Now I know why they say...be careful what you wish for. I was surrounded by men in all kinds of uniforms and suits even! Our alarm system went awry all day and all night. I slept in between visits which didn't amount to much. so will have to catch up with you all tomorrow. sleep and a do-nothing day are in order. I wish this were a private place cause I would tell you the "stupidity" I had to deal with. All I can say is that it must be nice to belong to the "boys club"....cause the "slacker" who sat with their fingers up their butt all day and left me with the mess will get away with it. I had a good rant with an authority figure but could tell he was placating me Well.....there is no use getting pissy all over abgain. A definite waste of energy! I will watch Hugh, Cary or Harrison and get into a better frame of mind
Happy weekend and hope you all have a great one!

Mel-- You need a good day of rest after all that.

Shad--It's always good to have a alternative plan.

Meadow--Be careful out in that snow. Here in the south if the weathermen even think about snow it seems the school is out due to the weather.

Hi to all the rest.

The carpet in the living room was nasty. This morning my sinuses are complaining but it had to be done. It could also be about dreary day that we are having.

Completed 190 minutes of exercise this week. I've lost 1 pound. I need to put in some more weight sessions next week.

It' s time to start my day. I'm going to do a "tidy up" and get ready to go to my uncle's. They are having W. birthday party Sunday afternoon.

its really hard to try and stop smoking when the main thing in your life is sitting trying to nurse a teething 4and a half month old to sleep i swear i was dreaming about dancing ciggies last night ??????? but ive stuck to my guns and had only 1 ciggie and that was at 4.30 am this morning ,but hey tiredness is a killer
MEL you need an i pod and some very loud music and you wont hear a thing my kids can testify that they cant hear me at all
HAPPY ill need to try and send you some heather honey dont like the stuff myself but me gran said it cured all
SHAD glad your having some good family time for a change and i havent even set foot in the garden yet as its been pouring down all week but andy did fix the broken fence post

Smellie ~ I do wish you had your chair with the wheels of actual fire. THEN they'd have something to do as you streaked through the hallways. I was reading between the lines of your post and saying harrummph. So have a restful week and snub the "boys". Tell them for us.... well, never mind... we're shunning them. I'm not speaking to any of them.

Linus ~ you are doing great! You are quitting smoking at the same time that I did. (Edit:As far as your family life is concerned.) It is well worth it. Hard, but worth it.

Shad ~ I haven't injured anyone on the project in weeks. Does that mean I'm slipping?

I've been running the 5K faithfully every Saturday. I do need to get on the treadmill during the week, though, because I'm only running once a week because of my change in work schedule. I need the extra boost for energy and for attitude and for my muscles. I haven't quite figured out how to get it going yet, though.

Smellie? Ugh, what's up with that? Surely it is not at all cute to call someone as wonderful as Mel "Smellie". Really, it's not.

Well... It is almost as late as usual.... My days and nights are shifty. At least I had a lonnnnnng nap this afternoon... but that doesn't preclude my sleeping late in the morning!
I can certainly tell who is organized and "mature" about responsibilities and obligations and who (like me) is still drifting. In doing the emotional questionnaires in a business planning for non-business types book I got all worked up about old issues... including weight-- and the peculiar and specifrically unhelpful beliefs I grew up with. I'd really hoped to be past it at my age. But apparently most folks with childhood experiences like mine live back and forth in the extremes of responsibility/irresponsibility, a general inability to finish projects, a tendency to be loyal longer than is warranted.... Etc.
It's just my work to do in this life....
Madcat... after seeing the photos, I'm inclined to vote for "gold"... but that may just be because it is my preference!!
CeeJay... Nope, i shopped in Richardson closer to my office.... Lane Bryant (still) and a bigger size so that i don't feel I'll explode... At least I have nice enough panties I don't have to worry about being in a car wreck.
Mel-- I hope they're paying you well for getting interrupted all those times... I like the idea of many men in uniform, however... Tuxedos work for me, too.
Shad... happy gathering. Still no rain here. there are rumors of same... heard lightening /thunder earlier... but no pitter patter of wetness.
Linus... best wishes..... All the secondhand smokers will be grateful too!
Holly-- hope that victories on the rink perked up DH. Glad you could move on even if he was disgruntled.

Night, all.

I'm whacked!

I should really be in bed, but I've just gotten in from my Sunday 'date' with DB2 and am finishing up on the water I should have drunk during the day. No doubt I will be back and forth to the loo during the night. I have to be up early since I have to get the DS1 and G/f to the airport for a 6.30 flight. That means leaving here at 5.00am or so.

We've had a good visit, and a good bbq yesterday although I was so tired at the end of it, I could hardly move. Feet hurt, back hurt, okay name something that didn't hurt Shaddie.
I prepared a meal for 14 people (13 meat eaters and one vegetarian), cooked it, served it, cleaned up afterwards. It was a very long day. I was pleased to see the back of the last person, I can tell you. Surprisingly, there wasn't a huge amount left over. So I must have done something right. I never got to taste any of the marinated piece of pork I cooked or the chicken for that matter apart from a small couple of bits. But I can tell you that the rosemary and garlic lamb was pretty good - pretty good!!! It was great!. Small amount of rice salad left and about 2 bits of lettuce. DS1's frittata was a hit!

Happy, if I remember rightly the 'smellie' came from a typo from Tig a couple of threads back. It was a source of great amusement at the time. Evidently it has not been forgotten.

I'll catch up with the rest tomorrow. Right now it is bed for this wacko chicko.

I Think the name it all started with my talk of a shower And it became a convo between myself and Tig. I even sign my e-mails that way! I also think I am no longer sleep deprived. Just last year I would have stayed with the problem and seen it to a conclusion. So I am proud of myself for setting the repairs up and then leaving. I had to admit to myself that I am not "up" to "all-nighters" any longer. Those days are gone. And I actually made a conscious decision too....while listening to the whole bunch trying to talk to me at once.
Several even said Where are you going? I said
"UPSTAIRS!! There is nothing more I can do here and I need my beauty sleep....not getting any younger you know." OK yesterday was quiet movies and rest. Today I had better cook something for the week. There are Dr appts again. Hope you have a Happy Sunday and a great week. Stay strong!!

Tig~ I am glad to see you are still running the 5k and wondered how it was going. Finally got to see the website and the pics. Lovely. Not many of Slim!!! Good luck getting all your ducks in a row with exercising.

Ceejay~ Congratulations on the one pound and the exercising. Nice week you had healthwise!!!

Painter~ WOW!! You described my life in your post. I myself am trying very hard not to be the "faithful dog" eveyone here has come to know, love and ABUSE! My past just caight up with me at the last Drs appt. The irony of our memories....if you find an "erase" button before I do please share!!! The most irresponsible I can get is to turn a phone off!!!

Shad~ I lived vicariously through EVERYONE'S posts and I had a great time at your BBQ!!! I could almost smell the lamb. I could use veggie recipes as they may start taking all red meat out of my diet soon. Too may hormones in it and organic beef is very dear $$$$$.
the fritatta sounded great. YUM YUM

DS had a GREAT game and then we stayed for the London Knights game .It was stellar. Such a fun night with all the team's families.
Dh was miserable on the drive home, tried very hard to pick a fight. I didn't bite. I did calmy talk to him but he wasn't interested. He is upset about something and thinks it is all my fault but I am am not responsible for his happiness, that is up to him.

I, on the other, inspite of now having DD's chest cold am doing great. my week was empowering and positive.
DD is feeling better. DS played hockey again last night. I spent most of yesterday resting and feel some better for it today. Soon off to church and then my meeting I missed yesterday.

I am lookng into ways to boost my immune system.

HUGS and LOVE dear worldly chicks.

Happy ~ Thanks for Busting Us! MisSMellie is Right! It WAS a talk of a shower that also then turned into a mispronunciation and a typo. It all started with Lavender, if I'm not mistaken...

Lovely new abode for us all to run and romp in, my dear Shad!! I recognised it as a Thomas Kinkade when I set eyes on it !!!...A couple I know had 2 T.K. pictures for Christmas which are proudly adorning their wall in the living room...

Its been a busy couple of weeks for me...unbelievably my D.L.A. forms are due to go off again so I have apent a whole two weeks gradually filling in all those little boxes and praying that this time I will not have to go to tribunal and argue my case in front of a panel of three people whose sole aim in life seems to be making you toi;l and sweat!!!
Also my driving license is due for renewal...yee gads everything comes at once!!

Holly the hound is fine and rising 9 yrs of age...still as nutty as ever!!

Now what else? Good to see Linus popping in and leaving us a post!!...oooh yeugh!!!Holly has just given me a big wet sloppy kiss and definately has something in mind she wants...usually of the food variety!!! Hang on a mo.........
Ok back now...Holly happy with a chewy that has lasted all of two minutes, if that!! Anyone would think I don't ever feed her!! !!!!

The other good thing that has happened this week is that finally..FINALLY...Sainsburys (my local supermarket) has started to do jhome deliveries to my village..!AT LAST!!!!I have been waiting about 21/2 - 3 yrs for this to happen. So now I have finished the interminable lugging about the shopping and it can all be delivered to my door...no! Better than that...the delivery boys bring it all into the kitchen and empty it all out of the boxes so all I have to do is put it all away...(ALL I have to do!.... )

I suppose the time of year is right for me to start thinking about where I might go for my summer holiday this year... I really hope I can persuade my neighbour Teresa to come away to Germany or Switzerland with me. I think I have just about done Austria...although I have never been to Vienna yet....hmmmmn.

I am off to Derby to see my friends the Bradys on the 1st Feb. for a week. I am very lucky that the friends I stayed with a while back are going past Derby on their way to a wedding so they offered me a lift and will pick me up on the way back down again. Brilliant!!! This year I must remember to tell everyone I am going away...specially to Alan's..cannot have any of that unpleasantness I had to deal with on my return last year!!!!

Hollyhock I hope you get rid of that cold very soon....give it back to where-ever it came!!

Shad, the barbeque sounds wonderful!! Yum yum!!I wish you lived nearer!! I have just looked up the weather forecast for Australasia on the w.w.w.,coo it looks like you lot are cooking in the heat!! I was musing through looking at the Austria weather as my friend Edwina is going out for a week in mid-February....And I guess I just kept going South East and landed up in your neck of the woods!! Slap that sun-cream on!!

Take care everyone!!!

Jay proposed, gave me a ring and I said YES. Our little joke is: If you ever got engaged in a Cracker Barrel restaurant.... you might be a Redneck! I'm very happy. We're off to go visiting and spread the news (I've already called everyone I could think of and sent the email with the picture of the ring out). It's good to be alive! I hope this feeling lasts. Talk to you all soon.

CONGRATULATIONS MISS JAVA!!!! I HOPE YOU BOTH ARE VERY HAPPY!!! THIS IS GREAT NEWS!!! TELL POOHBEAR I SAID CONGRATS TOO!! BET YOU BOTH ARE FLOATING AROUND. ENJOY THE VISITING!

MISS TEEL!! WOW!! 2 SURPRISES IN ONE DAY. BE STILL MY FOOLISH HEART!! FUNNY YOU SHOULD MENTION SAINSBURY CAUSE I WANTED TO ASK YOU "WHERE" IT WAS?! ROFLMAO THERE IS A MENTION OF THIS STORE IN A ARE YOU BEING SERVED AGAIN BY MRS SLOCOMBE. SHE SAYS HER HUSBAND WENT TO SAINSBURY'S FOR BUTTER AND NEVER RETURNED! ROFLMAO I THOUGHT IT WAS A TOWN!!! NOW IT'S EVEN FUNNIER. SO NICE TO HEAR YOU'LL BE TRAVELING AND YOU AND HOLLY ARE FINE AND DANDY. TAKE CARE. GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE TODAY.

PS~ WEDDINGS SEEM TO BE CONTAGIOUS ON THIS THREAD....GOOD THING PREGNANCIES WEREN'T

Congrats Java-girl!! What great news!!!! That is so cool!!

I've been Little Miss Organization today - going through bills and cleaning. Think my corporate books are up to date now at least.

I'll be back later. Gotta go do some more accounting before the feeling passes.