Gary's back! So good to see you posting here again.
Michele, yes, you made the right decision to skip your workout & spend time with your friend. Tell that nagging voice to pipe down. I was subjected to my nagging voice on Saturday, because I missed spin and Pilates mat to attend my very important co-op board meeting. But I haven't turned to a bowl of Jell-o or failed to attend a workout since, so it looks like it's okay to give ourselves permission to live a fully rounded life if that means missing out on an occasional workout. We aren't slackers looking to be allowed to slack off. We're pretty driven & compulsive people trying to ease up on ourselves.
Bill, the issue with the neighborhood associations is partly fear & ignorance -- they are located upstream from us, and our engineer who planned the wall has assured us that our deflecting the water would NOT cause it to flow backward upstream and flood out those directly to the north. I suspect they fear a damming effect. But the wall would only be along one side of the water, along the state's own insufficient four-foot floodwall. And so far as I understand it, that does not constitute a dam. Yes, maybe they see a loss of a kind of catch basin.
I suspect the Zoning Board will get nervous and remand the wall for further study, which means further delay. And God knows what kind of weather will hit during the delay. But I will try to attend the meeting with an open mind. It's very simple for me: I don't want to go through another flood again. I want some peace of mind when the weather is bad.
I agree that there needs to be some larger solution, but that should be in addition to our wall. Ideally, some solution that would make our wall redundant and unnecessary.
Went to ToysRUs latte yesterday afternoon after getting out of my IV session. I want to get my almost 9 month old GD a walker. I did find one I liked and the clerk had to search the stockroom to find it, the one he brought was in a box that was badly smashed up, I first thought I would take a chance on it but as we walked to the checkout I just didn't feel comfortable wiht it and asked a different clerk if they had one that was not so smashed up, he went back to the stockroom and came out with one that was only slightly better, same song, second verse, started to the check out and backed out so left it there. Chances are the insides are intact but I am not going to be opening it up and putting it together so didn't want to chance that it might be damaged. The clerks wery very nice and helpful and busy but it just made me a little nervous , so I have no gift for baby Faith. The plan now is my DIL (Faith's aunt) is going to look for one at another ToysRUS, if she is not successful I am going to check out Target. If we don't find one then I am on to Plan B......as soon as I have one, that is.
Bargoo-- I order EVERYTHING on Amazon (just about). You might check there for your gift for baby Faith. They ship quickly and their prices are often better.
The siding is going up! I'm hoping to get home during the daylight hours today so that I can see how it looks. I still haven't started my Christmas shopping, but managed to winnow the foot-high stack of catalogs down to the chosen 10. Tree is up, house is decorated. I'm declaring a no-go for cards, nor will there be any specialized baking.
Bargoo, ditto Michele's comment. I've also had very good luck with ordering things online for local pickup from places like Home Depot and Target - that way, no shipping!
Is it still morning? My body is exhausted and confused from a day of travel from the west coast yesterday. We got home late last night from our week in San Diego. We had a great vacation, but is good to be home. Our nice neighbor also volunteered to pick the dog up yesterday afternoon so she was home last night to greet us. Fur babies make the best greeting parties! I managed to ignore all the other stressors while I was gone (work, Christmas shopping) and I can't ignore them any longer! I'm going to try and get myself together tonight to order things online and make shipping deadlines without extra shipping costs. I will definitely be ordering some things from Amazon!
Wouldn't you know my first day home without gym membership it's raining, cold, and generally yucky outside, and Christmas baking has started to appear in the office. I will move anyway. I ate a lot of tasty, off-plan food on vacation and really need to buckle down on eating right and portion sizes now, and follow through with exercise at home. I made us stop at the good grocery store on the way home from the airport and once again convinced myself kale and carrots would save me. Boneless skinless chicken breasts, too. They will help... but only I can save myself! It's lots of water with lemon and tea for a few days, too.
Becky, cards? I forgot about those. No go here, either. Good for you for getting the decorating done!
Saef, it amazes me the differences in some zoning boards from others. Certain FL zoning boards would have no problems approving your wall, based on some of the junk they approve in parts of my state. GL getting your wall approved. I know the peace of mind it will bring will be invaluable to you.
Michele, I'm so glad DD and her service dog are getting along so well. As I said, dog greetings are the best ever!
Bill, GL resisting the baklava. At least it's hard for you to get to with the cast. I would also like to know the secret to patience. Let me know if you figure it out.
Regarding Amazon - please feel free to tell me to pi$$ off if this is inappropriate, but I am an Amazon affiliate and if you access Amazon through my blog (jenhudsonmosher.blogspot.com) I get money back for ANYTHING you buy and you don't have to do anything different except click the Amazon link on my main page.
At any rate, DH and I took the day and shopped on Monday. We didn't buy a lot, as I'm mostly done with Xmas shopping, but we got a few things accomplished that we wanted to. It was a great day, but since then I've fallen into a total funk. Don't know what the heck is wrong with me!
I am going to try running tomorrow for the first time in a week and see what my IT band does. I am just so worried that the minute I start running it will act up, so maybe being pessimistic is what is causing the funk.
A local agency that I work with brought in 2 large gift baskets which are being stored in my office - it is filled not with home baked stuff but instead tons of trail-mix and granola bars. Which is calling to me but I haven't indulged.
Our Xmas party is next week, and instead of doing a potluck like we normally do, the new person organizing it gave us a local menu and we all ordered off that - so I'm having a salad with grilled chicken and fat free dressing, so I've dodged a bullet there!
Here's hoping I get out of funk! I can't express just how reading about how everyone is doing - both good and bad - is therapuetic for me even when I don't respond to everyone!
Jen - start slow tomorrow. I feel you on the worry about the IT issues, it sent me into a funk when mine was acting up as well. Did you ever get a strap? If you don't have one a pair of tight compression pants or capris can also help. And do a little extra yoga tonight, and stretch the leg well before and after your run. It will help. Been there, didn't do that, regretted it. LOL
Thanks for the advice. I actually almost got a strap - it's in my "saved" area in Amazon, but I decided not to fork over the $15 until I see what happens after a week+ of rest.
Almost back to normal feeling today. I am sort of mostly done my shopping, just need to hear back from my mom regarding my dad's present. I have it stuck in my brain to be crafty for my nieces, though, and I guess I'll have to go to the city Saturday AM to get my supplies (too late to have those shipped). I have holiday parties Saturday and Monday, office birthday lunch today (yes, my absence would be missed and socially I need to go )... I brought a really good salad in case I somehow get out of lunch. I'm looking forward to only one of the parties, really. It's still chilly and gray here. I must be in a sort of Scroogey mood right now, lol.
Jen, what a nice idea of this party organizer to let you pick what you want to eat. It sidesteps so many issues! Both of my parties are potluck/buffets which fat Megan is excited about and desperately-pretending-to-be-skinny Megan is wailing about. How is your IT band today?
I still haven't started my Christmas shopping, but managed to winnow the foot-high stack of catalogs down to the chosen 10. Tree is up, house is decorated. I'm declaring a no-go for cards, nor will there be any specialized baking. 
)... I brought a really good salad in case I somehow get out of lunch. I'm looking forward to only one of the parties, really. It's still chilly and gray here. I must be in a sort of Scroogey mood right now, lol.
