Beautiful Weekend...

What a beauty! Temps in the 60's during the day, sunny and mild. Friday night we met up with friends at my favorite pizza place, Bud's, and had fun. Then over to the Wooden Shoe for a nightcap. Yesterday, hubby and I went to Stillwater Prairie Reserve and hiked and kicked up 2 deer along the path. And today, Jerry & Michelle came down and we went to Yellow Springs/Clifton Gorge area. Had to eat the pumpkin pancakes at the Sunrise Cafe, along with a Kobe beef, goat cheese and wild mushroom omelet. Then a long, long hike along the Gorge on a beautiful early afternoon. The boys had to go back to Yellow Springs and grab a beer at Peach's Grill and watch a little bit of the Bengals game. And wouldn't you know it, walking out we are standing outside waiting for Michelle to come out and here comes Dave Chapelle driving up in his new brand new black Land Rover. You know, Comedy Central....Dave Chapelle Show? Yea that one. He has a farm in the Yellow Springs area, but we never dreamed we would ever see him there. Not that we were really looking. Just doing the hiking thing and taking in the eclectic atmosphere of Yellow Springs. So, it was pretty cool seeing him for a short moment anyway. Hate to stalk the celebs.

The scale is moving this week which is always a great thing. I have to admit the weight loss has been much easier for me than alot of people. Don't know why, but believe me I'm not complaining one bit.

Hope everyone enjoyed their wonderful weekend. There are probably so few left around here, so I'll grab everyone I can get!

Time flies...

Wow, I just realized I haven't posted in awhile. Work has been abolutely crazy with alot of time spent at my workstation and playing IT guru to others. It seems the last thing I want to do at night is get out the laptop. Thanks for all the nice comments about the pics. I'm not much of a pic person but I'll try to do better.

Our company bowling outing went well...and I'm glad it's over. This year went off without a hitch and it seemed like everyone had a great time. Lots of prizes and food so all were happy. I boned up on my CPR skills and got recertified for 2 years. My SIL had lap band surgery 8 days ago and is doing well. But the first words out of her mouth afterwards was that "this is a little more involved than it thought!" Uh, yeah it is. You just wait! But seriously, she seems to be hanging in there and is on full liquids right now. So that means my sister and SIL are banded as well as myself. There has to be a good moniker out there for that! Help me out!

My uncle from FL/OH (snowbird) passed away last week and his service was Saturday. It had been 16 years since I've seen his kids (my cousins)...since Grandma passed away. Wow. 4 out of 5 of them I had to introduce myself because they couldn't figure out who I was. Really? I didn't think I changed that much. But in all honesty, I tend to change my hairstyle and the color quite frequently so maybe that was part of it too. I told my hubby if my one cousing didn't have long blonde hair parted in the middle and tucked behind her ears, I would be amazed. And sure enough...the style is still the same. It was been the same hairstyle she has had HER WHOLE LIFE! Where's the adventure? Where's the mystique? It was a sad service and I had trouble getting through it. Not because I was particularly close to my uncle or aunt (hadn't seen them since our wedding over 4 years ago), but because I knew the next time I saw any of them again would probably another funeral. How sad.

Work has been amazingly stressful the past 2 weeks as I am getting quotes for our health plan. We have a self-funded plan whose stop loss carrier just informed us that our rates are increasing 48%! SHIT! I've been entertaining quotes from 3 other brokers on top of the broker/TPA we currently use and the pushy aggressive sales pitch doesn't really work with me. I want results and not lip service. I just agonize over the decision to change plans that affect 350 participants on the plan. It really is hard to balance the needs of the company with the needs of the participants. And as far as the health care bills running through the House and the Senate right now? I sure hope they figure out how to make it affordable to employers...otherwise employers like mine (with participants with major health issues) will no longer be able to afford coverage for their employees, or even be able to get quotes if they don't have a guaranteed renewal contract. We also have some IT stuff going on with a new ERP type system and new workstations that are taking up alot of my time. And this is on top of my regular responsibilities. Where's the Calgon when you need it?

But a bright spot had been the hubby lately. He's been leaving me alot of notes and treats lately. Today, apparently I am the sunshine of his and Stuey's (the cat) life today. And then there is the p.s. of "good luck with that impacted turd". Damn, shouldn't have told him that I've been constipated. Isn't he just the funny guy?

Your request is granted...

Okay, I've always shied away at getting a "full body" shot in pictures, so I'll have to scrounge around the house for some "before" pics and post them later. I took one of these last night (the fuzzy one) and Stuey, the cat, wouldn't stay away from me, so I took another one today. Kind of feel silly doing it but hey, I'm pretty upbeat these days with all the compliments. And I'm feeling pretty good. So, here goes...

I'm officially "Overweight"...

YES!!! Can't call me obese anymore! My weight has finally dropped to the point where I'm just considered 'overweight'. It has been a mini-goal of mine to get to this point so I feel rather good about myself today. We even went out with friends Saturday night for dinner and I had fries with cheese & chorizo (not much into Mexican). So I'm still enjoying myself occasionally but I'm eating so much more healthier than I ever have in my life and don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. My SIL has struggled with her weight over the years and really feels that she needs to tackle the emotional/mental aspects of why she eats before looking at any WLS. And while that is the hardest part of the journey, I have to admit that BECAUSE I've had lap band surgery, I'm able to deal with those issues more easily than I did before. I like the fact that I can go on a vacation and gain only 3-5 lbs instead of 15. That the fact that I have to eat slow forces me to pay attention to what I am putting in my mouth and if I'm even hungry.

For the first time in my life, I've had 2 different kinds of cheesecakes (one of my fav's), in my freezer for about a month and haven't had any. Just not that interested. Before WLS, both of them would have been gone within a week. I've lost alot of interest in many of the foods I couldn't stay away from before. Which is the biggest benefit I've had from the surgery other than the actual weight loss. One of these days I'm going to put up some pics and hopefully allow myself to see the progess I've made. The problem is I have body dismorphic disorder. I can never seem to really guage what I actually look like unless I see myself in a picture. I have fun mirrors in my house, because I never thought I looked that bad until I saw a picture of myself. Then it was like, Holy Shit! Is that really what people see?

DH and I have been trying to take in the fall colors by hiking at the local prairie as much as possible. Right now the colors are in the prime and the temperature is in the high 50's to low 60's...just perfect for a nice hike.

The weekend ended up not being as relaxing as we would have liked. Hubby's dad ended up in the hospital on Wednesday, so Thursday we went to see him and then by Saturday he was back home so we checked up on him then also and afterwards went out for dinner with friends. Our big Friday night consisted of grabbing a bite to eat and getting groceries (along with everyone else in Shelby County). Which by the way reminded me of a gal in front of me a few weeks ago at our local Kroger's who was checking out with a cartful of groceries. I stayed behind her since I wasn't in a hurry and watched as she gave the clerk a stack of coupons and ended up owing 25 cents. That's right, 25 CENTS!!! I told her I wouldn't have believed unless I had seen it. I'm happy if I save $15 (not much of a coupon user), but a whole cart for a quarter? Boy I'd like to know her secret!

Anyway, back to the grindstone today. I'll try and post some pictures one of these days for posterity. I'm just afraid I'll realize I'm still a big fat toad when I'm thinking I don't look too bad. Oh well, by next summer, I should be looking pretty good regardless.

A little relief...finally!

Okay, okay. I guess I was a little too tight, because now, I feel great. It's amazing what just a couple of lbs will do to make things better. I got my last fill on Aug. 1st and I felt pretty good for about 6 weeks. Then the one and only pb episode...followed by several more instances of tight band days. The weekend before this past, we went to Nashville IN for the weekend and then onto the OSU-Indiana game in Bloomington. Wouldn't you know that whole time we're out with friends, my band puckers and has a temper tantrum. Out to eat a couple of times and each time I had to box it up when I could and bring it back to the room. Of course I ended up eating crap during the tailgating since all those goodies went down fine. Frustrating weekend food-wise, but had alot of fun with friends. Always enjoy "little" Nashville, the artsy shops and lovely landscape. Great little town to hang out.

We stopped in Columbus IN on the way down and spent a few hours shopping at the premium outlets. Needless to say, I did very well. The first store...GAP. It's been years since I've even stepped foot in the store, but I honestly didn't know what size I was in misses. The pants I usually buy don't come in a lower size in Women's so I'm off to the misses departments to figure out what brands fit well. Found a great pair of jeans at the GAP and also 3-4 pair at the Lee/Vanity Fair outlet. I could kick myself for not buying another pair of the trouser jeans I bought there. Just the kind Stacy and Clinton from What Not to Wear would say to buy. I was afraid that they wouldn't wash up well since they were only $21, but they washed great with just a light touch of an iron to get the major sharp crease back. Crap. I'll have to scavenge the malls around here to see who might carry that particular style I guess. Got lots of great things, new belts, lower rise jeans, sweaters, shoes (the credit card was smokin'). But hey, I don't get to shop much and my rationale was I just got rid of several bags full - I needed some clothes that fit!

This past weekend we went to Columbus Ohio to a party my OSU senior nephew was having. His annual OSU Buckeye party. Also, met up with our friends from the week before and celebrated Steve's 50th birthday at Ruth's Chris and stayed overnite. First we went to pick up Derek at Otterbein College, then went to some other friend's daughter's OSU house for lunch and check out her place. Typical overpriced college house. She ended up only being 1/2 block away from my nephew's place so it worked out great! Then my friend Patty and I snuck away during the game and "took a walk" to the nearest outdoor Mexican place and treated ourselves to a couple of margaritas. We called my sister-in-law to meet us and she snuck away from the party too. After the party, we checked into our hotel and changed and met up with our friends for the birthday celebration. The hotel, Homewood Suites, was one of the better ones I've stayed in recently. Very spacious...I wished we were staying more than 1 night. And what can I say about Ruth's Chris, it's just the best. I could have cut my filet mignon with a fork. I truly think they have the best steaks anywhere I've ever been. Plus the bonus, the plates are heated to 500 degrees so your steak isn't cold by the time you are done eating. Great for bandsters!

Hubby says we're going to have to stay home the next couple of weeks to get ready around the house for the winter. I agree. I need time to decompress and focus on "us" for awhile.

Gracie girl (the stray who found her way back) is about ready to have her kittens. And get this, I go out about 7:30 am this morning to feed her, and I look up before I walk out onto the deck, and there is a deer about 40 feet from me. Now mind you, we live in town. Imagine my surprise when I see a big, big doe staring right at me. We had our moment of sizing each other up. I knew by the time I went and got my camera it would be gone, so I just stared at it for about a minute before I opened the back door and it trotted of toward the edge of the cornfield next to us. Gracie just stared at the deer looking as stunned as I was. Wow, what a great way to start the morning. Had to leave a note for hubby about it this morning otherwise he wouldn't have believed me.

Now that my band has been more cooperative the past few days, I am realizing that this is the restriction where I need to be. I'm hoping it will stay this way for awhile longer, since the idea of another fill right now is the furthest from my mind. And recently, my cousin found out her port/tubing was leaking and needs to get it replaced. She is not happy and rightly so. So, that is always in the back of my mind that with every fill comes the possibility that there could be a puncture and more surgery (and more money). The lbs are coming off, ever so slowly. But I feel good and I look much better and the compliments are nice. So, I'll take each day as it comes. 5 more lbs and I'll officially just be considered "overweight" instead of "obese". That will be a nice change and a nice mini-goal.

Easy weekend...

Easy enough anyway. Friday night hubby and I went to the German Heritage Festival for a bite and listen to some of the music. Didn't stay real long since the weather was cold and damp. Had a nice hearty potato soup that was amazingly good due to the weather. I also got an apple dumpling and couldn't even touch it since I was full of soup. Afterwards, we went to my parent's house and played cards. Mom ate most of the dumpling, I had maybe 3 bites and was done. Better off anyway.

Hubby roped me into going to his brother's house in St. Mary's to watch the Buckeye game Saturday. They were having a "block" party and had their big TV outside on the patio. Pretty much pissed the whole day away from what I was intending to do. So on Sunday, I did about 6 loads of laundry and baked most of the day. I had found a turtle cheesecake recipe in the Taste of Home magazine that I was dying to make and try out as a dessert for Thanksgiving. I also wanted to make a pumpkin swirl cheesecake and perfect it from the last time I made it a couple of weeks ago. Oh, and ice cream, I have to admit I made some ice cream.

Well, both cheesecakes were to die for. I tried the pumpkin swirl that evening and it was great. The turtle cheesecake I had a small serving yesterday and brought both to work. Got rave reviews and a couple of recipe requests. Amazingly, even though I have all this stuff in my house, after I sampled both I'm not really interested in having any more. Before the band, all bets were off and I would have polished at least 1/2 of one of those cheesecakes off already. My desire for snacks and treats have definitely waned. Not at first, but after a few months I've really lost alot of the urges to eat any crappy foods. Not that I'm a master of healthy choices, just that it's more important to me to eat right at least 80% of the time. I actually had 1 tablespoon of ice cream last night and that was enough. The last batch I had to throw out because I didn't eat it within a couple of weeks and hubby isn't much of the sweet eater. Wow, this band has kicked my butt. In a good way. I can resist things I never would have resisted before the band and it doesn't seem to matter if they are in the house...the exception being Lay's Potato Chips and dip. My sister-in-law asked my husband what he was going to get me for our anniversary and then she said that all he had to do was smother himself with chip dip and roll around in some Lay's potato chips and I'd be happy. (She was pretty close to being right about that!). Luckily, he decided to give me flowers.

Last night I went through my closet again and ended up with 3 garbage bags worth of mostly dress clothes and about 15 dresses and suits. I just got rid of a bunch of clothes a month or so ago to the local Catholic "goodwill" store (FISH). Looks like they will be getting a bunch more pretty soon. It's a great feeling to be able to get rid of some of this stuff and say 'never again'. I tried a suit on I wore for my parent's 50th wedding anniversary 4 years ago and it was bigger than when I wore it to their party. Hubby said to keep it, but I said I don't plan to be in this size next spring and put it on the donation rack. I'm going to want some smokin' hot stuff next spring honey!

Anniversary...4 years or as my husband says "feels like 8"

Yesterday was our 4 year anniversary. Dozen roses from the hubby...YES! I love flowers. It was a pretty mellow anniversary. Neither of us felt like going out since we went out to dinner with his family the night before for his parents 57th anniversary. So we got a pizza from the local restaurant and watched TV since the weather was crappy.

A few days ago, our beloved Gracie Girl came back to visit. Back in July, we took her and her kittens to a farm a little over 3 miles from our home. We thought she would have a better life there than in town outside around the school traffic and the elements. Her kittens were around 10 weeks when we brought her and her kittens out there. It was tough because we really took a liking to Gracie. But we have Stuey and he is king of the castle and likes it that way. Hubby and I were taking a walk down by the new school track and we saw a gray tiger running away. I told hubby that it looked like Gracie Girl and yelled her name. Well, she stopped and turned around. I yelled her name again and she began walking toward me and meowing. We both dropped our jaws that it was her. Not sure why she came back because I know she was getting fed at the farm and she had a great barn and hayloft to hang out in with no other animals at the place. But, she is now back and hanging out in the cornfield next to our house. We think she's pregnant again. She eats more than Stuey ever did and he is twice the size of her. Not sure what we are going to do with her, but it's nice to know she liked us enough to come back.

Amazingly, the pizza we had last night did not show up on the scale. This morning I actually weighed 1 1/2 lbs less than yesterday. It was a nice surprise. This weekend we are planning on going to a local Germanfest. Hubby will get to try his different beers and eat German food. I think his brother and his wife are coming up tonight for the food. His wife is originally from Germany and loves any type of German heritage festivals around the area. Since most of this area is drenched in 'krauts, myself included, she has no problem finding places to go.

The OSU Buckeye game is on at 3:30 Saturday, so I don't know if we'll watch is somewhere or watch it at the Germanfest with the crowd. Hubby MUST watch his beloved Buckeyes, believe me, I heard about it when our wedding was actually the same day as a Buckeye game. Luckily, it wasn't the Michigan game or anything, he probably wouldn't have showed up:)