Good morning gals! Boy it is back to being sticky again. Yesterday early morning it was nice and cool. In fact, the pool was cool when I got in, but I took out the garbage at 5:15 and it is hot and humid. It says it is 77, but it feels a lot hotter than that.

Susan: Cool that the chicken worked that way. It is a great way to not heat up the house. I have one of those rotisserie grill things that Ron Popeil made, and I like it, but the thing does get hot and it is messy to clean up the grease and such. Same thing for the oven, it heats up the house and we certainly don't need that in this weather. Sorry you seem to be continuing to have issues of one thing or another at work. When I worked at the law firm there was this big thing about the pigeon poo on the roof of the building. I guess it deteriorates the stone and stuff. It got to be this big ridiculous thing about how they were going to keep the birds off the roof. I think they ended up putting some sound deterrent up there. We used to have a lot of boiler issues because the building was so old too. More AC issues than heat sometimes, though. I finally bought a small oscillating fan and stuck it on my desk and ran it to keep cool even though I was always popping up going and doing something.

Jean: Hope you had a good time in Sioux City even if it was to buy a water softener. I finally got a decent night's sleep last night. I took 2 sleeping pills at 6 PM and konked out around 7:30 because there wasn't anything to watch on tv. It was nice to sleep through the night. I only got up once around 9:30 when Jack came to bed to go to the bathroom. The idiot workers on the condo next door were pounding on the walls doing something at 9:30 last night! I wanted to go over to the wall and pound back, but it wouldn't have done any good. He has some guy who comes and works on it after he works his day time job so now that the electricity is on the dummy thinks it is ok to stay late and be pounding and sawing and such after 8 PM.

I made my grandson some "brookies" to take to him on Sunday. They are brownie/cookies and are really good, especially if you like chocolate. They are chewy chocolate cookies and have chocolate buttercream icing.

My dd called last night and told us her husband got the job he has been wanting at FEDEX. He starts the middle of August. He graduates from Memphis University in December with his Computer Science degree and he had been planning on leaving the IT department of the Postal Inspector anyway as he put it, "my days are numbered there as they are laying people off." It is pretty big money I guess and he used to work at FEDEX years ago in the shipping department so it would not be a totally new company for him to work for. I think I was told by a former employee that went back to work for FEDEX that if you had worked for them before and returned then your benefits would start immediately and you wouldn't have to wait. They have great health insurance and stuff so that is good for my dd and Tom and Thomas.

I need to go and start working upstairs. I got out of bed when the alarm went off and came down and let Fortune out so the bed isn't made. Thought I might as well just go up and do the cleaning while I was up there. I know it is good exercise, but for a fat woman it takes it out of you climbing the stairs!

Have a good day girls!

Faye

Good morning ladies! Two nights of good rest and I feel SOOOO much better. I am having these weird hot flashes then chills though. It is crazy. I will have a hot flash then after a few minutes it is gone, a little while later, I feel like I am freezing. I did this ALL day yesterday. At 2 PM I was sitting in the recliner with the cat AND dog in my lap listening to music on XM radio through our satellite and had a heavy sweater with a hood on! It was over 90 degrees here yesterday.

I think I am going to join a Red Hat Society chapter here in Memphis. There are several to choose from and I would like to make some friends here. I got a very nice email from a lady explaining how her chapter works and I think it would be a good fit for me. They have about 40 members total and split into two lunch groups. They have lunch together one Saturday a month, then have a couple special things for the society birthday, which is in Sept and around Christmas time. She says they range in age from 50 to 86 or so. It only cost $10 a year and that is for a fund they use to send flowers to sick members etc. She said they also occasionally have raffles etc to raise money for the fund. I only have one purple outfit and it isn't dark purple, but it will have to do for the time being. I am going to have to hunt up a red hat though!

Jean: Yes, Alicia's parents have been divorced for years and years. I am not sure when they divorced, but I know that her mother was divorced when she was in high school and Jay first knew her. THAT IS why he will get deported. Her mom has a boyfriend and he is very nice. I don't think she wants to marry again, but they do own a house together and have been together for several years now. Why is marriage such a dirty word these days? Sounds like you had a good visit with your friends even if you did do a lot of running around the last couple days. I desperately need a haircut and color myself. I am beginning to look like a shaggy dog and Jack, whose hair is curly is beginning to look like Little Lord Fauntleroy so he needs to go too! I just call them brookies because they taste like brownies in a cookie. I will be glad to pass on the recipe! Your grandkids would love them! They are VERY chocolatey tasting so I think most kids probably like them.


BROOKIES:
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups margarine, softened
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (these are optional and I didn't put them in)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips here if you use them. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto unprepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Do not overbake. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

FROSTING:
Chocolate Cookie Buttercream Frosting

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup butter (I used tub margarine and it works fine)
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:
Mix together all ingredients. May need to add more milk (slowly) until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. Spread on Chocolate Cookies or other cookies or bars of your choice. Enjoy!

Hello to Susan and Gloria and Gail if she peeks in here! Maggie, we miss you darlin'!!!

Faye

Hi, ladies. Getting back to normal at work - still a few bugs in database but they are getting fixed. New phone system going in this weekend and then I think we are good for a few more years.

Faye, we have Red Hat society here and I'd love to join when I get some time. Told my boss I'm cutting back to 20 hours a week beginning next June so maybe then. They have red hats at our local Joanne's fabric store - you might be able to get them on line. I've even seen the jewelry in the $1 stores. Did you know you can join if you are less than 50 - but you have to wear a pink hat.

I have to confess I have gained 3 pounds this month - eating too much due to stress. Getting back on SBD tomorrow. I swear, I feel like even my eyelids are bloated...too many carbs and not enough water. Way too much coffee. I thought I had the stress eating under control - whole time DH was in hospital I did great. Oh well, dust myself off and get back on track.

Jean, I'm just the opposite - I get annoyed when I see fall and winter clothes out in July.

Good morning gals! Jack and I were up super early around 3 AM this morning so we just laid in the bed and talked for a couple hours. He is upstairs on his laptop piddling around. He is off work today because of a PT appt then it is out to the commissary for us.

Jean: Hope you found what you needed for the little ones. I don't buy clothes for Thomas unless I clear it with Kelly or I never see them. Why waste you money? I would love to buy him clothes, but like I said I can't see wasting the money if he doesn't wear them. She is pretty picky about what he can wear and he has gotten a littel picky about his clothing too. When I went looking for the kitchen sets for you I was amazed at the prices. How do these parents afford this stuff for their kids? I mean, most of them were well over $100! I bought Kelly stuff when she was little and it all matched and it was so adorable. She was a BIG Cabbage Patch little girl, had 9 I think and I bought her a crib, high chair, rocker I think even a little rocking horse for the dolls. They looked just like the real thing. She also was into those Strawberry Shortcake dolls, which I hear have made a comeback. What nasty smells!

Susan: You are more dedicated to keeping your weight down that anyone I know so it won't take long to get the 3lbs back off again. Hope Stan is doing well! Yes, I did know that about the pink hats. They wear pink hats and lavender clothing. When they turn 50, they have to adopt the red and purple though. They call it a Red-uation. If you ever are interested or want to find chapters in your area go to redhatsociety.com

I went and bought a Red Hat visor online at the Red Hat Society's website. I thought I would start mild and work up. With hot flashes, I hate having to wear a hat on my head because of sweating so badly. At least a visor will keep my head cool. It says Red Hatters Matter on the brim. I have ONE purple outfit and it isn't dark purple so I guess I will have to hunt myself up some purple clothes! I am going to my first luncheon Aug 12th, which is a Saturday. This group is large so is split into two lunch groups who have lunch the first and second Saturdays of the month. She told me I should go to both then decide which group I wanted to be part of. I also have a luncheon in Sept for the society's birthday I am going to go to. I am hoping to make some friends down here this way. I need to get out of this condo more than I do. The nice thing about this group is it is all about having fun and not involved in charities, balls, parties etc. I wasn't interested in getting involved in stuff like that where there is so much politics going on. I just wanted to meet some women friends.

Well, I need to put away the dishes in the diswasher and discuss breakfast with Jack.

You ladies have a great day and a fun weekend. I will be sitting home tomorrow as Jack is taking the car in to get it fixed.

Faye

Good early morning girls! We walked a LOT yesterday so by early last evening my feet were pretty sore even wearing my great Clark sandals. I just went up to bed early and fell asleep around 8 PM because I had Las Vegas on and I woke up in the middle of the show and shut off the tv.

Jack's got someone who is going to look at the blower motor before we have to take it into the shop so he isn't going this morning. Nothing else in the car is effected I guess.

Jean: My mil made tons of clothes for all the dolls and even made matching ones for her girl dolls and kelly. I still have some of the crocheted hats and coats she made for the dolls and the beautiful crocheted coat she made for Kelly. I have been able to keep some of the things she made for my kids when they were young. I have some of the crocheted "stuffed" animals in a basket by the door with some other things in it and the last time Kelly was here she saw the blanket her Granny made her for her baby doll crib and took it with her. I actually put the stuff out in the basket so if the kids wanted it they could take it. When Jay was about 18 months old (he will be 33 in Oct) we took him to the big San Diego Zoo. We bought him this little tiny stuffed Koala bear and I still have that, though it is missing an eye I think. He named the bear Scotty because he was feeding butterscotch pudding to it and got some on its forehead and it never came out. There is this stiff section between his eyes! I will have to show it to him when they are down here in November. I also kept their baby teeth and still have most of them in a little box. I know a lot of people think that is gross, but that's just the way I am. I have hair of Jay's but not of Kelly's too.

We were going to go to the Retired Navy Activities Seminar at the base that they have each year, but with the walking I did yesterday, a lot of standing today is NOT something I want to do so we will go next year. We mainly wanted to talk to the insurance people and the medicare people and ask some ???. I am going to go to the pool, but that is about it for me today. I noticed when I got up and went to the bathroom that my left ankle is really sore and stiff this morning.

We looked at PetSmart's pet hotel yesterday to see if we wanted to put Butterscotch in it while were in Las Vegas next year. We usually ask Kelly to check in on him and she is glad to do it, but if I don't have to bother her I won't. We decided against it because the website pictures and what they offer aren't the same. He would NOT do well in the little cages they have for cats. I will just leave him here again and have her check on him. Their dog area is pretty expensive I think. Now it IS different than where he stays now, BUT he would be around the big dogs and that just won't work. He is afraid of big dogs and if there is barking he won't eat while we are gone. The cages are plexiglass instead of metal, which would be nicer, but I specifially ask about the animals that were littler being separated and she said no. I pay $13 a day for him now with people he knows and he goes in a nursery where it is only puppies and small dogs and they want $21 a day and he is not separated unless I pay for a doggy suite and that is $31 a day!!!! It has a tv for goodness sake, which is totally stupid! I mean, piped in music maybe but a TV???? You also pay extra for EVERYTHING! If you have them take him to the playroom it cost like $8 extra a day or something and a list of all this other stuff. Fortune will stay at our vets pet resort. The only thing I liked about it was they are open every day of the week so he could be picked up on the weekends and they have someone there 24/7 and I don't know that they do at the kennel.

Well, girls I am going to go and sit and read for a bit. Have a great Saturday!

Faye

Good morning Flowers! We have had a busy weekend. On Friday we got the PT appt done then the grocery shopping and yesterday we did NOTHING! I didn't feel well yesterday and am not turning back flips this morning (female stuff that is SUPPOSED to be quitting) but we have Chuck E Cheese this morning with Thomas.

Jean: Thomas has a yorkie and a cat and his yorkie is hyper so Fortune would not like that at ALL! He is a seriously big wuss. If we weren't going to be in Chicago all day on Thursday, we would take him with us, but I don't want to leave him locked up in or son and dil's guest room all day and into evening as we will probably leave their house at 9:30 or so and not get back until evening. They have Shogun, who is a pretty big schnauzer and still a puppy to boot and they will probably pen him while they are gone but also two cats, one of which would really bug Fortune so when we are away from the house we close him up in the bedroom. We will just take him to the kennel. He knows folks there and when it is pretty empty they let him out and walk around with them. Because he doesn't bark, bite, scratch etc they love him so he gets pretty special treatment. Boy, you guys are having some hot weather for your part of the country. Our humidity is what kills us here.

I hope Thomas enjoys the short time we get to be at the restaurant. I am sure he will. We are going early enough that it shouldn't be to crowded and the church crowd will just start coming when we leave. Who wants pizza at 10 in the morning????? I just wish their pizza wasn't so awful, but this way I don't eat much! I told Jack that Thomas is going to want to do the rides that need an adult that can touch the pedals. They have a simulated semi driving thing and a big jet ski you can ride and steer etc and Thomas can't touch the pedals yet. In fact, I sometimes wonder why those things are there at all because no one but a teenager or adult could touch the pedals.

I order a suede handbag for my girlfriend in Indiana and shipped it this morning. Her birthday is a week from today and I forgot! It is supposed to be there Wednesday though so I hope she gets it. I have to get her a birthday card and get it sent out today and get one for my sister's anniversary on Friday too or it won't get there on time.
Too many people to buy for and I forget until it is almost too late sometimes. I usually put it into the budget so I don't know how I slipped up. I have my sil's birthday, but that was it for August. Ahhh, well, my sister's gift will just have to be late this year because I am not paying to overnight it unless they want one orange wrapped in plastic! I do have a budget for certain types of gifts, adult birthdays and anniversary I limit to $50, Christmas the kids get $100 worth of gifts, Thomas gets $100 for his birthday and $200-250 for his Christmas. That includes shipping so when I have to ship two day or overnight I end up spending all the money on shipping. I got my friends handbag on sale and cheap 2 day shipping.

I guess I should go and get the dishwasher unloaded. We have to leave her around 9:30 or quarter til at the latest so I need to get things done in the house.

Have a good Sunday and have fun!

Faye

Good morning girls! It is going to be another hot day here in Memphis. We don't seem to be able to get much rain. We have gotten a sprinkle or two, but nothing more than that and things are beginning to look a little brown around the edges!

The lady moved in on Friday next door to us and has been banging away on the walls since then, I assume hanging pictures and stuff up. So far no trouble and I don't know whether she has kids or not, but I haven't heard any.

Jean: Chuck E was ok though I didn't see him anywhere around except on the tv screens. They have a mechanical one that sings with the tv stuff and this one little boy that was going to a birthday party was terrified of it. Instead of being nice and trying to make him understand his shrew of a mother got mad at him and told him to straighten up or they would go home. I wanted to wring her neck the old bat. He was only about 4. When we went to pick up Thomas he was sitting on the couch and said, "It's about time!" I told him we were early and he said something about it being 9:53! He got his shoes and was ready to go. Thomas and his granddad did the playing and I stood guard over the food and table. They would bring me back the tickets they won. He had a grand time and he wanted us to take him to the movies when we finished but I told him we couldn't and we would do it another time. He had 521 tickets and got a lovely bunch of junk for it! We paid $30 for tokens and the stuff was probably worth about $1.50! I love spending time with him and now that he is older it is even more fun. He is well behaved and obedient, doesn't throw fits when it is time to leave. We went through the car wash on the way home and I told his granddad that Thomas looked a little dirty to roll his window down! "No, no, no, I'm not dirty!" he laughed. I asked him if he was sure he didn't want a little bath and hair wash.

I have to try and get Jack's insurance claims on his PT appts straightened out. Either the PT place is billing wrongly or Tricare is. They have refused all the claims so far and I saw that it is being billed under our son's name, which is Jack III instead of JR. I already called Tricare once about this, but looks like I am going to have to do it again. I am also going to call Healthsouth and find out how they are billing as it may be their fault. I guess our son and dd remain on the deers list (that is the list for military and their dependents) even when they are no longer eligible. I guess DEERS, which is an acronym for something shows them having expired eligibility. I asked her if they couldn't be taken off and she said no! Stupid system in my opinion.

I now have the birthday and anniversary presents shipped off and my sil wants money for his birthday as he wants to buy himself a pair of Clarks shoes with it so that will be easy. My birthday is Sept so I won't have another one until Oct, which is Jack's, who gets his present from me early as he wants an I-Pod to take to Indiana and Jay, who's is the 22nd and I may get him some nice dress shirts and ties since he just the new job he wanted.

Our son called us yesterday and I asked him first thing if he was now gainfully employed in a new job and he said yes! I was so happy for him. He really wanted this job. It is a nice foot in the door to better things along the way and it is really good money and commission, he gets a company car, expense account etc. He said he has a trade show to do the day we leave for Indiana in Chicago so he will be home late, but I told him that would be fine, not to worry about it. We would wait up for him, then Thursday we all troop back to Chicago for the CUBS game. They have won 4 in a row now, so I am hoping maybe they are going to turn around and the money I spent for tickets won't be wasted!

Gotta go and check the laundry. Have a great day!

Faye

Good morning everybody! We are in for another scorcher today. It got up to 101 yesterday here. Poor Jack had to work in the blower building and will have to again today and it was probably about 140 degrees in there. He came home and looked whipped. I had brought down a pair of cotton UT shorts and a thin t-shirt for him to put on as soon as he got home because I knew he was going to be miserable.

I don't know what is going on here, but my eyes are swollen and my adenoids feel like two rocks in my throat so the pollen, mold something must be off the charts here. My ears are itching from my adenoids being swollen so I guess I will have to down some meds this morning.

Jean: Jay is going to be selling big lathes and that sort of thing to manufacturing companies. He is in charge of the state of Indiana I guess. He is excited about it I know and I hope he can get lots of business. He is a great salesman. Anyone that can sell Hot Tubs in a snow state even during the winter has to be good! I have a fair amount of shoes and I was like you I just tossed them on the floor of the closet. I then bought a big shoe thing to put them in and hung it in the extra bedroom closet so they stay picked up pretty well.

I better go and help Jack get himself some lunch. Today was supposed to be soup day for him, but it is way too hot for that!

Faye

Faye, I can eat soup in any weather - hot or cold or just right.

For some reason, I'm not getting email notification when y'all post to the thread and I get busy and forget to check.

Took dh for op surgery yesterday and that went fine. Probably have to be debrided twice more before it is healed.

It is so hot again - I really hate to think about going out and getting into the car to go home. Guess I'll go out and open the windows and air it out a little.

Faye, I think it'll do you a lot of good to get out of the condo a bit. Sounds like fun.

Still have some kinks in the new phone system and database...will it never end!