It is Wednesday! What's on your menu?

Oh Cookie Monster, I understand you, I really do!

It's Wednesday, busy day with meetings starting at 530 plus I have PT, my booster and the dentist. After chatting with Sheila, I have learned not to say that I hate the dentist, because my dentist and hygienist are really nice lovely people who I do not hate but I will say I hate the dentist experience. The big joke is that the dentist is the only place I've been told I don't have a big mouth, lol.

QOTD -does everyone have a three day weekend in honor of Memorial Day and what are your plans? I am ready to get some plants in the pots for the yard and the are two that didn't make it through the winter the are planted on the drip system that I need to dig up and replace. I usually do my pots Memorial Day weekend and while doing so I spend some time thinking about how so much of my privilege to have a nice quiet life with potted plants comes from the sacrifice of so many to defend this country and the world. To be honest, today I am questioning if they would find that it was worth it.

Accountability - TJs has these cream cheese stuffed Florentine cookies in the freezer session. I am very happy they only come 4 to a box and I will not be buying then again. They weren't even good enough for eating them to be worth it but eat them over the course of the evening I did.

Menu today:

English muffin with PB

ever roast chicken with cheese

yogurt or a scrambled egg with cheese

Hope you're Wednesday is a good one!

I used to spend Memorial Day weekend planting all kinds of annuals. Petunias, impatiens, geraniins and whatever else I could not resist at the nursery. By Tuesday morning, my flowerboxes and flowerbeds were full of color. Then I watered for about 30 minutes every night and deadheaded a few times a week. It also meant a lot of company and a lot of barbequing.

Memorial Day weekend now will be at the pool and meals will be salads from the food truck that is parked there. Cream cheese stuffed Florentines would be pretty tempting. Once a year I go to our Italian Festival and buy a cannoli from the bakery that the old Italian ladies set up and where everything is homemade by them. I think about that cannoli all year and it is so worth the calories.

I make a mean cannoli. I even fry my own shells. Not often because it is a labor of love, but I will for very special occasions.

Good mornin Jen and thanks for starting us out!

Well...I posted late yesterday that I found out my A1c went up to a 7.5. I was so so disappointed with myself. Still am but I also have a new resolve this morning. It's likely that my doctor will put me on insulin again. Honestly I'm slightly devastated about this but I know I just need to get it under control. My appointment yesterday will hopefully result in answers in other areas as well though. He is going to try and get me in somewhere local for the nerve conduction test. He also wants me to have it done on my arms as well. Pretty sure I have carpal tunnel at least in my right arm. He also sent a referral in again to my bariatric surgeon to see about the possible stomach issue.

Out plumbing was fixed for now. We'll likely have to replace part of the sewer line within a year. Thankfully just a short section but it is extra deep. Our backyard is two different levels. We shouldn't have to replace the longest part since it is newer than the deep part. With the highway work they are planning on they will be moving the sewer line so we'll have to changed the hook up anyway. IF we lose the house all together we won't need to do it anyway.

No big plans for the day. Probably groceries. We need to find a little gift for the girls for scool year...we already got Randall a little kindergarten graduation gift. My Riley will be in 4th grade next year and let me tell you I am terrified anymore that they go to school. Yesterday was devastating...I haven't cried like that in a while. Lots of anger and just...just so much sadness.

QOTD: no big plans here. My mom might want to BBQ but I dunno. I'm with you...I think a lot of those who sacrificed would be so upset that children and people being murdered in mass shootings has become commonplace. I'm really scared for our country. I could go on...

B: 4 TBS JUST egg, 1/2 cup shredded sweet potato, 1/4 cup shredded cheese, 1/3 cup diced onion, coffee/creamer and I had a waffle around 2 so I could take my pain meds

L: 1/2 cup quick oats, 1/3 cup almond milk, banana and maybe some toasted pecans

D: 2 cups cooked cabbage, onion and a chili relleno chicken sausage

S: 4 crackers, L&F yogurt, diced pears

I'm scared for our country as well. Things have really gone downhill the last several years, and these mass shootings are horrendous. I felt so much safer in Italy. Yes - they have issues with things like pickpocketing, but they don't have gun issues because it's mostly police and military people who have them - and the general public certainly does not have semi-automatic rifles. It scares me even to go to stores sometimes - like some lunatic is going to pull out a rifle and mow people down. How on earth did we get to this? If I could emigrate, I would.

Mornin' All!

up four lbs since last week. I know not all of this is true weight as I did not eat an extra 14K calories this week, but some of it is definitely due eating too much lately (and/or indulging in the "wrong" things). Alarm bells. I'm glad some of this crap is gone - like that tiramisu - and no "eating events" on the horizon - so that'll help. My film discussion group is this morning and I made oat scones for that - but I should be able to work one in to today's eating plan. But other than that little indulgence, it'll be back to basics for awhile - until I get this back under control.

I went to a meet up last night for drinks and snacks. I've never met any of these women before, and I really, really liked a couple of them especially. I hope to get together with them again soon - already reached out to one of them whom I especially clicked with. She wants to get together again (with me), too..

QOTD: no plans - but I want to finish up stuff re: my Scotland trip (book a hotel for the last three days (will likely stay at the same place, since everything else is super expensive). I'm also thinking I'll do a day-long bus tour of Fife Council, so I'll book that as well. Tourism is through the roof right now, so I want to get everything booked or I may not be able to later (my 4th cousin, who planned the whole reunion and is now working on the optional three-day trip to northern Scotland (seven of us are going) found a terrific B&B for us to stay at up there. It's crazy expensive (c. $200 a night - pretty high for a B&B out in the sticks), but it looks absolutely wonderful. So I guess we'll be splurging..)

B: plain skyr with berry compote, coffee with half & half

MS: oat scone, plus probably more coffee with half & half

L: tuna/chickpea/yogurt/lemon salad sandwich on 35-calorie bread

AS: protein shake

D: Caprese salad? (need to use up this mozzarella & basil)

exercise - I'd better do something. Not sure what yet. Maybe a Zumba class if there's one I can make, since they're calling for storms today.

have a great day, everyone!

Good morning, everybody!

Its rainy here in Chicago today. I think that it is going to warm up as we get into the latter part of the weekend.

My youngest made it through his last day of school yesterday. Today we are going to Restoration Hardware Rooftop for lunch. We are trying Wednesday Happy Hour because it supposedly might work better schedulewise for one couple. I am skeptical. Later tonight we pick up DD at the airport.

QOTD: We have all the graduation things this weekend. Aviary tomorrow night, dinner in Chicago on Friday, Ceremony and cookout on Saturday. neighbors for a fire pit on Sunday. Quiet day on Monday, I think. Murph on Sunday morning by myself since I will miss it on Saturday because of graduation. I am going to break the exercises into 50 small sets of 2 pull-ups, 4 push-ups and 6 squats, hoping to keep from getting to muscle failure on the squats. No vest this year.

Breakfast: Egg sandwich

Lunch: Ribeye

Dinner: Charcuterie at the bound to be short lived Wednesday happy Hour

Have a great day, all!

Sounds like things are falling into place for the weekend! Congrats to your son!!

G'morning all!

Jen, did you know Cookie Monster is me in a happier life; I can eat all the cookies and not gain weight. Thank you for not hating your dentist as a person. I read somewhere that dentists are the profession with highest number of suicides, because "you're in a career where nobody wants to see you and you're the last place they want to come back to and it's depressing."

My heart is really heavy today. I can't imagine those poor parents. My niece who is pregnant has been texting me all night asking me why? Why these things happen in US so often? I didn't have any answers except for saying we have backwards laws where an 18 year old can't buy a drink but OK to buy semi automatics. We have a government that is bent on protecting babies at insemination but not after they are out in the world. I couldn't even explain what NRA is to her. It's unfathomable that there is a lobby group for GUNS!!!

QOTD: nothing planned right now but I'm sure there will be some beach/paddle boarding outing. Memorial Day is also DD's bday; when she was home there were always big party plans.

My meals yesterday :

• Coffee
• Eggwich
• Jello, Fage yogurt w/raspberries, sea salt & pepper peanuts
• Costco chicken meatballs (with teriyaki sauce & pineapple) and scotch bonnet cheddar cheese
• E: 4 miles jog

Have a safe Wed!

I have a cousin who is a dentist and he is crazy as a lune. Now this explains a lot. Hope your brother is in a better place than the rest of them