Tuesday whats up?? SPRING

Morning all and happy 1st day of Spring. Sober 510 days and so proud of me.
I have been busy and very happy.Our oldest grandchild turned 11 yrs old and such excitment for her. Our youngest is almost 5 months and still has her red hair. Grateful each day for FB cause we can touch from a distance and share our lives.
After almost 8 years post op I am having a weight issue. Not too thin this time, but put on 8lbs and can really feel it. My doctor lowered my thyroid dose and I am on Cymbalta and he told me the Cymbalta can cause weight gain. Had to come off of the statin medicine since it was the cause of the horrific leg, foot, arm, and hand cramps. The extra weight has made my A1c highter than normal too. So I need to really be proactive in taking these pounds off. He told me to up my protein and water intake and exercise more. Of course the bread is an issue for me so I can't rescue any more lucious loaves from the bakery. Funny I have never had so little to loose and it seems daunting. The extra pounds settled right around my upper waist. UGH. I don't have a belly anymore since the tummy tuck, but do have a muffin above the waist. We have a new gym and all kinds of great exercise equipment here so will meet with the staff to best target the muffin. Also will work on my legs for increased stamina. I am very pleased with how the Cymbalta works on me with a happier outlook and less or almost gone bone and muscle pain. My right hand thumb and 1st two fingers continue to be very numb and tingly. Also see significant muscle loss in thumb area so the doctor wants me to see an ortho doctor for carple tunnel. I was told many years ago that my carple tunnel could progress to this loss of feeling and pain. The chiropracter brought the feelings back in my left hand and will ask him how we can be more aggressive with my right. Surgery is not something I want after 14 surgeries.
The rodeo was super and so was the ballgame with the Red Sox and Orioles. We are planning on going to the big fair here this week too. Wednesday we will go see "Casablanca" at a local theater. We are getting out more and more and my OCDing is less and less. I am really very happy and feel like the old Monica who embraced life and did not hide from it. Alcohol is so destructive and I am glad I am out of that bottle.
Making plans on our trip to MT to visit our son next fall. Exploring how best to go and come back. We will rent a car and not bring the RV since diesel is expensive. We will stay with him and explore the northwest from Bozeman. We plan on being gone for about 2 months. Lots of literature arrives each week with info on the states we hope to see.
I visit here daily and say prayers and share happiness with you all. Hugs, Monica

 Hey Monica,
You will love Montana! Ill have to come over and show you pictures of  big Horn.  Ill hve to bring my scrapbook I have. 
Not much going on here. Thinking of going camping this weekend.
I am geering up on a trip myself. Ill  leave the middle of May going to chicago to see my daughter for mothers day then driving to colorado for about 3 weeks then Ill drive back down to florida. 
I can relate to the weight gain, My thyroid dose must be off too cause I am having a 8 pould gain too. So Im going to go and have that checked.
I went short shopping and I cant find amy that are under 20.00. very frustrating!!!! So I got some ments shorts that were 7.99 at the outlets!!!! Got to love them!!!! I cant make them look cute with my tank shirts!!!!
Carla

Goodwill have lots and lots of great shorts

Good Morning Monica, Those to Come. . .

Happy to see your face and congrats on your sobriety, glad that getting sober and Cymbalta is the right combination for you to feel alive and embracing of life once more!!!  Hope there is an easy fix for the fingers and glad you enjoyed the rodeo and other things. . .  I'm with you within the fact that I've never had so little to lose, though mine is more than your 8 lbs, but it is not easy and I just don't want it to be more, so I am really doing my best, without gyming it at the moment, to get the weight issue straightened out.  I have been experiencing a problem with my left leg for some time now and with all the doctor visits I had earlier in the year, I am just not up to seeing anymore right now, perhaps in a month or so I will make an appointment to see someone, in the meantime, I walk as much as I can and restrict my carb intake to mostly fresh fruits and veggies, though I did make an awesome Irish Soda bread and I had a few slices of that, but threw the rest away so as not to tempt myself further and sometimes that is the key, just throw it out, but we come from a time, when to waste food is sinful and that is still hard for me to do. . .

Anyway, here I sit at work, talking to you (lol). . .  I had a dds appointment last night for a filling, it was not a fun experience because the cavity was deeper than he thought, then I went shopping to pick up some ingredients to make my boss a homebaked banana cream pie for his birthday today and I do mean a scratch one, it looks as though it came out good, I took a slight taste of the cream I made and it was good, but I won't be having any of it today, I'll just eat my fruit with a dollop of whipped cream that I made this morning, s/f.  After work I am going home to take my Roxie girl for a nice walk and then I will relax playing on my computer ;)

Hope everyone has a wonderful day and for any out there, lurking or not, if you are having challenges of any nature, I wish you peace and strength to get through them!

Hugs, Laureen

Good mornin' ya'll.
Monica, it is sooooo nice to hear from you again. I have missed you, but it sounds like you are doing so well! I continue to be proud of you in your sobriety.
Got a call last night from our daughter. She is filing for divorce after 20 years of marriage. She wanted to wait til the kids were both out of the house but it just got too much. The hubby has always had a drinking problem. He stopped for about a year cause he was on anti-depressants. He stopped the meds, went back to drinking and is getting violent. He hasn't hurt a person yet, but a few weeks ago he totally destroyed our granddaughter's bedroom because our daughter had gone in there to sleep after an argument. Our granddaughter called 911, but since he just destroyed property they could do nothing. The girls went to a hotel, our daughter hasn't been back. There is a lot involved and she will wind up paying him a TON of money from half her business and investments (including half the IBM stock I just gave her, grrrrrrr). And spousal support for probably 5 years. The first year is gonna be very hard on her. She just wants her jewelry and the china her Dad got me 40 years ago. She said she didn't realize how unhappy she was till the last 2 weeks she has had her own place and she sees how happy she is now! Of course, she doesn't want the entire world to know this till it is all settled. I know my OFF Sistas will be sympathetic, but discreet. I just had to share with someone. Now I know why she has lost 20 pounds in the last month or so! The old joke: " Do you know how to lose 200 pounds of ugly fat??". Get a divorce! She is strong and will come out the other side flying!
Everyone have a fantabulous day!

Hope your daughter and grandchildren will be OK, know they will in the long run because it sounds like a destructive relationship. She is strong like her mother. My brothers are happier after their divorces (although they didn't realize they were unhappy ... it was their exes that wanted out). My oldest brother Ed remarried to a wonderful woman who makes him so much happier; my other brother Gary hasn't remarried but is better off without her.

Laureen, I didn't mean to leave you out, we must have just posted at the same time. I hope you get that leg taken care of soon. Sometimes putting those things off can be bad!

Carolyn,

That is quite ok and I will send out positive vibes and prayers for your daughter coming out on top of all this. . .  I have been in her shoes, thankfully, I did not have children with my 2nd husband, but he was mentally ill and smoked pot constantly (his form of drinking) and I did not know this until after we were married (when one does not think enough of oneself, sometimes you wear blinders to things), anyway, I tried hard for over 7 years to make our relationship work, he refused to be on meds and I had to get out and I didn't care the cost to me, not that I have the things your daughter did, but he threatened to go after me for spousal support, to go after my 401k, etc., I told him go ahead and try, that he had cost me over $60k during our marriage and I still rather be divorced and I not only got divorced but landed in much better cir****tances, realizing my dream of home ownership all on my own, today, I actually have become friends with my ex, not so I spend time with him, but he is on medication and doing so much better and reached out to apologize for what he did to me and periodically he calls to say hello and see how I am doing.  Sad for the children, but they will be better off, as will your daughter. . .as well we know, money doesn't buy happiness.

I will go to the doctor, I'm just tired of doctors for the moment. . .  lol

Have a great day!

 Today is the first day of spring...is it not???  I sit here looking out the window at the rain and the darkness.  This past few days has been sunny and warm but today the storms are coming in.  March is supposed to come in like a lion and out like a lamb.  I guess there is still time for the lamb to emerge but the lion is here today.

I guess it is good that today is cleaning and laundry day but I do have to go out mid afternoon to get a perm.  Yikes!! not a good day for that but too hard to get an appointment to try and change it.  The frizzes may reign supreme tonight.

Good morning Monica, Laureen, Caroline and Linda!  And all of my OFF sistas to come later!

Yes, Linda, it's pouring rain here, too.  Very "lionish" here today!  But so far we've not had the violent storms they were predicting, so I'm thankful for that.

Hubby is no better this morning.  In fact, I think he's worse.  The neck pain is awful for him.  I've got him rubbed down with Icy Hot and and microwaved hot gel packs on his neck and shoulders.  He says it hurts to even blink his eyes.  Really?  Sometimes I think he's just whining, but then other times I hear him moan when he moves wrong, and I think what a mean B I am!  Especially when he looks up at me and tells me how good I am to him.  I guess I'm just out of sorts this morning. 

Grammy, I'm glad your daughter got out of the house!  I'll pray for her and her situation.  Monica, you sound so good!  It's wonderful to see you post here this morning.  I miss you here at OFF.  Laureen, I hope your leg will get better.  I know you are sick of health issues, but please take care of you!  I don't know if I could bake a from-scratch pie and not have a piece of it.  I stand in awe of your will power!  My solution is to just not bake.  I can't resist it once I do.

My new furniture came yesterday and I love it!  I'm happy to report that the new sofa is just right for taking a nice long nap!  LOL!  Pics on FB if you want to see it.

I've got to go check on DH and cook some breakfast for us.  I'll be back later to read more posts.

Love you all!