Now I really did it :((

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Junebug, I am sorry your mom sometimes backpedals on going to your sister’s place but I think using the approach that she is going there for a visit is a great idea. Making big changes is always rough but I believe it will be a good thing for all of you. Isn’t it amazing how much better our rings can look when we clean them? I am glad you had a nice time at the beach this weekend. Sweet.

Missy, congratulations for reaching that magic 4K milestone on your bike this summer. That is so awesome! I love your pictures. You and Greg look very happy and the colorful leaves are beautiful. Happy anniversary soon. How many years? Good idea to be saving money for bling. I would love to have you come visit the bears and have a talk with those mean rabbits. We played Cards Against Humanity and another game where you write a word or phrase and past it left; they draw what you wrote and pass it left and it goes around the table that way. Then you read your story to everyone. It gets pretty funny. I am glad you and Francesca snuggle up for a good night’s sleep.

Callie, I agree snow covered tress are really pretty. Especially when the sun comes out and the sky is blue. That was very nice of your jeweler to give you an EC garnet ring for sending him customers. Very cool! I hope you find it; I’d love to see a picture of it. My cousins don’t have any other kids. I keep waiting for a picture of all 3 babies on Facebook and I’ll post a picture of them. That is so cute your furbaby curls up with you too. Very comforting.

Jimmianne, I am glad you had a great shopping trip and your DD is home for a visit. LOL for a wine and gem shoot. Kristie entertained us with soda and candy plus gem photos. Color is a wonderful thing! I am delighted to hear you like your new haircut.

LLJsmom, I don’t think I’ll ever jump on the iwatch bandwagon but it does have a certain appeal. You’d probably find it very useful when you are running. You’d still have to carry your phone but you wouldn’t ever have to dig it out. How exciting you signed up for a marathon next month. Sweet.

We had a nice but busy weekend. We did end up with 11 at the party. We had enough food to feed 30 people so there was plenty to eat. Everyone went home about 11. We were in the man cave and I thought most people had come upstairs already so I was asking my SIL and Marty to carry up glasses and dishes for me but everyone heard and pitched in getting everything up upstairs in no time. Sweet. I always have to stay up and clean up and do the dishes. There isn’t much I hate worse than dried up food or booze dishes and a mess to clean up in the morning.

Vent here: I promised a good friend of mine her husband could watch the Alabama game Saturday night and that is the only reason he came with her to the party. Well a friend of Marty’s went downstairs and took over the TV. My friend’s husband had to watch the game on a little TV in the kitchen downstairs. Grr. Then one of the couples that came has a 9-month-old baby and brought her. When they first got here she was chewing on our coffee table; I asked them not to let her do that. Once we were downstairs she spit up milk on the felt top poker table. Her dad didn’t get up and move to finish giving her the bottle. She spit up easily 10 times on the poker table. This couple brought her over twice before but she was sleeping the whole time she was here; now she’s crawling and getting in to things. Only one other couple we hang out with has kids but they have never brought their kids to an obvious adult party. Okay, vent over. Thanks.

I got to bed about 1 am Saturday night so I slept in yesterday. We ended up ordering in some pizza yesterday and my SIL left about 3.

I had today off as well. I caught up on some TV on our DVR, we went to lunch and the grocery store then were planning on going to see Spectre but Marty didn’t come up in time to make the late matinee so I guess we’ll go this weekend.

Have a great evening and Tuesday.

Marcy

 

[MarionC]

Missy, I just saw your Thanksgiving invitation on another thread. Thank you! Have you ever been to the Macy's parade?

here is some rosey eye-candy LOL
It's my treat from my dd - a white rose chocolate Laduree candy bar.
The package was swoon-worthy with lavender foil and a gold-lined box.The expiration date on it was hand-written in beautiful script.
I was thinking - this is the epitome of the French experience!...so well done and beautiful and sensuous...until I tried the chocolate. LOL

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Hi Jimmianne! I mean it from my heart. You are so invited. Greg certainly cooks enough food for a small (not so small hehe) army and we are just a small family LOL.

No, I have never been to the Macy's parade or the pre balloon blowing up event . Not a fan of parades or events like that. I had a friend who desperately tried to get me to go with her for a few years and then thankfully (haha thankfully get it ) she gave up. I don't even watch parades on tv. Not my thing but I get that many people enjoy a good parade. Personally all I see is dollars down the drain and jammed traffic and inconveniences galore. Sorry, I am such bah humbug aren't I.

Hope your visit is going well with your DD! Any special plans for her visit?

Marcy, my iPhone arrived yesterday woohoo! We got back to Brooklyn early afternoon and it was with the doorman. I gave the package to Greg as he went off to work because I wanted him to program it with all my apps/pics/contacts etc. As you know I am basically hopelessly technologically challenged (a nice way of saying I am completely inept and useless with all things technology) so he lovingly did that for me.

However when he got home last night as I was chatting with Callie he dropped the phone as he was excitedly handing it to me! LOL. It did not break but OMG that was a scary second. Haha and Callie was saying in the background don't worry I drop mine all the time and it never broke. She was right! But I don't want to try that again. And it dropped without any case so yay for not breaking.

I am still looking for a good case Marcy so if you have any recs. I do not love the urban armor gear folio case but until I find something better I will use it. I am looking for a protective case that can hold CCs and my driver's license and some cash and is attractive. Why is that so hard to find?

Thank you for the happy 4K contrats and the early anniversary wishes. We are coming up on our very first date 16 years ago, married for 11. We got married the anniversary of our first date almost exactly 5 years from our very first date. Nov 12, 1999 first date and married Nov 13th. Though we did get married the August before that (I shared that long story so won't repeat it here again) so technically our anniversary already passed but we celebrate the Nov 13th date since that is when we had the ceremony with the priest and rabbi and all our loved ones.

Ooh I would LOVE to visit with you and Marty and give a talking to those rabbits. And HUGS to the loving teddy bears and those games sound like so much fun. Why are we all so far away from each other and why am I so scared to fly. I sure hope we do get to meet IRL sooner rather than later. I know I love all you girls already. Lots.

Ugh to inconsiderate guests. I am sorry your dh's friend was hogging that TV and sorry about the parents letting their baby spit up all over your beautiful poker table. I don't get people sometimes. Are they just clueless or do they just not care? I know many (most?) people feel they are the center of the universe. Makes me a little .

Yay for 4 day weekends! So glad you enjoyed such a good time!

Callie, how is your eye this morning? Hoping you wake with it all better. Please let me know OK? Any plans this week? Any shopping? When are you getting SW boots. We can be boot twins. Cmon you know you want to...

I am glad you have your sweet dog to snuggle with...it is total bliss when I am snuggling Francesca and Greg is snuggling me. Heaven. My favorite time of day is when we first wake up on the weekends and lazily have coffee in bed the 6 of us. Haha all 6. It's good we have a King size bed LOL. Anyway that is my favorite time-weekend mornings. Just hanging out together drinking coffee. Not the furbabies of course. They don't care for coffee. More for me!

Hope everyone is doing well. I am off to see my dermatologist in a few hours. Sigh. I would love for the day to come when I did not have to go so regularly to him. It is always something though. Always. As long as it is not a life altering/life quality sucking something I am OK though so no complaints.

Enjoy the day and hope to catch up with you later and leaving you with my favorite pic of the day yesterday. Hey I just realized this is the very last pic I took with my Samsung phone. Got back from the beach house and Greg put the laundry bags in the bedroom for me to fold it and I go in and this is what I find. LOL now if I could only teach Tommy to help me fold it we would be in business hahaha.

 

[LLJsmom]

Jimmianne, your watch looks good enough to eat. I assume that is your watch and not the candy bar. Do you like the marcarons from Laduree? I thought they were just fair. I love the ones from Pierre Hermes. I love the weird and contrasting flavors. Hope you are having fun and enjoying your time with your DD.

Marcy, I am so sorry you had to deal with inconsiderate parents. How annoying. Seriously, it's sad that you would need to not invite them next time. But if they don't know how to handle their little mess-making in public, they cannot be trusted to bring it anywhere. I guess you could invite them but tell them their child is not welcome, but that would probably be even an acquaintence-ender. So yeah... Makes all parents look incompetent. Really, knawing on your table? How hugely unacceptable is that?

Missy and Jimmianne, your kitties sound so sweet. If Darryl weren't allergic, I would totally have one again. I love cats. We used to have one that would never leave us alone, which is unusual for a cat. If we were sitting together, Cupid would have to squeeze in between. It was the funniest and weirdest thing.

Thanks everyone for the comforting comments about my health care expense situation. It was a big change, and I am learning how to cope with it, and it took me a while to figure it out. It will definitely require that we change the way we handle cash and expenses. But we can do it. It requires additional effort to be a smart consumer and a savvy spender. Phew. Obama-care. I bet 99% of the people didn't see THAT coming...

Just gonna say, I'm planning on running today...

 

[junebug17]

Hiya everyone!

Missy, congratulations on you and Greg hitting 4000 miles! Wow, so very impressive, way to go!

And you and Greg look SO great! My gosh, such a good lucking couple.

Love the pic of Tommy, so cute! Kitties are so good at finding a comfy spot. So sweet that Francesca sleeps right next to you and Greg, it's so nice when a kitty is willing to snuggle with us humans lol.

Your fall pics are beautiful!

Thanks for the support about my mother…I agree, one way or another things will work out. A change has to be made, whether it's living with my sister or me (along with lots of extra help) or going to a nursing home. Guess that sounds pretty blunt but just being honest - the reality is the current arrangement is just not working, for either my brother or my mother. My oldest brother is visiting my mother this week and I'm anxious to hear what his impressions of the situation are.

And as for the feral kitties…I respect your feelings, but can I say I respectfully disagree lol? Missy, you have done SO much more for these kitties than most people would if faced with your situation…don't underestimate how hard this is to do when you're not living there full-time. And honestly, there is just no way you could TNR these kitties on your own; it's a complicated process even with Joanne helping you, which I truly hope she does. You are devoting so much of your life to helping them. What you are doing is a big comittment. I hope and pray you don't take my comments as minimizing how you feel, I just admire you SO much for all you are doing in an effort to make these kitties' lives better. Big hugs to you, I think you're amazing.

And good for you on holding off on a bling purchase until you find something that makes your heart sing! Very wise lol. I've had a tendency in the past to buy a piece of jewelry just for the sake of getting something (cough -Tiffany ring -cough) and I'm determined not to do that anymore.

Marcy, sounds like you had a fun weekend! Well, except for the rude guests that is - for the life of me, I cannot understand why someone would bring their active and fussy baby to a party that's clearly for adults! Glad you had a day off after such a busy weekend too, that worked out well! Gives you a chance to relax and regroup a little.

LLJsmom, sorry to hear about your insurance issues, sounds like you are figuring things out and feeling a bit better now. I'm excited for you about running another marathon! You're good at this running thing and I know you'll have a good experience! Thinking of your father and hoping he's doing ok, (((hugs)))

Jimmianne, glad your dd is back safe and sound, I'm sure it's wonderful seeing her again The chocolate she brought for you looks and sounds downright luxurious, so thoughtful of her. Simple pleasures really are the best ones, aren't' they? And I really like your iPhone watch!

Calliecake, thanks for the nice words, you are always so comforting…yes, I think that, for at least the short term, going to my sister's is the best option we have right now. I can't shake the feeling that it's going to end up being too much for my sister, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Yes, I'm with you on trying to find something pretty and sparkly that will fulfill the need for bling without spending a ton! I'm so glad you understand where I'm coming from, thanks.

Ok, the day is half over and I have gotten absolutely nothing accomplished. Time to do…something! Will check in later, have a good afternoon everyone!

 

[missy]

Good morning girls and Happy Veterans Day and sending best wishes to all the veterans in your life.

Junie, thank you so much for your always kind and loving words. They mean a lot to me and I am taking them to heart and no I don't think you are minimizing my feelings at all. And just so you know I admire and respect YOU so much and am embarrassed by your words because you are the one who knows the meaning of true commitment and devotion as you show true commitment and devotion to your mother in a way I don't think I ever could. You are the one that truly rocks dear Junie!

I hope your older brother has a good visit with your mother this week and is onboard with whatever you decide is best for your mother. You are in such a difficult position and you are doing such a wonderful job. I am glad you are going to have the support of your siblings no matter what you decide. (((Hugs))).

LLJsmom, I hope you had a good run yesterday and am looking forward to hearing all about your next marathon. You are another one that really rocks and I am so glad you have such a great outlet for your energy. I am with you in when I feel anxious working out really calms my mind and I know you kwim. So even though I cannot run cycling does something very similar for me but in a kinder way to my old body LOL. And when the weather is bad the Arc Trainer will have to do though of course I much prefer being outside working out my body and mind. Thinking of you and hoping all is going smoothly and as always sending lots of good dust your way. And your dh's way. (((Hugs))).

Jimmianne, nice picture. I am glad you enjoyed the chocolate from your DD. That was a very sweet (haha) gift. The French sure know how to make their desserts/sweets/food just so delicious. French food is my favorite. However not a favorite for my waist line but once in a while we like to treat ourselves to a night out at our very favorite French restaurant. Sigh...I think it is time to make a reservation there.

How did it go yesterday with the horses? Are there shoes all on and straight? I hope the rain stopped and you didn't have too much trouble getting it all done. Hope you are having fun with your DD!

I hope the rest of you girls are enjoying a good week. It is Wednesday so only a few more days till the weekend YAY! Have a good day.

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Happy Veterans Day! Thank you to you and yours who have served our country.

Jimmianne, what a divine gift from your DD and matches your watch perfectly.

Missy, I am excited you got your new iPhone. I sure hope you'll like it. I am glad your phone didn't break when Greg accidentially dropped it. That is always very scary. I have the basic Apple leather case on mine. I will look around tonight for the case you want. Did you check Ebags? They have a wide variety of brands. That is cool to get married one day apart from your first date. I do remember you telling us about your 2 wedding dates. That way you have more to celebrate, right? I would love to meet you and Greg and all the NIRDIs. That would be a blast.

Callie, since Missy is asking about your eye I don't know what is wrong but I hope it's better.

LLJsmom, I do feel like I am in a no win situation with that couple and their baby. Her sister is my best friend. Marty likes her husband probably better than any of the other husbands that come. He is less picky about the man cave than I am about upstairs but I am still not going to let someone allow their child to ruin our things. I am glad you are making plans on handling the increase in your health care expenses.

Junebug, it is tough when the family reaches a point something has to change to take care of a parent but it is better for everyone one in the long run. I hope your older brother sees the necessity to change things. My mother was getting pretty good at acting better and more alert when people were around. It was interesting to watch. Yes, I did enjoy having a long weekend away from work.

We had that nasty 4 letter s word all over the ground this morning. We had rain first with very gusty wind so it was more ice than anything. Marty went to the gym and got home a little before 7 and offered to take me to work but I was already to go so I headed in to work a little after 7. The roads were icy in spots but there wasn't much traffic out then so I didn't have any problems on my 20 minute commute.

I am going to help my boss with some of his department's tasks starting today. It might make it a bit more strange for us; we are both senior supervisors but I work for him. He has a team and I have a team. He is losing a key member on the 20th and he is going on vacation the following week so he asked if I would consider taking on 2 of their tasks until he gets someone hired and trained. It will probably be my task through the spring anyway. My one concern is it makes me more of his employee than a peer. He doesn't train his people very well but I do know quite a bit about a portion of this work. I am glad to take on more work because I am kind of bored sometimes. So I think it will be a good thing.

Have a great day.
Marcy

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

It was fun chatting with you yesterday Marcy despite the reason it all began lol and I am thankful you are such a gracious and lovely person. And Marty too. (((HUGS))). I am keeping a lookout for anything Snoopy.

I am glad your car handled the ice well yesterday and that you guys didn't get too much snow.
Hope the wind wasn't too rough for you last night. It sounded brutal. We have some of those winds headed our way for tomorrow and the weekend. I am sort of bummed about that because while I know we hit the 4K mark I am still aiming for more miles and the meteorologists are predicting 40 mph wind gusts and up coming this Friday and weekend. Any way you slice that it's a challenging (i.e. impossible) ride. LOL. But I have my winter cycling pants so we shall see.

Good luck with your new projects at work. I get your concerns but also get that this might be just what you need to keep you engaged at work for now. Hope it all goes as well as possible!

Question for Marcy or any other iPhone user...Last night Kristie and Callie and I could not figure out the time stamp issue on the iPhone text messaging. When one is group texting is there a time stamp on the individual messages or just on the first message in the group text? We could not find individual time stamps on messages. Only if you are doing one on one texting is each message stamped with the time it seems. Is that true? Do you know Marcy? If that is true what a real pain in the butt that is because I don't always notice texts right away especially when I am at work or out and about or with friends. So then I have no clue when certain texts were sent. I have a feeling if anyone knows about this issue you might so am asking it here. Thanks!

Yesterday AM as I was getting ready to leave for work and went to get my jacket I noticed there was a Frankie magnet on it LOL. Greg had sewn Frankie appliqués on many of his workout clothes and denim jackets etc and I have some on my workout clothes too but had commented to Greg how I wish I could put that on my favorite jacket but it might ruin the jacket being leather and all. Well haha imagine my surprise when I saw it there yesterday AM. He attached it with magnets. Clever dh. Attaching the pic I snapped as I was leaving for work yesterday so I could send him a thank you and let him know I noticed as he was already at work by that time.

Our cleaning person is here today so yay for a clean home but I do not love the intrusion as she gets here 2 hours before I am leaving for work. And then when I get home the cats are in a real tizzy because they do not like the disruption at all. Oh well hopefully having a nice clean home will be worth it though it only stays that way for about a day or so lol. 4 kitties really add to dust (i.e. cat hair) that accumulates around here.


Have a great day girls!

 

[MarionC]

Love the Frankie magnet and the red scarf!
happy Friday!
& happy clean house.

 

[Calliecake]

Hi Girls, I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thursday.

Missy, I hope you are having a great day today. I love the Francesca logo! I hope Marcy knows the answer to our iPhone texting problem. The weather was terrible here all last night, heavy rain and strong winds all night long. Well at 7:00 AM the landscaping crew came and did the fall clean up. I'm a little concerned as the back yard grass looks terrible. I'm mad because any idiot would know not to let bring some of the equipment on grass that is so wet. I had the best time watching my niece yesterday. She is the easiest baby and is always smiling. I went to give her to her mom last night and she wouldn't let go of me. I had been concerned because the little one is staying with us for a weekend and has never been without her mom. i hope it goes as smoothly when we have her for the weekend.

Marcy, I hope all is going well at work. I meant to ask you if you are thinking of getting a watch like Marty's? My eye is fine. I just had a stye and it had been quite sore for a few days. Nothing to worry about. I could not beieve your friends brought their baby to an adult party. I also could not get over the fact that they felt it was fine to let their baby chew on your coffee table. People are crazy.

Junebug, I sounds like it will all work out with your mom. You may just have to consider it a work in progress and if something isn't working out, then worry about making a change. I can only imagine how hard the past few years has been for both you and your brother. Your sister may surprise and this may work out fine. If she finds she can't handle it or needs additional help, you all can make arrangements for additional help. Please try not to stress too much. If something isn't working out well, everything is fixable. It may be easier if you try to think if it that way. Some little things are always going to come up. That's life and stuff happens in every situation. You are such a good daughter, please don't ever doubt that.

Jimmianne, I hope you are having lots of fun with your daughter!

Kristie, Are you searching for a new vet today? I'm searching for a new snow ploying company. Aren't we In for fun day! Now if only we could go shopping together at a big mall. Big mall means lots of walking. We don't want to miss anything!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Missy, it was fun chatting with you yesterday. Getting a friendly message from Missy is not a bad way to start the day. I hope you do get to ride some more this weekend. That’s good you have winter pants to wear. I just told Marty it will probably be nice enough to golf this weekend. I am kind of excited to learn new things at work. I am sure it will be fine once I learn what I am doing. About your time stamp question; just pull everything to the left and you will see the time on the right side. Great idea for Greg to attach your Frankie pen with magnets. Enjoy your clean house.

Hi Jimmianne, I know you are enjoying having your DD home.

Callie, our weather must have moved your way. I hope your back yard isn’t torn up from the equipment being run on wet grass. Those kind of things do pop back quickly though. It sounds like you had a wonderful time with your niece. I am glad your eye is fine. My aunt (she’s a RN) says the best way to work out a stye is to rub a gold ring on it. I am sure you have one of those. I am not going to get an Apple Watch. I would wear it for 5 days then it would just set in my jewelry box. I don’t like to wear watches. Good luck looking for a new plowing company.

Kristie, I hate to hear you are searching for a new vet. Are Finn and Maggie still having problems? I sure hope they are doing okay.

Today was my last supervisor class at the local community college. I zipped through my reports before 9:30, gave part of a presentation to 3 other departments from 10 - 11, picked up a sandwich at Subway and made it to class before 11:30. We got out of class about 2:45 so I stopped for gas on the way home and have been working on laundry.

My chef Marty cooked a delicious dinner. He made homemade BBQ sauce then baked ribs in the oven all afternoon. He made cole slaw and picked up soft buns at the store and made honey butter for them. I ate so much I had to take an alka seltzer.

Have a great evening and day tomorrow.

Marcy

 

[junebug17]

Missy, thank you for the kind words…I'm not sure I deserve such praise, most of the time I feel like I'm just muddling through and not doing a very good job at anything! But your words are encouraging, and I'm trying my hardest I suppose. If you think about it, I guess we are both in situations where there really is no perfect solution but we just have to plug along and do the best we can!. Hugs to you my friend, and thanks for being so supportive.

Love the Frankie magnet! That was so sweet of Greg, and a really good idea too!

Not sure if you figured out the time stamp thing, but to see the time you put your finger on the text and slide it to the left - the time should appear on the right. At least that's how it works on my phone, but I have a 5S.

Jimmianne, hope you're having a wonderful time with your dd! Must be so nice to see her again

Marcy, sorry for the slight awkwardness at work and I can see how it can feel strange, but as you said, it will be a good learning experience for you and it might feel good to be a bit busier. I'm sure he appreciates your help, sounds like he'd have a big headache on his hands without you stepping in and helping him out.

Oh boy, the weather sounds like it's getting nasty…please be careful out on those roads, I just hate the treacherous conditions that comes along with winter. Ugh.

Thanks for the comments re my mother, yes, it's been five years and it just seems like the time has come where we have to figure out a better way to care for her. And I'm curious whether my mother perked up for my brother, she does when my sister visits lol.

Callie, it's really nice of you to watch your niece's baby for the weekend! It will be good for them to get some time to themselves. I'm sure things will go great, I wish I lived closer so that I could come over and hang out with you and the baby lol! I love babies

Yikes, sounds like you're getting some terrible weather too, be safe!

And thanks so much for your support - yes, you're right, if a problem comes up we'll just all deal with it, there's always an alternative. I have a tendency to worry about things that might not even happen and I need to stop that ha!

Kristie, sounds like you're looking for a new vet and I don't like the sound of that Thinking of Maggie and Finn - and you and Bob too.

I should probably get myself to bed, take care everyone and I'll see you tomorrow!

 

[LLJsmom]

Hi Girls!

Junie, I'm so sorry that it has come to this point. You and your brother are doing so much. I am hoping for your whole family that you will find a workable solution. I held my mom a little tighter today. Seeing them get older is so hard. It hurts. Hugs to you.

Missy, love that Greg made that pin work! It's super cute! And I see you are playing with your iPhone. Fun group texting huh? .

Marcy, Marty's bbq sounds so delish. I would have over eaten too. . It's nice of you to help your co-worker out. I am sure that will work out and he will be very appreciative. I have to say it is hard to imagine how it would be to live in a place that has such cold and snowy weather. Of course you are used to it but for a Californian, snow is a vacation destination. Be safe!!

Jimmianne, hope you and your DD are having a wonderful time together.

Callie, have a great weekend with your niece's baby. How sweet. I am sure your niece would be so grateful.

Kristie, I hope Finn and Maggie are ok. Sorry you have to find a new vet.

I'm ok. Work has been stressful and I am still trying to cope with our financial changes and uncertainty. Running does help, although I know I run too much. Have a half marathon on Saturday that I should take real slow. But when I am stressed I go out there and push it. Cross your fingers for me that I don't get injured.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Junie, you are an amazing person. Caring and genuine and kind. Never for a second question that. If there are angels on earth you are one of them IMO. As I wrote before and I really believe this-it will all work out. In the meantime more (((HUGS))) being sent your way.

Thank you for the time stamp info! Will check that out later to see if it works for group texts.

Marcy,, how are the winds by you this morning? It is crazy here and I am very disappointed. 35-45 mph winds by the shore for at least the next 2 days so no cycling till maybe Sunday. I don't want to be greedy or anything but I was hoping we could go today and tomorrow too but at least hoping Sunday works out because you never know with the winds by the ocean. New cycling pants and nowhere to wear them lol.

Still leaving today for the beach house anyway. Maybe we'll do bling shopping tomorrow. That would be an upside to not being able to bike ride. I still have not chosen my anniversary gift from Greg so maybe something good will come from the crazy winds.

Are you enjoying your new garnet ring? What are your impressions now that you have worn it? I bet the killer bunnies are attracted to the color red. Reminds them of their bloodthirstiness haha. Watch out now! And please be super careful driving on those icy roads though I know you are in a very safe (and pretty too!) car. I hope it all melted by now. I cannot drive well in snow/ice and let Greg take the wheel under inclement weather conditions. Being a NYer I don't drive that much anyway so I just don't have the experience necessary to feel comfortable and safe driving when conditions are slippery.

Thank you for the info about time stamping and group texts. Will check that out later when I am near my phone. I know I might be the exception but my phone is never near me unless I am out of the house which is why it is always better to call me on the landline when I am home. I forget to keep it with me around the house unless I am expecting a text.

I agree with LLJsmom. Your food last night made me hungry all over again. OMG. Did the Alka Seltzer work? I never took Alka Seltzer before. It's very fizzy. Does it feel fizzy going down? Gathering info about that because thanksgiving is very soon and well let's just say isn't overeating a hallmark of that holiday? Let's share pics if possible OK? I LOVE pics of delicious food. Yuummmmmyyy.


Callie, your sweet sweet grandniece is so adorable and precious. I nearly melted when I saw her picture. OMG I know you will have the best time watching her this weekend. And so will your sweet furbaby enjoy her company I bet. How does she react around your furbaby? Does she go crazy playing with her and hugging her? I know that's what we did to our dogs when we were little. LOL they were so good to tolerate us at that age. Have the best time with your sweet grandniece this weekend!

LLJsmom, how is your dad doing on his new medication? I hope he is feeling better. Sending good vibes and lots of (((hugs))) for everything coming up. I know you are under so much stress and I am thinking of you and your dh and your whole family. In my heart I know it is all going to be OK and work out. (((HUGS))).

Good luck on your half marathon on Sunday. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed for no injuries! I am so glad you can run as an outlet. It is a healthy way to blow off all that excess anxiety and you certainly have a lot of stress in your life right now so please don't be hard on yourself. You are doing such a great job at managing everything. I want you to know that and to know you are an amazing person. Good luck and hope you run really fast and break your previous time record.


Kristie, your new vet clinic and doctor sound pretty awesome and I hope it works out well! I think Finn and Maggie will be in good hands and you went about this difficult and unpleasant situation as perfectly as you could have. Well done!

Jimmianne, hope your visit is going well and that your DD and you are enjoying a great time together.

Have a good Friday girls! XOXO

 

[MarionC]

Missy, thank you. We had a wonderful day at the Museum of Life and Science with some of her friends. I love young energy. [and being made to climb rope bridges high off the ground and go down twisty slides]. We were all so happy and laughed a lot. My grumpy old friends and I chuckle, but that "I can't stop laughing...help!!!" thing? ...With these kids, yes.
So Callie, you have it even better - little girl energy! So sweet. Does she wear you out? : )

OMG I am so thankful my dd is home with me right now. Praying for France and for all of us and for the lost souls who did this thing.

Sorry about the cycling [you WILL have an opportunity to try out your wind gear!], but bling shopping for an anniversary gift sounds like a good second choice


LLJsmom - all the best with the run and hope you clock a time that pleases you! Looking forward to your "review". I can now run a mile lol and you are my role model I have no idea how you make the long runs, you must be in incredible shape.

AZ - not seeing here anything about new vet, so I don't know what's going on, but I hope you find a good'un. I have switched many times looking for the smartest, most compassionate vet & have succeeded. Your pups are lucky to have you as their Mom.

Marcy, I'm with Missy. You should be very careful with the color blood-red around rabbits! Isn't there a jiu jitsu class for bears near you?! Of course you would not want to hurt Marty's feelings by beating up his rabbits. You could, however, hire a hit-NIRDI.

June, I have a mostly unhelpful comment. This thing with parents - at least with mine, never really had a conclusive "now we have a plan in place" it was more like a one day at a time process. I think the only way to not agonize over who-what-where is to put a parent in a nursing home, but then you agonize over THAT. [[[sigh]]] My heart goes out to you. I know it can be exhausting, but you are so loving and patient with this, you are to be commended. I wish there were some way we could help.

Hi to Sharon and to Orsi - are you still reading here or off on adventures?

 

[missy]

Good morning girls. I am so sad about what happened in Paris last night. How can one even hope to end terrorism? How can one reason with terrorists? And it upsets me to read how people blame this country (and other countries/governments) for contributing to or even causing terrorism.

There is nothing that can justify terrorism IMO. No reason is OK to murder innocent people. Makes me sick not only that terrorism exists but that there are people who believe it is our fault it exists in the first place.

My heart goes to all affected by acts of terrorism all over the world and right now to those in Paris. To the murdered, the injured and to their families.

Jimmianne, I am so relieved your DD is here safely with you. I trust her bf and his loved ones are safe and sound as well.

What a world we live in girls. What a world. Hugs to all of you and our families. We never know what tomorrow might bring.

 

[canuk-gal]

Missy, thank you. We had a wonderful day at the Museum of Life and Science with some of her friends. I love young energy. [and being made to climb rope bridges high off the ground and go down twisty slides]. We were all so happy and laughed a lot. My grumpy old friends and I chuckle, but that "I can't stop laughing...help!!!" thing? ...With these kids, yes.
So Callie, you have it even better - little girl energy! So sweet. Does she wear you out? : )

OMG I am so thankful my dd is home with me right now. Praying for France and for all of us and for the lost souls who did this thing.

Sorry about the cycling [you WILL have an opportunity to try out your wind gear!], but bling shopping for an anniversary gift sounds like a good second choice


LLJsmom - all the best with the run and hope you clock a time that pleases you! Looking forward to your "review". I can now run a mile lol and you are my role model I have no idea how you make the long runs, you must be in incredible shape.

AZ - not seeing here anything about new vet, so I don't know what's going on, but I hope you find a good'un. I have switched many times looking for the smartest, most compassionate vet & have succeeded. Your pups are lucky to have you as their Mom.

Marcy, I'm with Missy. You should be very careful with the color blood-red around rabbits! Isn't there a jiu jitsu class for bears near you?! Of course you would not want to hurt Marty's feelings by beating up his rabbits. You could, however, hire a hit-NIRDI.

June, I have a mostly unhelpful comment. This thing with parents - at least with mine, never really had a conclusive "now we have a plan in place" it was more like a one day at a time process. I think the only way to not agonize over who-what-where is to put a parent in a nursing home, but then you agonize over THAT. [[[sigh]]] My heart goes out to you. I know it can be exhausting, but you are so loving and patient with this, you are to be commended. I wish there were some way we could help.

Hi to Sharon and to Orsi - are you still reading here or off on adventures?

JA: I have been thinking about you and your daughter. She must have a multitude of feelings to process since was lately in Paris and therefore her memories are fresh. Big hugs to ya'll as we think our brethren. Healing vibes across the miles (and kms...)

Sharon

 

[MarionC]

Thanks, Sharon and Missy. I hope that events are taking place under the radar to deal with this situation, that somehow they are finding the masterminds. My dd's bf is angry & upset that the targets seem to be his generation, out enjoying life on a Friday night. He went to Paris yesterday to be with a friend. Now I am doubly glad dd is not there, for surely she would be in Paris today.
It is probably safe, but still feels creepy.

So of course, what to do while watching the situation? Bling! ...you thought maybe there was another answer? lol
I put in a low-ball bid on an eternity ring [my idea of gam-bling] and then made a decision to get a snake ring I had been eyeballing for a while. It's 1800's, has an antique cushion head and a sweet expression : ) [14 day return].
I started looking for snake rings in June and have a fantasy about collecting them - but only vintage ones with cute faces; benign little happy faces, and well-made AND a good deal! Since most can't be resized, they also have to fit...That eliminates about 99% of the rings out there, so it's more of a fun challenge.

Puff was terrific fun yesterday. He was strutting around on the rug in the den like the king of the house so I took Issy into the den to see what would happen - he chased her all over the place nipping at her feet. 3 oz bird vs. 50# dog and...the winner is...Puff!

So, that is life in a nut shell at 3am.

Weather any better for biking today, Missy?

 

[Andelain]

Hey Jimmianne, I finally got your old ACA mounted.

 

[MarionC]

Hey Jimmianne, I finally got your old ACA mounted.

So...where are the photos???
wear in good health! and tell her I said hello. She's a beauty.

 

[Andelain]

Hey Jimmianne, I finally got your old ACA mounted.

So...where are the photos???
wear in good health! and tell her I said hello. She's a beauty.

Yes, that it is.

Pics coming soon, but you can get a sneak peek in the Entire Collection thread. Just above and to the right of a certain emerald....

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Thank you Marcy and Junie for the info re time stamp on our texts. It worked Yay. Thank you!

Hi Jimmianne, sounds like you and your DD are having a wonderful visit and I am with you. Glad she is here away from what is happening now in Paris.
And glad her BF and his family and friends are safe too.

Yes weather a bit better for cycling today and we are planning to go despite the still chilly temps. Giving my windproof cycling pants a try. I bought 2 different pairs. One bright blue with very heavy and windstopping material. A bit stiff so we shall see how I can cycle in them. And a different second pair in black. Warm and windstopping but not as heavy duty. For when the temp is cool but not cold i.e. best for 50's and the blue best for 40's. Today will be a day for the black cycling pants I think. Will let you know how it goes. I will add that neither pair is easy to get on so lol will need Greg's help. They are very stiff because of the windproof technology and my hands are not as strong as they used to be sadly.

Cannot wait to see your snake ring. I think I know which one you are talking about too.

Haha Puff and Issy. I am enjoying the visual. Yesterday we bought a little battery operated dog that barks and moves just to see how the cats react. Hysterical. I took pics with my new iPhone which captures the frame before and after so they are like mini movies. Really loving that feature. Of course I could just take a short movie but this is so easy. I just have not figured out how to automatically upload all the pics I take with my phone to my photo bucket account so in order to share them I have to manually upload each one which is a huge pain so hoping there is a way to do it automatically like I had my Samsung rigged up to do.

Hi Sharon and Andelain. Sounds like all is well by you girls!

Hope all the NIRDIs are having a good weekend and looking forward to hearing about your adventures!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Junebug, I will be curious to hear if your mother perked up for your brother. I think my mom was mostly in a fog, rarely talked but if she knew someone “new” was around her she noticeably interacted with them differently. I think she was way over medicating herself too; when she had knee surgery about 3 months before they found her cancer she was more alert in the hospital and rehab than I’d seen her in over a year. She was flat out lying to the doctor by then about falling and things like that. I really like what Jimmianne said about taking things one day at a time; so much of it is unpredictable and that’s the best you can do. I think I’ll like my new tasks at work and being busier. I have quite a bit of background knowledge on this task (my team is on the receiving end of these schedules) so that will be helpful.

Missy, we had lovely weather here today. Marty played golf and had his best score of the year. He’s all happy. I hope the winds die down enough you can go for a ride. But on the other hand bling shop for your anniversary does sound like a wonderful plan as well. I do like my garnet ring. I wore it about 5 days in a row and now it’s in my RHR rotation. Alka Seltzer is kind of fizzy going down; I usually follow it with straight water. I only like the original flavor though. IMO, I am with you; I don’t think terrorists can be reasoned with, they want us to die and being nice to them isn’t going to help. I feel so bad for those victims and their families in Paris.

Jimmianne, I was glad your DD was here during those awful attacks in Paris. I am glad her BF is okay. Good idea to have the bears take jiu jitsu class or karate or something. I saw a chocolate bear at the store today so picked it up and put the rabbits around it on the table. Ha Ha. I am glad you are looking in to some new bling, I can’t wait to see what you get. I had to laugh at your story about Puff and Issy. That is too cute. Puff sounds like a Killer Rabbit!

Sharon, are you having mild weather?

Hi Andelain, I agree with Jimmianne - I’d love to see pictures of your new ACA mounted.

I had a busy and lazy weekend. We went to see Spectre yesterday at a matinee time. Holy cow, the price of movies have gone up a lot in a year. We bought a date pack popcorn and 2 sodas. They handed Marty a cup so large I couldn’t put my hand around it so I quickly asked for a small size drink for me. We didn’t eat 1/2 of the popcorn. I think going with 2 small popcorns and soda would have been a smarter call but how can you pass up your husband saying “let’s get the date pack”?

Marty played golf both days this weekend. Not bad for the middle of November.

I made homemade biscuits for breakfast which I slathered with butter and Marty made sausage and gravy for his. For lunch I had Marty pick up take out from Olive garden. I swear they gave us enough salad to feed 10 people.

I made brownies this morning so we’ll have brownie sundaes later today. I hate a warm brownies when they were done; they smelled way too good to wait.

I got my Thanksgiving cards ready to send to family, a card to send a friend of mine and a donation to our local medical center. They do a remembrance tree that you can fill out a cardboard dove with a note and they hang it on a big tree at the mall. I send in one in memory of my parents.

Have a great evening and Monday.

Marcy

 

[Calliecake]

Jimmianne, I've been thinking of you, your daughter and her fiancé and his family the past few days. I am so glad your your daughter is home for the next few weeks and am happy you are enjoying the time with her. Your story about Puff and Issy had me laughing. I can't wait to see pictures of the snake ring.

Missy, Did you get the rose bushes planted? How was your bike ride today? How many miles did you log? We had a very fun day yesterday with my niece. The time flew by and I could not get over how good the furbaby was with her. She was so protective when the baby was napping. Any little noise she was running in the room to check on her. They had so much fun playing together. I love hearing those sweet baby belly laughs. I can't wait until I get to keep her for the weekend.

LLJsmom, I hope everything went well with your race today. I can't wait to hear all about it.

Marcy, Is Marty staying home for a while or back to traveling? I hope his travel slows down now that we are getting close to the holidays.

Kristie, I hope you had a fun day today. Did you do anymore shopping. My niece and I went to mall last night when she got off work. I ended up getting a couple more dresses. She picked up her ring from the jewelers yesterday afternoon. She is going to have to have sizing balls added. It was very large on her and she doesn't know what to do as her fingers have a tendency to swell. She was upset because she doesn't want to have to bring it back to the jeweler and have them keep it another week. I will probably run it over to my jeweler one day next week while she is working and just wait for them to add the sizing balls. I haven't heard crickets from my other niece about her ring. I have no idea if no news is good news.

 

[marcy]

Callie, Marty is traveling to Miami this week connecting flights in Houston. I can’t say I am overly thrilled about it. I love your story about the baby and your furbaby being so protective of her. That is so cute. You will love babysitting her for the weekend. I hope the jeweler can do sizing balls for you while you wait. I hate to wait to get my rings back too.

I am such a blonde. I am working on planning things for the family Christmas and saw something in a catalog about “crackers” that you pull open and get little racing reindeer. The picture has 2 tubes and 2 reindeer so I ordered 3 of them. It came to $110 with shipping. Marty is like “what?”. The description says it comes with 6 crackers so I basically ordered 18 of those little suckers. Oh well, I can give some to our friend’s kids and my grownup nieces and nephews can enjoy them as well. Too funny.

 

[junebug17]

Missy, thank you…I truly feel the same way about you.

And I completely agree with your comments re terrorism; I feel exactly as you do, on all counts. I've decided not to even read the current thread about it anymore. I'm so upset about what happened in France and my heart breaks for the families of the victims, so many people devastated by these attacks.

I hope you were able to have a good ride today and that your pants did the trick and kept you warm. Sounds like a bit of a hassle to get them on lol, but if they work it's well worth it!

I'm getting excited about your upcoming anniversary! Will you and Greg do anything special or do you guys usually have a low-key celebration? And keep us posted as to any jewelry plans, an anniversary is the perfect time for some special bling.

Jimmianne, I am SO relieved and grateful that your dd is in the states right now, and I'll bet the visit is even more special now. Sounds like you had such a blast with dd and her friends - doesn't it feel wonderful to laugh so hard it hurts? It very rarely happens with me, but when it does it feels so fantastic. I'm glad you enjoyed the day so much, the good times are what keeps us going.

Your comments are far from unhelpful, and yes, one day at a time sounds like a plan. And it's true, any change we make is not going to a particularly easy one. My sister and oldest brother are getting more involved now so I don't feel quite so alone in all this. And though it sounds a bit cheesy and melodramatic, you girls just being here for me to chat with, laugh, comfort, offer advice and ideas, and of course talk about bling is a major help!!! I really mean that, it's huge.

Oooh, an eternity ring…love that And your snake ring sounds very cool, I hope you post pics!

LLJsmom, I'm sorry you're still dealing with a lot of stress. It's wonderful that running provides such a good release for you…but yes, be careful and don't overdo. Let us know how your half -marathon went, I think it was this past Saturday? Thanks for the support about my mother…and yes, it's rough when a parent ages, that's for sure. Hard to see my mother so helpless, sometimes I still can't believe it's gotten to the point it has, didn't really expect things to turn out this way but I guess that's life for you. Thinking of your dad and hope he's doing ok, it's very tough having an ill parent and I so hope he can start feeling better.

Marcy, glad you had a good weekend, going to the movies sounds like fun, we haven't gone in a long time and my husband has been talking about going to see Spectre too.

I asked my brother and he said my mother did perk up a bit and was a little more alert when my oldest brother was there lol. Visitors are really the only thing that seem to stimulate and entertain her, but unfortunately I can't supply a steady stream of visitors all the time! And yes, my mother was more alert while she was in re-hab after her stroke, I think just the interaction with therapists and nurses kept her mind a bit sharper. That's another reason why I think going to my sister's will be good for her, just seeing different people and being in a new environment will be good for her I think.

Glad to hear Marty had a good game! I'm all for anything that puts our husbands in a good mood haha! My dh played golf today too, and did pretty well - but he wasn't quite as happy as he should have been because his football team lost again today. I try to be sympathetic, but he knows I don't really get being that upset about a game lol.

Callie, so glad you had so much fun with your grandniece! And how sweet that your furbaby was so good with her, that is too cute and they must have been adorable together.

My brother stopped off at my house on his way back from visiting his MIL in Maryland, and it was great to see him. I was actually surprised a little by that because my family is a bit fragmented and we are not necessarily a very close-knit family. But we had a good discussion about family matters and he was concerned and caring, and I feel now he'll help me with issues that I think are going to be a problem down the road. I was comforted by that, and it felt good to have such a warm feeling about seeing him.

Well, that weekend went by too fast lol - see you all tomorrow!

 

[Kelinas]

Seems like I poke my head in here quarterly to check in on you.
Hope you're doing good Missy!

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Just a quick posting as we are actually going cycling this morning since it is so lovely out. It was Greg's idea (of course I ask him almost every Monday lol) and he is planning on working from home/on the go today so woohoo.

Kelinas! How are you? How is sweet Remington? Please tell me what is new and how you are doing. I hope life is improving each and every day and that you are well!!!

Junie, aww thank you and (((hugs))).
Our anniversary was this past Friday and well we didn't do anything special. Honestly I don't have the desire for some reason. We are doing well and enjoying being together and when we are in the mood to do something special and celebrate we will but I think right now we are so busy with a lot going on that we are both too exhausted to do something extra special. LOL I hope that doesn't sound too sad. Greg's shed is almost finished and I will share pics of it when I get them together for you girls. Julio did a great job. Now just waiting to see how much it is going to cost lol. Then the basement dig out begins. Joanne also emailed me last night that she might have someone who can help with the TNR so waiting to hear from her. Hoping it all works out.

The cycling pants did a good job yesterday but to be fair it was in the 50's and sunny so not that cold. I still have the warmer blue pants ready and waiting for when we need them. Wearing my normal cool weather cycling pants today as it will be near 60 and sunny woohoo.

I am so glad your mom perked up for your older brother and yes visitors are a great idea to keep her engaged and happy. I know it is challenging as our parents get older as there are less friends around. I am so happy you and your brother had a good talk and are on the same page. Thinking of you and your family.

Callie, they are being planted as we speak and also a few more trees Julio picked up to plant for more privacy on the side of the house. So pleased we are going to have more lovely trees and roses. Let's hope they hold up against any winter storms we both might experience this winter. Thanks so much for that pesticide info last night and also for your recommendations about the roses. I passed it onto Greg. I am glad you and your sweet grandniece enjoyed your time together and I know you are looking forward to spending the whole weekend with her soon! And that your sweet dog is also excited about that. So precious!


Marcy, I am sorry the Broncos lost last night. Glad you were relaxing though because you deserve to enjoy some down time. Looking forward to hearing all about your astronomy meeting this Friday evening. I know you will do a super job on the newsletter.

Nice that Marty had a great golf game yesterday. I cannot believe Marty is traveling again but at least where he is going isn't a bad place to be this time of year. Hope he will not be gone long.

Glad you are loving your new garnet ring and it is beautiful! I hear you on the blonde thing. I have done many things just like that lol and at least you have plenty of extra gifts for all who might appreciate it!

Movies are so expensive these days and I am glad you enjoyed the new Bond film. We are planning to see it too. Right now I am enjoying many Netflix movies however from the comfort of my own home. Cannot beat that.

Your brownie sundaes sound so yummy Marcy. Ooh wish we lived closer (but for more reasons than just your home cooking haha)... Though I have been packing on the pounds lately but for some reason I don't care that much. Need to bulk up for winter I guess haha. But OMG just put on my regular cycling pants as we are leaving in a few minutes and they are pretty snug. Sigh.

LLJsmom, I am glad you enjoyed running the marathon with friends. I wish we lived closer because maybe I could get you into cycling and we could enjoy riding together. Thinking of you and your dh this coming week and sending lots of good luck dust and wishes! And big (((HUGS))).

OK girls, enjoy this lovely Monday morning and see you later.

Posting a pic of the new winter cycling pants I wore yesterday. Sorry they post sideways. No clue why it is correct in my pic files. One with bare ankles so you can see that thankfully there is not much difference in ankle width. There is a difference definitely and especially when I have been on it all day but I am thankful and grateful I am good! OK off cycling. Have a great day girls!

 

[Kelinas]

Unfortunately, bad news on my end.
On October 28th, my dad called me in a complete panic - my mother was in the ICU due to an internal hemorrhage. I flew out the next day. When I arrived, I spoke to the doctor to receive a startling diagnosis : Terminal Stage 4 liver cancer.
My mother had cirrhosis for 5 years and had been undergoing treatments that included bi-annual CT & MRI scans. In March, the images show only cirrhosis. In late September, her liver was one massive tumor.
They gave her 3 months.
She came out of the ICU and became lucid again for the last week I was there. When I left, she was smiling, telling me that she wasn't going to die before her birthday in January. I promised to come back in December.
Unfortunately, 6 hours after my flight took off, she had another hemorrhage and never fully came back from it.
She passed away a day later, on Friday.
So 8 months ago, no cancer.
5 weeks after the initial diagnosis, she passed.
I missed the funeral.
I go back in a few weeks to try finalizing matters and I'm bringing back my father to live with me.

This year is by far, the worst year of my life.

:/
Sorry for so much bad in a thread of so much good

 

[junebug17]

Kelinas, I am so very sorry for the loss of your mother. Cancer is such a devastating and cruel disease. Sending thoughts of comfort and strength to you during this really difficult time in your life, I can only imagine how hard all of this has been, and continues to be, for you. ((((hugs)))))