Healthy Living Thread

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Monday kids!

Especially happy Monday to you Rod!!!!! I am so thrilled for you and I hope you have a marvelous relaxing week before you start your new job! As for the boy wonders not knowing how else to dress for work, that's just plain stupid -- HA!

Deegee, what an experience you had at that restaurant! You poor thing! And 41 hours by Wednesday--woah... When I was in Aspen a few weeks ago I was just getting over a cold and had reached the coughing all night stage. I felt bad for the girls I was sharing a room with but they said it didn't keep them up. Not sure if that was true or they were just being nice about it!

Curby, I have been looking at these wall decals as an alternative to stencils that you paint on. It would cost more but me significantly less messy, so that's probably the way to go. I am going to email the company today and see if they will send me a sample before I commit to the whole order.

On Saturday the CB and I worked at his two flat and then went to dinner with a bunch of his old friends. Yesterday I spent HOURS cleaning my floor. We moved all the rugs and furniture out of half of the unit (except for the bed and the rug it is on) and vacuumed the baseboards and mopped three times. My complex uses these little round while salt alternative pellets and you can't help but track in, even though we leave out shoes at the door, and the just roll everywhere. Plus, if they are at all wet they melt and leave a white spot on the floor. It looks GREAT now... but I know it won't last...

Tomorrow the City Inspector is coming to my house to get everything squared away before our court date next Monday. I'm looking forward to getting this all over with!

 

[marcy]

Happy Monday!

Rod, I am glad you have your resignation out of the way. I am sure it’s a big relief off your mind. I bet a suit is the standard for office in NYC. Wyoming it’s more jeans and a nice knit shirt. How did your crown go? I hope you are doing okay tonight and recover quickly. Enjoy your week off.

Dee Jay, wall decals do sound like a lot less work and mess for you. That would be great if you can get the company to send you a sample. Cleaning the floor does sound like a chore but doesn’t it always look nice when it’s finished? I want to hug my cleaning lady after she does our floors because they look so nice. Good luck with court on Monday. Have you received any payments yet from that thieving contractor?

Marty leaves for Guatemala tomorrow. This is a quick trip he’ll be back Thursday evening. I read the state department safety and security info about Guatemala and regretted it right away. It is rated critical for high violence. Aak!!! The other Ericsson guys have names like Fabio, Juan and Omar. I told Marty his name should be Martino.

Marty cooked petit steaks on the grill and baked potatoes for us. I like easy suppers like that; very few dishes. I got out raw veggies for us to have with it.

Have a great day tomorrow.

Marcy / Curby

 

[Rod]

Thanks Marcy. The crown was a bit complicated. Turns out the tooth was badly cracked under the outside of the tooth. It made it much harder to prepare the tooth, but he succeeded and I have the permanent crown. It's a bit uncomfortable as there is trauma that will need to heal.

At least tomorrow I'll get a more relaxing day! I couldn't sleep late over the weekend as today was pressing on my mind. Tomorrow, i'm going to sleep in as late as I want to.

I hope Marty's trip is safe. You probably shouldn't have read about the country.

 

[marcy]

Rod, I hope your mouth is feeling much better tomorrow. I am sorry it turned out to be more of a problem to fix than you thought. I think I have a chip or crack out of a crown / tooth but it's only annoying not painful I'll wait until my 6th month appointment to see what's up. Some lady at work brought in homemade peanut brittle and I think I did something to it biting down on that; it was like biting on cement. I should know better. I hope you sleep well tonight and sleep in tomorrow. It's your week to relax and enjoy life. You are completely right; I should not have read that report about Guatemala. My paranoia will be running wild.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Tuesday kids!

Rod, I'm so amazed by the technology they can use in dentistry today! I am due for a cleaning and I think I will ask my dentist if he has this capability should I ever need it. I hope you slept in this morning!

Curby, don't be freaked out by the Guatemala info!!! Of course I don't know exactly what you were looking at, but I have spent lot of time in South America (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador) and much of the more minor crime is native on native (if that makes any sense). There is also crime on people who are careless/stupid, but having met Marty I don't classify him as either. Plus, he's a big guy. I would also hope the company is providing reasonable safety measures (e.g., car service with professional drivers, that sort of thing). And I know it's easy to *say* don't worry, but at least don't worry TOO much (if you can... !).

Last night the CB and I had left over pizza and went to bed early. This morning I have been UP since about 5:30 because the people upstairs from me have been RUNNING around from that time on. The wife is pregnant (due last Sunday) and when I heard them come down the outside stairs this morning I stuck my head out the door and they are on their way to the hospital. I could have a new neighbor by nightfall!

The whole house is pretty much cleaned up and I'm just sitting around today waiting for the inspector. She "set a time" of 10:30 but I guess we'll see if that really happens. I hope so though because I have a call at 11:30 that I don't want to be late dialing into.

 

[Rod]

DeeJay, dentistry is really amazing. My dentist has had this technology for over a decade and he was telling me he will be investing in 3D dentistry soon. He's making a presentation at a dental conference at Harvard, in April about it. He said he'll be able to map a tooth to such an exact copy and the 3D machine will make an exact copy of the tooth being replaced.

My tooth feels much better this morning. The first I've noticed is no sensitivity to cold, which was my first clue something was wrong. And I was able to floss without discomfort too. So fingers crossed the root is OK and won't need to be taken out. He said the next two weeks will be important. If in two weeks there is no discomfort at all, the root will likely be OK. If in two weeks there is still discomfort, I'll have to have a root canal. But even if I do, the Endodontist will be able to do the root canal with the crown on, so it wouldn't be much of an issue.

Sounds like you're going to have less quiet at night very soon. Babies aren't exactly quiet (or so I've been told!).

Today is my father's 94th birthday. He's not doing well these days. He has been hallucinating, which makes it difficult to have a conversation with him. He thinks he's outside in the snow, or in a different building, or even at a flower show. They've got him on medication to keep him calmer. It's sad to see him like this. Last week he asked me for a gun so he could end this. I made lobster roles to have with him for lunch today. He still has a VERY robust appetite!

Have a great day all.........

 

[zoebartlett]

It's been FOREVER since I've posted here in the HLT but I thought I'd check in to see what I've missed. Rod, hi!! I'm not sure if you remember me, but way back in 2009, you helped my husband with a recruiter, I believe. He was looking for a job and we ended up connecting somehow, and we moved to NC for a year. We're back up north in New England now, closer to family.

I've missed so much and there's no way to catch up, but I'll go back a few pages and try to see what everyone's been up to.

As for me, 2 years ago (probably when I last posted here) I had lost my job due to declining enrollment in my school district. I was devastated but it prompted us to move to a different area in our state, one that we had wanted to return to someday. A few days after we moved, I was offered a position in a new district teaching the same grade level I had just left. I ended up there just for one year, last year, before losing my job -- again due to declining enrollment. Last summer, I found a position in yet another district, at a different grade level. It's quite different from what I'm used to, but I'm learning a ton. The best part is that my new district hasn't had a declining population in a really long time, so my job is safe. This is the first time I haven't had to look for a new job in 2 years, and it feels great. Consistency and stability is good!

I gave up most sugary things a little over 2 years ago. Other than the occasional muffin, scone, or piece of pumpkin or apple pie, I haven't had real treats since then. No ice cream, pasta, cookies, cake, etc. It's been hard but I've stuck to it. I've recently begun weighing and measuring foods again, and I've been to the gym pretty consistently over the last week. Before then it was hit or miss.

Now that I've written a novel, I'll try to catch up a bit.

 

[Rod]

Hey Zoe, of course I remember you. I hadn't posted in a few years, but have been posting lately. This thread is frequented by far fewer people than it was a few years ago.

I'm glad you're back closer to home near family, but man, you guys have certainly had quite the winter this year. Rod doesn't do snow, though Charlie would move up north in a heartbeat.

Sorry to hear about the job changes, but it sounds like you've landed in a good school district and I'm glad you've got better stability.

As to working out, it sounds like you're doing far better than me. I kind of gave up about 3 years ago when I realized I was healthier, but not happier. I know I should be back in the gym, but I just can't drag my rear end in. We do walk a lot and we do our best to eat healthy (my cholesterol is still in the good range), but the gym was taking too much of my life and not leaving anything other than work, sleep and gym.

Again, it's good to hear from you Zoe!

 

[deegee]

Rod-seriously...no suits to work in Florida? I'm intrigued. What do you wear to work? My first job after we moved to WV required suits, and it had to be suits and not separates or coordinates. With my job now I wear colored jeans and sweaters, with blue jeans only allowed on certain Fridays. I hate to hear you may still have to have a root canal. I had one done with the crown already on. It was no big deal, but now my crown looks like it has a filling! I'm sorry to hear about your dad. My dad isn't doing well right now health wise. I sure wish he could get a break.

Dee*Jay-how'd things go with the inspector? I'm interested in seeing what you have in mind for the decals on the wall. A friend of mine bought primitive decor decals to put on her wall and, although I'm thinking you wouldn't pick out primitive decor stuff for your condo, that's all I can picture! I hope all goes well with your upstairs neighbor and the new baby. How sound proof are your units?

Marcy-glad Marty's trip is pretty short this time after that marathon trip he was on not long ago. What is it with all of us and our crowns lately? I was so happy the hygienist could cement mine back in quickly and I hadn't messed up the tooth underneath. Is your shoulder better? I agree about it needing to warm up before getting back in the walking habit. I'm afraid I'm going to have this lingering bronchitis cough for a few weeks, and cool outside air always triggers a coughing fit. An Anytime Fitness gym just opened nearby, but I hate the thoughts of being out later than I already am each day. I'm in a rut!

Hi Zoe! I had my ering redone in the 3-stone setting with pear sides, similar to yours. Do you still have yours? I'm pretty happy with the look. Glad to hear your in a more stable district now. Our county schools just went through a "lottery" method to eliminate some positions for next year due to declining enrollment. I was so fortunate when I taught not to have to go through anything like that.

Today was a super long day, with my first meeting starting at 8:30am and my last meeting finishing up at 7:30pm. My brain stopped working right after I shut my computer off, and it may have a hard time starting back up in the morning! We have decided to get out of town for the weekend, so we have rented a cabin in the mountains and I'm taking off half a day on Friday and all day on Monday. Woo-hoo! I'm going to try really hard not to take my laptop with me. Food today-peanut butter sandwich during a meeting, and I came home to a hamburgers and tater tots for dinner, thanks to Matt and the George Foreman grill. Can't ask for better than that! Have a great Wednesday!!

 

[marcy]

Happy Tuesday.

Dee Jay, I am sure you are right that places are never as bad as I imagine them. People at work told me I should quit watching movies like “Taken” and watch “Frozen”. Marty does pay attention to his surroundings. His company doesn’t have a local office there so they are going to visit the client. He’ll have to take taxis to get around. I know he’ll be fine. He was excited to get an upgrade on the flight to Guatemala City. How exciting for a new neighbor. Did the inspector come on time?

Rod, it sounds like your dentist is quite the expert in digital imagery and 3D printing for crowns and such. That’s great news your tooth feels better today and I’ll keep my fingers and toes crossed you don’t need a root canal. I hate to hear your father is not doing well. I know how hard it is on you and him. I am sure he enjoyed your lobster rolls today for his birthday. My FIL was born today too.

Hi Zoe! It’s good to hear from you. I think the last I remember you were moving and looking for a job. I am delighted to hear you are in a busy school district now. Are you in an area that has been getting pounded with snow? That’s great you cut out sugary food and been going to the gym.

Deegee, I hope you are feeling better today.

We had ground blizzards, drifts and ice this morning but that my car made it to work. Marty got to the Denver airport without incident and is on his was to Guatemala City right now. Tomorrow we might make it to the teens, woo hoo I need to find my shorts.

Thanks.
Marcy / Curby

 

[Rod]

Thanks Marcy! Ground Blizzards? This is why I live in Florida!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Wednesday kids!

Rod, this is probably a stupid question but how do they do a root canal with the crown on…? I’m SO sorry to hear about you dad. Truly sad, and we are here for you.

Zoe – HELLO!!!!! I’m so glad your job is stable now, and woo hoo to you for giving up all those sugary things!

Deegee, the inspector visit was pretty noneventful. She asked me if the problem was fixed and I said I knew the association had paid about $26K for work that I saw guys in the parking lot doing for two solid weeks, but until it rains again I guess I won’t know if everything is good or not. No idea how this is all going to play out in court on Monday…

Curby, what are ground blizzards? Does that mean that there’s no snow coming from the sky but it looks like it’s snowing because of everything blowing at ground level? We are “warm” today too. This is the first time since about last September that I’ve had regular shoes, and not boots, on at work!

My house looked so great yesterday after I cleaned up for the inspector (who never stepped foot off the entry way tile, BTW) that I took a couple of pictures to send out to location scouts who look for film and print ad spaces to shoot in. I sent out 75 (yes, SEVENTY FIVE) emails with photos attached this morning and two of them have already responded that they want to come by and look at the space. This may all lead to absolutely NOTHING but at least I took advantage of the place being clean – HA!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Oh my lord... what have I done...? I had several replies (some of which were "beautiful space, I'll keep in my files in case I can use it someday), two people want to come out THIS WEEK and see it, and one guy just replied that he might have "An immediate opportunity! Do not show to anyone else yet! Do not sign any exclusive contracts!!!" Woah... I just sent the emails out a few hours ago... I haven't even let anyone in the front door yet and I already want my life back!

 

[Rod]

DeeJay, since the crown is permanent, they drill through the crown, just like they'd drill through a tooth and perform the root canal. Then I'd have to go back to my dentist to have the drill hole permanently filled with a substance that is as hard as the porcelain in the crown. I had a root canal done through a permanent crown a couple years ago and it was a piece of cake.

How cool would it be if your house was used in a film!

 

[zoebartlett]

Oh my gosh, I can't possibly catch up! Maybe this weekend when I have more time...

Rod, I did go back a few pages and it looks like you just began posting again fairly recently. Good, I'm glad I haven't missed too much! I've always thought you seem like a very positive person, and I'm glad you're back! Yeah, we've had a ton of snow in a relatively short amount of time this winter. It's New England though, so snow and cold weather are to be expected. It's funny when a 35 degree day feels downright balmy! Spring is on it's way! I'm *just* getting back into a gym routine, shooting for every day unless I have a meeting after school that runs later than I'd like. I firmly believe in having downtime to unwind, and for me, the gym doesn't really count. It sounds like you've come to that conclusion as well. I mean, yes, it's a great thing to do for one's health, but there can be too much of a good thing if you're not happy and have no downtime. Besides, you're a very healthy person from everything I've seen here, so I'm glad you're cutting yourself some slack. Happy anniversary to you and Charlie!

 

[Rod]

Thanks Zoe! I may not have the muscles I had when I was working out hard and furious, but I'm happier and I get more time to relax with Charlie!

Hey everyone. I heard today that my brother and future SIL's rings are ready and our rings will be ready on March 14th! They'll both be here and we'll go together to get them on that date. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished rings! April 17th will be here sooner than we think!

 

[marcy]

Happy Wednesday!

Rod, I know you don’t do snow or ground blizzards. They are so fun to drive in. It’s Wyoming version of fog or just put a bag over your head and hope for the best. I have to admit doing a root canal through an existing crown sounds like a good way to go. How is your tooth feeling today? It is kind of strange you mentioned all of your rings today, I was thinking this morning they should be done soon and I am of course excited to see them. I am glad you are happier spending more time with Charlie. That is what matters for sure.

Dee Jay, do you get a lot of heavy spring rains there? You will be pretty nervous the first few times. You described ground blizzards pretty well. They blow across open spaces, it looks like a blizzard because you can’t see the ground and it usually makes those spots icy. It’s funny you can see blue sky sometimes yet can’t see in front of you or on the ground. We are in the teens here today and will be nearing 60 by the weekend. Sweet. That means warm weather should be coming your way as well. I admit the prospect of your house being using in ads is very cool. I am excited for you. I also understand kind of worrying about “what did I do?”

Zoe, I am sure you’ve had a ton of snow in NE. I agree that working out is really good for you but it’s not down time. When I worked 2 jobs I would even stay up late to get some me time. Sometimes it was just a 5 to 10 minute break reading a book or knitting. I reached a point where my PB was through the roof I was getting so frazzled. I don’t know how I worked 2 jobs for as long as I did.

Marty posted a picture on FB this morning with one of his killer rabbits looking out the window at Guatemala City. I told him he was sniffing for the indigenous local teddy bear population. He said it is pretty there but lots of poverty. He can see volcanoes from the office but I told him as long as they weren’t smoking or rumbling he was probably safe. I did recommend he sleep with the door barricaded and with one eye open. He liked the food though.

Have a great evening.
Marcy / Curby

 

[zoebartlett]

Deegee, hi! How have you been? Have you changed jobs recently, too? You remember my engagement ring?! Yes, I still have my three stone from WF. I still love it, although I do wish the stones, especially the side pears, were larger. The trellis setting still makes me swoon though, so I think I'll keep it. A trip to a cabin in the mountains sounds fun. Have a great weekend! Extra long weekends are really nice, aren't they?

Marcy, helloooooo! We're north of Boston, and we've gotten a ton of snow this winter. I think Boston has gotten 100" and in my state, I think we're officially at 88-90". The piles of snow in our development from when the plow trucks came through are ridiculously high. I look out my kitchen window to a mound of snow at my eye level. It sounds like Marty's still traveling a lot for work. He must have interesting stories to tell about the places he's been. What's the background to your nickname, Curby? Do tell! Are you not teaching astronomy anymore? I saw your last post about not working 2 jobs anymore.

Dee*Jay, I love reading your threads about your condo. How long have you lived there now? One year? Two? How did you get the idea to offer your condo to be used for location shots/filming? That's pretty cool! Ground blizzards are the same as snow squalls or snow drifts, they can be scary to travel through. My area has seen a few serious accidents because of them. One minute, it's perfectly clear and the next, you can't see a thing in front of you. Yikes.

I'm taking a math class that meets at my school a couple times a month, and I have my final project to work on this weekend. I started it but I've been dragging my feet. It's not hard, just time consuming. I just had a week off from school and do you think I touched it at all? Of course not! Other than that, I plan to go to the gym, clean, read, and just hang out this weekend. I'm kind of glad I don't have any plans. I have an appointment tomorrow that's 1.5 hours from school, so it will be a very long day. I leave for work at 6:00 am and I won't get home until around 7:30 pm. It's actually very close to my parents, so sometimes I stay there, but I'm not going to tomorrow night.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Thursday kids!

Rod, it would be so ironic to have my house used in a movie or TV show since I don’t own a TV and haven’t been to a movie since 1998. HA!

Curby, we do get terrible spring rains and I’m (a) looking forward to, and (b) TERRIFIED of them this year because I want to see for myself that all the work the association did to fix the sewer is good, but if it’s not I will once again have an indoor swimming pool. Ack.

Zoe, I closed in February last year and moved in in May, so pretty much a year! I can’t remember who told me about the idea of having my space used for filming… it was probably another real estate agent because I don’t know who else would have planted that idea in my head.

This morning I woke up to a slew of questions from other location scouts that had come in by email over night so I got out of bed about half an hour early and took some specific pictures. Tomorrow a scout is supposed to come by around 1:00, with the caveat that she’s on call for something so she might have to reschedule. I’m waiting to hear back from two other guys who are hot to trot to get in, but I look forward to having at least one professional through to give me feedback. Maybe she’ll say, nah, this doesn’t work because of X, Y and Z and then I can put the idea to bed!

OK, off to find something for lunch. I have a can of soup in my desk but that idea isn’t doing much for me right now!

 

[marcy]

Happy Thursday!

Zoe, it sounds like you’ve got quite the pile of snow out your window. I am sure it’s going to be a mess when all of that melts.

My nickname “Curby” is because I keep driving my car in to curbs when I turn a corner or through a drive up lane (banks, post office, fast food). My last 3 cars (including the one I have) have rims that stick out past the tire so when I hit the curb it scrapes up the rim. The car we traded about a year and a half ago had damage on all 4 rims. On the day after we bought my new car I was driving it to the post office and I was on an open road, no one around and I started playing with the electronic display and went right in to the curb scraping up the rim and taking a knick out on the side of my tire. There is even a big old back mark on the curb from my tire. Marty started calling me Curby. So now when I get somewhere I text him and say Curby 1 and Curby 2 arrived safely. Yes, the rims on this car all have some damage already. Sigh.

I was fired from my astronomy-teaching job 3 years ago. The college had a divisional realignment and I was put under social sciences. When I met with my new dean she told me she might ask me sometime to get some masters credit in my field. I asked her right then if that was a requirement to continue teaching and she said no. Two years later she sent me a letter in the mail saying since I didn’t have 15 credit hours in my field I would not longer be offered a job after that current semester. I was pretty upset because of how poorly they handled it. Being fired through the US Postal service is pretty cold. I miss my students but I like having more free time.

It sounds like you have a perfect weekend planned. I bet your math class has a lot of homework.

Dee Jay, I imagine a heavy rain will always make you nervous there. I would be so excited for your place to be used in a movie, ad or magazine. It would be like kind of knowing a movie star. I’d have to get an autograph for sure. I have soup and easy mac in my desk and work and they tend to stay there. I don’t have a thing for lunch tomorrow maybe I’ll get Marty to take me out to lunch.

Deegee, I hope you have a wonderful time at the cabin. Will there be a lot of snow there? My parent’s cabin was only accessible by snow machines in the winter. It was always so pretty up there in the winter and the skies at night were amazing. Is Greg getting more familiar with the sky?

Rod, are you enjoying a leisurely week?

Marty got home about 3:30 today. We had a “conference” call with his brother and sister on the family vacation when I got home. I guess it is going to be next August and it’s going to be 2 weeks. I will consume lots of alcohol. We are renting a house on the beach near Myrtle Beach. It has an elevator so I won’t have to walk stairs. I’ll have to hoard vacation days this year so I don’t run out next year. I like to roll over more than week in case I need time off. I used to have an abundance of days but dipped in to all of them with my parents.

I made a quick supper. Pasta with basil spaghetti sauce and some of those crusty rolls. We have raw veggies and some Snickerdoodles I picked up at a local cookie store. I have to pick up the house tonight because my cleaning lady is coming tomorrow and I have “stuff” setting around.

Have a great evening and day tomorrow.
Marcy / Curby

 

[zoebartlett]

Dee*Jay, hopefully using your condo as a filming location will work out. It's a really cool idea. Would they put you up in a hotel or other temporary housing while filming? I would think so...

Marcy, I'm sorry about your losing your teaching position. It does sound like they handled it very poorly.

After going to the gym 4 days in a row, I couldn't go the past 2 days, and I can't go tonight. I'll have to make up for it this weekend. I pretty much stick to the treadmill and the recumbent bike. I've only been doing 1 mile on the treadmill and half a mile on the bike, but for now I'm focusing more on getting into the habit/routine of going than I am on the length of time/miles covered.

I've seen a dietician who has recommended a specific food elimination diet. You're supposed to give up the 6 types of carbs for a 2 week period of time, focus on eating from an "approved/allowed" list, and then slowly introduce one type at a time for 2 days to see how your system reacts. Introducing each type is called the challenge phase. After doing each challenge phase, you're supposed to return to the approved/allowed list to reset your system before moving onto the next challenge list of foods. Not only do you give up typical things like bread (no flour of any kind, no wheat either), but you give up things like onions, garlic, and certain fruits, vegetables, and dairy products (until you're on the challenge phases that allows you to have them). It sounds pretty restrictive, and I suppose it is to some degree, but I had either given up some things prior or they're not things I'd be tempted by anyway. I'm a tad grumpy but it hasn't been TOO painful.

Happy Friday!

 

[Rod]

How can it be Friday already? It seems like just yesterday it was Monday. It's funny how time goes by SO fast when you're off, but when you're working, time goes by slowly. I've had a good week. I did a lot of must do's so I wouldn't have any distractions when I start my new job Monday morning. The last person on my team resigned this morning. He'll also be starting with me on Monday. It must be interesting there this morning. New kid-wonder believed he was coming here to manage an existing team. And here it is his 5th day and he has no one left. And yet, the company doesn't get it. Sad, really.

Zoe, I'm glad you're being so diligent working. That specific food elimination diet sounds tough.

Marcy, two weeks at Myrtle Beach sounds like a nice break for sure. I rarely take time off. My company has to pay out 3 weeks of unused vacation in my last check. I need to do a better job of taking time to do something other than work. Yes I do!

DeeJay, I hope the scouts like what they see when they visit your condo.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

[marcy]

Happy Friday!

Zoe, I think the way the dean handled my dismissal was very poor. The 2 deans I worked for during the first 19 years both contacted me afterwards saying they hated to hear what happened and that made me feel better. The school president and that dean weren’t around much longer after that. I miss my students and spending money.

Good idea to set a routine on working out and the gym. A friend of mine is going to the gym at 4:30 in the morning; I keep telling her I admire her dedication.

I hope the elimination diet works well for you. I did something like that to figure out my food allergies. It was rough at times.

Rod, it is funny how a week of relaxing zips by and a week of work drags on and on. I used to tell people when I left work “See you on Monday” and they’d tell me it’s not Friday and I told them sure it is; don’t crush my dreams.

I guess Kid Wonder will get to hire a brand new team. That is always a challenge in itself. He’ll earn his salary that way.

That will be nice to get 3 weeks of vacation with your final check. I do agree you should try to take more vacations. I always urge people to take time off and enjoy vacation yet I rarely take time off myself. We used to use 6 days of vacation every year to manage our big star party so between that and occasional days off here and there that took care of most of our vacation days. We get 3 weeks off too plus 1 week of sick time. We can carry forward one week of sick time and half of our vacation time. I always had a surplus of days but I used most of them over the last couple of years with my parents and working on the estate.

I am definitely looking forward to being at the beach. I love watching the ocean.

Dee Jay, I am anxious to hear if you met with anyone today about your place.

Deegee, I hope you are relaxing and enjoying time at the cabin.

Marty forgot he had a poker game tonight. Surprise when someone rang the doorbell. I think there are about 6 of them playing tonight. Marty spilled a big cup of ice water all over the living floor. He pushed the couch back and rolled up the rug. He got the water off the floor but I put a towel under the rug so it’s does get moisture on the wood. I am watching the rolled up rug; I’ll probably forgot and trip over it. Aak.

Have a great weekend.
Marcy / Curby

 

[Rod]

Happy Saturday Ladies!

We're going to have a leisurely Saturday. We were going to go see the Second Best Marigold Hotel (Loved the first one), but then we read about a quirky Indie movie at the oldest movie house in downtown (and walking distance) called What We Do In The Shadows. It's a fictional documentary about some vampires, who are trying to live their lives in the modern world. It got great reviews and it's supposed to be funny. So that's what we'll go see.

We usually go out for dinner on Saturday night, but we don't yet know where we'll go.

Tomorrow we'll go visit my dad in the nursing home. I just hope he'll be rational. It's very difficult to visit him when he's hallucinating.

Have a great Saturday everyone.

 

[zoebartlett]

Rod, the diet is called fodmaps (it's an acronym for the different types of carbs). I'd love to see The Second Best Marigold Hotel but I haven't seen the first one yet. It's on my list though.

So far I've gone to the gym, picked up D., and then we went out for breakfast and ran errands. Now we're back home and having a lazy Saturday. I have work to do and a project to do for my class but I'm putting it off. There's always tomorrow. My plans for today are to clean, read, and catch up on a few shows.

 

[deegee]

Hi! One of my animals (nobody has owned up to it) chewed my iPad charging cord in half, so my iPad has been dead for the last few days. I picked a new one up on the way out of town yesterday, and I'm back in business! We're enjoying a sunny, 55 degree day in the mountains. At home we had 3 inches of rain Wednesday followed by 10 inches of snow Thursday, and then it got down to 2 Thursday night. Everything was frozen when we left yesterday, and there is no snow here at all. Ahhhh....

Marcy-Matt and I used to go to Myrtle Beach. It's been several years since we've been back. We have been going to the Outer Banks twice a year lately. We're staying in a different house in April, and I'm so excited! You will love the elevator. Our house last year had one, and it was wonderful for my parents and for getting groceries to the kitchen on the third floor! Good luck getting your vacation days built up. I actually carried 21 unused vacation days into 2015. I will hit that seniority mark this year that I will start accruing 2 vacation days a month. Woo-hoo! Except I don't know when I'll get to use them! I tihnk Matt is waiting for it to warm up outside before he starts star gazing in earnest. It's too freaking cold!

Dee*Jay-that would be so cool for your place to be used for tv or movies. I don't watch tv either, and I am usually several years late in watching the "have to see" movie, so you'll have to make sure we watch! That's a crazy idea...I had no idea location scouting for residential spaces was such a thing. Do you have a new upstairs neighbor?

Zoe-yep, I remember your ring because I thought about resetting mine like that for several years before I actually did it. Mine is the BGD Summer setting. Mine is basket set, but I do love the swoopy trellis setting from the side. I'm still working at the same place, but I got assigned (against my will) to a very lengthy project that is estimated to take 3-5 years. I have actually been on this project since 2010 while also managing my department, but have been solely dedicated to it since Jan 2014-which starts the 3-5 year count. It has required very long days (a 10 hour day is a short day), weekends, holidays...I have no life!

Rod-your week off sure did go fast! Are you excited for next week? I'm excited for you! Island you get paid for your unused vacation time. I'm also excited to see your rings. I keep picturing that wonderful scenery you posted where you're getting married. So beautiful. Your Saturdays sound so wonderful. I'm having a pretty darn leisurely Saturday myself. I'll be sending good thoughts for your visit with your dad. Matt's grandma had hallucinations, and those were always tough visits. Hugs to you.

Well I'm off. Not sure what we'll get into today, but dinner at a nice restaurant is a given. Have a great weekend!

 

[deegee]

Which one of these characters is guilty of chewing my charging cord?

 

[Rod]

The movie we saw was whacky, a bit bloody (it is about the lives of vampires) but fun at the same time. We walked around downtown which is always fun to do. Downtown Tampa has grown up the last few years. From a Monday - Friday city, to one lived in 7 days a week. There are lot's of new restaurants and we went to a new tonight, which was fun. I had a lobster roll for my main course. Yumm.

Deegee, my money's on the dog in the middle as your iPad cord chewer! Sounds like you did an awful lot this morning.

Zoe, I highly recommend the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. We loved it so much we've watched it twice now. While we didn't see the sequel today, I know we will in the next week or so.

 

[zoebartlett]

Happy Sunday!

Rod, I love Tampa, but I haven't been to FL in years. A close family friend runs the performing arts center down there, and my parents have gone down to FL to see her family and a few of their shows over the years.

Deegee, it sounds like you're enjoying your trip the mountains. 55 degrees?! Nice! Being able to roll over your vacation days must be nice. I hope things are going well with the project you're working on. Long days can be very draining.

I've been to the gym, cleaned, and done some work so far today. It's time to rest and relax for the remainder of the day. It's supposed to warm up to the 40s this week. Wahoo! Of course then there's the wintry mix that's coming next Saturday, but that's almost a week away. Here's hoping that part of the forecast is wrong.

 

[marcy]

Happy Sunday!

Rod, good luck on your first day of work tomorrow. I am so excited for you to begin your new job. It sounds like you had a fun Saturday evening between the movie and a nice dinner. I hope the visit with your dad was okay today. I know it is so hard. We are having warm weather here today. It’s in the 50’s. I see the Best Marigold Hotel 2 is on VOD but I need to find the first one to watch before I rent it. It sounds like an interesting story.

Zoe, you certainly had a busy weekend. Hopefully you can relax now and enjoy the rest of the day. Darn that forecast telling you a wintery mix is coming back next weekend. Did you get your school project done? I miss my busy work and prep for classes. I always enjoyed finding new projects for labs.

Deegee, my money is on Lily chewing your cord but I bet they aren’t talking. That’ strange the mountains have nicer weather than home. It sounds like you are having a fabulous time though. The houses you’ve rented before always worked out well so hopefully this one works for us. I think they found it on Orbitz.com. That’s great you will be accumulating more days every month now. I have slightly less than 5 years to go before I get 4 weeks of vacation a year. I’m looking forward to that as well. Tell Matt I am a fair weather astronomer too.

We had a busy weekend. Yesterday we went out for a late lunch early supper and since I was pretty hungry the wine went to my head pretty quickly. I was blathering away like a complete idiot which was amusing Marty. After we ate we wandered around Hobby Lobby and then I sat in the car while Marty went in to a hardware store. I am reading some books that I can’t put down so I read while he shopped.

Last night we watched the 3rd of the Hunger Games movie. This morning we had breakfast then went grocery shopping. I cut up a pineapple and didn’t cut myself. Sweet. Marty is cooking stuff on the grill for dinner today.

I am working on laundry, reading and will write a check to the CPA for doing our taxes. Once that check clears I can split up the remaining money with my sisters and close my dad’s checking account. My successor trustee job will be done. It’s kind of sad but a good thing to be done with every thing.

Have a great Sunday and good day tomorrow.

Marcy / Curby

P.S. We mailed something today and Marty pointed out to me “see how you can drive through the post office drive up and not hit the curb.” All I heard was blah, blah, blah.