Hi there. Just wanted to see if I could build a new home with some new (and hopefully old) friends. I do not wanna be 'homeless' anymore so here I am! This is gonna be a place for friends to meet (hopefully) and talk about anything & everything.

My name is Tracy and I live in Deer Park, Texas. I have been married for 6 years. I was banded in April '07. Got 4 pounds away from goal, quit smoking and gained 46-50 pounds back so I am on my journey again. This time as a non-smoker :w00t:

This is a life change and with it comes lifelong friends...wanna come along for the ride? :blushing:

Good Morning!

Another beautiful day before the storm comes in tomorrow.

Tracy - LOL! I make me tired too!!! For the most part I'm kinda lazy but when there's something to do, it's gotta get done!

Have a great day!

Good morning---for 10 more minutes anyway!

I got up, the house was quiet, Rick was out getting our irrigation going. So I lazily sat and planned to read the paper.....uh huh sure....

Then a guy called that is going to come and cut down the trees the fire killed---so I had to get up and dressed, and brush my hair! The indignities!!!

Well he took forever, so I started making plans, to fix some Breakfast burritos. Rick is in the field this week, so I can send them for him to eat for Breakfast when he leaves at 2 AM. I needed tortillas. So just as I got ready to walk out the door to go get them, I see the guy and his wife walking to our door. UGH!

So they come in, and we went and looked at the trees, and made plans (3 weeks they are goners....60+ year old trees, huge, but the fire from the fireworks last year killed them). Then they come in and sat and visited.....so just finally got to go get the tortillas, and we had brunch.....or Rick had brunch. First bite, and I am stuck on sausage. I think it is a mental stuck!!! They didn't sound great, and it just didn't want to go down. I am not sliming, I have no fill to speak of, less than 1 cc. So I don't get stuck usually on anything except sausage.....

So I am not eating. I was up a couple of pounds anyway so I can't imagine it will hurt me!

We are getting ready to go riding. Motorcycles. Would like to get some saddle time in too, we'll see. Might run to Tim's and do both!

Ooooh Rick just walked by he removed the gas light out front I have been bugging about for 5 years!!

Gotta go look!

See ya later!

Hi!

Where is everyone today?! Out enjoying the weather, I hope!

Kat, isn't that ALWAYS how it happens when ya got workers coming over?

We went to church, out to lunch then home. Got the kennels assembled and all set. Whew! Big load off of my mind. After surgery, every time I'm alone, the dogs are going to have to kennel. I just can't take the chance that I'll hurt myself by trying to take them out or "deal" with them somehow.

I hope everyone has a great night!

good morning all

quick check in, I am down right exhausted but feeling better. I am taking a running training class and it is tonight. Spent most of this weekend working on the Patriot Hills dinner that is this friday. I should be able to breathe after that.

I'll check in tomorrow. I'm going to bring my laptop upstairs so I can check mail and do my thing when I'm climbing into bed

miss you all

It is good to see you check in, Jenn. I had forgotten you had the dinner to work on. A running training class? Jeez..

Hi Jenn, so glad you checked in.

Up for work and then weigh-in. Then hubby and I get to go refridgerator shopping. Lucky us. About 3 weeks ago it was making a weird noise so we called a guy we knew and he came out and changed a compacitor. Turns out it went out again so our friend came back and told us the bad news. The compressor is out and it would be cheaper to buy a new one. We have had this one for 15 years so I guess we have gotten our moneys worth. Good thing we had an extra one downstairs. We just packed everything up and moved it there. The rest of the stuff is in coolers out on the deck.

Have a great day and I will check in later.

Good morning! I just weighed. I have been back on the bandwagon (lol, i made a funny) for 2 weeks. Good news is I am still -5. I had lost that 5 the first week but its all good! Considering I did not gain any of my 5 back on dh days off is a huge accomplishment. Ya know, I know he is supportive of me know matter how I look BUT, I kinda am starting to think he likes me better this way. Oh well, gives me more determination to change, lol. :thumbup:

Jenn-good to see you! Hang in there sista!

Suzanne-have fun fridge shoppin'. We just got a new one. Nothing extravegant, but it is big enough, and that is what matters to me!

Kat-I read on FB about you and Rick going on a ride. That sounds heavenly!

Michelle-so your surgery is in a week, right? Are you anxious? I would be!

Cindy-so the horrible week at school is over for you? No just sitting there! Did you get rid of the goldfish? lol

I will be glad when my ears POP and clear up! I hate saying huh and what all the time! lol

Would you all say a quick prayer for me today? I will spare you all the details, just going through some emotional stuff right now and I believe in the power of prayer :sad:

Have a great day everyone...(((hugs)))

Jenn! So glad you checked in!!

Cindy, it's good to see you too.

Suzanne, have a great day! Hope you find a good bargain.

Tracy, prayers said. Good job on holding to the -5. It's soooo hard!

Yep, surgery in exactly one week! Can't wait!!! Not anxious or nervous at all. Strange considering that this will be my 2nd surgery in less than 2 years. Band having been my first!

I see my doc/surgeon tomorrow afternoon and we'll do all the pre-op then. They'll call me Friday to let me know what time surgery is and when I have to be there and then I'm all set!

Very excited!!! Well, off to get busy for the day. Have a good one!!

Oh! Forgot! Tracy, try some Robitussin DM Max. It's liquid and it's got Guafeneson in it and that helps break up mucus and clear things out. It just might be what your ears need. I know it helps me.

Tracy, I can give you a way to reduce the pressure in your ears, if it is just refusing to pop. I was introduced to this following a flight to Hawaii.

Take small sized styrofoam cup (1 or 2 depending if it is both ears or not), then take a paper towel, fold it to fit down in the end of the cup....then get it wet with as hot of water as you can stand. wring it out (carefully!) and put it in the bottom of the cup. Then take the cup and place the open end over your ear. Sealing it as tightly to your head as possible. And get comfortable. You will need to sit with it there for 15-20 minutes. You will feel it open up and release the pressure. The heat has to reach it, and allow it to open---the styrofoam is such a great insulator, it allows the heat to do it in a manner it remains open, andallows the pressure to stabalize. We actually saw people sitting in phone booths doing this!

I ask the Dr. about it, and he said it is very safe....it should work, but if there is infection, the tube will just swell again, effectively closing the fluid behid the eardrum again.

Rick is back in the field this week. He enjoys the time out--but it is longer than usual hours, odd hours anyway. He left this morning at normal time--will probably be the last time he does that for 10 days or so.

We went by Abbey's yesterday, and visited with her and her DH and Corvin. He is such a character! He is HIGHLY mobile now, into run mode, forget the walk! He grabs my face or my neck and just hugs me so tight, and he grins the most adorable little smile! He and I are going shopping together at some point this week, so Abbey can get some things done without his help! LOL I love that little boy soooo much!!! He was telling us his new word over and over and over....cheese. And expecting us to go to the fridge and get it for him each time. When we played dumb, he drug us to the fridge!!!

Speaking of fridges---have fun Suzanne!!! I really like our fridge in some ways---the ice maker and water out the door are GREAT compared to like Becky and Gary's. Ours spits crushed ice out FAST! You have to stand there forever for their ice maker to fill your glass. And theirs is a new one! BUT we have had to replace the valve where the water comes into the back of the fridge 2-3 times already, in 10 years! It is where it allows just enough water in to fill the ice maker trays and then shuts off, it has such pressure behind it, it goes out. If it happens again, we are going to put a valve on the line and slow the water pressure feed into it Rick said.

It is a side by side....big ol thing. A pizza box will fit in the fridge. But I won't go side by side again next time. We bought this one partly because of the price. If you stand in front of it, the right side had a pretty bad scrape across the bottom side where it was unloaded. So we got a big discount on it----and that side butts up against our cabinets, so it doesn't even show! Same thing with our stove!! Our fridge is GE. LOL we have GE stock, but that is not why we bought it!!! LOL

Yes Tracy we had the BEST ride yesterday! Weather was PERFECT! Not hot, not cold, no wind, the trees were all in bloom, the sky was blue, all the fields had new baby calves or colts in them....it was just enjoyable!

Then we come home, and Rick grilled some Rib Eye steak---omg it was soooo good!!! Albertsons has it on sale for $3.99 a pound, and I have a meat marinade I use, and it was soooo good!!! I have 2 more marinating in the fridge. Tonight I am fixing a meatloaf, he LOVES meatloaf sandwiches, so that will give me something for him this week while he is working.

But I have some things to do in town today, so guess I should get a move on. Too bad Rick is in the field or I could meet him for lunch!

Connor has his first actual ballgame tonight. Doubt Rick will be back in time from work. Will have to see.

Good to see you Jenn!!! You too Cindy! Miss you guys!

Good luck on your prepping stuff for your surgery Michelle!

Back from shopping and I'm glad. That was not any fun. It would have been ok we if had 2 thousand to spend on something and wasn't locked into a certain color. We started out at Home depot and it was going to be 4 weeks before they could deliver it. Nope. We headed over to Best Buys and that was kind of a joke. Not happy with anything that they had and most of it was damaged anyway and all visible. So we went over to Sears and found one in our price range and the right color we wanted. We need a Bisque. So we left there and went to Lowe's and we couldn't get anything in that color. So back to Sears we went and we the one that was on sale and in the color we wanted. They also will be able to deliver it on Wednesady. So we only have to buy ice till then. It's a side by side with ice and water on the door. It also has the controls on the door for the temp and lights. Within a week I will like it better. We looked at the french 3 door ones and I kinda liked them. It would have to be something you would have to get used to. They now have the ice maker in the upper part so it's on the door also. Keeping my fingers crossed that this one will last a whole lot longer.

But it is one good way of losing weight, move all your food to the fridge in the basement. You think twice about running to get something to eat. lol.

As we were leaving Hubby spotted the section that had all the t-shirts and sweatshirts for the Royals ball team. We stopped by there and I ended up buying a sweatshirt jacket for myself, in a smaller size. Happy me.

Kat, the ride sounded lovely. Some day I will take a ride on our Harley. Just not ready for that yet.

Tracy, I was watching the latest episode of "Ruby". On there they had a session with the therapist and she had them all sit down at a table. They were allowed to drink and say as much as they wanted but then it was to be complete silence and no water for the rest of the meal. They spent forty five minutes eating the food that was on their plate. They took a bite and then put the fork down, chewed 20 times and swallowed. I know at the monthly meetings that I go to they really stress how important this is to our weight loss. To take your time eating and chew very carefully. It should take us about 30 minutes to eat a meal. The part I have the hardest doing is putting my fork down between bites. That shoveling my food in is such a big part of my life.

Michelle-that is exactly what I have been taking....great minds!

Kat-I love ribeyes! Tose and ice cream...i could live on it! lol

Suzanne-I saw that episode of Ruby. That would drive me bonkers. It also kind of bothered me about the 'enabler' thing. I agree with Ruby, I would get what I want no matter what. You can not really blame those around us. True, sometimes they dont HELP, but it is ultimately my decision to eat something or not, ya know?!

I am about to get off here and go take some medicine. Have a great night friends <3

Like I have said Tracy, my weight is my problem. I'm the one who shoved the food in my mouth. I don't blame the people around me. If I didn't want to go to DQ for sundaes I would stay home. But I choose to go. It's my decision and I rely on that strength now to get me thru. I won't deny my family or friends a nice dinner out, we can still go and have fun. I just won't let the food take over the evening or define who I am.

Hey girls~

Was a nice trip to town. Got some news I am a bit uneasy with, will have to chat with you about it later, is something I need to get feedback on. Expect something from me.

Found some shirts I wanted. Bought the cutest bib overalls for Corvin! Just found his size....so had to have them. Will watch for something for the other kids as sizes are available.

Hit the bookstore....think I am set up for this week with Rick gone so much.

Tomorrow Kinsey is going to go get pictures made. I need new ones, so that is all good.

Suzanne, I hear ya about the fridge situation. We went white, because our house is so small. We have recently been discussing a move again, or at least a change. Won't be for a couple of years I'd imagine. But we are getting closer to retiring, and that makes us wonder what the right thing to do is!!!

We have decided what the plan is with the property here since all this hullaballoo with DS. That helped make our minds up on some fronts.

Anyway, our appliances are all white.....kinda boring, but I like it ok! The other thing that Becky hates about her stainless, besides her grandsons prints ALL over it---she cannot hang his art work! The magnets don't stick! I have grandkids pics on mine, so would miss that too!

I watched the show you are talking about once or twice....but for the life of me, there has never been anything from my young life that put me in the shape I was. I was skinny, until my second marriage. The weight was directly involved to that, and my insecurity of my own judgement after that. It tends to try to go back further, and none of it relates. I had a happy childhood.

As for the puting the fork down....I KNOW all that, I just need to practice it again. I used to seriously when I had restriction, to see if the next bite was going to be "it". Now that is not an issue......

I do really try to pay attention to my chewing tho, it makes a difference in how my food feels in my belly--might be in my head, but it does!

Well I need to go mix the meatloaf! Everything is ready just to assemble it!

Will shoot you all off an email here shortly.