Glad to see you are doing your job Shad. We need more of your kind in the corporate world before it totally implodes from ineptness. Your flowers are pretty as always, glad you explained what pavers were. We have flagstone stepping paths in the back. I think the sandstone is too soft for stepping on, DH said it should be ok. What do I know Pavers are way way heavy tho, hope you had some help.

Hey Ceejay, good to hear from you again. Rita is visiting today. A steady rain, mostly soaking, at times a bit heavy. Everything went from bone dry to waterlogged. Sounds like you got more of it than us. Do you always work the weekend shift or do you rotate days on and off?

Teel, the Indian Summer flowers sound gorgeous. Sorry to hear you're home in bed. Hope your friend Bob gets some help. Sounds wretched not being able to swallow like that. Why must people suffer so for so many reasons?

Nae you paint a delightful picture of your surroundings. Mewing doe, I am trying to imagine it. I'll bet that turkey smelled so wonderful looking out at the snow capped mountains. How soon before the flakes fall at your door?

Holly, glad you got a day to yourself. I understand what you mean about the bananna. After years and years of fat is bad, it's so hard to get used to the idea of fat is ok but fruit is bad. I mean we all understand that sugar is bad but fruit I should do SB - would be best for me and my body type but I just can't fathom no fruit. So I'll stick with Mel on Michael Thurmond even tho some mods on the forum think it's a stupid diet.

Miss Mel the boy scouts were selling popcorn - which is THE BEST and I bought some. Of course it comes in like 15 pack sets. Small bags but alot of them. Will have to send some your way, will go perfect with those grand old movies.

Linus, I'm glad little CJ is letting you get some rest. We eagerly await pictures!

It was a busy weekend for me. I thought I came and posted but I see that it was only in my mind Yesterday was a marathon shopping trip with mom - over 6 hours here and there. At least we got in alot of walking but it tired out both of us. Today we got the remnants of hurricane Rita - lots and lots of rain. A good day to stay in and cook which is what we did. Made a batch of Mom's famous homemade spaghetti sauce which even she admits she hasn't made in years and years and can I say it was We've got her favorite slow roasted beef on the menu for tomorrow - will feed her good before she's off again on Wednesday already

Better sneak off now, it's after midnight and if she hears me typing I'm done for

Hellos to Meadow, Tig and Painterwoman too... (she whispered)

CEEJAY~ BUT DID YOU GIVE HIM YOUR PHONE NUMBER?!?!
OR MINE OR MINE FOR THAT MATTER???? GOOD TO SEE YOU DIDN'T FLOAT AWAY MY PARAGOULD FRIEND! WE GET LOTS OF RAIN THREATS BUT THEN ONLY A FEW DROPS COME. MAYBE SOME TODAY. BESIDES UNIFORMED MEN....DID YOU BUY SOMETHING NICE FOR YOURSELF?

SHAD~ THE GARDEN SOUNDS WONDERFUL AND I CAN JUST SEE YOU PUTTERING AROUND IN THERE. GOOD THING YOU HAD JASON THE TORTURER TO BUILD THOSE MUSCLES UP! MAYBE LAYING PAVERS IS A GOOD BUSINESS! U'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVE JOBS FOR YOU! SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LANDSCAPER WITH YOUR GREEN THUMB.

TEEL~ HOPE THE TUMMY FEELS BETTER. JUST WHAT YOU NEEDED....ANOTHER PROBLEM! YOUR CHOICE OF FLOWERS SOUNS BEAUTIFUL. ARE THEY COMING FROM YOUR JERSEY OR MINE!!

NAE~ THE SMELL OF A ROASTING TURKEY, ALL THE ANIMAL COMINGS AND GOINGS AND THE CRISP AUTUMNAL BREEZE.....DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT I'M SURE.
THANKS FOR THE MENTAL PICTURE. MAYBE I'LL SPEND THE DAY IN THE "WOODS".

HOLLY~BANANAS MIGHT NOT BE A GOOD CHOICE ON THAT PARTICULAR PLAN BUT I HAVE SEEN MANY GOOD RESULTS. YOU CAN HAVE THE BANANAS LATER ON WHEN THE WEIGHT IS GONE!! LOL GOOD LUCK NO MATTER WHAT YOU DECIDE TO DO.

WELL CHICKLETS THERE IS NO MALL TODAY FOR ME. WOKE UP A WEE BIT LATE AND JUST DIDN'T HAVE IT IN ME TO RUSH. MAYBE CAUSE IT'S SO DARK OUTSIDE! LOL CALLED JEN AND WE'LL SPEND SOME TIME TOGETHER LATER ON TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ALL THE FEATURES ON THE CABLE TV'S NEW REMOTE!!! THERE'S MORE PUSH BUTTONS ON THERE THAN A NASA ROCKET. CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THE SENIORS WILL THINK ABOUT THIS. THEY'LL END UP ORDERING PORNO MOVIES AND GETTING CHARGED!!! SPENT THE MORNING WATCHING "USED PEOPLE" WITH SHIRLEY MACLAINE AND MARCELLO MASTRIANI(SP). SOMETIMES I LIKE A GOOD "PEOPLE" FLICK. BUT I BETTER GET MOVING BEFORE I FIND ANOTHER ONE TO WATCH! LOL
HAPPY MONDAY AND HAVE A GREAT WEEK.

Mel--better Than A Phone Number. He Gave Me His Business Card. It Has All Pertinent Information On It. Come To Find Out He's A Criminal Investigator Now.

Happy--i Usually Rotate Every Other Sunday But This Week I've Worked A Couple Of Extra Day's For A Co Worker. Just A Little Extra Pocket Money.
My Regular Days Are Monday, Tuesday And Wednesday, And Every Other Sunday.

Holly--fruit Cannot Be All Bad Because Of The Vitamins, Nutrients And Fiber Found In Them. Those Who Are Diabetic Need To Watch Both The Sugar And Carb Intake. Those Who Have Choleserol Problems Need To Watch The Fat Intake. It Would Be A Good Choice To Choose A Healthy Life Style And Forget The Fad Diets. You Are What You Eat. Blood Test Will Prove That. I Know That For A Fact. Ugh !!!!!! I Need To Watch All Of It.

Shad- I Wish I Had Your Desire To Work In The Flowers, But This Year The Allergies Have Gotten The Best Of Me. I Will Probably Give It Up All Together Before Next Year.

Some Weird Sounds Going On Downstairs--better Go Check Them Out To See If Anything Major Is Happening.

Hi To All The Rest.

Oooh, now that can be kind of scary when you work in a water plant hope everything is ok.

As far as fruit goes, Mel and I can tell you that there is high sugar fruit - like banannas, cherries, watermelon and lower sugar fruit - apples, pears, and plums. Also fruit juice is a My doctor gave excellent advice. She said it takes 6 to 10 oranges to make one glass of fresh squeezed. Now you wouldn't eat 10 oranges in one sitting would you? So eat 1 fresh orange, get the juice, the vitamins and the all important fiber and cut out fruit juices or at least cut them half and half with flat or sparkling water.

I think CJ offers excellent advice. Eat wisely from all food groups limiting fats, sugars and portions. After a while of self monitoring you can usually figure out what causes trigger binges and what diets you can't possibly live with -- and which ones you can!

Happy--I got that quote in an email not long ago. As far as the weird sounds--it's the guys outside grading the parking area. I should have known, but it's better safe than sorry i always say.

I'm on a sugary high right now. My blood sugar count will be out of sight in the morning if I don't stop.

I have a question about pass words on an excel worksheet. Does anyone know how to get back into a work sheet. I know the pass word but it is refusing it.

Morning all,
Ceejay - Will it let you go to the tools > options > security area to get rid of the password? No didn't think so, okay who is the IT geek in your workplace help desk (or is it a case of no-help desk)? They can get rid of it through system administration. If the password is new, did you spell it correctly? and if it is not new, has a system restore been done since you last used it and it has gone back to the old password? We are currently having a 'small' problem with the OnDemand system having brought back an old file path in the development area. Now it can't find anything!!!! I could say NMP but I will be helpful and volunteer some info if requested. I've been told so often by various system administrators that 'that won't work here' or 'can't do that', that I no longer suggest ways and means.

Mel - being a landscaper would have been okay in my younger years. Now the heat would just be too much in the summer. I would only be able to work a full day in the winter. I somehow don't see the punters being very happy with me mixing concrete at 0500 or even earlier. You are always finding something for me to do! Don't you think I have enough to do already???? Yes I do thank Jason (once in a while) for the muscles. Although those pavers are real heavy suckers. Happy movie watching. Sounds like a lovely idea to me.

Fruit is high in sugar and no the Fads don't work for more than a short period of time. The reason that they don't work is because the mind and body get bored with the same old same old. SB and WW seem to be the more responsible and workable ones. I presume the 2 week phases are to cleanse and detox the body before going onto better things. Fasting for a day probably does much the same. Certainly cleans me out - all that water and nothing else. I had heard that about fruit juices as well Happy. Throw away that juicer - eat the fruit and veges instead.

Anyway, better move along. Need to go to the Duty Free store today to look at camera lens. DS2 and I need something a little larger for the digital camera. I apparently don't need to take any bribery and corruption up for the students, Chris has enough to keep her going but she wants some crosswords and codebreaker books to keep the mind occupied for the time she can stand no longer or do any crafty things because of the hands and feet. She sounds thoroughly fed up with herself at the moment.

Have a good day all.

Hey, Thanks for the fruit info. I must say i agree. I try to follow the Canada food guide but i have not been. Veggies low and starches and fats way up. I have been reading up on SB. The principals make sense. I will try out some recipes too. I have been living off of sandwiches for a few months.
Basically i am revisiting the whole food thing because I have time to focus on myself right now.
I had a great day. 6 kids most of the day.DH was home because of steady rain and worked on installing the bathroom sink!!! Just waiting for a seal to set and then we can use running water in our upstairs bathroom!!!!!!!!!!! weehee. it's been 5 years wihtout a sink up there.
At 5 the boys went to hockey practise and DD went home with a friend for supper and play. I puttered at Avon, watched a soap and relaxed a bit. Since then i worked on final revisions of the parent handbook. I had a great chat with the school board media guy!! We may be in print next week!!

I firmly told my mom we were not coming for thanksgiving dinner on the 9th but would come for lunch on Monday for some leftovers.( she emailed 6 times).
We really want to spend two days home uninterupted just the 4 of us.
The traffic in here is crazy some days.We were planning on three. Two
in a row is better than nothing.

HUGS worldly chicks!!!

You are all being so virtuous... Working, cooking for each other, keeping old folks from porno....
Me, on the otherhand... listened to an extra hour of NPR while still in bed petting the cat. There are NO edible fresh fruits OR vegetables in the house-- and since I rooted around night before last, we're out of bread, too. Which means I might have to go to the grocery store. Ack.

But worse than that, I actually have two client meetings to which I'm completely unmotivated to go. (Wait, my syntax is scrambled. or maybe fried.)

I have two hours to change said cat's litter, wake up, and get motivated... OH, and prepare for presentations tomorrow morning and Friday afternoon.

Rumor has it there might be a cold front in this week... maybe that will help.
Best to all.

Geez Painter, I went back through the thread looking for porno!!! Now my day is ruined! Or rooned as they say around here. Get out of that bed woman, go get some good things for the fridge and give the puss cat another hug then change her litter and get ready to go deliver the word to the masses. Geez you're busy Painterwoman - what you trying to do? Wear me out???

Hey Holly, we had rain last night - it was lovely to go to bed and listen to it pattering on the roof. Not heavy stuff but a gentle drizzle to make the plants grow (not to mention the weeds)

Had my last workout for the week this morning Five days on the trot, I feel virtuous and no I haven't lost any weight. It's leading up to weight and measurements day as well for those of us who, once a month, put ourselves through the torture of weigh, measure, sigh.

Now for the next two days I can sleep a little longer in the morning, and get home a little earlier at night. Gotta love those two days. I had my treat for the week this morning after a lovely ferry ride to work. I got a bacon and egg muffin - no sauce, no salt, no oil, hold everything else. It was good too. Aaaah well there's always next week for another one. Lunch today will be salads - I forgot to get anything ready last night so salads from the MYO is on the menu. Dinner tonight will be chargrilled salad and veg.

Hope everyone is doing okay. Catch up with the news later tonight.

I must say I am surprised at the number of people who have dysfunctional families that they avoid. It's very sad. I guess I am very very lucky as I love my family and would give anything to be with them on Thanksgiving this year. It will be a sad and lonely day for me this year. At least I know we'll have Christmas together (travel weather permitting). While DH's family (who lives 1500 miles away) can be odd at times, I loved my dear MIL as much as my mom. Was a great tragedy to all of us that cancer took her away in 1979. I cherish the few short years I got to spend with her and still miss her dearly. Ah well, I am making myself all weepy at the moment...

Last day with mom today - we're up at the crack of dawn to take her to the airport tomorrow. She wishes now she had made her visit a few days longer but I think she was intimidated by the reservationist on the phone who set up her tickets. As of Saturday there are no more direct flights between Memphis and the smaller Chicago airport she uses so it would not be worth the extra expense to change her ticket for just 2 more days. Besides she is persnickity about when and how she wants to travel, so I just go along with it. We had a great visit. Spent last night talking all evening long. I am truly blessed and very grateful for what I have in my life. I really understand the live for the moment philosophy.

I think the chiropractor might (just a teeny might) be doing some good. We had a treatment yesterday, I am not as stiff as sore as I was over the weekend. Also could be that the achy rains have gone north Mel's way. I am still "evaluating" this, will give it 2 weeks to decide if I continue.

I have also decided that it's time to get serious once and for all. Enough empty talk and pity parties. As the fall weather comes in I can see how I will stiffen up. The x-rays from the chiropractor clearly showed arthritis on the spine. One look at my mom tells my future. I already know moving and what I eat affect so much of how I feel. Besides that, I would really like to make a dent in some of this weight by Christmas. Tonight I will have that last celebratory meal of the yummy spaghetti Mom and I made the other day. Tomorrow when she leaves, I am back on the challenge. This week it's water, water, water and 50 crunches a night. It's supposed to get cooler by Thursday, perhaps a walk with DH around the area is in order too.

I'd join Red's 21 day challenge but there are so many people on there, I always feel I have to post to all and that just requires more time than I have available for the computer. So I'll do my thing by myself.

It's always amazing to think as we transition around the world that we are thinking soups and warm comfort foods and Shad's thoughts are turning to cool refreshing tasty salads. I see the fall colors are starting way up north, if you see snow Nae are the trees turning too? We're just getting brown dried leaves cluttering up everything here. Oh and the pool gets closed for the season tomorrow - another sad thing it was rather cloudy after the weekend's rains and too cool for one last swim for old times sake. Guess it's time to strenghten those legs and get on that bike of mine. Can I remember how to change gears on the inclines around here? Would be too flattering to call them hills, but steep enough to make you work hard at it.

Time to go get supper ready. Hello to all the chicks.

Too Tired For Words Tonite. Hello Te Everyone And The Best I Can Say Is I Read The Posts....porno????roflmao
Food Shopped Today And Got Left Behind. Willy Had Too Many Chairs On The Bus For Assorted Stops And Asked Me If I Wanted To Shop A Bit Longer. It's A Strip Makk With Some Other Shops. Was A Great Opportunity And Found Some Really Cheap Xmas Gifts For $2.99@. Glass Snowman Dishes. Very Cute And They Don't Look Cheap At All. Filled In A Bit In The Office Too. Got The Xmas Craft Sorted Out And Boxed Up. Fran Got All The Stuff I Wanted From The Craft Store. I Am Way Ahead Of Myself For The Holidays So Maybe This Year I Can Really Enjoy Them!!! The Office Wasn't Busy But....gotta Earn That Next Check Before The End Of December. It Was A Good Day Out And Had Fun All By Myself! Willy Is So Attentive That People Are Wondering Why! Roflmao But He Is Like A Brother. Although Younger Than Me, He Acts Like He's The "big" Brother! The Funny Thing Is I Always Wanted My Oldest Db To Behave This Way And He Never Did! Now I Have Chilly Willy. I Call Him Chill For Short. Remember That Cartoon Penguin? I Am Rambling For Sure Cause I Am That Tired. Glad You Chicks Are Doing Ok And I'll See Ya Tomorrow. Sweet Dreams And Hope Wednesday Is A Great One!!!

Happy, I joined the 21 day challenge and I don't post to all. Just make the odd comment as I see fit. Would be a long post if I did mention everything and everyone. Join in and just do what you can. Don't be shy, be standoffish like me

Aw Happy~ I would give anything for what you have with your family. I have tried and tried and tried and tried and just get hurt and hurt and hurt more. It is not all 1 sided but I am definitely the odd one out. I am just nothing like the rest of them. I love them with all my heart. It breaks my heart. I put all that love and energy into my own little family.I am making new traditions for us. Our thanksgiving in Canada is Oct 9.
We have Christmas/Thanksgiving with DH's family here in Nov before his folks go to Arizona.I am close with them. Very close to one SIL.
I wish it we different. I have to do what is best for me and my kids.

CEEJAY~ NOW YOU HAVE HIS INFO....CALL AND ASK HIM TO COME AND INVESTIGATE YOU!!!!

HOLLY~ I LEARNED A LONG TIME AGO THAT MY FAMILY WAS JUST TOO DISFUNCTIONAL FOR WORDS. THAT'S THE LUCK OF THE DRAW! SO I REPLACED THEM WITH GOOD FRIENDS!

HAPPY~ I WISH I COULD SEND YOU HOME FOR ALL THE HOLIDAYS!!!

SHAD~ STANDOFFISH?! YOU?!?!

WAS A BIT DOWN YESTERDAY BUT HAVE SINCE BOUNCED BACK. GOTTA LOVE THE RUBBER BALL QUALITIES OF LIFE. TODAY IS WASH DAY AND IT'S GETTING NEAR TIME TO STUFF IT IN THE DRYER. SO TAKE CARE AND HAPPY HUMP DAY!!!