It Might Snow!!! :)

Hey Ya'll,

Just wanted to post a quick post to update today's activities & what we expect for tomorrow.  First of all, I made the executive decision to not put up the Christmas Village this year, & DH supported me in this.  And after looking at countless photos of Roses, I painted my first Rose today for my Mom's painting.  It turned out pretty decent I believe.  I plan on painting a Rose every other day, which would put the painting being finished by the 14th....hopefully.

Since I was painting a good part of the day today & we walked a hard walk last night, I decided not to walk tonight.  I promised my DH that we would walk tomorrow night.  I hope I didn't make a mistake.

We have been getting a Winter Storm Warning here advising us that we are supposed to get snow, even here in the valley!  The snow is supposed to go as low as sea level with at least a trace of snow & up to 3 inches.  As far as I can remember, the last time we had snow this low was the Winter of 1990!!  The year that our family moved up to the Northern California area.  So if we do get snow, I will try to get some photos of it!  We get it so rarely here.  We normally have to drive up into the Sierra's to play in the snow.  I advised my DH he might want to drive the 4x4 to work tomorrow instead of the motorcycle as the news is saying the traffic & roads may come to a stand still, but at the very least treacherous, as we are not prepared for snow this low at all!!

Anyway, I just wanted to say, yippee!!

Aloha My Friends  :)

 

What A Night!! :(

Hey Ya'll,

I've got to tell you, I didn't have a good night last night!  I think that I mentioned in a prior post that I am a night owl.  I can't go to sleep until late at night.  I have been in this pattern for about 3 yrs now, & I can't get to sleep before at least 1 am.  But it is more like 2-3 am most nights.  Last night was even later!  I didn't go to sleep until about 5:30 am but I kept waking up due to the pain.  I have some Spinal problems as well as Fibromyalgia, & Nerve Problems, etc, etc, etc.

Last night I was having pain like I haven't had in a long time.  Finally it dawned on me about 6 am, that I had forgot to take my Vicodin!  No wonder I was having pain!!  I had taken all my other meds, as well as my Fibromyalgia med, but I didn't take the Vicodin.  So, by early morning, I was having pain all over, not to mention the pain from my stressed Port site!!  So I got up & took the Vicodin & finally, about a half hour later, I began to fall to sleep as the pain was subsiding.  So I finally got to sleep around 6:30-7 am & then I woke up at 11:15!  At least I got SOME sleep!!!

Yesterday, I had planned on finishing up my Christmas Decorations (the Village Scene) & to paint some more on my Mom's Rose Painting.  But I didn't get to either one!  I had forgotten that I hadn't decided on what colors to paint the Roses, so I spent all day researching Rose's & the different colors.  I am still not 100% decided, but I have it narrowed down.  So I will be painting today.  And I am not sure if I will put up the Village this year.  It just might be too much for me this year.

Last night my DH & I went for a walk.  We walked a different route which was great going, but coming home was all uphill!!  About half way home, my Port site started to hurt a bit, so we had to slow the pace down.  And, last night was the coldest night so far!!  We didn't start our walk until 9 pm & it was COLD!!!  The overnight temps were to drop into the freezing level.  Which it did, as our pool turned on to circulate the water to keep the pipes from freezing & bursting.

By the way, when is the Incision sites supposed to start itching??  Anyway, I need to get to work on the painting, so I will leave you with some holiday photos I found on the Internet.

And for you puppy lover's out there, isn't he cute?  All he wants to do is chew up everything in your house!!  But they sure are cute when they are little!

And the Hawaiian Ornament.

Well ya'll, I better go for now.  Till next time.

Aloha My Friends  :)

A Quick Post :)

Hey Ya'll,

Just a quick post to say that today I am finishing up my Christmas Decorations.  But first I had to make a quick (did I say quick?) run to Bed, Bath & Beyond for some more Votive Candles in the Christmas Cookie scent (my favorite).  Then I had to make a stop at Staples to buy myself a food journal (which was a nightmare, as it is right next door to one of the busiest COSTCO'S in the area, on a narrow two lane street), as my Doctor warned me that they would be asking to check it the next time I was in!!  LOL

Now that I am home, I will try to do some painting on Mom's Rose Vase today.  Then finish putting out my Christmas Decorations.  I only lack putting out the Christmas Village.  But right now, DH is asleep on the sofa in the adjoining room, so I don't want to disturb him!!  So, I will leave you with a few pictures that I took last night of our Christmas Tree, etc.  So These Are My Photos!!! LOL  Not some I found online!

This is of my almost Antique Bookcase (@ 33 yrs old) lit up without any lighting in the room & without the flash.  If you make the photo larger, the lights kind of looks like brightly lit birds, because of the way they are distorted!!

Same photo with flash & the lights on.  Sorry for the clutter on the Bookcase, I forgot to declutter it before I moved the Sofa in front of it to make room for the Tree.

A small ceramic pre-lit Christmas Tree that I usually place in our Bedroom.  But decided to place it here instead so more people can see it.  Again, no lights except the Christmas Lights in the room.  The light you see coming through the window is the Christmas Lights that I put up the other day (causing me all kinds of grief).

With the flash on.

Our Christmas Tree!  Only lit by the Christmas Lights & the flash on the camera.  Sorry, I haven't wrapped the presents yet, so the Tree is bare of gifts.  You can't tell, but the Tree topping is an Angel that my Mom gave me about 35 yrs ago!!  It still lights up!

And here is the Tree with the overhead light on.  I prefer it off as it doesn't show the pretty lights as well.

And last but certainly not least, the Hawaiian Ornament of the day!!

Well, I better get to work.  Till next time.

Aloha My Friends  :)

Thanks Tina!! :)

Hey Ya'll,

I just wanted to say welcome to my newest follower Tina (Losing It!).  I have been reading your blog off & on all day trying to get caught up to date with it.  Thank you so much for responding to my question regarding my Port.  I really appreciate any information I can get, especially from those that has had problems like this.  Reading your blog, I don't know how you managed to stand the extra long wait to get banded!!  I really feel for you.  You really had to jump through more than your share of hoops to get your band!!  Congratulations on your 93 lb loss to date!!  So, "welcome to my nightmare"!!

Aloha My New Friend  :) 

"Welcome To My Nightmare" Hehehe!

Hey Ya'll,

Well as you know, yesterday I overdid it putting on the Christmas Lights around my windows & moving some furniture around.  I was really concerned that I may have flipped my port.  As the only pain I have is right at the port.  This morning it had stopped hurting, but now that I am trying to put up some more decorations, it still hurts if I bend over.  I am trying to bend as little as possible, so I am letting my DH help me decorate the Christmas Tree this year!!  He will decorate the bottom area so I don't have to bend more than necessary.  He is absolutely thrilled with this.... NOT!!  But he will do it so I don't continue to  hurt myself!  So I am currently putting up my decorations.  This will take the rest of the day I am sure, as I take my time on the Tree!

My Mom's painting is almost dry enough for me to paint some more on it.  I will probably start painting the flowers tomorrow.  Now, I am NOT a fast painter!  I will probably take 4-8 hrs to paint just one flower.  If I am lucky, I can manage two.  But when I paint, I rarely get that much accomplished.  As I said before, I am a beginner in painting.  I only took up Oil Painting about 2 yrs ago!  And in that time, I have only completed 6 paintings!!  But each one gets better than the last (for the most part anyway)!!  Here is a photo of my last painting.  It is a Butterfly for my friend Nadene.  Now remember, I am new & this is the first time I have painted something other than a seascape type of painting.  So try not to laugh too hard!!

So, I guess I will leave you for now with some more Christmas cheer in photos!  I didn't take these photos.

This scene probably only looks good for those of us that doesn't have to deal with snow!!

Ok, only a dog would allow this to happen!  A cat would wake up & tell you to piss off!!  LOL

And here is the required Hawaiian Ornament!

Well, I guess I better get back to work!  My break is over.  :(  Till next time.

Aloha My Friends  :)

Welcome Melissa!! :)

Hey Ya'll,

I just wanted to give a big shout out to Melissa (Rockin With The Band)!!  Always glad to know others are interested in what you have to say.  I have been following your blog for a while now as well.  Hope you have a great weekend.  So, "welcome to my nightmare".

Aloha My New Friend  :) 

Questions To Experianced Bandster's

Hey Ya'll,

Sorry for making so many posts in one day guys, but something happened today/tonight & I am a bit concerned.  I was hoping to get some feed back from those that have had the Band & to see if anything like this has happened to them.  I am not sure if it is something I should bring to the attention of my Surgeon or if you think it will pass.

Like I was saying in the earlier post, today/tonight I was putting up some Christmas Lights around the 2 front picture windows.  In doing this, I had to bend a lot as well as apply some pressure in order to force the push pins into the wood to anchor the lights.  I also moved my Love Seat from one side of the small conversation room to the other.  Now remember that I didn't attempt to pick up the Sofa, I just pushed it along the hardwood floor.  It isn't very heavy as it is not a sleeper sofa.

By the time I finished for the night, my Port Site area was in a lot of pain.  It subsided after straightening up & relaxing for a bit.  But every time I have needed to bend over after this, it has hurt like hell for a while.  I am not sure if it is my imagination or not, but it appears that I can definitely feel the Port.  At first, I thought that the Port area was swollen, but now I am sure that it is the Port I am feeling.  Should I be able to feel it so soon after Surgery?  My Surgery was only 2 wks ago.

So, the million dollar question.  Do you think that this is something I should be concerned about?  Or should I just watch it & see if it gets worse (or not any better at any rate)?  I am just concerned that I might have flipped the Port.  The other possibility I can think of is that I over used or strained the muscles around the Port, as I have noticed that in the past, if I bent too much, the Port would hurt like this.  But I thought that I was past this kind of problem.  So if any one HAS had their Port flipped, if you could tell me if this is the same symptoms you had that would be great!!  I welcome all opinions.

I will leave tonight with only 1 photo for you.  This photo is mine.  I took it last year.

I hope someone can help me.  I am afraid to call the Doctor's office but I don't want to mess myself up either!!

Aloha My Friends  :(

I Am Sooo Pissed At My DVR Machine!!! :(

Hey Ya'll,

I hate to start out a post this way, but I am really pissed right now!!!  My DVR Machine decided to DIE today!!  It had at least 30 hrs of my favorite movies saved on it & that is not including the regular programming I had saved on it, that I HAVEN'T WATCHED YET!!  So they are sending me a new DVR.  I should get it by next Tuesday or Wednesday.  But I have lost all of my saved programs & movies!!!!!!!  Can you tell I can't stand to be without TV???  It just drives me up the bazooka!!!

I mean, I am glad that I am getting it replaced soon, but I really can't go without TV in my office!  It is too quiet & music isn't the same for me.  Music is great in the car while I am driving, but at home, it must be the TV.  Not to mention that I am missing some of my programs that are not being recorded for later viewing!!!  No one will want to come around me for a while!!  I am a raving maniac! LOL.  Even my DH is doing what I asked without a fight & is putting up the Christmas Tree.  I'm sure just to get my mind off of the frigging DVR!!!  Well, I am sorry that I just went off on a tangent here!  It just pisses me off.

Ok, so DH is putting up the Tree & lights as I type.  Earlier, I put up some lights on the inside, around the 2 large front windows.  This is the first time I have put lights up that can be seen from the outside at this house, & we have lived here for 9 yrs!!  I have meant to do it every year, then didn't.  So they are up & the neighbors can now see lights!  Now they won't think that we are scrooges!!!  Only my DH is! LOL.  The funny thing is, we bought a bunch of lights a few years ago that DH was supposed to put up on the exterior of the house.  Well....they are still in their original, unopened boxes somewhere in the garage!  Never opened, never used!  I have about 1-2 more days of putting up the decorations, then I am done.  But the hardest part, except for the Tree Ornaments, is done.  Unfortunately, it takes me at least a 1/2 day to put them on, I am sooo picky as to how they are placed.  No one even offers to help as they know I like them a certain way!!  But they have helped in the past & I think that they are just using my Type A personality as an excuse to not have to help!!  LOL

I am in a slump as to my weight loss.  It is now crawling down!  I am sooo close to onederland that I can taste it!  I really want to lose those 3 lbs badly, & keep them off!  I think as Cara & Gen suggested in a comment, that I am not eating enough calories nor drinking enough water.  There are days that I do drink enough water, just not on a daily basis.  I am getting the right amount of protein so far, but not the calories.  I will try to do better.

Well, I guess I will go for now.  I just wanted to rant a little about my SUDDEN LOSS today & let you know that I AM putting up my Christmas Decorations!!  I will take pics when I am finished & post some.  Just so you don't think that I forgot, here are a couple of Christmas pics to enjoy!  Remember, I didn't take these pics, I found them on the Internet!!

Some people just have more time on their hands than they know what to do with!!  But I love it!  Just so that I am not the one putting them all up, nor taking them down!!  LOL  In fact, we have a whole neighborhood near us that decorates like this, & most of them keep in the Disney theme!  It is definitely impressive.  We may take a drive over there & walk that neighborhood one of these nights.  If we do, I will try to remember to take my camera & see if I can get some decent pics of them.

Nothing but bright colors, yea!

And for those Dog lover's out there, here is a Hawaiian Dog!  Isn't he cute?  He got lei'd.  :)

And last but not least, we have got to have a Hawaiian Ornament to check out.  Just sorry the pics of them didn't turn out better.

Well, I guess I better go for now.  I will try to catch up on everyone's blogs tonight.  Till next time.

Aloha My Friends  :)

Pretty Photos & An Update!! :)

Hey Ya'll,

Just a kind of quick post (I hope) to let you know how I am doing.  I am posting a picture of the Surgeons at the Western Bariatric Institute in Reno, Nevada.  If you are in this area, these Surgeons are fantastic!  My Surgeon is Dr Kozar.  He is the one on the far right in the photo.  He is an amazing Surgeon.

Western Bariatric Institute Newsletter December, 2009

Healthy Holidays!

WBI Surgeons, left to right: Dr. Watson, Dr. Sasse, Dr. Ganser and Dr. Kozar

So, now with some pretty Christmas photos!!

Just another pretty tree!

I love bright, shiny ornaments!

Some more pretty ornaments.

And of course, a Hawaiian themed photo!!

So, now that the pretty photos are out of the way!  Yesterday, I ate less than what I am supposed to eat & I still didn't lose anything!!!  What gives?  If you eat less than what you are allowed to eat to have a weight loss, why am I not losing?  I am getting the proper amount of Proteins in too.  Maybe it is because I didn't drink the proper amount of water?  I will up my water intake today & see if that makes a difference.

Yesterday I spent most of the day (8 hrs) working on my Mom's painting.  I didn't finish painting & cleaning up my brushes until 11:30 pm!!  My mom loves roses, so I am painting her a vase of roses & I am attempting to have it finished by Christmas!!  I have already painted the background, the vase & now, the leaves.  All I have left is the roses, & there are 5 of them.  The problem is, I paint in oils so I have to let them dry (or mostly dry) between painting sessions.  Especially since they are so close together in the painting.  I tend to hold the canvas a lot when I paint so I can turn it in different positions.  Which is why I like it fairly dry.  Wish me luck!!  Hopefully it will turn out well.  I will post a photo of it when I am finished.

I need a fill!!  I am doing ok as far as hunger goes, but that is because I am eating more than I am supposed to be eating according to them at one sitting.  So my weight loss has slowed down.  But I am still trying to eat only the amount of calories I am allowed.  I am able to control myself as to when I eat.  But if I eat the smaller portions that I am supposed to eat, then I do get hungry earlier.  My biggest problem is at night.  Since I stay up so late, I am finding it hard not to graze.  I think I am getting myself under control in that aspect though.  :)  I am telling myself, am I REALLY hungry or is it just habit.  Most of the time it is habit.  But since I do get up later & stay up much later, my dinner time is around 10-11 pm.  So I need to eat something.  I just have to remind myself to not eat more than what I am allowed & not eat more due to Head Hunger!!

Because I was in my painting mode yesterday, DH & I didn't go walking.  Good thing, as I didn't finish painting until 11:30.  If we had walked, it would have been much later!  So we will definitely go walking tonight again.  Hopefully I can convince my DH to put up the tree tonight as well so I can put up the decorations!!  I really, really want to see some Christmas cheer in our home!  We are having some set backs due to the economy.  Not to mention that his work is Contracted through the State, & they are not always very timely with paying the smaller Contracted workers, making our paydays farther out than necessary & DH's hours has been cut significantly so we are pinching pennies right now to get through the holidays.  So a little Christmas cheer will do us good I think!!

Well I guess I will go for now, till next time!

Aloha My Friends  :)

Welcome Anna!! :)

Hey Ya'll,

I was just adding a paragraph to my last post, when I noticed I had a new follower, The Forever Diet.  I would like to welcome you to my blog!  I have been following yours as well!  I am assuming that your name is Anna by your picture in the follower's section.  It says Super Mega Anna.  So I hope that I am not being too presumptuous by assuming I am right!  If I am wrong, strike me down now!!  LOL  Anyway, "welcome to my nightmare".

Aloha To My New Friend  :)

I'm Sooo Torn!! :(

Hey Ya'll,

First I want to post the pretty pictures, then I will get into what my Post Title refers to.

No, I am sorry to say that this is NOT my Christmas Tree!  I wish it were.  But I thought a pretty picture of a tree is better than no tree at all!!

This says Mele Kalikimaka which in Hawaiian, means Merry Christmas.  For those of you who have never been to Hawaii, it is pronounced; Maylay Kaaleekeemaakaa.  I know this isn't easy to understand, so here is a link to a site that explains the Hawaiian Alphabet for those that care to know!  http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/alpha.htm  And for those that would like to know what their name is in Hawaiian, here is another link, http://www.hawaiianshop.com/Hawaiian_Names.html.  Also, if you have ever watched the movie, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, the scene where Chevy Chase is daydreaming looking out at his backyard & imagining a swimming pool & everyone enjoying it.  The song being sung by Bing Crosby pronounces Mele Kalikimaka!

So, now for the sad, torn post.  I am torn between what I know, I REALLY NEED to do & what I REALLY WANT to do.  I really need to finish pulling our tax information together really quick.  But I really want to put up our Christmas Decorations!  The tax work could take at least a week if not two to finish.  Which would mean, why bother to put it all up for only a week or two at most, then have to tear it all down?  It would only take a day or two to put up all the Decorations, then I would have the rest of the time to do the taxes.  What do you guys think?  Am I being selfish wanting to put up some Christmas Cheer before doing the boring, tedious work? 

Oh, & did I mention that I need to get back to work on my painting?  I was hoping to have my Mom's painting done in time for Christmas, but unless I start painting, I will never get it finished!!!  Yikes, I don't know how I am going to get all this done!!

I better go for now, I have tons to do as you can imagine.  Till next time!

Aloha My Friends  :)

My Post Op Appointment :)

Hey Ya'll,

Just wanted to say hi & to let you know how my day went yesterday at the Post-Op Appointment with Dr Kozar in Reno.

Here are a couple of photos taken tonight of my battle wounds!!  There are 5 scars.  Except for the largest one, I think most will fade away pretty well.  Today is day 12 after Surgery.  So I think the Incisions are looking pretty good!

Yes, I am in my pj's already!  If we are at home, unless we have company over, then I am in my pj's relaxing.  :)  I hate to wear a bra as it always hurts me.  I am hoping that with weight loss, the pain will get less making it bearable to wear a bra more than when it is absolutely necessary!!  LOL

I thought it would be nice to show a different holiday decoration in every post.  I did not take this photo, nor is it of my house.  I just thought it was bright & festive.

I also thought it would be fun to show an ornament or decoration from Hawaii as well.  These flip flops are one of the Hawaiian ornaments I found online.

Yesterday was a busy day for us!  I didn't go to bed Sunday night until around 1:45 as usual (I am a late night person & rarely go to bed before 1 am), then my DH woke me up at 9:30 am so I could jump in the shower to get ready to drive up to Reno for my Surgery Post-Op Appointment.  Luckily, I lost all but .4 lbs of the weight that I had gained over Thanksgiving & the weekend!  So they were happy with my 25.6 lb loss to date!

They were thrilled & disbelieving when I told them that I have had none of the usual problems such as gas pains, nausea, etc.  But it is true!  I have had none of these problems.  Alas, I did tell them the truth about my eating food immediately.  The Doctor wasn't too thrilled, but since I had had no problems, no getting stuck, PB'g, etc.  He really couldn't say too much.  He said that the rules they give us is mostly for the majority of the patients who, if allowed to eat normally, wouldn't be able to control themselves & eat smaller bites, chew properly, etc & would end up messing up the Band by vomiting, etc.  So, he was amazed that I was able to eat normal & not have any problems &&& lose weight!  Now if only I can continue to LOSE weight!!

I'm serious, I have been eating pretty much what I felt like in small amounts.  The day after Surgery, at the buffet we went to eat at with my In-Laws.  I had a spoon of Mashed Potatoes w/Gravy, a spoon of Cottage Cheese, a spoon of Beans from the Mexican section & part of the filling from a piece of Key Lime Pie for lunch!!  Then for an early dinner, I had 1/3 of the Tuna from a Tuna Pita Sandwich & a few pieces of Cantaloupe & Honey Dew Melon.  Later that night, I ate another 1/3 of the Tuna & some more of the fruit.

Since we had requested a late check out at the Hotel, to allow the road over the Sierra's to get cleaned up & dry from the huge storm on Friday, we didn't have to check out until noon or 1 pm.  So we were up pretty late, making us both hungry before bed.  The next morning (Saturday), we went down & had breakfast before leaving & I had some fantastic Scrambled Eggs smothered in Cheddar Cheese.  Of course, I could only eat a small amount of it (damn! They were the best I have ever had.  Oh well!)!!  

Once we got home, I tried to be good & was for the first day or two, but ended up eating Soup w/the Noodles & Chicken chunks in it almost immediately.  Also I had some more home mixed Tuna.  Then my DH (he is the cook in our family), made me a really fantastic super moist Barbecue Meatloaf.  The meat just melts in your mouth!  So I have been living on it for a week!

Then on Thanksgiving, I had 2 small pieces of Turkey, a small piece of Ham (all of the meat was cut into very small pieces), a spoon of the Mashed Potatoes w/Gravy & a spoon of Alice's home made Macaroni & Cheese.  Then for desert later, I had a small piece of Pumpkin Pie & an even smaller piece of Chocolate Creme Pie (I did not eat the crust on either pie nor did I eat the creme topping on the creme pie) & a small scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.   

So when the Doctor asked me how much Protein I was taking in, I couldn't say as I hadn't been checking anything that gave protein amounts.  But I did tell him that almost everything I have eaten since Surgery has been protein & I promised that I would begin keeping a journal of what I eat so we can figure out the protein amounts, etc.  So all in all, they were thrilled with my weight loss so far & my Incisions are healing nicely.

So we set my first fill appointment for December 28th.  Assuming I need it, or at least the person who administers the fills believes I do!  Since I am basically eating whatever I want, I will be sure to get a fill!!  I am lucky in that I can still go quite a long time between meals, but when I do eat, I eat probably a bit too much.  So the Doctor wants me to eat more smaller meals like 3-4 meals & 2-3 snacks a day instead.  It is hard to do this, as I have always been one to eat at mealtime mostly, but I will try to readjust my eating habits!

Anyway, after we got home yesterday & relaxed a bit from the long drive, we went for our walk.  I made the decision to try the extra long walk.  We made it but it was longgg.  Our area is on a hill, so any way we walk, we will have to walk back upwards at some point!  We figured we walked about a 1/2 mile last night & I wasn't even huffing & puffing like I used to, nor did I use my walker!!!  The only thing that hurt on me was my hips, so maybe there is some hope for me after all!!  :)

So last night, I began trying to get caught up on all of your blogs & posting my new one.  Unfortunately, it took so long to upload all the photos, that I didn't get to bed until almost 3 am!  And I still didn't really post anything but photos!  Oh well.  I like photos, & I like seeing photos in others blogs too!  It sort of makes it more personal, knowing that we are talking to each other from all different areas of the World!!

So seeing you in your surroundings makes everything we say to each other more real.  Being able to put a name & face to everyone we are communicating with makes our friendships seem so much more than just a hi kind of thing.  I'm sorry, I am not saying this very well, am I?  But I hope you understand what I am trying to say.  I really have enjoyed blogging & getting to know so many of you out there that is going through the same thing as me.  We are kindred spirits in this journey of ours.

Ok, time to dry my eyes now.  Today, I went shopping for items we needed in the house.  I had to go to 2 different Banks, & both Costco & Sams Club!  What a day it was.  I was exhausted by the time I got home!  All the crowds, especially at Costco!  But besides shopping for household items needed, I also had to pay the membership dues at both clubs, so that I COULD shop there!  The line for this was wayyy long at both places!  But I persevered & got it done for another year!!  LOL

I also had to go to K-Mart for my Sugar Free Kool-Aid.  This is the only store in town that sells it now!  Since I can't have my Diet Coke anymore, & I HATE Coffee or Tea!  I am drinking the Kool-Aid in Cherry flavor for my water.  I'm sorry ya'll, but I need a flavor to drink!  I only drink plain water when I am parched & desperate!!

 

Anyway, I hate to end on a down note, but I hope everyone had a great weekend.  Hope to hear from you soon.  OH!! I almost forgot!  The Doctor said that I have either a 2 or 2.5 cc fill already, due to the way he does the banding.  Maybe that's why I can go so long still without starving?

Aloha My Friends  :)

A Shout Out To Heidi S :)

Hey Ya'll,

I just wanted to say welcome to my newest follower Heidi S.  However, I am unable to check into your blog & I would love to follow you too.  So, if it's ok, please give me a shout out as to what your blog name is!  So, "welcome to my nightmare".  :)

Aloha To My New Friend

My New Look For Christmas!! :)

Hey Ya'll,

Hope you like my new look for Christmas!!  I just wanted to show my Christmas Spirit.  I Love Christmas!!  I will be showing at least one photo each post for Christmas.  However, unless I specifically say the photo is one of mine, you can be sure that it is a photo that I found online!!  LOL  Now, these photos that I am posting now, ARE MINE!  These are from last Christmas Eve.

This room is actually our Formal Dining Room, which we never use, so we made it my Conversation Room with my practically Antique Bookcase (it is about 33 yrs old).  We have to set up an artificial tree due to my allergies.  And if you notice the paintings on the wall, these are not my paintings.  One is done by my DH's Maternal Grandmother, the other is by DH's Paternal Grandmother.  The window behind the tree is the front of our house.

During the Christmas Season, we have to move one of the sofas from in front of the window to allow room for the tree.  So we move it in front of the Bookcase temporarily.  Can you tell that I like Teddy Bears?  The two framed Black & White Photographs on top of the Bookcase were taken by my Father-In-Law.

 

Now you can see my Teddy Bears better, as well as my small village.  It barely fits on the Coffee Table, & I decided to just go with a white towel instead of the fake snow last year, it was much easier!

This is where the Formal Living Room is supposed to be, but this is the TV room.  You can see our cat Oreo peeking out of his hiding place.  We didn't realize how sick he was at the time, but we ended up having to put him to sleep about a month later due to Cancer.

This is the Entertainment Center with the big ass TV.  We just took it to the dump last week!  The framed photo above it is also one of my Father-In-Laws Black & White photos.

Here are the damned green walls that I hate again!!

This is the green room or the official Family Room where the TV is supposed to be, but instead, we have the TV in the Formal Living Room (Yea right, we don't do anything formal!!) which is next to my Conversation Room.

This is our mantel.  You can see how much we use the spot for the TV (that cavernous hole to the left of the fireplace). LOL.  The framed photo hanging above the fireplace is a photo that my Mother-In-Law took along the Oregon Coastline.  By the way, are you seeing a running theme here?  I also like Beanie Babies!  Of course, I only had out the Christmas themed ones!  Oh, & the fireplace has only been lit probably 3-4 times in 9 yrs as it is too warm here to light it up most of the time!!!

This is our small Dinette area.  But we rarely even eat here!

Since we live in California, unless we have a really cold day, we can almost always hold our parties both indoors & out.  So we setup our Buffet line out on the patio, which made it much easier since the food wasn't in the way in the house!  We don't have a lot of space inside.

Here is my DH proudly standing in his domain!!  You can see the new French Doors we had just had installed.  We hadn't even taken off the plastic on the doors!

And our Buffet Setup.  It worked out really well.  And made the food line go much easier & faster.

This is my sweet Grand Daughter Emily.  She was 5 yrs old here.

Here is my Mom & my youngest Uncle Emery.  She was doing her best to act like she was ok that night, but now it is almost impossible for her to.  I wish I had a good photo of my Dad from that night, but he kept hiding behind boxes & bags of presents.  And if I did get him in a photo, it was blurred!!

And here are my two Grand Kids together, Walker (8 yrs) & Emily (5 yrs) old.  Aren't they just precious? 

Well, I had intended to write some more, but I unintentionally placed a ton of photos in the post & now it is going on 2:30 am.  I really need to get to bed!!  So I will post more tomorrow!  Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

Aloha My Friends  :)