Good morning chicks,
DH and I spent the day doing life size puzzles. Blasted tile! We spent quite a bit of time at the tile store - saw a pattern we liked and thought would work in the front hall and spent what seemed like forever waiting on a quote. OMG - on the price :eeek: They did tell us that 90 percent of the price was labor. So DH is rethinking about doing this himself. We got home and I didn't like how the colors worked in the hall. You see, the floor buts up against dark wood in the dining room and there is a different kind of dark wood on the stairs in the hall. The trim is all painted white and the room is a bit on the dark side as it faces north east and the door is set within an alcove thus cutting off even more light. You don't really notice these things unless you're trying to change it out. The tiles that I thought were an acceptable color are large - 17 by 17 inches and I thought they were too big for the size of floor space we are working with. On our way home, I suggested we stop at the hobby shop and pick up an artist's newsprint sketchbook as well as a piece of poster board to make a template and cut out pieces of paper to simulate the tile sizes so we could figure out a pattern. That turned out to be a good idea more than we ever thought. We cut out strips of grocery sacks for the dark contrast tiles and DH started laying them on the floor. The foyer has 4 door entrances - the front door, a large open double doorway to the living room/office as well as 2 entry ways - a wide one to the dining room and a narrower one to the family room. We'd lay a pattern on the dining room side and when we got to the family room side, the narrower pattern made it look off. We laid "tile" straight in a grid, on a 45 degree angle as a diamond shape pattern, this way and that. We tried about 6 different patterns and would always get to a point where we'd realize it would not work or he'd have to cut so many tiles that it would be very difficult. Due to the way that the light plays in the room as well as the dark woods we have to work with, I feel you really need some contrast in there. So we are trying to work with 2 tile colors, either as a border or accent pieces. I never realized this would be SO HARD
I am very glad that we did it though because we finally did come up with something we think will work - a neutral color floor and a simulated "rug" of tile in the center with a contrasting border and perhaps even a 3rd different color of tile. I think we will be alot happier with this. A designer at the store could have laid out the pattern and estimated the amount of tiles, but we would not have known the difficulty of it until we we to go put the tile down ourselves. This way we not only know precisely what sizes, colors and amounts, but we also have the pattern laid down and numbered so when he does go to lay the tile, it's all figured out, including the cuts. Now that I see what an ordeal it was, I don't feel quite so badly about stalling this for over a year. But that's how I spent yesterday. Today will be consumed with meal planning, grocery shopping, laundry and in the spirit of you ladies - some decluttering myself.
Oh Mel - I heard there was a n'easter headed your way. Hope you don't get the whole 8 inches! Get those snow boots on woman. Good advice on the hand washing. Be sure to lather up and wash for at least 30 seconds. Clean under the fingernails as those get overlooked. I read in a magazine a while back that the reason kids pick up germs is because they are always "picking" at things with childlike curiosity, germs get under the fingernails, they wash hands but mostly clean the palms and then go and stick their fingers in their mouths, thus neatly transfering the germs. I thought wow - that makes sense so now I make sure to wash everything thoroughly, particularly as Mel says this time of year. Make sure you finish it off with some nice hand cream. Am I the only one who finds my hands get very dry and sometimes to the point of cracking up this time of year? Congrats on the weight loss for the month - that's WONDERFUL!!!!!
Madcat, pity you don't know what bat wings are - I'd be glad to lend you mine for a bit
I am encouraged to see that arms, unlike tummies do tend to shrink down in size when you lose the excess weight. Loved your remark about lowering the floor
You have a very witty brain! Have a good visit with your friend and then put some extra oomph into the housecleaning to double as the gym workout - deep kneebends, marching in place to the cycle running out, etc and there - you've multitasked. Sundays always seem to be so full of too many choices. I am always amazed by single people who get up and move to a new city - totally by themselves, knowing no one. THAT'S pretty incredible. And sometimes scary too as what happens if you get sick or hurt and you only have yourself to rely on. At least I have DH.
Shad - forgive me but I can't get the image out of my head that not only will you do doco and training but they will expect you to get on the big mining equipment and demonstrate how you run the big rigs too
I can see you with a hardhat, miner's light and driving a big back hoe - the one's with the tires that are twice as high as you are tall!
Glad the interview went well - sounds curious. I won't cross fingers per your instructions but will be hoping for good things to flow your way. Thank you for the bit of background on Sir Edmund. May he find new heights in the next world. *salute* Gosh, climbing Everest in 1953. Can you IMAGINE how very difficult that must have been? Wow. And so great that you got to meet him - AND he pandered you -
Now there is someone devoted to his passion
Carla - you have reminded me that we too have an old color printer sitting upstairs in the attic storage. It's a perfectly good, working printer tho you probably can't get ink cartridges for it any more. Shame to just pitch it out - along with the box of cords and screws
Although I have to admit that my email box at work is at the limits and I was intending to delete all the email I carried over from the old job when I got not 1 but TWO calls last week from former co-workers desperate for some answers to some tricky support calls. Was it convienient that the people on support "didn't know anything" about what they once worked on but in both cases they said - maybe you should call Happy and ask her about it. It took a while but I did find the fix to both of their issues buried in those emails I was about to purge.
Sounds like you have a variety of exercise routines all set up for you Ceejay - I think that makes it easier to just pop the DVD in and away you go.
Looks like my coffee cup is empty - time to refill and have a second cup while I go sort the laundry.
Hellos to the rest of the crew - sorry I couldn't get to everyone. Enjoy your Sunday!
Yeah for the compliment. 
HAVE A GREAT DAY YOU 2.
went well - I'm really starting to see a difference in my stamina. There's even a tiny chance I'll squeeze my many rolls and lumps into a sturdy black swimsuit and go to a deepwater aquafitness class and a lane swim next week. Desperately hoping I won't run into any of the skinny spinners and runners and triathletes I know from my past as a runner. So many of them are mutants with 12% body fat... they'd be horrified to see what age and fat can do to the bod under the clothing. Especially now that feeling fitter is doing wonders for my body image - I do know what it looks like, but I'm accepting it better.
I'll get back to the rest of you lot soon. 
STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES ON THE PERILS OF MELLIE.
NOTHING ELSE NEW HERE. WISHING YOU ALL A WONDERFUL SUNDAY/MONDAY 
GOOD MORNING TO ALL THE WORLDLY CHICKS!!
SO WASH, WASH, WASH! 
NO WONDER SHAD GAVE HIM THE $10....I WOULD HAVE TOO!
Sheesh! Will the insults never cease?!! 
Hope the parcel arrives soon then. Should be next week according to the lady at the Post!! 