The work week is exactly half over, and so far I'm not getting too awfully tired.
I have to work Saturday from 5 AM until 1 PM too.

On my way to work this morning, my ABS light went on in my car and so did the emergency brake light. I was just riding along at the time, not using my brakes, so I think a sensor has gone out in that blasted thing again. I'll have it looked at and if it's goingto cost me a small fortune to have it repaired, I'll get a new car. This one is 10 years old, but it has very, very low mileage on it.

Anyway, I didn't have time to exercise this morning, and I'm not going to get up at 3 AM instead of 3:30 AM just so I can exercise. So, I exercised for 45 minutes when I got home from work. Not as much as I would have liked but it's better than nothing.

I was going to shovel the snow from the side of the house and in the back when I got home from work today, but the wind was like ice and I just didn't feel up to it. It'll wait for me, I'm sure.

There were treats at work twice this week and I never went near them! I'm so proud of myself.

This will be short because I have to shower yet and get my stuff ready for work tomorrow.

It's a cold and icy greeting from me this morning, ladies. We have had severe weather warnings for days here and yesterday it hit with a vengeance. I was almost home when the sky lit up with lightening for about 5 minutes then just as I was locking the car, a tremendous hail storm covered everywhere within 5 minutes, I couldn't believe it. By the time I got out of my suit and into my jeans, everywhere was covered in snow. Fantastic sight within 10 minutes. My poor daughter in the north had it worse, it took her 3 hours to do a 45 minute drive back from her hospital. She lives on a steep hill so has parked her car at the bottom because she says that in icy weather all the cars, buses and trucks go out of control in icy weather. It's very icy this morning and DH left at 0600 so he will be amongst the first to tread the roads. I am such a coward in icy weather driving - I am that person holding the queue up! The audit I did near Gatwick Airport on Tuesday , 118 miles away, I was so glad it wasn't yesterday because 8 flights were cancelled because of the weather and I would have been stuck there as the weather was so awful. That distance was a one-off Sheila, my office was helping another area's officers out as they didn't have the staff to cope with the volume of work. No way would I travel that as normal, though many people in the south do, DH does a 100 mile trip each day and mine is normally 25 each way.
Bluet, I won't talk snow with you because you have it badly and for much longer I am sure. It must be bad for the elderly like your DM being housebound with it.
Sheila - glad you had a good time in Portland though sounds like your DH was counting every minute for your return with dad, ha ha. He is so funny! As for pitching him with my DM, she would be patience itself with him. That's what she does outside the home, she is Mother Theresa personified to those who don't know her but the hospital staff cottoned on to her after a while and realised it was a mask to hide the tyrant that she is. Her real self is rarely revealed outside of the family but I think people pick up on it. I think Ghengis Khan would be terrified of my DM in full flow. The calls are still every other night and although long ones, she has actually thanked me for phoning. I have had this before though, many times, and fall into the trap of thinking she has changed and then I feel guilty and go back to phoning every night and then it's back to the old DM so I mustn't weaken.
Sheila you will miss having your DD round when she leaves but I am so used to it now with mine back and forward - though i don't see her for months with work committments - that in a strange way it's nice to get the house back to just DH and I even though she is sweetness itself, we get into a routein.
Willow - don't talk to me about cars! Just had DSs car in for attention and a service and because he is still training and not earning we pay the bills naturally. This one was 350 pounds - about 500 dollars I think (the exchange rate was 1.8 recently I think). I can't wait until they both qualify and DH and I are not supporting 3 households, 4 cars with tax and insurance etc etc. ha ha. Six years each is a long time though I don't resent it at all but when DD is earning in September I won't know myself being able to keep back half my pay packet for a change.
I didn't go to aerobics last night - the snow was a good excuse but I think I mentioned I have been so tired lately. Also I think I may be going through the change of life - haven't seen anything for 2 months and DD says I should go to the doctor and get my HRT changed. Excuses, excuses, but I can't get geared up at all and I have yet another cold - I never get colds - but so has everyone else in the office, never mine.
Best wishes to everyone,

Hi Everybody!
I only have a couple of minutes, but I'm sooo excited, I just HAD to post and brag!
Today is my weigh day, and I'm down another 5 pounds! I think all the snow shoveling had something to do with it because I've been eating good. See ya later!
Everybody have a great day!

Hi Everyone,

COLD here today, last night wind chills reach 20 below. At least the sun is out a little bit, and no SNOW. Thank you very much. Filled the car up on the way home last night, man was it a cold wind, I got back into the car while it was filling. DH, put a bottle of heat in the tank of my car and his truck when we got home from work last night.

GS from next door came over last night and we watched the Disney Movie on direct TV. His Dad dropped him off, and when he came back to pick him up, GS was all crabby and wouldn't say good night to me. I told him I loved him anyway, crabby or not. The movie was about a hologram, who became a rock star, a little far fetched for me. GS liked it, even though he is only seven, he fully appreciated the good looking blonde hologram.

Willow, how excellent, 5 pounds, for goodness sakes keep up the good work. I was on a continual diet for 10 years, until I found the no sugar, no white flour diet. It was a God send, and it is working for you too and the excercise. So happy for you. Have you ever tried reading Potato Not Prozac by Kathleen Des Maisons?

Shiela, so glad you had a wonderful holiday with DD. Your poor DH, he must have the patience of a saint. I bet Dad, is just as entertaining to him as he is to all of us. I would have loved to see the expression on the service person's face, when he asked where the buns were. Dad makes me smile.
Our yard is larger than most , because we live on a farm. We don't have livestock anymore, but we rent the space to an area farmer who keeps his young stock here and DH feeds them in the morning and evening. We rent most of our land out to the farmer that has his young stock here in order to raise feed for his animals. This way DH is still involved in the agricultural end and does not miss that partof hs life. He is the third generation to live on this farm and in this house. When agriculture in Wisconsin started to take a nose dive, DH went back to school part time and got a technical degree in electricity. When he graduated we sold the cows and most of the equipment and he landed a job with a Company that sells copiers, faxes, printers, etc. and does the techinical work for the clients that purchase the afore mentioned items. He puts on a lot of miles everyday fixing office machines. We have lived on this farm for 39 years, this spring we will be married 40 years. My gardens used to be bigger, but I have down sized a bit. What I would like to do now is take a picture of them covered in all this snow and post it. We'll see, if it warms up a little bit mabe, I'll venture out.

Puss, I would get thee self to the doctor for a check up. Perhaps you are low on iron. Something so simple can easily be remedied. Isn't it amazing the lengths we go to for our work. Driving one hundred miles one way is a bit of a stretch though. People in the more populated communities in the US have to do that all the time, which includes the traffic snarls. I know what you are talking about when you say not having a paycheck inorder to help the kids in college. I started working out of the home when oldest started college and continued when our other three were in colllege to help them pays their bills, and I am still working trying to catch up from the money I didn't have during their college years.

Well, I guess I had better get back to work. Charlotte, Jackie and Katey hope you are all ok and staying warm.

Bye for now.

Bluet

I was up at 3:30 AM again this morning, but didn't have time to exercise. By the time I shower, lotion my 'all-over' and get dressed and have breakfast, it's time to leave for work.

They canceled overtime for Saturday and I'm actually kind of glad.
There was an old biddy getting on my nerves at work today.
I want to retire early, and she takes it personally if everyone doesn't stay there forever. Don't ask me why either. I can't see as it's any of her business what anyone else does.
I finally told her that if she wants to stay there till they find her sitting on the line some day with rigor mortis setting in, she should go for it. At least it shut her up.
She's eight days older than dirt and thinks she can tell everyone else what to do just because she's older. ****, she's at least twice as old as the building!

I just got back from a meeting, and now I have to get my stuff together for tomorrow.

Bonnie, it's VERY cold here tonight too. -20 and with the wind chill factor it's -40. I haven't plugged my tank heater in for about 3 years, so I hope it still works.
I wore jeans today, and the air bites right through the fabric. Tomorrow I'm wearing sweats again.

Your little grandson sounds so cute. Sassy too, huh?

No, I've never read Potatoes, not Prozac, but I think it's the only book I haven't read on weight loss. ..... And here I am, doing my own thing anyway. I would love to have all the money I've spent over the years on books, memberships, doodads, etc. to try to lose weight.
I know that you're on to a healthy thing there though. It's pretty much what I'm doing, I think, although I do have a potato once in a while.

Puss, you got some of this nasty weather too I see. It's really like a deep freeze here tonight.
I can't imagine driving over a hundred miles to a job. Thank God you don't have to do it all the time, huh?
Well, I see Mother has her spunk yet. Isn't it strange what people will do to their own families, yet treat strangers like royalty?
Geez, if you keep working after your son and daughter are finished with school, you won't know what to do with all your money.

Sheila, sounds like you and your daughter made lots of good memories this past couple of weeks.
I sure did miss Dad. He's too cute! Instead of "where's the beef???" he wanted to know, " Where's the buns!??"

Hello to everyone else, and stay safe and warm, girls!

Well girls, I need to get moving and get to bed. One more day of getting up at 3:30 AM, then I can sleep in for a couple of days.

Hey, congratulations on the excellent weight loss, Willow! Way to go! Do you know what's up with your car yet? Hopefully it can be fixed and not cost too much.

Puss, sounds like you're getting some of the nasty weather from "across the pond." It's raining like crazy here with a lot of wind and temps in the low 50s, but the eastern part of the U.S. is getting hit with cold weather and lots of snow. Bummer about the car bill--that's quite a hefty sum.

Well, my DD left this morning. She forgot her military ID, however, and my DH had to drive back home and get it. Lucky that we live only 20 minutes from the airport. Then she got to Chicago on time, but they made them wait on the tarmac for 1.5 hours so she missed her connecting flight. Then she found out her boyfriend got a choice of 9 different bases, none of which was Virginia where she's at, and he didn't choose the closest one, which was Florida. And then she discovered that her ship is being decommissioned so they may send her to who knows where! So it was not a good day for her overall, and she sounded totally bummed when she called me from Chicago. She did get on an 8:00 pm flight that gets into Norfolk at 11:00 pm so she just may make her reporting for duty time of prior to midnight. She had to get a delay of travel thing from the airlines to say that the plane delay was their fault, and she didn't screw up. She really wanted to report for duty with some other women from boot camp, but they are arriving earlier so she'll be on her own.

I am glad that things are back to normal, however. I had my first good eating day in weeks, and I'm planning to continue that right through the spring. Tomorrow will be my aerobics class, which I haven't been to in over a week. And I think I'm going to skip the weigh-in at WW tomorrow, although I want to go to the meeting.

Hope everyone is staying warm and dry!

Hello everyone...just another quick note to let you know I am still here. have been very busy with my DM she is not doing very well so I have been doing a lot of running back and forth from our home to hers plus her laundry etc. etc. and with my DB on a cruise I have had the full load!! I have had the flu the past week....really a nasty one. I haven't been able to see how DM is doing for fear of giving it to her. Enough of my woes!!

It took me several days to find my way back to this site...what troubles they have had.

The weather here has been dreadfull.....-35 yesterday with the wind chill -53 now thats down right cold. The snow just crunches when you walk on it. One would think all the bugs would be gone with temps. like this. It is refreshing though! Hopefully things will start to get better next week...it is supposed to get up to -12.

I have a lot of catching up to do I haven't even read any of the posts yet. I was feeling so darn rough I couldn't even use the computer.

Hopefully things are back on track now....I haven't been watching what I eat as good as I should but now it is time to get back at it!

Bye for now!

Willow - 5lbs!! Fantastic loss. You are doing so well lately, you have inspired me to get back on track and do something without any messing about and shift the 5lbs I gained over December/January. That crabby lady at work, when I was a student I worked in a factory for a short while where all the late-middle-aged ladies thought the machines were theirs and not the company's. I had such a good time there because the regular young workers would occasionally upset the territorial old ones by arriving early and being assigned to 'their' machine. It was so funny you would have thought they had invaded their house.
Bluet - I remember you saying your DH had re-trained. How lovely you have the benefit of both worlds and still have your beautiful farmland but not dependent on it for a living. Your GS sounds lovely; funny how they all get crabby when they get over-tired, isn't it? My two used to get whiney and weepy, always a good sign they were ready for bed, ha ha.
Sheila - our weather is coming straight off the arctic, down through Scotland and finally to us in the south. Although the roads have been well gritted, and the snow has stopped, it is still not warm enough to melt it from the gardens and fields. It is supposed to be getting warmer from today though so not much of a snow storm really. We get this a couple of times a year yet you would think it was a new thing the way the news media go on about it like it's a state of emergency. Your poor DD, what a day she had! You reminded me of when I was one of the Customs officers for the air show here 2 years ago and all the overseas flight crews from the Navy and Air forces had to show their passports and declare goods to us. I got to know a very high ranking US Navy officer who would meet all the youngsters arriving at the airfield and would shepherd them in to us. He would joke that he was their surrogate dad and how half of them had forgotten stuff etc and one young girl had forgotten her passport. She was quite upset, poor sweetie, but we got round it in the end. They were such nice kids the young military ones from the US. One young F16 pilot offered me a chewing gum and I joked with him that chewing gum was a poor gift when his grand
father and great uncles were offering British ladies nylon stockings during their stay here in the 2nd world war!! He obviously hadn't heard about that one, ha.
Jacqui - it is good to see you back here though you sound like you are having a rough time of it running around after your DM and having a cold as well. Take care.
Well I had such a good audit yesterday near Heathrow. The premises were ramshackle but the staff was brilliant. The director was Irish and talk about the blarney and being funny. I spent most of the time laughing to burst and at the end of the day I said what a nice time I had had there - which wasn't the object of the exercise for one of Her Majesty's Custom's Officers - and they were so off-the-wall-friendly they kept saying 'pop in for a cuppa tea anytime you are in the area, we mean it, pop it, it would be great to see you again'. I wish every audit could go the same way, such nice people.
DS arrived unexpectedly with his two flat mates last night, no warning, just came through the sitting room and DH and I hadn't heard them come in. Afterwards I said to him he could have found us up to hanky panky with such an entrance didn't it occur to him? And DS said it did but only at the point when he opened the door but the thought was too revolting and he blasted it from his memory bank!! Ha, kids think we are dead, eh? His visit was in response to DH nagging him that his car was back from the garage and he doesn't want it clogging up the drive for weeks so come and collect it. Good job I always freeze dinners I cook because, as usual, they were starving the three of them. Rustled up a 3 course dinner and they went back to London happy bunnies and DH is happy that son's car is gone. Don't know why he got a bee in his bonnet over it, the drive would hold four cars if needs be.
Best wishes to SunnyD, Angel and Kate.

Hello friends...

Sorry I missed posting yesterday. I wanted to load some pics into my Kodak software, only to find out it was gone! I guess those viruses I had destroyed them. Only thing, never could get it to install. So, back to the drawing board today.

Fatpuss...don't weaken with your DM. You've got it going on schedule now. Gotta be strong, girl! WOW! All that bad weather, & car expenses too! Was interesting hearing how the weather can change in such a few minutes.
Sorry you're so tired lately. Wish you would check with a dr.

Jacquie....good to hear from you. Sorry to hear about your mother, & you being sick. Both are in my prayers. Such cold temperatures!

Sheila...Glad you had a good time with your daughter. I know what you mean about getting back into a routine.
I'm almost used to my daughter & family leaving when they're here for awhile. It's just hard to see them drive off. The last couple of trips, I didn't. I visited with them the day before, & called the next morning with one final goodbye. Watching them drive out of sight got to be too much. In Aug or Sept, though, they'll be back, hopefully, to stay.

Willow...You're doing great with your weightloss! So proud for you. We have a cooking show at the station on Mondays. When the taping is over, we get to eat what Suzanne has cooked! I can feel the lbs coming on! Gotta be careful. Don't want to go through that 47 lbs again!

Bluet....GS sounds cute! I have a pouter in the grands! She's 5yrs old. You don't know she's upset....unless you happen to notice her somewhere with her arms crossed pouting! Most of the time she doesn't tell what it's about.

Well....back to pics! Hello to anyone I missed.

A very Good COLD morning to everyone!!!

Where does the time go! We are having some leaking problems in our hallway from the ice and snow on our roof. Joe has been up there twice now trying to keep it off, but as soon as he gets it shoveled off it snow's again! I have posted a picture from our paper today - a picture of children walking through the snow off the square not far from where I live. It looks like a winter wonderland, doesn't it?

*******

Speaking of pictures: BLUET, What lovely garden's you have! One day I hope to have gardens that look like yours! I enjoyed taking a break from all this snow with the visual walk through your gardens Thanks for taking the time to post them.

WILLOW, You are doing so well on your program - So happy for you that you are seeing such good results for all your efforts. For some reason - the more I exercise the heavier I get I am hoping to see results soon, I think I am getting swelling in the muscles and I know I am not drinking nearly enough water with the dry air of winter & exercise. I just don't drink like I should! I am trying... Keep up the great work!

Hi SHEILA, I am so happy that you had a good time with your DD, but it's a bummer she doesn't know where she's heading to. I bet she will really miss being with her family & DBF. She's in my prayer's.

I too know what you mean about getting back into a routine... whenever we have company, everything always goes off track and you really feel it! It takes days to recover. That's why when we go to visit my DM & DF Joe & I do everything in our power not to be disruptive to their routine... it's hard on them even though they like our visit. I take care of all our needs and even make meals for them while I am there. This way we all can enjoy one another's time together.

Did you ever get to see the tulip pictures I posted for you

JACQUIE, I saw that you all were getting that blast of cold on the weather channel. No thanks! We are doing all we can to cope with what we are having. We woke up to 7* this morning with -10* in windchill - so I can just imagine what you all are coping with! We have had tons of snow and we are all ready for it to stop now... note the picture I posted from our paper this morning. Be careful and stay bundled up!!

And I know what you mean about caring for your DM. I did that for my DFIL (Joe's father). I cleaned his home for him, did his laundry and made him some of his meals, not to mention all the AARP calls I had to make for all his hospital visits (& the time I spent on the phone just waiting!) before we had to move him into a home after he fell and broke his hip. I did that for several years. His daughters all worked and I was home, so that's why I did it. Besides, we both enjoyed classic movies - so I would always stay after I cleaned for him to catch a movie with him. Many times he'd fall asleep, but it was a comforting thought for him to know I was there. I'll pray that you have the strength to continue to care for your DM... it isn't easy, but the thought that you gave it your best is very comforting when they have gone. You are in my thoughts...

PUSS, I am glad you enjoy the graphics and animations that Angel and I post... it's fun searching for them & sharing them with everyone.

I saw on the weather channel that you all got hammered too and very quickly. Just do what you can to stay safe & warm. Are you all accustomed to having this kind of cold there?

Angel is right... you should go to the Dr. if you cannot shake your fatigue. There may be more to you feeling like that. Although, the cold temps here have created allot of fatigue, colds & flu's! So many out with illness here in OHIO. And well over 400 schools are closed due to our weather, not to mention the accidents on the roadways from the ice & snow mix on our roads. We are so ready for this weather to break! Many are experiencing that sadness too, from lack of sunshine here.

You take care and remember that we care... you DM has to be told that there are boundaries. They get lonely and will suck you dry for attention if you don't set those boundaries. We had to do that with Joe's father - he would just pop over anytime he wanted to and walk right into my home! He had his key, because we bought his place when he moved into his apartment. We had to change the locks and have a talk with him... he was pouting for a few weeks, but got over it. He had to know he couldn't just pop over without a phone call. Joe was gone allot & I didn't appreciate him just coming over whenever he wanted. One time I came out of my bathroom wrapped in my towel to find him sitting in my diningroom! That was it - we had a talk with him right after that.

Your stress will cause your fatigue as well... you take care now. Forgive me, if I have over-stepped my boundries with you. Stay strong. (((Hugs)))

ANGEL, I just loved your animation! You are just too funny!

*******

Well, I really must be going... I have so much to do today - sometimes I feel like my head in spinning. I wish you all well on your programs! Keep up the great work & take care of yourselves!

Hi KATEY!

God Bless,
SunnyD

Don't Post Here. See Thread No. 11!!

Here's a link to #11
(lending a helping hand )

Link:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/show...249#post509249