May 19th is my new challenge date. I'll be flying to Chicago to see my best friend for the weekend. Ticket is bought, bags are packed...well, not really packed yet because I'm going to be needing SMALLER clothes by then...but I am so excited to be going to see him!! :caf:

Using this for inspiration worked last time, so I'm setting my sights on a 20lb loss by then. Been busier than a one-armed paper hanger this last week (work and second job work, plus family and the mundane housework/errands) and haven't been around here. I did take some time to re-think my approach, though. I don't regret for one second doing Atkins, then moving to a more general low-carb plan. It works for me, I feel better, am caffeine-free, discovered I can eat salad and veggies and NOT die (and I eat a lot of them now!)...it was a good thing overall. So I am going to continue with that basis for my diet, but not freak out if the occasional carb gets in my way.

Exercise...been slacking there with the hours I'm putting in for work. Have to make that a priority again.

Update from last journal: Hair is good, shopping was good...got a couple of close-fitting sweaters (on sale,even!) that resulted in lots of compliments and "You've lost weight!" remarks from co-workers.

Lovin the little floaty hearts on the forum! They are so cute!

Need to update the ticker...20lbs would put me at goal, so that's what it'll be.

Spent the day working on cousin's books, finally got everything wrapped up. He's meeting with a tax accountant tomorrow so it's not like I had a choice! Finally got the info I needed from him this morning, so I worked on it until almost 4pm.

Darling DH went out today to stock up on some things from a $1 sale at one of the grocery stores we shop at. He came home with about a dozen full-sized chocolate bars, which I made him take downstairs and put in his desk. He bought all the ones I like, too. Out of sight, out of mind I hope.

I'm torn. I want to join a gym, but know I have enough things I can do at home, both inside and outside, for exercise. If only you didn't have to sign a year's contract for pre-authorized withdrawals. I know once it is nicer outside I'd rather walk or bike than use a treadmill. Hmmm. Guess I should bat my eyes at DH and see if he'll agree. Not that he wouldn't "let" me...he's not that brave...but we discuss all financial outlays together.

I'll just tell him it's punishment for bringing my biggest weakness into the house. Chocolate....mmmmmm....chocolate....

It is a beautiful, sunny, blue-skied day here in the frozen north. Not that we've had much winter this year, but it is -10C right now...that's cold to me.

Plans for the day: quick trip to mall to exchange the third sweater I bought last week. Keeping two, but this one just isn't right and there was another I liked but passed on so I'll likely get it if it is still there. Then to grocery store to buy good stuff (NOT chocolate bars!)...salad stuff, meat, fish, etc. Home to put it all away, change into warm gear and then I'm going to the provincial park to hike a trail. Healthy dinner, a little laundry, pack a lunch, and day is done. Or that's the plan, anyway.

I've been wanting an iPod and was looking at a sale flyer last night when I had the sudden realization that I had made a deal with DH back in September (?) that if I lost 20lbs he would buy me one. HAH! I'm only 7lbs away from a new iPod now! So I reminded him last night...and he promptly offered me a chocolate bar from his desk. Uh-uh...not happenin!

It's on! I can do 7lbs!

Yo, Seaweed!!! Great motivation for a new challenge ... a trip to Chicago ... this is one of my favorite cities, at least in the summer. You are really getting a jumpstart on things and it's also great that you are that mere 7 pounds from the iPod! (I want one, too!)

Re gyms, personally I am trying to stay out of them, but they do have a lot of exercise options to include in with home workouts and they can be motivating and get the head in the right place, so you might not want to rule it out completely. Actually, I've never had to sign a year's contract for any gym I've ever used (which is a lot) ... they always had a lot of different payment options, including month-to-month, so maybe you can find one like that. Enjoy your challenge!

Yo, Seaweed!!! Great motivation for a new challenge ... a trip to Chicago ... this is one of my favorite cities, at least in the summer. You are really getting a jumpstart on things and it's also great that you are that mere 7 pounds from the iPod! (I want one, too!)

Re gyms, personally I am trying to stay out of them, but they do have a lot of exercise options to include in with home workouts and they can be motivating and get the head in the right place, so you might not want to rule it out completely. Actually, I've never had to sign a year's contract for any gym I've ever used (which is a lot) ... they always had a lot of different payment options, including month-to-month, so maybe you can find one like that. Enjoy your challenge!

iPOD challenge--I love it!! That might even get my butt moving. Sorry it took so long to find you over here--I went and tried to post in your old journal, only to find it closed--DUH! Anyway, I think the Chicago challenge is a super idea. Man, I love that town! I have a great friend that just moved there a few months ago, so I'm just waiting for the opportunity to go. Keep busting your butt and those 20 pounds will be gone in no time!!

Amanda

I am so stoked about going to Chicago! I've never been, so not only do I get to see my dearest friend in the entire world, but I get to see Chicago with him! :caf:

Athletea, around here all the gyms want to do automatic withdrawal from your bank account and I haven't come across one yet that will let you pay by the month. Even the YMCA when I was a member there last year made you sign up for automatic payments. I got burned by a women's gym a few years back...I knew they were taking the monthly payments out of my account, but when I signed up I didn't read the fine print, and the staff didn't tell me that I was committed to one year and failure to pay would result in penalties and collection services. I discovered this when I went in to cancel my membership because we were moving 30 minutes away and I wouldn't be able to use the gym anymore. I ended up having to pay for the entire year even though I didn't set foot in the place for the last eight months of it. Even at the YMCA I had to give 30 days' notice, so ended up paying for a month after we moved again. There is a really nice gym/spa close to here but they want $70 a month and that's just highway robbery. There are two others I'm going to check into.

Hi Amanda! Guess I should have put a note on my last journal, huh? I thought it was time for a change of scenery, fresh start and all. Yup, I'll be happy dancing all over the place when I get my iPod. (WHEN, not IF!) :dn

Today's shopping excursion was a good one. I found a little boutique in the mall that isn't a chain store, it's privately owned. They carry normal sizes! Seems like so many stores are junior sizes now...my DD who is a size 6 wears a medium or large in these stores, what the heck am I, a size 12 or 14 supposed to wear??? Anyway, this little store has great prices, really unique clothes with great attention to details, and their sales are fabulous! I got another funky printed sweater in olive/black and a twin set in a soft pink, each for $29! The olive sweater has some lycra in it so it fits perfectly and it's a light knit, no bulk. I'm busty so I have to get things that are fitted through the waist or have some stretch or I might as well carry poles and pitch a tent with my shirt. I just tried on the olive sweater with a straight black skirt and dug out my knee-high,high-heeled black boots that I haven't worn this year because last year they were a little too snug around my calves, and they fit perfectly again! DH thinks I look great, so I'll take it!

Tomorrow begins the year-end audit. :help: Two full weeks. Three auditors who have never been to our business. The last several audits we had the same team members auditing so it was smooth. They were familiar with the business and how we do things. This time we are getting three new people, and the lead auditor doesn't seem to speak English, at least not recognizable English. Yep, good times.

You know, I'm all for Canada's acceptance of multi-culturalism and diversity. But it ticks me off that people don't learn to speak at least one of our national languages (We have two, English and French) fluently and properly, especially when classes are offered all over the place. Especially people in business. I think it is unacceptable, whether it is the owner of the corner store or a lead auditor or a lawyer or a doctor. If you are going to make your home in this country, learn the language! Just my :2cents: . Rant over. Carry on.

Yep, good times tomorrow. But I'll look smashing! :up:

Highway robbery's the word for it, Seaweed! Those terms would make me want to buy a Total Gym or something. I guess I've been lucky. I also have an exercise room set up with weights, benches, balls, a DVD player, etc., etc., that I like to use all by myself, so maybe that'd be a better way for you to go ... pay cash for a few items (often found in garage sales and you can get weights at Wally World), set aside your space and go for it ... doesn't take a lot of space ... anyhow, I think your goal is super and I'll be following your progress. Huzzah!

I'm glad that you are back on the forums. Glad to see you.

I'm also glad to hear that you are off Atkins for the last part of your weight loss. I know that is not considered the "correct" thing to say here, but I have known so many people that could not maintain on Atkins or no/super low carb plans over the long-haul (it happened to me too). It is very, very effective at getting a handle on carb metabolism problems and losing the bulk of the weight, especially if you have over 50 pounds to lose, but I found it almost impossible to stick to FOREVER. I found it especially hard the better shape I got into. There is no way that I could get into really good aerobic condition without eating more carbs and learning how to control how I ate them.

Hope you can talk the hubby into the gym. I can't stay motivated to use the same piece of home equipment long enough to bother buying it. The gym atmosphere makes a difference for me. There are just too many cross-training possibilities there, and you can go no matter what the weather is like. Anytime you get bored or injured, you can go take an aerobic class, kick-boxing, switch to a weight-lifting routine for a week or so, or do something else to mix things up. Take a serious look around at your local gyms for a quality and price combination that works for you. Sometimes you can find a decent privately owned gym that will kick a big chain's butt for price (lower fees, less time commitment, etc.). Check a few out, and pick the one that meets your price and quality standards. Quality counts more than price to me. I also don't want to work out in the sweaty equivalent of a singles bar. It is a place to work out, not a place to flirt and hang out.

I hope to see you around more often again. Don't work too hard with those two jobs.

Take Care
Fagan
My Journal (http://www.diettalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50403)

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Athletea, we don't have an extra room except my office (3rd bedroom) and I actually use it as an office. I keep a few dumbells and my exercise ball in here and actually use them when I need a break or I'm waiting for someone/something while I'm working. Sometimes I sit on the ball while I'm working on the computer for the balancing...keeps me from slouching. I do have a whole set of free weights and a gym bench with leg extension & lat pulldown attachments, just don't have it set up. When it gets a little warmer out the plan is to set it up in the garage, but February in Canada is too cold! I did have a big fancy treadmill but sold it when we moved into the house. Just no spot for it.

Fagan, thanks for the warm welcome back! :) You hit the nail on the head...Atkins was really good for me to break the carb and caffeine addictions and teach me how to eat differently. It also really levelled out my blood sugar. I'm still amazed by the changes that stuck with me, eating mostly veggies/lean meats/some fruit, and once in a while having a bread/rice serving. My meals used to be mostly carbs, a little protein, and practically no veggies at all. I think it was going cold turkey with no carbs/caffeine that worked for me, and now I can add a little back in without going overboard.

I'm going to start looking into various gyms. I don't mind driving a bit to get to one if it's what I want. I really like using the weight machines (Weights have always been my favorite. Cardio is a necessary evil.) and the machines give you more flexibility and control than free weights do for some areas, and I like the variety. One of the girls at work said some gyms are offering packages where you can use it three days a week for a reduced price, instead of a full membership. That might be an option, too.

Survived day one of the audit. Mr. Big Shot Lead Auditor is only about 5' tall...I'm 5'8" and usually wear 3" heels...I love towering over a guy with an attitude. Makes them try even harder to be important. 8-|

DH and I started watching Battlestar Galactica on disc last night. We got through the first disc in season one. Starting the second in a few minutes, I'll watch while doing laundry, and bring my exercise ball downstairs. One good thing about the ball is it is quiet. I can use it while we watch the dvd.

Happy Valentine's Day!

DH surprised me with tickets to see INXS on May 14th in Toronto!!! :dn We watched every single episode of Rockstar INXS, and during the first show I said JD was going to win. Okay, I was biased because he is from Nova Scotia, too, and all the best talent comes out of the east coast! ;) We tried so hard to get tickets for their show in TO last week, but it sold out in minutes and I was SO disappointed. This time they are playing the Air Canada Center, which is a much larger venue than Massey Hall. It is going to be a GREAT concert!

Work today - crap, crap, and more crap. In that order. We were up to five auditors at one point.

Something I haven't been doing in my journal is logging food/exercise. I think I'll start. I log stuff into FitDay a couple times a week just to check things out, but I really want to get away from recording every single bite and learn to eat healthy and in moderation. I just don't have the time to look everything up and enter it every single day. I'll try this and see how it goes.

Breakfast: Omelette - 1 egg + 1 egg white, red & green peppers, green onions, @ tbsp. crumbled feta in a non-stick pan (no added fat), 4 oz cranberry juice diluted to make 8 oz (I find it too sweet), on the rocks.

Lunch: Sandwich - 1 slice oatmeal bread, leftover turkey breast from dinner last night, 2 slices tomato, slice of swiss cheese & some mustard - popped in toaster oven to melt and served open-faced with a blood orange. Picked up a decaf on the way back to work. (I live close enough to work that I can come home for lunch.)

Dinner: Baked pork chop (4oz), 2 cups of salad - spicy spinach mix, chopped pear, sprinkle of toasted almonds, in a balsamic vinaigrette (GOOD salad!). Just water with dinner, having a cup of decaf now....and I had one Hershey's kiss. It IS Valentine's Day, after all! :D

48oz water not including the juice, coffee.

Did some upper body work with dumbells.

Audits mean difficult times in offices. Stay strong!!! The audit doesn't last forever, though it may seem like it.

OOOhhhh...I love your menus. I know what you mean about Fitday being time consuming. Sometimes it is a pain in the butt, but I'm sticking with it for now. We'll see how it goes.

I like your idea of using the exercise ball while you're on the computer--I bet that DOES make a big difference in your posture!!

Keep your chin up while the auditors play--they'll be gone soon enough I hope.

Cheers--Amanda

You're doing great, Seaweed. :) P.S. have you tried doing upper body weights on the ball? It's super efficient in a tiny space because you get the ab effect while balancing and doing your curls and lifts, whatever. Then ya can just slide down and do your crunches, planks, etc., still on the ball and then get some glute lifts, etc., etc., done with heels in the ball, etc., then some relaxation (child's pose) and then can just go back to work whilst sittin' on the thing. I LOVE mine ... would like one of those ball stands to make it more stable for computer work. Sorry, not meaning to rhapsodize re stability balls on your journal ... swim on! :cheer:

Hi Jo! Thanks for coming to visit. Actually this time around the time is going way too quickly...it's Wednesday already and we have SO much to do and not enough time to do it. It's good that the time is passing quickly, but we are all so rushed to get it all done...very tiring.

Yep, Amanda, if you don't sit up straight on those balls you just roll right off. :laugh: Been there, done that.

Athletea, what a great idea! I've never done UBW on the ball. Must try it! I love my stability ball. Best $9.99 I ever spent on exercise equipment.

Food:

Breakfast - "McMuffin" :whole wheat english muffin toasted with mustard, 1 slice lean black forest ham, 1 egg, green tea

Lunch - 2 oz leftover turkey breast, 3/4 cup baby pea pods, decaf

Snack after work - Activa strawberry yogurt

Dinner - 4 oz beef tenderloin with onion "au jus", 1 cup yellow & green beans & baby carrots mix, 1 cup salad greens with cucumber dressing, decaf

Water - 48oz
Exercise - 30 minute walk while dinner cooked, abs & legs with the ball

DH has numbers for the powerball tonight, let's hope we win. Okay, win something. Anything? I don't need all 300 million. I'll settle for 1 million. :D

So we didn't win the powerball. Curses! But then again, no else did either.

Work just gets crazier every day. Friday was no exception. We have a new CSR (I've complained about her before) and she just doesn't *get* it. Like nothing in her job does she *get*. Friday afternoon we had a caravan of NINE transports all waiting to load their trailers because Ms. Stupid neglected to tell our shipping department these trucks were coming. For a truck to pick up, they need a dock appointment, which they had, but she didn't tell the people in shipping! It was chaos. They were blocking the road, the entrance to our lot, and getting very ticked after waiting for three hours. Then she tries to blame everyone else and play innocent. Give me strength. She needs to go.

Today I was up and out early to help a girlfriend move into her new house. It's a great house and I'm really happy for her. Long, tiring day, but that's what friends do. "A good friend will help you move, a really good friend will help you move a body." Yep, I'd do that too.

Food today was waaaaay off. Picked up coffee for the gang on the way over to friend's house this morning, so had a decaf. Had a slice of pizza there around 5:00. That was it. Bad Seaweed.

Exercise...heavy lifting and running up and down stairs all day long.

Back on track tomorrow.

Hiya, Seaweed! :wave: You are a good friend to help with the moving! Hope you are having a good Sunday!

Hi, Seaweed!

Happy to have found your new journal -- sorry to be late to the party. :o

Chicago is a great town! One of my sisters lives there... she loves it & I love to visit when I can (rare but always fun). You will have a wonderful time -- and you can listen to your ipod during your travel! :D

I just joined a gym -- something completely new for me. Not sure yet how I will like it, but giving it a try since I'm paying for it. (You probably know this from my journal.) I'm like you in that when the weather is fit, I'd much rather be outside than cooped up in the gym... We'll see how it goes this spring/summer.

You are doing great on your new challenge. I think our eating plans are pretty similar right now. Keep it up!

Lisrey :)

Today started off good. Got up and cleaned my kitchen from top to bottom...literally, even washed the ceiling and floors, cupboards, microwave, everything...all before I even put coffee on. Then had my homemade McMuffin and decaf, dusted, cleaned glass surfaces, vacuumed, started laundry, pulled my duvet cover off the duvet and laundered it, too. Cleaned ensuite bath..washed walls, floors, sink, everything!...vacuumed & dusted bedroom, vacuumed upstairs hallway, my office, stairs. Suddenly I was tired. Down to move laundry around, asked DH was he actually watching Harry Potter on tv or was it just on. It was just on, so I asked could we watch some more of Battlestar Galactica season one and he agreed. I jockeyed laundry around while we watched...for five hours! That's the problem with having a whole season on dvd....hard to know when to stop!

So, laundry is all done and put away, bed is back together after much cursing the duvet cover and duvet. Love my duvet but they are shifty things to put in a cover. I may just break down and do like Martha tells us and sew ties into the corners of the cover and on the corners of the duvet. Then you can just match the ties up, tie 'em, and no more shifting. I'll add that to my list.

Slapped color in my hair, used the cooking time to get online, and geez, it's almost Monday already. Group CFO from UK office is coming to spend the week with us, along with assorted auditors who are there all week. I like the UK dude, though, so don't mind him being around.

Food today was strange. Homemade egg mcmuffin this morning (whole wheat english muffin toasted with mustard, 1 slice lean black forest ham, 1 egg), 2 cups popcorn while watching Battlestar Galactica, and then DH was making hot dogs, which I never eat, and they sounded really good for some reason...so I had one, on a bun, with mustard. I'm still alive so far. Miserably devoid of any vegetables, but alive nonetheless. Tomorrow is another day, one with vegetables in it, guaranteed.

Hi Athletea! Hope you had a great day, too!

Hi Lisrey! Oooh, I hadn't even made that connection...I'll have an iPod to travel with! How cool is THAT??? Still have to get around to various gyms to check 'em out. One more week of this audit, then if there is ANY mercy in the universe, life will be a little easier and I'll have more time.

Going to crawl into my lovely, fresh-smelling cat-hair-free-duvet-covered bed with the 800 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and enjoy it immensely for the three minutes or so it remains lovely, fresh, and cat-hair-free. My cats (3) have radar, I swear..."BED TIME!!! Last one in is a rotten egg!" The stampede could knock you over.

Have a glorious Monday!

Hahaha! My (2) cats do a stampede up the stairs when we're going to bed too -- but it's because they know we'll run a trickle of water for them in the bathroom sinks. They *love* drinking out of the sink. Silly kitties!

Wow, all that cleaning, no wonder you're tired. Resting in front of the tv sounds fine after all that. Have a great week!

Lisrey :cat:

Ahhh...the cats bring such joy to our lives, and such a neverending mission of getting their hair out of every freakin' crevice. Pietra (she's only 3 months) still insists on sleeping on my head so I wake up periodically thinking I'm drowning or being smothered. Good times....

Sounds like you had a VERY productive weekend, for sure. Hope things are going well in the office with fun UK guy. Your job sounds quite stressful, so I hope next week things calm down a little.

Happy veggie eating! Do you have the iPod yet? I may not have read far enough back--I love mine!!! Hope you're enjoying it.

Amanda

If I weren't so damn tired I just might consider happy dancing because tomorrow is Friday and the end of the bloody audit. I have no doubt we will still have the odd auditor or two lurking about next week, but at least we won't have an entire board room full of them. I got excited this afternoon when I walked down to the board room to give them some paperwork and there was nary a one to be found. My head was filled with all kinds of theories on their unfortunate demise and I skipped back to my desk with a contented smile, only to be told they were out for lunch and would in fact be returning. Curses!

UK Dude leaves tomorrow afternoon, too.

I have spent the week going in at 7am and going home around 7pm, with only 15 minutes' break to make a coffee run to the nearby Tim's. Diet has not been good...not a lot of calories, not great selection...I am actually probably not eating enough which is just as bad as eating too much. Just have to get through tomorrow and get back on track over the weekend.

My brain hurts. I've been so exhausted after being questioned under the hot lights for two weeks (you know, because we really are the Evil Overlords of the Financial Realm who plan to destroy global commerce with one crushing journal entry) that I've just been crashing after work. Survival is the only goal at this point.

Boss is away at our sister plant next week, which normally would mean a more relaxed week for me. However, with the audit and year-end package going on, I haven't done my regular work all month. So I'll have to squeeze it all into two days to get the month closed on time. OH, good times! The only good thing that (I hope!) will come out of all this is that our reviews are in March and my stellar performance and hard work will be fresh in the boss's memory. Unless of course she has an anvil dropped on her head and has a resulting case of amnesia, which is the kind of luck I have.

Thanks for digging me out, Amanda! I am six pounds from the iPod...knocked one of those little suckers off this week. My Salem (middle cat) likes to sleep wrapped around my head, too...but he is a 22lb cat. 22lbs of pure love. He's such a sweetie, I just accept the wee corner of the pillow he allows me to share with him.

Oh, give Salem a kiss for me. He sounds like a dreamboat!!

Those auditors had better be marching their butts right out of your life about now! I hope your sanity is slowly returning, and that you don't have to work OT all weekend to get this month's numbers crunched.

I'm wishing you a healthy eating happy happy weekend with lots of rest!

Amanda

This audit sounds like it is sucking the life-force from your bones. Goodness. I'm glad that it will be over soon, and that you can get back to a more normal schedule. That had to be hard with your program as well. It sounded like you did okay though. You will be back in the grove in no time.

Have a restful and fun weekend. Hope to see you back more often now that the audit/indictment is over.

Fagan
My Journal (http://www.diettalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50403)

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Dear Evil Overlord of the Financial Realm: Glad the Demonic Forces o' the Universal Auditor Society have ended their grillin' session!

Congratulations on the pound closer to iPod! Huzzah! You are doin' great, Seaweed! :cheer:

Hi, I'm Arianne and I'm brand new to this website. I am soooo lost and don't know how the heck to navigate it. Can you please help me. You seem funny and caring. Please help me!
Arianne

Amanda, Salem (http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/MsSherlock/SalemPeekingOver.jpg) really is a sweetie. They all are, but he is such a gentle cat.....unlike his step-brother Peppy (http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/MsSherlock/Peppy.jpg), who is a tuxedo cat and his sole purpose seems to be to drive me nuts. Peppy spends half his day getting yelled at for getting into/onto/under things he shouldn't, and the other half cuddling with us to make up for it. The pics are a little grainy from re-sizing them. Nope, no OT this weekend. I did offer, but my boss said no way, we'd worked too hard all week.

Fagan, the audit really is sucking the life force out of me. I'm not getting any time to decompress because I'm there 10-12 hours a day, then crashing and starting all over again the next day. This weekend I plan to do a whole lot of nothing. Only minor housework and laundry to do after my cleaning sprint last weekend, and other than that it's movies, reading, dinner with the neighbors tomorrow.

Well, Athletea, the Demonic Forces o'the Universal Auditor Society were plotting against us all along. They are not finished with the audit and will be returning on Monday, probably for another week. My boss is going to CA to visit our sister plant (we do a lot of their accounting work locally) so guess who gets to fight the Demonic Forces o'the Universal Auditor Society all by herself? Yep, moi. While closing a month that is already running three days behind deadlines and the new girl is screwing up royally, which means time wasted to fix her mess.

Oh well. Can't do anything but deal with it. I just need to get prepared for the onslaught, and get some groceries in the house that I can take for lunch. I'm thinking maybe tomorrow I'll do some cooking so there are meals for the week and leftovers to take for lunches.

Oooookay....there goes my quiet Saturday afternoon I had planned after meeting with cousin and cousin's tax guy....the neighbors behind us are having their roof replaced. Hammering, tossing, clanging and heavy machinery sounds like the order of the day. 8-|

Somebody shoot me. No wait...somebody shoot them! :laugh:

Those DFUAS :lil: s are really sneaky, Sea! Just when ye think it's safe to go back in the water ... yikes!

Hi Arianne! You posted while I was complaining...er..composing my last post. Welcome to DT!

What do you need to know?

On the main journals page you see a list of all the different journals. That's this page: http://www.diettalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=60

When you click on the name of my journal, 96 Day Diary: Countdown to Chicago, you are opening what is called a thread, or journal. To post a reply, which you seem to have figured out, you click the Post Reply button at the bottom of the page.

If you want to start your own journal, go to the main journal page http://www.diettalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=60 and click on the New Thread button, located on the top of the list or at the bottom of the list. You will be taken to a page where you fill in the name of your journal, and type your post in the window. When you are finished, hit the Submit New Thread button under the post window, et voila...you have your very own journal where you can tell us all about the wonderful person that is you, and we can visit and cheer you on!

There are also a bunch of other forums besides the journals forum. If you go to the main forum listing here: http://www.diettalk.com/forums/index.php you will see all the different forums. Click on any one of them, and you will see all the threads contained in that forum. Starting a thread or replying to an existing thread works the same way.

Anything else you need, just ask!

You are one wildly busy woman, and I for one enjoy your complaining!

I'm really glad you didn't have to work this weekend--you gotta get some downtime in somewhere! Hope you're enjoying the free time before next week starts kicking some ass. Hang in there--you've gotta be scoring points for employee of the year here!

Waited around all afternoon yesterday to hear from my cousin about meeting with his tax guy...no call. Apparently while taxes and death are a certainty, tax GUYS...not so much. So I did the housework, started laundry (which reminds me, I need to finish it), watched a movie...it was a fairy tale called The Perfect Man ;)...did a little work on cousin's books, talked with best guy friend for a little over an hour...good day over all.

Woke up cranky as hell this morning. Not sure why, but had the sudden realization that I am tired. Of everything. Work, housework, three cats underfoot and the constant cleaning because of them, DH, DD, the paperboy who refuses to put the paper in the screen door and leaves it on the step to blow all over the yard, having to be the one to put coffee on every blessed morning (because DH will go to the kitchen, look for coffee, and when there is none on he will not make any)...just life in general. So I sat and brooded for a bit while the coffee brewed. Halfway into my first cup while I was still deciding what to have for breakfast, cousin called. He and his tax guy would be here in an hour. Okey-dokey, no breakfast because I had to shower and get dressed before they arrived.

By the time the guy left my head hurt.

DH and I went to a new restaurant nearby for lunch, then I came back to make a bunch of journal entries the tax guy told me to do. Then we had plans to go to the neighbors' for dinner, the ones I ride the motorcycle with. Great dinner, but not exactly diet friendly. Oh well, whatcha gonna do? He is going to check with his bike club to see if anyone knows where I can get a second hand bike for this year. Just got home a little while ago and have some more work to do, have to finish laundry, too.

Food today:

Breakfast: decaf coffee

Lunch: Ordered a club sandwich (grilled chicken breast, bacon, tomato, lettuce, cheddar, red pepper sauce) on whole wheat, pulled out the extra slice of bread in the middle. Probably a million calories, but it was breakfast and lunch. Skipped the fries it came with. Had diet iced tea.

Dinner: baked pork chop (HUGE...had to be 6 oz), carrots, and he'd made twice baked potatoes...I had half a slice because he insisted I try them. Water with lemon.

Not a stellar day. No exercise either. Ah well, tomorrow is another chance for a fresh start!

Saw in the news today that one of Toronto's police horses (they have a Mounted Troop, 25 horses, 50 riders) was on the beat and was injured due to a hit and run. The horse had full reflective gear on so there's no way the guy wouldn't have seen him. They did catch the guy and charged him with hit and run, but Brigadier, the horse, had to be put down. I'm angry over this. Any time I hear of service animals being injured because of someone's stupidity it really bugs me.

Not looking forward to tomorrow at work....first off we have to find and fix the new girls screw ups because Accounts Receivable is out of balance for the month. Then I have to work like crazy to make some headway for the month-end deadline, and entertain the auditors' requests. I don't have much patience left for that strange little man. Hope I can keep from letting it show.

Monday is going to happen, like it or not...let's do our level best with it!

Holy productive Sunday! You're supposed to be RESTING little missy--I suppose dinner was somewhat restful, in an entertaining way.

What's the plan for this irritating little man? Will he be packing up and shipping out this week sometime? I sure hope so--end of month sounds crazy busy for you and it's not a good time for you to be dealing with this craziness. Preaching to the choir, I am. I'm sure you're well aware of all of this and it's not helping too much to have me repeating it.

I think you did quite well with your food challenges today--better than I did, for sure! Club on wheat and diet tea is NOT bad for breakfast and lunch--ya skipped the fries, yanked the bread, this is all good stuff.

Sounds like you are in desperate need of the best invention EVER--the coffee timer!! I usually just turn mine on in the morning, although I always get it ready the night before, but during exam madness I set the timer so when I roll out of bed at 4:00 or some equally ungodly hour the coffee is waiting for ME, not the other way around. I highly recommend it, and it might save DHs life one of these mornings.

Hope you're relaxing right now--thanks for visiting me today--have a great Monday!!!

Very sad story about the horse. I used to work in downtown Toledo, which has mounted police, and am also familiar with Detroit's. Always impressed with all they do. Can't imagine the audacity of someone doing that. X-( Ridiculous.

I second Amanda's opinion -- you did great with today's food challenges! I wish my weekend had gone as well...

I hope your week goes better than last, that your headache and fed-up feeling disappear! Good luck & good going,

Lisrey :D

I hope that silly little man has flown right out of your life...happy end of month!! I hope it's not making your life a mess right now!

Warning: The following post is not in the least bit inspiring, uplifting, or positive. It comes as the result of two months straight of being overworked and unappreciated, 10-12 hour days, and no relief in sight.

I quit my job this afternoon. Told my boss I couldn't work like this anymore, and she said it wasn't official unless I wrote it down. So I grabbed a post-it pad, wrote "I QUIT." and signed it, stuck it to her computer monitor. She refused to touch it, saying unless she physically received it, it didn't count.

The audit is going into week FOUR on Monday. I had a noon deadline today for my month-end submission, which I missed because of the audit. I have so much stuff piled up to do and they just keep adding to it, so I can't get ONE thing done before I'm called away for the next thing. I went to work at 7am yesterday. I came home at 10:30pm. That's 15.5 hours, with a 15 minute break at lunch. The only time I can get anything accomplished is when everyone else is gone home.

I am going in tomorrow, against my boss's wishes. I can't work like this, and I shouldn't have to. I have to go and get that month end submission done and try to knock off a few of the audit requests. I had planned to ask for Monday off because I need a mental break, but the way today went I didn't even bother to ask.

Each day this week at some point I was so frustrated and fed up I was on the verge of tears, but took a walk to the ladies' room and pulled myself together. Today I cried while driving home.

DH is gone to pick up a pizza because I said he had better not expect me to cook after the day I had. I am going to eat pizza, watch a movie, and diet be damned. I just don't care right now.

I was wondering where you were. Holy crap. Does this damn audit ever end? I don't know if you should "officially" quit or not, BUT I would not work that many hours unless they were holding a gun on me or my family.

What is the worse that will happen if you don't work 10-12 hours every day and just tell them to be quiet and "wait till it is done"? Would they dare fire you after you have shown that kind of dedication? That sounds like it would be a relief, but I also don't think they would ever do it.

I don't think you should go in for at least one weekend. You need a mental break in the biggest way. Take care of yourself, Seaweed. They sure as hell aren't going to take care of you.

So...go ahead, have some pizza, chill, and try to forget about work for a couple of days if you can.

Hugs :ghug:

Be Good to Yourself
Fagan
My Journal (http://www.diettalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50403)

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Hey Fagan, thanks for the hugs, they sure are welcome!

Now that I've had a few hours to cool off (and a couple of pieces of pizza), I feel a bit better. Putting things in perspective, I am most upset about not getting the month end submission done on time. So I am going in tomorrow at 8am and will work until noon. First on the list is the month end. If there is still time after that, I'll work on some audit stuff. Wherever it sits at noon, I pack up and go home. Honestly, I don't care how long it takes to do the audit stuff because they were supposed to be finished a week ago. They are obviously incompetant so screw 'em. They can wait.

I am not working late next week either, and I will take my lunch break. My boss should be standing up for her staff and telling the auditors to back off, and she is not. I understand they have a job to do, but at what cost? If she wants to work ungodly hours, let her. She gets paid twice what I do, and no, I don't get overtime or time in lieu.

I will be a doormat no more! X-(

:D

Seaweed, I'm sorry you are going through this ... the neverending-audit is ridiculous and you are right to set some parameters. I sort of agree with Fagan that you should take at least two full days off ... I am forcing myself to do this more and more each week and it works wonders, but I know how hard it is to tell people "not now" or "no, I can't do that" or "I'll get back to you on that" ... and definitely you need to take your lunch period and maybe get a walk in during the day to refresh you mentally. Take care. :hug:

Sorry you are going through all this, Seaweed. Sounds like you haven't had a minute to think or breathe. I am a real "loyalist," and it's hard for me to walk away from my job when there's something to be done. I understand why you want to get your month-end project done, and why you're going in to do it... You've made a point to your boss, and working only the hours you're obligated to work next week sounds like the appropriate next step. You should plan something special (& relaxing) for next weekend, and be sure to indulge!

Get some rest!

Lisrey :console:

I remember a counselor (secretary?) in school who had a sign on her desk, "poor planning on your part does not necessitate an emergency on ours"

--sounds like the auditors and the boss need to hear that message...???

chin up, and hang in there (it builds great biceps, if nothing else!)

Exactly. Your boss should be controlling this situation and making sure that you're not being taken advantage. Telling you to take the weekend off as she piles more sh*t on your desk does not count. I understand why you want to go in this morning, and hopefully getting the month end done will allow you to relax and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Good plan for next week--take time for YOU! There's a reason there are laws to ensure breaks and lunches--employee health sister! Let the auditors freakin' move in until summer if they have to because they are so slow and incompetent!

Hope things start lookin' up soon! It's hard to stay on track with your "real life" stuff when work is bringin' you down. :console:

That so totally sucks.

Did you give 2 weeks notice?

I hope you get to chill.

Corinna

Hi Seaweed,
Sorry it took me so long to respond to your entry last week. I just read it now (that's how long it took me to figure out how I get a response from you). Now I know that you have to log back onto that person's journal to see their reponse.

I've gotten the hang of it now. If you don't mind, I'm going to direct people to your pages for that excellent description of how to navigate the site. I already have one person asking ME for help. Boy, you're not a newbie for long. It feels good helping others.

Anyway, if you ever want to check out my journal, it's "Arianne's Journey of a Thousand Miles."

I'll keep my eye out for you and see how you're doing.

Take care. And thanks again!

Call me crazy. Go ahead. CRAZY.

I got up at 5am to watch Coronation Street. It just ended at 10am. I usually watch the Sunday morning 8-10 recap of the past week on CBC, but because of the Olympic coverage it hasn't been on for the last three weeks. Today was catch-up day. I'll be talking with a Manchester accent all day now.

DH and I are going to LOOK at new dining room table sets at a Mennonite furniture store. I still have the crappy IKEA table and chairs we had in the apartment and it only seats four, which makes it impossible to have company for dinner. Don't know if we will actually buy anything (we won't if DH wins) but I want to check the place out because I have to match a table to my mother's solid maple china cabinet, and I don't want the crappy "wood product" tables sold in most furniture stores these days.

Athletea, Lisrey, Jessica, Amanda, Corinna...thanks for the support! Nice to know I'm not just overreacting. I went in yesterday at 8am, got the month-end files ready and sent them off. Boss showed up just after 10...wasn't expecting to see her, and would have rathered have the place to myself. I stayed until 1:30 because she said she was leaving then. Ended up scanning some reports and e-mailing them home so I could wrap up a yearly payroll reconciliation needed for the audit. Got it done in half an hour at home yesterday, and feel much better about facing work tomorrow now.

The lead auditor will NEVER be conducting another audit for our company. We will not be paying for the week or more they are over schedule, and a formal complaint will be lodged with the partner of the auditing firm. Small satisfaction but at least I know I won't be repeating this for the June audit (oh yes, we do this all over again in four months' time!). I still say "show me the money"...like a bonus would be appropriate for the effort I've put in...but don't expect anything. Even an acknowledgement or a "thank you" would be sufficient.8-|

Arianne, glad I could help!

Had a total carb-fest here yesterday. Rice, bread, popcorn. Big headache today, suspect carb-fest might be to blame. Roasted chicken and spinach salad planned for dinner. Tomorrow I am back in the game! I've got an iPod to win!

Hi, Seaweed:

I'm glad you made it through the weekend considering the stresses you have been having at work. And if you will not be dealing with the same auditors in the future, that is surely great news.

As for the carb-fest -- we all have those occasionally. Just don't do it again for a while.

Hope next week is better for you than last week.

They oughtta get you a massage!

Corinna

NO AUDITORS TODAY!!!!! :dn

Still have piles of stuff to do for them, but they weren't there at my desk every five minutes asking me to do this, do that, have I finished with the multitude of items they are waiting for....I actually got a lot done today. Crossed off at least a dozen items on the mile-long "to do" list.

I took exactly an hour for lunch. Came home and had a cabbage roll and a slice of roasted red pepper baguette. My official hours are 8:30-4:30, and I was just about to pack up at 4:30 when I answered the phone and it was my contact in our reporting head office...the one I had to get the month-end files to...so I talked with him for a few minutes, answered his questions, then packed up and I was out of there before 5:00.

Dinner was mandarin-teriyaki marinated salmon and my favorite salad...spicy baby spinach mix with toasted almond slivers, diced pear, and balsamic vinaigrette. Had a glass of white merlot, too. And decaf...first coffee of the day, actually. Trying to cut out the lunch-time one in favor of water.

Hi JoJo, thanks for stopping by! This week WILL be better...because I'm going to make sure of it, and because I don't think it gets much worse than last week! :laugh:

Corinna, I like your thinking!

There was more news coverage about the police horse that was hit by the car and had to be euthanized. There was a memorial service today in Toronto for the horse. Apparently, the driver hit the horse on purpose...some sort of road rage after he was approached by the officers while at an ATM machine. The horse's two front legs were broken. They showed the damage to the front end of the car. I think an appropriate sentence would be for the police officer to drive a squad car into the guy's legs and leave him on the road with two broken legs. X-( THAT would be justice.

Now I'm craving cabbage rolls at 8:30 in the morning....white merlot...hmmm....

Yay for no auditors!!! That is great--even if they're still lurking in the background they are leaving you alone and letting you actually accomplish something. I am so happy you took your lunch hour and left on time--there is only so much you can do, and only so much you're being paid to do! When I was a salaried employee I was a huge sucker because I'm primarily guilt/stress driven and I would work endless hours for the same crappy pay. Glad to see you're smarter than that!

I agree with your plan for the horse-killer. I have ZERO tolerance for animal cruelty, which is one of the reasons I could never be a vet. For some reason I can handle human suffering and the things people do to themselves and each other that are sometimes unthinkable, but I can't handle it with animals. They are somehow more pure, more trusting, about like kids. Ack. I hope the guy gets what he deserves.

I've got my fingers crossed that your Tuesday treats you as well as Monday!

Ooooh, Amanda, white merlot is one of my weaknesses. Have you ever had it? Jackson-Triggs winery in the Niagara region makes it here. Made from the merlot grape, but during the wine-making process they skim off the skins before it turns full red. And I have eaten cabbage rolls for breakfast before...just not with wine. ;)

Took my lunch today, too, even though my boss said she was too busy to have lunch. That's her choice. I came home and had some scrambled eggs. Dinner tonight was zucchini lasagna.

Slowly but surely I am making dents in the piles of work on my desk at the office. I should be caught up just in time for the next audit!

This weekend we are supposed to hit 12 C...that's @ 51 F for you non-metrics...and I really want to get outside and clean up the yard debris from the winter...dead leaves, some plants to be cut back, rake the grass to give the new growth a head start...still too early for the patio furniture to come out, but it will be soon.

Trying to figure out time-wise what I'd have to do to go walking in the mornings. Now that it is brighter out earlier and spring is on its way, it would be good to get it done and over with. If I get up at 5:30 it would give me an hour before I need to shower and get dressed. Of course, the speed bump in this whole plan is the getting out of bed part...we'll see. Maybe next week when work (hopefully) gets back to a more even pace I'll get to figure out what I'm going to do about a gym.

Ok, I'm rambling. Good night, Gracie.

I've always thought of white merlot as a really sweet blush wine, more like a white zin. Is it like that? I typically prefer a dry wine--either red or white depending on my mood and the cuisine. Might have to try that white merlot over the break....with some cabbage rolls and grape leaves.

This time of year is making me miss my yard! I kind of like doing yardwork--strange but true. I think your plan for the weekend sounds great! Hope work isn't getting you down this week. Getting up at 5:30 is never fun--I'm up that early every day during exam weeks, but normally I'm more of a 6:30 girl.

Hope your week is going well!

The audit is over.

We think.

AND I took Monday off. Whoo hooo....three day weekend! :dn

Maybe, possibly, could be my life will get back to some semblance of normalcy and I can concentrate on losing 20lbs instead of lurching zombie-like from bed to shower to car to work and dropping from exhaustion at the end of the day. Maybe a few of my fried brain cells will even regenerate. Okay, maybe not. Let's not push it.

Plans for the weekend? Not a one. Take it as it comes. I'm thinking a hike in the provincial park tomorrow, if it doesn't rain too hard. I don't mind rain, but torrential downpours on dirt pathways aren't fun. We'll see.

Amanda, white merlot is a blush, but not as sweet as a zin. Hey, there's a plan for the weekend...consume wine! :D

It's been a strange, disconnected two days.

It was unseasonably warm here this weekend. We hit 13C both days, I believe, but it was that unpredictable raining one minute, sunny the next kind of weather that makes me believe even Mother Nature suffers from PMS. I decided to take advantage of one of the few sunny periods to let the rays seep into my bones and unwind the Christmas lights from my magnolia tree in the front yard. DH took down the ones from the roof. I shamed him into it by pointing out that we were the last house on the street with Christmas lights still up. He actually tried the "but we just have to put them up again next Christmas" line, like it might work. HAH! Felt good to be outside. I cut down some dead flower stalks from the ones that have bright red foilage in the fall...think they are some kind of primrose?... they came with the house...and did a little pruning on the purple smoke tree in the back yard. Other than that, we chatted with neighbors, watched Walk the Line (it was good), read, slept.

Today I wandered out for a walk around noon-ish, came home 6 kms later. My legs were a-twitching! Watched the end of Battlestar Galactica season one, had a nap, made dinner, talked to best guy friend. I think because I've been so busy for so long it felt really strange to have time on my hands. NO housework got done. Maybe tomorrow since I'm off.

Had a few e-mails with ex-friend who suddenly dumped our friendship in January after seven years. It was weird, and cold, and has left me feeling a whole mixed up range of emotions, and I really just don't want to deal with any of it.

Talked with DH about the gym thing, and my plan to start walking early in the mornings. We have a lot of expenses coming up in the next 4-6 months, so I am going to use the equipment we have and we'll revisit it near the end of the summer. One of our plans for this spring was to seal the garage floor with that paint on rubber compound stuff (that would be the technical name for it), so once we do that we will set up our weight equipment out there and I'll have a space to use it. Until then, I'll do my walks, use my stability ball, and the free weights. I think I have a pretty good handle on food. I need to focus on exercise, getting the most out of the time I have for it, and increasing my ability and strength without sending myself into a major fibromyalgia flare. It's a very tricky balance. I have been neglecting what I need to do to keep my FM at an even keel lately because of work. I'm surprised it hasn't come around to knock me on my ass yet. The early morning walks are really going to be a challenge because I am always so stiff and sore when I first get up, due to the FM. Good thing I'm stubborn. Tell me I can't do something and I'll prove you wrong.

Well, that's all I've got. Hope to get around to some journals more frequently now that work should be getting back to normal for a while.

Ooooooooh, hooray to lovely lovely no housecleaning-y garden-y pre-spring 3 day weekend days!!! And here's to you, kicking the FM in the FM-hiney :whip: (but,,,yeah, be sensible...) --was the leg twitch stuff a good thing, I hope??


hmmmm....friend seems....odd (the cut you off one, not the other)

--have a fabulous tomorrow, rest, be well :)

I like twitching legs - until I want to go to sleep..

Enjoy March break!

Corinna

Got to sleep around 3:45 last night. Went to bed at 1:30, but my elusive friend and enemy, Sleep, wasn't cooperating. Thunderstorms rolled through here around 6:00am and woke me up. I had opened the window next to my bed at one point during the night, hoping the combination of cold night air and a warm duvet would help me sleep. Of course, once I heard the storm I was awake. I LOVE thunderstorms. I opened the blinds to watch the rain, and small cat curled up in front of me on the duvet. It was a lovely way to wake up, even if it meant only a couple of hours of sleep. Planned to get up when DH left at 7:00, but fell asleep and woke up again at 10:00. I could get used to this day off stuff.

Put coffee on, showered, dressed, am chatting with best guy friend who is at work (and rather distracted so I'm here in the meantime).

Have to go to bank to make stupid student loan payment (yes, still paying them off), supposed to stop by DH's work at some point. I used to work there as well, so it's always nice to see people. The reason for the visit is that he has an employee who moved here to find work, and through a temp agency landed at DH's work. His living accomodations didn't pan out and the guy ended up at the Salvation Army. Problem is that he is only paid minimum wage (or close to it) by the temp agency and you just can't live on that here. He has found an apartment to look at, but I'm not going to let him because it is in the WORST neighborhood in Toronto in a housing project. I went through the paper and found several rooms to rent and a few bachelor apartments he could afford, so I'm going to bring that in to him, invite him to come for dinner and offer my laundry facilities for him to use while he is here. Someone told me I am crazy for trying to help him because it's none of my business and he is old enough to look after himself. Maybe all true, but he is a fellow east coaster and we look after our own. I know what it is like to have no one to help, and if I can do some small thing for someone else in that situation, I will. My first instinct was to tell him to stay with us, but as much as I want to help, I can't take in someone I don't know very well, and I have to consider my family first.

Also have to stop at jewellry store to drop off my solitaire necklace...chain snapped, luckily the diamond didn't fall off...have to see if they can fix the chain or I need a new one. It's a bezel-set diamond and the chain goes right through the setting, so I can't just put it on another chain myself. Think its covered under the extended warranty. Have to dig out papers.

Then a walk in the rain, make meatloaf for dinner (DH's fav), start tackling Mt. Laundry, pick up around the house. Yep, could get used to this. But I know after two weeks I'd be going crazy being home all day.

Now I just have to get off my butt and do all this.

Yeah, Jess...it is odd. Leg twitching was good in this case!

Hi Corinna!

That sounds like my kind of weekend! I'm so glad that you had time to get things done, and to chill out too. You really deserved the day off too. Take the down-time while you can.

I applaud you for wanting to help the guy with the housing situation. Everyone needs help sometime in their lives, and society has gotten too "me-me" lately. I remember times when people helped me out that made a big difference in my life. People should not have to belong to your family or church for you to offer help when you have the means to make such a big difference. Simple things like not sitting in a dingy laundry mat where you have to watch your load of clothes like a hawk to prevent your pants from being stolen or thrown on the floor if you left the machine alone too long can make a person feel like a real human being again.

Have a good rest-of-the-day off. Take Care.
Fagan
My Journal (http://www.diettalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50403)

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Yay for you, getting some down time! Your morning wake-up with the cat and the storm sounded way cool. And then getting to go back to sleep! Yes!

Lisrey :D

So I finally get some downtime and treat my body to a little R&R, a little fresh air, a little exercise...and what do I get in return? MUTINY! Holy crap, it hit me like a ton of bricks mid-afternoon yesterday. Fibro overload. Guess I did it to myself with that long walk on Sunday, plus not sleeping. By 9:30 last night it was all I could do to make it to the top of the stairs to go to bed. Took me a good two hours just to get out of bed, shower, and get dressed today. Totally unproductive day at work. When the brain fog rolls in, it is impossible to focus and concentrate on anything. I knew it was coming eventually. Just have to deal with it and know it will pass...hopefully without a full-blown flare.

That said, I'm feeling pretty drained. Think I'll just crash early and if I'm awake at 3am, so be it.

Hi Fagan, Hi Lisrey! :wave:

meeep!

get better, be well!

Hey there! I sure hope you're feeling better by now. I wondered how you managed your health in combination with a high stress job. It seems that you stay on a pretty even keel most of the time, but even wonderwoman can't fight the auditors forever without a little setback. I hope you didn't end up in full-blown flare mode and things are looking up!

You definitely need some time to recuperate from that audit madness. It sounds like it really ran your system down, and now you are having a mini falling apart time. Get plenty of rest, and try not to do it again, huh? It is not woth it.

You doing any better now? Let us know.

CFJ
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Thanks for checking in on me Jess, Amanda, and Fagan!

I seem to be coming out the other side of the flare, thankfully. This week is really just a blur. I managed to work every day, but between the brain fog, all over pain, and taking sleeping pills at night the days just blended together. Feeling somewhat better tonight, although I was mighty ticked off when DH woke me from a dead sleep (which happens so rarely)...I fell asleep watching a movie after dinner and I guess I looked too comfortable or something. Don't think he'll do that again anytime soon.X-(

********************************************************
Minor rant: "But you don't LOOK sick." No, I don't look sick. I may look tired, but otherwise I am very good at hiding the fact that I suffer from IBS and fibromyalgia. I can carry on meaningful conversations while suffering from horrible pain that would bring many people to their knees. When the world doesn't take your chronic illness seriously, you learn to keep it to yourself. I can walk across a room and you would never know that I feel like I am carrying 50lbs on each shoulder while walking through quicksand and that each step feels like there are knives in my hips. Or that some days it is an effort to carry a stack of paper because I have no strength. Or that I've slept for a only a couple of hours in the last three days. Remember that horrible stomach flu you had for a day and thought you might die? I deal with that every day. I make myself go to work because someday I just won't be able to, and I want to save my sick time for when I really need it. So if I am off work it is because there was just no way I could get there. Forgive me if I don't seem sympathetic when you take three days off for a head cold. But you're right. I don't LOOK sick.
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FIVE week audit. They've been calling me every 15 minutes or so all week. I stopped answering my phone yesterday, then picked up the messages and e-mailed them what they needed.

Sooooo, it's March 17th already. Feeling like a complete and utter failure at this weight loss thing. Fresh start tomorrow, now that I somewhat resemble a human being again. Breaking this down into two parts: We have a wedding to attend on April 22nd, then I go to Chicago on May 19th. Don't know if I can still do 20lbs, but I'm going to aim for 10lbs before April 22nd, and again before May 19th. No messing around, no excuses. Really feel crappy the last few days because I switched from a name brand to a generic med and the generic has left me feeling really bloated and yucky. I'll keep it as a backup, but I'm going to get the name brand stuff. They are supposed to be the same, but there must be something in the generic that doesn't agree with me.

Hair appointment at 10am tomorrow. Booked it last time I was in, like 6 weeks ago. WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING???? 10am on a Saturday???? Geez. Ah well, I'll make it the first step in my fresh start, followed by a stop at the grocery store for healthy goodies. First day of Spring on Monday, and I plan to be well on my way to goal before the first day of Summer.

Ew. Ow. Eee.

sending you well-thoughts, and hoping each day gets easier, and you have fabulous sleep tonight (like, now!)

Mmmm, new hair, new goals, all good :D

Oh joy. Now I'm sick. Started late this afternoon...scratchy throat, and by dinner time I've got the my skin hurts/body stone/cold chills going on.

I give up.

Thanks, Jess.

Ack! Feel better quick! Just read Jessica's journal entry & she's getting sick too -- everybody better take their vitamins and get some rest!

Lisrey :console:

They shoot horses when they break. Why not humans? :shrug:

I am home today. Called in sick. Fought my way through fibro hell last week and got sick anyway. Maybe if I'd taken time last week I wouldn't be sick. DH stayed home today, too, to look after me. (All together now....AWWWWW.) I'm not doing stairs real well and he figured he would come home to find me laying in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, not dead, but vegetative and still able to give him "the look", making him feel guilty forevermore. So it was just easier to stay home.

I am SO hot. Sizzling. How hot, you might ask? I hit 104 degrees around 5am Sunday.

When I finally get over this, I really do want to lose some weight. Getting a little freaked out...time is whipping by and I've made no progress. Why is it that other people can manage busy lives and weight loss? Gawd, I am such a failure. Must work on that.

Lisrey, oh no! Jess was here...hope she didn't get it from me! Or..maybe I got it from her????

Ahoy! There's a Coy in ...well, in my journal. :wave: Oh boy DO I look sick! I couldn't stand myself anymore, had to shower this morning...with DH hovering nearby in case I got the spins again...the whole possibility of cracking my head on the tub and the vegetative state, you know. I must drop by your new place to see how you are doing.

I'm about at my limit for being upright here. I am going to try to get around to journals later, I promise!

For ONCE, I'm NOT sick. And here you are, not only sick, but according to CCC, LOOKING sick too. I can't imagine it. Why? B/c I have no idea what you look like.

Harumpf.

Boy am I glad you wrote what you did about getting through the day with your conditions. It gave me real insight. It must be extra-exhausting to carry on that front when you are already feeling like merde. I really do feel for you, my friend. It totally sucks. I am only glad you can get through the day with a modicum of humor. It is probably the only thing that keeps those 50 lb weights on your shoulders and not your head.

Your goals should be small right now, silly doofus. Picking up healthy foods is a good start. So is getting a hair cut. That should lessen the weight to 48 lbs at least. I got one. Did you hear? I look like a Bay City Roller. Sigh.

I wish you'd come to NYC instead of Chicago. But I'm not willing to get married just to get you here.

I've missed you my friend. Hope you are feeling better from the fluish symptoms by now!

Being sick sucks. I'm glad that your husband is taking care of you. I hope that you don't try to work like that again. It is not human. No matter what audit is coming down the pike, you can't work like that for weeks/months without getting run down. Rest up and get well.

Don't beat yourself up over the weight either. Jesus, woman. You have been through hell lately. I find it a miracle that you are even TRYING to stay on a program with all that you went through, and you are beating yourself up for not losing fast enough.

Remember that your goal is to lose this weight FOREVER. You will have plenty of time to enjoy it. Don't hurt yourself, and don't beat yourself up emotionally for not living up to your own grandiose expectations. You are doing fine.

In the mean time..rest, relax, get pampered by hubby, and get well.
CFJ
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Awww, you guys are the best!

Chum, I'm a gorgeous mermaid with flowing red hair, much like my avatar. :D Those 50lb weights seem to have moved to my chest tonight...all this coughing, I think I've cracked a rib. Speaking of haircuts, my wallet was certainly lightened...$128.00 BEFORE I tipped her. She's good, but I'm thinking there should be a discount for combination of services...cut, color, a few foil highlights...true, it turned out nice and is SO worth not crying over my haircut, but geez. I was there 2 hours...that's $64.00 an hour! I'm in the wrong business, I tell you. If I ever plan a trip to NYC, you will be the first to know! Hey, I'm going to Jersey in April...that's pretty darn close. Glad you are back, my dear. You were missed.

Yep, Fagan, lesson learned the hard way. I'm usually pretty good at knowing when enough is enough, but I lost sight of that this time around.
You will have plenty of time to enjoy it.
That really hit home, you know. You're right. So I don't lose 20lbs before May 19th...I'm still going to Chicago, still seeing my best friend, still going to have a blast. Not that I'm giving up, but the world won't end. Maybe if I let up on the pressure I put on myself it will be easier.

Time to load up on drugs and hope to sleep through the night.

My boss reached an all new level of ***** today. I have the respiratory flu, which if I'm lucky the first four days will be hell, with lingering effects lasting another week, and up to three weeks if I'm unlucky. Even so, I dragged my sick behind to the office this morning to get out a Board of Directors report and to talk to my boss in person. I have pretty much no voice so a phone conversation wouldn't have worked.

So I told her I have the flu, which she minimized by saying she was sick yesterday too, so it was a good thing SHE showed up. She had a stomach ache, and hey, I know about gut problems so I'd never say it wasn't real or serious. Then I told her I came in to clear my desk, would do what I could, but didn't know how long I would last. Told her how high my fever was(104 Sunday, down to 102 this morning), and that I really just need to rest and wait this out. She tells me that she NEVER takes a temperature, because what good does it do? Just take tylenol, and if you are that sick, you should be in a hospital. Uh-huh...okay...and if you go over 105 there is a possibility for seizures...but she doesn't believe that. Her response was that I'd better get well soon because the budget file is due by Friday and she expects me to do it. Well, that's news to me...I haven't been involved in this budget to this point, suddenly it's MY baby? So I left her office. Worked until 10:30, when I was burning up again, weak, dizzy, and generally miserable and unable to focus. I went in to tell her, "I have to go home. I'm sorry." She cut me off and snipped at me, "k, bye."

You know, I already feel guilty enough for being sick and away from work, I don't need that from her. So now not only am I miserable, I'm pissed off, and cried while driving home. I called to see if my doctor had any openings today, but she is on vacation. I wanted to get a note for yesterday and today, and maybe even tomorrow saying I was medically excused due to illness. The receptionist said my doctor will do it next week for me, and my boss will just have to wait, like it or not. The receptionist sounded pretty ticked off about how my boss treated me. Right now I'd like to take the whole week off, budget be damned. After all the extra time I put in over the last three months, this is what I get for it. Nice, huh?

CCC, I bet you are really glad you work from home now! What kind of work do you do? Yeah, I just have to find my groove again when things settle down. Balance ball chairs? Now that's cool! I didn't know. As for the hair, my logical accounting brain worked it out and it's $21.33/week for the next six weeks, which doesn't sound nearly as outrageous as $128.99!

I'm off to drown my sorrows in cough syrup.

As a manager with a conscience, I apologize profusely for your boss' attitude and behavior. We're not all like that. I can't imagine treating any of my staff that way. (I'd probably treat myself that way first.)

Sleep. Get well. Disconnect your phone so she can't bother you. When you've got your strength back you can tell her just what you thought of today's interchange.

Take care of yourself!

Lisrey :console:

Seaweed, I truly do not see how an individual can continue to work under such conditions. You must really, really, REALLY love your job.

I used to manage 35-45 cooks and dishwashers at a medium-sized restaurant years back, and I have to tell you that we were not that nasty and unfeeling to our entry-level $7.50 per hour dishwashers when they were sick.

The more that I hear about this job of yours, the more I cringe about how you are treated (would like to jack-slap this manager of yours). I apologize if I'm off-base, or over-stepping my bounds here, but I think you need to look for another job. This manager and/or company is going to use you up like a piece of machinery and throw you in the trash when you are burned out and useless to them. Then, you probably won't even get a good reference because of all of the animosity that has been building between you and them because of your end-time declining performance (which is actually due to them working you into the ground like a dog). I say GET OUT NOW.

Just be careful HOW you look for another job. These jokers sound like the kind of people that will fire you if someone calls them to ask for a reference. I would use a head-hunter agency if possible in your line of work (they control who calls who, and will not get you fired). I have an accountant friend that just used a head-hunter to get a new position and a $20K per year increase in pay. Oh, and a good head-hunter agency does not cost YOU anything. The employers pay for their services because they get them people that will fit with the new company, and that cuts down on re-training costs significantly.

If you like the hair, and can afford it, just do it. It is damn expensive, but if it makes you feel better, it is probably worth it. It sounds like you got the "works" too. Maybe you can talk them into a free manicure or pedicure for every 10 visits?

Take Care
CFJ
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Holy crap!!! I get a little behind over here and all hell breaks loose! I've got to go with Fagan on this deal, especially if there isn't someone above the Ice Queen that you can go to and deal with this type of stuff. Sounds to me like there are some labor law issues here as well. I've never understood why a manager would want sick employees around in the first place--to get everyone else sick too? The largest staff I ever managed was about 40 people, but I would never EVER make a sick employee stay at work. More often than not I was sending sick people home that wanted to stay and work because the bar was a cash biz and you're not making any cash when you're not there. I hope you're starting to feel better--this respiratory flu is nothing to play with, that's for sure. Rest, fluids, breathing treatment if necessary...you know the drill. Anyone who lives with fibromyalgia knows about pain, and if you say you're sick that should be the end of it right there!!! Karma will bite her in the ass, if nothing else.


I'm sending happy happy good feeling wellness thoughts your way!

Well, I'm still alive. I'm still home from work.

Tuesday afternoon my fever spiked again and I had shaking chills. My chest and back were really hurting from all the coughing, and when I coughed my heart would race. So I toted myself off to Urgent Care (not the ER) because the hurts-to-breathe thing had me a bit concerned. Lungs were okay, though, and I was told I just have to wait this out, it's bad, but it will go away in a week-10 days. I explained to the nurse what happened at work that morning and asked if the doctor on call could write a medical note for work, and was told he could. She was apalled at my boss's behaviour. She said "you are NOT going back to work"...I was back up to 103 C. The doctor wrote the note saying I would be off work yesterday, March 22 and might return on the 23rd. He said to follow up with my doc when she gets back from vacation if work needs anything further.

So yesterday I called and left a voicemail for my boss. "This is "Seaweed". I won't be in today." End of story. I don't feel I owe her any explanation.

Fever finally broke last night. I'm down to 100.5 currently. Feel better, but still pretty crappy. Still no voice, more of a squeaky Marge Simpson imitation. Feel like there is an elephant sitting on my chest, and I'm trying NOT to cough because it hurts like hell, and HMOG does my skin hurt. Last night I thought I'd drag myself in to work today, but when I woke up this morning still not feeling much better, I said screw that, and called in again. I got her voicemail, so I said I would try to make it in tomorrow to catch up before she leaves for CA next week.

If I get one bit of attitude from her, she is getting it right back. She totally made me being sick all about HER and what HER needs are. It's not like I've been sunning on a tropical beach all week! I would have much rathered be at work than be so sick. Whatever other staffing issues she is having are not my concern (as she has told me when I offered to help out!), so they should not have any impact on how she reacted to me. She was completely selfish. If the place is going to fall apart because I have to take a few sick days, then she has much bigger problems than me. It was made very clear that I am not appreciated as an asset to the company, because if I was she would have SENT me home to get well without laying a guilt trip on me.

CCC, I am a corporate accountant for an international joint venture company. I really do want to leave the corporate world, but we have a quarter-million dollar mortgage to pay. I actually daydream about working retail like I did a lot of years ago...showing up, working your hours, going home....no responsibility, no stress, no headaches...but I don't see the fantasy of me not working becoming a reality any time soon. It took a lot of guts for you to go out on your own, and I truly admire you for that. Having been a single parent with practically no income, I have lingering fears about ever having to be that desperate to survive again. I need to know that there is a regular source of income and that it is enough to pay the bills on time.

Thanks, Lisrey. I don't have to worry about her calling me at home. She gets pissed off and will ignore me for months and generally make my time at work at difficult.

Hi Jo! No, I don't love my job. It pays the bills, that's all. And it's 12 minutes from home which is practically unheard of around here. I did the hour commute in the mornings, up to two hours at night for 7 years and I don't want to go back to that.

Fagan, I've started looking for something else a few times. I've been in this job for two years, and it was a headhunter who found me and asked me to leave my last job to take this one. The company paid $14,000 to the headhunter for me...guess they are trying to get their money's worth! (and then some!)

Amanda, that's part of the problem, there is really no one above the Ice Queen. She thinks she is untouchable. We have a human resources manager (although she doesn't manage anyone, she is it) whom my boss absolutely hates and thinks is worthless. If I go to HR and she goes to my boss, it will only get worse. However, I plan to meet with HR confidentially just to get this on the record and insist that she NOT tell my boss. If things go the way I expect they will, I may just need this documented.

Soooo, tomorrow will be loads of fun!! I am supposed to have my yearly review before the 31st, and she will be away all next week...so it should be tomorrow. If my illness is in any way reflected in this review I am going to have it out with her.

Today, though...I am taking it easy. Thank you, my friends, for all of your support and kind words. They really do help!

I feel your pain about the mortgage, job, and all. Last year about this time, my wife quit her 7-year, high-paying job with a company that treated her similarly. We have a similar-sized mortgage as you (houses in Colorado are expensive!), school loan payments, car payments, insurance payments, etc. Back then we had enough extra money to fly somewhere in the U.S. for vacation every year, and stuff like that too.

She eventually became so unhappy all the time, that it all was just not worth it. The emotional funk that she brought home with her invaded every aspect of her life. Nothing was "happy" or "on" unless we were on vacation or something. She dreaded going to work every day. Knowing that she had to go back there was always in the back of her mind. It was not worth it!

After she quit, we managed to keep the house, but cut WAY back on our spending in other areas (used car with no payments, vacation is near home and within a day's driving, etc.). She started her own web design business that she runs out of the house. It took a year to build up enough clients to actually make more money than she could waiting tables or something, but now she has a back-log of clients that are asking for her help based on her work. The first six months were a little chancey financially, but it was well worth the risk and decreased funds. It is nice to come home again. That makes it worth it to me.

Someday, when her business is going even better, I will probably go back to school. That is our plan. Live to be happy. You only get one life. Make it a good one, and do what you think is right for you and those you love.

Hang in there
CFJ
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Hey. I'm feeling kinda human again. Cough is pretty much gone, voice is almost back to normal, fever is gone, still battling fatigue, but that's one of the lingering symptoms I was warned about. I can breathe, and I can sleep without coughing, so I'll take it.

SO. Work on Friday...went in, the president was standing near my desk talking with one of the girls and he looked at me and said "Oh my. Should you be here?" Yes, I looked THAT bad. Had people telling me as much all day. One of our engineers actually said "You truly look awful." Our IT guy said "You still look pretty sick." And I told him how much of an improvement it was over the days before.

My boss shot me a "hello" on her way by. Before I had to speak to her, the girls gave me the rundown on while I was away. The receptionist was out sick since Wednesday, the plant accountant was out Monday - Wednesday, at least half the building had something. A couple had the flu like I did, the rest had a nasty cold that is also circulating. Back to my boss, she was fine. No attitude from her, she didn't ask for a medical note, nothing. I wonder if she realized she crossed the line in how she treated me. She was back to treating me reasonably nicely, like she was before I got sick. When I left on Friday afternoon she told me to rest and get well this weekend, which is unheard of for her. She's in CA Monday-Thursday this week, so I'll have a bit of peace to work on the budget files.

CCC, of course I didn't think you were telling me to follow in your footsteps, although if I could do it at my same salary, I would!

Fagan, housing is very expensive here, too. I'm in the greater Toronto area, and only British Columbia is more expensive in Canada. We have a nice LITTLE house for that chunk o'change! It really takes guts to walk away like your wife and CCC did. I think I'd be more stressed by doing that than by putting up with a psycho boss. Aside from her, my job isn't all that bad. There isn't any office politics/backstabbing from the rest of the staff, we all pretty much get along really well. I make a good salary, the hours are good when we don't have a freakishly long audit going on, and being 12 minutes from home is what kept me there this long. Not having that commute is worth its weight in gold. I can go home for lunch, and because I get home before DH, by the time he gets in dinner is ready and waiting for him. I'd have to be offered a really sweet deal to convince me to leave. We have three years left in our current five year financial plan. We are putting everything we can into clearing all our debt (except the mortgage, that we pay weekly which will knock a ton of interest off and a good 5 years!). In three years' time we want the only debt we are carrying to be the mortgage. THEN I'll be able to think about taking a different job, or working part-time. I'd go a little nuts being home all the time, but with my health problems I would like a little more freedom.

Still don't have much of an appetite, but made salmon and salad for dinner to get something of substance into me. I've been living on soup, tea, bananas, popsicles, and toast for a week now. And haven't lost an ounce, of course.

Oh well, one step at a time.

Glad to hear you're starting to feel human again! Sounds like the whole damned office came down with something--maybe if it wasn't such a big freakin' deal to stay home when you're sick it wouldn't spread like wildfire! Glad the Ice Queen had the good sense to treat you like a human being when you returned, and that you get a break from her.

Keep your chin up, and I hope you continue to get better. Don't overdo it or you'll end up feeling poopy again! (Sorry, I have to nag a little, it's in my nature).

Happy Happy Tuesday!

Hey there! Just checkin' in--I hope you're all better by now and everything is peachy in your little corner of the world. I have a feeling that iPod is right around the corner!

Peeking in from work...

Boss left for the day, going out for lunch with friend...AND it's FRIDAY!!! I'm going to buy a lottery ticket. The way my day is going, I'm afraid not to!

Been a long, stressful, sick week....I'm in the lingering portion of this flu...not bad enough to knock you down, just enough to wear you out.

Thanks for checking in on me, Dr. Amanda! Did I ever tell you my DD's name is Amanda, too?

CCC, I like your theory about my body being in survival mode. I think it likes it, though, and doesn't want to let go. I plan to speak with my boss during my review...which should have happened by today, but didn't. Probably next week sometime.

Back tonight with my plans. Enough is enough, I'm getting back on the weight loss wagon.

The aliens have invaded.

Last night DH and I watched Two for the Money (Rene Russo, Al Pacino, Matthew McConaughey (he alone was worth watching it)) We were in the rec room in the basement, where the big tv, dvd, DH's computer, etc., are, the lights were off, we were watching in the dark. After the movie I was watching What Not to Wear, DH was dozing in his leather Lazyboy recliner. Two cats were curled up with me on the sofa, it was all comfy-cozy. Or so I thought.

In the far corner of the room in the darkness near the ceiling I thought I saw movement. Looked again, straining to see in the darkness...nope, nothing. A few minutes later, movement near the ceiling again, this time closer to the tv. I told myself it was time to go to bed because I was hallucinating. Rubbed my eyes, saw something moving again. This time it was further down on the wall. And wiggling. Streaking across the wall at break neck speed. Multiple legs. I yanked on the pull-chain for the lamp, yelling for DH to wake up. No response. Slapped him on the arm, yelled again. Nothing. On the third yell he jumped up out of the chair, looking around, bewildered, "WHAT???" All I could do was point at the wall and say "KILL IT! KILL IT NOW!!!" Kill it before it streaked away again on all those lightning fast legs. He caught it in a Kleenex and disposed of it, and then was angry because I woke him up. Um, excuse me...my LIFE was in danger, he is the MAN, it is his duty to protect me. Section 1, paragraph 2, on page 3 of the Marriage Handbook: "As the man, it is your avowed duty to protect your wife from all manner of wiggly, multi-legged creatures at any time of day or night. Failure to do so may result in your being banished, not to mention starved and possibly beaten, for a suitable length of time as determined by the wife and depending on the magnitude and location of said wiggly creature."

Said wiggly, multi-legged creature was a 3 inch long millipede. Give me snakes, lizards, even rats. I can handle them. Literally, I can pick 'em up. We own a lizard, and snakes are just lizards without legs. But bugs...forget it. I can usually dispose of spiders myself if DH is not in the room. Those millipedes...uh-uh. They will have me standing on furniture, frozen with fear, or running screaming from the room. I never saw one until about two years ago when the cat was playing with a dead one in our apartment. Now in the house, they seem to like our cold storage room, and I will not even open the door once the weather is above freezing. I don't know how they get in, and I don't know how to get rid of them, but I am going to find out because this house is not big enough for me and them.

Anyhoo...I've sucessfully burned away an entire morning drinking coffee, reading newspapers, DT-ing, and really should get on with my day. Shower, dress, drive to next town to pick up the necklace I had repaired, buy b-day gift for sister, Easter stuff for nephew (and then have to wrap and mail these gifts to Nova Scotia), pick up stuff at grocery store, stop at new gym near house to see what it's like, and then there is an entire house to clean, laundry to do, want to get out for a walk....and if I get half of this stuff done today I'll be happy.

Back to basics. Eat well, sleep well, move.

what is it about basements and creepycrawlies? I've been down here doing my 3-am study sessions and had mice pop in for a hello. Twice. It's freaky, for me. Icky, too.

I'm just like you with critters, Seaweed. I love all things furry, and can easily deal with the reptile & amphibian, but bugs are just ick. When I was a kid my room was the one the centipedes liked in the Spring. I would shriek and scream and my Dad would come squish them for me. He sprayed something all the way around the perimeter of the house to get rid of them, and it worked, but he had to do it every year... Not sure what that was. Thankfully, we do not seem to have those in my current house. Box elder bugs galore, but I can deal with those!

Lisrey :laugh:

Hiya, Seaweed! :wave: I'm havin' job woes also but your boss' behavior makes my life seem a lot better. Sheesh! Truly, as others here have indicated, you may need to rethink whether working with this yahoo is worth it ... is there someone higher up than Ms. Sympathy that you can talk to about this. Her verbal abuse of you seems way over the top to me. Sorry you are goin' through this! Take care!

Well, now I've found something to be thankful for--millipedes are pretty rare here in good ol' Kansas. At least I think so--I haven't seen any in a very long time.

Thankfully you had DH around to save the day!!! What a hero!! You're right--it's in the contract.

Hope your workweek is treating you well and you're feelin' good!

My wife has a spider thing. If I'm home, I have to kill all spiders that she finds. It is usually an eventful moment (ACK!!! KILL IT! KILL IT! KILL IT!"). If I'm not home, the whole house smells like bug spray (have to make sure it is dead with 1/4 can of bug spray), and she has the offending dead creature covered with a paper towel so she can't see it. It is funny as hell.

I have to admit though, I'm scared of scorpions. We moved to Florida when I was about 9, and I got stung by one on the toe while taking out the trash. I saw something moving in the sand beside the trash can, and it was a scorpion. I had never seen one before, so I just looked at it. It was about a foot away from my toes, and it suddenly sprang forward and stabbed my toe with it's tail stinger. It was so fast! I've hated them ever since.

Hope you are doing well.
CFJ
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Jess, mice I can deal with. Don't like the mess they leave behind and the contamination factor, but at least I could say, "oh, a mouse" and point a cat in its general direction, but creepy crawlies freak me out.

Lisrey, I must look into this stuff that can be sprayed outside around the foundation. With my cats, I don't like to spray anything inside.

Hey Athletea! Glad to be of service in making you feel better about your job! There's some good in all of this after all.

Amanda, if I have to deal with another 3" millipede, I may just be packing my bags and moving to Kansas. Need a roomie? I'm a great cook, very tidy.

Fagan, I feel your wife's pain. If it weren't for my cats, I'd carry a can of bug spray with me all summer to zap the critters at first sight. I have discovered that hairspray, while it doesn't work as quickly, is a suitable replacement for emergency situations. Between coating them in a hard shellac-like substance so they can't breathe and making their legs stick together so they can't run away and can be picked up in a kleenex and flushed...it does the job. Not sure the "flexible hold" kind would work, but the "firm hold" does. Yikes, scorpions! Thankfully we don't have to worry about those in the great frozen north.

So, it's official. I have gained. Don't know how much, just know the pants I wore today weren't tight, but weren't comfortable...know what I mean? So I think we're only talking a few pounds. I'll get the damage report in the morning. I am really not happy with myself. Trying not to dwell, but I feel like I'm walking around with neon sign strapped to me blinking "FAT CHICK" in dayglo pink.

Ah well. Assess the damage. Focus on the solution, not the problem. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

I'll e-mail my Dad & ask him what the spray stuff was. It could be something that's really toxic and outlawed now, since that was a looong time ago... :laugh:

Sorry about the pants. I think I'm in the same boat here on my vacation...

Lisrey :shrug:

178. BAH!

Thanks, Lisrey! I want to call an exterminator and just get them to deal with it, but DH thinks I'm being ridiculous. Silly man, he knows full well I'll do as I please. I don't know why he bothers to convince me otherwise. ;)

You're welcome here in Kansas anytime. Together we could rule the world!!!!! The downside to my plan for global domination is that I live in a one room studio with 2 very spoiled cats, so I hope you don't need a lot of space. :laugh:

Don't sweat the scale right now chic--you've had a pretty crappy March, wouldn't you say? Sickness, auditors, she-devil boss lady from hell, etc, etc. Now you're dealing with killer millipedes--it's not like you've been sitting around eating bon-bons, ya know?

You'll get there--April is a new month! Besides, it's getting warmer and a little social pressure from seasonal fashion never hurt anyone.

Have a great day!

:laugh: Amanda...we could be the crazy cat ladies because I'd have to bring my three furballs with me. Yep, March pretty much sucked. Oh, I am feeling the fashion pressure alright....wedding in two weeks, trip to Chicago...can't exactly go to either in my down parka, you know? Can't even wear that here now that it's warming up.

178. Double BAH! Looks like it's sticking around...but not for long. I actually stopped and picked up stuff at the grocery store on my way to pick up DD from work at the mall tonight. Tomorrow I declare war!

Brutal day at work today, loading month-end data into new system...well, sending data and having someone else load because we still have connectivity issues with their intranet. What a royal pain in the arse! I don't like giving up control of our data, and for good reason...it ended up in all the wrong accounts and I had to go through it all and get it fixed over the phone...my ear hurt by the time I left today!

Boss tells me she plans to hire another person to help her with "all the stuff on her desk" because she is working too hard. Uh, excuse me? I've been KILLING myself doing just that, and now she is going to hire someone in a position over me? WTF?? Hire someone to take some of the crap from both of us, and promote me! Found this out at the end of my performance review...which was fantastic...glowing report, outstanding comments...not a negative statement anywhere. Color me confused.

Anyhoo...DH leaves for Edmonton on Sunday, will be gone until Thursday. This will give me a good start on getting back on track, because I can focus on me and only me. DD usually won't eat what we are having anyway, and makes her own meals. So the war is on....it's me against...well...me. :shrug: And I plan on winning!

Now, off to sharpen my battleaxe and broadsword. Where did I leave that spiked mace, anyway?

Yay for some time to plan your own meals! That is the very best way to fight the battle at my house. :up:

I asked my Dad about the pede stuff & here is his reply:

"Your question about the pedes ?? I am not sure what that stuff was. It was a very strong orchard spray the nurseryman gave me. I don't think you can buy it in stores, and it is probably banned now. But, I expect any insect killer would work, and even if they are not very pet friendly, most of those smell so bad, pets won't bother them. Best results, use a liquid solution and a pump sprayer. Soak the bottom foot of the wall and out onto the floor in any locations that are suspect. Pedes love damp concrete block. That should be the main target."

(Where he's talking about the concrete block, at our house that was porches and patios.)

Good luck!

Lisrey :)

Thanks Lisrey, and tell your Dad thanks, too! So would I only need to spray outside around the foundation? Our cold storage room is in the (finished) basement, underneath the front of the house. The flower bed there is well watered because the downspout from the roof runs right into it. I suspect the the foundation there would be damp from that, so it makes sense they seem to like the cold storage room. The storage room is only insulated from the ceiling to halfway down the wall, and the walls are the concrete foundation. My neighbor tells me the pedes like to live behind the insulation, which I don't even want to think about. But I'm wondering if I need to spray up behind it, too. Yech.

177 this morning. I think the talk of battle weapons might have send one pound running scared. Weird, though...as I got out of bed this morning I got a look at myself in the mirror in my cami and underwear I wore to bed. (I am SO NOT a pyjama person. Can't stand getting tangled up in them while sleeping!) I actually looked slimmer. I suspect I may have had some bloat going on, which is part of the wonderful world of IBS. Whatever, the positive image works for me, because I've been feeling rather fat and ugly for a while now. Maybe I should go dress shopping today for the wedding while it lasts.

Plan for today is to get my house clean! Since being sick, it has deteriorated. The man and teenager fail to notice, which goes well with their general aversion to housework. I'll get started anyway. Don't want to spend the whole day working. Then, I dunno...walk at some point, maybe shop? I know I'll be better able to relax for a few hours when the house is reasonably clean.

I hate my boobs. Aside from the whole post-pregnancy, getting older thing, I mean. I am a 38DD, and why on earth anyone would actually have augmentation surgery to be this size is beyond me. I have often considered reduction surgery, but I'm just not into pain. If I was any larger and they caused back problems, that would be different.

Anyway, yesterday I picked up two dresses I had ordered, one more casual for the summer, the other a very smart black dress/jacket combo, thought it would be good for the wedding in a couple of weeks, as it's a formal evening wedding. Well, BOTH dresses fit wonderfully, everywhere except the chest. If I order a larger size to fit my chest, then everywhere else will be too big. This is SO freakin frustrating!!!!X-(

I guess I'll wear my long black skirt and get a fancy top for the wedding. I don't even want to shop for that now. But I will, because I must. Maybe this afternoon after I drop DD off at work.

So this frustration yesterday after trying on these dresses sent me looking for sewing patterns. Been a sewer for years. Found a pattern in the same style as the casual dress I really liked, so I think I'm going to get it and see if I can adjust it for a perfect fit. Definitely going to get pattern and fabric today. The problem I have with sewing clothes is that when you try something on in the store and the style is not right for your body, you put it back on the rack and walk out. When you sew, you do all the work, and if it ends up being the wrong style, you're stuck with something you can't wear and have done all the work. This dress style was right other than being too small in the bust, so I think it's worth a go. Also found a bunch of patterns I bought last year and never used...several skirt patterns, a few top patterns. Might get fabric for a couple of those, too.

Food yesterday:

Breakfast was an omelette (2 eggs, bit of diced ham, green peppers, sprinkling of cheddar) and decaf. This was late morning, so didn't have lunch. Had a few organic tortilla chips with avocado/spinach dip while chicken for dinner was cooking (DH was munching while watching a movie), and dinner was a chicken caesar salad. Another decaf. That was it. Got about 32 oz of water in, need to work on that.

House is clean enough for me to stand it.

DH leaves in about an hour for his business trip. Guess I should help him pack...he's hopeless.

I am jealous, terribly jealous, that CCC has "generous" boobs. Mine are damn stingy.

I was just looking at the title to your journal again. Haven't you been to Chicago yet? Jeez, 96 days takes a looong time to pass.

So, back to your boobs.

Everyone I know with big ones hates them. Everyone with tiny ones hates them and wants the big ones. The only ones who love them are men. So, why didn't the so-called "all knowing one" pass them off to them? Let them have the boobs and the dingles and let us have a vacation by the ocean, sipping fruity, alcoholic drinks.

Just my point of view.

And after you mentioned that you are a 38DD, you then said you were dropping off DD at work? At least your 38s WORK. Mine are too lazy to even look up from their slumber by afternoon.

Harumpf.

(I was once on the vaudeville circuit.)

So, did you ever think there would be TWO people from KANSAS posting in your journal? How weird is that? I mean there aren't too many more people from Kansas in the whole wide world and two of them are HERE. BTW, we did have big bugs when I lived in KS. Once I woke in the night, feeling something crawling on my bare leg, I shook my leg and SMACK! against the wall (you could actually HEAR IT GO SMACK). I turned on the light and a whale-sized water bug was laying there in a daze. Out came the shovel, where I then hair-sprayed it, then Windexed it, then SPRAY STARCHED IT, then flushed it and wouldn't sit on the loo for two weeks. True story.

I'm glad and relieved you are feeling better. I'll bet you would feel even more rejuvenated if you slugged your boss in her 32AAs and told her to promote you. Pffft. I understand your thinking in staying in your job. Believe me, I've stayed in miserable jobs for reasons like yours. But this is f'in with your mental health, my wet and scaly friend. Perhaps it is time to go over her head and get some relief. You not only deserve a fantastic April, girlfriend, but a livable work life. Bosses suck.

She is really going to hire someone ABOVE you? Is she serious? OMG! X-( I hate that kind of thing. Why promote someone that already knows what is going on, when you can hire a good "yes" person that will kiss your butt all day? I hate corporate crap like that.

Have you asked to apply yourself? She sounds clueless to me. She may not have even considered it, because she has you so narrowly defined in your role.

How are other things? You much, much better now after being sick (which was exacerbated by working ungodly hours, in my opinion). Not commenting on the boobs thing.

CFJ
My Journal (http://www.diettalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50403)

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(http://www.TickerFactory.com/)

It sure is fun over here! Chumlette--I didn't know you were from KS! Don't you live in the Big Apple now? That's sure a long way from home, and much more exciting.

Boobs. I like mine smaller, because that means I'm at the skinnier end of my weight spectrum. When they get big, so does the rest of me. Years of yo-yoing hasn't exactly been kind to the jugs though, and God forbid I ever get knocked up I'm sure the post-pregnancy jugs would be a total nightmare. I'm with Chumlette--if the guys like them so much they should get to carry them around all the damned time.

I wish I could sew!!! My mom is a great seamstress, and I've always been interested in learning and just never seem to have time to do it. I think it would be way cool to learn how to sew and be able to make my own gear. I have some pretty eclectic tastes, so sometimes I see an outfit in my head and then go out looking for it and I can never find just the right thing. Maybe someday, when I'm not a slave to school, I can learn to sew (and play my guitar more than twice a year).

Have fun shipping DH off on his biz trip, and I hope you have fun shopping