Morning chicks,

Travel safely Shad. She's on her way. And it's quite the grand tour plan at that. So why don't we have vacations like that? :chin: could be because we don't get much in the way of time off here. I saw the other day that the average worker in France gets 20 days of vacation as well as something like 6 weeks of holidays. It comes out to them only working 9 months out of the year and they are still complaining. :rolleyes:

It is a dream of mine to have one consecutive month off. Not that I'd have to spend it all on holiday - even to have uninteruppted time to spend working around the house and getting to all the little necessary tasks would be lovely. Some day...

Poor Sunday the cat. Will be a long time before she sees her "mommy" again. :(

So Rose - what's the difference between mule deer and regular deer we see in the forests out here?

We have a bright yellow finch that has found our yard. Quite a nice bird menagerie we have there - I dare say that Shad will enjoy morning coffee in the yard quite nicely. Now if we could only get rid of the blackbirds.

Time to get rolling along. Happy Tuesday chicks.

Just looked at Shad's tour. Lovely.

Wondering about who is meeting in Toronto with Shad at this point. I could come for the day on the 11th or 12th.

OMG I AM MISSING THE BON VOYAGE PARTY!!!
SAFE TRAVELING AND GET HERE SOON!!!! TAKE CARE MY LITTLE OZZIE SISTER! :hug:

I HAVE BEEN IN THE OFFICE ALL DAY SORTING OUT ONE THING OR ANOTHER. HAD A GENT TELL ME THAT I LOOKED SEXY TODAY. 2ND TIME HE TOLD ME THAT THIS YEAR! :dance: HE'S MARRIED BUT I'LL TAKE THE WORDS ANYWAY! :rofl: SOMEONE TRIED TO TELL ME HE FEELS SORRY FOR THE WHEELCHAIR...WHY IS THERE ALWAYS ONE WET BLANKET IN EVERY CROWD. THIS GUY HAS NEVER "SEEN" THE CHAIR ANYWAY! LOL SIGH....IN ANOTHER LIFETIME! :lol3: :lol3:

:wave: TO EVERYONE. I AM BUSHED AND HUNGRY AND NEED A SHOWER. DID FOOD SHOPPING AS WELL TODAY.
AND I STILL NEED TO PUT THE SHELF GROCERIES AWAY! :faint: LOVE TO ALL AND SEE YA MANANA AFTER THE WASH! LOL

My days at work have been busy doing chores, and not much time to spend on the computer.

Have a good day.

Bags are packed, I'm ready to go. Well apart from the last minute things like packing the handbag and carry on luggage. Spent last night agonising about what to stick in that little plastic bag that you have to put all liquids into - including toothbrush and paste. It can't be over 100mls of fluid anything. It's not really so bad since one can't shower on the plane so there is no need for shampoos etc. The biggest problem is decanting the contact lens solution into something that is sterile and manageable is is correctly labelled. Finally I decided to go with several contact lens cases filled with tiny amounts of solution so I can at least remove the lens and put them away safely. Don't want eye problems to surface on holiday do I? I do wish the makers of laws and the makers of pharmaceuticals would get together and think about what they are doing to each other. 100ml (about 4 fluid oz) is the limit so the smallest bottle of lens solution I can buy is 120ml. Perfume comes in 5oz or 120ml bottles. I could go on.
Anyway most of it is now done.

One contact address I don't have is Madcat. Madcat if you are reading this, can you pm your phone number or email addy to me please. I will get in touch even if we can't meet.
Holly - which ever day suits you - come to Toronto and even if we can't meet with Madcat or Ruth we can have some time together. You will find the number of my hotel on the list - I'll be there from mid afternoon on the 10th.

Happy - here the employed get 4 weeks off a year, plus a thing called pro rata after seven years which entitles them to another week (I think or that might be a one off) and then there is long service to which you are entitled after 10 years service. That gives you another week per year. So they end up after 10 years with 5 weeks annual leave. Mind you there is then the big dilemma. Book your holidays and then watch the company put another project into process and being already stretched as far as staff goes, you need to forgo your holiday so the company can cope with the extra workload. You then get into strife with the other half!! :rofl: Some of those guys in the mines and refineries I go to, have several months - some as many as a year or 18 months leave accrued. The company threatens to pay them out the leave and forfeit the holiday, they try to take it, the company says they can't have it then because of the work load. Is it any wonder so many of them are off on stress leave? The whole of France nearly shuts down for the months of July and August, which is why so many of them have that extra holiday - ditto the Italians and the Spanish. For the life of me, I can not work out why folk want to go to the Mediterranean for the summer months - very little is open.

Mel - Darn it woman - if the guy says you look sexy, then you look sexy. The old bat is just jealous. Take no notice and bat your eyelashes at him next time he is around. We may have to have a Shad session on all old bats when I get there. Bats respond well to a good THUNK around the ears.

Right well that is about it. Might go and warm up with a session with Jillian Michaels and then attack the house. DS2 will pick me up in exactly 3 hours time.

See you soon.


Today is it.
Still got heaps to do, but at least I am ready to go. Housework will still be waiting for me when I get back I suppose. Can't see the DS2 or the DB2 doing that much of it.

Shad ~ Hope I caught you in time with my PM. If I didn't, Happy can let me know when you get there. we will connect up when you are here in one way or another. BON VOYAGE!!!

Off we go into the wild blue yonder,
Climbing high into the sun;

WELL OUR SHADDIE IS ON HER WAY! THE STATES AND THE YANKS SHE COMES INTO CONTACT WITH WILL NEVER BE THE SAME! :rofl: :rofl:

CEEJAY~ BUSY BEE WEEK? HOW GOES PARAGOULD? DO YOU HAVE THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND OFF?

NAE~ WISHING FOR YOU ALL THE HAPPINESS YOU DECIDE ON!! THINKING OF BOTH YOU AND MOM TOO. THE DOG STORY VS THE DEER WAS TOO FUNNY ALTHOUGH I KNOW IT'S ALSO DANGEROUS. BUT THEY WERE DEFENDING THEIR MOM!!! AND THEIR TURF!!! HOW DARE THE BIG BRUTE INVADE THEIR TERRITORY! :lol3:

HAPPY~ YOUR COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN!! KEEP SHADDIE BUSY WHILE SHE IS THERE SO SHE WON'T MIND JUST SITTING HERE IN NJ!!! ROFLMAO ENJOY!!! SAVE A SEAT BY THE POOL FOR ME :beach:

MADCAT~ HOPE ALL OF THE "CANADIENS" CAN GET TOGETHER :hug:

TODAY IS ANOTHER LOVELY DAY. GOING OUT AND SIT IN THE SUN FOR A FEW MINUTES. SINCE THE FACE AND EYE ARE IMPROVING, MY SHOULDER HAS DECIDED TO ACT UP SINCE I PICKED UP A GALLON OF MILK:tantrum:
LORD GIVE ME STRENGTH AND PEACE OF MIND :yoga:
NOTHING ELSE NEW HERE. SAW THE MAYOR. EVERYONE IS IN ELECTION PREP MODE. ONE OF THE FILTHIEST CAMPAIGNS FOR BOTH PARTIES. VERY SAD.
NEED TO GET THIS DAY STARTED BEFORE I DECIDE TO CURL UP AND TAKE A NAP. :cloud9:
HAPPY WEDNESDAY EVERYONE:moped:

WHERE IS CARLA? SUZI? PAINTER? MISS MEADOW?
WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? DID SOMEONE SAY THEY COULD ALL JUST DISAPPEAR AND GO ON VACATION? :beach:

Hoping Shad's journey is starting out well.

I am so out of touch with what is happening in the world at large. I dont ever watch the news or read the paper anymore and I always did my whole life.

Allergies are bad but i am okay with meds. Hubby and i are still in a better space. Kids are good. DS LOVED having company and a whole bunch of kids here. He misses the home daycare a lot.
Both kids had the dentist yesterday. DS has a small cavity.DD has to have another tooth pulled from beside the front 2. The nerve is dead and will get infected.We go back next Tues.
I was a bit lazy yesterday. ( or it seemed that way) Just puttered at stuff. A nice day outside. I trimmed a hedge and then packed Avon,did housework,took kids to dentist, got groceries, made supper, cleaned up.............

I work 12-8 every Wed until Aug now. DS has soccer every Thurs night. Breakfast meeting tomorrow and then straight to work til 3pm.

Mel--Maybe they took a wrong turn and went to Nashville, Tn. I do have to work on Monday. Not sure of the rest of the week end. Bud's mother is in the hospital and at age 93 any thing could go wrong. I may end up working his shift.

Madcat-- How is you friend and sister doing?

Still another busy day. I don't know why but it's just certain times of the year this happens. My pedometer showed 2 miles yesterday and that was just at work. I know now that I do not need to do aerobics on the days I work. Think that's why I pulled a muscle in my leg. This morning it shows 1.4miles and the day is not half over but I have been helping Tim, the boss install a new sensor probe down stairs.

Not much else to report. Have a good week end.

Good weather here
 

It has been lovely weather all this month here. I've been crawling around in the garden pulling the sneaky weeds, assessing all the volunteer growth, lots of poppies, calendulas...some wild flower seeds sprouting, pretty yellows and reds. We have been planting a hedge, cedars, baby ones about a foot and a half high. Thirty in the ground so far and twenty-five later today. The dog is getting majorly muddy:p My sisters came up to visit for the long weekend. They are so great. It was wonderful to watch Coronation Street with them again and comment :p Maria and Charlie, ewwwww!

:carrot: Yeah, Shad is on her way! I've marked the day I think she will be travelling through on the train. May get the kids to the park and wave a sign hello as she rounds the corner by the lake. Hopefully she will be on the right side to see us;)

Mel-you know you are sexy! Your entire attitude exudes charm and a sense of fun. Everything the fellows delight in. I hope your eyes are no longer so sore and that the time outside helps heal you body and soul:D

Happy-Have you been in the pool yet? How hot is it? I thought is was really sweet of you to delay going out to the garage so as not to disturb your little feral cat. So nice. I hope all the birds in your yard are keeping all their feathers and avoiding all sneak attacks.

Ceejay-Wonderful job with the clothes fitting looser! I was watching dancing with the stars and that Laila Ali makes me want to lift weights and get toned. But I seem to have a wish bone where my energy, get to itness should be:dizzy: Keep up the good progress! Lovely to see progress huh?

Rose-hang some deodorant soap up to keep the deer from coming too close and upsetting the wee pups ;) Good to do by any plants you might like them to stay clear of too :) I hope you are enjoying your days and staying true to you.

Madcat-:hug: I hope your sister has the news and is okay. She is already planning on running a marathon?! well, may we all have such a plan:carrot: I hope the visit with Shad is good fun. :goodvibes

Holly-Have you tried that nose bidet for your allergies that Dr. Oz was talking about on Oprah? Seemed to be a godsend for lots of folks. Watching the news just seems to depress people, better to cruise the internet and search for the positive stuff people are doing in the world. Have a great time in Toronto when Shad hits Canadian soil :hat: :dance:

Carla-so great that you and Shad will be having an extended visit together and getting in some eye to eye contact. Your advice to her with all the travel stuff was great to see, you sure know the system. I bet she was really appreciative. Have a great time together!

Hello, all. Sorry I've been MIA - it always takes me a few days to recover after a visit home to the egregious SM, and now I'm on day 2 of a monster headache. :headache: We are not amused. On the plus side, this morning was a happy time at weigh-in; :goodscale no change to the ticker until I believe it's for real

Mel, I agree with those that have already confirmed that you are one sexy lady. And I think the gent in question is one of those who see beyond wheelchairs and sore eyes through to the jewel you are. I sense some major jealousy from the killjoy woman who made the comment. Maybe her name starts with "B", and doesn't end in "arbara"? :rofl:

Meadow, I'd never heard of hanging deodorant soap to protect plants etc from the deer! I'll have to pass that on to a country friend who gets tired of feeding the local wildlife with everything she plants.
As for Dr.Oz's nose bidet (neti pot), where the heck do they sell them?? I'm certain they'd help me a lot with the nose problems my septum surgery failed to fix. It would be so nice to just breathe freely!

Ceejay, good for you getting in all that mileage while at work! It all counts. Isn't it fantastic when the clothes start to fit!

Happy, have you received your pedometer yet? Is it one of the ones that works even if it's not in the exact position on your waist that they prescribe? I have two, neither of which I have much faith in. I haven't bothered measuring stride length so I never know my mileage, just the number of steps, which is good enough for me. On Friday when I went for a hike my total was only about 6000, but since much of it was straight up, scrambling over rocks and dodging black flies, it still took two hours. For the non-Canadians out there, black flies are tiny carnivorous demons that swarm around hikers' heads in search of blood. They make no warning noise on approach, but take a tiny chunk out of your flesh, leaving an incredibly itchy goose egg and a dribble of blood... They're no bigger than a small mosquito, and seem to be about 90% jaw... There aren't any in the city, but they swarm on golf courses and in the woods every spring.

Madcat, do let us know what news about the friend and the sister. Talk about a double whammy! We're all thinking good thoughts and hoping for the best. :goodvibes:

Holly, it sounds like life is treating you well these days. And I don't blame you for not following the news, sometimes it's lovely to spend some time in a little cocoon. I do read the paper, but tend to skim the non-local stuff and zip thru to the puzzle page. I too used to be a lot more informed.

Shad should be landing in LA in a few hours. Let's hope they let her in! I was sorry I didn't share the benefit of my little-plastic-bag-when-flying experience with Shad before it was too late. I bought a series of little plastic Nalgene (camping) bottles I decant various liquids into in order to get thru security, which has been acceptable so far. I almost lost my toothpaste once, even tho the tube was almost empty, because the rules say the size of the container is what matters, not the amount in it. :tantrum: The whole thing is ridiculous anyway, as is the business of having shoes xrayed. Of course I never say that while at security, as I have no desire to be jailed with all civil liberties suspended... Oops. This is becoming a rant. Travelling used to be so much easier!

I had a good laugh last night when I realized that shad fly season has started at the precise moment Shad is flying in. (My ex was a fly fisherman, and was always checking the screen door for evidence of a hatch...) They're harmless and don't stay around long. Can we say the same about our Shad? only time will tell, but maybe after this year they'll re-name them Joy-flies. ;)

Had a lovely chat with Ruthxxx in preparation for Shad's visit, discovered we're both champion talkers, :gossip: , and even learned that hummingbirds drop to the ground to mate... We're both looking forward to her arrival here, and trying to convince her to leave TO one night earlier... Of course we'll take what we can get, and will cram as much as possible into our allotted time. Too bad neither of us could make it to TO for a party down there with Madcat and Holly!

Well, the big pill I took seems to have helped the head, :dancer: unless it was the peppermint Migra-stick I rolled on my forehead or the extra-strong cappucino :coffee2:. The weather is glorious today, and I'm going down to our bbq pit with my neighbour and my cat for a burger :burger:. should be a pleasant time, although I must get back up before Lost starts. It's getting a bit violent for my taste, but I still don't want to miss the season final.

Rose, I just realized I forgot to say hi to you. Your last post was a little cryptic - did you mean the relationship was back on, or that the time apart had confirmed your decision to end it? :?: Maybe you don't need to make any definite decisions just yet, and can take the time it takes to know your heart. Meanwhile, you seem to have had a terrific time with the rafting crew!

Suzy, have you found a replacement job yet? If not, enjoy the time off - you'll be back at work before long.

By all! This turned out to be a long one after all, but then I've been awol for almost a week. Take care! :wave:

Hi Guys - just a quick drop by to update on what is happening. My sister had her biopsy yesterday and she was feeling well enough to call me to let me know how it went. I'm not 100% sure but I think they may have even sent her home today, or rather to my nephew's place. It will take a week to get the results and the results will determine what the next steps will be. So we wait and hope. My friend is slated to start her first round of chemo tomorrow - though given the way her treatment has gone so far, I'd be surprised if it does happen. She will be shipped to the Big Cancer Hospital for treatment and then returned to the hospital where she is now for recovery. Not sure when she will get to go home. The biggest problem patients seem to face is the complete lack of certainty. It sucks.

Holly~ My allergies are wicked bad right now too. Stupid air quality alerts. Hey, do you have any preferences/ thoughts about meeting with the Shad woman? I was thinking could go on a road trip. Or do some sort of crazy urban activity? Any thoughts? I can do either the 11th or 12th too.

Happy~ Don’t get rid of the blackbirds. They are nice. I think I may have been a red-winged blackbird in another life. Wow, a month off would be pretty amazing. Heck I’m looking forward to my two days off next week.

Mel~ When a man says you are sexy you are supposed to say “Yes, thank you, I know”. :lol: Tell that killjoy with the chair comments to get stuffed. Watch your shoulder, honey. See, too much dairy is bad for you!!

Ceejay~ Wow, your mileage is pretty impressive. How many steps is 2 miles?

Madow~ I am glad to see another not so secret Corrie St fan. Maria & Charlie are very ewwww. He is a creepy man. My sister actually has the number of days since she last ran written on the whiteboard on the wall of her hospital room. That and the number of days since her last cigarette. So some good is coming out of this.

Carla~ Are the blackflies out? Carnivorous demons! I love your description. Ah, you also get to hang out with Ruth when Shad is here? Wish there was a way to manage a bigger gathering – but timing doesn’t seem to be working in our favour.

Ok, I better get a move on. Most of this night was spent in a co op committee meeting. Oh joy. The weather is warming up and, of course, the air quality is going down the toilet. Tomorrow promises to be the first hot, muggy day of the season and they are already issuing the “try not to do anything other than stand quietly outside” warnings. This is such a weird place to live sometimes.

I'm incoherent and it's time for bed.

Quickie just to keep my worldly status. Is Delta still part of the world?

I am starting to see the end of my kitchen renovation mess. The cabinets are to be delivered today - that's encouraging, right? There is a remote possibility that I will have a usable kitchen this weekend. Cross your fingers for me because I'm getting very low on patience and easily irritated - you could even say bytchy!

Have a shiny day.

Morning chicks,

Nice to see you stop by Ruth. :wave: Tough to be without a kitchen - hope it gets put together quick.

Madcat - glad your sister is doing better. I agree with you that when you face a devastating illness - stability is kind of like hope - something good to hang on to. As for the blackbirds - they are not the sweet little red winged blackbirds of which we have one occasionally show up - no, these are the sons of devils grackles. The kind that are so black they shine bluish. The kind that travel in gangs, are aggressive, run all the other birds off, squack in the trees making a big ruckus and calling their friends and can clean out a huge bird feeder in 24 hours. The fact that they run the other birds out is what mostly marks them for elimination in my book. :mad:

Carla - I think you can get neti pots in lots of places online. My sister was talking about them - supposed to be very good if you are plagued with sinus problems. I'm still trying to deal with the concept tho :yikes: Those blackflies sound horrid. :eek: I am very proud of you for taking that hike in spite of them.

Meadow - good to hear from you again. The garden sounds lovely with all the blooming flowers! The pool is not open yet but will be this weekend.

Ceejay - we will have to make some plans to get together for Shads visit, I'll send you something this weekend. Not sure if I have your telephone number.

Nice to hear things have settled down with the DH Holly.

Must be getting to that time of year when you have delightful mornings Rose - birds singing, sun shining and it's not -2 degrees outside :lol:

Sexie Sadie - um I mean Miss Mel. :lol: There is something very attractive about a fiesty woman, a take charge, no :censored: Sam kinda gal. So nod your head just ever so slightly, give 'em a wink and a "yeah baby" and go laughing as you truck on down the hall. Goes to show you that you can still be cute even if you do have to back away from the Starbucks :lol:

I peeked at the advance weather for next week. Tho not 100% reliable it appears that Shad is bringing the hot weather along with her. It's going to get hotter as the week wears on with the sunny and the mid 90's, just about kissing 100 on 2 days. We will have to plan for morning or evening jaunts and spend the afternoons at the pool. I will be melting and she will be in her element. What heat? :dunno: :lol:

Time is running out on finishing up the old job - trying not to get completely sucked into the new one until after I get back from vacation. Tomorrow is Friday - a welcome 3 day weekend and the unofficial start of summer. And they are closing the office early at 3pm to boot. :dance: :dance:

I'm off to work on Crystal Reports. Got a tricky problem figured out yesterday. 6 hours of constant grumbling and frustration wiped out in 10 minutes when I finally figured out how to select just exactly the data I needed. Kinda like giving birth - forget the pain once you achieve success :D - happy Thursday chicks.

Happy--Thanks for mentioning the "gas" for the dentist appointment. Didn't realize he had it to use. This visit went much easier. The temporary crown is in place the real one comes June 7. I know what you mean by the black birds.
I'll p.m. you with the information.

Ruth--Good to see you this morning.

Hope Shad doesn't have any trouble traveling. I heard on the news that there may be some delays at the air ports this week end.

The gas here has gone up to $3.06. My travel plans will be short distances, within an hour or two drives this summer. My longer trips that I have planned may have to wait till fall.

To every one else hello.