Hello ladies

don't know if son got the job yet. maybe in a few days.
Congrats to all the weight loss girls thats great.
Better go have bookwork to do.

So, how are all you chicks doing? It's been raining and dreary here. Darn,I won't be able to mow tonight!!! I have been thinking of moving furniture around so I can have better access to my "stamping" stuff. I don't do it now because everything is so inconvenient to get to.

What's everyone doing this weekend?

Any luck looking for that man? I don't have much patience, just so you know.

You would think being gone from work Monday and Tuesday would help the work situation but it hasn't. I was just thinking I have started to complain about everything in my life, which isn't how I usually, am but I realized I have no where to go but up. That is a good thought.

Baylee and Michelle...you go girls....I am so proud of you.

Kat, I understand but don't want you to go. Make your computer a "no eating" area. That's what I have done - no eating while on the computer.

I want to be a loser too so I have to, you've heard this before, get it together. I was totally out of control for two days and hate it.

Tomorrow is rake, mow, dig in the dirt and haul some rocks day so I should get my exercise in. Anyone want to help!!!!!

Not "Lucky" yet....but I told them at work I wouldn't be at the Christmas party unless I was married!!!!!

Well I managed to stay under my points for today, but I certainly didn't get any of my water in I didn't get into bed until about 3am, which means I wasn't up until the beginning of the afternoon So let's just say I got a late start, eh? I can't post for long because I need to get some reading done, and what better way to score in a few glasses of water, eh?

Oh, a quick question...for any of you ladies who have been on/are on the pill...if you stop taking it, do you lose a little bit of weight gain it? I only ask because I gained around 7 pounds when i stared taking them a couple years ago. I hear it's not good to be on them for a prolonger period of time, and since i am not taking them for "traditional" reasons, i've decided to try stopping...little nervous though cause it's REALLY nice being so regular...

Unfortunately Tony did not throw me over his shoulder and carry me away to be with him, so I am back. (of course if he did, NASCAR would have lost another driver, I don't think he could drive with a broken back!)

What I didn't tell you guys is that I am an administrator on a Tony Stewart website and he was expecting me because we were doing something special for the webmaster of our site. (it was her birthday) So, I didn't even have to wait in line. I just called out to his PR guy, Eddie and we (me & dh) just went up on stage and waited until Tony got up there. I didn't say anything, because I thought it would be too nerve wracking.

Ok, here we go! The appearance was at the Nascar Speedpark in Sevierville, Tn. I thought it was just going to be an autograph signing. I had no idea Tony was going to be racing on the little go cart tracks with some of the fans. Listen to this..........I was absolutely FLOORED. We are standing there in line before Tony gets there and one of the Nascar Speedpark employees walks up to Ron (dh) and says, "Do you like Tony Stewart?" (not the she could tell, I mean he was only decked from head to toe in Home Depot clothing) Of course, he said, "Yes." She then asked him, "How tall are you?" He told her. Then she said the words that made me want to puke........."Do you want to race with Tony on the track?" OMG!! Of course he said, "Uh........YEAH." So she gave him a little ticket showing that he was reserved to race with Tony. I had no idea they were going to race on the track. That was the most awesome thing I think that has ever happened to him in his life. I will attach a picture on the next post. The race was awesome! Ron said it was the coolest thing in the world to get passed by Tony Stewart! How many people can say that?(of course, if we're telling the whole truth-----passed TWICE) Sorry hun. I can't express in words how much that meant to him. Ok, I'll go on. I just HAD to tell you that.
So, everything starts settling down and it's almost time for Tony to start autographing. I see Eddie (Tony's PR guy)up on the stage, and I wanted to make sure he knew I was there. (and everyone was right..........even though I was a bundle of nerves, I felt much better this time) So, I yelled up to Eddie and he motioned for me to come up on the stage with him. So I walked up there with him and he said, "Ok, Pam (Tony's mom) talked to me and Tony, (I had sent her an email earlier in the week to see if it would be possible for me to do something special for our webmaster) so what exactly is going to happen?" So I explained what we wanted to do (it was the webmasters birthday and I had made a poster that said "Happy Birthday Karen" and Tony was to hold it so I could take a picture and post it on the message board) and he said that was fine and he started kidding around with me saying that Pam told him I would pay him. He is very funny. Anyways, I asked him if he just wanted us to take care of it when we went through the line and he said no, for us to go ahead and come up on stage with him right then. HOLY COW!!! You can tell by this time I was about to turn into a puddle. So, he tells the other PR and Speedpark employees that it's fine for me and Ron to be up there..........that Tony knew about it. So............now we're waiting on Tony. He gets there after about 10 minutes. (all the while people that are standing in line are looking at us like......"who are they?") So cool. So, Tony comes up there and says hello and talks to a few people and then the mayor makes a presentation to him. He gives this really awesome speech about how much he likes Tony and how he is his favorite racecar driver and then gives him the key to the city. Then Tony comes and sits down at the table and Eddie motions towards me and Ron. I have to take care of first things first.......( I knew getting the picture for Karen was a given) but this girl was not gonna miss her chance........so I asked Tony if I could get a picture with him!! I really wanted to be next to him instead of leaning over the table to get a picture with him. I can just see me leaning over the table and it starting to scoot and it smashes Tony and he falls over and well.........you get the picture. Here are the headlines: "STEWART FAN ASSAULTS TONY!" So he says, "Sure, sweetie." (hehe.....sweetie) So he is sitting down and I go right next to him and put my arm around him and Ron takes our picture. I TOUCHED HIM! I even gave him a little pat on the shoulder. Once again, I thought I would vomit. My lips were literally twitching as I was smiling. So then, I give him the sign and he holds it up and front of him and Ron takes the pictures. Tony was so awesome about this. After Ron took it, he said, "Are you sure it took? I didn't see the flash." He is so awesome. (I also got one of him signing it) Tony has been having a little bit of trouble lately and us die hard Tony fans have not been taking it lightly, so I looked him right in the eyes..(he had glasses on, but I could still see his eyes) and I said, "I hope you know, TSOT(our website) is behind you 100%." He said, "I really appreciate that sweetie." (He called me sweetie again) (sweating puddles) Then I said, "No, we support you 110%!" And he said, "Wait a minute......you can't do more than 100%" and he smiled and I said, "You give more than 100% so we can too" and he smiled so big. I thanked him and Eddie again and Eddie made one more crack about getting paid, and I told them to thank Pam and Tony told me to have a safe trip back home and I think I floated all the way out to the parking lot. I can honestly say, it was one of the best days of my life. I took two rolls of film and I will be getting them all scanned & posted as soon as I can, but I do want to include my favorite.

Here's Ron on the track with Tony!

All I can say is way to go Tina

Tina, did you have fun

Loved your picture. Here is a for doing such a great job! With Tony and your report. I could feel the excitement. I caught the end of a race last weekend and didn't realize they go around that track 500 times. Only a man could come up with a job of driving around in a circle 500 times and get paid for it.

Well, it's cool and windy here so I have no excuse for NOT getting out there and getting to work.

Tina, I will be waiting for more pictures.

So, here I am! I made a promise to myself, that I can't come out to play with you girls until I have gotten something done around the house AND that there will be NO eating at the computer, AND when I'm done here, it's exercise time, which I should have done first because we all know what a liar I am!! I have to cut the grass as soon as I'm done here, and then I'm taking the boys and the dog down to the beach to frolic and scamper.

oops...lawn ranger guy is here to give me an estimate...I sent him around back and now the dog is barking her fool head off...

Tina, what a great story...it sounds like you handled yourself remarkably well...no puking or anything! What a memorable day for you AND dh!!

Michelle...I hope the party goes well...I think you'll need a week of rest after it's all over...oh yeah, almost forgot...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW!

Lucky, I'll be thinking of you cutting your grass, as I'm out there cutting mine! Do you guys have ragweed in Minnesota?? I'm usually a mess during september because of it...sneezing, sniffling, snorting...oh yeah, I'm a sight.

Mary...fingers are still crossed for sonny's job!

Sara Joy...keep on jogging, girl...you're doing great!

Baylee...you've inspired me to get my WW book out again and start counting those points again...okay...AND the daily exercise...we can do this!

Mel...not sure if the pill's weight gain works in reverse...but I doubt it! Always so much easier to put it on than to take it off, isn't it?

Steph, maybe we can come up with some good, low cal "nighttime munchie" ideas for you...how about it girls?? What are your favorite "legal" snacks??? I could use some ideas, myself! I love Jello Fat free/sugar free instant pudding...1 point per serving (which means 4 points for the whole thing!) Not that we'd ever need that much, hehe but it's good to know...

Time's up for me...gotta get moving! Have a good weekend all...
Love ya!

Hey, girls! I'm back! Of course I've been here catching up for a good part of the morning and now it's almost 1:00. I'm starving, because of course I came here first thing. I missed you guys.

The weather was just perfect in Niagara Falls, mid to upper 70's. Perfect for walking around and sightseeing. DH and I went to Niagara on the Lake this trip. It's a beautiful town on the point where the Niagara River comes out onto Lake Ontario. The streets are planted with flowers everywhere. And being the first part of September they were all in the fullest of bloom. The main street is divided in some areas with planters and the streets are lined with planters. There are hanging planters from the street lights. I can't describe how truly lovely it is. I took some pics with my digital camera. I'll have to unload them later and see if the site will accept pics of that size. No time just now though. I took too long reading and trying to catch up with each of you.

J-ann: No buffalo wings for me. Don't like them. Guess I'm lucky!

Sara: The air conditioner blew a capacitor. That's why the expense. Better than the $400 we paid in NC to get that one fixed! * Down another 4? OMG! That's wonderful! Don't be thinkin' those crazy "I'm not losing fast enough" thoughts. They will get you in trouble every time! Slow and steady is the way to go for lasting weightloss. You know that!!!! * That dress sounds lovely. * Hope Moses is doing better. I don't know what I'd do if Max got sick.

Mary: Sounds like your work schedule isn't easing up at all. Since when does quilting lessons have anything to do with a library? * The new top sounds cute. You lucked out on the size. * Here's hoping your son gets the job.

Baylee: 7.8# is Wonderful! Good for you!!! Remember if you feel you need another shot in the arm, you can attend as many WW meetings a week as you want to, you don't have to WI (not Wisconsin) at them, you just go in and sit in a chair and participate in the meeting.

Michelle: 9.2#! OMG! What a loss. Those week 1's back OP are wonderful, aren't they??? * Make sure to give Andrew a birthday hug from all of us!

2cute: Welcome back, my friend! I'm glad you have found your way home. Enjoy your weekend and then we'll see you back here on Tuesday!

Malia: WOW, a month for vacation! That's wonderful! Also, wonderful is breaking that plateau! Good Job!! The starchy thing, geez, that's kinda what 2cute was saying. She does so well when she cuts those carbs. There's got to be something to it.

Steph: Hi there, good to see you.

LuckyLadyBug: OMG, gotta love ya! "I practiced being interested in every word they said". What a hoot! The only thing funnier would have been if you actually wrote: practiced pretending to be interested...... But I think that's probably what you meant to say anyway!

Melissa: Yup, we all feel that way. On this trip I had to fit with DH in the casino shuttle bus seats. Not my idea of a fun time! Hang in there. We can do this a little at a time. * And dang, you just have to get Tina started on who Tony is, don't ya????? Maybe she won't read your post. Tony is Tony Stewart. Nascar race driver. Her idol. Her dream man. Her everything. *Thin says whispering, very quietly*

Tina: You keep changing your avatar and I keep thinking we have a new poster. I'm sooo confused!!!! Great story. I'm sooo glad you had such a wonderful experience.

Katrina: You're so funny! I can't stay away either. And when I do, it takes me longer than if I was just regular here, because I have to catch up on all the reading. Can't win. Just have to be here!

Well, girls, I hope I've caught each of you. I will try not to be gone again as it's too hard to catch up here. I found this in my e-mail basket when I got home and I wanted to share it with you. It's a letter written by an 83 y/o woman to here friend:

Dear Bertha,
I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time working. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them. I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom.

I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank. Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary.

If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I'm not sure what others would've done had they known they wouldn't be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favorite food was. I'm guessing; I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and parents often enough how much I truly love them.

I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.

If you received this, it is because someone cares for you.
People say true friends must always hold hands, but true friends don't need to hold hands because they know the other hand will always be there."

I don't believe in Miracles. I rely on them.
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!!

The last line says it all. I think that because of our size, sometimes we forget to 'dance'. We need to take more time to 'dance' and not let life just pass us by.

I love you, my friends.

Tina -
Ok, the whole hero worship thing isn't all that unfamiliar to me. Unfortunately my hero was someone with less credibility (i think). Let's see....first of all let me just say that I can totally relate to the feelings you experience when being near an idol, When I was 18, I met the Backstreet Boys It was indeed unexpected - I was with my cousin in Providence for a show, and she was finishing a cigarette..the opening act had actually already started playing, but we didn't really care for LFO or Aaron Carter (ironic they both ended up getting pretty famous for a while there...especially AC). Anyways, I couldn't believe it when my vision focused and they started walking towards us..they gave me little buddy pats on the back, and Nick Carter (who at the time, made me melt thanked me for not screaming and acting like a 'girl.' I wanted to die right there. I didn't even get to say much i was so tongue tied (and for me, that says a lot).
It got better, because in the middle of the concert I wormed my way to the front, and stood on a milk crate and Nick looked over, smiled and pointed at me again, LOL. Anyways, I digress....I used to have it bad...some 7 concerts :/

Katrina -
Our dog does the same foolish things. He's a terrior toto kind of dog...(scottish terrier?)...It's funny because last time we locked him up into a room when my friend and her husband came over, he barked and barked and barked...so finally i just decided to let him out and let him have his way...he trotted out calmly, walked over to the couple and sniffed, let them pet him and then proceeded to jump into Adam's lap ...we joke cause we think he has alzheimer's. FYI: NOT eating at the computer...what a GREAT idea. I've consumed all of 14 points today...and well...it was all in one sandwich...I love deli meats and breads..those would be my weaknesses ::sigh::

Michelle -
Sounds like you have your work cut out for you. I can't imagine what kind of parent I'll be...I feel bad cause I'll prolly end up saying to **** with the birthday thing, and let them take a friend to the toy store or something,

Ladybug -
Good luck with all that domestic yard work... that's good exercise...which reminds me...tomorrow I definitely need to do my walking tapes.

I have these "walk away the pounds" tapes...and they're wonderful...I love being able to walk in the "privacy of my own home" :lug, plug::...but seriously it's really quite nice...they have these little weights that go on with the walk too, and you tone your arms....I was a good little doobie for half of the summer...I did the exercises all through may and june...i think i was discouraged cause i wasn't eating as well as i could have, so instead of losing weight i think i was just getting into shape.
Those tapes are a GREAT way to get into shape..let me tell you. I don't know what I would have done if i hadn't been using them before i went to spain. we had to do SO much climbing. Granada (where I lived) is nestled in between the Sierra Nevadas...and there was this section of town called the Albaycin that we frequented. ARGH! Just thinking about those stairs makes me nauseas...I had to climb them one day when i was really really sick...so i was tired as it was, we were about halfway up and i started to feel like i was going to pass out. thankfully someone ended up stepping on a cactus so we had to stop and i got to rest. (i'm horrid , aren't i?) I'm attaching a picture of granada from the top of the albaycin. Oh, the Albaycin was definitely bad...but I think the Alhambra (an old Arab castle built circa 1200) was worse...we're talking a steady half an hour of steep incline walking...:/

might as well post some more while i'm here...some more examples of the fruits of those horrid climbs...this picture is from the top of the Alhambra...

Oh hey look....it's the 35 story tower that we all had to climb on foot.... this is a part of the cathedral of seville.

Cathedral of Seville again (now i'm really into this )

some scenery....it's really blurry and if anyone wants full sized copies let me know...pays to have a 500 dollar digital cam i guess...

this one looks really good...especially with the leaves in teh foreground..i actually entered this into a photo contest