[nikkic]

Hi you guys,
I am at the library, my computer has shut down again. This time, it started to just shut off when I'd turn it on. The last time, it wouldn't let me log on, it said my clock was not set, but it was. So, I shut off the computer and when I rebooted, I got some message that said I needed to have my software updated and it won't let me sign on at all now. I sure hope it doesn't take as long as last time. This place is the pits. The chair is hard, the computer sits on a low table and there are always teenagers sitting next to me, chewing gum with their mouths open. Plus, they all seem to be sick and coughing. You all know how I feel about germs and public places.
I have only got 45 minutes to be on this thing and the time goes by so quickly. I have to move on, Talk to you all later, Nikki

[aleka]

Hi,

Nikki, I am so sorry about your computer problems, especially after you've just gotten it fixed. Hope you get your 'puter up and running again. I feel the same way about being in a public place and germs. After I wash my hands throughly with soap in a public restroom, I always grab the door handle with a paper towel. My theory why DH has gotten colds down here. In NH, it is so cold, the germs can't live very long. But, down here where it's so warm, they go forth and multiply.

Lynn, whenever DH & I are sleeping, when he turns over he seems to plop, so that it jounces me at times. Thank goodness we don't have a waterbed, I'd be seasick a lot. It sort of confuses Lacee, but she is "my" dog and she opts to sleep with me.

Anne, hope you had a fantastic weekend and I hope your week off is fabulous for you.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Aleka

[alynn]

Good Morning All: Germs!!!! I am here at step-father's with him sick, feeling sorry for him self and coughing all around me. If I get out of here without being sick it will be a bloody miracle. Sorry about your computer Nikki, I have missed mine since I came down here. DH is at home with Mya and she has sprained her back leg. How I wish I was back there with them. I am going to go visit with my aunt if we don't get freezing rain later. Still havn't seen my mom because yesterday we had a snow storm. Went to Chapter's (our Barnes and Noble) and bought a few books to keep me amused. I will be going to DD's tomorrow to Cooper sit and do my xmas baking.


well that's it for now will be back soon. Tke care

[nikkic]

HI,
I have a different computer today at the library. It's a nicer one and the screen is adjustable. There are no kids sitting next to me.

Crystal took her driving test again and didn't pass. She did the parellel parking ok, but the tester said she ran 3 stop signs. Crystal says, she stopped and thought the wheels had stopped rolling. I told her to count to 3 before pulling out next time. I think, the tester is kind of strict. Anyway, we are both down about it. She will have to wait now for a couple of weeks to take the test. We are going to keep on practicing, I know eventually, she will pass it. She really does drive better than most people on the road and they some how managed to get a license.

Poor Lynn. I bet your miserable. Does your mom have a cold too? Is that what is going on with your stepfather? We've had whooping cough going on around here. I thought that was a thing of the past, but it's spreading like wild fire here.

Better get going, take care all, Nikki

[aleka]

Good morning,

The other night DH & I went to a Christmas light walking tour in a wildlife, nature preserve. They sectioned off an area where you could walk through and view a display of Christmas lights. Some were animated. It really was very pretty. It has been many..many years since we've been there. They have a lot of plants and trees, which they explain about. Then there is the wildlife, mostly birds, they put on different shows at different times. It's really a very relaxing place to be.

My Christmas shopping is done for the people I have to send gifts to. I'll be wrapping today and sending the gifts around Friday. I did get some of DH's gifts too.

Lynn, hope you don't get what your step-father has. Sorry to hear about Mya. How did she sprain her back leg? I wish both your step-father & Mya a speedy recovery.

Nikki, I see another smiley face...congratulations I'm so sorry about your DD not passing her driving test. She must feel really disappointed. It sounds like the examiner was a bit too picky. How are things coming along with your computer?

Have a good day all.
Aleka

[alynn]

Hi All: Congrats Nikki!!!!!! You are doing great. Sorry about Chrystal's driving test. I suppose she has to pay everytime she takes the test.I took driver's ed in high school and was the only person in my car (4) that passed the first time. I was probabley the worst driver in the world until I was in my 30's because I was so nervous. It took beginning able to control my nerves, and that was easier said than done. Good luck to her. That walk sounded very interesting Aleka, what a nice thing to do together. We think Mya did it while we were throwing her ball in the park. DH will be bringing her down here to Coco's vet if she doesn't improve today. Well I am off to DD's for a couple of days of puppy sitting. Will be in touch in a day or so

[nikkic]

HI,
still at the library. This computers keys stick, so I have to correct my typing more than usual.
Got my computer back last night, it cost $75 and it still doesn't work right. They are only open from 4-6pm, so have to wait to talk to the guy till then. DH is ready to throw it out and not have a computer anymore. I would go nuts though, so he knows bettter.
Thankss for noticing the new face I've lost another 3 lbs besides that, but my official weigh in day is on Monday. I made a diet coke cake today, so I'm not too sure that the other 3 pounds will actually stay off.
Crystal has decided to just practice moree than she was. She does get so anxious with the tester and now, she is even worse. I suggested going to another town, but she's use to driving here.
I haave to go, talk to you all in a day or two, Nikki

[ANNE D]

Hi Everyone:
Nikki, so sorry to hear about your daughters driving test. Next time for
sure Congrats on your weight loss!! That is an
awsome accomplishment especially at this time of year.

I have been enjoying my week off. I haven't got much done though
I think I just needed some "down time". I have just learned that all of our
hospitals here in Ontario are going to be run by a company called "HBS"
(Hospital Business Services) so instead of staff being employed by the various
hospitals as such we will all be employed by this new company. Not really
sure how this will impact me as of yet My job will have to remain in
the hospital but other staff members will be moving to a new location. After
30 years of service I am hoping I can grab a package and run. Can you
guys imagine, I might actually be seeing the end of in a few short
months. I am sure management will be let go. The part that I think really
is unfair is that every one starts at square one losing all seniority. (I think)
again we will be learning more in April. I just feel lucky I have so many years
of service behind me.

Aleka, you are lucky to have the shopping done. I bet you enjoyed the
Christmas Lights display. It sounds like it was lovely.

Lynn, wasn't it terrible about Drew Stewart being killed by the gang of 15
thugs! I can't beleive it just after we were talking about gangs the other
day. Only 16! What the **** is wrong with people. Once again I am sure
the young offenders act will protect these animals from getting what they
really deserve.

Talk to you later.
Anne.

[nikkic]

Hi,
Still at the library. I got my computer in last night and he says he will try to have it back to me before the weekend. I had no idea how much I enjoy running to the computer and looking up stuff, until it wasn't there anymore.

Anne, that would be wonderful if you could retire. It is great to be able to leave behind a place like that. People always ask me what I do and am I bored. The thing is, there is a million things I've dreamed of doing and now, I've had the opportunity. It's just a matter of doing things that don't cost a lot. I'm still trying to pay off my last credit card. I'm thinking of returning to work just to do that. Then, things would be a little bit easier.

I'm having lunch with the 2 DD's. Got to get going and meet them. I will try to stay OP, but it will be hard, it's a Chinese restaurant and that's my favorite.
Nikki

[aleka]

Good afternoon,

I got all the gifts I need to send to people. I wrapped just about all yesterday morning. Then DH, who had been on the computer playing games while I was busy wrapping, asked me what time we were going to have lunch. I told him whenever he decided to make it. GRRRRRR!

Later this afternoon I'll be making brownies to send to our neighbors in NH. I found this "from scratch" recipe in an suppliment I get in a cooking magazine. It calls for candied red & green cherries. Well, I don't have the ambition to make them from scratch. So, I got a really good brownie mix, Ghirardelli, and will put the cherries in that.

Anne, that would be great if you could retire early. A friend of our's wishes he could do that because he's tired of working. I haven't worked in a while, except when we had our machine shop. But, then I still had the freedom to come and go as I please. It really is a great feeling. I hope everything works out for you.

Nikki, hope you get your computer before the weekend. Did they tell you what happened to it? I love Chinese Food too. We have a take out restaurant near where I live and I am addicted to their honey chicken. It is sooo goooood. I haven't had a yen for Chinese Food in quite a while, it's been at least 2 months. Hope you had a good lunch with your daughters.

Aleka

[ANNE D]

Good Morning All:
I love Chinese Food too!!! We order it when David is not home though,
one year he ate a piece of a shrimp and I have never been so scared in
my life His face and eyes blew up, a real severe allergy. I am even
afraid to order Chinese in without shrimp for fear any of the other foods
may have come in contact with a shrimp......Eating in a restaurant would
be better still! Hope you have a great time with your DD's
Were the techs able to tell you what was wrong with your computer? I have
a heck of time with ours running like a turtle.

Your brownie recipe sounds wonderful Aleka. Do you ice the brownies? We
are under a winter storm watch today so I am glad I am still on vacation.

Any big plans for the weekend ladies?

Hi Lynn, any freezing rain out your way? Thats the worse, I hate freezing
rain

Have a great day.
Anne.

[aleka]

TGIF!

The brownies didn't turn out so well. I'm not used to the numbers on the temp. control knob on the stove. The numbers are every 50 deg. with a line between both numbers. I needed 325 deg. and assumed the line was 325, but apparently not because when I cut into the brownies the bottom was still mushy. I put a toothpick in the brownies, some spots came out clean and some didn't, but I was assuming it was due to the choc. chips that were in the brownie mix. So, I'm off to the grocery store this morning to get some sort of quick bread mix. I miss my old stove .

Anne, glad that you're having a good vacation. That must have been very scary to see your son react to shrimp like that. I would be leery of ordering Chinese food in again too. I know I've been to restaurants, not Chinese Restaurants particularly, when I've had a stray something on my plate that I didn't order. I was thinking of icing the brownies, but I had planned on shipping them and thought they'd be kind of messy when they opened them. Did you get that winter storm? It's been rather warm and humid here, in the 80's, but we're supposed to get some cooler weather from the north sometime over the weekend. I can feel the temp. change already.

Nikki, hope your computer problems will be over soon. Hope you had a good visit with both your DDs. How was your Chinese Food?

Lynn, how is the puppy sitting going?

Take care and have a good day.
Aleka

[nikkic]

HI,
We might get the computer back later today. What happened was, I downloaded the service pack 2 again. I kept getting this message from Microsoft saying that some important components were missing and that for security reasons, I needed to download it. I thought, since Windows was all new, there wouldn't be anything for it to get hung up on, so it would be ok. I've talked to others on other computer message boards and they haven't had any problems with it. After I downloaded it, all my files were corrupted and I started to have all kinds of problems. It would start right, it wouldn't turn off. Sometimes, I couldn't get into some websites or use parts of my computer. The computer guy tried to just fix some files and thought that would work, but as it turned out, Windows has to be downloaded again. He says not to download service pack 2 anymore, and this time, I really do believe him.

Our weather has been fairly warm for us. In the 40/50's. Today, it's in the 30's, but that is still not bad. Raining though with some wind, so it's fairly miserable to be outside.

The chinese restaurant was interesting. It's a place you usually just go to the buffet. I said, I wanted to order off the menu and get soup and tea only. The waitress (a local woman) said that if I just want that to get it off the buffet and it would only be $1.00. I said ok. Then the manager, a Chinese guy, chewed her out for saying that and said I had to get it off the menu. It cost $1.25. I said fine. They then went about 10 feet away and had this huge argument about it. All I wanted was soup. I could of cared less if I saved .25 or not. So, I got lunch and a side show too.

Anne, that must have been very scarey when that happened to David.

Aleka, I bet you were ticked off about the lunch thing. That was too bad about the brownies. It took me a long time to get use to my new oven too. It's electric and I've always used gas before.

I'm out of time again, talk to you all later, Nikki

[nikkic]

Hi,
I have my computer back and it seems like new again. The kid didn't charge me anything this time, even though he had to do a lot more work on it. I was expecting to pay another $125. What a nice Christmas present.

Nothing else is new here. DH has the next 4 nights off. We are getting along fine so far. He has made no noises about going to the bar this weekend. I'm sure glad. I don't need the calories anyway.

Talk to you all tomorrow, Nikki

[aleka]

A Good Saturday Morning

It has gotten cooler here. It's supposed to be in the 60's for the next few days.

DH & I got the majority of our pkgs. sent off yesterday. I couldn't believe how much it cost to send everything. It probably would've been cheaper for me to travel north and hand deliver everything. I just have 1 more to send. This one isn't very heavy so I'm sending it via PO.

I made another batch of brownies and they came out good. I bought a different mix and they had in the box to sprinkle ontop. I also bought a bag of the baking M&Ms just in case there wasn't enough in the box. I did add some more ontop. Now I have quite a lot sitting in the refrigerator. I really believe I can leave them alone. I have no desire to have any.

Nikki, that' great you've got your computer back and he didn't charge you this time. Hope you've seen the last of any problems. I got an e mail from SS website. She's going to be on starting Sun. I don't know if I'll watch her because I'm too tempted to buy something I don't need nor can really afford. My old stove had a digital numbers and it was a lot easier to set the temp. This stove, the temp. is numbered every 100 deg., with a line inbetween each no. You did get quite a show with your lunch. I feel so bad for anyone who gets chewed out at work in front of a customer.

Enjoy your Saturday.
Aleka