Good grief, Tig...you'll be running youreslf into the ground and over to see Miss Shad before too long!! WELL DONE to you for the Creaky Bones race. I think you are a star!!! and should feel trmendously proud of yourself !!

Oh LINUS my friend...I don't know what to say to give you any comfort about DS Craig and his love of alcohol and creating mischief right now. At other times he seems such a sensible lad..being on the school exec. panel and all...some councils have a great scheme for young smokers where they are taken into an oncology ward or a heart and lung unit to see for themselves the damage that smoking can do. It sometimes does the trick as the kids see what a terrible life of illness they may face before a premature death. Shock tactics they may be but usually a good result. As Shad said...perhaps one answer may be too have a totally alcohol free zone in the house...could you and DH bare it? And would DS simply go and get it from somewhere else?? Surely he is underage for purchasing it? I am so sorry that you are having such a rough time of it at the moment...all this is probably helping your pain levels to be so out of control, this and the leaking loo and the worries recently over father being in hospital AND the "new house hopes"...I think your body is rebelling! I'll give you a ring tonight...probably after eight 'cos dear mother will be on to me at seven and usually takes nearly an hour....

The concert on Friday night was worth going to! I was so pleased I had actually made the effort to go. Unfortunately everyone in the audience must have heard about Graham Hepburn's usual act of picking on people from the audience to help, as all the back tables were already full and we had no choice but to sit in the very front... However he picked four different people to help him in his performance and they did so as very good sports! Me...I'd have died of embarressment!! He was an extremely gifted pianist and entertainer and he was back at church yesterday to preach and play the piano for the hymns and worship songs. I decided to play my violin and it was a real pleasure to play with such a great musician. He was of course selling his c.d.'s at the end of the concert and I bought one for my Derby friend who has heard him perform before...I even managed to get him to sign it!!

I am sorry I have been MIA all weekend. Friday and Saturday I spent most of the day in bed (again) but did sleep most of it and yesterday was a really busy day playing at church in the morning for 09:30 practice for a 10:30hr service, then at 16:15hrs I was back at church helping at a "treats no tricks" party for 65 children... I got back home at around 20:00hrs and gave up watching HIMALAYA 'cos I was falling asleep on the sofa. Suffice to say that having woken myself up enough to sort the dog out and get into bed I then didn't sleep very well...
Disaster on the scales this morning. I have managed to gain 6lbs since my last weigh about 3 weeks ago..I know I haven't been an angel, food wise and I know I haven't been swimming or done any walks to speak of with the dog but 6 lbs...Ok back to it. Today for breakfast I had a fruit'n fibre cereal bar, and for lundh 1 slice unbuttered bread with a bowl of carrot and coriander soup. Dinner will be a ready made Thai Red Curry with (I hope) rice or cous cous if I haven't any rice!!!

SHAD It was so good to talk with you in the early hours of my Saturday morning!!! Hope you get the fridge mended. Good jiob it was the fridge bit and not the freezer part that had died!! Hope you enjoyed your long weekend at home...your rose garde4n sounds absolutely delightful right now...and must smell as devine!!

MEL I hope you are recovering some of your strength after organising the worlds largest flu jab queue!! Glad you enjoyed your ride out with nature even if they were all bust doing other things!!!

TIG I forgot to say I really hope your DD has good news about her operation and the mass they excised. Grief, how worrying for all of you. I bet she was very releived to have father by her side. How long before you get any results? Remember to keep us informed....you know we are all here rooting for you all.

Well I had better get off and be ready for a knock at the door...no, I am not expecting the grim reaper...(does he knock, by the way??) I am expecting an engineer from a gas installation company to look at sites they can install the gas boiler. One man came and lloked round the house the other day and needs to come back with someone else.....ta ta for now.....Holly's barking.....

'Twas him...and the engineer. They were 30 minutes early and were only here for ten minutes if that long!! I am so looking forwad to having gas central heating..warmth at the touch of a button!!!

Teel, the gas engineer, his offsider and the pianist!! Life is getting exciting for you after all.
I'm up real early on account of the fact that I must get somethings done today that were planned for the weekend. Looking back I have achieved quite a bit, but most of it has been off plan and extras that have been requested.

I finally run the bro to earth yesterday morning and have had a conversation with him. Sorted him out thank heaven and he is amenable to the suggestion that should I take the job in Perth or Melbourne, he will come and live in my house while I organise the renovations from afar. He will have to be the site supervisor. Since he is continually broke, the idea of permanent house sitter for free seemed quite reasonable to him. It will also give him some room for when the kids come to stay. I will however have to organise a cleaning service as his housework skills are not too good.

So, I have weighed and measured this weekend. Did I post them here? I don't think I did. I'll check back and post them later if I didn't.

So today is packing time again. Also I want to stick some tiles to the floor and try to figure out how I am going to finish off the bath surround. That should take care of most of the morning. Fridge man should be here as well. Then some laundry, dishes and cleaning to finish off the housework. Should then be ready to go back and face the next three weeks. Hey who is this little bloke. Just saw him there (blush???!) he looks more like St Pat on St Paddies day.

Okay, time to go get breakfast. Hope to catch up with you all before I go this afternoon. I'll be watching out for you.

thanks for all the suggestions the only problem is dh and myself dont drink in the house and have no alcohol here at all and since i stated taking all the drugs i dont drink alcohol at all so where hes getting it from i dont bloody know weve treid to find out to no avail as for what weve gathered one of the older ones are buying it from the shop for them and weve even treid not giving him pocket money just buying what he wants for him but that didnt work either
for the next saga i got offered the house this morning but unfortunatly dh doesnt want to move there now so i dont know what ill do or what will happen but ill keep you all posted im going now as my family are really pi***ng me off severly as teel will testify to and ill speak to you all after i get out of jail for murder
kirsty

Tig~ Hope the DD is ok and good luck with the test results for her! ((((HUGS))))) for your family. congrats on the race!! Nice job!!! Hope we get to see the creaky bones shirt too! Gotta love the names!! Wonder where they get the ideas for these races! Hope the DH is ok out there too and you are not starving to death yet !!!

Teel~ you are certainly getting a lot of "ecxcitement" in your life! if gas can be exciting! Have fun with the one-touch heating!! Will be lovely to be so warm and cuddly this winter! Good luck. Hope you feel better too.

Linus~ Wish I could send good advice but I know you'll figure out something. (((((HUGS)))) again and if you need bail money to get out of the old bill...let me know! Good luck with it all. Hope you guys get to have the new home.

Shad~ 6wbmo is the info-mercial diet that the kids bought me last year and I lost the 30 lbs with6 WEEK BODY MAKEOVER PLAN BY MICHAEL THURMOND of TV fame in the states. good work finding the DB and making such a generous offer. ZHope it works out for the both of you.

Had a very busy day getting ready for the election, taking a short ride and got invited to eat lunch with friends in the back room. Heroes and soda. Not exactly good food choices but the time was a happy one. also got to see my friend Marilyn who just retired recently. I miss her terribly. We had a good long chat. I even got a wash load done. the electionis 14 hours long and I told them I can no ,onget do that. so I will go down from tim,e to time and do my thing and then come back. BUT....I am NOT starting at 6AM!!!!! so I might give the 3fc a miss tomorrow if it gets too busy. Wondering where Nae is??????Happy is sure to be sorting, flinging and packing her "stuff" for the new move.
Better get the butt in the shower and into bed for some reading.
Have a great day tomorrow!! Good morning Miss Sunshine!!

IS THIS A PIRATE???? LOOKS LIKE HE HAD LEAVES ON HIS HEAD?!?!?!?!? Thought Halloween was over!!!

Hmmmm I think someone is trying to sneak one in on us - our little friend looks quite a bit like the St. Paddy's smilie leprechaun. But then again hey, it's good to recycle, isn't it?

Sorry I've been MIA. I've been lurking but as I am about to post the phone, doorbell or something comes along to distract me. Life has been very, very busy. I think we are aggresive - very aggresive in trying to list our house for sale by next week, yet there is a definite slowdown after the Thanksgiving holiday at the end of the month. The sooner we can get it to market, the more likely we might find a serious buyer before we leave. It's a sure bet the house will sit idle the month of December as it gets cold, wintry and people are busy with Christmas. Not that we are in that much of a hurry but without going into the complications of time, effort and out of pocket money, it would be heavenly if we had a serious buyer for our place before we left. Besides all that's to do wiht the house I have "work" type work to do - things to earn a paycheck at the new company am currently taking some classes to get up to speed for the new responsibilities so the days and nights are quite full and busy. Food is 50 / 50 - I do try and make a healthy supper but often I wait too long in the morning and I am soon starving looking for anything to eat. I eat late and then lunch gets pushed off too. Exercise will have to be bending over boxes, lifting and toting for the time being. Treadmill is once again pushed to the side as we are installing a ceiling in the basement. Anyone want a really pretty, recently renovated house? We have the very best neighbors next door. Besides the 3 year old boy who is in love with me his parents are the best people you could ask to be neighbors too. It will be hard to say goodbye tho we will try to see them at least once a year as I will be back here to see my family.

As for you folks. Linus, I am sorry about your son. My DH was 25 and still drinking like a fish. I can't tell you how many MAJOR blowouts we had over drinking. I never minded him going to the pub - he loved playing billiards - I just could never understand why a few hours would not suffice - why did he have to close the bar down? Don't know what to tell you - it's some sort of foolish comraderie they have with their friends, it's the social aspect, the sense of belonging and worse of all, it's the bloody immortality they have which is soooooo frustrating. Things like alchohol poisoning from excess, fatal car crashes, and just plain stupidity never enter their minds. I too was young and foolish myself and subscribed to the "it's not going to happen to me" also. They just have to work it out for themselves while you pray that God watches out over drunks and small children. I'm sorry, I wish I had a magic answer for you. Sorry to hear that DH does not want to move either. When does Kirsty have a say in the house as to what she wants? Must we all rally round and give your family a good tongue wagging - 3FC style? It may not be pretty

Shad, I forgot to ask you - are you looking at staying in the same field of work - just permanent instead of contracting? Would you be doing doco and training or are you looking to do something totally different? Hope the very best comes through for you. Are you enjoying spring? Why are the tomato plants coming out? Loved your latest pictures by the way.

Mel, have fun but please don't over extend yourself trying to help everyone out. If you will work the polls do it in short spurts - don't get sucked into a 14 hour day. And stay away from political discussions. Things sure are heated this election as most people have strong opinions. Sounds like you are overdue for a Mel-i-day very, very soon. Are you going back on 6WBMO again? It really worked for me but works much better as a summer diet. In the winter I want warm food and that's where I fell off the wagon last year. I may try it again in the spring. We can cheer each other on.

Tig, congrats on completing your race. You are something to aspire to. Bet the T-shirts are really cute, can't wait to see them.

Teel, so glad to hear you out and playing again. You usually seem to have a better time when you get out and mix with the folks of the world. Hope your heating is all fixed. Nothing like the aaaahhhhhhhh feeling of warm air coming out of the furnace on a cool fall day. Almost as good as a fresh, warm blanket right out of the dryer.

Meadow, good on yah for resisting the doughnuts. We don't have Tim Horton's here but I hear they are divine. I think it's a good rule of thumb to avoid most white things as white flour and white sugar are for the most part empty calories. Be strong, they say the cravings subside after a few days. Good luck to you.

Can't scroll down enough to see Nae's last post so I'll just say to keep us entertained with your vivid descriptions of the wide open spaces your way and don't work too hard going into the office on your day off.

With that ladies I will bid you a good couple of days. Will be back in a few. BTW for those that asked, Mum is still not admitting to anyone in the family that I am leaving, tho she will discuss it with me as if nothing is amiss. Tho she did say that she'd enjoy taking the train down to visit me. It's a lovely ride I might wind up taking myself if I do a long weekend visit myself over the summer.

Well I reckon that the Irish Leprachaun MR BLUSH has brought me good luck 'cos my smilie link has worked so far this morning!!

Did I confess yesterday to having gained 6 lbs? Well I got on the scales just now and seem to have lost just over 1 lb so hopefully by next week the scales will be recording a much more reasonable number...

HAPPY SO good to read a great long post from your good self!! Please though don't get too excited 'cos it was only 1 church service I played in!! It is such a grey horrible looking day here in England I rang up my gardener and told him not to bother coming. I didn't have too much for him to do and the thought of him being "sogged" into the ground was too much!!
I am sad that your mum is still not acknowledging your move to Tennessee..( I can still spell it!!) Its not like you are moving to the other side of the world...like England!! Can't you woo her over with the idea of holidays in Southern Belle land?? It must be making the whole job much harder for you and DH. Looks like the "heavy mob" will have to give her a good talking to!!

LINUS...I am here awaiting your phone call!! I DO hope your family has settled down A LOT since when I was on the other end of the phone last night! From what I heard they ALL need their heads banged together.. I DO hope DH can bring himself to a different way of thinking..this new house is a chance of a lifetime and yes, who cares really about it not being able to get the highest internet connection in the universe...surely its family life and general happiness that counts...frivolities can always be made up later..families do not simply come on tap...and NEW houses are a chance to be snapped up and jumped at...the chance in a lifetime is here and will not, in my humble experience, be repeated EVER!!! Ok! I will get off my podium now and give the next man a chance!!
I hope the pains are settling down a bit. I am usually miserable enough for everyone on this thread without you being unhappy too

Oh I forgot to say that the heating installation has not even started yet!! I wanted a quote from a couple of firms and there is a 28 day wait to get the British Gas (now under TRANSCO) round. That day comes on the 9th November I think, and 2 days later a different department comes to lay the pipeline to a meter on my front wall. I am SO hoping to have it done by Christmas. I will be paying off the bill FOREVER but I am so looking forward to the "controlability"of separate radiators in every room and even a gas cooker when my present one eventually gives up the ghost, which I actually hope it will not for a good while yet!!

MISS MEL I hope you have not worn yourself out totally over the last few days. And please, as Happy has already said, DO NOT throw yourself into a 14hr day over the USA elections today when America wakes up!! I wonder who is going to be the winner? Kerry and Bush appear to be neck and neck as far as we are hearing Anyway, Miss Mel, wrap up warm when you venture out and DON'T get over involved!!! See we all know you too well now!!

SHAD I bet you are very pleased that DB is willing to take on the "house-sitting" job when you go to your new position in either Perth or Melbourne...that must be a weight off your mind! Which would you prefer by the way, Melly or Perth? When do expect to actually finish this contract for good and go on to your next challenge?

MEADOW and ROSEBLUSH how are you? We don't seem to have heard from your good selves for a while..hope you are well and batting down the hatches ready for the winter and the bears to come looking!!

Well I guess I had better go and do something with my day. Don't know what!! Nothing really specific to do. Be back soon! T.T.T.T.!!

good evening folks welcome to **** me and dh have argued all day and then me and craig stated straight afterwards the long and short of it is that we are not moving and the most important reason is up to date 9 houses have been broken into {a little fact that the housing association didnt think to tell us} and im not prepared to split up the family for a house so ill be in a bad mood for a while just so dh doesnt think hes won
with craig weve giuven a little and gave him back his internet connection but not his phone and hes still grounded but he seems to be a lot happier so well wait and see as if he comes home tomorrow with a letter tellling us hes been back in trouble again {LIKE TODAY}ill kill him let alone ground him so sort of peace and quite for now as my nerves wont take anymore of this and now i will have to decorate the livingroom
thanks for the support girls and a special thanks to teel whos phonecalls have been my lifeline
kirsty

Ah Bless you Kirsty! You are welcome anytime!

I feel completely "off my head" today. It was 11:30hrs before my body woke itself up enough to get me out of bed I think it must be the new pills I am on...remember the g.p. finally swapped the oxycontin for M.S.T. Deary me it's either one thing or the other, never a happy medium!!

It is though a lovely sunny Autumn day here today in England I might scratch up enough energy to take me and the dog for another walk...we had better go in a different direction to yesterday or she'll be getting bored, he he he!!

LINUS I am sorry that the new house project fell through with such an enormous bump! Even though you decided for the right reasons it must still be a disappointment for you and Craig...especially as you were so hoping to get out of redecorating the place!!! What colour paint have you decided on?Hang on in there, my friend...it WILL come right in the end.

It is such a good job my social worker cancelled the appointment for this morning....I'd have never made it 6 miles away for 10:30hrs!!! She rang yesterday and reorganised it for Monday ...gave me the choice between 10 a.m. or 3 p.m. Guess which one I decided on!!! Then she is away for 3 weeks...this week my support worker is away but it covered 2 Fridays...ho hum.

Come on in everyone!! Time to post!!

Love from Teel

That flu bug that the rest of the family had two weeks ago jumped on me yesterday... I have a runaway nose and a cough, couldn't sleep last night because of all the snuffling, finally took a tylenol sinus pill and konked out. I managed to exercise on Monday and well yesterday was a bust as will be today. Do you ever get the feeling that life is conspiring against you? I will rise to try again

Mel-how did it go with the election stuff? Our news up here was all about it... Kerry/Bush who will it be! Hope you manage to keep those lineups in check, that was really something to see. Dedication to democracy in action.

Linus-that sucks about the house being in a crime laden zone! Good thing you found out now before you were actually in the midst of that. So you get to go prowl through paint samples now? Fun, will you go for sandy beige or terra cotta orange? Hugs to you and big hug for your son and his confused condition, thinking alcohol is the way to being cool?! Has he been watching those soap operas on TV, they are always drinking.

Teel-good morning sleepy head, that certainly was some lie in! might want to cut back on the dosage of your meds, they sound pretty potent. My sister suggested I take some Nyquil last night because I was so messed up with my cold but I knew I wouldn't be able to get up to get the kids off to school if I did. Fingers crossed that the gas lines are installed and you are a toasty, happy camper in your abode soon.

Happy-I wish I could move into your house, sounds very lovely. The southern mansion you are moving into will be even better because all southerners are friendly and pleasant. They are just brought up that way. You will be so content down there you will start drinking mint julups and calling everyone precious

Shad-Back to work and the grind. Any chance of another excursion out and about to take your mind off the merry-go-round you are on at the office?

Tig-I hope your daughter is recovering well and that the stuff they removed won't stop her from doing anything she wants in the future. It is the not knowing that drives you up the wall, may the results come back soon. Great going on your running/walking the marathon, that is fabulous that you have that kind of energy.

Just a little touch of AB to finish off my post with style

good evening chickies and what an evening it is the family are all sort of back to normal dh and i have not said one cross word to each other since ten last night and craig now he ahs contact with the outside world via his comp hes a happier camper too and poor conner who has been the voice of neutraluity can breathe a sigh of releif and you would not beleive the amount of people that have told me horribil things about the new house and area and i just think to myself why didnt they tell us all this stuff when we were thinking of moving along there so it seems that a narrow escape was had by all ive now got the mammoth task of putting this place to rights as ive kinda been letting things slip as i wasnt planning on being here so i defrosted the freezer and gutted the kitchen tonight and am going for paint for the livingroom tomorrow i am sticking to the original paint scheme as in beige, brown and cream
so ill pick up the colours that i had originally picked for the room
so ive just ordered the shopping online and that will be delivered tomorrow morning and the plumber was here this morning so the loo doesnt leak anymore and the stair lights were fixed this morning and teel is on the phone so im off
kirsty

I am back from my travels and over-extending myself! I only worked a 12 1/2 hour day instead of a 14 guess you know by now Bush won. There were some heated discussions but no fights here. NJ is basically Democratic so Kerry walked away the winner here. (sigh) Just glad it's all over with. We got fed 3 meals so no one went hungry. No one showed up to relieve me which wasn't unusual. But I took breaks from them and came up stairs to get some down time in. Today I lost the whole day somehow. Many people with many problems, food shopping, putting it all away.........just endless it seemed. I am very tiored and will take good advice from you chicks and make it a 4 day Mel-i-day!! I could use a few more groceries but I need to get more organized with an on-plan grocery list. If not this week then Tuesday. Shoprite is cheaper anyway!

Happy~ Yes I need the time and you are right! Glad things are progressing and wish you much luck with a buyer!!! Hope school, work and moving all mesh together and go smoothly! Hang in there!! I will think of your butterfly garden and all your yard work!!!

Teel~ Hope you feel good and continue to lose what you gained!! I am trying to do the same. We are the yoyo dieters!!!
Good thing the appt was cancelled! LOL Hope you do well at the next one! I was thinking of a few of you yesterday and that's why I kept taking breaks. i was telling myself over and over...don't over do it!

Linus~ Sorry to hear about the house and area!! Maybe things worked out for the best. Craig may be needing some comfort in staying in the same place while his life gets sorted out. Hope he lives to see his next birthday and you don't throttle his scrawny neck! LOL Hang in there too!!

Meadow~ AB in a close up!! Love it!!! He had a hole in his nose almost where I have one in mine!! I feel like we are kindred souls now! Hope you keep feeling a bit better every day! Why is it always seem that the Moms get the virus last and everyone else is OUT of the house and must fend for herself! LOL get well soon!

Well chicks...I am beat and need to shower still. Early bed I think and some light TV or reading. Gotta do the BILLS tomorrow!!! If I don't things will certainly get shut off! Had a $60 phone bill and need to get some of it paid from the office. Some was work related. Where is everyone else????????
Have a great day tomorrow and TGI Thursday!!! LOL

Short post. I'm in Melbourne and working again. Only a three day week this time which is good.
I've been burning bridges. I've given my notice here. Finishing on 26th of November. I have turned down the Melbourne job because I don't feel that I can commit to the job for the length of time that Helen needs (she's my friend and would be my boss lady.) The Perth job has been put on hold and I have applied for a three month contract in Brisbane. Bridges gone - nothing may happen. I may be home alone after November!!!
Still I feel less depressed and happier with my decisions. Have I done the right thing? don't know, but I do know I have done them. Time will fix the rest and answer the questions.

Gotta go. See ya

Shad~ Keeping the fingers and toes crossed till you make a decision! good thing I don't need my feet! Good luck!

I started my Meliday today after spending an hour "fixing" things!!! god....will they ever grow up??? Probably not if I keep helping them! "Here she comes to save the day...It's Mighty Mel is on the way" Someone sang me this song the other day. It's from the cartoon Mighty Mouse. Well I have all my bills done, started cooking and made a London broil. Tossed a salad and spent time with Jen. Even had time with the birds. They've been lonely with no one ever home here! LOL
Hope you all have a great day!