I get the tummy on my screen, too. I wish mine looked like hers!

WHAT, dear cows, do you suppose possessed me to allow, even ASK DH to change from Windows 200 to XP? Now I cannot get any of my email addresses, unanswered email, and I'm running out of time, patience, energy and definitely out of good cheer. CRAB CRAB CRAB. Did any of you read the NYT op ed piece by Maureen Dowd? I agree that frosty needs his face ripped off.

And unlike SOME of you, I walked yesterday, but not today and my heels hurt. Should probably walk tomorrow to avoid losing benefit of yesterday... However, I have appointments from 9 am to 9 pm. What was I thinking? That I wanted to earn a living or something? Jeez.

And all of this without benefit of gingerbread men, sugar cookies, chocolate. Etc. Pooooooooooooor me.

If you hear somebody yelling, it might be me on the Christmas Cyclone Roller coaster.
Thanks for listening. I hope I'm in good enough shape to be a professional listener tomorrow.

Thanks, Kiwonkers-- Yes, it was definitely fascitis... Turns out that doing calf stretches also helps... Hadn't gotten to heel cups yet... AND if I walk a little bit everyday, it eventually goes away.

So, I have most of the new Window's system up and running... still can't find the old email addresses or old emails.... (I did transfer the Christmas card addresses to my "regular" email list, though... so that'll work.. (but don't hold your breath... I have many things to do before those get to the top of the list!!)

DH cleaned my office today and made room for another bookcase. I am a fortunate woman. (Plus I don't think he threw anything away... just put some of it in boxes.)

Now, if I could only drop about 20 pounds over night and find a full bankaccount.... well, even so, I have a lot to be happy about. Hope you do, too.

Aww, that's so cute, Wabbit. What did DD do when she saw soppy Dad coming at her? I think it's lovely that the guys get you nice presents--you must be great bosses.

I tried the calf stretches too, Painty -- they helped some, but my pain actually got worse over time, even when I walked regularly (although with the heel pads and walking regularly it went away). Hope yours goes away too.

Wabbit, I don't have a solution to your foot pain, but I have had that myself. Not with just sneakers, but with ice skates and ski boots. I really can't do either anymore because the pain is excruciating. I thought originally it was just bad ski boots, so I tried better ones and they were just exactly as bad. I can tolerate it in cross-country boots, because you have more movement in them. What happens to me is that eventually my feet warm up and the pain eases up. I'm pretty sure it has to do with exercising without being able to stretch the foot; that's why barefoot is so much better. Maybe you need some really flexible workout shoes--aerobics shoes or dance shoes, maybe?

Pain. Isn't it fun?

Kiwi

I am just wondering why only Sugar, who lives across the ocean, has acknowledged the Christmas card I sent over a week ago.

Feet are good. Y'all have given great suggestions.
AND.... drum roll.... I've almost resurrected all my old emails and addresses. (I at least managed to integrate a relatively recent email address book. There is probably a lesson about backing up files in all of this. sigh.

DH straightened most of it out AND cleaned my office (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) so that it's just about ready for DD when she comes home for Christmas. I know I did NOTHING to deserve this.... it was a gift. I am grateful.

Nevertheless, in spite of my gratitude and joy, I wish i could eat a bag of M&M's.
hmph.

Off to do my end of year newsletter. Later, bovine beauties.

1. I have oldtimers disease and I would see the card at home and think "don't forget to e-mail Peachers" but by the time I get to work where my puter is I forgot. 2. I didn't want to gloat if the other cows hadn't received theirs. 3. I'm a social klutz. Sorry, Peach, and the cocoa was delish, by the way. I fought off DS and fixed it just for me.

Kiwi, did you go to the Dr. about your feet? I'm considering actually getting a medical opinion.

My christmas tree is 11 feet tall. It is full or ornaments and looks lovely. Sadly, the room around it is a tip and there seems to be no remedy for that. I have done my steps and my drop leaf table, but nothing else. I have garland on one shelf in the fr and seem to have abandoned that project entirely. I don't know what is wrong, either. We are doing nothing to the outside this year. I have yet to buy one present. Well, we are going skiing, I made that reservation...that is kind of getting a present, isn't it?
I'm sure that if I walked my feet would hurt. My life problem is dry skin. I am starting to shrivel.
I got a LOVERLY card with simulated gagfast bars in it. How sweet. I will try to score some crack, but times are tough.
I am still watching the f-ing Sopranos. Midway through season 3, they lose the Gangsters with Heart theme and roll right into nutbagdom. I liked it better when Tony was trying to change.
Let's go back to Perfect 99. Where's Cherry? My problem is that my blazers all have wide lapels.
Wabby, do you think I should buy your walking girl? How long does it take? 4 miles? It would be an improvement because if you walk inside you dont' have to be pleasant to all your neighbors. BTW...all my nice neighbors are passing on. In their place are these upwardly mobile young people whose kids are perfectly dressed. When we moved here it was a cool mix of people...old, young, rich, poor, some were normal, some were Pineys...sort of the NJ equivalent of Hillbillies. They're all gone. There isn't one car up on cinder blocks in my whole neighborhood. You would think that's a good thing, but it's not.
Kiwi, I have removed the bumper sticker from my car. I still don't feel better. Why am I the only person in the whole country who thinks that there is something fishy when the exit polls give Kerry a win and the vote tally is completely different?
Should I give SJW a try? I used it in the past. I don't remember if it worked or not.
Must go to bed. bye

Let's talk about feet again because mine are KILLING me. Seems like it started after I had ds8 and it's never gone away. I mostly get pain in the arch and sometimes cramping, and it's really bad in the mornings when I get up, or when I've been sitting for a while. Although today I went Christmas shopping downtown for a couple of hours and could hardly walk when I got back. Ho ho ho. I was wearing running shoes, not stilettos BTW. I find very flat shoes with no give, like sandals, just do me in. Could my pain be fasciitis too? The guy I go to who claims to be a doctor also specializes in sports medicine so he might even know something..

Lushie, people ( i.e: Bush supporters) on some list I'm on were claiming that there WERE no exit polls and that there was nothing fishy AT ALL about the election. Yeah right. Those poor young soldiers just make me cry. They have no clue what they're doing.

Some guy is coming over tomorrow to slap some plaster on the guest bathroom walls in preparation for the tiles. He was supposed to come today, but he apparently broke his teeth yesterday at breakfast (!?) and had to go to the dentist who could only fit him in this morning.

House is still a pit under all the festive decorations. Might put up the tree this weekend. Still have to get through travel agent birthday extravaganza Friday. Clothes I ordered haven't arrived yet. May have to go naked - NOT.

Everyone should go out and get a Leslie tape and we can all walk together! I only have the 3 mile, which is 45 minutes long but I'd love to have the 4 mile. I think a person can walk at about 3 miles an hour at a regular pace, so these tapes are pretty lively and keep you going. The one I do also has upper body work at the same time, but you can do it without the weights if you want to. I did it again on Monday and totally zoned out. I was composing e-mails in my head and could somehow keep up with her at the same time. Your brain just kind of absorbs all the cues and you become a walking zombie.

just commenting that simulated gagfest bars were a tribute to non-chocoholic-lushbreath.