Keeping My Boss Out of the Box

So, my boss is interested in the diet program.  It's great to know that people want to make positive changes and that, perhaps, I've helped to inspire that... but, I'm not sure it would be great to have my boss in the box at the same time I am.  That might be a little to close to home... I mean, work.... for me. 

I can't even imagine her sitting in these classes.  She is not going to be able to take the comments these people make.  Plus, I just don't think she would like this diet.  I think the shakes will be too much for her. 

Besides, it's hard enough doing this for me... what's going to happen if she gets in this box with me? 

Inundated With Fat

My friend, Preston, inspired this title when I told him how I was spending my day. I'm at the Obesity conference all day, hosted at Pennington. It's a great event, and I spoke again this year. Yes, as I mentioned before, a thing I dread... being a fatty talking about obesity. Just seems wrong. I felt more comfort this year (being 25 pounds lighter) speaking about our obesity initiatives but still felt like a hypocrite.

Like he said, "you are just inundated with fat!" Well, he's right. Sometimes it does feel like I'm inundated with fat. Fat class, fat programs thru work, fat clothes, fat conferences.... hmmm, I guess that's just going to be the story of my life.

Latest from Lola

Lola is down 14+ pounds in 18 days on the Spa Treatment plan (fruits and veggies). Still wondering how my diet is suppose to be the one where you lose the most the fastest?!? Anyway, here are some notes she took from her fat class this week.

"Quotes" are paraphrased, but accurate:
 
PB2 Lady (yes, the same lady who said she would make peanut butter.  it hasn't come up again, so either its bad and she doesn't want to say or she loves it and doesn't want to say):  "Is it a problem that I have 6 *&#@ shakes a day?"
 
Instructor:  "No, more is better.  If it takes you 6 shakes, go ahead and have them."  We then have the standard 5 minute lecture on the more is better, blah blah blah blah AND her standard lecture on how to make thick shakes, blah blah blah blah blah blah.
 
Student Behind PB2 Lady:  "Did she say snickers shakes?"  (It takes her a few minutes to realize the mumbled part of her earlier statement was the word 'Snickers'.......this information of course gets the attention of everyone in the room -- literally, there were audible gasps from the crowd.)
 
PB2 Lady:  "Yes.  They are delicious.  I could eat them all day long."  Most of the class is now sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to hear about this.  Could it be possible, you can have Snickers on this diet?  The looks on some of their faces -- I mean, how could they have missed that in the first class.......
 
Instructor quickly steps in and explains that the "Snickers Shake" is the S/F, F/F, butterscotch pudding and the 1 TB of PB2.  As she is giving receipe, she reminds everyone to only have 1 TB of the PB2 per day because it is 50 calories a serving. 
 
Student Behind PB2 Lady:  "So, we could have one of those a day?"
 
PB2 Lady:  "Oh.........only 1 per day.  I have been having 6.  Do you think that's why I have only lost 3 pounds in 4 weeks?"  (the text here doesn't do it justice....it's like a lightbulb went off in her head as she realized she's been consuming at least 5 times the recommended serving of her beloved PB2 for the last 3 weeks.  I also think she is having it elsewhere which is why she sounded so guilty when she said it.  Most of the class then outwardly blew her off and will now not listen to another word she says.  it was actually noticeable that she went from hero to loser.)

Fat Class Recap 9

We had a motivational speaker Monday night. In 2006, this guy weighed 515 pounds. His triglycerides were 433. Today, he's 235 pounds with 84 triglycerides. My favorite part was how he hated the food in the box... the entrees. Had an "aversion" to them. So, he had to make some compromises.

His story was inspiring. And, his before photos were helpful. It was a great change to have someone real talk about their journey. He still attends classes. STILL. That made me think. I'm going to have fat class stories FOREVER. :( But, I guess that's how this works. If you want to change your life, then it's not an overnight trip.

After his testimony about being "in the box" Ginah announced that as of last week, our group had already lost a total of 314 pounds. Sounded pretty good. Then Paulie started to really think about it. Here's what she sent me the next day: "OK...so follow my math here...If our class of say 18 lost 314 lbs in 8 weeks, that is an average of 17.44 lbs per person.  Since this was as of last week, let's say you and I each lost 23 and Jed said he has been averaging 4/week until this week so he has approximately 30.  So of the 314, 76 was the 3 of us.  So that leaves 238 lbs for the other 15 to lose.  That's only 15.8 per person.  I know some of the guys have lost more than that so that means some have lost less than 10?? In 8 weeks??? I would shoot myself!"

She's right. The drinker really hasnt lost much (wonder why). And, the shoeless wonder has been inconsistent. And, like she said, most of the men have lost very large amounts. So, what are these people doing? Why are they still in the box?
 
For the record, I was about 2 pounds down. Paulie was 4 and a quarter down, I think. Anyway, she's definitely ahead of me in the weight loss. She's doing great! What's interesting though... they said that my diet was suppose to yield the highest results faster. That doesn't seem to be the case. Ah well.

Jed interrogates Paulie and I before class started to find out the secret recipe on some things. He doesn't cook, as he has told us many a times. So, he said he had to supervise his wife cooking the recipes. I can only imagine how that went. Apparently, they just didn't turn out like mine.

Cathy reminds us again of her reflux. At this point, I really couldn't stop laughing. I thought I was going to get busted. Some things really don't need to be shared with the entire class.

The drinker comes in 60 mins after class starts. Interesting technique. Bet she doesn't get hounded about a makeup.

Everything Looks Delicious

Tonight is Fat Class 9.  I'm down 23 pounds so far.  I'm doing great, right? 

Let me just say that I thought this far into the diet would be easy.  I'd be use to not eating other foods.  I wouldnt have cravings or desires.  I would be strong and able to stay focused and on track.  WRONG.  Everything looks delicious right now.  Everything!  Everything is tempting and makes me want to cheat.  Seriously.  Even stuff that I know I don't like is causing me issues.  Like, last night.  My husband made crabcakes for the kids.  They smelt like fish sticks in the oven and I thought I was going to jump on top of the kids and scarf down their serving before they could.  And, I hate fish, fish sticks, crab cakes, etc.  I really do.  I'm one of those few people from the south that really has an issue with seafood... (other than shrimp - I love shrimp). 

And, what's worse... I have been feeling so very hungry the last few weeks.  It doesnt matter how much of the food I eat, I still want more.  I feel like I've really really enjoyed the more is better theory.  Only, I'm not "enjoying" it since I'm not really interested in eating any more of their food. 

As I type this, I'm starving.  I already had a shake.  Now I'd like to drive thru McDonalds for a breakfast meal... and I hate McDonald's breakfast!!

Sick and Tired

This is the second time while in the box I've been having series sinus issues.  The last was the first of September.  It's amazing what a toll it takes on me.  I feel absolutely sick and tired.  I have been going to bed at about 8 pm every night this week.  I'm sneezing constantly, blowing my nose nonstop... it's a mess.  I hate it.  Also, nothing tastes good... never feel satisfied taste wise.  And, I'm too tired to exercise.  Makes it difficult to get any physical activity in. 

Sniffle, sniffle... sneeze, cough....

Fat Class Recap 8

Class was long and boring again this week.  But, there was still enough to report on.

I started with a very long one on one with Ginah about my challenges on Thursday.  She was very interested in learning more about how I "problem solved."  Then, through discussion, she learned some other things I do (like write down my outfit each day and what exercise I do on the log and I regularly take my measurements)... and asked me to talk to the class about that when everyone arrived.  I did, but I always feel stupid talking to everyone about that stuff... like, "look at what I do and how wonderful I am" when really it's sorta personal.  I write down those things for various reasons.  One, as I lose weight I know my clothes will fit differently.  I was to know how it might have been just a week ago I wore a certain pair of pants and now they are too big.  Or, perhaps I have a week when I don't lose weight... how did my measurements change (by the way, on those two times I didnt lose a pound -- those were my biggest loss in inches).  And, I note my exercises to see if there is any correlation between them and weight loss... maybe I didnt lose much one week, were my workouts intense?  I dunno.  I just like information.  But, that doesn't mean it works for everyone else.

The drinker returned and informed me that she had not cheated ALL week.  No drinks.  But, she lost less this week than last, so she's going back to booze. 

Jed informs the class there is a nonalcoholic, low calorie wine and everyone gets excited.  Ginah was not excited about this conversation and discouraged the use of this while in the box.  I googled it while in class and Paulie made plans to pick some up on the way home.  The drinker said, "no alcohol?  Why bother??"  Gotta love the drinker!  Then someone said "well 4 ounces of wine is only [however many] calories!"  The drinker interjected, "FOUR OUNCES!?! What good is FOUR ounces?  That's just teasing!"

Later Jed asked Ginah if they could make something that people could snack on.  (A regular topic).  There is nothing to snack on for those on the All Inclusive option. 

Jed said, "like popcorn?" 

Someone else said, "Or crackers!" 

"Fruit snacks?" said another.

Then the drinker said, "Or how about cheese and crackers and a glass of wine!!!!"

I distributed the oatmeal chocolate chip muffins and they were a hit.  Jed asked me to come over to make a batch.  Paulie distributed some incredibly delicious sugar free gum.  The drinker moaned incessantly while chewing which sent funny looks.  But, it was tasty.  I felt like I was giving mine a pretty good chew!

Baking in the Box

I discovered a couple of recipes this week and decided to test them out this weekend.  I was so tired of the shakes this week that at least 2 of the days I didn't make any.  I just couldn't do anymore.  After all, I've been eating the same foods over and over for 6 weeks.  So, any addition is a nice addition.  In fact, I tried vanilla puddings for the first time and WOW!  They were excellent.  It's not that I like vanilla puddings.  Actually, I don't.  But, I like being able to incorporate other flavors in as puddings -- cheesecake, banana, lemon, etc...  (and if you use PB2 powder, you can pretty much make peanut butter!).  The vanilla puddings definitely had an impact on my intake, as I noticed I ate a lot more this week.  They keep saying "More is Better" so let's hope the scale agrees.

The first recipe I tested was for pancakes.  Or, should I say for pancake, since it only made one.  A big one.  But, ONE nonetheless.  See below. You use one vanilla pudding pack, a smidge of maple flavoring, and a few ounces of diet ginger ale.  It turned out okay.  Not bad.  The only problem is that it is pancakes with no butter or syrup.  So, what's the point?  Right?  It was a bit bland, but different from the norm. 

After I finished the pancake experiment, I went onto to another project.

I made a big batch of chocolate chip oatmeal muffins next.  They were really pretty good!  I used 3 vanilla puddings, 3 cereal mixes (minus the fruit), and 1 chocolate bar.  The recipe made 36 mini muffins.  So, it ends up being about 6 per serving... and that equates to 1 shake and 1/6 bar.  Not too bad. And, it's a nice change. 

Incorporating a bar into the recipe was my idea... and it was great.  Today when I tried them, the chocolate really added a lot to the taste and felt more like real food! 

I put aside 20 of them for class tomorrow night.  It will be like Show and Tell!

Deadbeat Club

They're the Deadbeat Club

I was out of the box last night briefly for a trip down memory lane... to see the B-52s in concert.  I didn't eat off of it, at all.  But, I did enjoy some wine.  I'm trying to be picky about when I'm off -- just special occasions so as to not over do it.  It sure was fun.  I danced a lot at the concert.  So maybe all that PA (as we call it in class, physical activity) will make up for the vino!  Either way, it was fun and I have no regrets!!  It was also great to have to buy a pair of jeans for it... since all mine were too big.

With my buddy Bob at the pre-party!

Her Name Was Lola...

A friend from the office (we'll call Lola) has recently signed up for the program.  She's been on a week and had her first weigh in this past Tuesday.  In one week, she's down 6.5 pounds!  Pretty awesome.

It's fun to have another friend experiencing this with me.  It's also funny to learn about her classmates.  Apparently, her fat class is as full of characters as mine is.  

She sent me this on Wednesday.  Very funny!!  Welcome to the box, Lola.  :)

Favorite Lines from class:

·         Student:  “I just had to have me some fried chicken.  Before I knew it, I was in the car driving to Popeyes.”  (please note that this was shared at a totally random time in the meeting)

·         Student:  “What do I have to do to buy some of those bars….I have got to have them.”  Instructor:  “We do not encourage use of the bars, in fact, I wish we didn’t even have them.”  Student:  “Well you do have them and I NEED them.”  After some discussion on why she NEEDED them…….Instructor:  “I will sell you ONE bar for the week” (one bar, not one box).

·         After someone brought up the existence of the BB2 powder [this is the peanut butter stuff we can add to shakes] which was did not please the Instructor.  Student:  “I’m going to make peanut butter by mixing water with the BB2”.  Instructor:  “that is not allowed in the program, do not make peanut butter”.  Student:  “I can have water and I can have BB2 powder, right?  I plan to make peanut butter.  I’ll let you know how it tastes.”

·         

·         Student: “The beef/bean enchilada tastes like octopus”.

 

The Dreaded Midweek Call

Every Thursday we are required (there are a lot of requirements in this program, if you haven't noticed) to call into Ginah and report our progress.... the dreaded "midweek call."  We are suppose to call between 10:30-11:30 am every Thursday.  Well, I never do it at that time.  I accidently forgot once when I was presenting at a conference and she fussed at the class so much the next week that I decided I would never do that again.  Her line of reasoning for fussing too was ridiculous.  "If you were all calling in when you are suppose to then I'd have more time to call you to check on you."  What does that mean?  So, she will call us after we call her just to see how it's going?  I really don't understand.  Also, we pay for this.  So, isn't it her JOB to call??  I dunno.

Anyway, I have it on my schedule now so I will never miss.  I generally call in at 6ish, right after my morning gym and when I am certain she wont answer.  We are to report total number of "meal replacement" we've had so far.  Meal replacement is what they call their food.  It's a weird description.  So, I call... "Hi, this is Christy.  It's Thursday at 6 am.  I'm calling to report my stats.  I've had 9 shakes, 6 entrees, 1 bar, no fruits and veggies, 1200 PAs (Physical Activity calories burned)....." blah blah blah.  Then we report on our homework -- yes, we get two assignments a week.  By mid week call I generally have no memory of what they were and just say I have completed them both.  Then confirm I will be at class next Monday.  Usually at this point I hang up.  But, today.... well, today I don't know why... but I decided to say more.  I explained that I was about to have a challenging day... not in terms of my commitment to the program but just uncomfortable situations.  I was out of town all day for meetings and had a scheduled lunch meeting with a Hospital CEO and then a function today we were sponsoring and expressed my level of frustration and embarrassment around having to be "in the box" professionally.  I assured her I had "problem solved" (she loves that phrase) and had an insulated bag full of food to keep me focused.

Within a couple of hours Ginah had called back and left a long message offering support and creative "strategies" around my challenges.  These all brought me to tears... laughing.  One thing she suggested was going to the restaurant prior to the lunch and telling the whole staff there about my situation and ask them to be discrete while I order nothing and ask them to heat up my entree and pretend it's a menu item.  She also said I should bring an entree that is most like the food they serve there. (We were in St. James parish and fried shrimp and catfish were the biggies-- we don't have those yet in the box).  I played Ginah message to my colleage who was aware of my situation and we laughed so hard.  I had decided to tell the hospital administrator that I was on a Pennington study.  That seemed noble and less embarrassing than explaining my inability to manage my own health... then we realized the hospital administrator might be smarter than both of us and might ask hard questions around it.  So, I decided to just order coffee... which threw the waitress into such a panic.  She said (after a huge sigh of shock), "ARE YOU SERIOUS???"

I drank coffee and no one even asked why that was all I ordered.  Then, I gobbled up one of my puddings while in route to the next meeting.  It all worked.

Ginah asked that I please please get back with her about my challenge today and let me know how I did and if her "strategies" were helpful.  I just haven't had time yet.

Oh well... off to my evening event.  We'll see how this one goes..... can't wait to update Ginah.

Fat Class Recap 7

Lets start with the stats. Absolutely no weight change. Surprisingly, I'm okay with it. I seem to be experiencing a pattern with big losses then none. And since I am down 20 pounds in 6 weeks - I am oh kay!

Ginah got the video to work. She put it on first. That is, after she harrassed Paulie a little more about missing class last week because THEY canceled on Labor Day. Grrrrrr. Then she left the projector on for the remainder of the class so we could see the windows logo projected for 90 minutes behind her while she was back on the overhead projector. Here's another thing to mention about the overhead technology. The proection is never focused and the information is always blurry!!! This class might make me thin. But, it will make me blind in the process.

I want to introduce you to the drinker. She sits behind me and apparently cheats a lot. She once admitted to Ginah that she had a glass of wine and Ginah fussed at her. On Monday she confessed to me that she still drinks....she just doesn't tell the teachers. The drinker says she doesn't nearly drink like she use to. Now she just has a glass or two of wine every other night. She also confessed that she cheated more this week than most (it's good to know she's consistent in her cheating) and she still lost almost 2 pounds. I'm guessing that may have reinforced her behavior some. The drinker regularly announces to the whole class that she can not wait to drink again.

Jed leads a discussion on cravings for crunchy foods. Ginah mentions a recipe for crackers. I have, of course, made it and interject, saying they really don't come out as crackers. Jed ask if I can bring food regularly and wishes he could eat at my house. Apparently, he is not a cook at all. And when he attempted to make the soup, it came out as "a big bowl of slop.". And he went on to say, "It was like dishwater!!" It was suggested and strongly encouraged that I bring soup crackers for next class. I really don't need extra work, fat class mates.

40 Days and 40 Nights

I've now been in this box for 40 days and 40 nights.  Aside from the alcohol I had Thursday at the Saints game (a very special occasion), I've been in the box pretty much the entire time.

Some days it's very easy. I love how I don't have to make decisions and on super busy work days it is so easy to just do shakes.  The physical activity component is also easy for me.  We're asked to get in 2000 calories of it a week.  I always get over that. Many times I'm near 3000.  But, this week's trip to NOLA made it a little difficult for me to get as much in.

So here I am 40 days and nights later and 20 pounds lower.  That's huge!  It feels like the last 10 pounds flew off, honestly. And, I'd say 70% of the time, being in the box easy.  Very easy, actually.  But, that 30% of the time that it is hard, it can be really hard.  Sometimes it's just plain ol' cravings.  I want popcorn, peanuts or pretzels, alcohol or triscuits.  Mostly, as you can see, I just want a salty crunch.  I try to distract myself with a walk or another project.  But, sometimes it's unbearable trying to get past the cravings.  The other part that can be hard is dealing with social outings.

This Thursday we went to the Saints game.  I had already decided I was going to enjoy the night.  We had planned this evening for months.  I felt like I deserved a bit of a break.  But, at the same time I didn't want to see all the hard work I'd done go down the drain.  I was also worried about how my stomach would take foods out of the box.  I have heard stories from other that the stomach doesn't digest them well - and it hurts!  So, I planned all my meals.  I ate entirely in the box.  I brought a small, single blender for shakes (which I only had to use once), cooked the entrees before hand and kept them in a insulated container.  So, I didn't eat -- just had a couple of drinks in celebration.  And, that first glass I had of wine (see below) after nearly 40 days without tasted so good.  Can you tell by my expression? 

Here's hoping the next 40 days are as good.  Cheers!!

Fat Class Recap 6

Fat Class was canceled Monday night - due to Labor Day.  We were "expected" to attend Tuesday's session to make up for missing on Labor Day.  Paulie had to leave after weigh in, as she already had a commitment on Tuesday night.  They are still after her about making up that class.  It's not her fault the holiday fell on Monday and class was canceled.  Sometimes this program is a little frustrating.

Paulie missed all the fun.

Ginah holds up overhead for class to
follow along after bulb blows out again.
Can you see it?  We sure couldn't!

Ginah, our instructor, has this thing for the overhead projector.  She LOVES to turn it on and off constantly throughout class.  Last week she blew out the bulb.  It's not the first time she's done that, either.  I started counting this week how often she turned it on and I tabulated at least 9 in 90 minutes.  At the end of class, which I think was the longest 90 minutes in my life, she tried to show a video.  Only, Ginah couldnt get it to work.  She turned out all the lights and we sat in the dark for a long while before one guy in the class finally got up to check the projector.  By then, it was pretty much the end of class and we were dismissed.  Surprised we don't have to come back some time this week to make that up.

Fat Class Mate tries to get projector working.

Jed was absent, too.  Wonder if he's getting harrrassed. 

Showing off the box food to a friend before class.

I got to class early with a friend of mine.  We were leaving a meeting a block away and wanted somewhere to regroup on work stuff.  I suggested the lobby of fat class.  Since she's been following my progress in the box, she was VERY interested to see where it all happens. 

After I weighed in (and was down another 5 pounds!!) I showed her the room where we have class and where I usually sit.  She observantly noticed my spot was next to something on the wall that looked like an escape hatch.  If only....

It rained again for fat class.  That makes 6 out of 6 weeks in a row when it rained.  Spooky!

Hard to Blog When Death is Around

I hate that I haven't had time to update for a week.  This week was a hard week to blog.  In addition to an already hectic schedule, there was the holiday and its festivities, the Saints game Thursday and then, sadly, three people I know died from cancer this week.  That was, of course, really sad.  I knew all three were very sick and had a feeling on Sunday that their deaths were forthcoming. 

One lady, Darsella, I hardly knew. She and I appeared in a couple of company commercials recently.  I met her at the filming, in the makeup stage.  While I was only able to have a few minutes of her overall life, I remember her incredible personality and happy spirit.  We learned that she became very ill after we filmed the commercial and was never able to return to work. 

Debbie.  On Sunday of last week I kept thinking of this woman we go to church with who has been very ill.  In fact, I had been thinking of her so much the last few weeks, I finally sent a message to her saying how much she had been on my mind.  Sunday, the church talked a lot about her and Sunday night I could hardly sleep.  I tossed most of the night.  My husband called me Monday morning after I had left home to ask something and Debbie's photo came up as his contact picture.  (My contacts have been jumbled some the last few weeks).  He was calling about the kids and I didnt mention it.  A few minutes later he text me about Debbie's death.  She died the day before her 60th birthday.  Debbie was a really special woman.  Very upbeat and happy, always had such a positive attitude. When I did Dancing With the Stars, she sent sweet notes (in the midst of battling cancer).  Over the last few years I kept running into her (once on a flight, then at one of our check presentations for work, then in a store).  I always enjoyed and appreciated her positive outlook.  And, her death was especially sad to me. 

Ken.  The last death this week happened last night.  He is the father of one of my closest and dearest friends, Mike.  And, I've known him and his family for almost 25 years now.  Mike lost his mother only three years ago. It's hard to watch a good friend lose someone, especially a parent.  Mike and I are so close that his father's death feels like a death in the family to me.  I brought him lunch today.  Popeyes. I said, "I know that if my dad died, he'd want you to bring me Popeyes."  My dad loves Popeyes.  I don't know exactly where Ken stood on Popeyes.  But, Mike laughed and enjoyed!  I was very good and ate in the box.  Mike's dad was famous, at least that is what I thought growing up.  He was the most famous dad I ever knew.  He was an elected official and I remember thinking that was glamorous.  Later, after I "grew up," I realized he was human and  like my father in certain ways (incredibly well know and influencial).  I really got to know Ken a lot more the last few years.  We shared a nice conversation a year or so ago at an LSU football game and enjoyed a fun and financially rewarding race at the tracks on his horse earlier this year!   He will be missed...especially by Mike.  My heart breaks for him as he mourns this loss.

Just wanted to explain my online absence and recognize the lives of those lost this week.

32 days and counting....

Here I am.... 32 days into the box.  And, I'm still alive.  At least 15 pounds down, too.  I haven't weighed at the gym at all this week.  One, because I'm trying to keep from being obessive about it.  And two, because I've been sick most of the week and skipped the gym two days in a row.  I've got some sinus problems or a cold or something.  I've never been good at determining any distinction between those sorts of things. 

This weekend will be my first "holiday" on the diet.  Labor day isn't typically known for it's speciality meals.  But, three days of unstructured family time will bring some challenges.  I have noticed that I want to eat more on weekends.  My job keeps me extremely busy.  I feel like I just run from meeting to meeting for about 10 hours a day.  So, I don't really think about eating.  A shake or bar is actually very easy.  On weekends, it is definitely harder.  I'm not running nearly as much (though we do generally stay busy) and we are more social.   I try to add some physical activity to those times when I want a snack.  I get on the treadmill or take Brody (the dog) for a walk.  That helps.  But, I anticipate this weekend will be more difficult than most.  The only good thing about this cold/sinus stuff is that I feel like nothing taste good.  Maybe that will keep me from wanting non-box foods?

One thing I have noticed is my clothes are getting a lot looser.  Hooray!  I actually write down my outfit on my diet planner each day.  I figure if don't I end up loosing weight one week that perhaps I can look back and see where my body has started to shift and clothes have become looser.  Outfits I may have worn 3 weeks earlier are now almost too loose to wear.  It's a great way to show success.  And, I need all the opportunities for reinforcements I can get!

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!