Back on Track and well over 50

[lisa0702]

Good Morning!

Gail - Congrats on your grandaughter! That is going to be fun shopping.

Chris - Congrats on your son and his accomplishements. Also congrats on the weight loss! What is fiddelheads?

feminist - I still could not find cuke. I am going to look again this weekend.

I am going to take my mom for dinner tonight for Mothers Day. She likes Carrabbas Italian but they do have whole wheat pasta and I have not had pasta in a while so I guess that will be okay. I try not to eat pasta much and stay away from bread and potatoes unless it is baked Sweet potatoe fries. Oh but I forgot their bread at Carrabbas is so so good. I have to think about that. Darn. Busy week at work. You know I have not heard anyone here in NC talk about Ammendment One. Most of the girls and I at work get so fed up with politics and how things are going, we just get so frustrated and feel like there is not much we can do but vote. I am having a hard time paying for my hysterectomy and I have insurnace but my deductible is 5000.00 and then 70% coverage so my portion is 8,000 and who has 8,000 to fork out and it is sad that the hospital will not take pymts so they automatically turn you over to collections. I just heard how the hospital has put liens on peoples homes who could not afford to pay their hospita bill. Now that is ridiculous, for one the hospital is way over charging and someone really needs to look into that. For an outpatient surgery 30,000 come on. Let me get off my soap box.

You ladies have a Happy Mothers Day!

[Chris55]

Hi, Lisa! Sad to see the vote in NC. It must be hard to know who to talk to, it's so polarizing. My family that's down there is pretty upset to say the least.

Does NC require hospitals to do charity work? They do here in Maine, so they are not supposed to send you to a collections agency if you ask for help with your bills. One of the Catholic hospitals just severed ties with an agency that had a reputation for putting a lot of pressure on people to pay. It's crazy here, the hospitals have to take care of you but nobody wants to pay them. The state requires it, but keeps cutting medicaid and other insurance programs, so now the hospitals are laying people off. Then they hire new CEO's that come in and spend a fortune redecorating their offices or organizing management seminars that accomplish nothing. My husband works in a hospital here and things like that drive him crazy. Put the money into staff and some quality equipment that won't be breaking constantly (he fixes medical equipment).

OK, back on topic! Yesterday I turned 57, sigh.....Got lots of nice b'day wishes on FB, spent some time with my walk buddies down by the lighthouse walking a loop along the ocean. It was a tiny bit sunny, mostly cloudy, but at least not raining so we decided to walk there instead of our usual spot. Sometimes it's freezing by the water, but I was able to take off both layers eventually. Then we went to a restaurant/snack bar on the water and just had coffee (both people on major austerity budget), apologized to the owner for taking up a window seat just for coffee but the place was empty and they were very nice about it.

My dinner was wonderful. I hit the health food co-op in the morning and found that the fish co-op delivered some fresh (harvested the day before) monkfish so I bought that for our dinner. We had belonged to their co-op a few years ago. It's run like a CSA but for fish. Other than pulling a fish out of the water myself, it's the best fish I've ever eaten. But it's expensive so I only did it the one year. I've been getting pretty fed up with the fish here. I live in Maine but I go into the store and the salmon is all farm raised, the tilapia is from China, etc. So I've kind of decided that I'll have fish a little less often but buy the local sustainably harvested fish from this co-op. So we had fish, fiddleheads, green beans, and I had quite a hunk of crusty bread with olive oil. My carrot cake was outstanding, worth every since bite. Will probably have another slice tomorrow for Mom's Day. I thought it was a small cake that I was making (half a normal cake size) but there's still 3 heft slices left.

Lisa, fiddleheads are baby shoots of ferns. They're only available for a short time in the spring. People here walk along the side of the road and collect them. They taste a little like broccoli or green beans. My family isn't crazy about them, so I just bought a pound and steamed them, then tossed a serving with some oil and soy sauce to jazz them up a bit. My fresh ginger got squishy so I couldn't use it.

Tonight I'll do some sirloin tips and piles of veggies. I still have leftover asparagus, fiddleheads, and green beans. I love spring! It makes it so much easier to eat right when all the veggies in the store look so pretty!

[lisa0702]

Good Morning!

Happy Birthday Chris and Happy Mothers Days Everyone!

Well I couldnt resist, I had the bread at Carrabbas. It was warm and delicious but other than that I did fine. I gave my lhasapoo away last night to a lady who is going to give the dog to her 80 year old mom. She was so happy to have the dog free. My german shepherd was just too rough with her. I hated to see her go but I really beleive she will be happier and not so scared due to the german shepherd.

My husband just left to drive to West Virginia. His mother has been very sick and they have called in Hospice. She is 90 years old. He is driving up and back today. I could not do that trip in one day up and back.

Well I guess I will go ahead and get my run going.

I hope everyone has a Special Mothers Day!

[Chris55]

Happy Mother's Day, ladies!! It's gloriously sunny and warm here today. Just got back from a walk by the water with DH. There's a dead-end street in our town that is a nice long uphill walk and turns into a dirt road. I've walked it many times, but people always told me that it was OK to walk past the last house, onto their private property, and walk by the water. I've lived here for 25+ years and never had the nerve to walk into their driveway, since I had heard that they only allowed people to walk when they weren't there, or somehow I thought they only let really brazen people who knew them use the property. Well, recently I've been going there with my walk buddy and another friend who knows everyone in town, and she showed us where to go. There's a huge meadow with paths mowed into it that connects to a path along the water and a preserve that I've only gotten to from another direction. It turns out that there's this GORGEOUS area about a mile walk from my house with meadows, the river, and it connects to the historical Native American oyster shell heaps (they picnicked here in the summer, too!). And I see lots of people I know walking with their dogs. A lot of the people who live in the homes there were home today and waved and were nice and friendly. How could I not have known about this?? Anyway, we had a nice hour+ walk, so I got my exercise in today and actually got DH to walk with me!

Also did some yoga stretching since I was very stiff and sore from gardening yesterday. I went to a small gardening club sale today and got a pot of irises and put those in, too.

Food has been OK today, so far! Munching on bread dipped in olive oil right now to go with my wine, but other than that, I've been on track. Dinner will be shrimp, veggies, and possibly some orzo or rice. There's one sliver of cake left, hoping my son is rude and grabs it so I don't eat it, lol!

[feminist54]

Happy belatedBorthday Chris, Happy Mother's Day all...
Lisa, I hope your husband trip to your MiL was safe...its hard. & I can not berlieve that hospitals won't let you set up some sort of payment plan...most bankruptcies have been with people who have had health insurance, but not enough...Have you tried CareCredit by GE (google it) its a credit card that lets you pay off the balance without interest (depends on the amount and type--from 6 months to, I think, 2 years) GE has found a niche , and as much as I do not like them for what they have done to the Hudson & Housitanic Rivers, and the amount of $$$ they spent trying to get out of cleanup....this is a good & much needed gap product (it also covers dental & vets!)...
Food has been good, save some chocolate today and Evan was real cute, he swept the main floor as part of my mother's day gift, and admonished the dog & cat not to step in his piles...
I weeded the gardens this morning, LX will mulch them for LK's birthday next Saturday ...
One class of papers left to read/grade (at least the final papers I do not have to mark up as much, just enough so that IF the student wants an explanation as to the grade, I have proof). And, then to write my self evaluation....

ciao

[Chris55]

Getting some more rain today, not in the mood for my walk. Staying home with DS, it's his b'day today. Making him some packaged biscuits for breakfast, something he loves, lol! Chocolate cake is done and waiting to be frosted. He's requested mussels and pasta, so tonight is not going to be very SB friendly. Had my P1 breakfast, will have a P1 lunch with lots of veggies to make up for dinner.

Crashed and burned last night - 3 glasses of wine and a handful of chocolate covered grahams. Bad day with job searching. It's very hard to be at the mercy of twenty-somethings who control your resume distribution and don't take 5 minutes to listen. Never would have hired the little #$@!! myself. Sounds like a valley girl, shows too much cleavage, and she's in charge of the only employment agency within 30 miles. Going in to see my women's transitions counselor as soon as I can get an appointment. Desperately in need of a pep talk by someone with a brain.

[feminist54]

Oh Chris, keep on going, don't letthe little s*&^% get you down or get in your way...did you BTW put your name in for substitute teaching? I remember way back when, that as the weather got nicer, it was harder for services to find subs...of course, its pouring out today...but there still is a month and 1/2 of school, right? Also, check at the colleges, after graduation some staff leave because they have used the one benefit they needed: the tuition bennie...plus other staff are taking vacays....so check in with their HR offices...

Yesterday was our seniors' drinks with the prof day, so I ate some nachos and had an hard ice tea (I am not much of a beer drinker, and 4 is early for wine) ... this whole week is senior week, which is more like 5 days of drinking--booze cruise, pub crawls, beer olympics, senior formal--luckily most of it does not need the kids to get behind a wheel!

Goal is to plow through the remaining papers, and draft my self eval today...

Had oatmeal this morning, turkey rollup prob for lunch, celery with hummus for snack, and dinner some version of shrimp & veggies. Will do a walking tape plus express zumba! to give me a break ...tho' I do have to get out and vote for the school budget (which means I will have to get dressed )

ciao

[Chris55]

Unfortunately every avenue I try for jobs is a dead end. I applied for subbing a while back at our local hs since I have an actual degree in Math Ed. They had advertised, I went in and spoke to the admin asst (who I know from homeschooling) and she had a pile of resumes. Never heard a word. I should have followed up more but was in the midst of interviewing for real jobs. One of my friends that has been subbing a lot hasn't been asked back since around Feb/March. Something funny going on there, layoffs coming so I think everyone is afraid to call in sick. The state colleges are in the midst of a major hiring/promotion scandal. New chancellor, finding much cronyism, huge salary increases (like $30-50,000) for no apparent reason, so increases being rescinded, etc. Not much hope for job openings there for a while. Zero posted lately, I think there's a freeze. I've applied repeatedly to Bowdoin, where I actually worked my first year in Maine. I'm feeling better today, just have to keep on working on it a bit every day and not let it define me. I know lots of people in similar or worse positions. So now I'm thinking local summer work followed by United Way paid fundraising again in the fall. Meanwhile just got another oil delivery. Thought we were set for spring/summer (hot water) but I guess we've used some since the last delivery. The only good thing is that no tuition is due at NP until July.

The sun is playing peek-a-boo, but everything is soggy and it's supposed to start raining again. Got some mussels for b'day boy's dinner. Will have them and salad, side of pasta. Also got some crab cakes for lunch, but I'm afraid they'll be disappointing since they're frozen - place used to make fresh ones. Hoping they'll be decent.

Lisa and Gail, I hope you're enjoying some nice spring weather. My lilacs are popping open, but I'm afraid they're going to drown! I may run out and pick a few even though they're only partly open.

[BytheSea]

Good evening ladies!

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day - DH and I spent the day at DD home moving plants/shrubs and planting. Ooh was I tried after that! it was a nice day and did get a lot done. Saturday night we went to dinner with my brother,sister in law and out 90 year old mother. Tried to avoid the Mother's Day rush and was fairly successful. the place was getting crowded when we left.

Chris, I'm sorry to hear about your frustrating job search. You keep digging deep, something WILL present itself! Ijust got home after attending a three hour meeting to help save those that are being laid off here. Over 40 people spoke, I hope it does some good. the young woman that works with me is still on the chopping block. I did speak on her behalf, explaining how, without her assistance, I wouldn't be able to process as many court petitions as I do now if I have to do my job and hers. Before she was assigned to my office, I was turning away over 100 requests per month, now I turn away about 30, still too many but it's the best I can do.

rain for most of the day, that's okay. The water running down the street is a yellow/green from all the pollen flying about! A lot of sniffling and sneezing going on so I hoot the rain helps clear some of this out. Chris, our lilacs have bloomed and faded already - spring hit early here, my hydrangeas already have the blooms forming and my rhododendrons are ready to pop.

My poor little kitty - Budge Butt- found herself in an altercation with another cat and she got bit on her back. I've been tending to her and soaking the area with antiseptic wash and hoping that it doesn't blow up......so far so good.

Okay, to the food.....staying pretty tight to program, but the pay off isn't what I've been hoping for..... Reaaaaaaal slooooow! This weekend we're planning on visiting with DS & DDIL ( who is giving us our first grandchild) so I see some eating off plan in my future.

Well, I can just about keep my eyes open so Good Night Ladies, rest well and let's give it hell tomorrow!

[Chris55]

We have a gorgeous spring day today. Walked this morning, though we had to skip the prettiest part since the meadow was saturated from last night's rain. The boys are on the road to NP to pick up the kid and roomful of stuff from college. He should be taking his last final in another hour or so. Had to light a fire under him last night since he hadn't started packing yet. Informed him that dad was their to pack the CAR, not his boxes, lol!

So I'm alone today blissfully eating my vegetarian meals. Egg and lots of sauteed veggies for breakfast, yam/cauliflower/nuts for lunch, eggplant for dinner. Need to stop and get some wine, though, since we're out. Off to do my envelope stuffing at United Way thanking the 4,000 shipbuilders at Bath Iron Works for their generosity. I'd be happier if we could cut the defense budget and use that money to provide food, shelter, and education to my neighbors, but I'm grateful that the employees with decent salaries are trying their best to help out everyone else. I'm determined to have a more positive attitude today!!

Hope everyone is having a good day, eating healthy!

[feminist54]

Its graduation weekend...my grades are in, after the ceremony tomorrow I will drive down and met LK on the Jesery Shore to spend her b-day (plus a few--of course, it looks like rain Sun & Mon, so no beach )--this will make her re-entry smooth, when she gets home its catch-up, clean-up and for the next two weeks I seem to have something scheduled every day (some good, some fun, some not so good or fun but I have to be there because its my body that the docs want --I am just too cartesian to give it any mind, but to be annoyed that my body makes polyps)
Food has been so -so did have a piece of eggplant topped pizza last night at a meeting...otherwise its the same: eggs in a.m. turkey roll ups for lunch, hummus or cheese w/celery for snacks, dinner tonight shrimp & veggie stirfry
Just started a book I am reading with two students who are vets: Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk its billed as the [i]Catch 22[i] of the Iraq war...so far its a good read--only one jargon slip-up sos far calling the loo the head instead of latrine....
well, off for the day's festivities...
Chris enjoy the solitude before the guys get home--I do hate how they kick students out so quickly, that they have to pack when they should be studying....
Enjoy the sun!
ciao

[Chris55]

The boys got home at 10:30pm after a day of driving down, packing up the car while DS was taking his no-stress Japanese final, stopping for dinner, and driving back. Unloaded the car this morning, washing sheets, cooking favorites (RARE beef, mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cake )as requested. Lots of non-beachy food around.

Did my morning walk, got to go through the meadow and woods a bit today until it got too soggy. Went to our first of the season farmer's market and got some arugula and salad mix, baby kale, and some tomato and pepper plants. Then went to the hardware/garden store and got a few bags of compost. Trying to figure out where to put the tomatoes since our trees are getting bigger and we're losing more sunny space every year. I've been checking outside every hour or so to see where the sun stays the longest.

It's supposed to be a gorgeous weekend, definitely a time to play outside before the black flies arrive! Tomorrow I'll plant my veggies and do more yard cleanup. Sorry to hear the weather down south isn't going to cooperate. We're having such a wonderful early spring!

[feminist54]

Good cloudy morning...graduation day was sunny, the shore not at all. Had my thyroid biopsy yesterday at Sloan, and now settling down to focus on writing, in between tons of evening meetings, events, etc. And on top of it all, LK has cellulitis in her right foot--so Tuesday we spent at the doc's-- so she is out of action for a bit until the antibiotic & antinflamatory really kick in(her foot looked like it was botoxed--shiny & smooth (and very swollen & painful).
Been eating Sobe (LK noticed the difference in my bod ), except for the tiramisu cake I bought at Costco so that we could celebrate LK's b.d. with friends Tuesday night....mmmmmmmmmmm. Thank goodness it was devoured!
"Won" dinner for four at Mohonk (on-line auction for the Eleanor Roosevelt Center, so at least the mucho dollars go to ERVK)--so we will be going there when LK's fav cousin Gary & his girlfriend come in from Idaho. Hopefullythe day will be spectular--so we can hike around, you can see four states from the tower (mohonk.com has great pix of the hotel and gardens). Their visit will be ten days of sightseeing (LK will be doing most of it with them ) around the Hudson Valley, in NYC and 3 days at the shore where we will join up with other cousins coming up from DC...her family really scattered out of Iowa except for her parents (may they RIP), her ex-husband, and her sister & family.
Well, to write....hope this finds you all well...
ciao

[Chris55]

I hope you didn't have to take out a second mortgage to "win" dinner for 4 at Mohonk! Glad you're done with grades and school (and medical tests!) and can relax a bit.

It's been alternating between warm/muggy and downpours, so trying to do anything long-term out of doors has been challenging. I've still be walking almost every day. Skipped today so I could go light a fire under the employment agency and have a pep talk from my Women, Work, and Community director. I was very lucky with my timing - the ditz at the employment agency was on vacation, so I got to talk to a competent person, the manager of the agency's branch. She promised me to follow up on getting me placed and told me to call her tomorrow. Keeping my fingers crossed, but trying not to get my hopes up. Then I had a nice visit at WWC, got a few new ideas, and some peace of mind in terms of what I'm doing right. I'm one of the few people she knows actually getting multiple interviews with positive feedback, although no offers. Then I came home to find an e-mail from another contact at an agency that did not hire me asking how I was doing and would I like to chat. So a very positive day after a week of many disappointments.

Food is sporadically good, then I hit bottom and eat something ridiculous. I'm making baked mac and cheese for the boys tonight. I will have a scoop, plus a salad and a dish of roasted cauliflower. My intention is to pretend the cauliflower is really pasta. Will let you know how that goes, lol! I did buy some of my Dove dark chocolates yesterday so I will have something healthy to eat instead of all the other sweets available in the house.

Hoping for a nice clear weekend so I can grill outside. Farmer's market tomorrow, time for lots of fresh greens!

[feminist54]

Good muggy soon to be hot morning...Jacksonville is getting 10 inches of much needed rain, so Missy is happy for her gardens, but Beryl blew out her picnic plans...LK is still not walking without pain(the swelling is down though), so she is off her feet. Will prob be spending more time with the med. profession, which just seems to be practicing...
Went up to the Peters yesterday for afternoon/evening--Peter grilled kabobs--a curried chicken, a sesame tuna and some NY Strip--with roasted veggies--so far so sobe.. dessert: prob. not SoBe but ohhh soooo good: a fudgy less flour cake (not totally flourless), chopped salted almonds, scoop of great vanilla ice cream, all drizzeled with extra virgin OO.....oooooo my!!!!! Thank goodness we brought Maggie--so the other Peter & I did some hiking (Maggie was like a young pup--leaping and running ahead..today she is pooped--laying here doing her imitation of a rug). (Lk sat) Their neighbor dropped dead of a heart attack the other evening at age 39! He was in good shape, good spirits, etc...Judd just sat down on the porch, his wife went inside for 15 minutes, and when she came out--he was slumped over the railing...they have 2 young children, so sad, makes you value each day more...
LX lost her 2nd set of keys (she has only had her car since the end of Feb.) so today, her car has to be towed to Toyota so they can reprogram keys...arghhhhh...thank goodness she has insurance to cover 5 sets, because her keys are $400 each!
So, I am waiting for the tow company, doing laundry & writing today...I have a mini-board meeting later this evening, to which I have to bring a veggie dish since the meeting is a supper time...have to think of something.
Enjoy & remember our troops...sure wish more of our politicians had served, then they might not be so qquick to send our troops into wars that need not be...