Red Squirrel Saturday

[Gma]

I was going to post, but got a phone call so now must get dressed to get ready to go to a dinner and matinee. The live play/ musical is White Christmas, from which the song I'm dreaming of a white Christmas came. It's the final weekend of this theatre's winter offering. BBL

[helia]

We have red squirrels here too - but with no ear tufts. They are much smaller than the gray squirrels. Ironically, they are more aggressive than their larger cousins; it is not uncommon to see the small red squirrels chasing away the much larger gray ones. We also have black squirrels. We like a variety of colors! LOL!

LOL! I just read kitkat's comment about red squirrels! Our friend R has found nuts in the motor of his car. You are a lot colder than we are. We do have sunshine and clear skies - do you?
Sorry about the annoying ideas of the boss, ((FFB)). You're doing so well managing things while dh is doing this internship. I hope you can relax and have some fun this weekend. I didn't realize it rained so much where you are.
I hope you get outside to enjoy the nice weather before it rains, Kitty.
I hope you can take it easy, trissie. Something is going around here; dh is coughing and I have sinus congestion. But - I guess if we're across the ocean it's probably not the same thing.
Glad you got a slow morning, L Ann.
Enjoy the musical, Gma! Sounds like a nice way to spend the evening.
((Lauralind)) Glad your mom is now stable and under good care. Good luck moving the chair and dresser.

I don't think I got back here yesterday either. I did get in a short jog outside, which was a nice change! I also stopped by WF to pick up veggies for a salad, which I made to bring to friends' home last night. We got home from the dinner party a little after 9 pm and were quite tired. I made good progress on NY cards, and the end is in sight. Bama, yours will be coming soon!!

Today, is kind of the same: exercise - though, I'm willing to pass on this one since I exercised 4x last week + I have a sinus thing going on. More progress on NY cards. A little payroll for S2 prep. A trip to WF for something sweet - although, maybe I can get dh to do that. I'll make a salad to bring to CG1 tonight. And then, CG1 will be all evening.

Tonight is the 4th out of 5 evening events in a row. (W - hosted dinner for friend EP + son; Th - Vol ESL class; F - dinner party at friends; Sat - CG1; Sun - host dinner for up to 8) I'm starting to feel it. . . We get a reprieve Monday night, and then Tuesday evening, we host the Tuesday evening dinner crew.

Our bird feeder is completely empty after 2 days. These birds are hungry! Refilling it will be on my todo list for today.

Next:
- back exercises
- dress to jog
- jog at gym; keep it shorter

Later:
- WF: pick up something sweet?
- s2s and self care
- make the bed
- some qt
- payroll: finish CO for ISL
- payroll: vocab lists for IR and ISL
- lunch
- NY cards in the mail
- NY cards: finish list
- writing time
- towel laundry?
- decluttering?
- make a salad
- 5:15 - 9ish out to CG1
- duolingo
- update health apps

TaDas!
- up; weighed self - moving down, finally
- coffee
- email deletions + weather website

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Sat 5:30 - ? CG1
Sun Church (which one?)/ 3:30 - 6ish CG2: we host/ 6 - host Sunday dinner for up to 8 people

Mon 12-1 payroll: S2 Prep Mtg.
Tue 9 - WW/ 10 - 12ish KS2J get together/ 1-3 Prof Dev Mtgs./ 6:30 Host Dinner Crew - DD30 cooks
Wed payroll class: ____?
Thu 12-1 payroll: CA mtg/ 2-3 work out with AS/ 7:30 - concert
Fri 9:30 coffee with MM?/ payroll class: ____?/
Sat Valentine's Day
Sun say good bye to dh early/ 10 - church/ 6 - host Sunday dinner for up to 8 people?/ 8:15 family zoom call?

February Brain Dumps
This Week - House
- remake guest beds
- towel laundry
- can I spend some time decluttering in MBR?

This Week - Deskwork
- Writing progress - wip
- NY cards in the mail - wip

This Week - Errands
- get Mom's bags of stuff to the charity

General Brain Dump
- progress decluttering clothes - wip
- new phone eventually

Mom
- go through bag of Mom's knick knacks
- deposit check into our shared account

[trissie]

Just to clarify - I already have a runny nose and sore throat, so while stress is contributing factor of my unwellness, it's the winter viruses that star in this s**show!

how nice that you actually got to attend, not host a dinnerparty, helia!
well, you are certainly keeping your Christmas season on a bit longer this year, gma!
I will have to go back and read about your mom, lauralind - is this a short term stay or is it because of her declining health?
Frenchie, I don't know about the talented stylists for our Olympics team - well it would very traditional... of the 1980's and weird itchy home-knit sweaters! But hey, the hockey players suits, they're a perfect camouflage! You can't tell where one player ends and another begins, so they will be a tactical advantage in a scrum You can tell the style was not widely accepted here But I absolutely adore the Mongolian team! They were really something else!
L.Ann, DBD has taken a sudden interest in the long neglected play-doh. It's everywhere!
kitkat, spring seems like a distant possibility here too!

I spent an hour sorting papers in the badly overflowing filing box. It's still full, but not overflowing, and the shredder and the sorted paper box have received a lot of "food", so I'd say I did pretty well!

TaDas
- morning routine
- midday routine
- lunch
- freezer cooking
- 1 hour on filing
- spiff up master bedroom
- spiff up master bathroom
- load of darks

ToDos
- 30 on laundry
- 30 downstairs
- afternoon routine

Braindump
routines
- evening routine
food
- dinner
- bake something sweet
- feed breadstarter
organization
- DBD's speech therapy
- update land contract
- start working on taxes
- homework and backpacks
- check the dates on seeds and note what to buy
cleaning
- clean office
- spiff up DBD's room
- spiff up twins' room
- spiff up DS13's room
- spiff up kitchen
- spiff up living room
- spiff up downstairs bathroom and hallways
laundry
- load of towels
- load of cleaning rags
- ironing
- folding
- mending
- laundry put away
me time
- 15 of exercise
- Bible study
- reading

[helia]

OK, dh has refilled the bird feeder. It's already seeing business, mainly juncos.

I just spent time replying to an email from EP. L's auditions went very well. UMich is his first choice if finances work out. UM is outrageously expensive; out of state undergraduate tuition and room/ board is estimated at ~ $80K/ year for 2025-2026 school year. Don't know if it will go up for next year.

I also think I have made a coffee date with MM for Friday morning!

I'm leaning away from jogging today because of time. I got a late start (after sleeping almost 10 hours last night) and CG1 shortens the day. . . But then tomorrow will also be shortened bc of CG2 + hosting dinner. *sigh*

[L.Ann]

It is a beautiful day with bright sun and blue sky. But the temperature is only 20 with the wind chill making it negative 3. That has refrozen the snow so it is a block of iced snow again.

We have mostly gray squirrels with an occasional black one. Play dough is new with Little Bit’s too, Trissie. Her fine motor skills have exploded in the last 2 or 3 months so writing, coloring and play dough are now favorite activities. Hope your dad’s sugar stabilizes, Laura. The birds are ravenous here, helian. I think because we are still snow covered.

1-trash and windex
2-finish updating lists
3-declutter linen closet

Menus
Saturday-black bean and rice bowls-maybe shrimp and chicken rice bowls
Sunday-eat out on way home from bball
Monday-garlic lime chicken and roasted veggies
Tuesday-salmon with bok choy and scallion rice
Wednesday-DD33 out/left overs for me
Thursday-sheet pan Asian crispy shrimp with rice and green beans
Friday-chorizo enchiladas
Saturday-left overs
Sunday-

Events
Sunday-9-12 bball tournament
Monday-Little Bit 3-5, Little Bit school 9:15-3, radiation 10
Tuesday-Little Bit 7:40-5, Little Bit school 9:15-3, breakfast out with friends
Wednesday-Little Bit 3-5, Little Bit school 9:15-3, radiation 9, rheumatologist for DD33@3 then PS 3:30-8
Thursday-Little Bit 7:40-5, Little Bit school 9:15-3, valentine dance 2:30-3:30 for DD33
Friday-Little Bit 7:40-5, Little Bit school 9:15-3
Saturday-bball 9:30-10:30
Sunday-walk with friend????

Weekly House Blessing-mop dining room, kitchen, bathroom, Vacuum, dust, trash, windex
Detailed cleaning of hall-wash walls, detailed vacuuming, clean linen closet, clean appliance closet, clean woodwork, wash doors, wash louver doors
Extra stuff-send letter to friend of DM
January paperwork-spare room- DM’s papers
Death book-updates, call lawyer for appointment to review will and DD33’s POAs
Phone calls- call and make dermatology appointment, make eye appointments

Accomplishments
-make Target order
-breakfast for dog and me and DD33
-empty dishwasher
-read
-diet site
-stretching and knee exercises
-dress and pick up bedroom
-pick up Target order
-walk a mile
-talk to grandson on phone
-help DD33 with her hair and meds
-lunch
-text Dsis about tomorrow

[L.Ann]

1-read
2-walk inside
3-15 minutes detailed cleaning in hall

4-vacuum

Menus
Saturday-black bean and rice bowls-maybe shrimp and chicken rice bowls
Sunday-eat out on way home from bball
Monday-garlic lime chicken and roasted veggies
Tuesday-salmon with bok choy and scallion rice
Wednesday-DD33 out/left overs for me
Thursday-sheet pan Asian crispy shrimp with rice and green beans
Friday-chorizo enchiladas
Saturday-left overs
Sunday-

Events
Sunday-9-12 bball tournament
Monday-Little Bit 3-5, Little Bit school 9:15-3, radiation 10
Tuesday-Little Bit 7:40-5, Little Bit school 9:15-3, breakfast out with friends
Wednesday-Little Bit 3-5, Little Bit school 9:15-3, radiation 9, rheumatologist for DD33@3 then PS 3:30-8
Thursday-Little Bit 7:40-5, Little Bit school 9:15-3, valentine dance 2:30-3:30 for DD33
Friday-Little Bit 7:40-5, Little Bit school 9:15-3
Saturday-bball 9:30-10:30
Sunday-walk with friend????

Weekly House Blessing-mop dining room, kitchen, bathroom, Vacuum, dust
Detailed cleaning of hall-wash walls, detailed vacuuming, clean appliance closet, clean woodwork, wash doors, wash louver doors
Extra stuff-send letter to friend of DM
January paperwork-spare room- DM’s papers
Death book-updates, call lawyer for appointment to review will and DD33’s POAs
Phone calls- call and make dermatology appointment, make eye appointments

Accomplishments
-make Target order
-breakfast for dog and me and DD33
-empty dishwasher
-read
-diet site
-stretching and knee exercises
-dress and pick up bedroom
-pick up Target order
-walk a mile
-talk to grandson on phone
-help DD33 with her hair and meds
-lunch
-text Dsis about tomorrow
-trash and windex
-finish updating lists
-declutter linen closet

[kitkat]

Looks like almost all of us have squirrel stories:)
Liked the squirrel in the pocket - by Lauralind:)
Helia when they entered my Dson's car (that was a separate event) - the nuts caught fire while I was driving it (thankfully) to the mechanic.


Waving to FFly, trissie, Gma and LAnn

Back from gym/shopping

Next:
lunch
adv laundry
do something with pup:)

[Doggedly]

Hello, all. I have been productive in a way today. Saturday is one of my days where I am stuck to the radio all morning because CBC has good radio shows, but I dove straight into the computers and worked on redoing my budget sheet as per the suggestions from ChatGPT in my course.

Thank you for starting us off, Kittykatt. Red squirrels are not rare here, but not as common as the grey squirrel. Our red squirrels are not good news, because they are bullies that try to drive out the grey squirrels when they move into an area. It's bizarre to see a big grey squirrel running for its life with a smaller red squirrel in pursuit.
LOL, my db is the technical whiz. I just know about computers because I have worked with them since they were being introduced to small offices. The KVM switch is one of those beautifully simple technologies that solves a problem with a simple solution. If you have more than one computer that you have to work on, then you know how much space you have to give up for the Keyboard, the Video (your monitor), and your Mouse. Plus you have to give up space in front of them for your chair to move around. The KVM switch is a small box with a switch. In the old days, it was a dial like you use to set your oven temperature. You plug your peripherals into the box (keyboard, video, mouse) and then plug cables from the box into the computers. That way, you only have one monitor, one keyboard and one mouse on your desk, and to switch between them you just turn a dial. Nowadays, you press a button. Our big debate was that my db didn't believe that my switch and computer were using older types cables, and he pointed out that my laptop wouldn't be compatible. I checked it, and found that he was right. But my computer can handle either the old cables or the new ones, so changing the KVM switch to a new one should solve all of my problems.
Thank you for the offer. I should be fine for recipes. I was just surprised that a lot of the recipes I found were to melt chocolate, and I thought "If you already have chocolate, why are you wasting your time making fudge?" I'm cooking with cocoa to avoid the spiralling cost of chocolate, LOL. I came across this recipe and thought that it was odd that it called for granulated sugar, and it really does make odd fudge. But I'll just go back to making it with icing sugar and cocoa. Also, I need to get some peppermint extract, as I'm really craving chocolate mint.


LOL, FrenchFly, maybe clarify for your ds's that you don't expect them to ski off of jumps and go flying through the air, that most people manage to ski keeping both skis on the ground, as it were, and that the beginners slope have a much gentler incline. I know that if my only introduction to tobogganing was watching skeleton at the Olympics, you'd never get me near a tobogganing hill.
That is great that your dh is finished with the classroom part of his training and is ready to start on paid practice. An accomplishment for him, as he obviously did well in class, and a help for your dfamily's budget.

I hope that you manage to get some rest this weekend, trissie. Maybe going skating with DBD would be a good break?

Ah, I see that kitkat has already covered the red squirrel issue. kitkat, we once had somebody use our car for storage. I can't remember why we had put it in the garage for the winter, but when they tried to use it in the spring they found it full of seeds and dried grass. I guess since we weren't using it, that seemed reasonable, LOL.
You made me check our weather report, and sure enough... windchill of -30 C. It's a good day to stay in.
I hope that your shoulder cooperates for your adventures today.

I'm glad that the Playdough cleanup wasn't too bad, L.Ann.

FrenchFly, can you imagine if men supported women working for their goals in the same way as women support men working for their goals? What a world it would be!

Lauralind, I never realized that you don't have grey squirrels. When I looked up their range, I found that their species is Eastern grey squirrel, so I guess that's the explanation. They're a lot like the red squirrels. They are mischievous and have a sense of humour, but are more chill than the red squirrels. Rather like the difference in our bears. Hmmm... is this the start of a pattern?
(((Lauralind and dfather))) I hope that your df is recovering. What a scare!

It's a great weekend to stay in and avoid the cold, but I saw that Food Basics has duck on sale. I'm debating going there tomorrow or Monday. I don't trust their fresh food (it's a discount store) but if I put the duck straight in the slow cooker when I got it home with carrots and potatoes, I could make a batch of dog food for Germane that she would actually eat, and that probably wouldn't set off her allergies.

I'm at the end of Page 1, and have sat here longer than I should have. Time to get up and do things.

Saturday
Cleaned up after dog.
Worked on budget sheet to track weekly spending

[helia]

It's already 3 pm. I need to shower. Exercise is not happening. I might go for a walk? I need to be otd in 2:15.

Next:
- empty dw
- back exercises
- s2s and self care

Later:
- WF: pick up something sweet?
- s2s and self care
- make the bed
- NY cards in the mail
- NY cards: finish list
- writing time
- towel laundry?
- decluttering?
- make a salad
- 5:15 - 9ish out to CG1
- duolingo
- update health apps

TaDas!
- up; weighed self - moving down, finally
- coffee
- email deletions + weather website
- dh refilled bird feeder
- NY cards put in the mail
- kitchen reclaimed; dw running
- some qt
- lunch
- payroll: finished S2 prep tasks I needed to do - ISL CO and vocab study guide
- NY cards: 59 done now. I counted only 18 left; I should have 21. . . Either way, I'm getting close to the end.

[Kittykatt]

Hello, everyone!

L.Ann, I'm glad the play dough clean up wasn't too bad. Little Bit sounds very accomplished!

FFB, enjoy your new haircut -I'm sure you look beautiful!

KitKat, I hope the exercises help your shoulder.

Trissie, I'm sorry you're not well - there's some nasty virus type things going round ATM.

Laura, I'm glad your DMum is getting the care she needs. Sorry your Dad's health is causing concerns.

Enjoy the matinee, Gma - it sounds fun!

Helia, that is a lot of evening events! I hope you can get on top of the sinus issues.

Dogged, thank you for the explanation about the KVM switch. Now I know how "real computer people" work!

Well, the dry weather lasted until about 8.45 am. Then the dark clouds rolled in and it was back to rain again. Although, to be fair, we did have some short dry spells and even some sun, so I made the most of those and took bags of rubbish and recycling down to the bins, and did a little in my front garden. I then spent some time playing with my dolls house and reacquainting myself with it. Then I tackled the housework. The kitchen is looking tidier, now I've tackled those "don't know what to do with" piles. I decided to leave the junk drawer for another day, as that's a whole new adventure!

Ive made a coffee cake and prepped lunch for tomorrow. The cats have been fed, and Matilda is on my lap.