Now I really did it :((

[missy]

Good morning girls. I am exhausted this morning. Didn't sleep well past 2 nights despite being so tired last night. Lots on my mind of course but nothing new there. Ann trapped another feral on our property yesterday and Greg mistakenly thought it was Squirt. But it wasn't Squirt and we aren't sure if it is Dr Pepper (since we never see him in daylight security pics only evening grainy pics). This is what happened. Squirt walked into the trap around 2:30 PM yesterday and ate and left without triggering the door of the trap shut. Then almost right after another cat who Greg thought was Squirt walked right back in and triggered the trap. Greg was watching on security video live and thought it was Squirt who had just returned. He called Ann who came to get the cat. Turned out last night after reviewing the pics the cat she trapped has grey paws and Squirt has white paws. I know it is silly but I started crying because I just so badly wanted Squirt to be trapped so he could get neutered and vaccinated and now we just aren't sure who this trapped cat is. If it is Dr Pepper that is good and of course any feral cat to be neutered/spayed is good. Too many in the feral population at large. But just so badly want the soda gang to be taken care of...Today Ann is trying one more time. She has one slot left (out of 6) and we hope she can trap another one of ours (hopefully Squirt but I think he may be too smart for his own good) and she said she will bring a different trap (different mechanism) that hopefully will be triggered this time if he enters it. One of my big worries is Sammy. She has had no food since yesterday at 6AM and she will be starving and I don't want her to enter the trap. That might traumatize her to the point of no return to our property so I am worried. And why my sleep has been poor. OK glad to get that off my chest. Onto other important NIRDI news.


Scandi, I am so sorry about your grandmother and hoping for an easy recovery for her. Thank goodness your mom realized something was going on and that your grandmother got the care she needed quickly. And how awful about the oil spill. I hope the professionals can help you and make it as good as new. I am going to ask Greg about this and will get back to you OK? He knows a lot about oil spills and such so maybe he will have some useful info. (((HUGS))).

Marcy, I am so excited for you and cannot wait to see you loot today and tomorrow. OMG so much blingy excitement yesterday today and tomorrow. Not sure my heart can handle all this excitement. Oh yes it can! Bring on the bling...that's excitement I can always handle. Soon enough you will straighten out your spectacle problem. What's happening with Marty's glasses? Did they redo them already I hope. Hopefully your car troubles will turn out to be quickly and inexpensively and properly fixed with little to no hassle on your part. Good luck!

Junie, thank you sweetheart. Sorry I sound like a broken record. I have to keep telling myself doing the best we all can and hoping it works out. Right now we are doing what we can and I cannot think of anything else we can do since we don't live there full time. I don't want to start doing this on a regular basis I'm just not strong enough. My heart has been through so much emotional heartbreak with these cats and cats in the past (Blu ) and it is just not something I feel I can do unless I toughen up emotionally. I am trying though but I just cannot make it/will it to happen.

I think I told you girls about Ann finding 5 sick little kittens in the middle of the road Saturday morning before she came to meet with us later that day and she managed to rescue 2 of them. Well yesterday morning before she came to set the trap for our ferals she went back and was able to get the remaining 3 kittens from the other location. Woohoo! She is so strong that she can do this work. Anyway now she has Sprite, her 3 kittens, these other 5 kittens she just got, and 4 or 5 adult ferals that she just trapped yesterday from various locations (one of ours maybe it's Dr Pepper maybe a new one we don't know about IDK) but she is pretty full now so not sure when next round of trapping will happen after this month. She only has room for so many. OMG.

Ann mentioned something about her husband when we were chatting last Saturday at our house but I couldn't tell if he is still in the picture. And I couldn't ask but I wonder. I hope she has a caring supportive husband who is there for her as she does this work of angels. I know most people probably think she is crazy and I might have been one of those people in the past because my interaction/experience with most animal rescue people has shown me that some of them are a little bit nuts. But whether she is or not (and so far she seems completely rational and sane and "normal') so far she seems A-OK to me!

And I know many people think I am nuts for 1. having 4 cats of my own and 2. getting involved in this whole mess to begin with. But you remember why right? I just couldn't walk away from Sammy begging for help and food those nights last September when w were staying at the beach house for 2 weeks. I tried if you remember. The first night I just hardened my heart knowing if I started feeding her we would be at a stressful junction at some point but the second night she came around right up to our glass doors in the backyard looking in at us in the living room all warm and comfy and that was it. I had to go out and put food down. And then a week later the rest of the soda gang made themselves known.

HA I thought I was only dealing with one feral. Little did I know. But you didn't need a crystal ball (thank you Rainwood, I know you warned me and had my best interest at heart and I just couldn't turn away from them) to realize it would get to this point and beyond but I felt that I had no choice. SO I did walk into this with my eyes wide open and yet I still started feeding them. I have no one but myself to blame I know that. And I appreciate being able to share it with you girls here and offline too. Thank you again. I can never thank you all enough for letting me just get out my worries and fears. (((HUGS))). And thank you Kristie for letting me cry on your shoulder yesterday afternoon when I was feeling overwhelmed. It's nice to have a 24/7 NIRDI support hotline.

Today we are all hoping one of the soda gang remaining can get safely trapped and then we wait till next round which might not be till July/August. And that Sammy remains safely away from our trap and that she returns to eat when it is safe.

Sorry I wrote another novel and if you read this far so sorry LOL. But appreciate you listening. OK onto happier brighter blingier thoughts.
Don't hold back with your bling purchases. Share them with us. When one of the NIRDIs gets bling it sorta feels like we all do.

Have a good day girls and looking forward to seeing the new loot Marcy. And LLJsmom, looking forward to hearing any new thoughts you might have today. (((HUGS))) to all of you.

 

[MarionC]

Good Morning, dear NIRDIs!

My phone line got cut so I have not had internet for several days, so catching up now.

Scandi, what a mess o'trouble! It is Mercury retrograde along with several other planets - a big upheaval. Everyone I talk to is having a lot of stuff going on and things are supposed to calm down by the end of the month. I don't know if I believe in that phenomenon, but what you and others are going through makes me think it's true!
I hope your oil spill can be cleaned up to your satisfaction. That would make me very unhappy. You expect problems with construction, but nothing like that.

Marcy...your bling! please please please post as many photos as you can stand. Excited for you
Is Marty excited about his new wedding band or is he playing it cool?

I bought three more LEGO projects yesterday. I think I found my latest passion in life LOL
You all probably think I'm crazy, but snapping those little blocks together and figuring out the blueprint is quite satisfying. I have two adult kits [the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre] coming from Amazon, but had to get the big Party Tour Bus from Target yesterday to have a project on the table NOW. Well, ya know? you need a party tour bus to go see the sights, right?
Maybe I'll name the party girls that came with the bus after you all <3
This may mean hunting down some LEGO kitties as well.

I want you all to know how much I appreciate you. Coming here, reading your news of the day truly enriches life.

 

[Scandinavian]

Hello
Tried to work from home today, but couldn't focus, so went for a long walk instead..
My grandmother is better already, the antibiotics is really helping her knee and it a lot less swollen today. Hoping good luck continues. But then my DH told me that our car needs some new breaks or something similar - I was not paying much attention... - so there goes that money I went for a new walk, basically. Nothing the woods can't fix, lol.

Jimmianne, I love lego too I always "help" the children when they get a new set, lol. I don't believe in reading the stars and planets either, but I sure wish that they would move into a better position all the same... LOL Where they are now surely is not working out very well... I have started to look forward to your trip to France, hoping for lots of pictures, descriptions and updates to follow your travels The internet can be wonderful when we let it Hope your internet behaves, have missed you.

Missy, I totally understand about feeding - and worrying about - the kitties. I would have done the same. I even feed stray dogs on holiday in Greece - my DH gets frustrated because he worries that they can be sick and that they might bite me. So I just tell him that he can do it himself if he does not want me to do it, because either way, they are getting the food... LOL And I think you are doing a wonderful thing to try to help them. People who do not love animals are a bit scary, I always think.. Btw: I'm just as bad as you are. In the winter if there is a lot of snow, I put food out for the wild animals in the woods, because they come down to the houses to look for old apples and stuff here where the snow is not so deep. So I buy apples etc and put out on the lawn for them to find... Do you have any idea how much an elk can eat??? LOL Please tell Greg that any and all ideas are very welcome!!

Marcy, oh no! Is there something wrong with your car too?? I hate cars... no I dont, lol. Just when they cost a lot of money that could have been spent on diamonds... lol. Don't think we can get the logs replaced without going to court, and that will take about a year to get a verdict, so I hope that we can find another solution. Also, that would take at least another year of construction, so fingers crossed. But disregarding time and money, I would prefer new logs. But I really hope that it will not come to that. I'm really looking forward to seeing your new bling!! Not a lot of bling here now, but I might get a treat for my birthday later in the summer.. I hope, LOL.

June, thank you for your support and kind words, I will keep you girls updated! Hope things are moving along more smoothly with your mother than with our extension, lol.

Rainwood, how are things? Hope you are doing well today!

All my best - S

 

[Scandinavian]

Today's picture

 

[rainwood]

Missy, helping out the soda gang is something you feel compelled to do, and that's okay. It's part of who you are and it's good that Greg is on board with all this so it doesn't become a point of disagreement between you. You've done what you think is the right thing, and that's what is important. You're losing sleep over it, but you're a worrier at heart, and worriers will always find something that keeps them awake. Again, it's part of who you are. I am a worrier too, but have become less so lately. When enough bad stuff has already happened, there's less to worry about!

And thanks for all the GF recipes. I like roasted cauliflower too, but one thing I've learned is to decrease how much I make. The aroma of roasted cauliflower leftovers can overpower the refrigerator. Same with roasted brussel sprouts. I have a black bean quinoa enchilada bake (the one I did for Cinco de Mayo) which is quite tasty. I'm not a huge quinoa fan, but I like it in some things. And I know you can do substitutes for flour so I'll have to experiment and see what works. And some things are best if I just give them up for now. I'm also trying to lose weight so baked goods in general are something I need to minimize. I'll keep you advised on my GF experiments.

Scandi, what a terrible day yesterday! Glad your grandmother is doing better. Hope your mom is too. And here, the cost of cleaning up the oil and anything needed to minimize the long-term effects of the oil on the logs would be covered by insurance, usually the crane company's liability insurance. Payment will often be made without suing if the circumstances are clear and it seems like they would be in your situation. Getting new logs might not be covered but the decrease in value of the damaged logs would be. I'm not sure if that's how it works in Sweden, but that's how it would work here. And your cute doggy seems so happy you're back. Plus, a walk in the woods is always a good way to calm down and think through problems.

Jimmianne, you are going to be the Lego queen! I need you to get out here and work on my puzzle because everything left (like 95%) is the hard part.

Junie, I've wanted to say something for awhile, but wasn't sure how it would be received. But now may be the time. Parents should not expect their children to give up their own lives to take care of them. Help where they can, yes, but within reasonable limits. I was lucky because my mother made that clear years before she needed care. I did what I did for her because I wanted to, not because it's what she expected. I know I was lucky, and I didn't feel guilty that her needs turned out to be greater than my ability to satisfy them. I found her what seemed like a good living situation, then moved her to a great one when the first one wasn't the right place. And I kept an eye on her to make sure everything was going okay (okay is all that could be reasonably expected at that point). Don't go beyond your reasonable limits for your mom regardless of what she wants. And don't be made to feel guilty by anyone for what you do and don't do. Lots of people may have opinions, but they aren't the ones providing the care and making the sacrifices so it doesn't matter what they think. And if it becomes too much for you, it's okay to look at other options. It really is. This is probably going to sound terrible, but sometimes it's comforting to know you have an "out."

Marcy, looking forward to seeing the new jewels. They should be lovely, and we need a hand shot of Marty posing with his new ring! Hope you get a break from the snow. We're having lovely weather here so hope it moves east to you.

I'm sorry if I missed anyone. It wasn't intentional!

 

[azstonie]

Hi Scandi:

I read about your construction project and the oil/fuel issue spill. My heart goes out to you---I lost my $#*t when I just had a glass shower enclosure installed wrong, so I feel ya on this one, I do.

here's the thing: Remediating by 'cleaning' of oil/petro products, it doesn't work. Removal is the only way to protect yourself. Anything less than removal is a sure fail. (I'm a retired environmental project manager and I spent many years supervising the removal of all kinds of fuel from Alaska's soil and water.)

I don't want this post to put pressure on an already awful situation, but OTH I don't know if you're aware of this---Removal. You don't want your children around this, your sweet dog, you and your other family members. Surely the responsible party has INSURANCE to cover this---removal of all affected logs and replacement with clean and safe logs (new ones, not the old damaged ones supposedly cleaned up).

Secondary issue, the staining will show itself through the white paint, no 2 ways about that. Its going to be an eyesore in addition to a health hazard.

ETA: You must examine your property---Soil and water---for any sign of spill. There'd pretty much have to be under the scenario you describe, assuming they've been complete and transparent with you (assume they have not). Contaminated soil and water monitoring will be the gift that keeps on giving to you. Take nothing less than removal with monitorin, tgey pau.

I'm really sorry. ---Kristie

(Missy, didn't intend to step on Greg's/your foot here, I feel certain he'd agree with me.)

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Junebug, I swear I am going to call and get a car appointment tomorrow. That’s going to be an all day adventure and costly. Oh well. It is Christmas in May at our house this week. Marty’s golf clubs are showing up tomorrow too.

Missy, I am sorry you aren’t sleeping and hate to think how upset and worried you are about the feral kitties. You are doing so much to help them out and there isn’t much more you can do for them. Hugs to you for taking care of them as much as you can but try not to beat yourself up for not being able to fully adopt them. I know that is easier said than done. Do tell about your new earrings. I am excited to see what you got. Marty’s computer glasses are in but he didn’t pick them up yet.

Jimmianne, rats to no internet for a few days. I wandered around and took a few pictures tonight of my sapphire ring. Sapphires and garnets are hard to get in photos but I got some decent ones. I made a collage I’ll post here. I think Marty is kind of excited about his ring but I am sure he is more excited about his golf clubs. That is fabulous you are enjoying Legos. My 2 nieces who are both engineers actually still play with Legos so see they are good for the mind.

Scandinavian, I am delighted to hear you grandmother is doing better. I think we are in the same boat with brakes. Darn those necessary bills. I am glad you had a nice walk in the woods to relax today. You deserve an escape. In an ideal world that company would just step up and offer to replace your logs but as you said it would probably end up in court so hopefully they get them cleaned up for you. Ugh. I hope you get some birthday bling this summer. Love your fur baby picture.

Rainwood, you are spot on with caring for elderly parents. Making those decisions is so hard and when it reaches that point you have to do what’s best for you and for them. Usually the people who criticize those decisions aren’t doing anything to help. I will definitely get some hand shots of Marty’s ring when it shows up. We are actually having some warmer weather for a few days. I am glad you are having lovely weather.

Kristie, is it over 100 there yet? We are in the 60’s today.

I had a rough day at work. My team had a personnel error; my boss was out so I got to talk to my old boss. He didn’t seem upset but that may change when my boss comes to work tomorrow. We will see. I was delightfully distracted though by LLJsmom diamond search and my upgraded sapphire finally showing up.

We tried a mini (child’s) pizza for supper. Each of us had one. I had enough and am saving half for lunch tomorrow but I am sure Marty didn’t get enough to eat.

Have a great day.
Marcy

 

[azstonie]

Hey Marcy, it hit 100 today I'm hoping to have pool time by Saturday

Outdoors handshots of that sapphire ring!!! Pretty Please!!! Beggy Beggy Woof Woof!!!

 

[azstonie]

Jimmianne, go on Google and search "Pavlock." They have a website, of course visit it, then read The New York Times writeup on it and also the Readers Comments.

I'm ordering one for myself.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls! Happy Friday the 13th...spooky oohhhh.






Hi Scandi, Ugh I am so sorry about this mess. I spoke with Greg and much of what Kristie said is unfortunately true. However, take heart, because with oil spills if you clean it up quickly it will be done. It won't get into the ground water because it won't be sitting there for an extended amount of time. If the logs have been sealed you can wipe it off but if they haven't been sealed the wood is porous and you cannot get the oil out so you need to replace all the logs that have been affected. You can get control of this and fix this and everything will be OK. Email me if you have any further questions for Greg- he is happy to help. (((HUGS))).

Love the latest photo. Beautiful mother and pup.

Rainwood, Luckily the smell of the Cauliflower and Brussel sprouts does not get into my fridge and we have them in sealed containers that really work so maybe that is why? I hate the smell of Cauliflower and Brussel Sprouts (though I love the taste when roasted) so that works for me haha.

Yes I am and always have been a worrier. Sorry you are like that too and even more sorry that much has happened to you putting it into perspective re nothing much left to worry about. You have had a very challenging number of years and come out of it so strong and healthy and I always appreciate you sharing your wisdom with me. I am working each day to learn and grow from life experiences and it does help seeing other points of views and perspectives. Thank you for generously sharing those with me (((HUGS))).

Hoping your knee is feeling better and that things are generally looking up.

Marcy, you know how much I LOVE your new sapphire. The color is GORGEOUS. You did very well. And if I am correct you have more bling coming today. Woohoo! Cannot wait.
I'm sorry work has been tough this week but TGIF and hopefully today will go smoothly. I believe Friday the 13th is a good luck day if that means anything to you.
Tomorrow you will get your glasses situation straightened out so that can be checked off the list. Marty will pick up his new computer glasses (and hopefully they will be right and he will see clearly and comfortably with them). And your new bling will have all arrived and all in all, despite some work issues, a good week for our Marcy.

Callie, always love chatting with you sweetheart and glad life is getting back to normal and happier times are here. (((HUGS))).

LLJsmom, how are we going to wait till Saturday OMG. And with the time difference the wait feels even longer on my end.
It's so great you are seeing what you love and don't love and this is exactly the way to find your dream stone.
Oh I hope this is the one. Crossing my fingers for you and looking forward to lots of pics and videos.


Kristie, no worries, always happy to hear your POV and you have a wide knowledge base re many issues. Yes oil can be challenging and scary but it can also be fixed so Scandi will be fine. I have no doubt she and her family has this and will be A-OK. Are you getting excited about your California trip coming up in a few months? I hope you bring bling money and come back with more than just happy memories bwahaha.

Hi Jimmianne,hope you are having a good rest of the week. Thinking about Gypsy and hoping she is getting better.


Ann had to cut the trapping short yesterday as her allergies were getting the better of her and she said she will try to come Saturday as today is raining and not good for trapping. So one more chance hoping she comes Saturday before she calls it quits for this month and beyond. Fingers crossed she can get Squirt. He is such a sweet baby. We got the cutest security photo of him yesterday morning right before Ann came with the traps. Looking right at the camera. Too cute. You can see the feeding station is empty with the exception of a bit of food that Ann put in there the night before so they wouldn't be in a no food starving situation. They don't need to be starving just hungry to get trapped. That Squirt is too smart though for his own good. I mean he walked right into the trap Wednesday ate and left without tripping the trap. Hoping Ann tries trapping Squirt Saturday and that we have better luck.

Have a good Friday the 13th and hope it is the opposite of spooky and scary for all the NIRDIs.

 

[Scandinavian]

Hello from Scandinavia

Azstonie & Missy, thank you so much for your input and good advice! I really appreciate it!!!!

Update: The soil will be removed and replaced. Re the logs, we don't know yet. Rainwood, the constructor's insurance covers the bill of a "fix", the key is to agree on what is an acceptable fix for this problem. Replacing the logs will cost about 300 000 USD so I don't think the insurance company is going to agree with that. We can take them to court, but that is likely to be a long process. Also, replacing the logs takes about 10 months as they are hand made. Right now, we are trying to get more information about the oil and its compounds. I think that will be key in moving forward and what kind of solution might be acceptable. We have contacted a chemical engineer and chemical geologist in one of the country's best consultancies, I too fear for health issues down the line. We also have contacted a non profit research facility. And - as I told the construction company rather loudly.. - I do not care what the insurance company think is the best / cheapest solution...

Missy, gorgeous kitties Love the pictures

Marcy, that bling is fantastic. The colour is spectacular! Love blues

I bought a new gadget today - comfort present from me to me, LOL. A Polar activity watch! It measures heart rate, activity throughout the day etc and actually tells you when you have been sitting for too long and should get up and move, lol. Bought one for my DH also, but he got a black one, lol. Hope it will make him happy... lol.

 

[Scandinavian]

My new friend..

 

[MarionC]

I'm such an idiot. I just figured out that I can respond to Ps comments using my phone. Yay!that means no more reading your posts in my email and not being able to respond when I'm away.
Now there is no power at my house due to a big storm so I'm at a little café using wifi (actually called the Small café)
Marcy, your sapphire is gorgeous! Can't wait to look at it on a larger screen
I'll come back when the power is on at my house.

 

[missy]

Scandi. We are on the road but just read your update to Greg. Please keep us posted. It sounds like the logs must be replaced. So sorry but it *will* be sorted out with time aggravation and effort. Glad the soil will be replaced. One less concern. Hugs.

 

[Scandinavian]

The more I read about hydraulic oils, the more I want new logs. Currently, I'm trying to find out exactly what kind of oil was used / spilled. All I have gotten so far, is that is is a Bartran hydraulic oil. Will keep you posted.

 

[canuk-gal]

The more I read about hydraulic oils, the more I want new logs. Currently, I'm trying to find out exactly what kind of oil was used / spilled. All I have gotten so far, is that is is a Bartran hydraulic oil. Will keep you posted.

When I read about the unbelievably "freaky" accident with the truck/logs, I was sad for you. How upsetting to have such an incident occur. I have no technical opinions but want to tell you I hope some great response will be found to mitigate the issue. It is Friday the 13th after all--miracles and other such otherworld solutions things CAN happen.

cheers--Sharon

 

[canuk-gal]

Good morning girls! Happy Friday the 13th...spooky oohhhh.













Ann had to cut the trapping short yesterday as her allergies were getting the better of her and she said she will try to come Saturday as today is raining and not good for trapping. So one more chance hoping she comes Saturday before she calls it quits for this month and beyond. Fingers crossed she can get Squirt. He is such a sweet baby. We got the cutest security photo of him yesterday morning right before Ann came with the traps. Looking right at the camera. Too cute. You can see the feeding station is empty with the exception of a bit of food that Ann put in there the night before so they wouldn't be in a no food starving situation. They don't need to be starving just hungry to get trapped. That Squirt is too smart though for his own good. I mean he walked right into the trap Wednesday ate and left without tripping the trap. Hoping Ann tries trapping Squirt Saturday and that we have better luck.

Have a good Friday the 13th and hope it is the opposite of spooky and scary for all the NIRDIs.

Love the picutres of all the kitties Missy! Thanks. TGIF NIRDI's!

cheers--Sharon

 

[junebug17]

Hi girls!

Missy, I'm just really sorry the feral cat situation is causing you so much anxiety and I just hope you can find some comfort by reminding yourself you're doing all you can in very difficult circumstances. You followed your heart and were true to yourself so please don't be hard on yourself for choices you made. I hear you on wishing you could toughen up a bit, I wish I could be stronger in certain situations too, it would probably make life easier for the both of us ha! But as you said it's really hard to change certain aspects of our personalities. I wish there was more I could do and say to ease your mind but hopefully having the love and support of all your nirdis will help you a little through the tough periods. Please continue to share how you're feeling with us whenever you need to, you are most definitely NOT a broken record! This is a big part of your life right now and as your friend I want you to share what you're going through so that I can at least offer you some support and understanding. (((hugs)))

Love your spooky kitty pics lol! And Sprite is SO cute!

Scandinavian, I feel so badly about the oil/log problem, I feel for you and I'm really sorry for this complication - It sounds like replacing the logs makes the most sense since the oil has soaked into them and they're contaminated at this point. But I know nothing about any of this so I'll be interested in hearing what info you get from the experts you're consulting. I'm sending good thoughts to you as you navigate your way through this situation. It will take time but this will all be resolved so please hang in there and keep us posted.

Love the pic of your sweet dog! And I really like your activity watch and good for your for treating yourself to a little something, you deserve it! Glad to hear your grandmother is responding well to the antibiotic. Sorry to hear about the car trouble, it's really the last thing you need right now on top of everything else going on.

Rainwood, thank you for your input and thoughts - you're fortunate your mother had the foresight to discuss her expectations with you prior to her decline. I don't think it dawned on my mother to think about her future care and we never brought it up, and we probably should have. Who knows, maybe she did figure her children would handle everything. Her stroke took us by surprise and she's been declining slowly so we've just done our best to adapt. I do understand your point and I agree with you. Believe me, I fully realize that caring for my mother on a regular basis might turn out to be too difficult for me in which case other arrangements are going to have to be made. I know my brother will be against this and recommend that she just return home, but I don't think that's a good option so I foresee problems on that front. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it I guess. Thanks again for your words of wisdom and your support, I do appreciate it.

Jimmianne, it's good to hear from you! I missed you. I hope your internet issues get fixed quickly. Yay for more lego sets, I'm glad you've found something relaxing and enjoyable to do.

Marcy, I just love your new sapphire It's a gorgeous color, and I love the sparkle it has. It looks great in that setting and it couldn't look more perfect on your hand. Your pictures are great! I can't wait to see your other goodies! Sorry for the rough day at work, I hope your boss didn't give you a hard time.

Kristie, wow, 100 degrees! Lucky you to be able to go swimming soon.

I feel like I missed some things, will do a better job keeping up - have a good night everyone!

 

[rainwood]

Missy, love the scary Friday the 13th cats, but I especially love that Squirt is looking at the security camera like he's asking you "Where's the good food?" He looks like such a cutie. I hope Ann is able to accomplish something on her next try.

Scandi, my fingers are crossed that the experts find a solution. This is really a unique situation because the cost of log replacement is so high and would probably take a long time given that they are individually cut and fitted. And that's what would make a settlement in my state more problematic. Clean-up for environmental damage and to eliminate any health effects on your family is the easy part. If the logs can be cleaned to meet environmental and personal safety standards, at least in my state a court might not require that they be replaced if the replacement cost is really high. I won't go into details, but it's the same legal principle that let's an insurance company write a check for the car's value rather than pay for repairs if the cost of repair is more than the car is worth. I don't know if Sweden has something similar. I'm hoping everyone is able to make things right for you and your family. And love the pink watch! That should keep your life organized.

Kristi, I totally agree that getting rid of all the oil-damaged stuff is best, and I hope that is what happens. I've been involved in enough insurance claims (both for and against my clients) over the years to know that, at least where I live, that might not be what an insurance company is willing or obligated to pay for. And those high temps in AZ are something I could never take. It was in the low 80s' today and I'm glad it's not going to be so hot tomorrow. I'm a warm weather wimp (W cubed), that's for sure!

Junie, you have a good handle on all the issues with your mom. I'm really hoping it all works out, and you're able to come up with a system where you're involved in her care in a way you find satisfying and sustainable over time. And if she's happy with it, that's a nice (but not mandatory) bonus!

Marcy, I'm not much of a colored stones person unless the color is blue. Loved the hand shots. So, so pretty. And Marty's hand shot needs to be an action shot. Like wrapped around a golf club!

Had a nice day today. Went for a walk and lunch with a friend. Going GF certainly makes ordering in a restaurant quicker. I went straight to the salads section and stayed away from the sandwiches. And I'll head to the island tomorrow and will meet with the architect about turning the attic into a studio/office. It's the one thing I don't have and would really like. I have some ideas how to get easier access (not the pull down stairs/almost ladder that's there now) but want the architect's perspective because he designed the house. I'm hoping he thinks it's feasible.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Sharon, thank you, I am glad you enjoy their photos. They love posing for them. I hope all is well by you. I am thinking of all those affected by the wildfires still and sending more good thoughts their way.

Junie, thank you love. You are incredibly sweet, generous and supportive and words cannot adequately express how grateful I am to have you and all the NIRDIs in my life. I know things will work out for your family though there may be some challenging times ahead. Sending you lots of love and hugs the whole way through.

Marcy, OMG I LOVE your new sapphires. The blue and the yellow are just gorgeous. Reminds me of the sunshine and the sky. The bright bold yellow sun and the deep bright blue sky. Just gorgeous and happy in every way. May you only enjoy happiness and brightness when wearing them. Same for all the girls. Brightness and joy all the way through. Good luck today on your appointment with the glasses and hoping it is an easy fix and also that Marty's new reading glasses work out. And a BIG thank you for your help re my new earrings. I hope you are right fingers crossed. I know nothing about alterations re jewelry. Isn't that sad given how much I love bling. I am not sure how I screwed up in the first place re the purchase but no sense lamenting about that now. Thank you for your sage advice.

Rainwood, glad you enjoyed the Friday the 13th scary pics. My kitties are really scary when they are hungry but fortunately I don't let them get hungry or else I might not be around for my daily NIRDI post. Bwahahaha.
And you are right. Squirt is looking at the camera saying what happened to the good stuff? LOL.

I'm glad you enjoyed a lovely day yesterday and I cannot wait to hear about your new attic becoming an office. I bet the architect can come up with a feasible solution to the pull ladder you have there now. I'm with you in that would be too risky for daily use. Good luck!

Scandi, I love your new watch. Such a pretty pink and how useful too. Again, I am so sorry you are going through this mess honey and wish there was something we could do besides offer moral support and hugs. We are here for you and I am hoping for a happy resolution with the least possible aggravation along the way. Big (((HUGS))).

LLJsmom, I am so excited for you I almost cannot breathe. I am hoping you fall heads over heels in love with this new delivery. Fingers crossed. Darn this 3 hour time difference. It is killing me b/w you and Kristie being 3 hours behind me and me waking up at 4AM every morning recently and going to bed by 9PM it is a real challenge. But we persevere for the love of bling. And NIRDIs.
Good luck this morning and we are all waiting to hear your thoughts and see lots of pics.

I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful Saturday. We are going to try going bike riding today though the ground is still wet and maybe a bit slippery with some good stiff winds. But while the weather looks iffy today Sunday is out as the winds here are going to be over 20 mph. At least today they will only be around 15 mph. So we will give it the old college try. LOL. Speaking of which this June marks 30 years since graduating from college. Can you believe it? I cannot. Just got a mailing from them about it. Wow. How is that possible given that in my mind I am not even 30 years old yet?


Adding my pic of the day. Took this at work the other day for LLJsmom with my phone. And looking at it now on my laptop and while it is far from perfect showing off Bea's assets (lol her facets but that rhyme can be for another time haha see what I did there ) I still like this photo so sharing it here for visual interest in the NIRDI thread. The room is all beige with fluorescent lighting so not an ideal OEC photo staging but Bea doesn't mind. Sorry my hands are so pink. I have Raynaud's and it was freezing cold at work and then it got very warm so my hands were rebounding flushing. Yeah it's not just my face that does that. Oh well. At least I have pretty bling (thank you NIRDIs!) to look at when I am dealing with unpleasant situations.

 

[MarionC]

Missy...ah!

I never get tired of looking at Ms.Bea. She is a stunner.
I started working on my Lego Eiffel Tower. Very cool the way it is constructed.

Here is NYC [for Greg].



Where are the yellow sapphires? am I being dense?
And where is Marty's ring? How come I don't see these : (

Glad "good luck" 13th is over! Now those cats can calm down.

Scandi, I have a steep set of steps to my meditation loft that work well [see CAD below]. Also you can build steps with alternating risers that do not take up much room. I am not fond of those attic pulldowns, but they do do the job!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs,

Thank you for the compliments on my new sapphires.

Kristie, 100? That sounds hot. I hope we get some sun this weekend so I can get some pictures.

Missy, I love the Spooky cat pictures. Those are fabulous. My new sapphires did help me make it through the week. Marty’s computer glasses are fine so he’s good to go with his 3 glasses. Great picture of cute Squirt. You are very welcome for my suggestions on your earrings. I have had good luck with altering jewelry to be what I want but certainly found you need to be specific. Glad to hear you got in a nice bike ride today. Love your picture of Bea the beautiful diamond.

Scandinavian, what a mess and hassle with the oil spill / splatter. You’ll enjoy your activity watch. Marty uses his a lot. He had a fitbit but lost it on an airplane. Now he uses his Apple watch.

Jimmianne, aren’t phones the best? A little computer in your hand. Glad your power came back on and great lego stuff. I will post pictures of my earrings and yellow ring. I took them with my phone at work and haven’t got my camera out yet to get some better pictures.

Hi Sharon!

Junebug, my boss didn’t give me a hard time about our mistake. He asked who missed it and did it wrong. I told him what I had done about it and he was fine. Now let’s hope my team’s issue with mistakes can be turned around. Manual entries and verifications can never be 100% perfect. Are you having nice weather there?

Rainwood, I am both a warm and cold weather wimp. I have a tolerance range of 2 degrees - 73-75 is about right. I am a sucker for blue sapphires. Good idea to get a picture of Marty’s new ring while he is using his new golf clubs. Great idea to get a studio / office in your attic. I hope the architect comes up with some good ideas for steps to easily get up there.

Marty’s poker tournament went well. 8 guys played and they were having fun until about 2 am. Marty broke even so I guess that is a good thing. One of the guys brought his wife and she and I played scrabble and had a nice time just visiting and swapping life stories.

Sadly we had to get up before 8 since the cleaning lady was coming today. She was 45 minutes late though so we could have slept in too but oh well.

I went to the eye doctor and they are ordering me in completely new glasses with the progressive prescription starting 3mm lower. If these aren’t right I am going to ask to talk to the eye doctor. Their optical shop isn’t one of their strengths.

Marty and I went to lunch and are going to watch the new Star Wars on PPV tonight.

Marty installed our door bell phone and it works pretty slick Right now he is drilling a hole in the basement wall to run the cords inside for a security camera on the basement patio.

It is cold and rainy here today. Darn it!

I hope you are having a great weekend.
Marcy

 

[marcy]

Here are pictures of my studs and yellow sapphire I took on my phone at work. That yellow sapphire is proving elusive to photograph as well.


Marcy

 

[MarionC]

Marcy - so far so good! [photographing the yellow sapphire] It's totally wonderful; beautiful & happy
but of course, more photos, please...

I'm sure Marty's bling is making him a happy guy. Has he gone out with them yet??

 

[CJ2008]

I don't visit this thread often so I didn't know (or remember) about Squirt and all the other kitties that you're helping missy.

I am so glad you're helping them they are so lucky to have run into you

 

[Gypsy]

Missy, I don't know why I don't check this thread more often. I just wanted to give you a BIG hug for helping all those feral kiddos. I wish I could do the same.

I went to a large nursery local to my new apartment. They have nice amount of land and greenhouses and apparently they have a ton of strays they've taken in. I saw 2 of them while I was there. But they feed and take care of as many as they can. And they do spay and neuter and help them as much as possible. The cats were fat and happy and you can tell they were so happy to be able to be outside and safe on such a nice refuge space for them.

You can't take the feral out of some of them. It's just how they are made. You do the best you can. And YOUR best, missy, if definitely more than good enough.

 

[junebug17]

Missy, hope you had a good bike ride! Hopefully you can get a ride in tomorrow but if not I'm sure you and Greg will find something fun to do. Maybe just hang around and watch movies lol LOVE the pic of your gorgeous Bea, what a rock!

Rainwood, glad you had a good time with your friend and I hope you have a lovely weekend on the island! Turning the attic into an office is a great idea. I hope you and the architect can come up with a way to make access easier, would certainly be more convenient.

Marcy, your yellow sapphire is amazing!!! The color is SO pretty and I love the setting. And your earrings are beautiful! They're such a lovely shade of blue. Just perfect, so much fun getting new sparklies Marty's clubs are nice but I like your bling better ha! I'm sure he won't mind my saying that

Jimmianne, I love your staircase, that is very cool! Glad you're enjoying your Eiffel Tower project, I hope you post pics of it. Love the New York Lego skyline, really neat!

Hope everyone is having a good weekend so far!

 

[Gypsy]

 

[MarionC]

Hi Gypsy. Nice to see you here. What a great cartoon. Decidedly apropos!

June, what's going on at your house? Are things going well? challenging? is the carpentry done? and how is your Mom?
More to the point, how you you doing?

I am waiting patiently for my "travel ring" to be finished.
while putting together my lego Eiffel Tower yesterday I noticed a strong resemblance between the cross sections and the head of my "talisman for France". I thought - how cool because I'd thought of using a french icon motive then ended up with a little spaceship to represent travel. Some how France got in there anyway : )




Happy Sunday, everyone. I certainly hope those of us with cold & rainy get some sunshine, and those of us with 100 degrees get some cool!

 

[MarionC]

cont...

Scandi, how are you liking your new friend? I love that color. I have the apple watch but yours looks a heck of a lot more comfortable. I'm not sure YOU of all NIRDIs need a fitness watch! You are an amazing athlete with your skiing and dog field training.
Are there any new thoughts on the log front?

Speaking of phones, does anyone have advice for where to put videos, etc.? I was told to trust the Cloud. Still I am not sure. [ I would hate to lose videos of Issy as a baby].

Sharon, what is your take on the state of things after the fire? What happens to all those displaced people?! I feel you have a very good governing body and everyone will be taken care of [?].