Kimberley - tomorrow is your weigh in! Sounds like you had a nice day, minus the sore feet. Canned veggies? I don't know that I've ever had anything but tomatos from a can before. I used to eat canned fruit, it was short lived thing, they didn't taste as good as fresh. I think I'm lucky, we always have fresh, cheap veggies and fruit.

Well thats all for me today, I sure posted enough times. I'm going to drink some peppermint tea to calm my tummy, and then hit the sack. Nite!

-Aimee

Good morning! I know I always complain about being tired, but today I am hard-core tired. The restaurant got pretty darn busy last night. We usually cut our first section of servers by about 8pm, but last night, it was busy enough that they didn't get cut until after 9. Then when we only had 2 servers left (the closers), we got a little pop and had like 9 or 10 tables sat just a half hour before we closed. Yes, we close at 11, but that really means we want people OUT by 11, not coming in at 10:55! So yeah, instead of leaving about 10:45-ish like normal, I was stuck in the restaurant helping the servers and doing closing work until 11:35. By the time I got home, I just wanted to strip off my smoke-smelly clothes and crash in bed, but my toe was doing pretty badly from all the running around I'd done all night. I didn't have time to soak it (pretty sure I would have fallen asleep and woken up to a cold pruned foot), so I cleaned it with peroxide and put some pain-relief Neosporin and band-aids on it for the night. I cleaned it off with more peroxide this morning after my shower and left the band-aids off for the day so it could breathe. Hopefully, it will dry out and heal up nicely like it did last weekend (as long as I stick with the flip-flops instead of socks and sneakers).

So yeah, when my alarm went off at 4:22 this morning, I was still a little sleepy, since I had not gone to bed until about 12:05, and by then I was so wound up that it took me a while to actually fall asleep. I had some stress from the day job yesterday, too. They asked me to come in this weekend to work. This is the third weekend in a row they have asked me to come in. Granted, I didn't actually come in the past 2 weekends because I was at Jeff's, but still. Maybe if there's so much work to do, they need to hire someone else. Now, I am all about helping out and doing my part and working hard and yadda yadda yadda, but between the 2 jobs, I am already working 70 hours in my 5-day week. I really don't want to give up my weekend! Also, I am salaried, so I won't get overtime or anything. I will basically be volunteering my weekend away. Of course, I'm a big weenie and can't say no, so I said I cold come in in the mornings for a few hours if they needed me to. The problem is that I work with people for whom this job is their life, ya know? My boss has no husband, no boyfriend, no pets that require much attention (she has a snake), she lives alone, and most of her friends are other people who work here, so she thinks nothing of working on something from 10am till 1:30am if she has to. This is her career--we work on EPA documents, and she went to school for environmental science. Works for her. For me, however, this is just a stepping-stone to something better. I don't want to be a technical writer forever. I want to be in marketing/advertising/sales assistance--something a little more exciting and fun. I hate that I have no communication with the outside world here--I'd much rather be dealing with customers and clients and sales people and stuff. Therefore, I feel that for as much work as I do here (and for as little pay as I get), I'm wasting my time! If they actually paid me enough here so I didn't have to work nearly 30 hours at the restaurant each week, then maybe it'd be a different story. I know I should maybe find a new job, but I have only been here since November, and this coming November, I will probably be moving when when my lease runs out, so I don't want to start a new job here and have to move and switch jobs again in 6 months. ARGH! so frustrating...but I'll survive

So, I may not get to do as much car shopping as I'd hoped if I have to work this weekend. We'll see how that goes. I think my current car knows I'm thinking of a new one--it was particularly smooth and peppy on the drive home last night. She's trying to prove to me she's still got what it takes. Unfortunately, it's too little, too late
I didn't pack any food for today. If I need a snack, there are 100-calorie bags of Smartfood popcorn (yum!) in the vending machines. The cafeteria has a salad bar, so I can make me a good salad for lunch. Dinner tonight will be out splurging with Jeff (assuming I can stay awake for dinner). I really need to clean my apartment, too. Right now, there are piles of mail and dirty clothes and dishes and trash and...I have NO time to clean or do laundry or even run the dishwasher (it's even stated in our lease that we're not supposed to run them after 10pm or before 8am because you can hear it in the apartment below you, so I'm never even home during the "dishwasher-allowed" hours). So yeah. Usual complaints--I'm tired and broke and frustrated. Sorry about the big Jill pity party today. I'm just not quite energetic enough to be chipper this morning. On the bright side, it's Friday, so make it a Fabulous one, ladies!

Jill - there must be something in the water, the internet water of course, because I don't think we are on the same water system. Anywho, I feel very blah today. Partly it's the crazy headache I have, Josh is going to go get me some coffee soon, I'm hoping it will help. I'm going thru serious sugar and caffiene withdrawl. It hurts! Everytime I move I kinda feel like barfing, I've taken tons of tylenol, and hope this coffee will help. I will be back later to post properly. Gotta lay down or something.

Kimberley - where are you weigh in girl?!?!

-Aimee

Heya, heya! Howie made it...He's in TWO-rific territory at 297lbs today! I am down to 229lbs today. Can't believe it.

We went out to Dawe's Arboretum for a bit after enjoying our Egg McMuffins (do you know the McMuffin man? LOL). Howie didn't have his camera and got a little peturbed when I kept oohing and aahing, asking him to stop the van so I could jump out and get pictures of the gorgeous rain-soaked greenery. I put my camera away after that. But, we walked a little on the boardwalk in the cypress swamp (yes, we have a cypress swamp in Ohio!) and I took a few more then.

Here's a few from today. The white flower is a trillium, Ohio's State Flower. The boardwalk is in the cypress swamp and the green glob is salamander eggs in the water at the cypress swamp.

Woohoo Kimberley! I am so happy for you You go girl!

I'm feeling SO much better after my huge starbucks coffee I am a new person! I'm not too sure about eating, I just feel like I have the flu.. even though I know it's just sugar withdrawl. It's going to be worth it! Just look at my weight ticker.. I'm already down 2 pounds.

Now I need to vent, my new boss was supposed to call me on Tuesday and let me know my schedule, but I still hadn't heard from her today, so I called with more questions (she hasn't been telling me enough info). But she was too busy to answer, and so now I'm worried she's going to be as useless as the boss I just left. I sure hope not though. Even so, it's closer to home, right? I gotta be positive. Worst comes to worst, I'll try and get a job at the gap, my true clothing home.

Enough venting, I am going out to enjoy the sun Have a great day, STAY ON PLAN! GET SOME EXERCISE! FEEL FABULOUS!

-Aimee

Hey, Howie and I were just saying today that coffee is the one vice we don't plan on giving up, Aimee. Hey, the ticker moved down - yay! I haven't updated mine yet, whoops.

Maybe new boss is just swamped with contacting the applicants who didn't get hired, or has been wrapping up interviews. Don't go in with preconceived notions, just enjoy the new territory and put your best foot forward.

We got into early summer mode and went to Coney Island again -- only it's not early summer, it's April AND IT'S COLD. Maybe not the best idea...Bad Idea Jeans, as a matter of fact. It was fun to be outside for a few hours. Luckily the Parks Dept heats the bathrooms or else I'd probably be suffering from hypothermia right now.

Went to the gym early this morning (before CI). Felt good. I lost last week's gain, which leaves me at my ticker weight, sigh. Next week I'll leave the 270s. Gotta be patient sometimes. I think I had a fantasy that I'd join the gym and lose 10 lbs a week

Congrats to you and Howie, Kimberley! Believe it! You're really getting down there! Nice pics, I like the cypress boardwalk. There's a place north of here called the Innisfree Garden that you'd love. It has a bridge that goes over a lake right at the surface of the lake, so you feel like you're almost walking on the water.

I am trying to look at this as an adjustment in my life, as opposed to a diet. -- Diana

Me too, Diana. Family can truly suck sometimes, even if they don't mean to. You have a great personality, it surprised me to read that you feel like you don't have self esteem, I don't get that vibe from you. You seem to me to be a doer. You go after what you want, with the exercise, with your interests. I admire that.

I have 102 pounds to lose, thats pretty scary for me. I also need his support to do this, and sometimes rely on him, he really hates that. --Aimee

Yeah, it gets complicated, doesn't it. It's never us alone with the weight loss, it's the people around us too. Did you see that episode of Extreme Makeovers with the guy who lost hundreds of lbs (can't remember how much) and his wife stayed heavy. I couldn't help thinking to myself that that must have been a scary dynamic -- but he obviously loved her very much and didn't put any pressure on her to lose the weight.

I think it feels scary to me sometimes too how much weight I have to lose. It's like Rob always says though, I just need to stick with it and keep my eye on the prize. What else am I going to do, freak out and eat 2 dozen glazed doughnuts?

So, you saw that episode of phil? I was sobbing I had to laugh when I saw you mention that. Two women, in two different countries, watching the same episode of Dr. Phil, both PMSing, and sobbing as that poor woman got that 7-foot $15,000 check, heh heh.

Hang in there, Jill. I bet it all changes before you know it. You have a right to b&m. I did do a double take at the boss with the pet snake. I do like snakes, but never had much of an urge to have one as a pet. I guess that does give you some real insight into what might be happening there at that job....

Heather, I can never remember being in a school play at that age -- they just made us give concerts (I played the clarinet). I think I tortured my parents more than gave them an experience of thinking I was cute in a play When I think of all those sour notes in front of all those parents,

Have a good Friday night, everyone, Fab Ladies.

I am trying to look at this as an adjustment in my life, as opposed to a diet. -- Diana

Ditto...we count on the fact that calorie counting is just a fact of life for us because it keeps us on track.

Well, we have to get up at 6:30am, and we're still up. Heading out to Cincinnati about 7:30am and may not get back here until Sunday when we scout out a spot to grab a of coffee and wi-fi!

Hey Ladies! I have quite the busy day, spent WAY too much money. We bought the bf's neice 2 pairs of shoes at BOGO, and a cute little visor, the bf also took me out for lunch and then we had to buy him a new pair of work pants. It adds up though, eh? 130 bucks later! My lunch was SO good though, and the bf's parents made dinner for us, so it was a really good day in that sense. Although, I cheated. I had fruit (no sugar added), fat free organic sugar free yogurt, and ice all blended up. Sounds good, but it's that fruit thing. I'll know tomorrow on the scale how bad it was.

Marge - you are too funny, I totally laughed about that whole Dr Phil thing, good to hear I'm not the only one who gets like that! Did you see Oprah that day? I almost started to cry.. but was so tired nothing came out. heh. So I only have 100 pounds to lose now, but still overwhelming. Sometimes it's better to know how much exactly you have to lose, sometimes it really helps me stay on plan.. othertimes not so much.

Kimberley - mmmm, coffee. I drink specialty coffee's, so they tend to add up pretty quickly. Have a great time Whats wi-fi?

I am off to hem Josh's pants! Have a great one!

-Aimee

I missed the Oprah. ha. Probably would have cried at that too. Hey, we watched Globe Trekker this morning (a travel show on PBS) and guess where they went -- Canada, and Vancouver! The host guy went to the anthropology museum there, and ate lunch at an indigenous peoples restaurant.

I need to get new jeans, have to do that tomorrow. I'll take the train into manhattan and go to the Lane Bryant near Macys. And i'll get some undersquares. Tomorrow is another gym day too. So think I'll lounge today. Maybe do some cleaning.

I also will start riding my Mt Bike, I have a nice, new one that really got very little use last year because it rained so much here. -- Diana

That's cool, Diana. There's a huge loop in the park here, and lots of dirt paths, people use mostly 10 speeds but we see quite a few dirt bikes too.

Marge - I wanna come shopping too! Make sure your jeans aren't tapered! I once had a customer who told me that tapered pants look better than ones with a straight line from mid-thigh down, she told me my pants made my thighs look bigger. She was insane! heh. "undersquares" ?

So that "cheating" I did yesterday? It wasn't bad. My scale was happy with me this morning, so thats that! My friend is supposed to call me this morning, and we are supposed to go for coffee. I have a feeling I won't be getting a call though, why the HECK am I friends with so many flakey people?!? Alrighty, I'm gonna change my ticker, and then enjoy some more sun! I already have a slight tan, most noticable on my foot because I was in the sun washing the car yesterday, or supervising while the bf did it, heh

-Aimee

Hi all, just a quickie...been out looking at cars, are waiting for them to get in a blue Camry, SE, then we will buy it...
I hate jeans that have a flared bottom..I like a relaxed fit I guess, the basic jean that has been around for hundreds of years lol...
well, tomorrow is weigh in and measurement day, boy I am sure hoping i see something, after over 3 weeks of Curves and cutting back...it would be real disappointing to have seen nothing. But I will NOT get discouraged, will just work harder..
I love my bike...it's a DiamondBack...I had a Specialized before, but I hated it, cannot get used to having to raise my leg up over the top bar, the Diamondback is a woman's Mountain Bike, and it is made so I am not so hunched over and it has shocks in the seat. Nice and comfy.
Well am off..Busy busy busy...will be out in the yard all day tomorrow...MY sis-in-law may be here too, which will be nice, but after a couple of hours of looking at her Mullet, I am ready to see her home...lol..She is so immature, she is 6 months younger than me and has no clue what life is all about. She still lives at home scot free...It will be a rough year for her, when His dad gets the house sold, she will have no choice but to grow up...

see ya all tomorrow, hope everyone is haveing a great weekend!!!

Well, a little something to brighten my mood today--I bought a new car! Well, I actually get it and finish the paperwork tomorrow since they didn't have the color I wanted in stock, but I put a holding deposit on it and have to go back tomorrow at 3. It will be a black 2005 Honda Civic LX--power everything and remote keyless entry. I'm so excited! PLUS they gave me $1150 for my trade-in (Kelly Blue Book said I would only get $700 on my trade-in, and I figured even less since it needs so much work). Of course, I had test-driven a Toyota Corolla earlier and gotten financing info on that, so when I went to Honda, I was like, well toyota was going to give me a new corolla for about 250 a month, and toyota was going to give me 1000 for my trade-in...it worked like a charm. MSRP on my car according to the Honda website is $16,410 plus title, tax, tags, and fees. I got mine for $13,900 bottom line (title, tax, tags, and fees included), so I think I did alright for my first car-buying experience, especially since I had originally been quoted $13,700 for the VP (step down from mine). Oh, it's just so great to know I don't have to worry about my car anymore. I don't even have to have my first tune-up on the Honda until 110,000 miles, and oil changes are recommended every 5000 instead of 3000 miles. WOOHOO!

Aside from that, my diet has been my typical weekend diet--crappy! The scale was still at 304.5 this morning (AFTER I ate breakfast), so I think I'm still doing okay. Have to wait till Thursday to know for sure.

Howie must be SO excited! I'm still struggling to get into the 200s, but at least I'm still down from where I started.

Diana--the new Camrys are nice! I have a 1993 Camry now (well, until I trade it in tomorrow), and I think the only reason I am having so much trouble with it is that the previous owner must not have maintained it very well. I would definitely still be willing to buy a new Toyota--they get EXCELLENT reviews. Heck, I almost bought a Corolla this morning (but had to at least check out the Civic for peace of mind--ended up Honda just had the better deal for me).

Aimee--I'm sure your new job will still be much much better than your old one. Just think, it couldn't be much worse, right?

Marge--I think I'm done with the b&m for now...got the new-car-smell high!

wtg Jill...thats great...we always buy Toyotas or Hondas...I have a 2003 Matrix now, only has 23,000 mi on it. Only trading it because DH trades cars in every 3-4 years...He got a new truck last year ( 2005 Tundra double cab) so he decided this year it is my turn., he never really cared for it too much anyhow since it is made with Pontiac parts and rattles like crazy...When I first moved here, 7 years ago, he leased me a new Acura CL Coupe ( cranberry red, loaded), which was a beautiful car, but too low to the ground for my tastes..So am not complaining~we can afford to do this. I had to ride the bus and walk it in OHIO. Well, WTG woohoo how exciting for you! HAG1!

Jill - I am so excited for you!! Thats wicked, a new honda civic.. I'm jealous! Yay!

Diana - you too! Holy cow, you are all getting new cars!! My bf wants a Toyota Tundra or Tacoma, with a quad cab. I don't think we will get one though, gas prices are INSANE! We are paying 105.9/L, we've been holding steady around 89.9 to 99.9 for the last year or so. Too expensive. I don't know what that is in American, heh. I can never convert L's to Gallons.

Alrighty ladies, we have 1 more day left in this weekend, we have to stay on plan! Exercise too! However I hear that 80% of weight loss is what you put into your mouth. So lets watch those calories, sugar, or whatever you need to watch!

-Aimee