P.S. ... was amused in the grocery store by an exchange I overheard (I'm a reporter, I can't help it, I'm nosy) between a young male bakery clerk and an elderly lady who asked him where she could find the soymilk. He looked blank (and annoyed), thought a moment and said, "Well, the milk would be over where the milk is!" A few minutes later I saw her going up and down the milk aisle so I again butted in and told her where the soymilk aisle was (although actually they do have one or two refrigerated brands these days that were near the milk).

I know a few years ago when I was vege, I had the same experience in the one grocery store in the little town where my newspaper chain is headquartered. I told a young clerk I couldn't find soymilk and he told me he didn't know what that was ... since then, the store has started to stock soymilk!

But I digress, good night (once more)!

Sorry, Amarantha...didn't mean to shame anyone here into cleaning their stoves! Glad to hear you are enjoying the Tai Chi. I took a beginners' class many many moons ago and quite liked it.

Eydie, Advanced Tai Bo? Okay, I'm officially worried about you, girl.

Thanks for the recommendations, Eydie and Amarantha, on the Pilates. Dummies it is!

Kaylets, yes...when asked why I was leaving, I simply said,"It is a career move that I cannot pass up." I wasn't giving them any clues as to how they should improve or what might have kept me there. And I absolutely refuse to pack my bags for a guilt trip! What is daikon?

Here comes Monday, loves....like it or not!

Hello all!

Here we go Monday, Here we go!

Too loud ?? I know... how much coffee has Kayelets had anyway??

Anyway...
We might get snow, we might not...
I'll just make sure my boots are still in the car with the shovel, etc and take it as it comes....
Its just like having a Monday plan...
To treat myself as gently as possible as Monday's can be dicey if we let them be....
I've got my favorite water, soup's already measured out, even have some new music to listen to on the way into work.....


****
Today's thought of the day is:

"Remember that our outlook almost always determines the outcome."
--Life's Little Instruction Book

Question of the day :

" How many more days till spring?"

****


I am pleased as home scale is back near the lowest numbers which I hope will also correspond to WW's scale this evening... am of two minds regarding eating supper b/4 or after meeting....
Oh and btw, DH measured me and I am officially the height I always thought...
I would have been glad even for an extra inch taller.... DH says I made him realize, that he's not overweight, he's just vertically challenged...!

Could be worse I guess, could have found out I was shorter than I thought and would need to go to a lower goal weight!

Must say goodbye...

KETTLE IS ON!

Daikon is a Chinese radish-- often described as peppery but not so much the ones available here where I am... It resembles the shape of a parsnip and can grow very long similiar to a zucchinni or yellow squash... often is used raw w/ raw carrot in a "coleslaw" type salad.... We use often in Stirfry, soups, etc....

Hello all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know, it's been a long time. But here I am. You'll be interested to know that I have resigned from the demon job effective the 18th of this month. It's too much stress for me and the tadpole. They changed my hours, so that they might sabitoge my efforts to financially get straight (would not be able to work the second job). And now I sit in traffic for 2 hours in the morning and 3 at night. Right now my manager at the second job is SUCH a nice guy. He knows everything that is going on with this job and just said look, if you can get here at a decent hour that's great, if not, just come in for friday, saturday and sunday for now. And no, I don't have another job lined up right now. I've had one offer for a considerable amount less than what I make now, and I might take it just because it's 20 minutes from my house and the health care benefits are good. (At least until I can find something else after the baby is born).

You'll also be interested to know that this is day number 84 and I'm 12 weeks pregnant! I have 196 days or 28 weeks left, and am 30% of the way there. (All according to pregnancyweekly.com) Doctor says I'm due 09/20/04 YIPPEE

Poopy. I'll be back later to try to rescue it from the foggy depths of my mind, but for now, I missed you, sorry for being AWOL this weekend, and I enjoyed talking with you! (though you don't get to read it...)

Later, dudes.

Yo!!! Glad to see thee, Frogger, and glad to see thou hast given the good-bye kiss to Demon Job!!!! You and the tadpole definitely should NOT be stressing over a job and a long commute at this time!!! Good work!!!

Wildfire, my stove DOES look quite nice now!!! Thanks!

Sorry about the prospect of snow in thy area, Kaylets. It's going to be 93 here, so they telleth me!!! My sinuses and body are thanking the gods of Arizona for their bounty!!!!!

Om shanti, Cerise and sorry thou lost thy postie to the Demons of Lost Posties!!!! I think they eat 'em!!!

May I please be the unpleasant person I really am and vent words heard in gym from various folk today ... I was reaaaaallly nice and didn't mention this to anyone I knew at the gym but I can't believe how crude some people are ... again, I must mention that I'm a reporter, so that's why I seem to be such a nibby and overhearing type person and so interested in what others are doing (I've been told this is a character flaw but, well, there it is) ... anyhow ...

Strange Remark Overheard in Gym No. 1: Ladies in locker room dressing for water aerobics ... slightly overweight lady TO more overweight lady as they contemplate the suit she has on: "You're really not swimsuit material ... "

Strange Remark Overheard in Gym No. 2: Slight lypast middle-aged man (winter visitor, sorry, not meaning any offense to the winter visitors, just identifying) who'd been all over weight room for a half an hour talking but not doing any exercise that I could discern TO another of same FOLLOWING a request by a younger rather nicely shaped (I thought) woman new to gym who had inquired of room in general if the gym had a scale and been told yes in the other room so she went there: "She doesn't need a scale, all she needs to do is look in the mirror to know she's overweight~!"

Strange Remark Overheard in Gym No. 3: Another past middle-aged gent who'd been sitting on the ab machine for 15 minutes talking but inexplicably NOT doing any ab crunches TO another similar gent who also wasn't exercising and their conversation had reached a point of discussing how the first man would only be in town another three weeks and then he'd hit the road in his RV: "Just me and the serial killers," he said, "good thing they only kill women!"

This last man also made a number of crude sexual references in a loud voice in the middle of the small weight room crowded with males and females of all ages ... I was offended and not much offends me.

I wish someone else would open a gym close to me, I'm getting more and more irritated with the place.

Sorry, negative postie!

Will go now and eateth lunch. Having a chicken salad pita and Old Dog KNOWS I brought chicken in from shopping.

OK, again, sorry for the long hiatus in posting. I spent the weekend in Bellingham visiting Ramon's DB and DSIL. Lovely people - we had a great time hanging out with them. And Ramon got to play with his brother's XBox, which made him very happy.

Um, before I get to posties, I wanted to ask the Flylady fans a question, and please don't get offended...I went to her website because Ramon and I are in dire need of help in keeping an ordered household, checkbook, etc. She seems engaging and the tips must be good, since a few of you seem to like them very much, but there are a couple of things that disturbed me about the site. First of all, it seems to be very by/for/of women. Calling working people "SHEs" and things. Men seem to be welcome as an afterthought, which makes me wonder if the setup's a bit sexist. Just the unapologetic feminist in me wondering, that's all. Secondly, I got the impression (this is from the testimonials page, where it seemed that the only letter-writers were women "taking care" of husbands, babies, etc.) that most of the site is geared toward women who are expected to be the sole home-maker in the family. Kaylets, somebody, say it ain't so. Yikes!!! Doesn't that remind anybody of those 50's guides to making a great haven for your husband to come home to? Owie. One testimonial was about this anxious mother who was worried because her tomboy daughter wasn't interested in girly things - thanks to the Flylady, Mom and daughter are going to get manicures and hairstylings together. Hurrah! My daughter's not going to go all transgender on me! I'm dying here. Please, I'm not trying to write the site off, and Lord knows I could use some help learning how to swish toilets, but PLEASE tell me that my impressions are totally off-base. Just say "Cerise, your femimist sensibilities are just a bit highly-strung, here. Calm down, because the Flylady is not trying to bring back the wifely house-slave of the mid-twentieth-century. Feminist thought is not going to regress 6 decades because the Flylady helps people clean their houses." Thoughts? Please, please, PLEASE don't get too mad at me. Just a young feminist trying to get a clean house and keep it real at the same time...

Wow, Amarantha, you overheard some seriously bad stuff at the gym. I had no idea that that sort of poisonous talk still comes out of peoples' mouths! Here, take some clean vibes from me...actually, I'm no good since I'm still trying to figure out the Flylady. Somebody help cleanse her aura! Don't call yourself unpleasant, love. Your opinions and moods are very important to us, and besides, if you're unpleasant, I'm unpleasant (having had the temerity to question a website beloved by many of our sisters). I don't wanna be unpleasant!

Frogger, good for you! Thank God you won't be at that bad place much longer. How'd they take the news? How did your evil manager take the news? You're going to have so much more time on your hands now that you won't be glued to the car!!! Huzzah!

Good luck on your weigh-in tonight, Kaylets. I got a smile at the thought of you grappling with your dogs for ascendency over the fresh bread. Your husband's soup sounds amazing.

Wildfire, I've got three words for your last-minute vacation-grubbers: BOO-friggin'-HOO. God, I'm glad you're going somewhere where you'll be appreciated. Kaylets' opinion reflects mine on this one. Silly employers! Your stove story made me smile. I'd do/feel the same thing - anger at neglect of a fine object, and a thrill in scrubbing past neglect off it and giving it a new home.

Anyone else thing it's pretty cool that one of us may or may not get snow today and another of us is basking in 90º weather? It's sunny here, for a change. Lovely.

Eydie, Tae Bo? Wow. You know, Pilates sounds pretty good, too. Wonder if I should be the exercise video girl and give up on the gym idea? I never go...

OK, ladies, posting this now. I hope you're all destined for a great week, and Ceara, Zadie, wsw and all others, love you!

I'm outta here...

Thanks for saying I'm not an unpleasant person, Cerise!!!! I think I need to take another look at that Flylady site ...

Yes, I'm basking but getting ready to drive to mountains to work, got such a kick out of your Flylady thoughts, I had to tell thee!

Don't feel like the Lone Rangerette in needing to find a way out of domestic messes. It's been a year or two (yes, I'm still bugged and posting about this) since my best friend (who was also my cleaning lady as it happened) told me what an evil person I was and ended our friendship ... or I did, I'm not sure at this jointure. I'm glad that it happened because I feel freer mentally and didn't realize how much her limited worldview was influencing me, but I digress; anyhow, I was just looking at this messy house and wishing she was at least still in my employ if she didn't want to be friends, because say what thou willeth, the woman could clean.

I need to get a handle on this place next week!

Ok, Evil Woman signing off to take bath and go to work!

Great to hear from you, Frogger! I'm glad things are going well for you and the tadpole---and congrats on dumping that devilish job!

Cerise, sorry to hear you were distressed about the FlyLady site. I always feel a little sheepish recommending her, because it does get kinda corny there, but her techniques work. I feel like I finally have a handle on keeping the house reasonably clean. Now I just have to work on the accumulating clutter--where does it come from?!

Amarantha, sorry to hear you had a bad day at the gym. Yes, the things you overheard were all equally creepy. [shudder.] So hard being human...

Have to go to sleep now---I'll probably be going into work really early because we may have snow tomorrow afternoon. I hope not, I'm getting used to the idea of spring!

Hello all!

Frogger! I am SOOO glad you stopped by... was wondering and wondering...
Certainly in this case, the money vs commute is a no brainer... I know the 18th cannot come quick enough for you!

Cerise: Flylady is one of those grass roots movements that literally "just happened" ... One day, a friend commented on how upset she was that she couldnt get a handle on her house/clutter/etc and Flylady gave her some advice by email... and the friend shared it w/ another...and soon there was an Email list...and then a website and so on, and so on

SHE stands for Self Employed Executive in an effort to elevate
"housewife"...

Flylady has found that most of her members are women... many married, many not....Flylady's personal experience w/ low self esteem and perfectionism have touched on a common thread for her members.
Flylady does strongly believe that if the woman of the house feels positive and organized that her children (and spouse) will benefit.

She does not believe that children or spouses shouldnt do household chores-- what she believes is to stop keeping "score" of what each does..to stop feeling like a victim ... that YOU are important enough to have a clutter free, organized life , a balanced life.

I don't agree with many of her methods...even some of her own employees
disgree with her... (ie, having yardsales... she feels to just get rid of the extra stuff... I feel if you could use the cash, get the cash)....

What I find most interesting about Flylady is that she is proving the statisics ... which say that although spouses are doing more at home than ever before, the women are still doing most of it...many times for very valid reasons... other times its just the way folks live......

And as for women's rights, Flylady talks often about her exit from an abusive relationship... one that she was in for many years...

Oh my...let me move on!

***
Today's thought of the day:

"Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience."
---- Victoria Holt

Question of the day:
"Is saurkraut only for hotdogs?"

***

KETTLE IS ON!

QOD - Well, certainly not in central PA where pork and sauerkraut are a way of life (and are eaten for good luck on New Year's Day). Not lately, but I have been known to eat s.k. cold from a can. Now it's a bit salty for me that way but I still like it almost any way except as my MIL made it. Ready for this: she rinsed all trace of salt from it, melted Crisco and doused it with that. Gag!

Frogger, happy to hear from you - yes, that time saved will be so important. If you divide the pay by hours spent on each job plus commute, you'll find the hourly rates more comparable I'm sure. And probably come out better if you factor in more hours on second job. I'm hoping you'll soon be able to shed that, though, things will get physically tougher in mfg process later. Do you still have boarder? Mom still with you? Any word on DHs job search?

I'm not a journalist, Empress, but still overhear all sorts of things. Maybe I'm just "curious" - I totally deny I'm being "nebby" as I don't usually WANT to hear as much as I do about other people's business. You sure hit the jackpot at the gym.

Wildfire, enjoy that new floor and stove. I too can't believe how some people take (or not) care of things. My stove is 35 years old and looks purty darn good. However, I need one w/a selfcleaning oven as that part is too tough for the artificial knees. My microwave is giving me signs it's on its last legs too and it's almost 25 years old - but still looks good.

I've only scanned Flylady and, as Eydie said, it can get corny. But she does go on about not feeling guilt and she's sure not into perfectionism or anything. Like anything else, I figure take what works for you and deep-six the rest. My DD has always been practically a card carrying feminist and didn't mention anything about that perspective. There is stuff in the book about getting kids to do their share - in fact, I thought FL expected a tad much of the younger kids (even though I always had my kids doing stuff). I think some of it is a recognition of some basic stuff - like somebody has to be the basic organizer and usually that's a person of the femme persuasion although some men are totally better at it. I didn't luck out there. But DH does always do stuff - I'm just more into organization. And DD was much more organized when it was just her or just her and DH. The princesses brought a lot more chaos with them - no news to most of you.

Empress, we must do a ceremonial "throwing out" of thy ex-friend and find thee a new cleaning person who probably won't do as good a job but also won't extract such an emotional fee. I think occasionally of a friend who unceremoniously "dumped" me three years ago and wish it could have been otherwise. But I figure she made her choice and I sure don't need to coax any one to be my friend. There are others willing enough. We like your wider world view and thou sayest thou be better off so let's do the ceremony and show her remnants the door of thy head in a "Spring Cleaning" frenzy.

Not so good weekend days physical health wise but not rotten. Yesterday better. Today I go back to home town for hopefully almost final piece of business. Am knocking down lots on the to-do list but never seem to get to everythign or even almost everything.

I'll be back, darlings, after the pain of this has worn off somewhat. I spoke to each of you from my heart, and can only hope you can feel my deep regard for you. Feel it, feel it...

(I'm off to tear my hair out in anguish)

Spare thy hair, O Royal Cerise. Though I know thy pain only too well. What evil the computer demons can wrought - that now we lack the well given words of our West Coast Woman of Wisdom. Know though that we feel the love and well intentions of her Royalness.