hi all!

kaylets-that quote really spoke to me today. good reminder for me. wildfire-congrats on the 1 lb. down! woo-hoo!

a quick hello to the royal ones! have to get ready to go to my doc appt. (just one of the regular check-in ones.) some months they all seem to schedule in the same month, so this is my 2nd to last one for jan. and then i should get a reprieve for another few months, or so i am hoping. my insurance card sees more action than most credit cards, i think. oh well! take care, and those of you in the deep freeze zones, stay warm.

Hello, dearests.

Frogger - I'm so sorry that you got such a horrible response from your boss. I honestly don't know what you could possibly say to such a terrible person that wouldn't put you in even worse standing with her. I, of course, would be tempted to use profanity. Remember your rights, love.

Still going nutters at work, dears, but am still happy to see you every day. Still OP - I'm a bit scared of weekends, though, to tell the truth. That's when (a.) I'm at home lurking around and drawn to the fridge, and (b.) Ramon and I get our urges to eat out.

Love to you all,

Frogger, awww man! Hugs to you, my friend.

Cerise, courage, girl! Is there an end in sight?

Kaylets, thanks for your deep thoughts! Hmmmm....[that's me thinking! ]

Seattlejo, I too am being the social butterfly, and it's all about food, baby! Today we had all 3 meals out, and 2 out tomorrow. Hope to hunker in on Saturday and Sunday!

Amarantha, Yes indeed! We've all come so far--we must never forget it!

wsw, Ceara, Wildfire, Arabella, and all other royal personages, greetings!

Frogger.... I am so sorry you're transmission died... Oh man! I hope by time you read this post, you've figured something out.....Here's a big
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUG))))))))))))))))) ))))))))))))))))))
with a kiss on the forehead for you.


****
Yes, Empress, you're right!! ITS TRUE!! See how crafty and cunning these candy folks are....FLOURLESS BROWNIES... sounds lo carb doesnt it???
YIKES!! WARNING! WARNING! WILL ROBINSON!!
Don't forget what happened to me last December! I couldnt get off the sugar roller coaster until nearly St Patrick's !

It's just like that man in Illinois who was relabeling donuts as WW lo fat....
which they were NOT!!!

In fact, thank you very much my friends, I think I have hit on my topic finally...
after a couple drafts... I am going to speak on Marketing ....especially... the "healthy, lo carb, lo fat, new, improved, our menu will fit your diet plan, here's a coupon too, JUST GET IN HERE, GIVE US YOUR CASH and hurry up and EAT IT FOR GOODNESS SAKES, so, you'll hurry back now!"

In fact, perhaps I'll start it something like this:

"This must be the best time to be alive. We are the happy recipients of medical, mechanical and intellectual discoveries. More of us are more educated than at any time in recorded history.
........

Have to keep working on that one.....



Yikes, look at the time.....

speaking of marketing.... anyone look at the nutritional values for the new Snicker "Energy Bar" .. Think its called the Marathon.....

Glad so many of you enjoyed Deep Thoughts...

Think I know where some more are.

okay, you guys are the best! I was a little unerved after yesterday's Toastmaster meeting as I found out another competitor has stepped forward... and she is outstanding... very good.. in fact, won for our club and two levels higher for the humor contest. I heard her speak all 3 contests and she is good.
But..... you have given me motivation and inspiration....

I will presevere....


WSW-- did you tell us the paint colors??

Punkin-- are you sure you didnt break anything in your wrist? That sounds bad!

Cerise-- Keep your chin up! Here's a nice cup of tea...

Eydie- I asked on the thread for your brand of ff creamcheese... never tasted a ff that didnt taste like paste...

Wildfire-- What's new?

Ceara- Sending you love and a big hug.

Arabella- Wonder if you find Boston tropical compared to PEI....
and here's good thoughts re your DS....

Ok all!

Is ER a rerun tonight?

Hello all!!

14 degrees this am! Coming home from work last night felt like summer becuase it was nearly 8 degrees ABOVE freezing, now this am its 18 degrees BELOW.......

Sure love my remote ignition starter for the car!


Plans to have lunch at a brand new Panera bakery/cafe near the job.
Their website lists all the nutritional values so I've narrowed my choices....
My stair climbing buddy and I are spending our quarter a stairclimb money.
Think some other coworkers are joining us as well.


*******

Thought of the day :

Blessed is he who has learned to laugh at himself as he will never cease to be entertained.
--John Powell


Question of the day :

"What made you laugh at yourself last?"

******


Need to unload things from the car in case folks wind up riding with me....


KETTLE IS ON!

Deep Thoughts (Part 12)
Does the Little Mermaid wear an algebra?
Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
How is it possible to have a civil war?
If God dropped acid, would he see people?
If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest drown too?
If you ate pasta and antipasta, would you still be hungry?
If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
Why are hemorrhoids called "hemorrhoids" instead of "assteroids"?
Why is it called tourist season if we can't shoot at them?
Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?
Where are we going? And what's with this handbasket?
If the "blackbox" flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole damn airplane made out of that stuff?
Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?
If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?
The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
If all those psychics know the winning lottery numbers, why are they all still working?
Should crematoriums give discounts for burn victims?
If a mute swears, does his mother wash his hands with soap?
Whose cruel idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have a "S" in it?

frogger-sorry your boss was such an insensitive jerk and of course, about your car situation.

amarantha-my doc appt. went ok yesterday,thanks, but she gave me a pneumonia vaccine and my arm is not too happy this morning!

kaylets-i am leaning towards some color schemes with warm tans for bedroom and some blues for kitchen. i love bright colors, but not sure if there is anyplace that would accomodate those. still looking at different colors/color schemes, though.

a couple of friends are taking me out for dinner, so i need to get my apt. cleaned and get to my p.t. appt. staying op and doing my exercising, but this cold weather is making it challenging to move around much (ms-wise.) have had to use the wheelchair more this past week than i would like, but at least i have gotten out several times. i hope everyone has a good weekend. thinking about you all, mentioned or unmentioned. take good care.

wsw

Good morning, darlings! I feel like such a nonety on this thread this week. Poop. Still, I enjoy reading about you (since I can read and stuff envelopes at the same time). It's nice, actually, that it's not so much about me right now. I enjoy being sort of a "transparent eyeball" among you instead of the one who writes a volume at a time. I'll get to that this weekend.

wsw, your color schemes sound great. Do your bright colors! Ramon and I are going to paint our kitchen Mexican-style, with red, yellow, robin's-egg blue and kelley green. Bedroom's gonna be deep cobalt, I think. I LOVE living in an apartment building where you can paint the walls!

Frogger, still thinking/worrying/hoping for the best for you. I hope that you have an opportunity to reveal to your boss how discourteous and destructive her attitude is. But then, I hope you do what's best for you and Junior and DH, too. Damn. I'm just hoping for some mercy thrown at you from On High.

Eydie, you make me laugh. You too, Kaylets. Thanks for the deep thoughts, and picture yourself blowing Miss Competitive Toastmistress out of the water.

Love to all, sorry for the gross neglect of the rest of you. It's not that I don't care...

My $0.02:

Amarantha, I make everything with whole wheat flour and find it works for all. Unfortunately, I can't even tolerate much of it, but everyone else likes it. One thing to remember is to use a bit less of it than you would white flour, and in the case of something like brownies, be sure not to overbake. I heard on the radio one time that the special flour for bread machines is higher quality than the other kinds and works better for everything than regular flour. I bought it a few times (even though I don't have a machine) and it did seem to be true. Hmmmm.... I could go for a brownie right now

Kaylets, the last time I laughed at myself was a couple of days ago. With all the stress and anxiety of the past week, I haven't been really on the ball. I was cleaning the lint filter on the dryer, took out a big wad of dryer fluff and caught myself starting to cram it into the hole for the screen. Guess I was just going to throw the screen itself away...

wsw, your colors sound lovely. Hope you can use them!

Just wanted to pop in before I head out tomorrow. All ready for my trip, and definitely ready to think about nobody but ME ME ME for a few days (at least in terms of looking after them).

DS seems well, like his old self. And it will be good for him and DH to spend time without me. All is good I'm taking the laptop, and supposedly there's a high-speed connection in the hotel, so I may be able to check in while I'm away.

Love to all, mentioned or not!

Hi, Royal Ones - so happy to hear of so many losses; I'm feeling a bit thinner myself but then I'm an optimist.

Ceara, hugs! Wood Nymph, so happy things look better - sounds like such a tough time and hope it's one and done. So happy you're w/us more, Wildfire. Mix sounds good.

Frogger - I too am urging the Powers to give you a break. I know too well the feeling of "what next" and urge you to hang in against all insensitivity and futility. The sun will shine again, hopefully soon.

Empress, sounds like you've had a run on irritation and insensitivity yourself. Sunshine soon for you too.

wsw - sounds great. And any "brights" make a great accent w/ your tan walls theme. All so exciting.

Cooler here today (only getting to 60, pardon me). Dh off getting bloodwork. I'm a little more unwound but am appalled that even my ocean is not working its usual miracles. And we're gone from home 3 weeks already. It'll soon be time to start thinking of the northward trek but it's only 12 degrees at home at the moment so I'm considering myself blessed.

Hi, SJ, Cerise, Punkin, Kaylets - ah, that felt good.

Good morning and happy Friday everyone!

Well, I hadn't even sat in my chair for an hour before I had a freakin' meltdown at work. Tears. How emBARassing! Sheesh... I'm just a bundle of pent-up stress. Still. My mom's been telling me to take some time off for weeks and I had already decided to take next Friday off, but methinks I'm going to have to break down and actually take some TIME off. I have a week from last year, 2 weeks for this year and 3 years of never-used sick time. Think I can spare more than A day????

Kaylets, your deep thoughts had me laughing this morning. Thank you!!!! I really needed them (esp. the one about shooting tourists! )
I also think your topic is an excellent one. I've seen a commercial for a restaurant who's touting an "approved" menu for a diet plan I won't mention. When a *diet* becomes so powerful that suddenly a plethora of companies start to change it makes little red flags go up for me. This diet isn't new, it's just now more popular. As a nation we've been overweight for DECADES, why haven't they changed their menus to reflect better general health?? You didn't see TGIFriday's start an all-grapefruit menu when that diet was popular did you??? Noooo, because grapefruit is cheap, meat isn't. Maybe there's the answer....

Offa' the soapbox! Nothing against low-carb - really! But what about the rest of us watching our health/weight that aren't following low-carb. Why the massive change for *one diet*? Ok, really, I'll shut up now.

Cerise, it is FRIDAY! I hope it's an easier day for ya, and that the weekend doesn't drag you into the evil food ways of yore.

WSW, enjoy your dinner out with your friends! Your colors do sound great - you're going to have SO much fun when you start decorating!

Frogger, ok, that just sucks. You need, no, deserve, a break! I hope there's some yet to be found good in all of this.... you've earned it!

SeattleJo, no scale? I'd die. I'm a scale addict.... maybe it's good that you don't have one!

Amarantha, I think it's good to take a break occasionally, being ever vigilant wears on ya'. Smart that you're restarting your candy-free 21 days. I still need to get over there... (can I give up Jr. Mints for 21 days????? )

Wildfire, congrats on your shrinkage!

Zadie, are you still out there?? How's the food poisoning and ankle doing? Please check in when you can!

Q o' the day - this morning. Post-hysteria I went into the kitchen to get some water. Yesterday's glass was full so I dumped it into the sink. In my enthusiam to dump it out, I sloshed a full glass of water all over the counter, down my front, down the cabinets and all over the floor. Yea, I laughed. It took me outside myself to see that my "drama" only caused me more trouble than had I just emptied the glass normally....
I kinda feel like the splash of water was like a "WAKE UP!" from the powers that be - lesson learned.

Last night I watched an interview with a man who wrote a book on survival (I think it was Lawrence Gonzales?). It was basically about any life or death situation whether it's cancer, being held at gunpoint or being lost in the wilderness and who lives, who dies and why. It was really eye opening... but the reason I bring it up is because recently it was mentioned here about how humor gets us through tough things. This guy did a study of hundreds of people who survived something that many don't and the biggest thing he noticed was their sense of humor. They had a way of laughing at themselves, at life and the situation even when it could kill them. It was a way of putting things in perspective, a buffer and allowed your emotions to calm enough for reason to kick in.
So now it's official. A sense of humor could save your life.

Have a great weekend everyone,

Terri
Punkin o' Friday do declareth it FRIDAY and demands we all break out into dance

Punkin, if a sense of humor saves your life, then you're gonna live long and well.

Actually, that goes for all of you. Kisses all 'round!

Hello all!!

Ceara, saw your post on the 21 Day... so sorry for you and your friend's loss.
and yes, its eye opening to see how family reacts.

**
Lots of new thoughts for me the past few days... on the WW's home page, they post an ongoing thread as a teaser to draw folks in... the title was "Costly Free Food", all you can eat places, office "reward" breakfasts, lunches, etc, etc....
Again and again, posters referenced " I can 't help but think of the food going to waste... I don't want to appear ungrateful..."
And of course, you know me... had to add my 2 cents....
Suggesting that if we were given something we couldnt eat for medical reasons or allergies, we wouldn't think twice... I also suggested how would we react if a basket of cigarettes were sent from a vendor... would we take up smoking??
and I've been thinking and thinking....
about the real costs of "Free food" ... about whether this "All you can eat" mentality is linked to caveman "eat when you have it" and are these marketing geniuses playing that song for all its worth too????

And are employers happy to bring donuts and sandwiches and pizza in because its a cheap drug to distract ???

YIKES!!!!

Am I standing on the edge ? I wonder.


************
The Thought of the day :
"The game of life is not so much in holding a good hand as playing a poor hand well."
-- H.T. Leslie

Question of the day :

"Do you feed the birds?"

***************

Kettle is on!

Ok, s, I need to continue working and already lost one post this a.m., so I'll be brief (really) ... thanks for all the support here on my feeble attempts to cook better ... Wood Nymph, I really don't like whole wheat anymore either, but when I was a kid, I loved it, so I'm thinking it may be a taste I can acquire ... it's really a lot better for my poor beleagured blood sugar which is reacting to stress very poorly these days ... I have lots of work related stuff to say but there's a reason right now that I can't post it (drama ) ... howsomever, I am not on program but NOT eating candy, so I've just created the Better Blondie Bar ... these are less than 2 points and healthier and don't taste bad. Old Dog is hoping for one as soon as they get cooler.

I shall bore thee all with the recipe, such as there is one:

1/2 cup self rising flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 T. sugar (should have used turbandino but used forgot and used table)
3 T. sugar free maple syrup (any kind that's 10 calories per 1/4 cup)
1 eggbeaters cup (equivalant to two eggs)
1/2 scoop Designer Whey Praline Vanilla Protein powder (or whatever)
Several sprays of a zero cal butter spray

Stir until shiny and dense. I baked these at 350 for 12 minutes on two sheets of nonstick aluminum foil formed into a little pan and sprayed with calorie free cooking spray in the middle of the oven and cut into eight squares after cooling a little.

Promising.