Good morning ladies,


Not leaving my chair until I get a post in.


Annie, I hope all went ok with the visit yesterday and they decided to change their plans. I can't remember if you only posted from the office and if you have a computer at home to get access. Hoping the best for you. This is such a stressful thing and not the best time of the year to be worrying about a paycheck. Sending good thoughts that things go well with interviews and you can transition to something super quickly.


Ceejay - good for you for getting into the gym again. If the recumbent bike is bothering you, perhaps you can break it into 2, 15 minute sessions to give your back a rest. Ugh with the fluid in the ears - I have the same problem this time of year every year. Glad they found something that works quickly for you. Are you going to your sister's for Thanksgiving?


Hi Dee - happy baking - that sure is a lot of stuff to make- guess it gets you ready for the holiday marathon. Have fun!


Poor Shad - as much as you are sweating and hot and sticky, we are the opposite - complaining about the cold and the snow that has already shown up. Not much but enough to wish it was milder out - much like you. It's a good thing you are an early riser - you can get some things done before the afternoon sun rises but not much you can do about the humidity I suppose. The yard and new fence looks nice. A work in progress!


Laura - I would imagine most people are trying to stack up the days and use their leftover vacation before the end of the year. I rather liked being there when it was quiet and rarely had any leftover time around this time of year. Now you have time to decorate! So what's going on with your foot? Any other treatment options? My sister was laughing about Pritzger getting in as governor - another rich businessman who won't be very effective.


Susie - I agree with you about time flying too quickly. It seems the day gets sucked right out of me before I even get to bed. Do you have holiday events and end of year meetings to plan in addition to all your other work?


Life is busy for me. I am trying to unhook from the Thrift Shop and manage my time at the Senior Center. I am going to the oral surgeon for a consult on December 5 to see what my options are for dental work. Ugh. It's cold here, not helping the arthritis any but it is what it is so dealing with it. I won a weekend getaway to a local place about 30 minutes from here. DH and I will be having a weekend of it. Will be nice to get away from the house - it's for 2 nights, not sure if we will do both but we will come back and check on and feed the cats. I'm not sure they will like being left alone for 12 hours but we'll see. Other than that, I have forgotten what I've been doing for the last 2 weeks - that's the problem when I don't post regularly.


Have fun and enjoy your weekend!

Having a relaxing Saturday. Hope you are too.

Hello! We made it through DH's first week back to work. He did well and only had one day that he was tired and cranky when he came home.

My VP is in town and that usually means a lot of overtime for me and early mornings in the office and late evenings. She tends to go over in her meetings a lot

I knew I didnt want to have DH have to wait for me to come home late and need to change his packing with the seroma...i have to put new packing in the morning and change it in the evening.....it is healing but takes a while they say.

So I explained to the VP that this trip my hours needed to be 7:30 to 5 I would check my email at 9 to 10 to see if there was anything she needed from me before her morning meetings and if so process it by 10 as pdf documents so she had her meeting material on her computer instead of having to down load them from the sharepoint. It is working out well.

Annie: I saw your post that the big boss was coming to talk with you. I am wondering the outcome and keeping you in my prayers.

I will come back later and do more personals

Susie
Good for you in standing your ground. Hope the DH heals quickly.

Annie.
I'm curious about the outcome of the bosses visit also.

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I'm not looking forward to the prediction of the over night weather. Snow and very low temperatures. It' s like having January weather the mid part of November.
Church this morning but I didn't stay for book club. Miley was out of cat food so I stopped by the super WM center in Springfield and pick up cat food and a few other things.
I got in a cleaning mood last night and finally cleaned my home office. I can actually see the top of my desk. I put the toys in the closet and moved some other things into another closet. I also got rid of some stuff. I'm wanting to bring my bicycle that has been in the garage back into the house for when I can't get to PF.I like to exercise at night cause it tires me enough to where I can go to sleep faster.

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Monday morning
We have snow this morning. It has almost covered the grassy areas and the roof tops. I don't have to get out so I'm happy to watch.
Trying to figure out a way to bring my bicycle back into the house so I can use it when I can't go to the gym.

Quick hello. I'm at a conference today & tomorrow. Might not post until Wednesday.

Hello ladies,


We are in a deep cold snap here - colder than it should be this time of year and no one is happy about that. Single digits overnight and teens during the day. This is my 8th winter here - I am officially a Northwoods person now and I'm also thinking it might not be so bad to snowbird it (take off down south) for a couple of months over the winter. However we cannot afford to maintain 2 residences so I will just have to make friends with people who live in Florida over the winter LOL


Tonight we are going to a live lobster feast. It is at a very small local bar - typical of the places around here that certain groups of people hang out. The toilet is super tiny claustrophobic - like an airline loo and the sink is the color of all your worst dreams in a gas station potty. I DO NOT want to go. However I am taking one for the team for DH who has been drooling over the desire to have fresh lobster for over a year now. And this option is far less expensive than an overnight in Minneapolis and a very pricy dinner out. You may wonder - do you trust the food to be clean in such a dirty sounding place? Yes I do. I know one of the bar owners who is doing this - they are very careful about their food. The bars here have been around for upwards of 50 years in some cases and this is one of them. I would rather get our order for take out/away but that would be kind of rude even though we won't know anyone except possibly one couple and I NEVER want to see her in person again so I am thinking how to delicately avoid her if she comes to say hello. I hope DH Likes his lobster!!!


Tomorrow I am working the Senior Center lunch crowd - it's their Thanksgiving dinner celebration so it will be very busy. I have to stay longer because now that we have lots of snow DH is uber'ing me around and he has a training class there at 1pm. Next week I am working there Tuesday and Wednesday all day. No bingo on Thursday because of Thanksgiving. Yay - a day off!!! I am missing a team meeting at the Thrift Shop because of a conflict and prior commitment to work the Senior Center. This can be the break off I have been leading up to.


I got some gorgeous pears I ordered from the Peach truck people. They came last week and are finally ripening now. Had one last night and the pear was AMAZING. Dripping down chin juicy and sweet as can be. Now they are all ripening so I will put some in the refrigerator to extend and the rest into pear sauce. There are 6 varieties in the box. I did make the first batch of apple sauce - it's really good. Even better after it chilled and set for 24 hours. I can probably make 2 more batchs - about 8 quarts in all. And some pear sauce. And some apple cranberry pear sauce. I am preparing for when I have my teeth taken out!


Annie - I haven't seen you online since the people were coming from Corporate so I'm worried that they came loaded with an axe. Not sure if you have a computer / internet at home and if you are just posting FB from your phone but hugs to you and fingers crossed that you will land something else quickly.


Ceejay - I was surprised to see that Memphis was almost as cold as us. Stay warm!


Laura - hope you can learn something at your conference. And it's not too boring!


Susie - I am proud of you for setting bounds to support DH and not let work interfere with that!!!!


Hello to the rest - I have to help DH carry some stuff..

Hello. I have been feeling under the weather.

Sort of acky and queasy and a headache. It started yesterday around 9 am. I was at work. I took some tylenol but it didnt help so when VP went to the GO around 1 for a meeting that went to 5 I went home.

I slept some and worked some. Feeling better today and since VP was at another location I worked from home where I could be in comfy sweets and long sleeve tshirt.

Tomorrow I need to be in the office all day.

Happy: it sounds like you are untagling from the Thrift shop. That is a step in the right direction. I hope the lobster is as good as you are expecting.

Laura: we will see you after Wednesday if you dont make it before then.

Ceejay: is it almost time for the beach trip?

Annie; thinking of you and hope you are ok

Hi Shad and Dee

Afternoon all,
Been busy with people, dogs and bloody cats as well as trying to keep the house in order and get on with the renovations and maintenance. Seems there is always something needing doing down here.

Annie - Hope you have come to a resolution with the job and all. Sometimes it is worse not knowing than it is knowing. Nice pictures of the birthday girl on facebook

Happy- Glad to see you are stepping back from the Thrift store. Probably bad for the animals, but good for you. Hope you enjoy the lobster dinner. Sounds yummy. Your applesauce sounds great. Oh and while I remember - I have had one implant put in after a tooth broke and was rotten some years back. I cost out the implant, bridges, plates etc. and found that the bridge wasn't possible because the tooth behind wasn't too stable either and a plate with one tooth was an astronomically stupid price. I spoke to my dentist and he said that with those smaller teeth behind the eye tooth, he could put two teeth on the one implant. Still wasn't cheap but better than the price of two. And I have never had any problems with the implant either. Worked for me.

Susie - Feel better soon. How is the DH

Ceejay - sounds like you are getting the exact opposite of our weather. We had some very unseasonal, very hot, very humid and very windy weather. Thankfully it is more or less gone now. We are having pleasant spring temps, still windy tho'. Hope all your aches are going away and you feel better

Laura - see you after Wednesday - seems funny saying that since we are most of the way through Wednesday anyway.

Went to the dietician today - us oldies get 4 free visits a year. I've done mine and I won't get any more until next year. Anyway, this one was somewhat more sensible than some of the others and some of the information she gave me was that our BMI gets a bit bigger with age. Apparently we need to carry a bit of weight so that we can get the calcium, protein and vitamins from our food. So although she wants me to lose about another 5 kg (11lbs more or less) it will bring me into the old age normal BMI range and I will not longer be obese - well it will be close to the upper limit but in the moderate range. So off I go to try for 5kg.

I've been freezing beans today as well as washing floors, and looking after the menagerie here. The other day I made ice cream. I'm turning into Martha Stewart. Anyway, the garden is just about done for the year and I will be turning over at least one bed this afternoon, fertilising and mulching for the summer. There are tomatoes and potatoes and lettuce popping up all over the place so I'll just let them grow and see what happens. If they fruit, that's good but I think the bugs will get the tomatoes, the potatoes will be tiny, and the lettuces will go straight to seed. Life will be easier when the garden is closed down.

I've also been looking at my trip. Quite frankly I feel somewhat worried about my safety over there and travelling mostly alone. Also the travel insurance is pretty steep now too. But I'll continue to plan and make up my mind until I have to start paying for things.
Off to shut the dog up. Postie must be coming.

Good morning ladies,


Ugh - I didn't get enough sleep last night. Had to get up early this morning as I am working the Senior Center lunch today and it is their Thanksgiving lunch so will be a busy morning. Then DH has a class to coach so I won't get home until about 3pm. He has camera club tonight so I'm sure I will fall asleep in the chair while he is gone and REALLY mess up my body clock! DH told a little white lie and got the lobsters for take out. It wasn't really a lie because after we concocted the story, I actually did get ill and would have had a hard time being there anyway. He brought the stuff home and we ate there. It was ok, lobster was on the mushy side. DH is still wanting for a good fresh lobster. Afterwards I roasted the shells from both of them in a pan with garlic, butter and herbs. Afterwards put that in a stockpot with some water, seafood seasoning, can of chopped tomatoes and simmered for over an hour to make a lovely stock. Drained that and set that out in the 3 season room to cool where it will partially freeze overnight. DH said the house smelled like the ocean - a good smell for him, very reminiscent since he grew up on the ocean side. I will use some of the stock for a nice bisque and save some for stock. The crab and shrimp guy is coming Friday for one last time before they close up for the winter. But making the stock and cleaning the kitchen were part of the reason I was up so late. And then when I got to bed I could not fall asleep until after 2:30am. I set the alarm for 6:30 but woke up just after 5:30 with a potty run and was no sense in going back to sleep for 45 minutes so up I am - tired, foggy headed and still a bit with the tummy upset. I am hoping (but doubtful) someone else will step up to cover the lunch desk on Wednesdays in December because I have other things to do and when I said I'd cover, did not intend to do it for 3 months running. I did separate my pears I got from Oregon - there are 6 varieties and I am not sure about 2 of them. I didn't have enough time yesterday to start making sauce but will try to get at least one batch done today when I get home later. Not much else going on. It's still cold outside but the morning sky was beautiful today - crisp and clear. Venus was shining brightly just over the horizon.


I did speak to Annie via messenger briefly yesterday. She got the final word. Will be able to work for a llittle while longer and says she's as ok as can be. Will let her tell the story when she can, just know she is ok.


Shad - cat(S) as in plural? Did you get another? Thank you for the feedback on the implant. I forgot until you mentioned it that you had one too. Ugh - I think I will take our cold, dry weather over your hot, humid and sticky stuff. Glad things have tempered down a bit. The ice cream looked very refreshing. You are getting adventurous. Where is it that you are going that you are feeling nervous? Over here? I guess you are ok as long as you don't talk politics And we won't be spending time in Chicago this time around either


Susie - sorry you are feeling under the weather. Perhaps all this nursing and house things and regular work have put a strain on you. Glad you adjusted to take care of yourself. And that you got a jump on it before you got really sick. Feel better


Hello to the rest. Time for me to hurry and get ready to leave in 30 minutes which will not be easy as I am moving in slow motion. Have a good one all...

Sorry to keep you in suspense and worry....

Yes, I got the axe. Here is how it is going down. 30 days in and out of the office. That takes me to Dec 7. Then 30 days non-working days. That takes me to Jan 7. Then severance until March 3.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Please keep me in your thoughts, prayers and good mojo.

Hugs

Hugs Annie.Sending you good vibes.

Happy
Wow with all the apples and pears. I love both of them. I've never had pear sauce before but I bet it is good. I think that your ordeal with volunteering has made me skeptical. Give them an inch and they will take a mile.

Shad
Those green beans will taste good a bit later. I just don't have the gumption to do all that gardening anymore.

Susie
Sorry to hear that you are not feeling well.

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Monday we had snow. The counties up north of me had more snow like 3 to 4 inches while we just got a dusting. It has been cold this week also. 18 degrees when I got up this morning. The high will be mid 30's.
I'm getting excited about our vacation. 10 days and counting.
Trying to decide on what to do with the cat while I'm gone. I'm leaving this up to my niece but she doesn't plan ahead.

Morning all. I have a meeting in a few, but I’ll get a post started at least and see when I can get back to it. The conference was okay. A few sessions provided useful information, so I guess it was worthwhile. I’ll have to set a reminder to check for the presentations to be posted on the site before it just gets pushed out of my mind.

So I had to wear business clothing to the conference. I like the NSV that my clothes are much looser as a result of my weight loss, but unfortunately, baggy is not a good look for me. What really irked me is that the larger size dress pants I bought at JCP are too big, and the size smaller pair - still have hanging in the closet with the tags on - are too snug. And I’ve decided both have a strange, unflattering cut on the outside of the pant leg... I think I’ll return the smaller size for now and shop again for something more flattering down the road. The pants that are part of my suit are too big also. Oh well. I’m glad I didn’t spend a lot on the suit.

I skipped my workout last night. These conferences kind of disrupt my routine schedule. Monday I took a later train home because the last session ended sometime after 5 pm, followed by a cocktail reception at which I spent a half hour. Tuesday I took an earlier train in the morning because the first session began at 8. And I was about 15 minutes late for that because I didn’t take an even earlier train. I guess I’m just not an early morning person. I went back to the office after the lunch/keynote speaker that ended the conference and had to finish an online compliance session that was required to be completed today. I haven’t been sleeping well the past week or so, so I was just kind of crabby and it was easy to talk myself out of exercise. I didn’t do anything at home either. Bleh.

I’m going through another round of “the Change” after a break of about 3 months and I'm having hot flashes. That’s on top of the too-warm temps in the office when the sun is blasting our side of the building. And on top of overheating in my down coat while on the train. Great.

Bf and I are having our moms over for Thanksgiving. I’ll also have to send out an email about Christmas dinner, which I’ll be hosting this year. The only timing issue would probably be concerning my two nephews, since they live out of state and don’t have the most flexible of schedules. Good thing for all the vacation time – I’ll have time for planning and prep.

Tonight I need to work out!! No talking myself out of it today!!

On to personals:

Shad – Are you saying that those nutrients aren’t absorbed by the body if you weigh less? I wasn’t aware of the different BMI chart for “oldies”. At what age does that kick in? Regardless…I have a ways before I need to worry about that issue – I’m still in the “overweight’ range. ~~ Do you have an itinerary yet for your trip??

Susie – I’m glad dh is doing well back at work. Good for you telling your boss about your scheduling needs at this time. As long as you have a plan going in, they can’t outright reject it. ~~~ Are you feeling any better??

Happy – Your fruit sauces sound tasty. Nothing like homemade, with the spices *you* want in them. ~~ My foot’s still broken. I made a follow-up appointment with the current ortho dr. We’ll see what he says. If surgery is imminent, I’ll be seeking a 2nd opinion from another ortho. ~~ Didn’t have much choice for the guv candidate, so we’re stuck with another uber-rich guy. We’ll see if he can accomplish anything now that the partisan issue is removed. ~~ When is your weekend getaway, or did you already take it?? ~~ I hope you get through your day okay even though you’re working on only a few hours of sleep. I really hate that feeling!


Ceejay – I had 16 days of vacation time left as of 10/31. I scheduled 11 days through 12/31, the first of which is this Friday and Monday. I’m looking forward to the time off!! ~~ Is the fluid in your ear dried out now? That really messes with your balance. ~~ Did you get your bike moved into the house yet? You need to get your nephew over there to take care of that for you…

Annie – I’m glad you’ve heard something and now know your timeframe about your job. I hope it helps somehow. You’re in my thoughts, sister!

Dee – I’ve never purchased cell phone insurance and I’ve never broken a screen on my cell phone. I do drop my phone - every couple days it seems, but (knock wood) I’ve never had an issue. I do have a nice sturdy cover for it, and that must be why. Oh, and screen protector film too. --- The baked goodies you made sound so tasty. I’m sure your son really looks forward to his birthday gift from mom!!

Okay, let me get this posted - wonky font sizes and all. Have a great rest of the day and rest of the week!!

Hello. I am feeling much better today. I know staying home where I was comfortable helped me to not get to sick. I am still taking it easy with food but that is ok, I needed to step back a bit.


We are expecting some winter weather in the morning. I don't mind snow but freezing rain and ice bothers me and that is what they are calling for.


Annie: HUGS sister-friend. It sucks that you will have to look for another job; I am already praying that the perfect job for you is in place before the end of the severence. I believe it will.


Shad: 11 lbs isn't to much weight to take off; I know it still takes work but I say you are in good shape lady and will get it off. I would also be nervous traveling by myself; have you done much traveling by yourself? I have not..just one time when I went to Vegas for a work event.


Ceejay: Ten days to sand and sun! Sounds amazing.


Laura: I understand completely about being in between sizes where nothing fits right. It's a good problem to have because you lost weight but it can be frustrating. What was the conference topics about?


Happy: I hope the tummy settles down. As for the Wednesday's in December; it isn't your problem if they don't find someone to step up..tell them you won't be there and it is up to them to get coverage in place.

Good morning.

Working from home today. WHy? psssh.

We had an ice storm last night. No school for the boys. Probably safer that way.

Everyone is currently healthy. Hope I did not jinx that.

Subbed last night at my SIL Cindy's card club. First time and I loved it. Asked her to keep me in mind for future.

AA workshop on Tuesday nights are going great. It is the studying of the 12 steps. We are on step 5 next week. Probably spend a couple of weeks on that.

Hello to everyone. Hugs

Morning
Not looking forward to this afternoon as our church is having pictures made for the pictorial. Mine is at 3.15 p.m. Was supposed to work the desk but cancel yesterday. I don't want to stay that late even though I suppose I could go
I'm having another round of sinus drainage. My throat was sore Sunday and Monday but today it's gone. Just the drainage. I'm wondering if I'm allergic to the cat.
My sis told me that my BIL's mother who has been in the nursing home for a while is going down hill. She is 94; They told him that she might live for another week. He has two sibling that live over seas so it will take them a while before they get here.
There is a heat wave this afternoon of 49 degrees . I'm liking this.

Annie
How fun to play cards. Wish I had something like that to do.

Susie
Glad that you are feeling a bit better.

Laura
I need to get back into my exercising. This cold snap has put a damper on me going to the gym.