Oh, God, you guys, today is so sad for me.

Luke, a former classmate of mine (when I went to boarding school in Kenya, actually) died Thursday on Mt. Rainier. An avalanche. He was the first of our class to die - I know it happens, but Jesus. He has a wife and a four-year-old son. I'm desperately emailing the news people in this area to see if they can get a message through to Callyn, his wife, to offer my services if she's in the area. Mt. Rainier is very near Seattle. I have no other way of contacting her.

Anyway, please keep her and their son Maikol in your good thoughts today, Royals.

And yes, I could use a new start.

cerise-i am so sorry to hear of the death of your former classmate. how sad! you, his wife, and child are in my thoughts and prayers.

hi anagram-i love the idea of a re-dedication to our majestic goals. i could use a little extra push and re-dedication to my food/health program myself. sounds good. hope your saturday is a good one.

hello amarantha! greetings and good wishes to our empress.

one of my friends came over to visit briefly this afternoon. she is so funny. she wanted to try out my "new" electric wheelchair for fun and i gave a demo. apparantly, i have gotten pretty good at it in the few days since getting it. i even got up and down the ramp without feeling too nervous about crashing in to the wall across from my outside door and i didn't bang in to too many pieces of furniture today either (LOL!) i guess i really am getting the hang of it. it is so humid and hot and buggy here. i swear this is a bumper gnat and mosquito crop down in my neck of the woods. can you tell---i am so not an outdoors type person (even if the heat didn't bother me so much physically.) i am keeping my fingers crossed that this old a/c will hold out for the duration of this long hot summer.

thinking of all the courtly challengers. take care.

Sorry to hear of thy friend's death, Cerise. Hopefully you can reach the wife ... have you tried just calling information and trying to track down the name or googling it. I know you don't want to wait, but you could also wait for a news story or obit that could give you more info. It's possible his wife just needs some space now anyway and your support may be more needed later ... sorry, none of my biz, just a thought.

Anagramatic, you are definitely right. I think we need a new start! Mayhap a good starting point would be a new palace thread, er, CCRRMM's Rededication to Our Majestic Goals of Health, Happiness and Harvesting the Rewards of Steadfastness! Well, we might have to shorten that ... would you want to do the honors again if it be the will o' the queens.

I'm wondering if we need some formal challenges at the palace as we used to have ... maybe we even need to MOVE the palace to another section of the forum ... that's kind of fun

I did actually make a new plan whilst out and about today. I know that my job situation is about to change, probably in July. I don't know what direction that will take, don't even know if I'll have a job, but I do know that I'm going back to journaling calories in a little book with a pen rather than a computer that I have to get to each time I eat. I bought such a journal and have started writing in it. I will still do my weekly spreadsheets. I may still post my days on the journal thread and may stay with the 21-day challenge, although I'm bound to admit I had a pb cup, so that's the end of that challenge for me as well!

Have lots more to share, but must go read book!

Wsw, forgot to congratulate you on your new wheels!!! There'll be no stopping you now!!! Hmmm, maybe you should be an outdoors person ... it'd be great to take your new vehicle out for a spin in the sun, even if it's hot! There's nothing like being outside ... anyway have fun indoors or out!

thanks, amarantha! actually i used to love the outdoors when i lived in southern ca a long time ago. i liked the fact that the desert, ocean, and mountains were all in close proximity there. hmm-thinking about my time in ca made me smile. at times, i really do miss it. ah well!

Cerise, truly sad about the death of your friend. I'll be thinking of you and his family. Reminds me once again that life is fragile and dear.

wsw, it's fun picturing you and your new wheels!

Amarantha, courage, my dear. Sounds like you and I are going thru the same thing--the dreaded food/fitness funk.I desperately need a plan, a REAL plan, not some vague jumble of ideas. So I'll be working on that.
Thanks to Wise Anagram for recognizing this dangerous trend in the queendom, and counseling us all to get this wily beast under control. I love the notion of a rededication!

I think I'll have to quit the 21-day thread for a while, as I can't get a 'toehold' on it--at all! It's just too discouraging for me to go back to Day One constantly. Maybe when I compose this plan....

Good news for me today. I found out that my insurance company accepted me into the less expensive catagory after I supplied them with the proper documents! Chalk up one for the little guy!

Eydie, it's 3:30 a.m. and I am pmg thee! Huzzah!

Cerise, I'm so sorry to hear of your friend's untimely death. I can imagine how helpless you feel...an unexpected loss is always so hard to grasp. I hope the news agencies can somehow help you get in touch with Callyn. I'm sure she will be grateful for your support, whether she accepts or not, and yes, it may be needed even more when all is said and done and everyone goes back to their normal lives. It is the weeks and months that follow that are more difficult, when quiet settles in and one is suddenly alone with their fears and feelings. Sometimes it helps to have support outside the family where one can show her true emotions rather than having to be strong and keep up appearances. Keep trying to let her know you are out there and bless you for it.

wsw, it makes me smile to picture you zooming around in your new wheels! I'm so glad you are getting the hang of it and enjoying it. Wonderful to hear you're feeling up to having dinner company, too, and cooking to boot!

Eydie, great news that the insurance company came around!

Amarantha, congratulations on banishing another half pound!!! Every bit counts!

I vote for a fresh start, too. I have had a horrible week food-wise, rushed for time every day...working all day, last minute prom shopping every evening before DD went to work, playing chauffeur to and from work for her and she doesn't finish until 11 or 12pm, so I'm losing sleep having to stay awake to pick her up, I have a brand spanking new gym membership so I've been dragging my hiney out of bed at 5am to torture myself....*sigh* I want to get back on track this week because I simply won't survive another week like last.

How about a short get-on-track challenge? Say, 4th of July? It's just two weeks, but I think a lot of us could use a fresh start and IMHO Labour Day is too far off. A two-week recommitment anyone? No poundage pledges, just two weeks of concentrated effort to be healthy. Food, water, exercise, rest. I think we can do that on our normal thread rather than starting another? Or not...majority can rule...

I'll check in later, after the gym. Hi to all!

[color=blue]Thanks for the congrats, Wildfire, but I just gained 2 pounds back!

I kind of like the idea of a Fourth of July sprint, but I would actually want to make a poundage pledge, others could make other goals ... could someone PLEASE post it today so we can have a clear two weeks! I need a turnaround NOW! I have a plan and if a Fourth Sprint goes up, I could come up with a goal. What sayest thou? If you post it, we will come ... at least I will~!

I'll be back!

eydie-so glad to hear your insurance situation worked out after your effort to bring it about.

wildfire-i too like your idea of a short 2 week kind of revved-up health (re-)committment challenge.

i am working on getting some paperwork sorted out that had been sitting here too long, and have been plodding through it this weekend. it's a pretty big pile, but i am proud of myself for sticking with it. i go through phases where i remain quite organized and then have lapses, as i did recently. oh well. i am a work in progress.

have a good rest of your weekend, royals. take care.

wsw

Okay, why don't we wait until this evening and if no one objects, I'll start a new general Palace thread featuring a two-week challenge?

Thanks, Wildfire! I'm beyond ready!!!!

Ready to recommit.

Just sharing my shake recipe for today. I made this for lunch in my Smoothie Jr. ... water, ice, Splenda, mixed melon pieces, grapes, peaches, cherries, half scoop whey protein powder, scoop soy powder, two Omega 3, 6 & 9 capsules, wheat germ, 200 calories and extremely filling.

Also beyond ready! Let's sprint, Queens!

Adding another recipe. Actually I got this idea from an infocommercial for a quite expensive mini processor that is exactly like the one I got for $9.99 at Wally World: Mixed frozen unsweetened berries, ice cube, Splenda packet, water (about a teaspoon). Process into a granita or sorbet, depending on how good your processor is. Eat. I'm going to try adding protein to this to get sherbert ... tastes like Italian ice only fresher. 60 calories, depending on the fruit.