Nothing new in my neck of the woods. May not be on line this week end. My computer at home has been disassembled. Still have not purchased a laptop.

Enjoy your week end.

I see Rennies avatar this morning is getting down to the nitty gritty. Glad it isn't Rudolph, might be too bright a sight.

Not much to report here. I'm still kicking *** although I'm damned if I know why. I'm rearranging the courses yet again and still trying to get information out of clams. Why do I bother???!! It's a question I ask myself twice a week - from Monday to Wednesday and then Thursday to Friday. Such is life.

Shiraz came and changed my battery. Even he was tall enough with a chair to stand on. So we did the dangerouse thing and put the chair on the bed and then I held it straight while he figured out how to open the thing. Then he climbed back up again and put the new battery in. Blessed silence reigned. Then just as he was leaving, the darned thing let out a couple of screeches but has been quiet ever since.

I woke really early this morning (3.30am) and read for a while, then got up and mooched around barely awake but not ready for sleep, then went back to bed and read some more. Decided I couldn't be bothered with the exercise, I will do it tonight and read some more. And that is about the story of my life at the moment.

Oh yes, and I bought a ticket to go see Lionel Ritchie on Sunday night. My friend Zen and her husband are going so I will go with them. It's a stand up concert at the Sandalford Wines venue in the Swan Valley. So it should be a good night. I can always sample the wine if I don't like the music.

So I'd better go get on with it. (she said unenthusiastically) and then go kick a few more people around - just because I can.

Shad
Oh I would love to go to the concert with you. Like the avatars do you lol.

For those of you with bad eyes lol. One snow lady is saying, " Would you look at that? They're are makeing a baby right in the Front Yard." The other is saying, " It's Disgraceful."

Cute avatar Rennie - glad you explained it as I would never have been able to make it out. I heard about that one before - might have even been on a card.

Shad - you sound kind of frustrated of late. And not like yourself. You ok? It's hard to buckle down and just go in and take care of business and ignore the lot of fools. I know. Enjoy the concert. I like Lionel Ritchie - All Night Long dah dah dah dah. Not liking the "stadium seating" no seats at all that is so popular today. Don't like the crunch of people, not sure I want to stand for several hours. Hope you have fun tho - I heard he does a nice performance. Maybe you'll see Nicole there

Ceejay - this is probably the time to get a computer - watch for deals now and at the beginning of the year. Hope you don't get any snow.

Mel - stock up on that toilet paper lady! Heard on the weather channel that the wet weather of the midwest is headed your way. 2 to 4 inches in New York City but the weather guy thinks it may go higher. The worst of it to hit Boston. But I'm sure people will be ringing your bell. Put a sign "Fresh Out" on your door and hunker down. Stay warm and safe

What a bah humbug office I work in. Can you believe there are hardly any decorations? We have the official office Christmas trees scattered about the large building but that's about it. We always used to decorate our cubes. I brought in a small tree I made a few years back. The stand broke while it was in storage - or perhaps when we moved and the thing flopped over. My cube mate got out her duct tape and we splintered it with a nail file and tape. It is a true southern tree as there are tiny ornaments - two of which are chickens. I don't understand the fascination of decorating with chickens, roosters and monkeys that they have down here. It sure doesn't feel like Christmas. Was 77 degrees here yesterday - down to a more seasonal 50ish today. Then it's supposed to get colder over the weekend. I'm hoping for a clear night tomorrow - the Geminid meteor shower is tomorrow night - possibly starting as early as 10pm. It's the one with the most meteors per hour so there's a chance to see a streak or two. I was hoping to take Friday as a vacation day to stay up a bit later outside and get some Christmas shopping done but I have to go into the office for an afternoon meeting. And I'm not giving away my vacation so I'll just take it next week.

Anyway, I'm getting sleepy so it's bedtime for me. See you tomorrow...

Happy - you are not alone in having few decorations around. This office has precisely none. There are some nice trees downstairs in the foyer and it always amuses me in the mornings to come in, see the lights twinkling on the fir trees which are standing right next to the potted palms. Also the flower arrangements are spring and summer lillies (last week the flowers were tropical orchids) next to topiary fake pine trees. Must be Christmas down under!!!

Yeah I am kind of frustrated. I have a lot of things to do. I can't do most of them because we are so close on the heels of the developers that anything I document right now will be changed tomorrow or the next day at the latest. Really bummed out about that one.

Okay - I have hacked off enough people today. I'm about ready to go home. Oh no! it's still only a quarter to three. Better stick around for a bit longer.

Morning chicks,

It's quite cool this morning and I had the cuddly blanket last night. Didn't want to get up at all this morning and stalled as long as I could. We have to take the cars in for a tune up tomorrow - mine first. DH made a 7am appt so it's another early riser. Might try going to bed at 9 tonight and get up at 4 to catch a bit of the meteor shower. Almost too much light around here tho. Reminder to me that the next house has to be in farm country

Bundle up Mel and stay warm. I see you have a "mel-luv-a-hess" type of wintry storm that's probably already dumping snow and ice on you. Send the boys out for hot soup.

I would find it amusing Shad that you pick up the tradition of fir Christmas trees in a place where tropical plants abound How frustrating to have your work in a state of constant flux. Seems to be that way everywhere lately. I've never hear of so many people getting their year end vacation cancelled. Push, push, push and everyone is running around stressed and in a tizzy. This used to be the one time of year when things quieted down just for a bit before the tsunami of year end close hit in January as well as new budgets, new projects, new headaches.

Speaking of which I have a day of marathon meetings which will put me more behind in my reporting so I'd better get a move on myself.

Have a good one chicks. Stay warm and dry.

Happy
Just for you lol. The rabbit is pointing a hair dryer at the snow people. The lady snow person is saying to the snow man. " It's not worth it Roy! Let's just give him our noses's and let him go."

You know I can live with the work in constant flux, with changing doco and changing minds in the project team. It's always chaotic close to go-live time and people working mad long hours etc. It's sort of like a big ole river which is smooth on top and frantic underneath with eddies and currents and snags. That's project life. Generally I love it. However this project is in my opinion doomed to failure. The resident training team obviously do not like the fact that the project brought in outsiders to write and lead the training - some of the modules can't get trainers at all from the business - they are all too busy. If I suggest anything different - it's not the way things get done here. I'm not sure my project manager is strong enough to get around the bullying or burying head tactics. I get the impression that they are just waiting for us all to go so they can get back to normal. It's like punching stiff jelly - wobbles for a bit and then just settles down into the same ol', same ol'. Still I'll just take the money and move on - to what I don't know but that is part of the fun. It might be nice to have a week or so off and do some physical work on the house or whatever.

Another thing that bit me yesterday is that for some reason my phone won't ring out. People can ring in but I keep getting the message that the network is busy or the number is not available from this service. And yes I have paid my bill, even if it was a couple of days late. I'm about to send them some emails and the silly thing is that the email still works and the ISP is still available. Huh?? So I will be back later when i get this sorted.

Shad
You seem to enjoy the ever budy ever changeing life. Nothing wrong with that if that is what you enjoy. Some people find working on a house enjoyable, some like to garden. All that matters is that we do what we enjoy. I think I would try to get ahold of them soon and find out what is going on.

Happy
Stay dry, stay warm and don't forget to take sometime for yourself.

Phone fixed and now working. Yeehaa. seems between October and now there has been some sort of hitch will the bill and we haven't gotten a notification. I'll be going through the accounts and payments very thoroughly tonight!!!! I always pay my bills on time - well nearly always anyway.

Looks like it was more icy up Mel's way. Not much snow but slippery dippery. Stay warm kiddo.

Glad you got the phone straightened out Shad. I imagine you trainers have the hardest job of all - trying to convince us non believers. Would be nice if you could work it out to have a bit more time at home between stints. You've been gone from home for a long time. Did you ever get the bath done? I'm thinking some pretty blue tiles you had ordered?

Thanks Rennie. I'll be taking some time for myself - right after the colonoscopy I got the instructions and prescription for the Rooto Rooter stuff today in the mail. It's scary. I feel like chickening out. Well maybe not scary but certainly not as much fun as cleaning the baked bits out of the oven. Or cleaning light colored grout with a toothbrush. Or walking along and kicking your toe into the bedpost. Anyway - have you recovered from your bad week last week?

Can tomorrow be December 14 already? Considering the next weekend we will be travelling north, guess I must get the shopping done by this weekend. And the cards too. I did have a good laugh. A friend sent me a link to tackychristmasyards.com with people who did over the top displays on the Christmas lights. Some of the captions were funny so I got a good laugh out of it.

I'm off to try and get to bed in 10 minutes. It's completely cloudy outside - always clouds up when I want to see a meteor shower. They say it will clear up overnight. I'm hoping. Going to try and get up at 4am tomorrow to catch a glimpse of sky. I have to get up by 5 anyway in order to be ready and awake enough to drop the car off at 6:45 for service.

You early risers amaze me especially when it's freezin' beezin' cold out there in the dark morning.

Goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow and where the heck are all the rest of the chicks? Get yer demented arses in here.

My arse is running around a lot these days - both IRL and in cyberspace.

Good morning, Worldlies. It certainly does look like January these days. I can't believe the difference from last December 14th when we worrying about a green Christmas. Not a chance of that this year from the looks of things.

I do plan to go to the gym this morning when my lane gets ploughed. I have snow tires so may give it a shot at getting out before the plough lad gets here. The rest of the day will be "at home" doing a bit more decorating, some sewing and maybe a mega-laundry. I am getting close to running out of undies - I have 39 pair so you know how long it's been!

I'm off to The Farm tonight (weather permitting) for dinner with my sister. Joan and Peter use the Farm May through October but do pop up for a ski weekend when the weather is good. I suspect my organized sister will give me my gifts so I'll have them Christmas morning so I'd better get hers wrapped and ready for tonight. (By the way, Shad, the Aussie wedding is off but a spring baby is on - go figure. Joan is a tad freaked out but would rather make a baby quilt than plan a wedding.)

Have a glorious day full of good things!

GOOD MORNING CHICKLETTES
I HAVE MISSED COMING HERE. SOMEHOW THE MORNING RITUAL GROUNDS ME AND I LIKE HAVING ROOTS.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TAKING DAYS OFF LIKE IT'S THE SUMMER. EACH ONE SAYING THEY ARE SOOOO "SICK". THEN THE NEXT DAY THEY LOOK LIKE THEY WERE ON VACATION AND WELL RESTED. WHATEVER KIND OF "SICKNESS" THIS IS, I COULD USE SOME OF IT!
I SAID I CANNOT DO ANYTHING TODAY AND LEFT A NOTE. THIS WAY I CAN'T BE TALKED OUT OF IT ON THE PHONE WHICH IS STILL SHUT OFF!! LOUIS LEFT VERY LATE LAST NIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ICE STORM AND I HAND DELIVERED 100 CHRISTMAS CARDS, INCLUDING MY OWN, BECAUSE OF A PHONE CALL. NO ONE ELSE WAS HERE EXCEPT ME AND THE MEN WERE SHOVELING SLUSH AT ALL THE PROPERTIES, SO I HAD TO GO DOOR TO DOOR. HENCE THE MELIDAY

I WILL SURELY BE GLAD WHEN THIS MONTH IS OVER. JEN HAS TO HAVE A BROKEN WISDOM TOOTH PULLED TODAY. JUST IN TIME FOR VACATION!!! WE ARE BOTH PRAYING!
I AM DOING OK. A BIT SLEEPY AT TIMES BUT THAT'S FROM THE CHANGE IN "DOWN" TIMES BEFORE BED ETC. SEEMS EVERY LITTLE THING THROWS ME OFF NOW. EYES ARE SO SO STILL AND REALLY TRYING MY LAST NERVE OTHER THAN THAT...ALL IS WELL
HAPPY FRIDAY AND THAN THE GODS IT IS HERE

RENNIE~ IT WOULD BE NICE TO GET A JOB NEAR HOME. YOU HAVE A GOOD MIND AND IT NEEDS OCCUPYING!!! TOO BAD WE DON'T LIVE CLOSER. THEY COULD USE YOUR BRAINS!!

SHAD~ I CAN WELL UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION.
WE HAVE VERY SIMILAR LIVES EXCEPT MINE IS ON A MUSH SMALLER SCALE. EVERY TIME I LEAVE, I KNOW THEY'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND DO IT THE "OLD WAY". IT WILL SOON BE OVER AND YES, MAYBE YOU COULD USE SOME TIME SPENT IN YOUR OWN PONDEROSA BANGING AWAY WITH THE HAMMER AND GOING TO SLEEP WITH THE SWEET SOUND OF THE ELECTRIC SAW STILL RINGING IN YOUR EARS!!

HAPPY~ I WAS THINKING OF YOU AND CEEJAY. I TALKED TO A WOMAN IN WV AND SHE HAS HAD 11 INCES TO OUR LESS THAN 4 AND SOME OF OURS WAS SLUSH. THE SOUTHERN STATES AGAIN HAVE BEEN GETTING HIT WITH SUCH WEIRD WEATHER. WTF!! IT'S NOT SAFE TO LIVE ANYWHERE!!! IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE MODERATE TEMPS FOR YOUR WINTERS
HOPE YOU GALS STAY WARMISH!!

PS: WE HAD A MIXTURE YESTERDAY AND THRU THE NIGHT. LOTS OF ICY MESS BUT THE RAIN HELPED KEEP THE STREETS CLEAR AND OUR INDUSTRIOUS DPW MEN WITH THEIR PLOWS AND SANDERS ALL NIGHT. SATURDAY'S STORM MAY BE A HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR THOUGH. WE WILL WAIT AND SEE.
TAKE CARE MY FRIENDS AND STAY WELL.

PPS: I HAVE BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT MEADOW. I'LL BE DOING SOMETHING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THOUGHTS OF HER AND THE FAMILY POP INTO MY HEAD.

Melody
You are always busy, well at least you dont get bored. 100 cards by hand, now that had to have taken some time. We don't have any snow, seems like fall around here. Would be nice to have some for Christmas. I am looking for something. I keep getting calls but they want me to drive an hour to make 9 to 12 dollars an hour, are they crazy. Heck I would be better off to make min wage and be close to home with the gas prices. Lots of 24 hour bugs going around here, maybe that is what everyone is getting? Hope Jen feels better. I never had any wisdom teeth ( ok I don't need any comments about that lol ) so I have no idea how painful they can be.

Ruth
Good heavens! lol do some laundry. Thought babies didn't come until way way after the wedding. I must be getting old. Organized sister, lol, that is what my sister calls me.

Happy
I am doing great. I don't let things get me down very long if at all. Talked to my mother in law about what you are having done. She said there is nothing to it and for you to not worry. I have 4 more years before I have to have it done. I worry early to avoid the rush lol. You let me know how things go. Well not ' go ' I have a feeling I know how they are going to gooooooooooo but come out. Oh my, not exactly what I ment either. Ummm how do I say this hehehehehe. You let me know if things are terrible as I worry they will be. Yes, that sounds better lol.

Shad
They expect you to pay that bill every month lol. Isn't it funny. My bill can be two days late and I get a reminder blazing in red for the whole town to know. My sister can go months and not pay hers and she never hears a word from them lol.

Morning
It's cold outside.It looks and feels like snow, but nothing yet. I'm trying to make up my mind as to whether or not to go to Blytheville today. My aunt called and wanted me to look at our Walmart store to see if they had Hannah Montana microphones. I knew this store didn't. I do n eed to get groceries.

Ruth
Do your laundry and wrap those gifts. Be extremely careful driving on the snow.

Happy
Going to that web sight to look. No I haven't got the new lap top just put this one back together.

Shad, Mel and Reenie have a good day.