Thank you all for the birthday wishes. I was well remembered!
Best gift may have been a very large weight loss reported by home scale... But since it wasn't my "official" WW weigh in, I'll have to wait till Thursday to actually take credit!!

My friend with Melanoma finally got to go home after 55 days in the hospital. I'm going to sit/stay with her tomorrow afternoon while her husband takes her son to the airport. They have both been hovering over her and watching her like hawks. The husband's 75th (!) birthday is tomorrow.. and he is holding up pretty well. Life is precious even when it is a challenge, no?

Best to all.

Afternoon all,
I've been to the zoo with a friend. I left her there. It's been a lovely day but it is coming up rain soon and no doubt wind as well.
We will not mention the World Cup Rugby last night. Aaaarrrgggghhh fancy getting out of bed at 3.00am to watch that. Grrerrrrrrrrr

Painter - now there is a good birthday present to get. Love these scale victories. Hope it hangs in there for the week or so. Have an enjoyable birthday without too many calories. Happy chatting with the friend.

Hiya Patty - still having problems with the weekend. Me too. Why do we have to sabotage ourselves like this?

Holly - so you made it to dinner at Delta. Did Hershey give you the Queen Victoria once over to check out the state of play? Delta has the most wonderful scenery and lakes etc. Lovely place.

Hiya Carla - good to see you back again. Chores - crosswords - chores? Fun more like it.

Mel - The Pumpkin pies sound good. I don't think we get canned pumpkin over here. Would have to know what is in it etc. etc. But they sound pretty good. I don't remember sending an email which would reduce you to tears. But then again, maybe I did. Can't find a copy of a tearful one anywhere so I'll just have to imagine I was being nice or something unusual.

Right - so now it is time to think about doing some work. I'd better get on with it or I will be here all night. See ya

CARLA~ I CONSIDER CROSSWORDS A DAILY CHORE...IN FACT ALL MY GAMES ARE CONSIDERED "WORK" A GIRL AFTER MY OWN HEART!!

HOLLY~ GLAD YOU ARE RESTED UP AND ENJOYING LIFE...BOUT TIME TOO!

TO MY NORTHERN SISTER RUTH!

PATTY~ MAYBE IF YOU PUT WATER IN NTHE FRIDGE AND GRILL SOME CHICKEN BREASTS. I FIND THAT IF I HAVE THOSE 2 THINGS DONE THEN THE WEEK DOES NOT GET AWAY FROM ME. I HAVE THE REVERSE PROBLEM OF YOU....I DO GREAT ON WEEKENDS!

PAINTER~WHAT A FRIEND YOU ARE. SENDING MANY GOOD THOUGHTS FOR YOUR FRIEND TO STAY STRONG FOR AS LONG AS SHE CAN. SOMETIMES LIFE IS EVEN SWEETER WITH A CHALLENGE. YOU GET TO KNOW WHO LOVES YOU THE MOST.

SHAD~ YES YOU WERE JUST BEING "SHAD"....THE GOOD SISTER OF THE SOUTH. SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE ARE ABUSED ALL THEIR LIVES, FRIENDSHIP TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY. YA KNOW? NOW....WHERE DID YOU LEAVE YOUR FRIEND? IN ONE OF THE CAGES OR EXHIBITS? DID SHE WANT TO BE LEFT THERE? I AM GLAD YOU GOT OPUT AND ABOUT THOUGH. CLEARS THE HEAD!

I THINK I MIGHT JUST HAVE THE WHOLE DAY TO MYSELF TODAY. BALA HAS CALLED AND SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SUNDAY OFF TO SPEND WITH HIS WIFE. IF HIS BOSS AGREES THIS MORNING THEN WE ARE BOTH OFF! HE BE HERE TOMORROW WITH THE ROOFERS. SO FAR SO GOOD. MY GOOD NEWS IS THAT FROM 187 I WEIGHED IN AT 183.5 THIS MORNING. WONDER IF THESE POUNDS WILL STAY OFF THIS TIME? MUST BE ALL THE OLD COFFEE I AM PEEING OUT A FEW HAVE ASKED ME IF I AM LOSING WEIGHT AGAIN...IT'S MY FACIAL BLOAT IS GOING. THAT'S ALWAYS SO RECOGNIZABLE. I LOVE IT!! I NEED SOME BREAKFAST. WISH I WAS UP BY RUTH DRINKING BUT OATMEAL WILL HAVE TO SUFFICE.
HAPPY SUNDAY/MONDAY

Mel--Glad you have the day off. Enjoy it. I'm going to try those pumkin pies.
And congratulations on those pounds off.We are about the same weight right now cause I've gained a few pounds this week end. I've been sick with a urinary tract infection. It's been painful. All I've done is lay on the couch.

Holly-I'm glad that you are with Ruth and having lots of fun. You deserve it.

Shad--You left a friend at the zoo!!!!

Carla, Patty and Madcat --Have a good day.

A quick Sunday hello to you all.

I'm off before long to visit the awful SM, in the doghouse before I even hit the road. It seems I was expected yesterday. Oh well, I've been wrong for the last 47 years, so this is nothing new. Grrrr. At some point on the trip down - or back - Holly and I will no doubt be driving past each other on opposite sides of the freeway. Drive safely H!

Mel, congrats on the scale victory!!! Now I know where the 3 extra pounds I seem to have acquired came from. Unless it had something to do with recent binges.

Well, much as I'd love to procrastinate some more, I'd better get this show on the road. Haven't even done my "chores" although I did read the rest of the paper and have cut them out for later use. Leaving the laptop at home this time, so I'll be back tomorrow night.

Have a good Thanksgiving ladies, and enjoy that turkey and cranberry sauce!

CEEJAY HOPE YOU WILL FEEL BETTER SOON!
SO SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THE INFECTION!

CARLA! WHEN YOU GET BACK WE WILL CHALLENGE YOUR BUTT OFF!

I CAME BACK TO RANT....THIS STUPID OLD MAN AND HIS YOUNGER GIRLFRIEND WENT TO CHURCH AND LEFT A POT WITH A PLASTIC HANDLE ON THE STOVE A NEIGHBORS DAUGHTER TOLD ME SHE SMELLED SOMETHING FUNNY ON THE 4TH FLOOR. I FOUND THE APARTMENT WITH MY BLOODHOUND NOSE, FELT THE DOOR ...COLD...AND OPENED IT...SMOKE EVERYWHERE! : rollpin: CLOSED IT AND CALLED THE FD AND POLICE. I COULD JUST SMACK THEM BOTH. THE FD IS WRITING IT UP AS UNATTENDED COOKING SO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CAN GO AFTER THEM FOR A NEGLEGENT ACT. SERVES THEM RIGHT...I ALMOST HAD A STROKE!!!!
OK RANT IS DONE. GOING TO EAT NOW....

Good morning! We stayed up and talked until 2;30 or so. Our mouths were very dry so....... Good thing we get the deposit back for wine bottles!

Big surprise when we went out to dinner. Claire's cousin was there and his wife went to school with Hollyhock! They had lots to catch up on and I sure know a lot more about H's wild youth. We had a great evening with lots of laughs - my stomach hurts and it's not from doing crunches!

We are going for a village tour in a bit and then H. is going to have lunch in Kingston with yet another friend. After that she's off to Picton again to do a rerun of her visit with her friend there.

This has been a fabulous weekend and I sure will be so sad to see her go! Hershey is in love.

LOT'S OF HUMOR SENT TO ME BY A FRIEND:
I DON'T MEED WHAT HE SAYS LAST SO I FORWARDED IT TO ALL I KNOW...HERE IT IS:
http://info.org.il/irrelevant/may02-...p-soapbox4.swf

RUTH I AM GLAD THE WEEKEND WAS SO NICE FOR YOU BOTH. GLAD TOO YOU GET DEPOSIT $$$

Hello Ladies -

Been a busy day, got up and went to workout. I usually read the paper and then make it to the late mass, this time decided to workout, instead of reading paper for two hours..still made to the late mass too. I feel soo much better. Also did my grocery shopping for lunch & snacks for this week, so I have no excuses of not being prepared. I'm determined to lose 8 to 10 lbs this month.

Ruth & Holly - sounds like you all had a wonderful time.

Shad - Zoo sounds like fun.. Did you mean to leave your friend there? I don't know why I sabatoge myself.

Melody - Oh, that is why I was always afraid living in apts or townhouses. You never know what your neighbor is up too. Glad the little girl told you she smelled something.

Carla - who is SM? maybe your trip will turn out better than expected..

Painter - Hope you have a good visit with your friend. I"m sure your presence makes her feel good. Prayers are with you all.

Morning all,
Dull grey morning again and after such a nice morning and early afternoon yesterday, it rained on me all the way up the hill.

The friend I left at the zoo hasn't turned up yet, maybe she did stick around with the orangutan!

Another week at work coming up. Nothing new here, still behind, still having to kill people to find the information required.

Mel - thank you for the link. Was that supposed to be a hint as well!!!!!! I hope you get to have a good day on your own today. Well done on the bloodhound nose and fire discovery. I hope it doesn't mean that the old guy is going to be out of a home sometime soon? Mind you that doesn't excuse stupidity on both parts! But it is so easily done. Especially by a male who's mind is usually on other things - they find it difficult to think about two things at once you know and it's incredible how much of their thinking time THAT takes up even if they are old!!

Carla - off to have Thanksgiving with the Stepmother. You are so good to her. Sometime, someplace she is going to thank you for this - just don't hold your breath waiting! and don't drink the grog just to get through it all.

Ruth so glad you and Holly have had a good time. With all the lunches and dinners she has had, she'll be back on the wagon for a long time after this. Good on yer both for having a great chat session. Isn't it a small world that we live in? Pays not to develop too many enemies. You never know where you will meet up with them again!

Patty - well done on the exercise instead of the paper. Glad to hear you have stocked up with goodies in the fridge too.

Rennie - hope you had a great weekend away, goose or no goose.

Oh it's raining how unusual. And I'd better go round up the troops as well and get on with the day. See ya

Hi,
When you have time, and if you fancy it, go to my webshots site and take a peek at the photos from the Perth Zoo.
I've put them on the front of the Western Australian Album and the Wildflowers are also now on the same album.
http://travel.webshots.com/album/114444856OObwUi

Hope that works

http://travel.webshots.com/album/114444856OObwUi

SHAD...OH GOODY...MORE PICTURES WILL GO LATER. ROUND UP THOSE TROOPS AND GO FIND YOUR FRIEND...BET SHE STOLE ALL THE PEANUTS FROM THE MONKEYS!!

PATTY~ YOU WIN THE PRIZE THIS WEEKEND FOR GETTING THE MOST DONE IN A SINGLE DAY!! WOW!! GLAD YOU'RE READY FOR THE NEW WEEK! GHOOD LUCK! AND STAY STRONG TOO RIGHT ABOUT APARTMENT LIVING...ESPECIALLY SENIORS. THEY ARE FOREVER TRYING TO BURN THE PLACE DOWN

RENNIE...YOU MUST BE FEELING BETTER CAUSE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR SEEMS BACK TO NORMAL!

BALA IS DUE HERE SOON. ROOFERS ARE ON THE ROOF. THEY HAVE BEEN QUIET THOUGH. WEATHER IS COOL FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. IN A WAY I AM GLAD CAUSE IT'S BEEN HOT AND HUMID LIKE LIVING IN A SAUNA LAST WEEK. WOW! ABOUT FINISHED ME OFF. THE INS. COMPANY SAID THE CAR CAN BE REPAIRED. RHICHIE AND DAD ARE GETTING A SECOND OPINION AND MOVED THE CAR TO ANOTHER GARAGE. BUT IT LOOKS TO BE SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH. SIGH. IT SHOULD ALL BE OVER SOON. THE DAD HAS BEEN VERY NICE TO JEN THIS WEEK BUT STILL HAS NOT ASKED HOW SHE FEELS. NASTY OLD CUSS. I AM REALLY BECOMING A MANHATER...BOTH YOUNG AND OLD I HAD BETTER GET OFF HERE AND DRESSED. BALA IS FROM INDIA AND A VERY "PROPER" MAN. LIKES ALL EMPLOYEES TO HAVE CLOTHES ON IF HE IS TO DEAL WITH THEM.
HAPPY MONDAY AND HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY!!!

Good morning. It's cold and looks like it'll be a rainy day so I'll be inside a lot today. I thought I was getting flu because I was sort of shivery and then realized the furnace wasn't turned up. It's much cozier now.

Dinner at my sister's place was great after we got the family business over. We had to close a trust fund and decide what to do with the bucks. Luckily everyone was reasonable and it was not a big issue so we went on to a wonderful and hilarious family dinner. I do love my sister and cousins but sometimes worry about being the matriarch of the family! My stomach is never going to recover - from the laughing, I mean.

It was sad to say good bye to Hollyhock. We sure crammed a lot into her short visit and will do it again. Hershey and I never did get to our southern Ontario tour this summer. Maybe Spring? Maybe summer? Anyhow, it'll be after my frassing knee is fixed - the latest date is March! Oy!

Time to get dressed and ready for the usual long weekend drop-ins. The cousins will pop in on their way back to Montreal and Oakville so I'd better be decent. They aren't Indian like Mr Bala but...........

Happy Columbus Day!

Good morning ladies,

We came back a day early - or rather opted not to take the extra day on Sunday at a 50 percent discount rate. The cabin was gorgeous, the view of the mountains was magnificent. We were literally at the top of a mountain and the roads were winding, narrow and scary Good thing DH thought they were fun to drive. The traffic all in the area was quite heavy - I can only imagine how terrible it will be in 2 weeks when the real crowds start arriving. The trees are just starting to change a bit - but only at the highest elevations of 4000 feet and above. With the severe drought this year, the don't think it will be much in the way of color with the trees stressed as badly as they are. We saw some pictures on calendars and guide books in the park and at the peak of color it is truly amazing yet they said the traffic is at a standstill with everyone flooding into the park. Because of it's accessibility to many states, the Smokey Mountains National Park is the most visited park in all of the United States. The worst part of the trip was the inconsiderate people staying at the cabins. There were 3 rows of cabins winding back and forth up 3 roads. We were at the top of the highest road with cabins on either side of us and we looked down over 2 roads. There were about 30 to 40 cabins in this section. Some were smaller 1 bedroom cabins, others were larger and could accomodate up to 10 people. I was sitting on the balcony Thursday night enjoying the peace and quiet and the stars when a bunch of girls pulled up in the cabin across from us to our left. They were really loud and noisy pulling their stuff out of the car and trapsing back and forth. It was midnight. This should have been an omen. Friday night they were sitting on their balcony in the hot tub - drinking beer, talking loud - laughing, screeching and playing their music really, REALLY loud. They were talking so loud that I could have easily carried on a conversation with them. Around 11:30pm they started the drunken singing. Just when you wanted to them - at midnight a third car of friends showed up - laying on the horn driving up the road followed by loud yelling and screaming with the girls hanging off the balcony cheering their newly arrived friends on. They proceeded to party until 3am. We could hear them in our bedroom in our closed up cabin. Needless to say this put a damper on our plans to get up early, enjoy the sunrise over the mountains and drive off to a meadow to catch some early morning wildlife. Of course the cabin next door was very quiet in the morning as the girls slept off their drunken stupor. I wanted to go over their with an air horn, bang on the door and blast it on a regular basis at 7am. But of course WE can't retaliate. Now don't get me wrong. I don't expect people to be silent but this IS supposed to be a quiet mountain retreat. You should be able to hear the low mumble of people talking but no one has the right to make such a ruckus and disturb everyone else. I can only imagine what the people down wind of these folks were thinking. DH wanted to leave Saturday morning but I was sure they wouldn't refund our money (and oh did I say these cabin rentals were $300 per night - all the more reason to expect a bit of peace and quiet I'd say). We went down to the office in the morning and complained. The person at the desk apologized, said that cabin was not part of the group they managed but she would call the other management company and speak to them. She gave us the phone number of the on call maintenance people and said to call them if they were loud again that night. Well they appeared to have quieted down a bit but were joined by several of the other cabins down the road that decided Saturday night was party night. It was a shame. The smaller cabins around us were nice and peaceful but it appears that the bigger cabins are just a magnet for a bunch of people to get together and party hearty all night long. We won't be staying there again. Even in a campground after 10 pm it's quiet time and a ranger will patrol around and make people be reasonably quiet, mostly because the sound really carries in the wilderness. So that was disappointing. Here the management people shut down at 8pm and there's no one to put a stop to the ignorant selfish people who are only there to please themselves.

The park was beautiful. We did enjoy several of the drives we took. The food was bad - the 2 nearest towns were mega tourist traps with cheap, greasy fast food. Next time we will plan on just going to the grocery store and getting our own food but that can be a hassle if you're only staying 3 days. We did check out a small town outside of Nashville that we both liked as a future retirement prospect so the trip was not an entire bust. DH has some nice pictures he took and I'll post one later when he sends them over to me. If we do go there again, I would call a realty company and try and rent one of the many stand alone, off by themselves cabins that dot the mountains. It's just that when you've never been there - you don't know what your options are.

Oh and as I was literally standing "on top of old Smokey..." my cell phone rang. It was work looking for a report I didn't realize was due today. So I am about to head into the office when I had hoped to have today off to decompress and get things back on track again. And so the hamster wheel spins...

I didn't have time to catch up on all the chatting but hope to by tomorrow. Hope you chicks are all doing well. Happy belated Thanksgiving to our Canadian friends up north. Catch up with you later...