Thursday December 18

[zip2play]

Just on the news....a house in California was infested with roaches so they set off 19 insecticide bombs and tightly sealed the house. A space heater clicked on thermostatically and blew the house to smithereens....TOO funny! I'll bet some of the roaches survived though.

A fascinating article Liinda. If it were written on soft paper I'd make sure to put it next to the toilet where it might prove useful.
How this guy got a PhD is the scary part...in Phys Ed or Phonics presumably because it sure wasn't in Statistics. He's obviously not a medical researcher because all he's done is misinterpret the work of others and take silly 3 word blips out of context.

I am going to give the whole medical thing a rest til my appointment on the 29th...I'll buy his silly drugs (norvasc and atenolol) and take them with my thiazide putting the Corgaard and Inderal back on the shelf (such FUN!)....and record my BP 4 times a day! No more health comments from me til then....I even getting sick of hearing myself talk and thus I truly sympathize with y'all having to read the moaning.

Now, about the weather- It's gorgeous and just under 40°. A great day for a walk.

I hope you are all well.

[Jacki1953]

Zip....you are too much!!

Love that roach infested house story. I bet roaches survived too. I hate roaches.

We are supposed to have a bit of sunshine today too. I hope. Will go a long way in aleviating some winter blues.

Today and tomorrow to go....then the Salt Mines will be shut down for 2 weeks!! How come the last 3 days before a holiday seem the longest?

Nothing much to report. The remodel only progresses on weekends and will be a fact of life for a long time yet (sigh).

Hope y'all have a good day and I'll check in later.

[OrchidCactus]

Hey everyone!

Y'all just crack me up sometimes! We now have 3 fixin' to slug it out over the ****** award...too funny! I reckon I can't throw my hat in the ring too? We are in line for some potential ugly weather tonight. DR said it could sneaux, with accumulations of up to 3" on the plateau--that means we could get some. Now before y'all laugh at that, remember that in the south 3" will shut virtually everything down except the grocery stores and wallyworld where EVERYONE is required to go in the advent of the first sneauxflaque. Everyone except me, that is LOL

Zip, time for the paper trail on your BP, big guy! 4x daily, written down and bring your machine in for test calibration too! Just like anything else, ya gotta PROVE it to them!

Shawnee, glad you had a good time with DGB yesterday. I bet she's just so very tickled with the house! I've heard that greyhounds are great dogs and very eager to please. They are supposed to be really laid back, but do require a high fence since they are sight hounds and can see a leaf move at 1/2 mile....and the race is on If your DGB is ANYTHING like you, she'll pass that test with FLYING colors!

Jacki, the last few days before a vacation are always the longest! And then the time off goes by so quick, so enjoy it, and take at least one day just to enjoy being off work (like in your jammies and do NOTHING!). Good luck on finishing the home improvements a weekend at a time. Trust me, I know the drill!

Loretta, you're such a sweetie for taking care of us like you do...don't ever change! Glad you got the deco's all up, enjoy that fragrance for me too! Can't imagine what my gang would do if I let them around a real tree! (2 boy dogs in the house? YIKES!!)

Linda, when we were kids we always had live trees, and I do remember the fragrance well. I also remember those needles stick to carpet like GLUE, and don't feel too good underfoot either. We had a Norway Pine tree farm so I also got to have a small tree in my room as a kid. To me it was normal, to the other kids it was Can you burn a fragrant candle to reclaim the scent?

Julie, luckily I have a GF that cuts my hair...and she knows exactly what I want and DOES IT! I've been butchered by so many 'stylists' in the past that I don't trust my hair to many Hope Bo enjoyed his trip to the groomers and is nice and snuggly now for ya!

Susan and Pam, check in please! We know you don't have frostbitten fingers, so please say hey!

Well, all, off to fix some lunch....

[JuliaL]

Hi everyone! I'm new to the world of maintenance and thought I'd pop in to say hello. The last six weeks since I hit goal I've been fluctuating between 137.5 and 139 lbs. I'm very happy with that, and I think I've about got this maintenance thing figured out. We'll see what happens next week when I'm staying with my mom and dad for Christmas. They both love to bake lots of goodies for the holidays.

Ginny - you're so right about snow in the south. I'm from Louisville, Kentucky and now live in Charlotte, NC. I swear I think Kroger is in cahoots with the weatherman, because every time the weatherman says the "S" word, Kroger gets packed! Like snow even lasts very long in the south! Everyone acts like they're going to be holed up all winter in the Overlook Hotel with an ax murderer a la "The Shining" and they want to make sure they don't run out of white bread! It's absolute pandemonium!

Well anyway - hope you all are having a great day! Julia

[Loretta V]

Roger I guess that Doc does not have x-ray vision to give you an immediate diagnosis of Clogged artery. Too bad. Maybe in the next decade. Now don’t give us trouble (me and the doc) and take that rx. (I am on atenolol and DH is on Norvasc) Both good drugs. What a wimp you are not to be able to meet the challenge, low fat and low carb. Do you think that doc would begin a procedure like that with a bp that high??????? You idiot.
Who are we worrying about here. DUH Be sure to get your bp machine calibrated. Some of those battery operated ones are not correct. I have a regular old nurses bp syphgomometer and a battery operated one and they do give different readings. The battery one is always lower. I am sure glad that you have calmed down today.
I just worry about you and the rest of our gang.

Ginny your sure had me LOL about the dogs and the Christmas tree.
I agree with you that down south here 3 “ is a lot of snow. Too many back roads that ice over and are dangerous because of the poor snow removal due to the pure distance involved. There are so many school buses on the roads too, it is just too dangerous for the kids. For some reason it does not keep me at home. I don’t mind driving on the stuff especially now that I am retired and don’t really have to go out.

Carol I just did not think that the new truck would be used for tree hauling. Glad Bob got to show his baby off to the cousin.
Will DGB be living fairly close to you? That is exciting about the move and the new pup. Well he won’t be a pup and that might be a very good thing. No chewing up the house.

Thanks Linda for the back up on the low fat and low carb. I’m sure our Roger was just upset after he thought about wanting a quick diagnosis on that blockage. Thanks for that great article on the statins.
I like my Honda because it is a front drive and seems to be steady on bad roads.

Julie thanks for backing me up too. You got it LIFE IS NOT FAIR and we have to take care of what we are dealt. We need to be in control of our health issues and one of those ways is by listening to the doctor in a reasonable fashion and to be an informed person. Hey congrats on that 115.5. About a year ago I got down to 114. BY the next month I was up to 116. I was doing low fat and low carb at that time too.
Jackie keep your eye on Star Pup when your neighbor is going by your house. Maybe you could let her go over to Shawnee’s house for a visit.
Hope your projects let you get around to enjoying Christmas.

Hi JuliaL and welcome to the Maintain Lain. Congrats on reaching your goal weight. Join in here with us. We are a small group and have a nice closeness. I live near Paducah, KY on Ky Lake. Our grocery stores are just like yours when snow is even whispered in the forecast.

Hi to Susan and Pam. {{{hugs to ya}}}

Lretta

[JuliaL]

Thanks for the welcome, Loretta. I've been to Kentucky Lake - it's lovely. We used to do a lot of camping and fishing when we lived in KY.

[LoveMontana]

Roger, LOL I heard that on the news this morning too and laughed out loud. They did the bombs themselves because they didn't want to pay a professional. Duh!

About the article. I take most things with a grain of salt but enjoy reading different opinions.

What's your thought on this? I promise it's not medical. IMHO it's looking a bit better.
http://markets.usatoday.com/custom/u...=1643&x=52&y=8

Jackie, those last few days before a vacation do feel long. Enjoy your time off and relax.

Ginny, What's your elevation there? Just curious because hills seem to get more snow. Hopefully you don't need to drive too much with all the crazies out there.

LOL you are welcome to join our "****** club".

We do have some Forest Pine candles but they just aren't the same. Maybe I'll go into the yard and hack some branches off the pines and hang them over the windows.

Stay safe on the drive to and from work.

Hi and welcome Julia. Congratulations on getting to maintenance. You will be just fine if you don't add white flour and sugar back into your eating plan. Be strong around those holiday goodies and make something lc that you can indulge in. Carol, aka Shawnee is our expert and creative baker and can convert almost any recipe to lc.

Loretta, you are right. We all want immediate dx when we are concerned about our health. Unfortunately it's not possible unless we are taken to a Level 1 Trauma center .
Of course I back low carb/low fat even though I manage my lipids fine with moderate fat. None of us are the same when it comes to managing our health.

Carol, We can't wait to see pictures of the new Greyhound. They are such great dogs. I agree that it's better to get older dog. DD's pup chews everything.


Julie, So where are you? I waited all day for you to get here and help clean my house. Did you find more to do at yours?

Susan, what's up with you?

Off to crush some pork rinds for those cheddar bay biscuits.
Later.

[shawneesioux]

Hi Y'all

Oh, my GAWD, Loretta....ya blasted me away ROF,LMAO! ..I always figured you (sweetly) walked softly, but carried a big stick for back up. TA DA ! Today you abruptly switched those bedside tactics, and drug out the heavy artillery ...firing that warning shot right across ol' Zipman's backside. SURRENDER, ZIP ! Lil Loretta has ways of making you take that medicine; she's a practiced pro ! Geez, I LOVE this BB....

OK, here's a laff at my expense Today I was chauffering Bob around in his new truck, and my butt started getting uncomfortably HOT ! He was busy punching buttons randomly while I was trying to survive the traffic with sun in my eyes...
My seat got hotter than a heating pad , and I couldn't take my eyes off the road to look for the damn "STOP THAT HEAT" button...and he was busy denying responsibility.... DUH..
Grrr...I finally found the right button, but if I'd have found an EJECT button, I'd have shot his butt towards the moon.
Montana, please send me some of that special heavy duty duct tape you have reserved for Gerard.



So Ginny...what's the problem with the boy pups and the tree? .....its gotta be watered
GB is experienced with pup stuff, working 4 yrs with all breeds: classes in nutrition, anatomy, grooming, behavior, training, etc...(she's a BARF advocate, BTW)...also deals with local humane society and agencies to place pups.
Anyhoo, the thing with the sight pups is....if they get loose and chase a critter, good chance they will catch it....bad news for the critter. They are fast, covering a great distance quickly...but the ol' nose ability ain't that great, and they might not be able to sniff their way home, with the added confusion of traffic, etc..
The adoptable greys here have not been rehabbed /socialized, no real training other than to run and be crated. Mandatory agreement to abide by: they will be leashed or fenced at all times. I am concerned because the kids live in town with traffic and other critters, just 2 houses away from our pretty park/lake that's inhabited by coons, even beaver, possums, ducks, geese, squirrels, etc.
She can handle the training stuff, but she'll also have to train everyone to keep gates and doors closed. Easier said than done.

Welcome, Julia.

Congrats on the weight loss. We cover every subject known to mankind here, and invent the rest if necessary
With our various skills, backgrounds, and personalities...nothing is off limits. .......so ....with that in mind, how tall are ya?? ...hehee, at least I did not ask your age... ( I'm 58 and sliding towards the next number)

Montana, get thee to the greenery and get into the spirit ...unless it makes ya sick! Our town is half hills, half flatland...even a tad of snow makes the hills a driving mess . Thanks for the kind baking words...hope I can live up to them.

We did sneak up and capture a live tree today...cold, sunny weather...perfect for the hunt. While Bob BS'd with the owner, I "marked" my choice with my blue garden glove...see it on the tree tip? Bad photo courtesy Bob (contrary to photo evidence, I do NOT have 2 black eyes...just transitional lenses )





Hi to Julie, Jacki, Tink, Zipman........be back later to read your words of wisdom.

Shawnee

[OrchidCactus]

Me again...

Welcome JuliaL! Congrats on your getting to maintenance. Stick with us and you'll be insane in no time LOL! I think we're a great bunch and like Shawnee said we cover everything and then some.

Shawnee, good find on the tree! Now when you get it in and decorated, you know the pic drill Got me tickled about the heated seat/hot butt! I remember shortly after a good friend of mine got a new truck I couldn't figure out how to turn off the headlights...gave him a good laugh watching me figure out they AUTOMATICALLY turned off since he did the same thing

Linda, sign me up for the club. At work, they'd definitely agree with my placement, and I think I have enough points racked up to avoid any probationary period before full membership

Loretta and Julie, go get 'em...Zipster needs you to set him straight!

Zip, do what they say, or else! Remember, you're dealing with professionals here LOL

Jacki, Susan, Pam, hope all is going well.

I'm off to lurk, DH is watching a movie.

[Jewels]

Well, look what goes on while I'm gone.

Roger, for pete's sake, you sure got cranky old man! Come on, it's not the end of the world. Take the drugs and quit worrying about it. Now, I fulfilled my "*****" name here. Good story about the roache infested nil house.

Aww jacki, you sure can use the upcoming vacation from work. So how long do you estimate the remodle will take to finish or am I being a ***** to ask that? LOL Just curious.

Ginny, Tenn. sounds like western Wa. when the snow hits. Schools close, streets close, stores close, the whole damn town slows to a halt. Then it's gone in 2 hours. hehehe We do live in a very hilly place and the snow is extremely wet so it's slippery but REALLY!!!! I too have always had a live tree. We could've got an artificial one for free from my gf but DH nixed that in a real hurry. he says when we are too old to go buy one, then we'll think about it.

Welcome Julia! Boy is this going to be confusing with 2 of us. We might mess with these people's heads here. LOL Maybe I can just claim the ***** award right now and be done with it.
Congrats on your maintance. The holidays can be tough. This is my first one since I made goal so I'm doing it with ya.

Loretta, yeah, life just plain sucks sometimes but we learn to deal with it, huh? I lost the weight when I was sick so am thinking kind of negative but last night I did go in and change my sig. weight. We'll see if it will stick.

Linda, anything that comes UP is a good sign, huh? Gosh Ms. Martha, I didn't think you really needed any help. You love to do it don't you? I actually got lost on the way to your house and Loretta's. Should've called on my cell phone but was out of range. good excuse??

Carol, OMG that must have been funny. Even funnier would've been Bob being catapolted out the top of the car. LOL BARF??? I even considered it one time but decided Bo WAS a dog after all. Although we spoil him in every other way. Cooking for him is just not my idea of a dog. Poor Bo, having such a mean mom.

So where the heck has Susan been the past few days?? I'm worried, like a worry wart. LOL Hi to Pam!! Now Julia, we are a bunch of crazies but maybe you can straighten us out.

[shawneesioux]

Back again...

.......trying to decide what to do with decorations...traditional stuff looks like crap with my SW pics, colors...and am too pleased with the SW / Garage Sale/ Family Junktique look to change it, and too cheap to buy new decorations...(already have enough for 6 families. ....I went thru a few years of thinking I had to do Designer trees, etc...what was I thinking??) LOL

........so less is more, or anyway adequate and pleasing. Gonna take some back down in the morning...hey, it IS morning ...oh, well.

LOL, Ginny...re the headlights...Bob has a real hard time walking away from a rig with the lights left ON!
Damn, y'all are GREEDY (like me)...I just gave ya a pic today, and ya already want more! Show me your Pups, I'll show ya my tree
(I'm determined to be the Queen Bi*ch !)
Remember we still had our pretty old '79 Grand Prix? ...needed to
make more driveway room around here, so it was gonna hafta go bye DGB solved the problem for us; she bought it, so its still in the family. She grew up with that car, its 2 years older than her. The idea of a stranger owning it was too much to bear, anyway.

Julie, I'm concerned for Susan too...hoping its work, and not her DD's health, that's causing her absence here.
LOL, Bob thinks like Chuck....he'd crawl if he had to, to get that real tree, while I could be content just admiring the mature ones growing in the yard.
Naah, no cooking for the real BARF. It is a controversial concept...much like the Atkin's is (was ) To make it work properly and safely, one must be educated in it. (as in, not just ANY kind of bone.) DGB's boss has her show dogs on it.




"BARF is an acronym for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. BARF also stands for Bones And Raw Food. Other apt terms include evolutionary diet, natural diet, and species appropriate diet. "

OK, Zipster...I'm jumping off the "corner Zip and beat him into submission" bandwagon now...we only dog-piled ya cause we care bout ya !

Shawnee...or Carol...or Queen Bi*ch (*snarl*...back off, Ginny )

[JuliaL]

Thanks for the welcome everybody, and for the encouragement. I am a little worried about the holiday goodies, but I've been able to resist temptation pretty well so far - we'll see.

Glad to hear there are crazies here! That means I'll fit right in, lol . I'm 5'7", and I'm 43 years old. I've raised two sons and I'm working on the third, who is 15 years old. (If that won't make you crazy, nothing will).

Julia