Yahooo for the run, Ginny! Duct tape...it is JUST a necessary item on your shopping list by say ...FEB....no matter what run you take! BooHiss for the bad news from the doctor! YUCK! You're feeling ok.... it was just a check up, right?! Keep us posted! You'll be in my prayers tonight! .....No true offense taken about the South stuff! I admitted that I was exhausted AND didn't read all the posts! LOL My "real life" friend from Georgia was near hysterical when I told her that I was defending the South.... Her comment..."Like YOU know anything about the south, Robyn!" She also wanted me to warn *against* Arkansas and parts of Louisiana! ...and I have to add my own.... "Don't even slow the car down while traveling thru West Virginia!" NOW there is banjo country! LOL ....and you are NOT a da#$ yankee, my friend!

Summer.... did you faint?! You doing all right?! You're not ticked at me?! Are you?!

Mousie..... NEVER go off track?! I'd be nutIER.... I'm in love with Bill Cosby! I didn't get to hear all of his "stuff" this morning! That fourth kid is a lucky guy! Cosette is glad that you didn't vomit! AND I may never be able to NOT think of you when I hear that music! Hope the dr's appointment went well!

Kerry....Have a great time at the concert! You certainly deserve a fun night out!

Gotta run....
take care!

Ok- back for my round of southern jokes........
You know Robyn, Summer is not the only one who had a hard time deciding between. If my memory serves me at all, I believe General Lee agonized over his decision whether to fight with the north or the south.....but then the south won out in his decision.......actually- it was the Army of Northern Virginia... so we are not alone in our struggles over north vs south. To add to the list of states that you do NOT want to live in........I spent one semester at Purdue University (then transferred to Rutgers) and thought I had fallen off the face of the earth while at Purdue! A fellow student informed me that if I thought West Layfayette, Indiana was nowhere.....then Kentucky was the pits. So- let me add Kentucky to this lively discussion. I have an aunt from Georgia (whom my uncle used to tease mercilessly about being a hick!), and a dear friend who moved outside Atlanta. And I have heard lots of good about that area. One funny story about Florida- where my BIL lives (who is a retired police officer). Apparently, in the county he lives in, anyone can put up his/her own stop sign at the end of their street.
Then of course, if you were to run that stop sign, and get caught.....it is up to the officer who catches you (whether he/she likes the person who put up the sign is the criteria, I guess!) if he/she is going to ticket you. We are so regulated here in NY.....can't imagine anything that nuts!!!

Kerry- I am thinking of you at that concert.
BTW- I told Dh about the Dr's news.....no reaction....just like him. Now he is off with Ds getting driveway/pavement paint so that they can repaint the basketball court on our driveway. A very high priority job, indeed!!
Going out with both Dd's for a drive in the "new" car. See ya tomorrow!
Ginny

Sorry for the abrupt reply. DH had to peel me off the floor.

Who knew conducting research about some places I am considering moving to would instigate a cyber civil war for the new millenium?!

I certainly wouldn't be thinking about moving down south if I didn't find it attractive in a variety of ways. Sure, since I live in an area where real estate prices are obnoxiously inflated and I am in debt up to my ears, the fact that it is cheaper to buy a house down south would interest me. But, would I move there only for that reason? My mother didn't raise no fool. I love the thought of being surrounded by palm trees, being away from the hectic northeast, endless summer weather throughout the year. Hurricanes? Big deal. I've lived through hurricanes...I live on the coast...and I've lived through blizzards and ice storms too. My questions related mostly to education because I want to move where there is a good school system. When I moved to my current home, we chose it based it on the best school in a town we could afford. Is it unusual that I would want to find a good school where we would move? I have family all over the country, including the south, Virginia as a matter of fact, not to mention Florida (my inlaws, who know nothing about education, so I didn't ask them). I would never think of buying into all those stupid stereotypes. I think I am more intelligent than that. I was also gonna ask if anyone was familiar with Oregon, since my nephew tells me that it is also a more relaxed, laid-back area, and less expensive. But, right now, I'm afraid what trouble that might start.

So, my dear friend, and you know who you are, I love your mouth, your humorous sarcasm, etc... Just know that I never meant to open Pandora's box.

Another lesson learned.

Ginny, (thanks for the snail mail) Kerry, & Mousie, I will reply to your posts another time.

Let's see if I can hit everybody here...

Ginny: let us know what the cardiologist says! I hope everything is okay. I bet it was a surprise... I know getting the results of my hidascan a few months ago and finding out that I'd added another whole hormone group that didn't work to my list was a stunner!

Robyn: Yea, well... I'm sure Cosette IS glad I didn't throw up on her! I don't know what I would have done... I literally sat there throughout the first act with my fingers dug into my thigh because it was dark, there were stairs, and I was in a cast... I couldn't get to the restroom without killing myself! And then you know the bathroom lines during intermission! I heard some of the people behind me wondering just WHAT I'd had to drink!!! :0

Summer: Its okay... Robyn wasn't offended, and I hope I didn't offend anybody. I can answer your question about Oregon, also, since I know teachers there... A few years ago Oregon did something that changed their school funding, radically, in a bad way. My friends out there have told me that the schools have cut so far that they are into the marrow of the bone... never mind skin, fat, or bone itself! WE're talking no sports, no libraries, nothing but the bare necessities. One teacher I know said that her school hasn't been accredited by anything or anybody, including the state, in 10 years.
My impression that this is all over Oregon. The good thing is that it probably makes it one of the cheaper states to live in.
You might want to look at southern Washington State... its not far from the coast (only 1.5 hours from Seattle). I have friends there too... Richland was beautiful when I was there. A good mix of expensive and not-expensive, although this was in 1998. I kept saying I was going to move out there, and actually looked at the requirements for special ed teachers. But ultimiately didn't, because its just too far from my family in Pennsylvania.
All: The doctor's appointment was, well, interesting. I am not sure if I've told you all about my gastroenterologist or not... She's very earthy. I've never been told by ANY medical professional that I'm all f'd up before! She said that after reading my endocrinologist's reports, the results of the MRI, CT scan and numerous ultrasounds; and listening to me. She's right, of course, at least medically. But she's a truly wonderful person who really cares about her patients. I found out during the first appointment that one of the reasons that she believed the whole thing beyond the reports, was because she'd seen me at the gym. We belong to the same one. One of her offices (the practice she is part of has many offices) is right next to the gym. She pushed me today to do something in addition to swimming. I've been very unhappy lately because my weight-loss has stalled... and I need people to remind me (somewhat frequently lately) that I've lost SIXTY-FOUR pounds in a little less than a year. So, she did. But then, more importantly, when I said that I didn't know what else I could do at the gym, she offered to work with me at the gym! I mean, giving up HER evening to help me? Definitely beyond the call of doctorly duty!
Although, I have my doubts that a spinning class is something I should be doing at the present time. I even went back there tonight when she said she'd be there, but I couldn't find her... that's how I got in 130 minutes of swimming today, and 2 miles.

Summer, Summer, Summer, HoneyLUVVVVV ~~~ Offended? NOOO and I'm sorry that you misunderstood my post to be one of having a real bone to pick! Notttt even close to how this dear friend with the mouthy sarcasm meant it! I'm truly sorry that I hurt your feelings with my post! I KNOW and KNEW what you are searching for and why! I would also be seaching for the BEST place to live if we were moving! (And don't tell Ginny.... but my comments were REALLY back at her posts!)

Ginny... Thank you for the civil war humor! And for knowing that I wasn't drawing my saber to battle it out!! I truly wan't offended at the posts...EVEN the one where the northerners were gonna SAVE the city! LOL I'm sorry that your dh *reacted* to your medical news like a MANNNNN..... ARGHHH! Hang in there! Go love that puddy cat of yours! How was the drive in the new car?!

Mousie, your doctor sounds like a keeper! It is great to hear about a GOOD dr! LOVE the part where she is gonna work with you in the gym! THAT is beyond the call of duty....but might be JUST what the doctor ordered for you! How is the hand?!

Well.... I'm off to bed....going to HR for paperwork at 7 a.m. and then off to the new school and then off to move the junk to storage....yadda yadda yadda.... I've also got to price stop signs.... WHO knew that you could just stick one up where you wanted it! WHAT insanity!

Summer... forgive me, please! I'm sorry!


take care all!

The hand just looks nasty... All the dead skin around it fell off from the swimming, so its all pink and puckered... If it hadn't been a cat bite, I definitely would have had stitches, so it just looks gross. But its not infected: All the swelling is gone, it must have been fluid trapped under the dead skin. So, swimming helped it!
Yes, the gastroenterologist is a definite keeper. I just don't know how I'm supposed to get ahold of her to find out when she's going to be at the gym. I should've asked her if she did email: I'm kicking myself for not doing it, because I know she does IM... I saw it on her computer at her other office. I feel stupid calling her office and leaving a message about gym times!
And, ARRRGH!!!! I probably shouldn't say this, but I'm so sick of the holier-than-thou attitudes that some people have regarding weight loss. I'm tired of being told I don't work hard enough, or that I am not dedicated to my health or getting comments like, "Wow! Its so great that you exercise!" comments or "Dear, do you think you need that <insert not-so-healthy item like my wintergreen life-savers or my sugar-free ice cream here>?" from the old nosy biddy in the checkout line.
ARRRGH!!!!!! I've just reached my frustration level, I'm telling you... I'm going to lose it. I'm tired of the looks, the snide comments, and the pity. I feel like having a button made with some nasty saying on it about skinny people.
I'd probably never wear it though... It'd go in the same baggie as the other buttons that I buy and never wear... including my favorites (gotta end the post on a humorous note!):
1. Oh, no! Not another learning experience!
2. Of course I have a Lesson Plan!
3. Forms follow function, and often obliterate such (for all the freaking paperwork!)
... and...
4. If at first you don't succeed, become a school administrator.

Good morning!
Got another busy day- a rather boring safety meeting this am (but the consultant they bring in usually has some great student behavior jokes.....well at least from my perspective).

First of all - and this the LAST thing I will say about this Florida issue......I think it was in the post that I had writtent that got lost in cyberland. My intended comment about NY/NJ'ers moving to Fla was to imply that Summer and her family might not feel isolated there....as many others have preceeded them in a move to the South. And I certainly have bashed NYC'ers who have moved here to our rural county......so with my tail between my legs, accept my apology for starting this mess- and I will see if I can learn the second and third verses to "Dixie"! (are there any???)

Mouse- Yahoo!!!!!!!!! A good doctor. This one sounds like a keeper. I am so happy for you after all that you have been thru. I hear ya with the holier than thou attitudes about weight loss- get it all the time from some folks. Hang in there.....I have never tried spinning, let us know how it is! Love the line about if at first you don't succeed become an school administrator....never heard that one!

Summer- lets see, want my expert opinion about Oregon????? (ok Ginny, try not to insert your foot too far into your mouth here). Nope, I have none and no little about that area. All I do know is good- my Dad went there on business years ago and thought it was beautiful. Seriously, if you do want some info on Florida- especially the Spring Hill area, I could ask my SIL (I am rather close with her) to do some snooping for you. And I am so sorry I started all this turmoil.

Kerry- well, how was the concert!!!!!! Can't wait to hear.

Robyn-enjoy your moving!!! Are you getting excited??? When do you return to the citizen of the year status??

Gonna go turn on the news and go on the health walker for a few minutes.....
See ya later
Ginny

What??????Did I scare everyone away today!?
The only good thing about posting right after yourself is there is no way I can mess up in my response. But then I am rather good at chatting with myself.

What a day. The safety meeting went ok- got called in 30 minute earlier because I have students that have split custody. Now the district has decided to accomodate those families- and the kids can go back and forth according to the custody schedule. So these students will be on my bus when Mom has them, another when Dad does.....all works out ok except for times like the end of last year, when Dad tried to get his kids on a day that was assigned to Mom, and I felt like a moron radioing in to tell base that I could not let the kids off- not knowing Dad's intention. Well, base (bless them!) supported me- the Administrator thought I was being overly cautious.
Oh well, we went over all kinds of stuff like that......which reinforced my actions in the spring.
Then on to the main meeting........the State Police were there.....maybe I should move to Florida with the phoney stop signs!!!!!!!! Seems as though school buses (at least here in NY) are now being considered primary targets for terrorism.....and the very stern State Police officer explained all the details. (State Police along with the FBI and the Homeland Safety office) Scared the tar out of me......and most everyone else.
Maybe flipping burgers is in my future!

Anyway- Dh just came home( early) and Ds is making dinner (bless that kid, it is his first attempt). All I have to do is the veggies and cut up some fresh melon.
Hope that everyone is just busy- and ok!
See ya later.
Ginny
I'll go into it later if anyone wants to hear....

I'm here, Ginny... and everybody.
I had a rather interesting day. I called yet another plastic surgeon today; and spoke to his office nurse. The poor woman, I feel so bad for her... Long story short, she misunderstood me when I said I had an endocrine disorder that caused the development of a pannus. She thought I was referring to male genitalia... and tried to refer me to a urologist! I mean, I was obviously female talking to her on the phone! I cracked up. I just couldn't help myself!
Then I went to the gym, and learned how to use some of the weight-lifting machines, and one of the new recumbant bikes. And went swimming after that. Note the new entry to my sig... I figured I'd track the weight-training too, and can't think of a way to do it except by minutes. I'm not doing it to powerlift, so I'm not doing large amounts of weight. I can push 250 pounds with each leg, do a lat pulldown of 65 pounds, and row 55 pounds. Not bad for a mere beginner... but, it probably won't increase very much, I'm more likely to increase minutes or reps than I am weight.
I swam for an hour after that. I considered going back for the water aerobics class tonight, but its storming pretty heavily here, so I figured I wouldn't bother. The class will be cancelled because of the weather (no swimming during the storm), and the roads are bad because its rush-hour anyway.
I also talked to my endocrinologist today... She's a lovely woman, really. I wish I knew how to thank her. We went over the whole plastic surgery thing again, and now she's going to try tackling my insurance company on her own; she is going to call and try to get the medical director. I'm going to call more surgeons tomorrow... I'm becoming distinctly less picky, my only current requirements are that they aren't affiliated with Hopkins and that they are board certified. But my insurance company has such a horrendous reputation among plastic surgeons that I can't even get appointments with most of these people.
If anybody has any other ideas that we haven't alrady explored, let me know.

Hi Ladies,
We made it to the concert last night. I had a wonderful time. Josh Turner can really sing. Plus it helps that he is very handsome. My dh even had a good time.
My day was okay and busy. I got up this morning waiting on the stepkids to be dropped off. Only to have the ex bring them over to ask if they could go to the babysitter's today. So my dh told them that yes they could go if they wanted too. But they were not to call us and ask to come over today. The boys had made plans to go to a derby with my dh tonight. He told them that he was not going to be driving all over the place to go get them. If they wanted to go to the derby they had to stay at our house today. They said no. This kind of made me a little mad because I waited before going to Wal-mart to buy stuff for my classroom until after they got here. Their dad had a dentist appointment and I was just going to take them shopping with me and help me pick out stuff for my room. I could have really used their help today. So I went off to Wal-mart by myself. I got six of those rubber storage containers with 3 drawers on wheels, some dry erase markers, stickers, a calendar,two timers, some posters, two rugs, and air freshers. So I stopped at my house to get a sandwich and to ask my dh to help me take this stuff out to my classroom. He told me no that he had stuff he needed to do. So I left and carried all these stuff into my classroom. I had just sat the last storage cart down and it broke. So now I have to go back to Wal-mart and get another one. So I came home to have my dh pick on me and just really get under my skin today. I wanted to work on the computer this afternoon and type up some stuff for school. But I was not able to get near the computer since my dh and the neighbor boy was on it playing a game. I have a ton of stuff to get done before school starts and he was not helping matters by picking on me. Am I being selfish and *****y here? If so please slap me! So I think I am not going to go to water aerobics tonight since it is 63 degrees with a nice little breeze blowing. So hopefully this evening I can get some work done on the computer.
Tomorrow I am going to be very busy. I have a math inservice at my school's county office in the morning. Then I might run out to my classroom for a little bit. I have to cash my paycheck and pay bills. Go workout at Cuvres and then tomorrow evening go to the Relay for Life event and walk for a little bit. I was not very good at raising money for the Relay this year. I only got about$30-40. But I guess that is better than nothing. Then I have to come home and pack my bag. I am going to see my sister in Charlestown, WV on Saturday. We are going to go see a play and then on Sunday go clothes shopping. So I am just feeling a little stressed out right now. \
Mouse glad to hear that your hand is healing. I hope that you can meet up with your doctor at the gym sometime. That is great that your doctor is willing to work out with you. That goes above and beyond the call of duty. She sounds like a keeper.
Ginny sorry to hear that your meeting was a little scary today. That is just awful that people would terrorize school buses and innocent children and adults. There are alot of weird and sick people out there. So how was dinner?
Robyn and Summer hope you had a wonderful day today.
Take care,
Kerry

CLEAN SLATE.

Well, today I spent the morning at school working in my sweltering classroom. DD played while I worked. Get a load of this: The headlines on the front page of my newspaper announced that my superintendent's contract was not renewed! Tee hee hee!

Kerry, I have an idea. Why don't you throw your DH off balance by picking on him?! Wouldn't it be a fun experiment? Maybe if you just start acting like him, he will get the picture and realize just what he is doing to you. I do that to my DH sometimes just to let him know that he can't get to me anymore.


Mousie, you are such an inspiration for exercise. The amount of exercise you get on a daily basis amazes me. Thanks for the info about Oregon's school system. I wouldn't want DD going to schools like that, and I wouldn't want to teach in schools like that. I appreciate your help.

Robyn, I am so surprised that you are essentially "on call" until September 3rd. Is it for the same case, or for others that may arise?

Ginny, school buses are the new terrorist targets? God, these people are so sick, specifically targeting children. Whatever safety measures they tell you to follow, please follow. We want you to be safe.

Tomorrow, I will be cleaning and shopping for yet another BBQ. Then, in the late afternoon, I will be getting my light blonde hair colored back to my natural dirty blonde. I'm not looking forward to this. My hairdresser is going ballistic.

Well... Summer... I don't have a family here. Most of my friends are scattered across the United States, so I don't get to see them very often. I have unlimited long distance on my phone for a reason!
And I keep hoping that if I exercise JUST A LITTLE MORE, maybe, I'll lose some weight. Just maybe. Anything.
But, in any case, I'm not sure how I'm going to do it in the fall or do all of it... I'm spending almost 2 hours there a day now.

Morning Ladies,
Just a quick note before I start my busy day. Hey maybe if I do all this running around again today, I might not think bout food and eat less. Maybe that is a good thing huh.
The alarm went off at 7 and I just wanted to turn it off and go back to sleep. If I didn't have an inservice at 8:30 about the new math books at school, I would have.
But since they invited me, maybe I will get some new books. I don't have any of the textbooks that the reg. ed. teachers use. I have to supplement everything for my kids, but am told to try and teach them the same things that the reg. ed. kids are learning.
Summer it sounds like you are really sad to hear about your super's contract or the lack there of one. So how is the classroom coming along? I have a few more days in mine, before I will be happy with it.
Mouse sounds like you have a great plan for excerising. Hope all works out well for you. Is the hand healing better?
Robyn hope all is well with you. Have you gotten all your stuff from your old classroom yet? When do you start school in your new school system?
Ginny hope dinner was a success last night. So what are your big plans for the day?
Well I best be getting my butt in gear. Have to pick up my friend at 8. I still need to get a shower and get dressed. Talk to you all later
Kerry

Good morning!
Kerry- you sure were and early bird today. I hope your busy day goes well for you, and that maybe you find those math books helpful, and can get some good ideas from them. I am so glad that you had such a good time at the concert! And equally glad to hear that you went. Funny about Dh (mine can be like that too) just when you have a nice evening....and feel good about your relationship the next day they can be crumbs. Just in all your business today, make sure that you drink lots of water and have at least a healthy snack (to avoid some disasterous eating later from hunger).

Mouse- Awesome! Weight lifting is so good for you- and I am so happy for you that you started. It is a wonderful way to jumpstart a sluggish weight loss......you have I am sure heard it a million times before, but increasing your muscle mass does increase your metabolism. And unless you are taking testosterone, it is very difficult for a woman to become muscle bound. As far as thanking your endocrinologist- I would just tell her what a blessing she has been to you! Kind words can really make somebodies day, as we all know.

Summer- Shall we chip in and send you a box of tissues for the superintendent? The one in my district is making somewhere in excess of $125K a year- has installed a shower for his office (so he can run on the school track and the come back and shower privately) and basically acts as though he was related to Napoleon. (he is short). A real smoke in mirrors kind of guy....and has all these wonderful perks for himself, yet the computer equipment in the HS is broken all the time (but he sells the school on being state of the art......well, it is for the repair man! Ok Ginny, shut up). Hope your hairdresser keeps her mouth SHUT! Happy shopping......and preparing for the BBQ. Thanks for your concern for my safety. I am a royal pain the neck when it comes to safety, in a previous job as a staff engineer I was on the safety committee.
My students and parents know that is how I am too......I just pray for good judgement that if I encounter a bad situation I have the wisdom to see it and respond appropriately. The stories we heard from the State Police were hair raising....last spring at in school district just outside West Point (45 minutes from here) an unmarked vehicle was observed (by a driver) taping/photographing students exiting the bus at a stop. It happened for several days........same vehicle.....different stops.
The driver saw it - got the kids back on the bus and drove away, so everyone was ok.
Just kind of scares you- they never figured out who/what was behind that- could have been anything.

As for me, I sit here waiting for the soccer camp that Dd is in to update their web page regarding if camp is cancelled or not. It is pouring here......can't imagine that they will have camp. I hope to get out this am and drive my route, another NYS mandatory thing- all drivers must drive thru their routes with an empty bus before school begins to check that all directions are clear.......all houses located......good stuff like that. Gotta laugh- they have no directions for my HS afternoon at all, just the kids addresses. So, I have to go and check the map.....add them to the route sheet myself. (they totally changed my HS portion, which is fine by me, it was my elementary route that I really wanted). I went over all the counter terrorism stuff with Dh, and basically should not have bothered. He did care......but just became angry about the situation. Oh well.
Just got final word from the soccer camp- camp is still on, but they will make a final decision at 9 am when camp begins. Huh??????? So, I'd better go wake up Dd who is tired and really wanted the day off. Sorry for this endless run-on post. See ya later, and I hope everyone can find some joy in their day!!! (Robyn, how are you?)

Ginny