Back home after a whirlwind day! 2 hour drive to visit BIL for 1.5 hours then 2 hr. drive back home. He got discharged today, so we walked with he and his wife out to their car and then we went down a couple levels of the parking garage to our car and headed for home. We stopped for a quick bite on the way, as I told DH that my kitchen is closed until he returns(he leaves tomorrow morning).

Yes, I'm still doing meal kit delivery....not every week, but a few times a month. I'm doing Home Chef now as I had a coupon. I've tried 3 different ones now based on what coupon I have. I made delicious Home Chef pork chops last night......so, so good. I just can't use the "different" spices that they send as DH is a salt & pepper dude. Not much for anything too spicy.

Anyway.....BIL is doing surprisingly well. He has a vertical incision(staples) from his breast bone all the way down. As it turns out, he had 3 aneurysms! He's a lucky guy that he had that diverticulitis attack and they did a CT scan and found them before they burst. Amazing really.

No run today.....I'll be going out tomorrow. I'm also in charge of taking care of DH's elderly cousin while he's away. That means visiting twice a day and making sure she has something for dinner each night. She can get up and do a little bit, but it's just so much easier to take her something. She doesn't cook, but has a microwave for reheating and a small refrig that holds all she needs.

Sorry no personals, but I'm a tired girl. I've been on the go since Yoga this morning. Time to chill out a bit.

Hi all.

Jaz---Sorry about the NM thing falling through. You sure have been on a roller coaster. But I know despite your plucky "go for it" spirit you had some doubts---you sure didn't get any time to think about it or set yourself up decently for it. I bet in the end you'll end up saying that disappointment turned out to be the door to something better.

Haha, yay for you on the pounds down. Have read you're "ssssshhhhh"---sure get that. Sometimes it feels like it's jinxing it to say it out loud.

LOVED the song you sent. A classic and a comfort. Change is hard, but also a "new season" w/its own rewards.

Nic---Sounds like a couple of stressful days w/ILs coming to stay. It's just harder as they become less able and more needy. How is your MIL doing? I'm so behind, last time I read she was in the hospital with a fractured sternum. Ouch. Anyway, in your always organized way sounds like you've figured out how to do it w/the least amount of hard labor.

I know what you mean about just needing a break from LC. I was there too, athough didn't see it coming. But also like you, time for me to go back to it. Maybe not full throttle till after this mondo job is complete, but deffo better than what I have been doing.

Trig---Leslie Sansone! Can't believe it, but I was just thinking of getting one of her videos, like 2 days ago. So it was fab to get your link and realize I can just do it w/YouTube. Funny, when I was in my intense video work out days I used to think doing a work out w/Leslie would be like taking a nap. LOL, now it looks just puuuuuurrrrrrrrrfect for me.

I like that your link is just 15 minutes. So doable. And you can put more energy into it as you go---higher knees, wider steps, etc. I too am leary of the fancy steps I used to do, specially on a step. OMG, that is over for me. Was thinking about maybe doing a silver sneaker class at the Y, but know myself well enough to know winter is not the time for me to do that. I'll think I'm gonna go, I'll tell myself I'm gonna go, but most of the time I won't go.

So yeah, might also spend some time looking for other short and reasonable workouts I can do w/YouTube in my living room. Y'know, for as much as I can't do the harder and trickier videos I once did, I much prefer the idea of a video where someone tell me what to do and things keep changing as you go. I just can't make myself do the treadmill.

Lori---This goes back a bit in the thread, but my sense is that your age was not the issue with the B&N job. Betcha anything she already had someone she wanted to hire and that was that before you ever walked in. Generally retail chains of any kind are looking for the stability, availability and dependability of older workers. My B&N has several older workers there, as well as some youngsters. So maybe sometime in the future, check in again. Still think you'd like that job from what I hear from my hubby's cousin. (He's 60 and works there. He did say they have a pretty regular turn over of managers because that job is very demanding and doesn't pay what it should.)

And hey, we're not putting up our tree this year either. Son isn't coming home and I felt for the first time ever, I just don't need a big tree this year. Hubby was thrilled to the gills, as he's the one who hauls it up and back down into storage.

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On that note---yep, no tree this year. But yeah, (Jaz), I DID get that darlin' little lit up, snow covered Charlie Brown Tree. In fact I ended up getting TWO, and only having to pay for one. Won't bother w/the story of how that happened, but I now have two of them in different spots in my living room and I LOVZ 'em. They have the tiny little sparkly filiment lights and are the most cheerful thing.

I still did a Xmas porch. Got some fun holiday pillows for the chairs, and have my fantastic tall and beautiful folk art Angel surrounded by a lighted wreath on the table. Picked up some lovely little chrystal candle holders at TJ Maxx and have them set out here and there for more "special."

Had brother and SIL over for dinner Sunday night, lit all the candles and it looked so darn festive in here w/out the big tree, don't miss it a bit. Haha, I said to hubby, "wow, this is like an 8 on the 1-10 scale of getting older."

I remember visiting grandparents and great aunts over the holidays when I was little and they too would have dispensed w/the tree---maybe just a very little one like the ones I love right now---and I would feel so sad for them. Now I realize they weren't sad at all, they were relieved!

I finished my work, for today, for BC around noon and had the whole afternoon free. After working pretty much all day and every day for them (as well as some weekend time) for the last week, it was a sheer delight. I have the next 3 days pretty free from it too. Then next week before Thanksgiving will be intense, and the week right after will be BOOM again. But only till that Wednesday the 4th, and then I'll be free thru the holidays.

Decent day on plan, better than I've been doing. Going to try to just do BETTER thru this project and the holidays. REALLY don't want to blow up and I was on my way. SO needed to get my butt back here, and so happy to be back.

Hi everyone,

Fairly quick check in from me today. Leaving in about 15 minutes to do my overnight doula job. Tried mightily to nap this evening and my body just won't go for it- I'm not a napper unless I'm getting sick or something. Hopefully I can come back and crash tomorrow.

For the overnight doula job, it will depend on what each family wants. At the very least, I will bring baby in to her mama to breastfeed, then get her when her mom is finished feeding her and soothe her/ keep her, burp her change her etc and get her back to sleep until the next time Mom needs to feed her. If Mom wants extra sleep, I will give a bottle or two (formula or breastmilk) so she can sleep further. If I have downtime and there are little things I can do, like baby laundry or dishes or straightening up a bit in the family room, I'll do that too. If I get a chance and the Mom wants, I'll cook up eggs or toast in the morning but again, just depends on what she would like and what the baby will allow.

DS17 got into another college! He's now 2/2, with four more outstanding, one of which he would be likely to attend but I think it's iffy if he'll get in to that one or not. But he very much likes the other two and may well go to one of those. Good boy!

Got my Resource List finished today. I tell you, that puppy was a labor of love. Required for Certification and good to do and have but it sure did take many hours. Still, nice to have that amongst the many other resources, articles etc I have to share with my families.

No ILs here until some time on Thursday. DH's brother called from VA today and suggested that he go ahead and bring them to us bc their house is such a wreck with the moving and organizing process starting to kick in. I was relieved to say NO you may not, I am working then recovering until Thursday. Otherwise they may well have ended up here and while I love them, I did not sign on for a five day stint.

Not much else to report. Excited and vaguely anxious about tonight. Normal to feel that way- it's the way I always feel about something new and really wanting to do my best. This family has two generations in the home, so I need to talk with the mom about the best way to make sure she gets sleep but also not disturb her parents as well on the upper level. We'll talk about it and get it all worked out.

Personals tomorrow, hopefully after a nap. I'll get home around 6AM and then I'll get Kiddo up at 6:30 and out the door at 7:20, then crash for a while, I hope!

Blue....loved your 'smaller' festival atmosphere. 2 smaller trees, I like that!
Yea, a big tree is not the rage when older for anyone mostly LOL
I put up just enough and even for my 14 yr old kid it is just enough so I am happy I got her covered. Happy your house is all decked for the holidays and you guys are in good holiday mode..

Yea. There are a ton of Leslie vids. on youtube. Just google Leslie Sansone youtube and you'll hit what vids that she has on there. A lot of options to do easy workouts on youtube without buying the tapes and more. I found that Classical Stretch workout on youtube also before I bought the tape. Heck the stretch tape is harder than the walking tapes LOL

Glad you got your work handled and finished up in good shape.
3 days of nothing to do? Ahhh, screw cleaning or anything like that , do for yourself....you and hubby have a fun day, focus on you and live the next 3 free days in style

Nicco.....holy girl your plate is so full.
You are the energizer bunny of a ramped up life with your new career and fitting it all in....love it!

Very cool your DS is settled with colleges etc. That has to be a load off everyone's shoulders. You know he got into one he will probably accept and it is done and over for that process. Wonderful.

Can't wait to hear about your overnight report on the doula client.

Lori....so happy your BIL came thru ok. Sounds scary as hell when ya think about it. What is happening inside us sometimes and we don't know to that level he had. yikes

Happy 'House to Yourself' day since your DH leaves this morning! enjoy the heck out of it

Jaz very cool the scale is treating you right and I do also so get the Ssssshhh on it! Hope you find an exercise tape ya like, always can try it out on youtube first and if really wanting it go get a Dvd of it...there are so many good easy tapes to follow when you check into them.



hey all
doing fab on plan.
just cruising along.
got a nice ribeye to eat tonight.
woke up very not hungry so will just go thru the day and see how food falls, the ribeye might be all I need today? play by ear

Funny cause kid walked into the house from school the other day and said, STOP, Wait....what is wrong with this house. HA HA I said ALL YOUR crap you leave everywhere is put back where it belongs. She said it looks so empty and I said yea cause it is, just the way I like it......then she is like where is my art sketch book that was on the dining room table....I said where it should be....where are my clothes I had piled on the table I never put away....I said where they should be LOL All her junk on the side board table in the entry way...all gone and where is that? HAHA I said all your junk is where it should be, it is like a treasure hunt....start trying to find it...

Being so minimalist now I love a house with like nothing in it. I love a sparse feel. Any more and I go into a cluttered feeling of cramped and icky. So I got the house mostly back to how I like it.

Hey it takes time to pick up after a kid and a hubby and put their crap BACK where it belongs. I had hunt stuff on the dining room table and hunt stuff in laundry basket in my master and I had to get that stuff all back into his hunting room also.......I mean come on people.....it is like fallout from a nuclear war. The radiation just spreads slowly over the land from the intitial ground zero....LOL.....ugh

Nothing much here. weather mostly stinks. Not just sunny and decent, chilly/foggy/misty rainy and doom and gloom type cloudy. Want some better weather here NOW.

great day all

Good Morning!

Nic....hope you had a good "night shift". Crash and get some sleep this morning!

Trig...good on you for clearing up the clutter. Could you come and clean up after my DH? Lord, he has 2 rooms that I just close my eyes when I walk by. His office and his hunting room....OY!

Jaz....Are you enjoying having your house back? I'm sure it seemed too quiet at first. Hope you get some leads on a travel job soon.

Blue...We're so glad to have you back! Sounds like you're going to be busy, busy for the next couple weeks. Pop in when you can.

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So DH got up at 4AM and started thumping around. He had big plastic containers of his hunting stuff he started dragging out the back door. He staged everything so it was ready to put into DS's truck. Such a production!

He fed the birds so I wouldn't have to later, but it backfired on us. He went out to take more stuff out and there was a bear up the bird feeder! I'll have to restock it once it gets light out. He said it was a little bear....not the big one that I saw this summer. I thought bears would be hibernating by now? Good grief.....I may be carted off by wildlife by the time he gets back!

Not too much going on for me today. I'll pop up and see DH's cousin this morning, go for a run this afternoon and then up to cousin's again late this afternoon. That will be my day.

Have a good one!

Jaz, you are a free bird now with your company gone. Enjoy it! I know you will miss him some though.

So glad you will be seeing the grandkids soon! When are they coming?

Congrats on the weight loss, girlie!

Welcome back, Blue! Just not the same without your face here, but we all need to be absent from time to time and a huge job is a great excuse! I hope BC loves your work.

You described, with Silver Sneakers, pretty much every interaction I've ever had with a gym.

Your Christmas porch sounds lovely!

Trig- I remember Leslie Sansone videos. I haven't done one of those in a very long time. Maybe I can work up the motivation! We'll see.

LOL on the kid wondering where all her stuff is! My DS ends up with a bunch of plates in his car bc he takes breakfast out there every morning and eats on the way to school. We know when we run out of white lunch plates that it is time for him to bring them in and fill the dishwasher!

Lori- 3 aneurisms!! Wow!! He is a very lucky man indeed! You are sweet to look after DH's cousin while he is away. You two are a good team, even if he does drag hunting stuff around at o'dark thirty!

A BEAR!!!!! OMG!!

••••••••••••••

Back from my overnight doula job! It went really well. This poor Mom has been feeding her little one pretty much every hour and a half through the night. She is so sleep deprived! Plus she has a two year old, and she had a c-section! A whole lot going on there, right?

We spent the first 20-25 minutes just chatting, I met and talked with her husband a bit as well, which is good bc that helps the certification process along. She decided that she would breastfeed the baby at 10 PM (I got there at 9:30) and then go to bed, that I would wake her for the first breastfeeding, then I would do the second feeding with a bottle of pumped breastmilk, then wake her for the next one.

Well, the baby did great. She slept (I more or less woke her) at 1:45 for Mom to feed her, then I bottle fed her at 5:15 (again more or less waking her.) Got her to sleep right at 6 and let Mom know she was asleep and headed out. Hopefully Mom will get at least one more hour of sleep before the two year old wakes up.

I definitely got some insights into the current situation. Mom does not swaddle the baby, but the baby sleeps much better when swaddled than not, as most newborns do. Also, mom has the baby in a co-sleeper right by the bed. This is a LOUD newborn. She had a period of quiet sleep on the first go round that lasted about an hour, but otherwise she is a baby who does a lot of grunting and noise making. I think once the baby starts to make noise, she gets her up and feeds her so she won't wake the husband. But she is clearly fully able to sleep in 3 hour stretches. If it were MY baby, I'd move her out of my room. Obviously when a baby cries you will likely still hear her, but you won't hear all the other miscellaneous noises that keep Mom awake. But, that is not in vogue and I doubt she will do it.

Feeling pretty tired so I'm going to give DS17 some breakfast, send him off to school and then go to bed myself!

OMG - Nic what a night!!!!!! No sleep! I don't blame you for not adding another duty with the IL's- NO!
They didn't have a doula concept when I was a new mom. Boy how helpful that would have been. But then again that is what the hubby is for. I remember I would feed the baby then hand off to M- to change diaper and get the babies back to bed.

Hope you got some rest!

Blue- I bet your place is beautiful. I agree about the tree. I remember when my grandparents didn't put up a tree. They did a few decorations here and there - but nothing huge. I too felt "sorry" for them. I often ask why no tree. She would always say you don't need a "tree"- They had a small firn tree in the living room they hung "small" ornaments on. That is where they put presents.

I love the idea of a sparkle tree like you have. I might go for that next year. This year I only put up a tree and not putting out decorations. I have usually gone all out.
When is your trip out to CA?

TRIG- - I saw those walking CD's at the liberty today- picked up 2 of them and one more that is a dance video.

I was reading your Carnivore thread- Yup I was a lurker! HAHAHAH
I have never heard the term "dirty" carnivore. Very interesting. I agree 100% that you get into sauces, then sides, then the sides get more carbs- carb creep is a very real issue.
It is an issue with Keto, LC, Adkins, - it is an insidious thing that can really seek up on ya if one is not super diligent!

You keep doing what you're doing! Not everyone can be Carnivore. It so suits you though perfectly.
Anymore loses????? I bet you are down a few sizes.

Lori- - OMG a bear in your back yard????? So is your hubby off to hunt?
Fun that you are experimenting with another food service.
I get tired girl- boy do I ever!
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Short one for me. Yes I got my house back- and spent most of yesterday getting it straightened up- laundry, sheets, towels, etc....

I started getting a huge headache about noon and tried to push through it. I was on computer job hunting and listening to the news and just had to take some meds and lay down for 1.5- I was asleep before I put my head onto the pillow.

As much as I love company- it is work to entertain. Add the fact he was sick the last 3 days he was here and would get up in the middle of the night and "roam"- I didn't sleep. I think it will be a couple days before I am back to my base line.

I am seeing the kids tomorrow. But they are going to my mom's and not coming here is a huge blessing. I still have a few things to clean up- ie bathroom. How a man can't hit the mark is beyond me!!!

Anyway- leftover turkey. I am turkey'd out. I don't even want to freeze the rest of it. It gets dry. I love juicy meat- but if I have to chew and chew and chew- it's gone! This was sorta over cooked to start with. I will clean out and toss old stuff and get some fresh.

Listening to TRIG talk about cheese burgers makes me want one- minus the dairy!

Going to hit up my reading room- and relax- I still have a slight headache.

Have a good one all- More tomorrow when I am more in touch and feel better!

Nope- I got some bug. I had a sickie in my house for almost a week and was totally exposed for almost a week during the worst of the illness.
I called to see how he was doing today- he still is sick. He was sick for almost the entire time here- fever and all.

I cancelled my time with the kiddo's tomorrow. My Grandkids don't need to be sickroom me! The little one can get really sick. This time of year is rough.

I am not tired now. That nap felt good - but now not sleepy. However I have become a mouth breather and feel "crap" hitting lungs.

Just waiting until I can have more sinus meds. When ever you are sick you body holds water for protection- boy howdy do I feel it too!!!!

Ok- off to finish watching the debate. - Then I might flip on a Netflix.Eyes to tired to read. Hope this passes fast.

Lori I love reading about your bears I think that birdfeeder might have to go for ya LOL if you want a bear free yard
wild.

Nicco…..plates in the car? that is absolutely hysterical! You had me laughing. Kids do whatever don't they HAHA

Loved your report on your overnight client. It is so interesting.

One thing I know you will have to grapple with is how to not interfere too much in that no parents want to be told 'too much' that is personal info kinda on why what they do is wrong.....etc.....so for big mouth me......I would probably say don't do that and insult them in a way HAHA It is interesting to see what you do and how you pull back on other things like about the baby in the bedroom etc. Cool.

Jaz sorry you got the crud.....and you got an out of state crud....right to your door delivered from the plane to ya LOL I feel for you.....so far we are all good here, waiting for kid to bring home some disease from school. I just hope none of us get the crud at Xmas and all that.

take care of yourself, rest up etc. Get strong so you can follow thru on travel nurse and more.

Did I go down a few sizes? Hell no. It takes like at least 20 lbs for me to even drop 1 size......this 10 lbs drop for every size down crap never applied to me. I love when I read....I lost 50 lbs and went down 10 dress sizes....WTH? That in no way is me. I have to lose at least 20-25 to truly drop a full size and know it.....yea sad state of affairs for me but clothes are better on me for sure.



Hey all
off to moms today for our usual shopping.

then home to finish up some chores. easy crap.

then start to pull out some Xmas crap for outside and get hubby to just put them up probably......little early for me but he is getting ready to hunt again and once gone I ain't putting up those stupid outside things so he can do it now and be done with it. Very little outside decoration now.....all the stuff mostly broke down and dry rotted from the sun over the years and hit the garbage......just a few pretty lights I got left and I sure as heck ain't ever buying new crap for outside so...

Got a ribeye on the menu today with some shrimp.
Not hungry mode so doing well.....waiting now for the scale to catch up and drop some darn lbs. So right now just staying OFF the scale and saying screw it....just focus on plan and hold here and later I will see where I stand.

All good

great day everyone

Good Morning!

Up at 4AM, so I had a LONG morning before Yoga. I have really been having a poor diet lately(not enough protein), so had a couple fried eggs at 6AM. Plenty of time to digest before Yoga. Tonight I'm having a tenderloin steak and some sauteed shrimp. Lots of protein today!

Yesterday I was a lazy slug and didn't do my run, so I came home from Yoga today, changed shoes and did my couple mile run. Not ideal to do the 2 workouts back to back, but had to be done.

Jaz....so sorry you caught the crud from your house guest. Take it easy and rest....not much else to do, I guess.

Trig....yeah, that bird feeder is a bear magnet! No sign of any critters this morning. I would think that the bears will soon be hibernating for the Winter.

My boys got to Illinois late yesterday afternoon. DH called me this morning and said they're going to stop at some big sporting goods store and then head to "camp". They'll start hunting tomorrow morning. They should get home Monday afternoon/evening.

Ok....I need to hit the shower. Hope you all have a great day!

Hello all!

You are right TRIG- I got crud derived from out of state right to my front door! Then slept with it....... Urghhhhhhhh. - I think it is a low grade cold. Just enough to make ya tired and not want to do anything except sit and do nothing, slugville.

I did get a few things around the house done. Paid my bills for next month- EEEEEKKKKKKK!!!!!!! - another month down.

Ran to the store to pick up just a couple things, coconut milk for my coffee, ground grass fed beef, chicken thighs, and a pretty slice of ruby trout.
I got enough to hold me for about 5 days. Going to make Crack slaw tomorrow.

Today is chicken meatballs with Rao sauce. I like the meatballs from Costco that are chicken and fairly good. I eat them not often, but like them when I have them. They were on sale this month. I get about 8 servings from them for 9.99- DEAL!!! They are the Aidelles brand- not a lot of junk in them!

I have all my windows open, close to 70 and bright blue skies here. FRESH AIR!!!! -
My guy with the travel agency is out sick right now. - So nothing new.

Lori- Single girl you! have you thought about asking your sis to come over, or you head there? You might just like to have some free time to yourself as well!!!!

Do you have a tree up? How is your running going? I wonder if I missed your response to another race in the future for you? I still giggle over C25k!!!!!!! My kind of training!

NIC- Did you get some sleep in? So how long to you work with a new mom? Where does the hubby fit into all this. I would have been handing over the baby to hubby- 50/50- oh yeah!!!!

Oh- I forgot to say congrats to DS17 for yet another great news collage letter!!!!!! Now what is his thoughts? That is awesome news!!!!
Did the In-laws get settled? What a mess that was!

TRIG- - I am pretty shocked your kiddo has not gotten sick yet! There is some kind of sinus bug that seems to be going around. There is also a stomach bug that closed a school here last week. Fingers crossed you will come out unscathed.

My friend - I SURE RELATE to needing to drop TONS of weight before a change in clothes size!
I do think that the scale at this point is not your friend. You are losing fat in inches. I would get out a tape measure!!!!! I bet you are dropping inches. You are doing WELL!!!!! I am little by little inching closer all the time to dropping the not needed junk (veggies/ salads) but it is a slow process.

BLUE- - Hey there, are you done with your big client? How did that go? Glad you loved the song I picked for you! I think of music often and it takes me back!

Take a pic of your cute place!!!!!! I would love to see your "Christmas" porch!!!!!!-
When do you go out to CA?
Any plans for Thanksgiving?
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I am in the bounce house - dam I did get on the scale. I have been taking cold medicine for 2 days now and have a low grade fever and it is messing with my fluids and I feel it.

Even so I JUST HAD TO GET ON THE FREKIN scale. I know it will drop off. May take a week.

I am moving slower than I want. However, I am listening to my body for what it wants. I will heal faster.

Tomorrow I will get on the job hunt again. But for now, my bills are paid, my meatballs simmering, and I am cracking open a new book from library and enjoying a glass of wine (WHY NOT!) - tomorrow is another day.

Ok- hope you are all well and healthy!
How are your WOES's going? - TRIG- you are blowing us out of the water!!!!!!! -
It is always a struggle............ For me!!!!!!
Great day ladies.

Lori, I know those super early morns make for a heck of a long day. I get that. When up super early and then I see the clock says like 10am I am like.....only 10? I been up forever it seems and it should be like 8 at night LOL

Glad your guys are there and getting ready to have fun in camp and all. You know they love it.....just enjoy home alone and bask in the silence of it all.



Jaz......uh, huh, ya slept with that crud did ya HAHA
well now we know why ya got it so fast LOL

yea the freakin' scale. ain't treating me good either. Not one ounce gained at all in what I do eat so that is good.....but nothing down yet right now. I hate that. I love every day I get on that scale and see even a 1/2 gone....anything. But I am fine with it. I know the loss will kick in again....just got to work the magic of it all.



boy oh boy kiddo wanted pretzels. and GOOD ones she said.

I love pretzels. With mom shopping today I hit this fancy 'junk food area' and hit these sourdough extra thick, extra crunchy, extra salty big old pretzels. OMG they look so damn good....so I got them for kid.

She loves them and ALL I CAN think about right now is that bag of pretzels.

I wander by the cabinet about 5 times already with one eyeball going to that cabinet.....I tell ya people!!!!!....geez ya know

I had to walk away and come type here. I am that close to grabbing the bag and I know I would not stop. It would be a pretzel hog wilder of epic proportion so here I am typing it out.

I am not one bit hungry. Ate 1 lb. ribeye around 2:30 when I got home from moms.….then kid ate the pretzels and I ate 1 chicken breast or I was gonna dive on those pretz. too.

Now I am stuffed from the steak and chicken. I powered down 2 big glasses of water and am bloated out also....belly full to capacity literally...…….…...and I still want them...…..but I guess my tummy is loaded now sloshing with water HAha and I know I can't do them anyway so....

just chatting it out cause some days ya wanna scream it out!



off I go.....to pout LOL
nah, I will survive....heehee

Hi all,

Trig---I know sometimes it is painful to "walk on by" (5 times, LOL) but you are so freaking good at it! I know what that's like when you get a food on your mind that is a no no, but you know know it's in the house. Man, it's like it blows up like a balloon in your mind and gets so big it crowds everything else out. Excellent job on popping that balloon and carrying on.

And you know how that scale is girl. You think it works for you and in no time at all you find out you are the slave to it. You've lost a big hunk of weight I have no doubt your body is just taking a little rest and one of these fine days it's going to drop again. We wouldn't have lost all the weight we have if it didn't work that way.

Lori---So hubby's gone and you've got the joint to yourself. Great thing is he's doing what he loves on his little get away, and you get a vacation too. You're so good about cooking for him, and making it work LC for you. So now you get a few days to just be about you. That is nice sometimes, and it's nice when they come home.

Nic---SO interesting to hear about your doula experiences. Boyo, sure would have loved to have had you around in those first months. I remember being in a daze for months---like where did Blue go and when are they bringing her back to me. To have an objective yet experienced mother and now doula---heaven.

Such great news on T. He has sure turned his world, and yours, right around. He's going to do just fine. And someday he'll even thank you for teaching him how to get it done before he left the nest.

Thinking of you---know your ILs are there today. Hope you got the sleep you needed to deal with it all. Hopefully it will be smoother and less stressful than you anticipated.

Jaz---Sorry you're feeling punk. Hope it's not the flu I had and just a bad cold. One way to tell for me, has to do with that old saying "feed a cold, starve a fever." When I had that flu I would think I wanted to eat, then 3 bites later and I was done. Colds OTOH, always make me darn hungry. One thing that's true whatever is you need REST.

Smart decision on the grands for them and you. When we're sick we always minimize it and expect to wake up better every day. But it doesn't always work that way, and some of this stuff really hangs on. PLUS, you've been through so much in these last months, I just think your whole being needs rest and cozy calmness. So don't rush it. Enough from Mother Hen.

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I have had a nice yesterday and today. Nothing more to do for big project till beginning of next week. Nice breather.

Today I had lunch with a pal. We've not seen much of each other, as both of us have had to cancel a couple of times on lunches or whatever for whatever reason. We had a blast.

Had lunch and then went to Walgreen's together because we both needed some stuff. LOL, we had so much fun at Walgreen's (who knew?) specially in the cosmetics department. I wanted some red lipstick. Yeah, red. Old fashioned red. To wear out at night at some of our holiday stuff coming up.

LOL, we tested so many on our hands w/testers, we came out looking like we both had a serious skin condition. But I found the perfect one. We have a few sparkly holiday things coming up and I will wear my red lipstick with my favorite "little black dress." haha, well, it's really not that little. But yeah, I'm still kickin' and so is she, and she's older than me.

SIGH on the woe. Not doing bad, not doing good. But for today, I'm chill and so appreciating it.

Blue sometimes walking by gets oh so damn old ya know but luckily I AM in a zone right now so it is easier. but woof, I tell ya. I have to hold a steel mind on things like this, when I get a tad lack I can go over the top....so holding strong, at least trying LOL

Your red lipstick sounds fab. Colorful cheer for the holidays! Love it.

I hit the store the other day and can't find my lipstick. Rimmel changed it up and now I am lost....gonna hit CVS and Walgreens to see if they carry it. I absolutely hate trying to find a new color if the other is discontinued or just gone from the local store....ugh....I hate the colored hand deal LOL you had me laughing on that one!

on WOE, not bad and not good is cool. You are holding. Holding beats gaining any old darn day when your mojo kicks in you will tackle it all again in good form. you are heading toward that I am sure.


hey all
hubby driving some cars to auto auction in Virginia.
gone for a good bit today....wee

off to grocery. need some restock on meat and seafood. have a lot of shrimp I need to use but am making a ton for T-day when I have both moms coming, so will use them up.

T-day here is rack of ribs. filet mignon. shrimp. sides for others and pumpkin pie later. I eat the first 3 so I am handled.
Will be easy going meal here.

The vote for Christmas is my mom's lasagna. Hubby and kid love love love it so mom will cook it. Hard for me and I won't touch it. So thinking along with it a big old pile of crab and a small lobster for ME.....yea yea the hub and kid can have some crab legs but they ain't getting my lobster. THAT IS MY present to me while they suck down the lasagna. tough noogies.
My mom and his mom won't touch the crab and no one is touching the lobster but ME, haha, so that covered Xmas for us here. I like knowing set well in advance what is on the menu and I have time to come to terms with what I am eating and how this meal will go down.....so I am cool thru it all.

Kid took a big bag of pretzels to school....she darn near emptied the bag thank goodness.....happy they are almost gone from here. They are now leaving my mind.

Like Blue said a food can be blown up so big in your mind it takes over. I hate that....working on that


off to get moving
all good here, hope everyone is doing well

Good Morning!

Gabby got me up at 4 and I went back to bed and didn't get up till 7:15! What a layabout! I'm going to do some laundry this morning and then get ready to go out for lunch. Some of my golfing friends are getting together to celebrate one of our member's 83rd birthday. This woman is a hoot! I hope to be as active as she is at 83. Heck, she is more active than I am! She skis in the winter and plays golf all summer.....and plays well too! Hits it a mile! She spends part of the winter in FL golfing too. No husband, no kids, just tons of friends. I think she was married and divorced years ago. Anyway, it'll get me out of the house for a couple hours and I'll get to see the golfing girls who I didn't get to see all summer on the course.

Trig...on the discontinued lipstick, sometimes you can find past colors on Amazon...worth a look.

Good for you on staying away from the pretzels. I've been eating stuff I shouldn't lately and not having my DD's this week and I can feel the bloat. When I step on the scale tomorrow, it's not going to be pretty.

Jaz......hope you're starting to feel better. Some of those dang colds can just hang on and on. Take it easy.

Nic....I know you are knee deep in family right now. I hope it goes ok and that things will settle down after the move.

Blue...sounds like a nice day out with your friend and then laughing in the drug store over lipstick colors. You will look awesome in the red with the little black dress.

Ok, I have to run uptown and unlock DH's cousin's front door for her. She lives in this huge mansion and her front door is mega heavy. We open it each morning for her and take her newspaper in to her and then at night all she has to do is flip the lock. One of her friends brought dinner in for her last night and tonight another friend is bringing dinner. Tomorrow night I'll figure something out to take in for her.

Later!