Hopefully holiday parties won't get in the way of staying OP for the majority of the week. None of us are perfect. Jus try to make the best choices with what is available.

Schmoodle I don’t think I’ve had beets since I was a kid. I don’t believe they were fresh either. I vaguely remember them coming from a can or a jar if that’s possible. I might have to try your recipe.

Isa how are you feeling? Has the knee pain subsided a bit?

Pearlrose sorry DS GF has to work on Christmas. I’ve worked a lot of holidays over the years.

Debbie hope your week is less stressful

Ruth did you get the lights up?

Beth I bet your grocery bill was high this week too. Since its just me my grocery bill is around $70 per week. Yesterday I had sticker shock at $170 and I didn’t buy any meat! LOL I did buy some household items at the grocery store just to avoid Walmart.

The wreath laying ceremony was very touching. Since we had a recent snow fall it did make finding the gravesites a little challenging. The cemetery did look pretty with the snow. I didn’t accomplish anything other than grocery shopping yesterday. Today will be spent giving the house a thorough cleaning. I’m still coughing but might go to the gym later. Trying to keep it together as tomorrow DS and DIL are coming here. I am still having a hard time wrapping my head around this.

So far so good this month for maintaining. I am at goal and just trying to stay there.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Good morning, Jennifer and chicks to come.

Yes, Jennifer, we managed to drop a few dollars on food yesterday. lol The tradition for the last few years has been to do a beef rib roast on
Christmas and the day you buy that piece of meat the grocery bill starts around $150 and only goes up. But if we get a dozen servings out of it it becomes a per-plate value. We only do it once a year and the boys (DH included) love it. Hope you get your gym time in as you brace yourself for tomorrow.

DS2 is on his way home. He prefers to leave early (as in, 5 am early) to avoid traffic in the city so he should be here by noon. I have already cleaned his room this morning but want to do a once over on the bathroom. Other than that although it is cold this morning it is sunny so DH and I may take a walk.

Have a good day, chicks.

Good morning,

Well yesterday was interesting day, did manage to get house cleaned and went grocery shopping. Got a call from DD1 when she was in on her way to work, she hit a deer. So we went to where she was at and it did a lot of damage to the drivers side of the car but she was able to drive it home and then we took her to work. I picked her up this morning and she was very sore so went to ER, she just got whiplash so they gave her muscle relaxants and a note to get off work tonight. I put in an online claim with insurance to start the process. It was a family of 3 deer and she hit the last one and unfortunately it did not make it.

Jekel I am maintaining weight at this point too so just trying to tow that line.

Beth I got a roast as well to make but not for Christmas day. Safe travels to your DS

Have a great day everyone!

Pearlrose glad DD is ok!!!!
Beth my mom makes a rib roast too.

Last night turned into a frantic “my flight was cancelled” angry phone call. I was on hold for almost 3 hours trying to speak to someone. DS’s MIL was able to get him on a flight from Panama City but his original reservation with another airline was from Tallahassee. My son drove to Tallahassee spoke with an agent who told him I would get a refund (skeptic mom since he did not get any paperwork). He then drove to Panama City and spoke with the Delta agent there. FULL REFUND!!!!! Whoo hoo!!! I do need to book him a retune flight but even a one way ticket is several hundred dollars less than the original ticket. His MIL works for an airline so there was no cost (nice perk). I do need to make two airport runs today in two different states but will be happy to have him home. His wifey changed her flight to come in later in the day as she said she would feel awkward meeting me without him. I understand. DS did buy her an engagement ring and wedding band with some of his bonus money. He plans on giving it to her when they go to the city Tuesday....lol NO I am not invited.

Well the scale must know my internal stress this week. Apparently I am doing better than I thought. I am down for the month. Hoping I can stay there or at least not gain. Looking at my tracker, I am down 2 pounds for the year. I’ll take it!

Here’s to a stress free week!!!!

Good morning,

Kick off to a busy week, today starting from home, will need to go with DD2 to drop off her car to repair shop and see if it is okay to drive until repairs can be made or if she needs a rental, oddly enough her policy is the one with the rental attached, I think I only have 2 that have that, probably should check. Anyways, after that I need to run in to office at noon for two meetings and then it will be home. Yesterday DH and I went to local ski place and then 6 flags for a bit (he loves that place, me not so much). Came home and DD2 had made some cookies, we will finish them this week to deliver to the neighbors and this year making a plate for DS and DD1 as well. Went and stayed with DD2 for a bit she is still very sore but I think she will be fine in a few days.

Jekel oh my that sounds like a mess, glad he wasn't flying out of Atlanta they had power outage for 11 hours. I hope the meeting with new DIL goes well.

Have a great day everyone!

Good evening, chicks.

A busy and snowy day today. I had a meeting after school and then errands to run (bank, UPS, more groceries) and was surprised by the 5-6 inches of new snow. It does look pretty but made for greasy driving. I did make it home in time to do a workout tape. (we won't talk about the impromptu dinner out last night)

Pearlrose, I hit a deer several years ago; seems like the repair bill was well over $1000. I am glad DD was not hurt.

Jennifer, what a mess for DS! I had a colleague who was flying to a wedding this weekend; she missed her connection going out Friday night and tonight's return was also impacted by the Atlanta mess. But it is great DS got his refund.

Have a good evening, all.

Good morning, chicks. (I get the "first and last" award today. )

We have freezing rain and ice and so I am on a 2 hour delay today. I think I may split the difference and go in an hour or so late so I can get some work done.

Jennifer, I'm thinking of you today! Hope the visit is a smooth one.

Ruth, is your week crazy with social events again?

Pearlrose, what did you find out about DD's car?

Have a good day, chicks!

Pearlrose I hope the car repair isn’t too costly. I haven’t baked Christmas cookies in years. I do miss the smell of them baking. Joe takes care of making the cookies (but way too many LOL)

Beth we are opposites today. Here it is supposed to be almos 50! I admire you going in early.

The Atlanta power outage was a mess! DS and DIL made their flights with no issues. My little Camry got a lot of miles in yesterday. DS and I had a nice lunch on City Island (Bronx). DIL had never been to a diner before so that was dinner. She said the only restaurants open 24 hours by her are Wafflle House and Denny’s lol.She is sweet, easy to have a conversation with.

Today I do need to fix an issue with my credit card company. I booked DS’s return flight to Florida online and never got a confirmation. It kept prompting me to Visa. Well turns out my card was charged 6 times and no reservation. After 5 hours I finallly got a call back from Delta (very nice customer service). His flight is all booked and hopefully I will see the charges reversed.

Today I am dropping Coconut off at the vet, then the happy couple is going to the city for the day. I am not sure if I am included in their dinner plans. I do have to work tomorrow. We are at heightened alert through the holidays with mandatory holdovers. The cops are going to get burned out quickly and be cranky!

Have a great day!

Good morning!

The last few days had been crazy over here. DH flew home on Friday night with the flu and he still sick. He has a bad cough and the fever comes and goes. Muffin (mini-schnauzer) got sick on Friday too, he wasn't eating or moving too much and he also had tremors. Yesterday, I was going to taking to the vet but he started to feel better and he also eat more so I will keep and eye today and if anything I will take him to the vet. Mom also got sick with fever and cough, she got sick last week while she was in TX but then she got better, I think she also has the flew. I am just hoping no one else get sick.

This week is going to be super busy, I still have to finish some Christmas shopping, bake cookies, and get the house ready for more family that comes over on Friday. Did I mentioned that I live in a small house with 3 rooms and everyone (12 ) is staying in my house. At the beginning my brother was going to rent a house but since I thought he was the only people that was coming over and my mom I thought was ok for them to stay with us. Last week I find out that 5 more people decided to come over for Christmas and I couldn't say no to them. My stress level is seriously high, I just keep repeating to myself we can do this, it is only two weeks....

Today after I drop the kids in school I have to come home to do laundry, clean the bathrooms and pick up around the house. Then I have 12:15pm chiropractic appointment and hopefully I can do some more shopping after that. In the night I plan to get the gingerbread cookie dough ready for baking tomorrow. This entire week we have novenas (praying every night to baby Jesus until his birth) at different houses. Every novena is in a different house, we pray and then they give us dinner and the kids get a little present. I don't think I will got to all of them, but it is a nice tradition for my boys to learn, even thought they don't speak Spanish.

Hope you all have a great Tuesday!

Good morning,

Dropped DD1 car off at the shop, the owner said she should not drive her car not safe to do, so we got a rental car for her yesterday, so I dropped her there on the way to work. I made a crock pot roast so had dinner ready when I got home from work. DD1 needed some groceries so she drove to our house and then DD2 and I took over, so we could grab the groceries and carry them into her house afterwards. She is very sore still, she has a PT appt this morning so hoping that helps. She is supposed to work tonight so we will see how she does after PT. I told her she is better calling off then going in and then calling off as it would only count for 1 call off versus 2. (the things you have to think of). Insurance company has been easy to deal with, put in online claim and then they just called yesterday and the ball is rolling, now to hope that insurance doesn't go up.

Today is wfh day for me, they are having holiday luncheon for workers today but I am not going in just for a lunch. I have to go in the next two days.

Beth drive safely if there is ice out there, my weight was up today and I had a complete op day yesterday so I am thinking arrival of tom is messing with the scale

Jekel glad that DIL is easy to talk to, should help to get to know them. How long are they staying for? DH keeps eating the cookies, I heard DD2 tell him to stop eating them lol

Have a great day everyone!

Busy Beachers! I planned a busy day with a gift & grocery run to the "big" city - Brockville, not Ottawa! - but we have freezing rain and driving warnings so it'll be a cozy in at home day. We do have the tree up and lights outside so I'll focus today on home stuff and some precooking for the party the night of the 24th. (One of Bruce's music pals and his daughter may be here tomorrow so looks like Thursday will be Big Shop day.)

Sorry I've been missing in action but life is still crazy!

Hi everyone!

I don't know where the days go...home from work. I have the mextc4 days off and we are going to Glenwood. Complicated because Saturday night will be the coldest day of the year over there and I have to work Sunday early. So... Sis and I will come back Thursday (she had medical treatment) and Kirk will stay over and make sure our places don't freeze. I guess he will travel back Early Christmas morning. Traffic will be bad Christmas Eve day. Oh well. His DD is coming from SFO but is going to stay with the cousins for a few days. I guess we will have a laid back Christmas.

Not much other news. Guess I need to figure out dinner. Probably left over corned beef and cabbage.

Good morning,

Starting from home today and then going in for afternoon meetings and dinner with my manager and one of the directors. Today is DD2 last day of school before break, she has semester exams today, hoping she does well in her honors math class so she keeps her straight A's. DD1 called off work again still not feeling up to snuff, she went for PT but the ER doc did not sign the order so they did an initial eval, and they got her into the doctor for follow up tomorrow instead of Jan 18th which is what they told her was earliest.

Debbie safe travels to you. I think we will have a laid back Christmas as well, DS GF works 12 hour shift on Christmas day so Saturday we are going out to lunch and we will do their gift exchange but DD2 does not want to open her presents til Christmas day and we will have our own Christmas dinner and if DS wants to come over he will and DD1 will come over and spend the day. I am used to be gone and skiing at this time of they year lol.

Have a great day everyone!

Good morning,

Guess we are all super busy this time of the year. Today starting wfh for 1st meeting and then heading into work for the rest of the day. Got the estimate back for car she did $5,800 worth of damage.... Tonight on the agenda is finishing up cookies for the neighbors so we can get them out of the house lol.

Have a great day everyone and hope you are able to find a moment of silence in your day.