Serial Starters

*** October 24 ***

Hello all~

We made it to Friday!

Lana

244.6 today

Good Fri-yay Evening!

Sara, I am finding the older I get, the more difficulty I have crocheting. I have no problem with the stitches....its some of the patterns. The motif is actually 2 patterns. I recently finished a spiral afghan and it was actually easier than this motif....and I used 4 colors for the afghan. I hope to make one motif a day which will work the timetable. And I agree about assembling motifs....its a PITA. But I have done it before....it will be worth it. And glad to hear you are getting your kitchen in order. You can do mine next....LOL!

Lana, hope you had a good Friday.

And I hope everyone else has a good weekend!

I had lunch with the SO at Moishe and Izzy's....a Jewish deli near where I used to live in PA. I had a Reuben but they went a little light on the Cole slaw. Brought home another slice of carrot cake, but again, didn't have any when I got home. Also went to my parents grave and did a little maintenance. I will have to go back in the spring and do a bit more work on the scaping...its starting to look a bit worn. I did pull some weeds and trimmed some dead branches off the rosebush I planted behind the headstone. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and the grave next to my parents, the family planted a rosebush behind THEIR loved ones headstone, too.

I wasn't going to watch the World Series but there isnt much else on that I have an interest in. I sure hope the Jays can pull it out.

Good night, all...

Sandy

TMW - 160

Good Evening!

Lana, I have never had Ramen with eggs....silly I never thought of it. Will have to try it sometime.

I had a granola bar and milk for breakfast...skipped lunch. Had baked tilapia with mixed vegetables and water for dinner. May have an apple a little later.

I finally got the instructions for the afghan motif down so I don't have to refer to them anymore…makes it go a little faster.

Feeling a little off today....nothing new. It will pass.

TTFN...

Sandy

TMW - 161.8

Sandy, that is very pretty.

Sandy and Lana, you know I won't make anything! Sliced deli chicken sandwiches will be fine. I like chickpeas and use them some, but they are more calories for the same volume. And Lana, I would have to get up at 3 am to walk before work, haha. No time during the day—I teach straight through from 7:10 to 12:45, have Tardy sweep duty and my team meeting to about 1:30. I usually finish a few minutes early with final details by 2 (bell rings to dismiss students to bus/home at 2:10), and unless we have a meeting, I leave! It is a chore after work, but not once I get started. It's the getting started part. I really enjoy the exercise once I'm moving—I know that. Zero initiation—executive function issue, which as a former special ed teacher I know a LOT about. If I start wearing leggings and walking shoes to school, I'm very likely to walk when I get home b/ I don't have to think about it.

This week I cut back on coffee and walked this weekend x2, setting the tone and building some momentum. will order food delivered tomorrow (groceries) and walk after school. I have healthy left overs for lunch tomorrow, so that's good.

*** October 27 ***

Good morning all~

Maureen - Your ideas about walking after school make good sense. You begin your workday frightfully early!! Gah.

Sandy - What a fun day with your daughter 🎃

I'm waiting for the heating guy to show up. Brrrr…….

Wishing y'all a good day today~

Lana

243.8 today

Good Afternoon, people!

@eddiesmith1 , hey! Welcome back to MFP! It sounds like you are on the right track! And I don't use the app...I go to the actual website on my phone. Goodluck to you, too and keep posting!

Lana....hope your heat is back up!

And hey, Missy, Maureen. Ang, Sara, et al!

Didn't get to the movie today…something came up with the SO so were going tomorrow instead.

I am getting conflicting reports about SNAP. I know I wont be getting it next month but now I am hearing they may remove any leftover money from October. I have been saving the last $95 I have left and now I don't know if I should. Finished off the shrimp salad for lunch. Might try Lana's egg drop Ramen soup for din din. 🙂 I still have 5 cans of tuna, eggs, and tilapia in the freezer. I won't starve, but I will likely go through everything I have left next month. I cannot use my own money for food...can't pay my apartment bills if I do. I avoid food banks...as I said I am not going to starve…and families need it more. Not to mention there aren't any close by.

Going to go crochet a little more.

TTFN...

Sandy

TMW - 160.8

Sandy, reach out if you know of anyone in need. I'll do what I can. I am going to see what the plan is at school—we better have a plan. I'll be nuts if we don't. I'm so worried about Jamaica right now, too. I will have a little extra money this month and it will be reserved for these 2 issues—I'm so angry about the SNAP benefits being denied for November. What a cruel, cruel stunt.

I agree with Lana—people should use their October money, if they have any, to stock up for November.

Lana, no heat? I hope you have been able to stay warm. This weather doesn't bother me much but it's not typical of October, that's for sure. I didn't try to walk with all this rain, and have too much going on tomorrow to fit it in, but my legs are tired from the weekend, so that's probably just as well. Groceries to come soon and I'm looking forward to a good dinner.

I hope everyone is doing ok.

Welcome, @eddiesmith1.

TTFN,

Maureen

*** October 29 ***

Good morning all~

Heating got fixed on Monday. Whew~

Eddie - you are doing great! Keep it up, and all of your lab numbers will fall back into line.

Maureen - We have a couple more days of rain coming to NC. Blech!

Sandy - did you get to the movies? If yes, what did you see?

Waving to Sara and Missy and Ang and anyone else who pops by today 👋🏻🌴

Lana

245.2 today

Good Evening, People!

Lana, I saw the Springsteen movie. It was good....loved the music. But when you deal with depression, its tough to watch a movie about someone suffering from depression...ha, ha! Still I am glad I got to see it.

Ang, sorry about your tooth. And hoping the Jays can win again tonight!

I have read your posts. I am planning to go to the grocery store sometime tomorrow and use the rest of my food stamps, just in case. I have some food, but a lot of it isn't particularly carb friendly....mac and cheese, ramen. But I do have some frozen stuff, too. And the last couple days I have been eating my ex's food so…But I will prepare for tougher days ahead if this situation drags on past November.

Sorry I was AWOL.…It's a bit of a story...

Been a tough couple days. Daughter in the Catskills? She slipped and fell....broke her fibula (I am told that is difficult to do... poor kid) and got a deep cut on her hand from a broken wine glass. She had a day and a half of vacation…that was it. She was able to drive home because her right foot /leg was ok. But I had to take her for xrays today....tomorrow she goes to an orthopaedist to see how they will proceed. She is hoping for a cast so she can get by with a walker and not crutches. But we shall see. She has to stay at my ex's....her bedroom in her apartment is on the 3rd floor and she cant get up all those stairs. I convinced the ex to get a new mattress for the guest room....she can't get a good night's sleep on the old one. It will be delivered tomorrow. While my ex takes her to the Dr. I will hang out and wait for the mattress to be delivered.

So that's the story. I may or may not be able to post tomorrow.

I am tired. Till next time...

Sandy

TMW - 160.4

Ooh, I just remembered it's "dress like a student" day so I can wear my sweats to work! Haha. Best day ever. And my younger colleagues go all out. It's hilarious. I draw the line at the eyelashes, though.

Howdy, Everyone!

Lana, yeah. She was SO looking forward to the peace and quiet and relaxation....and BANG....all over. She did get a refund on the days she wasn't at the cabin, which was helpful. But its going to be LOOOONG recovery period (see my post below).

Sara, thanks. You can read my update below. And dress like a student sounds like a blast!

Not good news on the daughter. She needs surgery and a pin inserted. That will be in a week. She will not be allowed to put any weight on her leg for 3 weeks after and will have a cast for 6 weeks. She is understandably miserable. I mean my ex is ok but her aunt and uncle also live in the house…its going to be tough for her for awhile. And she will have to apply for disability...she's not looking forward to navigating that procedure either. I feel so bad for her. She had only 2 weeks of surgical orientation left before she would get her permanent position, and now? Oh boy...

I spent most of the day at my ex's....he paid me $100 cash to finish his laundry. No false pride here....I will take any money I can get. Food wasn't the best today....the ex sprung for Chinese so I had shrimp with broccoli and rice. Although I am trying not to fall back into bad habits, food choices will be a bit limited for awhile. But I am not deterred. I have come TOO far.

Till tomorrow, be well, everyone!

Sandy

TMW - 160

Good morning! Happy November. I'm up and awake and wondering if I should go for a walk. It's 3:30 AM and I've been up for 2 hours :)

I'm hoping to go back to sleep : 0

Sandy, I'm just so sorry to hear of your daughter's accident. I hope this "low point" for her leads to many years of much better things. It's very distressing, I know.

The week finished badly. I had Chinese food I didn't even enjoy for dinner Thursday, and ate too much pizza last night. I feel too full right now. I did NOT walk Thursday, although I did last night and plan to today. I have had a stern talking to with myself and I was appropriately chagrined. Perhaps I'll listen; possibly not. But tomorrow seems like a good day for a fresh start—I really want a piece of cake. Maybe I'll just walk to the store to get it. That's a 3 mile round trip, with a lot of steep hills, and will burn a fair number of the calories the cake adds. A good compromise for today, I guess.

The "good news" is I will see a dramatic "loss" after these last couple of days—I'll retain a ton of fluid from the salt of the foods I just ate, and it will suddenly flush in about 2-3 days of healthy eating. I expect I'll see a true weight again by Tuesday. For the time being, I'll feel like a Puffer fish all blown up.

Thankfully—in this month of gratitude—our rain has stopped and it's been gorgeous and will be for the next week, or so it seems. I'm glad of that!

TTFN,

Maureen

Later that same day….

I talked with my sister today, and we decided to cancel her visit with me in NC. She lives in California SFO, and she would be connecting through Dallas, which is the airport having the toughest time with a shortage of air traffic controllers.

We are actually both relieved. We're looking at getting together in early spring.

Sandy, I'm sorry you feel you can't take more animals. I know it's a tough decision and I admire you for having the guts to make it. And I know you'd never wish that on your daughter, but having her close for a bit is some consolation for you.

Lana, that's too bad about your sister but sounds wise.

I've been up since 3:25 am, but had 7.5 hours of great sleep (due to the time change), which is my "norm" when I am sleeping well, and I feel pretty rested. Went for a walk with my more challenging pup, and it takes longer, but he did well. We passed the same dog twice, and mine did great with distraction. And his challenges on leash are minimal and would be 100% gone if I hadn't gotten tired of training him at about 18 mo. I made such an effort from the time he was 8 weeks, and I was sooooooo tired of it, and my thumbs—arthritis—-were killing me b/c of the way I was holding the leash and treating him. I didn't really resume for months, and then it has been hit or miss. BUT, he is quite good as long as there isn't another dog or squirrel :) And I haven't seen him be reactive in quite a while b/c I don't let it happen and don't walk him around the neighborhood much. We usually go to the many places I've discovered for off leash hiking and jogging (me and my penchant for "trespassing," haha).

Anyway, I've got a new book for the day, some meds to pick up, and a grocery order coming. That should keep me busy!

Have a lovely day.

Maureen

Good Sunday Morning!

Maureen, if we didn't have a no pets policy at my apartment, I would have taken him in a minute....I can see where his size might be an issue for some people, but not to me. My dog is an ESA, so he is allowed here...but only him. Its another reason I wish I had a house. And my financial situation would be strained further if I had another pet. As for your pet, I am glad there is improvement in his walking!

Just taking things a little easier today....need to catch up on my crocheting and pay a couple bills. I won't talk about the World Series....too painful at the moment. Will concentrate on football for awhile.

Wishing y'all a peaceful day!

Sandy

TMW - 160.2