A triple rainbow Linus! Wow how exciting. I've never seen one of those myself and I would probably strain my neck looking upwards if I ever did see one. Hope you took the time to enjoy it.

Yesterday I had fish to grill for supper. It was overcast but the rains were way to the north - or so said the weather channel. I sent DH outside with our dinner and as soon as he fired up the grill, splat, splat, splat - rain. It really started to pour and the funny thing was that there were very few clouds up there. The sun was shining brightly in the street and the pouring rain was shining like tiny jewels falling to the ground. It proceeded to pour like crazy for the next 10 minutes. We couldn't even tell which cloud it was raining from. DH was not happy but we looked at the sky over the neighbor's house and there was a beautiful double rainbow in the sky. We must have seen 6 colors - even purple which is unusual. I think normally we only see about 4 or 5 colors. It was quite neat, even if we did get a good soaking. I've always found that rainwater keeps the hair soft anyway

Shad, sounds like Mr. Trainer (they are all evil) has got your doing some serious upper body work. My trainer showed me some exercises with pulleys and weights and things for the upper body but I never could remember proper form and actually felt a bit intimidated going into the weight room with the manly men so I stuck with just the free weights. I just assumed you were doing upper body with the weights anyway. I LOVED the comment in your journal with the matter of fact attitude that of course you could press your own weight with your legs - if not how would you ever manage to stand up? I laughed all night over that one.

I have been making a concerted effort not to spend all day and all night in front of the computer. Is working well so far but seems strange. My mouth is healing but a bit sore. I darn near drowned myself yesterday trying to get my eye drops in my eyes and instead they rolled into my nose as of course I cannot see what I am doing

Mel, I think I will have to dig up a pair of those curb "feelers" they used to have on cars in the olden days. Hope your foot is better. Ouch...

And guess what Nae, it's Friday already!

The more I think about it, the more I really like the idea of having injured smilies on the boards here. I'll have to go hunt some down. Ok, found a few. Here's one for tomorrow...

Happy~ OMG these smilies are too cute!!! The crutches guy is hilarious!!!
Hope the eyes feel better soon. don't rush them like I did thinking it would go away!
Glad the mouth is getting sorted out and you got to see a double rainbow. We used to see many rainbows as kids but I don't think I ever saw 2 but remember talking about it at some time.

Linus! 3!!!!You lucky dog!!! How wonderful for you too!!! I would love to boggle the minds of many and have all kinds of boo boo smilies and the such!!! Hope you are dried out by now and rested!

Shad~ Simon will be the wallet fashion plate! Congrats to him He must have been so surprised! Hope the balance thing is good and no more boo boo's for you either. If Jason is sadistic, ask Linda if you can borrow the prod for awhile longer?!?!?

I am very tired tonite. The storm here has knocked out all TV for some reason so before it comes back again I wanted to post and go read Harry Potter. I am still on the last book. Been reading it for MONTHS now. Maybe even a year! Went shopping but tuna steak was $7.99/LB so I left it in the store! I really must get ready for bed. I yawned and now forgot what I was going to say! Goodnight everyone and sweet dreams......good morning my Southern Friend and a great day to you!

Yesterday I finished the grouting that had to be done. All together now - Yeeeehaaaaa! So thats done and I have laid out the first line of full tiles for the floor. You realise that this will mean more grouting yet. But there is 4 times as much of it on the walls. I've taken Kellie down to the Plumbing shop and we have ordered her goods and a mirror/cabinet for me. She is pleased with her prices I think. Considering that the taps are nearly half price she ought to be too.
So I brought her home, gave her coffee and a lettuce from the garden and some parsley and herbs and sent her on her way. I was meant to do a Body Balance class but didn't get back in time for that. Tomorrow there is an early one at the other gym so I will go up there and get my four gym sessions done. I will try to fit in the walk this afternoon after the tiles are done, but am not all that hopeful that I will have the time. Que sera, sera. Lots of things to do.
Loved those smilies happy. There are some really good ones around at the moment. Suzanne is obviously very busy as she hasn't been posting too much around the place lately and hasn't updated her journal for a while - unless of course she has done it in the last couple of days.

Okay, best go do the dishes, get on with the tiles, and achieve something today. Have a good one.

Well it sounds like you are making good progress on the tile Shad - bit by bit. Then you can finish and go help DH get his place all spiffy. Yeah, right - NOT. Or is that what Kellie is doing? I could use some help getting my bathroom finished too - hint, hint ...

Tomorrow will be a walkabout day as we try out a new garden in the city. It's supposed to be a nice, cool but sunny weekend for a change. I would have loved to go camping but I have to really catch up on my fly lady stuff first so that things are arranged and under control. At least I'll be getting some fresh air tomorrow. I just hope I don't stumble again and earn myself one of those injured smilies.

Glad you ladies like them. Mel, I hope you got to read some of your book. Reading is so much better than watching TV. I don't do enough of it myself and it's always good to either get some fresh ideas or just immerse yourself away from the regular world into a good fantasy like Harry Potter.

Sorry for the short post, DH will be waking me early tomorrow. We need to decide yet on which of 3 possible garden spots we will be travelling to. It's also our big Taste of Chicago food festival in downtown Chicago so I am adverse to going anywhere near the city proper. Best to stay in the towns out our way as it will be madness down there.

Cheers ladies, have your self a fine weekend. Do some chores, have some fun, pray that I don't stumble and rip something on myself again Maybe I should take my joke cane with the tooty horn along just as a precaution, eh? I will report back later...

I had some energy a few minutes ago but it seems to have left me.
Must be the gloomy weather. sometimes I think it's the bran cereal. Eating carbs in the morning seem to slow me down. Maybe I should have meat for breakfast and cereal for bedtime. Hmmmm.....

Happy~ Our Tv was off till the middle of the night so I did read myself to sleep. I was hoping for some Hogwart's dreams but no dice! Hope you have a great weekend and NO BOO BOOs for you either!!! Enjoy!! Never apologize for short posts. I feel very comfprtable here with whatever I write cause there IS no criticism. One place to come and go and be my true self. An Angel For YOU!!

Shad~ Did I mention that I'd like new bathroom tile?!?!? Someday you will look back on all this and be absolutely amazed at just how much work, how many hours and how much love went into the making of your Home Sweet Home! But it must be exhausting at times! Have a good gym class if you get there. Where DO you find the energy?!?!?! And Another Angel For YOU TOO!!!

I am housebound today as the area around the bldg is dug up to prepare for next weeks concrete delivery. I am mad because although they left the ramp unbroken, I can get down but not back up. Our driveway has sunk alot in the past year and the chair cannot get back up by itself. The back door is the same way Grrrr... What were they thinking?
I voiced my opinion and of course nothing happened. AND MAYBE AN ANGEL FOR ME TOO!!! I don't want any more boo boos either!

Hope you all have a great weekend. Seems a few are amongst the missing. I will cook and clean. Watched Calendar Girls and loved it!! Great flick. Maybe I'll watch it again! It's a loaned DVD. I best be off and find some energy. Maybe Missy Shad can lend me some!! Seems like she's got the corner on the Energy Market!!! adios My Chicklette Friends!

Hello from me and a very short post I am sorry to say! Just to say I am still here but feeling absolutely exhausted for some reason. My present sleep pattern is not helping, last night I woke up every two hours until 05:30 hrs then I slept till 08:50!!! DOH!!!
So keep safe and well everyone..Shad, that bathroom of yours is going to look amazing soon!! Well done for all that hard work!

Been to the gym this morning as I missed it yesterday because of taking Kellie to the plumbing shop. When I came home I went and weeded the vege patch and fertilised it again and the pots etc etc etc. Then cooked lunch and sent the DS to bed as he was back to sleeping on the couch with the remote in his hand. Good onya son.
After which I slept on the couch for some reason. Don't know why. Maybe I sent all my energy to Mel to get over the humps and frustrations of being confined indoors. Little bro woke me up and I thought maybe I would get on to putting this computer together. However it seems that since the new computer is XP, I can't load most of my programs until I get upgrades to XP. They don't seem to want to load onto the new computer. Robbie will be getting a ring tomorrow. Also I so carefully put away the piece of paper which was the set up codes for Broadband on Simons computer and now I can't find them. Grrrrr - silly me.
So with sleeping and swearing all that stuff I was going to do yesterday is now to be done today. Grrrr.

Teel I am sorry to hear that you are sleeping badly again. That's no fun and it won't do the holiday stuff any good either. You are probably getting pretty excited about that now too.

Mel check on what you are eating. There could be too many sleepy carbs in there or not enough protein in the diet. You just may not be eating enough stuff.

Kellie is sorting out her own bathroom in her new (to her and DH) house. She and Don are good friends of the DS and have gone out of their way for him at times to help him out, so we are returning the favour with cheaper prices on their bathroom product. So far she has spent nearly $6K and would have spent nearer to $10 without my discounts. It's no hardship, she is a nice person and we are to have consecutive bathroom openings when each is finished.

Hey Linus, are you still exhausted and not talking at the moment. I used to wonder how life would be when the boys grew up and left home. Well I didn't need to worry too much. The husband left home before the boys did. And they still ring for help and advice (both giving and getting). We get along fine, we're friends, we don't live in each others pockets and life is very easy. I have to admit though, that I'm not particularly maternal, and the sight of a baby does not fill the heart with glee and happiness. I look at a baby and say to myself, x number of hours in the laundry, x number of hours cleaning up and getting ready just to have this child in this place, in this state and for how long? So I was pleased when they grew up to be small adults and finally large adults.

Nae's obviously having a good weekend as she's not been back.

Okay Wednesday looks like weigh in and measurement time. Oh wonderful. Wonder what joys that will bring. Better go, journal, fly lady around the place and by that time the sun will be in the bathroom and it will be a bit warmer in there. See ya

Teel~ sorry about the sleep problem. Hope it gets better before you leave. Maybe too much on your mind. watch the caffeine for awhile?! good luck

Shad~ Thanks for the loan of the energy!! I'll send it back straight away! Your house will look like a palace when you're done. Hope you and Kellie have great bathroom grand openings!!! Another thing for us to celebrate!!!

I had to weigh and measure for the diet website so I did it today. Nothing as I said in my journal has changed but 1/2" off the waist. The scale is just not moving. I'm a bit upset but not going crazy. I knew I might reach a plateau and stay there because of the sedentary lifestyle. I'll stick with the diet and the pedals for as long as I can. It's healthy eating and MOST of the doctors were satisfied. Almost 30 lbs are gone and have stayed off since March of 2003. I eat much more healthier now, my sugar is relatively stable, BP is still good.......so I really cannot complain. But I was hoping to get to the 130's!!!
Since the eye troube and the change in diet and no more using the supplements, It seems that the weight won't move. BUT It was already slowing down before the eyes started anyway. Then when I got off the supplements, it really stopped dead in it's tracks. I was thinking of trying the pills again and continue not eating the foods that are bad for the rosacea. Maybe I don't have to give up everything just to keep the eyes right. I could always stop at the first sign of a problem. God knows I have enough meds here. Looks kie a bloody pharmacy on my dresser!

Well I will decide when I look into everything. The sad thing is that I am not having too many problems in the loo, the eyes are feeling pretty good and the rosacea is under control right now. I kind of hate to tip the balance for fear of upsetting the apple cart!

OK enough. It's sunny out and I have permission to take off the perimeter alarm so I can go out a rear door to the back yord where it is NOT all tore up!! I didn't feel like going before but think I better!!! LOL Need a few minutes of "fresh" air (cough,cough) If there is ANY!!! Have a great Sunday and sweet dreams Miss Shad!!

Hello to everyone! Well the time is nearly nigh!! Only all of tomorrow and Tuesday and we are off to sunny (I hope!) Austria. I have packed...much to my surprise my main case only weighs 8.6kg out of an allowance of 15! That means I can put in an extra top or two..in case of needing to change after dinner! You know what I am like!! I am allowed 5 kg in my cabin bag and that weighs nearly 2 1/2 kg.So a little room for goodies on the return journey!!
I don't know what has happened to my sleep pattern. Last night was worse than ever, it seemed. This does worry me as I simply won't cope if I am over tired. It makes me ill and then I am no good for anything. At the moment I am getting cold feet...well ok, perhaps just a little chilly! I have not been away since the year 2000 and I haven't flown for 25 years! I am absolutely dreading getting up at 02:30hrs on Wednesday morning.
Somehow I have managed to lose 3lbs in the last fortnight. Don't quite know how but I am exceedingly pleased!! I had told myself I would get back properly on track when I have done all my jaunting around through the summer so I haven't been an angel by any means!
Has any one been watching Wimbledon? Tim Henman is playing this afternoon and as usual is giving the crowd a roller coaster performance. Phew! He is bad for one's nerves, I can assure you!!
Disaster befell the car this morning. The exhaust fell off. Bad timing or what!! So I will have to try and get it fixed tomorrow, before or after my appointment with my social worker, I am not sure which. I could really do with not having to spend any excess money at the moment...
Well thats it from me for the moment...oh Shad I keep forgetting to thank you for my super e-mail card..it was awesome!!!I may try and ring you later tonight....see if I am still awake!

hi all yes im here and yes im exhausted surprise surprise im aneamic and now on iron replacement so no zyban for me so ill just have to keep smoking as little as possible down to about 10-15 a day so not too bad SHAD my darling {not}dh is fastidious about codes and things and transfers them into a address book and writes them down as if they where phone numbers or postal codes we used to transfer them onto sticky labels and stick them to the bottom of the offending articles but for security reasons stopped doing that well youll be glad them walls are finished im starting to decorate the kids bedroom tomorrow and as such have started emtying it so all dvd,s games and cd,s and knick-knacks are now in a very very large box in our bedroom and a monitor box in their room and all the half naked women are gone and horrors ive taken down the very large mirror that craig seems to look into all the time i keep looking to see if the future is unfolded in there but i can just see me and as its such a large mirror more of me than i like to put on show god forbid i should ever ever se myself nude in that thing id probably cry or laugh or something well ladies the ironing will not do itself and neither will the dogs take themselves for a walk and as its chucking down again ill need to forcibly reject benjy as he doesnt like the rain some blooming sheepdog he turned out to be can you just imagine him looking at the farmer with as much to say "stuff you chase your own sheep it,s bloody raining " again i digress catch you all later
kirsty

Had to laugh about the dogs Linus. They have such expressive faces. When it was raining, Shad the dog used to look at me as if to say - 'well come on then, so its wet, you won't bloody melt you know' He was a herder dog through and through that one. The German Shepherd we had wasn't fussy about the rain or the beach or the river but strangely enough didn't mind being bathed. Probably because of the pampering and brushing which came after. He needed Craig's mirror. Such lovely boys.
The floor is going down in the bathroom. It's easier than I had anticipated, don't know why and I have probably just put the kibosh on that for today. Anyway it's looking quite good at the moment. Haven't got to the cutting part yet and that usually ends up being the swearing bit.
Teel, you must be so looking forward to this holiday and well done on the packing. The airlines will just love you. But you have to do something about sleep because otherwise you'll stuff it and maybe not get up in the morning of departure. I hesitate to suggest a sleeping pill maybe tonight and tomorrow but no more?
Mel, it's a shame about the weight, but if you are still losing inches maybe there is muscle building in there somewhere. Medication doesn't usually help as Teel will attest to, but you have to have this stuff. So maybe just keep on with what you are doing for a while and then when Autumn comes, give it another push (unsuspecting body, may just lose a bit) if you know what I mean. Other than that, portions is the only answer. We can't give up all of lifes pleasures to be thin. Well Nancy Reagan obviously could, but I can't! Weigh in day for me on Wednesday. So I can have some cyber cake for 'Nae and my sister tomorrow. My weight has stalled yet again. Obviously more muscle is building. I'm about to tell Jason that his theory isn't working yet again. I don't think this will be a partnership made in heaven!
'Nae, are you setting up the table on the deck for the birthday party already? Haven't seen you around for a while. Happy is obviously on her way to Nae's place because she is missing too. Oh that's right, she and DH are still trying to find the park and gardens. Driving around in the car, arguing about who has the map upside down.
The new computer is running, but having problems with loading some of my programs onto it. It's got XP and not all of the programs seem to want to use it - or is the computer being snobby and not allowing anything less than XP on board?? Errgh. More frustration coming up today. At least I will have the Internet and Email up and running on it today. Good on me.
Okay, time to go get ready for the day. Killer step class in 2 hours.

PS, I think we need a punchbag smilie

Hello my lovely friendsl, yes, I am here but barely and have a huge day at work...oh give me strength. My cousin Lynny and friend Barb came down and had a little celebration for me. I am not use to that kind of partying anymore and am still tired this morning. Anyway, it was fun they dressed me up like a bag lady out on the deck with house dress red scarf and purple beads, curlers for my hair and bright red lipstick and then they won't take me down town ....can't imagine why. I dread the pics that are going to surface. Then of course the good gifts came after that!!!!! They pampered me with food and cleaning up and drinks and laughs all weekend........it was a blast!
Tomorrow is the real day..... it is sort of odd..... thinking back to when you were a young girl and wondering what will my life be like when I am that age...well here it is already!!!!!!!!
Teel I am so sorry about your not being able to sleep that is so awful and I do hope you have a great time on your trip..... when you come back and tell us all about it, we will be like the adventurers you had riding in your back pocket....or taking up the extra weight in your luggage. Have a great time and take good care!!!!!
Linus are you taking anything to increase your blood count....some tasty liver and onions...or any pills.....you are starting a big project for not feeling very well. You are unstoppable.
Shad you have really done some great work on that house of yours we should all come to oz while the exchange holds out.... see your garden and have tea. I miss some things about australia so much...so glad to have my memories.
Mel, How are you doing? how did your weekend go? I do hope you are feeling well. As you can imagine I haven't gotten anything read yet.... may have to take it on my mini get aways the next two weekends.
Where is Happy? Busy with so many things in this life???? Thanks for always thinking of me my friends when I am MIA. I'll report more about the weekend later..... off to work.
Love ya,
Nae

Okay, I should have posted this 6 hours ago, but I was tired last night and didn't get here

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 'NAE. SHE'S 50 TODAY




Okay, due to my lateness in posting this we have only 35 hours left to celebrate Nae's birthday. Raise the cyber glasses girls.

evening ladies how are we all ?? good i hope ROSE i think you may have a point there started the painting today after we had been for dads birthday present and the new steel blind for the kids room and then went for shopping and came home had breakfast then at 11.15 started the painting got the window and door painted and the tv unit i got that new type of multi surface paint that does wood walls and radiators and its great finished at 2.15 and sat down and promptly fell asleep woke up at 3.45 and took the dogs out listened to conner getting all excited about his leavers party tomorrow and then fed the dogs and put the washing in the dryer and started making the tea as usual craig wanted micro chip sandwiches conner wanted 2 mini pizzas and andrew wanted bacon and eggs {im going to open a cafe } put some chicken drumsticks in the oven for myself washed the dishes took the dogs out again and put another load of washing in the dryer had my chicken and hoovered and polished the house and started emptying the kids room for the ceiling to be painte tomorrow so all we have to take out is the wardrobes beds and craigs pc and the hamster{because he isnt running on his wheel in my room all night as cleo keeps wanting to eat the poor wee bugger and she sleeps with me had a heayted discussion with dh about when to lift the carpet as we arent getting the new one till thurday and he thinks the old one should stay down till then but i cant paint the skirting boards with the carpet down and then promptly burst into tears and needed 2 cigs and a cup of coffee and my face licked by two dogs hugged by 2 kids and calmed down by dh until i stopped and when i finally did the dogs needed out the kids needed there beds cleared and the washing needed folding and put away so im now off too take the dogs out and then have a shower and then im going to have a nervous breakdown and tomorrow i start all over again GOD GIVE ME STRENGHTH sorry ladies that had no interest to anyone but i needed to get it off my chest speak later
kirsty