Healthy Living Thread

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Tuesday kids!

Curby, I’m not done x-mas shopping but I have crossed off several of the difficult people from my list so that is a total bonus! I also figured out what to do with one of the large walls in the living room. It’s going to involve some large (6’ x 6’) bookshelves stacked on top of each other so I will end up with a wall 12’ high and 18’ wide that will look pretty “built in” – for only $1,200! Big impact for little money!

Deegee, my first car was a Pontiac Fiero, and I made the payments ($179/month!) by working at Burger King. Would you like fries with that?!? Goddam I loved that car! As you can see, my “sports car” fetish started early! Any idea when you guys can actually *drink* the water again, or use it for cooking? What a disaster. I’m sure that company will be sued off the face of the earth.

It is MINUS ELEVEN right now. When I got home last night the heating unit in the wall between my living room and bedroom was on, and this morning I received an email from management saying the maintenance people had been checking apartments to make sure the heat was on so the pipes didn’t freeze. (Which is totally ridiculous because all of the pipes are in interior walls and in the type of system a 44 story building has there is always water running somewhere so it’s impossible for a pipe to freeze, but whatever.) The irony of them turning that heating unit is that I don’t turn it on because it only blows cold air! I had maintenance fix it when I first moved I because it THUNK’d life a MFer when it came on/went off and in doing so they must have jiggered something so the blower was going across the chiller pipes but not the hot water pipes. It so warm in there anyway, and I have another heater on the other side of the living room, that I never bothered to get it fixed.

I was pretty good with food yesterday until I got home… then I ate the leftover spaghetti from Saturday night and three Ghiradelli (sp?) dark chocolate salted caramel squares. If someone doesn’t wire my jaw shut I’m going to need to start wearing mu-mus!

 

[marcy]

Happy Tuesday!

Deegee, too funny about the Louis Vuitton bags, especially that they mock you from your closet. I am very loyal to a brand of purses then I get tired of them and try something new. My current kick is nylon Tumi. Sadly they wear so darned well it is hard to justify a new purse just to get a different color. Yes, please move the bags to your attic and not your nieces. I just watched that “Flowers in the Attic” movie the other day. That was a creepy, crazy story there. I am not seeing a downside to going in to work at 2, sounds like a perfect day to me. I am trying to come up with different meal ideas. Since I am limited to beef it makes it rough and I am getting sick of everything we usually eat. And I definitely need to eat a lot less of it, drink less and stay the heck away from chocolate.

Dee Jay, I think it’s a great idea to work on buying Christmas gifts throughout the year. The bookshelf wall sounds amazing and very impressive. That’s a great idea and sounds reasonably priced. It sure sounds like the heating unit in your wall isn’t going to help you during this cold spell. The heater in my office puts out cold air right over me. I always have on a scarf and an extra sweater. I think wiring my jaw and zip tying my hands behind me might be an effective method to get me to stop eating. I swear I try every day though.

Our temperatures climbed to about 20 today with wind chill putting us at feels like 0. Tomorrow we are going to be in the 40’s then cold and snow are coming back for a long visit. What the heck? You mean winter isn’t over for at least 4 more months?

Food wasn’t too horrid today but candy and gelato wasn’t necessary. Marty was going through a no ice cream spell but now he is back on it so naturally I don’t want him to eat ice cream by himself.

Have a great evening.
Marcy

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Wednesday kids!

Deegee, I have been wanting a LV bag for a while but I can't swallow the price of a new one. Last summer we went to a vintage (and some just "used," not so vintage, LOL) stuff (where I bought my three cowhide rugs actually) and there were some LV bags in excellent condition for less than $500. I was pretty "shopped out" at that point and didn't give them more of a cursory look and now I really regret it. If I could get the right price on a bag I would absolutely snap it up because the Books Brothers one I've been using for years now (about 12 years now, to be exact!) is finally going.

Curby, the thermostat in my unit the other night was turned to a setting that can only be described as "Caribbean." I damn near had to open the balcony door because it was stifling in there. And no, Marty certainly can't eat ice cream alone! I'm pretty sure that was in your marriage vows! As for cold air at work, the conference room I'm doing the training in is about the temperature of a meat freezer. Good thing I bought all those pashminas when I was in Bali because I wear one over my sweater (and often long underwear) every day!

So last night I got the niggling feeling that I wanted to consider sectionals as well as the two separate sofa idea. My original plan was to head to Crate and Barrel and look at some things in person, but cooler heads prevailed (translation: I was tired and cold by the time I got home!) so I spent the night cruising the internet (and starting a thread in Hangout, as you’ve probably seen, HA!). I *think* I'm going to go with two separate sofas but will try putting them both across from each other and perpendicular to each other once I get in the space. I'm back to square one though in terms of picking a sofa because the one I liked at Macy's with the fabric I like only comes with white stitching. White stitching on a dark grey velvet fabric?!? The furniture rep said it's because the manufacturer doesn't like to change out the thread spools so they use only white. Yah... NO. The hunt goes on...

 

[deegee]

Dee*Jay-I remember the Fiero! My first car was my mom's '69 Camaro she bought the year after I was born in '68. It was old and paid for, so my only expenses were gas and insurance. That was a great little car. I saw your thread about the couch/sectional. I would have loved 2 couches across from each other, but the former owners had mounted a giant tv and speakers to the big wall which kind of left few options for room arrangement. This also left very large holes in the wall. Since I had just bought a new tv (the week before I found this house), we just asked them to leave the mounting stuff on the wall so we could use it. I should probably try to sell my LV bags since they don't see the light of day anymore. I have a Speedy (carried less than 5 ties-I hate it), a Batignolles Horizontal (got lots of use out of that one) and an Onatah GM. I had an Epi bucket and a few others that I gave away. The guilt got me!

Marcy-I forgot about flowers in the attic! Creepy! I've never been in our attic (we have gobs of closet space so we don't store anything up there), but mom went up there when Matt was showing her the house. She said it would make a really cool room with the dome-shaped window and the roof pitches. My new office is cold too. I have a window, and that sucker is cold all the way around. I put my water bottles in the window seal instead of taking them to the refrigerator. Works just fine! I need to buy a heavier blanket though. I'm thinking about taking my snuggie, putting it on like a house coat, and keeping it closed with binder clips. Am I a fashionista or what? I'm totally with you on the jaw wired shut thing. When I broke my jaw a few years ago and could only eat mush...overeating wasn't a problem!

I don't think we'll ever trust the water enough to drink it again. Supposedly it is safe, but there are an awful lot of people with the "flu" right now. My "flu" rash is getting better, but burns like fire anytime that water touches it. Since probably more than half of the people at work are experiencing the "flu", which happens to look a lot like the side effects of the chemical, we're rather skeptical of drinking the water. Plus it still reeks. Yesterday they upped the contamination to at least 10,000 gallons of two chemicals and said it leaked for a minimum of 20 hours as opposed to 3,500 gallons of one chemical leaking for a few hours as they originally reported. Today we're getting some conflicting reports about detecting formaldehyde in the water which may be caused by one of the chemicals breaking down. Yeah, I'm shopping for a water cooler/dispenser this weekend. We can't keep buying so many cases of water every week. It doesn't go far, plus we have a ton of recycling! Sorry to bore you with our water woes. Food today was a peanutbutter sandwich for breakfast (don't know why, but it hit the spot!), tomato soup for lunch, and a roast beef sandwich for dinner. Matt is out of town, so I'm on my own. I just realized I had a lot of bread today. Hmm. Have a great day tomorrow!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Thursday kids!

Deegee, I can't believe they are keeping up the "flu" farce. Do they really think people are that stupid?!? I'll have to look up the bags you listed and if any of them are ones that I could replace my big Brooks Brothers bag with we'll have to make a deal. My problem is I have a TON of purses (some of them cost so much I'm utterly mortified... ) and yet I carry the same few over and over and over. Most of my bags are like yours--practically brand new!

Last night I went to West Elm to see what I thought was the perfect sofa (on line) and I was THRILLED at the price, especially since I am getting two fo them. Everyone at the store called this The Best Sofa Ever... but they don't carry it in the store any more and I just can't bring myself to buy a sofa in a custom fabric (which makes it non-returnable) without sitting on it first. That being said, I am going to an interior designer who does a lot of custom furniture tomorrow and I WOULD buy a sofa sight-unseen from a designer. What is the logice there... ?!? And Montauk has a store about a block from my off that I hope to visit at lunch, but I have a suspicion it is WAY MORE MONEY that I'm willing to spend. I read a review online that refers to Montauk as "the Cadillac of sofas." I don't need a Cadillac, a Honda would be just find in this case!

 

[marcy]

Happy Thursday!

Dee Jay, Marty got someone a copy LV bag in Hong Kong for about $40 U.S. dollars. It looks amazingly real. I would like the Caribbean setting on the thermostat. I am always cold. I really like the idea of 2 couches across from each other. Deciding where to get your custom couches will be a tough decision. Can you ask them for references once you decide who you like? You will be so busy designing your new place but it is a lot of fun! When do you hope to move in there?

Deegee, I like the way Dee Jay put it about the flu farce. They really must think people are dumb. The Flowers in the Attic and follow up books were a bit creepy. I did read them all though. The room in your attic sounds very cool. I would get creeped out going up there but I am very claustrophic. It's nice to have enough space you don't need to use the attic. Our place is like that too. I bought a ton of paper supplies last night and I didn't even have to find places to stick extras. That is great you can get your water cold on the windowsill but then again that means the room is cold. I don't see a problem wearing your snuggie. Heck, if it keeps you warm it's worth it, right? Good idea to get some kind of water dispenser. It would be work it to know your water is okay to drink and cook with.

We went out to supper last night then wandered Sams for a long time. Marty picked up lots of snacks for his first poker night that will be Saturday. He is excited.

Work was mostly boring today but I was busy so the day went by fast. We had leftovers for supper.

Tomorrow we are expecting 5 to 10 inches of snow so I think I'll have my chauffer bring me to work. Did you guys see the mess in Atlanta this week from ice? I was glad Marty wasn't there this week.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[marcy]

Hi ladies. You aren't going to believe this. My dad died from a heart attack today. Wow, I can't believe it. He shoveled the walk. He was talking on the phone to a buddy then just went silent. The paramedics couldn't revive him.

 

[decodelighted]

I just stumbled upon this post & am not a regular here but I AM SO SORRY to hear that! My condolences outgoing.

 

[marcy]

I just stumbled upon this post & am not a regular here but I AM SO SORRY to hear that! My condolences outgoing.

Thanks, Decodelighted. My mom passed away in August. I appreciate it.

 

[Dee*Jay]

OH NO MARCY!!! I can't believe this! My heart goes out to you. If you need ANYTHING -- and I mean ANYTHING -- call or email me and I will get on a plane and come there to do whatever I can for you. Biggest biggest biggest hugs my dear friend.

 

[marcy]

Thanks Dee Jay! I appreciate it.

 

[deegee]

Oh Marcy, I am so sorry. Huge, huge hugs to you. You are in my thoughts.

 

[Linda W]

Marcy,

I just read this and my heart is breaking for you. I am so so sorry. Please know that I am thinking of you and sending you lots of love and healing prayers. xoxoxox

 

[marcy]

Thank you Deegee and Linda. I appreciate it.

We went over this morning and brought home a few things we didn't want taken if someone breaks in to the house. We found pictures to scan of my dad. This really got me crying - we found the wallet my dad had with him in the Korean war. My mom had sent him a picture over there and had a note in there about how much she loved him and missed him. How wonderful he kept that all these years. He also had a token pass for a free ride on a cable in San Francisco, his military shot records and a list of converting Korean numbers into our number system. I will check with my sisters but I think that billfold should be buried with him. It obviously meant a lot to him.

I am going through bills and stuff today. I have no idea what we'll do with the house. Lots to do.

At least I'm not hungry. But wow did I drink too much yesterday!

 

[deegee]

Marcy-I have been thinking of you so much today. I can't even begin to imagine what you are going through. The note from your mom to your dad while he was in Korea-wow. What a treasure to find. The wallet meant a lot to him indeed. Matt and I both send you much, much love and many hugs.

 

[marcy]

Thanks Deegee and Matt. I keep looking at the picture and note and it's making me cry and smile at the same time. I had wonderful parents. After finding that note I can believe my dad could have easily died from a broken heart because I know he missed her so much. His last sentence was "that same thing happened to Charlotte's car". How cool she was his very last though.

 

[deegee]

Marcy-I bet it is a great comfort in knowing your parents dearly loved each other. You have always spoken so highly of your parents. It sounds like they were truly wonderful people.

 

[marcy]

Marcy-I bet it is a great comfort in knowing your parents dearly loved each other. You have always spoken so highly of your parents. It sounds like they were truly wonderful people.

Thanks Deegee, I sure thought so. Here is the picture my mom sent dad with her note. I made copies of the entire contents of the billfold and will see if they can put them on a poster for his service. My sisters and I are going to the mortuary today to make the funeral plans. I will be home and watching TV by kickoff at the Super Bowl. Go Broncos!!!! I am decked out in orange and blue.

Marcy

 

[deegee]

Re: Healthy Living Thred

Marcy-the picture and note are absolutely precious. What awesome keepsakes! Your mom looked quite sassy in the picture! The most prized possessions of my grandmother were photographs she kept. When we had the family gathering on what would have been her 100th birthday (the year after she passed away), my aunt brought the boxes of bazillions of photos that belonged to grandmother. I absolutely loved looking at the old photos and notes. They're priceless! You were in so many of my dreams last night, which is so weird since I have never met you. I feel like I know you, though. You are so much in my thoughts. How cool to actually have a team in the Super Bowl. Since we don't, I'll be cheering on whoever gives me the best chance of winning something on my Super Bowl squares grid! So far, I got nothin'. I won $500 one year...haven't come close since.

We drove all over town today trying to find a water cooler for home. I'm going to order one because no one seems to have them in stock. Imagine that! As a result of driving all over creation, we found a new place to grocery shop in a part of town we didn't know existed and we will definitely be going back. We ate at one of our very favorite local restaurants -Pies & Pints. They have craft pizza and craft beer...Yummmm. I'm on the couch for the evening watching football. GO whoever gives me $$ on my Super Bowl squares!!!

 

[deegee]

That 2-point conversion at the end of the third quarter kept me from winning $100. Argh!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Marcy, I have been thinking about you all weekend and I have told so many people about your dad and the photo and note. I hope you're holding up OK my friend. Let us know if you need anything.

Deegee, sorry to hear about not winning $100! And we went through a bunch of photos in my grandmother's house when she passed away. Amazing how crazily much I look EXACTLY like my mother when she was young!

The weekend flew by and I have one funny store from HRB. Eighty-five year old widow McGowan called and asked about paying taxes on a government bond she had sold. She bought it for $1,000 in the sixties (a lot of money then!) and just cashed it in for $2,483. She had "gotten a letter" and wanted to know if she had to pay taxes. She wouldn't read me the letter, just kept saying she GOT one, and all the pieces of what she was saying didn't make total sense. I had to tell here that unfortunately I couldn't give her advice on what to do over the phone, I would need to see the documentation. Not only was she NOT going to bring in the letter, she was simply--no matter what--NOT paying "the money hungry bastards." Not sure exactly who The Money Hungry Bastards actually ARE, but she is NOT paying them!

OK, closing at noon! I better get out of bed!!!

 

[marcy]

Hi.

Deegee, thank you for thinking about me and even working those thoughts in to your dreams. I feel like I know you too. I can use all the friends and moral support I can get. Sorry the Broncos ruined your chances for a 2-point conversion. They certainly ruined my night too. That is so wonderful your family enjoyed the photographs and notes that belonged to your grandmother. We are finding more and more photos at my parent’s house. I am sure there are thousands and I am sure we’ll have some bittersweet moments going through all of them. I am not surprised the local supply of water coolers is non-existent there. Is everyone still having “flu” symptoms?

Dee Jay, thank you for thinking of me and telling people about my dad and his story. I feel like I know you too. I have been holding up pretty well but tonight I feel like having a crying spell. I am truly overwhelmed. It is always fun to see the family resemblance to people in old family photos and scary as well. I love Widow McGowan’s philosophy of not paying the money hungry bastards. I am sure you had a hard time not laughing when she talked to you. I was looking over my dad’s tax documents tonight and I am missing 3 that I know of – 2 are from banks so they should be able to print them for me but one was an annuity he got on my mom. I am definitely having someone do his taxes because I wouldn’t have a clue what to do with it. Did you get your couch ordered?

I didn’t sleep well last night and got up before 7. I did get almost ½ of my to do list done today. My #1 priority was to find my dad’s DD214 so he could have a military honors funeral. It wasn’t in the safety deposit box so I headed to the local VA and wandered around (mostly lost) trying to find release records. 30 minutes later I got there and one of my sisters called me saying they’d found it downstairs in a cedar chest.

My sisters and I worked and played well together today. Mostly. We got flowers ordered and met with the minister.

My sister from Colorado is staying with us through tomorrow so we took her to supper. We had wine and appetizers. Healthy – no? Tasty? Absolutely.

Take care. Thank you again Deegee and Dee Jay for being my cyber friends.

Marcy

 

[deegee]

Marcy-I'm glad your sister found your dad's DD214. We request those from members a lot so they can get retirement service credit. If the member has to contact the national personnel records center, there can be quite a delay. What branch of service? Dad was an Air Force MP. He has all kinds of cool stuff in the attic I remember seeing once. You certainly deserve to have a crying spell. I just wish I could do something for you. I'm shedding tears with you. It's not much, but you are on my mind so much. Yeah, I'm going to I have to hold a grudge against the Broncos forever now. Lousy 2-pt conversion. Yes, we still have "flu". 4 out of 5 of us in our project group have had to seek medical treatment for the flu rash. Matt also has it. At least 2/3 the people at work have it (there are 85 of us-and several people live outside of the poison water zone). The director of the health department said it best when he said something like "we are the first humans to have been experimented on with this chemical." We think we're all going to glow at some point.

Dee*Jay-closing was today? Yay! I hope it went smoothly! The funny thing with the old pictures-I don't look like anybody on mom's side at all. I don't look like my sisters either. I have different skin, hair, features, body type-everything. I have my dad's features, but that's it. Mom swears she carried me...she has pregnant pictures and everything. I always ask of I was adopted, but they tell me no such luck. Your widow McGowan story was cute. I work with retirement plans-those people are sometimes really fun to deal with.

Ladies-I have a hair appointment tomorrow. I need a trim in a big bad way. I am scared to ask for such trim. I know without a doubt that a picture for reference won't work either. Argh! What to do? I don't care when she experiments with color, but she whacked my hair so short last April, I'm terrified to ask for a trim. I wish I hadn't deleted the picture so you would see I'm totally NOT exaggerating. Food was bad today, so we won't even discuss it. I am on my 3rd glass of wine, so my alcohol consumption wasn't so great either. Or it was great...whichever way you want to look at it. Stay safe tomorrow.

Marcy-ongoing sympathy, thoughts, and hugs to you.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Marcy, I am in the process of gathering stuff for my grandmother’s taxes too and the hard part is I don’t even know what I’ve got vs. what’s missing because we can’t find her stuff from last year. And I have settled on a couch style but the fabric is still up in the air. Yesterday I got a swatch of a grey that I thought was The One but the lighting in the new place is not great and I am worried it will look almost black. The Big Black Velvet Sofa Vortex. Yikes. But the designer said, OK, if the problem the lighting, Fix The Lighting. Ha! And I am sending big hugs and positive dealing-with-the-sisters vibes your way.

Deegee, I know exactly what you mean about being afraid to get your hair cut! I keep thinking of this as the cut that will make me grow my bob back, but now that it’s a little longer and grown it it’s super cute again (especally after I trimmed the very front of my bangs this morning in the bathroom with cuticle scissors -- rut ro!). Maybe I just need to do a slightly longer pixie cut and get it done more often. Hmm… As for this “flu” BS, I’m waiting for the class action lawsuits to start rolling in on that—and you KNOW they will. And the closing yesterday was fabulous. Forty-five minutes in and out. Now I own a 2,800 square foot studio apartment, LOL.

In other important news, I bought seven more Christmas presents yesterday. Dee is Out Of Control!!!

 

[deegee]

Dee*Jay-your ARE seriously out of control with the cmas presents! I don't know how you do it. I don't even like to say the cmas word outside of December! My haircut lady can always tell if I trim bangs with the cuticle scissors. I think I do a rather excellent job, but apparently she doesn't approve. Yay for your closing going so smoothly! Now you can start trashing the place to get it how you want it. Ooooooohhh...exciting!

Marcy-good luck with your sisters. I hope your visit with the sister staying with you was okay. Continued hugs & love to you and your family.

I worked up the nerve to ask for a trim. When she was finished, I told her it needed a do-over. I swear she gave me a longer version of a mullet! She cut the weird longer part off and re-layered it but we'll see what it does when I dry it tomorrow. She said all of her customers have been complaining about their yucky hair since the spill, so she put a deep conditioner on my hair. It feels so nice right now but I bet it is back to skanky in a few days. Today at work I noticed I had been scratching my arms, so I pulled my sweater off and discovered that I now have shower rash on my shouders and around my elbows in addition to my chest, stomach, and tops of legs. I want to take an oatmeal bath so badly, but heating up enough bottled water to take a bath isn't really doable. Hoy cow, can you imagine how many bottles of water it would take to fill a tub? Food today-yogurt for breakfast, peanutbutter sandwich for lunch, and leftover pork roast made into a barbecue sandwich for dinner. I bought 3 different bottles of wine over the weekend that I've never tried (Grenache, Malbec and a merlot). Time to open one of them. Good night.

 

[marcy]

Hi.

Deegee, your dad’s memorabilia from his days in the air force sounds really cool. My dad was in the army. He was a mechanic and welder for them. Thank you so much for sharing in my tears. They come easily and frequently but at least I am keeping busy enough they are brief. Rats that my Broncos won’t be one of your favorite football teams but I’ll always be a loyal fan. The flu farce going on there is unreal. I actually saw a post on FB about if some terrorist had contaminated the water of 300,000 people it would be all over the news and I knew exactly what they talking about. That is so scary that no one really knows the long-term impact of the spill. Definitely have some wine for me, we like Malbec and merlot. I did enjoy having my sister here for a few days. Her husband and son came up and got her today. I hope your hair looks good tomorrow. My hair is finally almost long enough to get a trim but the sides aren’t long enough to have her level it off with the back. I am sorry to hear you are breaking out in more spots. Does calamine lotion help?

Dee Jay, congratulations on closing on your new place! Sorry I missed that important news yesterday. Isn’t it great when you find the perfect Christmas present for someone? I am sure you’ll have a lot better grasp on doing your grandmother’s taxes than I will be on my parents. You have that CPA / HRB type knowledge. That reminds me – can I submit my return electronically yet? I need to check it over but last year’s return is pretty basic – nothing unusual going on. That is great that you’ve picked out your couch. Maybe you can take some large samples to your place and see how they look in the lighting. Our house has the canned ceiling lights and they are certainly dimmer than the lights we had in our place. Thank you for the big hugs and positive vibes. I am glad to hear you like your hairdo now.

I slept about 5 hours last night so that was nice. I keep running through things to do in my head and can’t fall asleep. My sister slept in until about 9 but we didn’t have any appointments so I didn’t wake her up. After she got up we went to my parents 3 banks. The reason I didn’t get a 1099 from two of them is because their interest was under $10. Then I paid off my dad’s truck. I sure have been blowing through his money this week. I have no idea how much debt he will have on credit cards. I got a Radio Shack bill today for $170.

We had about 6” of snow on top of the recent 6” of snow; it is really piling up around here. My dad would have liked this though since he liked to snow machine.

I keep losing things and forgetting where I put something down. I plan on being mostly lazy tomorrow; at least my list is shorter than it has been. I am going to make us homemade soup for lunch.

Marty made steak and rice for supper and did the dishes. What a sweetie.

Take care. Thank you ladies again for your moral support. It really helps.

Marcy

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Wednesday kids!

Deegee, some of the gifts I’ve bought are just “stocking stuffer” type things so don’t be too impressed. One is for a Christmas “white elephant” exchange I go to every year and the other six were ice scrapers where you put your hand inside this thing that looks like a bear paw. Yes—every bit as tacky as it sounds!!! And I’m so proud of you for telling your hair person that crazy ‘do was a no-go! Hopefully it will look great once you do it yourself.

Marcy, you can submit your return electronically now because the IRS system opened on 1/31 for submissions. (I can’t speak for your state though, but I am pretty sure they are all open for electronic filing by now too.) And now that I’ve made a couch and chaise decision I need to find a chair. Actually, I may need two chairs depending on the size, but it’s SO hard for me to visualize these things out of things out of thin air. I usually end up mocking up cut-outs from newspaper to get a better idea of size at least. Good thing I did well in the ol’ “cut ‘n’ paste” class in kindergarten!

So I just want to say the internet is both a wonderful and an evil thing… I have found many chair *ideas* on the internet (often through Houzz – have you guys ever been on that site? If not Check It Out! It’s Fabulous!) but then I have a hard time getting the actual item for real. Case in point: I found chairs I really love on Houzz, but they came from a company in Edmonton (which is better than the Chesterfield sofa I originally liked from the UK or the chaise lounge I had my heart set on in Australia – at least this is in the same CONTINENT). Why oh why can’t I find anything here in Chicago?!? I need to look and see when the Merchandise Mart sample sale is, but frankly I’m kind of over this whole furniture shopping thing. I never thought I’d say that… What do you two have left to get for your homes? Once I am done with my place I’m happy to live vicariously through you!!!

 

[deegee]

Marcy-Marty sure sounds like a good guy. Weren't we lucky when we snagged our men? I've been thinking about your dad a lot. Isn't it funny to think of our parents with a life before us? About them dating, traveling, being in the military, and their relationship with each other, things they went through together. The note and picture from your mom are just so incredibly precious. I am so glad you had a nice visit with your sister, and I hope you don't discover too much credit card debt. I totally get the FB post. The CDC was in town today for a press conference and they basically said, there is no good data, nobody knows anything about long term effects because this chemical has never been studied, the water reeks, but hey- it's okay. Drink up! The director of the health department is right when he says we're lab rats. 17% of our entire state's population has been exposed to this chemical in the water, and we're expected to go back to using it and not make a fuss. If this had happened in a big city, there would be a story in the national news every single day.

Dee*Jay-I am always at a total loss of what to buy my staff for cmas, and your ice scraper gifts would be perfect! I can see a little goody bag for each of them with quirky things like that. Too bad I'm on this project now and no longer have a staff! I am still not happy with this haircut. She keeps giving me bottom heavy cuts, and I need a more top heavy cut (hee-hee...like my body shape!). I explained that to her and told her it needed to taper in at the bottom instead of bulge out. It bulges out. Grrr!! I have been going to her for 16 years, but this may be the breakup. I've never checked Houzz. Maybe it will give me ideas! Matt ordered furniture for his office last weekend, and it let him pick out whatever he wanted. He has picked out a rug-not one I'd pick but I'll order it anyway. The man room and office are all his, and he still needs some man room furniture. I still need a dining room table and buffet, a table for the entry, an accent chair for the family room, and then lots of rugs, wall hangings and accessories! He has a chair picked out for the man room that is ridiculously expensive in my book, but I'm encouraging him to get it anyway. I'll try to find a pic to post.

I stayed home from work today because of a back thing. I sneezed and went into a coughing fit last night and could barely move afterwards. Matt had to help me roll over and sit up last night. I am better after a day of medicating and can get up all on my own now. I have to fly to Nashville tomorrow for work in the 9-passenger private plane. It has awesomely comfortable, big leather captains chairs that recline, swivel, etc. My concern is actually being able to duck to get in the plane and stay ducked until I get to a seat. Ah! Matt sweetly brought lunch home today-turkey, mashed potatoes and green beans. I plan to make spaghetti for dinner. He's tutoring some kids in math tonight and should be home in a few hours. Have a good evening.

 

[deegee]

Here's my ride to work tomorrow.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Thursday kids!

Marcy, hope all is well (under the circumstances) and that your sisters are behaving. If not, just let me know and I'll happily come and smack them around a bit! My own brother inspires a bit of smacking every now and then but he's significantly bigger than I am so I always change my mind at the last minute!

Deegee, when Bill and I were married he never wanted ANYTHING so on the rare occassion he expressed an interest in something (furniture, art, appliances when we did the kitchen remodel) I totally went with it! And that's one sweet ride you have to work! No luxury jet for me; this was my walk today. (This is not an actualy picture from my commute, but it might was well have been!)