DeLarla

Advice for Packing and Traveling Many moons ago I was on a river-rafting trip. We were floating down the American River in one of those peaceful, inspiring moments as our wise guide told us stories and shared his wisdom. One thing he said stuck like glue, and it's gotten me through every trip since. Always unpack 1/2 of what you packed. Then bring twice as much money. I can't always bring the extra money, but unpacking half the crap was the best traveling advice ever given. Don't try to impress us. I'll shower and shave for you gals, run the blow dryer through my new fab doo, a little foundation and lips. Casual. Think CASUAL! No worries. Be comfy. Geeze, ya know what we SHOULD have done? A pajama party! It's not too late! I know I'll be barefoot - that's a given.

Trish, please UNPACK your suitcase. I am being suffocated by all these Hefty bags stuffed in my closet with clothes that are waiting to jump in your empty suitcases! Vine, I have social anxiety disorder, which is why I drink. I completely know how you feel. Last week I attended training in Louisiana, and I was horrified of meeting all those people head-on, so I had drinks on the plane. Talk about chickenshi%. Just like last year's bash, I'll prolly have "DeLarla's Famous Ice Tea" running through my veins before you even get here. Vine, this isn't your run-of-the-mill gathering. It's a group of very special people. We all got banded for the same reason, so we all understand fears, ugly secrets, fraud, etc. We are all really special because we've had to work so much harder to prove to the world that we can keep up. Would it help to ease your nerves if I showed up in a tu-tu and coconut bra?

Oh my gosh, Vine. I feel like I'm a complete alien from the rest of the world. I could have written this: "I realize that I have always felt like that, no matter what age I was. In the 5th grade all the girls were ga-ga about Donny Osmond and it was all I could to do keep from calling them idiots. (like Donny Osmond or David Cassidy was going to come to our little school and sweep them off their feet..." I've always felt that way but I attributed it towards the fact that I started my period when I was 17, so I figured maybe my hormones didn't kick in like theirs did, which is why I never understood why all the girls had crushes on guys they had no chance with. I don't even know how to respond to this, but I'm so very, very much in the same boat as you, I just fake it better. I'm too tall, too fat, size 11 feet, paranoid-schitzophrenic mother and asshole alcoholic father (who I didn't meet till I was 18.) I've got frizzy hair, I'm 100% Polish, never went to prom or had dates, abusive childhood. I'm the biggest girl I know (taking into consideration feet, bone structure, height and weight) and I've never been able to buy a pair of shoes in a normal store or clothes either. It's been a hard, hard life, which is why it's so important for me to add color and enthusiasm. I don't have time for blah anything! Don't worry about what others think, there are more of us aliens around than you know. Don't worry, we'll have some fun next weekend and you'll see that you fit in just perfect in this group.

Sorry to pooh-pooh on the parade, but they have to give them for free cause nobody will buy them! They are the grossest thing I ever tried. When I got banded I bought one of every protein-type-nutritional bar on the market, and the Lemon Luna was the only one I threw away, and I'll eat almost anything. But I like all these freebie tips! I hate shopping, so I have fun seeing what you found out there.

Audrey, high-five from across the universe! Congrads to you.

If Vine isn't going, I'm not going. Girl, do you want to spoil the whole party? Now go dust off the suitcase. P.S. I'll show you my fraud if you show me yours!

I love avatars cause they make us look so tiny!

Glad you're not in that mess, Paula. I feel so sorry for all those people seeking shelter at the Super Dome in those hard uncomfy chairs with no air conditioning. Must be awful. Today I was supposed to make reservations for my next convention, but my corporate office in Baton Rouge (an hour from the storm) is dead. No phones, no e-mail, and their website is even down. I've been checking MSN but the update is 2 hours old. Has the storm passed yet?

I'm having a consult for arms, belly, chin & thighs. There are 2 guys in Vegas that both do amazing work. One doc is in my office complex and I've been doing free notary service to him for years, so he said he'd work out a great discount, but I'm curious what everyone's paying? As far as scars, I'd rather have scars than flab flapping in the wind any more!

Nervous, schmervous. Geeze, it's only us! Don't be nervous, switch it to excitement mode!

Anybody remember the old disco song, Rollercoaster? Rollercoaster, wow-owe-wow say what, Rollercoaster, woo Hoo HooO HOOOO... Well, that's what life's been lately so that song won't get out of my head. Instead of trying to make it go away, does anybody wanna get up and sing and dance to it with me? I miss you gals & wish I had more time, but Rollercoaster, woo hooooooooo hooo HOOOO!

I used to be a boring paralegal with a real estate license. I'm still both those things, but I just bought my own foxy, fun, exciting and awesome business, and I'm so excited I can't sit still. I'm waiting (impatiently) for my website to be built and I'll tell you the rest when it's up and running, winky wink. Lisa Bonekovic, Business Owner. Sorry for boasting, but I just can't stop saying that!

My weakness is food. FOOD. fOod. FooD. fooD. foOD fOoD FOOD FOOD FOOD. It never goes away.

Since we're asking questions, what's with certain words or phrases being double-underlined in blue? Anyone else seeing this?

She must be out celebrating with two tablespoons of something. Zoe, you rock. xoxox Congrads on your amazing success.

Wow, now I'm getting super excited! I made Buca reservations for 5:45 so we can have drinks before food. Those of you driving in, NO excuses. Go to bed an hour earlier, pack the car the night before and get your butts to dinner! UHHHH... where is Megan? Anyone got her number?

I've hadbad experiences with public Laundromats. The day I met my husband, he asked what I wanted out of life and the first thing out of my mouth was, "MY OWN WASHER AND DRYER." I've always been up before the chickens, so another time when I was much younger I walked into my apartment's laundry room before daybreak. I flipped on the light, and there was a witch with a long, green pointy finger reaching at me to eat my brains! Okay, fine, she was really just a bag lady sleeping in our laundry room asking me for some money, but she scared the living crap out of me so I ran like hell! I'm not afraid of the bag lady (will prolly be one myself some day) but when you don't expect something like that before you've even sipped some caffeine, it could really screw up a kid's head!

***cracking up here*** Jenna WAS talking about my MONSTER husband! He's got 3 bulging disc that have turned him into a complete A-hole! I'm not even apologizing for him any more. I could leave him, but he gives good _ _ _ _. OKAY, NOW I'M CHOKING AND DYING LAUGHING FER REAL!

I once went to an eating disorder specialist for therapy, and she was so enthralled with my insane eating habits that she pulled out a bag of Gummy Worms from the drawer and mindlessly ate them as if I was some Lifetime movie.

http://www.bucadibeppo.com/loc_index.asp?FL=YS&ID=NV#List That's the website for Buca di Beppo that has the menu, address, phone number, driving directions, etc. Jack, are you saying it's not worth driving 2 days for 2 tablespoons of grub?

I'll keep the ball rolling. When I lived in Portland, Oregon, I used to get up before the sun to do laundry before the apartment rush hit the machines. One dark morning I walked in the apartment laundry room, flipped on the light, and threw my laundry up in the air while screaming blood murder running back to my apartment. The second I flipped the light on, a big raccoon that had been in the laundry garbage freaked out and headed flying towards the door... and uh, well I was standing in the doorway so it zipped right through my legs. There went another pair of pants.

Sorry, Zoe, but I'm bugging out of this thread and won't be able to check on you in fears of accidentally seeing Fred. No thanks, no time for passing out today. Can ya send me a PM when you have the date?

I agree that Bandster rules should dictate an earlier dinner. If I wait too late to eat then I eat way too fast and end up PBing anyway. Six O'Clock it is.

Crazy how those rumors got around back then since the internet didn't even exist, but I heard the same rumor in Southern California. The screams were from a girl that got murdered during the recording of the song. Pretty funny since I worked in recording studios, and the whole reason they go into the studios is to block out all the sounds from outside... duh, because they are soundproof! But till this day, you can't help but listen for that scream! Yep, it's a great ride so far... but floating on the raft sounds pretty good about now, too. I'll let you guys in pretty soon. I'll have a website up and running by October. Say what? Roller coaster, woo hooo hooo hooooooo. Okay, now somebody tell me who sang Blame it on the Rain... that's the only line I can remember, but we've sure had some funky weather lately. Great, now I'm gonna have Play that Funky Music Whiteboy stuck right after the Weather Girls get out of my head. NICE TO KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS HEARD OF DISCO!

I hoped the band would eventually change my way of thinking, but every day is still a constant struggle. Even after a year, food haunts me. I wish I could say more, but this is one fugging ugly battle of a screwed up monster we're dealing with, that's fer sher.