Happy Halloween!!

Hey Ya'll,

First of all, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!  I hope that everyone who had the good fortune to be able to attend parties last night, had a great!  And for those that have children/grandchildren, I hope that you have a fun time tonight Trick-Or-Treating tonight!  We haven't been able to go out Trick-Or-Treating for a VERY long time, as our youngest is 24 years old!  Although we do have two Grandchildren that are 7 and 10 years old, our Daughter and Son In Law do not believe in Halloween or Trick-Or-Treating, so our Grandchildren have NEVER been able to experience it.  Nor us with them.  Oh Well! 

Not too much has been happening here, except that we are getting much closer to moving out of our home.  We expect to be here until the end of the year, then we will have to move out.  So we have really stepped up our RV shopping!  We have decided that we will probably buy an interim RV, that we can live in for about a year, while saving our money up to buy a more custom RV for us!  This means that we don't want to spend more than $5000- $10,000 on the interim RV.  We want it to be in decent condition, and somewhere between 35-40 feet in length.  However, at this price, we don't expect it to be anything too spectacular, and it will probably be a bit older.  It is also highly doubtful, that it will have the 2nd bedroom, or 2nd bathroom that we would really like to have!  But we feel that we can live with it for a year.

I have been researching a ton of stuff for the upcoming move, and also crocheting my hands off for Christmas gifts.  Plus, I just started two more paintings!  So I have been busy!  Oh, and a small NSV, I went to Walmart the other day, and decided to purchase a few new pairs of sweatpants that I can wear during the Winter here bumming around the house.  I purchased Larges, but in the past I always bought XL or heaven forbid, 2XL.  Unfortunately, I should have tried them on while there, as I need to return them for Mediums!  YEA!!

But, as far as my Restriction goes, I have NO RESTRICTION whatsoever!!  I have also gained back a few pounds (go figure)! :(  So I will definitely be getting a Fill at my next appointment on December 8th!  I just hope that I don't gain back too much more weight between now and then!  But with Thanksgiving coming up.....!  Anyway this is my world right now, I am sorry that I haven't posted much lately, but there just isn't too much happening worth reporting!!  Well, I better go for now, till next time....

Aloha My Friends  :)

The Best NSV! And Another New Painting!

This photo was taken by Walt on our vacation to Cape Cod last October.  It was taken at the tip of the Cape close by the Pilgrim Memorial.  He specifically requested that I paint this photo for him.  And since he likes me to work on at least 2 paintings at a time, this one with the photo that I posted in my last post, will be my new paintings.  I will keep you posted on their progress.

Hey Ya'll,

Well, it looks like at least part of the Mall, that was on fire yesterday and through the night, should be open by Black Friday (they hope).  The area of the Mall that was furthest from the fire area, may be open even sooner.  However, the area of the actual fire has MAJOR DAMAGE to it.  The roof in that area collapsed into the Mall!  So I am afraid that that section will not be open until long into next year!  So this means that a lot of employees will be without jobs.

I read this today: "Employment Law attorney says because the Roseville Galleria fire was "an act of God", state law does not require stores to pay workers for any hours after evacuation".  So basically he is saying, that because a young man with Mental Illness started the fire, that it is considered an "Act Of God"!  Go figure.  The Attorneys will always look for a loop hole, to not have to pay the poor employees.....I'm sorry, I know that it sounds like I am an activist or something, but I promise, I am NOT!  It just irks me that the Major Company's and Insurance Company's always try to find a way to not have to pay those that really need it.

Anyway!!!  On to my Best NSV!  In the past, I have always said that my Neck barely shows an improvement since my Surgery.  And I still am not happy with it, but Walt and I were going through our vacation photos from last year (taken just before my Surgery).  And we found some that really shows how big my Neck REALLY was, and because of them, I can see a big difference!!  Here is a photo from the vacation and a current photo of me, let me know what you think!!

And yes, I am well aware that I look like Sh**!!  But then I always look like this!!  LOL

And here is my most recent photo!  This time my pained expression is because I was looking into the sun!!  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!!















And I want to thank everyone who responded to my last post, wishing my friend well.  She will be grateful for all the good thoughts coming her way!  And thanks Amanda K, for the swift kick in the Arse, for reminding me why I got the Band in the first place!!  I agree, I am sure that I should get the Fill in early December as planned.  So as long as the weather holds, I will be going up for it.  Well, I will be going for now, till next time......

Aloha My Friends  :)

It's A Sad Day For The Local Mall!!

This is a photo of the next Painting I will attempt to paint!  It is called Enchanted Eve and is one of Christian Riese Lassen's Seascapes.  He is a fantastic painter from Hawaii.

Hey Ya'll,

Well, we finally received the Bulbs we needed for the Bike, so Walt was finally able to put the Bike back together!!  Which means that I have wheels again!  I have been without a vehicle for over a week, and even though I don't do much out of the house, just not being able to leave the house, is hard to deal with!!

As for my Restriction....it is still non-existent!!  But maybe this is a good thing.  At least I will be able to eat some of my favorite foods/desserts, for Thanksgiving again this year!  My Surgery was just the week before Thanksgiving last year, and YES, I should have been on a liquid diet, but I was on semi mushies by the day after Surgery, so I did eat (in small amounts) my favorite foods last year!  My next appointment is set for Dec 6th, so I will have to decide if I want a Fill at that time, or wait until after the first of the year......

In sad news today (at least for those shopaholics!) one of our local Malls was taken Hostage, and put on fire today!!!  By the time they got the Criminal out of the Mall (long after the Mall was evacuated), and realized that the original blaze he set (and thought put out), began a huge blaze that did major damage to almost the entire Mall!  So I don't see how they could possibly open it in time for Christmas shopping this year!!

The sad part of it is that a lot of the employees will be losing their jobs, just before Christmas.  And a lot of the smaller Stores will probably lose their Businesses this year as well!!  Just because of someone with a Mental Illness.  I don't know if it is true or not, but I heard that the person claimed he was there hijacking the store he went into, because his Sister had been Abducted by Aliens!!  He claims himself to be Manic Depressive (Bi Polar).  Here is a link to the local News Channel with information on the incident if anyone is interested.

http://www.kcra.com/news/25465665/detail.html?treets=sac&tml=sac_break&ts=T&tmi=sac_break_1_09260110212010

Now, before I forget, I would like to ask anyone reading this, to PLEASE send out good thoughts to my Friend.  Her husband is also Bi Polar, and has been unable to get his condition under control, even with Medication.  He recently attempted Suicide again, then told her he wanted a Divorce, as soon as he was released from the Hospital (all the while screaming at her).  She is in real need of support and good wishes.  And if you pray, please put her in your prayers. 

I am really hoping that her and her children come through this unharmed.  She is in between a rock and a hard place right now, as she recently had Surgery and cannot return to work for at least another 2-3 months.  So she can't leave him, even if she wanted to!  So far, he has only been verbally abusive, never physically, but...you never know, something could make him snap!  I can't say enough about how concerned for them that I am, and she is never far from my thoughts!!

So other than worrying about my friend 24/7, and working on my Christmas present projects, I am doing ok.  I just finished Christa's painting, which I can't post the photos of on my blog as yet, as it is a surprise to her, and she reads my blog!!  So I will post the photos after Thanksgiving, since that is when I will be giving it to her.  So since I have finished her painting, I am getting ready to begin another one.  This time I am going to attempt to copy a painting from one of my favorite Artists.  He is from Hawaii, and his name is Christian Riese Lassen.  I am going to attempt to paint one of his Seascapes titled: Enchanted Eve.  A photo of it is at the top of the blog.  This will be the first time I have attempted to recreate a true Artists painting!!  Wish me luck!

Well, I should go for now, got lots to do!!  Till next time....

Aloha My Friends  :)

It's Finished!!

This is a photograph (not my own) of Donner Lake in the Summer time.

Hey Ya'll,

Well, I know that I haven't been blogging much this week.  But I have been kind of busy.  I finished my daughter Christa's painting!!!  It is based on one of her Photographs that she took on the California Coast between Monterey and Santa Cruz.  This Photograph won 2-1st Place Ribbons and 1-2nd Place Ribbon, in different Shows.  Unfortunately, I can't show the photo of my completed Painting here in my blog until Thanksgiving (she reads my blog and would see it), as that is when we are giving it to her, so all the family can see it too.  And it is supposed to be a surprise!!  She has seen it in the earlier stages, but not this far along.

As for my restriction....unfortunately, it seems I don't have much anymore.  And go figure, the only stuck episode I have had since my unfill, was yesterday when I finished the remainder of my Spaghetti from Johnny Carino's!!  Nothing else I have eaten has caused me any trouble!!  I guess I just need to stay away from Spaghetti. :(   But what is strange, is that I can eat Spaghetti from our local Pizza place, with no problems!!  But since I haven't tried any since my last Fill, I guess I just need to try it again! LOL Otherwise, I guess I need to choose a different type of noodle, so that I can control the amount of noodle I eat in each bite.

As for the weather...well, we were hoping the cooler weather that we had a short time ago, meant that Fall was finally here!  But no...we had temps in the 90's again until a couple of days ago, when the temps dropped back down into the 80's.  Walt and I can't wait until it drops down into the 50's-60's.  He**, I would even welcome the 40's!!  Well, I better go for now, I don't have much to say or report, and I have a lot to do!!  Till next time...

Aloha My Friends  :)

It's Done! I Lost My Restriction!

A beautiful photo (not taken by me, I'm afraid) of the Sierra's

Hey Ya'll,

Well, today we were supposed to ride the Bike up to Reno.  But because we didn't receive some parts yesterday, that we were expecting.  We decided not to take the Bike.  So we had to drive up in the Truck instead.  It was a perfect day for a long Bike ride too!!  Oh well, at least I got some of my Crocheting done!  LOL  If you recall, I crochet when we are driving up through the Sierra's to control my worrying about how Walt likes to drive!

We made it up there in record time, and was about 30 minutes early.  And as usual, they took us back to a room within a few minutes!  But, because Fridays are Laurie's really busy day, we had to wait for about 15 minutes before she made it to our room.  However, as soon as she entered the room and heard my symptoms, she immediately pulled out .3 cc's!!  I was hoping for .1-.25 at the most to be taken out!! 

So .3 was more than I wanted!  But I must say that right now, I feel as if I have NO Restriction at all, which of course means that I was able to eat today without any pain at all.  So now I have to deal with little to no restriction again for awhile.  However, my next appointment is set for the first week in December.  But I am not sure if I will get the Fill then, or just wait until after the New Year.  If I can do ok through the rest of the year without gaining too much weight (if at all!), then I may just wait until after the first of the year as I hate to drive over the Sierra's in the Winter!  So I may just grin and bear it for a few Months!

Anyway, I have to get off the Internet for now, got lots to do...till next time...

Aloha My Friends

I'm Going For The Unfill Tomorrow!!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, after watching what I ate for several days, trying to see if I could work through this overfill, I came to the conclusion that I did in fact, need a small unfill!  This is my first unfill, and hopefully the last one too!

Last Wednesday, we drove up to Reno for my 9th Fill, that put me at about 7.7 cc's in a 10 cc Band.  At first I had no problems, I was even able to eat a normal Lunch right afterwords.  However, by Friday, I started having Acid Reflux every night, and sometimes during the day as well!  I didn't tell Walt about it at first, because I was afraid that he would tell me to go get an unfill!  Ha Ha....When I told him what I was going through, he actually wanted me to work through it!  Which totally surprised me!  But he eventually decided to go for the unfill.

On Sunday, we went to Lunch with our daughter, Kat and her husband Elliott, to a local Italian Restaurant.  I did ok, but ate just a bit too much, too fast.  So I was on the verge of being stuck, but luckily, didn't actually become stuck.  So I took it easy for Dinner. 

The next day, I ate only half of what was left of the left overs.  Normally, I could have eaten the whole amount left.  I thought that I had eaten it slow enough, but I soon realized that I was horribly STUCK, with a capital S!!  I spent about 4 hours praying to the Porcelain God!!  And when I wasn't praying to the Porcelain God, I was laying down trying to relieve the EXTREME pain in my Back!  And I was praying to the small, bag lined trash can!  The problem was...that when I tried to lay on my Back to relieve the pain, I felt like I was going to strangle!  So I ended up laying on my side, which was better than sitting up, but not by much. 

Did I say, pain in my Back???  I have a very bad back, and always have had, since I fell from the top of a swing set onto my Back as a child of about 8 or 9 (which was the first of many accidents that have effected my Back, Neck and Legs).  I was temporarily paralyzed for about an hour!  I have had Back problems, major pain in the Lower Back, and pain (mostly) on the left side of my body, from the Hip down every since.  So when I have problems that involve the Back, it is always more painful than I can express.

Well, when I got Stuck on Monday, apparently I had never been this Stuck before, because I was in so much pain I almost couldn't bear it!  I actually threw up 3 times!!  Normally, one minor bout of vomiting and I feel much better.  But this time, after I vomited once, I thought "wow, I feel so much better, thank god it's over".  Or so I thought!  Soon, the pain started again, and eventually I had the second vomiting episode, and again, felt much better and thought it was over!  But...again, shortly after, the pain started again!  This last bout was the worst!  Finally......I had one last vomit, and this time the Spaghetti came out, and I knew it was over!!

The problem was, I have been recovering from being Stuck ever since!  I started eating much less at each meal, and made sure the food was fairly bland.  But still, I had to be careful to not overeat.  I have found that even eating much less, I still had some symptoms of being Stuck and the Acid Reflux has also continued.  So, we made the decision to go back to Reno and get a small unfill.  I am hoping for only .1 cc to be taken out, but definitely not more than the .25 cc's she put in!!  We leave in the morning, so I will post on what was decided later!

Today, I only ate a small bowl (about 3/4 c at most) of Walt's homemade Beef Stew.  I was fine for about the first 3-4 hours, then all of a sudden, I started having the intense pressure and pain in my Chest, which passed through into the Back.  It took 6 tums before the pain started to ebb.  I am sooo looking forward to just a little bit of relief!!  Oh, and did I say that we were going to be riding the Bike up this trip?  Last week we didn't dare take it as there were Thunderstorms in the forecast.  But tomorrow should be a really nice day for a ride!!  Anyways....till next time. 

Aloha My Friends  :)

A Big Welcome To Lady Lazarus !!!

Hey Ya'll,

I just got my Internet back a short time ago (our Internet provider was down almost the entire day!).  So I just checked in and saw that I had a new Follower!  She goes by Lady Lazarus, and the link to her blog is: The Hill Climb Of Life.  She isn't a Bandster, but has weight issues too!!  I just read her blog and it broke my heart!  So please check it out and give her the love and support she needs and, most importantly, deserves!!  Lady Lazarus, "welcome to my nightmare" too! 

Aloha My New Friend!!  :)

I Need Your Help, Please!!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, I have been experiencing some symptoms since my last Fill, and I am wondering if I am a tad bit overfilled!  So I would really appreciate your comments.  Especially from those that have experienced this as well.

I have an almost constant pain in the Rib Cage, usually it is not bad, unless I have eaten something, then it hurts mostly in the center and to the right side.  Sometimes the pain goes all the way through from the front to the back.

I almost always have some mucous in my Throat.  And eating just a small amount of food, can cause me to feel like I am too tight (even eating my Oatmeal last night!).  Like I had eaten too fast, or didn't chew enough, and wanting to slime some to ease the pain and symptoms.

I just ate half of the leftovers from lunch yesterday, and I feel like I am going PB (update...I did PB)!!  In the past, I would have been able to eat all of the left overs with no problem!!  And.....I have Acid Reflux every night, as well as during the day sometimes after I had eaten something.  So I am wondering if I an a tad bit overfilled??? What do you think?  Should I call and ask the Surgeon's office their opinion?  Please help!!  Till next time.....

Aloha My Friends  :(

I Came THIS.....Close!!! :(

Hey Ya'll,

Well, I can definitely say that my Band is still a bit tight!  Today, Walt and I drove over to our Daughter Kat's house, to look into what it will take to convert part of their garage into Elliott's Dark Room.  We are giving Elliott all of Walt's Dark Room Equipment.  Afterwords, we drove over to a local Italian Restaurant called Johnny Carino's.

I love Johnny Carino's.  We used to have one close to us, but they closed it down, due to lack of Business.  :(  But there is one located near Kat's house, so we decided to go there today as we haven't eaten at Johnny's since ours closed down over a year ago.  They always bring out a home made loaf of Bread, and I had about a Thumb size portion of the Bread before my meal.  Then we ordered a family size meal to share, of Spaghetti and Meatballs/Sausage (the Sausage for Walt).  It was more than enough for all four of us!  I even have a serving left for another meal for me.  Yum. 

However, I realized almost too late, that I was really tight and needed to stop eating.  I did manage to stop in time, but my Rib Cage was tight, and it hurt all the way through from the front to the rear.  Luckily for me, it didn't become painful until after we left the Restaurant and was driving home!  Also, luckily for me, the pain ended by the time we reached home, about a half hour later.  I needed to spit a couple of times in a  bag that we had in the Truck, but then it passed.  :)))

Anyway, I haven't been doing too much lately, except for Crocheting some items that we are giving away as Christmas presents this year.  Plus, I have also been working on Christa's painting and almost have it finished (The painting is based on one of her photos.  This photo won either 1st or 2nd place in the Sacramento County Fair).  The painting would have been finished, except that I felt the need to try to bring in the glow from the Sun on the Rocks more.  Now the Rocks are too ORANGE!!  So I need to work some more on the Rocks.  And since we want to surprise Christa with the finished product, I can't post any photos of it until after we give it to her, because she reads my Blog!!  But I have to say that...this painting has the best Waves that I have done to date!!  I can't wait to post the photos of it, for your viewing.  We plan on giving it to her at Thanksgiving since most of the immediate family will be here, and they can see it too.

Well, I am going to end this now, I have lots to do, and sooo little time....Till next time.

Aloha My Friends  :)

I've A Confession To Make! And The Budget Was SIGNED!!!

Hey Ya'll,

Walt and I are doing a happy dance today, along with many thousands of California workers!!  The Budget was finally approved, and most importantly, SIGNED today!!  The fact that it was only 100 days LATE (!!!), only goes to show how desperate everyone was for this to come to happen.  Of course, this only means that we can breath a sigh of relief for a few Months, as the next Budget is due in less than 9 Months!!  Then it begins again!!!  But for now, the Budget is passed and signed, so we can breath more freely, for a few Months!  At least we know that we will be paid for the work actually done in a reasonable time, without having to wait for possibly Months for payment, which is sometimes what happens when the Budget isn't passed.

Now for my Confession.  Late last night, while I was rummaging through the refrigerator/freezer, I spied the items on my "Not To Eat List".  This "Not To Eat List" was decreed by my DH, Walt!!  Because they are the Cookies that he made "from scratch" for himself.  He told me that I was to keep my mitts off!!

Well, up until last night, I was able to forget they were there (so to speak).  But for some reason last night, they were just staring at me, taunting me, and calling my name out!!  So I quietly opened up the freezer bag they were in, and removed two of them!!  But I amazed myself, and I did stop at only the two!  LOL  Today, I confessed my sin to Walt, and he said, "I know, I noticed them missing" (eek)!!  Now before you get all upset, that he is denying me food.  He did give me about four of the cookies when they were first made, then told me the rest was for his lunches!!

Now for an update on my Fill I received on Wednesday.  As I said in an earlier post, I had no problems eating after the Fill, nor yesterday.  However, today I have noticed much more restriction!  Because of this, I have only eaten a cookie (don't worry, Walt gave it to me), about 4 ozs of Tuna, a bowl of Oatmeal and I am now attempting to eat a Pear.  It is now 10:15 pm and this is all I have eaten since 11 am today.  However, I am not complaining, believe me!!

My biggest complaint today though, is that I am having another one of my Allergy attacks!!  You know the ones.  The ones where I blow my nose almost constantly all day, until I have gone through at least a whole box of Kleenex!!  My nose is already killing me, and my sneezes are so loud that even Walt can hear them all the way back in the bedroom, with the TV on (loud)!!!  Oh well, I am sure that I will be fine by tomorrow, I usually am.  Well, I am going to end this for now.  Till next time...

Aloha My Friends  :)

Woo Hoo!! A New Fill!!

Doesn't this photo just make you think of Scotland????

Hey Ya'll,

Well, today Walt and I drove up to Reno for my 9th Fill.  They were totally ecstatic about my weight loss since my last Fill.  This is the first time that I have lost this much since about the first Month or two after Surgery!!  I told them that I had actually lost another 3 lbs, but I had regained about 5 lbs while we were up in Portland!  I have since lost about 3 lbs of that regain.  So once I lose another 2.1 lbs, I can show another loss on my Ticker Tape!!  I'm one of those that only shows the losses, not the gains.

So I may go a Month without being able to show a change in my weight, on my Ticker Tape!  Although I did have a great loss (for me, at any rate), I was afraid that Laurie wouldn't want to give me another Fill.  But after discussing it with her, we decided that she would give me a small Fill of .25 cc's.  Which is what I was hoping for.  I feel that I am really close to my "Sweet Spot", and don't want to become overfilled and have problems, especially since it is a long drive back up to get an unfill.

After the appointment, Walt and I drove down to Carson City, to meet his Mom, Sister Carol and Carol's Son, George for Lunch at Applebee's.  I had a great lunch today.  I ate one of their Lunch combos, which was a small bowl of Chili (really tasty) and a half order of Three-Cheese Chicken Penne.  Of course, I was only able to eat the Chili and about a quarter of the Chicken Penne!  Walt ate the rest.

Yes, I know (as I hang my head in shame).  I am not supposed to be eating anything, right after a "Fill".  But I am one of those that have always eaten right after a Fill.  And don't forget, I started to eat "Mushies" the day after my Surgery!!!  I have always been careful and have never had a problem.  And yes, I did tell the Surgeon on my follow up appointment for the Surgery, that I had started eating "Mushies" almost immediately after Surgery, and he said that he doesn't recommend it because most can't control what they eat, how much, and how well they chew it, etc.  But since I had no problems, what could he say???  A lot of Surgeons tell their patients that they can begin eating when they feel up to it, but to be careful.  Others say not to eat anything for the first 1-2 weeks!!  Just liquids.  :(

**UPDATE** In the last paragraph, I said that I NEVER had a problem from eating right after a Fill.  I just re-read this, and realized that I DID have my FIRST MAJOR PB after one of my Fills!!  Remember the post that was about...Pancakes Are Evil???  Other wise, NO PROBLEMO!!

Anyway, after our Lunch, Walt and I drove over to the RV Park we plan on living in, when we move out of our Home at the end of the year.  We still feel that it is the best park we have seen.  It has extra wide spaces. :)  They can hold up to a 40' RV, and the spaces are 35' Wide!!  Which means that there is at least 15'-20' between RV's!!  This is phenomenal, people!!  In most parks, you are LUCKY if you have 6' between RV's, but 4'-6' is probably the norm.  So if someone in the next space farts (sorry), you will hear it!!

Which is why we will have to buy one of those special headsets for Walt, like you see advertised on TV, so the person trying to sleep next to him, CAN SLEEP!!, because he is getting a little hard of hearing, and our current neighbors can hear what he is watching on TV, and there is a whole lot more distance between our bedroom and the next homes!!!  LOL  Of course, this doesn't bother me most of the time, since I don't go to bed until almost time for him, TO GET UP!!  But for the neighbors, we will have to keep the noise down!!

Now, for all you Diana Gabaldon fans out there that have been hoping for her 1st Book "Outlander", to be made into a Movie.  Through the years since the Book was published, the "Rights" had been purchased several times by different Company's, in hopes of making it into a Movie.  But the person/person's/Company that had purchased the "Rights", had never been able to acquire the necessary financing before their purchased "Rights" had run out of time.

But this time....it just may happen people!!!  I discovered this via my DH Walt.  He had recently read an article about Katherine Heigl, where they claim, one of her next Movies is to be "Outlander".  He remembered this when I made mention of the Book being made into a Movie at some point.  According to the article, she is set to play the lead character of Claire.  I don't know how this will turn out, since Claire is an ENGLISH WOMAN, and Katherine is NOT!  So we shall see how it turns out.  You never know, some actors can speak with fantastic accents, and some....CAN"T!!  Either way, I will want to watch it!!  The Screenplay is being written by Randall Wallace, who wrote "Braveheart", and I don't know about you, but Braveheart is one of my favorite Movies.


So here's hoping that this time the Movie actually gets made!!  Here is the paragraph from the article published Sept 29, 2010, which mentions the Book being made into a Movie:

"Ms. Heigl spent the summer in Pittsburgh, producing and acting in “One for the Money,” an adaptation of the popular Janet Evanovich novel (this one's for you, CARA!!!).  She portrays Stephanie Plum, an unemployed lingerie buyer from New Jersey who becomes a bounty hunter.  If all goes well, Ms. Heigl will then turn toward sharply dramatic work, starring as a Scottish heroine in an adaptation of “Outlander,” the novel by Diana Gabaldon.  “Scotland?  2012?  What do you think?” she said."

And here is the Production Credits for the proposed Movie:

Production Credits

Screenplay - Randall Wallace
Source Material - Diana Gabaldon
Producer - Jim Kohlberg

Actor - Katherine Heigl
Producer - Neil Kaplan

So, are there any others out there that is as excited that this may actually happen???  Ever since I started to read the Books, I have always said that this would make a great Movie or Mini Series.  I will continue to cross my fingers and toes, that the Movie actually gets produced this time!!

So, I guess that I will say goodbye for now, it has been a long day, till next time...

Aloha My Friends  :)

Such Little Things Can Bring Such Joy!!

Hey Ya'll,

I would like to apologize in advance for this post.  I realize that I post a lot about my everyday life, and sometimes very little about my Band.  This is usually because there is nothing worth posting about the Band at that time, but I don't want you to forget about me and stop reading my blog.  So I post about my LIFE, all the time!!  LOL  Today is another one of those posts. 

The Band is going great.  However, I managed to GAIN 4 lbs, since we left for Portland last week. EEKS!!  Now I need to buckle down and get back to the business of losing!!  I have an appointment for another "possible" Fill next Wednesday.  I say "possible" because I had lost quite a bit of weight since the last Fill (at least a lot for me!!  In the past I only lost about 1-2 lbs in between Fills), so I am afraid that she may not want to give me another Fill as yet.  So I am going to change my appointment for probably a couple of weeks out, per Walt's request.  This way, by changing the appointment time, we can arrainge to have Lunch with Walt's Mom. 

Now on to my everyday life.  Every morning I get up, check my computer for any new E-Mails, then check my Blog to see if I have any new Follower's, as I try to acknowledge them asap.  Then, I check Amazon's Kindle Books page, to see what new Books might have been added "For Free".  Once in a while, I am pleasantly surprised to find that at least one Book was added, that I actually want to read.

Today I was ecstatic to find that the first book in the series, from one of my Favorite Authors was added!!  They added "Outlander", by Diana Gabaldon.  If you have a Kindle eReader, and haven't read her books yet, please download this Book!!  It is free, so you aren't losing any money to try it!!  It is a long Book (all of hers are), and I have to admit that the first Book is a bit hard to read at times, as she is soooo detail oriented, and goes into great detail about some things, that I could care less about, like the different Herbs, etc. 

But once you get into it, the Book is fantastic and one that you can't put down!!  And each successive Book gets easier to read.  I am now reading her current Book in the series (Book 7, An Echo In The Bone).  I had planned to purchase all of this series in Kindle form anyway, as I want to re-read the series again later.  So now I have the current Book 7, and Book 1 (For FREE!!).  I am really happy (imagine me jumping up and down in glee)!! 

Isn't it funny how something so little, can make me so happy???  Unfortunately, I have to confess, that I am a couch potato!!  I like to sit and watch TV/Movies, and Crochet and Paint while at least listening to TV!!  So my greatest fear, is that Walt will force me to cancel our Satellite TV.  It is my only source of Entertainment throughout my day.  My TV is always on.  It only gets to sleep when I do, or if we are away from home for an extended period of time!!  My poor TV....don't you feel sorry for it??  I say this because Walt is wanting to cut Financial corners even further....meaning my Satellite TV (did you notice that I said, my Satellite TV??).

The problem, is that California STILL HASN'T PASSED A BUDGET (it was due to be PASSED by JULY 1st).  So they may stop paying Contractors (meaning us) again!!  We are praying that they pay us again this Month, for September's work, and PASS THE FREAKING BUDGET BEFORE NEXT MONTH!!  So we won't lose any more of our possessions or dignity.  When the State stops paying us, it really hits us hard!!  As we have very little savings at this point, and what we do have is needed to purchase our 5th Wheel to live in. 

So even though they will eventually pay us, the further out it is, the harder it will be for us.  We have already turned my Car back to the Bank are already, and we are losing our Home this year by the end of the year.  Plus, we have lost our Credit Cards due to the Bankruptcy, so we don't have any Credit to fall back on, to hold us over this time....But to take away the ONE THING that truly makes me happy, would be sooo hard!!!  I don't ask for much, just my TV!!!  Sorry, I am ending this Debbie Downer Post!!

We went to the RV Show in Pleasanton yesterday, and again we were disappointed.  We were expecting a huge turnout.  Unfortunately, most of the rigs that were there, were Motorhomes.  Don't get me wrong, Motorhomes are fantastic.  However, my family has a history with Motorhomes, and unless you use it often enough, you have problems with the engine.  We plan on staying in one place for at least Months at a time, possibly longer.  Which means that we would have to have the engine gone through every time we moved. 

Which is why we are buying a 5th Wheel.  We can tow it, and it doesn't matter how long it sits, plus we have the Truck to drive around.  And of the 5th Wheels that were there, there were very few of the Manufacturers represented there that we are interested in.  And of the ones that were there, none of them were of the length that we want!  So disappointing....And did I mention that there were probably only about 50 people there that weren't working the show???  At least we didn't have a lot of people in our way!!

But we had a nice ride there and back (kind of).  It was hot, but not quite as bad as our ride home on Monday (thank God!).  And it wasn't too hot there in Pleasanton.  It was only about 90 degrees, unfortunately, it was Humid!!  So by the time we were ready to leave, I was really hot and not ready to put on our Bike Gear!!  As we had to walk around in long jeans, my riding Boots and socks.  When it is hot, I like to wear Thongs with no socks, and preferably Capris!!

So we drove to the closest Gas Station, which happened to be attached to a Jack In The Box.  So I convinced Walt to sit inside for a while, so we could drink some cold beverage and cool down.  After about an hour and a half, we left and I felt much better!!  By then, the temps had started to drop, so the ride home was much more comfortable.  Which was great, since we had to drive through 3 different Cities rush hours!!  Pleasanton, Stockton, then Sacramento!  It took us 4 and a half hours to drive round trip.  Which was almost what it took to drive from Medford, Oregon home on Monday (not counting stops).     

We had a great ride other than dealing with the traffic.  Until.....I made the mistake of not realizing the radio station we were listening to, was giving the current traffic report.  I noticed that Walt was making some lane changes that was totally unlike him (at least in his riding with me), so I began to question what he was doing, when he totally lost it, and berated me (loudly of course) about my flapping my gums at the most inopportune time, etc, etc, etc....All I wanted to do was cry, so I immediately shut up, and didn't say another word!!  It was a mistake, I would have wanted to hear it too, had I realized the traffic report had started.  But Walt tends to blow up at the "little things".  Until then, we had a perfectly nice day....And on that note, I am going to end this LONG POST!!!  Till next time....

Aloha My Friends  :)

A Big Welcome To Gidget (Ginger) !!!

Hey Ya'll,

I just checked in to my blog and noticed that I have a new Follower!!  Her name is Ginger (Gidget) and she was recently banded in March of 2010!!  So please check out her blog and give her the support we all know she can use!!  Here is the link to her blog, Gidget's Gadget.  So Ginger, "welcome to my nightmare".  Till next time....

Aloha My New Friend  :)