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Good morning, Y’all!

It’s been a busy week here.  I was out running around every day except yesterday.  I’ve been finding my way around here and found two really nice malls, and that’s not counting the outlet mall just across the way here.

And we got a house.  It’s the one we looked at last Sunday.  The lady called yesterday evening and told me she would like for us to move in.  We’re meeting her there Thursday evening to sign a lease and then we take possession the first of the month…well maybe actually right then, since it’s so close to the end of the month.

We’ll have to buy a few things, and rent a few others til we get our stuff moved down here, but we’ll get by on the bare necessities.  We’re gonna buy another bed since we only have one anyway.  And we’ll buy a patio table and chairs to use in the dining room til we get our stuff moved.  We have our double recliner back in
Fort Wayne so we’ll probably just get a love seat for the living room and a coffee table.  A couple of place settings of dishes and silverware (or we could use disposable stuff) and we’ll be set.  We brought our own cookware to the hotel.  Oh, and we’ll have to have linens.  We’ll rent a TV til Thanksgiving since we have a practically new one at home.

Do I sound excited?  Yup.  We’ll be out of this hotel.  I think it’s some sort of record…living in the hotel just over a week and already found a house.  Nah, not a record.  Every time we’ve moved, we’ve found a house or apartment just before we moved or shortly after.  We were told the housing marked was bad and we’d have trouble finding a place, but that didn’t seem to be true.  You just gotta know where and how to look (and not be afraid to ask questions).

So I may be rather busy the next few days.  If it weren’t for a place to put things, I’d go ahead and start shopping for some of the things we need.  Well, I can still go shopping, just not buying!  Guess that would work.  And there’s a Sam’s just around the corner from where we are now so we can pick a lot of stuff up there really cheap.

I guess we’re gonna spend some time this weekend up there exploring the area.  It’s about 11 miles north of where we are now, but most of the good shopping is between here and there.  So that works.

I didn’t tell ya…the name of the town we’ll be living in is
Goose Creek!!!!!!

Well, I’m off to read some blogs.  Y’all have a great weekend!!!!

Good morning, Y’all!

I’m finally in
North Charleston and we’re temporarily settled into the Extended Stay Hotel and looking for a more permanent place to live.  We looked at one house yesterday that was pretty nice, but I just wasn’t sure about the neighborhood.  All the lawns were a bit overgrown, but Micheal said it was because of all the rain they’ve had here lately.  I hope he’s right about that because it wasn’t a bad house at all.  It has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a nice kitchen, separate dining room and a nice yard, both front and back.  We could manage there very well.  And it would only be about a 15-20 minute drive for Micheal to work. 

I’ve got a call in on a place right now that’s a little farther out, but it sounds pretty good and it would be partially furnished, so we wouldn’t have to worry about renting furniture and stuff to hold us til we can get our stuff Thanksgiving weekend.

I got here Friday morning and I’ve been pretty much on the go ever since.  I spent Friday afternoon getting my nails cut, my hair trimmed and shopping for a few necessities.  Saturday we went shopping for more necessities and yesterday we walked around the outlet mall (about 2 blocks away) and then went to look at a house.  I’m tired.  Today I’m just gonna hang around here and take it easy.

I did enjoy my drive down, though.  I drove all day Thursday with the top down on the car.  It was funny…I started passing this big rig on the highway and happened to look up at the driver’s window as I passed (I couldn’t pass him quite as fast as I normally would because of traffic).  Anyway, I looked up at the driver’s window and he was taking a picture of me with his phone camera!!!  Now how wild is that!!!!!  I’m sure it was the car that caught his attention, but it was still a bit flattering!  And I did look kinda cute with my sunglasses, spaghetti strap top and the lace scarf tied over my hair!

You’d be surprised with the idiots out there on the road.  They see somebody in a sports car and think they can act stupid.  I had several people get really aggressive with their driving, kinda like they were challenging me.  I’ve never had that happen driving my Baja so I know it had to be the car.

I’ve done pretty good with the eating…not perfect but ok considering I was on the road.  A couple of hours after I got on the road Thursday morning I stopped and got breakfast… a ham & cheese omelet, hashbrowns and biscuits.  I only ate a couple of bites of one biscuit, about 1/3 of the hashbrowns and about 2/3 of the omelet.  I didn’t eat again til I got to the hotel.  I was so tired I didn’t want to go out again so I ordered a thin crust Hawaiian pizza and ate part of that.

The next morning (Thursday) I left the hotel and stopped for gas about an hour later.  I got a Little Debbie cake for breakfast (I know, not a great choice, but it was raining and I just wanted to get to
Charleston).  I didn’t eat again til dinner that evening after I’d arrived here, which was salmon and broccoli.  I also had a salad and a couple of golf ball sized rolls. 

So all in all I did pretty good while traveling.

Since then I’ve not done too bad.  Saturday and Sunday both we went to IHOP for breakfast – a ham & cheese omelet and hashbrowns both mornings.  Saturday night I had a taco salad (but I didn’t eat the shell) and last night we had Chinese.  Yeah, I know that wasn’t a good choice either, but tonight I’m cooking and we’re gonna have chicken and veggies.

So that’s what I’ve been up to the past few days. 

I’m off to read some blogs.  Y’all have a great day!

Hey Y’all!

I thought I’d better post and let you all know what’s going on cuz I won’t be on here for a couple of days.

I got the new windshield and the license plate for the Solstice today so I’m heading out first thing in the morning.  I decided not to go to
Arkansas right now.  Going by way of
Arkansas and spending a couple of days there would make it a 5-6 day trip.  I’ve been doing great the past few weeks and I don’t want to press my luck.  I’m gonna wait a bit so I can spend a little more time there, and maybe Micheal will be able to go with me.  Besides I’m anxious to see Micheal.  We both hate being away from each other.

As it is, I’ll leave tomorrow morning, spend the night along the way, and get there Friday afternoon.  He’ll probably be at work when I get there, but he’s gonna tell them at the desk that I’m coming and have them give me a key.

I may or may not have internet access along the way.  Connectivity in hotels is iffy at best.  And Friday evening I’ll have better things to do than to spend time on the computer.

Well, gonna go read a few blogs, then I’m gonna relax a bit.  I’ve been running a bit today and I should rest some before I head out tomorrow morning.

Y’all have a great day!!!!

Hey Y’all!

Well, Micheal just left for
North Charleston.  They told him it was ok to wait til Wednesday to start.  He’ll spend tonight in
Tennessee and drive the rest of the way in tomorrow morning.  We’ve already made reservations at an Extended Stay Hotel that’s only a couple of miles from where he’ll be working.  He’ll unload and unpack tomorrow afternoon and be able to be rested before he goes to work Wednesday.

This will be the first time we’ve spent a night apart since January when he was working in
Minneapolis.  I guess I’ll just rattle around here by myself til the paperwork comes in on the car so I can get the tags, then I’ll be on my way.  They’re coming Wednesday morning to replace the windshield on the car.  That’s the only other thing that would have held me back.

And when I go, all my frumpy clothes will still be hanging in the closet here.  What I packed for Micheal to take for me was mostly dressier outfits…nice blouses, skirts, a dress, dress pants, and one pair of jeans and one t-shirt.  I decided I was tired of looking slouchy all the time.  I didn’t pack very much.  I’ll go shopping after I get to
North Charleston and buy whatever else I might need, but no more jeans and t-shirts except for when it’s really more appropriate.

Tomorrow I’m gonna go get my nails done and see about getting something done to my hair.  My hair is so straight and thin that I need to do something…get some highlights, or a body wave or something.  No, not a curly perm…I don’t want that.  I’ve had them before and would rather have it straight.

In other words, I’m changing my image.  My husband is a professional and I need to dress like a professional’s wife.

As for my eating…I’ve done pretty good.  I didn’t gain any weight when we were on the road this past week.  Considering every meal was eaten out, I think that was doing pretty good.  I just hope I can keep that up the next couple of weeks.  I’m not taking my scale with me so I’m gonna have to depend on the way my clothes fit to tell if I’m losing or gaining or just maintaining. 

Well, I’m off to read a few blogs, then find something to keep me occupied so I don’t go nuts.

Y’all have a great day!

Erika, Ethan, Micheal and I all met for lunch today, and I have to say, Micheal and I really enjoyed ourselves.  We were in the restaurant for more than an hour and a half, but it didn’t seem like that lone. 

I’d called Erika last evening to set everything up, then called and left her a message telling her we were gonna be leaving a couple (or three or four) hours earlier.  I called her on the road and told her where we were and settled on a time.  And of course Erika was late!  Ok.  Micheal and I were actually early.  But Erika had given me Ethan’s cell number so we could call them if we needed to.  Guess what.  Ethan was sitting on in and didn’t even realize it had rang.

 Anyway, obviously we made it home ok.  We hit a lot of rain along the way through Ohio and on into Indiana.  Now we’ve both crashed on the recliner with a margarita and a movie.  We already had dinner.  Actually we let Pizza Hut do the cooking for us (one reason I made a sensible choice for lunch, Erika!).

Oh, and by the way…Erika is just as big a nut in person as she is on here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Y’all!

Yeah, two days in a row!  Can you believe it?

We’re still in Virginia Beach.  We’ll be heading home early tomorrow morning, and on the way we’re gonna stop off so Erika and I can meet each other.  I’m really psyched about that!!  We’ve driven within 50 miles of her a couple of times before but weren’t able to coordinate a meeting.  This time we’re gonna do it!

And, hopefully before too long after I get to Charleston, I’ll be able to meet Nikki!  We’ll be a few hours apart, but if we meet somewhere in the middle it will be doable for both of us. 

It’s so nice to have a chance to meet some of my Buddies!  I feel like I already know those two, but this will be the icing on the cake…and no, we won’t be eating cake when we meet…haha!!!  I don’t know that I’ve ever met any of my Buddies before.  No, wait a minute.  I met Tamera when we were in the DC area this past February!!

Micheal and I are looking forward to going to North Charleston.  I think we’re gonna like it there.  And for at least a few months we’re gonna be staying in an Extended Stay Hotel right next to an outlet mall.  I’ll be in shoppers heaven!!!  And most of my favorite stores are all within 10 miles of there…Big Lots, Tuesday Morning, Dollar Tree, Borders, Catherines, just to name a few…so I won’t have any problems occupying my time and getting in a little walking!

I’m gonna go read a few blogs now then get to bed.  We have to get up early in the morning.

Ya’ll have a great weekend!

Hey Y’all!!

We’re in Virginia Beach for the next couple of nights so I thought I’d do a quick post.  We’ve been on the road since Monday morning and won’t be getting home til Saturday night.

I’ve been doing good with eating on the road.  I’m eating mostly salads…usually chef’s salads specially ordered, especially in the evenings.  And I’ve done no snacking at all, although I’ve never been a big snacker. 

The next couple of weeks will also be very busy.  Micheal had the interview in Charleston, South Carolina yesterday.  He got the job!!!  He starts Tuesday.

 He’ll probably leave out Sunday afternoon.  He’s gonna drive my truck so he can take some things he needs…computer, printer, scanner and whatever, and some of my things I’ll need.  I have to wait a few days before I can go down.  I have to wait for his license plate and paperwork on the car, and get the windshield replaced (we caught a rock yesterday on the trip up from Charleston to Virginia Beach).  Since it’s a new car they are going to have to special order the windshield.

When all that is taken care of, I’m gonna drive down and spend a couple of days in Northeast Arkansas with my Dad and son, then drive on to Charleston.  It’ll probably be a while before I’ll get another chance to go, so I’m gonna take advantage of it.  And that was part of Micheal’s suggestion.  I’d mentioned driving out to Dad’s after I got to Charleston, but he suggested I drive there first and show off the Solstice on my way out to Charleston.  It will take me a little longer to get to Charleston doing that, but by the time I get there, Micheal should have us a temporary place to live. 

Micheal will be on contract til the end of June, when the school district will try to negotiate him into the budget.  Then he’ll go permanent.  In the meantime, I’ll be house hunting.  We’ll keep the place in Indiana until we find a house.  We’re ok with him being on conract til the end of June.  He’ll be making quite a bit more on contract and we’ll be able to put more money away for a house.

Anyway, gonna have to get off here so Micheal can check his work e-mail.  He’s still employed by the company he’s been working with the past year or so, at least til we get home.

 Y’all have a great evening!!

Good morning, Y’all!

It’s been a busy few days.  But I’ve taken time to do some research and I think maybe I’ve found a way to turn this weight loss stalemate around.  I’m not going to go into it right now, and I won’t be able to fully implement it until we get back from
Virginia Beach next weekend, but let’s just say I’m very optimistic.  Now I said I wouldn’t be able to fully implement it, but I will be working it in gradually, and when possible, while we’re gone.

Like I said, we’ve been very busy since we got home.  I’m working on unpacking things a little at a time, and I am making progress.  I’ve had a pretty good week and I sure don’t want to strain myself and end up in pain.

We spent Thursday resting and Friday out running around taking care of business.   Micheal also took me shopping Friday.  He bought me a simple black dress, a really nice (sexy) blouse and a new coat. 

While we were out Friday, we happened to drive past a car dealership and saw a car we both liked, and Micheal decided he wanted to stop and look at it.  Me being the practical one, I reminded him that he had been talking about getting a Subaru Forrester because it was all-wheel-drive, and it had plenty of room to carry his computer stuff, clothes and everything else he’d need when he traveled from one client-site to another.  He assured me that he was just looking at it and wasn’t going to buy it.

Well, we looked at the car and then talked to the salesman.  Micheal said since the salesman wanted to run the credit application, he wanted to go ahead and see if we would qualify for a loan to cover it, since it was a little more expensive than the Forrester, then he’d know we could get the Forrester.  I already had no doubt that we could get the loan.

Now I knew in the back of my mind that we’d end up buying that car.  It was Saturday before the salesman let us know what the results were of the loan were.  Micheal told him that we couldn’t get it unless the payments were within a certain range, and they were.  When we got there, we were told that the payment they’d quoted him was on a lease.  I told them that was a deal-breaker cuz we wanted to purchase, not lease.  They dropped the price of the car and we still said no.  Then they dropped the price again.  They still couldn’t get the payments down to the range we’d specified.

We were getting up to leave when the phone rang.  It was another bank calling with a loan offer that fit into our price range.  Well, we ended up leaving with that car. 

Oh, I didn’t say what kind of car it was, did I?   Well, you’ll have to look at the photos in my profile to find out.  And yes, we’re driving it to Charleston and
Virginia Beach this week.  We’ll be very limited on what we can take with us because there’s just not room to carry much, but we’ll manage.

Well, off to read some blogs then do some more unpacking.

Y’all have a great day!!

Good morning, Y’all!

We finally made it home.  We spent all day Tuesday at
Niagara Falls, mostly on the Canadian side.  And we saw just about everything you could want to see.  And we got the royal treatment.

Ok, let me begin at the beginning.  Micheal started talking to a lady in the hotel lobby that sets up
Niagara tours for a company.  Micheal bought us an 8 hour tour which started at
Goat Island and ended with the ‘Walk Behind the Falls’.

And we did EVERYTHING!!!!  Dave (our tour guide) arranged for us to see most everything without having to climb any stairs.  We did end up going down one flight and up one short (maybe half) flight.  Oh wait a minute.  I didn’t tell you…Micheal and I were the only ones on the tour!!!!

Yup, it was just us and the tour guide so we weren’t rushed and we got to see everything we wanted to see and some that we didn’t think about or expect to see.  Dave was an excellent tour guide.  He’s a 65 year old Canadian who’s been doing this for 11 years.  He locked up the bus and went right along with us on some parts and pointed things out (his job was to mainly get the tourists from one spot to the next and into the hands of the individual site guides & workers).  But he took that extra step and came with us so he could give us more details.

Yes, we went on the Maid of the Mist.  And we got soaked.  We saw the American and horseshoe falls.  And we had lunch on the 33 floor of the Hilton on the Canadian side.  Our table was right in front of windows that offered a dynamic view of both falls, and you could see almost forever.  I sat there at lunched and bawled!  I told Micheal that 10 years ago I never dreamed I’d ever get to see Niagara Falls except in pictures and on TV and now here I was sitting in a restaurant, 33 stories above the ground, in Canada, looking down on both falls at the same time!!  Now just how unbelievable is that?  We got to go behind the falls, (the horseshoe) and we saw the butterfly conservatory and the floral clock.  It was absolutely fantastic!

Micheal and Dave estimated we walked more than 5 miles and I believe them.  My legs are still sore, but I’m not quite in as bad shape as I was afraid I would be.  But the pain was worth it.  That was a trip and tour that I’ll never forget.

Now to more serious matters.  Somebody please explain something for me.  How can you eat a salad and baked chicken for dinner, weigh yourself, have nothing else before bedtime except water, go to the bathroom several times before bedtime and during the night, wake up the next morning and have a healthy bowel movement, then weigh more than you did right after eating dinner.  I just don’t understand it.  Can somebody explain it in a way that I can understand it?  It just does NOT make any sense to me.

I get so damned frustrated with this whole weight loss thing that I just want to throw up my hands and say forget it.  How can I consistently eat healthy and still not lose weight or will even gain weight.  I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle…what a pun!!!  I’m fighting a battle where I’m not losing any weight, and am in fact GAINING!!!!  HOW CAN THAT HAPPEN???????  I’m just so sick and tired of watching every single tiny morsel that goes into my mouth, counting points & calories obsessively, and not seeing any positive results. 

If somebody can explain this to me, please do.  I’ve heard everything about starvation mode, and I’ve preached to others about that and muscle gain (yeah, right, my clothes are getting tighter) and shaking things up to everybody else.  I’ve done all that.  How do you think I already know all that if I haven’t already done it?  I want to know just what the hell is going on so I can finally get this damned weight off once and for all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And no, I’m not taking any meds.  I know that’s what some are thinking, it’s because of meds.  I’ll take a pain pill maybe once every 2 weeks or so but that’s it.  Once or twice every couple of weeks I might have a couple of drinks.  That’s it.  I’m at a loss and ready to just give up.

Ok, enough venting.  I’m gonna go read some blogs.

Y’all have a great day!!!

Well one last blog before we hit the road.

Most everything’s packed.  Micheal decided he didn’t want to load the truck last night because of the heat and humidity and a slight chance of rain, so he’s gonna do it when he gets back from work.  It may take an hour total, so no biggie.  I still need to pack our pillows (yeah, we carry our own pillows when we travel) and toiletries (after I get my shower which I’ll do after I post this).  Other than that we’re ready to go.

Micheal called me from work Friday and told me he’d been ambushed (something he’d been trying to avoid).  One of the girls that works for him made a bunch of cupcakes with a peanut M&M stuck in the top of each.  She also had an ice cream cake shaped like a giant yellow peanut M&M!  AND she had about 25lbs worth of bags of peanut M&M’s!!!  It all came as a result of Micheal always having a big bag of peanut M&M’s sitting on his desk.  Yup!  I’d say he got ambushed!!!  It was so funny!!!  The bad thing is we had to pack that mess, but at least he’ll have something to munch on during the trip home (as long as he keeps them out of my reach!).

I’m in pretty good shape to travel.  I’m not hurting as bad as the past couple of weeks, but it’s gonna be tolerable. 

The next two weeks will be spent mostly on the road…home then Charleston and
Virginia Beach.  I’m gonna try my best to keep my eating in check, but you all know how it is when you’re traveling.

Well, gotta go get my shower and finish packing the last minute stuff.  I’ll try to post again after we get home.

Y’all have a great day!!!!!