Happy spring to you, too! I was in Florida, and so got a taste of lovely warm weather. Trees are starting to bloom here in DC, although the weather is still in the 40s.

Lori, yaay for you, losing 2lbs Good work, and you were feeling crummy, too!

Joetta, life isn't slowing down, but at least I'm not traveling again for a few weeks. Two colleagues in my department announced that they are moving on, so the usual hectic pace has been stepped up a few notches. And I've been considering my own options....more on that as it materializes.

Marie--Welcome back! We'll climb back onto the wagon together.

Robin, Kerry and Paige--have a good evening! I woudl write more but I'm famished!

judy

Hey Gang!
I'll be happy to start us a new thread, if you guys don't mind waiting until the weekend! I'll write a welcome post for anybody who stumbles upon us and wants to hang out. I'll send you all the new link and also post it in a final post on this thread incase anybody comes a looking for us! I know it's spring, but today was a yucky day, it was half raining and half flurring. Oh well, it won't be long! I don't have much time tonight, but I wanted to say hi to Marie! I need to try and get this house in order for the appraisal. I would just die if anybody, besides family stopped in! I might take a vacation day on Wed. to get some last min. things straightend out!!! Oh and I made some home made french fries tonight, wow they hit the spot with my low fat chili dog!! Alright I've got to get off here and get something done! I'll check back tomorrow!!! Robin, I can't wait to hit my goal weight, I may lay around and watch chick flicks for a whole weekend just to do it! Na, I think I'll throw on a really skimpy red dress and go out!! Yea right, I'ld be just as happy with pizza and a movie in my PJ's (oh I can't believe I admitted that out loud)!!! I remember the days when all I wore was jeans, now I can't stand to cut of my circulation at the waist! It must be something about maturing, coz I don't much care if I have make up on to go to the gas station!!! Oh my boss's wife noticed I lost weight today, that was my first "your looking skinnier coment"! I loved every min. of it, it means my hard work is getting me some where!!!!!!!!!!

Having a hard time recovering from the trip. I'm tired, DH is tired and I'm not feeling in the swing of anything. Just getting by I guess. I don't think I gained anything while on the trip since stepping on the scale this morning which is good. I can only hope that I can continue to lose. This is getting really hard.

I think a new thread would be fine. We might get some new stiffs. We could even start some sort of checkin if you like. Something like: biggest temptation, accomplishment for the day, goal of the week, etc. It might allow for some quick posts now and again for us to just checkin with some regularity without taking too much time. Something to think about.

No more word on the job front. I'm wondering if I should keep applying - decisions decisions.

Hi everyone, thanks for the welcome back. I don't care if we start a new thread. I don't mind looking for this one when I log on, but I'll follow wherever we go. Today has been a good day. I've been on track all day with my eating. I had to go to work for about an hour and I didn't touch my munchies (even though they are lo-cal). Then tonight, DH and I exercised to American Idol. we missed the firs two singers, but we can watch later tonight (we have DirecTv with west and east coast feeds since we live in the middle of nowhere).

Yesterday I was working on stained glass and cut my thumb pretty good. I was just putting the glass away and it slid down my thumb, slicing it nicely. So today I couldn't work on it. I did however go on a road trip over the mountain to the stained glass shop and Costcos. I bought some beautiful navy waterglass (wavy). At Costco, I bought more fruit for my diet.

I'm really back on track. I made it through the first four days and on the first or second is when I'd fall off into the calorie pit. So now I'm relieved and excited about losing the weight I regained and more. I think that I was struggling with winter, my most hated season and was eating my way through it. Next year I have to work way harder at resisting the munchie monster.

Again thanks for the welcome back and everyone have a healthy, happy evening.
Marie

I'm going to get skinny quick if I continue to feel the way I do today. Something has flared up with my upper GI and I can hardly eat and when I do I am in pain afterwards. I've doubled up my aciphex and I'm not experiencing any acid problems. It's more of an irritated spasm in my lower esophagus. NOTHING sounds good I can't go to the doc bc I have crappy insurance and no money. I've left a message with my brother (he's an md) and I'm awaiting his input.

This sucks! But I guess it's not hurting my diet.

Hello everyone. I hope you're having a good day.

I hope you get to feeling better soon, Kerry. And I hope it's nothing serious. We've had several people out sick with stomach flu. It's lasting about three days for most people. I'm lucky I haven't gotten it.

Marie: I got shivers down my spine when I read about the glass cutting your thumb. I've done something similar, and it hurts! So, I hope it heals quickly. Did you get any strawberries at Costco? I haven't been in to get them yet, but I've heard they're really good.

My next weigh in is this Monday. My goal for that is to have lost another 3 lbs, but I don't think I'm going to be quite there. It depends on this weekend. It's been raining here the last few days, and so I haven't been able to get out and walk as much. I don't mind walking in light rain, but down pours are a different story. And we really need the rain.

Plus, my husband may be going over to Iraq for about 4 1/2 months. It's somewhat voluntary, but he works for the Army Corps of Engineers. He doesn't have to go, but they're strongly requesting volunteers. It would be great pay and experience. And he wouldn't be in a combat area, but it's still nerve wracking for me to think about it. The ultimate decision is up to him. I guess we'll see. In the mean time, I'm half nauseated from being nervous, and half craving sweet carbs from the stress. Plus we're building a house. This summer could get really interesting.

Anyway, take care all.
Robin

Hi, gals--a quick note to say hello, I'm thinking of you, but I must run. I've mostly ignored the Easter candy that's all over the office, and I'm keeping up with the work outs...more tomorrow or Saturday.

Be well, and keep losing--judy

A quick note - I've been good this week even if I don't want to be. I think I might actually get below 150. Brother called back and prescribed some nasty stomach meds. I think they're helping, hopefully enough that I can hold off on seeing the gastro specialist until I have a good job with good insurance.

I'll be doing my official weigh in on Monday. For some reason this all seems to be coming more naturally now. I don't even have the mad craving for McDonald's fries when I drive past. I haven't been religiously counting calories, but I know I've stayed under.

I hope everyone else is doing well, getting back on track and losing some. It can be so hard when you get off track to get back on.

I'll be around all weekend. Hope to see some of you!

Hi all, I hope everyone is enjoying their Friday. It's the last official day of my spring break, but that's okay. Pretty soon the weather will turn nice again and it will really be spring. That's what I'm looking forward to.

Kerry, I sure hope you start feeling better. Robin, yes I did get the strawberries at Costco and they're very good. I swear strawberries are God's gift to dieters. I just love them and they have so few calories.

I've been doing good for a week now - back on track and it's getting easier. Never just plain easy. I've been staying around 1300-1400 calories per day. I'm trying to up the consumption of water and haven't been too bad at it. And I've been exercising. I've seen progress on the scale and that was nice (not today, but through yesterday). I want the 10 pounds I regained off and I want them off right away. So I'm really dedicated to what I'm doing.

Mainly, the area I need to work on the most is the water. I was lurking at other threads and read about the point system they use. Two points for staying on the diet, one point for exercising and one point for making the water amount for the day. So a perfect day you'd earn 4 points and so on. I thought it was really cool and I'm going to track my points in excel with my weight. When I reach 100 points, I get a new article of clothing. then I'll start all over. I'm an incentive based person occasionally and I think this will work for me. BTW, yesterday was 3 points - the water got me. Anyway, I thought I'd share what they're doing - it seemed pretty cool.

Today I'm working on a sampler quilt I started last night. The first 12" square I don't like, so I'm going to scrap it and start over. But it's going to be cool and it's one I'm going to hang on the wall. With the wood floors, the house echoes a little and I thought that would help deaden the sound a little.

Well, have a great Friday.
Marie

Hey Gang it's finally FRIDAY!!!
This has been a week from _ell!! But the house looks good, the appraiser was here and gone, but I won't here anything until Monday or Tuesday. Oh the suspense!! Anyway after all of the insanity I'm feeling a little tired, couldn't imagine why?? So I think I'm going to grab my weights and squeeze it in before I drop over some where! All the Easter shopping is done, I have to climb up in my mom's attic and get the baskets down some time tommorrow! Having boys, they always seem to break the things you'ld like to keep, so I get them out at the last minute and put them away the next day! I wish I would have been as quick with the X-mas tree, I had broken bulbs the whole time the stupid thing was up! This year, mark my words, it won't be up for more than the 26 days in December! I'm not doing the Thanksgiving rush to get it up and leaving it up to New Years. It's either that or super glue the decorations on the thing!!! Ok, now I'm rambling so I'm going to work-out and get some rest!! Chat with you all over the weekend!

Hey All!
I have been just a tad busy the past few days. I love working--but sometimes it can get just a bit overwhelming!

Robin, I can't imagine the stress that you are under!!! I have 2 nephews in Iraq-and am terribly concerned about them. The stories that I get back are heartwarming, but it is still really scary. And having a house built during the same time frame????? I would be a basket case! My thoughts are with you both.

Marie, I was trying to imagine myself quilting with a big gash in my thumb--you don't want to know the vision that I conjured up!!!! It was not pretty!!

Kerry it must be pretty cool having a Dr. in the family--glad that he can help you out.

Lori, best of luck on the appraisal!!! Interest rates are still low, so housing rates are staying high--you should do fine.

Judy--way to go on avoiding the Easter candy!

Have a wonderful Easter Weekend Girls!
Joetta

I think the forum might be working. I am making this post to test it out!

ETA: WooHoo it is up and going. I hope some of you wander back in here to see as well. We are having a peaceful weekend and that has been great for us. DH is on a mad cleaning spree right now prompted from my giving the dog a bath. He's even mopping!! And my precious Bella smells much better!

We went out to eat last night. Since we'd been drinking it had to be somewhere in walking distance so we chose the Chinese buffet. I tried to stay away from the fried food, but couldn't resist the sesame chicken! I probably blew my chances of losing my lone pound between that and my indulgence in a bit of sweets. What's a girl to do with all the candy EVERYWHERE!

I'm hoping for the best and planning for the worst. I need to get back on a plan and start working on this next 10 pounds SERIOUSLY. I'm starting to think that I'm not going to make it to 130 by June, but 140 by June sounds doable. Then I'll shoot for losing those evil last 10 or so by our anniversary in October. This all sounds much more managable.

Hope you're all having a good weekend and not indulging to awfully much like me. Back to the grind tomorrow.

Just a quick hello!!!! My dad has been here all week and leaves tomorrow. I always feel bad that he seems to do house hold projects while he is here. We have spent the last 5 days painting. We had to paint the dining room and kitchen white so the new paint would look better. Then we painted the dining room, living room (20ft. ceilings), entry way (20 ft. ceilings), 2 hallways, and today we are doing the downstairs bathroom and kitchen. Then tomorrow I have to sew four 15 foot panels for my new curtains in the living room. Then on Tuesday I get to go back to work and rest. I seem to spend my spring break working harder then I do when I am work. Somethings wrong with that.

More later-
Paige

Yes Paige, I agree, something is very wrong with that!! I hate needing to get work done when I have so little time off! I want to lounge and relax, but the laundry won't do it's self!! Spring is just around the corner and I'm getting the fixer up bug! I don't know what project I'm going to tackle this year. Since I don't have much money it will have to be something simple! Maybe I can buy a piece of our walk and one shrub per pay, maybe by the end of the summer I'll have it all done! Today was definatly over eaters day! I'll be lucky if my weigh in tomorrow is the same as last week! I had lost 2lbs this morning, but after all the food I packed in I'm sure it's back and then some!! I'm glad this is working again, Paige we need your email address in case this happens again, yours is the only one we don't have! Oh and by the way I'll get us a new post going as soon as everyone comes back and sees were working again!
Talk to you all later!!

I started the day out nicely, getting up, having a cuppa, then hopping in the jeep to take a 3 hour ride to see my papa.

It was all downhill from there. Torential pouring rain most of the way, and while I was sitting and chatting with my father, my dear hubby called to tell me that our basement had flooded overnight. The munchkin described it as like walking on the beach when the water swirls around your ankles. I got back a couple of hours ago, have been moving furniture, and sucking up water. Of course with a 15 yr old boy, you can imagine how much of the floor was covered with clothes, books, sleeping bags, etc. WHAT A MESS!!!

University of Kentucky is playing for the final four, so the "professional" told us that he would be out tonight about 9:00(after the game), to see what he needs to bring tomorrow. Ah the joys of home ownership!

Took a quick break to check in, will now get back to "sucking"

Joetta