Happy Sunday/Monday Ladies! I am sitting at work waiting for the phone to ring. It has been so slow this weekend, but I think that is because of the hot sunny weather. No one wants to be out shopping. I did not make any sales yesterday…hoping today is better.
Not much else going on DH took the kids to a birthday party yesterday in Chicago, they all had a blast, even tho there was a potty accident with DD3. I have Ortho appts this week for DS, DD2 and DH. YAY Just hanging out for the rest of the week. With DS birthday on Wednesday and DD2 birthday on Saturday.
Annie~so glad the party went well and your dad was surprised. We are having very similar weather and everytime I step out side I can just feel the heat from the sun…it looks like we are in for a long Summer.

Shad~no rest for the wicked out there by you. You have been going non stip forever. Try to take some time to relax. So sorry that DS1 is having to shell out so much for baby things. I know with my first three I had some pricy things that I barely used. With DD3 I bought just a cheapie stroller that I used all the time.

Mel~ ”Rain rain go away” hope you have not floated away. Sounds like you had some ok news from the Dr. Take care and stop working. You need to take care of Mel…not everyone else!

Ceejay~Sorry you have bad kids running around. That can be so tiring dealing with it all. Next time the run thru call the cops. Esp if they are causing damage to personal property.

Patty~how did the date go? Did you get over your nerves??

Happy~Apple cole slaw sounds delish! Did you make it? haow was the BBQ? Had a good Laugh over the garlic cloves. I will eat them when they are really cooked, not raw in oil. Your fish and brocoli sound so yummy. I just need a chef…so not looking forward to cooking.

Michelle~hope you had a chance to sped time with DH this weekend. How did the appts go?

Ok, time to go back to work. HA HA HA we are all just sitting around waiting for calls.

Morning all,

Lots to do today, so will make this fairly brief. It's a long weekend here, however I will be flying out this afternoon, so no rest for the wicked I guess. Still raining here so there won't be much work outside this morning. I have a couple of rooms to dust and sweep and change the bedding and I am done with the 'spring clean'. Don't know when I will get home again to do some more.

Annie - glad to hear that the party went off so well. The photo of you and your dad on facebook this morning is lovely.

Ellen - so many things to do for and with the children. Never ending roundabout that one - until all of a sudden they are 18 and out on their own.

Trying to put together a screen show of my orchids and roses over the years. Then I need to find some music to go with it. I've done one for down the haul road, just trying to find some suitable music for that one. After that I will let you know where to go to see them. It's something I can do while working away from home.

Anyway - about to watch the early morning news and then onto packing, and getting the house finished. Catch you later.

GOOD MORNING CHICKS.

I FEEL BRAIN DEAD TODAY.
MUST HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY IN MY DREAMS LAST NIGHT.
NEED TO SEE THE BOSSLADY WHEN SHE ARRIVES ANDS THEN I SHOULD BE FREE.
THE KIDS CAME BACK HOME AGAIN.
THEY NEED MORE THINGS TO KEEP BUSY WITH ALL THIS RAIN & CLOUDY WEATHER.
SOME TRISP TO THE STORES DOWN HERE & OUR LOCAL LIBRARY SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THAT.
THEN NEXT WEEKEND BACK TO THE TRAILER.
SPENT THE LATE AFTERNOON ON THE PHONE WITH JEN.
Ahhhhhhhhh.....PEACE & QUIET
HAVE A GREAT DAY



SHAD....HOPE YOUR TUMMY FEELS MUCH BETTER TODAY.
SOUNDS LIKE WE HAD ABOUT THE SAME KIND OF WEEKEND
PRAYING THE WORK AT HUNTER GOES WELL THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
CAN'T WAIT TO SEE & HEAR THE SLIDE SHOW!
I STILL THINK OF YOUR NIECE'S WEDDING SHOW!!




ANNIE....I AM GLAD WAS HAPPY & SURPRISED.
HOPE EVERYONE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME.
THE FOODS SOUNDED SO GOOD I WAS DROOLING OVER HERE




ELLEN.....YOU COULD SPEND A LIFETIME JUST AT THE DOCTORS!!!
HOPE EVERYONE GETSA A GOD REPORT.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EARLY FOR DS & DD2 LOTS OF CELEBRATING!!
GIVES ME AN EXCUSE TO SPLURGE NEXT WEEKEND

PATTY.....I FORGOT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION YESTERDAY...
THE BRAT DIET CONSISTS OF
BANANAS,
RICE,
APPLESAUCE (NO SUGAR ADDED)
TOAST.
IT HELPS "BIND" THINGS TOGETHER!!
THAT FOLLOWED BY SOFT FOODS ADTER A FEW DAYS.

Hello everyone! I am new to 3FC. I am beginning my diet today. Two years ago I lost 60 pounds... and was the happiest ever! Now- here I am the heaviest I have ever weighed. I weigh more now than I did when I was pregnant...
I have a membership at a wonderful gym (lifetime fitness)... I am hoping to lose 10 pounds this month.
Looking forward to feeling myself again, and really looking forward to feeling better about myself.
Also- looking forward to getting to know you all.

-Moni

Good morning ladies!

Monday again...Sheesh, was that the fastest weekend EVER or what? Friday was a stressful day. I had an appointment at lunch that went well. Then on the way back to work, I had a phone message from a place that I met with early that week saying that an offer would be in the mail. It hasn't arrived yet, but I'm hoping it comes today. Then I will look at the salary and get details about the benefits. Then Friday after work, I met with the COO of the company where my former manager knows the CEO well and has given me a great recommendation. The meeting with the COO was going quite well until we got to the salary part. She said that she'd have to pay the recruiter who referred me 20%, and that the benefits (which weren't that great) would cost them roughly 20% of my salary...and could I go any lower than my requested salary? She said that most employees there have started out at a low salary and then after a year, are increased to market salary. So what's the absolute bottom line I could go? I was like "Huh?". I thought you liked me, and my skills/experience. I told her the absolute lowest I could go, which would still be an increase from where I'm at. She said she would discuss with the CEO and the Director of IT and let me know their decision late this week or early next week. I've never been so blatantly "low-balled". I mean, it was almost like she was inferring that I should take 40% less due to them having to compensate the recruiter and pay for benefits. I mean, really? With over 16 years experience, why would I wait for a year before I'm paid at market rates. So I left that meeting fairly pissed off and insulted. Out of respect for my former manager and his friendship with the CEO, I did not lose my cool, and actually sent her a very cordial "thank you" email when I got home.

I also sent off a very nice "Thank You" to the company I met with over the lunch hour on Friday, so hopefully that one pans out. And I've got two appointments tomorrow; one with a competitor of my current company and one with a prominent hospital in the area (whose website I actually used to work on when I first moved to WI and worked at a marketing agency).

I'm hoping that the crazy low-ball offer was just a blip and that these other employers will see what an asset I would be to their company.

===============================

Moni - Welcome! I'm the heaviest I've ever been also, but I'm doing good making healthier food choices, watching portions and trying to exercise. Good for you for finding a good gym. How often do you work out?

Shad - Wow, DS2 is meeting the folks! That sounds quite serious. Has he been dating this young lady long? Funny that you learned about DS2's visit to the folks from DS1. Bummer that DS1's partner isn't willing to watch the expenses a bit more carefully. I hope the tummy wobbles have eased up since you'll be traveling back to Hunter soon. I'm glad you had a long weekend and I hope you found a little time to relax. I can't wait to see the screen show of your flowers!

Annie - I'm glad the birthday party went well. The photo of you and your dad is great! You should get it framed and give it to him. Bummer about the greyhound; they are really gentle, docile dogs especially when they get older.

Mel - Bummer about the asthma; definitely keep the inhaler handy, girlfriend. I hope the BRAT diet is helping your gastro issues.

Happy - From your FB post, it sounds like the BBQ was a lot of fun.

Patty - How did your date go? What's he like? You deserve a prince, girlfriend...so don't go settling for any frogs.

Ellen - I hope you have a great week! Do your kids get bored during the summer with no school? Is DD1 still sad that she'll be missing her friends next year?


Time to get some work done.

Much love and hugs to all,

Morning

Hi Moni-. Welcome to the worldlies.

Michelle
That must have bee some disappointment with the interview. I've never heard of the recruit getting part of your salary. Guess things change.

Mel
Wish we could have some of your rain.

------
Ugh weighed in this morning and i'm 201.6. Yesterday was 199.0. I didn't want to but I'm taking a fluid med today. Doing better with the food but I'm thinking it's the dr pepper this time. I was off caffeine totally then I got back on it. Guess it's time to break that habit again.

Good Morning, Good Morning...we are all in our places with bright shiny faces....HA!

CHELLE...maybe a more unexperienced applicant might fall for that...really...who does she think I am kidding....and I thought unless it was advertised the applicant would be absorbing some of the cost, it wasn't supposed to be mentioned. You might want to let your recruiter know that. I could be wrong about that. It is peeing me off to even think about it. If you want benefits you will have to take less salary...mmmpfh. <----that is a mean sigh! Well that position is not the one that God has in mind for you as it does not meet YOUR criteria...the perfect position is just around the corner.

CEEG...sorry about the uppage on weight. Soda is a real contributor to adding lbs. You know how it is done and I know you can do it. Giddy up sista friend.

MONI...welcome aboard, we are a great bunch of gals and great support. You can do this as stated you have done it before....may the force be with you.

Hey theres to all the rest of the worldlie sisters. Have a wondeful day/night.

Loves and Hugs.

not unexperienced...*inexperienced*...geez my brain is not working, I am a bit dizzy today, hot and out of sync.

For some reason I have been waking up sweating several times a night the past few days. I have not done that in a couple of years...Weird. Please don't say going through the change....I have not had a period in 3 years due to the ablasion I had done. Maybe I am just getting too stinkin old. BLAH!

Ceejay - It's common practice nowadays that if you go through a recruiter or employment agency to get a job, the employer pays them a percentage of your salary as commission. But I've NEVER heard of an employer asking the candidate to accept a significantly below-market salary to offset either the commission to the recruiter OR the benefits.

Annie - I guess she thought she was dealing with a rookie. Since all future bonuses, raises, retirement benefits, etc. are based on salary...I would NEVER consider starting way below market just to maybe get a "promised" increase later. It me off too. I'm not sure the cause of your sweats...but I know for a fact that I am going through the change - hot flashes, night sweats and all. It's been about 6 months at least since "Flo" has visited. Overall though...this "change" hasn't been too bad. Knock on wood.

Morning all.

Ellen - Hope work picked up for you yesterday - the day goes slow when there's nothing to do. Sounds like your week might get busy with the birthdays coming up.

Shad - Hope you had a nice long weekend. Did you find out anymore about DS2's visit w/ the gf's parents?? Sorry to hear there's tension with DS1 & his gf over money. Seeing how kids only get more expensive as they grow, this is not a good sign... Safe travels to you. Looking forward to your flower video!

Mel - So the weather drove the kids & kids' kids back to the city? I have to admit that the indoor activities at summer camp weren't as memorable as all the outdoor ones. So is this place where they go some sort of summer community with mobile homes as the housing and all the usual stuff - pool, lake, boating, organized activities, etc.? My friend and her hub had a place like that for a few years and enjoyed having the grandkids visit, but didn't care for the upkeep. Hope the rest of your day is calm.

Moni - Welcome! A friend of mine is a member at a Lifetime Fitness and it sounds really nice. Make it a priority to be a regular there and I'm sure you'll see results!

Michelle - Well, sounds like you've got a lot of possibilities coming out of all the interviews you've been doing. But that one with the lowball salary...ridiculous. They incur costs searching and hiring good people and they're giving that as an excuse for hiring below market?? Gosh, would they also try and factor in the cost of your workspace and computer equipment?? And I wonder how they treat someone looking for a job with them who may have been unemployed for a while... Good for you for keeping your true thoughts to yourself.

Ceejay - Hope the fluid pill works for you. I've been mostly limiting myself to one soft drink per day for a while now, and shifting to iced tea as well just to avoid the chemicals (since I drink diet soft drinks). However, I still use artificial sweetener in my tea, so that's another change to attempt...sometime.

Annie - The "bright shiny faces" - wow, brought back memories of my mother singing that song in the mornings. Never knew where it came from. Probably to sleepy and cranky in the mornings to even think to ask!! Glad your party went over well and your dad enjoyed it - you sure worked hard to make it a success! How did the strawberry salsa go over? It sounded yummy! Hope those night sweats go away - you have enough trouble getting good sleep.

Patty - How was the date? Hope this week is less busy for you.

Happy - How was the cookout? The slaw with apples sounded tasty!
---
Well, back to work Monday. Had a lovely weekend. I enjoyed my time in MI. Friday we drove down, checked into our hotel and then had lunch at a place w/ a nice outdoor patio area - actually we ate outside for 5 of our 7 meals and all were nice outdoor areas. Not like in the heart of downtown gulping exhaust along with your food amidst the hordes of people & traffic, and the el train roaring overhead...Friday afternoon and into the evening was the beach - just a wonderful time of decompression.

Saturday was the winery tour via bike - described as " a leisurely bike ride through the gently rolling hills, vineyards, and orchards of Southwest Michigan". Well, it was mostly all that, and my friend B & I really enjoyed it. However, gently rolling hills can be challenging to cycle on!!! I was pretty challenged by a couple of them and B had to stop and walk her bike on those same couple, but we both survived and otherwise enjoyed the scenery and the experience a lot.

Yesterday B drove me home and she came in for a few minutes to see the house & doggy. She was about to use the half bath before leaving, but I popped in first to make sure it was presentable and found I needed to flush the toilet. Well I pushed the lever and it suddenly gave way - inside the tank, the mechanism connecting the lever to the rest of the flush valve (?) had broken off, lol. B used the other bathroom (the one bf didn't clean, haha). It's always something, isn't it?!? Bf and I went to lunch and then to Lowe's for the new part. We also found some good quality covers for our chaise lounges - hope we didn't jinx our chances of getting some rain - so very dry here!!

Okay, better get this posted and back to Mt. E-mail. Seems like things are under control with my one big project, but better check in with the boss to make sure!!!

Cheers!

Laura...a bike ride through a winery sounds delightful. I would be like your friend tho and walk the bike up the hill. It sounds like your trip was fun. Both of our toities did that in the same week. It gave Curtis a run for his money.

Later Sista...don't get lost in Mt. Email.

Hi Guys,

I did not make the apple slaw - my cousin usually makes cole slaw and I didn't want 2 slaw dishes. So will save it for another time. BBQ was nice - it was really hot here - 90 degrees and the sun beats down hotter up this way. They had very little shade on the porch and the inside wasn't much cooler either. I am generally not one to complain about heat but it was too warm even for me. We stayed for about 4 hours and had a nice time - good food, good company. Yesterday I worked outside all day long trying to finish up my planting. Got all but a few pieces done before I ran out of potting soil. All my herbs are planted, transplanted a couple of petunias that were outgrowing their pots and planted the arugula and chives in the vegetable garden. That collander with the lettuces is going gangbusters - actually I have some spring greens and some spinach and it all is doing well. The only thing I ate all day was an early moring coffee and a breakfast smoothie. By 4pm I was hot, tired and famished. Took a shower and DH and I ventured to a town about 30 minutes away in search of pizza. Only found 1 place DH did not want to go into. The town was pretty dead - most everything closed up. We were going to go to another town 30 minutes away but I was afraid that might be closed up too so we came back to our place - several of the restaurants were closed and we wound up in a place that is part of a restaurant chain. Food was good but they had the air conditioning turned to freezing - even DH was cold. We ate quickly and left. Today I putzed around with some things. Applied for another part time job, we'll see what happens.

Annie - I'm glad to hear that your Dad's party turned out so well - but you knew it would. The pic of your Dad and you is just precious - I agree you should get it framed. As for waking up - menopause lasts about 10 years on and off. Just because Flo left town doesn't mean you won't get twinges here and there - especially as things dry up and you get less and less natural hormones. Wait until the male pattern baldness and chin hairs set in - thank God I don't have the urge to scratch things yet and talk deeply

Laura - that bike ride at the winery sounded delightful - except for the steep hills. But then like you did, just walk along and enjoy the view. Glad you had a nice long weekend. Bummer on the potty breaking. Geez that could have been embarassing for your guest but that's how you differentiate real friends.

Michelle - sounds like you have some hot irons in the fire. It doesn't surprise me at all about the low balling. It's the new normal. People up here complain that employers don't want to pay anything for wages and purposely keep a bunch of people on part time instead of having 1 full time worker they have to pay benefits too. And ... with the economy some people have taken the "be glad you have a job" to extremes. Although this one trying to cut your salary because of benefits and recruiting costs is pretty nervy - doesn't bode well of how they would be valuing their employees once on board. You alone have to decide what you are willing to settle for although I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt get as much as you can up front because unless you are a hot sought after recent college grad they have pegged for the fast track, they rarely follow up with empty promises of money later on. I got messed up big time in Memphis because I trusted and believed. I'm sure something will come along soon for you.

Ceejay - I find a 2 pound flux is normal - what with eating, fluid intake, bathroom regularity and even found I weigh more when it rains Just keep a close eye on what you think are trouble spots and adjust as necessary.

Welcome Moni and good luck in your journey.

Mel - BRAT diet, eh? I suppose if it helps to get things calmed down but it sure doesn't sound very appealing Seeing your post about entertaining the kids reminds me about the differences between us growing up and today's children. I do see people trying to keep the kids occupied and entertained constantly. Whereas for us, I remember Mom throwing us outside and telling us to go out and play. If we were dumb enough to say we were bored, we were given extra chores to do. We soon learned to take amuse ourselves

Ellen - hope you got some calls yesterday so the day wasn't too long and dragged out. Interesting your comment about not using much in the way of baby things and with 4 children, you'd be an expert on the subject. But I guess new Moms don't want to listen to anyone's advice, do they? With 4 kids, a full time job and a house to keep up, I think you deserve a chef too It's hard to keep up with everything. I don't mind cooking except for those occasional moments when I am brain dead on what to eat and nothing looks good. Now that I have a substantial herb garden, I am trying to figure out how to incorporate some of that into my cooking. I tried Lemon Thyme for the first time and love the bright lemon, citrusy flavor. I had DH try some and he said it reminded him of soap However he did like the peppery bite of the arugula greens.

Patty - hope your date went well. Looking forward to hearing the details.

My sister's very wise aunt on her DH's side has been asking how we are doing in retirement. She accurately predicted that it is getting used to each other all over again. It reminds me of when I first got married. DH and I are getting on each other's nerves. There are some new habits he picked up that just irritate the living bejesus out of me and I am finding it very difficult to ignore it though I pray nightly for tolerance. Let's just say part of the reason I am looking for a part time job is to get out of the house for a while.

Guess that's enough of my complaining. Better get off the computer before I hear about it again. Later chicks.

Hi y'all
Just finished my training session. It went fairly well. Some people seem to pick it up easily, some don't. The older we get it seems the less the brain wants to absorb.
So shortly I will be going home and will check out the shops for some fresh food. Or maybe not as I brought down enough to see me through tonight anyway - it looks like lamb chops with broccoli and mushrooms for dinner tonight. I have some cute little spices I picked up. Six very small pots - paprika, garlic granules, rosemary, thyme and oregano and one other thing whose name I have forgotten. They are dried but very handy for travelling and cooking. I will probably need a couple of other things besides so maybe shopping will be the go.

I'll try and get back for personals tonight. Looks like you have all been very busy. I just wanted to let everyone know that I am here. Maybe not posting as often as I should but there you go. That's life

Good Morning/Evening All...

Well, June 12, finally arrived. Dad and I will be celebrating our birthday together tonight on it's official day. He is taking me out to dinner to celebrate...his 85th/my 52nd (37 haha). He mentioned at his party that he hoped to be here next year to celebrate our birthdays together, but he wasn't sure. I flatly told him to SHUT UP!!

I was uber lazy last night. I watered my garden, cleaned the grill and put in the new solar lights in the front and back. Went inside, took a shower, put on my jammies, and read a book till about 8:30 pm. Curtis was out fishing on the pond with the neighbor. I went to bed and that was it..only woke up one time and went right back to sleep. Only over slept by 30 minutes but made it up by 5:30. Was even early to work this morning. Go figure.

I am the only soul left in the office today. Katie's kitty was run over by a car on Saturday and she is too sad to come to work. Everyone else is either out selling or at enrollment meetings. I am partying by myself. Jan is however here (another department and the girl that moved in with me for a month a while back) and is taking me to lunch at When Eddie met Salad. A great salad place...google it.

SHADDIE...hmmm, lamb chops rate right there with liver in my books. YUCK. My basil is growing by leaps and bounds, have already harvested 3 times. My cilantro has flowered once and had to be cut back. I also harvested my first batch of lettuce and spinach. C and I had a salad Sunday night. Fresh is always so much better.

HAPPY...I will pray for tolerance for you and I....totally understand getting used to someone...after living alone for 7 years...C leaving the toitie LID, not the seat, just the LID up is making me nutty. Waiting for the appropriate time to mention it sweetly that it annoys me. lol.

Hello's to all, feel betters to those that need it, may the force be with us all in our life's challenges.

Loves and Hugs