For those who missed it this weekend, I suggest we continue to celebrate MARCI's BIRTHDAY. She is a rock, with more willpower than anyone I know. Marci, I raise a virtual cup of M&Ms to you, sweetie!

QOD: I'm watching my salt intake like a hawk this week. Took in way tooooo much last week, and my ankles and calves suffered.

Thanks for starting us up, Raeanne! :-)

Virtual M&Ms!!! Now why didn't I think of that 5,000 M&Ms ago! LOL

I had fun at the wedding. But my friend told me that the caterers dropped a tray of cookies. A tray filled with 7 dozen cream wafers that I had made. I doubled my recipe and made 14 dozen, which means I really made 28 dozen little discs. I filled them with a pastry bag, trying so hard to be careful with the delicate dough. We packaged them, put a domed lid on the tray and carefully packed the van with all the cooky trays. All 42 trays made it safely to Pittsburgh, only to have the impatient caterer stack the trays too high and my cream wafers crash to the floor. The lid stayed on, but all but 4 of them were smashed. Oh well, the bride and groom were gorgeous, the weather couldn't have been more perfect, the food was delicious, my shoes were comfortable, and the group at our table was fun, so the night was saved. LOL

Yesterday, we left at 8/am, drove to State College only to have my DD tell us that her battery light had come on about halfway there. We drove to Advanced Auto thinking we only had to buy a battery, but we discovered her fan belt (serpentine belt to be exact) had broken and her car was running off her battery and draining it. The guys at the auto store weren't allowed to help DH change the belt, so he spent over on hour trying to get it changed. I am just glad we were there when it broke and that DD arrived safely. We got most of DD's stuff moved into the new apartment and drove back home, arriving around 8/pm. I was exhausted, so I am taking it easy today.

DeeMarie - Thanks for the birthday wishes! It's nice to have my birthday celebration continued.

It is beautiful here today, so I am going to go sit outside on my porch and read. Chores can wait.

Later,
Marci

Happy Birthday Week Marci LOL.

Tikanis - where are you girlfriend? Check your email and your snail mail.

BJ - sounds like life is good on the island! Thanks for posting Marci's recipe - I am going to make some for the week and keep me on track.

Donna - My closet has gotten out of control and it's all about the shoes!!!

Besh - I will keep DH in my thoughts.

Have a great day!

Ladies (sorry John...not sure you'd be interested), my MIL informed me yesterday that she "inherited" almost 100 pairs of shoes; most of them never worn! You all know that my MIL (aka Hoarder!) cannot pass up anything, so she is busy showing dozens and dozens of shoes (still in boxes!) to everyone. "Do these fit you" "What size are you?" it goes on aand on. Apparently, the woman who passed started out a size 7 and passed when she was a size 9 1/2, but she never wore most of the shoes she bought! You had to see this! AMAZING!!!!! LMAO

So, I wanna know...DeeMarie...did you inherit any of the shoes? I have a pair of shoes that a Pastor gave me from his deceased wife. She was a REAL shoe person and had hundreds of shoes as well! Anyway, I took them and they are the most wonderful shoes---they were brand new when I got them.

I am a boot person (as almost everyone here knows about DH's boot fetish) but I really dig cowgirl boots and work-type boots. They are SO comfy!

Raeanne- Are you kayaking any lately? The island was nice and I got in 2-4mile walks each night---however, I thought I'd need a blood transfusion by the time I got back here--I got bitten a MILLION times and have welts all over me! First thing I did was get on DrugStoreDotCom and order everything I could find to repel bugs!

Marci!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! You must have had heart failure when you heard about those cookies! I would have unloaded them MYSELF---but I micromanage too much!

---The serpentine belt? YIPES! Good thing she had you there! That is plain good luck!

Speaking of "off to college"....my DD is headed to the dorm on September 16th---what should she bring? It's kinda far away and I'm following her there with all the stuff she'll need, but we really have no REALISTIC idea of what she'll need, Soooo....IDEAS PLEASE.

Also, what would you put in a college chick's care packages. She just let me know that she will be homesick and is looking forward to all the care packages I'll be sending her....!

Ah, well, enough is enough. I did THE stupidist thing and left my purse on the island this morning. So I have to get up at 2am, drive 2 hours to catch the 4:30 ferry, get to the island at 5:35, try to catch the 6am ferry back to the mainland--hour ride--, drive 2 hours to get back home. I don't think I'll be forgetting my purse any time soon again! We had 2 extra kids this trip and I packed last night and loaded the truck at 5:30 this morning...guess I was too tired to know what I was doing and just SPACED OUT on my purse. arg...grumble...hrummppp.

Back 2-morrow!

Hello,

Im still here, not camping until Friday! :)

What does a college kid need today?

Laptop
Ipod
alarm clock
Microwave, if allowed
small fridge, if allowed
Case of mac and cheese, or ramen noodles :)
beer, I mean soda pop!
calling card to call home
another alarm clock
jar of quarters to do laundry

Everything else would fall under personal preference imho :)

Happy B-day Week Marci!!!!!

Not much new here, except I went to the mall to check out TVS and came home with a monster 50 inch Sony, no payments or interest for 18 months though! gotta love Best Buy :)

Oh well back to work, im the only one answering the phone tonight, all the nurses are in gab mode and too busy chatting. Another hour of this and they are going see sarcasm that will make the pain of child birth seem like a day at the beach.. anyhow!

take care

John

BJ - I feel for you and that trip back for your purse! John did an excellent job with the dorm list. Only a few things come to mind. Beds are usually longer than normal twins, so she may need special sheets. Also a caddy for her toiletries to lug back and forth from the bathroom. If there is no A/C she may need a small fan for a couple months. Some type of laundry bag/hamper to lug her laundry with all those quarters. With regards to the refrig - sometimes they have size limits, so you better look into that first. You can usually rent them, but they end up costing more than buying them now. Pictures, don't forget family photos and don't worry about her being homesick, she will be, but it is very temporary - it will take you longer to get over it than her - once they get a taste of college life and freedom... My care packages consisted of all their favorite snacks, magazines, little items that would make me think of them while I am out shopping and MONEY LOL. The shipping ends up costing more than items in the package, but they love them. Those end after a while too, but it is fun for both of you at first.

I am on my way to workout with the trainer. I am down 10 pounds since July 5th! I haven't strayed at all from my new woe and it is very agreeable to my lifestyle - so I am happy.

Enjoy!

I am here Raeanne! But I am on the run!

Off to check the mail. Back after work.

Tikanas

Good morning all,

Marci, Happy Birthday week! That's fun. I am glad you like your green bling!

BJ, bummer about your purse. Good grief. At least you know where it is.

Raeanne, I am so proud of you!! 10 big ones. What WOE are you on again? I need to look into it. Good for you.

John are you camping soon? I will be going to the NE Kingdom in VT on Friday morning. It's beautiful up there.

Dee, 100 pair of shoes? Do they fit you? Have you seen them?

Nantucket was fabulous as always. The weather was divine, clear and cool. The boat was great, big and beautiful. DH was in a great space so I had a very relaxing weekend. The Boston Pops were in town so we heard them from the boat and then saw a very nice fireworks show afterwards.

Back to reality now!

Suzanne - sounds like you were really living in style in Nantucket - I am glad it was such a relaxing time for you. You did great on Marci's gifts they sound beautiful. I am on Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program. It is very similar to SS with what you can and cannot eat, but they allow you 1 Reward Meal a day and at that meal you can have some funky stuff - but it needs to be balanced with other foods - sounds a bit complicated but it is very easy. If I feel like I am missing out on something I can reason with myself to save it for my Reward Meal - so I never feel deprived. No weighing food or counting calories.
There is a website to check out carbohydrateaddicts.com - my doctor actually recommended it.

Dee - 100 pairs of shoes!!! was her last name Marcos LOL. I hope some come your way if they are your style.

Marci - I am glad that you and DH were with DD when that happened too. She was probably relieved too. Sorry you had to find out about the cookies - some things are better unknown LOL.

I just got back from my workout with the trainer and running errands and now I have to tackle my house. Company is coming starting Friday and won't end for about 10 days, so I better get busy. I better stock up on hot dogs and hamburgers too LOL.

Have a great day!

Raeanne, I went to the Carb addicts website. What book(s) did you buy or recommend?

Suzanne - the only book I bought was Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program. I don't even know what the other books offer. I had a hard time finding it in the stores (but that could be due to the fact that our closest bookstore is 45 miles away). I think I got it through Amazon or Half.com. 2 girls at my gym just bought the book too - they noticed a difference in me.

I just found out I am having company at my house before go out to dinner, so I am trying to whip up some appetizers without going to the store. They may be sorry LOL. I was just doing a quick search for a brie appetizer, but I will use my old standby.

Have a good one!

Raeanne - the shoes are never out of control!!! WTG on that loss - keep it up!

Dee - 100 pair of shoes I would be in hog heaven. Did you get any??

John - I think that dorm list seems pretty complete. Enjoy your camping trip this weekend!

BJ - bummer about the purse..don't you hate it when you do things like that??

Suzanne - Nantucket sounds fabulous!! Glad you enjoyed.

Marci - enjoy the birthday week!

Will check in later..Donna

Happy Birthday Marci!!! I hope you have a very special week.

I need to catch up. Erica's first Full day of school is today. Yesterday they went from 8:20 to 10:00 and the parents went too! She has an Excellent teacher. (Who is also my neighbor) I think she will come home pooped today.

Have a great day.

Jen

No Ladies, I did not get any of the shoes, as there were none in 6 1/2 or 7 E! I did look, though. ;-)

Some of you asked about Van Morrison last week. His concert was very, very expensive...more than I paid for any Broadway show or concert! He did NOT sing "Into the Mystic" or "Domino"...this kind of stuff ticks me off, because you pay to hear the oldies. He sang for about 85 minutes, but absolutely no rapport with the audience. Most of the fans that have followed him for years thought there was nothing wrong. This was my first (and last) paying experience for him! On the good side, what we did hear was good, there were 3 couples and we had a great night, wonderful dinner, and a super mojito to top off the night!

Good morning!

I've been MIA again, but I've been keeping you all in my thoughts. I'm trying hard to do Atkins induction, and so far, so good. I've lost 10 pounds in 13 days. I'm finally getting to where I'm not craving all the junk food dh insists on having around the kitchen. LOL But, the food commercials on tv are what get me. I just keep the remote handy and hit mute when the Sonic and pizza commercials come on.

Raeanne, great news on the weight loss. I'd completely forgotten that dh has the Carb Addict's book in his den. I'm going to dig that out today and read it.

Jen, I hope your DD had a great full day at school. The first week is the most exhausting for the child and nerve-wracking for the mom.

Suzanne, your vacation sounded wonderful. I love living vicariously through my friends here.

(((Dee))) Those hugs are for the shoes not being in your size. :)

Marci, happy birthday week! Not to rain on your parade, but when do you start back to school?

BJ, don't you just hate when you forget something and it costs you so much work to fix the problem?

John, just when is that camping trip? I used to camp with first dh up in TN in the fall every year, and it was so much fun. Haven't done that in decades.

Hi, Tikanas and Donna! Anybody heard from Patti?

My knee is doing so well with daily workouts in the pool. As much as I despise the hot temps here, I'll really miss the pool come October. It will be back to the exercycle then which isn't nearly as much fun.

Take care and have a great day!

Hello Ladies,

This is it! Last night of work then vacation starts when I get out of here at 7 am :) Going to knock out some errands Thursday like food shopping and laundry. Then Friday morning I will pack the car and still have time to stop at Wallys World for any last min extras and ice. Heading up at noon friday to a town called, what else? Campton, yup I didnt even make that up :)

So Friday we will set up camp, then we are doing a 1 hour sunset horse ride. I havent been on a horse in about 7 years so thought this would be a nice way to ease into it. They also offer a 2 hour adventure ride that sounds fun, though they could use NhSuz to pen them a better write up, hers sound nicer! They say you will travel through fields and over brooks. I'll see how my backside feels after the 1 hour trip and then 12 miles in the kayak on Sunday.

Saturday were going to tube the river then hit a local Blues festival.

Sunday im on my own so if the rain holds off im going to kayak, if not then I will on monday. I ended up renting one because my friend is coming back early and the XGF has all the stuff to secure them to my car, and it was cheaper to rent then to rebuy that stuff for one trip... anywho

The only other thing I want to do is to explore the Polar Caves. They are caves dug out by a glacier that they turned into a tourist trap. You can do a small hike and also pan the river for gem stones. A few miles away is a touristy boardwalk that follows a river and waterfalls, called the Flume. Both places are beautiful, but its like going to Niagra falls, its the beauty of nature, with railings and a snack bar!

The weather looks mid 70's to low 80's with only Sunday having a chance of rain, so I hope that holds true. My last 2 vacas were a rainy week at Lake George and a week in Florida were it never got over 65! So im due :)

OK thats probably way more than you wanted to know, but work has been slow im antsy!

I hope everyone has a great weekend, eat well and see you all when I get back!

John

John, Have a great week. I have done the Polar Caves and the Flume with my kids when they were small. Great fun. Yes and even though there are railings and snack bars AND gift shops, they are still pretty amazing. Have a wonderful time and stay safe!

Milkdud, glad to see you. I glad that your knee is feeling better.

Dee, bummer about the concert. Tickets are so expensive you do expect to get a great show. I would be disappointed if I went to see VM and he didn't do "Into the Mystic". I remember one year Jimmy Buffett was getting into doing some kind of circus show (separate from his usual fun stuff) and during his concert he played alot of new music from this musical he was trying to promote. He didn't do all of the favorites and it basically s*cked! It was such a let down, but he must have had complaints because it has not happened since!

Jen, how is Erica? And how did you fair through the ordeal?

Raeanne, congrats on the loss! Keep up the good work!!!!

Suzanne, glad you had a great trip. I love the Cape and the Islands. My DH says he feels like he is back in the 50's when we go there. Welcome back to reality!

BJ, I don't know if this was mentioned before on the college lists, but a flashlight and a small first aid kit is good to have (can you tell that I am a Boy Scout Mom).
Is DD excited to go? What kind of school and does she know what she wants to study?

Marci, sounds like your birthday celebration has been fun. I cringed when I heard about your cookies. And yes it could have been so much worse. Can you believe that it is almost time for school?

Tikanis, I'm glad that you are busy!

Amy, check in and let us know how you are doing. And Patti, where are you? Gretchen? Zig?

Things are ok here. I had my physical yesterday and had a total meltdown with my Dr., just going over everything that has been going on lately. DH, wedding plans, not to mention menopause. I feel better today. She gave me something to help me sleep and boy did I sleep last night. I can't believe the difference in the way I feel.

Have a great day. I go for my second fitting on my dress tonight!

Love, Besh

Good morning!

Besh - Ah.........the joys of menopause. NOT! I think I am finally through the worst of it though and your day will come when you can laugh at the hot flashes and the mood swings.

Milkdud - I actually spent most of yesterday at preschool, doing paperwork. I'll probably spend another day next week getting crafts ready, then we'll all go in on 9/5 and the kids will come for orientation on 9/7 & 9/8. This summer has flown by and I am not ready to let it go, so I plan on making the most of these last 3 weeks.
Glad your knee continues to improve.

John - Watch out for bears, don't swim alone, wear sunscreen and wear a life preserver. Oh..........and have fun! LOL

My lunch with my parents has been postponed until next week. They got some out of town company. So my birthday celebration will have to continue another week! LOL

I just finished reading an excellent book, The Girls by Lori Lansens. It is the story of conjoined twins and told alternately from each twin's perspective in the form of an autobiography. Now that may not sound like a great premise for a book, but it pulls you in from the very beginning and doesn't let you go until the final word. I highly recommend it if anyone is looking for one more good summer read.

Now I need to go wash all the baby doll clothes that I brought home from preschool. Someone has to do it and that someone is me.

Later,
Marci

Good THURSDAY Morning,

Things have been very very hectic this week, but I decided to take 10 minutes to sit down you all of you. :-)

Marci, I packed Twelve Sharp to take with me on the cruise Saturday, along with 3 other novels. Cannot wait to relax for a week with some of my favorite authors. I was actually 'saving' my Stephanie Plum for a special week and this is it! Thx again

[[[[[[[[[Besh]]]]]]]], glad you feel better. Sometimes you need to unload all those rocks on someone else and then forget about them until you can handle them one at a time. Wish we all lived closer so we could help each other out during times like these. Stay well!

While I'm at it, here is a [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[BIG SQUEEZZZY HUG]]]]]]]] for all who need it!

John, hope you are set for a wonderful trip. Sounds like you will be busy.

I should run....Need for Maddie, Zig, Gretchen, Patti, Amy, and all I missed to check in please!

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

I knew that new darn job of Maddie's would interfere with her posting here!!!

Besh - (((((HUGS))))) It must've felt good to vent and thankfully you have an understanding (female) Dr. Glad today is better.

BJ - Besh is right, a flashlight and first aid kit are excellent. I never thought of a flashlight because they are a way of life for us. We have flashlights everywhere because our power goes out often the last couple of years. How far away will DD be?

John - you sound like you have quite an agenda. That should keep you out of trouble LOL. My DD went to San Diego in Feb or March and it snowed - so don't feel too bad about the rain in Lake George and cool temps in FL. Enjoy your travels.

Marci - I can remember loading my car with all the toys and filling my bathtub with lysol to soak and scrub them. Not to mention all the mats in the classroom. Thanks for the book recommendation. I made your spinach squares the other day and have been living on them since LOL. They are a real lifesaver - I was running late this morning and just grabbed one to enjoy in the car.

Are we still up for the book club???

Dee - glad you got a few minutes to check in with us. When is your cruise?

Donna - are you still with Curves? Have you noticed any change?

Milkdud - You have really made great progress with your knee and CONGRATS on the loss - that is fantastic.

I have been thinking of Joanne a lot the last 2 days, has anyone heard from her? Also Gretchen, we need an update from when BJ posted. If you're lurking let us know!

Thinking of Joanne too. Please let us know how you are feeling.

Raeanne, I'm still up for that book club. My cruise leaves in about 48 hours. Yahoooooo!

I swear Dee they are going to name a cruise ship after you LOL.

I emailed Joanne and she replied right away. Her life is just more hectic than ever and promises to be back, she said to say HI to everyone.

Milkdud! WTG on that weight loss - you go girl!!
I'm glad the knee is coming along well.

Raeanne - yes, I am still going to Curves. This is my 2nd week and I made a commitment to myself to go Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. I stop on my way home from work. I feel better about me and am actually looking forward to getting measured again, I think in early September. And yes..I am definitely up for the book club.

Marci - hard to believe it's time for school again. I saw the spinach squares recipe and will have to give them a try.

John - enjoy the trip - the weather sounds promising. Be safe and have fun.

Dee - another cruise?! Raeanne is right they will be naming a ship after you. ENJOY.

Besh - menopause - I am right there with ya darlin.

Zig - where are you - shoe shopping again???

Gotta run - check in later - Donna

Checking in right in the middle of a VERY hectic (but darned good) week! I have a LOT of catching up to do. I'll try to do that Saturday morning.

Today is my DS 18th birthday. Free at last, I say!! Ha ha!! His gift will be delivered tomorrow (ups delay of sorts) and I can't wait! I got him a Mac book compatible with his Pro Tools digital recording paraphenalia, and he has NO IDEA!! I wanted this to be the very best gift that he has ever gotten.

Gotta sleep...

Tikanas

Any ideas on how to start this book club? Should everyone interested suggest a book and then we vote on it? I've never been in a book club before so I am clueless.

Tikanis - send my best wishes to DS. You did good girl and what a great gift for him, I know he will be thrilled.

Donna - I thought you were going to Curves longer than the 2 weeks, but I bet you will notice a difference, even if there is not noticeable body difference you will probably feel more energetic.

I have geared up for a house full of company. It should be fun!

Make today a great one.

{{gwi:1503872}}
Vitural cake + virtual calories =
REAL BIRTHDAY WISHES!
Happy Birthday Tikanas!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIKANAS!!!! Make this the best birthday ever!!!!!!!!

Love, Besh

Happy birthday Tikanas!!

Enjoy your day - make it the best one yet!!

Love, Donna

Tikanis - HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my "Unbirthday Partner" LOL. Please check your mail, there should be a little box in there! You know I always wish you only the best all the time but today I am wishing you the bestest! I am so glad you are my SS sister. Have a blast!

Happy birthday, Tikanas!

Hope your birthday is a wonderful one!

Take care and have a good day.