Michelle - sorry did not get to the website last night. It would seem that I have left the album private. I usually do until I get it looking the way I want it and then turn it loose on the population. I do love taking photos, but you will notice there are very few people in them.
Annie - glad you enjoyed a trip with me. Hope you go back for some more later. I'll make an attempt to get to the website tonight, but I can't get to it from work. So I have to go to the internet cafe. That means I should ensure that I have enough things to do on it since I have to pay for it.
Happy - what can I say. I'm so sorry for all the bullsh*t you've had to go through. What a bunch of galahs. I understand your pain.
And I had better go and sort out my thoughts for today. The last couple days have been much better than previously and it is nearly the end of the contract. Wouldn't you know it!!!
ONCE I RELAX..I WILL TRY TO READ AND CATCH UP. BEEN A VERY BUSY DAY FROM START TO FINISH. SHOPPING, RIDING, OFFICE, OFFICE, OFFICE, OFFICE BUT THE PERKS ARE GOOD. WILL CHECK IN LATER. GOING TO EAT DINNER NOW THAT I SHOWERED AND GOT INTO JAMMIES. I AM READY FOR TV AND BED
SEE YOU LATER OR TOMORROW
HAPPY~ OMG!!! WHAT A BUNCH OF PRICK-LES! I AM GLAD YOU ARE OUT OF IT WITH THESE SMALL MINDED GOSSIP MONGERS. DANG...THEY DON'T DESERVE YOU OR DH HELPING THEM. INCONSIDERATE AHOLES!! LET ME AT 'EM!! I CAN GIVE THEM A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO SKID MARKS! FORGET ABOUT THEM. I KNOW THAT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE BUT JUMP IN THE POOL AND MAKE FROGGIE FRIENDS. AT LEAST THEY CAN'T TALK BACK!!!
SHAD~ I WENT BACK TO THE SITE AND THE LAST ALBUM IS THE OZARKS I THINK. IF YOU CHANGE ANYTHING LET ME KNOW AND I'LL POST THE NEW LINK? OR WILL THE OLD ONE STILL WORK I GUESS....RIGHT? I AM TALKING SUPID TALK AREN'T I? FORGET THIS WHOLE POST! I MUST MORE TIRED THAN I THOUGHT!! I AM GLAD THE JOB WILL END ON A GOOD NOTE...GOD KNOWS THERE WERE ENOUGH SOUR ONES BEOFE!!
MICHELLE~ I THINK WE ALL HOPE YOU CAN FIND OUT THE TROUBLE AND GET BACK ON YOUR FEET AGAIN. WITH ALL OUR GOOD THOUGHTS MAYBE GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN AND YOU WILL GET SOME POSITIVE ANSWERS!!!
ANNIE~ GUTEN NACHT! (SP) VERY GOOD NEWS THAT TONY AND THE WORKERS WERE OK!! SCARY CHIT SKIPPY!! GLAD THE WIPERS ARE FINALLY FIXED AND LONG MAY THE SUN LAST YOU CAN ALWAYS USE THE GARDEN HOSE AND SIT IN THE DRIVEWAY WITH THE WIPERS ON!!
THE HOUSE MUST HAVE BEEN EMPTY WITHOUT THE DOGGAGE!! I CANNOT BELIEVE JUNE IS ALMOST GONE EITHER
JEANETTE~ HOW HANDY THAT LAPTOP COME IN FOR YOU. HOPE YOUR A/C STAYS ON THIS WEEK TOO. LOOKS LIKE A SCORCHER OF A WEEK BY YOU AND HAPPY. STAY COOL
PATTY...FATHER'S DAY SOUNDED NICE. HOW ARE YOUR GOASL GOING?? DO WE NEED TO GET THE TAZER OUT FOR YOU??? SHAD KEEPS IT CHARGED UP IN HER CLOSET!!
HAPPY~ OMG!!! WHAT A BUNCH OF PRICK-LES! I AM GLAD YOU ARE OUT OF IT WITH THESE SMALL MINDED GOSSIP MONGERS. DANG...THEY DON'T DESERVE YOU OR DH HELPING THEM. INCONSIDERATE AHOLES!! LET ME AT 'EM!! I CAN GIVE THEM A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO SKID MARKS! FORGET ABOUT THEM. I KNOW THAT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE BUT JUMP IN THE POOL AND MAKE FROGGIE FRIENDS. AT LEAST THEY CAN'T TALK BACK!!!
SHAD~ I WENT BACK TO THE SITE AND THE LAST ALBUM IS THE OZARKS I THINK. IF YOU CHANGE ANYTHING LET ME KNOW AND I'LL POST THE NEW LINK? OR WILL THE OLD ONE STILL WORK I GUESS....RIGHT? I AM TALKING SUPID TALK AREN'T I? FORGET THIS WHOLE POST! I MUST MORE TIRED THAN I THOUGHT!! I AM GLAD THE JOB WILL END ON A GOOD NOTE...GOD KNOWS THERE WERE ENOUGH SOUR ONES BEOFE!!
MICHELLE~ I THINK WE ALL HOPE YOU CAN FIND OUT THE TROUBLE AND GET BACK ON YOUR FEET AGAIN. WITH ALL OUR GOOD THOUGHTS MAYBE GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN AND YOU WILL GET SOME POSITIVE ANSWERS!!!
ANNIE~ GUTEN NACHT! (SP) VERY GOOD NEWS THAT TONY AND THE WORKERS WERE OK!! SCARY CHIT SKIPPY!! GLAD THE WIPERS ARE FINALLY FIXED AND LONG MAY THE SUN LAST YOU CAN ALWAYS USE THE GARDEN HOSE AND SIT IN THE DRIVEWAY WITH THE WIPERS ON!!
THE HOUSE MUST HAVE BEEN EMPTY WITHOUT THE DOGGAGE!! I CANNOT BELIEVE JUNE IS ALMOST GONE EITHER
JEANETTE~ HOW HANDY THAT LAPTOP COME IN FOR YOU. HOPE YOUR A/C STAYS ON THIS WEEK TOO. LOOKS LIKE A SCORCHER OF A WEEK BY YOU AND HAPPY. STAY COOL
PATTY...FATHER'S DAY SOUNDED NICE. HOW ARE YOUR GOASL GOING?? DO WE NEED TO GET THE TAZER OUT FOR YOU??? SHAD KEEPS IT CHARGED UP IN HER CLOSET!!
I do???? Okay - I'll accept that I do have the tazer in the closet. Should have thought of that a couple of weeks back.
Oh and I started to think about a white Christmas. BUZZARDS. I can get to Nth America up to and including the 9th of December on a special for around $1000AUD. That's a return ticket, so I have to be back in Aus by 9th December. From 9th December till into Jan, the price rockets up to around $3800AUD. And that only gets me to LA, SF or Vancouver. It's dearer for Vancouver (nearly $4000). Christmas may be delayed if I can find something better for January or February.
Last edited by Shad; 06-23-2009 at 09:48 PM.
Reason: BUZZARDS
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
Posts: 8,905
S/C/G: Stuck/Working on it/Good 2 Go
Height: Fun Size
Hello ladies,
Boss invited us to a cook out tonight. It's her softball team. DH and I went to the store to pick up some potato chips (crisps), beer and ice. DH was using his car key to poke a hole in the ice bag. Set his keys down and dumped the ice in cooler. He shut the trunk and I pushed the carriage to the bin. Came back and the door was locked. I said, can you unlock my side please? He said "can't - locked the keys in the trunk". We were 2 miles from home and it's 97 degrees outside and blazing hot. DH was about to start to walk home to get my car. I ALMOST didn't take my purse tonight. But I felt so naked without it, I grabbed it at the last minute. Good thing because otherwise we would have had to break into DH's car if I didn't have house keys in my purse. He was going to walk home and I said that's inviting heat stroke. I was trying to think whom I could call for a ride. Not my loving neighbors not that I had any of their numbers anyway. My friend who lives a few miles away is travelling on business. We were finally able to get a taxi which cost $13 for a 2 mile trip. But we picked up my car, drove it back and picked up DH. We got to the picnic an hour and a half after it started. But by then the grill was hot and the bratwurst sausage and hot dogs were just about ready for us. Um Um Um. The winds picked up with a storm in Mississippi and it gave us the best breeze. Didn't get cool but kept us comfy. We had a nice time. Only regret was that I didn't get to swim today. Now if I could get myself up at 5am, I could have a nice morning swim as the water is warm enough to do so. Maybe if I get to bed shortly.
Thank you for your sympathy on my situation. After talking to some people at work, I now know that I totally did not understand that things are different down here culture-wise. I should have never gotten involved because it never would have worked out. But now I am wiser and got to enjoy beer and bratwurst tonight instead preparing for yet another meeting tomorrow.
Shad's got a taser? I thought she was just the queen of stern looks! Shad, I just don't understand. If you're putting on a jumper when it's 72 degrees F, HOW will you handle a white Christmas? I imagine Victoria is pretty at Christmastime. Michelle can tell you about SF - no snowy Christmas there. Certainly not south in LA either. Prices would be jacked up around our Thanksgiving holiday which is November 26 and 27. Lodging and travel will go up as Thanksgiving is the most heavily travelled holiday in the states. If you came in the spring, maybe DH and I could meet you up in Butchart. Not sure I want to go there in the winter tho. Not enough to see.
Thank you for defending my honor Mel. I'm sure you'd give them a good east coast earful. We'd have to call the firemen to put the flames out What did you have for supper? Some of that meatloaf? Trade you for a smoothie. Froggies have been asking about you by the pool. I told them you said you'd come when you are good and ready and that I'd have to stock up on the DVD movies
Annie - I'm so glad to hear that Tony is all right. Sometimes we complain about our jobs but don't realize how scary it can be for some people. Isn't it funny how when the house is full you go to the bathroom to get a minute to yourself and when you do have the place to yourself, after 24 hours you are missing everyone Had a good laugh about the lack of rain and fixed windshield wipers. Isn't that the case? But Rainex will work in a pinch, as long as it's not raining too hard. Glad you got wipers again. You miss them even if it's just to clean your windows.
Michelle - fingers and toes crossed and prayers and good karma or whatever it takes to get you feeling good again. Hope you get good news from the doctor. You ALMOST have me convinced to try those endorphins but I would feel that way only if I did a morning workout. Hooray for long weekends! Like Annie said - can't believe half the year is over already.
Patty - sounds like you had a very nice family get together. Good to see everyone. Hard to resist all that yummy homemade food!
Wow Ceejay - can't believe you are still without internet at work! I guess those storms were pretty devistating. I was thinking of you with it being so hot. Is it hot in the plant for you? I know you aren't in the office all day long.
I just went out to let the cat out. The tree frogs are singing "where's Mel? Where's MEL???" Also for some reason the spiders seem to like to weave very long webs at night. I try not to think too hard as I pass through them. Several times. All over the yard
I think I'm off to bed now. Nighty night and sweet dreams all. Even you Shad - day dreams of going home and finishing this stint
Well I have been in and changed it and yes I did lock it and make it private. Seem dementia is setting in!!!
Happy - I was talking to Carla and Ruth when I was there about 2 years ago (and yes it was two years back - almost to the day) that I have yet to have a white Christmas. Ruth informs me that they do not always have snow for Christmas, in fact her words were that it is not allowed to snow before Christmas. Yep, well she can have the words with Mother Nature, not me. Anyway, since it is almost time I travelled again, I looked into the possibility, however it isn't much of a possibility and I may very well think about Spring. I must consult with my travelling companion and see if she is up to travelling again, although she hasn't had much work coming her way so maybe she prefers to spend what she has on the mortgage.
Oh yes and the news of the day is that I have been extended for another two weeks. I told the woman with whom I am working to get the doco done. She's providing the information, it's my job to collate it. Anyway she collapsed on the floor laughing. She reckons it will take two weeks just to get a couple of the interfaces working properly. Today, the dreaded bug got to the Inventory system and it was batching pallets instead of products. Aaaah well - they both start with P and who ever said an interface was clever???
SHAD~ I MEANT TO SAY CATTLE PROD INSTEAD OF TAZER. I LOOKED ALL AROUND HERE AND COULDN'T FIND IT SO I ASSUMED IT WAS STILL COLLECTING DUST IN YOUR CLOSET I AM GLAD (?) TO HEAR YOUR OB IS EXTENDED??? MAYBE YOU SHOULD GIVE THE INTERFACE A ZAP!!!
HAPPY~ THERE MUST BE A BLACK CLOUD HANGING OVER YOUR TOWN...NOW GET SOME INCENSE AND BURN IT IN THE 4 CORNERS OF YOU HOME AND DO A LITTLE DANCE BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON TO CHASE THE BOOGIE MAN AWAY. I AM GLAD YOU HAD THE KEYS IN THE BAG...WHAT A PAIN OTHERWISE!! I AM GLAD YOU FEEL BETTER HAVING TALKED TO CO-WORKERS. YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT FOR IGNORANT PEOPLE THE YEAR 2009 HOLDS NO MEANING NO MATTER WHAT TOWN THEY LIVE IN
GOING TO FIND SOMETHING TO DO IN THE APARTMENT TODAY. HAD ENOUGH DRAMA FOR A FEW DAYS. I MIGHT GO SHOPPING TOMORROW. THEY HAVE CHICKEN ON SALE. WE'LL SEE. IT'S HARD TO GET MOTIVATED WITH THIS CONSTANT CLOUDY DAY SYNDROME. ALL I REALLY WANT TO DO IS SLEEP!
OFF TO BREAKFAST. HAPPY WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
Posts: 8,905
S/C/G: Stuck/Working on it/Good 2 Go
Height: Fun Size
Mel - sending some sun (and hot sun at that) your way. Just hope I'm not sending storm clouds from Mississippi too Can't do the incense thing - makes me wheeze. Maybe I'll just go from room to room chanting bugaboo buggaboo. You posted several good chicken recipes - with it on sale, maybe you can make a few and freeze ahead.
Guess it's good they extended you Shad - never say no to extra money. I think if you want a white Christmas you need to head to Michelle's place. Last 2 years they really got dumped on with snow - that is of course, until you show up. Hard to believe Ruth doesn't have snow for sure in the great frozen north. You could always head to the ski resorts in Colorado - if they don't have it naturally, they make it. And Mt. Ranier in Washington state - a next door neighbor to Vancouver has snow starting in September. However they close the mountain pass about that time too so you can just look from afar.
Time to get my keester busy. See yah later. Love to the chicks!
Shuuu-weeee, it is HOT and muggy. But I'm not gonna complain as I remember all too well that the long, cold snowy winter wasn't that long ago and will return all too quickly.
Had a great workout at the gym yesterday!! They had the AC on and fans, but it was still a bit warm once I got going...so I only did about 35 rather than 45 minutes of cardio, followed by stretching. I stopped at the store on the way home and picked up lots of fresh veggies and salad fixins. Tomatoes were on sale for 99 cents a lb, so I got a lot of those. Not as good as home grown, but with the late spring, it'll be awhile before I can harvest tomatoes. I put some of the store bought tomatoes in with FF cottage cheese for breakfast today and also some in a salad to go with a sandwich for lunch. I'm really doing well on getting my water in and at least 4 servings of veggies a day.
And I'm loving getting back into exercising. Don't know if I'll get to the gym tonight, it will depend on how I'm feeling after the appt with the neurosurgeon. Hopefully, between the MRI films and report from the radiologist he'll be able to figure out why I can't walk for more than 10 minutes without pain. DH and I looked again at the MRI films last night and noticed how clear the images were. Yay! Hopefully, the neurosurgeon will be able to determine what's going on.
Thanks so much to all of you wonderful women for your kind, caring thoughts and good wishes! I'm feeling very hopeful and upbeat that I will soon have the answers and a "cure"/fix for my back pain.
Shad - A tazer and a cattle prod in the closet, huh? Good to know. Hopefully, I won't need to borrow them, but just in case...good to know where they're stored and charged. Thanks for making the Sydney photos public. They are gorgeous! Really, you should become a professional photographer or submit your photos to travel magazines. You are very talented. I loved the photo of the sunlight streaming through the clouds, and the photo of the Opera House in the morning and how it was lit up at night! Awesome photos of the convict ship event too. Extending your contract for two weeks? Well, I'm glad the situation is improving. Although batching pallets instead of products sounds like quite a major bug. Hopefully, it will be smooth sailing through to the finish. As for SF at Christmas time...temps are in the 60s usually (sometimes down to the 40s or 50s early morning/late night)...sometimes rainy, sometimes sunny, sometimes foggy. We pretty much are assured of a white Christmas and sometimes even a white Thanksgiving, and a white New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, St. Patty's Day, and Easter....are you seeing a pattern here?!
Happy - What a hassle with the locked keys. At least you made it to the cookout in time for dinner. Are the brats (bratwurst) there as good as up here in Wisconsin? Mmmmm...I love me a good grilled brat that's soaked in a beer and onion "bath" and smothered with sauerkraut! I did not know that in terms of people and culture things would be so different down there. I always equate Southern with friendly, hospitality...but maybe it's more like "old boys club" and "clique-ish". Sorry you had to find out the hard way. You are so kind and giving and you care so much, you don't deserve the shoddy treatment you got by your so-called friends and neighbors. I can't totally see you going from room to room chanting bugaboo bugaboo and the odd looks your DH would give you!
Mel - you had a busy day yesterday! Sheesh! Don't overdo it in the office. Make sure you take time for Mel (and the grandson), okay?
Good Morning..Hump Day is Here Again...see how fast it came around. I swear, blink the eyes and another week has gone by. Yikes...
I have one h*ll of a yeast infection, I think with the surgery discharge stuff, and the extreme sex fest Tony and I had last Friday night, all h*ll broke loose down there. My doc called in the one tablet med for it, I have to pick it up tonight. I can barely sit. Owie it's awful.
Meeting a friend from last job for lunch today. I have two free lunches/drinks at Paradise Cafe' so we are going there. Yum!!
Tony and I are going to Kings Island in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 18, I hope like heck it isn't 95 degrees and smoltering. Don't really want to go on a Saturday, however we are both saving our vaca days for our two week California Bike trip in July 2010. That was Tony's idea...hmmmmm, that is a year out in the future. Look's like he sees us as long term. hehe.
Made homemade pizza dough in bread maker and assembled a pizza for dinner tonight. Tony and DD are coming over for dinner. The Za is loaded with pepperoni, italian sausage, maple sausage, onion, green pepper, red pepper, banana peppers, jalapenos, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses and mushrooms. I also harvested spinach and mixed lettuces from the garden for a salad. I am very excited about my masterpieces....lol Kroger has the most beautiful, tasty red, orange and yellow peppers for a buck a piece.
Happy....man, locking the keys in the trunk brings back a memory for me. The ex and I took separate cars to a softball tournament for DD about 3 hours away from home. ex was in my trunk getting stuff out and laid his keys in the trunk, forgot all about it, I shut my trunk and headed home. He stayed back with DS to have breakfast. Meanwhile I am driving home, cell is not getting signal, and get all the way home before the call comes through that his keys are in my trunk. He ended up just putting a new starter on the jeep to get home. See the ex was an idiot from way back. lol
Shad...probably won't get the chance to see the website til tomorrow night, but can't wait. You do good work. Hmmmm, extension on the contract, please leave tazer and cattle prod at home. Indiana has white Christmas every so often, mostly the week before or after it snows. You are more than welcome to come stay at my house. It is just me and Hella Bella, two empty bedrooms. It would be fun.
MEL...sheesh, talk about hot and humid. It is supposed to be 97 degrees and the same humidity. Of course, no rain in sight, my wipers are fixed. Maybe I should take my car to the car wash and run the wipers, and a clean car always gaurantees rain. Get out of your cloudy/foggy state of mind, as I have lived there for enough in the past couple of weeks for both of us. Now move it.
Ms. Chelle...can't wait to hear what the docs have to say. Hope it is an easy fix. I love home grown tomatos, I have lots and lots of blossoms on my vines but no little mators yet. I do have a few peppers coming on tho. Everything is growing nicely, just need the fruit to start up. I need to drink more water also, especially with this hot humid weather. Do I smell a challenge??
Guess I have babbled enough, hi to all the rest of the chicks too!
Annie - I hope your infection goes away soon. Those as so uncomfortable. Maybe a couple drinks at the Paradise Cafe will help you forget about it. Kings Bay looks like a fun place. Have you been to Sandusky, OH? I've heard they have great parks there too. Planning a vaca for next year? Sounds like Tony is thinking long term! Nice! The pizza sounds delish! Mmmmm. I keep forgetting to harvest my lettuce...hopefully it won't go to bolt too soon. Red peppers for a buck? What a great deal!
Um remember the eye candy we were interviewing a few weeks back...Dr. Holt...well, we hired him. Today is his first day. Could a sunshiny day get any brighter? Wowza! Yes he is the new VP and Chief Operating Officer. Altho he is married and I have Tony, I can certainly look, RIGHT!?
Annie - Congrats on the addition of eye candy! Best kind of candy - no calories!
I've got to tell you my great news - I lost 4 pounds this week! Woooo Hooooo! I've been journaling all my food in FitDay, drinking lots of water, and eating lots of veggies, and exercising! Yay!!!!
I had such an awesome day yesterday! Not only did I learn that I lost 4 lbs during the week, I went to see the neurosurgeon after work and was very impressed with him. He's kind, caring and brilliant. Sorry, Mel, I don't know if he's single.
My neurosurgeon said there are a couple issues that showed up on my MRI (so glad I had it done finally). One is with my sacroilliac (SI) joint, and the other is with a disc in the sacrum (S1) and also the lumbar (L5) disc. He said there's a couple things they can try to get me pain free. First, he referred me to a specialist who can perform a procedure where they use radiofrequency (electrical current) to deaden the nerves in my SI joint. This typically relieves pain for at least a year, is minimally invasive and is no more risky than getting an injection. I remember my Sports Med doc saying something about the radiofrequency procedure, but he never followed through with it.
The neurosurgeon also said if that does not relieve the pain, he can perform an equally minimally invasive and minimal risk procedure in the area of the discs. I was so very happy to learn that there is something that can be done for my pain and that I will likely be able to walk, hike, etc. again in the very near future!! Yay!!! It's amazing how a bit of hope can make a good day sooo much better!!
I hope everyone is doing well! I so very much appreciate your friendship, caring and support!
Sun kissed and hits the spot! 
BUT THE PERKS ARE GOOD. WILL CHECK IN LATER. GOING TO EAT DINNER NOW THAT I SHOWERED AND GOT INTO JAMMIES. I AM READY FOR TV AND BED 
FORGET ABOUT THEM. I KNOW THAT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE BUT JUMP IN THE POOL AND MAKE FROGGIE FRIENDS. AT LEAST THEY CAN'T TALK BACK!!! 
I AM GLAD THE JOB WILL END ON A GOOD NOTE...GOD KNOWS THERE WERE ENOUGH SOUR ONES BEOFE!! 
GLAD THE WIPERS ARE FINALLY FIXED AND LONG MAY THE SUN LAST 
Okay - I'll accept that I do have the tazer in the closet. Should have thought of that a couple of weeks back.
not that I had any of their numbers anyway. My friend who lives a few miles away is travelling on business. We were finally able to get a taxi which cost $13 for a 2 mile trip. But we picked up my car, drove it back and picked up DH. We got to the picnic an hour and a half after it started. But by then the grill was hot and the bratwurst sausage and hot dogs were just about ready for us. Um Um Um. The winds picked up with a storm in Mississippi and it gave us the best breeze. Didn't get cool but kept us comfy. We had a nice time. Only regret was that I didn't get to swim today. Now if I could get myself up at 5am, I could have a nice morning swim as the water is warm enough to do so. Maybe if I get to bed shortly. 
Hope you get good news from the doctor. You ALMOST have me convinced to try those endorphins 
She reckons it will take two weeks just to get a couple of the interfaces working properly. Today, the dreaded bug got to the Inventory system and it was batching pallets instead of products. Aaaah well - they both start with P and who ever said an interface was clever???
EXCUSE ME SHAD....DID YOU SAY CHRISTMAS??? 
GOING TO FIND SOMETHING TO DO IN THE APARTMENT TODAY. HAD ENOUGH DRAMA FOR A FEW DAYS. I MIGHT GO SHOPPING TOMORROW. THEY HAVE CHICKEN ON SALE. WE'LL SEE. IT'S HARD TO GET MOTIVATED WITH THIS CONSTANT CLOUDY DAY SYNDROME. ALL I REALLY WANT TO DO IS SLEEP!
Just hope I'm not sending storm clouds from Mississippi too 
I did not know that in terms of people and culture things would be so different down there. I always equate Southern with friendly, hospitality...but maybe it's more like "old boys club" and "clique-ish". Sorry you had to find out the hard way. You are so kind and giving and you care so much, you don't deserve the shoddy treatment you got by your so-called friends and neighbors. I can't totally see you going from room to room chanting bugaboo bugaboo and the odd looks your DH would give you! 
to Jolly, Annie, Patty, Ruth and everyone! 
