Hey everyone!

Trig- sorry the chicken gave you the bubble guts! I'm a little surprised by that bc I figure you get plenty of fat in your diet but maybe you've cut back on that.

Lori- I'm relieved for you that M is back and helping again. You and Dh don't need to be doing all that alone!

Jaz- I have heard good things about Kiawah. Glad you liked it so well! Nice that you got a beach day in too. I am headed back to DE on Wednesday but it will not be beach weather for sure!

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Things are going well here. Nothing major to report. Just shuffling along. I'm going walking with a friend around 3 for some steps and just to catch up. Other than that just doing some stuff around here. It is nice and sunny so I'll poop scoop too. With just the one littler dog and only being here part time it isn't as big of a deal.

Hugs!

Going to take a pass on a long juicy post as I can hardly keep my eyes open!

Trig- Sorry bubby guts hit you! URGHHHHHHHHH
Feel better- I too am surprised it bothered you

till tomorrow ladies

Tuesday Morning!

Hey ladies of the thread. You know I am going to write about us someday! The "Ladies of the internet thread". It will be a fab story. We each have one to tell!

That is my passion someday when I am not working for "The man" is to write. That being said I need Nic to be my spelling checker and editor! HAHAHAHAHAH
That being said I wonder if "Blue" ever finished her book? He was heavy in it!

Today is a workday and tomorrow I am off. I will bring all my stuff from upstairs down here, and start putting "stuff by the back door to just take out then on Sun. I work Saturday! Next week will be so much better! Get in and get settled and back into a better routine.

Nic- I would think the traveling and getting around is so much better with one dog over two. I have thought about getting my pup a playmate, but the thought of two is a bit much as I am still on the move.

Bummer next week won't be a good beach week! So, is hubby coming with you next DE trip? Do you find your MD house too big? I will admit your DE digs are so cozy and just the right size for one or two! That would be exactly what I would look for if I was in that market!

How is your WOE going? You feeling good? Speaking of - how is DD doing these days?

Trig- Are you feeling better? I wonder if it was a stomach bug and not the chicken. That seems odd to me as you eat high fat all the time! Hummmmm

I am so glad things have worked out in favor of DD getting her class in. Now RIDE her butt is need be, she will be grateful come Fall!!!! Speaking of- were you able to get her that private room she wanted? She is like her momma- wants her space! I am there too, I will not room share, roommate.

Lori-I am thinking your house guest is gone and you are busy getting your house back in order! Is M back to work? Did she end up having Covid? Urghhhhh- dang the good old days before lockdowns, and face masks! Remember!

What is on your menu? Did you find anything at Aldies?
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My DD is recovering from yet another bout of Covid. She noticed yesterday she lost her taste and smell, so this time around I would say it wasn't so mild. I spoke to her last night and she said she had all the classic symptoms from fever to body aches and GI issues and head pain. Not a light stuffy nose like she had before. It is here to stay!

Got heavy fog this morning to deal with for the drive in. Fog is very common here with the water. I am not a fan. It can even happen midday. Freaky thing to see when it rolls in off the water. It looks like a wall of white. NOT A FAN!

So my mom watched the game (play offs) and of course she went on a rant that the officials "cheated". She says that EVERYTIME the Bengals lose.

I am hanging at my low and aside from being dog tired I am feeling good. I am blessed to have good health! I am hoping and praying it last until I can get insurance. The gig I am working didn't offer and the Market Place Insurance is out of range right now with my income. I am in the place that I make too much to get it and not enough to pay 1500.00 a month for it. The cheapest plan I looked at was catastrophic at 900.00 a month. I will say it again- the middle class gets the squeeze and screwed. Our system is so broken in healthcare.
So yeahhhhhhhhh I am taking care of me and eating clean and staying healthy.

I am starting to think about the NEXT, even though I am still working. It comes to a hard stop in June. June will be here in a minute, Believe it or not! Around the corner!!!!! YAY for that right!!!!

Anyway, gotta wrap this post up and pour another cup and get out the door. Sigh...... Where is the remote job?!?!?!?!?!

Salmon, and Chicken, and leftover shrimp to choose from. All YUM and YUM.

Good Morning!

Up at 3:30.....the cat is slowly killing me. I intended to go back to bed after feeding her, but she somehow knew and went and hid from me. So, I just went back upstairs, got dressed and stayed up. I hope to God that I can get a nap later this morning. I have a dentist appt. at 1, but nothing till then.

"M" came to Betty's yesterday and all went well. Still just doing the best we can to take care of her. I don't know how she keeps going.

I have my eating planned for the day. Doing calorie counting on MyFitnessPal for now. I had an intentional low cal day yesterday, so today I can eat a bit more. I'm going to have avocado toast on 647 bread for breakfast with 2 over medium eggs. I use pre-made guac, so it is a quick and easy meal and SO good! Maybe a couple slices of bacon too. Lunch will be a couple mini cucumbers sliced up with a drizzle of Ken's lite thousand Island dressing, some rotisserie chicken lunch meat and a couple slices of Swiss cheese. Dinner will be a couple meatballs with a small amount of Barilla protein+ rotini with marinara. Not a LC day, but it will be yummy and well within my calorie target.

Ok....time for breakfast and then coffee with collagen & half & half. Have good days!

no personals yet guys but reading along.

guts not from chicken fat although I bet it did not help to suck that down before I got 'gut sick' cause kiddo got it also.
Kiddo has the same issues, running to bathroom, anything she eats goes thru her too. got the little cold shivers and then the heating up type hot flash.

I am hungry. I wanna eat Got on the scale. Lost 2 lbs. OK. will take it But I am not sick in any other way other than some gut bacteria bad boy got me and kid. ??? Don't know truly. Hubby does not have this and me and kid do not eat the same?

heart palps that were quite big yesterday. Licked up some big salt and drank water. low sodium and dehyration. so darn important to keep balanced when any sick takes ya down. ugh. feel better on my salt and water for sure.

tried bit of steak yesterday, right thru me.
hungry tho, I ate a cheeseburger patty, right thru me.

still hungry I ate a can of tuna and mayo and IT DID NOT go thru me. I 'feel' way more on the mend ya know. Feel like whatever has left the system and I can start for recovery.

Kid got off from school. She is like a day behind me. I think I got it first and now she has it and again, hubby fine.

I don't know guys. Got chores to catch up on, moving slow here in a way.
So forge on, eat something later, 'see how it goes thru me' and just wait it out

chat tomorrow and chat up with ya'll. If it ain't one thing it is another right? We all know this HAHA

Hi all!

Trig- I'm glad you are turning a corner. I didn't realize it was a stomach bug so that makes more sense now. Take it easy today.

Jaz- The MD house definitely can feel big bc we only use parts of it and there are empty bedrooms etc, but on the flip side, it is paid for. Housing in this area is so expensive that downsizing doesn't make a lot of sense. Once we get some idea of where the kids are going to settle AND Dh is ready to retire, then we will see what the next move is.

Good job hanging at your low. That is ridiculous about insurance. Hope your DD feels better quickly.

Lori- OMG up at 3:30! I do hope you can get a nap in. I have a friend who was just messaging me about a cat- she got one for her daughter (a HS jr or sr) and apparently it is up at night, running around, knocking things over and meowing. Sounds sort of awful. You never know, with a dog or a cat, how it will turn out!

••••••••••••

Doing a MOW route today. I know when it is a MOW day because it is raining! I am superbly talented at choosing rainy days. Who knew I was so gifted?

Had a fab walk with my friend yesterday. We walked three miles just chattering the whole time. It was nice to catch up!

DH and I went out to dinner last night. By the time I got back from my walk it was getting late AND I had failed to thaw the salmon like I should have. We went to a Mexican place and got fajitas for two. I had no chips, no tortilla and made a little salad for mine. I did have a little of the beans and rice, but not much. I stopped before full and was very satisfied. DH OTOH overate and was moaning. lol

WOE is going well. Haven't weighed since Jan 13th and will weigh again around mid Feb some time. I don't have a weight goal or an end point, so what does it matter, you know? My body will do what it does, and I'm doing what I can live with. Good enough!

That's about it from me. Just taking a moment at a time and trying to make the PRESENT the best it can be. Make it a great day!

Trig- I was suspecting a stomach bug! ICK! Bone broth with salt- is a great replacement- then you can add egg at some point and make it egg drop- do good for that sodium and fluid! Glad you are on the mend.
There are so many "bugs" out there right now who knows where you picked it up. That time of year.

Yay on turning the corner...... heck of a way to lose a few!
How is DD doing?

Nic- Great job on navigating dinner out and not "blowing it". Beans and cheese and the SMELL would have been enough to do me in.

I thinks its fun to have both houses!

You are right weight loss is a journey, not a race!

Lori- 3:30 Holy cow! No way I would be Okay with up at that hour! Last time that happened I called the police! lolol KITTY patrol!

Glad to hear that M is back to helping Betty. I am shocked to at her sheer will.

I am glad you are feeling good about your WOE. You know we are each different and out bodies react differently. Calories don't work for me, but if it works for you than great. I think we all need to find our sweet spot. That is so individual. I thought you did so well with up down- is that what you are doing?
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All feels good- tired as always after work.

Dinner- left over meat plate. Chicken, fish, and salami- wonderful

LOL

Nicco. be interesting to see if the new home is the 'next home' for whatever you decide. You took a great step tho toward retirement and you have tons of options on how you and DH wanna roll definitely.

Rainy days are your MOW work days. Love it. I have that kind of talent also

Lori, what kcal range are ya in now in maintenance?
being up stupid early is normal for you and me HA

Jazz, what day ya moving to your new digs?
real work in the real world, not real fun is it but you got this til ya can find something remote maybe. I know you are still looking but I guess all that is on hold til ya get your move down.

------------feeling better. kept down food. only ate 1/2 lb burger and 1/2 lb of steak yesterday. No food focus. Not that hungry at all. Guts improving. I haven't had gut issues in SO long that this is just annoying as heck. Kiddo doing better also. hubby never got it so.....just a blah time in the house kinda. moving slow here LOL

big rain outside. rain for a few days I think. then turning real cold. thank heavens it ain't big cold now or the ice would be insanity.

just a whatever day here. be good all

Good Morning!

Didn't get out of bed until 5:45!! Gabby tried to get me up at 3:45, but I sat up and clapped my hands at her and she took off and let me be for another 2 hours! Heaven! If that's all it takes, I'll be using that in the future.

I shoot for around 1500 calories. Nothing exact. I actually mainly track my "main" food and then I have several hundred calories for this and that. Some days I don't track at all. It gives me something to do. I went a bit over my calories yesterday, so today I'll make a conscious effort to eat a bit less. I'm still up about 2 lbs from where I hovered for a long time, but whatever. It's what my body is doing right now.....it'll do what it's going to do.

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Trig....More rain??? It seems like you've had SO much the past few months. We're going to be pretty nice today and tomorrw and then a blast of cold air comes in for the weekend. Down around zero Friday night, I think.

Jaz.....Enjoy your day off. I know you'll be busy getting ready to move yet again. Has the neighbor been having parties this week?

Nic.....Hope your MOW route was not too soggy! I'm sure it's less than ideal to be schlepping bags/boxes of food in a downpour. I love how you said your body will do what it does and you are doing a plan you can live with. That is key!! That's how I feel too, though I'm much more loosey-goosey with my food than you are.

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I have to make a grocery store run later to get some green beans to make more ham & beans for Betty. I had a piece of ham in the freezer, so all I need is the beans. Tonight DH & I are having pan fried Icelandic cod & a little jasmine rice. Maybe I'll find a veggie to go with it....or not.

Have good days!

Good morning from my corner of the SE!

Trig- Urgghhhhhh on those guts. Glad you are better! It may take a minute to want to eat normally again. But you are right we LC heal pretty fast.

Take today slow and easy! Weather foggy and damp here too. Thankfully the rain is going to the north of me.

Lori- You really slept in! LOLOLOL - yeah no way I would be rolling out of bed at 3ish unless the house was on fire! LOLOL

Glad things are back to normal for your helper with Betty. I am sure she will love her ham and beans. I am pretty shocked she likes beans. They are so hard to digest for some, and being as she doesn't move much it is amazing. But hey if I get to that age, you better believe I am eating what I what. Pizza delivery guy coming to my bedside!
Anything else going on? I have used the Fitness pal myself for a minute. Then I got frustrated with it all I just stopped. It is useful if you have the time to use it though.

Dinner sounds yummy. I like fish from Iceland as well. The salmon from there tastes like butter, and it is hard to find!

Nic- I know you had a great weekend with all games that played. You doing a big Superbowl party?

When are you headed to DE?
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I had a delightful conversation with one of my besties last night. She is the one from Mass. that stays half a year in St. Simon, the artist!

Anyway, she left last year to go back to Mass. and she ended up buying a condo one mile from the beach up north. The thing is up that far north the winters are BRUTAL and gray and damp. She told me last night that she thought she needed to "go home" to be happy. She wasn't happy. Granted her mother and sister are there, but all of her aunts and cousins are here.

What I was thinking about is this, and it took her to say it. I can't wait to tell her what an impact her conversation had on me. I thought about it long after I hung up.

I have always felt like I have not quite "fit" where I have landed. Sorta a travel gypsy and never settling until I hit St. Simon and the southeastern coast including here. I too have contemplated just "going home (Ohio) too. I haven't, because that isn't home to me anymore.

I really resonated with her saying that too, and she was miserable and couldn't wait to get back to the moss dripped oak trees, sandy dunes, and bright blues and ocean, and of course marchland for miles. NOT SWAMP! Even the marchlands have a life to them I have come to love. I feel EXACTLY the same way.

I AM ALREADY HOME. It really hit me hard and in such a beautiful way. I'm home. I fit here - SE. Maybe Charleston, maybe St. Simon, maybe some other little island between here and there. I fit best in smaller beachy rural areas in the SE. I would miss it so if I left. I am happiest near the beach, dunes, and of course the landscape, trees, and wildlife here. I just needed that little push to actually see it.

I feel like Dorthay in OZ- trying to find her way home when she was there the entire time. Remember that line in the song from America: OZ never did give anything to the Tin man, that he didn't already have. Boom- I got it, and it feels amazing.

I know you are wondering what I'm smoking for breakfast! HEHEHE- just a deep thinker sometimes. I can stop rambling now. LOLOLOL

Got some laundry spinning- have two loads. It will be the last here. I work Saturday and move Sunday. Hoping I can do it in one trip, if not 2 is fine as it is mostly clothes and kitchen and dog supplies. Nothing heavy, all fits in a car. So I might pack up a load and then come back for Rugar and his supplies and then I am out.
She wants to do a walk through as I hand her back the keys. I may or may not. I really don't want the confrontation. On the other hand I want to look her in the eye and tell her I EXPECT my deposit back.

So today is a bit of this and that. I am DEF. going to take a beach walk down at Folly. I am not taking the pooch. I want and need some quiet time. Sun is supposed to come out later and be in the upper 60's.

Steak thawing for tonight. Also going to cook up some salmon and make bacon for later this week. Stuff on hand!

Later gators!

Jaz.....Keep in mind that the ham & beans I make for Betty are GREEN beans.....not the gassy kind of beans.

Lori- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH- makes more sense. I bet they are soft too.

All: Holy Moly the sun is blazing bright and I am now in shorts and headed out in this 71-degree day! YES YES and YES please! All the mucky weather is north of me. Blue skies here..... and warm.

EDITED: Beach walk was great- sunny- shorts on, and just SWEET. I am doing the dread to go back to work! URGHHHHHH I just want to play in the sand everyday!

Got a severe case of munchies today. Ate my way through salmon, bacon, and a small filet steak. Still hungry........... Urghhhhhhhhh Am I really hungry??????
I heard a pod cast say once that if you are truly hungry and beef or eggs even sound good you really are hungry. If not emotional eating. Don't want eggs, bacon, or beef- want what I CAN'T have. sighhhhhhhhh
Will stay the course and be so happy tomorrow I did not give in.

Only 430 but the clouds have now rolled in, and it feels so much later. Sun is low in the sky, and it is almost dark. Wanna eat like a bear and sleep until spring! Yeah..... that is the plan.

Waiting on a Nicco check in What's doing?

Lori, so you loosely track now. So get that but it works great for ya. In maintenance you just keep that eye on the scale and you know how you are eating and what you are eating ya know, you can correct back and wiggle around to make it all work for ya.

TX and AR got nailed in ice. we got lucky with just rain. Is all that mess coming your way. Big snow to come?

Jazz, so understand. I also know where I belong. I am from the North and I know one thing, I will never go 'home' plus I have no one truly there anymore except bro in NJ and wouldn't ever think of living there again For me beach. Simple as that. I am glad you 'felt it deep down' ya know. Look for small condo or townhouse to buy in a 'good safe great neighborhood' with 'great amenities' but take your time to look on where ya wanna settle. If I was you I wouldn't even do a single family home to buy. Older we get, lawn care and more sucks rocks, you would want that work home time to become screw mowing, off to the beach I go Just think slowly on where ya wanna be, what you wanna own and how you want the last years to go down. You got alot of yrs tho to handle of course, but best make them stable and easy living and in your beachy location ya want. You never can go wrong with that.

-----------guts on mend. feeling tons better. glad that crap is over HAHA

I want bacon. Hitting store to buy some and will eat 1 lb. bacon first thing. then I want chuck roast in dutch oven for second meal. store has chucks on sale so buying a few.

no big food draw still but appetite is coming back and if I want bacon and chuck then that is what I will have LOL

so far so good. big rain around but luckily that icy mess is missing us. feel for those getting that crappy weather.

we all keep pluggin' along

Good Morning!

Stupid groundhog saw his shadow....6 more weeks of Winter.

No weather mess coming our way....just super cold tomorrow and Saturday before it moderates again. Tomorrow is going to be a cold north wind and cold temps. Yuck. Saturday morning around zero degrees. No thank you.

Not much happening today other than a trip to the Derm with DH. His annual skin checkup. Same place I went 2 weeks ago...30 to 45 minute drive for us each way. We're leaving about 9:30. I suspect DH will have a "yacker" on and will talk my ear off all the way.

We'll be home by Noon and then I'll get my workout done and that'll be it until I make dinner tonight. Pork chops, I think. Picked some up at the meat market yesterday. I also got a huge sirloin steak to cut up for beef cubes as DH wants my homemade beef noodle soup this weekend. It's easy and he loves it.

That's it from here.

Hey Pals!

I was cranky as crap yesterday and so I spared you all my whiney ass presence. Doing much better today though and I did not eat crap over it! The only thing I had was plain, full fat yogurt with a little vanilla stevia mixed in it, and no more than one serving worth. I call that a win!

Jaz I'm glad you got to go to the beach. The weather sounds like a dream. It is cold here (I'm in DE) and the next two days are going to be VERY cold and VERY windy. I am dreading walking the dog in it! I will have on a balaclava AND a hat AND heated gloves along with my down parka!

Sounds like you got some clarity on where you'd like to live. Good on you!

Trig- I don't really see us retiring here in DE but we may hold on to the house, not sure. Experiment is still in progress!

Glad you are feeling well and that it sounds as though no one else is going to catch it. Fingers crossed!

Lori- can you imagine how great it would be if you could sleep later just by clapping your hands at Gabby? What a win that would be!

LOL on Dh being a yacker in the car. I would cry! lol

••••••••

All is well here. I came to DE yesterday and will be here until Sunday. DH was supposed to come to but had two things come up with work that he couldn't change. So it is just me and Bella!

I think I'm going to go see the new movie - something like 80 for Brady or a similar name- looks silly and cute. I can be down with that! I may even treat myself to some popcorn!

DS21's car- we had a guy recommended to work for us as a side job- a friend has used him and recommended him. Well, it is not going well AT ALL. We are about to just take a loss on it and take DS21's car into the shop. We gave him money in advance for parts (only because we trusted that he would be safe to do so with, given that he has done work for friends of ours) but he has been SO SKETCHY including not returning phone calls or showing up when he said he would. So that really sucks. Lesson learned.

DS24 has a very exciting month and a half coming up. He and I talked on the phone yesterday. He will be visiting Georgetown, Vanderbilt, University of Michigan and UVA over the next month to see the law schools etc. He is still waiting to hear from three- Harvard, Duke and Wash U St Louis. I think the only one of those he would go to would be Duke. So they are narrowing things down!

That's about it from here. I am going to get some good reading in over the next few days- I have several books that all came in from the library and I need to get my reading on!