I stayed home today and had a nice relaxing day. I took my cell phone back AGAIN because it keeps hanging up on me, and they gave me a loaner to use while they send mine in to see what's wrong with it.

Wrote out checks for bills and mailed them.

Had a good breakfast again. Had soup for lunch. I made a big pot of fish chowder and had a bowl of that for supper. Had WW snack bar for snack.

I did the 3-mile WATP tape so I got 45 minutes of exercise in.

I'm going to give my sister one of the 2-mile tapes I have to use until she gets used to that one, and then she can move up from there.

Charlotte, I'm so happy to see that you're still with us, but sad to hear that you're not feeling well again. Hopefully it'll pass in a day.

Yeah, I have had some weird experiences. One time this same friend and I had smoked some you-know-what, and we decided to pick up a hitchhiker we had passed, so I stopped and backed up, and it was a mail box.

Gotta run to my sisters house. See ya all later! Have a good night!

Oh, my, Willow, I remember those "good" old days. Frankly, I'm glad they're over! The stories are still pretty darn funny, though. But I don't want my kids knowing the kind of stuff I used to do.

Charlotte, I love the hula hoop girl. I'm sorry that you're not doing so well, and hope the treatments kick in again soon. Did you see my post about walnuts helping RA? Who knows if it works, but if you're not allergic, at least walnuts are full of good heart healthy stuff. My neurologist wrote me a referral to an acupuncturist to help with pain. I would love for it to work so I'm crossing my fingers.

Hope you're having a great time on your trip, Jacquie. You didn't mention where you are going so I hope you'll tell us all about it when you post again. Hopefully you'll see some good leaf color this time of year.

Bluet, being on a plateau really bites. I hope you persevere and make it through the other side. Hey, I finally saw Changing Rooms and Ground Force. I swear those GF people were working outside in a snow storm! I love those courtyard gardens I've seen them do.

My DD and I went to see Under the Tuscan Sun. It was okay--hard to sit through two hours of movie, but it had some good moments. I saw a couple of movie previews that look like fun. One was Calendar Girls, which is about a group of British matrons who decide to raise money by posing nude for a calender--the trailer was wonderful. It has Helen Mirren in it and some other British actors I recognize, but can't name. Supposedly based on a true story--Puss, have you ever heard of this? Also a Jack Nicholson/Diane Keaton flick that looks amusing, too. Not sure when either of them come out. Tonight we're going to watch Bend It Like Beckham on video. I've heard so many good things about that movie.

We also went to Old Navy where I picked up a size smaller pair of pants that I should be able to fit into shortly. My DD made me wear a size L top and sweater to the movie. I didn't think I could fit in them, but I did. I've been reluctant to give up my 2X shirts so I felt rather uncomfortable in something more form fitting. Need to work on my body imaging, I think.

My son is moving out to my DD's old apartment sometime this weekend. So then I'll be down to one boomerang child until Tuesday afternoon when the Navy snatches up my DD and whisks her away to a hotel to await shipping out on Wednesday. Gulp! On the plus side, my DH and I will be alone again, so I'll be earning some indoor activity points again--hee hee!

Well the jeans for genes day was a success - it was nationwide charity event where all workers get to wear their jeans if they donate at least a pound towards helping children born with genetic disability. This year it was the turn of my department to make cakes for sale to the office. I made a coffee cake with butter cream icing topped with coffee glace icing. Despite my worries, ( I am never confident cooking for others) mine was the first to sell out in quick time - just shows how people go on looks alone, ha ha. I had to buy a cake from my closest colleagues - three of them! - so diet went to the wall yesterday, ha.
Bluet, you have done so well losing 22lb and you say you weigh 138lb. I would be thrilled with that. What is your end goal? Congrats on your new grandchild! (I feel another dream about secret GC coming on). It must be lovely for the GKs to see farming for real. My parent took my younger brother and me on holidy on a farm in Ireland when we were kids and when my brother saw where his bacon, chicken and eggs actually came from, he was practically vegitarian for many years afterwards. City kids sometimes don't think about the origins of food much, I guess. Mind you, that's all gone now, he could eat a cow at one sitting. I too like Ground Force but I wish Charlie Dimmock would get herself a decent bra! I don't like Changing Rooms or Carol Smilie - I call it trashing rooms, they use such tacky stuff and it's mostly stapled into place including curtains. Look out for Wife Swapping - not as raunchy as it sounds. Two wives change houses and live for 2 weeks as the mother and wife in a stranger's home. Results are sometimes hilarious and really heated especially when a wife who has a husband who helps out suddenly has to live with a husband who expects to be waited on hand and foot. The rules are that week one is done the way the house normally runs but week two the 'new' wife has the say over what gets done and by whom. They are doing one soon with a London wife and a New York wife. Glad you are enjoying your bodice rippers - Mills and Boon are very popular here but there is a really funny book set in modern day about a bored housewife who sets out to write a best selling BR and fantasises about the plumber who calls. Can't think of the title but it's by Sue Limb and there is also a sequel.

Sheila - I can just imagine the emotions you went through when your little sweetie started pre-school. They are so precious and innocent you don't want a drop of rain ever to fall on them, do you? At work yesterday a colleague who is on maternity leave dropped by with the little two year old boy she has recently adopted. He has special needs but has come a long way in a few months. After discovering our office chairs spin round he kept spinning one and with a huge smile on his face saying "I did it" That became the saying of the day in the office! He found the paper bin and we all had him putting paper in it because he clapped himself before we could clap him for being so clever. He was so gorgeous I wanted to take him home. You are going to have more mixed emotions too when DD goes. You must be so proud of her, Sheila, and your son, too. You and DH will be like pigs in straw on your own (I know you have your dear dad) - you can re-enact one of Bluet's bodice rippers and have DH chase you round the newly-painted house! Speaking of which, DH has another 5 weeks to go in the Middle East.
Willow - that is true love, listening to the trombone with rapture on your face!! I remember doing it with my kids over the recorder, violin and cello but my dad could hardly keep a straight face and we couldn't look at each other at times when the kids were just learning and they were awful! Praised them to death of course. I loved the Lamentations of the Father, so true. As for your wine story....well, what a wild child you were! Funny though. Don't worry about the 5lb re-gain, we've all been there and you will lose it again. I think all that rubbish with your employers probably had something to do with it. Hope your chest is better now.
Jacqui I think the stress you are under right now is not helping your diet. It comes in phases and sometimes the wrong food is right for certain emotional times. I hope you had a good trip. I love those RVs you have in the States. Occasionally we see one over here and I said to my brother I would love one until he told me the price here! Also, we don't have the roads you have.
Angel it's good to hear from you even though it must have been an effort for you to post. Those insurance forms are a nightmare to fill, I sometimes think deliberately so to deter all but the most determind. Hope the treatment kicks in good.
I am hoping today will be the first one back on track - I have been saying this for a few weeks now but I plan to have a cook in today and tomorrow for the meals next week. Hope you all have a good weekend.

I always do this, post on the wrong page missing the new posts! Willow - I really laughed about the weed and the post box - classic!!
Sheila - Calendar Girls was certainly true and caused much interest a couple of years ago when the real ladies launched it. A group of men did the same thing photographed on a racetrack but it wasn't as popular, ha ha. I know what you mean about body image - the other day I bought a sweater and was undecided between two sizes and had to ask the assistant. SHe said the larger one was far too big but it felt more 'comfy' She was right though, the other one is the right size. You must be proud of yourself getting down a size in your new outfit. Well done, lady, you'll be swapping clothes with that fit daughter of yours in no time!

Oh, Charlotte, I'm so sorry the treatments were rough. I'm glad they last the full 6 weeks now, though. So why don't you want the port? Just the idea of it? I bet you could get that nurse to do anything if you just let her put the port in! I see her cleaning your newly built house every week for a month. . .

Very true about my son, but it's more washing machine than home cooking. He's at his new place tonight, but is coming back tomorrow to finish his laundry.

Wife Swapping, Puss? You know, I think I saw something about that a while ago. Now that should be pretty interesting. I've only seen parts of Changing Rooms, but I've watched quite a few Trading Spaces (the U.S. version of Changing Rooms) and I know exactly which designers I would never let into my house. One of them stapled paper flowers all over a bathroom wall. I have no idea what happened when the people actually took a shower and steamed up the place. And one homeowner screamed, attacked her friend, and rolled around on the floor because she was so unhappy with the outcome. Actually, that made for some pretty good TV drama!

I just got finished watching Real Women Have Curves, which is a great movie. It was on HBO so it should be out on vidoe or DVD if you haven't seen it.

Finally got all the daffodil, crocus and tulip bulbs planted in the new beds and in the rockery. I was able to finish before the football game started, but I needn't have worried because the Univ. of Washington lost big time to UCLA. It was humiliating. We also went to the Farmer's Market and picked up some great tomatoes, lettuce picked at 2:30 that morning (according to the vendor) and some other veggies. I just love Farmer's Markets since I didn't plant a garden this year. We got a zebra tomato, which is kind of green and striped--supposedly has an interesting taste. We'll see.

My dad has taken to eating raw yellow onions. I went into his room and noticed the smell, asked him about it, and he said he thought raw onions were good for you. Okay. . .but they really stink! He doesn't have a sense of smell anymore so he couldn't tell how pungent that odor was. I had to open both doors into the mudroom (the room between his part of the house and ours) to get the smell out. His sense of taste must be off, too, because how can anyone munch on raw onions? I cringe thinking about it.

I've been chilly all day. It was foggy the whole day, which must seep into my bones or something. It really wasn't that cold out, about 57 degrees, but I just feel cold. Maybe this is a drawback to losing almost 60 lbs. I can live with it, though!

Has anyone tried the diet soda cake? I did today--very good, especially with fat-free Cool Whip. I shouldn't make it unless I have enough people to finish the cake. I still have problems with some foods, and I can already tell that's one of them. But it would be good to take to parties. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you just take a regular cake mix, add a 12 oz. can of diet soda instead of the oil and eggs, and bake like normal. Makes a very moist cake. I tried cherry Coke and chocolate cake. Hhmm, maybe that's why I'm dancing around the house at 9:30 pm? I forgot about the caffeine part. Uh-oh.

Hope everyong is having a good weekend!

I watched more TV today than I've watched in a long time. I've been watching the history of Blues on the Public Television Channel, and now tonight the show hosted by Clint Eastwood on Blues. I absolutely love it.

I also did laundry today. Didn't do any specific exercises though.

I had Atkins pancakes for breakfast with sugar-free, fat-free maple syrup. Well, ... one of them gave me the farts! I suspect the syrup. I'm glad I didn't have to be anyplace where I'd have to be around a lot of people. Although I wouldn't have minded getting my bosses locked in a room with me!

The federal office I contacted must have gotten through to them because the other day, (Wednesday) they sent a letter out to me at my work station saying my FMLA had been approved. I tried not to smile when I looked at them.

Geez, Charlotte, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a port put in so you wouldn't have to go through the discomfort all the time. I'm glad you're feeling better though.

Your luck is just going from bad to worse, isn't it? Lordy! Whoever stole all your stuff from your storage unit sure was brave! That would have had to take quite a while and a good sized vehicle.
Well, at least it happened before you settled with Maytag instead of after. So, do you think that someone like an investigater broke into your computer and deleted proof you had of contacts you had with Maytag about problems with the stove prior to the fire? Man! You just never know about people in this day and age.

No, my kids didn't know about my pecadillo's mostly. But, my Dad did tell them a few things. Nothing like that though, because he didn't know himself. Yup! I was a wild child. But I've got some good $h** to sit and laugh to myself about in my old age, and everyone will think I'm just senile!

Puss, that cake you made for that charity sounds sinfully delicious! That's such a nice charity too. We should do something like that here. Although we do have a lot of causes. United Way, UNICEF etc.

When you talked of Sheila and her hubby being like 2 pigs in straw, I had this visual of him chasing her through the house and her Dad watching TV, and saying something like, " There goes "that guy" again!" He sure sounds like a hoot, doesn't he?

If you think I'm bad with what I did, you would have loved being friends with Forrest and Freddie. Freddie was real good looking and forrest looked like Alfred E. Newman on Mad magazine cover. And they were soooo much fun.
One time Linda (the same friend of mine) and I were going to a party that was waaayyyy out in the boonies, and Forrest and Freddie were going too. Well, we girls were totally sober and straight and were on that old country road on our way to the party, and we came upon Forrest and Freddie, in Forrests car, stopped in the middle of the road. We thought they must have car trouble, so we got out to walk up to their car, and just then they started driving again. So, we got in my car and followed them, and they went just a little ways and stopped again. Once again, we got out and they took off again. We thought they were being smart asses by then. And, of course, they stopped again! We got out really quick and ran up to their car and said "what are you guys doing? How come you keep stopping and going?" They said "The road keeps ending. Then we wait till it comes back and drive till it ends again." They were tripping on acid. Linda drove Forrests car and I followed in mine.

Congratulations to you and Sheila on going down in clothes sizes. Must feel wonderful!

Sheila, I pray that you have success with the acupuncture. I'll be thinking of you on Tuesday. I know that's going to be difficult for your family.

I got this recipe today, and she says it tastes very creamy and delicious.

1 pkg. Betty Crocker Super Moist Triple Fudge cake mix
1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin
1/2 c. water
2 egg whites

Mix together for 1 minute.
Bake according to pkg. directions
Make in a 9X13 pan and cut into slices.
2 WW points per serving.

I better get to bed. See ya all tomorrow. Have a good night!

I didn't have any laundry to do today because I did it yesterday, so I had a healthy leisurely breakfast, took a shower and went for a 90-minute bike ride.
I didn't ride fast, just moderate speed. Lots of up and down hills though.
I thought it had been cool enough this past week to make the yellow jackets too sluggish to fly, but I guess the sunshine still brings them out because one dive-bombed me while I was riding my bike. I was swinging at it because it kept coming at my head, and I was all over the street on that bike. I'm kind of wobbly on that thing anyway, and then a bee has to be nasty.

I'm trying to find a small metal box that I can put a padlock on to lock my keys in and keep outside my house someplace, and I spent an hour in a hardware store this afternoon going up one aisle and down the next. Nothing! I don't want to spend $35.00 on a little dinky one from the locksmith either. Especially since it only holds MAYBE 2 keys.

I'll have to check out a couple more stores.

I had a healthy lunch too, extra lean ground beef with stirfry veggies in it, and some oyster sauce drizzled on it and 2 small slices of whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter.
Then I went grocery shopping, and was hungry for a dairy queen before I even had lunch, but I kept putting it off, so 2 1/2 hours had gone by and when I got done grocery shopping, I went and got a medium reeses blizzard. Now I feel better. But, I don't know how many points they are. I estimated 10 points. If anybody knows for sure, let me know.

Well, better get going. I haven't even read the paper yet today.

Oh, No!! I didn't know that if you flicked to a previous page when you had a message pending ready to send then it wiped the message off. I flicked back to page 7 for something before sending and the whole thing wiped, arggghh, it was finished too! Here goes again but hope you don't mind it in note form, girls.
Angel - I am so glad the Remicade is lasting the full 6 weeks now and your nurse reminds me of myself, I couldn't bear to see suffering so had to give it up after 13 months. After all the hassle you have gone through lately with the house, the legal wrangling and the theft, the work you will do actually getting the house livable and ship shape will seem a breeze knowing you are actually going back in. I loved the image of your dad's city garden - some people have a gift for bringing nature and beauty to urban areas.
Sheila - when do you start your accupuncture? I hope it works for you. I tried it years ago for smoking and he must have missed the spot on my ear because I smoked more with the little pin in my lobe. I don't know about zebra tomatoes....I have grown some ugly looking ones this year so I wouldn't be wanting anything other than lovely red ones, ha ha. "Real Women Have Curves" - I haven't seen the film but read a book about a high-living couple and he was a fitness freak always on the scales and always putting her down for being overweight and he goes off with another woman. Is that the same one? I loved the story of the punch-up over Trading Rooms. I've seen a few tears on the ones here when they have made a total mess of a decent room. What is your dad like, eating those onions? Are they the large ones with golden brown skins? Couldn't do it myself though I like them sliced raw with cheese in a sandwhich. I wouldn't mind feeling chilly after losing nearly 60lb!! You can be so proud of yourself for that. That cherry coke and chocolate cake sounds something to die for. I have never heard of it but I would love to try it.
Willow - I couldn't move for laughing at the road stopping story of your friends driving on acid!! Too funny for words but I must tell my kids that one. I am glad the Federal Office sorted your company out and that you had the last laugh. I raked 6 big bags of oak leaves from the front garden today and this is just the first fall, there's tons more to come, unfortunately. I have been good with foods this weekend - come to the conclusion the only way to be good for me is to remove temptation and not have any goodies in the house. Regards to Bluet and Jacqui and Sue, I hope all is well with you, it's been a while since you posted.

That's always a bummer, Puss, when you type a witty essay on the message board and it's wiped out like that! When that happens, I can never remember what I've said--probably something incredibly insightful, I'm sure.

Yes, the onions with the brown skin. I can't imagine even eating a raw onion on a cheese sandwich. Maybe if it was a Walla Walla sweet or something, but those generic yellow onions with the brown papery skin--no way.

Real Women Have Curves is about a Latino family in Los Angeles with an 18 year old daughter and a 29 year old daughter, and a really bossy mother who calls the teenager "Butterball" and comments on her fat all the time. Luckily, the kid has it together and likes her body. It's a pretty great movie. They speak Spanish in it sometimes and there are subtitles when they don't speak English. We found it amusing because we were watching Bend It Like Beckham (another great movie) and we really needed subtitles!

Willow, what a relaxing day. It sounds wonderful. And healthy eating, too. I've had rather a bad couple of days of eating. That dang diet soda cake got me started on sweets. I just can't have them in the house. I'd like to say I threw the rest of the cake out, but I ate it instead. Oh, well. Tomorrow is another day. Congrats on getting your FMLA approved. That was quite the hassle, but you prevailed. Must be a good feeling.

My daughter did her 1.5 miles in under 16 minutes--now she just has to increase her push-ups by three or four. Cross your fingers that she makes it--she really wants that extra $200.

Didn't do much around here today. We walked the dogs, then when my daughter was running the track, I walked the track so got quite a bit of exercise in (although not enough to undo the damage the cake did, I'm sure!). Then just did some laundry, and other household chores. My DH did the grocery shopping. One of the checkers was amazed that he does the grocery shopping, and asked if he does laundry, too. What's with that? Are men his age really supposed to be that helpless? When I worked full-time we shared everything equally, right down to scrubbing toilets. Now that I don't work, I do most of the housework, but grocery shopping is literally a pain for me so he does it, particularly when my neck is painful. Also if I cook (which I usually do), he does the dishes.

It's supposed to start raining tomorrow. This weekend was pretty grey, but dry. At least the rain will water my newly planted flower bulbs!

Sheila - I'm with your dad when it comes to those onions! My dad and I often used to have red cheddar and raw onion sandwiches. I like them in other stuff too but your dad is definately the onion king for eating them on their own - that I couldn't do. That film sounds interesting, I will look out for it on SKY satellite. Did your daughter manage to get her push up target? She sounds as fit as a flea and definately not one you want to go running round a track with , ha ha. I am not surprised at the supermarket assistant's remark about your DH shopping. My DH never does the shopping alone - I asked him to get a jar of coffee the other week and, bearing in mind he is quite particular over which instant coffee we get, came back with a jar. It wasn't till I opened it that I realised the colour of the jar wrapper was different - it was de-caffinated and was foul! I rest my case, one simple little job like that. As for cooking, ha ha ha, the kids used to know if he made toast because it was different. In his defence, he was an only child (the Golden child) raised by doting mother and grandmother whilst his father was at sea most of his working life. Although I suppose I spoiled my son I made sure he could cook, wash, iron and shop before he left home but he usually finds some sweet natured girl to do things like button sewing and occasional ironing if his girlfriend is not around. Not many young girls like that now - certainly his sister wouldn't do it for her young man and I don't say I blame them either. I was on a course all day at work - all about standards of behaviour. Seems everything is taboo these days and unfortunately people who work for the government are often lacking in a sense of humour. People said what they wished would change in the office and it ranged from people laughing/talking too loud (god help us) to putting up posters for Christian gatherings. I honestly couldn't come up with anything tangible that cheesed me off but I did say I was fed up with the current trend of everything being offensive to someone, somewhere. Total silence...ooops! I am just sick of mealy mouthed types who don't live life, they watch it go by like the culture police or something.
All my leaf collecting was in vain, it was so windy last night that there's another covering everywhere. I was mostly good today but had a jam donut at the course - well, there were plates of them and everyone else did.....no willpower with jammy (jelly?) donuts. I remember when I lived abroad and went shopping with an American friend and she was talking about peanut butter and jelly and I asked her how she balanced the jelly on the bread. Now of course I know that our jam is your jelly and our jelly is your jello. No wonder she thought it so funny but not half as funny as I did imagining people putting jello on peanut butter bread.
Hope everyone had a good Monday.

A good day, ...
Had a veggie omelet with FF cheese and ham for breakfast and a mesquite turkey breast sandwich with romaine for lunch. Some grapes for 9 AM break and some fish chowder for supper.

I was so hungry when I got home from work I ate my supper then.

I went for a bike ride again and when I first got on the bike, I almost didn't go. My hinder bones are soooo sore from yesterday, but, I told myself, " Suck it up, Baby, suck it up and get it over with!" So I did and I'm still sore but I got a 50 minute ride in anyway.
I rode from my house to the lake, then around the lake which is 5.5 miles, and it's 2.4 miles from my house to the lake, so I had a nice ride in 50 minutes.

When I got back I put on a pot of chili, made from boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and did up my dishes. So, while the chili is simmering, I'll sit a spell here before I get ready for bed.
Geez! I haven't even read todays paper yet!

I have to baby sit tomorrow evening, so I'll take some chili along for their supper so my DIL won't have to worry about getting supper for them before she goes to work.

Sheila, I've done the same thing you have done with the soda cake, only I've done it with WW bars of all things! I'm not buying any more of them. I don't need them. If I want something for a snack, I'll just have to rely on fruit. Or cereal. My husband used to eat raw onions and mustard on saltine crackers or bread. One time I came home and he had my son Tony, who was about 2 years old at the time, sitting there eating raw onions with him. I couldn't believe it!! The kid LIKED it! Puss, what is red cheddar? Is it the sharp cheddar? I love that.
I got a good laugh on your thinking that jelly was jello on peanut butter and bread. Ick!

Thread is getting quiet again. Hope you all have a good week. See ya tomorrow.

Oh, Puss, I would love to work with you! I can't believe that nobody snickered or smiled or anything when you commented. I can imagine how you'd wonder about people eating peanut butter on top of jello--that made me laugh. And, hey, we put bonnets on our heads and boots on our feet. American are just plain weird!

When I lived where there were a lot of leaves, we'd just wait until they all dropped off, rented a leaf vacuum and sucked those suckers all up and composted them. Didn't cost that much in time or money. Now, I'm not sure how our neighbors felt about the leaves because if a windstorm came up, the leaves would all blow over to someone else's house.

A bike ride around the lake sounds wonderful, Willow. As does your pot of chili. It's raining here, and a little cold so chili would suit me just fine. I can't imagine any self-respecting 2 year old liking raw onions on crackers. How does he feel about them now? Bet he can't believe he ever ate that!

Well, tonight's my DD's last night with us. She is worried that she won't meet the weight requirement again so she drank a combo of epsom salts and gatorade to flush out her system. If only she had just eaten sensibly since her last weigh-in. She's sleeping in the bedroom closest to the bathroom tonight for easier access, if you know what I mean.

Hope everyone is doing okay. Kind of a glum Monday around here for various reasons. I'm drinking not one, but two glasses of wine tonight. Normally I don't like to drink my calories, but tonight I need some liquid stress reliever.

I get teary-eyed thinking of how you're probably feeling today, Sheila.
I remember how I felt the day my son left for the Army. His brother, his girlfriend and I had driven him to Minneapolis to the induction center, then followed them to the airport to see him off.
I cried from the time he started walking onto the plane, where he turned and waved to us, SOBBING HERE!! until I got back home, which is a 3-hour drive. His brother climbed into the hatchback of my car and his girlfriend cried herself to sleep in the back seat, so there I was, driving and crying by myself!

Isn't it funny how these kids are so excited about something that makes us parents sad?

I wish her all the best, and here's a hug for all the rest of the family.

Experience has taught me that we have to take care of ourselves
from the outside in as well as from the inside out. In other words, we
need to take care of our internal health as well as our physical
appearance, and our mental and spiritual well-being. You may think I'm
stating the obvious, but I think the reason so many programs fail is that
they focus on one body part at a time instead of treating the whole
person.

Julian Whitaker
(American Doctor)