[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
Well, one day down and 179 to go! My so-called schedule didn't happen and I had way too much idle time so I went into the 3 semester algebra class 3 different times instead of just once. That's ok because I will need the review right along with the kids! I look for a major schedule change once the special ed. director sees that the BD aide is stuck in the BD room all day with the BD yo-yos! (The worst BD yo-yo didn't show up as he's on vacation in CA! We're hoping he stays there!) We got out at 1:30 because of the heat, which also didn't happen. So we had to sit through a boring in-service on how to motivate students so that they will want to go on to either a trade school or a 4 year college. I don't see it happening any time soon.

Gloria -- The party food sounds yummy and I'm glad all went well. I keep telling Jason and Amanda that Zowie is going to be short like me! They are both 6' and over while she was only 18" when she was born. She is finally stretching out but still tiny. Ian was 21" at birth so I look for him to be tall.

"Gma" -- I hope you are feeling better by now! Do you think a letter from a lawyer would shape your neighbors up? I guess maybe you could constantly bug the owner of their unit and try that. It's too bad that your board isn't more supportive of you. WOW! You are down to only 3 days, 2 by the time you read this! I'm sure you don't think so but it seems like the time has gone fast with your countdown.

I need to feed Leonard and pick up the Sunday papers, etc. Tomorrow is recycle day pick up. Have a nice evening!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Oops, sorry gals I went over the 14th post! Guess I wasn't paying much attention. Gosh, could it be my vacation seems like it is finally going to get here? We went to T's soccer practice and cooked again last night, though not as bad because I took a big ole umbrella to keep the sun off our necks!

Jean: Now that sounds like a teacher that wants to be at school: a countown at day one! Miss your hubby yet? Bet he's having a grand ole time catching those fish. Is he a sport fisherman or does he bring home his catch? Are they all nicely cleaned and filleted or do you get that job? EUWW, fish smell all over the house, you can have it! Besides, I would think the cats would go nuts!

I think the only thing I can do is drive the management company and the board nuts with complaints and sooner or later maybe something will be done. The investment company that owns the condo could care less who they have in there. The people before them weren't any better and they moved out just a week or so after we moved in. The place is tore up, the rental company doesn't put money into it so all they have is trash that lives there! We just happen to be the lucky ones that get to have them as neighbors. I don't hear a peep out of the lady from the other side, especially since Jack had his meltdown with her friend that parked in front of our garage overnight and blocked Jack from going to work.

I am going to get the downstairs cleaned today and try and get a few more things packed, but most of the rest of my lists have to be done tomorrow, like the pets, cell phones etc.

You ladies have a great day and if I don't get in here tomorrow morning, have a great holiday and I will make sure I take lots of pics and set up a link so you can see them!

Faye

[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers!
It's been a cool day here . . . 64 degrees with an 8 mph wind tonight! School was delightful, temperature wise anyhow. We had to sit through another BORING in-service -- broke into groups and worked on the ITED questions so that we can raise our scores. Sadly to say, it involves vocabulary and thought processing both of which are lacking in our study body majority (minorities)!

"Gma" -- The guys can only bring 2 fish per person across the border. They eat most of what they catch. The resort packs them in plastic bags and puts them on ice for the guys. I'm not a big fish eater so if and when we fix fish, the windows are wide open no matter what time of year it is. We gave the MN catch to the kids earlier this summer. It's too bad you have to put up with the kind of neighbors that you have. I'll bet anyone of the investment company members wouldn't put up living next to them! I hope you and Jack have a wonderful vacation! Wish I lived close enough to kittysit for you.

I need to decide what I'm wearing tomorrow and head for bed. Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday tomorrow!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Good very early morning girls! I had a bad night sleeping last night (mostly my adenoids were swollen from allergies) so I gave up and came down stairs with the menagerie in tow. Jack only has to work 2 hours this morning then he is off for 12 days so I know he is looking forward to just getting to work and getting it over with! I decided not to go to the pool today but rather try and get all the errands done and rest as we have to get up at 3 AM tomorrow

Jean: Jack is NOT a fish eater (except Long John Silvers though there is not one here) so I don't ever fix fish. Well, that is not true, he likes salmon of all things. I am not a big fish eater either so it all works out I guess. You would love having B to kittysit for. He loves attention and is hilarious trying to get it. He will rub your legs, your feet, jump up and bump your hand with his head, etc to get you to pet him. He is such a fatty (mainly because the dummy eats Fortune's food instead of his own sometimes) that he is pretty heavy to have on your lap walking around. I make him plop his butt down next to me if he wants to be petted, but I am allergic to him so I can always guarantee that my arms will break out and itch like crazy and I will probably start sneezing. He is shedding really bad this summer and I can tell when he is going to try and get matted because one spot on his back stands up so out combs the brush. We have to hide it because if he sees it he takes off. Funny thing though, Jack will hold him while I brush him and he doesn't fight it and will let me get him brushed.

Gosh, I cannot believe we are finally at the day before our vacation. Like you said, I am sure it looked like it went quickly from your point of view, but it sure took its time getting here for us! Now all I have to worry about are weather problems. I have been keeping an eagle eye on it for several weeks and we are supposed to get some thunderstorms and were supposed to last night but it seems to be passing us by and we do need the rain. Actually, get me out of Atlanta and on my way to Vegas and it can rain all it wants! The Mississippi is about 12 feet low this year, in fact, downtown you can look out and actually see dirt! That is NOT good as we have a LOT of barge traffic that comes through with oil and coal and such and they are having trouble manuevering around the shallow spots.

Well girls, I will be back in here around Labor Day. I will be sure and set something up with pictures of the trip when I get back. Have a good week next week and wish me luck (maybe I can pay off the mortgage with slot winnings! )

Take care

Faye

[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers!
It's been another "ho-hum spin my wheels" kind of day. I will be glad when all of the pretesting is done and I get a set schedule. For all that I've done so far, I could definitely be part-time and that sounds pretty good right now.

"Gma" -- I noticed the vet a something on his shelf to help with shedding fur. I assumed it was something to add to the food but I didn't read the label. The only time the cats bother me is if I handle them and then rub my eyes. They will start to itch and water until I wash my hands with soap and get a cold wash rag on my eyes. Over the years I've learned not to do that but once in awhile I forget. I bet your animals will really miss you while you are gone. Have a great trip . . . I hope you win the jackpot!

It's cloudy and cool -- looks like it might rain. Hope you all have a terrific Thursday tomorrow!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[Jean]

Happy Friday!
Just checking in to bring the thread back to the top.

Gloria -- Hope you have a nice weekend!

"Gma" -- I know you are having a wonderful time!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[nanacas]

Good Evening Jean

It is not too bad here the humidity is a little high but not as bad as it was.

Nothing new in my corner of the world.....hurt my knee and it is kicking up or not as the case may be. Washed the kitchen floor and tried to get into the corners on my hands and knees.....wrong. Will I ever learn. I think I have arthritis and I aggrivated it so I am just babying it til it feels better.

When is DH due back from his fishing trip? I don't think I could handle the cleaning etc so it is better to go the fishmonger for our fish meals.

I know that Faye is having a great time I just hope the weather is not too hot in Vegas.

Have a great weekend, Jean.

Gloria in MA

[Jean]

Happy Saturday!
The sun is shining brightly and it's not as humid today. I've got some errands to run and think I will "cook" today even though I don't expect DH home until late evening. I will have to take food to MIL's tomorrow and need to think of something different than what I've taken all summer long -- baked beans, potato salad, hamburgers, hot dogs . . . am I in a rut or what?

Gloria -- I'm sorry to hear about your knee! I hope that it is better today. Does the humidity bother your arthritis? I figure that I'm the only one who looks in the corners and to heck with 'em! What do you suppose "Gma" is doing in Vegas today?

Not much else going on today but I do need to do some more sorting and pitching . . . just found some stuff in the basement that I can live without!

Have a great day . . . the choice is yours!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
Hope all is well with you! It's been another hot and sticky day in my corner of the world, but of course we didn't get out of school early.

Have a wonderful Wednesday tomorrow!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

HEY GIRLS! I WON'T BE BACK IN HERE UNTIL SUNDAY OR MONDAY BUT THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO PERUSE THE WEBPAGE ON OUR VACATION.



talk to you in a few days

faye

[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers!
We made a flying trip to Sioux City after school. I wanted to go to Penneys and get a gift certificate for Jason's birthday; I also found a new black purse for myself. DH wanted to know which purse I was going to get rid of . . . the nerve! We stopped in to see Beth and the grandkids. We haven't seen them for 2 weeks; Maddy is on a shy kick while Kolby just grins at anyone who will talk to him. I snoozed on the way home so now I'm wide awake.

"Gma" -- What a nice surprise to see your post tonight! Thank you for sharing the wonderful pictures! It looks like you are having a great time! Whatever pictures are after the anniversary picture didn't come through although the captions did. I will try again tomorrow and see if they will.

I am heading for bed! Have a nice long weekend!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[nanacas]

Faye: Welcome Back!!! Your trip to Vegas sounds wonderful....the sights, the shows, the food. I loved the photos and your diary had me wishing I was there. Hope the trip home was uneventful.

Jean: I agree...what a nerve...after all you really needed that purse. I am always looking at purses and then find one and never use the old ones.

Not much going on here except we have "Moshup" again this weekend...actually only one night. DD#2 and family are off to the Cape for one night before school starts. It was a surprise for the kids. And I must say for us too,....good thing we weren't going anywhere this weekend.

Gloria in MA...dog sitting again.

[Jean]

Good Evening! It was 90 degrees here this afternoon and supposed to be in the 90s again tomorrow. I personally would like to see it a tad bit cooler. I worked at the hospital gift shop this morning -- it was a busy 3 hours and I sold $118.50 worth of stuff. The fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving items were put out this week so had quite a few employees shopping today. I should know by the middle of the month whether or not they are going to continue being open on Sat. One employee mentioned that she only works the weekends and it's usually not open. There are names on the schedule so evidently they are "no - shows."

Beth and the kids came late this afternoon. They'll go to the lake tomorrow for one last boat ride and to see MIL before she heads back to AZ.

Gloria -- If your grandkids start school next week, when do they get out in the spring? It's nice that you are close enough to dogsit as well as liking the dog!

I'm heading for bed! Maddy finally gave up about a half hour ago. I have my fingers that she sleeps all night.

Have a relaxing Sunday!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Morning girls. Home all safe and sound. My cat is driving me nuts though! lol Fortune is still at the kennel and will be until after the holiday so b is lonely and wants all our attention of course. My dd and dgs came over and spent like 2 hours here while we were gone and he ignored them completely and wouldn't let my dgs pet him or anything so guess he was upset we left him! We left here with gas at $2.57, we filled up in Vegas 3 days ago and it was $2.76 then yesterday it was $2.86 and we came home last night and the cheapo Walmart was a whopping $3.03! In the middle of this horrible thing, the gas producers are gouging people. How sick is that!!!!

Jean: You might be able to see everything now. I increased the bandwidth by purchasing the site for one month so everyone could see. We did have a wonderful time, but I had intestinal problems the WHOLE time. I was either constipated, in pain or had runny stools. It was miserable, but I had periods where I felt ok and that is when we tried to do things. We kind of had a routine, we would get up at 6 am go down and have the $2.95 breakfast, come back up and go back to bed until 9:30 then shower and out to site see until around 1, come back, go to the pool for an hour then took a nap then went out for the evening if I was feeling ok. We did a lot of things we didn't the first time, like went to a club, the two shows etc. It was a totally awesome vacation but we are glad we are home, though I have a mountain of laundry I can't see around ! I am going to the commissary this morning as we have no food in the house and had to have McD's last night (UGH!) We are tired of restaurant food and anyone says buffet, might get a punch in the nose! ( PS: Tell dh your friend in Memphis has about 100 of the things and I bought a new one while in Vegas!)

Gloria: Hope that knee is feeling better. I had a bit of trouble with mine in Vegas as a lot of stuff is ramps and that causes a lot of stress on my knee. I was amazed though that my feet didn't swell with the heat one bit and one day is was 110! We also flew first class so my big behind fit into the sit and didn't pinch so my leg didn't swell like it usually does on longer flights. Boy, I am going to fly first class as much as we can with Airtran. They were terrific and the service is top notch. We were scared being a cut rate airline we might end up with no luggage, late flights etc, but all flights were on time and no luggage problems at all except slow to get to the carousels in both Vegas and back here in Memphis. Took half an hour to get our luggage last ngiht.

Well, this is not getting anything done and I need to unload the dishwasher as I washed all the extra food and water stuff I left for b. I put everything away last night (dh knows better than to ??? me about not doing it so he just goes along. I did say something about starting a load of laundry and he said it was 8:30 PM and did I want to start it that late so I didn't UNTIL HE WENT TO MCDONALD'S FOR DINNER!!!!! )

Talk to you again soon and hope if you missed anything on the site you will try again.

Faye

[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers!
Another windy, hot, and humid in my corner of the world. Today was our last official visit to MIL's for this season as next week we will all be going to DH's little hometown. His high school group is getting together to sing in the local church on Sunday. We'll have to get MIL down there and she can spend the night with a friend. Not sure if we will drive back and forth or go for a motel room. We pulled the boat home so that is one "closing the place for the winter" chore done.

My shoulders, arms, and back are achey tonight. I can tell I've been lifting 16#s of a bouncy Kolby for 2 days. Each time I pick him up Maddy thinks I should pick her up too and boy can I feel it! It's a good thing parents are young when they have their kids. Beth and the kids went back to their home tonight so it is quiet with them gone.

"Gma" -- WELCOME HOME! I'm glad you had a nice vacation but it's sure nice to have you back here again! I imagine Butterscotch got pretty lonely with you gone. I used to catsit for a teacher and would go over every afternoon and watch TV with the cat on my lap. Whenever I see Family Feud I think of Mr. Kitty. She was the home ec. teacher so had lots of neat magazines to look at. Gas went up to $2.89 and $2.99 here today.

Tomorrow is going to be a catch up day at home. I had wanted to get so much done this weekend and it will be gone before I know it. I need to sort through my winter clothes and see what I might need to buy new. I have some OLD clothes that I still like and still wear, but I should replace some of them.

I hope you all have a relaxing Monday!

Jean -- from Iowa!