<p>Sorry about the work problems, Rochmom. Ugh!
Glad to hear that no one was at least physically traumatized by the bombing.
H and I are down in Puerto Rico for the week and are thoroughly enjoying the sun , warmth and time together. We took a scuba lesson in the pool yesterday and will do a dive today…if my courage holds out. I’m a strong swimmer but that was a helluva lot of info to get in my head in an hour. In a 3 foot pool, no problem; on a 40 foot dive, not so much!</p>
<p>TheAnalyst…clearly you and I should live together because we’d be skinny Minnie’s with our nightly steak salads and Pinot followed by a swim ;)</p>
<p>Low carb works best for me by far but this time round I’m still serving a starch (but only risotto, couscous, quinoa or maybe a measured bit of brown rice) with dinner because mch would go AWOL without some kind of starch. For pasta, I’ve switched to the quinoa-corn blend and if served with turkey spaghetti sauce, it does not negatively impact my weight at all.</p>
<p>However, when I was on SouthBeach about 8 years ago during phase I I lost like crazy but stalled the second I added Cous Cous on a regular basis due to mch going crazy on my meat-veggies-only meals. So this time I’ve had to resort to tracking caloric value and measuring portion size to make it work.</p>
<p>What a leisurely am for which I’ll pay dearly tonight – I am headed over to the hs for my 3 career sessions so there was no point going to work first. Feels like a holiday, but I suspect I’ll have trouble getting outta dodge tonight as a result!</p>
<p>When I lost 40 lbs for the wedding I went high protein, moderate fat, low carb. The protein and fat kept hunger at bay. I also have trouble metabolizing carbs and get very bloated after eating breads and other white starches. I tend to carry lots of water weight from those carbs. I am good when I track and measure but like TA mentioned I gain as soon as I stop. I never gave up my wine except for two weeks before the wedding. 
Basically I ate egg whites, veggies, fruit, chicken and fish, olive oil, nuts and seeds.</p>
<p>I did Jenny Craig and was very diligent from Sept thru about Christmas. I actually kept it off for almost a year and then it crept back. I think I resemble NMN relationship with carbs and the water thing. The thing my eye guy keeps telling me is how “weird” it is that I seem to have so much edema. When I went this last time I made a concerted effort to not have any pasta and/or excess salt for a few days and he said it showed considerably, so … I think I will have to go gluten free. I tend to do little gluten at the nook because I have two friends and my sister who really can’t eat it. I am a chip freak, however and fortunately I found a brand (for salsa etc) that is sea salt and gluten free that fits the bill. </p>
<p>Honestly, I don’t overeat at all but my failing is that I dont eat a lot during the day and then graze starting around 4 and then eat dinner. Not good, and i know it. And of course, I’d probably look awesome if I worked out more (or at all), but wouldnt we all?</p>
<p>Took my car in yesterday for a mini tune up and oil change per scheduled. There were all kinds of issues and so now they will have it for two days to the tune of 4500. When it rains, it pours. At least they give me a pretty nice loaner!</p>
<p>I don’t know if it will work for anyone else, but for me to actually succeed at losing weight, I had to announce to my family I would no longer be making dinner for them. My H had been attempting to encourage me to lose weight for quite some time (in a nice way) but what works for him isn’t the same as what works for me.</p>
<p>So I announced that if it was going to work for me, it had to be MY way and on MY terms, and I can’t make different dinners for other family members that I’m not going to eat, because I will end up eating them. I’m not that hungry in the evening, so I divide my calories between a good breakfast, lunch, and a few snacks. </p>
<p>If I need to have dinner, for example, at an extended family get-together, then I try to adjust my other meals accordingly.</p>
<p>I don’t do well with deprivation. If I thought I’d never be able to eat ice cream again, all I’d want is ice cream. So I allow myself to have a little ice cream. I like the 80 calorie Milky Way ice cream bites, and recently have been enjoying some Weight Watchers 90 calorie Giant Latte bars.</p>
<p>It’s been slow (2 years?), but I’ve lost almost 50 lbs so far. My strategy needs to be something I can live with for the rest of my life, since I’ve battled weight issues my whole life.</p>
<p>In happier news: congrats to Zetesis’ D! So very impressive! </p>
<p>Brag moment: yesterday was H’s birthday. I had thought about texting the kids, to suggest they call their father. But I didn’t have to; they called on their own!</p>
<p>Thinking good thoughts for all the kids who are approaching the final weeks of their undergraduate careers. Pretty exciting time!</p>
<p>I can hardly believe D2’s graduation is in 5 1/2 weeks! Yikes!</p>
<p>Pretty exciting time – but how did it get here so soon? I realize there has been a lot of water under the bridge in 4 years, but looking back it all seems to have flown by.</p>
<p>D2 is in the midst of writing her senior thesis, keeping hours that I not only couldn’t keep now but never kept in my college years. To each her own.</p>
<p>BTW, I have no idea what finally overrode her reluctance to return “home” for grad school. We did our best to stay out her way when she was in town visiting and when she was making her decision; so she could see that she could be “here” and not have us in her face. Actually, I’m still wondering if I’m glad about the proximity. I hope that in the long run it will be more positive than not, even if there are some bumps in the road along the way.</p>
<p>S2’s classes are over in only two weeks. He is swamped with work. Graduation is in about five weeks.</p>
<p>Today’s screening interview was very technical and while not a disaster, he didn’t feel like his answers were impressive enough. They will make the decision on whether he will be invited to the next round in two to three weeks, but he does not expect to make the next cut. He’s so busy with school right now he wasn’t overly bothered.</p>
<p>Ha, I made it home after all! T minus 2 Saturdays before mcson’s grad…and I need to get a maid, the lawn guy, and the pool guy to whip this place into guest shape…Egads. I’ve had a few extra surprise out-of-town guests respond to my casual evite…and I’m delighted they’re coming but want to spend my time visiting and celebrating, not “working” the party so I may need to get some help lined up My patio and terrace are in sore need of attention too…yet whatever free time I squeeze out of this weekend after sat am writer’s group followed by the mcs and gf play and overnight visit to AA will probably have to be spent assembling the patio bar that just arrived for the occasion (and because I wanted it anyway.)</p>
<p>While I’m grateful to be billing almost double this month due to a lot of unanticipated projects ve closed, what I really want is a few days off for prep and enjoyment of the occasion. Truly must devise a way to clone myself!</p>
<p>Z–when D moved home to study for awhile and then moved to a house across town and her complaint was that I never came to visit! It was awkward with 2 roommates and I really disliked the house. We would meet for lunch and such from time to time. I barely saw her.
She finally realizes the beauty of living alone and while she is 3,000 miles away it is fun and comfortable to visit her (2 bedrooms and we pay $150 a month for our room. It has worked out great and has really paid for itself with no hotel bills, no car rental and eating in some meals) (still she is our expensive kid).
Have fun!
km–sounds like a really fun party and if you pour those drinks properly no one will notice the terrace (or any thing else!)
D is visiting her BF who is giving the law review editor speech at tomorrows dinner. He graduates in a month. I suppose this is a rant but while he says he is not going to Spain with us it feels as if he is. His mother ( a friend I thought?) recently told me that he can go if he wants but they hope to go on a trip with him someday(?OK?). Yep you read right. BF has the impression she will feel bad if he goes with us. TOO weird. I hope D and he figure this our before he proposes. I have given D an absolute date of Monday and then I will finish our travel arrangement. So far am only out $30 and have included him in everything.</p>
<p>Z, every case is different, but proximity is working nicely for us. ShawSon is 1.5-2 hours away, depending upon who is driving. He is quite independent, but comes home for various things. ShawD is 30 mins drive at midnight and 1+ hours at rush hour. But, last week, she wanted my help on her application and I was meeting with a client in Boston. She took the T over and met me and drove home with me. But, she stayed at her apartment for more than half of spring break. They are both independent. I don’t think they feel we are encroaching on their lives.</p>
<p>ShawSon called me last night and said, “I have good news and bad news.” The good news: his company was invited to interview for one of the most prestigious startup accelerators. Apparently, they interview roughly 3% of applicants and select 1/3 of those. The 1% get lots of advice and money. The bad news: the interview is on the West Coast the day before his thesis is due. I suggested that he ask if they had flexibility, but the decisions are being made the next day. So, he went to talk to his advisor who said, go west young man and hand in your thesis a day later. He also told ShawSon that he didn’t think he had that much work left.</p>
<p>And, ShawSon took his last college test today.</p>
<p>Great news, Shawbridge. </p>
<p>D won an award for outstanding graduate in her major, and was interviewed by one of the department’s professors in preparation for an article about the award. And told, by the way, that there was an awards ceremony she is supposed to attend the week before graduation that she knew nothing about. Oops. She only found out about the award because a scholarship she’d never heard about posted to her bursar’s account, and she got some confusing message that her financial aid award had been modified. Left hand, meet the right hand.</p>
<p>Reading of all your successes convinces me that I need to go back on the low-carb regime pretty seriously. Did y’all read the scientific study where hamsters (mice?) were tracked by whether they chose to run a lot or a little on their hamster wheels, and then the frequent runners were mated with each other, and the less frequent runners mated with other less frequent runners…and after 10 generations they had two sets of mice: those that took every opportunity to run, and the sloths. I guess I can blame my g-g-g grandparents.</p>
<p>Just stopping by to see if there was a collective freakout happening here about graduation. Truly surreal that '13 has arrived - it seemed so futuristic back in '09.</p>
<p>Congrats to shawson and heaps of good mojo that the startup makes the one percent kudos also to Arabrab D - awesome! What a nice wrap up!</p>
<p>Oregon, is the issue with d’s bf around time off for two trips, or is the issue that the kid feels bad about taking a trip when perhaps his folks can’t afford one of their own? If its the former, I now how that works. If its the latter, methinks its time to cut the apron strings ;)</p>
<p>neuroticparent, no collective freakout happening here as far as I can sense. A fair number of the kids seem to be transitioning to the next step pretty well and others are trying. Not all the offspring of our group are still on for 2013 graduations. In our case, ShawSon was going to working to the wire to get his work in for graduation and now will have to add a trip to the West Coast into his plans prior to handing in his completed thesis. I’m not sure what, if anything, he will have after that. A thesis defense and maybe one final. But, we haven’t focused on the future because he is already living that as a parallel life to being a student.</p>
<p>shaw – In our case proximity is something like 10-15 minutes. Caltech is in Pasadena, where we work; its campus borders our church’s property (D1’s wedding photos are taken on the Caltech campus); we go to folk and chamber music concerts on Caltech’s campus; her grandparents will be even closer to the campus than we are… I’m pretty sure in the long run it will be a plus; but we will have to let her set the agenda. </p>
<p>Congrats to shawson and best wishes for the travel and interviews.</p>
<p>Congrats to arabrab’s D as well. </p>
<p>D’s chem department had its annual banquet last evening, and she called to report on the awards she’d gotten, but I think mostly to say it now really seemed like the end of college was approaching. She was aware that next year they’ll be like last year’s honored seniors — i.e, out of the picture, the past – and she was musing on that.</p>
<p>Your daughter sounds pretty insightful, Zetesis. </p>
<p>I will say that living just a few blocks from our state’s flagship university, I’ve got many friends with kids there that say they don’t see them very often at all unless it is to bring a horde of kids over to watch some big game on mom and dad’s huge TV. </p>
<p>And CalTech always seemed like its own little world.</p>
<p>The pictures from the fertilizer plant area are horrible – that one apartment building looks like a set from a movie. And they’re reporting that a nursing home was also severely damaged. Incredibly scary, and terribly sad.</p>
<p>km–it is the apron strings in my opinion. Family has more $ that ours, well traveled, etc. However, a family that never comes out and says what they want directly. Lots of guessing. D at least sees it–even points it out to me. What she cannot know is how wearing it will become. Though if anyone does not buy into the guilt card it is D. Of that trait of hers I am very proud.</p>
<p>Thinking of our 2013 class–I am wondering about each one and it could be interesting to start one of the chains of kid and direction. (mine will win the “he did what”) award.</p>
<p>Oregon - did I ever mention on this thread that my parents “had” to get married? My mom was 19 when my sister was born and my Dad 21. I have to say… I am sure it was rough going and they probably got more help from their parents in their start up, but I am glad my parents were young. While your kids will probably feel all the other parents are ancient when their kid starts school (which I kind of did when my oldest D even in having her at 24), there are plenty of upsides as well. Their son will probably not feel entitled because he will have eaten more pb&J than filet mignon. He will be better behaved in public because his parents cannot afford to hire endless babysitters and their youth and energy will give him plenty of attention and activity to feel how loved he is. And you can look at your grandson and be sure of one thing: He made your son a father, and by all accounts a very loving one. I say that while maybe not optimal, I know of few well lived lives that are without a few bumps in the road and you should be VERY proud indeed. I know he’s earned my respect.</p>
<p>As for MY S – I think he is ending strong, but not necessarily outstanding. With so many of his friends having found employment prior to the school year (and ended up “enjoying” their final year a lot more than those without a clear path come June), I think he took the foot off the gas pedal. While his research wasn’t going well, could he have salvaged to earn departmental honors? Probably. He’s got the respect of his department for sure, but earning the accolades? Probably not. He’s graduating with college honors though, so there’s that. 
This weekend is the Symposium and if I am REALLY honest, I think it would have thrown a HUGE loop in our calendar. Of course, we would have planned differently, but still. I’ll go with the fact that he’s gotten a taste of living on his own (something that’s not always possible in primarily residential college) and he seems engaged in the community in a much more adult capacity in TA’ing for one class: running the lab and even starting some standard office hours and he’s overseeing the transitions of his Advisor’s lab. He’s getting paid for both. AND he’s been having a pretty good time as well. At the end of the day, he’s graduating Magna Cum Laude from a top ranked school, he either has a job OR has a summer job that will hopefully land in one and he’s able to come to the full festivities of his sister’s wedding. It’s a win AND I found a dress for the actual graduation!</p>
<p>So… not exactly freaking out here about graduations except for having two of them and the necessary wardrobe needed when you throw a bridal shower in the mix as well, to say nothing about the actual wedding. Now THERE’S some freaking out.</p>
<p>I actually think I found a salesperson yesterday at Nordstrom that would make a great personal shopped. Just in walking around the store, we had similar tastes on color and pattern and she had no problem saying she didn’t like something OR telling me to not bother trying it on. Found me a lovely sweater to wear over my dress in case it gets chilly and went with a petite that was so so much more flattering in length to the dress since I am kind of short (and slightly thick ) waisted. </p>
<p>But back to the kiddos (who none are kids) All in all - they drive me insane, and I don’t think they are overly successful or laudatory in a newsworthy way, but they are all launching and we will be far more financially solvent come the fall. And its these two things that make it all very good news in my book.</p>
<p>Back from Chicago, and before I catch up, I just have to share this. Remember our prior rants about, in a household of intelligent, educated people, we were the only ones who knew how to put the toilet paper roll on the holder? I have a new household low to report.</p>
<p>I left for my conference Saturday afternoon and returned in the wee hours this morning. On Sunday, older D and I were advised that older D’s beta fish (that she bought after her senior year in HS and then left with us) had died. And yes, you guessed it…when I got home, the fish that had been dead for 4 days was still floating in its tank.</p>