I kind of panicked when I saw the comment about Annie and surgery. Went back and I think it's her friend Nell who is having the surgery. Hope all goes well for her - it sounds quite complicated.

Happy - Sounds like you had a fun ATV ride - and extensive. Given that even regular road maps and GPS are not always accurate, I'd be nervous trying to figure out the trails used for ATVs or snowmobiling for anything more than a few miles, let alone a two hour journey. But I guess when you look at trail guides and have a good sense of direction and it's daylight, lol, you'd probably be alright. All kinds of wildlife-watching opportunities on the trail and at home. The turtle's activities sound interesting to me too. I suppose your sister may have thought you might have come upon a bear in the woods looking to make you his next meal and hence her worry, LOL.

Re the e-mail, good idea to direct the junk mail to it's own folder...I might have to do that. Yes, I'll discuss both my shoulder and tummy issues with the doc tomorrow.

Re Annie - I thought Ceejay might be referring to a followup procedure scheduled after her colonoscopy... (Annie, of course don't respond about that if you don't want to.)

Happy,
Should have read the fine print. It was an email Annie had received from her friend.
Can you believe that he's only four day's old. Sure wish I could hold him. Yes, I'm getting excited about the trip to the Smokey MTS..

Mel
Feel better soon. When the doc gives me Cipro and it gives me stomach issues.

Laura
Glad you got the appointment with the doc. My insurance frowned on us using specialist. Infact they raised the co-payment to a specialist to double what a regular GP office would be.

Annie
Sorry about me misunderstaning.

Ellen, Shad, and Patty

Got a late start this morning so am enjoying the peace, quiet and coffee until I turned on the tv and got the news. More carjacking, more ram raids, more road rage, grannies being home raided and beaten. Whinging politicians and mining magnates opposed to paying a new tax on mining. Life isn't fair - get used to it. The rest of us normal mortals have had to. Is there any good news in this world? And even worse it is still cold, overcast and looking like raid at any time.

Looks like the landlord cut the grass yesterday so no birdies pecking about on the lawn, but the ducks are going quackers.

Happy - LB is probably a male and starting to think about the opposite sex. BB is probably a female - could be his mum - he wouldn't care as long as she puts out. Really should not be sentimental about bunnies. They may be cute but they can cause mountains to move (literallY) when there are too many of them. As can rats, mice, and deer. They are environmental disasters in this part of the world. Where we let them get out of control, you won't see pictures like the ones I have posted.

Better go shower and get dressed. Try to get in later for more personals.

SORRY KIDDOS. ANOTHER QUICKIE.
THINK TOMORROW MIGHT BE A BETTER DAY.
HAVE A GOOD ONE.
I'LL SAY HELLO TO MY PILLOW FOR ALL OF YOU

Good morning ladies -

Just a quick post to say "hi" as I'm at work. Naughty me. I still haven't gotten my act together enough to work in time to post before I leave for work, and due to my hour long commute, I'm tired at the end of the day. But, I will sort out finding time to post and get back to the gym.

Tomorrow is my interview for the Web Developer job at the hospital. My boss here said I could leave early and could either use vacation time or make up my hours (I'm choosing to make up the time by working 9 - 9.5 hours each day). The new job is going well...I'm actually doing some programming and some fine tuning of queries within the application. They're giving me small projects to start off with so I can get familiar with the system. I also handed a small support issue yesterday, which was fun to research and figure out.

I picked up my car yesterday...and the transmission is doing fine. And it wasn't quite as much as I'd feared, which was nice. At the end of the month (Friday), when I get my last check from my old job and my first check from my new job, I'll pay off the bills that had to be put on hold for the car repair.

It's going to be a hot one today...in the low to mid-90s today and it could reach 100 tomorrow! My plan is to stay indoors...and/or maybe use the indoor pool or waterpark at the gym.

I'm going to post this for now. I'll try and read some more later...but since there's not much privacy here, I don't like to have non-work sites up on my screen...this is, after all, my first week.


Much love and hugs to all,

Shad - The galahs are adorable! Do people put seed out for birds down there like we do up here? In addition to bunnies being a problem over there, doesn't Australia also have a problem with an overpopulation of Cane Toads?

Mel - I'm glad you had a quiet weekend and that the pills are helping. Bummer that the pills make you feel lousy though. Hang in there, sweet sister.

Annie - I hope you're keeping cool, sista. Thanks for the kind words and perspective if I get an offer from the hospital. I am SO hoping for the hospital job...better work environment, closer, much better benefits.

Ceejay - Is this the weekend you're going to Pigeon Forge? I've never been there, but it sounds like fun. I hope your leg continues to get better.

Laura - So sorry to hear that your shoulder isn't better, and that you're having issues in your torso. Are you seeing your primary doc today about both issues? That's probably what I would do if I were you.

Happy - I love reading about your ATV rides and adventures, and of course all the critters you see up there. Very interesting, albeit sad, about the interactions between BB and LB. I've never seen hummingbirds mate, but it sounds plausible that that's what they could've been doing making all that racket. To answer your question, nope, DH is not 100% yet. And he's just come down with a nasty sinus infection. The primary doc gave him something for it, but suggested he see an ENT. Trouble is, we're running out of my old company's insurance and effective Monday will have a large deductible. I sooooo hope I get the job as Web Developer for the hospital.

Morning all.

Ceejay - So will you get to see the new grand-nephew when you're on vacation, or will they not be making the trip with such a young baby?? I hope you get to see him face to face sometime soon!!

Shad - Much easier to be less sentimental about raccoons and skunks!! Bunnies seem so harmless, but you're right, they can play havoc with the balance of nature. But then again so do we humans... "the ducks are going quackers"

Mel - Sorry you're still suffering the effects of the Cipro. I certainly hope tomorrow is a better day for you... I'd like NOW to be better for you!!!

Michelle - Glad the new job is going well, but my fingers are for the hospital dream job. Sorry your commute is so long - that's a long time in the car/traffic. My commute ends up at about an hour or close to it much of the time, but no driving is involved, and train time is time for me, so it's very low stress. Glad the tranny is fixed and the cost wasn't as bad as expected. We have a major servicing (90,000 mile) that we've been putting off for the past couple months...but it needs to be done to keep the car up to par. Times like this I'm glad to not have two cars to maintain. We're getting the same hot weather - 90's today and up to 100 tomorrow. Keep cool!

Hellos to the rest of you!
===
I saw "Rock of Ages" last night. I found it mostly entertaining, but I thought it could have been soooo much better. I really did not like Julianna Hough in the lead female role - don't like her voice at all. Tom Cruise's voice sounded pretty good, but otherwise his role was way over the top. The storyline with Catherine Zeta-Jones was very stupid. I have to say that Russell Brand was probably my favorite part of the movie (being his usual self) and his story line with Alec Baldwin was silly but likeable. If you like 80's rock (Foreigner, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benetar, Def Leppard, etc), go for it. Wondering if I'd have like seeing the stage version much better...

That's about it. Need to skeedaddle and get to work. I'm leaving the office around 12:15 for my half day of vacation, with my doc appt at 2:30.

Michelle - You snuck in on me with post #2!! Sorry DH is not 100% yet and is now suffering a sinus infection, and the timing is unfortunate with the insurance!! Please send him my get well wishes. Yes, I'll discuss both issues with my primary doc today, but I imagine for the shoulder I'll be sent for x-ray, mri, etc. and I would think I'll end up referred to a orthopedic doc. We shall see.

Good morning chicks!! Just a quickie post from me, life has been interesting this week so far. Had no sleep Monday early monday morning. DD was up then I got a call from Dad that he was taking mom back to the hospital. I ended up calling in to work because I had to make 2 trips to the airports. For the first time ever I went to both Ohare and Midway in the same day. (had to drive my brother to Ohare and DH to Midway) Thankfully nothing was wrong with Mom's hip, she was having muscle spasms that were causing the pain. I worked yesterday, and DS will be getting his braces on in 2 weeks. Had a Dell tech out to fix DH's computer, and now I am just taking it for a test drive.

Have to take the kids to the county for shots, then will be off to moms to help dad out for a little while. Hope everyone is doing well. I will try to catch up a little later.

Luv and Hugs!!

Ellen, I got tired just reading that, and it's only Wednesday!!! Hope things are less interesting the rest of the week, LOL.

Hi all,

Looks like the heat has managed to work it's way up to here finally. Next 3 days will be rather warm. That's ok, I have lots of stuff inside to do and I'm sure the garden will love it.

Ellen - I second Laura's comment - geez you sure are one busy woman AND driving to both airports. That in and of itself is a hair raising experience! Not sure which is worse. I'm glad your Mom is ok. Don't get yourself too worn out busy lady!

Mel - sorry you are still under the weather Sending you good thoughts that you get over this soon.

Laura - thanks for the review on Rock of Ages. I guess this does not bode well for Julianna Hough's singing career. That makes 3 movies she was in that bombed out. Shame, she seems like such a nice person and she was an amazing dancer would hate that she can't pursue her dream. Not sure if I would see the movie - I think Tom Cruise is long past being interesting (like Mel Gibson) and I can't fathom him as a Rock God. Maybe if they had done a musical movie with musical actors??? And yes, having no sense of direction myself I was getting nervous about taking this turn and that in the forest where everything looks the same. But DH had been on the trail before and he has a very good sense of getting to where he needs to be. We talked about getting a portable GPS for the trails one day.

Michelle - oh it's a web developers job. No wonder you are excited. And no doubt your skills being current will definitely be a plus. Hope things go well for you tomorrow. And as much as I got tired of downtown I'd have to say that I'd take the train ride over driving any time. Especially in the winter when something only 10 miles away could turn into an hour or more's commute. Sorry to hear that DH got another infection. Shortness of breath AND sinus headache. Yuk.

Shad - your first paragraph points out why I am glad to trade people for animals and bugs and why I hardly ever watch the news any more. Yes, the deer and rabbits can be terrible nusiances, especially when man upsets the natural ecological balance. We have lots of predatory animals here and I do understand that it's necessary to hunt the deer to keep the population in check as well as the overall health of the population.

I got up this morning and looked in the front yard and momma deer and 2 small baby fawns were running about. Momma was looking for food no doubt and was skittish which made the babies skittish too. DH tried to get pictures but they were moving too quickly.

Ceejay - 4 days old (the new grandnephew) OMG - that's about the size of a peanut They make me nervous when they are that little - I would have to ask Annie to step in for a couple of months if that was me He is adorable though.

Annie - hope work is not making you crazy.

Patty

Better get out there and give the garden some love and water. Stay cool ladies.

Michelle,
Sending you good vibes for the interview tomorrow.

Laura,
I have to wait till August to see nephew's baby. They will not be going to Pigeon Forge. My Dallas sister and her clan are the ones going there. But I can't wait to see each and every one of them. We have the week end of July 13 through 17 booked. It's almost here.

Happy
I know what you mean about holding little ones. I don't like them when they haven't figured out that they can stretch out. It's like holding a basket ball.

Ellen
You are a busy lady.

Mel
Take care of yourself. I always eat some yogurt before taking Cipro.This must be a large amount of it.

Patty,

I just lost my very long post..... Ugh....
Ok, I will post tomorrow.

I hope all is well with everyone....Stay cool and hydrated in this heat...

I am getting very tired of this lot. Nothing seems to matter too much. It's all too much effort. Well they are going to suffer big time next week and I for one don't actually give a flying continental f**k anymore.

I just spent 6 weeks telling the techies one thing only to find out today that it isn't the truth and other things will happen. Well thanks for telling me guys.

Okay, rant over. Can't be bothered with it anymore. Things don't work, ain't my fault.

Michelle - good to hear that the job is going okay. Hope you get to like it. Hour commutes are a bit of a pain but one has to do what one has to do.
No, we don't put out seeds for the Galahs. These are wildbirds foraging fgor their food. Yep, we have a cane toad problem. Some idiot imported them to control the sugar cane beetle and it got out of control and now we have hunt and kill nights to get rid of the cane toads. We won't ever get rid of them all but we can keep the numbers down. They are lethal to all our native frogs and toads - take over all the feed habitats

Laura - good to know about the rock of ages movie. Might go for a giggle, but then again I am not a great movie goer so will probably wait for the dvd

Ellen - you sure are kept busy with your family. They will grow up and leave home one day.

Happy - sounds like you had fun on your ride. Nice way to learn about the country side and the area you live in.

Patty - hate it when I lose my post. Hope you can get back in tomorrow.

Anyway, I'm not good company at the moment so I will love you and leave you. Maybe a better day tomorrow and maybe I will get the weekend off. And maybe pigs will fly.

Annie