Hi ladies,

Was going to post earlier but a big storm rolled through. The guy - yes as in singular - just one - guy who was working on the deck covered up his stuff and took off. Storm only lasted about 20 minutes and moved north which is good because it was a nasty one and we don't need any more rain. They were talking inches of rain. There is supposed to be a 2 man crew working on our deck and the younger guy is constantly late or not showing up. He didn't come at all this week - first problems with his kids, now problems with his mother. He is a big yapper and the first to suggest calling it quits for the day. Fortunately we have S who is the "hammer and nail guy" and he is putting together the deck pretty much by himself. He is a hard worker - old school and things will be done right. He looks to be about our age and DH is very happy with his work. Forget about anyone 45 or younger - work ethic and quality of work sucks.

We are leaving the boat at the resort for the rest of the season. As we told more people about the robbery, they came out of the woodwork with comments about petty theft in the area on a regular basis. Fancy homes on the lake there but lots of problems with thieving. DH and I talked - we will trailer the boat or look for a piece of water property (undeveloped) that we can maybe install a dock on although I don't know about that either. With the robberies and all the shooting I see in the news, this world is getting pretty pathetic.

We booked an overnight stay later in the month to a nice island north of here. I already purchased the ferry ticket at a discount. Check in 3pm, check out 10am - you don't even get 24 hours in the room. I hope the weather holds up. We were there last year - nice area for pictures and we can leave the cats alone for 24 hours - Meadow will snooze and Nina will just sit by the door waiting for DH to return.

I can't believe that summer is rushing past and dwindling down quickly. We are trying to make plans to do stuff as the weather permits but we seem to be dancing around the rain alot. Yesterday we went out and picked out a new entry door, picked up a bottle of pineapple sangria DH wants to cook with, went to lunch and stopped at the casino for a little while to use up our free play money and get our senior discount I have a hair appointment this afternoon - not sure if I will keep the 2 color I have - more people are copying my idea now I have to make sure she doesn't hack off too much of my hair. I think I almost prefer the young girl I had the last time but it would be awkward to switch stylists after I have been going to this one for so long.

Tomorrow we have to get up extra early to drive up to Duluth and see the orthopedic doctor. They are talking about morning thunderstorms and we'd be driving right into it all the way so I hope it won't be too awful. The rain this week will also mess up the Perseid meteor showers peeking tomorrow night

Laura - thank you for sharing that Mel graphic. It reminded me of how much she liked to dig them up and post them for our enjoyment. How nice that you are able to take a trip away from home now. I am sometimes torn between having the cats and not being able to go anywhere for an extended period. I'm sorry to hear that BF is having such a hard time with the loss of Coal. Would you consider another dog in the future? I saw a beautiful poem about a dog leaving his toys and favorite blanket and his loving pet parents for another lost soul to enjoy. It was very touching.

Annie - I hope you are doing well and getting ready for tomorrow.

Hello's to the rest of the chicks. I'm going to go russle up some lunch.

Annie - please realize (and I know this firsthand) that blood sugar and A1C rise substantially due to stress. Incredibly high. So unless you strapped your face into the sugar bag, know that everything going on in your life is also pushing your numbers high. Not that it's not good to watch the diet anyway.

Good luck tomorrow. Please text someone or have Sam do it when you are done with surgery so they can spread the word.

Good going on the surgery in the morning Anne. Sending you in there with good thoughts, success and speedy healing.

Sorry to hear about your shingles Ceejay. Ugh - that sure seems to be going around, isn't it?

I'm off to bed and then an early morning trip to the orthopedist. There are bad thunderstorms predicted all night long and into the morning and we will be driving - well DH will - right into them.

Goodnight all... let's get Thursday over with quickly.

Thursday is done over here. I hope all goes well Annie. Am thinking of you as darkness falls over here and light dawns in your neck of the woods.

One more day to go, one more day to go. Just let me get it over and done with early so I can get back to the office and offload my computer and security cards. Then I will really feel like I am coming home.

Back on Saturday to update with the rest of the news. No time right now for anything else. Washing to be done, packing to be finished, and stuff to be sorted.

Hi Everyone,

I received a text from Anne's daughter Samantha @ 11:49 today that Anne's surgery went well and she was in recovery now.

I talked to Anne last night and her surgery time had been moved to 7 a.m.. She will be spending the night in the hospital and should get to come home tomorrow. She will be in a cast.

Anne asked me to let everyone on the thread know when she was out of surgery.

If I hear more, I will post it.

I'll be back later today or tomorrow to also do my own post and personals.

Afternoon all. Busy morning here. I'll try to get back here later with a post. I also heard that Annie's surgery went well and I'm glad to hear it!

Afternoon all. Another of Mellie's images:


===
Annie - Good to get a grip on the diet to keep the A1C in line, and I hope the change in meds helps your mood. Glad to hear the surgery went well, and I hope you are keeping comfortable and pain-free!

Happy – A lot going on in your world. Hope the ortho appointment went well this morning and that you & DH didn’t have to drive through any bad rain/storms. === How did your hair appointment go yesterday? Are you happy with your cut/color? == Re another dog – yes, we’ll get another one someday, but not right away. The poem sounds nice.

Shad – I think it’s the beginning of your Friday, and I hope your last day on this job goes smoothly. Safe travels!!

Hellos to the rest of you! I hope your day is going well.

==
This is another week that’s feeling oh-so-long.

Today’s weigh-in showed me up a pound, which I will gladly take since the day before that I was up 3 pounds! I had a big woosh yesterday that I’m pretty sure was letting go of extra water weight from muscle soreness/swelling in my quads and also from the injury to my hamstring on whatever day that was (Monday??).

I was kept busy this morning taking care of some work that couldn’t wait until the admin gets back. She phoned, BTW. Still in the hospital, not sure when she’ll get out, but feeling better. Good timing - she was able to tell me a couple things that needed to be done.

This afternoon is quiet. Our office’s summer gathering is going on right now. I chose not to go because I’d heard the venue was outdoor only, a crowded space, and no shade to speak of. And today is very hot and humid, so I’m glad I chose not to go. I spent some time tidying up my workspace, but I’m really kind of done for right now. Tomorrow I’ll finish out one my bigger projects and then it’ll be time to get going on two others. After that I’ll be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of my busy time here at work.

Nothing going on after work today. I think we’re going to get some rain overnight tonight, so I might not water the garden. I should move my flower pouch out from under the eaves so it can get some water.

Enough rambling. Gonna get this posted.

Hey it is the wounded worldly chick....

Surgery went great as Samantha messaged some of you. Very painful now. After my physical therapy at 8am I will be released to go home. Hmmm I am enjoying the peace and quiet well mostly. Percocet makes me sleep which is ok. Cast for a week then boot. No weight on foot for 6 weeks. Bleh.

Good morning Chicks

Susie & Laura ~ Thank You for sharing your happy news about Anne

Anne Thanks for your post this morning. Enjoy yourself during recovery & take advantage of being pampered while you can You'll stay in my prayers until you are back to work at W.F.

We got a 5 minute rain shower last night, the first time in 2 weeks... This summer is really dry like last summer, Happy pLease share your water with me. The weather forecasters keep making promises & it's been very spotty rain, we're promised rain on 4 days during the next 7 days so we'll see

Happy ~ I really hope that your doctor appointment went well yesterday. One chick's been repaired, one more chicklet for the doctor to fix

Laura ~ I'm happy to see that you & BF are going on a cruise what's the destination? I'm sorry about your admin health situation, I hope all goes well for her, whatever she needs to happen.

Susie ~ Thanks for sharing your beauty tips with us It's very nice to get a viewpoint from a human customer, instead of just a product advertisement.

Shaddie ~ I bet after you get back home & you just begin to relax & enjoy yourself, the 'corporate job stalkers' will be haunting you to give you new job offers again I hope you take a wonderful well deserved stay-cation at home.

Ceej & Chelle
Have a lovely weekend everyone!

I put a -20# weight ticker goal for myself below, to see what I can achieve by Halloween & to Return to my good health habits again I'll be pleased with a -15# loss & maintaining it I'm going back to eating the 1 serving size portions, with the exception of eating my veggies naked as many as I desire

Hope the link works. Can't attach the photo!

Didn't work. See the link in the next post.

Guess who????

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yy2tqsetiz..._2026.jpg?dl=0

Maybe this works?

Morning all. TGIF!! Finished off that one project - yay!! - and am about to get back to the next one I got started on.

Annie – I hope the PT went alright this morning and you get out of the hospital soon. You have to get the pain pill rx filled and get down to the serious business of your recovery. Six weeks is a long time to be off that foot. Good thing you have family around right now to help out. Rest easy chicky.

Dee – I was expecting rain overnight, but nope. It looks very overcast outside right now, but no rain just yet. that we get the rain we need. === Our cruise destination is the eastern Caribbean. Bf and I have already been on a cruise in that area, but 3 of the 4 ports on this one will be new to us. === I didn’t achieve my WL goal during Annie’s pre-surgery challenge, so I may join you in your Halloween challenge. I’ll think about my goal. That’s about 11-12 weeks from now!!

Awfully quiet here today. Hellos to the rest of you. Ceejay, sorry to hear that your rash is shingles. I suppose the stress of your upcoming move could have brought it on?? I hope you have some meds that are helping!!
==

Nothing much to report. Didn’t do much after work. Bf’s cell phone needs to be replaced. Of course everything’s changed since we got our phones last – no free/inexpensive phones with a new contract, so you pay full boat, and boy are these phones expensive!! Kind of like my move to the high deductible med plan this year and seeing how costly the rx’s are.

As for my weekend plans: Tonight I’m having dinner at my SIL and her sister’s place, and my sister & BIL will also be there, and one of my nephews visiting from TX. Should be nice, though bf is taking a pass on it.

On Sunday morning I’m meeting my HS friends for breakfast, but before that a few of us are meeting at the forest preserve across the street to go for a pre-breakfast walk on the bike path. If it’s still hot/humid like it’s been lately, I’ll bring along a fresh top to change into afterwards.

That’s about it for me. Have a good weekend everyone. Shad, hope you’re already home and have gotten an enthusiastic greeting from ODDU!

Oh, here's another graphic from Mel's postings

Arghhhh

Just lost a big long post I was working on all morning. Never used to have the problems with this site like I do now. Don't have time to retype everything so here's the abbreviated version.

Annie - glad you made it through surgery - wishing you well and you are in my thoughts. Rest up and do what you need to in order to get back on your feet again quickly.

Laura - thanks for the post of Annie foot - nice pedicure and a good looking cast! Wise of you to skip the outdoor event if it was so hot and muggy. At least you are caught up on your desk work now. I always said with the insurance plans - pay me now or pay me later. I don't think you break even no matter what you do. Bummer on the new phone set up expense too.

Ceejay - I hope you are resting up. I heard stress can bring on the shingles in some cases. Maybe this is a residual effect of everything that is happening. Rest up and feel better!

Shad - counting the minutes until you are done with this hopeless effort. Enjoy your time back home.

Dee - wish it was in my power to share the rain - I certainly would - a funny season this summer - too much or not enough of the wet stuff spread around...

I saw the orthpedic doctor yesterday. I have no cartilage in either of my knees so there is nothing to clean and scrape and replacement is my only option. So I will be having my right knee replaced September 9. They are doing it as outpatient at the surgical center instead of the hospital. They are doing this on a limited basis for a select few patients - good health, support with home care, etc. The worst is trying to manage the pain with oral drugs instead of a pain pump but everything I have researched has been extremely positive - very good outcomes, less risk of infection, less invasive and people are really happy with it. A lady at bingo had both her knees done and she was very happy with the outpatient surgical option. Now I need to get things ready around the house for this. It's a faster recovery time too - 3 to 4 weeks instead of 3 months. You just have to be diligent in your own recuperation. I'm already in tremendous pain now, at least I know this will come to an end. I am a bit concerned about leaning on my other leg while I am recuperating as the left knee is wonky too - even if not quite as excruciating as the right one.

I need to do a few things so I'm going to cut my post off here. And HOPE beyond HOPE that it will take. Have a good weekend chicks, I will catch up later.

Happy - Wow!! September 9th, that's just 4 weeks away!! What makes this procedure's recovery so much quicker? I'll have to read up on it. Or ask my sister when I see her tonight - she's probably going to have a knee replacement surgery in the near future. I'm glad you're doing something to deal with your knee problem!!