Ack -- there were several posts in between the last one I read and this reply -- sorry! More in a moment!

~~~

It's slated to be in the January 2006 issue.

Feeling any better today, Aimee?

Last night found me zonked out at 8:30pm. I woke up briefly when Howie got home because a coworker was telephoning right as he pulled up to the curb. Howie had to go right back into work! Both me AND the dogs stayed zonked when he got back home. Just got up at 1:00pm. Looong night's sleep. Felt good.

Good HEAVENS, what bad manners!

Aimee, maybe you should let Josh fend and forrage for himself until he agrees to go to the doctor. Taking care of everything might be making it really easy for him to just, well, let you take care of everything.

I don't know that I'm feeling better.. it's almost likely that I feel worse. I'm SO quick to cry, it's insane. Stress I tell yah, I just can't handle it lately. Josh went to the doctor, he told him everything I did, and sent him for tests. Those will take a week to complete, but the doctor thinks its IBS. The reason Josh went to the doctor is because someone at his work told him he needed to, I guess he trusts her judgment more than mine? Why am I thinking that way? It's just everything, phew, my msn nickname says "life is stressful - I quit". If I could quit, I totally would! On the plus side, Josh is feeling better, he has some answers and now can go into action to make it better.

Kimberley - I'm SO gonna pick that up, and show everyone.. thats pretty cool!! How are you feeling these days? Any better? Thank you for asking about me, it's hard, I know a lot of people care, but I just can't bring myself to open up to anyone. I probably share about 1/4 of the things bothering me, I just don't want people to think less of me, to think I'm complaining.. that sorta stuff. Other people just seem to have bigger problems than me, so why bother them?

Alrighty, I'm going to go get some sleep, I have to get up in the morning and open the store, so I'm off! Have a good night/morning!

-Aimee

If you ever want to PM me, I'll listen. :) Glad Josh went to the doctor's...Don't take it personally that someone else told him that and he listened. We all ignore our families' advice from time to time, yes? The good thing is, he's getting it looked into.

Aimee, I'm definitely glad that Josh finally caved and did the doctor thing--good boy! Sometimes we don't take advice until we hear it from multiple people, ya know? At least I know I do that sometimes. I never think I should go to a doctor about anything, but my mother always tells me to go. I don't normally go unless my sister tells me to go, too--her and her finace both work in the medical field, so if they think something is serious, then I begin to take it very seriously as well. Maybe Josh just needed a second opinion to confirm yours, ya know? In any case, I'm glad he may find a solution and get better!

Marge--My gosh, what and insensitive neighbor! I've seen things like that in sitcoms, but I didn't think real people could be so oblivious of their heartlessness. Apartment hunting or not, I don't know anyone who could ever say such a thing. Even if you're thinking it in your head (and we all have guilty thoughts sometimes!), you certainly don't mention it to a family member; you just go to the building manager. Jeez, some people's kids...

Kimberley--I'm glad you got lots and lots of sleep...that's one of the best cures for any ailment! ;)

As for me, I was down 2.75 pounds at TOPS last night, which brings me to 276.25 :D I was glad to have my last meeting with that group end on a good note. However, it would have been nice to have lost one more .25 of a pound because then it would have been an even 30 pounds lost since I joined the group (I had lost a few pounds before joining, so my TOPS starting weight was 306). Oh well--a loss is a loss, and I have certainly been slow in that department lately, so I'll take it!

Well, I told my manager I was leaving WAY early today--I have to return my cable box and modem to my cable company, do a walk-through of my apartment with the property manager (to assess any damages--not that there are any), finish cleaning the bathroom, do one last load of laundry, remove the brackets on the walls from my curtains, disassemble/pack up my computer, disconnect all tv accessories (DVD players, VCRs, video games)...so I've got a lot to do today, and it all have to be done by 2:30-3pm at the LATEST because then we have to drove all the way to MD for the truck that we have to pick up at 4:30 (and you never know how traffic on the Beltway will be :devil: )...so I was planning on working 5:30am-10am, which is still just over half a day for me. Well, I get in this morning and find a message waiting for me to sit in on a conference call and take notes on the discussion from 10am-noon :mad: I'm going to do my darndest to get out of it, but I know everyone else is pretty bust, too, so I don't know if I'll be able to find a replacement. My parents will be here around 2 today to help with the move, so I need to have everything done as much as possible before they arrive (after their 8-hour drive, I know they're going to be a little tired and not want to help me clean, that's for sure!). So yeah--here's hoping I can somehow fenagle (sp?) my way out of this one!

Aimee, I didn't realize that Josh's problem was so serious. I don't know much about IBS. My sister in law complains about having that (but I'm 98 percent sure she doesn't; that's what probably made me not take notice when you mentioned it at first).

I tell Rob, and I think I heard it on Dr. Phil, which officially makes me a talk show parrot!, that the most stressful situation to be in is one where you don't have the control -- to make the decisions or take action. I know for me that if I feel like I have something seriously wrong going on physically, facing it can be tough (I'm a coward when it comes to my own medical well being). I'm glad to Josh finally went. Sometimes when a third person, who isn't emotionally involved, says something it's easier to take, you know?, then the ego isn't so at stake.

I've gained about 5 lbs since this whole family situation started. We've been eating out a lot, and I've been letting my sweet tooth overtake me. I let some of the exercise slip too. So I hear you with that one, chica bonita.

I'm impressed with all that you have going on, Jill, that you keep such good losses going. Congrats :)

O, stress! These throes of moving day
These boxes loom in piles and sway!

Jill, hope you got out of work on time and are in the midst of your unplugging, cleaning and all that fun stuff. Congrats on the loss! Check back in when you're all plugged in again. :D

Marge, the whole month of September was my testing grounds. Finally, in October I'm heading in the right direction. Don't be too hard on yourself, just pick back up and go.

I'm down 2 pounds this week to 206 -- it was sooo teetering on 205, but I decided to go with the higher number.

Hey gals! Work today wasn't as bad as I origionally thought it was going to be! :) It went fast, although I had to call Tech Support due to a register problem.. the man was VERY rude to me. It's okay though, because my brother will go kick his butt should he do it again.. lol. It's very cute, won't happen, still nice to have a brother who would OFFER to do that.. I feel the love.

Jill - when you talk to us next you will be all set up in your new place!! Thats pretty exciting! And congrats on that weigh in.. BIG congrats!! :)

Kimberley - thank you for that offer... and perhaps I will take you up on that some day soon, today I'm feeling.. nearly happy, not gonna think about ANYTHING bad! Ah yes, denial! I've tried this denial thing regarding a doctors diagnosis that I'm depressed, which incidently could explain my moody-ness! I refuse to admit that I could be sick, be it my stomach pains (mostly food related) to that "d" word. My reasoning? My brothers gf wanted to be sick, kept finding different things, and eventually she did end up sick.. I'd prefer to think I'm healthy and BE healthy. I'm babbling now..

Marge - I always find things stressful when it's 100% up to me to make decisions not only for myself, but for others who will inevidibly complain about it later... Is that odd? The IBS thing is definitely not pleasant when you don't know what it is.. symptoms are, bloody stool, diarrhea for weeks on end, to the opposite of being stopped up.. and everything Josh eats runs thru him in about 15 minutes tops.

Alrighty, my friend just called, she'll be here in 10 minutes, I gotta go find myself something to wear! I'll talk more later!!

-Aimee

Hey, you. :) They checked Josh for colitis and crohn's disease, right?

Kimberley - they are testing him for quite a few things, it's a 3-4 days process for all the "collecting", and they sent him for blood tests as well. He is feeling MUCH better, his trips to the washroom have been cut in half.. if not more. We won't know for sure for a few more days/weeks what it is exactly, they definitely haven't eliminated anything yet. BTW - I wanted to congratulate you on those 2 pounds, you've definitely been working for those last few pounds... you just keep at 'er, it's impressive!

My friend and I went to dinner, had a few drinks, flirted with the waiter, it was a nice night out. We giggled so much my jaw was sore... it was GREAT fun :) Alrighty, I'm going to get some sleep... I shall talk to you ladies tomorrow! :)

-Aimee

thanks, Kimberley. I know both you and Howie have been through so much stuff lately. You are just dropping the lbs, woman! Congrats! (I loved that quote too, ha.)

My brothers gf wanted to be sick, kept finding different things, and eventually she did end up sick.. I'd prefer to think I'm healthy and BE healthy. I'm babbling now..--Aimee

Rob's sister has this problem. I'm definitely of the school that I thank the powers that be every day that my loved ones are basically ok, and that I'm ok. I really value health (one of those things you say that it seems like everyone would feel the same way, but that's not true).

Poor Josh. He's lucky to have you, Aimee. :) I'm glad you and your friend got to go out and have some fun! Nothing like a good night of giggling.

Rob and I got through some serious filing yesterday (we--actually I, Rob's helping out of the kindness of his heart--have a big job, since I've been ignoring the filing for, ahem, "a while." (the quotes mean MONTHS) and I have to send a bunch of stuff to the big boss.

Finally the sun is poking out of the rain clouds today!!! Gonna go for a nice walk near the park and chill a little.

Have a good one, ladies!!

Hey, ladies! Today's Pumpkin Day, the annual special get-together we have with our best friends and their kids. We go out to a local farm which has Halloween-themed decor all during pumpkin harvest season, with lots of things for kids to do, great displays and photo ops, an area set aside with goats the kids can feed and pet, etc. We've been doing this with our friend since before they even had kids, since the mid-90's, I think. :)

Marge, the filing is so hard to get started on, isn't it? Howie and I both have regular chairs in our office -- his a regular upholstered chair and mine a recliner -- and everything tends to pile around us. I have a rolling laptop desk with a couple little cubbies for filing trays, and they're stuffed!

Goodmorning! The sun is shining here as well, I'm not entirely sure what we are going to do with it... like going for a walk, etc.. Definitely going to air out this house! Last night I opened all the windows and the door for about an hour, it was downright WARM out! I was fine in sandles, t-shirt and pants. And of course it poured all night because it was so humid.. Odd weather for BC.

Marge - I got all this great stuff from my brother, including a nice filing meshy-box type thingy, with green folders, now I just need to get the actual file folders to go in it. Of course I've been avoiding buying them... hehe.. I'm sure it'll feel good once its done, but I did my big project for the week (my closet). Enjoy that sun! Soon it'll be winter in NY, and I am dreaming of that huge tree... and ice skating! lol.. My friend and I were talking about travelling, and we think somewhere overseas first, like Greece, Paris.. Italy. Lots of saving to do for that!

Kimberley - sounds like fun! I went to a pumpkin patch last year, it included all that sorta stuff, and they did a hay ride to the ACTUAL patch where everyone got off and picked up a pumpkin. We took my friends son, it was pretty fun! Have fun, although I'm sure you will!!

I have to head to work today, the girl who opened this morning didn't bother to pick up the keys to actually open the store, so she came up to my place at 8:30am to get them. So I need to get them for tomorrow. Josh got a call from the doctor, so he's gotta head back there today. I don't know if it's urgent, but he likes to get things done right away. That poor boy, mornings are SO SO rough on him, I'd say he spends half his morning in the bathroom with stomach cramping. Maybe the doctor can offer some advice on that.. Alrighty! I am off to find some breakfast and then we are out! Have a good one!

-Aimee

the filing is so hard to get started on, isn't it? --Kimberley

you said it! I had all the paperwork in nice folders in a wire file holder, sigh, heh heh. It just kept expanding....

Your story about the pumpkin patch got me all excited about Halloween. I bought one of those pumpkin carving kits today, we'll probably carve pumpkins next weekend. Went to mass with my sil and then took her out to lunch. She's never tried a mimosa so I got her one.

Today is sunny but really windy, and chilly. Christmas is a great time to be in NY. The tree and the skating rink are fun to see. And the stores around 5th Avenue get all decorated. I like the craft booths they have at Grand Central and Bryant Park too.

I think in the upcoming years foreign currencies are going to do better against the euro. Some good thing about Paris: you don't need a car, you can find cheap hotels, and the public transportation is cheap and good (and you can walk, great city to walk in). Usually you can find good prices on flights too. Greece is supposed to still be very cheap. And from what I've heard, tourists are starting to discovery Eastern Europe. I love planning trips, so if there's anything I can help with don't hesitate to drop me a note.

I was up all night with cramping leg muscles, I started to do too much exercise again too soon, duh!

Rob's making spaghetti for dinner. Smells good. Have a good evening, ladies!

I'm alive! I'm in the new place and have the "new" furniture and LOVE it :D Moving out of my old place was a breeze--moving into the new place was a bit of a fiasco because the elevators apparently have minds of theor own and liked to mess with us while we were trying to move things up to the third floor from the basement :devil: We finally got it all in, though, so it's all good now :)

I was worried about the longer distance to work, but it took me almost exactly 30 minutes to drive from our new place to the gym (went to the gym before work, but my gym is only about 2 miles from my office, so about the same distance overall). From my old place to the office, it took about 20 minutes because of a little traffic and a bunch of stop lights. Now, I'm more than twice the distance, but it's almost all highway driving and in the opposite direction of the major flow of traffic, so it only took 10 minutes longer--yay!! :)

No internet for my computer at home yet--the cable guy didn't bring us our internet self-installation kit, so we have to go to the Comcast office later to pick one up. Jeff has internet--someone in the building doesn't have their wireless connection protected, so Jeff's computer is now using their internet :dizzy: Mine doesn't do the same because I no longer have the drivers for my wireless thingy installed, and who knows where that disc is amongst the piles of boxes :p Doesn't matter much, though since we will have our cable internet up and running shortly.

So today, I have to call Vonage (we have our phone through the internet) and get a local phone number in order for people to be able to buzz us from the front door. I also have to call Comcast before I go to pick up the internet installation kit because we ordered DVR service, and it isn't working :mad: We also have to have our moe-in checklist of any damages in the apartment done by Wednesday (so we don't get charged for things that were already damaged when we move out!), and at some point, we REALLY have to go grocery shooping--as nice as it is to have McDonald's for breakfast and Subway for dinner every day, my waist line and my wallet are both feeling the pain :s:

Aimee--hope Josh is feeling better! Whenever we eat out, food goes through Jeff in like 15 minutes, too. I don't get it--he must have only about 2 feet of intestines in there!

Kimberley--hope pumpkin day went well! When I lived in CT, we went apple picking every year. We would get over 50 pounds of apples, and my mother would make apple pie, apple sauce, apple crisp, baked apples...when my parents came down this weekend to help us move, they brought me a small bag of apples they picked :)

Marge--I agree...Christmas is a great time to be in NY! When I lived in CT, we would sometimes take a bus trip to NYC for the day to do the touristy-shopping thing. We'd take pictures by the skating rink and browse through the ridiculously-huge stores. Now you're making me want snow!! ;)