Afternoon all. I hit the wrong keys and lost my almost-finished post. Grrrr. I don't like the new keyboard we were given when we moved to the new office.

Susie - I'm glad you're feeling better. Our bodies definitely need more rest when we're fighting off an illness - smart of you to listen to your body! ~~ Hope you didn't have to commute in that weather - sounds like the same weather Annie's having. ~~ Hope you don't mind, but I won't get into details about the conference. I don't like to get into specifics about my work - you know I sometimes vent quite a bit about my boss, LOL. I hope we can plan a gathering in 2019 (when Shad visits?) so all of us can meet & talk about anything and everything.

Annie - Good you didn't commute during the ice storm. I bet the boys are happy to be off school and to have grandma around the house! What kind of card games did you play yesterday??

Ceejay - How did the photo turn out? ~~ If I didn't know that your niece was taking Miley with her when she moves, I'd say definitely get an allergy test to see if you're allergic to cat dander. ~~ I wish we were having temps in the 40's here...~~ I hope your BIL's siblings can get back here to see their mother before she passes.

Hellos to the rest of you.

It's my Friday because I have a vacation day tomorrow (and Monday too - woohoo!). Today is going excruciatingly slow, of course. Between the hot flashes, poor sleep all week, and the too-warm temps in the office (76 according to the admin's thermometer), I'm feeling so drowsy. I keep turning on my fan, then turning it off after a few minutes because my eyes feel too dry. C'mon quitting time!

Before I post this - RIP Mellie. I can't believe it's been 5 years already. Miss you!!

Good Morning All...

LAURA....we played Euchre. Enjoy your days off. Miss Mellie's "funnisms". She was so good at that.

HAPPY...mushy lobster is just nasty to me. Or rubbery lobster is yuk too.

CEEG...you very well could be allergic to the cat. Most all of us in this house are allergic to cats. Makes our nose run, drainage and itchy eyes.

SUSIE...glad you are feeling better. We got the same yucky weather that was headed your way.

SHADDIE...seems no matter the number on the scale or BMI I just cannot reach it. lol.

Nothing new here. Cold but no snow or ice today. Make is a great day/weekend. Who knows I might get back over the weekend.

Love you ladies...

Annie
I hadn't thought about being allergic to the cat. I know my older sister is allergic to them.

Laura
I've learned during those menopausal symptoms to layer my clothes and turn the temp down.

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I woke up to a sore side this morning and when I checked it lo and behold there is a rash that is very similar to the shingles that I've had in the past. Thinking about going to the minute clinic this afternoon.
Rode my bike last night while watching t.v.
Did get my picture made yesterday for the churches new directory and I might add that they turned out extremely good.

Morning all,
Up since 5 am thanks to the bloody cat. Feed me, feed me. When there is already food in his bowl. Grrr But got stuck into the vege patch and have the three beds turned over and fertilised and 2 covered in sugar cane mulch. Ran out of mulch for the third. The I repotted the Aloe Vera plants and killed an ants nest that was living in one. Then swept and washed the floor in the kitchen, dining room and lounge and washed all the dog paw marks off. Floor looks good now. Made my bed, washed and hung out a load of washing. Think I now need a nap.

Annie - sorry to hear about the job, but you were expecting it I think. Did I read it right and you are there until March next year, or are you finished after Christmas. Horrible time of the year to start job hunting. I feel for you.
Glad to hear that your SIL is home and doing well. At least one thing going in the right direction.
It's nice that you had a good time playing cards and you would like to do it again. Also nice that the AA group is going well.

Susie - good that the DH is doing well and you are setting rules for getting home on time. Remember, it's nice to have a job, but …. if the going gets tough, it's the family that will see you right and not the job.
Good that the unwell feelings are going away, and yes everything is better at home.
I've travelled a fair amount by myself in Japan, USA, Canada, England, Australia and NZ. Lets face it, if you don't travel alone then you aren't going to go far when there is only one of you. Last time I was in USA I felt fairly safe. However things over there have deteriorated a lot since I was last there, and I have to face the fact that I am not the 10-15 years younger as I was then (and fitter as well) Maybe I will just buy a suit of armour and move along anyway. There is so much I would like to do over there, but I may have to persuade someone to come with me to do all those things.

Laura - all the new things for my cv will have to have (slowly) behind the skill. It's not so hard if you go and have a look at a door already hung and get the gist of what goes where and of course Google is my friend when it comes to 'How the **** do I fit this damn door handle and furniture' The hinges on cupboard doors are another thing I have had to tackle. They seem simple enough until they get a bit of age on and then you need to figure out how to stop the door from drooping and which screw needs replacing and what's that darn piece of metal for anyway.
Yes, R will be okay to travel to Tasmania with me in about 3 weeks time. Really getting close now. She should be allowed to drive in a couple of weeks and although there is a seroma there where the old stomach band was removed and which bleeds from time to time, it should be fine for her. I don't think rock climbing is on the menu tho'
As far as the BMI goes, it's a bit tricky to explain. However it goes something like this. The dietician thinks that being in the 31-34 range after 60 means that should you get an illness or something, you have something to fall back on rather than being too frail to fight it. It's not too much about absorbing nutrients but having that cushion as we lose things like bone density and muscle mass. That's not to say we should eat anything and everything, but we should still keep to a healthy diet and do exercise like walking and swimming etc. whatever we feel like. Hope that makes a bit of sense. Sometimes I wonder about the accuracy of these BMI's since it takes in height, age and weight but not bone structures and muscle mass but it is what they use - for better or for worse.
Enjoy your vacation days.

Okay, time to get on with a few things. I'll be back to finish off any personals I haven't done later. I need to go to the hardware store for compost and soil material, some plants , some potting mix and some orchid potting mix. Then I need to get a few more things done so I can say today has been successful. Plus a lick of paint here and there as well. Perhaps I will paint the black cat green.

Shad
Thanks for the information on the BMI. That makes a lot more sense to me. In this case I only need to lose around 10 to 15 pounds to get to the high end of my BMI.

Not much going on.
Starting to pack for my vacation. I'm excited.

Good morning ladies,


For those of you working - yay a short work week! I have to work at the Senior Center tomorrow and Wednesday. We went out Saturday night at 3am to try and catch the meteor shower. It was in the single digits, high humidity but felt like minus 2 (F). Because of the humidity everything was covered in a sparkly layer of ice crystals - pretty but FREEZING. I was dressed warmly but still the cold seeped right through all the layers. I lasted outside for 10 minutes and ran into the car and covered myself with a blanket and sat there for an hour while DH tried to take pictures. We drove to an open field for a better view. Nothing really exciting going on in my life. I did make pear sauce yesterday - very good. Was upset to find that about 1/4 of the pears I ordered had a problem - rotted from the seed end outwards. They were firm and good looking until you cut into them. I think that was a widespread problem with that variety. I will call the company. All the other pears were good. I am making Thanksgiving dinner at home - will shop today. Keeping it simple for the most part. Will make some of my favorite vegetables - DH is ok with mashed potatoes and corn for him.


Ceejay - I hope you enjoy your vacation. What will you do with Miley?


Shad - speaking of cats - what a hellion you seem to have I haven't really gotten on board with the BMI thing because it can as you say ignore some things. I mostly look at the lab work, if the numbers are in a good range, that's what I go by. I would agree with you that things have changed here since you were here last. But the world has become crazy. We know there are bad areas of town to avoid - the scariest thing is the random shootings that have gone over the top. There is a huge organization that stifles any attempt at gun control here. I fear we will once again become the Wild West. I hope you will have good travels with your friend in Tasmania.


Annie - hope you are doing ok and making the best of the situation. I'm sure you are cooking or are you going somewhere and you just have to make 10 pies?


Laura - 2 short work weeks in a row. That will be nice. Nicer too when the trains are less crowded. I can't believe it's been 5 years since Mel is gone. She is still in our hearts.


Susie - I hope you have a long weekend to enjoy some you time. How is DH doing?


I have to hurry and get dressed. DH took his truck in for service on Friday and they punched a hole in the mirror and broke it. We didn't notice until Saturday. They didn't even mention it. He is on his way back from the dealer and will want to take me grocery shopping soon enough so I have to get ready.


Will try and get back later.

Afternoon
It's a little cold outside but not to bad. Mid 40's for the high.. I'm just not in the mood to do anything physical today. I'm getting ready to get my clothes packed and ready to go on vacation.
My niece called me around noon to tell me that she has accepted a job. She will be working in a vets office in Florida. She will be both front desk and assistant to the vet. Think she will like it.

Happy
Vacation will start Friday. I'm excited. One of my nieces friends will come by and feed Miley.

Hello's to the rest.

Hi Everyone,


This is my last day in the office this week; it is very quite here...I like it like this..especially today. I need a quite day.


Annie: That ice storm was something wasn't it?! I went into work as DH had to go so we rode together. We didn't have two many branches down but all the leaves are off the trees now and in my gutters. DH can't get on a ladder anymore due to afib so I need to find someone who can help me or hire someone. It is so hard to find someone who does handyman work.


It is very nice that you were able to sub for your SIL at card club and very nice that you enjoyed it. It souns like the AA group is doing well.


Laura: What all did you do on your vacation time off from work? Did you make it back to the gym. I have slacked all week with my workouts this week. I will get back to them after Thanksgiving Day.


Ceejay: I bet you are very excited about the upcoming vacation! Did you go to the doctor to make sure you didn't have shingles? It is very nice to hear that your niece got the job at the vet.


Shad: I have always thought I would like to "garden" but I know it takes a lot of time...maybe in my retirement. You mentioned a friend of yours has a seroma....my husband has one from his surgery. It is small and it feels like it is taking forever to heal. I have to pack it daily and he also wears a gauze pad to absord any of the bleeding. He also wears a binder to help aid in the healing. How is your friend getting along with her healing?


Happy: My dad loved things like metor showers and such. He was always dragging us out of bed at 2 in the morning to see things like that...it always seemed that was the time of night you could see really well. I am glad he did things like that with us...my menories of him doing that make my heart happy. He was such a quiet man and very no nonsense and it always felt like I was seeing another side of him. Did your DH get any good pictures? I would have been in the car after a few minutes as well with those tempatures.


Hi to Dee!


I have been wondering about purchasing or asking for Christmas some of the Cuddleduds (tops and bottoms) for really cold days. Has anyone worn them?

Shaddie...my last working day is Dec 7, my last non-working day is Jan 7. I get paid til March 3. Health bennies end Jan 7.


Not much going on...

Yes HAPPY,....baking pies. Making my noodles for chicken n noods. And greenbeans. Pies...pecan, peanut butter, apple, chocolate and cherry....all requests. Starting all that on Weds.

My bro from IL (Fe) will be here on Wed and staying till Sunday for TG.

SIL Cindy is have TG at her house. Amen.

Hello to all. Have a wonderful TG. Love youse,.

Morning
My clothes are all laid out on the bed ready to be packed. I checked the temperatures for the Dominican and the high during the day will be 85 and night around 73.
Miley is sitting in the window making chirping sounds to attract the few birds that are still left I think she is seeing the movement of the leaves.
We will have Thanksgiving at my sister's in Ash Grove on Thursday. I'm taking a broccoli and grape salad.
Still no word on BIL's mom. Hospice called him in yesterday but she's still hanging on.
Guess I need to verify whether my ride will still be coming by to pick me up for the convoy of hope volunteer night tonight.

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Happy
forgot to ask, are you still going to the Tops meeting.?

Annie
That's a lot of pies. I know they will be good .

Laura
When does you vacation start?

Susie, Dee and Shad hello.

Morning all. Just lost a really long post because I didn’t type it in Word first. Grrr.Anyway, I’ll try again…not so busy at work today.

Early close to day, and not the usual 3 pm close, but NOON!! And then starts my loooong holiday weekend because I’m also taking vacay on the following Monday and Tuesday.

Thanksgiving plans have changed. We tried to use the oven over the weekend and discovered it wasn’t heating up!!! No luck getting a tech out this week (no surprise there), so we’ve made reservations at a nice restaurant near bf’s mom’s place and we’ll eat there with both of our moms and probably have dessert back at his mom’s place afterwards. Kind of glad...we're also hosting our family for Christmas this year.

Scale is steady, but I need to get motivated to get it moving again in the right direction! That said – skipped my workout at the fc last night, but did some upper body exercises with hand weights.

Ceejay – Have a WONDERFUL vacation!!! Congrats to your niece on having a job before her move!


Happy – Bummer about the pears. I’ve had that happen too.

Shad – Okay, get it re a higher bmi for seniors. When illness hits, weight loss happens and strength is lost and frailty is common. So best to have a bit “extra” on the scale. I do agree that BMI is not the greatest measure. – Yay that your trip is still on!! – Just changing out our kitchen cupboard door hinges with the exact same type (except nickel finish to replace the brass) we experienced that the doors don’t close properly without deliberate action to push them all the way closed – so they are wonky. But I don’t care much because I don’t like the kitchen cabs much anyway and so what if the kitchen looks like someone ransacked the place and left everything askew, hahaha.

Annie – Yum, cherry pie. -- Probably good for your bereaved brother to be amongst his family right now. It’ll be a rough one for him. – I’ll have to look up how Euchre is played…

Susie - We have gutter covers and haven’t cleaned gutters since they were installed – many years ago now. I still wonder if there’s junk in there…nothing’s perfect. Every once in a while they seem to overflow, but that’s when it’s raining a LOT. – Our little tree out front finally lost all it’s leaves the weekend before last. I kept meaning to comment that our fall color was late here, but I so enjoyed the glow of the colors. – Haven’t done much with my vacation days so far, but I have a looong weekend coming up and I think I’ll channel my inner Shad and get back to fixing the long ignored half bath project. The paint color was all wrong, and the wall patching bf did was less than satisfactory. What are your holiday/weekend plans??

Dee – Hope all is well and you have a great holiday.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving holiday here in the US - and Shad, no holiday needed to give thanks for your blessings!!

Okay, cut and paste time, please ignore the funky formatting that’s sure to show up.

Good morning and happy thanksgiving.

Today is also Fe’s birthday. Glad my bro Chuck is here with us.

Have a wonderful blessed day.

Grateful and thankful for you ladies.

Much love!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Hope you all have a wonderful day with family and friends.

Nothing much to report here. Just putting one foot in front of the other and getting on with the long list of jobs doing one and planning out the next one.

Ceejay, have a great holiday and enjoy.

Good morning. I have been "piddling" about the house this morning. DH slept in and today I was quiet and let him.

We are about to eat breakfast and my goal is to get the living room cleaned and decorated. Then we plan to go out and about in town to the local stores just to see what we can see. I want to get the the jewlers as I need to have DH's wedding band sized. It is way to large after his weight loss and it keeps falling off. I also want to get to the Tire Discounts store and get tires priced and appointmnets set up for new tires for both our cars......I don't like the extra expense at this time of year but it is something we must do to stay safe in our commutes.

Tonight is niece Layna's birthday party at a local coffee house. She is turning 15. She will be performing some of her music at the coffee house. She is an amazing singer and song writer....and I would say that even if she wasn't my niece. She wanted "grown up makup" as she is now allowed to wear it more, so I worked with my Mary Kay lady and put together a nice compact that holds 3 eye shadows, blush and lipstick as well as brushes for the eye shadows and blush.. I am putting that in a new purse I got for her along with a gift certificate to a local clothing boutique that she likes. I think she will be happy with her presents.

We had a nice Thanksgiving with friends...good food and very relaxing. We watched 3 movies: Tag, Jurassick Park and Jamangi .

DH has said that breakfast is ready. I will have to come back later to finish with personals.
.

We made it to the Dominican republic today. What a beautiful resort! I will write more later. Still learning some stuff about the on internet.