Annie
Good to see you posting again. The picture of the lil man is so adorable. The lettuce looks great.
Shad
You always find the most interesting places to visit. And I too liked the street sign.
Mel
I had a lazy week end also. Almost too lazy. But I'll get more done tonight after work. Seems like when I have to work all day I'm more productive at home.
Hello's to Ellen, Laura and Patty
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I'm back to work today. I don't like to work on Sunday, but as you know it's required. Don't think I'll go to Paragould this week end. It's going to be hot. I may just spend Thursday night and Friday with bff and then come back on Saturday morning. I do want to get my hair cut.
Made hotel reservations in Pigeon Forge on Saturday. I'm getting excited.
Ok worldlies, this weekend is pure torture. I cannot remember a time when we have been so slow. I just want to go home and head back to bed. I got to mom’s and my SIL already gave Mom her bath, so I didn’t have to help with that. I did break out the clippers and we trimmed Mom’s hair. It was a bit on the long side and will be easier to manage now that it is shorter. I also gave my brother a hair cut since he is leaving for his DC trip tomorrow.
Busy week ahead of me, so I will keep this short. I am hoping our phones pick up here…so hard to stay motivated when all I want to do is go to sleep.
Melody~Sorry you have to take the pills for your stomache, hope the doc figures out what is causing your problem so you can take steps to alliviate the pains. I had a good nights sleep…pity I had to get up and come in to work…would much rather be lazing around the house.
Annie~ so glad you are back. The pic of lil man is so cute. I could go for some good bananna nut bread…you want to take a break and drive some up here for me and Laura??? Keep the fire burning!!
Shad~busy busy lady!! Hope you were able to go out and enjoy some of the nice day. I will be spending much of the next 2 days in the car or inside. The pic of the landscape is very pretty…all I see these days are corn fields. LOL
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
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Happy Sunday,
Cool, sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy, not sure what it's going to do DH is mowing the lawn, I am cleaning house. Tomorrow we will go for lunch and an ATV ride.
Went back to the fair yesterday, spent my mad money wad on all sorts of little things - did I say I LOVE craft fairs So many tempting things that I say I can do too but then it's just tossing money away on supplies and such. Maybe I should think of ideas for Christmas gifts. Got some nice soap, natural bug repellant, some steak sauce, awesome Cherry and Amaretto jelly, a cute clip for putting my hair up and a small necklace with a single cute handmade bead on it. Saw lots of pretty woodworking items, furniture and decorative items that were out of my budget. It's really expensive if you decide to do crafts as a job. But nice to look.
Annie - the baby is just adorable. Hard to believe he started out life with issues and now is just cute cute cute. Things grow well with love. Sorry Chris is having an issue with marriage, I dealt with the same thing long, long ago. Frustrating to assume that everyone will treat you the same way but I guess some people just take the burn harder than others. Glad he got more money in his pay tho, sometimes you have to take the risk and speak up, heaven knows they won't offer it. I laughed at your co-workers missing your baked stuff. I bet they sure are! Sounds like the garden is coming along nicely too. I have about 7 sugar snap peas on the vine - plants are doing better now that I know not to use black wrought iron trellises.
L.B. (little bunny) is benefitting the most from the greens in the garden. He also loves apples.
Mel - sorry you are on the antibiotic again - Cipro is very very harsh stuff, isn't it? Yogurt and ginger and natural things not helping out, eh? I hope you don't have to be on this too long. Give us the review on the mushy food - might need it for future reference one day
Shad - loved the sign. Would love seeing the animals even more. You must be very busy, I read your post very quickly as if you were hurrying with the words Hope you get a chance to slow down, eager to hear about your new house arrangements.
Ellen - bummer on the mistake at work but sometimes things slip through, hopefully it wasn't too bad. Geez you must be busy with the kids on your own if DH travels for work so much. That's gotta be hard as kids are very involved these days. Always on the run!
Ceejay - hope you have a quiet day on the job.
I deleted about 2000 junk emails from my account - should stay more on top of it. Sun came out and DH is past the area where the hose runs so I'd better go out and water my garden. Yes, we've had alot of rain but the raised beds require more water and I have alot of water based plants like the lettuces that get very wilty if they don't get a good drink on a regular basis. I am also courting my looks to be finicky cucumber plants. Got one cucumber about the size of a piece of Good and Plenty or Hot Tamales candies. Sorry - can't think of any other way to describe it - tiny and pricky at the moment, hoping it decides to grow big and strong
I've gotten nearly everything done that I need to...so I may just relax the rest of the day. DH got home last night from a gruelling work trip in Missouri, and I've got the clothes from his trip in the washer. My work clothes are all washed for the week, and DMIL and I ran most of the errands yesterday and finished them up this morning. I'm really hoping it rains today...but it looks like the sun is coming out. Normally I wouldn't wish for rain on the weekend, but we really really need it. Everyone's lawns look as dry as August in California. We're watering the flower and veg gardens, but I don't much want to water the whole front and back yards for hours daily and burn out our well pump.
So my old job released me on Monday and agreed to pay me for all of last week, and I have a week of vacation coming, so I'll get a full check on the 29th (I hope). I started the new job on Thursday, so on the 29th, I'll also get paid for 7 days of work at the new job. I would've liked to have taken more time off between jobs...but the transmission going out on my car nixed that idea pretty quickly.
The new job is going well. I'm still doing lots of training and getting familiar with site. I am eager to get to work on the actual programming. Also, this Thursday afternoon I have a second interview for my dream job at a major hospital here. Great benefits, much closer to home. Normally, I wouldn't do an interview after accepting a position, but this would be my dream job.
I'm still trying to find a routine with my new job/commute. Unlike my old job, there's no cafeteria close by, so I have to eat breakfast at home. I'm trying to figure out the best route to take for my commute, and also trying to figure out time for exercising and fitting in computer time since I can't post at work (the desks are in a bullpen-type arrangement so there's absolutely no privacy...which I don't mind...but it means no extracurricular surfing the web.
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Happy - I hope DH is doing better now after his heart-racing scare. I wish we could get some of the rain you've gotten. It's dry, dry, dry down here, but thankfully not too hot. It's been pleasantly in the low to mid 80s. I love all your stories about Little Bunny and the rest of the critters. I heard about the nasty flooding in Duluth. Such a pretty city...hard to imagine it sustained so much damage; and those poor zoo animals. I love craft fairs too, but I'd better avoid them at least until the transmission is paid off.
Annie - I hope Nell is doing ok. That sounds awful! Also sending prayers to Sam, Chris and Lil Man. Sorry you had such a rough time last weekend/week. I hope things are going better for you, sista. Remember you've got lots of people who love you. I love the pictures of Sam and Lil Man.
Ellen - Congrats on the weight loss! I'm so glad to hear your Mom is doing well after her surgery. Good luck with the new schedule and DH being out of town. I'm glad you have help.
Shad - How are things going in the week prior to go live? I'm sure it's quite hectic! Hang in there. I wonderful to see all those lovely birds wild in the yard.
Laura - You had asked earlier why I only gave 1 week notice. Due to vacation, and other non-insurance benefits, I wanted to make sure I started the new job in June and not July. Plus, given my disciplinary situation, and the fact that I was currently between projects anyway, I was pretty sure that they would release me early (if not immediately) and they did. I think that if my director and HR hadn't not done everything in their power to screw me over I might have given two weeks notice, but after the B.S. way they treated me, they didn't deserve it. I don't know if you've bought the cooling mat for coal yet...but we have one for our dogs (all three fit on it), and they LOVE it. It's the type that you just soak in cold water for a bit, wring it out, and then we lay it down with a towel under it, and you can almost hear the doggies say "Ahhhh". I'm a member of the AAA Auto club...and I really appreciate it. Even if you only use it once per year, it pays for itself. I am eager to get my car back...hopefully early this week (I'll call tomorrow). They said they wouldn't even have the new tranny until Monday. i'm not loving the rental car. It's okay I guess, but it takes forever to get up to freeway speed, and it doesn't have power windows or door locks, which I've gotten used to in my car. And no CD player! To answer your question about the work environment. I just told my old boss I was going to a small company...because I didn't want to give out the actual place I was going. I work for a consulting agency that staffs various County departments. Despite being a consultant, I am full-time, salaried and most of the people I work with who are also with the agency have been there 5 years or more. As for the library...I'm with you, I wish mine had a pick up window to go with the drop off box. I love putting stuff on hold...makes it almost like getting a present when the item comes in.
Patty - The "50 Shades..." books just don't interest me in the least. I don't mind a little bit of "spice" in the books I read...but the dominance/submission stuff just doesn't do it for me in the least. Glad you had a nice weekend getaway with mom and dad. So sorry to hear about the layoffs. That can be so stressful.
Ceejay - DH went to Lexington, MO, not Kentucky. He likes Missouri all right...just really hot, and it's a real disorganized mess with not having the correct keys to the places he has to set up (because they just changed the locks), or setting off alarms because they gave him the wrong alarm code. Just one big fiasco after another. He's glad to be home. When he was driving across Missouri, he did stop in at the New Madrid Earthquake Museum and picked up an interesting book. He's really into science and geology and stuff. Sorry that kids in your area are causing such trouble. I grew up in a household where both parents worked, and yet my parents were strict and I knew that I had to not do anything bad or I would really get into trouble. And they also taught me to respect others and property. I think kids nowadays aren't being taught respect...regardless of whether 1 or both parents work. It's sad and infuriating at the same time. Congrats on your new grandnephew!! Take good care of the boil on your leg.
Mel - I hope things have cooled down there. So nice of the doc to bring some pills and a prescription by. Sending you much hugs.
Well, I've got some laundry to finish...and then some more "me" time.
GOOD DAY YESTERDAY. NOT EVEN ONE ALARM.
THE BUILDING MUST HAVE BEEN UNDER A SPELL!
DROPPED OFF THE REPORTS LAST NIGHT.
NOTHING TO DO TODAY BUT PILLS & TV.
SO FAR PILLS ARE WORKING THEIR MAGIC.
NO NEWS HERE. EVERYONE IS ACCOUNTED FOR AND WELL.
HOPE YOU ALL HVE A GREAT WEEK!
ANNIE....I CAN UNDERSTAND THE THOUGHTS ABOUT DD.
I HAVE SIMILAR THOUGHTS BUT HOPE THEY DON'T MARRY OR SHE WILL LOSE HER BENEFITS.
THE OPPOSITE OF YOUR SITUATION!
THE DINNER TIME WITH C SOUNDED NICE AND HOPE YOU BOTH GOT RESTED UP
CEEJAY...SO THE PLANS ARE SET AND RESERVATIONS MADE
I CAN IMAGINE THE EXCITEMENT!! IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT TRIP.
I GOT NOTHING DONE OVER THE WEEKEND TOO.
ELLEN....WISH YOU COULD HAVE BEEN LAZY WITH ME OVER THE WEEKEND.
YOU CAN COME & CUT MY HAIR TOO!! IT NEEDS A TRIM.
HOPE THE PHONES GET BUSY SO THEY KEEP YOU AWAKE THIS WEEK.
HANG IN THERE. MAYBE SOME ELLEN TIME WILL COME TO YOU SOON
HAPPY.....YOU & I AT A CRAFT FAIR COULD BE A DANGEROUS COMBO!!
WE WOULD COME BACK PENNILESS AND WITH DH CRYING!!
THE STUFF YOU BOUGHT SOUNDED NICE.
HOPE THE RIDE TODAY WILL BE A GO & NO RAIN.
I THINK YOUR RAIN IS HERE NOW
THE MEDS ARE BECAUSE A PROBABLE INFECTION HAD STARTED
THE SOFT FOOD IS TO GET THE FOOD PAST THIS HOT SPOT QUICKLY.
NO FIBER, RAW VEGGIES, WHOLE MEATS, ETC ALLOWED.
BUT I ALSO HAVE LOW BLOOD SUGAR SO IT'S HARD TO FIND A GOOD BALANCE
SO FAR SO GOOD THOUGH.
I AM JUST THINKING OF YOUR GARDEN & SHAD'S BIRDS.
KEEPING ONLY GOOD THOUGTS IN MY HEAD
SHAD......LOVE THE BIRDS!! HOW CUTE THEY ARE.
IT'S FUNNY BUT EVERY TIME I SEE THEM ON THE GROUND I LAUGH.
YOU RARELY EVER SEE A BIRD HERE ON THE GRASS.
FIRST...NO GRASSY AREAS. SECOND....TOO MANY PEOPLE, CATS & CARS
THANKS FOR THE PIC
MICHELLE....GLAD THEY LET YOU GO EARLY. LESS STRESS.
HOPE THIS NEW JOB WORKS OUT WELL.
WILL SEND GOOD THOUGHTS OUT FOR THE HOSPITAL JOB.
IN THE MEANTIME I HOPE YOU FIND A GOOD EARLY MORNING ROUTINE.
HELPS THE DAY GO MUCH BETTER
Monday, Monday,,dooo dooo dooo dooo da dooo.....I never could sing. lol
So yesterday I did a whole bunch of nuttin'. I laid by my pool and read a book all afternoon. I did get up yesterday morning and made Strawberry, Banana Nut, Oatmeal bread. Yummy. Sounds healthy but really it is not...lots of sugar in it.
We are in a severe drought here, along with crazy high temps. Today not so bad 82 tomorrow 80....but....Thursday 98-100 and Friday 96. My brother's band has an outside gig in the park Friday night...guess we will roast.
SHADDIE...I believe that is my new favorite bird. So pretty and pink too! Thank you for sharing it.
MELLIE...the doctor knows best. Take your pills and get better. Glad the alarms were quiet for you.
CHELLE...so happy things are rolling right along for you....and you will NOT be the first person to accept a position only to leave after a couple of weeks to even better yourself further. Don't even let it cross your mind or feel badly about it. As a matter of fact...that is one of the reasons I got this job. THe person worked here 3 weeks and got a better offer, so see you might be opening the door for someone else....hope the hospital job comes through for you and you can dream away for all of us worldlies.
HAPPY....I love craft fairs also (my brother calls them CRAP fairs) lol. My problem is I never have the extra money when they are going on. I did get a jalapeno and two banana peppers out of the garden also. My tomato vines are loaded with tomatos and blooms, me thinks it will be a huge tomato season.
ELLEN...I hate it when the work is slow cause it makes for a long day. Hope things pick up for you....
CEEG...I am jealous of your Pigeon Fordge reservations. I have only been there once many years ago, but really enjoyed it...I bet you are excited.
LAURA...how did you do at the casino...did you at least plunk one coin in a slot?
Hellos all the way around. Have a great day/night.
Not much happening on this Monday morning. I hope it stays that way.
Like Annie we are supposed to get some cooler air this afternoon. But this week end may be hotter than last. I may go to the doctor and spend some time with bf and then come back. All this driving is running me down.
Some one pulled up my ADT sign out back. Think it was the man that mowed last week and put it on the air condition. I brought it out front and put it to where it can be more easily seen. I've had some comments on it. So maybe this will be more motivation for those unruly kids.
This place on my leg is getting better. I'm still doctoring on it though.
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Shad
The picture of the birds is great.
Happy
Sounds like your garden is doing well also. Any more signs of Mr Bear. I really hope to see one when I go to Pigeon Forge.
Ellen
I understand the problem when work is slow.
Michelle
I don't blame you to set your goals for your dream job even if you have already accepted another job. I didn't realize that their was a Lexington, Missouri. Learn something new every day.
Annie
Wear a hat or take an umbrella to the concert. And be careful out in the heat. But enjoy the band.
Ceejay - Glad that spot on your leg is getting better. So nice to look forward to a vacation! Everyone I've talked to who's visited the Pigeon Forge area seems to have really enjoyed themselves - I'd like to get down there someday.
Shad - Love all the photos!! Pretty birds. Glad you managed to take some time for yourself - you sound busy as heck!
Annie - I'm glad you had a restful day for the most part. Crap fairs - LOL. I believe my bf would approve of that term. Love the photos of your dd and the lil guy - so cute!!! I'm sure it's hard to see Sam & Chris struggling financially. Yay for Chris' raise, but I hope he comes around to the marriage issue. Or that his employer starts offering benefits to non-spousal partners... Yeh, right before I left the casino, D & I played the slots for a few minutes. I put a $10 bill in one, and ultimately decided to cash out with $5.10 remaining of it. It doesn't take much gambling to think of what else I could be doing with my money. I actually find more entertainment by people-watching at these places.
Mel - Glad you had a quiet evening. Nice of the doc to drop by with the meds. Hope the Cipro isn't too harsh and that it actually helps!! I've got my own digestive issue going on right now and I'll probably see the doc for it.
Michelle - You've been so busy and stressed lately I'm glad you had some "me time" yesterday. I totally get the one-week notice - I honestly don't understand the expectation of advance notice from a departing employee, yet the employer can just tell you to leave immediately. Good luck to you on your 2nd interview coming up Thurs for your dream job.
Happy - Sounds like you enjoyed the craft fair. It's so interesting to see what people create. My veg garden appears to be ages behind everyone else's - I've got blooms on everything but so far no veggies. Well, I got a late start, so what do I expect?? Hope you get in a nice ATV ride today. 2,000 e-mails!!
Ellen - I hope you toughed it out during the slow weekend - did the phones ever pick up?? Sounds like you've got a busy week ahead with more ortho appts and helping out with your mom.
Hi Patty!! Hope you had a nice weekend.
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As usual I was MIA here over the weekend. Friday my friend came over after work and bf and D & I went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. We drove separately and bf headed home and D & I met three more friends at the lounge in the casino where the band was playing. We enjoyed the show, and D & I were happy that the other three seemed to really enjoy the band too. It was a nice time. The casino really is rather close to home, so I'd like to see other bands there in the future. I'm not a gambler, so the gaming part of that place isn't really of interest to me. As I said to Annie, I soon start to think of the tangible things I could buy with the $$ I'm gambling, and that I'd value more than that form of entertainment and so I rarely do it.
We probably got home by no later than 1:00 am, but I watched a bit of tv after that. I woke up way too early on Saturday and was out of sorts for a good chunk of the day. The memorial for D's father was at a restaurant way out of the way so it was a long drive for us. We were a bit late and ended up sitting with D's stepdaughter and her hubby, whom we are friendly with. However, their two young daughters had atrocious manners and behavior and it was sort of annoying to us (bf kept expecting some red sauce to be spattered his way). I've heard from D that their parents aren't much for disciplinary measures, but they sure seemed horrified, LOL. And no wonder they opted for alcoholic beverages...
The luncheon and sharing of memories was nice, and it was also nice and short, a positive given my mood. It turned out we were only 5 min. from bf's brother's place, so we stopped by to see if bf's nieces were home for a quick visit, but the house was deserted.
After filling the car with less expensive gas we found out there, we headed home. I played a round of phone tag with my out of town friend who was visiting and with whom I had tentative plans to meet with. We finally got in touch. She said, so you're at home now? I said yes. She said, as I recall you live in BFE. I said uh no, I just came from BFE! It's all relative, isn't it?? Anyway, I was grateful that she didn't want to take me out of my way and gave me an out for the night. My lack of sleep was really taking its toll, and I felt warm all day which I think was just my body trying to keep me going...Anyway, she'll be back in July and hopefully we can get together then.
I ended up falling asleep early on the sofa recliner, then went to bed. Had a good night's sleep.
Didn't do much of anything with my Sunday. I am such a sloth!!
Last night I didn't feel very well. The past couple weeks I've been feeling a strange fullness or heaviness in my diaphragm area, and yesterday the pressure was a bit uncomfortable. When this first started I thought it might be my asthma, but yesterday I finally realized that many times lately when I've eaten, I feel uncomfortably full, even when I don't feel I've overeaten. Until I really though about it yesterday, I thought I actually had overeaten (and probably did at least sometimes) and/or combined the warm weather made me feel fuller than I was. Yet I haven't ever felt like I've had acid indigestion, so I'm puzzled what's going on. Of course when I looked online things came up that I really don't want to contemplate (hiatal hernia?!), so I'll call for a doc appointment today. For now I'm going to try and eat smaller meals.
And my shoulder is not better, so I also need to see a doc for that. I figured it would be better to just go to an orthopedic doc that I've seen in the past because it's more appropriate, but now I'm wondering if I should just see my primary doc for both things.
Okay, enough rambling. Back to work. Have a great day everyone!
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
Good morning ladies,
Just a quick one for me to say DH decided he wants to go for an ATV ride today and he is about to put it up on the trailer meaning bus leaves in 30 minutes so I don't have time to post. Will come back tonight for personals.
Ceejay - That had crossed my mind a few times as well. Annie - if you're still scheduled for that procedure, hope it goes well.
Mel - Sorry the Cipro is making you feel crummy. Take care.
Hellos to the rest of the Worldlies!
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Lovely day yesterday and looking good today too. Heat coming and staying tomorrow through early next week. Not thrilled with that.
I was able to get a doc appt tomorrow afternoon, so I'm taking a half day of vacation.
Did a load of laundry last night, and also did a BE workout. Had to modify some of the routines for the shoulder, but something's better than nothing.
Seeing the movie "Rock of Ages" tonight.
Nothing much else to report, so I'll post. Toodles.
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
Happy Tuesday kids,
Had a really nice day yesterday. We wound up going for an all day ride which was a bit much on my knees and back. We have a 2-up ATV which means we both ride on one. It's kind of like riding on a motorcycle - perhaps Annie will understand - you are sort of stuck in one position with very little wiggle room to move and stretch so after a while your knees lock. We set out, were on the trail for about 30 minutes when DH noticed the oil gauge blinking. We turned around, put the ATV back on the trailer and went home to add oil. Went back out again and this time took a 2 hour ride into a neighboring town where we went for an early dinner. Although starving by this time, I was a bit nervous about eating because all I had that day was a coffee and yogurt and if I go too long without eating and then eat a big meal, often my stomach rebels and that's not a good idea with a 2 hour ride back sans toilets I had a cup of delicious soup (the owner makes fantastic soups) and half of my sandwich with a tiny slice of cold, crisp watermelon. DH took another route back to the car which made me nervous that we'd take the wrong way but his sense of direction prevailed even though he copied down the WRONG street names on the hand drawn map we were following And we made it back to the car in one hour instead of two. It was a more paved trail and not as interesting as the first one but it was nice to take a long trail and then have a shorter option if we wanted it. We went through alot of water puddles - more than either of us cared for and some of them were over a foot of standing water deep. Glad I was sitting higher It was a nice day, we had a good time. Saw a deer, a bunny, the bluebird of happiness, and a big turtle who thought it was a good idea to build her dugout to lay her clutch of eggs right in the middle of the sand trail. We watched her dig for a while - very interesting. Was late when we got home, put out the garbage, ran to the store for some prescriptions and milk and then I called my sister who had called me 3 times and was getting very nervous that I had not returned her call all day. She was afraid something happened to us And not too much later than that I called it a night.
Oh and Sunday I was on the deck watching LB eat his supper when a big bunny came close to him. He froze and then when the other bunny ignored him, he went into the tall grass only to reappear a minute later in plain sight of BB (big bunny). BB paid no attention to LB who continued to follow it where ever it went as it searched for food (completely missing the pile of spinach, lettuce leaves and apple chunks I left for LB). I was thinking that this might have been LB's momma and it was kinda sad as it really seemed like LB wanted contact with BB who paid no attention whatsoever to it. Bunny life is sad BB finally ran off to the side of the garage and hid for a few minutes before braving it and doing a 3 foot hop up the stone wall and out to the back of the yard. LB shrugged it off and went back and drowned his sorrows in a few apple chunks. Also the hummingbirds were going nutzo. They were making these shreeking sounds and flying in a back and forth motion as if they were suspended by a string and looking every bit like a pendulum. As they flew like this they beat their wings in a way that made a strange buzzing noise. DH was fascinated by this, figured it was a mating dance. In all the years we watched hummingbirds we've seen their sometimes highly aggressive territorial fights but never anything like this.
Mel - I'm sorry you are feeling yucky I think I had that Cipro once and it tore the heck out of my stomach - really upset it badly. Hope that's not the case with you The man cave is pretty big, you could buy a whole lotta stuff at the "crap fair" before you'd even come close to running out of room. Even if you did chose the bigger cabin log type furniture - lots of room for tchotchkies and plenty of wall space. So while you are recouperating, thing of what kind of theme you'd like to work with There are still a few more fairs to hit up in the next month or two.
Ceejay - the only reason I'd go back to Tennessee would be to get back to the Smokey Mountains. Vacation time will be here before you know it, are you getting excited? Loved the baby's picture on FB. Especially the caption.
Laura - even with a late start, with all that heat you're getting, your garden should kick start quickly. It's just a hassle to water by hand and there's nothing like rain water to get things green and pretty. And the 2000 emails I deleted were advertisements and sales notices from various websites I shop at. I should just use my email filter to put all of them in one folder I can ignore and periodically delete - one more thing for the "to do list" Hope you are feeling better - sounds like you've hit a health bump on a few items, especially the tummy issues. Are you going to get them checked out? Bummer that you couldn't meet up with the flighty friend but at least you didn't have to back track to catch up with her.
Annie - funny you talk about the sugar in the oatmeal bread. I was watching a tv show where she made strawberry oatmeal bars and added alot of sugar. She winked and said, "guess you didn't think something as healthy as oatmeal bars had so much sugar". Ah well, that's what makes it good, isn't it? Thanks for the phrase "crap fairs" I dare not tell DH as I'm sure that's what he'd say from now on With all the heat you are getting no doubt you will have a great tomato season. It's good that you are still getting lettuce with as warm and dry as it is. I am trying to send some of the rain down to you guys but all the hot air is just blowing it back Glad to hear C is liking the new gig even if it is so labor intensive. Hopefully it will ease up as he gets into a routine.
Michelle - that had to be a difficult road trip for DH - I take it that he's still not 100% ? Travelling, especially with what he's doing was always long days and alot of work packed into a short trip so I feel for the poor guy and that's quite a bit of driving too. It's good that you got some extra pay out of your old job - will help with the new bill that swallowed it up and more. I'm sure you will miss the cafeteria at the old place but now you can pack healthy items yourself and will probably save yourself money. I know I am eating much less than when I was doing breakfast and lunch at work. But it's nice to have the convienience. What makes this hospital job your dream job? Alot of hospitals in both IL and TN went to contractor positions because they are always tippy on the money situation and that helped them manage things more easily. I hear St. Jude was a great place to work for but very very difficult to get a permanent position there. Good luck with whatever you choose. If people at the current place have been there 5 years and more, that's generally a good sign, particularly if there are other companies hiring and people have some choices.
Shad - once again I love the picture of the birds. I think if we ever got to visit you, I'd spend the entire time with my mouth open and my finger pointed and generally only utter the phrases LOOK, OHHHHH, SEE, WOW How much more interesting your side of the pond is than ours. And if it's scenery you want, just fly over to NZ. Speaking of which, have things calmed down on the earthquake front over there? From your FB post, looks like you are crazy busy as you expected to be. How is the go live so far? Did everyone forget what you taught them and now that they have to make it work you are the most popular person at camp???
Ellen - I hope things picked up for you at work. Nothing worse than a quiet day - the minutes barely tick by. Is Mom coming along fine?
Hi Patty and Java
Guess I'd better get busy. Lots to do here and the day is half over already. I really need to change my hours around and start my day earlier.
so glad you are back. The pic of lil man is so cute. I could go for some good bananna nut bread…you want to take a break and drive some up here for me and Laura??? Keep the fire burning!!
DH is mowing the lawn, I am cleaning house. Tomorrow we will go for lunch and an ATV ride. 
craft fairs 
So many tempting things that I say I can do too but then it's just tossing money away on supplies and such. Maybe I should think of ideas for Christmas gifts. Got some nice soap, natural bug repellant, some steak sauce, awesome Cherry and Amaretto jelly, a cute clip for putting my hair up and a small necklace with a single cute handmade bead on it. Saw lots of pretty woodworking items, furniture and decorative items that were out of my budget. It's really expensive if you decide to do crafts as a job. But nice to look. 
I laughed at your co-workers missing your baked stuff. I bet they sure are! 
Sounds like the garden is coming along nicely too. I have about 7 sugar snap peas on the vine - plants are doing better now that I know not to use black wrought iron trellises. 
Hope you get a chance to slow down, eager to hear about your new house arrangements. 
Geez you must be busy with the kids on your own if DH travels for work so much. That's gotta be hard as kids are very involved these days. Always on the run! 
To answer your question about the work environment. I just told my old boss I was going to a small company...because I didn't want to give out the actual place I was going. I work for a consulting agency that staffs various County departments. Despite being a consultant, I am full-time, salaried and most of the people I work with who are also with the agency have been there 5 years or more. As for the library...I'm with you, I wish mine had a pick up window to go with the drop off box. I love putting stuff on hold...makes it almost like getting a present when the item comes in. 
So sorry to hear about the layoffs. That can be so stressful. 
I had a cup of delicious soup (the owner makes fantastic soups) and half of my sandwich with a tiny slice of cold, crisp watermelon. DH took another route back to the car which made me nervous that we'd take the wrong way but his sense of direction prevailed even though he copied down the WRONG street names on the hand drawn map we were following 
We watched her dig for a while - very interesting. Was late when we got home, put out the garbage, ran to the store for some prescriptions and milk and then I called my sister who had called me 3 times and was getting very nervous that I had not returned her call all day. She was afraid something happened to us 
