2/13/11 My Valentine & Post Fill Day 5

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On another note...we went to a Valentine's Day couples party at one of my GF's houses (old neighbor's of ours that now live about 30 min. away). She had about 75 people and a spread of food everywhere (and a chef's station with made to order crab cakes and different pasta dishes). We had a blast and I did fine with tiny amounts of food during the evening (tortellini, cheese hunks, chicken dish, and even meatballs).

She asked each couple to send pics of themselves during their dating years (fun idea), which she printed up and had on display boards. As expected when anyone sees old pics of my DH, his got the most reaction from everyone who knows him...here's why (enjoy!)...

Here we are in 1978 shortly after meeting...

A few years later...

The giant glasses were in...and barely a moustache now (No, not on me!...I was busy moving toward the 'big hair')...

And here's how he came back from Geology field camp one summer in college...I didn't recognize him when he got back (all the Geology majors had beards...well, except the women). And OMG what was I thinking with the perm?!

And here's our engagement picture as we were finishing college (and why my kids say 'You married Sasquatch!'). Our friends last night were calling him 'Mountain Man' (and asking me who my 'first husband' was LOL).

Here I am ready to go last night in my Valentine pink.

Here I am with my Valentine (and I had to leave Tucker in...looks like ghost cat!)...DH needs to get better at lining up timer pics and remembering he's a lot taller than me LOL.

And here I am at the party...with some friends...that have obviously had too much to drink, as you can see by their fuzzy faces. And why do I always pick short friends? I'm an amazon compared to my petite friends and the 4" heels didn't help.

2/10/11 Post Fill Day 2; Spew and Burn

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11/17/10 Thanks for Sharing; A Blog of Substance

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10/15/10 Stiff and Tight

D*mn...PCP appointment on Monday (soonest they can get me in). I was just sitting early evening yesterday and my neck started to feel stiff. It ramped up quickly until I couldn't turn my head by the time DH got home...nerves zinging in the upper left back and down the arm. I took some OTC pain reliever, put on the heating pad, and shared some wine with Sandy. I was able to sleep until a little before 3am...up until 7am, then I took a short nap...ughh.

DH thinks this is the result of my ladder fall as I can't trace the neck back to anything else, not even sleeping funny as I didn't wake up with it (and it's on the left side, which is the shoulder I fell on). Geez, I thought I was out of the woods with a few bruises and skinned appendages...four days later? Could it really take this much time for an injury to start? Funny thing was, I was planning to blog about how quickly I recovered from that fall and how that never would have happened 100 pounds ago...jinx. I do have that Osteoarthritis in my neck that was affecting my same shoulder (went to Physical Therapy 1.5 years ago for it). I wish the Doc could have gotten me in today...I may be better by Monday (fingers crossed)...but I may be rifling through the old prescriptions tonight *sigh*. OK, enough whinefest...No worries, it could have been so much worse!

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Have a great weekend all...If you need me, I'll be in my self-medicated coma LOL...come join me...I have whine wine ;-)

10/12/10 5th Fill...Chasing the Sweet Spot

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OH, and can I just say...WHAT THE HECK WOMEN??!!! I tried on about 4 outfits before finding one that fit OK this morning...yes, I'm having fat days again. I wore a new top, no coat over it. Do you know how many women I passed today...in the parking lot, in the ladies room, in the stairwell, in the waiting room (where I was called to the window three times), three different nurses during my appointment. I was wondering why I was getting stares and was starting to take it personally that I look like a stuffed sausage in these jeans.


COULD ANY OF YOU HAVE TOLD ME THAT I HAD TWO LOVELY *SHINY* TAGS WITH THE SALE STICKER HANGING ON MY BACK?!!! *sigh* ...and I'm guessing some of you were fellow banders...*double-sigh*

9/9/10 Updates and Luck

Busy, busy, busy...and our luck is turning...it's all good.

• WOOT! DD got the job! She starts Monday with a Environmental Graphics Design company as an Account Manager. The 'Environmental' isn't a green thing, it's that they plan/complete signage for 'environments'; major buildings, parks, etc. (they take the blueprints and figure out how to number rooms and what signage will be needed for the whole place, including the big signage outside, and take it through completion). They do some things in town (ie. they did PNC Park- our baseball stadium) and a lot outside the state (ie. they've done some jobs for Disneyworld and they're doing some big parks out west now). It's the perfect fit for her as she got the creative gene from me so she'll love being in a creative environment, there's some travel involved, which she loves, and she'll be busy managing up to 30 jobs at a time so the job will change daily...a great fit for her. Thanks for all the good vibes!

• Hell has finally frozen over. DH finally bought a snowblower! It only took him being snowed in last winter with snow up to our hips and the neighbor rescuing us with his snowblower for him to get one. I'm just glad it has a push button start as he's usually out of town when it snows. He also lucked out as we received a great coupon for the store this weekend and when he went to order it, it was on a major sale...ended up being over $300 less than the original price and he couldn't believe his luck.

• We had a 'laboring' long Labor Day weekend. DH decided that 'we' should do some touch-up painting around the house. I must have lost my mind as I know 'we' and 'painting' really means 'me'...d*mn that Art Ed. degree (OK, it really needed to be done...I've been putting it off)! I'm still painting (I've punished him with making him wash down all the trim and doors). The 1st floor walls and upstairs hall walls are done and I'm still working my way through touching up the trim and doors. Here's the good news...that new painters tape with 'edge lock' you've seen on the commercials...it actually works! The stuff costs a fortune, but try it...I've painted a lot and I'm super picky about straight edges and I swear it works. My Dr. Suess quote from Diane may go up today if I get the doors done first. I know, I must be the only person who gets excited that the handprints and scrapes have now disappeared from my stair walls and trim.
  
• We took a break and had an evening out with neighbors this weekend and had a blast.
  

• The company DH works for just got officially turned over to the Saudi company that bought them. He called me to fill out insurance questions...weight and waist/hip measurements...good thing I'm back to being a pear!

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I'm off to paint!

7/29/10 Tough Love

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7/27/10 The Bookmobile

Thanks again to those two who offered to loan me their LB Books (emails sent)...I didn't even think about asking all of you to borrow them...so thank you once again for being so much smarter than me...I can always count on you guys...and you can always count on me to do things the hard way so you can see the error of my ways, especially with the Band LOL...as one of my LB friends, Diane, keeps telling me 'I think all these things keep happening to you so that you can write about them and help others.' Hmm...that sounds SO much nicer than 'I'm an unlucky-idiot who doesn't listen the first time, likes to test things, and is always looking for a better way to do things...which 9 times out of 10 means an epic FAIL (read, cover your ears...'DIETS').'

Anyway...I digress (it doesn't take much does it). Anyone else having LB books they'd let me borrow, I'd appreciate the loan!

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Mom called this morning. Her 'herb event' (Guest speaker/chef she hosted) went really well over the weekend (at the downtown conservatory -large greenhouses/park). Her surgery was yesterday (sinuses/outpatient) and my middle sis kept me informed all day as to how things were going...Mom sounds great today, which is amazing as I expected her to at least sound all stuffed up from the packing that's still in...they found a lot of infection and had to remove some bone even and I'm surprised she's doing this well the day after as they said she'd be really sore (Mom's a nurse and is always 'fine' and never complains). I read her the riot act several times about not overdoing it with the rest of the move/boxes...I hope she takes it easy, but I know her too well to think that will happen!

Well, I'm off to get ready for the LB Doc...I'm sure this will be an interesting visit...if it's not, it didn't go as planned (like most of my plans)...stay tuned!

7/26/10 Monday Musings

- As of an hour ago, we've now got a last minute trip scheduled to the shore before school starts. My SIL/DH just bought a place this summer at Cape May so we're going to meet them there not this, but next Thursday...guess I'll be breaking out the bikini again...yikes.

- I'm back to writing with a new vengeance today...I wrote all morning about maintenance and outlined a bunch of new things as well. I've learned that taking a break from writing can be a good thing and that I can't force feed it...I'm sure real authors can and have ways to keep themselves inspired, but my busy life this summer was making it impossible to carve out chunks of uninterrupted (read 'three teen/twenties' constantly interrupting me) time to get creative and it was getting stale and tedious...and that's just not me!

- I stopped by Barnes and Noble today to pick up a few Lap Band books to start reading at the shore...and was surprised to find they didn't have ANY (the only WLS book they even carry was 'WLS for Dummies' and after perusing it for a half-hour I realized it wasn't worth buying...nothing we all haven't heard as it's a very generalized book about all WLS). I've been putting off reading any LB books until I had at least the full outline/structure of the book all worked out so that I wouldn't be influenced or start questioning myself. It's probably for the best they didn't have any as my DH's family doesn't know about the blog or the book and they'd be wondering why I was reading these post-op. I'll just have to order some to read this Fall.

- I keep forgetting to share a few things, like I went shopping again right before I left for Ohio. Ten more tops and a sundress.

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- Also, I'm not sure if I told you that I called and moved my 'refill' appointment up...a month. It's tomorrow afternoon. I've got lots of thoughts on the refill and what I'm aiming for this time (I've got some new thoughts on where I was/want to be), but I'll save the details for now. Here's hoping the Doc doesn't toss me out on my ear when he sees I'm in a month earlier than he said...I'll let you know.

- Oh and I've gone from a full 7 pounds up to reining it in to about 3-4 now...Doc will probably say I'm doing fine LOL.

Happy Monday all!

7/9/10 How Is It Friday Already?

Busy, busy, busy! I swear I haven't had time to pee this week (and you know that's a problem with my bladder). I'm taking a break from cleaning for a quick update:

• Shoveled out from the long holiday weekend...I'm still doing laundry...ugh.
• The kids have had a lot going on this short week and DS1 leaves in a few hours for a weekend back at college for an event there so I have to get him rolling soon (he's taking the furniture he bought at the garage sale out to the frat house).
• Sorted the rest of my sewing pile and my whole closet (I had piles all over our bedroom and DH was complaining about all my land-mines he'd been tripping over in the dark in the mornings...he was threatening to start turning on the light...can't have that! I need my beauty sleep...or a face lift!). I've got LOTS of tops I can alter to make them work for me...sewing a straight line down a seam is the extent of my sewing expertise (and patience). Oh, and I tossed most of the 'mending' as you recommended...so if anyone in my family comes looking for something I'll be blaming it on you.
• My in-laws arrive on Tuesday and DH informed me he told his sister about my LB, but not his parents...he wants me to 'surprise' them...hmm, not sure how this will go over as his family is very...how can I say this...'Just eat less, exercise more'...and they've seen me on all my yo-yo trips up and down, so it should be interesting (oh and his Dad and Mom are a Physician and Nurse).
• I'm shoveling out the house (did I mention my in-laws are coming?)...I think I must have forgotten 'Spring Cleaning' this year...sometimes my 'oldtimers' works for me.
• My family has been calling a LOT again this week...they've got next week to finish packing the folks before the big move and there's a variety of opinions on when I should arrive/leave and how I can be the most help (apparently, or so they're telling me, I'm a better 'unpacker' than a 'packer'...it's the 'almost OCD'...I'm wicked at organizing things).

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Got to run...DS1 is up...before noon LOL!

6/30/10 Enquiring Minds Want To Know

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6/29/10 I'm Deflated

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3/19/10 Enquiring Minds Want To Know!

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2/24/10 Linner; Protein First

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1/23/10 It's Raining Men!

In case anybody but me cares...I'm STILL not 'Normal'! I know, you already know that! I've been up and down the same flippin pound all week again! I don't think my body believes I'm 'Normal' either (you know I can read your minds). Either that or it's self-sabotage...I've been feeling hungry more lately...and my reflux is so much better...that can only mean one thing, right? I must need a fill!!! Hmmm...or have I just been stressed out this week and I've not been following all the rules? Was I drinking too soon? Maybe it's the stress of starting my new blog location? Yeah, that's it...I'll blame it all on you guys for twisting my batwing arms to do this (knowing full well that I'm tech challenged)...and don't even get me started on the 'Before' pic scare (I'm coming after you punker).

My 'new thing' today is...sticky note doodles!!! I found out in the process of moving my blog that apparently there are copyright laws about bootlegging pictures on the internet (who knew...remember I didn't even know what a 'blog' was when I started...so all you photographers and comic illustrators...the check is in the mail). So until I scope out exactly what I can get away with am allowed to copy I've decided to start illustrating my own blog. Hey, I like to doodle, this might be fun (I really need to get some pink sticky notes...this yellow is just clashing with my new fashionista page). I picked the 'web/blog' size when I scanned them but they look too small in this preview (let me know if you have to get out the magnifying glass...tech-challenged, remember).

On to other news about things that are ACTUALLY CHANGING (stupid weight)...it's NOT snowing...it's raining today...I'm singing praises because I don't need to shovel the rain (ice and snow return tonight...*sigh*). It's melted most of the snow except the piles at the edges of all my cement. Funny thing is, I kinda miss all the snow...snow is just so much prettier than rain don't you think?

I was talking to a friend in California this week and it's been raining buckets there...no more drought! The wind was blowing so hard the palm trees (yes, I hate her too...stupid un-tropical Pittsburgh) looked like they do on the Weather Channel when that guy is being pelted in the middle of a hurricane and bracing himself against the almost-bald palm tree. I'm hoping her house doesn't slide off the cliff!

DH was in Phoenix again all week (boocoo rain there too) and was supposed to be home last night around 11pm. He called me and was excited the airline upgraded him to first class (he can't sleep on planes either, but at least he'd be more comfortable in his 6'3" frame and skinny a$$). Then he called with flight delays because of the wind (and it was still pouring...I heard this morning on the news that AZ declared a 'state of emergency' because of the flooding and mudslides)...more delays...then he found out the plane coming in had to reroute because they ran out of gas...they used more fuel flying against the winds (REALLY? If you fly on a windy day you might not make it there?...they don't pump in a few more gallons just in case?...well, that will really help those with fear of flying!).

Later they didn't think the plane was going to make it in so he was able to get the last (middle, coach...ugh) seat on another flight (this one had a stop in Vegas)...calls me from the tarmac after they'd been sitting near the end of the runway for two hours waiting to see if the winds would die down so they could take-off (the bathrooms were starting to smell and a riot was ready to break out). Guess which plane he saw out the window taxing past them and taking off when they first got out there (before they shut the Phoenix runway down, and they were waiting for clearance from Vegas)?..yep...someone else got that first class seat...and got home on time. He called me again and they deboarded the plane...'not going to make it home tonight'...he's 'looking for a hotel room'.

I never sleep well when DH travels...remember my irrational fear of the dark...I always go to bed much later and I was sleep deprived since I'd done this all week. After I fell asleep...I'm sleeping very soundly when all the sudden I wake up to a ROBBER coming in my room in the dark!!!!

NO, IT'S A RAPIST ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB INTO BED WITH ME...

OR MAYBE THERE ARE TWO OF THEM?!!

...HEART...BEATING...OUT...OF...MY...CHEST...(d*mn...right about now I wished I hadn't pushed my PCP to cut my blood pressure meds in half just so I could finally post 'Yay! I'm cutting my meds back too!'...stupid vanity!)...

WHY DON'T I HAVE ONE OF THE BOY'S BASEBALL BATS UP HERE FOR JUST SUCH AN OCCASSION?!!...

I hear *grumble* 'I'm going to try and get a few hours of sleep.'

WHAT?!! THE RAPIST IS TIRED AND JUST WANTS TO SLEEP?!! *the rapist turns on his side to face away from me* 'zzzzzz'...

This can only mean ONE thing...

no action for me DH is home...oh, and it's 5:30 am...d*mn...

10/22/09 Six Month Bandiversary!

Sorry, I can't share my 'cake'

Today is my six month Bandiversary! I can't believe it's been six months already! The six month diet pre-op seemed to take foreverrrrr (sorry newbies)...this past six months...OK, Bandster Hell was a little slow, but time just sped up after that. I wonder when I'll ever stop feeling like a newbie? I still learn something new here every week...the band journey is consistent in its inconsistency so there's always something new to learn.

OK, you can have just a bite of this one (it's SF).

Let's see, what's happened in six months with the band? I've:
- Become an April 'Bunny' (and Hef still makes us weigh in weekly)
- Had 4 fills and now have 5.9cc/10cc LB
- Had to return to the hospital the week of banding; overnight on my 50th birthday (no problems)
- Gone from a size 22/24 jean to a size 16
- Made it through Bandster Hell while starving (but still losing weight)
- Had a few gain weeks
- Lost 46 lbs. since banding (65 total)
- Had a few plateaus
- Gone from a 34.8 BMI (37.7 originally) to 27.2 and moved from an Obese to Overweight BMI
- Paid my full insurance deductible
- Moved into Onederland
- Learned how to slime and PB like a pro
- Reached weighing less than DH
- Attended the Semi-Annual SWA (Scale Whores Anonymous) meeting
- Made lots of LB friends
- Reached my Sweet Spot
- Developed Acid Reflux
- Stopped 'Dieting'

What's happened in six months in my life? I've Celebrated:
- My 50th Birthday
- Our 27th Anniversary
- Our DD's College Graduation and her first (and second) 'real' job
- Our DS1's HS Graduation and his move to college
- My father's 80th Birthday

and I've:
- Seen my DD buy her first car and get her first speeding ticket
- Visited my Alma-mater- OSU game- and watched them lose in the last minute
- Watched DS1 get on another Honor Roll and in his second expensive fender bender
- Been on vacation twice (SC and AZ)

The LB is like life...there are ups and downs, highs and lows...it's a lifestyle...and I'm loving it!

P.S. FYI-I posted what I found out about hair regrowth as a comment to that blog. Click HERE

10/13/09 The Sweet Spot

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9/9/09 Fourth Fill

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9/8/09 Into the Great Unknown

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8/10/09 Eating Out

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