Geez Karen, I've never heard that one before. Though today you could actually do that. It's spectacular, mid 70's, no wind, the grass is sorta green, so why not?

Happy May Day to one and all

Picked my horse, picked my mint for the Juleps and am ready for the KY Derby! Will tear up when they play "My Old Kentucky Home". Never got to the Derby but have been to Churchill Downs a few times and it is really fun. And don't forget ........... "Hey, hey its the first of May ....... outdoor screwing begins today!" (that is from my past neighbor in Pittsford, VT and I feel compelled to pass it on every year)! Enjoy!

Wow I could figit for quite awhile if it burned 400 calories. That wonderful!

Fidgeting to lose weight is a little farther than I am willing to go, but the web site that I found claimed that all that nervous energy is good for burning about an extra 400 calories a day.

Boy Richard, with that list I ought to be skinny as a rail. I spend 6 hours a day walking back and forth in a class room that's twice the size of a normal room. It's also on the second floor so it's up and down over and over. I have read where figiters tend to be thinner. All that nervous energy is burning calories. I'd like the answer to uncorking the champagne.

The restaurant is on Topanga Canyon, Roland. It's called Inn of the Seventh Ray. Nice setting, nice music, good food--a lot of organic stuff. It's kind of New Age. A lot of hippies and nudists (I've been told) live on Topanga Canyon.

I like those exercises, Richard. More my style than the gym!

I'll try to remember, Karen.

Any official word on how many calories used to uncork a champagne bottle??????????? Lori, the answer to your question is August.

Pat, it punchman@joimail.com. Did you copy? No punchman1@earthlink for quite awhile. Yes, I've had some problems with Outlook Express too when I first used it and occasionally thereafter. On the note of the physical thing. I have always tried to take care of myself as its almost too late now. I am not into the gym thing but have many interests and being a couch potatoe was never one of them. That restaurant sounded great Lori. And in the LA area too!!!! What town or area is it? Richard, there is something to that list. Its again forming better habits. Like the one of parking furthere and walking a few more steps. The food thing does work to an extent and coffee has been one of my vices and I have cut back quite a bit but only to replace it with select loose teas (green being one)

Don't under estimate those finger excercises. Here are some ideas for burning calories that I just found on the internet:

Tap your feet
Swing your legs
Drum your fingers
Stand up and stretch
Move your head from side to side
Change position
Wriggle and fidget
Pace up and down
Don’t use the internal phone – go in person
Use the upstairs bathroom
Park in the furthest corner of the car park
Stand up when you’re on the phone
Clench and release your muscles

And here is my favorite: Eat Spicy Food. There is evidence to show that spices, especially chilli, can raise the metabolic rate by up to 50% for up to 3 hours after you’ve eaten a spicy meal.



Drinks containing caffeine also stimulate the metabolism, as does green tea.

I don't break much of a sweat that way Lori, not sure how many calories I'm burning.

Finger exercises? I'm pretty good at that one too!

-Yeah, I worry that I waited too long to take care of my body. I'm a work in progress. I want to be sure to be healthy and active when I'm a grammy! Ooo that felt funny to say. Dave is way too active, drives me nuts. I can't begin to keep up so I've stopped tryng. We do different things for fitness. Though we both enjoy golf. I'm awful at it but sometimes I like it. Only when there aren't people behind me so I don't have to worry about holding anyone up. Most people ask to play through. I keep my fingers slim and strong by using my keyboard everyday!

Glad you had such a wonderful and lengthy birthday celebration Lori.

Better to concentrate on the ping pong shot than the other things, Richard! Karen, when is your birthday?

I worry about things with my body, like not ever developing a slam shot in ping-pong that is reliable (and I'm still working on it). I worry about other things too and have become more active and careful in hopes of avoiding all those bad things. What I don't get is why I waited until 50 to care.

Gee Lori, I can't weigh in on that .......... I am only 49!!!!!! Haha!!!!!!!!

Hi everyone and thanks for the birthday greetings! It's been a sort of extended celebration, instead of 1 big party. It started with my 80-year-old friend, Blanche, taking me out to lunch at a Chinese restaurant. The next thing was a few days later--going out to eat with Avi and the kids and with my brother and his wife and kids (they're visiting from Vermont). We went to a place around here that was new to me, and I always like going to new places. My daughter's boyfriend and my son's girlfriend also came. It was also a celebration for his girlfriend since she and I were born on the same day. And yesterday my friend, Irene, took me out for the day to see some nice gardens where a dance performance was going on, and then for dinner at the Inn of the Seventh Ray, a nice place in the forest and near a brook (not typical L.A.) and then to a concert in a church--Albanian music. So I didn't get to MOCA, Richard, but I have been there before. I didn't celebrate yet with Avi's family, so maybe the party's not over yet! I'm having fun, but for some reason being 50 has made me feel suddenly aware of all the things that can go wrong with the body. That probably sounds pretty morbid, especially when there's not really any reason for me to feel that way--just a few minor things that you need antibiotics for. Did any of you feel like that?!!!