Hi!

Checkin' in!

I'm on my way to my attorney's office after taking kids to school. The guy I was in a suit with decided to sign settlement papers yesterday. I'm glad. The whole thing has been going on since November and has added more stress on some days than I wanted to deal with.

Food front is good. I haven't lost any more weight, but have stayed steady with no gain. My body tends to lose weight, then plateau for longer than I like, then lose again, so....what a fun pattern!

Last week, I received my DD's allotment of Girl Scout cookies----60 boxes. I haven't had one, so I think I can handle having cookies around now....lol. I've been eating the new variety golden carrots and apple slices when I want something sweet. We'll head out to the airport in the next few weeks to help sell cookies to the pilots I used to work with! They need something to go with all that coffee they drink! Tomorrow, we're headed to an upscale market to try and sell there!

Glad the vote is over and we can look forward to gettin' 'Licked'.

Maddie~ Thanks for the laughs last night!

Deemarie! Congrats on the loss! Full steam ahead, girl!

Raeanne, I missed doing laundry with you last week, but Sunday, I'l be here!

I'm going to spend the weekend cleaning my yard knick knacks, bird bath, and cute signage out ("Free mole, you catch" and "Free leaves, you rake"). The landscaper starts Monday. He's tearing out my front and back yards and redoing EVERYTHING. I really can't wait.

AND, I'm sorting out all my books and taking them to Half Price Books to sell. I have kept too many books that don't mean anything to me any more. Can you tell I picked up a copy of Feng Shui made simple at IKEA? lol.....well, whatever works in this ole fish camp!

Oh, I went to the doc yesterday and got the okay to start working on arm weights. I started weight training on Tuesday (just arms for now) just to get the jump on things. It's every other day. I'll start abs next Monday. I had blown a stitch or 2 last week, but it's got a butterfly on it now and is good to go....me too!

Cheers! and CHECK IN if you lurk today!

I'm lurking....was out this morning because I had a bad intestinal bug yesterday. Need to catch up before I leave for vacation.

Take care, and I'll try to check in later.
D

LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT FRENCH LICK IN 2005!!!!!!!!!

OK, I'm back. I kept my Kashi cereal down and just ate an orange, so I think I'll go to the fitness center and do my 40-minute circuit.

I leave tomorrow at 5am for Florida, so I may not be back here until I get on the internet cafe on the ship next week. I expect all of you to behave! I'm going to put all of you in charge of Maddie, Raeanne, and BJ---they misbehave when I'm not around! LOL

Patti, hope you got those papers in order. You are a tower of strength when it comes to getting your act together, and I commend you. Don't know if I would have been as patient as the two of you have been. You deserve an end to this...a favorable end.

BJ, hope you will be taking it easy. We want you 100% when we meet next year!

OK, so where is everyone else? Hope you are all out exercising or thinking about all those healthy meals you are going to cook and eat while I am out to sea with 900 Italian men feeding me pasta! LMAO!!!

I expect to see posts from Joanne, John, Jen, and the rest of you who are MIA! Tell us how you are; we miss you!

Hi and [[[[[[[HUGS]]]]]]]] to everyone!!!

OK, really gotta go now.
Take care, eat healthy, and NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!
DeeMarie

DeeMarie - Bon Voyage - enjoy and feel well. We will try to behave LOL.

I did spend my day in a very healthy way. I haven't exercise, but I usually take Thursday off (because I try to clean). I treated myself to a hot stone massage - wow - I feel like a new person. I also am making our Sticky Chicken recipe - MADDIE, I forgot to marinate it last night, so I didn't need the stapler LOL. I think it will taste fine. I also made coleslaw to go with it.

BJ - I don't think my DH likes the idea we are going someplace called French Lick and he isn't involved LOL.

I have to eat soon, as I go to my art class tonight. I think I am going to start a still life. She said we are going to do a fun collage too.

Dee--I'll have you to know that I misbehave when you *are* around!!! You're my inspiration!! LMAO! Have a wonderful trip, & I'm glad you're feeling better-

BJ--you are such a riot--I wish I lived closer to you; what fun we could get into! :):) I fished out my BBQ invite and it's stuck on the back of the front door; otherwise I'd lose it--scheech! :)

French Lick it is, then--ladies--this is gonna be so much fun! If anyone does want actual literature from there, I will be happy to go pick some up. (Give me a good excuse to spend a day just messing around!)

Gotta go--hope all is well!

Hugs,

Maddie

Good morning folks!!

Nice and sunny today but gosh is it windy!!!
Maybe its a good thing I have extra poundage on board less I blow away!!

Dee, I had the bug last weekend. God bless imodium!!
Enjoy your vacation!!

BJ, The jeans arrived and they fit!! Amy was a bit taken back by how we wore them back then. She has never worn a pair of pants that went above the belly button before.
She said "gosh, you guys really wore these??"
I personally thing the hip pants (that cut a line acrossed your widest part) really make the young girls look heavier.
When she put these on she really did look slimmer....but try telling that to a media brainwashed teen!!

Thank you ever so much...you are so kind!!!

Last weeks hearing went as planned....no added custody to the mother. She had actually petitioned for every weekend in one way or another and the judge said no. "Lets just keep the order as it is and evaluate in 3 months".

Dan is satisfied for now although the mother is doing something really odd.
Every day for about 2 weeks, she has been pulling one or both boys out of school and running them to doctor after doctor for tests.
Is she hoping to find something wrong with them and then blame the dad???
So far they have gone to allergist, eye doctor, dentist, ear-nose and throat specialist, speech therapist, regular pediatric doc, dermetologist and 2 yes 2 counselers.

There is nothing wrong with these boys, even the judge said they appeared to be happy and healthy with dad!!

Oh well, I put my trust in my faith that the right thing will happen!!

Got mixed news from my own sons neuro doc this week.
His petit maul seizures have all but stopped but the others he suffers from have increased. So now he has to go through another round of testing the worst of which is a 72 hour EEG.
They will set him up at the hospital and send us home with the computers and monitoring equipment. Once home he'll be tethered to these devices for 3 whole days.
I scheduled this for April 12-15.

Last year the boy was so bored and uncomfortable so the good news is that I have a few weeks to come up with things to keep him occupied and busy.

No big plans for this weekend as I have to work.
Sunday is our St Paddy's day parade. I can't go but I do plan to have my corned beef and cabbage!!
No, there is no fat, calories, carbs or salt in corned beef and cabbage if your Irish and everyone is Irish this time of year!! Even lil ole German ME!! LOL

He's wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!!

PEACE!
Susie

Hi All:
Just checking int
Patti: Your Birthday package is headed to Florida - mailed it on Monday
Well I'm signed up for something called French Licks to meet women I have never seen before. Sounds like a basis for a good movie. Now I really need someone to tell me what French Licks is and where it is and when are we going and who is organizing.

Off to get my boob crushed (sorry John)today - just going to take it easy this weekend. It is snowing like the middle of winter and my tulips are up about 2 inches. Silly weather.

Take care,
Joanne

Joanne - Glad you are joining us, go to the link below to see exactly what you signed up for LOL. NH Suzanne has taken the initiative to get this thing off the ground. So I vote for her to continue being our leader LOL. Keep your feet up this weekend and watch a couple good movies.

Susie - sounds like your hands are full. I will keep DS in my thoughts.

Gotta run, the phones have been non-stop today.

Here is a link that might be useful: French Lick

Joanne~I'm looking forward to getting your package. I know that I will absolutely love whatever you send me!!

DeeMarie~I hope that you have a good trip & that you don't have a bug the entire time. I don't have the papers quite finished but they should be done within a week & I'll be out of that stressful situation as far as doing all of the legwork. Yippee!

As far as my liver goes, I'm having a CAT Scan done on it on Thursday of next week then I'm going to have a scope down my throat for GERD. Not looking forward to that. It isn't until the middle of April. I think that they plan some other testing too but it was hard to tell b/c the PA said one thing & the receptionist didn't mention it. Oh well! I've got a place at New Smyrna Beach, FL for 2006, perhaps, that I'm going to go & look up. Tomorrow, we are having a block party. I've organized a book club here & we are having the organizational meeting on the 26th. So, I'm beginning to get out & do a little bit more. Well, hope everyone enjoys their weekend. Patti :)

http://www.riverviewhotel.com/

Good Morning Everyone!

Boy is it quiet here lately.

Patti good to hear from you. You sound very upbeat which is very nice to hear. Out and about is a good thing!!

Joanne, good to hear from you too. Glad that you will be joining us at French Lick next year!

I have a busy day ahead of me. I have to cook dinner for twelve tonight for my father in law! He is having alot of company and his regular person is on vacation so I volunteered as opposed to getting a caterer. No big deal really it's just that it's for him and his guests!

I am going to try to squeek in a short ride before that so I have to hit the road! I will check in later.

NH Suzanne

NH Suzanne - wowser - you are a lot calmer than I would be, if I were cooking for 12 (especially for the FIL) tonight - that was nice of you to volunteer. Hope you get that ride in with SP.

Patti - I agree with Suzanne, you are sounding very upbeat, that is a great attitude to have - as you are once again approaching another deadline - sounds like you will make it no problem.

BJ - since I was feeling brave this morning, I e-mailed a photo of my first painting to Marci. So maybe sometime this week it will be posted for the "world" to see LOL. I was complimented by DD#1 who thought it looked very good "even up close" LOL. I still prefer to view it from a distance while squinting.

DeeMarie - Thinking of you sailing the high seas, while the snowflakes are falling here. Did you see that there is a railway museum at French Lick - maybe your DH will want to join us.

Well, I have to straighten up around here a little (messy for only 2 people living here) and then get ready for work.

Have a great day!

Just ordering some postcards for work and came across this, thought of all of you here.

Here is a link that might be useful: 6 Best Positions in Bed

NH Suzanne~Have a nice ride. I know that things will go well with FIL. It really was nice of you to volunteer to do that.

Raeanne~Cute pictures. I had seen them before but "curiosity got the cat". LOL

We are having a block party in a little while so I have to run & get ready. Just didn't want to go without checking in here first. Patti :)

Hello from sunny Florida. We are having a ball and tomorrow our ship leaves for San Juan.

Girls, I actually went to a tanning salon today. We GF and I simply did not want to board that ship without a tan!

Hope the weather improves up north.

Will talk to you guys next week!

Take care, eat healthy, and NEVER NEVER GIVE UP!
DeeMarie

Hi everybody!

Raeanne - I got your email and your painting is in the album. I think you did a great job! I couldn't draw my way out of a paper bag, so I greatly admire anyone with artistic ability. WTG!

DS is leaving tomorrow afternoon, so my house will be quiet once again. It has been nice having him home, especially since I hadn't seen him for 2 months.

We took our preschoolers to a Pizzeria this week and we had a great time. A lot of Dads came on the trip to chaperone, and they livened things up. It is always nice to have parents who want to be involved.

DeeMarie - You lucky girl you! I wish we could all meet on a cruise someday. Now that would be a trip to remember! Ciao!

NHSuzanne - What was your menu for your FIL's dinner. How did it turn out?

Patti - How was your block party? When our kids were little, we used to have block parties all the time. I miss those days.

BJ - WTG ignoring the Girl Scout cookies. You are a better women than me!! I just had to have a box of Samoas. :~(

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. I'll be back on Monday.

Marci

Good Morning All,

Raeanne!! Nice painting. Very surreal. I like it alot. I can't paint my way out of paper bag either but the worse thing is that I wouldn't even try!!

Patti, how was the block party?

DeeMarie, it's good to hear from you sail along in the warmth!!

Marci, thanks for posting Raeanne painting. That site is great.

The Menu was Shrimp cocktail on a bed of baby greens dressed with lemon and olive oil. It was good
Roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, broccoli & cauliflower, glazed carrots and wonderful gravy.
Dessert was creme caramel with orange almond shortbread. It was very good. I made desert earlier in the week so that was a big help. The rest was pretty easy it was just timing, getting every thing out hot and the beef not overcooked which is was not. That was my big fear! It was delicious.

Last night was a great success. DH was a very big help and the company was really nice, not stuffy. Two of the guest were jounalist, just back from Iraq. What tales they have. It's amazing. One of them is a woman who is a producer for the FOX network and she produces Oliver North's show War Stories each week. She is great, I have met her several times before. She travels the world while her DH stays at home and tendst to things there. Great couple. The other journalist is her friend and he had wild tales to tell too. Things I could never imagine. There was another couple there who live in DC. He manages a huge multi-million dollar pension fund for the government. He was the president of our local bank years ago! I'd say he's come a long way.

I have to head back over there to make breakfast for DH and DFI and whoever else gets up! The two journalist couples stayed over last night.

I am so tired I don't know if I am going to ride or have a nice long nap. Right now the nap is winning!

Oh and just before I started to make dinner my temporary crown came off! I stuck it back in with some vaseline but it came out again. It's in right now but I can't eat!! It's uncomfortable though. Last night it didn't bother me much with all the wine!!

NH Suzanne

NH Suzanne - I had to use denture adhesive to keep my temp crown in once and the last time I lost my crown, the receptionist told me you can use toothpaste - I'm not sure of that if the nerve is a bit exposed. Sounds like your dinner was a real success. It must have been a very interesting and entertaining night. Thank you for your kind comments on my painting. I know I have a long ways to go, but I am enjoying the journey.

Marci - good to hear from you and thank you for posting my picture (I think LOL). I was feeling brave. Glad DS's visit was nice, it is very quiet after they leave isn't it!
and thank you for your nice comments on my painting too. I know an experienced and talented artist could've knocked that piece out in 1 evening, but it took me 4 classes - with lot's of guidance.

We went to dinner last night with friends, they said they would pick us up at 6 and take us on a little ride and then for dinner. They took us to Vermont (only an hour away), but it was the nicest restaurant in a cute little town and the food was excellent.

BJ - I have 2 loads of laundry going right now, are you still out pushing those cookies LOL??? Glad the suit was settled, must feel like a huge weight off your shoulders.

I am determined to clean out some boxes of junk in my basement this morning, so I better keep busy. I condensed one large box into a shoebox and that is of stuff I am giving away - not keeping any of it!!!

The block party was a huge success. We all had a great time & I won 2 prizes & Dave won 1. I never win so I was really excited.

Raeanne~I cannot wait to see your picture that you painted.

Marci~So glad that you checked in.

DeeMarie~Glad that you checked in too. Isn't the weather here wonderful?

NH Suzanne~Your evening sounds like so much fun. If I knew someone like that I would tell them what happened to Dave & see if they knew how to help him. :)

Well, I'll check back tomorrow. Patti :)