stick with things as they are. I am looking forward to tackling some things around the house this weekend - since it's chilly and rainy it will be a good day to stay inside.

53 degrees Mel? Geez that's like a shot of cold water in the face! Nice for sleeping though as you said. Just remember to crack the window, don't leave it wide open - even if you have a nice snuggly blanket, the grandson doesn't :lol:

Laura - getting down to the last of the tomato picking. I think this time of year not enough sun and warmth tho the vines can be packed with fruit.

Shad - I'm with you. Start off with the best of intentions and usually the crisis of finding all the papers for taxes finds the religion in me to organize again. I am a master at falling back to bad habits - hope you can find everything you need.

Ceejay - sorry to hear about the hip. Hope the shot helps. I've been taping the Dr. Oz show and zipping past the fluff stuff. He is so informative. He claims that if you take Vitamin C it will counteract the stinky pee that comes with eating asparagus. I have to try that. Of course I never quite know when the cafeteria will serve aspagus so I guess I'll have to keep a couple of tablets in my desk.

Michelle - hope you have a good day fishing! I bow to you in awe of getting in 14,000 steps in a regular day - WOW! You are doing great, what an inspiration to us.

Annie - I hope you are having fun at the wedding. Safe travels.

Hi Patty :wave:

I ordered 2 pairs of Clarks shoes from Zappos. I was leery of that line because I thought they were more fashion than comfort but happy with both pairs. One looks like bowling shoes to me but DH said they would look ok with jeans or khakis. They sure are comfy. I also got a pair of Nursemates MaryJanes - they are great for being on your feet so I guess I have all my winter shoes for now.

We have at least a dozen caterpillars on our flat leaf parsley now. Earlier the mama butterflies seemed to like to lay their eggs on the curly parsley. Peeked this morning and the caterpillars have devoured all but a sprig or two of the flat leaf. I have to try and get them to move to the other pot or try DH's suggestion to get a bunch of parsley from the store and put it in the planter. I'm thinking that won't work too well but they are out of food so something will have to be done. Hummingbirds are swarming all over the house. We have 6 feeders out and it's still not enough. No debating tho that fall is in the air.

Best get off of here and set to cleaning. Have a good weekend everyone.

afternoon ladies
Laura
I did purchase my pedometer but in the hectic race to get to work by 11 a.m. this morning I forgot it. I'll set it tonight.

Happy
Ouch on the car repairs. I don't have a car payment either and I'm really reluctant right now to purchase a new one. I will be getting another Rav4. I like the looks of the newer models. I'm thinking about drinking the 6 oz of cranberry juice on a daily basis. I'm illeterate on setting the vcr. I almost bought the dvr package with my cable company. I may still do this.

Mel
I'd love to open my windows but the farmers have begun their aireal spraying of herbicides. Take care of the grandson. I'm very seriously thinking of bringing Crystal home with me. She's one of my cousins cats. They got a dog last year for Chrsitmas and he doesn't like her. She's been staying at my uncles usually in a tree because she is afraid to come down. I 've been talking to her every time I go there and asking if she wants to come home with me. She meow's each time so I'm taking this as a yes. She honestly wants some one to stand guard while she's eating her food. I've been doing this while I'm there. She sometimes sleeps on top of my car.

A friend called last night and wanted to go out to dinner so we went to eat Mexican. My ankles are swollen today from to much sodium, ugh. It's nice to have some conversation.
I had a poor night sleep last night. My aunt told me I'd do this because of the cortisone injection. This morning it was a little ouchy but I've used the Myoflex cream and the heating pad. It's calmed down. I'm taking two arthritis strength Tylenol at 2 p.m. to help ease the imflamation.

Oh my gosh Ceejay - it sounds like that poor cat is traumatized! It needs to be relocated to a more secure environment. Will give you a gold star if you take her. I like the DVR alot. Didn't think I would but I do. Beats having to record to VCR tapes. And you can zip past the stuff you aren't interested in. But if you only watch an hour or two of tv a week, might not be worth it. BUT then you could record the Dr. Oz shows :lol:

http://www.meandmyspace.com/files/en...ppy_sunday.jpg

:sunny: LOVING THE QUIET OF A SUNDAY MORNING. THE ONLY TIME THIS CITY SLEEPS. I EVEN WOKE UP EARLIER. IT'S A WHOPPING 5 DEGREES. POSITIVELY TROPICAL :beach:
CAN'T TYPE TODAY FOR SOME REASONS. THE FINGERS AREN'T COOPERATING. SO HAVE A GREAT DAY.:moped:

JEANETTE~SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THAT CAT BY THE UNCLES. THE ONLY CAUTION I WOULD GIVE YOU IS WHAT ABOUT YOUR SINUSES? I HAD CATS ALL MY LIFE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I COULDN'T HAVE THEM IN MY HOUSE. HAD TO FIND HOMES FOR THEM. SO THINK FIRST...I UNDERSTAND THE PULLING OF THE HEART STRINGS WANTING TO GIVE HIM A GOOD HOME. :jug:

HAPPY~ HOPE THIS WEEK WILL BE A MUCH EASIER TIME. SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THE CAR COST. IT SEEMS IF IT ISN'T ONE THING IT'S ANOTHER. BEEN A TOUGH YEAR FOR REPAIRS. HOPE THE SUN SHINES FOR YOU DOWN THERE ALSO :sunny: SENDING SOME OF MINE!

Morning ladies

Mel and Happy
The allergy/irritants aspect is the only reason I'm debating about the cat. I suppose I could have a trial run and if it doesn't work out take her back home.

I'm ready to see some sunshine.

I've put on my pedometer this morning but not sure if I have it set correctly. Last night I left work on time (worked for L yesterday so she could take off on her birthday) went home and made a meat loaf for this week. Cleaned up the kitchen and washed two loads of clothes. It was nearly 10.30 p.m. before I got to bed. Evidently I was still wound up from the cortisone. This morning my bp was back to normal.

Hiya chicks,

Ceejay - is the cat long hair or short? I'm allergic to cats tho we have one. I find that I'm ok with the short hair cats and I think when they are housebound they develop more dander so since Boo gets outside each day I am fine with her. She rarely bothers my allergies - I have learned NOT to pick her up and sniff her when she comes in from outside even though she smells wonderfully of fresh air :lol: If you have sinus issues and the cat would have to stay indoors you might want to rethink it. Also too, if she is used to being outside it would be traumatic to keep her indoors. Does your lease allow for pets? You are still a sweetie for trying to help her :hug:

Mel - I hope your day stays quiet. Considering what most of the week is like, you deserve a day of rest more than most. Sometimes it sounds like you are smack dab in the middle of a Three Stooges skit :rofl:

I spend a good part of the morning doing some research. My liver enzymes are up - bit of a concern for a fatty liver. Which comes from more than just fat in the diet. Looking at foods that detoxify. All good stuff that I like anyway. Dr. Oz said to eat a fist full of brocolli each day. I need to figure out how to make my own V8 vegetable drink from scratch. Too much sodium in the canned stuff. The low sodium tastes terrible.

Hoping this week will allow me to get back to normal life including the challenge. I can easily fold the healthy liver foods into the WW plan. As usual, making menus takes a good chunk of the day. Probably another hour of work and then off to the grocery store. Still cleaning out the closet. Barely made a dent and I worked 3 hours on it yesterday. Makes a good case against keeping every darn thing that still has a bit of usefulness in it.

Hope you are all enjoying your Sunday.

What the heck happened to Sunday - the day not the cat. I read through the posts and decided that I needed breakfast before I answered and then the day just went. DS2 worked on putting in the new aerial and power points and now we have to wait for the electrician to come along and install a new circuit on the power board and certify the work. Meantime I finished the painting in the loo - apart from a second coat of paint to the window and door and tiled in the loo and kitchen. Almost done with this project. It's the finishing things that seem to take forever. You think - only got xyz to do and I'm done and you realise that grouting takes for ever and even longer to clean up the mess and that you still haven't prettied it all up and cleaned until it is shining. Then you realise some more that while you have been lingering and agonizing as to whether it is straight, clean, dust free and smooth you haven't been working on anything else either and the rest of the place is covered in dust, papers, and junk.

Mel - 5 degrees - I hope that is not fahrenheit??? That's below freezing. Last time it got to 5 degrees C here Target, K-mart, and all the other electrical stores ran out of heaters and blankets and quilts. It's a funny old world.

Ceejay - Good on you for thinking about the welfare of the cat. If she decides you are an okay person, you will never get away from her you realise! And they do become a bit of a liability if you go away from home frequently. But they are worth the worry and fuss. Sunday the cat has sort of switched allegiance from me to the DS2. Guess that is what I get for staying home for so long.

I've now been home for 2 months. It's seems a long time but really I think I have needed this. The feelings are moving again and I am beginning to think that I am ready to go back to work. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to just work when you felt like it and to give it a rest when every went to **** in a handcart. But that's not what we are made of. We need to work for the feeling of independence and self worth. At least we like to think our work makes a difference somewhere.

I've been eating the veges out of the garden - last night I had a feed of fresh spinach. The darn stuff is going to seed in front of my eyes. The second set of lettuces are ready to eat. Tomatoes have flowers on them so maybe some fruit soon. Parsley is out of control and the beetroot will be ready by the end of the week. Not sure what the snow peas are doing - not much by the look of them.

I'll catch up with you lot again later.

So you have extra parsley Shad? Send it over here. We have 11 Swallowtail caterpillars in the pots. They have decimated the Italian flat leaf parsley and I moved them to the curly parsley. Finished most of that this morning so DH has decided to make a terrarium for them as he really really REALLY wants to see them cucoon (ok that doesn't look right) and moreso see them emerge as butterflies. I'm sure at this time of year they will winter through the season as in their crysalis. When they get to that point. I'm not sure about them getting enough air and please don't let the jar be too hot. He assures me they will be fine. I assure him he will never hear the end of it if they die at our hand. He ran to the store and picked up bunches of fresh parsley from the store. So far they seem happy with that.

After "cleaning" and sorting I am more behind then when I started. And here it is almost time for bed. Weekend just flew by...

GOOD MORNING CHICKS. THE LAUNDRY ROOM IS CALLING ME AND I AM HEADED THERE NOW. HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY. MY WEEKEND WAS GENERALLY QUIET!
HAPPY MONDAY/TUESDAY :moped:

HAPPY~ SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THE ENZYME COUNT. HOPE YOU CAN FIX IT WITH FOODS. :hug:MAYBE BROCCOLI AND HUMMUS? OR MAYBE BROCCOLI AND A BIT OF RANCH DRESSING? I AM DECLUTTERING WITH YOU SO WE WON'T BE LONELY :rofl: GOOD LUCK WITH THE CATEPILLARS. HOPE THEY WILL LIKE THEIR NEW HOME.

JEANETTE~ GLAD THE CORTISONE IS WORKING. I FORGOT ABOUT YOUR PAIN. SORRY. HOPE IT CONTINUES TO GET BETTER. HAVE A PAIN-FREE WEEK :hug:

SHAD~ YES IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU ONLY HAD TO WORK WHEN YOU FELT LIKE IT :dance: I LOVE TO GROUT BUT HATE THE CLEAN UP. I JUST WATCHED A MAN ON TV...HE WAS AN ITALIAN TILER AND HE USES SAWDUST TO CLEAN UP THE GROUT AND POLISH IT. HE WAITS TILL IT'S ALL DRY AND THEN GETS ON THE FLOOR WITH THE SAWDUST AND MUSHES IT AROUND. IT DID AN AMAZING JOB OF REMOVING THE EXCESS DRIED GROUT AND ACTUALLY POLISHED UP THE TILES VERY NICE. THE USED UP SAWDUST CHANGES COLOR AS IT PICKS UP THE GROUT AND THEN HE USED A CANISTER VAC TO SUCK IT ALL UP! IN THE MEANTIME....I HOPE YOU FIND A JOB YOU LIKE :hug:

Good morning ladies,

Monday rolls around already. Don't know where the weekend flew to or last night's sleep for that matter. Tired, tired this morning.

Toasting you with a load of laundry myself Mel. That's very interesting with the sawdust clean up. I suppose it can be mildly abrasive.

I see that Progresso came out with a new line of soups that are high fiber. I got 2 cans to try - hope they won't be as powerful as the Fiber One bars can be :lol:

I'm tired, my brain's in a fog, it's still overcast and gray here so I can't think of much anything to say. Guess I'll head on over to the office. Happy Monday chicks - hope you enjoyed your weekend.

Just a quick check in as I have to get something done ASAP. So I'll be back for personals later.

I had a busy (but fun) weekend and was away from here for a couple days. DH and I went fishing on Saturday which was fun and a gorgeous day to be out on the boat. Had a good day yesterday, but was busy from before sun up to well after sunset. I wanted to work on my website...but with the weather being SOOOO nice, and knowing that I'd better enjoy the nice weather while it's here...I chose not to spend too much time on the 'puter (just enough to track my WW points online). My eating went to h*ll at dinner time (had 2 grilled hot dogs with sauerkraut- yummmm!) - but I haven't used all my weekly extra points yet...so I guess I'm still okay. I'm continuing to step up the exercise, so hopefully my weigh in this week will be good.

Whew what a great weekend. Made it back from St. Louis safe and sound. The wedding was gorgeous. Ms. O was an absolute doll as the flower girl. I will try to post some pix soon, however my puter at home is so slow and cannot do it here at work.

Tracked to work in absolute dark this morning. It was the first time since last winter/spring. So it be known at 6:40 am in Indianapolis it is dark outside on the way to work. No wonder I wanted to keep sleeping.

Shad...it is approximately 6 weeks till Halloween. Giddy Up Girl...Knuckle down and I don't mean in the loo remodeling either.

Laura...yum..tomato basil soup, like one of my most favorite soups. Hella Bella keeps eating my cherry tomatos as they become ripe on the vine. So I have had only two cherry tomatos for myself.

Happy...holy crap, what would life be without car repairs. It is always something.

Chelle...wow on the steps girl. I am going to call you the high steppin' exercise Goddess. I, too, get my flu shot in a couple of weeks. I just talked to my doc about that on Thursday when I went to get my B12 shot.

Ceejay....yikes, danged ole arthritis. My mom has been battling it for 40 years. Absolute pain in the arse (joints).

MEL....cute Sunday picture. I left my windows open last night after getting back from St. Louis. It was too dang muggy all night and I didn't sleep well at all. I turned the air on this morning so I can sleep tonight, with any luck, I will sleep. Working at CVS tonight, Wed & Thurs. They gave me the weekend off. I won't complain about it.

Not much going on here, still in the raining mode.

Everyone have a great OP week and have a good check in on Thursday.

Much Love and Many Hugs,

Happy Monday ladies -

Ceejay - Good for you for getting your pedometer and for all the exercise! :dancer: You go, girl! We LOVE the DVR package and use it all the time both for recording and pausing/rewinding live TV when we or the dogs need a potty break, or when we don't hear clearly what was said. It would be so nice of you to rescue Crystal from your cousin's dog.

Mel - Has it warmed up any out there? I heard there was a major cold snap in the New England/East Coast area. But no more winter icons pls. I am not ready for that 4-letter word that begins with an S and rhymes with Tow. I'm so glad you're feeling better.

Laura - I love autumn mums! So colorful! I didn't get my Halloween decorations out yet even though a neighbor put their's out 2 weeks ago. I was going to do it yesterday...but the day got away from me.

Happy - So sorry to hear about the car repairs. Repairs are no fun, but not having car payments is nice. DH and I both have 1999 Toyotas (Corolla for me, 4Runner for him). We really like the reliability of Toyotas, and thankfully, they're still running great (knock on wood). I need a pair of comfy low-heeled boots for winter on the snowy days. Or maybe I'll just look for a cushy insole or whatver to place in mine since they are perfectly fine. Sorry to hear about your liver enzymes. If you figure out a good way to make your own V8, let me know. I love the stuff but not the sodium. As for the Progresso High Fiber soups, I tried a couple different ones and really liked them, but they are kind of high in points, especially compared to the Progresso Zero and One Point soups. I didn't have any "overactive digestion" problems with the soup, but then Fiber One bars don't bother me either. I love soup...but I hate to cook and the canned stuff is so high in sodium. So this weekend, I made a huge pot of zero point veggie soup. I took low sodium Vegetable Broth, added tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, onions, mushrooms, and lots of cabbage. Added some oregano and garlic for spice, and it turned out SOOO good. I'm just bummed out that I have only enough for a couple more days. I'll have to make more later in the week. Isn't is strange how you can work on decluttering the house for hours and get more behind than when you started? :dunno:

Shad - Glad to hear the loo is nearly finished and that you are feeling better about going back to work. It would be great to be independently wealthy and only have to work when you want to...but maybe now that you kind of want to, the universe will deliver a great job to you! :crossed: I wish you could send some of that spinach my way...the salad bar here is out of spinach today, and I miss it (never thought I'd say that!).

Annie - I'm so happy you had a great time at the wedding and got home safe and sound. Nice that CVS gave you the weekend off. I don't know when the sun rises here because it's still dark when I get to work and I'm not near any windows. But it's starting to get dark about 6:30 or so in the evening. :(

Well, it's time for my lunchtime walk. I've only got 2500 steps so far...so I've got to get moving. It's 66 and cloudy here. Hopefully it won't feel too chilly as I didn't bring a sweater. After work today, I'm going to the gym for cardio, abs and weights. Gotta burn off those two hot dogs from last night.

Love and hugs to all,

Hi chicks,

Checking back in.

I miss my COCA COLA!!!!!! I am trying to make it through lunch with just water. Will probably get up and make a green tea shortly. At least I get to put a little bit of sugar in that. Some habits are hard to break :lol:

Michelle - I almost fell over laughing about your comment playing the shows back on DVR because you could not hear what they were saying. I thought only we did that :rofl: Some of the shows are so muffled it gets annoying. I have to interpret for DH often. Sometimes no matter what, neither of us get it. There was one series (can't remember which) that was so bad I had to go in the spare room and watch the show on closed caption mode! Glad you got some fishing in - the night is closing around us. And what do you have against the word STOW??? :rofl:

I used to be one of the few houses in the neighborhood that decorated all out on Halloween. This year we are protesting the shennanigans in the homeowners association so much to DH's delight, the house will stay dark. In fact, we are considering moving our vacation to the end of October as I am afraid there won't be enough color to make the drive worthwhile. It's still warm here - in the 80's and rainy this week but next week it's supposed to cool off and that will encourage the trees to change.

Thanks Michelle for the info on the high fiber Progresso. I'm surprised. I figured with the extra fiber it would be less pointy - goes to show you - check it before you pop it in your mouth. Must be more pasta in those soups pushing the points. Your soup sounds absolutely delicious. I made the vegetable soup with the roasted veggies you passed along. It was good but needed more vegetables even though I added more. I am making the homemade V8 tonight or tomorrow - will let you know how it comes out. I'm not sure I could ever completely give up hot dogs so I understand your temptation :devil:

Annie - glad you had a good time at the wedding. I guess better Hella Bella get the tomatoes than those bloody blackbirds and squirrels. I would hate that they'd take 1 bite out of the regular tomatoes - just enough to ruin them and then they'd run off. :censored:

DH noticed we get a bit more light down here then you guys do. Dark is 5:45 - by 6:30am it's light enough for me to see. I notice the evening closing in faster, particularly since I leave work late. Gotta be on the road no later than 7pm in order to beat the blackness. Even driving home at 6 - 6:30, the oncoming headlights are bothering me. Won't be long before I have to get the yellow glasses out.

Still tired. Maybe I'll go do a lap or two around the building with my virtual friend Michelle :D

I went for a 45 minute walk at lunch time (7,000 steps = approx. 3 miles). My back was getting a little tweaky at the end, but now that I've sat for a few minutes, I'm doing great! Not bad considering that before my last cortisone shot, I couldn't walk much more than 5 minutes at a time. :)

Happy - Did you get your walk in? I remember you saying how you decorated for Halloween so much because you were in IL for Christmas. I don't blame you for boycotting decorating after all the homeowners association BS you had to deal with. We're probably at 30 or 40% fall color now. Even though I don't like that horrible season that comes after fall or all the STOW it brings, I love the fall colors. The High Fiber Soup is less pointy than regular Progresso, but has considerably more points than the Progresso Light 0 and 1 point soups. As for hot dogs...now that I've had Chicago style dogs, I can't eat the regular. Give me a good GRILLED Chicago dog (luckily they sell them in the grocery store) covered in kraut! Yummmmmm! You leave work at 7 pm??? Sheesh! That's crazy!! I'm glad I switched my hours because I'm usually home by 4 pm, which is typically when dusk is in January or February.

Sour kraut is a bust for me as I have to put some type of sweetner in it to like it well enough to eat. Kind of defeats the purpose of SOUR kraut. LOL.

Chelle.....Wow that is a LOT of steps for lunch time. It is 3 pm here and my pedometer says 1373. I usually rack them up the evenings I work at CVS, so I should be ok.

Happy....Good for you for drinking water instead of coca cola. My SIL quit drinking all sodas and opted for water and iced tea. Over a 9 mo period she lost 30 lbs and that was the only thing she changed in her diet. Now granted she was drinking more than two liters of soda a day.

I started drinking protein drinks for breakfast today. I think I need more protein in my diet and less carbs and such.

Not much else....

Annie - I have no doubt that you get a ton of exercise in while working at CVS! Great workout, and they pay you too! How cool is that! As for sauerkraut, I used to think I only liked it on bratwurst, but now that I've tried it on hot dogs....I almost wonder if it's not the sauerkraut that I crave rather than the meat! :lol: But the two combined is SOOOO good...the hot dogs HAVE to be grilled though. I only like boiled dogs if you add them to Bush's baked beans.

Have I started a pedometer trend? Sounds like a lot of you are counting (and trying to increase) your steps! We totally ROCK! :woohoo: Keep on rockin' (um...I mean walking), chicas!

I am a bit sad today....I just found out that a 3FC moderator, Meowee, passed away over the weekend. She was a really sweet woman who moderated the Dieting with Diabetes forum. She was so helpful and supportive and knowledgable. She always had some great words of wisdom and tons of compassion. She really helped me get my health back on track after I was first diagnosed with early diabetes, and I will always be grateful to her. May she rest in peace.

It's truly amazing how we can develop such special relationships without ever meeting. I truly feel blessed to have all you wonderful ladies in my life.

Chelle....Couldn't of said it better. I actually felt lost not posting for almost 4 days. Even if most of what is typed here by me is babble, it just feels good to know someone out there is listening.

I have actually been pedometering...since January and have earned 250 bucks through Humana. I have just a bit more to go and will earn another 100 bucks. You have helped with moving my steps upward however. WE ROCK SISTA'S

That's awesome that Humana rewards your activity with cash! :woohoo: I'd forgotten that you had started pedometering long ago. My apologies. Good for you for doing SOOOO well!

All the talk about the "dog's and krout" makes me think of the show Matlock. That was his favorite food.

It's about time for me to get things ready to go home. This has been a long day.

My pedometer shows 10,100 steps. It would be nice to get paid for doing this.

More later

Good morning ladies -

I'm a bit tired, but otherwise feeling great today. Yesterday, I got a ton of exercise - so maybe this good mood is lingering endorphins! I walked 3 miles or so on my lunch and had my 10K steps in before I left work. Then did 1/2 hour on the treadmill, 1/2 hour of Zumba dance class, and 1/2 hour of weights. Today, I'm going to a workshop after work, so there'll be no gym for me, and I'll be lucky to get my 10,000 steps in.

Ceejay - I didn't watch Matlock too often....too funny that that was his fave food. I had no idea. Good for you for getting over 10,000 steps in! :bravo:

I guess I'm the first one here for the day, so I'll come back later to check in with y'all.

Love and big hugs,

I CAN ALMOST SMELL THOSE DOGS AND KRAUT!! :hun: I HAVE BEEN HAVING A CRAVING FOR FRANKS AND BEANS. BUT I DIGRESS....I AM ON THE FLY THIS MORNING. JUST READ YOUR POSTS THOUGH. NO PERSONALS TODAY. NEED MY EYES FOR FLU FORMS. A FEW PEOPLE NEED HELP FILLING THEM OUT. SEEMS THE 3 PEOPLE WHO TOOK MY PLACE RUNNING THIS ARE INEPT AND CANNOT HANDLE THE LOAD. SO I AM HELPING OUT A FEW IN THE BLDG ONLY. NO CONTACT WITH "OUTSIDERS". SOME OF THESE SENIORS ARE EARLY RISERS SO I AM OFF TO BEGIN THE DAY.
HAPPY TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY. :moped:

MICHELLE...THANKS FOR TELLING US ABOUT MEOWEE. I HAVE READ HER STUFF BEFORE. I AM SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL MISS HER.

Good soggy morning ladies,

Another wet and rainy one here. Getting tired of the wet.

Happy Autumn on this side of the pond! Does that make it happy Spring to Shad? The days really fly to the end of the year now. Soon Mel will be talking holidays.

Ate on plan yesterday, got a walk in.

An hour and a half of exercise on top of 10,000 steps Michelle - you go girl! :carrot: I bought a nice pedometer a year ago - stashed it somewhere - must find it again.

Annie - I think it was a great idea to offer financial incentives to people for healthy activities. Sounds like you have a good plan there.

Our annual health care enrollment is next month. I really hope they are not going to up the premiums much - as you know they will. I am paying 4 times more for the same coverage we had under DH's plan. I hear they are making drastic changes to one of the other cheaper plans at work. President Obama was on Letterman last night. Said everything has gone down - cost of goods, wages, etc but health care costs have risen over 6 percent last year. He made some good points. AND never once talked about giving away free health care which everyone seems to be twisting his words. He said he's touting finding affordable health care for people - kinda like the seniors banding together en masse to get a better deal via AARP. I can relate to what he's saying - my aunt was widowed young and went without health insurance - and compromised her health for 17 years. My own Mom struggles - 1/3 of her pension goes to a crummy supplemental health care program. So it's not about giving deadbeats and illegals free medicine. Ok, off the soapbox now.

Mel - don't over tax the peepers. People are inept because it's easier to have Mel take over! :dunno:

Offering a little prayer for Meowee. In the course of posting here at 3FC, I have occasionally seen her. She seemed very helpful and witty. It's obvious people loved her very much. Sleep gently...

Time to get out on the wet roads. Hellos to the rest of the folks :wave:

Good Morning and already Tuesday.......

I actually slept all night last night. Whew WHoooooo!! My eyes are not baggy and actually a white color underneath instead of dark. Small victories. I have to admit I only got about 5400 steps yesterday. Was stuck behind the register last night, not much walking. We were busier than a one armed paper hanger till about 8:30 pm when the Colts game started. We had them lined up clear down the aisle into the milk cooler. (That is a long way...) Booze, chips, dip, and pretzels. People are nuts.

I am feeling a pretty good today. I have only had 2 drinks in about a week and that was at the reception. Plus drinking the protein drinks every morning and eating healthier. Amazing how the body responds to being treated with care and love. No junk food.

MEL...see there, you do the work that takes 3 other to do and they can't even do it. You are an amazing woman.

CHELLE...I am glad you are doing so well on your walking and exercising, it motivates me to do more. (Not a lot, mind you, but some) lol I did Zumba for a 6 week stint. My gosh that can kick your arse. Good for you. I hope to get the last level of my pedometer done by the end of the year as that would be another 150 bucks in the pocket. I will have to start working a lot harder at it to get there tho.

Ceejay...Dog's and Kout sounds like a German war movie...haha

Hidee Ho to all. Best get busy and at it.

Love and Hugs