Hi from Wytheville Va, It's Wednesday

Good morning,

Its Carla Chiming in! We made Virginia in about twelve hours! I let Carl do some of the driving yesterday! I didn't have to yell to much!

Bentley was a great guy in the car!!!

We should hit Lansing around seven tonight.

Its beautiful country over in this neck of the woods!!!!

Tell me what's new? I'll check back later!

Carla

Good Morning Carla,country

Virginia is gorgeous .  I've been there many tunes.  Glad you're close to seeing Vinnie.

I am getting ready for my therapy appointment.  Then, I have to stop at Aldi, coz I'm all out of lemon juice.  Then, I need to take my car in to the dealership coz the gas door latch doesn't work.  Pray it doesn't cost a small fortune.  Then, this afternoon I have physical therapy.                                                                                                                                                                                                               My laptop is acting up.  I'll try to post later..

Hi Patricia,

Hope your trip to get your car repaired doesn't cost a fortune. The gas door latch doesn't work? I hope it is something small. Have a productive therapy appointment.

I am thinking, or rather will start therapy with a cognitive behaviorial therapist soon. I am sick of my anxiety holding me down.

Have a wonderful day otherwise.

xo

Arlene

Trish, hope the dealership doesn't hit you for a lot. I need to go get my car serviced too but can't afford it right now. Good luck.

Hello Trish...I hope your therapy appointment went well. I hope the dealership can fix your problem at a low cost! 

Enjoy your physical therapy....I hope they think you are progressing well. 

I keep praying for you...love and hugs too....connie d

Good Morning Carla & Ladies to follow!

Carla, you are confusing me early in the morning with the different screen names...lol! I thought I saw where you reverted back to your original, but perhaps I was having a senior moment? Yes, the Virginia/W. Virginia area is beautiful...especially this time of the year. I love visiting the mountains in Western Maryland into West Virginia. Enjoy the rest of your road trip & probably your last visit with Ms. Vinnie alone!

I have been busy doing nothing so I hate to bore you all with my posts! I have continued to apply online for jobs which can be kind of time consuming. I actually snagged an interview today for a caregiver position. I have worked with seniors & disabled in the past and enjoyed the one on one contact. The pay probably sucks, but I think it would be a better job than with teens. Wish me luck...I HATE interviewing!

Jazz's mom is going to get married! Her boyfriend got down on bended knee & proposed with Jazz & me there! They have been together about 3 years & this is the most stable she has been for a long time. I am happy for them. They have no money since she has been on a years long pursuit of SSI which keeps getting denied...I have no idea why b/c she cannot hold a job and has plenty of documentation & he is a disabled vet, but not at 100%...yet. So between me no longer working FT & having exhausted my money while off for 18 months & them having nothing she wants to do a simple ceremony and barbeque at our house in August. Yikes! I have so much to get in order beginning with the back yard. Need lots of flowers and weed & feed!

This should be interesting!

I have been washing down the kitchen walls from Jim's fire incident. The smoke left a dark film that is a real pain to get off...may need to repaint, but the walls would need to be clean for that anyhow. I have washed them down a couple times already. Hope the 3rd time does the trick.

I am really impressed with your weight loss, Vickie! You are doing great even if it is coming off slower than what you would like. And your ability to walk! I have been at it since the beginning of the month, but had to start at 10-15 minutes once a day to doing that twice a day. I am now getting up to about 40 minutes, but damn I feel it when I do 30 or more. PLUS, it takes me 15 minutes to do 7/10 of a mile! Slow poke!

I have been SO hungry for chocolate I don't know what my problem is. I have been keeping my chocolate cravings to mostly protein bars, but like Arlene was saying awhile back they can be addictive. And my weight is going up and down between 236-240. Have only lost 35 pounds since surgery 6 months ago...ugh! My goal is 200...wondering if I will ever make it!

Connie, so glad you are feeling less pain & enjoying getting out to do your walks. I know how you enjoyed that! I was also tickled pink to hear Nic's results....God is good! That was awful about your granddaughter's concussion. Sounds like it was very bad indeed! Hope she makes a full recovery quick!

Jeannie, hope you are checking in if not posting as my thought, prayers & heart is with you during this difficult time in your family!

Yvonne, I continue to marvel at how committed you are to your daily routine of exercise. I will do a few days then take a day or two off. You also keep yourself busy and seem to enjoy great meals...I really hate cooking!

Eileen, bet you are enjoying the rest of your time off. Hope the job stays stable. You only have a couple years unless you plan to go beyond 62, right? I can sympathize with the no-money woes. It has been really hard these past 2 weeks to have to budget do carefully again after working. Don't feel like we can splurge on anything right now. I try to focus on the fun, free stuff I enjoy...like looking forward to swimming soon. That's all we can really do. But it just seems SO unfair you are working or have worked most of your life & end up in this situation for  whatever reasons. Mine was choosing a low-paying career, being a single parent for 10 years & then marrying a disabled man. But wouldn't change any of it...o vey as Vickie would say!

Trish, I worry about you as you have not sounded like your chipper old self I remember from last year. I hope things improve for you as you have certainly been hit in every major life area with some kind of disappointment or setback. When will you hear about the outcome of Colleens interview?

Well, I need to go wash the dye out of my hair and get ready for this interview. As Carla would say 'chat on!'

Love you guys!

Kathy, I don't know if they have this kind of job around there, but my brother is driving cars for Enterprise. He drives them from their lots to the dealers for resale. He gets $8 an hour, which isn't much but it gets him something to supplement his Social Security. He found his job on Monster.

Hi Eileen...thanks for the suggestion. I had actually looked for something like driving rental cars or picking up customers who took their cars in for service at dealerships, but nothing was available. I use indeed.com for job leads.

Anyhow, after my experience with those teens I just am not interested in driving as a primary part of working. My interview went well and as long as I pass all the pre-employment checks I got the job! May not pay much, but as long as I can make about $750-1000/month I'll be happy.

I wish you the absolute best on your job hunt. I am on SS and it sucks being broke. It really sucks.

I am happy Jazz's mom is getting married. No big ceremony is needed. It is the union of 2 people in marriage that counts. People tend to get carried away with weddings..........like my daughter.

About those protein bars, AUGH. I am still addicted. I love them. Even with upper dentures, I haven't stopped. But they fill me up and I don't eat much. You will make it weight wise. It is so so difficult. It really is. I exercised and ate only protein and under fifty grams of carbs for 10 months while I lost most of my weight. Then, about 9 months out, the honeymoon period was over. I was more hungry.

If you love protein, try to eat clean and protein first. If you can, eat the dense protein first an then vegetables. It is so difficult to eat this way forever. We were supposed to eat 800 calories or less, and under fifty grams of protein. My issue was that I don't like to eat meat that much. 

As far as Jazz's mom being a Veteran and being denied SSI, that is way too sad. Hope she keeps trying; I know people who tried and tried and finally got benefits. The fact that she is a Veteran she should get the benefits.

Take care and good luck.

xo

Arlene

Arlene, as I mentioned to Eileen above I will get job as long as my **** test & criminal background comes back clean. I am not a drug user or serial killer so I should be okay!

Jazzs mom is not a vet...her fiance is. One thing I'll say about my girls is they have never tried to stretch my wallet and have never asked for much. We will see how this wedding develops though...not bc of finances, but bc difference of opinions. I have made a few suggestions & gotten the 'I'm not there yet, mom' or 'let me wait until...'As you know it takes time to get the simplest of weddings planned! Time IS a factor!

Also, my surgeon never restricted me calorie wise. He said to focus on protein, water & exercise. He said the pouch would serve as my guide. I sometimes think he might be a little off as it seems most drs. recommend the 800-1000 calories until maintenance, but it is what it is...a constant struggle regardless! Some of these post-op who post about hardly ever straying amaze me. I am a food addict...a sugar addict in particular & human. The fight is real!

I was never a big meat eater, but do eat it 1st at every meal. I use the protein bars to get my minimum 75 grams in daily bc the meat alone doesn't get me up there plus I crave chocolate! I use alot of cheese to supplement my protein, but it is so high in calories.