It's Wednesday night, I'm doing homework and Mac is out of town till Friday. It's been a busy week, lots of work and catching up.

I'm now at 126 pounds lost and holding. Just 13 more to go.

Not much else going on around here. Just catching up on work and getting back into a groove. It's been a little chilly here, I'm ready for spring! Anita...my amaryllis are about to bloom, I was so excited to see one of them shoot up this week and it should pop out any day now. I'll take a pic when it does.

That's it for this week, take care!

Wednesday Night

Wooo...the week is almost over. Looking forward to the weekend.

I've been doing some shopping this week, bought some pants (size 8) and jeans and a skirt that are a size 6!! Check out these jeans...

Finally started losing again...down 125 pounds and I noticed that I've lost about an inch an a half in my waist since the end of Dec. Last week I started walking up & down 6 flights of stairs at work about 3 times a day. I was so surprised that I could actually do it without killing myself! I can really feel it in the outside of my thighs. Love it!! I'm looking at gyms in the area for Mac and I to start working out. I'll keep you posted.

That's about it, Mac is on his was to SFO. Kids are all doing their things and I'm about to start my weekly reading assignments for school. =(

Talk to ya Sunday.

Quick Note

Sorry, I had it wrong, apparently VA already had Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson Day and added MLK to it. Huh? Still baffles the mind.

Anyway, also wanted to show mom the pic of my new jacket Mac bought me...I love it!! It's sooo warm, tan suede and shearling on the inside! mmm mmmm good...now that I get cold so easily, just like Jeri said I would, I really need it! I wore it today while I was out and about in the 18 degree weather this morning and it was fabulous. Thanks Mac!! =)

Sunday Night

We had our first snow! It was gorgeous. It started yesterday around noon and snowed all day and into the evening. It hadn't been cold enough so the ground wasn't frozen...therefore the snow didn't stick to the roads. (which is nice, snow every where but the streets)

We pretty much just stayed indoors. We did venture out to the mall and ran a few errands, I had a facial with the fabulous Brit at Salon Vivace in New Town. LOVE IT! She rocks. =) We also watched a few movies. The Mighty Heart, which is story of Daniel Pearl...the Wall Street Journal writer who was kidnapped and beheaded in Pakistan in 2002, and Le Vie En Rose which is about Edith Piaf, a French singer who had such a sad life and died at the age of 48 from liver cancer.

I have tomorrow off for MLK/Robert E Lee and apparently Stonewall Jackson day! Poor Mac has to go to a meeting in Newport News in the morning and then he flies off to New Hampshire for a night and then he's off to San Francisco for the rest of the week. He's staying over the weekend out there visiting his family. We'll miss him, but I know he's looking forward to the visit.

Now I'm taking a short break before I finish up my school stuff online. I have a quiz to take and a problem to solve. =(

I still haven't lost any more weight, but very happy with where I'm at.

That's about all I have for today. Hope everyone is doing well! Have a great week. =)

The Commonwealth

I don't think I've talked about this, but when I moved to VA I noticed some crazy things about this place. Every time I ask what's up with this state, Mac reminds me it's "the Commonwealth", and somehow this makes them special. 7-Elevens here typically don't have gas pumps...then there's the Virginia Dept of Transportation or V-DOT. Some sections of the freeway had to be rebuilt (more than once) due to all sorts of problems with the construction. Then I noticed there are lights along the major freeway (64), but they aren't turned on at night? My favorite thing is how they will suspend your license for any and everything, even paying your parking tickets late. I once had 8 parking tickets when I lived in downtown Fort Worth and I never did pay them. Years later I called the city and they said I didn't have anything on my record. I checked and apparently after a certain number of months they delete them! Thank you Texas! =) I miss it.

So it's mid week, Mac is on the road...stuck ironically in Texas due to an issue with his plane. I'm just trying to make it to the weekend so I can get my homework started. We both have Monday off for MLK day, or as they celebrate in VA, Robert E. Lee/MLK day. Both born on the same day, but for some reason VA wouldn't recognize MLK day alone, so once they added REL to it they decided it was ok. (yet another example of crazy VA)

That's about it. No change in weight loss, but feeling good. I've been wearing some old clothes I haven't worn in 10 year!! (and luckily they are still in style)

Tune in Sunday...we'll have our hot sports opinions going with football this weekend. I guess Mac's bet on the Redskins winning the super bowl isn't going to pan out. =( There's always next year.

xoxo

Monticello

Friday night we got home and decided we would go check out Charlottesville, VA. Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello is there and I'd never seen it before. It was so beautiful, we really enjoyed it.

Charlottesville...here we come...

After the tour we walked around and took a few pics

awww

There are some really scary trees out there...very headless horseman

One of the out buildings. The little pond is where TJ's people would put fish they had caught nearby as a holding area until they were ready to be cooked. Wouldn't that be nice to have fresh fish when you want it? TJ had it going on.

TJ's family cemetery, but why does Mac have a little captain in him?

TJ's grave




Here's the link for Monticello: http://www.monticello.org/


Charlottesville is a cute little town, Main St. is blocked off and they have street vendors set up selling jewelry, etc. Lots of cute, unusual shops.

This Christmas tree fascinated me! It's made up barbies. Click on the pic to see it up close.



We ate at a great place, that Mac said reminded him of something in San Francisco. It was called Zocalo. Yummy, I had butternut squash soup and scallops.


Here's the link to it:
http://www.zocalo-restaurant.com/flash_content/highBand/home.html
When you get on it, hold down the ctrl button and click on "Gallery" to see the pics. The pic on the far right is the table we sat at.

So now we're just watching the last half of the Cowboy game and then I've got homework to finish up. Haven't lost any more weight since last weigh in, so no news there. Not much else to report. Check back Wednesday.

Love ya!

Mid Week

It's Wednesday and I can't wait for the weekend. I have been battling all kinds of congestion, etc. since we got off the plane over a week ago. Back to the doctor today for a antibiotic and hopefully it will knock it out.

Down a pounds since my last update, that's 123 lost...16 to go.

Started back to school this week and I got my "you made the honor roll" letter in the mail, it's up on the fridge. LOL

Also, one of the guys in my department, Dan, called me a few days ago. I'm so excited for him! He had gastric bypass several months, maybe as much as 9 months, before I did and he's lost way over 100 pounds...closer to 200. He had a lot of complications, but finally back to work and so happy about his progress! Way to go Dan!!! He also shared an email with me from another Northrop Grumman employee who had GB surgery a few years ago. It had his before and after pics and wow did he look great! He also mentioned 3 other folks at NG that had the surgery too. Dan was asking if I went to my support group meetings, maybe we should start our own at the shipyard. I do go to mine, I really like it. Usually the doctor or facility where you have surgery has these monthly meetings. My doctor's nurse practitioner, Jill, leads mine and she is great. She reminds me soooo much of Mac's sister, Pam. She gets very excited and hyped up about everything and everyone and how much progress people make. She brings in speakers like the plastic surgeon, the nutritionist, therapist that work with patients on exercise (yuck). My next meeting is in a couple of weeks, can't wait.

Some people have been asking about where I get my info, recipes...so here's some links:

Here's where I pick up some products for cooking:
http://www.bariatriceating.com/coin.html

Here's the link for vitamins:
http://www.bariatriceating.com/cosobaadsu.html

Here's recipes, etc.:
http://www.bariatriceating.com/bafhe.html

Low Carb Site:
http://www.low-carb.com/newproducts.html

Sugar Free Desserts:
http://www.bariatriceating.com/sweets1.html

Great site to manage your weight, calorie counter, exercise calculator:
http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/calorie_counter.asp

My basic rules are as follows:
Sugar free (splenda, or sugar replacers from the bariatric eating website)
<30 g of carbs a day
50 g of protein a day
at least 2 cups of veggies a day (more is better)
And of course I eat either sugar free ice cream or a sugar free popsicle every night!

Ok, I'm off my bypass soapbox. Have a great week and I'll check in Sunday.
xoxo

Sunday night

We just had a very nice, relaxing weekend. Mostly just hanging out at home trying to stay warm and get over our colds. We watched poker, the Sunday morning political shows and three movies, The Namesake (about a family from India), Twin Peaks (the movie) and Once (an Irish film) The Namesake was the best, really liked it. Twin Peaks was crazy David Lynch. My mom and I used to love to watch the tv show, it was so bizarre, but I never got to see the movie that came out when the series ended. Now we're watching a show on the bio channel about ghosts in Hollywood. Creepy. =o

Mac made chicken Marsala last night, dear lord that was yummy! Tonight he made chicken and dumplings. We love him! It's back to work tomorrow and back to school. I start my second series of project management classes and my three classes at Strayer online. Mac is off to Huntsville tomorrow for one night and then he'll be back late Tuesday night.

So I'm down 123 pounds, feeling good. It finally warmed up to the mid to late 60s so we too a nice walk today through new town and then down to Colonial Williamsburg. It's weird to be down there when there's hardly anyone there. With school out and the holidays over it's basically deserted.

That's all we've got going on out here. Just gearing up for the playoffs next weekend, not sure the Cowboys will make it past the Giants, but at least we won't have to play the Redskins. Poor babies.

Take care and have a great week! =)

Where have I been?

Wow, seems like I haven't been online in ages, but it's only been a few weeks. Well I made it to Texas, forgot the camera and Flat Brandon! Luckily Mac brought them when he came out on Christmas day. Justin and I went to see I Am Legend...loved it...made me jump several times! And I completed my audit on the 21st. It was a whirlwind visit, lots of family, 26 people for lunch on Christmas at my mom's house.

Scott and Megan opening presents at home Christmas Eve with Mac



Flat Brandon and mom's tree


My beautiful niece, Breanna (with her mouth full)


Beautiful niece number 2, Zoey


Mac opening his new Cuisinart! Yipeeee...get cookin boy!


My Honkie after she just ate a bite of mince meat pie...not understanding why her mother loved it? LOL



Aunt Pam with a green bean hanging out...(sorry Aunt Pam, I had to)



Aunt Pam, Mom, Justin and Honkie



Mac and I had lunch at Babe's Chicken with Kay and Kris, my Honeywell friends. That's a fun place...ck out their site: http://www.babeschicken.com/Babes-Chicken-Dinner-House-Roanoke.html

Here we are in front of Babe's...ok, so obviously Kris, Kay and I are Charlie's Angels...but who let those other two guys in our pic? (just kidding, these are some of Kay's Honeywell boys)



A couple of nights after Mac got into town, we found out that his nephew Cooper was in Fort Worth to participate in the Armed Forces Bowl game. (He goes to Cal-Berkley) So we took him to dinner in downtown Fort Worth to a great steak house called The Chop House. That place rocks! Cooper seemed to like it too! Check out that steak.

Here we are at The Chop House...Cheers!


Check out Cooper's steak...before



and after...don't yall ever feed this boy?



We also went bowling one night, check out Mr. Big Lebowski in action...


Mac learned a new card game called Tonk my Uncle Pat taught him, we went down to Granbury to visit the Ivies. (Justin's grandparents...Doris and Merle)


I took Mac to Justin, Texas...where my Justin gets his name. The Leuty's settled there in the late 1800s-early 1900s. It literally looks like an old boom town in Alaska or some remote place like that. It's located just past the Texas Motor Speedway.

And here is the Leuty house, built by Leutys...way back when. If you click on the picture and look closely at the stone just above the shutter on the right front of the house above the windows, you'll see an L shaped stone.


The Leuty's even have their own Avenue...wooooweeeeee!





We did some shopping, eating out and spent lots of time with family and friends. I took my measurements last night and I've now lost just over 60 inches overall (since the end of June) and 120 pounds! Just 17 pounds from my goal. Here's my end of December pic.





The trip was great, we had a wonderful time, no problem with any of our flights or baggage! Yeahhh! We did catch the sniffles once we got home, the plane ride back to VA was freezing! We went to see National Treasure on New Years Eve and had fish tacos...at midnight we popped the cork on some champagne and toasted to 2008. Life is good. We spent New Years day sniffing and resting. I had to go back to work today, Mac is off the rest of the week. (government workers!) I also got to read two books, (one on the plane ride out and one on the way back) Kite Runners and A Thousand Splendid Suns. Both were fabulous! I really enjoyed them. Hard to stomach some of it, but an eye openers for sure.

When we got home on New Years Eve I'd received an email that one of my Honeywell friends, Jim McCarter, had passed away over the weekend. I was glad I got to see him when I visited the week before Christmas. He was in his late 40s and had had some health problems, but it seemed like everything was fine. My heart goes out to his family right now as well as his Honeywell family. Today when I got to work my boss Valerie, who had gone home to California to visit her family over Christmas shutdown, sent me a message that while she was out there her 46 year old brother had suddenly passed away. Both of these guys had young children and will be terribly missed. I only pass this on to say that these things remind me to live every day to the fullest, treat people the way you would like to be treated, and be appreciative for what you have and especially your health.

We love you all, hope you had a great Christmas and wonderful a new year!