Fly-by - Hi all.

Just to test demon scale's perfidy, I hopped on again this a.m. and was a whole pound down from yesterday (pretty much in line with Tuesday's number). How a scale knows when my OFFICIAL weigh in day is is beyond my comprehension but I know I'll see the same number or lower some Wednesday soon.

So much going on here - and I just want to take a lazy day to do nothing. Fat chance! At least the sun's shining and we're supposed to hit slightly above freezing today. Love those extra minutes of daylight too, Ceara. And look at all that tt*tt*t. Hurrah. And hurrah to Eydie too - another 3. I'd be so happy!

Happy Friday eve!!!!

It's pouring down rain! :rain: I can't believe this winter... no snow, tons of rain - it reminds me of spring - which is still months away!
I took off my studded winter tires yesterday and apparently my Mom is not going to allow me to be a procrastinating slug about trading in my car - we're going to the dealership Saturday morning. I'm excited and dreading it. I hate change, LOVE being a slug on Saturdays, but really, really do want to get my car stuff done. So, we're off at the crack o' dawn Saturday...

Kaylets - I've caught bits of American Idol. Last night Simon Cowell was on Graham Norton (BBC) and he was hysterical! Graham was giving him so much grief I'm sure the people Simon's abused were happy! He kept going on about how high Simon's got his pants pulled up - and once came back from commercial break in mock conversation saying "...oh, I didn't know you used to be a girl!". :lol:

Amarantha - I'm so sorry you don't experience our weekend bliss... Just for you on Monday we'll send some "weekend's over" happies your way!

Eydie - :cb: Congrats on the loss!!! :cb:
I donno' who's going to win Discovery HBC. Dan is the guy you're thinking of I think. It could be him - or I'm thinking it could be Kia? She's come so far mentally in the challenge. Tonight we'll find out!

Ceara - :lol: "Treadmill legs" get better over time. You won't always feel like you're going to fall over when you get off!

Anagram - Isn't it funny how scales do that??? Last week it was showing me up 1 1/2 2 days before "official" weigh in - then when I did weigh officially, I was down 1 1/2 - so 3 pounds in 2 days??? Probably proof as to why we shouldn't weigh during the week. :yes:

Well, that's enough from me - gonna go get some work done so I can enjoy a trouble-free Friday tomarrow!

Terri
:queen: Punkin o' Friday, Grand Duchess of the Isle of Weekend and Countess of the Holiday realm.

Thorasday ...
 

Yowza! Thanks be to Ceara the Sword Bearer for the Thorasday inspiration!!!! Put Amarantha in a better mood ... can't seem to get any projects together and then the publisher asked me to take the trek to our southern (in middle of nowhere) paper this week instead of next and so that kills tomorrow ... but he's so sweet, one can't say they had a conflict! Almost cracked and had a binge, but since I am being Thora, I finished doing my walking and am keeping a lid on calories. Lined up a whole quart of soy shake to freeze and take down for all day to keep me from the convenience stores! Yowza!

Punkin: Yes, please do save some of the weekend bliss ... not that I ever got a day off this week to make up for giving up Sunday, but maybe sometime I'll get done ... no work tonight, though, I'm letting it just pile up until the weekend when I'll be left alone.

Sword Bearer: Amarantha's name was inspired by the grain amaranth ... it's super high in protein and other nutrients ... not really a grain (it's a tiny seed) but is considered such ... the Aztecs liked it, I think! Anyway, amaranth is small and unpretentious, while at the same time being mighty, exotic and powerful, as Amarantha aspires to be! :)

Anagram: Demon Scale be playing with thy mind!!! He liketh to do that, which is why Amarantha maketh it almost a religion to get on only once a week. However, one of the findings of the National Weight Loss Registry is that successful losers/maintainers do not heed the popular advice to throw away the scale and the majority weigh themselves once a week or more often ... the finding seems to indicate that habitual weight monitoring is one of the keys to success. So thou be probably on the right track in keeping an eye on things!! Good going! :wave:

HUZZAH!!! EYDIE HATH KICKED THREE :dance:s OUT O' THE QUEENDOM O' VICTORIOUS VALENTINES!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO EYDIE!!! THOU BE GETTING CLOSE TO THY GOAL, METHINKS!!

Think on this, if we all reach our ultimate goals by 2004 or even earlier, we could set up a MAINTENANCE SUPPORT GROUP at 3FC. Amarantha maintained a 100-pound weight loss for some time and had the impression that it was very hard to do, much harder than losing. According to the National Weight Loss Registry data (sorry to harp on this, but it's my new bible) maintenance becomes easier over time and the subjects in the study findings indicate that maintenance is actually easier than losing if the new lifestyle is continued. Those who regained weight in the study did so because they returned to old lifestyle habits.

Exactly!

I wonder what an exciting name for a maintenance support group thread with a seasonal component plus goddesses, empresses, queens, sword bearers, hags, wood nymphs, and the like would be?

Amarantha thinketh we need to continually look forward to the reaching of all our goals and not lose focus on the short-term, day-to-day stuff that happens, be it very big or very small. No matter what, we need to look to the future with confidence that we will succeed in every endeavor (weight loss is but part of the journey, but success in this one thing may lead to increased confidence to help us succeed in other things).

Sorry, will stop! :soap: :nono:

Where be absent comrades???? Hoping all is well!!! :wave: Report, report, report, all Victorious Valentine's!!!! (If it pleaseth thee?) :)

:grouphug:

goddesses, empresses, queens, sword bearers, hags, wood nymphs - what an exotic bunch we are.

I'm end-o-monthing it up here. I've got editing assignments that I've taken on to try and make up for income shortfall after a couple of blows to the wallet. These entail checking a web site every so often to see if the preliminary doc has been posted and then editing, so I hope they come up soon. I'm getting sleepy!

Doing okay, and will come in and say :wave: after I get through this EOM.

Stay calm, be brave, and wait for the signs...

Hello all!!
 

Hello!

Not sure but seems as though the outlet the washing machine is plugged into is not working right. The dryer runs fine from its outlet but the washer will not turn on. As well as the other items also using the same outlet. I tried turning all the circuit breakers on and off but still nothing. Will wait for DH to take a look and if need be use an outlet near the ceiling light.

Always something!

Empress- where do you find Brown Rice Syrup to buy?
And DH is asking if the smoothie maker has a blade in it? And the name too!
And of course I'll want to check in when I'm "on maintenance"--
But of course! ( in 2004!)

Anagram- yes, it sure does seem as though the scale knows doesnt it?? It is an eyeopener to see the fluctuations- How many flucuations come from our lifestyle, eating patterns, etc, I have yet to understand. I seem to swing almost 2 lbs either way- and will swing very high before a small loss- Beats me.

Arabella- Hope the editing goes smoothly.

Eydie_ GOOD FOR YOU!!! Are you doing something different?? TELL ALL!!!!

Ceara- I know that feeling in your feet and legs when you get off the treadmill!! Almost like your legs waking up.

Punkin- Plan on bringing music or books or both to "refocus" around Dad- Even make up a list of topics to discuss- even if you know some of the answers- how did he get started in his job ?, what was his number in the draft?etc, etc-- Have at least 10 topics ready and then if you feel the walls closing in, ask him and get him talking- After all, he's a man isnt he?? Just a few- " I never knew that " or " I forgot all about that " --
I'm not saying it will make your visit stress free - nothings' ever that way but at least you will go away knowing a something else about him--

and was it you that's moderating the bowling tournament? Dh will be jealous!

Hello to everyone I missed...

Finally Friday!!
 

Hello all!

And of course, the minute DH touched the 1st circuit breaker, didnt the washer start right up?? Yes, I had done the same thing but evidently, should've pressed harder or ....
Anyway, was grateful to be washing clothes last night. Interesting how our perspecective changes in just moments!!

Here's an interesting thought-- Not to far from here, they're opening a Krispy Kreme donut store. The news is there talking to people who have been waiting in the drivethru for over 3 hrs now!! To be first!! And I thought I could get out of control! :p

Ok all, near and far-- Kettle is officially on-- plenty of room for all--
all your favorite's are here too-- lots of room for everybody-- even got some new comfy cushions --

Oh and btw, my weighin Monday--- Stayed the same!! ( no suprise right?)

Today's thought is:
"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together."-- Vincent Van Gogh

To best choices!

Day 13
 

Scary...day 13 falling on a Friday!:D

Reporting that the :devil: scale is continuing downwards...will "officially report" on Sunday...

Empress I pulled that down off the web...interesting site, the origins of the days. The blueberries must be helping 'cause I kinda thought that was the story. I remembered it from the days of King Arthur when I was in school! :lol: Now if I could remember where I put my new brooch. :o

Kaylets...been there. Circuit breakers are like pickle jars...one you loosen for 'em and the other you warm up or something. My DH is an electrician, so I can TOTALLY know what you mean. Then they look at you like????????? Of course they can't find their socks! :lol: :lol: Gotta love 'em!

Anyway. have trod and am off to lift and jump...tah-rah. Check in later....here's to a g-r-r-r-e-a-t Friday! (I hear it's Punkin's favourite day:cool: )

Ceara

Hi Friends!
 

Had a lousy day yesterday snorking with a cold. I realize now that I could've made myself feel a liitle better if I'd done a leisurely walk on the treadmill. Did get in my Pilates though--a promise is a promise!

Thanks to all for comments on my weight loss--I'm feeling good about it; I just have to stay on top of the self-sabotage. I've noticed that my calories have been up a bit the last 2 days, but yesterday they were up because of all the arcane potions I made to cure my cold. Honey and garlic and ginger and juice and such. [No eye of newt!]

Amarantha, I'm 11 pounds from my goal of 135. We have that in common--that and our striking classic good looks.:D

Ceara, I average walking an hour at a time--longer if I'm watching something really juicy on TV. I walk between 4mph and 4.5 mph---not that I can keep up the pace of 4.5 mph for the entire hour, I just go back and forth. "Interval training"--is that what they call it? Our new treadmill has an incline feature and I've been playing with that a lot---I'm hoping that it will give me a gravity-defying butt! As long as I can get a good sweat going I feel that I'm doing it right. And yes, that disoriented prickly feeling will pass--absolutely!

Kaylets, Now that you mention it I am doing something different. I feel that it's finally sunk into my head that this is truly how it's going to have to be for the rest of my life. I'm going to have to exercise and be aware of calories and potions, etc. for the rest of my days. It's going to take effort and "CONSTANT VIGILANCE".!!! I've always known it but this time it feels different. It has to be diffent this time---I've been at this for 5 years and it's time that I reached my goal. {And if you want something less philosophical, I've been faithfully recording my food intake in my journal, If you want to check it out!:D }

Anybody have big plans for the weekend?

Happy Friday!!!!!

I rented a bunch of movies yesterday - The Good Girl, About a Boy, Serving Sara and Secret Ballot (an Iranian film w/subtitles). These will be my treat movies for surviving the trip to the car dealership on Saturday. I actually had a nightmare about it last night! Why do I stress on stupid things???? :?:

Eydie - Matthew won the Discovery Health challenge!!! Ok, I called him "Dan". Dan, Matthiew.... I was close? Seriously, I think he deserved it. Feel better real soon ok?

Ceara - Day 13 on Friday? Eeeek! S'okay, just keep repeating "it's just another day, it's just another day...."

Kaylets - Thank you for the idea of having some pre-thought out topics. Great idea - as long as it doesn't include his family (he's super touchy about it and what I know I've learned through genealogy). It used to be my favorite thing when I was young to get into deep discussion with my Dad - from about the time I was 8 years old we'd discuss things like religion, life after death, theory of evolution, etc. (gee, wonder why I ended up so different :p ). I do plan on bringing Harry Potter #4 with me to read! Good reading for an escape & with a combined total of 4+ hours flying round trip, I'll get plenty read in time for #5 in June!
Yep that was me that gets to monitor the city tournament next weekend. One of my Mom's best friends is the president of the women's league (who's also on my Mom's team) so I'll get to monitor my Mom's games. :cb:

Amarantha - thank you for explaining your name!! I always wondered what it meant. :chin:
I've had Krispy Kreme's dangled over my head as bribery, but since I've never had them before it's a useless bribe. However, since I'm going to L.A. in March, I have a feeling they'll provide some of the evil round delicacies. No worries though, the nearest KK to my home in Oregon is 4 hours away in Washington! A safe distance.

Ok, time to get some work done!

Terri
It is Friday, and I am :queen:

HI all! Just got back from our group walk here at work. Dang it's cold.
I've gained back only 2lbs from my 7lb loss from the stomach flu/regular flu combo. So according to my scale I weigh 232 and my sisters scale which is always exactly 5lbs less is 227. I'm going by mine because I have to live with my scale. I can't always jump on her's, she live 30 miles away!!! But I feel OK. No sick feelings except for a little bit of a cough and a little bit of a stuffy nose. I think it's breaking up.

Mom is doing fine. She finally took a call from my step dad. He was crying her wanted her to come home. He doesn't want to live alone, he loves her etc. She inturn recited a list of things that she had left and wants sent to her. I'm so proud of her! She didn't cry or cave in. She told him she won't be treated like that, put out of her own house. So there!! :smug:

Things are progressing with the wedding. Feb 17th will be exactly 3 months to go. I have so much to do though!!!! I have to get my dress altered, I have to rent tables and chairs. Which my mom and are going to do this weekend. I have to start addressing and stuffing the invites. Purchase plane tix for the honeymoon. Pick out my songs among other things. I'm pooped just thinking about everything.

Well all, have a good weekend. I'll start checking in on a more regualr bases now that my situations are smoothing out.

Punkin - I'm really with you today. I'm ready for this trying week to be over. Too many doctors, phone calls to medical people, etc.
DH took himself to dialysis today (first time). It was like watching your first child go off to kindergarten by himself.

Is there room for a dowager in this august group of Empresses, Queens, etc? Crone would usually fit me well too. But today I feel more like a dowager. Hied me to the beauty salon and had brows and hair done just for the Hades of it. For no good reason than that I felt like it - the best of reasons, really.

No plans for weekend. And that's a real luxury right now. Oops, forgot. Sunday brunch with golfing bud of DH. First "other people" outing.

Another huge cuppa is waiting and Trading Spaces coming on soon so I'll snuggle in the double recliner with my fuzzy wuzzy throw and enjoy the solitude and the gray skies and be ready to welcome the warmer weather this weekend.

Yaaaaaawn.....

Two phone calls in 4 hours. One was my brother being goofy (sometimes I want to take the cell phone away from him!), and the other was a wrong number. Our 800# is a digit off from Equifax (the credit reporting agency) and another digit off from whatever power company serves the Alabama/Oklahoma/Texas area.... we get a lot of wrong number calls!

Frogger - It's so good to see you! I'm so proud of your Mom too and I don't even know her... I went back the first time I left my ex. So hard to stand up to them when they are like that - but it sounds like she made the right decision and is standing her ground. :bravo: to her!

Dowager Anagram - Thy doth bestoweth thy own title. We, your loyal subjects, shall address you however it pleases thee. (*snicker*)

Have a good weekend everyone - I hope to report the purchase of some new wheels on Monday! :cb:

Terri

[COLOR=blue][SIZE=1]:fr: :yikes: What an awful day Amarantha hath had! Everything she did and said was wrong! As a result there was a minor binge! Still hoping for a decent weigh-in, though. Disaster of a day!

Dowager Anagram: Thy title be quite regal! :queen: I can see thee with a crown, not to mention perfect brows and coiffed tresses!!! All hail!!! :wave:

Punkin: Good idea to take HP 4 as a distraction on thy trip! It's really good! Eagerly awaiting thy report on the new wheels! Enjoy thy movies! Don't worry too much about the KKs, actually they are lower cal than most doughnuts ... it's just that they are SO good ... but only when hot and fresh! So after they get cold and old, they're not a problem.

Frogger: Good for thy mom in standing her ground! :cp: She is truly :strong:!! Congratulations on thy net five :dance: loss!!!

Brain-dead! Later, gators (that dates me a bit)!

And I was so familiar with it - that dates me as well. But if it fits -

Don't feel so much a dowager today but can't think of anything else fitting at the moment. Yes, the brows and coif did a lot to make me feel more regal - or at least more together

Rain, snow, gloom here again today - yuk! I'm glad to know KK are less caloric than, say, Dunkin Donuts. That will be my valid excuse next time I run into them. They do now sell them boxed in our area but they are not really the same creature then (though of course I not have been that discriminating at one time). Now I do allow for caloric bursts if it's SOMETHING SPECIAL (homemade peanut butter fudge being one such) but if it
's run of the mill, readily available I'm finding it much easier just to pass.

Did have a little run in this morning with those little candy hearts with sayings on them. I've had some sitting on a table forever (dh is encouraged to pick up calories) and they have not called my name all that much. But this morning I thought the evil thought "oh just one won't hurt". However, the good angel on my shoulder chortled and said "you've heard that one before" and I kept on with my VV pledge. Still no candy has passed my lips and my evening food romps have been most minimal. Good habits to build. That's why I love the challenges. I've built the water into a given and hopefully now I'll have added two more good habits on a given basis.

Only two weeks more on this one so it's comforting to know the St. Pat's is not too far away. Was glad to see the 2004 mentioned as part of the maintenance group because I'm not too hopeful that I'll make my (unspecified) goal in 2003 and I'd hate to be excluded.

We're behind you today, Empress! Belt all that work out and then have a dulce la leche reward and a leisurely Sunday. Sounds like you really could use the latter.