Answered an eMail from Anne about the wedding album. Worked on the heater a little bit. Removed the fan and took it home. We have a new one on order from Gorrell under warranty. The old motor is dead. Dinner was Briyani. I did a 3 mile walk - up one side of the lake only from Home. Met Coleman in Home Depot when I was looking at galvanized finish nails. I bought a package of roach bait traps, the liquid kind based on our success with the initial package. I think we're winning the roach war but it's too early to tell. Dinner was scallops over whole whea Linguini.

Last day of the month. I officially weigh 118 poinds. I thought it was the 1st because I looked online for my divvy's from XCJ, HLM and ATPWF. I did get a statement from Schwab for the new credit card. Now I need to fill in the online forms to get electronic payments enabled. I don't want to mail a check. I'm working on the Elizabeth Adler book, need to finish 400 pages by Friday. I'm up to page 300. Did a 3 mile walk today.

I updated the event schedule this morning. We had a conflict between judging and show start. Studied my portfolio and am thinking of making some changes. I wanted to lighten up 200 shares on the lower yield XCJ and redistribute the money into ATPW and BAC-W. ATPWF had a spike this morning so I may wait for that to settle. I have to wait for XCJ to pay a divvy first before I consider it safe to sell. Divvy is scheduled for 10/1 but will wait and see. Did not walk today!!! After yesterdays debacle, I decided to rest up today. Cut the plywood for the soffit in the back and also bought a finish nailer from Home Depot using a 10% off coupon. It came with a brad nailer as well. I only wanted the finish nailer. Lib cut up the chicken and simmered it in curry simmer sauce with brocolli. In the evening I made a serious debt in the St Tropez book since it's a 7 day rental due this Friday and it's a 400 page book.

A big weigh in this morning, I'm at 118.25 which means the 118.5 yesterday was no fluke. Late last night I emailed the MAAVS eMemo which was difficult to do because Roadrunner was not cooperating. I did the walk thing which was not a good idea because after lunch we went over to the greenhouse to cover up the sidewall. I ran out of energy and needed to stop many times. I was weak and tired. The pneumatic stapler and nailer worked well with little effort to tack down the strip on top and nail the firring strips on the bottom. Came home, took a shower and crashed. I went late to Krogers for roasted chicken, they were out at 7:10 PM. I bought a cold one and the nice lady in the deli counter gave me a microwave bag to reheat it. We had that with potato salad except Libbie had Macaroni and Cheese. I read some more of the book - I really like this author although it looks doubtful about finishing in 7 days which is up Friday. After the greenhouse work I weighed 217 but it doesn't count. I only track morning weigh ins.

Quite surprised by my weight this morning. It was 218.5. I'm pleased but expected it to spike up a little due to the wine. Not bad. I eagerly fired up my computer to log this new poundage into the Fat Ass Chronicles on Google Docs. I started cleaning the tool closet in the garage so I can store the air tools and compressor in one side of it. While we were having chicken salad lunch on the back porch, Libbie found that the Galaxy was playing La Boheme. We did a quick up Seagroves and then got cleaned up and left at 2:30 for the 3:00 movie. Turned around at Krogers because we didn't have cash and I remembered that the Galaxy doesn't take credit cards. We got to the heater at 8 minutes of. I was correct, no credit cards. We enjoyed the performance with Anna and Rolando. It was a film instead of a stage peformance. We stopped by Trader Joes on the way home and tried their frozen Mergerhita Pizza. It was very good, probably the best frozen pizza I have eaten. Afterwards I wanted to read my novel since it's a 7 day loan which means 60 pages per day minimum but I struggled with Roadrunner and the MAAVS eMemo.

Went to Home Depot and picked up a ratchet tie down stretch strap. Hooked up the trailer and picked up the garden tractor which went easily onto the tilt trailer. I won't need the aluminum ramps anymore. Mowed the front and back and then hooked up the aerator with cinder block weights strapped on top. Dragged it around the yard and tore up the backyard pretty good. Went with Libbie to Lowes and picked up grass seed and also daffodil bulbs for fall planting. Sprinkled the grass seed in a light rain which was excellent. Next I took a 2 mile walk around the lake at 3 PM. It was a little gray, misty and chilly but I wanted the exercise. I weighed in at 219.5 this morning which is my Oct 1 goal. I wanted to be under 220. Libbie and I went to Krogers, tasted wine of which we bought a Turning Leaf Cabernet then bought a pork chop for dinner which we had with a single glass of wine from last night and beets and roasted red potatoes. It was a perfect dinner. Afterward I read some more of the St Tropez novel which has to go back in less that 7 days since it's a library new novel. I think I can make it.

The 220 from walking yesterday held this morning!!!! My morning weight, which is the one I record in the fat ass chronicle, was the same as my walking weight from yesterday. There may be a chance I drop below 220 this weekend. I sure hope so. I need to get to the greenhouse and repair the fence this morning.
Updated the MAAVS web site with the latest convention info. Got the descriptions of the presentations and entertainment which I added to the site. Afterward I went to the greenhouse and fixed the barbed wire fence across the pipeline. They cit both strands of wire which I repaired and supported in the center with some electrical pipes. This seems to be a good repair. Tried killing some fire ants along the foundation of the garage. Lib brought the Ambrol home and we walked up the hill to try zapping some up by the birdhouse. Next step was to go to Agri Supply for a trailer. I didn't like that the new trailer was 5 feet wide instead of 4 but it will do. I had to buy a 2 inch ball, then borrowed one of the tools in the store to loosen the old 1 7/8 ball. I hand tightened the new 2 inch ball and hooked up the new trailer. Bought a new pin for the receiver because I didn't trust the old pin. Used the clip from the old pin to hold the hitch latch in place. Did not have lights for the trip home in a misty rain. We stopped at the Farmers market on the way to AgriSupply and got our produce for the week. Dinner was Silverbrite salmon from Krogers along with broccoli and sweet potato. As a diet buster I had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. At least it wasn't half the bottle. Before dinner I drove to the lake and walked around once then went to the library and picked up a new novel by Elizabeth Adler, "There's Something About St Tropez", a 7 day rental. Much reading to do.

Went to Lowes this morning to get nail gun nails and air hose fittings. Met Coleman there when i was checking out. Dropped the wood off at the greenhouse and found all the spotlights were broken. Need to repair the fencing and put a second fence up in the front to keep people out. Hooked up the compressor and hoses then tried the air stapler. It worked well. Later I fired a couple of 8d nails using the framing nailer. I may get a trim nailer to work on the house fascia and soffits. Weight after the 4.4 mile walk was 220. This is finally good news. The bad news is that September has not been a very good month, I'm only down about 3 pounds for the month. Dinner was crab cakes with tomato and lettuce. I'm pretty disappointed that we're not eating veggies but instead all this other gunk.

The compressor, the air hose and the stapler arrived today. The compressor is heavy. I filled it with oil, installed the air filter and briefly ran it. I need couplers for my air hose since it doesn't have any and none came with the compressor. Home Depot orLowes should fill the bill. Wall Street is doing great. All my preferreds are performing above par. Net portfolio is at a high. Now it's time to sit back and collect the divvy's. Did the 4.4 mile walk today and finished the Gemma Bruce book. I looked this author up and found her bio. Former dancer with Thyla Thorp turned writer. Dinner tonight was spinach lasagna. Watched the elimination show on Dancing with the stars tonight then watched the opening of the NY Philharmonic. They have a new conductor, alan Gilbert. I wasn't too keen on Renee Fleming's choice of songs. My weight is holding. with luck I will see 219 by Oct 1. I hated the AVSA web site tonight. Still have nothing but crap for the convention.

It was pouring rain when Libbie put the garbage and recycling cans out. I was happy because the scale reads 220.5 this morning. This is a new and satisfying low. I want to be under 220 by Oct 1, whether it's 219 or 219.9. Northern called that my nail gun is here. This is dumb. It costs $159 in the store of $99 online with free delivery to the store. I'll pick it up when I go out to get the groceries this morning.
Picked up the nail gun. They ended up giving me two. I tried protesting but the clerk was insistent. I left with two. Bought gas at BJ's for 1.39 on the way to the grocery store. UPS will come with the air hose and pneumatic stapler tomorrow. Fedex is bringing the compressor tomorrow. UPS delivered the SlingBox today. I'll use this to transmit Sarasota cable to Apex.
Watched Dancing with the Stars tonight. It wasn't too bad although I was hardly interested. Dinner was Tortellini with marinara sauce.

Still holding at 221 which is good because we had BLT lunch yesterday and then pizza last night. Nice to see the weight hold, it was not a flash in the pan. I visited the printer this morning and learned about their color copier. Sent in a JPG of "the once and future violet" and they made 25 color copies for $1 each. Lib and I picked them up - they are gorgeous! I went home and made up a bunch more signs for the MAAVS convention. Dinner was yummy. Libbie put the remaining Marsala chicken breast over some whole wheat linguine. After dinner we watched the Pete Seger birthday and then Dancing with the Stars.

I achieved 221 this morning. The light eating the past few days combined with a 4.4 mile walk each day did the trick. This is happiness. Not much time to walk since we had to leave at 1 for a 2 PM Swan Lake. We got there early so we enjoyed sitting out by the fountain with a view down Fayetteville Street and the capitol in the background. There was a large group of young ballerinas getting their picture taken in front. The weather was perfect. I really enjoyed the performance, especially the ending water scene. It was a spectacular effect. afterward I walked to Krogers to return the Visitor DVD we watched te night before. Libbie made her outstanding pizza once again. We watched the Emmys in the evening, especially the red carpet fashions.

I had high hopes for this mornings weigh in but I's still a very fat 222. I wanted to get down to 221 but it didn't happen. Need to make it happen tomorrow morning. Lots of eMail today. Linda Owens agreed to host the Presidents reception. We now have speakers but no topics. Richard is a royal pain in the ass. He quit again this morning according to Judi. Kathy Lahti wants directions to the hotel which I'll work on today. I started studying the software that makes this blog work. I'm going to add a function to compile a years worth of entries into a file.
While playing with the php blog I found the Blog Backup Menu item that will serve as a model for my compiling.
We went to Krogers and got chicken, whole wheat linguini and cheese for our dinner fixings. Libbie cooked the chicken breasts in the TJ's Marsala Simmer sauce which then went over the Linguini in a fantastic meal. I added shaved pasmesan to my meal, Libbie added provolone and mozarella to hers. after the meal we watched the Visitor on DVD.

I weighed in at 222 today. Walking in the rain yesterday and not snacking turned out to be worth it!!!! It's been a long time since I had a loss. This morning I retrieved the Condon tape from the garage for Libbie and I'm digitizing it as I write this. Earlier I dug up my trailer ball and oiled the nut so it turns freely. I'm going to use it when I buy a trailer if it fits. Newegg had a special on the Slingbox Pro. $228 speaks to me so I ordered one. We'll see if it's possible to redirect Comcast TV to Downing Place from Stoneybrook. I don't want to spend anymore money this month but the price was compelling enough to go for it. Dinner was seafood sausage and Broccoli. I liked it but of course Libbie didn't like it. I read my book some more this evening.

This is a rainy day. It's also dark and gloomy but warm. Crawled under the back bumper and installed the trailer hitch. I used the hydraulic jack to hold the hitch up while I installed the screws then tightened everything with my new socket set. I noticed the new set did not include drive extensions so I used my old ones. Tried the Cranberry Vanilla yogurt for lunch today. It was delicious but I'm trying hard to reach 220 by Oct 1 so did not have anything else. I went walking in the rain at noon - it was a light mist so I carried the umbrella but did not use it. Did the full 4.4 miles in the misty rain. Dinner was the last of the eggplant Parmesan. Listened to a classic Ruocchio Dutchman on CPE tonight while reading my new book, Who Slept on My Mattress by Gemma Bruce, an authors alter ego.

The divvy's I was expecting paid off today. I took in over $1500. UPS delivered my trailer hitch. It was well wrapped in bubble wrap. I used a box cutter to unwrap but not ding the black enamel paint covering the bar. IT seems to be sturdy and well built. It came with screws and lock wahers but not regular washers. I went to Lowes after dinner and picked up 4 large 1/2 inch washers. Dinner was a yummy eggplant Parmesan that Libbie made today. After dinner I went to the previously mentioned Lowes then started reading a new library book.

Did the groceries today as well as all the rounds. Went to the DMV to find out about Libbie's registration. All is OK. Next stop was Northern to look at framing nailers and trailers. Meantime, Libbie found a trailer at Agrisupply for $399 but we don't pay tax there so it wins!!!! I researched nailers and compressors online. I decided on a Northern framing nailer and a Hot Dog compressor by Makita. The Makita is $120 plus $50 shipping refurn online or 220 plus 8% tax at Northern. I may just get the nailer and compressor from Northern unless I can get it 0% interest at Home Depot. Dinner was rotisserie chicken, sweet potato and left over wine from Saturday. Nice meal. I'm looking for mypreferreds to pay today - should be around $1500 from CEG, PHR, SGZ and BAC.

Did the whole 4.4 miles today. I'm trying to get back on track for the weight loss since I've been flat for 2 weeks and went out to a few restaurant meals and had wine many times. Wake up Fat Ass!!!! Ordered a trailer hitch for the Corolla. Found one on eBay for a reasonable price that just bolts to the frame. The frame already has holes and welded nuts. Amazingly, I got a tracking number later in the evening. Dinner was pasta and TJ's Marinara sauce.

I went to Krogers today to return Doubt and rented Sunshine Cleaning because it had Amy Adams. Not a bad movie, not the greatest either. We were left hanging at the end. Earlier in the day we walked around Seagroves, went all the way out to 1010 and back in at Vintage Grove before cutting across to Seagrove again for a 2 mile walk. We met Bonnie and Oliver again. They said closing is Sept 25. Libbie made her super pizza again this evening.

Had breakfast in the kitchen this morning because the carpet is still damp and we don't have the furniture back in there yet. When Libbie came home we moved all the furniture back into the room. I did a 4 mile walk then we went to Frsh Market and picked up Hawaiian Salmon and a Shiraz Zinfindel blend wine that they were sampling from Toasted Head winery.
Later in the evening we watched Doubt with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams that I rented from Krogers earlier.

Heard from Judi. Dale is going to fly to Norfolk and speak at our convention. I asked Richard for a sentence on each speaker but no dice. He said maybe he'll send something Sunday. In the meantime, the Woodlands gave us a sign in web page for making reservations at our $99 rate. We went to Julie and Julia this evening in Apex. I really liked the movie. I find it hard to believe we have a stadium theater here in Apex. This afternoon Chem Dry through Home Depot came and cleaned the carpet on the back stairs and the Playroom. It didn't look too bad but I want to take care of it properly. Dinner was sliders using bean burgers and the Hawaiian sweet rolls from Tuesdays Violet club meeting.

I worked on organizing pictures and folders on Traviata which has been in a messy state. Libbie and I walked up to Seagroves. Lot 67 has sod and a nice steel fence separating it from the pond. This gives us a nice walking space without trespassing however part of the pond has a steep slope. Tried to get opera tickets at Brier Creek but they were all sold out. Found out that someone purchased $5,000 worth of tickets in one buy. They are totally sold out. While at Brier Creek we used the rest of our gift certificate to get dinner at Carinos. I had eggplant Parmesan, Libbie did also. This wiped out our gift cert, had to add $10 more which included a tip. When I got home I was able to get tickets to Tosca and to Hoffman at North Hills online.

Did not walk today but I cut up and moved the fallen tree in the front yard. It fell while we were away in Florida in late July. Hauled the logs down to the creek. I wanted to eat lite tonight so dinner was a BLT.

Surprisingly I have not heard from Vladimir overnight. He must be busy somewhere. Today is a disaster for eating. I had some donuts in Krogers then when I got home Libbie had the violet club here. The meeting was nice but I had a cheese danish and a large lunch with many glasses of sweet tea. The eating binge continued in the evening with another danish and two helpings of bean salad. Whew. I fine tuned the MAAVS web site today, need to check on room availability tomorrow since a few want to start working early. Did not walk at all today - no time. Will have to make up for it tomorrow.

Today was MAAVS day. I spent the time updating the web site and communicating with people. The event schedule is finally on the web site along with the hotel info. Still don't have speaker info and we're missing a third speaker. I also wrote the convention article for Vladimir and sent him half a dozen pictures to use with the article. It was a full day and hard to believe so little can require so much. Dinner was TJ's frozen eggplant Parmesan. Libbie cleaned the house today because violet club is meeting here tomorrow.