Hmm, so we're ripping off our brassiere's here? - In my case that could be dangerous - DH will be on me in a flash like bees on a flower.

Gee Mel, I admit that I never realized fitting a chair was such an ordeal. But duh, I guess there's more to just sitting in one and wheeling around, eh? I do hope they get things straightened out SOON. So much money to be sitting in a corner idling away when you could be crusin' braless "waving" at the firemen Have a comfy night now.

Linus, I am sending you a case of cranberry juice - expedited service. I suggest that you drink it plain or with ice, no adding a bit of of the bubbly to it Hope you are feeling better. Ick, kidney infections are not a way to spend the weekend.

Maundy Thursday - Holy Thursday, commemorating the Last Supper. Pentecost (Whitsunday) A feast of the universal Church which commemorates the Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ, on the ancient Jewish festival called the "feast of weeks" or Pentecost (Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10). Whitsunday is so called from the white garments which were worn by those who were baptised during the vigil; Pentecost ("Pfingsten" in German), is the Greek for "the fiftieth" (day after Easter). I thought Pentecost was when the flames appeared over the apostles heads and they started talking in tongues. Alas, it has been a good LONG time since religion classes but I would be glad to make up a story for you.

Shad, I was asking about the workout because I thought that you were eating a tiny bit of protein to fuel your gym routine. I would just eat a tiny bit myself - perhaps 1/2 a bananna and 1 hard cooked egg. I don't like to work out on a full stomach either but I found that eating something before the gym did give me a bit of endurance, especially when I was doing my 5:30am workouts - see, I too have been up before the sun on occasion, tho NOT by choice Steel cut oats are supposed to be quite good. Although much of what Linda T eats is a bit off the beaten path of what I like to eat. I've thought to try them but never remember to look for them when I'm at the store.

Teel, your trip sounds sooooo wonderful! Can I come carry your bags? Push your chair? Stand in queue for you? I have never been off this continent and the farthest I've been is Toronto, Canada. (Didn't see the Falls either ) I'm sorry that London is not turning out quite like you wanted it to. Don't sacrifice too much. Perhaps the palace guards would let the children play with their fuzzy hats while you sneak in a concert :yike: Will be quite nice to have something to look forward to.

Got an email from the big boss at work today - Remember that wonderful feeling as a child of getting up on a snowy morning, looking out the window and praying that your school would be closed so you could have the day off? It's not snowing but we are closing the office early today in celebration of the holiday weekend. Yay - 1/2 day off, what a wonderful surprise!!!! - he is such a wonderful guy! That meant I was able to get in a bit of cleaning and get an early start on the weekend. DH took me to dinner - we tried a new Italian restaurant - actually we intended to go to a different place but when we got there were found the first restaurant had closed and now there was this Italian one in it's place. Since food has almost never been a problem for us, we decided to try it. I had an appetizer salad - interesting mix of baby spinach, walnuts, raisins, dried cinnamon apple slices, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm and some shaved parmesan cheese. Just a bare sprinkling of olive oil to shine it up. Quite good but it was platter sized so I ate 1/3 and boxed the rest for take away. Dinner was some artichoke/mushroom/spinach pasta (I guess I was having an artichoke spinach celebration or something). I only ate 1/2 of that and had that boxed up too. My boxed salad came rather promptly but I was waiting and waiting and waiting for my pasta. I'm thinking, hmmm they must have tossed it out. Sure enough, the waitress stops by for our coffee order and says didn't they bring your pasta? I look at her She looks like manager comes by and asks what's wrong Next thing I know, I have a hot, fresh FULL order boxed for my enjoyment. Now I have 2 additional meals. After dinner we stopped at the bookstore and I went over to the Lands End Outlet store - (casual clothing). Got 4 collared lightweight shirts for over 50 percent off. Such a bargain! Would have cost me full price if I had ordered them from the website. Of course they weren't the prettiest colors - for that I have to work myself into a size small again. But you can't beat the price. Yes, I have come a LONG way from my former yuppie days of spending money as if I had a grove of money trees out in the back yard. Our last stop for the night was to the video store where we picked up some movies. But we took a pass on the aisles of tempting popcorn and candies that stare you in the face as you are waiting to check out - more tempting than the candy display for the children at the grocery store.

So, we will have a nice weekend. We'll do something tomorrow - I think I found a new conservatory to visit, Sunday is supposed to be hot, sweating and with violent thunderstorms so that's the stay home and clean the house day and if Monday is have way decent, perhaps a nice picnic. And somewhere along there I much do some catch up correspondence to friends

Roseblush, hope you are having yourself a good weekend too. Should finally be warming up your way, isn't it?

Movie's about to start and DH waits for no one so enjoy your weekend all!

morning all hope its good where you are !! SHAD my dietician says that you have to eat as soon as you get up as your metabolism doesnt start working until you put something in it so maybe thats why your not losing the weight you think you should be ?? it might be worth while trying to eat something and see if that works adding to the fact that muscle is heavier than fat maybe your just toning up nicely maybe miss universe for you i promise faithfully that if you enter ill watch and not go eeeuuuuuuuwwwwwwwwwwww i think they look very strange i guess im still bottacelli i like nice round figures hey maybe thats why i like mine right bathroom calling ive to pick up a prescription for antibiotics so hopefully by later ill be able to sit long enough for a good blether
kirsty

Actually I think I need something rather stronger.... I have just done a whole load of ironing that has been piling up for weeks as I have been in the "wash it, iron it, wear it" mode...and the pile of not to wear today stuff has grown and grown. I have only called a halt leaving the last three or four items 'cos they rewquire a cooler iron so I have turned it off and will start cool another day...now my back is killing me and my legs are numb AND my neck hurts!!! However at least I have a choice of ready to wear clothes!!
Right. Now for today's Christian lecture!! As far as I am aware, Pentecost is the same as Whit Sunday, when, as Happy rightly said, Peter and the rest of the Apostles were sent the gift of the Holy Spirit, which appeared as tongues of fire above each of their heads...allowing them to "speak in tongus", or rather other languages so the hundreds of people listening to them could understand them..(Acts 2 v1-11)Charismatic Christians (of which I am one) beleive this is a gift from God which still is available to people today. and before you ask...no, I can't speak in tongues. I haven't been given that gift. I know my gift is in music and singing.
Ok!! Mel that darn chair of yours!!! You must be SO SO SO fed up by now..I don't know how you can still have a sense of humour over it. I hope it is worth the wait when you do go out eventually. Carlos sounds a good sort of guy...the dunces hat sure goes to the factory a thousand times over.
Happy, have I missed something? Why are you ripping off your brassiere? I can't find any hints to this very brave behaviour!!!
I haven't been swimming yet this week. Perhaps next week. I and Teresa...ooops bad English! are going to the Suffolk Show next week. I have never been to this one. It is essentially an agricultural show for farming and country persuits and there are lots of events in the 9 rings and dozens of food and drink stalls. I want to see the Shires and Percherons and " Cyril the squirrel and his racing terriers" sound interesting! There are also birds of prey, working sheep dogs, horse driving obstacle courses and the Lusitano displays. I'm not sure what the Lusitanos are...are they like the Spanish horse display riding teams??My main prayer is that the weather is kind...not blisteringly hot....but no rain neither!!
Linus...how are you today? Drank the well dry yet? Get well soon...the Edinburgh festival is not that far off as the calender flies....
Take care everyone....back tomorrow......love from Teel

WOW a chatty little bunch we are!!
Teel thanks for the pentecost part. I was having a hard time finding it. If I ever speak in tongus I will let you know. It would come in handy here where I live. many seniors haven't learned very good englis and I could help them better if I spoke a few.
Hope the body feels better so you and Teresa have a great time at the suffolk show!!! It is not Happy that is doing the striptease but ME! I couldn't wait for them to leave so I could get it off!!!

Happy~ Thanks also for the pentecost post!!! I am a font of information now!!! I was curious as to who celebrates that holiday and surprised I don't think I ever heard of Whitsunday before! I lead a sheltered life I guess! You and the hubby sound like you had a good time and nice they gave you such a "treat" to take home!! Good to hear a restaurant will accept mistakes and correct them. Nice place. Hope the food was good!!!Nice bossman too.

Linus! Hoping the pills do their thing quickly and you'll be feeling better too. I too hate MUSCLES that are BULGING like that. I find it gross and they liook painful. makes me cringe. Jen feels the same too. Why they do this is unthinkable. EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWW

Shad~ How goes the routine?! I found now that I'm back to the 5 meals a day that the weight is moving. Albeit slowly like a snail but moving. I'll see if this feeding the furnace theory works like it did last year. I lost the 31 lbs that way. God only knows why I stopped!!!

Hope you all enjoy your weekend and take cood care of yourselves. Hope nae is having a great time and all the missing people are too!!! TTFN

WEll, it is raining raining on my vacation so no hiking this weekend. My neice and I are hanging out and doing some fun stuff. I love to spend time with her. It has happened though she is now taller than me...oh boy hooo!
WEll, you all seem very up this weekend and keeping up the chat.... I will report on my Dr.'s appt. next week when I am home....although my computer is at the shop...hope to have it back next week when I get home.
Take Care All,
Nae

Oops got it all wrong again. I thought that Maundy was where the head of the church washed and kissed the feet of the great unwashed. Aaah well.
Your meal sounds great and what a nice bossman to cook you another meal for your doggy bag. Hope the movie was good and you got there for the start of it instead of part way through.

Linus good to hear you sounding better. I remember the Edinburgh Festival. We saw some of the street theatre while we we on our way up and down the Royal Mile to the castle for the Tattoo. Wonderful show. The day after the show, Chris come down with an Asthma attack and after I'd gotten her some medical help, I went for a walk to Holyrood Palace and then back UP the Royal Mile. Silly me should have walked down it. Much easier on the legs. For those of you whose inquiring minds are saying WHAT??!! Edinburgh Castle sits atop a big hill - right on the very top. It's an old volcano I think - yes Linus??? The Royal Mile goes straight down the hill ending at Holyrood Palace (have I got the spelling right?) It is steep. One prefers to walk down and not up. I'm stupid.
Teel, enjoy the show. I used to love the A&P shows that we went to in NZ. They would have been similar to your Suffolk show. The Country Ladies had cake and biscuit and plant and flower displays and then there was the cattle and sheep and pigs and those wonderfully intelligent sheep dogs rounding up the crankiest sheep they could find. The last one I went to with my Mum was the Dannevirke Show. We had the two boys with us who were at that time quite small. We went to the cattle stalls and looked at the huge beasts bellowing and pawing the ground or just standing there looking dumb. There was this great huge Jersey bull in the open area of the stalls and while we watched a little Sydney Silkie Terrier came racing around the corner and saw the Bull and came to a skidding halt. Then he started to bark. He pranced up and down behind the bull and barked his shrill little bark. The Bull showed no interest so the dog got closer and barked. Then the Bull lifted his tail and let loose with a large load and buried the dog. A man can racing around with a shovel and scooped up the dog and took him to the tap and began hosing him down. I laughed so hard I couldn't hardly stand up. DS1 just stood there with his mouth open. DS2 cried for the little dog. Such is life in the country.

Mel, yep - you have to wonder why you stopped if it was working. Sometimes it is hard to get started again. Weigh in day tomorrow for me. We shall see, we shall see.

Now to the feeding theories before exercise as advanced by you all. Yes I would agree that one should fuel the body after a long fast, and that one would probably be better off eating before exercise. However this body says no. This body simply gives back what goes in if a fairly lengthy time does not elapse before exercise. I've tried several times with fruit, eggs, and a bit of chicken, bread and cold potatoes and each time I have had to excuse myself from the class or the treadmill or rowing machine to go barf it up again. So what I do now is go to the exercise, eat a banana and an apple directly after the sweat and before I shower, then have a good solid breakfast the minute I am able. If I go to the gym around ten or eleven I am fine. I've had breakfast and I am ready. But that is always not the best time to go to the gym, especially if you are working. It works for me, thats fine. I wouldn't want anyone else to try my methods unless they were sure their bodies worked that way. It probably stems from time on the farm where we used to get up at the crack of dawn and sometimes before, have a crust of bread and then go work on fences, fields or livestock until 9 when breakfast was served. Those days I was so slim that if I stood sideways you would have marked me absent.
Okay to get on with the day. Back to the sanding machine. Then this afternoon I will take the urn out to the tree. In between, there is washing, ironing, cleaning the car, and fertilising the vegetables. I actually had some of the lettuce from out in the garden for dinner last night. It was yum. At the moment there is only one plant that I can pick but the others are coming along very quickly. Will be able to have colourful salads soon.

Mel what can I say about that chair.

Catch you all later.

[QUOTE=Shad]Oops got it all wrong again. I thought that Maundy was where the head of the church washed and kissed the feet of the great unwashed.

Shad, you are right about Maundy Thursday...what a good girl! Go to the top of the class!! It is all about The Last Supper and the washing of the disciples' feet and the Garden of Gethsemane..

There was this great huge Jersey bull in the open area of the stalls and while we watched a little Sydney Silkie Terrier came racing around the corner and saw the Bull and came to a skidding halt. Then he started to bark. Then the Bull lifted his tail and let loose with a large load and buried the dog. A man can racing around with a shovel and scooped up the dog and took him to the tap and began hosing him down......

Hee hee oh deary me that must have been a sight!!

Hi Roseblush, nice to see you again! Sorry about the computer being down...what a pain. And sorry it is raining whilst you are on vacation...

Oh I am proud to announce "I HAVE FINISHED THE IRONING PILE!!!" Old friends on this thread will know about me and my ironing! Namely, I leave it and leave it.....and there has to be a good film on before I decide to tackle it. Last night DEEP IMPACT was on the Beeb.Pretty rivetting and I didn't know how it actually ended. I won't say in case someone wants to watch it. I don't want to spoil the end! Suffice to say it didn't end as I thought it would!!

Well I had better go get dressed as I am off to church this morning...not sure what to wear...so much choice!!!!
GOOD MORNING AMERICA! time you all got up!

Good Morning England!!!! I over slept with the sinus medicine! Thanks for the wake-up call!! Nice to see your ironing is done. Can you come and do mine? I'm afraid I'm all wrinkled up!!! I hang everything on a hanger, spray them with warm water from my spritzer and smoothe out the wrinkles and hope for the best!!!

Shad~ I have a terrible time with breakfast. So does Jen. We both would like our first meal to be between 11 and noon. Our stomachs don't handle food in the morning and jen vomits too. I eat when I can and don't when I can't. I don't journal it cause I know the reaction I would get! A person's gotta do what a person's gotta do!
I am a bit excited about measuring tomorrow. Hope my excitement is not for nothing but I feel thinner. We'll see. Good luck too. Can't imagine why everyone is worried with me and a BBQ! I'll just call my fire friends to come and stand by!
Now let me see.........which nightie should I wear..........Hmmmmmmmm

Nae~ good to see you and hope the weekend has continued fun with the niece. Too bad about the rain but at least you're having fun. Good luck with the Dr appt and my fingers are crossed!!! You're in my thoughts.

I am freezing. It feels like winter again. The wind is so strong that the temp feels twice as cold. Must be bad for all the people who wanted to go swimming! But great outdoor weather for BBQs!! Someone nearby had one last night. i could smell it still when I went to bed! Next time I should ride up and down the street till I find it and invite myself in! Who could resist a woman in a wheelchair! ya think?
I better go and find something to do except ramble on a PC all day! Have a wonderful Sunday! Whitsunday and all!!!

Morning ladies,
It's quite the dark, noisy and stormy day today - so much for BBQing this weekend. The rain is a perfect and TYPICAL way to kick off the beginning of summer here in my part of town. Could be worse, there were lots of tornadoes west of us yesterday - far enough away not to ruffle our feathers but it does look like this has the makings of an active tornado season this year. The rivers have crested above flood stage and are finally settling down, me thinks this latest rain will be enough to top them off again. It's a good stay to stay inside, do laundry, fly lady the house and prepare myself for joining in the NCC (no crap challenge) tomorrow. Yesterday I got outside for a while and did some tree trimming and gardening. We have to snip the tree branches into small bits and put them in a brown paper bag for recycling pick up so I spent at least 2 hours - snip, snip, snip. Lots of being up and down, walking back and forth and mostly got the yard cleared of the leftover spring bulb spent greenery. Have planted annual flowers in some hanging pots for a bit of color and I have to get to a nursery to find some perennial plants to fill in the last holes in the yard. Would much like something to plant once and forget about it. Easier said than done to find something that will survive our harsh winters.

I think I am going to try doing a modified low carb routine again. Seems like everything is aching me and I seem to remember when I was doing South Beach that all over ache seemed to disappear. So part of today's activities will be planning meals for the week and shopping maybe towards the late evening if the rains let up later on. We have a new store that opened here last weekend. It's a combination grocery store and shopping center - one of those new "mega" stores that is gaining in popularity - one stop shopping for everything but really means spend 3 times what you intended to when you set foot in the store The store has been opened for a week yet when we passed by yesterday the entire parking lot (which easily must hold at least 2000 cars) was still as full as full can be with people driving around following people walking in the hopes of getting a parking spot. Yes, it is nice to take advantage of the opening specials of a bottle of ketchup for 65 cents or a package of hot dog rolls - buy 1 get 2 free (who really needs 24 hot dog buns especially when it's raining and you can't grill?). You would think they are giving the goods away for free. I should not be one to talk having dragged DH there myself on opening day - must check the place out, no? They are opened 24 hours a day, maybe I should do my shopping at 1am

Anyway, must get busy for the day. Enjoy your Sunday!

This is just a quick one....what's Shad been up to this morning???Come out and play Shad...the weather's not too bad!! OOOH that's nice...my smilie link is working toniht...means I don't have to write it all out in full every time I want to insert a smilie!!
Holly learnt a new trick this afternoon. I got my scooter out and off we went for a trundle...I encouraged Holly to sit on the platform between my feet and she got to like it quite quickly! She did do a bit of walking but we passed a few people out who smilied at the sight of a mad woman and a Westie on a battery scooter...she did look funny, looking at the way ahead by peering round the steering column!!
Oh and the European holiday plans....at last Teresa has decided on 1 week where she can go away on holiday...the 30th June...if possible we are going to Salzburg...trying to get a flight from London Stanstead is becoming rather a nightmare though. I did consider going to P aris but I am not that keen on French cuisine...I love Austrian food.... which reminds me..why have we got two HUNGRY smilies? Does anyone know?

Night night all. The rain did arrive here in Suffolk but not till late afternoon...it had better not precipitate on Suffolk Show day

Happy, maybe you should be thinking of shrubs and conifers rather than plants that will survive the cold. Things like Wintersweet, which will give you glorious flowers and scents in spring, rhododendrons and Azaleas may well do better for you than flowering plants. Californian poppies will flower seed and take over for you if you want to brighten up the garden. Cosmos will also seed and spread. These are just thoughts that pop into my head from time to time when I hear about people in other parts of the world and other climates trying to get their gardens going. Some of the best gardens I saw in England were mostly green! Also with those types of bushes and trees, there is little maintenance to do once established.
The Soup and Salad Kitchen would probably need to be established in your neck of the woods. Bigger clientiele (not always literally your understand) However if we are going to set this up, then I will need to allow about six months just to get into the country since everyday it seems we have another person being refused entry into the States for visa transgressions or for having two passports or whatever reason. Yesterdays fun story was a German man, now resident in Aus, booked to go home to Germany for a family wedding. He was detained in LA for 24 hours because of his dual citizenship and finally they deported him back to Aus because of a visa overstay in the US of 72 hours 20 odd years ago. He then had to fork out another $2200 to travel to Germany via Asia. Such is life. I can't say that I blame the Americans too much, but it really does take 'land of the free' to new levels. I have calmed down from my last tirade about the immigration dept. However all our travel boards have some very negative aspects to going your way these days. Your tourism industry is really going to suffer in the coming years - which probably means you as the people will too as in higher taxes to meet the shortfall of the tourist dollar and more difficulty in imports and exports etc etc etc. One thing always leads to another.
New store sounds interesting. By the way did you see Ruth's reference to her Get a Life Cafe - what a great name. I'll have to get her to tell me more.

Hey Teel, so glad I was right about Maundy - is that also where HM distributes money bags - settle down Mel, I think there is only a penny in it - instead of kissing the feet??? I'll go to the top of the class - but if its alright with you, I'll leave my pens and pencils here - I have a feeling I'll be back.

Nae, nice to hear from you. Hope that appointment goes okay. Have fun with the niece. It's nice to spend a while in young peoples company as you get to catch up on the jargon and what gives in a teenagers mind these days. I enjoy having my niece to chat to, she's an intelligent and friendly girl even if she does remind me of Shad - since they were both born on the same day. Strangely enough, Shad passed away on her Mothers birthday.

Mel, I can eat quite happily at 4.30am, 5.00am, 6.00am but its only if I go directly to exercise that it bothers me. Not to worry. I seem to have worked out a solution or more likely a work around. I can take the silly problem or leave it. I don't think it is the Firemen that worry us so much - it's you and the fire we have the problem with.

Hello Linus - how are you going?

Well time to move. It is too cold to sit around and type. And it is getting more difficult too as Sunday the Cat has decided it is cold enough for knee time and is trying to curl up between me and the desktop - my belly is in the way I'm afraid. Very difficult to type when paws keeping coming up and holding you to try and keep you still, then claws come out to hold you to try and keep her from sliding off the knee. Such is life puss its time we moved.

Oh yes - weight and measurements - well Yahoo and Hallelujah. Here they come:

Weight - 75/75/75/74.5/74
Upper Chest 40/39.5/39/39.5/39
Bust 44/43.5/42.5/43.5/43.25
Lower Chest 36/35.75/35.5/36/35
Waist 36/36.5/35.5/35.75/35.5
Upper Hips 42/41.5/41/42.25/41
Lower Hips 41/40.5/40/40.5/40
Top of Leg 22.5/22/21.5/22/21.75
Top of Arm 12.5/12.5/12.5/12.5/12.5

My challenges and goals for the next week are:
Thinking....thinking....thinking.

Food challenge:
No white bread or bakery delights!
No more than one piece of wholemeal or rye per day.
Drink the water.
2 Glasses of wine for the week.
Test out 2 new lo cal, lo fat recipes this week.
Watch the carbs carefully.

Exercise Challenge:
Exercise will stay at 4 gym sessions - at least one of which will be a structured class. Once a week a long walk like yesterdays one.

Motivational Challenge:
Investigate classes at the local Uni and Tafe for after the June break.

Home Challenge:
Isn't the house enough challenge already? Okay, okay. Get the ceiling in the lounge sanded - yes I know you hate that job, but it has to be done.
Clean, prepare and paint at least 3 windows in the house and get new window coverings up.

That should keep me out of trouble and off the streets.

Righto - anything else? Umm not a lot but something that means a lot to me.

I love you lot, every blessed single one of you. Thank you so much You have been such a help and comfort to me over this last week. I know I did the right thing but it is so hard. I miss the old guy terribly.

Weigh-in is today and I am encouraged a bit
Today's stats are:

Neck~ 15/ same
Shoulders~ 43/-1.5
Bust~ 44.5/ same
Waist~ 41/ -2
Hips~ 45.5/-.5
Up.arms ~ 12/-.5
F.arms~ 9/-.75
Thigh~ 19/-.5
Calf~ 13.5/ same
Weight=172.5 /-1.5

This month I went up to 176 right after my weigh-in for last month. So I actually lost almost 4 lbs. I am more than happy with that. I had a lot of "outside" compliments while shopping etc. People that haven't seen me in awhile. I should have listened to them and not stressed so much about all this. I am back on the antibiotics and will probably be on them for a long time. Maybe for life. So I better just get used to the idea and find a way around them. I think water and constant exercise is the only way. Nothing overdone as Shad reminded me but there is no reason not to pedal each day. I could at least do that much. So to my list of "10" more of everything, I add pedal every day! I should be Australia in no time!

Shad~ Thanks for the encouragement to not give up yet I am really very pleases and could hardly believe the scale. Now I am back with these pills I hope it doesn't start again. Loved your goals both for you and the rest of your LIFE INDOORS AND OUT!! That should keep you busy!!!

Happy~ Have a good time gardening!!! Loved reading the post. Sounded so homey if you know what I mean. I'm glad to hear you trying the SBD again. Good luck. I started to try it and gained 2 lbs in less than 2 weeks. The cheese kept me from going to the loo! I ate the "quiche to go" cups every day! YUM YUM!!! anyway.........I ramble

Well Girls I hope you all have a great day off and enjoy but no overindulging!! I will behave myself as there is very little in this house to cheat with and all the bodegas are closed! (Mom and Pop stores ) Adios Mi Amigas!

Teel~ sorry I missed your post. It wasn't on here the first time I logged on. Stranged things have been happening to me on this website in the journal area too!
I can just see Holly on the scooter. What a hoot it must havve been for passerbys!!! Jen has a cockatiel and he likes to ride on my "handlebar' in the back of my chair. she cracks up everytime she comes here to pick him up and finds him there. I wish he would stay there so I could take him for a ride to the community room. The seniors would get a big laugh! Hope the trip is a good one and you at least get to get AWAY!!!

Morning all (yes another day has passed and we are now into June. Nearly half the year is gone already.

So I got up early this morning and went off to the gym - that's two down for this weeks challenge. I managed to run the entire 20 minutes this time. Not fast mind you but hey I got there, I can only improve - right???? Yesterday when I got there the receptionist handed me a card for the Body Step class - I'm a sucker for punishment, I took it. Since there was 20 minutes before it started, I did some warm up on the treadmill. 45 minutes later, bathed in sweat and swearing profusely it was over. Oh I do wish these bl**dy endorfins would find their way into the bloodstream and make me feel good about this class. I'm just so grateful that it is over. Tommorrow is rest day I think. The body does need a bit of rest from all this exercise. Mel you may like to remember that - do not overdo.

Teel, it must have looked hilarious to have Holly peering around the feet and the wheels. I think we may have posted almost together since I found yours there after I had finished mine.

Was on my way down to gym yesterday when I realised I had forgotten my towel. So I hit the early opening shops and found a couple for 3.88each. Figured these would do fine for workouts. On the way to the checkout, a rose - a David Austin old fashioned English rose - very fragrant and very yellow leapt out and landed on the towels. It's called Jude the Obscure - strange name hey? Anyway Jude the Obscure has superceded Peace and is now resident in my garden. Jude the Obscure was apparently a book by Thomas Hardy. Much more than that I do not know, however I did see that the book is available to read on the internet if any wish to know more. I planted Jude last night. Then I watered the vegetable and rose garden for a good deep soak and then last night it rained. Bah Humbug.

DS#1 rung last night, he is coming over for a seminar in June. I am to pick him up at the airport keep him overnight and deliver him to the Gold Coast then pick him up keep him overnight and deliver him to the airport all over the space of a weekend. Good on ya son. Please can I borrow some of the NZ money Mum. I'll pay it back. Good onya son again. Love you too. Nah - since he has had control of my NZ money it has grown quite considerably. Guess I owe him something for that. Now the seminar he wants to go to is to learn how to grow money faster. So I will probably benefit again.

Okay, I'm off to seize the day. It's damp and raining on and off so I will take my tour round the garden, do the washing, paint a little, sand a little, plaster a little not necessarily in that order, rest a little and play a little. My day is planned.

You know every time I go to a doctor it turns into a marathon effort of tests and lectures, few answers and what is wrong that is new. Somtimes I wonder if I should still be in the land of the living.
First off I went for xrays on a hip. They found a something on the kidney. Nothing wrong with the hip. It turned out to be a cyst on the kidney. Have it out? No why. It's only a cyst. If it grows too big I'll have it out. I still have the cyst. An ingrown toenail reveals varicose veins. The times I went because of pain in the ankles turned into a marathon of xrays of legs, chest and more of the kidneys. All I got out of it was a reaffirmation of the varicose veins. I still have the pain in the ankles and they have no answers. I go for a repeat of the diurectics and end up with liver and kidney function tests plus blood tests. I have a high sugar level. I get that down, go back for a repeat and my blood pressure is up. I get that down, go for more a pap smear, they find I have some abnormal cells. Go to the hospital, sit for hours, they find nothing. I go back for a repeat and they want to do tests again, 4 this time for thryroid, sugar, cholestrol, and kidney function. Thyroid and kidneys are fine, blood sugar is one point above normal so have to have a glucophage, cholestrol is up, but not badly, have to get that down, go for a mammogram it's time you went. Yep you guessed it, today I get a message to go back, they want more details on the right boob. It will take at least 2 hours. I'm really, really tired of this. Each time I get one of these messages, I think the worst. Isn't it natural to do so? Don't worry, it is not urgent says one letter, don't worry it's only detail says the woman on the end of the phone. It does not mean the big C or anything else. So why bother to have me back if it does not mean this that or the other bl**dy thing. Like I said, I am sick of this. They haven't taken an xray of the brain yet. I wonder if there is one???


Sorry, had to get that rant off my chest. What else went wrong today? Well the Vet sent a card and poem 'In memory of..... I was just beginning to come to terms and feel better about things too. Oh yes and worst of all, some kids come up from down the street today wanting to play with Shad. I had to tell them what had happened. They went home screaming and crying. Their Mum has been up to tell me that I should have broken it more gently. I thought I had. Aaaah well, maybe I will feel better tomorrow. There is always hope. I think........