[HatterasMermaid]

My husband is also a drummer! Now both of my ds are following in his footsteps.... like they had any choice! He's been feeling sorta outta sorts ......same kind of issues regarding changes. Dead ends can be fun! ......all depends! Kinda goes along with your Tansaafl!

I've gotten part of the stuff I need "to do" done!

Anyway... I'm over 40 ounces so far for water.... guess that is good since it is around 3:00!

I can feel that Leslie and I spent time together yesterday! Not bad...just noticeable! That is a good thing!

[Effenbee]

Hi Mermaid etc.:

I graduated from Hampton High (class of 1940); class of 1944 from the College of William and Mary. There was only one high school in Hampton then. I think there are five now (probably a few in Newport News too). Newport News High School is no longer so they don't have the Thanksgiving Day Rival Game anymore.

My TOPS VA#309, Hampton meets Thursday morning with weigh-in from 8:30 to 9:30 am and then a meeting from 9:30 to 10:30. One of the members might give a 20 minute lecture or talk after the business meeting but we should have our closing at 10:30. Sometimes we have a guest speaker but I would rather not have them because they seem to go over the alloted time. I am assistant weight recorder. I was co-leader for a year. Our dues are $3 per month for the local chapter and $20 per year for the TOPS Headquarters. Once you become a KOPS (Keep Off Weight Sensibly), dues are $2 per month so you see it 's less expensive that Weight Watchers. Some of our members belong to WW as well as TOPS, which is legal now. When I first joined TOPS I also went to WW until someone told me that they could kick you out of TOPS if you went to a profit-making place . That rule has now been changed but I don't believe I need two places to go to a week to keep me honest.

Freddie

[HatterasMermaid]

Hello again Freddie! Both of my parents went to Warwick. Class of 55(for sure) and 57(I think!)! There are a BUNCH of HS in Newport News these days! Many more than when I was a student there! (I used to teach for NNPS but have recently, after 17 years, changed school systems!) I graduated from Denbigh HS (in NN, too!) in 83. My mother and I both graduated from Christopher Newport back in the days when it was a College and not too big for it's "britches"! I asked about schools hoping that you might somehow know my parents!

Thanks for the info on TOPS. It sounds interesting and certainly more affordable than WW! I might have to look into a local chapter! How many people attend your meetings? (I mean, are these groups large?!) I've NEVER attended any sort of weigh-in.... do you get used to it?! (And I've always weighed myself at home NUDE! Think they would object at the meeting! LOL...JUST kidding! ) I've always picked Thursdays as my official weigh ins... I like having most of a week to recooperate from any evil doings that might have "happened" over the weekends!

......I'm off to get everyone's clothes ready for the week! If I don't plan it NOW, mornings can be VERY CRAZY!

Thanks for the chatter!
take care!

[almostheaven]

Hatteras, hubby was a professional drummer for about 30 years. He's played nearly every club that existed (not the ones that exist now LOL) in Hampton Roads. He's played with a few big names as well and for some TV jingles. We have fun with the comments we get on the autographed picture of Elvis hanging on our wall. Especially after people find out that the autograph is from Elvis' drummer in the background. LOL! My favorite though was getting backstage passes to see Weird Al from his drummer John "Bermuda" Schwartz.

And Freddie, my hubby also went to William and Mary. I believe he went either around the 70's or 80's. He was in the Navy in the early to mid 70's and I'm not sure how soon after that he enter W&M. Speaking of the Navy, he was actually a member of the Navy Steel Drum Band for 4 years. Spent most of his time with them in New Orleans.

[HatterasMermaid]

Yikes! Logged on to tell the world about Day 2....and NOW have so much to discuss about drumming! LOL

First Day 2 went well! Water, exercise, food, and plans for tomorrow (both school AND food AND clothes!) all done! Alarm will be set for 5 so that I can get up and do my exercising BEFORE the day gets away like today tried to!

NOW... Drumming! How exciting! My dh has played the drums forEVER...but...alas..not professionally! LOL He did play with a band in some clubs up in and around Williamsburg but those days ended with the birth of our first child! Had he been REALLY paying the bills...well then, maybe I wouldn't have whined quite so much!
He still plays with a band...in a basement...at least once a week! Hours in the basement! Keeps him happy and they will NEVER come out of the basement without first getting a new singer! So, it is rather "safe"! LOL

At our house Neil Peart is GAWD! Zildjian is our oldest's middle name! (not really!) LOL Our love of "GOOD" music has caused our children to be rather odd with the school kids! They've been to see Rush twice! Our youngest can tell the difference between a Sabbath song and an Ozzy! (Isn't momma proud?! LOL BUT CAN HE multiply?! He's getting there!) The oldest is currently listening to Led Zepplin, Guns and Roses (yuck!) and Def Leppard ...to the point that I'm ABOUT ready to outlaw Zepplin...who'd have "thunk it"?! Weird Al is also adored by the testosterone crowd here at home!

The boys will enjoy hearing your stories! Steel drums.... GEESH! DH has lusted after those for years... He is a mad man when we visit the shop over here... They endulge him and I usually end up in the car! The boys spend hours in the attic with their drum set and electric guitar! DS1 plays percussion in the MiddleSchool band! And dh works non stop on their percussion stuff! (Cracks me up...I was the PTA mom...and now suddenly..He is Mr.BandBooster!) We are searching for a *good* local private teacher with very little luck!

Anyway.........
Drums.... they are a big part of my life... BUT they've never paid the bills! Maybe with the kiddos! LOL (The kids will want to know.... What was Weird Al like?)

Sorry didn't mean to get carried away.... Hope you understand! hehehe
Will be back to work tomorrow.... but I'll be back eventually!

[almostheaven]

Tell the kids that Weird Al was like a zombie who couldn't keep his eyes open by the time we saw him. We spent awhile chatting it up with Bermuda after the concert and waited until everyone else had finished their meet and greet. We saw Al for a moment then he was off to the bus to eat pizza and crash. LOL

http://www.techtrek.com/Hold/AlmostH...Weird%20Al.jpg

As for the drummers...All about hubby: http://www.techtrek.com/drumbo/.

When was your hubby playing and can you mention the band name publicly here? Hubby played Hampton Roads between the 60's and 80's, not counting his time in New Orleans. He may have heard of his band. Hubby played in the local groups "The Mockers", "The Boat Rockers", "Stingrays", "TOB", and "Thor".

As far as the names, he's opened for Pat Benetar and filled in with Molly Hatchet and Chubby Checker for a week or two each, tagged along on the Guitar Masters Tour with Chet Atkins and Elvis' drummer Larry Londin. But he's spent his life waiting for Alex to break his arm so he can go play with Eddie. LOL!

He loves a wide array of music. That's my way of saying he owns all the albums by "The Beetles", "Van Halen", and "Frank Sinatra". ROFL! He's played country, rock, jazz, you name it.

And now a story down memory lane for a chuckle...

We have a friend who, every time we'd go to visit, would put on some obscure CD and play "Guess that band". He finally managed to stump hubby one night. He spent 2 hours trying to guess that song. Now this friend, living in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, where the well runs dry, girls to the bathroom on the left, guys to the porch on the right. So while hubby's standing out back of the kitchen window in the rain, 2 hours later, he yells through the open window...

"WET WILLY!"

And that was the name of the band on that CD. LOL!

[HatterasMermaid]

Thanks for sharing so much! A drummer who paid the bills with the drums instead of making NEW bills! LOVE IT! The oldest DS was quite excited and VERY interested in reading over my shoulder AND looking at "Drumbo"'s photos! LOL I had to grin when he "got" the reference to Alex and Eddie before I could explain! (I've sorta always dreamed that Alex or Valerie would break *something* and Eddie would need *ME*! LOL) I'm sure that our trip to your dh's site won't be our last! My dh hasn't been home to show/talk to about this, but I'm SURE that he will also be taking a look!

I'm glad to hear that others have the same WIDDDEEE tastes in music! Our collection houses some rather contrasting tastes! Abba to Frank Zappa with a bunch of Patsy Cline in between! YIKES! (While DS can identify Ozzy, he can also identify ClairDeLune and Moonlight Sonata! He does own an Ozzy shirt...but sadly, not any Wolfgang shirt, yet! hehehe)

anywayyyy.... I am sitting with throbbing legs. I had forgotten what it was like to stand on concrete. Welcome back to school! It also did or didn't help that I walked a mile last night, 2 miles this morning before school and another mile after school today with a friend! (I loved walking and talking.....guess you can imagine! hehehe) I'm nearly certain that the concrete is what has caused me the greatest pains!

I drank 80 ounces of water before I decided that I really didn't neeeeed to measure it anymore for today!

I ate well and within my WW point limits.
I have my food and clothing (for the family!) planned for tomorrow.

I'm going to take a Tylenol and a shower...set my alarm to walk again in the morning and call it a night!

Thanks again for sharing the photos! (We forgot to look at Weird Al.....but will!) Don't you just LOVE this winter weather we're having?! We'll pay for it come February! Who would have thought that we would need our snowshoes and shorts (well...not quite...but ...nearly!) within weeks of each other!

Take care!

[*elizabeth*]

hey there ladies!!

I am in VA too.

[almostheaven]

Which part Elizabeth? Anyone in VA Beach?

[Effenbee]

Hey Hatteras Mermaid: My TOPS group has 33 members. Just about all show up for weigh-in. One member even has her husband bring her in a wheel chair. She didn't come for the last few weeks and someone checked and found out she hadn't been feeling too well. Two members come from Williamsburg (which is about 30 miles away). I live just a couple of miles from our meeting place. When I first joined, I checked and found out that there were a lot of groups meeting within 25 miles of me, but I like the one I picked. First it is closer to me and second, I like going in daylight hours. Most of the others meet in the early evening, which is okay in the summer but right now it would make me have to drive when it gets dark. Get on the TOPS site and I think there is a place to put your zip code to see what is available near you. You must attend one meeting before you can join.

Freddie

[HatterasMermaid]

Hello Virginia friends!

hi, elizabeth!

hi, heaven! (I've done my PLAN! WhoooHooo!)

hi, freddie! If school ever slows down...I may just have to check out a TOPS group! 33! Wow! It must be a very special group if you've got them coming 30 miles to be part of it!

Gotta run ..... morning schedule doesn't give me time, sadly, to run my mouth!

take care.... I'm so confused about this weather!!!

[almostheaven]

I'm so confused about this weather!!!

So what's confusing about it? It's 70 and sunny. I can live with that.

[Ruthxxx]

Moving this thread to Support groups. You VA Chicks have bonded!

[HatterasMermaid]

Hehehehe....

Thanks Ruth!

So.... the week is nearly done and I'm doing what I'm supposed to.... But I do need a weekend to get caught up on my sleep!

It was rainy today. Warmish. Windy... I mean like March windy! Yesterday it wasn't 50 degrees .... THIS is what confuses me....

So will the other VaChicks find their way here?!
Hope so!