DeLarla

A local charity asked me for a donation so kids in the hospital would have gifts for their mom's on Mother's Day. I'm such a sucker that I handed over my entire inventory while bawling my eyes out thinking of those poor kids. The rest of my bags are in a local dress shop, so the only ones I had to take pics of are the two I use (one for going out & the other bag goes over my shoulder when I ride my motorcycle.) My husband welds, and he's the one that begged me to make custom welding caps. Since then I've made hundreds of caps and bags but I have a really hard time accepting money from friends, which is why I have orders backed up for miles. Meanwhile, I'm starting my own side business. I'm not going to say much, but I'm meeting my mentor this Saturday and handing over a little investment. No, it's not selling my own things, but I will have sexy PLUS SIZE items in my inventory.

I give the garbage men booze at Christmas, and they treat us like royalty. Our Water heater broke, and I simply asked if that's something they're allowed to take. They stopped the truck and came all the way through my house and carried it out to their truck for me. They also carried our washer & old fridge out. LOVE YOUR GARBAGE MEN! I also have a soft spot for 18 wheelers, so instead of getting pissed off when they block up the freeway, I always let them in front of me. I've got friends in low places.

I'm in Nevada but really close to your resort at Stateline. I take it you own the Primadonna Casino? Okay, bad joke, but if you really did own it then I'd love to meet for a little nickle keno and some Band support.

I just dropped dead of a seizure just "thinking" of 4 shots. I can have two sips of espresso or I'd go nuts. Damn, my house would be clean!

Yep, hot here, and we just got another severe thunder storm warning. I even give the garbage men cold drinks. I'd be skinny if I worked out there.

Awe, it seems like just yesterday you were here thinking about having a baby. What great news! Congrads to you and hubby... lots of healthy band babies being born. Meanwhile, I don't want to hijack but G, is Grand-girl-baby here yet?

Terri, write me a whole book of questions if you need to. Every place in Vegas is built to accomodate the handicapped... heck, let's make millions and find one that's not and sue the hell out of them (sorry, bad joke coming from a law firm.)

Hi Susu (cute name.) Nice to meet you.

Sorry that I missed this one. Congrads! How are you feeling today?

Laura, that's a good point. I'm going to ask my hubby why he never comments on all my clean blouses any more.

Okay, Mandy, my head is still spinning from all the soy milk, and I already have to switch to rice milk? Is that in the same milk section? And Mouse, you are how much older than me? I doubt it. I'm pretty sure I'm peri-menopausal since this is the 2nd month my period came early, while I've been the most regular girl in the world my whole life. If there's potential benefits to soy milk, I'm gonna drink up till my boobs fall off. But now I gotta try the rice stuff, too. Bubba, yes, it's a great source of Protein and tastes great in shakes or just plain. But there are so many types, so I'm not sure if it works the same way as regular milk where you get the skim, low fat, 1%, etc. The one I bought said it's fortified with calcium and lots of protein, so I drink it plain sometimes instead of making a shake. It's kind of like cream, almost. Trust me, I gagged at the thought of tasting it, but it's darn yummy. Thanks everyone for participating here, cause this whole soy craze has me wondering. I don't cook any more since hubby comes home so early and is full by the time I get home, but I'll venture to trick him with some soy next time I make a pot of chowder. How do you buy the kind to cook with? Are you talking about Tofu?

And I LOVE your screen name! When I was young I had the cutest freckles on my nose.

My secret fantasy - if I ever got tiny - would be to hang out at the Bellagio or Caesar's Palace and flirt like MAD with every hot guy that approached me. Just tease them and taunt them, then whisper a fake room number in their ear and promise them a #@#%$%@ and tell them to show up with a bottle of champagne and some lubricant. Then I'd say the room is tricky to find, so I'd write directions sending them on a wild goose chase all over the hotel, up and down elevators, ending up in the parking deck. I'd naturally collect video footage and give copies to all my Banded friends as holiday gifts.

I wore my hair like that for one week last month, then it grew out. It grows like a weed when it's short, then stops dead when I want it long. Can't win. Still, I'm hearing soy this, soy that. Soy is everywhere. What's the big deal? Is it supposed to be better for us than milk?

Okay, how the heck am I going to say this without offending anyone? Most people know that I've had 2 ports removed, and I'm left with an ugly hole where my port incision was. Here goes: My husband brags to his friends that his wife has an extra hole. THERE, I said it! Point being - try to have fun with it. Tell him to play connect the dots. For some extra fun, draw some fake scars in fun places

I make purses and welding caps... do those count?

See, this little cocked head thing with those innocent eyes is why my dogs are spoiled rotten. She's a little pink-nosed angel (she needs pink toe nails.)

Vine, are you sure we aren't related? We had that same watered down powdered crap that nobody ever drank. She was a real estate agent that took clients to schmoozy lunches and dinners, but we got frozen wads of liver and dried lentil Beans that us children were supposed to know what to do with. Every so often she'd cook for a date, and she'd always put out pistachios. The next morning we'd dig through the garbage for the ones that didn't have that little crack and we'd break our teeth trying to get them open. But this soy stuff is really yummy. It's got to be loaded with sugar though cause it's really good, like drinking Carnation Instant Breakfast or something.

Duh, we were going bye-bye so of course my little girl got a manicure and a pawdicure (pink is our signature color.) I'm still laughing at all that hail too. It's just too weird considering it's hot outside, then chunks of ice start falling from the sky? Leatha, are there really still Piggly Wiggly stores? How funny is that? I know a bunch of you live in really cool places. Do I gotta come there and take my own pics? I know ya'll have cell phones, so start snapping, and thanks for all the nice compliments. I love sharing pics.

By bashing my head against the wall. So far I haven't figured this one out. I was actually going to eat pizza for breakfast when water was fighting to go down.

My attorney told me I can actually send a pic from my camera to my puter using e-mail. What WILL they think of next? Rain, what rain?

HECK YEAH! Just yesterday I looked down at my Band and asked her what her trip was. I even told Chris that suddenly my band snapped shut. Yesterday I was in the mountains though, so I attributed it to the elevation. But I'm back home now and it's still too tight to chug water - this is sipping weather. Maybe instead of spending another $5,000 on another port I'll just have a sauna built in the backyard.

Getting another year younger is reason to celebrate... Happy birthday!

Darcey, thanks for answering, but I still don't think there was anything you could have done to prevent your slippage. Somebody else could act exactly like you and still have their band in place. Take me, for example. I've got anxiety disorder and always run in 100 places at once on 2 hours of sleep, so I abuse caffeine. I drink booze and carbonation. I eat beyond (way, way beyond) feeling the hard stop at times. I realize I'm not following the rules, but if I were able to follow dietary rules and guidlines I'd never have needed the band to start with. I'm insane, food, drink and booze is what I do, my drugs. So I've probably "tested" my band way beyond anybody else, and mine is still in place (I live just for today.) I don't think you could have prevented it. I've said some harsh things about Ortiz in the past, but maybe it's time I apologize to him for taking such good care of his patients. I'm in the same boat as you where nobody in Vegas will touch me. The fact he ran to your rescue is very admirable. Please don't feel like you're on a soapbox - this is your forum - what you've posted already saved me this morning. We ordered huge take-out last night, and first thing this morning I was going to have some but I managed to avoid it and went to the grocery store for some canned Protein shakes instead (blender broke.) I'm having a tub-o-Water waiting for one to chill. Thanks for the inspiration.

The pics of me in the rain are on my new cell phone... anybody know how to get them off of there and onto my puter? You don't really expect me to read the manual, do you? I wish you ALL would get your cameras out. The only way I'll ever see the rest of the world is to live vicariously through others, so start snapping! I get a kick out of seeing other parts of the country... someone send me a picture of a Piggly Wiggly!