Geez O Pete, can you say TGIF, my word this week has been h*ll. Today is too, but I just keep thinking there is an end to the nonsense.

Laura....well the info on the dreams was "enlightening". Thank you for googling it. I have weird dreams like that all the time. This one dream I have had since I was a child is of me and my brother, we are Bonnie and Clyde driving a black VW bug, it flips on the side and we get behind it and shoot at the cops. lol. I bet I have had that dream 50 times over my lifetime.

Shaddie...great pix. Enjoy your time at home and with DS. Man when you say a change of scenery, you really get that.

Chelle....you need to still take it easy with your back if it is not 100%. We don't want you down and out on the couch for any lengthy time. Are you listening sista? Relaxing in the backyard with a book and iced tea sounds wonderful. I am off Saturday but work Sunday at CVS. Not too bad.

MELLIE....stay home and stay outta trouble, relax and enjoy your weekend. Even if you get bored, do not pull the fire alarm just so you can see the "boys" lol

Ceejay...the dream wasn't really frightening, I was actually at peace with it. But like I told Laura, I have weird dreams all the time.

Happy....how's the pool water....naked swimming yet??? lololol

Everyone have a marvelous Friday and terrific weekend.

Love and hugs

Howdy chicks,

Friday at last even if it is the 13th. I went to bed at the ungodly hour of 9:30 which I generally can only do if I'm very sick. But I wanted to get up before dawn to sneak a peek at the meteor shower which was a complete bust. I did get some extra sleep which did feel wonderful I must admit. So I am ready to take on yet another hot hot day.

The next door neighbors packed up and left without so much as a goodbye - like a bunch of deadbeats leaving in the middle of the night. And they left some problems behind. If they think that's the end of it because they moved to Denver for good - they are in for some unpleasant surprises. Among other things there are some drainage issues they promised to complete but didn't and something wrong with their pool pump and it makes an ungodly buzzing racket throughout the night. They have it set on a timer so it runs at night. I thought when they first moved in they were going to be nice neighbors but they turned out to be as ignorant as the very people they complained about here! They bought a fixer upper and then I guess decided they did not have the time or money to fix it up. At least this time with them putting it on the market they finally put some money into the house so it looks better than all the time they have been living here.

I am so behind on catching up with yahs but I will try.

Annie - the pool water was a bit cooler this week but the heat cranked up the last 2 days and it's back to bath-ish water again. Now that the neighbors left I was tempted with the naked swim but the water was too cool and I was shy - lots of planes fly overhead at night The Bonnie & Clyde dream was very funny. Especially since it is so frequent with you. Glad to hear you have at least one day to yourself. Hope you take Saturday for yourself. You deserve a break.

And speaking of resting - the same to you Michelle. Glad the back is a tiny bit better but that means to continue to rest up. Hope you get some fishing in this weekend. Will it be dry enough to go out? I found that when I had back issues, I'd put the laundry in the basket, put it up on 2 stairs. then slowly move it up 2 stairs, etc till I got to the top of the stairs and then I'd push it with my foot across the floor. We lived on a single level ranch house in Arlington Heights so it was easy to get it put away from there. But I know DH - like mine - can't take the easy way - they just want to lift and tote even if it is very hard on the back or knees. That's why we are the smarter sex Enjoy your well deserved weekend.

Mel - you are more than halfway to 4pm and skipping out of school for the day! Did you have a quiet day yesterday? Get those blueberries - they are especially good right now and the season should be about to end. I love snacking on the big fat ones

Ceejay - doesn't seem like 2 months have passed already. Are you finally feeling you will recover from this? I'm sure the schmutzy weather doesn't help to tell if this made a difference. Is it thick and muggy up your way too?

Laura - sorry you aren't feeling well. Hope the pain reliever works. I hear you on the desk papers. Yesterday they had to re-do my new laptop and I had nothing to work with so decided to clean the desk off. Like you I keep stuff for way longer than I need it. Hope you got some tidying done. As for your drinks question the other day - I like amaretto. Amaretto and lemonade or orange juice is really tasty and easy to make. I had a recipe for an amaretto punch with maraschino cherries that was just fabulous but you have to freeze it so you need to have a big area in the freezer in order to make it. And if you don't use all the amaretto in drinking I have some fabulous recipes for it - including a fantastic chicken / orange juice / honey / amaretto recipe that smells sooooo good while you're cooking it and tastes wonderful too. Also since they mentioned it - the TGIF bottled mixes are good too - Mudslide / Creamsicle/Dreamsicle. They are calorie bombs but just put them in the blender with ice and blend and easy to make mixed drinks. Happy hosting!

Shad - thank you for posting all the gorgeous pictures. The yellow stuff looks like forsynthia here which is abundant in the spring but yours looks fluffier and prettier. So it's goodbye to the bush for you? Safe travels. Hope you get to spend some time with the DS. I'm sure Sunday will be happy to see you (in her own way).

Our kitty managed to avoid the shots and teeth cleaning she was scheduled for today because DH forgot to take up her treat bowl last night and found her munching at 2am. She does not know what she missed but will find out next week :s

Anyway I need to get back to work. Have a good weekend all.

Mel - not sure what I like more - your new avatar or your saying underneath - both gave me a big smile

i did work outside this morning for about an hour. I have cut back an over grown bush that was drving me insane. I still want to shorten it. It's way taller than I am and hard to get to. After the sun went behind a cloud yesterday, there was actually a brief "cool" down. It was nice enough for me to trim two hedge before it got dark. This morning wasn't tooooo bad. The humidity wasn't bad at all. I did take a couple of breaks. The ENT didn't want me in the heat at all while I was healing and I am a little more leary about staying in the heat since I've had all those nose bleed's. I still want to weed eat. My lawn care person only weed eats around the house-not the sidewalks and driveway.

Michelle
Glad to hear that your back is a little bit better.

more later.

Hello ladies.

Shad - Safe travels. Thanks for the lovely photos! Nice that DS will be visiting.

Mel - Hope your weekend is nice and quiet and no alarms and fugly medical types being rude and expecting entrance to the building.

Michelle - Hope you have a nice restful weekend, and don't do anything for too long that'll stress the back!

Annie - Enjoy your Saturday off both jobs!! Have a nice visit w/ your son, and be nice to the gf...unless she's just horrible, lol. Wow, that Bonnie & Clyde dream is a funny one! I have a lot of dreams involving water. Need to go back to that site and see what kind of interpretations there are for that. I also have dreams that involve bugs, but I know I have those just because I hate them so much!

Ceejay - Your yardwork is making me feel guilty. Everything needs weeding, and it ain't happening any time soon!! So my book club wil be seeing tall weeds in the beds in front of the house. Oh well, I'll just tell them I'm waiting for the garden fairy to show up.

Happy - Are there new neighbors on the horizon? Hope they're better than the old ones. I've been blessed with good neighbors - we're the ones that our neighbors probably wish kept up with the yardwork instead of always letting it go a bit more than it should... I'm glad we just have only one set of stairs to schlep the laundry up. This time of year I'm fine with spending time in the basement.

Well, my day off hasn't been all that exciting. It was nice sleeping in until 8:00 though. I read and watched tv for a couple hours, then I decided to finish cleaning the fridge (the night before I cleaned a couple shelves). I also dusted, tossed some newspapers and did general tidying. My ear pain from yesterday didn't go away, so I decided to call the doc. She got me in at 4:15. Of course, a couple hours before that, the pain eased up. But I still have my TOM headache, albeit intermittently. Bah. But at least this is the only time of the month it strikes.

Bf and I lunched at Steak & Shake, so that was totally unhealthy. And of course we went just after 2 pm, when we saw that shakes are half price. Yup, dessert was a strawberry shake. At least we shared it.

The doc didn't find a sign of an ear infection, but some minor irritation. She suggested ibuprofen and prescribed an ear drop. My blood pressure was up - 138 over 86 I think - and I wasn't happy about that, but the doc nailed it - too much sodium, especially from meals eaten out and processed foods (where one can't control it). That and getting exercise. Good motivator to get more exercise and to stop eating out so darn much.

Well, I've got my shopping list mostly done, so I'll get out and drop off my rx at the pharmacy and take care of the shopping tonight. Tomorrow I'll vac and wash the floors and just tidy up. The house isn't in that bad of shape, so I won't have to kill myself.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Laura
Don't be to alarmed on the rise of your bp. My bp always goes up when i'm in a panic mode, upset even a doctor's visit. Enjoy your book club tonight and don't worry about the weeds.I'm sure they will not be noticed.

GOOD MORNING CHICKS. HOPE WE WILL ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND. SHADDIE'S HAS ALREADY BEGUN! ARE YOU OUT OF MUD CITY AND BACK HOME AGAIN???
JUST WHEN I THINK NOTHING MORE CAN GO WRONG HERE, THE TOKEN MACHINE BROKE LAST NIGHT IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM. IF YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW WHERE YOUR TAX DOLLARS GO....WE HAVE A TON OF HOMEMAKERS HERE GETTING PAID TO DO WASH. SO I GRABBED TOKENS FROM THE OFFICE AND I AM SELLING THEM HERE FROM 9-5. THESE FOLKS CAN'T WAIT TILL MONDAY FOR A REPAIRMAN TO COME. THE WHOLE BUILDING WOULD STINK OF PEE PEE....AND OTHER ASSORTED ODORS.
JEN AND RICHIE ARE SPENDING THE LAST WEEKEND WITH THE DD. I ALSO SUGGESTED HE LEAVE THE GOVT TO CONTINUE TAKING OUT THE ADDITIONAL CHILD SUPPORT ENMASSE TILL THE ARREARAGE FROM THE UNEMPLOYED TIME IS PAID BACK. THIS WAY HE IS FREE AND CLEAR. THEY'VE ALREADY TAKEN OVER $5,000 SO HE'S ALMOST DONE. HIS TAKE HOME PAY THIS WEEK WAS AGAIN $17.89......NOW I ASK....HOW DID THEY THING HE COULD LIVE ON LESS THAN 20 BUCKS??? .
I CANNOT WAIT FOR THESE KIDS TO GROW UP I KEEP FORGETTING TO TELL YOU ALL THAT EVERYONE ASKS WHERE I GOT MY JAMMIES FROM!! I EVEN HAD TO GET A FRIEND TO TRANSLATE ABOUT ALL OF MEL'S AMIGOS AROUND THE WORLD!! LOVE YOU GALS
( PS: if there are typos...my eyes are the pits for 2 days now)


MICHELLE... HOPE YOU GET THE TRUCK FIXED AND ALSO THAT YOU GET TO LOUNGE IN THE YARD FOR AWHILE. YOUR WEEKEND SOUNDS NICE AND THE WEATHER IS LOOKING GOOD FOR IT TOO. HUGS FOR YOUR BACK AND HOPE THE 2 APPTS CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT IS BEST TO HELP YOU. MY BIG BOSS IS GOING THRU SOMETHING SIMILAR NOW...HE'S BEEN DOWN FOR THE COUNT AND WALKING WITH A CANE FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW. HE'S A BIG FAN OF OXYCONTIN.,....SAYS IT DOESN'T HELP WITH THE PAIN BUT MAKES HIM SO SILLY HE DOESN'T MIND IT AS MUCH!


ANNIE....I PROMISE NOT TO PULL THE FIRE ALARM...I'M AFRAID WITH MY LUCK THAT I'D GET A FUGLY ONE THIS WEEK...I SEEM TO BE ON A ROLL FOR ORNERY FUGLY MEN I HOPE YOUR WORLD CALMS DOWN THIS WEEKEND. IT REALLY MUST HAVE BEEN TOUGH COMFORTING YOUR FRIEND. I CANNOT IMAGINE HAVING TO "SUCK IT UP" SO SOON AND COMFORT SOMEONE ELSE. I HOPE YOUR KINDNESSES TO OTHERS WILL BE PAID BACK TEN FOLD IN HAPPINESS.



HAPPY....I THOUGHT WE LOST YOU! GLAD THE NEIGHBORS ARE GONE AND HOPE THE NEXT PAIR WILL BE A NICER FAMILY. SORRY TO HEAR THE METEOR SHOWER WAS A BUST. WAS IT OVERCAST??? 0UR SKIES HAVE BEEN HORRIBLE HERE LATELY. ENJOY THE LAST OF THE SUMMER AND POOL!! I LOVE THE AVATAR TOO... I KEEP FINDING SUCH CUTE PICS FOR WATERMELONS...AND I REMEMBER MY GRAM ALWAYS TELLING US NOT TO SWALLOW THE PITS!!


CEEJAY.....DID YOU NAP YET IN YOUR NEWLY FURNISHED ROOM?? OUR WEATHER IS CALMING DOWN TOO. I ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY USING A WEED WHACKER THING. LOOKS LIKE FUN!! I COULD CHASE THE SENIORS AROUND....AND MAYBE THE MAINTENANCE MEN!


LAURA....WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED OVER THERE....COME CLEAN MY APARTMENT!! IT'S SMALL AND WON'T TAKE YOU VERY LONG I HOPE YOUR HEAD AND EAR FEEL MUCH BETTER TODAY. NOTHING WORSE OIN A WEEKEND THAN FEELING POORLY. HOPE THE BOOK CLUB GOES WELL AND YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME.

Everyone have a great weekend! Just cannot do personals now.

Much love

I'm getting ready to drive to Paragould. My 3 uncles are getting together for lunch today. I have much to do before i leave.

mel
What would they do with out you!


Every one else have a good week end.

Good morning kids,

Shouldn't have been but it feels like the end to a very long week for some reason. Our drama episode at work is over and done with - perhaps that contributed to it being long as we were all just ready to have things draw to a close and move on.

Going to be another hot weekend with highs of 100 degrees. I'll be in the pool for sure, hopefully in the sunshine. My neighbor's pool filter got even louder than it was earlier in the week. It's a very loud electrical humming sort of sound that you can hear clear through the house even with the windows closed. I am torn between wishing it would just up and die already (the way it sounds it must be near to that) but if it does, the pool will lay untouched, turn green, then black and become a huge mosquito farm DH will never be able to leave the house as they are loving him this year Anyone want to move next door to me for a few years? You can probably get the house for a good deal. With 4 bedrooms I am really concerned we will get someone with screaming brats. This is still a neighborhood of mostly middle aged and senior folks and it's kind of nice and quiet.

I need to tackle some things inside the house and really focus this weekend. I think I'll make a list - that helps.

I spoke briefly to Shad on FB last night - she was packing to go home. Hopefully she is back safe and sound.

Mel that is just horrid about Richie. I have seen other cases like his where they take everything from the guy - I'm all for support BUT when people ARE doing their part and the government just comes in and takes everything and leaves you less than 20 bucks - that's ridiculous. People really need to think hard before they take their pants off

Ceejay - have a good time with the family

Are you enjoying your one day off a month Annie? Hope so!

Laura - hope the book club goes well tonight - what did your menu wind up looking like?

Michelle - watch that back - hope you get some fishing in tomorrow.

Is the DS coming to visit Shad?

Guess I'd better get off my duff and get something done before the morning escapes me, especially if I want to get in the pool this afternoon.

Have a good weekend peoples.

Morning all
Just a short note to say I am home and rested. It's a beautiful day out there and the hired help is here to tidy up the yard and fill in the trenches made when we shifted water pipes around and added new ones etc.

It's nice to be home, but when I went into the supermarket yesterday afternoon it was like dementia revisited. Why ae people so stroppy in a confined space?? Just park your trolley across the aisle. Too bad for anyone who wants to get on with their shopping at speed. Why let the kids push the trolley when they aren't big enough to see where they are going and who they are hitting. Why, why, why. Maybe the mud wasn't so bad.

Anyway today is the day where I will clean up some of the house and find a home for the myriad of books I have scattered around. I really need to get some books on line so I don't have the physical thing cluttering up my house.

So, it's on to the washing machine and then the dining room and then the yard. That's the plan anyway. I'll be back to do personals.

HAPPY SUNDAY/MONDAY MORNING!

I WOKE UP AT 4:31 AM....I THOUGHT I HEARD THE DOORBELL. YESTERDAY IT WAS 4:44AM!! NOW EITHER I AM GOING CRAZY OR SOMEONE HERE IS WANDERING THE HALLS UNAWARE OF THE TIME. I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED IF IT'S MY OWN DEMENTIA CREEPING IN!!
YESTERDAY ALL I DID WAS SELL TOKENS, ANSWER ALARMS, PLAY PC GAMES AND WATCH TV. I WAS SO EXHAUSTED DOING IT THAT I FELL ASLEEP BY 9:30 LAST NIGHT. IT REALLY WAS AN EASY DAY.
HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY.

HOME SHADDIE....I HEAR YA ON THE STROPPY PEOPLE IN SUPERMARKETS....OR ANY STORE FOR THAT MATTER. THEY DON'T EVEN RESPECT THE WHEELCHAIR! THEY'RE ALL FOOKING NUTS. HOPE YOU REALLY DO FEEL RESTED AND THE YARD HELP DID A GOOD JOB. WILL YOU BE HOME FOR AWHILE NOW??


HAPPY...I HAVE BEEN MEANING TO TELL YOU THAT I LOVE THAT AVATAR OF YOURS TOO...WHERE IS IT FROM?? IT'S ALMOST LIKE A TINTED NEGATIVE. SINCE DAY ONE I HAVE BEEN INTRIGUED AND KEPT FORGETTING TO SAY SOMETHING. I AM GLAD THE WORK DRAMA IS OVER. SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT IT. GOD I REALLY HATE ANY KIND OF DRAMA NOW!! I WAS ALSO GOING TO TELL YOU TO PULL THE PLUG ON THE NEIGHBORS PUMP...BUT FORGOT ABOUT THE SKEETERS!! COME UP HERE....THERE'S SO MUCH NOISE AND SIRENS GOING OFF OUTSIDE THAT YOU WON'T EVEN HEAR THE PUMP!!


CEEJAY...HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT DAY WITH THE UNCLES. BET THEY MISSED YOU TONS!! I TELL THE SENIORS ALL THE TIME THAT WHEN I DIE, THEY ARE SCREWED!


ANNIE...LOVE THE NEW PIC!!! HOPE YOU ARE HAVING A GREAT WEEKEND AS WELL

New week, new office. While I was away, the project team moved. Did they think I wouldn't find them again or something? No such luck guys.
Anyway, I now have a nice view of the river and the city skyline. I'd take a picture but the pidgeons have pooped down the windows and I guess the window cleaner is on strike. So you will just have to take my work for it. The view is soothing and nice, if somewhat warm. Some idiot must have turned up the heat on this floor because it is like summer in here.

Can't do much in the way of personals I'm afraid. I'm flat out busy.

Annie - I hear you on the weight. I'm similar to you but I don't have the height to carry it off. Therefore I am short and fat. We need to get the cattle prod back into action and challenge ourselves to a Christmas target.

Gotta go. Back soon.

Hello everyone.

Ceejay - Hope you had a pleasant trip to Paragould. I hope the bp reading was an aberration. The doc told me to check it with the free bp machines the pharmacies have. When I had my last physical in 2008, I think it was a tad high too, so I better watch it so I don't find myself in the high bp category and on meds.

Shad - Welcome home. I can empathize re the supermarket. There's one in our area w/ an excellent deli and I avoid it on the weekends because it's a madhouse - and it's a small place so the carts (and their drivers) really cause problems in the narrow aisles.

Happy - I was thinking like Mel - disable the neighbor's pool pump to get some peace - but you're right, it would become one heck of a mosquito breeding ground. Bah. Book club went just fine. I didn't have a menu per se because it's a potluck type thing - I just stuck with my original idea of buying a big bottle of vodka and the juices for mixers. We also had a variety of leftover/left behind beers & Mike's Hard whatevers from bf's bday gathering the previous Saturday. I had a crockpot with the old standby meatballs in grape jelly/chili sauce, a bowl of Swedish fish gummy candy (my theme item, since the book was authored by a Swede and set in Sweden) and a bag of bbq chips (just because). Food others brought: fresh fruit w/ a vanilla yogurt/pudding dip, boiled shrimp, pita/hummus, sushi, 7-layer taco dip, french silk pie, almond cake, pasta salad, and I think that was about it. There's always way too much food, and yesterday was no different.

Mel - Wow, that's an early wakeup! Hope you get back to a regular sleeping schedule and the person ringing the bell gets their watch fixed, LOL! Book club was good. It's good to have company and do a good house cleaning, although the bedroom wing of the house doesn't benefit! I had my iPod and was listening to some podcasts while I worked. (Happy - remember Steve Dahl of Disco Demolition fame/infamy? He's off the radio, but podcasting from his basement. He's now sober and 55 y.o. and he's trying to lose weight like the rest of us, LOL.)

Hellos to Annie & Michelle!! Hope you both had a good weekend.

Back to book club. I expected 10-12 people, but there were 9 of us, which was good because I was running out of space in the living room for extra chairs! There wasn't enough book talk for my liking, but at least some between the moms talking about the coming school year. Sigh. Sometimes I think I need to abandon this book club and join one that's more interested in talking about the books...

My neighbor came over and it was good to see her because she's gone through a super awful time this year and hasn't been going to the movies. She brought her daughter's puppy over (she was dogsitting) - a tiny little 3 month old Chihuahua-Dachshund mix. Very cute! Things started off shaky between puppy and my doggy, but ended up fine.

Didn't do anything special today, just read the paper, did a couple loads of laundry, pulled a few weeds, walked the dog. Just turned off the AC and opened the windows - a nice few days coming up.

Enough rambling, I want to get ready for bed and read my book. Good night!

I've heard the a.c.making noise again so I've turned it up but not off. After 40 years, I have a gut feeling that this may be it for this a.c.

Happy
could you call the listing agent and have them to come out to check on the pool pump next door?

i suppose it is time to start getting ready for bed.