Happy Thanksgiving Bandland!

Today (and EVERY Day) I am Thankful for my Loving husband, My Family, My Friends, My Faith and My Music!

Today has to be one of the worst Thanksgivings I have ever spent in my life! Or maybe I should look at it as one of the best?

You see, I came down with a Horrible, horrible cold/flu this week. I have been fighting to stay healthy this year as you may or may not remember, my boss and another person in my office retired and I am the only one there that knows "shit about anything" right now. SO, I can't afford to be sick. Well I am! Plus I have a concert on Saturday night and I just don't know how I am going to sing with my voice sounding like a bullfrog in heat right now!

Anyway, I have done NOTHING but lay on the couch under a blanket and watch TV, or sit up with the laptop in my lap! In addition to being sick, DH had to work this afternoon, (he works nights 2:30 - 11) so it wasn't even worth trying to go out and have some turkey at a local restaurant. I was so looking forward to going to my SIL's for her fantabulous dinner spread! She always makes the best dinners when we are having a holiday celebration. But with DH having to work and me being sick, plus we get a "winter weather" advisory and it started snowing at 9 am. We didn't get to go or eat anything "Thanksgivingy" today! I'm SSSOOO bummed, but then again, in a way, I am very thankful that I didn't have to NOT eat "everything in sight" thinking pre-band days and wanting to have it all, just to be miserable afterward as you lay on the couch and sleep while the football game is on!

My hope is to celebrate a very Happy Thanksgiving on Saturday with MY family, eat all the turkey I can (within reason and that 1 cup portion control) and then be able to sing in the concert without a problem. I'm thinking I may be able to kick this thing in the butt if I have another day like today, tomorrow!

♥ ♥ ♥ Have a Wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! ♥ ♥ ♥

DH made the Blahs go away!

I just have to share what my DH said to me right after we finished dinner as I was reading some new posts... He asked me "So, when you post on your blog, why do you refer to me as DH?"

You see, he was under the assumption that I was lovingly calling him a Dick Head!!! 

:-) Yes he is the man I married and love with all my heart! :-)

Thought I'd share that little piece of laughter for my evening!

Sunday Blahs...

I'm feeling  bit blah today, I read all the blogs that I follow and everyone seems to be having some really great accomplishments. And I must say congratulations to you all. As I sit here struggling to even get off the couch myself, I feel horrible that DH is terribly sick with a horrible cold I am fighting to NOT catch it. I am also feeling urges to revert back to my old NON-bander days of laying on the couch all day watching TV and eating.

Of course we are sitting (laying) here watching "Man vs. Food" on the Travel Channel... He is at "The Vortex" in Atlanta, GA. and eating some really big burgers! SOME of them even sound and look really, REALLY good. BUT how would I ever even think I could eat one of those??? (maybe 1/4 of one but never the whole thing). As some of you may remember my sister just moved to Atlanta. Should I tell her to go check out this place and tell me what the food HONESTLY taste like? Maybe they really don't taste as good as this guy says they do and I wouldn't like them at all! :-) (Hey, Wake up stupid honey! You did just finish putting a nice pork loin roast in the crock pot with lots of veggies for dinner. And yesterday you did chicken breast with that homemade "Spanish rice type" sauce over shell pasta). This time of year DH loves that I will cook on the weekends and I love that the Crock pot makes it so easy for me. Then we have lots of left overs for lunches during the week. Since he works nights and I work days it's nice to be able to have our weekend dinners together. They are healthy, and he can eat as much as he wants while I eat my one cup and am done.

After my last fill and unfill, I have settled back into the good eating habits that we all need to have... small bites, chewing lots, little to no liquids till at least 1/2 hour after. And after coming home from Florida, I have had no sliming, which is a really good thing. I am thinking that nerves played a big part in that whole episode! When I got on the scale this morning, I am UNofficially below 180! so why do I feel so blah? I say unofficially because I will not post it as "Official" until the Dr weighs me and I weigh in at that weight! I guess I'm just in one of "those" moods. I know I am doing everything right and I know I am losing, toning and slowly getting to my goal. I just don't understand it sometimes.

It's Veterans Day!

And I'm thinking... Having a "holiday" and being off on a Thursday does that to me... I'm thinking about veterans that I know, and those that I don't. How they served this country, and what they gave (or gave up) so that I could live in the best country in the world.

I've been thinking... about blogging for quite some time, but as you see I did not get enough rounded up in my head until yesterday to actually get some down on paper, Or on this blog. I think the reason behind me not blogging, in addition to just plain being extremely busy and out of touch with my bander friends, was the fact that I have a very hard time writing things in a way that makes sense to anyone except myself. After going to Florida and spending 3 wonderful days with my BFF. I found myself thinking alot about and feeling the need to get on here again and start talking. I also need to get back to the gym. That free membership that I won was up in October and I did sign up for a paid one. however, I have been to Zumba class once since then and not even gotten the gumption to get up and go to walk on a treadmill or ride a bike... I need some enthusiasm, or encouragement or maybe just a good swift kick in the ass to make me go again. I love my Zumba so it's not that I don't want to go... I just find that with all the "Crap" that is still going on at work I say... "I'll go tomorrow" a lot lately!

For the most part friends, I am able to eat some things normally and not worry about it when I try to eat. However, I'm not able to eat before at least 10 or 11 am and sometimes not until later than that. Then I have to be very, very careful not to eat to fast and to make sure that I chew it all to oblivion before I try to swallow. Can someone please tell me why it is that you are so much tighter in the morning and then can eat almost anything (and/or EVERYTHING) just before you are supposed to go to bed?  All in all I am feeling well with my band and my loss to this point. I do not have any reflux, but there are a lot of times that I feel as tho I have a lump in my throat and it just does not go away till well into the afternoon. UNLESS I get myself a cup or two of the hottest (and I mean really hot) decaffeinated tea or hot cider from Dunkin Donuts! Then and only then it seems that I can adjust into a "normal" day in the life of a bander, If there is such a thing!

My "happy" goal that I keep talking about is easily within site and now I find myself wondering if I should lower my goal expectations, or raise them? which would it be? Should I make my happy goal lower to make myself work harder at hitting it? My BFF made a comment at one point when I was there and she said she was worried about me making myself sick and when I slime is that a sign that I AM at my sweet spot and should have some more taken back out? I don't think I need to have any more out, BUT, I do however, do NOT believe that I want any more in at least until well after the Holidays... If I can make it thru Thanksgiving and Christmas... Which are HUGE Food holidays in my and my DH's family, I will be excited beyond belief. And then January 12th is my Bandiversary. I really want to be, at the very least. to my happy goal and/or below by then. Sssooo... What do you think banders? My next appointment to see the Doc is 11/22. And I'm gonna tell you right now, I am NOT having a fill that day!

Me and Eileen - MIA

Not really missing... just busy still... altho' I'm thinking that I have begun to slow down a bit for the winter. LOL! So here are some updates for now.

The wedding on 10-10-10 went off beautifully, without a hitch. I sang the best I know how and every time I started to choke up in the middle of a note the best man would look over his shoulder and smile at me. that would make me look the other way and concentrate on the song, not my emotions at the moment. I'll post a couple pictures as soon as I can but at the moment they are held hostage in my old PC that died last weekend and is in the shop right now.

10-14 I had my appointment to have my fill... and yup, no questions asked I got .50 cc's put in. I was good for a couple days and right up until after the show. then I started having problems. the feeling of a lump in my throat all the time and just not able to eat, even remotely normal. Only thing I could get down was hot hot liquids. So I called the office abut couldn't get in until the 25th

10-23-10, my barbershop chorus had a joint show with our brother barbershop chorus. it was a great time. could have had a few more people in attendance but we had approx 175 there and that was enough for this first time having a joint show! my quartet was the first performers. and I know your going to get tired of hearing this but...Can you say nervous? We made it thru and the entire show was a success. And of course pictures will be posted later... again after I can access them on the PC again

I had my appointment with my surgeon to have my UNfill on the 25th. And he seemed unconcerned at the need to take some out. I dropped 6 pounds, and am within 8 pounds of my "Happy" goal now. He ended up telling me that I must be very close to my sweet spot and took 1/2 of what he had put in on the 14th out. So I am at 3.25 cc's in right now. For the most part I've been good at that until of course I got ready for my trip to see my bff for a quick whirlwind trip to Florida on 11/4.

I can only assume the anxiety, and nerves over flying, seeing my bff for the first time in almost 2 years, since she retired and moved to Florida and the anxiety of telling her about my band, AND trying to "make a good impression" as the perfect band patient had a lot to do with it. But the entire trip was centered around me wanting to eat, and not being able to eat. Getting to a restaurant and ordering, taking one bite and ending up boxing it all home because I would have to run to the ladies room and slime. Never actually threw-up. but there were at least 4 episodes where I felt like I should have just said I wasn't hungry and ordered only a drink. But the "coming out" was a success I think. both the BFF and her hubby told me how proud they were of me for doing this for myself. BFF wished she could have been here for me on surgery day. and we both cried and hugged a lot. I love her so much... she really is my sister from another mother.  I did drop another 3 pounds tho'... UNOfficially I am within 5 pounds of the first "happy" goal... Yippee!!!

Any way, we came home (DH & I) on 11/7, (told you it was a quick trip) and the story that headlined the local paper the next day... Elmira-bound Allegiant flight hits large bird, damages landing gear

stargazette.com, Star-Gazette... (I posted previously)  We NEVER felt or heard a thing... it was a smooth, uneventful flight... Or so we thought.

Now I am preparing for my boss's retirement next week. Anxiety... ugh, here I come AGAIN... BUT hey, tomorrow is Veterans Day, I would like to say a big, "Thank You" to all the Veterans out there reading this. I appreciate the sacrifices you and your loved ones made to keep America Free, and I don't have to work! Yahoo. However, I do on Friday! ;-)

Until next time...

Elmira-bound Allegiant flight hits large bird, damages landing gear | stargazette.com | Star-Gazette

Elmira-bound Allegiant flight hits large bird, damages landing gear stargazette.com Star-Gazette