20 to go!! I need some saucy, supportive, soul-sisters!!

I'd like to start an intimate group with people who have a GREAT sense of humor, can be honest without being snide, don't mind divulging their ups and downs, and have some inspiring words of wisdom and support to share.  I am looking for a few online accountablility pals to help me get over this last 20 pound hump!!  I have lost 38 pounds.  I know I am going to make it, it's just nice having some "slimming sisters" who have "been there" and are "going through that" to share the journey with.  What do you say...are you up for the challenge??? 

Minx – yeah I like that too!  Cinfuldiva – I seriously give praise to teachers!  I think that would be a very challenging job at times indeed!  Yes I think neurotic tendencies run in Jack Russels (should have researched more before buying )  Congrats on the weight loss…. YOU ROCK!!!

Tonnie – Honesty is always the best policy!  Even if it does make you look like a tool   Honey – you can call me whatever you like (maybe I shouldn’t give you open slather – getting a little nervous now)

Well I finished my exam (YEEEEEHAR)   Went better then I thought actually!  I also bought another packet of Lentils and will try cooking them again tonight!  Leave for camping early tomorrow morning so you wonderful ladies will have to survive without me (somehow) until Monday .  I hope I don’t put on too much weight…. I can see a lot of drinking taking place….

You guys crack me up! Thanks for calling me a "skinny sicko" -- it actually helps. My gaining three pounds is NOT the end of the world (even though I am gonna try like heck to lose them again -- do I sound like Sarah Palin?)

My students, bless 'em, have given me 2 nicknames: "J Ho" (my last name is Holmes, but it has...other connotations that are totally undeserved by me! But I do go to karaoke with them upon occasion, and I do sing J Lo's "Do It Well") and, for some reason, "Prime time." (Something about "a nickname doesn't have to mean anything" or so they tell me.) In college I was "Paws" because my running shoes were yellow with black stripes, aka "tiger paws." (I referred to myself as the Paws that refreshes.)

Moochew: Great that you got through your exams!

I am doing my best--keeping to the exercise, avoiding salt, etc. Tonight Michael Pollan spoke at our school -- he wrote "The Omnivore's Dilemma" about the food industry and his mantra is "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly vegetables." Not bad advice, actually. He's very down on engineered low fat stuff and processed foods, and he said "if your grandma wouldn't recognize it as food, don't eat it!" I kind of like that. My grandma wouldn't know (alas, wouldn't have known) from hydrogenated oils or red dye #5.

So my DH and I had fish & mustard greens (sauteed with some garlic!) tonight. I am feeling righteous.

And thanks for the great words about my sweetie Duncan! He loves people, from the kids in line at the bus stop for school to someone in a wheelchair. He just likes to be snuggled with, and he's little enough to get into bed with the ones who are too sick to walk. He makes 'em feel like a million dollars. Good dog!

And hey, you guys, college profs are just the same as you all. We don't get paid enough, we spend all day with people who don't respect us (students), and when we get home there is more work to be done (grading). We have to live wherever the jobs are, like migrant workers, until we get tenure, and then we can't leave! And if the governor thinks there isn't enough money to run the state, he'll cut our budgets and fire us without anyone caring much, until they realize they don't have qualified workers to carry out the jobs that need to be done. (Although, as a poetry professor, I can't really claim that last point! Nobody ever says, "Wait a minute! We need a poet for this job!")

I keep thinking this weight gain might have to do with, erm, the monthly visitor, but at 52 I don't actually know when she's coming any more. I did have huge chocolate cravings today! (Michael Pollan said there is now a chair in Chocolate Studies at UC Davis, where they're studying the positive effects of antioxidants in cacao beans, and he said "soon they'll be touting the nutritional value of chocolate," at which someone in the audience burst into applause & yelled, "Yay!")

Here's to the future, where chocolate will be in everyone's diet!

JHo

HI Ladies, I'm torn between Yami Mammi (no I'm not a mommy) and Minx...but for the most part, I think Minx fits me better (Young, flirtatious, etc..).

Have a great day!!!

OMG...I almost forgot to tell the Queen congrats on her weight loss (I'm not too well versed on how to give reverence to the Queen, but I'm almost 100% sure something like this can get me booted from the thread very quickly)! You go girl!!!!

Minx--basically all you do is grovel to her while you are secretly laughing behind her back.  (I might die for that comment).  Aren't you glad that you let others give you a name instead of me?

JHo!  That's great....I like it!  It says something; not too sure if it's good or not, but who cares!  What ever made you go into being a professor of Poetry?  Now that you mention it, having those qualifications to list on a resume or job app just doesn't seem to have influence when applying at the local manufacturing plant.  (I didn't want to insult you by saying "flipping burgers").  I am reminded of the movie "Back to School", with Rodney Dangerfield, where he fell in lust with the blond Poetry Instructor.  There's a lot of movies based upon "poetic" themes.  When I was in the 8th grade it was obvious that the teacher had no interest whatsoever in poetry.  Instead of having any sort of set curriculum, his best form of teaching came from a game called "Authors".  It was similar to playing "Old Maid".  We got to pick one poem and memorize it, then recite it to the class for our final grade.  I can't say that I learned anything about poetry, but it was entertaining to say the least.  

Please pass some love on to Duncan for me.  I love doggies!  Especially when they're smarter than most people in my life (roommate). 

Moochew--the story is not complete yet, but I'm sure I will have one to tell tomorrow after "Mr. Wizard" goes back to work.  He got a great start on it last night, but will have to be continued tomorrow.  He is presently slumbering in a fetal position on the living room floor.  Evidence of his hard night of video poker and drinking spread all around his "area".  I hope he wet his pants.  

My BU didn't come home yesterday.  She finally made an appearance at 5:15 this morning.  I have to keep telling myself "I love my cat........."  I had bought her a new food bowl all her own, and doesn't have to share with Norm when he decides he wants salsa. :>/ .  I don't know why he started using that bowl for himself.  Is nothing sacred around here!  He's got these "Dora the Explorer" and "Barbie" bowls that he holds on to.  They belonged to his daughter.  I can't stand them.  Why doesn't he use one of them instead of taking BU's food dish?  He insists on having them in the cupboard.  This is a 50 year old man!  There are no little ones living here (thank God!), and the whole house seems to be decorated for a child.  I'm sure he misses little TerrorLynn, I mean TaraLynn, but lets get some level of adultness in here.  His favorite wall decoration is a cheap picture of santa and a santa hat hanging in the dining room.   When I first moved in there was wall paper accents of kittens swiping at butterflies and frolicking in the grass.  Gag, gag.  They came down within 2 days.  There's all this "cute" stuff everywhere.  Right now I detest looking at "duckies", kitties and bunnys everywhere you turn.  Oh yes, and Dora and Barbie  .....That was a rant there.  Sorry.

Well, I better check my email, then get ready to go.  Queenie, you haven't checked in yet.  Are you alive?  ~Tonnie

Moochew ~ Thanks for the praise!!  Teaching becomes more challenging with each passing year.  Between the increasing expectations placed on teachers, the diminishing budget and support (aides, reading specialists, etc...), and the EVER-GROWING lack of accountability of the children (both at home and at school), I am finding it more challenging than ever before!!  However, it is also extremely rewarding.  I love to see their progress, I bond with these little boogers every year, and sometimes you know you are the only positive, stable influence in their lives.  

Jboise ~ LOVE your comments about educators!!!  So sadly TRUE!!!  Dark chocolate has been a favorite of mine for some time now...to think it will be RECOMMENDED??!!??

Minx ~ I think it fits you, too!!  Thanks for the accolades!!  (I'll let your delinquency slide this time!! )  

Momma Pussycat ~ You're lucky that you are such a good court jester!!  Otherwise, I'd have you beheaded for your insolence!!!  I would check in more often and write pages if I wasn't so wiped out after work!!  Weekends are better for me to "catch up."  

Some exciting news!!!  I bought a pair of size 14 capris the day after my surgery (they fit perfectly then).  I pulled them out today, cut the tags off, and put them on only to realize that they are HUGE on me!!!  They must have fit because of all the swelling in my abdomen.  Now that the swelling is gone, I'm a solid size 12!!!  HOT DAMN!!  (I know some of you are thinking, "A size 12??!!??  Those were my FAT pants!!"  However, I started off in May at a SNUG size 20!!!  So I am STOKED!!!)  My original "fantasy" goal was to be a size 12 and 160 pounds.  I am CURRENTLY a size 12, and plan to get down to AT LEAST 150, if not less!!  So I am thinking I could POSSIBLY get into an 8????!!!!????

Well, my loyal subjects (TEE!!  HEE!!  ), I am off!!  (Mostly in the head!!)

Kisses ~ Queenie 

It is late in my world tonight.  So I won't make new comments right now, except, your Magesty, why don't you just call me Pussycat?  That sounds wild and exciting to me.  To the other loyal subjects of Queenie, I now proclaim my new name as "Pussycat",  with HER permission, that is.   Till the morning sunshine bursts through my drapes of the afore evening tide, I bid you adieu, to you, and you, and you.  ~Pussycat aka Mommakitty.  Meow!, or moo?

Hi all--Pussycat, Minx, Queenie, & Moochew!

First, congratulations to the Queen for cutting the tags off a perfectly unnecessary pair of size 14 capri's! (Ducking) But seriously, it must have felt great to see they're too big.

Pussycat (what's new?) -- I've always been a writer of one sort or another, but a few years after I graduated from college as an English major, I went to an MFA program (master of fine arts -- you go there to study writing instead of to study literature). That gave me the qualifying degree to teach. Problem is, unless you've published books, you aren't really qualified to teach! So I worked in number of jobs (from typesetting a weekly newspaper to working for a large corporation) before I had the books that would let me even look for a job. I taught at the University of Minnesota and Macalester College as an adjunct (i.e., part-time, no benefits) before getting the job at Boise State University after my husband retired. I think of myself as a kind of tortoise, slow & steady, when it comes to getting where I've gotten--no great mentors or connections to help along the way.

I think the blonde instructor in "Back to School" gave us a pretty good reputation; it's the professors who are always sleeping with students in the movies--almost always writing professors!--that are such a cliche. But teaching poetry using the "Authors" game is really slacking!

Now I have a question: who is BU? I gather she's a cat, but why "BU"?

I'm doing a bit better, inching back down bit by bit. Stopped using salt entirely. Am drinking more water. Tomorrow's another day...

Alright, J Ho ~ I'm still waiting to hear your top 3 favorite authors and your top 3 favorite works!!  Don't leave me hanging, sister!!

Anxiously awaiting your response ~ Queenie 

J Ho--BU is my cat.  Her full name is Babyuggie.  I abbreviate that to BU and pronounce it Boo.  One of my granddaughters sort of came up with the name by accident.  She said Gamma, dats du uggiest baby kittie I ever seen.  Therefore Babyuggie.  She was a homely little thing and I took her because I was afraid no one else would.  It was either me, the pound or the coyotes.  Even though she's a pain in the butt now and again, I love her dearly.  (This is where you go aww).

I survived Norms days off!  Damn, nothing grizzly to report to Moochew.  I did walk out into the kitchen and surprised him and he had his porno site up and running.  He quickly shut it down (I guess so I wouldn't see it , but I don't know who he thinks he's kidding).  He takes a nap (passes out) at the keyboard many times with naked women on the screen.  I gave him that computer when I knew I was getting a new one.  At that time I told him he couldn't use my new one because I didn't want  porno on it.  He looked so innocent and surprised, but he didn't deny it.  I think he forgot to shut it down from last night's session because there were 12 sets of boobs on the screen as I walked by.  Poor guy!.  I wonder if he's a wanker? (I know he is, I've heard him before.  He's very vocal)  TMI anyone?

In todays episode of Ninja chef, I'm going to make cabbage rolls, but using ground turkey instead of beef.  I went to Ross yesterday and found a lot of stuff, but realized I could only afford two things.  I like making potstickers, and I found a 4 piece set of presses in various sizes.  $2.99, what a deal.  I also bought Norm a covered butter dish.  BU has a habit of jumping onto the counter and licking the stick of butter.  I thought this was very nice of me considering she's my cat.  This morning the lid was left off the butter.  Were there too many moving parts?

I need to attend to the feeding of my favorite critter, me.  I am hungry.  What is the big deal about Steel Cut Oats?  I bought some in the bulk bins.  They better taste like something wonderful!  Even in bulk they were expensive.  I'll check back here when I'm done feeding my face.  ~Pussycat, wassup? 

Pussycat: Ah, now I remember the "Babyuggie" name, just didn't make the connection. Very good to save the kit from the coyotes!

Queenie, it's such a hard question! I tend to fall in love with whatever I'm teaching so the three faves changes several times a year. Plus, I am editor of a poetry press, so I should really be naming the poets I publish! (If you want to see our website, it's at http://ahsahtapress.boisestate.edu .) But if you want to know the poets who made me want to write poetry, they were Gerard Manley Hopkins, John Berryman, and Theodore Roethke (heh, among others). I don't write like any of them, though. I just loved the way they made the language sound.

Of those three, I'll take "The Windhover" (Hopkins), "The Dream Songs" (Berryman), and "The Lost Son" (Roethke). Now I'm hoping nobody I work with reads this and asks me why I didn't name Dante, Yeats, and Keats...whom I also love, but didn't read until later. And actually I should also have said Emily Dickinson, since my new book is all based on her work (I have a book coming out in February!). But again, I didn't come to my love of Dickinson until much later.

Minx: Are you out there minxing about? And Moochew: OK if I call you Mooch?

Now for the good news: THE SCALE READS 114.5 TODAY! So I'm back to where I was on Nov. 3. My chore for today is to take my bike in so a flat can be fixed...I never have learned how to do that.

JHo

Mooch!--That's a sweet name, good job, JHo.  I hope she likes it!  You mentioning your favorite authors brings me to another movie reference.  Dead Poet's Society.  I will never forget "Carpe Diem" .  It was about 15 years ago that I first heard that  phrase and "Sieze the Day" became incorporated into my life.  My second husband didn't appreciate it though.  Any time I "seized the day" he went into a jealous fit.  I am a friendly and outgoing person.  I like people!  I don't know what he wanted me to become for him.  If I could describe "stifling" in one name it would be "Bob".  Well, this is not Dear Abby, so I apologize for the walk down nightmare lane. 

Yes, you skinny psycho; I'm glad for your weight loss!  I can't wait for Norm to walk out the door to spread his version of joy on society, so I can start my Ninja chef marathon.  I had another friend at CC (yes, Queenie, I have other friends!), tell me about the intestinal virtues of cabbage.  So I thought, what have I got to lose?  Maybe some tonnage?  Seeing how I've tried just about everything else, I might as well give this a try too.  Queenie, don't a pair of 12 anythings feel great?  Unless it's your panties!  I like my shoe size (8 1/2) and my panty size 7, and in some styles a 6.  Neither one of these embarrasses me as much as saying an 18-20, please (you skinny bitch!) How funny, spell check told me that  panty was spelled wrong.  It's suggestion, among others was pantry!  Panty/pantry,pastry; something odd in that combination.  Pantie.  Okay, I guess I did spell it wrong; it's an ie and not a y. 

That reminds me of a unique spelling my my name that I saw yesterday.  It was Tahnee.  More useless information to file away in my over worked brain.  Geeze, I even got a spell check on that!

Minx, where are you girl?  I need someone to watch my back when the Queen is riled.  You and Mooch have been my saving grace.  I would understand if you didn't want to associate with a court jester .  Some times the brain doesn't keep up with the fingers on the keyboard.  I have my challenges. I write before I think sometimes.

Mooch, you better get yourself signed in for today.  Unfortunately, this will be the height of my entertainment for the weekend.  Except, while I'm doing the Ninja chef thing here at any moment...........Pussycat

J Ho ~ Thank you for the BACK HANDED kudos!!  It felt INCREDIBLE and a little irritating at the same time.  Thanks for the names, I'll have to do a little reading.  What an awesome accomplishment - to be published!!  Are your books a "study" of other poets or have you published some of your own work?  I like to read some of your work.  CONGRATS on the scale!!  

Senorita Pussycat ~ I'm surprised when you walked in on Stormin' Norman the porno sight was the only thing UP!!!  I guess you should consider yourself lucky.  Eeeew!!!  You HEARD him before???  Like grunting and moaning, or like talkin' dirty to himself and calling out his own name???  He's probably so anxious to get back to all those boobs he can't remember to put the lid back on the butter dish!!  So, while he's droolin' over boobs, let him spread a little BU drool on his toast!!  Serves him right!!  Cabbage???  You are going to stink up the place!!!  (Both during the cooking process and during the digestion process!!)  I've never heard of Steel Cut Oats.   ~  I loved "Dead Poet's Society."  I find the more weight I lose, the more I'm "seizing the day!"  Size 12 feels absolutely DELICIOUS!!!!  It's weird, I fear I will always look in the mirror and "see" a chubby chick.  I hold up my new, hand-me-down from my younger sister, size 12 jeans and think, "Damn!!  Those are so small."  But when I look in the mirror, I don't see "small."   I saw a picture of myself and was shocked to SEE how thin I appeared, because that's not what I SEE when I look in the mirror.  

Well, we had a small family graduation party for my nephew last night and I drank WAY too much!!!  My 2 sisters and I drained a bottle and a half of vodka!!  Ick!!  Not only did I not need those calories, I did not need a hangover!!  I feel like doo-doo today.  What a dummy!!  A cold front is supposed to come through today and drop the temperature down to the 60's.  It will feel good to have the windows open.  Nothing like a cool, refreshing breeze when you're feeling nauseous.  I'm going to go eat some toast and try to have some coffee.  Have a good one.

Kisses ~ Queenie 

Queenie!!  Sorry to hear about your hangover (boo-hoo).  That's a lot of vodka, woman!  Wish I would have been there.  Geeze, grunting and moaning- and sounds I don't know how to spell.  I think the boob page was just the opening to what was to come if you clicked on a boob.  I've seen some of that before too when he had passed out and forgot to close it down.  I've had fun on the internet myself with a "friend", but thinking about it and seeing Norm is a definate Eeeew!  I need to go take a bath now.  I feel contaminated-ick.  At least there's no child pic's or animals. 

I can't imagine the cabbage as causing any additional "scents".  I haven't seen any blue smoke trailing behind me either. 

It is hard to get used to seeing that "other" person in a reflection or in the mirror.  I had to use the restroom at Safeway the other day, and there was this skinny faced woman staring at me.  It took me a minute to fully realize that it was me!   I should have taken the opportunity to try on a pair of 12 jeans when I was at Ross the other day.  I have to go back there to turn in a job app on Tuesday, so I'll try them on then.  That would be so cool if they fit.  Just to be able to get them up over my ass would be an accomplishment.  Zipping might be a different story still. 

Where's the rest of the girls this morning?  I guess I'll check in a little later.  Cinful, would you please write to a Realkass here on CC and invite her to this thread?  I've done that, but I think she would really benefit from this thread by having a means to express herself without such an open public to read her journals.  She seems to want to be able to be vulgar and gross, but holds it back.  When she first started CC, she expressed concerns about finding any friends at all.  In fact, if some of you others (Minx, JHo, Moochie) would send her a note as well.........I know she would fit in.  She likes to partake of the fruit of the vine, and has her moments of weaknesses with food like we all do.  I've seen the fun side of her!  Pretty please?  ~ Pussycat

Thank you oh, Queenie for addind Realkass as your friend.  I am bowing and doing all that royal crap that is required of your jester.  I just hopes she checks this out.  I'm doing the Ninja chef again today without bloodshed this time.  Using my digital scale , my Ziplock vacuum bags, and CC to prepare a luscious meal fit for a Queen.  Dinner's at 6; will you be early?  ~Pussycat

Hi there -- I am still kicking, though I was out & about all morning. Walked Duncan down to Farmers' Market only to find they have "winter hours" and don't open until 11 now! Then went on a bike ride ("cross training" on my running program) for almost an hour, and now I have to clean up because my students are doing a reading tonight & I must be there! (That is, they're reading their work in public to an audience--a big step for them!) I am still being good (114.5) but would like to lose a bit more before we head to Ohio to have Thanksgiving with my DH's two sons & their families. Thanksgiving is always a hazard. BTW, I should mention that I'm only 5'0" so that's why I'm trying to hang in for a few more pounds lost...

I seem to be using this thread as my journal! Oops.

Queenie, all my books are poetry I have written myself. They are little & published by small university presses, so you probably wouldn't ever run into one in a bookstore! And I wouldn't recommend reading (anything) with a hangover--yuck. A nice cool washcloth over the eyes...

Pussycat, I'll send your friend Realkass a note. Nice that you're looking out for her. And I'm sorry you have to put up with Norm. What a combination--santas and kitty decor plus a porn habit: good thing he doesn't have custody!

Minx: you better be having some fun out there, wherever you are!

JHo

Senorita Pussycat ~ This morning I went into Realkass's latest journal entry (from yesterday) and posted an "invitation" to our thread.  Here's what I wrote:

Realkass ~ I'm here to kick ass!!!  That crackpot and "friend" of yours, Tonnie, suggested you might be a welcome addition to our spunky soiree of slimming sisters!!  Well, I have to warn you, it's not for the faint of heart, but if you love a good laugh, enjoy a little profanity and inappropriateness, and can handle a load of BS, this thread is for YOU!!!  We're an eclectic group of fun-lovin' friends who spend our time online encouraging and inspiring each other...when we're not ripping on one another!!!  You have Queenie, the FABULOUS, passionate, and young matriarch of the group; Pussycat, who serves as our court jester and plain ol' comic relief; J Ho, the brains and deep thinker of our operation; Moochie, an awesome Aussie lass who appreciates the levity found on our thread; and finally Minx, a beautiful vixen who keeps us in touch with our hip, youthful selves.   So come check us out at "20 pounds to go!!"  (or something like that!!)  Hope to see ya there!!

Kisses ~ 

So I have granted your royal request, the rest is up to her.  I'm off to bed!!

Kiss, kiss ~ Queenie 

HEY!!  WHERE IS EVERYBODY???

I went to the gym this morning and KICKED MY OWN ASS!!!  My arms are shaking as I type!!!  I have a feeling I'm gonna feel that in the morning!!!  OOOOH-EEEE!!!!  I have to do something....I have been stuck at the same weight for almost a week now.  If I am going to get to ENJOY Thanksgiving, with all the trimmings, and fully partake in Christmas, then I am going to have to step it up and drop some more weight to make up for those two, indulgent days!!!  MUST...BE...AT...160...BY...MY...BIRTHD AY!!!

Ciao ~ Queenie 

p.s.  You SLACKERS better gets your butts out of bed and get POSTING!!!

Okay, Okay!  I'm here.  I was here earlier, but the breakfast bell rang in my stomach.  Since I was having peanut butter & Honey on waffles and eating with my hands I didn't want to get it all over the keyboard.  Plus I had to write to my daughter, and, and, and..............

I know the stuck feeling.  I'm still stuck.  Either I ate entirely too much cabbage and still have the bulk in me or cabbage is really fattening (I know it's not).  Either way this is a real bitch.  FYI, I didn't add any sauces or bacon, and I cooked the cabbage in bouillon.   The peanut butter and honey spread on the whole wheat waffles was another suggestion I got.  It's a bit different, but I could have eaten about 4 more.  I've never been too crazy about the PB part, and YIKES!-->190 cals per 2 Tablespoons!  I measured vewy, vewy carefewee.  Since I'm using flax oil as a supplement, I poured that into my Tablespoon measuring spoon to coat it so the peanutbutter would slide out and put the flax oil, PB & honey in a BU bowl (hadn't been used by her yet) and mixed it all together, then spread it on the waffles.  Couldn't see the point of getting a fork and plate all dirty, so I ate it like toast. 

Another "fun" thing to try is buying some Crystal Light (I use Walmarts version), Orange flavored.  1/4 cup of powdered milk, 1/2 tsp of the powdered CL,1 Dannon Lite n'Fit yogurt, some Ice (4 cubes) in my personal blender and fill with water.  Whir that baby around, and you've got something very close to an Orance-creme cicle.  That was good, and only 103 calories.  I correct that-it was fantastic! 

On to the reason for me using powdered CL.  Last time I made up a jug of it I came out of my bed room just in time to see Norm taking a big swig out of my jug.  The PIG!  I asked him what was he doing and added Oh, Ick! My tone indicated disgust (I don't yell, just emphasize the volume a bit )  I was determined not to let that happen again, so now when I want a glass of CL I measure 1/2 tsp into my cup and make it on the spot in my blender cup.  The little cups that the mix comes in has 2 tsp in it, so I get 4 servings.  When a person defies your request he/they might as well be telling you to F Off.  My last husband used to to that all the time.  I asked him NOT to feed my dog chicken bones, then he'd toss one to the dog (Yukon) right in front of me!.  And HE wonders why he's probably not around anymore.  Eventually I told him to F Off for real.  So he's probably a wanker now too!

Believe it or not I'm going to church this morning.  I've missed the last couple of weeks since my ride was out of town.  I think I need some preaching to.  As upbeat as I try to sound there's some issues going on in my life with one of my daughters that I really need to address to God in person.  I do pray at home, but find the "going" to the house of worship is very uplifting.  Besides, one of the Associate Pastors has quite a sense of humor.  He actually lugged a treadmill up on the stage and  proceded to walk on it during his sermon while eating a twinkie.  Then he upped the pace to a jog and continued eating while shoving 2 twinkies in his mouth.    The title of the sermon was "No more twinkies and a treadmill".  The message in that demonstration was how people go to church on Sunday to feel like they're being all good and holy, but the rest of the week are just people committing daily sins.  I don't think I expressed this very well, but I understood what he was saying, using the twinkies as Monday-Saturday, and the treadmill represented Sunday.  Amen

I'll check in later.  Thankyou so much for writing to Realkass for me Queenie.  You are right (as always) that the rest is up to her.  ~Pussycat

I get to be the 100th post!

I tried to write to Realkass, but couldn't because I don't know how to get to her public profile -- so thanks for doing it for us, Queenster. I'm not sure this qualifies me as "the brains" of the outfit any more. Sob!

I'm back up to 115, though I was quite noble and ordered Sparkling Water with Lime when we all went out after the reading -- it's a new thing for me, sacrifice! And of course I had to do it because I had a nice glass of wine DURING the reading (heh) to show the owners of the cafe they were reading at that we supported them. You know me: anything for the cause!

Hal Higdon and his 10K Training Program want me to run 4 miles later today, so I probably will. But I have a ton of work to do for school...and it's so pretty outside! (Ccccold, though.)

Later...

JHo