Good morning to you all! I was having knee problems yesterday. It hurt all day long and then was aching when I went to bed last night. So much so that I couldn't sleep, so I got up, slathered Icy Hot all over the back and front put a pair or ratty pj bottoms on to keep it from getting on the sheets, took advil and went back to bed. I woke this morning and no aching and it doesn't hurt when I walk so I guess I fixed it for now.
Jean: It is 32 here right now and no wind and supposed to get up to 42 today. A bit of a warm up on Wednesday then back down to daytime temps in the 40's. I guess everyone is just going to have to hang on until the economy gets better. I truly believe a good portion of the problem was the rising oil prices. It makes sense as pretty much everything depends on oil, either oil is in the product in some way, it is needed to run the manufacturing company, it is needed to take goods to stores and it is needed to run many stores, ie heat and such. When prices kept climbing, companies couldn't keep up and us regular folks started losing jobs because of it or keeping our money close to us and so retail sales plummeted. If you look, the stores that are in trouble are ones that are pricier, Linens and Things, Circuit City, places like that. Good old Wally's world is hanging in there along with Target. Kmart has been in trouble for decades so it doesn't count. I think the other big thorn in this country's side is the unions. I saw yesterday a window company shut their doors in Chicago with only 3 days warning to employees. The employees are now camped out in the factory refusing to leave until they are paid severage and vacation, but the company's bank trustees won't pay as they are in bankruptcy. The electrical union there is putting up a big stinkeroo and trying to make trouble. Well, if you look at the auto industry, that is run completely by unions. Jack said the biggest problem is that the unions have strong armed the auto industry into covering all retired auto workers with lifetime medical, dental, life insurance, etc coverage. On top of that, the hourly worker's salaries are so inflated it is unbelievable. My brother is an electrician with a Ford plant and if he would work a weekend holiday, he makes thousands of dollars on just one weekend. You take that on top of people not buying a high ticket item like a car right now and they get into trouble. People are also downsizing to smaller suvs and crossovers and sedans over the big sedans like we have or big SUVs. Though you wouldn't know it here. I think there are more Navigators and Escalades in this city than anywhere. They ride around in Lexus's and cadillacs with doo rags on their heads looking like they haven't got two pennies to rub together then walk into a grocery store, buy high ticket items like steak and junk food and pay for it with food stamps. I quit going to our Walmart Neighborhood market just down the street for that very reason. I got burned up watching people buy expensive stuff on food stamps and go out and get into expensive cars and drive off. Or the other scenario, they spend thousands of dollars on those huge fancy wheels. When I had to order ours when the one got bent, I saw some that were over $2000 apiece. You see them on some beat up 20 year old car like that makes it stylin'. It is still an old beat up car!
I like chocolate covered cherries too. I always buy the Cella brand as I like the clear liquid instead of the white cream inside. Bad thing is Jack hates them so I have them all to myself!
Susan:I have started another hat. This one is in red, white and blue and is shaped like the kid's party hats. It is cute. The original colors are pink, white and gold, but I didn't have the yarn for that and wanted to use stash yarn so went with the red, white and blue. I think it will still look cute. My cookbook cost me $14.98 plus free shipping. Sometimes it pays to be part of a book club. I know I save a lot of money now that I have been a member a long time. Well I say that, but I buy a lot of books. I have bags and bags in the garage ready to go to the library to give away. I get a lot of freebies, and such. Right now they owe me a secret book that I still have yet to get. It was a promotion awhile back and they ran out so I don't know when I will see it. It is probably some stupid book I wouldn't read anyway. Can you say "regift?"
Well, I guess I am going to get into the recliner and knit for awhile until I can do the floors. We ended up going to the commissary for a weeks worth of groceries yesterday and they were really busy so I didn't get much done at home yesterday. I will be caught up then can start back on my daily cleaning tomorrow I guess. I will be glad when I can just take down Christmas stuff and put it away!
Have a wonderful Sunday!
Faye