Morning all.

Susie – I understand feeling gloomy. The weather can do that – cloudy, overcast days make me feel crummy. Sunny days really lift my spirits. :sunny: Did you do your lunchtime workout?? I keep meaning to make use of the building’s fitness center before they close it for renovation & conversion to a fully-staffed facility. I guess I’m slacking on that because I’m not sure what I would do in there if I don’t do a cardio machine. Guess I just have to go and figure it out.

Michelle – I’m so glad you’re feeling so happy these days!! :) It’s great that you have a lot of your own free time. Nice you were able to put your tech expertise to help to get the tv/internet/phone back up and running. Good for you committing to fruit/yogurt when you want something sweet. I’ll have to try harder replacing the junk with more natural snacks. The sweets and salty snacks are not only calorie dense, but processed with a bunch of chemicals. Not a great thing to do to our bodies. I’m not sure I consider car shopping fun…cars can really be expensive and a lot of trouble. If money were no object, it would be a whole ‘nother matter, lol. I’d probably just lease a car for three years, turn it in and get another one and always have a new car with no/few maintenance issues. Sure, I say that, but honestly, to pay all that money and not have anything at the end of a lease – that would not sit well with me. I prefer the idea of keeping a car as long as possible (i.e., until it starts to cost a lot in repairs/maint.) Anyway, I’m impressed that your Corolla is still going strong at 200k miles. Our current car is a 9-year old Acura and bf thinks we put a lot of money into maintenance/repairs and would like to go with a domestic model this time. I’m willing to do that. Good of you to remind me of the impact of a different car on insurance rates. Once we narrow down options, I will be checking on the insurance. Do you do your planks on your forearms or in pushup position?

Ceejay – It’s a relief to get the monthly paperwork done. I just submitted my input for our March department report yesterday. Hope the landlord fixes the problems. I sure hope he fixes the water supply shutoff valve – scary to think you couldn’t turn it off if you really needed to!! :yikes:

Terra – So are you a fan of horror films in general or just Nightmare on Elm St?? :fr:

Annie – Hope you straighten out the debit card issue today. Good luck with your next interview! Even if it’s not something you think you might be interested in, you never know once you learn more about it. Or you’ll just get more skilled with interviewing – learning how to best answer all the questions they throw at you. BTW, I like your response – it’s not tasks I don’t like, it’s a negative environment. Good answer girl. As for the baby names…I like the middle names more than the first ones. Though I do like a good paisley pattern on fabric, LOL. :D

Hellos to Happy, Shad & Susie. :)
--
Did a whole lot of nothing after work. I did my 2 min. plank challenge. Happily, it was a rest day for the pushup challenge. I’m glad to be walking more and more for my work commute (vs. getting rides to/from the train). Soon I’ll be riding my bike instead – whoo! :bike2:

Scale at home was down a couple pounds this morning. Not surprised – felt like I’d retained a lot of water the past several days and it finally decided it wanted out, LOL. Still, I anticipate a gain at WW today due to all my poor eating choices lately. I wonder if the WW leaders ask themselves why some members even bother...

Okay, tonight’s gym class is Body Works Plus Abs. (There’s no movie night this week.) I should plan to get to the class, and then there’s some leftover shredded chicken/black bean taco filling for some soft tacos that I can heat up for dinner afterwards.

Okay, better make myself useful. Cheers!
:cheers:

Oh, here's a photo of a bloom (the only bloom so far) in our backyard that I discovered on Sunday after walking the dog. I think it's a snowdrop?? Seems like every year something I've never seen before pops up.

http://i1330.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8e4df512.jpg

Good morning ladies,

It was so hot last night that I didn't sleep well. It got up to near 80 and the bedroom just didn't cool off. It's supposed to be hotter today up to the mid-80s, so either I'm going to open more windows or see if D or his brother can do it.

I heard from my step-brother in Belize. He's doing very well and acclimating to the slow-paced island lifestyle. He doesn't have to work much to pay for his apartment, so he spends a lot of time swimming, kayaking and hiking. He said the temps are around 100 day and night right now as this is their hot time of year. I definitely couldn't deal with continuous hot and muggy weather, but he's very happy.

PT was really good yesterday. After 15 minutes on the elliptical, the group did our exercises and then stretches. I am able to keep my back aligned in the neutral spine position for longer...of course during the day I do catch myself out of alignment, but as long as I can catch myself, I can realign quickly. :D

I have my conference call book club tonight. It's always nice to chat with my friends back in WI.

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

Ceejay - Good that Mr. Know It All got caught so that now he'll start earning his pay. I hope the landlord can fix the running faucet and toilet quickly. Do you pay for the water bill or does the landlord?

Terra - Of all the scary movies, I liked Nightmare on Elm Street and the Halloween series better than Friday the 13th. I don't watch scary movies that often though.

Annie - I hope you can get your debit card quickly. As for working for life insurance at least that's probably a fairly stable industry. I mean, people can't live forever, and they want their loved ones to not be burdened with expenses when they go. Is the interview on Thursday in-person? Keeping my fingers crossed for you, and sending good vibes and prayers. I think a good answer for what task did you not like would be, "I enjoyed all the tasks and responsibilities in my previous position. A few co-workers had negative attitudes and the negativity can spread - I am a very positive person with a can-do attitude, but I didn't enjoy how a few poor attitudes spread to much of the office. As Laura said, interviewing is ALWAYS good practice, and you can interview them as well to learn more about the job...maybe it would be something that would interest you. Those are unusual baby names. Like Laura, I prefer the middle names to the first names.

Susie - I am long overdue for a cut and color. I last got mine done around the first of the year, and the gray hairs are coming out in force.

Laura - What a beautiful flower!! I'm not familiar with snowdrops. It looks like a crocus to me. I just found some freeze dried fruit snacks at Costco, that are don't have any added sugar, so they're low in carbs. They aren't as good as a brownie or even fresh fruit...but since I haven't gone to the grocery store yet this week, they'll do in a pinch. I'm with you on leasing versus purchasing a car. My older sister used to lease cars all the time, but she was always worried about putting too many miles on it and having to pay extra, and eventually she realized that she was always shelling out to for the lease and at least when you buy a car you eventually pay it off. I'm not sure about Hondas or Acuras, but many Toyotas are actually built in the U.S. My dad was always a "Buy American" kind of guy and always had GM vehicles. When he learned I bought a Toyota, I was quick to tell him it was built in CA, and my ex-DH's 4-Runner was built in TN. I tend to do pushups on my forearms becuase in a pushup position my wrists give out before the rest of me does. A 2 minute plank? I'm so impressed girlfriend!! Wow! Good luck with your weigh in. Body Works plus abs...sounds intense...good stuff.

:wave: to Happy and Shad!

Much love and many hugs to all,

Morning chicks,

Sorry I didn't get in yesterday. I started to post and then DH thought it best we leave for errands before the rains set in. We got them done, and then it rained for 5 minutes straight. :lol: Things are melting, slowly as they should. It was a wonderful day yesterday - almost 60 degrees. Ahhhhhh. Face in the sun, arms spread wide, twirling on the deck. Think Julie Andrews in the opening scene of Sound of Music. Twirling at least until I upset the crystals in the ears and vertigo sets in. Good thing I have sturdy porch railings and a private deck :lol3:

One of my errands was to drop off my section of the inventory at the Thrift Shop. The owner was at her business shop and happened to be working there when I walked in. She took me and DH down the street and showed us the storefront they are considering renting for the new location. It's a primo location - across from a very busy gas station that everyone frequents and has parking too. Lots of natural light, office space broken into several rooms so we could organize and separate stuff a bit better. I really like it - has lots of possibilities. I hope it works out. We picked up everything we needed, including some late lunch, ate and then took a nap when it got all gray and rainy looking outside. Had a couple of phone calls, tidied up a bit and cleaned up after the cats and the night was done. Physical therapy today - I have 2 more sessions left. Seriously it is hard to tell if it's actually helping. I know that if I do certain things like sit too long or lean on my neck, it's going to hurt. The other day I walked in the laundry room to drop some things in the recycle bin - was feeling fine and all of a sudden I turned my knee and CRUNCH - white hot pain so bad I could not stand on my leg. It was sore for a couple of hours and then eased up. Next day, no crunching. WTH????? So ... I am convinced that you just have to either fix things yourself or learn to live with them. The knee thing I am worried about is if I go for a walk and it pops - I am in trouble. DH cannot carry me, best he could do is lay me on the ground and roll me down the road. :(

I see that we are all have pretty much fallen off the good eating, body moving wagon. Me too. Let's all pull each other up and get engaged again because let's face it, we feel better when we do. Instead of the pressure of doing things perfectly, let's just agree to give some thought to everything we do and make good choices, if not perfect ones. Which still leaves room for a bit of slack but makes things overall doable. ;)

Annie - good luck tracking down your money. It's yours - you paid into it, take it. As for the jobs - remember the old saying "marry in haste, repent in leisure". Not about marrying per se, but I understand (been there) that you want to get back to work quickly - those paychecks earned sure come in handy - but don't rush into something that doesn't feel quite right just to have something. The job's not always fun and if you don't even get the chance to enjoy the "honeymoon" phase where you're excited and enthusiastic - run, baby, run. :lol: I think we all can come up with a story of "be careful what you ask for". In the interim, enjoy your time off - you probably won't get a vacation this year once you start working again (and you WILL get a job) so while money is tight, try to work in a little Annie time while you still can :hug: And no, I'm not working at the Thrift Store - it burned down, remember :flame: Actually I am missing the structure of having something to do - I am slowly falling back into "drifting". Need to womp my butt into gear and get organized. Soon I'll be "working" again and I really need to take care of some things around the house here while I have the time. As for the pain, I just work through it like everyone else does. At least I don't have to deal with cramps anymore :lol: My birthday is April 27 but I'm not sure I'm having one this year ;)

Ceejay - that's funny that Mr. KnowItAll thinks someone is spying on him :rofl: It's about time - usually those kinds of people get away with it much to our frustration. Did your plumbing issues get fixed at home? Sounds like they do a decent if not perfect job of keeping the apartments maintained. Is everything in bloom by you? Our neighbors had a tulip tree just over the fence. I used to admire it in the spring.

Michelle - the big melt has started but with so much snow yet (piles are still at least 5 feet high), it's keeping the ground underneath frozen. Our sump pump catches the water near the foundation at least 8 feet down so for the moment, the ground is not thawed enough for the water to seep in there. Which is good because the sump pump pushes water out in the back yard and that line is also buried under the snow right now. It's just comforting to know we are ready, because once the ground starts oozing water, the pump will run non stop for a couple of weeks. It's that every 30 seconds, non stop that is the worrysome thing. :^: I'm glad to hear that things are going well with D - sounds like you have just the right enough of him and me time - you are both busy, don't have a lot of time to spend together (or get on each other's nerves :D ) and enjoy the time you do have. The whale watching trip sounded really like a lot of fun, even if you were running low on sleep that day. How nice to be able to take advantage of the good things out your way - often we get very wrapped up in working, everyday life and forget to have a little fun unless of course, we have guests. :lol: When you do planks on your toes do you have shoes on? That would KILL me with the arthritis :yikes:

Susie - I hope you found your motivation again. I think of those things too - yoga is hard lifting my body weight - would be easier if I lost some of it - won't happen unless I push through the toughness and get stronger ;) Just tell yourself - 10 minutes, I'll just do 10 minutes. Often that helps the kickstart and you can get your time in. Another thing I would do is that I worked in a large warehouse at my last job. The circumference of the building was a half mile. So I'd walk to the far end of the building to go to the toilet just to get extra steps in. Sometimes I'd have to walk FAST if I waited too long - an extra bonus :rofl: That's a wonderful incentive with the TOPS pledges. I hope you do well. Thank you for the info on the decking - that is the sort of stuff I wanted to know - things to watch out for.

Laura - to answer your questions - yes, DH got the sump pump installed - battery is charging and we are ready to go. As for the Thrift Shop they started about 4 years ago as a trial renting a small space in a multi vendor building. It was successful and when the Humane Society president's tenant moved out of her building, they decided to expand the shop. It was at it's present location for about 3 years I'm told. D was saying yesterday that the outpouring of support and donations has been rather overwhelming. I said (with teary eyes too) that many times, it takes a crisis for people to come together but we are especially lucky that so many people are committed to the animals. We love our fur babies. I really like what you wrote about "being there" from that woman's blog. Sometimes I get annoyed at having to be such a tyrant about the food and exercise and it's very demotivating. "Being there" is a good way to kick start things than to fall into total ruin. :lol:

Laura - gorgeous flower! is that a snowdrop???

Sorry I have to get ready for PT so I'll break for now. Back later to catch up...

Feeling much better today. The sun is out and I got some extra sleep last night--I went to bed at 9:30 p.m and feel right to sleep.

I did make it to the gym yesterday and did 30 min on the bike. The food was not good yesterday, not all that bad but not good. I MUST get back to logging on MFP no mater how it looks. So, look for me there and call me out if you haven't seen me.

Happy: The potentail new location for the shelter sounds very nice. I am so glad to hear that you havee 60 degree weather and are twilring on your deck! I hope it doesn't upset those ear crystals. :dizzy::dizzy:

I have a lot of issues with my left knee and have to be very careful when walking. I'm can't "pound" and that means I have to go a little slower than I like to but I figure walking longer is really even better for me. Do you know why your knee is giving you such issues? I had mine looked at over a year ago and had a MRI. We thought it was a torn minicus (sp?) but it turns out I have osteoarthritis in my knee! I'm not even 50 yet!!--but my knee feels 80.

I like your suggestion to pull each other up and get engagged again. I'm in! who else is in? What about for the rest of this month we post our food here (and still use MFP as well). I think seeing it in the posts will be helpful. I am going to committ to that for the rest of this month.

Michelle: I am grinning from ear to ear to see your post about how happy you are! I remember when I joined you gals you were struggling with so much. But you pushed on and now you are doing things to make you feel better and be healthier and it is paying off. :hug: :D I am happy for you.

Annie: I hope you get that debit card stuff straightend out. Good luck on the interview. I bet you are going to end up with several offers to choose from. I LOVED the answer you gave them in the interview about the tasks you didn't like. You think fast on your feet..that is a great skill!

As for the baby names, I sort of like Paisley. and I LOVED the name Olivia for a long time.

Terra: I can't watch horror movies..they freak me out! My BF loves them but I couldn't get into them...because I'm a scardy cat!

Laura: What a beautiful flower! How did the WW weigh-in go?

Ceejay: I hope the issue with the running water is fixed soon. If you are paying for the water, be sure to take something off your rent bill.

I am not a TOPS leader but I am the Secretary. At one time I was a Area Captain. I LOVED it but it takes a lot of time and I just don't have that now. One day I will again and I hope to be an Area Captain again..and be at goal and to inspire others to obtain their goal weight dream.

I'm going to try and get a walk in the neighborhood in tonight. I had a lunch meeting so I couldn't get to the gym today.

I better get back to work. It was nice to take a break with you ladies.

It is a Crocus I think. Snowdrops are tiny white things.

Gotta run. Another day of meltdowns, anger, angst, and frustration looms. Yesterday I was ready to push someone out of the window. Pity they don't open!!!! :rofl: I had a list of names.Then some fiend like me wanted to insert some of her hated crims in my list. Roll on Thursday when I get to leave early to catch a flight to normality.

I just got back from a lunchtime walk. I walked for 16 minutes...8 minutes one direction and 8 minutes back. I know it's not a lot, but it was just about all my back could take as it started spasming just before I made it back to the office.

So I'll keep doing it...every day....and gradually increase by a couple minutes per day (as tolerated of course).

I made a promise to a "coach" that I check in with once a month, that I would exercise and meditate (not at the same time - LOL) at least 4 days per week at least 3 of the next 4 weeks, and I'm going to eliminate certain carbs (white flour, sugar) at least Monday through Friday, choosing options like Greek yogurt with Splenda and fresh fruit to satisfy my sweet tooth - although I am allowing myself the freeze dried fruit pouches I found at Costco which are low cal and low carb and no sugar (except for the natural fructose).

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

Happy - I can totally picture you twirling around in the sun! I remember how wonderful the first 50/60 degree days are! Ahhhh. I'm glad the knee pain eased up. I am finding that not only do I have to hold my core in place while doing pretty much EVERYTHING, I also have to avoid twisting at the waist, hips or any other place unless it's a very controlled or deliverate motion. Do you have reasonably good cell phone signal when you take your walks? I pretty much never walk without my cell phone, especially since I tripped and fell while walking the dog a couple months ago. I was fine and able to walk home, thank goodness. To answer your question, yes, when I do planks on my toes, I do better if I have my walking/running shoes on. You're right about some moves would be easier if we lost some weight, and I know my back would do better. The possible new location for the thrift store sounds really good. I hope that the cost is within the Humane Society's budget.

Susie - I'm going to have to go back and find the "being there" comment from the woman's blog. I'm glad you got some good sleep. So cool that you are (and have been) so involved in TOPS. I tried TOPS several years ago, but it wasn't a good group for me, so I stopped going. Good for you for getting back on the bike. I'm going to do that tomorrow. I was thinking about going today, but I find if I go two days in a row my derriere gets sore, so I walked today at lunch and I'll walk Santa after work. I so wish I could take longer walks so I could hike. There aren't many hikes that are just 15 minutes in length, but I am looking online for some places nearby that have shorter trails (like in the redwood forests). I'm also "in" for pulling each other up and getting engaged again. I'll post my food and exercise here as well as MFP. Thank you for the kind words about how much better I'm doing since you first joined us. And when I think about how much happier I am than I was 18 months ago (which was when my 23 year relationship with my husband abruptly ended) it's just a miracle! I seriously thought I'd never be happy again. And I am so grateful to my amazing family and friends, including the Wonderful Worldly Chicks, for helping me get through such a difficult time in my life. :grouphug:

Shad - I hope that either your day improves or you figure out how to open the windows without smashing them...but then again, smashing them while throwing a bloke out would release a fair amount of frustration and angst, right? :rofl:


Well, lunch break is over...time to get back to making WordPress play nice with a Flash movie. :faint: WordPress is great in general...but if you want to do lots of cool stuff, it can be quite persnickety.

Hugs to all,

Afternoon
They have Mr. know it all out in the chemical room painting. At least he's out of my hair for the time being.
Not sure whether or not the land lord has fixed things. I hope so cause my company has made it to town. She was down at her store earlier. Not sure what to fix for dinner. I know what I want but not what she want's.
Made an appointment this morning with a doctor I used to go to in Jonesboro. My regular doctor is on vacation this week. My allergies seem better today but my lower back is still giving me problems.
------
Happy
Thanks for giving us a little nudge. I've been trying but not hard enough. I just need to realize that I need to do this for myself AND not listen to any criticism. I've found out through trial and error that I do better with pairing a carb and a protein. Some of my favorite things even fruit do set me into a down ward spiral and I try not to eat them. And I'm restricted as to what foods I can eat due to the diverticulitis. I want to keep it at bay so to speak.
Since we have been operating the plant from one tank, I've been getting in 14 to 15,000 steps per day and I'm bushed when I get home. I did complete a Peggy Cappy Yoga DVD for Heart Health but it's basically the same thing as the other DVD's except it moves faster.
Yes, things are in bloom.

Michelle
Don't over do with the walking. Can you go 5 minutes then increase? Don't want you to be in pain. How are you going to meditate?

Annie
I'd be looking for that debit card also. Maybe it will be in the mail tomorrow.

Laura
I looked up the crocus flower on the internet and that's what your picture looks like to me. It's a beautiful flower. I wish I had the energy to go to an exercise class. And I may get on the floor tonight and do some lower back exercises to see if this will help.

Shad
I know how you feel. There have been times here that I'd like to send some people over board. Hang in there the week end will be here soon.

Susie and Terra; Hope you are both doing well.

I just lost all of my personals I had typed for a 2nd time. Im not having a good day today :( Let's try this one more time, 3rd times a charm I guess LOL

Laura ~ I forgot to say good luck at your doctor's appt. next Wed. I go to see my doctor next Tuesday. I like horror movies in general but Nightmare On Elm St. is my favorite horror movie series.

Annie ~ Yeah I agree that walking is the best work out a person can do

Michelle ~ Thats cool that you like Nightmare On Elm St and The Halloween movies better then the Friday The 13th movies, I like all 3.

Susie ~ Yeah, Not everyone can stand to watch horror movies so I understand but thats cool that your boyfriend likes watching horror movies.

Ceejay ~ Im doing good, I hope your doing good too.

I walked 3 times total, 2 regular walks and one long distant walk 4 or 5 blocks.

Good Morning All...

LAURA....the flower pic is very uplifting and pretty. Good on ya for doing your challenges. Hope the scales at WW were kind to you as your home scales.

HAPPY...I must admit when I was going through my funk when I lost my job, I missed a lot in posts. Sorry about the thrift shop burning down. ah warmer temps makes my day brighter also, dancing right along with you!!

CHELLE....I am going to go by the bookstore today and get the 60 seconds book. Good for you on walking at lunch and refocusing on eating healthy.

CEEG...what goes around comes around and glad to see your new co-worker is getting his dues. Glad you allergies are better but boo on your back, hope the doc can help you.

SHADDIE...now know what to get you for Christmas...a fire extinguisher to help put out all the fires around you. lol. You are right on the bird feeders and winter, but I only put out hummingbird feeders. Summer time feeders only.

TERRA...get to walking girl and walk off those lbs.

SUSIE...glad you are feeling better and good on ya for getting to the gym. Hey even if you have to walk slow, that is ok. Any movement is better than none. YGG
****************

The birds are singing and the sun is shining. What a wonderful day in the neighborhood

Today is hump day which means it is also Cs day off. We are leaving here in a bit to hit the BMV to get plates for his work box truck. That is another 270.00 out the door. Then taking his personal truck to the dealer to get the oil changed. Have a coupon for 26.00 for oil change and tire rotation.

Taxes were not as bad as we thought. Originally 5000 now down to 2900 for last year. Thank God I had taxes taken out of my check and also for starting the Roth IRAs helped. Going to rollover my 401K into a plain IRA which will be tax deductible for 2014 taxes. Yeah

That is about all for me for now, gotta hop in the shower and get ready to roll.

Hugs

Good morning ladies,

Not much news to report...except that for the past two nights, it's been too hot to sleep. Monday the high was in the upper 80s and it took forever for our 2nd floor bedroom to cool down; yesterday it was even hotter. Unfortunately, D's house doesn't have air conditioning...so I'm hoping for a mild summer. I can deal with a little heat, but poor Santa was panting. I'm going to have to get him one of those doggie pillows that are cooling. Maybe I'll get one for me too. :rofl: I feel a little guilty complaining about heat when many of you are just barely experiencing spring and were in the deep freeze not too long ago.

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

Ceejay - Glad the guy is out of your hair. Sorry to hear about the back pain. Try some very gentle stretching, and don't stretch or exercise to the point of pain. To answer your question about meditation, we do a bit of meditation at the end of yoga class (so that's at least once a week), and I've got several meditation CDS. Plus Oprah and Deepak Chopra have a 21 day meditation program (that's free) coming up, so I can listen to that online (or one of the thousands of other meditations that can be found on YouTube. I just have to be disciplined enough to do it. Yes, I probably should've just walked for 5 minutes in each direction to start out, then I might not have had pain. Truth is, I am impatient for being able to hike, so I was striving for a 20 minute walk (10 minutes out and 10 min. back). Good for you for getting all those steps in! That's impressive!! And doing the yoga DVD too! Well done! :bravo:

Terra - Well done on all the walking! :cp:

Annie - I hope you're able to find the book. I found it really helpful. Nice that you get to spend the day with C, even if it is running errands.

:wave: to Shad, Happy and Susie!

Time for this chick to learn more ways to manipulate WordPress into doing what I want. Wish me luck! :crossed:

Love and hugs,

Morning all.

Annie – It’s so good to have a sunny day. :sunny: Still a bit chilly up here this morning, but it’s gonna warm up nicely today - low 60’s I believe. I’ll make a point of getting out of the office for a quick jaunt this afternoon. Glad you like the flower pic. Nice you can spend the day with C on his day off, even if it’s just doing errands together. Glad taxes weren’t so bad for you this year, and good for you getting yourselves set for 2014 taxes. Oh, didn’t know spring/summer was the season for hummingbirds. Learn something new every day...

Shad – Speaking of learning…the bf and I were watching a reality show last night that had a trivia question about a country that only does April Fool’s Day pranks until noon. Turns out it’s Australia. What’s up with that?? Sorry you’re dealing with the usual project frustrations – does that mostly happen when go-live is so close, or is it par for the course on these projects at any stage? Yeh, I took a quick look online at a snowdrop photo and my flower did not look like it. I agree, must be a crocus.

Michelle – Yes, it’s finally getting mild enough that we can think of opening the bedroom windows a bit overnight to get some fresh air while sleeping. :)Glad to hear your brother’s doing well down in Belize. His lifestyle sounds very carefree! :beach: Goodonya (as Shad would say) for the PT class and the walking. You’ll gradually build up your strength and stamina. Please don't overdo it and risk a setback!! I’m sure you can find some great shorter hikes. Aren’t they really only as long as you choose to make them? Unless of course it takes a bit of distance to get to the interesting stuff, LOL.

Happy – Yeh, this year everyone who survived the difficult winter is going to rejoice in the milder weather. :D Doggy is really enjoying being out in the backyard more and laying on the grass (and rolling around on it). Sorry the PT isn’t helping you in a major way. That crunch in your knee sounds awful! I’m glad the pain eased up. Don’t worry about dh rolling you down the road – I’m sure he’d go home and come back with the ATV. :D I hope the primo location is a strong possibility for the shop - this is an opportunity to make it even better than before! Thank you for encouraging us to get engaged again with healthy eating. I think being all or nothing is unrealistic – maybe shooting for 80% will be sufficient, and even when we’re not feeling up for being on track, we don’t completely bail out on everything.

Susie – Nothing like a good night’s sleep to wake up feeling 100% better. ;) Good job getting on the bike! :ebike: You’re right about logging – when I don’t, I sometimes try to think back on the day and believe I didn’t do too badly and then I have to remember this, that and the other thing that didn’t quite add up to “on track” eating. Much better to have it in black and white/on the monitor in front of me.


Ceejay – Sorry your back is still giving you trouble. :( Do you have to do a lot of bending or lifting at work?? Or maybe it’s all that walking you’re doing? I hope the doc can help you. How hard it would be to do a workout when you’ve been on your feet so much during your long workdays!! But I do agree that maybe getting on the floor and doing some bridges for your back will bring you some relief. Glad mr. know it all is out of your hair for the time being. Sounds like work is challenging enough for you at the moment without him butting in.

Terra – It is soooo frustrating to lose a post you’ve spent time typing!!! :mad: A lot of us have learned the hard way that we're safer typing the post in Word or some other separate software and then copying and pasting it into 3fc. Thank you for wishing me luck at my dr appointment next week – same to you!!! I like scary movies, but not the gory slasher kind..Okay girl, keep on walking! The weather’s making it much more pleasant to be outside! :running:

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Well, I went to the “Body Works plus Abs” class last night at the gym. Or shall we say “Non-stop squats & lunges”. :exercise: My quads were very tired after that and soreness is taking hold today. I’m going to try and keep moving regularly in hopes it helps with that.

But…I was too whooped to want to do my challenges last night, so I will try to catch up today. I really should try to keep up now because I’m at the point where these challenges are getting tough.

Definitely not doing a gym class tonight, and Thurs. is kickbox cardio. Doubt I’ll feel like doing that. I might try for some Margaret Richard/Body Electric workouts the rest of the week (no legs though!!), plus my challenges.

I'm probably going to order a rack for my dumbbells from Walmart and have it delivered to the store by us so I can save shipping costs by picking it up there. I'm tired of my weights being on the floor.

Nothing else going on. Oh, forgot about WW - I had a gain of a pound, which I expected. Yesterday's meeting was discussing "is this food worth it?". Good topic. We had a sub leader, and I like her better than our regular one. Sigh.

Better get cranking. TTFN!
:flow1: :flow1: :flow1:

I just got some awful news...one of my former co-workers, a brilliant, amazing, fun woman, passed away suddenly on Monday night. She was only 48. The word is she had a heart attack. She was overweight, but athletic.

D***, just reminds me that every day is a gift, and I've got to do a better job of taking care of this body of mine if I want to stick around on this earth for a long time.

Annie ~ Yeah, Im trying to walk off those pounds lol

Michelle ~ Thanks, I've been working hard at my walking

Laura ~ Yeah I'll take your advice on the posts. Thats cool that you like scary movies just not the slasher kind. I agree the weather is making it more pleasant to be outside.

Morning all,

Had a good talk with the physical therapist yesterday. He did the roll procedure for the vertigo and boy were my eyes whipping around! We waited 10 minutes and repeated it just to see if things were where they should be and I got no vertigo response at all - which is good. As for my knee, he said I could have a random piece of cartilage floating in there which sometimes causes the sudden knee pain. Suggested getting a walking stick so if I popped something, I'd have something to lean on while DH went back to get the car. Michelle - I appreciate the cell phone advice but we have spotty service here. This time of year also not a good idea to walk alone as the bears will be waking up. PT said to keep walking - just don't do any marathons - more important to build strength in the knee and he is not a fan of braces either. I have one more follow up visit next week. I was very happy with his advice - there are some things I will just have to deal with and I'm ok with that.

It's a nice day out there - I have my OMG I love it yoga class that I have to get ready for soon. Hoping to catch tomorrow's class at the senior center too. And I have to plan a pool day - unless I go early in the morning I'd rather avoid the weekend and the chance of wasting a pass punch only to find the pool filled with little kids.

It looks like they are going to go forward with a new home for the thrift shop. It's in a good location with a lot of traffic about 3 blocks from where we were formerly located. I saw the space and it's divided into a bunch of rooms which will be nice for organizing things. I think it will work out nicely.

Michelle - I am very sorry to hear of your co-worker friend. These sorts of things remind me too as D said that you need to cherish your time here instead of worrying it away. No one ever knows when their time is coming to a close. And the more we can keep ourselves healthy and self sufficient, the better. :D Ugh on being warm and no air conditioning. We have central air in this house and I'm really glad - we actually use it. In August. For about 5 days. :lol: I'm ok with daytime fans but can't sleep if it's too warm and stuffy. Poor Santa - hope he finds a cool spot on the tile. Even in a temperate climate like yours, one still needs the occasion boost of warmth and coolness I imagine.

Laura - I think you are right - that's a crocus. Very pretty. I'm sure Coal is happy to see spring and the end of snow. When we walked over to see the new thrift shop space, D brought her dog - a cute setter mix and that pup was having all kinds of fun rolling in the remaining snow banks. I forget that dogs can just bring all sorts of smiles to you. Bummer that you liked the substitute WW leader better - I have had that happen a lot - in regular meetings and with WW at Work. I guess it's like having a personal trainer - needs are individualized and I think the leader HAS to really be motivating to make it work. Some people just aren't good teachers. You are doing REALLY well on the physical exercise :high:

Annie - sounds like things are looking a bit better for you. Glad to hear that. Especially if the tax bite isn't as bad as anticipated - that's always a pleasant surprise. Please share the recipe for the Hawaiian chicken you made yesterday. That sounded so yummy and I don't even know what's in it but if you made it, it must be good! And I agree with you about the crazy baby names - I think a name does not make you unique - your personality does. People are over infatuated with pregnancies and their babies more and more. :rolleyes: I hate those crazy interview questions - sometimes I just want to be a smarty pants. I think real interviews don't ask that dumb stuff because after all, are you going to answer bad stuff?????

Terra - horror movies scare me, especially when I go to bed and it's all quiet except for those creepy house noises :yikes: :lol: Keep up with the walking - I may join you in spirit!

Shad - why is everything so chaotic? Is it the typical near to cutover and everyone is going bonkers from too many things needed to be done and too little time? I hope they don't run into Typhoon Shad and her trusty :rollpin: :lol: Thank you for the card - came today with the envelope ripped to shreds so I'm thinking the million dollar check you enclosed is lost forever :lol3: Thank you for thinking of me - I MIGHT wear that pin. Under my jacket because after all, it's still cool out you know. :lol:

Ceejay - I wouldn't worry too much about cooking for your friend - as my dear grandma would say "you can eat it or you can STARVE" :lol: As long as it's something a person isn't allergic to or have a sensitivity - like diverticulitis or hot spicy food on a sensitive tummy or gluten intolerance - I say - enjoy someone else's cooking for a change. If not, she can offer to make part of the meal in exchange for hospitality shown. As for your eating - just eat what works best for you. I'm at my best with plain, fresh foods. I get into trouble when I try to use up things from the freezer - I don't always incorporate salads and things that I need to be eating. Just have to make a better effort without going crazy, right?

Susie - I think it's great that you want to be a Tops leader again. With your organization skills that would be such a good fit. Sounds like you have a bubbly personality also. And when you get to retire - it would seem that after a lifetime of run, run, run that you'd want some time to rest the reality of it is that after 30 days you'll be bored silly and be looking for something to do. So there you are - all planned out for you. ;) Going for a walk in the neighborhood sounds nice - things are drying up enough here so I hope to do that also soon.

Time to jump in the shower. Have a good one everybody. Do something a little extra (besides eat more ;) )