Operation October - week four

[Peanut]

Operation October - week four

Morning gang,
Cold out there this morning – had to scrape the frost of my van windows!!!! But I feel pretty good. Probably had over 8 hours of sleep, and I’m feeling clear headed and ready to be productive here at work! It has been a good week!! Those damn cravings though – so annoying!!! They were so strong on Tuesday for me after my run – i broke, as there was about 2/3 of a bottle of red and me and BF shared it. Not super bad, but not 100% AF that day!!! But I shan’t beat myself up about it. No cravings at all last night, just lazy!! My son’s friend lent us his Planet of the Apes collection, and we have been working through those. Pretty amusing.

Those pumpkin cookies are soft, and I don’t think there is a way to make them crunchy. I make applesauce cookies too sometimes, and they are very soft as well. I do recall making pumpkin cookies before I got this recipe and they were a harder type, so I’ll have to see if I can find that one – but they didn’t have chocolate chips!!!! All this food talk is making my hungry – my stomach is growling. Did someone mention beef stew?? I shall call home at lunch and get someone to take out some stewing beef and make some for supper. Good Idead!!!!!

Dill – hope you feel better soon. Have you ever tried the Cold FX trick?? Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but anything is worth a try! I hate colds and have so far managed to avoid catching one. (knock on wood)
LBH – sorry about losing another pet, my heart is with you.
Red – good luck with that meeting today, I do hope something gets resolved.
Lil – did you loose alot of photos from your computer woes??? That is always my fear, since getting my first digital camera last spring. I must burn them to cd’s, or at least get some printed out!! Maybe i’ll start working on that tonight.
MagsMom – you still here? Did you have a successful day 1 yesterday???
Hi Scrubbly – congrats on day 4.
Finding – have you ever seem those squash called Patties???? or something like that?? These little, tiny yellow squash. I bought a couple at the farmer’s market this summer, but had no idea how to prepared them and then left it too late and had to throw them out.

Work! Get to work!!!! How can I be productive if I'm stuck on here?!?!?!
Have a thrilling thursday!!
xoxoxo peanut

[ladybirdheart]

Operation October - week four

Good morning October buddies. The sun is trying to come out here after a big storm blew through the Rockies yesterday, and if it clears tonight should be bitter. I think I also shall make a nice stew with grilled beef and mushrooms. Glad you are home, Dill, these viruses are mean. I know you understand about the elderly pet dance. In the late seventies I enclosed a long porch off the back of my kitchen and dining room (there were four doors opening on to it) and made a conservatory of sorts. I soon adopted various birds and they have lived out their lives there. The recent losses have my surviving companions (one gray parrot in her mid twenties; a middle aged dog and cat; and a young dog) looking at me suspiciously, but I have assured them it is not their time nor mine. Have a good day Scrubs, Lav, Lil, Red, Finding, Pea, and all of us to come, and lets watch each other?s backs, this recovery business is tricky. Love Ladybird.

[sooty]

Operation October - week four

Hello friends, lovely to see you all again. I envy you all your frost and snow, weather here just dull and boring.
Finding we don't have gps we just go where the mood takes us - don't need those new fangled things to get us where we're going, just oldfashioned determination!
Peanut whats the cold FX trick? Is this another strange custom like calling wednesday hump day?
Dill I hope you feel better, home is the best place - take care of yourself.
LBH your place sounds like heaven for pets. I'd love a parrot, think they're wonderful.
To all of you, Lil, Lav, Red, Magsmom, Scrubbly have a good thursday
See you later
Sooty

[lilmea]

Operation October - week four

Hello October friends.

Scrubby-Congratulations on day 4! Just stay close. We've got your back.

Dill-My old boss didn't like anyone to call off so I would go to work sicker than a dog. After about 30 minutes of listening to me coughing, sneezing, and nose blowing, he would send me home. Glad you stayed home. Get lots of rest.

The cravings won't always be so bad. For me , the more af time I get the fewer cravings I have. One more reason I don't want even one drink. I just don't want to kick in the cravings again! :No: Hang in there it does get better!

It's been rather nice here today. I walk to my Mom's house and then down to the park. I like to feed the animals and hope to make it there through most of the winter.

Check in with everyone later.

[scrubbly]

Operation October - week four

Hello October gang!!!

I finally got a chance to address everyone a little better, about 8 hours later!!! Work is actually quiet today, lots of people didn't make it in due to the snowy weather. This is typical around here, a white Halloween and a brown Christmas seems to be the norm. :H

Everyone seems to have the viruses, that is for sure! Mine morphed into a sinus infection that I finally broke down and got antibiotics for, not my favorite route to go but something had to give after 2 1/2 weeks of misery. I hope to start feeling better soon. Hope everyone else is on the mend as well.

Lil: Glad your weather was nice enough for a walk! And I hear you about just staying AF...after having 4 months under my belt then slipping, I am on your way of thinking and I will not go back down that path now that I'm back up on the wagon (or I guess we are on a bus, not a wagon!)

Sooty, I will ship you some snow if I thought it would make it across the pond.

LBH: Your stew sounds lovely, I am sure your menagerie will be sniffing the air with much envy tonight. Stay warm in this weather, I will try and do the same on my way home this evening!

Peanut: Can you bottle some of your determination to exercise please? I will PAY you for it!! I am so envious. I am a couch potato of the first order and I know it's not good for me. :yuk:

FindingMyself: your market finds sound yummy, I bet you are going to have a nice dinner tonight!!!

Lav: Send some of your good sleeping vibes this way, I'm jealous....

Red: Let us know how the meeting went at work! I hope it was successful for you.

Here's to a relaxing, AF evening for everyone and a grand night's rest to all!

[Lavande]

Operation October - week four

Evening friends!

Not much going on here this evening. I sent Mr Lav to his garage a while ago, he was annoying me :H

Scrubbly, hope it was a good day 4 for you, you know it's worth it! The secret to a good night's sleep for me is an herbal product called Mellodyn. I've battled insomnia for 13+ years........grr! Here's the website where I get it: MELLODYN | Natural Sleep Remedy | Herbal Insomnia Cure
I hope this group continues to make noise & dance in your head if it helps get you to your goal. :banana:

Finding, sorry, I didn't have time to make bread today (was actually busy doing real work). Hopefully tomorrow I'll get to it. Baking bread has always been very therapeutic for me........I bake it, freeze it, give it away when the freezer is full :H

Pnut, that cold, cold weather you're having makes perfect sleeping conditions for me!!

LBH, we had a green conure (parrot type bird) for a short time, many years ago. Someone gave him to Mr Lav, cage & all. Well, turned out 'Sherman' didn't like his cage, at all. He just sat in it & screamed & screamed, non-stop. I found this out while I was trying to get some sleep during the daytime after working night shift!! OMG, the noise was horrible. So, I got up, let the bird out of his cage. He seemed perfectly happy sitting on top of the cage so I went back to bed. Hours later when I got up I found that he had spent the day quietly chewing the wall paper off the wall. Sherman promptly became someone else's problem

Lil, I went for a short walk around the house today, found that all the rain we've had recently has the weeds growing again. They can stay put until next Spring!!

Well, I do wish everyone a good AF evening, take care!
Lav

[FindingMyself]

Operation October - week four

Peanut, I think I know the little summer squashes you are talking about. I usually just slice them thick and saut? or steam them like the other summer varieties. I’d like to order a bottle of your exercise plan too. You rock!

Sooty, give it some gas, girl! I love road trips!

Scrubbly, The fresh pasta was really great – made with fennel. It's a quick and easy dinner drizzled with olive oil and tossed with some tomatoes. Hope you’re feeling better!

Lav, I love the smell of baking bread almost as much as the taste when it’s done. It makes the house feel so warm and inviting.

LadyBird, It sounds like you made a wonderful retreat for your birds. I know how hard it is to lose our friends. I had to say good bye to my kitty companion of 15 years this summer. Still miss her like crazy.

I’m throwing in the towel for today. I hope everyone is doing well, getting over colds or bugs, getting past the cravings, getting on with living life. Love to you all.

[redhibiscus]

Operation October - week four

Darn, I had a meeting at work that was unbelievably weird and bad and was so upset, barely got through the day. Then, went out for pizza and had wine. I did not get drunk, but wrecked bmy AF October goal by just a few days. I am really disappointed in myself.

I am right back on the wagon though. It was not worth it to anyone who wonders. Yeah, it relaxed me for the evening, but the same old stuff. Woke up many times during the night, thirsty, guilty, and upset. The small amount of relief was just not worth it, again.

So, I am going to have to figure out a way to deal with my strange work situtation. I have to meet weekly to work things out, only we don't really talk about what needs to be changed, but vague ambiguous topics. I felt humiliated and angry, really really angry. However, now that I know what to expect I guess I can play the game. Only, I do not want to play games. So I will be starting a job search. Maybe some good will come out of this, I don't know. Thanks for being there.

[lilmea]

Operation October - week four

It's Friday! Everyone ready for the week end?

Red-You're another early bird so I know you will be checking in soon. I hope you have a better day at work.

Finding-Don't throw in the towel, just hang it up to dry out! Are you all rested up for another af day?

Sooty-You're already well into this day. How's it going so far?

Dill-Are you feeling any better?

Lav-We are suppose to be getting more rain yet again today. My old acky breaky bones are sure complaining about it. Raining spring and falls can be rough sometimes. I'm with you on the weeds. I'm just going to let the winter freeze take care of them.

I'd better get this day started. I have to go get my drivers liscense renewed. The last time I had it renewed, they put this picture of an old lady on it! :H

Good day to everyone who follows.

[lilmea]

Operation October - week four

Red-:l:l:l

[dill]

Operation October - week four

Greetings friends!

I am just a tad better today, but definitely headed in the right direction. Thank you all for your well wishes, suggestions, and soup. Pnut, what is Cold FX?

I am sorry that I don't have much time this morning, so I can't address everyone. Besides, there are getting to be so many wonderful souls here it would take quite awhile! But, I did have a couple of comments: LBH, your description of your pets looking at you suspiciously brought a rueful smile to my face. I see the same here. We are down now to one cat. He is keeping a wary eye on us! I had been ignoring the subject, hoping time would take care of it, but now I have decided to use your method of telling him not to worry. Perhaps we should get him a kitten. He is a barn cat, and perhaps that big old barn is daunting without someone to fight with from time to time!
Red, I'm sorry you are feeling so down and disappointed. I sure know how you feel. :l But it is just a bump in the road, my dear. In the big picture of things, you are doing fantastic! Progress, not perfection.

I did go to the doctor yesterday. Diagnosis: "flu". On the way home, Mr. Dill and I stopped for dinner. He wanted to go to Abuelo's (Mexican), but I ruled it out. The first thing that came to mind when he said it was sitting at the table in that nice atmosphere with a glass of wine in front of me. Too much temptation. (I didn't say that out loud to him though) I heard you all saying "No way!" in my head! We settled on Bob Evans and had pot pies. On the way home from there we had to stop for gas. Mr. Dill took care of it while I sat idly staring at the gas station store front. A sort of wirey and scruffly looking man emerged holding a brown paper sack with the top twisted tightly around the neck of a bottle top. I thought it looked suspiciously like a 1.5 litre bottle of wine. All the thoughts went through my mind: " didn't know they sold wine here", " is that how I look when I leave the store with one item like that?" "I know what he's doing" " knock it off, it's nothing to you!" etc. etc. Mind you, this was just after sunset. I watched him as he placed the bottle carefully in the basket, climbed on his bike and started peddling home. That sent me down another road of thought: "license suspended?", "can't afford a car because of his habits?". He didn't look like a "health nut". So, I imagined for a moment that I was watching my own receding figure riding off into the night on that bicycle. It could have been.

Well, on to my day. I hope you all have a good one!

[Lavande]

Operation October - week four

Good morning October friends,

Kind of funky looking outside again, more rain on the way.
Lil, my bones ache too from all this dampness........ugh!!

Finding, you sound chipper, good for you

red, sounds like yesterday was a real test for you! You DID learn a lesson, didn't you? Now put it away & move on. Design a new plan for handling the next meeting in a healthier way for you! Truthfully, last night I had a test myself. Mr Lav was so totally annoying I sent him to his garage (like sending a kid to his room), I shed a few tears, very briefly considered a trip to the wine store, took a bunch of deep breaths.........then it was over! I got thru the incident AF, my self esteem intact with my resolve to ignore his shitty behavior even stronger Unfortunately, he is & always has been my biggest trigger!!

Dill, I wish you a speedy recovery friend! What kind of soup would you like today???? You learned quite a lesson too last evening, didn't you? That vision of the wirey looking guy you observed at the gas station store would have stopped me dead in my tracks too!

Where's our driver Ms Sooty today??

Have a good AF Friday everyone, I'll check in later!
Lav

[sparkleAZ]

Operation October - week four

I was doing excellent, I had 7 AF days in a row and hubbie brought home my favorite wine, not only that but a pie! I am also dieting so I think there was a little sabbotage going on. What a dork! I did have 3 glasses of wine but at least I stopped there. I had such a hard time going AF after vacations and visitors but at least I'm on the right track.

[FindingMyself]

Operation October - week four

lilmea;747284 wrote: The last time I had it renewed, they put this picture of an old lady on it! :H

That would be a lot funnier if I didn?t know what you meant! I think they should require all DMV employees to have Photoshop skills ? and USE them liberally. I was just pooped last night and ready for bed. Am well rested and up with the stars this morning.

Red, I?m so sorry that the job is not improving. I?ve had plenty of jobs in the past that would have been fine if not for one or two people who were just not pleasant to work with.

Dill, sorry you are dealing with the flu. Nice job thinking through the restaurant scenario and avoiding a temptation.

Lav, good for you in getting through the evening AF and coming out with stronger resolve!

Sparkle, ?dork? ? haha ? I love the word and sometimes it is just so fitting! Seven days is great though!

Cyn, Pam, how are you two doing?

Hope everyone finds a bit of fun in their Friday. See you later.

[Peanut]

Operation October - week four

Morning!!!
I'm just at work now - it seems that everybody else's day starts so much earlier than mine!!!! Kinda busy day ahead, so just a brief stop in to say hello - TGIF!!!! We have a halloween run tonight, so i whooped up a caveman outfit last night after my swim. Bought the material on the way home from work. Beautiful - some kind of wild cat!! At 50% off, which the woman said was wrong, but because the sign said it, she had to give it to me for that price!! I will wear it tonight, my son will wear it tomorrow! I even have a rawhide dog bone to put in my hair!!

Red - sorry about your work situation. Such a pain, especially because our jobs are where we spend so much of our lives. I do hope things get better.

Dill - poor Dill. Nasty flu!! Cold FX is a cold remedy that came out a couple years ago. It is actually mainly ginseng, and boost your immune system. As soon as a person feels the cold coming, you start the treatment. 3 pills, 3x/day the first day, 2 pills 3x/day the second and 1pill 3x/day the third. First time I did it, it really only delayed the cold. But, the last time was just before my mountain race in the summer, and I pounded the stuff like crazy and managed to keep the cold at bay and it eventually never came to full fruition! I hate colds, so anything is worth a try!

Lav - sorry about your event last night, I sympathize (I AM divorced!!!). Good for you for being strong and not caving!

I gotta run - Hi to everyone else, Sooty, Finding, Lil, Sparkle, Cyn, Pam and everyone else to come.
Have a fabulous friday!!!
xoxoxo peanut