Bits of Bios

[Finelly]

Wow, we have expanded TREMENDOUSLY in the last two weeks! More and more people are joining STACked. I am SO jazzed.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to each give a short bio of ourselves to introduce ourselves. (I know, we're doing the 5 minutes of fame thing, but it will take a long time for us all to go through that cycle!) I'll start.

I am 44, married to my incredible dh, with four kids, ages 20, 18, 15 and 11. My ex husband is our close friend and we remain a tight family.

I live in the San Diego area, which I consider paradise. I love to read (romance novels by Nora Roberts, Johanna Lindsey, and Roberta Gellis; royal biographies; history of early christianity and Judaism), play on the computer, and hang out with my kids and dh.

I am Jewish and I keep kosher.

I am a person who adores color: My living room is purple and copper, my bedroom is purple and red....well, you get the picture! We collect persian rugs, art glass, and other colorful (of course) art.

I am a special education teacher. I taught kids who are emotionally disturbed for 6 years and this year I am moving to an elementary school to teach kids with mild learning disorders in the 4th, 5th and 6th grades. I LOVE teaching. I LOVE the kids, and I am really excited about changing schools.

I did Atkins last year from May through August and lost 40 lbs and 3 or 4 sizes. I'm back, having regained it all, and have lost 16 lbs and 35.5 inches in 8 weeks. I feel GREAT and look much better than when I started.

That's me!

[cleochatra]

Re: Bits of Bios

It'll be so nice to learn a little bit about everyone here! This is a snazzy idea, Finelly! Thank you for thinking of it!

My name is cleochatra and I'm an Aquarius (which means I'm horoscopically blonde).

I also have four kids (aged pre-teen angst, wears his pants backwards, needs deodrant and still loves Teletubbies).

I was raised a Jew but am now a Christian with a sufficient amount of guilt (not gelt). I don't generally discuss religion, but recognize it as free expression so long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of others. I'm pretty open-minded, but also opinionated.

Hobbies include: ADBB, decorating, wood working, furniture design, reading, writing, playing with my kids and politics.

I'm politically active and am an activist for positive change when it needs to be made. I've served on a city board and hope to again at some time in the future when it doesn't impose on my family time. I like being a part of the solution when it comes to issues, and try to take action when it can be taken, even if it's in a very small way.

I'm a geek who reads textbooks on public finance for enjoyment, was an english/linguistics major in college with a social anthro minor, coupled with french. Of course, that was years ago, but I could still relate the bifurcate merging system in iambic pentameter if I thought about it hard enough. Which, in the real world isn't as useful as a roll of duct tape, but it's good entertainment at parties. Though duct tape could be, too.

I've been married for 15 wonderful years to my soulmate.

I've was first introduced to the diet in 1983 when my dad lost a lot of weight on it while bedridden with a back injury. The diet was huge in Germany in the early 80's, and that's where he was!

I'm a spaz, and sometimes I talk too much, and I like to sniff stuff, like donuts, to help keep me on track sometimes!

I was my highschool mascot and voted "Most Sprited" in high school, which explains my behavior of spazziness a little bit!

*hip bumps to everyone*

[Laurenfra]

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Great post Finelly
I am Lauren wife to Art and mom to 5 wonderful kids aged 8-27. I am also mom to goats, ducks, chickens, cats, dogs and whatever gets dumped on my land.
3 Years ago we sold and packed up our house in NJ and moved to 5 acres in Southern Texas.
I am a christian and very active in my church. I am a principal and teacher in a small christian school in my town. I also teach English as a Second language at night to the Mexican community here.
I would love to have hobbies but I have no time(I iron everything) I do love to read and study, usually church history or Biblically based fiction, but I have little time for it.

[Sallyb]

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Hi All, my name is Sally

I am 38 on Monday, have two great children (aged eightteen and nearly one), brought up as a catholic and still remain so.
My various hobbies are; Health, food & cooking, sport, horse, my job, reading, travel, family and knowing how other people live i.e cultures(not in order).

I'm planning on running the London marathon for the third and last time in 06, but regaining my fitness after several recent surgeries is going to really hard.

I also live with my soulmate Paul, children (Noah and Joseph) three cats, dog, tropical fish and 3 horses.

I first tried the Atkins diet 2 years ago in preparation to go on holiday and the weight fell off, however I fell pregnant whilst on the holiday and came off atkins.

I am considering taking a place at medical school but am concerned that I am too old. I completed 3 years of medical study 12 years ago and gave in as I was anti orthodox medicine -life has now taught me a few lessons.

Thats all I can think of at the moment.

[Terry]

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Hello!

Lets see

I am 44 years young, married to my best friend for 23 years and we have to children that I am enjoying watch come into their own adulthood. Hubby is a truckdriver and DS is 18 and in classes for his class A licence and wants (at the moment) to be a truck driver. DD is 17 and is looking at accounting after HS. The both graduate in June. This is senior year at my house times 2!

Hobbies: I love to read (Nora Roberts, currently now..... Harry Potter, Nicholas Sparks and dabble in historical autobiographies from time to time.), gardening and of course!

I am a kitchen manager at the local elementary school. DH and I volunteer for the Maine Professional Drivers Association, of which I am currently secretary, help with company driving competitions on the weekend and run the occasional food booth for them. It has been a family thing as both kids have helped over the years as well. I am committeed to death between work, union and MPDA. Am currently learning the art of how to say "No".

I began Atkins in June 03. Lost 65# and began to dabble in low carb, falling into all out binge eating returning to the old ways of eating and eventually gained about half of it back. Not exactly sure of the amount as I refuse to get on a scale. I returned to Atkins woe this past June and am concentrating on good health not what a scale says. I have even decided not to measure routinely. I only want to make this a life time woe and losing the weight and smaller clothes are defintate benefits.

Oh and I'm Finellys sister separated at birth. starmaker is a distant cousin.

[Kiasmama]

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Hi all. I'm 39 though I only admit to 29....I live in North East PA where we just had a nice summer....finally. I don't have any kids, but I have a parrot, a cat and a dog...so that keeps me busy enough. Bless you mothers!!

I like to play all sports, especially softball. I do a Triathlon here and there and would like to do some 5K 10K etc. I'm coming off my second ankle surgery so still (not so patiently) waiting to get back in the groove.

I started Atkins....a few time ....since the surgeries cause I've turned into a slug. I was used to eating what I wanted cause I would burn the cals off so weight wasn't really an issue. But...tis now so. I enjoy all the foods and all in all feel much healthier on this WOL. I can't wait to really test it out on some long runs. It will be interesting.

Besides that I enjoy woodworking...and landscaping...that kind of thing...and I do some website design on the side. My brother has the biz, but it gives me something to do from time to time since I'm laid up.

I guess that's enough rambling for now.

elle

[pjade1]

Re: Bits of Bios

Hello everyone, I am 43 yrs. old, happily married for 11 yrs. and have two stepchidren, who did live with us full time but now have families of their own. Yes, I am a grandma too. My 26 yr. old stepdaughter is married and has a 6 yr. old daughter and a 4 yr. old son. My 22 yr. old stepson has a 2 yr. old son.

I am a crane operator at a Navy shipyard, work full time and then some. My hobbies include training and showing my 5 Shelties. You can see them all and me at www.xcelshelties.com. I am the one pictured in the performance pages and also the gallery. The skinny lady is a professional handler that showed my dogs. Some of the pictures was when I was thinner and then starting to put on weight. I am much heavier now than in those pictures.

I also like to scrapbook in my spare time and play with computer graphics and digital photography.

I am Christian so it is great to see so many of the STAC members are my sisters.

I started Atkins in August last year and stayed on it for about 7 months and lost 15 lbs then gained back some of that. I wasn't following the plan very well and mostly maintained after losing the weight and then went carb crazy again. I just started back up on July 28 and am feeling much better now. I hope to reach goal this time around.

[LOWCARBINCLEVELANDOH]

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My name is Sharron and I LIVE in Cleveland Ohio. I put the word LIVE in capitals, because like Zorba the Greek I believe in grabbing at life, not just existing from day to day.

My religious path in life has taken many spiritual turns, as I was raised Catholic and then spent 15 years in the Mormon church, until I left at age 32. My spirituality now consists of a strong prayer and meditation life based on Christian principles with alot of new age thrown in, as I have done alot of research on life after and between lives.

I began singing as a late bloomer around age 26. I discovered that I am blessed with a 5 octave voice that can make some amazing sounds. Afer a decent amount of training I landed the role of Caiaphas (YES AS A WOMAN) in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar. That was 1991. I have been in about 30 shows since then. I measure my life by which show I am in at the time..oh I did that during Camelot, or I had that illness during Evita.

I usually play a lead every couple of years, or at least a featured role in almost every show. I am and always have been pretty heavy. The theatre I do most of my work at is color blind and for the most part size blind when It comes to casting. For instance, the cratchits in Christmas Carol recently had an african American father, A jewish mother and had 1 African American, 2 Puerto Rican, 3 white and one ASian child. It's just that kind of theatre. in alot of ways, it is my family.

The other part of my family is Phantom, aka Booshie, my 58lb. Keeshond mix black furry baby doggy who I spend my life with. As I work in my insurance job she guards the house the air conditioned comfort of my bedroom. She's 8 years old.

I work in the insurance industry and i guess I enjoy it. I don't look to my job to fulfill me. It's pleasant, stressful and pays the bills. And it is OVER at 4:30. I don't give it much more thought usually. I do have a wonderful understanding supportive boss who I worked for for 4+ years.

I listen to talk radio at my desk at work and I am a big fan of Glenn Beck who broadcasts nationally in the mornings. He is a sick freak and helps me laugh at the world. Also I am a fangirl of Josh Groban, Rufus Wainwright (hence my avatar), Davyy Jones and Hugh Jackman.

I spend much of my social life with people who are younger than me...ALOT! When you do theatre, you learn to regard people as FELLOW ACTORS, not labeling them by age as "teens" or "College kids" and I have learned that when you don't label peopel you find out you have alot in common with just about everyone. My best friend is a 17 year old high school senior named Mikey. He is amazing, and his parents are totally cool with our friendship.(his mom took some winning over...I think she though I was Michael Jackson!)

I ended a 6 year relationship with a musician about a year ago (almost to the DAY!) and I have decided that he was a good example of why they keep musicians in a place called the pit. Enough said! Nothing new at the moment, since most of my companions are college age guys and gay men. I would have to have a straight guy fling himself on the hood of my car to meet one. But I really am happy and OK without a love interest. My love interest is me for once and that is great.


I spend most of my leisure time rehearsing for shows or watching sitcoms and my guilty pleasure, reality TV. There will be alot less time for that once rehearsals for Godspell start in September.

Well, I guess that's me in a nutshell.. and I truly fit the Nut part!

[LOWCARBINCLEVELANDOH]

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PS. (PJADE1)Linda, your puppies are so cute they made me squeal with delight!

[Eileene]

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Hello... I am Eileene.....37 years old...married to David for 4 years now. We live in Utah but Im from the Chicago area. I met David online on a spiritual web site and a year later he came to visit me a few times. Then I moved out to Utah with him to be married. We are followers of Jesus' life and teachings. We are not Mormons even though we live here in Utah...everyone asks lol...

We have our own business....Appliance Connection.

We have 5 children ages 3, 8, 9, 10, and 16. (blended family)

We have two pooches and three snakes and one lizard and one tarantula lol....

We just bought a house and I am starting to learn how to garden. I plant it. It either grows or it dies.,...I plant more lol...

I used to be a Montessori preschool teacher. I also ran my own daycare for 9 years.

Next month I start training to be a Medical Transcriptionist and plan to work from home.

I was on Atkins once before and kicked bootie...then got really sick with strep...and lost control. Each time after that...I couldnt get back into ketosis...or some family member from Illinois would come for an extended visit...and being polish.....we were eating lol.. They are all gone...I am back in ketosis...and David is doing this with me again. But its slower this time around....which I hate.

Um....I love Star Trek TNG (only), King of Queens, and Chicago Hope. I like to read non-fiction when I get a chance to read. I prefer spiritual type literature.

I have two other sites. One is a moms message board called The Friend Place. Its a small intimate board for moms to come and share their lives and kids. I am the ADMIN there. The other board is a closed religious forum and email list.

We sponsor children from Christian Children's Fund. And we enjoy looking for ways to reach out and connect with others. I occasionally do counseling online...and used to counsel teens in need.

I am bold, outspoken, loyal, honest, playful, weird, organized, creative...a leader....and very tired....I stayed up to 4am talking with my hubby.

<yawn>

Hope everyone has a GREAT Sunday

[Lisa M]

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Well, I found my way to this side of the board about 3 weeks ago...has it been that long? I feel like I've been in journal land and have neglected my STAC friends...unintentinally of course, because without you, I would not have had the support or encouragement to make it further on to my first month.

That being said, can I still be a STAC member, or must I turn in my STAC wings <snif> I really <snif> don't want to.

Okay, so here's me.

Married for 12 1/2 years and I live on the boarder of Idaho and Oregon...what a place to live when you're Low Carbing right? Atleast we have fresh onions fall off the trucks on the main road out by my house...all the fresh onions a person can have. We moved here from Ohio a year ago last march...and we're still getting use to the country.

My Dh and I have two wonderful girls, 4th grade and 1st grade. You'll hear a lot about them because they are my first job and my life.

We have a Bichon Frise, aka: white fluffy dog that looks like a poodle, named Oscar...he's actually one of the kids, making the kid ration go up to 3.

My number one job is being a SAHM...aka: Stay At Home Mom, and my 2nd job is being a full-time student at the local community college. I am currently a Sophmore working on my Elementary Education Degree...should be graduating next Spring with my Associates in Art. I chose to go back to school because I knew I would be bored once both girls would be in school and I would need a job to support my shopping habit....oh, and help pay for those things called bills.

I've began Atkins countless times...a few people on the board could be witness to that. However, my parents (divored and remarried many decades ago) both have health issues that I need to be aware of and as of this past July 28th I began my quest to clean out the inside of me and get a fresh start on the outside as well.

Along the way I've met some really great people on this board and have done a few things in the past month that the 14 heavier me would have passed up. Who would pass up the opprotunity to play basketball with their kids? Nope...didn't pass that up for a second, or playing waterballoon fights. Yep, it's all about learning to be fun again.

Wow! It seems a mile long later of this post....I'm done! (and the crowd goes wild).

Have a great evening, Everyone!

[Lisa M]

Re: Bits of Bios

My name is Sharron and I LIVE in Cleveland Ohio.

Hey, Sharron!

Just had to ask if you knew of a "little" city just west of Cleveland called Elyria? We moved from there March 2004 to here in Idaho. We miss the Cleveland Zoo, riding the rapid, watching the Christmas lights in down town square, seeing plays at the PlayHouse Square, and enjoying the sights. Sounds like you're having a great time there!

[LOWCARBINCLEVELANDOH]

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ah yes, Elyria.... Of course I have heard of it..home of 44035 zip code, Midway Mall and Lotsa bikers!!

With my Mormon background I also know a bit about Idaho. I am sure you are experiencing a bit of culture shock!

As a lifelong Clevelander, I am very spoiled culturally. People don't know about the wealth of artistic culture here. I kind of like being just "our little secret!"

Many Whooshies to you!

[Lisa M]

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Yep, there's a lot of culture with every type of religion out here.

lol...Elyria...land of the expanding Mall's and resturants, and horrible freeway off-ramps!

Glad you're enjoying Clevenland with everything that has to offer!

And to you, Whooosies around!

[Finelly]

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Gosh, I'm embarassed to say that when my family speaks of ****, we refer to it as "Cleveland"..............

I guess we'll have to think of another name......it's a good thing Jews don't really believe in ****, anyway!