I read Sug's post before going to work and have of nothing else all day. Our baby seems crepe paper on her eyelids. Jeez, Louise.

And I also read that Sug is flying to Alabama without a banjo on her knee. Quite unacceptable. And eating beans and rice. Well, that part's ok.

My birthday is THIS month. I want stuff in the mail. Checks. Cash. Chocolate. Cars. The theme of this party is Things that Start with C.

Celebs love to be criticized. It means you're paying attention. How about Rob and Amber? Wasn't it great to see them loose the race?

These people at work were talking about a friend who painted her living room bright pink. Not hot pink. A pretty finger polish kind of pink. Lovely color, they said, and the gold curtains were beautiful. But, "it was just incorrect."

Elly, I have met Kiwi and she could heave an axe if she wanted to. In fact, I think she's hobnobs with lumberjacks and maple syrup harvesters.

At work, I have convinced them that I am unqualified to be in the room with these certain children and I AM FREEEEE. Someone else will take the class untiil a teacher is hired. I can go back to my old easy peasy schedule. Yay oh yay.

I didn't go to yoga class today. Forgot to take yoga togs with me to work and once, I went to elastic waist jean-looking loose pants and she kept insisting I couldn't be comfortable in them. I was. But today I'm in real jeans so couldn't risk being wrong.

ohhhhhhhhhh i loved my yoga class and of course the cute thirty year old instructor had to give me SPECIAL help cause i keep loooosing my balance and he had to come over AND HOLD MY HANDS AND SAY 'DON'T WORRY---I'VE GOT YOU'----this while i have both hands stretched out and am trying to point one led straight back in the air while balancing on THE OTHER LEG--------LIKE THAT IS POSSIBLE!!!!!!!hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-----WELL,there's one reason to excercise. The 22 year old who works in my shop has a big crush on yoga-man so i told her what happened and she was totally JEALOUS!!! well,you must understand that a cow of my years would have to be pleased to make a young chick jealous-----these moments are few and far between--in fact they are rarer than a slim cow. it is rather demoralizing to be in that class as there were several very attractive ,slim and toned young ladies---there were a couple of men and a few others of my vintage--there is another class tomorrow night but i don't think i can do two classes in one week yet---i am still adjusting to all the stretched muscles!!!!! regarding you hagbags---i am glad to see that PEACH got out of that terrible assignment!!! good for you!!!!and kiwonkers you must be nearly finished those damn signs!!!!! ella!!!! your commutes sound horrendous---we have no traffic up here and not even a traffic jam----it's hard to imagine but we get a Boston tv station and they show the commuter traffic and i can't imagine being able to deal with that!!----by the way---my dad was born in Boston and we visited his family in Somerville for years---zip code 02145!!!! i always use it wnen they ask for a zip code on american websites----most of the time they don't like to have my canadian postal code!!!one more thing-----IF SUGAR HAS CREPY EYES WHAT THE **** DO THE REST OF US HAVE?????WHAT'S WORSE THAN CREPE?????LET ME THINK------SAGGY, BAGGY, RAGGY AND DROOPY. STRINGY EYES?????feel free to add more to this------WHERE ARE WABBY AND SHATZI?????

Well, here I am again (of course). Do you like my new avatar? I hope I'm not presuming too much on the herd as I do realize that I'm still *on probation* '
Perhaps, Kiwi, the Dixie Chick faux-yoga video wouldn't do for me after all. Sleazy, slimy, oily - oh, heavens! Almost as incorrect as a nail polish-pink living room!
I need something a little more baby-boomer "professional woman-ish" - Like maybe Hillary Clinton in her work out gear and snapping the whip?
And crepey eyelids? Oh MY! Well, if they REALLY get on anybody's nerves, there's always the old Preparation H trick. I learned that one YEARS ago from a friend who did some off-Broadway acting. Seems whenever the actors overindulged the night before and had any kind of bags or sags around their eyes, they would rub a little Preparation H around them and they would tighten right up. It actually works, not that *I* care anymore. My crepe and I have a long history together, and I like to think of it as quite graceful and romantic-looking. I ESPECIALLY love it when *women of a certain age* cover all that crepe with eyeshadow; you get multi-linear crepe - sooooo texturally interesting!!!!
Oh, celebrities! Tsk. I can't help it; I just find it annoying that so many undereducated, marginally-talented, and not-even-all-that-good-looking without their make-up artists and on-retainer plastic surgeons PEOPLE earn so danged much money!!!!!!!!! It's obscene, is what it is. Then you have the CEO's of all those big, multi-national conglomerates making a hundred kazillion dollars a year - like $10,000 an hour, and as far as I'm concerned, there's NOBODY worth that kind of money! NOT when just a tiny percentage of that could provide homes for the homeless, food for the hungry, etc., etc. But I'll jump off THAT soap box before this turns into a full blown rant.
I CAN'T walk. I mean, I can't take like a half-hour walk without my leg with the pinched nerve hurting like the I've got to find an alternative way to get a little exercise, here. Damnit, Kiwi, you sound like you're in such great shape! (But you're younger!) I NEED to do more, but I took a walk yesterday when I got home from work - went 15 minutes in one direction and then turned around and headed back the way I came, and for the last ten minutes, thought I was going to die from the pain in that leg. MY old doctor told me to "walk it off" and my new doctor says surgery is the only recourse. I actually prefer the "walk it off" solution if I could just do that. Anybody know a good, low-impact way to maybe stretch that leg some before trying to walk some more? Yoga?
Okay, back to the grind. I tried wheat angel hair pasta last night with organic tomato sauce, cut up onions & peppers into it, added sliced black olives and some 93% lean hamburger, and it was delish! I *think* one serving was about 400 calories, and about 8 grams of fiber. DH liked it, too, so I can add it to the menu permanently, eh? What a coup!
Have agreat day, all! Glad you got rid of those cute liddle kiddies, Cowpernia - I betcha you really enjoyed hugging THEM goodbye. And hope you finally got those signs finished, Kiwi? Such fun!

TTFN

Ella

I'm right here, dearie. If you don't want to read a total trainwreck, just scroll through, and don't say I didn't warn you.

Gpa Jim's surgery went just fine. Nurses kept telling me he was doing exceptionally well. He was loopy, but he had lots of morphine in him. I visited him yesterday morning and he still was disoriented, didn't really seem to know who I was, etc. I figured it was from residual pain medicine in him. By evening his son visited him and called me to tell me he's still totally out of it. I'm going to go to the hospital at lunch and keep your fingers and toes crossed that this isn't permanent. I'm fearing that he's had a stroke or oxygen deprivation to the brain. I haven't talked to his surgeon since right after surgery, even though I've requested a phone call from him.

The DIL still won't let me or DS have baby. His atty is filing something w/ the courts today demanding it. She says she's afraid DS won't give baby back. I told her she's doing to DS exactly what she fears. I also told her that I couldn't believe her cruelty to me, knowing what I've been through. Nothing. Cold as ice.

DS is very sick again. Horrible cough, excruciating sore throat. He has 3 cracked ribs from coughing so hard. He can't work and we are overwhelmed here. I hate, hate, hate telling the other guys every morning that DS won't be in, but Lord, he can't work when he's this sick. I keep telling myself we just have to get through this time. One more day.

Sugar, I've been making lists. I make lists of things to do so I don't just sit and go crazy. 1. manicure 2. pedicure 3. take walk 4. brush dog 5. organize photo albums 6. garden 7. dust 8.take bath 9. bake cookies ......... then I sit and look at the list and do none of the things on it. My sister stops by almost every evening to babysit me. I count down the hours until I get to take my sleeping pill and have a few hours peace.

This is why I usually just lurk lately. Someday I'll be able to talk and not be so self centered.

I got mail today with beautiful printing on it that I could recognize as soon as I rounded the house. adn inside the brown paper is a valentine box and a card addressing me a "sweet little girl" which is right of course. I am keeping this until my birthday and maybe then I'll cut little holes in the ends and blow out the chicken bones so I can keep the box intact. Like those Russian eggs. All so gorgeous.

And for Ella, I'll say that we really do know how to spell loose as in loose weight but just can't do it. And chicken bones are yummy.

The little heifer who is supposed to take over the class of Future Felons of America is not showing up tomorrow. She is off to a bad start with me already.

Ellabella, your avatar is very cowsy. I love it!

Way to go...

Goodness, Wabby, I wish there was something I could do to pitch in and help! It all sounds like too much for one person. Hope the guys soon feel better. It sucks that DIL is still being a DIP, but she must, somewhere down below all her anger, know that she can't keep this up. If not, a court will tell her.

This I gotta see.

I HAVE finished the signs!! Spent most of the day laminating them, just have to trim a few more. Tomorrow I pick up DH from the airport, and we will put some of them up, then the rest of them first thing in the morning Friday. Friday and Saturday had better go well; we are expecting 71 jazz bands from around the state, and the weather predicted is ICE. ARRRRRRGGGGGGGHH!

It is almost 10 oclock and I haven't eaten dinner. And my hip is killing me. Nope, I'm not at all fit, but I do keep trying to get out (gotta exercise my big ol' puppy).

Ta
Kiwi

Just want to tell Wabbo that this is where we come to be self-centered. It is safe to let it go here. Shots should come back. When I split up with DS's dad, his mom (who WAS mean to me) told me several times that she knew I'd never let them see Ds again. It never crossed my mind to take his grandparents away from him but people just seem to think others think like they do. She got to see Ds anytime she was willing but, as an aside, everytime she saw him for her entire life, she was sick. She'd come down with a cold just before he got to her house or wherever she saw him and .. for his own good .. not cuddle him. So I'm saying Wabby can't convince the DIL of anything. Very sad. Everyone know kids are better off if they have people who love them. Why take that away?

I am driving to get DS afte work. I am exhausted just thinking about it. Did you hear about that wreck on the turnpike that involved 30 cars and killed 12 people? That's the road DS is taking today. Worry worry worry worry stress stress stress

When do we get to see the signs?

I think I still have a cracked rib from my last coughing fit months ago. Poor WabbDS

I have comments to make. I really have been reading along, thinking this and that, but my attention span is short and I forget what I wanted to comment on by the time the comment window opens. But I'll try........

Peachez, I totally sympathize with you about teaching leetle children. I remember parent teaching when my kids were in preschool. That was 1/2 a day, with 20 kids in the class, w/ a teacher and 3 parent helpers. I always went home and took a nap, and I was only in my late 20's - early 30's. I can not imagine doing what you're doing. Pooorrrrr Peach. --------- then there is the worry about having a young adult on the highways, and the angst of dealing w/ ex relatives and ex husband. Aaaarrrrgh. Your plate is full.

Sugar, crepey eyelids??? I don't want to hear any complaints until you have a chin line like mine. I got my hair cut yesterday and I told my hair-gal I wish she could patch up my face as well as she fixes my hair. She told me she'd like to be able to do that too, as the tips would probably be bigger. Happy birthday to your various men folk and you too. I forget eggsactly when it is. Did I miss it? Today is DS's 24th birthday. He's celebrating at home w/ antibiotics and cough syrup. Dinner will be mashed potatoes and gravy from KFC. It's the only thing he can eat.

Bagzie, I'm happy you have something nice to look at while you're yoga-ing.

Hi everybody else. I've run out of steam before I got to everybody......

Ooo. The court has ordered that baby be delivered to DS on Saturday for a visitation. Court date has been set for custody hearing to determine temporary custody before final divorce proceedings. At least things are starting to move.

Oh, Lawdy, here's that strange new cow , back again, looking to graze in the fields of the divine....
Yup, Bagzz, the Boston traffic is nutzoid. Worse, though, usually coming from the north & south for some reason. Coming from the west as I do, it's often not all that bad. On a GOOD day, I can make it in 45 minutes. Of course, on a BAD day, it can conceivably take a few hours, even, (or more) but I remain optimistic , because if I were a pessimist, I'd be getting up at 4:00 AM every day just in CASE there's an accident or bad tie-up, and I'm NOT about to do that! 6:00 is the best I can do.

Wabby - please keep us updated if you are able to re: Gpa Jim. Sounds like he was a feisty old fellow before taking sick, and it's sad to hear that he's not doing well. Would it help if we cows came over and did a little can-can or some of our old high school cheers at his bedside? Oh, lawdy, lawdy..wouldn't that scare him into getting better!!!!???? Seriously, though, he's so lucky to have you in his corner, you know? Hope your DS gets well soon; this, on top of all the problems with the baby must have him pretty depressed. Sometimes, ALL you can say is "this, too, shall pass..."
Then, once it does, you'll deserve a day-long spa visit - massage, pedicure, nails, hair, facial - everything they've got!

Happy Birthday, Cowpernia!!!!

SO glad those signs are finally done, Kiwi! Sorry about your hip, tho. I SO know about that. I hate it when something hurts.

Some day I'll learn to insert the quotes and not miss anybody, but I'm at work and need to get a move on as I have a meeting in about ten minutes.
I'm getting a sore throat. Great! I'm taking tomorrow off to watch my DGD,
and the last thing I need to do is send her back home sick.

It was 60 degrees yesterday!!!!! Amazingly wonderful! Today, it's in the low 40's and raining Tomorrow, it's supposed to SNOW again, with temperatures at or near freezing! I mean, GO FIGURE! But, this is, of course, New England, about which is said, "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute....." Truer words were never spoken.

Life is the same as it was yesterday here in Massachusetts. Nothing new. So why am I posting?

Have a great day, all, and take good care!

Ella

Greetings, all.
DH is watching and I am listening to our local pro hockey team beat Calgary. Whoo hoo!
I took an online depression inventory and it came back with flashing lights and a big WARNJING that I was depressed. D’oh! But I wish I wasn’t. Still fat, stiff and getting old. I definitely need an attitude adjustment. I got really stiff and sore in California because we HAD to talk and climb steps just to get to our motel room.

Today I received the invitation (which I addressed) to DS’s wedding in April. EEK. And Tacky of all tackies… FDIL put a parchment square in the envelope telling where they were registered. Grrrrrrr. Too late to do anything about it. Grrrrrrr.

Today I’m sad because I got news that my boss’s grandson (1 year old) is probably gong to be taken off a ventilator and will probably die… in days or weeks. I don’t know the circumstances, but apparently he fell into a pool and drowned. At first they thought he might be OK, as he was still breathing on his own, and the brain swelling stopped… but now he NEEDS the ventilator and no body functions or responses are happening on their own. Having children that can be injured or have accidents is a huge vulnerability.

Ellabella: I will say that stretching (gently) helps… before AND after any exercise. I do the 15 on the poster at Curves even when I am at home and haven’t been to Curves. It really helps. Are you near the Pioneer Valley?

Wabbs: Glad that GPA is doing OK. I think that aging brains, anesthetic and pain meds can be a really volatile combination. Things change, you know? Sorry that DIL is being so stingy. I am worried that my future DIL may be the same. But you can’t stop them from marrying… or divorcing. And as Byron Katie says, Reality ALWAYS wins. Grrrr. If you need a Guardian/Protector, let me know. I think you’ve still got months to go on your “Free Self-Centeredness Pass.” Take the time you need. Rest. Love you.
Surely the court will at LEAST grand “standard and customary” visitation for the non-custodial parent. 1st and 3rd weekends and a night during the week. I will say that having the kids “traded” at a neutral place helped me a lot. We did a lot of dropping them off/picking them up at school or day-care. I HATED having them go straight from my house to their father’s. (He didn’t like it any better… and he REALLY didn’t want me to cross his threshold… even if it was pouring down rain. Only took 20 years, but we got over it!!! Ha ha ha ha

Kiwi—Best wishes for your Band Fest. 71 bands might be critical mass, whether there’s ice to slow them down, or not.

Oooh, something reminded me… do you ever go to SARK.com? She had a darling story about watching a little girl and passing her a note saying “You are magical.” Fortunately, the parents of the little girl didn’t think SARK was a creep, and the little girl went to SARK and said, “I liked your note, Thank you for seeing me.” Isn’t that awesome. Grandkids, kids and WE need people to SEE us and notice our magic.

Happy St. Pat's almost.

OKAY,I NEED TO DO A 12 STEP PROGRAM ON DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM I HAVE----I HAVE TWO THINGS TO DEAL WITH-----HELLO,MY NAME IS BAGZZ AND I WILL BE 50 ON SUNDAY---ALSO ,TO ACCOMPANY THIS MILESTONE,I HAVE A NEW CONDITION---YOU MAY HAVE IT TOO--IT'S CALLED-----EISOTROPHOBIA.THAT IS MY ANNOUNCEMENT AND I AM TAKING THE WEEKEND OFF TO DEAL WITH THIS. I AM USING A LITTLE KNOWN CURE --DAMN YOU ALREADY KNEW--MARGARITATHERAPY.FARE THEE WELL LOVES.

Bagz, you made me look!!!! I had to crack open the old online dictionary. I definitely have that phobia.

Painty, there's an online support group at Yahoo called the drowning support group. It may be a resource for the family of the sweet baby. I can't really say it's helped me, it seems to have the opposite affect of making me sadder that there's way too much grief in the world. Everyone's different though, and it can't hurt to let them know about it. Probably not right away, but at some point later.

Court has ordered a visitation day on Saturday, then DS will be going to court at the end of the month to establish the visitation schedule.

Ella, you're not a strange cow - you fit right into the herd.

Kiwi, waytago on the signs! what a relief!

Peach, remind me again when your birthday is? did I miss something?

I'm also becoming crepey. And jowly. And, I recently came to the conclusion that when people told me (in my 20s) that I was "lucky" not to have batwings, they were wrong. It was not luck, or genetics. It was weight-training. Guess what? When I stopped weight training, hello batwings! (Hmmm, which is a more important goal? PhD or tight triceps?)

Oh, I hope DS feels better soon. When I had bronchitis, it was awful, and it irritated an old broken rib. I feel for him. Also, I love to hear from you and you have every right to be self-centered! Not that you are... you're always caring for other people.

Aw, Painty, that is terrible. I have a big fear of drowning... not of me, but of others. I can't watch movies about it and I get nightmares about it. It got worse when I had DS11, because you're right... it makes you totally vulnerable to love someone else that much. I'm sorry for your boss and for the child's parents.

Happy birthday in advance if I don't manage to get back on until next week!

I'm so glad your DS will be able to see the baby! I can't even imagine putting someone through something like this after such a tragedy. What kind of person does that?

I don't have much to say. Just trying to get it together, kind of like Sug.

Just a quick question while I read up :

Ellabella -- if you're around, are the cell towers down in Mass.? Can't get hold of my kiddo or BF, haven't a clue what they're doing or where they are.

Band fest went on as scheduled; I was there from 8 am to 9:30 pm yesterday. They had to go on without me today; I can't move or sit or stand without screaming; hip is worse. I don't give a damn about the hip; I just can't believe I worked so hard and couldn't even be there today. In half an hour the final concert starts. I think I'll just sit here and sob.

k

Ohhhhhhh, Kiwi, I'm SO sorry about your having to miss the band fest after all that work! And having your hips/legs in pain is just terrible! Does nothing work to relieve it at all for you? Oh, you poor baby! And it makes it even worse that you can't reach DD OR her BF, and have to worry about them on top of it, but I wouldn't be a bit surprised if there weren't some difficulty with their phones because of some kind of outage. I live @ 40 milies west of Boston, and we got some SERIOUS snow between yesterday afternoon and late this morning. Seemed like it wasn't ever going to stop. AND it's that wet, slushy, heavy stuff, which is the very worst. My poor DD and SIL have a HUGE driveway and no snowblower, and he was out shoveling until all hours last night and then had to start all over again this morning.We, of course, being the old farts that we are, have someone do it for us. DH wanted to get the kids a snowblower for Christmas, but DD wanted a bedroom set, so that's what we got them. And, for all intents and purposes, it was the better choice, considering that we've actually had very little snow at all in our neck of the woods this winter, and the snow blower would've been sitting in the shed most of the time. Of course now, with more than a foot of heavy wet snow to shovel out of a driveway that's ...hmmmmm....I'd say maybe 12 car lengths long and five wide....I imagine the SIL is feeling like their old bedroom set was perfectly good enough.
Hey, if I tried a Boston phone # with MY cell and it went through (I could call my office) would that mean anything? Probably not, since I'm 40 miles away with my cell? Well, if you're still around, Kiwi, and you want me to try that, just give a hoot and I'll be happy to.
Ella