It seems like forever since I've been here
Update on Matty-Matt:
The orthopaedic dr. said the broken bone in the fingertip is already healing.
The stitches holding the nail have to stay in for 3 to 4 weeks in order for the tissue to grow around the nail bed, allowing the nail to come back in. If the nail comes off now (if they don't keep it in place w/stitches) the tissue will take over the whole fingertip and he won't have a nail or nailbed. yuck!
He has to soak the finger in soapy water twice a day, and..get this.. he CAN swim in a private chlorinated pool but no public pools, rivers, lakes, streams...etc. So...Gram's pool is a green light
He's doing very well with it...is coloring, etc., with his left hand. He says it doesn't hurt, but Jess said that when he's sleeping he does hold it outside the covers.
We were at the nursery on Saturday to purchase plants and the boys were with us. All of a sudden Brandon said,"Matt's bandage is gone!!!" (He's such a good big brother) and it was on the ground right behind Matt. I told myself, "Jen, you should look at it (the finger)" but got all squeamish...but then looked so I would know what the situation is...and it was awful..the stitches are all around the cuticle, the whole fingertip and nailbed are purple and black and swollen and mis-shapen...
anyhow! he's doing well, but I don't know about Gram
Sandy,
So...how is the job? I've been thinking of you and know how difficult it is to begin a new job. I'm sure you'll do great. You have a good start on a wardrobe! I've been purchasing just what I need, with the hopes that each new purchase will be a smaller size and so far it's been ok.
I, too, need to get back seriously on program.
Good luck!
Dianne,
I can only say I know what you've been thru this past weekend. What are people thinking???? being late for their child's college graduation??? You did deserve a day off.
Es,
I am probably the only person who began reading the DaVinci Code last year and gave up after getting 1/4 of the way thru...I didn't like it at all and it's not like me to give up on a book. I have no intention of seeing the movie. Joey loved the book. Go figure.
I know nothing about Virginia...are you seriously looking into it? I would imagine it's cheaper to live there than NY, but may be wrong. And would David move?
We're in the position now of wanting to move somewhere warmer, like Arizone or New Mexico, but cannot and will not leave the boys.
Susan,
What a great workout!! Those sore cheeks will be happy cheeks when they're stronger. You're doing great and are inspiring me. Keep it up!
Terri,
Hope you and the kids are having a wonderful summer vacation!
We're still awaiting our first swim this season no heat yet to speak of. that it will be soon.
Work is crazy. We're working 6 days....thank goodness it's only for 1 month. I'm beat and we have 4 more weeks to go!
Morning everyone... very sleepy today but I did get a chance to read thru the posts and it sounds like everyone is doing pretty good.
Es: My brother lives in Va... he really likes it, he lives in a small town and has lived there for around 15 years... He is with the Navy and commutes to DC every day. I have been there a few times and the state is very pretty but as far as cost of living, education, etc I don't know much about it.
Jen: So happy to hear that Matt is getting better, not being able to swim will be tough but worth it to keep the nail.
I survived my first 2 days at work. The office seems very nice and there are way too many new names to learn at once. They had a special bagel brunch for me the first day so that I could meet the whole staff. They seem very kind and good humored, and my supervisor said they are breaking me in slowly and plan to wait until next week to scare me. The commute feels rather long, it took me about 50 minutes in the morning and an hour to get back home.
The big adjustment is that Mike is home all day alone. I can't tell how he feels about it. He really needs to get back to work, it has been almost 11 months since he was laid off.
Es, I lived in Northern Virginia, but it was from 1975 until 1983. My impressions would be so out of date. What I do remember was that in the winter we had mostly ice instead of snow. The spring came promptly in late March, unlike here in Mass. The summer was very hot and humid. We were very close to DC, in fact I worked near the Smithsonian. I loved visiting all the sites in the capital and Virginia, and also out to the eastern shore of Maryland in the summer. We used to go to Baltimore and Annapolis for day trips. The people were easy to get to know. I think since it is such a transient area, they try harder to make friends. We used to socialize a lot with our work friends. I hope this helps a bit, if you have specific questions, just ask.
Jen, your little Matt sounds like a brave guy. I hope he continues to heal quickly. I still don't remember if you told us where the newlyweds went for their honeymoon.
Dianne, the commencement sounds totally overwhelming. I can't imagine parents coming late after all the years and work by all involved to help their child reach this achievement. Your boss is a bit manipulative, eh? She wins no points for her suggestion. I hope you are all recovered.
How's Alana by the way?
Terri, are the kids done with school? What are the summer vacation plans?
Susan, hope all is well. Let us know what is going on your job front too!
Sandy,
Your commute could pose a challenge. Are you taking public transportation or driving? Would you consider listening to books on audio? I found it unsettling when Joe was home from March until June in 2004 when I returned to work. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Mike. Your coworkers sound pleasant, a good sense of humor is important. Good luck!
Joey and Iliana went to Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) for their honeymoon. Their weeklong trip is ending and they're returning home today.
I really have no choice but to drive to work, there are no trains or buses that could get me to the college from where I live. I am going to try the books on tape, I plan to check some out of the library when I have the time to get there again.
Being away from home 11 hours a day is really strange, I am going to miss a lot of things I used to do during the day. Mike made dinner tonight. It is really cold and rainy for June, so I set him up with the crockpot and a recipe. He made Pot Roast Stroganoff and all I had to do was put a salad together. Dinner was delicious. Mike had choir tonight and I had a meeting with the Lay Pastoral Visitors. It was great to come home, not worry about dinner and be able to go out together to the church.
As soon as I saw the words Punta Cana, I remembered that you had told us where Joey and Ilana were going. Tell them welcome back, I hope they had a fabulous honeymoon!
Hi and Love the the rest of the gang, I need to get to bed soon.
Sandy, I feel your pain! I have done the long commute thing and I don't like it at all, best wishes to you!
Well the job thing is still up in the air, I just pray that it works out for the best. I still keep my eyes open and have my resume posted on the job boards so we shall see what happens. I have kind of left it in God's hands for now.
Have to run but hello to all and best wishes for a wonderful weekend!
I got my 2nd injection yesterday. I felt okay when I woke up this morning so I decided to go to work. I had to leave 1/2 day. I felt fatigued & short of breath. I have to get one more. Can't wait till it's over.
Susan, hope you get a job soon.
Sandy, must be great having dinner ready when you get home. Especially after that long commute.
Jen, how did Joey & Iliana like Punta Cana? Like Sandy, once I saw the words I remembered you did tell us. Hope they had a nice time.
Sandy & Susan, thanks for telling me a little about VA. I wish I could find more about it online. Wasn't to happy to hear about the ice storms & the hot & humid weather.
Well my buddies, I still can't sit too long. Have a nice weekend.
We are having a nice summer. Lots of hikes and stuff. Bruce and Bradley went to NC today for Scout Camp. 4 adults are going backpacking in the Smokies for 4 days while 4 other scout masters stay with the campers. Bruce is one of the backpackers. I just hope a bear doesn't eat him.
Jen,
Your little guy is a trouper. Give him an extra hug.
Hope the honeymooners enjoyed themselves. I saw the Davinci Code. It helped to have 2 people (Britts and Bruce) who have read the book. She explained a lot to me and it helped. I started really liking the movie once they got the cryptix and went to the Teachers house. Brittany bought the soundtrack.
Sandy,
Hope you enjoy your job. They sound great to work with.
Es,
I have never lived there but heard great things. I love Virginia Beach and Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens.
I will try to catch up tonight. I have read only half of what I missed. Miss everyone.
The kids and my niece surprised us with an anniversary dinner last night! Joey and Ili asked us to have dinner with them at my favorite restaurant...when we got there my niece and her girls were there, as were Jess, Mike and the boys We had a great evening.
Tomorrow Joe and I will celebrate our 35th anniversary. It's amazing to me how those years have gone by and how much we've shared. I often joke that even during some rough times we were both too stubborn to give up on the marriage, but it is true. And for that I'm glad. I only hope we have another 35 together.
We went shopping yesterday and Joe decided that he wanted to upgrade the bracelet he gave me for my birthday (which I liked but he changed his mind about it)...so we went to the jeweler and I ended up with a really nice diamond tennis bracelet....it's for both my bday and our anniversary. I'm still shocked.
Terri, it sounds as tho you're having a great summer. Enjoy!
Es, hope you're feeling better. When do you need to make the decision about Virginia?
I've got to get back on WW. I've maintained the 32 pound loss since December, but need to focus on further losses. Am going shopping today to get fresh veggies and fruits.
Jen: Congrats to you and Joe - Happy 35th (WOW) Anniversary What a nice surprise the family gave you. The tennis bracelet sounds really pretty. I seem to remember that Punta Cana is where you and Joe went for vacation one year, no? How are the newlyweds - did they have a great time?
How's matt's finger? He should make his big brother do everything for him - that doesn't happen often, lol.
Es, amiga - I feel sorry for you and hope your pain eases with these shots. Is it you who wants to move to Va? Or David?
Sandy - My commute is 1 hr. and 15 mins. and I take a bus, a boat and a train - I am in 3 boroughs a day, Staten Island, Manhattan and Brooklyn - feel better? I hope you enjoy the new job, seems like a nice group of people. Hope Mike finds something soon, though I know how nice it is to come home to a hot meal with Willie being retired. Now, if only I could get him to clean the house, lol.
Terri - Hope the boys have fun at camp. Are you home now for the summer?
Princess - I wish you lots of luck with finding a job - something good will come your way
This weekend, we went bridesmaid dress shopping - Actually it went pretty well - the dresses were beautiful. The only one who had a problem was Lisa (Alana's big sis) - she's the Matron of honor and Alana wants her to have a different dress than the others, but everthing she tried on, she either didn't like, it didnt fit, etc. so she wound up trying on the same dress as they others have and Alana was not happy about that. So Lisa is going to another store to slowly and without pressure look again. The problem is the dresses are red, so its not like if they were lilac, the Matron of honor could wear a darker purple or something - red is red. Someone suggested she wear silver, but I don't think that's gonna fly. Alana is becoming "bridezilla", lololol. Just kidding! I haven't really started looking for a dress yet, but when I do, I'm going by myself, lol. She wants to go with me, but I think not - she's a little bossy, lol.
Well, gotta get going - will come back soon. Have a nice Tuesday (you to amiga!) everyone.
Jen,
CONGRATS on your 35th. WOW!!!! That is great!
Dianne,
I hope the gown situation works out. That can be tricky.
Yes, the kids are out and Bradley is in NC at scout camp. Bruce is hiking through the Smokies as we write.
I gained back about 20 pounds since March. I just lost all motivation. I recommited today. I am excited. You don't get this excited while maintaning. I went up one size but I think if I lose about 7 the old ones will fit. They were loose when I was 135.
Terri,
Of us all, you have had the most success with the program. I know your gain is temporary and you're all ready to get back to where you were. Good for you for recommitting and getting back on track!
Dianne,
I love the idea of red dresses. I'm sure Alana will find something suitable for Lisa. She'll know it when she sees it. And I'm sure she's not even anywhere close to a Bridezilla!! I spent a lot of $$ on my dress and will never wear it again. Make sure you get a bargain
Work is crazy. Am already counting the days till the season is over on June 30. Joe and I have the second week in July off and I can't wait!
Jen - I might be taking your advice re not spending a lot of money on a dress I'll probably never wear again. I went on-line to Macy's and JCPenneys and I saw a gown I really like (I'm going with Lisa tonight to check it out). If you want to see it go on-line to jcpenney.com and check out under the woman's category, then go to bridal shop, on the right hand side click on mother of the bride (that's actually the dress), then go to page 2 - its the 1st one - "Sheer Jacket Dress". If you click on it to make the image bigger, you'll get a better idea. And look at the price! Holy Moly - almost too good to be true. The shoes are there also - they're call Fionna.
Dianne,
I LOVE it! It's really a pretty dress, and absolutely looks as though it would be higher priced. I think it'd be perfect. The details are very nice, I love the lines of the collar on the jacket. Let me know if you get to try it on...hope it works for you!
When is the wedding date again?
Still waiting here for pictures of Joey's wedding. I am always impatient when it comes to those things. We've talked since the big day about how we wish we would have posed for more pics. The photographer did not make a point of getting us to pose. Let Alana know to keep that in mind. We did pose for a family portrait, but Joe and I never got one of just the 2 of us .
but no public pools, rivers, lakes, streams...etc. So...Gram's pool is a green light 
that it will be soon.
We had a great evening.
What a nice surprise the family gave you. The tennis bracelet sounds really pretty. I seem to remember that Punta Cana is where you and Joe went for vacation one year, no? How are the newlyweds - did they have a great time?
I hope you enjoy the new job, seems like a nice group of people. Hope Mike finds something soon, though I know how nice it is to come home to a hot meal with Willie being retired. Now, if only I could get him to clean the house, lol.
lol.
