Conga Friday!!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Nancy's comment about posting while she was on the exercise bike prompted me to move to the treadmill.

I've only done 1500 steps so far today which seems ridiculously low. I've been baking so the smaller kitchen is robbing me of steps.

The brownies are made and I also made a French Apple Pie to take. That way dh will get a dessert for sure since he can't have chocolate and the dinner tonight is curry chicken we are pretty sure neither of us like. We've given up trying to figure out a way of getting out of it.

We leave in 100 minutes so I need to get some bills paid. And work some more on the service.

My senior friend didn't come over because she is feeling to ill to go far from a bathroom. Her pre-op day is next Tuesday so I've offered to take her if her family can't go although her dil has offered to take a day off work and take her.

[Ramblinrose]

How nice of you Kathryn

Nancy, what sugar free coffee are you drinking??? sounds really good to me right about now.

I finished giving my tree a "hair cut". Then I had to cut up everything that I trimmed so it would fit in our barrel. I want to attack my front yard too so Sweetie will have to do his "barrel dance" so that I can get all those trimmings to fit in the barrel as well.

I had to do a short grocery run because I realized I needed more vinegar to make my window wash solution. Need to wash the front outside windows, but am waiting for the sun to move. I don't wash windows unless I'm in the shade.

In the meantime I will clean the inside of the back windows, plus I need to clean the inside sills and slides of the front windows...they are even more yucky than the back. Once I'm done with all my windows, I plan to spray the inside sills and tracks with lavendar oil. That helps to keep the spiders away

Back to work....

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

My tummy really hurts and I have signs of food going through my system too quickly (a side-effect of the drug.) I called the pharmacist and he recommended giving up milk for my breakfast and taking the pill after breakfast, not before. Same with dinner, no milk, and take the meds closer to dinner time.

I just had my yogurt to no advantage. I'll have a glass of milk now since I can't have it with dinner.

[Twins' Mom]

Before I left earlier I packed up Halloween packages for dkids and "Boo" treats for dneighbors - our neighborhood does the thing where you leave little surprise Halloween pkgs with a note that you've been "boo-ed" and it's passed on until all the neighbors have rec'd treat. Nice long lunch with old friends then went by temple to leave a cake plate for someone to pick up - I forgot to take it yesterday and also got a book out of my house by passing it on to new president.

Then stopped at post office to mail stuff to dkids and then did early voting.

Email earlier as reminder of neighborhood chili cookoff tomorrow - they only have two people cooking so I sent an email to organizer offering to make chili if needed, but making it clear that I'd rather not as we have guests coming in tomorrow afternoon that I'll also cook for. Maybe some others will step up to the plate?

May take a little nap, then work on a list of what I need to do....and then get busy...

[lucylee]

Good afternoon!
I guess you could say I congo-ed with my exercise walk. I walked 2 miles outdoors on my own. Don't know what ds is up to today, although he called and set up time to leave for ballgame tonight w/dh & dbil. He and ddil are going to high school game tonight w/dh (and dbil) and then going to college game tomorrow w/dh.
I used my time for prayer, and it was very peaceful. Beautiful day here today. The sky is the most gorgeous clear blue you could imagine.

Oh and btw -- Go Vols, Twins & RR!

So, dgs and I will be on our own tonight and all day tomorrow. Hmmm. Tomorrow we will likely visit duncle, who is recuperating from surgery, possibly along w/dmom... and all of that makes me slightly anxious... but it needs to be done. I will look at is as a necessary exercise in overcoming my anxieties.

I finished the school project and emailed lists to dfriends.

Very irritated w/dh (although he has no idea of this fact) b/c he hogged the computer so long this morning. I think I need to get myself a laptop. DH just stays on this computer way to much for my satisfaction. OTOH, if I had a laptop, I'd probably be on it waaay too much for my own good, as well... so maybe it's best that we share one computer. It's just that I have a couple more "projects" I'd like to get started on, and it is so hard to schedule dh's and my own time!

(((Kathryn))) I hope you feel better soon.

WTG on all that window cleaning, RR!

OH -- I wanted to clarify for y'all -- my curtains are NOT to the decrepit, cobwebby/dusty appearance of the haunted houses in the movies. I do generally go over them with the upholstery attachment on the vacuum cleaner, especially when I'm in the zone cleaning area, so they do NOT actually LOOK as if they are in as bad shape as I fear they are in reality. I know they need washing, but I just wanted y'all to know, I am exaggerating the appearance of them somewhat.

I did not sleep well last night, even taking the Benadryl... itching is worse today... I'm just kinda in a yucky mood.

The flakiness/itching on my scalp is driving me nuts, and I need to color my hair again pretty soon, but I'm kinda afraid to -- dh said what if I had developed an allergy to the hair color. I know you're supposed to do a skin test on the inner elbow EVERY time you color, but my inner elbow is almost ALWAYS irritated and itching, so that doesn't seem a reliable test... and I think, well, if it WERE the haircolor, looks like this would have been REALLY bad a month ago and started improving the longer it got since I used the color. But I remember talking about my dry, flaky skin on my forehead w/beautician last time -- about a month ago -- and it has gotten steadily worse, and spread into my scalp, neck, and shoulder/collarbone area. Also, at that hair appt, I decided to quit using Neutrogena T-Gel (dandruff shampoo) b/c I obviously had a LOT of buildup in my hair. I started using Pantene Clarifying shampoo to try to remedy THAT situation, and all this got worse. So for the last week/week and a half, I've been back to T-Gel. It's just very frustrating. I see the dermatologist on Nov. 4. * sigh *

[BookSaver]

Hello, villagers ~
Still moving a bit slowly here.

<skippable health talk which I'm documenting for future reference>
I don't really feel ill, although I went through a brief bout of vertigo yesterday. In the middle of the night I felt like I might be feverish, though it could have just been a hot flash due to being squashed between DH and the cat. Other than that, it's just lack of energy. I heard from one of the other sewing camp attendees this morning (the one with whom I shared a sewing table for the whole event) that she has been ill this week with laryngitis and ear infection. Her doctor told her 1 was viral and the other bacterial, though I don't remember which was which. It's possible I caught something from her or we both caught from someone else.
<end health talk>

I sent an Email early this morning to DMIL asking if she wants any help packing this weekend. If she doesn't reply by this evening, I'll ask DH to call her. She doesn't hear well on the phone so Email is easier for her, but I don't know how often she checks the Email. I'm sure her days are totally turned upside down by now with all the stress of moving.

Must pick up Rx and trade in the spare CO2 canister for the SodaStream. I have my menu & grocery list ready to go now, so I'm going to take a quick shower and then head to The Big City.

[Harmony]

Booksaver, I hope you get better quick.

Sigh... need to turn tv off. Came home and clicked it on... now a hatchet guy and a shooter and of course the dr. who went all over NYC. What is wrong with people, they can't use common sense.

Got a huge pile of papers faxed off.

Found a recipe I might use...went off to hd with return for DH, then to grocery store which was jammed... and then went to get gas. $2.98/gallon...you'd think it was FREE from the number of people in the lot...but pumps weren't pumping regular gas, only premium because they were OUT! So I came home with empty tank.

Off to fold laundry next.

[lucylee]

Worked a bit more on second project I'm sorta testing the waters with.
My late paternal dgf was a brickmason. A very well-respected, very busy brickmason, for probably more than 30 years. At one time, in our county, he and possibly 2 other brickmasons were responsible for 90% of the homes built here.
Dmom has mentioned several times that she wishes she just KNEW how many houses he did work on, and that she would love to get pictures of all of them.
Well... I may have jumped in over my head, but I put a notice on FB asking people to contact me -- and some have, but as dmom said, most on FB are probably too young -- many of these people have probably already died -- since dgf has been dead 24 years, and it has been over 35 years since he worked full-time.
So.
At any rate, I am trying to compile a list, so I have that in Excel now, organized by location/address... and perhaps I will be able to do something with it.
A photo book for Christmas would be wonderful, but I think that is too soon to hope for. Dmom is actually thinking of running an ad in the local paper and asking people to contact her.

Also, my third project, is a dream I have of writing dfil's biography. He was born in 1920, and lost his mother before he was 12. He had a very entertaining childhood, including walking/hitching, alone, probably 20 miles (at the age of 12 or 13) to catch a bus and go to Nashville to see the Grand Ole Opry; and witnessing a shooting involving a local minister! He served in WWII -- although he never saw any actual battle -- but he and dmil had many stories to tell about their time in San Francisco, and came back home to be a successful and respected businessman. I'd like to see what I could do to document his memories before they are lost from dh and myself.

Of course, I'd like to do this for ALL ds's grandparents, but I would start with dfil b/c he is by far the most interesting character in our family history, IMHO.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Church supper was a success. There was a mild curry which dh and I had since we aren't into spice.

After we closed our safety deposit box and picked up some groceries.

My tummy still hurts. Food in it doesn't help, it just hurts all the time.

I'm very tired (although didn't take many steps so am just over 5K for the day.)

Crying all the time due to frustration and being overwhelmed.

Wrote the first of three articles for the Christmas newsletter.

Still haven't finished my service but I'm off to bed now.

[FelineFriend]

We had a H. S. shooting, about 20 miles away from DGS's H. S., so am relieved it was NOT their H. S. It occurred right as we were leaving to ENJOY the day, came home and it was STILL on TV with news breaks, briefings, the news local AND National. Tomorrow, I'll watch SPORTS, listen to music, crochet, write and AVOID being permeated with nutso stuff in the stupid news. There is just so much a person can take within 8 hours in one day already! >:(

We stopped at the bank, then went to Sears, and then ate a b-day lunch at Applebee's. I got 2 nice Land's End turtlenecks (1 bright red & 1 deep purple) & 1 pkg. of 3 panties. DH got 2 Covington T-necks. 1 deep forest green & 1 in charcoal grey. Everything was on sale, we got a rewards card, so got even MORE off. So the buys were good! DH saw some cute short boots with a short heel, he said he liked. We'll return another time, to check & see if they're still there. I want a nightgown, too.

I've done over 10,000 steps on my pedometer again!!!! I need to log my steps tonight, as well as housework, as I've been doing 4 LOL today & walked, too, & did Pilates. I'll continue to wear this pedometer, which DH got from one of his drug companies who did a diabetic drug study. After it conks out, I'll use another free one I've got, too. When IT conks out, I've got a good 1 to purchase from the http://www.presidentschallenge.org , site, where I log my exercise daily. There are 2. 1 is a super-duper one.

This is a brief C. I. Waving at Everybody! Have a good night & my Saturday card for tomorrow, displayed in my office, will be my "Sunny-in-my-Heart Saturday" card again!