minidriver

I can't help you with the kid question either . . . mine are 29, 26 and 26! Geez, Mal, you thought yours were old! We live in SLC full time, but have property in Cedar Mountain, Utah. There are lots of red rock canyons but also a mountainous area with pines, etc. It's quite pretty . . . not as pretty as the four corners area, but the mix of pines and red rocks is pretty stunning.

ROFL!! The story about Tom is hysterical. Don't worry about the 1 lb . . I'm sure it will come off next week.

Hey Shelbi! We had the tent custom made by a local company. They're a big time tent maker and sell canvas tents and springbar tents worldwide. The big screen windows across the front have canvas that zips down over them for security. There are two more 4' windows in the back and a stove-pipe opening so we can add a little sheepherders stove if we'd like. The front and back doors are huge and also screened, so lots of airflow and no bugs! The peak is 11.5' high, so it feels REALLY spacious inside. I'm very excited by it. I feel like we built a cabin in a weekend! Poor Barkley. Good point about vet care vs people care. And I already received my first bill for my surgery and I haven't even had it yet! ARGH!

Okay, I know exactly the area you're talking about, cuz I grew up in Moab! I LOVE the 4 corners area. We would have liked to purchase property down there but just couldn't afford it. So we're in the Southwest corner of the state instead. It's beautiful too. Yes, I'm so excited I can't stand it. I'm a little scared, too, but not so bad. I can't believe that a week from today I'll be in Denver having my preop visit. WOOHOO! So, watcha' doin' in Alaska?

I started my pre-op diet last Wednesday and have lost 3.5 lbs. Does that seem about right? I know it's just water, but that's okay, still feels good. Hopefully my liver is just shriveling up into a tiny ball.

Hi Jill. Yes, this is one active thread. I don't really post anywhere else, as these are my peeps! I'm on the computer all day anyway so it's easy for me to pop in and read, but if you don't keep up it gets overwhelming pretty fast! You'll love Dr. K. He's a fabulous guy. Where is Nucla, CO?

Same in our neck of the woods. We won't be able to go back until the weekend of July 11th (due to my banding, yay!) so my good vittles will be strictly of the mushy sort. Oh well. The full moon, bonfire, and music will still be in place. There are a million stars and it's about 20 degrees cooler than it is in the city. We overlook Zion National Park so it's just gorgeous up there. It's at 8000+ foot elevation, so we're way up in the mountains.

Well, I didn't actually carry any of the blocks. They were waaay too heavy. I was the chief engineer :thumbup:

Bahot - that is so freakin' cool that you waterskied. Amazing what getting rid of that unwanted weight you're always lugging around can do for you. When DH and DS were carrying the 45 pound concrete blocks up the hill and complaining about how hard it was, I was thinking that I have to carry an extra 85 pounds with me everywhere I go. I thought about naming my extra weight "the concrete block" but then I settled on "the parasitic twin". And I started thinking about all the things she keeps me from enjoying in my life cuz she just hangs off me and sucks the life out of me. So my weight loss is going to be "shrinking the parasitic twin". You were able to get up on skis cuz your parasitic twin is no longer weighting you down. . . I want to be able to hike a certain hike at Bryce Canyon without stopping every 2 minutes and gasping for breath. Mal - where do you go Yurt camping? That's what we originally wanted to build, but the zoning and logistics of our lot made it a bear. So we went with a big tent to get around the zoning. Yurts are so fabulous.

Ok guys, here are some pics. The first one shows all the concrete blocks we had to lug up the hill and set into place. The second shows the deck nearly completed. That's DS standing in front, and DH working in the background and dog Keeley in the dirt. Pics 3 and 4 show the tent! We still have tons to do (decking, rain fly, etc) but we can sleep in it now. It's like being in a big treehouse!

Hello Lap Band Ladies!!! I'm back from my loooong weekend and trying to get caught up. Brandy and LA - are you guys okay? Geez, that's awful. Hope things get cleared up soon. Lap - size 20!!!!! That is fantastic!! Green - wow, families can be so tough sometimes. But you did do this for you, and YOUR approval is really all that matters. DEE!!! I spent the night in Cedar City Thursday night too! Where did you stay? Oh, that is tooo weird. Okay, I'm crackin' up over the minnie driver thing. I always wondered if anybody noticed that. I'm not British, but I sure do love my MINI. When I was in Southampton, UK last year leaving on a cruise the whole dock was full of brand new MINIs waiting to board a ship go to their new homes. Everybody else was on the deck waving and celebrating and I was snapping pics of all the MINIs. I even named mine (Penelope Anne Cooper). Yep, I'm a dork. So my DH, DS and I spent the weekend constructing a deck on our property and then putting up a 16 x 20 canvas wall tent on it. It is so awesome! It's huge inside! It has a wonderful window wall all along one side. It's kind of like sleeping in a tree house. I'll try to post pics tomorrow. But we worked our a%%es off. That's so sweet that you guys missed me. I missed you too! I couldn't wait to come home and get caught up on my reading. t minus 9 days till I'm banded. WOOHOO!

Drive by . . . .literally. Well, out of the car for the moment. We're spending the next four days at our southern utah property, so I won't have my internet. sniff, sniff. I'm sure I'll be in serious withdrawal. HI EVERYBODY!!! Dee - have a blast! Welcome jillypoo, I'm sure you'll have a lots of good advice and you'll find out everything you need. TTFN!!!

Yep! You're a MILF. You look fantastic!

Thanks sweetums. You always know the right thing to say. And I won't tell anybody about the 33 lbs . . . xoxoxo Ahhhh . . . . just had a huge rush of oxytocin. Feel much better . . .

So I'm starting my preop diet tomorrow and I weighed myself today for the first time in six weeks. I fully admit that I have been eating with abandon. Ummm . . . I've gained six pounds. YIKES. Guess I'll have to update my ticker - and not in a good direction!!!

Sidann - wow, sounds like an important lesson learned. I have a tendency to drink a lot during meals too. Thanks for sharing that.

Shelbi - YAYYYYY!!! Oh this is very good news. I really hope it put enough of a scare into him to make some better choices for the future.

How cool that you taught English for all those years! Teaching is so fun. I really love it. Actually, the class I'm teaching tonight is part of a summer camp we have called AWE+SUM. It's all centered on encouraging girls to go into math and science. We have all kinds of different classes and activities, they have dinner with recent grads, etc. It's pretty fun . . . but they wear me out! We're making playdoh brains tonight and talking about how each of the parts is impacted by puberty. Should be fun! PS- I was in Jr. High in the early 70's and the choices for girls were about the same. I didn't start college until I was 35, and then dragged my poor teenagers to grad school with me while I did my doctoral work.

The documentary taping was really good. They will be showing it at a big benefit event at the UN in the fall. We may end up on the cutting room floor, but maybe not! Who knows? I teach cognitive neuroscience and psychology at a small liberal arts college in SLC (Westminster College). I love it. I have very small classes and am able to get really close to my students. I also help run a summer research camp for first-generation, low-income and/or underrepresented minority students who are interested in pursuing doctoral studies. And tonight I'm talking to a group of 8th grade girls about brain development! So I wear lots of hats and I really find it fulfilling. During the academic year I barely have time to breathe, but summers are nice and laid back. That's why I have time right now to be on this board day and night!! Obsession??? Umm, a little :lol:

I was 108 once! In, ummm, 5th grade, maybe??

Well, I am a Tigger! Always lookin' on the bright side!

Marcy!! That's awesome! What a great feeling! Congratulations on your success. And if they aren't able to fly any groceries into Nome, you'll reach your goal before you know it :tongue:

My turn for a drive-by post. I'm off to do the documentary thing with my son! Munchkin - can I just tell you how much I admire nurses? Concert sounds like a blast. I'll keep in mind about the alcohol. Dee- what a gorgeous pic and a great story. Lifesaver - woohoo! -2!!! Brandy - I thought I was the only one who used my treadmill as a drying rack. Lap- wonderful stuff. Just talking about addiction with son and how important it is to put the past behind you. Your post was perfect timing. SHELBI- good luck today! Let us know how things go!!!

lolololololol

Dang! Mine usually tells me that it's okay to eat that ice cream and soak in the tub.