Happy New Friday Coffee Klatch!

[Peggy C.]

Happy New Year everyone! Can't wait to hear all about your vacations and holidays.

Ours were very nice, albeit a little busy as I'm sure most of yours were. We had a nice dinner at a local restaurant/bar on NYE with a few other people. We were able to walk (it's a little over a mile from my house) which was a blessing, since there seemed to be police everywhere with road blocks. I was fine and could have driven...but better safe than sorry.

Well it's a big weekend football wise here in Ohio so that's all we have planned. Tonight is the fiesta bowl which Ohio State is playing in and then The Brown's versus the STeelers in PA on Sunday. Ohio isn't favored in either game, but both are being predicted as close matches the last I heard so it should be emotional around here. I'm not a huge OSU fan, but I'll always route for the home town team!

I'll go to my strength training class that should have been on NYE on Sat. am and that's about it for me. (other than putting away christmas decorations:rolleyes:)

So Leigh what kind of wonderful coffee do you have today? I might have to start bringing in the good stuff for fridays!

[SueK]

Good morning Peggy and everyone else who will be posting shortly! :)

I am currently off on a snow day--school is cancelled and we are supposed to get about 8" of snow today. DD is still sleeping.

Our holidays were great. We had a party here on NYE and it was a lot of fun. We'll also be watching the bowl game tonight and the Steelers game this weekend as well. I love this time of year with all the football championship games!

No big plans for this weekend, considering the weather. Guess we'll just play outside in the snow. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Sue

[Peggy C.]

Originally posted by SueK
and the Steelers game this weekend as well. !
Sue


Ahem...don't you mean the Brown's game?;)(actually Iwon't mention it again considering our record in your house! :o)

Oh sorry about the title of this thread everyone it was supposed to be Happy New Year Friday coffee klatch, but I hadn't had any coffee yet when I typed it in! Doh! (we need a smiley slapping itself on the forehead!) :D

[HRJ]

Hi everyone!

Nice to be back klatching -- I guess I missed the last couple of Fridays. I was supposed to be off from work today, but, because I took off some extra time during December, I decided not to use up any more vacation days. :(

No interest in football here -- BUT -- DH is thrilled that the Giants made it into the playoffs. He was probably the only happy person in Massachusetts last weekend, considering that the Pats got knocked out. Unfortunately (for him), he leaves for a week-long business trip Sunday, and will miss watching the Giants game.

Tonight, we were talking about going to see "Real Women Have Curves," but we'll have to see what the snow situation is like. It's playing right here in Arlington, so we won't have to travel far. Tomorrow night, Ellyn and her DH invited us to a show by one of their favorite folk singers, Vance Gilbert. I'm not familiar with him, but I listened to the clips on his web site, and I liked what I heard. His voice reminds me just the slightest bit of Aaron Neville. So it will be a new musical experience.

Sunday, I begin my week as a "single gal," with DH spending the week in San Jose, Calif. When we lived in NJ, DH was on the road 1-2 weeks a month, but since we moved here, he seldom travels -- one of the reasons I'm happy we made the move. I'll have to use the time to rent the kinds of movies he wouldn't want to see, or play around in the kitchen.

Go Big Blue!

Helene

[lhall]

I'm done! I'm done!! I'm done!!!

My kitchen in now repainted. I finished early this morning before the girls woke up.

On the agenda for today is a haircut for me, putting the kitchen back together, foodsavering the frozen french toast, freezing the meat I got yesterday (so I can foodsaver it), and general cleaning.

I've still got to make the santa's whiskers and freeze them and I want to bake some bread this weekend.

DD1 turns 5 tomorrow and we've promised we'll do something special for her tomorrow. Then again, she's currently being a pill.

Peggy, I think it's something from starbucks. DH fixed the coffee last night.

Go Browns!
Leigh

[Chefzhat]

Good morning! We had a quiet New Years and are now on the downward slide toward reality again, with school starting for the kids on Monday. So today I stayed in bed rather than rolling out at my usual 5:45 a.m. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

If there's football on tonight I know where dh will be anyway!! I've got some new books from Christmas so I'll be reading.

I see there's no coffee yet, so I'm contributing . . . .

Michigan Cherry Roast

straight from Traverse City. Enjoy!!

Debie

[Natasha3]

Happy Friday everyone! :)

I'm working from home on a lovely snowy day - it made no sense to go into the office on a day like this. So I'll get a lot of stuff done here and then mid-afternoon will be done. Then the plan is for my fiance and I to go snowshoeing.

Our weekend will hopefully be pretty low-key. I'd like to see a movie or two, do some errands, and go shopping with my mom and sister. Among other things we need to do some shopping for the wedding. I promised myself that I wouldn't stress out about the wedding the way some brides do, and so far I haven't, but I do admit that it can be a fair bit of planning -- even for a small event!

Hi Debie, and thanks for the coffee! Sounds divine.

Leigh, congratulations on finishing the painting! Your kitchen must look lovely. :) Have a good time celebrating your daughter's fifth birthday.

Hi Helene! Enjoy the show you're going to, and please let us know how it was. Also, have a good time doing all the things it seems you never get around to doing. A little time alone can be perfect for that, can't it?

Hi Sue! Have fun on your snow day! Sounds like a good day to bake up a storm :D. Hope you and Peggy enjoy all the football watching you've got planned. Peggy, good for you to be keeping up with the strength training! Earlier this week we finally bought a machine for quad and hamstring work (though it can be used for other stuff as well) and I am hoping to use it 3x/week. I need to strengthen my hamstrings a fair bit so that they are better matched up with my quad strength. :o

Back later!

Natasha

[1MegMeg]

Good Morning everyone! :D

It's nice to be back to the Klatch, I missed the past couple of Fridays.

NYE, Brian and I went to a house party that our friend was having. We figured it was the safest thing to do because we wouldn't be out on the roads. There were horrible thunderstorms though. On the way to the party our friends, who were a car in front of us, almost stalled out b/c the roads were so flooded. She got water in her engine and all sorts of other yucky stuff. Definitely one of the times I am glad to have a truck. :)

Yesterday was my first day back to work since Christmas Eve. I didn't go anywhere during my week off, which was nice. Brian and I spent lots of time together and did lots of stuff around the house. Oh, and we saw LOTR last weekend. It was SO good. I loved it.

Leigh - Are you going to post pictures of your kitchen? Maybe I'll be inspired to do something to mine. :)

Peggy - Glad to Ohio State did so well this year. I hope they kick Miami's rear tonight in the Fiesta Bowl. My team (the Gator's) looked like poo in the Outback bowl.

Speaking of football, I am very thrilled that not only did the Bucs make it to the playoffs, but they got a first round bye (sorry Bears fans). :)

[Peggy C.]

Helene or anyone else, I rarely go into a video rental place, John usually does that while I walk around the block with the dog, does anyone know if My Big Fat Greek wedding is out on video yet? I remember John saying it was coming out, but can't remember when. That might be good for a tomorrow night rental.

Helene have fun with Ellyn tomorrow night, I love folk music. I wish I had speakers on my computer here at work so I could check that kind of stuff out.

Leigh your comment about Ginger being a pill cracked me up. That is exactly what my mom used to say about us, if we weren't behaving! Thanks for the (somewhat;)) warm memory!

Debie, oh my that coffee sounds good! Next time I'm up that way I'll need to check it out!

Natasha have you set a date? You know I'll need to clear my appointment book for the big event! ;)Seriously if you've set a date I missed it. (or more likely forgot it!) Have fun snowshoeing today, what are the temps like currently? Do you ever read TMIWB thread? I told a pretty odd story over there about an accidental experiment I did on Mon. (I think it was mon.?!) I went to borrow some free weights and decided to walk the dog to go and do it. I decided to walk with a back pack and then carry the weights home in it. I was fine, didn't injure myself or anything, but realized I was carrying 20 lbs on my back, basically what I'd lost over the course of the year. It was a lot more weight than I realized, and I'd been complaining over the last few weeks about how I'd only lost 20! It was a good wake up call!


Oh for anyone looking for the pecan recipe I mentioned last week here is the link.

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33982&highlight=pecans

[slknight]

Originally posted by Peggy C.
does anyone know if My Big Fat Greek wedding is out on video yet? I remember John saying it was coming out, but can't remember when. That might be good for a tomorrow night rental.



Morning all!

I'll chime in more later, but just wanted to let you know that I was just looking at my Netflix rental queue and checked the date of this. Don't know if it comes out on video any earlier (doubt it), but it doesn't come out on DVD til Feb.

[wallycat]

Happy New Year Klatchers!

I haven't been around this thread much as it seems I don't really have anything exciting going on. I still don't but thought I'd just say a quick "hi" to everyone.

We had a quiet NYE. Only a slight dusting of snow for the next few days :( . DH is happy about it and I guess I should be too, considering the huge amounts some of you are enduring.

I didn't sleep well last night; my poor Wally tossed his cookies all night. I feel so helpless when my cat is sick.....

On a brighter note, I can see the carpet in the office as well as my desk top :eek: finally. A few more things to file or toss and then my only demons will be those boxes of recipes I need to do something with. I may scan them all into my computer or play martyr and type them into mastercook. This will be a slow and tedious project, but long over-due...and I'll finally be able to toss out some of those boxes :D :D

Off to exercise and then get busy....

Have a great Weekend everyone...sorry, not into sports at all so can't comment on the game(s?).

[slawrence]

I was told at Best Buy that Greek Wedding will be out on 2/11/03. It is still in the theaters around here and it was 'sold out' on Christmas Day.....I am sure the theaters still want some popcorn sales before this goes to video. I have seen it twice and cannot wait for it to come out on video...Sue

[Lauren]

Hello all!

Not much planned for us this weekend. I'll continue with my painting project. Yeah Leigh for finishing your kitchen! I finished the family room, but of course now the rest of the house looks shabby! We're getting another big storm today (Gee, what a surprise) so I'll have the weekend to paint.

We haven't rented a movie in ages. There are so many movie I want to see. I can't wait until Big Fat Greek Wedding is out on video.

Debie, hearing the name of your coffee reminded me of our potential summer vacation. I've always wanted to take DH and DS's to Northern MI. I've been telling them all about the wonderful things to do - Sleeping Bear Dunes, Mackinaw Island, swimming in Great Lakes, petosky stones, Petosky and Traverse City, cherry orchards, etc. I would love to see my old summer camp and where we vacationed as kids. Sounds like I'm trying to relive my childhood, huh? We're talking about it, as well as another trip West. Of course, the way the kids bickered all vacation, now I'm thinking DH and I should go away without them! :)

[Gina O]

Good Morning all!

Since I am now back in the middle of the continent, I can actually post here before it reaches two pages! :) It sounds like everyone had nice NYE's. Ours was nice as well. We drove to Tulsa on Sunday because Brian had to work on Monday, then Wednesday - today. For NYE, I picked out a restaurant to try, and it turned out quite yummy. A local Tulsa place, styled, in my opinion, after PF Chang's but a bit more upscale, and a bit better. (Not that I dislike PF Chang's, just doesn't wow me like it used to.) We then met up at a restaurant/bar with some of the other pilots and hung out for a couple hours. Brian didn't drink, so I sampled a few new martinis. On NYD, I drove back to St. Louis from Tulsa trying to stay ahead of a snow storm.

Natasha have fun with the wedding plans. While it can be a bunch of work, it can also be a really good time.

For those who read the thread about my sister's wedding, the update is that she still hasn't decided for sure what she wants to do. For a while she decided to just elope and have a reception in a few months, but when she told her 17 y/o daughter of this plan, her response was along the lines of "fine, you don't invite me to your wedding, I won't invite you to mine." Such a loving and supportive child. :rolleyes: Actually she is great, she has just had a hard time with her dad's death, and mom's subsequent dating.

I am also waiting on My Big Fat Greek Wedding to be out on video. Really looking forward to watching it.

wallycat sorry your kitty is sick. :( That must be so stressful. On a lighter note, I feel a bit connected to you in that I got to be around for some of the shopping and see the swap package you received as it was being assembled! :)

On the agenda for today: 1) shovel the driveway-this is one of my favorite wintertime chores, so I am looking forward to it. It is such great exercise. 2) job hunting-mainly making a few phone calls, but if they are productive, dropping of applications/resumes. 3) a couple errands. 4) hopefully picking Brian up from the airport late tonight when he returns home from work. Gina

[Chefzhat]

Lauren, I LOVE Sleeping Bear Dunes! We try to get there every year. Where did you used to camp as a kid?? I probably know it well. If you decided to visit Michigan let me know I'll go to the tourist bureau and get you a bunch of stuff to look over!!

[KathrynY]

Good morning everyone! :)

I'm here at work, and boy is it dead :(. The university is open even though classes don't start until the 13th, so someone has to be here in the building today and I drew the short straw. I'm catching up on my filing which is good, and so far the only person I've seen has been the UPS guy. Now if only my boss wouldn't turn up today it might not be so bad ;).

We must all be feeling those redecorating vibes - I'm hoping to finally get my kitchen wallpaper stripped this weekend. Then we just have to decide on a paint color. Our new countertop is being ordered today, so we'll have that in a few weeks. Then we have to look at replacing the floor - ugh.

Other than that, our weekend will probably be filled with paperwork (don't you just hate getting ready for taxes?) and some peaceful reading in front of a toasty fire. Our weather is supposed to be snowy and cold all weekend.

Ana - I hope Wally is feeling better today :(. My Sam was sick last weekend, but I think it was because she was so excited to see us when we got back from our Christmas travels :rolleyes:.

Helene - Have fun at the concert with Ellyn! And enjoy your time as a single gal next week :).

Leigh - Congratulations on finishing your kitchen! Wanna come help me with mine? :p

Sue - Enjoy your snow day! We're getting snow, sleet and freezing rain here, so it should be nice and messy by the time I drive home :(.

Debie - Hope you enjoy your reading this weekend.

Lauren - Good luck with your painting. Isn't that the way it happens, once you're finished with one room the others need to be redone? *sigh*

Natasha - Have fun wedding shopping!

Meg - How's your new kitty doing these days?

Gina - Good luck with the job search. A new year, a new start! It sounds like you're really happy with your move, and I'm glad it's worked out :).

[1MegMeg]

Kathryn - Thanks for remembering my new kitty. :) Meeko is doing great. He and Sam, my older cat, still have their kitty wars, but they both are adapting very well. Last night I went to Petsmart to get them their food and I got them each these little faux fur mice. I think they were $.89 each. Meeko was playing with his for hours last night.

:)

[KathrynY]

Ack! PEGGY - I didn't mean to forget you! Is it dead at your office today too? Thanks for posting that pecan recipe. I printed it yesterday and will be trying it this weekend - I've got some pecans that have been in my freezer for who knows how long, and spiced pecans are much less dangerous than pecan pie ;).

Meg - Glad to hear your boys are doing well. Those furry mice are very popular with my Sam(antha) too - the first thing she does is chews off the tail :rolleyes:.

[Marian]

Happy Friday everyone!

Wow, already 2 pages on this thread, you all either get up early or type fast or maybe it's that we're still being lazy slugs around here since the kids don't go back to school until Monday.

New Years Eve we just spent quietly at home. I picked up some pre-made lazy food at a specialty food store. Some dips, baked brie, empanadas and panninnis. I also did a chocolate fondue at my oldest daughter's request. We rented a few kids movies for them to watch and DH and I rented one called Thirteen Conversations About One Thing. It was a good movie in a weird way.

Our weather has been marvelous (sorry). I am tired of prying the kids out to of the house to do things, they are such homebodies! I have planned for us to go to Disneyland today. My son has wrestling practice from 10 to noon today, so when he gets home we'll eat lunch and then head out around 2. We'll stay for a parade and maybe even the fireworks - if we make it that long.

Although DH has a decent job now, he got a call from a headhunter before Christmas and has a phone interview today. It is for a job in Monroe, Michigan. That would be quite a change from Southern California that's for sure. Can any of you Michigan people tell me anything about this area?

[bossmom]

Hi, everyone! The weather today is quite nice here finally. The last couple of weeks it has been raining almost everyday. DH said that he was going to buy some shares on the ark! Today, I will hopefully get out to the playground with DD.

DD has been quite bored since we came back from DC. She misses her grandparents and aunt alot. Her programs have not started yet, and we haven't gone out to the playground because of the rain.

We had a quiet NYE at home. The next day we had a couple that are good friends over. Their kids and my DD get along great and had a wonderful, boisterious time.

This weekend is the quiet before the storm. We are going to our friends' house on Saturday. That's all we've got planned for the weekend. Next week, DD starts her pre-school and other programs and my DH and I have a couple of doctor/dentist appointments between us. Then, the following Saturday we have a out-of-town wedding to attend, and my FIL comes to stay with us for a month a couple of days after that.


Wallycat: I am sorry your cat is not feeling well.

Gina O : When did you move back to Missouri? I didn't even realize you decided to go back!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

[LaraW]

Good Morning everyone!

My coffee is heating up right now, since I fell back to sleep after DH went to work and didn't wake up until 9:30 :eek:

There are so many responses by the time I join in, especially if I lounge around in bed too long. :rolleyes:

We had a nice albeit quiet NYE. We stayed home and just rented some movies. I was saying that I felt like a little kid, not knowing if I was going to be able to stay up until midnight. Last year we were at a party at a friend's house, and this friend has a daughter who was 7. She was determined to stay up until midnight, and kept giving us updates on how tired she was and whether she thought she was going to make it. :) Cute.

Well, the only thing that we have particularly planned is a dinner party at DH's aunt's house on Sunday night. We are supposed to bring an appetizer, so I was thinking about making the spinach-artichoke dip I have heard so much about on here. Peggy, I was looking at that pecan recipe, and was thinking about making those too. So many choices.....

There probably won't watch any football this weekend - we watched the Orange Bowl last night and watched my own Iowa Hawkeyes get their butts kicked. They did have one good play - too bad it took place in the first 10 seconds of the game...Iowa returned the opening kickoff wiht a 100 yard rush for a touchdown. That was pretty cool, but like I said, it went downhill from there. :(

I am envious of all of you who have snow! We actually have pretty nice weather here; I think the forecast is for the mid-to upper 50's and low 60's today through middle of next week. We are so behind in our snowfall, that we really really need it. So pray for snow for us!! :)

Leigh and Kathryn, good job on working on your kitchens! We are beginning to talk about re-doing the lighting in ours, and we decided to wait until after the holidays are over, so I guess that's where we are. We (well, OK, DH) got our bedside table-shelves hung on Wednesday and they look really nice. The only thing is that the alarm clock used to sit on the floor and now that it is only ~6 or 7 inches away from my head, it is a lot louder now!

In terms of the rest of our home improvement projects, they are really more outdoor types of projects; landscaping, gardening etc, so there's not a lot to do inside for now. That's GOOD! :D We did a whole lot of stuff in the first 9 months we lived in this house,and have taken the last 6 months off, so I guess its time, eh?

My only other thing is that I am trying to get a copy of Atonement by Ian McEwan for book club. I am hoping that one of the 2 copies I currently have on reserve at the library comes in today so I can get started on it. I need to have it read by Thursday next week! :eek: :rolleyes: :o Oh well, if I don't finish it, I suppose I will just go and listen.

Lara

[lhall]

Thanks for the congrats on the kitchen. I like it. I still have to take the tape down and then do the touch up. Yes, I will post pictures when I have everything put back together. I also took some in progress pictures.

Kathryn, NO!!!!! I'm declaring a 6 month moritorium on redecorating projects! I've done 6 rooms in 2 months! The upstairs bath, Mariel's room, kitchen, eat-in area, alcove, and half bath. I'm tired.

Gina, is it snowing there.

Ginger keeps taking about snow. I don't think she really understands about the weather today.

My hairdresser was plesantly surprised to see Ginger at my appointment today. He offered to give her a free haircut as a treat for starting school this fall. (Considering his prices that's a very very generous offer). He want's the apple butter recipe I gave them. He and his wife loved it. I used Diana's recipe so I'll have to let her know. Now all I need to do is get his mother's marinara recipe. He's full Italian. YUM!

Wallycat, you can still join in even if you don't have anything planned. I hope your little guy is feeling better soon.

Hi to everyone else. This tread moves fast in the morning. I was gone for a few hours and I feel overwhelmed. I guess that's how our west coast klatchers feel every friday.

Leigh

[Molli526]

Hi Ladies!

I am so excited I get to Klatch with you today!

Happy New Year!

I am done for the day thank goodness. I went back to work yesterday and these past 2 days have been so slooooow :( I am ready to have somewhat of a normalcy in my little work world. It is nice that there hasn't been a ton of traffic.

I slept in today so I need to work up the gusto to do my aerobics. It is an off day for me, but I feel like I should do something since I finished work early. Maybe after putzing around here for a while :)

[Peggy C.]

Susan and other thanks for the info on My Big Fat Greek wedding. I guess I won't be watching that after all!:(

Ana I'm sorry to hear about Wally, I hope he feels better soon. I know what you mean, they're just like babies, can't tell you where they hurt or how they feel.

Gina add me to the list that didn't know you moved again. I hope everything is good with you.

Kathryn it is pretty slow around here, but honestly not as bad as earlier in the week. I hope you enjoy the pecans, they quickly became a favorite in my family.

Meg and Kathryn our psychotic kitty that John and I were owned by a while back loved those mice. When we went to move I'm pretty sure we gave one of our friends a heartattack when he went to move the stove and found about 6 of those under there!:D

Hi bossmom, good to see you!

Lara isn't it great to sleep in once in a while! I just love it when I roll over and see the clock says anything past 7am anymore! Sorry about the Iowa game. I saw a few bits and pieces and it wasn't pretty.

Molli you lucky duck! All done with work for the day!

Leigh I hope Ginger has a great birthday, are you having a party?

[Molli526]

We'll be rooting for OSU tonight too, Big 10 Loyalty.

[LaraW]

Originally posted by lhall
I'm declaring a 6 month moritorium on redecorating projects! I've done 6 rooms in 2 months!

That's what we did too. Unfortunately our moratorium is just about up.

Originaly posted by Peggy C.
Meg and Kathryn our psychotic kitty that John and I were owned by a while back loved those mice. When we went to move I'm pretty sure we gave one of our friends a heartattack when he went to move the stove and found about 6 of those under there!

That certainly would have given me a heart attack. I am scared to death of mice. :eek: :eek:

Yes, it does feel good to sleep in, I've been doing too much of that lately, though. I said I was going to get the house cleaned today, now that the Christmas decorations are down, and here I am still in my jammies, and its 11:00 in the morning. I am a big old lazy lazy. I was going to try to go for a walk today too, and get my big red exercise X on my calendar. :D

[Molli526]

Originally posted by LaraW

I am a big old lazy lazy. I was going to try to go for a walk today too, and get my big red exercise X on my calendar. :D

I will be waiting for your report on this ;) :D ;)

I need to earn my monkey today - he's fuzzy! I am putting on my workout duds right now. One step closer....

[LaraW]

Originally posted by Molli526


I will be waiting for your report on this ;) :D ;)

I need to earn my monkey today - he's fuzzy!

Great. I had to say it out loud, didn't I? :p

Molli, if I didn't already know that you were talking about a sticker, I would have found that last sentence to be really funny. Did you see Diana's "risque" thread on the Great Food board?

[Gina O]

Originally posted by bossmom
Gina O : When did you move back to Missouri? I didn't even realize you decided to go back!

I didn't talk much about it on here because I did not give notice of my departure at work. There was a little welcome home thread and, I snuck it onto a Friday the 13th thread (the day I quit.) I moved back the week of the 16th of December. I moved to the Bay Area for a job and the job turned out to be a nightmare. I am now in the process of filing state and federal complaints related to the employment.

Since there was no way to find much else out there, and I still had my house here, I decided to go ahead and move back. I really liked a whole lot of stuff about California, but was completely miserable at work. I am a firm believer in that if you aren't happy with what you are doing, you have to do something else, and I practice what I preach in that area.

While jobless, I am feeling much better about life in general. It took a lot of guts and determination for me to uproot my life and move to California, and just as much to admit it didn't work out and move back. As I intended to over the summer, I really do now plan to change careers. Of course, it would be a heck of a lot easier if I had some experience, but I am pretty much willing to start at the bottom.

Leigh It is not snowing here now, it did that yesterday and the night before. Today it is sunny and clear with a blanket of snow on the ground.

Off to run errands, back in a while, Gina

[Molli526]

Originally posted by LaraW


Great. I had to say it out loud, didn't I? :p

Molli, if I didn't already know that you were talking about a sticker, I would have found that last sentence to be really funny. Did you see Diana's "risque" thread on the Great Food board?

I will have to check it out.

I got my 2 mile walk in. Did you :)

[lhall]

Gina, Oh, Shows how often I watch the news. I did remember hearing something about Snow and St. Louis.

My kitchen is almost put back together. I'll have to do the touch up of the top coat of paint this evening and I think I'll wait until tonight to put the pictures back up. I still have dishes to put up and wash and that foodsavering to do. Yes, I like my new toy.

Molli & Lara. How were the workouts? I did yoga twice this week, but with all the painting I haven't done anything else but stuff my face.

Peggy, Yes we are having a party, but not until the 18th. I wanted to wait until after school starts again so she can invite some school friends and the place we're having the party didn't have any openings until the 18th. It's a local bookstore and they do a puppet show, majic show, story time, crafts, music, character visit (Minnie Mouse) and provide plates for the kids to have cake. It's a lot of stuff for the price. And, it's not Chuckie Cheese's.

Peggy & Wallycat,
It is funny that I wake up just as fast when one of my four legged babies is sick as I do when one of the girls is sick. They may have 4 legs, but they are still our children.

Leigh

[Molli526]

Leigh,

The party sounds like so much fun! I wouldn't want to do the Chuckie Cheese thing either.

My workout was good. I feel like a champ b/c I got in 5 this week and have another planned for tomorrow.

[HRJ]

Taking a break and checking back in -- they keep saying it's going to start snowing here any time now, but it hasn't started yet.

I'm wondering if I should try and stop at the library or the video store on my way home, since all this snow talk is turning me off the idea of going to the movies. I have to admit I've never checked out the video collection at our local library, but my neighbor was telling me it's a great selection, you get the tapes for a week, and it's free.

OK, Molli and Lara, I'm curious -- what's the fuzzy monkey?? :confused:

Meg, Trader Joe's used to carry a great package of "12 Furry Mice." One of our cats just loves them -- she's constantly batting them under the refrigerator, and then crying until DH fishes them out. I'm sure there are a ton of them stuck under there.

Unfortunately, our TJ's no longer has the "12 Furry Mice" package -- if anyone ever sees them, please let me know.

Wallycat, sorry to hear that Wally's not feeling well.

Leigh and Kathryn, can't wait to see your redecorating pictures.

My big kitchen investment for the time-being is two new cartridges for my Jenn-Air stove -- I've complained about the stove giving uneven heat, and, when DH investigated a bit, he found that some of the wiring inside our current cartridges is broken or frayed. We figured it would be worth the investment to get new cartridges instead of trying to get the old ones fixed. I considered upgrading to the radiant or halogen burners, but decided to stick with the electric coils. One day in the future, I'll get rid of this electric stove altogether and get one of those nifty dual-fuel models. My new cartridges should be delivered next week, I hope.

Helene

[Peggy C.]

Gina I applaud your decision and yes it took a lot of guts to uproot your life and move to Ca and then to move home also. I hope you find lots of job happiness in 2003!

Molli and Lara you guys are cracking me up! Do I get a fuzzy monkey if Iadmit to walking part of my lunch break?:o :eek: :D Woohoo 5 workouts this week!

Leigh that party sounds great and I hear you on the Chuckie Cheese thing, I helped my sister with a party there 1x. Never again! Oh and I almost made the exact same statement about waking up in the middle of the night when the dog is sick, and I didn't want to offend anyone with kids. But man it's amazing how fast you can move!

[Molli526]

Originally posted by Peggy C.


Molli and Lara you guys are cracking me up! Do I get a fuzzy monkey if Iadmit to walking part of my lunch break?:o :eek: :D Woohoo 5 workouts this week!


Peggy, you didn't tell me you walked part of your lunch break- woo hoo! :D You definitely get one. The next sheet is going to be the fuzzy frogs.

Were you able to get to the library for videos?

[d_ferrero]

Okay, it's almost noon here, but I thought I'd drop in and say hello to those of you who aren't already on your way out the door, on the east coast.

I'm hoping against hope for a bit of a quiet weekend -- we've got a lot of activity packed in but I'm hoping for a few minutes of "me" time. I'm starting the weekend off right -- my personal trainer had to reschedule our appointment and the only thing she had available tomorrow that worked for me was 7:00 AM. So I'll be up earlier than I'd like, but I'll have a really good workout behind me to start the day.

I'm trying not to get too excited about two job possibilities out there... at least not until something more comes of them.

The first is an open position for an "implementation specialist" at a company that makes MLS management and CRM (customer relationship management) software for the real estate industry. It would likely involve some travel (which at least in the short term I'd enjoy) and include deployment, documentation and training at various customer sites. John's got a friend that works for this company, so theoretically I have an "in" there. I'm scheduled to talk with his friend this afternoon, so hopefully I'll know more about the position and whether I'd fit then.

For the second one I'd really have to create an opportunity, but I think it's still doable. Last weekend while having dinner at our very favorite restaurant, the owner was telling us about this new system they're deploying in January. He called it a "reservation system" but after doing some research on my own it's really a CRM system designed specifically for the restaurant/hospitatlity industry. I did a lot of research on the company, and believe I could be REALLY happy there -- it would combine some of my existing skills with my absolute love of food. So when we were back for dinner on NYE, I asked Randy if he'd be willing to introduce me to his sales rep, as I was interested in exploring employment opportunities with this company. He did one better -- I'm going to attend the demo/training session they've set up for their wait staff next week. I'm so psyched -- I hope this turns into something real. If you're interested, check out http://www.opentable.com/info/about.asp Please hold out good thoughts for me -- I'd LOVE to work for this company!

I should get back to it here... have a sensational weekend everyone!

/d

[Natasha3]

Peggy, the temps here aren't that bad - about freezing. The snow is coming down still and we are expecting a fair bit more snow. Your weight experiment sounds like a great way to realize how much difference the weight loss makes. You see? You have accomplished a great deal already! :) Hey, good going on your walk at lunchtime, too. Oh, and we are looking at early May for our wedding but still have so much to plan. :o

Had a productive day of work and soon we will go snowshoeing as planned. My fiance is organizing a nice gear closet in a part of the basement for all of our gear. The snowshoes, lifejackets, climbing stuff, etc. are all hanging in an enclosed area and there are shelves for smaller items, sports books, and so on. Then we'll tuck the bikes in the corner too. It looks pretty nice so far and will be great to have it all organized. :)

Oh, and when I get home from snowshoeing I get to open my shrink-wrapped copy of The Cooky Book. :D After using my mom's copy since I was about 5 years old, I decided to buy the new reprint for myself!

Molli, congrats on your walk!!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone, and I'll see you soon.

Natasha

[Molli526]

Originally posted by HRJ

OK, Molli and Lara, I'm curious -- what's the fuzzy monkey?? :confused:



Helene, I posted on this thread....

HLSG/ Weekly Workout (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34831)


DH had a pretty good idea, so I am going to try it for a month to see. He told me I should make a calendar of what I want to do in terms of exercise. That way it is on paper, and I can see what I want to do. Makes it more real to have it printed out for me to consult. I have it posted next to my wall calendar, where I get a sticker for every day I work out. I actually copied that from a guy friend. It is so motivating to see how much you worked out in a week/ month at a quick glance. At the start of a new month, you want the stickers b/c it looks so blank compared to the previous month, and at the end of the month, you don't want to mess anything up. I started doing this at the end of April last year and when I looked back from December, I was proud of myself.

The sheet of stickers I am using right now are fuzzy monkeys :)

[Molli526]

Peggy,

Do you think people would be up for another MI/OH/Surrounding area get together?

[AndreaU]

SNOW DAY! We're getting blanketed pretty good here. Today is my catch-up and planning day for school. I'm grading papers and doing lesson plans for the next few weeks. Dogs are having a blast tearing around in the snow! DH is off work tomorrow so we're planning on taking advantage of the newly fallen white stuff and going XC skiing! After being sick most of the vacation, I can't wait to get out and do something.

Right now I'm slacking off and surfing for vacation information. As much as I love the snow, I'm thinking ahead to summer vacation in Nova Scotia.

I'm also catching up on my Harry Potter (bad 5th grade teacher that I am, I'm only now reading the books!). I'm almost done with the Chamber of Secrets and I'll start Prisoner of Azkaban over the weekend.

Looking forward to some cooking, too. I'm thinking Tandoori Chicken and/or Arroz con Pollo this weekend. Yeah, I'm on an ethnic kick lately. This past week it was Pasta e Fagioli, Pastitsio and Thai tofu.

Enjoy the weekend- even those of you who are being snowed on! Come on, you know you LOVE it. ;)

[Peggy C.]

Originally posted by Molli526



Were you able to get to the library for videos?

I actually squeezed it in yesterday. They didn't have the walk away the pounds one, but I placed a request for it online today. I did get 3 other cardio ones to see what I like. One is the Gin Miller one, one is a boxing one and I can't remember the 3rd. I tend not to like aerobics/jazzercise so we'll see. I'll give them all a couple of trys though. I have them for 3 weeks.

Helene the library is a great place to get tapes. I find that the Cleveland Main branch (where I go at lunch time) has a ton of movies, but is really disorganized. If I want something specific I place a request for it and pick it up a few days later.

Natasha sounds about the same as our weather. Your equipment closet sounds great and really organized! I prefer the open the door to the closet, throw things in and shut the door as fast as I can approach myself!;)

Dolores good luck with both of those opportunities!

[Peggy C.]

Originally posted by Molli526
Peggy,

Do you think people would be up for another MI/OH/Surrounding area get together?

I know I would be!:D

[Molli526]

Yay!

I will make a post then :)

[HRJ]

Molli -- thanks for the explanantion!! That sounds like a great plan -- I may think about stealing it. Of course, the only stickers I have at my house at the moment are penguins. ;)

Peggy, I meant to comment about the weights before -- that's a great way to remind yourself about your progress!! 20 lbs is a great achievement. When I did WW, our leader used to tell us about a woman who had lost a certain amount of weight (forget how much), and she dragged a chunk of tree stump into her living room that weighed as much as she'd lost. (I don't know if all WW leaders tell that story, or if it was someone from my particular meeting).

As I mentioned on the "exercise goals" thread, I've been working with a personal trainer once a week at my gym since September, and I haven't missed a week -- it's the only thing in years and years that's kept me motivated.


Gina, congrats for making a hard decision -- you have made the right move! About 15 years ago, I moved from New Jersey to Florida for a job -- and moved back to NJ in less than a year. It was sort of an opposite situation from you -- the job was OK, but I hated Florida. I met so many people who told me to "stick it out," but, going back was one of the best things I've ever done. You need to be where you are happy -- but you already know that.

Helene

[KathrynY]

Helene - is it still not snowing there? It's been snowing here since before noon, and sleeting too :(. Should make for an exciting drive home, but it sure is pretty!

d_ferrero - (dolores?) those jobs sound really interesting. Best of luck in your search, and I hope the right opportunity comes along for you!

[Peggy C.]

Originally posted by HRJ
[b]
As I mentioned on the "exercise goals" thread, I've been working with a personal trainer once a week at my gym since September, and I haven't missed a week -- it's the only thing in years and years that's kept me motivated.

Helene

Good for you Helene, that is exactly how I feel about my class. I've been going since the end of May and have probably only missed 3 sessions. Doesn't it feel good to find something so motivating and enjoyable!

[Marian]

Originally posted by Peggy C.


I actually squeezed it in yesterday. They didn't have the walk away the pounds one, but I placed a request for it online today.
Dolores good luck with both of those opportunities!

Peggy, I have the Walk Away the Pounds videos. I have the 1, 2 and 3 mile videos and the "hand weights" that go with them. I don't use them anymore and don't think I will - would you like me to send them to you?

I liked them but did them for about 3 months straight and got bored of them. I seem to do that frequently. :rolleyes: I seem to like exercising outdoors much more than indoors.

[Peggy C.]

Originally posted by Marian


Peggy, I have the Walk Away the Pounds videos. I have the 1, 2 and 3 mile videos and the "hand weights" that go with them. I don't use them anymore and don't think I will - would you like me to send them to you?

I liked them but did them for about 3 months straight and got bored of them. I seem to do that frequently. :rolleyes: I seem to like exercising outdoors much more than indoors.

Wow Marian that is VERY generous of you! Thank you. How 'bout I try the one from the library and if I love it then yes, but if I hate it maybe not!:D If I decide I do like it I'd be happy to pay for all shipping and the cost of the tapes as well.

[HRJ]

Originally posted by KathrynY
Helene - is it still not snowing there? It's been snowing here since before noon, and sleeting too :(. Should make for an exciting drive home, but it sure is pretty!



Just after I posted, a colleague popped her head in to tell me it was snowing (I'm in the basement -- no windows!). I'm home now -- it's coming down in big, crazy flakes, very fast -- snow globe-type snow.

It wasn't that bad on the roads (I have a very short ride home), but, the hill up to my house is amazing -- there's considerably more snow up here than down at the bottom, and since the plow hasn't come through yet, it wasn't all that easy getting up the last portion -- thank goodness for four-wheel drive.

Looks like I'm not going out anywhere for videos, at the moment.

Have a safe trip home, Kathryn and everyone else!

H.

[Marian]

Originally posted by Peggy C.


How 'bout I try the one from the library and if I love it then yes, but if I hate it maybe not!:D

Sounds good just say the word. Hey maybe I'll get to meet up with you all at one of your get togethers one of these days. DH called and said the phone interview was positive and he may have an in person interview later on this month.

[lhall]

Holy Cow!!!

OH My. I went out without a jacket this morning and it was rather chilly. Surprising since it was 60 yesterday.

All this talk of snow reminded me that I hadn't checked the weather today. It's 36 degrees right now, and the wind chill makes it 25. No wonder I was COLD!

It's about time to go pick up DD2 from daycare. The kitchen is put back together except for the pictures on the walls. I can't finish the bathroom because Ginger locked the door and closed last time she left the bathroom. Fortunately no one is in there.

Ginger got a watch from Grammie & Gramps for Christmas. She's notorious for losing things like this. Well, looks like we need to buy her another one. I can't find it. Last I saw it I thought I put it in the bag with their jammies at my brother's house. She's been talking about this watch. ARGH!!! I have no idea where they got it. It was Power Puff Girls and had the number of minutes beside the numbers on the watch. So she could look at '1' and know that meant '5' minutes past the hour. Great for learning to tell time.

I guess I'll be making a trip to Target this evening, instead of DH stopping on his way home.

Leigh

[Peggy C.]

Marian sounds like a plan. And we'd love it if you moved to our side of the country!

Leigh good luck finding that watch! Can't wait to see the pics!

I'm out of here in a few minutes so have a great weekend everyone!:D

[LaraW]

Hi Everyone,

Good job, Molli and Peggy for your walks! I am actually still finishing up cleaning the house, and then I will plan to go for my walk. I think the weather here is supposed to be really good this weekend, so hopefully I will be able to get DH to come along with me tomorrow and/or Sunday. Working out at home is a lot harder than if I just go to the gym.

It does feel good to get the house cleaned, all of the Christmas Crap, er, decorations put away for another year, etc.

OK, I came with a great thing to get rid of door-to-door salespeople...Colorado has a no-call list that makes it illegal for telemarketers to call you, so (I assume) as a result we get a lot of door-to-door salespeople. Well, these are usually guys, and since I am home alone there's no way I am going to let someone into the house. Someone came to the door today, and was selling something, and I just said "oh, I am just the cleaning lady" since I am all decked out complete with vacuum, etc. Pretty clever! He went away!! :D :D :D :D

OK, back to cleaning. Just have dusting and the kitchen floor to sweep and the dishwasher to empty and I'm done. :)

Then I go for my walk!

[KathrynY]

Originally posted by LaraW
Someone came to the door today, and was selling something, and I just said "oh, I am just the cleaning lady" since I am all decked out complete with vacuum, etc. Pretty clever! He went away!! :D :D :D :D


Lara - that's just perfect! I never seem to think up those lines at the right moment, but I'll have to try and remember yours :D.

[lhall]

Lara, want to come clean my house now? At least my kitchen is clean!

I've got a good way to deal with the telemarketers....Let the 4 year old answer the phone! We don't get many because we are on the GA no call list. My dad got one of those zapper things that gives telemarteker's a busy signal. They always fill up his answering machine.

Have a nice weekend everyone.

Marian, good wishes to your DH for is job interview.

Leigh

[LaraW]

Originally posted by lhall
Lara, want to come clean my house now?

Tell you what - I'll clean your house if you paint my kitchen.

Uh-huh, that's what I thought! :D