Happy Thursday ladies -

Yay! It's Friday for me. I'm taking tomorrow off to get a 4 day weekend! Ahhhhh. I didn't make it to the gym last night for cardio. My leg, hip, back and rear end were very sore...so I stayed home and did some stretches. I hope I can get back to the gym and SOON! I walked to the Wellness Center for physical therapy yesterday, and I'm going to be doing that today as I don't have my car (I carpooled). It's supposed to rain today, but hopefully, it won't rain during my walk there and back.

Tens of thousands of motorcycle riders have come to the Milwaukee area this weekend for the 105th anniversary of Harley Davidson. There are concerts and parties/festivals all over the area. The county fairgrounds right near our house turned itself into a campground for the bikers. There were even more here 5 years ago for the Harley 100th Anniversary. It's nice to see so many people enjoying riding on the open country roads. They follow the laws and the parties are fun even for non-bikers like me. DH and I plan to find some Harley festivities to enjoy this weekend, when we're not fishing that is.

Rennie - I'm glad to hear Bella is doing better. I didn't know that Scotch helped take away the skunk smell. Just like Mel said, I thought you were going to say the Scotch was for you!

Shad - Sounds like things are frantic now. I'm sure glad they have you to keep them calm and keep things under control. You've got quite a lot of dialects/accents you're listening to there. Must be tough trying to communicate clearly. Hang in there. You are so correct that birthdays shouldn't fall during go live. I once launched a MAJOR WEBSITE on my birthday....I was up for over 24 hours the day before and day off my birthday doing last minute tweaking. Then I got to go home and sleep for 4 hours before coming back for a GO LIVE LAUNCH PARTY, which was mandatory regardless of how exhausted we were. After the launch party, DH wanted to take me out to dinner....I just wanted to sleep. I'll never forget that awful birthday over 10 years ago.

Mel - I love autumn too. The Wisconsin fall colors are breathtaking - almost as beautiful as I remember growing up in Vermont. But I'd still like to have a few more weeks of summer before the air gets crisp and cool and the leaves start turning. My tomatoes have only just started to ripen for goodness sake! We need more summer, please. Glad to hear your relaxing today. Good for you!

It's getting time for me to get to work.

to Annie, Ceejay (hope your birthday was nice), Ruth, Madcat, Carla and everyone!

Love and hugs,

Happy Thursday to All.........

Happy...doesn't it feel great to be normal? and fire in the hole, don't be surprised if it is fire coming out of the hole too! hahaha We are on EST. Plan accordingly.

Michelle...You would be proud of me...I didn't eat one bite of icecream, and actually made a sunday for one of the managers that had to be on a conference call. Yeah Anne!! It too is my Friday day and a 4 day weekend. DD and I are going to St. Louis to see my Goddaughter's new baby...you know Olivia ANNE. hehe

MEL....come on down/up, would love very much to have you at our social.

Shad...slowdown and catch up with yourself girl.

I have found a great guy, well at least I think I have, but will have to tell you about him later. His name is Jeff.

I may not be back till Tuesday, so everyone have a fantastic weekend.

Gotta get busy.

Love and Hugs to All,

Annie

Ceejay!! Happy (belated) Birthday, nice lady.
I'm sorry am I late with the wishes, but they are sincere none the less.

Hey Annie - :congrats: on skipping the ice cream. You have tremendous willpower, but of course I already knew that about you! I hope you have a wonderful time in St. Louis with your namesake. I can't wait to hear about Jeff!!

I probably won't get a chance to check in tonight, but I will try and check in tomorrow unless we're in the boat fishing all day.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. There was no party cause I had to work, sigh. I'll save this day off for a better time.

Tee hee, my boss is forever telling me to turn down a chemical pump. He told me lower one today. I told him we were in the red on this pump. I didn't hear it pumping on one of my rounds. He burned it up. He thought it was going to pump turned completely off, honestly !!!!

Annie
Good for you in not eating ice cream. Have a fun week end and don't spoil Olivia Anne, but hold her once for me.

I'm so loving this cooler weather. We have had a couple of day's with light fog. The sun is so big and red when it comes up in the morning and while going down in the evening. The day's are diffinately getting shorter.

I FEEL like Alice through the looking glass!!!!

Actually Murphy's law applies today. 1 business day before go live - I have a big class to train. We are only finishing up the doco last night , there is a lightning and thunder show outside, the power goes out. Comes back, goes out. So we work until 9.00pm to get things finished. I leave then and K carries on to pull it all together. She is going to send me a copy of the finished manual when she's done. I get back to the hotel, send out for room service, my laundry hasn't come back, what! forgot to put my name and room number on the form!! Silly me. Laundry is found. Food arrives, it is 10.00pm. Get to bed around 11.00. I'm awake at 3.00am, no more sleep for me. I power up the computer to find the manual - might as well read this sucker and get myself emotionally prepared. Yikes, K has had trouble sending it (12.37am) and it has been declared a virus risk and the text is removed. No manual. Class in 1 hour. K is not a morning person and probably won't be here before 9 when the class is due to start and I don't know the full order or the first part of the course. Of course the rest of it I am fine with. But the first part is not my area of expertise and I didn't write the doco. This will be fun.
In case you hadn't worked it out yet. I am panicking!!!!! Talk about taking it to the wire!

Gotta go. See if I can annoy some natives - they are all getting ready for Ramadan which means that they will fast during the day and only eat after the sun goes down and before it gets up. There will be some grumpy people here next week I'm picking and not all because of SAP!

Shad - if I thought it would help, I'd send you a liquour bottle. Good heavens. I was going to send you some good vibes but by my calculations, you are already mid way through whatever the morning threw at you. Still and

HAPPY...I FORGOT TO SAY A BIG CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW TESTER AND THE RESULTS I AM SO GLAD TO HEAR THIS NEWS YOU MUST BE THRILLED!! I AM TRYING STEALTH MODE AGAIN TODAY WONDER IF YOU CAN FIND ME!!!

ANNIE...CONGRATS ON PASSING UP THE ICE CREAM...ALTHOUGH ANYTIME YOU NEED A FRIEND TO EAT JUNK FOOD FOR YOU...I'M YOU GAL!! WISHING YOU GOOD THOUGHTS WITH JEFF

MICHELLE...YOU ARE A MOTIVATIONAL WONDER TO ME! HAPPY FISHING AND EVERYTHING ELSE YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR THE NEXT 4 DAYS!! I TOOK YOUR LEAD AND CALLED IN SICK THIS MORNING!

CEEJAY..FEELS GOOD TO BE RIGHT ABOUT THE PUMP I BET!! GLAD YOU SAVED THE DAY FOR A TIME WHEN IT WILL BE BETTER APPRECIATED OR NEEDED!!

SHAD...I WROTE A 5 PAGE E-MAIL. BEST NOT READ IT ALL AT ONCE LEST YOU GO BLIND

TO MADCAT!! CARLA!! RUTH!!!


DARK AND A BIT DRIZZLY HERE IN NJ AND THAT IS FINE WITH ME. I JUST LOST MY LOING POST AND HOPING NOT TO LOSE THIS ONE AS WELL. CALLED IN SICK SO I CAN HAVE A 4 DAY WEEKEND TOO. I DID ALL THE HELPING LAST MONTH'S END WITH THE OFFICE. THEY CAN DO THIS MONTH. MI NEEDED A REST AND GRABBED IT. NEVER GOT IT THE 2 DAYS I PLANNED FOR IT. SOMETHING ALWAYS CAME UP. THE DRAMA OF THE TENANTS HAS SUBSIDED NOW. THE DRAGONS MADE NICE TO ME YESTERDAY. THEY WILL ONLY HAVE ME FOR THE NEXT 3 DAYS AND CAME TO THEIR SENSES...FOR NOW THAT IS! HOPING FOR A QUIET WEEKEND.
GOING TO GET SHOWERED AND GET NEW JAMMIES ON. I SAVED THEM FOR THIS OCCASION. ALWAYS MEAKES ME FEEL BETTER SOMEHOW. GS AND I ARE GONNA HAVE A DVD DAY!
HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE AND ENJOY YOUR LABOR DAY WEEKEND!! FOR THOSE OF YOU OUTSIDE THE USA...CELEBRATE WITH US ANYWAY!

Hi all,

Just jumping on before I tear out to St Louie. Jeff is wonderful. He has a really sexy voice, is kind and considerate, and not hard on the eyes. oh, and he kisses so dang great. Shu weeeeeee. I think I am in deep LIKE.

Chat on Tuesday when I get back.

Love and hugs

Hi ladies,

On to the start of a long weekend :banana: carrot: :banana:

Annie - have a safe trip. Give the baby a big hug and take a good sniff of the sweet smelling baby for us Jeff sounds dreamy. We can't wait to hear more.

Thank you Mel. I can always find you - sometimes it takes a little longer than others I'm glad that you decided to take a long weekend yourself. It's about time. Whatcha got planned or are you just going to sit back and relax? I hope your weekend is quiet. Just call me if you need me to shoo people away

Michelle - hope the fishing was good this morning. Enjoy your long weekend. Is the back feeling better? I hope so, long hours in a boat is not the most comfy of accomodations. Yep, the Harley doings are something to see. DH went for the 100th anniversary but had to come back early because of family issues. I know he really enjoyed it and my SIL said they stood on a bridge and just watched thousands of bikes on 94 pass through town. Guess it's good revenue for the city.

Shad - I hope, hope, hope that at this moment you are in bed sleeping and not up and proofreading manuals or fretting about go live. Oh wait, you were the one pillar of sanity in the lot, weren't you? best of luck to you. May it not be TOO horrid

Ceejay - I caught a few sunsets and they have been pretty lately - at least the big red sun. I'm down in the lower level of the gym when the sun comes up so I don't get to catch the sunrise. I too was surprised to see several foggy mornings. Looks like we might catch the very very tail end of hurricane Gustaf. The winds from Fay were quite startling. Clear, blue sky and then all of a sudden WHOOSH. Are you working this weekend?

Enjoy the camping Shy.

Madcat - must be getting to that time of year when it's great to get in a bike ride. Hope you and the DH can sneak one in this weekend.

I didn't want to get up this morning even tho I got enough sleep. I did get up and DH and I were at the gym by 5:30. I did some walking and put in an extra hard workout in the pool. I am trying to push myself to swim more consecutive laps. I know my arms got a good workout and I was huffing and puffing.

I just checked the pool outside (we got off early at the office) and the water has finally warmed up to where it's still pretty cold but it's the lowest temperature that I'd still consider to swim in. I don't know what I'll do. It's too shady now (at this temp you want the sun shining on you to keep you warm). Tomorrow I go get my hair colored and it's usually a good idea to keep out of the chlorine for a few days. Maybe I'll just go splash around the shallow end on Monday just to say that I got in it at least once this year

Anyway - have nothing else to say that wouldn't be just mindless babbling so I'll just wish everyone a nice weekend.

Quick pass through before I gear up for the long weekend. Of course the Hyper Pypers will be here and the two teens are each bringing a friend. They will be tenting it out in the meadow and I'm pulling the inside fuse on the electricity out there so nobody decides to crank up electric guitars at midnight!

Hersh has started her first round of drugs - heavy duty stuff. I have to wear gloves when I touch the pills. Think chemo destroying mutant cells. It's supposed to alleviate some of the symptoms quickly and in five to ten days we'll test her again. She's not feeling very perky today and is sleeping a lot. I am going to try very hard to find her an island of calm in the sea of chaos this weekend. I may move her bed to my room for the visit. I owe her that.

Right now I need to dash off to the booze store for a bottle of rum since my rum cake is on the food request list!

I do hope everyone has a great weekend and that nobody is affected by those darn Gulf hurricanes! Sometimes I'm very glad to live in The Great White North!

Ruth
Hope Hershey does well on those drugs. See that you have moved your ticker. Congratulations.

Every one have a safe week end. I'll be working tomorrow. I'll have sunday monday and tuesday off to recupe.

Rum cake??? Ruth has a recipe for rum cake? Hmmm. I just happen to have an ancient bottle of rum, and could sure use the recipe! Pretty please?
It sounds like Hershey's going to need a lot of pampering while she goes through the course of medication, but such good news that her condition is treatable.

Happy, you go girl!!! I'm so very, very impressed at how well you're doing. Don't worry too much if the weight loss slows a little - it's pretty normal to have a big loss at first before settling in to a steady Rennie-like march towards slimmness. (By the way, expect an email from me soon - today I confirmed rental of the smallest flat in NY, and will forward you the best dates.)

Ceejay, I was beginning to think you'd never get your long weekend off. You really do deserve a nice 5-day thank-you weekend for all the times you've rushed in to help out, but I guess three days will have to do for now!! And by the way, I completely forgot to wish you HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sorry about that!

Madcat, I hope it's not raining down there like it is here... You'd have to resort to indoor sports...

Mel, one of these days you'll be getting the book I mentioned in the mail. I didn't opt for the quickest route - the price was horrendous, and I'm just too cheap. Here's hoping you've enjoyed your DVD-filled, drama-free day in the new PJ's. I have one big unbleached cotton nightshirt I practically live in, and a new one in reserve for the day it gives up the ghost. I'm not as keen on PJ's - the pants and sleeves are always too short, and I end up feeling huge. Or else they're hideously expensive. For travel I have a pair of super-comfy well-worn interns scrubs. By the way, be prepared - I'll need clear instructions on how to get to NJ by public transport next Nov, and I may not be alone...

Shad, it sounds like one of your job requirements is to be an adrenalin junkie! I don't know how you manage the stress. It does sound like this contract may be getting to the end - are you taking a break after, or moving straight on to something else?

Annie, where do you keep finding these great guys? I've seen your pic, so I know you're a babe, but I'm still impressed that you get yourself out there. (I stopped complaining about not meeting a new man some time ago - I finally realized it would involve actually leaving the house and going out in public. ) And yes, I do realize that was a pretty sad thing to admit, but at least I'm not whining about my single state.

Michelle, your job's wellness center sounds fantastic! A real win-win situation, and you're smart to take full advantage. Like you, I enjoy a good deep-tissue massage - when I used to run I got regular massage, and I always felt if she didn't hurt me I hadn't gotten my money's worth. (Another sad note - I haven't had a massage since I put on all this weight. The ultrafit therapist I used to go to was an Ironman triathlete, and my ego couldn't take it. Maybe some day... But on the plus side, the sciatica has mostly let up since I quit the running, so proof once again that every cloud etc)

Shy, I hope the knees are doing okay - do stay off them while they recover a bit! How did Bella get skunked? Did she manage to sneak off-leash? I know skunks really like living under people's porches, is that where it was?

Apart from the rain and my endless desire for carbs, all is well here. No itching from the incisions which are in fact tiny and well-healed. Just a little soreness at the navel. I can't wait to see the doc next week to get permission to be a little more active!
My big cat is on a new med - an anti-depressant, in fact - in the hopes it will help with his relentless OCD-style grooming. So far he's been sleeping a lot, like Hershey, and I hope it'll fix the problem. Poor baby.
I found out recently a neighbour rents out his house in Provence when he's not there, and three of us are planning to head there for three weeks a year from now. The spot looks gorgeous, right in wine country (oops), and I can barely wait.

And that's it for now. Enjoy the long weekend! Wishing you all good weather, good company, and good fun.

Oh please Carla - forget the cake, just drink the rum - why double the calories?
Provence hey - well what fun. I'm sort of working on my next big holiday which would probably include a bit of France and Italy - I'd like to visit Monet's garden at Givenchy and maybe do a tour of chateau and cellars. Who knows though. I will have to do a walking tour after that lot as well. Which reminds me - do you remember us talking about the walk across England tour. Well I found out some info in a Singapore newspaper last week. Here is the websitehttp://coasttocoastguides.co.uk/index.htm and http://brigantesenglishwalks.com/. There are a couple more too if you are interested. I don't have to manage the stress - just slap the other consultants around once in a while. I don't get stressed too often with my job. Once you have the routine down pat, you only have to come to grips with the way the company wants to do things. The training part is always interesting - people are so different. Finance people for example are always busy but happy to come to training. Plant Maintenance people never want to come to training - they always have too much to do and this should not be part of their job! HR people huddle in a group and do their own secret training - not always successfully but.......Warehouse staff do training under sufferance and impatiently. Engineers procrastinate and scientists protest that it will not work for their brand of science. There's nowt sa quare as folks!!!

Ceejay - Good to hear you are getting some time off this week. Make sure you get it and enjoy it.

Ruth - Big pats for Hershey. Hope she gets over the first part of the treatment fast. Good idea removing her from the melee at your place this weekend. How is Disney/Daisy coping with all this fuss?

Drat - I can't see all the other posts even though I have gone to Advanced. I seem to remember Happy was going in the pool - happy swimming. and Mel was in there somewhere too, but I am out of time to fiddle. I'll be back later. Meantime I am thinking of going for a walk. It is raining out there but not heavily and I might wander down the Jalan (street) to see what is on the other side of the footbridge over the highway. I think there may be a shopping plaza over there. Wish me luck. The others are all working. Silly people.

You all are to funny. If I were going to drink it sure wouldn't be nasty scotch lol.

Carla
Bella is a lucky little girl. We have a large fenced in back yard she doesn't have to live on a leash. problem is, all the other animals like the back yard too lol. From time to time the dear even jump the fence to eat the apples off the ground from our apple tree.

Getting ready to leave to go to the camp grounds until Monday sometimes. You all be good and have a lovely holiday.