Let a new week begin! I'll use this to take a fresh approach to the extra snacking that I've been doing - deadly to a sane eating plan. Think I'll become an astronaut where there are no extra snacks available. Now that's a rational plan rather than just planning to ignore the urge to grab a handful of unnecessary whenever feelings arise.

Have to get my old car inspected this week. I went on Saturday and found . . . duh . . . a line. A looooong line. So I'll try again today either early or late and hope for a smaller crowd. As the end of the month approaches, I join the procrastinators - a group I recognize, LOL.

Going to be a hard week. I am not really even watching what I eat - that's kinda on the back burner for now. Exercise is still going on - that is a good habit I have maintained since I was 21 - 34 years now.

As hard as it is to know what's in someone else's mind I think I now know why my father is still trying to get back to his house. It's his way to deny that death is approaching.

I have to have "the conversation" with him Wed. night. Alone. Despite all my ranting and railing against him I will be as kind as I can. He obviously doesn't want to die yet and I have to tell him he is.

And then I have to have it backed up by a white male doctor so he will believe it. and SIGH.

I will check in when I can. Good week all (and the end of yet another month - )

Dagmar

A new week, a new start! As in, start swimming again. I spent several hours wide awake in the wee hours thinking about why I avoid doing something I enjoy (speaking of things not particularly rational).

No deer taken this weekend. They saw three, plus a barred owl. DS was a zombie after two days of getting up at 4:15, but he claims he had a good time and wants to do more.

My task list didn't shrink too much. I decided to talk to a Kohler tech before I tackle the faucet repair - the part didn't come with instructions, and it's not readily obvious how this assembly slides or twists or pops out. Couldn't find anything on line for it either, so I guess I'll have to talk with a real human being. I did make the promising discovery that the tub wall liner material I investigated (and fell in love with) last year now has a distributor, who's down the road from DS's choir practice. Hooray! Maybe ... they even do installations?

Bill, I can relate to the urge to grab. In my case, I think I did it for so many years that it isn't even an urge any more, it's just a lingering habit. As long as it's out of sight, I'm okay. Cherry tomatoes are the only thing safe to leave out at my house.

Dagmar, sending you strength for the week. Hugs, and good luck!

Good morning! I am off for a swim today, as well. It turned cold overnight; maybe the pool won't be crowded (and the water will feel warm).

Good luck, Dagmar.

Hi Bill!

Morning, all. Just "morning." I am not yet declaring it a good one.

Do I believe in the furniture restorer's promise last Friday that he would deliver some finished work to me today? Keep in mind that twice now, since late July, he has set dates and never showed up or even called to tell me he'd decided to cancel. My expectations are low and I'm trying to carry on with working from home as though nothing is going to come my way. My problem is, I attach too much importance to whether I'm going to get some stuff back. Probably much, much more than the usual person who sends furniture out for repair or rework. Each piece returned indicates to me the growing extent of my recovery from the flood, and the resumption of normality. I wish it weren't so, but it's hard to bring the mind & emotions back into order, hard as I work at being my own border collie nipping at the heels of the herd.

In the meantime, I've got enough work to do without taking on that particular worry. The usual: My own writing deadlines, and training new hires, "bringing them up to speed" as the popular work phrase goes. Also signing flood insurance papers, hitting the bank and picking up a birthday card for my mother. Who's probably coming to visit this upcoming weekend or the one after, bringing me clothes that I need. I moved in with only summer clothes and as everyone has remarked, there's a chill in the air lately which is calling for long sleeves, sweaters, jackets & heavier materials. Which is a good thing, as I love fall clothes, all their colors & weights & textures, particularly the tweedy English outfits. In the fall, I want to walk around looking like a woman in a Ralph Lauren ad who just climbed off a horse after a vigorous morning hack.

saef, you are a remarkably patient woman. I would be all over that furniture restorer like a bad rash. I would be calling that restorer every day until he would deliver it so he wouldn't have to hear from me anymore.
I will think positive for you today , I am expecting to hear good news from you , tomorrow.

Fall is in the air! We took the dogs for a short walk last night (I'm still afraid to tax Chico's single front leg). We got home and went out back with the dogs and cats and DH stood in the pool for a minute and declared the water "perfect." So of course I had to stand in it, too. Yes, perfect. No more summertime bathwater temperatures. This is the best temperature for swimming and the dogs both went in for a dip. This was Chico's first swim since his surgery and he didn't falter a bit. I'm so happy for that.

I'm starting my Monday off with a healthy egg white breakfast. I found last week that this breakfast often stayed with me until lunch meaning I could reduce my calories by not having a morning snack. I do have the healthy snacks available at the office should I get hungry, though.

Speaking of work, I must get running. Have a great week all!

Hi guys, I'm back. Our uncle died on Friday morning at about 2:30 am, so the weekend was a flurry of information gathering, visitation and funeral services. Not much sleep, lots of on the feet but no exercise, lots of bad 'on the go' food. But we survived it. My MIL is taking it hard, DH is sad and might not have hit the hard part yet. We had DSS this weekend so he went to all of the events with us. After the funeral yesterday he lamented "this has been the worst weekend ever, I didn't get to play at all" so we had to have a replay of the 'sometimes bad things happen and you have to be a big boy and accept it' discussion. It was hit or miss. He is only with us every other weekend and one day a week most weeks. The last two weekends he has been with us have been consumed by this, I know he is feeling stressed about it. Right after the service wasn't a good time for his exclamation though, I can tell you that.

I'm covering our catering office this week and am desperately behind in my own job so this week is going to be crazy. We didn't buy groceries last week, so we are out of everything. It is cold in the office I'm working in today. I'm tired, stiff and overall grumpy. I'm trying to snap out of it.

Dagmar - My heart is with you this week with your dad.

Saef - I would want to beat the restorer to death with something by now.

Bill, Becky, Allison, Ward, anyone I missed!

Shannon, so sorry for your loss, we all grieve or accept loss in our own way, it may take dh some time to come to terms with it, these are things we can't predict. About dss, remember he is just a little boy and most likely has no idea what death and funerals mean.
I was in third grade before I remember being touched by death at all. This was not a relative but a grade school friend who passed away suddenly. I still remember it to this day and that was many years ago, at the time the whole thing was a mystery to me. All part of the life experience, there will be many things as we go through life that we don't understand.
As for you, take one day at a time, one minute if necessary, everything will straighten out in time, try not to stress !

Hi all -

Not an easy time for a lot of us it seems. My organization's co-founder and former board president died suddenly on Friday, which has turned everything on its head. I feel more upset than I think I "should" be given I barely knew her, but we did have little interactions almost daily and she was a badass who was super dedicated to her cause. Rest in Peace. Her Facebook page said nothing except "I AM AN ATHEIST."

Afternoon everyone,

I almost started with "morning all" and realized it's not morning anymore. Last week I worked some extra hours so I took the morning off today, as I will likely work some more extra hours this week too. I've got to use them or lose them. It was nice at least to get a long wog in with the dog before the hectic week, and make some personal business hour phone calls (phone company, car insurance) before I came into work. I'm not really sure what I did most of the weekend. Walked the dog, cleaned the house, made Chinese chicken salads for lunches for the next few days. I think my allergy meds are putting me in a bit of a fog. I didn't track my calories over the weekend, but I'd guess they were around 2000/day. Right back on the straight and narrow and tracking this week.

I had girls night Friday to celebrate my friend's bday. We went to a city about an hour west away and I bumped into one of my childhood babysitters at the bar. It was so random but good to see her! She was visiting the city for a girl's weekend. Our moms are friends so her mom sent the pic of us to my mom by the next day. Of course my parents called me and my mom immediately asked "What were you doing in a BAR?!" Sigh. I'm 30, mom.

Saef, perhaps if you have low expectations of this restorer actually showing up, if he does you'll be pleasantly surprised. I guess waiting for the furniture restorer is like waiting for the phone/cable/gas company?

Becky, sometimes we must talk to human beings for help. I hate it too and always put it off (this is when I tell myself "Megan, you're 30" rather than telling my mom as above, lol). Chalk it up to never outgrowing childhood shyness. I'll bet the bath distributor knows who locally can install the tub, if they don't do it.

Allison, eggs stick with me in the morning, too. Glad Chico is recovering fine.

Shannon, so sorry for your loss. It can be tough to explain death and why that is more important than playing to any young child.

Krampus, to you too.

Have a good week everyone. I'm sending positive, calming thoughts out to the group. It sounds like several could use them this week.

Morning.afternoon/evening maintainers (hey, it's past 7:30 pm here, after all, so I don't know what it makes anymore XD).

Shannon - Sorry for your loss, and my condolences. As for DSS, yeah, kids have a tendency to do that... I hope it wasn't too awkward.

Allison - Same with me, and I do like my English-like breakfast with eggs (not the fried/bacon stuff, though, now that's too fatty to start the day). Protein keeps me full much longer than puny starch. And whatever goes to avoid snacking on useless things, right?

Krampus - Good luck with that hectic moment at the org. Because we don't know a person too well doesn't mean we can't feel sad or upset when something happens to them... (When a coworker committed suicide last year in October, the whole staff went kinda bonkers, each of us in his/her own way. I had said 'hello' to that person, like, twice in my life, and yet it still affected me too.)

Please send positive vibes my way, too. I'm probably about to murder a pupil or two in class this weak, by crucifying them on my Wall of Shame and Snark, complete with detention and reports sent to the parents and form teachers.

Shannon, sorry about your uncle.

It's definitely fall here. There was frost on the ground this morning and I piled on multiple layers of blankets on the bed last night. I also broke out my robe and slippers! I guess it's good that I was sick of summer food and ready for casseroles and soups. Our CSA is still going but I will be kind of glad when it stops, because not knowing what veggies I'll have on hand makes it hard to plan meals and I gained a couple pounds. I'm just over red line today (but it is also TOM, so there's that), and I need to get down to business to clean up my act. I've been slacking on exercise way too much.

Oh, fall and casseroles! And soup! Yum!! Even though the temperatures here are not quite fall (under 100, but just barely), I am getting a bit tired of the summer foods as well. This weekend I tried my hand at lasagna using zucchini instead of pasta. It was really good, but I wonder if any of you have the answer to this: in order to get the zucchini to release the extra moisture, I laid them out on paper towels and then sprinkled them with salt. After I noticed a lot of moisture collecting, I turned them over but didn't salt the other side. Should I have? And is it advisable to rinse them before I use them to get rid of the excess salt? To me that would be defeating the purpose. It tasted only slightly too salty, but if I make this for my in-laws, they can't have so much salt.

Anyway, it turned out really, really good and I have tons of leftovers for DS to eat this week.

I also made chicken enchiladas and have leftovers of that for DS. He sure likes my cooking better than the frozen meals he's been subjected to most of this year!

Bill~I think it'd be horribly difficult to be an astronaut and plan out everything for such a long trip! I'm good for a week at a time, but beyond that I'd go crazy! But yes, you can stop the snacking!

Dagmar~hope all goes well with you and your confrontation with your dad.

saef~hoping that the restorer comes as promised with all that he has of yours.

Shannon~sorry to hear about DH's uncle. The day you announced it, we had just gotten news that DH's cousin died in a car accident (the second in that family).

Kery~I'd advise against murder. It might get you locked up!

Krampus~sorry about your boss and the upheaval at work. Hopefully everything settles down soon.

Becky~good luck with the continuing renovations. My Dad said they are getting bids on restoring his basement. My brother is advocating for re-wiring the basement first (and I'd think the whole house as it is over 50 years old!). It would be something that might be a selling point when that time comes.

As a sidenote, I've come to realize I must've a magickal cupboard: the Laphroaig I've stored in it not even one year ago has definitely got better while in there. I'm not going to complain. (Yes, yes, I know, I'm battling a budding cold with whisky. But so far, it's been working. )