HL/WWSG - 9/28 - 10/11 Happy Rosh Hashanah

[Leslie Ferguson]

Greetings friends and neighbors, here comes fall, or so they say. Some of the country is in fact experiencing fall-like conditions while some of us are back into more summer-like conditions. And to top it off there’s a tropical (or extra-tropical) storm off the New England coastline. Still, things have been pretty good for the folks here - we’ve had a new member of the band show up and a long-time member came out of being overcome by events at work to report in. Besides that, it has been a great family season with some travels, life-events, and healthful living and revelations all around. So in an attempt to catch up with what happened in the last thread I’ll try swing a recap of the last two weeks (or so):

Life successes/Good News include - Nelum has been a welcome visitor and participant, getting ready for race in the near-future, identified some not-so-healthy things that she can be tempted by at work (carbonated beverages), getting to know us and our “idiosyncrasies; Kate had a good trip to Baltimore with DBF and met a lot of the family, found her gym shoes so she can get started back into her gym routine; Laura is back with us and doing relative well even if the scale isn’t her friend these days, developing a renewed desire to workout and a work schedule that will let her get there too;Karen got all the preliminaries at school taken care of, still swimming up a storm and using a lot of her home machines (treadmill, elliptical, and…), and getting ready for Rosh Hashanah this week (September 29 at Sunset); and I had a good class retreat this weekend, still defining what my ministry might be when I “get older,” getting to a rhythm with classes/internship/and life in general.
Stressful living - Kate having stress over her upcoming GRE (next weekend?); Laura is having a weird fall in Colorado but still figuring out a good routine; Karen is getting most of her stress from very active kids (not always a bad thing); and I am trying to find my workout routine - classes are getting there but workouts are another story..

Workouts: My plan is to get out for at least 2 runs and 3 rides this week - probably Monday through Thursday and Saturday. I hope it will be more of the same the following week but we’re having an academic convocation at school on Tuesday and Wednesday which will impact things.
Healthful living: finding a respite for my arthritis and keeping my sanity are big things.

News of the week - this Wednesday will be LW and my 25th Anniversary! We’re counting this one as a big milestone (and it is). Not sure what we’ll do to celebrate - probably not until Friday evening though). I’m also prepping for my first sermon at my internship Parish next Sunday (three presentations). I’m not too worried about it - just need to polish it a little and I’m there.

Not much more to report for now - studies call but thought I’d post a new thread and see what is up. Have a great week and I’ll probably check back before bed time.

Peace to all,
Les

[karen w]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY LES & LW!!! Wow! 25 years is a big accomplishmnet to celebrate. I hope you enjoy your special evening Friday and have 25 more fun filled healthy years together!

In spite of being erev(evening of) Rosh Hashanah, the kids and I are home tonight since DH is "on call" and still working. He will have off tomorrow and Wed., however, so we will go to services then(just tomorrow since the kids go back to school Wed.). The kids and I celebrated a bit this evening as we dipped our special round challah and apples in some honey for a sweet new year. The rest of my day was pretty productive as well. I had a good swim and boxed. I got my basic staples for the week at the regular grocery store, got a haircut, and even squeezed in a quick batch of muffins for breakfast fare. Not too shabby.;)

Tomorrow I still plan on getting my exercise in before services. Have a good evening everyone.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thank you Karen. It's kind of hard to believe it's been 25 years and I pray there are another 25 (or more) years to keep playing with LW. Sorry you couldn't get to temple tonight, but sometimes work does get in the way doesn't it? Somehow I bet you'll do just fine getting your workouts in tomorrow before temple. I know I say this a lot but it never ceases to amaze me just how much you do in a day - I'm tired just reading about it.

I had a pretty good day today, plenty of fun on campus and to top it off I rode this evening in really failing light. 50 minutes that should have been something closer to 40 for safety's sake. Still nice to get out. It's also getting to be a little cooler than short sleeves - especially if the sun is going to be fading when I ride. :eek:

Sermon prep yesterday went well - now I need to get the one done for this coming Sunday (hard to explain).

See you all later and peace,
Les

[Laura]

Hi Karen, that is too bad that your DH is on call tonight. Enjoy your family time together at services tomorrow.

Happy Anniversary Les and Kathy! I hope you have 25+ more happy years together as well.

Workouts have generally been good here. I swam 2000 on Saturday (including 7 modified 100 IMs -free back breast free) and ran/walked for about 2.5 miles yesterday. Today, was going to be a spin day, but I think the odds of that are fading rather quickly.

Be careful on rides Les. I have noticed recently how much darker it is in the morning when I am getting up. I love fall, but not the shorter days. Still, it has been in the mid-70s all of September so I guess I can't complain.

I am off to check out a new gym by my office tomorrow. I think my membership down in the Springs will carry over there so that would be nice. There is a small gym at the courthouse where I work, but it doesn't have showers so I can't do any cardio workouts. Although I guess that would be one way to keep the people out of my office in the afternoon. :p

[wallycat]

Happy Anniversary, Les,

and Happy New Year to all!!

[karen w]

Laura-Hope the new gym is what you're looking for, and it would be a bonus for the added convenience. Great job on the workouts.

Les-Ditto what laura said about those bike rides. It is getting dark SO SO much earlier these days.

I did manage to get in my swim, an elliptical ride, and some weights before taking the kids to temple. DH left a bit earlier since he was ushering, but we got there just after 9:30 AM so not too bad and stayed until things were over just after noon. DD and DS#2 went to the youth services while DS#1 kept me company upstairs in the adult services. I must say I was shocked at the turnout. In the past few years I don't think they ever had to open the partitions between the main room and the "kiddish/oneg" area, but this year just after 10:30 am they did. They set up chairs and seemed to be running shy on prayer books for all the comers, too! Maybe with all of the economic woes out there, people are turning to religion more so than ever this year. Just a theory. Anyway, services went smoothly and the rest of the day was pretty mellow with DH and the kids at home. I spent a bit of time in the garden picking the last eggplants to make a sauce for pasta later this week and found a few more tomatoes and green beans that had ripened since being out there last(I have ignored the garden the last week). We have one night toward the weekend forecast to dip into the upper 30's:eek:, so I may have to think about harvesting all that basil real soon!:eek:

Anyway, DS#2 is at guitar with DH and the other two went along for the ride. Tomorrow DH is off again, but the kids are back at school so it will be a more typical day for me. Have a good evening all and a happy new year to everyone. May it be round and full like our challah and sweet as apples and honey.:)

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Les-Ditto what laura said about those bike rides. It is getting dark SO SO much earlier these days.
My safety is very high on my list - lights on the bike or no riding after dark. Only takes being hit once (a long time ago) while riding my bike to make that rule.
... I must say I was shocked at the turnout. In the past few years I don't think they ever had to open the partitions between the main room and the "kiddish/oneg" area, but this year just after 10:30 am they did. They set up chairs and seemed to be running shy on prayer books for all the comers, too! Maybe with all of the economic woes out there, people are turning to religion more so than ever this year. Just a theory...
Probably not too far from the truth. Lots of folks going back to their spiritual roots these days. Some may say apocolyptic conditions are around...
... We have one night toward the weekend forecast to dip into the upper 30's:eek:, so I may have to think about harvesting all that basil real soon!:eek:
Sounds like there's something for the planter of 35 Basil plants to take care of before the freeze shows up. ;) :D
Have a good evening all and a happy new year to everyone. May it be round and full like our challah and sweet as apples and honey.:)

Karen
And may the same be true for you and all you love.

Laura - I hope your gym works out well and that you can keep the folks out of your office in the afternoons. ;) 70s is fabulous weather these days - relish the last throws of summer and have a good week.
Thanks for the wishes wallycat. I'm looking forward to the celebration.

Kind of mixed up day today and I may have to declare the possibility of sporadic visits over the coming days. Things are well just having three sermons to preach on Sunday (the same basic sermon three different times) is starting to weigh a little heavy. But I'm mostly done with the text and now just need to practice it some. But for a workout today - did a friend a favor (she has two papers due tomorrow) and picked up a reception at the Dean's house this evening. Tomorrow, if the weather behaves, I'll be out again (and as long as the light holds out).

Peace to all and good night,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Spordic visits are completely understood, so no worries, please! Just say "hi" whenever you have the time.

Quite spent now, but it was a productive day(after staying up way too late last night:rolleyes:). I had a great swim early AM and then later in the AM hung around the house to keep DH company as we have not had much "alone" time in the past 2 weeks. So workout #2 was after all the kids got off to school;) and workout #3 was very late AM on the treadmill. In the afternoon DH went out to run errands so I stayed back at the ranch and did a bit of house/kitchen work. The basil will be waiting a bit longer as they took that 30 degree night out of the forecast. It is now supposed to stay in the forties, so I think it will be safe awhile longer. I did cook up the eggplant this afternoon in a sauce to go over pasta for later this week and made a yummy Thai chicken pizza for dinner tonight. That and the usual(and becoming much too frequent and voluminous now that the kids are getting bigger/approaching puberty). . . LAUNDRY:( kept me busy most of the day.

Tomorrow I will swim and box. DS#1 wants me to make a challah for his social studies class on Friday for a project he is doing. That may(or may not) happen tomorrow afternoon if I get time. On last minute notice that is the best that I can give as a guarantee. Fortunately, this is just for "bonus" points. They are exploring different cultural traditions/rituals and he is reporting on the Jewish Sabbath hence the desire for a challah. I also have to do a bit of cooking for the weekend as we are having visitors on Sunday(FIL and companion). Not sure when I'll get to that, but somehow I always manage to get it done.:p

That's it here. Good evening,

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thank you Karen - I know there's no pressure to post often but sometimes I know what it feels like to speak into the ether. Staying up late and 3 workouts - that's a good way to get "burned out." ;) Luckily for DH the basil didn't have to come in tonight, I'll pray for warmer weather until you can pick it in a sane manner. Laundry for 5 sounds like a chore - nice that there's only 2 of us but sometimes that means that things go a while before they get washed (or we do lots of smaller loads :rolleyes: ). I'd be half tempted to give DS#1 a pointer or two on preparing ahead. I wonder how he'd enjoy actually helping you make challah. ;) That would teach him a lesson.

Time to quit stalling. Had a good day at school - even though I received a pretty decent crituque on my sermon (not being done until November 16) but it was needed. Had LW up for noon worship and an Anniversary lunch. She got a couple pokes from the guys on campus because I bought her 6 roses, a plush squirrel carrying a 25th Anniversary balloon and left them on the table outside the Refectory. I'm just a hopeful romantic. :D I think I'm coming down with the cold that's roaming around so I took a Zicam and felt better - hopefully I can blow through this before this weekend - no fun to do my first "official" sermon with a nasty cold. Still, I took a short ride tonight - nothing terribly strenuous but lots of fun. Partly more fun because there was a little rain in the air so I pulled out the mountain bike and crashed around the trails that have some sand and water. Mud everywhere. :cool: Now to work on this weekend's sermon and the remainder of the week's classes.


eta: Hopefully you can see what the flowers, quirrel and balloon looked like in this shot from another site (http://www.new.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1029375&l=5cf04&id=654239289).
Take care all and thanks for the anniversary wishes.

Peace,
Les

[Leslie Ferguson]

Back-to-backs... not bad considering I was concerned about being able to post... :rolleyes: I rode this evening instead of the run I planned on. I needed to make a run to the bank and it's a 30 minute one-way ride and I didn't have 2 hours to run so the bike got me there and back in just over an hour. Crisp as the shadows began to close in across the roads. Definitely getting to be fall here. Still wrestling with my cold - yes I know, you're not supposed to wrestle with it but I'm having too much fun. ;)

Peace all and I'll be seeing you,
Les

[karen w]

Les-hope you don't have to wrestle with that cold too long even though you are having some fun with it!:rolleyes: We definetely have a fall chill in the air today with lots of wind, too.

AWOL last night as DS#1 popped one on me last minute. . . I mean VERY last minute! He decides that he may want to try some new clubs this year as he is not doing student council for the first time in awhile(and a bit dissappointed about it). This year they did not vote on one boy and one girl per class; instead just one candidate per class and in DS#1's class that vote went to one of the girls.:( Anyway, he may join the "Peer Leadership" club and is also interested in "Odyssey of the Mind" which had its informational mtg. last night and parents HAD to stay. This may be because they want parent volunteers to coach the teams and, of course, DS#1 wants me to coach his team. I'm not sure this is "my thing" but if none of the other parents step up to the plate, well. . . .maybe(me or DH). Anyway, he did form a team of 7 kids and they chose one of the problems which they will need to work on through the year. If they end up winning the state competition, they would go to the world competition held at Iowa State U. Apparently, one team did go last year. OH BOY! We will have to see just how all of this pans out in the next weeks. In the meantime, I told him that if school work slips, this is the first thing to get axed. He is lucky that so far I have only gotten one progress report from his teachers and it was an "A" so he is still safe!:p Anyway, as soon as I got home last night, I finished up with making lunches for school, cleaning the kitchen, and off to bed for me. I was exhausted!

Today I had a good swim; then stayed home for a bike ride, abs, and weights. Later in the morning I went out to the garden and finally harvested the last of what is left(for the most part) out there. I spent a good part of the afternoon washing stuff(basil. . . LOTS of it!) and began the pesto making process. I ended up with ~2# basil leaves and have used half so far for pesto. As soon as I clear out the ice cube trays that they are freezing in now, I will process the rest of the leaves. I think the second half will just be with plain olive oil so I can use them in recipes where fresh basil is needed. Still alot of green cherry tomatoes in the garden, but they may stay that way and end up in the compost bin at this point. So the garden is about done for another year.

As for the weekend. . .DS#1 will probably go to temple with DH in the morning along with DD and DS#2 if they want. Then DS#1 has a play date afterward. The other two. . . time will tell!:p I will ellipticize and treadmill Sat. and Sunday. Tomorrow I must bake for our guests on Sunday(poppa and his companion), and finish up with all of that basil. That's it for me tonight.

Have a good weekend,
Karen

[mackandme]

Les, congrats on the anniversary!!!!
Laura, hope the new gym works out OK. Too bad the super convenient one in the courthouse doesn't have showers.
Karen, i'm pretty sure Odyssey of the Mind was something i did when i was in school. If so, it was really a lot of fun.

I've just been chugging along with my studying. I take the test tomorrow afternoon, and I'm looking forward to getting rid of those GRE books and having time for some other things, like the gym and some cooking.

My back flared up again this week, but I took Mack for a walk on the 100 acres and that loosened it up. Took another short ride on him today, but it was 93 degrees out and he's already started getting his winter hair, so we didn't do too much. After more of his hair grows in, we'll shave some of it off so he doesn't get too hot during the warmer days we frequently have over the winter. But i'm really looking forward to it cooling down (hopefully) soon.

I have managed to change my days off (probably not for every week, but just when it works for my boss) so DBF and I will soon have a day off together. We're looking forward to going on dates w/o having to take a vacation day!

[Laura]

Hi everyone,

I was pretty busy this week, so I didn't get the workouts in that I would have liked, but had a great swim this morning. Went 2100 and am working up toward 2400. DH usually goes a little more than double what I do in the same time, but it allows us to work out together.

Kate, I am sure you are taking your test now or just finished so prayers that it goes well for you.

Karen, What grade is DS#1 in again? My kids started trying different things in middle school and the first few years of HS. That is too bad about the way that student council worked out, but maybe it will open up some new opportunities for him.

Les, I hope you are able to beat your cold. I am big fan of zicam, c and zinc. Kathy is very lucky to have you as a husband, although I am sure you feel you are the fortunate one.

Well, I am making beef stroganoff for dinner tonight, and don't have a lot of the ingredients on hand, so I should go. Have a good rest of the weekend everyone!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Kate - I pray that you did well on your GRE and get that boogaboo out of the way. 93 degrees is insane this time of year (and most others too but). Sorry you had problems with your back but it sounds like you've gotten the rest and TLC you needed to make it a little better.
Laura - An impressive distance for your swimming and if DH gets 2x that then that's even more impressive. How did dinner go last night? Hope you found everything you needed for the beef stroganoff.

Karen - Sorry that DS#1 impacted things like that. Hopefully you don't get roped into the job unless you really want it. 2# of basil? :confused: :eek: You are cooking for Norther Italy aren't you?

Thanks for the thoughts all. As I imagined - 3 different sermons and one with about 15 minutes preparation (significantly modified the prepared text) for the service with all the critters (and there were lots of them).

Parents coming to town and want to have dinner so I'll probably skip running or riding today - that and I have lots of unconstructive energy (and lethargy) setting in - running is definitely not a good idea right now.

Hope everyone has a good weekend and I'll see you later.

Peace,
Les

[mackandme]

Having a very busy night at work, but just wanted to pop in and say the gre is over, over, over!!!! If i had a grill or a fireplace i would burn my flashcards, but since i don't they will just have to go into the recycling bin. i scored 310 points higher than i needed to to get into the school i'm interested in. now i just have to hope my scores make it to the school by the Oct. 17 application deadline.

got in another ride on mack today. i'm hoping that now that studying is over i'll get out there more often, though the fluctuations in my work schedule might make that hard.

hope everyone had a great weekend.

[Leslie Ferguson]

... just wanted to pop in and say the gre is over, over, over!!!! If i had a grill or a fireplace i would burn my flashcards, but since i don't they will just have to go into the recycling bin. i scored 310 points higher than i needed to to get into the school i'm interested in. now i just have to hope my scores make it to the school by the Oct. 17 application deadline.

got in another ride on mack today. i'm hoping that now that studying is over i'll get out there more often, though the fluctuations in my work schedule might make that hard.

hope everyone had a great weekend.

That's great news about the GRE. I also hope that the school gets the information about yoru score in time - isn't there some way to get them the information or to have them be able to access the information from ETS? Hopefully you get back into a good routine with rides and workouts.

Have a great week all.
Les

[karen w]

Les-How was the visit with your parents? I got some good news from DS#1 today. Apparently, his tech ed. teacher at school agreed to coach their team for "Odyssey of the Mind." Woo Hoo!

Kate-I'll keep good thoughts for you on those GRE results. Congratulations that they are over and done with.

We all had a nice visit here yesterday with Poppa and his companion. And there was a bit of a chill in the air so DH lit a fire in the fireplace and it made for a nice cozy day. That and my homemade chili dinner with all the fixings topped off the evening. Over the weekend I also did my ellipticizing and the treadmill among other things around the house.

Today I had a nice swim and boxed. I am nursing a bit of a sore throat at the moment, but I am not sure if it is just because of the change of weather with lower humidity and heat on in the house or a sign of things to come. I actually think it might be as a result of the former which would not be as bad, but either way, I hope it passes quickly.

Tomorrow I will swim and then do a "home routine" and keep DH company.:p he has the week off and tonight he is at a dinner meeting so will likely come home well after I am already in bed.

That's it here. Have a good evening,
Karen

P.S. Les et al. . . if anyone needs basil or pesto this winter. . . come on down. . . you know where to find it!!!:p

[Leslie Ferguson]

Karen, if I've got a need for pesto I'll certainly come your way for it. I bet yours will be such a great thing. I hope that you have a not too busy week this week - DH at home may distract your normal routine. ;) Glad that poppa's visit yesterday went without issue - but that's not too surprising. I'm having a good visit with my faher (I see him on campus) and LW had a great visit with my mom today (they went shoe shopping).

I went for a ride this evening and because I knew it was going to be a little dark by the time I got home I took my mountain bike out (so I could ride on the sidewalks and grass if needed). It was a good 45 minute ride with a few curb jumps and balances (waiting for lights - I can balance the mountain bike better than the road bike - can't say why). FWIW - I ended up going to the electronic age so I could share thoughts and sermons with people (besides sending them via e-mail) so I started a blog of my reflections. Not too surprisingly entitled:
lesreflections.blogspot.com (http://lesreflections.blogspot.com)
Only three posts but I'm trying - including school etc. Nothing spectacular but a nice way to share thoughts etc.

Peace to all and a blessed week to the gang.
Les

[karen w]

Les-I could not get to your blog via that link. I got some sort of error message. I guess there are a few kinks to be ironed out. It's good to hear that you and LW are having a nice visit with your folks.

Today I had a very good swim and later in the morning(after "DH time":p), I ellipticized and did some weights. Stuck around the house for most of the rest of the day taking care of things here.

Tonight DS#1 started a four week cooking class and DS#2 had guitar. I made a deal with DS#1 with regards to the cooking class. He loves to cook and wanted to take this class through our Parks and Recs dept. being offered at Young Chefs Academy. This particular class is for 12-16 y.o's. I told him that I would sign him up for the class even though the timing was tight with DS#2's guitar, if he also took another class offered called "Study skills for the middle school student." HE AGREED!:D The latter class is a one shot deal for a couple hours on a Saturday afternoon in two weeks. He may not get anything out of it, but then again. . . HE MIGHT! I(and he) have nothing to lose!:D

That's it here. Have a great evening,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Les-I could not get to your blog via that link. I got some sort of error message. I guess there are a few kinks to be ironed out. It's good to hear that you and LW are having a nice visit with your folks.
Thanks - the blog didn't like one of my posts - thought I might be a spammer. I edited the post a little and sent a notice to unlock my blog - let's hope.
That's really smart what you worked out with DS#1 -- way to go. And congrats on your "normal" day with DH aorund the house.

Long day at school - Convocation with conferring 4 degrees. Lunch and dinner with Mom and Dad (and about 200 of my closest friends). Nice to see lots of folks but no real workouts for me today. Tomorrow evening after classes will be better though.

Things to do before sleeping so... peace to all,
Les

[mackandme]

Hey all. Having a busy week at work doubling up on jobs, especially with the debate last night. But our software crashed today so we're getting a nice long break. Of course we'll be scrambling later. But it's given me a chance to piddle around on the internet.

Had some cooler, breezy weather yesterday and had a nice ride on Mack. Maybe the gym this weekend?

Karen, sounds like with school and all the kids stuff you are back to super busy. But sounds great that DH gets to take some time off!

Les, hope you find time to get that workout in.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Kate - Sounds like you are busy - too bad that you're doubled up on jobs and probably too bad that the software went down giving you a break (because you'll probably have to make up the down time somehow). Sending good vibes to you for a ride and getting to the gym.

On the ride side, went for a mountian bike ride today in both the failing light (being very careful) and a little mist - cooling effect is fantastic as long as I'm wearing sleeves. Staring at 76 pages of a guy named Karl Barth (German theologian) that I need to read -- no stalling anymore. Had a lot of fun with Mom and Dad the past couple days and had some good fun visiting with alumni/alumnae. But the break is over and classes are really back in session. Off to read some pretty tough readings so I'll see you later.

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Drive by tonight as I am not in much of a "talkative" mode at the moment. Just recovering from our Yom Kippur fast as well as a sinus infection. The fast itself was not too bad, but it started off bad with a wicked headache from problem #2. Fortunately, started the antibiotics this afternoon(sans food, but just enough water to choke the pills down) and headache is now beginning to resolve. Because of both of the above, but mainly fasting. . . are you sitting folks. . . today was the first day in months, years, etc... that I did not work out in some way!:eek: But never fear, it's back to usual tomorrow!!!!:D

Good evening,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Drive by tonight as I am not in much of a "talkative" mode at the moment. Just recovering from our Yom Kippur fast as well as a sinus infection. The fast itself was not too bad, but it started off bad with a wicked headache from problem #2. Fortunately, started the antibiotics this afternoon(sans food, but just enough water to choke the pills down) and headache is now beginning to resolve.
Sorry about the double whammy today. Fasting is tough enough to have a sinus infection and antibiotics thrown in on top. I hope that you recover quickly and that there is no lingering effects from the infection. I think there's a lot of those going around these days - don't know why either.
Because of both of the above, but mainly fasting. . . are you sitting folks. . . today was the first day in months, years, etc... that I did not work out in some way!:eek: But never fear, it's back to usual tomorrow!!!!:D

Good evening,
Karen
Is that why the world shuddered this morning? ;) I know you'll be back at it in no time. Enjoy your rest day - you've earned it.

A fun day to ride (but I must say that I will run this week). About an hour, back on the mountain bike - darkness makes it no fun to ride my road bike but I'm not ready to retire it just yet. Tough going back to a full day of classes but necessary. I'm looking forward to this weekend and Monday because it's a holiday - Columbus Day.

Hope the rest of the gang is well and I'll see you tomorrow.

Peace,
Les

[Laura]

Headaches must be going around. I woke up with a wicked headache, and 1 cup of coffee, 2 Aleve Migraine pills, and a diet coke only lessened the pain, but it did not go away completely. I have not slept more than 6 hours per night for the past 10 days and it is definitely catching up with me. I wish I knew what was triggering it, but I can't find any common link. I am glad you were able to start you antibiotics Karen, and I have no doubt that you will be back to your usual disciplined self tomorrow. :D I got on the spin bike tonight and rode for 40 minutes with a five minute warm up and warm down. My headache is gone now and hopefully won't come back.

Les, I think you are being wise to stay off the road bike as darkness comes earlier and earlier. I too am looking forward to the 3 day weekend.

Kate, isn't it nice when you get breaks because of work technological issues? I hope you are able to get to the gym. Have a good weekend!

[nhonnold]

Hello All!!!

My goodness, it is so good to get back home and to vacation to catch up on all those things that weren't getting done while being away on vacation!!! :D (I have to somehow move my drafting table down to my sew room where there is no room for anything but my quilting supplies and the all important fabric stash. So, I'm going to be trying to get U.F.O.s done all weekend just to make room...:eek:)

I had to spend the day yesterday giving the dogs a lot of TLC, especially, my shy little Taz. Poor little guy was too shy to get some loving from the pet sitter. :(

I have done nothing over the past week with workouts and, unfortunately, my struggle with carbonated beverages didn't turn out all that great while visiting the folks in La. My parents seem to live off of carbonated beverages and coffee. :eek: The only water they had was warm. Either way, it was good to go back and see them and all the folks I grew up with.

I'm hoping to go for a run today but they are talking about snow. :eek: So, I may be on the treadmill upstairs.

The other downside of being in La. is that everyone wanted me to eat cookies, cakes, pies, and ice cream!! :confused: I can't since I'm allergic to eggs, which only means I am going to make an egg-free strawberry cake today using the strawberries from my strawberry beds. :D Oh, and some egg-free koularakia...mmm... Hopefully, that will be enough to satiated all the cravings of having everyone eating all those things in front of me.

Les, Happy Anniversary!!!

Have a happy and blessed Friday!!!

Nelum

[Leslie Ferguson]

(I have to somehow move my drafting table down to my sew room where there is no room for anything but my quilting supplies and the all important fabric stash. So, I'm going to be trying to get U.F.O.s done all weekend just to make room...:eek:)

Ah, it's nice to have a quilter on the thread. I know all about quilting and the ever important fabric stash. LW is an avid quilter and on our last move (paid for by the military) she was told she had a ton (that would be 2000 pounds) of fabric. A lot but it's her passion.

Thanks for the anniversary wish too. Have a great weekend yourself and everyone else.

Les

[karen w]

Les-How was your anniversary celebration with LW anyway? What did the two of you end up doing anyway? And we need only hear about the "G" rated stuff(O.K. I admit it. . . my mind lives in the gutter sometimes, but I only have my DH to blame for that! Oh, and then there were my 3 brothers!!:rolleyes:)

Laura-I hope your headache stays away. That is how I knew mine was no ordinary headache. It would not go away even after exercising, so after several days of headache, chills, sweats etc..., it was time to admit defeat!

Nelum-Welcome back! Glad you had a good visit to La. I have to ask. . .what is koularakia?

Yep, I think I am about good as new today. I woke up with a much clearer head and less fullness today. I had just a mild residual headache which was completely gone by noon. AMEN! I went for my swim this morning and if you will pardon me. . . the pool SUCKED this morning. Every Monday and Friday they have a swim team practice from 5-6 am, so some lanes are taken before the place even opens. Most mornings it is not too bad, but this morning, they were taking up 3-4 lanes(not fair, guys!). I did manage to get one of the last remaining lanes and shared with another reasonable swimmer, so I did have a decent swim anyway, but it is just not right(IMHO!). Anyway, once home and after a YUMILICIOUS breakfast of some homemade baked apple oatmeal and fruit, I got the kids off to school, did a few errands, and went boxing. Another very small class, but it was a good one today and I needed to clear the cobwebs from the head. After lunch DH and I went to Costco. He behaved himself(for the most part) so no huge impulsive purchases even though we did some fair damage. At least it was primarily staples/basic need stuff. Tonight DD went home with a friend from school and is spending the night, so she won't be home until tomorrow afternoon sometime. The boys ended up taking a bike ride with DH to our town library to pick out some DVD's to watch for the weekend. Then we all had our Shabbat dinner together and DH may take the boys to services tonight(their request!!!:cool:).

Not too much planned in concrete for the weekend. I will ellipticize and treadmill as usual over the weekend. The kids have a long weekend so I imagine they will want to hook up with friends etc.... and DH is going to take advantage of his last few days of vacation before he goes back to work on Monday.

Have a good weekend everyone,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Our anniversary... well, the G stuff... we had a nice, simple dinner (Japanese), a nice night together without distractions, and a swapping of presents (although she got her present in Canada). Besides that...

It sounds like you're back in the game now. Amazing what a little med and a day off will do for you. Too bad about the pool but it sounds like you made the best of it. Breakfast sounds divine too. I hope you have a good, non-concrete weekend.

Laura - I hope that your headache went away too. Never fun. I know that mine end up being either caffine, dehydration, or every once in a while sinuses.
Nelum - It's always tough when you end up being out of place for food and other comforts (like your dog Taz - love the name by the way). I'll send good thoughts for this weekend and getting things done that need to be done.

Well, I fibbed - I rode instead of running. I needed to go to the bank and with the holiday it would have taken me 2 hours to drive there (it's only 13 miles round trip). It took me just over an hour to ride there and back. Chilling for the weekend and probably will go to the 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon (I need to go there for lots of reasons).

Hope all are well and have a good weekend.

Peace,
Les

[nhonnold]

Karen - Glad to hear that your headache is gone!! Woohoo for that. DH and I had a headache yesterday and I just attributed it to dehydration. Koularakia are Greek butter cookies, not too sweet, and the best ones have just a hint of orange in them. They are my favorite cookies - grew up eating them. :D They are great with coffee and, since I don't drink coffee, great with tea as well. (http://greekfood.about.com/od/dessertspastriessweets/r/koulourakia.htm)

Les - Your LW has 2000lbs of fabric?? I'll have to mention that to DH. Maybe he'll let me do more fabric shopping. ;) Yes, it is difficult to be out of your comfort zone, so to speak, and a little challenging with new found food allergies too. I really missed having an easily accessible health food store like vitamin cottage or whole foods! I'm the dog person in the family. Naming Taz was a way to try and get DH "involved" with the little guys since his favorite looney toon is the Tasmanian Devil. ;) Didn't quite workout the way I had intended since Taz is a spaz. DH fell in love with our other little dog, Raggs - though he'd never admit it. Thanks for the good thoughts!!

Well, I made one "mistake" today. I took my travel machine down to the sew room and, well, I never re-emerged from the room until dinner. And the only reason I emerged was the bare necessities, such as, food and water... There's no therapy other than sewing for us quilters. On the upside, Raggs has a pumpkin costume for Halloween now. :D

[nhonnold]

Just a really quick one tonight...

I went for a 20min run with the big puppy and a 30min walk with the little dogs. I tried to get in some weights but then my quilting partner and husband called and was only 20min away. - couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend the day in the sew room!! :D On the upside Raggs' Halloween costume is finished and we have pictures with him in it... :cool: