Morning all.

Shad - Talking twits! Glad you'll have some thinking time. Gonna look up Mackay on the map now. Safe travels Shad!!

Annie - I have pink, white and also magenta peonies. Love 'em. My mom has rose of Sharon and it sounds like they just grow like mad. I'll probably not ask her for any of that - I don't need anything else that requires pruning. Your farmstand purchases sound tasty. Now I'm jonesing for some grilled corn on the cob. Hope dd is feeling better today!! Enjoy that date tonight.

Happy - Yeh, I think I would not be happy letting someone else do the tossing for me - just the way I am. Sounds like you're really entrenched in this huge project now, so more power to you!! Keep your eye on the prize and I'm sure you'll make great progress - just make sure to get adequate rest!

Ellen - Hope DD2 gets the all clear after the tests. Yeh, I heard that we're supposed to have a cooler than normal summer, but that the next couple weeks will be warm. Sure would be nice not to shut the house up and have the AC on all the time - besides being expensive, I just hate that closed in feeling!

Hello to all the Worldlies!

[Pause while I remove my contact lenses. I got something on the right one (probably makeup) that is blurring my vision. Ahh, that's better.]

Nothing much to report. Instead of the Circuit class, I went to the Tighter Assets class last night and it kicked my booty, that's for sure! I've realized that in the Circuit class, I'm pretty much on my own and I don't necessarily have the external motivation that I do in a traditional exercise class. Sure, I work up a sweat and everything, but I don't push myself very intensely.

Now that class last night - all kinds of squats and lunges, as usual (yes, I will really be feeling it later today). What was new was using sliding discs - a bit smaller than dinner plates with a smooth side that faces the floor. We stand on those (one for each foot), but only the ball of the foot goes on the disc - our heel is on the floor and acts as the brake. Nice change of pace. I need to keep switching up the classes I take so I'm working out harder.

Lunch w/ my friend was cancelled today, so I'm on my own again. Plans for this weekend: Tonight I should get out and buy a bunch of stuff I need for the yard - weed cloth, compost, etc. If I don't get that veg patch in this weekend, I'm not sure when it'll go in!! Next: exercise class Sat. morning, afterwards it'll be gardening (crossing my fingers that the forecast isolated T-storms stay away from our yard); Sunday is a blood donation, then stopping by TJ's next door afterwards, and then nothing too strenuous after that.

While I was at my exercise class, bf put up one of those canopy things he bought at a garage sale last year for $10. This one has the netting "walls" and zippered closure, sort of like a tent - should be nice, but don't the bugs just get in through the gap at the bottom?

I should relay that bf was midway through the assembly of this thing when I arrived home after my exercise class and went out back to see what he was up to. Bf got all bent out of shape when doggy charged through the one tent entrance only to get caught up inside the netting and let's say "disassembled" part of it, snicker snicker. Of course bf didn't like that I laughed, so I told him he could move his stuff out there and live in the tent if he was going to be so grouchy about it! Lucky for him, he made up for being a grouch by making dinner. Grilled pork chops, with perfect criss-crossed grill marks that bf was especially proud of, lol. Yum.

Anyway, we've also had the Mosquito Magnet running for about two weeks now, so we'll see how that works. We bought that a couple years ago used via Craigslist and all the questions and issues have now been worked through. So far so good - this is certainly the year to have something like this. Let's hope it's effective.

Okay, enough rambling. Let me get this posted and see who may have snuck in.

Ah ha - let's see if I can get a quick post in.

I almost had a heart attack - on the main page are the most recent posts and there was one there that said Mel is back in the hospital again with acute pancreatis. I thought it was our Mel but was just someone else talking about a relative. Whew! Our Mel has enough troubles.

Laura - that's just it - I have my eye on the prize and that's what is pushing me through keeping going. DH and I have one of those screened gazebo things we used for camping. Used to swear a blue streak getting the thing up, especially if we got to the campsite late and were trying to assemble it in partial darkness. It was a pistol getting up but once we did, we enjoyed it. We put a table and chairs in the center and lit a citronella candle which kept most of the bugs out. Much better than sitting out in the open. Hope you enjoy yours. Wow those sliding discs sound quite interesting. I hear that you work a lot more muscles on an unstable surface like those bosu balls. I would be afraid of twisting my foot. You are doing great with the exercise. Are you enjoying the peace and quiet at work?

Good to hear from you Ellen. We have been running fans to move the air and allow us to keep the thermostat set higher. Not sure if we are saving any real money that way.

Shad - I hope amongst a sea of twits there is one lifeline that can save your sanity. Sounds like there is quite a mess there and they are counting on you to take the lead and pick up everyone's slack. Hope that does not consume your weekend.

Mel - good thoughts and healing to you my friend

Annie - you are making me hungry with all your yummy sounding fresh vegetables from the fruit stand. It's a little early for the truly farm fresh stuff here but should be here soon. Tomato sandwiches - yummo!!!! Sorry Sissy is having tummy issues, best get used to upchuck from what I understand - some of those babies are just spewing machines. I forget that you are not supposed to shake them up Hopefully she is near to the next trimester where that calms down. Doesn't the smell of the hair products bother her?

here's a link from AARP for downloading free audio books. I can't check out the websites at work since they are streaming and therefore blocked but might be worth checking into. Shoot = the link won't post right. Will have to check it out later.

Michelle - we will be an hour and easy ride of Lake Superior. Glad you gave it such great ratings and it sounds like you had a most wonderful weekend. When is DH and DMIL going on the road together for his business trip?

Ceejay - hope you are enjoying time off with your family!

well once again, I got distracted from my posting so now I have to get back to work. Everyone have a great weekend.

Happy Friday ladies!

I'm working from home today, and so grateful that I was able to sleep in! My body was quite sore last night after PT and then my very deep tissue massage...so I just enjoyed a relaxing evening watching TV with DH and DMIL. DH and I have lots of stuff to get done around the house this weekend, and then DH leaves on Monday morning to work in Missouri for the week. DMIL may go to visit her sister next week as well, giving me the house to myself. Or DMIL may go the following week.

This afternoon, I have a meeting with my website client who has the pet sitting business. Hopefully, she'll give me some work so that I can afford more massages!

I picked up a get well card for Mel today, and it has a lot of adorable chicks on the front, so I thought I'd sign it from all of us. I'll get it in the mail this afternoon.

************

Laura - I tried multi-tasking while listening to audiobooks and would have to constantly rewind...which is why I now solely listen to them when I can relax and get into the story. Sometimes they relax me so much that I eventually fall asleep (which is why I don't listen to them while driving)! I'm glad the zinc helped fend off the cold. My allergies really act up when it's really windy. I hope BF's back is doing better. That sucks about your wireless router. The Tighter Assets class really sounds like a butt kicker! I'm hoping that the isolated t-storms that are forecast for up here come in the evening or at night so we can enjoy the weekend days. The canopy sounds really great! I hope it keeps the bugs out...at least the mosquitos and stuff. We have a bug zapper that we put in the middle of the yard so the bugs don't congregate at the back door light when we're putting the dogs out at night. Let me know how the mosquito magnet works. Our bug zapper works pretty well.

Annie - I hope you have a fabulous time tonight at the baseball game with D. I love peonies too. We have pink ones and white ones. The fresh fruits and veggies you bought sound really yummy. I'm so sorry to hear about your DD's morning sickness. to her. I've never heard of Rose of Sharon. But I'll look it up.

Shad - I guess you're on your way to Mackay today. Wishing you safe travels, my friend. I hope when you're on the road, you get a break from all the twits and idiots you've been dealing with. Thanks so much for keeping us posted about Mel. I sure wish I had her phone number. She's such a sweetie...I'd love give her a call just to see if I could keep her spirits up.

Happy - We totally understand that you're super busy. I hope we get to hear from you as often as time permits. As for the offers to help you toss stuff, I'm sure you know that no offense was intended. It isn't an indictment on your taste or that your purchases have no value. It was just kidding around. I, personally, would like some help doing a "Clean Sweep", similar to that show that used to be on HGTV. In fact, my DMIL was being quite snarky about how messy, cluttered, etc. our house is and how she would've prefered it if DH had married someone who liked to cook and clean more than I do. I was hurt by this, and told her so. I explained that she obviously had no idea how incapacitated I've been the last 10 months or so. She apologized and said that she just wished I was a better housewife, but she's glad that her son married someone he loves very much. Anyway, I know you'll be putting in long hours/long days/long weeks getting the house ready. Thanks for the recommendations for the audiobooks. I hope you and your DH have a productive weekend working on the house, and allow yourself a little relaxing time as well. I really am so happy and excited for you!! Thanks for the tip on the AARP audiobooks! I'll check that out. That's awesome that the Worldlies' Commune (aka, your new house) is so close to Lake Superior! Lake Superior is beautiful though it often has bigger waves than Lake Michigan. DMIL won't be going with DH to Missouri...there's not much to do there and she'd be sitting in a hot truck or in a motel while he's at work.

Ellen - Do you have to work this weekend? It'll be nice to have the kids help you with the house. Sending : for DD2 and her follow up tests/doctor appts.

Mel - Sending you lots of healing hugs.

Ceejay - I hope you're having a great time with your sister and her family!

Better get the rest of today's work to do list done. The weekend is getting closer and closer!


Love and hugs to all,

News from Jenny

joy
as you know mom is home and before getting into bed she showed me how to find the website.
internet explorer is so different from the old aol.
later on i will print out the pages from june and may.
but for now she can't hold them to read or sit up for too long.
maybe next week she can catch up reading.

i think she may get well faster here at home and sooner than the doctors think.
lots of liquids and no dairy. the list of things NOT to eat is long!
she stopped in the office and laid down rules for her recovery.
i could see the reactions and they weren't nice. TOO BAD!
one woman is leaving and gave her an argument about how to get well.
i took mom out of there. we came up here and mom threw up.
that's the end of visiting. i put a big no visitors sign on the door. lol

john had delivered water and turned the airconditioners on full blast. lol
he contacts me every day for updates. the mayor has left him in charge of helping mom
just in case she needs to go out to our bigger hospital.
this hospital was a nightmare but mom couldn't be moved.
no central airconditioning or potty chairs! it was 90 degrees outside with 85 degrees inside.
they are in the middle of replacing the entire system in may and june?????
so many bad things happened there that i am just glad moms out and they didn't kill her.
the doctor told me she needed to go home and just rest and said the hospital situation was becoming too much for her to get well.
he was such a nice man. talked to mom about continuing meditation and rethinking her life.
i think he was indian. so calm and sweet. you could see he really cared about her whole health.

when mom is able to talk without pain we will write and you two can talk.
she says this is no way to spend a summer. if she goes outside the tenants won't leave her alone. lol
the doctor told her to get some sunshine by the window instead. just do anything to keep from being stressed.
i see a change in her attitude already. it's all good. yay! poor office! NOT!!!!!! lol

love to you and the other friends, jenny


I will write back from the airport later this morning. I will check for phone number disclosure and then pm you. Happy - Mel now has cable, or broadband or whatever you call it over there and that's why she has such speed. I doubt that you would get Mellie back onto dial up if her fingers depended on it.

Gotta go because I haven't finished packing yet and I have under 3 hours until the cab arrives. Next time we chat it will be from a place called MAC Camp just outside Coppabella which is around 150 miles southwest of Mackay on the Peak Downs of Central Queensland. Mackay is around 600 miles north of Brisbane on the coast.

Shad - I wish you safe travels to MAC Camp. Thank you so much for passing along Jen's message! How awful that the hospital had such poor conditions! No air conditioning? That's craziness! When my DH had his knee replaced, the conditions in the hospital were similar to the ones Jen described. Made me so mad. I'm livid that the people in the office were mean to her, and not compassionate. How awful! Our dear friend is ill and in pain and needs to rest.

Hello all.

Happy - I think I'm enjoying the quiet around the office too much - let's just say I've had more productive days than this one...but I did get my desk organized. Have a most productive weekend!!

Michelle - Fingers crossed you get more website work and can have more of those massages! As the day has gone on, my quads are getting more sore from that class. I'm tempted to sit around all evening after work, but I do need to get out and get that stuff for my yardwork. Oh, forgot to mention earlier that bf said the router appears to be working again - not sure WTH is going on w/ it, but I hope the green lights stay lit so we don't have to spend the green to get a new one!! Thanks for signing Mel's card for us.

Shad - Thanks for passing along Jen's message. Sounds like the hospital was horrible. I'm so glad Mel's at home in the AC, and that Jen's keeping everyone out. And that she's away from the all the bugs and germs looking for new victims at the hospital. Since the doc mentioned meditation - maybe some soothing music and/or guided meditation might be good audio choices for Mel.

Mel - If you see this, please know I'm wishing you a speedy recovery!! : : :

I'm going to take an early train home today. There was a collision of an Amtrak train and a Metra train today (no serious injuries I hear, thankfully) at the other train station - not the one I go out of. Glad I don't have to deal with the delays they're having! I had that a few weeks back, thankyouverymuch.

I'm off.

Good morning all,

80 degrees at 7am rapidly working up to 100 today. I did get up early for a Saturday - been sitting in front of the computer having my coffee and catching up and it's time to head outside. I told DH I would help this morning with some back yard work until around lunch time then I would come inside where it's cool and work. Mom is coming on Thursday for a 3 week visit. We will take her back with us when we head up north for our vacation. She isn't coming to the new house - we don't have enough there to support any guests right now but instead my sister will drive to a rest stop, meet us there and take Mom back. We can't take Mom into the city because parking is at a premium. It's an old neighborhood where there are about 2 parking spots per house on the street. The area is mostly Mexican now and it's their way to have a multifamily household or rent the rooms out to borders. Each one has a car so it's not unusual to have 6 - 8 cars per household. I always worry when we visit Mom that we won't have parking (we can't get our SUV into her old garage), especially in the winter time. For at least the rest of the year we will be hauling a 12 foot trailer with us - if there wasn't always room to park the 4Runner, there certainly isn't with that and a trailer attached to it. So I'm grateful my sister will drive over and meet us. She said Mom's at her fiesty 85 year old best so this visit will be fun. We're getting the pool opened on Tuesday (thank you God -with 100 degrees days it will warm the water up fast) and I will take her to her favorite Friends of the Library used book store to stock up on some reading materials. And then she can go and talk with DH and keep him company or sit outside and warm her old bones. I am so glad she is coming down, I was afraid that I wouldn't get to see her at all this year and at 85, I know each year is more precious.

DH is painting the laundry room - a nice soft mint green. It looks really nice against the white woodwork and even makes the blah beige uber generic floor look nice. He will also paint the adjacent back door foyer and 1/2 bath the same color. We selected a light gray for the kitchen area since he didn't want 4 rooms the same color even though they flow into one another. The color was too light - more white than gray so we can go a few shades darker and I think it will look nice, especially with the red lower panels in the breakfast nook area. Southern colors are red and yellow. If you look in every house on our street there is at least one red room. I was going to go light neutrals but we decided we will just repaint the parlor area the same red it is now. It needs repainting because the former owners had college kids come in and do a fast paint job when they were ready to sell and there are wet paint streaks all down the walls. She was also a big antiquer and had shelves with her treasures on all the walls. When they moved out they just yanked the shelves out leaving big holes in several rooms. I was so mad when I saw that. We got somewhat screwed with this house and our goober real estate agent who was Miss Polite instead of Miss Look Out for Your Client. We closed on this house and the former owners wanted to vacate 3 days AFTER closing. I thought that was insane - you have no recourse if the former owners damage the house in moving out - but was told that's how they do things down here. Consequently when they messed up the walls, there was nothing we could do about it. Afterwards I come to find that it is NOT typical to do what we did, instead the norm is to take possession of the house at closing with a final inspection the day before closing with former owners already OUT of the house.

Anyway, I have gone into too long an explanation. Anyway we have some work to do. DH is wondering how he will get it all done, that's why I'm trying to help a bit with the yard work.

Laura - I saw on the news about the train derailment. That had to be scary - a few people knocked around but no serious injuries. Good thing it wasn't your train line getting all off schedule.

Shad - thank you very much for keeping us updated on Mel. Hospitals are no place to be anymore if you are sick. You certainly need someone to look after you and not rely on the care you get from the staff there. Many of the nurses are overworked and some flat out don't care. I'm glad she is home where she can rest properly. I popped a card in the mail from us also. Hope your road trip goes well and doesn't drive you crazy.

Wow Michelle - a week all to yourself what will you do? Actually you probably don't mind having everyone around. But sometimes the quiet is good to get focused on some stuff.

I'd better get off here and get outside as it is rapidly warming up. Have a good weekend ladies. Enjoy the coolness if you have it and I will sweat some for you. I'm just going to pretend I am Annie today

Love to the chicks

Yikes DH just called me over. He is up by the pool cleaning up. In one of the bins was a big BLACK WIDOW SPIDER!!!!! I heard they were down here - we have some nasty spiders down this way including the brown recluse. He took a couple of pictures of it and then we decided we had to kill it because it is dangerous and we didn't want to put it in the shrubs only to have it come and bite us or the cat as we were working in the yard.

It's 95 degrees with a heat index of 104 right now. Sweltering.

been a slow day today at work. Took me a while to catch up havn't read any posts for a few days. Finally caught up. Super tired today, but I think part of thatis from it being so quiet. Hoping for a nice night then back at this tomorrow for a 12 hr day.

Luv and Hugs to all the wordlies!

Hi y'all

Busy, busy, busy. Can't stop for long. Haven't had a chance to catch up with Mel/ Jen yet but will try to do so now and report back when able. I'm about to try and see whether I can activate my remote internet broadband. So if I can do that, I will be back tonight, otherwise maybe tomorrow.

Heeyyyyyyyyy Guuuuuurrrrlllzzzz.......

Just a second to post before hitting the shower to go to CVS. No time to read posts, sorry.

Date was GREAT Friday night. Have had a very bad sinus cold and even carried fever yesterday. Feeling a bit better today however not looking forward to 8 hours of work.

Everyone have a great Sunday/Monday.

Love and hugs...

Hello,

Going to be a very very busy day for me too. I have tons to do before Mom shows up on Thursday. Helped DH outside yesterday - insufferable heat but like he says, it's crazy trying to balance things inside the house (packing and decluttering for me, painting for him) with all the work that needs to be done outside. I also picked up a bunch of herbs that I need to put into planters. I do make good use of my herb garden so I don't think that was a frivoulous expense.

Anyway quick check in to say hi and off I go.

Annie, I'm glad to hear that you found someone to have fun with. Hope the fun continues. Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. I hear the weather is wacky up and down in temps and storms out your way which really messes more with the head.

Shad sounds like you are on the run even though it is the weekend and you should be having the time to yourself.

I will see if I can contact Mel later on this afternoon, more towards the early evening. If I do, I will pass along everyone's well wishes and come back and post.

Have a good Sunday - I hope you are having more fun than I am

All of us busy people. Working today, not too bad yet, but DH got a call that a water main broke open in one of the centers and so he got called in to work to try to salvage the computers. SIL is watching the kiddies. Not sure how long Dh will be gone.

Happy~good luck with all the packing. I am hoping to go thru my entire house once the kids are out of school.

Annie~YAY on the great date. glad you found someone enjoyable. My sinuses have been bothering me too, but no infection only allergies due to this crazy weather. feel better soon chickie.

Shad~hope you trip goes well. good luck with remote access...those settings can be a PIA.

to everyone else.

I guess I should get back to work...not that we have too many calls right now. Been very quiet this weekend! I think everyone is out enjoying the nicer weather and not noticing if their hot water is not as hot as it should be...LOL I know I am definitely enjoying some cooler than normal showers in the hotter weather.

I had a good drive to Paragould from Springfield,Mo yesterday. Talk about hot whew.

Happy
EEwwww on the black widow spider. I came flying out of the bathroom this morning hollaring for my uncle. There was a huge spider about the size of a half dollar, in the sink and it was a brown recluse. It wasn't there earlier. I can kill small ones but that size is ugly. Can I say I hate spiders and snakes. It's a good thing you killed the black widow.

Annie
Sorry you don't feel well. It's a bad time of the year for allergies/cold's. Glad you had a good date. Maybe this is the right one.

Laura
Glad that work has calmed down. Train colliding are a bit frightening to me.

Ellen
Glad that work was quiet for you also.

I was impressed with my sister's and bil's small garden. We had fresh salad green's from the garden each day. One of the unusual things in their garden is tobacco plants. I'd never seen one so I made some picture's.One year he planted cotton. They also have blueberry bushes.

It's back to work for me tomorrow. I've been spoiled with these few day's off.

Back at camp and got the mobile broadband going. Still not speedy but it is better than nothing I guess.

Had the most bizarre occurrence today. Was upstairs training people getting along nicely when they suggested it might be more comfortable in the training room - who knew they had one. Well SAP worked just fine upstairs but wouldn't have a bar of downstairs. Couldn't get it to work for love or money. Aaaah well it wouldn't be IT if something didn't go wrong.

Other than that I have been good and going to the gym for at least half an hour a day no matter how tired I am. And I am very tired. Worked from 7am to 11pm last night and then drove back to the camp. Had to get up and do it all again this morning but apparently today was the day for train loading in Red Mountain and I didn't get too many at all. And I am not going back tonight because they have more trains in.

Anyway, I'd better get off to the gym. I will send off a mail to Mel tonight now that I have internet connection. I'll be back