THE LIGHTER SIDE CAFE MONDAY AUGUST 19 - SUNDAY AUGUST 25

Good Morning, WW Friends ~

Happy Saturday!!  Thanks for all the "poor baby"s about my training.  It was a long week with three full days of it and now we're ALL glad it is over!!  I brought home all my program materials (4 books) so that I can peruse them over time. I slept well last night - going to bed early and sleeping in a bit this morning - and that makes a HUGE difference in how I feel as well as my mental attitude.

We added fresh corn to our "Mexican feast" last night and it was a delight to the eyes as well as the taste buds.  I had watermelon in the evening for my snack.  This morning we had oatmeal filled with blueberries, and it was delicious!  I didn't even realize that I was that hungry until I started eating.  Reminded me of why WW's tells us not to skip meals -- I would only have eaten more later.  I plan to have a light lunch as we are going out to eat tonight.  

Not much on the agenda for today. I still need to shop at Meijer but I may put that off until Monday. The weekends are just too crowded, and there's nothing on sale this week that is on my list anyway.

BBL.  Make a great day!!

Hi!

We are home safe and sound and I SO enjoyed sleeping in my own bed with my own pillows and waking to my own coffee and sitting in my own lazyboy! We arrived mid-afternoon yesterday and spent a busy couple of hours unpacking, hauling meat to DD1's freezer, grocery shopping, etc. DH made one of our comfort food dishes--Weinies & Lentils--for dinner and we enjoyed it with a salad. I'm so glad to be done with fast food for a while.

While my intentions were good when I left home and I did well the first few days of vacation, it all went south and I found myself having multiple servings of M&M-laden trail mix on Wed. The scale was up 2.4 from when I left home, so I am back on plan full-force for the foreseeable future.

I headed into town this morning for a cut & color and then gassed up the car with blessedly cheap gas ($1.99/gallon) since the tank was near empty. Gas in Colorado was anything but cheap and Nebraska wasn't much better. But I would pay any price to enjoy a vacation in the lower temps and humidity, lol.

We got a shower this morning and it looks like there is more on tap for this afternoon. Since it is overcast and not as hot out as when we left home a week ago, I am taking advantage and walking the driveway a bit. It's a good way to ease back into exercise, I think.

There has been quite a bit of controversy in the Cultural District's planning for the upcoming Easy Rider event at the end of September. They kept calling and texting DH while we were on vacation and held a decision-making meeting without proper notice and without a quorum while we were gone. He has skipped some of the past few meetings because of all the turmoil, indecision and behind-the-scenes plotting of a couple of people. He is tired of the drama and formally resigned from the board today. I am relieved because he gets so upset over some of the stupidity and then can't sleep. We will continue to attend and participate in events and he will continue with writing the book on the village's history and other upcoming history-related projects. I am glad he decided to back away before the relationships with the "busy bodies" becomes adversarial. This way, he can continue doing what he likes and the board can appoint someone who better aligns with their ways of doing things. Win-win, in my book!

I am debating whether to get a head start on Monday's laundry, or read some more of my book and nap a little. Hmmmm....

Sue - I feel the same about days of training. Even if the topic is interesting, after 3 days you're just done. I hope the newspaper issue is finally resolved. Your DH is lucky to have you fighting the battle for him! Does your local library have the Libby/Overdrive online books app? I love it because I can check out either print or audio books at no charge and just like at the library, I can sign up on a waiting list for popular books and they will send an email when it's available. Through Overdrive, the older form of the app, I can also recommend books I see on Book Bub or Good Reads and if/when they get them, either from another library or through purchase, they notify me. DH and I listened to 3 books on our trip and it sure made the drive go faster. We finished the last one, David Baldacci's "Fallen" as we drove into our driveway and parked. Uncanny that we timed it perfectly!

Ann - I feel for you on the mosquito bites. There was a period of a couple of years when I had terrible itching and swelling from the bites. I did some research and found that menopausal women put off estrogen which attracts mosquitos and causes us to get more bites. Taking extra B6 is supposed to help. Mostly, I just wear long sleeves and insect repellent. The wetter the weather, the more the little devils breed.

Judy - Your flight home sounded awful! I'm a snorer, so would feel very self-conscious about sleeping in the middle of a seat of 3. I hope DH's hand heals quickly and is nothing terribly serious. It sounds like your decision to stay home was wise all the way around. Both of you could probably use some restful time.

Time for a late lunch of salad with a bit of sliced ham, turkey and a boiled egg. Dinner will be my version of fried chicken with mashed potatoes and smothered okra & tomatoes. It's all planned and tracked.

Hi all, 

Like Ann said, we are having beautiful weather here with 75 degrees and dry.  It’s supposed to be even cooler in the next few days.  We had a quiet day today doing a few household chores like laundry and changing sheets, walking dogs,etc. I started a new Stephen King book called The Outsider and it’s a page turner for sure! I also finished watching a Netflix show called Dead To Me.  It has language and not for everyone, but DD and I started watching it in CA and I got hooked.  Christina Applegate is the star and it’s a wacky mystery/suspense show. I liked it but a cliffhanger for the end of the season.  

Pam, wow on gas for $1.99. Ours is about a dollar more, but California was close to $3.50-$4.00 which is ridiculous. Everything in her area is astronomically expensive and even by our relatively high cost of housing here in the Boston area, we are nowhere near their crazy prices.  It’s truly another world in the Bay Area especially Silicon Valley where she lives. Also, Pam the Abbey sounded like a wonderful place for school for your DH. 

Ann, I’m bloodtype A+ and I get bitten, too. This EEE scare makes it even worse, doesn’t it? I’m careful
to walk the dogs before dusk. 

Sue, a good night’s sleep is the remedy for so many things!  I slept until 9 am today as I was still tired. 

I also relate to overeating on vacation. I have not stepped on the scale yet. I’m afraid to face the music but Tuesday it’s back to WW.  I’ve been happy to eat regular healthy food since my return. I just don’t feel great when I overindulge.  My pants and shorts feel tight right now. 

My boss wrote to me and his FIL passed away last night. I’m going to try to go to the calling hours in CT Monday night since I am friends with his family and wife. It’s sad because his FIL died quickly if an aggressive brain tumor. Just two months ago, he was driving and living a full life! Sad. I guess he suffered quite a bit near the end. 

On a happier note, DH and I decided to host a Labor Day party next Sunday with about 10 friends at the Cape. Summer has gone by way too fast and this will make the last big weekend more fun.  Most of the group is my book club and spouses.  Nice to get the men together and I think we’ll do grilled swordfish and clam chowder, corn on the cob, etc.  I want to stuck with old standbys and not make myself too crazy planning. 

Have a a great night all!

Good Morning, WW Friends ~

Happy Sunday!!  We also have those nice cool temps here - it was in the 50's when we got up this morning.  The sun is shining but it will only be in the 70's today and the next few days.  We are really enjoying it!!

We took DH's VBF out for his birthday yesterday to a brand new place (to him) and the one that our nephew manages.  We had a fabulous time!!  We were perusing the (huge) menu and the birthday boy was wishing for a surf 'n turf type meal.  I was deciding between the Cherry Chipotle Grilled Salmon and the Ribeye steak. He suggested we each order one and then split them.  The only snag came in that he likes his steak much rawer than I do - but dear nephew said "no worries" he'd have them plate his and put mine back on the grill. He did just that - and delivered them himself to make sure they were perfect.  The birthday boy LOVED the new restaurant and plans to return there.  We even ordered a dessert (BJ's Pazooki) and shared it though the birthday boy isn't normally a sweets eater.  All in all, a wonderful time was had by all!!

Pam ~ Welcome back! Sounds like you had a wonderful time.  I can really relate to being home and sleeping in your own bed with your own pillows.  I feel the same way - no matter where we go. Good for your husband for stepping down before things got ugly.  I am glad he can still enjoy working on the parts that he will enjoy.  So did you decide to do laundry? or read?  I have never gotten into audio books for some reason.  I did recently join Early Bird Books to go along with my BookBub subscription so I have even more variety to download on my Kindle app.  

Judy ~ It is so nice to have everyone back all at the same time.  I think your Labor Day plans sound wonderful!!  My DH asked me the other day what we are doing for Labor Day and I was stymied!  I know we will go to the Alano Club for the holiday Alkathon in the morning, but we need to plan something for the afternoon.  For 20 years we went to Mackinaw City and walked the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day, but since we stopped doing that, we need to find something else fun to do.  We'll probably get together with his VBF.

Ann ~ I am so glad you get to enjoy this beautiful weather as well!  I am really enjoying it also!  Could you tell me what EEE stands for??   I'm sure it has something to do with mosquitoes??

I plan to relax and finish my book today.  I never got to Meijer, but will put it on the list for next week.  I am off school the next two weeks.  Monday I have a lunch date with my work partner; and Tuesday I have a lunch date with 2 Red Hat GFs.  The other time is all wide open.  I also need to get to Costco before I go back to school.  Sigh ...... it's always something .......

DH should be home soon and we will be heading out for lunch. 

BBL.  Make a great day!!

Good afternoon!

We attended Mass this morning where I served as a lector and Eucharistic minister and gave a pitch for our RCIA program at the end. Breakfast was yogurt, fruit and a little of my flax/chia seed mix. Lunch will be baby carrots, turkey sandwich on Dave's Killer Bread thin-slice and a Honey Crisp apple. Dinner is in the crockpot--pork loin roast. We will have brown rice, black-eyed peas and some form of cabbage as sides. All has been tracked. I even got in a 30 minute walk, since it was only 77 degrees and cloudy this morning. I still sweat like the dickens from the humidity, but I "got 'er done"! It's drizzling rain now, so am glad I went when I did.

I will read some more today. I am enjoying an Elin Hilderbrand, Winter in Paradise on the iPad and listened to The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth on my walk. Both are very good.

I did not do laundry yesterday. I was reading some, but DH wanted to get some additional groceries and go visit at DD1's, so we did. We needed to drop off Jude's birthday card, as he turned 14 while we were on vacation. We had a good visit with DD, DSIL & Abby, as the older kids were off with friends.

It's hard to believe Jude is that old and pushing 6'3". I must have blinked. Seems like only yesterday I was watching doctors and nurses in a hospital that didn't deliver babies scrambling around to find the necessary equipment they kept on hand for emergencies. I was never so relieved as when Jude gave out a lusty cry and the doctor who took him from the doctor who delivered him later pronouncing Apgar scores of 8 & 9. (Babies are rated at birth and 10 is perfect.) It was only later that I panicked when I thought about what could have happened if I had followed DD's demand to take her to the hospital where she was supposed to give birth in BTR, an hour away.

Ann & Judy - The mosquito concern here is West Nile virus. There have been 9 confirmed cases in our area of the state, including 5 with the deadly, brain-damaging version. I had to google EEE.

Judy- Your Labor Day party and menu sound terrific!

Sue - I got into audiobooks when I started having an hour's commute each way to work. It used to be cassettes, then CD's and now just files downloaded to my phone. I like listening while I'm walking. Your "surf & turf" sounded good. It pays to have "friends in high places", lol. I don't care for very rare steak, but usually order medium rare. I eat around the edges, where it is cooked more and take the rarest part home for another meal. That way, when reheated, it's still juicy.

I'm going to eat my sandwich and then enjoy reading on this rainy, Sunday afternoon.