YAY!!!And you are back Mrs.Shad so that is very good news indeed. As I write this (or should that be type?} :comp: I can smell my potato baking in the oven, I was SO organised today I put the oven on timer but quite what I want with the finished article I have as yet no idea!! :hun:
It is 1 degree here but sunny with it. Nice if you are in the warm indoors looking out, I think... :sunny:
Shad, I hope you are safely ensconsed in Perth by the time you read this, and that you manage to change your flight back home to a few days later so you can "do the tourist bit" round Perth over the national holiday.
:yikes: :eek: how terrible for those people stuck on the broken down ride on the Gold Coast.Frightening and very frightening. Me, I never go near them! :no: I don't even remember liking them as a child so I probably never went within a 100 yards of them then!! :dizzy: Oh! And the big news of the day is that I have some money in my account!!!!! :smug: No not a lot, don't get too excited.The Benefits Agency PROMISED my s/w that the back paid lump sum right back from last May would be in the bank by close of business Friday, and my new fortnightly payment was already there. Hmmmn. Yes well you already know the answer to that one! The 2/52 was not there till close of Friday's business and the lump sum has got lost down the Bank of England vaults somewhere!!! :mad: :mad: Good job I was not going to pay off a large bill yesterday!!! So the wheels of finance are turning.:snail: ...(in reverse I think :lol: )
Now for my final thought of this post....I like mango juice, but not the fruit itself!!! I know, those little men in white coats are knocking on the door.....

Bye bye, keep well, love from Teel. :grouphug: :wave:

Welcome back Shad, how lovely to go to Perth, my SIL lives there, or was living there, they are now moving to Brisbane shortly so we will see them more often I would think. I am on leave after today and I won't be back until the 28th.. we are just pottering aroung, DH has built a pergola so we have that to finish.. and yes he still has the bike although he says it is too small and needs to upgrade :censored: but I suppose your DH can relate to that happy!!!

Miss 6 has had a few bad mozzie bites and has a terrible reaction to them so she is a bit swollen and miserable DH has rung and said she is tired and looks quite unwell so will be nice to be home with my babies for a bit. So I have lots of stuff to do today at work and I am very tired and feeling unenthused. On the other side of the coin congrats Teel on getting some money out of the corrupt system - I would say that money is just one thing that we all worry about at certain times and it sure gives you a headache so I hope it gets better for you. The oven timer sounds a challenge I certainly have never used mine, need a manual.. hey Shad you could write one maybe??

The w/end was lovely, am a bit fried from the beach but the kids did well and heaps of swimming and boating. I am off to ww tonight I do love my meetings but will not tell them about the low carb thing as they don't like that sort of thing, they have a new program and it does encourge the high GI foods but doesn't cut out carbs altogether. I think that most foods are addictive, the more you have the more you want, escpecially for us kind of people that battle this type of thing. Carbs manage to give you that very FULL feeling and I think that is also what we crave as well because it tell's our brain we can be happy now cause we are full.. I am trying to eat smaller meals until I am not hungry anymore - but not bursting and then not eating until I am truly hungry again - can be quite a challenge as I eat when the clock says lunchtime not the body.

Well have a good week all I will try and pop in when I can depending on waht we do.. bye all..

Have a great holiday Shaker. I hope you can get this before you go home! Are you planning lots of beach trips and such or are you going to get cultured and go to museums and zoos etc.
Perth seems like quite a nice city. After getting lost in it around midnight last night I think it will be fairly easy to find my way around in the daylight - daylight always brings out the fun bits. Not a huge city, but the hotel is right beside the river. I went for my walk this morning by using the walkway to get to the beach, running down to the next pedestrian overpass and then running back to the hotel. Took about half an hour and no I did not run all the way! (before you all ask).
Hotel seems quite nice and I have managed to change my flight home to Monday so I can use the weekend to explore and take some photos.
The restaurant seems quite good too! They have some good options for breakfast anyway.
Gotta go. Be back later

Shad, good to hear from you again. Hope you have some sunny weather in Perth and chance to dry off a bit and raise your face to the sun. I like your attitude about the "to do" task list. Yes indeed, some things are worth procrastinating over and forgetting about. Others we bother with and then wonder why we did them at all. Enjoy your extended weekend and have some fun.

Teel, hope you enjoyed your roasted potato and found some suitable companions to go along with it. Yum. And good to hear that you have finally been given a few pence and a bit of hope. Of course they will find ways to stall and play games with you and your money. Wack them with a stick I say. :rollpin:

Yes Shaker, I can imagine DH being a big strapping guy that he would decide the bike is too small for him if he got a smaller model. Not only uncomfortable to ride, but the bigger ones hold the road better. However, as you say your choices are limited. Is your daughter having a bit of an allergic reaction to the mozzies? Poor little thing. I must say that it is a bit dissapointing that WW would push their own plan and disregard other types of eating, particularly since more people are finding that their problems are not so much fat related as carb related. But pretend you are just a points counting maniac and do what you see works for you. I too have tried to go back to smaller, more frequent meals. It's an odd thing, you don't feel full and you don't feel hungry. And sometimes when you are supposed to eat you don't want to. Hope you enjoy your holiday time off too.

As I sit here it is -13C. We had an ice storm Friday night, not as bad as it could have been but quite dangerous if you had to be out and about. Saturday morning it warmed to just a few degrees above freezing and the sounds of us all out scaping the ice away was echoed all throughout the area. Some people of course did not clean at all and when the wind shifted Saturday night (more bitter cold air from our friends in Canada and the North Pole), there are now huge sheets of dangerous icy walks. And bitter cold. January is here. New furnace is keeping us nice and toasty warm and we have a humidifier that finally works putting some moisture in the air. Is quite nice not to have to go through a winter where it is dry, everything metal that I touch would give me a stunning static electricity shock and I can brush my hair without it sticking all up the top of my head. Sometimes I would have to use one of those clothes drying static sheets and run it over my head just to hold the hairs down. Not so with the new equipment this year. Worth the price of it. It was another weekend that flew by in about 6 hours total. I did get a bit of cleaning done in the basement. 2 large trash bags and a bag of clothes for charity. DH and I ran some errands today, I went grocery shopping and poof the night is over. As DH said tonight, time to go to bed to just get up and start another week of rousing fun and adventures. Said tongue in cheek of course ;)

Have to go journal my stats for the weekend. Happy Monday - be warmer than I.

Someone go and give MEL a bit of a push to be brave enough to come visit us in our thread. She is a bit hesitant because she has had some knockbacks where people haven't answered her or welcomed her. Happy can I delegate this to you please? I issued the invite but she is very nervous!!!!! Who MEL???

Would be my pleasure to fire up the welcome wagon. I remember when I first came here how nervous I was about joining some threads. And I too, encountered some that were rather tight and unfriendly. But then I found you guys. :wave: :flow2: :lucky:

Here I am!
 

Ok I bit the bullet and came to post. Then I lost the post! :lol: Somehow that seems fitting! I am very happy to have been invited. I have been all over looking for a place to call home. I just about gave up. :stress: But I am here now.

I have not read back a few pages to get to know everyone but I will try. I guess I should say my name is Mel and I am almost retired and looking foward to full retirement. I could use more time for Mel now. :cp: I love all these smilies!! lol They alone are worth the trip.

It's getting late for the eyes so I better cut this one short. Nice to meet you all. Sweet dreams and see you all tomorrow.

Thanks Shad and Happy for the caring! Makes me feel really good.

Mel

:spin: Hey Mel, it is great to see you here. We are only a small group, but we all rub along pretty good. I'll let each one introduce themselves. One thing about here is that you get a prod once in a while if you haven't posted - so watch out for it!
Good to have you on board - :spin: :cb: :genie:

Gotta go. Catch up later

Melody????? No wonder you are singing all the time :lol: But a big welcome to you - so glad you decided to chum up with us here.

I guess I'll start with my introduction. I've been on the boards here since June 2002. Was lucky to find these ladies here. I am still trying to lose the extra poundage even after all this time. I would like to get to a size 10 again - don't care what I weigh, my goal is a size and to be fit and healthy. I have a long way to go but after losing my drive for a long time, I think I've found it again. I am going to be 50 in April which I dread :cry: although I am getting used to the idea. I am a web programmer by trade and I'm in school now trying to keep up my technical skills. Am married, will be 27 years in March. No kiddies. I was born and raised in Chicago. Still here but looking for a place to semi-retire to in a few years. After I get the eating and exercise under control, I tackle my next huge battle - to quit smoking. Other than being an old fart, I'm still pretty cool (at least I think so :o ) even if every 6 months a major body part breaks down - at least I'm learning some new exercises in physical therapy :lol:

Glad to have you with us.

And some good news from DH today. Another group offered him a job as a database programmer so his recent worries of getting laid off in the spring may be put to rest for a while. Hahahaha - HE will also be going to school like me. Misery loves company. :s:

Well, I am failing poorly on my resolve to get to bed earlier so I'd better scoot. Have a date with the dentist tomorrow to fix that tooth of mine that is giving me alot of pain. ALOT. G'night ladies.

So now you can make faces at him through the window when he is doing his tests. :crazy:
Not much to report here. Iwent to the gym last night and did some weights and treadmill. The fitness gap between Friday and Tuesday shows unfortunately but will come back fairly quickly. It's difficlt when you really have not much idea where the nearest shop it so you can pick up some fruit and veg and protein for the pretraining meal! Perth doesn't have the little shop run by Indian on every corner as does Sydney or Brisbane or Cairns - or maybe it does, I am just standing on the wrong street corner! :yikes:
Anyway, I have a lot of people to get through today and tomorrow so best go get my list and strike a blow for Microsoft. And show the natives that JDE really isn't that difficult!

Ah, where to begin! Warning: Long post!
 

I'm 57 and as you know I'm in a motorized wheelchair since 1991. I can no longer stand or walk and have a Muscular-dystrophy condition known as a progressive myopathy. I am divorced and have a daughter Jennifer who is 35. I am semi-retired but am a night emergency personnel of 1 for 100 senior citizens in this high-rise. Kind of laughable when you type it but I actually get around better than them:lol: I also have been so reliable that the office cannot seem to function without me since they have lost all their dept heads. It is impossible to explain this but somehow they were all happy to dump it in my lap and I needed to keep busy. When busy, Mel has no time to think about the future. Get it?! :lol: Now after 16 years, I am trying to dump it back but can't seem to find an accommodating lap! :lol:
But it's time for ME now and I will accomplish this in 2004 along with further weight loss. I gained weight sitting in this chair and eating all the wrong foods. I was 104 all my life till the non-walking started. I am on a slippery slope in my life that will continue to ice up and I have this year to get a jump on it. If I lose weight I can take care of myself longer. If I don't I know it's a nursing home for me. I am an optimist and know I can get there. Jennifer also has this disorder and she still walks but is no longer working. She retired last year and is holding her own at about 100 lbs!!
This is probably more info than any of you ever dreamed of getting!! :D
So I better get out of here and let someone else talk! I have to say it felt good to know that when I came upstairs from a very hectic day, that I had a place "to go". Thanks again :dance:

PS~ Happy it was good news about the DH and funny about the school thing. Will you be going to the same place? That would be even funnier! :lol: I lost my drive but Shad helped me find it again. I only temporarily misplaced it!
Shad I don't know why you are standing on street corners anyway?! People are gonna start talking about you!! And must it be with an Indian? Or is this a new hobby of yours when you go out of town? :lol: You, Lady,have done more for me than anyone knows.

No I haven't. I simply pointed and showed you the direction of where you knew deep down that you wanted to go anyway - so don't blame me for finding your get up and go - which temporarily got up and went (so to speak). Every one has it in them to think, act and depend on themselves. Some people get this fact earlier rather than later, some have it forced on them and others like Happy manage to rub along nicely with a complementary other half and still be a strong independent person.
I only said Indian because nearly every 'Convenience Store' (Australian) or 'Dairy' (NZ) seems to be run by Indians ( of the India variety - not the Red variety).
Besides which, I don't think I would make much business standing on street corners these days. :nono: :nono: :o :sp: :sp: :eek: :stress: :faint:

Evenin' ladies,

I daresay we lost Kim. Hope she's not crushed with work and responsibilities or frozen solid out her way. C'mon back Kim. And the same to you Missy Teel. Shaker, hope you had yourself a fine holiday.

Shad, both of us this semester are taking online classes so we can make faces at each other from right across the room. If he likes his database course, he will do his homework without prompting, if not I shall have to beat the drum by his head :drill: . Will be no problem with my homework as I shall have to build a website for the class and I promised him I would make his website that he's been pestering me about. I know what you mean about looking for a small grocery shop to pick up some healthy munchies. Sometimes I was in little towns or in more residential areas where they didn't have much more than a gas station which was good for only coffee. Some of the gyms have protein bars or fresh fruit - none too cheaply I might add. I suppose the next time you travel you can bring along a few protein bars with you for your workout. It does make a difference working out on a totally empty stomach vs having a little something to fuel the energy. Or maybe you could salvage something from the prior day's dinner to store overnight in the refrigerator if you have one.

Mel, I saw in your profile that you were following Michael Thurmond's plan. Are you still? I started that back in June of 2002 and for the time I stuck with it, it was the only one in a long, long time that worked for me. A combination of the mini meals, no processed foods or simple carbs and avoiding the salt. I use the salt shaker minimally in cooking as it is but many things like canned tomatoes and soups are really high in sodium. I did well on that as a summer diet with simple meals of grilled meat or fish and lots of raw fruits and veggies but ran into problems following it once winter came and I wanted more hot meals like soups and stews. I am trying to go back to something like that again. Good luck trying to find someone to toss back your duties to - once they find a willing *ahem* volunteer, they are not likely to raise their hands and take back their worries again. ;)

I started my day at the dentist. He worked for a long long time on the nerve in my tooth. Said it was going to hurt after the anesthetic wore off. He NEVER says it's going to hurt (even though sometimes afterwards it does) so I was expecting the worst. He did give me some pain medication. I had to run over to the office to drop off some paperwork. My manager and I both like soup and when we're in the office together we often plan a lunch of soup and salad that we bring from home. I had made a nice creamy vegetable soup with asparagus but was so numb I was afraid of chewing lest I chew my mouth up. So I ate my yogurt while she enjoyed the soup. I was going to stay for a while but the novacaine was wearing off and the pain the dentist warned me of started as a steady growing ache. I picked up my pain meds and by the time I got home I was :yikes: Laid down on the bed with a heating pad. DH woke me 3 hours later when he got home. The prescription pain meds didn't do a darn thing and I was in intense pain. He was nice enough to run out and get me some won-ton soup for dinner and I cut the noodles into tiny pieces so I could basically just drink it down. I know now I would NEVER be able to handle gastric bypass surgery just trying to sustain myself on soft foods! Around 7pm I was sitting with a hot pack on my face and I took 4 regular standard aspirin. About 1/2 hour later the pain finally dulled to a managable overall discomfort. I had several plans for the evening but this was definitely a down day for me. Dentist said the pain should lessen substantially by tomorrow morning and I hope it does. So that was my day.

And now it's time to fire up the electric blanket and get a good night's rest. Talk to you in the morning...

Hah Shad, is true here too - the convienience stores and gas stations are generally staffed by people of Indian or Pakistani descent and I really don't know why that is. The American Indians run most of the casinos - except for Las Vegas!

Good evening all. Today was much improved. I actually had a glimmer of hope that my mission may eventually be a success without anyone's blood shed or their tears. Instead of "doing" everything I went to the head person and told them to give the orders. Not a bad day. Got the wash going and called and made appts for Dermatology and Immunology to take a look at the eyes and the skin around them. Derm. couldn't see me till March 22. When I go to Immun. I'll ask if they can get me in any faster:( Now I have to try for the dental school and see if they'll take me soon.

Happy~ I feel your pain! :sorry: Nerves can be the MOST painful of dental experiences! OUCH! Hope you have some relief tonite. I found that cool soaks were better. Heating pads always made mine worse. But everyone is different. Yes, I am still on Michael Thurmond's 6wbmo plan. I have some tweaks (as he calls them) and have lost 27.5 lbs since last March. I thought this was good for someone not really exercising anything except her wagging tongue all day! :lol: I also drink about 32-40 ozs of water. Don't want to start kidney probs at this stage of my life. :D I also added some dairy too. I am not a big believer in vitamins and would rather eat the foods to get them.
Wasn't it you that I first met on the Daily Skinny? I haven't gone back but I thought it was you?! What are you using or is it the common sense plan. That is what Jen calls mine now. I have changed it so much, you wouldn't even recognize it. :lol: But it was worth the money because somehow having the kit started me caring all over again. Any port in a storm. :rain:

Shad~ OK OK I DID IT MYSELF!(whispers...with a little help from my friend...shhh.......don't tell Shad) Nice that the gym has so many places. I like to take the protein bars when I leave the house. Keeps the energy going and the mini meal idea too. Now that you had the trainer do you just keep doing the same exercises? Do you get to use the trainer again as you progress? I thought gyms were like the "olden" days where no one knew what they were doing and got no help! This turned out to be a great present. Trainer and all! Thinking of you traveling again reminded me of webshots again. I never finished looking at Egypt stuff. How has the pooch been? One of my finches died last week. The other 5 didn't even stop eating! he was dead in the nest and they were all eating and taking baths!!
So much for birdie love! :lol:

I better get out of here and get off the PC. I was told my eyes look like crap but I have yet to look in a mirror today! They had their soaks and drops so they should not be complaining!! They were watered and fed:lol: Night everyone.

Mel, I thought your "name" looked familiar. Yes, we did meet a while back on the "Skinny". And JuJu mentioned you in one of her daily posts last week. You're famous :encore: :encore: :encore: I am not MT's plan to the letter right now, guess I'm customizing as you would say. Watching what I eat, what works, what doesn't. And I also agree with you, I think it was worth the money to me to find something that actually helped me. I just had the worse problem with WW which was my next best thing to date though I had serious concerns about their points program. Guess I need to be more disciplined and weigh and measure things like the old days.

It's good to hear that you may be able to unload some of your burdens around the complex. What's the problem with your eyes if you don't mind my asking? Of course you don't have to answer if you don't want to.

My tooth is much better today. I am back on track again. It's still sensitive but will be for a day or two more until the nerve completely settles down I suppose. But it's progress and I think this time everything will be ok - that is until he removes this temporary crown (the last one he put on broke as he was inserting it) and he has to work on it again in 2 weeks. I try to imagine what it was like when I was in my 20's and energetic and nothing hurt besides cramps and I was 106 pounds and a size 3. Seems like it never even happened... so long ago.

I have got to stop perusing the journals so late at night but they are rather compelling, but they do cut into the sleep time. The wind is howling, the temps are supposed to drop low again - only 10 degrees tomorrow (-11C). Glad I can work from home. Brrrrr. Only 3 months to spring.

So enjoy the warmth Shaker and Shad - pass some over to me and Mel and Teel and Kim. :flow2: Haven't heard from Shad tonight - think she's chumming it up with the hunky boys at the gym in Perth? Or maybe her class has made her stay overtime because they can't get enough of Microsoft :lol: 'Night ladies...

Oh Mel, I just re-read your post and saw the finch story. You crack me up!

Just Another Ducky Day!
 

My right eye is killing me!! Ok there I said it!! Do I feel better now? NO damn it! :lol:

Happy~ I have a severe case if dry eye. There are remedies but no cure as of yet. I go to a University Hosp so it's up to date care, They "think' something is irritating the condition but no tests show what that something is. Anyway, many have suggested things and they gave me new drops each time but nothing yet. I have other conditions which irritate it too (they think). :dizzy: I go back on Feb 2nd. Maybe someone will get a brainstorm while I am there. I already head the tear ducts "soldered" shut as I like to call it! :lol: That is what it felt like with the tool they used! :tired: <this is what I looked like when they were done cauterizing them :(
I am glad the tooth is better. I dread going but I must. Still procrastinating making a stab at getting an appt.! LOL I did not see the Skinny say anything about me. I must admit with the eyes I read what is MOST important to me now and have deleted a lot of stuff withoug perusing it first! LOL I will go in search of my fame! :lol:

Shad is busy with the tourist stuff I think and the cutie patooties at the gym! No wonder she wanted this gym-thing for Xmas! :lol: I should have been suspicious from the start. AND here she got us started on this New Year's diet thing just to cover up this whole plan of hers. Hrumph! She's probably one of those women who keep walking into the men's shower room and saying "Oh I'm soooo sorry!". :lol: :lol:

Hope everyone has a nice night and Happy~ GO TO BED!!! :nono:

Why would I say 'ooooh I'm sorry' Mel??? Unless they had something or lacked something to be sorry about!!!! :lol: :lol:
No I haven't been beusy at the gym unfortunately. I have been busy at work. I thought yesterday was going to be a bludge but it turned into a full on day of talk, cajole, threaten, and training. I was still there at 6.00pm and still in full speech. They love me over here. One of the guys has killed a cow for a barbeque for Kevin and me today. However I'm due at another store and won't be able to make it. The hotel has lost a parcel sent over from Brisbane for me and is supposed to be couriering it out to Canningvale for me. I am less than impressed and that was at 7.00am this morning. Hope the rest of the day gets better.
I'm still going for the morning walk. I'm enjoying it too. Yesterday, the fish were jumping out of the water, there was a Pelican fishing and the Plovers and Gulls were wandering the shore for shell fish. The sun rose on a brilliant Perth morning and all was right with the world. You shall see some photos when I get home.
Went out for dinner to an Indian last night. Kevin and I ordered and shared - our eyes are bigger than our bellies cos we could not eat it all. But it was pretty yummy.
Sorry to hear the eyes are still not too good Mel. Hope that they find the breakthough before to long. Why did they solder up the tearducts?? Surely that would have kept the eye lubricated??
Happy so pleased to hear the tooth feels better. Hope today continues to improve for you. When does DH start his new job? Is it with the same company or a different one?
Teel :wave: :wave: :wave: I do not wish to work out the time differences between here and England - stop spending that money and get back here!!!! :rollpin:
Gotta go, gotta harrass the hotel, hinder the management, help the workers and also find my way across town to the next store. Fortunately it does seem hard to find ones way round here!
See you

Hey you fine chickies. Shad, sounds like you brought the bullwhip with you terrorizing the local shopkeepers :sumo: ! It's too bad that your materials did not come in on time. I've been in classes where that happened and the instructor is reduced to telling stories or worse trying to improvise until the needed materials arise. Your walks along the river sound wonderful. What a great way to start the day, taking a stroll and looking at the sun rise. I peeked outside this morning, and sprinted across the front of the house to put out some seed for the birds. Man it was cold with a capital K! Felt sorry for anyone or thing that had to be out for any length of time today. We've been getting a pool of air straight from the North Pole and I thought the stuff from Canada was bad! If Santa lives in the North Pole his suit should be ice blue instead of hot red.

Mel, that thing they did your your tear ducts had me squeeming and squirming this morning. Oooowwwww. And yes, why did they close them up instead of maybe doing some irrigation and giving you maybe 3 or 4 more of them? :idea: And you were mentioned in the Skinny Post of January 14. (I went back and looked).

Today I feel like someone punched me in the jaw. Wasn't too bad in the morning but started to bother me in the afternoon. Not so much nerve pain as much as a bruise type of hurt. I suppose it will just take a few days to all work itself out. I just made a nice cup of tea in the afternoon and alternated sips with pressing the warm cup to my face which was quite nice even if your face doesn't hurt.

I gave in to my inner child tonight and had a grilled cheese sandwich with some tomato soup for dinner. Somehow I just couldn't get excited about grilled chicken no matter how I pondered to fix it. I have a refrigerator full of food that I must inventory tomorrow and figure out how to use it up. My carefully planned meals this past Sunday sort of got blown to the wayside this week. I definitely have the makings for at least 3 different kinds of soup - beef, vegetable and a shrimp chowder. Might be a cooking marathon tomorrow night. Saturday we are going to my sister's for a birthday party for my nephew which will take up most of the day. In the morning we have to exchange our new cell phones for something that sounds a bit better than if you had been carrying on a conversation with your head immersed in the bowels of the loo. There's even an feedback echo you get of words already spoken. Too bad, it was a nice little phone and I finally figured out what all the buttons meant. I really don't like cell phones to tell you the truth. Next worst invention next to the TV remote control.

Got to get myself back in gear again. I feel a bit out of sorts, like the 4th wheel is slightly off the track. I am blaming it on the cold weather more than anything. It's amazing how even 50 degrees can make you feel so much more energized. At least it has been sunny. I am trying to grow a small herb garden and the little plants are trying their best but I think it's just too cold in the window - doesn't help when I forget them overnight sitting in the chill.

Well as you can see, I have nothing adventurous to say tonight, so I'll bid you all adieu. Oh and DH got the job at the same company, just a different group so he will stay in the same office (might be able to work from home a bit more) but more importantly he will be wracking up more time on the seniority clock for those all important pension benefits.

Good morning all. It's a bit cold to go out shopping with the eye so I'll do more wash instead. I meant that the closed the drain holes not the tear ducts! :lol: :lol: Sorry! I think my eyes need Roto-Rooter(an american plumbing co.)
Shad, it sounds like you have it all under control as usual. I hope the realize how much of an asset you are. Go find that other store!:lol: Maybe from now on we should all go and WINTER with you! Snow is in the forcast for Monday. Break out the skis! Hope the courier gets there in time. The best laid plans of mice, men and women! Next time take the cattle prod. Less talk and more ACTION!! YUou'll never wait for mail or deliveries again:lol:

Happy~ Jen found the post and we both ogled it for a few minutes. Once and awhile We e-mail each other. I am usually the instigator. :lol: Jen and I wanted to support her race in the marathon and after that I got even more involved reading the posts till the eyes came. OOOOH that's a good title for a thriller....THE NIGHT THE EYES CAME! Good news about the hubby. Keep those points a rolling!! Had i been given better advice I would not be on SSI. I would have worked on the books and gotten disability and had more $$ now. But then there wasn't much work available for working mothers or many safe places to leave your kids. Well water under the bridge.

Well I better get my tush in gear and get a move on. I would like to get everything done so the weekend is the laziest of lazies:D Have a nice day and a great weekend!!!

:cry: :cry: :cry: I happened to see the weather forecase for Perth today as I was eating my lunch. Sunny and 87 degrees if you can believe it as we sit here watching the snow swirl around. I swear for a second I saw this rushed lady power walking the roads and smiling. Hi Shad :wave: Suffice to say I would be jealous except if I was in your sandals I would be tearing the house apart trying to find my sunblock and my light summer clothes and making a mess of everything in my path so I will just smile wistfully at you while my cabinets go untouched. (I'm waiting for Mel to come on over and do a 57 Fling boogie at my house). Here goes this - :encore: and you don't need that :encore: and why are you keeping this around :encore: (closest I could come to a flinging smilie)

I am starting to appreciate the power of planning and organization. I fell a bit behind this week and was feeling rather unsettled. Got back on base again today by planning my day and my evening. We are going to my sister's tommorrow for my nephew's birthday party. I am doing laundry now, shined up my kitchen, did my exercises for the day and made my list of things to take tomorrow so I can enjoy my weekend too and not try to do everything in 3 hours on Sunday, cursing all the way. It's terrible when you have to beat some sense into your own head :rollpin: several times no less :stars: before you see the light :idea: Even bigger shame that it took me half a century to get smart - guess just being cool isn't everything in life, eh? :lol:

Well I am determined to get to bed earlier. DH and I have to take back our lousy cell phones. Haven't decided if we will give this service dealer another chance with a new set or just go across the street to our old service provider.

Oh Lordy, DH is starting to talk about investments again as he hunts the Internet for info :dizzy: ... I think I hear the washer calling me downstairs. Best make like a tree and leaves! Tah folks!

Howdy all,
Here I am in the wild west coast. Last night I went down to Mandurah to stay with DS friends who have a therapeutic massage business. This morning they gave me a head to toe massage with lavendar, geranium and orange oil. It was good. In fact it was better than good.
Later in the morning, much later than I had anticipated I left there and drove north. Looked at Rockingham and went to Fremantle or Freeo as it is known by the locals. Some great old architecture there but not a lot else. So now I am driving north along the west coast freeway. Saw this internet cafe and thought I should check in. I wont have time to journal as they will shut soon and I want to get as far north as possible before sunset so I can explore the region tomorrow. whether or not I get to the Pinnacles is debatable. But I will try.
Not much else to record. Sorry to hear that you are all cold - it's fairly toasty here! and that the cell phones are ratsh*t.
My manuals arrived at 4.00pm or rather they were found at 4.pm. Bit late for training hey. So I had to wing it all day. Was a bit tired by the end of the day.

Okay - I'm off and heading north. Try to log in again tomorrow. Can't promise tho.

Saturday's smiles and impending snow!
 

I am actually looking foward th this snow storm. No one but me wants it. I just love tomsit and vegetate by the window and look at all the WHITE! :dizzy: Happy~ funny you should mention flinging! I was in the kitchen drawers and flinging left and right! :lol: I even tossed out old pots and fry pans. Anything that's not getting used went into the box for the trash room. People in the bldg can pick through it next week! My new motto is WHEN IN DOUBT, TOSS IT OUT! Good luck with the phones. I have an old Nextel phone/radio and I love it. Everyone else in the office got rid of theirs and are using the NEW fold-ups and they hate them! So glad I kept mine. Mainly cause I run it over once and awhile by accident and it keeps on working:lol:

Shad~ Sounding just like a real tourist! LOL Good to get some relaxation in between the crap! :lol: I meant to ask how the car was toodling around Perth? Guess you don't need the HOT seats?! :lol: When I used to go to the city(ny) I loved the old buildings and great churches. It's almost a lost art today in the USA. I cannot imagine how long it took to make all the beautiful arches, window frames and entranceways. It's sad to think that someday they will probably all be torn down for modernization! ONWARD AND UPWARD!

I found handicap accessibility on my PC and fixed my windows to bigger print. SOOOO much easier to click on things now! :lol: Our building alarm went off for the back door and the cop could not get it open when he came. It was a fire door and it was frozen shut! Nice huh? No one checked before leaving yesterday or all week for that matter. Had to call a man out and read the riot act again. I am so tired of always being the "bad guy"! :lol: Funny thing is these guys and I love each other. Guess that's why they do whatever I say thank God.
Well I better kick some butt in the bathroom! Got floors to wash and clothes to hang up! I'm thinking I need a MAID!:D Happy weekend!!

Found another internet place in the deep dark wilds. Amazing where these keep popping up. Still it is actually slower than yesterdays one if that is at all possible.
I'm on my way back to Perth having spent most of the day at the Pinnacles. What an awesome sight. My digital camera decided no to reenergise it's battery last night so that crapped out early in the piece. Trusty old canan to the rescue again. They were magnificent. Well worth the trouble I had trying to find them!!!!!
Oick, I
m running out of money again. So I'll buzz off until back at Perth. See you all

These freezing temps are making me lazy today. It's all I can do to sit here and :comp: What I did with all that energy I had yesterday I don't know. I think it evaporated. We had some ridiculous "emergencies" yesterday. :faint: I won't bore you with the details but don't they watch the weather on TV? Jeez, it's cold everywhere. TURN YOUR THERMOSTAT UP!! :flame:
Maybe some pedaling will warm me up. I think I should revamp my routine and try exercising in the AM. Some nights it's just too much and I'm cutting them too short. The sciatica area is bothering me in bed too so tomorrow I'll see if I can add one MORE thing to the mornings already loaded list:lol:
Shad I am surprised that you find PCs all over the place but I guess it's a good way of making a living now. HEY~ there's an idea!! We'll start our own business of PC rentals!!! I'll be the singing waitress that delivers the cup of coffee to the table and you can fix their programs!! :lol: Happy can collect all the $$$ we're gonna rake in:D Glad the pinnacles were all they were supposed to be. Don't know if you ever saw them before but the pic looked inviting. Have a good week. Happy must be sleeping in. I haven't had a chance to say hello to your other friends yet and hope they come out and play soon :balloons: so we have a chance to meet.

Well there must be something I should be doing. OH YES it was exercise! :tread: :lol:

I am in massive pain from this stupid tooth of mine. I thought it was calming down but it came in full vengence yesterday. I had to leave my sister's party early. My entire left side of my face - tooth, jaw, ear and even my lips hurt so bad I just want to put my head through a wall. The pain medication he gave me does no good and I have had to take as many as 5 Motrin at once just to slightly calm things down - it doesn't get rid of the pain completely. I will be calling ye old dentist first thing in the morning. I'm sure this tooth will have to come out which will present a problem because he had to pull 2 teeth on the right side last year for the same problem which will now make chewing a rather difficult venture. We should have been working on replacing the teeth on the right when this new one decided to act up. I am so frustrated right now. Afraid to put anything in my mouth. Stupid teeth!!!!! :bomb:

But I can't sleep the day away so I will try and steel myself to get something done around here today.

Shad I look forward to seeing your latest pictures. And Mel I hope you keep warm. This cold weather we are having doesn't do much for the ambition. Maybe you just deserve a lazy day.

Teel and Shaker, you can come out of hiding now - would be nice to hear from you again.

I will check in later ladies...

Hi girls...yes it is me, so sorry :o for the absence over the last week...I really did not realise how long it had been since I last wrote. Last week I manged to lose 3lbs but this week things have gone to a real big pot.Don't know why :shrug: I seem to feel as if I have been hit by a ton of bricks and I have eaten such rubbish I would not be surprised if I had those 3lb back on again. :rollpin: Money?? Who said money. I have not got it yet. Yes I have had 1 payment :mag: of the amount I should now have every fortnight but, despite promises which have turned out to be nothing but empty words, I still do not have my back pay..or any part of it, actually. :rollpin: :sumo:
Sorry to be in such a grouch tonight.
It is 2 degrees here as I :comp: and we are waiting for the snow to arrive, Happy and Mel, you know you don't have to share everything with us over the pond!!
Which reminds me, how rude I am!!A big welcome to you Mel, I hope you are happy to be on our thread here. We are all nutcases..(sorry everyone!) and I know we all have hearts of gold and are in the same boat ususally going in the same direction...Mel, my heart goes out to you as I can identify with the agonies you are in, except that you are in a wheelchair and I am still on my own two feet...sometimes I do wonder though!! I shall read your profile and then I will be able to write with a bit more knowledge about you and hopefully be a bit more helpful.
Happy!! Poor you and your saga with the horrible dentist...last time I had a filling I sat on my sofa leaning the sore side on a lovely furry cushion, and sipped a mug of soup when I thought it was safe enough to do so. That coupled with a few soluble paracetamol sort of did the trick for the day. I am so thankful that mine did not warrant the attention yours did, and therefore the pain was certainly not a quarter as bad as yours evidently was.
Now who is next? Ah , Shad!! How are you m'dear?? What are these "pinnacles" I see mentioned? I see you got to Perth and even managed to find the local Indian cuisine makers!!You bad girl you!You didn't even tell us what you and Kevin tried to eat between you.... :devil: I LOVE INDIAN!!! :lol: You should at least let us drool with you :hungry:
Goodness me, I seem to have taken hours to write this post...that's entirely my fault as I keep having to remind my brain what has all been previously posted... :lol: In fact I have been here so long it is now 1 degree out there!!
And so I think I had better post this before I am still :blah: :blah: :write: :write: at midnight.
Bye bye, sleep well, keep warm, with the exception of Shad-in-the- sun, who had best not leave home without the sun-block!!! :rofl:

So glad that you've come back Teel. I was beginning to think that I would have to work out time differences and yell loudly. Since Perth is 2 hours behind Brisbane, it would have made something like 7 or 8 hours difference to you. I would probably have called in the middle of the night. :rofl: I have to use the world clock on the 'net to sort it out properly.
I'm back from Perth and my head is saying 6.30pm and my watch is saying 8.30pm. I've made a cuppa and a bit of toast and will read through the threads and catch up on some journals before bed I think.
Sorry I didn't keep you up to date with the INDIAN Teel. Kev and I shared Rogan Josn (lamb), chicken korma, and Peshwar Paneer. Anyone tell me what Peshwar Paneer is???? We also had Almond and Sultana Naan and washed it all down with a Semillion Sauvignon Blanc from Victoria. Kev being a Victorian was very impressed with my powers of picking a good wine. The Verdelho I picked the night before was good too but that was a Western Australian. (When in Rome) So I need to jump on the scales tomorrow and then sometime this week it will be time to measure - hear me Miz Melody!!!

Plane tonight was full of Poms on a tour of Aus and NZ and going back through Canada. Well at least the back of the plane was full of poms and that's where I got stuck too. I tried my best to educate them, didn't work!!!!! :shrug:
So tomorrow it is back to work again in Brisbane. I think I need to go to the gym early. Not enough exercise over the last couple of days which has been driving and eating and driving some more.

Happy, I'm so sorry about that tooth. You sure are in the wars with that one. If it were mine I would be having it out. Sorry but you've just had too many problems with it and it will be very hard to trust the fixes anymore.

It's hot and sticky back here, compared to hot and dry over there. Today, I left the motel early and went into Perth city. I went to Kings Park but couldn't really do much because everywhere they were getting ready for todays Australia Day celebrations and most areas were roped off. The city was full of derelicts and drunks sleeping it off in corners and in the park. One was even tied to the back of a giant statue of a kangaroo. Must have been a bucks night prank.
Again my digital played up. I am going to have to take it to the Camera shop and see what gives with this battery thing - either that or change to a new one. Can't really afford a new one at the moment. Need to save up. Anyway, will get them out of the camera and onto the computer tomorrow night and then get the film developed over the next week or so. Thank goodness for the trusty Canons.

Okay, best go check up the journals, and write to my friend Chris who has fallen down some steps in the ice and snow on her way to school. She has hurt a leg! Poor thing. The school she teaches at is on the side of a steep valley. Her place is well below the school. She can drive up there, but it does her breathing good to get some exercise and that's how she came a cropper on the path. I've been up it and it is steep believe me. Anyway, I should go and give her some cheek. See you tomorrow.

Thanks for the welcome Teel. Life is not too bad. It got better when I got the chair!:lol: Now I can zip around and do wheelies!:D Happy and I will try to keep the snow on our side of the pond and the temps too. Although we are gonna have a heatwave today of 24 degrees:lol:

Happy I am so sorry for your tooth and you! :( I have lost almost all my back molars upper and lower! for the same reasons. I could not take the pains anymore and an older dentist, who is a teacher at the dental school, said TAKE THEM OUT!! I have been a happy camper ever since. I hope you get some help and relief today!!!

Shad a big welcome home. Must feel good to finally be back home ?!? LOL
After awhile you must begin to wonder just where home IS! I am not familiar with Indian food but it sounded good:lol: I am ready for weigh in day and think I may surprise even myself!

Well I have chosen to NOT be a procrastinator this year. That is where most of my anxiety is coming from. I am working on the problem this month. I have a lot planned for this week and should get a move on. There is no reason I can't do it as I am home all day now. I must remember not to get side-tracked downstairs and stick to the schedule!! :lol: I'm gonna get big rubberbands and put them around my head so when I do something wrong "for me", I can stretch it and SNAP OUT OF IT!:lol: OUCH, it hurts just to think of it!

Have a wonderful Monday and take care too!

OH YAY!!!OH HAPPY HAPPY DAY!!!! :D I GOT MY MONEY!!!
:cheer: :cheers: :encore: :bubbles: :dancer:
At last I can pay off my debts and feel solvent again....shame I have to do it all again in 2 years 4 months time. Perhaps by then the dear DSS will have improved the system?! (yeah, yeah!!)

But I have to confess that I have put on 1lb this week and I know it is all my fault. I wish I had more conviction to lose this weight. I cannot believe how much I just don't care.
On your Indian feast, Shad, yum yum! Isn't "peshwar" minced lamb? I should know what paneer is, but I have forgotten.Hang on...I will look in my Indian cookbook...ok. Now "panir" as it is spelt in the book, "is fresh curd cheese, usually made at home and used in many recipies from India and Pakistan".I can't find anything on Peshwar, but I am sure I have had a peshwari naan in the past.It's either that or coconut, I can't remember which!! Delicious, in any language!!:T
Happy, have you had that tooth pain settle down yet? I agree with Mel, I think you should stop any further pain in the tooth and in the bank balance and have your dentist take it out! Probably painfull at the time but better in the long run.... :p
Shad, I hope your friend Chris recovers soon from her injuries....tell her I said to take more water with it next time!! :joker: Has she broken her leg or strained it with soft tissue damage? Whatever, I hope she feels better real quick. :(
It's 3 degrees tomight as I :comp: this...warmer than last night. There are no stars or moon in the sky so I guess it is the cloud cover warming us up a bit.
The dog has stopped being a pain in the neck at last...she has been a pest all evening but she has settled down after getting her bedtime chewy! Guess she wanted an early night!! :yawn: :lol:Oh I keep meaning to ask... :?: why have you all got a red exclamation mark at the bottom of your posts?I feel I am missing out on something here!
Well that is enough for tonight..I ought to go and write to the UKfat chicks..see what they have been up to lately..
Bye bye... :wave: :wave:

Teel~ yeah, you're right. But you have one too! How come I don't? LOL
Now I feel left out! :lol: So glad you got your money!! Congrats. On a sad note: I was promised a job here in the bldg. that would have pulled me up by the bootstraps and paid all my bills. Just heard today that it probably is NOT gonna happen! :* oh well I must find another way:lol: Maybe the nearest street corner?! :lol:

All the wash is done and all is right in the the little world of my bathroom:D
May sound silly but I worked very hard to get that d*mn hamper empty and all the PILLOW CASES TOO! :lol: Well night all and have sweet dreams:D

Evening ladies,
I called the dentist this morning - he was still out of town from his weekend trip but he did call in an order of antibiotics to the chemist for me. I know from experience it takes at least 2 days to give them a chance to fight the infection so my torment will end soon I hope. By now I have been in such bad pain that everything has tightened up in sympathy I suppose so my throat, head and neck also hurt. I could dearly use your massage friends Shad. But I tell myself this will be over soon - I hope. Will go see him in the morning. The snows we were due have been delayed so hopefully he will be there bright and early not stuck in some airport overnight on the other side of the country.

Teel how WONDERFUL that you finally have a few crowns in your bank account. Do not even think a few years from now, spend wisely, put a few pence aside and next time know from experience that you have to work sooner and harder to get what's due you. Enjoy! Now that financial issues are settled a bit you can go back to getting the rest of your life arranged nicely, I hope.

Mel, so sorry to hear that you did not get the job in the building. After all you did for free you are not deemed worthy to get paid? :no: Things are so unfair. I was talking to a friend today who is taking a management class. She raved about how wonderful the instructor was. I told her to ask him why it is that the good managers, the ones who care and get the job done and do all the extra tasks don't have jobs yet the ones who do nothing more but make empty promises and flap their gums get to hang in there. Mel, perhaps you can go down to the corner, grab a tamborine and start singing for your supper? (Mel likes to sing alot girls). I could steal DH's harmonica and join you except I need advance notice so I can watch the instructional tape for 30 minutes - will practice on the flight over to your place.

Shad I do hope you got a shot of that man tied to the kangaroo in the park. Will make for an interesting subject matter. Was a shame you didn't get to see a bit more before you left town. Are you back home for a while or is it one of these things you find out on Thursday that you are leaving on Sunday again?

My routine is a bit off base this week. I am trying to keep things tidy but the food and exercise have been postponed. I even had a hard time chewing spaghetti tonight. Reminded me of our poor old cat. As she aged her teeth started to go and we had to have 2 of them pulled for abscesses. One of which was her fang. She was quite old and didn't lose her appetite until towards the very end but she'd lean way over to the side and munch her food - I kind of looked like that tonight. I even gained back 2 pounds which is frustrating. I'm not eating much but what I am is mostly soups and things with more salt than I'd usually have so I am hoping the gain is most temporary.

Goodnight for now and have a pleasant day tomorrow.

Quiet please Mel, my bathroom and the rest of the house don't look that good. Simon has kept it reasonably tidy, but no sweeping of floors or cleaning of loo or bath so I guess I will do that wee job tonight. Also have the laundry to do. But doesn't it give you a wonderful feeling to know that it is all done!!!!

Happy, according to my schedule and our wonderful office administrator (as opposed to the managers) I am on a flight to Cairns on Sunday and staying a couple of weeks. Should be hot up there! Not that it isn't here!! So will have to dream up a weekend trip away to some cool spot.

Teel, I'm with Happy, you need to put a few pounds aside for the rainy day which will come later on. But I'm really happy for you. I know you have been through some tough times trying to get what is rightfully yours.

Had a really fun day today. I was sent to our Environmental Store - this is the new store which sells and demonstrates the environmentally friendly products such as portable composting toilets and other types of portable dunnies plus things which conserve water and save power. Every home should have one!!! Anyway off I go to introduce myself and get greeted with a litany of complaints about things which don't work! My password doesn't work, my printerwon't attach, I can't find an A/B Record, My logon won't work. So we sort out a couple of problems only to find a few more and I spent the majority of the day fixing, phoning, cajoling, and yelling at people to get things going. When I finally got all that done, the system decided to quit in protest!!!! We got that back up again and the printers detached once more. Told you we have a fragile system. Got the lot running and produced a Sales Order to pick slip stage, went to ship confirm it and it all became too hard for the system and it told us there were none in the warehouse. Bullsh*t says one of the frustrated blokes and drags his monitor round the corner yelling - there it is, that's what I want to sell. See that! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: More calming amid laughter and a gentle reminder that the computer is actually blind and that one can point at what one wants for as long as one wants, if the computer says we haven't got it, then we can't sell it!!!! :rollpin: :rollpin:
Was pleased to come home I can tell you. We will have a better day tomorrow. Actually the reason we couldn't sell it was that the bloke who had been badgering to get the sales order done had forgotten to receipt the goods into store!!!! Was his face red - well it would have been if he didn't have such a dark tanned skin!!! :o :o :doh:
Tomorrow is another day!!!! :encore: :encore: :cheer: :cheer:

Forgot to mention that you get that exclamation mark after you post your journal. It is there for other members to report your post if you have been a bit naughty!!! :nono: :nono: So don't do it or say it cause you will be told off by Suzanne or Jennifer or Amy. Or worse even Ruth!!!!!

And it is good afternoon from Suffolk, temperature 3 degrees. It was a lovely sunny morning with clear blue skies but now it is a grey leaden one which looks like it will bring snow. Never mind. That is what winter is all about. Sorry about the non-appearance of the job, Mel, how disheartening for you.Hope something suitable that makes things brighter comes along soon. :sunny: perhaps this will help??:yes:
Something funny keeps happening to my computer today. It keeps losing the internet connection and having to redial every few minutes.Hope it does not crash altogether :(
I am munching a bit of sugar free white chocolate whilst :comp:We have a new shop in the town that has diabetic friendly yummies! My friend bought me a sugar free Christmas pudding and I used it more as a cake. It was full of fruit and an individual portion which was even better for slicing up to have with a cup of tea on a Sunday afternoon after walking the dog. :D
I have been a good girl and put a third of my money away in a building society account where it should (well, might!) accrue some interest.The second third has been put in one account that pays all my direct debits and the rest is staying where it landed. I am spending a bit....I want a DVD player but if I buy one I should really have a bigger t.v. to do it justice. :chin: Iwill have to look around. No doubt I will get plenty of "help" from a few people!! I also have in mind that I would love to visit London for a couple of days to see sights that I saw as a child but have long since forgotten. A very good friend of mine used to go quite frequently and would be more than happy for an excuse to go again! Oh I forgot! My reason for this adventure is that this year's birthday in June is my big 40. 2 years ago I wondered if I would ever see it so I want to celebrate.....just a bit!
:queen: :wizard: :hat: :gift: :hb: hee hee!!!

Cried myself to sleep but woke up smiling!!
 

Got up today and said frass everyone! I'll get a bunch of :balloons: and be like a clown Shad saw on one of her excursions. I even have the wig!!! I'll find a corner and a tin cup and make a fortune and show those bad boys whose tougher! :lol:
I am disappointed but life marches on. It's not the first time I was down and out but NEVER FOR THE ENTIRE COUNT! I think me azz is made of rubber cause I seem to bounce soooo well! :lol: Had a good day today at least.
Did the food shopping for awhile and have full closets and fridge. Yeah!!

Happy~ words cannot say how badly I feel for you. I have had many "mouth" problems in the past and feel for you. And not just with my BIG mouth either! :D I pray the pills work their magic :wizard: and you feel better in no time!
Teel~ I forget if I said congratulatyions on the $$$$ I'm glad you finally got what was due you!!! :lol: Enjoy and hope you get to take that trip! Take pictures!! I LOVE PICTURES!! LOL Someone bought me a DVD player last year and realized my TV was too small and also outdated (color was bad) So he bought me a new TV TOO! I have been having great fun with dvds to say the least.
Shad~ As I said in the journal....WHAT A CRAPPY WAY FOR A DAY TO GO!! :lol: Where is Cairns? I thought that was in France. Can you tell I never listened to my teacher in Geography? :rofl: I was probably looking out the window and singing to myself! Probably off on :cloud9: :lol: Have a better day tomorrow!

Well friends I had better go and get my butt in gear again. I had a Frappichino or however you spell it a little while ago. What a buzz I'm getting from the caffeine! :dizzy: I'll be lucky if I ever get to sleep tonite!! :hyper: But "school" might be closed tomorrow and all the little kiddies may not be able to get here!! :cb: I can only pray that this is so! :lol: Sweet dreams to all and good morning to the others!! I will never get the hang of these time zones! TTFN

Mel, did ANY of us ever pay attention in Geography? I think not. :?: I just liked coloring the maps myself. :write:

As for time zones, with our current group:
Shaker in New Zealand greets the day well ahead of us - about 16 hours ahead of Central Standard Time. Then it's over to Shad who's about 14 hours ahead of us. As you cross the pond and go back in time you catch Teel who's about 10 hours ahead of us. Then we cross the pond again, run into you who's an hour ahead of me. So if I have this correct as I sit here it's 12:30 am Wednesday morning and I'm getting ready for bed. Cross over to Mel where it's 1:30am and she is dreaming up the next song for us to sing in her journal provided she is not sitting upright in bed from the effects of the caffeine in her Frappachino :tired: :hyper: . Heading east it's 10:30am and Teel is enjoying her morning tea and trying to stay warm. Rocket over to Shad where it's 2:30pm and she is busy teaching her students the finer aspects of the JD Edwards accounting systems and finally over to Shaker where it's 4:30pm and she is wrapping up work for Wednesday before we've even started it. So the only way to really go back in time is for Shaker and Shad and Teel to come visit us. Likewise if we go visit them, we go into the future - and you thought you had it bad when you lost an hour in the spring for daylight savings time :lol: And I have no idea what time it is on the moon or Mars even if I am an astronomy buff.

Woke up this morning to dreadful roads filled with several inches of slippery, mushy snow. Travel times over 2 hours for the morning commute. I had a dentist appt at 8am and smiled pretty at DH so he would be my chauffer. Fortunately the traffic was all going opposite of us so we got there in time much to both of our surprise. We even beat the dentist in. He gave me 3 shots of novacaine - the last of which brought tears to my eyes as it really hurt and I still gripped the chair in a death throw when he tried to remove the cap from my tooth. When he came at me with the drill I pursed my lips and turned away - 3 times. Simply a reflex movement. He said this won't hurt then corrected himself and said SHOULDN'T hurt. I said I'd kick him if it did. Lucky for both of us it didn't. But there were parts of his work that did hurt, I just prayed hard it would be over quickly. I am feeling better now but am cautious as I felt better last week but then went into absolute misery on the weekend. I am still hurting quite a bit but it is not excruciating and I hope the antibiotics do their job. I was really delighted to be able to actually enjoy a soft dinner tonight without resorting to swallowing chunks of food. My mom was so sweet on the phone when I talked to her tonight - a virtual hug over the telephone wires. :angel: and my wonderful sister made me laugh as she always does :hat: It is good to have loved ones.

And with that, I'd better warm up the heating pad and get my cold feet into a warm blanket. Happy Wednesday.

Poor Happy. I'll have to see if I can find you a tooth fairy to bring you joy. Hope it gets better soon.
Teel, I am so glad that you have sorted out the $$$$ finances. You go girl on getting to London. Which bits are you going to see? Better take some photos, otherwise you will get a prod from Mel.

I put some new photos on the web last night. Some from North Queensland - Cairns, Townsville etc. It's not finished yet - has a long way to go to get to be a good album but I also have a lot more photos to put up there as well.
Tonight I shall try to get some of the Perth ones done. That is in between sweeping and cleaning and washing because I am going away next week. Need to get some jobs done as well.

Hey Shaker where are you??? Oh that's right you are on holiday again. Have a good one.

Today was better than yesterday in the computer world. We achieved quite a lot. The guys all want me to come back and hold their hands etc. The boss came in and said that his blokes were delighted. I have taught them a lot. So I am happy I guess. Maroochydore tomorrow. That's a couple of hours up the road and on the Sunshine Coast. Quite an expensive area to live in. I am training in the showroom so should find some interesting things for bathroom and kitchens and loos. The loo showroom at least has plenty of seating areas :lol: :lol: :lol: :rofl: Sorry it wasn't that funny.
Okay best go and do something to improve our lot. Some idiot is out there mowing a lawn. Strewth we have just had a downpour and a thunderstorm and he is mowing a lawn - oh heck it is Grant the neighbour and he is mowing my lawn. Forget the idiot bit. What a lovely bloke. :angel: :angel: How fickle we are!!

Shad~ Your bathroom joke made me think of my chair. Everyone is always trying to get me somewhere fast and apologizing for making me wait. I always tell them not to worry cause I had a good seat! I think it loses something in the translation though:lol: HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY 3 DAYS LATE!! :lol: Guess us Yanks are slow on the uptake. I did see it in your older post and forgot it!:lol: I think I would have liked to have a job like yours. Travel, new faces all the time, new adventures into computer **** each week, the occassional pat on the back albeit small and new restaurants to try. Except for the dunces, not too bad. At least on paper:lol:

Happy~ I cringed when I read your post. I always havew a death grip on the chairs arms!! While my fingers go numb and my knuckles go white. Ever see that movie with Dustin Hoffman? What is the name? Running man? I forget. I watched it once and thought I would actually die in my seat! I hope you feel better and get relief!! Thanks for the time zones! :lol: I don't even know them in our own country. I had to go to keyword to make sure before I placed a call to Minnesota last night. Someone e-mailed me and asked for a call. I can hardly wait to get the bill this month! :rofl:

Teel~ If I ever get $$ I will get you to handle it!! I re-read your post and it was a very smart thing. ;) Hope the interest works to your advantage.:D
Can I ask why every 2 years? I know I have to send papers every year over here with Social Security. That's in case a miracle comes and I start walking again. I love to tell the story as how I told a man and a woman that Jerry Lewis has at yet not collected enough money for miracles. Sometimes people really piss me off. I am a PEDIGREE and I come with PAPERS from the MDA clinic to prove it! :lol: and they better not forget it.:lol: I didn't fall on a banana peel and have a good lawyer! :lol: What part of progressive muscular disorder with no treatment or cure do they not understand. I have actually aske them this question on more than one occasion.:lol: I better get off my :soap: and get a move on.

I have a "snow" day off. Went down early, got the crew of 2 started and came back up. All done. Everyone knows what to do and they just better do it or else face the wrath of Mel and maybe that cattle prod of Linda's from the Journal! :lol: Actually I went down at 7:30 and they were already started for a change. Gave them a pep talk and made sure everyone was ok.
It really is hard for me to stay retired! :lol: I have PLENTY I can be doing but none of it as facinating as yelling at a bunch of inept people!:lol: Well I better go and YELL at myself in the mirror and clean up. Place is starting to look a little ragged around the edges! Have a nice day/night and takle care.