Happy New Year.
It's not quite that time yet in the great South East, however I can't keep awake any longer. See you all when you check in.

Stay safe, stay well, look after yourselves.

Joy
To go back to the last thread Click here

Morning all. Thanks for setting us up with a new thread Shad!

Once again I look at the date of my last post and realize it's been a while.

I haven't been up to much. Working and also taking vacation days. Though I'm not doing anything exciting, the time off has been nice. I've gotten my booster covid shot and my flu shot - both on the same day. No ill effects, just some muscle soreness. I did minimal holiday decorations inside and I only put up the 4 foot Christmas tree this year. For a twist, this year I decided I would decorate it only with gold, silver and white ornaments and clear lights. I had just the right amount of ornaments to cover the tree nicely. I also found an idea for a tree topper - a starburst made out of long white and silver dollar store pipe cleaners. That was fun and it really sparkled in the lights.

Christmas was pleasant. I saw my mom on Christmas Eve and brought her a gift I made and hung it on the wall of her room. She used to collect crocheted pot holders because she thought they were so pretty. At some point she gave them all to me and I just had them sitting around with my sewing stuff for years. I strung them across several lines on a bulletin board and it's a pretty, colorful display. The management at her facility has recently reported a covid case and are going through testing. They initially reported that visiting would be suspended, but another email sent yesterday said they can't do that per the CDC rules, so they recommend masks and shields and visiting in resident rooms only. I've decided to wait a few days before my next visit.

On Christmas morning, bf and I went to a friend's house for brunch. There were only six of us and it was nice. She has two young cats and they were very entertaining!

I purged a few bins of Christmas decorations and have a couple boxes for donation. I'll find a spot and hold onto them until the holiday season comes around again - I'd hate to burden them with items they certainly won't sell right now. In fact, the thrift shop I usually bring things to is closed until January 5th.

I had a hair appointment yesterday. My appointment next month will be my last with my current stylist. She's quitting the business completely. She's been doing it almost all of her adult life and it's been hard on her body. I've been with her for many years and I'll miss her. I'm staying in the same salon, just moving to a new person. I've decided to start transitioning to whatever my natural hair color is - which has a good amount of gray in it, from the looks of my root outgrowth! It'll be very gradual. Right now we just moved to a weaker blend of the demi-permanent color we've been using for a while now. We'll see how my new person suggests blending in the gray with the color. I definitely don't want to go "cold turkey" and stop touch-ups completely and have that horrible growing-out period, skunk stripe and all. Another suggestion was mixing lowlights in with my natural color. So we'll see.

So with the omicron variant kicking up the covid cases, our company has postponed our return to the office (originally scheduled for the week of Jan. 10th). They've even stopped the voluntary in-office work they've allowed since July. We'll see how long this postponement goes, but I'm not unhappy about it for the most part. Commuting in Chicago in January wasn't very appealing, after all. But I was getting mentally geared up for it and almost looking forward to being in the office and seeing my co-workers again. Not sure how long this will go, but unlike when we first started remote work, I won't be surprised if it drags on. Still...I'd already purchased several 10-ride train tickets in preparation for commuting. They're good for a year, and potentially longer if they allow extensions. We'll see.

I'm going to post this before I lose it and then come back for personals.

Back for personals...

Shad - Happy New Year to you! Did you stay up to ring it in and watch the fireworks? Glad to hear Ruger is doing well in Cairns. == Hope you can keep cool waiting out the end of the hot/humid summer weather, just as the rest of us are hoping we can get through our winter without too many extremes in the cold & snow departments. We finally got snow in my area a couple days ago (alas, too late for a white Christmas so many were hoping for), but it won't hang around very long since the temps are kind of wavering around between seasonal and warmer than normal. While I appreciate a warmer than normal winter, it is worrying when added to all the other crazy weather we get now - climate change for sure.

Susie - Sounds like you had a nice long vacation! Are you still scheduled to be back in the office? I thought that might change due to the covid uptick. == I do hope we "see" more of each other here in 2022 - I missed everyone! == Good job purging the clothes. As I've said often, I need to do that - so very many things I don't wear anymore and which I'm truthfully not fond of anyway. I keep them just so I have something in the event I do need them. But why keep them and waste the space when I could just let someone else get some use out of them?

Happy - I'm so sorry to hear about the break with your sister. I hope that you'll mend fences with each other sometime in the future. I know the phrase "Life's too short" can be taken a couple ways - too short to be miserable in a troubled relationship, or too short to let differences, mistrust, mistreatment keep friends/family apart. I hope things can be turned around for you and your sister. == Sorry to hear that your knee is really hurting. Hopefully the exercise classes and chair yoga will move forward in spite of the covid stuff and the movement will help you. == I have to sympathize with your DH re the neck surgery - sounds scary, and whenever I occasionally have neck pain it just reminds you how much you move that part of your body! == Let us know what you're learning from the diabetes nutrition class and the writing class! == We finally broke in our air fryer last night, but not with any special recipe. Just some onion tater tots (which I made a special trip to a grocery store we never shop at, because the onion tots aren't all that easy to find!). The tots, which accompanied grilled burgers, cooked up quickly and were nicely crispy. Convenient, because the unit apparently doesn't call for preheating, so there's a time savings there as well as the quicker cooking time vs. the traditional oven. BF is looking forward to trying chicken wings in the air fryer. == I do want to get away for some sort of trip this year, but I agree that I'm not interested in traveling by air. Watch out all of you - I might just take to the road in the car and end up in your driveways!! (No car emoji, lol.)

Hellos to Annie & Ceejay! Come back and visit with us! Miss you!

Okay, going to get off the laptop and do some reading and tv and generally be slothful until I'm disgusted with myself, and then find something useful to do. I was trying to organize the home office a bit yesterday and finally pulled out the cartridges and user manual for our fax machine, which has been sitting disconnected and unused for years now. It will be listed online for sale. Don't laugh - there are many for sale on craigslist!

Wishing everyone a safe, healthy and happy New Year! Cheers - here's to a better 2022!

Greeting and to all.


It's bright and sunny but frightfully cold in the woods here. Won't even get to zero even with the sun shining. I am typing at the kitchen counter with an umbrella propped next to me. We have trapezoid windows at the top of the wall facing south. This time of year the sun is low and shines intensely right into the kitchen area. I do appreciate the sun - it does warm the main part of the house up but it's a bear for a few hours with too much sunshine. Given the triangular shape of the roof line and the upper expansive windows, it would be frightfully expensive for any sort of shades and you can't really do anything on an angular pitch. This cabin style wall of windows looks pretty from the inside and out but it NOT PRACTICAL when you live in a place with winter 5 months out of the year. Lots of cold seeps in. But at least it's sunny. All the deer and turkeys are puffed up trying to keep warm. We got a foot of snow - DH plowed the area by the garages and we have a wall of snow on the grass. The deer have taken to sitting on the plowed part with the wall as a wind break and they sit there and wait for him to come out and feed them. It's cute. Except he does not like going out 3 times a day in this cold!! The birds are also flocking to the feeders. We have to actively play with the 2 younger cats as they are cooped up and like a toddler, have to burn off energy.


My New Year's Eve was quiet. We went grocery shopping to pick up a few things earlier in the day and had some fried chicken for lunch so come supper I wasn't really hungry for the lobster tails we planned - and they were still thawing. I had ordered fresh Maryland Crab Cakes which were AMAZING so decided to have one for myself and DH who does not like crab had some fresh Ahi tuna. DH is having a problem with a tinny taste in the back of his throat. We don't know what's causing it exactly - he has been having all sorts of mystery ailments including the swelling and redness in his foot. So food is not tasting good for him which is sad and he has been eating smaller portions. Consequently we did not have the cheese, sausage and cracker appetizers I had planned. We watched a "year in review" type recap show until 11pm and then did the usual Happy New Year when the ball dropped in New York City. We finished watching the tv show and it was 11:45 - he was about to head to bed when I said he had 15 minutes left for the real new year's so we hugged and kissed and wished each other well for the 49th year. This year will mark 50 years since we met in September of 1972. Hard to believe we are old people I debated about having a glass of wine but I am allergic to the sulphates in liquor which always make me somewhat wheezy. I hate being wheezy and thanks to shots and masks, I have not had as much as a cold for the last 2 years. Sometimes acid indigestion makes me wheezy (which was news to me) but I will take a pass on it if I can so opted to ring in a dry new year. I am hurt by my sister's actions and we have not talked. Probably won't. She has used up her passes from me on overlooking things - I have tread lightly, tried to be the peacemaker enough times. Maybe things will cool off or warm back - remains to be seen. The funny thing is that the pendant light over my kitchen counter keeps blinking at random times. If the lightbulb was going to blow, it should have by now. I joke that's my Mom talking to me. I know she would not like us at odds with each other. But sometimes these things happen.


DH is cooking dinner today. Lobster tails. Yesterday I went to put the upper oven on in my range and it would not heat. So now my STOVE is not working. We got the refrigerator and the stove at the same time. DH took a look at it - seems like a part stopped working. Even though Sears is coming on Jan 12 - I really don't want to call them for the stove. I KNOW they won't combine 2 service calls on the same day and it will probably take another 6 weeks if not longer to get parts. DH did some research and found what he thinks is the replacement part although it's not very clear. He ordered it from another place - Sears parts has it out of stock so who knows how long that would take. And he's going to try and replace the part himself.


The big news is about Betty White the actress passing away. She was a beloved fiesty woman. I always thought of my Mom, Betty White and Queen Elizabeth as a threesome. Not to wish any ill on the Queen at the moment. Seems like a passing of the guard. I was sitting and thinking to myself last night, reflecting on the year passed and what could be done differently. It occurred to me that we ring in the new year and never really know if it will be our last year on this earth. I was pretty angry and disappointed last year and I'm sure it made me crabby and not pleasant to be around. And I thought - if this is my last year on earth (you never really know) - did I want to spend it angry and frustrated? Not really. So I am reflecting on some things I can change and need to change for peace of mind and setting a different course for this year.


Laura - I'm glad you got to see your Mom. What a great idea about the potholders as a unique and cheerful decoration! Thank you for holding on to those after Christmas donations to the thrift shop. I know in our case we have limited storage and people tend to donate after the seasons end - with holiday stuff and summer stuff and the like. All it does is go on sale and no one really shops for that stuff after the fact so it takes up unneeded space. I tend to do the same - purge at the end of the season and then kick myself about no place to donate! I know what you mean about losing the hairdresser. It's a physically hard job - being around those chemicals constantly and on your feet all the time. My hairdresser is complaining of really bad back pain but she owns the salon and I think they count on her income so she can't close anytime soon. She tried changing things around once and it did not work out. It's good if you can stay at the salon if you like their products. I would suggest to you that you consider lowlights blended into your gray. It's gradual and grows out easier than the pronounced line at the roots. My gray hair is actually platinum white so I get blond cut into the top to soften the color. Also I find that gray hair is unruly so using some color helps me to tame it down and manage it. I was talking to a few of my buddies - they were part of my team when I worked at 150 N Michigan (the Ivory tower with the diamond shaped window up top). I asked them what working was like now. They talked about the new office set up where people don't have assigned seats / cubicles anymore. You sit at a bar top / bingo hall table structure where you sanitize before and after working because who knows who sat there before you. No more communal coffee machines. Memos of someone testing Covid positive but because of privacy they can't tell you who so everyone guesses. Returning back to an office you abandoned for over a year - frozen in time which was wierd. And one of my friends went to work at City Hall after our company got sold. She said with the active shootings and muggings during the day she no longer takes a walk at lunchtime. Just hurries to get to and from the office - no time wasted dawdling around. Said many of the downtown stores and restaurants closed either due to Covid or closed completely due to lack of people as folks worked from home. Only the places that could stay alive with the tourists. I can't imagine that - kind of apocalyptical -- how different from what I left. I would not enjoy it but then again, I guess the change was gradual so just like the neighborhood changing, you get used to it and may not even notice it.


I guess I have blathered on for far too long. There are so many things I want to accomplish today. Starting with getting back into a routine again. One of which was coming here. I hope the New Year brings us a refreshing change of things to look forward to and a return to a place we are more comfortable with and perhaps took for granted. Peace to you all. ♥

Haven't been around in awhile but thought I would try to pop in more frequently this year.
I was diagnosed with asthma and a mild COPD this year. It hasn't been fun adjusting to a new life style but I am doing it.
My nephew is doing much better, 8 months sober. He's been getting his children on the weekends. I love getting to see them on week ends.
I will be back for personals later..

Happy new year. Typing from phone so please excuse typos. Cannot access from work anymore with all the new upgrades and protocols.

Still fighting the IRS on the 2017 audit. All paid in full 11K yet they can’t seem to get all their ducks in a row to mark a clean slate. What a freakin mess. The next thing we are now threatened with is being turned in to a collection agency. Holy crap wonder I don’t have ulcers.

my son and dil are still trying to get thru this pregnancy. She has hypermenses not sure of spelling like 24/7 morning sickness. So far 6 hospital stays. She lost her job due to absences. At will state so really can’t fight it. She is home now but with a port for feeding a port for meds and a zofran pump for nausea. The ultrasounds of baby show rebel pelvis. Fluid back up in kidneys. Baby cannot pee correctly so amniotic fluid gets too low doc will have to do an emergency C section then surgery on baby. She is 28 weeks along. Pray all goes well.

Can’t anything be normal in my life? must of been bad in my past life.

on a good note the flooring thruout the house is awesome and the new French door is in. No more sliding door.

weight. Well. Working on that again. Two weeks back keto. Down 6. 35 more to go. I tell you if I am not constantly dieting I am gaining.

New Years was ok. Appetizers cards with my bro. Sil. And nephew. They left at 9. I was in bed at 11. The new year came any way. So happy 2022.

gotta get business Miss you ladies.

Greeting fellow chicks,


Today was a bad day and a good day at the same time. Got a phone call from my sister this morning. My aunt - my Mom's last living sibling and my Godmother passed away yesterday. She had horrible health issues and lifelong depression. She had taken a fall at home and they took her to the hospital - she has spinal fractures from osteoporosis among stage 4 heart and kidney failure. My cousin - her son - who was her caretaker struggled to find her a rehab place - they are packed with Covid patients. He found a decent one with an opening and they had to give her a Covid test before transferring her and she tested positive for the Delta variant (she was fully vaxxed and boosted as was he). Give her age and co-morbidities she was gone in just over 24 hours. It was a blessing as she was tired of her suffering and had no quality of life. My cousin took care of her and his childhood girlfriend who had early onset dementia. W passed this spring and now his Mom. He was a devoted caretaker even though he himself has bad rheumatoid arthritis. Lugging dead weight took a bad toll on his body. His brother died 2 years ago and his dad passed away about 10 years ago. All he did was care give. Now at 65 he is alone but free to pursue what he wants to do within his limitations of severe pain. I talked to him for about an hour - we are of a similar mindset - we both have cats instead of kids and have an equally dry sense of humor. I haven't been in touch much over the years since we moved away from Chicago but I did get to see my aunt and him when I came in this summer to see my Mom. It was good to talk to him and we promised to keep in touch. I also got the opportunity to have a heart to heart with my sister. It worked out well and I am glad. I did not want to give up on the relationship. So I hope this will be a better year for all of us.


I started the Senior Exercise class. It's a set of 10 exercises, each at stations along the wall about 8 feet apart. We do each exercise for a minute and then move to the next station. I am the youngest person in class (as usual). But some of them can beat the pants off me because my knees are really compromised. We did 2 circuits on Wednesday and I about fell over Of course we are will some really elderly people so there is the lady who is kinda losing it and the instructor has to keep following her because she goes to the wrong station or does the exercise wrong. And we have one token man in class - he's nice but he snorts really loud - the kind of noise you make to suck the goo out of your throat. He was sitting next to me on Monday's after class lifestyle lecture and the first time he snorted he scared the beejeezus out of me so I jumped. Then I started laughing and I got the teacher laughing. He didn't have his hearing aids in so she had to keep hollering over to him.


Other than that it's freezing cold here - sub zero. I hate winter. Actually I don't hate winter, I just hate being cold all the time and worry about falling. The guy is coming tomorrow to finish my laundry room remodel. FINALLY I can put stuff away, I'll be glad of that.


Good to hear from the rest of you...


Sorry to hear of the COPD Ceejay - as a former smoker I was always worried about that. I hope it won't be a lot of trouble for you. How wonderful to hear the nephew is doing well on his sobriety.


Annie - I can understand how you might be feeling what did I do to deserve this? You are one of 2 of my friends who never seem to catch a break in life. Good people too. I know they say God never gives us a bigger cross than we can bear but holy smokers - how much do you have to bear? GF has a long road ahead on the pregnancy - hope things settle down for her and the baby. Is your job doing well? Thanks for checking in...


Hope the rest of you are doing well. I just checked the time and I better get to bed - the contractor won't show up early but I still have to get up earlier and make sure I have coffee and are dressed before he comes. Also we need to shovel a path for him to get into the house on the deck tomorrow. At minus 20 degrees overnight that snow might just freeze right up.


Take care ladies

Great info

Hello Ladies!

It was such a surprise to get on the thread and see all of you had posted! It gives me hope that we (as the world) will go back to some kind of normal again.

I will admit that I have seen some good things out of the pandemic. We realize how important it is to have true friends and to enjoy simple things. I can remember when we could go back and get your hair cut, colored...whatever your hair needed...I was flipping out when I couldn't get to my hair dresser. I go every 4 weeks.

My three weeks of vacation was AMAZING. I now see why people look forward to retirement. The last seek of December was packed full. My best friend, Genny and I went to see Rick Springfield...he was at a newly built conference center in Cincinnati. We paid the "big money" and got seats in the 3rd row. They were amazing sets and Rick never disappoints. The man is 72 years old! Still looks good to me and he played and sang for 2.5 hours!

My DH's birthday is on New Years Ever and us and 18 of our friends and family met for dinner at Montgomery Inn to celebrate his birthday. He turned 66. Last year we were not able to celebrate due to all the Covid rules, so this year we did it up right! I paid for one of the private rooms there so we wouldn't be in general population. After we ate, we all went back to our house (it was crowded), and watched the Times Square televised show, we had a champagne or sparkling apple juice toast at midnight....we did it from the front porch and kept the door open when we went outside to let 2021 leave!

Everyone was gone by 12:30 and we went to bed.

I started my new role (and still doing a lot of my old role) on January 4th. and went into the office. DH had been dealing with a sinus drainage and a clearing his throat a lot so I asked him to go to his doctor that day as he has chronic
bronchitis and when that sort of drainage starts the bronchitis flares up quickly.

His doctor said he did have a lot of drainage and since she usually sees him sometime in January she said she would give him a prescription but because of Corvid being so prevalent in our town right now, she wanted to do a Covid test....they did and he tested positive. We don't know which one...I guess that is another test but she thinks it is the omicron variant.

And because of his bronchitis and he has afib and he is 66, she decided to send him to the hospital to get an antibody infusion. He said he didn't realize he was tired until he got the infusion because now he feels great.

He will go back Monday to his doctor to get another test. Because he was positive, I did a test at Urgent care, mine came back negative.....I had to leave work (and work from home) though and quarantine until Monday and then get another test , and it has to be the one they take and send to the lab. If it comes back negative, then I can go back into work.

I love being home but it is more helpful to be in person while I am learning my Executive and all the things he is responsible for.

That is enough about me. I'm going to stop here and go to another message to comment on your posts.

Happy, I saw on Facebook that your husband fixed the oven....thank goodness you didn't have to depend on Sears to do it!


I am sorry to hear that your Aunt passed away. It seems though it gave you and your sister a chance to have a talk and things over and you also got to reunite with your cousin.


Your story of the Senior Class yo are doing for exercise had me chuckling! Have you started the journaling class yet?


Ceejay: It is good to hear from you. I'm sorry to hear that you have COD but it sounds like you are going to do the things that will help keep it in check; I am proud of you for that.


I'm also happy to hear that your nephew is doing well stay sober. It's a day by day thing ; much like weight loss for us. Food is our "alcohol ",,when we are using it to dull our senses,


I look forward to seeing you here!


Laura: I hear you about the commute in the winter....that is why I have loved working from home so much.

What a thoughtful gift you made for you mon. I know she will enjoy look at them.


Keep us updated on your hair transition. I agree with Happy about doing lowlights blended into your gray to help with the transition.


Shad: It was good to hear that the Dog and DS are doing pretty well and that hopefully things will continue to work out more smoothly between DS and his Ex. I never understood why people, who don't want to be together with the person they are currently with, want to draw things out so much and fuss and fight. I saw, do it quick and take your losses and move on.

Annie: I am sorry that you are having to continue with the IRS because they can't get their records straight.
I am still praying for the baby and her mon and you Adam. Please keep us updated.

Ladies, I love you all!

My doctor and I think that my copd is from the chemicals used at work. but it is a very mild case.
I'm still struggling with the weight. but trying new lifestyle changes.

Happy
I'm very glad that you and your sister have worked things out.
Susie
Wow, a 3 week vacation. and a new position.
Annie
Thats a bummer that you are still dealing with the IRS.
Laura
Hello.

Hello ladies,


Today would have been my Dad's 95th birthday. He died at 64 so it's very hard for me to imagine him being that old. Just can't do it. We buried my Mom 30 years to the day he passed away. Kind of melancholy for me to realize most of my relatives are gone. Just cousins who are more strangers to me as the years have passed and one Aunt left. Hard to believe that I got old too.


Week 2 of Senior exercise class. The one old guy came in late, oblivious to the lady who had her stuff at the end of the table - he just plopped his junk all over her stuff and took her seat! And he snorted his way all through our lifestyle class today. Today's class was about setting goals. What goal do we want to set over the 10 week program. My goal is to ATTEND and complete the program. Why do I have to be more specific than that or do I need to choose another goal??? Last week I could barely make 2 rounds of the circuit - I think I actually stopped at one point. Today I completed 3 circuits except for the 2 knee / step exercises. My knee said nope, not having that a 3rd time. But I can see progress, that is good. It was negative 15 degrees (F) air temp this morning. None of us wanted to go outside. I was lucky, DH was available to drive me and he warmed up the car before we left so that was nice. Wednesday Sears is showing up (I think) to FINALLY fix my refrigerator after 2 months so I will have to drive myself in a cold car. The heater on my poor almost 20 year old Avalon isn't working so well, especially on the driver's side. DH hates the Highlander - I told him he just has to deal with it and should have listened to me and got the 4Runner but he wanted the better gas mileage. I think he is looking for things to be frustrated with. Yep, they sure don't make cars like they used to. Just 2 to 3 times what they used to cost.


The cats are all staring at me. I took their favorite toy and played with all of them for a good 45 minutes. I had to play individually with them because they jump all over each other and I wanted to make sure they all got equal time. Apparently that wasn't enough for them - they want more but Mom has other things to do. I should not have taken 5 online classes. I am having a hard time keeping up with them. Yes Susie, I did start the journaling class. Some days I write for 5 minutes, some day's an hour. I am trying very hard to keep consistent with better habits for the new year. I start a diabetes and nutrition class next week. Did not realize this is a year long program. It starts out intense for the first 4 months and then tapers off as time goes on. Today we talked in the Senior exercise class about what we might do after this 10 week session is done with. It's good to be in a routine. Typically this time of year I'd be trying to go do my therapy exercises in the pool but the gym locker rooms are chilly, the shower head is small and high up so you don't get the warmth of the shower afterwards and as cold as it is right now, it's just not the right thing for me. So I'm glad for this class, by the time it's done, I can incorporate some time back to the pool. Just as well for DH also - he walks the track when I'm in the water and he is having a hard time with his foot / heel and toe right now. He has gout like symptoms but it seems more that it's stemming from his back. He will be 72 in a couple of weeks. I think he finally hit one of those age "speed bumps" that happen to us along the way. I sometimes worry about him hiding pain and possibly depressive thoughts. I know I get bummed out too but I keep a close eye on him. I am glad he has his photography so that he has something he enjoys and takes his mind off pain. The cold is rough on both of our old bones.


He fixed my stove - the ignitor broke. He ordered the part and it was a relatively easy fix. We pulled the stove out and I told him we really need to do this about every 3 months or so. I didn't realize there were some crannies that needed more cleaning than just the good surface cleaning it gets all the time. Tomorrow we have to steam the ice out of the back of the refrigerator. The part we are waiting 6 weeks on them to install is the part that keeps the refrigerator from icing up. Now the fan is making lots of noise again. We have the parts - DH said he is debating about doing it himself. BUT there are 2 more things not working so I want to make sure if other parts need ordering, they pay for them on the warranty and not us. And did I mention that they came to install the counter tops and finish the laundry room and they cut the counter too short and finished it on the WRONG SIDE!!! Other than that - it looks very nice. I want DH to install the floating shelves and add another electrical outlet so I don't have to dangle an electrical cord over my laundry tub. We started to look at some new furniture - that's one thing I'd like to do with some of the money I inherited from my Mom. I know she would be happy - when her Mom sold her farm, she gave each of the kids $1,000 - which was huge at the time. My Mom used it to buy living room furniture and she always talked about how proud she was of that set. I'm still trying to figure out how I can get the carpet and wood floor completely replaced on the first floor of our house and the stairs going to the basement and up to the 2nd level. You almost have to have an empty house to do that and things take so much longer now because there are not enough workmen on the job. For the money we sunk into this house, we probably should have had a house built but I never thought we could afford that.


Ceejay - I guess you never think about it when you are working that the chemicals can have an adverse affect on you later on. Same with coal mines, hair dressers - anything you are breathing in. At least you are in a milder climate and hopefully not a lot of pollution to bother you. Does the pollen bother you at all?


Susie - I'm so glad you enjoyed your extended vacation. You are always on the go, on call at work so how nice that you actually got to do fun things with your family. The concert sounded like so much fun! We did 3rd row center for the Eagles when we saw the **** Freezes Over Concert in Memphis. TOTALLY WORTH the money. A most wonderful time. I hope you get cleared to go back to work. I think everyone is going to eventually wind up with some variation of Covid. People are tired of it, don't want to wear masks. I'm pretty sure that all the ladies in my class have been vaccinated but today I asked the teacher if we could push using hand sanitizer in class because although we are separated at stations on the circuit, we are all touching everything one right after the other. Of course no one is wearing masks which would make it sort of difficult because the room is warm and we are all huffing by the end of the first circuit. I had hoped she would have us sanitize as we walked in but she sprayed everyone afterwards. I told her I all of a sudden got stuffy and feeling sick Friday afternoon. Played the old game - is it a cold, allergies, the flu or Covid???? It only lasted through the night. I took some Nyquil and went to bed early and felt better the next morning. Had it continued over the weekend I would have skipped class today. The instructor said one lady who was really perky called her and said her family has Covid fears for her so they won't let her continue with the classes. Sad because she looked in good health, said she really NEEDED some exercise and was so excited about the class. I think we can't let our guard down - at least not over the winter.


Hope you are all doing well. Will trade you some chill Shad for a bit of your heat. I blame the Canadians - while good people, they like to send that "Canadian air mass" that freezes us solid.


I guess I will clock out and head to bed. Goodnight all.

From my phone again. It is much easier.to sit in my favorite chair.and type.
Saw a post on FB that one of the members of my church has tested positive for covid. we have a mask mandate inside the sanctuary and an empty pew between us but I sat behind him. It bothers me so I'm going to go buy an at home test today. my niece has also had covid.

Happy
Good for you on going to your exercise class. Yes, pollon dust etc does bother me. Mowing the yard is out of the running this year. I like to do it, but the grass bothers my air ways.

Hello everyone. Good to see you all here!

Not a lot going on with me. I skipped a week of visiting my mother because they had a case of covid in her facility, but not in her wing I found out. I visited this past Saturday. On my way home, there was a freezing drizzle coming down. The car’s “BRAKE” warning light came on at the bottom of an exit ramp with no car in front of me and when I was already at a full stop. When I stopped to pick up dinner on the way home, I checked the sensors on the front end of the car and found them coated with ice. Once I scraped it off, everything was fine.

We’ve been using our new air fryer for snacky kinds of foods – chicken wings, cheese sticks, mini tacos. I’ll have to look up some recipes for “real food”, or see how some of my existing recipes convert to the air fryer. It’s a small unit, so it might not accommodate all that much. BF bought a Nutri Bullet for himself and has been making fruit smoothies with oat milk and chia seeds. I definitely think the design makes it easier to clean than a traditional blender, so that’s a real plus. Our regular blender will probably continue to sit on the shelf since we don’t use it much at all.

Work is work. The return to the office has been postponed indefinitely due to omicron. I’ll appreciate this extra time to work remotely.

I took down the Christmas tree over the past couple days. The outdoor decorations will have to wait until it warms up and the snow melts. All the extension cords are buried.

My yogalaties class starts tonight and goes for 10 weeks. I’m leery about how many people there will be and how large the room will be. I took the class several years ago and it was a large class, but it was held in a full-size gymnasium. Hopefully it’s still in the gym and we have plenty of room to spread out.

I’m taking a half day of vacation Friday morning, and the office closes at 1 pm (pre-holiday), so I have all day off on Friday. I’m getting together for an early dinner with a friend. Monday is the MLK holiday, which is now a company holiday for us. So I have a 4-day weekend. Woohoo! I’ll probably venture back into the gym over the weekend. It’s always very quiet these days – me and a few others, no more than a half dozen people, if that. I’m sure omicron did away with the New Year’s surge in exercisers, so it might be okay to return now.

On to personals:

Happy – I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your aunt, but it’s good she’s no longer suffering from her medical problems. I hope your cousin can enjoy all the time he’ll now have to himself. It’s good you reconnected with him last summer. ==I’m really happy you’re talking with your sister again! ==Your senior exercise class sounds like there’s never a dull moment, LOL. Hang in there – it’ll get easier for you!! I sure wish my park district still offered the circuit class – all the exercise stations, three full circuits. It always went by quickly and I always felt like I’d had a really good workout. == Is your renovation project finally done now? You must really be looking forward to setting everything back to rights now. And it’ll be fun to buy some new furniture!== Sounds like you’ll be extremely busy with all those classes you have coming up!! Good luck. == All those windows you have sound great for all the natural light, but I agree, when you don’t want the sun and there’s no coverings, it’s a problem. We installed a new front door a few years back and selected one with a really pretty window, but we didn’t anticipate that the beveled design would reflect light all over the place…at a certain time of day at a certain time of year, it reflects a spot of sun onto our tv. Sometimes I’ll use painters tape to cover the window with a piece of paper, but most of the time we just patiently wait for the spot to move elsewhere. == We’ve had some cold weather here too, but it’s moderating a bit the past couple days. As long as the teens/single digits don’t hang around for weeks on end, it’s bearable. == Nice that your DH was able to fix the stove! It’s so awful that you’re having these appliance issues and having trouble getting prompt repairs. I hope your fridge finally gets repaired!! == Yes, I’d feel guilty donating a bunch of seasonal items *after* the season ended – leaving the thrift shop to store them until next year, or sell them for clearance prices just to be rid of them. So I’m okay with storing a couple boxes until the holiday season comes up again. == Lowlights were one of the suggestions my hairdresser made. I hope I won’t get impatient with the transition process. Or get fed up possibly paying more just to go gray, LOL. ==I do like my salon. Not because of their products though – they are an Aveda salon and the scents are generally too strong and “earthy” for me, so it’s just the coloring products and that’s it. The main reason I like them is that they have good employees there, very experienced and professional, and they’ve been around a while – very low turnover. After my person leaves (later this month is my last appointment with her), I’m going to use the person she suggested and see how this one thinks I should deal with my gray. You know what, if I’d stopped coloring my hair at the beginning of all this pandemic stuff, I’d be through this whole transition by now!!! Oh well, maybe I can be well on my way by the time I finally do return to the office. == Yes, office space is definitely different these days. We’ve been in our latest space since 2018. There are fewer offices, and they’re smaller. The cubes are smaller too, and they’re closer together and have lower walls. Sound carries more easily. For that reason, in addition to the usual conference room spaces, there are other spaces for temporary use that allow for quiet or phone calls. Thankfully our office isn’t a “hoteling” arrangement – our business doesn’t lend itself to that. But with the onset of remote and hybrid employees, our office has kept assigned offices and cubes for hybrid employees, but remote employees who periodically work in the office will have to find an open spot. I haven’t been downtown in so long, I’m sure it’ll feel much different to me when I do finally start commuting again. Even though I hate staying inside the office all day long, I doubt I’ll venture outside at lunch as frequently as I used to.

Ceejay – Look forward to seeing you here more this year! I hope the asthma and COPD haven’t been giving you problems. You have to be especially careful with this covid virus. == Good news about your nephew’s sobriety.

Annie – Sorry to hear you’re dealing with an IRS audit. What a mess that you’ve paid and their records don’t reflect it!! I hope you have the cancelled check!!== What a lot of stress your son and DIL are under – financial, medical, emotional. I hope everyone can hang in there for the next few months and all goes well. == Good for getting back on the WL train. My weight has hovered around the same spot the past several years now, just fluctuating up and down a few pounds. Now why couldn’t that be the case for the 25-30 years before that?! Instead I just kept going up a couple pounds a year – and not down…and that’s why I’ve got about 40+ pounds to lose today. Bleh.

Susie – Good of you to at least see some positives that came out of the pandemic. Other than appreciating being able to see friends again after periods of not, the next thing for me is having the opportunity to work remotely. And the fact that the pandemic forced corporations to address the remote work issue. When companies finally return to their offices, some will continue to work remotely on a permanent basis and many, like me, will not have to commute 5 days a week as in the past. Our schedules can now be more flexible. == Your 3 weeks of vacation sounded wonderful. How fun you went to see Rick Springfield. I didn’t know he was in his 70’s!! I had such a crush on him when he was on General Hospital! == Nice you were able to celebrate your DH’s birthday this year, especially since you couldn’t do that with his last birthday and it was kind of a big one. Sorry he ended up with covid, but this omicron variant is so very contagious, it seems unavoidable unless you’re living like a hermit. == I hope you can get back to the office now so you can better learn your new role.

Hello Shad!! Hope all is well down under. Do you hate that phrase?

That’s it for now. Everyone take care! TTFN.

Hello All You Fine Ladies....

We got to get the baby shower in this past Saturday. Morgan was feeling well enough to attend. Altho she was hooked up to all her IVs. They got a lot of really nice stuff. Things they needed. Car seat stroller combo that I got them. Diaper genie, bouncy seat, wash tub thing, lots of little outfits and diapers galore. All and all it was nice. Morgan goes back to the specialist on February 1st. The ultrasound will determine Jaxtyn comes early. His numbers last week were higher than the week before so it is not looking good. I just keep praying.

Still working on the IRS thing. Hoping to get it resolved soon. Geez I just don't have any faith in them.

Work is going well. I still love it here. My boss is the best. May work till I am 80. haha Shoot may have to.

Not a lot going on here. Just cold and cloudy.. Thank God the snow storms have fallen south of Indy and the next one is falling north of Indy. I will take it cause I do not care for snow.

Hope you are stay healthy and well.