Good morning!

Thought I'd better check in here first, otherwise I'll miss posting all day. As Brenda says, the "this, that and the other" start getting in the way.

Judy, thank you for the A/C report. Yanno, one system is probably as good as another, as long as it's the right size, with the right size tubing, and installed correctly. We have a long week ahead with oppressive heat. Knock on wood our old unit is humming along.

I have some clothes stored away from my "younger days" too. Have not tried them on. I am not a masochist.

Brenda,I looked at Barley and Desert Tan. Both are beautiful colors! Isn't removing wallpaper FUN? did you ever get that B. Moore CD? It is fun to play around with, but I've found that when using your own photos, the colors come up a little funky.

Shelley, first (((HUGS))). Second, do what works for you! Yes, it's the calories. I think we have all figured that out by now. I really think the "no calories" stuff only works when one starts LC and is very heavy. But once you slim down a little, it's less calories or more exercise.

Barb, any luck with selling the car?

I had to laugh at your story about someone calling your DH your father. I've been there, too. Although, that was way back when in my thirties. I did look younger than my years then. P.S. DH is back to looking spiffy!

Oh! A new driveway! We need one of those, too. Hopefully, you have street space available for your cars while all of this is going on. How long will it take before you can actually drive on the driveway? (When I first read your post, I mis-read it and thought you were having the basement dug up! Duh.)

Terry, a cowbird! Of course. I should have known that. We have a lot of them around here. At least that mystery is solved. And now we know why Mom was feeding Huey. she thought it was hers.

Donna, wow. Ice Cream Cake. That would be hard for me to resist, too. It's Monday. I am anxious to hear what happens about the water situation at work! I hope your allergies are doing a little better now. Bummer in the Summer.

Rachel, how's your summer cold doing? Are you able to add some zinc to your supplements? A little after-the-fact, but I think it helps me, along with the flu shot I get every year. Swear to God I have not had a cold in YEARS.

Good going on the loss! Three pounds in one week is excellent!

So you will actually be back in the US in a few weeks! We are all so used to you being "far away!" You may have mentioned this, but CRS --- do you have a place here or do you stay with your parents?

-----------------

Got to get my day going. Having missed two days of work last week (sigh-my paycheck will be light) I know this week is going to be hectic. I also know I will have to help out with a film install on Wednesday and Thursday. Can you say HOT?

Have a good one. XXOO

__________________
Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Monday Morning. Yes, there's something to be said about the comfort of the regular workday. I know my assignment, and I'm ready to go. More Grandma cards!

Rachel, "mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun." Same applies to people with convertibles in 90 degree-plus weather. Of course, that would be me! Hat, sunglasses, vents blasting (hot) air. As long as there's a breeze from somewhere. Actually, it's not a good idea to get too much sun exposure, convertible or not. So...I try to restrain myself. It's actually more fun to ride with the top down in winter, when the heater warms up the driver's space just fine.

Alida, I'm biding my time on the car until I hear from the car guy at Blue Ridge Mazda. They've been good people to work with over the years, and he might make me an offer. If not...Plan B. or C. We're figuring out what to do with the cars at home while the construction goes on. I'm going to try for long-term parking for the Jag in the garage at work, because I really DO NOT want that one parked on the street for two weeks.

I'm feeling like a blob this morning. My weight is at 135--my ceiling!--and I'm hoping it's water. But I've been sampling the carbs, too, and the Weight Creep is hanging over my shoulder. This morning, I did Gin Miller's Intense Moves workout--a super-toughie. I made myself do the whole thing, so now I feel like Wonder Woman. That's one way to cure blobbiness. Now to keep my little hands off the nuts, the chocolate, and the wine bottle.

If I can figure out how to make it smaller, I'll send you a girlfriend snapshot from Saturday.

Donna, hope that water supply problem is solved today. If not, you know what to do!

Judy, enjoy your projects. Shelley, hang in there. Let us know how things go with the nice people at WW.

Teel, Brenda, Rachel...off to the races!

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__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Just a quick fly by today for me....busy day at work.

No water yet, but the boss is getting something done about it. He has contractors looking at it as I write this. Looks like there might be a broken line. As long as he's trying I'm okay with it, but when he ignores it then I'm upset. The drivers continue to bring me buckets of water to use.

Yesterday I felt so crappy I just laid on the lounge chair on the carport with my book. I must have had 3 naps in the afternoon. I'd read a little then fall asleep, read and sleep. Well, one of those times I fell asleep the sun came around the back side of me and I wasn't in the shade anymore. I got a burn on my legs...but the funny thing is that my book was laying on my legs and the burn is around the shape of the book on my legs. Looks so silly. Now how the heck can I get the rest of my legs to be the same once it turns to tan? lol

Barb: Great picture! So nice that you get away with friends like you do. I bet it is water weight gain..don't worry. With all the exercising you do, it will be gone in no time.

Alida: Good to hear from you. It's not easy trying to juggle work and home...I sure know that. My garden is suffering for it this year.

Sorry I can't write longer, but I'd end up working late and I sure don't want to do that. I'll try to be more chatty tomorrow...maybe my allergies will be settled down by then. If not...I'll have to try something over the counter. Problem is that I usually end up flying higher than a kite with that stuff.

__________________
Donna
238.5/166.4/150
I will see my goal weight again!

Tuesday morning: Everybody keeping busy--or vegging out--I see! Hope this is all good. We are just trying to stay cool.

DH and I lived in this house for many years without A/C--only an ancient window unit for the living room that finally gave out. He toughed it out for a while after he "retired," but we sensibly put in central after that. I do not like being chilled in summer, so I don't mind a warm-ish house. But when it's 100 outside, best to hunker down with as much cool as you can manage.

The concrete guys have postponed our project, because the cement won't cure properly in this heat. Who knows if we'll get it done this summer?!

On the subject of eating, I'm joining those of you who are calorie-monitoring. I think I need to stay closer to 1500 than to 1800 as a general rule. This will require some careful choices. IMHO, exercise is overrated as a calorie-burning technique. Activity holds benefits for metabolism, as well as strength, circulation, posture, etc. But I believe that diet is the most significant factor for those of us with a built-in weight management problem. No getting around it.

Judy, your trip down Memory Lane had its ups and downs, no? You wouldn't trade those babies for a 25-inch waist! I'll bet your DH would agree that you're more beautiful than ever right now.

On my closet shelf is a tie-on, halter-top "hostess dress" I made back in the 70s out of an orange paisley poly material. It reminds me of dinner parties and romantic dinners a deux we used to have back then. It's probably back in style now. Maybe I'll put it on for our anniversary on Thursday. 37 years. Yikes! Where did it all go?? We were married on the day of the first footstep on the moon.

Well, enough rambling. I'll look for some girlfriend chatter here later on today.

__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Good morning!

I am surprised. The only posts yesterday after mine were Barb's and Donna's! Everyone must be busy.

Barb, what a wonderful picture of you and your friend! That one's a framer, for sure.

Actually, if you drive this week with the top down, I would think you are a mad dog! But to tell the truth, I have never driven in a convertible so I can't say for sure. Maybe the exhilaration would be exciting. But not the sweat. I HATE sweating. Maybe with all that (hot) breeze, you don't sweat?

A few extra pounds? Probably heat bloat from driving in that convertible!

Donna, at least your boss is working on the water problem. Bless the guys for bringing you jugs of water. Maybe you need to make them some muffins!

Oh, Donna, be careful of that sun! I hope the burn isn't painful. Perhaps a little artful application of tan stuff will help?

Yesterday the dry basement guy came. Ready for this one? The remedy he suggested costs over $3,500! Sheesh. they want to put a "trough" sorta thingy on the bottom of the basement wall. This trough is hooked up to the new super-duper sump pump. then a fake wall is put up to cover the whole thing. It's a BASEMENT! And the leak is only in one corner! Bob is going to call and request a quote just for patching the leaking part and the new sump pump. We also found out the sump pump we got about 2 years ago was NOT working. Only by the grace of God did we not have a major basement flood last week. A floater ball got stuck so it never turned on. The water was up to the critical point before spilling over. Sigh.

Son Paul might have found a problem source. You know those black "hoses" that are attached to the bottom of a gutter and are usually buried under the ground ... leading the water away from your house? We have one in the back, right by that bad corner, and we found out that it doesn't run AWAY from the house but leads into the sump pump. Paul ran water into the gutter. Then he put a squirt of soap into the start of that black "hose." Guess where the bubbles ended up? In the sump pump basin and coming out of the sump pump drain at the end of the yard. So he is going to re-route that gutter OUT of the black thingy and run it in back of some bushes at least 10 feet away from the house. Over the years, all that water going into that corner surely caused those cracks.

Everyone -- have a great day! XXOO

__________________
Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Barb, cross posting!

Orange paisley halter dress from the 70s? I'll bet it's back in style! And HAPPY ANNIVERSAY! 37 years. It sounds so long but yet it's a blink of an eye, too. Going someplace special for that dinner?

Bummer on the concrete. But I guess they know what they are doing. I sure do hope you are WRONG about this summer. If this heat keeps up, it will be awful. But it's sure good for the window tinting business!

__________________
Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Sorry to fly by again today. DH was off yesterday, and that does seem to take up my time as well.


I would love to comment on Judy's memories, Donna's trying days without water, Barb's gal pal picture, Alida's costly basement estimate (!). I hope you all know me well enough to know what I would say to each of you with a big hug. And that goes to everyone else.

See you all later I do hope.

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

Pretty slow in here the last couple of days. I hope that means that everyone is well and happy...just busy.

The weatherman tells us that we are going to "start" to get some warmer weather starting tomorrow. Awwkkk..yesterday was 105...what does warmer weather mean?

Now the good news...for me at least. I'm almost afraid to say this, but here does. It's now officially been 5 days since I've had a hot flush. Oh, this is so glorious for me. After 3 years, maybe I can only hope that it's finally over? Knock on wood and everything else that I would need to do to make sure it doesn't come back. I can remember before it all started making some stupid comment that hot flushes would be welcome because I'm always cold. What a stupid thing to say. If only I had known what they were really like. I'm praying that they won't come back!!

Alida: I sure hope you've found the cause of the leaks. Imagine something as simple as a little hose and the mess it's caused.

Barb: Paisley is definitely making a comeback. Bring that dress down and try it on. You'll definitely be in style.

My weight just hasn't budged. I'm sitting at 159 which is an ugly number for me. But it's been there for 3 days so I'm thinking it's probably just tettering and trying to decide which way to go. Down, I hope. I've been basically been eating the same things each day, especially for lunch in the park. So, today, I'm trying different things to see if I can get things going here.

It's so funny to watch the dogs now that we are going to the park for lunch each day. They really think they own it! Usually we are alone there, but sometimes someone else will show up with their pooch and little Sora just marches over and gets right in that dogs face and gives a little woof as though to ask what they think they are doing in her big yard. Too bad our weather didn't last like this all year round and we could take them there everyday.

I've bought a postcard which shows what our little part of the world looks like. Now I just have to scan it and I can post it for you. I was hoping to do it tonight, but I have grass to cut and dogs to walk and lunches to make...well, you get the idea. I'll get it done soon though.

This Saturday we have a wedding to go to, so I'm going to bring out the turquoise capris and top and wear them again. It's not a formal wedding, by any means. Dh is wearing shorts also. It's supposed to be well over 100 by then so being cool will be more important for an outside wedding.

__________________
Donna
238.5/166.4/150
I will see my goal weight again!

Well, Donna, I can't help observing that it's been days since you had ANY KIND of flush! I know, I know--tain't funny, any way you look at it. Hope the hormones are leveling out for you forever.

I've made an appt. with the car guy for tomorrow afternoon. Hope we can make a deal that isn't too lopsided. I'm not much of a negotiator--but I've been a great customer over the years. One thing I like about this particular dealership is that they ONLY sell Mazda, and the same people have been in Sales and Service for more than ten years. How rare is that? They have a reason to want my return business. I'll get the car a professional carwash tomorrow, and see what the man has to say. Right now I just want it gone, and I hope that doesn't make me softheaded. I have done a little homework online.

I'm looking out the window at the heat haze. A break is predicted by Friday (thunderstorms) but Midwest weather is notoriously unpredictable.

__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Donna, I know exactly where your hot flushes have gone :o

Barb, good luck on the car deal. Hang tough! By the way, you looked smashing in your gal pal picture. Your friend is lovely, by the way, but you look and dress years younger.

Judy, even if some of the memories you found hiding in the attic were somewhat bittersweet, please do treasure them. I can see you in a pageant when you were a teen What a gorgeous woman you still are!

Good Grief, Alida, I really hope there are some good alternatives to that horrid estimate for your basement. Around here, sometimes leaky basements are fixed by coating the outside of the basement wall with --something (no idea what). They dig a small trench outside of the basement wall and apply whatever it is to the foundation, as I understand it. Sorry I don't know more, and the fix might depend on the severity of the problem. Be sure to get references, check bonding, and the BBB, whatever you do. I've heard these trades tend to be particularly prone to shysters.

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

I'm baaaaack............Just stopping by the office before I go home. It's 4:30 and I've been working in and out of the car being a good pastor today. Got back from the Berkshire this morning. I'll write later.
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
64-3/4 years young

Hi guys!
A quickie fly by for me too, sorry. We are crazy busy this week at work and today, I was by myself in pre op. Sadly the nurse that was supposed to work with me, lost her sister last night to cancer. Tomorrow will be crazy as well.

Thanks to all for your supportive emails. I'm just kinda taking it one day at a time...or one phone call at a time, as the case may be.

We continue to be in an oppressive heat wave..ugh. My car temp said 111 degrees on the way home today; weather guy said 105 in the shade...but when it's over 100, it's just plain to dam* hot!!!! We found a dead baby martin last evening in our backyard. Apparently the little thing exhausted itself trying to fly. A short while later we looked out, and another baby martin was floundering on the ground. We went out and I was able to catch the little thing, and DH lowered the martin house and we put him back in a compartment...don't know if it was the right compartment, but at least we got him off the ground for the night. Maybe he fledged successfully today; at the moment there are no babies *on the ground*.

Sorry to be so short...I am following along at a distance. Still continue with much on my plate at the moment...ugh! I'm really looking forward to slowing down the pace a bit

(((hugs to all the gal pals))))
Shell

__________________
~~~~
Shelley
~~~~

Visit Kassie's Korner



Life deserves a treat now and again, but life also deserves being healthy[with required disipline] to make it worth living!

Hi Gang!

Offer on the condo tonight. Lots of contingencies on the offer. One is that we would have to move by the end of August!! That would be a stretch!

I'm following along too. I'll write tomorrow more, I promise. I'm straight out.

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
64-3/4 years young

Hi all, sorry to be MIA yesterday. DS came in to pick up his new car. A buddy from high school made him a much better deal than he could get in Dallas. DS is in the process of changing jobs. Instead of selling migraine meds, he will now be selling CPAP (sleep apnea) equipment. Peg, was it you that said your DH used a CPAP? Tell me about them. We had a really nice visit. It was actually the first time that he has been here in over a year. We mostly visit in Dallas or in Tyler.

One of the things that we accomplished this morning was to take my mom's wedding band to the jeweler and make a selection of stud earring settings for half the diamonds. Her ring had five .20 pt diamonds and two bands with 8 tiny diamonds each. I told each kid that they could have two diamonds and one guard band to either go in a wedding band or for the use of their choice. DS decided against using the diamonds in Dill's wedding rings, but is using them to make earrings to give DIL when Olivia is born. The earrings will eventually go to Olivia. BTW, Olivia now has a middle name. She is to be Olivia Grace.

As most of you are experiencing, it's HOT!! We have been over 100 everyday the last week. Today I think it was 104. It's nice sitting here in the air-conditioning.......

__________________
Judy
highest = 180, goal = 140
Every single time I put food in my mouth, it matters. No more fooling myself!

For anyone interested, this is what it looks like where I live.

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__________________
Donna
238.5/166.4/150
I will see my goal weight again!