ChitChat #55
 

Hi ladies~

I have been on the computer since about 8:40 this morning but not on, if that makes since. I am multi-tasking, trying to do laundry and water the grass, and post! :) Thought I would get an early start on things. I am wanting to finish my book, Daddy's Little Girl. Started dozing last night so put it down and went to bed. Not sure why I was so sleepy. Anyway, want to get started on the Bleachers, and then do some scrapbooking this weekend. Also, do my wreath today, which shouldn't take long at all.

DS#1 came home yesterday with tickets to see Jessica Simpson in KC July 8th. He actually asked me if I would like to go. Told him not sure. I do like Jessica Simpson's music, but not so much that I would want to drive up to KC to see her. I checked it out though and it is at the Verizon Amphitheater, so it is outside which I think would be kind of nice, so may go afterall. He gets free tickets to events from people all the time at his job. He is a manager at a store, which I don't like. But the pay is good and he basically can make his own hours for the most part while he goes to school. Of course at this rate it may take him 4 years to get his bachelors. It only took him 4 to get his associates! Of course he took a year off and two of thos years he only did a semester because he keeps getting side tracked. I guess all that matters though is that he did get it! Then it is off to the dreaded AR! I think the Monday after, not sure how long I will be there.

Jen~glad to see you finally got some much needed sleep, also that slim fast is working out for ya. I never did care for the can shakes and bought the powder-maybe that's why I didn't lose anything?! Anyone who can get those down I applaud.

Jana~LOVE the new avatar! It's perfect! I saw somewhere and not sure why I thought about it now, but I don't have an Italian Charm bracelet either, just a regular one, double loop, or hoop whatever they call it. I think I have too many charms on it, but like it anyway. Every charm on there has special meaning so...Sounds like you guys are having the same weather we are. I tookt he trash out this morning on my way out and caught a breeze between the houses and got a chill-in JULY! Something is wrong there. I am making a grapevine wreath w/a yellow & green bow, and some ivy, mini purple daisies, white shasta daisies, and purple azalea spray. I hope it turns out nice. I thought the purple/white and touch of yellow would look pretty. I'm on a yellow and purple kick. The roses in the front are yellow, planted some ground cover in between that have purple flowers and have a pot of purple flowers on the porch. Not sure what they are though. Hope you and Mackenzie have a fun day.

Susan~keeping my fingers crossed in the hopes of you getting that job! :crossed: Hope little Miss Gaby is feeling better.

Marti~I would have to say you definitely got a work-out lifting all that wood. Hope your arms aren't too sore today.

Hi to everyone else, Angie, Sue, Shanna, Kathy, Katie, Rita, and anyone I may have forgotten! :wave:

Well, I have a few things to get done today so I will say Aloha for now. Take care and have a lovely day ladies. :sunny:

Morning--

I too have been on the computer but not on!! Been running here and there off and on and then come back to the puter!!

This is a quick post for now, since I really need to get to town and get some gasoline for the supra and deposit a check and yadda yadda yadda......

Just how interested are you with what errands I have to do?? Probably not at all!!

Anyway....I'm meeting up with Shanna later today. So I will post more later.

Marti

Yow! My kitten just ran and jumped on my legs like I were a piece of furniture. Now I have Freddy Krueger like scratches. Lovely.

Today was an incredibly llllloooooonnnnnnngggggg day. I had an all day conference on Alzheimers. And a couple of the speakers were not very good. Probably not the best place for me to be trying to stay awake on a Friday! Oh well, glad it's over. I did learn a few things so...I suppose it was worth it.

Jana - I don't have any idea what or where Montgomery is, so I guess it's not nearby! I'm so far west in IL that I can see over the Mississippi River to Iowa from my house. It's actually a great view. I figured it had to be healthy soup, the Amish don't eat all of the processed crud that we have grown to love.

Cristi - I say, if the weather's nice, enjoy a free outdoor concert. Not too sure if I would go see Jessica though. Does she have an opener? That's cool that your son gets the free tix. Don't get discouraged with the time it's taking him. I grad from HS in 91, nursing school (a 2 yr program) in 95, got an associates in science in 99, and my bachelors in 02. Honestly, taking my time was more fun and less stressful. I definately got more out of it later than if I were 19 or 20.

Marti - I would love to have a whole day to just run errands. I always feel so rushed, and I love to browse.

I don't remember what everyone else posted on the last thread. Must be my blond hair! Tomorrow is my official weigh-in after the 5 days on slim-fast. I'm excited!

Jen

Wow, where is everyone?

Marti~hope you and Shanna had a nice visit.

Jen~yeah, that's me too, not sure I want to see Jessica. It may be free but there still will be the cost of spending the night somewhere, just not sure she is worth it. No opener that I know of so...I think that will be the rate DS gets his degrees also. I know when he went off to college in Virginia, I thought he should wait a year. Didn't think he was ready to be on his own, and so far from us. Of course i was right, but would anyone listen? NO! but I realize as hard as it is and was, I had to let go and let him find out on his own. Good luck with your weigh in today. Sending some good vibes your weigh for a loss. :goodvibes:

Sending good vibes for everyone else that weighs in today. :goodvibes: Was going to say tomorrow but it is tomorrow. It's after midnight-duh!

Well, just wanted to check in and see how everyone's day went.

Have a GREAT weekend ladies!

sooooooo stressed...
 

Hi ladies, I've missed you. I have been so stressed the last couple of weeks. Since everyone's going on summer vacation and there is a lot of training going on at work, I've been being asked to fill in for the senior reps for various teams -- which is normally nice, about an extra buck an hour, and kind of a change of pace from my regular duties. Except I filled in for one senior for all of last week, another for Monday of this week, yet another for Wed-Thurs of this week, and now a fourth for all of next week -- and all of them work different hours, some starting at 6:45 am, others at 10:15 am, sitting at different desks, different supervisors who each do things differently and have different expectations...all the while taking escalated calls from really angry customers and trying to help newer reps by being available to give advice, answer their questions, and double-check their work.

Then, yesterday, my driver's side door didn't want to unlock. I finally got it to open, then couldn't get it to stay closed -- it wouldn't latch shut. Then I got it locked again, and it wouldn't unlock from either the inside OR the outside. I had to crawl over the passenger seat to get out, and I'm certainly not petite, so that was rather uncomfortable. I had already been living with no A/C, the driver's window wouldn't roll up and down anymore, radio wouldn't work (and everytime we changed the fuse it would blow immediately, meaning there was some underlying electrical problem), a check engine light was on so I couldn't get it registered and was waiting to hear from a state consumer assistance program to help pay for the repair so it would pass smog certification...

I gave up and bought a new Kia Rio. Never had a new car before. It seems pretty nice ( I asked for MANUAL door locks and windows), and wasn't as bad a price as some other cars might have been. I am really uncomfortable with taking on another car payment and the increase in insurance, but had to do something and was even more uncomfortable buying a used car with no warranty. The Kia supposedly has a 5 year/60,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty.

Then Tim met me at the car lot on his lunch hour to take a quick look at the car we were buying, and couldn't get the key out of his ignition, and couldn't turn his car all the way off. Either the interlock switch in the gear shift or the ignition is bad, and we don't know if it's covered under warranty. *sigh* So now his car is at the dealership, and they won't even know how much to fix it and if it will be out of our pocket or covered until probably Monday.

Anyway ladies, gripe gripe gripe, huh...I'm sorry. I'm just soooo tired and stressed. I'm going to bed now, 'cuz I'm just exhausted. Good night...

Good morning ladies,

Cristi - thank you for the card! That was sweet... and yes, we can try to reschedule our trip - maybe next year we can all meet in Oregon. Your wreath sounds so pretty! I like yellow and purple together, too. In the front of my house, I've got yellow daylillies with purple-ish tall phlox blooming now.

Marti - you must have got sidetracked at Michaels, or something? lol.... hope your weekend is going well.

Jen - my family and I moved to the country to take care of MIL who had Alzheimer's. I was her main caregiver, and there were days I thought I couldn't do it anymore. Finally got her into a Senior Day Care and they helped with her hygeine and ADL. She was in the nursing home for a while, too, but didn't do well there, so we brought her home. She passed away last Nov. at 93 y/o, which was a blessing. At least she didn't have to go through the last stages of the disease, I mean. She was a teacher with her Master's degree and if she knew some of the things she did, she'd have been mortified!

Katiecat - we've missed you too, friend. YAY for the new Kia Rio! Love that new car smell! Hope it doesn't cost too much for Tim's car to be fixed, though. Try to get some rest this weekend, okay?

Hi to the others....


Neal has a cold and it's doubtful that we will go to the baptism tomorrow unless he gets a lot better. Don't want the little babies to catch it! I may ride up with one of my sister's anyway.

I lost 1/2 pound of pure fat at weigh in today. I'm happy enough with that, since I lost so much last week, and knew this was coming.

Gotta go change my signature.... :D

Good Morning! :coffee: Where is everyone? Get your lazy butts out of bed and get going! I had my alarm set for 8:00, but I guess after a week of 3-5:30am, my body thought 6:30 today was late enough. Funny, my brain isn't ready!

Katiecat - I am sorry about your last couple of weeks. Things run in 3's right? Hopefully this is it for awhile. I have a hard time following one boss, I can't imagine that many different ones. But then again, I think mine has multiple personalities! I have a hard time keeping a car without a warranty. I've got no family nearby that can run me to work, but then again I need a car to do patient visits while I am working, and I don't have a second car. It's either keep a new car with some sort of warranty so I can muscle the dealer into a loaner :devil: , or get a back-up car. And once a car starts hitting your pocket book on a regular basis, you might as well make payments and be sure it's not going to break down, or if it does, its covered.

I finally went to 1800petmeds. What took me so long? If I order from them instead of getting them from my vet, it's a $110 savings every 6 months! I think I need to get them a prescription card! That is a sizable savings. I'm going to talk to my vet, maybe they'll adjust, otherwise I'll have them transferred.

My weigh-in was today, officially. I'm up 2 lbs from yesterday. I figured some of it was water weight and I would get it back anyway. But my fingers feel awfully tight, so I think it's too much water now. I'm still down 4.5 lbs since Monday! Yay! I'm going to continue on the modified version. It's still keeping me away from all of the sweets!

I have to go get busy. House to clean, yard to mow, weeds to pull, and a patient visit later. UGH!

Jen

Good morning everyone!
Been up since 6, drank some coffee and read the paper. Dick Cheney needs to have his mouth washed out with soap! I'm such a mommy....I kept thinking, "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" I should talk. I've been know to swear like a sailor at times, but parenthood has definitely motivated me to clean up my act.....

Christi - I graduated HS in '83, but didn't get my BS until '90, then an Med ( Masters in Ed) in '94. Took my own sweet time on all of it. I had to pay my own way through, and took breaks to work. It's true that everyone just has to do these things their own way. I would have liked to go straight through and have a few more years at my career before staying home with kids. I also know that I was a better and more motivated student when I had to take a break and work in the "real" world for awhile. Your son sounds like he has a good head on his shoulders and is doing well for himself.

Katicat - sorry about the car troubles. Your new car sounds cute. Don't write off used completely, though. We've had good luck with used. We only get used cars that Consumer Reports recommends and we run a Carfax. We have a 95 Honda Civic - before that it was an 81 civic - boy the stories that car could tell! Hondas last forever, I tell you. Our 7 y/o son will probably inherit the 95 when he learns to drive - and that's not an exaggeration. Check out kelly blue book online (kbb.com) or edmunds.com - they are great resources for car info.

Jana - WTG on your continued success - Hope Neal feels better soon. Your yard just sounds lovely - I'm hoping to get out in mine today - I have a bunch of compost to spread, then I'm hoping to plant some violets in the gaps of our rock wall in the back yard. Also need to finishing clearing out the old peas - they are done for the year.

Jen - good job on the weight loss! Keep up the good work - looks like slimfast is getting you off to a good start. A view of the Mississippi from your house? Sounds like a pretty place. You ought to post a pic over in the pictures thread. I imagine sitting on a porch swing sipping a lemonade and meditating to the sound of the river - sigh.

Well, VBS is over -thank goodness. It was fun, but all the little toddlers I was watching were getting a little strung out by Friday a.m. They didn't want their mommies going anywhere! But we muddled through and everyone had a good time. I was exhausted last night! So today, I am looking forward to catching up on some stuff around here. I've really wanted to get to the yard. I also need to hang some laundry and do some planning for next week. My SIL and her family are in town and coming over for a barbecue - so need to make sure we're ready for it. Then we take off for a long weekend in Condon, OR to spend the holiday with my mom. So - another busy week coming up.
Congrats on all the good weigh-ins so far!
RK

Good morning ladies,
Kate, If I could get rid of my van I would...it has cost me so much money, with transmission, brakes, and everything else...yesterday Brandon and I are were almost standed. The Temp gage went really high, there was bells and lights flashing,,,it was like being in Vegas...
And this is after having it in the shop last month for that same reason...duh I called the garage and freaked on them...they tried to tell me I hadn't been in since Oct. My BP must of went as high as the temp gage...lol
So why did you pick the KIA? I am starting to look for a new vehicle cause I know soon I will take a blow torch with a can of hairspray to the van...grrr

Jana tell Neil I hope he gets better soon, having a cold in the summer seems more terrible I think.

Susan....sooo??

Brandon's appointment just amde me more nervous. The Dr. checked him over, called in all these interns, and other DR. to look at his feet. I was told this wasn't common,,,and his were severe. Brandon what a great kid,,,cracked jokes about feeling like a petting zoo. They poked and prodded him...and he had more x rays , which showed that it wasn't his bones as were told, but it may be his cartilage,,,which would make surgery more difficult. So we wait for a few more tests,,,CT scan and bone scan,,,from there they will decide how best to go from there.

Well I should get my face and hair on...
hope you all have a great weekend...
Angie

Morning ladies--

Yesterday was a fun afternoon and evening. I got to spend some time with Shanna...she came over and played with the kittens....I kept telling her to take one home! She really wants to, but she left without one. So I may just have to bring a surprise to her doorstep!! ;)

James took me out to dinner last night. I was going to head to Subway for a sandwhich, but he suggested Mexican food. I was all up for that. Now...have any of you EVER seen a menu that did NOT serve SALAD??? I couldn't believe it! My most favorite thing for mexican food is Taco Salad! Nothing! Was amazed. Ended up with seafood Chimichanga and only ate half. I didn't even take the rest home!!

On our way home we drove down main street and saw one of James' old friends (his best friend for years until he moved to Portland) and so we stopped. Now this friend had moved to Portland and had gotten into some bad drug habits (heroin---bad drugs)and stuff...lost contact with James for like 10yrs or so. Just recently came back in touch around the holidays. At that last visit...James was trying to help him get his life on track. Told him to move back to town and away from the drugs, get a job (even told him where he should go) save some money to get a car and straighten up. When we ran into him yesterday, it had been since Christmas since we seen him, he told James that he moved back a couple weeks ago, went to where James suggested and got the job, got a car and is saving money to get his own place. And he really wants to change his life!! Now how is that? Made James day. He was smiling the whole way home!! I was happy to hear the good news. This guy is a good person, just ran into some bad people and got stuck. He was inspired by James and how much he has changed since highschool and how much he's made a difference in himself. Such a great success story!! :D

***whew**** long winded there wasn't I? I will have to do individuals later on since this is already a long post.

You all take care...James and I have a long list of things to do today!

Marti

everything looks brighter in the morning :)
 

Hi ladies!

About my post last night...I was really stressed and worried and so exhausted I was literally nodding off while I typed. I feel some better this morning. I am still kind of worried about taking on the car payment and the increased insurance, but we can do it, we'll just have to watch our budget and find some ways to economize.

Angie, that's funny, my husband was talking about setting my old car on fire, too :flame: We picked the Kia specifically because it is supposed to have a 5 year/60,000 mile bumper to bumper waranty, and a full 10 year waranty on the drive train. It's not the best-rated car, not the best performance or most comfortable, but it's fine, decent gas mileage, one of the lowest prices for a brand new car, and that waranty is what really sold me. I'm so sorry to hear about Brandon's feet! Has he always had problems with them while he was growing up, or is this just something he's developed as a teenager?

Rosiekate, I agree...up until now, I've been totally opposed to buying a new car, because they depreciate as soon as you drive off the lot. But I figure I don't plan on reselling this, I just need something reliable. I've always bought used before, and had a phone # for a CarMax rep to call...but when the driver's door wouldn't unlock, it became a matter of necessity to get another car immediately, and I didn't have any time to shop around. And the cost of a decent reliable used car for us -- in this state, about $8000-$11000, plus an additional $1500-$2500 for a waranty, and the new Kia with the waranty included was $13120 out the door, tax and license included.

Jen, good start on your loss! Are you just doing the Slimfast plan? I read a consumer's report recently that said the Walmart Equate brand of the dry shake mix was pretty good. I don't like Slimfast in the can, but when I was a kid I used to like Carnation Instant Breakfast :) If I could find something like that... Good to hear your recommendation for 1800PETMEDS. My husband was talking about trying them, especially since our cats get really freaked out if we try to take them to the vet -- they hate being in the car or having strangers touch them. Poor psycho little things... LOL

Jana, hope your Neal feels better soon. Summer colds can be miserable. Congrats on your continued success, love your new avatar!

Cristi, the wreath you are making sounds pretty...I like yellow and purple together. :)

Oh, one more piece of good news -- Mike, my 18 year old who is moving in with us next week, just got a job at Walmart, in the photo department! :) It starts out paying more than stocking or rounding up shopping carts, and the hours are better. It's within biking distance, less than a mile I think, so he'll have no problem getting there until he can get his license and get insured. I'm proud of him.

OK...gotta get busy here. Everyone have a great weekend, and I'll try to check in and read the latest news later on today...thanks for the sympathy, and listening to my woes....

Katie

Hi Ladies~
 

Jana~you are welcome for the card, and I am hoping to reschedule sometime. Although, I don't know about meeting in Oregon. If I were going on the west coast it would probably be to CA but don't see that happening anytime soon. Now if everyone wanted to meet somewhere in between IN & OR that would be fine & better. You guys may have to get together without me otherwise. :( Hope Neal gets to feeling better, and congrat's on your loss this week! :bravo:

RosieKate~I always heard Hondas are GREAT cars, as well as Toyotas. V had a 4Runner he had over 400,000 miles on and was still running great. My Aunt was a Toyota person, of course her in-laws owned a Toyota dealership so they got one free, but she has since switched over to a Honda, her and my cousin and they love them! I love the new Honda SUVS but they are a bit costly. DS does have a good head on his shoulders, and who knows maybe in a few years he will be working in Corporate Law as planned.

Katie~I like the Kias, the Kia Sephia (sp?) gets me, just the name of it. Glad you are feeling better this morning. Sounds like Mike has a good head on his shoulders, WTG!

Marti~isn't that great to hear about James' friend? I can only imagine how James was feeling. :) It is truly a good feeling when you can do good for others or inspire them to do good.
Okay, you and your sea food at a mexican restaurant. fish tacos and now a seafood chimichanga! Tell me what is in a seafood chimichanga?? I have had a shredded beef one, which are good but didn't even know the made seafood ones.

Angie~geez, poor Brandon. I hope they get to the bottom of it soon. I know how ya feel about burning your van! I swear mine for a while was a big pain in the booty. But it's running fine now, knock on wood.

Jen~you made me laugh at the thought of you trying to stay awake at the conference about Alzheimers. My cousin works at Baylor University and gives conferences all over. She studied patients with the disease. Congrat's too you also on your loss this week. Glad the slim fast is working great for ya.

Hi to everyone else! :flow1:

Okay, I guess I best get off this thing. I have some scrapbooking to do and need to vacuum. That's about all that is on my agenda for the day. Have a great day/weekend ladies. :wave:

Good Morning-

Just really super fast because I am late, late!

Gaby is back to her normal active 28 month self!

No word on the job Ang, not til Monday,

Weighed in at 140 this morning! YAY- maintaining -

Les came by last night with flowers (some sunflowers in the bunch, my favorite, he remembered I said that up at the Rose Garden) and kept me company. We walked some around the neighborhood and he held my hand......and gave a kiss good bye. We were going to get together this evening and do something. He will probably meet Gaby-

So best get!!!

ttfn...........catch up later- sorry for the quickie ;(

Hi Ladies,

Jen - I think we were posting at the same time.... YAY for your loss!! :cp:

RosieKate - have fun at the BBQ with your family. That sounds like a lot of fun. I've got to start thinking about our July 4th party!

Angie - when will you know about the CT and other tests on Brandon's feet? Sounds like he's taking it like a trooper, though. Makes a mom nervous when they start calling in everybody for a look-see, doesn't it??

Marti - glad you and Shanna had a good time yesterday. What good news about James' friend! People really can turn their lives around if they are motivated enough. I'm with Cristi - leave it to you to eat fish at a Mexican restaurant, lol!!!

Katiecat - too bad you don't live close to me because I'd get to know your son very well, since he's working at the photo booth at Walmart. I take my digital Memory Stick in and get pics in one hour all the time. All the empoyees know me and all my grandkids just from photos, lol.

Cristi - California sounds good to me, too, but I was thinking that if we met in Oregon, those JLs who live there could save a lot of $$, lol. Who knows when that would ever happen anyway. I say lets all meet in Aruba, lol!!

Susan - awwwww, your date with Les sounds so sweet. Speaking of kisses, I told Neal I need more passionate kisses, like the song says... lol. He's been doing his best to oblige!

My new pic is me without my glasses. I have an appointment for contacts on Wed. Tried them years ago w/o success, but they have made a lot of progress with them since then. Not sure about the whole thing though.... may go with the new frameless poly glasses....

BBL,

Hey there-
All done with the yard - for today! Yikes! My body is talking to me! It just felt really good to get out there and get dirty. After being with the little kids all week, I needed some serious exercise. My yard is all mulched and weeded and just looks great. Trouble is... the more time I spend in it, the more I see that I want to do. Sigh. It's a 9500 Sq. Ft. lot and the house is small, so that's alot o' yard. I have to tie myself to a chair to keep me out of the nurseries....too spendy

Katie - so glad you are feeling beter today. It's going to be a huge weight off your mind to have that warranty. I hate having car problems with a passion. With us, we don't have cars that break down, but my lovely DH drives like a bat out of he** and has a bad track record with his cars. Keeps getting rear-ended. He also insists on having a CD player in his car, and he's a high school teacher at an inner-city school. So guess what? They keep getting stolen! So a warranty doesn't really help us all that much.... but, boy are we glad we are insured, lol

Christi - another mom at VBS just bought a new Honda Pilot and it is a nice looking SUV. I'm not an SUV person, but this one almost converted me. We would still have a Honda for our family car, but we really need a wagon since we like to camp. If Honda made a wagon we'd be all over it. We made a major car purchase a year ago. We had a 92 Accord that we loved, but it was just too small for camping with two kids. Here's the scenario....Neither of us wants an SUV. DH wants a minivan - I want a wagon. We do the research and narrow down the choices to a Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, and Subaru Outback. I didn't want a van but was willing to test drive. Well, I loved the Odyssey! That soccermom in me was rarin' to go in that thing...but our budget definitely did not like the Odyssey. My fave car was the Outback, and that's what we ended up with. I highly recommend it. It's a very reliable car, affordable and if you don't want an SUV but need the space, they are great. we bought it 1.5 yr's used, so it was still on a manufacturer warranty - haven't had to use it.

Marti - I hate going into restaurants that have no greens on the menu. Ugh. You made some good choices.....MIL wants to take us out to celebrate my birthday/anniversary/end of school - we'll probably end up at Izzy's 'cause there'll be something for everybody. I'm mentally preparing myself now...all you can eat places are tough - I want it all! My body thinks it's never going to get another meal or something....aargh!


Jana - I really like your new picture. If the contacts don't work, frameless glasses are a good option. If you can still get to my pictures I posted, I believe I'm wearing mine in them. I wore chunky frames for along time and after while, I felt like i was hiding behind them. The lighter ones barely feel like they are on my face. As far as a get together goes - Orgeon would be fun! I mean we have the Pacific Ocean, you know. And all our beaches are public - Can't say that about CA! Speaking about something in between - we ought to have a cowgirl weekend on a dude ranch in Montana or something like that. Or maybe a spa in Arizona or New Mexico in the winter when the weather is really dismal where we live..... oh, the ideas just keep coming... somebody stop me!

oops - out of time. Hello to everyone else, hope the weekend is going well for everyone
RK

Hello girls!!
 

Evening ladies--

What a busy day we have here!! Time for quick individuals!

Katie--Good for you for getting a new car. Don't feel bad...you'd rather be in a safe car then a car that you can't shut the door with don't you? Can you imagine being on the freeway and then it popping open? Or....something worse like a carjacking?! I think you did a good thing. Must always be safe!

Jana--Like the new picture. Wish I could see a bigger one though. Hard for me to see. (Maybe I need glasses!) Did you have that taken recently?

Cristi--Yep...did the seafood at the mexican restaurant. What was I thinking? :lol: It had, shrimp, crab, and scallons and it was tastey! Didn't want to take it home though. The Chimchanga would have been too soggy the next day and that just didn't sound appealing to me.

Angie--Your poor son's feet!! I was going to ask the same thing as Katie..about if he was born with it or just recently developed it.

Jen--James & I have used petmeds before too. Very nice to use to save money. Our vet didn't have a problem with us going through them either. We get the dogs heartgard from them.

RosieKate--I like your idea's for meeting up!! Can't we all just go somewhere tropical? :D I would like to meet up sometime...just have to wait until next year for me to be able to afford it. But you girls here on the west coast....we ought to get together some time.

Susan--Your man sounds like a keeper!! How sweet to bring flowers!! I love sunflowers and daisies! My two favorite! Hope you have a wonderful evening together!!


Hello to the rest of you girls out there.

Well I'm off to help James clean up our patio. We bought some plants and we bought two standard Koi fish today. Put them in our tank with the eel. We want to eventually have a pond....but we may not make one here at this house. Want to eventually move to a bigger house in the country. (Miss the quiet!)

Have a great night ladies

Marti

Marti - yep, it was taken today. I PMed you a bigger shot.... didn't have the guts to post it here for everyone to see all the wrinkles! One thing, if I do get contacts, I'm going to have to spiffy up my eye makeup... But I really think I'll get the rimless glasses instead. The ones with no glare....

Jana~I did NOT recognize you at all! WOW! You look like a totally different person. I too wish I could see it bigger. Are you sporting a new do and hair color? Your hair looks shorter and a lot darker. And I am wearing my glasses. I thought about getting contacts at one time, not sure I could deal with something on/in my eye. And I feel fine wearing glasses.

Anyway, was just checking in real quick, didn't plan on posting but had to comment on Jana's purdy picture!

Talk to you all tomorrow. :wave: Nighty night!

Happy Sunday to You,

RosieKate - bet your yard is great looking! I've got a pic of you with your family at the beach, but I don't see any glasses on you at all.... was there a different photo? :?:

Marti - Neal screened in our patio and I love sitting out there with no bugs! I just love a patio, don't you? :coffee: I take my coffee out there most mornings and watch the birds.

Cristi - I turned the flash off the camera for this shot - the flash makes my hair look brassy, I think, because an amber light flashes, too. Plus, I've just had a fresh dye job, lol. :o I'll PM you a bigger copy, too, if I can still get it.

Well, we're going to Indy after all today, to my nephew's twins' baptism. I have allowed 10 points for the meal, and since they are very health conscious, there shouldn't be a problem. I dread the drive up there and back, though....

I gotta tell you guys, I've done some sort of exercise every day for over a week, and see a pattern in place. I walk the dreadmill..... er, treadmill every other day and on the in-between days, I do arm exercises and crunches. Just wanted to share that..... Btw, the headphones for the treadmill ROCK!! I've been watching "Beaches" and love all the sound effects.

Be good, and I'll try to check in later tonight.

Another new avatar????!!!

Okay, since you guys say you can't see me very well, I took another picture - not in front of a door, lol - in the playroom, and here it is. I can't believe how many wrinkles there are around my eyes! When did this happen??? Anyway, I'm done playing with the avatar for awhile, but wonder...


Where's your new picture?????

Hey Jana - I am wearing my glasses in the other two pictures - but you can barely tell. In the one with my daughter there is a slight glare off the lense. Hope you have a great time at the baptism today -glad Neal is feeling better.

Those aren't wrinkles - they are evidence of a happy life! Besides I can't see any in either of your pictures anyway....Now MY pictures are another story. I have this Irish complexion and I've been living with crow's feet for a long time. But, darn it, I refuse to give up smiling!

I'll try to check back in later for individuals, until then - have a great Sunday everyone

RosieKate

Morning ladies--

Jana--Like the advatar....I'm still trying to figure out how to resize mine......so I must really be a dummy!! :dizzy: I told James to take a head shot of me to change my advatar...and as soon as I figure it out...I will change mine!

I've got some running around to do but wanted to pop in real quick. I will do individuals later too!!

BBL

Marti

Hiya ladies~
 

A happy Sunday to all!

Jana~another new avatar?! I keep forgetting to put a photo up, of course I am not sure I want to use my mug as my avatar, not yet anyway. I keep meaning to post some recent pictures. It is amazing how different you look. Glad you are enjoying the treadmill. I need to get back inthe habit of doing exercise at least 3 days a week. Have a nice day at the baptism.

You ladies and yoru talk about your patios. I enjoy our deck. In the morning it is not so bad but towards the evening the bugs are terrible. Might not be so bad if there wasn't an empty field behind us. :shrug: It would be nice to have a screened in porch. I enjoy being outdoors.

Marti~the seafood chimichanga sounds good. A pond would really be nice, seems they are the 'in' thing, that and water fountains/waterfalls. I too love sunflowers, have them everywhere in my kitchen. But my all time fav flower is the carnation.

RosieKate~a friend of mine has an outback and loves it. And they don't have kids. I have only had one SUV but wanting another as I have been a mini-van person for about 10 years now. I am ready to move on to something a little bit smaller. I am wanting either a Ford Escape, Hyundai Sante Fe or a Saturn Vue, with the Saturn being on the top of my list. Of course nto sure when that will happen. I am going to have to take a look at your pictures again. I thought I remember you wearing glasses, not sure now.

Speaking of ideas, what about Vegas??!! That would be a cool get together and so much fun. But a weekend at a spa in Arizona or New Mexico sounds nice also. I only mentioned CA because they have TONS to do there! That and I have friends there and an Aunt that I need to visit sometime in the near future. Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Magic Mountain, the beautiful beaches, Catalina Island, tons of places to shop, Lake Tahoe, Carmel/Monterey, etc. I could go on and on. Of course I am sure Oregon has just as many places to see also.

Susan~so how was your date with Les? Did you have a date last night, or am I thinking of a few days ago?? I swear I think I am losing my mind. That is so sweet he brought you flowers.

Hi to everyone else. :wave:

I guess I best get off this thing, V is home from work. Had to work overtime this past week and a half. Need to get out and do some weeding, get a couple loads of laundry done. Anyway, have a good one ladies. See ya later :wave:

Hi ladies,

Rosie Kate - wow, I can't even tell you have glasses on in the one picture I printed.... I'll have to go back and check out the others.

Marti - when James has time, maybe he will help you with your avatar. I use a digital camera to load mine to the computer in the first place, so I'm not sure how else to do it.

Cristi - I think I look so much better w/o glasses, but the more I think about it, the more I'm pretty sure I'll get the rimless ones instead of contacts. About the treadmill, I can't believe how much better I feel after I walk on it! I don't go too far or too fast yet, but I do what I can.

Hi to my other Jaded Buddies..

Neal woke up with a head cold, so we didn't go to Indy. I called my nephew to explain, and he said they'll be back down here on July 4th, so I can see them then. Picked and cooked some green beans... boy are they good! And we had a fresh tomato, too, right off the vine.

BBL,

I'm back!

Christi - If you are looking for a mini-SUV, my MIL has a Subaru Forester that she just loves. Just FYI - The ones you've mentioned sound good, too. I've admired the Saturn one. I've heard people say they are very reliable, but can be uncomfortable, so get a good test ride in! I love Monterrey and would go back in a heartbeat......

Jana - I tried to find a pic of me with my dork glasses on, but don't have any loaded on my computer at the moment. But if you could see the difference - the rimless just open up my face; you can actually see my eyes! I was visualizing them on your new avatar and I think they would look great. That is such an attractive picture! I can't wear contacts because of astigmatism...don't think I would want them anyway, my eyes are so senstive. I rarely wear eye makeup anymore cause my eyes tear up...that's SO attractive!

Marti - you're going to do a new pic, too? Do I sense a new trend? You mean I need to get rid of my picture from when I was 18 months old? Darn! Hee hee. As far as resizing goes, next time I'll use Jana's dummies one, but I just went into an edit program and chopped it down until the site accepted it. I have really good "fat face" ones I should use as an avatar to help me keep my eye on the prize....


Today was relatively uneventful. A gorgeous weather day. I finished planting out my rock wall, then gave the back yard a good watering. We are cleaning up the yards because the family will be descending on Wednesday for a barbecue and that is a great motivator to get all this stuff done. With DH and I home, we've weeded and mulched all the beds, seeded the lower lawn, re-finished the picnic tables and tonight DH is restaining the deck. It all looks great! And we are bushed! Leigh was a little under the weather, so I kept her home from church today, but I guess I missed a good sermon. I hate it when that happens. Our senior pastor is a wonderful preacher and storyteller. He's been out of town on a mission to build homes in Mexico, so I was bummed to miss his first sermon back from the trip. Oh well, next time.

Hope y'all had a great weekend - I sure did. the upcoming week will be very busy... That's good...keeps me from obsessing about food ;)

RosieKate

Good Morning Ladies,

RosieKate - I also have astigmatism and although the people at the doc's office say they make contacts for that, I'm not going there. Your yard sounds so nice - with over 9000 sq.ft., I know there's always something to do! If you told me what's happening Wednesday, I forgot! We're having the 13 of us here for the 4th, but that's next Sunday, right? Hope Leigh is feeling better today...

Angie - your pic would NOT download for me.... can you resend it, maybe through PM?

Hi to the other JLs...

Today I'm going to hem some t-shirts. Why they make some of them to come all the way to the tops of your thighs is a mystery to me! And here I am, 5' 9" tall, I can just imagine how some of you shorter ones feel.

BBL,

Morning ladies--

How was everyones weekend? Mine was a busy one. Did some cleaning up around the yard and patio...but now our patio looks worse than when we started!! :lol: That's my job for today.

Wanted to pop in for a min while I had time to say good morning. I think I need some coffee :coffee: .....sleepy here!! (got to bed around 2:00)

I will post more later when I'm awake.

Marti

Happy Monday All~
 

Don't really have much to say but wanted to check in and say Hi. Went to the library this morning and checked out some more John Saul books. The guy writes some creepy some but it seems I am obsessed-got two more. Trying to get through the Grisham book-Bleachers. Unless you are a football fan it is not the book to read. I am a football fan but this book is boring to say the least. Going to get some much needed house cleaning done today, other than that not much going on. Didn't get to the scrapbooking so maybe that will be something I do today. I need to get the stuff in order before I start-one step at a time. I was afraid to weigh in this morning for some reason, but am happy to report a 2 pound loss. Yippee!! Now to keep it going.

Jana~where do you get the t-shirts?? I ask because I actually like some long shirts. Love wearing them with leggings, also don't like my big booty showing. I try to get a shirt a size bigger sometimes thinking maybe it will be longer, some are some aren't. Most are just wider.

RosieKate~hope lil miss Leigh is feeling better. You guys have really been busy on your yard. We finished our front and will be doing the back now, well part of it. We are going to do some cementing and brick for a patio up against the house and that won't be for a while-I think.

Anyone have any suggestions on trees to plant?? Not sure what I want to put back there. We put two maples in the front because I love the color of the leaves in the fall, and they are not messy-no fruit, nuts or anything to fall off other than the leaves. Which as small as they are now there won't be much raking for years to come. Anyhoo, said I didn't have much to say and I start blabbling :blah: :blah: :blah: Almost forgot, I am going to try and post some new photo's today and will probably only leave them up for a day or two. Okay-did add some recent photo's if you want to take a peek. One is of me and V on our anniversary. I have to say in all the pictures I am wearing 2 inch platform shoes so it looks like I am a little taller than I really am. And even though I am as big is as I am I like that I look small next to V! :D The other two photo's are of me and Jason at his ceremony, and Carrie has her back to the camera, of course she is wearing her silly hat.

Hope everyone is doing fine and having a wonderful day. Chat with ya later. :wave:

P.S. Hiya Marti~guess we were posting at the same time. You sound like me, I was up till 1 pm watching tv or I should say trying to watch tv. I dozed off a couple of times and then finally turned it off.

Hiya ladies,

Marti - hey girl, aren't you awake yet?? Why does your patio look worse now? I don't understand.... Btw, did you get my photo in your PM?

Cristi - :cp: YAY :cp: for the 2 pounds down!!!! Doesn't that feel so good!!! I tried to warn you about that particular John Grisham book, lol. But his other stuff is so good, and he does write so well.... it's just that I hate football, and just about gave up on the book! The t-shirts are Just My Size from Walmart, and Mountain (something) from Goodies. I checked out your pics and left a message on the other thread...

Okay Miss Susan, Now that you have a Real Life, we hardly hear from you, lol. Take your mind off Les and come tell us hello, you stinker.

I haven't accomplished much today. Did the hem on one shirt, and it looked kind of puckery, so I left the others alone. The phone lines got pulled out of the ground by a machine that was scraping the road, (don't ask) so I've been w/o the computer til just a little while ago. Neal is cooking spaghetti tonight, YAY for that. I get burned out sometimes...

BBL,

Hey Jana~after Neal cooks for you guys send him on over here to cook. :) I too get burned out but V works so much he is hardly home for dinner. The kids would make a huge mess or I would let them, that is if they would, yeah right! Maybe I will throw a Lean Cuisine or HC dinner in the micro. I guess every writer has to have at least one flop and I think Bleachers is John Grishams flop. But I will finish it, somehow. I will have to check out the t-shirts. And yes it does feel good to lose and I look forward to losing so much more-thanks to you! You have truly motivated and inspired me to do so. That and taking that good long look in the mirror. I need to do that more often.

Okay, I need to get going. Not sure why I have checked in so much today. Haven't been able to stay away from 3fc. Gotta go get dinner started. See ya...:wave:

Hello gals--

Well I did eventually wake up....didn't grab any coffee though. James wanted to run to some 2nd hand stores.....wanting to make our home look more country. Make it look like a cozy grandma's house. James idea....really shocked me that he wanted something like that. He surprises me sometimes. Told him that he just keeps giving reason to love him more and more!! :love:

Cristi--Hurray on the 2lbs.!!! :cheer: I'm so happy for you!! I completely forgot to weigh myself saturday and instead of weighing in the next day I just wait until the next week. You're going to do great!! Are you doing WW?

Jana--We were cleaning the patio, and after getting all our stuff together to try and make this fountain.....we cluttered it up!! So today I've been SLOWLY working on it. Been really hot out and I don't like working out there unless it's early morning or in the evening when it's cool out. I still need to mow my front lawn. I did the back yesterday and said....to H*** with the front--to hot!! :lol:

Well James and I have been eating really well the last few days. We've bought all kinds of fruit...and we've been eating lots of veggies...then today.....that man---went and bought hamburgers. So I had one. And a milkshake!! Such willpower I have! NOT!! Back on the drawing board for dinner though. James is on the swing shift so I'm on my own for dinner. Left over veggies....Love them!! Been a steaming freak!!

Ok...I'm babbling over nothing here!!

Hello to the rest of the girls!!

You all take care and I may be back later
Marti

Forgot...yes Jana I got your PM......You look great! You can see a difference in your face. You're getting so slim!! I'm so happy for you!!

Evening Ladies! Figured I'd better pop in here before For Love or Money starts. I had such a busy weekend. And still, I ate too much. Put a couple of my lost pounds back on. Shame on me. Guess I just freaked out, after such a busy week, all of a sudden I was at home, alone. Learned that lesson. Grandma came over yesterday. We had a nice visit, but she brought 3 batches of cookies and homemade coffecake. I took it all in to work today. Right now I am having a craving for something sweet, but I don't have anything. Oh well. Too bad!

I wish I had time to post to everyone, but the show is starting and I have to see if that Rachel witch gets it tonight!

Jen

Argh.......

Sorry another quickie. Just have not been on the computer since Saturday morning.

I have not heard anything on the job yet. My supervisor was in training the new site manager and when he walked by my office he just said *smile*....whatEVER that means. If I was fast enough I would have said" give me something to smile about!!"...lol
He is a pretty neat guy, going to miss him in September when he takes over another section of the city.

Anyway,Les?? ok.....

We met Saturday evening and he was going to meet Gabrielle. It was 7ish and by the time I got out there to where he was she had fallen asleep.So, he flew one of the kites and afterward we sat in the grass and talked. When he was at my house the night before we had ummm.......not going to say made out because .........oh, shut up........we made out. lol.........
So, we sat in the grass and he said he had thought about it all day and felt we had gone too far. Though honestly we kept our clothes on but I understood what he was saying.
He is a new Christian of 6 months.........
So,he continued to say his last relationship started that way and went down the wrong path where him and her sleeping together and he didn't want that for us.......he said " feelings start to develop that should come with time."
I got all misty eyed because he is the first man that has ever said those words to me........just blew me away.What a sweet man......said so much of who he is.....
We went to his house and Gaby had woken up by now , she was shy at first but warmed up fast. We talked and Gaby watched Rugrats.......we went out for ice cream and he carried her, very sweet. She climbed on his lap and he read to her and played peek a boo....
Sunday I had to take my dad to the doctor because he wasn't feeling good.
Les called at 1pm and wanted to know what I was doing. I said Gabrielle just had gone down for a nap ,he asked if he could come over and talk.
He came over and we talked about my dad and what his sermon was about. It was about Jonah and how he ran from God, so we read Jonah.
Afterward we sat and watched NASCAR and held hands.During the commercials we talked and he made me laugh.He really is very funny........cracks me up
Went to a church that evening that was having a concert. Gaby went into the nursery and we enjoyed the concert. Though it was real old, old gospel music. It was nice and he held my hand and put his arm around me.........just real sweet.
He went at 8ish to pick his kids up from their mothers and he called from home and we talked some more. I said " I probably won't see you til the weekend"....and he said " I will probably come visit you in the evening sometime during the week,,,,,,,,,if that is ok??"........and of course it is.....lol

Geez, he is a sweetheart.

Got on the scale this morning and am 139.5-YAY.....

LOVE your new picture Jana!!!

better go.......sorry, will catch up later on..........

ttfn

Good evening ladies
Jana, I had to do the double take with your pic...didn't reconsize you wihtout your glasses. My mom has a veranda that we sit on and have coffee. My deck is big but out in the open no privacy whatso ever...don't like that.

Brandon wasn't born with his feet like this other then of course being very flat footed,,,which I am also. We don't know when they will be doing a CT scan on him,,have to wait.

I feel like the queen of SUVs I have driven them all, that are in the 35 thousand and under price. Was disappointed in the Ford, and Honda,,,but then again I was doign alot of PI work then and needed the get up and go,,,which they both didnt' have. Totally love the Santa Fe and will buy one of them when I can. Monte has been looking at Outbacks..not sure yet.
I could do Vegas...lol again..lol
My friend stayed the night with her 6 yr old daughter...and all I can say is I was glad to see them go,,,OMG didn't know I would be so glad,,,her 6 yr old daughter was a total brat. And made our visit impossible,,,
did my 1 hour walk tonight,,,my feet are sore,,(dogs are barking)
Susan,,,let us know aobut the job...
well off to bed I go night all
Angie

Good morning Ladies,

Cristi - Neal will be going back to work right after the 4th and I will miss having him around. His days will be short, though. But he also will be editing some textbooks for the Prentiss Hall company, so that will keep him busy for awhile. I wish they would give him credit inside the book, but they don't. Thanks for saying I'm motivating you! Seems to me that your mind is pretty well made up to lose - your determination and all of us JLs will help get you to goal!

Marti - hope you had fun with James! OIC about the patio. I've looked at fountains, and think they are gorgeous, but haven't bought one. I always have to tinkle when I've been around one, lol.

Jen - hi. You know those Total Fruit bars you like? I have been buying them in the SF for a long time, and eat them when I'm craving sugar. Maybe you could give them a try. I also love Blue Bunny Brownie Fudge Fantasy frozen yogurt, 1/2 cup at a time.

Susan - I am really glad that Les wants to take it slow with you. Seems like he could really care for you and Gaby, too. From what you've said, he seems like a keeper. Toldya Les is MORE, lol.

Angie - sorry about the bad visit with your friend. Bet she was mortified! Yay for you getting your walk in. Vegas? I've never been, but my sister and her DH go about 4 times a year. They are high rollers and get the good treatment - limo at the airport, free rooms, etc. I would like to see a Vegas show... so when are we going, lol.

Hi also to Katiecat, RosieKate, and any other regular poster I forgot! Also a big hello to any lurker who is thinking of joining us....

Thanks for your kind words about my pic, but I am NOT getting slim yet, just less fat, lol. I still have almost 50 pounds left to lose, and if I was honest with myself, it would be more like 70. But my brain can only accept so much at a time, lol. But anyway, thank you for what you have said... it means a lot.

Not sure yet what I'm doing today. Whatever it is, I'm sure it will be totally glamorous and fun-filled, dahling, lol!!

BBL,

Good morning JLs,
Well, I survived being taken out to Izzy's last night :dizzy: I managed to stay away from all the fried stuff. Had a BIG salad, breadstick, and a few pieces of thier pizza - the pieces are small. Then I had some apple crisp and ice cream. Soooo.. could've done better - but also could've done way worse! Scales says no change - 3rd week in a row. I'll just keep plugging away. The next week has two celebrations. One is in my home and I manage my choices better on my home turf. The other will be the 4th at mom's, and she has a no-sugar, lowfat house and has for years. I can find greens in her fridge! However, we do tend to drink too much wine when we get together....

Today I'm off for my annual skin check. I have very fair skin and have been identified as a high risk for skin cancer. So I see a pigment lesion specialist once a year to check out all my freckles and moles. Over the years I have had many suspicious looking ones removed, but no cancer. I feel very fortunate. So wear that sunblock, ladies! After the app't, I'm off to Costco and I feel like I should be taking a u-haul - I having this list that just keep getting bigger and bigger!

Jana - What does Neal teach? David is a high school math teacher/track coach. He's also going back to work after the 4th - he'll be teaching summer school half days for 6 weeks. I also have about 50 to lose... think when I get back from Mom's, I might get the WW at home from ebay....they ought to hire you as a spokesperson.....

Marti - someday I would like a fountain. I have a wet backyard, so instead of fighting nature, I think we should just work with it, you know. My DD would just be too fascinated right now if I had one. She'd be splashing around in it every time I let her loose in the yard. Your James sounds like such a great guy - not many are all that into making their houses more homey. My DH is like " Whatever you want" which is fine, because I'm fairly particular. He's more of a big-picture person, I'm good at details, it's a good combo...

Christi- I enjoyed looking at your house pix. You have done a lot of work and the place looks so inviting. As far as trees, are there evergreens that work well in your zone? My next tree or big shrub purchase will be something green year round. In the winter after all the leaves fall off, I need something to look at out my window besides twigs... You have a lovely family - loved the pic of your kids...

Susan - still keeping my fingers crossed for you for the job. Les sounds like a great guy - just keeps getting better and better....

Jen, LibraryKate, Angie, Shanna, Katiecat - have a great day!

RosieKate

Hi Ladies~

I can't seem to wake up for some reason.

Jana~I know what you mean, except Vince has been working so much overtime we hardly see each other-I would love to spend some time with him. We made a date for Thursday, dinner and a movie.

Susan~does sound like Les is a sweet guy. I agree with taking things slow, but then I am one for taking it slow, very slow. Of course it was my second time around so I was making sure V was the one.

Marti~thanks! No, not doing WW-kind of just doing my own thing. I figured for this to work for me I am going to have to do it my way and not really follow any certain prgram. I am journaling my food, but not counting points, calories and such. I am also giving myself one free day to eat what I want, not pig out or anything but just eat what I want for that day.

Angie~I know how you feel. We ended a friendship because of her bratty kid, which is sad. But she didn't realize how bad this kid was/is. We still talked but she got mad at me because one day he was having a fit about the clouds moving and he wanted her to make them stop. I am serious! I said "What, you can't make them stop?" she got very angry. You couldn't say anything to her about her son, and at the same time it was really hard to be around them. She wouldn't even let her husband discipline him. I enjoyed her company but he was the devil!

Jen~I bet grandma's cookies are sooo good! But 3 batches?! Give them away, or take them to work that way you're not tempted to eat them. My kids are complaining that there is nothing to eat in the house-right! What they mean is there are no cookies, chips, junk. My mother used to try and make me feel bad because I tried to get the kids to eat healthy. She would bring candy over and say "Since your mom doesn't buy you any I thought I would."

Well, I need to get going. I have a few errands to run and then get back and do some laundry. Also, straighten the house but will leave the cleaning for tomorrow. Oh, yeah, I could really do Vegas! I too would love to see a show, and of course a little gambling. Not big on that though. I have watched people lose so much money and was thinking about all the shopping I oculd have done with it! :lol: Okay, I'm outta here. Have a great day ladies!

P.S Hi RosieKate~guess we were posting at the same time. Anyway, just wanted to say Hi for now.

Morning gals--

Jana--There is nothing more soothing than listening to the sounds of a creek, which is why a fountain would be cool. Of coarse I don't think it sounded like a creek...not that fast, but it was still soothing. Makes things sound more country and helps us forget were in town!! Although....we weren't able to make the barrels work...they leak. James has on order a tub though...he's going to make a water garden for the patio and put a little fountain in that. I will take photos when and if we ever get it done!! :lol:

Angie--You know that saying "Dogs are barking"? Well, let me tell you that I had never heard that before until a few weeks ago when James said that and I gave him this confused look. He told me that he can't believe that I've never heard it. And explained to me what it meant. Living with my grandparents I must have heard it.....but I just don't ever remember hearing it. So when you mentioned it I had to smile at myself!! (because now I know!!) :D

Jen--How did the show turn out? I watched that only a couple times....then had forgotten what channel and what day its on. So was Rachel booted?? Interesting show. I can't believe how I am a total reality show freak. Shame on me!! Some of them though...it's like "Are you for real?" and don't even attempt to watch it.

Cristi--I think your way is going to work for you!! 2lbs already gone. It sound very similar to what I did when I was at Sony. Only I actually counted my calories, fat, protein, and carbs. I journaled everything and once a week it was "anything goes"......I managed to lose 25lbs. doing that. I had wondered why I can't do that now......I think being able to go talk to the person who set the whole program up was helpful. I knew had to go weigh in and measured and I wanted to make a difference. So maybe I should go find someone to do this for me again!!! (I believe the girl works at the gym that's in the town over...maybe she would do it for free????)

Susan--Les has won my heart!! That is so sweet of him to want to take things slowly. You must really mean something to him for him to want to take it slowly and comfortably so no one gets hurt and so that you can truly appreciate each other. That is wonderful!! Has he met your two older girls yet? Have you met his kids yet? Take a picture of him and share!!! ;)

RosieKate--You are a very smart woman to have yourself checked every year. Some of these young girls/guys who lay out in the sun everyday and cake on tanning oil rather than sunscreen.....I just can't do it!! I mean, I've laid out in the sun attempting to tan before,,,,but that only lasted a day or two. I think I may be a bit obsessed with my age and want to keep looking as young as possible as I get older. I fret when I see gray hair or wrinkles!! (of coarse...smoking is killing me!!) So I applaud you!!

Hello to the rest of the ladies.


Well last night was an interesting night. I called up some friends and they invited me over....and so when I pulled up in front of their house, I looked acrossed the street and saw a guy I knew from Sony!! (now these friends I was going to visit are from Sony) He was talking to the man across the street...he worked at Sony!! So the two men came over to the couples house and we all sat and chatted and drank wine. Did some catching up. Gossip, what have you......it was kind of funny. It was 10 by the time I left and as we were all in the front yard...I said "ok....this time next year for our next reunion!)
One of the guys was walking door to door offering to paint houses....he doesn't even live in our town! So that's what made it so interesting that he didn't know we all lived there and he happened to be right in the middle of the neighborhood.


Maybe it was more funny too me??? After a few glasses of wine....everything is that way!! :lol:

Ok...better get going.
Take Care
Marti