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!

More Deep Thoughts
 

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 :T

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! :cb: :bubbles:

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???? :rolleyes:

Kaylets, your deep thoughts had me laughing this morning. Thank you!!!! I really needed them (esp. the one about shooting tourists! :lol: )
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. :chin: 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! :cb: 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! :lol:

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... :chin: (can I give up Jr. Mints for 21 days????? :shrug: )

Wildfire, congrats on your shrinkage! :dance:

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. :yes:

Have a great weekend everyone,

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

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, :queen: 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 :queen: ) ... 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.

How do they taste??

They're delicious ... very light and cakelike ... I was really going for a dense chewy blondie but these are workable. Wondering if the sugar content is too high ... would be good with brown rice (low glycemic) or honey (lower than sugar, anyway) or just cut the sweetening in half altogether. But I need something sweet if I'm going to give up candy.

Ok, back to work! :)

Hmmm. I think these are basically a madeline type thingie!

Ok, three in a row ... was wondering if anyone else is experiencing a rise in obscene spam that is picking up on words or ideas they've just posted on this site ... I have all sorts of privacy and spam protection but it's not stopping it ... and it's repeating things I've posted here, almost instantly in some cases ... anyone else notice this or am I paranoid? It's only recently that I've gotten any spam at all that got past the blocker ... you know I don't really mind insurance ads or whatnot in my inbox but filth and obscenity really bother me! :mad:

Hmmm
 

Food for thot :p . I do get a lot of spam but hadn't noticed that it was linked to here...although this is the only forum I belong to....I get a lot of body part enhancements...with strange spellings and punctuations, and anything addressed to ceara I delete right away. I don't need viagra or its relatives yet...Dh is fine and I've not got the pertinant equipment...of course the email I use is S-O- antiquated that I can't block subject stuff....it is a symptom of carrying a sword you know...:lol:

I have an appointment with an ob/gyn on Tuesday...5 weeks of this is enough and as I said to my GP...if you were bleeding from your p***s for this long you would have done something! After he killed himself laughing, he agreed and voila! Pays to have an in with the guy...So I am to be assessed with possible surgery if appropriate. At least this guy will do a hysto if necessary...none of this "Well this area is too high statistically in that type of surgery and I can't do it" mentality. Like do you have to have no red blood left or what?

So amidst dr's appts and people in hosp (Gramma is home finally) and people & my dog dying my life sounds like a C & W song...I should get Cerise to sing it for me...after the Blues!!!!

Love you guys....can feel the vibes!

Ceara

Life is good.
 

Ahhhhh. I just woke up an hour ago. Yes, at the obscene hour of 1pm. Geez. I'm keeping hysterical self-reproach (my grandmother, for instance, is turning in her grave) at bay by telling myself firmly that I needed it. And indeed I did.


So, here I sit with a lovely breakfast in my tummy (edamame, vitamin pills, and my favorite: oatmeal with raisins and milk and honey. The ultimate comfort food), "Chocolat" soundtrack playing, my favorite coffee (what kind doesn't matter as long as it's French-pressed) in my favorite mug on my favorite mug-warmer (humankind's best invention to date), my second glass of ice-water almost gone, and you. The week from ****'s over and you helped sustain me. Thank God the company lets me check in on you during the day. So, there's a list of things I adore in life. Do I sound like the world's biggest nerd or a true Epicurean? I think the latter. Epicureanism's a big thing with me. I'm the one you see in a restaurant closing my eyes with every bite. :lol:

I've stayed OP all week so far. Can you believe it? This from the woman who hates food journalling. WW points-counting is keeping one thing in my life Under Control, and the feeling of having my eating going so well has really kept the week from being impossibly negative for me. The only thing that doesn't resonate with me with WW is the fact that I'm an aspiring whole-foods eater, and a lot of cherished foods for WW veterans are low in points but heavily processed. It's just a little more challenging, and I'm pretty sure I'm getting less to eat because I want to eat real food, not fat-free cheese slices and sugar-free fudge bars. No offense to those that eat that food (hey, I still eat the odd Twinkie - I'm by no means cured!), and I won't completely abstain from it, but it's a food choice I made a long time ago and I'm desperately trying to make a real habit in my life. I'm glad that eating less has brought into focus the fact the I want the little food (or so it seems to me right now) that I eat to be as nutritious as it can be. I was hoping that food-journalling would help me in this, and it seems to be working. Anyway, sermon over.

Kaylets, your thoughts are just exactly what has been bothering me lately. About free food, and why we don't eat the foods we don't eat. I was grappling with the free food thing at work during the holiday season. As soon as I saw the email: "chocolate from [insert vendor name here] now in the Trading Area." I would think that I'd better get over there and have a piece. Just because it was there. :rolleyes: Will I ever learn? But then, I'd remember what I think you said once, that totally abstaining from the candy dish (or whatever) was easier than taking a taste and then trying to stay away after that. It helped, but then I'm not against having a piece of chocolate if it's good quality. I think it's good for you. It also helps that I'm a total chocolate snob - I won't eat it if it's not fine. No M&M's for me. More epicureanism to brighten your day. About the Foods We Won't Eat thing, I'm mystified by that. Why don't we just say "those cookies aren't good for me" and leave it at that? When I find that a food's not vegetarian, like it has beef broth or rennet or gelatin in it, it's like turning a switch in my head. I won't consider eating it, and I don't even want it anymore. Why can't I be that way with French Fries? Or Twinkies? They have absolutely no redeeming qualities...but I love to eat them. Crap. :mad:

Amarantha, I'm going to try your Blondies-cum-Madeleines recipe. I think I'll even get a Madeleine baking tin to put them in. Except that I've never used protein powder and will have to Buy a New Kind of Food (always hard for me - I haven't even tried cooking with seitan yet). For an Epicurean, I'm a real :chicken: . I always DO try new things eventually, though, so I'm not a total loss. Thank you for the recipe, dear.

Punkin, Light of My Life, thank you for reminding me on Friday that it was Friday. It's hard to remember when you're in a working frenzy, isn't it? I'm sorry about your meltdown. It seems like you have a lot of emotional goings-on at work to deal with (people, I mean) along with just working hard. Sorry if I'm stepping on your toes here. It's different when you're not, well, close to your co-workers. You can sort of go back to your cubicle, mutter "dick" or whatever about the person who's bugging you, and it's over. Not so when you're close to those you work with. I'm not saying your environment is unhealthy or anything, but it HAS to be more challenging sometimes. I know! Come see US! We had guests over to our little apartment last weekend, and they said that they had a restful, restorative time with us, so it's proven. People who come see us are guaranteed to feel better. This is a serious invitation, you know. Well, to all of you, really. :D

Dear Anagram, I feel the way you seem to on vacation sometimes. Kind of a desperate, panicked, "this isn't WORKING" feeling - it's inevitable that you're not 100% in a state of mind to "drink in the peace", enjoy the ocean, and restore your soul thereby all the time. You're still living, for Pete's sake, and living means being stressed out and grouchy sometimes. Not that I believe for a second that you're ever grouchy. :no: When you're feeling not-so-great, just remind yourself that you'll be back to "restore the soul" mode soon enough. Uh, great. I'm telling a someone ELSE how to relax. That's rich.

Arabella, your dryer story made me hoot with laughter. Believe me, love, I was worrying along with you about your poor son. Must've scared the **** out of all of you, including him. You know, I seem to remember times in my youth (ahem. I can FEEL everyone bristling, since I haven't even hit 30 yet), I mean my teenager-hood, periods of prolonged hysteria, for days at a time, when I acted like a total nutter and my parents DID make me talk to a counsellor (or a pastor, which they thought was a better idea :rolleyes: ). I think normal folks all have periods of unbalance, and that's part of what makes us sane for the rest of the time. Meltdowns, we call them. I usually have them right before I have my TOM. :chin: Have an AMAZING time to yourself, dearest.

wsw, your friends sound absolutely wonderful. It puts my mind at ease that you seem to have a community around you that you can rely on. I'm willing to bet that they think their help is little payback for the priviledge of knowing you and spending time with you. I mean that. :love: You have a giving heart.

Eydie, reading your posts has (literally, I think) kept me sane of late. Hugs to you, and thank you. :dizzy:

Frogger, I'm still thinking about you. Hang in there, darling.

Ceara, I'm going to the 21 day thread after this to see what's up. Hope you're OK, love.

Uh, Zadie? What's happening? Everything cool? Just busy?

OK, dears. Sorry for the novel. I seem to have dispensed with a lot of unsolicited advice, too. Hmmm. Delete? Naaah. You know me. Don't take me too seriously. I sure don't. Take it or leave it or just ignore it and be yourselves. That's what I really want for all of you.

Kisses,

Arabella, I'm so happy that your son is feeling more like himself! Who knows why we humans do the things we do? Goddess knows I've had moments where I wanted to go screaming into the night. Wow. Now there's a visual.

Dear Ceara, thinking peaceful thoughts for you and your friend. You're a generous, kind woman and I'm proud to know you.

Amarantha, that's pretty creepy if you're being 'quoted'. Let us know what comes of that. I haven't had anything like that. And thanks for the blondie recipe!

Kaylets, yes, we feed the birds. lots of little juncos, cardinals, and some alarmingly BIG crows show up--and the occasional greedy-gut squirrel! Loved reading your thoughts on 'free [?] food'.

Cerise, I keep you sane?!?! You may be surprised to know this, but I don't think I've ever heard that before! Anyway, thanks! :)

zadie, wsw, Wildfire, Ma Frogger, Punkin, Anagram and all---HELLO! :D

Brrr....cold here tonight. Just for fun, me and the old fool are going to sleep on the air bed in the living room in front of the heater like a couple of dawgs! Pajama Party! :lol:

Hmmm, thought I'd just get on the computer and work a bit but here I am at 3FC, not working. Imagine that! Never coulda believed it!

Cerise, lots of vegetables and fruits are really very low or free on WW, though. I just discovered that it takes two clementines to make a point ... I was counting them a point each. So that's lucky. :) But I kind of agree that a lot of things people (me, in the nutritionally deficit past) eat tend to be low points but overprocessed. Re protein powders, lots of these have animal products but I used to use a really good one made with soy ... the name of it escapes me, though, since it's 1 a.m. ... I think I should come see thee as I believe I'm having a meltdown also. I think they used to call this a nervous breakdown ... usually mine are short, but ...

Ceara, hope thy appointment with doc finally gets you into a better place healthwise! Re spam, it seems if you're getting things with "ceara" that it does relate to this site, unless you're using the name on other forums as well ...

I'm not saying any actual obscene avaricious spammer lurkers out there are reading the forum and culling words to use in evil spam ... just that their software is scanning things that are typed here ... I haven't noticed from other forums I've been on except for Yahoo things.

I really despise spam ... also with some of this garbage, I never really see the point ... it just has a lot of ugly words thrown together, not a message to buy anything ... I guess the purpose is to verify that an email address is real ... I try not to open anything like this but the email program opens it automatically sometimes ...

I'll stop ranting now!

Guess I can sleep after all.

Punkin, hope thou be feeling better by Monday ... get some rest ...

I don't feed the birds here as they are too fat already! :)

To all, mentioned and unmentioned, I'm going to bed (again) but saying avanti to thee all the sameth! :wave:

Hello all!!

Storm is still expected this evening so DH and I plan to be part of the first wave of folks grabbing "The Essentials" ....
That makes me grin....ever notice what folks buy when these big storms are coming in??
Don't get me wrong, I get caught up in the frenzy sometimes too but I've never figured out why chips would be as essential as diapers or bread or eggs...
Guess its just what I said, a frenzy for most of us.



******
Thought of the day :

“Things we do for us die with us. Things we do for others live for eternity.”
----Norman Vincent Peale

Question of the day :

"Have you ever been snowed in somewhere other than home?"

******


******

Punkin-- I hope you do use your accrued time.... I can understand liking to have a "cushion" of time, I have some myself ( love a job that lets you carry it to the new year!)....but on the other hand...

I wonder why we are so driven not to take the time.... Don't get me wrong, I've been in situations where literally things would not get done ( ie. when I was a Manager for newspaper deliveries... too often you get a message, " I quit...come get the list"..)

And after a time, I began exhibiting severe symptons of what today is called IBS... Which can make working out of your car very dicey .....
Long story short, my employer's response when I had to call out was always, " Will you be in tomorrow??". When I finally gave my notice, as I just couldn't keep up the pace anymore, within 4 hrs, 3 other folks were assigned to "cover" my territory. In other words, he had known all along that what I was doing more than most would do.

It took me a few years to realize I was as much to blame as the boss. I still hate to say, " No, I can't handle that responsibility". I have to force myself today to think of myself as a coworker.... Why do I expect less from others is a mystrey too.... I am getting better but still have to remind myself often that if I was a pro athelete, everyone would expect me to rest, relax, regroup......

Interesting....


Need to come back in a few....
take care
Kaye

Kaylets, I know someone who works at a big supermarket and she swears and declares that when a big storm is predicted folks come in to buy milk, bread, beer and ice cream!!! :lol:

TRUE CONFESSION! There was a time, long ago, when I thought I'd be snowed in, I'd go to the closest store and stock up on junk food: Chocolate bars, bar-be-que chips, and Swiss rolls, etc. Who was that person???? Glad she's gone!

Hello all!

Didnt mean to be gone so long but my stomach became very nauseous while we were out. I went to bed once we were home again and slept nearly 3 hours. I awoke to freshly baked wheat bread. Its amazing how my stomach feels just fine now! :0 :)

Even the dogs are begging for some!

Dh's annoyed because altho he oiled the pans the bread wouldn't come out..
I cut the last 2 loaves in half and than seemed to do the trick...

So, not a balanced late lunch at 2:30 but was delicious. Luckily, ww treats me miles better than white bread so I'm safe from out of control bingeing.

Cerise- I know lots of the WW's board posters focus on prepackaged meals, snacks etc... but just as many work the system to their preferences. Looking back, I can't believe how long it took me to appreciate how filling, satisfying and economical home made soups are. But then, our Q of Friday talked about soups from the very first. Part of my problem was that I had this idea that they needed to simmer all afternoon on the stove. That's nice but the real key IMHO, is the "next" day soup ... when the flavors have had a chance to as Emeril says " Get Happy".
Just this week, Dh's "perfected" sliced apples in cinammon and water "steamed" in a small pan on the stove. We've been having them w/ 1/2 a waffle and cool whip.... In fact, I wonder what you and Ramon might come up with it to share with us!!

Speaking of your soups Q of Friday, I seem to remember a pea soup...
Do you use dried peas?? I have as well but for some reason, never seem to see the peas in the store with the other dried beans....

Empress, I have had my share of spam but now that I have the service I do now, much seems abated... I believe the big outfits were so inundated they have their own filters or they wouldnt be able to handle the volume. I have never had anyone use anymore than a "sign on name" ... I've never had what I've written be used in a spam... Again, as someone else said, I've recvd spam for things I never have discussed here nor will I personally ever need.
The biggest deterrent supposedly is to just delete from your in box... if you
click on "click here to be removed from list"... it proves to the sender that your address is a live address.... Many of those "click here " boxes are just to prompt you to help them figure out if its a live address.

And yes, sometimes the spelling is atrocious but I think that is to get by the filters....

But Empress, I just realized, you gave me a perfect hook to start my speech!!! Everybody hates spam mail!! Everybody knows about it too!!
Oh, you are the best!!

And here I was feeling like a slug because I didnt do much work on my speech today... I guess I can say, I've been researching!!
:)!!!

:s:

WSW-- Its getting so close now for you!! How handy to be able to move things into the new place at your own pace. I've never been so lucky... the closest I've ever done is to have things in a storage bin and then pull things out of the bin at my own pace ...( and please don't ask how long that took!)

Eydie-- How goes the remodel at work?? Just think, you won't even be able to recognize the place when they're finally done!!

Wildfire--What's new your way??

Zadie-- We miss you!

Frogger-- Am thinking about you!

Anagram-- Enjoy-- I know it got chilly where you are but there is snow on the ground and more coming... mixed with Sleet to turn to ice! Although, I can appreciate that you might be getting tired of eating out.... But do you miss doing the dishes?? :dizzy: :dizzy:

Arabella-- how's the trip?? Do they know their in the precence of royalty??



Who else am I forgetting... so sorry, I know as soon as I click submit I will remember....


Kettle is on!

Sorry - venting again!
 

My trip thus far:

I was supposed to leave yesterday but plane delays and cancellations kept me on PEI. Checked flight status before leaving for scheduled 8:35 departure and saw there was an hour delay. Checked again before leaving for new departure time - supposedly, the flight was scheduled to leave on time. Got to the airport, only to find that the flight had a further delay until 11:30, too late to make my connection in Halifax. Rather than spend 8 hours in the Halifax airport I decided to fly out today instead. It took the ticket agent an hour to make the arrangements (I know not why). Went home and tried to salvage something of the day.
Today:
Got to the airport at 5:50 a.m., got on the plane at 6:15 only to find there was NO HEAT! This in -23 (about -9 F) weather. We could see our breath in the air onboard, water was frozen, etc, as well as soap in the washroom and even the little towlettes. My toes were almost totally numb (but for the pain, of course) by the time we landed in Montreal. Then getting through customs was so slow it meant that I almost missed my flight. Discovered that ticket agent yesterday hadn't booked my changes properly. Got on just as we were scheduled to take off, but that didn't happen for another 20 minutes because ... there was NO HEAT! Bah! Wonder if it was the same plane, bet it was...

Got to the hotel room, achy from schlepping my laptop through airports so I could work. There's a T1 connection, but it wasn't working, so my first hour here was spent with a guy from guest services and tech support. All to find that my laptop doesn't have the requisite Ethernet card (although I thought it did), so I had to find a dial-up number. And now I should have been working, but feel so crabby and achy I'm having difficulty making myself do it... :rolleyes: This is not the trip I planned! I think I'm going to go down to the little store in the lobby and see if I can't treat myself to some painkillers!

Sorry to bend your lovely ears with my tale of woe!

I'll try to be more positive next time!

Anyway, having finally gotten an Internet connection here, I guess I should get some work done, so that all the shlepping of laptop through airports & etc will not have been in vain.

Arabella! Don't they know they are dealing with a royal personage? And please tell me you are in a warm room w/ steaming hot water in the bath??

Sorry about the computer connection issues....

OH FOR PETES SAKE!!

Is there room service available?? or at least a kettle or coffe pot or microwave to make something hot at least to drink !

I am horrible when I'm cold... its would be the perfect way to torture me...

sending warm vibes
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((WARM)))))))))) )))))))))))))))))))))))))

Kaylets, thanks for the warm thoughts! Yes, the hotel room is lovely and warm and I treated myself (well, on behalf of the company) to a nice buffet as soon as I got rid of tech support. Painkillers are starting to kick in, got a little work done and I'm okay for the moment.

Good luck with your snowstorm (hope you get a nice snow day!)

Hi all,

What a frustrating day. DH and I went to the mall to see the travel agent about our Vegas trip at the end of March. As we were going up the escalator I spotted a great cheetah print top in the sidewalk sale, so I went over for a look, took the top and a slim black skirt to try on. Both too BIG! What do you know, I found a boutique with REAL sizes. Nice saleslady got me the smaller size, and for $34.00 I got the outfit that would have regularly cost $130.00. :cb: We did a little wandering, then as we passed the Danier Leather store, DH said for me to go in and not come out until I found a jacket. (I've been wanting a new one for some time.) Tried on several but just wasn't in the mood or something, and nothing looked right, so I passed. He found a gorgeous brown single-breasted lambskin jacket suitable for spring/fall weather...and get the price...$200.00 regular $850.00!!! All this was fine, then came along the annoying saleswoman (again). She had already asked us twice if we needed help and I had politely said no thankyou, we are just looking and we will let you know if we need help. This :censored: would NOT leave us alone! Finally I had to say in a rather firm voice, No THANKyou, we don't need any help. She came back three more times! And the place was mad busy, not like she had no one else to help. She just saw the possibility of TWO jackets being sold. She then proceeded to tell the cashier twice that she had helped us, so she would get the commission on the sale. I told the cashier that the jacket should go in the house account and that we don't appreciate pushy salespeople. Geez Louise! Take the hint already! Well, the cashier did credit the pushy one's account, and I am going to write to the head office about it. I did retail, high-end retail, for several years, and you just don't treat customers like that. If they say go away, you bloody well GO AWAY and make yourself available IF they ask. You can be sure I'll never buy from that store again and I intend to make it known, dammit. DH has given me a rain check to use at any time I find the jacket I want. I plan to wait until I've lost at least 2/3 of my weight (30lbs or so) so the jacket I do get will still fit when I reach my goal. Which I fully intend to do. :yes: So I'm holding out for the full length black leather coat! Which will NOT be purchased that particular Danier store.

Ok, rant over. I feel much better now. :) Good thing I did that here and not in my e-mail to the head office.

We did groceries today, too. I'm making some zero point soup tonight and I'm going to freeze it in individual ziploc containers to grab for lunches this week. Also going to try some 2pt pineapple carrot muffins. Hope they turn out well. I've discovered I'm not eating enough during the day, most days only 8-9 points, then when I come home after work I want to eat anything that isn't nailed down. Hey, did you girls know the biscotti from Starbucks are only 2.5 points for the WHOLE cookie? :yes: Great treat with a coffee.

Arabella, you poor thing! I can't imagine how cold it would be way up in the air with no heat in the plane! I'm surprised they were allowed to fly like that. And then computer troubles to boot...I say help yourself to the mini bar courtesy of the company! :devil: Glad you're safe and warm now.

Kaylets, it's sad but true that some people can't imagine being without junk food for a day or two during a storm. I suppose it's the whole 'comfort food' thing...stay inside where it's warm and cozy up to a bag of Doritos and some Rocky Road ice cream. :lol: Yes, I've done it on occasion, too! :ink: Great ideas for your speech! Will you share with us when it is complete?

Amarantha, I hate spam too! I have noticed in the last few months it has been cut back drastically in my hotmail account. I used to get upwards of 60-70 per day, now I only see about 15-20 a week, so Hotmail must be doing something about it, finally. It all lands in a junk mail folder in my account, anyway.

Cerise, so nice to see a long post from you again! I missed your chattiness! Sounds like you had a lovely morning. Congrats on staying OP all week! I don't rely on the prepackaged entrees or treats. I don't like aspartame, and I find the frozen meals low quality in taste, not to mention the questionable sources of what they call meat. (Sorry if that's too graphic) I have made my own frozen dinners, though, when feeling ambitious, and they are very convenient to grab on my way out the door to work. I just spend a couple of hours on a Sunday and make a dish or two that I like and freeze in individual portions. I nuke 'em at work, and I know what went into them and how many points they are. You can also do this with regular meals if they are four portions and you and Ramon only eat two. Pack up the rest for lunch or freeze for a dinner later in the week. WW is a little challenging for me because I can't eat a lot of fruit or veggies with my weird gut, but I'm managing. You'll find ways to make it work for you, too!

anagram, sometimes when I go on vacation I get vacation anxiety. That "okay we're here in fabulous wherever and we only have this much time to do all these things and we have to do it all and enjoy every second of it" feeling.

Ceara, :lol: good for you for making your doctor take notice! Keep us posted about the possible surgery.

Punkin, take some time off! :drill: Come to Canada....yeah...that's it...nice winter vacation....we'll shop and skate and shop and shop....;)

Where is Zadie?

wsw, sounds like you have great friends there. How is the arm after the vaccination?

Frogger, how are you feeling?

If I've missed anyone, hello! :wave: I have to go divide up that bulk pack of extra lean ground beef and get it in the freezer.

Arabella, what a nightmare--having no heat on the plane. I was afraid as I was reading that the next thing to happen was you'd have no heat in your room--very relieved to hear that your'e toasty. :goodvibes

Wildfire, I love cheetah print anything! Bet you look great! [now that i think about it, I don't own cheetah-print anything--what's up with that? I do have that dog bed...]

Snowed all day yesterday and today we're supposed to have freezing rain. I hope we don't lose electricity. This kind of weather makes me want to EAT! And yesterday I did---still measured and counted calories, the only good thing is I kept it under 2000 calories. Have to do a little better today.

Hello!
I am back. It was a very tough weeek both at work and at home, but it is nice to be back. I am actually in a good mood, but it was an everything that can go wrong will kinda week. Our furnace died on us and it was very cold (like low of -18 and high of 0). We have the woodstove but... Next a friend of mine was in a very deep funk becuasse she has depression problems and her sister tried to kill herself by running her car into a tree and her parents are getting a divorce and she was very sick and her apartment heat would not kick in. So I had to do some rescue missions. Then we ran low on wood, so we had to go out with the chainsaw and cut some. We have a stack of slab wood in nine foot lengths. It is not too hard, but it takes some time, and in weather like this, it is none too fun. And my foot still hurts. And one of the precious kitties was sick (he is much better now).

Today it is warmer and it is snowing. I think this will be a good week.

Now I get to go back and read all of the wonderful posties. :)

Morning ladies! Sorry to do a monday morning driveby again, but I've got a lot going on today. I'll drop in at lunch and log our miles for NOLA and give you all a proper update, I promise.

But anyways, Just wanted to send Happy Monday Morning thoughts to you all.

You know what I like about mondays? It's a fresh week. Any mistakes from the week before are forgotten.

zadie, you did have quite the week. Glad this week's looking better for you! :)

Hi Seattlejo! I like Monday too. Clean slate time!

I just shoveled snow for 80 minutes. It was hard work but I just went into 'John Henry' mode until it was done. Garry too. It's sort of a ridiculously ambitious thing to do because we have a really long gravel driveway. What were we thinking, but 'tis done! I love thinking of all the calories I must've incinerated! :D Poor little charred things!

Incinerated calories.... I love it...
 

What a great visual..... We always say " need to burn calories..."
I feel some great ideas coming from that one....

well, I am very pleased to announce, after 2 weeks of "maintaining" I finally saw a drop of 1 lb. Now, I know 2 weeks hardly constitutes a plateau to some ( Empress ;) ) but I am still impressed with myself....
It is more fun to see it go down.

I can't stick around much tonight-- we have back to back storms coming thru and becuase I am so unfit in the area of strength training, my bad shoulder is sore and very fatigued. I even had to go into the ladies room at work and do some shoulder rolls and elephant trunk moves ( you bend over and swing the arms from the shoulders) .... Interesting, just imagnining doing those excercises now has relaxed the whole area considerably... hmmmmm ...... of course, I am also relaxed here on 3FC, drinking Vanilla tea .....

Anyway...Dr Phil had some nutrition experts on tonight.... and this is one I never heard before but made SOOOOO MUCH sense when I heard it tonight...

Plateau buster tip: Make sure you get enough rest..... Sounds like something we've heard a thousand times before except never about weight loss.... The reason is this: When our body is fatigued, the body craves sugar.......
Hmmmmmmmm....... so again, I am suprised to find out something I knew ALL ALONG!!

Anyway, my friends.... Off to the showers...

and Cerise, yes, that's all great info about making more than one meal at a time.. its so much easier to know something healthy is waiting for you on those crazy nights....In fact, Dh and I had more of the chili I mentioned we made over the weekend ( with the curry spices??) tonight but as we were eating dinner, we were cooking down cabbage for tomorrow's dinner...

Seattle Jo! I called your name out in traffic this am! Did you hear me??? I didnt mean to forget you !! You are my cruise director!

Kettle is on!

Hello all!

had to defer to getting out on the roads as there was no way of knowing where ice was or wasn't..... Luckily, I encountered none... on the roads at least-- there is a shell of ice everhywhere that salt or chemical has not been touched.

*******
Thought of the day :
"Pessimsim never won any battle"-- Dwight D. Eisenhower

Question of the day :

" What is your favorite item to find on sale?"
*********



Take care all!

Good morning, Glorious Queens!

I'm so sore from shoveling yesterday,but I'm working it out. Did a bellydancing video this morning that's ideal for getting all those little crunchy kinks out. Snowed in again--actually iced in. I'm not complaining, it just means I'll have to watch my pennies, 'cause I don't get paid if I don't work.

Kaylets, congrats on dropping a pound! Keep going!

I've come back down to 136 pounds--that feels really good. I was afraid that I was losing my nerve there, and couldn't bear to be at goal. How weird am I? :dizzy:

Hello,
So, i got my new drivers liscence yesterday adn they made a bit of an error. They put down the wrong weight. It is funny because I was fairly honest about my weight on the form and now they put down the weight that I wished I was at on my liscnece anyway. O well, that is an incentive I guess.

Eydie - I am there with you on the snow shoveling pain. We live on a corner and got up eaarly today to shovel ourselves out. We got about 6 inches yesterday. Today is a reprieve, but very cold and then...more snow.

Kaylets - congrats on breaking the mini plateau.

QOD: hmmm. I am very frugal so I tend not to buy stuff except for food, so I would say blueberries. Although I am thinking of buying a sofa, so I could use a sale on sofas right about now. Right now our only seating in the living room is two small wooden chairs which is a little too austere.

well, my work is calling.

hi all!

it is cold, snowy, and icy here too. my closing was supposed to have been yesterday afternoon, re-scheduled for this afternoon, and that was cancelled as well. actually, it was not only because of the weather, but additionally, because the "package" sent from the seller (who is in another city) is missing in action and they're still hunting for it. the closing is going to be at my apt., so i wouldn't have had to worry about getting out. oh well. my friends took me out yesterday to get the certified check, so i am all ready on this end and just waiting to see when this can be scheduled again. my friend got me out yesterday in the snow and ice in my wheelchair, and as always, was so kind and gracious about it as though it were no big deal. i really am so very lucky in the friend department!

kaylets-congrats on the weight loss and breaking your plateau.

i have been stuck at the same weight for far too long now, though some of this is from my not having been diligent enough on my food plan. i have been in the past week, so maybe next week will reflect something positive. well, thinking of you all. take care, and keep warm.

Wintry Mix = ICE STORM
 

Hello all!

We are in the midst of an icestorm.... just occured to me we could lose power..
hmmm....

Think I'd trade the ice storm for shoveling .....

WSW-- you must feel very gifted to have such understanding friends....
Except for DH and family, I can only think of 2 or 3 friends I could expect the same... I hope I am as good a friend in return to them.
I was looking at your stats in your signature line and am so impressed. You inspire me!! You're NO EXCUSES Mentality is so uplifting... Thanks for sharing with us !
I know it must be frustrating that the closing keeps getting rescheduled ... We were hounding Fedex at our office for some "important" documents ourselves.... perhaps you're pw is in the same terminal in TN I imagine our client's documents are as well. It is ironic to me how for all our ideas of how "advanced" we are, that Mother Nature can still put us in our place!

Wildfire- You asked if I would post the speech.... hmmmmm...... would that be imposition upon the Royal Personages?? Most often, I do "rewrite" as I'm speaking but if I do win, an outline will have to be "officially" submitted....


Remember a conversation about making a list of email addresses to share ??
I have one new one and a few from about a year ago....I did get an ok from the Empress and Anagram... I have been hoping for an "ok" from the other "regulars" .
Perhaps I can make this simpler.... Is anyone opposed to having their email address shared???

Eydie-- Mexican soup sounds promising... thanks for posting the recipe....


Well, if we are going to lose power, perhaps I should take a shower now and get tomorrow's clothes ironed. Although, I imagine wrinkled clothing would be the least of it.....

Anyway... TO THE SHOWERS!

Yowza!
 

:queen: s ... I've been enjoying some good food discussions on the 21-day demon food challenge and I've proposed over there, although as a 21-day countdown, I think it's not really super effective, as we all need to set our own timeframes. So I posted a proposal to end that thread and start a new one that just says "CCRRMM Demon Food Challenge" ... as a place for the CCRRMMs to just set food challenges, report on our menus, food related issues, whatever is related to the food we are taking in on the journey ... both Demon Food and Angel Food (not cake) ... the NOLA thread being about exercise and the main thread being about support and well, it's the main room in the palace ... but food is the third part of the equation and for me at least, it's been really helpful to go to that one thread and find a food discussion and recipes and Eydie's menus and Kaylets talking about whole wheat flour and being able to bore everyone with my biscuit fixation ... if no one objects, I'll start the new thread tomorrow ... so please let me know if this offends anyone! :)

Ola, :queen: K!!!! Congrats on the :dance: down ... actually, I don't consider this a plateau ... I consider it a loss in the right direction! :cheer: :cheers: :cp: After a certain amount of weight loss, it's hard to lose anything (don't I know it) so you've done a great job! Have a banana!!!! :cb:

I'm enjoying my hiatus from getting on the scale ... feel I've eaten a lot in the past two weeks and I don't intend to let a gain sidetrack me ... might even wait another week ... but getting antsy to see where I am ... hoping for at least a maintain when I do get on.

:queen: Wsw ... sorry thy closing got delayed ... when I bought this house, they kept delaying it for five (count 'em) months! :s: They got so sick of me yelling at them, they finally got it done! Hopefully, your's will go smoothly and swiftly!

:queen: Zadie ... that's kind of cool about the weight on thy license being thy desired weight ... that really is an incentive ... the universe seems to be trying to help thee make thy wish come true, so thou cannot fail!!!

:queen: Eydie ... congrats to thee for reaching down to 136 again ... thou be staying in a good range so all's well!!!! Yowza! :cheer: :cheers: :cb: :hb:

To all, mentioned or unmentioned, huzzah and hoorah!!! I need to take a nap with Old Dog who is doing her happy dance against my leg to call my attention to the fact that she exists! :wave:

Hello all!

Am here early as rode w/ DH. Its refreshing to be here so early....every thing seems fresh and clean....

Storm wasnt as bad as it could've been so I'm grateful....
Am hoping our other Royal personages on the East Coast don't need to travel or have conditions similiar to ours here.

Empress-- Your food thread sounds good.... You're right...its tough trying to find a challenge that fits all of us as we all have specific needs..Interesting how so many "experts" are beginning to say the same thing .... Meanwhile WW's has been offering the same philosophy for awhile...


Anyone see Dr Phil yesterday regarding addiction and specifcally the young lady with an Ephedra addiction of 11 yrs??? Again, its amazing what marketing will neglect to mention-- for instance, ephedra blocks iron absorbtion. The woman only knew because she had so many medical complications....even needed a transfusion at one point....
And where was she buying them ......??? Gas stations....
Think the Ephedra might be a good "hard core" example for my marketing speech....


******

**************
Today's thought of the day :

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."
--Will Rogers


Question of the day :

"How many places have you lived?"
******************


I do have a hot cup of tea right here.

KETTLE IS ON....

Is it Wednesday already?!?
 

QOD Hnmm..1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11....houses. Places 1, 2,(cottage in summers) 3,(London), 4,(Amherstburg) 5,(Swan Hills) 6,(LaSalle) 7,(here).

Am emerging from the fog...yes storm wasn't as bad as the doom and gloom sayers were predicting...musta been a slow news day...sorry Empress A...but sometimes I think the media get bored and wind us up...or try. I'm not too windable these days. Some of our roads were a mite icy, but I live in Canada for Pete's Sake!!! We GET SNOW! And I'm really tired of being told to be careful out there by the radio stations...wadda they think we do...drive the Indy?

Am going to get onto the treadmill and then go off to my dr, appt...which they kindly moved to this am due to the icy roads :s:

So will try and catch up later....good to see you all...where's Cerise? and wsw it is GOOD to have great friends....I agree. We are all the richer for them.

Ceara

Kaylets, yes, you have my permission to share my e-mail address with the rest of the queens! :)

wsw, I remember our closing so well. I was so excited and nervous and punchy. So many papers to sign and then I went to our new home. Ahhh, it was sweet!

Ceara, is your treadmill working any better for you, or is it still slipping?

Amarantha's right! There's a good thing going on with the 'Demon Food' thread--I'd love to see you all there! :D

Hello one and all!

Due to a snicky internet connection, I may, or may not, make it back on this week. Either my ISP is up to something OR that damn worm (which I've already received, thank God for PC-Cillin) is bogging the systems. Either way, on Monday I waited 38 minutes for the 3FC page to load... and it never did. :rolleyes:

Wrist is doing better. Still pretty sore, but I'm up to lifting a full coffee cup (amazing progress really) and the tender spots aren't as painful. Of course, still taking it easy using it, still wearing a brace at night and soaking in epsom salt. Bless the person who invented THAT stuff! Hot bath with salts... :faint: pure bliss!

Given the iffy-ness of connecting, I'll try to make the most of this post!

Kaylets, yep, you can share my email addy (privately of course ;) ) to the royal personages here!

WSW, I hope your missing paperwork shows up soon! Good luck on the move, I'm sure you're SO excited!!! :cb: You do sound like you are blessed with great friends. :yes:

Ceara, would it be right to wish "luck" at the Dr.'s today? I'll be thinking good thoughts for ya, hopefully they can get your "workings" all straightened out!

Cerise, yes, it would be much easier if I could be really pi$$ed at my co-worker, but that dang "love your mommy" instinct always kicks in. :dz: S'okay though, she's easier to work with than a LOT of people I've worked with in the past. Of course it took a looooong time for me to mold her to my way of doing things. :devil: Now that she does what I say, we get along just peachy! :lol:

Eydie, hey! I don't see anything wrong with sleeping on the floor in front of the heater! Now, if you circle a few times to find that comfy spot, I may start to wonder though!

Wildfire, I got frustrated just reading about your experience with that sales lady! :mad: How maddening!!!! You're right, after going through all that, why would you *want* to shop there again? Who needs to be accosted? Shopping's supposed to be enjoyable!

Zadie, glad to see you back! I was getting a little worried... guess the food poisoning and ankle are all doing better?

Arabella, I can't imagine no heat on a plane! I freeze on flights when there *is* heat! DH and DS's time together went good?

Amarantha, spam has recently become my enemy. I went for yeeeears without it and now I get an average of 50 a day. That may not be many to some, but from 0 to 50 is ridiculous - and some of it is SO offensive (and I'm no prude!). Anywho, don't know where it came from, if it was someone lurking 'round 3FC then hexes on them for daring to violate the privacy of our palace!

Well all, guess I should quit tempting fate and send this post off before I'm disconnected, never to reconnect again!!!! Smooches to all and happy weekend if I'm not back!

Terri