I guess since I have revised my original plan to now include an extra 20 pounds, you might get to see my lovely blue shirt two more times, ha ha! But, since that lovely blue shirt isn’t getting any lovelier the smaller I get, I will throw in a couple of photos that show something that fits a bit better. I love the color red, and this pretty sweater is what I wore today. The jeans actually used to belong to my husband when he was in marching band in high school. I really need to get some ladies jeans because although the hips fit nice, the waist is too big. I’m just changing sizes so rapidly now that I hate to actually spend money on stuff that will only fit for a month. Now that I’ve gone through the couple of college jeans that I was saving (that are now too big, yay!) and I’ve resorted to wearing my mom’s old clothes and rummage sale bargains, I’m looking forward to hitting that maintenance stage more than ever so that I can buy a set of clothes that I know will be used for a longer period of time and not get outgrown so quickly!

The other pictures in this posting are of the scale that reads 168, my resized rings, and one of me and John together. (In hindsight, I should have had him pick me up, as he seems to enjoy doing that these days, but simply getting my kids to take time out of their busy day to snap this shot was trouble enough!

Here is the proof that I actually lost the 100 pounds. As you may recall from yesterday, I woke up to 168 on the scale but didn’t have the camera close by. When I went back upstairs with the camera after breakfast, I couldn’t get the darn scale to read anything lower than 169!

My rings fit!

I decided to try a third option today rather than leave my precious rings with someone I didn’t trust or seem to like. I found one other local option but was ready to go elsewhere if I didn’t have a favorable opinion. Well, I was in luck! The cost estimate was more in line with the higher of the two I previously received, but the secure feeling I have is worth paying that amount. They made me feel comfortable with my decision, and all of the work is being done “in-house”. They also showed me my diamond reflected 20x under a microscope and will repeat the process when I pick it up, giving me peace of mind that they didn’t “swap” stones while it was in their possession. Also, since the work is done at their store, they can have quick turnaround. I’m scheduled to pick them up Saturday morning at the latest, and may even be able to get them tomorrow, they said.

In the mean time, my finger is naked and I miss not wearing them. One thing is for sure, losing four ring sizes is a big change. I guess that is what the 100 pounds does for you! I will be so relieved to be wearing rings that fit. I can’t wait until I get to pick them up!

The first place I stopped was a goldsmith jeweler in a strip mall whose window dressings indicated that they also did gold repair. I didn’t really get good vibes from my visit there. I was worried that the diamonds I was dropping off wouldn’t necessarily be the ones I got back when I went to pick up the resized rings. He also seemed to be pulling numbers out of his butt when it came to providing estimates. I did like the numbers he gave, but just didn’t feel right about it.

The second place I went was a shop that was more artisan, home-grown, and well-established in the community. I seemed to relate much better to the non-slick manner of the woman that greeted me. She was definitely representing the “crafter” side of the business. I couldn’t imagine any chest-hair-laden-wide-gold-chain-wearing going on with her! Her prices were 2.5 times higher than what I got at the first place, but her attention to detail and obvious knowledge was comforting. The only thing that rubbed me the wrong way about her was that she had a definite superiority complex. She put down the jeweler that set my solitaire (I didn’t bother telling her that it was purchased from a well-known jeweler on Jewelers Row in Chicago) and she also bragged that the “guy across town” that sized me didn’t know what he was doing because he marked me as 7.5 when I was “clearly!” a size 7 now.

Whatever.

I’m not wild about spending the extra money that the second lady quoted. Because they do everything in house and do not have a farm-out system, they have to charge higher rates. I get that. I also like to support small business-owners whenever I can and I think their esteem in the community makes them reputable. I certainly don’t want to hand over the most sentimental material possession I have to someone I don’t trust! I’m almost “sold” on the second quote. I’ve eliminated the first option and am just wondering whether I should get a third opinion. Maybe go to an artisan jeweler like option #2 so that I can compare apples to apples? Maybe there is more difference in services provided and there is definitely more value in having the work done by a “craftsman” (or woman) rather than farmed out where the work is performed by an unknown person?

I do want to act quickly, though, before these prized possessions slip away without me knowing it. Four sizes is a lot to lose!