Healthy Living Thread

[marcy]

Happy Weekend Indeed!

Deegee, I am counting down the days until Marty gets home. He was gone a month once and a few 3 weeks at his last job when he was working in Hong Kong. I remember Matt’s chair from Norway. Does he still love it? That’s great Matt has ventured out with his binoculars this week. I hope it’s clear tonight so I can look at that comet in my little scope. That is so funny Lily put her favorite toy under the Christmas tree. That is very cute. I do have quite the collection of bears and rabbit. I left 2 of the bears out of that picture too. I am glad to hear you are getting better. Relaxing by the fire in your jammies sounds perfect for a snowy day. Did you venture out to meet your friend for dinner? Has your ring arrived at WF yet?

My day hasn’t worked out anything like I intended but I’m money ahead because of it though. My friend who was going shopping with me had the wine-martini flu so I stayed in town. One of the local mom and pop jewelers has 50% through the Super Bowl so I went shopping. I tried on several thin bands with my ering. I kind of liked a few of them but not enough to buy. They had 2 emerald rings I liked. One was a basic 5 x 7mm emerald cut diamond accent ring and the other was a diamond / emerald band. The band was pretty but more than I wanted to spend when I’m furniture shopping. The other ring was pretty but probably something I would wear very much.

After the jewelers I decided I was hungry so went to a restaurant and had lunch. I got gas and took one of my bears to the furniture store to take pictures of all the Flexsteel recliner couches and love seats complete with one of my bears setting on them. I posted them on Shutterfly for Marty to see. The lady at the store was amused I wandered around with my teddy bear. I pointed out to her it looks cute on their furniture; they should get some. Naturally the sale goes off the day Marty gets home so I at least have to put a deposit on what we think we want.

I was going to pick up milk but the grocery store looked way too busy. Then I was going to get a root beer freeze from DQ and it was crazy busy so I just came home. See other than lunch and gas I didn’t spend any money.

I hope you are having a great weekend.
Marcy / Curby

 

[marcy]

Carl thought this one was really comfortable.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Saturday kids!

Deegee, my car caught the dead battery flu from your car!!! I came home last night from the suburbs, sat in my car for about five minutes finishing a call (I was connected to my Bluetooth speaker and didn't know how to un-connect to my regular phone without losing the call so I stayed in the car) and when I was done I realized I wanted to go one more place. Keep in mind I hadn't even left the car yet, but when I put the key in the ignition it just clicked. THANK GOD that happened in my own parking space because I had stopped at a mall on the way home and it could have just as easily happened there. The CB is off fishing with a bunch of his buddies this weekend so my best male friend had to come over to jump my car because the battery place wanted to charge me $90 to come out and do it. The whole adventure ended up involving two of my neighbors too, but $170 and an hour later I was sporting a new battery, so all's well that ends well!

Curby, Carl does indeed look mighty comfortable sitting there! And doncha hate sales that end right at the wrong time? Can you get your deposit back if Marty doesn't like the stuff? Or, can you tell them that he needs an extra day because of his travel schedule and ask them to honor the sale price? A regular sales person might not be able to do that but maybe a manager could...? And I admire your restraint when you were trying on those bands! I used to have a really bad habit of going, well, that's OK, and just buy things because I couldn't think of a reason not to since it was "OK." Fortunately I've moved off of that philosophy! I also shop a lot less for personal stuff (although I seem to shop a lot MORE for house stuff, LOL!) than I used to. I used to think of shopping as a "sport"... now... not so much!

And speaking of shopping... I have been trying to figure out what to do with my "bedroom." As you know, I've cycled through a zillion ideas of art above the bed, but now I'm thinking carved wood panel. On a Grand Scale. What do you think of doing away with the headboard and using a large teak panel, which would be big enough to serve as art too? I can get a 6' x 6' version or an 8' x 8' version. The six footer can come from a couple of different sources, but I can only find one place to get the eight footer from. The problem with that is (a) the shipping alone is $600 from Bali, and (b) good luck returning that sumbeech if I don't like it. I'll post pics to get your opinions. My gut feeling is if not something massive and grand in THIS place then I'll probably never get to do it in any place, and it would certainly be dramatic... hmmnm.... What do you think?

 

[Dee*Jay]

Six foot

 

[Dee*Jay]

Here's an eight footer behind a sofa (I can't find a picture of it as a headboard)

 

[Dee*Jay]

And here's a pic with a lady for scale. (Poor thing is probably thinking, I hope that fvcker is secured to the wall because it'll kill me if it falls -- HA!)

 

[marcy]

Dee Jay. I like the 8 foot.

 

[marcy]

Dee Jay, rats that your car caught the dead battery flu. You should be set for a few years now. For some reason I like the color of that set but I bet Marty will pick the dark brown or black set. I plan on going back and talking to the store about honoring the price one more day. We’ve bought quite a few things there. I am sure they’d at least transfer the deposit to something else if Marty changes his mind on which set he wants. I’ll take Carl in with me so they won’t try to mess with the crazy bear lady! You mean shopping isn’t a sport? Why didn’t you tell me? I was thinking today of taking back the colored diamond ring to get the emerald ring but I honestly would wear the colored diamond ring more. It’s fun to shop for the house too though. $600 is quite a shipping fee but I really like the 8 foot size the best. Decisions, decisions.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Curby, I have to admit I'm pretty in love with the 8' version too... I just sent an email asking if they give a designer discount because even though I'm a real estate agent I do enough design work with my clients that several vendors give me the discount anyway, and it's usually about 20%, so at a rate like that I'm saving at least a few hundred dollars. I'll be curious to see what they say (or if they reply to me at all!). Really though, if I'm going to do anything dramatic this is the place for it! I'm also trying to be fiscally responsible and convince myself that if I do the massive panel I will keep the rug in the bedroom that I've been toying with replacing, and that would be at last a thousand dollar too so maybe I could just "redeploy" that money!

 

[marcy]

DeeJay, that would be great if they give you a 20% discount on the rug. They should just because you asked them nicely. I like the way you redeploy money from one place to another. Creative financing! I like it.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Curby, creative financing -- I am a CPA after all!

Deegee, I forgot to answer your question about my walls. They were *supposed* to be grey (the thought being neutral, but not beige, which I'm so OVER) but they look very blue to me. Other people don't see the blue, and it is very depending on the time of day and the lighting, but I say they are blue...

 

[marcy]

Dee Jay, being a CPA its' natural you excel at creative financing.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Or maybe in my next life I'll be a politician!

 

[marcy]

You'll have to pick up some questionable talents to head in that direction.

 

[marcy]

Here is the entire family photo (again inspired by Marty telling me to get those bears off my couch)

 

[deegee]

Dee*Jay- I love the 8ft panel. Great idea to use it as a headboard. Where do you come up with these things? I decided last year I wanted to repaint the green part of my kitchen a blue gray color. I'm trying to make my ugly counter tops look a little better. I'd love to replace the countertops, but they were just put in (by the original owners) less than 5 years ago, they're Corian, and they're in perfect shape. I'll have to take a pic in the daylight to get your expert opinion as to whether or not painting the wall will help the ugly blend better. And no, you may not become a politician. I work with them and I do not like them. At all. Oh, and my car ended up not having a dead battery. It was just some rust on the terminal. Woo-hoo!

Marcy- the couch looks comfy! A friend of mine has leather flex steel furniture in her family room that is so wonderful. I could easily sleep on it. Your bears barely fit on our sofa! I have one bear, named Ben, from my childhood. I couldn't go anywhere without him, and I've never been able to part with him. He's missing some hair in places, and I had to put him in a spare bedroom with the door shut because of my cats. They like him too. I did end up getting dressed and going out with my friends for dinner last night. We went to the casino where I gambled away all of $2 on nickel slots. I'm wild like that! I haven't heard from WF that they've received my ring. Would you believe I haven't even checked the USPS tracking?

It poured rain all day today, and we are so lucky it wasn't just a little colder outside. We'd be snowed in for days! I read a book today (the girl on the train), did laundry, went grocery shopping, and worked for about 2 hours from home. Very exciting day. I had a peanut butter sandwich for lunch and scrambled eggs for dinner. Snacks were crackers and a banana. I had some wine last night and my stomach sure wasn't happy with me today. Have a wonderful Monday! Why is it always Monday?

I just checked the USPS tracking page, and my ring arrived in Sugar Land TX Saturday, so surely WF will get it Monday.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Sunday night kids!

Curby, I love the pic of the “full family”! Do they all have names or just Carl?

Deegee, where do I come up with these things… that’s a good question! My ultimate ideas are usually off-shoots of other ideas (with several iterations along the way). The hard part is when I dream something up that I haven’t seen anywhere else and then I try to make it happen. Kind of like this giant panel headboard idea… I haven’t actually see this thing that I’m envisioning, but it makes sense in my own head… ! Yes, post pics of the countertops and I’ll be happy to take a look. But here’s a wacky idea: Just because something was put in a few years ago and is still “good” doesn’t mean you have to keep it. If you would be happier with different countertops maybe you should put them in. How much would they be? Not to mention backing out the cost of repainting, which maybe you can avoid if you put in counters you like. 1-800-home-remodel-enablers-R-us!!!

Today I finally finished dealing with everything that I had pulled out of the closets, including going through the four “mystery boxes” that I’ve been moving around for the past decade or so. Frankly a lot of it got thrown away and I will never miss it (just like I didn’t miss it being packed up in boxes all those years!). I have to make a salvation army run (although I should really make at least a cursory pass through my closet beforehand) but I think things are really pretty cleaned out at this point.

Tomorrow morning I have to go to court for the violation. Wish me luck!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Monday kids!

This has been a loooong day... Court this morning was anticlimactic. All we did was get a continuance because the inspector has to come out and sign off on something else. So, March 9, we get to do this all over again. What a shame -- I was so looking forward to a good confrontation to get the day off on the right foot!

I've been working like a dog ever since I got home. And where does that phrase come from anyway?! MY dogs lead a life of leisure, there's definitely no "work" of any kind going on there! The good news is I've cleaned out even more of the mystery stuff I've been dragging around for god knows how long (mostly paperwork, but still) and my closets are looking pretty good. The next thing to tackle is the mechanical room because I've got a steel shelf tower with tools and cleaning supplies and... and... and...! That is going to have to wait though because there's only so much purging and organizing I can do at one time!

OK, off to work on this project some more. Maybe a glass of prosecco is in order!

 

[marcy]

Happy Monday!

Dee Jay, seriously? You think I’d name my bears? Okay, well I guess you got me there. Bears L to R: Carl, Rudy, Repete, Brownie, Pete, Teddy, Arrows, Buttons, Kenny, Ted, Junior and Riddles. The Killer Rabbits L to R: Pug, Sharky, Broken Jaw, Fang, Killer, Fluffy, Tag and Ilean. LOL 1-800-home-remodel-enablers-R-us! You are doing a great job cleaning things out. I definitely need to start working on that project myself. Crap the violation trial was postponed until March. What were they thinking? You’ve had a long and busy day; I hope you enjoyed a glass of prosecco.

Deegee, that’s great your car just needed the terminal cleaned. Sweet. That couch was so darned comfortable. Marty wants to wait until he gets home though to pick something. Ben sounds adorable. I am glad you still have him and keep him away from the cats that might like him too much. You are a wild woman gambling away $2 the other night. I’m still complaining about losing $60 at Marty’s poker game. Step 1 complete; your ring has arrived in Sugarland, TX. I wonder how long it will take them to shave it down and return it to you? Are you in the path of any of the blizzard moving in tonight? I’m with Dee Jay, if you don’t like the countertops now painting the walls probably isn’t going to change that.

My right rear tire has been caught up in deflategate. I got a very loud alarm telling me my right rear tire is underinflated. I am going to try and go to the tire dealer about 11 tomorrow and have them check it for me.

I picked up some groceries on the way home. I should be good till Marty gets home now.

Laters,
Marcy

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Tuesday kids!

Curby, HA! I *knew* all your bears and rabbits would have names! I hope everything is OK with your tire and it's a small and easy fix. Car things make me crazy!

Yesterday I worked right up until the minute the CB put dinner on the table and I still have a TON of stuff to do for this accounting firm. Ack.

I have to run to the bank and deposit the check they sent me when I refinanced for the taxes they were holding in escrow. The first tax bill of the year is most likely due March 1 (although you never really know with Cook County) so I want to make sure the money is sitting there all ready to go.

Tonight we're having a late x-mas with some friends and dinner at the same Italian restaurant we eat at approximately three nights a week. Any day now they're going to put plaques on the bar stools with our names on them!

 

[Dee*Jay]

I forgot to say I've been trading emails with the vendor who has the 8' Balinese panel. Lo and behold thes shipping is not $500... It's a bit over A THOUSAND DOLLARS. Apparently the number that pops up when you put the item in your shopping cart is for "port-to-port" service if the thing comes on a container across the ocean, and then you have to get it from your port to your front door. I asked exactly what MY port is here in Chicago, just for the sake of curiosity, but I never did get an answer to that question. So now the thing is over $2,200. Hmmm... Thinking... Thinking...

AND! The rug I was looking at for the bedroom has gone in price from $1,195 to $1,595 on the website. Bastards!!!

 

[marcy]

Happy Tuesday!

Dee Jay, strange you knew that I named all the bears and rabbits. The rabbit that is named Ilean can’t stand up straight. Pete and Repete look exactly alike except their plaid pattern is different on their feet. So see there is some method to my madness. My tire turned out to have a nail in it. I hate car trouble too. My dad was a mechanic and always took care of things for me even after I was married. He’d loan me a car and take my car in to be serviced and just deliver my car back to me and pick up his car. The tire dealer was crazy busy. I got there about 11:10 and waited about an hour and a half. Sadly I had a “curbing” incident getting window food on the way home. CRAP! Tell CB he is very nice cooking supper for you. Hopefully you’ll get some interest on your tax money between now and March 1st. When that restaurant puts your names on some bar stools be sure and post a selfie. That will be great because you and CB will be famous. They must be a good place if you eat there 3 times a week. Have fun celebrating a late Christmas with your friends. Phooey on the huge shipping fee on the 8” panel and the other website raising the price on the other rug. It’s only money. Dial 1-800-Spendit now!

Have a great evening.
Curby Oops I Did it Again

 

[Rod]

I'll try to give a not too lengthy update:

I haven't been working out. I walked out of the gym a couple years ago after getting on the elliptical and all of the sudden it hit me. I was healthy, looked good and miserable. I'd spent so much time in the gym and so had Charlie that all we did was work, go to the gym, eat, go to sleep and repeat. I may not be in nearly as good shape as I was, but we have our life back and that's a good thing.

Charlie and I celebrated 35 years together last summer! And just a few weeks ago, the state of Florida ran out of appeals with the Supreme Court and we can finally legally be married. So, we're getting officially hitched on the beach in April. We were only having my brother and his girlfriend at the service, then we got the great idea to see if maybe they'd like to get married with us and they were delighted. So, we're having a double wedding with just the 4 of us, a minister and a photographer. Of course a wedding deserves some bling, so I've worked with a great local jeweler, traded in a boatload of jewelry and we're having custom made Platinum and Diamond rings made for the event. Here are renders of what they'll look like. Charlie has always wanted a yellow diamond, so we found a nice one (natural) And my ring has sentimetal value as it is comprised of the 7 diamonds weighing a tad over 2 carats in my father's ring, which he gave me when he went blind and we had to put him in a nursing home (long story).



Otherwise, we are doing well. We still live in the same condo we bought 4 years ago and I'm still doing the headhunting thing, but I truly wish I could find another way to make a living. I have really gotten into high end watches and have bought some great pieces over the last couple years. I was even published in a national watch magazine when I wrote an article about a German hand made watch I purchased, which was pretty exciting.

I do think of you all often and hope you are all doing really well, are happy and healthy. I'll try not to make it a couple years before popping back in.

I remain your friend,

Rod

 

[deegee]

Dee*Jay-I really can't justify spending $10,000-15,000 on counter tops when there is absolutely nothing wrong with these! (I'm basing that number on what we spent when we replaced our counter tops with quartz at our old house the year before we bought this house) I'm going to try to work with what I have. I think one of the things that bugs me so much is that the cabinets are white, countertops are grey speckled, appliances and fixtures are stainless & nickel, and the walls are warm sage green with a gold accent wall. Not sure what the lady was going for there! Wow!! I can't believe the cost to ship the panel! What to do? It looks really cool...

Marcy-that is too funny you have all of those critters named, and you remember which one is which, and they have a reason behind their names! My cats look just alike except Milo has a white stripe on his nose whereas Max has a solid face. I'm always hollering the wrong cat's name if I'm not looking at their faces. (They ignore me when I do that.) I'm sorry you had your own personal deflate-gate. It's hard to make time to take care of stuff like that, especially on a work day. That was so sweet of your dad to take care of you like that. I'm sure you always appreciated it. We weren't in the path of the blizzard, but we had freezing rain and sleet all day yesterday. After I baby-stepped it from the building to my car down the street yesterday, I discovered my car was nicely frozen shut after sitting outside in the crappy weather for 11 hours. If I haven't already said it, I'll say it now. I HATE WINTER!!!

I received an email from Mike at WF yesterday telling me they received my ring, and Vera today telling me it would take about a week to get finished. I've been wearing my WF channel bead set band, and it is so light and thin compared to my channel band. I really do miss my channel band, and I miss its extra sparkle! My schedule at work is ramping back up. I have worked 25 hours already this week and it's only Tuesday. I have eaten more today than I have in over a month and I'm not in incredible pain. Woo-freaking-hoo! For breakfast I had oats and blueberries, lunch was a peanut butter sandwich and a cup of chicken noodle soup, and Matt brought home fast food for dinner since I wasn't home yet. I had a chicken burrito (without the shell), and refried beans. I cannot believe I'm not doubled over. This is awesome! Have a wonderful Wednesday!!

 

[deegee]

Rod - Hello!!!! I have often wondered how you were doing. Congratulations to you and Charlie!! I'm so happy for you. Wow...35 years. Your rings (both yours and Charlie's) are gorgeous. How exciting for you both, and too cool that you're having a double wedding. The high-end watch bug hasn't bitten me yet, and I'm hoping to keep that one at bay. I understand what you mean about not being as fit...I went a little overboard while I was losing weight and it seems like that is all I focused on. I got too thin, but I'm now at a weight I can maintain (although I'd love to lose a little), but I'm not too worried about it. Again, Congratulations to you and Charlie!!!!

 

[Rod]

Thank you deegee! I appreciate the kind thoughts! On the weight thing, having gone so far overboard, I realized I had no life whatsoever and when it hit me, I just walked out of the gym and haven't been able to go back. I have put on a few pounds (not a lot of weight), but the muscles, well, let's just say they aren't anywhere as they once were. And you know what? It's OK.

Again, thank you for writing back. Your friend........Rod

 

[marcy]

Rod, it honestly made my night seeing a post from you here. I was reading my book and checked my email and as you know I had to fire off an email to you right away. I am so excited for you and Charlie! Congratulations. 35 years together is awesome. I bet you guys can’t wait until April. How nice your brother and his girlfriend are going to join you for your wedding and even better they are making it a double wedding. You’ll definitely have to stop by and post a few pictures. Your rings are going to be stunning. I like the yellow diamond in Charlie’s ring and how cool your ring will have diamonds that are from your dad. I think you made the right choice focusing more time on your life than spending time in the gym. Life is too short to not spend it doing the things that are important to you.

Deegee, do you think if you changed the color of your cabinets you would like the kitchen better? I name everything. My cars, stuffed animals, bunnies in the yard, snakes in the basement. I just can’t help myself. That is funny the cats ignore you if you holler at them by the wrong name. Yes, I always appreciated my dad taking care of my car maintenance. All I’d have to do is mention something like I need new tires and he’d call me by 10 am the next day with 4 prices and options. I hate to think about you walking so far from your car to work on solid ice but glad you made it safely. Stupid ice! Darn it that your car was frozen when you got off work. That is awesome you were able to eat today without pain or a reaction. You should be able to go home by noon Thursday with that many hours in this week. Good luck there though, huh? I bet your thinner band seems weird to you now. I got out my Tiffany band today and missed my sparkly band all day. I was emailing Vera today as well. The posts on my studs are turning a copper color where they are in my ear, just that spot no where else. Their suggestions as to why aren’t logical but they are talking to their jeweler tomorrow. I wouldn’t mind except they are making my ear itch.

Have a great day tomorrow.
Marcy

 

[Rod]

Thank you Marcy! I was so happy to see your email soon after I posted, so I won't repeat myself, but I am so happy to hear from you. Do let me know what Marty thought of my article and I promise that when the rings are ready (about a month from now - they just ordered the platinum and it's a lot of metal) it will take that long for them to me made.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Wednesday kids... and HELLO ROD!!!!!!!!!!

So glad to hear you and Charlie are doing well and I thing the rings are just stunning! The double wedding idea is great and I hope you'll post pics -- of the event and the bling once it's on your hands! My trip to Florida to visit my dad last September was super short (only the weekend) but maybe this year I can squeeze in an extra day and take a trip down to see you guys -- it's been too long!

Deegee, OK, since it is so much money maybe trying a paint job is the way to go! It really is amazing how much a different color transforms a space. Are there any other small changes you could make that might also improve the situation? New hardware on the cabinets and drawers? Some artwork? Just throwing ideas out there.

Curby, 1-800-SPENDITNOW -- I love it! I am pretty much fully committed at this point but I need to pick between two of them. I'll post pics and you and Deegee and Rod (and whoever else might be lurking) can help me decide. And honestly, either one would probably be just fine, but you know me... obsess obsess obsess! I use your phrase "window food" now BTW. I'd never heard before I heard you say it. You're now a part of my vocabulary!

Here are the panels.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Other one.