IM kind of a pretty big weather buff myself, and I used to get the farmers Almanac every year when I was a kid as well. I still read it for its interesting articles and such, but really, I think that NOAA is more accurate as its more science based rather than on oak trees "MASTING", and other natural phenomena. For those who don't know, "MASTING" is when Oak trees overproduce acorns to an extreme amount. It happens from time to time some reigons, and from what I understand is more of a survival insurance than anything else. It happend here several years ago, and it was truly incredible just how much acorns were produced. Never seen anything like it. I think it only occurs once in like every 50 or 100 years or something. Anyway...Im still hoping for ( and thinking that it will be) a very mild winter here in the Mid Atlantic. We have the same saying here... " if you don't like the weather in D.C., wait 5 minutes". While its not that volatile all the time, we do get fairly changing weather for large portions of the year, especially spring and fall, we were can see 40 degree differences in temps in sometimes as little as 12 hours. The D.C. Metro just does not have the same winters it had regularly up until about 1995 or so. The last true "blizzard" we had here was in 1996. The rivers and bay almost NEVER freeze over anymore in the last 10-12 years here, and seeing teens and low 20's in the city is fairly uncommon anymore. Were also very hurricane prone here as well, although most are usually strong to medium tropical storms by the time they get here. Although, a few have come through at a category 1 hurricane, like Isabel in 2003. IIRC, it was finally downgraded to a Tropical Storm once it moved just north of the D.C. Metro. Its center passed about 50 miles due west of downtown D.C., putting most of the metro area, and most of VA/MD in the worst / strongest quadrant of the storm. What a trying 24 hours that was. I rode it out in my east facing 14th floor apt at the time, and we had sustained winds up there of 82 MPH for several hours at the hight of it, with a gust to 106. That was the gust that blew the anomometer off of the balcony railing. I can tell you the vines that I could not get down, and the 10' river birch in a large half whisky barrel were all defoliated by the winds, and quite a few of the windows were blown out on the east and south facing windows of the high rises we lived in. Im glad we heavily tapped our large plate glass windows up, because those were the ones that were breaking into peoples apts. Anyway, lots of varied weather here. It keeps things very interesting. I just wish we were 1 zone warmer! Who knows, in the close in dowtown areas of NoVA and DC we have moved into a zone 8 in the last 10-14 years, maybe a zone 9 is coming? Im not for "global warming" but man it would be nice to have even milder winters than we do now.

now we are going down memory lane, on youtube!! LOL so we are the cool parents!!! we listen to heavy metal, LOL and rock, LOL tabor said, ahhh man your the bomb!!! of course now its twisted sister and ratt. i like them and quiet riot. then hubs goes do you remember dio?? i was like ohhh ya. dang that was years ago. we were pretty softer compared to you though!! LOL then i found out he liked metallica, i was like awesome!! dude way cool!! we did have something in common!! unlike everything else we have in common, right?? LOL tabor totally loves alice cooper!! LOL he's totally a freak!! LOL ok, tomarow i should be getting my seeds in the mail. i am so excited. i think i might grow them on my porch, LOL then it'll be pretty much protected AND it'll be full sun!! LOL and sfg!!! my hubs will think i'm nuts, but ummmm... what's new???? LOL i'm like always nuts anyhow!!! LOL then when my gh is done, i'll grow a bunch of stuff in there, and it's gonna definately be protected!! LOL LOL talla call's the males from the 80's she's, ROFL!!! its so funny!! so hubs had to tell her that they were he's!! LOL Hee Hee she thinks only girls have long hair!!! LOL **just chuckling** i am definately tired!! geeze!! to much capicino!! i knew they were bad for me!! hubs just got me started back on them again, Bad medo!! Bad Medo!!! No More!!! LOL granny!! them are some great pics!! i can't but can believe that you painted them pics!! i can because you have a tremendous eye for the garden and make it look just great so it doesn't surprise me that you can paint that great!! ~Medo

Thank you, everybody for the good wishes and big welcome back to this side. I really hope I can spend more time here. Now, now, Sharon, the Patriots are only the best football team in history. Stacie, I'm happy to hear Aiden is doing so well. He sounds like a fighter. Shaun, have a drink at the tiki bar for me, please! Alexa, good luck with your busy upcoming week. Nancy, a big happy birthday to Kim. I hope dinner was the best - well, I KNOW it was the best since you made it, but I hope your celebration was just as good. Pat T, congratulations on your grades! You should be proud. I'm not even going to respond to your Patriots comments...LOL Cathy, I cheered for the dolphins to get their ONE win this year ;) And yes, Brady is a cutie. Michael/Lyra, a sincere thank you for giving me the biggest laugh that I've had in a long time. Your posts always make me smile. This one made my day. Duane, don't work too hard. At least enjoy the time before things get too busy. Pam, I hope you feel better. Don't eat too many cookies! Jcrowley, thank goodness no bifocals for you...I'd be walking into walls with them. Annie, you work so hard, I don't know how you do it! I hope all goes well with your dad. Best wishes to him. Ellen, I hope the party was fun Susie, jeez, feel better, soon. Good to hear Wendy is better, now let's get you there. Maggie, dentist - Yuk!!! You have a right to vent. SharonCB, recycling can be a PITA, and they're real sticklers around here, but at least you're helping out the environment. Gina, glad to hear you're keeping up with the lessons. I think I remember you saying you had hit a plateau awhile back. I bet you're back to kicking butt again. Teresa, enjoy your movies. Wow, that's alot Katie, sounds like the snow will be around awhile. Try to stay warm and dry San, my son is in NH and he said the snow is insane. I heard more Sunday night/into Monday. Boo-Hiss! Thanks again, all, for the hugs!

Hi everyone, Well day 1 went well for me diet wise. I really cut back on the junk and was feeling really god about myself and then........ My left arm has been giving me a little trouble over the last few weeks. I 've figured it to be just a little tendonitis so I've been taking a couple of aspirin at night. Last night the pain became unbearable and seemed to be radiating from my shoulder. I actually cried out and I'm pretty stoic usually. Ended up driving myself to the ER at 5:00 AM. Yep. Torn rotator cuff of the shoulder. I'm loopy on Vicodene (hate hate hate the stuff) and taking anti-inflammatories. See my regular doc tomorrow. So there goes any exercise for the time being. I hurts to roll over, it hurts to move anyhing. But I intend to stay on course with eating right. Of course all the meds are "take with food" :0( I'm happy to hear everyone is off to a good start. We can do gals! Pam, Glad to see you're better. Stay warm and dry. Soup is good. Tikanas, I will call soon. Drinking water is hard for me in the winter too. I really have to work at it. Take care, eat well and and keep moving on fellow losers.