Hiya all. Just a quickie and I really haven't had the time to catch up on you all apart from skim reading the lot.
Mel big congrats on the weight loss and inch loss. 3 inches seems a **** of a lot = that pedalling really is getting you somewhere - half an inch at a time.
Happy so sorry you are going through the doldrums. It's not pretty when you give up smoking, that weight that arrives is insidious and it's hard to pin down where it is coming from. But like the others say - tie a knot in the rope and hang on. One day, one step at a time. If you do shift, you will lose weight through stress at that point, but the not knowing is always so hard.
Teel, hanging in I see, and trying to do good for others. Bless you child. I'm glad to hear of the loss be it tiny, its a loss take it and rejoice.
Linus - whoooooooo boy. I sincerely hope Craig suffered mightily through his hangover and that you kept the noise and constant stream of chatter up!! Slamming doors always helps too! What a fright you must have had.
Meadow, you always manage to come up with something that makes me smile through the worst of my woes. Gorgeous giraffe.
Work continues to lurch from crisis to crisis. Still more problems with the Info pak tool. And we are losing three of our 'writers' this week. Don't know how they will apportion out the work, but I can't get to see my subject matter expert and therefore are not keeping up with mine, even if he doesn't know as much about the subject as I do - and I am not boasting here. It's taken three days to get an email back from him as he has been taking lessons in how to do the cheque runs so he can tell me about it! Two of the writers that are going are functional consultants brought in under false pretences - they thought they were to configure the system and conduct workshops not do tech writing - although one can hardly call it that either. Such is life.
They haven't paid me for 3 weeks and I had to do a song and dance yesterday to get paid for those three weeks next Friday. I've had to borrow off DS to be able to survive down here and that money has not yet hit the bank from Monday.
I've also got toothache and am going to the Dentist this morning - probably for an extraction I suspect. Such is life - today I am not a happy bunny. But no sympathy please - it will improve. I have enough for the dentist. I have enough for lunch. Rent is paid to the end of the week - I will survive. Oh yes and to add to the woes, back at work the online simulations done before the system was tweaked, are to be done again. I have six to redo, my co worker has 13 - are we happy??? Bet you life on it! And to top the day off, I went down to the gym to do a Pilates class only to find it wasn't on cos the trainer was not well. Such is life in the big smoke!.

Better go - I'm nearly out of time. Love you all. You keep me sane.

Golly me, Shad, that was a truly historicalmoment you had that day...borrowing money from DS!!! What a change!! Always the other way round, he he he!!

Its blowing a gale here and I have joined the sheets billowing like sails brigade as mine too are on the washing line making the garden look like a yatch (you know..."yot!" but I can't spell it this morning!!!
I have had two bad days off plan this week so today I am back to it with a vengeance.Don't know whats up with my will power but I think it has gone on vacation!!
Shad I am sorry work is a pile of u-know-what at the moment Hopes and prayers for a far better and nicer opportunity very soon that is near to home!
Where has Nae got to?
I had best bring this to a close as my darn Carpal Tunnel is driving me mad at the moment....so til I come back...BE GOOD!!!

And Kirsty..... I am HERE!!

Not stopping, just here because I need to justify spending the money. DS money has not yet hit the bank. Life is interesting - not.
Another one bites the dust at work and is finishing tomorrow. I am investigating the pros and cons of breaking a contract. Info coming from management company sometime today.

Had the tooth extracted yesterday. Lots of pain then, but all is okay today again. Will take a while to heal fully, but no bleeding or fierce pain today just a bit of an ache.
Okay off to see the wizard. Going...... going..... goine.

Hi Everyone,
Sorry to be missing now for a while I am just not doing much computer time lately. I have a huge meeting I am preparing for and it is taking all my energy after putting in long working days.....my little batteries just run out .
To all of you who have been so faithful and working so hard in fighting this weight battle ....many Congratulations. To my mates who are hanging on by the thin thread that sometimes life dangles in front of us to hang on too my thoughts and prayers. Just keep coming here to share and be renewed by the support of these fabulous friends around the world.
Now to tell you some of the outdoor excitement in the Wilderness in which I live. I have been visited now by the species of deer that I am more familiar with having grown up in Montana they are the white tail deer...... the general deer population here are Mule Deer....sweet things but not a pretty of a coat as the white tail.... So now a little group of about 5 have decided to hang around my house and property and I have been enjoying them so much, though they eat everything.
Then the other night an American Kestrel landed on my deck and sat a preened himself for the longest time it was so cool. I love the birds I have been blessed to see this year...many I have never seen in my life.
Ok Girls, I have a tale or should I say tail to tell..... on Monday at the office .....we have to have people change into shorts which we provide in order to do their therapy....so this droppy old man of 88 in there and when I asked if he was ready he responded yes...... I did hesitate a while but when I went in he was not dressed and I just about had a stroke.....that is something no one should have to experience unless they themselves are 88. The sight shall keep me celebate for a long while..... It really rattled me for the rest of the day.... But God is so Good..... when I drove home from work at the corner of the pasture which is next to myroad.... my neighbor has 4 horses there now....but wait they was a brand new baby horse just born standing there..... it was the coolest sight and just wiped away that awful day. My neighbor did not know the mare was even PJ so imagine her surprise.... I feel like the proud auntie since I was the first person to see it.
Of course a small storm blew over and the first cold flakes of snow fell that night but didn't stick..... Mom and baby are protected in a horse trailer for now til she gets some shelter for them....
If the snow in these mountains stay at this point we could be looking at snow for 9 months...geez I thought I leftAlaska behind. Spent last saturday transplanting some to try to keep alive inside for a while this winter til it started to pour and even start my heater for some warmth in the house.
Well, enough from me....thanks for always thinking about me when I disappear..... You are the best....will try to be here again this weekend...
Take Good Care and Blessings to you All,
Nae

Excuse me - where is everyone??? Mel - Hello Hope you are okay.
Teel's here and answering the door, Nae has been in and is in shock and here am I. Well at least the pay has hit the bank account. I'm here to pay off some of my credit card debt and to see if sons money has hit. Doesn't seem like it, so best go ring him to find out what gives. Not too worried at this time as 3 weeks pay just went in. Now I can breathe again for a short while.
Rainy and cold in Melbourne today and half the streets are shut because of the street parade for the AFL footy match parade. This is the bit where you get to see 40 young men in no need of extra exercise cheered and booed by 30000 who who are in need of exercise. Cynical huh!!
Going out with friends tomorrow. Have no idea where, but apparently food is on the menu so time will tell. Next weekend I am going to see someone whom I have not seen for over 40 years. Wonder if we will recognise each other.

Went on a run/walk this morning. First exercise since the tooth came out. Unfortunately my running is not what it was, so I will have to ramp up the exercise a bit more. Took all of my determination to go out there, but once out I enjoyed it. Cool temps but I suppose since the hairline was a bit damp and the underarm area too, plus the legs and body were very warm when I got back, means that in Brisbane it would have been a reasonable workout. I'll take it as such anyway. I think I may feel the legs tomorrow.

Nae, that story cracked me up. I can't even imagine it. What a hoot. Nice deer though.

Okay, time to go back to work. Life is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO interesting. Catch up again soon.

Hey Shad, nice to see you here again....when do you go back to the job? HOpe all is well at your house.... hope the others come out to play!!!
Nae

Nothing much new to report. No exercise, pineapple cheesecake-esque munchies, meditation to music to calm the anxiety of having both my kids in school. I didn't know I was such a control freak until I had children. I want to know what they are doing, learning, who is talking to them etc. I got roped into helping with fundraising by one of the other mothers. That is what I get for walking my kids to school, if I was in a car she probably never would have caught me She also wanted me to attend the Parent Advisory committee meetings... somewhere she must have got the idea I was a joiner? I am not a good conversationalist and I am certainly not an ideas person, I will not be part of the PAC.

Rose-OMG! at the old wrinkly, I'm relieved that visual wasn't permanent and you were able to have a lovely little foal to replace it. What a great moment.

Shad-your dedication to the exercise is fabulous. Nice that you are flush again and can get those bills seen to, bit of a lift of your shoulders there. Hopefully you will not be losing any more people from your job, it sounds like they are in need of a flipping army to sort out their muddles.

Linus-Hope your son is being a kid again and leaving the man exploration to reading or watching sports.

Teel-thank you for the stories about your London travels, it is like being a little bird watching from afar. Hope you are able to stick to your plan this week and that the winds have died down.

Mel-it isn't like you to disappear. I hope it isn't anything serious. Hope you are just busy and too tired to post but are reading. We are thinking of you

********

A man and his wife are awakened at 3 o'clock in the morning by a loud pounding on the door. The man gets up and goes to the door where a drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain, is asking for a push. Not a chance," says the husband, "it is 3 o'clock in the morning!" He slams the door and returns to bed.

Who was that?" asked his wife. Just some drunk guy asking for a push,he answers."Did you help him?" she asks. "No, I did not, it is 3 o'clock in the morning and it is pouring out there!"

"Well, you have a short memory," says his wife. "Can't you remember about three months ago when we broke down and those two guys helped us? I think you should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself!"

The man does as he is told, gets dressed, and goes out into the pounding rain. He calls out into the dark, "Hello, are you still there?"

"Yes" comes back the answer.

"Do you still need a push?" calls out the husband.

"Yes, please!" comes the reply from the dark.

"Where are you?" asks the husband.

"Over here on the swing!" replies the drunk.

********

Happy Autumn!!


Winter is an etching,
Spring a water colour,
Summer an oil painting and
Autumn a mosaic of them all.
*Stanley Horowitz

Meadow...where d'you get them from? That latest "lol story" was one of your best!! And the pictures are great also!
(And yes its yippee 'cos my smilie link is working today so you will have lots of little faces doing silly things on your screen, he he he!!

I am off out to dinner tonight...a pub meal. I haven't been to this pub to eat (or drink, for that matter!) for an age so I hope my choice is ok as three of us are meeting up. We are (well ok I used to be) all nurses. Two of us are mental health nurses (but yes I did qualify as a general nurse first and then swapped over to psychiatry) and one used to be a Macmillan Nurse but now works in general again. One lives furthest away in a city called Chelmsford (county town of Essex about 60 miles away) and the other lives about 15 miles away. I have chosen a place to eat that is sort of half way...very loosely, that is!!The Chelmsford friend will drive to the other friend and they will meet me at the Rose & Crown which is about 14 miles from me! I hope the evening goes well. I have finally found and bought a new handbag...swaude brown with bits of leather!) for the occassion. Don't know what to wear though!! One of the girls is four days older than myself...she too hit the big 4-0 earlier this year...
As usual I have a headache and am too tired to go out socializing Perhaps that will curb my insatiable appetite!! Ha ha ha ha!!I don't reckon somehow!!
Anyway I am off to have a sleep or I definately will not be going anywhere! I will tell you all about the evening tomorrow.....Oh and Kirsty....I am still awaiting!!!!
(nag nag nag nag!!!!)

Teel, have fun with your friends tonight. A good get together is just what you need.

Sorry to hear about your tooth Shad. That's particularly hard when you're away from home and can't as easily get the softer foods that you need while your mouth is healing up. Hope you feel better soon.

Great pictures Meadow. Thanks for the laugh on the jokes.

I am doing ok. Had to put forth a massive effort - exercise twice a day - bike and treadmill or weights, controlling portions down to the point I'm hungry all the time - all to finally see 1 measly pound down on the scale and it's no guarantee it's going to stay there.

I have exactly one week left on the job. Still getting strung along to the point that I am about to write off both companies due to lack of interest. I can't wait to finish my week out - am ready to leave today. Looking forward to at least one week, perhaps 2 of intensive focus on household projects. I am very very much looking forward to taking a vacation from everyone's well-intended yet intrusive, aggrivating and not so helpful advice on job seeking, the monumental uphill slide of this infernal quest to lose weight and all things which conspire to annoy me at that moment.

This grumpy old bear desperately needs some alone time in which to recapture her enthusiasm, get a few things organized in my life and set a new course for the future. I am ok, this sort of thing happens to me every few years. At first I would sink into a deep funk that could last for months and months on end punctuated with frequent angry outbursts. But through the years I have learned exactly what this mood means and the best way to treat it. The good thing is that I know I will hit bottom for a tiny bit of time but that is always the signal that gives me the courage to recharge my batteries, pick myself up and head on a rather lengthy stretch of positive momentum.

It may be a while before I am back again but I will be thinking of you all. Take care ladies.

sorry ladies had to pop in to the library some idiot cut through our cable lines so we have no phone no tv and no internet be back on saturday love and keep the peckers up
kirsty

Gosh Kirsty I do hope you get reconnected really quickly...I would be so darn cross if that happened to me I would go up in a cloud of blue smoke I hope you get some recompense for all your trouble from the company that employs the stupid man who cut through your telephone cables...it's not just the phone that you lose these days...as you say it's the t.v., the internet and the means of communicating with other people all gone in one snip! Go make sure you shout at someone who actually cares about the predicament you are in!!

Well I met my two friends yesterday evening for dinner at the Rose & Crown. I was a bit shaken up when I arrived 'cos there had been an accident only a few minutes earlier on that very road. The police were traffic directing and one lane of the road was closed off still. It always makes me shudder to think that had I been 10 minutes earlier or so that could well have been me involved...God IS good to me although I don't often remember that!!
The pub was very small and rather too cosy for my liking! Half of the tables (4 or 5) were on a slightly higher level and these were for smokers and there were 5 lower level ones. I was glad I had booked as these were all full, 2 of them pushed together for a party. As the evening progressed all the tables available were taken. The food was ok but nothing to write homwe about. I had chicken curry, Penny had salad and some of Lesley's chips and most of her side salad too, and Lesley had scampi and chips. Then I was very bad and had Almond & Cherry tart with 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream and Lesley had chocolate profiterolles...oh sorry! Profitteroles are always chocolate!!! For all that Penny doesn't eat she should be a stick insect! She is tall and of a big build but she doesn't really need to lose weight in a big way like I do...
There was a lot of conversation about nursing work and the n.h.s. in general and I'm afraid I got an attack of the mizzies and wished dearly I was back to 5 years ago when I didn't have a crummy heart and a stupid back to boot.
Still I am still alive if not kicking very stongly and I suppose thats a good thing thogh sometimes I do wonder if I can get through the next 35 to 40 years of life as it is at the moment....
I bought a new cookbook yesterday, it was second hand but still in very good condition. It is a big hardback colour one "THE ULTIMATE FAT FREE COOKBOOK" by LORENZ BOOKS. First published in 1997 it looks to have some great recipies in it. I have looked through and decided on dinner tonight is going to be Spicy Bean Hotpot although I am using baked beans instead of canellinni or haricot beans. I wonder whether my plate will look as good as the photo in the book!!!
Happy, hang on to that knot in the middle of the sheets my friend. It will come right in the end...unfortunately its usually later rather than sooner in my experience!!
Well its already noon and I am not dressed yet! Lazy bones!!Mind you it looks very cold and gray and horrible out there so its not all that inticing to put a foot out let alone anything else
See you tomorrow...in the meantime, be good and be careful! Mel...I raked over the sandbox for you to get in...come on Miss, time to get out and come talk to us!!!

[B]GOOD MORNING MY FRIENDS![/]
You have certainly been a chatt bunch for sure! Took me a half hour to read and catch up. I must admit that I didn't realize it was so long ago that I posted. I feel like I have been in the fast lane of the highway of life and couldn't find the OFF ramp!
Meadow~ your post with pictures was wonderful. I especially liked the multi colored field. gorgeous. Get rid of the control freak stuff cause I too have it and it is the bane of my existance! LOL I keep trying to get rid of it! Go ahead and join something!! You can run that then! LOL

Teel~ glad the dinner was good and thank God you arrived after the accident. Scary. Nice swimming and hope too the carpal tunnel is a bit better. I loved your trip tales and you guys certainly had a activity filled vacation!! Sorry the dinner reminded you of days gone by. I too have the problem of reminiscing and tears. That's why I volunteer so much. I have that need to feel useful even if it's not the stuff I would really like to do. ((((((HUGS))))) cause we all need them!

Linus~ You are the light of my life with your posts about life and family!! ROFL I hope the kid learned a lesson and after you run away from home to Shad's place kidnap her and come to the states!! Or better yet we will meet at the airport and surprise her together!!! I saw the tail end of our storm on a map and how it just keeps going right to your shores! It's unbelievable how it just keeps going till it hits something to knock it down a bit more. Hmmmm. Get ready cause Jeanne is on it's way through the states as well!!!

Shad~ Glad the tooth is better and you got your runs in now! Hope you are feeling much improved and I miss you!!
Glad too that the pay went into the bank. Saw your posts in the journal already and answered them last night. Is it so bad to break the contract?!? I am sorry to hear this. Keep us up to date for the finale!!

Nae~ A naked 88 yr old???? I will tell you a funny but sad tale. One night I got a call to check on a senior man. I opened the door and couldn't figure what I saw in the dark. Kept calling his name and when my eyes focussed .... He had passed on and 0nly his naked backside was facing me from the couch. I had no colt later on to erase that picture and it has been with me since. But I will say it has taught me that there can still be dignity in death even at the worst times. Funny how life hands you lessons. Your story almost made me fall out of the chair laughing though!! What a riot!! Please keep the snow up your way for awhile!! I am just getting used to getting out every day!!! If I could run away like Linus I would grab all the chicks and go to your house in the woods!! Watching deer and birds would be fine with me!!

Happy~ How I wish you can get away for a much needed "alone" time rest. I hate when everyone else knows what is best for you when you are still trying to decide that yourself! ROFL!! Hang in there and I promise not to add my 2 cents on to the pile of useless information and advice!!! Hope to see you when YOU feel it's right to be here!!!

I think I got everyone!! I have been outside a lot and tired when I come in. Fresh air(choke choke) seems to tire me out. At this rate I will need new tires. Haven't been on the computer at night either. My SBD has been ok this week but no great shakes!! It needs some improvement.
I shall cook and get ready for the upcoming week and give it a better try. Just had the first alarm of the weekend. Burglar alarm in the laundry room but no one was there!!! LOL OK guess this is a sign to get going and get outside too! I see the temp isn't up yet for riding so I'll change sheets first! Have a wonderful weekend and ENJOY the Autumn.s smells and colors!

Love to sit and read and do my thing on the computer on my sat mornings enjoying my . It is so beautiful here today and the weather has turned up the volume a little so we don't feel like the winter is sneaking in our doors today!!!!!!
Mel, glad to see you here my dear.... hope you get your food lined up for the week. You are so good about doing that for yourself. Must really help with choices. Not the same around here when you aren't here.
So much to do today will see how much I get done on my list..... the never ending list. I am going down in bit with my camera again to get some more pics of the new little filly. She had captured my heart and it is so great to see the new life kicking up her heels and being so full herself....She runs her mom from one of the pasture to the other then just falls to the ground and sleeps.....
My TV is still on on regular programming but I found a video store by work that has a deal 5 days 5 movies 5 bucks...so I have been getting some and catching up on tons of flicks I have never never seen.... it may be defeating my not watching tv at this point but I am getting more tasks done in the evening. It is a changing work in progress for me......
I do hope all of you are well this weekend and that your families stay healthy.
Be good to hear from everyone this weekend......
Take Good Care,
Nae

I felt so lame after my last post that I had exercised so little. I did my "March to fitness" tape at 12:30 am and then did a Denise Austin line dancing workout at 7pm yesterday. So that means I worked out twice in one day I amaze myself These aren't new videos, I have quite a collection of seldom viewed recordings, I am going to try my Alyssa Milano one next... I think she was about 12 years old when she made it so that should make me feel old I don't remember ever watching this one so there could be a reason I forgot about it and it will just be an exercise in laughing

"Someone's" Take on Exercising (but certainly not mine!):

My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 now and we don't know where the **** she is.

The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to show up...

I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.

I don't exercise at all. If God meant us to touch our toes, he would have put them further up our body.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.

The advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier.

If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.