Good morning girls! It is an old story, but it is still steamy here. That seems to be the norm for awhile and we still can't get any rain. The first of the week there was literally rain all around us, but the metro area to about 30 miles out each direction had no rain!

Gloria: I see where Paula's two sons now have a traveling food show they do. I think the one, not Bobby but the other one, just got married a few months ago. I agree her stuff is loaded with fat and sugar, but that is southern cooking for you. I have been tempted to take a couple of her recipes and fool with them. She loves butter, I'll tell you that. She puts butter in everything! I have to take one of those tests about every other year I have an exam. I go two weeks from tomorrow for my yearly. They put you through the paces with tests and stuff and I really like our eye dr. He is a younger guy, kind of quiet, but really nice. One thing that gets me though is they charge $50 for contact fitting even if you don't change contacts. I have had the same prescription for 3 years and have to pay the darn fee every year anyway and all she does is hand me my boxes. This year because of the insurance screw up, I have to pay for the whole thing out of pocket so I am just ordering one box for each eye then the rest on line because they are almost $10 a box cheaper.

I try and be really careful when I clean my bathrooms as they have no outside ventilation, but I inhaled chemical fumes yesterday and boy did I get sick. I think what happened is I had to spray the inner shower curtain for mildew and then when I washed the tub, the stuff I used cast off fumes and the two fumes together made me sick. I didn't mix the chemicals to clean, but obviously it doesn't make any difference. I had the fan going but it wasn't enough so from now on I think I will put a portable fan on in there when I am working to blow out the fumes. The bathroom is pretty tiny and that probably doesn't help either. Unfortunately, I cannot find anythig to work on mildew but a clorine product and I have used every product, including natural stuff like baking soda and water, etc for the tub ring that Jack's "work" causes and nothing works but Kaboom. It is supposed to be all natural, but that has to be bologna because it and the Tilex combined odor that caused me problems. Live and learn I guess. Like I said, I have always been so careful with the stuff that I think it shocked me too.

I got an email from our son yesterday and he said his new job is going well. I teased him because his title is "sales engineer" and his email has his title, company logo etc etc on it. I told him he would be too high and mighty for his parents pretty soon! If you knew Jay, you would know how really ridiculous that statement is. If there is one person who is down to earth, it is Jay. He never meets a stranger so I imagine that is why he is so good at what he does.

I guess I better go and get the bed made upstairs and do the dusting. I never got it finished after cleaning the bathrooms yesterday and I want to get the vacuuming done upstairs too and it is going to be another horribly hot day so I need to get it finished early.

Have a super day gals and if we don't see here before the weekend, have a great weekend!

Faye

Morning girls! We finally got some rain. It is raining pretty hard this morning and Fortune discovered he was NOT going to get wet just to go to the bathroom so he charged out and charged back in! We keep puppy pads on the floor in one of the rooms just for such occasions so he went ripping in there and went.

Jean: I noticed Butterscotch has a lot of dandruff like stuff and he never has before so I suspect it is this hot weather. Mom may be having the same trouble. It was suggested to me that you put some flaxseed oil or a capsule of vitamin E on their food to help inprove the dry skin. B has been losing more hair than usual too and I think it is this horribly hot weather. I got highly amused by the trash can story! Jack will let garbage pile high on the can before he will gather it up unless I ask so I mostly do it myself. I do "put things in his way" so to speak if I need him to do something though. If I need him to run by the post office on his way to work, I put the stuff on top of his wallet so he sees it. It is kind of ugly to say he is trained, but I have finally gotten him trained in some regards. He used to lay keys down when he would come in the door and then not know where he laid them, but Kelly and Tom had a two pronged brass hook right by the back door when they lived here so I left that up and encouraged putting the keys on it and so now it is routine for him to do it. I have also finally gotten him to bring down any dirty clothes he has when he showers in the morning if I have already come down with the basket. Before he would just dump them on the floor where the clothes basket sets and I would go upstairs and find a bunch of dirty clothes that didn't get to the washer. He also doesn't leave his underwear or socks dropped on the floor, but my pets taught him to pick those up. Fortune would take off with his underwear and B took his socks! I guess I even have the pets trained to help me! I hope the farm animal reference was not suggesting we are pigs or cows.... I do wonder if the pigs have something on us about keeping cool though!

Jack took off today to have his PT so we are going to the dreaded commissary afterwards as it is out in that direction. I hope this downpour of rain that I can hear has stopped doesn't make the humidity even worse. I hate shopping in extremes of weather, especially heat. You go into a store sweaty from walking from the car, get cooled off then repeat the process leaving. The car by this time is hot from setting so you roasted until the AC cools it off.

I guess I better go and balance the checkbook before we go shopping today. It is one of the things I have trained myself to do everyday. At least if someone tries to steal our identity, they will only have a one day head's start. I keep on top of the credit cards and our bank account daily.

Have a good day and a good weekend!

Faye

Good morning everybody! It is a bit cooler here and is only supposed to get up to 89 today, which any other time would be a heat wave but for us is a relieve. It is supposed to spike back up though on Sunday and go back to high 90 temperatures.

We are taking Thomas to see The Ant Bully tomorrow so that will be fun. His mom called us yesterday to tell us we could take him on Sunday. His dad is in Miami with some friends for his birthday and she has errands so it is a perfect time for us to go. Jack's friend at work has a boy a year older than T and he took Alex and said the movie was boring he fell asleep watching it. I imagine Jack won't enjoy it, but I did give him an out that he didn't have to go, but he wants to see Thomas.

Today is a stay at home day after all the running around. I begged off on the luncheon and will go to the Sept combined group. I did an awful lot of running around yesterday and am wanting to get some stuff done at home today.

Jack has been busily making CD's from Napster cards to take next month. I think he bought three this time so that is about 27 songs he can burn to the CD's. I want to get him an I-Pod for his birthday, but I don't know if I am going to be able to get it before his birthday to take on the trip or not. It is around $300.

I seem to be babbling to come up with things to talk about so I am going to go. Have a good Saturday everyone!

Faye

Morning gals! It was quiet around here yesterday afternoon. We were just hanging out reading and watching tv. I found a cute series of books and I just finished the first one called Bet your Bottom Dollar. It is about a small southern town and the residents and the Bottom Dollar Emporium, which is a dollar store. Jack plays hours of Risk, which sounds like a yawn a minute to me, but he will play it on the computer for hours.

Jean: I was just razzing your about the farm animals! I haven't looked at clothes at the stores only the catalogues and online, but aqua does seem the new "blue" this year. Lots and lots of it. I happen to look very good in it so I am not opposed to it. I like the website ULLA POPKEN because they have larger sizes. I told Jack I am going to buy me a couple pair of blue jeans this year. I have NEVER had a pair of jeans that fit me and that includes back to high school. I don't like tight clothes so they are going to have to fit well. I don't remember, when did you say you have to start back to school?

We watched some interesting programs on food this afternoon called american eats focusing on salty snacks, soft drinks, ice cream and something else I can't remember. They talked about how they were invented etc to modern day and it was pretty interesting. I love to watch shows about manufacturing etc. Al Roker has a show called On the Road I think that is interesting as does John Ratzenburger, which is more about things other than food but still interesting. Mainline tv is so boring and has so many reality shows I rarely watch it. I noticed this year seems to be less reality and more supernatural stuff and detective, missing type shows. I am look forward to my CSI and my LAS VEGAS to start next month.

I guess I better go and finish up the morning chores. We are supposed to meet Kelly to pick up Thomas at 11:45 for the movies. Have fun today and be good to yourself!!!!

Faye

Good morning gals! Haven't been outside this morning but I imagine it is hot and sticky. It is a sad same story with us.

Boy, the pool is a mess. I got a call from one of the board members last night saying the pool has to remain closed for another day or so. I guess Friday night a bunch of people TORE DOWN THE BACK FENCE to get in and had a party at 3 AM. I don't know how they got caught. Our bedroom is on the back side and we use small fans at night so we don't hear much. On top of that, they ripped out the underwater light and no one can go back in until it is fixed, hopefully some time today. {{{SIGH}}}

We had fun with Thomas. The movie was really cute. Just to give you a little insight into my dd's family.....I asked Thomas if he'd had lunch yet as the movie started at
12:10. He said no so I told him we would get him a hot dog or something. He told me he wanted...SUSHI!!!!! They have different kinds of sushi at this movie theater so Thomas got California rolls, which I believe is rice rolled around seaweed and veggies like cucumbers or avocado. He had sushi and lemonade! I think there were 6 or 8 rolls and he gobbled all but one of them right up. Jack wanted some candy so he ask me if I wanted anything and I said junior mints and Thomas said no he was full. Well, I think I got about 6 of the junior mints and Thomas ate the rest. I held the box between us and he kept dipping his hand in. When we met up with his mom she said she thought he didn't like the junior mints and I didn't hear what he told her. Guess Nonny's mints must have tasted different! We were supposed to meet her at 2 at the Ben and Jerry's, which was just a walk across the parking lot, but she was at the theater early and was waiting for us. We went to the ice cream store and Thomas wanted a scoop of "Phish Food" so he asked me if I would share and I said yes, so we shared a scoop of ice cream and I slipped him a $20! His mom asked him if he ASKED for the money and I told her absolutely not. She didn't believe me, but I kept at her that I gave it to him. She said, "You two are so bad." Jack said, "Kelly, he is our only grandson." She said, "Yeah, but you are still bad." I was talking with Thomas about Ben and Jerry's and he told me Phish Food was the only kind he had ever had because it had to be chocolate. I told him I had tried different kinds, but I liked Phish Food too and we could always share because Nonny only liked the chocolate kinds too.

Bless her heart my dd has this horribly rare case of an eczema type disease that has this long name that starts with an "H." It appeared about 2 years ago on her left thumb and has gotten progressively worse; all over her hands, on her feet and on her back now. She was just diagnosed and it is basically untreatable, cannot be cured, she cannot eat a ton of foods, no fish, shellfish etc of any kind, whole grains, anything that has a tinge of any kind of metal in it, no canned products at all most fruits and juices, no caffeine, soft drinks, coffee, tea etc is out and the list goes on and on. They gave her a shot of steroids, she has cortizone cream and takes some kind of pill form I think. She has to see a therapist about her stress too as it makes it flair up worse.

Jean: I have the opposite problem of you with jeans. I have to get them to fit my behind then the waist is huge on me. I think I am going to get a pair to take to Indiana in case it is cool in Chicago for the game. I dread stuffing my big behind in those little tiny seats at the ballpark though.

I need to get chores done and start my cleaning for the day. Have a good day girls!

Faye

Boy it seemed hot this morning when I got up. The AC is going fine so I guess it is just hot and muggy outside. I haven't put my nose out yet.

The board member called me yesterday and said the guy had come and fixed the light and she opened up the pool again so it was ok to go back over there. She said our maintenance man hasn't fixed the wooden fence yet though. I told her we NEED to do something but I am not sure what. My opinion is we need to send out a flyer to every household asking for volunteers to sign up for pool duty for a couple hours a day. Tell the residents that to get into the pool you need something with your address on it proving you live here ie driver's license, electric bill, etc to show to whomever is on guard so to speak. I think we should cough up the dough and hire security during the summer at night to patrol then send out feelers to security companies to bid on getting the contract. If they upped our fee $10 a month for each condo that would cover the cost for the three months it is opened each year. I would certainly be willing to do it if it meant we could have our tables and chairs with the umbrellas back out and not have to worry about scum that don't live here being at the pool. Of course, you have to have reliable people stay at the pool too and I can see where this might go. First off, I can't see the renters volunteering and secondly I CAN see some of them inviting their no account friends over while they are watching the pool. Ahh, well, it was a thought.

Jean: Someone DID hear them and called the police, who arrested them. It is just they destroyed stuff in the process and will try it again to be sure. They think they have the right to use this pool for some reason. I think the only REAL solution is to gate the whole complex and make it key in key out no matter what the cost, but with so many renters, they aren't going to do that. We have fairly good fruits and veggies a good portion of the year then the stores get them from like Chile etc and we pay an arm and a leg. What I miss is good tomatoes in the winter months. You have to buy vine ripe and they are like $4 a lb.

Jack made himself a sausage biscuit for breakfast so now the house smells like sausage! ICK! I have lighted candles, but it takes a while for them to work. He swears he turned on the exhaust fan, but knowing him, it was right before the sausage was finished so the aroma had already seeped all over the house.

Tomorrow he has to limit himself to milk, water, or juice to drink and after midnight, nada except water for his stress test on Thursday. I know he has to be dreading that.

Believe it or not, they STILL have his PT billings screwed up. We got two more yesterday and when I called she said last weeks have been turned back too! She let me talk without interrupting unlike the last old bat, then said to wait and I could hear her clicking away etc. She came back and explained she couldn't fix it. I asked her WHY they were billing it under my son, who was not only not the patient, he was not even eligible. Come to find out (this has taken 6 phone calls by now to get this simple answer) the birthdate that is being transmitted is 10-10-2000 instead of 1949. Ahhhhhhhhhh, the game is afoot. I called the PT place and no one answered but I left a long detailed message including the fact THEY were the ones that had put it in incorrectly because the lady at Tricare said if it had been fooled with by them, she would have been able to change it to the proper date and she couldn't. So, if they want their money they better get this fixed and pronto.

I guess I better get off my behind and get some work done. You ladies have a great day! Chin up, Jean, Labor Day is close by!!!

Faye

Boy, Faye, you sure have been having a long hot spell. Hope things change soon. That is too bad about the pool but with the renters I doubt the condo managers will be able to do anything constructive. Hope they prove me wrong. Good luck to Jack on the stress test.

Jean: You must be starting school soon. Did you get most of your cleaning done? Too bad about your mil and her meds. They should have told her to start one at a time to find out if they agreed with her.

It is raining here today and it has cooled of beautifully. Today was an interesting day. I have had a growth on my right eyelid and the last time I saw the eye DR. he recommended another Dr in the complex that does surgery. I saw him today. He said it was benign but as it has grown a lot in the last year and in the last two days had developed a black speck in the middle he suggested removal. It took just 15 minutes and was not painful at all. He will send it out for biopsy and I will probably be black and blue for a few days. The best thing is it is done....and I didn't have to spend time worrying about having it done.

Gloria in MA....going to put a cold compress on the eye to take down the swelling.

Hello, ladies...been AWOL a long time. Took Stan to surgeon this morning. He said the foot looks bad but he wants to try debriding it one more time and at the same time do a bone biopsy to determine how far the infection goes up the leg. I'm so upset with the skilled nurses who come to the house - they keep telling him all he needs is the wound vac and neosporin and it will heal - they say they had a lady whose foot was worse and they have healed it. Dr. says osteomylitis is almost impossible to cure in even someone who is young and has excellent circulation let alone an older person with vascular problems. I know it is discouraging to my husband and I'm sending a letter to the agency and telling them to follow the docotor's orders and keep their medical opinion to themselves. When I tried to say something to the nurse about it over the weekend she asked me if I just wanted them to amputate his leg so he would be dependent on me! I'm also sending a copy of the letter to Social Services so they know how these people are and quit recommending them.
The fact that my husband has already been on the wound vac and IV antiobiotics for 34 days with no improvement doesn't seem to since into their pea brains.

We got a little rain and some respite from the heat - down into the low 70's for 3 nights, but it's right back up in the 90's today. I'm afraid to look at the electric bill when it comes.

I officially become an old person next Monday - have an appointment to sign up for Medicare. Gads - now I actually have to read that enormous book about all the plans. Actually I have Optima PPO now and they have a Medicare Plan that covers Part B and Part D and lets me have all the benefits I do now so I'll probably go for that. I'm not going to draw on Social Security. until June when I reach 65 and 9 months...my official date to get full benefits.

Faye, is Jack's birthday really 10-10? Mine is 10-9. Which reminds me that I have to renew my driver's license this year...and get the car inspected next month. DH always used to take care of the car for me.

Just one thing after another.

Good morning gals! Same ole same ole here. Hot and humid. Supposed to be 91 today. I am sick of this heat now and ready for a little fall coolness. NOT cold, just in the 70's would be nice.

I got a call from the board member that keeps me up to date. I went to the pool yesterday morning, it was locked with the lock inside the gate and a typed sign stapled to the clubhouse that said the pool was closed due to vandalism and safety. She said they voted night before last and decided to close it for the year so no more pool for me. It is way too hot to go out even in the morning and walk right now so I am just going to bide my time until it gets a bit cooler than buckle down for fall and winter and spring to lose my 100 lbs for vacation next year.

Susan: Those nurses ought to thank their lucky stars I am not the patient's spouse because I would have let them have it. You are a nice gentile Virginian and handle things through channels and I am a loud mouth Yankee and I would have given them what for big time. Hope you can get things straightened out so they don't put encouragement where there is none. Not that they shouldn't be encouraging, but to tell him his leg is going to be fine when that is not necessarily the case is dead wrong. I know it has to be so difficult on the two of you to go through all this. We are here for you! As for the Medicare thing, I didn't know you were old enough to go through the Medicare mess. I thought you were closer to my age and had a few years before you had to go through that. I dread it! Not the getting old enough for Medicare, just wading through the mess to make sure we have done everything right. Jack isn't taking his SS until he is 66 I think he said. He wants to work until then so his pension is more. Yep, his birthday is October 10th. It is funny because my grandpa's birthday was the 8th, his grandma's the 9th and his the 10th. Our son's is the 22nd because the huge thing refused to be born on time. He was two weeks late and back then they didn't induce you unless their was a problem. There was a problem alright, he weighed nearly 10 lbs and was 23 inches long and I was in labor 26 hours with him!!!!

Jean: I would tell them to take a hike too! I can't believe they assigned you 4 study halls this year. How awful! What is BD? I sat here yesterday and kept trying to think about what you do and the kids you work with and figure out what BD is, but no luck! Your mil is such a character. I know tons of people who wait until the pain is unbearable before they take the drugs prescribed to them. My dd has migraines and I know she doesn't always take them as quick as she should.

Gloria: Your black eye reminded me about the Lucy episode where Ricky tosses a book at her and hits her in the eye and no one will believe he didn't hit her. Hope the eye gets to feeling better real soon. I have my eye appt a week from Friday. Have to go through all those goofy tests but the eye exam itself only take a very few minutes.

Well gals, I want to get the upstairs bathrooms cleaned and the dusting done so maybe I will get started. Everyone have a good day today!

Faye