Happy Monday ladies -

Took Mischief to the vet on Friday, and poor little thing had a fever, so they ran some blood tests. We'll get the results back today. In the meantime, she's on antibiotics for the fever. She seemed to be doing better over the weekend. All the doggies were outside a lot yesterday since it was in the upper 70s/low 80s. The warm weather didn't last though...back to the 50s today, and it may snow this coming weekend. Many parts of the midwest had big thunderstorms and tornados yesterday...luckily we escaped with only a little bit of far off rumbling. All the really bad storms went north of us.

ReptileFest was a lot of fun! DMIL loved it too! I'm so glad I got the walker with the seat. I wouldn't have made it otherwise...and DMIL even used it a bit when she got tired and needed a little walking support or needed a seat. She was really grateful to have the walker too. I'm sure she'll use it from time to time. Yesterday, we were all a bit sore. I did a lot of website work while DMIL rested and DH changed the oil on the vehicles.

I just found out that a colleague of mine passed away over the weekend from stomach cancer that spread to her bones. I had no idea she was even sick. She and I used to work very closely together 5 years ago when I first started here. Then we both transferred to other areas and for the last 6 months or so, we've been back under the same VP. Her cube was near my cube, so I saw her often...even though we didn't work together much on the same projects. I'm so shocked and so saddened. She helped me so much in my first year at the company. She was only in her mid to late 30s and has a 7 year old son.

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Mel - So sorry to hear that the seniors are affected so much by the negativity in the office. So nice of the man to give you a present for listening to him. And another tenant to give you a rose! You should take notes and sell to TV producers. I'm sure they could make quite the soap opera (or sit com) from the goings on in your building. Those orchids at TJ's sound lovely! Those two Dr. Oz diets sound really good. Good for you for trying tilapia. I am not a big fish eater, except for haddock and canned tuna. The veggie dish looks really yummy!! I've never tried anything like that, and I like the idea of serving on pita with mozzarella. Cheese makes anything better. Bummer about the early alarm. That's awful that you've got a group of bullies. We should all bring our rolling pins and cattle prods and help you show them who's boss!

Ceejay - You must be getting tired with 8 straight days of work. I'm glad you finally got a day off yesterday. I hope your co-worker's son's condition continues to improve. Try and rest when you get home at night, and be careful of salt/sodium as that could be contributing to your BP being a little high. Congrats to your nephew on the launch of his political career!

Happy - So funny that you said the mid-80s was too warm. I noticed that too yesterday when it was 20+ degrees warmer than the day before. I was outside as much as my back would allow...but with no leaves on the trees yet, I had to be very mindful not to get sunburned. We have a lot of yardwork to do as well, getting things ready for Spring planting. But I just wasn't up to doing any of it after all the walking on Saturday. I love hummus, but my problem with eating it with pita chips is that I can eat A LOT of pita chips. I really have a hard time resisting pita chips and hummus. But if I eat a cup or so of baby carrots with a Tbsp or two of hummus, that's not as bad. Did you enjoy the museum and all the blooming azaleas?

Shad - Good for you for working in the yard/garden and getting your laundry done. I completed the latter, but didn't do anything on the former. Did you get to take a short siesta? Bummer that you and your friend won't be going to Adelaide, but I'm sure you'll find fun things to do in Brisbane and Stanthorpe.

Ellen - I hope DD2 is doing better and that the lax helps. Too bad she can't have the stents out before the end of the month.

Laura - Good for you on getting out and doing yardwork in the warm weather! I'm glad the book club meeting went well. Don't overdo it with the raking. That's what bf's are for when you have a bum elbow. How cool that you found some nice art (at a bargain price, no doubt) on craigslist.

Annie - I'm so happy for you, Granny!! Yay!!! Lots of love and hugs to you. And best wishes for an easy and wonderful pregnancy for your DD. When is she due?

I'd better get some work done today.

Love and hugs to all,

Morning all. Boss seems to be in a mellow mood so far. She'd signed up for the buillding fitness center months before I did, but she has never used it, so she asked me about getting in there - did she just need her key card? She needs a code for the women's locker room as well, so I sent her the e-mail I received when I joined that has the code and other info. She loved her "fat farm" week and wants to keep going on the exercise. Good for her. As we all know, if you don't use it, you lose it!!

Mel - Sorry there's now a bully faction in the building. How irritating and maddening that must be with the idiot and the alarm. He needs to be blacklisted - are these all false alarms?? Grrrrr!

Annie - Congrats to you, Granna Nanna-to-be! Shouldn't it be Grannie Nannie Annie??? And congrats to Sissy!

Hello Happy!

Michelle - Hope Mischief is doing well today. I'm sure the dogs loved being out. Coal did too, but without leaves on the trees, he couldn't be near me and be in the shade at the same time! Glad your area didn't have the really severe weather. I don't think we got any overnight - I was sleeping like a log, so I wouldn't know. ZZZZZ Glad you enjoyed Reptilefest and you had that walker/seat to give you and DMIL breaks. So sorry to hear about the death of your co-worker. So young.

Hellos to Ceejay & Shad.

I thought with all the raking and bending yesterday I might be sore this morning, but so far I'm not, and the arm is feeling okay too (the new norm okay, not totally better).

Not much to report since I posted late yesterday. I'm trying to firm up plans for when one of our HS friends comes into town this weekend - I've offered to just have everyone over to the house to hang out next Saturday because it seems easiest, and I sort of prefer that because you can only linger so long at a restaurant, and I like having time to chat and catch up w/ everyone... Hope this all comes together. I don't want to sound negative, but this friend always suggests getting a restaurant certificate from restaurant.com, but we'd have to actually SELECT and AGREE on a restaurant to do this - too hard with this group. Or she wants to go to this one Polish restaurant that no one else really seems interested in eating at. Sigh.

Okay, better post and get to work.

Michelle
I'm glad you took Mischief to the vet.

I'm still not at 100 % but I'm back to work. We had a good rain storm plow through. It had a bit of lightning but not bad. My body is getting where it can't take these long weeks. I usually end up with some sort of stomach ailment which holds true today. Not as bad as they usually are.

Annie
Congrats on becoming a new grannie Annie.

I should get off the puter. It's lightning again.

Thanks ladies...guess we will have to add a baby nursery to the commune...Happy...get on it. Granna Nanna from Indiana!! Ga haha

Grannie Annie - well well well. Congratulations to you all. Now won't you have something to look forward to in the near future.

Happy - lovely photos that DH posted on facebook last night. Glad you are getting some good food in - it's always a toss up when you travel - what to eat and where to eat.

Ceejay - hope you had a good nights rest

Laura - get together at your place sounds like a really good idea. I would prefer it to the restaurant because you can all move around easily and it's not like playing musical chairs at a restaurant where you are all expected to sit down and behave.

Michelle - Hope the doggy come right soon. Sounds like the walker was a hit and the expo was interesting. Not sure about reptiles. Good to look at from a distance I guess.

Ellen - hope the dd comes right very soon. Not funny to be sick and sorry at her age. Don't suppose it does you much good either.

Mel - what next? Bullies and neo ****s abound at your place. Time to get the cattle prod warmed up I think. Niece said there were some more photos on facebook blog I will send them to you to have a look at as soon as I can get to them and not fall asleep on the keyboard.

Right time to face the day again. More long hours trying to get this thing off the ground. I feel as though I am running in circles - ever decreasing and the goal is somewhere off to the left.

Catch ya

Good Evening.....what a weekend this was....Worked 9 hours on Saturday as Photo was all messed up, software not working just shut the entire thing down...The Kodak man (over the phone tech help) was an idiot....Sunday was more disaster....THAT SAME D*MN girl didn't show up for work...I worked 10 am to 10 pm Sunday, needless to say, I was dragging all day today.

Yes, good news brought to me this morning from my dear sweet daughter, Samantha....we are all becoming granna nanna's soon. It is early and she wants to keep it on the down low for a while, since she has a high percentage of miscarrying. Only having 1/3 of a cervix due to cancer brings more challenges for this pregnancy. She has her first doc appt April 27, doc didn't want her to get too far along without seeing her and making some very important decisions. She will be watched closely. May have to be stitched shut and a C-section on the horizon....she does not care, just wants to have that healthy happy baby....I predict a boy...isn't that funny....hope my instincts are right...lol Chris, her boyfriend, has a 5 yr old girl from his 1st marriage. They are both ecstatic. ME TOO!!!

Chelle..so glad you, DH and DMIL enjoyed the reptile fest....it sounds so fun...my dad has one of those walkers...he doesn't use it anymore, but keeps it "just in case". Sissy is due, we are guessing, mid-December....long time off...

Shaddie...it is no surprise that job is not turning you to the luney bin....and can you catch your own tail??

Ceejay...hoping you are feeling better....sometimes stomach ailments are nerves and working TOO MUCH...trust me...I KNOW that feeling.

Laura....I am with you, I would just rather have friends over to my house as when the night ends, they leave and I go to bed...lol. They drive and I am snoozing....and so much easier.

Happy....another wrench in the mix....figure out which room to make the baby nursery...you know, you think I am kidding...we are so there when the time comes for the commune....make room for us Worldlies....lol

MELLIE...love the Sunday picture you posted of the roses...so beautiful...a quiet Saturday...did you feel like the end had happened?

Ellen...sounds like you are working too much and on the run....hope the kiddos are doing well and maybe DD will do better once the stent is out.

Yikes, I am so tired...once the chicken tetrazinni gets done and out of the oven, I am going to bed. Hope to be in bed by 8 pm tonight....and can actually sleep. Work both jobs tomorrow and not looking forward to it.

Have a marvelous night all.

Love and Hugs

MORNING CHICKS

QUICK POST. GOOD THING I DIDN'T ORDER THE BATTERIES FOR THE CHAIR. I GOT A FLAT TIRE LAST NIGHT AND THE OTHER ONE IS SOFT THIS MORNING TOO. THIS IS THE CHAIR I USE EVERY NIGHT AND WEEKEND. CHIT. LADY LUCK IS LEAVING MY NEIGHBORHOOD SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT. SHE MIGHT BE HEADING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU
GOING DOWN TO MAKE CALLS & GET ESTIMATES. THEN SEE IF I CAN CHANGE IT FROM BATTERIES TO TIRES. BUT THE BIG BOSS IS ON VACATION
SEND ME GOOD THOUGHTS. I ALREADY SPOKE WITH ONE PERSON AND OF COURSE SHE SAID YES. SO WE'LL SEE.
HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Good morning ladies -

I was so tired yesterday when I got home. I did my PT stretches/exercises, DH and I ate dinner, and I fell asleep around 8 pm while watching TV. This morning, I'm having a hard time keeping my lower abs contracted (to engage my core muscles and get them stronger). They just keep going to their normal, relaxed state...which is not good for my back.

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Laura - for your boss trying to continue with the exercise! I've often wanted to go to a "fat farm". They're just so expensive! Did she go somewhere in Illinois? How nice that a HS friend is coming into town! I think having a get together at your house would be better than being rushed out of a restaurant that not everyone will enjoy (or be interested in) the food. Plus, Shad's right, if you had the get together at your house, you wouldn't have to behave to the extent you would at a restaurant for fear of disturbing the other restaurant patrons.

Shad - I know how it feels to be running in circles and the lists of tasks gets longer and the deadlines get closer. Hang in there, my friend. I hope the path gets a little straighter today.

Annie - Such great news about your DD! I'll be keeping her and the little one in my prayers. Sorry work at CVS was so rough over the weekend. I hope you got some much needed rest last night.

Mel - Sorry to hear you need new tires for your chair. I hope the big boss will pay for them, and maybe the batteries too! Maybe you should offer Lady Luck a Frappucino to encourage her to stick by you for awhile.

I'll check in later to see what the rest of y'all are up to.

Love and hugs,

Good morning all,

I took some extra time this morning to put away some clutter in the kitchen which cut into my post time. Just breezed through you listings.

Annie how wonderful for you and Sissy That is going to be one lucky baby! Hope all goes well for her pregnancy.

Mel - geez woman - that is so unfair - get a battery, lose a tire. Darn mechanical things hopefully another blessing comes sweeping through the door and all will be taken care of.

Michelle - that's really sad about your co-worker. And soooo young too! I guess there are reminders all around to live life to the fullest.

The gardens we went to over the weekend were just ablaze with beautiful azalea bushes. DH took some nice pictures which, if it weren't for Shad's comments, I would not have noticed on DH's FB page. I will have to snatch them and post here.

Anyway, I have to get moving. Be back later...

Seems Michelle slid into home base right over my head this morning

Can't wait to see the azealea's, Happy. Did you get washed away by all that rain we had yesterday. We had flash floods.

Annie
Hope things go well for your daughter. I'd forgotten that she had cancer.

Ellen
How is dd this morning? Has she gone back to school. Still liking your new Camry?

Mel
I'll send back those good luck vibes that you sent me the other day.

Michelle
I've had night's like the one you had many times.

Hello's to Laura and Shad.

suppose to be a beautiful day. Wish my headache would go away. I get a doozy when we have a low pressure system such as yesterday come through.

Morning all.

Ceejay - Hate those sinus headaches! Hope yours goes away quickly. You didn't have any trouble w/ flooding, did you?

Happy - Looking forward to the photos - I think azaleas are just gorgeous.

Michelle - The spa/fat farm is the Heartland Spa, about 2 hours south of O'Hare Airport. It sounds wonderful! I hope another good night's sleep does the trick in recovering from your weekend.

Mel - So sorry to hear about the tires - sort of like a car, huh - always something that can go wrong. Hope you can change your order. Sending good thoughts. :

Annie - Sorry you had to work so many hours this weekend - totally not fair. I hope you had a good night's sleep last night!! Wishing DD a healthy pregnancy!!

Shad - Don't get too dizzy running in those circles!! Remember to stop and take a breath every once in a while.

Hello Ellen!

Went to the step 101 class last night. Added a riser and that made the class more challenging for me. Good workout.

Work - sigh. Yest. aft. was a very awkward meeting in which the co-worker who's leaving filled us in about a part of her job - this is the transitioning before she leaves the company. So there was no intro by the boss, until the meeting was over when she told us we were going to be having more of these "cross-training" meetings. Whatever - it's just plain silly for all of us to pretend the other doesn't know that the co-worker is leaving, and call these meetings (there are 3 more on the calendar) cross-training.

I'm also cranky because I ended up over my phone's data plan limit, so I'll be billed extra.

Tonight's the movie "Source Code".

TTFN!

YOU HAVE TO LAUGH......SEVERAL PEOPLE SAID THEY WOULD LEND ME THE MONEY FOR TIRES...HOW MUCH COULD IT BE.....WELL THE BILL FOR 2 SOLID TIRES W/ INSTALLATION IS $390......WANNA SEE HOW FAST THE OFFICE & THE OFFERS EMPTIED OUT? WISH I HAD A CAMERA. SO I TRADED THE TIRES FOR THE BATTERIES FOR NOW. THEN WHEN I NEED THE BATTERIES...I AM GOING RIGHT BACK THERE TO GET THEM PAID FOR AS WELL. THEY WANT ME TO CONTINUE ON AS A POORLY PAID SUPER THAN THEY CAN FOOT THE BILL FOR THE CHAIR THAT GETS ME FROM JOB TO JOB.
I'M GETTING POSITIVELY DEMANDING IN MY OLD AGE! A FRIEND OF MINE JUST SAID IN FRONT OF EVERYONE THAT IT'S ABOUT TIME SOMEONE GAVE ME SOMETHING IN RETURN FOR SO MANY YEARS OF VOLUNTEERING. FEELS GOOD TO GET A BIT OF "PAY BACK". JUST HOPE I'M NOT JINXING MYSELF SAYING IT! LOL
I AM FREEZING OVER HERE WITH THE RAIN & LOWER TEMPS AFTER THE NEAR 80 DEGREE DAY WE HAD YESTERDAY. I HAD MY A/C UNCOVERED AND RUNNING BY LATE AFTERNOON IT GOT SO HOT. NOW THE HEATER IS RUNNING. LOL I CAN'T WIN.







ANNIE....WOW!! HOW EXCITING!! CONGRATULATIONS SISSY!!! AND CONGRATULATIONS GRANDMA!!!! THAT'S GREAT NEWS.. I WILL SEND GOOD THOUGHTS HER WAY. SHE COULD USE A FEW PRAYERS


MICHELLE...YOU CERTAINLY DID A LOT OF CATCHING UP WITH US. HOPE THE DOGGIE GETS BETTER WITYH THE NEW MEDS. POOR THING I AM GLAD YOU HAD A GOOD TIME WITH THE MIL AT THE FEST. AND I AM SO SORRY ABOUT YOUR CO-WORKER AND THE CANCER. GOD HOW AWFUL SHE MUST HAVE BEEN A REAL TROOPER FOR PEOPLE NOT TO NOTICE. HOPE THE LOWER ABS FINALLY COOPERATED! SUCK IN THAT GUT YOUNG LADY!!



LAURA...THE ALARMS ARE FOR SMOKE DETECTORS IN EACH APT. 100 OF THEM!! IMAGINE HOW MANY THINGS THEY BURN HOPE THE BOSS KEEPS UP WITH THE EXERCISE. THE USE IT OR LOSE IT....I USE THAT ON THE SENIORS. THEY KEEP LAUGHING BUT ARE TAKING SOME WALKS. HOPE NEXT WEEKEND GOES WELL AND YOU ALL GET TO HAVE A GOOD CHAT. RESTAURANT.COM.....I LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY HERE!! KEEP US POSTED!!



CEEJAY....SORRY THE TUMMY IS UPSET. THAT'S A LONG WEEK AND NOT GETTING TO SLEEP IN AT OR JUST RELAX. HOPE THE DAYS OFF MAKE Y9OU FEEL BETTER HOPE THE HEADACHE IS GOING AWAY. DANG WOMAN THAT'S NOT ANY FUN.




SHAD....I GOT THE EMAIL BUT HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET. HOPE YOU GET TO STOP RUNNING AROUND IN CIRCLES SOON AND THE PROJECT TAES OFF LIKE A ROCKET. GOOD LUCK



HAPPY.....I AM HAPPY TO HEAR THE GARDENS WERE WORTH THE VISIT. I LOVE FLOWERS EVEN IF MY HEAD DOESN'T!!! IT MUST BE HARD TO EEP YOUR FOCUS THERE WHEN YOUR HEART HAS PROBABLY ALREADY MOVED!!

Lordy...I must be havin' the preggers munchies for Sissy...she has been most eating soda crackers. Gots the pukes, I said, ha ha, must be pregnant. Hope I don't gain the weight from HER pregnancy....lol...just be my luck. Here are her names...

Christopher (after baby daddy) Jacob (after my son, her brother) for a boy.

Christianna (baby daddy and me) Carmen (after my momma her grandma) for a girl.

Chris is on board for both names. Maybe it will be twins...lol

MELLIE....just drive that chair right into the repair shop for tire and battery change. Ask them for both as you need them both..NOW. I know, it is not the Walmart Auto Store....

Laura...sissy used to run our minutes over on our plan til I had a come to Jesus meeting with her about 3 years ago and made her pay the difference. That stopped pretty quickly. Let me know about Source Code.

Ceejay...isn't it amazing how our health is determined so much by what we eat or the weather.....just not fair.

Happy...bet the flowers are beautiful...are you building on to the commune you just bought for everyone? lol

Chelle...you poor thing...exercise...I still say it makes me sick. lol Keep at it babe, you can do it.

Shaddie...do they have you snowed under with work or is this your time off yet.....I have a terrible case of CRS...Can't Remember sh*t.

Ellen...how's the family today?

Have a great evening all...have to get the heck out of this dodge so I can get onto the next dodge...sissy road with me today as her car would not start, so I have to drop her off before going into CVS.

Loves and Hugs...