[Ruthxxx]

Quick good morning and a celebration as I raise my cup to you all.

Today is my whole day off and, after yesterday's horrorshow, I sure deserve it! I've not checked the basement for water yet and the wet cardboard is still down there but I'm outta here at 8 when Nicole the relief worker shows. I'll have coffee in Ottawa with my oldest friend Shirleyanne, lunch with DS and the grand daughter Tayler and then am going to force Ellis to let me into her house. Hershey is going with me for the day and I've got to pack her travel bag - poop bag, treats, leash, towel for wet feet! It's just like travelling with a baby!

So....I'll be gone for the day. Be good and don't throw sand!

[little chick]

Morning chicks I am off to work this morning. I am back to my old job, the same store I was working at last christmas season. So this is a quick pop in for me. I am just enjoying a cup of tea and waiting for my dd's to go catch the bus and for my friend to come and sit with the little fellow that is here today. I rehired my friend to come in on the days I work. So far it is working well. come summer I will just work evenings and week-ends as she can't come in during the summer. Really don't want to work two jobs but can't seem one that pays enough. Oh well enough rambling.

Ruth- enjoy you day. You deserve it. I hope Ellis lets you in. I laugh at you packing for the dog. I still pack a bag when we go any where for my kids and they are 11 and 14.

To the rest of you chicks have a great day on the beach.

[cottagebythesea]

Good Morning, Ruth! Have a wonderful day off, it sounds like you have the day all planned out nicely. Stay safe!

I slept a little better last night, only woke up 2 times, but I know what it is. I'm starting to have HOT FLASHES! after boasting that this menopause is no big deal! But if that's the only side effect I'm going to experience, then it's still no big deal. Jake is saying I have mood swings, but NO I DON'T!!

I have the laundry going already, and I have a weight-in 7:30 at Curves, then it's back home for vacuuming and paying bills,hooray! I have to get the Easter decorations put away, I meant to get to them yesterday but just didn't feel like it. I should start changing closets, too, and put away the winter clothes. Time for another coffee, see you later!

[cottagebythesea]

Good Morning, L. C.! Yeah, can you just imagine Ruth and Ellis out on the town together!

[soon2Bfab]

Good morning ladies....I'm off to work as well this morning. I can't wait until Weds (day off!)
Ruth & Ellis - you ladies behave your self. Don't get into too much trouble!
LC - My easter decor is still up too......
Cottage -Mabe Jake is having the mood swings =)
Everyone else see you chicks later!!

[Ruthxxx]

Crap! My basement is flooded again! The darn sump pump is not working. Aside from that, the hot water heater is dead.
So...........my day in town is off. I am still going to let Nicole come to be with Harry as I will need to go to Kingston to get a new sump pump. I am trying very hard not to cry.

[chipper15173]

Morning all:
Have fun today Ruth.
Cottage, I take black coash for my menopause. Didn't want to take HRT because it had caused breast cancer in my sister. I was on it for awhile, but, changed. I get it at Walmart. Works wonders. Mood swings are my worse things. Still dealing with them.
Everyone heading to work-- Have a good day. Drink your water.
As for me; Like I said last night. New beginings for me. Getting ready to get dressed and head out the door to the gym. Then home to clean. Have to start getting this place cleaned out for summer. I like the sun shining in on clean rooms.
Will check in later today.

[ellis]

Oh, Ruth... I'm so very sorry, sweetie. You go ahead and have a damned good cry and be done with it. Sending you lots of love and hugs and prayers to get you through the day...

[twiceblessedmom]

Ruth, so sorry to hear about your basement, what a pain in the butt! Hope you get it resolved soon!

[2BFIT1]

Good morning chicks Hello to all the newbies and to all my "old" friends

I've been AWOL for too long and now it's time to come back to the beach, starting today!!! Gained weight and gotta lose it I've updated my ticker and am ready to go!

Ruth~Sorry to hear that you're having flooding problems.

Ellis~~How's the kitchen coming along? Pictures?

Cottage~~I'm right there with you on the hot flashes. I hope you find something that helps you get through it.

It's a beautiful, sunny day here and I plan on spending most of it outside cleaning my decks. This is the one time I wish they weren't so big!
I'll check in later to see what you all are up to.

[rochelle]

Good Morning Chicks,
Flooding AND sunny mornings? Sounds a lot like my town these days, and every spring for that matter. Sorry to hear about your basement Ruth! I started to store all my stuff in rubbermaid tubs after a flooding incident ruined some of my mom's and sister's keepsakes.
It WAS sunny out earlier but seems to have clouded over - - I was hoping to walk today at lunch. Going to try if it's just drizzing - don't want to start off my commitment to sticking closely with plan any worse than I have so far this month. May have to run out and buy an umbrella this morning to keep the promises I have made to myself though
Feeling guilty b/c ds is sick but sent him to daycare anyway. He's not that bad, but still, the guilt sets in. Always worried he'll get worse and I'll have to take tomorrow off or the next and the one after that. He has a compromised immune system and get infections easily...keeping my fingers crossed that he'll get over this quickly. Anyway, better get at 'er...

[beachgal]

Ruth, you darling girl, I'm so very, very sorry that this is happening! What a terrible mess!!! Wish I could be there to help you out!!! Maybe your daughter and GD can come and help you bail out the basement? I remember doing that with my dad when I was 7 and our sump pump broke. I thought it was tons of fun! Kids are odd that way. I hope that things work out quickly and you can salvage some of your day off. Maybe Ellis can take you out for some hot whiskey tonight?

LC, sorry that you have to work two jobs, but so glad that you are back at one that you like!!! Enjoy! I like the new avatar!

Cottage, hot flashes? Oy! I'm glad you at least figured them out. You realize that this grants you full control of the thermostat. If Jake objects, remind him of those mood swings. Enjoy the cleaning up. You could always ease your work by doing what I do and forgetting to put Easter stuff out altogether! (I still have Christmas stuff outside!!! )

Soon, enjoy your day! Your new avatar is absolutely adorable! I could just eat that cutie right up!

Chipper, so sorry about your sister. Is she okay now? I love light shining in on clean rooms too, especially those with wooden floors. :

Ellis, how are you doing?

Me:

Well, DH took me to Washington DC! It was a lot of fun but definitely exhausting. This chick needs a break! I would have really loved a weekend at a spa doing nothing but getting massages, reading a book, lying in a sauna, etc. DH likes to *do* things. We did so much walking that in spite of a couple of small cheats and TOM starting, I ended up four or five pounds down this morning! Now if I can just keep my weight there or lower...

We went to the Smithsonian, saw fireworks and the kite festival, went to the Cherry blossom latern lighting ceremony, visited memorials (including WWII), had dinner at a really nice French restaurant, went to see Mister Rogers (a play from the 40's...very funny!) at the Kennedy Center, and went to church at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Sunday (it was incredible!). What a fun and busy weekend!

I have tons of shopping to catch up on, but there are still some leftovers in the fridge from last week. Let's just hope they don't kill us off! I have class tonight and tomorrow...I may be able to pop off to the store after class tonight, but we'll see.

I have a presentation to do tonight in class on the huge paper. After all the work the paper entailed, I'm trying not to stress about the presentation too much. Then this weekend I have two state tests for my teaching certification, content specialy tests: one on multi-subject (elementary) and one on Literacy. It's an all day thing on Saturday, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. At least I know I'll be eating healthy and not have a sugar-rush in my brain! I'm going to do Phase 1 starting Wed. to detox from this weekend. Does anyone have any good suggestions for something I can bring for lunch that doesn't require more than an ice pack for refrigeration but isn't a salad?

Next week I have a paper due for my Tuesday night class, a presentation for the same class, and then Wed. to Friday I have to be in a city about 1.5 hours away to help run a huge teacher recruitment fair. I love the group I work with on this thing, and it's a lot of fun, but exhausting because you stand for nearly two days along with a bunch of setting up tables and chairs, then breaking them down. I'm hoping my hotel has a fridge in the room or the breakfast area so I can store some SBD food. I started SBD after this event last year because I knew it would be hard to deal with the food they have there. This year I'm going to do it! I'll pack food to supplement breakfast and lunch, and we eat dinner out so I think I'll be able to find things to eat.

Hope everyone has a great day, especially Ruth.

[beachgal]

Sil and Rochelle, we posted at the same time (could that be because I wrote a book? )!

Sil So GOOD to see you, darling!!! Glad you're back with us.

Rochelle don't feel guilty! My mom had a standing rule that unless we had a fever, we went to school. At the time I thought she was a meanie, but even when I was in middle school I started to see the wisdom in her edict. To this day, I rarely miss work for sickness and I haven't had any terrible side effects. I bet your son has a great day in spite of the cold! Enjoy your walk...we did a lot of walking in the rain in WADC...it was nice!

[cottagebythesea]

Laurie, I'm glad you had a great birthday! That husband of yours is something! Jake used to do romantic things for me, but then "practicality" set in, LOL! That man KNOWS I'm in control of the thermostat, he won't dare touch it!

Chipper, Yes, I refuse to go the HRT route. I've heard of the benefits of black cohosh, does it really make that much of a difference for you? Maybe I'll give it a try. Thanks!

Ooh, Ruth!!!!! What a dissappointment! Maybe you can fit another day off into the routine this week to make up for today? I feel so bad for you, sweetie!

Syl, I had wondered where you got to, glad you're back! Eaaster was a bad time for me, too. I had to go back to Phase 1 for a week, but I'm back on track now. You'll lose those extra lbs in no time, especially with the warmer weather here now

Hi Soon, Ellis, TwiceBlessed, Rochelle, and everyone else -- make this a good start to the week, girls!

[Bamiegurl]

A quick hello! I have been up here in TN with my mom since Fri. My sister called and said she was sick and when I tried to talk with her it didn't go well so I came up and as soon as I got here called an ambulance for her. She has been in ICU until lastnight with severe phnumonia (sp?) and a sepstis infection (?) I am just here at her house to take a shower and get back to the hospital. She was ready for a nap so I thought it would be a good time to shower. lol Just wanted to let y'all know I had not gone AWOL! haha Take care and I'll catch up with y'all chicks later.