Thanks for all your kinds words about Snowy - she was a precious one, indeed. She was one of the smartest cats I've ever met, and a tough little kitty, too. She had to be, because she was very small and left to fend for herself much of the time even before being abandoned. The day before PTS, the couple who did the major cleanup and rehab she needed before I got her came over to spend some time with her. Knowing how tough she was, Bruce remarked that he figured she be reincarnated as a 22-lb orange tom. His wife, Jo, raised her eyebrows and replied thoughtfully, "Well, I think she's coming back as President of the United States!?!" Too true, LOL - she was definitely the ruler in this house. Had Dave and me at her beck and call; and all our resident cats in line and being respectful, too.

I was kind of blue, also, because on Snowy's last day, I lost my diamond earring. I don't have big jewlery, so it was pretty special to me. I figured it had gone down the shower drain, but I didn't really want to take the time to deal with it. After we got home from the vet, we swept and shook out rugs. I went through the Roomba vacuum cleaner receptacle, as I'd used it around the litter box before I knew the earring was gone. And, I went through the waste basket (icky as it was filled with tear-stained kleenex). No luck. Had the plumber out to see if he could find it - nothing there. I said to Dave, "I didn't deserve to lose a diamond today!" But, I just figured that was that and went on.

I use the Roomba almost every day in the kitchen and the back hall with the litter boxes - it gets a quite a workout, picking up the cat fur and litter! Anyway, besides just emptying it's dustbin, today I decided I should go in and clean out it's brushes. The undercarriage was filthy, so I started wiping that clear. It's a fairly new toy, so while I had it open and upside down, I was exploring it - sticking cotton swabs into recesses I'd not noticed before. Whew! a bunch of lint and grit was lurking in those corners! And, it all fell out onto the newly cleaned floor. So, I got out the Dust Devil vac to clean up that debris because the Roomba was still half disassembled.

And... amongst the kitty litter, crumbs, and grit... THERE WAS MY EARRING!!! :jumpgreen

UNBELIEVABLE!! After Monday, I'd probably emptied vacuum's waste receptacle 2 or 3 times without even checking. I'm guessing the earring was caught in the Roomba brushes or somewhere up in the housing or a wheel well!

Doesn't that just beat all?

__________________
~~~Teelbee
Back to GOAL!!!
start weight: 176/goal range: 137-134/now: 138
Reached goal in Aug. 2003 - 4rd year of maintenance.

TB, I'd say you got a little gift from Snowy I know you will always think of her when you wear those earrings. Thank you for sharing a little bit about her life, and for caring enough about her to know when it is her time, even though the decision is so very, very hard.

Peg (((hugs))). I missed the "switch" conversation, but I know exactly what you mean. More later, my friend....

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

I resisted a chocolate cake donut today. Granted, I gave in on the whole wheat bagel, but it was sitting right next to the donut and I could have easily grabbed the donut, but I didn't. Every little step, right?

Cheers,
Jen

Wow, did we get hit with a storm today. It was just supposed to rain, which is welcome where I live, but it turned to huge snowflakes by noon. Didn't stay down low, but the hills are covered. I guess we will need it for the farmers come spring, but it sure wasn't what I wanted to see. I have to keep reminding myself it's still only February, but this past week we have been setting record high temperatures and then it dropped drastically overnight and now we get snow? Can't figure this weather out.

I'm fighting the cold that everyone else has had for weeks. My hubby has had it twice now and I refused to take it from him. I think he passed it to me when I wasn't looking. He will pay! Now I have the sexy, scratchy voice and the runny nose, cough. I look just gorgeous. lol Not going to stop me from going to town and power shopping this weekend. He was silly enough to offer me the company debit bank card. Did he really think I would say no to it? Crazy boy!! I just might set records on the amount of money I can spend in the few hours I will be in town. If I have to drive an hour to get there, I'd better make it worth my while. I think he's just feeling guilty that he's been out of town at least every second weekend for dart tournaments and I'm staying home alone. Now....he will be sorry. lol
Hope everyone has a great weekend. Stay warm.

__________________
Donna
238.5/173.4/150
I will see my goal weight again

Yup! We got another 6" of snow last night. I drove my DH's truck over to the guest parking lot at 11:00 pm last night. It's going to STAY there now! He gets home on Monday afternoon. I get my new carpeting on Monday morning! Nothing like cutting it close, huh?

I stayed in today. It was so good to have the day off. I painted all the little dings on the walls and baseboard from taking out the tile and installing the wood floor. Boy, am I sore. But, it all looks so much better. I also changed the bed, did the wash, and fixed myself healthy food all day. Had two cups of green tea, lots of water (but not enough) and coffee this am.

DH is having a wonderful time in Ghana. Sounds as if he will have some really great tales to tell. I'll be glad to have him home. Though, I have to admit that I have done really well being alone, except for the eating part. :(
Traditionally, being alone is a depressive time for me. But, I stayed busy and didn't get blue. Yay!

I'll be chained to my computer tomorrow early. I am going to a Black Gospel Choir concert at Berklee School of Music (Boston) tomorrow night! I promise not to clap over my head. Then I'm preaching Sunday.

Peace to you all,
Peg

__________________
"Live the questions and some day you will live along into the answers."
Rainer Marie Rilke

Atkins since 2003
5'8" 206.4/197/175
65 years young

TB: I ordered a Roomba last night on line at midnight! Gotta stop that! Impulsive buying. The internet is dangerous late at night. But, if you like it so much, I'm sure that I will. I don't have a bunch of cats, but I have one very messy one!
Peg

__________________
"Live the questions and some day you will live along into the answers."
Rainer Marie Rilke

Atkins since 2003
5'8" 206.4/197/175
65 years young

All it takes is one, LOL! I hope it works out well for you, too. We still give the house a good going over with the regular vacuum every other week, but the Roomba has totally improved how clean the house stays in between vacuuming. I let it run in one or two rooms most days. The manual is a bit too minimalist, in my opinion. But they have more information online and answer email questions pretty promptly. I've gotten some good answers in the Yahoo Roomba users group, too. Now, if only the engineers could come up with some better solutions for carpet fringes...

__________________
~~~Teelbee
Back to GOAL!!!
start weight: 176/goal range: 137-134/now: 138
Reached goal in Aug. 2003 - 4rd year of maintenance.

Peg, sounds like a busy weekend!

Hmmm. Roomba, eh? Wonder how the fur doggies would handle that? One goes crazy chasing the regular vac. Oh, evil, evil thoughts, LOL!

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

Well, back from a week long business trip. Left with good intentions (WATP dvd in laptop, exercise clothes, but nasty cold I had the week before hung on, and intensified. so, no exercise. And when you are alone in a hotel room all evening, and internet doesn't work - and feeling crappy - gave into a few treats. Did okay at meals, but a visit or 2 to vending machine (m&m peanuts) didn't help much. Heck, I should have lost 2 lbs alone with blowing my nose!!

but, back home for 2 weeks and need to be back on TRACK. still feeling too stuffed up, breathing problems to start the exercise, but I can behave with meals. Today we are taking my son to Olive Garden for his birthday (#23, and I was out of town) - his choice, so I checked out the menu on line. gonna go for salmon piccata. We're going at 3:30, so just having a shake now to hold me over, and keep me from wanting too much.

I can't catch up on all the posts from last week, but I'm so glad this thread is active and most of us are back. I'm still at 185, but I can deal with that. Been in a 4 month stall, but pretty much self inflicted. I can't get my head around doing what I know I have to do. But, I'm 'maintaining' and I can handle that for a little while.

Hang in there everyone. Spring WILL be here soon.

__________________
Mary Kay
2009 WW - 228 / 199

I want a Christmas Onederland!!

Looking outside, I find it hard to believe Spring is ever coming. It was 17 degrees C here a couple of days ago. We broke high temp. records three days in a row. This morning I woke up to 7 inches of snow and the snowplow no where in sight. There went my trip to town out the window! Now I have to wait two weeks before I get another chance. The radio was telling everyone to stay home and don't drive unless absolutely necessary. Hubby went to a dart tournament out of town and the team rented bus. What is normally a 45 minute drive took them 2 hrs. 20 min.! Now I just have to worry about them getting home late when the roads freeze. No wonder I'm positive I should have been born in Hawaii!!

__________________
Donna
238.5/173.4/150
I will see my goal weight again

!!! Well DING DANG!!! Congratulations! over 88 pounds lost - that is an awesome achievement! You can be very proud of yourself - I know we all are proud of you!

__________________
~~~Teelbee
Back to GOAL!!!
start weight: 176/goal range: 137-134/now: 138
Reached goal in Aug. 2003 - 4rd year of maintenance.

Shoulders intact! (Gospel choir concert last night.....I tore my rotator cuff at a gospel choir concert several years ago...) Not as good a concert as it could have been. They needed an event planner. It was one of those events where most everything went off without a hitch except for the program! Promised performers didn't show. Those who did were not that good. Whew! It was a fund raiser for two very good causes in Boston inner city. Too bad.

DH comes home tomorrow. Yay! I'll be ready, I think. Carpet layers come in the am. They better come early! Grrrrr. I'm supposed to be first on their list. Anyhoo, I hope to get it all back in place before I leave to pick him up at the airport. It will be good to get back to eating good food. I'm going shopping tonight to get some veggies and meat. He will be getting home right at dinnertime so thought I would put on some chalupa tomorrow morning in the crockpot. (It's a pork roast, no bone, with water, garlic, oregano salt and pepper, and a can of Ortega green chiles. By evening it smells up the house REALLLLLLLY good, and is stringy. We serve it on tortillas like tostadas with cheese) And, I'll have a salad.

The rest of today I am going to nap, watch some movies, enjoy a home without the super bowl.

MK: Be gentle with yourself. I like your comment about being happy with maintaining. If you can do that, you are doing well. M&M's with pnuts is one of my weaknesses too. To tell the truth, if I had been in a hotel room, feeling poorly I suspect that I would have done the same thing. I always go with best intentions, but having one's routine interrupted seems to play havoc for me.

Donna: CONGRATULATIONS!!! Listen, we have almost 50's today! It is working hard to melt the snow. However, we have a lot to melt. They are calling for snow later in the week, but who cares!! 50's!! and the sun is out!! Woohoo!

Judy, Brenda, TB, Lauri, Gregg, all lurkers: How're y'all doin? Check in and let me know. Come on, Jude! What's cookin'?

Peace, Peg

__________________
"Live the questions and some day you will live along into the answers."
Rainer Marie Rilke

Atkins since 2003
5'8" 206.4/197/175
65 years young

Sorry to be MIA for so long this week --- even now I just have time for a quick drive by. Along with ratcheting things up in prep for the state contest, I have had to rebuild my web site this week. Our school's server seems to be down for the long haul. I need the pages for extra credit assignments and other important things. So........ I'm building a Tripod web site. The good news is that it is free. The bad news is that you get what you pay for. In this case, it's ads and pop ups.

Peg, I KNOW you are glad that DH will be home tomorrow. I hope the carpet is in and the house straightened by the time he gets there. Of course if you can manage that, you must be superwoman.

Teel, sorry about the kitty --- happy about the earring.

Mary Kay -- glad to have you back.

For all you cold weather sufferers, remember that I told you to move to Texas! DS got home yesterday after his two weeks in NJ. He agrees, after a while enough is enough.

Go New England! Boston deserves to win the double header this year. (But, I won't be watching -- must study ---must finish the web page.)

__________________
Judy
Goal = <135, Current status = RIGHT ON TARGET!
Never give up. Never never never never give up -- Winston Churchill

Congrats Donna! I made it this week as well, but not as far as you did. That's quite impressive.

Peg, I know the house will be wonderful for when your DH comes home. He will be soooo impressed, he'll think you won the lottery while he was gone.

We spent the day installing light fixtures at my sisters new house. Put up seven lights and a b**ch of a ceiling fan in the garage alone! Then worked on the vanity lights in the bathrooms. Turnkey jobs are so nice...this do it yourself stuff really stinks after a while. Every weekend is taken up with working on the house, and it's not even mine. My sister is really sick right now on top of everything else, she did even get out of bed today. She always works even when she is sick, so I know she is feeling lousy. Hope we don't get it.

Teel, so glad you found that earring. Know you are very releived. Years ago, my son flushed my diamond and emerald ring down the toilet. He didn't know it, just say he heard something but didn't see anything so he just forgot about it until I started trying to find it. Never did find it, but I did get an ever better one to replace it

Judy, my Hubby was in Texas all last week. He said it was colder there the end of the week than it was here. We may get to 60 by Tuesday. ummm 60 degrees, imagine that. Wish it would stay there, but it will turn cooler the end of this week.

Well, I need to go help Hubby pack up the garage. (we are moving too) Then I'm going to TRY to make a lc blackberry cobbler with the new carbquick I got. Wish me luck as I am sooooo not a cook!

Later! Lauri

__________________
Dragonmom
155/123/130 (highest 175)

Ok, Here's my project for the weekend. Take a look and see what you think. Click here to go to my school web site. Before you do it, I'll warn you that there are pop ups and ads on the top of the pages. I had to get it finished though, I promised to have the extra credit questions up this weekend.

Eating today--- I made some cookies from the Lemon Cookie mix made by Minicarb. They aren't bad..... I ate two and had to put the rest in the frig so that I didn't polish them all off. I was out of the regular cream that the recipe called for so I used sour cream. As far as I can tell it worked just fine. Now, I need to go figure out something to have for supper. You can tell that's we're not Super Bowl fanatics. We are sitting around the house still deciding what to eat instead of getting stuffed at a party.

Another reason to stay home.......We are having traditional *lovely* Texas weather. 50's and pouring rain.

__________________
Judy
Goal = <135, Current status = RIGHT ON TARGET!
Never give up. Never never never never give up -- Winston Churchill