Friday's Toast

UPDATE:
All is good in the Greenberg house :) I can't believe how quickly the time is passing by...Matthew is almost 17 months now. He's running around, talking, eating table foods with us, drinking from a sippy cup (whole milk) and is just about the smartest toddler there is. Jeff and I will be celebrating 6 years of marriage this coming April 18th :) and are doing well too. I'm not sure how many people still check into this blog since the whole MySpace and now Facebook explosion, but figured I would update those who do come here from time to time. Look us up on Facebook for day to day stuff.

We hope you all had a wonderful Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah - have a Happy New Year - see you in 2010 :)


December 2009: With Jeff and Matthew in front of the tree.




December 2009: Matthew playing with one of his Hanukkah gifts, Hess truck.


December 2009: Playing in the snow.






November 2009: Thanksgiving.


November 2009: My 30th Birthday.




October 2009: Halloween.


October 2009: Halloween...Matthew is Yoda, Ryan is Mr. Met.


October 2009: Halloween...Matthew is Yoda.








HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY MATTHEW :)!!!!

* Nancy :)

Hey All.

Sorry that I've neglected the Fridays Toast site. I've been very busy with Matthew (our now 2 month old son) and I've also been on MySpace and Facebook catching up with old friends.

For those of you who aren't on either MySpace or Facebook, you can always catch up with the Greenberg's via our NEW pics site located here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jeffg79

Jeff is the one who updates the pics to our NEW pics site.

Hope everyone is well.

With love to all,
Nancy :0)

The 7 Steps to Happily Ever After
By Marjorie Ingall
Marriage is a home, a refuge against the outside storms. And like any house, it requires a strong, lasting foundation. To build one, every couple needs to take certain steps — seven, to be precise — that turn the two of you into not just you and me but we. You may not move through all the steps in order, and you may circle back to complete certain steps again (and again and again). But if you make it through them all, you'll be well on your way toward creating a marriage that will be your shelter as long as you both shall live.

Step 1: Find a shared dream for your life together.
It's easy to get caught up in the small stuff of married life: What's for dinner tonight? Whose turn is it to clean the litter box? Did you pay the electric bill? But the best partners never lose sight of the fact that they're working together to achieve the same big dreams. "Successful couples quickly develop a mindfulness of 'us,' of being coupled," says REDBOOK Love Network expert Jane Greer, Ph.D., a marriage and family therapist in New York City. "They have a shared vision, saying things like, 'We want to plan to buy a house, we want to take a vacation to such-and-such a place, we like to do X, we think we want to start a family at Y time.'"

This kind of dream-sharing starts early. "Couples love to tell the story of how they met," points out Julie Holland, M.D., a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City and a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine. "It's like telling a fairy tale. But happy couples will go on creating folklore and history, with the meet-cute forming the bedrock of the narrative." As you write and rewrite your love story ("our hardest challenge was X, our dream for retirement is Y"), you continually remind yourselves and each other that you're a team with shared values and goals. And P.S.: When you share a dream, you're a heck of a lot more likely to make that dream come true.
Step 2: Ignite (and reignite) a sexual connection.
In any good relationship, sex is way more than just a physical act. It's crucial for the health of your emotional connection, too: It's something only the two of you share; it makes you both feel warm and loved; it draws you back together when you're drifting apart. And did I mention that it's a whole lot of fun?

Striking up those sparks when you first meet is easy. Nurturing a strong, steady flame? That's the hard part. When you've got a mortgage, a potbelly, and a decade or two of togetherness under your belts, it can be hard to muster up the fire you felt when you first got together. That's when it's even more important to protect your sex life and make it a priority. "You have to keep working to create allure and seduction for each other or your sex life will become lackluster," Greer points out. "Who wants the same turkey sandwich over and over? You want it on whole wheat! On toast! As turkey salad! On a roll!" (And now I will imagine my husband covered with Russian dressing. Thanks, Dr. Greer.)

As the years go by, you'll keep revisiting and realigning and reimagining the passion you have for each other. And if you keep at it, you'll have a sex life that transcends your marriage's lack of newness, the stresses of family and work, the physical changes that come with aging. Now that's something worth holding on to.
Step 3: Choose each other as your first family.
For years, you were primarily a member of one family: the one in which you grew up. Then you got married, and suddenly you became the foundation of a new family, one in which husband and wife are the A-team. It can be tough to shift your identity like this, but it's also an important part of building your self-image as a duo (and maybe, eventually, as three or four or...).

For me, making this transition meant stopping the incessant bitching to my mom when I was mad at my husband — my behavior was disloyal, and I had to learn to talk to Jonathan, not about him. My friend Lynn tells the story of her mother's reaction to a trip to the Middle East she and her then-boyfriend (now husband) had planned. Her mother hit the roof, calling incessantly to urge Lynn not to go. Eventually, Lynn's boyfriend got on the phone with Mom and explained why they were excited to share this experience. "It was clear then that we were the team," Lynn says now. "Not teaming up against my mother, but teaming up together to deal with her issues."

Whatever your challenges — an overprotective mom? an overly critical father-in-law? — you have to outline together the boundaries between you and all of the families connected to you. Not only will you feel stronger as a united front but when you stick to your shared rules, all that family baggage will weigh on you a lot less.
Step 4: Learn how to fight right.
I'm embarrassed to think of how I coped with conflict early in my relationship with Jonathan. I stormed out — a lot. I once threw an apple at his head. Hard. (Don't worry, I missed — on purpose.) I had a terrible habit of threatening divorce at the slightest provocation. But eventually I figured that this was pretty moronic. I didn't want out, and I knew that pelting someone with fruit was not a long-term marital strategy.

"Fighting is the big problem every couple has to deal with," says Daniel B. Wile, Ph.D., a psychologist and couples therapist in Oakland, CA, and author of After the Fight. That's because fights will always come up, so every couple needs to learn how to fight without tearing each other apart.

Fighting right doesn't just mean not throwing produce; it means staying focused on the issue at hand and respecting each other's perspective. Couples that fight right also find ways to defuse the tension, says Wile — often with humor. "Whenever one of us wants the other to listen up, we mime hitting the TV remote, a thumb pressing down on an invisible mute button," says Nancy, 52, an event producer in San Francisco. "It cracks us up, in part because it must look insane to others." Even if you fight a lot, when you can find a way to turn fights toward the positive — with a smile, a quick apology, an expression of appreciation for the other person — the storm blows away fast, and that's what matters.
Step 5: Find a balance between time for two and time for you.
Jonathan and I both work at home. This frequently leads to murderous impulses. Though I'm typing away in the bedroom and he's talking to his consulting clients in our small home office, most days it really feels like too much intimacy for me.

But that's my bias. When it comes to togetherness, every couple has its own unique sweet spot. "There are couples that are never apart and there are couples that see each other only on weekends," Greer says. With the right balance, neither partner feels slighted or smothered. You have enough non-shared experiences to fire you up and help you maintain a sense of yourself outside the relationship — not to mention give you something to talk about at the dinner table. But you also have enough time together to feel your connection as a strong tie rather than as a loose thread.

Your togetherness needs will also change over time, so you'll have to shift your balance accordingly. "My husband and I spend a lot of time together, but it's almost all family time," says Katie, 40, a mom of two in San Leandro, CA. "We realized a few months ago that we hadn't had a conversation that didn't involve the kids or our to-do lists in ages, so we committed to a weekly date. We were so happy just to go to the movies and hold hands, something we hadn't done in ages. It felt like we were dating again!"
Step 6: Build a best friendship.
Think about the things that make your closest friendships irreplaceable: the trust that comes with true intimacy, the willingness to be vulnerable, the confidence that the friendship can withstand some conflict. Don't those sound like good things to have in your marriage, too?

"Happy couples are each other's haven," says Holland. "They can count on the other person to listen and try to meet their needs." Greer adds, "When you're true friends, you acknowledge and respect what the other person is; you don't try to control or change them. This creates a sense of safety and security when you're together — you know you're valued for who you are and you see the value in your partner."

Then there's the way, when you've been with someone a while, that you become almost a mind reader. You have a shared history and inside jokes. Your guy knows what you'll find funny, you forward him links to articles you know he'll enjoy, and best of all, you two can make eye contact at a given moment and say volumes without opening your mouths. And is there anything more pleasurable than sharing the newspaper with someone? Sitting in companionable silence, absorbed in your respective reading, sipping coffee, occasionally reading something out loud, but mostly just lazing happily together, communing without needing to speak? Ahh....
Step 7: Face down a major challenge together.
You're sailing along through life, and suddenly you hit a huge bump. A serious illness. Unemployment. The loss of a home. A death in the family. How do you cope?

The truth is, you never know how strong your relationship is until it's tested. All too often, the stress of a crisis can pull a couple apart. But the good news is, when you do make it through in one piece, you might just find yourselves tighter than ever.

"What didn't happen to us?" says Daryl, 28, a preschool teacher in Harrisburg, PA. "My husband lost his job and took a minimum-wage job he was way overqualified for just to make ends meet. He was offered a better job in a mountain town outside San Diego, so we moved. Then during the California wildfires several years ago, our house burned down and we lost everything. We were living in a one-room converted garage with no running water and a newborn. But we found that this chaos somehow brought us even closer together. We took turns losing it. We really kept each other sane."

Hey, marriage is no roll in the hay. It's tough, real work. But the reward, the edifice you build together that will shelter you through years of tough times, is more than worth the effort. The small, friendly cottage you build — decorated with your shared history and stories, filled with color and laughter — will be the warmest and safest retreat you can imagine.
http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articlerb.aspx?cp-documentid=10010017&page=1

Video taken today of Matthew smiling and cooing :0)

My sweet little peanut is just over a month old now, about a month and a half actually. He is growing every day and showing Jeff and I just how much of a miracle he really is. We had taken him to the doctor yesterday for his 1st set of shots. His weight was 9 pounds and 8 1/2 ounces and he is 22 1/2 inches long. My little boy is growing up :0)!!

Nancy :0)

BABY BLOG LINK TO COME IN UPCOMING MONTHS AS WELL AS PICS - LOOK FOR IT ON THE RIGHT........

For now....

25 Reasons To Love Being Pregnant
http://www.liweddings.com/chat/topic-70495-1.html

25 reason to love being pregnant

1. You're guaranteed to stop traffic whenever you cross the street.

2. People look at your stomach and can't help smiling, as if the mere thought of your being pregnant has actually made their day a little bit brighter.

3. You can eat a whole pint of chocolate-chunk ice cream and not feel guilty. Every night.

4. You can -- no, you must! --take naps. Lots of them.

5. Getting to name another human being.

6. Watching your husband turn into a father when he kisses your belly good night, reads to the baby in utero, or stays up until 3:00 a.m. putting the crib together -- just in case the baby decides to come eight weeks early.

7. Sex: For once in your life, you're neither worried about getting pregnant nor trying to get pregnant. You can have sex just for the pure fun of it.

8. Buying a bathing suit. It's not about hiding your flaws; it's about flaunting your belly.

9. Those wild, intense, amazing pregnancy dreams in which every remote person from your past makes some sort of appearance. None of these dreams can even begin to be analyzed or understood.

10. The amazing anticipation. It's like all your previous birthdays and holidays rolled into one.

11. Imagining the possibilities.

12. More personal space! And you have no qualms about claiming it.

13. You eat healthier, drink more water, and carefully read ingredient labels. Suddenly, it matters more to you what you put in your body.

14. In the middle of a boring meeting at work or a meaningless argument, you feel your baby squirming inside you and the sensation takes you away. It's your own secret communication.

15. Getting to hear the swish swish swish of your baby's heartbeat on the Doppler.

16. Playing "Guess the part sticking out," usually at bedtime, when your baby starts moving furniture around or whatever it is he does in there.

17. The extra attention you get from everyone -- your husband gives you more foot rubs, and your friends call to check in more often. Neighbors offer to help; coworkers volunteer to get lunch for you; little presents (a bottle of water, an afternoon snack) mysteriously show up on your desk.

18. The pregnancy beauty package: thick, silky hair; long, strong nails; beautiful skin; big boobs.

19. Getting to skip to the front of the line in public rest rooms.

20. Shopping for a person you haven't met yet: tiny clothes, all-new furniture, and adorable room decorations.

21. Dreaming about the first time someone calls you "Mommy" and the first time you hear someone call your husband "Daddy."

22. Baby showers! They remind you how special your friends and family think you are.

23. A continuous sense of accomplishment. You can answer "What did you do today?" with cool things like "I made ears" or simply "I'm making a person. What did you do?"

24. Spending immeasurable amounts of time trying to remember all those nursery rhymes, children's songs, and lullabies.

25. Knowing that all the bad stuff -- the heartburn, swollen ankles, backaches, and the rest -- doesn't last forever. And that in the end, it's all worth it.

12 days and counting for Spring Training.

I can't wait!!

http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jsp

Nancy :0)

Everyone knows how much of a Days of our Lives fan I am, so if you watch NBC at all and have seen commericals for it, JOHN BLACK IS BACK!!

After Drake Hogestyn was let go from Days and rehired, they've cooked up a pretty interesting storyline by taking John back to his original roots from where the character was supposed to start from. Stefano has erased his memory and had intentions of making him his "pawn" once again. The storyline between John and Marlena has just begun, but I'm finding it very interesting to see what's in store for them. Being a long time fan of the show (and I do mean, a LONG time fan), I hate seeing veteran actors/actresses go, so when Drake came back and to see the show taking the Dimera-Brady storyline even further, is just pretty awesome.

If you don't watch DAYS, you should...it's very interesting.

Welcome back!!


Nancy :0)

I know I still have to edit my New Year's post, but I honestly haven't found the time. Jeff and I have been so busy cleaning up our apartment from decorations and organizing the closets and work has been busy for us both, that I haven't had much time to sit and post. Not much has happened in the past week and a half, so there's not much to post.

Later for now.

Nancy :0)

MORE TO COME!!

Nancy :0)

Ok, so I didn't get out early Friday night, but getting out at 5pm wasn't too bad. Jeff picked me up at the train and we went to Omega for some dinner. A pretty typical night, we came home after and relaxed on the sofa. Saturday was much of the same, we got up and ran a couple errands, but for the most part we stayed in the apartment. For Sunday, we went with Aunt Harriet and Mike to the Museum of Natural History to see this Mythic Creatures Exhibit. It was totally cool, all about dragons, unicorns, sea monsters and such, but the price wasn't the "suggested price", it was full admission because it was a special exhibit. After we went back to Aunt Harriet's to hang out and have dinner with her, Mike and Uncle Howie. We picked up a bunch of groceries for Xmas Eve and Day and now we're sitting on the sofa catching up on DAYS.

Xmas Eve - Jeff had to work Xmas Eve and came home a little later than usual. Me, Jeff, Lee, Ca, Kim and Mike had dinner and played Trivial Pursuit. Lee helped me make dinner and we had tons of it....baked ziti, buffalo wings, veggie plater, hot appetizers (mini hotdogs, potato puffs, etc.), desserts and all.

Xmas Day - We went by Lee's apartment, same crowd, me, Jeff, Lee, Ca, Kim and Mike. Lee made my Penne with Vodka Sauce and Spinach and had much of the same appetizers, veggis platter and desserts. We watched VH1's 80's and 90's countdown and played Trivial Pursuit again.

Nancy :0)

Tonight we've got the TLGGR Xmas Party. I'm still not sure what I'm goint to wear yet, I guess I'll figure it out when I get home. I took a 1/2 day today so I'm leaving the office at 1pm and should be home about 2-2:30pm. The TLGGR Xmas party was nice. It was catered by Franina on Jericho Turnpike again. Saturday we relaxed in the house and Sunday we went by Eileen and Nick's for an Xmas dinner get together.

Nancy :0)

I just spoke to Mom and Dad and they have closed on their Florida home....they are now Floridians :0)

I told them that as soon as they can send some pics my way, to do so. The house sounds very large and amazing. I am so proud and happy for them.

In other news, it's been very busy on the home front. I let some things go in my apartment while helping Mom and Dad move (and taking some of their things in the process) so now I'm trying to clean my place up and organize it more. I still have a lot of work to do but slowly but surely, it's coming along. Jeff's been working crazy hours and my job is getting just as busy. I still have to do some holiday shopping which I'm not sure where I'm going to find time to do that in...maybe this weekend (though I have a couple parties and commitments already), but I have a feeling it will be last minute Xmas weekend shopping. I have TLGGR's party on Friday and I'm not sure what I'm gonna wear yet. I'm thinking something simple like a sweater and pants combo, but I'm not sure. It's an office party, so it's not like I have to wear an evening dress or anything, though that would be interesting. I'm also trying to make plans for Saturday too. The American Museum of Natural History has an exhibit on Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids that I've been dying to see and the exhibit ends on January 6th I think. Here's the site: http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/mythiccreatures/. And Sunday I've got Eileen and Nick's home holiday party in the afternoon/evening.....so I don't believe I'll get any cleaning or Xmas shopping done. Oh and then I'm all excited because I have off on Xmas Eve and New Years Eve because they both land on a Monday and the holiday is Tuesday, so my office will be closed on both days...two back to back 4 day weekends :0) Woo hoo! I can't wait!!

Nancy :0)

Saturday:
Jeff and I slept in late this morning, then went grocery shopping for stuff to dinner. When we came home, we cleaned up a lot, then started on dinner. It was my first time hosting Chanukah dinner, so I wanted to get things right. Lee came over and brought a salad with fixins and Kim brought a bottle of wine. I made Mom's famous Pot Roast and Latkes and some asparagus on the side...also had some Chanukah sugar cookies and yummy butter cookies too.

Sunday:
I LOST 2 POUNDS!!! Yes, I had to start of my Sunday post like that. After a long time of gaining (BLAH!) and all the stress I've been under, it's about time that I lost weight. I think I have my head on straight and I'm finally headed in the right direction. Only 18.4 more to go!!! I'm resetting my goal this time around to 140. My body handled the high 130's best and the highest in my height and age category is 141.0. I called Mom after the meeting to tell her and she was so happy for me :0) Before she left, she told me that she believes in me and is proud that I made Lifetime...she wants me to reel it in and get it back. It's because of her and Dad cheering me on....so THANKS MOM AND DAD...and Jeff too :0) I know we have some errand running to do, but Im feeling blah now, so I'm sitting on the sofa catching up on DAYS and Jeff's working. I don't have much errand running, just gotta go finish up grocery shopping.

Nancy :0)

Our office closed early on Friday for our Secret Santa gift exchange. It went really nicely and everyone had fun. We had of office Holiday party at Del Frisco's in midtown (same place they had it last year too). Me, Jeff, Yahaira and Hector went to Rockefeller tree to take some pics, then they went home and me and Jeff walked around the city a bit to take more pics.

Check out my MYSPACE page for more pics!!!

AND YES, WE ARE VERY BEHIND IN ADDING PICS TO THE PHOTO ALBUMS SITE ON THE BLOG...to be updated when Jeff isn't working so hard!!!


Me and Jeff at Del Frisco's "Lounge" for HP's Holiday Party.


Yahaira, Me and Shonda at Del Frisco's "Lounge" for HP's Holiday Party.


Drinking.


Ayisha and Me.


At the Rockefeller Center Tree.

Nancy :0)

It’s only been a day and a half that Mom and Dad are gone and I miss them already.

I feel like I have been through a lot this past year and with them moving, it was icing on the cake in the “what else could go wrong” department. While I spent months after they told me that they wanted to move, resisting them every step of the way, I feel that I’ve grown up a lot and while I will miss them dearly, I have accepted their move and am happy I did so.

It’s not to say that I’ve been innocent all the way through it. I have given them their share of heartache from telling them moving is a mistake and fighting with Mom and Dad, but when it comes down to it, my parents deserve as much love and respect as they have given me when I decided to move out on my own. They resisted my moving in with Jeff before we were married for a long time and Dad even told me that he wouldn’t speak to me if I did so (strange I know, but it was his way of showing how much he loves me). But as soon as I signed my lease with Jeff for our Kew Gardens Hills apartment, Mom and Dad helped me pack up, unpack and came over for baked ziti a week later – I hadn’t heard a peep from them about moving out before marriage since. I thought about that for a long time while we were going through the growing pains of them deciding to sell their home and move 1100 miles away. I hated when Lisa moved, but I knew she needed to do it and it was good for her. I feel the same about my parents too.

It wasn’t until I Googled our house on the MLS sites that I found it and realized, “Wow, this is really happening”. I think it was also hard to accept Florida at first because they kept going back and forth on the whole New York vs. Florida thing – do we buy a coop in New York or a house in Florida? It was easier to accept once they picked Florida and were adamant on making their move. I have to admit, I felt defeated, but every time Mom and Dad spoke to Florida so happily, how could I not be happy for them? They always threw in the “And we will miss you so so much” in there, which I knew they meant it because of how loving people they are – but it still felt weird. I knew in my heart as their New York closing date drew closer (December 3rd), I would never forgive myself if I didn’t fully accept their move and spend as much time as I could with them. I know it’s nothing to get too worked up about since they are just moving to Florida, but it felt weird already, that I couldn’t just say, “Are you home tonight, ok, I’m coming over” in a couple weeks.

Maybe having seen Jeff through his father’s death, it just made me so much more aware that my parents aren’t invincible and I can’t spend my adult life debating them, but I should spend my time with them embracing the fact that I’ve been able to develop a valuable friendship and bond with them. This past year, we’ve gone to dinner and spent time by each others homes like best friends, not just parents and kids. I’ve had some of the best talks with them over the past couple of months that I will forever treasure and cherish. I’ve also been very busy these past couple of months and pretty overwhelmed with a lot of personal things – things I don’t want to share on the blog yet, but that I’ve talked to Mom and Dad about. But I spoke to Jeff (not that he needed any convincing) and decided that Mom and Dad’s last week in New York, I was going to spend it with them. I didn’t want them going to Florida without my helping them as box up and clean as they did for me when I moved, both to Kew Gardens Hills and to Fresh Meadows. Also, Jeff wouldn’t have had it any other way either. They have been like a second set of parents to him (his words too) for the past 9 years we’ve been together and Mom and Dad think of Jeff like their son. So he was right there with me all weekend long too.

In dealing with Mom and Dad’s moving, I can safely say that all of us probably went through the 5 stages of grief about their decision and actual move.
1. Denial: The initial stage: "It can't be happening."
2. Anger: "Why ME? It's not fair!"
3. Bargaining: "Just let them decide on a coop in New York."
4. Depression: "I'm so sad, I can’t believe they are REALLY leaving"
5. Acceptance: "It's going to be OK. We will visit each other often"

Acceptance to me was one of the hardest. Mom and Dad were there for me this past year during a difficult part of my life. Their home on 58th Road was an escape from our crazy neighbor who played loud music all summer and it was a safe haven of, “I’m home with Mommy and Daddy”. But in seeing the stages through acceptance, I feel good about my goodbye to them on Tuesday night. We sat in the hotel room and talked about their drive to Florida, how their next time back in New York will be in June (6 months) and how they are thinking of putting a palm tree in their front yard. We also reminisced about the good times in the house and looked towards the future too. And the goodbye was the hardest part of it all.

But in going through this tough separation, I learned something with this whole experience too. Just because they have packed and moved to Florida, doesn’t mean I can’t remember the good times we’ve during the planning and actual moving:

I will remember…
• Walking around Juniper Valley Park with Mom in August and having such wonderful talks about life and their move.
• Finding our house on the MLS site and thinking, “Wow, this is really happening”.
• Having Mom and Dad come over on Rosh Hashana and show me how to make her famous Pot Roast and Jeff her Kasha recipe.
• Cleaning the garage with Mom and finding all my old baby clothes, toys and 1st baby shoes.
• Mom giving me her beloved "mediterrian tables" that she just had refinished.
• Mom and Dad stopping over our apartment while we're unpacking (because we didn't have to move) and talking to us about their upcoming move.
• Spending the last “family celebration” of Mom’s birthday with them in the house.
• Dad calling me 3 days before their closing and offering me his and Mom’s collection of old records.
• Dad reading me “Are You My Mother?” as a gag when I teased him saying, “Daddy, read me a story”.
• Me, Lee and Jeff, vacuuming and swiffering the basement floor and cracking jokes along the way.
• Spending the night by Lee’s apartment and snuggling with Dad on the sofa.
• Hugging them both goodbye in the Days Inn Hotel room with Lee and having Jeff get in on it for a group hug.

These are just a handful of the memories that will last me a lifetime. And I know I’m talking about them like they are a million miles away and I will never see them again, but in recalling all the good times, I think I’ll be able to put a much needed smile on my face.

Nancy :0)

We're going over by M&D's today to help them with the moving van and to clean up whatever is left over in the house.

Jeff and I went over bright and early Saturday morning to M&D's place with breakfast for us all and Lee brought the coffee. We helped clean up and watched the mover’s one by one pack up and move stuff out of the house. Lee and I were acting silly and took some fun pics of ourselves and I took some pics of the house since Mom and Dad wanted pics of the house, but were very busy watching the moving guys pack stuff up properly and directing them what to do.

Honestly, I'm still not sad about saying goodbye to 58th road. I haven't lived at home since I was 23 and while I remember the good times we've had there, I still remember the bad times too. Plus as hard as I would think it would be on me, Ca and Lee, it must be 10 times harder on Mom and Dad to leave home. This is the house they bought when Mom was 26 ½ and Dad 29, Carolyn was 6 months old and it was their first home together after moving out of their apartment in Jackson Heights. They lived there 33 years of their life and I know leaving us kids up here in New York is heart wrenching for them, but as I thought when Lee moved to Florida, “it’s better to have made your move and regret it then to have never tried it at all”. That’s not to say that I’ve always felt like that. I have to be honest and when I first heard they were moving, I wasn’t happy at all and tried to convince them to stay (much like Dad did when I wanted to move out with Jeff). But the more the months went on and the more M&D were hell bent on moving, it became easier to accept. Being 1,100 miles away isn’t too terrible, they aren’t too far from Disney World :0) and I know they will be back up to visit and I will see them quite often. There is always the phone and internet too. People move all the time. And the more I’ve been thinking like this, the better it’s been and easier it’s been to accept and move on.

After cleaning the house Saturday, we went to Omega diner for a late lunch and went back to M&D’s. Jeff and I took all the records that they had and a couple other things that were left. We went home to our apartment and stayed in for the night.

I knew that it was supposed to snow Sunday AM, but it was funny to wake up to a dusting of snow and I even told Dad (who hates snow), “Hey, it’s your send off to Florida” :0) He laughed. Jeff drove me to WW Sunday AM and I am once and for all, recommitting to WW :0) I have gained some weight back that I’m not happy with and I think it took until today to realize that I need to reel it in. Jeff’s so sweet and eager to help; he was already coming up with recipes and ways for me to get back to the treadmill. I love him :0) I went with Lee to get some breakfast for us all and Jeff went back to the house to shovel some snow for Mom and Dad. It was weird walking into the house and meeting its new owner doing the walk through. It just made it more real that Mom and Dad won’t be 20 minutes away, but 1,100 miles away, so I cried a bit :0( It’s not the house. To me, the house is 4 walls and concrete and I knew they were going to sell it eventually. There would be no way for them to maneuver up and down the stairs with both of their bad knees. I wouldn’t be so sad if they were moving to Long Island or even New Jersey because they would still be within a reasonable driving distance. You know, “Home Is Where The Heart Is”, well that’s so true. Anyway, all I can do to comfort myself and get through this is spending as much time as I can with them, which is what I’m doing. After the new owner left, we cleaned up more by vacuuming and swiffering the floors. Dad left with Lee to help her unload her car and Jeff and I also went there to bring some stuff over by her. Mom came later after doing some last minute things around the house. Lee and I made everyone a late lunch of salad and pasta with vodka sauce, spinach and mushrooms back at Lee’s place. Jeff, me and Lee crashed on her sofa and napped for a bit and we left when Mom and Dad went out to meet Maryrose and Norman for a goodbye dinner. We were teasing them that they are on the Goodbye Tour :0) Jeff and I hit Target and Stop and Shop for some last minute shopping, then went home to make a late dinner. We finally got to watch Borat that he DVR’d a couple weeks ago. I nearly peed in my pants laughing so hard!!

Today, Monday December 3rd 2007 is the closing of our home on 58th road. I woke up late for work today and almost called out but I know I’m taking off tomorrow already so I went in anyway. I’m sitting at work now, it’s almost lunch time and it’s pretty slow right now so I have time to update.

I spoke to Lee and we’re going over there later for dinner and I think I might stay over her place too. I took off tomorrow to hang out with Mom and Dad with it being their last day in New York (as New Yorkers) so I might as well stay over. I spoke to her a couple minutes ago and she was in the house with Mom and Dad doing a last walk through to make sure they got everything they needed. She said they were doing good and weren't too upset, which is good, because I want them to be happy. I told Dad yesterday that for a poor kid growing up in a tenament in Brooklyn, he did wonderfully for himself and should be proud because we're all happy and proud for him and Mom :0)

Jeff picked me up at the train after work and we went by Lee's for dinner. Mom, Dad and Theresa came and we ordered chinese food and hung out for a while. After Jeff and Theresa left, me and Lee bonded with Mommy and Daddy :0) about their move and talked about their new place and how their closing went. I spent the night by Lee's and had taken off the next day to spend with Lee, Mom and Dad.

On Tuesday, Lee made herself, me, Mom and Dad breakfast and Mom made coffee. Mom and Dad wanted to go run some last minute errands and me and Lee joked that they were going on the Goodbye Tour, because they went back to 58th Road for some last goodbye's to the neighbors. Lee and I lazied around her apartment, watched some 90210 episodes, then ran some errands of our own. Jeff met us by Lee's place and took us out to the Olive Garden where we met Mom and Dad for their goodbye dinner. They were spending the past couple of days by Lee's place, but decided for their last night, to take a hotel room at the Days Inn on Long Island. I ran this by Lee and Jeff beforehand, that I didn't want a teary goodbye in the Olive Garden parking lot to be the last goodbye I say to them, so we decided to go back to their hotel room. We hung out there and caught up, laughed and reminsced until about midnight, we took some pics (one below) and said our tearful goodbyes. I didn't start crying until I closed their hotel room door and realized I won't see them for 6 months :0( We drove Lee home, then went home ourselves.

Wednesday - Both Jeff and I took off to relax and clean our apartment...he's making me dinner now :0)

A TOAST TO MOM AND DAD:

I want to wish you a heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS! What I said the other day was true, I couldn't think of two people more deserving. You have worked so hard for so many years. You've sacrificed life and limb for all 3 of your girls and I am so blessed that you've welcomed Jeff into your family and consider him as your own...it warms my heart when you talk about your 4 children :0) Don't worry about us kids up here (though I know you will), we will all be fine. That's not to say that you won't be missed, I know I will think about you every day...but I take comfort in knowing that you are a phone call, email and plane ride away :0)


Myspace Layouts


We all love you and wish you a happy and safe journey to Florida. As Dad would say, "MAZEL TOV!!!"

Enjoy Florida!!

LOVE YOU ALWAYS,
NANCY :0)


Dad, Lee, Mom, Me and Jeff in the Days Inn hotel before M&D left for Florida.


Me in my "old" bedroom that me and Mom painted in the summer of 1996.


Me and Lee in the kitchen.


Me and Jeff in the dining room.

Nancy :0)

Tonight we're going by M&D's to celebrate Mom's 60th birthday today. Not sure what we're doing yet or where we are eating, but I have my camera ready to take some pics.

We went to Georgia diner and back to Mom and Dad's for some coffee and cake.


Jeff lighting the candles on Mom's birthday cake


Mom blowing out the candles with Jeff, Charles and Ca watching


Me and Dad


Me and Mom


Me and Jeff


Me, Lee and Ca


Nancy :0)

Wednesday 11/21
Our office let us go at 2:30pm today, but Jeff still got out at 5pm. M&D drove me home and hung out with me for a bit before Uncle Howie and Mike came to pick me up. Jeff and I went by Aunt Harriet and Uncle Howie’s for dinner since I offered to cook for them (because they can’t come over by me with Uncle Howie being allergic to the cats). I made them baked ziti with meat and we played board games. Aunt Harriet and Uncle Howie went to bed early, but Jeff, Mike and I stayed up really late playing Monopoly with some wacky house rules. I haven’t played Monopoly in years and I wasn’t doing too bad. We left their place about 1:30 in the morning.

Thursday 11/22
For the first time in years, the Specker’s spent Thanksgiving somewhere other than Mom and Dad’s place. We went by Carolyn and Charles this year since Mom and Dad are getting ready to leave for Florida any day now. Jeff and I got there early to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and to help set up and make the antipasto dishes. Mom, Dad and Lee came over later to help out. We had the usual antipasto platter of stuffed mushrooms, roasted red peppers, deviled eggs, mozzarella balls, artichoke hearts, meat and cheese platter, veggie platter with onion dip, Bj’s appetizers of pigs in a blanket, potato puffs, beef turnovers, and black olives. Mom, Dad, Lee, Jeff and I went back to M&D’s place for a couple hours to make dessert and relax before going back for dinner. We went back over about 3pm and Charles parents and brother Jeffrey came over too to spend Thanksgiving with us. We had turkey with gravy, baked ziti, sweet potatoes, stuffing, green beans and carrots…dessert was apple pie crisp that I made, Italian pastries, jello and chocolate pudding. It was the first time that Jeff and I were meeting Charles parents and brother Jeffrey and everyone hit it off really well. The one thing that I thought about on the way home that I regret is that we didn’t get the chance to take any pictures :0( Eh, I’m hoping to get some on Mom’s birthday.

Friday 11/23
Jeff and I decided to sleep in today, run errands, straighten the apartment and decorate the tree. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out as well doing that was we would have hoped. We did get to run errands and straighten the apartment, but by the time we went to put up the tree close to 5pm, the tree didn’t fit :0( We boxed it back up and returned it to Home Depot and tried to find another tree. The tree was 7.5 feet tall, which wasn’t the problem, but the width was over 4 feet and it wasn’t going to fit in the spot by the china cabinet, back door and Jeff’s end table, which right now because we bought the big sofa and loveseat, is the only place that would be great for a tree. I know I was a bit of a pain in the ass too, but I wanted to find a tree with colored lights, which is VERY hard to come by these days when looking for a shorter tree in both height and width. We looked in Home Depot, but they didn’t have anything good, so we went to another Home Depot to find more of the same. We then went to Lowe’s and found a clear lit tree that was 4.5 feet and bought it, but I swear, it looked like the little Charlie Brown tree. We finally wound up at Target and found the PERFECT 6.5 feet by 4 foot tree with…colored lights!! We bought that too and figured we’d try out the Target one first and keep the Lowe’s one as a back up in case the other didn’t fit. We brought both tree in and set up the Target one (with the colored lights ) first. And it fit PERFECTLY :0) We started decorating the tree and took a couple nice pics….see below. I am so happy with our pretty Christmas tree….ahem…Hanukkah bush :0) It looks so pretty with the blue and silver balls. Thanks Pookie, the tree looks amazing!!!

Saturday 11/24
HAPPY 9 YEARS :0) TO JEFF AND I. It was 9 years ago today that Jeff and I started dating. I can’t believe it’s been that long…next year marks 10; a decade!! Today we returned the other tree to Lowe’s and straightened up the apartment. So far the downstairs is all neat, now we’ve got to work on both bedrooms. We went to dinner with Kim, Eileen and Nick for my (11/17), Kim’s (11/25) and Nick’s (11/08) birthdays to the Grand Lux Café by Roosevelt Field Mall. My god, that place gets packed quickly!! Nick had to work early Sunday, so he and Eileen went home. Kim came back to our place and hung out really late, just talking and playing with our kitties.

Sunday 11/25
I was planning to go to Weight Watchers today, but slept in instead. Not much happened today besides Jeff and I going errand shopping to Hallmark, Bath and Body Works, BJ’s, Bed Bath and Beyond and finishing off by grocery shopping at Stop and Shop. It was a pretty lazy day, not much happened. We caught up with Desperate Housewives.

We’re planning to go by M&D’s for Mom’s 60th birthday. Not sure what we’re doing yet, whether we’re going out or having dinner in, but I’m looking forward to it. We’re going to take pics for her birthday since we forgot to take some on Thanksgiving.


Me and Jeff in front of our tree


Our decorated tree...


...all lit up

Nancy :0)

This weekend I turned 28 years old but honestly, I don't feel that old...if that makes any sense what-so-ever. Maybe it was wearing my old Lindros jersey that took me back to 1998 when I met Jeff :0) Ahhh, memories :0)

Friday both Jeff and I took off from work. We slept in a bit, then went to the DMV to renew my non-driver ID. The one in Garden City rocks because we were in and out in 30 minutes! And I get a new pic too! The woman at the DMV didn't believe that it's me in the pic since I was much heavier in that pic (well, it was from 2005). After the DMV we had breakfast and came home to clean and unpack all the stuff we sorta packed up in anticipation of moving. M&D stopped over to BS a bit and hang with us while we straightend up the living room. We managed to put back all the knick-knacks and such in the entertainment unit and the china cabinet. At night we went out with Mom, Dad, Ca and Lee to Georgia diner. Yea, real original, right? No, but I totally love that place and enjoy going there every year for my birthday. We went back to M&D's place and Charles came too after work for some traditional birthday cake.

Saturday we woke up late and went to IHOP for a nice late breakfast/lunch thing. We bought a new tree at Home Depot (they have GOOD prices!) and some ornaments. We also picked up this cute rocking horse too. I know, it's early to buy a tree but we say one we really liked and needed a new one anyway. Steph came over and we picked up Cindy and Gloria, went to TGIFridays for some dinner and drinks (WOO HOO!!!) and went to East Meadow Bowl. Bowling is fun :0) The girls came over for a bit before Jeff drove them home.

Sunday we met M&D at home and went to lunch with them, Valerie and Jim...my godparents came down for the day to spend with M&D before them move to Florida. We went to Georgia for some lunch and Jeff and I came back to the house to do some last minute sorting through some stuff. I still can't believe that they are moving to Florida :0( Mom gave me two small end tables that she calls her "mediterrian" style tables...I loved those growing up and I walked away with some old Xmas ornaments and a couple Disney ceremaic statues that she made. We left there for home about 5pm and were going to sit for a bit before dinner and shopping, but wound up napping instead (I blame Jeff, LOL!) We got up rather late, went for dinner and hit Stop and Shop for our regular (and late) grocery shopping.

Getting ready for Thanksgiving this week. Hopefully the work week should be short. I'm not sure if I'm getting out early on Wednesday or not, but I hope so. Jeff and I are both off Friday (well, duh, that's a give in anyway). Jeff's hours are nutty this week...but at least we have a nice 4 day weekend to look forward to, YAY!! I also took off on December 4th since M&D's Florida moving plans have been firmed up. They are closing on the NY homd on December 3rd, sleeping by Lisa then and staying there the 4th, then driving to Florida on the 5th. Eh, I'm gonna miss them so much :0( But at least they are leaving after Thanksgiving, so we've got then, Mom's actual birthday and I'm spending the whole day on the 4th with them both.

Some birthday pics below:


Kicking back at East Meadow Bowl


Me and Jeff rocking the hockey jerseys at East Meadow Bowl

Nancy :0)

Jeff informed my yesterday that our noisy neighbor has been evicted, so we are NOT moving! And of course, we find this out after we boxed up a ton of stuff. Well, at least now we can unbox everything...yay!!

Lots of plans for this upcoming weekend...we're taking off work tomorrow (Friday). I'll write more later for the weekend...just enjoying the good news that we can renew our lease for another 2 years :0) WOO HOO!!!

Nancy :0)

Today marks my 2 year anniversary of being a Weight Watchers member.

It was 2 years ago today that I so boldly took charge of my life and hauled my 201.4 pound body shamefully into the WW meeting room on Metropolitan Avenue where I several times over, failed miserably at losing weight.

But there was something different about this time,,,

I lost over 65 pounds this time around, I hadn't failed miserably and I wasn't shameful anymore.

Now, 2 years have passed and while I have put on some weight since reaching lifetime 6 months ago (May 2007), I am no where near where I was when I entered the building. My head is held high because I have made such an accomplishment. I will continue to be proud of my efforts considering that losing weight is one of the hardest tasks to do (especially having PCOS).

November 13th will always be a lucky day for me and a constant reminder of just how strong I really am.

I want to thank my family and friends for their love and constant support. And especially to Jeff, thank you for everything Pookie, I love you.

Me :0)



2004 - Red Dress for Nicole and Sha-wan's wedding



2007 - The SAME Red Dress possibly for Ca's wedding (in Blue Velvet though)

Love and Hugs

Nancy :0)

Fun Facts About Scorpio
By the Astrocenter Team (from MSN.com)

Beneath a controlled, cool exterior beats the heart of the deeply intense Scorpion. Passionate, penetrating, and determined, this sign will probe until they reach the truth. The Scorpion may not speak volumes or show their emotions readily, yet rest assured there's an enormous amount of activity happening beneath the surface. Excellent leaders, the Scorpion is always aware. When it comes to resourcefulness, this sign comes out ahead.

Friends and Family
Sincerity and truth are strong components of the Scorpion's friends. It can take some time before really close bonds are formed, but once done, the Scorpion will remain dedicated and loyal. Witty and intellectual, they prefer companions who are humorous and easygoing. Full of surprises, this sign will give you the shirt off their backs if that's what you need; yet, once they are crossed, there's no turning back. They feel deeply, and once hurt, it can be impossible to turn things around. Commitment to family is strong and consistent with the Scorpion. They are exceptionally helpful in managing affairs, and they are excellent advocates when one is needed.

Career and Money
"I desire" is the key phrase for the Scorpion. They are fantastic at managing, solving, or creating. Once the Scorpion sets their sights on a goal, there's no deterring this sign. Tasks that require a scientific, penetrating approach are always best done by the Scorpion, as they will delve deeply into the materials they have. Their ability to focus, coupled with determination, makes for strong management skills. They're not ones to worry about making friends on the job scene; rather, they prefer to see the task accomplished well.

Pursuing such careers as a scientist, doctor, investigator, navigator, detective, researcher, police officer, business manager, and psychologist all suit the mighty Scorpion. Respect is an essential aspect of working for this sign. They need to respect their coworkers, while also feeling a sense of being respected by others.

Disciplined enough to stick to a budget and unafraid of working as hard and as long as it takes puts the Scorpion in a good financial position. Many are fortunate and inherit money. Whatever the case - and regardless of the balance - they are great managers of their dollars and are not apt to overspend at all. Money means security and a sense of control, which is important to the Scorpion. Therefore, they're going to hang onto the majority of the cash, making decisions carefully before turning any of it over.

Love and Sex
This is the strongest of the sexualities in the zodiac. Incredibly passionate, the Scorpion takes intimacy seriously. Partners need to be intelligent and honest. Much of the foreplay for this sign happens long before the bedroom through conversation and observation. Once in love, they are devoted and loyal to the death. But relationships can take some time. The Scorpion needs to build trust and respect for a potential mate slowly and thoroughly.

SCORPIO TIDBITS
Scorpio Birthdays
October 23 - November 21

Health
Each sign has a part of the anatomy attached to it, making this the area of the body that is most sensitive to stimulation. The anatomical areas for Scorpio are the genitals, bladder, rectum, and the reproductive organs.

Ruling Planet
The ruling planet for Scorpio is Pluto. Traditionally, this planet rules that which is hidden from view. It also represents conception, birth and death, slow growth, generation, regeneration, unpopular causes, anonymity, phobias, and the exposition of secrets.

Colors
The colors of choice for Scorpio are dark red to maroon.

Gemstone
Scorpio's star stone is the opal.

Lucky Numbers
Scorpio's lucky numbers are 2, 7, and 9.

Compatibility
Scorpions are most compatible with Pisces and Cancer.

Opposite Sign
The opposite sign of Scorpio is Taurus.

The Perfect Gift
The best gifts for a Scorpio are sentimental choices, clothing (especially something sexy), and non-fiction books.

Likes
Truth, facts, flirtation, long-time friends

Dislikes
The superficial, flattery, shallow people, being taken advantage of

House
Natural sign of the Eighth House. This house focuses on sex, taxes, death and rebirth, a partner's resources, inheritance, and regeneration.

Famous Scorpios
Carl Sagan, Jodie Foster, Indira Gandhi, Prince Charles and Grace Kelly

It looks like Mom and Dad will close on the New York home on December 3rd as we thought. This would also mean that they would stay by Lisa until the 4th and leave for Florida on the 5th. The details are still not ironed out 100%, but there's a pretty good chance that those are the dates. Ugh. I knew them moving was going to happen, but I didn't think so soon. It also looks like we're going over on Saturday or Sunday to help clean up and go through some more boxes. Lee, Ca and I have to go through some boxes that Mom found with Xmas ornaments in them. I found this hot pink ball ornament that was sort of hollowed out and had sparkles in it...I completely remember that! And for me to remember is interesting since I think I was about 7 when we stopped putting the tree up. All these ornaments brought back so many memories...I can't wait to decorate my tree this year! I'm still debating on taking a day off soon besides Nov 16th. I might take off Nov 30th...just have to see if M&D will be availble to hang out. Ugh, I'm seriously going to miss them :0(

Here's a pic of their new Florida home:


Nancy :0)

Jeff and I met Mom and Dad, Maryrose and Norman at Georgia diner on Friday night for dinner and came back to the house with them. We stayed for a while, even after Maryrose and Norman left and talked about Mom and Dad's move. It looks like they are leaving NY about the 6th or 7th and having their furniture and boxes going to FL on the 4th. I can't believe it's really happening, I mean, I knew they were moving, but it's coming up so quick! All I can really do now is spend as much time as possible with them. So I know we're going back on Sunday to see them.

Saturday I went back to Roosevelt Field to return some things I bought the weekend before. I mean, why would i need 3 black sweaters from 3 different stores? I think I just went overboard last weekend with shopping, but at least I was able to return the couple of things I wanted. Neither of us felt like being out or doing our errand shopping, so we went back home and snuggled on the sofa to watch TV, but instead we fell asleep. I woke up from the answering machine going off, so we got up. I like napping in the afternoon, it's nice :0) We went to Red Lobster for dinner, then came back to the apt to snuggle and play some board games. I kicked the pants off of him in the game of Life :0)

I was hoping to sleep in Sunday, but woke up just having a horrible nightmare. Of course the morning that we get our extra hour of sleep, I can't manage to sleep in! LOL. Anyway, we wound up cleaning and boxing more stuff up. I tossed a box full of old CD's that we've already taken the songs from, a bunch of glasses that we've never used, an old small TV, and some other crap. We didn't get as much done as I would have liked this weekend but I'm still feeling like we at least accomplished something. We went over by M&D's about 4pm to have dinner and hang out; Lee was there too (Ca and Charles were at his friends wedding). Now because of other circumstances, they might actually have to leave about the 3rd of December :0( and have the moving truck come the end of November. I'm thinking of taking a day off, but I'm not sure since I have 7 days left until May 2008 and I'm already taking the day before my birthday off. Eh, I guess when it comes closer I will have to see what's what. Mom and Dad have been cleaning up and getting rid of stuff in preparation for the big move, so us kids have been coming over to help them move stuff and take whatever they will get rid of. Lee and I stumbled on a box of old Xmas decorations and were so happy to find them. We're going to look over them with Carolyn next weekend and distribute them amongst the 3 of us. We also found Dad's old Santa Suit :0) I know next Saturday we're helping Charles move Mom and Dad's dining table and chairs to Lee's apt...but I'm also hoping to clean more (yes I've been saying that a lot). Jeff and I left M&D's about 7 with Lee and she came over to our place to see our new sofa and loveseat. After she left, we played the game of Life (Jeff won :0( and also caught up on DAYS before going up to bed.

Nancy :0)

Hope everyone has a wonderfully fun and safe Halloween!!

Nancy :0)

Jeff and I picked up Steph on Friday night (at work) to have dinner with her, Cindy and Tasha at Tierras Colombianas. It was nice to hang out with them since I haven't seen Tasha in a while. We split up after dinner because everyone was pretty much tired, but it was still nice to get together for dinner.

Saturday Jeff and I slept in a bit and then went to IHOP for breakfast. I love IHOP's breakfasts...you can order from the kiddie menu without the wait staff looking at you funny. We had to do a ton of errand shopping and I was in desperate need of some winter clothes (and stuff for work) so we went to Roosevelt Field Mall. I must have bought the place out because I came out with tons of bags. I bought stuff on sale though, so that's always good. I picked up 4 sweaters from JCPenney, 2 from Macys, a dress from JCPenney, suit jacket from Macys, and 2 sweaters from New York and Company. Straight from the mall, we met up with Lee, Ca and Charles at Georgia diner for dinner. We went back to Ca and Charles place to discuss what we're all doing for the holiday season since Mom and Dad will be in Florida already. Ca is hosting Thanksgiving by her and Charles place this year with his family coming over as well. We also talked about Chanukah, Xmas Eve, Xmas Day and New Years and while we're still in the process of ironing out the details for the holidays, we're pretty much in agreement to spend them together and trade off places year by year. I might try my hand at hosting Chanukah this year since M&D will be all packed up by then. I already made Mom's Pot Roast recipe for Rosh Hashana, so we'll see how it comes out with the Latkes for Chanukah. Not sure though, still trying to figure out what Aunt Harriet and Uncle Howie are doing too...as well as seeing what M&D will be doing. We stayed by Ca kinda late, then went home to bed.

On Sunday, we overslept, but I still made it to WW for the meeting. I did nicely and finally after a couple weeks of gaining, lost :0) We went to Omega diner for some breakfast/lunch, stopped into Old Navy for some more sweaters and went to BJ's. We stopped at home so Jeff could watch part of the Giants game that he recorded and I napped :0) We went back out to Stop and Shop and Jeff made me dinner when we got home. He watched the rest of the Giants game, then we went to bed.

I'm at work right now and it's hot as hell in here! Funny, because Jeff was teasing me about buying too many sweaters and having the office be hot. Yup, he was right, but it's not like I didn't need the sweaters anyway. A couple people called in for half-days today and for being 11:08am, along with no one here, it's just way to quiet in here today. I'm tracking Mom and Dad's flight now...they are on their way home from Florida. Their trip down there was pretty successful. They've bought a house and some furniture too...can't wait to see them, I miss them so much already. I know they are doing what they have to do to make themselves happy and hell, they deserve it, but I'm REALLY going to miss them when they move. Ugh, I'm trying not to think about it now. Anyway, I don't have any plans yet for the weekend...yup, I'm thinking that far ahead. I know we have to clean and box more stuff up if we expect to be out of here by January 1st (provided everything goes ok and we've found another apartment by then). The apartment is getting cleaner, but I still have a ton of stuff to toss and other things to box up. Maybe the following weekend we'll get to rest, LOL. I also can't believe in 3 more weeks I'll be 28. So weird, where the heck did the time go? I know, I know, I'm stil young. I'm taking off the day before with Jeff...not sure what we'll be doing yet, but I've already made some birthday plans with my family and friends, so that'll be nice.

I should be getting back to work now.

Nancy :0)

Friday:
The work week just seemed very long and I was happy to see it end. Don't get me wrong, i'm very happy with my not-so-new-anymore job, but the week just draggggggged on. Jeff and I decided to go to Omega for dinner since we knew we had a night full of work ahead of us in cleaning the apartment for the new sofa and loveseat to come. We started cleaning as soon as we got home. We had to move the dining table and chairs, along with all the other crap we had blocking the front doorway entrance all the way to where the sofa was...we also took everything off the old sofa and carried it out (yup, we did that all by ourselves). It was hard, but Bob's doesn't take out your old stuff and it's better to do it ourselves anyway then pay someone to haul it out. I remeasured the areas for the sofa and loveseat and moved the two endtables out for our new 8 and 1/2 foot sofa and 6 foot loveseat. We moved Jeff's Dad's big chair centered in front of the TV and plopped on it to relax and watch TV for the night.

Saturday:
We woke up early because Bob's was delivering our sofa between 10:49am and 1:49pm (don't ask why they didn't just say from 11am to 2pm, but that's what the message on our home machine said). We started to clean out the bedroom while waiting for the delivery and I'll tell you...our bedroom looks so clean!! Anyway, we bought the sofa and loveseat from Bob's Discount Furniture since that's where both my parents and Carolyn and Charles bought theirs - and they love it. Well, now we love it! The delivery guys showed up at 11:30am and we were relaxing on our new sofa by noon! Yes, a furniture store that actually keeps the delivery date, delivers on time and doesn't wreck your new or old furniture...what a concept! Can you tell I'm still jaded from working at Levitz?? Mom and Dad wanted to check out our new furniture, so we went to lunch with them and Ca at Grand Luxe by Roosevelt Field, then they came over to check it out. They loved it too. It's big and cushy and just wonderful. After they left, we took a long awaited nap (but it was shortlived because our neighbor woke me up with her music :0( Her music wasn't too loud, so we decided to stay in for a bit and moved everything else back in it's place. Jeff and I then went for dinner at Tequila Sunrise of Bayside...yummy, because he was craving Mexican. We went back home to crash on the sofa and watch TV, then went up to bed.


Tiger on our new loveseat


Jeff on our new sofa

Sunday:
Today was an early day! Woke up around 6am, picked up Steph by 7am and was at the 7:30am WW meeting. Ok, I'm not going to lie. I've been on an upward gain for weeks now and THANK GOD, this past week I only gained 0.2, which to me, is nothing. I'm really trying to watch what I eat and exercise more, but it's hard. For the past couple of months, I've been under stress from various parts of my life...most of which I don't want to discuss on the blog right now because it's private, but I will say that I'm doing my best to alleviate it. I've started to stress eat, which I don't really do and working in Manhattan has taken a toll on me for two main reasons....(1) I'm out of my house about 12 hours or more a day, leaving about 6:30am and coming home about 6:45pm...when I used to leave at 7:00am and come home at 5:30pm...too tired to come home and exercise when I'm home over an hour later than I used to...what I've been doing now is coming home, making dinner with Jeff, digesting and watching TV, showering and up to bed. And (2) there are TONS and I mean TONS of snack packs in this office and almost everyone orders out or in or whatever...trying to keep in line, brown bag my lunch daily and not be tempted when I hear snack packs being opened or smell yummy foods from delivery of chinese, mexican, or anything else...it's just been hard to say NO, which I REALLY have to. Anyway....I'm REALLY starting fresh this week. After WW, we met Cindy at Kew Gardens Courthouse for the 2007 Making Strides Aganist Breast Cancer Walk...a 5 mile walk down Queens Boulevard from the courthouse, to Sears by 63rd Drive and back. It was me, Steph, Cindy and Jeff doing the walk and we finished again this year (like last year) in 1 hour and 45 minutes!! I wasn't going to do the BC walk this year, but after Ilona's diagnosis and hearlbreaking quick passing in June of this year of Stage 4 breast cancer, I needed to do this walk for her and for all the women (and yes, men too) that are afflicted by the horrible disease. I think they said that there were over 6,000 walkers in attendance. Just awesome :0) We went to Georgia diner after and I behaved my having a salad with creamy italian dressing and a plain burger, no fries! It was hard, but I only munched on 4 of Jeff's fries since tasting a few is better than eating the whole thing. We went back to my and Jeff's place to hang out and unfortuntely were met with our lousy neighbor's LOUD music again....ugh, I serioulsy can't wait to move out!! She quieted down after I think 3 hours of rudeness, so we were finally able to chill out and relax. We dropped Steph off and went to dinner with Cindy at UJ's. I haven't been there in such a long time! We ate light since it was late, then we dropped Cindy off home and went home to crash on the sofa...which I am COMPLETELY IN LOVE WITH!! I am so happy we bought it and wished we had it sooner. We fell asleep on it, then got up and went to bed.


Cindy, Jeff, Me and Steph at the 2007 Breast Cancer walk - 5 miles down Queens Boulevard

Nancy :0)

Things have been moving along nicely in our big cleaning project. Saturday we spent the whole day cleaning up our apartment...Jeff took the second bedroom and I had the living room. We're no where near done, but I'm still impressed over how much stuff we were able to do. Jeff scrubbed the entire second bedroom floor and we tossed some stuff out of the closet in there. I rearranged the living room furniture and boxed some stuff up to get ready for both our new sofa and loveseat coming next Saturday and also in preparation of our moving. Yes, we're moving from our apartment to another apartment (hopefully by January 2008). We started boxing stuff up and putting the boxes in the second bedroom and moved the cat box downstairs to the livingroom (but bought them a new one).

Sunday we moved the other dining table we had (but weren't using) and the crib to Mom and Dad's place (since M&D will buy us baby furniture when we need it). Jeff rented a UHaul to bring the stuff over there and funny enough, I left there with some bags of my own (more of my old baby clothes :0) since M&D are doing a HUGE cleaning project too...except their cleaning project is much different...

Mom and Dad have sold their home and are moving to Florida. I can't lie and say that either me, Jeff, Ca, Charles or Lee are happy with their decision, but we understand and respect it. They have been talking for a long time about moving to Florida, maybe a couple years now. Honestly, I'm not sad to see them sell the house, you'd think I would be since it's the house I grew up in and only house I had...but serioulsy, I mean, that's just 4 walls and concrete, who cares. I'm sad that I won't be able to see them whenever I want...I couldn't call them and say, "Jeff and I will be there in 5 mins" or "Want to meet up at Georgia diner Friday night?" That will be weird. And it's not like they are just "my parents", they've become my friends. I know that sounds corny and funny enough, when I was 19 and rebelling away from them, I never thought that I could say that, but I really can. I enjoy their company and going out to dinner with them. I'm at that age where I can look back and say, "Yea, I understand why they said No to this or were afraid if I went and did that". Scarey thought, but I've actually matured, LOL. It's just going to be a hard adjustment period. And yes, I can very well visit them in Florida, but with us saving money for a family, I don't see us taking a vacation anytime soon. With that being said, this is just hard. Mom and Dad...no matter where you are or what you do, I will always love you.

On a more positive note, they will be here in NY until the end of November at least, so that gives us my birthday dinner and Thanksgiving together at Carolyn and Charles' this year. Of course we're meeting at Georgia for my birthday and it'll be cool to have Turkey Day by Carolyn. I think I'm making the sweet potatoes and I'm going to make this apple pie that Kim gave me the recipe for (it's really yummy apple pie!). I guess Jeff and I will be going by Aunt Harriet and Uncle Howie for Chanukah if Mom and Dad are gone then...and not sure about Xmas and New Years yet. Xmas Eve we usually get together with friends, but maybe Xmas Day I'll make a dinner or something and maybe we'll do New Years by Carolyn and Charles' (though I didn't ask her that yet.......anyway...I guess we'll see what happens over the next couple of months.

Nancy :0)

I can't believe that I haven't written in several weeks, but it's not like I had much to say anyway. This weekend was pretty good though, we had some stuff going on. Friday night Jeff and I went to Omega for dinner and to see Good Luck Chuck. It was a pretty funy movie, very guy like - almost iike Wedding Crashers like Lee said. Saturday morning/afternoon, I went wedding dress shopping with Ca and Lee to Princess Bridals in Farmingdale. Ca tried on several dresses and Lee and I helped her decide which fit best. I still love the first one she tried on...she looked like a princess and so beautiful. Lee and I kept cracking jokes because at first, the woman who was helping Ca was a bit snotty (guess she had a Bridezilla before us) but then she warmed up and was very helpful. It was nice to have a sisters morning out. We went for lunch at the Grand Lux Cafe. I had a salad, burger and fries. I had never gone there before and it was nice - I would go back again. The girls came back to my apartment and we hung out and chit-chatted for a bit. When they left Jeff and I got ready to go out with some friends for dinner. Kim met at our apartment about 6 or so. We hung out for a bit before leaving for Sidetracks in Sunnyside for Geraldine's birthday. Geraldine, Eileen, Nick and some friends of theirs met us there. The place was nice! We split appetizers, I had a salad and then Roasted Chicken with baby veggies and whipped parsnip potatoes...yummy! We left about midnight and Kim came back to the apartment with us for a couple hours. She hadn't seen our wedding video, so we watched that and also the unedited version too. She left close to 5:00am and Jeff and I went to bed.

Sunday...My husband just ROCKS!!! I love him. He bought me tix a month or two ago for J Lo and Marc Anthony to MSG. Now I'm not a big Marc Anthony fan, I only like I Need To Know and You Sang To Me (or whatever that songs name is). But anyway, I was completely excited to go since it was Jennifer Lopez's first full-fledged concert tour, which surprised me since she's been out for a while, but that's what it is. Marc Anthony came out first and played for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. And like I said, Jeff and I only knew his 2 English songs and the rest he sung in Spanish. I'm not really one for Spanish music, which is funny because they are both Latin, but Marc's music is more latin-influcenced and Jennifer's music is more rap/hip-hop/dance-influcenced, which is why I like her stuff better. Jennifer Lopez hit the stage and also sung for about 1 hour and 20 minutes...and she sang all of her best stuff....Ain't It Funny, I'm Real, If You Had My Love, All I Have (with LL Cool J), Jenny From The Block, Let's Get Loud, Love Don't Cost A Thing, Waiting For Tonight, her new song Do It and some various Spanish songs off her new Spanish album. I heard the beginning of All I Have and saw this guy come out on stage...then I heard his voice and since I can't see well, I asked Jeff, "Is that LL Cool J?" And it was! He made an appearence at the concert to sing her song (featuring him on the album). I was so happy, I love his stuff too! I have a nice pic of him. After her set, both Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez reappeared to end the concert (about 20 mins) with 3 of their Spanish songs. They played for nearly 3 hours and it was really good. I had a LOT of fun :0) Thanx Jeff!!


Jennifer Lopez


LL Cool J makes an appearence to sing All I Have with JLo.


Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony

Nancy :0)

Tonight in the HP NYC Broker Conference at 5 Ninth Restaurant in the city. I'm getting ready to leave work soon, at 3:30pm, to help Yahaira and Maureen set up for the conference. The conference is to get our brokers together and inform them of the plans and various changes going on here at HP. The conference is from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. I'm looking forward to it.

Maureen, Yahaira and I left about 3:30pm for the conference. We took a couple boxes, a laptop and projector with us and hauled it all downstairs through the service elevator. It took about 20 mins to hail a cab (cause NY cabbies aren't too nice) and when we did, we arrived a 5 Ninth restaurant in the meat packing district 15 minutes later. We hauled all that stuff up 3 staircases to the 3rd floor and plopped down on the couch. The place was nice, a convereted loft apartment to a restaurant, but not what I pictured for a broker conference (though the thought was to have it somewhere hip and modern...very NYC like). The conference went off really nicely. We had a great turnout of brokers and the speeches given by Vince, Kristine, Jonah, Samantha and VJ went well too. The speeches ended late and I think Yahaira and I left about 8:40pm (we were supposed to leave by 8pm). Jeff picked me up at the train station and I got home after 10pm. It was nice, I really liked the conference, but I still think it would have been better in a different atmosphere. The next broker conference is the one for Long Island and located at Westbury Manor...can't wait for that.

Nancy :0)

Jeff and I went to Yom Kippur services Friday night from 8:00pm to 10:00pm and Saturday morning and afternoon from 10:00am to 12:30pm and from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. During the break, we went to TGIFridays for some lunch (since neither one of us fast) and after services, we went back home where Jeff had his "fish stuff"...bagel with lox and I made chicken with lemon juice/tarragon/soy sauce and garlic with white rice and carrots.

Nancy :0)

Jeff and I left work early on Wednesday night for the start of the Rosh Hashanah holiday. We didn't attend services for that night, but went to Thursday's services instead. We went to the Reform Temple of Forest Hills again this year and were still equally as impressed by it as we went last year. Services for Thursday started at 10:00am and ended about 1:00pm. We also didn't go to the study session that was on Friday, but instead, Mom and Dad came over early and taught me how to make her famous Pot Roast :0)! I defrosted chicken soup I had made from about a month ago and made Matzo Balls fresh to add to the soup. So we had Challah Bread, Matzo Ball Soup, Pot Roast with Mushroom Gravy, Carrots, Potatoes, Kasha (made by Jeff) and some Entemann's cake for dessert.

Saturday...We ran errands in the AM and then went walking with Aunt Harriet in Alley Pond towards the afternoon (about 3 miles). We wound up staying for dinner with her, Uncle Howie and Mike since we hadn't seen them in weeks (with Aunt Harriet working nights and the Jewish holidays).

Sunday...Went to WW and didn't have a great weigh in. I've been up from goal (way up) for months and not happy with it at all. My size 6 pants still fit (YAY) and I'm not sure how, but they do, but still, I seriously have to reel in the weight loss and stop being stupid. I got really emotional and I'm happy that Jeff, Lee and Aunt Harriet were there to make me feel better (Thanx :0) I know what I have to do. I have to refocus my goal and look for the bigger picture. I have to start exercising again and stop snacking as much. Anyway, we went walking with Aunt Harriet in Alley Pond park again, about 2 miles...then went to Roosevelt Field and walked the mall (and I didn't buy anything, yay!). Jeff and I went home for him to watch the Giants game that he DVR'd and he made us dinner of hamburgers, tots and corn on the cob. Mom and Dad came over briefly from coming from the island and hung out with us for a bit.

Nancy :0)

I am a New Yorker. I was raised on Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Rockefeller Plaza, the Yankees or the Mets, Jones Beach or Rye Beach or one of the beaches on the sound. I know that "THE END" means Montauk. Because I am a New Yorker

I am a New Yorker. When I go on vacation, I never look up: skyscrapers are something I take for granted. The Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty are part of me. Taxis and noise and subways and "get outta hea's" don't rattle me, because I am a New Yorker.

I am a New Yorker. I was raised on cultural diversity before it was politically correct. I eat Greek food and Italian food, Jewish and Middle Eastern food and Chinese food because they are all American food to me. I don't get mad when people speak other languages in my presence because my relatives got to this country via Ellis Island and chose to stay. They were New Yorkers.

I am a New Yorker. People who have never been to New York have misunderstood me. My friends and family work in the industries, professions and businesses that benefit all Americans. My firefighters and police officers died trying to save New Yorkers and non-New Yorkers. They died trying to save Americans and non-Americans because they were New Yorkers.

I am a New Yorker. I feel the pain of my fellow New Yorkers. I mourn the loss of part of my beautiful city. But then I remember:
I am a New Yorker.

And New Yorkers have:
Tenacity, strength and courage way above the norm
Compassion and caring for our fellow citizens
Love and pride in our city, in our state, in our country
Intelligence, experience and education par excellence
Ability, dedication and energy above and beyond
Faith--no matter what religion we practice

Terrorists hit America in its heart but America's heart still beats strong. Demolish the steel in our buildings, but it doesn't touch the steel in our souls. Hit us in the pocketbook; but we'll parlay what we have left into a fortune. End innocent lives leaving widows and orphans, but we'll take care of them, because they are New Yorkers

Wherever we live, whatever we do, whoever we are. There are New Yorkers in every state and every city of this nation. We will not abandon our city. We will not abandon our brothers and sisters. We will not abandon the beauty, creativity and diversity that New York represents. And most importantly, we will never forget.

Because we are New Yorkers.

And we are proud to be New Yorkers.

REPOST THIS IN HONOR OF ALL OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES ON 9/11/01

I saw this article on MSN.com and thought it was too cute, so I had to post it.

21 Big Lessons from Little Kids
Little gems you may have forgotten.
By the Editors of Men's Health

1. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Even when there's not a prize in the bottom of the box.

2. Sometimes it's best to be completely blunt with people, as you used to be with relatives who wanted you to do something embarrassing or tedious for a shiny quarter.

3. Asking questions is how you figure things out. Lots and lots of questions.

4. An older, wiser Gordie Lachance says in Stand By Me, "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12." Lachance is right. The trick is to try to be the friend you were when you were 12: fun-loving and loyal, with no strings attached.

5. Playing is work. Approach your downtime with all the seriousness of a 5-year-old with a secret treasure map.

6. Real guys don't dip their toes in the water. They jump right in.

7. Girls have cooties. Well, the ones you meet in certain bars do, anyway.

8. You hated it when a grown-up told you, "We'll see." It's still unacceptable. Don't say it yourself.

9. The only way to know how something works is to completely disassemble it. (This is still good advice when tackling a complex problem. Your plasma TV? Not so much).

10. There's a reason they don't give credit cards to 8-year-olds. You're supposed to save up money before you buy a new toy.

11. Your body was designed for throwing baseballs, shooting hoops, and jumping off diving boards and stuff. In the secret language of children, the word "fitness" doesn't exist. It's called "having fun."

12. Your world can be half-real and half-imaginary.

13. Homework blows. Bring work home with you and it'll ruin your night. And your marriage. And your family. And your life.

14. Too much of anything will give you a tummy ache. Like, say, bourbon.

15. If there's even the slightest doubt, hit the potty before you leave.

16. The coolest adults were the ones who took the time to listen to you. You still want to grow up to be a cool adult, right?

17. Treasure Island, Dracula: The best books are consumed after dark with a flashlight.

18. Use adrenaline as your drug of choice. You don't need beer, pot, or cigarettes to have a good time.

19. Kissing a girl on the cheek is a big deal. Kissing her lips is an even bigger deal. Seeing her naked for the first time is a major, life-altering event.

20. Going after a target in the urinal makes the time whiz by.

21. Seeing a thunderstorm roll in is better than watching HDTV. And rain isn't something to curse, but to enjoy. Hurry up, before it clears.

Nancy :0)

TGIF!! I got out of work at 2pm today and I'm home now...just kicking back and relaxing, waiting for Jeff to get home. I don't feel like writing now, so I'll pick up later.

Well, I'm finally going to update the weekend. Friday was nice. Jeff and I went to Omega diner and relaxed at home...Saturday we did some errand running...Sunday for Jeff's 28th birthday (WOO HOO!!!) we went to the Renaissance Faire with Kim, Eileen, Nick, Geraldine, Dominick, Donna and Dominick's cousin Josephine, then went to Hooters for dinner, yummy...Monday we went by M&D's late afternoon with Ca and Charles and relaxed.

Later.

Nancy :0)

Summer Fridays for me are almost coming to an end. I have my last one on Sept 7th (because of the work outing, they gave us another one). I really like them. Jeff worked the 6am to 2pm shift this week (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) and since my summer friday lets me go at 2pm, Jeff met me at the train station by Union Tpke by 3pm. We went for a late lunch to Omega and then went home to catch up on LOST. Yes, we still haven't watched and had/have on our DVR episodes of last seasons LOST. I think we went through a 4 episodes before Dad called and I talked to him for about an hour. It was about 9:30pm and we were hungry again, so we went to Applebees for a late dinner/snack...then back home again.

On Saturday, Jeff and I woke up late, then decided to be out and about since the weather was nice and cooperative. We walked around Roosevelt Field Mall and Target for most of the afternoon before coming home to meet Ca and Charles at our apartment. We went to dinner with them at TGIFridays in Westbury. It was really nice to hang out with them and talk wedding plans and oh yup, Mets and Yanks stuff :0) We then went to Babies R Us to help Ca pick out something for her friend Nicole's baby shower. Outside walking in, a guy (or several, I didn't see) in car said, "Hey Ladies" and talking to me and Ca who were walking with Jeff and Charles. We all started laughing at the silliness of some guy trying to pick up or flirt with women who are with men, mind you, outside of Babies R Us...it just became a running joke for the night. They came home with us to hang out for a bit, then left.

And Sunday was very productive. After WW and going to BJ's, we went by M&D's to clean some of the stuff out of their garage. I found a bunch of my old baby clothes :0) I know they were mine based on pics I have of myself wearing them (pics below) and because of the month I was born in, most of the PJ's are winter type. I found two of my red and white dresses that I wore when I was 8 months old for this baby photo shoot thing (Mom confirmed my age when I called her to tell her about it). I also found old half-naked Barbies with their hair cut (thanks to me and my genious hair-cutting abilities, LOL). Also found a ton of stuffed animals that some were nice and clean to use for my and Jeff's baby and some were old and dingy and not worth keeping because I don't know who or where I got them from. My parents kept everything and when I called them later that evening, I had to thank them :0) I found my 1st baby shoes with Mom's handwriting on them that said, "Nancy's 1st shoes...put away Sept 1980". Also found my, Lisa and Carolyn's crib mobile...that still works! and a ton of old clothes from when I worked at Sears and Mandee...some fit because of the size changes from 10 years ago...god, it was that long ago...I'm old :0( Anyway, it was a wonderful trip down memory lane. We also did some laundry and went grocery shopping too. I think next weekend we have to clean our apartment more though. I want to box up stuff that I'm not going to use now and either put it away in my closet or toss it. Guess it depends on what else we're doing....not sure.


Me, Lee and Ca...the "angel" dress with butterflies that I found.


Me in the Red and White PJ with footies that I also found, but I haven't found the hat yet.

Nancy :0)

This was forwarded throughout the office and I thought it was pretty interesting:

10 virtually instant ways to improve your life

Many of our problems come from within our own minds. They aren’t caused by events, bad luck, or other people. We cause them through our own poor mental habits. Here are 10 habits you should set aside right away to free yourself from the many problems each one will be causing you.

1. Stop jumping to conclusions. There are two common ways this habit increases people’s difficulties. First, they assume that they know what is going to happen, so they stop paying attention and act on their assumption instead. Human beings are lousy fortune-tellers. Most of what they assume is wrong. That makes the action wrong too. The second aspect of this habit is playing the mind-reader and assuming you know why people do what they do or what they’re thinking. Wrong again, big time. More relationships are destroyed by this particular kind of stupidity than by any other. Ask yourself how many potential opportunities were missed because of bad assumptions. Some of the world’s worst sales people are gold medal winners in conclusion jumping.

2. Don’t dramatize. Lots of people inflate small setbacks into life-threatening catastrophes and react accordingly. This habit makes mountains out of molehills and gives people anxieties that either don’t exist or are so insignificant they aren’t worth worrying about anyway. Why do they do it? Who knows? Maybe to make themselves feel and seem more important. Whatever the reason, it’s silly as well as destrctive. Everyone makes a point to avoid the drama queens and kings of this world.

3. Don’t invent rules just for the sake of rules. A huge proportion of those “oughts” and “shoulds” that you carry around are most likely needless. All that they do for you is make you feel nervous or guilty. What’s the point? When you use these imaginary rules on yourself, you clog your mind with petty restrictions and childish orders. And when you try to impose them on others, you make yourself into a bully, a boring nag, or a self-righteous bigot.

4. Avoid stereotyping or labeling people or situations. The words you use can trip you up. Negative and critical language produces the same flavor of thinking. Forcing things into pre-set categories hides their real meaning and limits your thinking to no purpose. See what’s there. Don’t label. You’ll be surprised at what you find.

5. Quit being a perfectionist. Life isn’t all or nothing, black or white. Many times, good enough means exactly what it says. Search for the perfect job and you’ll likely never find it. Meanwhile, all the others will look worse than they are. Try for the perfect relationship and you’ll probably spend your life alone. Perfectionism is a mental sickness that will destroy all your pleasure and send you in search of what can never beattained. Don’t let great become the enemy of good.

6. Don’t over-generalize. One or two setbacks are not a sign of permanent failure. The odd triumph doesn’t turn you into a genius. A single event—good or bad—or even two or three don’t always point to a lasting trend. Usually things are just what they are, nothing more.

7. Don’t take things so personally. Most people, even your friends and colleagues, aren’t talking about you, thinking about you, or concerned with you at all for 99% of the time. The majority of folk in your organization or neighborhood have probably never heard of you and don’t especially want to. The ups and downs of life, the warmth and coldness of others, aren’t personal at all. Pretending that they are will only make you more miserable than is needed.

8. Don’t assume your emotions are trustworthy. How you feel isn’t always a good indicator of how things are. Just because you feel it, that doesn’t make it true. Sometimes that emotion comes from nothing more profound than being tired, hungry, annoyed, or about to get a head-cold. The future won’t change because you feel bad—nor because you feel great. Feelings may be true, but they aren’t the truth.

9. Don’t let life get you down. Keep practicing being optimistic. If you expect bad things in your life and work, you’ll always find them. A negative mind-set is like looking at the world through distorting, grimy lenses. You spot every blemish and overlook or discount everything else. It’s amazing what isn’t there until you start to look for it. Of course, if you decide to look for signs of positive things, you’ll find those too.

10. Don’t hang on to the past. This is my most important suggestion of all: let go and move on. Most of the anger, frustration, misery, and despair in this world come from people clinging to past hurts and problems. The more you turn them over in your mind, the worse you’ll feel and the bigger they’ll look. Don’t try to fight misery. Let go and move on. Do that and you’ve removed just about all its power to hurt you.

Nancy :0)

The MSNBC local New York City news has the following headline "Storm wallops NYC, crippling transit system" and below shows the transit systm as of about 40 minutes to an hour ago, the delays and station outage. Can you believe how 3 inches of rain (from what I've heard on the news) in a short amount of time could cause so much??? Anyway...I'm home. After leaving the house at 6:30am and trying to get into lower Manhattan by walking from Union Tpke/Kew Gardens train station (express service only), 2 miles down Queens Boulevard (making a stop at local service by 71st/Continental Avenue) to the 63rd Drive train station (local service)......there was still no E, F, R, G or V service to get into Manhattan. From where I was, I wasn't sure what express bus would take me to lower Manhattan and the lines for the Q60 (which goes down Queens Boulevard) were just insane. After 1 and half hours of travel times, I called it quits, called M&D and had them take me home (THANX :0) I'm sitting in my nicely cleaned living room watching Footloose now.

MTA New York City Transit
Service Alert

Posted on:8/8/2007 12:44:29 PM

Due to severe flooding throughout the subway system, there are extensive delays on all subway lines. Although buses are running with delays, customers are advised when at all possible to use bus service. The detours are as follows:

1 trains are suspended in both directions between the South Ferry Station and the 34th Street Station.

2 trains are suspended in both directions between the 34th Street-Penn Station and the Atlantic Avenue Station.

3 trains are suspended in both directions between the New Lots Avenue Station and the Harlem-148th Street Station.

4 trains are suspended in both directions between the 86th Street Station and the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall Station.

5 trains are running shuttle train service in both directions between the East 180th Street Station and the Dyre Avenue Station.

6 trains are suspended in both directions between the 86th Street Station and the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall Station.

7 trains are running with delays.

A trains are running local.

B trains are suspended in both directions between the Brighton Beach Station and the Bedford Park Boulevard Station.

C trains are suspended in both directions between the Euclid Avenue Station and the 168th Street Station.

D trains are suspended in both directions between the 145th Street Station and the Norwood-205th Street Station.

E trains are suspended in both directions between the 23rd Street-Ely Avenue Station and the Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station.

F trains are suspended in both directions between the Queens Plaza Station and the Jamaica-179th Street Station.

G trains are suspended in both directions between the Long Island City-Court Square Station and the 4th Avenue-9th Street Station.

V trains are suspended in both directions between the 2nd Avenue Station and the Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station.

S Franklin Avenue Shuttle trains are suspended in both directions between the Prospect Park Station and the Franklin Avenue Station.

S 42nd Street Shuttle trains are suspended in both directions between the Times Square-42nd Street Station and the Grand Central-42nd Street Station.

J trains are running with residual delays.

L trains are running with residual delays.

N trains are running with residual delays.

M trains are suspended in both directions between the Broad Street Station and the Bay Parkway Station.

Q trains are suspended in both directions between the Kings Highway Station and the 57th Street-7th Avenue Station.

R trains are suspended in both directions between the 57th Street-7th Avenue Station and the Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station.

W trains are suspended in both directions between the Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard Station and the Whitehall Street Station.

Let's hope all is up and running so I can at least get to work tomorrow.

Nancy :0)

Jeff and I decided to go to the Renaissance Faire's opening weekend in Tuxedo Park today. OMG, it was so damn HOT!!! We got there just in time for the gates to open at 10am and got breakfast...he had a funnel cake and I had a Potato/Corn Soup in Bread Bowl (yummy). We walked around, saw some shows and decided after one of the jousts at 230, that it was too hot and left. We had a late lunch/early dinner in Hooters in Paramus, then went home and napped. I think the heat just took too much out of us. We got up about 7 or 8 and went to Omega for a bite to eat about 10...then went grocery shopping.

Sunday...went to WW with Jeff and Aunt Harriet, then went by Mom and Dad's to hang out and do some laundry. We spent pretty much the whole day there too, which I'm happy that they didn't mind. I like hanging out with them, they are fun :0)

REN FAIRE PICS TO COME.

Nancy :0)

HealthPass Staff Outing
Place: Chelsea Piers – Sports Center Pier 60 (2nd Fl)
23rd Street and the Hudson River
New York, NY 10011
Date: Friday August 3, 2007
Time: 9:00am – 12:30pm

Sports and Games:
Spider Web
Basketball “Hot Shot” Competition
Corporate Maze
Moonball
Helium Hoops (Raising the bar)
Table Tennis

Lunch is at 1:30pm at Chelsea Brewing Company, LLC, Pier 59

I'm very excited! I will let you know how it turns out when I get home tomorrow!



HealthPass Crew:

BACK ROW: Irene, Lynda, Samantha, Ayisha, Me, Angelo, Dana and Shonda.

FRONT ROW: Maureen, Kristine, Molinda, Yahaira, VJ, Vince and Jonah.

Hanging out at Chelsea Piers was NICE!!! I left the house late and wound up getting to 23rd Street about 10 to 9...which is when we were supposed to meet up at the Sports Complex. I met Angelo at the M23 bus stop and we sort of walked half there, then caught the bus the rest of the way. The Sports Complex is HUGE and really nice! We met everyone in the Cafe at 9, changed into our "team building" tees they provided and went ahead with the games. And I have to tell you, it was a lot of fun. We did some pretty interesting mind-games and some fun games too like basketball and volleyball. After the games, we met at Chelsea Brewery for lunch...nice :0) I had some nachos and buffalo wings shared with everyone and ordered a burger with pasta salad and pina colada for lunch. It started to rain but stopped while we were having lunch. Yahaira and I split an Apple Pie. Almost everyone (with the exception of a few) went for after hours drinks...but first, it's not my thing and second, I was already feeling the pina colada, so I went home...Yahaira and I walked to the train together. Jeff got in the house a couple minutes after me at 5:30...we went up for a nap (both of us were just too tired). Then we got up, had dinner, watched TV and went back to bed.

PICS TO COME!!

Nancy :0)

I finally did it...I dyed my hair again! I haven't dyed my hair in about...hmmm...7 months...4 months now? I can't remember. It was either before the cruise or during my job hunt...not sure. Which isn't too bad, but still, my roots were growing in and it just looked icky. I had time last night while Jeff was finishing up Harry Potter (and yup, I know what happens because I asked him). He sat with me while I dyed it and helped too. I seriously have to start getting my hair dyed professionally. While it's cheaper to buy a box of Feria (Chocolate Cherry), I don't think I can do it anymore. It's time consuming and to try to manuevar around with my hair getting longer (I'm trying to grow it) and not being able to see well (can't dye my hair with my glasses on)...it's just getting annoying. Anyone know a hairdresser who uses Loreal's Feria brand hair dye?

Anyway...

The other day, Carolyn sent us pics from both Erica and Doug's wedding (really nice!) and pics that Mom took of Carolyn while wedding dress shopping last week. I have to say, Carolyn looked like a princess! I won't post the pics because she wants to surprise Charles for their wedding day...but she looked really pretty :0) I'm having fun helping her with wedding stuff and flipping through all these wedding articles and clippings she has.

I'm at work now. It's not too bad. The phones are busy, then slow, then busy again...it's on and off. This weekend should be nice. Jeff and I made plans to go out for Eileen's birthday tomorrow night at this Irish Pub in Suffolk County. And Saturday night is Newtown's 10 year reunion for the 1997 graduates at this place in Astoria. My friend Laura set it up through MySpace...I can't wait, it should be fun. Still trying to make plans for Sunday, besides WW and checking on M&D's cats because they are relaxing it up in Florida this week. Not sure, I know I should walk though...we'll see.

Nancy :0)

Friday night Jeff and I both got out of work at 2:00pm...so he picked me up at the train station at 3pm and we went home. We had tix with Mike for the Brooklyn Cyclones game sponsored by the FDNY along with Friday night Fireworks at Coney Island. Parking was nice and cheap at 5 bucks, which is definitely better than either the Mets or Yanks...but the game itself was ok. I know it's a minor league team, but if I'm paying to see baseball, I'd like it to be better than what I saw. Maybe it was an off night or that's just the way minor league plays...I don't know. But it wasn't the Mets or even the way the Mets host Fireworks Night. The BC's bill the game as "FDNY Fireworks Night" so months and months ago while walking in Coney Island, Aunt Harriet Jeff and I decided to get tix. She had to work, so Mike went with us instead. Jeff was trying to do me a favor, by taking me to see fireworks, but it was nothing like the way the Mets do it. First, the fireworks are NOT presented by the BC's...it's hosted by Coney Island itself (or something like that) and because the fireworks are every Friday night at 10pm, they went off on schedule, even though the BC's were still playing! The announcer even came on to say that they can't control when the fireworks happen and that they were playing anyway...meanwhile, everyone around wasn't watching the end of the game, but the fireworks...with the stadium lights on too. And the fireworks were blah in comparison to the Mets Fireworks Night too. All in all, it was a nice evening out though. I would do it again...just maybe not for fireworks.

Saturday Jeff and I spent most of the day out of the apt and running errands...partly due to our neighbor and her lack of respect for playing the stereo at a normal volume (but we won't get into that). Sunday I went to WW and gained (UCK!), but left because Marianne wasn't there again (I guess she had vacation). We spent a lot of the day by Mom and Dad...having breakfast, hanging out, doing laundry and I went for a walk around Juniper with Mom, while Jeff hung out with Dad. We went for a really late lunch at the Olive Garden, then went back home to a quiet place (YAY!) and relaxed while we waited for Aunt Harriet to be ready to go walking in Alley Pond Park. We did 2 miles in Alley Pond, along with my 1 mile around Juniper...so I'm hoping to shed the weight. It's not bad...I'm at 142.6...but still. I want to try to get back to goal. It's hard, but doable. I just have this "I don't care" feeling about it. Not that maintaining my weight is not important, because it is for so many reason (health being first), but still...maybe because my size 6 pants (size 4 from NY&Co :0) still fit that I don't have much of an issue with it...but I know I have to buck up and just lose the extra pounds...even if it is only 7.6 and not 65 like it was.

Nancy :0)

OH MY GOD!!! This article just says it all!

As some of you might know, I have had a horrible time last year with turning 27 for several reasons.

First being...at my old job, I was surrounded by females my parents age all inquiring about when I am going to have children (because they have grandchildren already). They literally stood there as I cut my birthday cake, me being all of 27 years old, and debated amongst themselves if I was "too old" for children or "young enough" to have them. EXCUSE ME??? I'm cutting a cake, who said anything about babies?!?

Second, getting older is never fun. This past June I celebrated 10 years of being out of Newtown High School and I'm coming up on my reunion soon. That scares the shit out of me since I can't believe I can utter the words, "Well, 10 years ago..." or even "15 years ago..." because when my parents would tell stories starting that way, my sisters and I would laugh at how far back they were talking. I'm nearing my 28th birthday, still childless, and don't get me wrong, I DO feel maternal, but WOULD YOU STOP WITH THE QUESTIONS??? You're making me feel MUCH older than I really am. While I have many friends who have conceived and had their children in their teens and twenties, I have just as many friends who are waiting in their late twenties and early thirties...and guess what...there is NOTHING wrong with that.

And third, when did asking such a question of, "When are you going to have children?" even become socially acceptable to ask, without if being from your family and friends? Why do co-workers or strangers ask these questions? What right do they have? The article below explains THAT very thing which is what I've been saying all along.

So, below is the article that I've been referencing:

Nancy :0)

Stop Setting Alarms on My Biological Clock
(Web Reference: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19762056/site/newsweek/page/0/)

If I'm ever going to fulfill my dream of becoming a mother, I'm going to need some better role models.



By Carrie Friedman
Newsweek

July 23, 2007 issue - I am at a party chatting with a woman I know slightly. As her young son squirms out of her embrace, she slips her hand under my shirt. She's not getting fresh with me. She's touching my tummy with her cold hand and asking me, in a concerned voice, "Why aren't you pregnant yet?" I smile, break free from her touch, and head to the food table to fill said empty belly with her brat's birthday cake.

I love children and definitely plan on having them. Maternal instinct is oozing out of my pores: I've infantilized my dogs; I've gotten down on my hands and knees at the park with babies I barely know. My marriage is wonderful and solid, and we are both blessed with good health. I've been a nanny, a teacher, a youth-group leader. I've taken childhood-development courses solely for the purpose of someday raising happy, balanced children. I have always looked forward to becoming a mother.

So why don't I have kids or even the inkling right now? It's because of you. Yes, you: the fanatical mothers of the world. It may seem like ages ago now, but you weren't always like this. You, too, were sneering at the obnoxious parents who brought their infants to fancy, adult, nighttime restaurants or R-rated movies and let them carry on, ruining things for other patrons. You've been terrible advertising for the club that you so desperately need others to join.

If you want me to join your ranks—and you've made it clear with your cold, clammy hands on my stomach that recruiting my uterus is of paramount importance to you—I need to set some ground rules.

First, please stop asking me when I'm going to get pregnant.

For all you know, I cannot have kids. For all I know, I cannot have kids, as I have not yet tried. But imagine how painful this line of interrogation would be if I had submitted to all kinds of procedures, only to come up empty-wombed. It would be emotionally devastating. Yet ever since the day after my wedding two years ago, I have fielded this question from the eye doctor, the dental assistant, my yoga teacher, the bagger at the grocery store. All of them feel entitled to ask. Don't. It's none of your business.

Next, don't completely abandon your own life and passions. You're setting a bad example for aspiring mothers-to-be like me.

I recently expressed my happiness over an achievement I had at work to a mother-friend of mine. She said, dripping with condescension, "Well, you don't know happiness until you've had a baby."

That's very possible, but don't rain on my parade, as I've never said to you, "Remind me, when you went to that expensive college you majored in diaper-rash prevention, right?"

I happen to love my job. It fulfills me in ways no other person—even a child—could. I learned through my own mother's example that the best lesson you can teach your kids is to pursue their passions. It's not selfish to have your own life. In fact, it's selfish not to.

Now let's talk a bit about manners, as in please teach your children some. The world has rules, and kids should learn them. And being well mannered does not infringe on their individuality and freedom.

I crouched to meet the eye line of an acquaintance's 4-year-old to greet her, and in response, she punched me in the face so hard my mouth bled. What was more baffling was the mother's reaction: nothing to the child, but to me she said very sternly: "You really shouldn't talk down to kids."

I also shouldn't be punched in the face by kids whose parents don't know how to set basic boundaries. Experiences like this don't exactly encourage me to hurry up and get pregnant.

Finally, don't make your kid an extension of your own narcissism.

No one could possibly love your kids as much as you do, so stop inflicting them on others. Don't bring your kid to adult parties when you're not sure if it's kid-friendly. If they didn't invite your kid, they don't want your kid there. If you don't want to get a babysitter, stay home.

My husband thinks some people, particularly mothers, behave in these ways because it helps them validate their own choices. But he doesn't truly understand how infuriating it is, and that's because nobody badgers men with questions about procreation.

Becoming a parent was your decision, and I am thrilled for you. All I'm asking is that you let me make that choice in my own time. And keep your hands off my belly.

Jeff and I went to dinner Friday night with Mom and Dad and Maryrose and Norman at Omega Diner. it was great to see Maryrose and Norman again and hanging with Mom and Dad is always nice.

Saturday......Jeff and I were out and about running errands here and there....and met up with Gloria, Debbie and Steph at Woodhaven Lanes for some bowling. Drinking and bowling is always fun, especially with the bumpers up...Jeff's working on uploading the pics and videos now. We went to Georgia Diner for a bite to eat before driving everyone home and going home ourselves.

Sunday....went to WW, but Marianne wasn't there, so I just weighed in and left. I lost 2.2 of my 3.4 gain from last week...WOO HOO!!! So, I'm well on my way. We went walking 3 miles with Aunt Harriet, then came home and napped...we got in at 3am, so yup, we were tired. We had dinner and now we're sitting back and catching up on DAYS.

Nancy :0)

Fourth of July week started out pretty crappy with Ilona's funeral...which I wrote about in the previous post and I don't want to detail more because I don't want to be sad while posting today.

Anyway, here's a short update......Tuesday was a full day at work and wasn't too bad......Wednesday for the 4th, it was pretty quiet, wanted to go to the beach, but didn't, just hung around and ate......Thursday we went to dinner with Adam, Ryan and Aunt Rhoda (who came in from CA for a week) at this sushi place on Northern Blvd......Friday we went to Dave and Busters, played pool (or tried to play), bowled and played some arcade games......Saturday we were going to go to Bethpage State Park and Jeff sort of got us lost, so we ended up in Farmingdale and went into Bob's Furniture and Levitz (god knows why) to shop around for the "eventual" sofa......and Sunday I went to WW and shamefully went above the 140-mark, also went to IHOP with Jeff and my parents, but hopefully will pull it back by going with Jeff, Mike and Aunt Harriet on a 2 mile walk later in the evening after a day of in the apt cleaning.

Yes, that was the week in a nutshell. The beginning was rough, but it was nice towards the end of it. It was great to see Aunt Rhoda after so much time...last time we saw her was April 2005 for Grandma Dottie's memorial service and I was a lot heavier then. We caught each other up on how our families are doing and enjoyed a nice night out.

Going to Dave and Buster's was equally nice on Friday. While their burgers were eh, their Frozen Mudslides were super yummy :0) and anything to see Jeff play pool as badly as he did (well, I did too, LOL) was just too funny...too bad I didn't take a pic of that! Jeff won me this cute fluffy elephant that will be going in the baby room (eventually) but for now is sitting on my dresser in my bedroom.

At Bob's and Levitz on Saturday, Jeff and I actually found 3 or 4 sofa/chaise/loveseat items that we're considering. We'd basically move the chair and ottoman we have now up to the second bedroom (because you can always use one up there) and toss the sofa we have now (it's from one of my old co-workers Rhoda from Guardian) and we'd have just enough space (hopefully, this is without measuring, just "planning") for a sofa/chaise combo against the window and a loveseat against the wall by our wedding photos. It will take some creative moving around of stuff, but it's doable.

As for WW on Sunday, I was expecting a gain, but 3.4 up? Well, I completely deserved it! I blew passed 140 and hit 142.8 which I haven't seen since Sept/Oct 2006! But I have to give myself some sort of break. Gaining 3.4 is not good, but it's certainly maintainable NOW and it's not like I've gained ALL my weight back. After a HUGE cleaning job Jeff and I did in the bedroom (we're tossing a WHOLE BUNCH of old stuff if anyone is interested), Jeff pushed me for a 2 mile walk after dinner (THANX JEFF :0) I needed that too. I've gotten really cocky about WW and it's program...."I know the pts values, why do I have to journal?" or even "I'm thin, so I should be ok to skip exercising" and that sort of shitty mentality has gotten me to 7.8 above my Goal Weight (I thought it was 6, but it's actually 7.8...OUCH!!!). I will get it back though. I'm determind enough and like I said in the meeting, it's a "shit or get off the pot" thing...I just have to buck up and lose the extra pounds. I have Jeff on dinner detail most night this week (I know you LOVE to cook, but thanx Sweetie, that's a BIG help to me!!) and he already folded down my treadmill so after work I can get up on it and start working hard!

No plans for next weekend yet, but I'm working on it and hoping it will be nice and better than this past weekend...hopefully more exciting for sure.

Nancy :0)

Friday:
It wasn't my Summer Friday this week (I get it next week) and I wrote about what happened Friday in the post below. I was just so happy to get out of work. After hearing of Ilona's passing late Thursday night, I just didn't want to deal with work stuff and wanted to be home with my family. Mom and Dad picked me up at 6pm at the Woodhaven train station and we met up with Maryrose for dinner at the Skyline Diner in New Hyde Park. Jeff took on this project at work; working from 9am to about 1:30am (Saturday morning) in moving one of his clients and their 50 or so desktops and laptops. I waited up for him, so I didn't get much sleep until he came home at 2am.

Saturday:
Jeff went in to work again today to help finish up his clients move. So he worked from 11am and met me, Carolyn and Charles at The Cheesecake Factory at 7pm. Lee and Theresa met us there for a nice dinner out. Ca and Charles came back to our place and we watched my and Jeff's wedding video. They left after and Jeff and I went to bed.

Sunday:
Jeff drove Aunt Harriet and me to WW...I gained a bit this week, but it's ok. Maintenance has been odd. I've been up and down, but still under 140, so I'm good. We went walking in Flushing Meadow Park about 2 and 1/2 miles around Meadow Lake. Jeff and I went home to nap and met up with Aunt Harriet, Uncle Howie and Mike later that night to give Mike his birthday presents...yea, so we were a week late.

Monday:
We went to Ilona's funeral today. There was a nice ceremony at Our Lady of Hope, then at the Crematorium and then we went to O'Neill's. It's been a very hard day and it feels so very weird to write about this. It was nice to catch up with JP, Tate and Sue...nice to meet Tate's parents...see Terry and Frank...but just horrible under these circumstances. There has been too much death this year and I'm hoping this is the end of it. I know it's impossible to be the end of it altogether, but I mean, I'm hoping it's the end of it for this year. It's very hard to lose such a special woman like Ilona. She was like a Sister to my parents and an Aunt to my sisters and I. I went home with my parents after O'Neill's because Jeff had gone to work, so they dropped me off at home late afternoon. I'm just sitting here waiting for Jeff to come home now so we can have dinner (it's almost 8:30pm) because he worked the 12-8pm shift today.

I'm signing off for now.

Nancy.

My parents long time friend Ilona passed away in her sleep yesterday at age 72 from complications of breast cancer.

Our family is devasted due to her family's loss (and sort of ours, since she was like an Aunt to my sisters and I). I'm not sure when her funeral arrangements will be, probably Monday or Tuesday, but I might post again about it.

It's just sad that it happened so fast and that we all lost such a special woman.

Please keep the Voross family in your hearts and thoughts as they are going through this difficult time.

Thank you.

So...I've been numb to the fact that Ilona was sick and denied it to myself all these weeks. I even denied her passing when Jeff told me in the car yesterday. I had a Rum and Coke in my system from dinner (a very strong one mind you) and seriously didn't "hear" what Jeff said to me. The inpact hadn't even hit me when my drink wore off and we were by M&D's place with Carolyn and then Charles. I was talking about it, but it was not registering in my head. Even when I came in to work this AM and told my manager that I might need a PTO day or even when I was talking to both Molina and Ayisha about it.

It hit me after a difficult phone call where this woman had me checking our site, GHI's site, the Public drive on our server and god knows what other avenue to find her the information she was looking for...all the while, her being really snotty to me. My hands were shaky and my heart palpatating...I had to take several breaths before feeling ok to finish the conversation. As soon as I did, I put my phone on hold and ran to the bathroom. I felt my eyes well up with tears as I was opening the bathroom door with my key. I must have sat in the stall for a good 5 minutes just crying. Why all the deaths I've seen in 2007? My grandfather...Bob Walsh...Mom's cousin Sal...Mom's cousin's wifes father...Ilona Voross. Why did this have to happen? Why now? Why to a woman who was such a sweetheart and to a family who didn't deserve it?

I just feel numb to it all. I know Ilona wasn't blood-related family, but she was like an Aunt to me and my sisters. She picked me up from grade school when Dad was working late and Mom was in the hospital with Carolyn...many summers we would go over her and John's house, the adults talking on their outdoor patio and us kids watching Back to the Future or Adventures in Babysitting upstairs in their airconditioned bedroom or downstairs in JP's room with his surround sound speakers....they would come over by us, Ilona, John, Sue and JP for the Specker's famous parties in the early 90's to celebrate Ca's "No more Chemo" party, Lisa's Sweet 16, Ca's 18th Birthday....the countless New Year's Eves at our house too with Ilona's Hungarian Beef Goulash....it just seems very strange and life won't be the same. Our families have been entertwined for 28 years now and I'm hoping with Ilona's passing, that doesn't fade away as well. I still want John to visit and Sue and her fiancee Jeff, John and his wife Tate. I don't want any of that to go away.

Well, it's almost time to go home now. M&D are picking me up at Woodhaven and I'm tagging along with them and Maryrose for dinner. I just don't feel like being alone and since Jeff's working insanely late tonight (probably to 12am or 1am...then tomorrow afternoon), I think hanging out with them is the best bet.

Nancy.

Later this afternoon, the group of us from Member Services (Lynda, Dana, Angelo, Ayisha and I) will be giong to Tao in midtown for a dinner/off site team building meeting.

TAO
Cuisine: Asian, Pan-Asian
Website: www.taorestaurant.com
42 East 58th Street
New York, NY 10022
Cross Street: Park & Madison
Phone: (212) 888-2288
Dress Code: Dressy

I'll let you know how it is.

So the dinner went really well. Everyone had great ideas for building a strong team for member services and the food was phenominal! We ordered several appetizers for the table...satay chicken with peanut sauce, lobster wontons, veggie wontons and these crab cake things. The appetizers were small portions so for 5 people, we had to order 2 orders per dish to have enough for everyone, but still, they were very tasty. For dinner I had the New York Sirlon Steak with potatoes and shitake mushrooms...they served a large portion of meat for such a fancy place, I was impressed. Dessert was vanilla ice cream with raspberry/chocolate wontons...the ice cream was great with the chocolate/raspberry syrup over it, but the wontons were very crunchy and hard that I only ate 2 of the 5 that were served on the plate. I also had a rum and coke that was so yummy! I would definitely go back! (And yes, I should totally be a food critic!)

Jeff met me at the train station to pick me up and then we went over by Mom and Dad where Ca already was....then Charles came over. After I got out of the train is when Jeff gave me the bad news....see above post.

Nancy.

On Friday June 22nd, Mom, Dad, Carolyn, Lisa, Jeff and I, along with a whole lot of teachers, gathered together at Connolly's Corner on Grand Avenue in Maspeth, for Mom's Retirement Party Dinner.

PICS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE PICS PAGE :0)

Saturday and Sunday...Neither Jeff or I really did much. We kinda lazied around the apartment this past weekend...nothing new or exciting really.

Nancy :0)

IN STORES NOW:

Today is the HealthPass Broker Appreciation Fishing Trip on Capt' James III out of Freeport......and I'm so happy to be in the office!

I went fishing in 2000 on Capt' Lou (pic below on Father's Day post) with Jeff, his Dad and girlfriend Marsha through Temple Sholom and oh my god, was it an experience I never want to have again!

Well, it was a wonderful bonding moment between Jeff and his Dad and me, but fishing? I learned that it's NOT one of my things to do at all! I kept going from the cabin to sit down to the outside for fresh air and I couldn't find a comfortable spot. I felt the boat move back and forth and well - with being prone to motion sickness in a car ride alone - being on a boat is just not for me. I didn't throw up or anything, but I felt green the entire time and was dizzy.

So......it's me, Yahaira, Angelo, Lynda and Molina in the office and the rest of the HealthPass staff and sales reps are out in Freeport, fishing on Capt' James with some brokers. Lynda said we're going to take a 30 min lunch instead of 60 min, but have catered in Italian food...yummy! I'm hoping we get to leave early too, but since we're short-staffed, I'm not sure. Eh, either way. Just so long as I don't have to go fishing!!

Nancy :0)

Happy Father's Day!!


Me and Dad at a recent Mets game.


Marvin, Marsha, Jeff and Me on the Temple Fishing Trip in 2000......it's the only scanned pic I have of Jeff and his Dad (in honor of Father's Day).

Friday...Jeff and I went to Omega for dinner, drove around a bit, then went to hang out by Mom and Dad's to watch the Mets/Yanks game.

Saturday...We slept in, then spent most of the day cleaning the apartment. Jeff and I then met up with Kim, Eileen, Nick, Dominick, Donna and several of Donna's friends at Hooters in East Meadow for Donna's 29th birthday. Dominick took Donna home since she wasn't feeling well after dinner, but me, Jeff, Eileen, Nick and Kim went to East Meadow Bowl for a couple rounds. Nick won the first round and Kim won the second.

Sunday...HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!! Jeff, Aunt Harriet and I went to Weight Watchers (I gained a pound, but I'm ok with it), then to the cemetery to visit Jeff's Mom and Dad. Jeff and I went by Mom and Dad's along with Ca and Lee and hung out there for the rest of the afternoon/night. Jeff and I left in the 2nd or 3rd inning of the Mets/Yanks game for home and watched the game in bed.

Nancy :0)

Just writing an update on what's been going on in the House of Greenberg lately.

Work......I'm at HealthPass for over a month now and I can't stress how much I love working here. Everyone is so nice and I'm very happy with my Member Services/Sales Support cross-over position. Jeff's still over at IDP for well over a year now and has been traveling from client to client daily (something that he really loves doing). I get out of work at 5pm and so does Jeff on most nights, so he's been meeting me at the Union Tpke/Kew Gardens train station by car (me by train) and we've been going home together from there. Usually home about 6:20/6:30pm these days. Not too bad. My company also does Summer Fridays, so every other Friday (last week was the first), a group of us gets out early at 2:00pm. WOO HOO!! I was home last Friday by 3:30pm....nice!

Weight Watchers......I'm on maintenance, post-weight-loss, now Lifetime, for about 4 weeks now I think. It's going good. I'm up and down in weight each week, but that's normal and to be expected. My WW Goal is 135, but as long as I stay between 135 and 140 from week to week (I'm allowing myself 5 pounds, even though WW allows 2 pounds)....I'm fine. I've been under 140 since October 2006, 8 months now, so I'm doing very good at maintaining my weight.

Family......All is good on the family front. I helped Ca a week or so ago start wedding planning. I gave her all my binders and spreadsheets. I absolutely love weddings!!! And, helping Ca is great! I can't wait to get into all the traveling for photographers, dresses and all the girly stuff. I still haven't seen Charles yet to get together and congratulate him....Charles, if you're reading, CONGRATS and welcome to this nutty family, LOL :0) Next Friday afternoon (coincidentally on my Summer Friday), we're all going to Mom's Retirement Party in this nice restaurant (I forgot the name). So yup, Mom's retiring this year...that should be nice for both Mom and Dad to be home, retired, they deserve to be happy. MAZEL TOV!!

Friends......I've reconnected, through MySpace of course, with my friend from IS 119 (Jr. High), Christine. We hung out last Saturday and went to Applebees and caught up. My god, no time has passed! We started to reminse about things we did or said over 14 years ago (now I feel old) when we were 13 years old. We chat on AIM and through MySpace and I'm hoping to catch up with her a couple more times this summer...even do the Ren Faire together.

Sad News......I have some sad news on this end. One of my parents long time friends was diagnosed with Breast Cancer recently. I have known Ilona since I was born...in fact, I'm told that her and Mom met when Mom was pregnant with me and Carolyn and Ilona's son John went to Kindergarten together. So yes, 28 years of friendship, a long time. Ilona and her husband John were like an Aunt and Uncle to my sisters and I and both of their kids, John and Suzie, were like cousins to us....sometimes like brother and sister. It saddens me to think that this is happening and her and her family is hurting so much. I and my family are hurting right along with them. We're more than just friends...I've considered them my family as well. Please pray with me for the Voross family through this difficult time...thank you.

I hope to give you a positive blog soon.

Nancy :0)

Today at work we had Joanna's goodbye party at The Waterstone Grill. It was pretty cool. We had our staff meeting from 10-11am, then went out for lunch from 12-2pm. Joanna is the Director of Sales for HealthPass and she's leaving to start up her own business and spend more time with her new baby. They also let us out early, 2:30pm, so I'm home now. Just waiting for Cindy, Steph and Jeff to get here...we're going out to TGIFridays tonight.

So, to catch you up...work has been going really great. It's been 3 weeks now, I got paid today (WOO HOO) and I'm really enjoying what I do. What do I do? Well, members of HealthPass medical/dental plans (GHI, HIP, HealthNet, Perfect Health and Guardian) call me or the other Member Service Reps/Managers (Angelo, Dana, Anthony, Ayisha and Lynda) up when they have questions about their benefits, group billing, need to request ID cards, have additions, terminations, marriages, newborns, etc. to their plan. We also talk to Brokers, General Agents and Benefits Admins about that information too. And on the Sales Support side, I've been working with Kristine on calling to Pre-Qualify 1 Life Leads that come in by phone or email - people who have seen the HealthPass ads on the train, word of mouth or whatnot and are interested. I filter the leads to make sure they are a true 2-50 Employer group - what is a group, I send back to Kristine for her to give one of the other sales guys to call and what's not a group, I defer them to either Healthy New York or Working Today - two companies that we work with that handle true 1 Life Groups. I think next week when the Benefit Summaries come in, I'll be working more with Yahaira in getting the broker kits together. All in all, I REALLY love my job and I'm enjoying what I do and whom I do it for. Couldn't ask for anything better than that.

As for the rest of the weekend...we're going by Lisa's on Saturday, Jeff's helping Aunt Harriet with this PowerPoint presentation thing Sunday and we're going by Aunt Harriet and Uncle Howie's for a Memorial Day BBQ on Monday.

Saturday...Jeff and I went by Lisa's for an improptu get together with her, Theresa and Stacey. Lee made Chicken Skewers, Guacamole, she had chip, pretzels with various dips and beer, wine, sangria and all sorts of yummy things. We hung out in her backyard and BS'd all night.

And good news for Saturday...Carolyn and Charles got ENGAGED while in Mystic, Connecticut this weekend!!

I'm so happy for you both!!! :0) Best of luck to you sis and brother in law :0)

Sunday...Jeff and I went by Aunt Harriet for a nice 4 mile walk in Alley Pond / Cunningham Park. Then Jeff helped her with this PowerPoint presentation thing for work while I napped on the sofa. We stayed for chinese, played some board games, then left for bed.

Monday...Jeff and I went by Aunt Harriet and Uncle Howie's for a Memorial Day BBQ....Mom, Dad, Adam, Ryan, Aunt Harriet, Uncle Howie and Mike were there. We had Hamburgers, Hotdogs, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Marinated Chicken and a whole lot more. Just happy the weather held out. Aunt Harriet and I did a 2 mile walk before dinner...then took Jeff and Mike with us for a 2 mile walk after dinner.

Nancy :0)

Here are some pics from Saturday night's dinner at Benihana with Jeff, Nick, Eileen, Geraldine, Kim, Donna and Dominick:


TOP: Jeff, Geraldine, Kim, Eileen and Nick...BOTTOM: Me, Dominick and Donna.


Jeff and Dominick.


Kim, Geraldine, Donna, Me and Lucky...Eileen's taking the pic.


Nick, Dominick and Jeff.

And some pics from Sunday's 3 mile walk with Jeff and Aunt Harriet in Flushing Meadow Park and Queens Zoo:



PICS TO COME!!

Nancy :0)

I MADE LIFETIME :0)!!!

I was able to maintain within 2 pounds of my weight loss after 8 weeks and have made LIFETIME with Weight Watchers on Sunday May 13th, weighing 136.2 pounds :0) Of course, I don’t make things easy on myself and made it after 8 weeks instead of 6 weeks. No harm in that, I made LIFETIME!!!

Here are my stats:
Sunday 03/18/07 134.2 GOAL
Sunday 03/25/07 137.2 +3.0 Week 1
Sunday 04/01/07 135.8 -1.4 Week 2
Monday 04/09/07 136.2 +0.4 Week 3 (Easter)
Sunday 04/15/07 136.8 +0.6 Week 4
Sunday 04/22/07 136.0 -0.8 Week 5
Sunday 04/29/07 137.4 +1.4 Week 6
Sunday 05/06/07 138.0 +0.6 Week 7
Sunday 05/13/07 136.2 -1.8 Week 8 LIFETIME!!! (Mother’s Day)

I have the Key :0) FINALLY!! It felt so great to have Marianne award me with the Lifetime Key charm for my 10% key ring and to accompany my Goal Star charm!! Marianne asked me to get up in front and talk about my journey. It’s been a tough one, but so well worth it. She also gave me a huge hug and I took a couple pics with her. I feel that she has been such a positive influence on me, not only with my weight loss, but a positive person all around.


My leader Marianne with me on the day I've made Lifetime with Weight Watchers.

Weight Maintenance is HARD, but not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Since I’ve been doing Weight Watchers for well over a year, there really isn’t much difference from maintaining the weight loss and losing weight (well, in my opinion). You still have to journal, count points, exercise and so forth.

I believe that “maintenance” in itself, is really finding the right balance of Points (Food Intake) and Exercise that you can live with and maintain in daily living.

Points/Food Intake:
I am at 20 daily points and I’m supposed to add 4 daily points for maintenance. I have noticed that I can’t add the full 4 points to my daily intake or I will gain too much weight but I can’t just have 20 points or I will lose too much. I have found that sticking at about 20-22 daily points is what works best for me. I still only dip into the 35 extra Flex points when I go out to eat or have a party.

Exercise:
As far as exercise, using my treadmill a handful of times a week for 1 mile and walking outdoors on weekends (a couple of miles) works best. On average, about 4 to 6 miles weekly keeps my weight and energy level consistent. Less allows a gain and more exercise allows a loss.

Weight:
As far as my weight, I am totally fine with being anywhere below 135 (my goal weight) and up to 137 (my 2 pound allowance). But in reality, if I go above my 137 allowance, the MOST I would allow myself is 139.8 because after that, my pants don’t fit (I’m serious!).

I think that with the right combo I’ve mentioned, I can maintain past Lifetime status and remain maintaining my healthy weight range.

After trying to lose weight since 1995, I FINALLY have done it in 2005. I have been able to maintain that loss in 2007. And guess what? I will NEVER have to lose over 60 pounds again! And THAT makes this journey worth it!

PICS TO COME LATER TONIGHT!!!

Nancy :0)

Jeff and I went with Aunt Harriet to the cemetery this morning after my WW meeting to visit his Mom and Dad. We're home now and should be heading out to my Mom and Dad's place soon.

Happy Mother's Day!

Nancy :0)

was wonderful! During training I'm from 9am to 5pm, so I got there early (because I like to) at 8:20am. It took me about an hour and 20 minutes...not too bad. I was one of the first people there, so Molina, the woman who trained me, let me in. She showed me to my desk and gave me a quick tour of the office. It's a very great space - both my space and the office space. I have a new flat screen computer and my desk/area was fully stocked with anything and everything with the HealthPass logo on it. There was another new hire along with myself, so we spent the whole day and are going to spend the rest of the week training for Member Services Representatives. I have more than enough reading materials and training guides on the Member Services position and it's such a perfect fit for the background that I have. Next week, I'm going to be trained by both Kristine and Yahaira for also Broker Liasion. I'm so excited. Getting home wasn't too difficult either - it took about the same time.

Oh and for this past weekend......
Saturday....Jeff, Aunt Harriet and I walked the FULL Coney Island Boardwalk and back of...get this......6 miles!!!

Sunday....We walked only 1 mile this time around and nope, I didn't make Lifetime. I think between going to AC and enjoying some rich foods and "stress" eating (even though I accounted for the points)...I gained +0.6 pound. So now I'm a full pound above the allowance at 138.0 pounds...but it's ok, I should be *hopefully* set to lose this last pound and make Lifetime next week. After all, last week I did walk 18 and 1/2 miles......that has to account for something. If not a loss, at least the fact that I'm able to do that in a week...the most I have walked in a VERY long time too.

That's it for now...more later.

Nancy :0)

Jeff and I are headed to the Tropicana in Atlantic City, New Jersey for a couple of days before I start my new job. Wish us luck in winning big!!!


Jeff on AC beach.


Me on AC beach.

Yup, we're back and nope we didn't win big, but we had SO MUCH FUN!!! We stayed at the Tropicana on the Boardwalk for 2 nights and came back late this afternoon (Friday). We gambled and lost (BOO!), had lunch/dinner in Hooters, Rainforest Cafe and Hard Rock Cafe, walked the boardwalk about 4 miles both days (8 miles in 2 days)...nice workout!! and saw kitty cats on the boardwalk :0) On the way back, we stopped in Red Bank, NJ for Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash...the store from the creator of Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl and Clerks II.

Take a look at our pics in "Our Photo Albums"!

Nancy :0)

The 20th Anniversary of Dirty Dancing brings the movie back to the big screen.



Ca and I are going tonight to see it. Of course, I was too young to see it in the theatres the first time around (hey, I was only 7, almost 8 :0) so I'm gonna go see it tonight. I'm pretty excited. Yea, I have the DVD and I've seen the movie countless times that I can recite every line (Ca too), but it's so worth seeing on the big screen.

After all, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner".

Nancy :0)

I would have liked to call this post "I made Lifetime" but instead, with a sucky turn of events, I decided to name it "PMS Sucks". Yea, I didn't make Lifetime as my 6th weeks of maintenance on Weight Watchers, but I gained +1.4 pounds, putting me at 137.4 pounds, which is 0.4 above the 2 pound allowance for Lifetime Status.

Both Chris and Marianne said "You made it" but I'm NOT one to give in that easily, because in essence, I didn't make it. I am 0.4 above and while 0.4 is a breath of air, a pee or my god, my stupid pants in weight, it's STILL above the allowance. And yes, I blame good old PMS :0( I'm bloated and have been craving salt all week so bad that I've contemplated pouring salt on my tongue to curb the cravings. (Yes, men, think I'm nuts, but you ladies who read this are nodding your head going, "OMG, I UNDERSTAND!!!"). My exercise was great in walking a wonderful 7 miles and while I did consume a lot of salt, I drank MORE than my fair share of Water, Iced Tea and Coffee (to pee enough) and I journaled my butt off, counted all my points and didn't go over......so yea, I blame PMS!

But there IS the upside! Jeff and I went shopping in Roosevelt Field yesterday so I can buy some more clothes for work and bulk up my closets again (because I got rid of all my fat clothes and now I'm a consistant size). And I had SUCH success!!! I didn't have to try on the NY&Co. button down shirts because I know a Medium fits perfectly......I bought an EXTRA SMALL fancy shirt in NY&Co. and EXTRA SMALL dress in Express :0) So HA! stupid weight gain!!!

While I'm annoyed that today on my 6th week of maintenance I can't post the "I made Lifetime" post, I MUST look at the positives. My clothes still fit even though I gained, I was able to purchase clothes in EXTRA Small and so what that I didn't make it in 6 weeks...so what! I am human and if it takes me 7 weeks, so be it. I can CERTAINLY lose the 0.4 this week to make Lifetime by next week and that is what I'm gonna do.

Now for a nap cause I'm tired and *hopefully* if the weather holds out, a walk in the park with Jeff to start my week off to a great start!

Walked 2 and 1/2 miles in Flushing Meadow Park with Jeff and Aunt Harriet...Lifetime here I come...WOO HOO!!!

Nancy :0)

It's been a very busy couple of weeks for both Jeff and I. Jeff's been working crazy hours since taking over the scheduling for IDP Consulting and with my getting a new job (I start Monday May 7th)......it's just been busy.

Jeff was able to score free Mets tix from the law office (Thursday April 12th) so we went with Dad and Steph...the Mets won 5 - 3. It was freezing and it was the start of another cold for me (yes, another cold!), but damn, it was so well worth it! Dad hasn't been to the game with Jeff and I where we had TLGGR's tix, so he was really happy to see how close we sat...and for free :0) It was great to be with my two favorite men and my best friend - just awesome. Take a look at some awesome pics below!!

Friday night, Jeff, Steph, Cindy, Mike and I went to Tierras Colombianas to celebrate my new job (handing in my resignation). Then we came back to our apartment to play games. Jeff and I took a train ride into the city Saturday so I can show Jeff where my new office is and to see what's around the area. I'm within walking distance to both Battery Park and the World Trade Center site. That was a site to see. I haven't been there since the towers were standing. Just very weird. Anyway, that night, we celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary by going out to dinner at Franina on Jericho Turnpike. I love that place! It's this little Italian restaurant that's just awesome. Sunday we went to Flushing Meadow Park with Aunt Harriet for some serious walking......I'm a week away from Lifetime at Weight Watchers, so I'm stepping up my weight loss/maintenance game!

Here are some pics :0)


Me and Daddy...I love this pic!


Me and Jeff


Daddy and Jeff....my two favorite men!


Me and Jeff in Flushing Meadow Park, Queens, New York.


Aunt Harriet in Flushing Meadow Park, Queens, New York.

Nancy :0)

As I previously had up on the site for a day, without further ado...

I GOT A NEW JOB!!!

After over a month of looking for a new job (almost 2 months), I found another one! I am no longer working for Guardian Life Insurance Company as a Group Sales Administrator.

You are looking at (well, virtually anyway)......the NEW Member Services Representative for HealthPass :0)

I start this position on Monday May 7th 2007. They also want to cross train me for the Broker Liaison position (WOO HOO) since they think I would be a good fit for it.

It’s so cool that I’ll be working in the Financial District near Wall Street (across from the New York Stock Exchange)! I really like the area in which I’ll be working in. The train is right across the street from my building and it’s about an hour and a half commute. Ok, I know what you’re thinking, but I would rather have the longer commute if it means to better myself, my career and my family.

This is VERY good news! With Jeff’s wonderful annual review several weeks ago and my new position at HealthPass, we are well on our way! I’m so excited!!

Nancy :0)

I wanted to take a minute to thank my wife of three years for being my friend and companion. Most people don't think three years is much, but we've been through a lot together and I know I wouldn't be where I am now without Nancy. Our wedding song is Shameless, and the opening words make sense... Well I'm shameless when it comes to loving you, I'd do anything you want me to, I'd do anything at all. And I'm standing here for all the world to see, There ain't that much left of me, That has very far to fall.

I guess what I am saying is that I am just the luckiest guy in the world to have Nancy in my life and I wouldn't want it any other way.

I love you honey - Happy Anniversary.

Jeff


The fruit basket I bought for Nancy.


The card attached says......"Still looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you. Love always, Jeff."

Opening Day: Ron Darling's Weight-Loss Quest
Article By: Ron Darling

Now that I'm really starting to jump into the Weight Watchers plan online, I'm setting realistic goals for myself for the first couple of weeks. I don't expect to drop 10 pounds in the first week; I'm in this for the long haul.

I'm one of those guys who's always traveling for my gig as a broadcaster for the Mets, so I'm in and out of airports for the better part of six months. That means I need to change the way I choose food, particularly on planes and in airports, and to make sure that I eat regularly. I'm so busy that I don't stop all day, and many times I forget to eat. Then, at night when I go home, I eat—a lot. I need to change my ideas about food, what to eat, when to eat.

Obviously, it starts with portion control. Being on the road, I don't always have healthy food options, so I need to eat less of the foods that have been stumbling blocks for me. I'm also going to do my homework. I put a lot of effort into doing research on ballplayers and teams for my broadcasts, so why wouldn't I put the same amount of effort into getting thinner and healthier?

Basically, I'm going to create a game plan about how I'm going to tackle my weight loss. I've got a great opportunity to get back to my playing weight, and now I've got all the tools to make it happen. It's up to me to do the work.


Talking with WW new spokesperson Jenny McCarthy.

I've made a commitment to log on and spend a half hour in the morning—at least in the beginning—getting acquainted with the tools and researching the foods I like to see how they fit into my new plan. Listen, in a month, I plan to know the Weight Watchers plan inside and out, but I have to educate myself.

I'm definitely going to create goals for myself, but I'm not going to go overboard. Of course I want to lose weight. Everyone wants positive affirmation that what they're doing is working, but I'm not going to live my life on a scale every day. I'm most concerned with changing old habits. The hardest part is change, but hopefully my learning curve is quick.

At the end of the day, I'm going to have fun with this. I already am. For many people, trying to lose weight is something they want to do, but dread. So far in looking at the cheat sheets and all the real "guy food" I can eat, I don't anticipate going hungry, and it's pretty fun to dig around in the food POINTS® tracker and find out that I can eat my favorite foods. This time I'm going to take care of hunger, but I'm going to do it more intelligently.

And if I do the right things about eating better and working out, we're looking at a good summer.

--Ron

Nancy :0)

Andy Pettite

Nancy :0)

Jeff, Mike and I went to see the new Disney flick Meet the Robinsons over the weekend. The theater in Westbury, NY has the movie in 3-D :0) After seeing the movie trailer a couple weeks ago and laughing uncontrollably over the dinosaur part (see the trailer), I just had to go see this movie. As Disney does best, it was very heartfelt and a definite MUST SEE movie :0)

About the movie:
Lewis is an orphan who dreams of finding a family. His journey takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious stranger named Wilbur Robinson whisks him away to a world where anything is possible...THE FUTURE. There, he meets an incredible assortment of characters and a family beyond his wildest imagination, The Robinsons, who help lead him on an amazing and hilarious adventure with heartfelt results. Based upon the book A Day with Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce. Meet the Robinsons opens in theatres March 30, 2007!

And, here's the movie trailer:



Nancy :0)

I'm super excited to say that BON JOVI is coming out with a new album this summer and *hopefully* will tour in 2008 :0) WOO HOO!!!

Here is the *NEW* Bon Jovi song called "We've Got It Goin' On" that's an advertisement for the AFL.



FROM BONJOVI.COM:

BON JOVI’s NEW ALBUM, LOST HIGHWAY, SET FOR JUNE 19th RELEASE SOULFUL FIRST SINGLE, “(YOU WANT TO) MAKE A MEMORY,” GOES TO RADIO ON MARCH 20th

Follows-up multi-platinum album Have A Nice Day – featuring Grammy and People’s Choice Award-winning #1 single “Who Says You Can’t Go Home”

(March 19, 2007 – New York, NY) Flush with the success of their record-breaking world tour and multi-platinum album Have A Nice Day – Island Records group Bon Jovi has completed a new album, LOST HIGHWAY.

Produced by Dann Huff (Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts) and John Shanks (who co-produced Have A Nice Day, and whose credits include Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Chris Isaak and others) LOST HIGHWAY will arrive in stores June 19th on Island Records/Mercury Nashville. “(You Want To) Make A Memory,” the first single from the new album, will be blasted out to radio on Tuesday, March 20th.

Bon Jovi is scheduled for live performances of “(You Want To) Make A Memory” on the upcoming 6th annual CMT Awards broadcast (April 16th live from Nashville); on Fox’s “American Idol” (May 2nd); and on NBC’s “Today Show” Outdoor Plaza (June 19th). Mean­while, Bon Jovi-watchers have already discovered the album’s title song, “Lost Highway” in the new box office smash film, Wild Hogs. Another album track, “We Got It Going On,” a duet with Big & Rich, is the theme song for the new Arena Football League season on ESPN.

Bon Jovi has sold over 100 million albums around the world and performed more than 2,500 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 32 million people.

I MADE GOAL :0)

After 1 year, 4 months and 4 days, I lost 67.2 pounds, weigh 134.2 pounds and have made GOAL with Weight Watchers!

It felt so great to have Marianne award me with the Goal Star for my 10% key ring. She gave me such a huge hug and asked me to talk about my journey to Goal. It was weird because since it’s the day after St. Patty’s Day and after having the huge ice storm, there weren’t many people there to celebrate my Goal with me, but none the less, the people that were there applauded and made me feel like a million bucks :0)

I am extremely excited! This has been a VERY HARD journey that I’ve made, but so well worth it! My whole life has changed since I’ve lost this weight. My confidence level definitely boosted, my outlook on my life and its direction has shifted and my overall feeling about myself and my ability to do something, follow through and succeed is just amazing.

FROM THE WEIGHT WATCHERS WEBSITE:

Weight Tracking Summary
Your current weight : 134.2 lb
Weight change since your last recorded weight | -2 lb
Total weight change to date | -67.2 lb

YOU DID IT! YOU'VE ACHIEVED YOUR GOAL WEIGHT!

All of us here at Weight Watchers congratulate you on reaching your ultimate weight goal. Well done. This is a fantastic achievement and we hope you'll take a moment to reflect on all that you've accomplished before doing something special to celebrate.

Now that you've reached this important milestone, you move onto the next phase—maintenance.

Maintenance means "keeping your weight steady" and you do this by sustaining your current activity level and eating a bit more food until you find the right balance.

If you follow the POINTS® Plan, retake the Personal POINTS Quiz to see if you need to readjust your daily total. For Core Plan® followers, go to the Overview within the Plan Manager where you'll see the question, "Are you on Maintenance?" Click on the link and follow the steps.

Congratulations again and have fun celebrating your success!

Now onto the 6 weeks that follow Goal to achieve Lifetime status at Weight Watchers......wish me luck!


134.2 pounds - My 10% key ring and GOAL star!


134.2 pounds - I made goal after losing 67.2 pounds!

MORE STUFF ON MY WEIGHT LOSS, GO TO:
http://www.fridaystoast.com/weightloss/
Or click on the link that says 'Nancy's Weight Loss Journey' on the right hand side of this site.

Nancy :0)

‘The Frog Princess’ will be set in New Orleans, scored by Randy Newman

Being the HUGE Disney fan that I am, this makes me super excited.

First, it's about time that Disney adds a Black Princess to their Princess line of animation.

Second, its great to see a NEW movie......not like The Lion King 2, Dumbo 2....this and that 2.....I'm sick of the sequels. Be original Disney....again, it's about time.

And finally, they are going back to HAND-DRAWN animation.....no more computer generated crap like Finding Nemo or whatnot (sorry, but as an artist myself, hand drawn stuff wins in my book HANDS DOWN :0)

So, take a look:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17524865/?GT1=9145

Nancy :0)

God, I hope not! But it seems that's what's going on. I attended my Grandfather's funeral in January and caught my Mom's cold (Jeff and I were semi-sick on the cruise)......then I was sick for Bob's funeral (my coworker Arlene's husband) in February and now I'm sick with the flu this time and my Mom's cousin Sal's funeral is tomorrow....March.

Three colds, three funerals...in three months.

I didn't know cousin Sal well at all, in fact, I met him at my Grandfather's funeral for the first time as an adult. He was a nice man and young - 54 with a 16 year old daughter. I swear, it makes me just have to say, What the FUCK is wrong with this world? Why are people dying so young? Why are they leaving behind such young kids too? I would have liked to go to Sal's funeral, but with my having the flu and Jeff still has a cold and now swollen lympth nodes, it's just not possible. I'm trying to look for the positive in 2007, but so far, I'm not finding it. I'm all about Karma, Destiny, Fate and so forth and well, I'm just NOT getting a positive vibe from this year so far. I remember talking to my Dad about Bob's funeral at work and even saying something about how after 2 funerals, hopefully we had our fair share for the year and that's that. And while yes, I didn't know Sal well, it's sad to hear that a nice family member passed without me having gotten to know him. My Dad liked him and I trust my Dad...I would have liked him too. I have so few family members that are in the picture, in my life, that meeting all these cousin's at my Grandfather's funeral, was nice. Family politics and time kept us apart and unfortunately, death brought us together. I already told my Dad that the next time he and Mom are with the cousins, I'd like to be there with them. I know Jeff's family backwards and forwards - this cousin, that Aunt, Great-Aunt and so forth - it would be great to become familiar with my own family as well.

And on to the other topic...colds. Holy crap! What is with me this year? I thought that I was acquiring a great immune system since I've barely been sick since losing weight on Weight Watchers, but I can't say that anymore. This time around, I've got the flu. Nice, right? I feel just horrible. Jeff's working late tonight (my poor Pookie, he's sick too) and I swear, with how weak and achy I feel, I could have used to be waited on hand and foot tonight. I haven't had the flu since 2000 when Jeff and I had it in college (ugh, that was a BAD one!!!) and I could really do without feeling this way.

Anyway......I have to believe that all will get better. I really do. I have to take the approach of, "this too, shall pass"......both with the cold/flu and obviously, with the funerals. I just hate posting such sad things and I wish I had nicer happier things to report.

Hopefully soon.

Nancy.

Tonight was the Forest Hills Financial Group's 6th Annual Awards Dinner at the Water's Edge in Long Island City.





Nancy :0)

I received an email (along with the rest of our office) from the CEO of Forest Hills Financial Group that I'd like to share with everyone:

A Thought to Share
Successful Searching - The path that leads to success.

Many people spend a lifetime waiting for their ship to come in. The reality is, however, that success never comes to us. We must seek and find success. Marva Collins remarked, "Success doesn't come to youm, you go to it." If we want success, we need only to find it - and go after it. It is there waiting to be found.

Nancy :0)

This post is dedicated to my favorite TV show of all time, Days of our Lives :0)
Courtesy of: http://www.pcpages.com/spoiler/youknow.html

YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM SALEM WHEN............

10.TIME ZONES & WEATHER…only in Salem can you be skating on your pond, admiring the snow falling, remarking about the cold, then hop in your car to drive around town where trees are abundant with leaves, lawns are green, and flowers are blooming. While shopping at an outdoor mall in middle of winter, you warm up with a giant cup of coffee or hot chocolate at an outdoor café. While you are eating breakfast, your friends two blocks away are formally dressed to go to dinner at Tuscany, school is nearly out for the day, and your next door neighbors are putting their children to sleep for the night. No matter where you are, it is the same time of day, Salem, Paris, Italy, Virtual Eden., and it only takes an hour to get there if you fly, which is maybe why you can get a ticket to anywhere on a moment’s notice. And any airport in Europe will give you a ticket for a direct flight to Salem USA, no problem. They even know where it is

9. CONVERSATIONS WITH YOURSELF… you can stand 1 foot away from everyone in the room and talk (audibly) to yourself, and no one even notices you telling the world your secrets…except the one person you absolutely do not want to hear what you are saying. This is why you repeat the same sentences over and over, to the same people, day after day, and they always act as though it is the first time. They really do not listen.

8. PERSONAL SAFETY…you or some member of your family has been kidnapped, shot, accused of rape, or brainwashed at least once a month, and definitely have had amnesia. Tho present during explosions, fires, massacres, car wrecks, lightning strikes, you have no emotional after effects, and recover from any injuries in two days. Tho you have a nagging feeling Stefano is at the bottom of all your troubles, you never are able to prove it. Thus, you can be kidnapped, held captive in a cage, been stalked by a strangler and a stabber, and then cannot seem to have sex unless there are strawberries and whipped cream involved.

7. MAGIC CELL PHONES……everyone has a cell phone no matter how poor they may be. It is mandatory. Heck, you are issued one immediately upon entering town. All cell phones have a range unknown to mankind, reaching Europe, Chicago, across town and never need recharging. They work anywhere - in hospitals, airplanes, in the middle of the woods, out on a lake, and have replaced your usual wall phone at home.

6. REFRESHMENTS……No matter how bad you feel or how your life sucks, everything looks rosy after one bite of one of Gram’s donuts. ….hmmmmm, I always wondered what the secret ingredient was….you don’t suppose?….Nah…..They say she has a wonderful garden and a green thumb though…..(note, no matter how many donuts you eat, you never gain an ounce and remain a size 2) You are addicted to caffeine! You are served gallons of all purpose calming tea when visiting friends. When you are out somewhere, you consume gallons of coffee served in gigantic cups, that sometimes given sophisticated names like mocha latte. In spite of drinking all that coffee and tea you NEVER have to use the bathroom. Tis a Salem miracle. However, women do use the restrooms…just not for the usual reason. They only go to have a nasty confrontation with another woman . This answers the age-old question about why women take longer than men, and why they always go in pairs….they’re in there having cat fights!

5. RETURN FROM THE DEAD…you or some member of your family has returned from the dead at least once. There have been at least 2 funerals or memorial services in your honor. You die, and come back, then you die again, then come back, then die, then come back as yourself, but you look like Chris Kositcheck, and nobody notices the change.

4. ENDLESS DAYS & ENDLESS NIGHTS The Day of Your Life - You can wake up, argue with several people over breakfast, have coffee in Salem Place while chatting with other Salem residents, make a 5 minute appearance at work before going on break, go shopping, scheme a way to get your man/ bring down your enemies/hide your secrets/ or embezzle money, have lunch at the diner, bond w/your parents/friends/significant other/children, arrive home just in time for your teens to be coming home from “Hall” school, choose from your 10 formal dresses and assorted diamond jewelry something to wear to go out to dinner at Tuscany…..where you will meet every other person you know doing the same thing……change outfits 6 or 7 times, as well as hairstyles, attend the Last Blast Dance (even if you’re not in high school), make love or at least try to… You wake up the next morning, and find 3 weeks have gone by. .Could be this is called DAYS LIGHT SAVING TIME.

3. RAPID AGING...you go to bed a 3 yr old and wake up 16,. you reach sexual maturity 6 years after your were born (which of course was while your mom and “father” were awaiting rescue from a plane crash, being held captive, or were in prison, or snowed in, or......(you have no father, you have several fathers; you have only one father, but his identity alternates)........one day you’re eating graham crackers, learning the alphabet and watching Teletubbies. The next you’re graduating high school, and having a torrid affair with your cousin. But you don’t know it’s your cousin. However, your parents all have Dick Clark syndrome....they have become ageless, thus you and your parents will soon catch up, and people will take you for siblings. And lucky you, Salem High is the obvious gateway to a life of success. You only have to show up, chatter in the halls all day, attend 5 minutes of history class and you are guaranteed a highly paid executive position the minute you exit its doors. Heck, despite their total accumulative credit hours thus far being two, Chloe is an expert in trig, Belle can speak French fluently, and Jan can rig a hidden camera system that would make any secret agent green with envy.

2. THE MONEY TREE.....you do not have to show up at work regularly, you never have money problems, you can leave for weeks and months at a time, nobody questions your absence, your rent is paid, so are your other bills, job intact, even your house plants are self-watering. You can drop out of high school, yet have your choice of any executive position in any Fortune 500 company. No employee training necessary once you come up with one fantastic idea (like Bella’s new faces) making you an instant success. You will instantly be able to understand annual reports, prepare budgets, and come up with marketing ideas that make your boss swoon. You need only show up for work once every 2 or 3 months, unless you work in the greasy spoon diner, then is 24/7/365. Hardly anyone works, or shows up for the job they do have, but everyone walks around in upscale clothing, flies to Paris on a whim. Money does grow on trees. Need some for that quick Paris getaway? Designer shopping at the Salem Mall? Engagement ring or the “meaningful” pieces of jewelry? Want to buy a house? Just pluck some from the money tree. THIS is what makes those trees green in dead of winter. You never have to pay in a restaurant, go to the store or cook a meal. You never have to wash a dish or cook a meal, as your house miraculously cleans itself. Only in Salem can a waitress in a burger joint become President of a company, (after first beccoming a top model there) replacing the ousted president, who then becomes a waitress in a burger joint.

AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON YOU KNOW YOU ARE FROM SALEM IS.......

1. RELATIVES...... Your family tree has so many criss/crossed branches that you easily relate to the old song “I’m my own Grampaw”. Your family album consists of 36 volumes that include footnotes & a cross-referenced index. You are simultainiously someone’s uncle, brother, grandfather, half-cousin AND you go to school & are totally fine with being weirdly related to your best friend. You need a DNA test before you can go out on a date, and a double one if you decide you want to get married. Your boyfriend’s father is your brother’s uncle, your sister is your step-mother, your father’s son is your boyfriend’s brother or your cousin’s brother, etc. etc. You start thinking of dating Rolf or Bart since they are the only eligible men in Salem to whom you are not related. All the intermixing of bloodlines explains why there seems to be a great lack of brains in Salem. You can wear a simple disguise, and your parents don’t recognize you. You end up being so dumb you don’t realize Aremid is DiMera spelled backwards, too dumb to realize your wife/girlfriend is wearing a pillow to fake her pregnancy.....and if a man, so dumb, you must take off all your clothes to count to 21.

http://www.pcpages.com/spoiler/youknow.html

......and so many things have happened.

......In sad news, my coworker Arlene, her husband Bob passed away this weekend after a long 9 month battle with Brain Cancer. I'm going to be going to one of the wakes tonight with Jeff, Mom and Dad and hopefully, Jeff and I will be able to attend the morning funeral mass Thursday morning. It's really sad. Bob was only 60 years old, Arlene 59 and both of their sons are 33 and 27......very similar ages of my parents - my Mom 59 and my Dad 62 and my sisters and I being 33, 30 and 27. It just REALLY makes you think. All weekend, all I kept saying to my family was "I love you" and I just couldn't stop. I don't want to sound morbid, but it's pretty scary how life just throws curveballs and how in an instant, you could be gone. I'm so lucky and blessed that my parents are alive, healthy and well. I love them both dearly and I hope they know that.

......In brighter news, Jeff and I had a wonderful Valentines Day. We celebrated the weekend before (Sat Feb 9th) and went to Franina on Jericho Turnpike for some NICE Italian food...yummy! Franina was recently renovated and they added this awesome fireplace, which was right where we sat. Jeff had this Ravioli thing for an appetizer, one of the specials that was Rabbit with Mashed Potatoes and Veggies for dinner and Tirmisu for dessert. I had Mozzarella with Basil and Balsamic Vinegar for appetizer, Veal Scallopine Franina with Mashed Potatoes and Veggies for dinner and Creme Brulee for dessert...OMG, it was heaven :0) On the 14th, Jeff cooked me dinner of a nice WW recipe - Chicken with Artichoke Hearts in a lemon/wine/chicken broth with White Rice and Baby Carrots. He also bought me 3 dozen multi-colored petite roses and had them delivered to my office (so sweet :0)

......In work news, things have settled down a bit with Patt becoming Full Time with Harvey and I. She's such a wonderful asset to our group department and is working out perfectly. While I'm still not happy with my job overall and I don't know what I'm doing here long term, it's comforting to know that I've got the help I need here for the time being.

......In "losing" news, I've lost 3.2 lb. of my 4 lb. gain from the cruise and I'm down to 136.4 lbs.! I've got only 1.4 lbs. left to make GOAL!!! I'm super excited. I've been this close before in being 0.6 away before the cruise. I'm REALLY looking forward to getting my Gold Star Award for Goal and that Key for Lifetime :0) I CAN'T WAIT!!!

......In other news, my parents are having their home reconstructed as far as the first floor - from the bathroom, to the livingroom and bedrooms repainted and redone. I'm so happy for them because I know it was a tough decision for them to make, but a really great one and whatever makes them happy - makes me happy. I can't wait to see how wonderful the place will look when it's done!

And hopefully with my next post, there will be much more good news to post.

Nancy :0)

KEIRA AND MANDY'S SELF IMAGE ISSUES

Knightley on her 'horrible legs' and Moore on being 'regular-looking'; plus, baby and romance news with Naomi, Jen, Britney and more ...

Feb. 8, 2007

It's nice to know Hollywood doesn't discriminate when it comes to damaging a starlet's fragile self-esteem. Turns out the rickety and robust alike are made to feel lousy for failing to achieve an impossibly high standard of beauty.

First up is Keira Knightley, 21, who reveals to Hello magazine that her prepossessing visage has been both a gift and a curse.

"I do think I must have a nice face because I'm completely aware my face gets me work," acknowledges the actress, who last month sued a British newspaper for implying her Ginsu-sharp clavicles and fat-free abs might be the result of an eating disorder. "But the problem is that if you happen to be someone who people think of as pretty, you also get so many people whose business it is to comment on your looks."

Sometimes unkindly.

"I've been to photo shoots," she recalls, "where the photographer has told me he'd kept my legs out of shot so I don't need to worry about them -- that of course makes you worry."

Not even her comely countenance escapes judgment.

"Then I've had makeup artists who've told me they need to shade the top of my nose so it won't look so broken," says Knightley. "I also got rejected for a job once because someone said I had a funny mouth."

As a result, she sighs, these supposed flaws become the "things you start to focus on. You start off thinking you're OK, then you have to go to some event and you remember you have a weird mouth, a broken nose and horrible legs."

On the plus side, Keira can shimmy her curve-free frame into the tightest couture, something the enviably shapely Mandy Moore can't always do.

"I want to be healthy, but in an industry where you can't wear a sample size because it's like a 0 or a 2, it makes you feel bad about yourself," the apple-cheeked actress-cum-singer admits to Seventeen. "To go to a photo shoot, it's like, 'Ugh, God, can't you just at least get a regular size, like a 6 or 8 or something?'" (Nancy's Side Note: WOO HOO!!! I'm a size 6 now and I'm NORMAL :0)!!!

The statuesque Moore, 22, knows she can forget about becoming a card-carrying member of the bobblehead brigade and is fine with it.

"I'm not Nicole Richie. I'm not like a toothpick, and I never will be," she says, name-checking the angular but ever-so-slightly healthier-looking ex of her new boyfriend, Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein. "I'm just a regular-looking person -- and that's OK. It's taken a while to come to grips with that since it's definitely not the norm in my business. But like, who cares?"

Posits Mandy, "If anything, that makes someone more special," before laughingly adding, "or at least that's what I tell myself!"

Perhaps Keira and Mandy will follow the example of the sublime Kate Winslet, who has both been there and carb-avoided that and is now perfectly content with her size.

"When it comes to dieting, I just don't care," the mother-of-two admits to Good Housekeeping. "I watch myself as much as any average woman does, you know? I'll eat one cookie, not a whole box of cookies. But I'll still eat the one cookie ... sometimes two or even three. But not the whole box."

The thespian, 31, whose fabulous figure Keira once admired for its "decadent flesh," says she's now a size 6 or 8, and "for me, that's normal. I don't need to be less than that ... I've stayed at the same weight for a while now. I just don't worry about my weight anymore. I notice it ... but I don't avoid anything, and I'm not a fanatic."

Declares Kate, "I think that's a miserable, terrible way to live your life."
(Nancy's Side Note: And THIS is why I LOVE LOVE LOVE Kate Winslet! She doesn't give a rats patooty about anyone and is HAPPY in Hollywood to be a size 6 or 8 :0) YAY!!!)

From the article: http://entertainment.msn.com/movies/hotgossip/2-8-07

Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back".

Nancy :0)

........so much has happened.

Friday Jan 19th, Saturday Jan 20th and Sunday Jan 21st:
Yup, we're back! Well, we came back yesterday, but I wrote about that already. Today we kinda just stayed in the house as well as Saturday too. I think we got out sometime Saturday afternoon for the laundry and to grocery shop. It wasn't that much of an interesting weekend. Kinda just sat around and relaxed before going back to work. I went to Weight Watchers Sunday and I gained 4 lbs. on vacation, but that's cool, I'll get that off in no time!

Monday 22nd through Thursday Jan 25th........
Work has been intense though. Arlene's husband Bob fell ill again while I was away on vacation. So when I got to the office Monday morning, Sonny (the receptionist) filled me in on what was going on and I came into the office seeing all of Patt Reid's stuff on the back desk that was once just our dumping ground. This first week back has been pretty tough, but Patt's got the hang of a lot of what Arlene and I would do here. She was going to come in before Arlene was offically retired but because all this stuff just happened, she was sorta thrown in our office quicker than we anticipated.

Friday Jan 26th, Saturday Jan 27th and Sunday Jan 28th:
Mom and Dad took me home and we did the taxes....I honestly don't remember what Jeff and I did Sat and Sun...I think we relaxed in the house...not sure. You see what happens when I don't blog for a couple weeks??? Anyway, it couldn't have been that interesting if I don't remember or wrote about it. I know I lost 2.2 of the 4 lbs gain Sunday...that's good :0)

Monday Jan 29th through Thursday Feb 1st........
Work's been about the same, busy, busy and more busy. I've been doing a lot of thinking about my life and well, let's just leave it at that. I don't know what I'm doing, but I've gotta make some changes somewhere because I'm just not happy right now. No, not with Jeff :0) Him I love :0) I mean about my career and overall daily happiness...it's just not happening. I don't know, I'll figure it out.

Friday Feb 2nd, Saturday Feb 3rd and Sunday Feb 4th:
We had Adam and Ryan over on Friday night for dinner and to hang out since we hadn't seen them in a while. Saturday, Jeff and I ran errands and relaxed - we'd also gone to Georgia Diner for Ca's birthday and back to Ca and Charles' new apartment for some cake. Sunday, well that's Superbowl Sunday....so Jeff and I just hung out in our apartment and watched the game. I also went to WW today and lost 0.2 lbs. ONLY 2.2 LBS. TO GO TO GOAL!!!

Monday Feb 5th through Wednesday Feb 7th...well, so far:
This week has been better. Patt's settled into the Group Department and Harvey's hired her Full Time to help out while Arlene's on Family Leave. I don't know what he plans on doing if Arlene comes back to work or not, but I'm hoping he's at least thinking about it (though I'm getting the feeling he's not...just my impression).

Nancy :0)

Wish Jeff and I a Bon Voyage as we're going to be boarding the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Dawn later today for our 11 days cruise to the Western Caribbean. See you later NYC, HELLO Great Stirrup Cay, Grand Caymen, Jamaica, Mexico, Belize and Honduras!!!

I'll blog about it and post ALL of our million and a half pics when we come back.

Later......

Jeff and I are back home now and we've got so much to tell about our vacation. First off, I think I might have jinxed myself when saying the whole "11 days in paradise" thing, because well, while our vacation was definitely interesting and nice, neither of us were expecting to hit a storm all along the eastern seaboard while heading to the Caribbean. Neither Jeff nor I had been on a cruise before but we kept hearing how wonderful of an experience it is and how "you won't feel a thing!" To sum it up, a ton of odd things happened while on the cruise besides the weater being bad and rainy, some of our ports of call were wonderful and I'd definitely fly down there just for them, some of the ports of call were like, "Why did they take us here?!?" and well, both of us agree that we won't take another cruise again because after hitting a storm, we know how bad it can be...if there weren't a storm though, we'd consider another cruise. Oh well.

Anyway, here's our vacation day by day:

January 7th 2007 – Day 1 – Departing NYC Harbor

We were off to a pretty good start last night when we sailed out of New York City’s Pier 90 for the Western Caribbean. The sky was nice and blue and the water pretty calm. I didn’t really feel the motion of the ocean (yea, ha ha) until we were at dinner in the Teppanyaki dining room (it’s very much like Bennihana and the food was fantastic). We were supposed to go to this introductory cruise show at 9pm, but as soon as I sat in the theatre, I really felt sick. Jeff took me back to the room were we changed and I rested for a bit before meeting up with Aunt Harriet and Michael. The ship itself amazing! It’s huge and so beautiful. Our room is a category BB, which is an Oceanview Balcony outside stateroom. It’s a bit small, but bigger than what I’ve heard staterooms to be. The balcony is just awesome! Jeff, Aunt Harriet, Michael and I watched the ship sail out of the harbor and we took a bunch of pics of the Statue of Liberty and crossing underneath the Verrazano Bridge. Yes, I’m going backwards in my story telling right now…..oh well. Anyway, back to what I was saying before. It’s unfortunate that our ship hit a horrible storm that was deemed both “rough” and “severe” and several points during the night and the waves were about 12ft high. I don’t do very well when it comes to being in a car or plane and well, now a cruise ship. I get motion sickness very easily. Not to the point where I’ve gotten sick, but enough to feel green and definitely not hungry. As I was saying before, Jeff and I met up with Aunt Harriet and Michael after the 9pm show and we decided to split up and explore the ship – Aunt Harriet went one way and Jeff, Michael and I went another. I don’t know what it was but when I was walking around the ship I didn’t feel that sick. We decided to be bad and walked around the deck……yea, even though the sea was rough and it was sorta raining. For some reason, the fresh air was wonderful for me and I was feeling the best when outside. Jeff and Michael just enjoyed being daredevils since the wind speed was about 40mph and we probably shouldn’t have been up there. We met up with Aunt Harriet in the Dawn Club Casino and were pretty much wet. Jeff and I went back to our stateroom to change and met them back at Dazzle’s Lounge and we finally settled on sitting at Gatsby’s (the piano bar). I know there was a point where Aunt Harriet went up to bed and Jeff, Michael and I stayed by Gatsby’s where I fell asleep in one of the chairs – well, we were the only three there and the Gatsby’s was closed anyway. Trying to actually go to sleep was tough too. We went back up to the room about 2:30am I think. I forgot to mention that Jeff and I bought caught colds, so being at sea with rough waters is enough, but having a cold on top of that just isn’t too pleasant. I kept waking up either because of the ship creaking or Jeff’s snoring…..I don’t know which was worse, JK :0)

January 8th 2007 – Day 2 – At Sea

I woke up first then woke up Jeff for showers and breakfast. We met Aunt Harriet and Michael at the Garden Café buffet then walked around exploring the ship. Since Aunt Harriet is a frequent Norwegian Cruise Line passenger, Jeff and I were invited with her and Michael to the Latitudes Drinks and Appetizers party in the early afternoon in The Spinnaker Lounge (at the front of the ship). The ship was really moving then and you can tell everyone was feeling it by the way they were walking and falling all over the place. We weren’t sitting in the lounge for more than ten minutes before both Jeff and I were feeling sick and left. The ship was hit by a 12 ft wave and the whole room (of frequent cruisers mind you) let out a collective gasp and were all freaked out. Jeff was feeling it worse then me today, so we went back up near the pool area where we were goofing around last night and sat in the fresh air. Now we’re back in the stateroom and Jeff’s sleeping which is why I’m catching up my blog on how the cruise is going. I’m not feeling too bad now. I took a Dramamine (so did Jeff), but I’m not feeling as bad as he is now. I took a couple of pics from the balcony and even a short video. Now that we’ve passed the storm (from what it looks like and hopefully), the sun is breaking through and it looks nice out. It’s so strange to be on that balcony looking out at the Atlantic Ocean and seeing nothing but ocean from any angle you look – no land. It’s 3pm now and we’re meeting up with Aunt Harriet and Michael at 4pm for this Win, Lose or Draw thing. While the ship is nice and beautiful, the staff is so helpful and friendly and the accommodations and restaurants are something to brag about – I do believe that this is our first and only cruise. I don’t know how people do this or how the rough ocean doesn’t bother some. Alright, I’m signing off now and I’ll be back to update later. Win Lose or Draw was pretty fun, although our team didn’t win. We were paired up with a couple other people for the game. After, we went back to our staterooms and changed for what the NCL calls it’s “Dress Up Night” and we had dinner in the Venetian restaurant. We then went to the Stardust Theatre for a Comedy Show (they have shows every night) and I was really feeling the movement of the ship again, so I popped another Dramamine. We all went to Gatsby’s after that to catch Dan Hodge, NCL Dawn’s piano bar guy play his set for the night. Dan Hodge is really good and I’ve come to realize that I like piano bar/lounge type music…..go figure. Aunt Harriet went to sleep after that, so Mike, Jeff and I hung out and were up to no good. JK, we just walked around the ship again outside in the rain.

January 9th 2007 – Day 3 – Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas

Aunt Harriet, Mike, Jeff and I met about 9am for breakfast at the Garden Café. After having a day and a half at sea, we were all pretty excited to get off the ship and touch land. And from what I’ve heard, Great Stirrup Cay (NCL’s own private island) is really a wonderful and beautiful beach. Jeff and I watched the tender boats from our balcony try and attach to our ship. Unfortunately, we then heard an announcement from the captain stating that we will be unable to tender into the Bahamas due to “bad weather”. I’m sorry, I thought it was complete BS since it wasn’t raining and I didn’t think the tender boats were rocking that badly (not as bad as our ship). So with that, we called Aunt Harriet and Mike in their room and met up by the elevators for the pool. It was PACKED!!! The boys went into the freezing cold pool and Aunt Harriet and I opted for the nice warm hot tub. Jeff and Mike entered in a team swim race and unfortunately, their team lost. They joined us in the hot tub for a while, and then we out and went to the Garden Café for lunch. We all went back to our staterooms and napped for a while, then met back at the Venetian Restaurant for dinner. After dinner, Aunt Harriet, Jeff, Mike and I went exploring around the ship and wound up playing shuffleboard on Deck 7. We had a late night out, then went to bed. It was pretty shitty that we didn’t get to actually see the Bahamas and touch land, but all in all, we had fun.


Me on our balcony in the Bahamas

January 10th 2007 – Day 4 – At Sea

We had breakfast in the Garden Café this morning, then went to the Pearly Kings Pub for some TV Trivia. The teams had to be at least 2 up to 6 people, so the 4 of us were all set in a team. And our team did GREAT! We won the TV Trivia and received an NCL Address book as a prize, oh and I kept our trivia answer sheet. We then went to the Stardust Theatre for this shopping consulting thing. It’s basically two of the NCL crew who give you consultation on the shopping in the ports of call, which places are considered safe and stuff. Most of the shops they mentioned were jewelry places, stuff that I didn’t intend on buying and I was really feeling the motion of the ship, so Jeff left early with me. Aunt Harriet and Mike were behind us and they were happy that I didn’t want to sit there anymore because they weren’t enjoying the consultation or the motion of the ship either. We all walked around the ship, had lunch and then met up at the Oasis Pool for an Ice Carving demonstration where he carved a parrot. We attended the Dysfunctional Family Feud game in The Spinnaker Lounge and entered ourselves in to be the dysfunctional family. We weren’t called for the game, but the two teams that were, were hysterical!!! One team called BC looked like they were all family and the other team called The Boozers were a bunch of college age friends who were drinking and smoking on stage, even ordering drinks. The game show host, Richard, had an English accent and the game itself was really funny. The questions were pretty easy and the BC team won. Jeff, Mike and me walked changed, then walked around the ship to watch and take pics of the sunset. We went to Aqua restaurant for dinner, and then hung out in Aunt Harriet and Michael’s room for a while. Jeff, Mike and I went up to the sports court and played some basketball. We ordered room service back in Aunt Harriet and Mike’s room, then Jeff and I were still awake, so we sat in Gatsby’s for a drink and watched Dan Hodge perform.

January 11th 2007 – Day 5 – Cozumel, Mexico

We did the breakfast buffet this morning at the Garden Café since it’s quicker than the sit down breakfast at the Venetian (still want to try the Venetian though). Our ship docked at an island dock today instead of having to drop anchor in the ocean and tender boat into port. It’s nicer this way. We all just walked off the ship and were straight on the dock in Cozumel. We met our excursion for Playa Mia Beach Break at the far end of the pier and took a 15 minute bus ride to our beach destination. The beach was nice. Definitely better than Jones Beach and it was so great to be out in the sun for a change. The sun wasn’t too strong, but we were lucky to have it especially with all the bad weather we ran into. It was also great to finally touch land after 3 ½ days on the ship. After the beach, the bus took us back to the dock where there was a nice and large shopping area. Mike wasn’t feeling well, so Aunt Harriet went back to the ship with him while Jeff and I walked around Cozumel and shopped. Of course, as soon as I thought the weather might hold out for the whole day, it started to rain while we were out shopping. So Jeff and I walked back to the ship getting poured on, but laughing about it the whole time. We even took some pics of the bad weather rolling in. When we got back to the ship, we showered and met Aunt Harriet at Impressions for dinner – Mike still wasn’t feeling well, so he stayed in his room. After dinner, Jeff and I sat in the Grand Atrium and watched one of the bands play Elvis songs. Niether of us could sleep with the boat rocking because of the weather, so we went to the Dawn Club Casino before bed.


Jeff and I at Playa Mia beach in Cozumel, Mexico.

January 12th 2007 – Day 6 – Belize City, Belize

Jeff and I woke up late, but met Aunt Harriet for breakfast in the Garden Café without Mike since he was still not feeling well. Aunt Harriet mentioned that she took Mike down to Medical that morning and they said he had a stomach virus, so the doctor told him to stay in his stateroom for 24 hours until the virus passes. We had to go to Dazzles Lounge to get tickets for the tender boat, so Jeff and I did that and went back to our stateroom until they called our numbers – they were in the 800’s. We met Aunt Harriet by the elevators when our number was called and we boarded this really small tender boat. I thought the boat would go slow, figuring because it was so small, but instead, the boat high-tailed it to the island dock and scared the crap out of me! Since we didn’t have a shore excursion for Belize, Aunt Harriet, Jeff and I walked around the docks shopping area and shopped to our heart’s content. We decided to eat lunch in Belize in one of the NCL recommended restaurants called The Wet Lizard (AKA Wet Liz). The Wet Lizard is a restaurant/bar that’s pretty much open on all sides. It’s not like they have doors or anything, you walk up this open staircase and plop yourself down at one of the tables until a waitress takes your order. I had the most reliable thing on the menu, a burger and fries, but both Aunt Harriet and Jeff ordered something like Meat and Tortilla or whatnot related. I also ordered a “Dirty Banana” which is Kalhua, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Vodka, Chocolate Syrup and Banana. OH MY GOD, it was so wonderful!!! I’m wondering if I could get something like that back in the states. It’s basically a Frozen Mudslide with a banana in it…yummy! Jeff wanted to see this swing bridge that was located on this map of Belize City that we had gotten from the Dawn, so we walked out of the Wet Liz and passed the shopping area for the bridge. I didn’t really like the area, but felt safe having both Jeff and Aunt Harriet there with me. We took some pics on the bridge and started to head back when it started to drizzle. Aunt Harriet went back to her stateroom to check on Michael and Jeff and I went back to ours to nap. We met up with Aunt Harriet by the elevators for dinner and we’d gone to Bamboo for some Asian food. Bamboo was really nice and the portions were much bigger than you’d expect on a cruise. After dinner, I’d gone to the ladies room and when I came out, I didn’t expect to hear what Jeff told me. Our ship was supposed to leave port at 5:00pm and it was already 7:00pm. He said that he ran into the couple that we ate with for the Teppanyaki dining our first night on the cruise and Jeff was told that an NCL Tour Excursion bus had driven over a mountain and that several passengers, including NCL crew, were injured. One NCL crew member had been airlifted to a Miami hospital and was paralyzed and several excursion guests came back to the ship all scrapped up and bruised. We went back with Aunt Harriet to her and Michael’s room to check on him. We then went back to our room to change for the Gleason Magic show in the Stardust Theater. The magic show was AWESOME!!! It wasn’t like those magic shows that you can see the tricks of the trade. It was just very cool. After the show, we went to casino with Aunt Harriet and Michael, then played Catchphrase in the Java Café before going to bed.

January 13th 2007 – Day 7 – Roatan Bay Islands, Honduras

We finally had breakfast in the Venetian this morning and it was really nice to have a sit down breakfast and have people wait on you. We docked in Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras this morning and it’s going to be interesting to see what this island is like. From our balcony, all I really see are trees on mountains and it looks really pretty. The dock itself looks odd though. There are a bunch of school buses and just weird looking things on the dock…huh, it’ll be interesting today. Ok, I’m going to Honduras! All right, I’m back now. Roatan Bay Islands, Honduras is a very interesting city. It seems to have been devastated by the hurricanes in the past year or so and if you weren’t on an excursion, there wasn’t much to do on the island by where the ship was docked. We walked to the right of the ship down the street where most of us tourists were and ducked in a couple shops here and there. The shops were in broken-down houses and shack type places and I guess safe because the NCL was docked right there, but the whole thing just seemed shady. We then walked for a while left of the dock in search of some more stores and stopped at the Cameo store that was built like a castle and headed back to the ship. We just had lunch at the Venetian and played Shuffle Board on the deck. Granted we didn’t know what we were really doing, but we had fun anyway. Mike almost shot one of the pucky thingies over the ship. Unfortunately, Jeff and Mike had beat Aunt Harriet and I…I think they cheated :0) We went to hang out in the Java Café for a while, then we went back to our rooms to shower and change. We signed up for a Murder Mystery Dinner that night. We met up at the Stardust Theatre and were surprised at just how many people came for it. Since we were already a group of four, we were put with another group of four people (two couples) and were asked to take sticky name tags. We were then given a booklet about our character and in that booklet one of the eight of us were the murderer. They took us to the Venetian for dinner, where each table of eight, acted out the scripts they were given. I’m not much of an actor, but I had fun with my character and the storyline. Some pretty funny inside jokes were born that night :0) and no, I won’t share them, because otherwise they aren’t inside jokes. After dinner, we all went back to our staterooms to change clothes, then met at Gatsby’s for Dan Hodge.

January 14th 2007 – Day 8 – George Town, Grand Cayman

Another morning at the Garden Café for the breakfast buffet (yes, that rhymes, didn’t mean to do that…anyway) and it’s a nice and sunny day in beautiful Grand Cayman Islands :0) Our ship dropped anchor in the Atlantic and we’re relying on tender boats to take us to the island today. We’ve got an excursion for Seven Mile Beach today, which is Grand Cayman’s largest stretch of beach. I’m told it’s beautiful, so I’m hoping that we’ll get a nice beach day today…so far, so good! We’re back from Seven Mile Beach and let me tell you OH MY GOD, the beach was BEAUTIFUL!!! First, the driver we had going to the beach was really wacky. He’s a native Jamaican, working on Grand Cayman Island and he just had a very odd way of keeping us excursion-goers entertained. He started singing “Mary had a Little Lamb”, “The Banana Boat” song and several others and beeped the horn at several points...he also stopped the bus and talked to some of the passerby’s on the side of the road. Anyway, Seven Mile Beach itself is something to DEFINITELY brag about! The water is crystal blue and it’s so true what people say about the beach in the Caribbean…you can look down and see your feet! The water was really calm and pretty warm. We all had a lot of fun and Grand Cayman was the best stop on the cruise yet. After the beach, the same driver took us back to the shopping district. A long strip of the stores were closed because it was Sunday (don’t know why, but that’s the way Grand Cayman is) but there were a good amount of stores that were open for us to shop in. We stopped in Breezes by the Bay for a drink solely based on Jeff seeing a large sign of theirs that said “Banana Mudslide”….all he did was mention that to me and I was there! Hmmm, Banana Mudslide, it was very much like the Dirty Banana that I had in Belize and equally as yummy that Aunt Harriet joined me in having one. Jeff had a beer, as always :0) After shopping, we took one of the last tender boats back to the ship to shower and change for dinner. We went to La Trattoria, the Italian place for dinner tonight. And of course, like the whole cruise has been some more very odd things happened. While at dinner (very yummy might I add) we heard over the loud speaker “Code Alpha to the Incinerator Room”. Aunt Harriet, Mike, Jeff and I looked up from our food and stared at each other in shock. Why the hell was there a Code Alpha in the INCINERATOR ROOM?!?! Did that mean that the ship was to explode or even implode?!? WTF?!? A couple minutes later, the same guy gets on the loud speaker and says “Code Alpha Cancelled” or something like that. And a couple minutes after that, the Captain gets on the loud speaker and says that the Code Alpha was a medical emergency that has been taken care of. Just very stern and serious and with no explanation…very weird. We went to the Dawn Club Casion with Aunt Harriet and Mike, then Aunt Harriet went to bed, so it was just us “kids”. We hung out on Deck 7 outdoors for a while, then went to the Garden Café…which didn’t have much to munch on, so we settled on the Blue Lagoon for snacks and to BS.


On the NCL Dawn balcony in the Grand Cayman.

January 15th 2007 – Day 9 – Ocho Rios, Jamaica

We had breakfast at the Garden Café buffet this morning and we’re docked now in the beautiful island of Jamaica :0) Jamaica actually, was one of my and Jeff’s options when we were deciding on a Honeymoon destination – but because 2 weeks in Disney were cheaper than 1 week in Jamaica, we chose the 2 weeks in Disney. Anyway, we’re FINALLY in Jamaica! Aunt Harriet, Mike, Jeff and I chose the same shore excursion called The Best of Ocho Rios for today. It’s a look into Fern Gully, Shaw Park Gardens, Dunn’s River Falls and a stop in the shopping district. It was drizzling when we were waiting on the dock for our tour bus, but stopped when we were on the bus and heading to Fern Gully. The description of Fern Gully in the tour book was to be this beautiful lush greenery and I thought the tour bus would have stopped so we could walk around outside of it or at least drive slowly so we could see Fern Gully, but no, Lee (our tour guide) plowed through Fern Gully at like 40 mph and scared the crap outta me. Fern Gully was beautiful, but all the twists and turns and him driving that fast…it was something that I could have skipped. Plus, Lee’s assistant, our “tour guide” Anika (I think that’s what it was) was pretty stupid. She looked about our age, but she was supposed to be pointing out highlights of Ocho Rios (I mean, this tour was called The Best of Ocho Rios) and all she could say was, “And here’s KFC….here’s Burger King….here’s a typical Ocho Rios school….” Basically, she wasn’t much of a tour guide. Our next stop was to Shaw Park Gardens which was something very beautiful and amazing. Shaw Park Gardens is one of the tourist spots of Ocho Rios Jamaica and well worth the trip. Outdoors, it’s a beautiful lush garden of flowers, spices, trees and such sitting on a mountain top with a wonderful view of the town of Ocho Rios. There are waterfalls and staircases and Jeff and I took an enormous amount of pics while we were there. Our tour guide for the gardens was really wacky. He and this videographer had us saying things like, “Yea Mon” and whatnot while taking us around the Gardens. Really wacky. After the gardens, we boarded the bus and they took us to Dunn’s River Falls :0) Now this, I was really excited about! Dunn’s River Falls is a 600 foot natural limestone waterfall, that if you’re brave and daring enough, you can climb up it! Well, of course Jeff and I did that, I mean, when else would we be given the opportunity to climb up a waterfall?!? It’s funny because you start out holding hands with strangers and you all help each other up the waterfall. But landing by landing, it became harder to hold onto people’s hands. I was lucky enough to have a strong man in front of me to help me up the rocks, but with Jeff behind me and this slow-poke woman behind him, we were separated while climbing the rocks. There was one point where our guide and videographer stopped at a landing and took people’s personal cameras that they had in zippie bags and were taking pics of them. I tried to walk around the guide and banged my shin into a rock that was jutting out in the water that I couldn’t see because the water was up to my tummy (that’s how I got my cruise bruise and it turned Black and Blue right away). Jeff and I knew that we were on a time restraint, so we left our group and climbed up the rest of the waterfall ourselves. It wasn’t too bad either. I mean, the water was rushing down the rocks (duh, that’s what a waterfall does), but I was pleasantly surprised and happy that neither Jeff or I fell and we climbed the hell outta that thing! Mike met us at one of the landings nearby staircase and took a ton of pics of us climbing up. Climbing Dunn’s River Falls has to be THE ballsyest thing that I’ve ever done as well as the most exhilarating and exciting! I would DEFINITELY do it again in a heartbeat, it was just THAT awesome :0)!!! It was drizzling while Jeff and I were climbing up, but we didn’t notice until we hit a landing where Mike was and walked up to where Aunt Harriet was. We left Dunn’s River just in time to make our tour bus before it left. I called Mom and Dad on the bus and chatted with them about how our vacation was going so far. The tour bus took us into the shopping district and we wound up in the wrong one, so the driver had to double back to the right one, which was called the Taj Mahal shopping center. It was a cute area and the shops were nice. Mike, Jeff and I walked around the shops and Aunt Harriet went on her own. I bought a bongo drum that had a cute Dolphin and Sunset theme on it for cheap and some Jamaica glasses. The tour bus then took us back to the ship dock and we were all hungry, so we went back to our staterooms to change and met up at the Venetian for lunch. The Venetian is a really nice restaurant and lunch there was wonderful! Much better than the Garden Café buffet lunch. You have more choices and it’s just nice to sit down and have people serve you every once in a while. We napped after lunch, then walked around the NCL Dawn Gift Shop. The ship was rocking pretty badly that Jeff, Mike and I walked to leave. It was getting hard to walk and close to dinner time anyway, so we went back to our staterooms to shower and change for dinner. Tonight was dinner at Cagney’s Steak House and it was on Mike because he’d done so well at the Dawn Club Casino. Unfortunately, we didn’t even start on dinner when Mike got sick and Jeff took him back to his stateroom. We finished our dinner and went back to Aunt Harriet and Mike’s stateroom to check on him. He was basically in for the night and Aunt Harriet stayed with him, so Jeff and I were by ourselves. We went down to Gatsby’s to see Dan Hodge end his set. The ship was rocking too much for me to sleep and even wandering the ship didn’t help calm my tummy. Jeff got me ginger ale and he even got my Pepto back from Mike (at 1am mind you) and I was just feeling horrible. I didn’t throw up but I felt so dizzy. Jeff suggested for us to sit on our balcony, so that’s what we did until my tummy settled and I started to fall asleep outside. I went back in at 2am and finally fell asleep in bed.

January 16th 2007 – Day 10 – At Sea

Jeff and I woke up late, so we had breakfast by ourselves at the Garden Café since Aunt Harriet and Mike ate already. We’re at sea all day today and tomorrow and the day after that, we should be waking up in New York Harbor. Aunt Harriet and Mike met us in the Garden Café and we walked around Deck 7. None of us were that thrilled on what the NCL Freestyle Daily had on tap for the morning, so we kinda did our own thing. We wound up in the Java Café and played Rummy. Poor Jeff was the only one that wasn’t winning and finally after several hands, he won! At 1pm, we walked around the Grand Atrium for the “Street Bazaar” where I bought an NCL Dawn martini glass, then we attended the NCL Chocoholic Buffet in the Venetian. OH MY GOD, if you are a chocoholic, THIS is the place to be! It looked like something off of the Food Network where they had these displays made strictly out of chocolate and a whole bunch of little pastries, cakes, cookies, fruit dipped in chocolate, chocolate mousse, just about everything covered and smothered in chocolate. I opted in getting the chocolate mousse looking thing in a parfait glass that was chocolate syrup, chocolate mousse, whipped cream and a chocolate swirly thing on top…yummy! Other than that, I didn’t touch anything else – I was REALLY good :0) I mean, we’d just had lunch too, which was great because we didn’t eat that much. When we were walking out, we saw this HUGE line just to get into the Venetian for this chocolate buffet – we were smart to go get on line 20 mins before the Chocoholic Buffet opened. All four of us went to Gatsby’s where we played Rummy while waiting for Dan Hodge with Music Trivia. That was fun! We’d tried Music Trivia a couple days ago in the Pearly Kings with this guy Stacy McAdams, but he was HORRIBLE at singing and was giving us songs by Gershwin and god knows who else, but stuff that made Aunt Harriet feel super young! Anyway, since groups for Music Trivia could be from 2 to 6 people, it was us 4 and a couple that we had the Murder Mystery Dinner with a couple nights ago with. We didn’t win, but came in 4th place or something. Aunt Harriet and Mike went to the Dawn Club Casino after the trivia game while Jeff and I went back to our stateroom. He napped and I went for a 2 mile walk with my iPod around Deck 7. IT WAS SO NICE!!! The weather was warm, the ship wasn’t rocking (finally!) and it just felt so peaceful and nice. I will never be able to work out and walk to this type of scenery again for a very long time. Alley Pond Park is going to look pretty dull this Spring in comparison to the night sky in the Caribbean. I went back to our stateroom and woke Jeff so we could get ready for our 7pm dinner reservations at Impressions 7pm. Impressions was really nice. Aunt Harriet, Jeff and I went there the other night when Mike wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want dinner. So it was nice to go back there with Mike with us. We changed and went to Gatsby’s for Dan Hodge. Aunt Harriet went to sleep early, so Jeff, Mike and I hung out listening to Dan Hodge until his set was over. Finally, we had Slight weather conditions (which was the calmest night of all) so we went back to our staterooms about 12am and went to bed.

January 17th 2007 – Day 11 – At Sea

I woke up 6:45am and showered, Jeff still asleep as I’m typing this. The wind speed is 34mph we’re off the coast of Georgia now on our way home. It’s 60 degrees out and way too cold for swimming. The ocean water is pretty calm this morning, I’m surprised because if you’d figure the wind speed, it would be worse, but it’s not. I woke Jeff up at 7:45 for a shower and we went to the Garden Café breakfast buffet for 8:30am with Aunt Harriet and Mike. Again, the NCL Freestyle Daily just didn’t appeal to any one of the four of us today, so we decided to do our own thing. Funny how the Freestyle Daily had better on ship activities when we were headed to the Caribbean, but are kinda stinky coming back home. We hung out in the Java Café and played Rummy before attending this important Debarkation talk with Darin (the cruise director) in the Stardust Theatre at 10:30am. I was kinda nervous about hanging in the Stardust Theatre since the seas were now at Moderate and since the Stardust Theatre is at the back of the ship, the movement is felt the most. I toughed it out and we went into the Mexican Restaurant area (which is empty before 5pm) to play Rummy, except we started a game of 500 Rummy. We had lunch, then went back up to the Mexican place to continue our game of 500 Rummy. I had a huge migraine and wasn’t feeling well, so I went back to the room and left Jeff, Mike and Aunt Harriet to continue their game of 500 Rummy. I tried to nap in the stateroom, but I couldn’t get to sleep with having the migraine, even after taking Excedrin, so I just laid on the bed until Jeff came in the room about 4:20pm. I was hungry before dinner, so we went to the Garden Café for a small bite to eat. Jeff and I walked around the decks for a while before heading back to our stateroom to change for dinner. Jeff had last pick so we ended up going to Salsa, the Mexican Restaurant for dinner. None of us, besides Jeff, is really into Mexican food, but we were all very pleasantly surprised at the menu selections and how well the food was :0) Jeff and Aunt Harriet shared this dish for two that came on this wacky looking thing…just go look at the pics for today and you’ll see what I mean. I had Pork Ribs which I didn’t even think I’d like them, but they were so yummy! The desserts were just as wonderful and poor Jeff kept saying that we should have listened to him and went to the Mexican place sooner (oh well). We went back to our staterooms to change and go where else, but to see Dan Hodge’s last set of the cruise. Yes, he was that good – Jeff should be putting some of the videos on here from him soon. After Hodge’s set finished at midnight, we were all up and awake, so we went back to the Mexican place (which was closed) to place 500 Rummy with Aunt Harriet and Mike. Aunt Harriet went to bed shortly after, leaving me, Jeff and Mike by ourselves. We had so much fun. We cracked jokes and both guys found it funny trying to make me laugh and pee (not funny guys!). We continued our game of 500 Rummy until about 2:30am when we decided to go to sleep. Again, we had a Slight calm, so sleeping for the last night of the cruise was just like sleeping at home.

January 18th 2007 – Day 12 (sorta) – HOME!!!

Home Sweet Home :0) New York Harbor never looked so good! Not to say that I didn’t enjoy myself on the cruise, but it would be nice to sit down for a meal and not move back and forth. Yea, I know, it was shit luck that the cruise we took ran into a storm which caused 12 ft waves most nights and for us to not like the cruise experience, but you know what, at least I didn’t let my fear of taking a cruise stop me from doing so. I feel good that I tried a cruise and now know that it’s just not for me. While the ports were wonderful, I’d rather just fly it or drive to Mexico or anything over the seas. Anyway, since we were in Slight weather, we had breakfast at the Venetian this morning. Aunt Harriet and Mike came to our room after breakfast with their bags and we waited for our color tag of TAN to be called. We were, I think 5th in line to get called to disembark. It wasn’t too long that we were called and walking on Deck 4 to leave the ship. We were able to find our bags by the baggage claim pretty quick and had one of the dock baggage guys waiting for us. He took us to the taxi line and got us a number. We only waited about 10 minutes before piling into a van and heading back to Queens to Aunt Harriet and Mike’s place. I called both Ca and Lee from the van and updated them on the cruise (sorta). In no time, we were back by Aunt Harriet’s place and were greeted by Uncle Howie. We went in to their place for a couple mins to BS about our trip, but then left for Key Food to get some lunch and dinner items. I made Pasta with Spinach for lunch and it felt SO GOOD to cook and have a home cooked meal. I mean, the food on the cruise was phenomenal, but there’s just something about a home cooked meal. Jeff and I relaxed on the sofa pretty much the rest of the day, just catching up on the stuff were recorded on the DVR. We had Mom and Dad over for dinner to update them on the cruise – of course, I made Lemon/Soy Sauce Chicken with White Rice and Baby Carrots. They stayed for a while after dinner and when they left, Jeff and I watched American Idol before going to bed.

Nancy :0)

That is the question.

I've been thinking a lot about Weight Watchers, my starting weight, my current weight, Goal and Lifetime. When I started WW back in November 2005, I had the number of 130 lbs. in my head of what I wanted to be even though the highest weight I can make Goal is at 135 lbs. Well, now I'm pretty close to 135 and I'm not sure if I should call that Goal or continue on to 130 as Goal. Why 130 you ask me??? I don't know why 130, I just picked that number when I started WW because it sounded nice and small. Now that I'm approaching 135, I'm leaning more towards setting my WW Goal at that instead. Why the question....to set 135 as Goal or continue on to 130 as Goal?

Here's the catch....why in my head, do I feel like a "failure" (for a lack of a better word), because I didn't "stick to my guns" and see my original WW goal of 130 to the end? Why do I feel like, if I set my WW goal at 135, I'm "giving up"? I know I must sound nuts because it's only a 5 lb. difference, but it's my own weird struggle over a stupid number (yea, I admit, it's stupid).

Some of my friends on the WW board say that I should call Goal 135 so I can stop paying for membership and as a Lifetime Member, enjoy the Free Membership benefits that come along with Lifetime status. But honestly, I don't care about paying WW money or whatever, that part doesn't bother me. I just feel like I want to be DONE with the losing part and maintaining my losses already...that's WHY I want to stop at 135 as my Goal and make Lifetime.

MOST importantly, I feel good about myself and the way I look now. I'm sorta feeling like, "Is is worth it to lose those last 5 lbs. before I call it goal?". I do want to tone my tummy and thighs, but I am overall happy being a size 6 and 135 sounds pretty good. I mean, how was I to know starting at 201.4 that 135 would look good as Goal? I am comfortably fitting into a solid size 6 pants and my shirts are either Small or Extra Small...so what more could I ask for? It's just amazing!!! I can finally look at my weight loss and Goal weight of 135 as, "I'm proud of myself and my accomplishments".

And just because I set 135 as my WW Goal, doesn't mean that I can't try and lose more. I should really take the advice of my leader Marianne and set my WW Goal at the highest range and if I really want to lose more, then just go ahead and do it. I mean, that's what Marianne did, Christine did that too, so did Lisa and a couple others I know from the WW Boards. And as Jeff said, it's OK that I changed my mind and set Goal as 135, there's nothing wrong in changing my mind and reevaluating myself and what I want out of WW.

I basically think that in all this, I've answered my own question. I'm going to set 135 as my Goal and talk to Marianne about it on Sunday. As of now, at 137.4, I've got 2.4 lbs. left to Goal :0) Wow, that's just amazing!

Nancy :0)

PS - Thank you to everyone who has helped me over the past couple of weeks to work through this, I REALLY appreciate it!!!

Jeff and I spent Xmas Day with Aunt Harriet, Uncle Howie, Jason, Michael and Adam...celebrating Hanukkah, on Xmas Day mind you, with a Thanksgiving-day-esque lunch/dinner thing. It was really great to be with family and sorta have Xmas again. You'd swear there was a Catholic in the family somewhere, but nope....Aunt Harriet just happens to decorate the house with Santas and Reindeer, red candles and snowman, complete with a beautiful 5 foot Xmas Tree. She even had Michael put on some Xmas music while we open presents that were under the tree, it was just too cute :0) I had a great time.



Nancy :0)

Trivial Pursuit - It's ALL about the game :0)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Friday 12/22 and Saturday 12/23:
Sometimes I don't even know why our office is open over the Xmas and New Year's week. Ok, so I know why Forest Hills Financial is open, because of the life cases and whatnot that have to be submitted for year end, but I don't know why Forest Hills Group is open during this time. It is our slowest time of the year (usually picks up after the new year) and Friday was no exception. Friday was really about getting stuff together and cleaning up the loose ends before the Xmas break. Anyway, Arlene and I were told that we'd be leaving at 3pm, and right when we were leaving, Harvey said that they changed the leave time to 4pm. But since we already took a shortened lunch hour because we thought we'd be getting out early (we already leave at 4pm Fridays, well, Arlene and I, I mean), we left at 3pm anyway. We hung out with Steph and Cindy and went to the Olive Garden in Westbury. We were going to try to make it into the city to the Olive Garden in Times Square and see the Rockefeller Tree, but it was icky and rainy, so we went to the Olive Garden in Westbury instead. They came back to our apartment and played some board games, then Jeff took them home about 12am. Saturday Jeff was working from home and I went to work on cleaning up the apartment for Sunday's Trivial Pursuit Game.

Sunday 12/24:
I LOST 2 LBS!!! Yup, that's right, I lost 2 lbs. at weigh in today :0) It's weird, I've been so up and down in my weight the past month, but I'm right back where I was a month ago (on 11/26) at 137.4 lbs. I went by Lee's place to pick up some more clothes for the cruise and she dropped me off back at home. Jeff was already out of the house, getting some last minute things at BJ's. So, I went up on the treadmill and knocked off 2 miles!!! I was just on cloud nine with my weight loss! Jeff came home, we had some lunch, then watched the Giants lose (yet again) and took a nap. Lee came over about 3pm and helped me start cooking for our get together. We had Adam, Matt, Diana and Lisa came over for our annual Xmas Eve Trivial Pursuit game created by Adam, Matt and Jason (yes Adam, I'm giving you credit, LOL :0) We watched Ryan's Holiday concert when Matt came in (Ryan looked so cute!) and had dinner while playing the game. It was really nice this year, we had a lot of fun. And as Adam had put it, it was probably the best year playing Trivial Pursuit yet. Adam and I tied it at having 2 pies a piece Matt had 1 - Lee, Diana and Jeff were pie-less. We ended the game a bit earlier than past years and everyone went home about 1:30am.

Nancy :0)

Today was our office Kris Kringle exchange and pizza lunch in the conference room. I was prepared and brown bagged my lunch, I had a Yam (yes, a yam...I love yams). I put some spray ICBNB Lite stuff on it and it's really yummy. Anyway, I'm just feeling pretty shitty after everything.

First off, I knew going into today that I wasn't going to have pizza, but my prepared lunch instead. Of course the women in my office had to make me feel like an outcast and one by one, made comments to me about not eating the pizza. Comments like, "You're not eating pizza?", "Oh you're so good!", "Aren't you going to eat anything?" or "Did you at least have something to eat?" WHY is me not having pizza such a shock? Even prior to WW, I wouldn't eat at office pizza parties because the pizza would always make me have a tummy-ache and it just wasn't pleasant. But WHY the fascination with my NOT having pizza? AND, what is it about free food that turns people into vultures!!! "Oh there's pizza, free pizza, yummy pizza, can you smell the pizza....?" OH SHUT UP!!! I don't CARE about the pizza! I don't care that there are chocolates and cookies and whatnot in the conference room. Why do these people feel the need to share this with me? I wonder.

Second, my Kris Kringle gift was a gift card to Applebee's. Wonderful, just wonderful! I know they have the WW Menu, but why the food related gift? Why couldn't my KK get me a gift card to Sears or Bed Bath and Beyond which are RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from where I work (and she knows I LOVE both stores)? My whole office knows that I'm on WW. They know that I brown bag my food, they know that I don't eat free pizza or order in anymore, so why a food related gift? YES, I sound ungrateful and mean, but I'm sorry, giving a Foodaholic a food related gift is like giving an Alcoholic a bottle of wine!!! Think about it people, just THINK about it! I know all the people in my office for almost 6 years now, with the exception of a couple people that started a year ago.....but anyway, even a year ago, they've seen me lose weight this year and know that I'm on WW. Oh whatever, it's a Kris Kringle gift....it's not supposed to be good anyway.

And finally, I'm just NOT in a good place today. My emotions are all messed up and I'm feeling like a loser. I know that I've been successful and I know that weight loss takes time. I should be super proud of my accomplishments, that I lost over 60 lbs. in one year, but right now, I can't seem to muster that self-confidence. I'm feeling tired and burnt out. It was really hard for me to sit there and watch my coworkers pigging out on pizza with no worries. But I can't do that. 1 slice of pizza is 6 pts and I get 20 pts in a day. Ok, 1 slice at 6 pts is not bad at all, but has 1 slice of pizza ever filled you up? Honestly, has it? I'm assuming the answer is no, so go have another slice.....wow, 12 pts for 2 slices of pizza and I'd be full. But then what? That would only leave me 8 pts for the rest of my day.....what about the 3 pt breakfast I already ate? That puts it down to 6 pts for dinner and my nighttime snack....not enough and I'd have to dip into my 35 flex pts which I've been saving this week for dinner out with the girls (and Jeff) tomorrow night. This weight thing is HARD. It's just plain hard. I don't want to give up and I'm not going to, but I just need to whine every once in a while. I actually got up from the conference room early and came back into my office and had my yam for lunch. Since the conference room is right next to me, I heard all my coworkers laughing and talking and having a good time and I just got even more upset. Why couldn't I sit there and participate in the conversation? Oh, hold on.....an agents coming in my office to talk to Arlene and I.........

Ok, I'm back. One of the female agents in my office just made me smile and feel a whole lot better. She gave Arlene Dark Chocolate Truffles and gave me a $25 Visa Gift Card :0) She knows I'm on WW, but she makes nice comments to me, stuff like that I inspire her to watch her weight (she's on the thin side though) and just makes me feel better about myself. I swear, I feel like I'm gonna cry. It was just so thoughtful and a nice gesture. Maybe there is at least one nice one in the bunch.

Nancy :0)

NOT!!! It's the holiday season yet again. Everyone's buzzing about the office, trying to get cases in for year end and talking about what they're doing and making for the holidays and the agents are giving gifts. I just got this nice cookie and chocolate candy combo from our agency manager today, last week I received Truffles from an agent and within both weeks, the Group Dept. has received 3 large gift baskets filled with cookies, chocolates and all sorts of yummy goodies (not to mention the treats in the reception area, in the conference room, the kitchen...AHHH!!!). ENOUGH!! Enough I say!!! *Whew* I do love the gestures of gift giving around the office. It's so sweet!! And, I'm not rude either, I smile and say, "Thank you" and I send everyone Thank You cards in their mailboxes. It's just so tough to not open the packages and eat those chocolates and cookies. I have to keep thinking in my head, "I LOST over 60 lbs! I can't give that up and gain weight...and for what? I'm finally in the 130's and I want to stay there, I'm happier here than I've ever been...FOCUS ON YOUR GOAL, FOCUS ON YOUR GOAL, FOCUS ON YOUR GOAL :0)" Right now, I have them in a bag all ready to take home with me and I'm not opening them. I'm thinking of serving them for Xmas Eve and maybe bringing what's left to my parents for New Year's Eve. Yes, I know, "re-gifting" is tacky, but it's not really re-gifting or anything because I'm not saying, "Here's something that I bought for you", but I'm just mearly serving it for Xmas and New Years. It's way too much for both Jeff and I to eat alone and I really think everyone else will enjoy them anyway. Eh, we'll see.

As for now, I have to just make sure that the cookies and chocolates survive until those two holidays.

Wish me luck!

Nancy :0)

Not really much to report since we didn't really do much. Friday night, Jeff and I just hung out in our apartment. It's that time of the month and I was just feeling so run down. We were also supposed to go Saturday night into the city to see the Rockefeller Tree, but I just didn't feel any better (and Jeff didn't feel like going out either), so we scratched those plans and stayed in the house. Sunday AM, Lee and I went to WW, Aunt Harriet was home sick. I gained +0.4, but I know it had to do with PMS bloating, so it didn't bother me too much. We went by my parents for Hanukkah dinner and it was so nice, the whole family was there :0) Lee, Ca and Charles had left about 8pm, but Jeff and I stayed really late, talking to Mom and Dad. I don't really get too much time, just the 4 of us alone, so it was great to have it just be us for a while and we had such a nice conversation too. I took off Monday to hang out with Lee. It was both of our last vacation days to the end of the year left. We went to the gym in the morning and Roosevelt Field after lunch. The gym was packed for a Monday, but we were still able to get in some treadmill time and on the weight machines. Same with Roosevelt Field. It was packed for a Monday, but not as insane as I thought it would be. Lee and I were still able to get in and out of stores and get what we needed to. I still have 1 person to get a present for, but all else, I'm DONE!!!

Nancy :0)

Z100 has been talking about The Oprah Winfrey show and how a recent episode aired talked about the “Twenty Questions to Ask Before You Get Married” according to a woman by the name of Susan Pivers. I haven’t seen the episode, nor do I know if Ms. Pivers is a doctor or therapist, but as I read through the questions relating specifically to Home, Money, Work, Sex, Health and Food, Family, Children, Community and Friends and Spiritual Life, I started to think a lot and decided that I had enough thoughts on them, enough to post about it.

I think that communication is EXTREMELY important in a relationship. I *do* feel that you should talk about all that Oprah and Ms. Pivers have discussed below……but to a point.

Without further ado, here are the Questions and my feelings below:

Twenty Questions to Ask Before You Get Married

You may think that you and your fiancé have talked about everything, but have you discussed the issues that will make your marriage work? Answer these questions from Susan Pivers with your partner, and work towards a shared vision of what your relationship can be.

Home
What percentage of our income are we prepared to spend to purchase and maintain our home on a monthly or annual basis? Who is responsible for keeping our house and yard cared for and organized? Are we different in our needs for cleanliness and organization? Is one or both of us neat? Messy? A "pack rat?" An organizational wizard?
MY FEELINGS:
Of course you should discuss with your fiance about your home (purchasing a home), but why and how could you even begin to discuss the cleanliness or organization of your home? Isn’t the point of “marriage” to share things equally, as in 50%-50% with your significant other? Or is it just my feelings? I mean, this isn’t Leave It To Beaver where June is responsible for the “up-keep” of the house, while Ward is the bread-winner. It’s freakin’ 2006, almost 2007 and times are SO different now, then they were back then. Yes, it IS important to discuss the “who works/who raises the kids” (I’ll get into that later), but to discuss “who cleans?”, I’m sorry, that’s just plain stupid. Jeff and I were both raised in households where we were given “chores”. And so now, as adults living on our own, together, we BOTH clean and maintain the cleanliness of our apartment (though it’s a tad messy now :0).

Money
How much money do we earn together? Now? In one year? In five years? Ten? Who is responsible for which portion? Now? In one year? Five? Ten? What is our ultimate financial goal regarding annual income, and when do we anticipate achieving it? By what means, and through what efforts? What are our categories of expense (rent, clothing, insurance, travel)? How much do we spend monthly, annually, in each category? How much do we want to be able to spend? Now? In one year? Five? Ten?
MY FEELINGS:
It IS important to discuss money, current earnings and potential earnings, but there are some things in the unforeseeable future that are just that, unforeseeable. You can NOT predict what will happen with household income five years, ten years and even one year down the line. There could be company mergers, consolidations, lay offs, career moves, pregnancies, births, deaths and a whole slew of things that could make or break the financial apple cart. Yes, you SHOULD sit down and discuss finances, whether to keep them separate or joint and that sort of thing. You SHOULD feel comfortable discussing money issues and map out some sort of financial plan as far as bill payments and expenses. I fully believe in joining finances and having joint accounts. It makes the most sense since you are joining in a marriage and finances in part of a marriage (among so many other things). Joint accounts, I feel, cuts down on who’s money is who’s because, in essence, what does it matter? Does it really matter who makes more? In a 50%-50% relationship, all finances should be pooled and dispersed for bill payment (again, these are just my thoughts and feelings, it’s cool if yours differ).

Work
How much time will each of us spend at work, and during what hours? Do we begin work early? Will we prefer to work into the evening? If one of us doesn't want to work, under what circumstances, if any, would that be okay? How ambitious are you? Are we comfortable with the other's level of ambition?
MY FEELINGS:
Why would the time spent at work and hours configure into whether or not you should marry someone? This to me, is complete idiocy. Again, as stated above in my thoughts, any amount of things could change depending on company mergers, consolidations, lay offs, career moves, pregnancies, births, deaths and so on. Example: When Jeff and I first married, his hours were set 9am to 5pm. But, sometimes he’d need to say late or pull all-nighters. Could I have seen this in the future? Nope, not at all. And now, with Jeff’s new job, it’s the same thing. We don’t live in the standard 9am to 5pm work world anymore. I *DO* think discussing who works/who stays home and stuff when children and family is concerned are VERY good things, but I still don’t think that it should be a deal breaker thing. Different circumstances come into play and both couples might have to work to afford a family or, one parent might be able to stay home to raise the children, while the other works. Again, this could change depending on outside unforeseen circumstances. You might have a well laid plain prior to marriage and something happens and well, there goes your plan.

Sex
Am I comfortable giving and receiving love, sexually? In sex, does my partner feel my love for him or her? Are we satisfied with the frequency of our lovemaking? How do we cope when our desire levels are unmatched? A little? A lot? For a night? A week? A month? A year? More?
MY FEELINGS:
I’m sorry, we’re not robots. Again, another stupid question or bunch of questions. If you have had sex before marriage, you should be in tune to you and your partner’s preferences by the time of marriage. And if you’re waiting until marriage, I guess some of the questions could come into play, but again, we’re not robots. There is no set time, place, night, etc. for sex, it’s about love and quality time with your spouse, not a work schedule or business meeting agenda….geez! That’s all I really have to say on that topic.

Health and Food
Do we eat meals together? Which ones? Who is responsible for the food shopping? Who prepares the meals? Who cleans up afterward? Is each of us happy with the other's approach to health? Does one have habits or tendencies that concern the other (e.g., smoking, excessive dieting, poor diet)?
MY FEELINGS:
Some things are out of our control. There are times when Jeff has to work late that I eat dinner alone and it’s not possible to eat meals together……so why would this be a consideration or not to marry someone??? Ah, food shopping. Funny thing…..gasp…..Jeff and I food shop together!! Oh the horror!!! I mean, seriously, this is open for discussion, who food shops? Give me a break! Who prepares the meals? Ok, good question. Don’t you think you’d know before marriage, if you’re soon to be spouse is domesticated and likes to or even knows how to boil water? DUH! Clean up afterward? Yea, like it’s so HARD to take a plate to the sink! Ok, now to the important stuff. Health. Yes, I think it’s HIGHLY important to discuss health, but not by the way that they mean. Because of both my and Jeff’s family history, it is completely important to both of us that we lead healthy lifestyles and raise our children in a healthy eating environment. With heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and all of that other stuff, it’s become pretty important that both of us eat right, exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I’ve joined Weight Watchers in 2005 and have lost over 60 lbs. in doing so. My unhealthy cholesterol level and BMI are now healthy. Jeff has also been eating better because of our awareness to nutrition and we’ve even started walking together on weekends (exercise).

Family
What place does the other's family play in our family life? How often do we visit or socialize together? If we have out-of-town relatives, will we ask them to visit us for extended periods? How often? For what length of time? If we have children, what kind of relationship do we hope our parents will have to their grandchildren? How much time will they spend together?
MY FEELINGS:
This, again, depends on the situation. I don’t believe it’s relevant to speak about before marriage really. I mean, depending on you and your spouses schedules and availability time, the time you spend with your families could vary week to week, month to month and so on.

Children
Will we have children? If so, when? How many? How important is having children to each of us? How will having a child change the way we live now? Will we want or be able to take time off from work, or work a reduced schedule? For how long? In the months or years following the birth of our child, will we need to rethink who is responsible for housekeeping?
MY FEELIGNGS:
This is a VERY important conversation to have prior to marriage. If one person wants children, while the other doesn’t, it could pose for marital problems and maybe even divorce. The questions of “will” we have children and “how many” children to have are great discussions prior to marriage. Even the “when” is great, if you are considering sooner or later in the marriage. Actually……all the questions are very good ones. It goes back to the Home and Work questions, as far as “who works vs. who stays home to raise the kids”. And again, depending on the outside circumstances, anything can change from your original conversations prior and even within the marriage.

Community and Friends
Are we satisfied with the quality and quantity of friends we currently have? Would we like to be more involved socially? Are we overwhelmed socially, and do we need to cut back on such commitments? What are my partner's needs for cultivating or maintaining friendships outside of our relationship? Is it easy for me to support those needs, or do they bother me in any way?
MY FEELINGS:
I guess because this was never any sort of an issue for either Jeff or I, I don’t have much to say on it personally as my relationship goes. Jeff and I met in college, through mutual friends mind you, so the amount of time spent with my friends or his friends doesn’t matter, we are ALL friends as a group – like the line is so blurred from being together for 8 years now, that it really doesn’t matter. My friends are his friends and vice versa. I *do* think though, if you don’t know your soon to be spouse friends or the other way around, you should get to know one another and hang out in a group more. I couldn’t see why maintaining current friendship while attached would be an issue.

Spiritual Life
Do we share a religion? Do we belong to a church, synagogue, mosque or temple? More than one? If not, would our relationship benefit from such an affiliation? Does one of us have an individual spiritual practice? Is the practice and the time devoted to it acceptable to the other? Does each partner understand and respect the other's choices?
MY FEELINGS:
Considering my Jewish/Catholic upbringing, I *do* believe this topic is EXTREMELY important. Religion is a very touchy subject that seems to make or break friendships and relationships. I think it’s important for a couple to have mutual feelings about religion, BUT I don’t think having the same identical feelings are necessary. I know that Jeff believes in God, but I don’t know if I can say the same. I’m sorta ambivalent about the topic of God and his/her existence, I think I always have been. Life and Death and how the Universe was created, both the Jewish and Catholic bibles state how it’s supposed to be. But I believe that it’s more so, unwritten and a mystery, maybe something unsolvable and unexplainable. Anyway, getting back to the topic of questions……I don’t think the presence of religion or non-presence is as important as you and your spouse agreeing to respect each others feelings. I mean, you can have religion or not, but if you don’t respect each others opinions (even if they differ), then you have problems. Example: I put up a tree for the holidays and I’ve been doing so since Jeff and I moved out together in 2003. Yes, I am Jewish and we plan to raise our children in the Jewish faith, but, I will always put up that tree. The tree itself to me does NOT represent Christmas or Catholism (I have very non-religious balls and bells hanging from it). It is something from my childhood that I’ve always enjoyed and loved. And if my husband isn’t bothered by it, which he isn’t, then I will have my tree and so will our children. THAT, is what it means to understand and respect each others choices.

My feelings, in closing, are this. If you have lines of communication open between you and your soon to be spouse, all the above should be gravy. Meaning, you’d know how the other feels way before the proposal of marriage was even on the table. Communication in a relationship is KEY to making the relationship work. Yes, I am only married for 2 ½ years, but Jeff and I have been together for 8 years now, probably longer than some marriages are around. While no ones marriage is perfect and I’m not claiming my own is, but, I do know what it takes to have a successful relationship (yes, I’m tooting my own horn). Anyway, my point is, if you haven’t discussed the above questions with your soon to be spouse, I suggest that you do. I wouldn’t take some of the questions to heart or follow the advice that it will make or break your relationship. Key word, COMMUNICATION. If you have the lines of communication open, I think you can have a successful marriage regardless of the answers to these questions.

Nancy :0)

Today was my office Xmas Party at Borrelli's on Long Island. Oh and what a weird day. We had to work the morning from 8:30am to 12:00pm (when we left for the party), but the phones were all screwy, no one was able to get into their voicemail and every phone call that came in, had to be picked up or lost in phone space or whatever. Anyway, it was nice that we had the afternoon "off" for the party. And Borrelli's is such a great place! They serve Italian cuisine and it's just phenominal (so why don't I go there more often....huh). All three office, Rego Park, New York and Bohemia, were there to celebrate. I had a great time talking with Arlene and the girls. And I also wound up grabbing the attention of a lot of agents there too. Klara, Mark, Adam, Diane and even Nat (and a couple others that I'm forgetting)....they were just so complimentary and it was so sweet. All these "skinny" comments went to my head, but in a GOOD way :0) I was able to pass all the pastas and other wonderful foods by and stuck to my plan of just having the Caesar salad (because it's really just a luncheon and why eat more than I should?). And just something, being in that sort of eating environment and wearing my nice outfit, I didn't *feel* like overeating or having much more than I did. So I counted my 6 pt. Caesar Salad and called it a day. Everyone started leaving after dessert was served, so I left too. Jeff and I made a nice dinner at home, Steak, Corn on the Cob and Baby Carrots and we caught up with recorded stuff on the DVR.

Nancy :0)

I took off of work today for TLGGR's office Xmas party. I know it's in the afternoon, but when I was talking to Arlene about having to leave the office early for it, she suggested I take the day off instead since I still have so many left, so that's what I did. It was a nice day off, I slept late, got on the treadmill, had lunch and lazied on the sofa and watched TV.

The office party itself was fabulous! I hadn't seen most of the TLGGR's in a year and most of them hadn't known that I lost weight. A bunch of people noticed right away and said something to me. Usually, I love the attention, but for some reason tonight, I felt a bit on display and shy (yea, so not like me). I was wearing my black velour dragon cami and black pants (my red ones were in the laundry). Jeff and I spent the majority of the time in Trish's office with Dominick and Donna, Kim and Steve, and Eileen and Nick. I innocently had a Rum and Diet Coke to start my night and the stupid thing went right to my head (yea, I didn't eat beforehand). I had a wonderful set out plan of eating certain foods and not going overboard too and that well-thought out plan got shot to hell. I didn't by any means go overboard really, but I did eat more than I wanted to. I had salad, tortellini, mozzarella balls, Eggplant Rollantini, Penne with Vodka and Foccacia Bread (yummy!). I did dip into my extra Flex Points, but that's what they are there for and I didnt' use them all up. Anyway, Jeff and I were having such a great time, we almost closed the party out and left about 9pm.



The rest of the weekend went well. Jeff and I ran errands on Saturday, grocery shopping, that sort of thing. And Sunday, I lost -0.2 at WW :0) Also walked 3 miles in Alley Pond park with Jeff, Aunt Harriet and Michael. It was good to have a nice day to be able to walk outside (I prefer it to the treadmill these days). We went back to Aunt Harriet's place and went over the cruise excursions.

Nancy :0)

until Jeff and I are in PARADISE........



Belize, Mexico, Honduras, Great Stirrup Cay, Grand Caymen and Jamaica......here I come!!!

Sorry, but for the fact that it's supposed to flurry tomorrow and I'm freezing my tushy off at work, it's ALL I can think about!!!

Nancy :0)

.........over the past couple of days. I gained +1.8 this week at weigh in Sunday :0( so I know that I have some damage control to do. BUT......I also have to be realistic. The next couple of weeks, I've got Office Parties, Family Gatherings and so forth (just like anyone else) and I've also got the cruise after the 1st of the year, which makes it double tough. My game plan for weight loss for the holidays, these next couple of weeks and through the cruise is more of weight maintenance. If I can stay in the 130's, I'm good, but if I see that scale hit 140, I've got to do major damage control. It's going to be harder to consistantly lose in these 6 weeks. Not that I don't have faith in myself or anything, I do, I have complete faith that I will reach Goal and make Lifetime. I just feel that I don't want to over burden myself to lose the last 10 lbs, which are the HARDEST to lose mind you, over the holidays. It's unrealistic to think that. I was talking to Lee about it too and I'm so happy that I did (THANX LEE :0). She agreed with my assessment. I know that after the cruise, I can definitely step up my game much more to reach Goal and Lifetime.

I wound up taking off Monday (12/04) and this coming Friday (12/08) because I have plenty of vacation days left. I wound up cleaning the apartment and I got out for a walk - I went from 193rd to 170th Street and back (about 2 1/4 miles). I made dinner for both Jeff and I, Pasta with Vodka Sauce, Mushrooms and Meatballs, YUMMY!!! I love making that dish, but I really have to come up with some new dinners to make. Any ideas??? Leave me some comments, thanx.

Nancy :0)

Saturday 11/25:
Not much to say, just lazied around the apartment today. We woke up late and procrastinated on errands, then wound up napping and doing virtually nothing all day (nice :0) We went out after dinner to run errands, went grocery shopping.

Sunday 11/26:
I LOST 2 LBS. OVER TURKEY DAY WEEK!!! WOO HOO!!! I was a bit nervous to go weigh in, but I figure what the heck, the worse that could happen is that I gain and I "try again" next week. But instead, I lost 2 lbs :0) I'm down to 137.4 and have got 7.4 lbs to Goal :0) Chris made me smile after she told me my loss. She said, "Wow, you're doing so good.....you must be close to Goal already". I told her that I wanted to try to get down to 130 and see how it goes from there. I mean, I've got less than 10 lbs. to do it and it's a tough but steady rate that I'm losing. Chris also told me that with my height, my Goal should be anywhere from 113 lbs. to 135 lbs. I told Chris that I was aiming for 130 lbs. It's just so amazing that I've been able to do this and I'm so happy that I finally have. I think I might talk to Marianne and Chris in a couple weeks about setting a Goal....maybe when I hit just below 135? I don't know. This is all just new, very cool and exciting. After the meeting, Jeff and I ran the errands that we didn't do yesterday....went to get holiday presents for people (I'm almost done!) and I picked up a couple more clothes in Macy's and Old Navy. I think I'm almost set on "hanging out" tees and stuff, but I think I need more "work" shirts. I still need shoes too. I bought 2 pairs of nice black sandel type shoes for dresses and stuff, but besides that and some beach sandels and sneakers, I don't have winter/snow boots or anything else for that matter. I'm NOT a shoe person, but I know I need more than what I've got.

Monday 11/27:
I took off work today to hang out with Lee. I got up early, when Jeff left for work and I was so happy to able to get on the treadmill. I did 2 miles :0) and was just happy to get back into the swing of things. I had breakfast, then Lee picked me up. We went to Bed Bath and Beyond, Babies R Us (she needed a baby shower gift), Victoria's Secret and Waldbaums. I bought some stuff at BB&B and new PINK sweats at VS. She dropped me home early because she was going out and had to get ready early. I started out playing around on the computer and fell asleep. Good thing the neighbor let the dog out, because it's barking woke me up and I started on dinner. Jeff and I had dinner at home, then picked up Michael and went by Adam's for Ryan's birthday. We bought him this interactive Dora book and DVD combo. Don't know how it works yet, but it looks really interesting and fun. When we got home, I was able to call my Mom and wish her a Happy Birthday (would've been bad if I didn't). Then, Jeff and I FINALLY went over our cruise excursions. We're going to 6 places......Roatan Bay Islands in Honduras, Belize City in Belize, Cozumel in Mexico, Ochos Rios in Jamaica, Georgetown in Grand Caymen and Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas (NCL's own private island). We chose 5 excursions for the 6 places, but I think we're going to narrow that down a bit. I'm so excited and looking forward to this cruise - it's about 1 1/2 months away, coming up soon. I think I have enough clothes to take with me now that Lee's letting me borrow her clothes again (so cool!).

Nancy :0)

Today, 11/24/2006, we're together for 8 years :0)

Jeff and I spent the whole day cleaning and decorating the apartment for the holidays. I can't believe it's that time of year again, but it's nice to have the tree up. I think we're gonna get a new one for next year though because the one we have now looks ok, but the branches are not as full from being pushed down and pulled up year after year. I think we have this one for 4 years already, since we moved into our first apartment....so yea, we're due for another tree. So, the apt is all nice and decorated, but it's a bit messy...UGH, I have to clean! Don't know when though, maybe tomorrow? Eh, we'll see. Jeff and I went to the Olive Garden in Westbury for dinner. Today is our 8 year anniversary together. Ok, not married 8 years, but 11/24 is our "dating" anniversary and it's something pretty special to us. Besides being together 8 years (which is something pretty amazing and nice in itself), it's also Jeff's Mom and Dad's wedding anniversary, so the day just has special meaning all around. It was really nice too. We ordered dinner and I had a drink (yup, can't live w/o my Frozen Tiramisu :0), then we came back home and relaxed on the sofa before bed.

PICS OF APARTMENT DECORATIONS TO COME!!!

Nancy :0)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.......




Turkey Day Italian Style....Appetizers for Lunch and Traditional Turkey, Stuffing, Sweet Potatoes (baked) for Dinner.


The Speckers (and one Greenberg :0)


Left to Right: SISTERS Lisa, Carolyn and I on Turkey Day.


Jeff and I on Turkey Day, together for 8 years tomorrow :0)

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE Thanksgiving! Not for the food, the parade or the fact that it's the beginning of the holiday season, but for the family.....yea, I know it sounds corny, but it's true. Thanksgiving Day in the Specker household has been about family and all of us being together and celebrating life and love. Today was no exception. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Jeff and I got to Mom and Dad's place about 8:30am to get a headstart on Turkey Day. I started on the Veggie Platter for the Appetizers/Antipasto lunch. Ca came over a short while later and her and Dad started on the Stuffed Mushrooms (yummy!). Of course, as tradition had it, we had on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while we were cooking in the kitchen. Lee came over when the Stuffed Mushrooms were in the oven and we had lunch a short while after that. We took a bunch of silly pics and then everyone wound up napping....I know, before the Turkey, which is strange, but we were all up so early. We had our Thanksgiving dinner around 5pm....complete with Turkey, Gravy, Stuffing, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans and Carrots...yummy! After dinner, we watched A Very Brady Christmas. Why, you ask? Well, don't ask! It's this weird family thing we've got, that even though that movie is super corny and cheesy, we all seem to love it and laugh at the cheesy dialouge. Mom started the coffee towards the end of the movie and we gathered at the table for Mom's Birthday (11/27) and Turkey Day dessert :0)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

ALL the pics are on the Photo Albums page!!!

Nancy :0)

Saturday:
Saturday was moving day for Lee :0) YAY!!! Jeff and I got to her new apartment as the moving guys were leaving and Mom and Dad were already there unpacking stuff. It's a wonderful apartment!!! It's downstairs and when you walk in, theres the dining area and kitchen (L-shaped counter to the right with the fridge and stove) and a doorway leads to the living room. To the right is the hall closet, bathroom and 1 bedroom. Outside of the living room is a backyard :0) and guess what.....she has access to this huge pool come summertime!!! AWESOME!!! Yea, I think I'm going to be coming over a lot (right, Lee?) Anyway, Lee and I were able to get the whole kitchen area unpacked while Mom and Dad were crushing boxes and the packing paper. They left mid-afternoon, but Jeff and I stayed and helped her move around some of the furniture. We went back to M&D's to pick up some more of her stuff, then went to our apartment and Jeff cooked us dinner (her kitchen was too cluttered for her to cook). She stayed by us a couple hours and we took some silly pics and played around on MySpace before we drove her home.

Sunday:
Jeff drove Aunt Harriet, Lee and I to WW this AM. I gained 0.6, but I'm ok with it. I stayed within my points all week, but didn't exercise and ate into the extra 35 Flex points (which is usually not good for me). But 0.6 isn't a bad gain, it's kinda nothing. It bumps me to 139.4, but I'm still in the 130's. I just have to kick some ARSE this coming week so I don't gain Thanksgiving week (that would suck even more). I went grocery shopping with Lee to Waldbaums so she could fill her fridge and I did some shopping myself. She dropped me off at home where Jeff and Larry were played something on Playstation (Baseball? Hockey? I don't remember). I had lunch, then went upstairs and napped. Jeff woke me up after dropping Larry home. Ca called me, so I was on the phone with her for a while and Jeff went out to get some odds and ends that I missed while grocery shopping that afternoon. When he came home, he made dinner - Chicken Shoemaker. Hmmm, I LOVE that dish. Jeff and my father in law used to make that a lot when I'd come over. It's Chicken Cutlets lightly breaded in flour, all cut up into pieces, with a ton of veggies (artichoke hearts, mushrooms, broccoli, green peppers and cauliflower) and Proscuitto and we serve it with White Rice....yummy!

Monday:
I took off today because (1) I had plenty of vacation days that I have to use up and (2) I figured Lee needed help with the apartment. It was such a nice lazy morning. I got up when Jeff left for work and watched Boy Meets World and had breakfast. Then....I did 2 miles on the treadmill :0) YAY!!!!! I really HAVE to get back to exercising. I mean, it's one thing that I'm eating within my points and watching what I eat, but the exercise is just what's cutting it for me and without it, I've been getting small losses and gains (BLAH!) so I'm back on the treadmill!!! After my shower, Lee called and picked me up - then we picked up Dad at home. We had lunch and got started in cleaning the apartment. Dad tore up some boxes and Lee and I tackled the bedroom and her mountain of clothes! She gave me a bunch of stuff to borrow for the cruise and even some stuff to keep (thanx Lee :0) It's so great being the same size again that we can borrow each others clothes again :0) Mom picked up Dad when she came home from work and I stayed with Lee a while after that. She doesn't have cable hooked up yet, so I brought her some VHS tapes. We put on some 90210 episodes and Theresa came over to check out her new place. Jeff picked me and two boxes of clothes (YAY!) up after work, we went home and made dinner. I fell asleep upstairs while Jeff was watching the Giants game.

I should have pics from the weekend up on the site tonight.

Nancy :0)

Oh my god! Am I really 27?!? Apparently so. I don't feel 27, I still feel like I'm 19....when Jeff and I started dating. Weird........ Anyway, I don't have any real big plans today, just meeing my parents and Lisa, Steph and Cindy at Georgia diner for dinner and having cake by my parents place.

Jeff had roses sent to my office for my birthday. A beautiful 2 dozen mixed colored roses. And Harvey bought me roses too. Arlene made a Duncan Hines cake, Chocolate Cake with Chocolate icing and I had a tiny piece too :0)


Left is Jeff's and Right is Harvey's

Dinner out was nice, just the 7 of us. I ordered Chicken Santa Elena like I'd planned, not too bad. And we went back to Mom and Dad's for some cake. Mom bought me the Entenmann's Yellow Cake with Chocolate icing, yummy :0) We hung out there for a while and took some silly pics, then Jeff, Steph, Cindy and I went back to my and Jeff's apartment and played some board games. Jeff took them home about 12:30am, then came home and we went to bed.


Top: Lisa and Cindy.
Bottom: Me and Steph.


Nancy :0)

......about my husband Jeff :0) Yup, that's right. Do you know what my darling of a husband did?

Yesterday was my 1 Year Anniversary being on Weight Watchers. About 1pm, I get a message at work from Edible Arrangements, saying that there's a package downstairs for me and they can't deliver it up. I go downstairs with my ID badge and outside is a truck from Edible Arrangements. The guy hands me this adorable arrangement....a basket of fruit shaped like flowers, a balloon that says CONGRATULATIONS, a cute brown Teddy Bear and a card that reads: "Nancy, You made it a whole year! You look amazing and I couldn't be more proud of you. I love you. Love, Jeff." He is just so damn thoughtful! Later at home, he told me that he could have bought me flowers or chocolates (too many points) but to buy me fruit, it just made sense.

Thank you Jeff :0) I couldn't have made it through this year without you. I love you too!

Here are two pics of the fruit....more on the photo albums page:





Nancy :0)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME :0)

Friday:
Jeff was scheduled to work late tonight for TLGGR, so I had dinner at home by myself. I made Lemon Soy Garlic Tarragon Chicken with White Rice and Baby Carrots for myself.....I love that dish, NEVER get sick of it :0) I had a nice long conversation with Steph....kinda private, so I'm not elaborating, but lets just say that I love her like crazy and she sure as hell knew how to get me outta my funk....thanx Girlie, love you! Jeff got home about 9 or so and had dinner. We wound up chatting on the sofa, then went up to bed.

Saturday:
Jeff and I went with Michael to Roosevelt Field today, shopping for clothes for the cruise. I picked up some undies from Victoria's Secret and I also bought some birthday and holiday presents. I really love getting my holiday shopping out of the way early, but I still have a bunch more people to shop for. We also went to Sears and I bought another pair of size 6 Levi's Jeans, this cute PJ set and an Eeyore hoodie. And can you believe that I couldn't find any Levi's 515 in size 4?!? LOL :0) But yea, I was looking for size 4 :0) No, I'm not that yet, I'm a size 6, but I figure by the time I'm done with losing weight and at Goal/Lifetime, I'll be about a 4 like Lisa - it seems to be every 5 to 10 lbs. is a size for me. We drove Michael home and waited for Aunt Harriet to come in to say Hi. We had dinner at home and stayed in for the night.

Sunday:
Tomorrow (Monday November 13th) is my 1 year anniversary as a Weight Watchers member :0) (And Lisa too!!!) I lost -0.8 this week, for a total of 62.6 lbs., I'm now 138.8 lbs. and have 8.8 lbs. left to lose to make it to Goal :0) MY GOD, can you believe it? I've managed to lose 62.6 lbs. in 1 full year, averaged out, that's 1.2 lbs. weight loss per week (spread over 52 weeks that is). And I don't know why, but I was in a funk all day about my weight. I did exactly what Marianne said not to do with my weight loss, I underestimated myself. But as I write this, I don't know why I did that.

To see what I've accomplished, I've created another stats thingie:

November 13th 2005:
201.4 lbs.
BMI Obese 35.7
Cholesterol 237
Pants Size 18
Shirts Size Extra Large/Large
Ring Size 8
Shoe Size 8 1/2 to 9
Measured 36 Bust

November 12th 2006:
138.8 lbs.
BMI Normal 24.6
Cholesterol 156
Pants Size 6
Shirts Size Extra Small/Small
Ring Size 6
Shoe Size 7 to 7 1/2
Measured 34 Bust




Standing tall and proud in my "I Inspire Me" tee :0)

The rest of the day went alright. Like I said, I don't know why, but I was just in such a blah mood all day......maybe because of the crappy weather? Ugh, who knows. After the meeting, Jeff, Aunt Harriet and I shopped in BJ's, then we dropped her home. Both Jeff and I were indecisive about lunch, so we did our own thing for that and wound up cleaning our bedroom....yea, real boring, right? But still, I was able to put together a bunch of bags of clothes to give away - I forgot the count, but it was at least 5 more bags (all 10's and 8's now). We also had to do our laundry (ugh), but it wasn't too bad. I suggested this AM Chinese for dinner, so that's what we did, then watched the Giants game before bed.

Nancy :0)

I wasn't going to post today, but with two back to back compliments, it's necessary!

Schools are closed today (Election Day), so both Victor and Lori brought their daughters to work. They came into my and Arlene's office for markers and stuff to color with. Lori's daughter Stephanie comes up to the office pretty often and borrows my markers. Well, today she looked at me and said, "You lost a LOT of weight since the last time I saw you". Then Arlene said, "You see, even the kids are noticing". Stephanie is about 10 yrs old and kids are usually pretty honest. It was just so sweet, she made me blush!

And here's the second one......

One of the agents who usually goes to the Bohemia Office, Mark, came into our office to see if Harvey was here. Then he comes further in and looks at me, prompting me to look away from my computer screen and look at him. He said, "You look great". I said, "Thank you". But then he kept going and said, "No really. I haven't seen you in a while, but you look really great". So I told him, "I lost 60 lbs." And he said, "Yea, I can tell. You look like a different person. What have you been doing?" I told him Weight Watchers and he asked, "Oh wow. So are you maintaining ok?" Which leads me to believe that he knows a thing or two about WW, not many people use the word "maintaining" when talking about weight loss and that's of course, a part of WW (not sure what words or whatnot are used for other weight loss things). So I told him that I'm still in the losing process, but it's been a year now. Then he said, "You're doing really great" again and left the office.

Today, I was having a bad hair day and feeling fat and whatnot, but after that, my self esteem just went up!! I'm feeling great again, just like I did yesterday which is why I say, compliments rock!!!

Nancy :0)

Saturday:
For some reason, we didn't get as much accomplished today as I wanted to. We went to dinner with my parents last night and crashed as soon as we got home. It was really early too, only about 8pm or so and we wound up sleeping through the night too (guess we were really tired?) Even got up late this morning, had a late breakfast/early lunch and went to run errands. I returned a couple shirts back to Target (they were too big) and we'd gone grocery shopping too. Jeff made dinner and we stayed home and caught up on Days.

Sunday:
Jeff drove me and Aunt Harriet to WW this AM and we met Lisa there. Today is our leader Marianne's 15th anniversary of losing 105 lbs. (she's been able to keep it off for 15 years now). She's so cute, she came in wearing a little black dress and pearls and looked like Prom Queen with this cute tiara :0) That's why I love her, she's got a wacky personality and she's very warm-hearted. I did good this week, I lost -0.2 lbs and I'm down 61.8 lbs. I know -0.2 isn't much, but every little bit helps! And, awesomely enough, I now completely fit into a size 6 pants :0) I was wearing my size 6 Levi's all weekend (I even tried on all of Lee's old size 6 pants for work, and they all FIT!!!). Anyway, the meeting went really well. Marianne was talking about her life and her struggles and how when she started WW at 23, she had no responsibilities or anything and yet more and more things kept coming her way that she had to deal with...she compared them to balls and juggling. She detailed how her jobs might have changed, she was married, bought a house, gave birth to two children, got divorced, rebought her house and so on, but the one thing that didn't change in all that was her and her weight. That with all the drama of birth and death, marriage and divorce, uncertainy and whatnot, SHE remained the same and didn't let any of that shake her confidence or break her...she never gained her weight back. That's such an accomplishment and that's what I want. I want to be able to say, "I will never gain the weight back" and be right. She also spoke about having "hope" and "faith"...the hope to want to change and the faith that you will change. Well, that WILL be me, because I know that I have both and a whole lot more. I walked out of that meeting feeling so happy and excited. I was happy that Jeff came with me, I love when he sits in on meetings with me and he's such a sweetie for doing that. He drove me and Aunt Harriet home and we had breakfast and ran some errands. Then we met Adam, Ryan and Michael at the Queens Hall of Science in Flushing Meadow Park. It's so fun there! There's so much for kids to do (and adults :0) We spent a couple hours there and took some pics (Jeff should have them up on the site this week). We gathered back at my and Jeff's place for dinner, Chinese Food. Aunt Harriet came over too. We played The Price Is Right and after we ate 90's Edition of Trivial Pursuit.

Nancy :0)

Saturday:
I don't know what it is. Everytime I say that I'm gonna sleep in, I never do. I woke up at 5am after having a bad dream, went back to bed, woke again at 8am with another bad dream, went back to bed about 9am and woke up finally at 11am because the phone rang. Michael called and wanted to do something, so after doing laundry and having lunch, we picked up Michael and went to run errands, grocery shopping, then went back to our place and played some board games. We took Mike back home about 6pm and head out to Mangoes on the island for dinner with Jeff's co-workers and their boyfriends/girlfriends. So it was me and Jeff, Kim and Steve, Dominick and Donna and Eileen and Nick. We had a great time. I ordered the Pasta Primavera and a Pina Colada....not too bad, about 14 pts because of the pasta, sauce and drink, but I planned for it. We left the restaurnant about 10:30 and were home about 11pm. I should have some pics to put up after Eileen emails them to me (we forgot our camera :0(

Sunday:
Lee, Aunt Harriet and I went to WW this AM. We only weighed in and left, we didn't stay for the meeting since Marianne wasn't there....which annoyed me because I would have LOVED to share my victorious news with her! I lost 3 lbs., count them 3 lbs. at weigh in and I'm down a total of 61.6 lbs.!!! With today's weigh in, I'm also FINALLY at a "Normal" BMI (Body Mass Index) of 24.8 and I'm into the 130's at 139.8 lbs.!!! I'm HAPPY all around! Lee had breakfast by our place (she's so sweet, she made me an omelette) and I went with her to Bayside to check out the area, because she'd seen an apartment over there. Later that afternoon, we went to M&D's to hang out. I tried on some dresses of Lee's (on my weight loss site) and they fit PERFECTLY :0) I'm so happy! She's letting me borrow them for the cruise, I can't wait! Mom made a turkey dinner (yea, kinda pre-Thanksgiving) and we stayed for a couple hours, just hanging out. I think we got home about 8 or so, I showered, then we caught up on DAYS. I'm actually going to see if Marianne's at the Monday night meeting in New Hyde Park. I really like going for the meetings itself and I would have stayed, but Claudia was doing the meeting Sunday (in Middle Village) and she's just not very stimulating. So Jeff's taking me to the 7pm meeting Monday night instead.


At 139.8 lbs.!!! (61.6 lbs. lost) I'm wearing this shirt that I bought in the Village in 1999...I was never able to fit into it and now FINALLY, I am. Also wearing this new Old Navy Miniskirt I bought recently, size 6 :0)


Wearing Lisa's dress that I'll be borrowing for the cruise! "I'M BRINGING SEXY BACK!!!" (Thanx Lee, I love you!!!)


Side view of me in the Sexy Dress :0) Look, NO big tummy and NO more big butt!!! YAY!!!


Another side view, cause I'm feeling show offy :0)


For comparitive purposes, here's my FAT pic! Look at my arms from the skinny pics above to this one...my GOD, how I've changed!!! Sorry to sound conceited, but you have to understand, NEVER in a million years did I ever think that I'd lose this weight and get into the 130's...I'm just so HAPPY :0)

Nancy :0)

Friday:
I took a day off today because I needed a day and I still had 8 vacation days that I don't know what to do with (well, now 7 days). I woke up about 10am, lounged around the apartment, then cleaned the apartment. I mean, I really CLEANED! I swept up the floors, swiffered and straightened up all the mess on the dining table and in the living room. I also cleaned the bedroom and even Jeff's side of the bed and his desk (it was very messy). I went to have lunch, then wound up lounging on the sofa and half falling asleep. Cindy called me about 3pm and wanted to know when to come over and meet me, so I told her, "Now is fine". It was great that she called me because I wanted to get on the treadmill before going out to TGIFridays. I was able to get in 2 miles on the treadmill before Cindy came over. Jeff and Steph both came in about 6pm and we went to meet everyone at TGIFridays for 7pm. Steph called everyone and tried to get them to come out, but they are just plain FLAKY! Sorry to offend here, but my god, how hard it is to meet a group of friends on a Friday night with 2 weeks advance notice?!? Anyway, a couple people who said they'd come, didn't and blew us off. Didn't matter too much, we still had fun. It was me, Jeff, Steph, Gloria, Debbie, Scott and Cindy (though she didn't go to college with us). Gary came by, even though it wasn't his night on to work and hung with us. I planned my points for the occasion, but still, food out in chain places is always harsh....so I had 1 Frozen Mudslide (10 pts), handful of Fried Green Beans (4 pts.), 1 cup Pasta (4 pts.), 2 oz. Grilled Chicken (2 pts.) and 1 Coffee/Milk/Sugar (2 pts.)......yup, 22 pts. on dinner alone, but I used my 35 extra Flex Points for it. It's such a pain in the arse that that LITTLE amount of food could amount to that many points, which is why I don't like going to chain places that often - I prefer diners. Anyway, I accounted for it and moved on from that. We had a lot of fun hanging out and even stood outside for about a half hour just BSing. It's so amazing how our coversations changed over the past 8 years from School, Family Life and Boyfriends to Work, Marriage and Babies :0)

L to R: Scott, Debbie, Gloria, Cindy, Steph, Jeff, Gary and Me.


Jeff, me and Gary.

Saturday:
Jeff and I went to the Flea Market with Aunt Harriet. I was pretty lucky and bought 2 shirts and picked up a couple of PJ sets from Uncle Howie. We also went to Roosevelt Field and I picked up this beautiful red strapless Express dress (size 8). It's snug, the zipper goes up to about my bra strap and not the rest, but it's a matter of 5 to 10 lbs. and it'll fit nicely. I bought it anyway because it'll give me some motivation to jump-start the weight loss again and make me get on that treadmill EVERY DAY! We went grocery shopping for the couple items that we needed for dinner and I made Jeff a nice dinner. I made Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce, Mushrooms (for me) and Meatballs. Yummy! And 1 cup of Rigatoni with 1/2 cup Vodka Sauce, Mushrooms and 2 meatballs was only 8 pts.!!!

Sunday:
Jeff drove me and Aunt Harriet to WW this AM. I gained +1.0 again. I don't know why this time around. I was very good the whole week, staying within my 20 points and being careful as to how many of the 35 extra Flex Points to dip into (I used 18 out of the 35). I have a tendency to peak at the scale before the meetings to see how accurate my scale is to the WW scale at the meetings. It said I was up a little, so I was kinda expecting that. Also before the meeting while I'm waiting for Jeff to get ready (or Lee to pick me up), I check my Gmail email, MySpace account and my Weight Loss guestbook to see if there are any new posts. This AM, I came across the sweetest post that had my eyes tear up when I was reading it.

Here's what it read:
"Dear WW member,
I consider this my lucky night as I came across your website. Today I forced myself to attend a meeting. I am so sick of yo yo dieting that I feel like giving up. I am at my heaviest at this moment. With tears in my eyes, I have to thank you for giving me hope. Back in 1977 I lost 100 pounds but now I gained it all back. Had a knee replacement in May 06. I could go on forever,but instead I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your webpage. I saved it in my favorites and will visit often. Hope to give you a loosing update soon.
Just a ww member whose having a very rough time. Brigitte"

I read this at just the RIGHT time! I kinda knew I'd gained by my scale (usually accurate). I feel badly for Brigitte and her struggles, but it helps me realize that I'm not alone. And regardless of my struggles these past two weeks with back to back gains, I AM GOING TO LOSE THE REST OF THIS WEIGHT!!! And I don't really give a rats patooty if I'm at 58.6 lbs. loss and not 60.6 lbs. loss, but I'm keeping my "I LOST 60 LBS." photo on my Weight Loss homepage because I KNOW I will get those 2 lbs. and more to take a hike (it's just matter of when). People wonder why I'm so public about my weight, the losses and gains and just the whole thing. Well, it's for people like Brigitte and myself. I want people to know that losing weight is POSSIBLE and that anyone can do it. And while I know my own success, trials and tribulations, I still NEED to look back on my own progress and read from others that I AM doing well. It's one thing to think it and try to convince yourself when you're down and out on yourself, but it's a whole other thing to read it people who support you and write you on your successes. It's like in school when you get a report back and besides the number or letter grade on the report, there's a comment letting you know how well written your paper was - or when the teacher/professor asks you to use your report for an example. I've had that happen before as well as the comments left on my pages and I'm telling you, they help so much! I mean, I still went into my weigh-in/gain being upset and asking my group and Marianne for support, but I came home and read Brigitte's message again as I was entering my "new" weight on WW online. Brigitte gave me a new outlook for this week and I hope, as she wrote, that I've given her one as well. I just wanted to say to her: "Thank you, Brigitte, thank YOU".

After weigh-in, Jeff and I did a bunch of errands and I went to hang with my parents for a while. I haven't been over by there place in a bit and I love spending time with them (they have cute kitties too :0) Late afternoon, we went walking in Alley Pond Park with Aunt Harriet - did 3 miles, so at least I got my week started off right again. We went back to her place, waited for Uncle Howie and Michael to get home, then registered ourselves online at NCL for the cruise. We started to go over the cruise excurisions, but left because everyone had to get up early for work Monday....yuk, work! Jeff and I watched LOST (finally, because of the stupid ballgames, we couldn't do it on Wednesday itself). Then we went up to bed.

Nancy :0)

Kate Bosworth and Nicole Richie...MY GOD, these two need to eat SOMETHING!!! So basically in this article, designers are going to cater to waif-skin-and-bones-thin twigs like these two...how freakin' sad! Anyway, read the article:

Faith-Based Sizing
Designers are introducing new supertiny sizes. Are American women getting smaller, or is the fashion industry messing with our minds?
WEB EXCLUSIVE
By Susanna Schrobsdorff
Newsweek



Updated: 5:09 p.m. ET Oct 18, 2006
Oct. 18, 2006 - If you remember the days before there was a size zero, you might have to brace yourself for some unsettling fashion news: there is now a size smaller than nil. A negative size if you will. Next fall, designer Nicole Miller will introduce something tentatively called the "subzero" for women with 23½-inch waists and 35-inch hips. And this spring, Banana Republic began offering an equally tiny "00" on its Web site. (Nancy's Side Thoughts...That's why Banana Republic SUCKS!!!!).

If you're having trouble picturing a minus-size woman, think of the waifish Spice Girl turned soccer wife Victoria Beckham who is reputed to be small enough to fit into a subzero. One newspaper compared her waist to the circumference of a soccer ball, but it might be even tinier than that—23 1/2 inches is closer to the size of the smaller soccer balls recommended for kids.

But mini-celebs aside, does the debut of the less-than-zeros mean that a sliver of America is shrinking while the rest of our obesity-challenged country grows in girth and clothing size? Yes and no. American women are definitely getting bigger as a group. The average woman is about 155 pounds and 5 foot 4 according to SizeUSA, a 2003 survey by the industry research group [TC]². That's about 20 pounds heavier than the average woman of 40 years ago.

But don't assume that the contemporary woman is wearing a bigger size than her grandmother might have. "According to standard size measurements, that average 155 pound woman should be wearing a size 16, but thanks to vanity-sizing, she's probably buying a size 10 or 12," says Jim Lovejoy, the industry director for the SizeUSA survey. "Most companies aren't using the standard ASTM [American Society for Testing and Materials] sizes any more. Sizes have been creeping up a half inch at a time so that women can fit into smaller sizes and feel good about it." (Nancy's Side Thoughts: Ok, that makes me feel crappy about wearing smaller sizes...hope Levi's doesn't do that!).

Think of vanity-sizing as self-delusion on a mass scale. Anyone over the age of 40 knows that something isn't quite right if she can wear a smaller size now than she wore 20 years and 10 pounds ago. Yet many of us slip gratefully into a size 6 pair of Old Navy jeans even though we're pretty sure we wouldn't be able to squeeze into our size 10 Calvin Kleins from circa 1980. Call it faith-based sizing. We want to believe—hell, we really do believe—we're a size 6 or 8 because the label says so even when the scale disagrees. (Nancy's Side Thoughts: Yea, screw you!)

The move away from standard sizing has its disadvantages—especially for small-boned women who might be a standard size 4 but who now have to go into the negative numbers to get something that fits. Nicole Miller's spokesperson Allison Hodge says the designer created the subzero for those naturally petite women and not for 5-foot-10 14-year-old models who've dieted themselves down to a dangerously low height-to-weight ratio. "We first introduced a size 0 (25½-inch waist) about 15 years ago because we had a strong presence in California and a lot of our Asian customers were asking for them," says Hodge. This year, the company decided to go smaller at the request of buyers who reported that women coming in for a size 0 were having to take them in. (Nancy's Side Thoughts: Sure, let's STARVE ourselves to a size 0, that makes perfect sense!)

While it's hard to imagine that anyone wants to be called "minus" or "sub" anything, there is some concern that the less-than-zero sizes will be a new status symbol for girls with eating disorders. Last month, rail-thin models were banned from a Madrid runway show for being underweight size zeros. But despite the banishing of bony models and the disparaging headlines over photos of shrinking celebs like Kate Bosworth, it's hard to shake the impression that razor thin is still very much in vogue. Or, as Stanley Tucci's character famously said in "The Devil Wears Prada," size 6 is the new 14. (Nancy's Side Thoughts: Madrid ROCKS!!!)

For women of any size, this morphing measurement creep means there is no simple answer to the question: what size are you? Many of us respond: "Well, it depends...." because sizes vary wildly between brands as well as decades. A Land's End size 10 has a 30-to-31-inch waist, while a Diane von Furstenberg size 10 has a 29-inch waist. And Neiman Marcus's Web site alone has a half dozen size charts sorted by designer and other mysterious categories like "modern." (Note to male readers: If this is all getting too complicated, just ask any female friend or relative to explain.)......(Nancy's Side Thoughts: WOW!!! I didn't even have to write any for this one!)

On top of that, there are the variations on a single size within a brand. You can get your Gap size 8 jeans in four very different cuts from boyish to a curvy style that comes very close to the next size up. Chicos, a chain for older women, has ditched the pretense of regular sizing altogether opting for a 0-4 range where a 2 might be more like a 10 at another store, or something like that—who really knows? Then there are the humiliatingly small European sizes ranging from 34 to 44—many of which are unlikely to fit an average American woman. (Nancy's Side Thoughts: Now can't you see WHY buying women's clothes are so HARD?!?)

Part of the problem is that manufacturers are struggling to keep up with changing demographics and body types in the United States. The population of Asians and Hispanics continues to grow even as aging boomers have new fashion needs. "We get bigger as we get older and ethnic groups have different proportions," says Lovejoy. "Developers are trying to target their product to a particular market so the fits are going to be very different from brand to brand."

While designers may intend to offer more choice for consumers, the end result is often utter confusion. Looking for a simple skirt and top can be incredibly frustrating for those not patient enough to try on 10 different sizes just to find the perfect fit. No wonder so few women are running Fortune 500 companies—who has time? Men, on the other hand, can usually get a decent fit in a shirt simply by having accurate neck and sleeve measurements. (Nancy's Side Thoughts: HENCE, my MANY trips to Roosevelt Field this past year with going to Weight Watchers and my ever shrinking size).

Pam Danziger, author of "Let Them Eat Cake: Marketing Luxury to the Masses as Well as the Classes" (Dearborn Trade), advocates a return to reality-based sizing using standard measurements. But even she acknowledges that getting those of us happily wearing single-digit sizes to move back to double digits is a tough sell—woe to the manufacturer who decides to tell a size 16 woman that she now has to buy a 20. "I occasionally sew my own clothes using Vogue patterns whose measurements haven't changed in decades," she says. "Of course I hate having to buy a size 14 pattern to fit my size 6 off-the-rack body. But, if we could just get over the shock of actually being a 14, maybe we could get on with our lives."

Some companies, like Gap Inc., are trying to appeal to both the tiniest and the largest customers—who together make up a generous portion of the market. (About 12.5 percent of the women in the SizeUSA survey were 200 pounds or more while 14 percent were 115 pounds or less.) Gap introduced a size 0 in the 1990s and created a plus-size line for their Old Navy stores. Today they are using bigger-fit models—size 10 versus a size 8—for their newest brand, Forth & Towne, which is geared to boomer women. But whatever our girth, Danziger says that we'd be better off paying more attention to our BMI number (ratio of height to weight) than the numbers on our labels. "I don't think some of those Hollywood size zeros are healthy," she says. "But putting political correctness aside, neither are the women who are 200 pounds ... Obesity isn't a fashion issue, it's a national health issue." (Nancy's Side Thoughts: Gap STILL doesn't fit me right. Old Navy ROCKS, they have the BEST sizing and clothes around!!!).

Women who fall somewhere in between superskinny and zaftig should take heart. If vanity downsizing continues at this pace, many of us could be wearing a subzero by 2020. Of course, we'll have to rip out the labels of those size 10s from 2006. (Nancy's Side Thoughts: Isn't this totally and utterly STUPID?!?!).

Today, Jeff and I have been married for 2 and 1/2 years! I was heading to the bathroom at work and the receptionist said, "You have a delivery of flowers". Yup. Jeff sent to my office 2 dozen mixed colored roses for our 2 and 1/2 anniversary today. He's so sweet :0)

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.


These Words by Natacha Bettingfield

These words are my own

Threw some chords together
The combination D-E-F
Is who I am, is what I do
And I was gonna lay it down for you
Try to focus my attention
But I feel so A-D-D
I need some help, some inspiration
(But it's not coming easily)
Whoah oh...

Trying to find the magic
Trying to write a classic
Don't you know, don't you know, don't you know?
Waste-bin full of paper
Clever rhymes, see you later

These words are my own
From my heart flow
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
There's no other way
To better say
I love you, I love you...

Read some Byron, Shelly and Keats
Recited it over a Hip-Hop beat
I'm having trouble saying what I mean
With dead poets and drum machines
I know I had some studio time booked
But I couldn't find a killer hook
Now you've gone & raised the bar right up
Nothing I write is ever good enough

These words are my own
From my heart flow
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
There's no other way
To better say
I love you, I love you...

I'm getting off my stage
The curtains pull away
No hyperbole to hide behind
My naked soul exposes
Whoah.. oh.. oh.. oh.. Whoah.. oh..

Trying to find the magic
Trying to write a classic
Waste-bin full of paper
Clever rhymes, see you later

These words are my own
From my heart flow
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you

That's all I got to say,
Can't think of a better way,
And that's all I've got to say,
I love you, is that okay?

Nancy :0)

Saturday:
I don't like fall or winter for that matter, but I was very happy to find that our apartment finally has heat! YAY! It was nice and toasty throughout the apartment and it felt good to sleep in. I'd gotten the laundry together already Friday night, so we went to do that. I also went with Jeff to his office so he could do some work that he was scheduled to do Friday night, but didn't because of the game. It wasn't too bad, it took him about 3 hours, but I kept myself busy, read a couple of magazines and checked my email/MySpace accounts. We went grocery shopping in Stop and Shop in New Hyde Park, then went home for dinner.

Sunday:
Today was just an entirely long day. Jeff drove me to WW this morning because of the Breast Cancer Walk. So we got up at 6:00am, picked up Steph by 7:00am and were at my WW meeting by 7:30am....OMG!!! I don't think I could go to that meeting all the time! It was just way to early. I really like our old 10:30am meetings. I wonder how some of the people are doing since Lee and Aunt Harriet and I switched for the Spring/Summer to the 9:00am meetings. Anyway, I gained +1.0 :0( I'm not happy about it at all, but I know what went wrong. My eating has been fine, I don't binge and I've stayed within my points....it was my exercise that was slacking. I wasn't doing the treadmill as often last week. I started off the week great though for this week. Instead of getting the bagel/butter (about 8 or 9 pts) that I was going to prior to the walk, I had a WW Chocolate Muffin (3 pts). I also completed the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk by doing the 5 mile walk in....get this....1 hour and 45 minutes!!! Yup, that's right, Cindy, Steph and I finished the walk in LESS than 2 hours! And it was a great day for it too. Steph and I got to the walk about 10:00am for registration and met up with Cindy there. I bought a tee and cute pink vest at the walk. I was also dressed head to toe in Victoria's Secret PINK brand clothes......well, Pink is the "Breast Cancer" color, so I figured it to be appropriote. We took a bunch of pics of the walk - they should be up on the site later tonight or so. After the walk, Steph and Cindy came back to our apartment for a late lunch. We played Trivial Pursuit, I won :0) YAY! and just hung out. Steph and I planned a get together for this Friday night with our college group, so I'm hoping that people can make it. The girls stayed for Chinese and we dropped them home after that. We put the laundry away and Jeff watched the Mets game, I wound up falling asleep before it was over.


Cindy, Me and Steph at the Walk


Me at the Walk


In my "Breast Cancer vest"...Ca, just for you, "It's very PINK :0)"

Nancy :0)

Harvey gave me two tickets to Wednesday nights game, but since it was called for rain, the game is tonight. I gave the tix to Jeff and Adam instead. I didn't feel like going to see the Mets, rather it be the Yankees, but oh well and it's FREEZING out there!!! Jeff was hysterical! He came down the stairs wearing a Hanes Tee with a Long-sleeved tee and Mets Tee over it, then put his Mets jersey on and had Mets PJ pants under his jeans...you'd think it was snowing out there or something! Work was BLAH today. Arlene I think has made up her mind that she's set to retire in April, regardless of how the radiation therapy with her husband goes. I totally understand since if I were in her position, I wouldn't leave Jeff's side either. It just puts a huge wrench into work now. This means that in six months, I could be either working with someone totally different (I'm working at Guardian with Harvey and Arlene for 5 1/2 years now) OR, I could be co-worker-less and be winging it on my own until we've got someone else there. I also let Harvey know that I might be leaving in a year or two myself to have babies. I don't know if that was appropriote or not, but I wanted to be honest. Well, Harvey said that he's been thinking about it and has someone in mind - this semi-almost-former agent Patt, which would be great! I mean, she's no Arlene, but Patt is this really inteligent, smart and nice agent who isn't doing so well in sales (being an agent). She spoke to Harvey, as does everyone who isn't doing well with sales, and he suggested for her to come to work with us....she seemed interested, which is the good part. I don't know how much Patt knows about Group Insurance, but I'm sure she'll be fine. Patt told me that she's a lifetimer at WW, so we've been talking on and off the past couple of weeks. Anyway, enough about work!!! I'm happy I gave the tix to Jeff. He gets to have a "Guys night out" with his brother and I get the apartment, with the cats, to myself. I'm online, playing on the WW site and watching Days of our Lives...yup, without Jeff...wonder if he'll care? He started to watch Days with me in 2001 when I was staying by his house a lot. I'd wait for him, but I've got 3 episodes to catch up with. I don't know what's up with tomorrow or Sunday. Jeff was supposed to work a late night at TLGGR tonight, but he was able to postpone it until tomorrow. I wanted to sleep in, so I'm hoping we'll be able to do that, then I know we've gotta do laundry, I've got to return some clothes to Roosevelt Field and scout out some more clothes and drop off some more old "fat" clothes to Goodwill. As for Sunday, I've got to get up, well we, SUPER EARLY, about 6:00am, to pick up Steph at her place ang go to the 7:30am WW meeting. Then Jeff's gonna drop us off on Queens Boulevard for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. The registration is from 9:00am to 11:00am, the walk starts at 11:00am. I'm so excited and looking forward to it. Ok, I'm gonna get offline now and watch DAYS. I'll write more over the weekend or Monday.

Nancy :0)

It HAD to be said!!! And, Weight Watchers ROCKS as far as teaching overeaters (myself included) how to manage portion control and exercise to lose and maintain a healthy weight. Here's the article:

Expanding Portions, Expanding Waistlines - MSN Article

Excessive servings are at the root of much weight gain, experts say....
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- You've cut down on fat and reduced your desserts, and still you can't seem to lose -- or even maintain -- weight.

Chances are, like most Americans, you're suffering from what dietitians call "portion distortion." You're eating too much at a sitting. And eating too much of even the healthiest foods can translate quickly into a higher calorie count and disheartening readings on the scale.

"Most people have a problem with portion control," said Sandra Hannum, a dietitian and retired researcher at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Determining what makes a healthy portion isn't easy these days, with restaurants serving one person enough food for two, and food makers tempting consumers with super-size boxes of snacks and other treats at bargain prices. But if you master portion control, you've got a much better chance of making your weight goal, whether it's losing unwanted pounds or maintaining your healthy weight, experts say.

"Portion control plays a significant part in weight control," said Lola O'Rourke, a Seattle dietitian and nutrition consultant and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "If people could simply reduce their portions by a third, they would cut out a huge amount of calories."

Paying attention to portion sizes can make a weight-loss program successful, as Hannum found out in her research studies.

In one, she followed two groups of dieters, half of whom were given portion-controlled entrees and half of whom were not. One project included 60 men and 60 women; she instructed the women to consume about 1,365 calories a day, and the men about 1,700 -- typical amounts for weight-loss diets. But half the men and half the women were given pre-packaged entrees of meat and rice and then were told to add two big salads a day, fruit and two glasses of skim milk. The other study participants selected their own portions and foods after being advised about healthy choices.

Each group followed instructions so their diets were 55 percent carbohydrates, 25 percent protein and 20 percent fat.

After eight weeks, the women on the portion-control diets lost 12 pounds, but those who picked their own portions lost just 8. The men on the portion-control diets lost 16 pounds, while those not on it lost 11, said Hannum, whose studies were published in the journals Obesity and Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

"The diets were exactly the same in terms of protein, fats and carbohydrates," she said. "We expected to see a difference [in weight loss], but we were surprised by how big a difference it was."

The pre-packaged entrees, Hannum said, were designed to help people learn what a proper portion is. "You wouldn't want to be eating this way all the time," she said of the pre-packaged foods, noting they typically are high in salt and often skimp on vegetables.

But the pre-packaged foods, she added, are often a better choice than fast-food restaurant offerings, especially if you're short of meal preparation time.

Other ways to control portions? Awareness is one step. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which posts information on portion education, sizes have changed dramatically in the past 20 years. A typical bagel, for instance, has grown from 3 inches in diameter to 6, with calories climbing from 140 to 350. A cheeseburger 20 years ago had about 333 calories; today, it is likely to have 590. And a serving of soda 20 years ago was typically 6.5 ounces with 85 calories, but today it's often 20 ounces with 250 calories.

To control portions while eating out, O'Rourke advises sharing an entree with your dining companion, or ordering an appetizer and a salad as your meal. You can simply ask for a smaller portion, too, she added, or request a "doggy bag" and save half the meal for later.

Another hint: Use a smaller plate to serve yourself meals, O'Rourke said.

And while some people use a kitchen scale while they prepare food, many consider it too much of a bother, O'Rourke and Hannum said. "But it is a tremendous tool for staying in control," Hannum said.

If a scale is too much work, O'Rourke suggested learning how to visualize a portion size. For instance, a cup of cereal is the size of your fist. A cup of salad greens is about the size of a baseball. A teaspoon of margarine is about as big as one dice. Two tablespoons of peanut butter are about the size of a ping pong ball. And a 3-ounce serving of meat, fish or poultry is about the size of a deck of cards, she said.

Friday:
Work wasn't too bad today. I thought Arlene was taking the full day off to be with her husband Bob, but she came in later in the day. I was feeling like crap the whole day, I think my nerves were shot over what happened yesterday with Jeff...his car was rear-ended on the LIE Eastbound while going to work. He's doing ok, just some back/neck pain, but he's ok and in one piece. So when I got home, I changed into PJ's and took a nap in bed. Jeff came home from work and layed with me for a couple minutes. I hate worrying about him, but I was so happy that he was ok. We went to Omega diner, as planned, for dinner - I wasn't sure if Jeff would wanna go driving this weekend because of the accident or not, but apparently, he didn't mind. Then, the fun part, we went to the Nassau County Police Station on Community Drive for the accident report. Neither of us were in a police station before, so that was something new. I think I remember visiting one in PS49 as those weird school trips, but I don't remember 100%. Anyway, we got the report, then went home to relax.

Saturday:
I had my routine semi-annual with Melanie this morning. Everything went great. This was the first time that I got on the scale at the doc's office that the nurse put the little weight thingie at 150, then had to push it down to 100 because I'm LESS than 150 :0) YAY!!! The nurse was happy about my loss and when I saw Melanie, she was equally happy. I'd lost 27 lbs. since the last time I was there. She gave me Yaz, which is from the makers of Yasmin, to try. It's supposed to lighten the days/flow and be better than Yasmin....so we'll see. From the ObGyn's office, we went straight to A&A Motors to drop off the car for repairs (the bumper/trunk), then to Enterprise for the rental. Our rental is a black Honda Civic with Jersey plates.....go figure. I'm not crazy about it but it was either that or a Ford Explorer (SUV) and I'm not getting in one of those things - I hate Ford and an Explorer is too big for just the 2 of us. We dropped off some stuff at home, then had breakfast/lunch at Majestic Diner (Old Country Road). I ordered this Vegetarian Omelette thing that had Tomatoes, Onions and Zucchini in it and some toast. Then we hit Roosevelt Field and Broadway Mall. I was VERY successful in shopping!!! I picked up Limited Drew style pants size 8 (now) and size 6 (about 5 lbs.), Victoria's Secret size Small PINK brand Pants/Capri's and Undies, Old Navy Mini Skirt...get this, Size 6 :0) (so I bought a size 4 for the cruise) and Old Navy Capri's size 6 (for the cruise). And, I went into Express to try on the Editor pants again, size 6 this time...ok, so they didn't fit right (cause I'm not a size 6 yet), but they did go up. I also tried on this Red tight strapless Empire Waist dress, size 8 and it not only FIT PERFECTLY, but DAMN, I just felt sexy and GREAT :0) It perked my mood so much...then I looked at the price tag...YOUCH, for $78 bucks, it's not worth it now, but I'm definitely going to keep my eye on it. That dress would be wonderful for weddings/events. Jeff and I saw the most horrible thing in NY&Co at Broadway Mall. I'm not gonna get into it 100%, it's too devasting, but we witnessed child neglect at it's shittest form. This IDIOT of a mother and her friend let this adorable 3 year old girl cry and cry because she'd gone poopy in her diaper (and she was supposed to be potty training). The mother displayed not only verbal abuse by yelling at her child "That's what you get for going poopy in your diaper and not in the potty", but she refused to leave the store to change her. Apparently, the pants her and her friend were buying were much more important, so much so, she kept telling her child, "Cry all you want" and when the girl was crying uncontrollably and gagging, she even said, "I don't care if you throw up on yourself"....at that point, I told her, "Nice parenting" and left without purchasing my shirt. I mean, there was only so much that I could take. This beautiful baby girl, no more than 3, so a bit younger than Ryan, was just so helpless. I mean, besides not being a good parent, it was completely unnecessary and harmful for her not to be changed, especially for a girl - all you need is for that to get onto her front end and she could wind up with a UTI...stupid bitch of a mother, my god, some people. Of course, I was waterworks the whole way out of the mall. I mean, I'd just been to the ObGyn that AM, so of course I was thinking about fertility and whatnot - I'm female and in my "child-bearing" years. So, seeing this horrible display of parenting when I'm not sure myself if I'll be able to conceive??? I was FUMING!! The women tried to say while I was leaving, "You don't understand the circumstances" but I'm sorry, there's NO reason for that!!! I mean, I remember being in Kindergarten and having "accidents" and my Mom came up to PS49 to bring me clean undies and pants. Of course, I was crying, but she always hugged me and gave my kisses and cleaned me up. She was being a MOTHER! And I'm sure if my Dad weren't working, he'd sdo the same. ARGH! Why people who aren't freakin' oblivious to parenting become parents are beyond me. Jeff was really sweet to me. He and I talked in the car and he calmed me down. We left Broadway Mall and went to Old Navy then Stop & Shop for regular grocery shopping, then finally, home. We only got in about 8:30pm and Jeff started on dinner. We watched the Mets win (BOO!), then went to bed.

Sunday:
Lee drove me and Aunt Harriet to WW this AM. I lost -1.6 lbs.!!! The coolest thing, I'm now down 60.6 lbs.!!! I had a really great meeting. It was all about sticking it out when the times get tough, something that I really needed to hear. I'm not about to give up by any means, but the times do get tough and it was good to hear positive reinforcement from Marianne. She's a huge inspiration to me and made me blush. I told her that I hit 60 lbs. and she was so great :0) She gave me a hug. Lee came back to the apartment with me so Jeff could set up her new laptop. Larry came over to watch the Giants game with Jeff. I was talking with Lee and playing around on MySpace with her. After she left when her computer was ready, Aunt Harriet picked me up and we went walking in Alley Pond Park, 3 miles! I went back to the house with her and waited for Jeff, Adam, Ryan, Michael and Uncle Howie to come over. She'd made dinner for us, Turkey, Sweet Potatoes, Veggies and Corned Beef.

Nancy :0)

Ok, so I write poetry. I haven't written in a while though. I want to pick it up again and I have stuff in the works, but as said by Blanche Deveraux on the Golden Girls, "I have writers block." So, here is some of my old stuff. Please keep in mind that most of my stuff is based on fiction, not reality, cause well, if my poems were based on reality, I'd be one messed up chickie.

used

his arms held me
while his kiss thrilled me
and he touched my body
with his delicate hands
he said he loved me
but then he used me
he said it wouldn't hurt
but then it did
he said he'll call
but he didn't
his words were lies
but he never told me that
he said he'd never hurt me
but that's what he did
he said he'd always be there
and then he left.

N.M.S.
june 24 '96
monday
7:40 p.m.
(About being emotionally hurt by love).


the way i feel for you

the way i feel for you
is so intense that if you knew
that i loved you
it would split my heart in two
because you knew
that i loved you
you’d laugh until two
then i’d feel so blue
because you knew
that i loved you
and that’s how i feel about you.

N.M.S.
10:36 a.m.
4-28-93
(Hey, I was 12 and thought rhyming poems were cool, this was about my first "boyfriend" Kevin).


ten years older . . .

i sit on the bus
and watch the teenagers talk about boys and love
who is dating who
who broke up with who
i think back ten years ago . . .
to when i was one of them
back when i was 15
and i thought i knew everything
if i only knew then, what i know now
i wouldn’t have spent so much time
so much wasted time
on boys and love
if i would have known that in ten years
i would be married, happy and content . . .
all the tender years
of falling in and out of love
would have hurt so much less
back then
all i wanted was to find that one special someone
that i could wake up in the morning next to
go to sleep every night with
and spend the rest of my life making him happy
that’s the life of teenagers . . .
wanting to be ten years older
and as i walk off the bus
i don’t turn around
since i wouldn’t want to go ten years back.

NMG
Friday 02/04/05
11:22pm
(I love Jeff :0), that is all).


temperamental infant

i reasoned, begged, pleaded
cried; alone
as a temperamental infant
i screamed and scratched
just to be heard
but . . . no one came to listen
no one stayed
they walked out
constantly
killed the lights
closed the door
blinded to my tears
deaf to my cries
so i pulled the covers
over my head
and cried myself to sleep
but i never woke up
i died in that crib
the lack of love
the constant;
unsatisfied need to be held
ended my untimely death
one year after my birth.

nms
friday
april 10, 98
1:02 am
(About child abuse/neglect, a la Edgar Lee Masters, The Spoon River Anthology style).


something missing

to tell you what it’s like,
no words can describe it
except . . .
i knew
and i feared while walking
but . . . i kept going
through those halls
reeking of a putrid stench
that sickened me
and i knew
but i took off my clothes
and lay down
the tears didn’t end
and the emotional pain
had hurt more than the physical
but within minutes . . .
my life had changed
and i couldn’t get it back
honestly,
no one knows
why this feeling lingers
i guess it’s guilt
but walking those halls again,
i knew i had lost something
my stomach was empty
and my baby was dead
before she was born
purgatory had followed
as i left
knowing that i was the cause
of my unborn child’s death.

N.M.S.
9:19 a.m.
Monday
november 25, 1996
(Abortion...and no, I've never been pregnant, that's where the fiction part comes in).


polycystic ovarian nightmare

i won’t be able to conceive
i won’t know what it’s like
never to have that smile across my face
reading the EPT results in the tiny window
i might gain weight, but it wouldn’t make me happy
because i’ll never put my hand to my belly and feel a baby moving inside of me
i will never await the birth of a child and hold a baby in my arms that i delivered
i won’t be able to give my husband a child and make him a father
something he has always wanted

i have polycystic ovarian syndrome
and i don’t stand a chance
i’ve read the statistics
researched and searched for answers
but statistics don’t lie . . .

an estimated 6% – 10% of all females have pcos
that’s about 5 million woman in the united states alone . . .
my doctor told me i will have to rely on fertility drugs
the chances of my conceiving are pretty slim
it’s estimated that 70% to 90% of pcos women who take fertility drugs ovulate . . .
sadly, only half go on to conceive within six to nine months
and it saddens me greatly that one in five of those pregnancies will end in miscarriage

regardless of the statistics

i had planned a future
jeff and i had baby names picked out
names to carry on tradition . . .
matthew robert or marissa renée

regardless of the statistics

i was hopeful . . .
i bought baby clothes
the onesies and tiny socks
the velveteen rabbit that would become our baby’s first stuffed animal
envisioned winnie the pooh covered walls and bedspreads
bought tons of books to read to my little one

regardless of the statistics

i was hopeful . . .
we ignored the statistics
and we tried for one year
unsuccessfully
i was given clomid to increase my changes
and i got pregnant within one month
only to miscarry with matthew four months later
a year later when i miscarried for the second time
we were told invitrofertilization would be our last chance
we gathered together ten thousand dollars . . .
and signed it away for our baby’s future . . .
but it didn’t take . . .
and we have no more money . . .
now, i am hopeless . . .

NMG
11/04/04
11:13 am
(Half-truth....I do have PCOS, which stinks, but we haven't tried for children yet. I wrote this after waking up with the nightmare of not being able to conceive).


TO END ON A HAPPY NOTE, ONE MORE BEFORE I GO TO BED......

Matthew Robert or Marissa Renée . . .

Jeff and I wanted to make sure that we were ready
So we waited three years to have you
Conceiving you wasn’t simple either
But finally the moment arrived
The pregnancy test had two pink lines
And I was pregnant
I enjoy carrying you
Having you so close to my heart
By being inside me
It’s been an amazing feeling
Having felt every move you make
From the early morning nudges that you are hungry
To the nighttime movement of you settling down for sleep
I wanted to know in the ultra-sound
If you were a boy or girl
But Jeff wanted to wait . . . so we are
I have waited all my life to have you
Two more months until your birthday
Soon I will know just what to name you
Matthew Robert or Marissa Renée . . .

NMG
06/09/05
8:28pm

All written by Nancy Michelle Specker/Nancy Michelle Greenberg.

Nancy :0)

Saturday:
Jeff and I slept in this morning, which was really nice. Steph left her wallet in my bag when we went out last night, so she came over to pick it up. We had some lunch and drove her home, then we went grocery shopping at Waldbaums in Albertson for Jeff to pick up some fish for Monday's dinner and for the usual shopping. I wanted to get to Roosevelt Field, because I need more clothes, but we didn't get the chance to, so that'll be next weekend's task. We had dinner at home and finished up our game of Trivial Pursuit - Jeff won....BLAH!! I was so close too!!!

Sunday:
Lee drove me and Aunt Harriet to WW this AM. I finally broke the plateau I was having!!! I lost -2.4 lbs. this week! I knew I was having a good week weight wise, I mean, with all the stress worrying about Arlene and Bob and then the workload, plus I was eating a bit less, which also contributed to it. I've got 1 more lb. to hit a 60 lbs. weight loss!!! I'm so excited, so I'm aiming for 1 lb. this week. And, I've got 2.6 lbs. to hit the 130's category!!! I can totally see hitting Goal by the cruise. The only problem??? I think I'm going to have to make Goal LESS than 130, maybe 128 or 125. Ugh! Why is this losing weight thing so hard?!? Anyway...Lee came over our apartment after dropping me off and ordered herself a laptop with Jeff's help. We made breakfast, then Lee and I left for my parents place. I went with her to World's Gym....a very odd experience. I haven't been in a gym in god knows how long when I used to take her guest passes when she went to Lucille Roberts on Austin Street. We both did the treadmill for 30 minutes (2 miles) and some leg weight machines and free weights (bicep curls). I tried this odd ab machine thingie and it hurt my tummy so much! But it was nice to hang with Lee in the gym. I just really don't like the "gym setting". I prefer my treadmill/weight bench and whatnot I have at home. We went back to my parents place and Jeff was already there and set up my Mom's new laptop to the network for them. We hung around for a while, then left to make dinner (steak) and head to temple for the evening Yom Kippur services. Services began at 8:00pm and ended about 10:30pm.

Monday:
Yom Kippur services began at 10:00am and broke at 12:30pm. Both Jeff and I really like this temple a whole lot better. During the break, we went home and had a bite to eat - neither of us fast. I didn't grow up with it and Jeff doesn't because of his heart condition. Afternoon/evening services resumed at 3:00pm and to both of our surprise, ended around 6:00pm. I think we're going to go back to The Reform Temple of Forest Hills for the High Holidays next year. The community ranges from couples with young/teen children to grandparents...but the place was packed and it seems to be flourishing. We got home about the same time that Jeff usually does from work, 6:20pm and made dinner. Jeff had White Fish on a Bagel and some other fish stuff (not my stuff) and he made me a steak (yes, again). We caught up with some TV shows that recorded both on Sunday and Monday. I was falling asleep on the sofa about 10pm, so we went up to bed.

Nancy :0)

Tonight we're going to TGIFridays on Austin Street with Steph and Cindy. It's been stressful all around. For me it's with my workload and Arlene's husband being sick, Jeff's been super busy these days and coming home late, Cindy's office just moved and she's looking for another job and Steph is just getting adjusted to her new job. Anyway, I'm looking forward to a nice night out with my girls (and Jeff of course). I've caught up since Monday and have made piles of files that need to be worked on and lists upon lists of these files. I've called the clients that have called/faxed or emailed us with issues and I'm waiting on their call-backs now. It's lunch time and I just ate......I had a South Beach Diet Wrap - Sesame Chicken, something that Jeff picked up for me and it was very yummy! Lunch is almost over, gotta get back to work.

Oh, TGIFridays....I love that place! BAD BAD NANCY!!! I didn't do so bad with points. Jeff, CIndy, Steph and I ordered 3 appetizers for the table, but I only ate from one, the new appetizer, Fried Green Beans. Those were yummy! I figured about 4 points for the breading and oil because the Green Beans are 0 pts. And for Entree, I ordered the Jack Daniels Steak with Mashed Potatoes, only had 1 oz of Steak and 1/2 cup MP, so I really didn't eat that much. Why I said BAD BAD Nancy??? I ordered 1 Mudslide prior to eating, drank it down and ordered another with dinner. I'm a sucker for those things! I don't drink at all, but Mudslides? I LOVE THEM :0) OMG, we had a blast!!! I forgot to mention that my and Steph's friend Gary P. now works in the TGIFridays on Austin Street (he used to work in the one in Westbury)...and well, Steph likes him :0) He's so great, I've known him for almost 15 years now. He got us a table right away and took care of us. His and my birthday are very close (mine 11/17, his 11/09), so we're planning on going out for drinks for our birthdays. We all had 2 drinks a piece and got a little drunk, except Jeff. He put 2 beers away and he's fine. Steph and I were giggly, but my god, Cindy was so funny! She was laughing at everything! We went into Barnes and Noble for about an hour to cool off (so Jeff was ok to drive home). I felt like Steph and I were back in our QCC days when we'd go to Barnes and Noble with George, Teresa, Anthony and so on after our TGIFridays days....those were great times :0) The girls came back to our apartment and we watched those 80's Strikes Back things on VH1. Steph was tired, Cindy was hung over and half asleep, I was cuddly and Jeff was jumpy - all he wanted to do was play a game. It was only 10pm and the 3 of us girls were out of it - so Jeff drove them home instead and we went to bed when we came home.








Nancy :0)

I came in Monday morning to learn that Arlene's husband Bob was sick again. She told me that he was having seizures late Friday night and they took him into the emergency room very early Saturday morning. They were already awaiting the PET scan he had on Thursday and in doing an MRI Saturday, they found a "peanut" sized tumor in his brain - much smaller than the first tumor, but still a cancerous tumor. He had surgery on Tuesday to remove the rumor and as of yesterday, Arlene told me that the news wasn't good. While they were able to remove the tumor, either the MRI or the actual surgery, showed many tiny pre-cancerous cells...and the response of the surgeon to Arlene was, "I can't open him up every 4 months to remove the tumors". I know Arlene was going to talk to the docs about their next move, whether it's Chemo or Radiation - I don't know if the docs even know yet. I'll update when I know more.

Anyway - I know I'm not very religious, but my prayers are with Arlene and Bob and their family. Please keep the Walsh family in your prayers as well. Thank you.

Nancy.

I'm not a very religious person and I don't know if I ever have been. I went to temple when I was in my pre-teens with my parents, but my heart wasn't in it. I started to go again when I met Jeff; I'd join he and his father on many Friday nights services and continued to go with Jeff after his passing. Just when my heart was finally in it, we'd stopped going to Friday night services about 2 years ago because of temple politics. It just wasn't a right fit anymore. This year, we tried a new temple...The Reform Temple of Forest Hills (http://www.rtfh.org/). I had my reservations because I wasn't born Jewish, but converted to Judiasm when I was 10 and have been ragged on about coming from an Interfaith family....but as Jeff had said, what where strangers going to do, walk up to me and point, you weren't born Jewish, get out? That made me smile and laugh and feel better. If I didn't grow up interfaith (my Mom marrying Catholic, my Dad marrying Jewish), I wouldn't have the two most wonderful people in my life, my Mom and Dad, whom I love with my whole heart and couldn't imagine better parents. We skipped Friday night Rosh Hashanah services because of timing with work, dinner and such; we'd decided to go for Saturday services and maybe Sunday. We had an issue that by Friday AM, our tickets hadn't come yet. So Jeff called the exec. director Marsha Weinroth, who told him that we'd just need to come see her and she'd vouch for us. The temple is right near Parkway hospital in Forest Hills and it's pretty big. The sanctuary and social hall in itself were about as big, or bigger than where Jeff and I had our wedding reception. We got there about 9:30am for the 10:00am service. The sanctuary was packing up, but the chairs in the social hall were still pretty empty...people were still filing in. By the time the service was in full swing, the place was PACKED and more and more people were coming in. All you see from rows and rows behind us were people. Rabbi Mayer Perelmuter and Cantor Cary Schwartz impressed both Jeff and I, the Rabbi led a nice service and the Cantor had a nice voice, though it was odd having a male Cantor since we were used to Cantor Gamell and her beautiful voice. It was great to see Jeff so relaxed and happy when in temple. I felt fine too. Services led out earlier than expected too, about 1pm. We didn't wind up going to Sunday services because it wasn't going to be a "service", more so a study session from 2 to 3pm instead. I'd gone to WW in the AM with Lisa and Aunt Harriet. I gained 0.6 this week, but I wasn't going to let it bother me. I know why I gained, I had "female" issues and well, it's very hard to work out when you've got cramps and are in pain. Kate (a fellow WW'er at my meeting) had made me feel so great. Her and I are neck and neck with our weight loss. She started at 191, I at 201...she's now 144.4 and I'm 144.8 :0) I showed her some of my before/after pics, as she'd been asking about them last week. She told me how great I look and how well I was doing....she's so sweet! We have the same 130 goal in mind, though I think she looks great now. Anyway, I'm making it the gain this week and I'm gonna kick some serious arse!!! I even went walking with Aunt Harriet and Jeff about 4 miles in Alley Pond Park...so I'm on a roll for the week.

Nancy :0)

Saturday:
I couldn't sleep and the stupid rain woke me up at 5:00am because it was hitting the A/C. I watched a bit of TV and went to bed, then woke up again at 9:00am. That's when I woke Jeff and we both showered, then I had some breakfast. I cleaned some of my dresser with my clothes all over the place, then layed on the bed and both Jeff and I wound up taking a nap...yup, at 10:00am. I don't know what the heck it was, but we just couldn't get the morning started. I think I woke again at 12:00pm and that's when we stayed up for the day for good. We had some lunch, then went to Roosevelt Field Mall so I can return some things. And....I finally bought an iPod!! Woo Hoo!! After buying discman after discman at $30 bucks a pop and having them constantly break and replace batteries, I finally bought an iPod! I was going to wait a couple months and use my office holiday bonus money on it, but my discman up and broke, so instead of wasting $30 bucks on something that I'd only use for 3 months, I went ahead an got the iPod. We left Roosevelt Field and were parking in front of our place when Aunt Harriet called asking if we'd wanna go walking. Jeff called her back in the house and let her know that we'd, but we had to have dinner first - so that's what we did. We walked around by her place and went down to Springfield and Horace Harding, then walked along Horace Harding up to Douglaston....Jeff and Michael made some sort of wrong turn somewhere and instead of walking 1 or 2 miles, we wound up walking 3 miles to get back to Aunt Harriets. It wasn't too bad, but I was really tired. We went in for a minute or two to relax after walking, then went home and went to bed.

Sunday:
Jeff drove Aunt Harriet and I to WW in the AM. Lee met us there for the 9am meeting - she left early to go to the Yankee game that was rained out on Friday night. I did good. I lost 0.8, so I was able to kick that 0.6 gain last week and a bit more. Cindy even sent me an email saying that even with going out for Colombian, I still lost. I was worried about that. I don't like going out too often because that was my downfall. Plus, I like to plan, so I think I said this, but Steph was so sweet and brought me the Tierras Colombianas menu a couple weeks back when she said that's where she'd wanna go. So I was able to plan out what I'd have. They're both such great friends :0) Oh and I was able to FINALLY clean up the bedroom a bit and get rid of some of my big tee shirts. I went downstairs with Jeff and semi-watched the Giants game with him while we had some lunch. I was mostly playing around on my laptop waiting for Aunt Harriet to call me back about walking...which she did. We went out walking during the 4th Quarter and came back during OT....a nice 2 mile walk. She left and I sat with Jeff and watched the game. I even wound up napping for a bit. We ordered chinese from Empire Garden and watched TV, then Jeff helped me put the songs that he has on iTunes on his computer on my new iPod. I'm so happy about it - can't wait to use it!!!

Nancy :0)

We're going out tonight for Steph's 29th birthday to Tierras Colombianas in Astoria (I think I spelled that ok). I'm really looking forward to it. It's been a hectic work week. My computer was almost toast with a virus (the same Trojan Horse one from December...yea, that long) and now it was giving me annoying pop-up adds and installing all sorts of toolbars and such. So Tuesday Harv's computer guy came in and worked on both my and Arlene's computer. Extremely long story semi short...he had to give me the updates for Service Pack 1 on XP, then install and give me updates for Service Pack 2. He started Service Pack 2 installation before he left Tuesday (about 3:30pm) and I continued the updates when I went in Wednesday morning, which took from when I got in at 8:00am until about lunchtime at 12:00pm. So I'm feeling ARGH!!! about computers now (at least the ones at work). It's running ok now. No virus and no more pop-ups/toolbars, so that seems to be good. I've just been feeling blah all week. I know I've been telling myself that the 0.6 gain isn't a big deal, but I feel like it is. My scale looks like I've maintained this week.....which since my scale is so inaccurate, hopefully means a loss. It was "good" to me last week in weighing me in heavier, when in actuallity, I was lighter.....so hopefully the same this week. I should just toss the stupid thing! Anyway, Cindy's meeting me at work later and Steph's gonna meet us at my apartment. I'm happy we're going out - I really need to hang out with my girls :0) I'm hoping to feel better later. I'll write more.



Tierras Colombianas was really really great! It's in Astoria not too far away from the Kaufman movie theatre and on the corner. I ordered the Grilled Steak which came with a salad (vinegar & oil), boiled potato, yuca, white rice and beans (all of which I ate, but portioned out before I did). I stole some of Jeff's plantains...those are really yummy! And it was a very healthy meal. I even had enough Flex Points for a coffee and dessert - I had this Banana thing with Brown Sugar/Cinnamon. And for Cindy, cause I have to tease the girlie who I know for 9 years now...FLAN!!! (Yup, Cin, you won't live that one down!) Anyway, Steph and Cindy came back to our apartment and we played some board games. Jeff drove them both home and came back about 2am.

Nancy :0)

In Memory of September 11th 2001.


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God Bless the United States of America. I want to wish our troops and my friends a safe return home. God bless.

Friday:
Work was well, work. It wasn't too busy or overwhelming, kinda nice. Mom and Dad drove me home, which was also nice of them to do. I really didn't feel like taking the bus anyway. Jeff had to work late tonight, so I was on my own for dinner. I was really annoyed with the scale - the stupid thing looked like I'd gained over a pound, so I hit the treadmill for 3 miles when I went home. Then I made dinner and watched the Yankee game. Jeff wasn't too late. He picked up Arbys for dinner and was home about 9:00pm.

Saturday:
Ugh, errand day. It wasn't too bad though. We slept in and hit Roosevelt Field Mall and Target. I bought a couple nice shirts and some pants. The pants are snug, but give or take 5 to 10 lbs and they'll fit fine in no time. We had lunch at Applebees - I had the WW Steak and Shrimp thing, minus the shrimp, so I counted it for 5 pts. We had to go back out to the island for something, I'm forgetting now - but we had dinner at home.

Sunday:
Lee drove me and Aunt Harriet to WW this AM. I gained 0.6, but I'm ok with that. Something awesome happened......LISA MADE LIFETIME WITH WEIGHT WATCHERS!!! WOO HOO!!! I'm SO happy for her!!! Marianne gave her the final piece to the puzzle, the key for her WW 10% Keychain. She drove me and Aunt Harriet home. Jeff and I had breakfast/lunch at home, something simple, Eggo Waffles and bananas (well, bananas for me). I got on the treadmill and did 3 miles when Jeff went in the shower. I was on FIRE!!! We then went out to the island again to Target and hit a couple Pathmarks and King Kullen's in search for this new product called Guiltless Gourmet. They make Chips, Salsa, Pasta and Desserts. I was looking for the desserts because they have 3 cakes and they're only about 4 or 5 pts. a piece. But, no luck. We grocery shopped in Stop and Shop in New Hyde Park, then went home for dinner. I FINALLY dyed my hair. I'm a brunette again! Well, sorta. I dyed it Feria's Espresso, Deeply Brown, but I can still see my red highlights shining through....go figure. I watched part of the Giants game with Jeff and was online for most of it. I'm not a football fan, but it makes Jeff happy :0) I dont' remember the score, I just remember falling asleep on Jeff.

Nancy :0)

Friday:
THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY! I seem to be saying that a lot on my Friday posts, but seriously, it's so great to be Friday! The whole work week, I felt like it was Friday and even in taking off Monday (because I was sick), I still felt like it was Friday. Anyway...our office closed at 2:00pm...WOO HOO!!! Doris offered to drive me home, which was great, so I got home about 2:40pm. I ran in and jumped on the treadmill right away. I was able to get in 2 miles before Cindy met me at my apartment. She called me when I was doing the last 1/4 mile of the treadmill - well, the last 1/8 of a mile actually, so I decided to run it = figuring that I could finish before she came down the block and into my court...and I was right! I opened my front door just as she was walking up my court. Jeff picked us up and we went to pick up Steph at work. Friday was her last day working for family she worked for (WOO HOO!! Stephie got a new job! CONGRATS STEPHIE!!!) We met up with Aunt Harriet, Uncle Howie, Michael, Adam and Ryan at Hooters in East Meadow. I love Hooters :0) I did very well and planned it nicely by having a Caesar Salad (dressing on the side) and 10 piece mild Buffalo Wings. I only put a dab on caesar dressing on it because it had so much grated cheese (very low points) and ate 3 buffalo wings, celery and bleu cheese (so I consider this a great non-scale victory since buffalo wings are a trigger food for me). After Hooters, Jeff, Steph, Cindy and I went shopping at Target. We were gonna go bowling and go there to kill some time, but I wound up getting some clothes and stuff that I needed instead. We took Steph home (party pooper) and went back to our apartment to hang with Cindy. Jeff drove her home about 1:00am - I was already half asleep on the sofa. I was already in bed sleeping when Jeff came home.

Saturday:
Jeff and I slept in this morning and it felt so good to do so! We went to IHOP for breakfast. That was really me saying to Jeff, "It looks like I lost a nice amount of weight this week...do you want to go out for breakfast?" And you know, I shouldn't be too scared to go out to eat. I DO make good decisions when eating out, I just don't want to fall into bad habits again where I was eating out every weekend - that was such a shot to my self-esteem and what made me fat. Anyway, we went to IHOP and I had success!!! From the WW message boards, we're always talking about how to go about ordering well when going out to eat. One suggestion is always trying to order from the Kiddie or Senior Menu because they are smaller portions of food. So, that's what I did. I ordered the Jr. French Toast from the Kiddie Menu - it was 2 slices of French Toast and I substituted the bacon for 1 Scrambled Egg. I was SO happy that I ordered well and it was really yummy!! We did a bunch of errand shopping today - went to Pathmark to grocery shop and I bought a nice shirt in Old Navy. We had dinner at home, steak, corn on the cob and carrots - a nice simple and yummy 7 points. We watched some DAYS episodes and this thing on the '86 Mets. It was this cool presentation (rebroadcasted) of the full '86 Mets team before a Mets game a couple weeks ago. Yes, the Yankees fan said it was cool :0) Anyway, then Jeff put on the MYV Video Music Awards that we recorded on the DVR. It bored me like crazy and I fell asleep in Jeff's lap.

Sunday:
Lisa picked me and Aunt Harriet up at my apartment and we went to WW. I hadn't seen Lee in a couple weeks because she had some errands to run and went to the earlier meeting and then was on vacation, so it was nice to see her. I did sooooo well!!!! I lost 2.2 pounds, so I'm down a total of 57 pounds!!! Lee dropped me off home and I had breakfast with Jeff and we did some laundry. Then we went by M&D's. I went with Lee to the storage place with her so she could give me some clothes that don't fit her anymore. I walked away with a nice basket of laundry. We stopped back by M&D's to get my wallet and went to Stop and Shop to pick up some things because both of us were snacky. Lee and I stopped into Mandee and I wound up buying this very cute halter shirt in, get this, size SMALL! When I worked in Mandee, I could barely fit their clothes, size Large or maybe XL, but even then it was a snug fit. I couldn't believe that a size Small fit in Mandee. That was just awesome!!! We bought a couple things in Stop and Shop and went back to M&D's. I sat at the table with Mom and Ca for a bit, then went to hang with the guys, Dad and Jeff in the living room for the Mets game (Boo). I went downstairs to hang with Lee for a bit and went upstairs to try on some of the clothes. Some of the sweaters fit nicely, but the button-down work shirts were still a bit snug. All of the pants were a size 6, so they don't fit yet because I'm still a size 10. But they'll fit soon enough. I was just so happy to get some clothes!!! Jeff and I stayed for dinner - Mom made Spaghetti with Cauliflower Sauce and Breadcrumbs....something that I love and haven't had in such a long time (nice and low in points). We hung out in the living room and watched some TV, then had some cake for Jeff's birthday! We left a bit after that and went home to feed the cats and relax for a busy and early Monday morning wakeup.

Monday:
WOO HOO!! Another day at the Ren Faire. We got up bright and early and picked Steph up at 8:00am, then Cindy and were on the road. Tasha couldn't make it - she was sick and this was Steph's first time at the Faire. Jeff revamped the schedule a bit, but we still wound up seeing the Robin Hood scenes, the Magic Show and a Joust. It was SOOO packed. Oh, and I met Hillary from the WW board too! I met her a couple weeks ago through the WW message boards and through talking, found out that she works the Ren Faire. It was cool to meet someone that I've been talking to online, she's really awesome and helps me so much with WW. And I did well with Faire eating. It's tough to eat well there, but I managed ok. I had a Frozen Banana, shared the Potato/Corn soup/bread bowl with Steph and split a Pretzel with Cindy. We went to Hooters in Paramus after the Faire. I again ordered the Caesar Salad and only had 2 Buffalo Wings this time. I still felt bad the way I'd been eating this week. Yea, even though I didn't eat nearly as much or fatty as I used to, I'm not used to eating out as much anymore. So Jeff, Steph and Cindy made me feel better that I was doing well and not to worry. Jeff drove Steph home and then Cindy. We went up to Cindy's apartment because something was wrong with her laptop. Her and her sis have a nice place. And I finally got to meet their cute 3 little kitties, Kiwi, Kami and Hyde. I'm in love with them :0) I wanna bring them home to Smokey and Tiger. We left Cindy's place and of course, as soon as Jeff came home, he was playing around with Cindy's laptop, trying to fix it. I went to bed and he came up about 10 mins later.

Tuesday:
DAY OFF!!! Jeff and I took today off. He had a floating holiday for his birthday and I have way too many vacation days left - so we took the day. We slept in, of course, and then had some breakfast at home - cereal. I wanted to make sure to eat at home because of home many times we've eaten out this past weekend. We did some errand shopping - went to Target and Old Navy. I had a ton of luck and bought a bunch of shirts in Target in size Small :0) Sorry, but it always makes me happy to buy Small. Plus, there were some shirts that I even had to buy in X-Small, that REALLY made me happy. I'm trying to shop for 10 more lbs. down, which isn't too tough, since after losing 57 lbs, I kinda know what a 10 lb. loss looks like. I couldn't find anything in my size in Old Navy. I found this cute waffle-weave long sleeve shirt the other day in Small and bought it - but they only had it in Navy. The ones in White, Baby Blue and Hunter Green were only in XL. I even told Jeff something like, I can't believe that when they don't have anything in my size and he smiled, because he knew what I meant. It's so weird that I'm not a Large or XL anymore and that buying Medium's, Small's and even X-Small's. We went home for lunch. Jeff had the left-over Hooters wings and I made 2 grilled cheese sandwiches with tomatoes (only 6 pts!). Of course, we wound up catching up with DAYS and being couch potatoes. So we went back out to Sears so I could get some more jeans and I bought that, plus 2 sweatshirt jackets and 1 fitted jacket. The Levi's I bought in size 8 and size 6 to keep me motivated to get down to those sizes - well, they were on sale too!! Jeff made steak for dinner and we were in for the rest of the night. I talked to Ca on the phone for a bit - then went up to put laundry away. That took forever! I'm still thowing stuff in the "doesn't fit" pile and I almost have 1 basket more to give away to Goodwill. I also tried on the size 8 Levi's and THEY FIT!!! They zip up and look so CUTE!! Only problem - my tummy bulges when I sit - not attractive, so I'm not a size 8 just yet - but I'm SO close!!! We cleaned up a bit downstairs, watched some TV, then went to bed.

Nancy :0)

There I was in my office kitchen warming up my lunch today. Our CEO Nat walks in to get some tea. He looks at me and says, "Have you lost weight?", to which I said, "Yes, I have". He said, "You look great" and left with his tea. So, Nat (nicknamed Mr. Oblivious for so many reasons) noticed I lost weight!! I got back to my office and told Arlene, so she said, "Hey, if Nat noticed, you're REALLY looking great" I'm on cloud 9!!

Nancy :0)

I took off from work yesterday because I managed to catch Jeff's cold and I'm feeling just so blah! Yesterday was just horrible. I woke up early for work and had a splitting headache, so I called out sick. Jeff gave me some Excedrin, fed the cats and left for work. I was able to get back to sleep and slept until 11:00 or so. I didn't have breakfast, just waited until lunch and had one of those Tyson Chicken patty things on lite white and a corn on the cob - nice, only 6 points. I tried to nap about 2:30, but it didn't work out because my nose was so stuffed, so I watched crappy TV instead like People's Court and Judge Mathis. Jeff got home at a good time and took me to the doc. I've got a cold, he gave me Biaxin. We ordered Chinese last night because getting in at 7:30pm and with me being sick and it was my night to cook - I just didn't want to. It was ok, only 8 points with the soup and Chicken and Broccoli - the soup really helped :0) Anyway, today I'm not feeling much better, but had to go in. We woke up late, so Jeff drove me into work. I'm sitting here now, at 11:13am, it's not too busy. I want to go home, but I can't. I also feel like crud since I haven't done the treadmill since Thursday. That's not like me anymore, to not exercise. I guess depending on how I feel tonight, I might try to walk at least 1 mile on the treadmill - just walk. I'm watching what I'm eating and only hit 18 out of 20 points last night, so I should be ok weight-wise this week. Ok, let me get back to so work.

Nancy :0)

Friday:
TGIF! I asked Mom to drive me home because I had such cramps and was feeling so blah! So her and Dad were nice enough to pick me up and drive me home. They hung out with me in the apartment and left about 5 - Jeff came home about 5:30pm. Jeff and I had a date :0) It was the first time in a long time that just he and I went out to dinner. I asked him a week ago to choose a restaurant, so he chose Tequila Sunrise of Bayside. I like that place too. I was careful with my points and picked something out online prior to going. But it was so NICE that Jeff and I went on a date...so cute. We talked and had fun and just went home afterwards because both of us felt lousy - he with a cold and me with cramps. We watched TV in the living room until bedtime.

Saturday:
Jeff and I slept in late. Neither of us had any plans and with the weather being so iffy and yucky, it was nice to have a day to sleep in and do nothing. We lazied around the apartment until we had to pick up Steph and Cindy because we made plans with them. I hadn't seen Steph in weeks and with everything going on with her about to start a new job, I wanted to get to BS with her face to face. Before picking them up, I did a WONDERFUL thing. I tossed 7 bags of my fat clothes into the Goodwill bin. Jeff took some pics of me tossing the clothes into the bin (on our pics page). It feels so GOOD to finally be rid of my fat clothes and I did something nice for Goodwill in the process. Steph and Cindy had dinner by our apartment and we watched our wedding "outtakes" video - the unedited parts of the video since neither of them had seen it. Jeff drove Cindy and Steph home late.



Sunday:
Jeff drove me and Aunt Harriet to WW this AM. I did well and lost the 0.4 lbs. that I wanted to and hit my 3rd 10% loss!!! I'm now down 54.8 lbs.! We went by my parents place to have some bagels and hang for a bit. It was nice to hang with them since I hadn't been over there in a while. I took all of Lee's old clothes too that she had in the metal closet in the basement. ALL OF THEM FIT!! It was a ton of Jeans from Express, Gap and Old Navy - size 10's!!!! So happy. We went home after that and relaxed for a bit. I caught Jeff's cold, so I was feeling miserable. Jeff made us a quick dinner because we had somewhere to be. Jeff and I went to Continental Airlines Arena to see Mariah Carey - Sean Paul opened for her. So, I learned something. Sean Paul STINKS!!! I just really hate that type of music. I know it's reggae and I do like reggae, but more of the Bob Marley stuff - not the USA bloated versions of bass and drums and rap crap of reggae. Jeff and I totally made fun of Sean Paul the whole 45 min set. But, Mariah Carey was AWESOME!!!! What a voice!!! I took 3 videos - Shake It Off, Honey and We Belong Together. I didn't like that she did several costume changes, but I was so HAPPY that she played a great mix of old and new stuff. I love the Emancipation of Mimi CD - just love it. I also bought a size Small Mariah concert tee (YAY, size Small!!!) and size Medium cutie Short Shorts that say "Shake It Off" on the tushy! I can't wait to wear those on the cruise in the gym :0) I guess I owe Jeff now for sitting through Sean Paul - man that was aweful - but I know he liked Mariah :0) Jeff should have the pics/videos up tonight.

Nancy :0)

I have finally figured out how to allow people to comment without getting us spammed like crazy. From now on to enter a comment you will have to pass a Captcha test, which is basically a picture with some letters or numbers in it, that you will be asked to retype. This is a simple way to differentiate between people and spam-bots that crawl the web.

Both Nancy and I look forward to reading your comments again!

Saturday:
While I tried to sleep in, it didn't quite work well. I had a bad sleep, but still wound up waking up late...if that makes sense at all. We had a change of plans this weekend and we're cleaning the apartment today and tomorrow, going to the American Museum of Natural History with Aunt Harriet and Michael. We were trying to plan it all summer and on a day that's supposed to rain so Michael could go (he works Acqueduct on sunny weekends). Anyway, we were able to get the living room, dining room and bedroom cleaned. It's so NICE to come home to a clean place, I love it. Before we tackled the bedroom though, we wound up napping on the sofa. We woke up and make dinner (it was 5pm already), then cleaned the bedroom. Finally, we were able to relax in a nice clean apartment. We played the DVD edition of Trivial Pursuit, then went to bed.

Sunday:
Lee's in Barbados (lucky her and awesome :0), so Jeff drove to WW this AM. We picked up Aunt Harriet and Michael, got coffee and were early for the meeting. I did so good. All week I thought I gained a pound and instead, I LOST 1.2!!! I'm down 54.4 lbs. and well on my way to goal! I'm 147 now. I want to get to 130, but I don't think 17 lbs. is really going to give me the flat body and toned definition that I want. I think I'm going to have to change my goal to 125 (like Lee) and see how it goes. Ok, so I'm happy that I'm smaller and thinner, but I don't know what's wrong. It seems my upper half has slimmed down tremendously as well as my overall figure, but I still have a tummy and thighs (well, less, but still there). I spoke to Marianne about working out and what to do to get rid of the lower belly fat and upper thigh fat - because that's my problem now. She gave me 3 different types of exercises to do to tone and said "Walking" which I told her I do PLENTY of. So, I'm on the right track of walking, but now, I've gotta step up my game. UGH! I really have to figure out how and when I'm gonna do all these things in one night, eat and actually relax. That'll be something I have to think about quickly because I want to get started on it this week. Anyway, after the meeting, Aunt Harriet and Michael had breakfast by our apartment and we went into the city to go to the American Museum of Natural History. I LOVE this museum. It was my Grandfather's favorite to do with my Dad, his favorite to do with me, my favorite as a kid growing up and I know it'll be my favorite to do when Jeff and I have kids. We walked so much throughout the whole museum, so that was my exercise for the day......up and down the stairs and throughout the museum. Jeff and Michael were being so silly the whole time. They had Aunt Harriet and I laughing so hard, we nearly peed our pants! We went to drop Aunt Harriet and Michael off home and stayed for Empire Garden chinese food instead. Jeff also beat Michael and I in a game of Life - Pirates of the Caribbean. We left early since I wanted to shower and go to bed.

Nancy :0)

OH MY GOD! I can seriously die of boredom at work! I haven't a clue what it is either. I mean, I hated it when it was overwhelming in May/June when Arlene wasn't here because of her husband, but this is ridiculous! It's very hard to sit here several hours of the day and pretend to be busy. It's been like that all week. Plus, I am actually one of those nutcases that likes their job. I do, I love my job. I love talking to people and helping them with their medical questions/helping them decide on an insurance plan, but to have it be like this is HORRIBLE! Ok, so whoever reads this is thinking I'm insane and should be happy with downtime, but NO, I'M NOT. I'd rather be working and have people to talk to. It's 2:11pm and I leave at 4:00pm today - the only phone call I received today was Dad this AM saying Hi and wanting to see how I was. On a typical day, I'll speak to several clients about their policies, help them decide on a plan, research Rx's or doctor listings for them, call the insurance company on their billing or claims issues and much more. It's not the type of job I thought I'd be doing, but none the less, I do love my job. With that being said, I'm so bored and tired right now from sitting here doing nothing.

On to a different topic, I'm finally redoing my MySpace page up again. I'm not sure how much stuff I'll put on it, but I worked on it a lot last night while Jeff was watching the pre-season Giants game. I've been so busy adding more stuff to my weight loss site that last night was the first time I had to update my MySpace.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the weekend. I don't have any set plans but I'm looking forward to hopefully sleeping in tomorrow and doing something outdoors. I know I want to walk and get some exercise, but I don't know what or where I wanna go. Eh, well see. Sunday I've got my meeting and since it's going to rain, such a perfect day to clean the apartment! Jeff and I have kinda let it get messy since having so many nice weekends this summer and have been going here and there, so it's really time to CLEAN it up! Plus, I'm finally and hopefully going to bundle up my old fat clothes and put them in the Goodwill bin. I know it sounds nuts, but it really is an emotional process to finally get rid of my fat clothes. I don't and WON'T ever go back there again, but the actual giving them away is going to be like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders......in some ways, literally.

I'm sitting here about to have my 3pm snack of a 100 Cal pack of Doritos (3 pts) and Victor come into the office asking, "Lemon or Cherry" and he's carrying a bag with Marino's Italian ices in it. He saved me from having a salty higher point snack and I chose the Cherry. Yummy :0) Ok, only 1 hour to go until I get to go home and get on that treadmill!!!! I'm making my own dinner tonight, I think Jeff's getting something, some sort of take out. We were going to go out for dinner, but I don't know if I'm having a good week weight-wise, so we're having dinner in instead. I prefer it anyway since I'm making Lemon/Soy Sauce Chicken. I'm looking forward to relaxing after dinner on the sofa....hmmm, nice :0)

Nancy :0)

Just kidding...not really. I went to pick up my rings last night at Zales after having them sized down from an 8 to a 6. It felt so weird to be without them for 3 1/2 days and so GREAT to have them back on. Of course because the had to cut the bands and re-meld them or whatever, all three bands (my bridal/engagement set and my wedding band) are so clean and new looking. There are no scratches or indents that were there for nearly 2 1/2 years of marriage (and 4 years that I have my bridal/engagement set). They were also able to re-engrave my wedding band with the same saying, To Love and To Cherish...though it's a bit smaller in the band now. Jeff held his wedding band in his hand and put mine on top of it. It's so much smaller now. Weight loss is an AWESOME thing......so is marriage :0) I'm so happy to have my rings back!

Nancy :0)

Saturday:
Jeff, Aunt Harriet and I went clothes shopping to Roosevelt Field and some of the surrounding areas. I had to get my engagement and wedding rings resized. I've put it off for a long time because I didn't want to be without my rings for so long and my fingers tend to swell in the humidity. I finally decided to do it and guess what? My ring size went from an 8 to a 6...and the salesman even said I could have them resized to a 5 1/2 if I wanted to, but I told him that the 6 was fine for now since my fingers do tend to swell and I'm still not sure how much more weight I'm going to lose. It felt really weird walking around the mall the rest of the day without my rings :0( Anyway, I bought this REALLY cute dress from the Macy's Junior department in a medium that I'll wear on the cruise. It's very form-fitting, so I'm sure that even when I lose the last 20 lbs., it'll still fit nicely. After the mall, we dropped Aunt Harriet home and had dinner - then went to her place to hang out with her, Uncle Howie and Michael. We left there kinda early since we all had to get up early Sunday AM.

Sunday:
Jeff drove us to WW this AM. We picked up Aunt Harriet and then Cindy (she came with me for moral support - what a great best friend :0) and went to WW in the Metro Mall. I actually met my Mom there. She goes to the earlier meeting, so she was on her way out. I did very well and lost 1.4 lbs. (53.2 total). It was a great meeting too. All about "change". Changing your eating habits, changing your mentality, changing your life. It's hard to change. I'm a creature of habit; of routine. I usually hate change as a whole, but I don't mind changing things up in my weight-loss - that part I love. I took a lot away from that meeting. I know what I've gotta do this week - change stuff up - to see another weight-loss next Sunday. Cindy liked the meeting too - I'm so happy she came with me - it was great! After the meeting, we dropped Aunt Harriet home and had breakfast at home - then went to Sears and then Broadway Mall. I was pretty successful in Sears and bought...get this...size 10 Levi's Jeans!!! (I also bought a cute blue/black polka dot bikini and a form-fitting hoodie) And when we got to Broadway Mall, I went into Express to try on a size 10 pants (the Editor) and they fit!!! So, I'm now a size 10 :0) I didn't buy the pants - they were WAY too expensive at $98 bucks a pop, but once I'm in my "final" size, I'm treating myself to some nice Express pants. I also bought this cute baby tee in American Eagle that says "Live Your Life"...such a great saying and so true, so I HAD to buy it. I did some returns too - to the Disney Store, JCPenney and Target - stuff that was too big for me that I haven't worn. Cindy came home with us and we ordered Empire Garden chinese for dinner. I don't mind having Chinese on Sundays after a good weigh-in (just not before hand because of the high salt content). We played Friends Scene It, then Jeff drove her home.

Nancy :0)

I took today off and went to Rockaway Beach with Lisa and Theresa. Jeff drove me to M&D's place to meet Lee since he had to be in work late. Lee and I picked up Theresa, went to Andy's deli for them to get sandwiches and went to Rockaway. We got there about 10am and there was NO ONE THERE!! It was almost like having the beach to ourselves. Lee and Theresa were so funny! Lee told me that we'd be leaving the beach about 2:30pm since they had plans to go out later that night - so I was fine with that. But, I wound up going with these two, who I nicknamed "Beach Whores"......they kept planning if they were able to go back tomorrow (Saturday) and even Sunday - too funny. I peed before we set up camp, but of course, I had to go again. Lee told me, "Bring your cellphone" and "Be careful", so I was like, "What's gonna happen on my way to go pee?" So I'm walking along the boardwalk to the bathroom and this guy who was jogging, jogs up along side of me. He says to me, "Hey Beautiful" and talks to me. I'd say he was in his late 20's and kinda LL Cool J looking, pretty cute (wait, don't throw stones at me yet, there is a point :0). He asks my name and tells me his and asks how I'm enjoying my day. Then he says that he's gotta run off and says "Can I call you later?" The kicker? Do you know how great it felt to put my hand up, show him my ring and say, "Sorry, I'm married"? FREAKIN' AWESOME!!! Here I am in a bathing suit that is too big for me, but makes due for this summer and feeling yuk about it and this guy outta no where hits on me. It was SO MUCH the outside ego boost that I've needed after losing 51.8 lbs......being hit on as thin ROCKS!!! Don't get me wrong...with all of my friends going through tough times with their boyfriends, it completely makes me appreciate Jeff more, that I'm married and that I don't have to go out into that dating scene of men throwing committment and marriage dreams in our faces, then plucking it away. But being hit on as thin when this is (1) the first time in my adult life that I am thin and (2) the first person to hit on me since maybe Jeff and I started dating - it feels great. So, as Tate jogged away, having him call me "Beautiful" was just the boost I needed on two accounts; (1) the proof from a stranger that my body is thin and I don't have to feel fat anymore and (2) saying "Sorry, I'm married" just ROCKS!!! I love Jeff...I wonder what he'll think when I tell him this story later :0) He's working late tonight. I'm sitting here on my laptop and watching Jeopardy and waiting on dinner in the oven. I'm going clothes shopping both tomorrow and Sunday. Wish me luck that I find something!!!

(PS: Jeff's response to my guy story...he kissed me with a smile and said, "My sexy wife" and was happy to hear that I said I was married and understood why I was happy to be hit on. I love my husband, he's so cool :0)

Nancy :0)

I weighed myself yesterday and it looks like I lost between 1.8 or 2 lbs. I know, I know, it's a big WW no-no to weigh everyday, but I can't help myself. I usually weigh myself in the AM before I leave for work (before breakfast) or/and when I get home before I get on the treadmill/go walking. I know it sounds obsessive, but the daily home weigh-ins help me judge how well (or not) I'm doing during the week. I went out to eat last night too (planned) and I did very well. We met Adam and Ryan at Omega diner (hadn't seen them in a while). Since I was feeling so crumby yesterday, I wore my Levi's Jeans and my new Bon Jovi tee that I picked up in Target. First, the Levi's (size 12, mind you) are falling off my tush!!! I have to go try on a size 10 this weekend, looking forward to that. And my new Jovi shirt is so damn awesome! This thing is fitted and it made me feel SUPER THIN! So, I had 2 GREAT NSV (non-scale victories) today! We got to the diner and I had my salad with Creamy Italian dressing, of course, but I didn't order soda or have the hot challah bread that was sitting in front of me. I ordered Chicken Francaisse with two orders of Broccoli (no potato) and only ate 4 ounces of Chicken (since it had egg on it and the lemon sauce). I even asked Carlos for more broccoli :0) I had a nice time too. Ryan is progressing so much! He was talking up a storm about putting ketchup on bread and crackers...I think he'll find this all super funny when we tell him his own stories when he gets older. Also found out yesterday from Adam that the Catskill Game Farm is closing up - so we're planning a trip up there in a couple weeks. I'm really looking forward to it since I don't remember going as a kid and I love animals :0) Anyway, I'm feeling much better about myself. I guess it's hard to feel pretty and thin when I'm wearing work clothes that are getting too big on me, part of the reason I'm going shopping this weekend, but still. I can't wait to see if the 10's fit - that would definitely be a great NSV for the weekend too!!!

Nancy :0)

I'm in such a blah mood today. I don't even know why. Maybe because work is slow and I have some time on my hands to think or that I'm sitting here at 2pm feeling snacky or that I know I have to walk my tush off this week to get a nice loss in for Sunday...but whatever it is, something is just keeping me from truly being happy today. I have the pic of me with Jeff at this years Ren Faire pulling the sword outta the stone on my work desktop, so shouldn't that "thin" pic remind me of how far I've come? Yet, I'm focusing on Christine's words of "You stayed the same". Ok, I stayed the same. I was happy Sunday when I heard her say that. Now I should be shouting from the rooftops that I haven't gained weight, I've maintained the weight for 2 full weeks, but instead, I want to cry. I literally want to snuggle with Jeff on the sofa and cry. I know that I have to change these negative feelings that I have and turn them into positive ones. So when I get home, I'm probably going to get on the treadmill for 1 mile, have dinner when Jeff gets home, then have Aunt Harriet meet us so we can do about 2 miles of walking outdoors. It's pretty tough to feel "thin" when there are days that I still feel "fat". I've got pics of my wedding all around me...on the top of my computer moniter and my bulletin board at work and on my walls at home, plus I've got this XL jacket that I've been using when I get chilly in the office...all stuff that reminds me of my "fat" self. I never thought that I'd be going through these body image issues, but here I am, feeling these feelings. I want to banish these feelings and thoughts permanently and never have them resurface, but I know that they always will. I know that one day when I have children and they see pics of their Mommy from when she was 24 or 25, they'll look at my old pics and not recognize me. That's pretty scary. One WW Member brought that up on the message boards today. About now that she's thin, she still identifies herself with the heavier person she used to be and it's odd how the people she meets now, don't know her as "fat" only thin. I'm trying my hardest to see the thin person I've become. I know I'm not "thin" per se, but I'm thinner than I've been my adult life. Every morning I see proof of that. When I look in the mirror and I'm doing my hair, my face looks slimmer......when I'm playing around with my necklace, I feel my collarbones......when I'm typing at work or home and I look down at my hands on the keyboard, I see my wrist bone is defined......when I look at my weight loss site and see the side by side comparison on the homepage, my figure is smaller and trimmer. I see proof everyday of my "thinner' figure, but it's hard to think it and feel it. I know exercising tonight will get me out of this funk - so I shouldn't worry about it so much. I guess because of the free time at work, I tend to dwell on things. But I'm not one to dwell very long without doing something, so to cheer me up, I've got this in my head......

Bounce by Bon Jovi :0)

I been knocked down so many times
Counted out 6, 7, 8, 9
Written off like some bad deal
If you're breathing you know how it feels
Call it karma, call it luck
Me, I just dont give a......

[chorus:]
Bounce, bounce nothings gonna keep me down
Bounce, bounce stand up, shout it out
Bounce, bounce I play hard, I play to win
Count me out, count me in
Ill be bouncing back again

This ain't no game; I play it hard
Kicked around, cut, stitched and scarred
Ill take the hit but not the fall
I know no fear, still standing tall
You can call it karma, call it luck
Me, I just dont give a......

[chorus:]
Bounce, bounce nothings gonna keep me down
Bounce, bounce stand up, shout it out
Bounce, bounce I play hard, I play to win
Count me out, count me in
Ill be bouncing back again

Bounce! [guitar solo]

Bring it on, I like it rough
In your face, I call your bluff
It aint karma, it aint luck
Me, I just dont give a......

[chorus:]
Bounce, bounce nothings gonna keep me down
Bounce, bounce stand up, shout it out
Bounce, bounce I play hard, I play to win
Count me out, count me in
Ill be bouncing back again

Bounce, bounce
Nothings gonna keep me down
Bounce, bounce stand up, shout it out
Bounce, bounce I play hard, I play to win
Count me out, count me in
Ill be bouncing back again

Nancy :0)

Lee picked up me and Aunt Harriet for our WW meeting. I did good and stayed the same - no loss and no gain, so I'm still at a 51.8 lb loss. I'd usually get upset by staying the same, but this time around, it didn't bother me so much...I guess maybe because I had expected to gain with it being my first week using just 20 points. Anyway, we went errand shopping in the Source Mall with Aunt Harriet to get out of the house, then went for a walk. The 3 of us walked from her place to our place (about 2 1/2 miles) and hung out in our apartment for a bit to relax. We drove Aunt Harriet home, then went to Associated to grocery shop. After dinner, Jeff updated my Weight-Loss site and we finished off 2 weeks worth of Days of our Lives. My site is really coming along. He added new pics from the Ren Faire and I did a side by side comparison of last years Ren Faire to this years - my god, I really have changed so much in 1 year (not to sound egotistical or anything :0) But seriously, looking at those pics of the changes really does help. I tossed more clothes to my "fat" pile on Friday night while looking for something to wear for the Ren Faire. I seriously need some more clothes - I just HATE spending the money. Anyone wanna give me some? I still have to pack all the fat clothes away and drop them off for Goodwill. I don't know what else to do with them...hopefully this weekend.

Nancy :0)

Today Jeff, Cindy Tasha and I went to the Renaissance Faire. I mapped out the best shows to see beforehand...we saw Robin Hood Meets Maid Marion, Robin Hood's Standoff, Archery Tournament, Gaming Joust, Knighting Ceremony, The Royal Chess Game and Curious Magic and Impossible Illusion. Cindy and Tasha have never been to the Ren Faire, so this was something new for them - I think they really liked it. I'm happy that Jeff and I started going. I heard about the Ren Faire years ago but was never able to get out there on my own or with friends (I don't drive, neither do many of my friends). Anyway, I think we might go up a second time this year because the way the schedule is, we really could see some shows because they conflicted with some other ones - plus, Steph was supposed to join us but was unable to since her Mom was just coming back from Colombia that day. I played it really smart with food and stuck with a pretzel, salad and fruit so that I could splurge on dinner. We went to Hooters in Paramus for some yummy Buffalo Wings. They all teased me when I picked a table under one of the TV's since the Yankee game was on. As my Mets fan husband and friends would have it, the Yanks lost! I ordered the 10 piece Buffalo Wings mild and when the waitress brought them over, I set 5 aside to bring home right away. Even though I ate healthfully during the day, buffalo wings are A LOT of points; add in the Bleu Cheese and it's MUCH more, so I even though I planned for this dinner weeks in advance, I didn't wanna blow it on just one meal. The wings were great!! The drive home from Jersey was horrible though!!! Of course, I had to pee and as my luck would have it the George Washington Bridge was literally BUMPER TO BUMPER traffic! Jeff got off in Manhattan and drove for several blocks until Tasha pointed out a Barber Shop and I jumped at the chance...thank god the barber was nice enough to let me stop in there. We then drove up to the 59th street bridge, accidentally passed it by going passed 42nd Street and had to double back. Finally on our way home, but then Jeff wasn't feeling well, so we stopped by my parents place (they weren't home). Lee got Jeff some Ginger Ale and within 20 mins, we were back in the car and driving both Tasha and Cindy home. I honestly don't remember it since I was half asleep the whole way home (well, from my parents anyway). I took care of Jeff when we got home; gave him some cold water and Pepto, and we went to bed.

Nancy :0)

It was nice to finally relax. I got home about quarter to five and went straight up on the treadmill...just relaxed. I was really proud of myself when I did 2 miles like I set my mind to do, then started dinner. Jeff and I spent the night relaxing in our apartment.

Nancy :0)

I'm seeing Clerks II with Jeff, Cindy and Michael tonight. I'm hoping that it's just as funny as the first, but I don't know what can be funnier than "37?!?". That scene just always cracks me up! I'm a huge Kevin Smith fan since Sue and John got me into the wonderful romantic-comedy Chasing Amy...I still remember watching that in the living room with them and Ca late that night. I don't know which Smith movie is my favorite, I just love them all...yes, even Jersey Girl :0)

Cindy came to meet me at work and we went back to my apartment from there and waited for Jeff. She's never seen my and Jeff's wedding video, so afeter he came home from work I put it on. I fast-forwarded through most of it, but showed her how our videographer used our childhood pics in the beginning and the parts with all the songs...skipped most of the reception and went to the bouquet/garter and cake parts. Jeff made us dinner and we watched the Mets game...the movie only started at Westbury at 10pm, so we had plenty of time. Of course, Jeff wanted to leave early, so we picked Michael up 8:40 or so and wound up get to the theatre about 45 mins before the movie started. But we had first pick of where to sit once the theatre was cleaned and sat in the front row of the 2nd tier. Very funny movie, priceless sick humor, great romantic undertones, but...Clerks was still better than Clerks II...in my opinion at least. The sequel usually pales in comparison to the original, which wasn't like that with this...but it's like, while I love Back to the Future II, there's just something about Back to the Future that is SOOO much better (god, now I sound like John Cusack in Serendipity about the Godfather and the Godfather Part II). Anyway it was an overall funny movie that will have to be added to our Kevin Smith collection. I don't know how Jeff remembered, but he did, that we needed to pick up some stuff after the movie, so that's what we did...chicken and suntan lotion. Ok, why you ask? Chicken for tomorrow nights dinner (it's my night to cook and I get home earlier than Jeff) and suntan lotion for the Ren Faire on Saturday. Jeff dropped Michael off, me off with the groceries, took Cindy home, came home and we went to bed.

Nancy :0)

Saturday night I saw Bon Jovi close up their "Have A Nice Day" tour. We've seen them 5 times (including this one) this tour and each and every one of them have been awesome (well, with the exception of the last one since I was sick and had to leave early)! Jeff and I picked up Tasha and Cindy at Cindy's apartment and got to Giants Stadium prior to it opening...about 6:30pm. We got to see the "Have A Nice Gig" contest winner play (not very good) and even saw all of Nickelback's set this time. They were really awesome... I love their stuff. And, finally, here's what happened at the concert from the Bon Jovi website:

BON JOVI - The Last Night of the HAVE A NICE DAY TOUR in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Saturday night, July 29th, BON JOVI wrapped up the HAVE A NICE DAY TOUR and the entire HAVE A NICE DAY album/promo/tour cycle with a blowout bash for 55,000 of their closest friends at GIANTS STADIUM in East Rutherford, NJ. It was the 3rd of 3 incredible nights at Giants Stadium, a massive venue where BON JOVI is the house band! John Phillp Sousa-esque marching band music flooded the PA system. Revisiting the band's arrival on the stage in Philly when there was the Soul team mascot, the Soul flag and the Soul cheerleaders... this time, a massive SMIRK flag was run across the stage and the Soul cheerleaders were in different uniforms: Bon Jovi Have A Nice Day smirk shorts and shirts. With their pompoms raised, BON JOVI took the stage at Giants Stadium.

SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALRIGHT FOR RIGHTING (Elton John classic)
YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME
COMPLICATED
BORN TO BE MY BABY
STORY OF MY LIFE
I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD (with "Dancing In The Streets" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash" bits included)
RUNAWAY
THE RADIO SAVED MY LIFE TONIGHT
CAPTAIN CRASH & THE BEAUTY QUEEN FROM MARS
IN THESE ARMS
WILDFLOWER (again -- only the 2nd time this has been performed live)
I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU (Richie on lead vocals for an incredible electric performance)
UNDIVIDED (song dedicated to the those lost in the September 11th attacks)
HAVE A NICE DAY
WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GO HOME
BAD MEDICINE (with full version of SHOUT)
RAISE YOUR HANDS
LIVIN' ON A PRAYER

Encore 1:
I AM (this is the first and only time the band has performed this song off of Have A Nice Day -- fulfiling the promise to perform every track off the album on the tour...I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!!!!!!!!)
IT'S MY LIFE
BLOOD ON BLOOD
SOMEDAY I'LL BE SATURDAY NIGHT
THESE DAYS (I've never heard this live...damn awesome!!!)

Encore 2:
WILD IS THE WIND (...same with this one)
I'D DIE FOR YOU (...and this one)
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

So now, on the Monday morning following an incredible end of the tour, the band members are all at home and officially "off duty." They've earned some vacation time as have you! To all the Bon Jovi fans -- thank you for an incredible experience on the HAVE A NICE DAY tour everywhere the band went (and didn't.) Thank you for your support and for our loyalty and devotion to the band and to the HAVE A NICE DAY album and all the things that has encompassed this past year. We promise you, there's much more BON JOVI in the years to come! So enjoy the rest of your summer -- have a Corona and lie on the beach -- and before you know it, BON JOVI will have something great to share with you again. Hasta La Vista!

OMG!!!!!!!!! This had to be one of the BEST concerts (especially theirs) that I've been to. I loved hearing the old stuff and I'm so happy that they played "I Am", "Wild is the Wind" and "I'd Die For You"...just so freakin' awesome! I could go see them every week if they played or if I could afford it. Bon Jovi played for a good 3 hours and I loved every minute of it :0) I took 2 videos and some pics (not many since the 2 videos take up space). As promised, Bon Jovi didn't leave the stage until Sunday AM (after midnight), so with all the traffic, I think we only got to Queens about 1:30am. Went to Georgia (the best 24hrs. place ever...well, in my opinion) and I was so good, I ordered a salad. I wasn't gonna blow the 50lb. weight loss with weigh in only hours away on some stupid food. After driving Tasha back to Woodhaven and Cindy to Kew Gardens, Jeff and I only got in close to 4am...not something I'd normally do the night before weigh in, but it's BON JOVI :0) Only had 2 hrs. of sleep or so, then got up Sunday AM for my WW meeting. The rest about the weekend was posted below.

Nancy :0)

Friday:
Yesterday I invited Mom and Dad to come over for dinner for tonight, so that's what they did. They picked me up at 4pm at work and took me home. I made my Mom's Lemon/Soy Sauce Chicken with White Rice and Baby Carrots (yea, I love that, eat it every week). It's tough to always go out to eat, so having them over is a better option anyway - plus, it's nice to have them over and hang with us. Mom brought this nice fruit platter, so we had that for dessert. They left shortly after. Jeff and I went upstairs and played Trivial Pursuit.

Saturday:
We had plans to sleep in since we have the Bon Jovi concert at Giants Stadium later tonight. For some reason, when I "plan" to sleep in, it never really works out well. I got up at 3am, 7am, 9am and finally 12pm for good. I made us some "breakfast" of waffles and we made a grocery list for shopping tomorrow while relaxing in the house. Jeff made us a quick "lunch/dinner" of steak and corn on the cob about 4pm so at least we had some sort of "dinner" before going to the concert. We left the house about 4:45pm to get Tasha and Cindy at Cindy's apartment and got to Giants Stadium nice and early - about 6:30pm. (Another post to follow all about the concert :0)

Sunday:
Jeff took me and Aunt Harriet to WW this AM. Since Steph's Mom is still in Colombia, she was able to join me at my meeting. I'm so happy Steph was able to come with us. I had asked her months ago to come to my meeting, as a friend for group support and to see what the meetings are like. I did so well! I lost 1.8 this week for a total of 51.8 lbs. down and it finally moves me below 150 lbs, so now I'm at 20 points! Since Marianne was on vacation last week, when I hit my 50 lb. weight loss mark, I told her about it in today's meeting. She was so happy for me. She gave me a "I lost 5 lbs." marker with the 50 lb. magnet taped over the 5 lb. part, an extra 50 lb. magnet for my fridge and 10 of the 5 lb. star stickers all over it (I posted a pic below). She gave me a really big hug...that was just so sweet. Some of the people at my meeting asked me to stand so they could see how I looked 50 lbs. lighter...it felt so nice to get all those compliments :0) After a quick lunch at home, Jeff drove me, Steph and Aunt Harriet to the Aqueduct Flea Market (where Uncle Howie and Michael work). We walked a good mile around the lot and I bought 3 cute shirts for the cruise. Unfortunately, I wound up getting fatigued with the heat and we left about 1pm...we were kinda done already anyway. Jeff made us lunch at home and we watched the Mets game...I kinda napped on the sofa :0) I felt a bit better when I woke up. I think I really needed a ton of water and some food. Jeff updated my weight loss site with my new stats and he added some new pics for me. We took Steph with us grocery shopping (she had to pick up some stuff too) at Pathmark and she stayed for dinner. Jeff drove her home and I took a ride with him.



Nancy :0)

I finally did it! I was able (with a ton of Jeff's help, of course) to put my weight-loss journey in full up on the web. As I've said, I created the text months ago and toyed with the idea of putting it up on the web for some time now. And after seeing my fellow WW's on the online message boards do it, I figured, what the heck. So, "Nancy's Weight-Loss Journey" is up and running. While I am 50 lbs. down from my starting weight, I am still not at Goal. I have 21.4 lbs. left to Goal. So this site will be updated on a weekly basis with my current stats, new pics will be added to the pics page of it as I go along and once I reach Goal and Lifetime, My Story will be updated and finalized. This is a sort of, work in progress, if you will. I'm just so happy and proud of my accomplishments and happy that Jeff was able to make my site a reality...thanks Pookie.

Nancy :0)

I've been working on the text for a new link to Fridays Toast called "Nancy's Weight-Loss Journey" all about my weight-loss through Weight Watchers. Jeff's been creating the site for me (with my input of course) and it's looking fabulous!! It should be ready to launch by the end of the week...I'm really excited about it!

I'll post when it's up and running.

Nancy :0)

It's Monday morning and I'm back into rountine. I'm at work and working. Well, sorta, since I'm also writing in my blog too. Summertime isn't too busy, or at least this morning, so I'm gonna write a couple minutes before getting back to my phone calls and faxes.

Yesterday was ok. I didn't go for a walk or anything, not even the treadmill, just ran errands. It felt weird since I'm used to being active these days. I think the Cipro is making me feel so blah, but I'm not sure. Regardless of the tired feeling, I have to get out of this funk that I'm in, so, I'm planning on at least doing a mile tonight on the treadmill. I need to get back into the swing of things and not let a stupid bacterial infection or the Rx keep me from being active. I've got a bit over 20 lbs. left to lose and if I play my cards right and bust my ass over the next couple of months, I could actually reach or be close to Goal by the cruise (5 & 1/2 months away). I'm also looking to hook up with Aunt Harriet at some point during the week to go walking outside. I might call her tonight and see what's on tap with her for the week. I'm hoping to get out there at least once with her, Michael and Jeff since we've been doing at least 2 to 4 miles when we walk. I guess we'll see.

KEEP MOTIVATED & KEEP MOVING!

So I surpassed my work out goal for tonight. Not only did I do 1 mile on the treadmill before dinner, Jeff, Michael, Aunt Harriet and I walked 3 miles in Alley Pond Park after dinner. I've got 4 miles on my belt for today! Awesome!

Nancy :0)

Lee drove me and her to WW this AM (Aunt Harriet's on her way back from Boston) and I did exactly what I set my mind to...I lost 0.8 this week! This means that I have lost a total of 50 lbs. in a little over 8 months! 50 lbs.!!! Now I have 21.4 pounds to go until I reach Goal!!! My goal for this week is to lose 1.4 lbs. which would bring me into the last point category - 20 daily points. Oh, the meeting was ok this week. This is the second week that Marianne's been on vacation, so I'm going through some sort of withdrawal or something. At least Chris did the meeting instead of Claudia...cause Claudia did it last week and she almost put me to sleep. I like Chris - she's the one who's scale I usually weigh in at every Sunday; she's nice. When I'm having off weeks, she'll say something nice to motivate and when I've done well, she'll smile and congratuate - she's just nice. But still, it's not Marianne. I need that "in your face" attitude that Marianne has to motivate my ass into action. I'm still feeling blah about leaving the concert early and about being sick. I'm sure to snap out of it tomorrow when I'm back at work and back into my routine. Jeff's making lunch for us now and we've got some errands to run after. I might write more later.

Nancy :0)

I'm definitely feeling better today. Jeff took care of me yesterday, made me lunch and didn't care that I napped the afternoon away. I started to feel better about dinnertime, about the time that I was due for my next pill anyway. And I was feeling much better when I woke up this AM. Since Jeff took off yesterday for my company picnic (that didn't really go over well), he worked from home today. No phone calls, no nothing, so it was a very easy "work" day. We cleaned the apartment and it's looking nicer than it was. There's still so much more that I wanted to do, but we're both sticky and yucky because of the heat, so we stopped. Jeff just ran out to pick up some stuff to make for dinner. Not much going here. I'm watching the Yankee game hoping they win. We'll probably play some board games later to cure the boredom...still too sick to go out or we'd be seeing Clerks 2...eh, that'll be during the week or next Friday night. Later.

Nancy :0)

I went to Melanie's this morning and she prescribed me Cipro to get rid of the UTI. I'm still in a lot of pain and I'm hoping the Cipro will knock it out since it's a very strong antibiotic. Today was also supposed to be my company's picnic. It was pouring when we went to the doctors this AM and then it stopped by the time I was waiting to see Melanie. So basically, it meant no excuse to at least make an appearance at my company picnic...so that's what Jeff and I did. Melanie's office is right off of Stewart Avenue and the picnic was in Eisenhower Park. We stopped by, said "Hi", hung out about a half hour and left. I was still feeling so crappy and told a couple of the women and my boss, so they know that I'm sick. I'm sitting in the living room now, watching "Boy Meets World" and I just had lunch. I had a veggie burger and some corn on the cob. Very yummy and only 5 points. Jeff's having Arby's. Ok, I'm going now...just gonna relax and hoping I feel better soon.

Nancy :0)

Tonight I'm going to see Bon Jovi for the 4th time this tour and in 10 more days, I'm seeing them for the 5th and final time this tour as they end it at Giants Stadium, New Jersey. Cindy and Steph are coming with Jeff and I tonight. And Cindy, Tasha, Eileen and Nick are going with us to the July 29th show. I'm hoping it doesn't rain tonight or anything like last night...they even called the show before the encores because of it (so I've read). Anyway, we'll see what happens. I'm so excited!!!

Apparently, round one didn't go so well. Jeff was in the city today for a client, so he was getting late home because of the down/limited trains (electricial problems). Cindy met me at 4pm at work, we went home and Jeff got in a bit after I did. We went to pick up Steph at work and some Wendy's dinner and were on our way to NJ. All day I was feeling like crap and it set in the worst on the way to the concert. We got to Giants Stadium about 6:45pm and only missed 15-20 mins of Nickelback's set. So, of course, I started feeling worse. Bon Jovi took the stage at 8pm and I wasn't feeling any better. Thanx to my wonderful husband and 2 bestest friends in the whole world, we left the concert early at 9pm.

I have some pics to post (funny, I look fine in them) and the set list when I see it on BJ's site. All in all, I'm really pissed off that I felt so sick and couldn't stay for the rest of the show (which probably would've been 1 - 1 1/2 hrs more). Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Bon Jovi and how leaving the concert was NOT something that I would've done lightly. I know I'm seeing them again in 10 days, but the timing just stunk. To Jeff, Steph and Cindy - thanx for being the bestest friends a girl could ask for. I love you all. PS - I'm feeling a bit better this AM, but I'm going to the doctor tomorrow AM for some antibiotics......UTI's are NOT fun!

BON JOVI - SET LIST
LAST MAN STANDING (Jon opened from the elliptical ramp)
YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME
COMPLICATED
BORN TO BE MY BABY
STORY OF MY LIFE
CAPTAIN CRASH & THE BEAUTY QUEEN FROM MARS
I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD (plus "Dancin' In The Streets" segment inserted into song)
RUNAWAY
THE RADIO SAVED MY LIFE TONIGHT
JUST OLDER
IN THESE ARMS
ALWAYS (Jon again was on the ramp; the version was the TLFR style)
I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU (Richie Sambora on vocals with a blistering guitar solo)
HAVE A NICE DAY
WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GO HOME
BAD MEDICINE / SHOUT
RAISE YOUR HANDS
LIVIN' ON A PRAYER

encores:
DRY COUNTY
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE
IT'S MY LIFE (JBJ pulled the set list off the stage and realized they hadn't quite done it in the middle of the show like they usually do!)
BLOOD ON BLOOD
KEEP THE FAITH
SOMEDAY I'LL BE SATURDAY NIGHT

Ok...this is better than I thought. Looking at the set list, we actually didn't miss much. We got up to leave during "Who Says You Can't Go Home" and wound up hearing bits of "Bad Medicine" and then "Livin' On A Prayer"...guess we didn't hear "Raise Your Hands" since we had to walk through this large boardwalk/walkway thing that was enclosed. Only songs I'm sad I missed were "It's My Life" and "Keep the Faith". Now I'm feeling a bit better about leaving and not too bad.

Nancy :0)

Friday:
Work was very slow today. It's been that way since Arlene got back, but then it's always pretty slow in the summer. Mom and Dad picked me up from work and hung out with me for a bit before leaving to meet their friends for dinner. Jeff was scheduled to work late at TLGGR tonight, so I was by myself for dinner. I had dinner in the oven for about 1/2 hour when Aunt Harriet called and asked me to go walking with her and MIchael. I probably would have went but with dinner in the oven and I was really hungry, I declined the offter. About 1 - 1 1/2 hours later (dinner was almost ready), she called me back and was right by my apartment with Michael, so I let them come in. They sat for a bit and she asked me if I wanted to walk back with them. It was 6:45pm, I was just sitting down to dinner so I said I'd go back with them if they waited until 7:30pm so I could eat and digest a bit before walking. So, that's what I did. I walked 2.5 miles back to Aunt Harriet's place. I hung out there for a bit when Jeff called and said he was on his way home...so instead of going home, he picked up dinner from Joe's Pizza and came to Aunt Harriet & Uncle Howie's instead. We left about 10:30pm, after he was done with dinner and went home to bed.

Saturday:
Jeff's co-worker Eileen and her boyfriend Nick invited us and a bunch of other people to a BBQ at their place in Lindenhurst. There was soooo much stuff at this BBQ, it was unreal! Eileen was born in Ireland and her boyfriend Nick was born in Italy...so you can imagine the amount of food and beer/wine that was at this BBQ...there were burgers, sausages, hotdogs, ribs, chicken wings, kebabs, pizza, spanish rice, grilled eggplant, garlic knots, salad, potato salad, mozzerella, and so much dessert. It was a 3pm BBQ, we showed up about 3:30pm instead. It was really nice. We hung out with a couple other of Jeff's co-workers that were there - Kim and Cornell (he showed up later). Jeff, the resident camera guy at past TLGGR functions, was requested to take some pics, so he did. I was good - I had some salad, chicken wings and a dab of potato salad. We left about 6:30pm and went home. I don't know what it was, but we were out sleeping by 7:30pm. (Maybe it was the walking I did the night before and working so late for Jeff too). Anyway, I got up about 11pm, to see Jeff half-awake. It was just an awkward night. We were both really tired and went in and out of sleep.

Sunday:
We woke up about 7:00am with the alarm this morning. I have no clue what happened or why we slept so much last night, but regardless, I think it was much needed. Jeff drove me and Aunt Harriet to WW this morning - Lee went to the earlier meeting with Mom. I did super amazing!! I lost 4.2 lbs. this week for a total of 49.2 lbs down!! I'm only 0.8 lbs. away from a full 50 lb. weight loss, so I'm hoping that comes this coming week - that's my goal for the week. I was on Cloud 9 since all week I kept saying, "Jeff, I think the scale's broken, it looks like I lost 4 pounds"...and nope, it was right on the money! After lunch, Jeff and I drove to Aunt Harriet's so we could go walking. We walked again into Alley Pond Park and along the Motor Parkway into Cunningham Park, but instead, we kept going and walked to Jeff and my apartment - 2.5 miles. We sat for a bit, had some water and regrouped to do the walk back - and we did. We walked the 2.5 miles back to her place, making it a 5.0 mile walk in the 90 degree heat. Don't know if I'm doing that again soon but that should help for a nice weight loss next Sunday. We went to get some Ralph's Ices after, dropped Aunt Harriet home and went to my parents place. I hadn't seen them in a bit and wanted to hang with them. I wanted to get the bunch of us (me, Jeff, Mom, Dad, Aunt Harriet, Uncle Howie and Michael) together since my parents are going to Florida that week and Aunt Harriet will be away in Boston - so we're going to King Yum this week. Jeff and I watched part of the Mets game there and hung out for about an hour or so. Lee gave me the Victoria's Secret Bikini Top she ordered for me - the Bottoms are on back-order. I tried the Top on (it's Small) and it fit perfectly!!! I'm hoping to wear it for the cruise - just waiting on the bottoms now. We had dinner at home and watched the rest of the Mets game relaxing on the sofa. I finally told Jeff about my weight and all the issues that I'm going through. He's been ultra supportive from the get-go, which is great. And, I'm finally now less than what I was in High School and I've got 21.2 lbs. left to reach Goal. Wish me luck that I lose at least 0.8 this week!!!

PICS TO BE ADDED SOON...MAYBE Monday.

Nancy :0)

Tonight we're meeting Uncle Howie, Aunt Harriet and Michael at Douglaston to see the Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest. I'm looking forward to it. I didn't see the first one (The Curse of the Black Pearl) in the theatres since I didn't think it was gonna be a good movie, so I rented it with Jeff and watched it at home instead. I loved it! I totally loved the first scene with Keira Knightly singing, "Yo Ho! Yo Ho! A Pirates Life for Me"...that was just so like the ride in Disney, as was, the part with the prisoners trying to get the dogs attention because he had the keys to unlock them in his mouth...cute. And also, my friend from Newtown, Zoe Saldana was in the movie...she was Anamaria, the one who slapped Johnny Depp :0) She's not in the new one, but she's been in a bunch of other things. You can check her out on IMDB here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757855/. Well, I'm bad and I went and read ahead on what the plot of Dead Man's Chest is. I'm not gonna give anything away, but it does sound good.

We just met Uncle Howie and Michael; Aunt Harriet decided to stay home. I love this movie! Dead Man's Chest was just as awesome as The Black Pearl was. And they still had the cute doggy with the keys in his mouth (just like Disney World's ride; my favorite ride actually :0) Poor doggy. It was much funnier than I thought it was going to be too. Johnny Depp is brilliant, he can really play a drunk like no other. I like the way they ended it...not gonna give that away, but I can't wait to see the last one of the trilogy next summer!

Nancy :0)

I woke up this morning about 6:15/6:20am like I normally do. Got up, started to get dressed and for the hell of it, I tried on this shirt. It's a black corduroy snap closed shirt that was originally my sis Lisa's that I'd love to borrow back in High School. I loved it so much, I wore it for Newtown High Schools picture day, so that's the shirt I'm wearing in my yearbook. So, as said, I tried on the shirt. Guess what??? IT FITS AGAIN!!! Yup, after 9 years, my black graduation photo shirt fits again! Lee had that shirt tucked away in an old closet in my parents basement and pulled it out about a month or two ago. She gave it to me again since it's too big on her and she knew how much I loved it. Needless to say, it was too snug then, so I put it on a hanger and in my closet. Well, now it fits! Yup, as promised in prior posts, pics will be added soon. I'm on Cloud 9 right now and I don't wanna come down!

Nancy :0)

Friday:
Wow, such a boring week. Well, it was only 3 days (Wed, Thurs & Fri) but seriously, it was a very boring 3 days. Barely anyone was in work, so it was very quiet. My boss was out all day and I wound up leaving at 4:00pm like I usually do. Jeff picked up Steph at work and I made dinner for us...yup, Lemon/Soy Chix...it's very low in points and my comfort food. Cindy had her swimming lesson, so she couldn't meet up with us, but Jeff, me and Steph went to East Meadow Bowl and well, bowled. I was in such a foul mood the whole week and that night too. I'm still struggling with my weight and trying to get used to the slimmer me in seeing what fits and what doesn't, so even though we were only going bowling and I'm married so I don't have to worry about attracting a guy, I still want to look my best and I changed my tees a zillion times because I didn't know what to wear. Once I finally settled on something, we left for bowling. Steph and Jeff were great...they got me outta my mood and were joking around with me and my silly bowling skills. We always play with the bumpers up and have a good time laughing at each other. I didn't win any games, Jeff and Steph did though. We took a bunch of pics too. We were all snacky so we popped into Omega and had a bite to eat. I ordered a salad and chicken fingers...yummy :0) By the time we were done there, it was about 1:00am so Jeff dropped Steph home.

Saturday:
I finally got to sleep in! I've been so preoccupied with getting out there to run errands and getting to Roosevelt Field to get me some new clothes, that this is the first Saturday in a while that we slept in a bit. I think we got up at 10am since Jeff went out to get a haircut - I stayed home. After he got home and showered, I had Jeff take some pics of me in my newer clothes and some old clothes that now fit again...one being my baby blue prom dress from High School :0) I love that thing so much! It was at the advice of my WW leader Marianne and some other members to take some During (while losing weight) and After (once at Goal/Lifetime) pics of yourself to compare to the Before pics, so that's what I've been doing. I have to have Jeff put some of them up here too. So once I got changed into regular clothes, we went errand shopping to Verizon Wireless to get new phones (still the same number), Bed Bath and Bey