Annie - $10 per session is reasonable. I've seen classes in both Wisconsin and CA go for $15-$20 per session. And with the ability to purchase a 10 session package for $8 per session makes it even better. The fact that the class is at a hospital makes me believe that the instructor has been approved by the hospital (as opposed to just being someone who rents space in a scary part of town).

Annie - I agree with Michelle on the yoga prices. I just signed up with a package deal for the Kundalini yoga - $60 for 6 lessons at $10 each or they are $12 if you want to pay as you go. The hatha yoga class I take is a reduced rate of $12 per class through the university - she charges $17 per class if you take her unsubsidized class. The class I took at the senior center was free if you were 60 or over but I was not at the time and I paid $7 a class - they received a grant to pay for the teacher. So the classes vary in price. There are also fancy "designer" yoga classes at the gym which are quite pricy. I will say to not get discouraged if you have to try one or more yoga teachers. I found the one at the senior center was not good at giving modifications and worked us like we were 20 year olds. Both teachers I have now will ALWAYS ask how you are feeling before class - that is very important in the quality of a teacher - and will give modifications if you have certain sensitive parts. For example I got neck strain yesterday and mentioned it - she immediately gave me a modified move. And, like taking vitamins - you might not notice it helping while you are doing it - I totally noticed how stiff and achey I got the month I was on break between classes. So now even if I don't make a class, I will do my dvds. Good luck - I am proud of you for seeking out a class - I know you are not keen on organized exercise. I very much hope you will get some positive benefits.

also there are many different yoga styles. Hatha is the most gentle and ask if this is a gentle class. Some of the moves can get pretty rigorous. I convinced my friend to come on Wednesday and I was a bit happy to hear that she (who is very thin) said that she was really sore the next day and surprised because our movements are small, slow and delicate. You really do work a lot of muscles - even if in a gentle way. I hope your cramps are over and finished! And let me clarify that I was happy to hear she ached too because then I knew it was not just me feeling it because I'm out of shape.

Happy - Great comments about yoga. My yoga teacher ALWAYS ask how we are feeling at the beginning of class, and shows modifications. So ironic that the instructor at the SENIOR Center worked you like you were 20 year olds.

It was a great day to be a Ohio Buckeye today! The whole state is so excited about the win and The Ohio State University being National Champions! :cheer::cheer::cheer:

Today my leg feels normal! I will still keep my appointments as I want to be sure that nothing was missed but it feels so good not to have that strain on the inside of the thigh and radiate out to the hip and down the leg. I will keep doing my exercises as well and I plan on having an adjustment tomorrow.

I have been walking the building inside a bit just doing it once--that makes my leg and hip tired but I think it is good for me and hopefully building strength in my legs.

I also did very good with my food today and that includes the cookie that I had a lunch..it came with the boxed lunch and I wanted it. It satisfied me and I moved on.

Happy: I'm glad the bag arrived and I am glad you like it and think it will work. I used it when I took a yoga class with a friend of mine about 4 years ago. I liked they way it held my matt on the bottom of the bag...it never fell out.

My friend had breast cancer and the yoga class we took was for relaxation and stress relief. We had a great teacher...and he was sexy (and he was gay..why is that always the way?! lol). He would always ask how we were feeling before we got started. He did one whole class one time where we did nothing but just sit and breathe...it was amazing.

My friend felt it helped her a great deal to deal with chemo and such and felt it was a great part of her healing..she learned to be in touch with her body and herself.

Thanks for your support and help back up on that wagon. I so struggle with having to do everything perfect or I don't do it...that is a change I really need to make for myself, especially in the area of weight-loss.

Annie: Thanks for cheering for Ohio State! Indiana is in the shadow of "The Shoe" so we will make you an honorary Buckeye during college football season. ;)

I'm so glad you are feeling better. I agree that the $10 yoga class is a good deal. I am also glad to hear that your boss is laid back about what time you arrive to work as long as you get your time in and your work done. It is like that were I work..it has to be when you are commuting. You can never really plan for what will happen on the highway.

How was taco Tuesday?

Dee: It sounds like Revenge is very good..I better get caught up. I'll do that this weekend and then we can chat about it. Bring your pillow and yourself on over to my "heated" bed and we will hang out, talk , read on our Kindles...it will be a fun "girls" time. ;)

Terra: I like your "new" picture. It's ok that it was from a time you were slimmer...it's a good way to remind yourself that you were there once and will be again..It's a good motivational tool.

Laura: I don't like fooling with electronic gadgets as well. I just want them to work. The fitbit is pretty easy to set up. I didn't stop at my brothers today to get the dongle so I will do that Thursday when my commute takes me back that way.

Michelle: 9 hours of sleep sounds wonderful!

Hi Shad, Claygirl and Ceejay :wave:

That is all for now. I DVR'd the Bachelor last night while the game was one so I am going to go watch it and then head to bed.

Yay Susie :yay: Congratulations on the Buckeye win :cheer2: I think it's rather cool to have that state / national pride. There is something also to being a part of something greater than oneself. I'm glad that your leg is feeling much better and it sounds as if you realize that you need to continue some gentle movements to keep it loose. I think you have the right approach. I laughed at your comment about the gay guy being sexy. First of all a lot of them are drop dead gorgeous. Secondly I think gay guys are far more in touch with their feminine side which makes them loyal and supportive and all those things that the guys we love sometimes aren't. Gay guys understand what it means when a girl "vents" and they don't try to fix anything, they just know how to listen while we get it out of our system. I like the idea of a girls night on the heated mattress pad, discussing all sorts of things. All we need is some wine. :cheers: If you don't mind I would point out that your need to do things perfectly actually is a detriment when it engages "analysis paralysis" and keeps you from making progress by stifling you. Nothing wrong with striving to be the best you can but ... next time you hold yourself back because you can't do things perfectly, that's when you have to let go. :hug:

I recently read an article about 5 things that make a good yoga teacher. Modifications was one thing, stressing that we all have different bodies and work at different paces was another - set your intention, don't worry about what others are doing and do what you can for yourself. Remember that they call it a yoga "practice" that means we are always practicing - no matter how long we have done it or how much we have done - we are always still practicing. The third thing was asking how each student was feeling before the class so they can make an assessment and react accordingly. I honestly don't remember what the other two items were - mostly because my Wednesday teacher does all of this. I think the issue with the instructor at the senior center had to do with someone who is better at execution than teaching. She knew her moves, I don't think she was good at relating to other people. A few other folks said the same thing about her however, she has 3 classes a week there so there are a lot of people who are just fine with her and that's ok.

I also agree with Michelle that if it's at the hospital, it might be someone who is a little more attuned to some of the more subtle benefits of yoga. Let us know how you like it.

Sounds like many of us have our own stories of that mini version of the "finger" guillotine - the mandolin :rofl: A wonderful, but dangerous invention. :lol:

Michelle - I guess I would mention to the doctor at your next follow up about the extreme tiredness. Perhaps you might also be low on some vitamins. You are certainly getting enough exercise to keep you awake. How is it being back at work again?

Laura - yarg - liquid potatoes - ick. Hopefully they didn't start to rot and smell. I actually heard that you don't want to keep them in a place that is too cold - like the refrigerator. It messes with the sugars in the potatoes or something and wrecks them. I got enthused from a glowing report of a customer at the farmer's market and bought a 30 pound bag of yellow onions - she said it lasted her all winter. I have them in the cool basement in a darker area and so far :crossed: they are as fresh as when I bought them 2 months ago. The 2 I had upstairs in the kitchen started to sprout - I think it was the warmth and sunlight. Same with potatoes sprouting eyes. I laughed that you made dog treats in shapes. I was thinking of that once but the dough we use is soooo dense it's enough work to score the cookies with a pizza cutter. One lady I was in Facebook class with had a business making dog treats. She had a "tasting panel" of her dogs and several friends pups. I asked if they liked the sweet / peanut butter or the savory better and she said while most dogs liked peanut butter, the ones she made with turkey and beef were far more preferred by canines with discriminating tastes :snooty: I think the medium and large dogs will eat just about anything - people said small dogs like Yorkies and toy poodles tended to be more fussy with their treats and such.

Annie - how was taco Tuesday? Are you a late lunch person? I'm surprised because you get up so early but many folks said they liked taking lunch at 1pm because it made the rest of the day go by more quickly. I found if I waited until 1, often things would come up and more than likely, I'd miss lunch altogether.

Hello to the rest of the chicks. I turn the heat down at night so that it's cooler when DH goes to bed with the chickens. (Early I mean). So it gets cool in here. Both kitties sit with him in the bedroom and beg for treats. Then when Nina hears me go upstairs and click on the heater, she runs up here and digs in my leg to jump up by my computer. I don't know why she wants to lay here as her head is bouncing like a blender as I try and type while she lays on me. Her eyes are closed, she is sucking up as much heat as possible and she is trying to go to sleep. This causes me problems typing and the more I push her, the more she just pushes back until sometimes I get frustrated and just put her on the floor. And I would put the heater on the floor for her, she just is stubborn and wants to lay on my laptop with the heater blowing on her. Just like she is now and will accept nothing less. :devil: So I'll fix her and shut everything off and go downstairs and read :lol: Good night everyone.

Good Freezing Morning here in the circle city. Burrrrr.

Thank you all for your input on yoga. Good to know those things as I did not know them. We are not starting the class until next week as it is on Thursday and I have a hair appt this Thursday.

Geez it is so cold in this building my fingers are purple. I have on my fat flannel jacket, the space heater going and I am still freezing. The good thing is no cramps. Yesterday was my first day without them. I had a little this morning however they went away after I went to the loo. hehe.

HAPPY...you are so funny. I liked your statement "that I am not keen on organized exercise". You have that wrong. I am not keen on ANY type of exercise. haha. I kind of have Samantha at heart about going, she really needs some type of relief. I stopped by to pick up Sassy last night and it was so quiet in their house. Chris was watching TV and on his phone, the kids were playing cars on the floor and Sam was sitting at the table doing something. It is usually very loud with the kids and all. Anyway....Taco Tuesday was fabulous. I should only get one instead of two cause I can never eat it all. The tacos are huge and loaded, they definitely don't skimp on them. I like later lunches for that very reason, makes the afternoon go faster. Plus I eat my breakfast at my desk around 8:30 (cottage cheese and fruit usually). How are your joints holding up with the yoga? Do you think the yoga helps that? I am all for it if it does.

SUSIE....I used to be a huge Indiana U. fan all the way but have not followed them in years. Probably because it was due to my xh being a fan and we were all about it then. Not so much, so I am glad to be a honorary Ohio fan. So glad your legs are getting back to normal. Amen to that. One cookie won't hurt too much, just as long as it doesn't turn into a cookie fest and eat the entire box. lol

CHELLE...you are dropping the weight at a perfect rate. Good for you. I am happy that you are happy with the outcome of all of this. Who knew? Look how far you have come in the past two or so years!! Proud of you sister.

I am going to post this and come back a bit later and finish personals.

Diyana: I would love to see a picture of your pup Santa! I would have more dogs if I could. I adore dogs. I have a beagle (Leo) and a german shepherd/pit/rottie mix (Tilly), both rescues, and a small kitty named Gimli. That’s great that you guys keep the dog park looking nice, we don’t really have one close by, there’s a really nice one about 35 minutes away, but it’s very crowded, and pretty far. I’m glad to hear that overall you feel so much better after surgery. That sounds like a hard adjustment, any surgery is pretty tough on your body! It sounds like you’re doing well! I’ve found that once I get in the groove of eating better foods, I don’t crave the old comfort foods as often either (every once in a while I definitely do!).

Shad That meal sounds delicious! I’ll have to try that sometime.

MyChoice2bfit I’m feeling alright, things are coming and going. I woke up this morning very nauseated (much more than the last couple days) and I’m now getting some pelvic pain and cramps. So… either this is a really nasty TOM, or I may be pregnant. I’m trying to think about it just being normal TOM stuff, because I know I’ll be so sad if I’m not pregnant, so I’m attempting to not get my hopes up. It’s hard though. I’ve got errands and work that I need to knock out today, I have 4 assessments to score and get together for my visits the next two days. So I have a lot to distract myself with!

miniDoodles: My husband has an employee that always complains about it being so cold in her apartment, but sets the thermostat at 80 in the winter. Then she gets really upset when her bill comes and doesn’t understand why it’s so high :stars: And yes… I do have some favorite baby names. For a boy, my two favorites are William (William is a family name, my husbands, and his dads names. I think I would want to use Liam for short though) also James. For a girl, I love Penelope (Penny for short), Ella, and Claire. My husband’s family also desperately want grandbabies. They are wonderful though, they never harass us about it, we just hear from my husband’s brother that they REALLY want them. I’m more worried about my parents. My mom has borderline personality disorder and dad is a narcissist, kind of dangerous to have kids around those two. I actually recently stood up to my mom for the first time ever because I was thinking about my kids being exposed to her, and that just… cleared my head like nothing else. At least I have wonderful in laws .

happy2bme I’m glad you’re liking yoga! I like yoga a lot too, but the gym close to us is I think $40/month for classes, and I don’t know if I’m that committed yet. I’m stingy with money, and indecisive. Whenever I buy something, my husband can usually see where I bought it from one store, returned it, and bought it again cheaper at another store. I can’t help it. Right now I’m doing p90x yoga when I can, but it’s ridiculously hard! Sounds like you will be having pig for a while! Sounds good though. I agree about the stomach bug, usually when I get those I’m nauseated for a bit, then I throw up for about two days, then it’s over. I haven’t actually thrown up, it’s just this lingering nausea/ dizziness. It’s worse after I eat, and it just randomly hits me and I sit very still until I feel better. We do get butterflies on our coneflowers! I love butterflies. We actually got a hummingbird last year on my agapanthus, and I was so ridiculously excited! It was amazing. I didn’t get a picture because the hummingbird left when I moved, but it was still really wonderful! I bet your husband has a wonderful time doing photography where you are, it sounds like you have endless beautiful subjects to photograph! Haha, your cats sound like mine. My cat Gimli likes me just fine, but adores my husband.

Laura705 Yep, dogs love peanut butter everything. My dogs love American cheese. Whenever I open the cheese drawer on our fridge they come running and sit in front of me, tails wagging. It’s pretty cute. I haven’t seen “wild” I’ll have to look into that. I haven’t watched downtown in a while, I became very sad when certain horrible things happened, and haven’t been able to watch it for a while. I do love it though! The dowager is just amazing every time she opens her mouth (but that’s to be expected right?). I used to have a fitbit (zip) but mine broke. Now I’m holding out for the jawbone up 3, but I’m getting impatient because they’re taking so long to release it!

Things are pretty good here, my husband and I had a couple nice days together since he was off, despite me feeling sick. No news at this time about any relocating, hopefully soon we'll get more info. My husband's birthday is tomorrow, he will be 27. I bought him a video game I know he wanted, and a bottle of Scotch. He accidentally found it while cleaning the other day... He's very excited about the gifts though so that's good! He can have them tomorrow. His family is coming up this weekend to take him out to dinner for his birthday. I'm excited to see them, his family is wonderful. I'm just ready to know one way or another, pregnant, or not. I'm going to get tests today, and I should be able to start testing tomorrow (although the accuracy may not be good until next monday) tomorrow is supposed to be 5 days before TOM, but I know testing still isn't very accurate that early. I'm just going a little crazy not knowing.

This is a picture I snapped of my dogs. Tilly (on the lower step) had just thrown up on the stairs, and they gathered to watch me scrub it clean. So nice of them!
http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/...99154042_n.jpg

Morning all,

Claygirl you just made me laugh so hard about the dogs watching you clean up their mess. Isn't that just like pets? :rofl: Cute looking doggies. I like Tilly's shepherd's face and something else mix body. :D If you saw a hummingbird you MUST put up feeders next year. They will come always come back to where they found food (be it feeders or flowers) the prior year. Don't buy premixed hummingbird food - make your own. It's a 1 to 4 ratio so 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water gently boiled for 10 minutes and allowed to cool. Or 1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup water if you want to make a small batch for one feeder. We had tons of hummingbirds in Memphis and when we moved up here we put up feeders hoping to attract some and we always have a bunch of them. They like to sit in the pine trees next to the house. I have lots of really neat pictures as I was sitting on the deck watching them. I can't have flowers on the ground because the deer nibble everything - if they don't outright eat it, they take a bite and spit it out on the ground. So my flowers are in pots on the deck. Everything I plant - flowers and herbs is to specifically attract hummingbirds and butterflies. We both like to take pictures of them. I think you have something about keeping it too warm during the winter and then being cold all the time. This winter (which is milder than last winter's brutal cold) I have the small space heaters on when I sit at the computer or watching TV. I noticed that when I go outside now or brrrrrr get in the freezing car that has been sitting overnight in the garage, I get bone chilled cold now. I think it's because the old body got used to the heater blasts. Perhaps your husband's coworker is cold because she lives in a drafty apartment. Last year when propane prices shot up from $1.59 to almost 5 dollars a gallon my husband was telling me we had to conserve propane. I said bull stinking horse balls - it's minus 35 below zero out there (air temp thank - you polar vortex) and we are KEEPING THE HEAT ON thank you. I did put an extra sweater on but we have big windows and we get a lot of chill from them if it's cloudy out. Happy birthday to your husband. Oh 27 was just the most perfect age. Tell him to enjoy his youth and that all body parts are still working wonderfully ;) :rofl: You go girl on the P90x classes - I am in total admiration of anyone who can keep up with that series. :faint: I hope you get good news in the baby department. :crossed: I imagine it must be hard just waiting it out. And that's a bummer with your folks but at least you recognize there are issues and you have DH's family to step in with the support. Also good to be aware of personality issues and squash them like a bug if we see them popping up early in ourselves or our kids :rollpin: :lol:

Annie - I say organized exercise because it's not like you are adverse to any sort of movement. If they could come up with an exercise class that incorporated mad house cleaning skills, I think you'd be all over that :rofl: Hey, maybe that can be 2015's new exercise trend. Scrub your floor while doing Zumba :cb::carrot::broc: My very first yoga class (with my favorite teacher) all she had us do for 90 minutes was lay on the floor on our mats covered with a blanket, one of those rice filled satin pillows on our eyes and as we listened to soft music and her soft voice, she took us through guided meditation. Afterwards I was so relaxed it was like getting a total body massage and I was hooked. I wish we'd do that again but we do more moving now and only 5 minutes of quiet time before and after the session. As for your question on the joints - we do small movements like rotating our hands in a circle that "lubes" up the joints and I swear that really does work. Also movements / poses that open the hips and such. The only thing I noticed for myself is that my arms and legs have shrunk tremendously - for example on my back I cannot bring knees to chest and hug my legs, my arms are about 12 inches too short. But that's why we have yoga straps and bricks - to give us extra room when we need it. :D That is nice that you are doing something for Sissy. I am sorry to hear that her life is stressed right now. I imagine it's very hard with today's new lifestyle of blended families - hard enough when 2 people have different ideas on child rearing but when you add in yours, mine and our kids scenarios along with people from prior relationships - parents and grandparents - it gets downright goofy with too many opinions. :dizzy: One of the things I see up here all the time is that being an older crowd, many of the people have kids in their late 20s and 30's. They are on second marriages. Invariably one person is tight with money and raised their kids to be strong and independent and do for themselves while the other partner tended to coddle their kids who became rather dependent on mom/dad frequently helping out. This causes many a fight between the new mom and dad about how money is spent. It totally gets complicated :dizzy: Yikes!

It's softly snowing outside. I hope we don't get too much of the white stuff. It was supposed to get to near 30 by Friday but they are backing down from that. I have a training session today at 1 - I think I am going to ask him to teach me some moves with free weights. There are way too many guys using the equipment and I am not about to fight with them about my right to use it too so I will do my weight training with dumbells or stretch bands. Then I have my hatha yoga class starting again. Since it's our first session it would be amazing if we did 90 minutes of just mediation, especially since I am a bit sore and tight from Monday's class. Then I have to come home and get the pork out of the garage coolers and into my freezer. Yesterday we had bratwurst. I wasn't expecting much as it looked sort of dull colored and I have 6 packages of 6 links to a package. But it was delicious. I just pan fried it on the grill pan and served it with some cucumber salad, cole slaw and some fried potatoes with peppers and onions - not exactly diet friendly. :o The sausage was nicely seasoned and the best part is that it was ground sausage with seasonings. No filler, no bits of fat and gristle that you often find in store bought packaged sausage. It was lean but very good. DH said he really liked it and ate 3 links of it. I stopped at one. I have defrosted a small ham steak for ham and eggs and one of the small hams - don't know why I did 2 ham choices :dizzy: I was thinking of sampling things. I also have cod defrosted for dinner tonight just to have something different lest we wake up tomorrow with curly tails and a snout from consuming too much pork! But my point is that I am quite happy with the quality of this meat. Enough fat to be flavorful but actually on the lean and healthier side. Anyway... nuttin' getting done sitting here so hello to the rest of the chicks, will come back later and catch up. Happy hump day!

I am back but not for long, this day has turned into a nightmare.

CLAYGIRL....your doggies are so cute. Kind of remind me of my DDs new doggie, a rescue of sort, got it free, it is boxer/great dane/blue heeler mix with paws the size of paper plates. Huge, huge, huge. Funny you mention the baby names Ella and Claire. A friend of mine named her lil girl, who is now 5, Claire Ella. Doesn't really flow well but the girl is adorable. My niece named her daughter Aria Emily, doesn't flow for me either, but to each their own. My son's name is John Jacob (jingle hymmer schmidt), John is his dad's name and Jacob because we liked it. He goes by Jake or Tater.

HAPPY...well, I don't clean as madly as I used to. I think I have crossed the older age lazy line. Sheesh. I don't even cook as much as I used to. My xMIL used to make the best pinto bean soup ever. She used to fling pork in it, as she used to say. Even wrote the recipe out that way for me. If you are interested I can try to find the recipe. There you go, our millionaire idea, zumba cleaning for the nutbags. lol.

Happy Wednesday!

I had a great walk with my friend yesterday. He and his wife have been avid hikers and backpackers since their teens, and their grown son is taking the necessary courses to become a Park Ranger. I asked about nearby hiking trails that might be easier for me to start with. He gave me a couple ideas and said he would try and come up with a few more. We also discussed the movie "Wild". He, his wife and son went and they all enjoyed it. I really want to see it while it's in the theaters. Maybe I'll go this weekend if I have time and energy.

I'm not quite as tired today as I have been the past two days. Everyone who has had the surgery has told me it takes awhile to get back to previous energy levels. Today after work, I'm going to the gym for cardio and a bit of strength training.

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

Susie - Congrats on the Ohio State victory! And even more congratulations on the leg feeling normal! Walking should help the leg muscles and keep lubricating the hip joint, just don't overdo it. I used to be a big-time perfectionist too. All or nothing mentality, that was me. Especially after I hurt my back. It hurt to walk and it hurt to stand so I didn't exercise at all. It wasn't until my Zumba teacher started working out with me one-on-one, showing me ways I could do Zumba moves while seated on an exercise ball that I began to realize that I can choose to do the best I can, and that's perfect enough.

Happy - I really liked the 5 things that make a good yoga teacher. My yoga teacher insists on a "no judgment", where we can't judge anyone, especially not ourselves, if we have difficulty. Being back at work is good. Would I prefer to be independently wealthy? Sure. But I like my job a lot. I got a laugh out of the dog treat tasting panel. Santa LOVES peanut butter, and he also really likes sweet potato flavor. Ever since his bout of pancreatitis, I'm really careful with what treats he gets. And I've asked people at the dog park not to give him treats. I used to take a late lunch to make the afternoon go faster. Now I eat at my desk (I know...not good), so I eat when I'm hungry. If I have errands to run , I try and go by 11:30, so that when I return at 12:30, people will still be at lunch and I'll have a better shot at a parking space. I started doing that when I worked at Kohl's corporate office where parking was at such a premium. Good idea to ask your trainer to show you moves with free weights. Nice that the quality of the pork is really good, especially when you bought so much of it.

Annie - I'm so glad to hear the cramps have subsided. Thanks for all your support and encouragement...and answers to my silly surgery questions. Love you, sista. I love Zumba, but hate cleaning...so not sure whether I'd like the new exercise craze or not. :rofl: I hope your day gets better. Sending you hugs. :hug:

Claygirl - Your dogs are adorable! So cute! I love dogs too. I'll find a good picture of Santa and post it. The cravings for sweets and such haven't been unbearable. But this weekend at the bar where a group of us watches Packer games, the organizer of the group is bringing cupcakes. It might be pretty hard to resist those, but I have to as because of the surgery that much sugar and carbs will make me very sick. I just keep telling myself that. I will probably bring some kind of sugar-free sweet treat to have instead. I like your baby names. I think we all have family members who are "difficult" to varying degrees. It's just good you recognize it. I've never done P90X but I heard it's tough. I love butterflies too. I have to ask...is your kitty named after the Lord of the Rings character Gimli? When it comes to human food, I don't know if my dog likes cheese, but he really likes crunchy iceberg or romaine lettuce, apples, carrots and canteloupe. So nice that you love your in-laws. I loved mine too. In fact, despite being divorced from her son, I'm still close with my DMIL.

:wave: to Terra, Dee, Ceejay, Shad and Laura!

Love and hugs to all,

Hi. I am working from home today. It's so nice! I have on yoga pants and a warm sort sweatshirt, a candle burning and jazz music playing in the backgroud. I have done 2 loads of laundry and ran the dishwasher AND I have scheduled 6 new meetings, changed flights for a trip for one of my managers who is in China this week, rescheduled 10 meetings, and am working on a powerpoint presentation.

I thought I would stop for a bit and have some lunch which is the other half of the Mediterranean Veggie sandwhich from Panara yesterday, the rest of my chips from that same meal yesterday and some grapes that I have here at home and water to drink.

Went to see my Primary Care docotor at 9:30. She thinks the pain in my leg is coming from my hip,(like my chiropractor said). She examined my grion area for hernias and my leg for any lymph nodes that might be enlarged. All is good there. She said for me to keep doing the exercises and stretches that the chiropractor gave to me since I am improving with them and periodic adjustments) and she thought it was a good idea that I am seeing the Ortho doctor for my knee and to talk to him about my hip. I see him at 3:30 today and the Chriopactor at 5:30.

I didn't watch all of the Bachelor last night as I fell asleep and DH work me up to go to bed. I will try to watch it again tonight so I can finish it. Every time I sit down to watch tv I get sleepy and fall asleep.

Happy: I will take the good advice that you gave me on being perfect or feeling I need to be and when to let it go. It won't be easy--I have faced this my whole life but when it holds me back from my other goals then it is time to release that feeling and just move on.

Our Maincoon who passed away about 1.5 years ago loved to lay on my lap or beside the computer when I was on it. He would take his paw and bat at my fingers..he wanted to play--I would have to put him down sometimes so I could finish what I was doing...I miss him sitting with me now.

Enjoy the cod you have thawing for dinner. I was laughing when reading your comment about you and your DH growing a tail and a snout! :rofl:

I hope the yoga and the free weights training are awesome for you!

Claygirl: I know how it is to not want to be disappointed when you are trying to get pregnant so I hope it all works out for you. It sounds like you wil have a very nice celebration with DH and his family for his birthday.

Your dogs are so cute!

Annie: Glad to hear that the cramps didn't return but not glad to hear that your day has turned into a nightmare...hoping that it gets better.
Remember how badly you wanted to go back to work!? :dizzy::D
As for the cookie I had yesterday it was just one..it was from Panera and big but still just one. At this time I am not allowing cookies or ice cream in our house because that could get ugly with me and I can't ride roller coasters with you in May if I don't quit eating cookies and ice cream!

Michelle: I can't wait to hear what you think when you get on those trails. I know how badly you want to hike. I see it as a new sport for you..and the fact that you love it and want to do it so much is great because exercise should be fun.

Ok..I need to prep for my 2:00 call with my manager so I better get focused again.

Bye!

Diyana: That’s great that you’re heading to the gym today, way to go! I’d love to see a pic of santa! Ohh. Cupcakes. I’m a fan of cupcakes. That will be hard to resist! And yes, our kitty is named after Gimli from LOTR. He is an oddly small, orange cat. It’s perfect! I’ll see if I can find a picture of him so you can see how small he is. Everyone comments about him being a small cat when they see him. Leo loves any food (classic beagle…) he loves carrots, they both love almonds, Tilly will take a carrot, chew it to pieces, and leave all the little pieces on the carpet, couch, wherever she was chewing. She does not get carrots anymore! Tilly just loves socks and my husbands undershirts. She will prance around the house with one of his undershirts in her mouth, it’s by far her favorite thing!

MyChoice2bfit It is always nice to work from home! I love wearing my cozy clothes, and that way I can get stuff done around the house too! Hopefully you’ll get things worked out about your leg today, it’s so frustrating when you know something is wrong, but they can never tell you what! I hope you get answers today. I’m expecting to be disappointed this month, I’m hoping that will make it easier? I’ve just been so ill again today, but it’s still 6 days out, and I’m pretty sure pregnancy tests are still about 50/50 at this point as far as accuracy.

happy2bme : Yep, my pups are too cute for their own good! They’re both quirky though. Tilly is afraid of men, we don’t really know why. We got her from a rescue when she was 1. Leo, is terrified of new inanimate objects, but other than that he is super confident. We taught him how to “look ashamed” he loves training. When we tell him “look ashamed” he lies down and puts his face between his paws. It is so cute! We love it. Tilly is harder to train because she’s skittish, but she is SO cuddly. She is 50 pounds but thinks she’s a lap dog. When I get up in the morning she gives me hugs (both front paws on my shoulders and licks my face). I will definitely make that simple syrup for hummingbirds this year! (hopefully we won’t move). That’s amazing that you have so many that hang out near your house. My in laws have the same problem with deer, my MIL hates deer, she sees them as vermin at this point because they trample/eat all her plants and poop all over her yard. We don’t have them here so I can’t really commiserate! I have problems with my neighbors letting their dogs/cats use my front yard as a litter box. I don’t keep up with P90x very well, I definitely have to take breaks, but just finishing it makes me feel good, even if I can’t do everything! They are SO crazy hard!

Annie: Sounds like Tilly has some things in common with your DDs new dog, she also has giant paws! She also will bat at me with those giant paws if she feels I’m not giving her enough love. She’s a cuddle bug. I like the name John Jacob. I was thinking of (if we have a boy one day) William James, I think it has a nice ring to it, but I also like both names individually.

So, today I knocked out some errands earlier, every bump in the road made me feel queasy! I also could barely stop myself from laughing earlier, because I was checking out at target, and all I had was peppermint icecream (by far my favorite, and I always snatch it when I see it) and… pregnancy tests. The checkout lady didn’t say anything, but I immediately called my husband to tell him, and he laughed. I think I’m going to rest for a bit soon after I put all the groceries away, I’m just kind of pooped today. It’s hard to tell what’s going on now because this could all be just nasty PMS symptoms. Hopefully I’ll make it through work the next few days and then have answers!

Susie - I loved working from home when that was an option. I was always more productive at home (fewer interruptions). And I was able to multitask with things like getting the laundry done. I'm glad that the doc visit went well. I hope your visit with the Ortho doc and the chiropractor go well also. When I read about your late kitty batting at your fingers, I smiled. When I have Santa in the car and he's in the front seat, he bats at my hand or arm when I reach for the stick shift. It'll probably be a couple months before I do any hiking. Right now, I'm working on building up the distance I can walk.

Claygirl - I'm a fan of all sweets, especially brownies and ice cream. That's why deciding to have this surgery was a very difficult decision. From what I've been told, I will eventually be able to have one bite of dessert, but any more than that and I risk getting very sick (nausea, possibly vomiting and/or diarrhea, and feeling dizzy and like I want to pass out). Gimli is a fitting name for your small, orange cat. Sounds like Leo is very smart. Awww, I loved reading how Tilly gives you hugs and kisses. Too funny about your purchases at Target! I have to ask...is your husband's name Clay (hence Claygirl)?

Ok. Lunch break is over. Back to work for me. But before I go, here is a picture of me and Santa.

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hpho...40&oe=5529B622

And here's an "action shot" of Santa when he was running the lure course.

Aw Santa is so cute! So happy running too! My husband is actually franklin! Claygirl is because I throw pottery on the wheel. I wish that I could just make pottery all day!

Here's a picture with gimli, you can kind of see how small he is!
http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/...psrsz85giw.jpg

I just realized how many exclamation points I used... so crazy chipper!

Afternoon all.

Claygirl – I love the photo you posted of your doggies! The story behind it makes it even cuter – watching mommy clean up the mess, LOL. I like all the baby names you picked out – nothing trendy or off the wall. Well, maybe tomorrow you'll know if you're preggers!! LOL re your dogs loving American cheese! We try to avoid giving people food to our dog Coal, but there are exceptions: the occasional smidge of peanut butter in a treat ball (his own unsalted pb that I also use for those biscuits), a bit of liver sausage that hides his two daily pills, and fruits/veggies. Coal loves bananas, carrots and melon – any any supersweet fruit really. I love Maggie Smith, the actress playing the Dowager in DA. I never saw that movie “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and now I just saw a preview for a sequel to it – I think I’ll watch that one to see if I want to go see the second one – I do recall the cast being great, just never got around to watching it. For the sequel, I noticed that the woman in DA that plays Isobel, Matthew’s mother, is also in this sequel. Happy birthday to your husband!! You’ll have to find better gift-hiding spots going forward, lol. Good job with the p90x workouts – I hear they’re super tough.

Annie –Glad to hear you’re feeling better. Now if you could just stay warm in the office! Good for you and DD getting set for yoga classes. I agree with all the others – the pricing is good. The quality of the instructor is important, and I hope the fact that you’re taking the class through a hospital means you don’t get some flake or hack. I hope the class fits your needs, and just take it at your own comfort level.

Happy – No, the potatoes hadn’t started to smell bad yet, they just leaked all over. Okay, now I know I just need to store potatoes and onions in the basement – it’s cool and dark there and the temperature stays pretty consistent. We generally don’t buy the large bags of them often, but if I do, I’ll probably keep them near the big bag of dog food that we store in the basement so we don’t forget they’re down there. We get down there about once a week to refill the smaller upstairs kibble container from the big bag. Re the dog treats – very interesting re your classmate’s dog panel, lol. I suppose I would agree about savory treats – bf said Coal loves the duck-flavored biscuits bf’s mom had bought for Coal. Yeh, I guess a lot of dogs just aren’t all that picky. Too funny imagining Nina’s head bouncing around on your hand as you type away. :lol: I’m glad you’re really getting into yoga and have found instructors you like and classes that suit your needs. I personally wouldn’t like 90 minutes of breathing/meditating, but I do like a leisurely cool-down with a lot of stretching and a bit of guided relaxation at the very end. Glad you’re liking the pork so far!

Susie – Glad the leg isn’t bothering you. Good to get back to walking a bit more. Movement is good. It’s been cold, but since we’re in the teens this week during the day, I’ve gotten outside at lunch and done short walks a couple times so far. I’ve been getting dropped off and picked up from the train station, so half of the walking I get from my commute has been missing lately. I think tomorrow and Friday it will be warmer and I will at least walk to the train from home in the mornings. There’s a good amout of snow and ice on the ground and it’s so dark walking home in the evening after work, I worry about slipping and falling. Hope the rest of your appointments go well today and that you get a cortisone shot for your knee.

Terra – Nice avatar photo – and good to have something to motivate you! Glad you like the exercises – it sure helps! I don’t like doing cardio workouts on machines like the treadmill, elliptical, etc – it can be really boring.

Michelle – I’m glad nothing you’ve been eating has been bothering your stomach. The slaw sounds good…though I do hate when things are named after a highly addictive and destructive illegal drug. Re the fitness challenge here at work – it started today. I went and paid my $10 entry fee and weighed in. The money forms the prize fund and can be increased by side challenges and by “penalties” paid for a gain at the subsequent monthly weigh-ins. I don’t expect to win, but I joined as a motivator – if I weigh in at a lower weight at the next 4 monthly weigh-ins, that will be a good thing for me. Re the dog treats – you are absolutely not a bad mom. I only make the treats about once a year, so Coal eats mostly store-bought treats. Bf’s mom buys him a lot of treats and she knows to only buy high quality US made treats now. Santa is so lucky to have a mom who takes him to the dog park so often!! I wish Coal had more interaction, but there’s no way he’s going to the dog park in the winter! We’ve also fallen off on our intention to get Coal to doggy daycare every once in a while – I think we’re both worried about him slipping around on the concrete surface. Re the ab soreness – good to ease up if it’s giving you pain. I’ve always had my soreness many hours after the exercise – usually the next day, so I IMO having pain within only a few hours means it was just too much too soon. Yes, the scenery in the movie “Wild” was just gorgeous. I really enjoyed that part of it – from the desert in the south to the rainforest in the Pacific NW.

Hellos to Ceejay, Dee and Shad! :wave:

--
So as I told Michelle, I joined the fitness challenge to help me along with my weight loss.

Yesterday I finally set up my Fitbit. Mine’s a flex. The setup was easy enough, but I want to check out the forums for more information. I didn’t see my sleep activity this morning, but then I realized I have to log my sleep times to get that…so I guess there’s all kinds of things to learn with it.

Nothing much else to report. I keep forgetting to make an appointment with my eye doctor to get my left eye’s contact lens rx adjusted. And of course the office is closed on Wednesdays. Oh well, I’ll set up a reminder for myself to phone tomorrow. I’ve got 3 lenses left for each eye and have been wearing my glasses every day for a while now. The glasses are driving me crazy because they aren’t quite right either (from previous eye dr). I’d ordered the larger size frame because I hate when I feel the earpieces touching the sides of my head, but this frame is too large. And wearing glasses when it’s this cold is a PITA because the glasses fog up!

That’s all the excitement here…except…it’s forecast to hit 31 degrees here tomorrow!! :carrot:

Here's my Coal.

http://i1330.photobucket.com/albums/...psbbaa4169.jpg

http://i1330.photobucket.com/albums/...psaba6bbe0.jpg

Hope these don't bog down the thread!

Hi I am a former Worldly chick from away back. Just wanted to stop by and say hi to all you lovely ladies. I was trying to message Shad but because I have not posted I was not allowed to send it. Hope all well with everyone. So hey to everyone and a special howdy for Shad.
Blessings,
Renae

Good Morning...

Rant....people on their phone on the way to work, not paying attention at the light, then when they finally, it is too late for me and I have to sit through the light again. That is my rage when driving. Honk my arse off at them. Done.

Last night was ok. Made mini chicken pot pies for dinner. The recipe that has been on the biscuit commercial. Only I used croissants. Very simple recipe. Flatten out a biscuit, spread in a muffin tin-leave enough to close up the top. Mix in bowl-1 can of cream of chicken, 1 cup cooked chopped chicken, 2 cups mixed veggies-I nuked mine for a bit first. Scoop into biscuit, close up, bake 375 for 20-22 minutes. Not real diet friendly, but quite tasty. The recipe doesn't call for salt and pepper but I did sprinkle a bit into the mix.

C was up most of the night with his gut/colon issue. I swear he needs to go to the doc or ER but won't. He has had this before and insists it will just take time to heal. Well yeah, maybe, meanwhile we all suffer. Sassy and I went to the couch around 11:30, there we stayed until this morning. I am so frustrated with C as he will not do as I tell him. lol On eating the right way for his condition. When he does eat right he feels better, then he eats badly thinking he can handle it. We start all over. bleh

Stopped by DDs house on the way home from work to check on her and the boys. Not much has changed but she did look better. Poor thing, I see so much of what went on in my first marriage in her relationship with Chris that I could just cry. I pray the Lord intervenes.

My brother is holding his own. I am not sure when he goes back to the doc, I am guessing the end of this month. The doc asked him if he wanted a prognosis of time. He told him no, didn't want to know and neither did his wife. Probably a good thing.

January 15, half this month is already passed. Time does fly faster the older I get. The only good thought about that is only 64 days til spring. I hope it is a good spring and summer.

NAE...hello back, I do not remember you but probably because you were gone by the time I joined the Worldly chicks.

LAURA...Coal is so pretty. His coat is so shiny and so black, hence Coal. lol How old is he now? I cannot remember. What a sweetie. My bro and SIL said that Marigold....movie was really good. I haven't seen it but keep meaning too. A gal in this office just started using a fitbit. She used it during sleep and it said she woke 3 times for 5 minutes and 20 something times for seconds. She wasn't sure if that meant like when she stirred or actually woke up. She did not remember all of that herself. She is a bit skeptical, or maybe her settings are wrong. Who knows.

CLAYGIRL...your animals are so dang cute. I would just want to stay home and love on them all day. I really wanted another dog, but feel guilty enough leaving Sassy home by herself as much as I do. Even if she goes to Sissy's two days a week and C is home on Wednesdays, so she is only home Mondays and THursdays by herself. Dogs and kids can make me feel so guilty. Just you wait. lol. Any news??

SUSIE...it sure is nice you can work from home. I am not sure I would trust myself to do the work. I would rather be doing something else besides work and would probably do it. I need the shower, drive in, and being in the office to get my fanny moving. How did the rest of your doc appointments come out?

Hello to all the rest of you lovely chickies, make it a terrific Thursday/night.

Hugs

Hey girls :smug: nice to see everyone's busy, that's better than being in bed trying to recover from a no-no.
I've been way busier since last Friday than I wanted to b. :faint:

Terra, Good going w your workout routine continuing. :)
Happy, For a retired chicklet u keep hopping around being so busy like the Energized Bunny :bunny2: I'm soo very proud of U :lucky: because lots of retirees just turn into house-plants. TY for liking my 'egg platter' avatar, some eyes r bacon, some r black olives I use the eyes from what I put in the deviled egg filling. It's nice to see the avatars change occasionally.

Chelle, It was me that asked about your lab's. U know how protective we all r on this thread, a bunch of 'bossy, careing sisters' here. :lol: :hug:

Susie, No we haven't had enough snow to snowshoe this winter, once we had about 5", that's good because I would've rebroke my foot. Ta-Da it's almost healed again, I overloaded on calcium/vita d for 6 weeks. Lot's of ppl r ice fishing on our local lakes & the snowmobilers have been finding snow up north. I'm happy that your body is getting back to normal w your treatments & exercises, did your Doc's suggest any supplements??

Annie, My heart is w U & C about your Dd's marriage :hug: Why r our men so freaking stubborn about going to see a Doc :eek: Just 'Overgrown Kids' :bb: It just shows that whoever said 'women r the weaker sex' never knew a female :spin:

I have a client appt. in 10 minutes for a special Valentine's gift so I'll b back later to catch-up & do personals. I love all the puppy pics U posted. 4 of my puppies left me over the weekend, 2 left. I'm happy & sad.

Later :wave:

Hi ladies,

Just want to focus on work today...because if I don't, I'm going to think about Bob and get more depressed. His oncologist said that since the tumors are in his lungs and are causing fluid build up around his lungs, the prognosis is not good. He's got roughly 3 months...could be less, but probably not more. This guy is like a big brother to me. Dammit!

Anyway, his goal now is to be able to go back home. He does not want to die in a hospital or hospice facility - if at all possible. His sister is arranging for in-home hospice care. It may take a couple weeks for physical therapy to get him ready so he can be at home. His sister and some friends are getting together tomorrow to help make the interior of his home more accessible for him.

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

Annie - I'm so sorry that your DD is having relationship problems. I hope she and Chris can work it out. Saying prayers for her. As for C, is it possible he's got a sensitivity to wheat. My ex used to have gut/colon problems all the time...turns out, he had celiac. He's now on a gluten free diet and doing better. Saying prayers for him and your brother...and you, sweet sista.

Love and hugs to all,

Oh CHELLE, my heart goes out to you and Bob. It is just horrible seeing someone going through such an illness that we really don't have any control over, sad really. I do understand how you feel. I pray for strength for you, Bob and all his family. Yes, it may be possible he is gluten intolerent. We know he is dairy intolerant and those two seem to run together. If he would just stick to the diet I got off the internet until he is completely better he would do ok. Instead he feels better enough that it doesn't bother him so much and goes back to eating junk he shouldn't then we are back to square one. I want to say to him, I told you not to eat that crap anymore, now you are grounded, then spank his arse in not a good way! Then on the other hand I feel sorry for him because of the pain and want to wrap my arms around him and sooth him. I guess I am fickle about it all.

DEE...I agree, whomever said that about women should be shot. We are the stronger sex that make the men stronger cause they are a bunch of babies, and feed off of us. Hmmm, I couldn't breed doggies, I wouldn't want to let any of them go. Puppies, kitties and babies are all so cute and sweet, but then, all grow into DOGS, CATS and TEENAGERS! Yikes!

Later gaters

Annie
Hope that DD and Chris can work things out. And as far as C goes I can understand where he's coming from. It is most definitely a life style change. The food part is relative easy but my problem is soft drinks. He and I sound a lot a like on our poor eating habits. And I don't blame you for honking at the people using their phones.

Michelle
So sorry to hear the news about Bob.

Hi Renae.
Glad you stopped by.

Dee
Glad that your foot is almost healed.

-------
I'm not as excited about going to Houston as I once was. I don't like the hectic day I will have on the Thursday after working a full week. I may check into Saturday to see what is available to fly straight into Houston. And go from there.
My boss brought an envelope to me yesterday at the water plant. I asked if this were my walking papers! knowing that I hadn't done anything to get them except my age. He laughed and said no. I had won the safety drawing for a 50 dollar Walmart gift card. :woohoo:
Will be cleaning house and doing laundry today. I actually slept till 9.30 this morning.

Yes CEEG...you and C sound very much alike. He loves is soda's too. Any caffeine makes his stuff act up. Coffee, tea, etc. He LOVES sweet tea. Poor guy, guess he is just going to have to start liking water a bit more. I, personally love water and gulp down a huge glass first thing in the morning when I wake up. Congrats on the Walmart gift card. Think of something good to get, if not you can mail it my way. lol. Sorry Houston is not sounding as fun as it was, but I am sure you will have a good time, you should go!

Hello ladies,

Not such a day of sunshiney news today, is it? :(

Michelle - I am so very sorry to hear of your friend Bob's prognosis. While sad and depressing, just my opinion that I guess since we have to die, I think I would rather have an idea of when so I can wrap up loose ends. My best friend in youth was diagnosed with stage one female cancer in her 20's. She made a full recovery but said if it ever came back, she would just up and leave and go somewhere by herself because the most difficult part of all is not being the sick patient, but the pain she saw in everyone eyes who looked at her. I have come to understand what it means - it is terribly hard to handle losing a good friend like Bob. I wish you both comfort :hug: I hope he does not suffer any more than he already does. Make the most of your time left with him - let him know how very much he means to you and take the things he has taught you about friendship and spread them in your life to others so that his legacy can continue. That is what I have learned about love and loss.

Annie - my dear horn honking sister friend. :D You made me laugh with your comment about the drivers. DH once told my sister he could tell when I was about to turn into the driveway. We lived the 2nd house off the corner and there was a stop sign there - people were always blowing past it and I'd be on the horn honking and yelling. I think I was the only one in Germantown who used their horn so he knew if he heard it, 1 minute later I'd be rolling in the door cussing. :mad: :rofl: On a serious note, I am sorry to hear about Sissy's relationship troubles. I hope they can work out there problems, especially with the kids involved. Seems so hard to make anything last anymore - be in marriages, friendships or keeping a job. :( I may swap your pot pie idea - DH likes them - I love them too but they are such calorie bombs that I have a hard time putting them into my mouth. I can relate to C's stubbornness about food. I have taken to writing down things that make me feel bad afterwards because the brain quickly forgets what the stomach protests later on. Sometimes for days on end. Was just reading an article on moderation - interestingly enough she said no one has to moderate broccoli or apples. Most of the stuff we think we can have in moderation (and often don't) is probably stuff we should not be eating in the first place. It's hard. I love my Coca Cola - it's my biggest downfall since cigarettes. And God bless people who can drink unsweet tea :D I guess when he feels bad enough for long enough - he will make the decision to change. Sorry you have to suffer along with him.

Ceejay - is it really worth going to Houston after all? Sounds like it's getting complicated. Congrats on the gift card win - what a nice surprise! :D quick thinking on asking if he was giving you your walking papers :lol:

Dee - how fun - you actually made those eggs? I wouldn't want anyone to eat them. I echo the comment that I'm not sure I could part with any of the cute puppies either.

Hi Nae :wave:

Laura - what's that green stuff in your Coal picture? I think I vaguely remember it? :rofl: Nice pictures of your pretty doggie. Now I wish I had recorded Marigold Hotel when it was on cable last week. I also wanted to see the one about an Indian family who sets up a restaurant across from some ladies restaurant. I am terrible with remembering movie names. :o As for the yoga - we only did the whole session mediation once - even yesterday we started back up again - she did some talking and we did about 10 minutes of guided relaxation and then got our moves on. You might like the Kundalini yoga - it's like aerobic exercise meets yoga. I do understand your concern about walking home from the train station not being able to see things well. I used to get frustrated at these big houses on AH Rd who obviously had money and could not be bothered to clean at least a shovel width's path on the sidewalk. Sometimes when I'd walk home and it was slippery, I'd be afraid I'd fall into the road right into the path of an oncoming car. I was glad once DH's job changed and he could pick me up regularly but I also missed the walking like you do. At least you get a steady walk to and from work and the train station. Do you haul your laptop with you each night?

Claygirl - I would have guessed your name had something to do with pottery. I always wanted to try that - looks like so much fun and yes, let's face it - who wasn't inspired by Demi Moore in Ghost? :lol: Nice picture of the fur babies taking over your furniture. I laughed at your MIL hating deer. One of my co-volunteer friends is in the garden club. We were talking about all the deer in my yard and she started spitting nails and telling me to come get her's. She worked herself into a froth getting all bent out of shape about how much she hated them :rofl: How can you hate Bambi and her kids? I just accept it as part of life here - just like watching out for black bears in the yard in the springtime - we are not the community of green lawns and fancy gardens up this way. :rolleyes:

Susie - glad you were able to work from home yesterday and sneak in a few things. Like Michelle, I loved working from home too. Without the distractions of people chatting and interrupting I got lots more done and I often worked a much longer day even factoring in the commute. I would imagine with your job you could really use a few work from home days to catch up - and see how much you got done too!

Hi Terra :wave:

Well the weather is inching towards 30 degrees so I have to get that frozen pork that is in the cooler in the garage into my freezer once and for all. I am going to get something for lunch and then put on my leather gloves (to protect frozen fingers) and get to work. I hope you all have a good day.

Afternoon all.

Ceejay – Sleeping in – nice way to start your weekend. :yes: Congrats on winning the gift card!! Enjoy! I agree with you about seeing about flying direct to Houston – save yourself the exhaustion of a long car trip.

Annie – Sorry C’s gut is causing him pain. At some point he will get tired of this and learn to avoid the stuff that causes this. I just hope it happens sooner rather than later!! I love water too, but I do get sucked back into the diet sodas all too easily. I hope DD and her guy survive this rough patch and work things out. She sure has quite the load at home – 2 kids FT plus Ainsley too, the puppy, and your Sassy a couple times a week and a home to run. And Chris has a lot of pressure too with this big family. No one ever said it was easy!! Yum, I love chicken pot pies! The way you made them sounds easy, but it’s just not something I should be eating! Boston Chicken has them and I used to get one every once in a while, but then I learned that KFC has them and they are really tasty. Wish I didn’t know that…very tempting and not that far from home. Glad bf doesn’t suggest kfc often. Re the fitbit – we’ll see. I looked at the fitbit site forums and there were a lot of questions and complaints. This might just be a gadget that collects inaccurate information, but then again, I’m only on day 3 of it.

Hi Renae!

Michelle – I’m so sorry to hear about Bob. I hope he can become physically able to be at home as he wishes.

Dee – I hope that after your foot is completely healed and feeling good that you get enough snow to do some snowshoeing and other nice outdoor winter activities.

Happy – Yeh, I miss the green too. Better look at some pretty garden photos or turn on the golf channel, LOL. The Kundalina yoga definitely sounds more my speed than the Hatha. :yes: Re the walks home – I probably blame people for failure to remove the snow more often than not, but this time around I don’t. The ice that's on the pavement now goes back to the day that it was raining and it was probably freezing rain and it was slush when it hit the ground. And then the temps dropped and we had frozen slush. And then a few inches of snow here and there and certainly not enough warmth to melt any of it. And the darkness doesn’t help – we don’t have street lights anywhere but the corners, and some people don’t seem to have any outdoor lighting at all – I guess if you just drive your car into your garage you don’t care about outdoor lighting? I have a mini flashlight in my purse to deal with that. Nope, I don’t bring my laptop home unless I’m doing a work from home day (rare) or expect bad weather to keep me at home the following day. Sometimes I bring it home if I’m talking a long weekend. I like to get on the computer, but not be in the home office, so I can sit on the sofa with the laptop. But usually my smartphone is just fine, and every once in a while I use our iPad. Re the deer damaging the gardens – in your neck of the woods, you just have to forget about having a traditional garden and go with the flow. Too funny that your shop-mate gets so angry – she’s in the deer’s habitat! Good luck getting the pig into the freezer!

Hellos to the rest of the Worldlies! Hope you’re all having a good week.

++
I’m caught up on my pushup challenge – I missed two days, but by skipping a rest day, I only really missed one. Yesterday I managed to do 4 traditional pushups before going to the knee version. I can’t get down as far as I want with the traditional ones, so I’m sure they are working my arms more than my pecs, but I hope to keep plugging along and see improvement.

Last night I decided on my group fitness class plan of attack.

First, I’m going to quit Jazzercise. I missed the 15th of the month cutoff for submitting my cancellation note (can’t be an e-mail, drats), so I will get the note submitted on Saturday and stay through whenever that last payment expires. My payments are posted to my credit card on the 1st of the month, so if I missed the 1/15 cutoff, then I’ll likely be charged on 2/1, and that should bring me through the end of February…I think.

Second, I’m going to buy an 11-class punchcard from my park district, and that’s good for a variety of different group fitness classes at the park facility close to the house (1.5 miles away). That takes me through mid-March – the end of the park’s winter session - or sooner, depending on how many classes I take per week.

Third, I’m going to try out a Yogalaties class offered by the school district (community education catalog). This class is a mix of yoga and Pilates, so it should be good, and it’s also close to home (3 miles). That class doesn’t start until Feb. 11th, when the spring (HA!) session begins.

Looks like there will be some overlap, so I will certainly have a good variety of class options. I’ll be glad to go to classes closer to home.

Been wearing my fitbit the past few days now. There’s definitely a discrepancy between the fitbit steps and pedometer steps, so instead of wearing this fitbit on my wrist, I might put it in my pocket, like I do with my pedometer. I’ve also learned that the fitbit uses some sort of average stride length based on your height, so that might have to be adjusted too.

Last night bf and I watched two more episodes of Breaking Bad. I’m looking forward to finishing this series – this is silly of me, but I worry about seeing or hearing spoilers. This is really funny, but one night bf and I were watching an episode of “Newhart” and I was looking at the IMDB message boards for that show and there was even something comparing the ending of that series to BB! Not that this gives anything specific away, but still…

Okay, that’s it for me. TTFN.

At home. If you want green Happy, then come to my place. The grass needs mowing, the vege patch needs digging, the trees need trimming, the weeds need a poison.

I've finished my coffee and now it is time to get on with my day which is getting busier by the second. I'll be back tonight to get with the personals and see where you chatty lot have got up to already.

Here r pics of my puppy litter from their owners. A pizzeria owner 42 yr. that has a Lab & a Burmese Mountain dog is buying my last 2 girl miniGoldenDoodles Saturday. I'll miss them, but their new families r so thrilled to Love them-up. Puppies sleep on Laptops too, LOL
http://<a href="http://s1081.photobu...ps77e4d811.jpg[/IMG]http://<a href="http://s1081.photobu...shdvvbchb.jpeg[/IMG]http://<a href="http://s1081.photobu...ps1e294937.jpg[/IMG]http://<a href="http://s1081.photobu...ps5bd65a27.png[/IMG]http://<a href="http://s1081.photobu...ps43f2372c.jpg[/IMG]

Those pics were some thumbnails in my photobucket album of my miniDoodle puppies. When I tried to remove the: IMG & http, it put lots of info in its place. So if anyone can tell me how to delete it, or what to click, please tell me. :smug: TY I tried edit but it won't show the image...

Yes Happy, I cooked the deviled eggs avatar. I can cook :rofl: & I can snap a pic w a 'point & shoot' camera ;)

Annie, dh is 5'9" & weighs 175 lbs. w a 32" waist for the last 19 yrs. his weight only varies up & down by 2 - 5 lbs. so that's not why he snores :faint: (Lucky me, he only snores 1-2 nights a week.) I tried wearing ear-plugs when he's loud, but they hurt & I go to sleep on the sofa & Dh carries me back to bed when he wakes up @ night without me. Then he makes a effort to not sleep on his back & snore anymore. I thought about buying a 'white noise' machine but I don't know if they work, so my Doc says to keep using the Melatonin on nights when I think Dh is in a snoring mood, so I can get a restful nights sleep. Or if he wakes me up, to take just 1 so I won't feel tired when I get up early.

Ceeg, About your trip, do whatever will make U happy :hug: don't worry about the other ppl because they will b happy w whoever comes. They don't understand how sick that U have been. They definitely don't want U to feel stressed or sick by making the trip. I know U will enjoy the trip if U go... decisions... Weigh the pros against the cons & b happy w your choice.

I'm watching The Taste & going to sleep, b back tomorrow for personals.

Same old story. Worked through a very hot day. Sit on the couch for some mindless tv. Go to sleep. Wake up having missed the program I wanted to see.

So..............I will be back first thing in the morning. Probably before the sun gets up. So much to do, so little time.

Good Morning, TGIF fo sho, and blue Friday (wear your Colts blue), that I did.

C came home a little better last night as he did not eat or drink anything he was not supposed to be eating. I made him a couple of seafood & cheese quesadillas, sprayed with butter Pam on the mini grill and that seem to satisfy him. Gave him a B12 shot and we both were in bed by 8. A very restful night for both of us, well with the exception of Sass waking up at 3 am and want to go potty. AMAZINGLY, I got back to sleep after that.

I am feeling pretty good today, I will take it. No more cramping, good night's sleep, still wearing mini-pads but hey it won't be long till that is done too. My check up is next Friday the 23rd. Oh and it is pay Friday!

Sis and Chris seem to be doing a smidge better. Still have not talked about everything, but I told Sis to get it out and over with or let it go and be happy. This is nonsense. She is cleaning my house today as she does every two weeks or so, to kind of "help" give back. I am excited to go home to a clean house. I got all my laundry done last night. This weekend I won't know what to do with myself.

Got my hair cut last night also. Same ole cut. I am not much for change on the hairdo's. I find something I like and stick with it forever and a day. Anyway, I love the hair washing pampering and good chat with my hair stylist. She is also a DA fan, so we chat about that mostly. She just turned 30 and really has a great head on her shoulders.

SHADDIE...girl you are wearing me out. Where the H do you get all your energy? Do you drink energy drinks all day long? lol I would love to come cut your grass, weeds-no thank you. Yes I do the same, fall asleep and miss my shows, then mad cause I just didn't go to bed in the first place.

DEE...awwww, the puppies are so cute. Like little fluff balls of love. I hear ya on the snoring thing. C is 6'1" and about 180, snores like a freight train. It is not always a weight issue. In my case it is. ha

LAURA...your plan on the classes and gym sound perfect for you, especially not being far from home. Why I believe you could even walk to the one that is the closest. I will have to chat with my co-worker about her fitbit again and see if she adjusted it or what is going on with it now and report back to you.

Hello to all the rest of you lovely ladies.

Have a fabulous Friday/night.

Hugs

Early day for me today. Finished coffee, now jump in the shower and then go get my hair done. After that - eye appointment. If I can see when I come back (ie. eyes not dilated) I will catch up with everyone.

Goodluck at the eye doc HAPPY, and have fun at the hair appointment.

Hi everyone,

I'm waiting for the cable guy to get here sometime between 8 and 10. After that I'm going to my step-mom's to do computer tech support. Bob's sister has to be at the hospital all day today so she cancelled our cleaning/organizing session, since she has to be there to tell us what should go with what.

After I get done at my step-mom's I may go see Bob in the hospital or I may go to the doctor. I've been having bad pain on my right side. It happened a couple weeks after surgery - not as bad though - and my surgeon said it might be gallstones. The pain went away, so I didn't think about it again. It happened again last Saturday, and I thought I just did too many ab exercises that morning. And I woke up with the pain today. I didn't do any ab exercises yesterday; the only exercising I did was walking.

I've messaged my surgeon to see if I need to go to his office or if my regular doc can see me. Or if I should go to the ER.

I'll catch up on personals later. Sorry.

Love and hugs,

Laura705: Coal is gorgeous! I love the expression he has by the door he looks confused by the picture taking :) . I used to love my fitbit, now I just miss it terribly! But I’m still waiting on the Jawbone Up3. It has everything I want, I’m just getting impatient! My husband preordered the black one, and probably won’t get it until march. I’m sure the time will fly by though! Exactly what you said about your glasses is why I never wear mine. I actually feel worse wearing them, and they press on the side of my head. I hope you get your Rx fixed soon! I’m so glad you’re watching breaking bad!!! What a great show. I won’t tell you any spoilers, I promise!

Annie: Ugh, I hate it when people don’t pay attention while they’re driving, that’s a pet peeve of mine too. Mini chicken pot pies sounds good.. I’ve never done that before. Last night was my husband’s 27th birthday so I made him sirloin steak and zucchini corn fritters (which we both love). Delicious. I’m sorry your SO is not listening to you and making you miserable with his misery. I wonder if that’s a husband thing? Whenever my husband is sick he’ll complain he has a headache, stuffy nose, etc, and then I’ll ask, did you take medicine? Or tell him to use the nettipot, it helps a lot, and he’ll say, “No, if I’m not better later then I’ll do that” and he never does! And then he just complains at how bad he feels. That frustrates me! If you know what’s going to make it better, just do it! That’s tough that you’re seeing bad relationship patterns with DD. I hope things look up for your DD too. And yes, I definitely wish I could just hang out with my animals all day! I work part time so I’m able so thankfully my dogs aren’t alone too much. Before when I worked full time they were alone about 10 hrs a day, and they would be crazy by the time I got home! No news yet, the earliest I can test is tomorrow, but even then it won’t be super accurate. TOM is expected next Tuesday, hopefully we will have news soon.

happy2bme: The potter’s wheel is tons of fun! There’s something so relaxing about it, but it’s definitely tough too. Demi Moore makes it look really easy in ghost! I still can’t throw a pot that size. It took me years to get decent at it! I need to get my wheel set up in the garage, but right now it’s so cold! Sticking my hands in water outside to throw my freeze my fingers off! I probably need to invest in a space heater for out there. Yeah, I don’t hate deer either, but I guess if we had deer in my front yard my garden would be ruined. I do hate the neighbors fat cat. Last time I was gardening, he came up and I pet him a little bit. When I stopped to work, he bit me on the leg (broke the skin) and ran off. Not to mention he uses my garden as a litter box. Now when he comes around I open the door so my dogs can see him through the storm door. They bark at him and he runs away. Serves him right! He’s a mean cat!

miniDoodles: What adorable puppies!!! Oh my goodness I would just play with those puppies from sun up to sun down. I use melatonin and earplugs too, but I’m just a very light sleeper. My husband also gets up to go to work at 5:00 in the mornings so it helps to not hearing him stomping around to get ready!

As far as things around here are concerned, i'm still trying to wait to test until TOM is supposed to come on tuesday, but I'm going a bit crazy. My husband talked to his boss and told him we are thinking we would be willing to relocate around Atlanta immediately to be close to family. He also told him we are trying to get pregnant so he would understand why. His boss is excited for us (great guy) and said there is a plan in place with a lot of moving parts that involves us staying here, but he's not sure if it will work out perfectly. But if helps him to know we have other options so he's going to look into it for us. So, everything is still up in the air, but I feel better that his boss knows where we are at!

Here's some pictures of some of the pottery I've made:

http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/..._6229671_n.jpg
http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/..._2303280_n.jpg

I rrally want to throw again, but I've got to figure out how to wire it properly in the garage. Hopefully I'll get that done soon!

My lunch dates...Jacob 3 years and Royce 9 months. December 2014

Morning all. Happy Friday. TGIF!

Michelle – Ooh, sorry to hear you’ve been having pain – I sure hope it isn’t gallstones!! I hate to hear about the types of conditions that can be chronic and that you’ll have to worry about going forward. I hope you get to see the doc today.

Happy – Enjoy your hair appointment. For my 3rd and 4th appoints back, I had a shampoo girl that was not gentle at all – even the mini scalp massage was hurried and rough. The 2nd appointment back, my stylist, who I don’t think had ever rinsed/shampooed me did it. This last time, I had a shampoo girl that was very gentle, but slow as molasses – it took her at least 3 times as long as it usually does. But at least the scalp massage was nice! :D

Annie – Good for C eating better and feeling better. Those seafood/cheese quesadillas sound delish! I need to buy a bag of frozen shrimp! Do you buy the pre-cooked, peeled, deveined stuff, or the raw ones that still have the shell on them? Honestly, I just don’t want to mess with deveining shrimp. Peeling I could deal with. Glad you feel good today – and payday just makes it all the better. : ) Glad you like your stylist. I like mine too. Re the fitness classes that are the closest to home – I did ride my bicycle to class once. The only issue I have about doing that is at night, after class it would be dark out. Maybe on a Saturday or Sunday, during the warm weather, of course. Awww, like the photo of you and the boys. :)

Shad – Like Annie – I get tired just reading about your weekend work after the long hours of your workweek. Are you still able to travel early on Friday so you at least have a bit more time at home on the weekends?

Dee – Awww, love those puppy pics! Too funny about the one sleeping by the laptop! :D They are so precious. :love: Hmmm, not sure what your issue is with photobucket. If I want to just attach small pics, I just resize them from my computer hard drive and attach them as thumbnails to the post. If I want to insert a photo/image into the body of the post so it doesn’t have to be so small, I upload the photo into photobucket, and then copy paste from there. When I do the latter, I notice I do get the [IMG] surrounding my photos, but I just go ahead and delete that, but not the http stuff, just the [IMG]. Hope that helps.

Claygirl - Yeh, men seem to just want to complain about their illnesses and not do much about it. My bf is the same with not taking medicine, etc. :p Aaargh. So with the latest jawbone, what types of things can it do? I know the newer fitbits have displays on them vs. just the lights, and there’s one that has a heart rate monitor. I suppose I feel like I never get past the level of “just get your exercise in, and try to make it good and sweaty” to warrant getting another heart rate monitor. We used to have a treadmill and I used to have a HRM (with chest strap) and I thought it was useful to make sure I was getting my heart rate up to a beneficial level. When I do group cardio classes, I just go by my breathing and sweating, LOL. Sorry you’ve got a mean cat as a neighbor – don’t you just wish that cat was an indoor cat??!! Dogs can be contained in a fenced yard, but cats can go all over when they are “outdoor cats”. Good that your dh’s boss knows you’re open to relocating to Atlanta. You must be going crazy wanting to know if you’re pregnant or not – patience! Nice pottery - love the plate with the paisley pattern because I love paisley! It would be great if you worked out a way to get heat in the garage so you can do your hobby again.

Hellos to the rest of the gang!
==
Nothing much to report. I registered for the spring session yogalaties class yesterday. I will buy my punchcard in person at the recplex early next week. Saturday morning will be Jazzercise class.

I put the fitbit in my pocket with my pedometer this morning and the step count is a lot closer than when I wore the fitbit on my wrist. I don’t get at all how they can call what they track to be steps when you supposedly wear this thing on your wrist and it registers your hand/arm movements…whatever. The sleep stats are interesting, however, and about what I expected for myself. I usually don’t have trouble falling asleep and usually don’t have trouble staying asleep or falling back asleep after getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I do wake up when the furnace kicks in around 5:30-ish and don’t sleep all that well from then until the alarm goes off at 6. The fitbit seems to reflect all that. I don’t wish for a restless, poor night’s sleep, but if I do have one, it’ll be interesting to see what that looks like on the fitbit the next morning. Otherwise I don’t really see the need to wear this thing to bed.

Last night bf and I watched the movie “Grumpy Old Men” on tv. I love that movie – Jack Lemon and Walter Mathau are a hoot, and so is Burgess Meredith.

Enough rambling. Everyone have a great weekend!