Checking in.....

Had a good weekend. Our local fireworks are not until this evening, but it's supposed to rain. :-(

We were going to attend the Macy's fireworks last night, but our friends could not get it together early enough, so we stayed home with a few friends.

We got a 4-day weekend out of my company, so today I'm hanging out on the computer, finishing some laundry and cleanup from yesterday, and getting ready for my followup CT Scan later. I'm getting anxious about it; not because I expect that the lung thingies got bigger, but because it takes so d*mned long to find a vein to plunge that nasty contrast into me!! LOL

Make it a great week!
DeeMarie

DeeMarie - wishing you only the best!

Our fireworks story was the opposite of DeeMarie;s. Had to take DD's to the train station and we stopped for a nice dinner on our way home, so we decided to forego the fireworks. When we were just 10 minutes from town, friends called to ask us to meet them to see the fireworks. Glad we did, they were the nicest the town has ever done.

BJ - How did your first procession go? I don't like to think of the day that I need to go to make any arrangements, but I will be greatly comforted if the person I was dealing with was like you.

The weather was glorious, hot but no humidity and a nice breeze, we went on the boat everyday and had a nice BBQ on Sunday. DD's went to concerts, camping, etc. - so it was a very full weekend.

I hope everyone had a safe and fun filled weekend.

Good WEDNESDAY morning!

Raeanne, I was somewhat lucky yesterday--the prescription clearly read "no contrast". It was a painless procedure and I get the results tomorrow. I'm only thinking good thoughts about this one!

Besh, congratulations! You are working the program wonderfully! I'm back to it and confident the weight will start coming off again, as I got my OK to resume the exercise program. I was at a stall and even gained a few while on my cruise. We've had so much humidity that I was not able to get out this weekend, but I'm going to a low impact class with toning and stretch this evening. Do you make the veggie soup? That was my saving grace when I first started the program. I need to make that soup again; zero points and very healthy!

BJ, tell us all about your exciting life! Did you hear that they are casting Survivor 12 right this minute? I saw it on a web site and thought of you. Looking forward to watching you on it someday!

Suzanne, how's the weather up there? We had such a damp day yesterday. Last night we went to our local fireworks, and even the young children were complaining about the humidity!

Maddie, hope all is well with you. I saw an auction house nearby and thought of you!

BIG HELLO to John, Jen, Amy, Joanne, Tikanas, Gretchen, KY Susie, Patti & Dave, Marci, Magickitty, MaryAnn...I know I missed some of you. Check in this week!

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

Good Morning all......
Sorry to be a MIA..... Just trying to keep up with daily tasks.
Just want to stop in and say hi.... I need to read and catch up. Will post later.

Magickitty

Soooooo...., am I supposed to talk to myself this week?

Come on, it's already Thursday. There MUST be some confessions, successes, desires, gossip, frustrations, naughtiness (Maddie? LMAO!!!)

Check in please.

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

PS: Sending lots of positive thoughts and prayers to our cousins in the UK. I have many, many coworkers there.

Hi Everyone!

What a wake up call for mass transit commuters. I'm afraid it'll soon be like the airport security system on our transit systems. The terrorists are gaining....

I am down 20 1/2 pounds this morning. That's a loss of 2 more lbs since last week. I have been doing a lot of yard work, so not thinking about food so much. On the 4th, I ate put some cheese and crackers in bag, plus my own meal and made it through the picnic we had. 3 meals/3 snacks seems to have agreed with my body metabolism and it is finally working.

DeeMarie sent me a Trader Joe's card, so I am taking myself on a little pleasure trip to the store next week for fun. THANKS, DeeMarie! I love Trader Joe's! Let us know how the test results turn out.

Congrats on the 20 pounds, BESH!!!!!!!!!!! I am right on your coat tails! Keep up the GREAT work!

OHHHHHHHMMMMMMM, calling Raeanne. Check in, dear. How's DH? Better? My DH found a friend at work and is in much better spirits lately.

This weekend looks to be busy for me on Saturday. I am having some very new experiences at work that are enlightening. Dove releases, biodegradable balloon releases, interesting viewings, and last week, a huge Baptist, very loud service which was FULL of life!

Hi Magic Kitty, Patti, Jen, NHSuzanne, KYSusie, Jersey Karen, Marci, Maddie, Gretchen, Amy, Zig, John, and Tikanas.

ps: 9 days until I leave for Hawaii. ARG! Swimsuits? ::

BJ - I envy the Hawaiian vacation, but not the swimsuit part and there is no way of avoiding a suit there. Congrats on the 20lbs. Yes, DH is in a much better mood these days - he rarely is grouchy, so when he is, it takes me by surprise. Glad your DH has a new friend LOL.

DeeMarie - it is very scary out there right now. I pr@yed that DD's would be safe in their commute. I hate that they are on the subways everyday.

I got DH to go to the ballet with me this afternoon. The NYC Ballet was performing A Midsummer Nights Dream. Our friends were performing, so it was that much more fun to watch. It was done beautifully and there were so many small children in it - just blew me away. We normally go to the ballet, track and a concert at least once each summer.

We need to hear from the rest of the gang - come on and fess up.

Raeanne~ The ballet sounds so fun and always a plus to be able to see a friend perform!

It's pouring rain here today - yesterday it was SO sunny. The rain will help our water shortage we're having.

I have about 5 million errands to run today so I'm off to get a handle on tying up loose ends today.

What's on tap for the weekend?

I'm doing 2 funerals in 2 different chapel locations. Bad part of it is that they are doing maintenance on the bridge I take to work and so I'm going to have to drive ALL THE WAY AROUND Lake Washington. Oh, well, I haven't been on a tour of the lake in a long time, so I'll get to see all the new construction that's gone up!

Sunday, DH and I might take a drive up to the north (near Canada) and check out some sights. But if it's pouring, I don't think we'll go - too much traffic slow down.

Tonight, DH wants to look at a new set of wedding rings for us for our upcoming aniversary, but last night, I came to bed 15 minutes later than he wanted and poof- he is not happy! So-I wonder if he'll still want to shop?!!!!!!?

Log on and say hi!

BYE!

Hello,

My turn to check in! DS is going to camp on Sunday for a week so I have been so busy trying to help him get ready. He is going to a high adventure type camp so there is lots to pack. They will be doing rock climbing, rapelling, white water rafting, canoeing, etc. I am a little bit nervous about the whole thing, but I know deep down inside that he will be fine.

Thursday, my Mom, sister and my sisters DIL are going to the Barbie Convention in Boston. My sister is a huge collector and I was at one time so it should be a hoot. We will be staying at the Park Plaza Hotel, which is where the convention is being held. I have already told myself that I am not there to buy, just watch and enjoy. This is a big event. We had to register over a year ago and people come from all over. This is the first time it has been held in Boston, so we have to go.

WW is going ok. I lost .2 pounds this week. That is point 2, not 2. Grand total 21.2 pounds. BJ, you are doing awesome. It really is just common sense isn't it?

Raeanne, I could never get DH to go to a ballet. How wonderful that yours will. I'll bet it was great to see your friends perform. I am really in the Feng Shui mode these days. I am purging like crazy. We have had so much bad luck lately, that things have to get better, so this is my tatic to turn things around. It will help!

DeeMarie, are your coworkers ok? Have you heard anything about them? What a horrible, horrible thing to have happen.

Well back to the laundry. I am getting old, doing laundry on a Friday night!

Love, Besh

Besh - believe me, the only reason DH went to the ballet was to see our friends perform. Lucky for me, one was in the 2nd act or he would've been itching to leave at intermission LOL. I hope your feng shui proves to be the clearing you need right now - it always seems to help.

Dee - I thought of you immediately with all your London connections. We have friends in London too, but I am thinking "no news is good news".

BJ - are we on for some laundry tomorrow?

I have to get back to work, have a great weekend.

YES! We are doing laundry together, sistah!

You won't believe it, but today, the place gave me the keys to the hearse and I drove it WAY out to a service, casket and all. Then afterwards, I loaded it back up and drove back. Did 2 services today for a full day and my dogs are barking! I really should stop wearing my black leather boots with the high heels to these things! :)

Tomorrow, the kids have some excitement planned, but my day will be spent with the lovely Raeanne, in front of matching washer and dryer set, being a domestic engineer.

I read reviews on a couple of books that sound good, so I ordered them for summer reading:

The Interruption of Everything
By Terry McMillan

"As Marilyn approaches middle-age, we follow her struggle to discover herself outside the constraints of a passionless marriage, a demanding family and an ever-growing list of dreams deferred. With three children in college, a husband who suffers from destructive professional and personal inertia, a demanding mother-in-law, a senile mother and a drug-addicted sister, Marilyn has more on her plate than she expected at this stage of the game. Torn between taking care of her friends and family and attending to her own needs, she's faced with choices, like deciding to finish her graduate degree, that never before seemed hers to make. Along the way, supporting characters like Marilyn's feisty little niece and supportive-yet-opinionated best friends Paulette and Bunny add humor and depth to our heroine's character. And as always, McMillan does a flawless job of incorporating humor into even the most traumatic situations, as evidenced by a scene in which Marilyn ends up babysitting her hairdresser's children while waiting twelve hours for new braids. ("At three, Blue has to make a run. Orange has to go to the bank to get a money order. I ask Lexus to find me a Pamper and I take the baby in the bathroom.")
Warm and witty, sincere and heartfelt, The Interruption of Everything is sure to delight McMillan devotees and attract a host of new fans. --Gisele Toueg"

and

The Friend Who Got Away:Twenty Women's True Life Tales of Friendship the Blew Up, Burned Out or Faded Away
By Jenny Offill, Elissa Schappell

"Editors Offill and Schappell offer ostensibly the first book on lost friendship between women: 20 accounts of bonds that faltered, snapped, or slowly disappeared. Some of them are torch songs; some express anguish on a par with that of divorce; some are sly, tongue-in-cheek explanations of "lifelong" friendship's tenure. "I do not believe in . . . Meaningful Talks, except when they relate to . . . hair or makeup," opines one woman. "Otherwise, confrontations, in my opinion, serve only to make the plaintiff feel better for making the other person feel bad. I hold those I am really fond of to a lower standard than I do other people." Another contributor, one of a trio of friends, finds that her three miscarriages ruined the mythical story ("that wildness of being the same") of the threesome's bond. By breaking the silence about failed friendship so literately, this book appeals to many more readers than just students of interpersonal psychology. Whitney Scott Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved"

These books sound like interesting summer fluff for me.

Anybody else?

Oh! DeeMarie, BTW, I love Janet books! You may also find you like Nevada Barr. I always actually learn something from the Nevada Barr books, since she throws in actual facts about whatever she's writing the mystery about. Try her Lake Superior book as a start if you feel like it.

Okay, I'm done!

This may not be a summer fluff read, but it is what I am reading next. DD started reading it when she was visiting, so I let her take it back with her. I hope I can still enjoy lobster after I read it:

The Secret Life of Lobsters : How Fishermen and Scientists Are Unraveling the Mysteries of Our Favorite Crustacean (Hardcover)
by Trevor Corson

The Barnes & Noble Review from Discover Great New Writers
Until now, the only thought our Discover readers had given to this species was how to get them to the pot of boiling water while avoiding their snapping pincers and flapping tails. With his first book, Trevor Corson has changed all that. For Corson has composed an elegant and intriguing work comprising three essential ingredients: natural history, biological research, and a loving portrait of a community.
Corson, who spent two years working aboard a commercial lobster boat, also trolls alongside scientists who study the valuable crustaceans, offering intimate depictions of their work. And he introduces readers to generations of lobstermen and their families on Little Cranberry Island, a tiny fishing community off the coast of Maine. The end result of his assiduous detective work is this remarkable account of the delicate balance between these players and their role in ensuring the responsible stewardship of the lobster population as well as the survival of a storied industry. Along the way, Corson reveals lobsters as tremendously complex and interesting creatures: gentle, and at times, amorous lovers, as well as pugnacious and lethal bullies who regularly compete for dominance beneath the ocean's surface. Corson's passion for creatures we most often see accompanied by drawn butter is evident on every page of this wonderfully irresistible book. Bib not included. (Fall 2004 Selection)

I also bought the Oprah Summer selection - 3 Faulkner books, but I let a friend take them first, as I haven't been in a reading mode.

Right now I am trying to read "Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye" by Allison Dubois (the TV show Medium is based on her life). Although I find it interesting, I am not enjoying it as much as I thought I would.

Which reminds me, in August I am going to a John Edward seminar/gallery reading - can't wait!

BJ - WOW, you had a full day. It must've been exciting for you. Anymore talk on the rings. I was thinking of doing that this year for us. I know this sounds very odd, but DH never had a wedding ring. When we got married we were on a very tight budget and he was an auto mechanic, so we felt he wouldn't wear the ring too often. I never gave it much thought, except now that my best friend is single, when I meet a man now, I always look for a ring on his hand for her LOL. I also don't wear my wedding band, I got a very wide band and it irritates my finger - especially now that it's too small for me. YES, even my fingers got fat!

Enough blabbing - I need to get going on my laundry.

Hi!

CALLING RAEANNE!!!!!! I'm doing laundry and I gotta weed my yard today! The fun never ends!

Well, DH and I did not ring shop on Friday. He never mentioned it, so neither did I. He did want to go swimsuit shopping, so I agreed to that and visited 3 shops and modeled swimsuits for him for an hour or so. He wanted me to try on bikinis - arg. OF COURSE, we didn't find anything he liked (support issues and such---lol), so I ended up just going to my old standby, REI, and getting 2 prs of boy shorts that I can live with. Now I gotta find some tops to go with them. I'll do that on my own. Pictures from Hawaii forthcoming --- HA! You may see me as the next victim on 'What Not To Wear' after THIS vacation!!!!!!

NHSuzanne~ I meant to tell you that the last time I visited Acadia Park was 10 years ago! I loved it, hiked the rocky shorelines and drove the roads all around. It was foggy most mornings (July) and so the actual water exploration trip I had planned went kaput and I fell into my second fiddle activity--hiking!

Besh! I want to hear about the Barbie convention. My sis and I never played with Barbies - couldn't get them in the Alaskan village I grew up in - but we dreamed of them, drooling over the beautiful dolls in the catalogs we got in the mail. All the kids called Sears, Montgomery Wards, and Jafco catalogs "Wish Books" and made our Santa lists from them! We mostly played with 'Trolls' - remember those? -- as they were cheaper and easier to get. We'd build houses for them out of Lincoln Logs. BUT-----I still liked looking at the older style Barbies with the think, glamorous black eyeliner and blue eyeshadow in the catalogs. I never had one, but I loved to look at them! I think there was one called Midge I especialy liked, but I'm not sure if that was her name. She had dark hair and the heavy make-up going on.

Well, I better put on some music with a stepped-up beat and get to cleaning this place up!

Have a great Sunday!

BJ - Yes, there was a Midge doll. I hate to go shopping with DH, he either says it looks good so casually that I don't believe him, thinking he just wants me to get something to get it over with. I don't care how much weight I lose, I will never be able to wear a bikini again, unless I get some lifts, tucks and lipo. I was with you on the laundry until I got a call from our builder/friend to see if we wanted to go out to dinner tonight. He also wants to come here first to show his girlfriend the house. Which means I NEED TO CLEAN AND FAST. I just came on here to get a recipe for a mango salsa recipe to serve with some shrimp and scallops.

I wouldn't mind What Not to Wear grabbing a hold of me. But I would dread that mirror they stick you in front of and what about the secretive taping - oh, maybe I wouldn't want to be on there.

I better get busy here.

Positive thoughts going out to our folks in Florida....

Patti and Dave

MagicKitty

Happyto

and

Jersey Karen

Warm wishes and hopefulness to you all that you weather the storm safely. ((((HUGS)))))