TRIUMPHANT TUESDAY

[Elizabeth]

Hello everyone! Last night, I paid my bills and updated Quicken. I also remembered to assemble a lunch for today, even cooked up some black eyed peas for it. Guess what I forgot to bring today! I did my usual Monday grocery shopping and bought some clippers and clipped a tree that had poked XDH. It was not low enough to poke me, so I didn't know it was a problem. Now a basketball player can visit and be safe.

I have found a water leak in my ceiling. It is not currently wet, but obviously was earlier. I am hoping that when the swamp cooler was replaced, the leak was solved. Either that or I have a current leak in the swamp cooler (which is directly above the spot) or I have a leaky roof. Either one is not going to be easy on the checkbook. And I still need to get a new dryer, and possibly a new washer. I am going to experiment with washing tiny loads more often and drying on a drying rack. Won't work for sheets and blankets and towels, but maybe I can squeeze a little more life out of the dryer.

Tonight is Girls' Night Out, so probably Chinese and Chuck E Cheese. The maids come tomorrow and I have a brief pick up session to do. When XDH comes over I am going to ask him about the wisdom of wait-and-see on the ceiling leak. I can cover stuff with a tarp and monitor faithfully until (if) the leak comes back. I need to find out if I have an animal org meeting tomorrow. If so, I had better get a move on with the minutes.

[Harriet]

Time has passed and I feel better, but I had to take my first nap of the year. I think most of my upset was everything happening at once. Dcousin would simply not come in the house and believed he was being thoughtful because he might have a cold. In reality, he forced me to leave my door ajar, and it was very chilly, plus even with that he ended up being the cause of my ddad getting past me and shaving without due attention. He himself was upset and pacing, talking out the events, worried he would offend me, feeling angry.

As I understand it, BookSaver, the incident was not about any worry of damage, but about words between two men who met by surprise as one tried to look for a dog and the other felt he was a trespasser, never saw a dog. Evidently it escalated, but no, we are not responsible for the escalation of others' words. I had thought HRH might make a phone call to that neighbor, but he says it's not necessary to bring it up again, it was all words caused by one errant dog, and it's over. Then I worried that maybe we should have called, etc., etc., etc.

((Sadie)), bless your heart, if watching fish is something you close your eyes against, I know you feel so bad! Hoping this will ease soon! On the other side of my family, (lol, like lucylee, my family stretches far and wide) my dcousin and his wife both got influenza about 3 weeks after getting the flu shot. It was far from minor for her - she was super sick. HRH says there is no way to prove one way or another - was the shot actually helpful, and if she hadn't gotten the shot she'd have had such a bad case she could have died? That presupposes that the correct strain was targeted but the shot wasn't "strong" enough, but I doubt that, since it is a vaccination, not a medicine. What I think is that the strains we actually see each year are often not the targeted ones. My cousins learned that their experience isn't at all unique in our area, so I'm thinking the strain that's out there (in the schools right now, I'm sure) is completely different than the CDC predicted. I wonder if we will eventually have a report of what the particular strains we encountered were, and what the flu shots targeted, and how they matched or didn't.

Kathryn, I'm sure your friend is grateful for your help. How much better not to wait - what if the weather turned really bad.

[scattered]

(((Sadie))) - Feel better soon! The flu is hitting here extremely bad and has gone through my office already.

Harriet - How frustrating for you (((Hugs)))

Nancy - I saw two patients way out in the country today and as I was leaving, I saw a huge rooster and his hens walking in a front-yard near the road and immediately thought of you.

(((Hugs))), {{{Strength}}}, and POTB's for everyone. I am exhausted, I had a visit run late and then had to fight rush hour traffic to get home. Made Pork Loin chops for dinner that are really yummy! I put fresh ground salt & pepper, some Mrs. Dash and then a light sprinkle of chili powder, browned them in the skillet and then baked them in the oven... they are soooooo good. I am now going to look at e-cigarettes and watch a little TV. I am going to try taking 1/2 of a flexeril before bed and see if that doesn't help.

Have a great night everybody!

[Twins' Mom]

Home again. Long day, I think I predicted that last night.

Ta das:
-dmom to doc, doc feels that memory is still "appropriate"
-mailed forgotten computer game to ds at GT
-worked the afternoon and started a sales tax research project (yeeeech! )
-sent fed ex pkg with original signed and notarized documents for dsis for probate court
-meeting at temple, which was okay
-walked ddogs slightly longer walk this morning and evening
-made a nice omelet for supper, wish I had veggies to throw in, but used some mozzarella and turkey pepperoni, and it was excellent, if I may say so.

Tomorrow is:
-Moe for a dog bath
-Alterations (Must do!)
-ATL trip to see dsis, have her sign a form for me
-what else?

[Nancy]

Scattered it's nice to be thought of! The next chickens we are considering getting are on a dirt road not to far from here might see that when we go. [They have turkeys too but a bit spendy for us.]

Sigh I have been thinking if dd wants us to do house sitting [for 2 weeks] how to cope; h. said yes tentivly sp? unless dson will do it. H. said we can take the microwave over there we do have a spare. I don't like wood heat she said we don't have to use that. I do not like the cook top she has and her pans hum-m could cook in the camper or eat subs or do cooking here maybe. Like tonight I had fist portions so will be thinking of like my 3-5 fav. pans to take with. Most folks think of fav. out fits to pack! LOL! Not me maybe; we will just grill we have a small one hoping the weather is good. Will have to come home to do chicken chores. Trying to see if I can think of it as a vacation. Just trying to wrap my brain around it.

Got the sheet through the wash; tweaked my back sorting clothes so had the gkids help take it to the basement for me that was good.

Remembered cereal they were out last time this time forgot milk how she of me!

Dropped off sacks to recycle yea!

[Harriet]

Nancy, pack your own can opener - isn't this the household I remember you have trouble with theirs and it's frustrating.

Hoping Mr. Harmony is healing well. Ouch, ouch.

I appreciate being able to do more whining than usual in the village today. More whine - friend of HRH's was to arrive at the airport and be at our home by 7:30 for a few hours planned visit. We held supper, but his flight was late, went ahead and ate but gave up on other ideas for the evening, waiting. Eventually HRH called him back and he was still stuck after 35 minutes at baggage claim alone, hadn't even made it to the rental car place and assumed we knew we might as well give up on the evening. I realize it is the traveler who really suffers, not so much those waiting in their own comfortable home, but all 3 of us had a disjointed evening because of this.

The real problem is that now he wants to come here tomorrow night instead and will be able to stay several more hours then than we had planned, getting here as early as 4:30 and staying all evening. Sigh. I am NOT thrilled about this because I had wanted to get some other things done during the afternoon/evening. HRH will have had a long day tomorrow - today was easier and so it would have worked out with HRH having enough energy and interest to entertain him without dd and me, maybe they would even have gone out (yay). Now it looks like they will not leave the house. I know after about the 3rd hour my ddad will probably start telling the friend it's time to leave, lol.

[Cowinkie]

Harriet...your memory amazes me some times!!!
Nitters to ya'll

[Elizabeth]

Nuclear meltdown at Chuck E Cheese! DD10 got frustrated with a game and kicked it. I told her if she did it again we were leaving. Guess what? We had to leave. Major fit! She called me an idiot as we left, so she does not get to go next week either. In the car, she complained about a hard day at school and a test she did badly on and repeating 5th grade (next year).

I had XDH look at the ceiling and he said I will need new drywall because of the mold. He suggested calling my insurance company tomorrow and having them look at it and see what is needed. Alternatively, get a handyman to look at it while I spray water on the roof to find out where/if it is leaking. This is very discouraging. I thought that for the mold, I could attack it with bleach, but he says it goes all the way through the drywall. I can't deal with this.

I still have to do a fast pick up for the maids tomorrow and put out a check. I am so unhappy today.

[helia]

Sometime when we have certain visitors, I'd like to borrow your ddad, Harriet. lol! I know that feeling all too well when one is expected to change one's schedule for the social desires of others. Did this friend fly into town to visit you and HRH?

I've eaten WAY too much this afternoon; I'm not sure what got into me -- well, besides a lot of FOOD that got into me. I AM sure of that. Dd17 chose a wonderful Thai restaurant tonight, and I ate too much there too. The only good news is that I didn't snack this evening.

Dh is insisting on doing our vacuuming chore. . . now -- at 10:30 at night. I think I have just talked him out of it. Sometimes, he is so locked into his schedule and goals. Maybe I should be a bit more like that. Maybe not, though. . . Maybe we complement each other well.

I've made good progress on the files of photos on the old laptop. Maybe I can finish them tomorrow.

((Elizabeth))

Off to get garbage and recycling to the curb.

[lucylee]

I tend to favor the SEC, but it's so hard to pull for Alabama.

ROFLOL... Twins! Oh my goodness, yes, for those of us on the "other" side... yep. Hard to get excited for them after they've won -- what is it now -- 47 championships?

I'm trying to cuop from last night, also -- as you can see.

Last night, besides that ballgame, after I talked w/ddad, I just did not feel like talking * or typing * to anyone.
Plus, dgs came over (w/ds) to "watch" the game w/us, and he certainly occupied my thinking for a bit.
There is absolutely NOTHING like a smiling baby to lift your spirits.
(I'm taking him out to visit dparents tomorrow. They could certainly use some baby therapy, I think!)

If people would take the hint, Harriet, your ddad could be very useful at times like this. Alas, some people just will not take the hint. * sigh *
Sorry you're going to have longer hours to put on the Southern hospitality, but I know you'll be a wonderful and gracious hostess. (That's why they want to vist so long!)

(((Nancy))) DH & I do not like to stay in other people's homes, either. I understand you're housesitting; that's maybe a little different... but I understand how it can be uncomfortable, either way.

Those pork chops sound delicious, scattered!

(((Sadie))) Hope you feel better soon!!!

Oh my goodness, (((Mr. Harmony)))! Ooohhh! I hope he feels better soon!

(((Elizabeth)))

Happy birthday to Lynlee,

and happy birthday to OKay's dmom!

---
I really do appreciate all of you more than you will ever, ever know. Thank you for your reassurance re: everything w/ddad... and w/my anxieties... and... just EVERYTHING. Now and in all the years past. Y'all have seen me through some frantic times and I don't think I could have made it without you!