Good morning ladies,

Crazy day yesterday. It started at 2:20am when our power snapped out due to incredibly high wind gusts all day long. Lots of trees down and the power was bobbing in and out all evening. Then at 2:20 a big tree fell on the power lines down the road and took us all out. No light, no heat, no water. I had filled up 5 jugs of water ahead of time just in case - no water means only a few flushes in the toitee. When I went to bed I was actually getting claustrophobic because it was so black you could not see your hand directly in front of your face even though you could feel your breath on your palm so you know it was close. I always have night lights on so I'm never in total darkness. I could feel myself starting to freak out so I opened the shade and thank goodness there was enough dim light in the sky so I could see a difference between the sky and the tree line - enough to not make me feel I was closed into a black coffin. Still took me an hour to fall asleep so not much sleep that night. Woke up and the house was 60 degrees - not as cold as it could have been. Lit the stove and made a coffee. DH took a ride to see what was what. I had a 1pm meeting at the thrift shop and took empty water jugs to fill with me. DH came as we ended our meeting and said with nothing else to do he was going around looking at 4x4 trucks. We really hated the Toyota dealership we bought the 4Runner from and he took the car in for service Monday and they made him wait over an hour just to finish the paperwork and were very rude when he asked what the hold up was. He had been tossing the idea of replacing the 4Runner for a while but that would cost us money and he held off. Then he was saying that the car was struggling a bit towing the boat (we decided not to dock it permanently but to trailer it instead). I think he just wanted to get rid of the 4Runner. We went to the local Ford dealership which is VERY generous to the community and the Humane Society. DH had looked at a Chevy truck and now was comparing a Ford F150. After spending what seemed like the day there, we drove home with a shiny red brand new truck. They gave us a very good price for our trade in. DH really likes the truck. Yikes tho those things are not cheap although I hope we can keep this for at least 10 years. We didn't get out of the dealer until 7:30 and neither of us had eaten all day - we didn't plan on being gone that long. We stopped at Perkins (family restaurant) and I had a turkey dinner and DH had chicken and broccoli with pasta. We were delighted to see our power was back on because they said on the recorded message that it might not be back on until today and the house would have been REALLY cold. Kitties were also a bit disoriented by complete darkness too. Anyway all is well but I totally lost the day I had hoped would be more productive.

Anne - I think it's fun that they have the little bowling balls for kids. I hope he has a wonderful party and a few "strikes" LOL. I'm sorry I can't make the party - no bowling with these knees of mine. I'm glad you are really embracing your new keto life. CONGRATS on a medium size shirt - strut that stuff woman !!!! It's WORKING for you. I'm sorry "things" are eating up all your paycheck but I'm glad you are still managing to find a few dollars to put in your 401K. Believe me you won't regret it later even though I'm sure you may feel you have better things to use it for now.

Laura - Been meaning to say that I'm glad you got good news on your biopsy - nothing like peace of mind. We ordered Lou Malnati's frozen deep dish pizzas from Tastes of Chicago for our New Year's celebration. We both enjoyed that back home taste. Yum. Good luck with your goal of tracking your cash. My Mom used to keep pads and pads of paper where she meticulously kept track of every penny she spent - only because we didn't have much to spend. I tried doing that with a spiral bound note pad I kept in my purse and that's really hard to stick with so I wish you well with that. It IS a good practice if you can keep up with it.

Ceejay - I saw your picture of the flowering tree on Facebook. Boy I miss that!

Shad - so sorry to hear that you are losing all your hair. I will have to send you a hat although I don't know if you will get it in time. Be gentle with yourself my friend.

Susie - yay for making yourself a priority even though you are busier that all get out!!! That's the key to success.

Sorry to run - we have to take care of a few things this morning and I have a newspaper article to write before I go to bingo tonight. Talk to your tomorrow.

Afternoon all.

Annie – Good for you, stay home tomorrow and rest and let the meds help you recover from the sinus issues. Enjoy your longer weekend and enjoy R’s birthday bowling party. Ice cream cone cupcakes? Make mine a sugar cone, I love those! Happy 3rd birthday to R!! == What’s the crust made out of on keto fathead pizza??

Happy – I’m glad the power outage didn’t last long – not a good thing to happen during the winter. == Congrats on your new vehicle! That’ll definitely have the towing power for the boat! I hope it lasts you a good long time. == I’ll try my best to keep up with the cash tracking – the app on my cell phone makes it more convenient at least. == Enjoy bingo tonight!

Hellos to the rest of you. Hope your week is going well!

==
Nothing much to report. The week’s gone by sort of quickly, so that’s nice. On Saturday we have a wake/memorial service to go to for bf’s SIL’s mother, who passed away last Friday. We’ll be out in the area where my friend D lives that day, but we’ll have bf’s mom with us, so we can’t try to stop by her place. D’s been very busy with her new job AND a new bf, so we’ve been playing a lot of phone tag lately.

Okay, I’ll get this posted and get back to it. TTFN.

Fathead pizza dough
1 ½ cups grated mozzarella cheese (170 g/ 6 oz)
2 tbsp cream cheese (56 g/ 2 oz)
1 large egg
½ tsp salt
¾ cup + 1 tbsp almond flour (85 g/ 3 oz)
extra virgin olive oil for flattening the dough

Start by making the pizza crust. Place the grated mozzarella cheese into a bowl and add the cream cheese. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Mix with a spatula and microwave on high for another 30 seconds. Mix again.
Add the egg and combine well. Add salt, almond flour and mix until well combined.
Place the dough on a heatproof baking mat and use your hands to flatten until ¼ - ½ inch (½ - 1 cm) thick. Spray some olive oil on your hands to prevent the dough from sticking. Alternatively, you can use a piece of parchment paper on top and roll the dough out until thin. Dock the dough with a fork and bake in the oven preheated to 425 F/ 220 C for 12-15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and spread the marinara sauce on top and desired toppings. Low carb toppings, any meat and cheese or veggies for that matter. Onions have high carbs.
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 203 Calories from Fat 151
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16.8g 26%
Total Carbohydrates 4g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1.6g 6%
Sugars 1g
Protein 11g 22%

About 2.4 net carbs per slice. 8 slices

Pressed the wrong key on the keyboard and lost my post. ugh
We have been having some severe weather tonight. Would you believe we are supposed to have snow this week end!!!!
May go to Branson tomorrow night.
-----------

Happy
That was a Bradford Pear tree not far from my sister's condo in Branson. I'm enjoying the beauty of Spring this year in the Ozarks.
Yeah on the new Ford F150 truck. I know that would pull the boat. I'd have to have a ladder to get up in one.

Annie
How cute that R wants a bowling party! Did you finish the reports?

Shad
I don't blame you for not turning the clothes inside out. You are doing that person a favor by doing their laundry.
How do you keep your self motivated on cleaning?

Laura
I had thought about tracking my spending habits but I have a prepaid card that I use for Walmart shopping etc. Maybe I should do my cash that way too.

Sorry to be so sporadic. I will catch up this weekend.

Shad, prayers for you and the 2ND round of chemo.

As for your hair, I remember my sister-in-law dealing with that. In face she called me crying when it was coming out in handful's. I met her at her house with a bottle of wine and a bottle of whiskey and we shaved her head.

She had decided she wanted a wig so we had it ready to go. It was one with real hair. At home she would wear her scars if she wasn't wearing her wig. Hugs to you!

Annie, glad to hear you took time off to get well.

Welcome back to Dee. We missed you!

Hi to Laura, Happy and Ceejay

I am heading to bed.

I did want to share a 2 lb loss at TOPS tonight. Since Christmas Day I have lost 35 lbs.

Morning all. TGIF!

Annie – Thanks for posting the pizza crust recipe. I was thinking it would be made with cauliflower, but then again that would have a lot of carbs, right? Anyway, the almond flour is interesting, and all that cheese – it’s got to be tasty! Does it get nice and crispy?

Ceejay – I think we’re forecast for snow here on Monday. Hope it’s not much of an accumulation. Those Bradford Pear trees are so pretty – my mom had one in front of her house. However, they are brittle and don’t always do well in severe weather, like ice & wind storms. == Checked out your blog link – good job on the exercise!

Susie – What an awesome loss you’ve had since Christmas! You’re probably on track for being the biggest TOPS loser for March. :

Shad – I hope your chemo session went well. Have you found a nice hat or scarf to wear? I imagine you’d got cold during the session when those fluids are being pumped into you. Take care and let the kids and ODDU pamper you while you recover.

Hellos to Happy & Dee.

==
Received a text from our admin this morning – she got “the call” last night and is now in the hospital – today she’s supposed to get a kidney transplant. I’m so thrilled for her! She’s been on dialysis for so long (over three years) and has been struggling a lot lately. I hope it all goes well. Please remember her in your prayers.

We learned yesterday that one of bf’s long-time friends passed away at only 47 years old. He had a heart attack in his sleep overnight Tuesday/Wednesday. He was morbidly obese for many years and I know that must have been a factor. Very sad – he was a very nice guy that I always enjoyed seeing at the gatherings of friends. He was a movie enthusiast and we used to talk about movies we’d recently seen. He'll be missed by many.

I wore a regular shoe for a few hours yesterday afternoon at work, but today my foot's a bit sore, so I’ll skip that today. Actually, my other foot is hurting a bit too and I hope I haven’t put so much stress on that foot all these weeks that I get a stress fracture in that one too.

That’s about it for me. Tomorrow morning we have the service for bf’s SIL’s mom. Other than that, no other plans. I’ll be finishing my taxes and getting them filed this weekend, and I'll probably try to tackle some more paperwork that needs organizing.

Back to earning my pay.

Hello Everyone,

I survived the week. It has been a tough one. Along with so much work to be completed I have been dealing with a "knife in my back" that I found accidentally.

It was put there by my Manager and he doesn't even know that I know. Instead of being thankful and giving me credit for the OT that I put in to get things done, especially with his last minute demands last weekend, he has displayed it as a weakness of mine and feels that if it continues he will not support me for a 1 rating. You can bet that going forward, I won't be working OT for him and I have started a notebook logging exactly what I'm working on, when I got the request and when it has to be done. I am building a case in the event that I have to go to HR.

I am not sure what to do with the information that I have but it has thrown my confidence off a bit. I knew that I didn't really feel engaged in my work with him. Let's say he talks out of both sides of his mouth. I don't like him as a person and now I don't trust him. I know this is not a good working situation. I'm praying for wisdom and seeking out trusted direction from 2 sources who have stood beside me during my career as to what to do.

I'm not about to leave my role to just run to something else, but I am opening myself up to think about other roles that are available on my same level and not just the EA track.

I am hurt, frustrated and very disappointed and I still have to work with this man. Please pray for me, for protection, clarity, forgiveness so I can move on, and just some good luck.

Thank you ladies.

Life isn't all about work or the woes of it. I have been enjoying my workouts and the comments I get on the weight I have loss. I decided to do something nice for myself and I bought a new skin care regime. My skin has become so dry and I couldn't figure out what I should be using to wash my face and all those things that come with the care of it. So I reached out to a friend of mine who has used Mary Kay for years and sells it. I purchased the TimeWise set and I feel so good about doing something for myself that makes me feel pampered...it's the little things!

Annie: A medium shirt!!! That is awesome. Keep up the good work.

Laura: I will most certainly keep the Admin in my prayers. I'm so glad that she got a kidney. It is going to change her life! You have been a good co-worker to her.

I am sorry to hear about your BF's long time friend passing.

I hope your foot woes end soon. I remember going through all that 2 years ago with my foot. It was despressing at times. Hang in there.

I need to get busy and pay some bills, get my workout in, go to the nieces basketball game then to Walmart. DH is working this morning so I am on grocery shopping duty. We are going out tonight with friends for dinner, so the house cleaning will get done tomorrow.

Have a good day everyone!

Morning all,
Chemo on Friday went okay. Took a lot longer than estimated because a: consultant was a half hour late with her appointments, b: had a long wait in the waiting room for space c: they couldn't find a suitable vein in my right arm and after several goes at that, they took to the left arm and finally got one there. So I had to sit and wait then. My marvellous neighbour was there for the entire time and we laughed and joked with the other patients there, some of whom were back for seconds after 5 years. Some didn't look too good either. I'm now halfway with the treatment and it doesn't get any easier I can tell you. Still the consultant is pleased with the blood results and commented on my 'new hairdo'.
I've dealt with the constipation this time, just need to conquer the indigestion now.

Susie - hope you get past the woes of that job. Boss sounds like a right a***hole. You are right to seek avenues elsewhere and get advice from trusted people.
I have a friend in the States who sold Mary Kay and I loved their foundation moisturiser. I haven't got any more from her lately but I also don't think she is selling anymore. I must ask her. Unfortunately she is deep into politics at the moment so I don't talk to her often now.

Laura - Thanks for the wishes for chemo. It went okay as you can see from the above blurb. The kids have been great this time around. However they are messy and I like my place clean and tidy. So while they are doing other things I clean up after them.
Glad to hear that the foot is coming right. Hope the other foot is not under pressure as well.
I hope all went well for the admin person and her new kidney. I'm thinking of her and all she has to go through.
Sorry to hear about b/f friends death. Young to die but being obese wouldn't have helped him

Ceejay - That photo of the tree was lovely. I do love spring but we don't get much of them here in the sub-tropics. Might get a blossom tree or two but they are all done in two to three days. Same with bulbs.

Happy - nice new truck. Red too so it goes faster. Hope you get better service out of it than the last one. That wasn't very old was it?
Power outages are a pain. Particularly when you are planning things to do that rely on power. And I always worry that the freezer will defrost and I will lost all the preserving that I did in stone fruit season. Not that it has finished yet - stone fruit season I mean. Plums are coming in now and that is about the end of the season here in Aus. We will see some NZ stuff in shortly but it will also be shortlived.

Annie - hope you have now got over the sinus gunk and are on the way to feeling better again.
Free for alls are good meals because you end up getting a lot of stuff out of the refrigerator and it looks all empty and shiny again. I am always going through mine and chucking things. I have people in my house who say they like leftovers but never eat them. Annoying. I leave whatever is there for 3 days and out it goes.
Hope the birthday party went well. Sounds like fun. Sorry I can't make it. Still my head would frighten little kids at the moment.

Okay - off to do some cleaning and clearing again. Since I am feeling relatively energetic this morning (it won't last I can assure you) I had better do things now. This after chemo life is proceeding exactly the same as last time, except I fixed the constipation problem so I don't have that to look forward to. Tomorrow will be body pain day and then the pain will relocate to the legs and feet and keep going south for another day. After that all will be normal for a while. So if I don't get back in for a day or so you will know why.
It's all good and only 2 more to go.

Hello ladies,

Most mornings lately have me on the run so that's why I have not been posting. This morning no exception. There was a radio auction - local radio station and local merchants. I got a $500 certificate for flooring for the basement floor for half price. And an almost half price discounted ferry ticket for the northern island we like to visit each year. Had to listen to the entire radio program to ensure no one out bid me. They didn't. Also got 2 certificates for me for a massage. Then I had to hurry and get ready as DH was pacing to get out the door and on with the day. Stopped at the thrift store and went to Walmart to pick up some makeshift racks to display a bunch of adorable handmade baby clothes that were donated to us. Now that we have a new truck DH is parking in the next town - not really but he parks so far at the end of the lot it might as well be 2 stores down or in the next town. While I wouldn't mind the extra steps, it is cold in the single digits out there and my knees are not happy about walking wayyyyyyyyy to the very far end of the parking lot. He says he is going to park "here" and then drives another 500 feet away. Also we have a red Ford truck. Do you know how many red pickup trucks there are in this town? I have in 2 days span tried to go into at least 5 trucks that are not mine. This makes me feel rather doddering.

Shad - I am sad that you are feeling the chemo so much. At least you have quickly learned to adapt. I was going to send you some moisturizer but I spent at least 30 minutes pouring over the Australian customs site as I am not sure if it can pass your borders and I am not fond of being fined $60,000 AU for trying to send something that can be perilous to the environment. But I will say that I totally support that as in our own way we are the same way with boats and not transferring hazardous species from one lake to another. If you think I can send this to you, please let me know and will it take 3 months to get to your side of the earth??? I promise to pack it well from drips and leaks. Do you have small veins or does the chemo shrink them too? I know some people get a "port" installed to make all the pinching easier on the arms. I would like you to know that I tried to cut a mango in a salute to you today. Was adding it to tacos for supper. I swear I cannot get the hang of these things although thanks to chef's class I am better suited to cutting them now. Just can't figure out quite when they are ripe. This one gave a bit to the touch like a ripe avocado and the skin was just barely about to wrinkle but it was not as juicy and sweet as the strips I cheat and buy in the glass jars in the deli case. These came from Nicaragua according to the label. I always think of you when I have mangoes. Perhaps you can show me one day. Sorry to hear that you suffer from body pains - as if nausea and constipation is not enough. Glad you had a friend to be there with you and help take your mind off things. Does ODDU treat you any differently or will he offer you some of his hair until yours grows back? Will this be it for you after the 4 treatments. I understand from a friend currently undergoing treatment that now they place you on a low dose "preventative" medication for the rest of your life. Of course that might be related to the type of cancer and stage. He said they have changed the way they do treatments now. Hang in there kiddo - wish I could be there for a good back rub and a nice tray of fruits to hand you to go along with a relaxing glass of wine. Or you could come up - later, it's way too cold right now - and I'll share one of the massage certificates.

Susie - that is really sad and frustrating about the manager. Is he trying to make it seem that you cannot keep up with your workload and are trying to bilk overtime??? Of course no mention on his part about switching things at the last minute to cause you more work. You are very right to keep close notes on what's going on. This may or may not help you in the future but you certainly don't want to place your career going forward in this person's hands. A terrible shame. BUT I think this is the old "brick to the head" - a sign to open your eyes and be aware of the situation so that you can plan accordingly. There are good bosses and bad ones. At least you know where you stand with this one and can look for other opportunities as they present themselves. Then again, there are people who have someone they really depend on and they will do what they can or block them from moving on so that they don't lose them. Don't let him get into your head and negatively affect you in any way.

Annie - thank you for the pizza crust recipe. I may give that a try as I have some almond flour too. Pizza here sucks anyway.

Laura - what wonderful news for the admin. I hope all goes well for the transplant for her. and Sorry that you have lost a friend so young - yes I am sure the obesity contributed to it. Genetics seems to do a person in more than anything though. I'm sure it's going to take some getting used to getting back into a shoe again - both for your feet and your back. Just ease back into them - sort of like transitioning to contact lens!

Bradford Pears - yes Ceejay. Our Poplar main street was lined with them. I always loved them in the spring but the Redbud was my personal favorite. Now you are making me pine for those beautiful flowering trees. I hope you don't get any more snow. That would certainly wreck the blooms. I hear the azaleas are in bloom back in Tennessee too.

Think I'm going to post this and jump into the hot tub. My hands are like ice packs - I should hold them to my knees I'm just chilled all over. But that's ok. That means we are coming near to the end of winter.

Have a good Sunday chicks.

Susie
Glad you have decided to keep a log of the things you are working on. That comes in handy.

Happy
My red bud tree will be in full bloom this week end if this cold snap doesn't get it.

Hello's to Shad and Laura

----------
I'm glad I finally got things cleaned up Friday. My sis brought her grand sons by the house today for their dad to pick them up after he got off work. He came in then his wife came in. I had a house full but enjoyed it.
We didn't get any snow today. It all went south into Arkansas.
Getting excited about the trip to Texas Thursday.

Morning all,

Raining here today which is great. No idea how long it will last but anything is better than nothing. We badly need this rain.

Aches and pains all over today but not quite as bad as the first time. Just bad on the pressure points - ie, when I sit down the aches appear in the butt, stand up and they are in the legs and the feet. Lie down feel them on the head and the back. Still will probably be done by tomorrow and the good times will return. Just doing as much as I can, when I can.

Happy - sounds like you got a couple of bargains there. Don't think that there would be a problem with the moisturiser as long as it is declared as such, but please don't go to too much trouble. Chris (from Japan) sent me some toiletries a birthday or two ago and some talc powder must have leaked. There was a message on the parcel when it arrived to say that it had been opened because of white powder leakage and had to be tested by customs. I think us two grannies must be on the BOLO list for Aus Customs.
I know the feeling of parking your new vehicle at the end of the car park. I did that with my new car for a long time too. A lot of idiots out there that can't park properly and think nothing of ramming the trolley into your car or banging their doors against it.
I can see I will have to come over in mango season and show you how to do it. It really is easy, you just have to avoid the flat pit in the middle. Stand it on it's pointy end and slice down about 1/2 inch from the stem bud of the mango. You then get a cheek of mango. Do the other side the same, then peel the skin off whats left and get naked in the bath and suck on the pit. Yummy. The ones you buy in a jar have added sugar. No wonder they taste different. I like mine on the firm side, no soft bits for me. But I don't like them hard. It's a bit of an art and of course it depends on which variety of mango you buy as to the flavour. Some don't have a big taste.
I'm not sure of 'what happens next' after chemo is done. I will be asking the consultant that after the next one. I suspect that I will be having blood tests and maybe scans for a while. It seems that if there is cancer lurking then your chances after 5 years are not that great. So far there is no sign of any lurkers in my blood tests. Some of the people in chemo on Friday were back for the second time. Went into remission and then it returned. As far as I am aware, there is nothing to return for me. No ovaries or uterus or appendix to worry about. But I won't count the chickens too early.

Ceejay - isn't it nice to have the family dropping in occasionally and to be able to see the little ones grow.

Think it might be time for a bit of a nap. Not overdoing anything today. If you don't sleep well, then it really gets to you the next day.

Shad
Yes, I love being around my family. I'm not used to extremely active little boys. They wore me out in just an hour. Think of my sis who had them all morning. She was frazzled to the bone.
-----

Church this morning and book club this afternoon. Got my piano assignment for Maundy Thursday so I'll be practicing that until then. Time change was this week end also. Think I stayed up later than I normally would so I was sleepy this afternoon and took a nap when I got home. Now I have a headache.
Rain is supposed to turn to snow during the night but they are not expecting any accumulation. I heard it raining which we need as things are getting dry. Guess mother nature is saying that she is still in charge.

Good Monday morning. HAPPY, ALMOST but not quite there HEALTHY but much better, GRATEFUL and BLESSED.

YEEEEEEEEEhAWWWWWWWWWWW....down another 2 lbs, by total for 1 month is 12. Cartwheels and happy dance! 192.2 now 180.2, probably more than that this morning because I literally crapped the bed last night. Had to get up and send C to the couch. I was doing bedding laundry at midnight. I just threw a huge beach towel on the mattress and slept on it the rest of the night. OMGosh, very tired this morning. I think maybe I finally had a break through cause I had been a bit constipated all week long last week. Sorry for the TMI this early in the morning.

Royce had a wonderful time at his bowling party- too stinking cute. It took all of 2 hours for 6 kids to bowl 1 game using two alleys. The ice cream cone cupcakes were a hit. My son, bless his heart, OMGosh, I about went spastic, got Royce a trampoline, a small kid one, but still. I wouldn't let my kids have one nor play on someone elses. Too dangerous. Bleh on that. Great day!

Samantha came down with what I had. Off to the clinic. Keflex for her. She is still recovering. I ended up taking Jacob to school on Friday and picking him back up. She was down for the count. C has been trying to get it but I have been giving him extra vit C drinks and staying far far away from him. Both the boys are coughing but they don't seem to slow down like the rest of us.

The chicken cordon bleu casserole I made on Thursday night was a huge success. Quite tasty and very much tasted like CCB. Delish! Also made some chicken salad that all were excited about and loved. The only diff in my KETO and their regular chicken salad is mine did not have sugar or grapes in it. They all did try my KETO recipe and like it.

There is supposed to be snow just north of Indy today. I tell you we are paying for the nice high temperatures we had in February. It is cold and dreary out there today, altho yesterday was nice and sunny, cold but sunny. I am ready for spring and the plants were all fooled around here now are dying. 35 is the high today.

LAURA...there is a cauliflower pizza crust recipe that I have not tried yet that many are saying is good. I have not done any of the faux cauliflower anything yet. Mashed potatos, crust, etc. Would rather not go to the trouble. Maybe later when my choices slow down I may try it then. How is the admin? Transplant go well? Prayers for her. Sad to hear of BFs friend. Hugs to you both. The shoe to boot transition takes some getting used to. The foot liked the spacey no crunch of the boot.

SHADDIE...a friend of mine went through chemo and now radiation. I am telling you her wigs look like the real thing and I cannot tell it is a wig. The only way I tell is she has about 3 or 4 different styles and switches them up now and again. I have to catch myself before I stick my foot in my mouth from saying Oh you got your hair cut. Duh. Hope you are feeling better by now. Nice of your neighbor to help you along too.

HAPPY....Oh congrats on the new truck and red too. You do know more people with red vehicles get stopped more often for traffic violations. Just sayin' Doesn't really matter where you park these days, some boob will try to park right on your bumper. Good luck with that one DH. Yes and once you get a new vehicle, EVERYONE has one just like yours. I try to get in another Highlander about once a week. Same color and all. Takes me a minute to realize why my fob does not work. Guess that is the blonde in me.

SUSIE....great loss at TOPS. You sure are kicking heiny. Boo on the manager back stabbing. I had that type of stuff at Humana. Especially when you probably put more time into your work than anyone. Boy does he have the nerve. That is ok, keep tracking and have your ducks in a row. Don't let that one manager still your confidence joy. He probably got a bad rating and is jealous. Nice to pamper yourself for work well done! New skin regime is always a nice welcome.

CEEG...I know what you mean on the littles wearing you out. Daily basis for me. What are you play for Maundy Thursday? Be careful, you will get roped into playing for all the services at church before it is over. lol.

Bout it for me. Make it a great day/night. Hugs all.

Annie
We have a regular pianist at church and a fill in. If for some reason the choir doesn't sing I will fill in then if some one else doesn't want too. Congrats on the pounds you have lost thus far. Ahh so exciting to see the little ones have a good time bowling.

Not to much to report this dark and dreary Monday morning. I'm healthy, happy and blessed.

Morning all. First of all – I texted the admin Saturday morning and she reported that the surgery happened Friday and the kidney started up right away and that she felt good (except for the incisions). Another co-worker from another department talked to her over the weekend and said she sounded great. Such wonderful news. I know there will be new/different challenges for her with this new kidney, but I’m just so glad she’s not on dialysis anymore. S. will be out of the office for a while (about 8 weeks), so we’re going to think about if a temp will be required.

Ceejay – We’ve got wet snow here today, ugh. Mother Nature is definitely still in charge! == I can understand being whooped after being with the energetic little ones for even the shortest period of time! It must have seemed very quiet after their dad picked them up!

Annie – I’m glad the bowling b-day party went well. LOL re the time it took to bowl one game. The ball sure rolls slowly… == I hope you’re not getting any snow or other icky precip down there. Of course the weather folks up here turned this all into an “event”, which maybe it is since a lot of flights were cancelled at both of our major airports. == I had a bunch of daylilies popping up during the mild weather. Even though I plan to get rid of a lot of them this season, I still feel bad that they’re now going through this cold and snowy weather. Mother Nature sure has some sense of humor, huh? == Hop Sam feels better soon, and that C doesn’t catch it!!

Shad – Too bad about the delay with this recent chemo session - at least your marvelous neighbor was there to keep you company. Hope the aftermath effects are milder than the previous session – is it better or worse to now know what to expect? == Yay for the rain!

Susie – I’m sorry to hear your manager is not to be trusted. Good that you’ll track all the work given to you by him. I won’t say I don’t trust my boss, but my boss’s boss – now I don’t trust him at all. My direct boss, though, is someone that lacks confidence/gumption and is fearful of displeasing anyone from outside the department. Given that, I truly wouldn’t expect him to stand up for his own employees. So maybe that does equate to him not being trustworthy. Anyway, I’m sad you’re going through that, but I’m glad you have colleagues you can turn to for support and guidance. Hang in there!! == Good to treat yourself to a new skincare regime. Everyone needs a bit of pampering, and what a great reward for yourself!!

Happy – Sounds like you did really well with the radio auction. And how timely for the flooring certificate! == LOL re going to all the different red pickup trucks! You need to have a flag on yours to make it stand out, LOL.

Hi Dee!
==
My weekend was alright. We went to the service for bf’s SIL’s mom on Saturday morning. Long drive out to the “boonies” (Woodstock). Bf’s mom wasn’t feeling 100%, so we skipped the burial service and luncheon afterwards. I was glad for that.

The left earpiece on my eyeglasses is broken. Nothing to do with the screw for the hinge, but another piece that has to do with the spring portion of it. The glasses are now very loose, and the earpiece can come out of the hinge, so it’s a PITA – I’m constantly checking to make sure it hasn’t worked it’s way apart. I tried to wear an old pair of glasses, but that didn’t work for me. I’ll have to check around and see if they can be repaired because I have to wait until May to get new frames with my vision insurance benefits. I’ll be wearing my contact lenses a lot more now.

I did some grocery shopping on Saturday afternoon that left my feet a bit sore – of course it was the giant store and a lot of steps, or it felt like it anyway. I’ve decided that store isn’t worth the effort. It’s not super convenient as to location, and it’s so big that if you forgot something in another department, it’s a good hike to get back there. I’m pretty happy that a new Mariano’s is opening by us in a couple weeks, and it’ll be very convenient for us. It’s a chain that has all the normal grocery stuff (somehow related to Roundy’s, if any of you’ve heard of that chain), but it has fantastic meat, fish/seafood, and prepared food areas.

On Sunday I completed my federal and state taxes and filed them. I also did some laundry.

Today I wore my tall snow boots to work since we’ve got about 3 inches of snow, and more expected throughout the day. Nice and roomy because I’d bought them larger to accommodate thicker socks, so my foot wasn’t being smooshed. I’m wearing “the boot” right now, but will wear two regular shoes for a few hours this afternoon. At home I’m mostly wearing slippers when I’m just sitting or puttering around the house.

Enough rambling, back to work! Have a good day everyone.