Laurie's journal - Atkins plan (comments welcome)

[DoeWDW]

Laurie, I hope the classwork is going well. Do your best to keep up & know that this class will end! You can make it through! Also I hope work is going better. Can't believe they saddled you with the new equipment, with taking calls when things aren't working, and with training new people! Let's hope the bugs get worked out soon!

You asked about Crystal Reports in my journal. I think Jeff could be up and using it pretty quickly, as long as he has a good knowledge of relational databases and writing SQL queries (he'll understand what all that means!). Crystal basically writes the SQL for you and then has some tools to pretty things up and do totals, subtotals, etc. It takes a bit longer to be really good with it but I'm betting he'd do just fine.

Laurie, I hear you about gaining weight back. I'm at my highest ever weight at the moment. I started WISH over a year ago at 142 and I'm now at 150, after a period of not caring what I ate. At least I'm not heavier. I'm still in the game and still am working to lose. You'll be fine when things become a bit less hectic. Just finish up this killer class and then you can get back to the exercise routine.

 

[ZerasPride]

Hi Laurie,

It's been a while since I've been on the journal board and I wanted to check with. I'm so sorry about the weight gain. That has to be tough and hard to deal with. You are in the right place though. We both know how much support and encouragement comes from WISH. We are here for you whenever you need to talk. I'm hoping you can find some time to get in some exercise soon. Take care and here's a big hug from me to you! {{{hug}}}

 

[LAinSEA]

Thanks, Beth, Doe, Lisa! It feels so good to have the support of friends right now. The scale is staying hidden for now...it might be allowed out after the holidays.

Class is getting more and more difficult. I am mostly caught up with assignments today...I say mostly because I have met deadlines, but I am responsible for writing our 3rd section of our team project and it requires more knowledge of statistics than I am comfortable with. It is due this Sunday.

I also have to admit to eating sushi yesterday and left-overs today. It was just a little white rice...but even a little causes quite the carby hangover.

The Christmas tree has been purchased - it stays in the car waiting for my DH to feel up to wrangling it into the stand and indoors. His back is still extremely bruised and sore from the fall off the ladder on to the front porch (dratted lights!). I'm behind in the shopping and thus the shipping...gifts will arrive late and I'm a little beyond worrying about it now.

Doe, I will pass along your experience with Crystal reports - Jeff is quite good with SQL so I will tell him that he should fein familiarity with the project, but not expertise.

 

[Strings]

Hi Laurie,

When is the class over? I am sending you for the report. I hate statistics, and blocked all of it from my memory as soon as I got out of the class.

Don't worry about the sushi. Keep plugging away at the class, and I hope you will get a break soon.
Beth

 

[DoeWDW]

Get that computer whiz DH of yours to help with those statistics! We techie geeks are usually good at that sort of stuff!

No worries about the sushi - you just hang in there the best you can and get through this class. Here's some extra pixie dust for your assignments!

I do hope DH's back is feeling better soon! We want him to be jolly for Christmas with a HO HO HO instead of OW OW OW!!!

 

[wilderness01]

Ouch sorry to hear about your husband. Hope he is feeling better soon. Hang in there about your classwork, you are doing great. Happy Holidays.

 

[LAinSEA]

Oh my, is it over yet?

Last Sunday, I broke a molar on a kernal of popcorn while stressing over my practice problems for class. I couldn't get ahold of my regular dentist and ended having to see a new one (closer to home). I have to have a crown now but he can't prep until after the holidays. He put some kind of bonding agent in to calm and cover the nerve but I'm still quite uncomfortable. It does keep me away from any kind of candy or hard food, so maybe it is a blessing.

I managed to pull myself up to an A- in class prior to this break, which is quite an accomplishment for messing up my first graded assignment. I also managed to get 100% on my practice problems...thanks to coaching from DH.

Foodwise, I've been limiting the bad carbs and focusing on good ones through the holidays. I'm still not getting on a scale until after the New Year.

No exercise...again, I guess that will be a New Year's resolution.

We will be taking my Grandmother out for our Christmas present to her on Monday...we decided that she just doesn't need too much more "stuff" and we'd rather spend time with her. This is a tough decision because stuff can be touched and measured and with her short term memory problems we know that she won't remember it past bringing her back to her apartment. We'll write it on her calendar but a new one will be put out on New Year's day...

I'm stuck working an extra shift this Tuesday...I'm fighting a cold and just would rather not be into work more than what I usually do. I don't have either New Year's eve or day off either.

Another one of Jeff's former managers emailed him before Boeing went on break. He asked if he'd be interested in coming back to work...well duh! I'm not getting my hopes up. I just can't. DH's back is slowly getting better. Most of the bruising is gone but he is still very very sore and doesn't sleep well. So I'm no sleeping very well either.

I do hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas...I'm just glad this one is over.

 

[wilderness01]

Happy New Year.

 

[Strings]

Laurie,

I just wanted to pop in and wish you a happy new year. I hope that 2005 is a huge improvement on 2004. I will continue to pray for your family. I hope things work out with Boeing.

Congrats on the A-. Is the class done, or just on break?

I think it is wonderful that you took your grandmother out. Even if she doesn't remember it, it brightened her day, and that feeling probably lasted longer than a day.

Take care,
Beth

 

[LAinSEA]

I'm really trying to be more optimistic - my personal resolution...Honestly, this is much more difficult to accomplish than I thought. I do need a real attitude adjustment and know that there are some things I can control and some things that I cannot. Certainly my own attitude falls into that category.

I'm glad the holidays are finally gone, over and done with. I'm sad that DH will probably have the Christmas tree down by the time I get home tonight. This is the nicest tree we've had since we have been married. It is still drinking water and not losing needles...seems a shame to take it down. It has stayed up this long because of the lobbying of the cats...they simple love sitting beneath it! And because I have been spending each spare waking moment while not working getting caught up on my course work.

There are just two more weeks of this class (beginning tomorrow). There is so much group and individual work left to be done. My brain is mushy from trying to understand z-tests, t-tests, chi-square tests, etc. and while following the directions to do the problems is really not the hard part - deciding which test for which research application is still not ingrained in my brain. I would love our instructor to elaborate on real educational situations where we apply each statistical model and test...our E-text is less than helpful, the lecture didn't clarify things for me.

Healthwise - I've been really quite bad with my eating - not the volume, but what I've consumed. Mexican food last night complete with rice and black beans! Just makes me crave more rice! OK, it was a treat and I did only eat a third of what was served. But I know from how I feel today that it was not a good choice. I still have not gotten up the courage to step on the scale - but I know that my weight is way up from how my clothes fit. My goal is to get through this course and then force myself to get up and walk, walk, walk every morning. My ability to lose weight (or even maintain) is directly related to excercise. Simply not eating less does not do it for me.

Work has been incredibly stressful. A new operations manager has been hired (I haven't met him yet). We all were supposed to meet with the dreaded Exec. Producer this week to have input into solving production issues...but the meetings were cancelled so that the new manager can sit in. I don't believe one-on-one meetings are ever a good thing. Knowing how things work here in our corporate culture, one-on-one meetings constitute only one thing...A Witch Hunt. (and I don't want to be identified as the Witch...nor will I name names or snitch on those I work with...which will make me the Witch).

DH was contacted by a former manager before Boeing's holiday break about possibly returning to work. We were very optimistic...guardedly optimistic. The manager contacted DH by email yesterday to let him know that the position has to be open internally for some amount of time prior to be offered to any outside employee. DH is now considered to be an outside employee - he's been out too long to be considered a "re-call" employee even. I still have the impression this manager is just going through his contacts...keeping his network up-to-date...rather than really looking to get DH back to work. (Perhaps the Witch label fits me more than I'd like to believe...my instincts are good for this kind of thing.)

Happy new year to all - 2004 needs to be long forgotten and better things need to be invited to come.

 

[Strings]

Laurie,

I wish there was something I could do to help you. I'm glad that the class will be over in 2 weeks. You can make it. My mom is an educational statistician. I don't understand any of it.

I think you are wise to keep your mouth shut at work. It does sound like a witch hunt. Good luck. The last thing you need is more stress.

I'm still praying for you guys.
Beth

 

[wilderness01]

Hang in there Laurie. I hope things get better for you guys.

 

[sarahsmom73]

You can do it!

 

[LAinSEA]

I can't say how much it makes me feel better to pop into my journal and see such kind words and encouragement! Thanks again, Beth, Wilderness & Sarahsmom

I'm here today to do something other than school for a few minutes. Niko would rather we play "circus cat" instead - but I promised him that we'll get to it shortly.

I'm off work today because I told my interim supervisor that I needed the day off because of prepping my broken tooth for the cap. (Which really happened yesterday...) I'm glad I have the day because I'm still not 100% after the flu bug and my mouth feels like the dentist used his elbows to hold it open while prepping the molar. I know that he didn't - but I was numb much longer than the 2-4 hour range given for it to wear off and the shot sights are sore also. The temporary feels strange to me - I hope the real thing will not be as weird.

Technically, I'm caught up with coursework (or technically ahead since I got my team stats problems solved and posted). But I feel so far behind in completing the total work. 2 more papers due individually - the last one quite large. 1 more small paper for the team as well as the final proposal and presentation which has reach epic proportions! How anyone could get through the work in just 6 weeks I will never know - we've had 9 with the holiday breaks and it is not enough. I'm tired of spending time on the math portions of the problems without really understanding why we'd chose one test over another. My team is struggling to understand as well and the instructor has not been helpful with the math problems. He is quite criptic with the rest also.

Dietwise - I've been trying to eat soft foods - we tried brown rice last night with grilled chicken and stir-fried veggies. I've also had Dreamfields' pasta. I had a few oven fries with dinner at my folks' on Monday evening. I feel I need the carbs for energy to get over the flu bug. I've given up on getting back on the scale. DH says he will begin walking with me a week from Thursday - the day after this class ends.

So that is it for now...I'll check in on everyone's journals from work between shows this week.

 

[sarahsmom73]

You have to take care of you!!! Things happen in life that put us on a curve... It's how well we handle the curve that counts!!! (I hear there is going to be a scale bashing party! Want to come? )

Have a wonderful day!

Jen

 

[wilderness01]

I'm glad that class will be over soon. Is it a stats class? I missed where you posted what you are taking. Take care of yourself.

 

[DoeWDW]

Dear Laurie, you know I'm crossing my fingers and keeping Jeff in my prayers. I hope your instincts are wrong in this instance and that Jeff can get back in with Boeing.

This class of yours sounds like a real doozy!! Plan an extra special end-of-class celebration for getting through this one - you deserve it!

Once this class is over, you can get back into the walking groove. After walking the half, it is the last thing I want to do for exercise, at least for a little while. You know how much better you feel when you get your walks in regularly.

Smart girl, for not tattling at work. I have rarely seen these types of one-on-one meetings solve anything. They only serve to make the managers feel like they are doing something to address the problem.

Hang in there! 2005 is holding some happy times for you!

 

[Strings]

Laurie,

You can get through this class. It is only days left. You have worked so hard on it. I am really proud of you.

Don't worry about walking ontil this monster class is over. Yes, you'll feel better once the routine of walking is reestablished, but you can only do so much in a give day.

I am sending and your way,
Beth

 

[sarahsmom73]

You can do it! Get through this class! You are almost there!

 

[DoeWDW]

Laurie, I'm hoping all is going well! Have you celebrated the end of that class yet?? I hope you found a way to reward yourself for all that hard work.

I hope your Tuesday is wonderful!