FINAL FRIDAY (of 2011!)

[Emptynester]

Hello!!!

I'm back among the living. Sorry I worried some of you and thank you to Indiana for the call.

DH and I have had bad colds - me for over a week and DH came down on Christmas night. So we have done almost nothing except sleep in our chairs, watch TV and eat chicken soup. I did cook a ham one day (put a ready to eat one in the oven to warm up) but that's all the cooking I have done.

Thanks, too, for all the anniversary wishes. We did venture out to lunch yesterday in celebration of our 47 years, but only 4 miles away. We had a gift cert. from the Realtor that we used up. We had to go get the mail and the cafe is next door.

Now I have lots of bowls and spoons to wash and a house that needs a whirlwind to get it clean. I'm sure we will have company sometime this weekend so I must get it cleaned up.

Anyone want to CONGA!?!?!?!?

[Harriet]

Happy for those of you Conga-ing! (da, da, dee da da DA!)

But I am having to concentrate on another part of our day - that whole FINAL aspect. This is the final banking day of the year and I will get there by 2 on behalf of my ddad.

I've already done Desk Day for both households and have the detritus ( ) of that in the mailbox. I should go by PO for stamps but may put it off since I made the mail here already.

More likely on the way home I'll spend my gift certificate Christmas present from ds26! It is to the green grocery! He was so practical, and amusing, too, since it got a chuckle out of everyone. He says spend it on the fancy things but knows I'll come home with organic produce.

Dee, it was very comforting to see your happy "Just Keep Swimming" Finding Nemo avatar back this morning! I think I may like yours best of all. I figured you were just having lots of interaction with so many folks around the holiday and would check in when you could. Of course, I figured Emptynester was just being romantic on her anniversary.

Kathryn, LOL from last night - I missed that meaning entirely!

[Nancy]

On New Year's Eve Eve It's been raining here I slept well, something about pretty glasses at a yugort shoppe! What's not to love about that? LOL! H. says if you remember your dreams that well your really intellegent, I'll take that compliment! Yesterday dgd had a shirt with glitter on it and the place is sparkling here today! H. was complaining but I rather like it!

[Twins' Mom]

I've actually been pretty productive this morning for sitting in front of the computer. I've taken care of several bits of temple business including sending a "rant" email regarding our expenditures. (At least I labeled it as so no one would be surprised?) Also did my hour of CPE that I needed to finish up the year.

Today is dh birthday and also Ken in Canada's birthday!

Tonight we are going to temple together and then going out to eat for his BD.

Going to give myself the gift of an hour's power nap, then I need to hit it again.

[lucylee]

Happy birthday to Mr. Twins & to Ken in Canada!!!
Hope both couples have a wonderful evening!

Sooo glad to see Indiana feeling better... and MT... and Dee back in circulation!
Dee -- like Harriet, I just assumed the busy-ness of the holiday had you out of computer reach! I love Disneyworld, but we never go unless AU is playing in a Bowl game there. And last time, dh didn't even go with us! He sent ds & me and he stayed at the hotel to watch football. It IS too expensive. The prices at so many places like this are really ridiculous, when you think about it. They are supposed to be a FAMILY attraction, and they have priced themselves beyond the reach of so many families.
Oh well. No Disney for me this season. We will be going to Atlanta tomorrow. I'm really glad -- short, 1-day trip... no packing... no hotel reservations to make... much better for all concerned.

Waving to Nancy... Harriet... aflyer... bsweet... cathyy... lilac... Harmony... * I hope I didn't miss anyone! *

Must get busy. I hope when I retire I can teach myself a better morning routine, b/c as it is, my "vacation day" morning routine is this:
Sleep till 11:00
Read the paper
Surf the net
S2S sometime well after noon.
Pretty embarrassing, I know. DH is such a night owl that we are both up WELL PAST 1:00 a.m. every night... and so... the result is, half the daylight hours are wasted.

[DeeClutter]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BOTH OF OUR VILLAGE GUYS: KEN IN CANADA & MR. TWINS!!

[lucylee]

Today's PODA:
[ ] drug store for rx
[ ] CVS for certain items they carry b/c I have coupon
[ ] ironing lady
[ ] cleaners
[ ] bank
[ ] dinlaws
[ ] reconcile checkbook
[ ] finish grading exams & posting grades
[ ] change sheets
[ ] finish laundry
[ ] put away Christmas -- still thinking that will wait until maybe Sunday or Monday
[ ] download pictures from Christmas
[ ] email pictures to daunt

Hmmm... 13 items. Is that unlucky? Maybe my goal will be 13 items by 1300 hours.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

We've decided to eat out tonight so I've set the dining room table for tomorrow night's dinner. Set it for 8 and then realized ds will be at work so removed his place setting and rearranged chairs slightly. It looks ok but not perfect, can't figure out why. Sort of anemic, no contrast between the china and the cloth I guess. (Was just about to write, not enough crystal and then realized that is exactly the problem - there are no glasses on the table!)

The basement has been tidied, beds made up, the present wrapping supplies put away in storage, (found dh's missing winter gloves in with the Christmas boxes!), and vacuumed.

Dh made the egg rolls and the dip for tomorrow night.

Dd cut up her veggies for the next couple of days so I'll know how many veggies I need to buy for tomorrow night.

Dh found a theatre playing the Muppet Movie, so we'll go there, then dinner, then I'll come home and the others will go on to rock climbing. That's if ds wants to sleep here tonight (which he may not - in which case, I'll be exhausted when we get home.)

I'm wiped out now and have 1.5 hours to finish cleaning the main floor (quick vacuum and get to the yet-unwashed kitchen floor, plus clean up the kitchen.) I should eat some lunch but seriously am not hungry so had some cheese and crackers and will go looking for a salad in a bit.

[lucylee]

Movie Reviews:

Do NOT waste your money on Young Adult (starring Charlize Theron). Oh my goodness. How depressing. I thought it would be funny, but no. NO. Then I thought, maybe she will LEARN SOMETHING by the end of the movie... but no, not really. Very depressing movie. I repeat -- do NOT waste your money, time, and good mood on this.

OTOH... We Bought a Zoo is sooo sooo good. The little girl who plays Matt Damon's daughter is just PRECIOUS.

Warhorse... run, don't walk to see this. It was WONDERFUL.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo -- also very good -- but not one I'd want to watch w/my parents! I was kinda uncomfortable watching w/ds & ddil, but they were untroubled by it all. I'm not a prude by any means, and dh & I do NOT cull movies based on ratings... but much too much graphic violence and sex scenes for multi-generational viewing, IMHO.

[OKay]

Happy Birthday to Ken & Mr MT!!

Booooooo to inept pulmonologists. I'm not having good thoughts toward this unknown-to-me person......I want to kick both of his shins just to get his attention so he will think before making someone hurt unnecessarily.

Today is beautiful weather here! I mowed part of the yard, burned wood in the fire pit, worked in the garden and just generally enjoyed being outdoors with LO in the bright sunshine.

Lunch was chicken & noodles, freshly picked greens & turnips, lettuce and beets. We are enjoying eating all the food groups now. I am researching what a portion is of each food before cooking and only preparing enough for each person to have 1 portion. So simple......but it sure has taken alot of time and effort to reach this point.

Although we spent a good portion of this time this morning outdoors, I've been able to steadily work on cards before we went outdoors and since we came in. Completed card count for today =98