Steel Magnolias -- #53

  •   #1  
    Jean's AvatarJean , 01-02-2005 01:29 PM
    Good Afternoon, Flowers!
    We made it to church although the sanding truck had not been down our street when we left. It did come to our corner and then turned onto the next street. When I got home I called and complained . . . the guy said they only did the interesections and not the streets. My reply was that they had better define intersection to the driver out here because he did all the other streets in our subdivision. About an hour later here comes the truck down our block. I figure I pay taxes and have the same rights as everyone else who got sand! I was a bit "grrrry!" They don't use salt or chemicals because of the lake.

    The sun is peeking out but it is a chilly day. We are going to a funeral this afternoon and otherwise I'm cleaning out some drawers and cupboards while the washer and dryer finish their jobs for the week. This has got to be the year I get myself organized or else!

    "Gma" -- I'll trade ya temperatures . . . it's 21 degrees here! My stepsister put a "real" hardwood floor in her new house. It is treated and is supposedly just as sturdy as the laminate. When we were looking the salesman said that the real wood was much harder to keep up and more expensive. I didn't pursue it because I wanted "easy" which laminate is in some respects, I guess. Do you have rental businesses in your area where you could rent the water saw when you do the tile? We have one and you can rent wine glasses, china dishes, tools, you name it.

    I hear the dryer buzzing so better go fish out the stuff to fold. Hope you all have a relaxing day!

    Jean -- from Iowa!
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  •   #2  
    Jean's AvatarJean , 01-03-2005 02:28 PM
    Good Afternoon, Flowers!
    I finished my "to do" stuff at school and decided I could putter at home just as easy as taking up space at school when I didn't have anything to do. I don't have my new schedule because the teachers aren't sure what their classes are yet. The server was "down", grades were due today, and the computer people were flyin' from room to room trying to get people straightened out. The Guidance Office was in a tizzy because they couldn't print out the new schedules. I'm so glad I don't have to work on the computers under pressure.

    It's a gloomy, windy, cold day in my neighborhood. The windchill is 2 degrees and the TV weatherman keeps promising that we are going to get "something" tonight, tomorrow, and on into Wednesday. JOY! I'm hoping for snow since we still have ice left over from Saturday.

    Not much else is newsy. Guess I'll go read the papers and catch Dr. Phil. Have a great "rest of the day!"

    Jean -- from Iowa!
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  •   #3  
    gma22's Avatargma22 , 01-04-2005 03:22 PM
    Afternoon ladies. Felt a little under the weather yesterday but I am better today.

    I just spent half an hour getting my local phone service straightened out. MCI changed my service without my permission to them on the 29th. If I had not put in a repair call to BellSouth I would never have known. I cannot believe they can do that. Well, they can't do it anymore because I put a block on my phone to keep it from happening again.

    Jean: We went "tile" hunting today as Jack took today and tomorrow off. We have decided with the cat and dog to put this tile down that looks like wood flooring. It is pretty cool. I have never seen anything like it before but we found it at Home Depot. Going to cost us about $3600 to do our downstairs in differnt tile. We are doing the entranceway, living and dining in the wood look and they picked out this beautiful italian tile for the kitchen, laundry and bath area. Jack was going to do it himself then decided we are just going to go ahead and have it installed. Upstairs will have to wait until next year I guess, ran out of money! I like the fact I will be able to mop the downstairs and doggie "accidents" can be easily cleaned up. I can't wait to get started, but alas we have to wait for the ole tax man to send us our money so it will probably be about 6 weeks or so yet.

    It is warm and sticky wet today. I went out and walked in the rain, but not very far so need to try and get another walk in this afternoon if possible. Maybe after dinner though I don't go out after dark around here.

    Everyone have a great afternoon.

    Faye
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  •   #4  
    Jean's AvatarJean , 01-04-2005 08:53 PM
    Good Evening, Flowers!
    I think the so-called storm has fizzled out. All day long the weather reports have been anywhere from 2" to 15" starting this afternoon and into tomorrow. It started snowing around 4:00 and there is just a little bit along the curbs and it has quit. The wind is blowing so if it starts up again, it could get bad. I'm home to stay tonight and alot of activities were cancelled/postponed on the 5:00 news. . .WW included.

    It was a typical "first day" at school. Everyone wants their schedule changed so they can eat lunch with so and so or be in the same PE class with their friends. The home ec. teacher was growly because she has 25 students in a sewing class and only 15 sewing machines. We had a girl scheduled into special ed. classes and she's never been tested -- hasn't been in school for 3 years and no one seems to know why. I'd bet she's here for the free lunches and the social time. "MEOW"

    "Gma" -- From the looks of my floor, I cringe to think what was in my carpet. If the sun will shine on your floor, and it is anything like mine, every dusty footprint, pawprint, piece of lint, fur, crumb, drip, and dribble will show. The best part is being able to wipe up "whatever" easily. I could vacuum and mop every day but I don't. There is a tile, and I'm not sure what it is called because I saw it in a house, and it looks just like carpet. The lady said she took a hammer to a sample and wasn't able to break, chip, or dent it. Ian tipped over a chair and it didn't dent my floor. We were spammed a few years ago by MCI and I put a block on the phone then. I was so mad -- we had a 5 cents a minute plan and MCI was charging us $2.50 a minute! They ended up giving us full credit because they couldn't prove that we had ok'd the change.

    Not much else is newsy from my corner of the world. I am ready for spring and the sooner the better! Hah! I hope you all have a relaxing evening and a wonderful Wednesday!

    Jean -- from Iowa!
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  •   #5  
    gma22's Avatargma22 , 01-05-2005 10:04 AM
    Morning ladies.

    It is cloudy, humid, warm and a little rainy today. I am not complaining though. I am thoroughly enjoying the warm weather.

    We had a cute thing happen around here this year. A lady gave birth to the first baby of the year AND had given birth to the first baby of the year LAST year! I would hate to be her with all those bottles and diapers! He must have barely gotten her home!

    I got in a mile walk this morning and am going to try and walk twice a day again. I need to get the lbs off, at least 20 so I can be back where I started last year so to speak. I just got really sloppy is all and let myself eat whatever I wanted. Worst thing for me is eating out so we HAVE to curtail that as much as we can. Do any of you watch "The Biggest Loser" on NBC on Tues nights? I have been watching it since it began. Next week is the final week where we see how much the last three have lost and who gets the money.

    I am having Kaschi cereal this morning, but I don't care for this one. It has cranberries, which I like, but the cereal is really whole grain and I am not too fond of that. I have about half a box left though, then won't buy it again. I like their Strawberry Morning better. It is like Special K with strawberries.

    I think I am going to the library today. Need to take back books and get some more. Last day for dh to be home than I can get my routine back. I am really a routine kind of girl and when I get out of it, I feel all messed up.

    Everyone have a great day.

    Jean: Hope you don't get snow bound!

    Faye
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  •   #6  
    Jean's AvatarJean , 01-05-2005 02:32 PM
    Good Afternoon, Flowers!
    It is snowing and blowing in my corner of the world today! We should have had a late start (NO school!) because of all the teachers who have to drive in from out of town. All the surrounding towns either had a late start or no school at all. At 11:00 they announced we would be dismissed at 11:30! The plows had been out when I drove to school but they must have given up because the streets were a mess when I came home. I am definitely home to stay for the rest of the day!

    "Gma" -- I would hate to have two babies in such a short time span! I feel sorry for the older one because he/she is still a baby and deserves to have the mother's full attention (IMO, you understand). I've never tried Kaschi cereal although I have seen it in the stores. I find that having toast and peanut butter stays with me longer or usually until lunch time.

    Not much newsy from here today. I really feel like snuggling in the afghan and taking a nap. That is beginning to sound better all the time!

    Jean -- from Iowa!
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  •   #7  
    gma22's Avatargma22 , 01-06-2005 10:49 AM
    Good morning girls!

    I got out and got a walk in this morning. The temps kind of plummeted during the night and we got cold as I had the fan on. When I went to bed it was 70 degrees and then it went down to about 40. I had to wear a jacket to walk today and probably tomorrow too, then the temps go right back up. It is really cloudy and dark and we may get some more rain. My son said they were supposed to get a big ice storm and since Chicago got hit pretty bad and he lives about 75 miles from there, they probably got it too. It comes across the lake at them and can get pretty heavy.

    Went to the library yesterday so am vegging with books today. I am still not feeling totally back to normal and have had some other intestinal stuff to deal with the last few days. That always seems to happen when I "de-fat" myself. It is like it is in a hurry to get out of my body.

    Jean: Sounds like you ended up with a mess in your area again. Did you get out to school today? I know in areas where there is usually snow, it only takes about a day before you are back to normal. Here it takes a week! They are still trying to catch up with city garbage from the ice storm and the fact city workers got Christmas Eve, the Monday after than the Monday after New Year's too. They work this week and next then have the 17th off for MLK birthday. It will be all goofed up again. Luckily, we have private garbage collection that is part of our association fees. On a holiday week, they get off kilter that week, but usually work Saturday to make it up.

    We haven't had really hot or really cold weather last and this month so our utility bill should be pretty low. I haven't turned on heat or ac for nearly a month except when we were gone at Christmas. I use our portable fan in the bedroom at night if the temps are up and we have heavy blankets on the bed for heat if it is cooler. I only turn on the heat if we are going to be at freezing or below for the pipes but haven't had to do that except for around Christmas and I put the heat on while we were gone just in case.

    Well, I should go and find something to do. Everyone have a good day

    Faye
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  •   #8  
    nanacas's Avatarnanacas , 01-06-2005 05:48 PM
    A cold, snowy, sleety greeting to you all!

    It was snowing when we woke up this Am and then about noon it began to sleet. What fun. The plow man came by so we are not locked in but I still don't want to go out.

    Faye: I read about the lady in your neck of the woods with the two NY babies. I know what she is going thru. I had 3 kids under 3 and 2 were 12 days short of a year apart. The fourth made it 4 in 5 years. My advise is do what I say not what I do!!!! It sure was tough going for a while but I survived and also survived 4 in college at the same time. Now, all are grown, married, have their own homes and their own children to give the same grief that they gave me.

    Jean: That is not good, going to school and then getting dismissed a short time later...guess they couldn't make up their minds. We had a snow day today but they haven't had too many of those in the last few years.

    Our local electric company has announced a 15% discount for December electric bills. The also provide our cable and internet service and the newsletter mentioned they had no plans of increases in those departments this year. That's good news. This electric company is just for our town and they do provide great service to the community.

    Gloria in MA.....trying to get started on a healthy eating New Year.
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  •   #9  
    Jean's AvatarJean , 01-06-2005 06:04 PM
    Good Afternoon, Flowers!
    I was up, showered, and had my makeup on when the "two hour late start" call came at 6:00! The plows hadn't been by at midnight when I went to bed and I had a feeling but hated to not set the alarm and have regular start time. The sun has been out all day but it is cold -- only 6 degrees right now and was -7 on my way to school.

    The morning classes were only 17 minutes long; we have to have ALL of them so that some teacher doesn't feel like they are being cheated out of equal time. There's not much you can do in 17 minutes by the time you take roll and try to figure out where the missing students might be: AWOL, sick, changed schedule, in-school suspension, etc.

    "Gma" -- Our last heat bill was $160 and that was before the cold temperatures set in. Our gas and electric are from two different companies so they offset each other when it is hot and cold weather. I'm ready for spring! The only time our garbage men are "off" is Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's -- for $18.75 a month they need to be picking up the garbage! Ours is private also and it's for the birds as far as I'm concerned -- the larger cities around us charge $10 a month; something is wrong with this picture!

    Gloria -- If you get what we just had for weather, get ready! The wind wasn't too bad but the snow cycled in and out for two days...light and then heavy, etc. It is VERY rare for us to cancel school because we provide FREE BABYSITTING in the "before and after school program" as well as prekindergarten for nonEnglish speaking students and their parents. The other reason being that "some" people make no arrangements for the younger children if there is no school and they are home alone all day. I guess that since I worried about my own children when they were home I think everyone should show as much responsibility but it just isn't so nowdays.

    Guess I will check and see what's for supper . . . I think it is DH's night to cook which means we will eat "out." Not a good diet choice but I need to go to the grocery store.

    Have a nice evening and a FANTASTIC Friday!

    Jean -- from Iowa!
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  •   #10  
    gma22's Avatargma22 , 01-07-2005 12:28 PM
    Looks like Maggie started a beginning of the year thread ( a #1) so I guess we should all move over to it, huh?

    Faye
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