Well I don't belive it you are still here Shad. I was here about 3 or 4 years back. And you were such a great help. I have just come back on the net. Can you fill me in on what you have been doing. Last time I heard from you, you were doing your son's garden, and going on a trip,somewhere can't remember. Sorry I am Mary from Auckland New Zealand ran a takeaway, and taxi biss.Please let me know how ouy are.

Well for goodness sake. I was only thinking about you the other day. I met up with Suzi in Aus in Sydney who is also a NZer from Auckland. I don't think Suz was around when you were on board.

Quite a few of the 'old' folk are still here. We chat on a thread called Around the world with the friendly chicks. You may remember Teel from England and Happy2bme from America. Perhaps you should go on over and introduce yourself, although you will be very welcome on this thread.

Welcome back it's great to see you. Love to know what you are now up to.

A very happy 4th of July to all America.

I'm home. Drove the entire distance in one day - silly me. I was absolutely exhausted at the end of it, but I was so keen to get home.

Since then I have re-acquainted myself with the gym, and started spring cleaning the house. There's a lot of stuff going out. We keep all these things thinking that one day they will be useful, but I have now got to the stage where if it doesn't get used within 6 months - out it goes.

The gym is going well, I have started slowly and will work up to where I was. No point in trying to kill myself to get rid of these kilos.

Cat - go to the SBD thread and ask the question. The girls there are very handy with their advice and substitutes.

1day - good to hear of you going to the gym. What are you doing there? Weights and/ or cardio? We will have to compare exercises.

Nita - hope this house works out for you. $50K is a lot of money to save. You will be a busy person if you get this place - what with packing and cleaning and driving over. Good Luck. Hope it all happens soon.

Time to go watch some mindless tv. I'm quite pleased with myself today. I have achieved what I set out to do - well more or less. And I haven't binged from the fridge. That's a plus after yesterday. I was disgusted with myself. maybe going to the gym helps. I certainly haven't felt very hungry all day! What is with that?

Hello Ladies,

MaryL - we would love to have you join our group.

Shad - Welcome Home ! I just signed up for the gym. I went on saturday and work with one of the trainer supvervisors. I'm just getting back in the routine of going to a gym and will probably do some cardio and then split the upper and lower body. I went on saturday and haven't had chance to go back. This is a very very small gym, the new one is in the process of being built.

Cat - have you looked at the Kraft web site? I think they have some info on SBD. This site also has some good info.

As for me, family came over for the 4th had a cookout. This time i didn't go overboard with all the appetizers, tried to keep it simple. Also went to Jenny Craig and had my first weight in, lost 2 lbs. yea..

Thanks for the tip, Patty.

We were supposed to do patriotic stories, so I did a bit of Martin luther King Jr and the Montgomery bus boycott. Went over pretty well.

Kickin' us up to the top.

Hey Girls,

Good to see everyone posting again. I think I may have been off the auto delivery message system, but am not positive on this. Last week I was in training all week. It was no fun. They had us in a middle school cafeteria. We were expected to sit at lunch tables on benches for 8 hours a day, for 4 days in a row. You just never know what to expect, huh.

I'm working on my summer classes I am taking and they are not really interesting at all, which makes it difficult. School finance and special education law, no fun.

I'll do my best to post more frequently. Best to all.

Hello Ladies,

Mooz - Even though .50 is not much it all adds up. Sending you will willpower dust to help you

Hal - OMG, how do they expect you to sit on a hard bench for 8 hours. I'm sure the bordom and the aches starting setting in after 2to 3 hours. Have you had time to relax on your back porch? I have really enjoyed mine these past few weeks. The bugs start to set in around 7pm but I light my citronella candles.

Going to go to the gym tomorrow and hoping to just take it easy this weekend. OH, forgot to tell you all I"m going to my 30 year reunion from my 8th grade graduation class. It's next month and I"m all excited to see everyone. Think I can lose 30lbs by next month.

Just feeling very impatient about everything.

Was it a message that today's Sunday School lesson was on patience?

Hi Everyone,

Boy you ladies sure have been busy posting--it's really enjoyable reading all the posts. Well the house deal isn't going very well--we are down to two choices--one is a duplex condo and the other is a single brand new home. The condos are new as well. There is only one problem the property taxes in PA are outlandish. Would you believe $3700 and $3500 per year. Here in Phoenix we are paying $1710 per year. It may be that we will be forced to stay exactly where we are. The only problem here is I cannot go back and visit unless I pay someone to come and stay with Gene, and I may just have to do this. It would sure be a lot cheaper than buying and selling our present home. I told my daughter today it would be great if I could just transplant my home back there.

I have made three trips to the Slender Woman gym and the last two times I have been the only person exercising. It is amazing because when I think about going I really am fighting it, however, after I do the circuit a couple of times I really feel great. The program they gave me to follow is way too much protein for lunch and dinner--6 oz. I really need to talk with the nutritionist on Wed. because their program is not really spelled out. They say all fruits are one cup unless otherwise noted. Well they have raisins listed without anything next to it which would lead one to believe you can one cup of them. Wrong--do you ladies agree with me? Also, they don't list watermelon or sugar-free jello. So I most certainly have a lot of questions come Wed. I believe the woman has me on a 1400 cal. per day program.

Well I paid my money and I am going to take advantage of working with a personal trainer--supposedly this is free.

Well I had better get moving.

Take care all,
Anita

Hello Ladies,

Cat - The man above works in mysterious ways. Hope your feeling more at ease and patient.

Nita - Sorry to hear that things are not working out on the house. Don't give up though. Take advantage of the nutrionist they are offering and of the personal training. A personal trainer cost around $ 49 dollars a hour. I know watermelon has lots of sugar but I think on Jenny Craig you can have 1/2 cup portions.

As for me not much new is going on, still trying to get into this habit of exercising. Tonight I walked the dog and got on the treadmill for 20 minutes.

Hope everyone is doing ok.

Nita--I'll keep praying that you find a house back with your family. Surely that would be better for you and Gene both. Here in KS and in some states there is a Homestead Exemption that allows a lower property tax rate for seniors. You might see if PA has anything like that. Raisins just like fresh fruit--yikes!! 60z meat might be OK if it's very lean. I know most plans allow only 4 oz but I think some of the low-carb plans allow more. WTG on the gym.

Patty--WTG on walking the dog and using the treadmill both.

I can tell I've lost weight, but haven't had the courage to WI. Meanwhile, I've put together the beginnings of another chapbook--more peace and justice poems. (Will PM to anyone interested.)

Hello Ladies,

Cat - Didn't even think about the homestead exemption. I know we have them here for everyone who homesteads and your right some cities here have a better exemption for the elderly. PM me your poems when you get them finished.

As for me just trying to stay out of the heat. I believe it got to 100 today and with the heat index not sure what it got to. Planning on getting on the treadmill tonight.

Hope everyone is doing ok.

Aaagh,
Thought I had posted yesterday but must have dreamed it!!!

I've been pretty busy over the last couple of days. Had to take Miss Puss to the Vet for her annual check up. She is healthy and within a good weight range (lucky for her, she doesn't seem to put on much weight. Wish I could say the same). Chased her round the house to put her in her cage. She yelled loudly all the way out to the car. The neighbours popped out to see who was being murdered. Got her into the boot where she quietened down for a while then started up again. I put the Elvis CD on and sang LOUDLY along. She gave up for a while until I got her to the Vet who got a speech about the treatment received. She was quiet all the way home. Maybe it was Elvis exerting his charm????

I've also been painting and cleaning and gardening as well as going to the gym and doing a couple of favours for some friends. Last night I went to the Lone Star Steakhouse with DS2, G/F and her family for her birthday celebration. Ate too much but it doesn't seem to have affected the scales too much today. Thank goodness. Gym is not taking this extra off very quickly I'm afraid. I can only hope the inches are melting, but fear they are not. The roll around the gut is not pretty and is not moving.

Tomorrow I go for the dreaded boob squish again. It's that rotten time again. I will have to miss gym and therefore Body Balance class in the morning but I think I can still get to the gym after the squish.

I just have so much that I want to achieve before going back to work on Monday. It has taken me all week to get the information to know where I am going and who I am supposed to connect with. Grrrrrr. I was a bit short with the agent today. He promised me the info by Thursday and I had to ring him for it. Grrrr.

Anyway, time to move along. My friend Chris from Japan is going on holiday next week. She will be spending Saturday 22nd with me before going home to NZ to stay with the family. Time for me to plan mine I think otherwise I won't be going anyway next year either.

See ya.

Hmmm no body doing much here!

First day on the new job today. Yes my little holiday is finished. Went off alright although I thought I was about to go to sleep at the end. Got hotter and hotter and then this bloke (he must have been all of 12 1/2 by the look of him) took a segment of which I still have little idea if he was speaking English or not. Interesting bunch at the induction - almost a case of spot the Aussie. Nzers, an American from SoCal, a Dutchman and a German and the token Indian. The other two girls were Australian I think. Neither of them spoke much so I didn't get to work it out. Then off to the office to do yet another induction, this time on the computer. Then a wander around the floor (level 24) and told I will probably be working downstairs!!!! do I have to do this all over again tomorrow???? Anyway I may just go back tomorrow since they don't have a seat for me or a computer - even tho I do have a logon. But they told me not to come back before 9.00. It's hilarious. I gather tomorrow is going to be reading the documents, more reading and then if I get through that some more reading. Such fun.

And that is about it really. I think I need to have an early night. I'll catch up tomorrow again .