HarleyNana

Personally, I don't think they're losing money, after all, if we're banded, then we're eating less than a person that's paying full price, which is the reason we ask for the discount. Now if you're going there and eating as much as a person non-banded person, shame on you, LOL. I have used my card, but I usually eat a tiny bit of salad and Soup, but at least I'm able to take small portions of various foods to see if my band will allow it. (Believe it or not, even after almost 2 years, my band is still fickle). AND, it's not like in a regular restaurant where the left overs, which most of us have in mind when placing the order, can be taken home. By the way, the receipt from our local Golden Corral says, "stomach stapling" I have no guilt asking for a discount.

I was my doctor's first lapband, so the first few of us did the over night stay, now he does the surgery on an out patient basis. Nothing to it, I wish I had been given the opportunity to have this available to me 30 years ago. Had surgery on Monday, came home on Tuesday, drove to grocery store on Wednesday. I was starving for some s/f pops. IMO, surgery's not as tough as the liquid phase after the surgery.

Welcome neighbor, I'm in Yorktown and have been banded almost 2 years. Gosh where did the time go? I wish you the best.

AWESOME, you look absolutely AWESOME!

Eileenie, did you get that egg timer fixed yet? Heheheheheh...love ya!

Vera, you look fabulous, no sags anywhere, you did something right! I'm so proud of you, what a hottie! Thanks for sharing the pictures too. PS, I forgot to mention, like Penni, I'm jealous too .

Kim, that was a very tactful way to acknowledge your surgery, well done.

Even though we are pros at lapband, there are soooo many people that still think the only help is the gastric bypass. Every time I see a severely MO person, I want to pull them to the side and tell them about this wonderful surgery I had done, which is now being done as an outpatient surgery. Though I would NEVER insult someone in that way, I would probably try to find a way to drop a hint about what route I chose.

Carrie, I'm with you girlie! Though I am at my goal of wearing a size 12, (keep in mind here, I'm 56 years old), I don't know that I really care if I lose any more weight or not. My goal was not by the pound, but for a healthier, HAPPIER ME. The only thing worse than looking at fat is looking at sagged skin, :omg: . I'm getting to a point where the skin is becoming an issuer and I really fear that much more of a loss and I'll be unhappy with the new happy me......does that make any sense? I'm trying to muster up the nerve to do the reduction again, then I think I will be MUCH happier. Good luck, lose for your health first, then your appearance...even naked.

I was on line the other day looking for travel arrangements and one of those sites must have jinxed my computer. Every time I go to a web site, I get that irritating message that pops up and says the Internet has experienced problems and MUST close now and then you get knocked off the Internet, WTF? Then you have to start all over again, it even did it when I was trying to print my itinerary. I have restored my computer back to dates before I did the travel search, I'm so near getting another computer, cause I can't stand that dam message . Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Helllllllllllllllllew everyone! I'm just gonna pretend I have not been missing and jump right in. Just finished sending the Gson and his Pop off to DC for four days. It took me about 5 hours to decide which hotel. It was like picking out a needle in a haystack for sure. The pictures were awesome and the review were pretty good as well. There were a few neg remarkes, but I figure you can't make everyone happy.....so....my choice, the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Crystal City. Supposed to be close to the metro, I guess I'll find out in a few hours, if it's a lousy hotel, my DH will be on the phone bitching to me in a heart beat, LOL. I surely have missed everyone, but it's been a crazy summer, working EVERY day and playing on the weekends. My preggers girl, well, I gave her the boot on the 28th, AFTER waiting for 6 weeks for her to return from maternity leave, what a beeauch. She came to me and was pissed because the last time she walked out on me 2 weeks b4 she went out on maternity leave, I told her I had planned to give her a weeks pay while she was out, but she blew that. Well it ate at her for weeks, then it was never the same when she came back, she was on job interviews, telling me she was taking her baby to the dr, anyhoo, I just told her if she was that miserable, she needed to move on now and not use me for a fill in until she found a job. Guess whose sitting home now, while I'm working, drawing unemployment benefits, WTF! At least she's gone. So my dear friends, I hope everyone is behaving and losing lots of weight, me on the other hand, I think I'm doomed to be at this weight. Still up and down 2 lbs, ERRRRRRRRRRRRR. I have to admit, I really don't care, which I mentioned in a prev reply, if I lose any more or not, cause the only thing that looks worse than fat is saggy skin. I hired a new girl yesterday and I'm hoping to get up the nerve to get the boobs redone, I'm soooo the chicken. I don't know why, it wasn't that bad the last time I had them reduced. Ok, gotta go to work now, hugs and kisses to you all, I will be back later today with an update on the hotel. XOXOXO

My surgery went from Nov 10th to Dec 6th, I know how disappointed I was with one cancellation, I can only imagine with two cancelled appointments. Hugs

Paula, my heart breaks for you, I so agree with Leatha, you're such an angel, I can't imagine anyone being mean to you. My DH use to get so angry, I'd swear he was going to burst a blood vessel, he started taking "happy pills", OMG, what a difference. He use to let every LITTLE thing start him on a rampage, but I always pointed out the positive and he would eventually calm down. The effexor has helped greatly. I have a 29 year old who is just like him. Let something not go his way and explosion, fast driving, terrible anger. Unfortunately, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, so watch for the signs in your kids. My 33 yr old is the sweetest, kindest, most wonderful son, (he takes after me ). I'm sending hugs your way, please stay on this, he's got to get help or it will ruin your families life. x:kiss2: x:kiss2: x:kiss2:

Helllllllllllleeeeewwww Everyone! Just dropped in to snoop a bit.... Doc, I know you're so proud of your son, your link was quite touching. Patty, have a great trip. Betty, sorry to hear DH lost his job and finds one really soon, before he gets use to the easy life. Darcey girl, as for the weight gain, it's alright, you're human and you're allowed, now just get your a$$ on track and start losing again, I will follow, cause if I keep it up, though I haven't gained, I surely haven't lost. Love you girl. Eileenie, you're support group all in one person. Cindy, wooohooo, you go girl, isn't it amazing how quickly that year goes, OMG, I'm past year and a half now and still stuck at the fluctuating 50-52, as Eileenie would say, WTF! It seems that my destined weight is 165ish, what everrrrrrrr, as long as I can get some 12's on, I'm having a great day. Hugs everyone, I've missed ya and I'll catch up with you other lovelies later.

Hugs Betty, I'm so sorry to hear he's not doing well. I'll be thinking of you both. Johnny pictures too, and I don't mean the toilet. Donna, I think that's a different Patty. Sherry, cute puppy. Cindy, I didn't even know they had sonograms for things like :omg: , boy am I telling my age now, or maybe it's just the fact, two brothers, two sons, three grandsons, hummmm, maybe I had no reason to know that, LOL. Eileenie, whatcha doin? Boss around :paranoid .

I take 1/4 of the prescribed pill, Sinemet 25/100 , and I rarely take it any more. I have found if the room is very cool, 65-67, I usually sleep without it.

Donna, you should plan a FL bash! Just select a date and let everyone work around it. My DH has been begging me for months to go to FL to look for a winter home, on/near golf course of course. Any suggestions? For me it has to be near an attraction and def good shopping. No boonies for me, LOL. I might be old, but I'm not dead yet.

For all you flower lovers, I thought you might find this interesting.... Clever Ways to Get Rid of Garden Pests, (from Bottom Line Secrets) Once your plants become established outdoors, it won't be long before critters invade your garden. Whether it's beetles feasting on your flowers or deer devouring the tomato plants, here's how to get rid of pests without resorting to dangerous poisons... BUGS Aphids. These tiny, green-gray bugs can suck the life from vegetables, flowers and tree leaves. They usually travel in large swarms so, despite their small size, they can devastate a garden. Aphids are repelled by the scent of citrus rind. Combine one tablespoon of freshly grated citrus rind with one pint of boiling Water, steep overnight, strain the mixture through a coffee filter, then pour it into a spray bottle. Add three drops of dishwashing liquid, and spray affected plants and those nearby. If that doesn't do it, buy an insecticidal soap at a garden store. Test it on one or two plants -- insecticidal soaps may do as much damage as aphids. If the sprayed plants show signs of leaf browning, curling or spotting within the next three days, don't use the soap. Otherwise, spray aphid-affected plants every five to seven days as long as the problem persists. Be sure to spray the undersides of leaves as well as the tops. Japanese beetles. These shiny, half-inch-long copper-colored beetles with green and white markings are a familiar but unwelcome sight to gardeners in the eastern US. Japanese beetles are particularly fond of rosebushes and grape and raspberry plants, but they'll eat virtually any plant. To fight back, put soapy water in a wide bowl and hold it under the branches of beetle-affected plants. Gent­ly shake the branches. Most of the beetles will drop into the bowl and drown. A long-term solution is to apply milky spore disease powder -- available at garden stores -- to your lawn near your garden as directed on the label. In two to five years, the disease will take hold, killing beetle grubs in the soil. The disease is harmless to humans, pets and beneficial insects. Slugs and snails. These pests eat holes through broad-leaf plants. To limit damage, place a few empty tuna or cat food cans in the soil up to their brims. Then pour beer into them. Slugs and snails are attracted to beer and drown in the cans. Use long-handled tweezers to remove the dead pests, or dump the contents -- beer and all -- on your compost pile. Then add more beer to the cans. Install beer traps in spring before slugs and snails have a chance to reproduce. Also put a few boards on the ground in your garden. Slugs and snails love the moist shade underneath. Every day or two, pick up the boards and scrape the collected critters into a pail of soapy water. Remove the boards in autumn so that slugs and snails can't seek shelter there during cold weather. Helpful: You will substantially reduce your garden's slug and snail popula­­tion if you water your garden in the morn­­­ing rather than the afternoon. That way, the soil will be dry by night, when these creatures are active, robbing them of the moisture they need to survive. ANIMALS Deer. Deer are naturally mistrustful of certain scents. You can hang cheesecloth bags of human hair (hair is available at salons and barber shops) around your garden. Dirty socks or bags of soap also may do the trick. Organic deer-repellent sprays, such as Deer Away Deer Repellent and Hinder Deer, have odors that are offensive to deer but not to humans. You can expect to spend $25 and up per gallon at a garden store. Odor-based solutions such as these will not stop all deer, but they can cut plant loss in your garden by 30% to 50%. The only way to stop most deer is with an electric fence. Expect to spend several hundred dollars at a home or garden store for a fence kit large enough to protect a 50-by-50-foot garden. To keep deer from jumping over your fence, smear Peanut Butter on aluminum foil tabs and attach them to the fence (always turn off the power before touching the fence). Deer that lick the peanut butter will receive a small shock and learn that your garden is best avoided. An electric fence is not an option for households with young children. You also can switch to the following plants that deer don't like -- or create a living fence of these plants around your yard... Flowers: Begonias, daffodils, foxglove, globe thistle, iris, lavender, marigolds, meadow saffron, peony, scented geraniums, snapdragons, stars of Persia, sweet alyssum, strawflowers, yarrow, zinnias. Trees and bushes: American holly, boxwoods, Caucasian daphne, Sawara false cypress, Japanese pieris, northern red oak, pine, red osier dogwood, rugosa rose, spruce. Rabbits. Rabbits can ravage gardens, consuming everything from vegetables to seedlings. If rabbits are the culprits, you'll find hard, pea-sized dark brown droppings in neat piles. You can try scaring rabbits away with fake snakes. Cut an old garden hose into serpentlike lengths, and place the pieces throughout your garden. If that doesn't work, another way to protect your garden is to construct a two- to three-foot-high chicken wire fence around it. The fence must extend at least six inches beneath the ground so rabbits can't burrow under it. Voles. These tiny rodents can consume close to their body weight in tubers and bulbs each day as they tunnel through your garden. When you plant bulbs, arrange a handful of sharp crushed gravel around them in the holes to keep voles away. Remove wood chips and mulch from the vicinity of young trees and shrubs in autumn so that voles have less cover during cold weather, when they eat mainly tree roots. Gardeners with serious vole problems can plant their crops in wooden frames with quarter-inch or smaller wire mesh stapled to the bottom (frames are available at garden stores). The mesh allows roots to grow out but prevents voles from tunneling in. Or grow daffodils, one of the few garden bulbs that voles (and squirrels) won't eat.

JEALOUS AND ENVIOUS

GM gal pals! Betty, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother and other family members too. I hope all goes well on Monday, please let us know as soon as you can. As for riding, I told my DH yesterday I don't think I have the self confidence to ride any more to go ahead and sell my bike, which he quickly said, "No Way", (when you only ride once a year, and it doesn't come natural, I think I' chicken now). Hugs! Darcy, WTH? You just can't seem to win for losing, one thing after the other. Now what? Hugs! Cindy, you better start explaining soon, my little niece just started and she's 10 :omg: . Now might be a good time to break into it or at least part of it, just the part about the period. Sherry the yeller, LOL, it's funny how when people that work for you got to other coworkers and talk chit they don't think it will get back to ya. My girls love to tell me what the other has had to say, in fact they tell me so much stuff each other said, I'm wondering when they had time to get work done with all their chit chat. Eileenie, sounds like you're going to help Mr. Perfection get that deck done so you can start swimming. I remember the pictures of your daughter's room, OMG, that man is talented. My DH actually hung two hooks on the fence yesterday for my pool poles, LOL. He only did it cause he thought he was gonna get lucky, . He hates to do anything around the house anymore, years ago, he was a workaholic at home, so enjoy it now sister. Patty, come and swim anytime and be sure to bring the boys, the more the merrier. Chrispy, welcome, you'll love it here and good luck on your application, we love Sherry too . Oh, I agree we need more pictures, I know you all don't want me to have to start posting too many pictures here. Doc, just go out there and smack the chit out of those kids, no on second thought, smack the dad, it's his fault. Beanie, Kat, Becky, Ira, Ivan, Diane, what y'all doing today? Have a fun day kiddies!

Yikes, I missed another one, Happy Belated Birthday. Hope it was a blast!

Happy Belated Birthday girlie! Hope your day was as special as you!

You are so beautiful, Michael Bolton, I think??? I'm terrible with names of songs and especially who wrote them. Through The Years by Kenny Rogers, is a good one for the parents. A fun song for the kids would be the Macarena. I'll be back after I check the CD of a friend who got married. She made a CD for all the guest with most of the songs played at the reception.

Hmmmm, maybe that would inspire me. I'll definitely check it out.

I'm late seeing this thread too, I got goose bumps all over when I read it was one of our girls. Hope you have a quick recovery Christina...Hugs!