Hi, everyone! We had a very busy day yesterday and I didn't get a chance to post again.

DH and I drove down to the big city (Portland) on some errands. We wanted to buy a floor lamp and pick up a few needed items at Home Depot. I also wanted to drag him along to look at a couple cars. This is the year. My Explorer, which I love dearly, has 147,500 miles on it and the gas mileage is pretty atrocious. I filled the tank (ok, so the attendant filled the tank) last Sunday and it cost $25. Tuesday evening I filled it again for another $25, and yesterday before we left we had to fill it yet again for yet another $25. I'm probably going through an entire tank of gas 5 to 6 times in two weeks. That comes to about $300 a month in gas!



I originally wanted a new SUV, but the gas mileage was no better. Then I was looking at cars, but my heart was still with SUVs. So I wanted to look at the Toyota Highlander and the Honda Pilot. We were planning on buying a new car closer to June. We looked at the Toyotas, and I didn't like them. I even got in the RAV4 because of the great mileage it gets, but we both hated it and thought it looked and felt cheap.

So we went over to the Honda dealership (the next building over). Well, somewhere between the Toyota dealership and the Honda dealership it finally sunk in to DH's head how much I've been spending on gas. The Honda sales guy immediately starting talking about incentives, etc. if we bought today. I said no way are we buying today.

We got in the Pilot, and fell in love. Then the sales guy mentioned I wouldn't be doing much better on gas, and maybe I should try the CR-V (27+ mpg). I said I wouldn't like it, but we got in, looked at each other, and smiled. I got out and said this was the car for me. So, what does DH say when he gets out of the car? "Wrap it up. We'll take it." AND WE DID! They gave us $1500 off the sticker, and had 2.9 financing for 5 years! Our payment will be $284. THAT'S LESS THAN WHAT I'M PAYING FOR GAS EACH MONTH!

Hi Dawn and other PP Pals to follow:

I am working on the books, drawing up mock menus and generally just being really excited about PP. I also do OA so I am discussing it with my sponsor and she is very supportive of the switch.

I too am off to morning mass soon, so I best get ready!

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Paris

Congrats Bawdy! I love the new Pilots! And it looks like you got an ab fab deal. Way to go!

Paris

Bawdy-Great on the new vehicle!!

Very tired this am. Up and down at emergency room with oldest DD-she has cysts on her ovaries and two cysts had burst and then had infection in her system. In great pain and not fun-has to go back tomorrow am for ultrasound.

Ate ok yesterday-TOM so more munchy. Ended up eating a snack of two oz leftover steak last night about 10 pm. Probably a good thing since I was up half the night

Still holding steady on weight-DH getting discouraged, but I had to boost him by telling him at least we aren't gaining!

Whoever invited me to ranch-sure sounds fun! Wish I really could!

Have a great leap day-Yeah!! On to March and closer to spring

Good morning and congrats to Bawdy on the new wheels So the woosh and tickle fairies's sister the car fairy came instead If the gas costs too much, get out of the car and push, that will give you your workout in case you miss your cardio (OK, I'm being a wise-a$$)

I took my second mode of transportation, my feet, on a 40 minute walk yesterday. Didn't feel too great after the bloodwork (they took 3 vials for all the test I have done) so did my exotic shopping(Shelly ) and my exotic laundry and then took a walk. It's close to 60 degress this weekend. Don't worry, this is Philly-we will pay for it sometime in March

Food was a little weird yesterday, got a major crunchy attack so had some low carb tortillas (the hard kind) that have very little oil and no transfat and had them like chips. Have no idea of what I ate (didn't feel like plugging in numbers) but it did the trick and I feel better today. I wonder if keeping my carbs around 35 has been too low for me???

I go for the first of my surgery self blood donations this Tues, have to go out and get some iron supplements to take on top of the multi with iron. This is just for the next few weeks. It is starting to hit home that I am going in for surgery in 3 weeks. Yikes!!

Eightc, hope your daughter is feeling a little better.

Eight, so sorry to hear about your daughter. Must have been scary for you both. Keep us posted.

Iwannabefit, where are you located in Michigan? DH and I grew up in Livonia, just outside of Detroit. Small world!

Paris, now I understand your situation better. Hope things go better for you regarding the one income. That's really tough.

Sounds like many of us had an off weekend, eating-wise. Friday night I got home from work and DH wasn't feeling well and didn't want dinner. I had thawed out Porterhouse steaks. Darn. I didn't feel like making only one, so I just had a couple Ritz crackers. A serving of 5 is 10 carbs, and I had it to spare, so I figured why not. Then I had probably 10 more, these with cheese. Not too terrible, but not so great either.

Then yesterday, we were out shopping and such, and stopped for lunch. This place is known for their bread, burgers, pork chops, steaks, etc. I had every intention of having my usual chicken Caesar salad, and then found out they had Bass ale on tap. Bass ale with Caesar salad? I think not! More like 1/2-pound burger topped with bacon, cheese, and fried onions, complete with bun. Told them to hold the fries, but it came with the fries anyway. Yup. Ate it all.

No dinner last night (no, not even a single Ritz cracker). This morning, though, I woke up all bloaty and gassy. Pants are tight. No weigh-in for me today! I'll probably have a couple protein-only days and then weigh on Wednesday.

Have a great day! I have to go clean out my car. A friend at work offered to sell it for me. He lives on a busy road in a real city, and I live in the boonies. Tough decision, huh? I wasn't able to drive the new car home last night because their service department was closed and they couldn't prep the car. So tomorrow I'll drive my Explorer down to Portland, he and I will drive over to his house and put the car on his lawn, and then he'll drop me off at the dealership for the new car.

It seems so silly, but I'm really sad about giving up my Explorer. I really have loved it. But life goes on.

father in laws b-day today

Happy Leap Day everyone!
Bawdy: I know what you mean about falling in love with a car!
I went to "look" at cars last year about this time and fell in love with my
red PT Cruiser! Bought it on the spot and still love it today! Good luck
getting the old one sold.
Gas prices here in the south are ridiculous as well!
Going to fix chicken tonight with the new LC Alfredo Sauce. Hope it turns out well!
Everyone have a good day!
KAT

hello all!!

paris, what is OA???

bawdy, congrats on the new car!! i ended up getting a new ford focus last april because i got tired of paying for gas in my pick-up while commuting 30miles each way to work-4days a week. i still haven't sold my pick-up though. kinda attached to it since it was my first brand new car and i bought it all by myself!!

oh and bass ale!!!yyuuummmmm, one of my all time favorites. i wish it was more available over here on the west coast. while portland has a fine selection of micro-brews, bass is still one of my fav's.

well, off to take the kiddos ice skating today. hopefully i can keep it upright, and not hurt my still sore muscles any more then they already are!!!

OA, or Overeaters Anonymous - a 12-step program based on the 12-steps and 12 traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. It's been a lifesaver for me.

Paris, speaking of OA, I read a book several years ago that helped me so much with overeating. It's called "Overcoming Overeating." It was well worth the read. It helped me overcome my craving for several trigger foods. I used to love Hostess Suzie Qs.

They tell you to first identifya trigger food (one at a time). Then go to the store and buy more than you could possibly eat in about 3 day's time. I went to the store and bought 3 12-serving boxes of Suzie Qs. Then they tell you to give yourself permission to have as many as you want as often as you want. If you want to eat 6 in one day, do it. If your supply starts running low, go buy more. The thing they try to get you to do is to break your "forbidden fruit" craving. If you give yourself permission to have as many as you like, as often as you like, and know that you can always have more, somehow the spell is broken.

I did it with Suzie Qs and I did it with Doritos, both in about 1997. Since that time I don't think I've had one Suzie Q, and I remember having Doritos once. It's not that you get sick (physically or mentally), it's that you finally give yourself permission. When it's not a no-no anymore, suddenly it has no more power over you.

Sounds crazy, but it worked on my two biggest binge foods.

That's really interesting, BW, and congrats on conquoring those trigger foods... my triggers are in line with yours. I love the Doritos and the chocolate.

Before I became abstinent from my trigger foods and then sugar in general, I did something very similar to that, of course, having no idea that I was actually helping my recovery. I binged on 2 of my triggers for about 3 days nonstop and ever since then... well, I get nauseated just thinking of them. I have a biochemical reaction just to the thought.

I will definitely check out that book; I am always looking for new lit! Thanks!

Paris

In honor of Dawn:
::singing - "Oops, I did it again, fell down a cliff "-
This time next to a waterfall putting out some serious spray. I'm OK - just scraped and bruised again. Will write more tomorrow when I don't have fat fingers from the pain killers.

Here's a pic of the offending waterfall - Big Falls At Burgess Falls Natural area - TN USA

my father-in-law is half my age and twice my age....So some one tell me,how old am I and how old is he???