Maintainers Weekly Chat June 18 - June 24
 

The plants and trees believe it's summer, which makes it so pleasant to sit on our patio and savor our small, city-sized yard. However, the temperatures of late have been unseasonably chilly; so much so that dinner last night was prepared on the charcoal grill outside - first time for the season - and eaten in the warmth of our kitchen.

We could still look out the window and see the American Robins using the bird bath.

Good Morning!
 

The SUP board is finally at the club. :yay: DH even helped me replace a part that had gone missing and installed the skeg on the board for me. I go out on my first paddle next Saturday around 7 a.m. - can't wait!

Hazy, hot and humid here this week. Lots of BBQ and salad dinners - easy for DH to eat leftovers when he rolls in.

Good week all!

Dagmar :dance:

It's overcast today after a truly glorious weekend, which must have been a real gift for graduation parties and Father's Day cookouts. But I am fine with the slight grayness because it's like a period of rest when you're allowed to be inside, rather than mowing the lawn or gardening or running or basking or whatever.

Here's the little desk that I bought over the weekend. (It's only 28 inches wide.) Right now it's in my mother's garage with an old tablecloth over it, to spare it from dust.

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/ANTIQUE-EMPIR...7DhQ~~60_3.JPG

Underneath the three drawers, you'll see the top board is very thick. This is true of all antique furniture: Thick, unlaminated boards because of the plentiful trees and lumber. This actually pulls out and becomes a writing surface just wide enough to hold my laptop.

This was probably made for a particular lady back in the 1840s. She would have used it in her bedroom or in a sitting room. She would not have been poor.

I'm going to try and keep up this week. Been falling behind.

Today is colder than the flawless ~80 F weekend. My boyfriend bought fancy oatmeal stout beer for my dad for Father's Day, which is sort of ironic/funny/sad because his dad is in AA (and brought us to the "sober club" once to see a weird 12-step-touting band with a super flamboyant female singer).

saef, that desk is amazing!

The heat has descended on the desert. I believe we're looking forward to 113 today and it won't let up for the rest of the week. Yesterday we switched from our evaporative cooler to our A/C which means I got a horrible night's sleep. Even with the thermostat set fairly low (76), I got too hot and yet it wasn't warm enough for the unit to kick on so I couldn't sleep. And of course when it does kick on, then I get too cold. Fighting an upset tummy that the bad night's sleep brought on.

We barbecued steaks for dinner last night per DH's request. It wasn't fun being out in that heat and then being subjected to the heat of the grill as well.

We attempted to go see Moonrise Kingdom yesterday but there was a power outage and the theater was involved. I do hope to see that before we leave for vacation.

Good morning all.

Saef-- that desk is beautiful. I can only imagine the lady who must have used it (before you that is!).

Allison-- I can imagine how you feel. I got a crummy night's sleep Saturday night after our 106 high-- it never cooled down-- it got cool enough for the AC to stop (I had it set at 80) but no lower. I have the window cracked but there was no cool breeze. Last night it got MUCH cooler so I think our heat wave has abated for now.

My weight has been so wonky lately and I'm really trying to decide if I'm just making excuses-- it's so hot I'm retaining water, I'm so sore from working out, etc. I've got to just eat when I'm hungry. Easier said than done for me. I put away way too much fruit yesterday-- I tell myself that it is fruit so it's healthy, but it was still way too much. Still-- I exercised HARD for 5 hours over the weekend-- Bikram Yoga for 90 minutes Saturday and Sunday, plus Boot camp on Saturday and Zumba on Sunday. I would thought my weight would be down. Plus no treats other than the excess fruit. Sigh....

And today of course I face a food challenge-- and tomorrow too for that matter. Today I'm meeting a fellow librarian/ friend for lunch at an amazing bakery. I'm planning on finding something healthy to eat (salad probably) and not order any baked goods. They sometimes have samples out and I may take a sample but that's it!

Tomorrow is our librarian pot luck. I haven't decided what to bring but it will probably be fruit! It will also throw off my workout plans as my UJam class is right in the middle of it, so I'll have to workout later probably....

I have three more official days of work before my summer break so I better get busy!

saef, that is an amazing desk, I am sure one those drawers held m'lady's fan just in case of the vapors ,you do have a fainting couch, don't you ? Speaking of things antique or at least old. I had two egg beaters , one was mine, one had been my mother's. Very nice egg beaters, I don't need two so I donated one to a fund raiser flea market at my church. I was also helping at that fund raiser. I was standing at a table with the egg beater and other household item, I wish I had a video of the young couple trying to figure out what that strange object could be. They had no idea what it was and what it could be used for.
These were not children, they looked to be at least 30 years old.

A cat on a diet is a sad thing indeed. :p Mishi is now lying with his little head (the only little part of him) on his placemat, very forlornly looking at me and gently licking the outside of his dinner bowl. I would be more open to his plight were it not for the fact that he's bigger than a breadbox! (another item that a lot of people under 30 may not recognize bargoo)

I had a really slow day today and got home early to tackle the ever growing mountain of laundry. Two loads down, two to go. DH bought a bunch of new clothes and I'm washing all of them.

Dinner alone again, which is the norm now. I think DH and I physically see each other in the evening only on the weekends now. I'm generally in bed by the time he gets home. SIGH. This is supposed to end in September. :dunno:

Good evening all!

Dagmar :halfempty

I haven't had to put our cats on a diet, although Ringo did (inadvertently) lose weight over the past 5 or 6 months. Now I think he needs to gain at least one pound. Anyway, after his bout with cystitis, I changed him to completely canned food. He (and Louie) get one large can a day--give or take. The other day I decided to try an experiment to see if we could get Louie to sleep in past 3 AM, so I gave them each half a small can of cat food more than usual for their evening meal. Wow! What a change! No begging! No waking us up early! So I inquired at the pet food store and they said that if you don't feed dry, typically you have to feed a bit more.

Feeling a bit better this afternoon, thankfully. But I'm not up for anything strenuous.

Saef, that little desk is gorgeous! Crafted with love and skill, clearly - I hope it gives you as much joy as the artist envisioned it might!

I think I've just found a "fill-in" dog for the 8 weeks the doodle I walk will be away. :woohoo: I've been really worried about our finances for the summer and now it looks like my workload is picking up. :yay:

Dagmar :D

Hi all,

I've decided to take a break from trying to actively lose weight. Treading water and trying to maintain my weight is taking everything I've got right now. Work is so busy, and it is so hot outside that my temper is short and my patience is nil. Getting in structured exercise is a real challenge, especially when I'm already hot, sweaty, sunblocky, and sandy I really don't want to go to the gym after work. I'm still going to try and adapt a few things - carry some shower stuff and go ahead and shower at work before I go to the gym (otherwise I will never get there), bite the bullet and try to get up before 6 am and walk the dog earlier, to keep the activity going. My food intake isn't as clean as it could be, either, but just fighting with my body to eat something relatively balanced is all I can do, let alone cut calories to "losing" levels.

Does anyone else find they eat less protein in the summer? Lately I have been craving carbs at dinner. I used to roast a big hunk of meat on Sunday, like a pork loin, and eat it with salad for a few days' dinner. This just doesn't appeal to me much right now. A pita pizza or some pasta with pesto, with the salad, sounds so much better. I made a big quinoa, chickpea, and veggie salad over the weekend to eat this week and am loving it. I know these things have some protein, but I usually eat higher amounts. Maybe my body is telling me something? I'm going to try and see if listening to my body gets me further than fighting it this time.

Dagmar, glad to hear about your new dog to walk. BF and I tend to see each other a lot less in the summer bc of his busy work schedule, too. It took me a while but I accepted he wouldn't be home for dinner most nights when I'm ready to eat. Mostly we just appreciate the time we do have and figure once winter rolls around we'll be back to seeing more of each other. I try to recognize that he is working, not just choosing not to spend any time w me for no good reason. Hang in there for a bit until DH gets into a more regular schedule.

Allison, sorry to hear about your illness. I hope you're feeling back to yourself quickly.

Saef, what a beautiful piece for your apartment! It is unique and obviously carefully crafted. I love the color and luster of the finish.

Bill, what a nice evening! I love summer grilling.

Michele, sorry it's belated but congrats on DD's graduation.

Have a good week all. :)

Megan-- I can understand you not wanting to go to the gym after all of the exercise and activity you get during the day. It makes sense to me!

I've had too much coffee this morning and am MULTI-TASKING! I usually just have green tea at home and then a mug of coffee at work, but this morning I couldn't go in until 8, yet Dewey still woke me at 5:30. So, I had the green tea and coffee at home and am having more coffee at work. I am definitely buzzing!

Please keep me in your thoughts/prayers if you will. I may share later but I'm praying very hard today about something positive that will hopefully happen soon.

My dh said two things to me recently that have really got me thinking. I have always been painfully shy but have really tried to come out of my shell as I've gotten older. He told me that I'm something of a loner. I don't like the sound of that, so I'm making an effort to be more friendly-- at the gym, at work, etc. I would love to have more close girlfriends, especially now that both girls will be out of the house and dh travels so much.

The other thing he said is that I'm always standoffish when he comes back from a trip for a while. Like I've got to readjust to him being home. I had never thought about it, but I think he's right. So, I'm going to work on that regard too. He travels so much that I get used to him being gone and then I have to get used to him being home.

I made my appointment for my bone density scan. I had my first one two years ago which showed osteopaenia. Though I am young for it, my mom had severe osteoporosis. So, I've been on fosamax for two years, and continued my calcium supplements. I'll be very curious to see the results as I do weight training, strength training, yoga, etc. One of my hips continues to hurt though so I am worried about what the results will be. I have to go to the same center so they can compare the x-rays-- it was within a retirement community and I was the youngest one there by at least 30 years! I remember being the ONLY one looking at my cell phone-- I doubt the others had cell phones.

See.... the coffee is making me ramble-- better get back to work. I have a potluck to go to this afternoon. I'm bringing fruit and my friend is bringing a veggie tray, so I know I'll have at least two options. I'm planning on not staying too long so I can hopefully go to Bikram yoga as I'll miss my usual Tuesday U-Jam class.

Happy Tuesday all.

saef - That's one neat desk. Even neater thinking that you sit at the desk handmade for a lady of means of a few centuries ago. Maybe you know one of her descendants.

I have to go get some exercise. Sitting at a computer makes me want to snack. And I'm capable of telling myself that dried figs are good for me - even by the handful. DW calls them sugar-bombs which is accurate. There aren't any in the house right now (guess where they all went, LOL), so I'll have to use Sugar Snaps as sugar-bomb substitutes.

Michele~I can certainly relate your DH saying you're a loner and then feeling standoffish. We don't socialize very much--usually only when the in-laws are in town and then with their friends. And when DD comes home for a few days, it is a big adjustment to having another body in the house (and the mess that accompanies it). I wish I lived closer! You could haul my butt to the gym!

Bill~while I don't know that I've had a dried fig (except what's in a fig newton), I'm sure I'd like them. I had the same problem a few years ago when I picked up a huge tub of dried dates. Yum! But sugar bombs for sure!

Megan~you're job sounds so much more active than mine (I sit at a desk all day and get up every now and then to move papers here and there), and even then, I don't feel much like going to the gym after work, either. I'm sure you'll do fine maintaining for the summer.

Michele, you are in my prayers , praying for a positive outcome. I am also praying for all concerns that you have expressed .
I'll share a little secret with you , Michele, I have been called standoffish, too. The truth is I am not standoffish but I am shy. I try to cover it up but the truth is I am shy, there I've said it.

I will, Michele, I will. You deserve good things to come to you -- and to your family.

What I'm always hoping for you is that you are able to attain peace of mind regarding your daughters -- and their relationship with each other.

And also that your husband gets one of the promotions or new jobs he has occasionally applied for, one that is exactly right for him -- and that includes less travel, so you can see more of each other. Because those observations of his sound as though they're bothering you a little.

I don't see you as a loner, perhaps because you are a gregarious and kindly person in your online posts, and because you interact so much on the job.

I think that, in a way, you often reserve a space for your absent husband in your life's various routines, and that is what he is observing: You alone, bounded by space, because he's not there at the moment.

I am indeed quite familiar with the deliciousness of those sweet little bombs. Are your figs of choice the black Mission figs or the brownish Calmyrnas?

As for Medjool dates, I don't even let myself look at them in the store. I tell myself they're legless water bugs. Decades ago, they were a favorite binge food. (Unfortunately, ingested in binge quantities, they also have a rather purgative effect.)

Yep. There it is. That said, if I announce to someone that I'm shy, suddenly they declare that they are as well and we have a connection and I have someone to talk to. It's happened to me so many times!

I forgot, Michele, I'll think positive things for you today.

Oh, yes, the euphemism for the American cockroach. What else do we call them? Palmetto bugs is one that comes to mind, but you're right, they do have a resemblance! And that's one way to convince oneself not to eat them.

I've been feeling sadly uninspired lately about cooking, but this salad of yours revived my interest. Think I'll roast some veggies and mix them through some quinoa.

Megan, I think we all go through periods such as you've described, when life is more difficult to get through than usual, just due to day-to-day aggravations like heat, humidity and overwork. My goal then is subsistence and to avoid causing further damage by bingeing to relieve the stress and general low-spirited ickiness. If you're doing that, you're doing good.

Thanks, all, for compliments on the desk. That's flame-grain mahogany you're all admiring, cut from the crotch of the tree so that it seems to shimmer in circular patterns, like raindrop ripples. It's one of my favorite things in the world to look at & have around me in home furnishings. It's why I fell for furniture of that period.

Thank you so much for your kind thoughts. Saef-- you brought me to tears! You are so kind and thoughtful.

Allison-- I wish you lived closer too! Someday I think our paths will cross.

Thanks for sharing your "secret" Bargoo.

When I went to Morocco we were offered dates straight from the trees - yum! DH is a fan of both the figs and various types of dates - sugar bombs is a very appropriate moniker for them Bill.

Megan I would never do yoga or weights unless I did them first thing in the morning. I can't imagine you actually going to the gym after work after being outside in the Florida sun and humidity all day. I too am coming home from work sweaty, hot, sandy, and tired these days. I mentally refer to myself as the "hot cross Pinky" :rofl: And you and I are opposite in the food cravings - I want the big hunk of seared protein in the summer and all the carby stuff in winter. I find it harder to diet in winter as I can't seem to stop consuming the carbs then.

Michele I'm not a pray-er but am sending you a bunch of :goodvibes. I too am shy - except at the dog park. I think many of us at 3FC have used food as a source of comfort due to the loneliness of being shy and somewhat isolated as a result of that.

I am going to have a lot of dragons and gargoyles in my yard, should I ever own a home. I just received two more pieces of "yard cheese" - a small gargoyle and a big fat happy cat - bringing my outside figurine total to 6. Good thing DH never looks at the garden. :p

Going to go sear my chunk of protein now and make a salad. I am a very unmotivated salad maker - DH is good at it - but I am going to do something with avocados, romaine, fennel, and possibly cucumber (if it's not wilted yet).

Stay cool everyone!

Dagmar (pretending it's :brr:)

The palmetto bug is a different species from the American cockroach. Its common name is Florida woods cockroach--it's sort of rounder and appears not to have wings, but it actually does have short ones that it can fly with. You don't see them much indoors.

Jay

While that may be true, people around here get "palmetto" bugs and "date palm" bugs in their house from time to time. They aren't that--they are the American cockroach--people just don't want to say cockroach (even though it's the German cockroach that is the infestation problem).

weird cat stuff
 

All the bugs in our house get "petted" to death by Mishi and then eaten :hungry: by Mud. Speaking of Mud she just begged and ate at least 20 kernels of fresh corn from me. She only eats fresh corn from a cob (and I have to take the kernels off the cob) - frozen and canned are regarded with contempt :queen:. And she has to "attack" each kernel and "kill" it. The whole process took about 10 minutes.

She is now happily amusing herself with a frozen blueberry (as a toy, not a food item). Mishi? He's napping :dz:. I periodically check to see if he has a pulse.

Mud weighs just under 10 lbs. Mishi is over 17 - :eek:. There are obvious parallels in activity levels between the pets and the owners in this home, as DH keeps pointing out.

Dagmar :hyper:

Looks like Johnny Depp is available - :drool:

Dagmar :p

You can have him.

I'm doing the happy dance! Today is my last day of official work until August 20!!

I'm already planning my exciting day tomorrow which consists of such stimulating activities as going to the credit union, the pharmacy, getting my blood drawn, etc. But it will be on MY time and I can maybe fit some fun in there too!!

Find time for that FUN michele. :dancer:

I am in the opposite stream - work has gone from famine to feast to possible bingeing orgy :p (but I'm not that greedy anymore). I am going to turn down a cat sit that would push me :yikes: over the edge. It's a former client (whose dog now resides with ex husband and who I still walk) and, although I would like her business in the future, doing the cat sit in July would be :crazy: :faint: :stress: !!!

Dagmar :cool:

What's up with Johnny Depp? I must be out of the loop!

Add me to the list of "loners" here. Small talk doesn't come naturally to me, I have to work at it a bit and am rather shy upon meeting a new person. One of BF's buddies actually told me once he thought I didn't like anyone and came off as a snob. Ouch. I had no idea I was such a b!@#$. I have tried to put forward a friendlier persona, but it is hard to pull myself out of my shell sometimes. My parents are not too social, either, so I think small talk is something I just didn't learn growing up and have had to teach myself.

Michele, have some fun! Maybe a mani or pedi? I think it is perfectly natural that you get into your own routines etc when DH is away. I mean, he doesn't expect you to wait by the phone pining for him until he gets back, does he? (He does understand that expecting that is unrealistic - I'm sure you miss him, but life goes on while he is gone!) Have you asked if there are specific things that make him feel that you're standoffish when he gets back from trips? Maybe it's small things you don't even think about. Also thinking good thoughts for you!

Johnny Depp just broke up with his partner of 14 years, Vanessa Paradis(?). I think she was/is a French model or actress.

Watching animals hunt is very funny. Emma loves to hunt grasshoppers, and the poor lizards and frogs that live in the plants on my porch. I do try to keep her away from them but am not always successful. Have you ever seen a pit bull's ears when they stand up and swivel forward on alert? Her ears do that, except they are bigger and floppier from her lab half, so they flop forward over her face. It's hilarious to me, anyway.

Yoga felt soooo good yesterday. I got up today and walked Emma 1 mile before work. I'm hoping to slowly increase to 2 miles. Meals relatively balanced and healthy. Sanity relatively intact. :)

What about cats that are watching for a gopher, perhaps, now there is an animal with patience.
Megan, we have a good group here and we have some great conversations but some of us have admitted to being shy maybe not so good at conversations eyeball to eyeball. I have often thought it would be fun if we could all meet sometime, but given that some of us are a bit shy we may never be able to talk in person.

My cat is always on the hunt for lizards in our back yard. Twice he has de-tailed them and once caught the whole thing in his mouth. We made him drop it and it lay there stunned and we took the cat inside, but when we went out to check on it, it had run off. I think it was playing dead. Which, in the case of the cat, might not be a good idea--he'd probably eat it at that point. Yuck.

Oh, and lets celebrate our inner *(^&*!!! I've been told I'm one, too. Seriously, can't people see the difference between being a wall flower and being a &*(^&*?

I think I'd be alright with this crew bc I "know" you so well! Once I've opened up it's hard to shut me up. At least according to some people. :dizzy:

Yes... I have no problem being a !@#$ sometimes, but am mortally offended when I'm called one and I wasn't trying to be one. Actually I don't usually call it being a !@#$. Usually I'm just being firm, not rude. It's a fine line. :p

Megan, when I have "had enough" and stand up for myself people are surprised ! I don't think I am wishy washy or even quiet but I often let other people take the lead.
My trouble isn't talking so much as what do I do with myself, I don't find it easy to walk into a crowded room, even when I know everybody. Where do I go ? Where can I sit ? I don't quite have the art of "mingling" mastered.

Ahh, the "B" word.

I have personal rules, boundries, and limitations. Call me what you want, I will not deviate from my standards!

The last person that called me that, I told them to "not forget it!":D:D

I guess now I'm out fo the loop re the b!*ch word. Do people really call each other that? Nasty if they do. I do use the word but in reference to unspayed female dogs - real dogs!

Dagmar :dizzy:

Eeewww!!!
 

I had to deal with a maggot :yikes: :barf: infestation this morning when putting our green bin out for the garbage. I had spotted them in there last night and sprayed with insecticide and closed the lid, hoping the critters would all be dead this morning. No, they had all crawled out and were crawling around on the shed floor this morning.

I can subdue a 120 lb. dog no problem. Show me a maggot or a slug or similar and :faint:. I did manage to spray them all with Fantastik - the most caustic substance I could find - and I will briefly check to see if they are all finally dead in an hour. If not then I'll have to go to the hardware store and ask for help.

Dagmar :eek:

Dagmar, diatomaceous earth is GREAT for any soft-bodied ewwwwwy. Least toxic thing I can think of, and should be available at any garden center or possibly even the hardware store. Salt should be effective as well. Ugh, sorry you have to witness that. :barf: I get a little queasy just thinking about it!