Hi everyone. Not been around this week. My dad in Australia has been diagnosed with emphysema. His lung collapsed on Wednesday and he was taken to hospital by ambulance. He is out now. I am beside myself with worry, but don't want to travel back to Australia at this stage. It's all a worry and my mum is stressed out. So I haven't been on the internet so much. I am still on plan and exercising, which I am really pleased about, thought some bad news would have me dashing to the chocolates, but not so far.

I've missed you all!!

kykaree - Wowsers, thats pretty stressful, I hope your dad gets better soon! Thats pretty impressive that you stayed on plan... if something happened to my mom, I'd fall apart. Keep it up!

Heather - ouchies, strep throat is painful! Glad to hear you are feeling better though

Kimberley - working in the yard sounds great, I wish I had a yard! I think I'm going to try and drag the bf for a walk in the sun today. Maybe I can get a little colour on my face.. I'm looking pretty pale (except I'm part native, so I'm never *white*).

As for me today, I'm going to try and go for that walk.. and later I'm heading to one of Josh's co-workers house for a tarot card reading thingy. I'm actually pretty nervous about that, I've been to tea readings, and various things like that, and they tend to be bang on for me. And I don't know these people, and it feels pretty vulnerable. Especially if it involves my boyfriend at all, these people are pretty loyal to him. But I'm pretty sure I can steer clear of that.. we'll see! Alrighty! I am off to watch "Taking It Off". Have a great day

-Aimee

Hey alll. just a short note, ss Karee about your dad, we are all hoping he will be okay for you...Kimberley, lol, you are too funny ...and Aimee~ I am part native too ( Ottawa)..My Dh is part Mohawk..and we both are part French Canadian...the only other thing I have thrown in there is german...I love this weather...Going out to our fave dinner place with some people in our neighborhood...our new neighbors, well, on top of being VERY unfriendly, they have a crowd of people joining them every weekend so far, and these people are very very loud...Hmm, maybe our nosy neighbor wasn't so bad as we thought...We were throwing the idea of maybe moving around before, I know for a fact that if this keeps up, we will be for sure...That can be a bit much in the Summer when you are trying to relax in the backyard..on top of the fact they allll smoke and we hate smoking...I used to be a smoker, so I hate it even more than DH does...what a crew...lol...Oh well, the rate the houses are going up here, the houses we live in are going for 280-300,000, and new ones are starting at 350,000 so now you get a different kind of people who are buying here. Sigh...I am not a snob or try not to judge people, but, when they look the other way so as not to have to wave or say hello, and they get this group of people here, well....Never mind...enough said...if I am not here as often the next few weeks, it is because I really need to get busy crafting and spring cleaning and yard work, so Have a great rest of the weekend, and see ya all soon!! I am still weighing in tomorrow, and will be very happy with 3 pound loss if not more, keep those fingrs crossed

Kykaree, sorry to hear about your dad. Thinking of you, and proud of you for staying on plan despite the stress.

When we were at Caribou Coffee shop earlier this evening, I somehow managed to bump Howie's arm as he brought our coffee to the chairs. Out sloshed just enough coffee to penetrate my shirtsleeve. As fast as I ran to the bathroom to run cold water on my arm, the coffee still burned me pretty well. There's one spot with a second-degree, blistered burn and the rest is just minor first-degree. I just thank God it wasn't worse; some Bactine dulled the burning and we went on to see the movie after all.

We saw "Fever Pitch" -- loved it! Our treat day was today, and...well, we kinda went over by a lot. We didn't gorge or anything, we just had dinner way too early. By the time we went to the coffee shop and show, we were really hungry! So, we went out for a bite to eat at Applebee's after the show. Definitely didn't stick to our usual allowance of an extra 600 calories for the day, but we didn't make gluttons of ourselves.

well, the bday is over, it was nice. I ate my fave foods(mexican)and tried not to overdo it.We made it at home, so I could control what was put into everything, which made it much easier to do. The cake DH made was really good, and I managed to eat a way smaller piece than I usually would, and I only ate 1 piece, which is out of character
I know that a lot of times when you workout, and start this, you don't lose very much weight, and it could get discouraging. I think it's the " you convert a lot of fat into muscle at first" syndrome..lol I've been having those days. I look at myself and just don't see where the work is at. Until yesterday. I put on a pair of jeans I havent worn in at least 2yrs. They are two sizes(?) smaller. Im encouraged..lol.
Well ladies, Im off to take an ecology exam online and church. Have a terrific day, and I"ll bbl.

hey there e1...OH my Kimberley..I hate burns, they really hurt...hope you will be feeling better soon, a few weeks back, I burned the heck out of my hand with the glue gun, so I can relate...
Well, 4 pounds lost in 2 weeks, I am glad to see something lost, but not glad because That is not enough being as big as I am and as hard as I have been working . So now, I am even MORE determined to lose lose lose...I think the biggest problem is Soda. I really need to keep it out of the house, and if DH cannot abide by that, well, I will have to punish him somehow , lol...I would never buy it and don't~~ he sneaks it in the cart when I am not paying attention.That, and this week walking will become another habit every day..I don't care, I will be walking out side again...Something has got to give. So, 5 days is Curves, M,W,F~Walks.. Tues, Thurs, Bike...And MORE WATER... Okay...
Whatever happened to our challenges? Never heard any more about them...
I think this week would be a gret way to start...and my suggestion is staying on plan as far as drinking water goes...
I know, for me, I plan to drink 6, 20 oz bottles of water per day...Eh, just an idea..
BBL, HAGD!

Goodmorning! And look at that time! I am up EARLY! It's only because I work today though. I'm feeling pretty good, having a GREAT start to my day, I got up, got the oven fired up and put some chicken in for lunch, and then I steamed veggies. I haven't even been up an hour and I've made my lunch, breakfast, showered, got dressed, semi blow dried my hair, and I'm halfway thru putting on makeup. Normally I'm barely out of the shower.. heh. I am also feeling motivated today, I realize I only have 1 week until my 10km walk, and I have to get my body feeling better.. I have been feeling really badly lately. Here's hoping my motivation can outdo by need for instant gratification!

The tarot card reading went well last night, mostly I just found out stuff I already know, it turned up quite a few cards about my situation with work, it's been heartbreaking for me. But it also said that I am going into a time of change, but the change is good and is the direction I'm supposed to take. Now I don't know how much I believe in this stuff, but every single thing she said rang true for me. The best thing I think is that it said a lot about how my future is going to be looking up, and I've been dealing with really really crappy things in the past 2-3 years, I'm about due for something pleasant to happen. I'm one of those people who believes the harder you work, the luckier you are, so I'm not saying that I deserve good things to happen without me working for them.. hmm.. I don't know. It was interesting!

Kimberley - ouchies, I hope you feel better soon! And I hope it doesn't keep you out of the pool, you definitely don't need that again! There are 2 Applebee's in the lower mainland (Vancouver and surrounding areas are called that), and the one I went to was alright.. kinda hit or miss. I used to live in Winnipeg and they were all really good. Oh, and Olive Garden before they went all fancy was my FAVORITE! We've only got 1 Olive Garden and their portion sizes SUCK, not to mention that they don't do the breadsticks here.

Diana - 4 pounds in 2 weeks? And you are going to the gym and watching what you are eating? If you aren't counting calories or being REALLY mindful of that stuff, thats BEYOND good!! THey say 2 pounds a week is the most you are supposed to lose, however, I think if you are making healthy choices and are eating enough, more is fine. I am SO happy for you!! Now that you've got this exercising stuff perfected, do you need to make other changes? I once heard 80% of weight loss is your diet, and sometimes I've heard 95%, but 80% sounds reasonable. Don't forget measurements!! Those will tell you the most of whats really happening to your body.

Alrighty! I am off to work, have a great day

-Aimee

Kylie, I'm so sorry. I was thinking about you and about to post a "where are you?" note. I know it's tough when you're far away too. My dad had a heart attack when I was here in NY (he's in Calif). Hang in there and keep us posted.

I used to rent an apartment by Columbia Univ and it had a heating bar in the bathroom that ran floor to ceiling (steam heat). That thing used to get so hot, I'd get out of the shower and burn my arm leaning on it. Hurt like ****. Never 3rd degree, that's nasty. I saw Drew Barrymore and the guy from SNL on Dr. Phil the other day. I'd see that. Lots of good movies coming out; we have two free passes for the theater up the street, but we rent movies 99 percent of the time now.

I agree with Aimee, Diana, 2 lbs/week is a great rate. I know for me I always want more, even when I do well. We have had that "unfriendly neighbor" phenomenon growing here too. I guess it's because people move around so much, from one area of the country to another. And so often. Today we're going to a neighborhood march against overdevelopment near Greenwood Cemetery. (Lots of famous people buried there, including Tiffany, the stained glass maker, just to name one.) It's tougher to get people involved in local issues when lots of the people are here from other places and may not plan on staying here for more than a couple of years.

Aimee, I get a kick out of tarot, there's a website that does it it too (along with runes and a couple of other things). It's hard to know how real that stuff is, I always feel my horoscope fits me (Taurus).

Glad you're feeling better, Heather. Sounds like you handled the d-day situation really well. Cake would definitely be a tough one for me.

Yesterday we did go to Coney Island -- turned out that the subway that goes there from here was undergoing construction (just for that weekend), a fact we didn't figure out until we'd been in the subway station for an HOUR! We ended up having to take a shuttle bus after the train ride, grrrr. It was fun though, and we took pics. When I get them I post a couple to show you. Wasn't a great diet day. I had hot dogs (couldn't resist), coke, and a soft ice cream, french fries.... Oh, boy, sounds so much worse listing it here! We did walk a lot. Guess I'm going to have to be very, very good this week.

Ended up with a red nose despite sunblock.

Well, gotta go get ready for this march, only an hour, from our place to a spot in the cemetery -- yes, we're that close to a HUGE cemetery heh heh. Wish us luck.

Diana, 2 pounds a week is good, so yay for you! I shoot for 1-2 pounds a week and it all adds up.

I'm not too much for tarot and fortune stuff - I think a skilled reader is as much going by the laws of averages and psychological cues as anything. I can read any sign in the horoscope and apply parts of it to any number of things in my life.

Howie and I have enjoyed another day of outdoor fix-'em-up and got a lot done. I cut our azalea bushes back to the ground since there was a lot of dead wood in them. Also primed and painted our light post and installed a new post light. Howie cleaned out our ornamental pond and got the pump working again for the water feature, and also put up a porch light. A friend came over and helped us out by taking down what was left of our poor crabapple tree.

We had BLT's on pita bread, using Canadian bacon instead of regular belly-cut bacon. It has a lot less fat, and has that same good smokey flavor. I just fried it up crisp in a non-stick skillet. For dinner we (finally!) had kraut dogs made with low-fat turkey sausage cooked over a fire. Saved a few calories for the important thing: a few well-deserved and muscle-relaxing beers...And half cup of that tasty Edy's Light "French Silk" ice cream. OMG that stuff is good.

The burn's really not that bad, only bothered me a few times today when I accidently let something brush up against it. The Bactine numbs it if that happens. This week I think I'll take MWF and focus more on cardio and weights at the YMCA, and do yard work on the alternate days.

Right now we have a fire going on the patio fireplace, the water's trickling merrily in the pond, and the dogs are snuggled up quietly with us. I'm browsing 3FC, and Howie's listening to a baseball game on his computer. It's a gorgeous night, just chilly enough to enjoy the fire. I feel thankful.

I'm not too much for tarot and fortune stuff - I think a skilled reader is as much going by the laws of averages and psychological cues as anything. I can read any sign in the horoscope and apply parts of it to any number of things in my life.~~Kimberley

hey there, Could not sleep...ugh...Okay...I think, truly, that there are gifted people out there. My friend's sister is right on when it comes to giving tarot readings to people, and she gets paid a lot of money for healings and such...I have tried learning tarot myself, and I just could not get into it...As with Psychics. I have met with ones who told me things that no one could possible have known about and were 100% right on with my whole life, even predicting how and when I would meet DH..I have also met ones who were nothing but a load of crap...I guess if you are open to these things, you will believe in them...I don't follow the philosphy that everything in life has an explanation, I have had too many things happen to me..and yes, things that would make the hair stand up at the back of your neck..Things that other people were witness to as they happened...Of course, I also do not believe we could possibly be the only intelligent life form in the vast universe, but that is another subject. And I am a Scorpian, (11/12), and if you read the scorpian profile, It is dead on with me...
Anyhoo, well, gonna go read some things, then try to get back to sleep, took some tylenol, we were in the back of a very cramped mini van when we drove to Saratoga for dinner, and, mini-vans are not that great on my long legs, felt like my knees were in my face for 20 minute stretches, by the end of the night was in major pain..HAG1 All...

PS TY everyone for the Congrats...you guys are wonderful!

Good morning and Happy Monday (I know Mondays are not typically happy, but better to pretend to be happy about it than to start the week off on a negative note ),

Well, I came in this morning to a small pile of work on my chair. I was excited--thought it would be work to last me through the day, which makes the day go by a lot faster. However, I'm already done with it and have been here for less than an hour (plus I checked my 4 email accounts and read some posts on other boards here). So much for work for the whole day

As far as psychic-type stuff, I have mixed feelings. I do feel that things happen for a reason sometimes. I have been in entirely too many near-death situations and situations that could have turned out a thousand times worse than they did to believe that I am here and still alive just out of pure luck. I realize that maybe I am not here because I am supposed to cure cancer or become President or anything like that, but perhaps I am supposed to meet someone and say something that has an impact on them, which in turn affects how they do something or how they treat someone else, or maybe I am supposed to have a child that will acomplish something great--I feel I need to be here, but I may never know why (sort of a Butterfly Effect line of thinking, I suppose).

I went to a Psychic Fair on campus when I was in college once. I went to the palm reader, and I had to leave early to go to work, but before I left, he did have time to tell me that there was an interruption in my lifeline coming up soon but that the lifeline overall was long. That summer was when I went into anaphylatic shock and arrived in the ER with no blood pressure and barely a pulse. I'd consider that an interruption in my lifeline He also told me he could tell that I did not at all see eye-to-eye with my mother but was very close with my father. How could he have known that? Most of my friends got along really well with their mothers or didn't even have one of their parents in their life. He knew I had both parents, and all I had told him was my first name and shown him my palm. It wasn't life-alterring information, but was definitely stuff he couldn't have known just by looking at me. I don't know. I think there are people who have a better understanding of the universe than the rest of us, but I am also very skeptical (before going to the palm reader, I was talking to my friend, and I was like, "yeah, he'll tell me he predicts I will graduate from college and that I'm fat--big deal"...so I wasn't expecting to hear what he had to tell me).

I once read about a study in a college psychology class where a psychic came into class one day and announced that he was going to do an astrological profile on everyone in the class (about 30 students). He had them each fill out a sheet with their name, birthdate, birth time, and some other info. He collected them all and returned to the next class with a pile of papers, each with a name on them. He passed out the profiles to their respective owners and asked them to read their information. After everyone had read them, he asked those for whom the profile was accurate to raise their hands, and nearly everyone in the class did. They looked around and were amazed and astonished at how accurate his profiles were. Then he asked them each to switch profiles with the person next to them. To their amazement, all of the profiles were EXACTLY THE SAME. Just kinda goes along with Kimberley's "laws of averages" idea. Of course, all of the Cancer sign information I read is right on with me, but I bet aspects of every other sign are, too, so who knows.

Alright, enough babbling about astrology, phychology, and psychics for now. Jeez, my posts are always so long--sorry guys. Guess I just have a hard time shutting up

I wish all of you a great Monday morning. Im having one so far. I lost 3 more lbs. Im off to schedule my classes for today, and have to walk to get there, but I'm sure I can do it...lol.
My prayers are w/ those who's families aren't doing well right now. I hope things get better. I am so proud of all of you who are sticking this out too. I think this is harder than when I quit smoking, b/c the food is around me a lot more than the cigarettes were..lol. Congrats to you who also workout every single day, and if you only work out once a week...its healthy no matter what.
I believe in true psychics, but not so much the ones you can pay to do parties at your house, or get a reading by phone. I think horoscopes are pretty accurate, but usually only where it concerns me... But I can't believe that there aren't people out there who are able to have contact with other planes... but that's just me.
well, i better get a move on if i want to make my meeting. Have a great day ladies, be it at work, school, or home. I will bbl. (pssst: Hi Di. I wanted to tell you that on top of me and DH, there are 2 kids who are getting anxious at your visit...a certain 9 yr old keeps asking me if youre his aunt, how long before you get here, is your dog nice....lol) Have a great day all!

hey all...whew, just got in...I think to be honest from what I have read about signs, that it is according to what time you are born, like my husband is born Dec. 21, which is the cut-off day for saggitarious, and the next day starts Capricorn..he has the traits of both. I am Nov. 12 which is smack dab in the center, and truly I have 98% of the characteristics...I have never come across any other signs that I have read the characteristics of and said, oh yeah, that is me too. but, we are all different I guess...I am right on with Heather, that I would never got to a psychic out of the phonebook or at a party and expect it to be accurate...But I think truly gifted ones, they don't need a lot of hype. I think we are here for a purpose, but my beliefs may sound wacky to a lot of people so I won't get into all of that. I think that , from my way of thinking, we are here to learn from this lifetime so we can go on to a better place, and that place is beyond our wildest expectations, and yet very familiar at the same time. ahh, lol...what the heck do I know? lol I figure if I believe a little of everything, then my bases are all covered no matter what, LOL..
Anyhoo...am off to the post office and stuff, HAGD all, BBL!

It's Monday, wow. Comes fast, doesn't it.

Man, I think I sunburned the top of my head. The march turned out to be a workout. Up and down hills, ha. I think I worked off Saturday's french fries (almost). Fox 5, and Channel 7 were there, and a local cable news network NY-1. Lots of local politicians showed up, several participated in the march. It looks like the cause will get some press, which is a good thing. In just the last couple of years developers have torn down houses up and down our street (and in a bunch of places in the surrounding blocks) and replaced them with this multiple story apartment houses that are so overpriced they stay unrented. It's a really bad phenomenon and really bad for the neighborhood. It happens in part because of faulty zoning, which was basically what we were marching for, to get the area rezoned so that new construction has to fit the current design of the neighborhood.

You're place sounds really cozy, Kimberley.

Congrats on the 3 lbs, Heather! That strep sounded very nasty. Is that basically gone now?

Have a good one, everybody.