Thread: November Tracking

On the fly.....I'm home from work and the Dr.'s office. Got the sutures out and it hurt like a son-ofa-gun..YEEEEEEOWW <in my best cat yeow> He was pleased with the way it looked...I cried when I got to my car. <sigh>. He did give me permission to apply makeup over it after this week end...so that's some consolation, I guess.
Got to scoot and do some chores. I'll try and pop in later

(((hugs to all)))

And another fly-by..........Curtains are made, grocery shopping is done. I'm on my way out to eat with a couple of old friends. I'll try to eat appropriately, but a big old margarita may have my name on it. And I wonder why the weight creep creep is at my house.......... sigh

Hi Gang!

Writing to you from Woodland, WA tonight. We drove through some absolutely amazing scenery along the Columbia river. We visited the Bonneville Dam. Absolutely beautiful. It was a project started by FDR during the Depression, and finished in 1990's. It has a series of locks for shipping along the river, but more interesting were the fish "ladders" for the Salmon who find their way here every year to lay their eggs and die. We went to see them, but they have already migrated up the river. Alas! After we left the Dam, we drove along a scenic highway with some absolutely breathtaking waterfalls.

Shelley: What were the tears about, sweetie?? Was it because of the pain? Or, was it because of the way it looks? You know that the swelling will go down. Also, the scars will fade. I know that you know that! But, I thought you might not mind being reminded. Keep your chin up, sweetie! There have been times when I have had procedures done that have brought tears. Nothing like what you have had, but nevertheless, tears are tears. ((((((hugs)))))))))))

Judy: Sounds like you are ready. Keep that creep there, okay? I haven't been on the scale this month yet. I'm a little afraid too. My clothes are still fitting. I take that as a good sign.

What's everyone else doing for Tksgiving? I told you we will be with Ds's best friend's parents home. This is the ds who married the Japanese woman two years ago. They are just delighted with each other. I can't wait to see them together.

We stopped at a Winery this morning for a lil' winetasting. (Okay, I was the wine taster. Okay, it was my idea) We bought some Gerwertstraminner for turkey day. Also, a little more for me...uh, I mean, for gifts for ds and ddil!

We are really here in WA a little early (like two days?), but we managed to drive for 7 hours today. I am tired!!

But, the time has been good with DH. We have shared many stories about our early lives. We married each other when I was 40 and he was 50. We both had all our kids and much time before each other. So, it's been good to share all that. He has been working 90 hours a week most of his career, so I love having all this time in the car with him alone. Tomorrow that will change as we get to ds and ddil's house. Sigh.

Peace, Peg

Flying by again before bed...aacckk...0400 comes awfully early! We will have a very busy surgery schedule tomorrow, and Wednesday will be huge as well.

Peg, the tears were *multi* purpose...LOL. Having the sutures removed hurt like
H. E. double hockey sticks, so that brought tears to my eyes, and then when I got to the car and looked in the mirror in broad daylight, well, that just sorta pushed me over the edge on the emotions. I'm OK with things, at least at the moment, but I sure do appreciate those (((hugs)))
I am delighted to hear your trip is going so well and you and your DH are getting some real quality time together. Pair that with terrific scenery, and that's about all a gal could hope for.

Everyone else I most likely won't get more than a quick fly by the rest of the week until I'm off on Thanksgiving Day. I'll be following along though, as time permits.
Hope everyone is well!

later, chickadees
(((hugs)))
me

Shelley, Big Ole ((((HUG))) for you. I can imagine that the combination of hurt and scar would bring tears. Get some stuff and keep it doctored (vitamin E oil, I think). When you can wear makeup again, that will do a lot to help make you feel better about things. Nothing like pain to push you over the edge.

Peg, I'm glad that you guys have had a safe trip with few negative events. I think one of the things that we too enjoyed most about our trip, was the time alone with no one else to worry about. Enjoy your Thanksgiving with DS and friends.

Barb, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one that does my own color. They always get it too dark--- or something at the beauty shop. I can do just as good or better for a whole lot less time and cost.

Ilse and Teel, I plan to see Harry Potter sometime soon. I've been re-watching the first three over the last three nights. A sweet student loaned me her DVDs.

Alida, You can't remember your school's fight song???.......... I guess the fact that I grew up essentially in Lubbock, my parents went to Tech, DH and I both went there, as did DS and a niece, makes that song unforgettable. We don't just bleed red at our house, it's Red and Black. We are already trying to get in line for Cotton Bowl tickets. GO RAIDERS! Did you get all your house cleaning done? At least after the trip to the dentist you will have a dazzling smile to go along with everything.

Brenda, Is Predator another Scarpetta novel? I just brought one home from the library (Blow Fly). I think it's about two back in the Scarpetta line up though. When you take things from the high school library, you don't always have the newest things at the same time everyone else irs reading them. Of course, most kids done' read unless they have to so it's not too tough to get something when they finally get it in. I just finished the last Harry Potter and there is a kid waiting on it, but that's not a normal occurrence. The nice thing for teachers is that we don't have due dates. We can keep stuff as long as we want it.

Who have I left out? Rachel is still traveling but I know I missed someone else.......

Eye Doctor appt. tomorrow morning to get him to check these new contacts. I'm a bit pi$$ed that he is charging me for a follow up that he pretty much guaranteed would happen. I don't see that as good business. Tomorrow will be the remainder of the cleaning and cooking the two veggies that I am taking to MIL's on Thursday. Wednesday is a trip to Plan. AWKKK! my week is getting away from me already.

(And, DH just told me that new curtain on the kitchen door is driving him crazy --- it's too low and he can't see out. Hey, works for me, but then he is 6" taller than me. Looks like I will have to do a little modification of design.)

Shelley, hugs from the Midwest, too. I can almost feel the sting of those stitches myself. They were in so long for a good reason, but that causes all the more pain when taking them out. Bless your heart, I know it hurts to see the scar there, too. They do fade, but it's tough right now, and just looking at it is a reminder of the whole scare. Hang in there, but cry when you need to, ok? (((hugs, kid!)))

Peg, I'm so very happy that you and DH have had some sharing of your lives, and beautiful scenery to boot. May you have many more occasions of both! A winery, too? Sounds like a perfect day.

Jeez, Judy, I thought usually a followup was part of the deal with new contacts. DH will go back a half dozen times to get them fine tuned or change brands and we've never been charged. They're expensive enough as it is.

Yes, Predator is a Scarpetta, Judy. I will say that the last third of the book redeemed it. For some reason I was really getting bored with the characterization, but when the plot started moving more I bought in. Finished it tonight and started on Monkeewrench I think I remember Blow Fly as being a good one. Enjoy! Good thing you can take your time reading with everything else you've got to do.

LOL! Took me a minute to figure out the kitchen curtain problem. A valance, right? Are these the placemat curtains you'd mentioned earlier?

As far as fight songs, when I first started at UNC-- as a matter of fact, before classes even started, we were required to learn the school song, fight song, and a couple of other bits of whimsey designed to turn us all into Tar Heels Judy, you grew up a Raider!

Ilse, so sorry your knees are still hindering you. Just do what you can for Thanksgiving, ok? It's ok to let someone else help you out with the preparations.

Getting late and I need to get another couple of chapters under my belt.

Good Tuesday-Before-Thanksgiving Morning!

Barb: You may have been born a brunette, but your skin tone likes a red head. Freckles? I didn't notice any, LOL! Seriously, your color is perfect. Ack. Purple? What did you DO? Live with it, or were you able to correct it immediately?

If you have a coach, you must be taking skating seriously. When I stopped skating, I was about where Brenda mentioned . . . just being able to skate backwards. But as teens, we were more into power skating rather than beautiful skating. Crack The Whip was a favorite! I have watched many skate competitions, and Irina is phenomenal. Is Michelle Kwan still skating? Of course, I always rooted for Michelle! One of my fondest memories was watching figure skating on Saturdays with my Mom while we cleaned the LR.

Shelley: ((Hugs)) That must have hurt like the dickens. But they are out and the scar will heal. Before you know it, you will look like your old self! I had a lumpectomy on my neck once. Without a band-aid, I looked like Frankenstein with the railroad track scar on my neck. Have to look real hard now to even see a shadow of the scar. The best thing? NO Cancer!

Terry: What was the outcome on the bumps on your fingers . . . if I recall . . . you had to go back to have more removed? (Forgive me for having a big case of CRS).

Judy, Yes, you must be amazed that I can't remember my school's fight song! But I started college at Bradley in Peoria, IL. There for 1 1/2 years. Didn't go to too many football games because my boyfriend at the time was at U of I. Then I went to Loyola, the downtown Chicago campus. We were all "townies" and didn't get caught up in the football thing . . . which was really for the main campus on the north side. And, this may shock you . . . I can't even remember the names of the teams!

Sorry about the curtain. After all that work! If Bobby is 6" taller, will you still have any curtain left if you shorten it so he can see out???? Perhaps some ties to lift up a few sections? Know what I mean? It will have a more scalloped appearance?

Nope, house cleaning NOT done. It takes me forever. LR, DR and kitchen are left. That's on today's list. Tomorrow is cooking and baking.

Hmm. Blow Fly does not sound familiar and I thought I've read all the Scarpetta novels! And speaking of Predator . . . I went to the library yesterday to pick up my copy and it was . . . a CD! I must have clicked on the CD to reserve it. Didn't take it . . . I'll go back on line a reserve a BOOK. But I did get Monkeewrench!

And, BUMMER about the extra charge for a follow-up visit on the contacts. That does sound strange. Usually it is a "one charge" deal. Will you mention it to the doctor? I would.

Brenda, (You read my Predator story above . . . sigh). Don't forget to post that coke recipe. Sounds interesting.

Your hair color does look good on you. Going lighter is always a big step. And going lighter usually means more upkeep . . . new growth dramatically darker. If I recall, I went lighter in stages. Took several years before I started highlighting. Now I love the "lift" the blonde streaks give me.

Peg, that fog you were talking about even made Fox News! I guess there was a Nike Jet that had landing gear problems, so they were following the story. They mentioned the fact that the fog had lifted . . .

I am so glad you and your DH are having good "together" time! I've said this before, but your travels are really getting me thinking about a Northwest trip! I do have a cousin in Idaho we could visit (Sand Pointe . . . not far from Coeur d'Alene where an old friend from grammar school lives . . . . hmmmmm.)

Ilse, I am sorry you are having such a hard time with your knees, especially now with all the extra work a holiday brings . . . . Take care, OK? (oh, and, nuts to the placemats. You've got a tablecloth . . . don't add more work, LOL!)

Lots to do . . . Have a good one!

Good morning, everyone. Especially Shelley, who is already up and off to work, I bet. As for that scar--yep, bummer. Yes, it WILL fade significantly in time--but meanwhile, there it is, right in your face, so to speak. Keep in mind that other people see YOU, not the scar. It's far more noticeable to you than to anyone else. I was really, really mad when a biopsy left a red slash across the top of my breast. I was afraid it would be like that forever, but now I can hardly see it.

Hey--I'm a Cornwell fan, too. Then again, I read whodunits kind of indiscriminately. DH buys them by the boatload (I wish he'd learn "library," but so far that "hint" has been rejected). During our beach time, I read quite a stack of 'em. And immediately forget what I've read. I have to keep a list, or I'll be into a "rerun" for three chapters before I go, "Hmmm...sounds familiar."

Ilse, I'm looking forward to the next Potter flick. I read the book, and think I'm prepared to keep up with the story. Hope you'll have a chance to relax when family arrives for Turkey Day. Let some of those adult "guests" wait on you! Kids, too, for that matter.

Purple hair? You live with it for a couple days, then try to fix it with a different shade. However, you can't "undo" color without a color removing chemical--and I wasn't brave enough to do that to my hair. So basically, I just went with it until it grew out. It was actually a darkish auburn--not awful, and some people actually liked it. Or else they were just being nice.

My skating coach is not a professional--just a very accomplished skater I know from the rinks. She's going to help me refine some very basic maneuvers (turns), and I hope she can teach me how to spin. That's about all the fun on ice I need. DH says, "No jumping." He also says, "No falling down." Sorry. Stuff happens!

Oh, my. It's way past time for getting ready for work. Chatty this a.m. Bye for now!

Good morning!

I need to make this quick, as students will be coming soon!

I tried having milk/dairy several times. I thought I wasn't reacting to the milk, as we had bought hormone-free milk from Oberweis Dairy, but that wasn't true. I can really feel it this morning. I made juices this morning to try to purify my diet (watermelon and vegetable).

I did go to Wal-mart yesterday. (Brenda, this was the one on Randall Rd. in Algonquin. It was really windy there, both coming and going. It wasn't windy elsewhere) I used one of those electric carts to get around. I did find placemats for $1.88 each in a gold damask type of pattern (the tablecloth is gold damask) I also got a couple of Christmas stockings (since we have a mantle now) and a Santa hat for my DD. I made it to the supermarket as well. I shopped mostly off of my list. I went to that supermarket (Woodman's) as it carries turkeys that don't have as many additives injected into them (Maybe 6% instead of over 10%) I wanted to get some LC bread there, but they were out of the one I wanted. Got pizza on the way home, so we would have a quick dinner.

I asked my DH if the Harry Potter movie seemed at all confusing, as he hasn't read the books. He thought they wisked through the start of the movie and then things settled down and he could follow it.

I wish you well. We still have school tomorrow, so I will have a chance to check in then. Take care!

Has it really been 3 days since I've posted here? Wow! Time sure flies. I'm still working my buns off doing renos but I can actually see where it's starting to take shape. Saturday my ds came over and helped to sand the mudd and then on Sunday I put the third coating on. Took 7 hours!! I have blisters where I shouldn't! Last night I had to resand some of the corners and remudd it. So, tonight we start the sanding all over again and if it looks good when done.....I get to start painting. Finally. It will just be the primer, but I bet it's going to make such a difference. I was really careful with the 3rd mudding so I'm sure praying it will be good enough. That's such hard work. I have a very healthy respect now for people who do this stuff for a living.

Aldia: You asked about gout. It used to be called the rich man's disease cause it's caused by a persons diet and most of the things that can cause a reaction can be expensive. It's caused by uric acid which turns to crystals with points on them. My dh says it's like walking on razor blades. His big toe swells just huge as does the bottom of his foot. He can't even stand to have a sheet touch his foot in bed. Seafood is one of the worst things for gout as is liquor. I did a lot of looking on the internet to try to find something to help him and every sight said that cherry juice or cherries would help. So, that's why I went to the heath food store and got the black cherry juice. It does seem to help when I make it in a smoothie, which he really enjoys. Says it makes him feel pampered. lol

Shelley: I'm so glad you got the stitches out. I can understand the tears...you've been through so much and the stress must have been way up there. Time will make it look better and soon you won't even think about it.

On Saturday when my ds and his family came to help with the reno's they brought me a Dairy Queen ice cream cake. For some reason he thought my birthday was on Saturday not the previous Thursday. Anyway, on Saturday morning when I had weighed myself I was down to 152.5....woohoo. Didn't I feel cocky. He said he knew I wouldn't eat it but they wanted me to have a cake. I told him, of course, I could have a little piece. I hadn't had lunch so I thought I could afford to indulge. And then there was the little weight loss to fall back on. Stupid, Donna!!! That cake was the end of me. As of this morning, I'm back up to 156. I was doing so well too and I felt better. Now, I feel like crap again and I'll have to start all over getting that darn scale to move. After 3 years at this you'd think I'd know better. Well, that teaches me not to think I know it all!

I've had the busiest days at work lately. There was a special edition of the paper on Sunday which was all about the election that was held on Saturday. So, that adds a lot of work to my already busy schedule. Between the mudding and the typing, my poor hands are pretty sore. Having carpal tunnel in both wrists doesn't help either.

It sounds like all of you are almost ready for Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving was in October so it sounds strange to hear you all talking about it. We missed it, being on holidays then. So, I feel like I've missed a big family gathering which was done without us. Hope all of you have a great time.

Better get back to work. Lots to do...not enough time.

There, there, Donna. You couldn't possibly gain four solid pounds of fat overnight. The weight is still gone, and water (attached to the glycogen you consumed) is making up the difference. This too shall pass...literally. Life is too short to give up ice cream cake forever.

Clemson was all-male until the mid-60s. The first women to enroll there really had balls, you should pardon the expression. I attended summer school there in 1966. Luckily, I was too naive to realize when I was being sexually harassed--by the faculty, let alone the students. I escaped with my virtue--and my credit hours.

quick visit..........

Below is the curtain that I made yesterday. There is a similar one over the kitchen window. They are made from 4 placemats. The beige ones have beading arount the edges. I don't know if you can see the tassel hanging from the middle. I was pretty pleased with the way they turned out. DH hasn't said anything else about this one today. Maybe I won't have to take it apart and redo the entire thing. They are completely lined and enclosed.

Donna, That ice cream weight will go away.......... if you get back on plan. Don't let that Creep that we have been talking about stick around. The longer you wait to do something about it, the worse it becomes. Just ask me how I know!!

I'm off to cook and clean. Tomorrow is the trip to Plano.

Quick one. Judy, those are great curtains. Really creative Love the tassel and frogs! I was going to ask for a picture, but thought you might be too busy. Thanks.

Judy, the curtain looks great. How is it hanging at the top? A rod through a pocket? My kitchen door needs help. (Actually, I need a new back door, but that's a whole 'nuther issue.)

We all are busy . . . breezed through the posts this AM.

Good Day-Before-Thanksgiving Morning!

It's almost 5 AM here in the Midwest. Shelley is definitely up and most likely on her way to work already. Barb is probably up, too. I do hope the rest of you are sleeping and having wonderful dreams!

Barb, well I guess that's all you could do with purple hair!

As for Clemson:

I was too naive to realize when I was being sexually harassed

That was me, too. When I think back of my college days, there were several professors that showed me a little too much personal attention. But I thought they were just being nice. Then there was the Sigma Chi guy who took me to a motel room after a dance. When I realized he wanted to go "all the way," I started running around the room. It was comical. Left with virtue intact, LOL! BTW, that was the same guy who took me to the party where the beer keg fell on my knee while riding in this truck/hay wagon thingy.

Had to laugh about:

I'll be into a "rerun" for three chapters before I go, "Hmmm...sounds familiar."

Can't tell you how many times I have done that!

Ilse, so dairy's out, eh? Have you ever tried those lactase tablets? Over-the-counter and they do work.

Wish I had more knowledge of how different foods can affect the body so I could offer some advice. All I do know is that a low carb diet does do wonders for some ailments. Would you like to try Induction? I'll go on it with you. But there's no pizza while on induction, LOL.

Judy, the valance is darling! Using placemats is a great idea. I now see that making it shorter would be a major project! Tell Bobby to stoop if he wants to see out!

Have a wonderful day in Plano, today. Hope your Dad is feeling well and you all have a great time together.

Donna, they all said it . . . that weight WILL go away, and quickly, too! You enjoyed the cake and will now get back on track.

Thank you for your explanation about Gout. Your poor husband. That must be so painful. It also must be difficult to stay away from certain types of foods. Who would think a few little shrimp would bring on an attack? The only thing I ever knew about gout was that Henry VIII had it . . . or one of the kings over there . . . .

WooHoo! Primer going up! Here's hoping that last coat of mud is the last you'll see of that stuff. Don't forget, we want pictures. Before and after is good!

I made another batch of Zucchini Muffins yesterday. I used the Mini-Carb 0-Carb bake mix I got from Netrition. I also used pecan meal instead of almond meal. 5 minutes before they were done, Bob called. He couldn't find the street he needed to get to his appointment. I couldn't find the street on the map. Went to MapQuest. AOL was s-l-o-w. By the time I remembered I had muffins in the oven, yup, you guessed it . . . very well done. I haven't tried one yet. Hopefully I can still get a sense of whether or not the bake mix worked. The batter tasted very good, especially with the pecan meal. I am also wondering if the cooking time may have to be adjusted . . . .

Today is major cooking day. Prepping stuff and making the stuffing, two pies, cranberry relish, jello salad (Bob loves this stuff), pre-cooking yams, etc. etc. After all that, I'll clean the kitchen. Then I will collapse.

Peg, Brenda, Shelley, Terry, Rachel -- Hope your day goes well! I'll try to pop in later.