HL/WWSG - Week of 16 January

[Leslie Ferguson]

BRRRR! Winter’s back on us it appears. Oh well, I’ll just have to wish good greetings to our friends, regulars, and visitors to the Healthful Living and Weekly Workout Support Group. January and the winter weather has decided to come back for most of us. Hopefully that’s what is keeping some of our friends away.

Thoughts from the last week or so that have stood out among our friendly group include:

Family life - Sarah and the “ladies day out” with DD; Karen’s kids doing well in Scouts and Daisy’s. In general no news is good news in my book.
SUCCESSES! - Jackie O weight management; Sarah and training with her friend (what a great thing).
Stressful living - Jackie O dealing with winter; Jacki trying to figure out her sinuses; Karen and one sick kiddo; Laura DS swimming meet.
Weather issues All of us getting back to the “real” winter weather this week after weeks of warm temps.
Healthful living - Jacki claiming her “clean your plate” mentality (the first step in “beating” that beast); my successfully getting to and from DC without issue; my completing my PT exercises on a regular basis. Sarah skiing for the first time (and safely returning to the fold).
Missing in Action - Jennifer, Heather, and Leah. I hope we can hear that you all are well and maybe just lurking for the past couple weeks.

Healthful living this week should include:
Sun - XT w/weights
Mon - Run (a day off for me because of Martin Luther King Jr. holiday)
Tue - Probably rest or bike depending on meetings
Wed - Run
Thu - Run/elliptical
Fri - Rest
Sat - Run long (don’t know the distance but probably 10-12)

Healthful living - (1) Keep working on doing my PT exercises - after yesterday’s little tweak I’ll need to make sure I redouble my efforts. (2) Get back on the in’s with my coach - didn’t do a good job yesterday with the running group and put myself in the dog house (deservedly).

There - Two weeks in a row with a shorter than usual opening - hopefully less daunting for those who are lurking. I hope everyone is well and that January moves on smoothly. Until this evening friends and visitors -

Peace,
Les

[helios7]

I've skimmed but I'm behind. School started earlier than I expected (graduate school that is) and I took a one credit class that met four times in a week. So I've been busy!

I have been working out regularly though (4 times a week or so) and I just finished 2 weeks on South Beach Phase 1. It didn't work for me this time, unfortunately so I've decided to try CORE this week. I'd like to shift 8 pounds or so.... and at least with CORE I can work the occasional treat in because my willpower is almost gone! :o I can only be good for so long!

So this week's plan is -

Monday - gym. Cardio, with light lifting.
Tuesday - off, class til 9pm.
Wednesday - Gym. Cardio, with light lifting.
Thursday - cardio
Friday - cardio
Saturday - what ever i feel like just so i get there. Most likely an USWeekly/elliptical workout! :)

So hi to all, here's to a new week!

heather

[JackieO]

Good afternoon, Les! Thanks for getting us started again this week.

Sarah -- good luck with your plan for next week (and most of my elliptical workouts are magazine-focused, too!)

I don't know that I'd put my name in the "success" list last week! :o I really want to LOSE some weight, but I know I'm not going about it the right way. There's something about this frigid weather that makes we want to EAT all the time. (And the dinner with the neighbors didn't help either. Don't get me wrong, we had a wonderful time, but they like wine as much as we do, and my carrot cake turned out to be simple divine, despite the patches! I'll have you know I ran to the office to pick something up this afternoon and I dropped the rest of the cake on the lunch table in the cafeteria! I'm sure it will be gone by the time I get to work tomorrow -- the early birds go for the worm, as it were.)

So, food-wise, I'm not making the right choices, although I must say, DS has been very good for almost two weeks now. He's starting to listen to me about the difference between simple/refined carbs and complex carbs; he's definitely received the message about too much sugar (he's only had one diet soda and no regular soda in the last 11 days); I got him to look at Willett's revised food pyramid, AND, he loves the Jane Brody lentil/potato stew that Bob posted over on the other board. There's hope for the kid yet....

Exercise-wise: Today's exercise consisted of elbow lifting (DH and I went to a local sports bar to share an appetizer and Bloody Mary during the Wisconsins-Michigan State BB game -- football season is over, ya know?) :o

Monday: 35 mins elliptical, lower body strength training
Tuesday: 35 mins bike ride, upper body
Wednesday: off -- have to go to Milwaukee
Thursday: 35 mins. elliptical
Friday: 35 mins elliptical, upper body
Saturday: 50 mins elliptical (this will be a challenge -- but I have a new book I can start reading)

Wish me luck....both with my exercise goals and in staying warm! (It's a little warmer today than yesterday, but not much!)

[karen w]

Winter is back here too!

Les-Thanks for getting us started again. Sorry to hear you "tweaked" things a bit during your run yesterday. I hope it works its way out quickly!

Jackie-I chuckle when I read about your kids. Even though mine are younger, I can see mine doing the same things in a few years. DS#1 already reads package labeling. I'm not sure he fully understands the numbers, nor does it stop him from eating something, but he is becoming more aware and it has provided opportunities to talk them about good nutrition. And the other day out of the blue, DD(5 y.o.) says, "Mom, Is pizza junk food?" Where did that come from!!!:p Glad you enjoyed your dinner and that your cake turned out well. Good luck with this week's plan.

Heather-Nice to see you around. Good luck with CORE and, of course, SCHOOL!

Quiet weekend for us. I rode my bike both Sat. and Sun. Sat. my right knee was bothering me a bit afterward. Not sure why as it seems fine today. DH has been on call this weekend and DS#1 is still fighting to get over the crud, so it's been a mellow weekend. Since tomorrow there is no school, DS has one more day to recoup(and I think that should do it, too!) Tomorrow I will swim and perhaps, bike as well, but likely won't go to kickboxing with all the kids.

Stay warm everyone and have a good night,

Karen

[ilovehubby]

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. I'm feeling very blessed to have an extra day off with MLK day. My husband and I both have off work, his evening class is cancelled because of the holiday (he goes to school full time in evenings--wants to be a teacher), and the kids don't have school. YAY!

The doctor gave me two prescriptions: antibiotic and something to unplug my head...which has really:) helped. I feel so much better than I had been feeling. My daughter (Maggie-3 y/o) came down with a moderate fever --which kicks her asthma up...so we're praying that her nebulizer treatments do the job for her so her asthma doesn't get to bad.

I didn't exercise yesterday like I planned. I just wimped out...but here's to a fresh week! I have been doing alright with healthy living/food. I'm a little more than half through my study guide for my AFAA test, my goal is to have it done by Friday.

My exercise plan is Monday/Friday - exercise tape in a.m. and Wednesday/Thursday walk with co-worker in a.m. My goal this week for healthy living is to get fruit in every day...

Thanks for starting the thread Les - I really appreciate your faithfulness each week. It's so encouraging! And I have to say...I can't even imagine running like you guys do...that is so incredible and awesome. I don't think I'll ever run like that, but I do hope someday I'll get my exercise frequency up to the rest of you. In regards to your coach being frustrated, well everyone learns things along the way...your coach will see that it isn't something you'll do again...I don't know how long you've been running with that group but that have to have seen how considerate you are...anyone can have an off day, but I'm sure noone would characterize you in a negative way when they look at your actions over time..and that's what counts!! I know I haven't been in this group long at all...but it's easy to see how helpful and considerate you are to everyone in the group.

Sarah - I'm glad your friend is coming with you, what a great encouragement you must be for her. What a great friend!

Karen - hope your munchkin is feeling better...thanks for writing that about your "good nutrition" chats. I'm going to have to remember to do that...we talk about what makes your body feel good (water, exercise, etc)...and my son (7 next month) has really latched on to eating healthy food and drinking water helps you become a faster runner, which is a big deal at his age! But I've never shown him labels on food or had a talk about that. So thanks for sharing the idea! We have pizza's almost every Friday...my kids love the Turkey Alfredo Pizza (minus the spinach) and we love the Chicago Pizza and White Pizza from past CL issues. I rotate pizza's through because each year CL has several new pizza recipes. Now I have a hard time ordering pizza because we like the pizza's from the magazine so much. Have a great swim/bike tomorrow. Thanks for explaining the OCD knees:) Hope they are doing better...

Heather - A one credit class that met four times in a week! Ouch! Hopefully that is met and not meets! Best wishes with your workouts this week:)

JackieO - Isn't the first step of the goal recognizing the areas that you want to change? So you've got that part! I know what you mean about sometimes wanting to eat all the time...what I do then if I can't distract myself with something else is eat something like yogurt or cereal...so I'm eating and it's filling/fast to make, but not to bad for me. If I'm going to fall off the wagon, at least it's with granola and 1% milk instead of a bag of Oreo's...maybe that's backwards philosophy...also sometimes I'll make a cup of hot tea and that will do it for me. I love carrot cake so I don't think I could resist that either. CL has this recipe for a Texas Sheet Cake in their 2001 Annual Recipes cookbook...I am talking serious YUM factor. I have to take it into the office or my hubby and I would eat the whole thing in two nights. Good direction with your son...any step in the right direction is progress! Stay warm!

Everyone else - STAY WARM!! :)

Jacki

[Leslie Ferguson]

Evening all! It's been a weird day in Norfolk - at least weather-wise. We had a portion of rain with a little "thick stuff" interspersed. I think it was a little touch of sleet or maybe even a little snow but since it was so warm - 41 or 42 - it didn't stick. Then there was the wind to beat the band... Certainly a good day to not be running. Of course today is supposed to be the warmest day for the next 5 with the high on Tuesday at about 30 or 31 and did I mention the wind? Not a good thing in Norfolk.

Back to the "task" at hand...
Heather - I'm glad you're getting started on your class. I'm with Jacki, 4 hours in class for a 1 credit class! It almost sounds like my days of playing in the college symphony with 4-6 hours in class (not including practice) for 2 credits. Sorry about your SBD difficulty and I hope that the CORE diet works for you. Good luck on your plan for the week.
Karen - Sorry your knee is bugging you. Take it a little easy - we don't need you laid up too (ok - maybe I'm the only one around here that should be truly laid up). Here's to hoping DS#! bounces back after another day out of school. Isn't it amazing what kids get interested in? Box labels etc. At least that gives you a little in to discuss things that should put them in good stead for their future lives.
Jackie O - I'm with Jacki - making some progress and getting started on a plan is commendable and a victory in my book. Good for you to take the remainder of the cake to the office so the folks there can polish it off for you. I think I know where the really cold weather from your area went...
Jacki - Thank you for your comments about my being considerate and caring. I know my coach came down a little hard because he knows it really doesn't take much to drive a point home - especially one about caring for other people. I'm glad your meds have been working to help your sinus issue and I hope the meds continue to do the trick. There's a long story about why I am the way I am on the thread and with my exercise which I think most everyone has heard so I won't clog the thread but if you'd like I can share it via PM. Just let me know.

To my workout for today. It was a good day in the gym lifting. There were understandably a couple exercises I took it easy on to help protect my ankle. In all I came out ok and I've now finished my evening icing which seems to help a little of the pain since there's really no swelling to speak of.

Oh well, even though I don't have to work tomorrow I still need to turn in at a reasonable hour. So until the morning,

Peace,
Les

[Laura]

Hey everyone,

Workouts were pretty much a bust this past week, but that is okay, I am really still recuperating. My foot, which was feeling pretty good towards the end of the week, decided to flare up yesterday. I was wearing flip-flops at my DS's swim meet (which was just so-so) and I don't think it got proper support. My guess is that I might of done some sort of ligament/tendon damage that is just going to need to take its time to heal. I would like to try running in a week (around 6 or so), so I am hoping it will allow me to do so.

Jacki I hope your meds continue to work for you and you daughter's ashtma doesn't flareup. DS has asthma as well, but his generally seems under control (he has to use his inhaler before and after practice) until spring when grass pollen is at its highers. Then we have to watch it more carefully.

Jackie, your exercise plan looks great. I know you can do this, it just is difficult to get back into the routine of things. I am trying to set up workout routine that doesn't involve running 4x a week and it has kind of thrown me for a loop.

Karen, glad DS#1 is on the mend. I felt like I had the crud too, but sleeping in until 7:30 this morning helped. My kids started playing this game when they were 6 and 8 where they would read the nutritional guides on things (like two different boxes of cereal) thinking that whoever had the higher number on any given item won. (Sorry kids, the cereal with 11 grams of sugar does not beat the cereal with 9). They still do it sometimes but now know better. I do explain the benefits of complex carbs mixed with proteins to both kids since they exercise a lot.

Les, I am glad the ankle is on the mend; we all have those "oops" moments in life and I am sure that your coach knows that about you.

Heather, I struggled with South Beach as well. I actually did okay for the first two weeks, but since I knew I wasn't going to eat that way for the rest of my life, all those pounds I lost came back as quickly as they left. I do try and leave the refined carbs behind, but no carbs doesn't work for me.

I am off to do a Pilates video before the kids wake up. Have a great one everyone!

[helios7]

Thanks guys for the support. I guess I've been frustrated because SB Phase 1 was how I got down for my wedding, and it was frustrating to see it wasn't working. But, its a new week, I went to the gym today and I'm vowing to get up tomorrow morning to to some weight work before school instead of taking the whole day off. I'll just do it at home, but I'd really like to work on my arms. They're feeling icky!

So yes, one workout done. 5 to go? Let's hope.

Regarding classes - it was a one credit January class that met 4 times for 2.5 hours each time. So yes, it kept me busy. Regular classes start tomorrow so I'll have 1 two hour class on Monday evenings, and 2 2 hour classes on Tuesday ending at 9 pm. So you won't hear much from me normally at the beginning of the week!

Karen - I'm glad DS had an extra day! Isn't it great when that happens? A freebie?

Laura- I'm sure you are still recuperating. I hope your damaged foot gets the rest it needs, can you sub elliptical workouts to give it more time to rest?

Hi to any one else I missed....

Its good to be accountable again.

Heather

[Sarah428]

Missing: The top of my desk! Ugh, papers everywhere!

Sorry, this will be short.

This weekend didn't go as planned, no skiing, maybe this coming weekend. DH and I weren't getting along too well this weekend:( . Didn't get my long run in:(. Met my friend at the gym sunday and went over the "program" I made out for her, she did the whole thing, I was shocked! She even showed up this morning for cardio work, I was impressed.

Last night while playing w/ DD I accidenly made her fall face first - reeeaaal hard - on the wood floor:(. Busted her mouth open and gave her a bloody nose, it was awful. She's got a few scratches on her nose and a little swelling but seems to be doing fine.

For this week:
Monday - Spin class
Tuesday - Long run day
Wednesday - Circuit training
Thursday - Running group
Friday - Circuit
Weekend - long run, somehow?!?

Boy, my post is full of sad faces.

Sarah

[helios7]

(((((((((((Sarah))))))))))))


I'm sorry you had such a yucky weekend. A couple of years ago a child in my class was running in the gym and wiped out striking the side of her face on the wooden boat. She developed a huge black eye and bruises and I felt SOOO guilty. I can only imagine how it must be if a similar accident happens to your own child. But that little girl certainly didn't hold it against me and I'm sure DD will forget as soon as she feels better.

Hugs!

heather

[karen w]

(((Sarah)))-Sorry the weekend did not pan out. And I hope DD mends quickly. Kids bounce back fast. It's the adults that take so much time to heal(emotionally and physically).

Jacki-Glad you are feeling better, and I hope Maggie bounces back as well without any asthma flare ups. We love pizza, too, so, of course, I did not tell DD it is junk food!!:D And my kids(except DD) would eat it with the spinach, too!!;) They like artichokes and broccoli as well to name a few things. So even on pizza, I manage to get a few veggies into them. I hope you and hubby enjoyed the day off, too!

Heather-Yep, one workout down...so pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

Les-More weather for us, too, but this time in the form of snow. Fortunately, just an inch or so, but it is VERY cold! BRRR!!! Enjoy your vacation day!

Laura-Sorry the foot acted up over the weekend. Those evil flip-flops:mad: . Hope it is better this week.

I had an excellent swim this morning. Our inch of snow was not enough to close the "Y" this time thankfully. The kids had the day off, of course, and since DS#1 is still in recovery mode and it is so cold outside, we all hung out at home. I biked for 30 min. after breakfast. And knock wood, my knee seems to be just fine now. Not sure what was up on Saturday?? I made some homemade bread during the afternoon. YUMMY! One of my favorites...CL's Irish Oatmeal Bread. Went well with dinner tonight, and the kids enjoyed it warm with butter for an afternoon snack. Tomorrow will just be a swim since I go to DD's class in the morning for center time, and DS#2's in the afternoon as a guest reader. And somewhere in between I'll cram in grocery shopping. Crossing my fingers that DS#1 will be fit for school!:confused:

Have a good night everyone,

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

My, my, a busy afternoon. Lots of sad faces too.

Sarah - Sorry this weekend didn't work out for you and I hope things are ok with DH. I second Karen's comment that kids seem to bounce back better than adults do - but I also know that you must have felt terrible. Good for your friend to keep up and to push through into her second (right??) week. You are a good friend to stick with her and help her try to achieve her goal.
Heather - Sounds like you're going to have a busy term/semester with classes - both the ones you are taking and the ones you are teaching. 1 workout down and 5 to go - sounds like a winner to me. Funny thing about weight loss - some days/weeks the weight just melts off and others it just won't go away. I'm sure you'll get the weight off that you'd like time and patience and it's too bad that SBD isn't working this time.
Laura - :( Sorry about the ankle/foot not getting better. As you can imagine I have a soft spot for ankles (and most leg joints for that matter). An as you can guess ankles really take time to heal - there's nothing magic about getting them right. Here's to patience to rest through the healing.
Karen - Only an inch of snow. That's not too bad. Luckily the Y was open so you could get your swim in and I'm also glad your knee behaved for your ride today. Hopefully DS#1 is well enough to go back to school tomorrow so your already packed day isn't even more crazy. Pizza isn't junk food in my book. Just think - you get most of the food groups in one meal - dairy, veggies, bread, meat - the food pyramid on a plate. :)

I had a mixed afternoon. I got a good workout in - 60 minutes of elliptical and I don't seem any worse the wear although for the events of Saturday. No ice tonight but I'm hitting a little pain killer (only tylenol thank you) to relieve the dull ache. I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring besides cold weather down here. It may be an off day for me because of a couple meeting but then again it may be an early afternoon workout because I'm changing jobs in the same office and this one should be less stressful (one can only hope).

Of course, the thing I missed this afternoon was purchasing a new swim suit so I can start preparing for my first triathlon in June. It seems my old suit (about 4 or 5 years old) is starting to show a little more than I'd like. :o I was going to go and get a new one but the stores I went to didn't have anything right now... "it's winter, why would you need a swim suit?"

Happy dreams and I hope that Jackie O is keeping warm in that terribly cold weather in the upper midwest. Minus anything (-22 in Minnesota) is way too cold in my book. Until morning.

Peace,
Les

[Sarah428]

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone, feeling a little brighter today:).

DD seems to be fine, she's got some rug burn marks on her nose and I gave her tylenol yesterday as she was pretty cranky and I chalked it up to a swollen and sore nose.

No walks with the dog these past few nights, something about -5 outside makes me want to curl up in a blanket. I'm starting to feel really guilty around the dog though:o .

Got 5 good miles in on the treadmill this morning and will do my pilates tonight. My friend didn't show up this morning but the plan was to work out 4 days/week so this will an "off" day. She may have hit a roadblock though, she was just offer a 2nd shift job at the hospital (2pm-10:30pm)...and just after she was getting use to hitting the gym at 5am - ugh!

Les - Sorry suit shopping didn't pan out. And I'm with you, pizza is the ultimate food pyramid!

Karen - Irish Oatmeal Bread, yum! Hope DS was able to make it back to school today. Enjoy the center and being the guest reader, what a great mom!

Heather - Thanks for the pick me up, I needed it so much yesterday. I had some problems w/ SBD too. I found I could stick to Phase 1 (and lost 7 lbs) but with Phase 2 I couldn't control myself once I got to add carbs again. I realized that I couldn't do P1 forever and decided to go back to my normal "everything in moderation" motto. What is CORE? I've seen it creap up here now and then on the boards. And congrats on going back to school:) .

Laura - Sorry your foot isn't cooperating with you, I can image how frustrating it can be. Hope you got that pilates in before the sleepy head awoke.

Jacki - Hope you enjoyed your day off yesterday and so glad to hear that you're finally feeling better. Keeping my fingers crossed the DD stays healthy. I just started running in Nov 04, never thought I would run either but now I love it...well, most days;) .

Jacki O - Here I am wishing you luck as you requested! Elbow exercises, I might just have to add those to my workout routine;).

Hey, where's Leah?!?

Wishes for a brighter day!
Sarah

[tmsl]

Sorry this is short, just letting you know I'm alive and kicking. Work has been awful the last few weeks and this week is no better. Top that with jury duty next week and I am overrun. Trying to work out and eat better but a vendor dropped by doughnuts and they popped into my mouth. UGH!!!

Oh well, I'll keep plugging along.

Hi everyone!!

Laura K.

[karen w]

Les-ONE SWIMSUIT IN FIVE YEARS!!!! That's hysterical(to me, anyway! ). I just bought 6 today at Costco, and that should get me through part of the year!:p :rolleyes: But seriously, I did not know there was a triathalon in your future. Good for you! And, of course, good luck with training. Also I hope your work change turns out to be less stressful as well.

Laura K.-Sorry work is so hectic, but thanks for letting us know you're still out there. EVIL DOUGHNUTS!!!!

Sarah-I knew DD would bounce back, and it's good to hear your feeling better, too. The "road rash" reminded me of the time my DS's were younger and DS#1 dragged DS#2 down the stairs on his face!! He had some nice road rash as well, and the school called me concerned he had some sort of contagious rash!!! It's really hard to explain this to the school nurse without cracking up!:p

My day was so-so. I had a really good swim this morning, but afterwords in the shower I was shaking the water out of my hair and I think I pulled a neck muscle!:confused: :mad: So I have been popping tylenols and advils today. DS#1 is still at home with a fever, but fortunately today is DH's day off so I was still able to go to both DD's and DS#2's classrooms. Both went very nicely. And I even managed to squeeze all the grocery shopping in between the two so I'm in good shape for the week(except for the neck) as I think DS#1 will be home again tomorrow:rolleyes: . Oh and I almost forgot, I had a dead battery this morning, but it looks like the main switch for all the lights had been left on in the car. I think DD was playing with it last Friday. :rolleyes: So fortunately, it was not a bad battery issue. DH jumped me, and I was golden for the rest of the day!;) That's about it tonight. Tomorrow I will get my swim in, but I may not be able to do much kickboxing this week if DS#1 does not get better. If I can't do that, I'll bike! Fortunately, I'm in good shape for testing next Wednesday(already have the requirements I need completed), so I should get my green belt next week!:) Tonight I think I'll hit the hay early, and hope my "pain in the neck" goes away:mad: .

Stay warm,

Karen

[ellery]

Slothy wooly-mammoth type creature checking in from the frigid south (27 degrees - where's the snow?????!!!!!!)

Ugh this new work schedule is killing me with no computer time and I'm usually too lazy to check in when I get in at night. Plus all of my spare time seems to have been spent stuffing my face for some reason... Drat! As usual I've been working out faithfully at the gym so am kind of treading water in the pounds department - lose one on the elliptical, put one back on when I get home... :o

Not much to report and am headed upstairs to my comfy and warm bed here in a few minutes. Am just trying to adjust to the new schedule at work and the new curveballs DF keeps throwing at me as far as wedding planning - we've gone from having basically the whole thing planned to the infamous guest list debate and are now reviewing our options again as far as getting a new site here, or maybe the Bahamas or Hawaii... At this point I'm so over wedding planning...

Sorry this is short and whiny but I didn't want you guys to feel I was ignoring you. Well, completely ignoring you that is... :cool:

Will try to get another (better) check-in accomplished later this week. Happy frigid temps all and where's the dog with the flask when you need him????

:)

Leah

[helios7]

Thanks all for the support about going back to school. I'm questioning it now ...:rolleyes:

My second class tonight (the 7-9 one), the teacher waits to pass out the syllabus. Bad sign #1. When its passed out, its 22 pages. Bad sign #2. Assignment #1, due NEXT week - 6 page paper to include about 20 questions about learning language through out your life... AWESOME!

I wanted 2 masters... WHY?


Oh well, once I get into the swing of it, I'm sure I'll feel more confident. Eating dinner at 9:45 also didn't help the panicky feelings .... note to self one apple between veggie chili at 12 and dinner at 9:45 will not cut it.

Oh well, enough whining. See Leah, i whined too.

Sarah - CORE is weight watchers. Its similar to SBD, although no cheese that isn't fat free (unless you use the 35 "points" you get a week), rice or WW pasta or potato at one meal a day and an eat until full but don't overeat mentality. I'm trying it...when in doubt, choose a new diet! :)

Hi to Karen, Les and everyone I missed. Time to make some tea and chill until bed.

night all!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Heather - BTW, I want to thank you for your screen name - I needed the last word to complete the Sunday Crossword and the clue was "Dawn Goddess" and the first letter was "H"... sometimes it pays to pay attention. :) 22 page syllabus - WOW! Neat topic to discuss in your first paper. What is your class in? I bet your two masters will put you in better stead than my two masters do for me (Operations Research and National and Strategic Studies). I second the note to yourself, but then every new day is a learning experience so good for you.
Leah - Glad to "see" you. Sorry to hear about the wedding plan blues -- sometimes there's no winning when it comes to wedding planning. I'd pay good money for 27 degrees today in Norfolk, I think we topped out at 24 or 25 plus WIND. Tell you what, I'll send you the snow that's supposed to be headed our direction in the next couple days. But I think I'll keep the stuff that's headed our way on Friday - I'm so looking forward to running on the trail in the snow. :D
Karen - I know - 5 years for a suit is a long time but you've got to remember that I probably swam a total of 4 times during 3 of those years (1 year in Newport without a decent well heated indoor pool. Plus I don't swim all that much (but I should). Thinking good thoughts for your neck and healing thoughts for DS#1. It sounds like he's just not shaking whatever is ailing him. Good for you tha DH was off today to relieve a little of the pressure.

Today was a self-imposed off day. I should have done something but I spent 3 hours leanring about my new job and building a computer network through lunch then had a church council meeting so I oculdn't workout after work so -- rest (which I bet I needed after this weekend). And there's always tomorrow. :)

I pray that Jackie O is taking care of herself and keeping warm as with the rest of the folks out there. It's going to be a nasty one in the eastern half of the country.

Until the morning, bed time calls. Peace,
Les

Edited to correct crossword reference.

[Sarah428]

Happy Hump Day!

Les - So a triathalon huh? I've always been tempted by those, maybe that will be in my 5 year plan. Wishes for healthy and injury-free training.

Heather - 2 Masters!?! You're my idol! Thanks for explaining CORE to me...now that you mentioned it I recall hearing about it. I was confusing it with Core Secrets (the stability ball workout). Anyway, good luck with your paper.

Leah - Thanks for checking in. I forgot about your new work schedule, sorry it's not adjusting to you all that well. Hope your wedding plans iron themselves out soon.

Karen - So did the "pain in your neck" vanish? I hope so! Soory DS isn't back on his feet just yet, poor thing.

Laura K - You need the new and improved Sweet Shield, it defends against all donuts, cookies, brownies - you name it, it bounces it right off. Yeah right!!!:rolleyes:

Well I actually got my pilates in last night (cheers, yeah, way to go) and a good circuit training in at the gym this morning. 2 hour delays and cancellations here today so was a high heart rate drive in this morning. I'm suppose to get a haircut tonight but not sure I'll brave the roads.

My friend made it to the gym this morning but seems to be losing some steam (hard to get up in the am, unsupportive DH, change in work schedule)...now what??:confused:

Sarah

[ilovehubby]

Not to be a complainer but HELLO it's COLD! It's only 66 degrees in my house because it's only 24 degrees out (while I recognize that's a heat wave for some of you...this is why I moved from Indiana...)

Maggie is having a really tough time...up most every night for last two nights doing breathing treatments every four hours and trying to make her more comfortable because she can't sleep she is so congested and miserable...poor thing...won't eat...but will drink some. I love my doctor...BUT took Maggie in today because last night was so yucky with her breathing so fast and working so hard...I felt so dumb because he said, "Well how do you KNOWWWWW she was wheezing and having problems with her breathing if you didn't hear her wheezing..."...then he listened to her lungs and heard her wheezing. VINDICATION!! YAY!! I'm not crazy...or at least not in that instance:) Hopefully the oral steroid he started her on today will help her turn a corner so we can breathe easy and sleep....!

Did aerobics on Monday and it felt so great! Nothing since then of course...don't feel like I have a minute to think but I'm sure she'll be better soon...hopefully real soon:) Have not eaten all of food in freezer as I would like but it's really only because I've not had the time.

Just wanted to take a moment to hear/read healthy living inspiration:)

Jacki

[Leslie Ferguson]

Awfully quiet - even for this thread. Wonder... could it be the cold weather and the weird schedules? :confused: Probably is.

Sarah - I'm glad your friend has been coming out and I'm sorry that she's starting to have problems getting to the gym. It's always hard the second week once the novelty wears off and it doesn't help that DH isn't supportive. You may have to figure out some other schedule for her to get to the gym if her 2nd shift job change takes shape. Other than that, I'd say accentuate the positive and be very supportive of her - she needs someone to cheer her on and let her know that someone's out there pulling for her. I wish I had some other magic formula but I don't. I think a couple years from now would be a good goal for you to look at a triathlon - I mean I've been marathoning since 2000 and have been taken out of the long distance running game because of injury so triathlon is a natural progression for me right now. The sprint tri will be odd for me since I'm not a "good" short distance runner etc. I really do well when the rubber really has to hit the road for a long time. I guess that will just cause me to have a different training mindset.

Speaking of which I got over to the gym during lunch before things got too out of control this evening (predicting snow in Norfolk which will be our death traffic wise). An hour on the elliptical and NO ankle pain to speak of so I've dodged the bullet once again :rolleyes: with my ankle. Some day my guardian angel will quit and make me pay for all the dumb stuff I do.

Back to work and happy "Anything Can Happen Day" to everyone.

Peace,
Les

[Sarah428]

((((Jacki and Maggie)))
Sending hugs and get well wishes your way!

[Laura]

Just a quick hello.

Jacki, I hope Maggi is doing better soon. Jack (my DS) takes Singulair every night which helps keep the asthma in check and works double duty for his grass allegies.

Leah, glad you checked in, I hope the work and wedding plans even out.

Les, yay on the no-ankle issue. My foot is still bugging me so I have not yet tried running. Hopefully next week.

Karen, sorry DS#1 is still under the weather. I hope the rest of your family stays healthy. Congratulations on doing all that is needed for the green belt.

I did a body sculpting class today; it felt good to be back into lifting which fell by the wayside during the latter months of training. Tomorrow I am meeting a friend at 7:30 and we are going to do intervals on teh stationary bikes since she does not like spin classes.

Hi to everyone I missed!

Laura

[Leslie Ferguson]

Jacki - I too hope you both are better soon. It has to be very difficult with a sick child in the house and the other stress that is going on in your life. I'll be praying for you both and a quick recovery. I'm also glad that you've been able to keep at least a little sanity in your life - albeit infrequent.

Peace,
Les

[helios7]

It was a slow day... must be the cold.

Yep, I'm back. Warning warning... blahness ahead. Today was supposed to be a gym day, but it just didn't happen. I stayed late at work, we have two kids in my class that I have had questionable "abuse" type warning signals go off for in the past week, and I just lost my steam. Its just depressing even though both are most likely false alarms. Even a magazine couldn't entice me there, drinking hot tea at home and some downtime just won out.

This is day 4 of DH being away on business, and I think that's affecting my mood. I miss him, I'm all alone (with our cat) and the city kind of scares me alone. I don't sleep well, and my mood has just been off. So ... he comes home tomorrow late at night... hopefully my moods will restabilize then.

Les- That's so funny! I actually borrowed the name from my cat. He's orange and white, so when we got him we looked at sun god names in three languages, Inca, Greek and ??? Helios was the one we liked best. Didn't know it went for goddesses too!

Sarah - Thanks for the support. I hope DD is feeling better. Regarding motivation - that's tough. I tend to be in the "I either motivate myself or I don't" camp, so I don't really draw on other people. Encouragement? Can you "leave" things in her car that she'll have to return to you? Like socks? :D

Jacki - hope your daughter is feeling better. I had bad asthma as a teen, although its better as an adult now. Scary stuff.

Karen - hope your neck feels better. I can't remember when I last bought a swimsuit - I avoid it like the plague!

Leah - it will all work out. It will, and you'll be a beautiful bride. Even if you have to murder DF in the process! We'll bail you out of jail...

Hi to anyone I missed.
heather

[karen w]

Must be a blah day all around....:(

Started the morning with a DELAYED swim! They could not find the keys to the pool this morning at the "Y" so I waited around until Voila....they magically materialized. I still got in my whole swim, and made it home in time(cut down on shower and socializing time:D , and no sauna!). And it was a very good swim too. It really helped my neck which feels a bit better today, but I think needs one or two more days to be perfect again. Unfortunately DS#1 has just not been able to shake this silly fever, so he was home again today which meant I was too:( . So no kickboxing(again), but I did get in a pretty intense 30 min. bike ride, laundry, and turning the house upside down for DD's lost library book. Yep, it's really lost, allright!:( Dh has a meeting at Yale tonight, and another one tomorrow night, so it's just the kids and I tonight. And I think everyone needs to hit the hay early since DD was very cranky this morning, DS#1 needs his rest etc....

Leah-Glad to hear your alive anyway. I hope the transition to the new job gets easier. Sorry the wedding woes have got you down, though. Just remember it will be worth it in the end!

Jacki-Just don't forget....Mother knows best! At least when it comes to their kids. I'm glad the doctor did finally agree as well, and Maggie's getting some treatment. I hope she improves. We gotta get these sick kids better!!

Heather-Wow! Two masters! That is alot under one persons belt. You can do it, though. Good luck!

Sarah-Yippee for your workout. Sorry to hear your friend is losing steam. It really helps to have supposrt people at home. I know I would not be able to go for my morning swims if it weren't for my DH's help and support. He jokingly teases me that it's probably cheaper than psychiatric therapy if that's what I need to do to stay
sane:D .

Les-Good luck getting the new job situation organized. What kind of position is it??

Laura-What exactly do you do in a body sculpting class? The title alone sounds interesting....like I really need something else to get started with right now. Just curious(right!:rolleyes: ).

Hope tomorrow the blahs go away for everyone. Looks like I'll probably be at home with DS#1 again. It's almost Friday!!!

Stay warm,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Originally posted by Leslie Ferguson
I needed the last word to complete the Sunday Crossword and the clue was "Dawn Goddess" and the first letter was "H"... sometimes it pays to pay attention.
Originally posted by helios7
Les- That's so funny! I actually borrowed the name from my cat. He's orange and white, so when we got him we looked at sun god names in three languages, Inca, Greek and ??? Helios was the one we liked best. Didn't know it went for goddesses too!
:o Of course it would help to get my mythology correct because it certainly didn't help my crossword completion. I sadly got the answer incorrect - it would have helped to have the correct starting letter ("S" not "H" :o ). But if it's any consolation I'll always think of Helios as a dawn goddess (the sun rises at the dawn -- that's my story and I'm sticking with it).
I stayed late at work... questionable "abuse" type warning signals... This is day 4 of DH being away on business... he comes home tomorrow late at night... hopefully my moods will restabilize then.
Gee - I can't imagine why you were under stress and not feeling up to working out. Especially with the yucky weather. Being one who spends time away from home because of work I bet you'll be thrilled to have DH back home. Enjoy your day tomorrow. :)
Karen - They really have problems with the keys to the pool at the Y don't they? I think this is the second or third time they've been without a key in the past 6 months or so. Sorry that DD lost her book and that DS#1 isn't better yet. Hopefully soon. But it's good that you got a good swim in and had a good neck-relaxing workout. Hopefully your neck issues will be gone for good soon too. What am I doing in my new job at work? It's kind of hard to explain what I was doing but suffice to say I've gone from being responsible for writing tactics for ships in the Navy to defend themselves against other ships, tactics for conducting land attacks, and moving Marines from ships to the shore (all my current job description) to being responsible for all the Information Technology (computers, video teleconferencing, etc.) and technical support (online and hard copy publishing) for the command. Even though the IT stuff is maddening because of all the rules involved this job will be less stressful overall and I've already started to de-stress - all after 2 days in the job. Now all I have to do is complete the clean out of my junk files and I'm fully done. :)

For everyone else - I hope you all area well and your families are healthy and happy.

Until morning... peace,
Les

[Laura]

Just finished a bike interval workout at the gym. I have a bit of dilemma with the woman who wants to work out with me is that I am much more fit cardio wise so while I wanted to keep going, she needed to stop. I guess I will maybe start going a little earlier, so I can get an additional 20-30 minutes in.

I am really sore/tight from my class yesterday. Karen a body scuplting class is essentially a weight lifting class, but there are really no breaks, and you use dumbbells and body bars. Also, the instructor really varies the sets (sometimes 3 seconds going up 1 down, the reverse of that, regular time, etc). It is pretty much an allover weightlifting in one hour. I won't do it all the time, but I hope to be able to go twice a week.

Not much else to report. I whacked my knee on the bike during an interval (how I have no idea :rolleyes: ), but so now I have a lovely bruise forming on my right knee to match the slight limp I have with my left foot. :D

[Sarah428]

Originally posted by Laura
I have a bit of dilemma with the woman who wants to work out with me is that I am much more fit cardio wise so while I wanted to keep going, she needed to stop. I guess I will maybe start going a little earlier, so I can get an additional 20-30 minutes in.

I whacked my knee on the bike during an interval (how I have no idea :rolleyes: ), but so now I have a lovely bruise forming on my right knee to match the slight limp I have with my left foot. :D
I have the same dilemma with my friend and I started showing up about 15 minutes before her to get some added minutes. Glad your able to get back into weights. That's another reason I'm not certain a marathon is right for me...just way to much training. Take care of that lower body, seems to be accident/injury prone!

Heather - Remember, tomorrow is another day. We all need some re-energizing time now & then. I hate when Dh is away. I sleep on the couch w/ all the lights on so I know what's going on in every corner of the house. My mind can write the scarest thoughts at the most simple sound.

Karen - Sorry to hear the DS isn't up to par yet.

Now all I have to do is complete the clean out of my junk files and I'm fully done. Yeah Les!

Not much to report here. Did make the drive to my haircut last night. Ran with group this morning, 2 miles on treadmill, 3 outside. I finally have time to walk the dog tonight, I think she's excited:p !

Sarah

[karen w]

Well today was a bit better for our family....kinda, sorta?!:( My neck/left shoulder area still has quite a kink in it, but I had a fabulous swim this morning which helped things. I also soaked in the jacuzzi afterward with the jets on that area to try to soothe it some. Until it goes away, tylenol/motrin is my friend. The kids were on a 90 min. delay from school as we had an inch or so of snow overnight, so I also had time to hop on my bike for 30 min. before the bus came. I kept DS#1 home again, but decided that he needed to see the pediatrician this morning. His cough/chest sounds more congested. So after the other two got off to school, we went to the doctor's office. Sure enough, he has a pneumonia. So he began antibiotics this afternoon, and I hope he will be fit to go to school on Monday. Meanwhile, I e-mailed his teacher and will pick up his homework tomorrow. Also DD's book turned up today...in her cubicle at school! So we don't have to pay for this one!:rolleyes: Tomorrow I plan on keeping DS#1 home again, so it will be a swim and bike ride for me. DD has ballet in the afternoon, and it is Pinewood Derby time of year. Weigh in is tomorrow night. DH will go for DS#1. And if the antibiotics do there job, DS#1 should be able to race his car on Saturday(I hope).

Laura-I figured that was what body sculpting was all about. Something I probably could use, but I think I'll just stick to biking, swimming, and kickboxing for now.;) Watch those knees!!!

Les-Boy I'm glad someone else takes care of all that technical military stuff, and not me! Does sound quite interesting though. Glad things are getting less stressful, too!

To everyone else I missed, hope your day was good and tomorrow is another good one. Until then...have a good evening.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Laura - Take it easy on your knees ;) we don't need any more "cripples" around here - I'm doing just fine for all of us thank you. Good to see that you're getting back to your workout routine - I knew you would when you were good and ready.
Sarah - I'm with the others and if you need a little extra workout you can either show up a little early or stay a little later. But I've found that staying later is a little more deflating to someone who is just getting started or a little "behind". I'm glad there was a little sanity in your life even with all the snow etc. Interesting about how DH being away affects you (MTF).
Karen - Sorry DS#1 has pneumonia - never fun for a kid to have something like that and (as you know) it will be a little while before he's back at his best. And keeping him home is probably a good thing for all involved. YEAH on finding DD book -- it is never good for little kids to fear books and losing them. What's kind of funny about all the technical stuff in the military is I really like working with that type of information but I don't like having to write about new technical stuff.

I pulled off another elliptical workout after work today - felt good and strong. I'm starting to get my wind back and I think I'll be fully up for Boston barring any more injuries. Of course, there's a lot of ground between here and there (figuratively).

Ok - to the DH being gone thought. Are there any special things that you do when DH is gone (besides sleeping on the couch ;) )? LW used to wear my shirts, especially the flannel ones, around the house while I was gone. She said it reminded her of me and was a good way to keep me close(r) to her mind while I was away.

Not much more tonight. Waiting for the snow to come - they're predicting about an inch. If I were a betting man I'd believe we'll be delayed 2 hours in the morning (but I'll probably go in on time because there probably won't be much traffic with the delay). So off to bed for a good nights rest --- until morning...

Peace,
Les

[Sarah428]

Karen - Sorry to hear about DS, hope he starts getting better soon with the help of the Rx.

Managed to walk the dog last night. A friend of mine (another one who is seeking exercise motivation from me:eek: !) joined me. It was about 8 degrees so we only lasted about 30 minutes. The dog was so happy!

Woke up this morning dreading doing my circuit training. But I told myself that I needed to go to support my friend...and low and behold she didn't show up! Oh well.

Not much planned for the weekend. I'm working at Hallmark 9-3 tomorrow and going out to dinner with DH and DD Saturday evening. Sunday is a free day - yeah! Suppose to getting dumped on with more snow late tonight, I'll try to dig out before Monday.

Have a great weekend!
Sarah

[Laura]

I did upper and lower body weights today; it was less intense than I would normally do, but my friend Lori came with (although she only stayed for the lower body) and is rather new to lifting. I will only be lifting with her one day a week and the other days I will be doing the body sculpting class so that won't be a problem. More difficult days will be cardio as she is not quite as fit cardio wise. I am sure we will make it work though.

Karen...poor DS, I hope the antibiotics kick in quickly. Enjoy your weekend.

Sarah, I am impressed that you and your friend lasted 30 minutes at 8 degrees. I don't know if I am that dedicated. Good for you for making it to the gym. I hope your Sunday is relaxing.

Les, I am glad your endurance is coming back to previous levels. Avoid the trees for the next 3 months so no surprise roots jump up and grab you. ;)

I may try to get a spinning class in tomorrow a.m., it depends what time the kids need to be at their dad's house.

Have a good weekend everyone!

[ellery]

I can't even pretend to keep up with everything going on with the thread this week...

Just wanted to fit in another paltry check-in before the weekend. Am pleased to say that yet another anteater phase is over and I'm done inhaling food. This phase's end was helped along by a horrid idea I had Monday afternoon to stop by a snooty store and try on wedding dresses. Of course the dresses I tried on were more fit for a Gwyneth Paltrow type person, and I'm more a J-Lo type person, so it was not so good for the ego. Plus the mirror was a fat mirror, the lights weren't flattering... ;)

So I'm back on the workout kick and am patiently waiting for DF to decide which wedding plan we're going with this week. So far we've got reservations at 3 different places so far, all for the same day. I'm sorta crossing my fingers for a wedding/honeymoon in Kauai (where we got engaged ;) ) with a party sometime afterwards that friends can attend and I can continue to milk the whole bride thing...

Okay, must get busy on dinner and stuff before DF gets home. Hope everyone has a nice weekend and I sure wish you'd share your snow...

:)

Leah

[karen w]

Well, good news from the infirmary. The antibiotics DS is on seem to be doing there thing. He woke up this morning without a fever, and I have not needed to give him tylenol all day long. To top it off, he has eaten 3 meals today! So I think we have turned a corner. I still kept him home as his breathing is still a bit labored from the pneumonia. And besides....he needs at least one "day of grace." I did get to his school to pick up his homework, so he can catch up over the weekend before he goes back next week.

I had a very good swim this morning, and another good bike ride after the other two rugrats got off to school. As a matter of fact, I think this was one of my best bike rides ever! My right shoulder was still quite bothersome this morning, but the swim and a jacuzzi helped a bit. Tonight it seems much better than it did this afternoon, so I think that too is on the mend.

Weekend plans have been altered dramatically by mother nature. They are predicting from 10-20 inches of snow beginning tomorrow afternoon. The Cub scout Pinewood Derby has already been canceled. DD has a b-day party to go to tomorrow, but I'm not sure if that is going to go down either. So it looks like we are going to have to snuggle in for a cold, snowy weekend. I'll probably do alot of biking and perhaps some cooking.

Leah-Glad Mr. anteater took a vacation for now. Give him an extra nickel, and maybe he'll go further away!:D Wow, do those wedding plans sound complex...AND STRESSFUL!! I know everything will come together, though, and it will be beautiful.

Les-It's so good to hear the renewed excitement in your words now that you have new running goals and the wind is returning in your sails...so to speak. Crossing my fingers for you that there are no tree roots or handlebar flips etc... in your future!!;) :D

Sarah-BRRRR! I woulda just let the dog out by himself with those temps. More power to you!!!

Laura-Glad to hear you're getting back into your routine, too. I am strong with cardio. from all my swimming. It's certain muscle groups that could use strengthening for me. That's why body sculpting would be a neat thing to do for me, but right now I have enough on my plate. Besides I'm alot stronger now than I ever was before as I was the 90# twiggy all through high school etc....:o

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Stay safe and warm!!

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Originally posted by ellery
Hope everyone has a nice weekend and I sure wish you'd share your snow... :)

Gladly share as much as you'd like from here but sadly it looks like we'll be a little far east to get anything really good. But is your old haunts (Richmond) they're looking forward to a bunch of snow/slush/maybe sleet this weekend. I know -- tease. ;)
I hope your wedding angst/stress slows down soon - but I expect it won't until after the blessed event. Please try to keep things under wraps and your stress level down as much as possible. I'll be thinking calming pastel green thoughts.
Originally posted by karen w
Well, good news from the infirmary... To top it off, he has eaten 3 meals today!
Now that sounds like a 10 year old boy to me! :D
I did get to his school to pick up his homework, so he can catch up over the weekend before he goes back next week.
Gee thanks mom. ;)
Weekend plans have been altered dramatically by mother nature. They are predicting from 10-20 inches of snow beginning tomorrow afternoon.
Shhh! Don't tell Leah.;)
Les-It's so good to hear the renewed excitement in your words now that you have new running goals and the wind is returning in your sails...so to speak. Crossing my fingers for you that there are no tree roots or handlebar flips etc... in your future!!;) :D
Thanks - it feels good too. Of course the running goals are definitely suplanted by the reduction in stress at work now. It is official I'm in my new job and I've pretty much been "relegated" to the SLJO considering most of the folks who work for me do so without any supervision (and have done so for many, many years I might add). Leaves me time to edit and critique writing as opposed to generating it. It really does feel good. :D

Cold night tonight but I think we'll miss the worst of it here. Maybe a little light snow overnight but nothing to speak of.

Regardless, going running in the morning and even have all my cold weather running gear sitting on the couch (in a warm spot) for me to get out of the house at a gentlemanly 7:15 (as long as the roads aren't icy).

Please stay warm and healthy and if you don't have to be on the roads this weekend the please stay in and if you do be safe.

Peace,
Les

[Leslie Ferguson]

Just a quick check in on this "wonderful" Saturday... For today's run it was dry to start, we had no precip over night. But about 5 miles into the run there were a few hard/frozen snow flakes (almost snow pellets but not sleet). By the time we got done with 12+ miles there was a fine dusting of snow pellets on the ground - kind of slick but not too bad. Then by the time I left the park it was snowing pretty good. Of course in the 6 or 7 miles it took for me to get to my steam room it was raining and it's been raining ever since. One of the "blessings" of having the temp above freezing for now. Of course, once the temp drops tonight it may be another story. :rolleyes: Anyway - the run went well if you can "ignore" the gastric disturbance at the 9 mile point. Luckily there are facilities at the 10 mile point or I'd have been in trouble. Finished 12 miles strong and then took a great 20 minute steam (after making sure my coach did his first 10 [or 19] miles - I only make that mistake once).

Now just what to do for the rest of the day before the temp drops... Plenty of things to do regardless.

Peace and stay warm,
Les

[karen w]

Happy Saturday everyone,

DD's b-day party was canceled and rescheduled for next Sunday, and religious school is canceled for tomorrow. Our snow began around 1:30pm, but we are told it is supposed to get worse later. So the hatches are battened down!! DH went out this morning with the kids to Tae Kwon Do(DS#1 went, but watched. He's almost back to his old self, though:) ). Afterwards he stopped to pick up a few things at the store, so I could cook up some soup tomorrow on our snowy weekend, and to the library for movies. He also stocked our wood bin for some cozy fires in the fireplace. So we are ready for mother nature's fury....I think! :confused: I had a nice sweaty bike ride while the boys and DD were out this morning, and will plan on doing the same tomorrow.

Les-Congratulations on your new official job title!

Hope everyone is warm and safe!

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Karen, Sarah, Heather - and any others that I may have missed in the Northern part of the country. I hope and pray that you all are ok this evening and into tomorrow. It looks like the weather is terrible in your neck of the woods and not getting any better. Please be careful and stay warm and I hope that your electricity stays on.

Prayers for safe passage of the storm for all.

Peace,
Les