Michelle - It's me, and I put Mel's name because she was the one who'd posted them on our thread originally.

Laura - Thanks for posting Mel's photos. The file names make total sense. There should be room on the thumb drive. I just have to get the captions added. My step-brother and I decided it's just too costly for me to join him on the road trip...and I should save my money and take a proper vacation to see him once he's settled. :beach:

When I was at the store I was picking up some Swanson Chicken and Beef broth which I use a lot. I noticed they also had a Mexican Tortilla Broth. That's what I used in the soup and it was delicious. If they don't have it at your store you can use chicken broth but you will have to add more cumin, and chili powder.

Crockpot Mexican Tortilla Soup
 

You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs. A lot of people recommended the chicken thighs as they are less dry. I had a package on hand so that's what I used. I was going to brown them as I usually do that even for crock pot cooking - the caramelizing adds a nice extra dash of flavor. But I was running behind so I just washed and trimmed the thighs.

Ingredients:
1 or 2 cans of Rotel brand diced tomatoes - use the ones with chilies in them - mild or hot to your liking. I used a can I had in the pantry that was a Mexican Tortilla flavor with lime and ciliantro in it. I have to admit I was disappointed when I opened this can - it was only about 2/3 full compared to their regular diced tomatoes. So I chopped up a couple of fresh Roma tomatoes and tossed them in too.

1 carton (32 oz) Swanson Mexican Tortilla flavored broth or Chicken Stock

1 can rinsed and drained Black Beans

1 package (10 oz) frozen sweet corn

1 seeded and chopped green bell pepper

1 seeded and chopped red bell pepper

3 cloves garlic finely diced

1 medium onion diced to your liking

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper - start with one teaspoon each and add more when you are about to serve the soup if needed

cilantro - 2 tablespoons dried / or a good handful of fresh finely chopped / or I used the frozen cubes in the freezer case (2 of them)

8 chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts - cleaned and trimmed

cumin and chili powder - see instructions

optional additional red chilies, chopped jalapenos, or Sriracha sauce to your liking to add heat

Garnishes for serving:
- Fresh Mexican Cheese Blend
- Chopped Avocado
- Sour Cream
- Tortilla Strips - lightly fry a regular tortilla and cut it into strips or use some crumbled tortilla chips
- Fresh lime wedges

Instructions:
Lay the chicken on the bottom of the crockpot. Add the Mexican Tortilla Broth. If using regular chicken broth add 1 teaspoon chili powder and 1 tablespoon cumin to add to the flavor of the broth. Add the chopped bell peppers, onion, garlic, bay leaf, frozen corn, cilantro and rinsed black beans. Add the can(s) of Rotel tomatoes - don't drain - add them with their juices. I also added a couple of diced fresh Roma tomatoes because I didn't think there was enough tomatoes in the can I used. Add the salt and pepper and any additional chili/heat seasonings you wish to add. Give it a good stir. I thought there wasn't quite enough liquid in the soup so I added a can of water. Apparently as the soup cooks it makes more liquid - DH said we could have skipped the extra can of water.

Cook on low setting for 8 hours or high for 6 hours. Soup is done when the chicken is fully cooked. When ready to serve remove the chicken and shred it with a fork and add it back to the soup. Taste the soup and add any additional salt and pepper or hot sauce to your liking.

If you want to use tortilla strips you can use regular tortillas and crisp them up in a bit of oil in a frying pan and then cut them into strips. We skipped to the strips to save calories and only missed them a little bit. ;) Serve the soup with garnishes of your choice. They recommend that you do not add the lime juice as the soup is cooking - add it when serving to get more of the lime flavor. It's a nice hearty soup for winter and if you don't get too crazy on the garnishes - it's also quite healthy. Enjoy. This makes at least 6 good sized soup bowls. I see no reason you can't freeze this in portioned containers either - just skip the tortilla strips.

Going to post personals now as I have an early morning physical therapy appointment and won't have time for much coffee drinking or browsing. We got some snow tonight. A couple of inches of heavy wet stuff but I don't think it will hang around long.

Thank you Michelle and Laura for your comments on the foam roller - they were very helpful. I didn't realize it was supposed to hurt so much but that hurt serves a purpose. I guess I won't beat the therapist with the roller when he approaches me again :lo: I got the extra shot today - right now my hip is very sore at the injection site even though they said they put a numbing agent in it. I think my neck is a tiny bit better but hard to tell if that's just from moving around. We'll see when I try to go to sleep shortly.

Michelle - I'm very sorry you didn't make the clinical trials. However if you would have needed to take time off for them and you don't get paid if you don't work - then in the long run you probably would not have gotten a lot of reimbursement :( I guess it's everyone's turn for the mammograms, isn't it? Hope your machine has heated plates too - if not - suggest it to the technician. Bummer about not going with the step brother but as you say, there were a lot of factors to consider. I'd be very interesting in hearing how he is doing. Not that I'd be courageous enough to do it myself but I am very fascinated in how people who opt to leave the country fare with their new lives. I hope he is very successful. I'd be scared! I wish you a very quiet day manning (or womaning) the phones tomorrow. Hopefully everyone will be able to figure out their own problems and you'll have a very manageable call load with easy, quick fixes :crossed: Thanks for the empathy on Mom - I am trying to remember that there are lots of folks who would love to have their moms back with them again - even if they drove them bonkers. She just fixates on things. I think the best thing to do is just give her the pat on the back because she probably doesn't want anything fixed. It is true that older folks don't like change at all.

Laura - sorry about the gain - temporary tiny set back. Renewed commitment now. How did you like the exercise class? Thanks for picking out some graphics - I'm sure Mel will enjoy them. Now if we could only get a video of us singing too as she loved to sing songs :lol:

Ceejay - hope you are feeling better. Did you do your video again?

Susie - hoping all goes well with DH's procedure on Friday. :crossed:

Shad - have you gotten a chance to rest up yet?

Annie - I hope you are sleeping soundly as I type this. Sorry to hear that you are having insomnia again. How frustrating!

Speaking of sleep guess I'd better set the alarm and get to bed myself. Catch up later...

Happy
I tried to do the video again but the phone kept interrupting me. I've been wanting some Mexican chicken tortilla soup. I did make some regular vegetable beef soup last night. Keep the snow up there please. Think we'll get some of that cold air though.

Michelle
That's probably a wise decision about going with you step brother. Wait till he gets settled in and then go for a visit.

Laura
I'm with the others on that small gain at your way in. I keep telling myself I didn't gain all this weight in one day. It's going to take more than one to get it off. I've set a goal for my next doctor's visit (which will be lab work and refills) for 190. I weighed 195 last Friday. He didn't say anything but his wife, his nurse and my friend did.

Susie
How are you?

Annie
Does your daughter think it will be less of a hassle to the C-Section instead of giving birth.

OH CHELLE....I will worry my head off the entire time you are gone if you help SB move to Belize. Personally, I wouldn't do it. I have heard of too many "arrests" for drugs even when you are innocent. Or getting shot and killed while traveling. I know on some of the resorts in Mexico, they say not to even leave the resorts. Your life is too good right now to shorten it. The decision is yours however, that is just my two cents. I will support and pray for you whichever you chose to do. Sorry about the research, but you know everything does or does not happen for reasons beyond our knowledge. Hugs sweet sister.

LAURA...bummer on the gain. At least is wasn't too awful much. Have fun at the step class altho I don't think any kind of exercise is fun.. lol

CEEG...I love it when it is so quiet at work. I can really concentrate of what needs to be done. Love it when everyone signs up for a training class and I don't...awwww peace.

HAPPY...my entire body aches for a couple of days after a deep tissue massage, but it feels great later. I may make an appt to get one in the next couple of weeks.

Hi SHADDIE and SUSIE...

Have a great day!

CHELLE..glad you are not going with SB. Amen.

HAPPY...Love the soup recipe, may try it in the next week or so.

CEEG...I think Sissy is just going with the known rather than the unknown on the type of birth.

Morning all. Rainy day here, but the temps are alright.

Annie - All this talk of massages makes me want to go get one! When I was doing Jazzercise over the summer, our instructor had her massage therapist at our class to distribute her cards/flyers. I still have them sitting in my purse! Need to find out where she operates. If it's not any further away than the jazzercise class locations, I'd consider going to her.

Ceejay - I guess I'm not too upset about the small gain - it could be anything from the clothes I'm wearing to water retention, etc. If I were on maintenance I'd be doing great, LOL! Unfortunately, I'm still not at goal, so I need to make real progress, not just these fluctuations up and down. Sigh. I'll keep plugging away. We won't give up, right??!! Back to your previous post - scary thing with the chlorine alarm going off. So glad it wasn't a real incident!!! I hope you have another quiet day at work.

Happy - I might need to use my foam roller tonight - my quads are sore from the exercise class last night. I hope your PT is a bit less painful today, and that they can do something about your neck pain. The chicken tortilla soup looks really tasty - and being a crock pot recipe is a bonus. I'll have to try it. Thanks for including your suggestions, comments in the recipe - it helps. Especially with the reminder that all the stuff cooking down in the crock pot will result in more liquid. I agree that chicken thighs are more moist and flavorful, but they are more of a PITA to trim than chicken breasts - guess what I use will depend on what's on hand and how much trimming I feel like doing... Didn't know about the mexican flavored broth - I'll have to check the market for it. Back a couple posts - meant to comment that I haven't heard anything about "frosted" hair in sooo long, LOL! So, the new color is heavy on the highlights?? :D

Michelle - Have to say I'm glad you opted not to drive down to Belize with your bro. It sounds like an adventure, but who knows what could happen?? Actually, Belize City is one of the ports of call on my cruise in February, but I have yet to do any research on it or what I might want to do during the little time we have there. It's supposed to be beautiful, so an actual vacation in Belize once your brother is settled sounds wonderful. :beach:

Hellos to Shad and Susie!!
===
Of course I misread the schedule again, so the class wasn't Step with Abs, it was Body Works with Abs. But I think I liked this class better than a step class because it was all strength training using hand weights for almost the whole class. There was a lot of moves in the lunge position. Not my favorite thing, but at least they were done while in the lunge position and not the type where you're always stepping back or forwards into the lunge position. There were also a good amount of squats, so between those two moves, my quads are pretty sore today. But not anything like the first kettlebell or the first spin classes I ever took - those two set my personal benchmark on extreme quad muscle soreness!!! I have a feeling the class could get to be monotonous because it appears the instructor does the same thing every time. That said, it would take a while for it to no longer be challenging. Whenever you can add (more) weight, you continue to challenge yourself.

Other than that, nothing much to report. I finally sewed the loose button on a jacket. I kept forgetting for so long that was sure it would finally fall off one day, but nope! It was nice to button my coat today and not worry about losing that loose button. It's the little things, LOL. :D

Okay, meeting in 10, so I better get ready. Everyone have a good day!! ;)

Morning,
Moving day. My gear is all packed and ready to move off to the new place. I am looking so forward to getting out of the hotel. The landlord takes off on a plane at midday so she can't dither too much more. I will check out of here and leave my luggage, go pick it up tonight and take a cab to the new place. Get settled in and figure out what is what in the neighbourhood. So if you don't hear from me for a day or so, I am stuck in the lift, got lost, got lost in the big foodstore 2 doors down or I am over the road drinking coffee. I'll be back.
I must admit, I am getting somewhat annoyed about not hearing from Jen. I know she is fragile, I know she is not always well, but a one liner occasionally isn't too difficult surely - or even from Richie. It would be nice to know what gives - good or bad. Might have to try something different. Carla are you there?????

Work carries on regardless or rewardless if you like. The more you delve into what the guy before me did, the more you shudder and wonder how some of these people get jobs. Its not rocket science but if some one wants to have a look at a (for example) work order document on the system wouldn't it be nice if the instructions actually told you what information you could see when you got in there? One such document shows how to put in the document number, how to press enter, displays a screen and then finishes. Not even a word about what you are supposed to be looking at and whether the information you might seek is staring you in the face or you might actually have to click on another tab to see what you want. For ***** sake mate. I might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but at least I know that bit.

Happy - That soup sounded really nice. However I don't think I have seen Mexican broth either here or at home. Might have to look for it. Certainly there is chicken broth around. some shopping coming up in my future by the look of it.

Laura - some classes only seem to repeat and repeat and repeat. However you can challenge yourself by upping the weights as you say. Maybe some ankle weights might also help the legs but it can get boring. Sewing buttons on helps if you are out in the cold wind with an open coat.

Ceejay - glad the alarm wasn't for real. What were the guys doing outside anyway? Having a smoke?

Susie - Good luck with the new job. Hope it all comes together for you nicely

Annie - even though I can't see the features in the ultrasound it is interesting to see the technology which wasn't around in my times of pregnancy. Hope you get some relief on that ankle soon.

Michelle - Glad to hear that you are not driving down to Belize. The poverty and crime in some of those countries is horrendous. Wouldn't it be nice if some of the really rich folk started to think about education for children in some of the really poor spots and gave them a chance instead of spending a whole stack of time trying to evade income tax on money they can't spend in a lifetime.

Okay - time being what it is, I'd better get showered and changed for the day ahead. At least it is Thursday and I get to go to my new flat. Weekend is coming. Yahoo.

Unfortunately the chlorine alarm was real. But it didn't do to much harm, maybe the guys will learn next time to make double sure. Shad, they came out of the chlorine room to let it and them air out. I went down to check on the outcome.

Shad
I'm sure it's frustrating for all of us not hearing from Jen and Mel. They may have drafted her to do Mel's job.

Laura
Yes, I'm determined to get this weight off. I need to be healthy both on the inside and outside.

-------
Not much going on. I think the snow that Happy has turned into rain when it got into warmer temps. It's supposed to drop to 39 tonight so we're getting that cold front.
Got a text from my friend this morning. She's all bandage up and said that the only thing she'd be able to eat will be milk shakes and or maybe ice cream. Think I'll kid her about dressing for Halloween a bit late.
Not sure how I'm going to handle the sleeping arrangements as I only have one bed. And no I'm not sharing. It will depend up on her circumstances.
I do have a blow up mattress I could use.
Guess I need to get busy.

Good afternoon ladies,

So far, my day of covering the help desk has been pretty quiet. I think that's because most of the staff is at the conference where my boss and the network admin are providing support. :lol:

Yesterday was a bad day in terms of eating. I have never thought of myself as a compulsive overeater before...but yesterday, I definitely was. I was eating pretty much all day long, even though I wasn't hungry. And I was eating junk (the Halloween candy people brought into the office) pretty much non-stop during the work hours. I went to the gym after work and did 20 minutes on the bike (since I hadn't been in a couple weeks, I stopped when I started to feel the twinge in my back). Once home from the gym, I heated up some split pea soup that D made and brought over the other day. It was delicious.

Today, I have promised myself that I can go 1 day without any sugar. I did use Splenda on my steel cut oats, and it's in my flavored water, and in the sugar-free cocoa that I use to make my morning cafe mocha. But no candy, cookies, or anything like that for me today. I usually eat a Quest protein bar right before I go to the gym. They have lots of protein and fiber and are made with Sucralose.

It boggles my mind how I can continue to eat sweets when I know what it's doing to my diabetic body. It's flippin' ridiculous, and embarassing to admit. All the consequences that go along with diabetes are super scary. I am seeing my doc on Friday to review my blood tests...no idea how they'll turn out...hopefully I'll be in the okay range. I've got an appointment with a clinical nutritionist next week Thursday. And hopefully, I'll be able to get some physical therapy visits too.

==================

Happy - Thanks for the Tortilla Soup recipe! I hope the snow melts on it's own. That heavy, wet stuff is a pain (literally) to shovel/clear. You're right about the money for the study not being much of a reimbursement if I'd have to miss 2 half days of work. I think my step-brother will do quite well. He's very skilled at construction and repair. He should have no trouble finding work. You're right about your mom...just pat her on the back because it's not worth trying to get seniors to listen to reason when their mind is made up and fixated on something. One tip...after you get a massage or foam roller treatment or pretty much anything PT does to you...drink LOTS of water as that will help to flush out the lactic acid and other toxins that they worked out of your muscles.

Annie - I'm worried about my step-brother driving through Mexico. And I was a bit nervous about going myself as I've heard the horror stories of people being jailed indefinitely for a traffic violation like a broken taillight that the Mexican police smashes. I'm trying to find some sort of prepaid cell phone that I can give him that will work in Mexico and Belize so that he can check in each night.

Laura - Better you than me on that Body Works class. I hate lunges. I used to have an instructor that would make us all lunge walk our way across the room, back and forth 10+ times. Ugh. Give me wall squats any day. Good for you for getting the button sewed on. It's cool enough here to warrant a light jacket in the early morning. Temps in the early morning are 45-50, with high temps in the low to mid 70s. This weekend is a cool down though with high temps in the low 60s. It's warmer than what I'd be dealing with in Milwaukee.

Shad - I hope you enjoy your new place. I agree that I wish we would hear more from Jen. I hope the office hasn't drafted her into taking all of Mel's duties. I hate when instructions aren't clear. Sometimes I go overboard, but I always make sure that I do enough screenshots and instructions to truly walk a person through a system. You're right about the poverty and crime, especially in Mexico...not as much in Belize.

Ceejay - I hope your friend has a speedy, complete and relatively painless recovery. I think I could live on a milk shake diet. :rofl: Of course it wouldn't do my diabetes much good. I hope you can figure out the sleeping arrangements so they work for both of you.

Gotta get back to it. Here until 5 pm and then off to the gym.

Much love and many hugs,

Update: I succeeded in my no sugar day. And as much as I kept trying to detour away from going to the gym...literally, I did....I took the most circuitous route possible I think....I ended up going to the gym and doing 30 minutes on the bike.

Another update: For months, I've been trying to find the blog I started at the beginning of the year when I was still deeply entrenched in the mourning of my marriage. I didn't want to relive or feel those emotions again...but I did some powerful writing that I'll want to use in my book. Tonight, out of the blue, I logged onto a blogging site (blogger.com), and it still remembered who I was...and there was my blog! :woohoo: Big victory. :D

Good Morning.

Beautiful day here today. Not real warm but tolerable. Sun is shining brightly, had to close the blinds here at work as I was being blinded by the sun. (wrapped up like a duece, I'm gonna roll her in the night)...Duece is a semi truck for those of you that do not know the slang. lol.

Not much going on here, baby boy was by before class and slept most of the time he was there. I talked to myself mostly. C went fishing yesterday in the rain but had great success. Caught two huge bass, the biggest he has ever caught. I was asleep in bed by the time he got home. Too pooped to pop.

CHELLE. Good on you for the exercising even when you don't feel like it. Glad you found your blog. Good things come to those who stumble around on the computer. lol Glad you are not going to Mexico. I worry about enough people. Glad you have your eating under control again.

CEEG...good luck with the new roomie. Don't make it to easy on her by giving her your bed. That situation may not change very fast. At least if she is on the blow up mattress, she might make the effort to get a bed. Just sayin'

SHADDIE...glad your are settling in. All that packing and moving around, are you sure you want to leave your luggage out of your sight? Um I remember it got lost the last time you left it somewhere....lol. I agree with you about Jen, just a line or two would be great. I don't think she knows how much we love MELLIE and what she means to us.

LAURA...lunges, yuck. Now we all know I don't like exercising, but lunges are the worst. No thank you. My sketcher's shape up rocker sneakers will be here on Monday. I hear that your heiny and legs are tortured until you get used to them. Yikes. Torture, God knows I need tortured. lol

Hello's to HAPPY and SUSIE....have a marvelous day.

oh p.s. Tomorrow is my bestie's dad's funeral, I may or may not get to post.

Loves and hugs have a blessed day.

Morning all.

Michelle - Yay for staying away from the sweets, and for getting to the gym!!! It must be so difficult to have to cut the sweets from your diet. Nice you found your blog again and can access what you wrote.

Shad - Hope you're settled comfortably into your new digs and that you haven't gotten hopelessly lost in the neighborhood or the giant supermarket. Do you have to shop for a shower gift? Ugh, cleaning up another person's mess - doesn't it make you want to just start from scratch?

Ceejay - How are things going with your friend recovering at your place? Has someone had to sleep in the recliner or on the sofa??

Annie - So fish will be in the menu in the near future?? Yeh, I'm not feeling so great about lunges right now on day 2 of this soreness. Ugh. Good luck with the new shoes - make sure you have some of your old shoes on hand to change into so you don't overdo it during the first few days!

Hi Happy, Susie!

I hope we hear from Jen soon with an update on Mel!!!
==
Nothing much to report. I was walking home from the train last night and about a half block from the station I found someone's train ticket. Luckily he'd written his phone number on the back, so we were able to meet right on my way home so I could return it to him.

I used my foam roller and another torture device last night for my quads, but I'm still very sore today. I probably will not do a class tonight, but I suppose if bf is going to the gym, I could go with him and do some upper body and ab work. We'll see.

That's about it for me. Everyone have a good day.
:coffee2::coffee2::coffee2:

Not sure why I posted those mugs of tea, I've brewed two mugs this morning and both tasted like soap to me. Bleccch! And yes, I thought I'd rinsed the mug and lid thoroughly before brewing both. I gave up and switched to my water. :shrug:

Morning everyone,

I went to physical therapy yesterday and they did some traction stuff on my neck. For the first time in days I was able to fall asleep at night relatively quickly. The pain has been really interfering with my sleep. I am still quite sore, especially where the med student gave me the cortisone shot but I can see where the exercises and ice are helping so I am motivated to keep up with the program. I was watching an old Ina Garten cooking show a while back and she made crab cakes. I love crab cakes and they are so expensive when you order them in a restaurant. Some of the frozen ones I think are made with the fake crab stuff too. So I bought the ingredients and finally got around to making them last night. Boy were they good! And easy to make too. I made them a generous portion size so got 5 from the batch. I had literally not eaten anything other than a morning coffee by the time dinner rolled around so I cooked up 3 of them but they are rich so 2 was plenty. I put the 3rd cooked one back in the refrigerator - will make a nice sandwich and froze the other 2 uncooked ones. I also made peanut butter cookies for DH who had a hankering for them. I am chastising myself because time is running out and I still need to cook up at least 3 batches of dog treats for the photo event. DH is going today to see the doctor about his cateract which is bothering him, tomorrow I go to the dentist and I have the weekend open right now to get busy. Next week with physical therapy, doctor's appointments and working one day - the whole week is going to fly by. I am just a bit disappointed to see that it is getting cold in Chicago - you had some weather in the 50's and by the time I get there, the cold winds will be blowing. We got up this morning and checked the thermometer and it got as cold as 15 degrees last night. Everyone (including me) is not ready for this yet. DH did turn on the fireplace this morning and it felt nice. I'm surprised the kitties didn't cuddle up nearby.

Annie - thanks for the slang reference. I was not aware of that but am quite familiar with the song which will probably dance in and out of my head all day long today. :lol: The slant of the sun these days is not one of my favorite - always seems to highlight the foggy/dirty car windows and with the big windows I have in my house it is both a blessing and a curse. I love the way it lightens the house and actually warms it, but the sun is quite intense. Sitting at the counter eating sometimes I have to put on a baseball cap to shield my eyes. I have MBT's - the original rocker shape up shoe and never really had a problem with them. They are quite cushy and I think my feet not hurting was more noticeable than any possible calf pain. I hope they work for you too!

Michelle - so glad you found your journal. I agree with you - even if you have written down personal thoughts, it's nice to go back and re-read how you were feeling and what was going on. Sometimes in your case it will give you a comparison to see how far you have come and that healing does happen - even if it's hard to believe at the darkest of times. :D I understand now why people who journal are really into the process. Be careful with the artificial sugars - they are doing more and more studies that indicate that getting a sweet taste - be it from artificial or natural means - just brings on the cravings for more sweet. Use fresh fruit instead of Splenda, regular water with lemon instead of flavored water. And believe me - I totally understand how hard it is to get away from sweetness (as she sits here with her one coffee of the day with Vanilla creamer ;) ) one odd thing I noticed was that as I got away from sugars, I developed a craving for carbs. Now I think of savory - breads, Ritz crackers, pasta - which is STILL sugars as far as the body is concerned. :rolleyes: But congrats to you on making the conscious effort to change your habits. You can do this. One day at a time! I was doing a bit of reading on travelling to Belize and OMG - I am very glad you opted against this. You'd be better driving to Alaska instead. I hope step-brother will be ok.

Ceejay - talk about OMG - how scary on the chlorine mess! That stuff is really toxic. I'm glad it got caught in time. Easy to forget you work around some rather potent stuff. :yikes: I guess it's good to have the blow up bed if you don't need a regular guest bed. Will ensure your friend does not overstay her welcome. They are good for a short period of time but not long term sleeping unless you are 5 years old - young and flexible with no achy parts. :lol:

Shad - I hope if we don't hear from you that you are either grazing the foodstore or enjoying an alfresco coffee and certainly not stuck in a lift! :yikes: I sent another note to Jen yesterday. If we don't hear by early next week, perhaps we can entice Carla to speak to the office manager again. I don't want to bug people but like you and the rest of us, crave a morsel of info. I look forward to hearing the results of your ramblings around the new digs - hopefully there's some interesting walkabouts and things to see. I also hope you have TIME to enjoy something more than just the bed in the apartment. Still on 12 hour days? Yes it IS amazing how some people hold a job - the more of a yes-man :yes: and schmoozer, the higher they go in the ranks too it seems.

Laura - according to the Swanson website they have not only Mexican Tortilla broth, but also a Sweet and Sour flavor as well as a Thai flavor. We are lucky to get one extra flavor here - you might be luckier and find more. The Thai one could be interesting too. As for your question about my hair - at first it was a chocolate brown with deep red highlights that gave it an auburn color. This re-color she gave me a lot of lighter blond highlights - more than I thought she would actually and it took out the red and up'd the color to a lighter brown. There's a lot of teeny blonde in it - up close it looks frosted because of all the highlights but it's not the chunky dark and light blonde you think of traditional frosted hair. I like the highlights because it catches the light better. Still loved the first color - especially under bright lights - but this color is more flattering. Glad you got a good workout with your classes. You are an exercise machine. I'm sure you are getting really toned. Have you taken measurements as well as your weightloss? I'll bet you are skinnier now!

Hi Susie!

Gotta run and get ready. Bye.

Good Morning ladies -

Tonight I have my online writer's workshop that starts at 6, so I'm skipping the gym. D has a busy weekend...looks like the only time we'll get to see each other is Sunday for lunch.

Tomorrow, I'll be in to work late as I've got a doctor appointment, so not sure when I'll get to post.

===========
Annie - Congrats to C on the successful fishing day! Sounds like a relaxing evening was had by all. I'm glad you finally got some sleep. Sending my deepest sympathies to your friend.

Laura - Lunges are awful, but they do really burn the calories and strengthen the leg and glute muscles. Diabetics don't really have to completely eliminate all sweets...we mostly just have to watch our carbs, especially refined carbs and potatoes (white flour, white rice, white pasta, and sugar - especially sugary sodas and candy). For me, ice cream doesn't spike my blood sugar as high or as quickly as potatoes. And if we eat carbs with some protein, that slows down the sugar spike. I usually try to not have just bread (even high fiber bread) unless I have some protein with it (meat or peanut butter). So nice of you to return that man's train ticket...and so lucky for him that you found it before a less honest person found it. Bummer about the tea. Are you going to post photos of your nearly at goal skinny figure?

Ceejay - I hope things are going okay with your roommate. Is she going to stay there quite awhile or just until she's recovered from her surgery?

Happy - I'm glad the physical therapy and the exercises and ice are helping. Cortisone injection sites can be sore for a few days, at least that's been my experience with the ones in my back, and the neck is a more sensitive area. The numbing agent they use wears off in a few hours like novacaine, which is why my docs always told me that after the shots, ice will be my best friend. Wow you really were Betty Crocker yesterday with crab cakes and peanut butter cookies. Dang, 15 degrees?! :brr: You're right about the journal showing me how far I've come...how much I've healed. Thanks for the kudos about my quest to reduce/cut out sugar. I know that artificial sweeteners aren't good either and I've read that they do bring on the sugar cravings...but at least according to the Mayo Clinic artificial sweeteners do not spike blood sugar or increase insulin production...unless the item in question has a lot of carbs in addition to the artificial sweetener (then it's the high carbs that will increase insulin production). I just want to reverse my diabetes before I have any of the scary complications. Belize is a lovely place to visit, and I will now that I'll have a place to stay for free. It's the drive through Mexico that's scary. My step-brother is minimizing the amount of time he'll be in Mexico by driving through the Southern states (So. Cal, Arizona, and Texas) and then heading into Mexico along the Gulf Coast, rather than entering Mexico at Tijuana and driving through practically the entire country. When do we get to see photos of your new hair color??

Shad - I hope you're settling in. Any plans for the weekend?

Lots to get done today, so I'd better get back to it.

Love and hugs

I guess I have to get tips on selfies from younger people. I have tried a couple of times in the house and the bathroom and cannot get across on a photo what I see in the mirror :( - the color is not as pronounced or the camera's in the way or the angle is bad. I'm sure the color will show up better outside. If we get a sunny, not too breezy day soon, I'll see if DH can snap a shot.

Looks like DH is going to get cataract surgery the end of January. The hospital is over an hour's drive away on the highway. I do wish he had planned this for a little earlier in the year - particularly this year when we had no problem meeting our high deductible and I wouldn't have to worry about driving in a potential snow storm. I guess he thought he could make an appointment now and get the work done just after Thanksgiving but the doctor is pretty booked up.

Happy - So sorry to hear that your DH needs cataract surgery, and too bad he can't get scheduled for sometime in December. If the weather looks like it will be bad, do you think you'd be able to get your cousin to drive you?

I received an email that my blood tests results are in and were posted to my account on a secure website. I thought that was pretty cool. My A1C came back really good (6.0)...so I guess my meds are doing their job...now I just gotta lose weight, improve my diet and exercise more to try and lower my meds. My thyroid test came back elevated...so I might have hypothyroid (I'll talk to the doc about that on Monday - I learned today that the appointment is Monday not tomorrow). The doc is going to run a different thyroid test, but I don't have to go in for it...they can do it with the blood they collected last weekend. My triglycerides are a bit high, and my good cholesterol is low...but overall my cholesterol is ok (from my interpretation of the numbers...we'll see what the doc has to say).

Heading out soon...20 minutes left in the day, and then 1 more day 'till the weekend. :woohoo:

Good Morning...working a half day then going to funeral...

C cleaned the fish he brought home on Wednesday. He caught over 120 fish but only kept about 10 or so. Will try to post the pix from it. He cleaned fish, I went and got my hair cut.

HAPPY...boy I sure would try to get hubby to get catarac surgery done before the end of the year since you have met your deductible already. I can never take a selfie that I like. I don't know how these kids do it all the time.

CHELLE...glad to hear most of your tests came back good. Yeah for you.

LAURA...way to go on returning the train ticket. Creates good karma.

Hello SHADDIE, CEEG and SUSIE...

Have a wonderful weekend.

Loves and hugs

Curtis' fishies
 

beautiful catch

Morning all. TGIF!!! :carrot:

Annie - My condolences to your friend and her family for loss of her father. Re the train ticket - I just know how I'd feel if I lost my ticket - it's a monthly and we're only a week in. Do unto others...

Michelle - Glad to hear the meds are controlling your diabetes. I guess the diabetic eating guidelines wouldn't be too bad once you became accustomed to them, but it still takes some real thought and planning on top of strength of willpower!! But what's the alternative - not good. Bf has a friend that had to have a kidney transplant a few years ago because of his diabetes, but he was someone who didn't take good care of himself at all. Hope the thyroid levels are nothing serious. How was your writing workshop last night??

Happy - Yum - crabcakes! Yum - peanut butter cookies! I'm glad the PT seemed to help your neck and you got better sleep. How do you feel today?? Yeh, it's getting cold here in Chicago. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 50's but today - brrrr! Got pretty cold last night and today the leaves are a-fallin'. But not our oak in the backyard. It will not lose its leaves until the last week of leaf pickup service has passed, LOL. Sorry to hear about the bad timing of your dh's cataract surgery. Get on the cancellation list and maybe it could be done sooner?? Otherwise, I hope the weather cooperates.

Ceejay - Hope you're off enjoying your weekend and you worked out the living arrangements with your friend for her temporary stay.

Hi Shad! Enjoy the time with your family this weekend at your niece's shower!

Hi Susie!! Best wishes to your hubby and his med procedure!!
===
Nothing much to report. I had bf pick me up at the train last night and drop me off this morning. Still rather sore, so no exercise last night. I believe my trial run at the gym ends today. We'll see if bf wants to go work out tonight. I'd be up for doing some non-leg work.

Tomorrow will be in the 50's, so bf and I will get the garage in shape, or at least the little it needs to to get the car in there. It's cold now, so there's been a lot of frost on the car and it's a PITA to scrape it. Now that we've made a lot of decisions about organizing the space, it'll be easier to deal with.

No other plans, but a lot around the house that needs doing.

The admin is leaving the office early today. Another person is taking Monday off. We don't get Veterans Day off - boo. I might schedule a day off for next Friday.

Okay, enough rambling. Have a great day everyone!!
:cofdate:

Great catch! Enjoy the meals!!

Morning all,

Oh man - soapbox moment for the morning. Ahem... :soap: On my way to here today I see on Yahoo's homepage that the 24 year old daughter of hockey player Wayne Gretzky has landed the cover of a magazine. How did she do this? By constantly posting bikini pictures of herself on Instagram and Twitter. The internet noticed her and now she is on her way to fabulous things. Why do I care? Actually I don't - it's just one more SMH (shaking my head) moment as to the dumbing down of America. Wasn't bad enough girls all over are posting selfies in various states of undress all over the internet. Now this goofball is encouraging the world - success, the path to riches and the fame that most young people crave can be had if you follow her example. I really believe we are headed to a new Sodom and Gomorra (sp?). The other day they were featuring "wedding bikini's" for those who have beach weddings and don't want to wear a heavy wedding dress. :rofl: The more I see the outside world, the more I want to turn it off. Ok, end of my speech. I will step down now. ;)

I'm feeling better today so I'm happy to say that the shot and therapy is working. I still have an extreme pressure in my back but have gone from excruciating to strong discomfort. Still a lot of knots and kinks but I have hope if I keep up with my stretches and ice I will be ok by next week.

Made a batch of dog treats yesterday. One down, 2 to go. Would have made more but I noticed just as I was about to pour that the oatmeal I had (they give us some supplies) was the old fashioned kind - not the quick cooking one. Good thing I saw that before I attempted another batch at 10pm. I have to go to the dentist in a little bit, pick up a prescription and stop at the thrift shop and get some treat bags. I will grab a box of oatmeal I was holding on the side for these treats.

Laura - I admit I was disappointed to see your weather turn cold - with temps in the 50's I was hoping to see a bit of a warm up as well as maybe some last bits of tree color but it doesn't appear to be that way. Good for you for getting the garage organized. You'll really appreciate it on those cold mornings. There was something on FB the other day about a homemade spray that de-ices fast but I didn't pay a lot of attention. It had vinegar in it and I wondered about what it might do to the car finish. Really nice of you to call and return that fellow's ticket. Huge chunk of change there had he lost it at the beginning of the month. You are a good person! :hug:

Annie - what great looking fish! You are going to be eating good in the neighborhood fo sure! 120 fish - he must have been in fisherman's heaven. Guess he found a good spot where they were biting. Glad he had a good time. As for the cataract surgery - we are limited to a busy schedule which is common here. Could drive farther out - 3 hours to Minneapolis or 2 hours to Eau Claire but the whole process is several trips and in the end not worth it even if we get in sooner. I will ask my cousin for help driving if the weather should be really bad. It is highway driving but we don't have a lot of traffic which is a blessing. Are you seeing the kids this weekend?

Michelle - DH belongs to a big health network and can view things online and email questions. He really likes it a lot so glad you are getting a benefit too. Your A1C is pretty good - seems like with some effort you can bring that below 5.6 - very encouraging. Bummer on the thyroid - they never seem to get that adjusted to the degree you feel more peppy. But you can substitute endorphins for that ;)

Hello to the rest of the chicks. I have to pop in the shower so I'll catch up with the rest of you later.

Good morning ladies -

Not much time to post this morning. Had a great writing workshop last night. The workshop is really about tapping into our innate creativity, discovering what blocks us and working through those blocks. Always a good time on the call. The author who leads the workshop is SARK. I've loved her books since I was in my early 20s. She's amazing, positive, and uplifting.

This morning, I watched a 10 minute video shared on FB. It was so lovely and moving...the beauty of nature, the wisdom of youth (out of the mouths of babes), and the perspective of age.
http://www.upworthy.com/clear-your-n...re-week?c=ufb1

Tonight and tomorrow is cleaning and laundry. Also tomorrow is helping my step-mom's friend with their computer. Sunday, I'll be getting together with D for lunch and going to a library book sale with a friend. And I'll be making time to write this weekend in between everything else.

==================

Annie - Wow! 120 fish! That's incredible! He brought home a great catch...enjoy your meals. Still sending prayers to your friend and her family.

Laura - Good idea to get the garage in shape so you can get the car in there. We don't get Veteran's Day off either, which is fine by me as I don't get paid for holidays since I'm a contractor.

Happy - I'm right there with you on the soapbox railing against the women who use their sex appeal to overshadow their brains/talent. What is that telling the young girls? Especially Miley Cyrus' twerking?! I mean really? Her fan base is young...as evidenced by the teddy bears she danced with and dressed up as. I'm very happy that your therapy and shot are helping. I should make Santa a batch of those dog treats. I've never heard that the desired A1C is 5.6. Is that for "normal" (aka, non-diabetic) people? I've always been told that anything 6.0 or lower is the goal for me.


:wave: to Shad, Ceejay and Susie


Love and hugs,

Michelle - I heard if you can get and sustain your A1C to 5.6 or below you are no longer considered pre-diabetic :dance: :yay: I am at 5.7 and really working harder on it now.

Happy - That's great news!! Are you on any medication for diabetes or pre-diabetes?

Hi girls,
My company has left. She was a really good patient and enjoyed her company. But I'm glad to have my space to myself. I may have made her mad cause I woke her up and old her that if she was in the hospital she could sleep all da. She'd slept 12 hours.
I couldn't get the t.v. monitor to work and tried to take it back but since I didn't have the receipt it was no go. Sigh. A big light bulb moment this afternoon as was walking by the t.v. in the bedroom. I checked and it's compatible to the mother board. I'm using a 25 inch screen. I feel like I need to be farther back from the screen.

Annie
Nice catch of fish! I would have loved to have been there.

Happy
That's a good A1C number. I've been saying the same thing about the Sodom and Gomorah (sp) aspect of our country.

Michelle
Glad that your meds are helping with your diabetes. You have been working hard too.

Laura
Yesterday was cold and windy but today it was really nice--50s range. Got out and mulched the leaves. Usually whenever I'm outside the neighbors come out and visit which hinders me a bit. But I enjoy the visit. Everyone wanted to know if I had bought a new vehicle.

Shad
Are you buried in your work?

Morning all,

Busy day ahead of me. I am committed to getting some things done before I sit on the computer so will be back later. Have a good weekend everyone.

Good morning ladies -

I'm making progress on captioning the images. So far, I've got Annie's, Carol's, Donna's, Java Turtle's, and Ceejay's done. Next up...Shad's, then Laura's, then mine, and the ones Mel posted herself.

Other stuff on the list today is laundry, which is in the dryer...vacuum and mop the kitchen floor, and clean the bathroom and my bedroom.

I'll try and check in later.

Hope you all have a great Saturday!

love and hugs,

Everyone is always busy on Saturday's. I'm doing laundry as well.

Did get to exercise some more last night. Found another good video on you tube.

Have a good day. I'll be back to read.

Shad - you doing ok? Haven't heard from you - hope you are not buried under some desk.

Hi Everyone.

Update on John. He did not go back into rhythm this time :( BUT, they did an internal echo cardio gram where they looked at all areas of his heart and they said it is a beautiful heart. NO blockages, no narrowing of the arteries and there were no blood clots. Knowing this is a blessing.

So for now he stays on the blood thinner and we will go back and discuss other options to try or not to try with the cardiologist.

I do have a 1 lb loss to report for myself at Thursday's TOPS weigh-in. :)

We bought a new scale at home so we both can weigh-in on Saturday together and some hand weights to have there in case we don't make it out to the Y--DH says he is committed to getting back to working out and relieving stress. They talked to him about that a great deal at the hospital. They said it can help greatly with the afib and it is important that his heart stay strong since afib can weaken it. They told him he is blessed to have a beautiful heart with no damage and that in the past he has done good things for his heart and he needs to be sure he continues doing so.

Have a great day everyone!

Susie
That is great news for your dh. And a one pound loss is good also.

--------------
Nothing new to report.
Has any one heard from Jen?

Morning all,

Busy bee reporting in now. Everything is taking 3 times as long as I want it to. :rolleyes: That means some things on the to do list just won't get done and I'm ok with that.

Friday was really sort of an annoying day all around. It was wet and rainy/snowy - miserable and cold. I have a theory that wet weather clogs up people's minds and makes them do dumb things like pull out in front of you when you're doing 50 miles per hour on a wet road and there's no one behind you but they just can't wait. I stopped in the thrift shop to get more dog treat supplies and afterwards stopped in a local store they just renovated just to check things out. Customers in there lost their manners too. I was at the dentist earlier and they took impressions to make me mouth trays for a fluoride treatment. One bad thing about well water vs city water is it doesn't contain fluoride. My teeth are quite sensitive and just a toothpaste alone is not helping enough so they will give me these trays. They took the first impression and showed it to the dentist. It wasn't good enough so take another. The doc approved the second one. Got home later on and DH said the dentist called. Apparently they took the WRONG impressions and could I come back? Really? I'm not sure how that happened when they knew what they were taking impressions for and had them checked twice by both the dental assistant and the dentist. Now I have to waste another trip out there tomorrow. And my schedule this week is quite tight so I really can't afford any interuptions. In fact I am questioning the wisdom of working at the shop on Thursday afternoon but I'm hoping I can knock off a task or two while I'm sitting at the shop doing nothing. It's gotten VERY slow there.

And then there was the thing about taking a flight. I believe the last time I flew was in January 2003 - a long time ago. Since then things have changed quite a bit. I spent a fair amount of time researching all the particulars - size of checked bag, can I use my Kindle or iPod (not connected to Wi-Fi) on the flight? I am also flying out of a small airport with a checked back and the service counters are only open for a very limited time frame. I guess I need to check my bag outside with the sky caps. I think I'm going to purchase a few shirts on sale at Kohls and have them shipped to my Mom's to limit what goes in the luggage. So much easier travelling in the summer with lighter clothing. I hope I got everything figured out.

I am bummed that I lost track of 2 things going on yesterday. One was an auction for our local radio station. They had a 10 punch pool pass at the good hotel for half price. They offered 2 of them, one sold, one didn't so I probably could have gotten it. :mad: I remembered the auction 15 minutes after it closed. :rolleyes: The other event and probably good that I missed this one - was at the grocery store. They were doing a promo to get ready for the holidays with samples, recipes, gift card drawings and more. I am really miffed I missed the pool pass - and this was a special auction beyond their normal Wednesday one so another lost opportunity. Duh.

Last night I watched a movie called Blackfish. It's about Orca whales held in captivity for human entertainment at places like Sea World. It's heartbreaking. It was being shown on cable on the CNN channel but is also available to rent. I highly recommend it and I hope that it would put to an end the performance of animals that are held in inhumane conditions out of their normal habitats - much like circus elephants.

Ceejay - I have not heard anything from Jen and I emailed her twice. I'm glad you are finding stuff on You Tube. It's a good source for a lot of things - exercise, cooking tips. Actually a lot of good how to things on there. I was thinking perhaps your friend slept overly long as she was sleeping off the anesthesia.

Susie - that's great news about your husband - glad it all worked out and that he has renewed commitment to getting healthy. It's such a relief to know that the heart is in good shape despite some minor bumps with the afib. Congrats on your weight loss this week. Keep up the good work!

Michelle - thanks for all the work on the pictures. I'm sure that's quite labor intensive. Hope you got all your housework done.

Laura - are you feeling a little better with the muscle soreness? Did you get the garage cleaned out? Hang on to that 50's weather until I get there ... please :^::D

Annie - hope it was a nice service for your friend's dad.

Shad - hope you are getting some relaxation and enjoying time with the family.

Computer time is over. Have a good Sunday all.

Happy
Nope the friend had local anesthesia. But she wanted me to get her a nausea med so that explained some things, but also saw that there was oxycodone in there too. Both will make you sleepy. I'm disappointed that Jen hasn't kept us informed. Think maybe she doesn't want to be bothered.
Has the PT helped your neck and hips?
-------------
It's been a slow day at work today. I'm glad.

Hi everyone.

Ceejay - Nice to have a slow day to ease into the work week, especially after having company.

Happy - What a PITA with the multiple impressions for the fluoride trays. Are they thinking at all??? Too bad you missed that auction - would have been nice for you to have the pool passes (assume that means they have a whirlpool too??)

Susie - Sorry the procedure didn't zap the afib, but good to hear dh's heart muscle is healthy. Congrats on the loss this week!! :)

Michelle - Thanks for doing all that work on the photo/picture captions!!

Hi Shad, hi Annie - Hope you both had good weekends!
==
Yesterday I got out in the yard and cut back the hosta foliage, and then I also yanked out some of the ivy that I'd been letting take over in the back of the yard in the corner by the shed. Bf saying it would be a good place for a skunk to nest easily convinced me! All that pulling was good exercise, and my hands are a bit sore today from using the pruner.

We also moved the table saw from the garage to the basement (where it belonged anyway). Bf moved our bikes and the bike stand to the basement and installed it down there. That's a better spot too - our bikes are too pricey to be leaving in the garage in the rare event that we leave the door open.

After lunch, we went to Home Depot for various items, then Sears, where they had a good display of the Craftsman and Gladiator brand garage organizer systems. We ended up buying some Gladiator wall tracks and a variety of hooks.

I took doggy for a walk, and that was about it for yesterday.

Today was my usual lazy morning, except I also boiled some eggs and made a batch of steel cut oats. I spooned the cooked oats (with cinnamon and raisins mixed in) into a muffin tin and puts some chopped apple into the middle and topped it off with more oatmeal. I put it in the freezer and after I post this I'll pop them out of the tins and put them in a freezer bag and store them in the freezer. Better for me than the fridge because I never have 4 servings of oatmeal in a week. Hopefully they heat up nicely in the microwave for a quick workday breakfast.

Sorted laundry, threw in a load, then did one BE workout. The hamstring routine was deceptively effective. I feel it now and I bet I'll be feeling it tomorrow. Now that my quads are finally losing their soreness!

After lunch was another trip to Home Depot for the screws needed to fasten the geartracks to our garage walls (concrete block), and then back home to walk doggy. Did another load of laundry, and changed the sheets.

And here we are. Bf is raking leaves in front. We have to look up the date of the last curbside pickup. Not that our oak tree ever cooperates...

Okay, I think I'm going to season and bake some pita bread to eat with hummus. TTFN!

Hey everyone....

Busy day today....ran errands, bought too many books at the library book sale...now I'm going to settle in and watch a movie.

Laura - For the past few weeks, I've been having steel cut oats for breakfast along with a greek yogurt. Keeps me full 'til lunchtime. I started out buying the microwaveble ones at Costco, but have for the past week been making batches every other day. It's yummy, and I like that it has protein.

I'll try and catch up with y'all later or in the morning before I leave for the doctor appt.

Much love,

I did post a short note yesterday to say that I was running around like a chook with it's head chopped off but things are okay, just busy. Next life I am coming back as a check out chick.

The wind is blowing and things are getting somewhat horizontal. One of these days I will be back with a full report. Meantime, sorry this is short. No news from NJ. Such is life.

Good Monday Vets Morning here.

Last year C and I got a free dinner for him and only paid for mine at Olive Garden. Very nice. My son is going somewhere tonight with his wife.

The funeral was bautiful. Full military funeral with casion (horse drawn carriage for caske)t from across the base. Beautiful black, fluffly arabian horses, then 3 gun salute followed by taps. Bawled like a baby. Then they brought his urn into the center for a 2 1/2 hour funeral, mostly speakers. So lovely.

Saturday was errands and cleaning, baked an apple pie for Sam's bd celebration I had. Her bd dinner request was chicken tetrazini, green beans, cauliflower, my homemade breadsticks, and apple pie with vanilla ice cream. I didn't eat any breadsticks, pie or icecream....Yeah!! And it is all gone. Two of my bros and wives came as did my nephew and my DS/wife. Of course Sam, CHris and Lil Man. Not there weekend for Ains. We had a very good time and play cards too. Laughed a lot.

Got my Sketcher Shape Up tennies in the mail on Saturday. I tried wearing them, but had dropped a can of soup on my 2nd toe on my bad foot and it hurt too bad to wear them. Will give them another try when toe heals. I am thinking I need to get bionic feet installed. Like the 6 million dollar man. lol

Tried to watch a movie on Hallmark that was a new one last night but couldn't stay awake for the last half hour. Should have tho cause I was up at 1 on the couch and couldn't sleep. Bleh.

I, like the rest of us-no rest for the weary-I have to work today also. I did get to tell a cop this morning thank you for all he does. He smiled and thanked me right back. I like letting them know I appreciate them.

SHADDIE...that job is taking you away from us too much. Tell them you need a Chicklet time out. lol Hope you are doing well.

CHELLE...glad to hear your sugars are doing well. Good job on the pictures. If I send you a flash drive, could you put the pix on it for me? Thank you in advance.

LAURA...have you decided if you are going to join BFs gym yet? Sounds like they offer quite a bit that you are interested in.

HAPPY...bummer on the recall to the dentist, cause I know you are like me, would rather get 10 shots of cortisone than go to the dentist. boo on that. bummer on the 10 punch pool pass too, altho the older I get the less and less I like swimming in public places. All the talk of germs, bacteria and fecal matter in the water just kind of grosses me out. We are having crappy weather also, possible snow flurries this afternoon. Don't see how cause our high is 48, but I "guess" the weather peeps know more than we do...NOT.

SUSIE....glad to hear your DHs heart is in great shape with no blockages or anything. That is certainly a plus on your side. I am still thinking of joining TOPS but have not "made" myself go yet. I suck on that stuff. GOOD JOB on the WL. Congrats girl!!

CEEG...so nice to have company and so nice when they go home, especially when they are sick. Bleh on the slow day at work, makes it seem to last for 20 hours.

Sure am missing our MELLIE. Wish Jen would get off her duff and post us even a one liner. Sheesh.

Have a great Monday/evening, Vets day etc etc. HUGS AND LOVES