Oh Monday, Monday...yeah! No snow, tolerable temperatures today too. High 40. Supposed to be 55 by Saturday.

After meeting on Saturday, Sis, kids and I went to lunch and to Aldi for grocery shopping. Every so often I buy Sissy's groceries when we go, I did that on Saturday. Both of our orders totaled $90.00, not too bad for two households. Saturday evening, DS was in town doing a side plumbing job and stopped by for a visit. That was nice. After church on Sunday I went with Sissy's family up to Ainsley's basketball games in Westfield, Indiana. About a 45 minute drive. They lost both games but played their hearts out. Sadly, even tho Ains is not blood to me, is very much like me and emotional. She made a couple of mistakes during the game and was pulled out because she was tearing up and couldn't see to play due to the tears. lol. I just smiled and got teary eyed with her. Bless her heart. The boys wrestled my lap during both games. Royce is such a little hellion. Ornery one minute, giving love the next. He knows how to work it and at such a young age. Look out world! Got home and finished watching the BRONCOS win/beat the Patriots, yes, can't stand the Patriots. Go Peyton! Watched a little of the Arizona massacre and went to bed. Meanwhile, C has been sick for several weeks now. He finally went to the doc and had double ear infection, sinus infection, throat infection, doc put him on Augmentin, nose spray and cough syrup. He stayed home and held the fort down (slept). He said he was feeling better this morning, but his ears are still bothering him. He only has 4 more days of antibiotics, hopefully it will kick it. He still has a bit of bleeding from the bum, but that is getting better also. Truly I am over it and ready for Spring/Summer.

Posting, will come back for personals. Boss just arrived, he leaves at noon today and will not be back in the office till Thursday. Excited to say the least, can now catch up here.

Hugs to all.

The dentist was good. She could tell I floss daily as there was no gum bleeding. The tooth that broke off in November will just get a filling rather than a crown. Yeah! A little cheaper anyway.

SUSIE..hope your are feeling better and all things are healing. What a nightmare. Good you took a day off work to rest and recover. Congrats on the 2 lbs down at TOPS. WTGG.

CHELLE..what is the lil girl schnauzer's real name? Just curious. For some reason I like hearing what people name their doggies. Just goofy like that I guess. Tell me, how did Santa do in his class? Does he come better?

SHADDIE...nice to get an evening to yourself and the animals. At least you won't have to hear the bickering for an evening. Are you adjusting to being home again? When are you planning on taking your next work assignment?

CEEG...how much of a mess did you get with this last winter storm?

HAPPY..I will post my egg noodle recipe in a minute. I pressure cook a chicken. Once cooked, I then pull the chicken off/shred off and use the broth and chicken to cook the noodles. Let simmer till broth, chicken, and noodles are creamy, slightly thickened. Sometime I have to add a bit of water to thin out a bit. I usually add a couple of cubes of chicken boullion for more flavor. SOmetimes I add a bit of carrot.

Hellos to the rest of ya's

Hugs

Egg Noodles

4-5 Eggs cracked into dish, let stand a room temp for about an hour
Salt and pepper to taste
Add flour, mix still sticky consistency
Separate into balls
Knead on floured surface (kind of knead so it is not so sticky but not tough dough either, sprinkle with more flour if necessary)
Roll flat as if making pie dough with rolling pin (May have to sprinkle entire top with flour before using rolling pin.
Then starting from one edge roll the dough up into a log
Slice with sharp knife to noodle thickness
Cook your chicken in boiling salted water till done. Pull off bone and cut or chop. Make chicken broth, stock, or use store bought. Fill pot ¾ the way full of broth, stock and water if needed. Put chicken in, once heated to slight boil, drop noodles into pot a little at a time. Slowly, otherwise they will clump up and stick together.
I never measure anything, sorry about that. If you have questions, let me know.

Morning all. Happy Monday.

Happy – So how do you like your Instant Pot? My mom had one of the old school pressure cookers that goes on the stove. I thought it was scary. I understand the issue with the slow cooker – like I don’t have enough to do in the morning getting ready for work, but now I have to get dinner going? Yeh, I guess that’s something that could be done the night before. Just like getting my work lunches/snacks ready… Haven’t got that mastered yet either. Yeh, I love white rice too. But if brown rice can be made quicker, it might stand a chance of replacing white rice more often. Eewww re the meat leaking all over your produce! Yeh, I’d also be upset at the waste. Live and learn! How was the comedy show? Yeh, that Dirty Grandpa movie is getting really bad reviews. Just noted on IMDB that the metascore was 17!! Must really stink. Have you tried the avocado oil yet?

Michelle – How was the “Reliable Recall” program on Saturday? Or did you have to skip it because of work?--- I enjoy lemon water. Bf has to be off soda while wearing his braces, so now he’s drinking more seltzer and plain water – with a bit of fruit juice or fresh lemon added. I’m going to try not to buy any more diet soda for myself since I know it’s just a bunch of chemicals anyway.--- Happy to hear the female schnauzer can be traced back – just hope her people can be contacted.

Shad – I hope you had a peaceful Saturday, and that ds and his partner have made up and things are bearable around the house now. Hope Australia Day was fun and not spoiled by the idiots. Yes, I noticed that the Sistema brand was a NZ company. Gives me more hope for the quality than stuff made in China. This mug says it’s “Phthalate & BPA free”. It's colored with a clear lid. I like the idea of the meat-thawing container, and perhaps the veg steamer. I would love to see NZ and more of Aus! I think I have to put my money where my mouth is and start a NZ travel fund!!!

Susie – I’m so sorry you had the UTI and IC flare-up last week. That orange-pee stuff does provide relief for the UTI pain/”gotta go” feeling. I hope you don’t have a yeast infection – one cure causes something else to go wrong because everything gets out of balance. At lease there’s the weight loss to be happy about!! Thanks for your compliment on my hairdo. I’m not having a lot of success with styling though. Just not skilled with that.

Annie – Yes, I'm also happy we didn’t get any snow, and the temps are alright and will be pretty much all week. Awww, poor Ainsley. Bf is like you – hates the Patriots and is soooo happy they lost yesterday – he was watching the game with friends and texted me when they won, LOL. Poor C - sick puppy - hope he feels better soon. In the meantime, keep your distance!! Glad the dentist appointment well. Thought of you the other day – bf will make chicken soup out of the leftover rotisserie chicken and said he wants thicker noodles. I asked for and received a pasta maker for Christmas (like I needed another kitchen appliance – NOT - but I wanted it) and so I want to try making some noodles that are thicker than the norm.

Ceejay – Yeh, I feel better too when the house is clean. I’m sure I’m not doing my asthma any good when we don’t clean often enough! Does your new laptop also have a traditional keyboard, or just the touch screen one?

Helllos to the rest of you!!

==
My dentist appointment Saturday morning was quick – had impressions made for the new nightguard. Picking up my new orthotics was quick too. I wish they’d get me billed for my December office visit & the orthotics – I want to get my 2015 FSA taken care of.

I met my friends and we went to the travel show. It was alright. It made me want to go everywhere!! I don’t, however, think that a group of us will ever agree enough on anything to go on another cruise together. Two couples will only sail Disney. Bf and I won’t cruise on Carnival, D and her sister prefer Carnival. So much for that. I honestly would like to see more of the U.S. and would like to do something outdoorsy – national parks, etc.. I wouldn’t want to do a “beach vacation” unless it was just a few days – I can only spend so much time sitting around before I get bored. Cruising was fun, but at some point, unless you can afford to travel to different/further departure ports, you’ll end up going to the same ports of call. Not my thing – too many other places to see.
...
On Sunday I lazed away the morning, but got the Mexican casserole going in the slow cooker in the early afternoon. Then I got a load of laundry going. And then I did one of the workout dvd’s I bought at the library's book sale last weekend. I don’t usually care for cardio workouts, but this one was good. It was by The Firm, and it has the same instructor and structure of another Firm cardio workout I already have. Such a deal for $1. Showered, took doggy for his walk, then out to the library for some movies.

I wasted my time and watched Fifty Shades of Grey. Yup, pretty much as bad as the book. I moved on and watched the first episode of the tv series “Outlander”. I've read 2 or 3 of those books (many years ago) and liked them, and I liked the tv episode, so I'll see how the rest of the first season goes. After that I watched last week’s episode of Downton Abbey. I have been recording the new PBS show “Mercy Street” but haven’t watched any of the shows yet. Is anyone watching that?? If so, how do you like it?

The boss went to NY on Thursday for the weekend and got stuck there. Bad timing. He has a flight home tonight.

Okay, Pilates class tonight. Whoo!

Good morning all,

It gets terribly quiet here on the weekends so I admit I don't make a big effort to post. I tend to get distracted alot too

My new Instant Pot got delivered today. Will have to find some recipes to try it out. Lord knows I have a freezer full of meat just ready to be made into meals. I rendered the pig lard over the weekend and made a chicken soup with a rotisserie chicken carcass and bone broth in the slow cooker. I strained the broth and then sauteed some onions, carrots and celery and added them to the broth to soften. Added back in chopped rotisserie chicken (was hoping to save some for me for a chicken salad but DH said the soup did not have enough meat for him. Made some of those thick Reams ? frozen homemade-like noodles to complete the dish. I thought the final result was a bit salty but DH really enjoyed it. I have to admit, the chicken itself was much more flavorful coming off the rotisserie chicken rather than just dumping in raw chicken to cooking in the broth. I also made some "dump ranch" dressing and dip. A popular recipe from Whole30. I used the avocado oil, a raw egg, coconut milk, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, and chopped fresh parsley. I wound up adding a teaspoon of sugar just because it really was rather acidic. But I can see getting used to this quickly. It made a bit more than a mason jar full, I have lots of greens and will have to plan salads this week. We went to lunch yesterday at our favorite Italian restaurant. They just started their lunch service again and we went 30 minutes after the opened and we were the only patrons in the whole restaurant! It was like we were rich or something and they closed the place to just us We got a chance to have a great conversation with the owners which was nice - they are great people and have had more than their share of challenges since opening the restaurant. We are glad they are able to make it - it's hard up here keeping a business going - you make most of your money over the summer and work yourself near to death and then worry about getting through the lean winter times. Hard for business owners, difficult for wait and service staff who sometimes get sent home early for lack of business. I see more of how tourism affects the overall economy now that I am on the retail / service side of things.

Annie - thank you for the recipe - I could probably use those Reames Egg Noodles as a quick substitute. My grandma made the best homemade noodles just like your recipe. She wasn't much of a cook overall but she was wonderful with dough - best noodles and egg bread around! I can probably mock up your recipe with what I have on hand at the moment. Bummer that C is so sick - especially with both ends. I hope you can avoid anything that might be contagious. How nice that you had fun with the kiddos this weekend. That's so sweet and sad about poor Ainsley - I wish there was a middle ground for those that try hard but aren't completely athletic. I was traumatized as a kid because I was a klutz at sports and it really did a number on me going forward. I realize the point is to win but still... I even dropped out of bowling leagues because we had the "professional amateurs" on the ladies only leagues who bowled for blood and way too intense. I hope the poor kid will get through the bad game unscathed.

That's good that you guys were spared the wrath of that winter storm. They always make a big giant deal out of a couple of inches on the east coast and totally blow off the midwest on their weather reports. They get 4 inches and it's snowmaggedon and we get 16 inches and they are like meh... barely get a comment. Of course the 2 feet in Washington DC does merit warning.

Susie - oh poor thing with the IC flare and then to have to deal with part 2 - the after effects of the antibiotic. I am glad you are feeling better - that sure knocks the stuffing out of you. Is there anything that brings it on or it just flares on it's own? Congrats on your loss this week. I looked into TOPS but the closest meeting is in the evening at a town 30 minutes away from here. On a dark, windy 2 lane road with a no passing line between the 2 lanes. I hate driving there even in the summer because people crawl up your butt if you are not exceeding the speed limit by at least 10 miles. So that was a no go for a weight loss option. But I have always heard good things about TOPS meetings.

Ceejay - guess you didn't get pounded with the snow either. Were you able to wait it out at home until things cleared up? Got the new computer all figured out?

Shad - Happy Australia Day! Are you taking part in the merriment? Bummer that the DS and partner are having a tiff. If I remember correctly - don't they have a bit of a volatile relationship? Some people thrive on that kind of thing, its just those around them that get a bit nervous. So you're going to come out in the snow and try that snowmobile??? Those things scare me - even if they are enclosed. Going fast on icy terrain covered in snow where you can't actually see the road (and bumps) underneath you - no thanks. And it's too COLD - even for me. I don't think you'd like our winters very much. And our summer bugs would be nothing to you so that's not a bother at all. As for the bloody produce - I did give the lemons and limes a good wash and soak but anything I thought might absorb the blood got tossed out. A silly mistake on my part I will not repeat. That's a good idea about the meat defrosting tray - will have to look for something like that. Thanks for the suggestion. Did you get any rain?

It occurred to me we have not seen the sun in many days. I'm starting to miss it. We are supposed to get some icy drizzle later this afternoon turning to snow all night long - not a lot of accumulation but enough to make a fine mess. I was going to head to the library to get a cookbook for the instant pot - that may have to wait. I did cancel my hair appointment for tomorrow morning - I hope she gets the message. If we do get ice we have a big hill just off our road that will not be navigable so I'm rescheduling just in case. And if I don't make it to the shop in the afternoon - no big deal.

Michelle - I got a lightweight glove - it's reinforced with steel fibers or something that is specifically meant for when you are cutting to protect your hand. If you tried very hard you could slice through it but it's meant to avoid most nicks. The only problem as always with gloves is the fingers are too long and I had to tack them back a bit. I usually use the guard on the mandolin or use a flat palm (carefully) when I slice. I would rather throw a bit away rather than trying to chop every last bit and risk cutting myself. The mandolin is good for the carrot chips. Good for marinated cucumbers too! Bummer that you had to work today but as you said, you can get another day off in it's place so not all is lost. Hopefully you got a few things done yesterday. Our Humane Society takes no state or federal funding either. All our money is from the thrift shop, the fundraisers, membership fees and donations and grants. I can see why they don't want to accept funding - even with the grants we have to report back so they can see the money is being used "as intended" and sometimes the red tape is a pain. Easier when someone does not dictate how you do things.

Laura - did you get to your mail basket over the weekend? My weekend was filled with "good intentions"

Hi Dee and Terra

Time to get back in the kitchen and try out that Instant Pot. Have a good Monday all.

I figured that Laura was typing over my head

I have not watched that show Mercy Street - I record Downton Abbey and see Mercy Street as the trailer to my recorded show. I think of it but of course by then the show is over so no, I have not seen it but it looks interesting and PBS is generally good shows. Speaking of Downton Abbey - what do you think? I'm not sure I am jaded because I know it's ending and they are wrapping up story lines but it's beginning to become a bit far fetched for me. They take such care to make sure details like sitting straight and dinnerware arranged just so but then when the scullery maid decides to affront the lady of the house There were a few things that I'd think were done for creative licensing rather than historical accuracy. I am feeling a bit sad for old Thomas the footman although I suppose he deserves the treatment from the staff due to past behavior.

Yes, I tried the avocado oil in my dressing. It is very light - I did not detect a hint of avocado flavor although perhaps if one does not like avocados, they might notice it. I thought it would make a good base for a vinaigrette also.

Will let you know what I think of the instant pot. I saw a Farberware one in Walmart yesterday for half the price of what I paid for this one but sometimes cheaper is not cheap over the long run.

The comedy show was fun as always. We are planning on going again the end of next month. The next show is the day we are getting our new front door installed and we are allowing all day into the evening for that.

That's too bad that your friends can't agree on a cruise. Cruising holds no interest for us - except maybe to Alaska but the people I know who do it are pretty persnickety about which lines they like and for what reasons. As for the beach vacation, we rented a house on the Gulf outside of Mobile, AL (Gulf Shores) and there were actually several things to see outside of just relaxing on the beach. We went to a plantation that had gorgeous grounds, visited a huge outlet mall, went on a boat tour and saw a few things in Mobile itself. So depending on where you go, you might have some recreational options. Then again we went to a destination wedding at Sanibel Island in FL and that was mostly beach and golfing unless you wanted to drive over the causeway into the mainland and shopping but that was a couple of hours trip. We want to go back north for another stay at Madelaine Island and DH suggested we pick out a date and book soon before things fill up. I just hate doing that because if it rains - which it does - then your outdoors trip is ruined. I think we wound up rescheduling our trip last year because part of it was the boat tour and bad weather was expected when we first booked a month earlier. You can rent a big house up in the Smokey Mountains - the mountains are gorgeous as is Smokey Mountain National Park. There are local towns - think Wisconsin Dells type atmosphere nearby. Of course the best time of year is the breathtaking autumn colors BUT that's also the worst time as the 2 lane roads are clogged with tourists.

I did not know you are not supposed to drink soda when you have braces. It makes sense. Another reason NOT to get braces. Actually I am trying to break the soda habit too. I noticed a BIG HUGE difference in acid reflux when carbonated beverages are not in the mix. I can even drink lemonade which generally irritated my stomach.

Anyway... let me get off the computer and do something constructive.

Hi Ladies,

Sorry I was away all weekend. I worked out Saturday morning, and then I felt completely and totally exhausted. Most of the weekend, I felt achey and exhausted. I still took Santa to the reliable recall class and he got the hang of it. I’m going to work with him every day so that he retains it. I also went to see/hear one of my fave authors SARK on Saturday night at an independent bookstore. She was fantastic. On Sunday, I went to a friend’s house for a workshop she was leading on setting goals/intentions for 2016, and we created vision boards, which are essentially collages that contains photos and words of things you want to do or accomplish. Lots of fun!

After I got home, there was Mount Washmore to tackle, plus get all my vitamins sorted for the week. Because of my surgery, I have to take lots of vitamins 2-3 times per day…so I have a pill organizer to keep it all straight (including my prescription meds).

When I got in to work this morning, I learned that the little Schnauzer (named Sassy - just like your little one, Annie!) was picked up by her “dad” yesterday and taken home. I’m so glad she was reunited with him. Turns out the information registered with the microchip wasn’t up to date. I’m sure he’ll update the microchip registration with his correct contact info.

This week, I’ll be working on Saturday. I normally would’ve taken today off and worked Tuesday through Saturday, but I had a meeting scheduled for this afternoon. Now that meeting has gotten changed to tomorrow. Not sure what day I’ll pick as my day off this week.

I lived in New England as a child, but even I was rooting for the Broncos….mainly because of deflate-gate. Over the last few years the Patriots have been found to be cheating in a number of different ways….and I didn’t want them to go to the Super Bowl. Also, I’ve always liked Peyton Manning…he seems like a really good guy.

============

Susie - Sorry to hear you had such an awful flare up! That sounds horrible. I’m glad the urologist prescribed meds that have you feeling better. Congrats on the weight loss!!

Shad - Happy Australia Day! Are you and the cats and dog doing anything fun?

Annie - Wow! Temps in the 40s and 50s? Not bad for January. We’re having a warm up this week too. Glad you had a nice time with the kids and grandkids this weekend. So sorry to hear that C isn’t feeling well. I hope the antibiotics help. Glad the dentist went ok. My ex-DMIL makes her own egg noodles, and dumplings. Speaking of my ex-DMIL, she and I still talk every couple weeks or so, and I know she was very depressed over Christmas. I sent her some puzzles to work on with her sister…but her big surprise was that I sent her tickets to see a concert of big band music and a female trio of singers (similar to the Andrews Sisters). The tickets were inexpensive, so I got my ex-DMIL a ticket, plus her sister and her sister’s daughter. I asked the daughter if she could drive the DMIL and her sister. If I still lived in WI, I would’ve loved to see the performance too. Anyway, they all really enjoyed the concert and it really took my DMIL and her sister down memory lane.

Laura - Like you, my mom had an old school pressure cooker…and occasionally dinner would end up on the ceiling. I would’ve gone to the Reliable Recall class even if I had to work on Saturday….it was late enough in the day. Turns out I didn’t have to work. Good thing too because all weekend I felt a little bit under the weather. Glad you had a good dentist appointment. As for National Parks, I highly recommend Yellowstone. It’s beautiful. The geysers are magnificent. The wildlife is spectacular. Yosemite is breathtaking, but if you want to stay in the park, you have to make reservations a year in advance. There are so many national parks I still want to see. I can’t remember…have you been to Hawaii? That’s a great vacation and so much more to do than just relax on the beach. Can you please share the recipe for the Mexican casserole? What are the two “Firm” cardio workouts that you like?

Happy - Like you, I dropped out of a bowling league that my ex and I signed up for because the two people we bowled with were out for blood…and were really mean/harsh on me when I failed to bowl up to their expectation. One game they were just so awful, that I walked away. My ex didn’t hear what had happened, but when it was my turn to bowl again, he came to find me, and I told him….I do this for fun….to relieve stress from the work day….I don’t need all this pressure. He agreed. We changed our shoes, collected our stuff and walked out with a game and a half left to play. I agree with you that the weather makes it seem like the world is ending when New York gets a few inches of snow. And when Milwaukee got a foot or two or three, there was no mention. I like the idea of the chopping/slicing glove! I think my ex got the Mandolin at a second-hand store or on eBay…because it never came with a guard.

Lots to get done today. TTYL

Love and hugs,

I had to google the instant pot. I've seen these advertised on t.v. I want to know the results that you ladies get when using them.

Happy
My new laptop has a key board but it also has the tablet type keyboard if it's needed. I'd rather have the regular keyboard. I love the touch screen especially when playing my games.

Michelle
So glad the little puppy's dad found her and took her home.

Annie
Sorry to hear that C has been sick. Glad he's gotten the antibiotics to help him get well. Our snow wasn't as much as they predicted. I was happy about that. Southern Arkansas got hit with around 6 to 8 inches. Think our temperatures will be back in the low 40's to 50's this week end.

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I'll have to go back and read the other posts.
This week end was spent getting the paper clutter out of the office. I'm going to rely on my computer and web sights to help keep that pile cleared up. I still need to reorganize that room. Thinking of all the things I don't want to move when I retire later on this year.

Quick post - seems that I have lost track of the days. Today (Tuesday) is Australia Day. The kids have taken the ODDU out to the dog club members day at the beach. He will come home dirty and tired so that is a bonus. He is learning things slowly, but does try his luck from time to time. Especially with women although he obeys me most of the time. Early this morning I found him stretched out guarding the toilet. Someone left the door open! and I had to step over him, try not to wake him, do what I had to do and go back to bed. Fortunately it worked and I didn't go headfirst into the bowl nor did he wake up enough to show any enthusiasm for the day. Blessings.

It's warm and humid again today, we are supposed to get storms and rain, but I can see it happening anytime soon, so I should go out and get into the garden before my 'helper' comes back. I have the hedge to finish and some soil to move and clean the bathroom, loo and laundry. Probably need to tackle Mount Joy as well in the laundry and the grass needs mowing AGAIN.

Michelle - good to hear that Santa got the recall thing okay. There is a certain pup hear that needs to learn that one.

Happy - we got a bit of rain. Not enough, but I'm not giving it back. The plants love it. Much better than the town water they have been getting. I'll have to look up the Instant Pot. Don't think I have seen them. I'm getting by with an old style crockpot. Works so it stays. Doesn't work sometime soon, then it goes.
The Sistema website is interesting. It's got stuff on it I have never seen! And I have plenty of it. http://sistemaplastics.com Click the website for more views. The meat tray I was talking about is in the Utility section with cold cuts in it.

Laura - don't know what they did while away, but it seems for the time being the tiff is over. No doubt it will surface again before too long. Tiring! Was I ever like that?? Don't answer that!

I'm off. Back with the rest of the personals later. Have a good day

Morning All/evening all...my day may officially start...my cup of coffee is now cleaned up from the spill over my desk. What a way to start the day. Hmmm, probably because today I decided to really kick arse on eating and moving. Of course I forgot my fitbit and am starved. Hopefully this, too, shall all pass.

I made the recipe I posted on FB. Quite good. I think I would add more spinach and seasonings. Slightly on the bland side, not too bad tho. Maybe add chopped green onion too. C loved it, as he is more into the blander recipes, so it was right down his alley and was C friendly. lol Made broccoli in my rice cooker so all and all it was good.

I will be back in a few, have to go see a woman about a pony. ba haha.

Good morning all,

Quick hello from me. I have to jump in the shower, make a quick lunch and run out of the house. I have to cut my hair appointment short because something came up and I have to help out for a shelter assignment. Then I have to hurry back and pick up my shift for the afternoon. Going to be a day on the run.

I am distressed to see that we are supposed to get 3 to 5 inches of snow on Friday - which is when they are supposed to install our new front door. They have to refit the door - new style - so it won't be a quick job. It figures...

Anyway will have to come back for personals later. Have a good day all.

OK...I think I am back for the moment. For my boss being out, I am busier than a one-armed paper hanger!

HAPPY...see here you go running around like a chicken with it's head cut off ready to lay eggs. May the force be with you. Boo on the nasty Friday weather and the door installation. Is it possible for DH to put up a plastic barrier between door and the rest of the house? Maybe a few feet back from the opening, ceiling to floor to block off some of the wind, cold, snow?? What a PIA. Yes, the snow, I still dislike it a LOT. We may have to have several buildings at the commune for inside greenhousing, swimming pool and animal shelter/rescue all connected via heated breezeways. Breezeways large enough to house the pool table, ping pong table and game/TV room with loungers. Also the giant kitchen. Maybe in a square or ocotagon shape with a outdoor common area large enough for picnics and animals to roam.
Dreaming, I like dreaming!

SHADDIE...Happy belated Aussie day! Hope you got some "YOU" time without the ODDU and kids. Stretched out guarding the toitie, made me laugh. Only time Sass comes in the bathroom is when I am on the pot and for some reason she wants me to hold her. Strange dog! I will take your warm and humid and give you two cold and snowy days. Where in the H do you get all your energy to do everything, I have just seem to run out of steam with every birthday and don't want to do anything. I am turning into my mom, OMG.

CEEG...how about you come to my house and I go to yours and we switch up decluttering each other's messes. I bet neither of us would miss a dang thing we didn't know was disposed of, haha, just a thought.

CHELLE...speaking of energy, where do you get all of yours, I think I am becoming a lump. Just don't want to do anything anymore. Glad Santa caught on to the class. Let me know if it still works in a month or two. Yes, I get all the vitamins, etc. I still take mine. After 6 months of taking 10,000 mgs of biotin, my hair around the edges is growing back and about an inch long so far. Worth a try. Nice of you to make your xMIL happy with the tickets. You are so sweet to do that.

LAURA...after you use your pasta maker, let me know how you like it. I just can't seem to buy one as it takes away from my momma and grandma's tradition of making the pasta myself. Plus the family seems to count on me making them for special occasions. Oh, how is your MILs recovery coming along?

Hello to Dee, Susie, Terra, hope you all are feeling ok.

Hugs my dear sisters.

Morning all.

Happy – I’ll have to have bf look for those Ream’s noodles – I think that’s what he’s wanting for his rotisserie chicken soup. Re those rotisseries chickens – we get ours from Costco and they are always large, and are moist and flavorful. Good leftovers to use in recipes! But…I don’t want to know what they do to them to get them that way… The dressing/dip sounds tasty. I’d like to make fresh dressings, just enough for the meal. Don’t like having bottles of dressing sitting in the fridge for eons. Nice you enjoyed your dinner out. I hope the owners make it through the winter. That is not an easy business. Well, if you’re going to your hair appointment this morning and out and about after that, you must not have too much ice. Safe travels! On the other hand, our sidewalks were icy this morning. Good thing I left the house on time so I was walking with caution, sometimes on the grass. No, I didn’t get to the mail basket over the weekend. Re DA – yes, I do wonder how realistic it is for the kitchen maid to be so outspoken to her boss. Same with the dowager’s servants, but then again Maggie Smith’s character is not the typical dowager, right?? I didn’t watch this past Sunday’s DA yet! I’m behind, so no details, if you please. Gulf shores and the Smokey mountains sound great – as long as there’s something to do. Some of those islands just have beach and that’s about it. Funny, Sanibel came up with my friends – yes, one woman said there’s not much to do there. ---Re no soda with braces – it’s the acid in the soda that’s the issue. ---Oy, bad timing with the door install happening in the cold of winter, let alone with snow forecast. Hope it works out somehow.

Michelle – Sorry you were tired out after your workweek, but it seems you pushed forward anyway. Glad you found the recall class helpful – keeping with it is the thing right?-- Ha, It’s also one of my Sunday things - filling my pill organizer with my meds and vitamins! I actually have a 2nd one with just a couple vitamins that I take at work, so I fill two. I’m not much of a vitamin person, but I do take a multi, calcium and Vit. D3 each day.-- I’m so glad that Sassy the Schnauzer is back with her family!!--- So thoughtful of you to gift your xMIL with show tickets. I’m sure it lifted her spirits. --- I’d love to see both of those national parks. Yes, I understand advance planning is definitely required to stay in the popular spots in the park. Yes, we went to Hawaii in 1998 I think and it was fabulous. We spent most of our time sightseeing. What a paradise!--- The two Firm cardio dvd’s I like are Cardio Dance Slimdown and Cardio Party. The structure is that the workout is split into a few sections and each sections introduces a move, then builds onto it with more moves and they are all repeated from the top so you get a chance to get all the moves down. I don’t know if this would get boring for me after doing the workout multiple times, as I’m not the type to want to do the same workout all the time. That’s why I like having all the different series of the Body Electric show. And I like that in my Pilates class, each class is different. We always use the small pilates ball, but one class we might use weights, another we might use a resistance band, another a body bar… And Zumba, as you know, has a different routine with each song, so no getting bored there because songs are switched out all the time. Just thought you would like to know that about these two Firm cardio workouts, in case you wouldn’t care for that structure….--- I'll put on a link to the Mexican casserole recipe , though I do have to say that bf and I ate it last night and decided it really didn’t need the cream cheese in it. And we had it with corn tortillas and decided we’d prefer it with flour ones instead. I don’t think I’d care for it served over rice.

Ceejay – I’m glad you didn’t get much snow. Yeh, we’re getting a warmup in temps later this week too! Good idea to tackle the paper clutter now than just move it all with you. Now, do you get paperless statements? I’m really thinking I should switch to them…but I’d have to change up my bill-paying routine if I did. Still mulling it over.

Shad – Decided to look up Australia day – one of those that’s celebrated on the exact date (26th) and not the next closest Monday to make it a convenient long weekend for everyone, especially retailers… I hope it was good. Did ODDU come home dirty and tired and content to sleep wherever it looked comfy and not guard the toilet, LOL? Too funny. They are funny little creatures, aren't they?

Annie – Yeh, not a good start spilling the coffee. But if that’s the worst thing that happens all day, it’ll be a good day. Pony??? Hmmm, a Bronco perhaps??? I get you about the energy levels. If I don’t get up on a weekend and get right down to work on some errand, project, whatever, I end up puttering around and not getting much done. And forget the weeknights, unless I have specific plans – exercise class, movie night, etc. – nothing much happens other than dinner and tv and maybe a load of laundry. ---I like those commune plans. ---I’ll let you know how the pasta machine goes. Maybe give it a go this weekend.

Hellos to Dee, Terra & Susie.
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Well, Pilates class was go-go-go as usual. At least I’m not the only one who occasionally wonders if our instructor is trying to kill us - a fellow student made a comment to me about that after class last night.

I woke up with a pain in my neck again, and it’s not any household member, lol. This is getting old. Sigh.

The boss is back in the office today after his snow adventure in NY over the weekend. The admin went home early yesterday and is out today. So much going on with her, I worry she might not be able to work anymore if it keeps up.

Well, tonight I’ll have the evening to myself, and every Tuesday and Thursday for a while. BF is starting a certificate program at the local community college. If I’m smart, I’ll use that time to break out of the sloth-on-the-sofa mode and be productive in the evenings.

Okay, back to it. TTFN.

Recipe Link:

http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot...chicken-299527

Shortly after deciding to make the above recipe, I found this one, which looks good too:

http://12tomatoes.com/healthy-chicken-chili/

Hi Ladies,

Another short post and I missed yesterday. I came home and got some housecleaning done that I had not gotten to on Saturday. I also worked 1.5 hours. Sometimes that is the way it is.

I am working tonight as well for a couple of hours. I was at a offsite with our work Community Team as we planned events for the year. This is a team I am "assigned" to because I am the Director's Admin. It has been good as I get to know some people in the Organization besides just there name. Since I work for the "boss", I don't get a lot of people who openly share things around me, since he is all our bosses.

Being on this team has allowed people to get to know me. I remember one time, that someone said "I had no idea you were this fun!". I guess I do keep up a professional demeanor and don't let my hair down at work to often.

So strange as I am a very outgoing person. I guess there is the work side and the personal side of me.

A very sad thing happened at work before I left for the offsite. I have 3 other Admin's who sit in the same cube farm with me at work. We all support Director's and we often each lunch together.

One of the ladies, has been dealing with one of her adult sons (on is 22 the other 24) and his drug issue (he is 22). He also has a lot of other issues as well. He is in rehab right now and is doing well with it. The other son, who party's some but not hard stuff as he says, is 24 and last night my friend and her husband walked into the house to find him overdosed from heroin and he didn't make it.

She called us this morning to let us know. It was awful to hear the heartbreak and rawness of this on her. It was really hard for me to concentrate. I know you don't know her but if you could say a prayer for her and her family and for me as her friend (I want to support her in the best way that I can). in the next few days and beyond, I would appreciate it.

Sorry no personals tonight. Much love to all of you!