Morning all.*

*

Ceejay – The sneakers I bought are Brooks, Adrenaline GTS13.* Brooks has come out with a newer model GTS14, so I was able to get a good deal on these at an online shoe site.* They are supposed to be a very supportive shoe and are rated well, so I hope I like them.*

*

Terra – I’m doing pretty good – my gut is finally feeling more back to normal.* I hope this “irregularity” doesn’t become a frequent issue.* Sorry if that’s TMI, lol.* I hadn’t thought about the Habitat store for area rugs.* Did you find some nice ones?*

*

Michelle – Hope Santa’s well on his way to being back to 100%.* I caught Coal eating something in the yard this morning.* Aaaargh!!* It happens so fast you can’t do much about it once they’ve got it in their mouth!!* Hope* whatever it was doesn’t give him problems.* Speaking of eating…Coal has a tendency to eat his dinner so fast, he sometimes even gacks it back up.* And I know eating that fast can lead to all kinds of other problems.* We just bought a doohickey with a suction cup that gets stuck to the center of his food bowl and has a big dog bone-shaped rubber piece sticking up and therefore blocking the entire center part of his bowl.* We’ve used it a few days now and it certainly forces him to eat more slowly.* The other option was a bowl with a built in dome in the center of it, but this thing (Gobble Stopper?) allows us to use our existing bowl, which is great because BF made Coal a raised feeding station that fits his food and water bowls perfectly.* Is Santa a gobbler or does he let his kibble sit around until the mood strikes him?* Do you have all of your travel plans firmed up for your upcoming vacation?*

*

Susie – If I weren’t trying out the Brooks brand of sneakers, I’d be staying with New Balance.* I was thinking of going to a store and getting fitted, but I still think it’s a matter of trying them out a bit longer at home to get the feel of the shoe and then making a determination if they’ll work out.** So I ended up ordering online.* I want to buy some new boots this year too.* I definitely want to buy a pair of taller snow boots – my only pair is a short pair.* I also wouldn’t mind trying to find some leather boots.* I imagine they’ll still be as popular as they were the past couple years.* I’d probably go with a very low-heeled, almost flat boot.*

*

Shad – Funny how days get away from you when you’re keeping busy.* Hope you’re getting some downtime too.*

*

Happy – You must be missing your dh and kitties a LOT by now.* I don’t recall you mentioning dh coming to pick you up from Chicago or some other point in between, so I’ll assume you’re flying back.* Enjoy the rest of your time here, and don’t let your mom drive you too bonkers, LOL!*

*

Hi Annie!*

==

Nothing much to report*today.* I set up an afternoon training session (to be conducted by the software company) for the software our department uses.* I hope it goes well.* I’ve had bad experiences in the past.*

*

That’s it for me.* TTFN.*

*

Again with the *'s. Oh well.

Michelle - Glad Santa's back to his usual self. :)

Helloooo Seesters.....

Been spending a lot of time with the grandbabes lately. So much fun and growing like weeds. Jacob is fight a sinus infection. Royce is healthy as a horse. Ainsley went back to school last week so don't get to see her much these days. Her school is about 15 minutes north of Indy and of course we all live on the SE side of Indy. She is turning into a beautiful young lady.

Going to cut grass here shortly, then mop the floors. Got the sheets on beds done early and the beds are back together.... Tomorrow is dusting, vacuuming and scouring....then Saturday is cooking for my son's bd. They will all be here around 5 pm, so I will have all day to get my act together.

Got my fingerprinting done on Monday. This is the second job I have had to be fingerprinted and background checked. I passed the first time and am certain I have not committed any crimes since that either...lol

Got one batch of salsa made so far from the garden. I just know all these tomatos are going to turn at once. I have been freezing my jalapenos as they are growing like crazy. I have harvested chives twice and ready to again, basil is an ongoing harvest weekly. Had 4 zucchini's then the plants took a nose dive and died. Only had two yellow squash. Cucumbers are not doing well either. bleh. Too much rain.

That is about all for me, excited to start work on the 8th, then will wish for days off. haha.

Love and hugs sweet sisters.

I'm going to write this now so I won't come back here tonight and have to say whoops the day got away from me. Yesterday was dentist day, so I came out of that somewhat lighter in the wallet and need to go back Friday week since a filling or two have cracked. The one up the front is to be replaced next week, and one other will have to be done soon. Dentists are expensive. Bah humbug.

So I have finished making up the garden beds and two are planted out with lettuces, spinach, beans, capsicum (bell peppers) corn, beetroot and onions. I have some peas, snowpeas, and more onions to plant in the third bed this morning. Then I need to start tidying up the rest of the yard and finishing off the hedge. I've also done half of the venetians around the house and washed more floors than I thought I had floors to wash - some have been done twice already.

Michelle - good to hear that Santa is getting better and not being sick anymore. So hard when they can't tell us what is wrong.

Ceejay - terrible thing to happen on your street. Can understand the fear that you and the neighbour are experiencing. The whole world seems to be going to **** in a handcart.

Laura - Interesting layout with all those **** in the text. Wonder what is causing them. Must be a setting on the phone. Should have let me know, I would have come over and done the training for your software rollout. It can't be much harder than some of the SAP training that I have done.

Susie - good luck with the new shoes. I find I have to wear 'Dasics' shoes because I have such wide flat feet. Anything else is too narrow for me.

Annie - so bright and cheerful today - you must be overjoyed at working again. Hope it will be a successful relationship and a happy job for you. You deserve it.

Terra - how's the walking going?

Happy - must only be one more week away for you. Enjoy the time with Mum. Don't let the 'foibles' get at you. Nice to hear that you met up with friends again. They are the best, the old friends.

Better get out and put these plants in the ground before the heat hits this morning. We've had a couple of days without wind and it has been very pleasant but it seems like it is back today. Seems funny to say that there is wind chill factor when you are in the tropics but that wind from the west and straight off the desert is cold. See you later.

Hi ladies,

Not much going on. Met with some favorite cousins for lunch - had a nice time. He is a retired policeman - hit by a truck on duty and he is just messed us so bad. But he was in good spirits and it did him good to get out and have some social time. We had a very nice lunch and BIL and nephew enjoyed a nice dinner from our abundant leftovers. Sis is doing a bit better - the pounding throbbing in her jaw has subsided - tooth is still tender and she's on soft foods but as long as the abscess pain has calmed a bit she said she is good with that. We are sticking close to home - this is a quiet "vacation". I will go back to Mum's over the weekend to finish out the week. Not looking forward to it as the temperatures are climbing into the 90's with sticky heat indexes. Mum promises to run the air conditioning. I am trying not to be a whiner and to remember that I came to visit her and it's only a week which I can handle. DH said it's cooler - in the mid 60's up by us so autumn is on it's way. He is having a ball - NOT - with resealing the basement and ripping out the last of the carpet and moving things around. I do wish I was there to help him. He said the cats are really vying for his attention and the younger one wants to play with the string at least 5 times a day and is getting quite vocal in her demands. :lol:

Shad - no kidding about the expensive dentist. Insurance doesn't cover much at all there. I have a couple of crowns to replace, my mouth costs more than my cars ;) But we do need teeth... Sounds like you have a nice cool weather garden going in. I take it that it's too early for the tomatoes? Have you finished the interior remodelling that you had planned? All done now, only the outside pavements to finish up or did you complete that project too? Do you still have the rain tank? Thank you for the reminder to enjoy my time with Mum - I will remember that when she hollers at me for setting the thermostat one degree lower than she likes it or when I open the blinds to let some light into the dark house. :^:

Annie - sounds like you have a nice couple of weeks to relax (??) and at least tackle some things with a positive feeling that you have time off and a paycheck will soon be on it's way again. Doesn't make up for the last few months of fretting but it's good to know that happy days are hear again. Enjoy them like you say because you will be shy on any time off until the end of the year. Glad you are having fun with the kidlets and getting some of that garden produce picked and packed. What do you do with your chives? I have a huge clump of them but I heard they will lose their flavor if dried out - do you freeze them?

Very odd - my nephew who gave up his room for me to sleep in and is a night owl much more than me appears to have gone to bed for the night. Already. It's midnight - guess I should head upstairs myself.

Laura - yes, this year I am flying back, next year I might fly in for a week and DH come down for a few days and we will get a hotel up north closer to the places like the Botanical Garden we want to visit and drive back together. And I do miss DH and my kitties very much by now. I have video chatted with him on FB but I still miss him. Yuck about Coal's tasty yard surprise but like you said - not much you can do about it after the fact. That bone thing sounded interesting. I used a small tart like ring mold for Nina when she was a kitten to slow down her eating - coming from a shelter she had to fight for food I imagine as she was one of the smallest cats in the common room so she was a bit of a piggy. Those devices do work.

Susie - my sister said there is an Asics running shoe that was recommended to her for the plantar fascitis. I can find the exact model if you are interested. SHe also had to break her habit of walking around barefoot but got some nice open shoes with good support so she can keep that barefoot feeling. I like New Balance myself for all around support and comfort.

Ceejay - oh my gosh - that break in had to be just horrid as more details come out. That poor woman! Did she have a window open or something? I hope you are not still unnerved about it. Good for you for burning off all of that energy cleaning.

Terra - have you had any chance to do more work on your quilt? What did you decide on for dinner at Free Birds?

Michelle - hope you got your project well underway. As you say, a nice diversion - got all the kinks caught and fixed from the name change? I'm very glad to hear that Santa's illness was a short blip. Maybe the heat is getting to him sometimes also.

I'd better get to bed now. Have a good night everyone. :wave:

Laura ~ Im glad your gut is feeling back to normal, Dont worry your message wasnt TMI. Yeah the area rugs we got are really pretty I'll post a picture of them.

Shad ~ My walking is going good. What do you do again for exercise?

Happy ~ Yes I have, I will add a picture to this post. I had a free bird burrito from freebirds. It was very good.



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I woke up at 5:30 am this morning and I was out walking by 7 am and then around 9:30 am I waited outside for my bus and then I got to school a little after 10:30 am and I was there until 3:30 pm and thats all I did today. Since I got up early this morning I took a late nap and I didnt set my alarm so I didnt wake up until 9:30 pm so I'll be sure to set my alarm if I take a nap again so I can still get up and do my 2 mile evening walk. Well its taking forever to load and its almost 1 am so Im gonna go ahead and go to bed but I'll try to up load the pictures again tomorrow morning. Night all.

Good morning. Work day today is a play day. We have a Department canoe outing. More team building......:p

Tomorrow we go for DH's CTA Chest scan. This is the mapping of his heart that they will do before his ablation surgery next Friday morning. I am a bit anxious about the test tomorrow. I hope it all comes back good with no additional problems so that we can get the ablation over with the next week. THAT I am a anxious about.

I am posting before leaving for work so I will have to do personals at another time.

I do want to let Michelle know that I am happy that Santa is feeling better. It's scary when our fur babies are not themselves and we don't know what is wrong.

Have a great day everyone!

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Morning all.* Muggy and rainy today*– that made for an icky walk to the train station this morning.* And downtown, the sidewalks were crowded with pedestrians and their umbrellas – makes for difficult navigation.* But I’m here, cool and dry now.*

++

Annie – I’m so glad you’ve got this extra time to spend with the grandbabies, and during the summer!* :) I know a paycheck would be much appreciated by now, but enjoy this free time while you can.* Sounds like a nice harvest from the veggie garden this year, except for the squash and cukes…I have a ton of tomatoes on my plants, but only the cherry tomatoes are ripening much so far.* Fingers crossed the plum tomatoes start ripening soon – I’d like to make some salsa too!!

Shad – My sympathies to your wallet after the dentist visit and for the appointment to come. What a lot of work you’re doing in the garden and around the house!* I confess to being pretty horrible with the housework.* I think I need to shift my mindset to getting it done on weeknight evenings.* A lot of that time all I do is sit around watching TV – waste of time (when I should be exercising…).* Re the software training – I have no doubt you could have done this session with ease – this is a very user friendly application vs SAP.* I’m a very casual user of SAP, but I still remember way back when so much of the German was still evident on the screens, lol.

Happy – So nice you’re getting to see friends and family in the area.* Are you enjoying not having so much going on – no volunteer work, no gardening – just hanging out and socializing?* LOL re the AC battle – I got a chuckle out of a TV commercial I saw the other day in which the hubby unsuccessfully tried to teach the family cat to adjust the thermostat while he distracted his wife. *I find when I’m just sitting around, I’m fine with a higher temp setting and a glass of ice water.* Once I start moving around though, that’s it – crank the air!* Yes, I think those pet food bowls with the dome in the center (I’ve learned they’re called “slow feeders”) act much like a ring mold – keeps the pet from getting their entire head in the bowl and gobbling up massive quantities in one go.*

Terra – Sounds like you were up late after that long nap, LOL.* I always worry if I take a nap I’ll end up not being able to sleep at bedtime.* Not a good thing on a Sunday night with work the next day.* Every time you mention the burritos I want one too!* I love Mexican food!!* Just saw your photos – I like the M*A*S*H t-shirt!* And the rugs are pretty – especially the one with larger leaf design.* Nice.*

Susie – Nice when work is a play day.* Canoeing?* That doesn’t sound like something that would have wide appeal (though I’d like it, weather permitting).* What’s the alternate activity??* I hope your dh’s scan goes well*tomorrow!*

*Michelle – How’s the graphic design going?* Must be a nice change of pace from your usual work.*

Hi Ceejay!! :wave:

~~

I didn’t do much of anything last night.* I’ve been quite the sloth lately.* I finally put a new battery in my pedometer and wore it yesterday for the first time in a long time – had about 6600 steps.* So far*today*I have 3,339 steps.* It helps when I have to walk from home to the train station.* I don’t think many steps register when I ride my bike.* I might have to check it right before I get on the bike and right after to confirm that.*

I missed my pushups*today, but it seems I can only do 10 or 11 the past several days, so I try to do another set in the evening as well as the morning.*

Today’s a WW meeting, but I have a lunchtime session that overlaps both possible WW meeting times, so I might just go and get weighed in and not stay for the meeting.*

I’m taking a half day off work tomorrow.* My friend D invited me to the annual lake cruise held by her Industry group.* We board just before*4 pm, but my friend was going to pick me up from my office before that.* Now that I’ve decided to take a half day off work, I’ll have to work out a different something different with her because I plan to leave the office around*12:30-ish, take myself out to lunch, and maybe go to the Art Institute or walk around Millennium Park for a bit before meeting her.* I still haven’t seen the Lurie Garden over there!*

Okay, enough rambling.* TTFN.*

Good morning ladies,

Had a fairly typical evening yesterday. After work I went to the gym and did 45 minutes on the bike, then grabbed a Subway sandwich, and then went to the weight loss support group. Each time I go to group I learn something new. One woman just had her surgery a week ago, and she was feeling nauseous, but she said that each day it gets a little better. After group, I picked up Santa and even though it was about 1/2 hour 'til sunset, we went for a quick visit to the dog park. Tonight will be the gym, followed by the dog park. I'm roughly 2 lbs away from where I can call in to get my pre-surgery psych eval scheduled. They're kind of backed up, so I want to lose the 2 lbs ASAP!

Speaking of the dog park, one of my friends from the dog park found out yesterday that a very good friend of his was killed in a hiking accident. He was just 46. He left behind a wife and daughter. So very sad.

I'm finalizing the logistics for my trip to Washington and Oregon. And I'm using AirBnB.com to find accommodations for the nights when I'm not staying near the wedding location or with friends. Also, I ordered several protein powder samples because since I'll have Santa with me on my trip, my food options will be limited. No sit down restaurants, at least not when it's hot out. I intend to keep some healthy food in a cooler (like string cheese), but it will be super convenient to just throw protein powder in a shaker bottle with water and call it lunch. :D

The graphic design is going well. I'm just waiting on comments/revisions from my director.

I watched the Extreme Weight Loss episode from a couple weeks ago where a woman who is a "little person" lost a lot of weight and took up running. Within the first three months, she ran an entire 5K and by 6 months, she ran a marathon. She said she always admired people who run. Running's never been my thing...too hard on the knees, feet, back, hips, etc. But I am always envious of those who hike. My cousin Sue has been posting photos from all her hikes. She did a month-long trek of the Appalachain Trail. I don't mean I want to take up backpacking. I like camping, but prefer to haul my gear in a car rather than on my back. But I REALLY REALLY want to do some hiking by spring or summer next year.



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Laura - Good on ya' for getting new sneakers. I really need to do that too, but I keep postponing it because I don't do very much weight bearing exercise. I'm glad your gut is back to normal. Thanks for the tip about the food bowls. Yes, Santa does eat fast especially with wet food so that may have contributed to his not feeling well. It was also kind of hot when we went to the dog park on Sunday. We should've waited an hour 'til the air cooled off some. Glad you got to work ok, despite an icky walk. Do the trains ever have delays due to rain? I totally hear ya' about watching TV on weeknight evenings. I would do that too if I went straight home after work. That's why I go straight to the gym. I always keep workout clothes in my car. Since you take public transportation, it would be quite a lot to lug around to and from work. Pedometers don't always work well with bike riding, you could use MyFitnessPal to calculate your calorie burned based on time spend riding. Good luck at weigh in. So nice that you're going on a lake cruise with your friend. I've been to Millennium Park (that's where the "Bean" is right?). But I haven't seen the Lurie Garden.

Annie - Glad you're enjoying time with the grandkids. So sorry to hear that lil Jacob has a sinus infection. Bummer that the rain hampered some of your garden harvest. I wish you could send some rain our way.

Shad - Why is it that dentists cause so much pain to our mouths AND wallets? I wish insurance would pay for more of the services. Good that you're getting your garden plants in. Are you planting any rocket (that's arugula, right)?

Happy - Glad you're enjoying a nice time with relatives. And good to hear that your sister's mouth is doing a little better. I can also echo the sentiments to be grateful for the "drive you crazy" moments with your mum. Do the ring molds you're talking about to slow feeding look sort of like a mini Bundt cake pan?

Terra - You're quilt is really coming together. And I really like the rugs you got.

Susie - I hope you're able to find something to relieve your foot pain.

Ceejay - Your cleaning and mopping does count as exercise. I hope your neighbor is doing ok. Such a frightful situation.

Well, time to get back to it.

Much love to all,

Laura & Michelle ~ Thanks for commenting on my t-shirt quilt and rugs. I sorry every time I mention FreeBirds Burrito's it makes you want one Laura. I like mexican food too.

Morning all,
Cool and drizzly here this morning so I guess some of the indoor chores will get done rather than working outside. The garden planters are now all planted out and they are starting to forge ahead. The rain can only do good at this point. Now that is nearly done, I can get on with something else now. It's not as if there is a shortage of work around the place.

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DS2 is going away for the weekend, so I have inherited his cat for tonight and Saturday night. I will go around there this afternoon to take the food scraps for the worm farm and pick up the cat. Miss Sunday will not be amused.

So, on today's menu is finishing off the Venetian blind cleaning, getting into my wardrobe and clearing some junk out of there, clean out the fridge and pantry and dust, tidy and sweep the lounge room. Then I want to plan out how the shed is going to be set up and finally organise some stuff for the front yard. I think I might deserve a glass of wine after that lot.

Happy - No kidding, the cats are vocal. You need to be here to get VOCAL. She just never stops talking. You can hear her from the minute she steps inside the house. It runs something like 'feed me, feed me, don't feed me that, where are you, why aren't you at the fridge yet, why is my dinner cold, I don't want that, sit down I want to sit on your head/ shoulder/ stomach, get up, the kitchen is that way, bedtime, I want under the covers, no I don't'.
I still have the raintank, but the house guttering has to be redone so I guess I might update that system at the same time. Damn, might have to go back to work.

Terra - for exercise, I walk, I garden, I swim, I do housework, generally just keep moving. Sitting around only makes me stiff and feel old.
Is there more to go on the teeshirt quilt?

Susie - hope all goes okay with the medical stuff for the DH. I can understand the reluctance at the 'team building'. Used to hate it myself. Always seemed that someone was determined to get noticed and therefore imposed him/herself on the 'team'.

Laura - rain here today too. Not muggy tho. Cool 18C (64F) out there and I don't think I will be doing much out there today. I generally tend to do my housework day by day. I divide the rooms up into Monday to Friday and it tends to only take about 15-30 minutes per day. Any really heavy stuff like the fridge/ freezer clean or maintenance is done separately or, when I am working, at the weekend. Once you get into the routine, it's pretty easy and if you do it the minute after you walk in the door, kick off your shoes and take a deep breath, then it is done for the evening.
You don't get much German in SAP these days. It's pretty rare. Takes all the fun out of trying to work out what they want you to do.

Michelle - well done on the weight loss. You will be there any day now. Just lose a couple more pounds after that to ensure you stay at the correct weight. We all know how easy it is to put it back on again. Glad to hear that Santa is well again.

Annie - Cherish the time left at home. Work comes around too soon.

Right, well it is time to get off here, I will not get everything done if I don't. Life gets tedious don't it.

Shad ~ Yeah there is a little more to do and then I can move on to step 2

Morning all. TGIF!

Michelle - I've heard good things about airbnb. More planning required when you're traveling with Santa. Will you be using a doggy daycare during the wedding activities? Yup, the bean is in millenium park.

Shad - LOL re your vocal kitty. At least she's already familiar with your son's cat, right? I agree a little bit each day is preferable to giant blocks of time spent on housecleaning, except for the big projects that require it.

Terra - what's step 2 of the quilt project?

Hellos to the rest of you. Be back later. Train's pulling in the station. Time to walk to the office. :running:

Good morning ladies,

Happy Friday! Other than website work, the daily trips to the gym and the dog park, and watching the season premier of Doctor Who, I don't have anything planned. And I'm so happy about that!! I'm really quite exhausted, so I will make sure this weekend includes plenty of R&R time. :cloud9: I've worked out for 45-60 minutes 5 of the last 6 days. The frustrating thing is that my scale at home isn't moving at all. My clothes are getting a little looser, but I need the numbers on the scale so I can jump through the last pre-surgery hoops. I'm going to a Weight Loss Surgery support group today at the hospital where I'll be having my surgery, and while weighing isn't required for the meeting, I'm going to drop in to the Bariatric department and hope the scale there has a better number than my scale at home.

I am eating over 1,200 calories, but I enter in my exercise into My Fitness Pal and ALWAYS have a calorie deficit (sometimes by as much as 400-600 calories). And with all the exercise I do, I'm a little worried about sticking strictly to a 1,200 calorie a day diet because I might get too few calories. At one of the WLS support groups, someone mentioned replacing a meal with a protein shake to bust a stubborn pre-op plateau. I think I'm going to try that.

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Shad - Your garden beds look lovely! I miss gardening, but D's backyard doesn't get much sun and there's not much dirt area in the front (it's paved in front of the house to allow room for more parking (which is at a premium since we live in a downtown area. I hope Miss Sunday and your DS2's cat will get along or at least tolerate each other. I get exhausted just reading about your "to do" list! I got a laugh out of your translations of Miss Sunday's vocalizations. I totally hear you about how sitting around makes you feel stiff and old. My yoga teacher says, "motion is lotion for the joints" and I'm finding that to be true. Even right after weight loss surgery, they want patients up and walking pretty much right after coming out of anesthesia. Excellent system you have for housecleaning. Thanks for your comment about my weight loss. I have a couple more pounds to lose to get scheduled for the last of the hoops to jump through, and still have to lose 5 more pounds after that to get to surgery weight, but I'm planning on getting at least a few pounds below my pre-surgery goal weight so I have a bit of a cushion.

Susie - Saying prayers and sending positive energy for your DH. I hate the "team building" activities.

Laura - Yes, I will be using a doggy day care during the wedding activities. Other than that, he'll be with me pretty much the whole time, except if I go out to dinner with J & K, then he can stay in one of their bedrooms (so he doesn't harass their cats and they don't harass him while we're out). I hope you have good weather for the weekend. Any fun plans? (Sorry if you've already mentioned them and I forgot.)

Ceejay - Your birthday is next week, right? Any special plans?

A big :wave: to Annie, Happy and Terra!

Much love and many hugs,

Laura ~ Basting, Putting the backing,badding and front of the quilt together and then I can go onto the quilting, I guess Sewing and Quilting arent the same thing LOL.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up at 8:30 this morning and like every morning I got my morning duties done. It just turned to noon, Already today I took out the trash and cleaned inside of the trash can and Im about to make Deviled Eggs to take to a picnic Scott and I are going to at 5 pm today. Im also gonna do my 2 mille walk after I get done making the Deviled Eggs. Im really looking forward to the picnic, DA4A has one every year and this one will be the 2nd one I've been too, I wasnt able to go last year so Im really glad I can go this year and of course tonight before bed I'll do my 2 mile walk again so I'll walk 4 miles before the day is over.

Hi Everyone and Happy Weekend! I am ready for it.

I let my emotional eating get out of control this week and was back up on the TOPS scales. I really must break this pattern. I know I just need to do a lot of "talking" to myself when I feel that food will make it better.

The test today went well. The ablation is still on BUT they saw a nodgle on his kidney and they sent that to his primary care physician to evalute what should be done (tests?). We just did this in January and so while I am a bit concerned I'm just more weary of this whole medical thing and so is my DH. Thank you for your prayers and if you will continue to pray about the kidney thing I would appreciate it.

Terra: Thanks for posting the pictures. You are making good progress with the quilt and I really liked the rugs that you found.

Michelle: Good idea to weigh-in at the Bariatric department . I hope those scales have good things to say.
I have a friend who hikes and she loves it! Also, I have been told that doing cardio at a lower pace and longer time period is what burns fat, so I think hiking would be perfect. I am sorry to hear about your friend from the dog park.
:hug:

Shad: Your garden beds look lovely! You have quite a bit of cleaning planned..won't it feel good to get it all done?! I keep telling myself that as I want to get all the floors in the house mopped tomororw--I mop the wood floors about every 5-6 weeks. Otherwise I sweep them and also dust mop them weekly.

Ceejay: Housecleaning does count as exercise. It is even listed in MFP. What are you planning to do on your actual b-day next week?

Happy: One more week with your mom correct? I bet you DH is missing you just like the kitty's are. :)

Annie: just a few more weeks and you will be back to work...I bet these days are just flying by now?! :D

Laura: Good for you for putting that pedometer. I need to get back to being motivated by my fitbit. I just haven't been focused.

Hi ladies,

I decided to get weighed at the clinic close to my work. I just got back. No change. Still 230. Just 1 pound away from the weight where I can get scheduled for my pre-surgery psych evaluation. Just 6 pounds away from my surgery weight. I may still get weighed at the bariatric department this afternoon...depends on how much I eat between now and then. :lol:

Based on what I'm hearing from other pre-op patients that have already had their psych evals scheduled, they are currently scheduling psych evals for October, and there's a backlog. I really, really want my eval soon so I can have my surgery in November so I can travel to Southern CA for that holiday in December that shall not be named. :rofl:

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Terra - I love deviled eggs. I'm not going to make those this weekend, but I am going to boil up a bunch of eggs so I have a quick, easy protein packed snack.

Susie - Sorry to hear about the emotional eating. I do that all too often. In fact, on Monday, when I thought Santa was really ill, I went to In 'n' Out burger. I avoided the fries and their famous Double Cheeseburger, but I did have a single cheeseburger and a chocolate shake (both of which were very yummy). And then I wonder why I haven't lost weight this week. :nono: I'm glad your DH's test went well. Hopefully the nodule on his kidney is nothing to worry about. Continued prayers for him and for you.

Susie ~ Yeah but I was watching videos on how to make a t-shirt quilt last night on youtube and I didnt do it exactly like your suppose too, I guess I was suppose to put a boarder around each t-shirt oops.

Michelle ~ Yeah I like Deviled eggs too but I guess they dont do good in the heat, I ate one before Scott and I left the picnic and they were dry after an hour sitting outside in the heat so next time I'll make something that can stand to be in the heat lol but then again hopefully when we have our picnic next year we'll choose either a cooler day or have it in doors.

Hi ladies,

Last check in for me for the remainder of the week. The first 2 weeks went by rather slow, now things are ramping up quickly. I talked to my cousin on FB today - the ones that live north of me and they are also down here for some weekend activity. They offered me a ride home on Tuesday with them. It was VERY tempting - I would love to get home a few days early and decompress before we have plans for the Labor Day weekend but in the end it did not work out and I am sticking to the plan of flying home on Thursday. I hope everything will be ok, shortly after the cousin's call I was watching the afternoon news and a plane just like the one I am flying on the carrier I am flying had problems at take off and had to land in the middle of a cornfield in the middle of the state. Oh my! I guess stuff happens but everyone was ok. Except for being stuck in the middle of a cornfield. :rolleyes: I am going back to Mom's to finish out the week, I sure do hope she will keep the house a bit cooler with the upcoming heat this weekend. I am also having to pack up a box to send off in the morning with some of my extra clothes - I had some extra stuff shipped here and need to send it back because it would overload my suitcase. I needed to wash some of the stuff I'm packing (poor planning on my part) and Sis's washing machine stopped in the middle of a cycle. An extra 40 minutes to reset things. Then I put stuff in the dryer and set it on low as I do at home and her low is very low. When I came back an hour later my stuff was still wet so I am up after midnight waiting 45 minutes for clothes to dry so I can pack them. We will drop the box off at UPS tomorrow and then go pick up DH's favorite Italian sausage at Portillos. He was excited that I might be driving home with the cousins - "now you have room to pick up some bbq ribs" :lol: Sorry honey. :no: :lol:

Terra - there is a big difference between quilting and sewing. I know how to sew but not how to quilt - always wanted to learn. I made a patchwork quilt once - like you I wasn't sure what I was doing but I loved that quilt and used it until I wore it out. I'm sure the same will be with yours - made from love and that's what counts ;) I like your new area rugs - very pretty.

Michelle - I can imagine how frustrating it can be to be so close to scheduling your surgery yet a pound is standing in the way. You are doing very well with the commitment to food and exercise - don't give up. It's good training for post surgery including the protein packets. When one of my friends hit a plateau dieting on WW, they said to increase the protein by a touch - a few ounces of a bigger chicken breast or an extra poached egg in the morning and she said tat helped her past the hump. I know you will get back to hiking one day - as you said it doesn't have to mean carrying a heavy pack - just being able to enjoy some gentle trails in that wonderful place where you live. I'm glad to hear that Santa's whoops was temporary and he is back to goodness again. And yes to your question about the ring molds - mini bundt pans for individual cakes and such. Works for kitties - not sure if that would work for a dog of Santa's size - same concept though as a centered dome in the bowl.

Susie - good thoughts for DH and his ablation :crossed: Bummer about the kidney but I am reminded of several instances in which people got pre-op tests and they discovered something totally treatable that might have been otherwise missed so try not to get too down on it. I can understand the desire to "just be healthy again, so tired of doctors". :hug: So you have a Fitbit too? My sister has one and she just joined MyFitnessPal so I will have to look into that also. I really would like to do a walking 5k come spring time. Do you get your steps in on the treadmill? Yes, I miss hubby and he said he misses me too. The kitties? Well maybe not so much :lol: The little one is driving him nuts with constant cries to play all the time. I hope you made it through the team building exercise unscathed.

Shad - your garden looks like mine but your beds are in WAYYYY better condition! I need you to come over and help me but you'd probably freeze and we aren't even in autumn weather yet. I think Miss Sunday is more vocal than both of my cats put together. She knows who is the boss. Had DS finished up all of your home projects? Is he still flipping houses with his girlfriend. Lucky he inherited your "handy genes". :lol:

Laura - I thought you were quitting WW or are you just finishing out the current session? Are you looking forward to the heat this weekend? Last hurrah of summer perhaps. Lucky for you that you didn't get the rain we did the other night - my Mom's area got 4.5 inches - by the grace of God her basement did not have water. We didn't get as much down here but the city got whacked pretty hard. I have envy of all the shopping and grocery stores out here. We were picking up a few things at Meijer's today and I told my sister it is just incredible to me the abundant variety of things like detergent, pasta and cereals. I told her she will miss that when they retire. It's a good thing we have less to pick from - I can't afford my old grocery trips any more :D I was emailing a thrift shop volunteer the other day and she lived in Wrigleyville for 25 years and 18 in your town. It just amazes me that we were all travelling in the same circles and just passed as strangers only to meet later in life!

Hi Annie and Ceejay! :wave:

Guess I'd better go check my laundry. Typically I am up for another hour but because we have a busy day tomorrow I would like to get up early and for once I can't get to bed. Have a good week everyone and I will catch up with you next weekend.

Seems the crazies are moving in. Hope that the moderators delete the above post. That's the second crazy message in as many weeks.

Been very cold today. By our standards anyway. Got to about 16C today with rain and a cold wind blowing. Not nice out. I guess the rain is good for the garden - all the little plants are standing up and thinking about getting on with it. A bit of warm wouldn't go astray tho.

DS's cat is here. Thought I had lost him today and was wondering what to say to DS when lo and behold this black shadow appeared. He makes little noise and sort of slinks around the shadows. Anyway, he is back and I don't have to grovel to the the son.

Not much else to report. I've cleared and dusted and swept today. Mr Puss had a bit of an accident on a rug so that had to get dragged outside and cleaned as well. Might get on to washing all the wooden floors tomorrow - after the cat has gone.

Footy was on earlier so I shouted myself some chicken and chips. The boys won, can't say the takeaway meal did. Couldn't eat them all - cats got some of the chicken, the didn't seem interested in the chips - can't blame them since I won't be getting them again for a long while.

Anyway, I'm off to hit the hay. I'll be back tomorrow with personals.

A police detective called me to see if I he could view the video of the camera. He did. He filled me in on some things that make me want to leave concerning my neighbors son's. He actually told me to watch my back.
I'm not like this heat wave at all.
Got out Thursday and trimmed the bushes. Nose was running all the time. Later that afternoon I had a full blown allergy attack. It's better today but I've coughed so much that I've made my back sore.

Michelle
Yes my birthday is the 27th. I will be going to my sister's in Missouri on Thursday.

Happy ~ Yeah I've noticed now that there is a big difference between sewing and quilting lol but yeah your right all that matters is that it was made with love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up at 7:30 this morning cause I forgot to turn my alarm on to go off at 5 am so I could get up and be ready to walk outside at 7 am. Oh well I'll be sure its on when I go to bed tonight. As I do every morning I got my morning duties done. Right now Im just watching t.v while eating breakfast but after breakfast Im gonna do my 1st 2 mile walk of the day and then I'll walk again at 1 pm and then again at 6 or 6:30 tonight and Yes I still need to clean the bathroom before I go to bed tonight. If you couldnt guess Im a put things off for another day type of person when it comes to house work LOL.

I had planned to go to the gym between when I got off work yesterday and the weight loss surgery support group, but traffic was so horrible, I didn't have time for the gym. I did have a bit of a victory though...since I didn't have a chance to eat dinner before the meeting, I had a Quest protein bar (yummy, lots of protein, very few carbs). And then when I got home, I had a protein shake. It was a great meeting! Really nice people and I learned A LOT!

This morning, in an attempt to make up for not exercising yesterday, I did 10 minutes on the rowing machine and 60 minutes on the bike while watching a Robin Williams standup comedy routine on my phone (great way to make the time pass faster). And today's going to be a healthy eating day too because I'm going to be home and doing website work.

==========================
Ceejay - How scary for you regarding your neighbor's son. Sending prayers your way.

Shad - So is "shouting" chicken and chips like ordering take out or delivery? Glad you didn't lose your son's cat.

Terra - good for you for getting your walking in.

Happy - I just love to read your posts. I'll miss you when you're at mom's. I'm definitely not going to give up. Every time I want to eat something that's got too many calories, fat or sugar/carbs, I ask myself if it's worth delaying my surgery, and the answer is always a big NO. As for hiking, I don't think I'll ever be a backpacker, day hikes are more my thing.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! I've really got to get some work done.

Morning all,

Rain has stopped - yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. We might dry out a little now. Not that it wasn't welcome mind you.

Ceejay - you just have to be careful - that's all. If you give in and move because of the neighbours son, you have let him win. Never give them the satisfaction. If more of us stood up for our right to live in peace and harmony then we wouldn't be in the situation that you have at the moment. Take care but don't let the ******* ruin your life.

Michelle - well done on upping the exercise to make up for the lack of it yesterday. Good move.
'Shouting myself dinner' or shouting anything is where you give yourself or others some sort of treat. You might shout a round of drinks for those at your table (pay for drinks for the girls!) Or you might 'shout' your B/F to the movies. Hope that clarifies it.

Happy - good luck on the last few days 'at home' with Mum. They will have come and gone before you know it. Loving the DH's wildlife pics at the moment. The DS is not doing anything around my place at the moment. He is busy with his own place - putting an extension on two bedrooms. Doing quite nicely too. I've got a few projects lined up. They will have to be planned, budgeted and sourced before they can come to fruition. I might have to go back to work.

Annie - likewise the food porn on facebook. Hope you had a good birthday dinner for the DS.

Laura - Hate housework, that's why I divide it up into segments of time. Then I have the weekends free to do my own thing whatever that may be.

Susie - Bad luck on the weight gain. Do you keep a food diary? Can you work out what may have caused the gain?

Okay - time to get out amongst it. I can hang the washing out now. It's fine enough. Then I might get on with doing some planning for the rest of the vege garden. I need to put some weedmat and mulch down between the beds and also pot up some herbs. I'm working on a design for a herb garden. Laundry first.

Michelle ~ Yeah I feel good after I walk

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up at 3 am this morning and I've been up ever since cause I went to bed way too early last night so when 3 am came around my body and back was telling me "GET UP, ITS TIME TO GET UP" LOL. So I went ahead and got up, I dont know if I'll take a nap today or not but what I do know is not to go to bed so early again. Since Im up so early though I definitely plan to get my 5 miles in today and I'll definitely have plenty of time to clean the bathroom today LOL.

It's been a busy weekend. DH worked yesterday so all the house cleaning was mine to do. I clean a bit deeper than DH does and so I didn't get finished until today. Things look nice in the main rooms of the house.

I need to give the office and exercise room a bit of attention but that will come this week after work.

It always seems I have so many things that need done and don't get to them. There is always a closet to clean out, something to organizes, etc. So I decided to make a list of things I would like to get to and I've told myself that when I feel like I want to eat and it's not a "meal". I will get some water and tackle one of those things on my list. I'm trying to break the list down to be something I can do for 45-60 min. That is about how long it can take me to get over a craving.

Today I took a nap this afternoon and then finished cleaning the living room and dining room. DH is grilling a steak for him, and corn on the cob for us as well as vegetable k-bobs. It's going to be yummy!

Shad: Yes I do keep a food diary but when I'm eating bad I tend to not put it down and that is something I need to work on. I'm logging it all in MFP.

I'm glad DS cat came back. It sounds like you had plenty to keep you busy with the potting and the laundry.

That weird post is still here. I've never seen those before. I hope the moderator will remove it.

Ceejay: I don't even know what to say about the neighbor's son! That is just downright frightening. At least you know now and can be more aware. You might want to buy a baseball bat to keep beside your bed or in the car!
We have a heat wave here in Ohio as well. It's going to be a miserable week if you aren't in air-conditioning. My DH doesn't work in it and I don't know how he does it. He will be a bit more tired this week due to the heat.

Michelle: I hope you had a healthy eating day being at home today. What was on the menu?

Terra: Your quilt is a labor of love and your memories. It is also a learning project and I know that you will love it and feel accomplished when you have it finished and you will have learned something new. All those are good things.

Happy: Enjoy the last week with your mom and stay in the air-conditioning!

Hi Laura and Annie!

Evening everyone. Not doing much at the moment. Bf went out to pick up the pizza we ordered for dinner. I know, not the best thing that we could have chosen. But we like our pizza, what can I say??

Let's see, what did I do this weekend?

Friday late afternoon was the lake cruise with my friend D. It was a nice time, as usual. There was no rain or storms, but it was hot and humid. We stayed inside for a while in the air conditioning and then went out on deck where it was nice if you were in the front of the boat ans caught the breeze.

Yesterday morning I went to Jazzercise class. We had a routine that included across-the-floor exercises. The exercises were walking in squat position alternating with walking on your tiptoes. Another exercise in the routine was lunges across the room, 2 lunges with the right foot & two lunges with the left foot, alternating all the way across. I'm actually pretty sore today from that.

After that, the early afternoon was spent getting ready for our friend to come over for a cookout. Since it had already been so hot and so humid that day I knew we wouldn't be spending any time on the patio. And about a half hour before our friend arrived it stormed and then it kept raining for a while afterwards but it let up enough for BF to grill the steaks. We had a nice afternoon. Bf and I watched a movie in the evening.

Today I did some laundry & copied some old Body Electric episodes from a VHS tape to our DVR hard drive. I plan to copy the episodes onto a DVD. I'd like to get into doing those workouts regularly.

Well, my phone is about to die and I'm sure bf will be back with the pizza soon, so I will get this posted and be back tomorrow with personals. Have a great evening everyone

Taking one day at a time with the neighbors. Like Shad said they will not get the upper hand. My aunt wants me out of here yesterday and she is very persistent to the point that I'm getting peeved I'm not being persuaded by her opinion. Told her I could not just up and move that quickly. It's my life not hers.
My allergy attack Thursday got worse on Friday but today it is a lot better. Still have a been of a sore throat.

And by the way Susie, I've thought about the baseball bat as that is what my mom kept under her bed. I've got my dad's 22 single shot in the closet but like Barney on the Andy Griffith show I have no bullets. At least he had one.

Michelle
I'm happy that you have a good support group with the weight loss surgery. I really need some kind of one on one support.

Laura
Yum pizza. I didn't realize what Jazzercise included squats. But with the walking around part that probably would not be to bad.

Terra
That's why I like to keep the same schedule. But I realize that's not always going to happen. My back tells me the same thing when I lay there to long

Can you guys believe its the last week of Aug. already? It went by so fast.

Susie ~ Yeah I agree, I just hope it doesnt fall apart on me cause I didnt look at the youtube video before I started it :(

CJ ~ Yeah I usually go to bed and get up at the same time also.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up at 3 am again this morning. So I definitely probably take a nap later on today. As with each morning I already have my morning duties done. Right now Im about to fix breakfast, Its 5:30 am right now. My plans for today is to FINALLY get the bathroom cleaned and hopefully I FINALLY get 5 miles in. At 2:30 pm we're gonna go to Walmart to do some food and non food shopping and those are all my plans for today.

Good morning ladies,

I had a good weekend. I spent most of it at home for a change. I went to the gym both days and came home and did website work, and then went to the dog park in the evening.

I'm looking forward to the long weekend coming up as we get next Monday off for Labor Day. And then I'm taking my road trip vacation from 9/5 - 9/14, and I'm really looking forward to that!

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

Shad - I wish you could've sent some of that rain our way, but I guess you need it too. Thanks for the clarification on "shouting". Is Ds's cat still there? Do that cat and Sunday get along?

Terra - Wow, waking up at 3 am would suck! I don't sleep in too late on the weekends, maybe an extra hour or so. I find that when I do stay in bed too long, I either wake up with a headache or backache or both. With the extra time from waking up early, I hope you can get your cleaning done and also get your walking in.

Susie - Bummer that your DH had to work over the weekend. Good for you for coming up with the idea to create a to do list of things you can complete in an hour and to do those when you feel like snacking or feel a craving coming on. For years I would choose not to track my eating when I wasn't on plan, like if I didn't write it down the calories wouldn't count. Sort of like, if no one saw me eating the ice cream, the calories wouldn't count. I'm so glad you got me using MFP. I really like using it to help me figure out the best options...sometimes it's really shocking when something that's seems relatively healthy ends up being off the charts in carbs, fats or sodium. I did pretty well at eating healthy both Saturday and Sunday, and then the evening came around and after the dog park I got an ice cream...I have GOT to stop that. :tantrum:

Happy - I hope you're enjoying your time with your mom.

Laura - I love pizza. I just wish it didn't have so many carbs. I've heard of a recipe making pizza crust out of mashed up cauliflower. It sounds weird to me, but maybe I'll try it one of these days. Glad you had a nice time on the lake cruise. My ex and I did the Chicago architecture river cruise a few years ago, which was really nice. OMG, just reading about your Jazzercise class routines has my legs hurting. I was doing lunges yesterday, but more for balance. I did that and also stood on one foot (which was on a wobbly pad). It was very challenging, but I really need to work on my balance. Glad you had a nice cookout with your friend.

Ceejay - I understand your aunt's concern, but you need to do what's right for you...whether that's to stay or move sometime in the future. I know you're under stress right now with your home situation. Do you have a friend or minister/pastor you can talk with? I hope your sore throat is better today.

Annie - I hope you had a great time celebrating your DS's birthday! Did your daughter, Chris and the boys come over too?


Well, gotta sign off for now! Here's to a great week for all of us!

Much love,

I probably should not have done it but I wrote my aunt and uncle an email this morning stating that I'm 64 years old and make my own decisions. I want an apology for the way my aunt acted yesterday. And I did get a phone call this morning but I'm not taking personal phone calls at work. I know this may not be good since they are both in their 80's but I don't have to put up with it. I told them I forgave them both and will forget it even if they do not produce an apology. I'm tired of people young or old trying to take over my life. I don't really blame my uncle at all and I hope this will not cause hardship on him. I know how she is.
I read on FB this morning that my niece was updating her earthquake supplies. I was concerned as she lives in Fresno.
I'm not in the mood to post right now but every one have a good day.

Ceejay - I understand your wanting to send an email to your aunt and uncle. I'm sure their trying to control your life is just out of concern and love, and I understand how you feel too. You're absolutely right to want to make your own decisions. As for your niece, it's good she's updating her earthquake supplies even though the earthquake was 200 miles away. It's always important to be prepared as after a big earthquake some people go for days without water or electricity. I really should have an earthquake supply kit containing water, a flashlight, a blanket (for during the winter) and things like tuna and other food that doesn't need to be refrigerated or heated. Candles aren't good because sometimes big earthquakes can break gas lines.

The earthquake in Napa would've been much worse if it had happened further south in a more densely populated area. The Napa area is more rural (mostly farms and of course, vineyards).

Last one here yesterday...first one here today. So rare that this happens to me. I just have to say a big :woohoo:

I dropped another pound and I am now within the range to complete the pre-surgery "test" which my surgeon and insurance require of its patients to show that we've read the informational binder, and we know the inherent risks and major lifestyle changes associated with surgery. And we know what to do to get and keep the weight off and what behaviors will put the weight back on even with a smaller stomach. I mailed my completed test yesterday and will hopefully hear from them later this week or early next week to schedule the psych evaluation, which they do to make sure we know that surgery by itself won't take the weight off or keep the weight off. There are lifestyle changes, challenges, and they want to make sure we are aware that we will have to follow the vitamin and eating regimen forever. Anyway, I'm thrilled to be within 5 pounds of my surgery weight!!! I know they're backlogged for psych evaluations, but I'm still hoping to have mine in September or October and hopefully have surgery in November! :crossed:

Tonight is yoga. I'm hoping to find time for some cardio, and since I probably won't have time to hit the gym, I will try for a short walk at lunch time and after yoga.

Afternoon all.

Michelle – Congrats for being within five pound of your surgery weight!! :bravo: Hope you can get the evaluation done on your timeline. Re emergency supply kits – everyone everywhere should have one – you never know what can happen. Sad to see what happened to Napa (just so happens my friend B and her hubby were out there on vacation – they’re fine, but may cut short their trip). But it’s good it wasn’t a more populous area! Re those wobbly boards – those are tough! But you can just feel your body’s muscles working to maintain its balance!!

Ceejay – I’m sure you’re aunt and uncle were just concerned and scared for you, but it’s your life and how you handle that incident with your neighbor is your decision. Re Jazzercise, the class is an hour long and consists of a warmup routine and then the cardio routines for 40 min, building up the intensity and then coming back down. After that are about 3-4 strength routines – that’s where that squat/lunge routine fell. Other strength routines include using hand weights and doing ab/core work. The class ends with a cooldown/stretching routine.

Terra – I hope you’re catching up on your sleep after waking up so early over the weekend! Have you been getting your walking miles in? Re the quilt – nope, sewing and quilting are definitely two different things! My bf and I visited his niece in Paducah, KY a while back and they have a wonderful quilt museum there. Some of those quilts were pieces of art, but I also loved seeing the ones that gave you a bit of history, just by the type of fabric used.

Susie – That’s a really good idea to have a list of to-do’s for when you feel like you’re wanting to eat – good way to distract yourself and accomplish something you need to do anyway.

Shad – Hope the weather’s been cooperating with your outdoor activities. There’s never an end to what needs to be done out in the yard!

Happy – I hope all is well at your mom’s place. Too bad you couldn’t catch that ride home with your cousin. At least you’ve been lucking out today and yesterday with the weather– the rain coming through has kept the extreme heat at bay. Re WW, my current monthly pass is good until 9/6, so I have two more meetings to attend now. Re Meijer’s – I agree, they really do have a good selection of items.

Hi Annie!
==
I forgot to mention that I lost 0.4 pounds at WW last Thursday. Eating has been off track the past several days, so I better watch myself or I’ll end up with a gain this week.

Yesterday I got outside early and finally weeded and then Preened the other landscape bed in front of the house. Now it needs to have mulch spread on it. I puttered the rest of the morning and in the afternoon we went to the eye doctor so bf could get his new eyeglass frames measured for lenses. After that we went to a Greek restaurant not too far away that I rarely get to visit anymore. Back at home, I walked the dog, and that was about it. TV and reading in the evening.

Today I got outside early again and trimmed the rest of the shrubs that needed it in the same landscape bed I weeded the day before. Now it’s ready for mulch. After that I did some more weeding in the backyard.

After a shower, I ran some errands – went to Costco for gas for the car and also picked up my contact lenses. I brought my cushy sport sandals to the shoe repair place – the Velcro doesn’t keep the sandal secure on my foot so I just had the strap stitched in place permanently. I stopped for a Danish at the bakery down the block (I'd skipped breakfast specifically so I could have that instead), then went on to the thrift shop. I ate part of the Danish in the car where I parked, then went into the shop.

I bought a stretchy top that’s really a layering piece for the winter, a small bird figurine, a pair of ankle height leather Enzo Angiolini boots, and an umbrella. Such a deal – everything was $13 and change. The boots were a particularly good buy – very good condition, couldn't have been worn much. The umbrella was needed because I’m almost positive I left mine on the train last Thursday. I’ll stop by the lost and found in the Metra station downtown, but I have a feeling I’m unlikely to get my umbrella back. Darn, it was a nice Totes umbrella. Oh well, the one I just bought cost me only $3 and it’s also a Totes brand.

Not sure what I’ll do with the rest of the day, but it’s almost lunch time. TTFN!

Laura - How scary for your friend B and her husband to be in Napa during the quake. Earthquakes can be unsettling (pardon the pun) even for California natives. I can only imagine how scary it would be for a tourist. Napa has has several aftershocks the past couple days including some measuring over 3 today. I love going to quilt museums...some truly are works of art. My step-mother has made gorgeous quilts. Congrats on the loss at WW. The scale is going in the right direction for you. Are you off work all week? You have me drooling over your Danish for breakfast. Wow! You really got some great deals at the thrift shop.

Hello Sweet sisters

I know I have NOT been posting personals...just so much going on and my time is limited.

Just started my second batch of salsa. Not much to work with on garden since all I have gather lately is tomatos, jalepenos and banana peppers. So salsa it is. At least I can freeze it.

It is thundering and lightening at the moment, no rain as yet, but really do not need any...it has destroyed my garden. dang it.

HAPPY...yes on the chives...I cut them, wash them, let them dry, but not dried, then freeze them. I have given a batch to my DD and 3 of her neighbors. I just harvested a new batch last night and have no idea what to do with them other than freeze them. I am sure I will be greatful this winter.

LAURA...great job on the WL. You know a loss of any amount is better than a gain of any amount. Go with it....Scary on the earthquake for friend....glad everyone is ok.

CHELLE...so glad you are not in the line of fire on the forest fires. Man how scary. Glad that Santa is back under control and doing well. I am sure he enjoys the doggie park. Sassy will not even consider a leash....just flips over on her back and waits for you to carry her. Little stink,.

CEEG...really. I am so proud of you for sticking up for yourself...DO NOT take any kind of mistreatment from ANYONE. You are a grown woman and deserve fair treatment. Good for you sweet sister....

TERRA...good for you on not letting the sleep getting the best of you and going on with your routine....wtgg.

SUSIE...good for you not letting you hubby's work schedule not to derail you. Cleaning and getting things organized sometimes goes better when we are on our own. I am proud of you for forging on!

SHADDIE...the bd dinner for DS went well. We all had a good time. Hope you get all your projects done at home. Seems like when we finish a list it doesn't take too much to make a new list...bleh

Hope I have not left anyone out of personals... I suck as a posting sister, this I know. Know that I CARE AND LOVE you all....

My life....DDs dinner went well. Everyone had a wonderful time. He posted a great thank you on FB..

I am trying to keep up on the house and yard as I know once I go back to work things will change. Starting the job on Sept 8 is bittersweet. Enjoying my time off with the babies and kiddos but also looking forward to a paycheck. One more week at home then work will take over. Will wish for days off. I will at least feel like I am contributing to this household.

Have a great night/morning. sorry if I missed anyone..

Love and hugs.

Morning all,
List is slowly lessening. Not that I can't think of other things to do with my time but I want this list finished before I start another.

The weather has gone back to being typical sub-tropical which means that things will start to grow in the garden and no doubt the weeds will too. Got to keep on top of that. there are many things around the house to do that will require money. I need new guttering (eavestroughs) and that won't be cheap. The bathroom requires redoing and I want to push one end of the house out to give me some more space in the bedrooms. Again more money even if I can do some of it myself.

Annie - good to see you back posting. Life has been a bit difficult for you I know and sometimes you don't want to post because you think that you put a downer on the rest of us, but it's okay. I don't post as much as I used to either.

Ceejay - glad you got that niggle off your chest. No point in changing addresses for the length of time you have left working. Shift once, when you are ready, and go where you want to be.

Laura - dang, losing the umbrella. I hate it when I leave things behind somewhere. Congrats on the weight loss.

Michelle - congrats on your weight loss too. Hope you get that psyche test done soon and can get on with the rest of the weight loss.

Hellos to Terra, Susie and Happy - wherever she may be.

I have a list of things to do today. Tomorrow I have a skin scan scheduled (try saying that fast) and I thought I might just go on and have a day out to see what's happening around the place. So tomorrows list should be done today as well. I also have an unpleasant job to do ending a 14 year friendship - well it was friendship on my account but apparently not on the other side. So be it.

Annie - Glad your DS's dinner went well. I understand about mixed emotions about the new job...but you'll still have time to see the kiddos and contributing to the family income as well. :D

Shad - So sorry to hear about the friendship. That's rough. But if it was only a one-sided relationship, it's probably for the best. I laughed about saying "skin scan scheduled" fast...but then the question popped into my head...do you say "scheduled" like it starts with an "sh" (the British way) or like it starts with an "sk" (the American way). :rofl: Those are pretty expensive improvements you have on your list for when you have the money.


I just wanted to mention something...I really, really appreciate you wonderful ladies not saying anything like, "Michelle, you've lost 15 lbs already...don't you think you could lose the rest on your own without surgery?"

I just have so much to lose (100 lbs) and the sooner I lose it the better for my degenerative disks. I *might* be able to lose some of the weight on my own, but probably not all, and I honestly don't think I could keep it off without the surgically altered stomach.

Anyway, thanks! :hug: