04/20/2020 Monday

The only thing constant about NE weather is the dramatic change ! After 4" of snow late last week, I mowed the front lawn today. Late morning, the sun was out and we decided to take a Sunday drive around the lake (1.5 hours) while the lawn dried. We never got out of the truck, as all park and path entrances were blocked off.

Peps, the video of the pack playing with mama Dottie...and the surrender gave me a warm heart and smile for the day ! BB, thanks for the reminder that there are two distinct perspectives to falling gas prices. I have decided not to buy another DVD, program subscription or piece of equipment until I better utilize what I already have. Miss Bonnie, I have so missed your voice, Swann stories, plants, kitty miracles ! I'm especially interested in how you decide to monitor self entertaining exercises ! Ann, thanks for the update on the resolution of the seroma stall ! Congratulations on the Lexus ! What color ? Liz, loved your trend graphs. Glad you have a safe and comfortable place to shelter if MA continues to increase in cases. DD, glad your lily transplant was a success, and eager to see pictures of your cushions out celebration. Diane, I have thought about online Scrabble too. DC also ordered a portable UV light to disinfect masks and packages. It hasn't arrived yet, but he did put together the bike stand he ordered, so he can ride inside. Your ingenuity regarding the heart monitor shower was awesome ! Ceci, hope your back is doing better ! David, miss you !!

Listening to/reading the news and reading posts on FB illuminates the dramatic disparity and passion involved in individual beliefs and perspectives. I so appreciate that this is a place we look for and celebrate common ground, while respecting each other as individuals.

So, so glad to see you starting the thread Diane! I am also super grateful for all of you!!

Weight 122.8, WW Bluepoints 11. This is the first time I dropped back into the target range I have decided upon. As you could see from my trendlines yesterday I probably still have some bouncy bouncy to go until I stay here, but I am thrilled to be here at the 4 month point since beginning WW. The last time I saw this weight was on January 17, 2019 (15 months ago).

I am feeling grateful that all of my family and friends are healthy and financially doing ok. Though DS is unemployed he is fine because of the high level of the high unemployment payments in Massachusetts and the bonus stimulus payments. In fact he has some extra funds from not going out and is using them to pay down his credit card, school and car loans. In contrast, Florida has one of the lowest levels of unemployment payments. Their MAX is $275 per week, which with the $600 stimulus still only brings them to $875. How does someone live on that??? There are a lot of areas in Florida where people are really struggling to eat and survive. Personally I think those stimulus payments should have differed depending on the state rates. But I bet some of the urgency people in Florida have about lifting the restrictions are due to the suffering in many areas. Our county is a quiet county mostly populated by older folks, people who assist them and chain stores and restaurants. So not hit quite as hard as some other areas *****ly much more on tourism.

It is a sobering time. As in other times of loss and change, we should all assess our priorities and try not to forget them. I know our group is doing just that.

Stay safe, stay home, stay healthy!

ETA: It was 80 degrees here at 6:30 am. The mosquitoes are flourishing...

Weight: 161.2

Oil is currently $11/barrel. Wow. I'm very grateful for jobs right now but this cannot last much longer or else companies will begin to go bankrupt.

I think the troubling thing is the two sides seem so polar right now. I have friends quoting a harvard study that suggests social distancing will have to be utilized until 2022, assuming there is a vaccine then. But there's no guarantee of a vaccine. To date there have been 140 deaths in Oklahoma and we've passed the peak.

Of course what will happen as things reopen remains to be seen. How bad will an uptick be? We will be watching Texas as they begin the phased reopening today.

So glad to hear that Ann has some light at the end of the tunnel.

I had a much better weekend and hope to be a better contributor this week. Yesterday we got a nice walk in, Rich and I sat in the hottub with an adult beverage during naptime, and my stepdaughter came over for chicken fried steak dinner. I plan to begin improving my eating as I eat away all the comfort food lol.

I was just about to throw in the towel on potty training (again) when, while I was out of the room this morning, Becca successfully used the potty by herself!!

And, Charlotte is VERY close to walking. All yesterday she continuously stood up in open space and contemplated walking. She even took a few one-foot shuffles. I think once she commits to doing it, it'll be a done deal. At least with Becca she went from walking 2-3 steps to full on walking in about 10 day's time.

I hope to do another walk today. Dinner will be leftovers so yay for easy. Need to do laundry. Ugh

Good morning! I'm watching Andrew Cuomo do his daily briefing. I like his plain talk. Your mileage may vary, but I often plan my break to hear what he has to say.

Looks to be a halfway decent week here weatherwise. I am grateful for it, staying in the 50s.

Our insurance is offering a program called Omada. I decided to sign up for it. You get a wireless scale that sends them your data daily, an online coach, access to an online group. They do not have a specific diet, but rather, cognitive coaching etc. They will help with an exercise program, and also supply a pedometer. It is at no cost to me, so I thought I'd give it a try. Also still thinking about weigh****chers, seeing it has been helpful to some of us.

Cecily, how is your back doing?

My back still hurts. I feel grateful that this is not something I've ever had before. Hopefully it's not a regular future occurrence! I have stopped the valium as I can get out of a chair okay now, but still taking Advil. As with most things, it could be worse, so I'll deal with what I have.

I got on the scale this morning. Holy Moses. I have done some significant damage. Sigh.

Not much else to share...

Love you !

Hi Everybody!

Diane O. glad to see you back. Hope you don't mind, but I've shared my gifts from you with a few more of my close peeps. My BFF, Kevin, and my dad now have Diane O. masks! Beginning Wednesday, 4/22 all residents of my county will have to wear masks when out in public. So glad to read you and DC got out of the house and went for a pretty drive. I do not know your part of NY, but if it's at all like the Hudson River Valley and the "Corners" it's got to be a wonderfully beautiful area.

Ceci, I feel your back pain. Been there far too many times for my own good! Just know you will get through it.

Ann, so happy your recovery is back on track. I'm so sorry you went through such an ordeal.

Bonnie150, I feel like we are kindred spirits with our black and tan terriers. So happy to be getting to know Swann. Is he a permanent fixture now, or will he eventually go back to live with your son? Love, love LOVE! the kitty miracle story. Made my day!

DD, I can understand your fear about getting the virus. My brother is also quite fearful because of his mild COPD (but, still, it is COPD!). I would guess your anxiety around this is pretty high being prone to pulmonary ailments. Yeah for Tiger Lillies!

Liz, Congrats on Tierny's promotion at work! Also, a huge congrats on betting back in your desired weight range. That's fantastic! So, so happy for you.

Diane S., Shrinking Nerd's gadget obsession makes me chuckle. I was going to say that I hope the dogs are enjoying having your around all day, but then it dawned on me that that is probably not such a new thing since you are retired, after all!

David, miss reading about Adalyn's antics. Hope you are well.

Shirl, how goes the recovery???? How is mom adjusting to her new life with you and John? How are you adjusting to having mom? Interesting how you are preparing for winter as we prepare for summer. I'm curious if the health officials in Australia predict that there will be spike in COVID 19 cases as you approach your winter. What are the projections? Do you know?

BB - I hear you about the economy. However, I think we need to be very careful. I think we should let the lesson we learned from the Spanish Flu epidemic be our guide. In some major cities, like Denver, public restrictions were lifted once the peak had been seen and there was a steady fall in the humber of new cases. Within a few weeks of lifting the restrictions the infection rates skyrocketed and there was a second peak that I believe - but I may be wrong on this, was even higher than the initial peak. That is not something I want to see! It is a very thought provoking discussion/argument inducing subject.. Where should the government draw the line? Public Health Safety vs. the faltering economy. Very tough discussion, indeed.

Have a data junkie-mathematical engineer-computer nerd (read brilliant) acquaintance in Canada who breeds Welsh Terriers with his wife. He has been following a thread on Reddit about the "Grass Roots" movement to get rid of social distancing, etc... Turns out the grass roots organizers all have an identical association with a company based in Florida that is directly connected with Betsy DeVos and her family. I found that utterly fascinating. I have no reason to doubt my friend. But weird, right?

I have been laying pretty low here for a week or so. Not intentional. Just not a lot to say and I have ben focused on making it through the school days, get chores done, tend puppies, etc...

Hopefully, more tomorrow.