I'm alive awake alert enthusiastic today. The kids are home safe and sound after a harrowing for them adventure yesterday. They had the dreaded visit with Linda and on their way home, they hit a deer (they think they hit a reindeer) and it really messed up her car...the air bags went off etc. The police came and the kids got to sit in the back seat of the police car til the tow truck came to stay warm. They were shook up over a) the SMELL of the air bags exploding (never smelled that so dont know what they're referring to) & b) that Linda wouldnt have a car to drive (OH WELL!!!) But we drove to Athens to pick them up last night (in the aftermath of a GA Bulldogs football game UGH) and got them home late. Hopefully they'll sleep late.

So to take their minds off the wreck, we're going to try and go get the Christmas tree today. Tomorrow is Dale's birthday and then John's is on Wednesday so have a lot to do in the next few days.

While the kids were with Linday yesterday, we went to see De Ja Vous (Did i spell that right?) and it was a really cool movie...but then i'm a sucker for Denzel Washington & Val Kilmer. It got me thinking about the post Cindi did about her top 13 movies (no this one didnt make THAT list) and i think i'm going to compose one of those soon. All for now as my bathwater is awaiting. I woke up early (for me) today (7:30 on a Sunday!!) and i cant go back to sleep.

Back on the Weight Watchers wagon yesterday after a disasterous Thanksgiving. Weigh in is this Thursday so I'm hoping to do some damage control this week. I'm down 34.6 poounds so far.

i forgot my anniversary

But it was a gooooood thing! I'm referring to the anniversary of my first marriage. 11-14-98. I remember that i wanted to get married in April or October because those were such beautiful months here in GA. But he didnt want to...so we chose November because he didnt have any previous marriages nor any prev wives birthdays in that month. And it rained cats and dogs that day!

But this is the first year that i've not at least recognized that it was my former anniversary. It didnt even occur to me til i was filling out my food journal from yesterday and wrote down the date. This is a big step for me...I'm such an obsessor and analyzer of my feelings...and yesterday i felt nothing! There's this song from A CHORUS LINE where the girl sings, NOTHING...and that comes to mind today. YAY me!!!!

Do I have an accent?

I was sorta surprised with the results...But it goes with what most people tell me. If they're from the south, they dont think i sound southern. If they're from somewhere else, they definitly think i sound southern. Oh well, you say potato, i say taters.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The South
The West
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The Northeast
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Voter Tuesday

As it says, I'm a GA voter, Are you? Today I went to the polls and cast my secret ballot. I've never voted before in a firehouse. But hey, it worked, nice and roomy and plenty of space. The computers you vote with are really cool now. You just put your card in and press away. At the end it shows you what you voted for and allows you to make any changes. I just wish it allowed you to print what you voted for so you could take that home with you to watch the results with...but i guess they're assuming you had that with you when you came in to vote in the first place.

I have this very UN-scientific method of voting. I vote based on people I feel strongly about not considering the party they represent first...then i consider the party. I've always voted STRONLY democrat. Then I consider Male vs Female. Female Democrats (Cynthia McKenny excluded) would do well with me. I refuse to "vote" for an office where there is NO race! It's a waste of my time to pick when there is no choice. GROWLS. I dont think there should EVER be a case when someone runs un-opposed.

Anyway, the results will come in tonight...and the gubernatorial candidate i chose will probably LOSE because Georgia is such a red state. Oh well. at least my Democrat voice was heard here in Barrow county.

musings

I'm sitting here alone in the house with Eric Clapton singing softly in the background...Husband is at the gym working out as usual. I should be on the treadmill, but i'm just enjoying the quiet and stillness of the house. The kids are off to school. I've made the bed, worked my shift, had breakfast and am now literally just being still.

Brrr. it's cold today...our first cold day really of the season. Sent the kids to school in their big coats! Only 42 degrees now.

Halloween approaching and bad parents that we are, we havn't gotten costumes yet! Hope to get that done this week. Did go to the pumpkin patch this weekend and the kids got to pick out one each. Only this pic of John getting his came out well.

Weight Watchers is improving...I had a rough month or so! I was up and down everyweek. No continuity. I seem to be back on track even though i'm now behind by about 6 weeks. But i guess in the scheme of things it's not that bad. Tonight is weigh in so hopefully i'll have good numbers to post later.

By the way...happy birthday to little brother Steven. 34 today. I hope the coming year brings you more happiness than the last year. To you..and to those who love you.

Ok..Dale's home. Off for now

Sundays & Football

All my life, I've always loved Sundays. When i was a kid my family used to have a group of friends we got with on Sundays during the fall and football was the game of the day. Maybe because none of the kids were my age to play with, I would actually hang with the parents and friends to watch the game. This was in the day of Steve Barkowski and Billy "Whiteshoes" Johnson. I cheered along with the best of them and yelled along with my dad at William Andrews to "go thunder thighs, go!"

As I grew up I still looked forward to Sunday football. You can read my old journals and always see that I was following the Birds & the Braves. (I'll have to do a spring time blog entry as an ode to Baseball) Even when my family stopped watching,I would follow the progress and watch when I could.

In my first marriage, my husband knew NOTHING about football. Couldn't even tell when the next play was going to be a pass or run based on how the players were lined up. It was frustrating to see my birds finally go to the Super Bowl married to a man who knew nothing about the game.

But in my 2nd chance marriage,I struck paydirt. A man who loves football, who loves the Falcons....who loves to spend his Sundays in front of the tv eating PuPu platters or chicken wings with me. (Although he does prefer Subway to Pupu) Life is good!

what type of car are you?

I'm a Chevrolet Corvette!

You're a classic - powerful, athletic, and competitive. You're all about winning the race and getting the job done. While you have a practical everyday side, you get wild when anyone pushes your pedal. You hate to lose, but you hardly ever do.

Am I glad i got divorced?

A friend of mine recently posted a blog about her divorce and how it's been 7 years since hers was final. Ironically, mine was final about 3 years ago this past month (August) Her blog was about how she was celebrating it because of all the good that's come from it...and it set me to thinking.

i want to embrace it for it has brought me what i never knew i wanted so badly. It's brought me a husband who really loves me! Like husband #1 never did. It brought me a family...with THREE children...that i never would have had with my ex.

Yet.

I never wanted the divorce. I didnt pursue it...i fought it tooth & nail. I wanted him to choose me. I wanted so much with him.

But God knew better. He answered my prayers...but not in the way I wanted at the time.

So, the question remains. Am i happy i got divorced? Is it something to be glad and to celebrate. hmmmm hard one. Yes...I guess i am glad. The woman i am now would never have stayed happy with my ex. She would have grown very dissatisfied. I just didnt see that at the time. I couldnt see past the hurt i was feeling. I'll never be glad of the hurt I went thru when he cheated on me...but I can be happy it's past and embrace the person i've become.

Have I mentioned?

How much i love my husband? and my life? Well, i do. In some ways my life is nothing like I ever planned. In other ways it's everything I've dreamed of.

We had a great day today...nothing monumental. But I think life is made up of the small moments that we have fun in. I'm smiling as i sit here and type this. He's off right now getting my tire plugged and a tail light for his Suburban. The kids are silently watching TV and i'm sitting here listening to soundtrack from the movie GLORY ROAD. Bout to go to weight watchers so wish me luck.

Garage Sale Finds

We spent the morning doing one of my favorite past-times...garage sailing! Dale decided to go with us and serve as chauffer (like in the kid's favorite song..."My poor old gray-haired daddy, driving my limousine") It was so much fun! And the bargains were there to be had! As you may or may not know, all garage sales are not created equal and with three little ones and 1 teenager with us, everyone doesnt need to get out everytime. I get out to scout it out with one child or by myself and then wave to the rest if there are things of interest to others.

Stop # 1...Elizabeth gets out with me to pick out some videos...A big bin to choose from at 3 for $5. We got three including JUNGLE BOOK...a must have!

Stop #2...Josh gets out with me and I find a Christmas Coca Cola Bottle (i collect Coca Cola memorbilla) for 1.50 and 2 paperbacks for .25c each (my paperback collection that was my joy got flooded over the summer and i lost them all to mildew. So i picked up FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLESTOP CAFE for a quarter, cant beat that. Oh and a cool multi-colored mat (for pictures) with stars cut into it. And a stool. Why did i need it? Well in our house the kids are always needing stools to stand on or sit on or what not. They had $4 on it, but i offered 2.50 and he said yes :)

Stop #3...a moving sale. Dale buys a tennis bag (he plays raquetball..and has a bag fetish!) I got some cassettes (I'm the only woman in America with a cassette player still in her car!) and a shelf that i need to re-paint and will put in Elizabeth's room (for a dollar!) The kids picked up some toys. I felt sorry for the owner of that sale...she was having to move to a 2-bedroom apartment and had to get rid of all her stuff.

Stop #4...THE MOTHERLODE! It was a basement sale in a gorgeous neighborhood. I waved the family on in when I found out they had lots of kids clothes...Apparently the woman used to have a consignment store. It was Make Me An Offer day. I picked up 3 dress, 1 pair of Tommy Hilfiger jeans, 2 shirts, 1 teen shirt, 1 teen swimsuit, a skort outfit (that included the socks!) a set of binoculars and a toy horse that really walks, a giant bean bag chair (finally something for Joshua) 8.25! I felt like a theif.

It was a ball to me!!

On the Weight Watchers front, i'm down 31 pounds with weigh in on Tuesday this week due to Labor Day. Have been having a good weekend so far.

A Chain, but a Good Chain

A Chain, but a Good Chain

Review of: Monterrey Mexican Restaurant

By: Gina Simpson

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy's Book.

YUM. now that's some good mexican food. They have our favorite booth right there in the corner. Good service most of the time. I dont like how they charge for milk with kids meals...but the food is good. We frequent the one on Hwy 20 near Publix & Old Peachtree Rd.

A Marriage in the Family

So they finally did it. Dad & Lynne got married yesterday. I was gone off to the library and when i got back, Dale says my dad just called and he'd call back tonight...but that he was off work today and had just called. Well, my dad never takes off work! So i immediatly just knew that's what it was. Turns out yesterday was the 8 yr anniversary of Lynne moving in with him...so they made that their real anniversary. They took a boat out a few miles offshore (in Orange Beach) and had a local minister marry them. Grandmother Siler and Charles were both there as well as Dad & Lynne's good friends John & Pat and Lynne's best friend Renee.

I felt kinda bad that he didnt want me and Steven there....but it's also very Dad-like to want to get married without any "fuss" and then to go back to work the next day. I'm very happy for them and wish them years and years of happiness. I'll be honest...I wish he were still married to Mom...i wish they'd never gotten divorced. But i know they both need to be happy and after 32 yrs of marriage...they'd had enough. So i swallow my disappointment over that again and wish them all happiness.

More Weight Stuff & family update

So i did my BMI today and it's at 45.3...when i started Weight Watchers, it was at 49.6...so that's some improvement anyway. I've had a good week so far...stayed within my points everyday today except for one...so i did dip into my Flex points by 10. But i dont consider that a bad thing. I've been journaling and drinking all my water. Had a delicious dinner tonight...so things are going well. Last week i got my 25 pound magnet or my 132.00 magnet (the amount i've paid to Weight Watchers). My next goal is the 10% of my body weight goal...only 4 more pounds to that. Weigh in is tomorrow.

Got a full house today and We've been busy today...Linda asked at the last minute last night if Sheena could come spend the weekend with us...that they were getting on each other's nerves....so sick as he is, Dale drove to Winder to meet her and bring Sheena here for the weekend....so this morning, i take Eliz, Josh & Sheena out to Walmart and the dollar tree to get some things and while i'm there, Dale calls and says that his sister is bringing her 2 kids to our house in an hour for us to babysit! She'd asked us to 2 weeks ago or so and we wrote it on the calendar...but when she never called to confirm this week, we assumed (obviously incorrectly!) that they weren't coming. So, we rush home so i can help get the house picked up...and tonight we've had SIX kids in the house. But Courtney & Stephanie are good kids..much calmer than ours and that helps calm ours down some. So it hasn't been bad...just cooked a lot!

No visit this week..whoo hooo. grins. Bad Gina...Bad Girl!

It's early morning and Dales at the gym & the kids are still sleeping. I've been getting them up earlier this week at 7am to get them ready for school which starts Aug 3. It's hard to believe John will be starting Pre-K. When i first met him he was going to day care but then as soon as Dale & i got married and i quit my job, i started keeping him and Elizabeth home with me. Elizabeth was doing Pre-K for the second year because she has a late birthday, but she was so bored with it. And she's smart as a whip anyway! Really they all three are! It's amazing to me the questions they come up with! Lately John has been going thru a really rebellious stage and that's such a departure from his normally sweet and pleasing personality. It's nothing terrible or unexpected in a 4 yr old...but just heretofor unseen. Things like throwing down a toy very hard to the ground when angry and such. Stomping off and yelling back. We can handle it, but it's never been seen before in him.

Weight Watchers is still going pretty well...had a bad couple of weeks. On and off...gain, lose, gain lose seems to be the pattern. But at least the lose weeks are usually MUCH larger than the gains. So i'm at a total of 22.6 pounds down right now as i was UP this past Monday by .2 pounds. Good grief! that's LESS than a quarter of a pound. But still it was up. growls. One thing i stopped doing so much was journaling my food so i need to get back to that. And i need to increase the exercise. Since Dale has been doing his early morning raquetball appts with the guys at the gym, i havn't been going as often. And that's not an excuse...I've got a treadmill here i could use or i could go for a walk down the street. I just need to DO IT.

All for now! It's time to wake the kids.

Now it's about 627pm and i'm in here at the computer and Dale is mowing the lawn.

Steven (my brother) told me today that he and his wife Shannon are separated and plan to divorce. I wasnt surprised, but disappointed none the less.

On an upbeat note tho, I felt it today. a conviction down deep in my soul that we are going to do this weight loss burden that weighs so heavily on us. I was talking with Steven and telling him about my weight loss so far etc...and he is probably thinking to himself, yeah, i've heard it all before...but inside, i knew this time IS different. I want to do it for so many reasons...but the point is I, ME, wants this...not everyone else in my life wanting it FOR me, but me wanting it for me. And one of the reasons Don said he broke up with me was that when i wanted something, there was no telling me no....(he meant it in a bad way, ie..spend money on trips etc) well this time, it's a GOOD thing. I'm tired of hiding in the back on pictures or saying "make sure you only get my upper half. " I want to be the one smack dab in the front or stretched out on the floor even! LOL.

4th of July and WW stuff

I dont want my blog to be all about Weight Watchers and my quest to lose weight, but as the title of my blog says it's what's important to me...and right now losing weight is almost all consuming. As of this past Monday I was down an even 20 pounds in 6 weeks. Yay. This week is a "challenging" week for me because of a) the 4th of July and b) my birthday is this Saturday. But I'm just trying to keep it all in perspective and enjoy the day and some of the foods...but also plan ahead some.

Tried a Low-Fat Beef Stroganoff last night that was very yummy and i found the recipe here on the internet. http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beef/BeefStroganoffLowFat.htm I used Dreamfields pasta instead of egg noodles but it was FINE!

4th of July was a lot of fun...we took the kids to my Aunt Marilyn's and we had a family cookout with my mom, grandmother, cousin Kim, Great Aunt Ebbie and of course my family...Dale was the only guy there. Aunt Marilyn has converted her big inground pool to one of those large hot tubs/swimming lap pools. So the kids (and some adults) played in there most of the afternoon.

I'm posting a picture made at my mom's house that day...

Catching Up

So weight watchers continues for me...I've stuck to the plan like glue this week but havn't lost anywhere near the weight i did last week...i dont know why...just hasn't happened. I'll be happy with ANY loss at weigh in tonight. But the good news has to do with my fasting bloodsugars. My new year's resolution was to get them under 200...today i took it at 150! For me that's amazing. Granted, i am taking meds too, but i was then too...so maybe one day i'll actually get off the meds. That would be amazing to the nth degree!

The kids are at Vacation Bible School this morning and John is in the living room watching Dora the Explorer. I just got out of the bath. Aaaah. feels nice. I'm attaching a picture of the kids i took this weekend when we spent the day at Janice's pool.

weight loss beginnings

so after almost a year of doing low carb dieting, i've switched teams. Christine & i joined Weight Watchers last Monday night and i've been sticking to the plan like glue. The weight is falling off this week. Now i'm sure if i'd stuck to Low Carb as well as i'm sticking to this diet plan it probably would have come off too, but I was so burnt out on it! WW seems so easy right now because of the variety. Wish me luck as i weighed in at a whopping 298 pounds!!! Below is my before picture...(ignore the hat..we were at a tea room that required hats) But i hate the picture! i can usually push double chins in or hide in the back of pictures and be ok with the way it looks...not this time.

guilty as charged

So we're riding in the car last night coming home from a nutritious dinner at TACO BELL talking about snacking etc...Elizabeth our 6 yr old chimes in, "i've seen you & Dad DOING IT" she exclaims in a very loud voice. Dale & i look at each other a bit worriedly. "Doing what?" we ask..."She excitedly says, "i know what you do after we go to bed! You eat ice cream and lie in bed and KISS!".....Yup...guilty as charged.

I chose Wisely

You know that scene in Indiana Jones #3 where they're seaching for the Holy Grail? He looks around at the huge selection of possible cups that could be the Holy Grail and chooses a humble looking container. The old man Sir Stephen i think it is says, " you chose wisely" in what i think was the most classic understatement in cinema history...well today i had an overwealming feeling of "i chose wisely"

In the last couple of weeks, i've run into two ex'es...the first was Rusty...and then today Greg. Both are now married and of course so am i...and i'm looking at my husband and thinking, I CHOSE WISELY. A friend recently said to me at a party i went to that i looked so terribly happy and "glowing" and i just replied that i've never been happier.

My birthday in History

So a friend showed me this site...you go in and type your birthday(not year) in the Search box and it gives you a list of events and birthdays on your day in history. Since i'm a big history buff, this was right up my ally. www.wikipedia.org


JULY 8

1099 - First Crusade: 15,000 starving Christian soldiers march in religious procession around Jerusalem as its Muslim defenders mock them.

1776 - The Liberty Bell was rung to summon citizens of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the reading of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress.

1932 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches its lowest level of the Great Depression, bottoming out at 41.22.

1997 - Mayo Clinic researchers warn that the dieting-drug "fen-phen" can cause severe heart and lung damage.

BIRTHS

1839 - John D. Rockefeller, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1937)
1958 - Kevin Bacon, American actor
1961 - Toby Keith, American singer
1967- ME

DEATHS

1822 - Percy Bysshe Shelley, English poet (b. 1792)
1967 - Vivien Leigh, English actress (b. 1913)
2004 - Paula Danziger, American author (b. 1944) (i loved her books as a teenager! she wrote My Cat Ate My Gymsuit and other great ones like that!)