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May's Miracles, Marvey things, or Mayhem. What's your story?
This topic was continued by June's Joys, Jollities and Jams.
The Green Dragon
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It is time to start a new month of little stories.
Wow! I just asked--in the April thread--whether someone was going to do this? You're fast maggie.
I think we all need to know that any one can start a thread. No need to wait for "someone".
After 10 days of having only a bit of water a couple times a day, the backhoe and pump guy are here to install my new water line.
(They are trying not to hit the septic tank with the backhoe. I'm trying not to look!). I have a little Montana-hardy peach tree that is blooming like mad but is getting battered and may have to go :-(.
Good thoughts welcome.
I took the day off work--Yay!--going to take pictures when everything is opened up for future reference of where lines are. But I am sooooooo nervous......
OOof - baby boys temp has finally broken. It was really starting to scare me, but fingers crossed he's much much more perky this evening.
Glad he's doing better, BekkaJo. Those high fevers are scary.
(5) Glad to hear your baby is better, BekkaJo. It's so hard when your baby/babies are sick and all you can do is rock them.
(4) Maybe you can move the peach tree?
I'm moving on Saturday, the contracts all signed, deposit paid, I will finally have a garden so I can bbq and somewhere I can really call "home" : ) three more sleeps lol and I've met all of my targets at work 2 months early so I can now focus on the next quarter - happy days : )
One baby hawk chick, blown from the nest in our neighbor's tree, safely restored to its parents.
oh you're a hero Janny! Thanks so much for caring about nature and baby birds. I was out in nature today and found a new trail at an old favorite conservation property. Finally could shoot these falls they way they are supposed to be shot. Well at least I think so.
Janny, you are so brave!
Lovely waterfall photo! Worth the wait, yes?
#8 - Congrats on the house! Let us know what you BBQ first, we love food here. ;)
I am going to try talking my husband into looking at used cars with me, maybe tomorrow, but maybe not. We both despise that chore. Perhaps I'll do some investigation first on what type I want. We get to have a date tomorrow, dinner and some shopping. Woohoo! MrLee will probably sleep in the car during the shopping part.
MrsLee: get a Toyota...they last...
I love the picture, Bookmarque!
Thanks for saving the chick, Janny, good for you. The only bird I ever rescued turned out to be a Starling.
Perrangirl, I'm happy you'll have a garden! I have hated living where we were not allowed to plant anything.
Oh, beautiful picture, Bookmarque! I can't wait for the snow to melt so I can go hiking!
Tweaked my knee this morning getting into the car. Something popped. Hurt like the dickens until I managed to "pop" it back in. It still hurts if I bend it too far, but it doesn't hurt to just stand on. I'm hoping that's a good sign.
I've decided to take a leap professionally and go after the National Boards. The teachers on here will understand; not an easy endeavor, but one that will help me improve greatly!
Oh, good luck: catzteach! Lots of work, but I bet you'll gain a great deal from doing it. Will your school system give you more money when you get it?
Maggie, yeah, a whole $1000 more a year. :) Sadly, the district doesn't see the value in it.
Mayhem: I'm failing half of my class on a test. They're not going to be happy. At least they get a second chance.
Marvelous: I have a visitor arriving tonight. I'm excited.
Marvel, mayhem? We've been talking about doing something the last week of our summer vacation - three weeks at the cabin, then one more week for...? Riga, Tallinn and such has been talked about (and dismissed).
We've been talking about Legoland, in Denmark, before and after much counting of time and money decided not to go. We simply did not want to spend 4000 kilometres in the car in one vacation period (2000 to the cabin, there and back again + same for trip to Denmark).
Then some hours ago we realised we hadn't investigated the possibility to go by train - when we did we realised it was affordable, to say the least. So. Now we know what to do for four days in late July - Denmark, and Legoland, here we come ;-)
Yea! Yeah! yeah! love the idea of lego land!
Bad: I think I am actually insane now.
Good: The semester is finally over! I hope to regain some brain within the next week or so. Yayyyy.
#17 Yeah! And I'm jealous that you get to have a vacation, much less getting to Legoland.
Sigh. This year my son goes to Costa Rica, then my (our) vacation togther will be split between driving to NY for my niece's graduation and then 3 weeks later going to my parents for the anniversary. The NY trip will involve travelling with my parents, something I have avoided for 20+ years. I love them, but I'm not sure 10 hours in a car together is a good thing. And that's just one way-then we get to repeat it to get home.
Mayhem! My aunt broke her arm, so my mom flew in to help her out during the day while my uncle's at work. Since I haven't seen my aunt and uncle since Christmas, and I haven't seen my mom since last August, I'm driving back and forth every other day to visit. I love them, but it's draining for so many reasons.
#20 - I'm thankful to Swedish law that has laid down the rules about vacation time - everyone is granted 25 days.
After losing our English Bulldog, Guenevere Victoria (aka Gwennie), I was sure I could never get another dog. Well, I am eating those words now. A couple of days before we left for our cruise, my mom adopted/rescued a dog that was at our vet's office. She is a Borzoi (Russian Wolfhound) named Avalon's Talinn (Talinn for short and my mom gave her a second middle name of Guenevere). Mom and I agreed to co-own her because mom travels some for her job. Fortunately she is very well behaved and my husband loves her too. She was a show dog (did quite well from what we understand). Her owner passed away from a heart attack suddenly. She is a very tall dog so people were afraid to adopt her. We fell in love with her right away. It is definitely an adjustment to having a tall dog (she can rest her chin on our kitchen counters...yikes!). But a positive is she loves to give hugs...she gently puts her paws on your shoulders and nuzzles you with her nose. I am grateful for love from a dog again but I miss our Gwennie every day. So...this month will be a month of adjustments and putting everything VERY high up in the house. :) We will get Talinn at least one week a month. This is an adjustment but exciting at the same time. :)
Sorry to hear about your bulldog, damejennylynn, and glad you and your mum have adopted Talinn. She is gorgeous!
>25 tardis:: Thank you! She has been wonderful for us. :)
I love tall dogs - there was a wonderful harlequin great dane at the vet the other day. Not as elegant as Talinn, but a lovely, friendl dog. His head came up to my chest and I'm 5'8".
This is the first tall dog we have ever had in our home. She is very graceful (thanks to the couple of years in the show ring) but she can sure get her nose in places I would have never thought. :) We are fortunate that she is very friendly...she does great with kids, adults, and other animals.
I can't believe that the great dane's head was up to your chest (we are the same height)! They are beautiful animals but it would be a little overwhelming to me to have a dog that big. :)
His back was almost at my waist level. Massive dog. I once saw a great dane getting out of the back of a Volkswagen Beetle - so funny.
I had a boyfriend many years ago who had a wonderfully sweet borzoi, named Zoe, and I really loved her. She was always elegant and friendly.
Congrats on your new companion, shared with your Mom, brilliant!!
Thanks, Maggie! We like sharing her because it makes it less overwhelming for us both. :)
It is nice hearing someone else knew a wonderful borzoi. This was the first time I had any interaction with one. I remember seeing one in the movie Out of Africa but that was the most I knew about the breed. We are learning quickly. :)
And oh... she is a sight hound which means you must, must, must always have a leash on her. If she sees something she wants to chase... well, she may just take off. And they are marvelously fast!
Yeah, we learned that one quickly. Fortunately the vet's office used to show Borzoi dogs so she gave us some tips. She must always wear a leash (unless in one of our fenced in back yards). We have to be careful about her going after small animals (she LOVES the squirrels around our houses) because she can hurt her neck when she jerks back on the collar. The first time she lunged for a squirrel it scared me to death. I didn't see the squirrel but she obviously did and about jerked my arm out of the socket. LOL! :)
Talk to your vet about whether having some type of restraint which is not about her neck... a halter type thingie, maybe.
We have a new collar for her and it works much better. Plus we are more aware when we have her out on a leash. :)
I would love to own a very tall dog, but only if I lived on property they could run on. I'm not very good about dog walking, so I'm content with the dream and not the reality! Your sweet dog is adorable!
#28 All too credible. My first car was a Peugeot 204 -- taller than a mini, but not by much. Some nutty friends of mine had a Great Dane that would greet my arrival by resting his chin on the roof of the car.
MrsLee: Fortunately we both have a large back yards that are fenced in so she can run. It is beautiful to watch. :) Thank you for your kind compliment!
hfglen: (Sorry, I'm just getting back and don't remember everyone's real names or if they use their real names in GD.) That would have been very funny to see! Those are some very large dogs...beautiful but large. :)
Tailinn is gorgeous, and what an expression!
Our current canine is a Lab/German Shepherd cross, and she can put her head on the kitchen table, but knows she's not supposed to. I could almost ride her...
I prefer big dogs to small. :)
damejennylynn - What a lovely dog! You are lucky to have her in your life, as she is lucky to have you in hers. And nice to see you back here, too.
I'm having a tough day today. A friend committed suicide this morning. Not a really close friend, but still... it's hard. I knew he wasn't very happy with life right now, but would have thought he was the last person to do this.
I have things I should be doing at work that I just can't seem to get done right now.
Talinn makes me think of What-A-Mess. You'll have to watch out! ;)
eeek NorthernStar. That's so unsettling. It happened to me a few years back...the least likely guy once again. The shock was so complete for me and for everyone else who knew him. sorry it had to happen to you, too.
Fuzzi: Thank you! She is learning what are boundaries. Thankfully she doesn't put her paws on the counter. :) This is the first big dog we have owned so it is definitely an adventure.
NothernStar: Thank you! We feel very blessed and it is good to be back. I am so sorry to hear about your friend. It is never easy to lose someone and that is an especially hard way to lose them. I'll keep you in my thoughts.
Choreocrat: I have never read that book but I am going to have to check it out. :) We are definitely on our toes with this dog. She is funny because she gets into something and brings it to you like "Here mommmy, I found this but I don't think I'm supposed to have it." It is too cute. :)
Choreocrat: I just looked up that book. We don't have it at our local library and I looked on Amazon...it must be one of those collector items because there is a copy for over $600+. Wow!
44 - Yikes! I wonder if my parents still have a copy at home. I should tell them to keep it safe.
NothernStar, I'm sorry to hear about your friend. It can be so unsettling even if it isn't someone you are close to. A director of a department I worked in committed suicide a few years ago. While it wasn't entirely a surprise (she had drinking problems and had been out a couple times for mental health issues), it was still upsetting.
Marvey: School is out for the summer! Whooo hooo! I finished up my finals late last night. I was determined to be FREE this weekend!
Marvey: family holiday is booked and, as far as possible, arranged. A week in a time-share place at the foot of the Mpumalanga escarpment, 2 weeks camping in Kruger Park, a weekend with friends who grow every plant that can be grown! I'll be AFK from the end of May to the middle of June, roughly, then should have lots of new pictures of hippos, birdies and things. Only ones who will be annoyed are the Kittehs, who have a stretch of boarding school in their future.
Have a great time! and I'm looking forward to seeing piccies, too.
#48 Can I come?
Marvel: For the first time in about 8 years, I have finally found jeans that fit my son. Just in time for his mission trip, as he needs work pants. And the store had not one, but TWO pairs in his size! Bonus: Old school Star Wars t-shirt for him on clearance for $5.00.
Mayhem: It is unbelievable what 2 pairs of jeans plus 3 pairs of the khakis he normally wears cost. And they were all on sale, and I still couldn't believe the totals. I think he has enough shoes for the trip, and everything else too. Oops, he may need a swim suit which means another round of frustration to find one that fits.
#51 If you find your own way to Pretoria (I'm teaching at Uni. Pretoria the week before, and leaving straight from there) and bring your own tent ...
(44) damejennylynn: there are lots of copies of the sequels to What-A-Mess on abebooks.com, and one fine copy of the original for $30, including shipping and handling. :)
Marvey: dh and I went to a junk yard and found a door handle/arm rest for his truck, and a "Oh #@&%!" handle for above the passenger side door (I like to hang on to the handle when we have quick lane changes or other evasive maneuvers while he's driving...
Mayhem: it's too hot today, and riding around in traffic with the windows down got me overheated, with borderline heat exhaustion. I'm going to lie down in a few...
too our visitor out on the boat and proceeded to try to drown him. His last name, Kater, means cat. Our test worked!
Oh! you took your visitor out in your boat and attempted to drown him. I thought you took a cat out in your boat, and did drown him. Sounded very, very unlike you!
Hah! No I would never drown a cat or anything else. And the poor dogs who also got soaked were terrified. :(
#48 - One day, some year... (...in a galaxy far away...)
Sounds absolutely fantastic, and previous sentence is to mark that I wish I could find the funds and time to take me and the family to your part of the planet.
Thanks for all the good thoughts and hugs - it helps. He was a full-time member of the fire department, and used to work ambulance here too, so there are a lot of us here hit pretty hard by it.
hfglen - your holiday sounds wonderful!
Miracle - first spring green leaves are showing!
NothernStar: My brother is a firefighter/paramedic. He lost a buddy last year in the same way. The firefighter community is so close and it makes a huge impact on everyone. My thoughts remain with you and the firefighter family.
Miracle: I finally handed in my dissertation for my MBA: Guanxi in Chinese Supervisor/Subordinate Dyads: The Effect on Knowledge Transfer
Marvel: I have more time to spend with Wendi, my daughter. On Saturday we build a catapult together and went dragon-hunting in the garden:
Mayhem: We used the whole day yesterday to clean the library... remove every book, dust the shelf, wipe them with alcohol to kill (potentially existing spores), dust the books, put them on the shelf again, etc.... I was hardly able to shower and crawl to bad.
I want to come and play with Wendi! Her catapult looks fun. Did you find any dragons?
Even though that library cleaning was a lot of work, I'll bet it feels good to have it done. Your books are too special to neglect. Mine are scoffing at me as I say that, but then they are not so collectible as I believe yours are. :) Just loveable.
#53 Thanks, but between mission trips, anniversary parties, graduations, and vet bills, my only vacation will be to a library. I don't think I can afford to buy a book.
Mayhem: Peaches the Demon Pig went to the vet again. Warning, the following may be TMI. Saturday I was doing the daily cage de-pooping and food restocking. Found a largish spot of blood in her sleeping spot. Flipped back the fleece, and encountered a round, quarter-size lump of flesh. I will spare you even worse details, but apparently she passed a tumor from her bladder. My son left the room at the sight of it. Yes, this is the fun my Saturdays have been reduced too.
Marvel: The producer of said revolting object was, at the time of its discovery, voicing her displeasure that the hay bin had not been restocked. She was chewing the bars for her carrot this morning, and attempted to remove the vet's fingers during the exam. She's fine. Since they don't know if the thing was cancerous or not, and there's nothing to be done if it is, we are on the least expensive route of antibiotics and pain meds.
TMI bit over.
Mayhem: Son didn't turn in an assignment and now has a D again. Meltdown at dinner. I am apparently pressuring him too much, it's nothing but grades, grades, grades; teachers keep changing the rules; everything has to be done now; etc., etc., etc. Would anyone like a teenager?
No thanks--have two plus a college student. Hugs, though...it will get better.
And your poor piggy! That was quite an impressive feat on her part.
>63 J_ipsen:, your daughter is so adorable! I love the look on her face. And the shoes.
Oh, I want to hunt for dragons with a catapult!! What a great mom!
Marvel: weather was fabulous today. I was able to get in a 15.61 mile bike ride after work. And, speaking of work, the parent meeting this morning was refreshing: I moved their daughter due to her eyes wandering during a test. They came in to see how they could support me and to see if they handled her cheating correctly. Woohoo!
#64: MrsLee: You're welcome to pop in the next time your in South China :).
For a long time Wendi tried to get some of the older books out of my shelf... it only stopped when we build her own little bookshelf in her room. She has collected nearly 80 books now (and she's very protective of them).
Marvey: I'm excited about the new-style pressure cooker I just ordered. It's due to arrive on Thursday! Yay!
I just finished reading Michael Pollan's book In Defense of Food and, like such books/documentaries do, it has encouraged me to continue making progress towards a whole-foods lifestyle.
Marvey ~~ My friends are getting me internet for a year, as a thank you for running them around on errands all the time. What a very thoughtful gift.
Mahem ~~ A/C in the house has gone out! Spent all my savings getting the replacement car. Boo! Hiss! Summer in Texas and no A/C.
Marvels: Pig is fine. Son turned in the two late assignments that caused the D, and the teacher was nice enough not to deduct the automatic late points. So he's back up to a C. Which is waaay below his potential, but I'll take it. He also survived his AP test, and was given the rest of the day off. So I took off the afternoon and we're being mostly lazy.
We cope with one crisis at a time. Sounds like you've earned your afternoon.
#68 - I'm pretty sure Wendi does have a great mom, but J_ipsen is her daddy! :)
#70 - *sigh* South China, South Africa, and so many more places I would love to go visit my GD friends! Does anyone else enjoy saying their GD friends? GD was a "tolerable" curse word from adults when I was growing up. Not that I'm using it in that way!
Yes, I dream about visiting all the far flung Green Dragon crews!
Mayhem - Dermatitis has flared up again :( Sore looking red & slightly lumpy skin around my eyes is not a good look! But its not painful so I shouldnt really complain too much...
Marvel - 3 more days of work then 8 days off :)
Marvel - Going on a road trip to Canberra for a National Aby & Somali cat show next weekend, really looking forward to seeing all the pretty kitties :)
#75-76 I dream about winning the Lotto and using the money to bring Dragoneers here to enjoy one or 2 of my favourite places for a week or so!
(65) Rita, I'll pass on the offer of a teenager...I raised two of them to adulthood without killing either.
I think it was Erma Bombeck who said something about understanding why some animal mothers eat their young... ;)
Very proud day for me. I have two granddaughters. One is a cop. The other begins the law enforcement academy today. I guess being a retired USAF officer, and drilling into their mom that girls can do anything they want to, and then redrilling it into the grandkids worked!
Sulk. Have had to head back into work for the evening. Sigh...
A couple of marvey things: my latest chest x-rays show completely normal lungs, and recovery from pneumonia appears to be complete! Also, good suggestions from doctor on keeping current medications side effects down to tolerable! And a mortgage broker I've dealt with before, and trust, reached out and said I could probably lower my interest rates, and lessen my mortgage payments. That would be really marvey! More money for books!
Feeling good today!
#79 It was Erma Bombeck (I love her books).
Mayhem: To top off this magnificently horrible semester for my son, his HAVPA teacher has assigned a group project today. It is due Monday evening (upload). First off, my son is going backpacking with the youth group. He has been talking about this for a month and won't even be home. So the teacher said he didn't have to do it in a group, he could do it alone.
What is HAVPA? and what is this wonderful project? History and Appreciation of the Visual and Performing Arts. It is a state-required class for graduation. Note it is NOT a performance class. The project? To produce and perform a video dance number, ala STOMP, using non-traditional instruments and telling a story. Also provide full documentation and a storyboard to back this show up. AND to further add to the fun, all videos will be uploaded to the school and shown to EVERY SINGLE HAVPA class. This is for my son, who hates public speaking and has never publicly performed in his life. (I discount the Christmas pageants where he would only participate in a group or in a non-speaking role.) Also note--apparently not all of the humanities teachers are requiring this--so of course my son got one who did.
Should I complain to the teacher? Or just grit my teeth and help my son get this together by Monday night? Oh, and finals are next week too.
#82 Glad you're feeling better.
At long last, I have been accepted into (onto?) Duolingo.com!
#83 - I'd speak with the teacher. This is not a basic skill - like arithmetic - without which you're handicapped that they're asking for...
#83 Please please speak to the teacher - I'd have been a complete wreck if any of my teachers had made me do something like that. So cruel!
83 - I agree with speaking to the teacher, for all the good it may do. I usually liked projects when I was in school, but I too had a terrible fear of public speaking (not to mention low self-esteem and other related issues) and would have done just about anything to get out of doing something like that. I would probably have preferred a zero. Good luck.
so I shouldn't have to do anything I don't like? screw you IRS. to hell with you speed limit. Oh and work...that's for wimps.
88 Bookmarque - Yes. Yes. That is exactly what we were saying. You're absolutely right. It had nothing whatsoever to do with requiring kids do a project almost completely unrelated to the class they're taking. Not at all.
>88 Bookmarque: This thread is for support and cheers, not sarcasm. Please take such elsewhere.
Yes, I'm agreeing with Morphidae. I usually think of this thread as a place where I can just say what is on my mind without expecting any approval or comment from any one. Thanks for that, too. Life is so much easier when I'm not having to react to someone's judgments about me and my life.
>91 maggie1944: Agreed. People won't post here if it doesn't feel "safe."
In general I think one must learn to handle things one doesn't enjoy doing. But, making this specific requirement of a kid with special needs, in the way described, is out of proportion to the expected benefit/lesson.
Kids can be very cruel to each other and the project seems to be set up so as to validate the kids with high self-esteem while making life a hell for the rest. Such things can ruin a kid for life and worst case will be very expensive for society and the family.
We are humans and we should care for each other.
*steps off soapbox*
My concern about all this is the timeframe being allowed for the project. Was it just assigned this week? I would protest simply on the basis of school not being "The Apprentice" where a team is forced to be creative in a very short timeframe. Choreography and dance are not average skills to be called forth in a few minutes. Then there's the whole question of equipment availability and studio/location space.
In college I would have rebelled unless the project had been clearly included on the course syllabus. This sounds like a last-minute whim of the teacher, who had some empty time at the end of the semester.
If the project can't be avoided, but really was just sprung upon them, I would lobby for a simple "participation" grade (you did it, or didn't). Course evaluation shouldn't depend on something so arbitrary, IMO.
(82) Yeah! I'm so glad to hear your Marvey things!
(94) I also would be concerned about the time frame allowed for this project...all the preparation required would take more than a week, also considering that the student does have other classes, and a life as well.
I'm not for excusing children from projects, but perhaps more options for presentation (and a longer time frame) would assist in the learning process instead of making it a waste of time (just do it to fulfill the requirement).
I speak as a mother, not a "run behind the bus" sort of "sMother", as some can be. Kids do need to grow up and be responsible, to learn that life isn't "fair", but I don't see the value of much that is required today in the public educational system.
::off soapbox::
Maybe asking kids to perform would make sense if the class had just spent some time teaching them that particular skill (e.g., dancing), but asking it without training, recording it, and making it public are just invitations for mean kids to tease those who don't have that skill or those who are simply less popular. That teacher is not thinking, IMO.
Marvel: I've met a guy I think I like a lot. It's too early to say for sure and I don't want to jinx it, but I am making dinner for him on Wednesday. The big question: Swedish meatballs or beef salpicio?
Mayhem: Have had my car back from the shop for a couple of weeks, and now it needs brakes. I know it's an older car, but this is ridiculous.
ejji, I'd go with the Swedish Meatballs, but that's just me. Guys seem to like less exotic yet more hearty food.
My first thought was the meatballs, too. Don't know, just seems like it is most likely to please.
Remember when we were told that the "way to a man's heart was through his stomach"?
> 98 I have never found that saying to be particularly true for me . . . but then, maybe I've always set my cap at the wrong guy. Or maybe that I just haven't done it widely enough. (I know it can't be my cooking that's to blame!)
Speaking of which, please allow me to vent a little (no pun intended, as you'll see) about my latest cooking frustration. I just bought a new, $60 second-generation model pressure cooker, and the thing doesn't work. The little doohickey that's supposed to rise up and indicate that the kettle has come up to pressure, doesn't rise up. It just sits in its little hole and spews steam into my kitchen, meaning that the kettle hasn't sealed and pressure hasn't built up.
A call to the company did not help. After choosing what seemed to be the correct menu option, speaking twice with someone who admittedly didn't know anything, and being told that the fellow upon whose voice mail I was to leave a message would get back to me "eventually" - it's looking like I've paid a lot for a fancy stockpot. I can send it back, but I'd really rather have a functioning pressure cooker. This model is the right size for my needs.
>96 ejj1955: At any rate, I think cooking for your friend is a lovely thing to do. I would choose the meatballs, if for no other reason than I'm not familiar with the other dish.
Another way to think about it is, which of the two do you enjoy making more, so that by the time he arrives you will likely be in a festive mood, relaxed (relatively, if you're like me) and already having fun?
#83 - Please keep us posted, RitaFaye. I hate it when schools put this sort of pressure on students. It's ridiculous.
98 - Worked for me!
My suggestion is to cook whichever one you feel most confident with. Cooking for someone the first time isn't a good time for a potentially stressful experiment.
This is an annoying day. Couldn't sleep much this morning after my night shift. I went to clean out a cupboard (which needed it) and found a huge nest of ants or termites, eggs and all. Ugh. Finished that, went to the toilet, and found the cat had barfed all over the floor. Ugh. Was cleaning that up and got a phone call from the second place I applied to earlier. They wanted me to interview. It was a job I really wanted, but didn't think it would be OK for me to up and quit my new promotion after one week, thus leaving everyone in a lurch again. So I thanked them and explained and declined. Ugh.
It feels good that I was asked to interview for both jobs I applied for, but now I feel stuck. Sigh.
I know I have a lot to be thankful for, but I'm on my eighth day out of nine working the night shift, so no one rain on my cynical parade today. I'm having fun grimacing.
What a day! My class has been a struggle all year. Lots of behavior issues. Well, today one of them stole my Lindt chocolates out of a coffee mug that was on my desk. The chocolates and mug were a gift for Teacher Appreciation Week. He took over half of them. I caught him with the wrappers in his pocket. He keeps saying he found them on the floor. I am so disappointed! He's one of the nice ones and I thought I had a good relationship with him. I know he's nine and nine year olds are impulsive, but it still hurts.
Good news at my house. I found out that two non-functioning windows were under warranty still and the tech came to fix them this afternoon. It was an easy fix and he adjust a couple of others so they work better. So, I asked him whether this huge window which is on my stair case landing is also still under warranty, as it has failed. The double panes are getting cloudy....
Yes! It is! Yes. yes. yes. That will be a new window for me! Don't have to wash this current one which is huge and hard to get to.... And, I will not have to pay the possible $1000 it probably would have cost, if it were not under warranty!
The windows warranty is good until 2017! My, my, my. I think I lucked out, big time, on this one!
#96 I'd do meatballs, because I don't know what the other dish is. Pick whichever one is less stressful for you. And keep us posted!!
Thanks for the support and for listening. We have now decided the project is doable. Some of my freaking out was due to my son freaking out. Once he calmed down and thought it through, he's pretty sure he can do it. Not doing it is not an option, since they've apparently been doing this project for several years. And it doesn't have to be a full-on dance routine, just 3-5 minutes of rthymn performance. He has to create 3 or 4 different rthymn patterns using non-traditional instruments or his body (smacking stuff, stomping, etc.) This could still be interesting, as the kid has no rthymn. None. I've stood next to him in church for 16 years, and he has never been able to clap in time to the music.
And he is off backpacking with the youth group, so that is good for him. He's supposed to come up with his theme/story so he'll be ready to go Sunday. I think we need a bit of space after all the drama this year, so the trip is good for him.
And did I mention that he still has to attend a concert next weekend to complete his last "monthly cultural event" for this class? His best friend is singing in a chorale and it's free, so we'll be attending that. I will be so glad to see the end of this school year. The Demon Pig is still acting fine.
#105 Good news on the windows Maggie.
Thanks! And it reads as if you have good news, too. It is great when our kids step up to tackle a challenge!
Wahoo!! A quick visit to the church white elephant sale this am resulted in two sturdy end tables for $20. This meant I could finally get rid of the wobbly one we've lived with for far too long. I am ecstatic!!
My husband and I drove to Fort Worth today (an hour's drive) to attend a wedding reception...only to find we had the dates wrong--it's not until next month! Fortunately, it was to be at 7:00 pm, and we had gone early this morning to spend some time with his father and aunt, and then with our daughter and granddaughter. My son also stopped by to deliver my Mother's Day gift. So the day wasn't a total loss. Also fortunately, while at lunch, Jim just happend to check Facebook on his phone, and there was a post from the bride's father that he would be back in a week (he's a pilot). So that red flagged that PERHAPS we were wrong about the date, so I texted the bride's mother, and found out the correct date. No idea how I got the date so completely wrong. So glad Jim checked Facebook; otherwise we would have shown up at the church all alone!
(99) walk2work, can you not return the pressure cooker? Don't let them get away with cheating you out of your hard earned money!
(103) Sorry about your day, MrsLee...I've had some like that. And, it's nice to be wanted, even if you have to say 'no'. :)
(104) Catzteach, I recall being like that young boy, and horrified at what I had done, and then horrified that I kept lying about it. I still remember to this day when I did something stupid and denied it no matter what...I can't tell you how to handle it, but I can say that it doesn't mean he's not a 'nice' kid...just that he messed up and gave in to temptation, as we all do at times.
(105) Glad to hear about the window warranty!
RitaFaye, that must be a relief, somewhat, that the project is doable.
(110) In this story is proof that, despite all other evidence to the contrary, FaceBook can be useful! :D
Stunning weather over here - I hope everyone had such lovely days for their weekend. Fun morning watching my daughter strip to nude and run around in the big outdoor paddling/wading pool (albeit still freezing water) at one of our parks. Might have been easier if I'd had a towel - but that would probably have taken the fun out of it for her :)
OMG there's an Elvish tattoo - front row on the right!
My, there certainly are some attractive young men in England, or is it just me?
>111 fuzzi: I tried a different tack with the new pressure cooker: just putting in some water and cranking the burner to High. Then it did seal, so it's apparently not defective. I'm glad about that; but the way the thing works may make it less suitable for cooking brown rice than I'd hoped. I'll just have to test it to see. (And either way, it will still be useful for other applications.)
>fuzzi, I know he's a nice kid. He did an impulsive thing. I'm sure he is horrified. It was just the icing on the cake of a really bad day (and not so great year).
Had a pretty good weekend. Attended a walking/running fund raiser for a friend whose son is going through some medical stuff; spent Saturday afternoon hanging with my husband; lunch with my mom today; and then some time working on my Enterprise model.
#115 - LOL, most of those guys are from other parts of the world, like Côte d'Ivorie, Argentina, Paraguay, Italy, Serbia...
GN: I've been offered a job for next year...way closer to home, shorter school day. I have to write my letter of resignation as soon as I let the new school know. It's a charter school, so it's a bit less money; but we figure we'll make up at least half of it in gas savings.
Marvel - A simple cable that we had around the house and some free software lets me convert my old cassette tapes to digital. I have many recordings of books that are not available (with the same narrator) as CDs or digital downloads. Like Paul Sorvino narrating Thinner by Stephen King. Woo hoo! I'm so psyched.
#120 - That's GREAT!!!
Not exactly mayhem but MAN AM I TIRED of being not healthy!!!
Since some weeks back I've had a sore throat, now and then, and suddenly a fever. Then it goes away for a day or three and then BAM! suddenly it's back.
Happened today in the middle of an important meeting. It hurts so I can't think and then I go dizzy. The next day it's gone.
Probably some evil bacteria.
Sorry. Just needed to whine a bit.
sorry you feel like crap. My mom's been having a similar time. Just can't shake whatever it is.
The cassette to digital conversion is time-consuming, but I'm so excited I can't stand it. I've got a recording of my favorite Raymond Chandler narrated by a guy whose name escapes me, but he's the perfect voice of Marlowe that I hear him in my head whenever I read one. Same with Alexander Spencer who is the voice of Jeeves and Wooster for me. OMG I'm so geeked.
That's exciting, Bookmarque. I've got some Rabbit Ears Radio cassettes that I would love to have converted, but I don't think I have the mental wherewithal at the moment to cross that bridge. What program is it? Or can you say?
Hugh, if you are reading this thread, I thought you would like to know about my Mother's Day gift from my son. It's a Portulacaria afra "Variegata." I would plant it outside, but I'm afraid I might get an elephant infestation, if the label is correct. Says it is a major food source for them. To be honest, and I hope my son won't read this, it looks rather like a lot of weeds we have here. But pretty, I'm not one to be prejudiced against a weed.
Well, we had our first emergency with Talinn this weekend. My mom cleaned up all the rat poison months ago but there was one that we missed and Talinn found it this weekend! We had to rush her to the vet's office. They induced vomiting, gave her vitamin K shots, and almost a liter of charcoal. Fortunately her blood work is showing improvement. She has a little more ways to go to be fully recovered but at least she is on the mend. (I know some will completely disagree with using rat poison but there were two hoarder houses that were fumigated. Both houses were infested with rats...huge ones...and they were on either side of my mom's house. She was advised to put it out to prevent her home from being infested. After a couple of months, she pulled up the poison.)
On a positive and a sad note: I survived Mother's Day. It was my first mother's day without my girl. Because I cannot have children, most of my friends and family would say "happy mother's day to a fur baby mommy." This was the first year I didn't get a call. I missed my girl but I went through funny pictures of her and it made my day. :)
On a positive note: I get to spend a mother-daughter weekend with my mom this coming weekend. I'm going to take her to the movies for an early birthday gift. It will be good to spend some time with her. :)
Thanks for letting me vent!! :)
it's no secret, MrsL. A couple of google searches yielded a few tutorials on how to get this done. Audacity software was mentioned a lot, so I downloaded it and found it's pretty easy. They have an extensive help wiki with tutorials and step-by-step processes for getting started doing basic things. So far it's been good, just time consuming since you have to play every cassette its entire length. No speeding up like ripping a CD.
damejennylynn, I totally get your Mom's use of the poison. I lived in a house that was near some demolition places, which had been vacant, and did have rats, and we did see them at our place. Very big pain in the butt!
I'm glad you were able to catch your Talinn early and get him/her to the vet! I hope recovery is continuing rapidly, and will be complete!
And oh! I have a happy note: just bought tickets to the Season Opener game of the Seattle Storm (women's pro basketball team). I saw them yesterday in a preseason game and they are a little rough around the edges but played a very respectable game, and won with 1 point!
maggie: Thanks for your encouraging words! Rats freak me out and we definitely didn't want my mom's house infested. :) Talinn is getting her personality back today. Thank goodness! :) Have a blast at the game! I love women's pro basketball...actually I love basketball in general but I'm not very good at playing it....my brother was the athlete in our family. :)
Ha! I love watching it. I am 5'2" so have never even once tried to play....
My brother always wanted me to play with him but it was never fun. He is 6'4" and would block all my shots. It was so annoying. I tried playing H.O.R.S.E. with him but he would make all these trick shots so I finally gave up. :) Oh, I was 5'8" but weighed about 90 lbs so I was no match for him. :) (Please note: I am not that skinny anymore...life caught up with me...LOL!)
#123 Lee, I'd plant it outside anyway. It's a good food source for justabout anything that eats leaves, including cattle (catch them and make your own cheese) and salad-eating humans. It is said to fix moe carbon than anything else that size, and the leaves that don't get eaten, fall and make a great mulch under the plant. And it has pretty pink flowers in season. As for the elephant infestation: this happened at Addo National Park. The first time I saw the place there were barely 30 elephants there and the spekboom (Portulacaria, a literal translation of the common name would be "bacon tree") was solid and eight feet tall -- all you saw of the ellies was the occasional trunk waving like a periscope above the bush. Now there are 400 of the critters and the spekboom is really struggling for survival, barely knee high.
#130 - Hmn, here plants of that kind are brave if they rise to ankle height. At least outdoors ;-)
marvel: It isn't dairy my stomach can't take, so I can eat cheese again
mayhem: it is starch instead, so I have to completely change my eating habit. It is very hard to say goodbye to potatoes and blackbread
marvel: by changing my eating habits I should finally be able to get rid of my constant stomach problems
<132: I hope your diet changes are not too difficult for you. It always feels better when you finally get an accurate diagnosis. I hope you feel better soon!
Miracle: I found a Target gift card in a stack of old stuff I found in a box. I called the number and there was $150 on the card. Whoo hoo! I have no idea who would have given us a gift card that large but I'll take it! :) Hubby said I could spend it on an ottoman for the library (he is sick of me whining about it). I found one on sale (it is actually a set of 3...one large and two small) for under $100. Now the rest of the card will be spent on groceries. :)
damejennylynn, I'm so glad Talinn is on the mend. I am also glad to live in a place with NO RATS. Mice are bad enough. There are rats on the coast where my mum lives and they're very destructive. The whole province of Alberta is rat-free except for a few lab rats. You can't even keep them as pets.
For those digitising with Audacity, if you need any help, let me know. One of my jobs last year was digitising archival material from tape (and from reel-to-reel tape!), so I have some experience.
hey thanks Choreocrat...I just learned how to hitch 2 tracks into 1. : D
That's a useful one. Knowing how to merge stereo to mono can save half of the space, too, if space is an issue.
Someone told me this morning that she thought they saw Spike (my cat that went missing in August) on the weekend. She had some pictures on her cell phone, and it did look just like him, and it acted as friendly as Spike, too. From her description, it was near the house of some people I know, so I stopped by after work. They have a young cat that looks like the twin of Spike, except that theirs has a white tail tip, a few dark spots on the leg that are different, and since it is still pretty young, it will probably end up bigger than Spike. I knew it was unlikely, but had my hopes up for a bit :(
oh, I'm sorry. Disappointment. But fun to meet a new kitty friend.
130 - Are you telling me this tiny plant could grow to be 8' high?! Probably not though, 'cause if cattle like it, the deer here will probably like to nibble it after their rosebud treats. Maybe I'll keep it in my window sill until it is bigger.
Severe mayhem here. We have snakes in the hotel again. I cannot even begin to describe the depth of darkness this plunges my soul into. Not only because I want to throw up when I see one, but because guests freak out when they find a beetle in a room, what do you think will happen (and you just know it will happen) when they find a snake in there? And now I'm in charge, so I'm supposed to find the solution. How do you get rid of snakes? The security at the casino said to call them and they will come and get it to "relocate" it. Personally, I hope the relocation is in the afterlife, but whatever. What am I supposed to do between the call and them arriving? My mom suggested a large bucket over the snake with a rock on top. Yes, but this requires getting within 10' of said snake. I hate my job. I can put up with pushers, pimps and asshats, but snakes?! This is asking too much.
you need -
MrsLee ~~ Metaphorical snakes (bosses and co-workers) are bad enough, but actual, literal snakes, holy crap *see me running for the hills*
#140 yes, but the deer may well develop a taste for it. Fortunately it grows easily from cuttings.
The Rudyard Kipling solution for snakes: mongoose! mongeese?
What kind of snakes? Gardener Snakes are cute, and totally harmless.
Where are you? India? S. Carolina? Timbuktu?
I once found a small snake (about 10" long) curled up under my watering can, outside beneath the faucet.
I certainly didn't want to leave it there, so I found a plastic jar with a large opening and cap...and using a stick, I shoo'd the snake into the container. Then I called for someone to come get it. Animal Control didn't want it, but a nature center said they'd get it.
Afterwards, I found out that the snake was a Copperhead, a poisonous species.
Want me to come and take care of your snakes, MrsLee? :)
Hugs MrsLee. I'd ask the guest to leave their room until security deals with it. Or bring a hoe in and cut its head off. Yeah, I grew up in the country.
Mayhem: Project deadline extended. Assigned to group--supposed to meet after school. He was supposed to walk to the other boy's house after school, but the boy did not show up at the meeting place and my son doesn't know where he lives. Trying to do it alone. Tears of frustration--video to be shown to class and my son is realizing he absolutely cannot keep a rhythmn. Particularly when expected to use two hands to do it. One hand--okay, but he cannot coordinate both in a recognizable beat. Should I e-mail the teacher, and what should I say? Teacher also has a six-page packet to be turned in Friday, with full analysis of each stage of the performance and the meaning of such. Teacher said this should take 20 minutes; he's been at it for almost 3 hours and still cannot produce a steady rhythmn for more than 45 seconds, and is completely unable to make a transition to a new one smoothly.
I don't want to be a helicopter parent, but how can I convince this teacher to at least NOT show my son's vid to the class? My son is almost to a meltdown stage as he's realizing how badly it's going.
Oooo, mongoose! That would make a great hotel mascot. We are in California, maggie.
Security said one of the snakes was a rattlesnake.
Rita, hang in there, ask your son if he wants you to help with the teacher. This to shall pass. I'm pretty sure your son is not too fragile, tell him you know that too, then ask him for guidance. IMO
Mayhem: A family of bees has decided that the outer wall of the parsonage would be a good place to build a new home. I'm not particularly frightened of ordinary bees, but I don't want them in my house, either. One of them is currently trapped on my side of the French doors (leading out to where the nest entry is) and I'm going to have to kill it. Not happy about that - but it's too active to just shoo outside. Like I'm going to open up the glass and screen doors to let it outside!
I've called the exterminators, figuring they'll know what to do. But the receptionist said that, although someone is in the area today, "he's real busy . . ." I'm waiting to hear back. Really, there's little else I can do. It's not like they'll respond to "pretty please?"
Brief Update: I got creative and found a plastic jar and manila file folder, and managed to trap the little girl. Then I took her out a different door and let her go. You may think this was unnecessarily risky (and truly, I don't want to get stung) but bees react to compatriot's death chemicals by swarming and attacking. Since I'm not 100% sure they've not found the indoor-side of their little crevice, I don't want to release a barrage of pheromones right near their nest, inside the house.
you might try a local beekeeper for removal if they are honeybees. an exterminator will probably kill them all, but an apiarist will probably take them on.
Bees, bumblebees or wasps alike, when they get indoors I just catch them in a dish towel and take them outside. Then, I've been lucky never to have had a nest closer than about 10 metres from the house so maybe I should just keep my mouth shut ;-)
Gadflies I kill relentlessly. A gadfly bite takes
Tomorrow I have the day off due to hmmm direct translation would be 'christ flew to heaven'-day, so I am planning a do nothing but read and watch criminal minds (just got season 1-6) day. Can't wait.
a little mayhem: It is raining and has been for a couple of days and should continue for some more days.
marvel: there haven't been snow since this morning
marvel: a lot of rain should rain the rest of the snow on the ground away, so maybe spring is really here
#151 - I just started that Weekend thread especially for us who have a day off for Ascension Day and pondered a literal translation. I finally decided on Christ's Skyride Day ;-)
As Christian clergy in the US, I am amazed and tickled that there are any countries that observe "Christ's Skyride Day" as a legal holiday. It's barely noticed here, even among active church-goers. And then, we usually push it to the following Sunday.
ETA Disclaimer: I am not commenting on this phenomenon religiously, and have no intent to start a religious discussion. That's why I said "tickled," as it is my funny bone that is reacting. I can't imagine the US observing what, for most people, amounts to a minor religious event. It's like getting an extra day to get your taxes submitted, because of the new holiday "Patriot's Day," which seems to only be observed by the IRS. (Post Office was open that day.)
I noted in my Weekend thread message why it is observed here; the short version is we're not religious - quite the opposite - but we cherish our days off and defend them with blood if needed... We'd need to invent new holidays to replace the traditional christian ones and it's easier to keep what we have. The labels are just empty words anyway, to most of us.
ETA: I don't want to start that discussion either, so just view my comment as coming from a totally different culture :)
>153 walk2work: Patriots Day has long been a holiday in Massachusetts, to observe the Battle of Lexington and Concord. I live just south of Concord, and the local reenactors group gets up at 3 in the morning on April 18 to march to the battle site along the original route, firing their muskets as they go to warn the countryside. It's a lot of fun.
>155 Marissa_Doyle: Interesting. It only seems to have become a national observance in the last few years, which I've assumed had to do with 9/11.
The Redhead's daughter graduated from high school! We also had the (fill in name of political party) Convention the same weekend, and the Redhead was one of the main organizer for the event, so it was an action packed weekend. On Sunday we had a barbeque, and I got to try out a new recipe for Memphis dry rub ribs. I would tell you how good they were, but six slabs literally disappeared before I had a chance to taste them.
On the plus side, we had two judges for the Alaska State BBQ competition attend the party, and I noticed they ate most of the ribs!
And this week the Redhead and I will brew our first beer together--a Redhook, ESB clone.
Cautious Miracle to report on the honeybee problem. By the time the exterminator arrived, the bees had apparently left the premises (except for one poor fellow who died on my kitchen floor). Maybe they decided to find a larger flat. The exterminator keeps bees himself, so he was able to identify that they were in fact honeybees and not some kind of wild bee or yellow jacket. He sprayed some insecticide powder into the hole, to kill off any stragglers and guard against them coming back. (Had the queen still been in the wall, there would still have been many bees hovering around outside, and there weren't any.)
I am calling this a miracle for two reasons. First, it's apparently very difficult to get a bee hive out of the wall of a house, unless you are going to tear the wall out. And secondly, seeings as honeybees are vital in crop pollination and have been having their own problems with mites, etc., I really didn't want to have to kill a hive. So if they moved on before the chemicals arrived, and successfully found a home somewhere better, I'm very happy.
When I lived in Durham, NC, I spent a year keeping bees with a friend. Before we bought the hive, we thought we should see if there were some kind of prohibition against it, so my friend called city hall. They told we were allowed to have bees in our yard, but, "They are not allowed to leave your yard."
We gave them a very thorough lecture on the boundaries of our the property.
A-S.... snork!
Update on son--project is in progress; due tomorrow. I did, on the advice of my sister the teacher, e-mail my concerns to the teacher and ask for an alternate assignment or pleassse don't show this to the class. He called me last night, said that he never shows the videos done by an individual to the class (could he not have told that to my son when he asked the teacher for help) and that he won't grade on the quality/musicality of the piece. He was quite nice, and with the pressure of not being totally humiliated in school gone, my son's much more willing to put the work in.
I was concerned about this project from the get-go, but kept my mouth shut. My son thought it was totally doable until he started practicing and realized he has no rhythmn. That's when he stressed out.
(159) Wazzamatta, millhold?
(160) I have worked in the state/local/county government, I know of what you speak...
(162) Rita, I'm glad things seem to be working out with your son's project!
#158 Glad the bee problem worked out. I had that happen when I was a kid, except they used our chimney. It was a bit more of an emergency as my mom is allergic to bee stings.
#162 Rita, glad things are working out with the assignment.
18 days left of school. I'm looking forward to a summer of hiking, reading, swimming, sunning and quilting.
fuzzi ~~ work and knee pain/swelling
Work because need urgent signatures on last minute paperwork that people didn't turn in on time, and everybody is in meetings until after closing time. I don't like folks who think they are too special to follow the procedures, and that the entire world should bow and scrape to get them taken care of. *She Ranted*
Knee pain/swelling was so bad yesterday afternoon that I had to leave an hour early, because my left leg had swollen so large that my pant leg was cutting off the circulation, which was making everything much worse!
Funeral yesterday for a parishioner, and I'm still rather worn out today. There were so many things I wanted to get done today, but it's noon and I've done nothing really except check email. Poop.
Oh, I am so sorry, millhold.
I do understand a bit of what you are ranting about: I've been told by nurses that certain jobs need to be done by me because they are "not a secretary!" Okay...
The doctors I work with are, for the most part, clueless about the process, even though they've worked here for years. We remind them of due dates, but somehow they forget. I really believe that the majority of them just don't think about it, but there are a couple of docs who seem to think that just because they have an "MD" after their name that the rules don't apply to them.
It's kind of universal, I think...
I hope you get that knee checked out, to see what's wrong, and what can be done. Remember RICE:
Rest (just what it says, REST that knee!)
Ice (use ice packs, 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off)
Compress (wrap/support it with an ace bandage, etc)
Elevation (put it up! don't sit there with your foot on the floor)
I think the "rules do not apply to me" syndrome can be found in many people. Perhaps it is a by product of the American Individualism of which we seem to be so proud. But surely you see it on the roads with all the reckless, and illegal, driving evident. Who ever drives the "Speed Limit"?
I don't see that "the rules don't apply to me!" is necessarily from individualism, but more from "me me" selfishness that became the standard in the 1960s and onward.
Having lived through the 1960s as a young adult, as I think you, too, did, I don't see this "me me" stuff coming from then. My experience of the 1960s was: this US of A can do better - fights against racism, and militarism, and conformity. Interesting idea... just when did "me, me" start? And isn't it (selfishness, or self-centeredness) just another name of The Individual is more important than the Group?
Wasn't it those us who came of age in the 70s who got the "Me Generation" label?
According to Tom Wolfe, yes.
My super duper society improving coffee/latte maker, milk steaming, machine is fixed and ready to pick up. Woo hoo! I'll have my fav-o-right beverage on Sunday morning. Yes, I will.
Marvels: Project done and turned in. He attended final concert to complete the cultural event assignment for the same class. Last week of school ready to start. Down 1.4 lbs from Friday, making me 6 lbs away from reaching goal weight.
Mayhem: Turn signal light burned out on van. Way behind on anniversary prep. Way behind on getting kid ready for summer mission trip. Basically behind on everything. Have been on an antibiotic for a non-specific sinus respiratory infection. Doc said it could cause intestinal distress. He wasn't kidding--one horrible night and I can't make it to church this morning. 5 million things to do and all I want to do is lie down. And I have to go to work tomorrow because I'm the only one who knows how to do payroll and type specifications, both of which are due tomorrow.
Mindless middle-age rant: To teenage girl walking with teenage boyfriend at the mall yesterday. If your "dress" is so short you have to hold the hem to sit down, and the fabric is so thin I can see your thong underwear, it's not a "dress"--it's a nightdress. And don't complain that said boyfriend only has one thing on his mind.
Sorry, I am generally appalled at the garments some teenage girls consider appropriate clothing for being in public.
Don't apologize, RitaFaye. I saw a similar garment on a young woman yesterday as she crossed the street and mentally issued the same kind of rant. Of course, I then remembered the costumes on the original Star Trek series and figured some of my attitudes helped to build current social mores. (And for that I do apologize. Middle age is its own punishment at times.)
Rita, sorry to hear about the sinusitis: I have recurring sinus infections myself, and it makes me feel tired and worn out.
As far as the side effects of the antibiotic, there are two things that work for me and that you might want to try:
1. Eat yogurt, the kind with active cultures. Start eating it before you take your first pill.
2. Take a probiotic (my doctor gave me samples and they worked GREAT!).
I work for a university, and see the young women walking around in 'Daisy Duke' shorts: the shorts are so short, you can see some of their buttocks. Guess what, honey, you've got what ever other woman has, and you probably don't want a 'man' who was attracted to you for the amount of flesh you displayed.
Boy, I sound like an old fogey, don't I? ;)
Mayhem: I spoke with my aunt on the phone today, the one who is married to my terminally ill uncle. She said he might be up to ONE visitor, so I'm tentatively planning on driving to visit with him next weekend. If you are a praying sort of person, I'd appreciate prayer.
I think it sad that young girls think the only value they have resides in their bodies.
Not very flattering for the guys, either, to be viewed as so lacking in self-control that female flesh has to be kept hidden from them.
Just my 5 cents.
#fuzzi -- I eat yogurt at least once a day, and have doubled that since starting the antibiotic.
I think my previous rant was partially fueled by my not feeling well. I've been in a foul mood all week, just snapped at the kid who is now sulking in his bedroom, and just being a pill in general.
Not helped by the fact I have to go sit in on a youth parent meeting to find out how much more of my time and money will disappear this summer. Not a good attitude considering how good this group has been for my son, but I feel rotten and I've also been discussing the pricing of much needed home repairs with a knowledgeable friend. I should have moved after my husband died, but didn't want to uproot/upset my son further. Now I'm saddled with a too-big house that will cost a small fortune to repair. And I think I'm ready for my son to go to college, whether he is or not. I'm not cut out for single parenting.
Sorry--think I shall stay off the internet until I feel better.
{{RitaFaye}} hugs for you. "This too shall pass"
Mayhem: I'm wondering what it would be like to do a documentary on Foul-Tempered Days, whether an exploration of the Foul-Tempered Day would be interesting. Since I seem to be having rather a lot of them lately . . .
Tonight I am not looking forward to a work meeting which may not happen (or may after all) depending on the number of people who show up.
I'm generally quite liberal on letting people wear what they want, but I swear one of my (freshman) students was wearing a negligee as a dress the other day. It was filmy and flimsy and (if it was something I knew) I could tell you what brand of bra she was wearing underneath. It's a good thing they're very safe from me, but other teachers might be tempted. The latest fashions here are very high cut-offs with the pockets hanging out the bottom. I'm not so worried about the legs showing, but the pockets showing is amusing to me.
I figure I have too much angst over my own wardrobe to worry about others. They need to work those things out for themselves, and men and women need to work out for themselves how to behave around each other. If my husband is bothered by the way a woman dresses, he holds up a magazine or something while talking to her, he doesn't care if she thinks he's rude, he's just doing what he needs to for himself.
It has bothered me when my son wears droopy drawers, mostly I'm just afraid they will fall off. I'm grateful that my daughter has always had a classic sense of style so I never had to fight those battles with her.
I was able to use my binoculars to see a bit of the solar eclipse today - it was only partial here, and I didn't figure it all out until after the maximum, but it was pretty cool anyway.
The appointment with the weight management doctor has had some excellent results. I'm down 10 pounds so far. Whoo hoo!
I received great news today! The University of Georgia has requested to use one of photos for their 2012-2013 Student Planner! I am so excited and a bit blown away.
Cool happenings around the globe. As you can imagine, we don't get a lot of people showing flesh up here, but I noticed that after a winter, a tank top looks pretty damn revealing up here!
The Redhead and I brewed our first batch of beer on Saturday. We only had one disaster, when we were ready to pitch the yeast, and looked at the package and read that we should have prepared it three hours earlier. (Actually, after doing a bit more reading, we should have prepared it a week earlier!)
But two runs to two different stores turned up what we needed, and now the yeast is actively bubbling in the wort, turning the sugars from the malt into carbon dioxide and alcohol. I cannot believe I sat for about an hour yesterday and watched the airlock bubble.
#188 Arctic-Stranger ~~ One time, long ago, in a far away land, my first husband decided to make watermelon wine. He cooked all this stuff, poured it up in wine bottles, corked it. A few evenings later, when we came back from dinner with friends, my beautiful white and light blue kitchen was splattered all over with pretty pale pink splotches! The corks had all BLOWN out of the fermenting bottles and made a mess of the place.
I took one look at it, ceiling and all, turned to him and said, "This is your baby. You take care of its mess." Then I went to bed. As big as the mess was, it is still one of my favorite memories of that marriage. The look on his face when he saw the results of his wine-making effort was priceless!
Lol. I am told that if you do it wrong, you can end up with homebrew on your ceiling. I hope we bypass that!
I had a friend in college whose old maid aunts made rose petal wine. It smelled like perfume, but tasted like, well, perfume, kind of, although it was sweet.
(179) (((((((((((RitaFaye))))))))))))
I do not know what it is like to be a single parent, but I'm still sending hugs your way.
(185) Yeah Morph!
(187) How exciting about your photo being selected! Can we see it?
#168 to #173 - I think just about every generation thinks the one after theirs is a "me" generation - & their probably right, I think that each generation does seem to be getting more selfish & have more of a sense of entitlement... Of course thats a generalisation & there are many exceptions but for the majority of people I know it feels true...
My minor mayhem - seized up leg which I'm thinking is caused by the 8hour drive home from Canberra (that finished about 38hours ago now). I'm not as sore today as I was yesterday, but every time I get up from my desk I feel a pull all the way arround my thigh & into my gluts & walking is a weird stretch/pain... I tried the treadmil last night, at a very low speed but high incline, thinking I might just need to loosen the muscles, it helped a bit, but still stiff & sore today...
Miracle - I got to spend a night with a Somali cat while we were away :) I didnt sleep very well the first night @ the motel & thought it might be in part due to the lack of furries in my room, so one of the friends I was there with (who breeds Somali cats) lent me on of their cats for the night! Its still 2 or 3 years away from when I'll have my own Somali, but it was so nice to have a practice night with one, lol... I took about 30pics of her in the room, lol, will share a couple once I've sorted throught the 350+ I took over the weekend :)
mayhem: my shoulder was doing so good, but saturday I couldn't help myself. I just had to hold my friends babygirl, which my shoulder didn't like, so now I am back to having one arm to use. I am righthanded, so of course it is my right shoulder that is hurting
marvel: in only a month I will be in Denmark spending some summer weeks with my family. Can't wait
(193) tris, sorry to hear about the shoulder, I hope it gets better soon.
(192) I looked up Somali cat, and I'm in love:
Gorgeous Somali. Don't you just want to run your hands over that plush fur?
My marvel is rain! I got my home garden and next-door garden planted yesterday, and today I'm back at work so a rainy day is delightful. It will save me a ton of watering and get all my seeds off to a good start. The rain is due to continue for a few days, which is fine as long as I'm at work but if it continues into the weekend it will turn into a mayhem instead :)
Marvel: I have a tiny tomato on one of my plants!!!!
Mayhem: Bad thunderstorm is headed this way. :(
> 194 Lovely picture.
Marvey: My gardens are supposed to be tilled tonight, since it isn't raining. Then I plan to plant my rosemary, silver thyme, lemon thyme, oregano, purple sage, golden sage, and new chive plants. The tomatoes and the annual herb seeds are going to have to wait.
I am also excited that I got my six varieties of mint planted in their containers: apple mint, pineapple mint, chocolate mint, sweet mint, spearmint, and citrus/orange mint. Further, I'm glad I could parlay that planting effort into my monthly newsletter column (for June).
#194 - Gorgeous pic! I have to share a couple I've taken of Shilabo Somalis (Shilabo is my friend Dale's prefix - & when I get my blue boy he will be a Shilabo cat)
This is Blueberry, the first Somali I met & the reason I fell in love with them (& why I'm getting a blue):
& this is Pepper (just coz she's gorgeous)
Marvel for today is I'm pain free - yay :)
Wooop wooop wooop PAIN FREE is very, very good!
Pain free is WONDERFUL!!!
And those kitties are so gorgeous...
Mayhem: we're in the middle of a thunderstorm right now, and suddenly we're getting hail!
My gardens...
oh, darn. We had rain all day and then just a little bit of go we had a brief power outage. Luckily it os.nly lasted abut 10 minutes. My tomato plants are drowning, and the Siberian Iris are sitting in a pool of water, again!
Mayhem - found my Taji peeing in the laundry sink last night & there was blood in his pee :( So off to the vet we went this morning... The vet says his bladder was empty so he's not blocked at all so is hopeful that its not cystitis or crystals, but gave him 3 injections, a 2 week lasting antibiotic, a 48hour anti inflammatory & a muscle relaxant (I think), plus suggested I feed him Prescription Urinary Sachets exclusively for a few days to try & ensure crystals don't develop... He's acting completely normal (apart from peeing outside the litter box), is his usual purry happy self so I'm feeling ok that its not something more sinister, but would still appreciate some positive thoughts sent our way that all is back to normal with him soon…
P.S. Taji weighed in @ 4.2kg which I was worried would be underweight, but vet said he's in perfect condition weight wise. Tilly came for the drive so we weighed her as well & she's 3.72kg so perfect weight for her to according to the vet. Makes me feel better coz mum thinks they're skinny & said they were hungry the whole time I was in Canberra despite her feeding them what I do…
Marvel - finally sorted through most of the pics from last weekend, sorry to inundate this thread with cat pics, but I just had to share one of the gorgeous Azzie who shared my motel room with me that one night:
They have such sweet faces!
Love the Somalis--but can't have cats, or dogs. The kid inherited his dad's allergies. So we have Pepe "Fatboy" le Pig and Peaches the Demon Pig.
Better today--just a bit tired. And wasted a good hour playing Star Wars the Old Republic, but it was nice to relax.
Marvel: Thank you everyone. I'm still among the living for now. Tomorrow is the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so glad this year is over (but scared that I now have a SENIOR! ACK!!)
Per the wine/home brew discussion: When my dad was very young (about 5) his grandpa, who lived next door, would make blackberry wine. Now my dad's mom was a teetotaller and forbid any alchohol in the house. So grandpa gave a mason jar of the stuff to my dad and told him to go bury it in a shady spot for a few weeks to "age." So my dad chose to bury the jar in the shade of a huge tree in the back of the house. But burying something for a 5-year-old is digging just deep enough to cover.
Dad's biggest mistake was the tree he chose had one end of his mother's clothesline tied to it. And being summer, it got warm even in the shade, so the wine expanded. Soooo, one laundry day his mom starts hanging her WHITE SHEETS AND LINENS on the line and steps on the buried jar. It exploded--all over her and everything in the basket.
Dad didn't have much fun the rest of that day. True story--grandma was still ticked at him and her dad 60 years later.
#181 Feel free to interview me in the documentary. Foul-tempered seems to describe far too many of my days lately.
Mayhem: FIL is moving to assisted living. Now this is a good thing (dh tried to get them in a retirement village 6 years ago) but he's moving on Monday. Somehow he managed to find a moving company to do this on a HOLIDAY! So instead of sleeping in on MY DAY OFF, we have to go help him move. Seriously, he couldn't wait another day?
It's the last day of the teaching semester for me today. Next week: a mountain of meetings and finishing preparation for next semester!
>202 Seanie:: There is no such thing as too many cat pictures! Especially not gorgeous ones like that.
I'm working with one of the other supervisors in our office to promote one of the young women who works for me to his department. I'll still have her help for about an hour each day, but she's fabulous, and deserves the promotion, even if it does leave me short-handed.
Then today, just before time for my second young woman to get off work, she came to tell me she won't be at work tomorrow, and isn't sure when she will be back, because she has another job, and the schedule I've set for her won't work with her other job! But she thinks she'll just trade her summer schedule with the first young lady's schedule.
I told her, that she couldn't simply trade schedules like that, because there were reasons they were set up the way we did them. I asked her to go back to the front desk, and write down her schedule at her new job and bring it to me, before she left today, and I would see what I could work out. I thought I was being very generous, given that she was pretty much screwing me to the wall.
The little witch did not give me her schedule, and seemed very surprised that I really wanted it today, so I'm thinking I'm simply going to tell her thanks, but no thanks, and let her go. I'd rather hire someone else and train them, rather than put up with someone so unreliable! It's not that she got another job that's pissed me off, it's the way she's treating me and this job.
All comments/advice welcome.
She does not appear to understand that you hired her; not that she hired you to give her work. I think she needs you to let her go find what she needs since it is not what you have.
I hope you can find someone who understands the difference between employer and employee.
Immaturity, is what I'm thinking. I had a part-time job after graduate school, trying to earn a little money while I searched for a REAL job. I never hid this from my manager; and I did ask for certain days off so that I could have a bit of a social life. The specific days off quickly went by the wayside; and eventually I got very few (but nonetheless crappy) hours in part because the teenagers I worked with collectively decided (through texting, which was prohibited on-the-job) that they didn't want to work with me.
Yes, I complained and vented about it to my family. But I worked every hour she gave me, because that's what ADULTS do. And even though I know my manager (a college student) really wanted me to just quit, I gave her the full two weeks notice I had agreed to, after I did get the real job. It's called being a grown up.
There are tons of young people looking for work. I for one will say that customer service overall has improved immeasurably (at least in face-to-face retail situations) since the 2008 recession. If you don't owe her a job, find someone who will appreciate it. By not giving you her schedule, it looks like she really doesn't want it anyway.
Marvey: My two gardening plots got tilled the other evening, and my neighbor helped me plant my herb plants. Today I got my tomatoes planted, and they look so cute! Grow, little plants, grow!
Windy, stormy weather here! I got up at 1:30am to move my plants in against the balcony wall. Yuck, I have to go out in it to work, soon.
Life is mostly OK. Humdrum and routine lately, except for the big toe on my right foot. It became infected almost a month ago. I dealt with it myself, and it's no longer infected, I think. But, it's just as painful a month later. The nail grew into my flesh, and the wound won't heal. I'm kind of nervous about going to the doctor- I'm afraid they'll cut away part of the nail. Part of my trepidation is that maybe it's getting better but slowly, and cutting into it will lengthen the healing process for months, depriving me of camping & hiking this summer.
The other reason I'm hesitant is because of money. I had to sell a few things to pay for my glasses, and I imagine this could rival the cost, if it goes to surgery. Why can't I have normal toenails?
Grumble, grumble.
I once had a church secretary tell me she was done working on Fridays. She didn't feel the need to come in. I told her that she could take Fridays off, as well as Monday, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
(211) monohex, sounds like an ingrown toenail. I've had those and they are a pain, and painful!
The 'surgery' is fairly simple, and once you get your numbing shots, it's a breeze. And THEN you'll be able to do your camping and hiking. If you don't get it taken care of, it probably will be sore and make your summer miserable.
Okay, enough mothering...on to other things.
Thank you, those who asked about the hail. We didn't have any noticeable damage, unless a bunch of ripe blueberries on the ground could be considered 'damage' (most of them were salvageable). It rained like gangbusters, on and off, and we received about 6" of rain. So, no "Mayhem" there.
Here's a picture I took during the storm, after the hail had melted:
You can see the water in the ditch running, about 12" deep!
(206) ITA, Sakerfalcon. The more gorgeous cat pictures, the better!
(204) Funny story, Rita. Grandma stepped on a land mine, of sorts...
(202) I'm in LOVE..........
You are right, that is one pretty kitty! (202)
I stood in a friend's wedding last Saturday. Here's a picture of the necklace my friend (and maid of honor from my wedding) made for me for this event:
And the bracelet:
Keep in mind, she made this without seeing the dress in-person, and went out of her way to get a swatch from David's Bridal, which doesn't always work, because the color can change depending on the fabric used.
If I were smart, I would have had these pictures taken outside, but I was too distracted during the day to think about it. So these were taken in the evening, after the wedding.
Did I mention that she made the necklaces for my wedding, ~2.5 years back? The bridesmaids' necklaces had the wedding colors while the beads on mine were clear.
Their dresses were "clover" and the groomsmen wore "cornflower". Oh, David's Bridal.
She also made necklaces and earrings for the ushers the morning of my wedding, because I hadn't thought of what jewelry they might wear, because I never think of jewelry. The only piece I ever wear is my wedding ring (which was also my engagement ring).
So, my friends and I are trying to badger her into going professional, but we're still fighting the message she's been told growing up: "You can't make a career out of this." Well, that might be true for most people, but she actually can!
The jewelry is very pretty; but that business can be very difficult to break into. Maybe she'd like Etsy - a site where people who make items for sale can have little "store fronts".
We've been suggesting Etsy to her. Her particular niche is jewelry for special occasions. You tell her where you're going, what you'll be wearing, and she'll make something to match. For some reason, she sees this as a reason not to go into it, but for this, once again, I blame all those who've told her not to even bother trying.
Mayhem: Oldest came home from his first year of college with absolutely horrendous grades. So bad that they revoked his scholarship money, put him on academic probation and are requiring him to attending academic support. If he does not meet the required GPA in the fall semester, he will be academically dismissed. He is appealing the scholarship decision based on the fact that he will most likely be unable to return without it. I feel as though I have failed as a parent and really cannot believe that someone who had such good grades and good work ethic in high school walked out the door and became such a bad student. Blech!
it snowed today! I'm in the Pacific NW. It's not super unusual for my area this time of year. But I'm done with it!
School is almost out. We had our concert last night. It's so great to see all the kiddos dressed up in their finest!
A friend of mine lives around Seattle. I'm guessing the snow wasn't in his neighborhood.
#219 - *hugs*
I was a good student, even if I hated school (I felt stumped and circumscribed, if that makes sense). When I turned 16, which is when Swedish students change school form from compulsory to self-chosen (yet more or less expected), I just stopped bothering and my grades went through the floor. In retrospect I had chosen courses that didn't interest me enough - I only thought I wanted to be an engineer but clearly that was not where my talents were. Plus I was so fed up with living up to everyone's expectations of me I just bucked, for the sake of it.
In Sweden back when there weren't that many alternatives and I ended up without a degree and I don't know enough about the US college system to offer any valid advice but perhaps there's some study counsellor or so at his college who could help shuffle courses for him, or some such? Or he just needs a break, if that is possible?
#222 - Unfortunately, he was apparently enjoying his freedom too much and not doing the work. Things have always come fairly easy for him so he seems to feel that he doesn't have to work to get what he wants. We told him that it wasn't going to be the same as high school, but we are just dumb parents so what do we know. Hopefully, he learned his lesson because he is very smart and it would be a shame for him to wind up doing nothing with that.
Thanks for sharing your story.
I think it helps to remember how many times a toddler must fall down before he actually gets the hang of walking on his own two feet. Perhaps this is a parallel experience? A few slaps "up side the head" can help create wisdom, I believe. If he is as smart as it seems he might be, he will figure it out.
#219 Talk to him about it, a lot. I'm a nervous wreck about my son going off in a year. But his very intelligent dad did about the same thing his first year. He was miserable, his grades were bad (not failing--but not very good), and his dean informed him "he obviously was not meant to be an engineer." So my dh quit and went to work for an autoparts store for a year. Then he found a different university, talked with a helpful advisor who pointed him to a different area of engineering, and he graduated with very good grades and had a successful career.
219 - It's a really common thing to happen in the first year of college/university. It's happening to a number of my students right now. For my university (a regional one with a lot of rural students) it's a mixed bag of reasons:
- First time away from parents, so they struggle with homesickness, life in the big city, making friends, etc.
- First time away from parents, so too much party, party, party!
- First person in their family to go to university, so they have no idea what's expected of them, and don't recognise where it's different from high school.
- Unclear expectations. Many (most?) students come into university thinking they can get away with what they did in high school, and the jump in standards hits them like a bomb. Some students use it as a reason to give up.
- University can be a lot more independent work than high school, and some students who were good at meeting expectations in high school have no idea how to work on their own. This was kind of my thing, but it didn't hit me until I was a post-grad.
Academic counselling will probably be a good thing for your son. Basically, someone to question why he's doing that course, and whether it's better to try a different one, and ask him the hard questions about how he approaches study. Academic probation is a good way to pick up someone's act. If he's good at it, and just not trying, it'll help. If he's really trying, and it's just that he's not cut out for that course, then it's good for someone to talk to him about potentially different courses.
Thank you everyone for your perspective and advice. I don't think I mentioned that he has ADD. We helped him come up with schedules and strategies to help him during high school and gave him new strategies and ideas to take to college with him. Unfortunately, he thought he didn't need them anymore and, when it became apparent to him that he did, he didn't know what to do to fix it and he didn't ask for help. We have been talking to him daily about this and helping him to come up with different strategies and also trying to help him realize that there is no shame in asking for help and it is foolish to fail because you don't want to look stupid by saying you don't understand. Hopefully, he is listening.
"wherever you go, there you are"
Your young man has made a very common young adult discovery: one can not run away from oneself.
I've pretty much learned that I have been attention deficit all my life and am loving discovering the strategies which make my life more accomplished and content. I hope your son also comes to love his strategies and plans which will lead him to fulfilling his dreams and desires.
The friend who is paying for my internet for a year--because I always take him to run his errands--came over Saturday to set up my laptop.
Unfortunately, it was so out of date he couldn't do it, so we took the laptop to his house. I'm not sure why that made a difference, but it did. He was able to update everything (I paid the $30 for the updates) and now I'm all set to go.
Hopefully, I'll remember I have internet this Friday night, and will be able to visit the pub! 8-)
I'm also hoping I can now add more of my books to LT.
I'll be looking for you, and I know Rosie will be happy to make your favorite beverage, too.
I hate my life.
No, that's not actually true. I like my life just fine. I just want all this crap that's going on right now to stop so I can get back to it.
In addition to the other stuff that was already going on (which some of you know about), I just had to have an emergency root canal today. Because I have a spare thousand dollars laying around and I really need to be in more pain right now!
bluesalamanders ~~ hang in there.
I understand the kind of stuff that gets in the way of life. I was saving to have a crown (that fell off) replaced, and to repair a tooth that a filling fell out of and is now rotting at the base. Unfortunately, March 27th I had to use the money I had saved for dental work to get a different car, because mine went belly up.
I'm trying to save again, but so far, with the car payment and bigger car insurance payment, there's nothing left at the end of the month to put away. Plus, I finally had to turn on the A/C this weekend, so I can look forward to being in deep financial POOP all during the Texas summer heat.
Regardless, I'm holding my thumbs for you.
I'm holding my thumbs for both of you, in hope of cash suddenly falling out of the skies.
Really, what else is the to hope for?
I sometimes try to even the odds by buying a lottery ticket.
Not that it has worked this far...
In comparison I'm well off enough to afford an emergency root canal. Doesn't mean I enjoy it, though. There's always other black holes to sink the money in (car payment, I'm looking at you!)
I am a few hours away from a little vacation that I am now quite looking forward to. Board games, ethnic restaurants, and gourmet/specialty ICE CREAM!!!! Oh, yeah . . .
#227 Okay, now I'm really holding thumbs and praying for your son. My son is ADHD too and he doesn't ask for help, which is why he had a D at one point this semester. He's scaring me because he's talking about becoming an engineer. I work for an engineering firm, and married an engineer, and quite frankly have met almost no ADHD engineers. The school he probably will end up at has an excellent program, which has a history of purposely weeding out less-than "perfect" students. (Yeah, the one that told my dh he couldn't cut it.) The professor who did his tour assured me they no longer "weed" out students. Right--I checked the recommended curriculum. In all the engineering programs, the first semester is 17 hours, then it goes to 18 and 19 hours. Engineering students don't get the average 15 hour semester until the second half of the junior year. Yeah, they don't weed students--just slam brand-new freshman with 17 hours of math and engineering right in the face when they're still figuring out how to find the library and the cafeteria.
Okay, so that was my main mayhem. Marvel is school is out!!! Another marvel is FIL has moved to an assisted living facility--yeah!!! And I didn't want to strangle SIL while we helped. It's hard for him to leave home, but for his safety he needs to. And it's a really nice one with a real chef that makes real food, so he's happy about that. The room is bigger than any I've ever seen in an assisted living place.
Mayhem--parents anniversary party in just over a month. Between now and then son goes to South America on a mission trip (ack) and then we have to drive my parents to NY state and back for my niece's graduation. (13 hours total one-way for us--10 of that in a car with my dad. Ack.) Dad was ordered to start using a cane about 2 weeks ago--he's not happy. And I'vegot to buy/make table decorations for 25 tables.
Oh heavens, blue, hugs and prayers and hope the pain is not too bad. And I understand the money woes-I've got to put siding on this house. I told my son in about 5 years, I'm outta this place. I could go to England again for the cost of siding this heap. But it has to be done so it CAN be sold, so I'm stuck. And the HVAC is on the watch list--could last 10 more years, could die tomorrow. The deck needs to be rebuilt before I could sell and I'm sure something else is waiting to die on me, like my van. It's the same condition as the HVAC.
But I'm still working and my health is steady and so is my son's, so we are still blessed. I'm frustrated, but blessed.
I took an extra vicodin (not more than the recommended dose, just a higher dose than I had been taking) and I'm doing ok now pain-wise.
Money is the big problem though because teeth aside, I was in the ER, I had minor surgery last week, which failed and they're probably going to make another attempt next week, and I'm going to need yet another minor surgery at some point. (I also need new glasses but we're not thinking about that right now...)
I'm applying for assistance from the hospital, but that only does so much. I'm almost certainly going to still owe hundreds if not thousand of dollars after the assistance covers whatever it's going to cover.
#237 - That's just... I'm holding my thumbs for expenses to stay as low as possible.
Saturday we put the beer into a secondary fermentor, and I snuck a taste. We were just hoping it was drinkable, but in fact, even before it was carbonated, it tasted delicious! I cannot wait until it is fully ready!
MAYHEM! My tomato plants are overrun with aphids. I've started another thread for that, but it's got me kinda upset.
#237 Hugs.
Marvel: I haven't received the official grade report yet, but I was finally brave enough to go online to check ds' grades. Considering he had a D and three C's right after spring break, the fact that he now has seven B's and one A is both a miracle and a testament to his hard work those last several weeks of school.
Listen here, RitaFaye, you do a little self-congratulations, too. You deserve several nice pats on your back, for being a great supportive Mom!
Horray! I've just rec'd official word that I can begin to taper off the prednisone I've been taking and restart taking the Enbrel which will control my RA symptoms, tout suite! I look forward to not having my prednisone side effects which are bugging me. Horray! horray!
Yay Maggie!!!! Enbrel is fantastic stuff.
Mayhem: Really, can I not get a break? I was taking ds to his orthodontist appointment, which requires using the limited access highway across town. Traffic was not bad, and I was in the left lane following a Honda SUV and we were barely above the speed limit. I AM NOT a tailgater, and when the Honda's brake lights pop on, I let off the gas and tap the brake. And then I stomp it, as the Honda seems to want to stop on the highway. BANG! I'm headed toward the median! The car behind me was apparently tailgaiting or not paying attention and hit me! The Honda sails on, and after making sure ds is ok (we both are) I pick up my cell phone and dial 911. At the same time, I turn around to see how the other car is and . . . there is no other car!!! He drove off!!
So an off-duty cop pulls up and parks on the road side of my car so I don't get hit again (unlikely, but still). She waits there until an on-duty cop shows up. He takes my statement, marks up a police report to file at my request (hit and run is scribbled on the note), and makes sure I can get back on the highway okay. I feel a bit of an idiot, as I'm sitting there in the median with a perfectly driveable car and no other car in sight. Really officer, someone hit me, I didn't do this on purpose.
The car is driveable, the bumper has a nice imprint of someone's grill, but when I got it home it feels loose. So I'm taking it to an auto body place tomorrow to see if there is any hidden damage, and whether it's worth submitting to insurance or not.
Honestly, a hit-and-run???
Oh that sucks RitaFaye! Hopefully the damage to the car is only superficial!
My Marvel - Off to see Rasta Thomas' Rock the Ballet tonight :) Sexy boys, brilliant dancing & good music - it'll be a great night :)
Marvel: MY STATE CERTIFICATION HAS GONE THROUGH!!! I contacted a potential employer this evening to let her know that I can begin working ASAP. :)
Mayhem: dog was up most of the night with a tummy issue, I somehow managed to either cut or get a splinter in the nail bed of my ring finger and it is agony every time I hit it or bump it or even touch it (which I somehow manage to do at least once every five minutes) and I think I broke my toe on the chair in my bedroom. All of this between midnight and 5:30 this morning!!!!! I surrender.
Way to go Rozax!!!
Car is driveable, but I took it to the body shop that fixed our van years ago, and the estimate is enough that I filed a claim with insurance. But my shop isn't on the approved list, so the insurance adjuster is coming out next week to look at it and give his estimate. Then I take that to the shop and let them fight it out with the insurance. But I'm still out the $500 deductible.
So far my new job responsibilities are proving a good thing. I think I was getting bored with the old ones. I like having the power to take action without waiting for someones say so, and get things done. Still reading up on all the things I don't know, like HR, OSHA, etc. But I find that very interesting, so it's nice to have time to study at work. So, in all, I'm pretty happy at the job for now.
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text:
Yes, I'd like to Participate in the deferred payment program for the month of
June, 2017 or
July, 2017 (check one). I understand there is a $35.00 processing fee per each loan request in which a payment is
deferred. The $35.00 is required to be in your Central State savings or checking account at the time of the Skip A Payment
request. You can make a Deposit from your other bank to Central State CU by Phone, please call 1-800-675-5114 for assistance.
The following Loan Types are allowed the deferred payment program:
Autos, Boats, Motorcycles, Jet Ski's, All Terrain, RV's, Signature, Computer, Youth, and Secured Loans
The fee
will be deducted from my CSCU Savings when this notice is received.
will be deducted from my CSCU Checking when this notice is received.
I understand that by deferring my monthly payment(s) on my loan(s) (i) the final payment date will be extended, (ii) I will be
charged more interest over the life of the loan and (iii) the final payment amount will change due to the accumulated interest. (iv)
approval of this request to skip-a-payment is in the sole and absolute discretion of the Credit Union. I understand that any GAP
policies I may have purchased will only cover an additional 2 (two) months of extended payment(s), therefore, should my deferral of
payment increase the number of payments by more than 2 additional months, then the GAP policies will not cover the any of the payments
in excess of the 2 additional months. Members must be in good standing to qualify for this Skip A Pay. Loans that are 6 months old and
less do not qualify for the Skip A Pay. Loans that have had two(2) Extensions/Skips within the past 12 months do not qualify.
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Wed. July 13, 2011 | Matt Baker | Email
Former Pasco pitcher Colena Lazar and her twin sister, Colesa, signed to play softball at Saint Leo University this morning, their father, David said.
Colena turned down a scholarship at Florida Atlantic to play two years of junior college ball at Santa Fe College in Gainesville. She was an all-state pick in 2009 after striking out 250 batters during her senior season with the Pirates.
Colena was named a second-team All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association as a freshman at Santa Fe and made the third team this year. She broke school records with 57 wins, 26 shutouts, 597 strikeouts and six no-hitters during her career.
Colesa pitched and played outfield and first base at Santa Fe for two years. She was a second-team All-North Suncoast selection by the Times in 2009.