Helen I don't drive much either and my car guy gave me a bunch of winter tips, never let the gas (petrol I guess) go below 1/4 tank or it could freeze. Always do the oil change every 3 months even if you are nowhere near the mileage. I just got new tires and he has me convinced he needs to rotate them at some point (I verified this with my friends husband who said yes they should be especially if you don't drive a lot). Oh and try and get it out on the highway about once a week or so, I guess it cleans the exhaust. I have no idea how much of this is true but I know that my Dad used to always yell at me about the gas thing when I was a kid.

Welcome J, I'm an American (Boston) who just barged in here and now I feel comfortable with this group

I have not bought one Christmas gift, but I did go to the clinique counter this morning and buy myself some presents.....

Lazy night here tonight also, but this afternoon I get to go meet my friends 9 month old daughter who was just adopted from Guatemala, she has a 2 year old who is not very pleased with this new development. My friend is also pregnant and due in January....house will be crazy.

Sarah has been asterisked....has she? Or did you do it yourself? You do live in an interesting neighbourhood...so you have an amazon living next door hey? Maybe once she gets to met more neighbours, they'll see she is quite nice... where did the wife go?

RSG, that family sounds interesting...sounds like they'll be busy come January.

Helen, glad you got the car sorted, there's a new Black & Decker self starter thingy over here now for flat batteries, can fit in your glove compartment and you just stick it in your cig lighter and can start your car. I wouldn't know anyone here to ask for a jump...although wouldn't help, Dave seems to think the jumper cables are in the boot of Hannah's car, and they're not! Well done on your run... especially in the cold, it's to cold here for my liking anad I don't even want to go out and shop, but I need to, so I will drag myself out in my new coat.

CG, have fun shopping....

Ooh, I need to see whether i can get one of those. I have jump leads, but no other car to run them off. Even though my grandparents don't live too far away, my grandfather's disabled so it would be a real job to get them out to come and get me started. so I just made sure that my breakdown cover includes home start...

I'm feeling well fed now. I picked up a cheap copy of the anthony worrall thompson GI book and I've just made the spicy braised aubergines with chickpeas and prunes - highly recommended. I had the garlic soup with white beans for lunch too (that made for some interesting stomach sensations during the run because i didn't leave it long enough!).

RSG - I can't imagine adopting while having a 2 year old and being pregnant! It will be an interesting experience for them that's for sure!

Just got back from the mall. The traffic was Backed up on the interstate at the exit for the mall.
I sent hubby off to "Bath And Body Works" with instructions to get me some stuff for christmas and H and I went looking for her things. She got books for everyone bargains too. Then we left for home as she wasn't feeling well. We got to the first set of lights and I knew she wouldn't make it home. We then had to get to the nearest loo as quickly as possible. Just as well we did as she had explosive diarrhoea. That was a major achievement for her as she has never gone to the toilet outside the house. Her tummy still feels bad and she looks like death warmed up. We made it home though.
I still have more shopping to do, oh well maybe tomorrow.

oooooooooo we found a cat.... he was one we saw on the website ... and there was a BIG (small dog size!.. i think i would have felt i should have taken him out!) fluffy ginger cat VVV friendly... but was a bit spiky with his room mates.. n nrly had a fight

so we decided on the one on the website... we pick him up 2morrow ... he was V shy.. but once we sat with him for a bit he came out of his bed... pruurd lots & dribbled all over jen haha.. think im going to have to get some muzzlins like for babies lol...

he is called Softie.... but were defo going to change that!.... lol,,, poor boy

http://www.northlondoncats.org.uk/ad...rrent_cats.htm

He's so cute!

Oh he is cute.....

Yes my friends started the adoption process because they thought they would not get pregnant. They struggled to have their son, who was conceived via in-vitro. Then they started the adoption process last March and found out they were pregnant in June.

The new baby is gorgeous, the 2 year old is not happy, he was out of sorts but he'll be fine. I do feel bad that he will get all used to having a sister and then there will be another baby....oh well life will be interesting. This is my best friend, we met when we were 10 and we are now almost 40 so we are more like sisters. She only lives a few minutes away so I imagine I'll be over there a lot

Fine with me I can play with them and then leave them!!!!

Oh Lou, they're all so cute, I'd prob end up bringing them all home, but we can't have cats, one, we have two dogs who don't like them and two, Dave and hannah are allergic to them Hope you have nice cuddles with Softie when you get him home tomorrow.

I've been out shopping, I'm nearly done. CG... your parcel will be on it's way monday... hope H is feeling better, do you think it's a bug? Well done to her and a public loo... we have moved on Give her kisses for me. Dave's going to be on I70 tomorrow, hope he doesn't get caught in the mall queue...he'd stop in, but they only doing 60 mph and want to get into Ohio tomorrow night, so you won't be seeing him, unless you go to I70 and wave as he goes past

Helen, PM'ed you

Hannah and I have just had a Christmas pressie wrapping extravaganza, listening to Christmas music and the tree all lit up, very festive we are, she did roll her eyes at me once though, who doesn't dance to George Micheal singing 'Last Christmas'? I love that one...Pen and Lew wag their tails while I skate around the living room doing a strange wiggle..

Now must write more Chirstmas cards and clean up a bit.... havoc reigns with Christmas paper....

See you all tomorrow.

Just finished the christmas cards. There's quite a few I didn't write this year. I cut back a lot. They're all over the table.

So did Dave go through Tennessee or did he come more north? The weather is clear that's good for them driving. H is much better glad to say.

I'm going to have a cuppa and relax a wee while before I have to go out and pick up middle child.

Hello everyone

I am absolutely knackered.

Friday was my works Christmas do we went to hotel in Harpenden had a meal and there was a disco afterwards. The Schoolgirl thing must be hugely popular down here too as there was a crowd on one of the other tables all
dressed in school stuff. Got home about 1,30am. Had to be up early the next day as my friends and I went into London to see a David Hockney exhibition which was ok but not really my cup of tea. Afterwards we went for a meal
then to the pub. Got home about midnight.

Lovely to hear all your news. There was so much for me to catch up on.

I've not lost any weight but I'm pleased that I have been out alot eating and drinking and have managed to only gain a couple of pounds which I am aware of and that will be gone by the end of the week. In the past I would have carried on on eating like that day in and day out.

Today I am meeting my father for a drink, he has a planning meeting about his radiotherapy next week and will start the course in January. He seems good though.

Have a restful Sunday

Michele

Ahh.... Lou he's a lovely cat and I'm sure he'll soon settle in with you and Jen. I shall keep my fingers crossed that he's not like my daughter's cat Burt who just used to sit and watch ... birds.... mice.... goldfish.... blummin cat actually sat there and watched a mouse walk in under my back door and didn't do anything!

Just finished the second walk - Fred & Ellie first then George - just in time because the wind has picked up and its pelting down icy rain. It was such a beautiful dawn as well - completely still and frosty with the sky all shades of pink, apricot, turquoise and some very vivid blue. There were a couple of minutes when the sky went completely pink (I've never seen that before) and then 30 minutes later these clouds started rolling in, the wind started and now the sleet. Yuck!

Chris - I got asterisked. I put the word for female dog to describe the way all the women were talking about next door's new girlfriend. I don't know where the wife went (not sure she actually was 'wife' - more of a long term girlfriend). Being a bit blonde (and shortsighted) I thought it was just the ex come back with a different hair colour and car until DH pointed out to me that, if thats the case, then she'd also managed to grow about a foot. Later he (our neighbour) got round to pruning back a tree thats been blocking our Sky dish and cutting a lot of light out of our lounge and knocked to ask if it was okay to do some of it from our garden so I got introduced to her (can't remember her name) and they got introduced to Ellie who dribbled all over both of them.

Now I'm all thawed out I'm going to get going on my chores for the day - which is to make the first two of the Boxing Day casseroles for freezing - a chicken one and a spicy lamb one. I've made them both before and they improve with freezing so I've decided to cheat and make loads - enough for Boxing Day and lots more to freeze for DH and me.

Hi Michele - we posted at the same time

Good morning everyone, finally it's a bit warmer.

I thought people might want to check out this link for the Santas in Speedo run, my favorite run to watch all year.

http://santaspeedorun.com/

Hello to you too Sarah.

Lou what a little dote the kitten is.

My house is sooooooooooo quiet. Not sure if I mentioned that I have my brother staying here at the moment, as much as I love him what a messy sod he is. Every weekend he has his little boy who I love also but there never seems to be any peace anymore. He has just gone over to dinner with our little brother Patrick. I did say to Patrick do you fancy a lodger he said no you keep him!!!

We are putting our tree up on Wednesday eldest boy Conor listens to the gospel of his grandmother (my mother-in-law) who says that is the day they should go up, and every year my family keep it up till 12 days after Christmas
it drives me up the absolute pole. Once Boxing Day is over I want the tree down bahhhhhhh humbug. I've not written a card or even bought any for that matter yet. If there ever comes a time when my boys don't want to spend Christmas Day with us and I suppose this will happen at some point when they have wives/girlfriends I intend helping out at a homeless shelter. No matter how many people I see sitting in doorways in the cold I it always affects me last night in Holborn there was a girl about my age sitting under a blanket with her dog. I put some money in her pot and then popped in the shop and bought her a box of Maltesers and my friend bought dog food.

Its got very cold and I swear I can smell snow!!!

Michele

Hello! I'm very proud of myself today, I ate sprouts! I've never been able to bring myself to do it, but I went out for a christmas lunch with my grandparents and there were sprouts on the plate so I decided to go for it. Not my favourite veg by any means but I'm proud of myself for finishing them The meal was surprisingly good, I had leek and potato soup, a veggie bake and christmas pudding but I'm sure that my stomach is finally getting smaller because it seems more and more of a struggle each time to actually finish food when I eat out.

I'm just trying to work out how to get to work and running club tomorrow, I think there's a bus strike so I'll probably have to take my car into town rather than just parking it at running club. If the thing starts that is! (Thanks for the link for the starter thing by the way, I'm now looking to see if I can get it here).

Right, I think I'm going to get my stuff ready for tomorrow and then do some yoga