Annie....now you snuck in here too!!!
Praying the storm isn't too bad out by you gals.
Sending lots of rainy thoughts!!!
Our storm might not be as bad as was first expected.
But this storm seems to be very unpredictable.
Stay safe out there today and good luck.
Yes....I am staying home & indoors!
Phone is off and not on the door already!!:BEACH:

Wow, those snow amounts are impressive.

Michelle
So glad that you are going to counceling. Sometimes I wish I had that opportunity. Either that or a punching bag. hee hee. my bff in Jonesboro goes every week.


Happy
Hope you have a good anniversary.

Mel
can't blame you for not taking on any more responsiblity. I've decided that since they call this a baby sitting job that I'm baby sitting.

----
After I found that the tub had been retiled, I also noticed that the ceiling was scraped. It needed it as the pop corn part of the ceiling was beginning to peel. There's no vent in there. I'm pleased. I almost left them a big note on the wall saying thank you. But I'll call Mr land lord after the job is done and tell him thank you.

We're getting some rain this morning. It's 55 degree's now but tonight it's supposed to be 31. Good ole Arkansas weather.

Didn't ride the bike last night as I didn't have time after watching the Biggest Loser. I did do the exercise dvd though for 20 minutes.

Morning all.

Mel - Glad the phone is off - have a nice quiet day. The brown isn't any better now that the sweater is mostly dry - it's on the reddish side of brown. Wondering if dyeing it black now would turn it black or make it a better shade of brown? I already have a black boiled wool cardigan, so I might just leave well enough alone.

Happy - Happy Anniversary to you and your dh. Have a wonderful day!
That salad sounds good. Naturally it sounds good when someone else is making it, lol. I agree that a lot of the tv shows out there deal with very disturbing topics - bf likes Criminal Minds and Law & Order SVU. I watch both with him occasionally, but not regularly. It's not my thing. I like sitcoms and some of the reality shows (currently we're watching "Worst Cooks in America"). I've thought it might be fun to try chocolate with a hint of spice in it, but I'm not sure about cookies...Though I liked the "savory cookies" that my sis made, but they weren't mixing the sweet with the spicy.

Annie - I didn't plan on working at home, so here I am at the office. I'm pretty sure we will be advised to leave early if we are concerned about getting home safely. I don't expect any problem with the trains, but we'll see if I get any alerts. You be careful driving! Yeh, I'm not worried as much about my driving as I am about other people's driving - going too fast for conditions, or the usual stupid stuff - distracted driving. Can't believe C's daughter works showing apartments. Does she have to tell them about cleaning deposits??? How long did she live in that house for it to get so disgusting? Congrats on your 5-year anniversary. Hang in there!

Michelle - Yeh, we're gonna get hit with a lot of snow, and it was really coming down when I arrived downtown today. Sorry you got lost and couldn't check out another doggy day care facility. I'm glad the counseling session helped you. You've got so much going on in your life these days, it's nice to sort it all out with someone instead of letting all the feelings get buried in the day-to-day minutiae.

Ceejay - Nice new tile - how about that! Sounds like you didn't expect that - I thought it would be a multiple-day project if there was old tile to remove, new tile to glue, and then the grouting... Enjoy it!

Shad - Wow, glad nothing went amiss with the unlocked doors! Don't let ds live that down! I'm surprised to hear you don't see many insects with weather like that in Darwin. I don't much care for Florida for that reason. Your sushi sounded good because it's a cooked version, but I actually don't much care for the seaweed it's rolled in. I think I'd like to make some lettuce wraps sometime. Sort of like an Asian version of tacos, but probably more healthful without the crispy taco shells. Re pizza, I'm mostly traditional with my toppings, but for some reason, I do like Hawaiian pizza. The pizza in Italy is amazing - a great crust that's not loaded down with all those toppings.

---
Not much to report today. I've got a WW meeting & weigh in today at 12:30. I did eat breakfast today, but have also been drinking lemon water/lemon tea this morning.

During dinner with my friends on Saturday, we began talking about a little spa getaway, and my friend D got right on with the research and now we've agreed on a spot and are firming up the weekend. It's looking like late April. Bf better plan some sort of fun thing with his friends or I'm going to be feeling guilty. But he's the one who's against leaving Coal alone for a few days with his mother and a competent dog walker so we could actually go away with each other...

Well, I've gotten a notice for jury duty. In a couple weeks I have to phone in to see if I have to appear the next day. Not too thrilled about that because it's the courthouse that's in a rotten location in the city, not the one out in my area.

Okay, back to work.

Ceejay - I'm really surprised that your employer doesn't offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). It's a confidential program whereby you can get up to a certain number of free or very inexpensive counseling sessions per year for things like stress management, etc. (in my case, I was able to get 10 free visits in 2012, and then another 10 free visits for 2013). I'm hoping to stretch out my visits enough so they'll last until I move. Going to counseling has really really helped, and it's been a blessing that I haven't had to pay for it.

Laura - Safe travels my friend. I heard a lot of flights have been cancelled and the photos/videos from Chicago look like it's bad down there.

Hi all,

Thanks for the anniversary wishes. And a particular thanks to Miss Mel for remembering - very cute graphic and I like your new avatar too Not sure if we will go out or stay in. We got a couple of inches of snow overnight and this morning but nothing like they are getting pounded down south. I'm ready to be done with this but we have at least 2 more months, maybe 3 of this. The temps are starting to warm up a few degrees so spring is on the way.

Michelle - glad that EAP is helping you. I have tried to use them on 2 different occasions and got nowhere. One time we couldn't even get a counselor to call us back to set up an appointment and the other time we were offered 2 free sessions for evaluation purposes but had to pay (a pretty high rate) after that. DH worked for a big name company and so did I and both of the programs were of no benefit so I'm not sure what's up with that. You are lucky to get 10 sessions each year. Hope you find something that works out for you with the doggie day care. I think that's why we liked cats - they don't mind being by themselves and as DH points out - you don't have to walk them. Not that walking is a bad thing - great exercise but having to walk in the bad weather - not so nice.

Laura - I am watching Worst Cooks in America too. I have to say that most everything Anne Burrell makes I would never try. Last week's show was really funny and the week before I saved the show because they actually gave some good tips on filleting a fish. Jury duty - arrrghh - don't get me started. I was SO MAD that they kept assigning me to the hood in the inner city (Harrison) instead of the big courthouse by the race track. Told them I was NOT going to take a train and 3 buses to get down there - I'd never make it on time. The one person I talked to was really a jerk and actually threatened that I could be arrested for contempt for failing to show up and I said they'd have to find me first I don't understand how they assign these things. Getaway weekend sounds like fun. Too bad you can't find a cabin or something that will allow you to take Coal. We have friends who also won't go anywhere they can't take their dogs so as a result, they don't go anywhere. DH used to feel bad for boarding our cat at Petco but I said as long as she shows no sign of abuse or stress (like pulling her fur out), I was ok with boarding and she actually did fine. The worse part was the car ride to and from. Hope you do well on the weigh in today. Are you getting weekly brochures on the WW program?

Ceejay - yay on them re-tiling your bathroom. I really hated the popcorn ceilings down that way. We smoothed ours out when we remodelled the bath. Glad to hear they decided to do a thorough job instead of a quick fix patch. I'm surprised it's so cold down by you now. Would think by this time of the year you'd be well into spring and those sneezy (but gorgeous) flower buds Winter hanging around a bit longer this year?

Mel - maybe the seniors need to beat on the boss a little more instead of you. But then sometimes you just get to the point of being tired of all the b.s. and fighting a losing battle and you know it's time to go. But you can't so it's a sad thing for all. I just hope you remember to put yourself first and foremost before it gets to you. Can they tweek the ride schedule so you can get to the store ahead of the storm? Hard to tell what's going to happen. Since they started to name every winter storm this year they act like everything is a big freaking tsunami! Geez people - it's winter, it snows. 5 inches of snow up here is no big deal. Save the drama for something that deserves our attention and preparation like Sandy.

Shad - that could have been quite a moment with the house all open like that Glad nothing serious went down. Or out As for the Amazing Race, this was shot probably no more than 6 months ago when they were filming for this season. A few seasons back they were a week ahead of where the tsunami hit - not Japan, the other tropical place - and at the end of the show, Phil came on with a brief announcement about the devistation that had occured and the place that they filmed at was totally destroyed. On they NZ episode - they did not go into the city - only showed mountains (gorgeous) and countryside. They did a Shemozzle Race and a Rumptydoo Slalom.

Annie - yay on scoring the smoked chicken. Sounds delish. Glad you were able to get more than one meal out of it. Sounds like a nice, healthy dinner with lots of vegetables. I think we all say the same thing about the snow - we're pretty confident in our driving abilities - it's everyone else we are afraid of - the texters, the people who don't get the concept of SLOWING DOWN, and the people who are just so scared they are a hazard to themselves. As for people staying home, it was a given when I was in TN that if we got snow, we could work from home. No problem as we were totally able to do that as I.T. folks. Then someone at corporate complained that they had to come into the office and it put the kabosh on all of us. Someone always has to ruin it.

Sounds like DH is doing alot of scraping on the deck. I saw it start to snow last night - didn't look like there was a thin layer of ice underneath. I really don't want to go out there and shovel. Why did we buy a snowblower and a plow? And if DH decides that 4 inches of snow is not enough to use them, and he wants to shovel, does that mean everyone has to??? I only whine because I have inside housework to do and that's just double work for me. Also I guess I'm a little peeved because a spent a couple of hours pulling all the medical and dental expenses for the tax returns and DH did not write down the numbers I gave him (he claims I didn't give it to him, I claim he didn't listen) now, I have to do it all over again because I threw away the slip of paper I was working on because I thought I didn't need it any more. So that's going to take a good part of my day to re-do too. Geez I sure do sound whiney today, don't I??? Sorry.

Oh thank goodness - thought I lost my post when the browser window flipped.

Anyway hope most of you don't have a horrid commute back home tonight. Be careful with the snow.

OK, I am in the land of OZ, the poppy field. The rain officially turned to snow at 4:15 at my house, which is not the 6:30 prediction. I stand looking out the back slider to the porch at how beautiful it looks, saying out loud to all who can hear....God and Sassy...this certainly has to be the last for the season. Amen! Supposed to continue till 7am. I am not setting my internal alarm clock as I am not fighting the idiots at 6:45 AM. Since I do not use an alarm clock, I will be going with, when I arrive at work...surprise I am there. haha Of course, I will be up at my usual, I cannot sleep...3, 4, or 5. Blah!

Happy - Now don't go getting me all riled up about where I'm supposed to serve my jury duty!! I haven't quite gotten to the point of figuring out transportation. I guess it'll be what you said, the train and multiple buses. I guess right now I'm hoping to not have to go.

I suppose if bf and I decided to do a really low key weekend getaway we could rent a cabin that allows dogs, but usually a getaway for us means not having to worry about meal prep, and I'd feel bad leaving the dog alone in an unfamiliar place while we went out to eat. We'll figure it out.

Weigh in was good today, lost 4 pounds! I will be updating my ticker at some point. Together with the weight I lost on my own after hitting that high point last summer and what I've lost recently since the contest & ww began, it's really adding up.

Why shovel at all if you don't want to? If dh is the one who needs to walk on the deck to get to where he feeds the critters...let him clear it, LOL. I'd be so frustrated if I'd spent the time tallying up the med expenses only to not have them documented and have to redo it...grrr... happy anniversary, LOL.

Ceejay - I see you snuck in on me. Smooth ceiling too now? Nice. I dvr'd the biggest loser last night because I wanted to see the makeovers. I'll probably watch that tonight. I wish it were 55 degrees here!! We've got abut 4-5 inches in my neck of the woods - so far.
+++

The office is closing at 4 pm today and I thought I'd take the 4:39 train. The rest of the department is gone already so now I'm thinking of maybe taking the 3:45...dunno. Not getting much done here today - the ww meeting distracts me. In the morning I'm wanting to get the WI over and done with so I can eat (I did eat breakfast this morning but not my morning snack). After the meeting it takes me a while to get back in focus, and today, with this snowfall and leaving a bit early, I never did get back down to anything super productive. Just some miscellaneous followup phone calls and e-mail cleanup. Which needs to be done...but just isn't as important as other projects on my plate.

Nothing special tonight, skipping the movie. I drove in the snow last week for it, but this is more snow, so NOPE. I'll probably watch last night's TBL that I dvr'd and do some reading.

TTFN!

Annie - if you are in the land of Oz - which looks like a really interesting movie by the way - and you are sniffing poppies - you will probably get a REALLY good sleep tonight I'm glad that you got sensible about travelling tomorrow. Why aggivate yourself and if you're the first one in, they will probably make you shovel the front door.

OMG - Laura. They aren't making you go THERE are they? Better strap on your bazooka. I hope it doesn't come to pass... Congrats on a very successful week of weight loss

DH decided to use the snowblower. And the plow. He just shovelled enough of the deck and stairs to get out the door - and so I won't fall leaving the house And I as I was typing this post complaining about the medical deductions, I remembered that I had assembled everything in a spreadsheet so it wasn't that hard to pull the numbers. Darn it if it didn't make a difference on the tax return. Sure did make a big dent in our wallet for what we had to pay out of pocket

DH came in after shovelling/blowing/plowing and said we could go to dinner tonight after all (we weren't sure due to the weather) but I had already started meat loaf and baked potatoes so we'll have that today and probably go out tomorrow.

Hope you all don't get snowed in...

Annie - loved the latest pictures of Lil Man - he's growing like a weed and cute as can be.

LAURA...congrats on the weight loss...I am jealous! YGG!!

The snow is coming down wet, hard, fast and staight down, accum is about 1" thus far. That is a lot in one hour...probably be a LOT by morning. Hopefully it will be an official snow day...that way we do not have to take our own PTO to not be at work.

Changed my mind on dinner...instead of chicken salad it will be chicken fetticino alfredo, garlic bunz and salad. I didn't feel like making chicken salad. C loves alfredo anything, so I should reap praises. lol.

That is about it other than the fact I finished the 1st season of Downtown Abbey the other night and am awaiting the 2nd season from Amazon, should be here in a couple of days. I am HOOKED. Love that series...Girls I watch a bit of nothing on TV....one thing I do not miss is Hart of Dixie. The other things I watch for C is the aligator reality catch shows, the pawn shop thingy shows etc, and I just tolerate them...lol Also the fishing shows....which all of the above I can stand for about an hour...then I am done.

Ok, that is my check in until I cannot sleep at 2 AM. Then maybe if the snow has accumalated I will post that....I pray we have a snow day tomorrow. EVERYONE pray!

Gotta get dinner ready for the table....

Love and hugs

HAPPY...lil man is just so sweet. He blows kisses, and gives kisses. Look at the bright side of waiting till tomorrow or later to go out for anniversary...just another day to look forward to and have a party...YAH....

Mel
I did not forget you. Your bit was mixed in with Annies bit. I forgot to separate them out.
Here it is:
Mel – take it easy on the office stuff and work. I know you don’t want to completely retire, but you can only do so much. What’s your weekend looking like for a telephone conversation?

afternoon
Annie
I agree with Happy about the picture of lil man. He has really grown.
Praying for a snow day for you.

Happy
The meatloaf sounds good. And that's what I wanted for the week. I may stop by the grocery store and get the meat to make one.

Laura
I feel for you being on jury duty. I've been lucky on that account.

More later

Oh Annie - I should have booked dinner at your house Yum!