GOOD MORNING CHICKS.

QUIET WEEKEND WITH ONLY A FEW ALARMS. NOTHING TOO SERIOUS.
I'VE BEEN RESTING UP AND DOING A LOT OF NOTHING. :rofl:
THE BIGGEST TASK WAS SORTING PAPERS AND SHREDDING COPIES.
I ALSO HAD TO CLEAR MY STUFF OUT OF THE OFFICE.
THEY NEEDED THE 2 DRAWERS IN THE FILE CABINET.
BROUGHT EVERYTHING UP HERE FRIDAY, SORTED AND TOSSED.
MOSTLY STUFF FROM OLD PROJECTS I DID WITH THE SENIORS.
FOUND IT FUNNY THOUGH THAT THEY GAVE MY STUFF THE BOOT AFTER
I DECIDED NOT TO WORK.
I MADE A JOKE ABOUT GETTING THE BOOT NOW I'M NOT SO AVAILABLE.
OF COURSE THERE WERE BIG DENIALS BUT THERE WAS SOME TRUTH TO IT AND WE ALL KNEW IT.
I NEED TO ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES. :dancer:

I AM OFF TO DELIVER MY REPORT. HOPE YOU ALL HVE A GREAT DAY.




CEEJAY....SEND THE RAIN THIS WAY!! HOPE YOU GET HOME BEFORE THE STORMS TOO.
I DIDN'T REALIZE PARAGOULD WAS OVER AN HOUR AWAY...OR I FORGOT!
HAVE A GOOD WEEK AND LOTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS TRIP TO MO!!




PATTY....GLAD YOU WEREN'T NEAR THAT HAIL. I WAS WILD!
I LOOKED AT THE EARTH BOXES. ANOTHER GREAT IDEA.
I HAD DRAWN UP PLANS AND GOOGLED FOR RAISED GARDEN BEDS FOR TH SENIORS A FEW YEARS AGO. BUT THE PLANS FELL THRU. LOOKING AT YOUR BOXES I AM THINKING OF TRYINGTHAT AGAIN FOR NEXT YEAR.
HOPE YOUR GARDEN IS FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLIES!!:lol3:




SHAD.....I WISH YOU COULD HAVE SEEN THE FACE WHEN I DID SAY NO.
IT KIND OF SURPRISED ME TOO!:rofl:
I CAN SEE WHERE SAYINGNO IS GOING TO CAUSE A TINY BIT OF BACKLASH.
BUT REST ASSURED I AM NOT GOING TO BEND THIS TIME.
THE VISIT WITH FRIENDS SOUNDED GOOD. LOVE CHEESE!!:drool:
AS FOR EXERCISE.....I AM GOING TO POST WHAT I PLANNED LAST WEEK. TODAY IS MY DAY ONE.
MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE AN OLD FASHIONED CHALLENGE OR JUST REPORT FOR ACCOUNTABILITY?
NOT SURE IF YOU'RE TOO BUSY FOR THAT OR EVEN INTERESTED:lol3:
BUT I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING CAUSE I AM GETTING LAZY NOT VOLUNTEERING.
ONLY MY FINGERS ARE GETTING ANY EXERCISE ON THE COMPUTER!!




LAURA....YOU WERE EXACTLY RIGHT....THE MEADOWLANDS IS THE STADIUM!!
AND NEAR IT, BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH, WERE THE FIRES ON THE SIDES OF THE TURNPIKE.
THE STADIUM IS JUST DOWN THE HIGWAY FROM ME.
I AM ROUGHLY SITTING OVERLOOKING THE LINCOLN TUNNEL.
WHEN THE BIG WINDS BLOW FROM THE WEST THERE IS NOTHING TO STOP THE SMOKE BETWEEN ME AND THE FIRES.
THEY SAID THEY COULD SMELL IT IN NY. PU!!!
I HOPE THAT ROLLER WORKS OUT WELL FOR YOU.
KEEP US POSTED AND BE CAREFUL!!!

************************************************** ********

MY PLAN FOR THE NEXT 4 WEEKS:

1. MON - FRI 30 MINS OF PEDALS & STRETCHING.
I AM TAKING WEEKENDS OFF.

2. GOING BACK TO MY EATING PROGRAM WHEN I LOST WEIGHT.
IT'S BASICALLY JUST CLEAN EATING WITH "WHOLE" FOODS.
BACK TO COOKING! :cry:

THE GOAL IS TO GET THE SUGAR & SALT OUT BEFORE THE DR SHOOTS ME.
ALSO I SAW HOW INEPT THE HOSPITALS CAN BE HANDLING A DISABLED FAT WOMAN. VERY SAD AND IT SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME. SO.....
HOPEFULLY I STILL HAVE SOME POUNDS TO LOSE. THE DR SAID IT JUST JMIGHT WORK AGAIN THIS TIME CAUSE I HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN "DIETING" FOR A LONG TIME AND ALSO JUST GETTING THE JUNK FOOD OUT OF THE HOUSE & OUT OF MY SYSTEM SHOULD TAKE A FEW POUNDS OFF. :rofl:
I'VE BEEN SPENDING TIME ALL LAST WEEK MAKING PLANS AND THEN APPROVING THEM WITH HIM. SO TODAY IS DAY ONE. WISH ME LUCK.
4/16 WEIGHT: 191.5

Hi ladies -

Sorry I've been away...I've been focusing on what I can do to stay positive about my review and my career. I met with HR on Friday and discussed with HR the 6 pages I wrote where there were discrepancies between how I viewed my performance and the comments in the review. The HR rep admitted there were a lot of significant "disconnects", and suggested that she schedule a meeting with me and my former Director and current Director (since the managers have left the company) to discuss the discrepancies. She explained that the rating cannot be changed; but I'm hoping to at least be taken off the 30/60/90 improvement plan (where I have to achieve certain goals within 30 days, other goals within 60 days, and others within 90 days or I will be let go).

I've spoken to a couple people whose opinion I value and they say if I am let go, I may have a case for wrongful termination. I'm not thinking about that too much though. Mostly I'm going to concentrate on doing the best job ever and achieve the goals ahead of schedule. And I will admit that I also spent time this weekend investigating what else is out there.

Anyway, I'm sorry for no personals...I hope you all are doing well.

Much love and many hugs to all,

Good morning ladies,

Yesterday they were talking about bad thunderstorms last night so we hurried to put the cars back into the garage (required moving of boxes and such) as well as anything loose in the yard. We did get some much needed rain but the storms were not as bad as they said they would be. It is really really frustrating because without fail when we have bad weather you can never get any radar info from places like weather.com or accuweather. Does no good to watch the cable tv weather as they focus on Duluth which is an hour and a half north west of here and our weather can and is often different from there. For example the storms appeared to take a more northerly path so they got the bad stuff and we only got a passing blow. Woke up today to over 2 inches of the "no measureable accumulation" of the cold white stuff. 72 two days ago, snow today. Well we knew we weren't done with it for good. Supposed to be 50 tomorrow so it will melt fast. It appears the bear has decided to move on which we are both relieved about. Yesterday we had a pair of mallard ducks, a bunny rabbit, deer, a pair of turkeys (mating season is upon us), a raccoon or two and the bear trotting through the yard as well as the usual round of squirrels (3 different kinds) and birds (about 5 different kinds). It's a real zoo out there. I'm glad it's cold out, we did alot of going outside these last 3 days and I have lots to do in the house. Including some cooking for the week to use up stuff in the refrigerator.

Michelle - I am glad that you pursued your review with HR. They may not be able to do much but I think that will help you from letting someone get away with some underhanded stuff. I think it would be crazy of you NOT to at least take a look outside the company much as you would like to stay there. Always have to keep your options only, nothing more stressful than sitting there waiting for the sword to drop. I wish you well - keeping fingers crossed for you that this blows over. :hug: Don't worry about personals - we all know you have alot on your mind right now.

Mel - good luck with the food plan - now that TJ's cut out the pre-cooked stuff, I guess you will be making your own? You can probably skinny up and cut the salt and such so that will be good. Just not too bland :lol: I hope you can convince the pounds to go find somewhere else to live - just not any of us please :rofl: I have to make a better effort too. Yes, it is kind of sad how the office can lean on you for so much and then with a wave of the hand, dismiss you when they feel you are no more use to them. :nono: I guess it just reinforces your resolve to keep in the shadows.

Patty - thank you for mentioning the earth boxes. I looked at the website and they have some interesting things. Did you get any more storms this past weekend?

Laura - I doubt we will get helmets. I don't see the need for the type of ATVing that I will do and DH has a giant head and has a hard time finding any head gear outside of really stretchy materials to fit his noggin. That's why he gave up the Harley in TN - they had helmet laws and he could not find anything that fit him and did not obstruct his vision. As for feeding the animals, we did not see any more evidence of the bear so we hope he moved on. DH put out a small pile of cracked corn today - the animals are pairing off about to make babies and they are looking for food - especially with the snow today. We might put out a bit in the front of the yard for the deer and turkeys also - as long as there is no evidence of the bear. We have a trailcam so we can see what comes through the yard at night - just some turkeys yesterday. I think the storms might have scared them off. I think you were under some bad weather yourself yesterday. Did all the mulch and feed wash away? Did you try the Thundershirt for Coal?

Shad - your wine tasting party sounded delightful. Perhaps each day we should post the prior day's exercise so we can keep each other "motivated" to keep moving. Was over at the cousin's house yesterday and his wife was saying when they first moved here they saw signs posted everywhere with deer crossing which is a deer "bounding" upwards. Goofy cousin thought those were kangaroos :dizzy: :rofl: - I said no, we have to wait for Shad to bring those with her.

Ceejay - hope you didn't get those bad storms this past weekend. You sound excited about the MO trip - it's good to have something to look forward to. I loved the Smokey Mountain area. Should be a good trip.

Hi Annie :wave: Hope you had a good weekend.

Well I need to get out of this chair and get busy. Have a good one chicks.

Laura - Did you try the Thundershirt? We had some bad thunderstorms last night...Really loud and insane wind (wind is still with us today). Despite the calming chamomile treats we give the dogs for thunderstorms, they still were "not amused". I'd be interested in learning if the Thundershirt works for Coal. I really shouldn't complain TOO much about last night's storms...since they were predicting tornadoes...and we didn't get any of those (thank heavens!).

Hello all.

Mel - Glad you had a quiet weekend. Good for you rolling with the punches. :) The plan looks good - you know what they say, KISS, Keep it simple sistah!

Michelle - I hope something comes of the meeting w/ the old and new directors. Doesn't seem fair that the rating can't be changed, especially if the "disconnects" are valid and the review is not a true picture of your performance. But I agree, the most important thing is getting off that improvement plan because I believe they're just a CYA for the mgt before they terminate someone - happened to the previous Sr. Mgr in our department. I hope it all turns out for the best! :hug:

Happy - Oh the things we take for granted - local weather information included! I'm glad you didn't get any severe weather, but too bad about the snow. Good it'll melt soon. I'm glad you have that trailcam so you can see if the bear has been hanging around! No, I didn't see a lot of washed away mulch. It sure was windy yesterday, but it had rained the night before, so the fact that it was wet already had to help. I like the way the mulch looks, but it just seems so nutty to have to buy more each year because of the tendency of it to blow and wash away, as well as being raked away with the leaves in the fall. Guess I'm just cheap.

Hellos to the rest of the Worldlies!
--
Let's see, what's going on with me... I've got Pilates tonight. Tomorrow - after failing to get my neighbor to go to the movies last week, or even RESPOND to a phonemail or e-mail I left her, I agreed to go this week. We'll see "Mirror Mirror" with Julia Roberts. I'll try again to see if I can get my neighbor to go. I suppose I was feeling guilty about not going to movie night, but it's still my intention to go infrequently or altogether. I find I like being a homebody and watching tv and movies on dvd.

I also rsvp'd "no" on this Saturday's book club (the first one since December) because a I'm going out for a friend's birthday that night. I originally thought I might actually go to book club - but then I realized there was a conflict. I'm reading the book they chose, though - "State of Wonder" by Ann Patchett. A scientist working for a pharmaceutical company goes to the Amazon to find out what happened to her lab partner, who had been sent to learn of the progress of a research team. The first half of the book was slow going, but I hope the last half picks up. I have to say I'm not really enjoying how much they talk about all the insects there - yes, I'm sure it's very true, but I hate bugs, so I could do without it. And the research isn't about bugs, it's about the amazing fertility of one of the tribes deep in the Amazon.

We didn't try the Thundershirt on Coal yet. Fortunately, the thunderstorms we had Saturday and Sunday nights were not severe or long, so Coal was okay. However, we've started the "conditioning" steps suggested - giving him a treat using the shirt as a "plate". We also have to put the shirt on Coal during a non-anxiety time, giving him a treat once it's on him (positive association). I'm glad we have a little time to get him acclimated to the shirt before he needs it.

Today Coal had his first injection of Adequan, a stronger type of glucosamine. I hope this helps his arthritis. He will have two injections per week for 4 weeks, and then about once per month after that.

That's about it for me. Enjoy the rest of your day!

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WLL ACTUALLY AFTERNOON. DIDN'T REALIZE IT'S STILL SO EARLY.
THE HOUSE IS CLEAN. RICHIE PULLED THE BED AWAY FROM THE WALL.
DINNER IS ALREADY COOKED. AND I WAS OUTSIDE FOR AWHILE.
NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE A/C AND A SHOWER.
TOMORROW IS GOING TO BE A BIT BUSY. AND THE ALARM GUYS ARE USING MY APT AS A TEST CENTER.
I JUST HOPE THESE NEW ALARMS WORK WITH THE EXISTING SYSTEM. :crossed:

I FEEL VERY GOOD TODAY WITH THE NEW PLANS FRESH IN MY HEAD.
MOTIVATED TO DO STUFF FOR MYSELF AND SPEND MORE TIME WITH JEN.
THEYOUNG KIDS AREN'T COMING UP FROM FLORIDA TILL THE 2ND WEEKEND OF JUNE.
SO JEN & RICHIE GOT A REPRIEVE! GRANDPA IS DRIVING THEM.

MY BOSS IS SO HAPPY WITH THE WAY I HANDLED THE WEEKEND.
NOT ONLY THE VOTING "NO" BUT THE ALARMS AND A "MISSING" TENANT.
THE WOMAN HAS 4 SONS.
ONE OF THEM HAD TAKEN HIS MOTHER OUT AFTER 9PM AND DIDN'T TELL ANYONE?!? WTF!?!
WHERE DID HER TAKE HER?? TO THE NEAREST ATM???
I BET THEY NEEDED MONEY BUT NO ONE IS SAYING TODAY WHAT HAPPENED.
THE WOMAN HAS ALZ AND WE JUST TOSSED ONE OF HER SONS OUT LAST YEAR IF YOU RECALL. :tantrum:


ANYWAY.......THOUGHT I WOULD SAY HELLO NOW AND SKIP POSTING TOMORROW.
JUST FEEl LIKE MELLOWING OUT IN THE MORNING WITH JEN. :beach: HAVE A GREAT DAY!:moped:




MICHELLE....I AM VERY SORRY YOU'RE GOING THRU SO MUCH ANGST WITH THIS DANG REVIEW CRAP.
WILL BE SENDING GOOD THOUGHTS YOUR WAY TO GET THE 30/60/90 THING REMOVED. WTF!!!
STAY STRONG AND JUST WATCH YOUR WORDS. KEEP COOL.
WORDS SPOKEN OUTLOUD CAN NEVER BE TAKEN BACK. SENDING A HUG:hug:
MANY YEARS AGO I HAD A SIMILAR SITUATION AND IT STILL PISSES ME OFF:rollpin:




HAPPY.....I LOVE THE IDEA OF THE ZOO OUTSIDE THE WINDOW. JUST NOT SITTING IN MY LAP:rofl:
I WILL TRY NOT TO SEND ANY STRAY POUNDS YOUR WAY SHOULD I BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO LOSE ANY.
I AM DOING OUR OLD 6WBMO. GOTTA LOVE MICHAEL THURMOND'S WEEKEND ADS. THEY STILL MOTIVATE ME!:ebike:
THE "SLIGHTING" THAT WENT ON LAST WEEK IN THE OFFICE DID REINFORCE MY RESOLVE TO RETIRE MORE. THEY ARE SUCH STUPID SODS. I SPOKE TO THE LADY BOSS ABOUT IT AND SHE IS GLAD I AM STANDING FIRM.
SHE, JEN & MYSELF WILL HELP EACH OTHER AND THAT IS IT. SHE'S HAPPY AND SO ARE WE.
HOPE YOU GET SOME INSIDE STUFF DONE WHILE YOU ARE HAVING YOUR SPRING THAW. WTF!! SEND ME THE SNOW!!
WE NEVER HAD ENOUGH THIS WINTER. I AM STILL WAITING FOR A WHITE CHRISTMAS :tree: :hohoho:





LAURA....SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF "NO's" ARE BEING SAID THIS WEEK! YAY!!
BESIDES...BIRTHDAY CAKE IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN A BOOK :hb:
I THOUGHT THE BOOKS OUNDED GOOD TILL YOU BROUGHT UP THE FRIGGING INSECTS!! YIKES!!
THANKS BUT NO THANKS...THINK I'LL STAY OUT OF THE AMAZON!!! :lol3: :lol3:
HOPE YOU GALS LIKE THE MOVIE. CAN'T WAIT FOR THE REVIEW!

Afternoon all,

Better get with the program. I didn't realise that there were so many posts here. For some reason when the e-mail reminds me that a post has been made and I click the link it goes back to a post from Mel from about a week ago. Don't know why it doesn't go to the proper place.

Mel - I may have to put off ringing on my birthday. It is possible I will be in the Hunter Valley on a coal mine on that day. Haven't heard a definite no yet. But I will be home on the weekend.

Right - what's next on my list of 'before I forget'. Oh yes.......
Exercise - chalk me up for a walk/ jog yesterday for 40 minutes. Tonight should be a body balance class, but I will post that tomorrow. Good idea Happy

Let's do personals next since I can't think of what I wanted to tell anybody.

Happy - nice that the bear removed himself will no buckshot holes in his hide. You sure do get a passing parade around there. As for the deer crossing sign, yep we have those here too. They look NOTHING like Kangaroos. See attached and maybe the cousin might need his eyesight checked???? :rofl: or brain :rofl: They are even going in different directions.
There's a few more 'crossings' here. I reckon this place could use a few more zombie crossing signs. Plenty of them around here, usually glued to a mobile phone.

Michelle - I hope something new comes out of your external search soon. Quite frankly those reviews are a bundle of cr*p and they only serve to make the managers look good. Now if for some reason, you have managed to p*ss off a manager....... well I don't need to explain that one.
How many other people got cr*p reviews?? Maybe they are looking to reduce staff without paying out redundancies. My cynical mind looks at the workings of management heads. Money rules ok. It certainly does if you don't have any. Do whatever you have to do to get through this patch and keep going to HR if you can see signs of manipulation - for example giving you something that must be finished in 30days but is not part of your usual ongoing job and something that you either know little about or have no knowledge of at all. Good luck friend.

Laura - hope the coat goes okay with the dog. We had one dog who buried his head between someones legs when there was thunder. We just kept laughing at him and gradually he got over it. Although I must admit we did keep all the animals in when thunder or lightning was likely.

Mel - how sad that the woman is only taken out to get money out of her. She needs a SKI moment (Spend the Kids Inheritance). I fully intend to spend the majority of mine before I go. Biggest problem is that no one seems to know when my use by date is up.

Well I had better get the **** off here and find out what is going on next week. Then I had better find out what I can do and how I can stuff it up.

https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/im...Mtu-l2OaY1FOXg


A QUICK HELLP AND HAPPY TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY.
SEEMS THE ALARM JOB IS LATE ARRIVING. THEY TOLD ME 7#0 BUT NO ONE IS HERE. BET THEY MEANT 8:30:faint:

THE WEATHER IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. NEAR 85 YESTERDAY BUT TODAY WILL BE COOLER. LOVELY BREEZE AND ALL WINDOWS ARE OPENED. JUST DELIGHTFUL.
THE RAINS ARE FINALLY ARRIVING LATER THIS WEEK. YAY!
WITHOUT JUNK FOOD FOR THE LAST 3 DAYS, I FEEL A LOT BETTER. :lol3:
30 MINS OF EXERCISE MADE ME SLEEPY SO THAT WAS A PLUS!

HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYONE AND SWEET DREAMS SHAD:cloud9:

SHAD....THE E-MAIL IS REMINDING YOU NOT TO FORGET ME :rofl: :rofl:
I AM GLAD THE BD IS NOT A GOOD DAY FOR CALLING. I HAVE WORK IN THE OFFICE THOSE DAYS (24-26) AND WOULD HAVE HAD TO RUSH UP HERE.
THE WEEKEND AFTER YOUR BIRTHDAY IS FINE......28TH OR 29TH?
OR ANY OTHER DAY THAT'S GOOD FOR YOU.
THE SIGNS CRACKED ME UP! I HAVE THIS ONE HANGNG IN MY LIV.ROOM:

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BTW: WHEN YOU FIND OUT HOW TO GET YOUR "USE BY DATE" LET ME KNOW. I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY TO SPEND BUT I DON'T LIKE SURPRISES :rofl: :rofl:

Good morning ladies,

I got up and got started on a few tasks, just waiting a few more minutes so I can flip loads in the washer. I'm on a much needed roll so I want to finish up - forgive the lack of personals. It's a sunny day but quite cold - snow has not melted like I hoped it would. I'm kinda done with it by now :dunno:

I'll be back later. Loved the signs Shad - going to post those for a special someone :rofl:

Hi Gurlzzzzzzzz...

What a busy 4/5 days I have had....went and picked up baby girl and lil man Saturday morning....took him to JCPenney for pix, then we ate lunch at TGIFridays then shopping the remainder of the day. He was soooo good...oh and we went into Von Maur as my SIL works PT in men's suits. She was so glad to see us (the babe mostly), but glad anyway. If I am repeating myself, my apologies....my memory is fading...

Sunday, Curtis and I went to visit his mom and dad in Bunker Hill, IN...just north of Kokomo, IN...like 1hr45m from my house...I made my spaghetti sauce on Saturday night, a huge garden salad with everything under the sun in it, garlic bread in the bread maker, cream filled cupcakes with cream cheese icing, then got up Sunday morn and made the noodles for the spaghetti. Got to their house about 11. We ate at noon. Curtis's sister and her daughter and the two grand nephews came down (they live kitty corner from parents) and we ate. Got home around 4 pm. Cleaned the kitchen (scoured, broomed, mopped, dishes) while Curtis put the floor in the shed. Also finished the laundry.

Monday was work, dinner, dishes, then went to be EARLY...too tired to pop.

Today was a lil different....Katie (co-worker) and I had to go to a health conference to represent Humana. It was ALLLLLL day long. Altho being a sponsor for the health conference was not so bad because we each got 6.5 credits towards our continuing ed requirements of 20, for our insurance license. I am at 10.5 credits currently, with only 9.5 to go before October 2013. Should be able to achieve that.

This evening Curtis and I went to the new Jack-in-the-Box. Curtis had never experienced that. I had everytime going to St. Louis. He loved it and of course I like it too! It was overly crowded with customers and believe it or not, there were so many workers they over crowded the restaurant. Talk about stupid workers...hello it was all about..unless the register tells you the amount of change to give back...well duh..I dunno. Of course, they got our order WRONG and charged too much...I had to intervene and tell them how much change to give me back.....Hella B was smarter than that.

So here I sit posting wondering if I should do personals and then it would be from memory cause I am lazy.

CHELLE...first things first...do NOT let the ignorant bosses intimadate you. You are so intelligent, strong and have a great head on your shoulders. You obviously did not suck up to them at the opportune time. They will hurt if they make the wrong decisions about you. Stay the strong, confident sister that you are...I am proud of you and have my utmost confidence in you. YOU ROCK!!! Hugs and love.

MELLIE...good for you for saying no to the election. I hear the Boston marathon was run at record highs. The top #1 and #2 Kenyon runners from last year couldn't take the heat and dropped out at mile 18 of the 26.2. Enjoy the heat while you can. I would give you brownie points for doing good on saying no, but they are not healthy for you to eat...lololol.

SHADDIE....Ms. Workerbee. Still working your arse off, I see. I love your "crossing" signs. When I lived out in the stix, someone went around and put a red reflector on the nose of all the deer crossing signs....so I guess they were all Rudolph crossings....lol

LAURA...let me know how you like the Mirror Mirror movie. I just LOVE Julia Roberts and all her movies. I am wanting to see this one too. My memory may be deceiving me, but I thought you quit the book club...maybe it was the movie club...or maybe I am high...roflmao

CEEG....watcha up to as I am not going back and re-reading...LAZY I am.

HAPPY...I loved the pix of the lil bear....funny thing, I was driving this weekend to Curtis's parent's house and saw these fuzzy little baby things across the way in a fenced field...I said to Curtis, "aw, look at those little baby bears in that field". Curtis said what baby bears, those are Llamas. Guess I need to wear my glasses more than I thought...lol. At least they were so furry they could of been bears...NOT.

Well that about does it for me...gonna pour me a glass of fattening wine (the reason I am fat) and fold the clothes in the dryer.

Have a wonderful night/morning...and hump day!

Loves and hugs....

Just a quick pop-in before leaving work for the day.

Shad - Zombie crossing, LOL. Yay for the exercise. For some reason Coal wants to go out when it's storming - strange. Sometimes we'll let him out in it if it's not too bad.

Mel - Glad you're feeling better after cleaning up the eating. Congrats on your 30 min of exercise - and better sleep! :)

Happy - Did the snow melt at all this afternoon?

Hellos to the rest of you! Hey Annie - where've you been? Hope all's well with you!!
---
Ho hum day, though the work doesn't stop.

Pilates last night. One more class!

Movie tonight. Doubting my neighbor will go. Hoping there's no talk of why I haven't been going... not going to be browbeat into how I spend my time.

Okay, post this, shut down, hit the bathroom and finally out the door to get some fresh air on my way to the train. :wave:

Ha ha, there's Annie. :wave:

Quick flyby. Yesterdays exercise was 50 minutes of body balance. Can still feel the effects today. Didn't get out to walk today, but definitely will tomorrow or I may do a pump class tomorrow night.

Catch you all tomorrow.

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STILL NO NEW ALARM. SEEMS THERE IS A FOUL UP WITH THE SOFTWARE.
OK BY ME. SPENT THE DAY WITH JEN CHATTING AND DOING LITTLE THINGS.
SLOWLY TRYING TO TEACH HER HOW TO HANDLE THE GIVT AGENCIES.
ESPECIALLY LEARNING HOW TO BE POLITE WHEN BEING "TALKED DOWN" TO.
I HAVE TRIED A FEW TIMES TO SET THE PERSON ON THE PHONE STRAIGHT.
BUT IT ONLY MAKES THE PROCESS TAKE THAT MUCH LONGER:rofl:
JUST NOT WORTH IT TO BE "RIGHT".
NOITHING NEW HERE. I AM ON DAY 3 OF GOOD EATING & EXERCISE.
DOING OK SO RAF. CAN'T WAIT TILL I WEIGH IN ON SUNDAY OR MONDAY.
HAVE A GREAT DAY.




HAPPY....I HEAR YA ON BEING DONE WITH THE SNOW.
I AM DONE WITH THE COLD...JEN WAS FREEZING LAST NIGHT.
TEMPS UP AND THEN THEY COME CRASHING DOWN. STAY COZY!




ANNIE....YOU HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN ONE BUSY WOMAN.
SO YOU HAD A DAY WITH THE SOON TO BE INLAWS:cheers:
I WOULD LOVE THE SKETTIE DINNER. :hun:
GOOD LUCK WITH THE POINTS!! A NEW LICENSE TO HANG ON THE WALL THIS YEAR OR NEXT? :encore:




LAURA...HOPE THERE WAS NO NEGATIVE TALK FROM THE NEIGHBOR.
BROW BEATING SEEMS TO BE THE "IN" THING THIS YEAR. WTF!!:tantrum:
STAND FIRM AND I WILL TOO:hug:
HOW WAS THE MOVIE?????




SHAD....GET OUT THERE AND DO YOUR EXERCISE!
I WILL HAVE TO COME AFTER YOU WITH THE TASER!!:wizard:
OR LIGHT A FIRE UNDER YOUR ARSE :flame:
HOPE THE MINERS ARE BEHAVING THEMSELVES.

You girls have been busy posting.

I'm working each day from 7 to 4 p.m then from 4 - 6 p.m class, then back to work for an hour. I'm brain dead afterward. We still have today and tomorrow to go. Therefore, my trip to MO has been moved up a day. I'll call sis tonight. I'll have an abundance of class room hours to apply toward my license.To bad they will not carry over. We even have a Mayor from a neighboring town present.

Hope you chicks don't mind, but no personals today. I'll try in the morning.

Morning all.

Annie - Sounds like a busy weekend. So you took the whole tasty dinner to the future in-laws! Good to get off to a good start with them. :D Good job getting your education credits. I know it's new to your area, but were they giving the food away at that new JITBox??!! Yeh, I had thought to just completely quit the movie and book clubs, but I'll probably just go from a "regular" to "infrequent" participant...

Shad - Yay for you with the exercise! :yay:

Mel - Gosh I hope the current alarms are still working while they look for some sort of compatible replacement!!! Good job on a successful day 3. :) :) No, no negative talk from the neighbor. Actually, she's the last one to say a mean word to anyone, and I guess that's why I wanted her to come back to the movies, trying to hark back to old times a bit I guess. But she took a pass on the movie, but at least we (me and another movie club member) have managed to communicate with her for the first time in a long time. After going back and forth a bit with texts, she said she was taking a pass because she was cleaning out the hamster cage!! :lol: Great excuse, and the funniest part is that I didn't even know they had a hamster!!! :lol3:
---
The movie "Mirror Mirror" was entertaining and funny, a snarky kind of re-telling of the Snow White story. Julia Roberts was funny, and I also enjoyed Nathan Lane, and the 7 dwarfs. Armie Hammer played the prince and he was pretty good too, especially when he was shirtless, lol. :o

Nothing much else to report. Final Pilates class of the session tonight. The book club book, "State of Wonder" got worse with a snake incident (on top of all the bugs!), but it also got more interesting re developments in the research project part of the story. I was assured by a couple movie/book club gals at the movie last night that the ending will put me in a state of wonder. Good to hear, as long as I'm not left wondering why I bothered to read the book!!

Okay, back to my e-mail. Toodles!

Wow, Ceejay - that's a lot of hours! It's still 12 hours, but with the classroom time, I'm sure it just feels like more! Don't worry about personals, just get your rest and "me" time when you can.

Good morning ladies,

It's raining to beat the band out there. Which is good - we need the rain. Bad thing is, we have to go out in it soon. DH has been volunteering his computer expertise at the Natural History Museum. Last time I was there I met the office manager and told her if they needed extra help with something to let me know. She called and they have a data entry project they asked if I'd help out with so we'll head over there today to get the details. The rain got rid of the last of the snow. We thought the bear was a one day deal - were hoping I should say because we can't have him hanging around the house and we didn't want to resort to scaring him off. We didn't see any sign of him Monday and then yesterday afternoon at sunset DH looked in the front yard and there he was parked under a pile of sunflower seeds. We thought it was safe to put food out again. Monday we had a herd of at least 12 hungry deer out here so we thought for sure he was gone. We were told the bears will tolerate a female because she's mating material but if the cub was a male they'd run it off because it's competition. We had all sorts of animals here when it snowed so I'm not sure what schedule this guy is keeping :dizzy: We have some wild turkeys that come every day to eat. DH put out some shelled sunflower seeds that we feed the birds and those turkeys were in turkey heaven when they found that pile. The deer like it too and apparently so does the bear :lol: I told DH that's too pricey to be feeding the critters! Actually we're just feeding them for the next month until my Mom and sister come up to visit. By June all the berry bushes and grasses will be going strong and they will have plenty to feast on without our help. Most folks here only feed them in the winter.

So I did get some things done including making a delicious chicken and wild rice soup. Except the rice absorbed all the liquid and now I have more of a pilaf instead of a soup!

Laura - I hope the shot works for Coal to get him some relief. I guess they feel the aches just like we do. Thanks for the review on Mirror, Mirror. I think I'd wait for that to at least come out on PPV. I want to see Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp. Was surprised that DH said he'd go see it too since he is not a fan of Johnny Depp's wierd taste in movie roles. But this looks campy funny - I heard that the Dark Shadows fans are really annoyed that this movie was made on the funny side. Can't please everyone. :dunno:

Holy Cow Ceejay - that's an awfully long day(s) you have to put in. I would lose the ability to retain anything from the class after a full day's work. Hope you do well.

Mel - 85 degrees the other day??? Blow up the pool and crank up the frozen margaritas :beach: Hope you enjoyed it while it was there. I don't like bumps like that because then when the seasonal weather comes back it feels so much colder. So you are teaching Jen how to take over dealing with the G-men? Poor Jen! I would REALLY hate it having to deal with people that acted snooty and rude. Like you said you have to keep in mind that they hold all the cards in their hands. Jerko's.

Shad - good going woman on the up and moving. 3 days of good exercise - proud of you! The bear has put a crimp in my walking program - I'm thinking that walking with a 9mm pistol in one hand will sort of affect my walking gait :rofl: DH did offer to walk with me on the paths in town so we'll have to give that a go when the rain moves on out. Welcome to the club of trying to figure out when your use by date is up. :lol: Best time to go is when you only have 10 bucks left in the bank :D It really is a game - don't want to have too little money so that you can't live decently but then again why leave a bunch of money to people who have the means to make their own? I'm still leaning to leaving our estate to some worthy animal rescue organizations although my Mom nearly popped a vein when I told her that. I'm assuming if you are exercising for an hour you are past the worst part of that awful cold you had!

Annie - I barely remember Jack in the Box and what I do remember I didn't like it and I've eaten alot of fast food in my life. Probably what happened was it was the last one standing and was probably going downhill before it closed so not a fair comparison. My sister loved a place called Chicken Unlimited when we were growing up. Supposedly the last one left in the country is in Eau Claire WI on the way up to our house. She said she wants to stop in and try it either on the way up or the way back. We are both sure it's not not the same thing she remembers and is probably located in the worst part of town :rofl: Sounds like you had a fun on the run kind of weekend. Glad you got to meet Curtis' folks and had a nice dinner. As for the cash registers - my very first job in 1971 was working at the Sears Roebuck store in downtown Chicago. At the time we had the old fashioned cash registers when you'd hit keys like 1 dollar 50 and 25 and 3 to total a sale of $1.78. That and manual typewriters meant I had some seriously strong fingers :rofl: Anyway while I was there they put in electronic cash registers with 2 great features - it transmitted the credit card info so we no longer had to call credit for every single sale no matter how small and it also tallied up the individual items (yes in the old days we had to add up all the items too which was a bummer working in the toys and records departments where there were often several items on a purchase). It came up with the amount, you put in the cash tendered and it TOLD YOU HOW MUCH CHANGE to give back. I told my co-workers this would be the end of human intelligence as most people would no longer be able to give correct change. :lol: Sure did come true. It's the same thing like going to the deli department at the grocery store and asking for 1/3 of a pound of cheese - they can figure out 1 pound, a half pound but don't know any other fractions. :dizzy: That's a really funny story about mistaking the llamas for bears. I'd be right there with you - without binoculars I can't see much details although I'd think the llamas would stand a bit taller than bears. You probably won't hear the end of that teasing for a while - a new Annie story is born :rofl:

Michelle - I tend to agree with the others about something "off" in not changing your review rating in the light of some pretty substantial inconsistencies - I'd probably refuse to sign it under the circumstances but it's a fine line you run kind of like Mel where they hold the cards and you are an unwilling participant. Hope you are not running yourself ragged. We are sending you good thoughts. :hug:

Hi Patty and Turtle :wave:

I need to get some food in me and grab a shower although I should just step outside :lol:

Afternoon all....I must of miscommunicated...I had met Curtis's parents before they left for Florida for the winter then we stayed with them for a couple of days while we were in Florida. Anyway, forgot to tell you that his mom broke her arm and thumb last week. She was trying to pull a dead limb out of a tree that she thought was stuck. It was not and it sent her sailing across the yard. She landed on her arm that broke. She is 70 years old and looks about 60 acts 50. Anyway 6 weeks in a cast for her. She said it was a good thing she did not sign up for swimming....lmao.

The speakers at the health conference were Dr. Pam Popper and Dr. Pam Peeke. Google both. They did an excellent job. Dr. Popper spoke on what you eat can cause problems. Her website is www.wellnessforum.com. Well worth a looksee. Dr. Pam Peeke spoke on the importance of moving your body. All things we all know... I am really more interested in Dr. Popper and her proven wellness forum. Check it out.

Oh HAPPY....in my defense the Llama's were babies and not too far off the ground yet and a very furry mess...lol. Who knows it could of been one of those mixed marriages....a LlamaBear! You may have to take out a loan to feed all those pets you have inherited at the new place.

CEEJAY...Good Giggly Wiggly...you will have to take a vacation to recuperate from all that working. I do know how you feel from the old CVS days. May the force be with you sista!.

LAURA...thanks for the movie review...Mirror mirror sounds pretty good, I may go see it this weekend, but only if it is raining outside. If it is halfway decent out, I will of course, have to work in my yard, gardening, building a small in-ground fire pit which I am sure is against the homeowners regulations....oh well.

MELLIE...seems like even when the govt is wrong and you let it go, eventually at some time later they FINALLY see it the right way. No since in arguing. Hope Jen catches on to your tactics.

SHADDIE...what is body balance? Is it like Yoga or something? I heard on the news the other day about hot yoga, where they turn the heat up so hot you actually melt the fat off while doing yoga.

CHELLE...keep your head down and do the normal splendid job you always do. How is DH's lungs and breathing?

Better get back at it.

Have a wonder day/night.

Love hugs and prayers.

Rest in Peace Dick Clark...what a wonderful contribution you have made to my life and the world. You will be sadly missed.

Exercise done for today.

Back tomorrow - time for bed

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MORNING CHICKLETTES:coffee:

WE GOT A NOTICE THAT NO NEW ALARMS TILL THE SOFTWARE PROB IS FIXED.
NO SURPRISE THERE BUT LOTS OF ANGRY TENANTS CAUSE FURNITURE HAD BEEN MOVED.
SENIORS DO NOT ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES....THEY PUNCH BACK :rollpin:

LOTS OF CLOUDY, COOLER WEATHER. CAN'T BELIEVE THE HEAT IS BACK ON:rofl:
JUST A HEADS UP....I WILL BE WORKING 3 DAYS NEXT WEEK AND THERE ARE 2 NIGHTS OF MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR THE NEW BUILDING IN PROGRESS. SO I MIGHT BE A LITTLE SCARCE IF I'M TIRED. IT COVERS TUESDAY THRU FRIDAY.:write:
NOTHING ELSE IS REALLY NEW HERE. HAVE A GREAT DAY.





CEEJAY......BUSY BEE! GOOD LUCK WITH THE CLASSES AND ALL THE HOURS YOU'RE PUTTING IN:hug:
EAT WELL & STAY STRONG. WE'LL SEE YA WHEN YOU'RE DONE!!




LAURA....THE HAMSTER CAGE CLEANING CRACKED ME UP.
I SHOULD HAVE USED THE BIRD AS AN EXCUSE WHILE HE WAS ALIVE!!:lol3: :lol3: TOO FRASSING FUNNY!!
GLAD YOU LIKED THE MOVIE. I WASN'T SURE WITH THEONE PREVIEW I SAW. IT WAS VERY SHORT.
BUT I'LL TAKE A PASS ON THAT BOOK!




HAPPY....OMG!! THE FRASSING BEAR AGAIN!! GUESS HE KNOWS DH'S DINER IS ALWAYS OPENED!!
SMART CRITTER TO STAY AWAY LONG ENOUGH FOR DH TO FEEL COMFPORTABLE PUTTING FOOD OUT AGAIN :rofl: :rofl:
WHEN I VISIT, I WANT BARS AROUND THE MAN CAVE:yikes:



ANNIE...YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE MISCOMMUNICATED...IT COULD BE MY MIND:rofl: :crazy:
I AM VERY SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT HIS MOM. AND 6 WEEKS :yikes:
GLAD SHE HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR ABOUT THE SWIMMING!!




SHAD......GOOD THING YOU POSTED THAT!
I WAS READY WITH THE TASER....IT WAS ALL FIRED UP!
NOW WHO CAN I GO AFTER??????

Morning all.

Shad - Looks like you're in the exercise groove! Keep up the good work. :)

Happy - Hey, the bear's hungry after his hibernation all winter, can't blame him. Are you all set for the data entry work at the museum? As for Dark Shadows, I'm not sure I'd be able to appreciate the remake having never seen the originals. The fans of the original need to chill out! Whenever there's a remake or adaptation of something there's always a bunch of people who whine and complain. And I suppose I'm one of those people sometimes, lol! There used to be a Chicken Unlimited around Lawrence & Elston way up northwest (where I grew up), and my brother loved it. He worked nearby at Bankers Life.

Annie - I think you probably did mention staying w/ C's parents when you went on vacay...I just don't retain all that much of anything. I'm glad you enjoyed the speakers at the conference. Attending things like that and hearing interesting speakers can be so invigorating...or you just go back to work and forget about it, lol. Bf also wants to install an in-ground fire pit in the yard and I told him we better check the local regs. Honestly, whenever I happen to think about enjoying an evening sitting by our portable fire pit, it never fails that it's too windy! And with the asthma, the smoke would probably just irritate my lungs anyway. Can you tell I'm not so keen on the idea for our own yard??

Mel - Sounds like next week will be a busy one for you. Don't worry about posting, just get your rest and keep your lungs happy! :) Yeh, we're having a mix of cool and mild weather, and now some rain. The heat is back on due to the chilly evenings. I finished the book and it had a decent ending, but mostly I'm glad I'm done with it. Couldn't take much more of that Amazonian jungle!!

Hellos to the rest of my Worldly pals. :wave: Hey Michelle - how's your hubby feeling these days??
----
Nothing much to report. I've been a big grump all week. My busy time at work is cranking up and I'm still working on the software project too, though it's not the time sucker it was earlier in the year. I guess I just need some time off.

By the way, I told my mom how expensive the airfare was to get to her place and she told me to just enjoy my vacation time and not come to her boring town, LOL. She said she should make plans to come visit Chicago, but it was a very vague sort of comment, so we'll see how that plays out. In the meantime, I'll try and keep checking the fares to see if they come down or are more reasonable if booked further in advance.

Last night was the last Pilates class. On to other things. If I can't get bf to take me to the gym tonight, I'll do a BE workout at home. Doggy has another injection today. Hoping to see some improvement in the next week or two.

That's about it for me, so I'll get this posted and get back to work. TTFN!

:flow1::flow1::flow1::flow1::flow1::flow1::flow1:
:flow1:

Good morning ladies,

Cool and overcast today. I'm going to be digging in closets and doing laundry. I have decided to focus on one thing at a time - start to finish. Trying to decide what to eat - I have a taste for eggs benedict but who wants to make me some hollandaise sauce for just 2 eggs? :rofl:

The bear has not come back since DH scared it off. We both hope he goes north into the woods where he belongs. Today it's just squirrels, turkeys and birds.

Laura - bummer that you can't find an air fare that works for visiting your Mom. I heard they were going to stay on the high side this year. But if you keep looking - I think it's Tuesday is the good day to shop for fares - perhaps you can find something that will work. Try to find something good to get you out of the grumpy mood. How about you go see the Botanical Gardens and tell me if there's enough blooming to make a trip there? I miss that place - definitely on the list for a summer visit although I am not looking forward to the city summer traffic.

Mel - the mancave is secure. You can peek out the steel security door window at Mr. Bear but otherwise there's not much access for him to bother you. Hope you don't work too hard the next few days. I think you need a fairy wand to direct people - point and say "do this, and do this and do this..." :lol: Thanks for letting us know if you are taking a break from here.

Michelle - :hug: to you - hope you are ok.

Annie - thanks for the tip on the doctors - I will look them up. We were surprised to hear about Dick Clark also. I know his health was not the greatest after his stroke but being the eternal teenager you just don't think he'd ever leave. Heaven now has a Bandstand to party on!

Ceejay - hope you're able to keep awake during those long workdays ahead of you. Thinking of you :D

Shad - sounds like you are back in the groove. Are you doing your autumn gardening? I need to get my plans together for mine or it won't be happening. It's about 4th on the list of must-do's.

Breakfast ain't making itself so I'd better get rolling before breakfast turns into brunch. Have a good one all :wave:

Good GOD...my belly hurts...cut the grass, pulled weeds, fixed dinner, did dishes and laundry...cannot fathom even posting anymore or doing personals...love you all....

Annie
You make me even more tired.

Happy
I envy your surroundings, except for the bear of course. I like your strategy of doing one thing at a time. How did your volunteering go? I worked my regular 12 hour day's, just had class for a couple of hours during that time.

Laura
Wish you were closer you could ride with me to Missouri. Hope you can find some decent tickets soon.

Mel
Don't wear yourself down.

Patty
I'm meeting my sis that lives in Carrollton in the Smokey MTs this summer.
-----
My classes are finished until next month. :dance:
Getting ready for my trip to MO tomorrow. My sis called me tonight to ask what time I was coming. They are having a bedroom suit delivered at the condo in Branson. Then they will be home in Ash Grove around 5 p.m. Therefore, I don't have to leave as early as I thought I would.

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MORNING ALL:cofdate:

LOOKS LIKE A VERY WET AND WINDY WEEKEND FOR THE EAST COAST.
JEN'S GOING OUT LATER TO PICK UP A FEW THINGS.
BUT FOR NOW THE SUN IS SHINING.:sunny:
THERE IS NOTHING MUCH TO REPORT HERE EITHER LAURA:rofl:
THE MOST EXCITING THING I DID YESTERDAY WAS GO DOWN FOR THE MAIL:rofl:
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYONE. :moped:





LAURA....SORRY THE PLANS AREN'T WORKINGOUT FOR A VISIT TO MOM.
AND I HOPE THE SHOT WORKS FOR COAL:crossed: :hug:
DID YA DRAG THE BF TO THE GYM?????
I HAD A LAUGH YESTERDAY.....I WENT TO AMAZON.COM AND ALL I COULD THINK OF WAS THAT DANG BOOK.
JUST THE NAME WAS MAKING ME LAUGH THE WHOLE TIME I WAS LOOKING INTO THE MAYO CLINIC DIET BOOK.
I FINALLY HAD TO LEAVE....COULDN'T STOP THINKING OF THE CREEPY CRAWLIES :lol3: :lol3:





HAPPY......A STEEL DOOR IS A GOOD THING!:rofl:
GLAD THE BEAR TOOK OFF AGAIN. HE'D BE A PRETTY BIG HOUSE PET!!
AFTER ALL MY FIASCOS, I WOULD FEEL BADLY IF I JUST FELL OFF THE THREAD WITH NO NOTICE.
I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT YOU GALS WOULD THINK:faint:
I PLEDGED TIME FOR NEXT WEEK BEFORE THE MEETINGS WERE ARRANGED.
NOW NEITHER ONE CAN BE CHANGED BUT I HAVE PLANS. COOKING AHEAD AND THE KIDS TOO.
I GOT EVERYTHING READY FREDDY!!





CEEJAY......I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME WITH THE FAMILY.
ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF THE VISIT:hug:
WE'LL MISS YOUR FACE!!! SAFE TRAVELS:scooter:





ANNIE.......:wave: WAVING HOWDY BACK TO YA.

Hi ladies -

I'm so swamped at work and come home exhausted...I haven't been able to keep up with your posts, much less post myself.

Today, DH is having a GI procedure done. He's had a hard time swallowing certain foods, and when he had the CT scan for his lungs, they showed a stricture in his esophagus. So he'll just be under light anesthesia, and they go down his throat with a tube and stretch his esophagus. The procedure only takes 30 minutes at most...but he'll be at the hospital for a few hours (pre-op and recovery). I have to be at work due to the project I'm on...so I dropped him off at the hospital this morning, and I'm taking a slightly longer lunch to pick him up and take him home...then head back to work. I'm sure he'll be okay. DMIL had this procedure done when she was in her 70s, and she was fine right after. DH decided to have this taken care of since he's already off work due to his lungs, and he's reached the out of pocket maximum for the year...so the insurance will cover this 100%.

Work is still work...I haven't gotten my "plan" yet...but the meeting with HR and the directors is next Tuesday to discuss the inconsistencies between my review and what "actually happened" during the year. Then I'll have another meeting after that to get the "plan", unless by some stroke of luck they decide not to put me on a plan. I'm already taking steps to improve my performance and also cover my bases if you know what I mean.

Tonight, will be spent implementing reports for work from roughly 6 to 10 or 11 pm (but I can do this from home). This weekend and next weekend will be spent cleaning and getting ready for DMIL's arrival on May 2, and also spending time online researching various websites.

Well, I'd better get back to it.

I love you all and feel your virtual hugs and support. Thank you!!

Much love and many hugs,

Getting ready to go to MO. I may hit some rain on the way but right now the sun is shining and cool. I love this type of weather.

TGIF FOR SHOOOOOO

Be safe CEEG.

Let us know about your DH CHELLE.

Quiet day at home is always good MELLIE.

Breakfast with the bears..hmm sounds like a money maker HAPPY.

Fire pits are not for everyone LAURA, I just like playing in the fire.

Is it a play or working weekend for you SHAD?

Have a marvelous day out there!

Love and Hugs

Morning all. Happy Friday! TGIF!! :carrot:

Annie - LOL, "I just like playing in the fire" Roasted Peeps anyone?

Michelle - Don't work too hard this weekend, and don't concern yourself with posting - find some time to relax. You deserve it!!! Good luck to DH with the procedure. Hope it's nothing serious!

Mel - Sorry my book talk had you creeped out! I've moved on to another book I'd already started before the other one and maybe this will distract you from the creepy crawlies. It's an old book titled "Chiefs" or rather Chiefs (I get lazy and don't underline when grammatically required, lol.) It's written by an author I read, Stuart Woods, who now writes what I consider "fluffy" novels - quick, shallow, frothy reads that I suspect men may enjoy even more than women because the main character in the author's main series is good-looking, rich, smart, flies planes, sails boats, etc. and always has some beautiful woman/women falling into bed with him, lol. Anway, I bought this book used and it's an old, very yellowed paperback. (BTW, this one pre-dates his really fluffy works, and was actually made into a TV mini-series many years ago.) So, when I started reading it, the binding promptly cracked and a section of pages fell out. Having tried unsuccessfully to re-glue it, bf made the sensible suggestion to check it out of the library instead. But no, haven't done that yet, so it's being kept together with a rubber band. :) Enjoy your weekend and stay dry. :rain:

Ceejay - Safe travels, and enjoy your time in MO!

Happy - Thanks for reminding me about the Botanic Garden - my friend and I were going to do a joint membership or some such thing. We were waiting until things start going on outdoors before starting it. My friend's HS bf currently works there, and she reconnected with him after she became a widow. She likes to go visit...not saying anymore. I will be seeing her tomorrow and will bring it up to her, but we will probably not be going any earlier than Mother's Day, which might be when things really get going? (according to my friend).

Hellos to the rest of you - have a great weekend!
---
Yes, Mel, I did get bf to the gym last night! :D We did the circuit workout which is around 30 minutes. It's a separate section of weight machines and individual stepping stations and probably like Curves, as Happy mentioned previously. Anyway, they have a red/green traffic light type of system to time you - green is exercise, red is rest, flashing means it's almost time to switch. All the stations are numbered, and you alternate the weight machine with the steps. The timing is different from my park district circuit class - this one is 60 seconds exercise and I think 30 seconds in between to recover and set up for the next station, and with 20 stations, that adds up to 30 min.

It was pretty good, but my big negative is that I don't like all the cardio stations being steps. I liked having a mix of elliptical, stationery bike and step for the cardio in my classes. Bf started getting bored with the steps and since no one else was really using the section but us (except when we were just about finished), he began using multiple steps and running between and over them, LOL. I don't think I see myself using the circuit section unless I came up with something interesting to substitute for the steps, and I don't see myself jogging in place or doing jumping jacks, etc.

Instead I could see myself doing the cardio machines - 10 minutes on each of treadmill, elliptical and stationery bike, and then doing the weight machines. Doing these workouts on alternate days, or doing both in one session for an hour. I'm going to go as bf's guest some more before deciding to join. It may just be that I go back to buying the fitness passports at the park district and just do the circuit classes there. To me it's a very efficient workout - cardio and strength all in one class.

This weekend is my friend's birthday. A group of us are getting together not too far from the house and having dinner and then going to a club near the hotel where she's staying. She lives in a distant suburb and prefers not to drive back home, and enjoys using the hotel pool and jacuzzi. Bf and I live about 8 miles away from the restaurant/club/hotel, so we're not getting a hotel room. Maybe we'll join her for some pool time.

That's about all for weekend plans. Plenty of housecleaning to do though.

Cheers!
:cheers:

Hi ladies,

Got my volunteer assignment and she was right in warning me it was tedious and takes alot of time. I have to enter 146 museum events into 2 different local calendars. Each event is entered in an online form - one calendar has 10 separate fields for each event to be entered. :faint: She said I didn't have to do everything - I like this manager as she is cognisant that we are volunteers and does not expect unreasonable stuff. But I will do it all - probably take me somewhere around 40 hours from what I can estimate, but perhaps I can shorten that and figure out a rhythm once I get going. I'll probably spend the weekend doing this. We also placed a service call on the stove which I think is not heating like it should. They are coming tomorrow. I have a very small kitchen and things are sort of piled (neatly) on the counters but I have to clear them out in case they need to pull the stove out to look at it. The 2 official drinks of the northwoods are beer and Bloody Mary's. People like the Bloody Mary because you put alot of stuff in the drink on a skewer as a topper - ie. an olive, pearl onion, cold cooked shrimp, celery stick, celery stick with cheese if they are really good ;), beef jerky stick, etc... People consider this an appetizer AND a drink :rofl: I pretty much have stopped drinking except for an occasional glass of wine and the bars here don't really have the kind of wine I'd drink and I have been pressured many a time to have something a bit stronger than Coca Cola. :rolleyes: Anyway, DH has gotten used to Bloody Mary's and has decided to try a home concocted recipe so he's out to the store to get some fixings. So it's walleye (fish) and bloody Mary night - just like any Wisconsin fish fry but at home. :lol:

Michelle - don't worry about personals, I'm glad just to hear from you. My gosh how more stressful can your life get? :hug: I hope that poor DH will finally get a decent diagnosis. At this point he must be so frustrated! And I cannot for the life of me imagine what you could possibly have to correct in your performance improvement. :rolleyes: I would definitely be keeping a log of the hours that you put in especially considering that you spend alot of off hours time babysitting implementations - which I'm sure is not noted in your review.

Ceejay - have a good time on your weekend trip.

Annie - Don't burn out the batteries trying to get it all done at once, yah hear? And while breakfast with the bears might sound interesting, I'm thinking it might be more like "you pay for breakfast and then try and stop the bear from eating your plate" :rofl:

Mel - enjoy your sunshine - it got extra bright out here today too. I have the shades up and my sunglasses on (inside) but it feels so nice and warm and good! Let it rain overnight I say :lol:

Shad, Patty, Turtle - howdy :wave:

Back to my chores now...

Laura - just read your post. Sounds like an interesting mix for a workout. I agree that it's odd they just have steps for cardio. Perhaps they are less used machines and they don't want to waste the elipticals in the circuit? I got a kick out of the red / green / flashing light - but I think I'd be spending more time watching for the lights to change than paying attention to what I should be doing! 60 seconds is about all I could handle on an eliptical without falling over wheezing and embarrasing myself - LOL

I'm envying your swim time. Do a few laps for me ;)

Happy - Enjoy your Bloody Mary tonight, and you can enjoy one for me too. ;)

To clarify, the steps are "manual" steps, such as those used in step aerobics classes - sometimes called benches? Except these have bars on them, the purpose of which I'm not sure...balance I guess. (I attached a photo, there are 20 stations in all, 10 wt. machines, 10 steps.)

In comparison, the class I did at the park district has 16 stations, of which 6 were cardio. The class was in the facility's fitness center, and it took over part of the fitness center for the 1-hour classes. The instructor just placed cards with numbers near the pieces of equipment to identify the stations. Warm-ups and cool-downs were done in separate areas.

Ok, blowing all diets here.....to remain healthy...VEGGIE pizza from Pizza Hut with the pan pizza...I know, I suck, but it sounded so dang good. Fiance' is paying for it....lol on the fiance' thing.

HAPPY...I am sure you are to get many breakfast reservations if you advertise "maybe" a bear siting while dining...Heck we fell for the Haunted Bed and Breakfast thing, even tho we NEVER saw anything and only heard a few things that could not be explained...which was really the old, old, water pipes, air conditioning or such...LOL...people fall for crap...go for it. It is FUN to PRETEND!~

LAURA...OMGoodness....if you are moving who cares what it is called or what it involves...probably more than I put effort into...you still ROCK way more than I ever thought about doing...You just keep on doing what you are doing....I still admire all the movement you get...face it...I suck!! We have a guy that sales guns at his store called "Don's Guns" and his commercial..at the end..he says, "I just like to sell guns". That is where I got the "I just like to play in the fire"....lol

MELLIE...hey sweet cheeks...happy Friday to you too, and have a marvy weekend....any thing surprising in the mail lately????

Trying to keep up with the posts cause who knows when I will be back when it comes to the weekend....taking lunch over to dad tomorrow and spending time with him...then home again to begin on this yard work....

Hey to all the rest of the chicklets!!

Have a marvy weekend all....

Love and Hugs...

Ok, well that picture helps explain alot Laura. So my next question is - are those weight machines? Being short they never "fit" me correctly and I'd probably spend the entire time allotment just trying to adjust the machine - could never get those silly pins out :lol: But it looks like it would be a fun workout - changes fast enough so that you don't get bored.

Annie - I guess we could tear out one wall of the mancave and put in floor to ceiling windows which would protect the diners. From what I hear, bears have a special fondness for bacon so opening a breakfast place would work for all :lol: Have a good visit with your Dad tomorrow. I'm sure you'll be cooking up a storm.

Hello Ladies,

It's been one of those weeks. I am totally overwhelmed at work. New projects, new manager..

I will post more later this weekend.

Afternoon all,
Better get this done before I forget again and before the footy comes on. Happy's DH would enjoy the game I am going to watch today.

DS2 has finally come down with my cold. He is being relatively sensible about it or maybe he just feels that bad. Anyway, he is into his second box of tissues but if it follows the same course as mine he should feel better tomorrow.

DS1 is going along okay although he doesn't sound particularly happy, but as he says when you make choices and take your chances, you can't undo those choices when it isn't panning out the way you want. Can't do much for him I am afraid.

I'm off down to Ashton Coal mine tomorrow afternoon. Be away for a week but should be able to keep up with you lot more or less.

Done my exercise for the week, said I would do 5 days. Originally that was to be through the working week and have the weekends free, however since I didn't get there on Wednesday, I had to do one today.

Happy - your place reminds me of a place I once went to called Undara - look it up. The breakfast room was a clearing in the bush and you had to watch out for 'roos creeping up behind you, kookaburras swiping your bacoand wallabies nicking your toast. You didn't dare leave your tree stump stool and had to stand guard over your breakfast all the time. The big roos just looked over your shoulder and you didn't even know they were there until they pushed you off the stool

Mel - I will ring you on either Saturday (my time) Friday arvo your time or Sunday - which would you prefer.

Annie - hope the dinner went off okay. Certainly sounds yummy enough.

Michelle - hope the DH gets some answers and feels better soon. Geez this is taking way too long. And it doesn't do much for your concentration at work.

Patty - hope the work week settles down. Wholesale change is never easy.

Ceejay - Drive safe. Have a fun time.

Laura - hope this book is better for you than the last. Good for you on the exercise. I am going to have to extend my walk since it is now taking me less and less time to do. I might have to follow DS2's 9km trail.

We are experiencing some last minute summer temps down here. Normally we get to 27-28 this time of the year, but right now we are over 30 and it is annoying since I have been trying to get out into the garden. I only seem to be able to do an hour or so and the sweat is pouring off in buckets and I need to drink. Maybe I am not completely over this cold since I still prefer to drink than eat.

Anyway, maybe I need to go look at dinner and make a decision as to whether I want it or not. A shower is a thought as well, and pj's.

Back tomorrow.

Uh, D'oh forgot to mention.

Must have been a mail plane in from the States last week. DS2 got a parcel from Indiana and I got 2 birthday cards. Thank you Happy and Mel.

Happy, I went looking for a birthday card last week. Do you think I could find a really decent one. I'll keep looking.