R2P4D13- 2.4 loss

R2P2 Highest Loading Weight 165.3 Daily Loss 2.4 Current Weight 142.9 LIW 143.5 Under LIW .6 Food Tracker: Steak day and tomato Exercise Tracker: 3.8 mile run/walk   Though I wasnt mandated to do a steak day yesterday, as I was only 1.8 over LIW, I really wanted to get back to where I was before my lancaster 9.3 gain.  So now Im back on track!  Yay, under LIW.  Good thing, since one of my new goals is to be in the 130s by the time I have my triathlon on August 1st, and to be closer to my goal than not (ie 135 or so) by the time of our North Wildwood, NJ vacation at the end of August.  Its so hard for me to lose without HCG, but Im going to do my darnest!    Masters was canceled yesterday thanks to thunderstorms, and Thurs night I have book club, so I need to make sure I get to the pool this week sometime.  I am also going to alternate days for riding and running, so today is a ride day.  Since its supposed to pour all day, Im sure that will mean Im on my spin bike...and Im going to do some Jillian as well.    Then tonight I need to coach my student clients from 4pm- 12:30am...that is always a rough night.  But Ill try to sleep in a little tomorrow (ie no 5:30am wakeup-hubbys going to let me sleep in), especially since tomorrow night is also one of my book clubs...Whew! What a week.   Talk with you tomorrow...

R2P4D12- .9 loss

R2P2 Highest Loading Weight 165.3 Daily Loss .9 Saturday Weight  144.8 Sunday Weight 146.2 Current Weight 145.3 LIW 143.5 Over LIW 1.8 Food Tracker (select Jul 11) Exercise Tracker (yesterday): Saturday: 70 minutes yoga Sunday: .5 mile open water swim, 12 mile bike   What a nice weekend.  Though it poured all day on Saturday, I had a nice yoga class in the morning, followed by lots of playtime with the boys during the day, and date night with Hubby in the afternoon.  We went to see Eclipse, which was pretty good, and then we had a delicious dinner at a local wine cafe- mixed green salad with goat cheese, aged balsamic vinegar, salami, and EVOO, and then for dessert, a little chocolate and peanut butter ice cream.    Sunday I had a little trouble getting motivated, but finally got myself in gear and drove up to the open water swim clinic that started at 8am.  I was very nervous, as I haven't been swimming as good at Masters since Ive lost the weight-cant seem to find my balance point as well, and I dont float as much ;)-so I thought it would be difficult to swim without my trusty wetsuit (which buoys you up so that you dont need to kick your legs).  I was pleasantly surprised that I did ok.    I wasnt very fast, but I was consistent, and was able to finish the 1/2 mile without issue or getting tired, despite the fact that I did my bike ride before swimming.  And the water was so nice and warm.   After burning all those calories in the morning, the family headed over to a cafe that serves organic and locally sourced food (the Down to Earth Cafe in Perkasie if any of you are near me)...and it was SO GOOD!  I shared a veggie panini and a roast beef club sandwich with my MIL, with a salad, and some cookies (and a couple of bites of turtle cupcake, which was warm and tasty like a snickers bar).  I ate just a little for dinner, since I was so full and satisfied from lunch, and  finished reading my book club book in a hot bath.   The book is called The Last Lecture, and lots of stuff came up for me when I was reading it.  Its about a man dying of pancreatic cancer that wants to leave a legacy for his children, and does so by creating/giving a talk that details all of the lessons he has learned throughout his life, and the experiences that have guided him to be the man he was.  It was a way for him to let his kids know what kind of man he was, what was important to him, what he wanted to teach them, and how much he loved them.      It brought up so many issues for me as a parent and a wife.  What do I want my kids to remember me for, what do I want to teach them, what would I do if I only had 6 months to live?  Would I care about the size of my waist-definitely not.  Would I yell when something spills-probably not.  I would give more hugs, take myself and my kids less seriously, share my love with my family, friends and strangers alike, travel with my family (yes, honey, if I had to, I would guilt you into it),  leave letters and create lasting memories and take lots of pictures for my boys to look at when I am gone.      It made me think about doing those things now...who knows how much time any of us have left...so why dont we live a little more and stop getting so bogged down in the minutiae a little less.     And I want to really get clear about the lessons I want to teach my kids, the messages I want them to take to heart, to embody, since I fear I am not acting in a way that shows them how much I love and respect them and want the best for them, whomever they are, their likes and dislikes, their dreams and aspirations.   We all know that actions speak so much more than words.      I run an autopilot most of the time, in that, when I am in the moment, I just react, instead of stopping myself and thinking about how my reaction may negatively affect my boys or my husband, about how what I do and what I say are not congruent.  I need to work much harder on that.    And there is so much more...   What would you do differently?

R2P4D9- 1.1 loss

R2P2 Highest Loading Weight 165.3 Daily Loss 1.1 Current Weight 146.1 LIW 143.5 Over LIW 2.6 Food Tracker: Cheese and apple day Exercise Tracker: 1650 m swimming (45 minutes)   Cheese and apple day with a few brussel sprouts thrown in (since I roasted 5 lbs of them to freeze and eat for next week and I needed to make sure they tasted good).   Not as much of a loss as I expected per reports of others doing this type of correction day, but I dont think my belly can handle cheese as well as it used to.  I felt bloated and ugh most of the day, and was lucky I talked myself into to going to Masters last night.  I followed that by a soak in the jacuzzi at the Y, and then topped it off with an hour of TV before bed.    Found out yesterday that we are NOT expecting, and it is such a relief.  Still no TOM, but Im assuming he's lurking out there in the distance, waiting until the least opportune moment to strike.  I wore white pants today just to see what would happen ;).   On the agenda for today: running for lunch, cocopops with almond butter for breakfast, brussels with onions, red pepper and garlic with chicken for lunch, and maybe some sausage on the grill for dinner.  Yum!   Next week I might do a cleanse.  If any of you are interested, let me know and Ill send you some recipes.  It will be mostly juices, salads, and oils.  We can share our responses and our results-If not next week, I will definitely do one in the Fall, and would love to include you all, my bloggy peeps.     So off to work and then off to the weekend.  Have a great one!  And thanks for all your support!

R2P4D8- 1.5 down

R2P2 Highest Loading Weight 165.3 Daily Loss 1.5 Current Weight 147.3 LIW 143.5 Over LIW 3.8 Food Tracker: Chicken (7 oz), Cheese (2 oz), Nuts (2 oz), Strawberries (6), 2 apples, Salad with Braggs Aminos (about 1100 calories) Exercise Tracker: 3.8 miles running/walking (lots of walking)   Another 1.5 down due to clean eating, and a little less than 5 to go.  Worked out again in the staggering heat, though it took me 39 minutes to run 3 miles; it is obvious I walked a little...well, at least a mile of it.  But not bad, since I did over 3.5...   Hoping to get on my bike today, but I'm feeling little like I dont want to do anything.  Case in point, Im doing a cheese apple day today, but Ive only had one apple so far since I haven't gotten off my butt yet to go to the store to buy the apples.  I might go to Masters Swim tonight, and maybe ride my spin bike later?  Not sure whats holding me back from riding my road bike, but whatever it is, I better figure it out soon-SheRox Philly is on August 1st!   Got any big goals this summer?

R2P4D7- 3.1 loss

R2P2 Highest Loading Weight 165.3 Daily Loss 1.1+2 Current Weight 148.8 LIW 143.5 Over LIW 5.3 Exercise Tracker: 3.6 miles running/walking, little ab work and pushups   So down 3.1.  Hard to believe I could gain so much in two days, and then it will take me a week to lose it all.  I lost 1.1 just after going to the bathroom yesterday around 11am...and then another 2 overnight thanks to the steak day.  I was going to do a cheese and apple day today, but all the comments I read (thanks girls!) and guides I consulted said to do a clean eating P3 day today and then another correction day tomorrow...so cheese and apples will be on the agenda for tomorrow.   Yesterday, my workout was TOUGH.  It is so hard to run in 100 degree weather.  My muscles were warmed up really fast, but my lungs burned from the heat.  And I tend not to run with water, so I needed to stop three times during my run to grab some from a water fountain.  And today, since Im in the office, and I have to pick up my boys afterwards and wont have time to go to the gym, the plan is to do the same today at lunchtime today (but maybe it'll only be 97 degrees).  Can anyone say glutton for punishment?    I like feeling strong, so thats what its about for me.  A month ago I couldnt run a mile, and now Im starting to like running.  Im not fast, but my body responds well after it is warmed up.  I can sing or talk when Im running, meaning it no longer gets me out of breath.  And the endorphin rush is addictive.  Who would've thought?  Last year, I was in pain when I ran due to neuromas in my feet and IT band syndrome.  And now that the weight is gone(and Ive gotten a better fitting shoe), so are those ailments.   I still have some knee pain when Im running, but I make sure to ice them when Im done, and take breaks if I need to.   And Im hopeful that Ill be making a PR at my tri in 3 weeks (holy crap, is it only 3 weeks away?...better get on my bike and get training!!!!).   Happy Hump Day...have a wonderful one!

R2P4D6- 9.3lb gain

R2P2 Highest Loading Weight 165.3 Saturday Weight 142.6 Current Weight 151.9 LIW 143.5 Over LIW 8.4 Exercise Tracker:  Saturday, None Sunday: 4 miles running Monday: 4 miles running, little ab work and pushups   Yes, you did read the gain information correctly.  I gained 9.3 lbs since Saturday.  WOW!  That is monumental, astonishing, and staggering.  Yes, I did eat whatever I liked while we were on vacation, though that also meant when it was really hot on Sunday at lunchtime, I had only an apple and some nuts.  Yes, I did go to smorgesboards twice over the weekend.  And yes, I indulged in dessert.  And yes, I know that some of that has got to be water.  But Holey Moley, Batman, almost 10 lbs!!!!!  I know this is going to take a while to come off.   I am actually back into Overweight BMI range, and am so disappointed in myself and my body.    I am going to need to own up to the fact that I can't eat sweets, not even in moderation, because it sets me up on this crazy spiral.  I am an addict and even small amounts can set me off.  That is very depressing.  As we speak, there are amish made oatmeal raisin cookies, frosted cinnamon rolls, and some homeade apple pie on the counter.  All of which Hubby will need to take to work for his coworkers to enjoy instead of me.  Or maybe Ill just freeze them until I get low enough weight wise to be able to indulge a little.    We were in Under Armour at the outlets yesterday, and some of the things I thought would fit were way too tight...now I know why, right?  So steak day today, and I hope it isnt too late to get that at least 2lb drop (since I should have done it yesterday)...and then maybe cheese and apple day tomorrow?  And TOM still hasnt made an appearance, which makes it almost 6 weeks late...maybe a trip to the pharmacy for a test as well-though if I was pregnant, that would really be a miracle baby, considering my one fallopian tube, and my hubby's V.  And I have no symptoms, so I still really doubt it...   If there is no baby in my belly, Im going to work hard, and fingers crossed this weight comes off in the next week.  And I will be starting a new weight loss program once Im back to my LIW based on behavior and thought modification.  It will be a lot of work, but no injections and I can still exercise, so Ill see if I can make it work for me.   Otherwise, R3 will start this fall.   On a brighter note, I ran almost 4 miles Sunday and Monday mornings.  The hotel we stayed at had a jogging path that was gorgeous-it was on the outside of the golf course, and surrounded by farmland.  I loved it, and I actually loved the running part of it too.  What is better than Coldplay on the stereo, at mile 3, watching a horse and buggy go by in front of a lovely farm under a beautiful fluffy cloud filled sky, feeling like I could run forever?  Not much...   And the funniest part of the weekend:  Hubby and I forgot to bring the bag that contained all the extra diapers that our sons needed, and thus we made a run to Walmart on the way back from a lovely dinner (just us) on Saturday night.  We got there and the parking lot was packed...at 10:00pm.  We were confused, but figured maybe they used the lot for something else.  So we went about our shopping and when we got to the checkout line we were amazed.  The lines were 10-20 people deep, and there were at least 10 lines open.  WTH?  It took us over 20 minutes to check out in the 20 items or less line.  And to think, we weren't even sure Walmart would be open at that time of night.  Those people really know how to party!   It was a wonderful weekend, and I am now getting back on track.  Thanks to hubby's parents for coming, we really loved having you with us!  Hope everyone else had a great holiday weekend as well!

R2P4D2- .8 gain

R2P2 Highest Loading Weight 165.3 Daily Gain .8 Current Weight 144.8 LIW 143.5 Over LIW 1.3 Food Tracker (choose July 1st) Exercise Tracker (yesterday): 2 bouts of Jillian (1st and 2nd level 30 day shred), 25 minutes light spinning   Succumbed to the evils of Bear Naked Chocolate Granola and Edys Grand Light Chocolate Ice cream yesterday...all due to upset, a 'throw in the towel' attitude and a 'I want to eat this' decision, coupled with mindless eating.  I seem to enjoy sabotaging my efforts, and am now bloated and up.  Today is a steak day (with a little chicken thrown in for good measure since Im starving).  I am also feeling very congested since yesterday and have a nagging headache.  Too much sugar, and maybe some new allergen in the air since the weather has been so nice after being so hot for so long, perhaps?  And still no TOM.  Whats another day when its already a month overdue, right?   I went to yoga early this morning and my congestion got worse, so much so that I decided to skip boot camp and come home.  I need to rest up for tomorrow, as we are going away for a few days to Lancaster, Pa.  We'll be staying across the street from Dutch Wonderland, a little gem of an amusement park that has a water park inside, so the kids (and I!) wont suffer too much from the forecasted 90 degree weather.  We will have a great time.   Im a little nervous though...its the first time since the start of this protocol in January that I will not be weighing myself daily (im intentionally not bringing the scale).  I am actually looking forward to not being able to check it, and will hopefully relax a little bit...who knows?   Workouts are definitely on the agenda, as are dripping in butter homeade amish pretzels, and my hopes are that I dont come back 5 lbs up.    I hope all of you have an amazing holiday weekend!  See you on Tuesday...

R2P4D1- 1.1 gain

R2P2 Highest Loading Weight 165.3 Daily Gain 1.3 (1.1 see below) Current Weight 144 LIW 143.5 Over LIW .5 Food Tracker (june 20th) Exercise Tracker (yesterday): 30 Day Shred Video Level 1 Day 3, 45 minute slow walk pushing both boys in stroller   I will never figure this weight loss thing out.  I ate about 1200 calories yesterday, only did that 20 minute video and went for a short walk, and then I gained 1.3lbs today (1.1 after second bathroom break).  And I wasnt eating crap, either: venison chili (homeade), brussels with olive oil, some nuts, a little bread,  lots of kohlrabi and red peppers.   WTH?   So, even though I know it shouldnt concern me,  Im upset.   I cant seem to lose weight without doing the protocol.  And that annoys me.  Our bodies are amazing, mine should be able to adapt to other ways of losing weight too.   One thing I havent told you though, TOM hasnt made an appearance since P2.  He was expected over a month ago, and no show.  I dont have any symptoms of PMS or pregnancy, and if you remember, Hubby had Vday back on  Mothers Day weekend.  So Im not really worried about having another little ball of joy (especially since then Id at least get my boobs back), Im more worried about what stress my body is still feeling that it doesnt want to release its juices (too graphic? sorry!).  And that when it decides to, it may be a most inopportune time.    And my belly is definitely not flat right now.  Maybe Im starting to build a little muscle and its pushing all the fat out?  How attractive.  TOM would be welcome right now, so I can blame this whole thing on him...   I really dont want to do another round in the summer-there is too much going on with parties and temptations, and then also training for my tris.  So I will need to wait this out and try to be happy exactly where I am, as I keep reminding myself and reading books about and all that.   The next time I get a wish, instead of world peace, maybe I'll wish for self love and acceptance without consideration or deliberation.    I think for most of us, that would be harder to achieve than world peace...what do you think?

R2P3D31- .6 loss

R2P2 Highest Loading Weight 165.3 Daily Loss .6 Yesterdays weight 143.5 Current Weight 142.9 LIW 143.5 Under LIW .6 Food Tracker (choose June 29th) Exercise Tracker (yesterday): 30 Day Shred Video (20 minutes mixed cardio/strength/abs) Met my new team during a meeting in NJ yesterday, and they all seem really great.   They took us out to lunch and  I had a wonderful meal: mixed green salad with balsamic and vine tomatoes, goat cheese stuffed chicken breast with spinach and asparagus, and for dessert, these to die for cinnamon chocolate chip cannolis, little cookies, cream puffs, and brownie bites (all of which I had little bites of,  and then more big bites of the cannolis-equaling 2.5 small ones).    Lunch was about 1000 calories, but I made sure to eat a very light dinner,  so no gain today.  Thats what I like.    Its getting harder and harder to resist the sweet stuff now that Im fully in maintenance...I guess I should switch to P4 up there, huh?  Its so much easier to eat from our limited P2 menu instead of having so many tempting choices, and I wonder why I dont put myself back there, since I know how to do it?    I think next week Ill put myself on P2 for three days (allowing for me to mix veggies, though), upping my portions, definitely,  to equal at least 1000 calories a day,  and see if that makes me drop.   I got my bike tuned up, finally (actually its borrowed from a friend), and went out on it for a few minutes this morning.  The brakes are a little squeaky and the gears seem to be sticking, but other than that its in good shape.  Ill take it out around a local lake bike path later this afternoon...because I wasnt in the mood to ride this morning.  Fight with hubby last night that has extended to this morning.    Gonna run and do the shred video now before my 9:30 meeting.  Hopefully my next post wont be as boring...

R2P3D29- 1.3 loss

R2P2 Highest Loading Weight 165.3 Daily Loss 1.3 Saturday weight 142.4 Sunday weight 144 Current Weight 142.6 LIW 143.5 Under LIW .9 Food Tracker (pick June 27th) Exercise Tracker (yesterday): 1 hour walk with hubby and kids   30 Day shred Level 1 Day 1 Complete!  Have a training this morning, and its really hot outside so I don't really want to run,  so once all the kiddies and hubby left for their days, I popped in the DVD, ready to finally finish the 1st level.  Gotta admit that 1st set of exercises kicked my butt (jump rope, pushups), but the second two sets were pretty easy.  Once I get the 1st set down pat, I think Ill push on and see how tough the second level is.  What a difference not running before the video makes ;). Anyone know how many cals that 20 minutes is supposed to burn?  Im trying to put it in SparkPeople, but only found one of their videos comparable so Im guessing 130 calories?   This weekend was HOT!  We had a good time though.  Took my biggest with his friend to see Toy Story 3 on Sat, and we all loved it.  Then Hubby and I went for out for our usual Saturday day night to our favorite restaurant (1st time Ive been back since R1P4 in March), and dined on delicious food, and then ice cream for dessert.  Yesterday, since I was up 1.5 I decided to do a steak day, that morphed into a nut day, and then three hamburgers at a birthday party with tomatoes on the side and a piece of sausage day.  A little weird, and not as much loss as a traditional steak day, but it worked ok.  Im still shooting for the holy grail of below 140, and ultimately 130 or below, but for now, I look and feel good, and thats the important thing.    I just wish this heat wave would go away.  That reminds me, need to go water the plants before my meeting.    Have a great day!

Pic at 143 lbs

Just after yoga this past Sat morning...



Kelly Scotti Founder and Director, Flying Dragon Wellness Www.flyingdragonwellness.com

R2P3D26- .6 loss

R2P2 Highest Loading Weight 165.3 Daily Loss .6 Current Weight 143.1 LIW 143.5 Under LIW .4 Food Tracker (choose June 24th) Exercise Tracker (yesterday): 40 minutes swimming (1300 m)   Working summer hours today so leaving in 7 minutes to run lots of errands before the start of the weekend, one of which is picking up doggie prozac for my Samantha.  Too much anxiety, poor girl.  More on that later.   Had a piece of ice cream cake again yesterday (stand alone, not at a meal) and still lost today.  I think food combining may be an issue for gain with me.  Ill have to test that theory.  Either way, Im back under LIW, and hopefully still on the downward slope.  I want to see that 140 again soon, and then even lower.    What about you...what are your short term goals for your weight and health?  Would love to hear an update.

R2P3D25- .7 loss

R2P2 Highest Loading Weight 165.3 Daily Loss .7 Current Weight 143.7 LIW 143.5 Over LIW .2 Food Tracker (pick June 23rd) Exercise Tracker (yesterday): 3 mile walk/run, 13min/ml pace (it was hot!)   So I ate a piece of the mint chocolate chip cake that a friend brought over for Hubby's party yesterday.  It was vanilla and mint chocolate ice cream loviness with chocolate syrup and a graham cracker crust.  Heaven on a fork (since it was pretty frozen).  I ate pretty well the rest of the day, and I really wanted a piece, so I had it, and two other sweets for the day, and really enjoyed every bite.      And today Im not craving it, even though its just sitting there minding its own business in the freezer.  Well, lets not think about that.  Today for lunch I have a cheese and bean burrito from Whole Foods, and for breakfast I had an apple with almond butter.  Yummy.  I also have some pulled pork in the frig, some more brussel sprouts, a salad with lots of veggies and goat cheese,  and some hummus.  Lots of good choices to eat today.  And I want to fit in a swim sometime, despite the thunderstorms that are supposed to creep up this afternoon/evening (and for which our Y pool closes at the first hint of thunder or lightning).  Im going to give my legs a break from running today, I think...   Today is Hubby's actual birthday, and he doesnt want to do anything.  I got him a few kitchen must haves for a present (things he wants that I wont mention til tomorrow in case he is reading).  I bought myself a present as well: a Ken Onion Shun knife set from woot.com that is gorgeous and I cant wait to try today.  The knives are supposed to be world class, extremely sharp, lifetime warranty...they are sold at William's Sonoma and other high end kitchen stores.  I have wanted one of those knives for a while now, but each one is between $100 and $300, and I couldnt really justify the purchase.  But now that Im seeing clients again this year, and can write the purchase off as a business expense under the guise of needing them for cooking classes, and because they were almost 1/2 price, I decided to get them.  And now hubby and I can both enjoy them.  I will actually be able to cut a tomato or a pepper without having to slice each section a million times.   Yay!  Small pleasures...so wonderful.   Off to the vet for a routine doggy check...have an amazing joy filled day.

R2P3D24- .2 loss

R2P2 Highest Loading Weight 165.3 Daily Loss .2 Current Weight 144.4 LIW 143.5 Over LIW .9 Food Tracker (pick June 22nd, though not completely filled in) Exercise Tracker (yesterday): 3.3 miles running at 12:30pace Still so exhausted, another bedtime before 8pm last night.  This morning I felt refreshed, though, so I think Im finally catching up.  Ran in the heat again yesterday, but my legs were tired, so I walked a few blocks more than the day before.  Tried to donate blood, but 1) my HGB was too low (12.3 and rechecked 11.9-have to be 12.5 to donate), and I don't qualify to donate double red cells anymore since Im under 150lbs.  That was so funny!  The last time I donated was in October before my HCG journey, and it obviously wasnt an issue then, so they probably didnt even mention it to me.    All that extra water consumption for naught...   Today Im hoping it wont be too hot to exercise at lunch.   Its supposed to be in the mid 90's and that might be a little much for me, though at least my muscles would be easily warmed up.  Yesterday I finally broke out the Jillian 30 Day Shred video, but quit after 15 minutes because the intro was so long and I had to leave for an appointment.    Im going to try again tomorrow (since Im in the office today)....are any of you guys doing it?  Do you like it?  I couldnt do it all (the 15 minutes, I mean) since I had just come back from my run and was really tired.    Enjoy yourself today, ladies!  Its going to be a beautiful day...

R2P3D23- 1.1 loss

R2P2 Highest Loading Weight 165.3 Daily Loss 1.1 Current Weight 144.7 LIW 143.5 Over LIW 1.2 Exercise Tracker:  4.16 miles jogging at 11:16 min/mil pace   Still totally exhausted from the weekend.  Planned on going to Masters Swim last night but fell asleep before 8pm and woke up at 6am. Today I am busying doing training for my new position, and I also plan to run at lunch, if my belly starts feeling a little better, that is...it seems to be annoyed at me for consuming 2oz of nuts and succumbing to the 16oz monster Diet Mountain Dew this morning.  I dont do well with aspartame, but I seem to fall privy to its charms every so often (hubby is going to have to start hiding it again).    Later I will have a lovely massage and donate lots of double red cells-it is much better to donate those since they can use everything in its donated state, even though the donation takes an hour instead of the normal 20 minutes and you cant donate again for 3 months.  I urge you to donate if you can, esp O neg peeps.    Little disappointed about only losing 1.1 from my steak day (since I lost 3 the last time), but I guess the protocol is right...you have to do it exactly the day after, or the affect is greatly minimized.  I just hope this extra 4.7lbs come off this week...Im going to refer to my correction days ebook to see if there is anything in there I can try.  Originally I thought a nut day would work today, but not if my belly isnt going to cooperate.  So maybe Ill do that tomorrow...   And just to let you know, no dishes or the dishwasher was harmed in my mad dash to clean for the party.  All of the dishes are now residing in their proper place (yes, the drying rack), and the box in the basement has been inventoried and emptied.  MGM, I definitely would have used the dishwasher as a store all, but it didnt have enough room ;)!  I did find a few pens in there though !?!>!?!>!>!?!?!?    Heres hoping your day contains lots of good and interesting surprises...like maybe Ill finally get a chance to read your post today! Love to you all...