Shad~ I think it is nice when people are passionate about something. You weren't offensive in your expression.I am sorry for the loss of a great leader.

I always plant Big Boy tomatoes. They do well here. I have spindly plants from the heat wave but delish fruit.
I have been eating lots of tomato sandwiches too. AND 2 tomatoes diced up with a tsp vinagrette and 2 oz feta!! MMMMMM!
Goodnight and hugs to all the wonderful wordly chicks!

Good morning ladies,
Lots of computer problems last night. I hate that. Hopefully they will get fixed by today. Instead I am borrowing DH's computer this morning for a short bit.

Nice tribute to Mr. Lange Shad. One must admire a person now a days who stands true to his convictions, particularly when it is for the good of the people. May he rest in peace. Hope you are feeling a bit better this morning. As the heat and humidity rage on here it's hard to imagine you with the sniffles in the cold. Good thing soup's on the menu for you.

Meadow, I too was not a coffee drinker early in life and then once you start - Bam, it's hard to get out of the habit easily. I've heard about that Tim Horton's coffee from others, makes me glad we don't have it around these parts. Sorry to have gotten you hooked on tomato sandwiches but... one of the few pleasures of the summer, aren't they?

Ceejay, watch that firetruck talk, ok? Get's Mel all excited there. We didn't get any rain, watched it go all around, north, south and west of us but it doesn't seem to want to rain here. There is some magical occurance in that the minute I get in the pool the clouds gather overhead but most of the rain stays in Mississippi. Sunday I was quite content just to sit in a float in the pool in the hot sun. DH was calling me a lizard lying on a rock.

So Linus what will you do with yourself once the house is all appropriately fixed and shining? You sure are a busy lady!

Mel, how did your tests go?

How's the Avon business Holly? Are you getting so many orders because you haven't had representation in the area or are the ladies just Avon lovers? I used to get quite a few things myself. I liked their jewelry and pins. The Odyssey cologne is my "signature scent" been using it for about 20 years since it first came out. I have always gotten complimented on it. I can't even smell it anymore but any other perfume gives me a headache. I keep waiting for them to discontinue it just like at the grocery store - you get these cards that give you automatic discounts - shoppers cards for the particular store. They use it to track your buying habits. I swear with me they watch what I buy just so they can stop carrying it just to get me steamed!

I hear DH roaming upstairs, he'll be coming down looking for his computer so I'd better run.

Teel, time to come back for a check in again. You too Tig. And Nae.

CEEJAY~ OFF TO THE GYM WITH YOU WENCH!!! GET THOSE BUNS WORKING OUT! :strength" HAVE A GREAT EXERCISE TIME! GOOD THING YOU ARE FINDING A ROUTINE AT WORK SO THEY CAN TRY AND KEEP THING GOING IF YOU LEAVE FOR VACATION ETC. :beach"

MEADOW~ OREOS USED TO BE MY DOWNFALL MANY YEARS AGO. THEN IT WAS CHOCOLATE CHIPS. NOW IT SEEMS TO BE THE OLD FASHIONED ICE CREAM SANDWICHES....BUT THEY DON'T TASTE AS GOOD AS MY TONGUE REMEMBERS!

HAPPY~ MY LITTLE TOMATO KILLING FRIEND. I SEEM TO HAVE KILLED MY TOMATOES IN THE REFRIGERATOR THIS WEEK! I LEFT THEM IN A PLASTIC BAG BY MISTAKE AND THEY TURNED INTO SOUP!!! SORRY THE GARDENS WERE A DISAPPOINTMENT SO WHEN I COME TO VISIT, PLEASE FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE WE CAN GO!

SHAD~ FAREWELL MR. LANGE FROM ME ALSO. I LIKED THE QUOTE ABOUT THE FOREIGN POLICY!
I ALSO HOPE YOU WILL BE FEELING BETTER SOON. SOUNDS LIKE SOME NASTY STUFF GOING ON!!! I HAD A FRAPPUCINO THE OTHER DAY THAT DAMN NEAR TOOK THE TOP OF MY HEAD OFF!

LINUS~ NO ONE IS GOING TO THE POST OFFICE TILL THE FIRST WEEK IN SEPTEMBER SO I'LL TELL YOU WHEN. NICE TO GET SOME OF THE HOUSE DONE AND HOPE YOUR LITTLE NEST WILL BE FINISHED BEFORE BUMP ARRIVES!!!

I'LL WAVE TO HOLLY AND NAE AND MISS TIG & SLIM AND TEEL. HOPE YOU ALL ARE DOING WELL TOO. NOT MUCH NEW HERE. SORTING OUT DRAWERS AND THE FILE CABINET. EVEN BALANCED THE CHECKBOOK. FINDING ODD JOBS TO KEEP BUSY AND LEAVE THE LEG ALONE. THE SLEEP TEST SHOULD BE WED OR THURS BUT NO ONE HAS CALLED YET. I'LL CALL THEM TOMORROW. HAPPY TUESDAY AND GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE!

JUST FOUND THE LAST PAGE! i CAN NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW I MISS IT!

HAPPY I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE TEST GUY! LOL WONDER IF HE STAYS THE NIGHT WITH ME TOO! :dancd: I MIGHT EVEN GET UP AND WALK IF HE DID!!!

CEEJAY I FORGOT TO ASK....DID YOU GET TO SEE SOME OF THOSE HUNKY FIREMEN AS THEY WHIZZED BY?!?!? YUM!! YUM!!

Happy~ Avon is going well for me because no one has marketed it as a business around here for many years. There are a few who sell to friends and I am out there tooting it.
I follow up the books with a phone call. I double my orders the day before I send it in with a few phone calls. People are busy and forget. The products sell themselves.
I am just plain woderful to deal with!! LOL!

Mel~ our local firemen are YUMMY but all happily married. Still good eye candy. They are partcularily nice men too.

Hollering kids and Frankly Dear I dont give a........flying foofoooooo!!!
Ignoring the whining and bickering and it is escalating.
Now DS is flying off the handle.
Crisis! Brilliant Mom intervention completed.
I love mornings like this...not.
Yesterday was a great day. Both of my kids went on outings.I went to do Grandma’s hair and then went to a girlfriends and cut off 2 feet of hair. She has had waist length hair for 20 years. It was fun!!!
Late night tho and I slept in this AM.
8 kids today. My helper is coming! Ds seems more settled at the moment.
I have realized he is monumentally self centered. I have thought this before but also thought is was age appropriate for a toddler, preschooler....
He does not like to miss out on anything and he twists everything to be about him and he acts like he is really hard done by by us. Hello???? I have been addressig this more and more. My Dad took him golfing(18 holes), then to McDonalds and then he played with the boy next door all aft. DD went swimming at a friends and he FREAKED out becasue he didn’t go too. Hello????? He wants to be in the middle of everything and then makes it all about him. He doesn’t just go with the flow.
As a test I took DD with me last night and left him home with DH. He melted down but didn’t get angry.
The never ending joy of parenting.
I need to feed this army. sigh.
Love to the chicks!!

Mel-Tomatoes should sit out on the counter like bananas, putting them in the fridge ruins their flavour. Fingers crossed for when the techie guy comes, I hope he has lovely eyes and a delicious bedside manner that lingers without making you feel creepy, if you know what I mean. Maybe he will be wearing a uniform and have a Spanish accent. Did you ever see Miami Rhapsody with Antonio Banderas? All dressed in white and thoroughly lickable

Happy-I totally appreciate you and Shad's tomato conversations, good to have a discussion about food that tastes so yummy and is good for you. I can feel the Vitamin C coursing through my veins as I type I guess you run your sprinkler alot if the rain keeps being elusive, we haven't had rain here for the last 30 days, it is getting really weird feeling, dry air everywhere

Holly-I know you are the Avon queen in your neighbourhood, I bet you get another award for persistence and pressure while on duty I hope you get a chance to rest up with all those little ones roaming around your home. Blessings on your helper, I hope she has taken her vitamin pill and gives you some relief from the bedlam

Shad-your Mr. Lange sounded like a real character, somebody who played their own game and didn't get bogged down in alot of double talk. Thank you for sharing that with us, it is good to read about a politician with spunk and wit.

Linus-how are you today? Has the building stopped at your place? Has the dust settled? Anti natal and midwives?! I wait patiently to read what all took place

Ceejay-you wore out a pedeometer? Wow, are you tracking your miles on a map? Congratulations on your gym work, rub off on me will you? Good luck with the book balancing, that is a headache of major proportions.

I have a cup of coffee and a tomato sandwich for breakfast. Need to do groceries. Can't get down the road though because there was a police standoff at a trailer park in town and they shut down the highway. Supposedly shooting and all sorts of intrigue last night, so much for our quiet country life Not that I heard a thing, it was on the news today and my husband woke me up to tell me about it, he thought it was funny!

Mel sweetie when you come to visit I'm taking you to Graceland (Elvis' house). Somehow I can just see you singing all those songs as I wheel you around the grounds. Yesterday was the culmination of "Dead Week" so proclaimed by all the Elvis fans who gather at the mansion and hold a candelight vigil. Word has it that they have to close Elvis Presley Boulevard for 2 miles in order to accomodate all of the (out of town) fans. Some people poke fun but hey, I don't mind a peaceful gathering. Nice change of pace and there is something magical about thousands of lit candles in the night.

And I'm sorry my friend BUT - slap, slap, slap (with love of course). Eeeek you NEVER put tomatoes in the refrigerator!!!! Ack!!!! You and my mom - ick just blows the whole taste away. You just have to eat them fast before they go soft.

Oh oh, watch out for Holly's flying foofoo's - particularly since she doesn't care about where they land

Mel--Most of the fireman here are kinda scrawny. The hunks must works nights. he he.

The talk of tomato sandwiches are making me hungry. I have bacon, lettuce and tomato ones also.

I'm still figuring out an easy book keeping system for the next generation so to speak. The way I have it works, just need to get a balance sheet made. This is just for the Health Department. I have 4 more reports that I do. I'm thinking about getting notebooks for each report to help keep up with the paper work. There is going to be an excessive amount of paper used. The computer is much easier, but if you make a mistake and erase the formula then all is lost.

It looks like we may get some more storms.

Every one have a good day.

hey gals your scaring me !!!! i have o house and garden sit for my next door neighbour next week my duties of which include feeding and watering of there TOMATOES pleas dont let them die please
the midwives went badly lol bump is lying back to back with me hence all the back pain and the excessive thumps im getting ,the stand in midwife has discharged me apparently i dont need my 36 or 38 week check up after all and i quote"you dont have any further problems like alcohol or drug misuse" im not a happy bunny but i will speak to my own midwife next week
hubby bless his wee cotton socks got all my bathroom fixtures up so bathroom looks wonderfull ,right im gonna go and ill be back tomorrow
lots of love kirsty+bump

CeeJay, sounds to me like you need to create an Excel type spreadsheet template - open it up and fill in the blanks. Provided the thing is protected no one should be able to fiddle the formula (formulae? formuli?). It's years since I created one but most business' these days use the same sort of format for their business expenses etc. That's what I remember creating years back. Templates, now that brings back a memory or two. You can bet your boots that if it is to be written in a notebook for someone else to fill in, it will get forgotten. Always does. Simple templates with protected formula tend to beat the heck out of anything else.

Tomato and fridge should not be mentioned in the same sentence. The store bought tomatoes have little to no flavour anyway so why waste what little remains.

Holly - children - what can I say. Sounds to me like another trip to the room for the day will be on the cards shortly. Does that work for grownups?? I can remember when DS1 misbehaved badly once or twice I sent him to the loo for 10 mins. I figured that he didn't mind being in his room. It has all the comforts of home for him. Anyway peace reigned for 10 minutes and when I went to get him out, all the toilet rolls were unrolled and paper was absolutely everywhere - piled so high I could hardly see the child. Needless to say the loo was not somewhere where they got sent for punishment again.

Meadow, such goings on in the country. What with kids doing the full monty and/ or mooning in the pool to shotguns in the camper park. What next?

Happy - Gracelands and candlelight. He has been dead nearly 30 years and they still come. Now there is a legend. Maybe next year.......... well we will see how the finances pan out before deciding on the States as well.

Linus - don't forget you have to chat to the tomatoes as you water and feed!!!! You need to tell them how interesting and pretty they are and for heavens sake don't tell them they are about to get eaten when they become a more becoming shade! They don't like that up 'em!

Well I am on a day off. It's Peoples Day at the Ekka - our version of the State Fair or the Royal Easter Show. I am not going to the fair. I would have enjoyed the produce and livestock displays and demonstrations and the bake off competitions but too many people, too expensive for what I would get out of it. Maybe I will toddle off to Jimboomba south of here and watch some Sheep Dog trials and see all the little Shads running around rounding up the geese. Good for a giggle. Maybe not. Maybe I will just go to the gym and work on the ceiling which is really, really beginning to bug me. Not the ceiling in the gym, the ceiling in the living room, I mean.

Whatever I do, I'm sure it will be more enjoyable than listening to Government trying to decide on Word template documents being accessible in SAP. By the year 2199 they should have all of the policy and procedures in place for implementing SAP into the OSR in 2005.

Gotta go. Time for gym

SHAD I WAS BEGINNING TO THINK YOU HAD GONE BONKERS AND WERE PLANNING A REDO FOR THE GYM! BUT IT WOULDN'T REALLY HAVE SURPRISED US ALL AS IT SEEMS YOU HAVE BECOME A CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER! :strength:
HOPE YOU HAD A GOOD DAY OFF!

MEADOW~ SOMETIMES THEY ARE TOO RIPE TO LEAVE ON THE COUNTER. ONLY THE HARDER ONES GET TO SIT OUT. I EVEN PUT SOME IN THE WINDOW! BUT OUR CITY SUPERMARKETS DON'T ALWAYS HAVE GOOD STUFF. A POLICE STANDOFF?!?! HOPE IT STAYED DOWN THERE TOO!! IT SEEMS LIKE MADNESS IS EVERYWHERE!

HAPPY~ I RECENTLY SAW SOME OF GRACELAND ON TV. THAT IS SOME PLACE HE MADE FOR HIMSELF. I OFTEN WONDER IF ANYONE WAS TRULY HAPPY THERE? SEEMS HIS FAMILY IS STILL HAUNTED BY EMOTIONS. A REAL SHAME CAUSE HE BROUGHT HAPPINESS TO MILLIONS. MANY YEARS AGO I WAS A FAN BUT I AM THE FICKLE TYPE....OUT WITH THE OLD AND ON WITH THE NEW. HOLLY'S FOO FOO ALMOST HIT ME IN THE HEAD!!

CEEJAY~I HAVE A FRIEND THAT BACKS UP THEIR COMPUTER WITH THOSE BLACK/WHITE COMPOSITION NOTEBOOKS. SHE TRUSTS NOTHING ELECTRONIC. NOT EVEN CD COPIES! LOL
BUT YOU COULD MAKE COPIES AND KEEP THEM IN A BOX NEARBY FOR JIC.

HOLLY~ GLAD THE TURMOIL WAS RESOLVED. DID SUPER MOM HAVE TO WEAR A CAPE AND TIGHTS? JUST WONDERING!
INQUIRING MINDS LIKE TO KNOW THESE THINGS

LINUS~ NEXT TIME TELL HER "I'LL GIVE YOU DRUGS AND ALCOHOL WENCH!" GLAD YOU DON'T HAVE ANY PROBS THOUGH AND ALL IS SET FOR THE DELIVERY DATE!

I NEED TO GET MY ARSE OUT OF HERE AND DOWN TO THE LAUNDRY ROOM. GOING TO TRY AND GET ONE WASH DONE BEFORE THE GUY COMES. I CAN BEAT THE OFFICE ARRIVALS TOO! LOL HAPPY WEDNESDAY.......IF ANYONE STARTS HUMPING I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT!

Mornin' chickies,
You made me laugh this morning with your comments. From Linus being afraid of a garden (and rightfully so! ) to Shad's advice to never telling tomatoes what will become of them when they grow up

Yesterday was a real stinker of a day. It started as I was running late out the door, went into the refrigerator and the chicken for dinner decided to fall out of the refrigerator and splash icky chicken water all over the refrigerator, floor and me. Grrrrrr - wash, clean, swipe. DH accidently messed up my laptop and I could not log in until one of the tech guys came at fixed me at 11am. After that I got busy and accidently hit a wrong button and downloaded some stupid toolbar program instead of shutting an Internet window and now all my Microsoft programs crash (refuse to run). Another call to the tech guys. I missed an important meeting because I could not log in to my laptop. Was afraid to drive home as I figured this was the day some nut will just bash into me. Got home in one piece by being extra cautious and decided to help clean up the yard while DH was creating a program for me. Got an invisible bit of thorn in my finger - I can't see it but I can feel it. Ouch. I hope today will be a better day. We're supposed to get heavy downpours and frequent lightning. The sky is a funny color so I think this time we might actually see some rain instead of just looking out Ceejay's way and wishing it would blow over here. I have to go to my main office today. I just LOVE being in a lift going up 10 floors with heavy rains and frequent lightning and the chance of the power going out. Oh and I just realized that I was dreaming last night of getting stuck in the lifts.

Shad, I do hope that there's a few dollars extra to travel round these parts again. I hear that they are considering relaxing some of the restrictions with airport security. Enjoy your holiday and hope the ceiling works out for you. I too have muttered about the builder.

Linus thank you, I got your message. Good to hear that all is going well with Bump and a nice new shiny bath to wash them in. They need lots of washing I hear.

Meadow, hope things have cleared out down the road. Who would have thought going to get groceries would be exciting!

Holly, God bless you for all the patience with the kiddies. Not sure I'd have as much. Hope your day is less hectic.

Ceejay, I agree with Shad about the Excel template but I'll let her tell you how to make it as she is after all, the trainer

Miss Mel, you stay away from those high test coffee house drinks! Can have you spinning in circles going wheee, wheee, wheee from the jolt. We're supposed to get some cooler air, will send you a shot so you can get outside and get some fresh air.

My time is up now, time to get ready for another fun day of work. Later chicks...

HUGS worldly chicks. It was nice to come and read your witty responses...many chuckles!!
I am pooped. It will be like this til Sept 6, when 4 of these kids go to school. I have 7 kids today. DS is wired for sound.
I was up til 1:30 last night reading.It took that long to wind down.
The house is cluttered with toys.Not much I can do about it.
Yersterday was actually a good day. The kids played outside with water and sand all aft.
I watched that new show about Tommy Lee going to school. I loved it. It totally cracked me up. He reminds me of the guys I dated back when I was a really cool(?) rocker chick. Good entertainment anyhow. Even DH watched.
Dh is going to see an Allman Bros concert tonight in london. I am jealous but I have been to a few good shows in the last few years without him so I am not complaining. I had to talk him into it actually. The boy has to live a little.
Breathing deeply and off to make breakfast.

hi folks im a bit knackered but fine just wanted to let you know all is well,had final instructions on the feeding and watering of next doors beautiful garden and veg patch ,thankfully the strawberrys have already turned just need to water them to keep next years runners from dying ,so fingers crossed the cabbages and rocket and leeks hold on till "daddy "comes home but he has solved the prob of me talking to his tomatoes hes fitted a radio in the greenhouse lol
love to all
kirsty+bump

For those who responded to the book keeping process. I have everything in the Excel program, but the boss wants me to put it all in hard copies so that anyone can do it. I'm getting there. It's just taking more time than I wanted.

2 more hours of work and I need to get some niggles done before I go home. Last night I was busy answering the phone till 7. No storms, cut off list time (non paying customers). Had several reconnections to deal with. Hope they remember to change the phone. They forgot last night oops. Had to call someone to go switch it cause customers were complaining.

Hello to all.