I managed a two mile walk with Lesley before my kids started up and I had to vacate the television and tend to ref duties I need to start doing it while they are at school. Did you all hear that my plan to get up at 6am and exercise fizzled and failed before it was ever realized? Not a morning person, never will be and certainly not sweaty, but I do have hopes for when I'm older and fitter Had dinner with the inlaws tonight, lovely shepard's pie (no gravy) and chocolate ice-cream for dessert. Took them some of the beefsteak tomato harvest, they are the size of grapefruits and totally delicious... I can only stew and freeze so many!! I've picked a bouquet of sweetpeas and cosmos for my bedside table. I'm trying to nurtue my senses as well as my form. I've started keeping bowls of broccoli and baby carrots in the fridge too for those snack attacks. Still eating hummus too don't know what you all mean about calories there. The stuff I buy has 30 calories a tablespoon, the pita is 70 calories. So if I have one toasted pita and two tablespoons of hummus, that is 130 calories. (haven't got the recipe right yet, but I do have a jar of tahinin now)

Shad-so that is why you won the Scotch!! It was so you could have hunky fellows sweating over your vehicle and making manly noises Good they were so helpful to you but dang about not getting the picture... did they pose instead with a muscle of two bulging? Glad you were alright. Thanks for updating us on Mel We are always thinking about her and how she is doing (((MEL)))

Happy-I have little birds eating the tomatoes that have dropped on the ground, they don't bother the ones on the bushes. So you never got that wetsuit for the pool huh? Will you be looking into a public pool experience?

Ceejay-OMG! You are going to check in with your uncle?! What do you mean he made a picture of you? Drew one? Camera? This sounds suspicious! What is he going to get out of being your weight checker? This stuff is so hard, I hope he makes you giggle.

Suzi- Do you crave the applause now? When will you do it again? Have you signed up for the next one? Congratulations, I'm so happy it went well and you were smiling at the end

Hello worldly chicks, soon it shall be fall, enjoy the changing colours and brisk cool air!

Well, it sounds like you all have had many successes.

Shad-- So glad that your automotive adventure turned out OK. I hope the hunky helpers will take you out for drinks once the Scotch reserve is gone. I assume the lake/sunrise/etc will be there other mornings. I hope your "students" know how valuable you are.

Happy-- thanks for the encouragement on little bits of exercise. DH and I've walked at the mall a couple of times and tonight after dinnertime I paced/trudged around the neighborhood for almost 30 minutes. I need to be sure to take Advil before bed tonight... AND walk some in the morning and Tues and Weds so I don't get all stiff again. The bird photos are awesome!

Ceejay... we walked in a different mall than the one near our lunch rendezvous place. Shops at WillowBend hardly has any people in it... the stores are VERY high end and I think some of the dot com busts made a difference. My sketch of the people ordering coffee is below. Some of them are sort of recognizeable. DH is sort of off to the right.

Suzi -- so what's the next play? I'd always heard that the worse the dress rehearsal, the better the performance. Glad that worked for you guys.

My face was so broken out last week that I self-diagnosed myself with rosacea, too. I called one dermatologist who could see me in NOVEMBER... and the "new" partner in that office could see me sooner... Mid OCTOBER. Grrrrrrr. In the meantime, I've switched to Cetaphil soap and Oil of Olay and am trying to relax and "avoid stress." HA! All the things I enjoy make it worse: spicy food and staying up late. Oh, and hot flashes/blushing (courtesy of my post-cancer meds), heat (courtesy of Texas), and exercise (courtesy of a smidge of determination) can all make it WORSE. And I made the mistake of researching it on the web... TMI. I won't share. Be grateful. At least the rash is better today.

It would probably be wise to change bedding and towels WAY more frequently than I usually do. Perhaps I could move to a Sheraton for a while! No clients tomorrow, so I foolishly promised DH I'd do some picking up around here. Jeez, he might expect a cooked dinner, too.

But in the late a.m. I have therapist appointment, then lunch with a colleague... so how can I possibly get anything done... Should walk in the morning before therapy. My colleague group talked about shame and guilt this morning. Yipes. Shame & Guilt R Us. Eating is definitely a defense for me against feeling either of those. You'd think for how long I'd been in the mental health business, (and just how OLD I am) that I'd have my own shame issues tackled. (But then for how much Terrell Owens is making with the Dallas Cowboys, you'd think he could be polite, too.)

DS survived his first 2 days teaching: physics and Algebra II. He said the kids weren't very interested (no real big surprised) AND that some of them didn't have paper on Friday. WHO GOES TO SCHOOL WITHOUT PAPER?

DD is doing so well with weightwatchers that she's bring her "fat" clothes for me to "shrink" into. Mostly things she wore to work. She's way shorter than me... but it might get me through one "buying" season. IF I CAN EVER GET THE SCALE TO BUDGE.

Hope you all get through the 9/11 anniversary well. Watching the kids on 60 minutes who lost parents made me very sad and choked up-- Not to mention my frustration with the self-righteous or self-congratulatory politicians who are capitalizing on pre-election TV air-time. Grrrr.

Peaceout, y'all

HI all...
I have snuck in a couple of times today. i even thought that I posted once...silly me!
big hugs to my american friends as we remember 9/11.

Weekend was good! The play went VERY well in the end and yes i think I did catch the bug. It will be some time before the next one but we breathe a little sigh of relif. i am going to be rather busy with visitors over the next few months. I have worked out that I have quite a few over 4 months. total = 10! wow. Only 1 overlap with my parents and DB and his wife and my little niece. Should be fun!
No it will be lovely, just thinking of the dynamics sometimes can be a little worrying. My DB, my Dad and My DH a little like 3 bulls in a paddock!

With all the visitors I should be getting motivated but am a little cross. OUr insurance claim has come to nothing so far. The assessor and carpet man are still arguing over prices! I just want the job done at this stage.
I am feeling a little blue today ...not sure why.
Sent a note to Mel so I hope she can read...\Yes I do know why....neighbour came over just before 3 and was telling me about the "antics" of my children at her place in the weekend. Her son had his first holy communion and we were invited to a special do! my daughter and her son are best friends. DD and her son got into a little mischief while they were play ( as children do!) Nothing serious, just small stuff but neighbour has decided to make a BIG deal of it.
I smoothed things over but feel badly as DD was really made the scape goat. The only thing I could do is eat humble pie.
People can be tricky sometimes. I offered to take my neighbour out for the day tomorrow as I really think all of this has stemmed over from another issue of me getting to know another friend. I think she is a little possessive!


phew. I better leave this for a bit as I am getting all muddled and am getting grumblings from Ds NEEDing to use the puter....talk later.

Morning chicks.

I changed the time on the alarm but forgot to TURN IT ON. Doesn't work too well that way Anyway I am way late. No time to read or post. Will be back tonight. Good to see more of you back again. I was wondering the same thing Shad was but her finger wagging worked better than mine

My week was blur of activity. I only slept 5 hours every night to fit it all in. It was hubby's parents 50th anniversary so we were there all weekend but I drove back for hockey practise. We camped there with about 60 others and then there was a big party yesterday.
The kids were "off" on the weekend. They are the only little kids. Lots of strange people, not enough sleep. That was exhausting.
My house is a disaster!!!!!! Such a crazy ,loooong week last week.
Hockey at 6pm today. DS made the A team. They have a great goalie coach working with him one on one. In a shoot out he saved 25 out of 30 shots. He makes it look effortless too. My 15 year old nephew came to watch. he's played net for 11 years, AAA. He thought DS rocked.

Today is all about finding my home under all the piles of stuff. School, canning, hockey, Avon, School Council, church and SS, newsletter writing............................... all have their very own huge mess to clean up. Oh and laundry and beds changed, poop to scoop.......

I went to bed at 8:30 last night, read for a bit and slept til 6:30. It was great!!!!!

I got pickles, jam and spiced peaches all made. YUM!!

I am afraid but I will go face the kitchen!!!!

HUGs and Love to all the chicks!!!

Morning all. This must be the worst ragweed season EVER - so bad that I have broken out in these horrible weeping hives on my hands and arms. I've have had to spend the last couple of days on heavy duty antihistimines, slathered in cortisone cream, and I now have bandaids over the major spots to keep myself from scratching. I'll be very happy to see the first frost this year... oh and did I mention my eyes are itchy????

Arg, getting older sucks!! I didn't even have seasonal allergies until I hit my 30s.

Anyway, wanted to check in. If the itching allows, I'll be back later to read and catch up and post.

MadCat--sorry you are having to deal with those allergies. I've never broken out in hives due to seasonal allergies just food allergies. Are you sure it's not something you have eaten?

Hi to every one else.

We had some much needed rain this afternoon. It's still kinda drizzling.

Ooh--the health department came this afternoon to grab samples.

Not much else going on.

HI all...lovely to see some extra posts.

Feeling a little clearer today. Not so foggy. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in anothers problem. DH put ALOT of perspective on everything for me...although he was rather cross at the acusations. Never mind...all over now.
I am feeling better about the day. I am off to my favourite mall to have a really good look around. I have some vouchers to spend and I thought I might get myself something cute for my birthdat tea . It is time for this party girl to get excited.

Holly your week sounds huge. Good on you on all the pickling. i love the look of all that fresh homemade stuff in the pantry, how special. The kitchen can wait. it will always be messy! Enjoy your week and I wish for long sleeps for you.

Madcatyou poor dear. hives...ekk! I hope they clear up soon. I know how it can be as when I first came to Aus I was allergic to the HEAT. Not much I could do about it. I seem to have calmed down now and my body is used to it.
Have you thought of herbal stuff, might be worth a go.

Happyohhhh don't you hate it when that happens? You must have needed the rest. Have a great day today.

ShadWishing you a busy productive day with not a minute of time to feel bored.
Meadowwell done on the walking....i will be with you on the early mornings. I need to get motivated too. I think early is good because too much enters the day after the kids are up.

Ceejay to you have a lovely day'
Painter woman
Nice to see you peeking in. Keep posting those gorgeous paintings. I am guessing they are yours. I love them. You are so creative!

Ok off to seize the day Carpe' Diem

Carpe Diem indeed,
I seized the day, but unfortunately there is not much in it. No calls from maintainers so far. I have a course at 1.00pm and not much to do between then and now. The Citrix computer system has finally come back up and i can now look at the internet and my mail, so I'll sort that out and go shopping for some laundry detergent etc.etc. Things we do!!!

Life goes on in Weipa, same ol' same ol' and I spend some of my day organising accommodation for the bro's 5oth and some drumming up some work. The most exciting thing happening today is that a trolley has gone missing from the 23rd floor in Brisbane - please keep an eye out for it. I doubt that the missing trolley will make for Weipa - there is just not enough for it to do around here. The fleshpots of Cairns or Sydney sound more attractive!!

Suzi - birthday coming up. Hope you have a wonderful time and get lots of surprises, hugs and wishes. Good on you for the visitors. I'm sure you will have a wonderful time with all of them. The trick with the DH, DF, DB is to keep them busy. A list of things to achieve each will keep them out of each others hair. The old bull, young bull syndrome!!!!! Men - will I ever understand them.

Ceejay - haven't seen a drop of rain since I have been here. Apparently they are getting a bit of it in Brisbane, however as per normal, little is falling in the dam catchment areas and that which is is being soaked up by the parched ground and not running off into the lakes. Such is life.

Ooooh Madcat - hope this passes quickly for you. Can't have you, Painter and Mel all suffering from these allergies. Clean air - you can't beat it can you. If powers that be considered clearing the rotten weeds and keeping them under control there would be a vast reduction in the problem, but they don't unfortunately.

Holly - such a lot of things on your plate. 15 minute intervals. Go like mad for 15 and then have a quiet period, go like mad again for 15. It's amazing what one can achieve that way. A list to be marked off is also handy. Makes you feel like you are achieving something.

Happy - how many times have I forgotten to set that damned alarm. Fortunately I seem to wake up in time but it is darned annoying when you wake at about 2am and think I forgot the alarm, you set it and then you can't get back to sleep. Life's a ***** some times.

Painter - loved the sketch. Well done on the walking. Keep going. It will get better I promise. You just have to be very determined to succeed. And I guess it helps to have a goal ahead to achieve. The automotive adventure got fixed better than I had hoped for. I felt such an idiot.

Meadow - good for you with walking as well. It really is the best exercise - sometimes I think I only run to exercise the demons chasing me on assignment. I always seem to be moaning about something or other on assignment.
I didn't ask the hunkies to pose - their muscles would be well concealed. Nice blokes but not in the peak of physical condition.

I gave my bottle of Scotch to Engineer G yesterday. Found him wandering up a stretch of dug up road and pulled over (first checking that I didn't run over anything) and gave him his medicine. He says that I didn't have to do it. I said that I was very grateful and besides I couldn't use it myself and may as well give it to some who could. He said he would have helped out without it and I told him that I knew that, because I could tell he was a very nice bloke and that country people always put themselves out to help. I also told him that I had publicly stated that I would give the Scotch to the first person in Weipa who was very nice to me or helped me out in some way. Well he was it, although if he didn't mind I wasn't about to broadcast about digging myself into a large hole and needing to be dug out. So far it appears that no one who knows me has yet sorted out that I had a problem.

Oh well, I'll buzz off and do some shopping then go sort out for my class this afternoon and then have some more down time. Have a good day everyone and be careful out there.

News around here...

Yesterday Kitty caught and killed a hummer. I was coming from the garage to the back door on the porch and there she was, all bent and going to town chewing on something. *Sorry if TMI* -- my gut instinct was to immediately start yelling - NO KITTY ooooohhhh ickkkkk yuck - at this point I had no idea what was on the mat but I wasn't too interesting in finding out. I was still making grossed out noises when DH came to the door to see me with my shirt pulled up over my head - I yanked the collar up over my eyes you sillies, not the other way around and Kitty who is easily traumatized and had no idea what she did wrong was up and over the fence beating a path to the next town. I peeked one eye over my shirt and looked over rather than through my glasses thus guaranteeing that what I was looking at was rather blurry to try and figure out what she caught. It's that I don't wanna look but have ta look, you know...I thought it was the usual chipmunk. I was really upset when I saw it was a hummingbird. DH was trying to go after Kitty to find out what she killed. He didn't see the bird by the door off to the side. I told him "Killer" had to find a new home. He wasn't happy about her getting a bird but said that's what cats do. I said then she can do it somewhere else. She is front declawed so he doesn't know how she nabbed it. She does have jaws of steel tho and when the birds are battling it out, they do fly low. Right place, wrong time. I sincerely hope this will not become a habit as she seems to have become bored with the chipmunks for the most part.

In other news, there was a burglary at the end of my street this morning. 4 guys crowbarred a back door open and stole about $25,000 worth of stuff. Fortunately, one of the neighbors saw them cruising the area, thought they looked out of place so when she heard about the robbery, she was able to give an excellent description to the police who actually caught one of the guys driving around the neighborhood apparently looking for another house to hit. There were 2 cars and they apparently loaded up one car after the robbery and that car took off, while the other car was brazen enough to look for other homes. We've had several robberies of local businesses but it seemed like they were leaving the homes alone. I told J that she was a hero and probably saved at least one other home from being burglarized. The person who got robbed had just left the house for 30 minutes and came back 15 minutes after they had broken in. A couple of lessons from this which go hand in hand with what the police have said in safety lessons - thieves can break into your house and clean you out and be out in 5 minutes. Most thieves don't want to be caught / noticed so they would rather break in when they know no one is around. And finally, along the don't want to get caught theme - they will avoid neighborhoods with a neighborhood watch, where they see people milling about or if they see a police presence. The key is really to know your neighbors - you don't have to love them, just get to know what's a normal routine and don't hesitate to report anything suspicious to the police - like cars driving slowly up and down the street. Don't EVER confront someone suspcious yourself. It kind of gives me the creeps, I told DH that perhaps we need to start locking the back door during the day. Things sure aren't what they used to be...

Good advice Happy about the neighbor watch .

Nothing is going on at the moment. I did get an email from Mel yesterday. She's wants to be back very soon.

More later.

Yep, I'm going home on the 24th September. I'm not counting that day as it is going home day. My last training course is on 23rd. So today being the 13th, it is 10 days to go. Yahoo.

Nothing happening here. I have plenty of time to think and I was working out (strange the way minds work on occasions) that my hourly rate here is astronomical. I figured that the day I worked on 33 minutes I was on a rate of $1300 per hour. Wish that was the case!! I could stay forever then. Or at least until I was rich.

And that is about it for just now.
Happy sorry to hear about the burglaries. My heart goes out to the victims, having been one myself. One needs to take all precautions in this world today. Lock the backdoor, and the side one and the front one and anyother one. You may feel like you are in jail, but that's better than being robbed.

Ceejay, glad you heard from Mel. She is getting better then!!!

Better go and get rid of the last bottle of water and then go get some more. Sorry if that was TMI

The antihistimes and cortisone cream is doing its magic. Even the biggest of the blisters is now just a weird patch of rubbery skin. I should be back to normal in a couple of days. whew! I still don't know what caused them… It could have been a food allergy compounded by ragweed season.

Shad~ Congrats on getting the early pardon! Yay ~ we who have ever been trapped in a nightmare job situation, salut you!! Freedom is just days away. You must be relieved. Gosh, I hope you are working this job on a per contract or at least per day rate!

Happy~ You words about keeping your eyes open being the best way to keep the neighbourhood safe is so true. Jane Jacobs, the famous urban planner, used to say the best streets were ones where people were watching the streets, sitting on their porches, watching kids play. Many eyes do make a safer place for all. Funny, but I don't recall ever living anywhere where we didn't lock our doors all the time. Joys of the big city. Look what even happened to Shad in her own home…Could happen to anyone. The line between being careful and barricading ourselves in fortresses is a thin one. Be careful but don't be paranoid.

Ceejay ~ thanks for the Mel update.

Suzi ~ Hope you found something really terrific at the Mall. Try not to let other people's parenting styles get you down.

Holly~ You week sounds like a complete whirlwind of activity. At least it sounds fun. Enjoy.

PW ~ Sometimes I think researching health things o the internet is where the saying "A little learning is a dangerous thing" must have started Not everything on the internet is true, I hear Don't forget that caffeine is probably also bad for rosacea or other skin ailments. I had a facial a while ago and they used this lovely herbal mix on me that was so soothing. Maybe you could consult a cosmetician to see if they have something that would at least make you feel better?

K, I better get moving . It's almost bedtime. Tomorrow is a non-gym morning, I think, but I may walk into work if the rain stops. G'Night ladies.

Madcat what an awful time you've had of things! I'm glad to hear you are on the mend but you have all my sympathies. This has been a terrible allergy season - everywhere. Kitty likes to lay down and get a good scratching / kitty massage. This means I am basically bending at the waist upside down. Does not make the watery sinuses feel very good. Everyone you talk to everywhere is suffering. Hope you get a nice dry walk in the rain washed fresh air.

Shad - I too am jumping up and down, spinning round and round in the chair - so happy that you will be going home. It wasn't hard to see that you were not in your element. At least you can get back to doing some more constructive things soon.

We saw an update on the local news tonight. Altogether they arrested 7 men related to this particular burglary. All were in a gang. Disgusting, just absolutely disgusting. Thing is, this will make it much more difficult for the young men who ride around here looking to make a few dollars doing honest yard work. I dropped some welcome packet info off to our "sunshine" lady - we had a good chat, I didn't realize I was there as long as I was.

CeeJay, we got a bit of rain but not much. Stop hogging it up in your part of town and send some down here How's the bike riding going?

Suzi - did you have a good shopping trip? We are all anxious to find out what you found...

Painter, I don't think kids today or their parents always make the big too-do about school like we did. At least some of them. Keep making little inroads on a better lifestyle. Every day is a new day to do something good with your life.

Holly, hope you made some inroads in that busy schedule of yours.

Meadow - maybe you can make a date with Leslie after the kids get off to school. Or in between taking one to one end of town and the other to the far end from there. I am not a morning person either so I feel your pain.

Mel

Goodnight chicks, I'm yawning so hard I can't see the monitor.

Hello to all

Still nothing new.

Shad--Finally found her bloke. Good for you. Did you share the scotch? I'd settle for $1300 dollars an hour or is that $13.00 dollars an hour.

Madcat--Allergies can be a bad experience. Glad things are getting better.

happy--How frightening that there was a gang who did the robbery!
We have some mean kiddo's that do mischief in the neighborhood. My neighbor called me yesterday and told me that the new shed door was off the hinges. In fact it was leaning up against the door this morning when I checked Don't know if she propped it up for me or not. The lawn mower was still on the inside. Whew, I'd cried if it had not been.

more later.

The Biggest Loosers is starting on the exercise thread on 9-20-06. I'm going to join in this. I've always wanted to be a participant in the show. I need a push.
Brought my bills to work today. I really got bored yesterday. This is one of my Thursday's job at home while I'm not manually doing anything.

My plans for the week end does not include going to Paragould. I'm exhausted.
More later.