Well.........what in the world's wrong with you....woman???? Why can't you get started at 3:30 in the morning??!!

I woke up about 2:30 & couldn't go back to sleep...finally got up at 4:00. I don't like waking up so early!! Well...Sue....now I think of you when I see/use Garfield!

Everyone have a good day.....gonna try to catch a nap before the alarm goes off....

What is with you early morning risers?? It's hard to fathom somebody willingly setting their alarm for 3:30 am! I drag myself out of bed at 7:00 am and feel like I'm deprived. Of course, I don't go to bed until midnight most nights, sometimes later if I'm reading a good book. Totally agree with your Garfield grapic, Charlotte!

Dull life, Willow? Hate to argue with you, but I'm pretty sure I have a lock on that. Until I get my treatments the third week of August, I have to lie down about every hour, and pain is my constant companion. Talk about dull! I go to my exercise classes and once a week to the store, and the rest of the time I am at home. But. . .most of the time I don't mind dull (although I mind the pain--a lot!). Up until I got sick, I was involved in a lot of stuff, almost too much stuff, so dull feels pretty restful to me. My daughter thinks we lead a dull life, too, but I don't tell her the stuff I used to do when I was younger. I'd rather be thought of as "dull mom."

Puss, hope that everything is okay with you and your mom. Willow, hope your first day back at work is a good one. The first day of school is usually the best one of the whole year (except for maybe the last day of school), so hopefully it's the same with going back to work.

Happy Monday!?!?!

Dear, dear friends, thanks for all the good wishes and support, they were so appreciated. It really did help reading your messages to know some people cared. Thanks. Latest saga is I picked my mother up at the railway and driving back to my house she starts rubbishing a perfect stranger who was sitting opposite her on the train then she calls my SIL a stupid cow so I just told her to stop it and one thing led to another and I brought up the batterings I had as a kid from her and she denied it, said I was exaggerating it all etc . She said she wouldnt stay even though I said she was still very welcome. I had to drive all the way back the next day (yesterday) to the station and she left. This morning she phones early and says she now remembers it but still denying the extent or the viciousness so I told her to get lost and stay out of my life. I took the day off work and worked it off by painting the front of the house (downstairs only!) and garage and she rang again at midday apologising, said she was always angry then would I forgive her. I said thats all I ever wanted, an acknowledgement that it happened not the constant denials and blaming me for invention. I ended up telling her life is too short so let's forget it and does she want to come back down. DH and son say she isnt sorry at all just fresh out of friends and needs me. Brother is lovely but no patience. She said "you have always been there for me" and I know that's what this is all about, she has a prolapse operation due in September and I have promised to go and stay with her and take time off work. Never mind, seems it's my cross to bear in life, I must have been a wicked devil in a previous existence ha ha! Cathy, a huge big welcome. As you can see from support I have had , these are the best girls in the whole site. We will all help you to stick to the straight (sometimes a bit wavy) and narrow (occasionally we re-define the boundaries a little) of weight loss. Willow, those shoes sound good, you must let us know how they work out if you get them. Angel, I hope your fatigue has lifted a little now. One thing I noticed when I was working from home last week for a few days instead of going into the office - it's so much harder to lose weight. I was forever making myself little munchies and being sat down all day I put 1lb on last week. And I don't have any medical conditions to slow me down either so well done for losing what you have, it's not easy. Sheila, I hope your freind is recovering now. That reminded me when I was a student nurse and two surgeons were fist fighting in theatre over an affair one was having with the other's wife and some poor woman nearly died because the operating surgeon accidentally nicked the lady's liver during a gall bladder op and didn't notice it. She ended up in ICU but fortunately pulled through. That was all hushed up of course. I loved the trick you played on your DH's birthday card!! Like you, I feel 0700 is a really early wake up ha ha. Sue, do you fancy an illegal immigrant up at your cabin?? We have a heatwave on at the moment and they are expecting temperatures to reach 100f by Wednesday. I am going to start painting the top coat tomorrow very early because the heat was unbearable today and I can't take the high 70s never mind the high 90s but I had to get it out of my system somehow and I have been thinking the house needed a lick of paint for ages. DH is thrilled of course, can home from work and it was all done - devil he is. Offered to make dinner - I had made it in advance yesterday as he well knew. Just as well he's a good chap! Once again, thanks so much for the lovely posts of support and whatever happens now, I am still going to post every day failing a power cut. Best regards to you all and welcome again, Cathy.

Just read the bits about DULL - Willow and Sheila, Give me dull any day, it's high drama and action I can't take ... dull is a luxury around here ha ha. xx

Hello All. I have a few minutes before getting dinner started. DH is running a little late this evening. If he would eat pork and beans on toast, that is what we would have. He absolutely hates it. Likes the beans, and loves toast, just not together. Men! Go figure.

Willow, I feel like such a glutton with all this rain and you needing it so much. Pouring again all afternoon. Let us know how you are doing back at work. I do much better at controlling my eating when I am at work. My problem is still the weekends. Oh well, if we can do 5 out of 7, I guess that isn't all bad. Are you still making up your menus in advance?

Puss, good for you on standing your ground. I have a friend whose mother was like that, and when she (the mother) died, my friend ended up having a nervous breakdown. She bent over backward, but nothing was ever good enough for Mom. She kept it bottled up inside for years, then the load of guilt that had been continually dumped on her did her in. I wish she had had your strength, but it is water under the bridge now. Two years of therapy hasn't made too much difference that I can see. Things will get better, just don't let it drag you down.

Sheila, I must confess, I am also an early riser. To me, 7:00 is "sleeping in". We are up between 5 and 5:30. Even on weekends, I just wake up without the alarm.

Angel, I actually have a Garfield coffee cup with "I don't do mornings" on it. Have you got me pegged, or what!!! I copied the bear (Thank You) and e-mailed it, but it just comes out as a picture, without animation. I will try it again.

Guess I better get something going, even I am getting hungry. Will check in tomorrow. Sue

Oh my! I think we need to bring Puss over here to the states and hide her out for a while so she can get a taste of our Dull!
You know what though, Puss? I'm so very proud of you that you didn't back down and that you stuck to it until she admitted the abuse. That may be her first positive step toward healing herself.
I hope that you can get some peace in your home now when she's there, and I'm very happy that you're going to continue to post as often as possible.

Charlotte, I hope you weren't too tired today after waking so early.
I'm not going to get up as early tomorrow morning. I have that appt. tomorrow after work and then I'll go to Curves after that.
I called my ins. co. today to make sure I didn't need pre-authorization and to see what my coverage is for that, and I didn't need pre-authorization and I'm covered 100% with a $20.00 co-pay/visit.
Now I just hope they can help me figure out if I have some eating disorder, or if it's from thyroid or apnea, or depression or if I'm just lazy or nuts.
Today a friend and I were talking about what's been going on with me, which I don't do with many people, but she and I have been friends for a long time and used to chum around together when we were both going out a lot. She said, I know that ten years seems like a long time in some respects, but it really isn't that long, and 10 years ago you were skinny, wore your tops tucked in, used a belt and were always in a good mood. This has been happening slowly, so maybe it's a chemical thing."
I think she may be right, but, ...... we'll find out soon, I hope.

Geez, Sheila, I feel so bad for complaining when you have constant pain. I don't know how you stand it to do all that landscaping, etc. I hope this month is kinder to you.

Sue, No, I haven't been making my menu's in advance for a week now. I don't know what the hey! gets into me. I know what works, I just get into these, ..... moods? ... or whatever you'd call them, and I couldn't get myself to concentrate and do what I'm suppose to to save my soul from ****.
I do better at work, of course, because I don't take any money with me to be tempted to buy out of the vending machines, so I have my 9 AM snack and my lunch and that's it.

Well, I need to get stuff ready for work tomorrow.

I think we lost Cathy. But, if you're out there, stop in and visit.

I'll let you girls know tomorrow how it goes at my appt.
Everybody have a wonderful evening/day.

Hi everybody.....I need to whine.....hope you don't mind. If you don't wanna hear it....just skip over....I GOTTA WHIIIIIIIINNEE!! After such a miserable night & morning....I went to the station. I find out I've got it alone. Ok.....I can do this......did it lots of times. Our meteorologist calls the weather update in at 12:30, so I start bringing in the maps. All I gotta do when he calls is change over from satellite to live programming & have the microphone to the speakerphone...roll the maps as he talks. Done it lots of times. I can't get the maps up!!!!!!! I can't get the monitors on!!!!!!! I can't get anything to work!!!!!! I call him. He walks me through hundreds of things to check out...as the clock is ticking......nothing works!!!!!! He says forget it....I'll be there before the 4 o'clock weather & see what's going on. Then manager calls.....I tell her what's happened. WE'RE NOT GONNA FORGET IT!!! (They're going on vacation next week & want to know that I can handle anything, sooooo) She goes to walking me through all these things. Now, mind you, all this time ( been about 45 minutes now) I've been standing up. I can't stand up long at a time! Getting worse & worse.....don't wanna complain. After turning computer off 3 times & putting in a half dozen passwords, it finally comes up! I'm so tired physically & mentally by then, I can't think straight & frustrated. Meteorologist calls....we put the weather on. Everything is fine, right? NOT!! I have the cordless phone beside me, where I was talking to manager. (by this time, a man & others have come in to do some taping & stand to watch me.....start talking very loud & I'm afraid it's coming out over the air!)The weather is almost over so I grab the phone & head back to the control room. I hear a strange sound.....the guests greet me(as I pass in a great rush!)ask me how I am....& I answer that I'm not so good at the moment. Then I find out when I picked up the phone, I accidently turned it on. This caused EVERYTHING that was said by guests & ME to go out over the air!!!!!!! I apologized to meteorologist, who was great about it.....always is....& went to the office. A couple of the guys who work there had gotten there by that time & followed me in. They knew I was upset........I bawled like a baby!!!!!!!!
The more they tried to console me....the more I cried! I finally went to the bathroom so they couldn't follow me! I got in there...& the manager calls me to see how it "went". Well, we're close friends...I try to sound ok, but she knew better....then SHE tried to console me! All day, these guys kept coming around giving me a little hug.....geeze! It wouldn't have gotten to me so bad, if I hadn't gotten so tired, & had more sleep. Ever had one of those days you wish you had just stayed in bed, whether you could sleep, or not?! Anyway....thanks for letting me whine. I feel better. I guess.

Willow...hope your appt goes well....let us know. I started keeping up with my foods Satuday, on fitday. That was the last day I kept up with it.

Just didn't work for me.

Sue.....If you changed anything at all about the bear...size, etc., it won't be animated. I know sometimes, when emailing, I'll change the size. Be sure you don't. Good luck. Glad you like Garfield..I like em too.

Fatpuss.....been thinking of you...& very proud of you. You know, it was hard to explain to people, as I was growing up, that I had a "problem mother"....just as some people had "problem children". It puts a large responsibility on a child. I use to think something was wrong with me, or she wouldn't talk so cruel. As I grew older though, my dad helped me to understand. As I said before, she's very sweet to me now. But she doesn't realize who I am, because of the Alziemer's. At least, it makes it easier to help her & my step-dad. I'm hoping things will get better for you.

Sheila....I'm not an early riser by choice. This has just started happening over the last several weeks. Got a lot on my mind with the house & all. That's all I can figure it is. I go to sleep easily....just wake up & lay there at least an hour before I give up. Like you....I hurt a lot & lying there only makes it worse. I understand what you mean about the kids. They remember me as very active......Sometimes I think they believe I just got lazy.

Cathy....where are you? Come back for a visit.

I guess I've complained enough today....sorry....I try not to. Well, I didn't try too hard not to this time!!

Angel, you poor thing, sounds like you had a terrible time at the station but I guarantee one thing - you will laugh at this in time to come. They were lucky it was you with the phone picking up all the talk, when I get really stressed the bad language would turn a trooper red!! I worked for the Ministry of Defence a few years ago and had a very sensitive document which came from the Prime Minister's office to copy for my boss. I was new and didn't know the photo machine. Well, this document came out of the copier totally black like it had been in an oven - totally illegible! That was the original and a copy hadn't been produced so I was in a right panic. All I could remember of the chap who had telephoned to ensure I had received it by special messenger was that he had the same accent as me - came from the same Northern city. I ended up phoning this high security department in London asking everyone I got through to was there a chap with a Liverpool accent there! Eventually I found him and we had a real good laugh about it (could only laugh once I found him!) and he rushed another copy over. Be glad that you are sweet and didn't cuss and curse over the air or it would have been on one of those TV programmes and you would have been famous. Seriously, hope you are feeling better about it, now. You were probably dead tired and mentally drained. Willow, hope your appointment is a good one. Two things I can tell you just by being on these posts is 1. you are not lazy, you put me to shame with your activities and 2. you are not mad - sound common sense is what you talk. I think you have been through a lot lately too but unlike me, you live alone and don't get a chance to talk it out when you want to. Some people lose weight when they are stressed and others (myself included) put it on. Maybe it's a quirk of the body - it's a complicated machine at the best of times with hormones etc. I mostly still do my menus eg. rogan josh beef curry, chicken Thai red curry, bolognaise ground beef sauce and find they help when I get in from work tired. You seem to eat very healthily though and with your exercise too, you are doing all the right things. Also, you, Angel and Sheila all have medical conditions and some medications slow metabolism down eg my mother's anti-depressants do. Sheila, how is the yard doing? Thought of you - in the nicest possible way - this morning I woke to cat vomit on the landing carpet - lovely! Well, I woke bright and early after all the hard work painting up and down ladders yesterday so will get cracking again putting the top coat of paint on it all today before the sun gets too fierce. Caught the sun nicely on my back and lost 1.5lbs this morning. maybe I should get a job as a painter and decorator and I'd be skinny as a whippet ha ha, quality of work wouldn't be professional though. Sue - keep the flag flying for beans on toast and Weetabix.

Hello, everyone!

Fatpuss, thanks for thinking of me when you see cat vomit. That really cracked me up! Someone on another board who is from the UK said that it's supposed to top 100 there today. I imagine air conditioning isn't exactly something you guys need much so hope you're not too miserable. Sounds like you've been BUSY with all that painting. Now that's definitely exercise!

Omigosh, poor Charlotte! What a horrible day you had! I hope you treated yourself well last night and that your evening was better than your day. I can totally understand how you feel--I would have been so upset! Hopefully, in a couple of years, you can think about this and laugh--I know, it will take a LONG while.

We finally got the trellises up on the side yard, and the plants in, although I stuck in a bunch of annuals until I figure out exactly what I want there. We have clematis growing up the trellises so that it will shade the bedroom windows and provide some nice flowers for us (and the neighbors) to look at. We also put down gravel because I hate lawn, and I needed something for a path. It's not an area we go to often, but I think it looks nice with the trellises, and the roses there were already there. We are still working on the other side of the yard where we put in the fence and raised planter boxes. The guy I got for my DH's birthday came by to give us an estimate on the retaining wall and garden steps. No matter what he estimates, I'm going to hire him, but it will be nice to know how much in advance.

My youngest son is flying over on Friday and will help paint the house over the weekend, and then we are all going to the Oregon coast on Wednesday, meeting my other son and his family. Think I'll get him to swab some more tar on the roof as long as he's here. He doesn't really have a job so we're paying him to do the work so he can make a little money. He's supposed to start school in the fall, but I don't know if he's been accepted.

Cool and cloudy today. Loving it! No rain, though. Sue, send us some of yours, please! Everyone's lawn looks like straw except for the people who have more money than sense.

Oh My Goodness, Charlotte! You had one of those "MURPHY'S LAW" days. If anything bad could happen, it did?!?
I sure hope today went better for you.

Puss, I got a good laugh out of your experience with the photocopier.
Good job being down 1.5 pounds again.
Did you finish the painting today? You people sure have a lot of energy. Something I've been missing again for the last week.

Sheila, we had just a smidgeon of rain this evening. Barely sprinkled.
You sure have done a lot with your landscaping. I haven't had much interest in my yard this summer.

Well, I didn't think much of my appointment. In fact, I don't know as I'm going back.
She started out by asking me some questions about myself. During the early part of the conversation she mentioned antidepressants. I told her I don't like taking ANY kind of medication, and I'd rather try to figure out what's wrong with me first and then try to "fix" it WITHOUT meds if possible. I don't think she liked that.

After talking for a while, she said that she thinks maybe I AM lazy. I said, "ok, I wondered about that myself." She said that we sometimes let ourselves get lazy or lax when we get into these comfort foods and it's just too easy to keep in that mode, and to quit exercising too.

She said she thought my idea of charting when this happens to me is a good idea because there is always the chance that it could be something hormonal. And, even though I can't take hormone replacement therapy, I can maybe learn when these times will hit and can prepare for them.

She said that when I said that I think I'm alone too much, she thinks that I might be using her for someone to talk to. I asked her to clarify that for me, and she said that she is another human being, and therefore, someone to spend time with and talk with so I won't be alone.

Now, I can understand just about any of the rest of the $hi# she spouted, but, COME ON! I don't even know her! Why would I want to spend time with HER!

She also kept bringing up antidepressants, and how even a mild dose can sometimes be helpful, blah, blah, blah.
Sorry lady, but, only as a very last resort.

She said the fact that I raised my kids by myself, and made it through some crap in my life tells her that I'm a very strong and powerful woman. So, ............ what the **** do I need her for? (my words )
She set up an appointment for one week, but, I'm thinking I'm not going.

I have to go in to work 2 hours early the rest of the week, so I better get busy here and get stuff ready for tomorrow.

I'll see you on here tomorrow.
Everybody have a great evening/day.

Hi everbody....hope you all had a good day!
Mine was better than yesterday. It was one of my days off, so I took 3 of my granddaughters for our annual pre-school day together. We went shopping for them a new outfit each. Wow....kids clothes are uuuuggggllllyyyyyyyyyyyyy!! Of course, I told them how cute they looked! We had a nice day. I am dead tonight, of course.

Fatpuss, I liked your story better than mine. It turned out better, for one thing! No, I couldn't talk that language. For one thing, I dont't. For another...it's a Christian TV Station. Like you said, though, if anyone wanted to....they sure could have "lost" it!!
I guess some day...it will seem better to me. For now though, I dread going in tomorrow! Lost more weight...good for you!

Sheila....sounds like your house project is coming along nicely. Hope you enjoy your trip.

Hope all rest well tonight...I'll check in tomorrow.

Oh, Willow, sorry the appointment didn't go that well. I wonder if these doctors get kickbacks from the pill makers because they seem to push antidepressants so much. My stepdaughter has been taking antidepressants for years and has never seen a counselor--I don't get that because I thought antidepressants worked in combination with counseling. I was on antidepressants for about 18 months following three life-altering situations that occurred in the space of six months so I don't discount their usefulness, but I really think they are prescribed too much and if the patient objects, why try to push them?

Is there another counselor you could try? Maybe you just didn't get the right "fit" and there's another professional who could be more helpful.

Charlotte, what fun to go shopping with your grandkids--even if the clothes were ugly. It must be great to spend some time with them. I'm looking forward to spending a whole week with my granddaughter. While I do wish I could do the things that grandparents do with healthy kids, it's just a pleasure to be with her so I'm thankful for that. So how are the clothes ugly, anyway?

Puss, I forgot to say congrats on the weight loss. That's wonderful!

Hey, we got a big dose of rain this evening--yippee! Don't have to water after all.

See you all tomorrow!

Just a quick Hello this morning. I, too, have to go to work early. And I just had to tell you all - IT'S NOT RAINING

Willow, I have to agree with Sheila, sometimes you have to try on a few new shoes before you get one that fits like a comfortable old bedroom slipper. Though I have to admit, you lasted longer than I would. Sorry to say I may just have got up and walked out. As for the antidepressants, I am not sure how I feel about taking them. I take Excedrin when I have a headache, Nyquil when I have a real bad cold, and antihistimines when my allergies act up. But when our "psyche" gets out of whack, we don't want to medicate it. Does that make any sense to anyone else? OK, I will climb down off my soapbox for now.

I'll add my "bad day" experience too. Many many years ago, when we first got a computer at work, I had never used one. Did not know the first thing about it. Well, after a few hours, I must have hit a wrong key, cause the screen went black and I didn't know what to do. I called my sister, the "computer guru" in tears and it took her half an hour to talk me through everything. I thought sure I had deleted everything on the stupid thing and I would get fired for sure. Come to find out, my boss knew less about it than I did. Now, people call ME for help. And, yes, I do look back on that day and laugh.

Angel, you are absolutely right - some of the clothes are ugly. I was looking at an ad in the paper the other day and the first thought that came to mind was that the girls (ages 10-12) looked like miniature hookers if I may be so blunt. What are these parents thinking?!?!?! Hiphuggers down to THERE and tops cut up to HERE. I can't imagine having kids in school these days. I read where Joan Lunden just had twins at 52. Do the math, can you see yourself with two 16-year-olds at 68 years old. YIKES.

Gotta go. I get carried away and now I might be late going in early. Oh well. Have a great day all. Sue

Good morning everyone. I'm really new to this site and am trying to find my way around. I'm over 50 and want to be healthy, too. May I please join your group? You all sound so positive and encouraging. I'm recently divorced after almost 36 years of marriage, have three grown daughters and three beautiful grandchildren. I work full-time. I've been overweight for the last 35 years and I'm tired of my weight controlling my life. I need to lose about 135 lbs and I'm starting Sugar Busters today.

Marilyn

Welcome, Marilyn! We would love to have you join our group.

I know what you mean about weight controlling our lives. I know there are some overweight people who are fine about wearing sleeveless tops or swimsuits in public, but I'm not one of them! I've never had the seatbelt problem on flights, but I was getting to that point at my highest weight.

I'm not too familiar with Sugarbusters, but I wish you great success. Everyone here has a different plan--I do Weight Watchers, which works well for me because I like the meetings, structure and support.

Look forward to reading more about you!