hi all!

loved your stories, kaylets. eydie-think your dh's idea of giving out a card is great. little gestures of acknowledgement and kindness mean so much to folks. i realize even just how important smiling and making eye contact with others can be. hi anagram-hope the remainder of your time in the warm(er) climate will be pleasant. thanks again for the postcard! today is sunny, but definitely cold. i am looking forward to warmer weather here, though it still seems quite far off. empress amarantha, i am thinking of you. i was thinking about some of your Old Dog tales. She sounds like such a wonderful dog. i hope that some day when i get my own dog, she/he will be almost as terrific as yours is. hi also to seattlejo, ceara, punkin, arabella, wildfire, cerise, frogger, zadie k. and all the rest of the regal court. i have been reading your posts and wanted to stop in and say hello.

today was a good op day and without too much struggle to stick with it. the last couple of days were more challenging. i think the more tired i am, the harder it is for me to want to stay on track. i have kept to real simple food prep today and that makes it easier for me too (in the willingness dept.) so--i'm going to plan out a simple food menu for the next few days and just stick to that. my condo. is looking good! my friends have painted the bedroom, living room, and foyer and painted the cabinets in the kitchen, and put in flooring. i am also getting a walk-in shower and new bathroom flooring. it is so amazing. every time i see the place it looks different and even better than previously. it really is a modern day "barn raising." i should be moved in around the end of the month. i still can scarcely believe this is happening. well, enough of the condo. saga. hope everyone has a good evening. take care, all.

wsw

WSW- SO EXCITING!! I am getting excited just hearing about it!
A walkin shower is fabulous! And this is the perfect time to install it!
You are a genius!

I can relate about difficulties staying on program when tired...its very hard for me too when I am tired or not feeling well...
Another reason I always try to have at least one or two meals ahead in the freezer or as leftovers....

I was thinking of you today when I was on the WW boards... a lady who also has MS and is restricted to a wheel chair was wondering if she could lose weight...I was wondering if it would be possible to hook the two of you up to share tips but I was afraid I'd be over stepping.. but I knew you have had success with your weightloss program so I knew it could be done... I just didnt want to promise you would be able to speak with her b/4 asking you....

So...do you expect to move in by March?

Hello all!

Temp's might get up to 45 today!! Here in Delaware that might mean folks will break out their shorts...


********
Thought of the day :

"If you think you can or can't..... you're right"
--paraphrased from Henry Ford


Question of the day :

"What is your favorite comic strip? Why?"
--from Table Topics by the Pampered Chef
************

I am very excited this morning's weigh in !! just goes to show you how much we really cannot control ..... the past month I've been losing every other week....last week reflected that same pattern.... no loss...was hoping this morning's weighin would show 1lb down ( as has been the pattern).... BUT ....I am 3 lbs down!!!

This is the first time in how I don't know how many years... MAYBE EVER!!!!.... I officially weigh less than what my drivers license says!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You ask what I might have done differently...
the only guess is this... I was so wound up last week with the contest, I missed two days of stair climbing and then only did one "set" rather than two the rest of the week....
The other possible ( and again... I am not really taking any credit for understanding what happened) is that DH has been making Whole Wheat Bread on the weekends. When it comes out of the oven we both have 2 pieces of warm bread... In other words...I'm definitely eating all my points...

Have a good Monday all....

Its a good day to be gentle to ourselves... good but gentle...

KETTLE IS ON !

Time to get your liscense updated, eh, Kaylets? That's great news! That'll keep me going today--I'm so happy for you!

HI LOVIES!!!!!!

I'm feeling 150% better today, so I decided to stop on in.

How the heck is everybody?

Things are going great here even though I'm already starting to have problems fitting into my wardrobe. I think I'm bloated with bowel destentia. (Ok I've been reading too much on pregnancy weekly.) But I should be OK if I up my fiber a little. And I've only gained like 2lbs. Anyway, for reference, here's what their handy dandy page says: Today is day #58 and I am 9 weeks pregnant
I have 222 days or 31 weeks left, and am 20% of the way there.
I have my first OB appointment wed. and I have taken off the entire day here from work. Boo on them here. No way I'm getting poked and scraped and then coming in here. I believe I have wed. off from my second job as well! WOO HOO!!!

I guess I got another compliment. The store manager at my second job asked me out. I don't think he realized I was married because I don't wear my rings there. (I'm afraid I'll lose them or they will get messed up).
I take that as I compliment since he's a 28 yr old very attractive man. Tall, very muscular, big broad shoulders. Cutie. Nice guy. I believe it was quite embarassed when I told him I was married, (but thank you very much anyway!) No, no one knows there that I'm preggers yet. I must be putting off some kinda pharamones or something, good grief!!!

oh I forgot to tell you!

I'm so sleepy lately. I guess that comes with the territory. But anywho, I went into the filling room this morning and sat down on the floor to file some things in a bottom drawer, yeah, I woke up about 15 minutes later still sitting there hunched over. Had me a little nap!!! Good thing that door is locked!

Hello, dears.

Sorry for the absent 3 days, but I've been really, really sick. Just a head cold and a cough, but pair that with a high fever that saps you of strength.

Really violent coughing. The kind where you're hunched over in the kitchen, tears streaming down, struggling to breathe, and just waiting for the kettle to boil because you know hot chamomile with lemon and honey will calm you down. I've coughed so hard and long that my core muscles (abs and back) hurt like ****.

I know. Boo-freakin'-hoo. I'm back at work today (missed work on Friday) - typing very, very gently and looking pale and tragic. Going to bed on time tonight.

Love to you all. Have to get back to work.

Quick postie:
Finally decided that my stair stepper should not be used a towel rack and actually used it for stair stepping last night.

Kaylets - congrats on those three pounds. If I were you I would get a new license.

Frogger: I hope the apointment goes well. You must have the "glowing" thing going on right now.

cerise - i hope you start to feel better soon. I think that when one is sick a fair degree of drama is in order at work. Pale and tragic can be a good look.

wsw - I am gald the condo is coming together. The painting is great becuase it is fast and dramatic.

amarantha - I am still stuck with that hangup from elementary school about "proper" grammer regarding the use of the word "they", which is odd becuase my grammer is not that good. Plus it was a pet peeve of some of my professors which could result in nasty grade reductions. I know, silly academic hangups, but what can I say: I am a product of conditioning. I am working on a law review article and will be stuck doing the alternating he and she route.
I hope the transition back to calorie counting is smooth. The pint stuff always sound fun to me, but I knew that I would abuse it dreadfully.

Little sis had the baby shower this weekend. She was technically on bed rest, but it was difficult to keep her parked on the sofa. He blood pressure is back to normal again, so she can get up, but she has to take it easy, which will be a bit of a challenge.

OK, back to work.

Frogger, it was fun visualizing you having a little nappers at work! And thanks for turning me on to the phrase 'bowel distentia'. You can bet I'll be using that one!

wsw, I love hearing about your new condo!

zadie, I've wondered about steppers. Is it a pretty good workout?

Cerise, I'm so sorry you're feeling bad still. Make the most of it though. Milk 'pale and tragic' for all it's worth!

If you haven't come to the demon food thread, you're missing out on some great ideas. Come and visit!

Girls, I'm on a mission. I've got the Clean Sweep bug. My computer desk/workspace was the first target, mission accomplished yesterday. Next target...the hall closet! I HAD to get out yesterday, sick or not, so I went and bought some storage solutions for my desk area. It looks FABULOUS!

Cerise, luv...a high fever (greater than 101) is not typical of a cold. Do you have muscle aches? If so, you may have the flu and should be home in bed! Please take care of yourself.

It is a week today since I got sick, and I am finally seeing the end of it. I think after tomorrow I may feel back to normal. I'm itching to get back on my treadmill because I haven't been able to while I was sick.

wsw, the condo sounds like it's really shaping up. What a great lot of friends you have! Speaking of dogs, did you manage to get in contact with any of the organizations about a dog guide/companion?

Kaylets, congrats on the loss!

zadie, glad your sis is doing better. for stair stepping!

Frogger, how flattering for the young hunk to ask you out! Good thing you were sitting down filing when you nodded off...

I'm getting worried....where is Punkin? Last I remember she was taking a day off. Anyone heard from her? Cerise?

Hello all!!

I am still not quite believing yesterday's weigh in.... but this am the scale showed the same weight....SO...
I'll make my own 50lb star magnet!!

And for anyone who is thinking that you will never get there.... please keep in mind...it took me a year of detours, side roads, sugar binges to move from the the 170's to 160's....
But live and learn...

Look at the wonderful folks I've met along the way! I mean all of you , just in case you're not including yourselves!!
And who knows where I would have wandered without you..... Thanks to all of you for sharing your journey. None of us know how much our actions are influencing those we meet in our lives...

********

Today's thought of the day :

"You cannot create experience. You must undergo it."
--Albert Camus

Today's question :

"What spitting be against the law?"

*****

I'm running very late ... see you all later!


KETTLE IS ON!

Yo! Brevity mode as running late ... wanted to wish Frogger a good appt w/doctor ... hope thou telleth her or him about falling asleep while filing ...

Yo, Zadie, re grammar, I know what thou meanest about those feeling bound by elementary school ... in journalism we have folks mired in their j-school perusal o' the AP style book even though that may have occurred 30 years ago and the book's changed! The nice thing about language, IMO, is that it evolves and that it be fluid. I know a pet peeve of mine is writing "like" when one meaneth "such as" ... but I do it all the time because "such as" sounds wrong and stuffy to people who read the newspaper. Re alternating him and her, I guess that's better than the him/her stuff English profs tried to get the j students to use ... but the more recent acceptance of the use of "they" as correct is a boon to me.

Cerise, glad thou be feeling better .... om shanti!

Wildfire, don't clean too hard ... except it's a great workout so on second thought, go for it!!! Or come to my house!!!

Kaylets, I thank thee for always being here on the journey ... could write volumes but it's getting late!

Ceara: Yea, methinks the spam thing be resulting from this site ... it started for me before the crash when the new software went in. I'm being careful now to open my email on the web rather than downloading it through my mail program. That seemingly decreases it.

To all, mentioned and unmentioned, avanti!!! Gonna go post on the food thread ... Eydie, my healthy German chocolate cake brownies are terrific.

My publisher made me crazy last night. I hardly ever see her but she came in and I said I'd see her tomorrow because I was going down to another of our papers and she said, "I thought that was Thursday." Now I'm going nuts wondering if I wrote down the wrong day for my appointments and will take this all-day road trip for nothing. Decided to ignore it and just go. Have a headache and going to walk just a little bit to get in some of my 360 minute challenge (details on food thread).

Howdy all,
I am officially down 1 1/2 pounds this morning. And I did the stair stepper again last night for 30 minutes. And I have been eating obnoxiously well. So, a couple of little victories on my march toward spring.

Eydie - I really like the stair stepper. Depending on how I set the tension I can either do a challenging lower body workout with some good cardio, or I can set it lose for a lighter strength workout with high intensity cardio. I tend to do half and half. I am now doing 30 minutes, but I would like to build up to 45.

Amarantha - I keep double calenders and a calender on my computer, and I still get the dates messed up, especially with the amazing moving meeting times we seem to have. Hope your road trip is not for naught.

ceara - My spam is not TOO bad. For a while I have a junk email addreess that I used for signing up for message boards wherer all of the junk would go, but now I just use the same addess for all personal email. I thought there was going to be some law to get rid of some of this spam, although sometimes that though frightens me.

Kaylets - definately deserves a star.

Wildfire - Please send me some cleaning motivation vibes.

cerise - sending virtual soup and ginger ale. maybe you should see a doctor.

frogger - I got a good giggle out of your file room nap. little sis went through the same thing. Ya know how cats sleep 18 hours a day? well she is getting awfully close to that

Just checking in for a quick "howdy" before I start skimming and trying to keep up w/y'all (have I been south too long?) - I find if I wait to say hi till I'm done skimming, I'm all out of time.

Was doing ok first three weeks, last two probably undid all the work of those three - shame on me. So I'm happy that some of us are losing.

More eventually.