Annie
I'm sure that this is mostly stress. Let's remember that baby Jake is a premmie and it will take time for him to catch up.

Mel
Thanks for the concerns.

Michelle
Yikes on Mischief's blood work. But yeah for Doppler's blood work. You are a good mommy. Take it easy for the next few days to rest your back.

I've had a productive day at work but am so ready to go home. But still have 2.5 hours to go The rain/drizzle has made me sleepy.

Morning all,

Annie - no problem with the heart attack. Some of my trainees tell me I will never have a heart attack due to the fact that I have no heart! I am ruthless according to them. Good to hear that things are going okay with most things except work. I am glad you are still managing to post relatively frequently.

Happy - nice picture of the mummy dear and bambi. Still don't like the colour scheme that much - I like to see green ALL THE TIME. Had my fill of snow and ice thank you. I'm working out my half days in the office. Might work from home on Thursday or Friday. Need access to people and info at the moment.

Michelle - Hope the doggies are going to be okay. Bet you are just waiting for that back procedure. May it bring peace and harmony to the back.

Ceejay - I've got about the same amount of time before go home arrives. Such a nice feeling to be free of the office and city by lunch time.

Right, well better go introduce myself to the next bunch of victims. We need to get on the same page as far as training goes. Thank heaven the training has been put back until after Christmas.

See ya

Shad
A different group for training. Like your ticker. Looks like an Arkansas Razorback hog.

We had some rain over night and now it's windy. Gotta batton down the hatches today.
Talked to my sis that's coming for TG. She will be coming on Thursday morning, spending the night , and then leaving on Friday. She is still working on week ends, but she is working as a contract nurse practioner during the week. I don't have to cook! She's doing that on Wednesday. She said that she was making dressing for her kids and some for us. Told her I would have some veggies. I'm getting more and more excited. My tummy still doesn't feel 100% but it is better.

HAPPY.....WHEN YOU AND DH MAKE YOUR FIRST SNOWMAN....BETTER THINK OF USING SOMETHING OTHER THAN A CARROT OR YOUR FRIENDS WILL BE BACK NIBBLING!! FOUND THE PIC AND THOUGHT OF YOU AGAIN. HOPE DH FINDS HIS CHARGER AND YOU FIND YOUR GADGETS.
I DON'T ENVY YOU THIS UNPACKING....ONLY THE HOUSE WITH THE SNOWY VIEWS!!! STAY WARM AND DON'T GET YOUR KNICKERS IN A TWIST WITH DH & HIS FLAT AREAS STOWING.....MEN ARE BORN THAT WAY....IT'S IN THEIR GENES!



CEEJAY....SO SORRY TO HEAR HOW SICK YOU WERE IN THE STORE.
THAT MUST HAVE BEEN AWFUL. I GOT A CHUCKLE ABOUT THE AUNT TALKING AND THE PHONE ON VIBRATE. HOPE YOU ARE FEELING MUCH BETTER LATER TODAY TODAY THAT'S GOOD NEWS THE SISTER IS COOKING!! DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THAT. SORRY THE VISIT IS SHORT FOR YOU BOTH. JUST GET BUSY GETTING BACK TO BEING 100%!!!!!!



LAURA.....I WAS JUST TELLING MY FRIEND THAT I CAN EAT JUNK FOOD AND NOT FEEL SICK...HOW COME WHOLE FOOD SOMETIMES DOES IT?!?! I THINK MY STOMACH HAS A SIGN "PLEASE INSERT JUNK FOOD ONLY" WASHING PILLOWS AS A LIFE TIME JOB CRACKED ME UP! FIRST LAUGH OF THE MORNING. THANKS!





MICHELLE....GLAD ONE DOG IS OK AND SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THE BAD BLOOD TESTS . GOOD LUCK. HOPE YOU ALSO FEEL BETTER TODAY AND THANK GOD THE DMIL IS HERE. MAYBE SHE CAN HELP OUT AND GIVE YOUR BACK A REST.




ANNIE.....YES EVERY DAY JAKE IS GETTING STRONGER AND A WEE BIT OLDER. I BET HE KNOW'S HIS NANA'S VOICE!!! IT'S THE ONE DRIPPING WITH LOVE!! HOPE YOU AND CURTIS HAVE A GOOD TIME WITH HIS FRIENDS. AS FOR WORK...I BET IT IS NUTS WITH ALL THESE CHANGES GOING ON. HANG IN THEIR FRIEND



SHAD......HAD A GOOD LAUGH AT YOUR POST TO ANNIE...NO HEART.... GLAD TO HEAR THE TRAINING DOESN'T BEGIN TILL AFTER CHRISTMAS. THIS JOB IS JUST GOING ON AND ON. WILL YOU BE BACK AT THE MINES AGAIN??? SWEET DREAMS




GOOD MORNING CHICKS
NOT UP TO PAR JUST YET BUT GETTING THERE.
DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO THE OFFICE.
THANK GOD FOR THE HALLMARK CHANNEL. IT'S BEEN KEEPING ME HAPPY!
NOTHING NEW HERE. JUST RESTINGUP.
HAVE A GREAT DAY

Hi ladies -

DMIL arrived last night! Yay! And she commented how clean the house was! Double Yay! The only downside to her arriving yesterday was that she was hoping to still be in CA when my niece (her granddaughter) had her baby - she was due last week...but the baby decided to wait a week...and lo and behold, my niece went into labor just after my DMIL left for the airport! Anyway, my great-niece Kennedie was born at 6:59 pm, weighed 7.5lbs and is 20 inches. I'm sure DMIL will be on the phone a lot to the whole family in CA...which is fine because we have free long distance.

Today is my Friday. Tomorrow, DH and I are leaving to go to the MKE area around 9:30 so he can get new tires put on his truck. Then at noon or so, we'll head over and have our procedures done. We should be home by 2:30 or 3 to rest.

As for Mischief, I spent 20 minutes on the phone with the vet cardiologist trying to figure out a plan of action for my sweet little princess. Increased meds...recheck in 2 weeks...if that doesn't help, then we add low doses of yet another med. Luckily Mischief tolerates the medicines well. She's such a sweetheart.

**********************

Ceejay - So sorry to hear you got sick in WalMart. That's awful. I'm glad you're feeling better. I take Meloxicam too. It helps a lot, and so far hasn't given me stomach problems despite it being an NSAID. Because of the extra weight I carry in my stomach area, that pulls my back into a more exagerated lumbar curve, so I have to remember throughout the day to "engage" my core muscles to get my back into proper alignment. Easier said than done since the "incorrect" position of my core/pelvis is more "natural" to me now. Practice, practice, practice.

Annie - So glad you got such a great deal on the gently used baby items! Bummer that lil monkey won't be home for Thanksgiving, but as you said, probably a blessing in disguise. I did receive the box of books and Humana shirts last week! Thanks so much. I thought I posted about that already..but maybe not. DMIL is overwhelmed (and grateful) at all the books. She's looking forward to relaxing with a good book most of this weekend. I'm so glad that lunch with Curtis' youngest and her BF went so well. Enjoy your long weekend with friends and family (and lil monkey and Curtis of course).

Happy - Dang, sista, it sure has been cold up your way! Thankfully not that cold here (yet) and we may even have temps in the 50s (dare I say low 60s) this weekend. My hands always get dry and cracked in the winter. I'd love to get my own parafin wax "dipper". I've had that treatment at salons and it's wonderful! So cool that you have so many critters in your yard. I wouldn't worry a bit about the fox...he'll sooner run from you than come after you. I loved the photo of the deer in your yard. So beautiful, peaceful and serene! An occasional train whistle in the distance is kind of lulling. We have train tracks quite a distance away, but we can hear them occasionally on summer nights when the windows are all open.

Mel - I'm so glad everyone had fun at the party over the weekend! How long will the kids be visiting? Hopefully not too long. I'm not quite in the Christmas spirit yet...hopefully this weekend, depending on how much decorating/shopping I can do without harming my back. Sorry that the Mac & Cheese made you ill. That's usually one of my "go to" foods when my stomach needs something bland. The photo of the deer/snowman is so cute...and funny! DMIL will help out a lot...the trick is trying to keep her from doing too much. She is 80 after all, and even though she's a very "young" 80...I still don't want her overdoing it...much less overdoing it on my account.

Laura - Reading your Sunday post...I ALWAYS wear a mask now when I mow the lawn or mulch leaves. It's just not worth the consequences (at best a 2-day sinus headache; at worst, full blown asthma problems). The make-ahead meals I cook are: chili, sloppy joes, and I make meatloaf burgers with gravy. Not terribly healthy, but DH loves them, and it means I get out of cooking most nights.

to Amarantha!!

I'll try and post tomorrow morning before we leave to get the procedures. After the procedure, I may end up posting on FB as it's easier to access than here...but I'll try and post here too.


Love and hugs to all,

Morning Worldlies. Gray and drizzly today. I look forward to sun tomorrow.

Happy – I hope you’ve found some of the stuff you’re looking for – iPod, battery, etc. I can sympathize with you about dh just putting stuff anywhere. I’m very much of the mind “a place for everything and everything in its place”, but bf isn’t like that, so he’s continually looking for something he put down somewhere. He gets annoyed when I try to use logic or backtracking to help him – probably it just doesn’t work for guys like him.

So it sounds like a deer garden isn’t all that practical. In addition to the natural beauty, the quiet must be heavenly! You mentioned the trains blasting at the crossings in TN. I remember a work assignment I had in the Memphis area, and our team arrived at our hotel after dark. I learned in the middle of the night that the hotel backed up to train tracks - a freight train blasted through and woke me up out of a dead sleep. No horns, but the sound and the shaking were more than enough!! I’m all too aware of the hazards of walking home on icy pavement – that’s why I wear those spikey things on the bottom of my shoes! Oh, I did put the chai spiced milk in my oatmeal this morning, but only 1/8 cup, so it wasn’t a lot, and I also added cinnamon, so it didn’t add much flavor. I also have a chai spice blend in a jar (McCormick) that I might add to the oatmeal instead of cinnamon the next time. And finally – thanks for the confirmation that doing the pillows in our own washing machine would not be wise. I’ll get them to the Laundromat – I know they have some triple and quadruple loaders at the one near us.

Michelle – I hope you and the vet can get Mischief’s blood levels back to a better balance. If I don’t get a chance later – I hope both your and dh’s injection procedures go well tomorrow. Congrats on the birth of your new niece! Too bad your DMIL missed being there for it, but I’m sure photos will be coming quickly if not already! Mmm, now that it’s chilly out, chili sounds so tasty! And I haven’t had sloppy joes in ages! Yum. It’s probably convenient to make all those together – brown all of the ground meat in one or two batches, etc.

Annie – As anxious as everyone is to have little Jake perfectly healthy and at home ASAP, he just needs the time. He’ll get there and what a day it’ll be to celebrate!! So much stress for you just with this - let alone the work deadlines too. I’m so glad you have Curtis to help you through it! Yeh, I know what you mean w/ trying to deal w/ the bp. I’m good with taking the med, and monitoring my bp twice a day (probably overkill), but the diet part – oy! The recipe section of this book is actually larger than I thought it would be. Naturally, the recipes include a lot of spices/seasonings to up the flavor in lieu of salt, so some of the recipe ingredient lists look long. I can deal with measuring and adding spices more than doing a lot of other food prep, so we’ll see which ones look good.

Shad – LOL re your trainees thoughts re no heart/no heart attack!!!

Ceejay – Nice your sister will cook for you! Enjoy!

Mel – Very cute photo – I love that! Thanks for posting it. Yeh, I usually have a “cast iron stomach” as my dad used to say because my body just seems to love junk food. Not a good thing given my bp situation. Trying to get better. Get your rest today!

Hello to Amarantha!
--
Went to the step 101 class yesterday. I used one set of risers, but I ended up removing them about halfway through. For some reason the beat of the music just seemed faster than I recall. The instructor went to turn it down, but it didn’t seem different to me at all. Someone else commented on it too… This isn’t nice of me, but I think the instructor is a real ding-dong. Whatever, I got my workout and chatted w/ my cousin. The last part of the class is 50 pushups on the ballet barre and then several sets of ab work on a mat, and I know I’m going to be sore a bit later.

And I’ll also be very tired later too because I woke up around 3:30 am and couldn’t get back to sleep. I’m so confused because our sleep number bed has been so comfortable all these years until recently – say past two months. Now I wake up a lot because my arms and shoulders go numb. I keep playing w/ the setting, but it’s where it usually was most comfy for me and it still isn't right. I might be crazy, but I wonder if this blood pressure med is part of it. I dunno, that just sounds dumb. Maybe I’ll read through the paper that came w/ the rx and see what it says.

Tonight the movie is "Tower Heist" w/ Eddy Murphy and Ben Stiller and I plan on seeing it. I want to laugh!

Happy Tues/Wed everyone!

Laura - Let me know how "Tower Heist" is. It looks really funny. Scary stuff about the numbness in your arms/shoulders. Are you sleeping in a different position? I hope you get that sorted out, and just in case, I might google the med and see if numbness is a side effect. I'm so impressed by all your exercise and I can't wait to get to where I can be an exercise or at least princess right along with you.

Laura
I'm ipressed also with all the exercising. Wish I could get in the mood to do it. Yum on the chili and sloppy joes.

Michelle
I hoping that the proceedures go well for both you and dh. Glad dmil made it in and congrats on the new niece. My sis last night was talking about her gb and made me miss the little one.

Mel
Hope you are feeling better today. Good for you for not going to the office.
Has the kiddo's mad it to Jen's and Richie's?

Morning all,
It is still morning and not long now until I go home. It's good this walking in through the door early in the afternoon. All sorts of things get done during that downtime. The cat likes it too.

Not much to report today. I came in to do my daily stint and now I have sort of run out of work again.

Ceejay - Glad you liked the ticker. I am trying to get it down before Christmas. I'm hoping to get under the 80kg again. This flab really needs to go.

Mel - will be back at the mines after Christmas. This time in the hot zone at a mine called Yarrabee. See if you can find that on the map.
Glad to hear that you are gradually getting to par. It helps. Hope you don't have to do too much with the kids there. When do they arrive and how long are they staying?

Michelle - Good to hear that DMIL arrived safe and sound. Babies do that to everyone. Like to cause chaos before they come, and while they are here.
Hope that doggie gets better very soon. You will be spending all your travel money on the medicine.

Laura - good that you got the exercise in - shame that some of the trainers chose some awful music to do the class with. However maybe some one likes it - I certainly don't much.

And that's about it. 10 more minutes and it will be time for home. I'd better go get ready for that one.

I woke up early to give the dogs their meds and also to have a good hearty breakfast (scrambled eggs and a whole wheat bagel). Now, due to the "twilight" anesthesia, I can't eat or drink anything until after my procedure (probably around 1:30 or 2).

Ceejay - have fun with your sister!

Shad - enjoy your 1/2 days!

Mel - I hope you're feeling better?

Laura - Are you off today? Or do you at least get out early?

Annie - Have fun cooking and baking, and of course showering Lil Jake with hugs and kisses when you visit him.

Happy - Don't overdo it on the unpacking. Are you spending Thanksgiving with your cousin? (Sorry if you've already said, and I've forgotten).

Amarantha - happy thanksgiving!

Gotta go get showered, and then finish up a bit of website work before I go.

Love to all,

THIS IS WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO LOVE FOR THE NEXT 5 DAYS.
ALTHOUGH THIS IS A PHOTOSHOPPED PIC....I THINK IT WOULD BE LOVELY!!
FEELING BETTER BUT NOT EATING A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT.
JUST DOING SMALL JOBS IN THE APT AND KEEPING THE STRESS AWAY.
TODAY I MUST GO TO THE OFFICE AT SOME POINT AND GET STUFF READY FOR THE WEEKEND.
GOTTA LINE UP THE AVAILABLE PEOPLE AND THE BOSS TOOK OFF TODAY.
NO OTHER NEWS HERE. HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY.





MICHELLE....CONGRATULATIONS AUNTIE MICHELLE!! HOW GREAT!!
LOTS TO BE THANKFUL FOR THIS WEEK!!! GLAD THE DMIL ARRIVED OK AND I THOUGHT SHE WAS MUCH YOUNGER FOR SOME REASON!!
HOPE THE DOGGIE RESPONDS TO THE CHANGE IN MEDS.
KEEPING FINGERS CROSSED FOR YOU AND THE PROCEDURE. GOOD LUCK




LAURA.....THAT MOVIE SOUNDED FUNNY IN THE PREVIEW ON TV. HOPE YOU HAVE A VERY FUN TIME & LAUGH ALOT!!! I HAD A LAUGH AT YOUR POST TO HAPPY ABOUT THE TRAIN MOTEL.I REMEMBER YOU TELLING US WHILE YOU WERE AWAY. REMINDS ME OF AN OLD "I LOVE LUCY" SHOW!!!!!! OMG IT WAS TOO FUNNY!! HOPE YOU'RE NOT SORE TODAY AND TOO BAD THE INSTRUCTOR WAS A DING DONG........I CALL THEM FRUIT LOOPS. ALSO OTHER NAMES BUT 3FC HAS A SENSOR ON THIS SITE




CEEJAY.....I MEANT THE KIDS ARE COMING FOR CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS. I FORGET WHEN THEY ARE LEAVING. LOL
HOPE YOU ARE FEELING OK NOW SO YOU CAN HAVE A GOOD THANKSGIVING WITH THE FAMILY.




SHAD......NOT SURE WHEN THE KIDDOS COME OR GO. TOLD JEN I WANT MINIMAL INVOLVEMENT. LET'S NOT HAVE THE KIDS LEARN HOW TO USE THE ELEVATOR TO VISIT DEAR OLD ABUELA#2 !!!
GOING TO CHECK OUT YARRABEE....I DID SEE IT ON THEIR WEBSITE THE FIRST TIME CAUSE I REMEMBER THAT NAME! WE ARE GETTING GEOGRAPHY LESSONS WITH YOUR JOBS. GLAD YOU'RE GETTING OUT EARLY AND HOPE YOU GET A RELAXING WEEKEND.

JUST WENT TO SEARCH AND YANCOAL IS WHERE I GOT MY FIRST PHOTOS FROM.
<----is this their idea of a swimming pool????

Michelle
Hope the proceedures go well today for you and dh.

My boss called me yesterday and told me that the department would be eating TG lunch around 11.15 a.m.today.
Watched the Biggest Loser last night. Some of those challenges were hard. I'm going to start wearing my pedometer again and walk a mile.
The phone has been a bit busy this morning.
More later.

Mel
You snuck in on me. Hope things are quiet this week end. I'm so ready for some alone time.

Quick fly by...got lots on the agenda on my day off...got all my pies made and getting ready to bake the last one...pumpkin....peanutbutter, apple and pecan are done. Going to the hospital to assist with lil monkey's bath. Excited about that. Gonna tidy up the house, wash up the new baby equipment, as niece and daughter are spending Friday night with us so want to have the pack n play already to go....grandniece is 1 yr old. Got the salsa ready to go also....cooking the rest of the food in the morning....

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone with much love.