Welcome to the new house. It was getting a little crowded in the old one - again - so time to get a new home.

Hope you all manage to find your way here and settle in comfortably. For those lurking around the fringes of the lake come on in, we are a bunch of very good friends doing our best for global harmony and fun. Our mission is to rid the earth of a few more pounds of flab. We love a new face - but be prepared to answer questions !! So from the far reaches of Scotland and England, Canada, through the USA and down to the lands downunder welcome one and all.

See you all at the new place. Should be home around 5.30pm, have the coffee pot on

Beautiful new home Shad. It looks like Northern Ontario.
I have had a good day food and otherwise. Still feeling sorta tired and hormonal.
I have TOPs tonight followed by some lovely cheese and crackers. I will stop at the store before coming home.
Have a wondeful evening/morning!

good evenoing and welcome all to our new hame och noo see that one hint oh a loch and i gae all highland
ive provided the view across the loch and a wee pal to pipe us in
kirsty

Stopped in to do some gardening.

Evenin' chickies,

Sorry I haven't been posting. We only have DH's computer running at home and for some reason it keeps dropping my login here so I try to post and keep getting knocked out. And the controls are so tight at the office that I can't even get to this site from my work computer. We should be all moved in, unpacked and set up by the end of the second week on February where I hope to rejoin you on a regular basis again.

I am doing fairly well with my challenge which is some basic exercises nightly, focusing on getting more water in and eating smaller portion sizes. Not perfect but doing much better at re-establishing much needed routines again.

Congrats to those of you who have stuck to your challenges and hat's off to those of you who have nudged the scale in a downwards direction. Can you believe January is almost over ALREADY????

Thanks for the new digs Shad and all the decorations and sprucing you ladies have done. It's a fine, fine place we have here - lots of room to spread out, join together or just go for a nice stroll. I can close my eyes and smell the fresh pine and the water. Deeeee-lightful! Catch up with you all soon, take care....

Hi Ladies,

I've seen your thread(s) before and lurked a few times and now would like to hang around for a while. Have room for one more?

Here's a quick intro: I'm a Yankee currently living in Germany with DH and a dog. I'm 40 and losing weight with the South Beach approach plus walking.

For motivation and encouragement, I like to come to 3FC and watch the current weight loss shows like Dietbusters, The A-List Diet, Slimming Club and whatever else Sky Digital decides to show.

I guess that's the short of it!

ta ta

PS - my real name is Gigi

Welcome Gigi, always room for one more. Hang around and get to know us. We don't have anyone in Europe now apart from our Brits (who will probably say they are not from Europe anyway and Linus will probably hang me for calling her a Brit when she is Scots.) We are into dogs in this place, Roseblush has one, so does Teel, Linus has two. I used to have two, then one and now none. That was my best friend up there in my avatar.
Where abouts in Germany is GRITS - is it a place or a feeling?? I've not been to Germany yet, will get there one day.

Another busy day today. The 'boys' were away on a train the trainer course and I got rid of the other two boarders in the office. When they got back, and they found out that the other two had gone, they were cheering and dancing in the donga! Apparently they didn't get on too well with the female of the pair who thought she should be their supervisor. According to the 'boys' she's got less people skills than the halloween pumpkin. I didn't think anyone could have less skills than that. Guess I'm lucky that they took to me okay. They think I am great at keeping the powers that be off their backs and looking after their daily needs - office wise speaking that is. Personally I think it is the other way round. I ask for something and it comes pouring into my desk. Guess we are just comfortable together hey. Still no word on how long the contract will be extended. I'll just hang in there with it. At least I got paid today. That was nice and necessary. 4 weeks in one go.

Glad to see Holly and Linus have been at the garden and view already. Which loch are we looking at Linus. They are all so pretty. Maybe if you sat on my head and bounced I might admit that Scotland is more beautiful than New Zealand however you will never get me to say that your mountains are higher.

So our new home is in Northern Ontario is it Holly? Well that's okay by me, in the summer anyway. You are doing well on your challenge. I'm afraid I have basically forgotten mine for this week. I haven't eaten badly but today is the first time ever I have let myself talk myself out of going to the gym. That means either 2 sessions on Saturday or going Sunday as well and not having a rest day.

Happy, good to hear from you. I'm happy when you log in and find your way back to us cos that means that the SAPmonster has got you yet. I spent a long time today trying to find something that I haven't used for years. I still haven't found it but my mentor buddy says it is there. There's a program in there called LSMW, it comes free with SAP and it is an upload program. They've hidden it from me. Naughty, naughty SAP.

I hope Mel, Rose, Meadow, Teel, Tig, Diane and Suzi can find their way to our happy new home soon although I wonder if Tig has run off the edge of the sea. Maybe she is just busy or travelling with the job again.

Anyway, I had better go and look at what is going on in my kitchen. I'm cooking pumpkin soup. It smells good and is probably close to ready for pulverising and pureeing. I'll catch up tomorrow.

sorry should have said its bonny loch lomond would have put loch ness but then we would have ended up with some strange people looking for nessie and i mean im strange enough WELCOME GIGI my son was in germany last year then passed through lots of other places on the way back and said that the germans are the nicest glad you came and joined us and doggie is welcome too we love to gossip and look after one another and very rare these days we actually care so hope youll feel like staying and youll soon meet the rest of us at some point
right ladies im only here for a wee bit have to go and take the doggies ofr there promised walk
bye for now
kirsty

Linus~ you can gae all highland any time you want.I love Loch Lomond. Had a picnic on its shores once.
Shad~ I am not sure I am doing all that well on the challenge. The food has been good. I have not done the weights this week. I have been doing yoga though. Helps with the PMS stuff. I didn't have my cheese party last night. I was so tired. I had a handful of Fritos( naughty) and went to bed. Only ski nuts go to Northern Ont this time of year. I wait til August!!
Gigi~ I want to change my name to Gigi.What a fantastic name. I have German connections too. My Mom was born there. Came to Canada in '54.We still have relatives in the former East and West.I have been when I was younger. Where abouts are you?
Best wishes on your diet/exercise plan. Nice to meet you!
Happy~ nice to see you too!! Glad you are finding your groove in the new home.

It was a ho hum morning here with lots of the usual. I am taking DS for a holistic treatment this aft.Our book club meets for the first time tonight to sort out, when ,where ,how..... I am curious about who will be there.
I am off to shower while the babe is napping. The girls are into playdough.
Have a glorious day!!!

Oh well and I thought it was going to be a day of miracles... 1 has occurred as you will see at the end! I have the bottom of the ticker page back where it should be!!! But alas, the smilie link is not working. I forgot to tell the computer man about that earlier!!
He spent about 3 hrs here earlier, sat in this seat and has changed my web browser to Firefox...welll done to Linus for the suggesting as to which direction to go in!! So finally I have a ticker to play with. Let's just hope the numbers can be altered week bt week as well...It looks quite different to the usual. A lot brighter and more clarity. Seems to be rather on the slow side though.....
It has been a really busy day here today....very grey and miserable. The computer man turned up very late and was still here and at his task when the gas inspector man turned up..also late The latter had left before the first man! I told him (Linus, what a good girl I am!) that the electicians had only removed two out of the four plugs that are now obsolete from the redundant storage heaters so he said he would send them back to complete the job.
The gas man phoned from his mobile before he arrived and said that due to there being no St Peter's Way (where I live) on his map, could he give me directions.....ho hum!!! And then none of us heard him knocking...neither the computer man, Holly, nor me...so he rang again and said he was standing at the front door and would I mind letting him in!!! Honestly, weeks and weeks go by with not a male in sight and now I have had 4 in the house in less than 10 days...
SHAD thank you for getting us into our new home. I windered why I could'nt find you all. Thought I must be losing even more of my already addled brain..
Welcome to GIGI...but bad girl you for only lurking and not jumping in to the lake before now! My brother used to work in Stuttgart, also Munich and Frankfurt before emigrating to New Zealand where he has now been for 17 years or so, I love all things Austrain and Swiss and German. My neighbour and I spent a week in Salzburg last summer...LAST SUMMER? It seems an absolute age ago now. My neighbour's husband's family is half German and they were stationed out in...(oh humhph! Somewhere beginning with a K that now has its own airport!) so they are always popping over to see friends and rellies. I just love all things Germanic. OH!!Kavadore! That doesn't look as you should spell it but its something along those lines...
HAPPY how are you settling in with the varoius tasks associated with moving lock stock and almost barrell? Have lots of hot mugs of tea and coffee and try not to overdo things. Rome wasn't built in a day, so I am told!!
LINUS I will ring you tonight and we can put the world right together. It loks like we may have a few flurries of snow over the weekend. I REALLY ought to get some shopping in before then...although tomorrow is not going to be a good say as I have a Diabetic Eye Screening in the morning. After this I won't be able to focus on anything for 2 or 3 hrs. Here's praying for a gloomy day and NO bright sunshine!! Sorry, but rain would be good for tomorrow morning!!
Ok thats enough from me!!
Hellos to everyone else I should have mentioned...like MEL and TIG and ROSEBLUSH and CANDLELADY and not least of all MEADOW. Take good care of yourselves. Be warm if you need to be and be safe!!!

Gosh I just found you and posted on the other thread.....no big deal I was just b*****ing anyway...... wow we are off to a great start...welcome to gigi..... I will be back later today to report on the end of my most frustrating day of....
Thanks shad.........
Nae

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. It's great to be here with such a nice group. Sorry I forgot to mention where in Germany I am, OOPS! We live in Wuerzburg, in northern Bavaria. Its about an hour at autobahn speed from Frankfurt. A little more info if you're interested: From 1996 - 1999, we also lived in Heidelberg and Stuttgart, Germany. In 2000 we lived in Mons, Belgium. From 2001 to 2004 we were back in South Carolina, and early last year we made our way back to Germany, all the while with our furkid, Pancho. We got him from the German animal shelter in 1998 when he was one year old. He'll be 8 in March. I put his picture in my avatar.

The GRITS in my tagline is really a play on words. GRITS as an acronym means "girl raised in the south" as in the southern USA. I'm from South Carolina. BUT, grits are also a food, found mostly in the - you guessed it - southern USA. They are made from corn somehow and look rather like polenta or crushed rice and they are white. I like them but you have to have a lot of practice to cook them just right and they are too high calorie so I never keep any at home. They're especially good with plenty of butter, salt & pepper, .........gravy,............ cheese.....................

good evening one and all {and the lurkers} how are we all this evening ? good i hope ,well im still sore but then its still freezing cold here supposed to get to -4 through the night so thermal jammies and slippersocks goodness wont i look atractive how will dh hope to resist me right where to start my diet has been good today toast and low calorie pate ,buttered roll for lunch,grilled steak and boiled new potatoes for tea no sweets and no crisps and ive done my weights every night and the dogs got an extra walk today to make up for yesterday
SHAD if i sat on your head and bounced you wouldnt have to worry about work ever again or anything else for that matter glad to hear your "boys" are being good to you i think everybody appreciates someone who can actually deliver what they promise and who can get the boarders to go!!!!!!
GIGI the pooch is lovely whats his {?} name sorry if its a she he looks like hes got some setter in there i have a collie cross and a canine dynamo staffie pains and spoilt brats but wouldnt be without them
MEL havent got to that drawer yet did my computer desk and paperwork instead but will get to the drawer tonight {maybe} hope your good and behaving yourself
TEEL glad i knew all those men were coming to vist or id worry about you only invite the ones that are of use to you and leave again when they are done good luck at the hospital tomorrow and ill phone you tomorrow night and so glad your standing up for yourself
ROSE ill go to the other thread and read up on what youve been doing ! whos been agrivating you ?stessful day?? come and tell auntie kirsty and shell make it all better or ill shout at them for you
HOLLY how was the book club??? did you actually get any peace and quiet i juat need to mention PMS to my lot and they dont come near me for a week
HAPPY ill get you to send me your new addy when you move in ive got a welcome to your new house card for you and dh enjoy the unpacking {sorry} and hope you are all settled soon and that youll have even better fun developing the new garden
MEADOW have we lost you on the other thread???? hope you find us soon
TIG have the old dears kidnapped dh ???? have you done a forrest gump and decieded to run for three years to see "where you get to"
CANDLE hows the kiddies ? is dh home yet? how is your nephew now ?better i hope
SUZI hows you luv?? you have to let me know how the kids are still off school ? they have had loads of holidays
SHAKER have you popped off again ?? speak soon i hope ??
right ladies i havent done my weights yet so im off to go and do them and listen to some rock chicks and ill speak to you all later
kirsty

went back to our old home and thought id pop back ROSE give her a sly kick in the pants and yes it right the first time "kirsty" MEADOW you are psychic i have that same cartoon stuck to the fridge my mumgot it for me hope you find your way here
kirsty

Fabulous we are on a lake! I've always wanted to try windsurfing LOL

Linus, I told you that there was something about you that spoke to the blood of my Scotish ancestors, fancy your mom finding the same pic?! Omh, you are drinking hot tea and have something crunchie with it... omh...

Shad-you have carved a niche for yourself in the new job environment, the fixer, the boss diverter, the one that fits the people mix. How does it feel? To be accepted so completely that they are telling you all about who isn't Don't you love office politics? I remember... Now I just have children to abuse me and take me for granted

Rose-jeepers, your credit card thing must be a headache, I hope they fixed the weird charges and you were able to find out how they got on there. Hugs again for the angst of your coworker of little consequence, perhaps she will shape up. Fingers crossed.

Teel-Any more miracles today? I have a huge new Antonio wallpaper picture I could post to test out your new server with, shall I? Okay, I won't. Only links
Antonio Wallpaper

Holly-How are the kids today, who is winning? Did your headache ease any? The new Apprentice is on tonight, are you going to watch. I am addicted to that program. "A" type personalities intrigue me, I am so far away from that kind of ambition, it is like watching sports

Happy-Cool, by the end of next month!! I'm so excited for you. A new house to decorate and enjoy and I'm sure the weight lifted off your shoulders once you don't have those noisy neighbours to content with will be a blissful addition

Welcome to the world thread Gigi One of my best online buddies is from Germany, we talk on Yahoo all the time, she speaks English and we both love Antonio Banderas, glad you are here. Happy2BeMe, one of our regulars here, has just moved down to the southern US, maybe you can give her some tips on how to fit in as you are a Southern Belle yourself

So where have the other gone? Mel did the carpet guys kidnap you? Diane have you been overrun by the grand children? Tig stop running for a minute and check in. Suzi how hot is it? Are you on the lounger and have no time for us cold winter folk?