Now I really did it :((

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Jimmianne, I don’t know that I prefer any one style of furniture but I know what I like when I see it. I can’t wait to see your yellow diamonds. I don’t blame you for looking for a local dealer on your jewelry since you have good service from them. That is great your car dealer treats you well too. I quickly turn away from online vendors who don’t respond to me. Even if they just tell me I’ll look in to this and get back to you tomorrow or the next day is enough to appease me. If they flat out ignore me I move on. When we bought my current car 2 years ago the Mercedes dealer was really high pressure and they pulled crap like oh that $2000 bonus we told you about an hour ago was limited and we already gave it to someone else (we could clearly see there wasn’t anyone else in there shopping) and the clincher was when the salesman told me he personally donates $1000 to wounded warriors on any sale. What a liar! The Mercedes website had that listed as a company policy at the time. The dealer we have bought our last 3 cars from just gives us a car and lets us go test drive it. They basically leave us alone. I am glad your DD went to see the doctor. Enjoy your sparkly wine and movie.

Missy, I am so sorry to hear about your sister’s beloved dog. Hugs to her. I hate to hear you’ve got other critters eating your kitty’s food. That is right - our shopping is good for the economy. I am sorry your had a rough day at work. Our flowers are going strong out front too. They have usually been frozen by now.

Callie, did you have a nice birthday? That is too cute your furbaby likes rice so much. I hope that popsicle stick works it way out. Ouch! Poor furbaby. I know what you mean about our hubbies find out about our shopping sprees by email notices. Marty gets the paypal receipts and shipping notices so there are just no secrets there. Darn it! Agreed that clothing sizes are all over the place. How exciting your niece might be engaged.

Kristie, I am relieved to hear Finn and Maggie are doing a little better. I hate to hear the vet bills are so high but Finn and Maggie are worth it. I am delighted to hear you are doing your best for the economy too. Sweet that you found a nice Waterford bowl at Costco. I remember your pretty crystal glasses. My problem child’s badge will be deactivated for our room at 5 pm Friday. I am so excited.

Junebug, your kids sounds like they are stepping in to live and young adults. I am sure they are great people. What does your daughter want to teach? I am leaning towards a 3 stone garnet ring. It doesn’t have any diamond accents but I feel like I’ve bought plenty of diamonds lately. It has a 5x7mm EC garnet then 2 3mm square garnets on the side. I have some garnet EC studs and pendent and I miss wearing them. I am counting down till 5 pm Friday for sure. I hope your family stuff gets smoothed over and you aren’t too stressed. Hugs to you.

Here is the ring I'm thinking about.


I went out to supper both last night and tonight with some girl friends. It was fun. I ate too much but stopped at one drink; I was driving after all.

I am down to 2 more days left of my “favorite” employee. Woo hoo!!!

Of course at this point in time any day that doesn’t start with my security alarm doesn’t go off at 4:30 am is a GREAT day.

Have a great Thursday.
Marcy

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Callie, it was the new ICD-10 codes that had me stressed yesterday. Before I left on vacation nothing was said or told to us about the new codes and though I knew it was coming I was not prepared. I thought it would be a relatively simple switch but when I got to work yesterday after being out for almost 3 weeks I found all my previous diagnoses codes were deleted. My favorites too! Without that I was starting from scratch and each exam would take me forever if I had to figure each diagnosis out separately with the new codes. I mean it was ridiculous.

So the IT guy asked me to just right out my most used diagnoses and he would put it in my favorites category (which was now completely empty) so I did that but in the meantime I called my good friend who has his own practice and he emailed me the "cheat sheet" he made up for ICD-10 codes and I printed it out and voila. Much easier. Turns out our IT guy (I know he did his best) put in some codes that are too vague/non specific and I really cannot use those so fortunately my friend Rob saved the day for me. Seriously I was about to lose it yesterday. It was just too much.

The clinic administrator should have prepared the clinicians for this change and had a short seminar on it so we could have transitioned more smoothly IMO. I spoke with the psychiatrist at work yesterday and she too was similarly stressed 2 weeks ago when the codes were first instituted. We were totally and completely unprepared re the ICD-10 change. This is a clinic and not a private practice and hence the administrators really should have made sure their clinicians were better versed on it and certainly our previous codes should not have been deleted without us knowing about it first. Yanno?

Ooh please keep us posted about your niece and her new bling to be. Cannot wait to hear (and hopefully see!) all about it.

I am glad you had a nice birthday yesterday if low key and got to catch up with some friends. I know you are looking forward to this weekend!

Marcy, I like that garnet ring, very pretty. I am glad you are having fun with your girlfriends and enjoyed an evening out. And woohoo only 2 days left with problem employee! Cannot wait for you to be free of this employee! And yes anytime the security alarm does not go off is a good day haha. Too scary what you went through and glad that matter is sorted out.


Today Greg is bring our 4 fur babies to see my sister for their annual checkups and also to make sure Tommy and Fred are A-OK as I have noticed they are both drinking more than what I think is usual for them. It is challenging with 4 to figure out who is doing what sometimes and so hopefully everyone is OK.

As for the feral kitties at the beach I just don't know what to do. Yes raccoons and possum(s) are feeding often but there is enough food for the kitties too. My worry is that the raccoons could fight with the kitties and that would be awful. I just don't know how to stop the raccoons
from eating the food. Last night Greg turned the house alarm on when we saw one of the really fat raccoons eating the food again (lol it is sort of adorable to watch them eating I admit) but it didn't phase that raccoon in the slightest. They seem to be quite brazen. If anyone has any ideas how to prevent the raccoons from feeding there I would be most grateful. I fear there is no solution to this problem though.

Jimmianne, I hope your DD's health keeps improving and that she is well on her way to being completely better.

Kristie, hope Ms Maggie is all better too and that Finn continues to improve as well.

Junie, good morning and hugs. Hope family matters are sorting themselves out for you.

Sunstorm, how are you feeling? How is your move going?

LLJsmom, marathon is coming up woohoo! Only a couple more weeks.

Have a good day girls.

 

[MarionC]

Missy, this code thing is outrageous. You should be able to do your job and help people instead of dealing with all the BS.
Glad it's getting straightened out.

Thanks for asking about DD. She is much better and starting school for French this week. She has run out of pocket money and her credit card is not working. We had similar trouble with cards when I was there. Interestingly the doctor she saw dropped the fee because she could not pay, but then thankfully the card worked at the pharmacy. I am beginning to remember how confusing details in France were!

The Mege eternity [Joy's Fall present] was shipped to me this morning. Then hopefully my newly sized bands and marquise will be ready soon. woo-hoo!! I had Tony milgrain and engrave my 7-stone HOF band with leaves for fun. This all should satisfy the Fall urge to bling. Maybe not LOL

LLJsmom - yeah the marathon! Wish we could ALL be there to cheer you on.

I hate to turn off the computer and go to work. As long as I am typing I feel that we are all connected : )

Good day to everyone - may your day have little or no waves, and large infusions of happy thoughts.

 

[junebug17]

Oh my gosh missy, these pics are something else! Those critters are making themselves right at home, aren't they? I don't know, so far everyone seems to be co-existing but it would be so much better if those party-crashers weren't around. I googled "keeping raccoons away from cat food" and apparently this is a problem that people experience when feeding feral cats, so hopefully it will be some small comfort that at least you're not alone! Quite a few sites came up and I haven't read through all of them, but so far the only thing I've found that *might* help and is possibly doable is putting the food on a shelf or table, apparently raccoons aren't fans of jumping. It's all I've got so far, but I'll keep looking. Hang in there and try not to worry too much if you can, you are doing all you can in a very difficult situation. ((((hugs))))

Ugh, I'm so sorry that you walked into such a stressful situation at work after being on vacation! I cannot believe there wasn't more preparation and training for this change. :angry fire: I am SO happy that your friend came through and was able to help you, that must have been such a relief for you.

Marcy, I love the ring you posted, it's really pretty! I'm so glad you're finally going to be done with your employee, it seems like this has been dragging on! Glad you had a few nights out with friends, sounds fun and it's nice you had some company while Marty is gone.

My daughter is getting her degree in grades pre-k through 5 - she prefers working with young children; she says she remembers what teenagers are like and has no desire to work with them haha! She will also be certified in Special Education and will have a Masters in teaching. Unfortunately, I think a lot of people prefer the little ones so hopefully she'll be able to find a job lol.

Jimmianne, I can't wait to see that beautiful band alongside Joy! I'm so excited for you - and I'm so happy you were able to have your mother's gorgeous ring sized, it's just so fabulous. Please post pics of everything when you get them all back! So glad to hear your dd is feeling better.

And I agree, it's so nice to know that you lovely ladies are just a click away! I feel a connection too.

Calliecake, I hope you had a nice and relaxing birthday! My daughter is home on weekends and a few days of the week right now because she is substitute teaching in our area. And Zoe the cat is doing very well! She's a sweetie, although she has her moments, the little stinker lol.

Sunstorm, I'm thinking of you and hoping your move went well, and that you're feeling ok.

Kristie, I'm hoping Maggie and Finn are feeling better as each day passes!

As for what's going on with me - I'll spare you all the details, but my brother seems to be getting really burned out caring for my mother, even with me helping out. I just got him to agree to have some help come in but in the meantime my sister has said she would like my mother to live with her in NC. My mother vacillates between being excited by the idea and saying she'll think about it. We don't want to force her - it is a big change but honestly I think it's the best thing for everyone for various reasons. My brother dislikes my sister and things have gotten nasty, with me in the middle. I am very stressed out by the whole situation to the point where I am not feeling well physically. I really have to try to get a grip and just let things play out. I guess I am just worn out with having a dysfunctional family ha.

Thanks for listening, and for being here for me! I hope you're all having a good night!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Missy, I am so sorry to hear the codes were such a pain for you. That is great your friend was able to help you out and give you a cheat sheet. My sister does the pre-approval of insurance for a hospital and has to go to training all the time for changes in coding for her job. I hope your furbabies had a good check up with your sister.

Jimmianne, I am glad to hear your DD is doing better and I hope her credit card troubles get resolved quickly. I am anxious to see all of your bling.

1 more day of my favorite employee.

I had my monthly supervisor class at our local college today so I worked until 9:30; went to school and got home about 4 pm. I baked myself a potato for supper. Marty wouldn't be amused with that for supper but it sounded good to me. I had a plate of raw veggies with it and then some slow churned ice cream.

I am watching San Andreas.

Have a great Friday!
Marcy

 

[MarionC]

Marcy, today's the day! TIme for your petty tyrant to take a hike, eh?
The perfect start of the weekend for you, I am thinking.

I was just visiting some of you over on the step-cut eternity thread.

more later.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Junie, I love you!!! That is a fantastic idea and I have been putting off researching to see if anything could be done because I was afraid nothing could be done. Ha, I make a lot of sense right. Bury my head in the sand because I was afraid of the answer which is not like me at all.

Thank you for that terrific idea!!! OMG if this works what a huge help it would be. The raccoons are eating almost the whole night and we have the camera on live during the evening and last night one of the cats (a new one that's right a 5th kitty ) was eating and the biggest raccoon came over and started eating too and the little kitty just looked at him and didn't move away and I was having a heart attack. My worst fear here coming true-that a raccoon would attack a kitty with me being far away and unable to intervene. Anyway after what seemed an eternity the cat finally ran away. Another time last night Sammy was eating and a raccoon came over and chased him away and started eating. I was so upset. But relieved none of the cats got hurt. It is a dangerous situation and I cannot thank you enough for googling solutions for me sweet Junie! Thank you!!!

I think that is a wonderful career choice your daughter is making. We are at work for so much of our lives generally and for her to choose something that she will love doing every single day is a great choice. How could working with sweet children not put a smile on your face and in your heart. To be getting both a Masters in Education and Special Ed is smart and she will find something she enjoys doing.

I am sorry your brother is burning out and that he and your sister don't get along very well. It is one of the most challenging things in life to be caring for an elderly parent and you have been doing it for so long. I am hoping that your mother does move in with your sister in NC because for one it would be a nice change for her. A change in scenery and something different to make her life more interesting and perhaps make her feel more involved again and engaged in things. Just a nice overall pick me up if that makes sense.

And secondly, it would be a nice break for you. You have been doing so much for so long for your mom and it is just what you need Junie. I hope you don't mind me saying so but you can get burned out and you have been so dedicated to your mother for so long where most of this has been falling squarely on your shoulders. This might be just what you need to start feeling more like yourself and less stressed.(((HUGS))).

Plus NC is where Jimmianne lives so if your mom goes to be with your sister when you visit you can drop in on Jimmianne. That is incentive enough. LOL.


Jimmianne, so excited for your new bling. Please don't forget to share pics of it all when you have the time and energy to do a photo shoot...OK? Remember I am living vicariously through you bling wise these days. Joy is a lucky girl to get that Leon Mege ring as a fall present.

I am thinking good thoughts for that sweet little chick of yours and praying she makes it. (((Hugs))).

Marcy, woohoo last day of problem employee! That ice cream sounds delicious. Slow churned. Yummy. Have a good day at work today and tomorrow is Saturday!

I hope everyone has a good Friday. We are leaving for the beach in a little while mainly for the feral kitties as it really is too cold to bike ride this weekend. We might get some riding in this afternoon as it will be the warmest day but Sat and Sun are going to feel like the 30's/40's with winds that are quite high. So we will figure something else out. And now that Junie has given me that amazing idea I hope we can figure out how to make something that is elevated yet sturdy enough to hold the feeders (I now have 2 gravity feeders as the 2nd one was delivered last night) and gravity waterer for the feral cats that won't be easy for the raccoons so they can stop scaring the kitties and stealing all the food. I think Greg has just had some things added to his honey do list.

See you later girls.

 

[MarionC]

June, two pieces of good news from you!
First the Junekittysolution. Visualizing your solution made me wonder if the raccoons are bigger than the kitties and furthered your idea with a thought.
Greg could make a feeding box off the ground with a hole big enough for kitties to get in, but not those pesky intruders.
Then the food would attract the kitties into a sheltered space
and Greg is the perfect person to build something. If it had a plexiglass front or side Missy could still see the activity with her camera.

and your second news...where in NC is your sister? That would be so great for your Mom. Mine was resistant to moves, but maybe if she thought of it as a wonderful seasonal visit to a place with a great climate? Not as scary as the word "move". Ulterior motives here, of course. I want you to all be closer! or at least have reasons to come here.

 

[Elania]

I have to say when I read this thread I feel guilty, like I'm out somewhere eavesdropping on a conversation between really good girlfriends who are catching up with each other. But I'm fascinated by and worried for these kitties and have to butt in, sorry!

Missy - could you find a pet sitter/dog walker who might be able to help refill the feeders? Or some sympathetic soul from the local animal hospital? It's a very kind thing you're doing for those kitties.

 

[MarionC]

Hi Elania.
Welcome!

 

[missy]

Hi Elania! I'm glad you stopped by and thank you so much for offering support and advice. That is very kind of you and I really appreciate it and I hope you will hang around here with us.

There really is no one around here who is willing to help the kitties. I have left no stone unturned. I also feel very guilty for not doing more i.e. trapping, neutering and releasing the kitties but I just cannot. I won't go into detail as it will bore everyone to tears but suffice it to say without a home for them to go to in safety I cannot trap and release after having them go through surgery like spaying. I know the consequences of more litters but I am at my limit with what I can handle. I am not proud of that and in fact embarrassed but I am baring my soul here and being completely honest. I am just not cut out for animal rescue but will do what I can the best I can do it. Greg is fairly certain there are 5 kitties eating now and we are trying to figure out what to do to keep them safe from the raccoons at least while eating. Thank you again Junie. I so appreciate you looking that up for me and the kitties.

What our plan is as of now is to come here as many weekends as possible and refill the hard food feeders. I bought a second feeder so now we can have 26 lbs of hard food going at once and hopefully that will keep them till our next visit. Next weekend I have CE all 3 days Fri/Sat/Sun but Greg is going to make it here and fill the feeder for the kitties. The food in the feeder is 4/5 gone so they managed to eat most of it in just 4 days. So I am glad I bought another. It will be challenging as we usually are busy most weekends in the city when the weather gets colder but we are making it a priority. Now we have to worry about the cold and the predators around here. The kitty tube I bought for shelter will never fit all these kitties but they don't seem interested in the shelter anyway. So overwhelming for me right now. I cannot believe none of the animal rescue people I contacted can help and most of them did not even bother to get back to me. Very disappointing to say the least.

OK sorry to monopolize the thread with this latest tale of woe. I am truly sorry it seems there is always something. Right now I know I am obsessed with trying to help these kittens but am at my wits end and while I am not sorry I started feeding Sammy when I first saw him a few weeks ago part of me wonders if I am doing any good at all or just prolonging the inevitable and question of they have any quality of life at all. Especially once the brutal cold sets in.

Please someone brighten the thread up with something happy. Jimmianne, no pressure but do you have any pics of your new bling yet?

 

[junebug17]

Hi all -

Missy, I will be back later but wanted to pop in quickly to say that I also read Jimmianne's suggestion on several sites - a rubbermaid container is turned upside down and a hole is cut at the bottom big enough for the cats but (hopefully) too small for the raccoons to get in - you'd have to use a big container to fit the feeders; I also saw some made out of wood - I've been thinking about it and my concern about the shelf/table is that the kittens might not be able to make it up there. I'll let you know if I find anything else.

eta - ok, I'm having a little more success when I google dog-proof cat feeder - here is one site with some wood examples - the only thing is the hole would have to be small enough to keep a raccoon out -

http://talesfromasearshouse.blogspot.com/2013/04/dog-proof-cat-feeding-station.html

 

[MarionC]

haha Missy, yes, bling makes a day brighter. Maybe you and Bea could spend some time together in an optimal light situation [OLS] LOL
I am grooving on my little Asscher as I pay bills and wait for my dear cleaner to finish so I can go to town and pick up the bling [POTB].
cheers, Missy. DId any kitties ever before have so many people wishing them well?
Please tell Greg we all love him for helping the kitties.

Speaking of Bea, I may go visit her thread today. She always brightens my day!

 

[MarionC]

Hi all -

Missy, I will be back later but wanted to pop in quickly to say that I also read Jimmianne's suggestion on several sites - a rubbermaid container is turned upside down and a hole is cut at the bottom big enough for the cats but (hopefully) too small for the raccoons to get in - you'd have to use a big container to fit the feeders; I also saw some made out of wood - I've been thinking about it and my concern about the shelf/table is that the kittens might not be able to make it up there. I'll let you know if I find anything else.

Raccoons are very smart..and with those little hands of theirs!!! but I feel we will prevail in the raccoon wars!
onward!!!

 

[MarionC]

well, #%^&*
I lost my post.

So, Missy, some bling. I am so tired from this long day of cleaning and caring and think I could get better photos another time, but needless to say I'm happy with Tony's work. He and I are hatching a plan for a setting for my Asscher that I'm crazy about
here are before & after views of the HOF band. I asked him to make the engraving organic instead of precisely similar leaf-shapes.





Anyone have weekend plans to share? Please! I would love to hear deails - juicy and otherwise : )

 

[junebug17]

Missy, thank you for your understanding and compassion. I truly think a change of scenery and interacting with a different set of people will be good for my mother's mental health. I think she is literally going stir-crazy being cooped up in her house and staring at the same four walls day in and day out. I think a new environment will stimulate her and relieve the boredom she has been feeling. And yes, I am feeling worn out after 5 years and it would be nice to live a more normal life for a while. I hope that doesn't make me sound like a bad person. And I hope you girls know me well enough by now to know that I fully intend to be a part of my mother's life and assist my sister and her husband in any way I can, and that includes frequent visits to relieve them. Thank you SO much for your support missy, it is very comforting to me that you understand the situation.

And missy, please don't feel embarrassed about not doing animal rescue - it is a huge commitment and very draining emotionally, and if it is any comfort, as much as I love and care about animals I know I couldn't do it either. It is perfectly understandable, and honestly it would be very difficult to do anyway since you are not living full time in that area.

Jimmianne, my mother is normally very adverse to change but interestingly she seems to want to go to my sister's, at least for now lol.We are presenting it to her as a visit but to be honest once she is settled, she will probably remain there. This move, if it happens, won't be until January because my sister just bought a place in Asheville and they are completely renovating it and it won't be ready until then. I suspect my mother might change her mind as the time to leave nears but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. And yes, I could always plan a side trip since I'd be in the same state haha!

Oh wow, the engraving on your band turned out beautifully!! I really love it, Tony did such an excellent job, it looks fantastic!

I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you in the weekend plans department, nothing special going on for me. I'm just going to try to get a few things done around the house, and probably won't do a darn thing !

 

[Calliecake]

Junebug. Please do not feel bad at all about your mom going to stay with your sister for a while. You and your brother both need a break. The biggest problem with taking care of the elderly is getting burned out. You need this... Five years is a long time. No one would ever think you are not going to be involved in your moms care, and involved in her life or offer help and support to your sister. I'm also sorry you have been stuck in the middle of your brother and sister. Trust me i know. My family can also be dysfunctional! Hugs Junie!

Jimmianne, I love your ring. What a difference the engraving makes! Wow! So, so pretty. So good to hear your daughter is feeling better.

Marcy, I love the picture you posted of the ring. Is this your reward for dealing with your problem child employee the past few weeks? Sounds like a couple mudslides may also be in order!

 

[junebug17]

Calliecake, thank you for your kind words…caring for an elderly parent is a tough situation and there just doesn't seem to be a perfect solution. I do have mixed emotions about all of this, and honestly I do feel a bit guilty, but my brother is burned out and I'm on my way. I've been trying so hard to assist him as much as possible and it's just taken its toll on me.

Marcy, I just realized you are finally done with your problem employee! I'm happy for you!

 

[LLJsmom]

Hi girls, I'm alive. Today is my first day after the craziness, and spent the morning crying while watching YouTube snippets of The Voice. My family is addicted to that show. We love music and just seeing the judges focus on a person's voice and not their looks is inspiring to me. It trains these judges and the people who watch this show not to judge anyone by how he or she looks. Everyone has a story and you should never make assumptions, although I know j am guilty of that all the time.

I hope that you guys are all doing well. I have read very little about what is going on. I'm super tired but I just wanted to say I have missed you all and hope that everyone is healthy and safe. Catch up more tomorrow.

 

[MarionC]

LLJsmom, good to hear from you. I know you had mentioned you would be busy for a while, but still, you were missed! and I wondered what you were up to and when you would be back with your NIRDI family.

June - Asheville! The coolest hip town in NC. Now I know you will come to visit and I will even drive over for lunch sometime.
IKWYM about your Mom changing her mind by then. Those girls do that. Hard to keep up with them. Anyway, sending you good thoughts, and hoping there is something the family can do to get some relief. You are angels in this awful situation. One of those life stages that really squeezes you into a corner. hugs!

edit: Thanks! re: the band. I think Tony is great. I am so impressed with his translation of my wishes into reality and his handling of "tiny".
I sent a quote request to one of the PS designers, but after seeing Tony's detail work I will probably go with him. It will be interesting to compare quotes. I told him I wanted a butterfly ring that was a bit fantastical and he suggested working all the stages of a butterfly's life into the design, so we are having fun with that.
Your weekend plans are so much more exciting than mine! haha seriously LOL

 

[missy]

Jimmianne, thank you for the beautiful bling pics!!! I love it all! Tony is an artist. Like you! That band he engraved is so lovely. Thank you for the cheer me up bling.

Junie, thank you for all those links. I did some googling yesterday after our ride and your links are better than mine. Especially that dog link. So creative. And thank you for getting how I am feeling re trapping these cats and neutering them but I know in my heart I am not doing any of this the right and best way. I just cannot see the forest for the trees right now even though I know this is not the best thing to do.

I hope your mom doesn't change her mind about visiting your sister in NC because then as you say once she is there it will be easier to convince her to make it a longer "visit" and then that might just become the perfect living arrangement at least for now. And you can visit whenever you like and help out however you can this way. It will be a huge boon for you and for your mother. Change of scenery when one is down and bored is always a good pick me up especially because she is going from one loving home to another. (((Hugs))).

Callie, I am sorry I went on and on yesterday during our conversation and I know you understand but I still wanted to say sorry. I hope you have a great time with your girlfriends on Sunday and your sweet 8lb fur baby will be pampered quite royally so no worries there. HA, I wish I could stay somewhere they took care of us like that LOL. And please share whatever purchases you make this weekend. Looking forward to hearing all about it. I forgot to tell you I got a few more dresses this week (love online shopping-ordered Monday received Tuesday) and I promptly wore them to work Wed and Thurs haha. No delayed gratification here.

Kristie, thinking of all you have been going through with the furbabies and I hope dear Maggie had a good night and is feeling all better this morning. And hugs to her and Finnie boy and as always huge hugs to you.

LLJsmom, hi there! I sure hope the weather cooperates for you when you come visiting and that the marathon day is nice and cool and dry. Looking forward to meeting you and having a bling fest.


Last night was unbelievable. I thought if we were at the beach house I could stop the raccoons from eating the cat food. Was I ever wrong. The kitties were eating once the workmen left at around 4:30 PM or so and continued eating until Rocky the raccoon showed up around 8:30. So I had the idea to slam the front door to scare him. Very little reaction. He looked up but then went on eating merrily. I then flashed the porch light because I read they don't like lighted conditions. Again very little reaction. I then left the porch light on, well it did not phase him in the slightest. So much for not liking the light. I wouldn't let Greg go out there because Rocky is huge and from what I could tell not scared of us at all. So I shut off the live monitoring from my iPad and got ready for bed. Defeated.

And a special thank you to my friend who doesn't post anymore but reads here when she has the time. I so appreciate your kindness and true friendship and I know what you wrote to me is true but I don't think I can do it. But I will share your email with Greg as you asked and I am going to email you back right now. Thank you and (((HUGS))).

 

[junebug17]

Oh my gosh missy, that raccoon is really making himself at home! I thought you being at the house would scare him away but apparently not . From what I've read they come out at dusk so I'm thinking the kitties are still able to get enough food during the day. I know you are so worried and upset by this situation but I'm hoping you and Greg are still managing to have a nice weekend and relax a little too. (((hugs))))

Hi LLJsmom! Hope everything is going well for you!

Jimmianne, if all goes according to plan, it would be so great to get together with you when I'm in Asheville! I'm planning on spending a lot of time there lol. Thanks for the virtual hugs, they help!

Kristie, thinking of you and hoping your doggies are feeling ok. So sorry you've been having such a rough time lately.

Marcy, hope you're having a good weekend!

Well, I was right, I didn't do a darn thing today - well, I did two loads of laundry, I guess that counts for something. We'll see what happens tomorrow, probably nothing ha!

 

[missy]

Hi girls!

Junie, Greg and I discussed it and we just have to figure out a way to prevent those raccoons from eating all the food. So this morning he went out and bought a large dog cage and retrofit it with 2 small openings (one to enter and an extra opening for exit if they wish to use it so they don't feel trapped) so that the kitties can fit through but not the raccoons. We are hoping and praying will keep those darn raccoons out. OMG the raccoons finished all the food in the middle of the night last night and while I do feel badly for the raccoons as they are obviously hungry too I feel they are better equipped at surviving than the feral kitties are. My only concern is he made the opening only 4 and 1/4 inches by 4 and 1/4 inches so I am not sure the cats can fit! But he rather have to go larger than have to make it smaller again so we will see. It is a really tiny opening though so I am worried about the kitties fitting.

OK he just changed the opening to 5 inches high by 4 and 1/2 inches wide. Now I am worried it is too big LOL. He is going to kill me and I cannot blame him. Just hoping this works!


I hope you are having a good weekend! It is truly fall weather here and very cool and crisp with changing leaves. The colors are quite beautiful. I sent you an email btw about something entirely different than the kitties I promise.

Jimmianne, thank you for all your help this morning! Great minds think alike and Greg had the very same idea OMG. Now let's just hope it works as we all know there are some smaller raccoons and larger cats but just doing the best we can yanno? I hope you are having fun today and again thank you so much for all your wonderful ideas.

Kristie, happy birthday to Finnie boy!!! He may be 91 years old in human years but he looks like a spry puppy! HUGS to him and lots of kisses too! XOXO Finnie boy. We love you!

Callie, hoping you are enjoying a lovely day with your friends.

Marcy, missing you and hoping you are having a good weekend.

Hi LLJsmom, less than 2 weeks. Very excited!

Sunstorm, how are you and how is your weekend going. Hope all is well.

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Junebug, we were posting at the same time the other night. I love your tips on keep the raccoons away. My sister battled raccoons in her garden for about 6 years and finally gave up. She even tried something listed as “raccoon free corn”; they seemed to love it. I hope your daughter quickly finds a position after she is finished with school. Around here it takes quite a few years to get in to a full time position. I agree K-5 sounds better than teenagers. I had to hear about the situation with your siblings. I can understand why your are stressed and worried about it. Waiting to see how things work out is so hard especially when you can’t control the outcome. I hope your mom decides to move and live with your sister but I understand you don’t want to force it on her. I think a change of scenery and moving in with your sister would be good for her so I hope she decides that idea appeals to her. You have done everything you can for your mom so no you have nothing to feel bad about. Keeping you in my thoughts. Hugs to you!

Jimmianne, I rather enjoyed Friday afternoon at work. I was actively removing my trouble maker from distribution lists and my boss turned in the notice to cut off his badge access to our room. Ha! Aren’t those step cut eternity bands awesome? I need more bling money. Tony did a beautiful job on your band. It looks fabulous!

Missy, I hope the new kitty feeders helps keep those unwelcome critters away. Did you get to ride any this weekend?

Hi Elania, welcome!

Callie, good point that I deserve a new ring as my reward for dealing with that employee for so long. What a relief he is gone! Did you do some serious shopping today?

LLJsmom, I hope you are relaxing now and welcome back!

We’ve had a quiet weekend. Marty got home late Friday. I went to our astronomy meeting, did laundry and went grocery shopping. I ran in to a friend of mine at the grocery store and she was saying she hates that weekly chore too so we decided we should meet for some mimosas then go shopping together. Ha!

Marty is playing golf and I have potatoes baking in the oven. Marty can grill us some steaks when he gets home.

Have a great week!
Marcy

 

[missy]

Good morning girls.

Marcy, Yay, no more problem employee. Woohoo. I am glad Marty is back home with you and that you enjoyed a lovely weekend. We rode both Friday and Saturday but Sunday was devoted to getting the dog cage/crate and having Greg retrofit it. Plus it was a cold and windy day so not suitable for enjoyable riding. We are just short of 3800 miles darn it. Maybe we will get lucky and get a few more rides in before it starts turning totally inhospitable for bike riding we shall see. If not I gratefully and cheerfully accept the miles we did get to ride and the record for next year is easier to reach haha. How's that for a positive spin on things?

I am sorry your sister lost the battle with the raccoons. Looks like we are on our way to the same result unfortunately.

Last night the kitties got into the cage without any problems and I felt such relief until an hour later the biggest raccoon also got in with a little more effort but still he just slipped in there.

Back to the drawing board. Greg is going to make the openings a bit smaller to about 3.5" and we will see if this deters the raccoons at all. If they can still get in we will have Julio remove the cage tomorrow as there is no purpose to it and brainstorming will begin again.

Raising the feeding station has been suggested here and online however raccoons are pretty smart and can jump horizontally and climb even though they are challenged when it comes to vertical jumping. So we would have a lot of work in figuring out exactly where to put a raised feeding station away from any place they can jump horizontally and truthfully I am not convinced they cannot jump vertically. Plus if we make it too high my sister told me the kittens will not be able to jump up there either as kittens cannot jump that high. So I don't feel this is a good solution either. I am beginning to feel defeated but as you guys have told me we can just do the best we can do.

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend and that you have a good Monday.

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Missy, that is awesome how many miles you’ve put on your bike this summer and fall. I hope you make the 3800 miles this year as a bonus but you’ve already done a lot! I suspect you are fighting an uphill battle to outwit the raccoons. I think they are like squirrels; they will find a way to succeed. Good luck!

I enjoyed my first day without my old problem employee only get be crushed in my 3 pm meeting with my team leader. Now mind you she tends to exaggerate but she says 2 ladies in there are constantly complaining, being negative, saying they are treated like they are in first grade, they aren’t appreciated, they can’t do anything right, they hate me, etc. I know there is a ring leader in there who is full of the drama du jour. Since it’s “hearsay” I can’t really confront them but it’s just another issue or problem to face. I swear once you get more than 3 employees they won’t get along. As Dee Jay once told me people are generally micromanaged out of necessity. The joys of being a boss.

Marty is home for the week. Sweet.

We had cheese tortellini for supper, salad and toasted bread. Mm. I eat better when Marty is home.

Have a great week.
Marcy

 

[MarionC]

Goodmorning!

I've been up since a little after one - in the dark my clock looked like 5:10. but it was actually 1:20, but I didn't figure that out until I had made my coffee and eaten my morning chocolate. Happily, is was breakfast time where my dd is so we got to say goodmorning.
I am loving Skype. I thought I would hate it but it's wonderful. As she and I are talking I can hear & see the family and occasionally someone will come over to her computer and wave to me : ) I get very emotional about visiting there and seeing everyone in person, they are so warmly kind to her and to me.

Yesterday I made my plane reservations for December to France - so here we go again. I already have anxiety and it's 6 weeks off! Part of the time I'll be travelling alone, and getting the details worked out now is, I guess, making the nervousness.
The Tripadvisor forums are great. I wrote this morning asking details of cars and trains, and several people are helping me navigate and plan. But certainly no substitute for the warm-fuzzies of PS : )

Marcy, it sounds like being boss almost takes a psychology degree. I'm in awe that you handle all this so well because I would have gone postal long ago!

June, you inspire. I may even tackle that mound of laundry that is clean but as yet unfolded. Why are there so many household chores?!
It's so darned daily

bye, NIRDIs. I hope everyone has some fun in their day No Matter What!

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Marcy, it's always something right? Goodbye bad attitude employee and hello something else. Yes being the boss is no picnic and it makes me wonder if that is the reason many CEO's are considered psychopaths. LOL. I hate micromanaging but you do what you have to do. Good luck!

Jimmianne, I am thrilled for you being able to visit your DD this December woohoo! And yay for Skype. Haven't done it yet and if it is like FaceTime no thanks but I am glad it is serving an important purpose for you and your DD.

and thank you so much for holding my hand last night and this AM.

So there is mixed news to report. Bad news first, camera is down and Greg cannot figure out how to fix it remotely. It went down b/w 10:50 PM and 4:52 AM last night and is down again. Here is what we do know. Sprite got in and was able to eat.

At first Sammy did not go in (not sure if he tried or not) but he circled the cage 3 separate times while the live feed was working last night (and we had it on constantly while we were up) and by the time we went to bed he had not made it in the cage. Another cat tried right after Sammy circled the cage but was unable to get in. I saw him put his head through the opening 4 times and then he left. Not sure as the details are fuzzy but he did not make it in

A few minutes after that another kitten (do not recognize which one again night security pics are fuzzy) got in and was eating so yay for that.

When we woke up we have a picture of Sammy in the cage eating. Not sure how he got in but he did. Greg is positive it is Sammy due to his markings. For me I am not so sure as the night pics are fuzzy at best.

The raccoons were going crazy and were climbing all over the cage and trying every which way to get in...made me feel badly for them honestly it did. And I was scared to because they were mad. Anyway as far as we know no raccoon made it in last night. Also the possum was unable to get in as well but not sure why because he is sort of small. But we have a pic of him outside the cage and not in it so that is my best guess.

Summing up: 3 cats got to eat but 1 cat was unable to get in as far as we know and no other wildlife got in there and now our camera not working and we have no clue what is happening.

Dilemma is this. Do we have Julio remove the cage since the camera is not working because we cannot determine if there are cats that cannot get in and leaving the cage in place without a camera gives us no useful info and may prevent some cats from eating. Sure it prevented the raccoons from eating but if we are stopping some of the cats from the food that is no good at all. We are not going to be there overnight fora few weeks now due to schedule conflicts though Greg is going to make a day trip this weekend without me. But he cannot get there before then and we have no clue if he will be able to fix the camera at that time either though I know he will do the best he can and probably will figure something out. But that still leaves us with 4 nights and 5 days of no surveillance. So question is: remove the cage and let everyone eat or keep it in place not knowing what is happening...and potentially not allowing all the cats to get the food. Oy. I am upset.

Julio will not be at our house next week either so we are on our own in terms of removing the cage or leaving it once Greg comes back home from the house on Saturday/Sunday. But I will not worry about that right now as the main thing is to figure out if all the cats can get in and if not we will remove the cage till Greg can maybe make the opening a half inch bigger. Right now it is 3.25 inches square. When it was 4.25 inches square everyone including the raccoons got through it but now at 3.25 inches it is preventing the raccoons but also looks like at least one cat too.

Thanks for once again listening to my rambling thoughts. As always any advice/suggestions are appreciated!

 

[MarionC]

As for Skype I was really self conscious at first, but being able to see dd!!! worth exposing every wrinkle LOL
Also - the one little chick got to Skype to France too LOL
he protested with many peeps, but I think it is because I didn't give him a chance to comb his feathers before taking center stage on camera.

 

[missy]

Haha Jimmianne, I hear you. I wouldn't mind showing a few wrinkles either if I could speak with my sweet daughter (if I had one other than Francesca that is). However the one advantage of the phone is I don't have to worry about how I am looking atm if you kwim. If I could plan a skype/facetime call well OK but still, in general, I prefer the phone I am glad you got to chat with her via Skype though and I am glad the technology exists. It shortens the miles in a way.


A few more self explanatory pics. The one with the cat looking in while the kitten is eating is sort of heartbreaking. I just don't know for sure if he ever got in or not.

I cannot believe the camera is not working now. :/