Lucy

Call me when you get your news from a more erudite source than USA Today :car: p.s. you conservatives aren't exactly overflowing with honest folk these days

In Coral Gables, FL, it is against the city architectural code to have monkeys in the trees in your front lawn. It's okay in the backyard trees, but don't even think about letting them hang out in the front.

Photography is all about lighting. Turn off the flash mode and take the photos in a well lit-room (light the room as much as you possibly can, more than you would normally). Don't light yourself, light the environment. Or take the picture outside. If you really want to work it, take the picture at the crack of dawn when the sun is coming up, that's the best light. But if you really want a nice portrait of yourself, find a professional. Their equipment is better and they have an eye for what they are doing. good luck.

I own my own architecture/design firm. Happy to discuss anything on the topic.

have you tried eBay?

Sometimes the xenophobia and racism on this forum really shocks me.

Yes, the Kucinich comment was funny, but it really is unfortuante that people see him that way since, out of any of the candidates, he is the one who would actually do anything important while in office. He's the best candidate and the least likely to even get close.

This is mine

Stevee, I'll be happy to take those pain meds off your hands if you aren't gonna use them....heh heh Anyway, I wish you a smooth recovery and all the best in the world. Keep us posted!!! Chris -- I'm obsessed with tax write-offs! Trust me, all of my expenses will be submitted to the IRS for a return! Juli -- I love you, your response to the "gay" post was perfect.

mimes and clowns ants swimming in the ocean

Martha Stewart (love her or hate her) has a ton of painting advice. I think you can find it on her website. if you paint your ceiling the same color as the walls, the ceiling will feel higher than it is.

I went to art school, we didn't have them. I can't say I feel deprived.

Hi everyone! I hope you are all well. I haven't really been on LBT recently -- life has been crazy busy, but I wanted to check in and say hi. Trisha, I am so sorry to hear about your denial. But I promise you, where there is a will, there is a way. My insurance wouldn't cover my surgery and I never thought in a million years that I would be able to afford it/get a loan. But things worked out and I was able to have the surgery. Yes, it was self pay, and yes, I am paying off a loan for the next 5 years, but it was 100% worth it. Do not let this get you down. Look at this as an opportunity to fight for what you need and want. You will make it happen. Stevee, OMG OMG OMG, I cannot believe that your surgery is in 3 days!!!!! I'm so excited for you!

Hey everyone, I've been gone for a while -- I went on vacation, and then I got really sick and ended up in the hospital over labor day weekend (not LB related) but now I'm back! Pamela, you gorgeous thing! Love the photo! Stevee, it's going to be ok. Whenever you get nervous, stand back and think about why you are doing this and how much you want it. And I agree with whoever mentioned that it seems expensive, but it's actually less than you normally pay for food. I am such a cheap date now! My weight loss is going very slowly, but it's going nevertheless. My ankle doctor has had my left leg in a boot for the last month and I have very limited mobility, so I haven't been getting much exercise at all. I had an unfill almost a month ago (I suddenly felt overfilled during PMS) and I haven't had another fill since -- I want to see if I feel the same thing when I have PMS again....ugh...so...it's been hard, but I have been trying to make the right decisions and stop before I am full, but it's hard... Hope you are all doing great. xoxo

Wow, Derick! I think this is the first time I agree with you! I don't believe in the death penalty -- I don't think anyone has the right to take the life of another human being, no matter what they might have done. But I don't have a problem with putting a child molester into gen pop!

I only told my husband and my parents. They all keep their mouths shut. What I do in my personal life is NO ONE's business. They do not need to know and I do not feel obligated to tell them. When people comment on my weight loss, I tell them that I am eating more Protein, less of everything else, and that I am exercising more. All of these things are true. The truth is that the Lap Band is not the easy way out -- you still have to watch what you eat and exercise. I'm not interested in other people's uneducated opinions -- anyone who tells me that I took the easy way out doesn't understand how the Lap Band works and has never struggled with their own weight. But I don't feel like having this conversation with all the skinny people in the world, so I keep my business to myself. Some people here have told a lot of people without any problems. It's your own decision who you decide to tell (or not) and there is no right answer, except what feels right to you. Good luck!

Have any of you seen the film "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price"? It's one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. I'm not trying to preach to anyone, I just have a really low opinion of Walmart and this film really shows how evil they are. WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price

Congrats Chris (and wife) and Stevee!!!! That's so exciting! Flipper, I wish you all the best for the next month. Nothing is easy, but if you stick to lquids as much as possible, you will succeed. It will go faster than you think, I promise! Good luck! Hi to everyone else. I'm so happy it's almost September. Not that the weather gets any better down here, but at least it means there are only 3 months left in hurricane season!

Nice! That's great Stevee! I have a myspace page, but I haven't been there in a very long time...

Lucy Miami Beach, FL Banded 6/8/07 Hey new kids, and everyone else. Hope you are all doing well. I got back from Key West yesterday, was a lot of fun, but I am STILL over restricted. I talked to my doctor while on vacation and he said to call him on Monday if it's still too tight. I haven't PBed or thrown up at all (thankfully) but I have a lot of discomfort and I can feel the band is too tight. I'm back on liquids until I get this sorted out...and let me tell you, when you are in the Keys and limited to liquids, there are very few options...I hope tequila counts as a liquid because that's about the only thing I consumed there...it's so weird, though because I had my last fill over a month ago, but I only started feeling restriction last Friday. Thankfully the doctor didn't think I had a slip...let's hope he's right. take care, everyone

Woo hoo! Yea, Chris! That's fantastic!

Hey everyone! Eddie, glad to hear you went shirtless! Juli, sorry to hear you won't be joining him And Stevee, congrats on raising that much cash! Hope you guys on the liquids are doing okay. It will go faster than you think! Things here are okay. Heading to Key West tomorrow for a few days to get out of Miami. I definitely need a vacation! I've been having some weird feelings of tighness in my stomach -- I had my first fill about a month ago and I have PMS so I think that's increasing my restriction -- I can barely eat anything at all. But it's been going on since Friday (5 days) so I'm waiting to see if it decreases over the next few days. If this is what it feels like to be overfilled, I don't want it! I had actually planned on getting another fill in 2 weeks, but now I don't know if that would be such a good idea...ugh...meawhile, I'm barely losing at all...it sucks.

I was actually planning to go in for another fill in 2 weeks, and I think now that I'm going to have to stay where I am. I can actually FEEL the restriction all the time and it's terrible.

I had my first fill about a month ago and have had good restriction, but not super tight. In the last 2 or 3 days, I've noticed that I can barely eat anything -- when I have more than a few bites of food, I am FULL -- last night I had half a chicken breast for dinner and I didn't realize I was STUFFED until it was too late. I didn't PB, but I started worrying that I was doing damage to my pouch. At first I couldn't understand why it was suddenly so tight, but then it occurred to me that I'm PMSing and I get bloated during the few days before my period. Does anyone else have this problem?

That's so funny, I was just thinking the other day that you never really see purple cars. Anyway, congrats on your new ride and welcome to hot, humid, and hurricane-prone Florida! Where are you moving to?