<–she wears snow shorts!

This winter, the DC area has escaped snow storms left and right. All of the snow that has hit the East Coast has somehow missed us by just a few miles. Sure, we’ve been getting 2-3 inches here and there (and even a 5 incher), but nothing unmanageable…

…until today!

I’m definitely more than ready for spring to come, but a crazy snow storm is always just so magical.

***

I had a snack of trail mix + chocolate chips before lugging my butt to the gym to catch Ellen’s Birthday Episode (Happy Birthday, Ellen!!). This could only brighten up my day!

And brightened it up it did…

Today’s episode may have been one of the funniest episodes of Ellen…ever. I was hysterically laughing while incline walking on the treadmill. I had to cover my mouth a few times as not to disturb the other gymmers.

My dream job would be to work for The Ellen Show. How awesome would that be?!

I incline walked for 55 min. and did arm weights during the commercials (~15 min). I went from feeling blah and lethargic with a migraine headache, to feeling energetic and lively.

Thank you Ellen, thank you endorphins!

***

While working out the weather went from hail –> freezing rain –> snow. The 0.7 mile drive home was a scary one! This isn’t a blurry photo. The snow was comin’ DOWN.

Not to mention I wore shorts to the gym, as I do everyday. Who wears snow shorts?

For a post workout snack, I had a perfectly fried egg on a piece of toast with avocado. On the side, I had some greens with pasta sauce.

Orange and Greek yogurt x2.

***

For dinner, Peter prepared eggplant, fish and some other dishes. There were 5 plates total…for 3 people.

Scrumpsh!

***

Before I go, check out the comparison shots I took throughout the day.

2 PM

5 PM

7:30 PM

…and it’s supposed to continue for a few more hours!

***

Off to gawk at the snow s’more and then watch some American Idol + Australian Open. Have a great night.

Tell me: One thing that brightened your day. And snow…love it? or over it?

A good friend of mine in high school used to call someone a “dorkus maximus” when he/she was having a majorly dorky moment. It was all in good fun (not used in a bullying way!). I mean, let’s be honest here, just by saying “dorkus maximus” you ARE equally as dorky.

The phrase randomly popped into my head while writing up this post. I really let my inner dork shine this morning. In case you thought you were the dorkiest of all, picture me holding floss in one hand, my camera in the other, all while parading around the house looking for a good photography spot.

I win.

There’s a good reason…

Guess what? I’ve flossed every single day this week. That would be more times than I flossed in all of 2010…and possibly my whole life. It’s starting to become a habit and I’m almost to the point where I feel weird going to bed without flossing.

I cry at the thought of getting cavities filled, so why set myself up for even more painful procedures down the line? I take pride in staying healthy and that certainly includes my teeth.

I mean, have you Googled “benefits of flossing” yet? Here’s a good MSN Health article and one on Benefits of Flossing Daily. <–read these if you need convincing!

In less than a week, I go from tricking my dentist into thinking I flossed to being an advocate for daily flossing.

***

I may be flossing, but that doesn’t mean my chocolate consumption has lessened. Last night, while on a yogurt run (did I just say “yogurt run?”), I found Dark Chocolate with a Touch of Sea Salt on SALE.

I’ve had other brands of chocolate with sea salt, but this was my first time trying the Lindt brand.

I die.

The sea salt accentuates the chocolatey flavor to no end. It makes me want to sprinkle salt on my regular dark chocolate bars now.

Pretend I didn’t say that.

***

Onto breakfast. This was more like my pre-workout snack as I am about to go to the gym now.

The last slice of bread #5 topped with Greek yogurt and mashed ‘nana slices.

Frothy coffee. The heat factor really is the key to frothing success.

Quick and digestible.

Breakfast of dorks.

***

I also poured myself a ramekin of Cocoa Roast Almonds

Check out this cluster!!!

Front view

Back view

You may have noticed that I changed some colors and fonts on my blog last night. They’ll make more sense once I debut my new header, which is still in the tweaking phase. I can’t WAIT to show you all what it looks like!

Tell Me: Any dorky moments from this week we should know about? Care to share?

Hello!! How are you? I’m having a blast in San Francisco (duh, are you surprised?). I’m blogging midday (are you surprised s’more?). I’m getting faster as we speak . I’ve got too much to show you and the festival hasn’t even officially begun yet. Eeps!

***

I had plans to go running this morning but I took one look out the window and said “uhh yeah…NO.” It was dreary and really windy. I had visions of myself blowing away and tumbling down the hills of SF. Ha! Just kidding, I just got lazy and wanted to get my day started.

For breakfast, I ate a strawberry Chobani w/ some Uncle Sam Honey Almond cereal and 1/2 an AllieBar from my host’s kitchen (thanks, Suki!).

I was feeling the need for some fruit so I ate a few bites of frozen mango chunks.

Then I took the BART downtown to meet up with some other blogger friends for Ashley’s photography sesh. It was fun to learn some new tricks, ask questions and exchange information.

I snacked on an AllieBar during the sesh and throughout the day. I’m so grateful I brought a couple extra bars to keep me going in between meals.

Then a big group of us walked over to Cafe Gratitude for lunch, a high raw vegan restaurant.

I was a little bit worried about ordering something raw since I had such a bad experience (tummy wise) in Chicago, but things are so far so good…as of now! Fingers crossed it stays that way.

Again, it took me forever and a half to decide on what to order. The theme of my life.

I shared an appetizer, I Am Insightful Spring Rolls: Avocado, seasonal fruit, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, sprouts & fresh herbs wrapped in blanched collard greens. Served with Thai coconut-almond butter dipping sauce and coleslaw

A. MAZE. ING. sauce!!

I just wish there had been more avocado!

For my entree, I ordered the special of the day: Raw Falafel w/ hummus, olive tapenade, salad with tzatziki dressing and buckwheat crackers.

The falafel was good–very nutty. I think I prefer traditional deep friend falafel though .

I loved the hummus and buckwheat crackers! I had never eaten raw beets before. I think I prefer them cooked.

I guess I’m not going raw anytime soon .

Then we trekked back a few miles to the hotel to check-in and get our swag bag!

SWAG BAG!

Here’s a sneak peak.

I’m currently blogging in Kath and Emily’s room while sipping on my delicious 1/5th caf coffee and munching on an Attune chocolate bar.

(First red holiday cup from Sbux!)

I can’t believe the view from their room!!!

Time to change and get ready for our first official Foodbuzz Festival event tonight. I hope there’s good food! (Who am I kidding? I’m sure it’ll be amazing!).

Have a great weekend and I’ll see you later tonight with my food baby in tow.

Hey y’all! (I’m watching Paula Deen on the Food Network right now…can’t help it!).

How was your Halloween? We only had a few groups of kiddos ring our doorbell last night so I’ve got plenty of Halloween pretzels left to eat. I thought we would get more kids now that we live in a neighborhood but NOPE. Good thing I didn’t get a big bag of candy to hand out like I had planned!

This morning, I munched on some Halloween pretzels and Honey Nut Cheerios as a pre-workout snack.

Workout:

• 45 min. elliptical
• 15 min. leg weights

Post Workout:

Pumpkin Pie Wheatgrass Smoothie

• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 banana
• 1 packet wheat grass
• 2/3 cup almond milk
• 1 scoop protein powder
• water, ice, stevia

Next up, a little something I dreamt up while working out.

2 min. Microwave Pumpkin Pie on Cinnaraisin Ezekiel toast ‘crust’, topped with Greek yogurt ‘whipped cream’ and raspberries

Bread ~ ‘crust’

Greek yogurt ~ whipped cream

I went back for a messy bowl of Greek yogurt, berries, banana, and Cheerios.

***

Then I ran some errands at 2 humongous stores: Super Target and Wegman’s.

At Weg, I picked up an organic Pumpkin Spice tea I’d never seen before and [on-sale] Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea. I plan on buying many many many more boxes of this crack tea as the season progresses.

(I actually have a box leftover from last winter. I hoard SCSR tea like it’s going out of fashion.)

I also got 5 Chunks of Energy and ate ‘em all. One day, I will figure out how to make these.

I got home in time to watch Taylor Swift on Ellen and Portia de Rossi on Oprah.

Taylor was adorable. I’ve only been belting her songs day and night for the past week .

Portia discussed her battle with anorexia and bulimia as well as coming out in the Hollywood spotlight. She had me in tears! What a well-spoken lady. I never knew about her story until today. I want to read her new book now, Unbearable Lightness.

While watching, I snacked on some medjool dates. The ones we got from Costco are great–very soft and moist.

…dipped in hazelnut cream cheese of course.

I also had a few handfuls of Kettle Chips. This is definitely something I only eat because it is in the house…PETER!!

For dinner, I put together a simple salad.

Avocado, herbed goat cheese, diced tomatoes, perfectly fried egg and a slice of Ezekiel Bread.

It was the last of the goat cheese .

I also had a few bites of Peter’s cooking.

Now I am trying to figure out how to satisfy my chocolate craving with no chocolate in the house!

***

Becoming a Faster Blogger: Step 1

I’ve mentioned that it takes me an inordinate amount of time to blog. Part of the reason is that I put a lot of thought into what I write and I proofread my posts at least a dozen times before I press publish. The other part is that my laptop is incredibly slow and it can’t handle a lot of activity at one time. Sometimes, if I drag too many photos into my blog post, I have to restart the computer just to load more. This makes it very difficult for me to blog when I am short on time such as when I am on FUN TRIPS. It’s also just really annoying.

Recently, I’ve been using my mom’s super powerful laptop to blog and I’ve been enjoying the speed with which I can upload photos. However, it’s not practical for me to hog her computer all day and when I go out of town, I need something to speed my ancient laptop along.

Enter, the SD Card Reader.

My mom’s laptop (and most newer laptops) has a card reader on the side where I can insert my memory card directly. My laptop, however, doesn’t have one and therefore I have to use a cord.

With the cord, I have to download the photos before I can drag them into my blog posts. With the SD card reader, I DON’T have to download the photos. Instead, I can drag them into my blog posts directly.

This allows me to sort through the 80,000 photos I take on a daily basis without taking up a lot of my precious and limited computer memory.

I found this at Target for $7.99. I’m sure you could find a similar one online for cheaper but I am leaving for San Fran this Thursday!

OH! Also, with this gadget, I can drag my photos onto a blank CD and burn them there so I can back up my photos without having to take up computer memory space.

I can’t believe I didn’t buy this gadget a year ago!! I could have saved so much time. So long, farewell camera cord!

***

Have a great night and US peeps, don’t forget to vote tomorrow!

Tell me: Got a strategy to help me (and others) blog faster? Do tell!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I’ve got some fun flashback photos for you tonight.

Here I am on my very first Halloween wearing my brother’s Peter Pan hat. Major sweet tooth and super flexible…some things never change.

***

A couple years later, I was a pumpkin witch/custodian…?

I was quite the candy monster!

I think I was a witch for about 7 years in a row. In fact, I can’t remember not dressing up as a witch. Boo (as in thumbs down not the scary boo!). My mom always said costumes were too expensive for just one occasion and I could never convince her to make me a costume.

I did, however, get her to paint my nails BLACK!

…not sure why my face is blue and not green.

Confession: When I was in elementary school, I would eat my entire humongous stash of Halloween candy within a month! I ate several pieces a day, without my parents finding out (uhh hi, Mom).

I was and always will be a sugar lover!

***

Y’all have seen this photo already…Minnie Mouse!

Halloween 2008 in London.

Fast forward to today.

Workout:

• 47 min. elliptical
• 15 min. upper body strength training

Post workout:

To celebrate Halloween, I made a bowl of Orange and Black oatmeal!

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 1/2 cup orange pumpkin
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp black chia seeds
• 1 black Newman’s O’s cookie

With the pumpkin from my pumpkin-picking adventures yesterday!

Then it was time for some father-daughter bonding at Costco.

We participated in some trick-or-treating of our own with a multitude of samples.

From top to bottom: chips, pub mix, cheese quesadilla, queso blanco + salsa, pita chips + hummus, sushi + edamame, shrimp tempura, cheese + balsamic glaze, granola, peppermint bark, and pumpkin pie.

WHEW!

***

I picked up some medjool dates, Greek yogurt and raspberries.

Back home, I made a spinach salad with tuna (mixed with mustard), avocado and goat cheese. This bowl x2.

Then I broke into the beautiful [um no longer in season] raspberries.

Greek yogurt with chocolate pearls, pretzels, and raspberries. This bowl x2.

Now I’m eating candy and watching Titanic while waiting for trick-or-treaters to show up!

***

Tell me: What’s your favorite kind of candy? Did you gobble up your candy or make it last?

I used to love Skittles but now I am all about chocolate + caramel.

Before blogging…

I didn’t pack my clonky camera in my gym bag just incase I came across some pretty fall foliage on the walk over.

(looks like somebody is ready for Christmas)

I didn’t whip out my camera to take photos of pumpkins that did not belong to me….or any pumpkins for that matter.

Don’t you just wanna give them each a big bear hug? Maybe that’s just me.

Before blogging…

I didn’t need a PRE-post-workout snack because there was no such thing as a 15 min. delay due to food styling and photography.

pumpkin pie smoothie

I didn’t get excited about seeing 280% DV of Vitamin A in 1/2 cup of pumpkin.

I didn’t then get concerned about vitamin A poisoning. Just kidding…not really.

I didn’t scan fields of grass for the perfect leaf to use as a garnish for my bowl.

FYI: Pineapple and grapefruit are my favorite fruits to pair with Greek yogurt.

Garnished with chocolate covered (and uncovered) pretzels and candy corn

Before blogging…

I didn’t jump out of bed to make chocolate covered candy corn and pretzels because it was finally light outside.

Chocolate Covered Candy Corn and Pretzels

Directions: Microwave dark chocolate for 2 min. to melt.

Steal Halloween pretzels from the stash set aside for the neighborhood kids.

(It’s okay, I plan to supplement the stash with real candy. We are not going to be the LAME house in the neighborhood!!)

Although let’s be honest, Bats and Jacks are pretty cool, too.

Dip candy corn and pretzels in chocolate and let dry on aluminum foil. Place in the fridge to speed up drying time.

Let the sugah coma ensue.

Before blogging…

I didn’t purchase squash just because I thought they were “pretty.”

I didn’t look at the clock at 6 PM and get anxious about trying to “beat” the sunset.

Bring it, Sun!

I bought this Carnival Squash from TJ’s. The sticker said it was a cross between Sweet Dumpling and Green Table Queen Squash.

That means nothing to me.

I cut the squash in half, scooped out the innards, and microwaved the halves for 5-6 minutes. I would have roasted ‘em in the toaster oven for however long but the sun was setting!!

I didn’t give much thought to the stuffing. It just needed to be FAST!

• 1.5 slices of Cinnaraisin Ezekiel Bread, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 small apple, chopped
• 1/4 cup veggie stock
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• Salt and Pepper

Doesn’t the bread look like sausage?

I stuffed both halves of the squash and put them in the toaster oven for ~10 min. at 350* F.

Topped with herbed goat cheese <–crucial!

Spring mix with mini peppers on the side. I’m trying really hard to finish off these Costco tubs!

The squash was reminiscent of spaghetti squash. It was really quite bland. I had to add gobs of ketchup after the photo shoot.

Kabocha and butternut squash are much more tasty, for sure.

The sun won tonight.

Don’t worry, I’ll be back for a rematch!

Before blogging….

I didn’t consider rearranging my sleeping schedule in preparation for my rematch with the sun.

Dessert Part I: Papaya

Dessert Part II: A fabulous mix of sugar and more sugar . It deserves to be shot in the sunlight though!

***

Tell me: If you are a blogger, what’s one thing you do now that you didn’t do prior to blogging? If you are NOT a blogger, just be grateful the sunset doesn’t give you anxiety .

I’m probably breaking every jinxing rule in the book but…ohbygollythejobisreallycool!

That’s all I’m going to say for now.

Alright. Okay. Fine. I’ll tell you a little more. Part of the ‘interview’ was to drive over to the bakery and be semi-undercover.

I need to stop!! I don’t want to get too attached (um too late…?).

While undercover at the scene of the crime , I got a decaf coffee. The one thing I really wanted, the pecan bar, had pistachios. Boo allergy.

***

On the way home, I stopped by Target, Trader Joe’s and Wegman’s to entertain my sweet tooth. As you know, I’ve got a raging sweet tooth.

Every day is Halloween for me .

Look what I found…Chocolate covered candy corn!

I actually ended up putting it back. Don’t worry–read on!

Taylor Swift’s new album. I rarely ever buy full albums but come on, it’s T. Swee! Worth. every. penny.

(I love it!)

***

I got a carton of Pacific Natural Foods Organic Almond Milk from TJ’s for $1.69. I don’t typically get this brand because I’ve only seen them for $2.50+ (too much!).

Pacific is ranked #2 in my Almond Milk Ranking.

***

From top to bottom…1) a 29 cent chocolate bar, 2) chocolate mint candy, 3) candy corn and…

4) Chunks of Energy Chocolate Chip Almond. I’m addicted. Apparently these don’t last in my possession because they disappeared before my eyes once again.

***

I got the candy corn to make my OWN chocolate covered candy corn.

I’m sure you now have a sugar coma just from seeing those photos….it’s time for some REAL FOOD.

Pumpkin oatmeal pancake with hazelnut cream cheese and dried cranberries.

(1/3 cup oats. 1/4 cup pumpkin puree. 1/4 cup egg whites. Cinnamon. Water)

I cracked open a can of 365 pumpkin for this. The verdict? Still not as good as Libby’s but much better than TJ’s (sorry, Teej)!

Libby’s Pure Pumpkin > WF’s 365 Pumpkin > TJ’s Organic Pumpkin

***

Does Allie eat salty food…ever?

Believe it or not, yes!

Salmon. Tilapia. Shrimp. Tomatoes. Asparagus. Spring Mix.

And that’s that. Gotta go!

It’s gonna hit 75 degrees today. Is next week really the beginning of November? Really?!

***

Tell me: Chocolate covered _____ are the bomb!

I say pecans. That was easy.

After our daytime adventures in Cville (lunch + dessert and then wine tasting), we headed back to the KERF house to uhh eat s’more!

Kath’s 26(+2)th birthday party was a casual potluck—perfect for mixing ‘n’ mingling while drinking ‘n’ eating. I think there were about 20 people in attendance: half bloggers and half readers/spouses/civilians .

The Spread:

Matt cracks. Pita Chips.

Goat cheese (Mmmm). Hummus.

Root veggies. Brittany’s Kale Waldorf Salad.

The Booze: Oatmeal stout, pumpkin ale, and Irish red.

All supplied by Matt’s beer station in the basement.

I had some of the Pumpkin Ale.

More food:

Andrea’s empanadas!

Bread, more cheese and lamb salami. Bacon wrapped dates.

I tried a bacon wrapped date. It was one of those gotta-try-it instances and it was out-of-this-world delicious!

Butternut squash soup.

And then I owned the pita chip bowl.

My favorite item of the night? Pumpkin Goat Cheese from Feast!

It tasted like a classy pumpkin cream cheese. ‘Twas sweet, creamy, and goooaty.

Dessert: Kath’s gingerbread cookies and Heather’s caramel filled chocolate chip pecan cookies!

I had one (maybe 2) of each.

After dessert, the hosts broke out 4 different pumpkin ales for a beer tasting.

We even got a quick history lesson from the brew master himself!

This was our ‘birthday cake’ for the night .

Then I sent everyone home with some AllieBars! What a fun night.

If I learned anything this weekend it is that I am the slowest blogger on the face of the earth. I am determined to wrap up my Cville adventures tonight so stay tuned!

Tell me: Do you like pumpkin ale? Got a favorite?

Greetings from Charlottesville, VA!

More specifically, the KERF house, where I am staying overnight.

A group of us travelled to KERFville this weekend to celebrate Kath’s birthday. A weekend agenda consisting of delicious food with old + new friends? I’m there!

Quick geography lesson: I’m from the northern part of VA (outside of DC) and Cville is about 2 1/2 hours south of me. In between us is a bunch of beautiful farms and rolling hills .

I rode with Christine and we arrived just in time for lunch at Eppie’s Restaurant in downtown Cville.

I ordered the 1/2 Soup and Salad Combo.

The Santa Monica Salad with spinach, corn on the cob, tomatoes, goat cheese (!!), and dates (!!!).

It was delicious (duh)! I mean, talk about all my favorite flavors in one bowl–I can’t wait to recreate this salad at home.

Soup of the Day: Tomato Bisque. Super creamy!

The best part? A side of pumpkin bread!

We chatted about life…

…we put Siracha on everything…

…and we chatted about all things cameras and lenses.

Afterwards, we stopped by Arch’s for some frozen yogurt and their famous gooey brownie [batter] topping. Well, let’s just say we went for the gooey brownie and got a side of frozen yogurt to go along with it .

I got the chocolate peppermint frozen yogurt and the gooey brownie, which was highly recommended by the birthday girl.

And then we did a little bit of this…

A lot of this…

More details to come!!

As per usual, I took a boatload of photos and I need more time to blog about it all. Watching this speedy blogger in action made me realize just how sloooow of a blogger I am!

(But I think she is abnormally fast!)

And yes, it’s really weird to see another blogger’s blogging process. And by ‘weird’ I mean really interesting and fun.

***

Alrighty, time to hit the hay!! It’s been a very long and very very delicious day.

Toodle-loo!

Before we begin, I want to wish my brother a Happy Birthday!!

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Two days ago, I went to the giant Wegman’s near our house to pick up some frozen strawberries and do a lil’ browsing. Little did I know, I would come across a mecca of wholesome products. I may never go to a Whole Foods again.

Uhh kidding but you get my point . I had been to Wegman’s a couple times before but never ventured to the middle of the store where the ‘natural foods’ section was located. Not only did they have a huge [healthy] bulk aisle, they had a slew of awesome and unique products at relatively low prices–almost anything I could want from Whole Foods and more. They even had ezekiel pasta (so cool)!

I picked up a bag of local Chocolate Strawberry tea and Organic Mulling Spices (both tea bags).

Organic lowfat kefir and Cinnamon Roast Almonds!! You know the Cocoa Roast Almonds that I love so much? There’s a new flavor–cinnamon roast. I have gone to town on these almonds. There are only ~2 servings of these almonds left.

I also got some seasonal Clif bars and the Spooky S’mores Z Bar, all of which are gone already!

From the bulk aisle, I got chocolate almond/seed chunks, candy corn, chocolate caramel pecans and ginger granola. As you can see, many of the bulk items I got had already been eaten before this photo shoot .

Wegman’s also had an aisle filled with organic/natural beauty products. I picked up this Alba Green Tea Eye-Gel for more than 50% off!

(disregard my 2 painted nails heh)

***

The past couple of weeks, I’ve accumulated some Anthro-esque kitchen accessories:

An apron from Marshalls for $12.99!

(like my chair model?)

There is actually a very similar looking one from Anthropologie for almost 3 times the cost.

I got these measuring cups from Urban Outfitters on clearance for $2.99. While I think the measuring cups from Anthro are much cuter, you can’t be $2.99.

They’re snails!

There’s more….I got these mini loaf pans for $1 each from A.C. Moore. Perfect for baking with the toaster oven!

***

This morning, I went on a run.

I was anticipating a fabulous + energetic run because I took yesterday off from working out and I loaded up on carbs big time the last two days (read: almost all of my Wegman’s snax, lotsa Newman’s Own snax, potato chips, Cranberry Pecan Protein Scones and AllieBars).

However, the super strong winds and steep hills got me and I had to call it quits after 4 miles. I finished up at the gym with 20 min. on the elliptical.

Pre-workout: AllieBar, Pumpkin Pie Clif Bar, and Choc Almond/Seed Chunk

Post workout: The rest of the Clif Bar + Cinnamon Roast Almonds.

I also made a Pumpkin Chai Green Smoothie

1 cup canned pumpkin, 1 cup spinach, Amazing Meal Vanilla Chai packet, 1/2 cup almond milk, water + ice

I was sent this packet along with some other Amazing Grass products to try out for free.

Sadly, all of the Green SuperFood bars contain cashews (allergic!) so my mom and dad will be enjoying those.

Coming Up Next: a recipe from the dinner I cooked tonight for the ‘rents!

***

Tell me: Are you a bargain hunter? Where do you like to shop for good deals? What type of things do you get at discounted prices?

***

REMINDER: Last chance to vote for my Mushroom Feta Cornbread Muffins! Voting ends Friday at 12 midnight. I am currently in 2nd place (17 votes behind the leader). I need YOUR help!! Click here to vote.

Thanks for your support .