BigT

Yes, where do you live? I also have a practically brand new one for sale--its real heavy duty and works great! I travel alot so I might even be able to deliver it. T

I think that Steph was too much competition so they needed to get her off when they could. Also it kept the original alliance in tact for one more voting round-making it appear to each other that they were all still in the same big alliance-giving them one more round without too much worries of backstabbing . T

Once the cuts are closed- Vitamin e should be fine. If they are leaky or open then you would want to be more careful with it. T

Well another episode that shows how easy the boat is to turn around. Poor Greg was blindsided but I think it was deserving. His girlfriend sure had a long face after he was announced- I was wondering is that because he was leaving or is that because now she is next off? T

Okay a quick poll, how many have bikes, and how many are frequent riders? How many bikes to you own collectively? 2 what kind of bikes, and how big? Mine are classic Kawasaki kz750 and Suzuki gs550-1969 and 1983 respectively do you always wear protecive gear? if not, why not? Fullface helmet, gloves. have you ever taken a safety class? self taught rider like most things in my life have you every had an serious accident? No and I try to keep it that way. My Kaw kz750 is a restored classic bike and I just love tooling around town in it. I am trying to talk my buddy into taking a trip on bikes for a vacation, but mostly I just drive around locally within 2 hours of home. T

Take it from a guy who is just having his 12 year marriage ending- if your life goals and job responsibilities in the home are not agreeable-there will always be disagreement and contention. I changed my life goals to be with my soon to be ex when I was 21 and got married. I did it to make my ex happy and show her how much I loved her. The problem was it was never appreciated- and it was a big sacrifice for me to just have it go unnoticed and un-regarded. Then when our family started -my goals changed again- I became a father that let his wife stay at home (she had done so since married) and take care of the kids-this really put the final nail in my goals coffin. But then all of a sudden as she got older she wanted out of being a stay at home mom and nothing I could do was good enough. So peoples goals change it time as well. As people age, there goals change, as does there outlook on life. It seems that your boyfriend was raised in a patriarchal/extended family type setting and wishes to continue in that tradition. I have friends in that type of families and it is very ingrained and almost impossible to change by someone else. It is very hard to change even if they themselves want to change as many of the familial bonds are super strong and have much influence over them. So if your family setting is not going to agree with his then it is a very difficult road to hoe. Everything is possible but some things are better to start off with the chips not stacked against you, like a lifelong commitment to marriage. T- a guys perspective

I drove myself home the day after surgery - 3.5 hours of driving. I did have my mom with me though so I could of stopped and switched drivers if need be. T

It might be gas? Try some gas-x or phazyme. In the beginning after surgery I took it daily to prevent gas pains. Also try doing stretches, like raising one arm to the ceiling then the other, carefully extending your mid section with each stretch. These seemed to move the gas around for me and got things comfortable. And of course walking helps too. T

Oh no!!! Steph got the ax! At least it wasn't so dramatic this time. It always amazes me how these contestants think--or don't think. They need to start getting rid of the main guys--Tom,Ethan, and Gregg or else they are just counting the days till they see their name. Gonna be interesting to see if anyone can start and hold a voting group together. T

Dr. Pleatman in Michigan $12,500 including 2 years aftercare and fills.

Really real interesting stuff! Its really interesting to see the strategy work out as different ones win or lose challenges. Next week they will have to cut Tom or be ready for some tought battles. T

My doc was only $12,500 and that includes aftercare and fills for 2 years..... in Michigan....Dr. Pleatman.

I own my own businesses and have been self employeed for the last 10 years or so. Some days you love being self employeed- you get to do what you want when you want-wake up when you want and go to bed when you want,spend tons of time with the family or friends. But then some days you have to get up so early and work so late because you made commitments that need to be kept and everything has gone haywire in the meantime or you have bills due and are wondering how you can work enough to pay them in time and at the same time your family wonders if you still live with them. Sometimes I long to be some entry level employee with minimal responsibilities but overall I love being self employed and cannot see myself being an employee ever again. For me I get bored easily with work and seem to have to change careers every 4-6 years. I will engross myself with work and learning every minute aspect of work,shoot for success, then slowly loose interest and by the end of 4-5 years be thinking up what I can next move on to. So far each new business has been better than the last one ---time wise and $$ wise so at least that is one good thing. I also believe in diversifying somewhat-not putting all my eggs in one basket so to speak, so I try to run a primary business and a secondary one so that the chances of both being down at the same time are less likely. That is my 2 cents on the matter- take it for what it is worth. T

Guitarman, It sounds like it will be me and you next season then...lol. The only down side I have thought of is when you have to eat alot fast-like in some challenges-I wonder if they would let you pass since you have a smaller stomach opening? Maybe have the band deflated prior to survivor? Not like you will have to worry about gaining weight....lol. T

Man oh man!! I missed tonights episode--stuck in traffic!! By chance has anyone saved it to tape or DVD????? PLEASE!!!!!! T

Congrats!! Now you got a goal date to shoot for! That helps alot when you are working hard at something-knowing it is not indefinitely going to go on. I've found some of the Protein shakes like Shaklee's soy proetein will bulk up a little bit after being drinken and actually provide you some full-feeling time after drinking it. That feeling sometimes helps when on the liquids as you may miss that full feeling some. T

Can you beleive that Steph beat out Bobby Jon? I bet it is sure weird being all alone on that deserted island. Do you think she will crack? Do you think that they will go to individual immunity or still try the group thing? This season has sure been interesting and very different than the previous ones! T

I'm a strategist...lol. Results Your answers suggest you are a Strategist The four aspects that make up this personality type are: Summary of Strategists Quiet, easy-going and intellectually curious Use logical, objective thinking to find original solutions to problems Think of themselves as bright, logical and individualistic May be impractical, forgetting practical issues, such as paying bills or doing the shopping Its amazing how well this test works!

Exercise releases endorphins-endorphins help you feel better. If you re-channel your efforts into something like exercise you will feel better and then if you do splurge on some food goodie--you will have at least burned off some of the calories of the goodie so it really is not so bad. I don't know your living situation, but if your close to town you may be able to walk into town and then get an ice cream cone or some other treat. Of course this is only acceptable if you do not live around the corner from the treat store.... The best part is you will have to walk back so that helps you again. As DaisyD mentioned walking also helps you sort out your feelings and you can get some good talking to yourself time in as well. Also if no one is around some good old cussing out the looser may help some as well. By the way I have always enjoyed your posts and want to reassure you that I can see some of your wonderful qualities shining thru in the way you post about yourself and your experiences.

Your urine also is the place alot of the cellular waste goes, so if you are loosing alot of weight--that is where the remnants go as well. But in all cases try to increase your Water and decrease your sugar intake as well. T

I just wanted to post a guys views. First of all, the image of a perfect woman, as distributed and promoted in mainstream media is the same ideal men are trained to view as perfect as well. This perfection is so far from the truth that it makes me mad! Very,very few will ever meet this proposed view of perfection. Guys that are searching for this proposed view of perfection are going to be looking alot, be very disappointed, and to me, seem to be very vain. The guys that go for these perfect girls seem to be womanizers also, generally speaking. What the surgery should be about--is you..... not what your view of you is thru anothers eyes. If you want to loose weight so you look better to you or so that you have more energy,or that you will be healthier and possibly prolong your life or feel better about yourself thereby gaining self esteem--then go for it. If you are doing it for another person's accolades or acceptance--then don't. For me, I felt that I was feeling good about who I was, but felt I could do better--be better. I got fed up with feeling tired, looking less then I felt I could be and also wanting to do more with life--so I had the surgery. Just 4 weeks after surgery I am feeling better-feeling more agile and mobile, taking better care of myself and thankful for the decision I made. I care more about how I look than before and my self esteem is slowly rising. Before surgery, I was crying (yes I truly am a manly man-that rarely cried), worrying if what I was doing was really necessary,worrying about the what ifs of surgery, and really had an emotional rollercoaster ride. I think anytime a person does something that affects their appearance and their self-esteem, its gonna have an emotional responce as well. If a person did not doubt whether they needed or wanted the surgery, then I would worry about that person-are they taking this seriously and ready to make the necessary changes to work with the band. If a person waits till they are totally doubt-free, then I don't think 99% of the people here would have a band. Getting a band is a calculated risk-you have risk of surgery, you have risk of band complications, you have future unforseen risks. But those risks weighed against the risks of being obese, the many other serious diseases that manifest in obese persons, the shortened life of an obese person made the band seem like a great risk to take verses the ones I was living with everyday already. Only you can make the decision if it is right for you, only you can decide if the risks of the band outweight the risks you currently have or may have in the near future. But most of all be sure you decide because it is something you want, not because your parents, brothers,sisters, bestfriends, boyfriends,girlfriends, sons, daughters want it for you. It is great if all of the above support you in your decision, but don't make the decision about pleasing anyone but yourself. Yes this sounds selfish, but it is in a good way. You need to live with the band for your life so be sure you want it and will work with it. So basically, if you yourself feel that you are comfortable with who you are but can be better with the band--then go for it. If you are looking for the band to make you something that you are not already- then I would think more deeply about who I am,what I want with myself and what makes me think that I am not complete already. T

Ulong lost another one last night!! I bet it will be the first tribe to ever get defeated before the merge!! I really thought that Steph was going home, but Bobby Jon pulled a switcheroo. The way the two guys talked and shook there heads at the council sure made Stephanie look like a goner. T

I live about 2 hours from Rupert and would love to meet him..that is if he is still living in Indianapolis. T

Wonder if that poor team will ever win one immunity challenge? Poor James was sure fooled wasn't he? I love it when they quote someone so confident(like James saying that Bobby Jon would not vote against him), then in the next shot the person is being shot down (Bobby Jon saying he is voting for James). I wonder how much longer Janu will last?

Following is a short story inspired of Jack and offering an analogy of the path of the lap-band. It was sort of an emotional piece for me to write and gave me emotional and mental comfort and resolve for the band and what was happening to me in life and with this new band. It is nothing that great-speaking in a literary sense, but perhaps might offer some ideas to others somewhere along the journery into the lap-band and recognition of what drove there food compulsions and how to control them. Most of all it offers hope of controlling the dragon that rages inside of us. Capture Of The Dragon In a world far from the one that we see with eyes and hear with ears lived a dragon. A gigantic, ferocious, fire breathing dragon. It was master of its realm, with no person ever challenging this dragon successfully. The challenger, often clad with the armor of will power and the sword of determination would return singed to a crisp having their sword melted down and armor ripped to shreds. This dragon was a strange one, it was irrational, often requiring offerings of huge amounts of food and drink, at all times of the day and night. It would rally the community with constant orders of more this, more that, stuff it in, more….more….more… Often the villagers would fall down in exhaustion from the feeding frenzy the dragon would initiate. Then the dragon would finally sit back, a smile on its face and its body stuffed and full, knowing that it is not possible to stuff one tiny morsel in. The villagers dejected and repulsed by this dragon were nonetheless forced to continue on their existence in servitude to this dragon. Oh, there would be revolts and a strong hero would occasionally enter the kingdom, offering the villagers hope and promises of liberation, only to have them defeated and depressed when the hero evaporated or the dragon once again proved itself too strong for such mortal battles. This was the story for many, many years. Then one day a new hope was offered, it did not offer destruction of the dragon, but offered control of the dragon. Could this work? Or will the hope of the villagers be once again dashed as if they were thrown into a fiery furnace? The villagers were not yet ready to give up to a future of futility and control under this dragon. So armed with a sleeping bomb the dragon was put to sleep. This hero now put a chain around the dragon’s neck. This chain was not one of steel, nor gold, not even one of electrum. For such chains were too easy for the dragon to destroy. This chain was one of silicon and saline. When the dragon awoke--it was shocked, for all its strength and fury were sapped. The dragon, practiced and practiced, hoping for its fire and fury to return. And from time to time it would have but a glimpse of its former glory to the surprise of the villagers. But the villagers, no longer under constant control and fear of the dragon, would just yank on the dragon’s silicone and saline chain and cause the dragon to falter once again. This gave the villagers a much needed break and hope for a future life of endless possibilities. The villagers used this new found time for so many new things. They developed new hobbies, made new friends and found new activities to make use of their energy. So now the dragon lives in fear of the villagers and most importantly of its chain. No longer able to command the villagers with any authority, it has become subject to the villagers wishes, it now knows the previous life of the villagers. The same life of pain and compulsion, of no longer controlling its own destiny or will. The big red, fire breathing dragon has become a shadow of its own former glory. It is now a paper dragon….one with size and color but no power or fury. The capture of the dragon is complete.