Happy
I was thinking about the bp problems and the stress I'm under as a result of me retiring. It's never been this high. I'm going to give it till I get my vehicle paid for in May and then set another date. My sis has told me that I could live with her but not sure if I want too. Can't blame you for wanting a will.

-------
Texted my co-worker to remind her that I have a vacation day tomorrow. Thinking about staying home and not traveling any where. That's stress.
She asked to have off the 27, 28, and 29th of November. I kinda frowned on that one cause it cut into my week end, but I bartered with her and asked for the day before Thanksgiving. She said yes. They have to take care of some things for his recently deceased mother. So I'm working another long week at the end of the month. I can't work any over time in December due to jury duty. Sure hope that things are settled out of court.
I sure am excited about being off for 5 day's. :dance:

Evening all,
Sorry but this will be a short post. I'm back in NZ and due to go back to work tomorrow. At the moment I am just so tired that it is hard to put one thought past another - brain is dead.

Had a reasonable trip home. The DS2 and partner are in my house. They are not the tidiest people, but I had to draw the line at a couple of practices they seem to have adopted. DS2 is not particularly happy, the new (used) car he bought has broken down and will cost $3K to fix after 6 days of use. So he is off to court to get his money back this week. His partner is a difficult person to get to know. She is intelligent - she is a corporate conveyancing lawyer after all, but I find her quite hard to talk to.
Spoke to DS1 last night and yes he is coming up for Christmas and will let me know dates soon. Just hope it is this month and not the night before Christmas!!! Kids !!!!!!

So back to work tomorrow. Hope the workforce has come to grips with doing things properly while I have been away. :crossed:

Okay, better go.

Good morning all,

Good dark and gray early morning and a sleepy me after only 4 hours of sleep. :yawn: And I have a rather busy day today to boot. I wanted to finish a project last night and it decided to give me some push back so I didn't get to bed until very late and of course once my head hit the pillow the brain was still churning so I didn't fall asleep right away. I am hoping a second cup of coffee and a hot shower will wake me up. I have to take minutes for our monthly thrift shop meeting but when I read the barely there minutes that the person took from our last board meeting, I have decided that I have a long way to go when it comes to sloppy notes. No wonder people have complimented me on my minutes. Geez people, it ain't that hard to do - just listen and write. Perhaps the fact that she did more talking with her neighbors than gathering info had something to do with it... The man finally showed up to measure the door just as we were finishing supper last night. He came in all chatty to DH and didn't say a word to me and I was standing 10 feet away cleaning up the kitchen in an open area. He and DH got to talking and he is a sub-contractor and does siding and decks. After he left I told DH I am not giving him the business. I have a long standing rule (started with car saleman) that if they only talk to him, they DON'T get my half of the business. ;) DH actually told that to a salesman once who enthusiastically ran up to him, ignored me and addressed all communications to him. I just looked at DH and he said laughing - I think you just lost a sale as it's my wife who is car shopping and you completely ignored her. And we walked out :lol: Except in this case I might not win because we are having such a hard time getting anyone to do work...

Shad - it is awkward when one of the kids has a partner that is hard to warm up to. My BIL is quiet to the point of off-putting at times. He stares into space, it's hard to get him to talk but he's completely different with his family who he falls all over. Over the years I have learned how to draw him out but still, it makes my Mom uncomfortable and DH too. Other times he is chatty as can be. Just a personality quirk I guess. Good thing that you put a brake on behaviors you didn't like - grown up or not, still your home and your rules. You need to try and unwind a bit - you sound tighter than a bow string with all this busy stuff and no real time to yourself. Don't let your only moments of quiet be in the shower with the water running!

Ceejay - probably not a good idea to live with someone unless you are in the other half of a duplex! :lol: Especially since you have been on your own for so long - that's a hard adjustment. Can't you do a trial run for 30 days just to convince yourself what you suspected all along? I have stayed at my mom and sisters for up to a 3 week visit and towards the end I am itching to get back home to my own place also. Enjoy your time off.

Laura - to your question, yes the lawyer gave us a few sheets of paper with basic questions to begin the process and also give her an idea of how complicated the will and trust might be. It won't be with us - it's those people who have multiple marriages and multiple kids and blended families and businesses and lots of assets that get overly complicated. I think we are fairly basic here. Let me know how the dried herbs come out. I have dried mine in both the air and the microwave before. All I read says they lose a lot of their flavor so I shied away from that although duh, what do you think is in the seasoning bottles? They said outside of fresh, freezing is better - chop them up or put them chopped into ice cube trays but who's got room in the freezer for that? :lol:

Time for me to get showered and dressed. Will check back in tonight.

Morning all. Nice sunny day. Love it.

Ceejay – Enjoy your 5 day weekend!!! I can see how the retirement decision is adding to your stress – it’s a scary thing to determine if you’re truly able to afford to stop working and live off Social Security and whatever other retirement savings and other savings you may have for possibly the next 20 years. I agree with Happy that having lived alone for so long, it might be difficult to live with someone else. Maybe there’s a way you can move to a job with less stress and/or fewer hours now that you no longer need to have the medical insurance coverage through your job.

Shad – Quite the adjustment having your DS2 and his partner living in your house. If you mentioned it I forgot – about how long will they be living with you?? Good you drew the line at certain habits. What a bummer about your son’s car. I hope he’s successful getting his money back. I sure hope you and his partner get better acquainted once you’re home for a longer period of time.

Happy – Oh how annoying that the HD guy didn’t talk to you. Yes, it would be satisfying to just tell him to get lost and give the business to someone else. But if there isn’t “someone else” that makes it tough. Sigh. I’ve done the herbs frozen in ice cube trays, and that’s fine for soups and sauces that can have added water, but not for other applications. I dunno. I still say that the basil I grew and dried is more flavorful than the store bought…maybe what I buy is subpar, LOL.

Hellos to the rest of you. I hope you’re all having a good week.

--
Let’s see…Monday night was Pilates class. Our usual instructor was out with pneumonia (caught from her daughter), so we had a substitute. The sub was an experienced Pilates instructor I’ve taken classes from in the past, so it was fine. She has a completely different style – slower and more relaxing – and it was the first time I didn’t have to shower after class, LOL.

Yesterday there was a huge train delay and I decided to try out the suburban bus system. I got on the bus at the stop right by the train station. After a short ride, I transferred to another bus and it took me to the rapid transit station that got me downtown. I didn’t get to work until 10 am, but II was still ahead in terms of time since my commuter line trains didn’t start moving again until 9:45 am. And just to actually be going somewhere (vs. waiting around) was worth something, LOL. But it’s days like yesterday where I wished I had my work laptop with me and I could opt to work from home. The bus-bus-CTA option is not a great option, but in a pinch it worked.

That’s about it for me. Back to work. TTFN.

Hello you'all :smug:
It's been a busy week for all of us as normal. A pack of coyotes were out across the mile section howling the past 2 nights after midnight waking me up & I'm sure upsetting the neighbors w horses; but I know that the one neighbor 4 miles away who races their Arabians securely locks up their stable. Yesterday my UPS driver talked about the bears & coyotes becoming a nuisance & a danger to ppl & animals; he lives in the city but is a hunter & says that there needs to b more, or a longer hunting season to keep the population under control, so the animals will stay in their own territory since ppl can't spay/neuter them; to protect us from them harming ppl/pets... 40 miles away in Cadillac a girl was walking & a bear came out of the bushes & nearly killed her as she walked on the sidewalk, very scary. So last week my hubby made me start taking my dinky 22 caliber pistol w me when I'm outdoors to scare away or wound a animal attacker, when I'm away from the house or walking a doggy down our dirt road. MeeMee 4 yrs. weighs 16# & feels like a feather to carry, compared to Sundae 6 yrs. is 21# of muscle & the bravest of the 2 girls but, she thinks she is a lap doggy :D they are both good barkers but are not fierce enough to scare or kill a crazy raccoon let alone a coyote/bear. They are both awesomely sweet, intelligent & obedient & my Bff. Sundae has had 1 litter every year for 5 yrs. & I plan to retire her getting her spade & get MeeMee spade also, she's had 3 litters. I simply want to stop breeding, but when ppl contact us about wanting a puppy after seeing our adult doggies ppl got when puppies from us, then Dh wants to breed again for those families...

Ceej... :hug: Best wishes w whatever u decide to do with your life. If it was 'me in your situation' I'd do as Laura suggested & find a different type of job to finish out my retirement to do your truck payments; because of the stress level but most of all to Enjoy your days by doing maybe one of your hobbies or interests while getting paid for it ;) Employment shouldn't hurt our bodies/health, personal life at all, that's when we need to b smart enough to leave that position, for a healthier job to b at daily. I have a senior friend now in her 70's that was supposed to live w her son's family, but instead her son wanted privacy for everyone & hired me to design a addition to their home w an adjoining door to his home. It's like a studio apartment giving mom a mini kitchen w dining room table for 4, w a shower/bathroom, bedroom & living-room, Darlene has her own separate outside entrance, porch. It cost less than $20,000 a few yrs. ago. I know 2 other retiree situations where mom moved into that same town & another put a trailer on the same property her family lived on & everyone is happy. You really don't have to live inside the same home to feel secure, just being near the same town or in the neighborhood works also.

Annie... Hubby & I don't eat macaroni & cheese, too many other good foods to eat. Dh won't eat pasta from a box unless we're away from home, my fresh pasta is delish & it changed his palate, the real chef's would b winking @ us :D because making scratch food uses less fat/salt & takes not more than 10 minutes longer. Maybe w your eating differently C will change some of his meals healthier too.

Laura... When I dehydrate herbs, I store them in tiny canning jars to spoon-out as needed. Have fun exploring & experimenting w recipes! Like u can dry pepperoni slices/turkey pepperoni slices into chips; it takes the fat out of them & u can use them in nonfat yogurt, etc. some ppl eat them instead of kale chips to get the protein benefit. Soo many recipes to try & also many craft uses. I'll miss the beautiful outdoor temps, I won't b outdoors & getting my 10,000 daily steps :( done anymore.

Happy... Geesh I wish that my hubby & I lived within 2 hours of you'all. Dh would do your repairs & installations because he's mechanical & can also do contractor work; he put in our Ds1 new front door & new door-light glass panels 12"x7' 2 weeks ago. I could help Laura redo her powder room that needs repairs. Yesterday as I was grocery shopping I was stopped & asked to redo a dining room before Thanksgiving, my 3 sewing machines & serger/overlock machine that I kept after retiring my Interior Design business will work fine, I sold my industrial machines; so I guess I'm semi-retired. We met today @ her home & I can get her room completed in a week. In this day & age you'd think a business person would b respectful to both ppl, not just the guy. That hasn't ever happened to us, I've always been included.

Somebody just drove up our driveway :wave: to everybody; Terra, Susie, Shad & Chelle. Have a wonderful week.

Happy Wednesday everyone! One more work day for me this week and then time off to do my fun trip with my friend, :carrot:

Annie: Are those dreaded Wednesday reports done and over with? I sure hope so. YES, we must meet up. It's up to you if you want to if you want to break away from work or come over after. Meeting at the exit sounds good too but it will be much later in the evening so maybe the first two are the best plan. I know that we are going to get some lunch at the mall before we go into the stadium at least I think that is the plan. I think we are leaving Ohio at 10 a.m. I'll talk to my friend tomorrow and find out more. I will send you a message on FB Messenger to give you my cell # and I would love to have yours

We WILL meet up. There is no way I'm going to be that close and not meet you in person!

Shad: Still busy I see from your posts but it seems that this work crew aren't nearly as taxing as others have been in the past?

When you had your eyes checked, did you get new glasses? or do you wear contacts all the time?

Happy: Good news about getting the radio taken care of. Did you find out if the navigation system was the same problem?

I was laughing when I read about your will appointment. DH and I have had those discussions. Actually just recently.

It was time to redo our benefits at work and one great change this year is that we can opt to have our voluntary life insurance option (they company has one where they pay out 1 x our current salary and that costs us nothing). up to 3x the current salary amount without a medical exam and it's only like $5 a pay period and if we leave the company we can take the policy with us. So I did sign up for that. We could go up to 10x our salary with a medical exam and it really wasn't that much more a month.

However, I got to thinking, he would get all my pension and 401k money, we have our own term life insurance and he would get all that, he gets my 1X salary and now my 3x salary....and that is enough!! My DH is pretty attractive and younger women love him. They think he is fun, easy on the eye and dresses so nice. If he has all that money, they won't leave him alone! and he will have some hot babe living off MY money! haha...that is way I told him he was getting enough if I go before him and he will just have to make do! I also told him that once they have to trim his toenails they will run for the hills!!:joker::rofl:

They think he comes off that attractive naturally; they won't like it when they realize he likes pampering and shopping for himself haha! I always want to tell them "do you think he just came out looking this sharp and pulled together"..NOOOO...I taught him to shop and try new things, and learn new things that make him that suave man! He agrees by the way!

Ceejay: I hope you are enjoying those 5 days off!
I agree that it wouldn't be easy to live with someone after having your own place for so long. I have issues just staying with people overnight...I like having my own hotel room where it is just me (and DH if he is there).

Dee: How scary to hear that pack of coyotes! let alone see them. I see them sometimes on my drive to work early in the morning. Be careful when you are out and about with your doggies.

Hi Michelle & Terra!

The rain is finally here. I should say the storm is here.
I'm thinking very seriously about getting my own apartment. I've stayed with the bff enough that I don't think I could live with her. Think it's because of my living alone all these years. I really didn't want to work but it may be better if I did. My mom was 75 and still working. I can too. My boss commented the other day when we were talking about the car window and my recent doctor's visit that all of the water department has high blood pressure even him and he's 37. Can you tell I do not like change?
I have done absolutely nothing today. Even slept in this morning. I've tried not to think about anything today.

Evening all,
Going to get this done before I leave work (45 mins and counting) then I can stay off the computer tonight.

Happy - J is nice enough and we get along alright, however she has some strange ways at times - sometimes I wonder if she is off her meds - not that I know that she takes any. Loved the moments of quiet in shower business. Yep that is me. Gonna wash that cr*p right out of my hair. Actually it is fairly laid back here with moments of crazy.
Like you, I refuse to be ignored by salespeople, and actually DS2 is really good to go shopping with. Not only does he work the price per gram of stuff in a can or a packet and work out which is the most economical, but he even has the cheek to say to a salesperson, "don't try to convince me, it's her you have to convince. She is spending the money and she is pretty good at doing deals I can tell you"! Ignore me at your peril I say.
Good on you for getting the wills and stuff done. I need to update mine and I am about to put in some new executors of the will since my two brothers are pretty useless about things like that - and I know R and J will be tough and right down to the wire. What I wanted is what will be done with those two. Talk about tough women!

Laura - I have no idea how long they will be there. Organisation is not their forte so when I get home, we will have a 'discussion' about what, where, when and how and get their business back on its feet since they seem to have lost their way and are just moving between crises (is that the plural of crisis?)
Sounds like you got the transport system sorted. And I know what you mean about finishing the half bath etc. I've got some jobs like that around the house as well. Still semi retirement is looming. Time to plan and budget.

Dee - sounds like you are being a busy bee at the moment. You must be feeling better.

Susie - I wear contacts mostly. My glasses were okay and I didn't have to change them. The contacts, particularly the left one, didn't really feel like it was mine. We have changed the prescription slightly. These are bifocal contact lenses. Yes they do exist. They are not perfect, but they work pretty well for normal conditions. The bifocal is done on pixels believe it or not. I used to wear monocular contacts - one eye for distance and one for reading. They were fantastic, however with age, there has to be change and they couldn't really change them around very much more. Mores the pity.
Did DH huff and sigh when you told him he wasn't getting all your insurance money? Pretty funny really.

Ceejay - seriously suggest you get something on your own wherever you end up. If you can put a place on the back of one of the family homes all well and good. You can then retire to the backyard and shut yourself in when the going gets too much. Both my boys have suggested that I go live with them, however ................ it would need to be on a very short term or distant basis since I wouldn't want to live with either for a long time. Maybe they will buy a commune and I can look after the dogs and cats and send them all out to work!

Hope Terra is okay! Not like her not to post in a few days. Michelle is obviously very busy with her web design.

Not much news here. I am settling into my motel apartment for the next 10 days or so, then have to find some more accommodation. Actually I don't mind shifting around. It keeps the garbage down and I am not tempted to buy too much because then I have to pack the darn stuff. I took a fair amount of stuff home last weekend so I do have some space in the case. Better start looking for presents for the kids I guess. Big ones aren't getting much. I've spent enough on them for a while. Little ones need something under the tree though.

With that, it is nearly time to go home. I guess I better look busy or else.

Oh shoot - I forgot Annie. Hiya girl, saw you were prowling around facebook the other day and was going to have a chat, however things went haywire, the way things do at my place from time to tim'd move and when I got back to it, you'd moved on

Good Morning All...wow miss one day posting and you all get yappy. lol

We had Veteran's day off. Sis, the boys and my SIL all went to KY to the Creation museum. It was very interesting, smaller than I thought it would be, we toured the entire thing in about 1 1/2 hours. Stopped in Batesville, Indiana for lunch around 2, then homeward bound. Was home by 3:30. Fixed stew in the crocker to crock today. Gonna make cornbread to go with. My brother, Michael and my son are coming for dinner. Making memories with my brother for sure.

Lil man Jacob had his 4 year check up. 57 percentile on weight, 90 percentile on height. Tall and lean. lol. Doc did find a heart murmur so J is being scheduled for an Echo at Riley Hospital for Children. Doesn't seem to be too worried about it and many children and adults for that matter have them.

SUSIE...would love to meet up with you. Probably have to do the exit thing, I have doc appts today and tomorrow so my work day is overwhelming with getting things done. Especially with being off yesterday due to Veteran's Day. We WILL make this happen. Sides I will be up baking pies and getting ready for Sissy's BD dinner at the house on Saturday.

SHADDIE...Can't imagine having Christmas at my house after being gone for so long on work assignment. It would make me a nut bag, worse than I am already.

CEEG...hope you find a piece of mind with all your decisions. How did the stress test come out?

HAPPY...I feel your pain on the repair guys, fortunately our cable man came on time and got everything all fixed up. Like you, we received all these automated phone messages about his arrival, none which were correct. Bleh. I prefer to be the one repairmen talk to as C signs up for all this other crap that is not free, if I don't watch him. lol

DEE...yikes on the animals around your area. Heck Sassy was freaked out by this kitten that got in our back yard last night. We heard Sass cry so we ran out thinking Coyote. It was a half grown kitten wanting to play. We tried to catch it and bring it inside to post on your neighborhood FB page but it wouldn't let us catch it. Not having kitty food, I opened a can of tuna, which it didn't want or eat. It didn't look starved by any means. We have seen in around for a couple of weeks.

LAURA...yeah the mac n cheese. I stay away from that cause I know it is full of salt, not to mention the hotdogs that C wanted added to that mess. It all sounds very yukky to me. How is MIL doing these days, feeling better?

HELLOS to TERRA and CHELLE...I know you are busy at work Chelle and Terra had extra school this week I think. Not sure.

All for me today, must get busy. Hugs and Prayers to all.

Morning
 

Tried to get on my tablet but it refused
I need to do some business online but do not want to do it on my phone.

Annie
I didn't have a stress test only an ekg. If my cholesterol level is not up to par one may be ordered. Ekg was good.

Shad
I fully agree that I need my own space.

Morning all. Extremely windy here, and some drizzle. Oh well... I brought my lunch today and don't have to go outside until quitting time.

Dee – Scary business with the bears and coyotes. :yikes: Be careful! When I walk Coal along the creek, which has green space and some wooded areas, I always scan the area ahead because there have been coyote sightings there in the past. Re fresh pasta – bf and I have discussed off and on getting a pasta attachment for our kitchenaid mixer. I love kitchen gadgets, but then there’s the guilt factor when something gets little or no use…

Susie – LOL re the amount of life insurance to buy - just enough to help out in the event of your untimely death, but not so much as to attract the gold diggers! :lol: I hope you have a safe trip tomorrow. Have fun at the event and meeting Annie. Photos please!!

Ceejay – I’m glad you’re taking it easy today. Bf’s mom is working part time – at age 80 – because she needs the money. After these recent medical issues, it’s really clear she shouldn’t be working at her age. Bf has been discussing solutions with his siblings, i.e., each ponying up cash to make up the income from her PT job. Another consideration is her giving up her car to save on the loan, gas, and insurance.

Shad – Love it – “ignore me at your peril”, hehehe. I can see why salespeople and the like would prefer to talk to bf – he tries to be their friend. Me, I want to ask a lot of questions, including the ones that bf doesn’t think are worth asking. I always fret over situations where he’s dealing with people without me because I get all the information third hand and bf gets upset when I ask him about things he didn’t find out about. Sigh.

Annie – Sounds like you had a nice day trip yesterday. Re J’s heart murmur – yes, quite common. I have one that was initially discovered by the doctor doing my physical before I went to summer camp. Back in the olden days, I took penicillin daily for that. Then it was only amoxicillin before I had a dental appointment. Now it’s not even then. But I still get the periodic EKG to keep an eye on it. Awww, I hope that kitty finds a home. Might be feral?? “MIL” is doing fine. Getting her energy back. And hopefully everything can be set so she doesn’t have to return to her job (as per my comment to Ceej). Like I told Susie, enjoy your meet-up tomorrow and get some photos please!

Michelle – Saw on fb that you got back to the gym yesterday after being so buried at work. Good for you!! :yay:

Terra – How’s your week going? Is today the cooking class? What's on the menu??

Hi Happy! :wave:
--
Let’s see – I resisted going out to eat last night and instead we had salad and French bread pizza for dinner. Storms came in around 9:30-ish and started with a bit of thunder/lightning. Thankfully that didn’t last long, but there was rain and a LOT of wind.

I woke up at 3 am for a potty break, and shortly after returning to bed I heard a police or fire siren. Then I was listening to the wind and imagined all sorts of scary things that could happen outside – downed power lines and trees or parts of trees. Stuff flying all over and hitting windows, cars, people, etc. I did manage to fall back asleep, but not very soundly.

Got up with the alarm and made a quick trip to the market to get yard waste stickers - bf mowed yesterday and we needed the stickers for the grass clipping containers (today's garbage/recycling day). So glad he mowed – we don’t need leaves getting stuck in the lawn, and it’s sure hard to rake leaves when the lawn is too long! Not that we have much raking yet – even with this wind, our oak tree still isn’t losing many leaves.

Okay, I’ll get this posted and skedaddle. Buh bye.

Laura, I woke up like u did @ 3:30 but not for potty time, ;) nookie & hubby is sleeping like a baby & not waking up, I for sure will b reminding him the next time I'm too sleepy for him... I can't fall asleep because of the wind blowing so strongly so I'll read on my Kindle for a few minutes & try falling back to sleep until when I wake up w Ron @ 5am.

Deer hunting starts Sunday in Michigan, lots of sales for the girls happening this weekend & male strippers @ the bars :o but I have other things to use my $ for. Has anyone gotten their Christmas shopping finished? I just began a few weeks ago w the g-babes.

I have a long day w starting the Interior Design job for the dining room. Today I'm cutting glass for a floral design for 6 doors on their China cabinet & installing the panels. Next is upholstery their chair seats & texture a accent wall & sew winter holiday theme window valances having her room completed by November 23. To entertain their guests on Thanksgiving day.

Everyone have a comfy weekend :hug: I don't think I'll have time to post this weekend w this new job to do & my resting in between.

:thanks2: With Hugs & Luv to you'all, Dee

Morning
Almost missed the garbage truck. Whew.
Today I'm thinking about mulching the leaves instead of raking them. I hope I can get into the shed as the neighbors have taken to parking in the back yard. They are very close to the door of the shed. I may have to ask them to move it.
I'm doing as the APN has told me and started taking half of the new bp med. but if the bp continues to stay 150/80 then go to the whole med. The top number will not go to 120. ugh.
Guess all this thinking retirement again has caused me to dream again. This vivid dream has put me in reality and know where I need to be--near my sister. Some one I can depend upon in times of need. I still want my own apartment.
After my frightening dream I'm going to keep my local doctor. And not look into the future.
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Dee, please be careful while you are out and about. I'd panic big time around wild animals. Sound like you will be busy decorating the next couple of weeks.

Morning all. TGIF!! Sunny today, but still very windy, and chilly. Mid-November - guess that’s to be expected. :shrug:

Dee – The dining room job sounds interesting – do you apply a floral design on the glass panels? Have a good weekend. Oh, meant to tell you that you’re doing so great with your steps!! YGG!!

Ceejay – It’s my lower BP number that I’d like to be lower, even though it’s within the acceptable range. I agree being near family is wise – my mom’s lost a close friend, she’s not close to her new neighbors, and without my brother there, she doesn’t have anyone close to rely on. Sure wish she’d get back here, but it’ll be spring at the soonest…

Hellos to everyone! Have a great weekend!
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Nothing special to report. The admin is out sick today. She caught a cold from her dh a couple weeks ago and it’s been awful. I’m lucky I haven’t caught it (knock wood!).

My steps on the fitbit have been ranging from the high 7,000’s to 10,000 lately. I’m glad to be getting extra exercise walking between home and the train station each day. I always thought that my morning walk was more laborious because I’m in a hurry, but it finally dawned on me that the walk is also at a slight incline most of the way. Definitely makes it more challenging! I’m also back to trying to get a bit of stair climbing in each day. Not much – just a couple sessions of going up 3 flights (and down).

After work I need to get to Kohl’s and use a $20 gift they sent me a while back that is good through tonight. Good thing I finally went through (some of) the mail mountain and discovered it, lol. Apparently I’ve been a Kohl’s cc holder for 27 years?? And so they decided to celebrate that. :D Not sure what I want to buy. I won’t have many holiday gifts to buy and I’m not really interested in shopping for that now. Bf wants a really warm hat, but he’ll be very particular about it, so that I will leave that to him. I find myself short on long sleeve tops for work other than turtlenecks or mock t-necks, so maybe I’ll see what they have. I like Kohl’s for casual clothing, but I never have much luck with them for work stuff. :shrug: I think I just need to admit to myself that I’d much rather buy something for the house than for myself. :)

I’m meeting a friend (former co-worker) for breakfast tomorrow morning. It’s a place at the mall nearby that I’ve never been to before. We kind of have a power struggle over where we meet. We used to battle over how close it was to each of us. Then we used to go to a place that was fine until I saw something there I didn’t want to see. He didn’t like the place we went last time, which is a tiny diner that bf and I like a lot. So this time I suggested a couple other places, and left it up to him to choose one or suggest another one. I’m not surprised he chose a place in the mall – he’s a mall kind of person. Prefers the safe (i.e., bland) type of cookie-cutter places – chains vs. mom and pop. I remember he wouldn’t even go to the Middle Eastern restaurant years ago when Desert Storm was going on, and probably would still not go even now. Not that I’d ever suggest it again. I sometimes think the only reason I keep in touch is because he’s entertaining in his conservative ways, especially since he’s now turned into a grumpy old man, LOL. Now I get to hear him complain about the lack of work ethic these millennials have, hahaha.

This weekend bf and I need to get a cover for our patio set!! We looked at one a few weeks back, but it was rather pricey.

Outdoor chores are: (1) cutting back foliage for the hosta and daylilies – think I’ll try using the hedge trimmer for that. (2) bundling brush with twine for pickup by the village. (3) Re-working the edging in the front garden bed right near the stoop – it’s a tripping hazard, and will be even more so when the snow covers it and it can’t be seen.

Otherwise, it’ll be the usual stuff – laundry, dog walks, errands. Hopefully some cooking. Maybe I’ll take Monday off. I don’t want to carry over the full 5 days of vacation we’re allowed to – the boss doesn’t seem crazy about that. I’ll try to get my leftover days down to 3.

Okay, enough rambling. Back to work. :wave:

Hello all. Busy day at work. Watching the news about all the terror attacks in Paris. How awful. So sad.

Been texting with Susie most of the day. Hope to meet up with her in acouple of hours. Hope the time flies as I am an early birder and am starting to tucker out.

Have a great weekend all. Hugs.

Morning all,

Having a hard time getting a response from this website. :mad: Hope I won't have equal grief trying to do a post.

So sad the news out of Paris. I think it's about time something drastic is done about these nut jobs and they are treated like the world's enemy that they are. I think people are so afraid to be politically incorrect that it gives them lots of leverage to move about freely. Or maybe Nostradamus was right and the 3rd world war will spring out of the middle east as will the anti-Christ. :shrug: I am glad to be in my little sheltered corner of the world - I'll take my chances with the hunters and pot and meth heads up this way. See, everyone has SOME thing to worry about. :^:

We went to a fish fry yesterday - was decent but not as good as the lunch we had there last week. That's ok, every restaurant up here - including the Mexican one - has a Friday fish fry so lots to choose from. I had a day off yesterday and was most grateful to stay home and catch up on laundry and some housework and cleaning. I need to go out today but would rather not. The weather is supposed to warm up to 50 which will melt the snow and maybe I can cover my strawberries (with STRAW which would actually make them STRAWberries :lol3: ) The next day or two will be in the 50's again, then it hits the skids and we are back into typical freezing weather as winter knocks on the door. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

Geez, I guess I have been lurking and not posting. :o We did have an issue with Nina the cat peeing outside of her litterbox. After a very cold and scary night at the vets for observation, turns out she had a UTI. She got meds and appears to be ok now. Vet said often they will go where they shouldn't to let the owners know that something is not right, considering they can't come right up to you and have a conversation. Yoga started again, I have made a commitment to myself to work hard to remember at least one posture out of each session and work on it daily for a few minutes all week long. Thursday I went to the shelter to attempt to teach the crew how to use the new software to input records and adoptions. Even though it was a cold and dreary day - they had puppies so people were constantly coming in and out. It is the nature of their work. I said I will have to come in and try and train one on one instead of a group. I said I'd go in for 2 hours or so a few days each week and if someone is available I will sit with them, otherwise I will use that time to enter the animals myself. We HAVE to get up to speed and regularly enter things by the end of this month, even if it's just me doing it. They have a volunteer on Thursdays who is not intimidated by the computer but I don't know how that's going to work out. I had 4 basic things to teach everyone on Thursday - how to sign on, what the menu system looked like so they could get to what they needed to, how to get training and online help if they needed it and how to input a new animal and edit information. Not too much - the very basics of getting around. So I tried to show the volunteer and she kept hopping up and around as people came in and the phone rang which was ok in and of itself, but when she sat down again instead of letting me go through my spiel, she kept hopping around all over. Which got us to places we didn't need to be. And was confusing. Finally I told her to please let me go in the order I needed to so that she understood how to use the system on her own. You don't just get in a car and go speeding down the autobahn. Learn where the brake, shift and steering wheel is first :dizzy: So we will see how that progresses.

Annie - hope you and Susie were able to meet up and have a nice chat! That was nice of you to feed the kitty, even if it didn't want it. Our Meadow looks at people food - like tuna - as if it is Styrofoam balls. She only recognizes canned cat food and mostly the dry stuff. And of course, treats. But nice of you to try. I can't believe how the boys are growing. Cuties.

Michelle and Terra - been gone too long, where are you? Time to check in. It's the weekend - you should have a bit more time to post.

Laura - good for you for tackling the stairs. They suggested that you can do sets in your own house too - just up and down the basement stairs a few times if nothing else is available. How nice that Kohls gave you a gift card BUT they are hoping you will buy more than that. I had a $10 gift card and 30 percent off which was tempting but I couldn't find anything to buy so I let them expire. I did get some Izod sheets 2 weeks ago which I really like but they only come in one color in the twin xl that I need. They are a soft cotton, cozy but with a bit of warmth like flannel but not overly hot like flannel. DH does not like flannel even on the coldest nights. Hope you had a nice breakfast with your friend today and that he was happy with the restaurant you picked!

Dee - Deer hunting started here too :( We haven't seen our two bucks in at least a week - they would both be considered "prizes" - I hope they are just hiding in the deep part of the woods. They do a lot of things in town for "deer hunter widows" - ie. the wives abandoned while the boys are out shooting. ;) I don't even want to talk about holiday shopping. Ick. I don't do that much and it has been truly a chore rather than a pleasure for years. I'm seriously thinking of dropping the cards too except that I have a lot of them in the basement in storage I feel I should use up. I hope the panel curtains you made came out pretty.

Ceejay - are you staying put or travelling or working this weekend? They ever find anything more about your car window vandalism?

Susie - hope you got to meet up with Annie!

Shad - probably a smart thing to change the executors of the will. I too was thinking about who will make sure what I want done happens? Then there is DH who typical of a guy says "I'm dead, who cares" :shrug: :rolleyes:

I probably should get off my duff and get on with the errands. Have a good weekend everyone.

Annie, I saw this while shopping for hoodie's for my Doodle kids & I thought of u & Sassy. Go check it out :D Or maybe u already have something similar to carry her in when u take her out to go potty in the winter or go bye-bye?

https://www.petedge.com/zpetedgemain...c-locale=en_US

I buy my Doodle sweaters & hoodies on sale @ PetEdge.com & they have a huge clearance sale $5 on lots of winter clothes that began November 1. I was bummed that I missed out on some real cuties, my girls wear size S & M. It gets pretty cold in Michigan & when I had my mini-long-coat Dachshund I put sweaters & hoodies & jammies on her indoors & outside when the temps dropped in the winter. On really cold days/nights my Doodles wear hoodies, sweaters & jammies, indoors too & their jackets outdoors.

It's bedtime :yawn: no time to do personals right now, I'll b back tomorrow or Monday.

Goodnight girls, my Luv to you'all :grouphug: Dee

Evening all,
Sunday night and due to go back to work again tomorrow. Oh woe is me!!!! Not really

Today I drove down to Hobbiton - the movie set from Lord of the Rings. Now I haven't seen the movies, nor have I read the books, but it was a pleasant afternoon apart from the weather. Quite interesting to see how things work in the film world. The pictures are on my face book page. I doubt that I have enough internet left to put pictures up here.
If you want to see them and you aren't a friend on mine on facebook, just look for Joy Clover. There seems to be a few of them around the world but only one of me. Request a friend. I'll let you in.

Anyway it wasn't a bad day at all.

Annie - The worst part of it will be finding the Christmas tree. Might have to ask DS2 if it is up in the roof. Or did I throw it out??? Other than that I will have 5 days to get in food, clean up the house and sort out the beds. Nothing unusual in that. Sound like a nice dinner for the family. I'm sure the lil one will be okay with the heart murmur. Seems to be another thing that is happening - or maybe they are finding = more often now.

Ceejay - the older we get the more we need our own space.

Laura - wow - your steps have been good. Keeping busy in the garden I see as well. I miss my garden

Happy - Wasn't only Nostradamus that predicted end of world scenarios from the middle east. The bible actually says that the King shall come down from the north and yellow hoardes pour in from the east. Since the bible is centred on Jerusalem and Israel, then we are looking at Russia and China - it's not helping that (in the name of religion) the arabs are self destructing.
The French apparently upset the nut jobs because they had a cartoon of Islam in a paper and then they banned the burqa (habib) and headscarves in schools and public places - but then so did Belgium and Holland. Are they next?
Training is always a pain trying to get the group together. It is good to do one on one but not very cost effective. Have you done documentation to hand out to them?

It might be smart to change the executors however there are apparently things you can't state in your will - like stating what the money is to be used for, or what is to happen to the house. It is apparently called 'controlling from beyond the grave'. What!!!! Maybe I will give it all to the old cats home then.

Okay, better go clean up the dinner dishes and get emotionally prepared for tomorrow at work and what the @#$%^%^ will throw at me

Morning all,

Sunny Sunday out there. Temps are rising but the snow is reluctant to melt in the shady parts of the yard. You can see where the fog sits, there is definitely a micro climate out there - yard is probably 5 different temperatures in 5 separate spots if you measured. I will wait until mid afternoon to go out there and sort out the garden.

In the meantime I will do more data entry of the animal records. And maybe some laundry.

Yes Shad, I did some nice documentation - one of my talents if I may say so. Complete with screen shots and arrows and highlights. Just the facts 'mam. I try to do 3 pages or less so they can get to what they need quickly. Of course the speed demon was completely ignoring it so I shut her down. The manager said she and one of the young tech gurus sat down and attempted to enter an animal after I left the other day. They succeeded and did a nice job getting all the info in but they said it took about an hour for one animal. I said this is why I am pushing you guys to learn the system. I would be more than happy to do all the data entry but there is a lot of useful information in here and you'll never know it until you use it. Also it's rough at first but the more you use it, the easier it gets.

Loved the pictures of Hobbiton, thanks for posting them. DH has also told people that if they wanted to see his pictures, friend him on FB. I think I would enjoy a tour of English countryside from what I've seen - probably from you. All those cute cottages. Do you ever hear from Teal?

I think it's time for the 1.8 billion Muslims to rally against ISIS before people start shunning Muslims altogether. Especially those oil rich families in the middle east whose wealth far outnumbers the bottomless money basket people seem to think we have in the U.S. Instead of building an indoor ski resort in the hot desert, give money and supplies to eradicating these terrorists instead of making it someone else's problem to fix :shrug: Just sayin'.

Well that controlling from beyond the grave sounds like nonsense. Isn't that the point of a will - to determine final disposition after your death? I thought even in the case of a trust which people will sometimes set up to manage the money of the beneficiaries who can't be trusted to spend the money mindfully. Thought a trust would ensure the welfare of the recipients but not allow them to party / fritter away the monies. Isn't that the classic "what you can and cannot spend this on"? Don't know. Will find out tomorrow I guess. Which means I probably should spend a bit of time today laying out the grand plan at a high level.

Tomorrow I have to get up early, drop off the animal files back at the shelter so they can continue adopting out animals, stop at the hospital for the annual boob squish and then head over to the lawyer for the initial consult on the will. Rain is supposed to move into the area so I'll be spending time indoors all week. It will be an early start so probably won't get in until later to post.

Hope you all are having a good Sunday.

I tried to post last night from my phone but evidently the post was to long. Oh well.
I raked a big pile of pine needles to the curb and then got out the lawn mower and mulched the front and side lawn of leaves on Friday.
Yesterday I went to Paragould to eat lunch with the uncles. All 3 uncles were there and a few cousins. It was a nice time.
Played with the kittens on Saturday afternoon late and one got me with one of his claws. I had to have some one pull it out. I couldn't drop the kitten cause it would have done more damage to the skin. It was in deep. My uncle put an antibiotic cream on it and thankfully hasn't shown any signs of swelling. Ouch that hurt.
Talked to my oldest sibling while ago. They are both doing well.
Will try to call or text my youngest some time before bed time.
So sad to hear of the news from France this week end. But I've read the highlights of Yahoo news stating that France is dropping bombs.
I'm curious if Annie and Susie got together.
--------
Happy
You may be called in more than once to get things straightened out concerning the new system. Some people like myself are hands on type people.
Glad you took Nina to the vet.

Shad
I agree that the older we get the more we need our own space. My main problem is trying to please every one and not thinking about my own needs which has finally caught up with me. I also don't like change. And I've been independent to long. :lol: Like I told my sis while ago that we are going to have to face the fact we are getting older and change is necessary.

Laura
When I'm at work I can get up to 7000 steps per day but on my off days I have to force myself to do something. Are you doing any activity for say 20 to 30 minutes per day?

Hello's to the rest :wave:

Back to work in the morning which I'm dreading. Told my sis I may take a nerve as a precaution. Expecting problems out the heavy rain that is predicted.

Good Monday Morning, great day to be alive!

Whirlwind weekend. Sissy's birthday dinner turned out fabulous. Her friend and kidlets came over also. Chris was busy with replacing the drywall ceiling in the garage that had all collapsed last winter and told him to stay home while he had the help to finish it. Sent home a to go plate for him and his helpers which was nice since it left nothing in the house, including Sissy's apple pie "birthday cake". Very nice indeed.

Didn't get to meet up with Susie Friday night. Meet up time got pushed back to 10pm or so and I just couldn't do it. Not feeling all that great in the last week or so, I had to lie down (ie. plain just go to bed and was in bed, asleep by 9:30 pm) Maybe next time.

Yesterday was not such a great day health wise. Went to church, came home and laid down for a bit. Went to Wally world to get a few cleaning supplies and toothpaste. Came home and lounged until dinner, then laid around till bed time. I am feeling a bit better today. Had bathroom issues, very bad, throughout the night Saturday and all day yesterday. I think I finally got that under control. I am calling the doc this morning to see what gives, if it is the heart meds or what. I noticed I get nauseated every day between 10-11 am. Take some tums and all is good. I think maybe med related also. May have to cut back on my decaf cup of coffee to none. Just hope to get all adjusted before too long as it is driving me bonkers. wah wah wah woe is me. Bleh.

Posting this and will do personals next.

CEEG...ok, time to give the retirement thing up to the MAN and not think about it for some time. He will put the right answer in your head when you least expect it. IMO, this is giving you fits of discontent and health issues. Be strong and trust HIM. Wow you got a lot of yard work done. Kudos to you, my friend. Lots of love, hugs and prayers to you.

HAPPY...you, like me, might as well do it myself and get it right, however MS. HAPPY that puts a LOT of work on yourself when it comes to the thrift store and their computer woes. Remember this is your retirement of enjoyment not more work and this is no pay, not to mention, NO benefits. lol Glad Nina had an issue rather than just being a brat and peeing places she shouldn't. Makes sense what the vet said about letting you know she had a problem. Animals, like babies just cannot say, oh my ying yang hurts. Love the STRAWberry comment. I could go for a few good strawberries right now.

SHADDIE...loved, loved, loved the pictures of Hobbiton on FB. Had to show them to C. I want to go there. Are you allowed to tour inside the movie set "houses". How cool. Hope Christmas goes off without a hitch, maybe time for a real tree if you cannot find the fake one.

DEE...I will definitely check out that website. Sassy however does not like to wear anything. From the time it is put on her till SHE gets it off, it is a hilarious romp on the living room floor. Dingy girl, does she not realize it will keep her warm. She even gets her front legs through the neck of the sweater and walks around like that. She is a real hoot.

LAURA...did you get anything with your Kohls cash and GC? I have let so many $$ expire before I use them. I am not a shopper and unless I am going to the store for a specific item, it is not happening. How was breakfast with your friend?

SUSIE...sorry we didn't hook up on Friday, maybe next time. I am just a poop after about 8pm. Looks like you had a good time anyway.

Hello's to the rest of you.

Hugs

Morning all. Decided to take a vacation day today. Nothing special planned though.



Annie - Glad you're getting in touch with your doctor. Maybe the meds just need tweaking. Sorry you couldn't meet up with Susie. Another time.

Shad - Loved those pics from Hobbiton. What a nice place to see ( and I never read the books or saw the movies either). Hope there's a Christmas tree up in the attic...

Happy- the training sounds frustrating, but some one-on-one sessions should be helpful, and the documentation of course. Good idea to pick a pose from your yoga class and work on it at home. At some point you'll have multiples and will be doing your own at-home sessions. Hope Nina's better now.

Ceejay - Sounds like a good weekend. Except for the kitty claw- ouch! Hope the weather doesn't cause any issues at the plant. Fitbit reports my active minutes, but I don't know how they come up with it - maybe when there's a certain amount of steps within a certain amount of time?? I'll have to look that up. Outside formal exercise classes and physical activity like gardening chores, my active minutes come from my commute which is about 8-10 minutes each from the home to train segment and the train to office segment, and the reverse when I go home, so those 4 segments probably add up to about 30 minutes.

Dee - Aww, doggie clothes. Don't get to indulge in that with a 75 lb dog, except for the occasional bandana around the neck. How's the dining room project going?

Susie - How was the band event on Friday?

Terra - How's it going stranger? Hope all's well in your world.

Michelle - Best wishes for a successful shoulder surgery!!!!

Mellie - It's been two years now - miss you!!

==
Think I'm gonna post this before it goes poof. Might be back later. TTFN.

Laura
I have to purposely walk or ride the bike for x many minutes for the activity minutes to show on my fitbit. Your walking to and from the train is probably helping with the activity minutes. For mine I have to do at least 10 minutes at a time. But that's okay I need to push myself a little anyway. I love to be outside when it's not to hot. However, with the rain over night it doesn't look like I've done to much.

Annie
I agree I need to give up the retirement planning until it's time as it is making me crazy and giving me health issues. Sure hope there is nothing more seriously wrong other than the meds. I decided that I will retire on August 1 2016.

Terra
Where are you?

Samantha's birthday apple pie!
 

Per Sam's request...

Oh yum Annie - that looks delicious and the perfect color of golden crust. Good thing I can't eat it :D And very cute with her initial on the top :lol:

What's this about Michelle having shoulder surgery?

On Facebook from Michelle:

I'm home from surgery, all went well. no rotator cuff tears so just removal ofthe calcium deposit and shaving down the bone so no more impingement, Yay. no pain now...that will probable change.. thanks for all the prayers and good wishes, going back to sleep now,

Michelle
Sending you get well wishes.

Good Tuesday Morning...

Waiting on the call from the delivery guys, getting a new mattress today. Very excited. Our old one just sucks and it is only two years old. Very uncomfortable. I will never wake up, since the heart attack, I sleep like a baby. Yeee.

Last night I fixed chicken and rice. Threw some cooked rice in a bowl, added cooked chicken, LF cheese, low sodium cream of chicken soup, 1T of melted butter, some mushrooms, put it in a baking dish sprinkled with LF cheese covered with foil baked for 25 mins. Then uncovered for 15, Curtis thought it was amazing, I called it beaker food. (in a science lab with beakers) lol.

HAPPY...CHELLE had should laser surgery I believe. She had calcium deposits on her cuff or something like that. They removed it. It was causing her a lot of pain. Glad you liked the pie, come by and I will bake you one with a "H" on it.

CHELLE...feel better sister. How long will you be off work?

Hello's to everyone. Hugs

Morning.
A bit windy this morning and temps will climb into the high 60's and low 70's. Storm are predicted this afternoon. UGH.

Annie
Your recipe sound good. I like chicken and rice casseroles.

Mornin' all,

Quick hi yah's all around. About to jump in the shower and head out. Will spend a couple of hours at the shelter entering data and being available to anyone who might want to sit with me and learn a bit themselves. Then it's off to my afternoon thrift shop stint.

Made a butternut squash soup yesterday. It was good - DH said it smelled good - all those autumn spices - but he wouldn't even attempt to try it :P It was my supper (DH had leftover pasta) but without protein it was not quite enough. I had 2 pieces of cheese later on. Then as I was getting ready for bed I got the most horrible stomach cramps. Kept me awake until well after 3am so I didn't get much sleep last night again. Don't know what's going on.

Michelle - glad everything went well surgically. Hope you heal quickly and all is well. Don't forget to get a lighter purse now :D

Annie - some of those off the cuff "concoctions" come out being the best thing. Isn't that what makes a casserole so good anyway? Just a bunch of stuff stirred together and made with love.

Ceejay - I think the good thing about the FitBit is that it reminds you to get up occasionally and do something when you'd ordinarily just continue to sit. Just don't be a NAG FitBit :lol: As cute as kittens can be, the worst part is those tiny needle claws of theirs and their penchant for using your leg as a climbing pole! Enjoy that nice weather - gray and cloudy here, supposed to snow tomorrow. :(

Laura - yes, Nina is back to her old self, thanks for asking. 2 years gone now for Mel - wow how time flies. Are you in the path of that super storm that supposed to hit in a few days?

Gotta run - hellos to the rest of you ladies :wave:

Morning all. Back to work.

Happy – Hope the will/trust appointment went alright. Too funny that your dh wouldn’t even try the soup you made, even when he said it smelled so good. My bf loves an occasional frappucino from Starbuk’s and yesterday he bought one and he got me to try a sip (“it’s got caramel in it, I think you’ll like it”). I don’t drink coffee at all, and won’t even eat tiramisu because it has coffee/espresso in it, but I took a sip and naturally thought it was vile. At least bf was entertained by my reaction, LOL. I haven’t watched the weather in the past couple days and don’t know about a superstorm. All I know is that today it’s supposed to rain all day. I’m happy that the temps are milder than what was forecast, and will also be mild tomorrow. I’m glad Nina is back to her normal self. :) We all hate when our furries are under the weather. :yes:

Ceejay – I just checked our forecast – rain/wind for the next couple days – double ugh! I looked up how “active minutes” are defined by fitbit, and what I read got into “metabolic equivalents”, and that lost and confused me because I know the Flex is not as sophisticated as other fitbits like the ones that track your heart rate…but basically it’s what you said – steady activity for 10 minutes or more.

Annie – That dinner sounds delish. Mix cheese into just about anything and it sounds good to me. :D Awww, I like that pie with the S monogram. Very nice. Tasty too I bet… I’m sure you’re looking forward to the new mattress. What type – traditional innerspring type?

Hellos to the rest of you!!
--
My weekend was fine. I went to Kohl’s Friday evening and ended up with two sweaters. After the $20 card and another $5 card and then 20% off, I paid about $13 out of pocket. It’s probably better that I ended up with sweaters. I was about to buy some towels, but they didn’t have the hand towels in stock for the color I was considering. The color was a deep crimson and I think I would have regretted it because I would always have to wash those in a separate load, LOL. :lol:

Saturday I met my friend for breakfast and it was fine. He doesn’t really have much of a life beyond work, so that’s what we talk about. His survival strategy is being hyper-cautious so as not to do anything that can be considered harassment or discrimination. What an outlook, but he's a bit of a squirrel. I’m glad I don’t work in an environment that has me worried about that.

After breakfast I went to the thrift shop. All I bought was an umbrella. I suppose I’ll get to test it out this week…

When I got home, I got outside and tied up several bundles of brush with twine.

I had the house to myself both Friday and Saturday evenings as bf was out both nights and I overdid it with the Hallmark channel movies. I’ve had my fill for a while, LOL.

On Sunday I got back outside and tied up more brush bundles. I also pulled out several maple tree seedlings way out back before they get too big and require a full size shovel to dig out. I also ended up pruning & lopping a bunch of tree branches from the neighbor’s trees growing over and/or through the chain link fencing and into our yard. What a PITA. And that meant more branches to bundle up in twine. I also pruned some stuff on our side. In the process I bonked my head a couple times on a large low-angled branch of one of our arborvitae trees. Arrrgh. We have these trees growing all along the back of our yard. They are now old and overgrown and the lower limbs no longer have “foliage” (they’re like evergreens), so they aren’t even good privacy screens like they used to be. I’d really like to have those removed and plant something else there. But there are about 8 of these trees and they are large. It’s not a DIY project, so would be expensive. Oh well. It’ll have to wait.

Anyway, even though I bonked my head a couple times and have little scratches all over my arms from bundling branches in short sleeves, the weather was beautiful and it was great to spend time outside each day. I also did the usual laundry and dog walks those days.

My day off yesterday was very uneventful – I did a couple loads of laundry and did the dog walk and otherwise did some reading and watched some tv. I was a slacker and also skipped my Pilates class. That’s what happens when I take vacation days on Mondays…

The movie selected for tonight was “Burnt”, with Bradley Cooper playing a chef. I don’t think it got great reviews, so I’m skipping it.

Okay, enough rambling. Off to post this. :wave:

Morning
The weatherman kept saying the storm would be bad. Watched the radar all day and ran the plant accordingly. We did have some heavy rain and wind but I don't think we had it as bad as some, mainly flash flooding. Made for a day that I don't like to deal with. Thankfully no major power outages. We probably had 4 inches of rain.
I need to take the Rav4 into the dealership to get something about the window shield washer fixed. I got a recall letter this week. I don't really want to go this week end. May wait till Wednesday. And make a doctor's appointment for that day too.
I'm taking Wednesday as a vacation day so I will have a long week end, 5 blissful days.
---------
Happy
The Fitbit has been a good motivator for me. I love playing with the kittens and they love the attention. I'll just have to remember about their sharp claws. I may have to try butternut squash soup.

Laura
I'm going to have some more yard work to do also because of the wind but not as bad. I should be able to rake the leaves this time. Thanks for the information about the Fitbit. I don't need one of those high tech ones. Wish I could be more diligent in recording my food. Finally figure out that I can have as many intake calories as the calories burned to be in range.

Morning all. Happy Hump Day. Gosh, really quiet here today – where is everyone? We still have mild temps in my area, but it’s very windy and a bit rainy. At this time of year, I’ll happily take it. Ha, as if I have a choice in the matter.

Ceejay – I’m glad the storm wasn’t as bad as you’d thought. Nice you’ll have Wednesday off. I’m taking Wednesday off as well.

Hope the rest of you are all doing well.
==
The boss is having me research a service offering that a vendor is pestering him about. Not much on the internet about it except the vendor’s own marketing materials, which are very low on specifics and so not very helpful at all.

I got set up for next year’s medical benefits yesterday in our company’s new system. We have a new 3rd party benefits administrator. I hope that managing the flex spending account is easier under this system. In the meantime, we have a big chunk of fsa funds to use up before year end. I don’t have much to spend on as of now – maybe an rx refill or two, a doctor visit copay, probably nothing for dental. Neither does bf. We’ll both definitely order some contact lenses. I might see the podiatrist and get a new set of orthotics made. Bf will go see an orthopedic doctor about his knees. We’ll see how much we can eat up – otherwise it’s use it or lose it. I’m being much more conservative about the amount we’ll put in the fsa for 2017. I don't want to be scrounging around again next year for ways to use the remaining funds.

For Thanksgiving, we’re having bf’s mom and our friend D and her sister over for dinner. We’ll make a turkey, something we’ve only done once or twice. Should be an adventure. I’m going to take the Wednesday before off work to make sure we’re all set.

That’s it for me. TTFN.

Good Morning Ladies....

Rainy, windy, yucky day yesterday. Tapped bumpers with the car in front of me at the light on the way to work. We both got out, not a scratch on either car, shook hands, gave a hug, God Blessed and we both went on to work. WOW!!

Had a doc appt for my 6 mo pap test to see where we stand on the cervix, won't know the results for a week or so. If it comes back badly this time, I am looking at a hysterectomy early next year. OH BOY another deductible. Can hardly wait, still making payments on this year's deductible. NEED TO HIT LOTTERY, BIG BUCKS, NOW!! HELLO LAWD, you hear me??

One more day this week, our TG is the Sat at my house. Then will have a 4 day reprieve next week with no celebrations. Kind of looking forward to that. Relaxing and all.

LAURA...do you have the option of and HSA rather than a FSA. You don't have to use up all your funds in and HSA they just rollover to the next year. We have a choice of either here.

CEEG...We had crappy weather here yesterday, but not all that scary. Of course I love thunder boomers. We are supposed to have colder temps for the weekend, rain and possible snow flurries. I don't see the flurries cause the low is 40.

HAPPY...mmmmmmmmmmmmmm butternut squash soup, my very favorite. I have only had one shot at eating it this year and it was very good, even if at a restaurant. Would love some of yours, DH does not know what is good for him or what he is missing.

CHELLE...how are you feeling?

TERRA...where are you??

DEE...how are you holding up in the colder temps? Work keeping you hopping?

SHADDIE...come up for air.

SUSIE...come up for air also!!

Hi to all.

Hugs.

Morning all. It’s a sunny day here, but still windy as heck. And it’s chillier today, with lower temps to come this weekend. No doubt I will be wearing my long down coats in the very near future!

==

Annie – Wow is right! I’m so glad you didn’t have a serious accident with any injuries or damage. Yes, I do have the option of a high deductible plan with an HSA account. I think I’m put off (i.e., CHICKEN) about possibly having a big thing happen and having a giant deductible amount to pay all at once. That said, my employer does put some cash in the HSA for us, so that would be helpful until we could build up more of a balance to help pay towards the deductible. Still…After last year’s open enrollment ended, I probably said I should seriously consider it more carefully for next year. And next year is here and I put it off yet again. Sigh. It’s really a good thing when you think about it – much lower premiums, and if you don’t need the HSA money, it builds up year after year.
==
I did a Body Electric workout last night – pecs, back, quads, & outer thighs. It was another show from one of my old VHS tapes, so I recorded it to the DVR in the event I didn’t already have it. But it turns out I already had this one recorded, so after I finished the workout, I erased it from the dvr hard drive. I keep wondering when I’ll get to the end of this VHS tape. Next time I think I’ll pull the tape out of the machine to see how much is left on there…

So next week I’ll only have a 2-day workweek. :cb: I’m taking the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off, as well as the following Monday. It won’t be 6 full days of time to myself, but it’ll be quite a bit of home time and me time. :) I’m looking forward to it!

Today my left eye keeps watering. I think something blew into it while I walked to the train this morning. This is going to drive me nuts. Dang wind!!

That’s it for me. Have a great day everyone!
:coffee2:

Hello
Woke up this morning with a sinus headache. ugh. All the weather changes does this to me. Blood pressure is back up to 180/85 this morning.
My co-worker called me to come finish filling out my time sheet. The boss wants them tomorrow. Next week is a short week so we will more than likely get paid on Wednesday. She told me that her sister in law is on jury duty this month too. At least I will know one other person.
My cable has been out since the storm Tuesday night. We did get around 6 inches of rain according to my boss.
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Annie
Glad their wasn't any damage to the vehicles. It's not the thunderstorms that I dread, it's trying to keep the tanks full and wondering whether or not the power is going to go out etc. But I did survive and that's what counts.

Happy
You are off and running again. Hope I can find something of interest to do when I retire that will keep me busy.

Laura
The HSA account sounds interesting. Our employer doesn't have this. It sure would come in handy.

Shad
Are you having a good week.

Hello's to Michelle, Susie, and Terra.

LAURA....I love the HSA account here. Yes a higher deductible, but there is a finance company here that pays your high medical bill then you pay them back within 18 mos at no interest. Plus you can also use your HSA monies for dental and eye bills. WF has coughed over about 1000.00 bucks to my HSA for this year. We get rewarded for physicals, labs, on-line medical classes all kinds of stuff. Not only do I get rewarded but also C if he participates which he does to a certain extent. Also prescriptions go towards your deductible, you have to pay them till you hit your deductible, but they go towards meeting your deductible.

Later gaters

Hi all,

Last couple of days I have had a really hard time getting to this site. It more often than not hangs and doesn't respond. Have tried Internet Explore and Chrome - same results. I know part of it is the lousy internet service up here but I have trouble with some sites, not all and this is one of the worst. So many times I just give up and forget to try later.

Been a busy week so far - working on the shelter software and training. Had our twice yearly board meeting yesterday. There were too many items on the agenda and in my opinion it was rushed. I think we should meet quarterly especially since this was an overview of next year's activities and budget. I felt we glossed over a lot and a few people left before the meeting was actually finished. :shrug:

It turned cold. Winter is here. Snow flurries all day and brrrr. It's cold. I am not really happy to see it. Could stay in the 50's and I'd be ok with it. I need to go through some of my magazines and work out a menu for Thanksgiving so I can go shopping on Tuesday and avoid the Wednesday rush.

Annie - I think a lot depends on the company and what they will put into the HSA. My last job it was a total rip off - the "bank" handling the money charged crazy fees - so not worth it But it seems like you have a gem in yours. I do like that you can roll over the money in the HSA if you don't use it in that calendar year - was always a crapshoot figuring out just how much to allocate in the annual flex spending account. Sorry you had a bump tap but how wonderful that the other party was good about the whole thing. Maybe there is hope in the world yet! Nice that you get the better part of next week to relax and do what you want. I figured you might host the family meal.

Ceejay - if you decide to get involved in any sort of volunteer capacity once you retire, I promise you that the work will FIND YOU :lol: I was wondering how you made out with that heavy storm. Did you have to reroute any flooded roads?

Laura - I bought some Cuddle Duds for the first time ever to wear under sweaters or thermal shirts. Have you ever tried them? They are light weight - hope they keep in the body warmth. I just signed up for next year's health insurance today - had ONE more day to decide. Talk about back to the wall. The "cheapest" plan will cost me almost $11,000 out of pocket BEFORE I even make one claim. :faint: Definitely the one positive to a full time job is subsidized health care. And I am 3 and a half years away from Medicare whose premiums are shooting up in the stratosphere too. DH is opting to drop his prescription drug plan. With his current medications he would pay about $150 more in insurance than his meds would cost him paying out of pocket. At least that's what he said he calculated. I hope he's right as for once I did not double check this as we are on 2 different plans. Even the HSA or high deductible plans would cost me about 1500 - $2000 more than the mid deductible plan. And this is the group plan through DH's former employer. I am like you Laura - scared that if I took the cheapest plan I'd either suffer for the care or would get whammied for a big out of pocket cost. Then again, I had pricey insurance and still had to pay $3500 in cash out of pocket for my cataract surgery which left me wondering why I had insurance ... I hope your eye tearing calmed down. I used to hate the occasional hazard of flying schmutz downtown and heaven knows there was enough of it blowing from everywhere!

Laura - fool proof turkey. Chop up carrots, onions, celery. Place in bottom of pan. Wash and place turkey in roaster. Pour over the turkey a large box of Swanson's chicken, turkey or vegetable broth. Melt a stick of butter. Pour over the turkey. Season with pepper and lightly salt (butter and broth have lots of salt in them). Put the turkey in the oven and slow roast at 325 until done. I like the turkeys with a pop up timer or use a thermometer to be sure. I do a bad thing and occasionally baste the turkey while it's cooking - it's bad because you lower the oven temp quite a bit doing this but heck, I like crisp turkey skin. The bed of carrots, onion and celery makes just a wonderful broth for the turkey and keeps it moist. I have cooked it in a turkey sized cooking bag and have cooked it in a covered roaster - both came out juicy and flavorful. Easy peasy. We never put the stuffing in the bird - my mom was afraid of horror stories about getting sick with that so we always cooked it separately.

A few more things to do before bed tonight so I'd sign off. Sweet dreams everyone.

TGIF...yeah!

HEY HAPPY CAKES....I am going to try the turkey recipe above tomorrow. It sounds so easy, I may throw a chopped up apple in there for good measure. lol Probably not so much celery as IMO it can be overwhelming in recipes and I am not much of a fan anyway. It sounds delish. RE: HSA, WF pays all the administrative fees for all accounts, makes it all well worth it.

My bro stopped over for dinner last night. I made beef stroganoff, bread from the deli, he brought an apple crumb pie, also had salad and cauliflower. We got to laughing about something so hard we forgot what the heck we were laughing about. Fun times.

Tomorrow is our TG, lots of fam and fun.

Make it a great weekend. Hugs