Now I really did it :((

[junebug17]

Hi girls! Just a quick post to check in -

Missy, I'm encouraged to hear that Joanne says she is still willing to help with the TNR, I really hope she follows through

Marcy, I laughed out loud when I read about all the rabbit drama!

Glad to hear work is going fairly well for you right now - well, except for the bear harassment! Those poor things! And I'm so glad you got good feedback from your boss - it sounds as if he knows you have your hands full with your team and it does sound like he is worried you're going to get fed up at some point lol. Hang in there, I know you can get your team moving in the right direction!

I love the garnet ring you bought! I can't wait to see it. I agree with you, I like some sparkle on a CS ring too! I've been thinking I'd like either a pink or green cushion in a double halo setting - of course, I haven't run any of this by the hubs yet

Ugh, sorry to hear you might be getting a cold, I'm hoping you can fight it off!

LLJsmom, I am just so happy that you had such a great experience running in the Marathon… It sounds like it was amazing and thank you so much for your detailed description, it made me feel I was right there with you!

Kristie, are Maggie and Finn still doing ok? I've been thinking about them.

Callie, how about your furbaby? Is she feeling better?

Jimmianne, if it's any consolation I'm not thrilled with my haircut either! It looked cute when the hairdresser did it, but when I style it I look like I have a bowl on my head, yikes. So frumpy. I could swear I'm doing exactly what she did but apparently not.

Hope everyone is having a good night!

 

[LLJsmom]

hi nirdi's. having bling thoughts...

so after seeing the gorgeous OECs, I thought I was sold. Now that I am looking at my newly cleaned ring, it's making me really love it again. A clean diamond makes a world of difference. I love it again. I really kinda hate to say it but I want both. And then in reality, when I have an OEC, it would bug me a lot to have one ring sitting at home, not worn. Then I would want to trade both my rings for one big one. I don't know...

I don't think I am ready to trade in my MRB. I still really like it. I can see myself missing it.

What kind of bling plans do you guys have? Put aside a lot of time to spend with Adam.

Who is going to visit Missy? I think there are two right? Kristie? Anyone else? You are all gonna have THE MOST FABULOUS TIME. Missy, if I didn't say it before, you were just AWESOME. You are the best person, as in human being. And Greg is lucky he married you. And of course he is a total sweetheart and you guys make the most wonderful couple... How in the world did I luck out to meet such awesome people on a diamond forum on the internet??

Btw, I went to Shreve today, and I saw a few very nice OECs. And I saw a D VVS1, 3.08 OEC. GIA I think it looked more like a tranny. In fact, I'm almost sure it was. It had a huge table. Missy remember when we looked at the 3.04 and 3.1? Those did not look THAT much bigger than mine. This one at Shreve was huge, like significantly bigger facing up. So I think it must have been a tranny. I saw these fat, yummy arrows. And it was ...$118K.

One more comment. I think I really like trannys. They may be my favorite, even though Missy we saw a bunch OECs, which were all very beautiful. Do you think Adam has any trannys? My favorite is Dreamer's stone. Do you know if Adam has a trade up policy? I can see myself getting one between 1.5-2 carats, and then moving up. I think my sweet spot is J and K.

sorry for this nothing but bling post. I've had a rough day. We are dealing with health insurance, and the costs on the plan that my work is offering has increased significantly, and we are gonna have to rethink a lot of things. So my dreams about an OEC/Tranny are exactly that right now. So sad...

 

[marcy]

Marty and Killer seeing the sights.

 

[marcy]

Junebug, glad our silly little rabbit drama gave you a good laugh. My team was driving me crazy today but hopefully they’ll get there. They are trying to do everything right just forgetting some things. A pink or green cushion CS in a halo will look fabulous. I am sure your DH won’t mind if get a pretty new ring. We all approve if that helps at all. My cold seems to be subsiding today so I hope it doesn’t come back with a vengeance.

LLJsmom, after seeing all of those lovely OEC I can see how why you want to get one. They were stunning. I am like you though; I would hate to part with my RB. I am very OCD about cleaning my jewelry every day. Marty teases me about it so I tell him if he’d buy me nicer diamonds I wouldn’t have to clean them all the time. I love hearing all your thoughts and wishes about bling. Continue filling us in. I hate to hear your insurance premiums are going up. My company is raising our premiums about 20% and our deductible is $11,000 a year so I have Marty add me to his policy. Marty’s company offers what the government calls a Cadillac plan and the company will be taxed 40% of the premiums in 2018 so they obviously won’t continue that plan. I don’t want to start a political debate here but that seems wrong to me. A company offers their employees good health insurance and gets penalized for it? We just renewed our benefits with his company and every year we get a notice saying to plan on big changes coming before 2018. My sister works pre-certification at a hospital and they are having people cancel surgery because they can’t afford any kind of insurance or less things are covered.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

LLJsmom, Thank you and I feel the same about you. You are a wonderful person and I so enjoyed finally meeting you IRL and so did Greg. Thank you for taking the time out of your marathon visit to spend the day with me. It was so much fun.

Enjoy the search for old cut diamonds. I would love to see pics of the tranny you saw yesterday if you took any. I like them too but have not seen many IRL at all. I don't think Adam has them in his inventory but you could contact him and ask him if he could get any for you to see. If anyone could find a beautiful tranny I think Adam could.

There is no need to rush into anything re diamond purchasing and you should fully explore all your options. There are so many gorgeous cuts. I wish we could all have a few major diamonds in our diamond repertoire. Wouldn't that be lovely? I would go for a chunky monkey antique pear and a vintage emerald cut to start.

I am sorry you had a rough day yesterday and I am so sorry about the health insurance woes. It really sucks. (((Hugs))).

Marcy, I am sorry about the health insurance stress you and LLJsmom are experiencing. I know we are in for some of those too as are many many others and in fact I see the writing on the wall with the way Cigna and other health insurance companies are refusing to cover many previously covered meds where there is NO generic substitute. Raising the premiums and copays to crazy amounts. I do not care for the direction the health insurance industry has been headed. I won't comment on anything political but I agree with you-not fair and I am not sure we are better off re health care than we were before. Not going to get into it right now but I am not sure any country has a good system because I see my friends who live in other countries struggling too. And let's not talk about the very long waiting lists for what is not considered urgent care re surgeries in other countries. Let's face it if you have money wherever you live you will be OK. But what about everyone else?

I hope your cold is dissipating and you are feeling much better.

Haha your killer bunnies photos are hysterical. I love that you and Marty enjoy such whimsy. Even if it is long distance. The weather we are having is lovely isn't it? I wish it could continue all year long. If winter was like this I would be very happy.

Your new garnet ring will be here before you know it and we all cannot wait for you to receive it.

Junie, thank you. The cats are growing quickly and I am very concerned but trying to focus on what we can do rather than what we are not doing right now. How are you doing? How is your mom faring and any news re the trip to your sister? I forget when you are hoping to take your mom there. I hope you are all doing well and things are going smoothly. Any news re your beach house sale?

Jimmianne, can you share a pic of your apple watch? I am intrigued. It sure sounds like it does a lot but like you I wouldn't want to wear anything too bulky on my wrist though I like that it is quite functional.

Speaking of Apple I am still waiting for my iPhone (hoping it comes soon) but I finally ordered a case last night. It was ridiculous how much research I did before I finally decided on one and of course I am questioning that choice LOL. I wanted a folio case like I have now for my Samsung so I could keep my credit cards/driver's license and some cash since I never carry a wallet. And I wanted a protective case plus one that wasn't ugly. I think I might have ordered one that fits 2 out of the 3 criteria I was searching for. All the attractive folio cases were not protective so I finally bit the bullet and went for a less attractive but functional one. I ordered the URBAN ARMOR GEAR Folio Case for iPhone 6S Plus in Red. UGLY but hopefully it will serve its purpose. There were so many attractive leather cases but all not protective and I am not exactly graceful and tend to drop things a lot. LOL.

When are you and your new gentleman friend getting together? I am excited for you and hope at the very least you have a lovely new friend and of course I am excited about the romantic potential too because you never know. Sending lots of loving friendship vibes your way.

Have a wonderful day girls.

 

[MarionC]

Hi : )
all.

long days here, sleepy.

more later, tomorrow, catch up & write. hugs.

Missy, here's the watch...and this is the SMALL one!
It is ugly, but I am starting to love it because it is making me exercise more and with heart rate, translation app, email, etc. has such convenience.
good night!

 

[missy]

Thanks for posting it Jimmianne! Wow that's the small one lol. Well it sure does a lot so I guess for what it does it is a good size. I mean it is a computer right? So you are wearing a computer on your wrist.

I hope you enjoy a relaxing evening and look forward to catching up with you tomorrow. Sweet dreams.

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Missy, my cold is kind of there but not getting any worse. Enjoy your lovely weather for me tomorrow. I am going to wake up to a winter scene. It’s long overdue for Wyoming. I am anxious to get my garnet ring. Plus the teddy bear that comes with it. I am sure the rabbits will welcome it with their little felt teeth. Your phone should be here soon. I hope you will like it. It is difficult to find a case that works and you like. I had a cute little Christmas case with Snoopy for my iPhone 4. It was slick as could be. Instead of throwing it away when I gave up using it one Christmas thenI got it out the next year. After my phone shot out of my hand a few times in one night it went in the trash.

Jimmianne, I am glad the watch is growing on you. Marty got the larger size but he likes large watches. I think smaller watches would be difficult to use on those little apps.

One of my cousins and his wife had triplets yesterday. How exciting. 2 boys and a girl. She carried them 33 weeks so they are doing well. The boys are 4 pounds and the girl is 3.4 pounds. They flew them to the Children’s Hospital in Denver. A new generation to carry on my dad’s family name.

It was raining pretty hard when I came home from work today. It is supposed to start snowing later tonight. Boo!

Take care.
Marcy

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Marcy, Congrats on the birth of your cousin's triplets! How exciting.

OMG snow. You are the first NIRDI snow bunny (haha watch out killer bunnies) of the season! Please enjoy but be careful driving. I hope your first snowfall is more pretty than treacherous. I also hope you are feeling better today and that your cold is going away. Cannot wait for you to get your garnet ring and teddy bear (again, watch out killer bunnies!) and I cannot wait for my iPhone. I have a feeling I might be waiting a few more weeks for it and then we are into holiday season so hoping there are no more delays. I feel my 2.5 yo Samsung starting to act up and I don't want to be without a mobile phone that's for sure. Isn't it funny how dependent we are on these things.

If Marty is good with it could we see a pic of his large Apple watch on his wrist? I would love to see how much bigger it looks than Jimmianne's watch. Glad he is enjoying it.

Not much to report on my end. Just went through all the security pics and no raccoons got into the cage. Just kitties and a possum. So all is well there. Still have not heard from any other animal rescue people and I probably won't either. I am hoping Joanne will follow through on her promise when she returns (and hope that won't be too far into the future) and that it won't be too late.

Have a great day girls!

 

[MarionC]

Marcy, how exciting to have triplets in the family! What an amazing thought to have three babies at one time. Your cousin is in for the adventure of a life-time

Glad your cold stalled out. How are you feeling this morning?

Can't wait to see Marty's watch. Does it have a killer-R for a watch face?

Got a restorative haircut yesterday. He could not fix everything, but it looks 100% better. There was actually a section in the back hanging down 2" longer than the rest, which competed with various other oddities for "the random look".
Looks like my date won't happen today - in his invitation he didn't say what time we were meeting and then didn't respond to my request for a time. He mentioned he was having memory problems...yikes.

What's on tap for the weekend? LLJsmom, you get to rest on your laurels!! or are you back training already?

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Missy, I am excited for my cousins. They posted a few pictures on Facebook but not of all 3 of them together. When they post one I’ll show you guys. I am guessing they’ll be at the hospital for 4 to 6 weeks. I am kind of surprised there is still such a delay getting the iPhones. I know they are selling well though. Our snowstorm wasn’t much; mostly on the grass with a few icy spots. I am glad to hear you didn’t find any raccoons in the cage. I really hope Joanne gets back to you. I hear you had a nice day in your part of the country.

Jimmianne, I am sure my cousins will have their hands full with 3 babies. I am delighted to hear your hair looks a lot better; what a relief. I am sorry the meeting with that gentleman friend didn’t pan out today. I took a picture of Marty’s watch to post below.

My cold seems about the same so I am guessing its allergies. Woo hoo!

Marty got home about 8:30 last night. I have a 4-day weekend so kind of slept in this morning. I had a dentist appointment at 10 then planned on going to lunch with Marty and going grocery shopping. WRONG! I ended up heating us up leftovers that were in the freezer then went shopping by myself. Marty had to “work” like he works from home. Ha!

My sister in law is here for the weekend. She is a lot like Marty so it’ll be nice to have her visit us. We are having some friends over tomorrow night for pot luck and game night.

Have a great weekend.
Marcy

 

[marcy]

Here is Marty's watch and what he had some of the rabbits do to my Teddy Bear.

 

[MarionC]

that's wild about the size of Marty's watch!
It looks smaller than mine due the the difference in our wrist sizes...mine is almost as wide as my arm, but his looks great.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Jimmianne, I am so happy your fix it haircut improved things woohoo! One of my colleagues who had very long hair just got it cut to shoulder length and it looks so different but so freeing. Once again I am toying with the idea of cutting my hair short. I know it won't be as flattering to my features as my below shoulder length hair and won't be as versatile as now I can wear it all back, half back, in a ponytail etc and when it is short there is not as much variety but it is getting on my nerves. Caught up in things and when I sleep it's a real pain. I cannot sleep with my hair pinned up or back because I am like the princess in the pea so I am always pushing it out of my way when I am trying to fall asleep. Sorry for the rant I didn't mean to write so much about my hair LOL.

Oy on your gentleman friend. Umm no thanks. You do not need to take on anybody with significant memory problems if that is what he has. I mean it would be one thing if you were already friends but because you don't know him it might not be a good idea to start. *If* he does have significant memory problems that is. I am sorry Jimmianne.

Marcy, Yay for 4 day weekends and I am glad your cold is not getting worse and whether it is allergies or not I hope it clears all up very soon! I cannot wait to see pics of your cousin's triplets. I LOVE babies and they are all so adorable and precious. IMO babies and animals have that in common. I have never seen a baby or animal I have not wanted to hug.

Thank you (and Marty too!) for posting Marty's watch. It looks great on him. For some reason it seems less big than Jimmianne's watch but probably that is because Marty has a bigger wrist. Looks great. ETA: Haha Jimmianne, I see we shared the very same impression as we were posting at the same time. Great minds and all.


Dare I say that it looks like Mr Teddy is enjoying the attention from the bunnies. He looks quite happy. Haha.

Enjoy your visit with your SIL. Sounds like a lot of fun will be had by all. Tell those killer bunnies their aunt Missy said to behave.

We had a great (albeit very windy!) day yesterday. Glad to hear your snow didn't amount to much inconvenience for you woohoo! We cycled 53 miles and are that much closer to reaching our 4K goal. I don't want to jinx it but we *might* be able to hit that 4K goal this very weekend. Fingers crossed! It is turning much cooler here and I have to admit I am spoiled because yesterday it was in the high 60s at the shore and I was able to cycle without my heated jacket despite the high winds. It was lovely. But we will persevere through the wind and the cooler temps today and tomorrow and hopefully I will have some good news to report soon.

A few days ago I ordered 2 pairs of winter cycling tights with windstopper technology incorporated in them so we do have the option of cycling when it is in the 40's. They are due to arrive Sunday but in Brooklyn so I won't know if they will fit me or be comfortable for me till we get back Monday. Greg doesn't think I will be able to handle cycling in the 30's but he feels with the right clothing I can manage the 40's so we *might* be able to cycle for a few more months if the weather doesn't turn too cold. So I bit the bullet (these cycling clothes are crazy expensive) and ordered them hoping they will fit right and allow me to cycle further along the seasons. Getting excited about that possibility because one of the things I hate about the colder weather is not being able to cycle for so many months.

Just want to add how beautiful it is cycling now in the autumn weather with all the leaves changing. It is peak here now and the colors are gorgeous. There are more leaves on the ground however so we have to be careful as they can be slippery especially because it rained here the other day and overnight last night but it is a gorgeous carpet of colored leaves. So pretty. I think I would miss not living where we had the change of seasons for all the lovely fall colors I would miss. And I am weird in that I so enjoy the bare trees against the winter landscape. Haha I know that is crazy right but I love the appearance. It is hauntingly beautiful IMO. The stark landscape against the winter chill. Looking forward to seeing that once the leaves all fall.

OK I certainly have blathered enough this morning in the NIRDI thread. I hope all you girls are enjoying a fantastic weekend and am sending lots of love and hugs your way. XOXO

 

[MarionC]

Missy - about hair...mine was too long and as you say, a pain. I had it cut short enough so that it's to "armpit level" so when I sleep it no longer gets caught, but still goes up nicely...and can still be in pigtails! I would like to see you wearing pigtails : )

The short chopped places make me realize that despite fantasizing about cute short hair, I probably will never do it now. I like having hair that can be put under some sort of control. These little wisps were driving me crazy, sticking out into my peripheral vision, and the texture has changed over the years so the short parts were kind of frizzy.
Fortunately my guy was able to thin out those parts so they will grow in gracefully.
At least it no longer looks as redneck. Which of course is a perfectly nice style - just not for me
I found getting rid of 4" and having a little layering felt very freeing. Like you I would love short hair, but fear I would have regrets.

I got an email from my "date" apologizing. . . he said he had not read his emails, but would suggest new days. Totally illogical ... he asks me out, then does not check to see if I said yes ?!?!?
So I pondered overnight and just wrote him a kind email that let him know I had enough going on without dealing with other people's stuff
[unless of course it's a NIRDI haha]

I hope those wind-stopping tights are the ticket. I have similar tights for riding and find them remarkable. Very warm, into the single digits, even, and the fabric is not thick at all. I will find mine to see if yours and mine have similar technology. I hope yours allow you to bike all winter!!

My dd gets home tomorrow for threes weeks. I am excited and dreading the "getting used to being with her, then alone again"! I will spend 3 weeks with her here, then three weeks in France, then back here without her for a couple of months. My best friend here had a hip replacement a couple of days ago and is out of commission for a while.
I will need you guys more than ever through these winter months!!

This must be the morning for blather, although that is not what you did Missy. Your's was in the "informative" catagory : )

 

[missy]

Jimmianne, we are off to cycle not but just saw your post and needed to respond with a quick and short (haha I bet you never thought I was capable of anything short when it comes to posting lol) post to you....

YAY for a nice long visit from your DD and then a great visit in France! Lots to look forward to.

(as for your potential gentleman friend let's see what might develop. Nothing needs to be written in stone right now).

And no worries my dear sweet Jimmianne, I am here for you through the winter and whenever you need/want me! You are NOT alone when you have NIRDIs by your side. (((HUGS))).

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Jimmianne, it is funny how big or little the Apple Watch looks on different arms. Are you still enjoying yours? That’s good your hair is still long enough to put up but I bet having less hair feels great. If I pull my hair up I have to wear pigtails because I have very thick hair. As a kid I sure wanted to wear a ponytail but I had too much hair. It sounds like a good call not to pursue meeting up with that guy. It sounds strange to me he would email you with a plan then forget to follow up on it. I know you are very excited for you DD to be home for a few weeks.

Missy, I am on day 2 away from work and spent 90 minutes doing work yesterday and about 30 minutes today. My cousins have had a few pictures on Facebook of the babies but not all 3 together yet. They are so tiny. Marty says my bear always has that dumb look on his face. I hope you hit 4K this weekend. That would be such a milestone for you. It’s been a nice fall for most of us. I love the colors of fall leaves; I am glad you are enjoying the sights.

I got my garnet ring in the mail. Marty opened it and laughed that the rabbits had more snack food. Too funny.

We watched movies last night and today are making stuff for a party tonight. It looks like there will be 11 of us here – food and games. Fun. I have BBQ ribs cooking and made a pasta salad and brownies. Marty started some chicken marsala and is making guacamole. Should be a fun evening.

Have a great weekend.

Marcy

 

[marcy]

Here are the garnet studs and pendant. I have a bracelet as well.

 

[MarionC]

These are beautiful - the color of delicious red wine! I can see why you are so smitten with garnets.
but watch out for those rabbits!
I thought rabbits liked munching on watches better - or is that bears. Rebel Bears need to retaliate!
Happy feuding!
I'm off to explore garnets....

 

[marcy]

Jimmianne, I love garnets. They are very lively stones, come in great colors and are more affordable than the corundum family. Have fun exploring.

 

[marcy]

Jimmianne, my ring matches my glass of Merlot perfectly. Too cool

 

[junebug17]

Hi girls!

Missy, glad you are managing to get some good cycling in during these mild days! It must be so beautiful to see the trees in all their glory, the colors really are breathtaking. I hope the cold weather cycling clothes you bought will allow you to extend your riding time, that would be so great. And I'm rooting for you and Greg to reach your 4k goal!

Very happy to hear Mr. Raccoon(s) and Mr. Skunk seem to be staying away! I know I've said this before but you and Greg did a great job setting up the feeding station. I too am really hoping Joanne can help you out, I know how concerned you are.

Not much new with my mother going to my sister's…My mother is continuing to backpedal, sometimes she seems up for the idea, other times is against it. I told my sister we have to switch gears and start presenting this "visit" as something that is definitely going to happen. My sister's place is being renovated and will be ready in December, so we were thinking my mother would go in January - although it's going to be hard because it's going to be so cold out. Honestly, my mother going to my sister's is far from a perfect plan but right now it's the best we've got. My head starts spinning a little whenever I think of this situation to be honest.

LLJsmom, I understand that you are would be hesitant to give up your MRB diamond, it's gorgeous. I think your plan of purchasing a 1-2 carat and upgrading down the road is a good one. But as missy said, there is no rush so you can just take your time and think about what you really want to do. For now you can just enjoy your beautiful ring while you think about it!

I totally agree about a good cleaning making all the difference. I had been cleaning my rings quickly with rubbing alcohol and I thought they were clean, but then I used some Connoisseurs jewelry cleaner and oh my gosh, what a difference! My OEC is so lively and sparkly that it's actually curbing my desire for more bling right now haha!

Speaking of bling plans, I have been thinking about a CS cushion in a double halo, but I don't know, lately I've been feeling like I just don't want to spend that much money on jewelry right now lol - anyone else ever feel like that? I found a very pretty band at Oakgem that I'm thinking about - it's not terribly expensive and different from anything I have.

Marcy, it's great Marty is back home - even though his rabbits are being terrible to your poor bear lol! His iPhone looks really nice on his wrist. And how exciting that your cousin had triplets, that is amazing and I wish them all the best as they start on this adventure. I'll be keeping those sweet babies in my thoughts and hoping that they progress well and are out of the hospital as soon as possible.

Sounds like you have a nice weekend planned - enjoy the visit with Marty's sister and getting together with your friends. The menu sounds delicious, yum. You and Marty throw a good party, that's for sure. Sorry you had to do work during your 4 day break, that really stinks.

And talk about delicious, I love your garnet ring!!! The color is SO pretty, and the setting is perfect for that EC shape! - all of your garnet pieces are just beautiful. They really are a gorgeous wine color. I'm going to join Jimmianne and start looking at garnets!

Jimmianne, I'm glad your hairdresser was able to fix your hair to a point that you're more comfortable with it. I'm seriously considering going very short, I am just tired of fussing with my hair and having it look bad in spite of all the fussing.

Wow, it's so nice that your dd will be back for 3 weeks, and then a trip to France! So great to have that to look forward to. - and don't worry, we NIRDIS are here to see you through the winter months. I'm going to need some help myself getting through them lol.

Too bad getting together with your friend hasn't gone smoothly, sounds like it's a good call to back off for now and see what happens.

I actually ended up going to the beach for the weekend, my husband was going to check a few things on the house so I decided to join him at the last minute - just a quick trip, got here Friday evening and leaving early Monday morning. Today was mild and sunny so we went for a bike ride on the beach and then just sat on the beach for a while. Heaven!

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

June! I am so glad you are enjoying a spontaneous weekend at your lovely new beach house woohoo!!! Really pleased for you. And what a perfect autumn weather weekend it is.

Don't worry about your mother's decision right now. I feel things are going to work themselves out. I also think you and your sister need to insist on your mom taking at least a "visit" to her home and then dealing with it from there. Sounds like once your mom is there she might be more willing to stay for a while and give it a chance. More hugs and love being sent your way and I know things *are* going to work out. I feel it in my heart.

I do feel like that about bling occasionally. At the moment I have no burning desire for any bling despite having some money put aside for it as I had some left over from my birthday (thanks mom and dad, sis and Callie too lol!) and am probably just going to wait till something calls to me that I cannot live without. Our anniversary is in less than a week (OMG just realized I don't even have a card for my dh!) so will add that to the bling fund and will accumulate $$$ till I find bling I love.

No word from the cat rescue person Joanne or any other rescue person. Taking it one day at a time and hoping the shelter I ordered comes soon and that the cats will use it and survive the winter in relative comfort with a full belly and a safe and warm place in the new shelter that is coming.

Marcy, I LOVE your new garnet ring and it looks absolutely gorgeous on your hand. And the studs and the pendant and the bracelet are beautiful too. All very rich in color and what a color it is.

I hope you had a great party last night. Wish we could have all attended because I know with you and Marty and family it would have been a blast. I would have hung out with the teddy bears and given a talking to the killer bunnies and then spent the rest of the night playing games. I love playing card and board games but Greg is not a huge fan and miss playing them. Though when I had all that forced R&R re my broken leg we did play often but it wasn't as much fun having no choice if you kwim. Anyway hope you are enjoying your new bling and your company too! Save some brownies for me OK?

Jimmianne, haha OK I will try pigtails for you. When I was younger that is often how my mom did my hair. How did you know? LOL I wish I could find pictures but no clue where those would be. Any plans for today? I think your DD is now with you and I hope you are having a fantastic time with her! I know how much you have missed her and I am so glad she is here for a long visit!

LLJsmom, I have been thinking about your dad this whole week and I hope the meds are taking effect and that he is doing better and feeling well. Sending more healing vibes and good energy his way and lots of hugs to you too! Any upcoming marathon news?

OK girls, I hope you enjoy a wonderful Sunday. Today is the day we are (hoping to) hitting the 4K mark fingers crossed. It is a stiff cold wind but we are not going to let that stop us.
Onward and forward and see you lovely ladies later I hope.

 

[missy]

Hi girls! Just got back and our total for the year (so far that is ) is 4011 miles. Woohoo! Snapped a pic of us at mile 4000 for you girls and also a quick pic of the autumn leaves as we were riding.

Hope everyone is out enjoying this beautiful autumn day!

 

[Calliecake]

Missy, I hope you are off riding as I type this. You are soooo close to your goal! I understand how you feel about the change of seasons. I tell my husband often that there are days I feel I would really miss the snow. I love those days when we get a lot of snow and it sticks to all the tree branches and everything looks so beautiful outside.

Jimmianne, I'm sure your hair looks beautiful. You must have been so happy your hairdresser was able to fix the cut for you. There is nothing worse than hearing a hairdresser say there isn't much they can do to fix a bad cut. How nice that you are able to spend so much time with your daughter. You are so lucky she can stay for three weeks. Is she working in France? Your garnet jewery is beautiful.

Marcy, I'm sorry you are still not feeling 100 percent. If it is just allergies hopefully a hard freeze will help. How exciting you have three new family members. I hope the new mom is going to have some help when she comes home from the hospital. She will certainly have her hands full. Do they have other children? I love your new ring. The garnet and setting are beautiful. I have a pretty garnet ring but cannot for the life of me find it. I know it's somewhere. It was a gift from my jeweler. I had sent many of the young guys I had worked with to him when they were buying engagement rings. I must have mentioned at some point that I wanted a large Emerald cut garnet. He called one afternoon and asked if I could please stop by the store. He had made a beautiful garnet ring and gave it to me as a thank you gift. You could have knocked me over with a feather when he gave me the ring.

Junebug, Please try not to stress yourself out to much about your mom. I would take the approach that she is going for a visit for a few weeks. Once she gets there she may really enjoy it at your sisters home. You really deserve a break and need to take care of yourself.
I feel exactly like you do about spending a large sum of money on jewelry right now. I really hope I can find a dinner ring I fall in love with and lose the itch for another large diamond.

LLSmom, I can certainly understand you not wanting I give up your beautiful diamond. You have time to decide what you want to do. I think two diamonds is the perfect way to go. See how easy it is for me to spend other people's money! I love the picture of your diamond you sent me. Your stone is stunning. It truly is one of the prettiest stones I have seen. I don't think I would be able to give that beautiful stone up.

Kristie, What are you up to today?

 

[MarionC]

Missy - YAY!
Woo Hoo!
and you both look so great too while achieving the goal : )
AND the trees are so beautiful there.
Wonderful photos.

Had a great shopping excursion today and met MY goal - found some cool Tory Burch rain boots - navy [to match my coat ] with tan leather tops. Needed some style for my trip, but waterproof for slogging around the countryside. NO room for many shoes, just these and a pair of flats.
Tiny suitcase/Traveling light... tights & tunics ...and rubber bands for braids lol
I want to see those pigtails, Madame!

More later.
off to airport to pick up DD
: )

 

[LLJsmom]

Hi NIRDIs!

I write at the weirdest times, I know. You guys are so nice to even talk to me. I'm such a sporadic poster. I think I should just put you all on speed text so I just send messages real time. LOL.

Missy, congrats on hitting 4K!! You guys did it! And looked great doing it too!! The fall foliage is amazing in the east. Yes, if you were out here, you would miss most of that. I wish we lived in the same city. I'd be a lot more broke, but at least we would have fun getting there. Thanks for asking about my dad. We will see what happens this week. Will email...

Marcy, your garnet set is beautiful. I would love to see it on. It is such an elegant look, with it being step cuts. The color is so rich. I really like the iwatch. I hate to admit it but I do. Although I can't see myself jumping on the bandwagon for another 2-3 years. I want it to operate without the phone being near by. I think it looks especially good on Marty, just cause he is a guy I think. I love the pics of the bunnies and teddy. Yes, teddy is smiling. Hard to see the pain... Your meals always sound so good. Why is that?

Jimmianne, I hope you are enjoying your time with your DD. It is so precious. I am really happy you get to spend an additional 3 weeks with her in France. If I was a mom, I would so love it! I promised my mom I would take her to France. We can't go this year, but maybe 2017. I am hopeful. How is the hair situation? Are you happier with it after the repair cut?

Junie, I totally get the not in the mood to bling shop. That was me for a while this year. And then stress hit and I'm over eBay. Controlled myself though. And now I'm just planning and controlling myself. Not too hard when there are serious bills to pay elsewhere... So great that you are enjoying your beach house. An absolutely wonderful thing. I love to hear about you all enjoying your lives, little bits of brightness during the day really cheers mine up.

Callie, thank you for reminding me to reign it in. I do have to say after the IRL visit, I have come to appreciate my MRB more than before. I making a much greater effort to keep it clean. Is brushing it with a tooth brush every day too much abrasion? It helped me determine my sweet spot for an OEC or AVR, which is a J or a K. Adam was so awesome to show me so many. I am thinking I may be one to go for an AVR, knowing that it has been cut for light performance. And knowing that I prefer a J or a K brings the budget more within this stratosphere, which is awesome. And as much as I like step cuts, given a limited budget, I would prefer an OEC or AVR. I'm certainly very glad to have made that discovery. I can visualize an emerald cut on my finger, and know that I would prefer the crazy light show of a OEC/AVR. Although if hubby decided to buy the 5 carat asscher for me, I would not complain. CAllie, you should visit just to get clarity.

Kristie, thinking of you. How are Maggie and Finn? How is the bling shopping going? Are you going to be in NY to see Missy?

So a bit of a confession. You will see how bad the crazy is. I just signed up for another marathon, on Dec 6. Yes, 4 weeks away. There is a time goal I want to meet, and since I did not give it my all at NYC, I am hopeful for another chance. I think I won't be as distracted this time. Cray cray right??

And this has been one of the most stressful weeks in a long time. You know how I was talking about insurance. Well, I'll just email you guys about it. Don't even want to put it out there. Seems more depressing online.

I just want to say having a chance to meet Missy and Greg is one of the biggest blessing of my life, and a thrill b/c it all happened via PS. Crazy. I do wish there was a way we could all meet up. Cross your fingers for me. Maybe next year I will go back out to NYC, visit Missy, and schedule another marathon. This time I want to hit up GOG!! I wish I could meet all you girls. Anyone down for an East Coast NIRDI get together?

 

[MarionC]

LLJsmom - what WERE you doing awake in the middle of the night?

You are so lucky you, Missy and Greg got to spend time together. I regret not seeing you - maybe another time!
It is good to have France in your future. I find that looking forward to trips... and bling... help me keep an even keel.
I am loving my hair cut. My regular guy is pretty conservative, so the combo of the fly-away bad hair cut and the repair have given me curls and swirls. A good hair cut certainly helps one feel great.

East coast GTG, YES. Another marathon...YES!


Marcy, let's hear it for wine & gem matches! I think we may have started a trend - rather YOU may have started a trend : )
I see a wine & garnet photo shoot in the future of the NIRDIs if you will oblige. I know you don't have anything else to do but entertain us with eye candy : )

 

[missy]

Good morning girls and thank you for sharing in my excitement about reaching our goal for 2015. Now a little secret. Whatever more we cycle this year will be added to the goal for next year and then some for good measure haha so it will definitely be an over 4K cycling goal for 2016. Need to keep moving upwards right? Haha I just shared that with Greg and for some reason he doesn't seem super excited but I managed to get a fist bump after some coaxing.

Jimmianne, I hope your DD had a good flight and arrived on time for your pickup last night and that you guys have a wonderful visit together. I'm glad she will be home through Thanksgiving. Please tell her the NIRDIs are thinking of her and hoping she is loving living in France.

I love Tory Burch and your waterproof boots sound great. I love the challenge of finding fashionable waterproof boots and love when it rains and I am fully protected. Your suitcase sounds like mine would because I travel light too. Tights and tunics and hair bands and wear those OTK boots so they don't take up room in the luggage.

Whenever you want to visit just let me know and we will make it happen Jimmianne! I am looking forward to meeting you IRL. Just wish you could bring my sweet Puff baby too.

Callie, looking forward to chatting with you later. I am sad it is Monday so soon. It is quite chilly right now (30s) and I am worried for the feral kitties being out there and knowing it will be getting colder by the week with winter right around the corner. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and cannot deal with thinking about all the sad and unpleasant things. Last night I could not fall asleep until after 2AM just thinking about those sweet kitties. I see Sprite occasionally in the backyard in daylight and he is so precious. He is getting older and bigger though so I know for sure the window of socializing them is gone. I feel I let them down. No need to comfort me just saying what I know is the truth. I did let them down. When we live here full time I will do better and I know there will be more ferals unfortunately. I really hate some people i.e. who abandon their pets and cause such an inhumane and horrible situation.

Hope you enjoyed the rest of your weekend and looking forward to hearing how it all went. Also hoping you got your situation resolved with where you are having the testing. I have been thinking of you and hoping things went more smoothly after we spoke last week. (((Hugs))).

LLJsmom! Woohoo! Yes, next year marathon and this time you get a home cooked meal OK? And we will definitely plan a visit to GOG too. Getting very excited right now!
And just so you know I feel the same way. It was great meeting you IRL and I so enjoyed our visit and also wish we lived closer. Sure we would be broke but we would have fun getting there haha. And think of the great running you could do at the shore. So much fun running in the sand. IDK if you ever do that by you but when I used to run I loved running in the sand.

I am very excited for you for your Dec 6th marathon! You are awesome to be doing another so close to your last and I hope you realize your goal of the time you want to accomplish. I think you ran the NYC marathon with a fantastic time but I get that you want to do even better and I have a strong feeling you will get there and I am sending lots of good luck and fast running vibes your way!

I am upset you are dealing with more insurance woes. Health care and health insurance is so messed up now and it is very stressful. It figures when we were younger (and didn't need any doctors or need any meds etc) it was much better and now we are getting older and we need good health care it is failing us. Very depressing. Waiting to hear from you via email and maybe we can all figure something out to help your situation. I am so sorry you are dealing with this. (((Hugs))).

Just wanted to leave on a sweet note. These past couple of months Francesca has taken to sleeping cuddled up by my side (instead of by my legs or by Greg) and we fall asleep intertwined with each other with her purring. It is so precious and delicious. She is my comforting teddy bear Marcy. And she is so good. I move a lot during the night. I get up a few times to use the bathroom and then it takes me time to get comfortable again when I get back to bed and she tolerates me doing all that and moving her again till I get back to a comfortable position. She is a sweet sweet baby.

Enjoy the day girls and (((HUGS))) to you all.

 

[Calliecake]

Missy, Your post about Francesca made me smile. My furbaby is exactly the same way. She sleeps glued to us and wraps her little paws around my arm with her face laying on my hand or her head on my shoulder. If I get up during the night she always gives me a kiss before she goes back to sleep. This is the very reason I used to tell you I wished I could bring her to you right after your accident. She is the best little comforter and could brighten anyone's day. I'm so glad Francesca's is acting like this too. I can't imagine how anyone could not treat their pet like a family member. Like you, it makes me sick when hearing an animal has been abandoned. I know how upsetting the situation with the kitties has been for you. I'm so disappointed that the agencies that are put in place to help, really did very little.

Thank you so much for your call a few moments ago. You really put my mind at ease as I had never had a stye before.

LLJsmom, I think it's great that you are running another marathon. I know you want to give this one your all but I'm also so happy you took everything in while running the New York Marathon. Just think of what you would have missed out on if you had been totally focused on nothing but that race. I don't even run and your description of the New York race sounded like a wonderful experience. We need to work on a plan where we all meet in person. Are New York races already scheduled for next year?

Jimmianne, You need to teach a class in packing light. I don't think I would be able to pack lightly if my life depended on it. My poor husband is ready to kill me every time we go some place. I bring enough clothes for a week anytime I take a three day trip. It's insane.