Morning chicks! I'm in a bit of a move and purge mood too. I'm in the middle of laundry, paying bills, doing a budget/cashflow for the year, and tidying my home office. It feels so good to be able to walk into my office without feeling swamped with papers. The DH is off at school and, if the dust doesn't get me, I may even tackle some other cleaning. The floors need to be washed and the bathroom is a mess. I like Mel's idea of a a big garbage bag as a good place to start. There is something cleansing indeed about a good cleanout.

Ok, the timer went off for the laundry so I have to go fluff and fold. I'll be back later to comment and chat.

Holly and Madcat
I need to take heed to all this finance stuff and clean off the computer desk.

PainterWoman
Taking a walk around the block is getting started in the right direction. Congratulations on that .6 pounds lost. If you did that over the holiday think what you can lose now.

Mel
Congratulations on your 3.5 pounds lost. Yeah for the compliment.

Did the Biggest Loser dvd sculpt last night for 60. It's a 5 minute warm up, 20minute session, and 5 minute stretch. I did it twice. Jillian did level one. She and Bob are just to skinny in my opinion. These two dvd's are set up for 6 week's.

Rose
Sometimes I need to make myself purge some stuff. I tried to get rid of a 40 year old metla shelves last spring and just could not bring myself to do it. This was something my parents bought me when I graduated High School. I also need to pack up what little Christmas decrations that I had out.

OK I'M GONNA CLEAN OFF MY COMPUTER CENTER TOO. IT COULD USE A DUSTING. I THINK THE LAST TIME I CLEANED IT WAS WHEN SHADDIE CAME
I DID BOTH MY FEDERAL AND STATE TAXES. IT'S A WHIZ WITH MY INCOME THE IRS FIGURES OUT MY REBATE. I EVEN PAID THE BILLS CAUSE JEN BROUGHT UP THE MOUND OF MAIL IN OUR BOXES!!
THE DAY IS JUST GOING SO WELLLLLLLLLL
:WAVE: TO MADCAT AND CEEJAY WHO ARE BUSY CLEARING OUT STUFF AND MAKING BUDGETS!! I NEED THAT TOO. HAVE A GREAT DAY YOU 2.
WAY TO GO ON THE BL DVDS CJ!!!

Well, all you de-clutterers have had a good effect on me too, although I had a bad moment when I thought Ceejay's "making herself purge" meant she was going bulimic on us! Spent much of the day clearing out bins under the sinks (still full but tidier ), organizing a few of the things trailing here and there that belong in the tool chest which still needs to be cleaned out, and even turfing the old burnt-out printer that was waiting to be recycled I know not where. Just what are we supposed to do with piles of old screws and hinges and hooks and cables and outdated extension cords and stuff like that anyway? I just keep thinking that someone somewhere could use them... Next stop: some more books (and bookshelves) really need to go, although I've done a good job on that stuff over the past year. And some clothes purging would be a good idea too. Also, time to prepare a tax payment.

Last night's 90 minute spin class went well - I'm really starting to see a difference in my stamina. There's even a tiny chance I'll squeeze my many rolls and lumps into a sturdy black swimsuit and go to a deepwater aquafitness class and a lane swim next week. Desperately hoping I won't run into any of the skinny spinners and runners and triathletes I know from my past as a runner. So many of them are mutants with 12% body fat... they'd be horrified to see what age and fat can do to the bod under the clothing. Especially now that feeling fitter is doing wonders for my body image - I do know what it looks like, but I'm accepting it better.

Sorry that this post is all about me, but there you are, that's the way it is. I'll get back to the rest of you lot soon.

Happy Sunday all,
Came in to see if a man had sent me some mail - he hadn't - nothing unusual in that. I spend my life waiting for one man or another!!!!

My job interview went fine on Friday. I'm to get in touch when I am ready to go back to work. They tell me they have plenty - it's not all training, and not all doco. Wonder what else they are going to ask me to do. Take Photographs?????

Annie - good to see you came back. Many don't. And I re-iterate the words happy came up with - you are looking great. Jack Russells are always hyperactive. Actually we had a wee Chinese lady on this project - who was nicknamed the Rottweiler, until we took another look and decided that Rotties were too laid back for her - she then became Mrs Jack Russell. She thought it was funny (thank goodness) Life might niot have been interesting if she hadn't!!!

So much to catch up on. I'll only do a bit because it is too hot to stay in here for long.

Carla - you hould be happy that Annie has joined up - she belongs in the land of the giants as well. Some times our posts have to be all about us. It just happens. Don't get excited about it. Lots of people never comment on anything other than their own little corner of the world.

You may have heard that us Kiwis lost a great New Zealander on Friday. Sir Edmund Hillary who was the first to stand on top of Everest and whose typical kiwi laconcic comment - yeah we knocked the ******* off - sent a few shock waves around the radio world - passed away at the age of 88. He was an extraordinary man who never believed he was extraordinary. I met him many years ago when he was doing a speaking tour of NZ and he got lost in the wilds of the Wellington Town Hall!! I had to tell him where to go. Most of you know I am quite good at that - but anyway we had a good conversation and he dragged $10 out of me as a donation to his cause.

Okay - I am out of here to go home and do some more packing and cleaning. I'm trying to debate how to move this furniture for the carpet cleaners coming soon.

Back to comment properly tomorrow.

Just 14 more days, and our Shad will be free at last!!!

Annie, if you're looking in, don't be offended by Shad's 'giant' comment. Almost everyone on this thread is vertically challenged , so normal height women seem like giants to them... I often feel like Gulliver in Lilliput, and I'm only 5'8".

Dratted computers! The laptop has just been brought back from the brink, and now there's something wrong with the plug-in for the power cord. So back off to the computer hospital it goes... Grrrr.

We’re not vertically-challenged; the floor is just built too close to our heads! Now can you reach something down from that top shelf for me?

YES MRS MADCAT IT IS TIME WE HAD THE FLOORS IN THIS DAMN PLACE REDONE!! I'M TIRED OF NOT BEING ABLE TO REACH THINGS! THANK GOD FOR GRABBER BARS (AS I CALL THEM). YOU AND CARLA REMINDED ME OF ONE OF MY PET PEEVES. PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED.
I THINK OF ONE MORE PERSON SAYS THAT TO ME I AM GOING TO PUT MY FOOT UP HIS/HER BUTT. FOR SOME SILLY REASON THOSE 2 WORDS PISS ME OFF
LIKE IT'S SOME KIND OF TEST OR GAME OF PATIENCE... WTF!! LET THEM TRY PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED AND SEE HOW THEY LIKE IT

OK OFF THE SOAP BOX. HERE COMES THE SNOW!! LOTS OF LOVELY WHITE STUFF IS ON THE WAY. BUT NOTHING LIKE OUR NORTHERN SISTERS GET. WILL MEL GET TO THE SUPERMARKET TUESDAY? WILL SHE GET TO SEE THE CUTE DENTIST THURSDAY?? ONLY THE WINTER WARLOCK KNOWS THE ANSWER. STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES ON THE PERILS OF MELLIE.
MADCAT AND CEEJAY WERE CONTAGIOUS YESTERDAY AND I AM LOOKING AT A MUCH CLEANER AND NEATER CENTER!! NOTHING ELSE NEW HERE. WISHING YOU ALL A WONDERFUL SUNDAY/MONDAY

CARLA~ YOU ARE BECOMING THE SPINNING QUEEN :queen" GO GO GO!!! NICE TOSSING SESSION YOU HAD ALSO. I WONDEWR WHERE NUTS AND BOLTS GO TOO? OR WAS IT LOCKS AND HINGES? ONE OF THE MAINTENANCE MEN LOVE WHEN TENANTS TOSS OUT STUFF LIKE THAT. HE SAVES EVERYTHING!! MOTA DOES NOT EVEN HAVE THE WORD DECLUTTER IN HIS VOCABULARY!!! NOW STRAP ON THAT BLACK BATHING SUIT AND GO KNOCK THEIR SOCKS OFF

SHAD~ DOES THAT JOB OFFER MEAN THEY HAVE WORK FOR LIKE "FOREVER"?? THAT WOULD BE NICE...YOU COULD PICK AND CHOOSE ALL THE TIME
YOU'D MAKE A GOOD PHOTOGRAPHER!! TELL THEM TO SEND YOU BUTTERFLY HUNTING!! HOPE THEY HAVE SOME GOOD JOBS FOR YOU!
SEEMS LIKE I SPENT MOST OF MY LIFE WAITING FOR A MAN...EITHER TO GET IT UP OR DOWN

GOOD MORNING TO ALL THE WORLDLY CHICKS!!

Mel~ Thanks for posting these neat articles. I thought about that yesterday when I was having some leftover Chinese food and decided I’d just have it on a small side plate. I think it did help with the portion control. Big plates make food look lonely! Look at how well you are doing. Go Mel!!! Congratulations. Enjoy the fluffies falling from the sky. Should we get the floors lowered, do you think?

Annie~ Welcome to the madness! Really, we hardly ever bite and our bark really is harmless. You are a true comeback story. Good work! It reminds me that when things get tough we just need to hang on and rebuild.

Are we sharing? We should remember to put some sort of link back to that long series of intro posts we did a while ago. Anyway my vital stats: I’m 46, married for a little under two years (my first and only marriage) to a terrific man, and we live in Toronto. I was born and raised here though I did have an unfortunate 7 years in the wilds of suburbia (no offence to any suburbanites out there). I work as a freelance tech writer just to keep my two cats in the manner in which they have become accustomed.

Ceejay~ Good luck with the coming surgery. Is this an outpatient surgery or will you have to be in hospital for a bit? I agree with you that I think both Bob and Jillian are a tad extreme in their lack of body fat.

Happy~ I really admire people who have the guts to pick up and leave everything they know behind and move to a new city. Not sure I would have the courage, but you managed it, so, as Shad would say, good on ya. As for the lost good times, life ebbs and flows like that. We make changes and we have to adjust. Your DH is wise. Hope your tile hunting expedition was a success.

Painter~ Wow, it seems as if you might be on the right track. That’s great. I’ve heard good things about those balance pillowy things too. Apparently they do activate the core muscles. If only I knew what bat wings were…

Rose~ Good luck with the purging. It is good for the soul.

Carla~ Good work on the spin classes and the results you are seeing. Nothing so good as actually feeling results. 12% body fat? So I probably have more fat in one leg than they do in their whole bodies.

Shad~ Congrats on lining up the next gig. Sir Edmund Hillary was a really interesting man. He climbed and then spent the rest of his life trying to make the lives of those in Nepal better. That’s so cool and I had never really heard that much about his life other than the climbing achievement.

Hi to Holly and Rennie.

Not sure what is on the agenda for me today. DH is off at school. I’ve been invited to a friend’s place this afternoon. Contemplating either more laundry (linens), more cleaning or going to the gym before that. Not sure which seems like the best idea since they all need to be done. Decisions, decisions. Everyone else have a good day.

MADCAT~ YES LET'S GET THE FLOORS LOWERED!! FOOD LOOKS LONELY BUT YOU ARE SOOOO RIGHT!!! HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME AT THE FRIEND'S HOUSE.

I AM BREAKING OUT THE SNOW TIRES THERE IS AN ALERT FOR 8" AND THEN SOME CAUSE MORE IS BEHIND THE FIRST STORM!
UNLESS OF COURSE IT ALL TURNS TO

FOR THE WINTER MONTHS ESPECIALLY: LET'S US NOT FORGET TO WASH OUR HANDS. THERE ARE MANY VIRUSES AND FLUS OUT THERE NOW AND SOME ARE DRUG RESISTANT. ORDINARY SOAP AND WATER CAN KEEP US ALL HEALTHIER THIS WINTER. TOO MUCH ANTI-BACTERIAL SOAP IS NOT A GOOD THING!
SO WASH, WASH, WASH!

Good morning chicks,

DH and I spent the day doing life size puzzles. Blasted tile! We spent quite a bit of time at the tile store - saw a pattern we liked and thought would work in the front hall and spent what seemed like forever waiting on a quote. OMG - on the price :eeek: They did tell us that 90 percent of the price was labor. So DH is rethinking about doing this himself. We got home and I didn't like how the colors worked in the hall. You see, the floor buts up against dark wood in the dining room and there is a different kind of dark wood on the stairs in the hall. The trim is all painted white and the room is a bit on the dark side as it faces north east and the door is set within an alcove thus cutting off even more light. You don't really notice these things unless you're trying to change it out. The tiles that I thought were an acceptable color are large - 17 by 17 inches and I thought they were too big for the size of floor space we are working with. On our way home, I suggested we stop at the hobby shop and pick up an artist's newsprint sketchbook as well as a piece of poster board to make a template and cut out pieces of paper to simulate the tile sizes so we could figure out a pattern. That turned out to be a good idea more than we ever thought. We cut out strips of grocery sacks for the dark contrast tiles and DH started laying them on the floor. The foyer has 4 door entrances - the front door, a large open double doorway to the living room/office as well as 2 entry ways - a wide one to the dining room and a narrower one to the family room. We'd lay a pattern on the dining room side and when we got to the family room side, the narrower pattern made it look off. We laid "tile" straight in a grid, on a 45 degree angle as a diamond shape pattern, this way and that. We tried about 6 different patterns and would always get to a point where we'd realize it would not work or he'd have to cut so many tiles that it would be very difficult. Due to the way that the light plays in the room as well as the dark woods we have to work with, I feel you really need some contrast in there. So we are trying to work with 2 tile colors, either as a border or accent pieces. I never realized this would be SO HARD I am very glad that we did it though because we finally did come up with something we think will work - a neutral color floor and a simulated "rug" of tile in the center with a contrasting border and perhaps even a 3rd different color of tile. I think we will be alot happier with this. A designer at the store could have laid out the pattern and estimated the amount of tiles, but we would not have known the difficulty of it until we we to go put the tile down ourselves. This way we not only know precisely what sizes, colors and amounts, but we also have the pattern laid down and numbered so when he does go to lay the tile, it's all figured out, including the cuts. Now that I see what an ordeal it was, I don't feel quite so badly about stalling this for over a year. But that's how I spent yesterday. Today will be consumed with meal planning, grocery shopping, laundry and in the spirit of you ladies - some decluttering myself.

Oh Mel - I heard there was a n'easter headed your way. Hope you don't get the whole 8 inches! Get those snow boots on woman. Good advice on the hand washing. Be sure to lather up and wash for at least 30 seconds. Clean under the fingernails as those get overlooked. I read in a magazine a while back that the reason kids pick up germs is because they are always "picking" at things with childlike curiosity, germs get under the fingernails, they wash hands but mostly clean the palms and then go and stick their fingers in their mouths, thus neatly transfering the germs. I thought wow - that makes sense so now I make sure to wash everything thoroughly, particularly as Mel says this time of year. Make sure you finish it off with some nice hand cream. Am I the only one who finds my hands get very dry and sometimes to the point of cracking up this time of year? Congrats on the weight loss for the month - that's WONDERFUL!!!!!

Madcat, pity you don't know what bat wings are - I'd be glad to lend you mine for a bit I am encouraged to see that arms, unlike tummies do tend to shrink down in size when you lose the excess weight. Loved your remark about lowering the floor You have a very witty brain! Have a good visit with your friend and then put some extra oomph into the housecleaning to double as the gym workout - deep kneebends, marching in place to the cycle running out, etc and there - you've multitasked. Sundays always seem to be so full of too many choices. I am always amazed by single people who get up and move to a new city - totally by themselves, knowing no one. THAT'S pretty incredible. And sometimes scary too as what happens if you get sick or hurt and you only have yourself to rely on. At least I have DH.

Shad - forgive me but I can't get the image out of my head that not only will you do doco and training but they will expect you to get on the big mining equipment and demonstrate how you run the big rigs too I can see you with a hardhat, miner's light and driving a big back hoe - the one's with the tires that are twice as high as you are tall! Glad the interview went well - sounds curious. I won't cross fingers per your instructions but will be hoping for good things to flow your way. Thank you for the bit of background on Sir Edmund. May he find new heights in the next world. *salute* Gosh, climbing Everest in 1953. Can you IMAGINE how very difficult that must have been? Wow. And so great that you got to meet him - AND he pandered you - Now there is someone devoted to his passion

Carla - you have reminded me that we too have an old color printer sitting upstairs in the attic storage. It's a perfectly good, working printer tho you probably can't get ink cartridges for it any more. Shame to just pitch it out - along with the box of cords and screws Although I have to admit that my email box at work is at the limits and I was intending to delete all the email I carried over from the old job when I got not 1 but TWO calls last week from former co-workers desperate for some answers to some tricky support calls. Was it convienient that the people on support "didn't know anything" about what they once worked on but in both cases they said - maybe you should call Happy and ask her about it. It took a while but I did find the fix to both of their issues buried in those emails I was about to purge.

Sounds like you have a variety of exercise routines all set up for you Ceejay - I think that makes it easier to just pop the DVD in and away you go.

Looks like my coffee cup is empty - time to refill and have a second cup while I go sort the laundry.

Hellos to the rest of the crew - sorry I couldn't get to everyone. Enjoy your Sunday!

A PIC OF THE SIR EDMUND.....AND WHAT A CUTIE CLIMBER HE WAS. TOO BAD HE MISSED SCALING THE HILLS OF MOUNT MELODY. MAYBE IN OUR NEXT LIVES! NO WONDER SHAD GAVE HIM THE $10....I WOULD HAVE TOO!

HAPPY~ I WILL PROMIST TO WIPE ME "FEET" BEFORE ENTERING YOUR NEW HALL TILES AFTER YOU AND DH GET THEM ALL ARRANGED. I WAS JUST THINKING OF A GREAT IDEA READING YOUR POST. THERE ARE SO MANY DECORATED TILES OUT THERE THAT LOOK LIKE AN ORIENTAL CARPET WHEN YOU PUT THEM DOWN WITH A BORDER......OH THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS
GOOD LUCK!

So, Mel, now you're calling me a grabber bar? Sheesh! Will the insults never cease?!!

Morning all,

For those interested, try this link http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080111/...edmund_hillary Should give you some idea of his life and times. No he didn't just climb Everest!! I reckon he'd'agot a giggle out of that one. Good on ya Happy!

For those of us vertically challenged (not physically, just vertically) it's not only the floor that they build too close to our heads - have you ever noticed that when you drive up to a ticket slot in the parking lot, they park those things so far away you have to undo the seat belt, take the car out of gear, maybe put the handbrake on (some of THEM are so vicious that they put the out of reach ticket thingy on a slope) and physically get out of the car to put the ticket in the slot? And then you have to jump back in and drive off as fast as possible before the damned arm comes down again. You then spend the next five minutes getting yourself back into drive mode!!! It's not a lot of fun you know!!!!!

Happy - Wonderful idea, and all that playing around on hand and knee should give DH a taste of how his back will feel after the tile job is finished. I forget - what is down there now?? Do you have to smash up and lift a whole floorful of tiles?? I think the Rug effect - oriental or otherwise is great and it does solve a whole range of tile cutting - job that I hate with a passion. Mind you the anglegrinder made life a whole lot easier than that rotten so called tile cutter thingy!

Mel - yeah Sir Ed wasn't a bad looker in his time. Lost a bit of it when the first wife and daughter were killed in a plane crash and he went on an almost two year bender.
Snow?? Eight inches of the stuff?? Yikes Hope the parcel arrives soon then. Should be next week according to the lady at the Post!!

Madcat - Stand with your arms outstretched at shoulder height and then just jiggle them a bit. If there are some wobbly bits where the triceps should be, you've got batwings. If not, you are an exceptional person!!! Hope you worked out the dilemma between housework, gym, friends etc.

Poor Carla - while the computer is away on holiday again, you can spend your time squeezing into the little black item. Good going on the spin classes and the resulting 'feeling better about me' attitude.

Well it was a quiet weekend for me. Bits of cleaning interspersed with long walks and some other exercise and a fair amount of downtime with a book. I have 10 more days of work and 21 more day altogether before I fly out of here. I doubt that I will need to work any weekends.
Tomorrow night I am out with friends - we are going to the Sopranos Spaghetti House for Italian something. On Thursday (some) of the team here are going to a Tapas Bar for drinks and nibblies. I'll be well fed this week.

And having said that, I'd better go and get on with it.

Sorry for anyone I have missed - not intentional. Just happens from time to time.