Indeed, so it is. I watched "Between Strangers", a very cool movie with the still-breathtaking Sophia Loren, and before the credits start, this quote comes on, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -Philo of Alexandria. I turned to Ramon and announced that that quote has changed my life, and it already has changed several interactions in my daily walk for the better, I think, sunk as I am in the wooly expanse of Seasonal Affective What-Have-You.

Anyway.

Kaylets, best of luck in your speech to teenagers. I have no idea who the "She Bangs" person is that you speak of, but I'm sure it will amuse and resonate with younger beings much hipper than I. Ah, teenager-hood. I'm glad not to be one anymore, but I hope I never lose my understanding for how it felt to be hormonal, angry (all the time, I remember. I was one of those "difficult" children that most grown-ups don't like much), helpless before a bunch of silly rules, and not in control of much of anything. I love being an adult. But I hope I never forget what it was like to be an annoying, pissy kid.

Yuck, Amarantha, profane spam? God help us. I hope you get this quieted down soon. There's nothing more upsetting than the feeling that you're not in control of your own PC. I hope you have a good day, one of those busy-but-on-top-of-things days where you just feel good and productive. Safe driving!

So, Eydie, did you figure out what the **** happened on your Day of Weird Eating? God, what am I saying? As if our cravings have logical courses most of the time. Anyway, your belly dancing sounds good. I wonder if I should look into it. I have a pretty stiff right hip (good old arthritis and joint laxity) which catches painfully sometimes when I'm walking - I'm trying to decide if things like yoga and belly dancing that challenge joint flexibility will help with the pain and stiffness of if they'll just hurt like **** and not do much good. I'm contemplating registering for a flamenco dancing course at a nearby comm. college. Since Ramon isn't all that interested in learning to dance I'm looking into learning dancing that I can do alone. Like flamenco, hula, and belly.

QOD: easy one. I'd eat Pho, a Vietnamese beef and noodle soup (well, I eat it with tofu, of course) that Ramon and I have confessed that we could live on. It's a savory, hot (temperature-wise) broth that's poured over rice noodles, cilantro, green onions, fresh basil, bean sprouts and jalapenos. The broth cooks the stuff (including the very thin strips of meat) and then you slurp it up. It's light, refreshing, filling, and so-o-o-o-o flavorful. People actually prescribe it for cold-sufferers in this city. Clears your sinuses rather suddenly, I've found. I have a recipe that I'm trying this weekend. If it's a good representative of Pho, I'll share it.

Darling Wildfire, sorry about the Weigh-In. It ain't you, you know. It's the Evil Spirit of Past Fat that's lurking around the scale. Get you some holy water, a wafer, a good priest and some incense and DRIVE the devil outta that scale, amen! Then you'll get a much more favorable weight.

Sending out good vibes for the folks ruminating over your resume right now, dearest. Say it with me, "I am the kind of person that stands out in an interview, that people pick out of a crowd. I resonate with prospective employers." That's YOU, baby!

Arabella, how are the wisps doing?

Punkin, it ain't Friday until you say. SAY IT, GIRL, SAY IT!!!

Zadie, how's the new princess? How's your sister? How's, uh, Lars? Rolf? Leif!! How's Leif? Sorry, couldn't remember his name there for a minute...

Anagram, send me a warm salt breeze, willya, and make some palmettos rattle for me, too, K?

Love to all...

Unexpectedly, my interviews in the southland o' the state were cancelled, so I'm kind of not working and about to go shopping.

Life improves.

Wildfire, don't worry about Demon Scale ... he beith a dang liar most o' the time ('cept when he cooperateth with us, then he be a noble truth teller)!!!

Cerise, I like thy new motto ... om shanti! I must have missed the qod that led to thy pho response, but the pho soundeth good. Canst thou come to the Demon Food thread and post a recipe for us?

I just keep trying ...

The trainer I have is such a positive young woman ... I always feel better after working out with her ... think she should be a psychiatrist or something but she's put me in a much better place mentally. I am not working today and likely not tomorrow (we'll see)!

I'm testing the recipe first, 'rantha. I would never post a recipe that hadn't been approved by moi. The QOD was something like, if you had to eat the same dinner for a week, what would it be?

Ow, I was moving boxes of company letterhead and skinned/bruised/shredded two knuckles against a sharp wood corner in the office. My hand's all swollen, black and blue, and I can barely type. I'm getting good sympathy, though. Maybe they'll let me go home early. :-)

Hiho,
Quick post (yet again...someday I will buy some time). Things are going well. Lil sis and the princess are now at home, which I think will make everyone happy. They are both doing very well, although the new parents are a bit overwhelmed. Still, it is nice for them to be at home and play family finally. Leif survived his week of midterms and is doing well. He is studying all the time. He is thinking of maybe specializing on medical technology design (he is an electrical engineering major). This is a new interest for him. We shall see. He has also decided that he is going to work this summer rather than go to school, which will be good becuase he needs the break and we need the money.

I have been a good girl and exercised every day, so why o why will the scale not move

At any rate, I must get back to work, but I will check in this weekend for a nice long catchup post.

Cerise. No, I never figured out what prompted the day of weird eating---But I'm happy to say that I'm over it! Maybe because I started out the day with a brownie that my co-worker had left for me [he's a nice guy, really!] and that just gave me that what-the **** feeling. I keep telling myself that it's unrealistic to think every day will be perfect. The challenge for me is getting right back on track after a mini-binge day; it kinda haunts me for a few days till I get back in the groove.
So, does pho rhyme with foe. or is there some weird pronunciation?
And Cerise, I can't recommend bellydancing highly enough. In my opinion it's as good as yoga for flexibility---those hip stretches are delicious. And you'd be opening up a whole new world for Ramon!

Yo, I'm back on track, more or less, as well. Posted my menu on the food thread.

Cerise, looking forward to the pho recipe when thou perfecteth it ... although lack o' perfection never prevents moi from posting Elberta's baking experiments, but she's an ex-journalist and used to being imperfect in public!!!

The second version of my turbinado-pear bars (with less sugar) really turned out so well. Elberta had to put a lock on the larder door before she went to bed so Amarantha can't eat all the bars. These are only 105 calories and haveth healthy ingredients, but they still have calories.

So, I think that's the answer to the qod (thanks, Cerise, I couldn't find the post) ... I'd eat one of my turbinado-pear bars and an EAS vanilla carb control shake for dinner anytime.

Re the most recent spate of obscene spam I'm getting ... it has words I've used on the devil food thread ... cheesecake, devil, turbinado ... I'm not going to bother the sisters with this as they can't do anything about it and they are likely harassed enough as it is ... but I hate this stuff ... I don't mind some (nonoffensive) commercial email, even if I haven't asked for it), but this stuff is awful ... and I only started getting it when this site changed its software ... but I think I know how to get rid of it ...

Eydie: I tried belly dancing a few years ago and loved it as much as you do ... I think you're right that it rivals pilates for the core area ... lots of fun, too. Maybe I should look for a class.

Later ...

Cerise, I meant to tell you----I LOVE that quote you posted from the movie. Garry does too. Life changing indeed.

I think I'm going to do a couple of bellydance videos as my aerobic activity for the day. All this talk of it has inspired me.

All, RIGHT, Elberta. Since I don't wish you to slink away into ignominy (is that how you spell it? I don't even know how to pronounce it. IG-no-minny? ig-NAW-minny?), I will go to your scurvy challenge for today and post something. Don't prepare to do any ooh-ing and ah-ing, though. I'm pretty sure it'll have something to do with housework.

What is with me and the "Chocolat" soundtrack on Saturday mornings? It's givin' me deja vu. Here I sit, yet again, with something lovely and hot to drink, the soundtrack playing, and thou, dear friends. A nice weekend tradition, I think. I had been snarfing from a tupperware dish of leftover spaghetti (see Demon Food thread for recipe for bloody wonderful marinara) - not a pretty picture - but wrestled it from my own hands and am now sitting demurely in my jammies and sipping tea like a proper lady. Where's the ironic snicker smilie? Oh, yeah...

Oh, Wise Eydie, I actually welled up (a common occurrence with me, but hey) when you said that you and Garry liked that quote. Wow. People I admire think that stuff I regurgitate online is worthy ! Boy, I am sunk in that Seasonal Thingy. What an emotional pooter I am. At least I'm writing again. Properly, I mean. That's the first thing to go when I'm sunk. You know, I think it's really cool that your "what the ****" period lasted for a DAY. I think you must know (perhaps you experienced it in the past) that many peoples' full-on, "Screw-It" binges mostly last for a week or more. Or several months, as has been the case with me more than once. You're a healthy lady.

Amarantha, I hereby award you with honor for bestowing Cerise's First Belly Laugh of the Day. Yes, it's true, I have many in the course of 24 hours, but the first one "breaks the dam", so they say, and feels especially good. It was that piker thing that brought it on. I thank you. Oooh, I want to hike with you and see poppies!!! Wah. Y'know, I really want to try your recipes, but I've never bought protein powder, and am nervous about it. I mean, is there vegetarian stuff? There is, isn't there? And will any protein powder do? Huh.

Re: pho. It's pronouced "fuh", like "mud", and there's some sort of upward inflection in Vietnamese that I can't even try. Seattle-ites (who all seem to eat it by the gallon) just call it "fuh". I'll make it tonight, OK? And post the recipe tomorrow.

And, uh, Eydie, you get the Second Belly Laugh for that "opening" a whole new world to Ramon with belly dancing. You naughty, naughty girl. I'm gonna try belly dancing. Any videos you'd like to recommend?

Whew, Zadie, you can really pick 'em. Leif sounds...well, brilliant. Huh. Um, is he tall with really blond hair and high cheekbones? Just curious. With a name like "Leif" - he sounds like a strapping Viking or something. Pictures? Of you, I mean. And him if you wanna.

Punkin, Punkin, Punkin, my life's just a wee bit dimmer without you. Come on here for just a bit and tell us how you are. You are universally loved, darling.

You, too, Arabella, Ceara, Anagram, Frogger, Wildfire, Seattlejo, et al. I know I'm one to talk about absence since I was recently gone for a bloody week. *sigh*

Take care, loves.

Yo! Thanks, Cerise for thy presence at the Faire ... I'll be there in a sec to post my hikie ... except there were no freakin' poppies out yet!!! I was also offered free entrance to the park (turned it down because I like to support it) because the ranger remembered me from the magazine days when I used to write about it!!!! My 25 minutes of fame!!!

Sorry thou be downeth with SAD ... we get that here, too, but in the summer when most folks (not me) stay indoors and close the shades a lot ... it be a tad hot in Arizona in the summer ... I may have mentioned that.

Shall go now and ooh and ahh over thy housework efforts ... actually, housework be a traditional fitness event of the Wandering Fitness Knights, so you be ready to go!!!!!

Where be K today? Was hoping she'd bite and come to the fitness faire!!!

s, these absences have GOT to stop. I'm tellin' thee, the Towel Boys are getting quite restive without all the regulars here. They are threatening to post obscene spam in everyone's pm boxes.

We need everyone to REPORT TO THE PALACE!!!

Hmmm. What was I saying? My mind went away while watching Cerise's little bubble guy ... think it's nap time!

Cerise, I'd start with any of Veena and Neena's videos. They're twins! they have an excellent series of "Bellydance Fitness For Beginners'" tapes. [or DVD's] Very easy to follow---I'm really bad at following choreography and even I could keep up; now I'm shimmying and hip dropping like an old pro. Okay, maybe that's not a good choice of words, but you know what I mean!

Amarantha, I'm going to the new thread--wouldn't want to disappoint. Remember, it's slow on the weekends here! Also, I'll beon the food thread to post one of my favorite EASY recipes!

Hello dears,

Having problems with DD again. She's been AWOL since yesterday, we just found her at her friend's place. I just can't do this anymore. She is old enough to be responsible. All we ask of her is that she go to school and pass her classes. That's it. She has so little regard for anyone but herself.

So, all plans of getting back on track 100% this weekend have gone down the drain. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

hi wildfire-i'm sorry to hear about your having problems with your dd again. it must be very hard to deal with. sending hugs and good thoughts your way.

cerise-i like that quote you mentioned too. your hand definitely sounds like it must have hurt! i am convinced moving is hazardous to one's health. i don't know how you moved an office. i'm having quite a time just getting myself ready to move and i only have what fits in a tiny space, though as i'm packing and going through things, the space somehow has magically grown in to what feels like a large wherehouse!

hi eydie, amarantha, ceara, anagram, and to all the rest of the royal court.

i went over to the condo. while 2 of my friends were there this afternoon. they started the bathroom and ripped out the tub. i swear i don't know how they do it. there is so much hard work involved and they are so good-natured and enthusiastic about it all--and it was all their idea. they were going to install a ready-made walk in shower, but couldn't use it after all, so are doing it all themselves. it is amazing, as are they!

i have been remaining op and doing my exercises, and still keeping my menus very simple. i finally lost a lb., which has been pretty hard-fought. i guess every ounce seems to want to hang on! it was nice and warm yesterday and today, and i have enjoyed every second of the warmth and sunshine. i need to get back to my packing/weeding out stuff, but wanted to check in and let you know i'm thinking of you all. take good care.

Eydie, I've just now ordered the two Veena and Neena beginner DVDs from Amazon. You're the best - thanks for the advice! I can't wait to see what I can do.

wsw, I'm so glad to hear about you having helpful friends around you. You know, they do it because they adore you, and, on a more pragmatic note, I'm convinced that you're a steady, reliable anchor in their lives. I don't know why, I just get this feeling that a lot of people depend on having your love in their lives. I know we do.

Wildfire, darling, hang in there. As a formerly pigheaded, rebellious teenager (if my parents hadn't packed me off to boarding school for 5 years I WOULD have killed my father) I can sit here and say that she has as good a chance as any for turning out great. Maybe you'll even survive this and live to see it happen. Come and vent, and remember that there are a good 10 or so mature, self-actualized women right here who all adore you. Right, girls?

Amarantha, I love my bubble guy, don't you? He embodies how I feel and what I value so very well. I'm sorry you missed out on the poppies, love. Incentive for you to go hikie again soon, right?

Love and kisses to all...

Yea, Cerise, I do love the bubble guy ... he makes me feel happy and calm ... dost thou remember blowing bubbles as a child? I do. It was fun. Wonder why we don't do that when we grow up ...

I'm having more sinus and depression problems right at the moment, so shall signeth off before I start venting ...

Avanti to all!