Carboncat

Thanks for that. Our starter house here in San Leandro (which we can never leave) has wood siding under (ugh) aluminum. I peeked under and declared "Nope". I know this probably belongs in Small Talk", but I really appreciate the interchange. The local weather channel has been warning for days that temps starting Sunday won't climb out of the the 50's and with wind chill might FEEL like 50 degrees. I'm breaking out the fleece and fuzzy boots for this.. My husband is chomping at the bit so we can retire to Nevada, where they don't have weather, except hot, power lines are underground, and few earthquakes. I still need to keep on working. My high school best friend went to an East Coast school (I forget which). She lived in an apartment in Waltham, Mass. She wrote me how freezing cold it was, all the time, and how she slipped on the sidewalks. I cant't navigate ice either!

Small bowls (thus serving sizes) really do help. As for getting older, yeah, what the hell happened? Getting old sucks, but (let's say it together,now) it sure beats the alternative.

My husband's family is from Morristown, NJ. It is really nice there, and the Dunkin' coffee was good, but the ordering system is weird. Last time there was summer at the height of a California drought. Green grass! Rain! OMG! The freeways are really confusing, like a luge course with cloverleafs. I was designated driver,and we passed our destinations many times while I tried to figure it out. It didn't help that our rent-a -car had Kentucky plates. It screamed "rube". What I found out was if you are upfront and real, people there respect that.

I guess I stand corrected. I thought they said she had prior WLS, but maybe not. I can't imagine any doctor would have approved her, and Dr. Now didn't investigate any complications

For what it's worth, as a child growing up in California in the 60's I thought of Boston as a cultured "New England" place, with its Revolutionary heritage, colleges, brick buildings, and in the countryside, white clapboard farmhouses. And snow. We don't get snow. It is so picturesque on Christmas cards. I never understood what you mean until the 90's when I read Dennis Lehane novels. I actually LIKE New Jersey! We've probably got more in common than we really know, or want to admit... They are even bringing Dunkin' Donuts out here. Naw, it's not that good. OK, but not great. Also the Kennedys. I associated them with Massachusetts, New England, et. al. "Because it is haaahhd", going to the Moon, that is. And "Cuber"!. Am I showing my age? Anyway, my love to Boston and its 3 story Victorian flats, like in San Francisco. Question: All the siding in photos look like aluminum. Is that because wood can't survive freezing weather?

To me, looking back on this episode, which flew by lightning fast after my hiatus, it seemed flat, fake and unsatisfying. I got no sense that Gina wanted to really lose weight, had any sense of her disorder or despair at weighing 600lbs.. any self-awareness at all. Plus, she previously had WLS which failed. Everybody on camera--wife Beth, family, friends, everybody looked like they were inflated by helium. It was surreal That sad, almost sordid wedding of the bloated, sorry I just don't have words. I am so sad for these folks. (Sorry peeps, I've been away awhile.) Where is the passion, the despair, the fight against a pernicious addiction to food, the fight to self-awareness and the strength to lose weight, get healthy, and use your past as timber for your bridge to a better tomorrow? Instead we get infantile whiners like Gina, with her stashes of cheese (for "salads") and her bitching and abuse. Can't even stand sitting on a chair at wedding rehersal. "I don't think that I can make it, 'cause it took so long to bake it....." I don't know why M600lb life even wasted time with her. At least Dr. Now canceled surgery; but the bar is slipping. As much as I want to hate her, she's not evil like Anjie J. she's just clueless. I

Just please don't come to California...!

Makes it a lot easier to just skip it. I feel that way about margarine.

Especially since Styrofoam clamshells are their usual dinnerware.

I don't remember any pounticipants complaing about the shower. Toilet and bed, and WTF hardwood floors. But most of these folks, if they can get takeout and flop down are good. They already showered in Scene 1.

SHAPING UP??!! That's good!

Hi, everyone! I'm finally BAAACCK! Either haven't been home, and the laptop had issues the last 2 Wednesdays. Working through all that bready, greasy food looks exhausting, like it's a chore to keep on shoveling.

Love it too! Wow!

At this point, where there is still no beloved Live Chat, I record and skip the ads that way.

I'm glad you keep juice and tablets by the bed. I always worry about choking even with the tablets. As a non-diabetic I recognize certain signs in the middle of the night: twitching of the legs and arms, and sweating. Also sleep-talking that's incoherent, like "Where's the remote?" when there's no TV in the bedroom. My husband reports a feeling of "falling". Please take care; I understand the need for medication to control damaging highs and the risk of a plummet. Love to you and fellow Pounders!

Roses are fierce, and I have many. I planted bougainvillea--purple and pink all along the back fences. In 2005 they were overgrown, and doubling back on themselves. One July day when it was 105 degrees in the kitchen (I was reading the paper) I heard a groan and crash from the back yard.. The prickypear cactus in the corner of the yard had collapsed in the heat and took all the vines on the fences with it. Bouganvillea disaster! The whole yard was filled waist-high with sharp, sharp sharp bougainvillea. Took weeks to get rid of, plus had to ferry cactus paddles and trunk out to street yard waste on a furniture dolly after whacking it apart with a framing hammer. Cactus is heavy! Unfortunately, a few years later we had a cold snap in December--it was 22 degrees. I went outside that night and watched 2 of my 3 vines literally turn black and die. We garden at our own risk.

Yes, year round fruit and fruit in the yard, in our case plums oranges and lemons. We found out a few years ago that the number-one fruit for roof rats are lemons! Also opposums! By the way, lemon trees are mean, with 2' spiky thorns like a medieval weapon. The way to prune is to hook, snap and bring down branches while they're young. And wear gloves. Sure smells good, though. My grandpa, who I was very close to, like the son he never had. "Let's open the barn in the morning!!" (At that point it was basically a garage with no room for a car...) He was one of 13 children, and used to tell me fond stories of stealing watermelons with brothers at night in Fresno. They would crack them open and eat them in the field. When they were caught, they were already full. I enjoyed this stuff over donuts at Winchell's with his retired Teamster buddies. The streusel was the best. The "older" folks even back then used to complain that : peaches, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, etc... don't taste like they used to. Maybe so.

Thanks, this is a really unfortunate reality for many. My husband is practically the only one of his 10 (then) sibling that is not overweight. He still developed type-2 at 33. I remember the constant peeing, the weight loss (!), the burning feet. He is doing better since the eliminated glipizide and cut back on the other meds. He is a total fruit-a-holic, always has been, and here in the fruit paradise of California it is difficult. I find peaches, plums whole melons hidden in th e meat drawer. I'm tongue in check of course (me? it's SUGAR-FREE jam!) Oh! I forgot grapes. But add that to wine for a diabetic it spells trouble, and because he often won't eat to compensate for the calories, it's not good. All the time we were raising kids we hardly drank at all; it was hard enough to get up in the morning. I'm reminded tonight of one of those "commodity" commercials they played on TV in the mid-70's set to music "Peaches.... Plums.. California fruuuiittt… deeelicious!!!!!..…..(bump-pa bum...).but not filllliiinnngg!....Calififornia fruuuuiiittt! Maybe 1977. So hokey, but cute! Thanks for the concern; I know we digress from show topics, but this diabetes affects so many of us. Please take care.

They have given him injections. Usually they stabilize him and have me make a peanut butter sandwich. I've inquired about that, but was given no real answer, like that wasn't possible. I should inquire again. Most of the time these episodes can be solved in10 minutes with juice and sheepishness "I did WHAT?" Without the drama, trauma and expense of 911. It is so concerning, though. You always wonder, what if I don't call and he's in real trouble, or even dies? His sugar has been as low as 24.

I am sorry about you brother. Diabetes is horrendous.. My husband's mother, father and all 10 siblings had it.. My husband is about the only one who is not overweight, but even so this has affected us greatly. It started when he was an Eagle Scout dad and he burned his shins at campfires (and didn't notice) to the point of gangrene. Wounds that don't heal, neuropathy where I'm afraid he'll slip in the shower, and he's blind in one eye and can't see well out the other (from diabetes-related macular degeneration). He does stringently watch his diet EXCEPT FOR WINE, which he steadfastly refuses to accept that it's no good. He's like an anorexic saying 90 lbs is good!.....80 even better.... So we regularly have 3:00 am crises where his sugar drops into the 20's and I have to call firemen. He sweats, rolls on the floor and babbles, or worst of all one night burst out into choruses of "Raindrops are fallin' on my head"... "YOU take the goddam juice!" "YOU take the damn glucose pill...! He weighs 165, I weigh 105. What can I really do if he won't take the juice or pill? I'd love to see these cute firemen fully clothed with makeup and teeth in. I was with a dear co-worker when he had to call for welfare check on a diabetic sister in distant Merced (we work in Oakland). Unfortunaely she passed away from diabetes and never pressed the alert button her brothers gave her. I was in the company truck when he got the news; so sad. We are all getting older, we do the best we can for ourselves and our loved ones. We can only try our best, pray and scary as it is know there's an end of the line for all of us.

Hi to everyone! My heart goes out to anyone in the Dallas area impacted by the tornadoes. I can't imagine how frightening a screaming tornado is in the middle of the night, and how devastating the destruction. My husband is going on a business trip to Las Vegas tomorrow and is taking the laptop. So no live (rerun) chat for me Wednesday, but I look forward to unfettered housecleaning, and no Thursday Night Football. Thursday is supposed to be in the mid-90's. Whatever happened to the "nip" of fall? Why is Christmas stuff in the aisles at Walmart? When can I wear long sleeves, or even (gasp!) a sweater? Why do I have to be tan and do my feet for sandals into Thanksgiving? No politics intended at all folks, but I think the climate is changing, regardless why. Just on the riff of road hazards dating back to Vianey's mattress flying off their pickup: Today on commute radio I was warned of a "medium sized" propane tank on the freeway, A small tank would be better if you hit it? Driving back to work from Hayward at 3:00 traffic was delayed by a violent overturn for no apparent reason but driving too fast. WTH? How the heck do you DO that? And 680 freeway was delayed not only by major grassfire, but also overturned boxtruck that spewed nails and screws all over 4 lanes, AND a motorcycle accident. This is the 3rd nails accident in 3 months. What gives? In 1998 I was caught in a nails spill on the way to Carpenter Apprentice school; flat tires all around, cars running out of gas, flat tires all around. I turned off my engine and busted out the cinnamon Pop-Tarts. Everyone else was going to be late, including the instructors. You've just got to love it or you'll go crazy. I can't wait to retire!

Even 7-Elevens offer salads ,so I totally get you. And it's always possible to order the simple hamburger from fast food places instead of the triple-patty glop-burger (or two). And no thanks I don't want fries with that.

Yes I noticed the huge slices of bread. If he wanted to help he could fix open-faced, un-mayonnaised sandwiches. Like many family members/enablers on this show they are overweight too, just not as much as the pounticipant. They could all stand to do the diet and get healthier. When 300-400 pounder family members sit with their pounticipant in the exam room (usually #5) on the initial intake I wish Dr Now would jam them up more. You are all overweight and the whole household needs to change your eating habits. It's sometimes painful to watch the "normal" family members who are clearly obese scold and ration the pounticipant. Family counselling would help a lot, as well as info about food and nutrition So many seem truly clueless. I agree that Ray is probably a "feeder".

My retired husband has discovered "beyond" burgers and sausage. He fries them every day, with peppers and onions. I wish he wouldn't, but it's tasty. Cats won't leave me in peace when I eat, but I don't think veggie burgers are good for them. Mac and cheese is my comfort food and I'm making it now. Don't want to touch tater tot casserole right now. Have lost pesky pounds that made my jeans uncomfortable and want to leave room for beer and wine, my weekend essentials. Thanks for the kind thoughts about our dysfunctional planned power outage here. So much unclarity and stress. We Americans endure hurricanes, blizzards, floods, earthquakes, etc... I feel for you all fellow Pounders (Americans) with this. We just past the 30'th anniversary of Loma Prieta Earthquake in northern Californina. It is one of those things where people ask "Where were you?" like when JFK was shot. BTW when Kennedy was shot I was in Ohlbergs Market in Fresno with my mom in Fresno, CA. The day of the earthquake in 1989 I resigned frim my job (had another lined up) and left work at 2;00. Was a weird, hot, dusty day with tension in the air. Otherwise at 5:04 I would have been on 880 freeway leaving Berkeley. Later spoke to a colleague driving a box truck who was literally the last one off as the freeway collapsed in his rearview mirror. I dove under a table as the World Series browned out on the 3rd floor of a wood Victorian. It swung and swayed, but held up just fine except for the brick chimney. We were without electric, gas, or water for 4 days. They had a shaking re-enactment exibit at the DeYoung museum in SF. I used to take my young son to this science museum a lot when he was young, but I never wanted to go on the "re-experience Loma Prieta"ride, No thanks, once is enough. I feel like I can share some of this local color with you because I feel I have internet friends across the country with a common interest as Pounders. Thanks for the fellowship in these hiatus times. Looking forward to Live chats!

Yes, it seemed she was cold and dismissive of his fears. She could have smiled, patted his hand and winked "just don't look".