AF Daily Saturday December 18

[Lavande]

Good morning Abbers!

Woke up up to a bright & chilly day here but nothing falling from the sky

I have no special plans for myself this weekend so I'll just see what happens.

Wishing everyone a great AF Saturday.

Lav

[Marshy]

AF Daily Saturday December 18

Morning Lav & everyone,

LOADS of the white stuff falling from the sky here. Unusual for London to get this much snow. I'm at work and it's been snowing heavily all morning. I'm due to leave in about six hours so if it carries on it will be fun getting home! Or we might all have to spend the night in the office and draw straws to see who gets eaten first.

Have a good day all!

[universal]

AF Daily Saturday December 18

Marshy - LOL - you're funny!

Hi guys, no snow here either - Knocking on wood because everywhere around us is getting hit hard.

I also have a fairly relaxed day lined up - some cleaning and groceries and other than that, pretty relaxed which is nice!

One thing is for sure.........

Love and hugs,
Uni

[greeneyes]

AF Daily Saturday December 18

Brrrrr.... cold and raining. I made it to yoga though. There is a drop-in tonight and it is the only time I see a crowd of people I've known forever and I bailed last year because of the cold and rain so...... Not sure what I'm wearing, but boots and going early will be involved.

Marshy I hope you get the long straw. So I can hear about it. :H

Lav & uni good to see you taking it easy.

Lav, I gotta ask.... Can you simply draw the line with YB so he doesn't "just show up" at Christmas or Eve or whichever it was? I have written and erased further comments 4 times :H What incredible restraint I have today.

I need to do some fast house cleaning to warm up this freezing body!

Peace!

Hey, speaking of peace... where's peacenik?

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily Saturday December 18

Hi all! Lav, thanks for getting us started today. Wanna trade weekends? You can take my in-laws tomorrow and I'll take your weekend seeing what comes. :H Naw. I KNOW you don't want to make that trade!!! Whatever you do or not, I hope it's relaxing and good. I am qith the queen on drawing some lines with YB.....

Marshy you are too funny. And greenie is funny too. Hope you get home OK. Is XNGF still there? Was glad to read that you two are getting on well despite some under the weather stuff, etc. I'm very very happy for you!

Uni, if Lav doesn't want to trade, would you consider a trade?????? :angel4: I hope you have a very nice weekend.

Greenie, I was sorry to read you did not get the job but am with Pride as in - what kind of taste do these people have, anyway? I hope your next interview goes well! It will all work out the way it is supposed to, right? Have fun at your event tonight! Since I'm busy trading my life away today, would you like to clean my house when you are done speed cleaning yours?

I have been journal my meals and importantly, my physical and emotional states throughout the day. I have to force myself to write stuff down before it fades. I'm seeing some eye opening stuff in terms of what I'm putting in and what is coming out, and I'm not talking about *that* end of it. Whoopie pies? Well, I would love eating the whole thing, and then spin off into outer space. That is all.

P3, the piece you got for your brother sounds fabulous!! When he puts it up and the weather is good, I would love to see a pic of it some time. I am also interested in hearing about the calming collar and how that goes. Will also be interested to hear how WW goes for you! My issue was not at all with the program - it's with the choices of what I put in my mouth. Just like with AL, there are people who can handle a little bit of sweet or a little bit of processed, etc. I'm not one of them. It IS possible to do WW without that stuff. I'm thinking of re-engaging after Christmas for the group support. I'm just not sure how many 2 point sweet treat recipes I can listen to without wanting to make them all! (my problem - not WW's problem!)

AA was good this morning. Saw some folks I haven't seen in a while. They had a breakfast after the meeting so lots of people there and having fun! I found out a guy who I really enjoy listening to is the speaker tonight so I may go back for that. Somewhere in between I will minimalistically (as in, no holiday decorations!) get ready for the in-laws. I'm so glad we moved away from a sit down dinner and just do "bring some appetizers." It is so much easier that way!

I am incredibly grateful for my sobriety today. One thing is for sure...

Hello fabbies yet to come!

DG

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily Saturday December 18

Where is everyone? BB, I'm wondering if you had "that talk" with the man who keeps dropping by. Ugh. I don't care for people dropping by and I don't care for "those talks." Hope it's over with by now!

I also wonder if there is any people eating going on in Marshy's office.

DG

[greeneyes]

AF Daily Saturday December 18

pssssst..... tomorrow is lav's birthday

[Marshy]

AF Daily Saturday December 18

Doggygirl;1024675 wrote: Marshy Is XNGF still there?
No, she left yesterday and we won't see each other now until the new year. We both already had plans for Christmas before we got together and then she already had flights booked for a new year's eve jaunt etc. Soooo, I'm meeting her at the airport when she gets back on Jan 3rd I think. Trying to think of something funny to write on a big cardboard sign to hold up in the arrivals bit. :H

Nobody being eaten yet. It can only be a matter of time...

greeneyes;1024867 wrote: pssssst..... tomorrow is lav's birthday

Cake is called for.
BTW, does anyone have a good recipe for chocolate brownies? A woman at work brought in some really delicious home-made ones but she left before I could get the recipe and I'd like to make some for my family over Christmas.

[Lavande]

AF Daily Saturday December 18

WHO STARTED THAT RUMOR that tomorrow is my birthday? Thanks Greenie.....
Unfortunately it is true that I will either be 57 or 29 when I wake up tomorrow morning :H

About YB on Christmas Eve.......I've fantasized about sending him a telegram telling him to stay the hell away (because he won't answer a phone call or email from me). My problem is with my kids. They are grown but confused by their Dad's behavior & they're not really pissed with him like I am. I want to celebrate Christmas & have a peaceful evening here where everyone is comfortable. I'm just not comfortable around YB anymore, I think he's fecking nuts!!!! :H:H Christmas was always a bad time around his house when he was a kid - I know that. But he's had 37 years of marriage in a happier, more stable home to get over his childhood trauma. Feck him!

Well on that happy note I'm preparing to fry up some "Chrusciki' & stuff myself with them & a pot of decaf green tea tonight :H
Marshy, I make brownies but I'm not sure how fabulous they are.....the kids always ate them

Happy Saturday!

[Marshy]

AF Daily Saturday December 18

Recipe please, Lav, if you've got a minute? I found one online by a TV chef here but she puts walnuts in them and I'm not sure about that.

It's so weird that YB turns up unannounced and uninvited. Could you tell him to stay away from your house and if he wants to see the kids to visit them at their house instead? Then you would be comfortable as well as everyone else.

Made it back home through the snow without any mishaps. All white and lovely

[papmom3]

AF Daily Saturday December 18

My my how time flies when you're doing online shopping all day inbetween answering phone calls!!

I do believe that my punishment for procrastinating these past 2 weeks will be to work over my holiday break (from home thank god) instead of painting, cleaning, etc. When will I learn????

Marshy-my zucchini brownie recipe is in the Recipe Corner if you want to take a look at it. Everyone raves over it! No nuts if you don't want them. I never do.

DG- minus point 4 today. Disappointed as I still had all those weekly and activity points hanging out there but the Whoopie Pie must have negated all the hard work (that and the leftover Thanksgiving Dinner I guess). Except for the WP, I've been happy with my sugar free hot chocolate at nite. New week now. I'll definitely let you know how this Chill collar thingy works out.

Heard that the snow storm is heading out to sea and will miss us totally. I'll beleive that when I wake up Monday morning and everything is still brown (and beige). Tomorrow is craft day (or sleep day depending on if I'm really getting a cold or it's just a bad allergy attack) and cleaning day. My xmas shopping will be DONE right after work (just 2 stops on the way home). All I have to do is sit back and wait for USPS and UPS to come visit next week.

DG-just for you-here's the hawk sculpture sitting in my kitchen-will send another pic when it's installed on his fence:

[Pride before Fall]

AF Daily Saturday December 18

Hi all,

Got my xmas shopping almost finished today. Can't STAND shopping (although I love giving gifts!), so I'm feeling good. I think I dry-heaved my way through the Saturday before Christmas last year. Compare and contrast. ; )

P3, I'll see your whoopie pie and raise you leftover Buche de Noel from the party we had here Wed. night. I ate almost all of it--about half the log, now a stump--over the course of the day yesterday. With custard poured on it. PMS and working from home are a deadly diet combination. AND...coincidentally, I was shopping for metal yard ornaments today, too. I found some cute little tin bugs, three different ones, for my mom from each of my kids.

Still no snow here in New England, Marshy. Just got off the phone with my future SIL in London, and she said you got 8 inches over there. It's pretty when it's falling but otherwise I can say I miss it. Driving or paying for plowing.

In case Lav doesn't check back in, here's a tasty looking brownie recipe (in UK measurements):Best-ever brownies recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food. We have good premixed brands you buy in the box here too (Ghirardelli's comes to mind...)

Lav, "everyone is comfortable" means you, too. I get not wanting it to be awkward for your kids, either, so I guess you have a tough decision to make about what to do if the situation arises. Whatever that is, maybe you could talk to your family about it first. Pretty passive aggressive tactic--pretend he's not getting your emails or calls then showing up when he knows it upsets you. Try not to let it play on your sympathies though. He's had ample time to make holiday plans on his own, with or without the family, apart from your get-together--and to do all the cooking, cleaning, decorating, or restaurant booking that entails. And then the cleaning up. He wanted his independence; can't have it both ways.

Sooo easy to give advice, of course, when I don't have to do it! I HATE hurting people's feelings or getting into any kind of scene, and you have 37 years of history and tradition to push past--that's hard. Crank up those hypnosis tapes if it will help you come up with the best plan for you. :l

Gia, do let us know if you laid down the rules for Freddy Foot-in-the-Door (see hate hurting feelings or getting into any kind of scene, above...).

Okay, back to it I go.

xoxoxo Pride

[Lavande]

AF Daily Saturday December 18

Thanks Pride......I really do have a very strange situation here don't I?
The only thing that makes me feel better is telling myself that YB has lost a marble or two
His brother lives next door.....they don't talk either.

Marshy, here in these parts we use cocoa powder made by Hershey's. The factory is about a 1 1/2 hr ride from here......smells soooo good there
Here is their recipe I've used for years:
Cooks.com - Recipe - Hershey's Fudgey Brownies

Happy baking

[papmom3]

AF Daily Saturday December 18

question about cold remedies

Was it someone on this thread about a week ago who recommended either a herbal or holistic remedy right when a cold starts? Whoever it was swore by it. Began with an S I think. Anyone??

[greeneyes]

AF Daily Saturday December 18

It was M3.. Check her posts. It was pretty recent and she's not been yacky like me so you'll not have to go too far back. I might can find it for you but I am biting my tongue OFF I TELL YOU!!! over YB. I think a sign at the end of the driveway is a good idea. "Feck off, YB" is just not acceptable for Christmas so I'll have to think on it. OK how about "YB, today is not convenient for you to visit". I'm dying to give him a haircut over this passive aggressive hijacking he does. That is all.

Not really, I just went back to biting my tongue.