Afternoon all,
We've had a wonderful rainy weekend. All gone now though and we could do with some more - but it might help some of the pasture regenerate out west although it will not break this horrible drought.
So I have been painting and sanding and cleaning all weekend. Most of the undercoat is now done in the spare bedroom and soon I will be able to put colour on the walls. At the moment it is a stark white with the undercoat. This coming week I will be getting the door off and installing the new one - although I might have to do some painting first. Then I will have to install the door latch - something new to look forward to I guess. It will be painted in a soft green called Silver Grass 1/4 strength. I'm not exactly sure what other colour/s I will put with it but no doubt something will stand out in a shop at some point. No rush.

Been sorting out our trip to Tasmania in December. Lots to see. Must remember to ring the cattery to check I can get the puss cat into there for those dates. I was thinking I would go to NZ for Christmas after Tasmania but think it might blow the budget somewhat and I need some dosh to get to the States in May next year. Don't want to break the bank.

Happy - such a busy person. The produce sounds nice. Love it when fresh stuff comes to town in Farmers Markets etc. So much better than the supermarket stuff. Hope you enjoyed the blues night. I remember that night that you and your DH and I went round the music joints in Memphis. Good fun that.
Ceejay - Cats do some strange things to ensure life is good to them. She will grow out of a lot of that, but they are a lifetime commitment and if you don't feel you can make that, then it is best to move along before you get too attached. No rain here equals no lawn mowing, but that doesn't stop the weeds from growing. Hope your nephew gets better quickly.
Susie - Nice of the VP to keep tabs on what is happening in your area. Glad you are getting OT for the hard work you do. Hope the washer is working okay now. Nothing like having a lake in the laundry to set up your day. And all the cruddy stuff that lands up under the washer too, seems like you've never cleaned under there when that happens.
Annie - Loved the story of the dinosaur. Kids have such an imagination. Hope that C's run sells soon and for a good price. What is he going to do with himself after that?
Sorry to hear that you are a 'bit stopped up' with the you know what. I have the same problem a lot of the time. I'm using dried apricots to get me through - or is that to get through me?
Laura - I hate buying shoes. Nothing seems to fit properly anymore. Some don't have any arch support and some have too much. Some have toe room and others do not cater for wide flat feet. Bah humbug. Wish I could go barefoot again as I did as a kid.

That's about it for me. Can't think of much else to write about. I put a cap rump of beef in the crockpot yesterday. At the end of 12 hours it was tasteless and tough. Turned off the crock pot and let it sit over night. It still had no flavour despite the fact that I put a full bulb of garlic in the pot and seasoned the beef with Portuguese seasoning and herbs. So I chopped it up into bits, added a potato, onion and some pumpkin and added more seasoning. 6 hours in still not much flavour so I got mad and added half a jar of Thai Red Curry past. NOW it has flavour and the meat after another 12 hours in the pot is falling to pieces. So it might be time to go eat it. And I can cross todays post off the list. My day is finished.

I asked the question of the car dealership last week to see what it would cost to trade in my car and get a new one. Don't think that will be happening, but you never know. I think it will cost me too much. And here was I thinking European cars held their resale value. Aah well somewhere to go and someone to annoy tomorrow. Then in the afternoon some solar people are hoping to relieve me of some more money - can't see them being very happy at the end of that either. I should enjoy tomorrow but I don't think I will get much painting done. I need to get some more paint too.

Happy Monday/Tuesday...

What a very quick weekend that was. Spent all day Saturday preparing for my son's birthday dinner. Made my spaghetti sauce and let it simmer all day. Got to use my tomatos and basil out of the garden. Made better than s*x cake for dessert. It went over well. Even those who do not eat cake had two helpings. There was only a 2x4 piece left of a 9x13 cake pan. Sent that home with my son. Fresh cucumbers out of the garden too. Sam made her asian salad also garlic bread. I ate everything but the pasta, bread and cake. It was yummy. My bro, SIL, nephew, and my other SIL Pia came over on Sunday to celebrate and eat. We then play cards for a couple of hours and everyone went home by 5. C, Sam and I cleaned the kitchen and was all done by 5:30. Relaxed the remainder of the evening. Seems no matter how much sleep I get it is never enough. I don't know if I am just tired or don't want to get up, shower and go to work, meeting or church. Bleh.

18 days till vacation. We are all looking forward to it. Thank God both the boys have a tablet to entertain them in the car. It will be about an11 hour ride. We may leave in the evening with hopes of them both going to sleep for the first half of the ride. Doing the first 5 hours then staying over in Knoxville, TN. Finishing up on Saturday morning. We can check in at 11 am. So we will get the majority of day one relaxing. We leave Sept 14.

This machine has gone bonkers. I will be back.

I

Morning all. First of all:

Happy Birthday Ceejay!!! Hope you have a great day!I also hope you don’t catch whatever illness your nephew and possibly his son may have! -- As for Miley – pets are a big commitment, especially the kitties and puppies – lots of work and patience required. Make sure you’re up for that – waiting for them to (hopefully) outgrow their naughty behavior, and also the arrangements that need to be made for vacations, etc. – Good to hear your niece is getting things done and working to get her drivers’ license back. Yes, being her uber service was a hassle, but it’s so nice you bonded with her. It’s sad she’ll be moving out of state.

Annie – Sounds like a great birthday celebration for your son. Big milestone for him. The Royce dinosaur story made me laugh!! Wow, not long now for your vacation. The drive there, however, does NOT sound like a good time, though I do recall long car trips from my childhood in which we left at some ungodly hour to drive during low traffic times. - So what will change, if anything, when C sells his route? – Enjoy the new wheels.

Shad – Busy as usual. You must be balancing me out, lol. == Seems like you just got that car, and now you’re trading it in. Huh. – Amen to your comments re shoes. Can’t just buy anything for my problem feet anymore. I need the arch support, or a removable insole with room enough to put in my custom orthotics. And my foot is wide, or at least my right foot is thanks to the bunion…Anyway, my feet are rectangular shaped at the top (Flintstone feet, lol), and I can’t believe anyone can wear those super pointy-toed shoes, even if they are flats!

Susie – Good that your vp seem to be on the same page as far as your performance and future opportunities. – Ugh, I hope the washing machine issue is all fixed now! -- Re the exercise – yes, I feel so much better than I did when I wasn’t exercising. More energy, less aches.

Happy – Such a busy woman!!! Again, another person balancing out my slothfulness, LOL. How was the blues band? - I liked the sunflower photo of you! -- I hope you have a calmer week this week.

==
My weekend was fine. Bf and I went to a popular seafood place that is actually a large supplier and has a casual eating space, and in summer it has a huge outdoor eating area. It’s tasty, and we realized their hours are late enough that we could get over there to buy fresh fish/seafood to bring home to cook during the week. I like that idea because it cuts out another middleman & is likely to be fresher and better quality.

I returned the shoes to Kohl’s and actually found a couple containers on clearance that work as windowboxes for the outside ledges of our kitchen windows. I still had a couple 8-pack flats of impatiens I’d bought way back when that I’d managed to keep alive. I cut them into sections of 4 and fit them into the containers. At this point in the season, I’m not going to go to the trouble of planting them properly…they’ll be fine for the last of the growing season.

Saturday night we went to a bar restaurant and ate a couple appetizers for dinner outside on their patio. After that we went inside when the band began playing and had a couple beers. It was a bit of a late night.

Sunday morning I took mom shopping. Aldi and Walmart, as usual. Aldi had mums on sale and mom and I each bought a pot. After shopping I was kind of wiped out since I was also tired from the night before, and it had gotten beastly hot and humid outside. I thought I might get a second wind and get myself to the fitness center for a workout, but nope. I relaxed and took a nap instead. At least I did some of my arm exercises on Saturday morning – I have a set of 5 pound hand weights in the living room that I use while I watch TV.

So this week the plan is to go to the fc on MWF. Only a 4-day workweek for me because our company’s data center is moving on Friday. The boss will be here Friday because he’s going to spend time packing his space for the upcoming move. He and the 2nd will be out of the office for a good bit of September and won’t have time. We’ve all known about the move for a year now, and he should have gotten an earlier start, but we all procrastinate, don’t we?? At least I’ll be in town and have some time to do mine while they’re out of the office!!

That’s enough rambling, I’ll get this posted and get back to work now. TTFN.

Hi. Posting from my recumbent bike. I did not exercise any last week and the scales are up and I feel sluggish. Time to get back to it.

Happy Birthday to Ceejay! That did not come up on FB for me...mayve you dont have your birthday in your profile? I hope it had been a wonderful day for you!

Laura: my friend had the same sort of issues you have had with shoes. She finally had to start buying her shoes at stores like Clarks, Rockport, Natulizer etc. They helped her find the best fit and styles for her needs.

Annie: it sounds like you had a nice celebration for your sons' birthday. You are a good mom. Count down to vacation! Very exciting.

Happy: busy as ever! Will it slow down soon?

Shad: you described the floor under the washer perfectly! The washer is fixed, now to get the contractor here to fix the wall and paint the entire kitchen.

Morning
Thanks for the birthday wishes.
It was a busy day for me yesterday. I left Miley at the house this week. I mentioned coming to Branson and she hid. I left her plenty of food and water. I will go back home tomorrow to check on her and mow the front lawn. Then come back that afternoon.
I have an allergy flare up this week. Yuck. I'm only taking a children's antihistamine. The adults strength is to strong if I want to do things. Think it is from the mold in the washer but I did run bleach in the clean washer cycle and that got rid of it. But the rag week golden rod and grass has a high count this week. Sis woke up sneezing this morning too.
Have an dentist appointment this afternoon. Just to see the hygenist Hopefully the gingivitis is gone this time around
I'll post more later. Sleep is calling my name.

Ceejay: I am glad to hear that you had a nice birthday.

It seems that everyone is dealing with allergies due to ragweed and golden rod. I hope you aren't feeling too poorly.

We went out to eat for dinner tonight at our local Mexican restaurant, we were celebrating our friend Carolyn's birthday and her granddaughter's birthday. The granddaughter is 16. Oh to be young again.

I am hoping that in a half hour I wont feel so full and will get on the bike. I had vegetable fajitas and at two. I stayed away from the chips and salsa.

Morning
Seems to be a lot of celebration going on my birthday. Nice to have birthday twins.

Not a lot going on. I did go to the rec plex yesterday. Completed 15 minutes on treadmill and 30 on bike. trying to up the cardio. I've decided that since I'm 68 years young that I'm going heart healthy. Exercise is my main goal and cutting back on the fat grams

Will be going to check on Miley today.

Hope the rain is not to heavy.

Hello chicks,
The last 2 weeks I have been on this never ending treadmill of can you, can you's. Both my bingo partner and the president of the Humane Society are in failing health. And with the departure of the director of the senior center leaving giant swiss cheese holes in the organization, it appears that I seem to be the one who has the knowledge to fill in things and I have basically been requested every day to do something somewhere somehow to fill in for needed things. It has been too much quite honestly and I tell myself by the weekend it will get better or next week or after tomorrow and that never comes. I am still in the midst of things. This was supposed to be a quiet week for me and Monday and Tuesday were filled with unexpected stuff and I woke up this morning to an email that will fill a fair part of my day. So that's why I haven't been posting. I haven't even been reading the boards here.

Happy belated birthday Ceejay - I hope you had a good time.

I have to shower up and then run over to the people who ran our Humane Society fundraiser this last weekend - they emailed me this morning hoping I can patch up holes in their reconciliation. I will be back. I hope.

Good Morning...Today is my Friday! 4-day weekend...

Not a lot going on around me. Had my lips tinted on Tuesday. Kind of like permanent lip tinting. They will be a very light peach/pink color. I am excited to see the results. They have to heal first. Like a tattoo. Yes it did hurt now and again while getting them done. Today they are better feeling but look worse in the healing process. Of course, once she was done with them, I actually said out loud, who does this to themselves? lol. So far I like what I am seeing come through.

Taking Sass for her mani/pedi this afternoon. Tomorrow is errands. Saturday is meeting and cleaning. Sunday church and resting. Who knows what Monday will bring. Chris has the boys this weekend til Sunday night. Booo.

HAPPY....just say no. That's it, I am coming with my rolling pin.

CEEG...maybe if you can just get through all the KITTY stuff and Miley is a bit older she will make a better companion. Just depends on how much you want to put up with till you get there.

SUSIE...hope you are getting your exercising in and are on program with food. Good luck. Let us know how WI goes tonight.

LAURA...Goodness, I love seafood. And thank God it is KETO...as is the butter to dip it in. YUMMY How is your work out plan coming along?

SHADDIE...come up for air darlin'.

DEE...hope you are doing well.

Have a wonderful weekend all. Hugs.

Radar is showing thunderstorms moving in and I was planning on going home when I take my niece to work this morning. That may be delayed till this afternoon.

Not much is going on in my area of the world.

Afternoon all.

Susie - I'm overdue for some Mexican food. Good for you staying away from the chips and salsa!!

Ceejay - Hope you had a lovely birthday. Good job on the exercise the other day!!

Annie - Today's my Friday too! Enjoy your weekend. == Wow, eyebrows and now lips! You'll be looking like a new woman and have a streamlined beauty routine!!

Happy - I think you may have moved into the positions of the other non-stop volunteers in your area. My question to you is: Are you going to let this take over your life and have your health suffer as a result, like the others? Please try to strike a balance sister!

Hellos to Shad and Dee.
==
The weekend is in sight! Long weekend. Friday the office is closed because of the datacenter move. No access to our systems, so we get the day off work. And Monday is the Labor Day holiday, so yay for that. No big plans, but bf and I will probably be watching some of the US Open tennis tournament.

Glad this week is over and things are finally calming down with the big projects for a short time. I worked out Monday. Didn't work out last night because I thought bf and I were having tacos. Did all the prep and in bf walks with KFC chicken pot pies. So we ate those and tonight is the tacos. But since I did all the prep, I should be able to go work out and bf can get the taco beef going while I'm in the shower after my workout. We'll see. Otherwise, I'll work out at home tonight and then go to the fc tomorrow. (So the workout plan hasn't quite worked out (so to speak) this week Annie, LOL.)Oh, and it's been a bad food week, but it's all been tracked and that means I'm well aware of what's going on and that I won't get away with it if it doesn't stop!!

Okay, gonna get going. I'll check in over the weekend. Hope all the US chicks have a lovely holiday!

And it is September already.
For those who haven't seen her, I did trade my Audi in for a new model. She is beautiful, but then I would say that wouldn't I. I have to come to terms with some of her features yet. Seems there are a whole lot more than the old one and some which are totally unnecessary but are there anyway. Think I might need a degree to understand the steering wheel. I will now have to budget very stringently to ensure I can still go to Tasmania in December and US and Canada come May/ June next year. Might be a shorter trip than otherwise intended.
Annie - not long now until your holiday. Such fun travelling with kids. Glad that the family had a good time on the sons birthday. Hope your lips are now healing. Tattoos are not my idea of fun.

Laura - love the idea of the fresh fish place. Nothing like having fish that hasn't been out of the water 3 weeks and frozen at least twice. Hope the move goes smoothly for you. I, for some reason, thought it wasn't until November.
Hope you have a great holiday weekend. 4 days off.

Susie - good that you got the washer fixed. Too many floor washings is a waste of water and time. But at least it will be clean under there for a while. Did you find any stray socks?
Don't you hate it when you eat too much and can't get off the couch? And then the indigestion sets in. Bah humbug.

I just though I had lost my post. It disappeared back into the home page. So I played around a bit and pressed the Restore Auto-saved Content (something new) and all except the last sentence popped back up again. Well hallelujah.

Ceejay - hope the dentist appointment went okay. And that the cat survived time on her own.

Happy - I hope you are resting up this weekend and not dealing with the crap that is coming your way because you are smart and you learn things or at least you listen so you can learn things. Enough is enough tho', they should now be giving you a bonus or at least petrol money. It's ridiculous.

Okay, gotta run and sort out some more stuff. Do some shredding of old paperwork and start looking at the next painting job in the spare room. And then sort out what to do with that darn wardrobe which is entirely in the wrong place.

Shad
Congratulations on the new ride. It's beautiful. I like the auto-save button.

Laura
Yum on the KFC. I've been wanting some of that for the longest time. But taco's ar good too. Gives me some idea's for meals this week. Hope the data system moves goes smoothly. Enjoy that extra day off from work.

----------
My niece passed her drivers test yesterday. Sis and her DH are going to look for sis a new car today. It's looks as though I might be home for good.
Last night we were invited out to my nephew's new place for chili and smores. Yummy. We all had a good time.
This is about it for me.
Found out that I will be a great aunt again. --My other nephew that is getting married in October.

Morning all,
Blast from the past today. Monday I was doing my weekly meal planner and dinner tonight (Tuesday) is to be a recipe from the multitude of torn pages from magazines and other recipes I have collected over the years. So I grabbed a small pile of them and came across one called Golden Pork and Apricot Casserole. I was reading through the ingredients and saw that I had most of them in the cupboard and fridge apart from the pork chops and capsicum (bell pepper). Added them to my shopping list and then read through the rest of the recipe. At the end of the method, I found a note. On reading it, I find the recipe came from Mel. Apparently we had agreed to a phone call and she said that Jen had to go to Social Security and that she might not be available to take the call. She suggested Tuesday. Funnily enough, today is Tuesday. Is Mel channelling us????

Ceejay - yes the car is beautiful, inside and out and drives like a dream. Still have to figure out all the gizmos that are in it and I think I need a degree to fathom out the steering wheel. We had a dust storm Sunday afternoon and she is covered in dust at the moment - apart from some fairy footprints that look somewhat cat like on her bonnet (hood).


Yesterday I cleaned up the bedrooms, weeded the vege patch ready for the last crop to go in. They should get planted today. Then I went and got
quotes for the fencing material because the man I selected to do the job is no longer on the same page as me and I decided to end it. Pity, if he had only considered that some people need definite dates and reasonable attitude towards people who are fixed on dates and times then we would have got on well. But it is the same with most tradies these days and quite frankly they only have themselves to blame if they are not getting the work. The DS2 and I will put up the fence ourselves. Then I stripped the paint from the bedroom door frame. Today it will get sanded and washed and undercoated along with another section of wall already prepared. It's coming along at last. I'm also shredding paperwork I have kept for years. Legally we now only have to keep our tax files for 5 years and there are warranties and manuals for things I no longer have or are no longer in any form of warranty. Another bit of clutter gone. So today it is more of the same. I'll get some of this stuff done if it kills me.
Just been down to the doctor. They rang yesterday to tell me to get myself into my GP and when I questioned why, they said a pap smear. Well I don't have to have those anymore so I knew it wasn't that and made an appointment for today. It turned out to be a Liver function test. Apparently there was a question mark after the last big blood test and they are keeping an eye on it. So off to Dracula's den to get some blood pulled.
Now I better get on with my day and get the bathroom cleaned, the floors swept, some more tidy up in the yard and weeding (never ending that one). After lunch, paint and sanding and whatever else is on the list.
Hellos to all