Ceejay - Sorry you're now dealing w/ a stomach bug to boot on top of that respiratory infection. Sounds like the meds are having some harsh side effects too. Feel better soon! I phoned my mom in Springfield yesterday morning and she reported no ice, but snow was expected. I'm glad - the ice storms have proved to be much worse than the snow.
Shad - Horrible to get a worst-ever cyclone on top of all the flooding to hit the country. Hard to believe how many weather events can be happening at once. How was the calamari? Yum.
Happy - I've got the tv news on too - unbelievable amount of snow out there, and the blowing and drifting - I've never experienced this. I was a tot in the '67 storm, and for some reason the '99 storm doesn't even ring a bell. But I'd definitely make a distinction between storms that bring a lot of snow and a BLIZZARD like this storm is.
Mel - Hope the hallway heat gets operating again. Are you expecting any of this blizzard stuff to come your way??!! Sure hope not - NY & the East have had so much alreadyGood to get rid of the son if he's causing more trouble than good.
Michelle - We're experiencing the same weather as you, but totals seem to be around 18-20 inches. I'm so glad I'm not near the lake - it sounds like it was so much worse than away from it. Lake Shore Drive is shut down and hundreds of cars were stranded on there yesterday and it'll be closed for a while. I'll have to get some photos. Sorry you're feeling stiff and sore today - nice you're at home and can try to rest and be more comfortable than at your desk. Tell dh to be safe removing all that snow!
Ellen and Annie - Hope you and yours are safe and cozy at home and that you haven't lost power - that's something I was worried about last night with the wind blowing so fiercely. I was hoping a large tree limb wouldn't bring down the lines. So far, so good, knock wood!
Well, I checked the e-mail and the office is closed today. Seems obvious, but I can't imagine who the people are who would be out on the roads today. Like Michelle said - hopefully just the police, medical, and that's about it.
I let doggy out this morning after his breakfast and he was leaping around trying to find a spot to do his biz. I'm going to have to get dressed, get to the garage (through the house) for a shovel and dig out some spots for him. Poor baby!
Just heard the train horns blowing. Can't imagine people having to take the train. Probably not jammed like yesterday though! I caught a 1:30 train and so was everyone else! It was jammed and I stood all the way home - on the upper level. I felt like a sardine! By the time I got off the train, the wind was really blowing. Bf picked me up and then dropped me off. Much to my consternation, he headed off to the produce store for some more food! But he made it home just fine, but without bananas - they actually ran out!
Okay, time to stop rambling and get busy with work. I'm thinking even e-mail will be quiet today, though.
Happy Hump Day Ladies.....didn't lose power Mellie..thanks for the shout out. I mostly just lazed around yesterday til I had to work at CVS last night. While there two people called off for today, so I am working 2-10 pm shift to cover. Humana was closed yesterday and again today. I can handle snow, but this daygone ice just plain sucks. It is really a mess out there and can even walk on top of the snow covered ice without making one dent in it with this fat arse. It is frozen so thick with ice on top. Maybe like God walking on water??? Yeah, I know not even close. We are now being hammered with snow. Poor Hella B is not liking it one bit. Altho mean, this is funny.....she goes running out the sliding door, onto the back patio, slides clear across then goes head first into the snow in the yard. Wonder she doesn't have brain damage. lol...You would think she would remember from one time to the next not to do that, but nope.
Not doing personals this time, got a few things to do in the next couple of hours before going into CVS..
I hope everyone is warm, safe and snuggled in. Shaddie..I hope you are dry and cyclone free.
Ceejay - I want to give you a recommendation about how to help your tummy deal with Augmentin. Eat any yogurt that has active live cultures. Antibiotics can kill the "good" bacteria that helps your digestion work...so you need to replenish it. Yoplait, Activia...and maybe Greek Yogurt (not too familiar with Greek Yogurt). Eat 1 to 2 containers per day of any yogurt that contains live cultures. Sorry I didn't think to mention it sooner.
Laura - Wow! Your plows must be having a hard time clearing the streets, especially Lake Shore Drive, with all the abandoned/stranded cars. Thanks for the good thoughts about DH being safe while removing snow...hope you and your bf are safe when digging out as well. Now that DH has lost so much weight, snowblowing doesn't bother his knee as much. I'm glad you didn't lose power. Our power lines are underground...which amazes me since we live in farm country...so we don't lose power unless something happens at the substation. As much as it may not have been fun to be crammed into the train like a sardine, I'm glad a lot of people left work early.
Annie - I'm so glad you didn't lose power either. I can't believe CVS was open last night. So many of our stores are closed. Nice of you to cover the shifts...your check should be nice, but I hope you're not overdoing it. Stay safe driving on that ice. I'd rather have snow than ice any day. Stay safe, my sista.
SOOOO COOL!! I'm watching the news and there was a reporter outside in the snow, when all of a sudden along came a couple getting around in a dog sled being pulled by 6 beautiful dogs!!
Gotta love winter in the Midwest! Tonight we get to look forward to 25 below zero wind chills where we live and in the greater Chicago area. Good times! Not!
Yipee we didn't get any of the white stuff. About 2 inches of rain. Thank you God.
Michelle
Dog sleds would be very useful in getting around. That or snow mobiles.
Annie
Be careful on that ice.
Mel
Stay warm. You are right about those antibiotic and their side affects but the blood work revealed that my white blood count is still high.
Hello to Laura, Happy, and Ellen. Stay warm.
Nothing going on with me. I have another sick day at home. I'm taking the doctor's advice. I'm getting rid of this infection and not worrying about work till Sunday.
Good mornning everyone!! We survived the snow..had to shovel a bunch of times...finally clearing it all off this morning after about an hour and a half...Wind is still blowing, so may have to clear it out again...I am not going anywhere...unless the power goes out...our lights flickered a few times yesterday, but seems to be ok now.
Working on "Mt Washmore" good thing the kids are home and can help.
Will try to post later and get in individual replies. Stay safe and warm Shad~keep cool
Ceejay - I am SOOO glad you are taking the doctor's advice and staying home. With a high white blood cell count, you need to rest. Sometimes those infections take hold and won't leave unless you do everything you can to take care of yourself.
Laura - Just heard on our news that there's 19" of snow at O'Hare and additional National Guard troops have been called out. I'm glad it's almost over (at least up here) and now more cleanup can begin. They're saying that Wisconsin freeways south of Milwaukee are still impassable. This is a bad storm.
Ellen - Glad you've made it through the storm too. I hope you don't have to do too much more clearing.
Good news for people currently buried under feet of snow: an early spring is on its way. That's according to Punxsutawney Phil, the famed weather-predicting groundhog who peeked out of his burrow today in front of a crowd of thousands.
Tradition says that if Phil sees his shadow, expect six more weeks of winter; no shadow and an early spring is coming. Since much of the East Coast, including Punxsutawney, Penn., is under a winter storm warning, it seemed a foregone conclusion that there wouldn't be sun in the sky to create a shadow.
Local dignitaries wearing top hats roused Phil around 7:25 a.m. under cloudy skies. According to The Washington Post, Phil has seen his shadow 98 times and hasn't seen it just 16 times since 1887, including today's forecast.
Well it is more or less over. Damage was not as bad as feared although there are a couple of little towns wiped out or at least badly damaged. Cairns and Townsville appear to have suffered little major damage.
What it has done is dumped around a metre (39") of water on the parts of Queensland that were not previously flooded and again we will be paying $$$$ for bananas since 90% of the crop is gone again, wheat and sugar will be in short supply for a while as well. Up goes the price of bread and sweet stuff. Good excuse not to buy it hey.
But there goes Yasi, normal scheduled programming can now resume. I can continue planning my barbeque. To which you are all invited - if you can get away from the snow and ice. Menu is something like:
Dips and chips and vege sticks
Roast Pork, Roast rolled turkey, fish, steak and sausages with roasted veges, salads and fried onions
Dessert to be confirmed but possibly Lemon meringue Pie
Fresh Fruit and cheeses.
So who is coming over.
Will be back to do personals later. I have a fish to catch.
Mel - Calamari was good. Marinated to perfection and thrown in one side of a hot pan and thown out of the other. The crunchy salad was good too. Jen can come down next time. I do a mean salt and pepper squid. Hope the sinus have settled down now and you feel better.
Glad to hear that you are keeping on with the exercise and doing blood work as well. Roll on early spring - good onya Phil the groundhog.
Michelle - stretching is good. I might also suggest you get some light hand weights and use these when you are sitting to do some arm exercises. Building up the triceps and biceps can sure elevate the metabolish just like moving the thigh muscles is really good as well. I'm always amazed at the amount of good exercise that can be done sitting down. I think the dogsled was on our news tonight. I walked in just as the item was finishing.
Laura - Bananas oh how I will miss them. 90% of the crop wiped out. I bought two today, they will be the last for at least 6 months. The price will be like gold now.
Annie - as always - good to talk to you today on fb. Sorry I had to run off but I was getting hungry and knew there was no bread in the house.
Ellen - Stay warm yourself. Here we are having cold showers to try to stop the sweating. May have to give in and use the A/C bah humbug.
Happy - see you on Sunday then. I'll make a birthday cake as well. Pick up Annie on the way over please or maybe she can pick you up.
Thats it. Done I think. Steak and salad coming up. Watch along with the biggest user families
It's a cold one here. It was 0 when I left for work with a -12 windchill. It's supposed to warm up to 14 or 15. Since DH works on the south side of Milwaukee, and they got hit worse with the storm (along with Racine, Kenosha and Chicago), his office is closed for the second day. This will give him a chance to clear off the back patio and some more potty spots in the back yard for the doggies. That shouldn't take too long, so he'll also get a well deserved rest after spending over 4 hours clearing snow yesterday.
As I was driving in today, the bottom of one of my eyeglass frames just broke off. I was just driving along and pop...the frame broke, then the lens popped out. And these weren't cheap frames. Luckily, I can see well enough to drive and not hit anything and see well enough to work on the computer. I'll be stopping after work to get them fixed.
I got GREAT NEWS on the scale today!! I've lost 5.6 lbs this week!! I guess the WW Points Plus plan works, and I'm sure tracking everything is the key to my success this week.
Shad - So sorry to hear about the little towns that were wiped out by Yasi, but I'm relieved that the damage isn't worse. That's a bummer about all the crops especially the bananas. When I learned that bananas and even grapes were now 0 points, I was thrilled!! I'd send you some bananas...but I doubt they'd make it through customs (or whatever). I got a chuckle that it made carbs (wheat and sugar) in short supply. It looks like it's trying to help Mel and I with our carb-limiting diet plans. I did some stretching yesterday, which helped the soreness, and I'm not as stiff today. I am doing upper body work with hand weights and pushups, etc. The BBQ menu sounds fabulous!! I think our airport has finally re-opened, so maybe I can catch a flight there. Is the BBQ on Super Bowl Sunday? Will you be showing that on the TV at your house? Who is the birthday cake for?
I'm going to sign off for now, but I'll check back later to see what y'all are up to.
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Good morning alll,
I think we need to rename the thread Worldlies Face Freezing and Fierce Storms in February! I think we are due for a bout of freezing rain this weekend, nothing like what hit Chicago but winter is sure letting us know she's around!
Michelle - congrats on such a great weight loss for the week! I find the new WW program somewhat annoying in that it seems I am eating very healthy and in smaller portions but it's still too darn many points! That's soooo annoying on the glasses. I'm glad you were able to drive to work with one eye. Hope it's a quick fix.
Shad - I would bring mangoes and bananas with me, but I'm sure they won't let me through customs. Enjoy what you have, I'm sure because you can't get any more you will want them even more. What havoc the weather has done to your country. I'm glad Vasi didn't slap you around.
Ceejay - rest up and get rid of that infection. I completely agree with Michelle's advice on the yogurt.
Laura - so you had to stand on the upper level of the train? That had to be a bear. I usually would cram into the stairwell. Glad you got home safe - not like those poor people on Lake Shore Drive.
Speaking of snow, I kept checking on my Mom. She was very mad and I mean MAD that her neighbors on either side of her only got 1 or 2 foot drifts but she had 4 feet of snow in her front yard. I tried to explain the wind gusts (60 miles per hour) and things like trees and cars affecting where the snow went but she was having none of it. After 15 minutes of her saying I Don't Know Why I got all the snow, I finally said, Face it Mom, God don't like you And she finally agreed that God was punishing her because she swore alot. Ahhhhh - where is the hair pulling smiley?????
Mel - I loved your Adult truths. Thanks for a good laugh - always appreciated Glad you didn't get dumped on with the snow.
Glad you didn't loose power Ellen - that was the scariest part of the storm as there would be no way to keep warm with all that snow and cold.
Annie- yikes, what a way to forget about the sun and warm with all this cold. It was good of you to help out at work.
Sorry I can't stay longer. These days are flying by lately. I'll see if maybe I can get on again at work today.
Shad~keep cool
Let's hear it for Phil!!! 
I guess the WW Points Plus plan works, and I'm sure tracking everything is the key to my success this week. 
I did some stretching yesterday, which helped the soreness, and I'm not as stiff today. I am doing upper body work with hand weights and pushups, etc. The BBQ menu sounds fabulous!! I think our airport has finally re-opened, so maybe I can catch a flight there. Is the BBQ on Super Bowl Sunday? Will you be showing that on the TV at your house? Who is the birthday cake for? 
I think we are due for a bout of freezing rain this weekend, nothing like what hit Chicago but winter is sure letting us know she's around! 
I find the new WW program somewhat annoying in that it seems I am eating very healthy and in smaller portions but it's still too darn many points! 
snow, I finally said, Face it Mom, God don't like you 
And she finally agreed that God was punishing her because she swore alot. 
Ahhhhh - where is the hair pulling smiley?????