Kat817

What a day to be off all morning!!! Yep the Dr. has an extended surgery, so I am not going in until noon, and going to be there til 5, while the moron guy tries yet again to get our computers going right. They hired the most inept guy around I think! They didn't know either, but he has things so screwed up, I think they will have to hire someone else to start over, but they are giving him another chance to fix it today.....we'll see!! Sooooooooo I get to watch Michelle this morning!! I still have it set to record, but want to see it "live" too!! Today is on here, and I am just waiting. Didn't get back last night, we went to dinner with DS and DGS, and DD and DGD, it was fun. The kids had a blast, the big ones as well as the little ones. The big ones, are a bit secretive about DS's life and what is going on, with his marital split. DD is totally and completely protective of him, if we say ANYTHING that she interprets as us not siding with him, she gets all bent outta shape. The little ones, run, and tumbled and giggled, and laughed all night long. Was fun, but I was ready for bed when they left!!! And that was NOT an April Fools joke!!! Work is still good, things are coming a little easier now. I am learning where to find things, and how they do different things. The Dr. is hilarious, and friendly. Hope things always stay this good. I managed oatmeal for breakfast, as opposed to drinking breakfast this morning. That is good. I think my fill level is good. Weight is coming down, in tiny little increments, .2 of a pound at a time, but it is coming DOWN is the point!! I am down another pound or 2 from my ticker, not sure, I got up and grabbed a heavy robe, it was COLD 17 degrees this morning! Good grief! Got Kinsey in her bed sleeping! I called Manda and told her to bring her to me in the morning. She ask why so I told her I quit my job! She was shocked and I let her believe it until we met for dinner, then hit her with April Fools!!! LOL Thought I would let my Mom sleep in today, and let her come here, besides, it is good for my heart to look in and see her in her bed snuggled down sleeping!!! Well, guess Michelle wasn't on the pirannha part of the show!!! I am going to go get some things done. I need to get some things ready for Rick to go to TX. He said he would do it, and I know he would, but he is out of practice (for years) of taking care of all of his own things that way. With me not working, I always did it! I won't abandon him now!!! Talk to you girlies tonight. So excited about Carson's eminent debut.....being so soon!!! Kat

Wow, I really like my job a lot, but y'all are hard to keep up with this way!!! Lu, hope the ankle is better. Beth, I know it doesn't make any sense at all, but I swear when my scale got stuck is when the inches fell off. The best thing I ever did was start a notebook with detailed measurements, as well as weight, and when the weight stalled, I would see loss in inches. In the end, I am equally thrilled by the fact that Curves shows me with a loss of over 70 inches, as well as the pounds lost. Check it out.....it kept my heart calmed during the weight loss stalls, and it isn't a matter of IF a plateau will happen, it is a matter of WHEN they will happen, we all had them, we all get them......and they still suck! I am losing. My fill is GREAT! I honestly am shocked at what a perfect level I find myself. I can eat, just small amounts, in a slower pace than I was eating. I know ideally I should still be slower, but honesty forces me to say, I am eating almost normally, almost normal size bites, but the amount I can take in, is WAY diminished! Susan----so sorry to hear about your toe. Hope all is going well, and that you have a great experience with Dr. A. They treated us like royalty! I had to literally LOL, when I read about you going for the water based body fat test Lu. Last year when the Shrinking Violets all met up, we were at the pool, and we (well most of us, I will not incriminated everyone!!!) had had a few drinks. The hot tub was attached to the pool, and had HOT water piped into it, and it waterfalled down into the pool. Well we wanted pictures, so we all piled into the hot tub. There was really a waterfall then! That was funny enough, but what set us off, was the lack of water in the hot tub when we did a mass exit of the tub to go to dinner--it was hilarious, we still laugh about it!!! We had displaced a LOT of water!!! In our defense, it was a small round little hot tub and we crammed 10 of us in it!!! It was so much fun. But think that is as close to a water/body fat test I'll be doing! Let us know how it goes. I had a yard sale a few years ago, and made a deal with a local charity to pick up all the leftovers. So a couple of weeks later she calls me and tells me while sorting through my things she found a beaded purse with money in it. I kept saying it wasn't mine, I had no beaded purse, and she said she picked it up here, stuffed it in with other purses I had, and insisted it was mine, and brought it to me. I continued to argue it was NOT mine....and it wasn't. I looked through it, and it had $182.42 in it. So I was talking to my Mom and told her what a pretty little purse it was, it was hand beaded, but that I thought I would just make a donation to the charity in the amount, she said first she wanted to see the purse. So she comes over and tells me that there is a picture on the bulletin board at the senior center of the purse as being lost. So we go down, and get the #, and we called, and this little woman was thrilled! She said she almost starved losing that money. But her concern was the purse, her granddaughter beaded it for her. She had come to my yard sale, and had apparantly laid it down when looking at other purses or something, and it got loaded up with the rest of the stuff! She could not believe how many hands it had gone through and that her money was still in tact--she even knew to the PENNY how much she had in the little thing! She tried to give me a reward!!! Instead Mom and I convinced her to donate $20.00 to the charity that was honest enough to return it. The girl who runs the local outlet of this charity, is my regular mail person, so I used to see her everyday---but I honestly think she would have returned it to whoever. But without the purse being so unique, how would you be able to identify it??? Maybe we should ALL keep a spreadsheet!!! NOT!!! Maybe your old boyfriend is behind the www.wheresgeorge webiste!!! Where you actually track money, especially $1 dollar bills!!! Gotta get going, I had the morning off, as the Dr. has an extended surgery scheduled today....but even with the extra time, I am gonna run late if I don't get moving!!! Have a good one everyone!

BBL to post.....kids and us are going out to dinner....I wanna go to lunch too.......waaaaaaaaah

Not a lot of time....we had dinner,cleaned up, and went straight to my parents, so Rick could help my Dad put their new DVD/VCR recorder thing onto the new TV. Took awhile!!! Then yours truly clicked the magic button and it all worked!! LOL From there, we went so I could see Kinsey. She went shopping tonight with her Mommy, and she got her Easter dress and tights and sweater and new white shoes, and she also got a new back pack, and lunch box, so is all ready for school, she was so proud of them. She was happy to see me, but thrilled that her Grandpa come to her house!!! Normally I guess he sees her here, she was so excited to have him there. Silly girl. Miss her. Work was good. The Dr. thinks I am a genius because I figured out how to get a pair of tongs out of the bottle of sterilizer without dumping out the high dollar sterile solution. I laughed, he obviously has not been around as many kids as I have who are always sticking things inside other stuff!!! He has boxes full of old earpieces to glasses....they make great hooks! So it was a fun day. Tomorrow is the 1st, so I get to spend all morning getting insurance approvals for procedures for the month. FUN!!! LOL So I am off to soak in the tub with my hubby!!! Forget you read that Michelle!! LOL See y'all tomorrow!! Maybe I can catch up with you this weekend TracyK---have to tell you about DH's motorcycle friend, that I mentioned used to be my "friend"!!!!! Hugs to you all!!!!

The new job seems like it is going to be a great fit. Enjoyed yesterday, and looking forward to what it has to offer. Trying to get into a new routine here at home, is interesting to say the least, my poor spoiled DH is dealing with the rude awakening, that not all these things just miraculously do themselves!!! LOL Will get into a routine soon, and will check in more often. Til then, I'll be reading---y'all behave....nah I know better, how about, y'all have fun. Thinking of you Susan!!! Exciting!! Lu, maybe the card or the frame depending on how it is made, was actually purchased and loaded, then returned for whatever reason before you got it. Would be my only guess. A couple of computers ago, we got a ghost song in the CD burner! EVERY single CD we burned it would add Pink Floyds Animals as the 4th song. We tried everything.....the song would go away, only to return!!! Til the day we replaced it! Gotta get dressed. Have a great week everyone!

Wooohooo Michelle, a star among us!!! I will record it as well and watch it. Sorry I cannot help you with the computer junk! Suzanne good luck tomorrow, I would say it sounds like a real pain in the A$$----but that might be hitting a little close to home!!! Hope it is pain free and heals quickly. If my fill does not loosen some, the weight should drop off pretty quickly, I cannot eat much until dinner, then a small dinner and I do mean small! I have been having a protein shake for breakfast, and usually some yogurt, or cottage cheese for lunch. I have been trying to have some peanut butter, or something with some protein for lunch as well. That is it! I talked to the receptionist today about the safety of walking in the area. She said lots of people from the hospital walk a large loop, around say 3 blocks by 3 blocks. I might see about doing that over my lunch. She is a nice girl, she is just that, about Laura's age, and a few months less pregnant, but pregnant as well! The lab is small, but well stocked, and I have a desk area in there, and also one out front, where I can help the receptionist, check patients out, depending on what was done. If there was anything involving the lab or surgery, I check them out to schedule their followup, if it was a routine exam, or what have you she does it. Once I get the hang of things it should work out just fine. I spent a long time this morning calling results to patients, and pre approving procedures through insurance. Told Rick it will probably trip me up within a short while I will answer the house phone "Rivers in the Desert Eye Clinic" Which a waaaaaay too long of a name for a business to try to spit out when you are leaving a message or something! Especially if you try to add a good morning or identify yourself!!!! LOL, I am sure it will become more habit and less of mouthful feeling!! I got a new laptop today---they will be hooking it up this evening, it will be at my desk in the lab. It is very laid back, I can have pictures, something to drink, or snack on (which I am pretending I can't!!!), whatever I want. Also learning some of the machines, so I can do follow ups on his lasik patients etc. Not brain surgery....but it seems fun. Rick did pretty good, he didn't have dinner ready!!! We were going to go out, then I just decided, we would reheat leftovers!!! So he helped with that, and he helped load the dishwasher while I put things away, and after my shower I come in to unload the DW and he come right in and helped unload it. I know he is trying extra hard, but he will be leaving before we can set any routine!!! He heads out to TX this coming Sat. It makes me sadder than I know how to tell you!!! I will admit I was not looking forward to all of it!!! I resent not having alone time to travel with him to and from anymore, always carting his parents, but I understand it, and can appreciate we will not always have them, so I try to look at it as a good thing. I will not miss the house!!! And the fear of snakes in the house!! But the time out in the fields, and ME choosing which calves I want to keep!!! I am exhausted at the end of each day, but I love being out there with him, whether it is building fences, or shredding fields, or just walking or 4 wheeling across acre after acre!!! I mean last time if I hadn't been there, he would have run head on into a HUGE skunk!!! He was down a hill when I topped it, and saw the skunk when I yelled he stopped to see if I was ok----and it skittered off towards the trees!!! He was on a direct line with it. Without me, he may come home stinky!!! I will miss seeing the Aunts and Uncles and cousins. And I will hate being alone. And I will love being alone. The guy out back began moving things today, taking some things out of the trailer to his Daughters, then he slid the one slide out back in, and has left for 2 days, then will move the trailer either Thurs. or Fri. So I will truly be alone. I am going to see if Manda will let Kinsey spend the night on Saturday, and we will have a girl night! Help me pass the time, and I cannot impress upon you how much I miss that little girl!!! I have not seen her since Wed. I did call and talk to her on the drive home. She wanted to know what color my work was, the walls the carpet, everything!!! She is excited to go to school, but wants me to take her so I can make her hair pretty!! I might actually end up doing just that. So that she gets the extra hour and a half of sleep each morning, we haven't figured it out. Well, I am off to finish watching CSI in bed with my honey. Will check in with you tomorrow!!! I miss my daily check ups on y'all!!! XOXOXOX

I'm home, the day was great, I think it is going to be a good fit. We are off to dinner. Rick was off, and this is his way of cooking. Not gonna start this off complaining!! And he got a definite move out time for the guy out back today, even if in my opinion, he blamed it all on me....sore subject!!! Oh well, in its own way I prefer it be my fault. Wierd convoluted feelings on the subject. So I will get back in later tonight. Hugs! Thanks for all the well wishes, I appreciate them, and they worked, I had a great day!

Glad to have you back Tracy!! Rick is fixin' to grill his dinner, a steak we had marinating, and I am eating mine as I chat with y'all! Whole wheat ritz with peanut butter!!! LOL 3 of them no less! It sounded good, and the steak is awfully hard this early on to digest, so I am having what I want!! Well I am off to watch some Sunday Night TV!! Rick is playing in his mancave.....I think he is being annoying to tell the truth, he is cleaning parts, and that stuff reeks!!! Anything around ends up smelling like it! Which means the guy out backs clothes he conveniently hung on a rod in Ricks shop----are all going to be yucky! Rick was going to put them in his trailer, but he locked it up. So he is continuing with his work as he would have otherwise. I told him I don't care if I have to call the cops, he WILL be gone before Rick leaves for TX. PERIOD. He agrees 100% OK I am off to watch the tube!!! And spend the evening on the sofa with the hubby. XXOXOX

My house is clean, my laundry is done, the yard is finished being thatched, chimney has been swept, car has been washed, and oil changed. We have also made it to the motorcycle swap meet, and we drove!!! Bought a few goodies for his chopper, and a trailer hitch for a friends bike, had lunch in Durango and come home. We have accomplished a lot over the weekend. I told Rick, I want it done now, so I can get onto a new schedule and not be always playing catch up, so he lit in, and together we got it all done! We stopped in at Taco Bell for lunch. I can now eat about 1/3 of a pintos and cheese and 1/3 of a taco, and am stuffed!!! Been drinking my breakfast, making it a protein shake so I can have the additional nutrients. Unlike y'all I do not have dinner done, I either will not have dinner!!! Or we will go somewhere!!! While we were in Durango, we went into their Walmart, so I could look at their pants, the local one NEVER has tall sizes. I do not need fancy, just decent!!! Ended up finding them on a clearance rack no less--3 pair $5 bucks a piece....brown, black and khaki, they also had purple, white and gray. Would have went for the gray, but they did not have my size. The office manager called me last night, and said she had thought of several things to tell me, and so thought she would call. Said I could keep my cell phone on me, on vibrate for personal calls as long as they are kept to a mimimum, and not interupting business. Told me there is a break room, and that there is a microwave so I can eat there for lunch if I want. She said roughly once a week, a vendor brings lunch in. Explained to me what discounts as far as treatment and glasses etc. my family gets. Give me the dates he will be out of the country doing the Dr.'s without borders thing, but it does not coordinate with out trip, but again she said that was not an issue. Told me within a couple of weeks the lab will be all mine!!! YAY!!! Nothing serious, mostly stains and cultures. I enjoy that part of it tho. She said when I don't have lab stuff going on, if I want to help out up front I get to pick my job!! LOL All in all it sounds like it is going to be ok. She seems very nice, and is happier in the office and out of the lab, she does not want to assist in any procedures, and that to me, sounds way better than pre approving someones insurance!!! LOL, so she thinks we will work fine together! Rick is out fixing his parents smoke stack, it blew over, because it had rusted out, so he had to replace the pipe. Then when we were gone they called because the rain cover had blown back off. He was irritable with them, and said "sucks not having my kid there doesn't it?" because they have been mad at him over the split, they have sided with the DIL, thinking she will keep letting them be involved in Connors life. They don't get that when she is ready she is out of here, and in the meantime they have alienated our son, and likely Rick in the process. They are already asking him about bringing in wood for next year, because our son brought them in 7 cords last year-------they burn 2 stoves 24/7, all winter long. They have a large home, but the living area is opposite end of the house from the sleeping area, so they run 2 stoves. I told Rick, he can talk nicely to his siblings, or I will do it, nice or not. They can get off their asses and do something, Rick and our son have done it all for years. Kinda makes me sit back and smile a bit when they realize what is happening affects them! Better get busy. Sorry I wasn't here to talk back at you Jane.....I was cleaning, you should have CALLED and SAVED me!!! Hugs!

Lu----don't freak out over me saying this....I KNOW it is not something highly recommended, but I also know it works!! Go out to the barn and get the DMSO horse liniment, and rub a tiny amount on your ankle. NOT MUCH and wash your hands of course after, it helps so much with the tendon and muscle pull pain it is incredible. My 2nd Dad, Rex, a man I grew up with that owned the ranch down the road, is a vet, and when I was a kid, I twisted mine trying to be as big as the rest of them bucking bales, and he used it on me then, and through the years we have sparingly used it. He is now 84 years old, and still working hard. He is my pet/stock discount! My fees for his taking care of our horses and cattle as needed range from lasagna to brownies----he appreciates it all! I do have a niece in college still doing basics and pre req's but planning on becoming a vet....it is my only hope, someday Rex will not be able to come when I holler. That will be sadder in MANY ways than simply paying a vet. Well, I did something I said I was not going to do! I am going back to work. My DH is in the oilfield related work sector, and lay offs are abounding! Locally his company is working non stop, they literally do not have enough employees to do the work because of the layoffs. But the lay offs are ordered globally---it is a worldwide company. So when profits go down, and there is not enough $$$ left after paying all the wheels their bonus money---they order an across the board cut of force----this was a 7% cut. So now that they are short here, they are bringing in crews from other places to do the work, because you know that is SO cost effective! Pay them their wages, per diem, and put them up in a motel......rather than keep local, experienced hands. No damn wonder the company is not making profit! Idiots I swear! So anyway with that hanging over our heads, and this opportunity come calling on me, I kinda felt like maybe fate was telling me something! So I start Monday. I am excited, these are people I really like and the work is interesting. I will be working for the surgeon who has been operating on my brothers eyes for years. I will be in the office mainly, doing the lab work, which is something I really enjoy. I will work roughly 9-5 Mon-Wed, and 9-2 Thur & Fr. The pay is good, and maybe it will keep me away from the fridge for those hours each day too!!! Actually my fill is working WELL!!! I just finished a protein shake and it took about 2 hours to drink it! I am off my steroids now so hoping to drop what I put back on, which sucks in SUCH a big way!!! I will do my best to keep up, if only by reading during my breaks!!! Gotta love lap tops and air cards, what did we do before them?????

Good morning girls, It is supposed to be in the low 60's here today, so I am putting a damper on everyones plans for the day! We were supposed to ride up to Durango (which will be 5-10 degrees cooler) to a motorcyle consignment sale and parts swap meet. I have no issue with going, I just plan on driving up. If they want to ride, they can, but I'm not! My sinuses are just now to the point they are clear when I wake up in the morning, I am not going to ride a hundred miles today with cold air blowing on my face....not happening! I might just go for the fun of it, if I was not facing a new job to learn the ins and outs of but I am, and I want to do it well, not down with sinus issues again. Rick is ok by it, even said he would drive with me....but the other wives are being pouty!! TDB..... The kids and the mom are finally back to finish my back yard---I tried to call, was going to make an excuse, tell them where to plug in etc while I was gone to show I had not forgotten---but the land line has been disconnected. But they are here it will get done today....she brought 2 teenage boys with her so hopefully they will still do as good of a job, and get done before we leave. When we built the porch it ended up enclosing our electric plug....so I either leave my house open or the shop open if they are not done when we leave. Leaving the shop, might impact the guy out back----who is gone for a few days to TX to see his brother so he can try to get things cleared up to move. Rick is standing his ground, and even told his Mom he has a back up plan to get him out, he just hates doing it....I didn't ask! Laura, hate to tell you but men in general are just usually not as "into" the whole birthing process thing as women. In all honesty your Dad would likely prefer to be able to see you happily at home, then happily holding Carson and miss the part where his little girl is hurting. As a Mom that is hard as hell to take! Even when you know the outcome is going to be a sweet little baby, to see your baby hurting is NEVER easy, whether it is their first blood test of life, or bringing life into the world -- a a parent it hurts you too. And in the overall picture, during the labor you won't care too much who is there, as long as Russell is! And as for bonding with the baby, he will bond just fine, even if he doesn't witness the birth. It wasn't that many years ago NO ONE got to be in the room except the Dr. his staff and the birthing Mom---and we all developed healthy loving relationships with our families. I know you want him there, and I am sure he wants to be---and I hope he is too---but don't let his trip stress you over birthing time---it'll happen when it is best for Carson, and you and Dad will just be along for the ride!! The bay is da boss! Wish you could have a mini vacation too Jane!!! Enjoy your free day Pamela!!! Hope Judy is finding a way to relax and let go of things a little bit. Seeing your kids in marital pain, is hard too. Damn kids! LOL Got my laundry going, the beds stripped, and the dusting done. These are all things I usually do through the week. I am trying to move it all to Saturday, so I can do them each week on Sat. while Rick is at work. Then the yard and such he will do on Monday while I am at work. That part really sucks. But we will adjust. We found a couple of places in the middle of his place of work and mine that we hope to meet for lunch a couple of times a week, or also a park, we could take lunch and meet and eat. Because he is on one end of town and I am clear on the other.....mine being the sucky location. I have big options, a taco place or a Churches chicken place! Otherwise it is sit down establishments, and if you have to drive far, your lunch time is up quickly. I don't eat enough right now to worry about lunch!!! Doubt that will last! I am working on a Protein shake right now but it is a S L O W go. I am better with something hot, but was lazy, trying to get all this done today. Had to take Violet time tho!!! I seriously better get busy tho. Y'all take care, and I'll check in later!

Hey girlies, No Terry, this office doesn't do scrubs, but they also are not real formal. Jeans on Friday, simple tops and pants/slacks if I prefer the rest of the week. I can also wear jeans on Thurs. since I will be in the office alone, and closed. She said today, there are only 4 of us so there has never been a need for a strict dress code, as long as we look presentable she is fine. She even joked that if I had something more fun to do over the weekend than laundry and had to wear jeans on Monday, just make sure they are not the holey worn out faded ones. She said as summer progresses, they do allow capri's with sandals, as long as they are tasteful, and not like beachware she said. She told me that KMart sells a line by the Charlies Angels girl, that is linen line that has capri's, and tops, and pants that she wears all summer long. So obviously it isn't too fancy! Both times I have been in the office it has been casual. So anyway, I start Monday at 9. Bought some cute things, hit the sales racks, and even bought a couple in my size I know I am getting back to! I have things to put away, and a DW to unload, so I can start dinner. Will talk to y'all later. Have fun Pamela---I plan on celebrating my decision sometime this weekend!!

Jane, you do not have to wait until June, you can hope a flight to NM anytime......and I WILL NOT make you stay with the guy out back!!! I know Kinsey would be happy with you staying in what she considers her room-----it used to be referred to as the extra room, or guest room, but she claimed it!!! Well I am off to buy some clothes. I shouldn't I paid bills last night, and I feel so poor it is pathetic! Yep this job is called for, might keep me from continually tapping our savings lately!! it will pretty much put us back where we were used to being with the old work schedule and pay schedule, with Rick's overtime. When they did away with that, we lost easily $2000.00 a month. This way we go back to our previous income!! LOL They are complaining too, about how he is never there! He tells them I am here when I am allowed, call my phone or my office and you will ALWAYS find me during those hours. But unless you want to pay for additional hours I won't be here, I am not a salaried employee. That is when the BIG boss stepped in, and told him he appreciated him taking the new rules so seriously, and hoped that soon they would be able to let him work the hours of his choosing again!!! Scary to stand up for yourself when your job may be on the line! Everyone enjoy their new do's. Might consider it soon. Going to see how much hair I lose over this diet change------it ALWAYS happens. I take vitamins, eat good, max my protein when I can--right now I simply am not eating enough to max it out!! But I need to adjust my ticker, it is coming off as opposed to going up now!!! YAY Gotta go get my Mom, she is waiting. See ya laters!!! We did not get to go yesterday---Mom lost a close friend so we did the family visit, grocery store thing, so TODAY we shop.

nope......she described them well. They are a weed, and the sticker is actually a seed to make a new weed, and once started they spread FAST! And since that is the part that spreads the plant, it is almost like it has a poison to it, and even after you pull it from your foot, the spot burns and is sore. They SUCK!!!! Will try to find out a real name so you can look them up!

Good morning girls, I went back to bed after Rick left, I have no Kinsey :cursing: so planned to sleep awhile. Then I was going to take Manda to breakfast before she left. The phone woke me soon after. It was Manda, she ask if she woke me, I ask what she was doing, and she says she is waiting in the Denver airport!!! WTH??? She was supposed to fly out of ABQ at 1 today! She went online and this storm is dumping serious snow, and Denver was shutting its outgoing flights at noon. So she called United and they moved her up, and she is hoping to get on the last flight out at 10 this morning. So Mom is worried! At least in Denver if she gets stranded we have lots of family that can get to her, and she is not alone. Terry, I will look into that flight today. The ad says they have to be booked and paid for my April 6th and the flight made before August something, and they range from $49-$99 each way--that would be massively cheaper for me. And we are going to need rental cars while we are there anyway. I know we had a drive when Haydee picked up Laura, Michelle and I, but we didn't notice it, we yacked so much!!! Look into yours, I will look at mine, and maybe we can connect.....anyone else interested in that??? Judy, I feel your pain. Literally. I know that any day now the DIL will announce her plan to go back to Tuscon. And with her will go my grandson, and grandbaby on the way. And there is not a single thing I can do about it, same as you. Chances are, when you get back things will have changed, but it seems when you get that close to talking divorce and making decisions, especially at that age, the mold is set. It is hard to work back from. Jenn, I hope this distancing has taught Kev how important things are. Like you and the kids! Wishing you good luck on his settlement, waiting for that kind of thing is horrible!! Heather, thanks for the well wishes on the job. I haven't felt a need to work with having Kinsey around. I know she is off to a good start, she has the basics down for Kindergarten now. The plan was to put her in preschool in August anyway, we are just moving it up a few months. She and Manda toured the facility like I said and she is excited! So guess now I need to go get something I can wear....jeans everyday won't cut it anymore!!! I can wear them tho---which is nice. Rick went to KMart to buy a battery for one of the bikes, and I bought some things on their clearance racks. A pair of pants for $4.99, and a couple of shirts for $3.99. One of the shirts is long sleeve, but elastic at the bottom, so it will stay up as a 3/4 length, and I can wear it a couple of times still with this weather. The other is short sleeved, kind of a waffle weave shirt, button down the front, but VERY see through! I thought I could use it more like a summery top shirt for layering. I have several bright colored tank tops, and this I can wear over it, with khaki colored pants, and will be decent for office wear as opposed to just wearing the tank top. My tea is still slow going in the morning. I am always tight in the morning. But I had another great nights sleep. That had to be part of my problem---was trying to sleep too soon after eating. When my weight was at my highest, I was always hotter (temp wise anyway) that Rick---then when I got down to my lowest, I was always freezing....seriously goosebumps and all freezing! Now we are pretty well matched!!! And I want to lose my weight again!!! TracyK--thanks for the message, y'all have fun. Glad things are good again between you and your friend, that can be really stressful. SuzyT--glad your graft is healing, that sounded soooo painful!! I better get dressed, my Mom wants to go shopping with me, and I know her, she is ready and waiting for me!!! LOL Hugs

Where I am at, it is an all or nothing call. If EVERYONE takes off their shoes, then ok, but if not, there are horrid little bastard stickers called goat heads, that are prevalent everywhere here-----step on a few of them, and you will sleep with your shoes on! They usually get tracked in on the soles of shoes, and then break off the one little stabber, leaving several just waiting for a bare or socked foot to land in. Ours come off at the door for that reason, we do not want them tracked through the house. I have never ever ask anyone else to remove theirs for that reason. The closest I have ever come to telling anyone what to do with their shoes, was to point out a tray we have to put wet snowy boots in, and if they took the hint and put them there, fine, if they preferred to keep them on, I cleaned up after them. There are germs everywhere we go, and as long as people are willing to come see me, I am not going to dictate their foot dress while they are here. Most people just do as they see you do.

LOL, Pamela, I had to read half the last page to Rick so he would know why I was laughing out loud...literally!!! Unless something drastic changes, I am going to go to work it seems! I have tossed around all the yays and nays....and there are more logical reasons to do it than not to. All of my nays had to do with time off with Rick and plans made....so we will just have to work around it. They did another 7 or 8 lay offs today, mostly new hires he said. I was laughing and talking to my Mom about the decision, and said I had been complaining and worrying about the possibility of the layoffs, and that I couldn't shake the idea that maybe this job offer was meant to be. That ignoring it, would be akin to the man who died in the flood and ask God why he let him die when he prayed for help, and God answers that he sent 2 boats and a helicopter. The answer does not always come as you expect. Maybe this job is my boat!!! TracyK----you hangin' in there??? Judy are you counting down the hours yet? Suzanne, both sisters doing better now? Where is the closest place in that Southwest does fly----any idea anyone??? Might be cost effective for me to fly there and drive the remainder. Well my dinner (soup) is not going down very quickly at all. Maybe I drank too soon, I feel miserably full. Had maybe 1/2 a cup. Feels good tho to not gorge all day, I was SOOOOOO out of control!!! My graph would NOT be pretty Terry!!! Sleep well---see y'all tomorrow.

Looks amazing Pamela!!! I still occasionally think about the little one maybe on my foot, but, I am too big of a chicken for that even, I cannot imagine one like yours!!! The Violet in the one I looked at when I went to get my chaps altered --the shop is owned by brothers, one is a tattoo artist, the other is a leather worker-anyway, is broader petaled flowers, and is all in deep purple almost to a black on the broadest petal...he said it was one that would hold up well as a small tattoo, not lots of different colors or fine lines. He said to get that, go big. So to get that, I'd need to do a Pamela!!! Thanks for sharing, has it quit hurting???

Sorry Laura! Can't wait to see it Pamela!! Rick said they had more layoffs today, several so far, and supposedly a stack to still call! Yep call, they are no longer even bringing them in to the office, they are calling their cell phones! So far he has not got the call. Keeping my fingers and everything else crossed. With that phone call, I made the decision to go to the interview. It is a small office, he stressed to me it is a stress free environment, and if I should find myself stressed, it is time to talk to one of them! LOL, like any work is stress free. The pay they offered is decent. He does not offer benefits, as they are such a small group. But hey if a lay off were to hit us, just an income to go with unemployment, would be beneficial. I would be working Mon-Wed 9-5, Thurs. I would be in the office all by myself, doors locked. I would use that day to file any insurance things, approve insurance on upcoming appointments, answer the phone, make reminder calls, deal with anything in the lab that is being done, that sort of thing, but no patients. He does one day a week of pro bono work for the county clinic, and he is in there on Thurs. Then on Fri. the office is only open from 9-1, so I would be out by 2. Rick told me to tell them about the trip in June, so I did, they said they could work around most things, even kind of sounded like I might work my Mondays to be off at times. He said the rest of our vacations we would work out as they hit, and he could do the cows in TX without me if he has to. I hate that, but trying to look at the big picture (and it sucks!!!) So they want me to let them know Friday morning. So it will be running pros and cons through my head for the next day or so! Kinsey is going to her Dads today, and will not be back until Sunday---I am HATING that!!! Manda is going to Kansas, and he is on vacation. One I understand from my DH it is a good thing he is taking, he might well be losing his job! Anyway, I will be here if she wants to come here. She and Manda went and toured the new daycare facility opening up here in town. They just got the state approval, and are getting their computer systems up and going. They have mommy cams in the rooms, so she can log in and check on what Kinsey is doing any time of the day. They took Kinsey around and showed her where her room would be, she would be in a class of 10 with a teacher and an aide. She would do pre school class for half a day, then would have a sharing pod, a music pod, a gym pod, and an outdoor play time. They vary by day, but it is a set schedule so Manda would know where to look for her at. Kinsey seems excited by it, they have a stage, and dress up clothes, and that was the seal on the deal for her!! So if I do this, Rick said he would support me anyway he could, he said he would take over half the household chores, and he kept emphasizing I was to first put $$$ back and go on my trip! Plus it would help my SS in the not so far future!!! LOL So....any input would be appreciated, I know there are angles I am not looking at. Gonna eat a bowl of soup. Waiting for them to come and finish thatching my yard, they did the front, but were paid to do the back as well....and they were bagging it, it was my mistake, they were just using the dumpster to hold the bag upright. Talk to ya later!

Me too---down a little this morning! Amazing how that happens when you don't munch your way through the day! Maybe I should write that down somewhere, since I obviously did not know it before!!! I too went back to bed this morning Pamela! Then I was woke up by the phone a few minutes later! A woman I know from taking care of her children, wanting me to go to work. She keeps books (as in a CPA) for this Dr. among others, and was talking to the office manager, and they decided I should do it. I am so on the fence it is pathetic!!! If it was August, I would do it without question. But I also need to consider what would be best, in the light of the layoffs at Ricks work. He has vacation time booked every month through the summer. We have a family reunion during one of them, and rallies during the others. We have plans for our cattle sale in TX, and I have my trip to Alabama. Now I could go in there, and request one of those time periods off prior to hiring, but not all of them. It is also all the way across Farmington, down by the hospital, in the medical plaza (imagine--a Dr. there!!!???) which other than the medical stuff is a pretty rough area of town. It WOULD keep me out of the house and away from munching all day. And the $$$ would be nice, the salary she offered was generous. DD said she never heard he was difficult to work for, just difficult to understand sometimes, especially over the phone. He is African, and dresses in traditional African dress, and is highly regarded in the area. They want me to work in the office, and also in the lab, since I did lab work before. I am going to go talk to them face to face here in a couple of hours, during the lunch break from patients. I am just so undecided it is ridiculous. I think I am weighing the difference between what my brain tells me would be a good decision, and what my heart is yelling No Don't take away all the fun! Slept great last night. I think maybe my tossing and turning for awhile has been late night snacking. I have NEVER been able to sleep when I am full, and I was eating all the time. Now the last 2 nights, with my stomach less full, I have slept great. I have made my tea, and began sipping it, still seems like it is moving slow. BUT everything is moving, I am not dehydrating or anything, my soup and all my liquids yesterday went down without issue. I know I need to drink more---will work on that today. Got all my vitamins and junk in, without issue. Everything I take is either chewable, or small tho, so no worries there. Kinsey and I share vitamins! What fruit trees we had bloomed, got their buds froze off last couple of nights. Our apricot and peach trees had begun blooming, the others had not yet. Which figures, the apricots and peaches are what I always want, and they seldom make it. The apples, pears and cherries almost always do! They are actually predicting snow for us later in the week. They guy out back showed up last night, right on time, but there was no dinner!!!! I made the pot of soup and Rick loves it, so he said that was fine by him. I told him, I am on liquids for several days, so he is not welcome to my soup---I want the leftovers myself! How selfish am I??!! He come in, and Rick was sitting here surfing ebay, and I was trying to stay awake in my recliner!! He told Rick he was going to be going to Texas (sorry my TX girls), and his papers should be signed to let the realtor deal with the house by the end of April. Rick told him...and I quote "You are really going to go chase after her after what she's putting you through? Sounds like a dumbass move to me, but dude you're gonna have to be moved on before that, way before that. I was talking this weekend, not next month." He got all quiet, and tells Rick "that's harsh man" and Rick calmly told him, he didn't think so. That he moved in on Valentines day for 2 weeks, and that was 6 weeks ago. That he wants access to his shop, he cannot afford the additional expenses electrically, and all, and he wants his privacy back in the yard and his shop. He told him we just got all our kids moved out, we enjoy being alone. His response was he would see what he could figure out, and wished us a good night and left. He is still out there this morning, I see nothing packing up or happening. I wanted to jump up and kiss my husband!!! HusBAND, LapBAND---I am pretty happy with them both this morning! Guess I will go see if I have anything that fits me. My old clothes are thankfully still too big, my new ones feel way to tight and revealing of my new rolls. So hope something works, then if I go to work I will wear it day after day until some of the weight goes and my new clothes work again!!! XOXOXO

Guess I am old fashioned too then girls, I say get out of one relationship before playing up another. I have been the one cheated on and it sucks---not something I condone in any circumstances. But just MHO. The other thought that comes to mind is that how your son sees things is how he will learn to behave. Living in a healthy place is better than simply living in the house. Do you want him to grow up thinking that couples live in different parts of the house and do not do things together? And that it is ok if his woman goes out with other men. As the future MIL of the woman, that would be hard to be pissy with her, when you know how it is..... I was young, thin and single once, I know how fun it can be....but there are consequences, and futures to consider. Plain, my next door neighbor has a newfie, and I agree, he is a baby of a dog. He is so good with the kids! Well I am off to bed, everyone have a good night! DH is snoring in front of the fire, so I think it is time!!!

Terry----anyone else too----you can take a vacation to NM. I am not far from the Colorado mountains.....was just in them full of snow yesterday! I took some pics, visibility was less thana quarter of a mile, it was coming down hard at Wolf Creek ski resort! Maybe Steamboat should be something to think about for next trip. Oh yeah, I remember we discussed it, but the airport was an issue. It is a fun place---lots of little Colorado towns are. Saw an ad for Southwest Airlines, they have a special going on, not sure it can help anyone---but might be worth checking. Book flights before mid April, fly before August, for $49-$99 bucks each way. Well Rick is laying in the floor in front of the fire snoring.....loudly! Think I will wake him up and go to bed. First I will go brush my teeth, and get myself ready!!! I ate another little bowl of soup, and have continued to drink my water. I am going to have a massive caffeine withdrawal headache by tomorrow I am thinking....but so far so good! Suzanne, it is not a big deal sticking to the soup, I am not hungry and when I do eat, I feel too full for awhile, so it limits what I eat, as well as the want to eat. Been awhile since I felt this!!! LOL, Oh yeah I really AM banded!!! Everyone have a great night.

It's too early to go to bed Lazy Bones!!! LOL

DH and I each had an account prior to marriage, so we kept them, and then opened a joint account for bills etc. Now we use them more as savings accounts, for special things. My old checking account gets used by me to travel, or when I am "saving" to buy something I want. His old one is our motorcycle account. All year long, we do not spend $5.00 bills. They go into a bank, then when it gets full of them, and the change from his pockets each day, we deposit it in his old account. Then come summer when we take our bike trips, we use it. It never affects our bill paying account. We also round up our debits, and round down our deposits to the nearest dollar, and when the account grows to $1000.00 above a set amount, we pull the thousand and dump it into a CD. But the truth be told, if there were one of us with a money problem, it would be me, before him without a question! He makes me be better with money than I would have ever been otherwise! And we have also opened a savings account for each of the grandkids, with them and one of us on the account. They do not lack for anything, so often on holidays, we will give them something minor, and add to their account. Maybe writing down what we do have someplace might be a good plan!!! Or I could spend it all, and it wouldn't be an issue!!!

Yes Michelle, I feel my tea trickle! I had the fill yesterday at 2. I drank water in the office, and while it did not back up, it took it awhile, I took a sip of Ricks water a couple of times on the way home, and that was it for the day. I did have a big lunch prior to the fill tho. This morning I had my cup of hot tea, and have sipped at water all morning. Then I made a pot of green chile chicken cheese soup (quite a mouthful!). I chopped the chicken and the chile's in the food processer, then added them, so it is a creamy puree type of soup. Think cream of chicken with green chile, and cheese. I just had about 1/4 cup, and feel it sitting----but not uncomfortably so---I think it is just passing slooooowly! I will wait and have another small bowl tonight when Rick eats dinner, but that will be it I am sure. I do this for a week following a fill and then it eases some. I agreed to be taken back up to where he did it. I had 1.6 or 1.7 when they removed it all. Now I have 1.5, and think it will be ok for a while, I can go to be filled again in 3-4 weeks if need be. Feels good not to have gorged all day, and not to have fought doing it. I went to the store, and kept seeing things that looked good!!! They were making bacon & chicken paninis with your choice of cheese. They smelled soooo good, and looked great. I would have caved before yesterday!!! In the end, I did not gain as much as I thought according to his scales, according to mine, the 34 pounds is right. He said 24.5, from my weigh in prior to the TT. But I had lost some more.....so my figures are right even tho his sound better!!! Tracy---it was fun talking to you! Would have been a lot better if we had been sitting across a table, while the girls played. But will take what I can! Oh and Terry, you told Tracy either vitamin C for stress related cortisol problems, or to get drunk----we decided to take the bull by the horns and do both we are gonna get drunk on Screwdrivers, and get our Vitamin C from the OJ!!!! Wanna share??? Enjoy your date Pamela!!! Welcome home Laura, sorry work is swamping you. When I was pregnant with Manda she had the hiccups all the time, she still all through the years gets them more frequently than most people I think! Jenn , the kitchen looks great! Wish I had that much room in mine. No wait, I would just mess up that much more room and have to clean it! Heather---hang in there, your plate is full!!! How in the world are you going to handle it with a real live baby----as opposed to one who automatically goes where you do, is fed automatically etc.??? When is your due date??? Judy--you off packing? Well, I hired the kids down the road to thatch my yard. They have the thatcher they said, and would rake and bag the grass. So now, Mom is out there helping them, and they are filling my dumpster not a bag, and the trash was just collected yesterday, so I am going to have no where to put my house trash.....guess I will go talk to her. I should know better....and just let my brother do it. I hate life lessons!