OH the PRESSURE to blog..........

LOL. You guys are pretty pushy you know? So.....here's how it goes....

This is starting my fourth week. I have gotten the hang of it a little better now but there is still so much to learn. I still haven't been shown the other programs i am going to have to do....but its yet to come. I still don't know anyone well enough to strike up a conversation with them cuz all we seem to do is work and when you aren't working...you are trying to get rid of the numbness in your butt, walking around to put the circulation back in your legs and going to the bathroom. LOL I am still not sure if this job is gonna be my cup of tea or not. It's not hard work...it's really actually kinda boring...right now anyway....its like just comparing one line of information with the information the computer put in that section and if its wrong you have to correct it. I would rather have to enter all the information myself. It would make the day go faster and i can go faster that way. And i am not real thrilled with having my days off spread out.....i like having them together so i have time to relax for at least one day. but oh well.

Now that most of the family blogs we can keep up with each other better. Mel needs to get on this train with us. Maybe that would be an outlet for some of her frustrations and stress. HOW BOUT IT MEL??

New Job Frustrations

Ok...one week has gone by. Training was not too bad....but on Friday when i went to the Lees Summit office....OH MY. The main program that i do isn't too bad. I can do it failry well. BUT....the second program they showed me how to do on the last day of training....i fear it will be my downfall. Every one of the forms i have done since i learned them i have gotten an error on. Friday i was so frustrated i was in tears. Today wasn't too bad cuz i only did that program once and only did about 3 documents...lol. AND my supervisor had one of the girls sit with me and walk me through them. Maybe that was why it went a bit better. OMG....will i ever get this? I guess i will but since its only been 6 working days....we shall see. At least the people at my office are a bit more friendly. They all talk to me and say hi and good morning which makes me feel much better.

Pray for me!!!

Information OVERLOAD!!!

The first day on a new job.....ugh. I have so much information rolling around in my head that i can't even keep it all straight. They crammed me so full of info on the first day that i have a headache. I have a book of insurance codes that they tell me i will memorize...yeah right...lol. This book is as thick as one of those big dictionaries. It's not too bad though. After i get the hang of it i think it might be ok...maybe....i dunno...lol.

I am staying with Mel these 4 days cuz she lives closer to where i have to train in Lenexa. 5 min apposed to 40 min....hmmm...which would you choose.

OH YEAH. Sunday after church i go out and get in my van and try to leave.....NOT HAPPENING! I turn the key and NOTHING HAPPENS...a coulple of guys try jumpstarting it and they finally fet it started. So we let it run a while...and I follow Paul to his house so he can hook it up to a meter to see if its something other than just the battery. He said there wasn't much charge coming from the alternator. So before i shut it off i go back to the church. I left it running and went inside. Well...needless to say...it died and didn't start again. I ended up calling Kia and got the number for the roadside service off the answering machine. I called it and they sent a tow truck to get it and towed it up to Shawnee Mission Kia since that is close to Mels...which is where i was gonna be staying.

Well i had planned on going to Mels after church so i could go to the picnic the boys were having to start their VBS at their church but had to get my stuff packed up before i could go. Soooooooo.....we had to make other plans. Diana Cotton said she would take me up there if i wanted her to. She is so sweet. But Mel came and met us in Grandview so she didn't have to drive all the way up to Mels.

Mel and I went by Kia to see where they put my van...it was at the gate of the Kia lot and Mel noticed that the window on the passenger side was open and it was supposed to rain Sunday night. We stopped and I tried to shut the window...but there was absolutely NO power so I couldn't close it. Luckily there was a guy inside the gate that was getting a car for someone ready. Mel went inside and asked if he could maybe jump the battery so i could at least get the window up. He came out and jumped the battery and said that he would just move it inside the gate since he had it started. So i felt better with it on the inside of the gate and the window shut....

Mel took me to work this morning and I called Kia...told them about my problems with the van and he said he would call me that afternoon and let me know what was going on with it but if its just the battery it wasn't under the warranty and i would have to pay the diagnostic fee. BUT if it was the battery AND the alternator I wouldn't have to pay the fee. So on my lunch break i called and he said that it was my alternator and that my battery was shot also. I said...so how much will it cost to replace the battery. He says....120.00. Then he tells me that my front brake pads are gonna need changing soon. I said...ok....how much will that cost....he said....the brake pads and the battery together would cost me around 289.00 I about swallowed my tongue. I said...NOT today....but thanks. i said...will the battery hold a charge at all? he said....no. If you shut the van off it won't start again. I said...will it hold a charge long enough to get me to Walmart? He said...just don't shut it off. So we went to Walmart and they put a battery in for me for 62.89. Brake pads will come later when i can find someone willing to do it for me for a lot less than Kia wants to do it. LOL

Now i just have to find my way to work by myself tomorrow....I hope i remember how...LOL

I really didn't need all this stress starting a new job.

Day 1 over.

Procrastinating

I am so bad with this posting...sorry.

I got a new job yesterday. I had originally applied for a work at home job with LabOne in Lees Summit. They called me in for an interview and some testing. I talked to the guy doing the hiring and he was telling me about the job and looking over my application and saw that i did data entry at IRS and he said....We just got the word that we have 5 openings in our data entry department...would you like to test for one of those? Well i said sure why not. so i took the data entry test. It was a timed 5 minute typing test of names and addresses. Their requirements were like 3200 kph (keystrokes per hour) and my kph was 9654 with 0 errors. needless to say they were pretty impressed with the 0 errors and liked the key strokes too. so i interviewed with the supervisor in the data entry department and she told me about the job and asked me questions about my job at irs and then we went back to the first guy. He gave me the packet of first day papers and said he would call and let me know when to come in for the training....you train in Lenexa for the first 4 days and then you work in the Lee's Summit office. SOOOOOOOOOOOO......it seems like a pretty good job....cept for the pay. Its about 5.oo less than what i make now at irs ......but it is a full time job. its closer to home...i won't have to drive downtown....they have company paid insurance right now but will change soon cuz Quest Diagnostics bought them....but they said it would be a small amount for insurance.....they have an incentive program right now but they are not sure if they will have it after Quest revamps.....they have a 401K which i can roll over my 401k from irs....and after a year the company will match what you pay in. ALL-IN-ALL.....i will try it and see if it will pay my bills while i am laid off and if i don't like it i can go back to irs when they call me back. and if i want to try it longer....i can refuse to go back to irs for 2 years before i have to resign. so we will se what we will see.

As for my weight...i haven't weighed for a while now...i keep putting it off. hoping it will be a big number when i finally do go weigh....lol. and i WILL go weigh soon i promise.

I showed some of the girls at work the neclace i made for your friend amanda...and i now have to make 5 more of them. I will be blind before i get all those seed beads strung. UGH!! But they are pretty...i am making 2 pink ones like yours, a blue one and 2 peridot green ones. i have one pink, the blue one and one of the green ones done so far. amd Jen....i think i have found some chunky black beads....so you will have to see if they are what you want or not. I will make up the bracelet and then you can decide. I hope its what you were looking for. they are the only ones i can find....well i did find some really big black ones but they had white stripes on them and were really heavy cuz they are glass. The ones i have are glass too...but they aren't real big.

Those babies are just growing up too fast....Standing and Walking and all....sheesh i am really feeling OLD! lol but they are both getting so dang cute i just can't stand it....i want to come see them both soon.

Posting is not my thing...

I am so bad about updating this thing. And Stacy i don't remember how to update the ticker on the top of the page. I tried but it didn't work.

Well i didn't get the perm job i applied for at work. Not sure how they picked people but i guess that seniority means diddly squat at IRS. I have been there 22 years now and thats almost longer than anyone else in my department.....but that just don't hold water for nothing. but at least i don't get laid off till end of July this year....whoopie doo....I have put in an application at LabOne for a part time work at home job. they train you for 2 weeks there at LabOne 8:30 to 5 and then you work from home part time from 1pm to 6pm. We shall see how that goes and if i even get it.

I have lost 100 lbs. the last i weighed. I need to go weigh again but by the time i get home i am too pooped to go trapsing through the hospital to find the scale. I will soon though.

I went and got my picture taken at the church tonight for the new church directory. Olan Mills took them. I have a lazy eye that really shows up in the pics. its crazy but it doesn't even pick up the light either. the right eye sparkles and the left one is dull. You will see when i get them.

I was so glad Amanda was home this weekend. I miss her when she is gone so long. But....i am always the last one to know that she is coming home. Mom is always the last to know things i guess. Love you baby!!!

Graceful I am NOT

Most of you have already heard about this....but Here goes.

Last weekend Mom and I went to Holts Summit to see my sister clog. We went down Friday and had a great meal of chicken on the grill after Ruth cleaned out the grill from the Bird that wanted to take possession for a bird house. After supper i kinda fell asleep and the rest of them played scrabble. Saturday....we lazed around the house till it was time to go watch Ruth dance. We went to Mokane and she danced at the nursing home which all went well and nobody messed up too bad or fell on the slick floor (and they all did a great job). Then we went over to the park where they were going to perform again for family and friends and then have a BBQ with hotdogs and all the trimmings that others brought to share with everyone. Well.....we parked the van and got out and got out the lawn chairs we brought. Ruth took two of them and her and mom entered the shelter house. I picked up the other chair and started to enter but my toe either caught on the cement floor edge or the small stump covered with grass at the entrance and i started to stumble. I had more or less caught my balance and was ok......till i dropped the lawn chair i was carrying and tripped over it.....all i could think was "Here I go...no stopping now." All i could see was the cement floor coming at my face and i put out my hand to stop myself. I kinda fell like i was doing the "worm" dance. I looked up and saw everyone looking at me and i put my hands under my chin and was SO embarrassed. Ruth said that when she turned around and looked at me i had one of my feet up in the air behind me and i looked like i had laid down to read a book or something. She came over and asked if i was alright....i said...open the chair so i can get up. I had gotten up on my hands and knees so i could get up easier but needed something to put my hand on so i could get up. (I haven't lost enough yet to just be able to jump up in the middle of the room yet) But Ruth just kept asking if i was alright. i said....JUST OPEN THE CHAIR so i can get up!!!!

Anyway....i got up and put ice on my arm and hand which was hurting and the next couple days the pain was a bit worse. My fingers started getting numb and my hip is hurting and i went and got them both X-rayed. Nothing is broken...just bruised a lot. I am taking liquid advil gel caps and it helps some.

I am DEFINITELY NOT graceful!

More Poking and Prodding

Ok....i called the clinic and told them that i really needed to see someone about his pain i was having in my back cuz it was putting me into tears it was getting so bad. Of cours nobody answered the phone when they sent me to Dr K but i was sure she would call me back cuz she usually does. Instead Nishi called (she is the office patient advocate) and tells me to come in Wednesday to see Jeff (he is the cute doctor that i used as moral support when the other doctor injected me in the back before) He explained to me what was causing my pain and that he was going to inject some numbing medicine and steroids into the "V" pads under the L-5 part of my spine. Instead he worked on the part that was really hurting me and causing the tears to flow. He injected the stuff in the space by L-5 and i am feeling MUCH better. Now if the other spot keeps hurting (its a spot across my left buttox cheek) he is going to take care of that in two weeks. Wish i had known that he could do the shots earlier so i wouldn't have had to wait on the other guy to come back from vacation (which he hasn't yet and not sure what that situation is for sure) cuz i sure would have called sooner and had him do this sooner. Anyway....i feel much better now and i thank you all for your prayers.

I did weigh while i was there too....i have now lost 97 pounds...still shy of my 100 pound goal of two weeks ago. I guess i need to watch what i am eating now....been too many dinners and parties and eating the wrong stuff. When i am good i loose faster....when i am bad....i don't lose. SOOOOOOOOO.....back to being good. Hopefully by the next post i can report a significant loss.

Great Weekend

This weekend was very good. Amanda was home and it was her birthday and we saw family and it was just a good time. (however she was home from thursday night to sunday afternoon and didn't sleep here ONCE!!!...lol) It is always good when she comes home. (cuz i miss her...)

Well....i didn't post on my birthday.....cuz i didn't quite make my goal....i was like 4 pounds shy and it depressed me some. BUT....i am over it now. sort of... maybe.... NOT...lol...but i will live.

If my doctor ever gets back from his vacation i might get some relief from my hip and leg pain i have been having since the end of the spinal shots. The back feels better...but the hips have to go. It's heck getting old.

Busy Busy Busy

I know....its been a while since i posted. Been pretty busy at work lately. LOTS of overtime and lots of fatigue. I go to work, come home, sit down to relax and next thing i know it's time for bed. I started working the 4/10 work schedule (thats 4 10 hour days and three days off) and have yet to have a 3 day weekend. Last weekend we had mandatory overtime and was supposed to have it again this weekend but they called off the mandatory part of it for some reason. I am still going to work Saturday but i can work however many hours i want to. They (meaning the people in my work group of people) are going to have a dinner tomorrow at work in honor of my birthday which is Sunday. I will be 25.........oops i think i transposed those numbers....lol. Three of my friends at work took me out for supper Thursday after work for my birthday. We went to Habeneros (not sure i spelled that right....i KNOW i didn't...lol) in Lees Summit. I haven't been there since about two mothers days ago. Amanda used to take me there on Mothers Day when she was home. I had the Habbi Dip and a Chicken Chimichanga. It was very good but i had to bring most of mine home. Will have it for lunch today.

My back was doing pretty good after my injections. Then last week i guess i turned the wrong way or i slept the wrong way or something, but all this week i have been having a lot of trouble with it hurting a LOT. Sitting in the chairs at work kills me. They were supposed to call me back with an appointment for my next shots since he was on vacation when i was supposed to go the last time but guess they forgot about me. I will have to call them and see when i go back.

The last time i weighed i had lost 95 pounds. I need to go and weigh again. My first goal was to have lost 100 pounds by my birthday this year. I am pretty sure i have done that, but need to go and weigh and see since that deadline is Sunday.

I tried to add a ticker at the top of my blog....would anyone like to help me with that. I am not sure how to do it. Can you walk me through it? HELPPPPP....lol

A great weekend

I had a very good weekend. Amanda was home and we went to see Stacy and Nathan and Abby and Ruth and Bob. That was great to see everyone. Cuddling babies is fun. I went with Jen and Amanda to Ruth's house for a Pampered Chef party. I took a vacation day on Friday so i could go and be with amanda longer...lol. It was fun.

I had my second in a series of 3 shots in my back. This one wasn't as bad as the first one. I laid on my stomach and they did it that way...didn't hurt near as much. Then they turned me over (after a little while cuZ you have to wait to see if you do ok before they let you get up and move) and did an adjustment on my band.....can you say pin cushion? I also lost more....i have now lost 84 pounds....you can see a pic on amanda's blog of me and Stacy. I will have to get some more shots of me and post on here sonetime. I will wear some of my new clothes that actually fit...lol...Thank you to my daughter for those. I will wear some new ones for the Pampered Chef party i am having. Maybe miss shutter bug can take some pics for me. hehehe.

Holy Cow that hurt

If you have never had an epidural.....DON'T!!! it hurts. I didn't have one when i had amanda and now i am glad i didn't.....i have had the first in a series of 3 shots in my back...ugh. The pain doctor read the MRI results and i have Spinal Stenosis. In lieu of me not being a doctor...my doctor described it as the tube going down your spine is round and mine at the botton is kinda oval or flattened. So this is putting pressure on my hip and the nerves going to my siatica. So to relieve the irritation and pain in my back (which is the start of the rest of the pain in my hip and legs...) he is doing the steroid shots in my back. At least i had a good looking guy to hang on to while i was getting the shot...lol. I grabbed his shoulders (well the shirt on his shoulders) and i said....if i rip your shirt off i am sorry...he said no problem i have another one....lol. too bad hes married....hahaha. So the next shot is going to be on Thursday of this week....they are going to try this one while i am laying on my tummy...then i get to roll over and they are gonna do an adjustment on my band too.....double UGH.

Oh...and i weighed before i had the epidural...and i had lost 5 pounds since weighing on monday....so now i have lost 78 pounds. if you count the pounds i lost after gaining a few....lol...i have lost 85....but i am not counting those. that was a bloated few weeks for sure. not even my water pill helped for some reason. But i talked to Dr S and he and Dr K both said some people have those times. soooooooooo....Hopefully with the next adjustment and me getting back on track we will se a lot more losses.

How did you like this weather this crazy Sunday? It got pretty crazy around here for sure. Hail, Wind, Rain, Thunder, Lightening.....you name it we got it....but thank God we didn't get the tornados.

Short Update

Sorry I haven't posted for so long. Everything came out ok on the test they ran for the chest pains. Bloodwork, EKG, and the Echo cardiogram. So it must have just been stress and anxiety.

I had an MRI on my lower back last week and now i am waiting on the doctor to be at the office so i can go and see what he says about it. He was supposed to be there Monday. I took off work and went and he didn't make it. Then they told me to come Tuesday after work but then they called me today and told me to come Thursday at 3:15. He had looked at my MRI results and he ordered something for my back that wouldn't be there till then (not sure what) so we shall see. Mondays appointment wasn't a total loss though....i talked to Dr S....(not sure how to spell his name...lol) and told him i have felt like i was at a stand still and wondered why. He asked me a bunch of questions and said i need to have another adjustment on the band so We are going to do that next Thursday. Hopefully that will start the loosing again. i had even gained a few but have lost the ones i gained again. I have been taking my water pills but my legs still seem to do a lot of swelling like today. My left one especially looks like someone blew it up like a balloon.

I am going to have a Pampered Chef party for Jen on the 2nd of April. Several people have told me they needed stuff...so hopefully it will be a good one.....prolly not as good as Christy's was. But good i hope. Just gotta get my house cleaned up....lol.

When it rains it pours

I had a very strange day Wednesday. I got up and felt kinda strange. Showered and got dressed and took off for work. Wasn't too bad but still felt kinda like something was up. Worked for a while and decided i needed a drink and the potty. (everywhere you go at IRS is like a long walk...at least two city blocks away...lol) I had to go to the cafeteria to get ice and water so i went to the bathroom that was closest to there. Did fine going but coming back i had a bad feeling and a pain in my chest. Sat down and worked for a while. Went to break (in the cafeteria again) and was kinda dizzy. Started having those cold sweats and twinges in my chest again. Had to go potty again when i got back but sat and worked for a little bit first. (took a water pill that morning so i had to pee a lot) Walked to the back bathroom and when i got in there and sat down my heart was pounding and felt kinda jumpy. When i got back to my seat i told Theresa to give me her hand and i put it on my chest. She was like "DANG" do you want to go to the nurse? I said i didn't want to walk for a while. My heart was racing and had a crazy beat. It hurt off and on the rest of the day (not bad just twinges). Got home and relaxed and it was ok (a few pains now and then) but i still felt weird. Everybody wanted me to go to the ER but i didn't because i didn't think there was anything with it (and i figured that it would be cheaper to go to the Doctor instead of the ER). Didn't go to work today cuz my chest was kinda "bruised" feeling. Called the Doctor and went in at 3:30. He did an EKG and took blood and wants me to get an Echocardiogram. But he said that he thought it was stress or anxiety (worrying about the dang shots in my back!!!!) He asked me if i had any kind of stress in my life in the last week or so....DUH. The EKG was ok...so we shall see about the blood and the echo (when i have it). When it rains..............

Back to work....UGH!

I went back to work last Wednesday. Everone was so surprised that i didn't use my motorized chair. And they all were really flattering on my weight loss. Every time i see someone that hasn't seen me for a while they stand there with their mouth open and say WOW...what have you done? I never know what to say with all the compliments so i just blush and say thank you. I think that the walking i have been doing has really helped me cuz i don't get tired walking into the building like i used to. And i can walk faster than i did too. Not everyone is back to work yet...so i am sure i will still hear all the wows and good goings for a few weeks. Makes me feel like this is working anyway.

My weight is really fluxuating these last few weeks....i really feel bloated and not sure why. They re-adjusted my band again before i went back to work. Then i went back for a pain consultation the day after i went back to work and he wants me to do an MRI so he can tell which disk is out in my back causing my pain. He also wants to try Epidural steroid shots in my back to help ease the pressure on the disk and also something on my hip too for the pain i am having there (which he says is stemming from my back and compensating for the right ankle that is messed up.) So we shall see how this plays out. Not real thrilled about getting shots in my back!!! Kinda scary. He prescribed Celebrex for my pain and my insurance is balking on paying on the prescription. So i still don't have it. and sitting at work is killing me (the chairs are supposed to be ergonomical chairs...but they kill me). so i get up and walk every so often and walking irritates it too so i am between a rock and a hard place.

Found out why you don't eat fast

OMG....i found out just why they tell you not to eat too fast and to chew your food really good. I was eating some eggs and toast the other morning and i guess i wasn't paying attention to what i was doing. I soon found out that i needed to pay attention. I swallowed and it stuck in my throat. it wouldn't go down and i couldn't get the bubble that formed to come out. I kept trying to swallow and all it did was HURT. So i end up in the bathroom over the good old porcelin bowl. I kept swallowing and my mouth kept watering. I got that terrible feeling that i was gonna hurl. I burped and swallowed and burped and spit. I finally got the bubble to come up and then the food finally went down. Geeze. I vowed not to do it again. BUT....as all may happen....i did it again tonight when i was eating some steak and potatos. I guess i was talking and not chewing my food properly.....and to my dismay....it stuck again. So....back to the good old porcelin god i went. This was actually more painful than the eggs and toast. I didn't chew the steak enough i guess. I finally got the bubble to come up and the food went down. MAN YOU WOULD THINK I WOULD HAVE LEARNED. I guess not. and it will prolly happen again knowing me.

I went to visit my mom Sunday after church and stayed till Tuesday. I figured that since i am going back to work i should visit with her some. We had a good time.

One of these days i want to go visit the new kids on the family tree. Every time i say i am going...something happens and i don't get to go. Boys....don't start walking till i get to come see you and cuddle a bit first....lol.

I will give a progress report after next Monday when we go to weigh again. I didn't go this time cuz i was at mom's.

Went back to the Dr

I went back to the Dr yesterday and got tightened again. He also got after me to not drink when i eat and told me all the stuff i can't eat. I guess i have only lost 22 lbs since the surgery and he expected more. I don't think they tightened the band enough the first time i went in. But I have lost 74 lbs. altogether now, and i like that. But now i have another problem. My left hip and knee is really giving me problems. It aches and throbs all night long. No matter what position i put it in. I told them about it and they took X-rays of my hip and knee. I go back on the 9th of Feb to a pain consultation to see if they can help it with shots or if it will have to be some other way. I have injured that side before and he wants to see if there is too much arthritis or what it is causing the pain. I just know that if it keeps up this way for two weeks, i am not gonna be very pleasant to be around. LOL He did tell me to back off of the walking some till they see whats wrong. I just know that i can't do all the walking i want to do cuz it hurts when i do. I am still doing the exercises though. Don't want to get away from it all entirely. I walked about 3 rounds last night and i paid for it last night. My leg hurt all night. UGH!

OH yeah....i go back to work finally on the 8th. So i get to go back for a day and then have to take time off for a Dr. apt. Oh well. Gotta do what ya gotta do. They know i had the surgery and will deal with it.

Can you say TIRED?

Last nights scrapbooking party was so much fun. We started out the night with 20 people. That is about 12 more people than we usually have at our scrapbooking parties. We had fun setting up our stuff and getting the tables set up for everyone. It took us about 30 minutes just to get our stuff unloaded out of our cans and into the building. There was a stream of scrapbooking supplies and sleeping bags going into the the building. After everyone had arrived and got settled in, about two hours, Connie gave us a devotional. Everyone was talking and having fun and checking out everyones scrapbooking supplies and scrapbooks. After a couple hours more Jamie gave a devotional. More laughing, talking, sharing and fun went on. I was handing out ideas right and left to others, but my brain was at a standstill for my stuff and i couldn't think of what i wanted to put on a page. Sooooo, i got out my jewelry making stuff and started messing with the beads. (I went prepared for anything.) As the night went our number dwindled down to 10 people and I started making bracelets for everyone. We were getting slap happy around 4am and three people decided to go lay down till breakfast at 7. I was going to go lay down but decided not to. (i should have) The four of us (and Connie's daughter and her frined) tried to scrap but the two girls went into the other room to talk, and we were so silly by this time we didn't get much done (cept for Ann who was used to being up all night) but laugh and try to stay awake. We ordered our breakfast pizza from Casey's at 6 and it was ready for pick up at 6:30. When Connie called in the order, she got to laughing and that in turn started the rest of us to laugh uncontrollably and she was trying to place our order which wasn't going too well. When she got off the phone she tried to explain that the woman on the other end of the phone had asked her if she had said something wrong. Connie was laughing so hard that she almost couldn't tell the woman that she hadn't and that we had just stayed up all night was all. So after Connie and Karen went and picked up the pizza we hollered at the sleeping ones to come and eat. They we so thrilled to get up after only 2 hours of sleep. LOL They had had just enough sleep to NOT think we were being funny when we burst into hysterical, sleep deprivated laughter. While we were eating, Karen gave a devotional. I tried to go back to scrapping but my eyes would not stay open so i gave up the ghost and went into the Library and got comfy on the love seat in there and put my feet up on the foot stool and promptly went to sleep. After two hours i got up and came back into the scrapping room. It almost looked deserted. Ann was on her way out the door. (she had the farthest to drive and she decided that she had had enough and was too tired to keep going.) Then Jen and Darlus left. All that were left were me, Jamie, Connie, Erin and her friend. I was back on track and started another scrapbook page. Connie (the only on who made it without sleep, cuz the two girls had laid down about 20 min. before i did) was putting her stuff away and getting ready to load up so Jamie and i finished our pages and started the clean up too. OH YEAH....at around 7:30 this morning the guys had come and started fixing food for our Church dinner tomorrow. So all the while we were trying to scrap and stay awake this morning...this wonder smell was coming from the kitchen. So by noon when we were ready to leave we were hungry from smelling all the wonderful stuff coming from the kitchen. (now i can't wait till tomorrow evening to eat that food!!!)

I had to call my friend on my way home just to keep me talking while i drove home. I came in and sat down and was all but asleep when the phone rang. It was my mother. She was just calling to see what was going on. I told her i was sleeping and she said she would let me go......but....instead of saying goodbye...she kept on talking. LOL...thats my mom!!! Gotta love her. She finally said goodbye and i went to sleep. I woke up around 5 and my friend called me cuz she wants her hair colored. So all in all I had a great time. I am sure everyone else had a good time too. It was fun just being amoung friends and doing something we all enjoy. However....not sure some want to do it again overnight. LOL...i enjoyed it though and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Week 3 of walking and exercise

Well, I have been walking and exercising now for 3 weeks and i am a little sore but walking is getting easier. We measure and weigh each week and i have lost inches here and there. Last week i lost 1 1/2 lbs. This week i lost a whopping 6 1/2 pounds making it a grand total of 70 lbs. so far. The place i have lost the most inches on is my hip area....(which includes that hangie belly i have). I have lost 4 inches there and 1 inch on my waist. One inch on my upper arms. One inch on my upper thigh. And sadly to say 1/2 inch on my bust. But i think it depends on which bra i wear. lol If i can get my left hip to stop hurting i could walk more. I am walking between 1/4 and 1/2 of a mile now. Depends on the day and the pain in my hip and knees. I do know that my clothes are getting baggy.

Tomorrow night we are going to have an overnight scrapbooking party at my church. It will be lots of fun i think.

CONGRATULATIONS JEN AND BOB on becoming parents. Decovin is so CUTE! Now i have two fantastically cute great-nephews. And Stacy....if i didn't say it before....CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND SEAN on the birth of Nathan. I hope Abby is getting used to having him around. I hope to see my new nephews soon.

I need to find some good and different foods to eat. I am slowly getting burnt out on chicken and tuna and cheese. I made a roast the other night. That was a good change. I wish i knew how to cook a good pork roast. Those are so good. I need to clean out my freezer and see what all i have in there in the line of meat and get rid of the stuff i don't need.

time drags on

I don't know about you but time is really standing still for me right now. We are walking every day at the church and I am sore cuz we keep doing something different every day. I am still walking about 1/4 mile but we are also doing exercises now. We have been doing leg lifts and tummy crunchers. Rolling to get rid of the hips and excess butt padding...lol...and stretches. Boy do i feel old...lol. I have lost another 1 1/2 lbs....so that makes 63 1/2 lbs now. (I was the only one who lost this week...but i am not bragging....well maybe a little bit...lol) It's going slowly but i guess thats ok. I need to go back and get my band adjusted again before i go back to work...which will be who knows when.

Mom and I were going to go to see my sister this weekend but mom was sick and I had stuff to do so we are going to try to go Monday if mom feels better and the weather is not nasty. It's been an off and on crazy weather thing here every other day so you never know. We may make it and we may not.

I have to be home next weekend cuz we are going to do a Scrapbooking weekend at my church. We will start Friday evening at 6 and scrap all night till Saturday at noon. We can sleep if we want or just keep on scrapping. It sounds like fun and fellowship. This is the first time we have tried this but we all thought it would be cool. I can't wait...something fun to do!!!!

I'm Baaaaaack!!

OK...i am back on track now. We (a few friends of mine and I) started a walking club. We go to the Nazarene Church and walk around their gym (which is their sanctuary). But it's kinda fun to walk in a group instead of by yourself. Two walk more than me and Joyce but we walk at our own pace. Joyce is 62 and i am 51 so we are the oldies of the group. Tanya and Phyllis are in their 40's so they are still youngens. lol We call ourselves the WWW's....(Wacky Weight Walkers). We took pictures of each other and did measurements and tonight we went and weighed. We have walked every night this week so far. We are going to try to walk during the week and take the weekend off. We also started doing some exercises after we have walked our laps. We can all feel it in our muscles now. I have a coupld of saddle bags on my behind that i feel every time I try to roll from side to side. And before you ask....no i do not lay on the floor....well i do but it's actually the stage that the preacher stands on. It goes clear across the one side of the gym. So we sit down and then lay down and do tummy crunchers and leg lifts and side to side rolls. I have been walking about a quarter of a mile. I will work up to a mile some day...lol. The youngens walk a mile.....and us oldies walk 1/4 of one for now.

Oh...by the way. When i weighed tonight.....i lost another 4 pounds.....that makes 62 so far. It should have been more but i will admit that i cheated some over the holidays. BUT....i am back on track now and it's full steam ahead!!!!!!!! Have to go back up for another tightening of the band again soon.

Happy now Jen? LOL...love you kiddo.
_____________________

And I am soooo glad that my daughter is doing so well after her accident. I was so glad to be able to hug her and kiss her and just stare at her and know that she was really here over the Christmas holiday. It was a relief to me to see her in person. (It's a mom thing!)I knew she was ok....but it's one of those things where you just have to see for yourself up close and personal.