Healthy Living Thread

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Wednesday kids!

Marcy, if you knew half of the things I do for my clients you would would surely believe I am crazy... We had another big rain around the time I was leaving yesterday too but I was luck enough to get under cover before the worst of it hit.

Last night I went down to the party room and made myself finish all of the homework for Chapter 2. Ug. The "pool guy" was in there too (more on that later) and he had the TV so loud that even with my ear plugs in I could FEEL it. And he sat on the couch, gape-mouthed, watching some action show the whole time I was there.

There are actually four pool guys that rotate, and I talk to one of them pretty frequently (not the one who was down there last night). The PG is NOT a life guard and explained that his duties involve making sure people are not breaking the rules in the pool area (no glass containers, no diving, etc.) but he isn't alowed to save anyone if they are drowning due to liability reasons. He can however call 911. I told him if he's ever out there at the same time I'm in the party room and someone starts drowning call ME FIRST then call 911. I would accept the liability of trying to save someone and failing rather than doing nothing.

(Sorry if I've told you all about the pool guy before -- I can't remember now if I did -- but every time I think about it I just shake my head in amazement... )

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone.

Dee Jay, the PG sounds interesting. I am with your on trying to save someone rather than just call 911. The one who listens to TV so loud wouldn't hear someone calling for help. Have you been doing marathon studying?

We have a diagnosis for my mom. She has CMML Leukemia. I can definitely see many of the symptoms and they have been there for quite a while. The prognosis depends on what stage she is in, 1 or 2. I have no idea on that. They are starting her on a chemo drug Monday. They shoot it in your veins and repeat the process once a month for 4 to 6 months. The cancer is not curable and stage 2 has a high change of going in to acute leukemia. As weak as she is I am sure the first round of chemo will really be bad for her. A doctor friend of theirs says the results are good with the drug they are using.

I have definitely been stress eating this week. I need to be better.

Tomorrow is Friday. Saturday is our 22nd anniversary. We'll probably just go out for dinner somewhere.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Friday kids!

Marcy, I'm glad your mom finally has a diagnosis, but how are you and she and your dad doing with all this? Biggest hugs to you guys! And 22 years... poor Marty... Just kidding!!!

I screwed up my back pretty badly yesterday, and in the stupidest possible way. Before my alarm went off I was having a dream about being in the kitchen with my brother and a GIANT bug climbed into the garbage can. I said to Scotty, "Take out the garbage right away, there's a giant bug in there!" When he picked up the bag the bottom fell out and the bug ran at me and crawled on my foot. I was kicking my leg like crazy trying to get the bug of and I was REALLY kicking and it totally wrenched my back. Seriously, who does sh!t like this?!? I made it into my office to study but about 1:00 the CB had to come and drive me home becuase I didn't think I could walk the four blocks to my apartment. I've been powering down ibuprofen and icing it all night and it feels a bit better today. Needless to say I am not leaving the house!

This is the three day power study before part 2. I am woefully behind...

 

[zoebartlett]

I'm really behind...

Marcy, I'm so sorry to hear about the diagnosis for your mom. I'm sending good thoughts your way and hers.

Dee*Jay, I hope your back feels better soon. My husband once had a dream that he was being chased by some guys. He decided to fight back and kick them. Guess who he really kicked, HARD? I yelled, he woke up, and after realizing what happened, he burst out laughing. I didn't find him so amusing until he explained it.

I interviewed for a 5th grade position the other day. I was surprised they called me because well, it's a much higher grade than I've ever taught, and I just don't have the experience working with kids of that age. I think the interview went well though and the principal seemed to like a lot of my experiences I've had with the school I just left. I think we're at the same place with some of the initiatives the two districts have taken on over the last few years. I should hear back sometime next week. The good news is that this school is in the area we're considering moving to, and it would get my foot in the door. Still though, 5th grade?!

We've looked at condos today and we're heading back out tomorrow. We're looking in the same town that I lived in while in grad school and for a few years after. I moved away from there 8 years ago so a lot's changed, but it was nice to be back. We liked one particular condo we saw, and we're filling out an application, just in case. We're seeing two, maybe three, other places tomorrow. I think the rents are high, but for the space we need, it seems what we'll need to pay. Just curious, what would you think a newer 2+ bedroom (2 bedrooms or 2 bedrooms with an extra room that could be for storage or an office) condo/townhouse would rent for? This is in a college town, not a big city. Let's say it has appprox. 1300-1500 sq. ft., 1.5 bathrooms, and possibly a one car garage. Most of the places on our list fit that description. Some, maybe all, I can't remember, have central air.

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone!

Dee Jay, I am sure Marty would agree with you “Poor Marty”. LOL. At least he said it doesn’t seem that long. My parents don’t seem to be freaking out much about the cancer diagnosis; I am doing okay but it sure doesn’t take much to get me crying. I am sure I’ll get more used to it. What an awful dream you had and I hate to hear it messed your back up. I sure hope you are better by now.

Zoe, thanks for the good thoughts for my mom. I appreciate it. Good luck with the 5th grader position. I hope you found a condo you like. I am guessing $1800 rental on the condos you described but I have no true idea or reference to know. Our old house was only $635 and I know 2 bedroom apartments in town rented for more than that.

So had a nice day for our anniversary. Marty played golf in the morning. We went to Colorado for the afternoon. We had lunch at our favorite place, then did some shopping, came back to town and had ice cream then watched at movie at home.

I have been working on laundry today and the newsletter. Marty is cooking supper then I am going to the hospital to visit my mom.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[zoebartlett]

Marcy, how is your mom feeling?

Dee*Jay, how's studying going?

Deegee, how are things with you and Matt?

Oh Marcy, the condo we really liked, and others very similar to it, is $1700. That's what we pay now, we have great amenities (outdoor pool, small gym, and clubhouse), and it's a beautiful neighborhood. The condo we considered on the coast has no amenities, and even though the neighborhood isn't as pretty, it's close to shops and a few restaurants.We change our minds daily on what to do (move to the coast, stay where we are, OR moving back to the condo we own). If we move to the coast, we'd be in the area we love. Rents aren't cheap, but if we really wanted to save a few bucks, we could get a small 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom apt. and throw a lot of our stuff in a storage unit. That's not my first choice though. If we stay where we are, we keep the amenities we have and the neighborhood we love. At least for now anyway, but I think we'll have to move elsewhere in a couple years because they keep raising our rent. If we move back to the condo we own, it would probably make the most sense financially, but it's so small, and there's no neighborhood to the development, really. I have analysis paralysis BIG TIME.

My sister's visiting my parents for the week, and we went out to lunch and then shopping this afternoon. It was fun! We only see each other a couple times a year because she lives so far away.

 

[deegee]

marcy-I hate to hear about your mom's diagnosis. I'm sending lots of positive thoughts, good vibes and well wishes her (and your) way. Has she started her treatments? Will she stay in the hospital during the treatments? Hopefully she's in a good place getting the right care. Congrats on 22 years! That's awesome! Isn't it crazy to think you've been with someone for that long? I looked at Matt the other day and thought, "after 19 years, I still adore that boy." After what Marty went through to get back home on his last trip, I hugged Matt and told him to be happy he was just spending the week in Houston. It was hot, but there were no protestors.

Dee*Jay-As screwed up as my back is (my friends say it is made of paper mache), I have never thrown it out in my sleep! I hope you're feeling better. My back and leg have been out of sorts since we moved, and it makes me feel so old. I am old, but my back doesn't need to remind me all the time. When is your next test? Geezzzz-that is/was too soon after the last one. One of my staff was at a conference in Chicago last week. She stayed at the Embassy lake front, I believe.

Zoe-My major was K-4, and I ended up teaching K-8 art for one year and 6th grade for 4 years (neither of which I had any experience in). As far as that goes, you learn and adapt on the job so I wouldn't give it too much thought. I wouldn't even have a guess about your condo question! The little town we just moved from (30 miles west of the city) is far cheaper than where we are now (about 8 miles north of the city). Wow-you really do have analysis paralysis!

I've been doing okay with food. I get home so much earlier in the evenings now that I am trying to keep myself busy to avoid snacking. The laundry situation in my home has never been better! We have been attending some of the activities in town on the weekends. The weekend before last was the 150th birthday celebration, which was awesome. Friday night we went to Blues, Brews and BBQ's. Right before the last band took the stage, the sky opened up and it didn't stop raining until Sunday. We had planned to attend the Wine & Jazz festival on Saturday but were still drying out from Friday night and decided to skip it. Bummer, because I have always wanted to go to that one. I'm making tacos for dinner tonight and we'll walk Lily later if it stops raining. Our new walk is hard! We moved further into the mountains, so our path has very little flat roadway. It's all up & down hill. Ah! Have a great evening!!

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone.

Zoe, wow I guessed pretty close on the condo rent. I must admit I miss my old house payment. I used to laugh that my house payment was less than my car payment. How nice to have your sister visiting. Have fun! Yes, you do have a lot of data to shift through to make a decision about where to live. I like to make big pro and con lists to help me with those things.

Deegee, lol that you still adore Matt after 19 years. I feel the same about Marty. I am glad you gave Matt a hug for only having to travel to Houston instead of in the midst of protestors. Marty’s expense report was funny – on the taxi ride he didn’t finish he put down “no receipt. Taxi ride stopped by protestors so I got out and walked”. His boss copied that and emailed him “best justification ever!”. Do you find walking the hills around your new place hard on your back or legs? My knees don’t like uphill grades too well. That is wonderful you are doing fun things being closer to the city.

Dee Jay, was your test today?

My mom had her first round of chemo this afternoon. They gave her a shot for nausea and then gave her the chemo. She was doing fine tonight; she said she never felt bad or sick. She started taking her Tylenol PM last night and slept well so I actually thought she was a bit more alert than she has been. They gave her 2 units of blood last night that the nurses said would perk her up. She still isn’t eating much. They talked about putting a pick in her arm since she’ll be having these treatments for months; she didn’t seem too thrilled at that idea.

My day was fine. We had a mistake at work; I had the 3 employees involved write up what they’ll do to never make that mistake again and was so sad to see only 1 of the 3 just flat admitted hey I screwed up and I will pay more attention. Sigh. That is a big pet peeve with me; admit it when you make a mistake don’t blame the rest of the world!!!

We had burgers on the grill for supper and rice with veggies as our side dish. Tomorrow I am leaving some ribs and baked potatoes for Marty to stick in the oven for supper.

Oh and on our shopping excursion this weekend I decided I want an iPad mini. I will wait until the next generation comes out with retina display. I am so blind I need that sharpness for text.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Tuesday kids!

Marcy, I’m glad to hear your mom is doing “well” under the circumstances. My best friend had chemo and never felt bad AT ALL. She was prepared for the worst and was like, meh, this is nothing. And LOL on Marty’s expense report!

Zoe, real estate rental prices vary SO much across areas. My current one bedroom in downtown Chicago is about $2400 plus a mandatory utility package and an additional fee for my storage unit… not to mention $650 to park my two cars. In KC I paid $2800 for a really BIG 2 bed/2 bath including two parking spots, and that was at the very top end of the market.

Deegee, I envy that you have a place where you can walk that is actual *exercise*. Everything is so flat and boring in Chicago; I would LOVE to have some hills to climb and a trail to enjoy! Are you all unpacked and settled in?

My test was yesterday afternoon. The exam is in 3 parts of multiple choice questions (called testlets) and then 3 writing exercises at the end. I was SO FREAKED OUT about half way through the first multiple choice part that I had so stop and say to myself, “Dee, calm the fvck down.” The first testlet had a ton of math type problems (7 of 24), and those are the ones I hate, the most, but the next two testlets had less so I felt better. I got an answer for every question but I’m just not sure it was the *right* answer. Even this morning on the walk in was like, “Oh no! I wonder if I put X or Y for that one because X is clearly wrong but I think I might have chosen it or why else would be stuck in the back of my mind to think about?!?” This of course led to further talking to myself to the tune of, “OK look, what’s the worst thing that can happen? Now you’ve been through it so if you have to do it again at least you know better what you’re up against.” And the part that really ticked me off is that they didn’t even ask me much about some of the big topics. I think I got literally one question on macroeconomics and one-sixth of the materials are on that. Oh well, it is what it is at this point. When I got home last night I (a) poured a BIG glass of wine, (b) ate a huge candy bar, and (c) got out the materials for my next section that I test for THREE WEEKS FROM MONDAY.

BTW, has anyone heard of psychometric testing? With the CPA exam and the three multiple choice question testlets everyone starts with a medium level of difficulty section first and depending on how you do you get either a medium level again or a hard one, and the same thing for the second to third transition. It seems unfair somehow but they swear it really isn’t.

And sorry for all the CPA exam talk! Once I get through this exam at the end of next month I promise I will talk about something else!

 

[zoebartlett]

Deegee, tell me about it! I over analyze everything. I play the "what if" game far too often. My husband and I are a good mix because he doesn't let anything get to him. My brain works overtime, whereas his...doesn't.

Marcy, happy anniversary!

Dee*Jay, I'm sure you did very well on the testlets. Is the one you take in 3 weeks the last one or are there others scheduled? I think it's interesting to read about other fields. Oh, and you think you have a one track mind? Please! Jabber away... Have you read my posts over the past few months?

Here are my random thoughts for the day:

I didn't get the 5th grade job. I'm not upset at all.
We're looking at a few more places near the seacoast tomorrow and Friday.
I went out for lunch (Indian) today with friends.
I think I'll just have cereal for dinner tonight.
We're going to a BBQ on Thursday and I think I'll bring a fruit salad.
I'm reading a really good book (The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult) but it's not exactly a light summer read. It's about the Holocaust.
I've been up since 3:00 AM. I'd like to have a marathon reading session tonight but I'm not sure it's going to happen. Sleepy.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Wednesday kids!

Zoe, I envy that you are in the middle of a good book! The first thing I'm going to do after I finish all of my exams is dig into a big pile of (electronic) books that I've been putting in my Kindle shopping cart but won't let myself buy until I'm done. That has been the hardest part of this journey for me becuase I'm a BIG BIG BIG reader. And I was also up at 3 am -- stared at the ceiling from 2 to 4. We should have called and kept each other company!

Today the CB and I are driving up to his family's place in NORTHERN Wisconsin. Northern as in damn near CANADA. Seven hours each way. The only reason I agreed is because I can study the whole trip up and back. Last night I dug into my materials for the next exam. The US tax laws--how exciting...NOT!

If I don't talk to everyone over the long weekend have a great 4th!!!

 

[zoebartlett]

Have fun in WI, Dee*Jay!

I woke up at 3:30 this morning and couldn't sleep. That happens often these days. I ended up finishing my book, and I'd highly recommend it. I picked up David Baldacci's The Innocent at the bookstore yesterday, and I think I'll begin that today.

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone. Happy 4th of July!

Dee Jay, that is great to hear your best friend never felt bad at all during chemo. I hope she is doing well still. Sorry to hear your test had so many math type problems, just remember my story on figuring out many many glasses of wine do you get to drink in order not to waste the bottle of wine. Psychometric testing does not sound quite fair. Good luck studying for round 3. Feel free to talk CPA anytime you want. I think the exposure makes me smarter. When I used to teach at the college in addition to working I only got to enjoy reading during semesters. I really missed being able to read. Have fun on your trip.

Zoe, I bet your brain has a hard time shutting off when you get to bed. My husband it out before his head hits the pillow. I am laying awake thinking about this and that and the other thing. Sorry you didn’t get the 5th grader position but it sounds like you are looking for places to live near the coast so that kind of worked out for the best. Have fun looking at places. Please enjoy the ocean for me for a few minutes. Thanks for the book recommendations. I started the latest Janet Evanovich book but only have one chapter read. I also downloaded the new Dan Brown book.

My mom is ever so slightly a little better and stronger. She isn’t slurring her words quite as much. She had round 3 of chemo today and still didn’t feel bad from that. We have to wear masks all the time when we go in her room. She didn’t walk any with her walker today because she felt so weak but she seemed a tiny little bit better to us. My dad has had a few run ins with the nurses and nurse assistants. They forgot to check her back in from chemo and so she never got her supper yesterday. They finally got her something after 7 right before the cafeteria closed. Today they were out of chicken fingers and so an hour late they call and ask what else she’d like. The nurses keep saying they’ll get us a piece of paper about her stats and never do. I haven’t run in to a doctor at all and my mom says none of them have come to see her. I don’t think the oncologist has been around since last week when he told her she has leukemia. I have the next 2 days off so I should be able to go up there some during the day so maybe I can find someone to ask questions. Of course with it being a holiday weekend probably no one is around anyway.

We will probably go watch the first works tomorrow night. I need to figure out food for a few days and do laundry. My in-laws are arriving next Wednesday for a week. Marty stocked up on a LOT of wine today. Good call.

Take care. Have a fun and safe 4th of July!
Marcy

 

[marcy]

Happy 4th of July!

I slept until about 7. Made pancakes and bacon for BF (lots for Marty one for me). Then I took my mom her laundry and visited for awhile. We went to buy food to grill about noon-thirty. Seriously everyone in town decided to shop at the same time. I hate crowds but survived. Anyway Marty cooked our dinner on the grill - tenderloins wrapped in bacon, corn on the cob and assorted seasoned veggies (potatoes, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and garlic). It was delicious.

I went back to visit my mom about 4. We had cheese and crackers for supper. I invited my dad over for lunch tomorrow and I am going to make lasagna and garlic bread. I think I will go brew it up now.

Take care. I want to watch fireworks from the house front porch tonight. I think we can see them from here.

Laters!
Marcy

 

[marcy]

Hello. I slept in until 7. Marty was working today so I tried to be quiet. My dad showed up for lunch an hour early and there is just no way to rush lasagna. I put out raw veggies for him to munch on and he did lay down on the couch for a nap. We had lasagna, garlic bread and strawberries for lunch. I made chocolate chip cookies and sent most of them home with him.

About 4 pm Marty and I went to the hospital to visit my mom. We stopped and had ice cream for supper on the way home. We walked over to a little mall and got Marty some new shoes and I got some nail polish and some roller clips. I used my electric rollers this morning but the clips that came with those rollers don't work very well. I wish I'd kept the electric rollers I had because they worked great but I threw them out when we moved.

I did make my lasagna last night and I sure enjoyed having more countertop space. I never had room at my old house to lay out the noodles after cooking them so they wouldn't stick together. I did that last night and they didn't tear or stick. It was nice. I sent home 2 containers with my dad and we have plenty leftover for dinner tomorrow.

My mom had her last chemo shot today and will start another round in 3 weeks. She never did get sick. Her blood readings were improved except for her platelets which dropped even further. They lifted her germ restrictions so she can have ice again.

Tomorrow I need to do laundry and figure out food for next week. The in-laws will be here Wednesday.

We did see the fireworks from our driveway last night. Once more houses get built we won't be able to see them.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[deegee]

Hi! I hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th. Matt and I did a lot of running around, investigating our new area. Fiesta dinnerware is made in WV and there is a big store and factory outlet about 45 minutes away. I love my Fiestaware. It's so bright and cheerful...it's like a party in my cabinets! Since we have plenty of cabinet space now, we decided to buy more plates, bowls, and other dishes. The cats got new bright kitty bowls too. We decided to take back roads home, and ended up going through lots of little mountain towns. We were on a mission to find a highly rated restaurant in one of those little towns (we looked for it once before but couldn't find it). We weren't dressed to eat there this time, but now we know where it is! The little town was founded in 1792, and I do believe the brick road that runs through it is just about that old. The restaurant is in an old mansion that has been turned into a B&B.i can't wait to go back. We also found a beautiful lake that we've heard a lot about. We definitely have enjoyed exploring. We did a lot of walking. Food has been pretty good with the exception of that Cinnabon cinnamon roll with extra icing yesterday. We've done a lot of walking so I'm not going to feel too guilty about it.

Marcy-I'm glad your mom tolerated her chemo pretty well. Is she out of the hospital until her next round? It's a shame that the nurses haven't been on top with checking on her. I remember being stunned and the lack of care my mom got when she was in an "award winning" hospital a few years ago with MRSA. I realize that hospitals are supposedly understaffed, but mom's care was just plain bad. Are you doing okay? Too funny about Marty stocking up on wine for the in-laws visit! I'm loving having more counter & cabinet space in the kitchen too. It's not that I cook all that much, but it sure nice to have space! I'm still slightly scared of my gas stove. We used to be able to watch fireworks from our porch, but we're too far into the mountains in our new home to do that. We actually thought about driving back to our old house to sit on the porch for fireworks one last time, but it was raining so we stayed home.

Zoe-I go through spells where I wake up in the middle of the night and usually end up falling back to sleep right at the time I need to get up for work. I hate that! Matt has been waking up around 4 lately (thinking abut work) and rolling around until he decides to just get up and go to work since he's only 6 minutes away from his office. I need to find a new book. I've been reading a series and am about to the last book, but I'm having trouble getting into the book I just downloaded. I think a book about the Holocaust would keep me awake all night! I read Sarah's Key while I was having my hair straightened at a salon, and ended up boo-hooing the whole time!

Dee*Jay-I hope you had a great time in Wisconsin! Did you take Billy Ray? I skipped out on a conference last year in Lake Geneva, and was told later by my friend who did go that I didn't miss much. The year before the conference was in Seattle and we were constantly on the go. It always seems that those tests are heavy in the areas you don't expect. Matt was an absolute BEAR when he was preparing for his FE and PE exams. I remember the practice books being thrown across the room and lots of not so nice language being yelled. I'm glad those weren't multiple day exams! And speaking of Billy Ray, I saw a teenager learning to parallel park the other day in a grey convertible Porsche. I must say I was jealous.

Back to work tomorrow. Groan. Our consultant who has been working in Denver will be in for the week, which means its back to working on the cursed project for the week. Sadly all of this work so far has been just to choose a vendor to design our new computer system. After our Board meeting to week, we will finally be ready to open the cost proposals and award the contract after 6 loooong months of reading technical proposals...assuming the board approves of our work so far. This part is coming to an end, and the real project work where I will be completely leaving my job for 5 years is about to begin. Waahhhh. Have a good Monday.

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone!

Deegee, I am with you on "groan" we have to go back to work tomorrow. I almost need the rest though. It sounds like you and Matt have been having fun exploring your new neighborhood. The lake sounds pretty and how cool to see some historic sites. I am sorry your mom had poor care when she was in the hospital. I feel bad for someone in the hospital who doesn't have family there to help watch out for them. I am doing a little better emotionally this week but I am still kind of frazzled. Rats that you'll be working on your 5 year project soon. You and Matt will both be working jobs you don't like. I am so sorry; that is pretty miserable for both of you.

I am pretty worn out from all the running around I did the last 4 days. I went to the hospital twice a day, cooked meals for Marty, did quite a bit of shopping and got some things ready for the arrival of the in-laws. Marty was really bored yesterday and wanted me to go walk around that new giant hardware store and I passed. I have hardly been home or able to set down all weekend.

I tried to find 2 bouquets of flowers today to take to the hospital (one for my mom and one for my sister's MIL). Weekend pickings are bleak and everything was either ridiculously priced or the flowers were already dying. I didn't pick out anything and worked on the rest of my grocery shopping then I saw some classic style Coke glasses for $1.00 each. I thought they would be perfect for a vase. So I went back to the flower section and got a bouquet of white and a bouquet of yellow carnations and then put them together at the hospital. They have a little activities room on the rehab floor so I broke off the stems so the flowers would fit in the glass and added some water. Voila! A cheery little bouquet of flowers for $6.00 each.

My mom was still more talkative and alert than she's been for a long time. She still barely talks but what she is doing is an improvement. She keeps thinking she is going home next week. My dad doesn't think she should until after her next round of chemo. I don't know what will happen. My dad continues to say he is going to get in home care or assistance. I am sure my dad is getting worn out running back and forth to the hospital 3 times a day but taking care of my mom all day at home will be tiring for him too.

My last errand tonight was to run back to Kohls to get a cotton blanket for our guest bedroom. I have 2 queen sized cotton blankets but can't find one of them since we moved. It is either downstairs somewhere or I threw it out; but I know it is too hot to leave a fleece blanket on one of the guest bed. My in-laws tend to get up and move at night since both of them snore so I need to make sure both bedrooms are ready for guests. I got some new towels for the guest bath and gee I came home with 3 new tops for me.

I am reading the new Janet Evanovich book; it is pretty good. It is called The Heist.

Have a great Monday!
Marcy

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Monday kids!

Marcy, I’m so glad to hear your mom is doing better. And yes, I’m sure your dad is worn out from going to the hospital all the time. Your flower idea sounds really cute! How long with your guests be staying? This is the first time you’ve had people stay over at the new house, right?

Deegee, sadly we didn’t take Billy Ray because we needed an SUV with a tow hitch for the boat. Lake Geneva is a really quaint little town. I go up every for Octoberfest over Columbus day weekend and always have a good time. As for learning to parallel park in a Porsche… Oh my! I certainly hope it wasn’t a manual and that it was a really big parking space!

Zoe, let me know how you like the book because I’m making my reading list for when this testing is over!

The CB and I had a good time in Wisconsin. Both our ride up and back were miraculously free of traffic for the most part, with the exception of one point yesterday in construction where it took an hour to go four miles. We ate non stop (Dairy Queen four times in four days!), went to WalMart for *something* once a day, and were pestered by hungry mosquitoes. One day we drove about an hour north and took a ferry to the Apostle Islands. Not much to do there so we just had an early lunch and came back and it was a nice day and the boat ride was fun. On Saturday night a really violent thunderstorm rolled through and stayed for HOURS. I’ve never known a storm to sit on top of one location for so long and I kept thinking one of the big trees in the yard was going to get struck by lightning. All in all, a typical weekend at the cabin! I was also very good about studying and am actually ahead of where I wanted to be at the end of the weekend, so I’m pretty happy about that.

OK, back to the grind!

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone!

Dee Jay, yes this is the first time we are having guests at our house. How exciting. The spare bedrooms and bath is on the opposite side of the house so that shouldn't be too weird. Our living room isn't flush with furniture a couch and love seat but my in-laws love to set on the patio (it is actually their patio furniture) so they probably will be out there till dark. Your weekend sounds wonderful. I am glad you had a nice break from all of your studying.

I left work early today so I could get to the hospital and get home before 5. My mom was reading the newspaper; something she hasn't done much of lately because she said she couldn't concentrate. That was good to see. They are letting her go home on Thursday. They will have in home health care, in home physical therapy and in home social workers visit so that makes me feel better. She is excited to go home.

Tonight we had a community picnic / neighborhood watch. Marty volunteered our giant tent that we use for the registration booth at star parties. He went over and set it up about 4 today. They used it for the food tent. We went over about 5:15 and ate right away (which was a good call since the lines were long for hours). We took our camping chairs so just hung out for a while, walked around and visited with some people and Marty brought me home about 9:30 since I was getting cold and been away from the facilities for too long. He went back to help them tear down and get out tent.

My in-laws will get here about 3 tomorrow. Rats that I left early today. I'd feel bad leaving early again tomorrow. Then I am on vacation though. Sweet.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Tuesday kids!

Marcy, it's great that your mom is able to go home already! And I do think you should leave early today too. Tell your boss I said it was OK!.

Nothing exciting to report here. I *planned* to read through all of Chapter 4 last night but about 45 pages into the 91 pages I said screw it and went to sleep. I've been sleeping on the couch ever since I screwed up my back becuse that way I do not move around at night and that seems to be better, but I think I'm going to brave the bed again tonight. And I want to go to the gym this weekend too!

We had a meeting here at work and the guests left early without eating lunch so there is a ton of Chinese food in the kitchen. Another low cal low salt meal... Of course I COULD go out and get a salad, but when you have to walk past all the food to get to the elevator it never seems to happen.

 

[zoebartlett]

Marcy, your mom came home today, right? How does she feel? Have fun on vacation! Your picnic sounded fun!

Deegee, I love how colorful Fiesta ware is. Party in your cabinets! What series are you reading? I just finished The Innocent by David Baldacci and it was pretty good. Looking for something else now...I might run to the library later and see what's there. Oh, and this is from a while ago, but I think you asked about whether we found out if Henry (one of our cats) has a thyroid problem. I finally took him to the vet and he's lost a little over 4 lbs. since last July. The vet thinks our little buddy looks great but he's concerned with either thyroid issues or diabetes. He thinks it's the former though. He ran some test and we'll find out tomorrow. I might look into pet insurance for him but I'm not sure it'll be worth it (or if we'll be able to get him covered, with his conditions and age -- he's just about 7 but I guess that's when cats enter their senior years).

Dee*Jay, how does your back feel today? I really liked The Storyteller. It's not a light read but it's very interesting. The author, Jodi Picoult, chose to focus on the idea of whether it's possible to have sympathy for a Nazi war criminal so many years after WWII. This book, as with Picoult's others, are told by several characters' points of view. I went from reading that book to reading a book about a CIA (?) hit man. I need something more fun to read next.

Today the little stinker *Henry) stole a whole string cheese wrapped in two pieces of turkey from my plate. Goodbye lunch! Then he had the nerve to growl and hiss at me when I tried to get it back. Guess who won? It DID look funny to see him running through the house with a big string cheese hanging from his mouth, but I was NOT happy at the time. He ate the whole thing, too.

I've been cleaning out closets and we now have a big box of stuff to donate. I feel like we have more we could part with but I think this is good for now. Nothing else new to report. I'm bored at home but yet I can't seem to make my way to the gym. No excuse either, just lazy. Food's been good for the most part. We've been a ton of berries lately. They're so good! Salmon, brown rice, and berries are on tonight's dinner menu. The weather's been so awful the past week or so, and I'm ready for nice summer days to return. We're going to look at condos again this weekend because that's all we ever do these days. Our 5 year anniversary is tomorrow and we're going out to dinner. We're going to a great Italian place but I'm going to resist pasta and dessert, which might not be easy.

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone. How did it go braving a night of sleep in your bed? Is your back feeling better? You can't pass up free Chinese food.

Zoe, Happy Anniversary tomorrow. Enjoy your dinner. That is too funny about your cat. I can also see him running around with string cheese hanging out of his mouth. Have fun looking at Condos.

My mom did go home today this afternoon. I am going over in the morning to see her. She seems glad to be home. I hope she continues to do better.

My in-laws arrived before I got home yesterday. It has been more food and wine than normal around here today but tomorrow they are meeting friends. We. Are all going to supper tomorrow night. It is thier 44th anniversary.

Well I am fading fast. Take care.

Marcy

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Friday kids!

Zoe, thank you for the book info! Have a good time at your anniversary dinner. Maybe if you skip the pasta you can have dessert… ? Just call 1-800-Dee-Enables! I am laughing at your cat! Right when we got The Demon we had people over for dinner. Bill put four big filets on the counter and then went out on the balcony to check the grill. Next thing I know Dino is racing through the house with a huge hunk of meat in his mouth with Bill close on his trail. Well the dog was faster than the husband and ate the thing (swallowed it whole, I swear!) before the case came to an end. Our guests were dying with laughter. We were not.

Marcy, I’m glad your mom is home. And 44 years for your in laws… WOW! I did sleep in bed on Wednesday night, but I was back on the couch last night—mostly because this is where I was when I closed my eyes, LOL.

I had a sadly unproductive day yesterday. My best friend just moved into a new place so I went up to have lunch and take her to Target since she doesn’t have a car. Six hours later… ACK. I also got my hair cut last night. The last time it was this short Bill referred to me as “His wife, the boy.” Oh well, at least I have good cheekbones!

 

[zoebartlett]

Dee*Jay, it sounds like The Demon and Henry would get along just fine, or they'd duke it out for whatever food they could get their paws on. I was so afraid that if I chased Henry too much, he'd end up in our bedroom, under the floor, with the food. Ewww...
We're still waiting for the vet to call with the results of Henry's tests. He's working on his 10th life and he's costing us a fortune, but we love him. Um, sorry it's so big!

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone!

Dee Jay, LOL “1-800-Dee Enables”. Too funny about Demon and the steak. See what I miss out on with stuffed animals for my pets? That is good you slept at least one night in your bed.

Zoe, Henry is cute!

I deliberately slept in today so I didn’t have to go to the in-laws family breakfast. I had a thin bagel and nutri grain bar when I got up.

I went over to my parent’s house and got a few things ordered for them to help with my mom. She seemed happy to be home.

Marty cooked us grilled cheese sandwiches on the grill (weird I know) for lunch and we had some baked lays with them.

Supper is at our favorite steak house so I am saving up for that. Everyone is having cocktails already but if I have one on an empty stomach I won’t have enough sense to not have a second then I’ll be drunk for supper.

Marcy

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Saturday kids!

Zoe, excellent point about Henry under the bed with food. I’m not too fond of the idea of The Demon under my bed with a hunk of meat either! He looks precious and very smart—a very dangerous combination!

Marcy, I slept in bed last night and it was… OK. The problem is I move around in bed, which I don’t do on the couch, and end up doing a lot of twisting and rolling. Plus, I’m a stomach sleeper, and doing that with a herniated disk will get you a trip right back to the ER!

The CB and one of my best friends and I went to dinner last night at an Italian place with an outdoor patio. It’s funny though because the patio looks right at the parking lot (there was literally an SUV parked eight feed behind me) but I always face the bar so I don’t see the cars, LOL.

Today I have a slew of little things that need to be done, including putting Jr’s new plate on. Yes, the state let D CUP go through. Who says there’s no humor left in the world! I will post a pic in hangout once I get it on. I also bought a rhinestone studded license plate holder when we were at Walmart last weekend. The choices were clear and pink, and I was sorely tempted by the pink, but I was afraid it would clash with the purpose of the license plate.

OK, off to study for a while!

 

[zoebartlett]

Happy Sunday!

Marcy, sleeping in just to miss breakfast with the in-laws...too funny!

Dee*Jay, how's studying going?

The vet called and there's nothing wrong with Henry. No diabetes, no thyroid issue -- nothing! I'm shocked and I think the vet is too. So it turns out Henry's just a pig, plain and simple. The vet recommended that we switch him to the higher calorie version of special food we've been feeding both cats. This won't be good news for Henry's sister because she does need to lose weight, so we'll probably have to feed them separately from now on. The vet also said that Henry's heart murmur sounds better than it used to, which is odd, he said. He's going to do an echo ultrasound next week and check things out. I also scheduled a teeth cleaning for Henry, which he'll be put under for.

We went out to dinner on Friday for our anniversary. I managed to avoid pasta (at this Italian place), but oh, I so didn't save on calories. I had these large stuffed fired risotto balls -- stuffed with spinach and cheese, and then placed over tomato sauce. Then I had chicken picatta, and asked them to omit the butter from their wine/butter sauce. That came with a baked potato and sour cream. For dessert, I had a piece of key lime pie. Even only eating half of my meal, I'm sure the calorie count was ridiculous. But so worth it!

We found a duplex on the seacoast that was built in the '30s and it had a ton of character, but someone else took it. It came and went within 2 days. I'm so bummed, but something else will be out there. We're still undecided as to where to move, but we've at least decided to give up our current condo. I hate the thought of giving up what we have but it's the right decision, financially.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Monday kids!

Zoe, I'm glad to hear there's nothing medically wrong with Henry! As for being a pig, you should meet The Demon. He will eat ANYTHING. ANYTHING. One time Bill was making guacamole and dropped a bunch of cilantro, still tied with the string, on the floor. Dino swallowed it whole--string and all. About 15 minuts later he puked it back up... string and all. Super. We think he's like this becuase he was a stray and had to fend for himself. When we got him you could count his ribs from across the room--now however he is encased in a fine coating of doggy blubber!

I was bad about studying on Saturday but made up for it yesterday. I'm actually ahead of the schedule I set for myself (not by much, but hey, I'll take what I can get!), but there is just SO MUCH material in this part. TONS of memorization...

The gym was a no-go because my back is still not 100%, but I'm close. We went to dinner Friday and Saturday night but the CB made BBQ chicken on the grill last night. It was marvelous!

We have a new class of incoming associates starting today so there will be food galore, and we have a cocktail party starting at 4 pm. Rut ro!

 

[zoebartlett]

Almost a month into summer vacation and I think I'm finally starting to relax. I spent some quality time at the pool this afternoon and it was heaven. Ahhhh... the weather's supposed to be the same all week (sunny, 90s), so I see more pool time in my future.

We're going to look at a few condos and apartments tomorrow since my husband is taking a half personal day. I spoke to one girl today about a place she's renting, and I think she became my new best friend. We chatted for about 30 minutes about the properties she and her husband own and a million other things. I'm really looking forward to meeting her!

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone. I am typing this on my iPad mini. That is what a few days of constant company does to you.

Dee Jay, definitely don't twist and turn and irritate your herniated disk. That sounds painful. Most of our restaurant patios are off the parking lot. Very classy, huh? Awesome about the rhinestone studded license plate holder. I am still laughing over D CUP. Yay for being ahead on your studies. Mmm BBQ chicken.

Zoe, yes sleeping in keeps me sane this week. LOL. that is awesome Henry got a good report card for his thyroid. Relaxing by he pool sounds like a great way to relax. Good luck with the condo search.

I am so glad the in-laws will only be here until Thursday morning. My mother-in-law might get her hands slapped if she keeps loading my dish washer. She gets stuff all over the place because she doesn't rinse my dishes, one day she stuck dirty dishes in with the clean that dripped down on clean dishes and she wiped them with a dish towel and put them away.

My FIL is moody. They start drinking before noon. If I drink that early I'd be passed out by 3.

I asked them what they eat for breakfast so I bought them exactly what they said and now they are complaining about it.

Well at least it's only for a week.

My mom is still doing a bit better than she was weeks ago. The therapist came to their house and left a sheet of things to do everyday. The PT comes twice a week. She isn't over medicating herself so she is at least talking and answering questions. They took her for blood tests today. She goes back next week again then talks to the oncologist. Her chemo starts again on the 29th.

Yesterday we wandered 4 hardware stores. Lots of walking but boring. We are looking for a hinged French patio door to replace our 2 sliding patio doors.

Well, the gang is home best go.

Marcy