Laura...so sorry about your footie. Man can't any of these get anything right? What a PIA to have to keep messin with that. How hard is it to measure-correctly I might add- then make things according to specs. Probably won't celebrate DDs birthday till Sat the 6th, so you can come on over anytime and enjoy dinner with us, I will even have some white wine on hand just for you. What is your fav white wine?

Chelle...hope your storm was not as bad as our was. A couple of places pretty messy. THey are not sure yet whether is was a tornado or just straight line winds, either way it made a huge mess.

Lunch- Rigatoni w/mushroom sauce, still have tons of that left. Baby carrots with Yogurt ranch dressing, coke zero frozen.

I got called into CVS tonight. Another girls GP passed away and she cannot make it. So my schedule goes like this. CVS ..T, W, TH, Sun. Like the money hate the work for it part, lol

Okay....I'm officially freaking out with worry. My desk is right near the windows...and the wind is howling. Big, mature trees are being bent nearly halfway over. It's scary. I'm praying that my dogs are okay, and the house is okay, and if possible, all the trees are okay (in that order of priority). And the worst part is that it's not going to let up until tomorrow night.

I can't concentrate on work because of this storm noise, so, I'm going to catch up on your posts.

Shad - So sorry to hear that your still bored. I hope you got to enjoy some time with your DS's. I'm so saddened to hear about the wildlife killed in the fires, especially the adorable penguins....so so so sad.

Mel - I hope when you get these winds tomorrow, they won't be as strong. It's crazy here. That is too funny about Jen and Ritchie being Lucy and Ricky! I can almost hear them now!

Happy - I hope your visit to the doc next week goes well. I've got appts with a bunch of docs in the next few weeks...hearing check, follow up visits for my back, etc. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the musical "Wicked". DH even liked it (not as much as me of course)...and he is SO not into musicals.

Annie - I hope Big O gets your tires/wheels fixed. And I definitely hope that freaky stalker dude doesn't show up at CVS tonight, tomorrow or EVER! The b'day meal for your daughter sounds SOOOO yummy. Would ya' mind sharing your recipe for chicken tetrazini? As for our storms...I hope none of the bad stuff got near my house. There was a tornado near Racine...but that's about 30 minutes south of where I work and 1 hour south of where I live.

Laura - Believe me, I would NOT want to have work email on my phone. Nor do I want a company Blackberry. I had one of those when I was in a different position at my company and I got called at ALL HOURS. I wanted to throw the thing through a wall. If I have to be reachable at home, I'll forward my work phone extension to my cell phone, and someone had better call me if they need me urgently because I don't make a practice of checking my work email outside of work hours. My work has a phone message we can call to see if the office is going to be closed due to inclement weather...and you'd better beleive I called. But no such luck. I may take my laptop home tonight just in case the weather gets worse, I may see if I can work from home. So sorry to hear about your foot problems. That a bummer that your new orthotic doesn't help.

Ceejay - I'm glad you're enjoying your vacation!

Well, I'd best get back to it. I'll try and log on tonight if we have power at home.

To everyone who is dealing with inclement weather...stay safe.

Love and hugs to all,

Annie - I like dry white wines, nothing sweet or fruity. For reds, I like merlot, shiraz, cabernet sauv. Reminds me - when I looked in the fridge last night for white wine, I saw I'd put the cab. in the fridge. Not sure why I did that - need to take it out. Oy, an extra day at CVS!! Like you're not busy enough. Boo.

Michelle - Hope everything is okay at home and work. I can't see or hear the wind here at work (except when I went outside at lunch), but at home it woke me up early. The dog didn't like it much either. I think the wind has dropped a bit - not sure the gusts ever got to 50 mph today as forecast. I think tonight will be better for us because it got chilly when the cold front went through and we'll have the windows closed.

As the boss sometimes says, I'm in my own little he!!. I'm working on something yucky this afternoon and I've had just about enough. About 20 more minutes until I call it a day and skeedaddle for home.

Have a good one ladies.

Hi ladies,
The doggies and house are fine (thank goodness). A large branch fell off the willow. And a sliding storm door came off the track after I got home and is laying (unbroken thank goodness) on the patio. I tried to pick it up, but it is too heavy so DH will have to do it. The wind is still blowing 40-60mph. 40-50 mph sustained winds all day, with 60+ mph gusts.

Here's to a calm, quiet, peaceful night for all.

Love you all,

Morning all,
I've taken today off work and will be doing things around the house and talking to the DS's and looking around the garden to see what L will do during the weekend. I need to prune the tomatoes They are just massive and taking over the garden. Unfortunately there is a lot of green but not much fruit as yet. And what is there is not ripening.

So I have put the oven on to clean itself, filled the dishwasher and will shortly empty the fridge and clean it out as well. The DS's put together two big bookcases for me yesterday so I can fill those with all my books and things as well. Then I might have to check the local second hand stores and see if any of them want books. Whatever happened to the Book Exchanges of a couple of years back?

Michelle - so pleased to hear that there isn't too much damage from the storms and wind you are having. Leave that door for the DH. I'm sure he will manage it much easier and you can give the directions as to where it goes.

Laura - I'm a white wine freak myself. Don't mind fruity flavours but don't like it sweet at all. Hope you can sort out the foot soon.

Annie - back to work again. Well just watch out for that so and so stalker. He could turn out to be dangerous. I like the smaller pastas with the grooves or spirals, more sauce hangs on to them that way.

Happy - the world is round - you could end up here just on the other side of the country. Don't worry, I'll find beds for you all over there and then get you to my side without too much trouble.

Mel - I am sure the Penguins will come out on DVD when the series is finished
I'll keep checking and then the Penguins can do the rounds of the States as well.

Poo that oven stinks as it heats to very high temps. I'd better go see if there is a fire in there. I wanted to get it done early before the temps rose. We are up to 27-28C during the day time already although it is still pleasantly cool at night. If I can get the oven done, the fridge cleaned and the furniture in place, and finish painting the outdoor setting, today will have been a productive day. I like productive days.

Good morning girls,

Happy wedding anniversary to my sister - married twenty years today. I'm sure the time has flown for her. I keep thinking she got married 10 years earlier until she reminded me that would have truly made her a child bride. Not good with numbers and ages and things like that.

Yesterday I got my 10 year service award pin at work. A small tie tack with a tiny diamond chip. Didn't even get a lunch. That's ok, this is a milestone - I now get to keep my company's contributions to my retiree medical savings account and that's a good thing. Also a co-worker compared her husband's insurance plan to ours and they are paying about 1/4 of what we are being gouged for the same plan at our place. It appears that our company is pushing the bulk of the cost of medical down on our shoulders. I read an article online that said companies are starting to do this so that they can drop employee coverage altogether. Thanks guys. Way to earn our loyalty, eh?

Well we had a windy night before last and a windy day all yesterday - the yard looks like we had a tornado - but nothing like you guys got up north. It seems Wisconsin caught it much harder than Illinois did. My sister said the promised "storm of the century" never materialized.

Shad - can't answer your question of book exchanges but brick and mortar bookstores of old are quickly disappearing. I think we are down to one chain of stores and even they are in bankruptcy or near it. Like record stores (which have become extinct) people are ordering online or not buying at all. Kind of sad actually I look forward to a Penquin DVD. Good on yah for such busy cleaning there matey.

Michelle- I hope the winds die off for you. How scary to sit at work and worry about the pups and the house. Glad nothing too serious happened. You sure get the storms up your way - I guess the rain too a break and let the wind take over for a bit

Laura - I will take your sweet white wines - I'm a white zin girl and like Reislings too. No reds or drys for me thanks. I have a rather large bottle of some red you are welcome to. I asked DH to pick up a small bottle for a recipe and he got the giant economy size And my friend told me a red turns to vinegar quite quickly once opened so I'm looking for a thirsty friend to bequeath Bad to be downtown with the high winds. They used to put ropes up by the IBM building for people to hang on to. I almost got blown into Wacker drive once. The wind got hold of my maxi coat and blew me like a sail. I had to grab on to a light pole and hang on for dear life. Windy city indeed

Annie - thinking about you GF and hoping last night at work was uneventful - no unwanted customers. on the Toto remark - how appropriate Ok, almost spit my coffee reading back about you driving the Big O tire van home. Would have been more fun if we were all packed inside peeking out the windows

Ceejay - squeeze every drop of fun out of the vacation.

Good morning Miss Mel - did you style your hair in a nice updo for the office? I think you should go in looking like Flo the waitress just to confuse them Hope you are doing fine this morning.

Well now that I got the trash all collected and ready for DH to take out, guess I'd better get to the humping part of the day. Wait ... what? Not THAT kind of hump day???? Never mind then

GOOD MORNING CHICKLETTES
I WOKE UP OVER AN HOUR LATE AND THE PC TOOK OVER 1/2 AN HOUR TO LOAD AOL!! HAVE TO RUN. GOING TO THE OFFICE. HAVE A GREAT DAY!

morning every one
Had a fun day with my sis yesterday despite the wind. My sister and her dh have a willow tree and it was in full motion. It turned colder over night.

My nephew's wife is an actress in the show at Silver dollar City and brought us a couple of tickets but it's suppose to be in the 40's before morning. The show is outside and I'm a little leary but I do want to go. I did bring my winter coat. and if we go shopping again today I might buy some ear muffs and gloves.

My sis had to get in some kind of continuing hours yesterday so I went with her and afterwards went to Hobby Lobby. I bought some things, and we came across the puzzle's. To my suprise they had another nephew's puzzle's in stock so I bought two of those. We may stop at Walgreen's to see if they have anything.

Michelle
Thought about you yesterday with all this wind blowing. It was fierce here.
Things seem to be on the calm side this morning.

To all the rest Hope you all have a good day.
My sis thought she would have to do clinical's Thursday but she has enough hours. She's getting to take off all week. yipee.

Hump/Trash/Find stuff that blew away day.......

CVS was uneventful. Stalker did not show up. He has tonight, Thur, Sat & Sun to find me tho. I think he got the message loud and clear. No one else has seen him in the store either. What is it about me that attracts all the idiots. All I am asking God for is just ONE decent man to date. How hard is that?

We had 6 confirmed tornados in Indiana. All were in northern Indiana, the closest one was in Kokomo which is about 30 minutes from Humana and about an hour from where I live. They tore a lot of stuff up, but no fatalities.

Ceejay...what? you may stop at WALGREENS?....I mean what the heck is up with that? I am sure you meant to say CVS. Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry. Have a great time with sister and family.

MELLIE...I know you are not running to the office. You might roll extra fast, but that is it. Don't give too much of yourself to them...

Happy...congrats on the 10 year anniv. at work. That is saying something these days. Most people only make it about 5 years before getting the boot. I, like you, love the sweet crisp wines, but can make myself drink the other. It is just too dry and bitter tasting for me.

Shaddie...enjoy your day and don't accomplish too awful much cause if you do that means you worked too hard and didn't relax enough. We have half price book stores that take donations but darned if they are not picky about the donations they accept. How rude!!

Chelle....glad everything was ok at home. Especially the doggies. Do they have storm anxiety? Big O did get the alignment correct this time. All is good. No Big O vans to drive today. I will post the tetrazini recipe shortly...

Laura...I put all my wine in the fridge. I just don't like room temperature anything to drink, including wine. I figure I live by myself and that is the way I like it so who really cares. My SIL gives me a raft of crap about refrigerating my wine.

Well I have a slough of renewal letters to get out for dental and vision. I best be getting at it. Thank God for mail merge.

Have a marvelous, peaceful, calm day that Chelle spoke of.

Love and Hugs

Good day ladies -

Thank goodness it's Wednesday! And even better that I'm leaving early for a PT appointment. It's still crazy windy outside. I heard on the radio yesterday that some people in Chicago were referring to this crazy wind storm as a "Chi-clone" (pronounced "Shy Clone"). At least it's not hitting us with rain and/or the "s" word. They're getting the "s" word in Northern WI. Too dang early in the year if you ask me. But tomorrow the highs are supposed to be in the mid 40s, with lows well below freezing! We're going to have to bring the outdoor potted plants indoors.

Shad - How nice of your DS's to put together a couple bookcases! DH brought in the door...and he'll have to try and fix the aluminum frame that the wind bent a bit.

Happy - Sending your sister Happy Anniversary wishes! Congrats on your 10 year anniversary at work.

Laura - You, Shad and Happy can have my share of all the wine. I'll take brewskis and mudslides (not mixed together - LOL). After many years of enjoying white and white zin wines, and breaking out in a head to toe rash after one glass...I realized I was allergic to wine (okay, so I'm really slow). Beer doesn't bother me, so I enjoy it.

Mel - Bummer about slow AOL. Don't work too hard today.

Ceejay - I'm enjoying reading about the nice times you're having with your family!

Annie - The wind's been so bad, the garbage companies told people NOT to put out their garbage yesterday or today. I saw the TV footage of the tornado damage in Indiana! I didn't know your state got hit so hard. Glad to hear you are safe. The nearest CVS is about 20-30 minutes away, and there are Walgreens on every street corner, so I, unfortunately, usually go to Walgreens. But after the first of the year, since our mail order maintenance meds pharmacy is CVS Caremark, we will be able to get discount maintenance meds at any CVS store, so we don't have to go through mail order, which will be nice. My doggies do have storm anxiety, so I worry a lot about them.


Gotta get ready for a 1:00 meeting, and then it's on to PT and then to home.

Love and hugs,

Yikes Chelle...hope my trash bin did not get blown away today. That would be the second one in a two week span. I will go in debt buying trash bins. lol

Oops, day got away from me! Must be the wind, LOL.

Another windy day here, but no rain, so I did ride my bike to the train station. This might be the last week of cycling for me. DST doesn’t end until next Sunday, 11/7, but still, it’s getting dark early and I just don’t like cycling in the dark. Especially when people rake their leaves into the street for pickup and I have to go around the piles AND avoid cars.

Yesterday we took doggy for a short walk - too windy (and dark and chilly) to take our usual walk. And bf had a hard time picking up after the dog because the plastic bag was being blown around, LOL. After that I did a BE workout. There was a pushup routine, so my chest was sore first thing today and ab soreness came along this afternoon.

Last night I got my music and podcasts onto my phone’s ipod - yay. I also learned the phone didn’t need any updates, contrary to what the guy in the phone store told us.

I also booked flights for bf and I to use my expiring frequent flyer miles. I haven’t flown anywhere for quite a while, so they were expiring due to lack of activity w/ the airline. I feel sort of guilty because bf’s sister had asked if she could buy some from me a while back and I honestly didn’t even think I had enough miles for a flight, which is what I told her. Then I get an electronic (recorded) phone message last month saying my miles expire at the end of Oct. So I go online and see I had enough for one ticket and part of another. So I booked one flight with all miles and another with part miles, part cash. Unless we change our minds, we’ll be going to the Pacific NW in May. This is an area of the US both bf and I have always wanted to see, so I’m sort of excited about it and glad I booked the flight even though it felt very seat-of-the-pants for me.

This morning I woke up and realized that even though my foot is hurting and the elliptical might not feel so good on it, I could exercise using the upright or recumbent stationary bicycle. Duh. Not sure why it didn’t occur to me sooner… Anyway, I will haul my gym gear to work tomorrow and go to the fc for a cardio workout.

Okay, I took a photo of the grocery bag holder I sewed this past weekend and managed to e-mail it to myself. Not the best photo - just took it where it currently hangs next to the door of the 3-season room.

I'll catch up and do personals tomorrow. Everyone have a good day/evening!

Morning all,
Back at work again. Early meeting at 8.00am this morning. And not much has changed here. I'm not sure which is worse being here to hear the excuses or being at home now the DS1's partner has arrived. Still I will adopt Happy's mantra - out with the grumbling and in with the gratitude. Nothing lasts forever.

Yesterday I had a fairly good day. I got all but the placement of one piece of furniture accomplished and also managed to prune the tomatoes and roses and help DS2 build a block wall and mix some concrete. DS1 went to have lunch with a friend and then he and I had some together time when DS2 went to tennis in the evening before he had to go pick up DP1. He was late leaving and was probably in the sh*t for not being there to scoop her off the plane but I went to bed before they got back so I don't know for sure. She sure is needy.

Happy - congratulations to your sister on the years of married bliss. Must be something in your family upbringing.

Annie - have fun chasing the rubbish bin down the road. Watch out for stalkers on the way.

Michelle - Glad the damage wasn't too bad for you and the house during the winds.

Laura - got blown away by the day huh? No wind down here. Isn't it amazing what people in phone places will say to get new business. Always pays to try before taking that advice. I just give thanks for an IT DS - even if he is rabbiting on about virtual storage and an IT bloke who fixes the stuff I break.

Ceejay - I hope you had fun at the outdoor theatre. And that you wrapped up well

Mel - busy little bee. Hope you are behaving yourself out there

I'd better go and sort out a few things. The management company I use have invited me to a drink and nibblies night on the river tonight, so I can't go home early. I'll be back

GOOD MORNING CHICKS
ANOTHER MORNING ON THE RUN. WOKE UP LATER AGAIN. IF THIS KEEPS UP I'LL HAVE TO BUY AN ALARM CLOCK!
I WILL TRY AND CATCH UP WITH YOU OVER THE WEEKEND. TODAY AND TOMORROW IS THE OFFICE AND TONITE ARE THE MONTH'S END MEETINGS. MY EYES AREJUST FEELING TOO GRITTY TO READ SO NO PERSONALS RIGHT NOW.
HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Hi there chicks,

Happy Thursday as we 'round the bend through another week. I think the winds have finally died down - big mess of leaves to pick up but plenty more still in the trees. We are getting a touch of color down here - some reds but I think it's going to be a rather dull season because everything is so parched from lack of rain.

Shad - just when does this contract end at the current job? Sounds like they have nothing for you to do or is it that they are just so far behind they are not ready for you? How was your riverside outing last night?

I called my sister to wish her a happy anniversary. She had us both in a fit of giggles over stories of trash bins chasing her and getting run over in the street with the winds they had up that way. It was like the movie "Night of the Living Dead" but starring trash bins instead "I'm coming to get you Barbara..." One thing my sister and I can do is get each other laughing until we are crying and coughing and wheezing.

Ah Laura - wish you had asked - best to visit the Pacific NW in August - least amount of rain. They get a heavy mist instead of rain. It's beautiful up that way - am sure you'll enjoy it. If you get the opportunity take a trip up to Victoria, British Columbia and go visit the Butchart Gardens - breathtakingly beautiful. Shad and I have vowed to meet up that way one more time before we settle into our respective corners of the earth. And Birkenstock makes some closed shoes - not many of them but they do have a few styles. Zappos.com is a good place - very liberal return policy if you don't have a Birkenstock store nearby. Your grocery bag is adorable!

Michelle - you cracked me up with your FB comment this morning. I think I will grin about it all day. My cousin got some of that cold white stuff up his way - storm knocked the power out for a couple of days too. I hope the winds have blown off by now - poor puppies. Wish I could give you some advice on the inversion tables. I think one of my friends had one - but maybe that was someone at work and now I can't remember who Is your shot taking now?

Annie - glad you got back all the stuff that tried to blow away and that the winds have apparently blown away the stalker. You comment about one decent guy from God reminded me of a story in one of those emails you get from friends. Something about a couple hearing that Jesus would visit. They were hurring around preparing when a homeless man showed up at the door, said he was hungry and asked for a scrap of bread to eat. They were very annoyed, were rude to him and threw him out as they were busy preparing for a king. You can guess the rest - the homeless man was Jesus. Now I'm not saying God sent the stalker as the answer to your prayers but maybe someone you might overlook might be the one he sent. Yah know? I guess you have to be most specific in your prayers Anyway I hope a good one comes your way soon...

Ceejay - did you get to the outdoor show? Brrrr a bit too cold and windy for me I'd think. Hope your vacation is going slowly.

Good morning Mel. Hope you PC comes up quicker. We miss you

Ok I have to get running - be back later chicks.