Good afternoon ladies. I am posting on my lunch hour so I am legal.

Teel, thanks for the run down on your trip. It sounds so interesting and you’re so descriptive that I can almost picture the display of Admiral Nelson’s shiny button. I was fortunate to visit on the Queen Mary myself and if you ever get the chance to check one out, don’t pass it up. Especially one that was stately in it’s time. Wish you had gotten to spend more time with Linus though. Well anytime together is good time, right?

Holly, I’d tell you what 40 felt like but I think you’re better off getting someone else’s opinion. I liked 30 better than 40 – although there is a confidence within yourself that develops as we get older that soooo makes up for some of the trials and tribulations.
I really, really, really, REALLY hope that you stand your ground and do not let yourself be talked into taking a management position with Avon that you are not comfortable with. Personally although there are natural born sales people and natural born managers, I think just 6 weeks on this is way too soon to talk about climbing the ladder. Of course I am naturally suspicious anyway. But the important thing is to always make sure you have your priorities in the correct order and live your life as makes you most comfortable. Don’t let them take you to a place you’d rather not be.

Mel, could you pick up some salad AND protein for me too? I wasn’t up to getting to the store this weekend and DH hates grocery shopping. We both have to drag ourselves there tonight (share the fun/misery I say). Very little that’s healthy in the house to eat right now though last night’s tuna salad was fabulous if I dare say so. Are you getting the monstrous humidity too? I thought only Shad lived in the tropics, feels like we are too. Everything is starting to smell sort of damp too – kind of like the inside of the fern garden at the conservatory. If it gets any worse I will expect to see a dinosaur peeking over the house.

Tig, I hear you on the work arena now a days, but … seems like it’s like that all over. So where do you go? Big announcements at work today, they are selling off parts of the business to focus more on core things they can do really well. Lots of uncertainty for people and buzzing about. A very disruptive day. Thank heavens that my group is minimally affected. These are scary times we live in and I don’t see an end in sight. It’s also one of those times I wish I was still smoking – could have used a calm down ciggie instead of the comfort hot dog I indulged in – didn’t even really enjoy it either.

Shad, I would think by now as well toned as you have become that the muscles would be helping burn the kcals for you. I give you credit for not giving up and continuing the mix things up until you find the right formula. I myself am going back to a measure of plain, raw almonds as a snack. Kind of reexamining what work’s what doesn’t. I sure do feel bloated when I haven’t gotten my fruits and veggies all in. Wish I had grabbed the carrot sticks this morning – will just have to make do with the cherry tomatoes I brought.

Is pumpkin a carb, fruit or veggie? I think it’s a fruit – a berry actually?


This wet moist weather is not doing much for my peppers and tomatoes. Next year we’ll have to till the soil and add some peat moss to break up some of the thick clay soil – it holds the water in – perhaps a bit too well.

Well, lunch hour is about up, time to get cracking this afternoon. Talk to you later…

hi all ive slowed down for tonight so thought id catch up with you all,ive got my copy of half blood prince too andy ordered it for me and i got it at 7.05am saturday morning and finished it 2am sunday morning lol ,well my exscuse is that craig and conner wanted to read it after me but then again im just a harry potter feind ,,the bathroom is now nearly papered and we have a lovely brand new pvc front door my sister and nephews are here for a visit house sitting for my other sister who is in sweden for my nephew to play footie ,im loving having my we nephews here especially as charlee sings to me ALL the time ,mostly barney songs ,but hey you cant complain craigs gf is in blackpool so i am actully seeing him for a change well until friday when shes home anyway ,was at the midwives today for antenatal and ive lost another 3 kilos ,she wsant impressed but has said if my sickness does not ease off shell have to get something done{bit blooming late hunnny im due in 8 weeks}ive also got protien in my water{thats me being polite } but baby is growing well and is 2 cms bigger than my dates so no problems there its just me thats falling apart !!!!! right im gopnna go and make a historic start on the ironing as its meeting me at the door now ,but ill speak to you all later
lots of love
kirsty+bump

what a happy post Linus!! Glad things are coming together.
Thanks Happy.

Ding Dong Avon CALLED!!
Okay ,so my district manager calls to see if she can come today to talk to me in person, then she calls back and tells me the regional manager( for all of Ontario) wants to come too, and then when they show up the National Director from Montreal is with them.
So we sit out at my picnic table with 6 kids playing in the yard and DH splitting wood in the barn.
They want me to become part of the managment team and lead a group from this area.
They spent 2 hours trying to convince me. I still didn’t sign on the dotted line. I would still do my own sales but would also receive commission from the sales of my team. The next step wuld be to run a district on a salary...... hmmmmm.
I am a little blown away.
I have til Friday to decide then they will look for someone else.
Crazy eh!
Right now I am trying desperately not to eat a bucket of ice cream!!!!!

Good to hear from so many of the worldly chicks this morning. I love it when I get up in the morning and there you all are just waiting to share my coffee and breakfast with me.

Linus - good to hear that you do at least have some downtime. I'm amazed at the number of adults who raced out (with their kids) to get the book and then settled down and read it themselves - fast - so the kids could stop whingeing about Dad reading their book. Glad to hear you are having a good time with the family.

Happy, glad to hear that you are at least legal Can't have illegal people tippy typing through our threads. Perhaps Mel would like to do my shopping as well. I've had more than enough of it over the past few weeks - prices going up, quality going down, too many people in the aisles, and too many of them letting their darned kids loose with the trolley - bah humbug.

I think the pumpkin is a fruit, but is sure as hades ain't a berry I should go look it up for carbs etc. But if I have to give that away as well, what do I use as a filler?? Ice cream? I do love pumpkin and roasted with some spice (morroccan or tandoori is good) it is yummy. I've spent a lot of time and effort cultivating the soil at my place so it is fairly friable now - at least for the first 9 inches or so and the worms are there so it isn't at all bad. You ought to see the size of one of the tomatoes on one of the plants. Ye gods, it will be the size of a pumpkin if it doesn't stop growing and start ripening soon.

Teel - thanks for the update, now inquiring minds would like to know the state of the man - you know, height, weight, age, colour, creed, brain power, length of fingers, waist size, UNIFORM - Mel will want to know about that!!!!

Holly - don't let them talk you into management if you don't want it. They will want more than a pound of flesh and will be setting targets and KPI's before you know it - most of the deadlines are impossible and it is not you they care about, it is the earning power. If you are happy in your little corner and doing part time and have other things such as the baby sitting service to think about, then you need to decide what you can and can't fit in and what you are/ are not prepared to do. It's your choice don't let them talk you into it. Ohh and the joke is a good one too.

Mel - I thought of you in the garden yesterday. There was a person there in a chair like yours. She was having a wonderful time smelling the Hibiscus?!?! Didn't know they had a smell. Actually I don't think they do. But they are pretty. Later I saw her buzzing along the mangrove boardwalk trying to avoid the crabs and other crustaceans which had been left there after high tide. (We've had a couple of unusually high tides in the bay which have affected the river and the tide rose over the boardwalk.)

Tig - so nice to hear from you and the doings of the family. You have had a busy time. Lucky you - three dogs! I wish - no I don't really, I don't have the time at this point in my life so the poor crittur would be lost and lonely. Cat would probably welcome a new comer because she gets lonely. The job sounds so horrid. Floating requirements and scope - huh!?! Whatever is that supposed to mean?

Okay, guess it time to move along and go to class. I'm not the trainer today. I am the student from ****. I like to live up to the title.

Double smooches to all.

A few quick points: For my 60th birthday, Slim got me a Harley-Davidson rainsuit. It's not so bad being 60. I've been there for four days and have been bike riding for three of the four and ran two of the four. So far, so good.

On the work front: I have as much loyalty for the company as the company has for me. Feel free to quote me. It isn't the same everywhere. For Real. Meanwhile, the Lord is in charge. I'm very willing to Go For It.

I'm truly glad all are safe on the Brit side.

Slim is growing his hair. Do you think he's going for the ponytail biker look? When we were in college he grew his hair long but his curly hair reached the bottom of his ears. He's as cool now as he was then.

Thanks for all the news everyone. VERY fun!

REAT

Oh brother - another one I have missed.

Tig - happy birthday for 4 days ago. When was that 15th July??? and all the other smilies I haven't got time to go find before I am due back in class.

Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October.

This explains why Shad gets to enjoy all these wonderrous soups and roasted pumpkin dishes all year long and we just have to sit and drool.

We got the most horrendous downpour this early evening. I'm going to look up building an ark soon if it doesn't stop. And the hurricane is all the way over in Mexico so we can't even blame that. The scary part is, we are still short about 6 inches of rain for the year.

We got new cell phones today. Just like the old ones, the new ones don't work in the house either. But they do work in the front porch. Darn antique leaded glass doors of ours. So if you're going to call me, call the land line first and tell me to go outside. I made DH take me to dinner afterwards. Outback Steakhouse. We had shrimp on the barbie as an appetizer - very good. I had a Ceasar side salad, grilled tilapia (white fish) and just the absolute BEST grilled squash and carrots. Ummm. Ummm. Ummm. Then I made him take me grocery shopping while we were still quite full and satisfied. Now I have yummy fruits, fresh veggies and good stuff for salads. I am happy again.

Glad you like my avatar. We once had a black lop bunny just like the ones in the cups. She appeared at our door one day (knew who the suckers in the neighborhood were) and took over our basement for 5 years leading quite the happy life. We did not know how old she was but we did pay for a bunny hysterectomy when she got sick and I was surprised to see her muzzle turn gray with old age. She was a cutie.

We now have 2 cats in the yard. One ferral I think. The other is the neighbor's cat who I think they are trying to keep in the house so she doesn't bother us. Haven't seen the raccoons lately either. All the birds are nesting, the air is filled with the incessant peep peep peep of babies all around. Yesterday DH said he watched a pair of mockingbirds beat the heck out of a squirrel who was trying to cross the fence a bit too near their nest. He said it was quite funny.

Happy belated birthday Tig. Good luck in your job search but in an informal poll of everyone I know who is working - and that's lots of people living in lots of cities everywhere, it is unanimous that people do not feel appreciated or "a company's most valuable resource" anymore. It's all about the bottom line. I have never seen so many people from so many diverse lines of business and companies all feel the same way. And I can't find a single person who says they love their job (anymore). Well maybe the stay at home moms are the last holdouts but then again they are always worrying about stretching the budgets. Everyday I thank the Lord I have a roof and food and a job and especially thank him that I am not 21 and facing another 40 years in the work force.

kpi's, KPI's Shad, your SAP is showing. Hope you gave 'em what for in the classroom, I would have paid to see that.

Oh and the house is sounding quite lovely Linus tho I was as shocked as Shad to hear that you were on the floor laying tiles. Eeek. Well maybe little bump will turn out to be quite the handy one learning it all from mommy. At least I hope you sat down for a bit while reading the Harry Potter book.

Oooh, I hope she wasn't laying tiles while she read the book. Disaster strikes that way!

I think Austailian pumpkin is more like some of our squash, if I remember correctly.
I am growing pumpkins in my veggie garden that are taking over most of the yard. They look splendid. I am hoping for some wonderful big fat orange fruit in Oct!

WHATEVER IS WRONG WITH ME

TIG~ I HOPE YOUR BIRTHDAY WAS A GREAT ONE. SORRY I MISSED IT. WEAR THE NEW SUIT IN GOOD HEALTH!! LOL ARE YOU WAITING AND PRAYING FOR RAIN NOW??? POST A PIC OF SLIM'S HAIR WHEN IT REACHES THE RIGHT LENGTH!

HOLLY~ WHEN AVON CALLS YOU BETTER ANSWER! GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR DECISION!!! ANOTHER NEW ROAD TO TRAVEL!!! AND NO DIAPERS TO CHANGE EITHER!!! THINK ABOUT IT!

TEEL~ GLAD TO SEE THE TRIP'S LOG STARTING!!! ANY PICS??? I THINK I SAW THE BUTTON ON TV IN A DOCO ONE DAY. SOUNDED VERY FAMILIAR TO ME. TOO BAD ABOUT THOSE MARCHES!

HAPPY~ WE CLOSED ALL THE A/C VENTS TO TRY AND KEEP THE MOISTURE OUT. GOD EVERYTHING IS SOOOO SOGGY UP HERE. VERY UNUSUAL WEATHER ALL OVER THE WORLD. NO DONOS YET BUT I'LL KEEP A CLOSE LOOKOUT FOR THEM! FUNNY STORY: WE HAVE CEL/RADIOS FROM NEXTEL FOR WORK. EVERYONE WANTED A NEW MODEL AND I KEPT TH BIG OLD CLUNKER. BETTER FOR ME INCASE I DROP IT OR RUN IT OVER.... WHICH I HAVE!
NOW THEY CAN'T USE IT WELL INDOORS CAUSE WE CHANGED OUR WINDOWS FROM STEEL TO PLASTIC OF SOME KIND AND MINE STILL WORKS ALL OVER THE BUILDING! I'LL MEET YOU ON THE FRONT PORCH THOUGH!

SHAD~ SHELLFISH ON YOUR TIRES MUST BE A SMELLY SITUATION OF IT'S OWN LET ALONE THE HIBISCUS! I TRY AVOIDING DOG **** AT ALL COSTS!!! i WOULD LOVE TO DO THE SHOPPING FOR YOU AND HAPPY! BUT THE AMOUNT OF STAMPS IT WOULD TAKE TO GET IT ALL THERE IS MIND BOGGLING! THANKS FOR PICKING UP ON TIG'S BD....CAUSE I READ HER POST AND IT WENT RIGHT OVER MY HEAD!! LOL

MISS LINUS AND COMPANY~ YOU ARE SO CLOSE TO TERM THAT I DO HOPE YOU TAKE CARE. LISTEN TO WHAT THE WOMAN SAYS OR THE DR.......CAN YOU PLEASE TRY AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF BEFORE AUNT FANNIE HAS A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN ACROSS THE POND?!?!?
() i BET YOU CAN HARDLY WAIT NOW. HOW DID THE LAST SCAN GO?? DID YOU GET IT??? I AM ONLY READING ONE CHAPTER EACH NIGHT SO IT WILL TAKE 30 DAYS!! I AM TRYING TO STRETCH IT OUT!

WELL KIDS.......TODAY IS HUMP DAY AND IT'S QUIET HERE AT THE OLD PONDEE. THE BLDG IS QUIET TOO. THIS HEAT KEEPS THEM INACTIVE. ME TOO. I KEEP TRYING TO GET OUT BUT IT'S JUST TOO MUCH FOR THESE OLD LUNGS. SO I'VE BEEN BUSY WITH HOUSE STUFF. STILL TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH THE WASH! LOL JEN AND I HAVE BEEN HAVING SOME CHATS AND TOSSING OLD MEMORIES OUT. ALL THAT'S LEFT SOON WILL BE STUFF OF OURS. IT'S SOMEHOW VERY FREEING. I THINK I SAID IT BEFORE SOUNDS FAMILIAR!
HAVE A HAPPY HUMP DAY AND TAKE CARE:MOPED:

Miss Mel~ gettin' pretty fancy!! All those colours. weeeeeeeeeeee

I would need to recruit 10 people for my team to earn good commision. So I am putting out feelers to see if it's reasonable. I will decide by Friday.
My own sales are great.

Happy Birthday TIG!!!!

This is a North American pumpkin.

For the birthdays around the world. Holly - yours is today in my world I believe. Here's to Tig and Holly -

And have a