I guess I get to start the last thread of the year. I can't believe we have whipped through this year already. I know I have done little or nothing with my weight loss this year, but I am truly commiting myself to hard work next year. I would like to be 120 lbs down by this time next year. I did a lot of back pedaling this year and up and down, but the last 3 weeks I haven't done much of anything except eat holiday junk.

Hope everyone is well this morning. I finally got all the ice removed from our walkway out to the end of our garage. It was a solid sheet of ice and couldn't get the snow shovel to make a dent. It has turned warm here (supposed to be 65 today) so I took out hot water, the shovel and a hammer and whacked away a little at a time. My hands really hurt by the time I was done, but at least no one will slip and fall now as the warm air has dried the wet ground and melted the few places I couldn't get to break up. What a job that was. I shoved all the chunks of ice out into the street because it was sunny and by the time Jack got home it was almost all melted. The walkway between the two garages/condos stays shaded so that is why the sun was making no dent whatsoever. I couldn't even walk out past my deck to go and get the mail it was so slippery.

Not much news since yesterday. Hope everyone will have a nice day!

Faye

Morning ladies! DH woke up starving at 3 AM and went on a donut run! He was dying for donuts and I didn't say anything as Monday he goes back on his diet so I can get those lbs off him before he goes to his cardiologist in February. We have both slid backwards but at least we will be doing it together.

DH has informed me he is going to work on the car, so I may be without one! Actually, I looked online and found online car repair manuals so I am going to talk to him about purchasing a subscription if he wants to replace the ignition coils (we have two that are bad causing the misfiring and the car acting up not the plugs as first thought.) Anyway, they showed you a demonstration of how to use it and it was really simple and straightforward with clear pictures and instructions. Even buying the subscription and the parts is cheaper than having it fixed somewhere. Autozone wants $42 apiece for the coils and the manual is $25 for a year. Firestone quoted Jack as at least $80 labor and $120 to $260 for the two coils so we save a bundle doing it ourselves. We shall see.

Jean: When I was reading about your Christmas put away, before I got to the part about: I figure that if I start now, I should have everything together when it is time to pack it away for another year. I thought you were going to say "If I start now, I should have everything together when it is time to put it up again!" I actually know quite a few people who practically do it that way. I am wayyyyyyyy to anal for that. The stuff comes down the day after Christmas no exceptions. By that time, I have had it with all the stuff. At least the stuff survived the cat pretty well. Next year I am putting up an all white tree and decorating it all in red and white. I saw one at Cracker Barrel and loved it. In fact, I am going over to Cracker Barrel today and buy some of their ornaments that are like half off.

Well, I best go as I need to get my chores done this morning. Everyone have a great day.

Faye

Maggie: That is great. Take it where you can get it. Now that the holidays are just about at the end, maybe we all can get back to being serious about losing. I applaud you just for going to the meeting!

I got a call from dgs (he dialed the call himself for the first time, but didn't realize I didn't answer at once) and he asked me, "Nonny, can you go to lunch with me because Daddy has trouble at work and can't go to lunch with me?" So, I took him and his mom to lunch and promptly got sick. We went shopping and I was running from one bathroom to the next and one time barely made it. I came home, headed for the bathroom and then out to get Jack. Sucked down half a bottle of Pepto and that helped later on, but still felt queasy for awhile than all was ok again. I am a little nauseous this morning, but I have some allergy/asthma type problems that cause me to cough a lot in the mornings and gag and that may be it for right now. I was going to clean today, but I feel kind of icky so I think I will just grab a book and some movies and veg today.

Well, the washer is done with the load so I need to go put the stuff in the dryer.

Have a great New Year's Eve and weekend

Faye

Tried to get in here earlier and could read but wouldn't let me post for some reason. Hope you all are having a great holiday.

Dh worked on the car and solved one problem but still is going to have to have some more work so it is going to have to go into a shop for the day. That will have to wait a week or so though. Always something.

My tummy is better. I think it was just upset from lunch as we had dinner and it was ok in the evening.

DH is watching football. He called ds earlier and they are both ok. My son was being his funny self. I wish you could have seen him just 8 years ago. He has hair down past his shoulders with a braid in it. He cut it us past his shoulders for his sister's wedding, then a couple years ago got a "man's" haircut and looked really nice. I guess according to my dil, he has shaved his head now! Talk about an enigma. Never know what he is going to do!

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Faye

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Maggie & Jean you are both having the weather we may be getting midweek...today was in the 50's and they are predicting rain/snow/sleet etc by Wednesday.

Took advantage of the good weather and took down the outside lights and the window lights. Tomorrow, if I feel like it I will take down the tree and my 85 Santas. I need to reassess the boxes in the cellar so that what I used this year is in it's own box and not mixed with things I didn't use. Maybe next year it will be easier.

Jean how is your floor coming...have they put down the final pieces. I bet it looks wonderful. Just heard that Iowa won the football game. Congratulations!

Faye so sorry to hear you were sick but glad it didn't last long. Cam, (11), had a bug of some sort last night....chills and then a fever but seems to be better today. Hope DH can get the car back to where it should be. DD#1 had an accident on Sunday in the snow storm. She was driving along a wooded road and went into a spin and went off the road and into the woods. Hit a couple of trees...she wasn't hurt but couldn't get out of the car. She had her phone with her and was able to call the police and they and the firemen came. They got the car out and towed it home. She could actually drive it but she decided to get a new car rather than have it fixed. She had been looking at cars for the last 4 months. This just pushed her in that direction even more.

Maggie it is good to seen you here again and I hope that gremlin takes a break in the New Year and leaves your computer alone.

Yesterday we went into Boston to see the Radio City Rockettes show.....Spectacular! DD#2, SIL and Kerri & Sean and DH & I. It was a great time and I enjoyed sitting next to Kerri who was enchanted with the dancing and all the moves. She has been doing cheerleading and so could appreciate what the dancers were doing. The last scene was a Living Nativity that was beautiful. It included live sheep, goat, and camel and was worth the price of admission.

Gloria in MA.....heading out to watch some TV.

Morning everybody!

GLoria: So glad your dd is a-ok. MY dd and I and dgs had a car accident the Monday before Christmas. This stupid woman pulled out of a side street (with a stop sign that she ignored) and right into us broadside. We were on a 4 lane city street going about 45 so she really creamed us then hit us again in the rear end. We got some aches and pains out of it and that was all. DH can't do all the work. Looks like the plugs and wires are still going to have to be changed and Jack says they are too far down for him to reach so we will have to pay the $300 to get that done (our car takes platinum plugs, which cost around $4 apiece and the wires for the 8 plugs cost about $160 total as they are some special kind.) Well, we wanted a fancier car, so now we have to pay the fancier repair bills I guess.

Not to make those of you who are freezing feel bad, but it was 74 here yesterday and will likely be about that for almost a week. I wore capri pants, a t-shirt and sandals yesterday! I wore shorts at home. It is so nice after that horrific ice storm of Christmas weekend.

Jean: We want to put hardwood floors down sooner or later. We have to do rooms a little at a time and we want to start with our tile flooring first. Even doing it yourself it is expensive. Going to cost us about $500 to tile the entranceway and that is with Jack doing it. Course, all the tools we have to buy and the "water" saw we won't have to incur that expense to do the other tile in the kitchen etc. I told Jack that we are going to hire someone to do the bath downstairs though. It is just one of those toilet and sink things, really small and would be hard for a nonprofessional to do. Besides, I think we will put little squares in there instead of the 12" ones.

Well, best go and finish my grocery list. Commissary has been closed for the holiday the last two days and I need groceries.

Faye