phyllser

Yes, I remember how excited I was when I got my date, too. I was out riding around the neighborhood on my scooter when the doctor's office called with the date. My DD & SIL had stopped by the condo. When I got back, they were all sitting there waiting to see my reaction to the big note DH had taped to the screen door with my surgery date on it!! I think I almost cried!! Congratulations!!! We all can relate to your excitement!!

Well, I think I'm just going to stay inside the condo because it seems like every time I stick my nose out the door it starts snowing again!! I took my ride over to Rite Aid and Albertson's and it started snowing as soon as I got outside! I came back in and now the sky is all nice and blue and the sun is shining.. it's still only 49 degrees though! Do you know where Peterboro is?? I guess that's a dumb question... you're a Canadian living in Ontario. The summer after I graduated HS, I spent the summer at a fishing lodge north of there... I don't know if it is even still there and I don't remember the name of the lake or anything, but it was Aragain Lodge (Niagara spelled backwards!). It was a lovely spot, we had a great summer... all teenagers, we worked our butts off 24/7 just about, but we had a blast. Don't know how my friend and I lost touch with the Canadian kids we worked with.. they were great. I was 17 & this French kid named Pierre (of course) who was only 14 yrs old had this huge crush on my chubby self. He was a kick, but I found him a little annoying because he was wanting to hang on me all the time! He actually showed up at my door looking for me about a year after I got married!! Now I can't remember his last name or I'd look him up just for the heck of it!! :tongue_smilie::tt1::thumbup:

We're definitely on the same train then... ours gets in early Friday morning, too. Maybe we can get share a van/cab from the Amtrak station to the motel. I figured we wouldn't need a rental car once we get to the motel. I'm bringing my scooter... getting a new light weight one that disassembles easily... and motel is close enough to the mall to get back and forth. We leave early Monday morning headed for Chicago and then on to Buffalo.

9 Mos Post-Op as of yesterday, 75 lb. down. Not the best picture in the world, but okay. Pants too big, baggy, bulky sweater & turtle neck because it was so COLD outside!! Not a very complimentary photo, but I think I see a difference from 6 Mos photo.

If you're arriving on the 25th, we'll be on the same train!! That'd be great!!

You just have to stay up a little longer! It was really quiet here all weekend. I have a good swimsuit poem... I'll have to find it so I can post it. That's a good idea... wonder if I can find some big enough!? Yeah... that's what I was thinking..... CANADA... 78-80!! We just saw snow for the 4th day in a row and it's up to 49 degrees at 1pm.. 15 degrees below normal for this time of year! My youngest sister was complaining because it was 89 degrees in BUFFALO on Saturday!! So, your weather down there is still not the greatest, huh? I still think I'd rather be down there in the wind than freezing up here!! I want to ride my scooter over to Rite Aid to get a couple of things, and I know I'm going to have to bundle up! Did I mention we saw snow flakes again today?????? Gimmee a break!! This has got to stop!! Haven't turned on my Wii yet today... TOPS this morning... ooh, yes, check out my ticker.... I finally got past the 75 lb mark! I thought our scale would be more reliable when we got home and it was on more solid and level floor but it's still 4-5 lb heavy. So I guess my official weigh ins will be Monday mornings at TOPS. The Wii is definitely a lot of fun. I really like the bowling. I need to get better at tennis & baseball. Those are the only three I've tried so far. My DIL says the boxing is a good workout, but she was sore for three days after the first time she did it! DH tried the Golf last night... I want to try that one, too. I checked out the Wii Fit online last night and you can pre-oder it online at either Amazon or Wal-Mart, so I may do that. Trying to decide if I can actually do all that stuff, though. Balance seems key for that one and my balance sucks! I'm seeing an orthopedic surgeon next week and hoping maybe he'll do surgery on the left one. That would help a lot! Steph, is your DH serious about coming to the m of a?? Did someone else say theirs was coming??

Too bad you can't talk her in to doing it at the same time. Seems like it'd be easier to do together.

Thanks, Gen! Many BLESSINGS to you, too! It has been quiet here lately.

Congratulations, Chuck! Glad it all finally worked out for you! You're on your way now!!

Is that the new fitness thing that's coming out?? When is it supposed to be on sale?? Didn't know I could reserve one. How do you do that??

Oh, Ruby, I'm so sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. That is so very sad. I don't know what you can say to your DH to help... just an understanding hug and a shoulder to cry on.

DD & SIL dropped by and I forgot where I was with my Wii story! DH and I were discussing exercise in the car this morning and he said something about buying a Wii. So when we were shopping after lunch I thought I'd check the electronics dept of the store we were in. Asked the clerk if they had any and she said she thought they did. She told me they only get in a few at a time and there are always people on the waiting list. They use a lottery system to see who gets to buy the ones they get in. But this week she only had three people on the list so they had a few extras! So I got one! We've spent the afternoon setting it up and playing with it. Then DD & SIL came over and they played with it too. I did my "Fitness Age" again and came up with a 61 this time!! DH was 71!! SIL was 79 and I think DD was 51!! We had fun! And I got some exercise!! DD & I each did a game of bowling, too. She did really well at that!! I bowled 125.. not too bad.

Karri, I am impressed with your meal planning for the week! That's great! I wish I had a little more "control" in the kitchen! DH has gotten very territorial about that! Can't wait until he starts cutting the lawn for our SIL... then I have some time to myself in the kitchen!! I will cook up some things that I"ve been wanting to try!! :biggrin::thumbup: Sounds like your weather has been as interesting as ours this weekend! Saw snow again this morning on the way to church. Sun is out now. Maybe it's over and we can get on with spring, huh??? Hi, to you, too!! It's been quiet around here today!! I just got on myself, for the first time since this morning. We'll be waiting to see pictures of you all decked out for that graduation!! Yes, Jacki, your daughter looked BEAUTIFUL in her prom dress! What a great color!! Well, we stopped to do a little shopping after church and lunch with our DD & SIL and ended up buying a Wii!! They're not that easy

Don't beat yourself up, Kiddo!! What do they say... "pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again!!" Wasn't that part of an old Frank Sinatra song??? You wouldn't know.... too young!! Heck, I'm almost too young for Frank Sinatra! My era was Pat Boone, Ricky Nelson, Elvis, Frankie Avalon, etc. Anyway, you get the picture!! Today is a new day! Wonder where everyone is!? You and I were the only ones hanging around last night, too! I read your posts... I was up late. Gym sounds like a good investment! Wish I had room for something like that here. We do have exercise equipment in the condo clubhouse. I have yet to get over there!! We've been so busy since we got back! EXCUSES!! I will check it out this afternoon, after church, etc.

Taken last night at dusk. Snow has pretty much all melted now, but still cold out....38 and every now and then, it starts snowing again. One of my sisters in Buffalo called... complaining because it was 89 there today!! Go figure!!

Yep... Choices and trade offs!! Cholesterol thing is a puzzle! Wonder why the LDL went up?? I got my results back today.... total cholesterol is 168, LDL 99, HDL 43 and Triglycerides 96. Not bad, but I'd like to see some improvement in the HDL/LDL. As your chart shows... optimal LDL, less than 100 and mine is just barely. For women, optimal HDL 50+ and mine is at 43. Not sure what the Cholesterol/HDL ratio random is, but mine is 3.91. Anyone know what that should be?? The snow got worse before it got better. And we still have tomorrow to deal with, which they originally said would be worse than today, but we'll see. They're never right anyway!! DD had 4-5 inches on the ground... 8 miles from where we live but slightly higher elevation. I got lots more pictures and may post another tomorrow. Tomorrow we're supposed to get thunderstorms mixed in with the rest of the mess!! Not a good day to travel to Olympia, Karri!! So sorry your fill was such a bummer! Frustrating that they screwed it up last time!! Unforgiveable, really!! They always give me Lidocaine before they start and I don't feel anything but the pushing and probing! My P.A. used the same excuse.... scar tissue in the way. I felt the needle slip off one time, but it was just like a thump.. not painful.

The hail changed to snow and it's been coming down all afternoon. We're going over to DD's for dinner (salmon!) and starting to be afraid we won't be able to make it up her big hill to go home tonight!! Oh, well... the RV is parked there! Might have to use it! Talked to my Mom yesterday. She's almost 86 yrs and really doesn't understand the whole Lapband thing, but she's very supportive and always asking me how I'm doing. Yesterday she commented that it'd be easier for me now that I'm home because there will be less "temptations". I agreed. But I was surpirsed that I felt a little bit of an emotional response to the word "temptations". I don't feel like there are really any temptions anymore... just CHOICES. So, I'm posing a "question of the day".... we haven't had one in a long time... How do you feel about the word "temptation"? Are you tempted by certain foods? I kind of feel that we have moved beyond "temptations" to a place where we have enough control to make healthy choices, and to sometimes choose to have something we wouldn't eat on a daily basis, but, as Janet just described... we allow for by cutting calories/intake somewhere else. Am I making myself clear?? I guess I was maybe a little offended, even, by the word "temptations" because I don't think I have any at this point. I know what i should and shouldn't eat, and if I want to have something.. like a dessert, or maybe some pasta or potatoes, then I will compensate for that by cutting somewhere else that day.

Weather Update: Now it's HAILING.... very heavy, starting to cover the ground!!

Ruby, So glad to hear you are feeling better this morning. My water... so far, a cup of coffee and about 8 oz of Crystal Lite and I've only been up about 90 minutes, so not too bad a start! I can hear again this morning! Really loved those guys, but we're just too old for that. Sensory overload!! Strobe lights, confetti shooting into the air, dueling drums, too much for us!! Bad mother??? Cheez! I think I must be REALLY bad, then! We have refused to bail our son out of jail at least three times! That's really mean! But, we felt very strongly that his behavior would NOT change unless he had to pay the consequences! Don't feel bad... you're not being unreasonable at all! Yes....TOUGH LOVE is okay!! I didn't see that "subscribed thead" link over there! Thanks! I was working under "diminished capacity" last night when I was looking.... my head was not right after that concert!! Well, I'm trying not to complain about the 40 degrees and rain and wind, so let me just say that the windy desert sounds pretty good to me right now... OH, NO!!!! It just started SNOWING!!! Large flakes falling outside my window! Next spring we are definitely staying in the desert LONGER!! I don't know if I can manage "appreciate", Steph, but I'm working hard on "tolerate" without complaining! I was looking forward to another ride around the neighborhood on my scooter today since I forgot to take my wallet yesterday!! and I haven't hit Target yet! But don't know if I can do it with the wind and cold temps, oh yeah, and the RAIN and SNOW!! Peckish... a new one for me, too. Thanks for expanding our vocabulary Janet and Ruby!! And, Peaches, hope you get somewhere with your Mom's healthcare providers!! That is unexcusable!

I checked out one of the PT places and they don't have onsite aquatic therapy but use the high school pool and it's all at night. But they did say another place about another block away has onsite aquatic therapy. But I haven't gotten over there yet to check it out. I looked up Hyroworx on the internet, though. Very cool! And it never occurred to me that I would probably qualify for some PT. Very good idea. Thanks. I'm going to continue to pursue this! My update: I had my 4th fill on Monday. My last one was Oct 29, three days before we left for the winter, so they hadn't seen me since then. I was down about 25 lb... not too impressive for 5 months, but slow and steady is okay! P.A. said she was "very proud" of me and she thougth I was doing very well. She put another 1 cc in my band to give me a total of 5.2 in my 11cc VG band. Restriction is good and if my scale is correct I've lost 3-4 lb since Monday. My biggest concern right now is the exercise as we were doing water aerobics five days a week all winter. But, as I said, I'm working on looking for something! Our condo has an exercise room... I forget what equipment is over there... I need to go check that out, too. They're putting in new showers and a new hot tub, so if there is equipment there that I can use without taxing my knees too much, that might be my exercise place for the spring/summer! Although, it still feels like winter here... 40 degrees this morning with weatherman threatening freezing rain mixed with snow for the next two days!! Always good to hear from you, Don, and get your updates!! We're rooting for you!! Your wife is waiting, too, right? Yeah, sounds good to me, too!!

The site looks different again. Where is "My Account"?? I can't find my list of subscribed threads! Frustrating! DD invited us to a concert tonight... Christian Contemporary... Newsboys! It was LOUD!! My ears will never be the same. Should've stayed home to watch Survivor & ER!! Temp has dropped like a rock tonight. Going in to the 30's tonight, rain mixed with snow coming over the next few days!! Take me back to the desert!!

Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups Swanson® chicken broth (regular, Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic) 1 tsp. garlic powder 2 cans (about 14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs 12 oz. mushrooms, cut in half (about 4 cups) 2 large onions, chopped (about 2 cups) 3 lb. chicken parts, skin removed Hot cooked spaghetti Directions: Mix the broth, garlic powder, tomatoes, mushrooms and onions in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours* or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with the spaghetti. *Or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. For thicker sauce, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of Water in a small bowl. Remove the chicken from the cooker. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the cooker. Turn the heat to HIGH. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. Serves 6. Keep this healthy by substituting something else for the spaghetti... spaghetti squash, french style green Beans, etc.

Here's something that sounds good.... just leave out the spaghetti or substitute something else. Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (regular, Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic) 1 tsp. garlic powder 2 cans (about 14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs 12 oz. mushrooms, cut in half (about 4 cups) 2 large onions, chopped (about 2 cups) 3 lb. chicken parts, skin removed Hot cooked spaghetti Directions: Mix the broth, garlic powder, tomatoes, mushrooms and onions in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours* or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with the spaghetti. *Or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. For thicker sauce, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Remove the chicken from the cooker. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the cooker. Turn the heat to HIGH. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. Serves 6.

Seems to depend on the store and the brand, and it seems to me a lot of manufacturers have totally changed their sizes in the last year. I've bought a lot of JMS clothes.. I think 3X was 26-28 in JMS, too, and now that is 4X! It's too confusing! I was guessing it had to do with how many times you posted, but I just read what Janet found out about it. CONGRATULATIONS!! I totally forgot my aniversary is coming up, too!! Glad you're feeling better today. Hormones are not a bad thing even though they can play havoc with our emotions. Well, it's not exactly a BIG fridge, but certainly bigger than the RV fridge! First time I used my new water bottle it erupted on me, but now I have it figured out and I think I'm going to like it. It's a Rubbermaid 20 oz bottle with a pop up straw... so I have to empty it at least 3X a day. If you fill it up with cold liquid and then let it sit at room temperature, the liquid rises up the straw and pressure builds up as it warms up. So I have to make sure I pay attention to how far up the straw the liquid has come. If its near the top, I have to loosen the lid and pop the straw up to release the pressure and then it won't "ERUPT"! My old one was like that, too, so I should have known this one would work the same way. But, enough of this trivia! My new water bottle.... my incentive for DRINKING!! GOD BLESS YOU, DENISE!! MY SMILEY'S ARE LOST!