Hi Everyone. We are cold again here in Ohio. I know, I know..it's winter but does it have to be so cold?!

I didn't exercise today due to I had a procedure done today at a doctor's appt. Do you remember when I had the yeast infection on the skin in December? That cleared up very nicely but I was left with two small sores in that area that just wouldn't heal. I decided to go to the Wound Center we have and have it looked at.

I was afraid it was MRSA or something. They couldn't really tell me why the sores were there but said that I was smart to come see them so they can help me heal the up. Where they are (in the fold of the binki line) and that one of them was skin deep (it's not really deep but it could end up that way if I didn't do anything about it now).

The doctor there did something were he removed this whitish think membrane over the one sore that had that..said it was bleeding and that was good as that would help to heal and told me to use Dove soap to shower with. It has a 7 ph balance and skin needs that and then they gave me this material that has silver nitrite and other things in it and it wicks away the mositure in that area and promotes healing and I leave that in there after showering.

I'm to not use a wash cloth when washing the area and I'm to pat it dry and then but material in the fold there with some of it sticking out so it wicks everything away. I go back in a week to be recheched.

They also gave me information on the amounts of protein and vitamins a person should have to have healthy skin..let's just say I'm under in a lot of areas.

I came home and took a little nap..while what they did didn't hurt it did make me feel a bit dizzy and I think I was keyed up. So I slept and then got back on my computer to work from home--did that at 7 and I'm logging off for the night.


Everyone is doing really well and i do have to say congrats to Laura for the weight loss! For those who are dealing with sickness and aches and pains..listen to your bodies and give it good nutrition and rest. Happy--I have to ice my knee on the side and the top.

Annie: What mean people you work with to make you cry at work! A while back we had an opening in our town for a water treatment plant tech..is that sort of what your job is like?

Ceejay: How did the appointment go? I need to see mine for a few things..that is next after this sore is healed up.

Shad: I have issues with 3fat chicks at time to..usually when I have written a long post and was just ready to hit submit. it's maddening!

Good Morning....a new day, and no one is going to steal my JOY (or Shaddie) today. My eyes are swollen a bit but I will get past it. Forgot to put the soup on in the crocker this morning, so I called Sissy and she is going to go over and put it on for me. It is all ready in the pot in the fridge. Goofball me.

SUSIE...no I work for Humana Insurance as a coordinator. Specialty insurance like dental, life, critical illness, accident, long term dis, everything except medical. I am on the back end once it is sold, doing enrollment, processing the groups etc. I am also the jack of all trades here, master of none, running the office. I wear many hats.

Hi all you lovely ladies, will come back later today if time permits.

Have a terrific Thursday!!

Hugs

Morning chickies,

It's snowing like the dickens out there. But it's patchy so if you're under the right cloud you get dumped on. Except in the winter the whole sky is gray so you never know where that dumping cloud is! I am going to my yoga class at the senior center today - I hope it's gentle - no downward facing dog for this chick today. Then I'll walk the 3 blocks over to the thrift store for my shift today. Time to make a hair appointment too - someone painted my roots gray when I was sleeping

Annie - I hope you have a better day at work today. It's awful when it's so bad it makes you cry. I wish we could go back to the days where we mostly got along, planned pot luck lunches and united against the company suck up. The sad thing is, even if you plan to leave, it's like that in most places today. That and the fact that work itself sucks so the only thing one has is to at least be able to have camaraderie with the coworkers. I hope you have a better day and that your soup comes out warm and delicious tonight. It's nice of Sissy to run over and set it up for you.

Susie - glad you don't have MRSA. I can imagine how scared a person might feel. Glad you got some good information. I use Dove soap on my face. My sister was horrified that I used to use the hand soap from the pump to wash my face. What - soap is soap? I guess not And it's Ceejay that works at the water treatment plant - easy to get us confused until you get to know us better.

Michelle - hope you are feeling better today. If you are starting to wheeze, better that you went to the doctor before it really set in. I'm sure the vertigo is tied in with the clogged head too. As for the vitamins, I am confused. I just decided to buy a few bottles of some stuff and it never fails - once I do I see a lot of articles on the internet that they say supplements just don't do anything much for you. So what are you supposed to believe?

Shad - I agree with you about the exercise part of MFP - I am looking for it to get me into a habit right now, but if I was wanting to get tighter about calories in and calories expended, I think MFP would come up short but for now it will do. Looking at your food diary, I am reminded how processed food based we Americans are. At least I'll have a better idea what to feed you when you swing by again

Hi Ceejay and Laura I will have to catch up with you later. Time to jump in the shower and get my things ready before I head out. Have a good day everyone.

HAPPY...it is snowing like crazy here today also. Up to 3" accumulation. It looks like a blizzard as the winds are picking up and will be gusting to 30 mph later. Cars off the road everywhere. Yikes!! I am over this crappy weather. I may leave early as I certainly do not want to spend the night here with these people. lol. Are you sure you should be standing all the time with your knee hurting the wayit does, working at the thrift store? Don't you just hate that gray hair fairy that comes in just when you expect it least? haha...Have a great day!

Morning all.

Michelle – I hope you’re feeling better this morning. The cold/respiratory symptoms, and then the vertigo to top it off – ugh. Yes, the WW Simple Start sounds like the core plan where you eat only power foods but don’t track.

Ceejay – There’s always something to keep us busy at work, whether we like it or not! I generally take a multivitamin and a calcium supplement. I’ve been out of the multivitamins for several weeks now and have delayed buying more because I have the intention to find a more high quality brand that doesn’t have artificial colors, fillers, etc. I agree with Happy – the world of vitamins and supplements is very, very confusing. I spent a short amount of time online last weekend to learn about multivitamins and it didn’t take long to realize there’s so much information out there and many different opinions on what’s needed and in what quantities. Just yesterday I checked my consumer reports online subscription and it said the multivites they tested are all safe. Okay, that’s good to know…but they really wouldn’t go further because there’s no real studies out there saying they make a difference in re to health benefits. Maybe I’ll look at that article/test more closely, because it would be nice to know if what I want to take at least contains what the label says it does!! This area (nutrition supplements) isn’t strictly governed by FDA testing, so who knows what’s in these pills we take, thinking we’re doing ourselves good. I guess I just consider it to be something akin to insurance. Re brownies – they’re my favorite too. How did the dermatologist appointment go??


Happy – I agree that seeing things in grams on the food trackers used to annoy me, but now that I use a food scale a lot, I have no problem with it. What drives me nuts is seeing foods people have entered as “1 serving”, with no other real quantity description whatsoever. And other things, you just have to accept. Last night bf and I went to dinner at a local chain restaurant and I had a salad – I knew the nutrition info wouldn’t be available from the restaurant’s site, and that it wouldn’t be on MFP, but a similar salad from Cheesecake Factory was on there and I just had to hope that my appetizer size salad was in similar size to their lunch size salad. It’s when I feel like I’m totally guesstimating that I feel the process is kind of limited in its usefulness. Hope you enjoy your yoga class today, and that it’s a good day at the thrift shop. Re the Bluetooth feature – we have that in our Acura and it’s convenient. Bf likes the cultured female voice coming out of our steering wheel and will sometimes deliberately say a random word just to hear her say “Pardon me?” Re workout wear – every once in a while I’ll wear a plain old cotton t-shirt - Lord knows I have a lot to choose from with all the freebies from volunteer and charity events and other places. But they get soggy with sweat, so I usually prefer the synthetic fabrics. I’ve bought discounted workout pants from TJMaxx/Marshalls in the past and I like getting deals on them, but I don’t like the hit or miss nature of that. I might see what Kohl’s has because I think I have a gift card to use from there. And maybe Walmart because they’re inexpensive. I’m a bit leery of Target at the moment. I use a debit card for most of my purchases and I’m nervous about all these massive thefts of financial info.

Shad – Just out of curiosity, I checked to see how SP treats strength training moves and learned they ask for sets, reps, weight and minutes, and then I think they just go ahead and calculate calories based on minutes. Not sure how accurate or meaningful that could possibly be. I suppose I’ll keep diarying my exercise/physical activity just for my own information.


Annie – I’m so sorry work is making you so miserable. I think being in that jack of all trades role can be a very thankless role – taking all the guff when things go wrong. I hope today’s a better day today!! I guess I need to quit whining about Metra already because you made me realize how fortunate I am to be able to take mass transit to work each day, and it usually works out just fine. Re weight loss - yes, I’m pretty close to my goals, but so so far away at the same time. I need to get calories cut some more to make more progress. I think seeing other folks’ diaries on MFP might give me some ideas on how to do this. Glad Sissy will get your soup going – hope it’s ready and waiting for you and C for tonight’s dinner!! Re vitamins – given your situation I assume you take all those vitamins because your body doesn’t absorb nutrients the same as it used to?? Do you have a brand you trust? So relieved li’l guy’s fever broke. How’s he feeling today??


Susie – Glad the sores weren’t MRSA related. Many years ago in the heart of winter, I used a loofah sponge too vigorously and was left with itchy skin that just wouldn’t quit and I ultimately went to a dermatologist who prescribed something and said that with the air being so dry this time of year, my skin wouldn’t get back to normal without some extra help. After that I’m pretty careful about using washcloths, loofahs, poufs, etc. , as well as very perfume-y anything. Hope your skin heals up quickly. Let us know what vitamins you end up taking to help your skin. Thanks for the congrats on my weight loss – I’m glad to have been able to deal with that holiday weight gain. Part of it was just not going whole hog on anything, but thank you for getting me back to tracking!! You’ve gotten all of us more aware of our eating and movement.


+++
Aaargh, we have snow in our forecast too. Enough already! I’m so ready for this cruise. Only 17 more days til the cruise, 16 more til I fly to New Orleans. Whoo!! Bad news is that I need to do some clothes shopping. I have a one piece bathing suit, very plain, but fine. Unfortunately, my very old but beloved 2-piece tankini that I thought might be my “back-up” suit has bitten the dust. I pulled it out of the dresser drawer the other day and it made the sounds you hear when you realize the elastic has “dry rotted” LOL. I can’t even say how old that suit is, but it’s very very old and it probably lasted as long as it did only because I always rinsed it thoroughly after wearing it – and really didn’t wear it all that much anyway. Anyway, I suppose I should buy another suit. Oh the fun!

We went out to eat last night and then grocery shopping. The main reason for the stop was to pick up dog food. The one we buy was not on the shelf, but thankfully an employee was lucky enough to snag a bag coming off a truck they were unloading. Glad we didn’t have to make another stop for it.


Nothing going on tonight, but I do have to make sure I’m set up with my employer’s new mail order prescription company. Seems like they switch vendors every several years. I hope my rx’s have been transferred and I don’t have any hassles.

Okay, too many interruptions and this is getting to be novel-length. Time to post and back to work. My PITA project is coming out of its lull and picking up again, so I’ll be busy with that. TTFN!

LAURA...Yes I do take lots of vits etc due to RNY. The only real thing the docs told me was make sure the multi-vit was marked clearly COMPLETE, otherwise you are wasting your time. The calcium must be labeled citrate to get the most out it. You should take your calcium at night with magnesium to get full effect. Other than those two things, I like most of my vits in gel form they absorb more quickly and easily. I also started taking collagen tabs for skin, hair, nails and wrinkles. Biotin for the same also. Thanks for asking about lil man, he seems to be on the road to recovery. No fever today either. Amen! Have a great nite sister.

Good morning ladies,

It sucks having to get a new doctor. I try to explain to the doc that when I get a cold within 12 hours it will be bronchitis. So just because he can only hear a little tightness in my lungs now doesn't mean that it will stay that way. Seriously...I've lived in my body my whole life...I think I know it better than a doctor I just met. So he gave me two inhalers because I ran out of mine...a twice a day one to keep the airways open, and a rescue one. He also gave me Singulair (a pill that's supposed to help allergies/asthma). So where yesterday, it felt like I had a small dog on my chest (I use that to explain difficulty breathing), today the small dog has turned into a Mastiff...still not the elephant I've had on my chest with other bouts of bronchitis and pneumonia, but it still isn't easy breathing with a 150lb dog on your chest. BTW, I weighed in at the doctor yesterday, and I'm a little more than I estimated...so I have to update my tracker here and on MFP.

I e-mailed the doctor this morning explaining that I'm feeling worse. And he called in a prescription for a 5 day Z-pack of antibiotics and a week of prednisone. I really don't like the side effects of prednisone (jittery, beotchy, and always hungry) but dang it the stuff does help me breathe when I've got bronchitis. So I'll pick up those prescriptions on my lunch hour. And I understand, they don't want to overprescribe stuff until they see/hear a need. But really, it's not like I'm asking for pain pills or whatever...I mean who would fib about needing antibiotics and worse, Prednisone. No one WANTS to be on Prednisone...that stuff is awful.

One of my best buddies is planning a surprise 50th b'day party for his wife in mid-February, and he's asked me to help him create a video montage of photos, songs and videos to play at the party. There will be video messages from people who can't attend the party. He and his wife have been good friends of mine for over 30 years, so it's my pleasure to help. I've never done a video montage...other than PowerPoint presentations...so it'll be a learning experience, but I'm sure it'll work out just fine.

==================
Susie - Bummer about the wounds not healing, but good on ya' for following up and getting them looked at. Nice to know that Dove soap is good to shower with. That's what I use...Dove sensitive skin. Good that they gave you stuff to wick away the moisture from the area. Sending healing hugs your way. Good thing about virtual hugs...they don't carry the bronchitis germs. Would you mind PM'ing me the protein and vitamin info? I'd be interested in learning about that. You work such long hours, girlfriend. What kind of work do you do? I hope you find/make time for you (and for fun).

Ceejay - Was the dermatologist appointment yesterday or is it today? Sending good vibes to you.

Annie - That's right, girlfriend, don't let anyone steal your happiness. Sending hugs for you that today is better. So nice of Sissy to put the soup on for you. I hope the snowing stops before your commute home. Be safe, girlfriend. If you can leave early, definitely do so. A friend of mine who had the RNY takes lots of vitamins too. Good to know about the calcium citrate...I didn't know that before or that it should be taken at night and with magnesium. Hmmm, learn something new every day. So you take collagen tablets and biotin internally? Do they help with wrinkles? I guess they must because you have few if any wrinkles. I'm sooo glad that Lil Man is doing better.

Happy - I heard the area of West Bend, WI had a major white-out blizzard conditions yesterday. They only got 5" of snow, but driving was trecherous because visibility was so poor. Good luck at the yoga class today. Don't overdo it at yoga or the shop. As for vitamins, in a perfect world, we would get all our nutrition from food. But the way food (at least what I eat) is so processed...it loses a lot, so I supplement. I've got to find my Cinnamon supplements as that did seem to help with blood sugar stabilization. I agree with you and Shad that MFP is probably not 100% accurate in terms of calories in versus calories out (exercise). If/when I want to become a stickler, I might invest in a BodyBugg or whatever like they wear on TBL, which more accurate tracks calories burned, and then you enter in what you eat.

Laura - Thanks for clarifying about the Simple Start. Like you and Ceejay, brownies are my favorite dessert. Give me a brownie hot fudge sundae and I'm in heaven. I agree with you about the serving sizes on any online tracker, and you kind of have to guesstimate...but it's better than not tracking and eating mindlessly (I, for one, know exactly where mindless eating gets me). I'm steering clear of Target too. I used my debit card there on black friday weekend, but so far no suspicious entries. Even though I'm living in sunny CA, I'm living vicariously through you for your cruise! At least you're close to goal to do your clothes shopping. Just imagine wearing that new fun suit on your cruise! Hopefully you can daydream about your cruise just over 2 weeks away while you're working on the PITA project.


Lots to get done today...at least I'm able to concentrate a little better today.

Much love,

Morning all,
Not much to report here. Just reading through your posts about cold, snow and other nasties makes me very happy to be in the best little country in the world. Will be fine and sunny today with a high of about 22C or around 73F.

As for food, well as you can see if you visit my dairy, the majority of my food is raw, lightly cooked (by me) and fresh. Yes I do spend a fair amount on food and I try to eat with the seasons. I don't take vitamins at all. Never have, probably never will. So far, so good as I don't have high blood pressure, or anything approaching diabetes, no signs of any form of cancer or strokes, and I seem to have escaped most of the perils of smoking back in the early days. Touch wood - I should live till I die, hopefully at home and in my own bed. I won't say alone. That might be testing the waters too much.

Annie - ignore them, and don't bother to go to any trouble when someone suggests a potluck lunch or event lunch. You always put your heart and soul into feeding these people and they kick you in the teeth. Bah humbug.

Happy - hope the yoga goes well. I'm suprised the shop has stayed open so long. Wouldn't have thought there was too much trade in your kind of weather.

Laura - not long now to happiness cruising the seas. I had a drink with a good friend yesterday who was doing a cruise around NZ. They called into Wellington yesterday and I met them after they had done a tour of Te Papa (Museum) and been up and down the cable car. They were really enjoying their cruise. They'd been diverted from Milford Sound because of the weather and also Dunedin (likewise) and went to Akaroa and Queen Charlotte Sound instead. Then into Wellington and today they should be in Napier and then Auckland before cruising down the west coast and back to Melbourne. Hope yours doesn't run into any bad stuff.

Michelle - Lemon and honey drinks frequently - the more Active X in the honey the better - look for something like Manuka honey or Bee Activ X which have the mucus disolving stuff in them naturally. It's expensive I am sorry to say, but it works. And you will probably only find it in health food stores or specialist food stores. I am almost addicted to Lemsip when I am feeling stuffed up. It seems to work almost as well although I have to say that I am awash with fluids when I have a cold. The kidneys take a beating.

Susie - Sorry to hear about the skin problems although I must confess I don't know what MRSA is. Hope is all comes right soon.

Hi Ceejay

I hope I am not moaning too much about the MFP. It works quite well for me with my food. As I said, I mostly eat raw anyway, and I have a calorie counter for stuff that I can't find either on the packet or in the tracker. It's rare that the food doesn't have labels since I tend to only eat Australian or New Zealand produce and it is law here to print it on the packet or tin. How real the information is is anyones guess. Anything that comes from China or Vietnam is definitely off the menu. I've been there, I have seen the way they grow food. It might well work for those people who have eaten that way all their lives but it doesn't work for me. I will have Fair Trade coffee since we don't produce enough of our own. If I am in the supermarket and I see that any of the deli meats have 'made from Australian and imported products, then I don't buy - simply because no one can tell me anything about the imported product and where it comes from. Fresh food markets, roadside stalls, good bakeries and butchers are where my stuff mostly comes from. The supermarket only sells me frozen goods or cleaning stuff.

Anyway, enough of me. It's Friday. We have a long weekend on account of the fact that Monday is Wellington Province Anniversary day. I'm trying to organise the family into a picnic somewhere. So far no one is making any decisions. *sigh* guess I better go into director mode and direct proceedings.

Hope you all survive the freeze, frost, snow and ice and have a good day

Shad - Glad you had a nice drink with your friend. Thanks for the pointers on Lemsip and honey. I did not know there are so many nutritional differences in honey. Good on ya' for eating so much fresh. You're wise not to eat anything from China or Vietnam. I wasn't aware that Vietnam had problems...but I don't even give my dog any food or treats from China. Too many dogs have died after eating food/treats from China. Over there, they are even allowed to put melamine (a component of plastics and adhesives) in baby formula! Craziness! I sometimes wonder if their lax standards are just for exported goods or if the Chinese citizenry are left with no other choice than to consume these toxic products.

I'm back from my dermatology appointment. Not to bad today as he only removed a few skin tags. Some of those get angry. Ate lunch with my friend who has moved to her home town. They are beginning to get sore now where he froze them
Went to Bed, Bath and Beyond today. I saw some containers that I wanted and bought two of different sizes. I also bought a sandwich container for work but when I took it out of the bag it was cracked so I'll be returning that. I thought it was glass but a hard plastic.
I might add that the reason for my using certain vitamins is for the fact that I had 250mcg of B12 in my body when I was tested for my b12 level. I had taken that amount the night before. And yes, I can vouch for the b12 vitamins because I took a 1000mcg for three months and was retested. My body was using half of that. I did the math. Then went to a 2000mcg which built my level back to normal. The doctor also gave me a b12 injection. I know that vitamin A and C are good for the immune system. I don't know for a fact that my body is low on these vitamins but I can tell a difference.
I will be checked for my vitamin D level on next doctor's visit.
-----
Susie
Glad you sought out another opinion. Things like that concern me also.

Happy
I'm curious about the senior yoga class. Did they use chairs? I'm not liking the "s" word. But it is winter and I'm off the next couple of days just in case it reaches Arkansas.

Annie
Sending you a hug Hope things get better at work. Most of the time people are jealous. I used to let things bother me but I'm in my own little world at work. And keep telling myself 20 more months and I'm out of here.
Hang in there.

Shad
I used to follow an all raw foods diet but since this last diverticulitis attack I can't do that. I'm easing my way back into more raw food though.

Laura
I'm envious of you going on this cruise during the winter months.

Michelle
Glad you called the doctor back and had him to send you some more rx's
Hope you feel better soon.

Hi all,

The Hatha Yoga class was fun. It was full with 15 students, they had 2 more mats open but I was all the way in the back and had difficulty seeing the instructor so it was good we didn't have 2 more people. She gave a regular yoga class with typical moves (a few that I could not do right now) but stressed and illustrated modifications. A few minutes into the class she had people sit on the mat balancing on 2 yoga bricks and a blanket sitting in the typical lotus pose. I sat in a chair because I knew I would not have been able to do that or get off the floor with my knee as it is right now. Didn't take long before not 1, not 2 but 3 ladies fell off the bricks in short succession. That made me even more glad I didn't try that. There were only 2 poses I could not do - the famous downward facing dog and another where you kneel on one knee and stretch the other leg out. It was a very good session, I hope they continue it. I then slogged in the snow over to the thrift shop. It was farther than I thought which was only impeded by me carrying a bag filled with my water bottles, tea cup and change of pants and shoes as well as blowing snow which was making quick work of those who bothered to shovel. The roads have some ice under the snow too which makes them hard to navigate. I was early at the shop so I went to the end of the street to the coffee shop to get some soup and they had a sale on Panini sandwiches. I gave in to temptation. I didn't realize the sandwich had bacon on it - I thought it was grilled cheddar cheese and sliced apple only with a touch of mustard. I would have skipped it or told them to leave off the bacon - calories and salt I didn't need. The rest of the day went ok - I had customers all afternoon long but they were small purchases. The Thursday morning volunteer's husband died suddenly 2 weeks ago and another lady is filling in for her. I talked to M today and she said she can't work the mornings the first 3 weeks in February because she is helping out with our big ski race in town. I wasn't thinking and said I would just work all day. Then I got home, was telling DH and I realized - you dummy - you are taking YOGA and would not get to the shop until noon - the store needs to open at 10. I guess they will have to find someone else. Personally I don't think it would hurt to open at noon for a few weeks instead of 10 because we just don't have a lot of customers. Half the people who came in today were dropping off donations. One sweet lady came in and visited our free book pile - giveaways that won't sell so take them off our hands.

And it's snowing. And snowing. And it will continue to snow. DH wants to go pick up our new car tomorrow. He has to drop the rental off at a town an hour away and make the trip back. Then we have to travel another hour north to the next town to get the car. I told him not tomorrow. I am not driving back in the dark on unlit, curvy, snow covered roads. Foolish boy thinks we are going to walk in the dealer at 3, pick up our car and immediately walk out. I said you know it won't go down that way - we will be there at least 2 hours, probably more and won't be able to do anything about it. Saturday it's supposed to snow even more in the wee hours of the morning - and since the car place sits on Lake Superior - they are getting dumped with lake effect snow. I told him we should wait until Monday to get the car. They will have time to clean the roads, there will be less people at the dealer on Monday and traffic will be lighter. Plus we can come when they open in the morning and be out before lunch time. The issue is - do I drive the Avalon that I'm comfortable driving which isn't horrid in the snow but does not have 4 wheel drive and can slip a bit on snowy roads or do I drive the new car that I am not familiar with and did I mention it's BRAND NEW for an hours drive home. I wish I could blink and next week would be over with - there are several things I don't want to deal with next week.

Let's see, did I write my usual book?

I guess I did babble on and on. Sorry.

Ceejay - yes, you can use chairs in the class, they also have straps, yoga bricks, blankets - anything to make it easier for people to do the moves. That's why you might want to look at a beginners class if you are interested. Some of them can be rather intense. I'm glad your doctor's appointment wasn't too awful. Those skin tags can hurt. I guess the trick to getting on at work is to just do your own thing as you do. The same applies to this volunteer job too.

Shad - I didn't take it that you were doing anything more than commenting on MFP. Didn't take it as complaining at all. I think it has brought us all together on being more mindful and that's a good thing. I was reminded of an article I read a while back that said you can't really trust the digital readouts on treadmills and such for calories burned because they are mostly inaccurate. Many factors go into calories expended. At least WE know we moved that day - that's what matters. Thanks for the honey lesson. I was aware of the antiseptic properties or is it antibiotic??? Did not know about the mucus. You can get Manuka honey on Amazon dot com here but it is rather expensive. When you gave me that bottle you brought here the last time, I would not let anyone - including DH have any although I would have shared it with my sister the honey lover. I will not buy any food products from China either and I was recently concerned because the older cat likes a particular type of dry cat food. The brand had a recall of it's dog treat line but I was relieved to see the cat food is made in the U.S. Pretty soon we will only be able to eat what we grow in our own gardens. I imagine it's a bigger risk for you and over here. I do hope you can get a picnic together with the family without you having to do all the work. That would be lovely.

Michelle - I hope you got some strong stuff to head off the bronchitis. I totally understand how frustrating it is when you know what's going to happen and the doctors don't listen. You certainly don't need the asthma kicking in. Rest easy girl. That's really nice of you to help your friend with the montage. What a great idea and a nice surprise for her.

Annie - I hope you had a better day today - I agree that you do so much for everyone and they don't appreciate it. Next time bring a bag of potato chips to the pot luck. Thanks for the run down on the vitamins. I know you had to take more to make up for what you're not absorbing. Do you think the Biotin helps? I was taking that for my hair, but didn't notice a difference. Glad little man's fever broke and that Sissy was able to keep from getting sick herself. Poor little guy!

Laura - OMG - I had a laugh at BF getting the navigation lady to say "pardon me" - I'm NOT going to tell DH about that!!! As for yoga clothes I got 2 long sleeved, light weight Tek Gear brand (Kohls work out clothes) just as something to layer with and they turned out perfect for the yoga class. Long so you didn't expose back skin and flexible enough to move without being overly warm. It was a happy accident as I think they were on a good sale too so thanks for commenting about the synthetics. These are 60% cotton/polyester. I agree with you about the food portions on MFP - when I enter food I have been more diligent about making some notation as to serving size portions as that doesn't always come across when you're entering a food. Your cruise is right around the corner - how exciting!!! I don't envy you trying to find a swimsuit this time of year. Beware of some of the online places - they make it an expensive hassle to return them even if their prices seem cheap. And now they take advantage of the prices because it's not the season yet so they know people will pay big bucks for vacation wear.

Guess that's it for me. It's 2am and I need to get to bed. Going to grab an ice pack and ice my knee while I snuggle into the warm covers. Goodnight for now...

Happy Friday, glad it is finally here. Not a pay Friday, but a Friday. Just staying to myself, head down and getting my work done.

The high today is now, by the time we go home it will be down to 17 and then 7 tonight. We had snow yesterday, about 2", tomorrow is 4" to be dropped upon us. Even more cold to come next week, plus snow. Did I mention I do not like cold temps and snow. If I never ever see snow the rest of my life, I wouldn't care.

HAPPY...I agree with you on opening the store a couple of hours later. I mean really, who gets out in this cold stuff that early. I am glad you can do the yoga class at your pace. I agree with you on the car situation. I don't like driving at night in the first place much less when it is snowing and blowing. I don't see that well at night.

CEEG....glad your doc appt wasn't too awful bad. A couple of skin tags isn't bad at all. I love BB&B, plus I always have coupons for 20% off that never expire so it makes it well worth the trip. Plus it is across the street from work. Makes for a nice lunch hour get away when I need to shop for a gift or something.

SHADDIE...seems like I am the one in my family that always organizes get togethers, picnics etc. I just called my cousin in MI yesterday and we are going to meet halfway in northern Indiana for lunch on Feb 22. Two of my bros and sils are going also. Don't know about my kiddos. My aunt and several other cousins are going to join also. Hoping my cousin that was newly diagnosed with cancer can make it.

CHELLE...glad you doc at least listened to you when you called them back and prescribed you different meds to help you along. Feel better sister, get some rest also. Hope you can make it into work, being a new job, I know they frown on days off early into the job.

Hey ya SUSIE and LAURA....hope your day is going well.

Bout it for me. Must get busy...

Love and hugs

So dang happy it's Friday!! I just have to get through 8.5 more hours at work, and then I can REST!

If this wasn't a brand new job, I'd have called in sick today. The cold has moved to my chest, complete with coughing, wheezing and tightness. So I've got an exciting weekend planned...stop at the grocery store or drug store at lunch or on my way home to get Mucinex and some packaged foods for quick meals since D has to work this weekend, pick up Santa from daycare and then take some Nyquil and Mucinex and go to sleep. My only plan other than sleeping or resting this weekend is to maybe go to the dog park, and the only reason I'm doing that is so Santa can get his exercise without needing me to take long walks. D is really wonderful about taking Santa for walks when he gets home from work (usually around 10 or 11 pm).

At least the Prednisone is helping...between that and the inhaler, I can breathe, which is always a bright spot in the day. In addition to making me moody/irritable and always hungry, another downside to Prednisone is it can keep me awake. The doc says to take it first thing in the morning, but yesterday I couldn't pick up the Rx until lunchtime so I took it then thinking the "wide awake" factor would wear off by bedtime. Nope. Even with Nyquil, I was still wide awake until nearly midnight. At around 11, I took a half dose of Nyquil, and was finally able to fall asleep. Luckily, since I live so close to work, I was able to sleep in until 6:45 today...I got to work 20 minutes early, so I guess I could've hit the snooze button one more time.

===========================
Ceejay - I'm glad the derm appointment went well. Do you have any plans for your two days off?

Happy - I'm so glad the Hatha Yoga class went well. I've taken Hatha Yoga classes and liked them. A couple of my friends really love "HOT" yoga, I think that's Bikram yoga, but I'm not sure. I like gentle stretching moves. That's good that the teacher showed modifications. I hope they can find someone else to take the morning shifts when you're at Yoga...or that they choose to open later for a few weeks. As for picking up the car, I'm sure your DH is eager...but why take such a long drive in bad weather. I'm with you, wait until Monday when the roads will be clearer. I dislike driving at night, especially in bad weather.

Annie - Sounds like a nice family gathering in February! My family is going to have their annual gathering in San Diego in July or August, and since I live close enough, I'm thrilled to finally be able to go. Do you and C have any plans for the weekend? Are you going to watch the Denver/New England football game? I will watch both playoff games, along with any movies or other good shows I can find on cable.

to Shad, Laura and Susie!

Much love to all,

Morning all. TGIF! Add another F in there for FINALLY!!

Annie – Glad li’l guy is on the road to recovery. Thanks for the vitamin info. I do take calcium citrate, but didn’t know it should be taken with magnesium. Mine has Vit. D added to it. Yeh, this weather is truly sucky. When you look forward to temps in the 20’s and no snow or “just a dusting”, you know it’s just crummy. Bleh. I’ll be glad to get away from it for a short time, but won’t look forward to having to deal with the rest of the winter upon my return. Gonna have to make a point of reading books set in warm, sunny, beautiful places or stories set during summer. Haven’t resorted to watching golf tournaments on tv yet, but I might have to! I miss the green! And I always say I might skip the annual flower and garden show in March, but by then I might really need a shot of spring and flowers.

Michelle – I’m glad the doc prescribed what you really need. Sorry you have to be on the prednisone, but if that’s what works, so be it. Hope it isn’t too awful this time around and that you feel better soon. Is it asthma that makes your colds more likely to develop into bronchitis? Nice you’ll be putting together a photo/AV montage for the friend’s wife. Those are really nice.

Shad – Ah, temps in the 70’s sound soooo nice! (BTW, finally checked out your photos on Dropbox – very nice photos of gorgeous little S and the beach!) Eating fresh unprocessed foods is certainly the best way to go and you have the health to show for it! It takes more effort for sure, but you know what you’re eating. As opposed to our highly processed and corporate farm environment. I’m glad there’s a movement toward locally grown items, but I’m sure it’s a teeny-tiny fraction of a fraction of what’s consumed. I should be trying harder to get more local, less-processed food into the house. A NZ cruise sounds wonderful – I hope your friends didn’t mind the change in itinerary, not that they had a choice! Hope that doesn’t happen on our cruise, because a bad weather detour would probably mean UNsmooth sailing – not something I want to experience! Hope you’re enjoying the start of your holiday weekend. Did you – or someone – get the picnic arranged??

Ceejay – Glad the derm appointment wasn’t too bad. Nice to know that the B12 is helping you and you can tell the difference. I suppose you might need to be rather deficient in something to notice a different. I can’t say my diet has enough variety, especially fruits & vegs, to ensure I get everything at the levels I need, but perhaps my long-time multivite routine has been keeping me balanced enough. Twenty more months - it's gonna go by quick, you'll see!

Happy – Glad you enjoyed the yoga class. It’s really great they have all the variations available – but it makes perfect sense that they do, since you said it’s at a senior center. Can’t blame you at all for not wanting to do all that driving in such snowy weather, and possibly in an unfamiliar vehicle! I recall in my traveling days arriving on a Sunday night at some unfamiliar location trying to navigate in a rental car to the hotel, either on my own, or with a team member with non-existent map-reading skills. (This was pre-GPS, mind you.) Not always a pleasant experience. The other option of arriving early enough to drive in daylight wasn’t always appealing when trying to enjoy a weekend at home in the midst of a heavy travel schedule. I’m also surprised that the thrift shop would be open the days/hours it is during the winter up there. I suppose volunteer staff helps make it possible, but there’s still other overhead to consider… Glad the workout wear worked for you. I hate being distracted by clothing issues while exercising! I ordered a swimsuit from Lands End yesterday. They have good quality clothing and a very liberal return policy (“guaranteed. Period.”), so I’m not worried about making a return. In fact I ordered the same suit in 2 sizes to see which fits better, with the plan to return one to their nearby outlet store.


Hi Susie!!
++

Nothing much to report. Bf went to see “The Wolf of Wall Street” last night with a friend and he liked it. I think I’ll wait for the dvd rental before taking on a 3 hour long movie filled with f-bombs and bad behavior.

Bf and I had an argument over the new prescription drug supplier – he registered online and claims to know all, but left the ID card in the envelope with mine (I still had yet to register), so I questioned if he even read through the info in the envelope. And that’s when the argument began and shouting ensued. Aargh. Honestly, I was ticked and didn’t even talk to him since the argument, but I do hope everything is okay today because today is the day he is having oral surgery to remove his wisdom teeth. His mother is to drop him off there and drive him home afterwards, but I know he’ll need to get some prescriptions filled today and I just don’t want him to have problems with that. He said his rx ID card info is available on his cellphone...


In addition to still being a bit ticked about that this morning, when I finally did try to register myself this morning, the site kept giving me an error and telling me my selected username was already in use. Three different usernames???!!! When I finally selected something completely different than the usual ones I like to use and the site apparently accepted it, it looked like it was taking me to another page with “medco” in its name…our new supplier is express scripts…but I wonder if it’s part of medco or used to be medco? If that’s the case, maybe I understand the errors because I had that rx supplier two companies (and many years) ago and maybe my username was stlll in the history. I think it’s nuts, but what do I know.

I only did half of my squat challenge last night, but I finished it this morning. I did none of the ab challenge. Today is a rest day, so I will make up my ab challenge today.


Okay, gonna stop rambling and get back to work. Everyone have a great weekend!!