Good thing you caught it Allison! I'm always doublechecking things and I still make those mistakes often.

Dagmar-- when I read what you're going through with your remodel it reminds me that I don't really need/want to renovate any more of my house even though it drives me crazy and is hopelessly out of date.

The fire is scary. Thank goodness I still feel like it's far enough from me to be safe. We are keeping the kids inside due to the air quality. Yesterday it was raining ash and my car was covered!

There is some big training in the library for the next two days. They are taking over.... I have to smile and pretend it's fine. Hopefully I can still get some work done.

Hi all,

It's still hot here and I'm eagerly anticipating fall weather. Work business is settling from insanely busy to do-able busy as the summer field season winds down. I can really feel how much stronger my core is from the combination of field work and continued yoga practice, since I have not been keeping up with any other strength training this summer. Note to self: don't get as out of shape again when the winter takes hold. I've been busy having auditions and casting the play I'm directing this fall. I hate telling people they didn't get a part. I feel so bad and just plain mean. And of course no casting comes without drama. Hopefully it will be settled in the next day or two and I can get on with regular rehearsals.

Warning: Pet talk in this paragraph. I'm worried about my fur baby who wet the bed, our bed, last night. I think she was sleeping (I was asleep so I can't be sure) but the fact that she actually did it on the bed is what worries me. She had wet the loveseat while dozing a month ago, but I kept and eye on her and when she didn't do it again I dismissed it. I've met a vet appt for her tomorrow. Otherwise she seems fine, but this isn't like her. She's only 3 and lets us know when she needs to go out. I worry about a UTI or kidney infection. Hopefully I won't spend a fortune for nothing, or conversely be racked with guilt for not doing something sooner.

Saef, even though it will make Mondays long it sounds like your therapist is willing to work with you and be flexible. My first inclination was to tell you to shop around, but I remember you saying that can be difficult, like finding someone you have enough chemistry with to want to date, and that makes sense to me too. Even if you don't see this therapist every week it would be good to have him to call upon during those stressful times.

Dagmar, how did the cousins act at the memorial/reception at their house? Were you able to stick to your guns and take the high road? Did I miss the report? Gosh, you are going to take some great relaxing showers in that bathroom in a few months when all of this is over and you have time to decompress.

Jessica, the girls are so cute in their bonnets! I hope you're able to have some nice time with your parents and DD doesn't drive DH too crazy.

Michele, I'm trying to think of something you could do to block out the chaos. Noise cancelling headphones and a partition you could hide behind? Asking your boss to work from home when these events are scheduled in your library? Stay safe with the fire. I have a few forestry friends who are out west working on various fires. It's been a bad season.

Becky, good luck figuring out how to mesh DS's schedule with your own.

Silver, good for you for getting your exercise done early!

Have a good day all.

I thought you might like to see what I've been spending so much of my time doing this summer. These loggerhead sea turtles came out of their nest early because a dog got into it. We do usually try to do everything to let the turtles hatch out of their nest naturally, but if that is not possible, release the babes at night on the beach to give them the best chance of survival. (I should disclose that I am trained and have the proper permits to work with an endangered species! Don't try this at home!) And yesterday this diamondback rattlesnake tried to climb through the bilge pump of our boat. Look to the bottom right of the motor. :eek: I really don't need that kind of stowaway!

The little turtles are so cute!

That's what I was going to say!!

Megan-- what play are you directing? I'm sure there are many hard aspects to it. The turtles are adorable!!
Regarding Emma-- definitely make a vet trip. Hopefully it is something easy to take care of like a UTI. Female dogs can sometimes have leakage problems but there is medication for it. Keep us animal lovers posted!

I can't really work from home though it sure sounds appealing. For one thing, I need to stay visible and needed-- I'm worried that at some point the school librarian will be phased out and I'll be out of work! Tomorrow I'll be going to visit the Kindergartners for the first time. It should be challenging. They can't come to the library so I have to entertain them for 30 minutes. They will also all have subs as the teachers are in training. So.... I will have 52 kindergartners at a time (2 classes together). I hope I make it. I have some off campus meetings parts of Wednesday and Thursday and then my classes start full time next week so I'll survive. I'm hoping the air quality is better tomorrow so the kids don't have to come in the library for recess. I'm sick to death of watching Hercules!

Megan Has Emma seen the vet now? Hope it's just a UTI. The rattlesnake trying to get into your boat - not so cute, eh? :eek:

Dagmar :cool:

Allison-- how is your back feeling?

Day two of training in the library but I'll be reading to the little ones most of the day. A good thing as one of the teachers just brought in dozens of DONUTS and put them on my counter for everyone. It's bad enough in the breakroom but right on my desk?!? I think I'd go into a sugar coma if I ate one!

Michele~how is the fire? Hopefully you're not still getting covered in ash. My back is about the same. If I remember to take an Aleve in the morning, it doesn't bother me too much. If it is bad, I'll use a ThermaCare heat wrap for the day (they last about 8 hours). I haven't needed the ThermaCare for a couple of weeks, but I keep a supply on hand because I never know when it's going to be "that" bad. Last night I found a more green alternative to the ThermaCare in The Sharper Image catalog but I'm not sure if I want to spend $140 for it! Maybe Amazon has it for less, I'll have to check.

Good news! My weight is slowly going down! I'm still horribly high but at least something is starting to work! I'm down 1.3 pounds this week. I think last night's dinner really helped (scallops). Seafood is really diet friendly. I'm certain than once DS is off to school, we'll have seafood at least twice a week. I tried to get him to taste a bite of scallop last night but he said the smell was too much for him. I don't get it, I think scallops are very mild tasting.

My oven gets fixed today! I've got a dual oven made by Amana that is one of the last ones made that is two true ovens (most of the others sold these days are regular and convection and I didn't want convection). I think the really top of the line ones like Wolf might still do two true ovens though. Anyway, I've had an issue with the top one lately. It just doesn't want to heat up! I'll turn it to preheat and 20 minutes later it still hasn't heated up. The bottom one will heat in less than 5 minutes. Apparently it is the thermostat so it's getting replaced today. I'll need that for Thanksgiving!

The fire is much better. It's 60 percent contained and I'm pretty sure we are allowing the kids out for recess today.

The donuts are providing interesting commentary/entertainment for me. It is like a psychology experiment. As each teacher takes one, they make a comment. They tell me "good thing I did zumba yesterday" or "guess I'll be hitting the gym" or "who brought this torture?". Kind of funny to me and very interesting.

Hi Maintainers,

Hope everyone is doing well - upstate NY feels like...Florida? today, weird weather patterns.

The planets and stars are aligning against me - cat needs surgery to have his bad tooth out Friday, and on my way back from making the appointment/picking up expensive antibiotics for him (scratching/scabs are awful), my car's muffler decided to stop working properly. Sent $900 to my regular account from my "vacation" account - boooooo.

I went to CT to visit BF's family for Rosh Hashanah and general fun this past weekend for 4 days. Ate a whole lot and seemed to have dropped it since returning. Just living life and sort of grimacing as "Birthday Season" (mid September to mid October - at least 6 or 7 friends and relatives have birthdays) and earlier sunsets creep in. Work conference is 4 weeks from today, too.

michele - Glad the fire is contained. I appreciate the hard work firefighters and hotshots and rappellers and smoke jumpers do - one of my good friends works as one half the year. It's funny about the donuts isn't it - why eat them if you're going to feel guilty about it?

alinnell - Good news weight is creeping back down! What is the first thing you're going to make with the new oven?

Megan - hope your little one is OK! I loved the photos of the little turtles and the rattlesnake!

Dagmar - Hang in there, you've been dealing with a LOT of stuff these past few months - it will be great when the house is in one piece.

saef - Good luck with the busy Mondays. It's nice having the busiest day toward the beginning of the week sometimes.

Don't buy a new toilet. Call the contractor and have him adjust this one.

Hi all,
Good news, I guess. My fur baby does not have a UTI or infection. Waiting on the last culture to report back in 1-3 days but preliminary urinalysis & ultrasound didn't find anything wrong. It's "probably a control issue" but since it's not a huge problem at this point and she's so young, I'm not planning on putting her on daily medication unless it gets more frequent. I was rolling my eyes at my $185 bill until I saw your post, Krampus. Ouch. At least I have some peace of mind now. Krampus I hope your little one is feeling better soon.

I found this sort of funny, though: the vet said that Emma's lady parts are slightly abnormal on the outside of her body. He mentioned plastic surgery could be done. Are you kidding? "Could trap more bacteria" doesn't sound like a legit reason to me. She's a dog. I love her, but cosmetic plastic surgery on my DOG'S hooha is totally unnecessary. :dizzy: :lol:

Michele, what an interesting psychology experiment. Why do we feel the need to justify/make excuses when we do eat a sweet in front of someone else? If it were possible to record internal thoughts, I wonder what the difference would be between what was said/thought when picking up a donut in front of a) another woman and b) another man versus when getting a donut alone. Glad the fire is becoming contained.

To answer your question the play is called Any Number Can Die. It's a murder mystery, but also purposefully melodramatic and pokes fun at serious mysteries like Agatha Christie type plays. It is a funny show but trying to get 10 actors coordinated is like herding cats.

Allison, it's good your oven will be fixed before Thanksgiving. What was your turkey day meal count last year? 30 or so? That's a lot of people to cook for! In middle school a friend gave us homemade heating pads her mother had made. She sewed simple fabric squares about 8x10" and filled them with some kind of corn that didn't pop. You could microwave it over and over and the corn would retain the heat. It didn't last 8 hours but you could keep reheating it. It was a sort of green alternative. I just looked and Martha Stewart has directions for one. Perhaps a simple belt could hold it in place. I hope your back improves with some rest and care.

Of course today my thoughts are going back to where I was on September 11 and all those who lost their lives. I won't forget.

Off to try to herd cats. :crazy:

Megan~last year Thanksgiving was only 7 of us. Very small and kind of boring. This year will be much better!

And as for pet expenses--try having a dog with cancer and no pet insurance. Not that I'm complaining! I'd do anything for that dog! But boy is he expensive!

Back from the lawyer who is going to deal with my father's property in Estonia. From a very quick perusal of the documents (all in Estonian) he thinks there might be a $50,000 mortgage on it still outstanding. :faint: As executor I have to somehow pay off all the debts. My father left about $5000 in total at his death.

But I may be able to gift the farm (for about $5000) and be rid of it. That is what I will do and, if possible, I will gift it to the Estonian nation. Rather than to any of my father's relatives.

So my father might have the last laugh and indeed leave me with nothing. I got the main prize - the house here - and I am more than happy with the result of that.

I just want to be rid of all of his messes and him and move on.

Dagmar :tired: