Melody
It is to bad you don't live close. I have a program that makes it so easy to load Cd's to mp3s on the computer. The birds here drive me crazy. I have a balcony outside my bedroom. I swear those darn birds like to sit here and wake me up.

Happy
Hope you have a nice time. Looking at babies does NOT make me want another one lol.

Di
That is terrific. In no time at all you will be right down where I am. It really does get easier as we get use to the new way we are feeding our selfs.

roseblush
congrats on your sons degree. That is a lot of hard work and dedication. Kind of like us losing weight lol. Glad your mother is doing better.

Annie
Blood drives. I hide from those people. I have a- blood and I swear they are like draculas and want to drain me dry. They told me not many people in the area have my kind of blood. I said well that is fine I want all the blood I have in my body, I am funny like that lol.

Gas is terrible. I know people who have quit work because once they paid for gas it wasn't worth them paying daycare and working. I know people that aren't feeding their children like they should because the food budget is the only wiggle room they have and they have to take money from that budget for gas. I don't know anyone that is going on vacation this year because all the extra money is going to gas for work or to the food bill because food costs have gone up so much because of gas prices. We go camping for vacations. Something cheap and we can all be together at the camp grounds. We aren't even sure about that this year. Cheap yes, but the cost of the campers to get to the camp grounds may be out of reach this year. We use to do a lot of one tank trips. We had such great fun. Now that a tank of gas is around 40 to 50 dollars that isn't such a cheap thing to do. As they say, it is a depression when I am out of work it is only a resection when someone else is out of work. So many people out of work and yet so few seem to care as long as they have their good job and can afford their vacations. Something really has to give because the price of life is to high to give up it has to come down again.

I totally agree with you ladies. I stopped at a gas station this morning to top off the tank in case the price goes up this afternoon (as it usually does on Thursdays). $3.95/gallon for regular unleaded was the cheapest I could find. I looked at the transaction before me that was still displaying on the pump....21 gallons for $84!!! Nearly $100 to fill up a tank of gas! Luckily I don't have a 20 gallon gas tank (closer to 12 gallons). I only needed 3.5gallons to fill up today and it cost over $12. I remember the days when it cost $15 to fill my whole tank. It's just CRAZY! I'm thankful I carpool 3 or 4 days a week.

Yeah, Diyana, and I carpool with my DD that lives with me, so there is help on gas purchases but it comes from the same household. Not really a savings.

Morning all,

Gas prices huh? - We are paying $1.43 avg per litre. 3.79 litre = 1 gallon. Therefore its around $5.42AUD per gallon. We've been paying these prices for yonks. Since the Aus dollars is at 94c to the USD it's equivalent to around 5.20 per gallon. I'm lucky, I have a smallish car which will do something like 700km to the tank full around town and up to a 1000 on long distance driving. It and the interest rate hikes plus the cost of groceries is hurting an awful lot of people in this country. We are all going to have to tighten our belts soon and unfortunately this usually comes at the cost of good food, so medical bills and waiting lists will get longer and longer in this country. Where will it end? Who knows and who ever knows the answer to that one could become a very famous, very rich person. Meantime I commiserate with you all about the price of petrol, you are feeling the pain that we have felt for a very long time.

I'm not feeling too crash hot today. The DS2 came home from work with a violent cold early in the week. Yesterday I went down tot he dr to get the last of the Hep B or A or whatever it was. Nice nurse this time. Apologised for (not) hurting me. Truth is, I didn't even feel it going in. Anyway to get to the gist of the story, I now have a sore throat, that I am trying to burn out with hot coffee and I have a digestive problem that has me running off to the loo everyso often. Today will be quiet, with a lot of dozing off in the sun, checking out documentation from the hammock or somewhere nice.

Michelle - Well done :congrat: one your transition to one-derland. You are doing very well indeed. Keep going. I'm more or less stuck where I am at the moment - pain but I keep trying. You have obviously got the eating and exercise down to the precise level it takes to lose the weight. Your exercise routine is great. Must make working out much nicer if you get to feel so good about it at the end rather than just being glad you are finished.

Happy - in case you don't get back, have a safe and happy trip. $800 for a service - did I read that right? That's awful. I am presuming they had to change timing chains or some other magnificent feat of engineering. That is a horrendous price to pay. I got a shock on my last service when they said it had to have the timing chain replaced. No mention of that by the garrulous salesman who went to great lengths to tell me about the first two years servicing on the car - my eyes went all glazed I am sure - but now that it is out of warranty, these costs are starting to come in. All the more reason to sell it before it gets to be two!

Poor Rennie - going into hiding when Draculas blood bank hits town. I have O+ blood with a high clotting factor. They are always after me for the poor souls who are bleeders - which includes the Royalty class - no wonder they are encouraging them outside their own family circles for the brides etc. all this inbreeding in the past has caused too many problems.
No you and Mel can not shoot my birds. First it is an offence to own a firearm without a licence in this country and you don't get one of those easily. Secondly it is an offence to shoot a firearm in a built up area (unless of course you are the army and fighting a war) and thirdly, the birds are protected. Kill the crows, magpies, mynahs, pidgeons and other assorted imports from other lands, but you can't kill the natives and the natives are squawkers. So leave my birdies alone. Get it? - you too Mel.

Mel - sorry to hear you had problems with the IPOD and the PC. DS1 showed me how to download music to his player sometime back. I don't have one so the knowledge is lost in the distant past. Should I send him over to show you? Also you might like to carefully check the computer for dust, since this was the problem I had with the computer terminating unexpectedly. Also ensure that you have the cables fully plugged in. Sometimes they don't fully engage giving it a sort of extra on/off switch which you don't want. I should send Robbie and the DS2 over there. Robbie will fix all the PC problems. DS2 will devise labour saving ways of fixing the maintenance and tutor the guys into the Aussie flavour of doing maintenance properly!!!
All else fails with the computer, put it in the car, strap it in and take it for a ride around the block. This fixes everything - especially when you have tried everything and are on the way to the PC Repairman. By the time you have gotten the computer to the repair place, it has fixed itself and you still get charged for the PC repairmans time!!!!

Annie - I think you might have meant 32.6 miles to the gallon and not the other way around. But even then that is not great economy is it? I'm just trying to do the sums in my head which is not working well this morning. Do you normally get more than that.
Keep walking towards Michelle. You can go shopping in Chicago but not in the magic mile or wherever.

Rose - nice of you to drop in and tell us of the family doings. What happened to the dog you were looking after for the ex-bf? He was old and unwell if I remember. Congrats to the boys on their achievements. What are they going to do now that they have finished college? or are they carrying on studying?

And that is about it for the day I think. Do I have any pics left? Ah yes only two more. This is the end.

I just can't seem to get motivated this morning.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...antseemtog.jpg

Have you smiled today yet.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...miledtoday.jpg

Have a good one.

Phew, thought I had lost the post when the page came up with the can't display message. But I got it back. Probably the pic is too big. I should have reduced them but I didn't.

Shad
Just about anyone can own a sling shot ( and I am darn good with one of those ) the birds are toast lol. Now mind you, my humming birds are safe.

Hi all,

This will probably be my last post for a week. Too tired to even holler at you for shooting the birds :lol: My manager asked if I was excited about vacation -I said I am about to cancel it (just kidding) so much work just to have a few hours of R&R.

Shad - I hope you didn't catch anything nasty and you get to feeling better soon. Yes, it was $800 for tune up and maintenance type stuff. I was thinking the same as you, now that we plan on keeping our cars for a while (both are paid off - yippee!!!), the maintenance costs are a killer tho. They checked out DH's car and said, it's running right, and he went from 22 to 30 miles per gallon with fuel economy. We shall see. Our road trip is coming at a good time. Although I dread the prices which are higher up north than by us. We are taking DH's car and not my SUV so it should not be quite as horrendous. We'll probably only have to skip eating one or two days. :lol:

Michelle - :congrat: on reaching onederland. That is so exciting! You have certainly worked very hard for it.

Mel - getting things into the IPOD is a giant pain unless you buy songs directly from I-Tunes. I always have to think about it when I load them up. I would come and help you but we'd just get to talking and forget everything else. :lol:

Annie - you are a good person to give blood. I have O+ like Shad - an almost universal donor so they are always after me too. But the people down here don't know how to draw blood and I've come away with such horrendous bruising and pain from them sticking me about 87 times that I've pretty much decided to give up. I wish you could donate at the hospitals with the phelbotomists who know how to draw properly. I never have a problem with the techs at the endochronologist's.

Argh. I was petting the cat and I touched my eyes - big mistake. Now they are itchy and burning. Got to go wash them out.

I hope everyone has a good week - I should be back next Thursday or Friday. Take care and thanks for the good wishes. Prayers for safe travels and good weather are greatfully accepted. As well as minimal potty stops for both mom and daughter :rofl:

I will turn and wave to both Michelle and Annie :wave: and a toot on the horn as we pass by Ceejay's. Except it will probably be 4am when we pass by Ceejay's so it will be a sissy toot :D

ANNIE...YESTERDAY A FRIEND SAID HE'D BE RIGHT BACK. COST HIM OVER $120 FOR GAS AND HIS CIGGIES :yikes: HE LOOKED AND FELT MUCH LIKE YOU DID. TERRIBLE STRAIN ON EVERYONE :hug:

NAE~ SENDING GOOD THOUGHTS FOR MOM :hug: AND A BIG CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE BOYS DEGREES! :cheer2: GREAT NEWS!!! TAKE GOOD CARE OF TEEKA!! ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE. PULL UP A CHAIR AND SET A SPELL WITH US :cofdate: YOU CAN ENTERTAIN US OVER THE SUMMER WITH YOUR ANIMAL STORIES. :beach:

MICHELLE~ MY PC IS ON A NEW GLASSTOP TABLE THAT STANDS ABOUT 3 FEET HIGH AND NOTHING WAS AROUND IT. THE MINUTE I TOUCHED IT, IT WENT OFF LIKE A FLASH. I TOO AM GLAD I DIDN'T WRECK IT WITH THE DISCHARGE OF ELECTRICITY. I CANNOT BELIEVE I FORGOT TO TOUCH SOMETHING FIRST :yikes:
I WANT TO TELL YOU HOW PROUD I AM OF YOUR CONTINUED SUCCESS. CONGRATULATIONS ON ENTERING ONDERLAND!:cheer2: YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLE! :cheers:
I AM GLAD YOUR PROGRESS IS REWARDING YOUR EFFORTS! :clap:

HAPPY~ HAVE A SAFE TRIP MY FRIEND. STAY WELL. HOPE THE TIME OFF GIVES YOU A RESTED "HEAD" AND PEACE. ENJOY THE MOM'S VISIT. YES WE WOULD START GABBING AND FORGET ALL ABOUT JEN'S WANTING TUNES :lol3: :lol3:

SHAD~ WHILE YOU ARE SENDING AUSSIE MEN TO FIX MY COMPUTER AND LOAD JEN'S TUMES...SEND ONE TO GIVE ME A LUBE JOB :belly: :rofl: :lol3: THEN EVERYTHING WOULD BE IN WORKING ORDER AT THE SAME TIME!
DID YOU TELL THE DR YOU MIGHT HAVE A COLD?? ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING SHOTS WHEN YOU ARE SICK??? MUST I COME DOWN THERE AND YELL A LOT ?? :rollpin: THEN I COULD BRING MY PC WITH ME AND ALL WOULD BE WELL....NOW I THINK OF IT....NOT A BAD IDEA AT ALL!! I WAS TALKING TO JEN AND WE WERE JUST SAYING IT WAS ALMOST THIS TIME LAST YEAR THAT YOU WERE HERE! :hug:

RENNIE~ I TOO KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE CHANGING THEIR SUMMER PLANS. JEN AND RICHIE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY TIMES THEY CAN GO TO THE TRAILER WITH THE KIDS THIS SUMMER AND HOW MANY TIMES THEY CAN RETURN :faint:

:rain: IT IS RAINING AND CLOUDY AND DARK AND I AM LOVING IT FOR A CHANGE! :dance: JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED. QUIET DAYS AND LOTS OF SENIORS TAKING NAPS AND PEACEFULNESS! :rofl:
NOW IF I COULD JUST GIVE THE OFFICE SOME DRUGS IN THEIR WATER COOLER! :cheers:
I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF A REAL FULLBLOWN SINUS ATTACK. HELLO SPRING!! :flo2: LOTS OF MEDS AND TV WATCHING. OVER THE WEEKEND WE ARE GOING TO WATCH THE FIRST SEASON OF THE OLD B&W FATHER KNOWS BEST SERIES. SURE IT WILL BRING BACK OLD MEMORIES. MARIE HAS SAFELY TOUCHED DOWN IN THE LAND OF OZ AND PICKED UP HER TWO DOGS. EVEN THE FLIGHT BACK WENT WRONG. MAYBE THE BLACK CLOUD FOLLOWED HER HOME AS WELL :faint:
I AM OFF TO EAT AND THEN PUT MY FEET UP WITH SOME LEMON-LIME SELTZER ON THE ROCKS. :beach:

HAPPY FRIDAY/SATURDAY!
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND EVERYONE!
;wave: TO RUTH...MADCAT...PAINTER....CEEJAY ON VACATION...PATTY...AND ALL THE OTHER WORLDLY CHICKS!

Yesterday was quit expensive. 90 bucks at the gas pump and 88 bucks at the grocery. Didn't even get everything. Thank God the boy that is living with us brought home milk, bread and eggs. Things like that help out tremendously.

MEL...OMG, what a wonderful idea, drugs in the water cooler. I am putting that one in the suggestion box. I love it. There are a few around the office that could use a little mellowing out. hahaha.

Happy...best rest that arm for future shooting of the birds, I could send my DS down, he loves to hunt and fish, and quite a good shot, I might say.

Shad...hope you are feeling better. Try some of the water cooler water. and yes, I did mean 32.6 miles to a gallon, when I normally get about 34. Lack of blood yesterday made my brain slower than its normal blondeness.

Rennie...you are so right. The food budget is the only place to cut back. According to my kids there is never any food in the house.

Diyana..keep on exercising, Ms. Exercise Goddess of the Nation.

Everyone riding their bike to work today for national ride your bike to work day? Couple of guys rode their bikes (motorcycles), not what they meant about riding your bike to work.

Anyway have a marvelous day all. Hello shouts to everyone..

Love and Hugs

That is quite expensive, not quit expensive.

Happy Friday ladies -

We had a nice quiet dinner for DH's birthday and then relaxed at home. I'm so glad it's Friday. It's TOM and I'm exhausted. No gym last night and probably not tonight either. But I'll be walking and working in the yard this weekend.

Thanks to you all for the encouragement and support and kind words - I wouldn't have made it to one-derland without your help.

Shad - Thanks for the adorable photos! That's awful that you pay even more than we do for gas and have been doing so for a long time. The gas prices, and resulting increase in prices for everything else, are really hurting people here. Since you're not feeling well, a bit of R&R will do you good. I hope you feel better soon. My blood type is O-, the universal donor. So they always want my blood and I'm more than happy to oblige - however, my iron count is usually too low and they send me home.

Rose - You've had quite the busy time! It's wonderful about your sons graduations. Glad to hear your mom is doign better and that you were able to take care of Teeka's choking incident. YGG!

Happy - It's just crazy how much car repair is. I'm so lucky that my DH can do almost all car repairs AND fix my computer - and just about anything else around the house. Enjoy your vacation and the bit of R&R you will get. You're definitely in my prayers for safe travels, good weather and a thoroughly enjoyable time.

Mel - I just drag and drop the songs onto my iPod using free iTunes software. Thanks for all your very kind words. I'm pretty thrilled with my progress so far. I know I'm not even halfway to goal yet, but I'm happy that my determination is showing itself in results. Take advantage of the quiet day to do some resting and relaxation of your own. Take care of yourself, girlfriend!

Annie - Sheesh! $90 at the gas pump. Yuck. I've got to get groceries this weekend and I'm not looking forward to it.

I will try and check in this weekend but we will be busy taking MIL to the zoo and doing other fun stuff like working in the yard.

Here's to a great day and weekend for all of us!

Love and hugs to all!

HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had no part in this wanton killing of the wildlife. Kidding or not, it goes against everything I believe in.

Why do people mix me up with what other people have said here? Or have I turned into Sybil and don't know it?

ANNIE..HOPE I DON'T READ IN THE PAPER ABOUT YOU AND I "FIXING" THE WATER COOLERS! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
I AM HAVING A GOOD BELLY LAUGH OVER HERE!!

I AM WONDERING, HAPPY, IF THESE BIRDS ARE BIG ENOUGH TO EAT....THEN IT WOULDN'T BE WANTON KILLING :lol3: :lol3: WE MUST FIND OUT FROM RENNIE.....AND SHAD. I COULD EVEN DONATE THE GRANDSON! ROFLMAO JUST KIDDING! :cry:

I CAME BACK HERE BECAUSE IF I PUT IT IN A POST, THEN I WILL FOLLOW THRU MORE LIKELY.
I GOT STUCK WITH MY BOOK ON DAY 21 OF MY QUEST FOR "PERFECTION" :belly: AND TRIED TO BEGIN AGAIN THE OTHER DAY TO NO AVAIL. SO I WILL REFRESH MYSELF WITH DAYS 1-21 AND AM BEGINNING MONDAY WITH DAY 22. I WENT FOOD SHOPPING YESTERDAY IN PREPARATION AND WILL DO SOME COOKING OVER THE WEEKEND. BOUGHT WW AND LC DINNERS. ORDERED MY NS VITAMINS FOR THE SUMMER AND MY EAS PROTEIN BARS AND SPIRUTEIN POWDER FROM DRUGSTORE.COM
THE BOX JUST ARRIVED. I'LL HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED FOR A "NO EXCUSES SUMMER" EVEN WHEN I AM OUT RIDING AROUND OR AT ASSORTED DOCTOR VISITS.
I CANNOT AFFORD TO GAIN WEIGHT HERE. THE LEAST I CAN DO IS MAINTAIN. I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED IF A FRIGGING MIRACLE HAPPENS THOUGH! :rofl: :rofl:

Please don't hurt birdies or other critters....if you don't like their chatter, close the windows or wear ear plugs. I love listening to them.

Mel - I got stuck too in my 100 day quest. I don't even remember what day I got stuck on. I'll refresh my days and I'll begin again on Monday with you. I hope you don't mind. Let's both have a "no excuses" summer, okay?

Sorry if I seem a little sensitive here - part extreme stress over the last week and part disgust at how ignorant and mean human kind can be. They just took in a puppy - a 4 month old shepard puppy at the Humane Society last month. It was left wrapped up in a black garbage bag and flung out of a car onto a driveway. Thank goodness the homeowner decided to look into the bag. The poor puppy's face was spray painted red, it had been severely beaten and a steak knife was plunged so far into it's spine that only the handle protruded from it's back. Gang inititation. That's what the vile people in this town do. I wouldn't even call them animals because it's an insult to animals. They also "scalp" cat and dog behinds and cut the tails off as another rite of initiation, pummel the animals and leave them to fend for themselves - if they are tired of amusing themselves at the cruelty of an innocent creature. So all this talk of target practice at the noisy birds has me a bit creeped out.

Mel and Michelle (your names rhyme if you didn't notice :lol: ) - I wanted to start the 100 Day program again too. Just not ready to follow through at this point. Wish I could get up to see you Michelle but there's hours of construction (gotta love Chicago traffic) between my mom's and your place. In fact I have convinced my nephew and niece to bring the new baby down by mom so that we didn't have to drive up to Kenosha :o That's really cool that your DH can still fix cars - he must have all the metric tools. At least you can trust your mechanic or does he talk to you "like a girl" too - LOL

Annie - 90 bucks for gas? :faint: I admit to using my grocery shoppers card lately. 20 cents a gallon off for every $100 spent. I have had to leave my road rage and lead foot in the closet when I walk out the door so with being mindful of driving, I can go just about 9 workdays on a tank of gas so I take full advantage of the reduced price of gas. Last fill up I got it for $2.86 a gallon. It's going to kill us to pay $4.00 a gallon up your way. Still cheaper than flying. Would love to participate in the "take your bike to work" day but I have to drive through some of the worst parts of town. I daresay it wouldn't take but 3 or 4 days before I was accosted by a gang of punks, pushed to the ground and robbed of everything. We have another office that is 1 and a half miles from my house. I dearly wish I could work there - I'd walk to work each day. Unfortunately I have to be with the vendor group we work with so I'll be stuck at the icky building forever. :( Most of us live in rather large towns - is there anyone who could bike to work? Least of which is Shad :lol:

Mel - your comment about nice quiet days and seniors taking naps - are you the "Kindergarten Cop?" :rofl: I guess we do revert to being babies again.

It only cost $40 to fill up your camper Rennie? Gosh I would have thought those things took alot more gas than that. Lock your doors woman, I'm coming to snatch that sling shot of yours :lol:

Ok kids, lunch is over. This will be the last post for me for a week. Hellos to those I didn't get to. Hope you all have a good week. Be kind to one another. :wave: