Good morning ladies! It is chilly here today, but dry at the moment. Boy it sure rained hard most of the day yesterday, which meant no doggies outside so I was cleaning up stuff all day pretty much. I did finally ease them out once but it was a quick peepee and back in cause it was raining steadily.

Jack has another ortho appt tomorrow to discuss what was found on the MRI. It isn't until the afternoon, but he is going to take the day off again. With all these dr appts he is using a lot of sick time, but that's what it is there for I guess. He has about 6 weeks built up but because of all of it, he won't be earning any bonus days anytime soon. You have to work 90 days straight without taking a sick day.

I am hoping to get upstairs and clean bathrooms and such this morning, but my feet are swollen today so they are tight. Don't know what is with that, but I take a med that is notorious for causing feet and hand swelling so it must be that again.

We are going on Saturday to see my sister and her husband. His mom lives across the other side of Arkansas and this is the sister from California so am looking forward to spending a few hours with her anyway. We can stay over with having both dogs. If it were just Fortune we would take him with us, but not both of them. For one thing we don't have a restraint for Marty and I won't travel with him unrestrained it is too dangerous and stupid. Tom lets him sit on his lap while driving too so he tries to get into the front seat when you put him in the car. So we will just get up mega early and start out.

The morons next door did it again. I had water leaking under the wall yesterday about 10. I decided not to even bother going next door and called the landlord directly. I had to leave a message, but when I hadn't heard from her in an hour I called her cell phone. She said she would send someone over and she did. I went out to check the mail around 2 and he was getting out of his truck and putting on his tool belt and such. He asked me if I was "miss donna" and I said I was. We talked about the problem and he gently asked if he could come in and look at our pipe and such. She had requested it and he was very nice and said I could refuse, which I knew I could, but I wanted once and for all to put it to rest as far as it not being from us. He came in and looked under the kitchen and bathroom sinks, at the toilet and where the fridge is and declared it was not from us. I had by then sopped it all up and sprayed it with bleach to kill any possibility of mold but he asked where it came in at and I showed him. I told him it had to be they were overloading their washer and it was overflowing. I said when the plumber was over there a few weeks ago, we hadn't had anything until that morning and you can hear the washer agitate through the wall when you are in the bathroom and I had heard it several times with no leaking. I said it had something to do with their washer. He said it was a puzzler, but he was going to get to the bottom of it. I hope they have now told them either buy a new washer or learn to wash your clothing. I told him also that until they moved in, except for the incident where the girl moved out and they bent the pipe taking the connections off, I hadn't had one of her tenants have that problem. There had never been a leak until the jerks next door moved in. So, we shall see. I have been in there several times this morning and not heard a peep from the washer and I usually do.

Susan: Ok, that one gobsmacks even me. I have done some really goofy things knitting but I seriously can't figure out how your poor friend put the toe on the cuff. I have yet to venture into toe up socks or even doing magic loop socks though I do know how to do magic loop. I also tried two at a time and didn't like doing that either so will just stick to my dpns. Thought I would never get the hang of those, but I did and am really comfortable with them now. One of the things I bless the lady that wrote the sock pattern that I first used learned is that she said to cast on one extra stitch and instead of casting on all the stitches then moving them, she casts them all on one needle, then knits each group of stitches onto the next needle, then the next, etc and with the one extra stitch, she slides it to needle one and knits the first two together and it gives a nice "seamless" cuff instead of a possible gap or whatever. It always works no matter what the cuff down pattern. Ooh I like Mah Jong and what is called Mah Jong Shanghai. I actually have a CD to play both. I didn't know this until I started playing the CD, but the games online where you remove pairs of like tiles is the Shanghai style. Mah Jong is a bit different with you having tiles in front of you sort of like scrabble then you play them onto the board, but I love them both. I guess for me playing mah jong is just another little old lady thing I have picked up. I a firmly entrenched as a senior now with mah jong skills, a little dog, I had a big car, I knit socks, etc. Wow working as a receptionist would be cool, but where the heck would you fit that in?

Jean: The Gin game I play on Iphone is the same, runs and 3 of a kinds, but it allows you in some instances if you have 2-2 pairs (in other words 4 cards left each a pair) it will bring up the word "knock" and then if you click on it it adds your points subtracts pts etc and gives you the remainder and says you win. If you do the knock and your opponent has less left pts then you, you are penalized and they get the pts and 25 pt extra. If you gin with one card left to go out, you get the opponent's left pts and 25 or if you gin having made all your runs and 3 of kinds then you get their left pts and 31. We do play to 100 but I can usually win in 2 hands with this game. It is the free one so I am sure that is why it isn't very hard to beat. I miss Euchre playing, which no one does down here and I would like to go back to playing double deck pinochle, which is usually only played by people in the military from what I understand as most people play single deck pinochle. I have played in 30 years so would have to learn all over again.

Maggie: I grew up on fruits and veggies as my mom and grandma canned so I eat quite a few different kinds.

Well gals, I am not getting anything done so far this morning and I see it is already 10 am. I need to get a move on if I want to get anything done before Jack gets home. With him going to work so early and getting home so early I feel my cleaning time is cut short! Have a good one today. Faye

Good morning to you all! It is pretty chilly this morning, but supposed to be warm and sunny later on today. We are supposed to get into the upper 70's tomorrow or Friday.

Jack stayed up and watched college basketball last night, booooring. I just sat and listened to an audiobook on my Iphone. I just finished a Nora Roberts book that was really good and am on to her "alter ego" J D Robb and her new book. I have read all of the "in Death" series and am hooked on them.

Jean: I haven't decided whether I am going with him today to the doctor's or not. I guess if I am ready I will go otherwise not. How indecisive is that? I actually got a call from the repairman last night about next door, which pleased and surprised me. He said he had another guy go in with him and look also and it is definitely their washer. He quoted a price to fix it, but they said no. He asked me if I wanted him to call the landlord this morning and tell her and I said absolutely. I told him that she had told the leasee last time this happened to fix her washer, quit using it until she did or buy a new one so I wanted her to know she never did it. I am hoping she will really be steamed about it and give it to them. One thing that disturbs me though and I have no proof is there was a large piece of chicken on the deck after this that Fortune got ahold of and I wonder if those dirt bags threw it over the fence or if it was the squirrel. Whose to say. I hope she evicts them over this, but they had a devil of a time finding someone for the condo they own directly across the street from us.

Maggie: I am looking forward to grilling out again. I know you are enjoying watching those birds.

Well, Jack fixed breakfast this morning and it is finished so I have to go. Everyone have a great hump day. Faye

Jean: Have you thought about buying Bob a one cup coffe maker for the office? I looked on Amazon.com and they have several under $20 and a couple are under $15. It would save money in the long run and they come with their own cup! I believe I saw that Sears has them too.

"Gma" -- I thought about getting him a 1 cup pot, but he likes to leave the office for a few minutes to make a coffee run. I have a little 4 cup pot he could take if he wanted to.

Maggie -- It is 55 degrees according to the weather bug, the sun is shining yet, and the wind is blowing. I don't think we'll be buying coffee at $40 a pound! We like our coffee to taste like coffee instead of colored hot water. We usually only drink a cup at breakfast but once in awhile will make more later in the day. Bob thinks if it's something we want, then go buy it. I've started drinking more tea since the crafty club members are tea drinkers. There aren't any asparagus eaters living here, but the liquid part does sound tasty.

Here I am! I know, I know...I come in and then leave for awhile. I've been thinking about y'all though! Really! I have a few minutes before the granddaughters arrive so here I am!

Well, I had a birthday! I'm 60. Yep. Me. We called it "Gailfest" that day. I did not have a party (both daughters were out of town but they phoned) but Wayne took me out to dinner at the Texas Roadhouse (my choice). He also gave me a Pandora charm bracelet...well, started one for me. I have a Pandora charm bracelet already but that is for weight loss--every five pounds I lose I get a new charm--30 lbs. so far. This new bracelet will be for anytime I get the "need" for a new charm. I love it. I love the other one too. We were going to a movie as well but the movie we wanted to see does not start until this Friday...so we're going next Monday in the afternoon. The movie? The Lincoln Lawyer or it may be Limitless. We haven't made up our minds yet. Wayne says I can choose. Love that man! Anyway, my birthday celebration will continue this Friday as both daughters are taking the day off to spend with me and we're doing something but I haven't been told yet. Love them too!

I went to WW this morning. I lost .8 lbs. For the past week, I was in possession of the traveling food tracker. I had to write everything I ate, drank, exercised, commented, etc. It was a great eye-opener as I thought I was doing everything 100%. I was not. On the old program, I counted light margarine 2 t. for 1 point. I didn't know that I get a whole tablespoon for 1 point! It really got me focused again. Over all it was a good experience. I made all kinds of comments--some funny and some not so funny--so no telling what the person is thinking about it all!

Maggie, thank you for the email! I will answer it! I'm loving my new computer. Yes, it's a laptop but not my first. I still have the old one even though it's not working like it should. Our weather is just starting to get warmer and I'm grateful for that because I'm so tired of being cold all the time. We did have a new heater and air conditioner installed...and it is so quiet!!!

Donna Faye, you have had the worst luck in neighbors!! Bless your heart. I'm still knitting socks...but like you have never heard of anyone putting the toe on the cuff. I knit socks with double pointed needles....and do it the old-fashioned way--cuff down. Never have knitted the magic loop, toe-up, two at a time, etc. I'm lucky I can knit what I do knit! And I am so slooooooow. We almost got a 5-month old dog Monday night. It is a poodle-maltese mix. Cute. But the timing is wrong. This dog is in need of some vet care and a good grooming from a professional. Money that we do not have right now to spend on a dog. But I have heard the poor thing (name is Oscar...of all things) now has a home...and I feel better about not taking him in.

Jean, coffee is going up here in Delaware as well. And it doesn't matter if it's take-out or if you buy Maxwell House by the can in the grocery store. And gas. Do you want to talk about gasoline? Today it is $3.49 for regular. But things could be worse. I feel so sorry for those people in Japan!

Susan, I'm sending a shout out to you--Hello!

I promise to get back in here sooner. Like tomorrow morning!

Good morning ladies! It is going to be near 80 degrees here today and sunny. I just wish I had windows I could open and get a cross breeze, but no such luck. I do not know why they put two huge windows across the back that cannot be opened. Like I have said before, the front ones are blocked by huge bushes so they don't get any air if they are opened either.

I just finished paying bills again. Seems like that comes around often. This is the month for our quarterly insurance payment so I had to make sure that is paid pronto to keep the ole insurance coming especially with all of Jack's stuff going on, .

Well, the verdict is in. Jack has to have surgery on the other knee now. His surgery will be June 22. He has to wait that long as he has to have 6 weeks off. When he had the other knee done, since it was on the job, he was back at work about a week after on crutches sitting and doing paperwork and such until he was released back. With this, he can't come back at all until he is released because they don't have light duty with the city. That is fine, he will enjoy all the time off, but he has used so many days lately with dr appts and will need one for his colonoscopy, one for his cardiologist in August and one again for his pre sugery tests and such. He does have another torn meniscus and the doctor said that he can only do what he did with the other one that it won't be perfect and did he understand that? Well, even though Jack has on and off pain with the right knee because of arthritis, he says it does feel better than it did so this knee will have to feel better than it does now, which is pretty bad.

Gail: Congrats on the loss. Anything is anything and it is almost a lb. I am sending you a link for a company that makes Pandora style charms and they are less expensive that the Pandora charms. You might like them you might not, but here you go. http://stores.newdreamz.net/StoreFront.bok I think they have some beautiful and some really cute charms and fillers and such. Glad you had a nice birthday. They seem to come around awful frequently. I told Jack I wanted him to hurry and get to 62 (He turns 62 in Oct) because they we get the senior discount at almost all places and especially at all the hotels! Right now I can get senior or aarp discounts at Hyatt, choice hotels, red roof inn, Hilton, which is 62 unless you are aarp, which I am, but Marriott requires 62 period.

Jean: I never drank coffee and don't like it to this day. The sister we are gong to visit is a huge coffee drinker. She seems to always have a Starbucks in her hand. I just can't see paying $5 for a cup of coffee. I do get a couple things there once in awhile. I get their peppermint hot chocolate at Christmas time and I used to like there carmel apple drink, but they changed it and I don't like it as much. When we were in Vegas last time the Starbucks at one of the big strip hotels had this thing called "liquid chocolate" hot chocolate. It was in a tiny cup about the size of the larger paper cups you use at home in dispensers. It was truly liquid chocolate and woweeee. If you are a chocolate lover this was at the kids used to say, "the bomb!" Unfortunately, it was also really expensive, like $4 for this tiny little cup, but for this chocoholic, it was worth every penny.

Maggie: I haven't seen the red bud trees yet and we have scads of them. It is going to be warm this weekend so I imagine they will be sprouting out. I see my azaleas are blooming big time again this year.

Well girls, it is almost 8 am already. I need to get a bite to eat for breakfast and work on this sock. My problem is I am almost done with it and don't like it! The yarn isn't as soft as I would like it to be. Ahh well, they need to be finished anyway. Have a good one all! Faye

Good Morning, Flowers! It's a foggy morning in my neighborhood. When I opened to door for Ernie's sniff of fresh air, it actually felt much warmer (48 heading for 60) this morning. The weatherman says it will be "breezy" today, which means windy. I have WW later and then crafty club this afternoon.

Gail -- on losing almost a whole pound! Onward and downward is the way to go. It sounds like you celebrated you birthday in style with more to come. Enjoy!

Maggie -- Bob wouldn't mess with a thermos as he usually just drinks one cup of coffee in the morning at the office. I did some searching for caffeine info and found this online which I thought was interesting. "It all depends on how strong you make the tea or coffee. All types of tea contain caffeine, however the amount of caffeine varies according to the way in which the tea leaves are processed. Green tea contains the least caffeine, Black tea the most, and Oolong () falls in the middle range. A cup of Green tea (6 oz) contains 8 mg of caffeine. A cup of Oolong tea contains 12.50 mg of caffeine. A cup of Black tea ranges from 25 - 110, depending on the variety. Coffee generally contains 60 - 120 mg of caffeine. According to Stash Teas, here is the breakdown in milligrams:

Coffee (5 oz. cup) 80 (don't think any of my cups are 5 oz.)
Black Tea (one tea bag) 40
Oolong Tea (one tea bag) 30
Green Tea (one tea bag) 20
White Tea (one tea bag) 15
Decaf Tea (one tea bag) 2" (end of quote, not inches )

My Good Earth tea has the following milligrams chart on their box: (8oz. cup)

Coffee 100
Black tea 50
Green Tea 30
White tea 20
Original tea 16
Decaf. tea 4
Herbal/red tea 0

I didn't realize there were so many different kinds of tea. I ususally make "boiled" water tea in the summer rather than sun tea.

"Gma" -- Do you own the bushes in front or does the association? In other words could you trim them back to get some air to come in through the windows? I'm glad that Jack has a plan of action for his knee! As I've gotten older my taste for chocolate has changed some. I used to think that was the only flavor (got that from my dad!) but sometimes I'd just as soon have something else. Bob, Jason, and Ian all think chocolate is the only was to go! What don't you like about the sock?

I need to get dressed and get moving. Have a terrific Thursday and enjoy!

Jean -- from Iowa!

Good afternoon!

Doncha just hate it when you ask someone a question and they answer back with a question? Yep. And that certain someone is now outside washing the car. And I thought he was ready to go walking. I'm ready. What part of that previous conversation did he not get?

Last night the granddaughters were over. The oldest (10 year old) asked me what I've been knitting lately. Sweet voice. I told her I just got finished knitting a sock. She asked me, "Grandmom, you gonna knit the other sock too?" Like I said, she has a sweet voice. I did tell her that I'm knitting that second sock now.

Donna Faye, my goodness! I'll put Jack on the prayer list at my church for sure. Thanks for the link. I'll go there in a few minutes and browse! Life for hubby and I will be easier (financially) when we get to retirement age but that would be like wishing our life away and we don't want to do that. I don't mind turning 60--I can get a few senior discounts now and I will take advantage. Every little bit of savings helps. And both Wayne and I are members of AARP and we use that card for discounts as well. We love the bulletin and magazine we get from them.

Jean, good luck at WW today! It is getting warmer here in DE as well. It's sunshiny and when we do go for that walk today at the park it's going to be nice. It was nice yesterday afternoon when we walked and it was a little cooler. It's going to be in the 60's today. Tomorrow, it's supposed to get up 75-80 degrees! Then it will cool down a bit but it will still be nice. Spring is arriving. Yaaaaay! I love coffee. Wayne does too. In fact, there is a sale on our brand of coffee at one of the grocery stores in our area. $6.50 a big can. I'm going to buy two. Sales starts tomorrow.

Well, I need to go outside and see how the car-washing is coming along. I need to get my walking shoes on and be ready to go when he's finished or he will start washing his truck....