Now I really did it :((

[Gypsy]

Junie, OH NO! I imagine you are very worried. Many best wishes for healing to your mom. ((HUGS)) please let me know if there is anything I can do. Seriously.

Marcy, I am happy your fingers are better.

I am in a funk. Day 1. No updates from me beyond that. Just feeling overwhelmed, stressed and depressed.

 

[Scandinavian]

Good morning from the woods

 

[missy]

Good morning girls.

Junie, we are thinking of your mom and sending powerful healing dust her way and good thoughts and big hugs to you both. Hoping the doctors are figuring it all out and providing her with relief. (((HUGS))).

Sharon, continued good thoughts and healing dust being sent your and your mom's way. I am hoping she is steadily improving and feeling stronger and better each day. (((HUGS))).

Gypsy, I am sorry you are down and feeling depressed and in a funk. If there is anything I can do please don't hesitate to ask. We are all good listeners and are here for you in that way too but if there is anything else I can do I hope you will ask. I know that overwhelmed feeling and it is not pleasant. Sending good thoughts your way. (((HUGS))).

Marcy, OK it is agreed. Your first road trip with your new sapphire blue car is NYC. The timing in late October is perfect.

Thanks for the continued good wishes for Greg and his wrist. I don't want to jinx it but so far so good. He reported it is still improving and feels even better this morning though it is still swollen. I was very nervous yesterday because we went for a bike ride though I knew better he insisted and it didn't seem to aggravate his wrist thank goodness. He wore a wrist brace during the ride for added support. Smaller than the wrist brace they gave him at the urgent care center as that one was too restrictive for the bike ride but it seemed to help. And of course we rewarded ourselves with ice cream afterwards lol. At a place near us since we went on an early ride and our favorite place in OG doesn't open till noon so we couldn't get ice cream there. It was so hot yesterday (it hit mid 80s late morning with high humidity) we had to leave early and get back early because the heat and humidity was oppressive by late morning.

Sharing a few photos of our ice cream from the new (for us) place yesterday. It is also a cute shoppe and the ice cream was good. I still prefer Days though. And sharing a pic from our break during yesterday's ride too at midpoint before we turned. We didn't do a long ride because of Greg's wrist but we did 40 miles so that was reasonable for the heat, humidity and his wrist limitations. Hoping we get to ride today too. I just need to make sure his wrist is still improving.









and here we are just taking a break before we turn. The heat was oppressive and when we got home I had to peel the cycling clothes off me. But it was worth it because we got to cycle and have ice cream. Win win.




And the advantage of cycling early and getting back early is we still had a good part of the day left and we picked up some Craftsman tool stuff for Greg from Harbor Freight which is about 40 minutes away so it took a few hours round trip and we had the time. And that is when the downpours started and streets were flooded. You cannot tell from the photo but I snapped one anyway.



So glad we weren't on the bike at that point as the roads just were overwhelmed with water and there were a few inches at least only minutes after the downpours started. I was also glad I let Greg drive because I am not a fan of driving in downpours like that. It was a successful trip though and Greg got some new toys.




Scandi, love your latest photo. Your pics make me smile.

Rainwood, hey there. What are your weekend plans?

Kristie, (((hugs))) to you.

Callie, hope your week is going well. (((Hugs))).

Jimmianne, you are a naughty naughty girl. No photos yet?


OK enough blathering from me. Today is Friday and I am sending happy Friday vibes to everyone and I am hoping everyone has a good day and feels well and sending lots of love and hugs to all you girls and your healing vibes to your moms Junie and Sharon.

 

[Scandinavian]

Quick update: dog with diare has taken a lot of time (no worries, just eaten sheep poop... grrr...) and arguing with the construction company re the logs. Actually had to threaten with the police the other day because a painter showed up unannounced to make some tests on one of the walls, washing it with lye etc. Not going to happen. Told him that I would report him to the police for vandalism and have him removed by force. Didn't take me seriously and started shouting so my DH had to come home from work, and called and told them that he was bringing the police with him. Then they finally left. So mad. Wish it was not illegal to threaten people at gun point... Just kidding. But seriously uncomfortable when people refuse to leave your property!!

Oh well. So between the dog and and trying to get some work done, the days go by too fast!

Kristie, I feel for Maggie. Dogs are so scared of that kind of things. Even my bird dog - which thinks that shots are a good thing because they make the birds rain from the sky, lol - is super scared of fireworks. For new years, we always head to our cabin.

Marcy, the snoopy bandage is cute, but OMG you ring!! Wins over Snoopy, sorry SO SO SO exited about you getting a new car!! It is totally bling worthy! Buying jewelry to match my car... now there is an idea

Rainwood, I'm kind of happy for your MIL that she likes make-up etc. Her world does perhaps not allow for her bigger pleasures, and having something to care about is always a good thing. You are so nice and wise and I do hope you will have a fantastic time on your holiday! A three day rule is very clever, with time it might be a two day rule You never know! I'm so sorry about the holiday and everything. Wish there was something I could do. I'm afraid my only advice is books and hot cocoa and exercise, so no big help there.

The Tesla 3 does look pretty!!

Jimmianne, I'm dying to see that new ring of yours!!!

Junebug, lots of get well wishes for your mother!

Gypsy, please try to go for a walk or something to get a bit of fresh air and so maybe you will realise that you are a fantastic person and that everything will be OK. It always is in the end. It's just that the road is a bit bumpy sometimes.

Hugs to you all. Time to go outside with the dog again...

 

[missy]

Scandi, I hope your sweet doggie starts feeling all better very soon. Diarrhea is not fun. Poor sweet F.
Sorry your log situation is continuing to be an ordeal. Shame on the painter for coming by unannounced and then making it difficult and unpleasant for you and wouldn't leave when you asked him to. Grrrr.

Hope your day (and sweet F's day) gets much better today. (((HUGS))).

 

[MarionC]

June, I'm sorry to hear about your Mom. I hope she is doing better this morning!

Gypsy, you sound like me - the ups and downs. It can be a real pain as you well know.
It may be that exercise helps. I'm going to try walking more. It was easy in France, big hills and so much to see...but not so easy here at home.

Scandi, hello TO the woods and all you chipmunks out there lol

Marcy, waiting is fun. It's the best part.
what-you don't believe me?!

Missy, as much as I like to torture you, I will post a photo.
Although I designed this ring myself I have had mixed feelings. The onyx is a strong design feature and that was the part of the ring I could not decide how to treat [melee? engraving?] then Tony suggested onyx, so we tried that. It is growing on me, however. For some reason [and the photos won't exactly show this], the asscher looks amazing. The setting enhanced the already great light performance and accentuated the shape. It went from being a stone that I loved, but didn't show off itself, to a very cool stone that's always "on" and has that glow in low light I love.
We were afraid the bezel might dull the performance,but it did the opposite. Mission accomplished there!

 

[Scandinavian]

Missy, love your pictures!! That ice cream makes my mouth water.. And I really love all the pictures of your tandem bike! It makes me want to go bicycling too, even though that is not my favourite hobby, because I can just see myself sitting in the back and not pedaling all that much...
I hate driving with water in the streets also. So easy to lose control and have the car slide sideways. Here, it is normally only like that in the fall, but the last few years, the rain has been pretty heavy all year round. I think the climate must be changing over here, so much more heavy rain, stronger winds, less snow, glaciers are melting, polar bears struggling. Not good at all.
To depressive, lol. Just wanted to wish you a happy weekend! We are driving to the cabin tonight. Hugs!

 

[MarionC]

the rest are going on SMTB. I'll post a link.
It's impossible to type with fake nails!
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-dear-ish.224101/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-dear-ish.224101/[/URL]

 

[missy]

Finally! LOL. GORGEOUS!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Are you thrilled over the moon with it? I hope so. The ring is just beautiful.
I love the darkness of the onyx against the brightness and light that is the asscher. The contrast is amazing and the bezel enhances it even further. The whole ring feels so art deco and I just love it. Tony did a wonderful job and it was worth the wait! So glad you are finally enjoying this gorgeous piece of art.

Now we can go bike riding. Thank you for finally sharing Ms Jimmianne and all I can say is see not worth doing the fake nails. Anything that slows down sharing the bling is not acceptable. We only care about BLING here.

 

[MarionC]

Thank you, Ms.Missy.
Tony is great. and patient!

have a good one. I'll bet it's beautiful today for riding.

 

[LLJsmom]

Hi NIRDIs,

Just wanted to drop by. I read only this page and skimmed the one before so I'm sorry I can't catch up with everyone.

June, I hope your mom is doing better today. I hope you are too. Hope the doctors and nurses are taking good care of her.

Missy, I hope Greg's wrist is improving. A little bit every day is a good sign.

Gypsy, I know the feeling. Some days just feel that way. I hope that today is a better day.

I just wanted to share that I feel like I learned what ONE DAY AT A TIME means. I have heard it a million times before, but never really understood it. For me, it means that when I pray, I focus on today, and ask for help for TODAY. And if I get through TODAY, that is enough really, and it's a lot. I should be grateful for just TODAY. I know. Weird.

I've been out of it because I've been trying to focus on the kids and the house, and my commute schedule has changed a bit. I've been cleaning because we've had to reconfigure since we moved my son into his own room. I am working to get rid of garbage in my house. Everywhere. I have accumulated to much STUFF and it's dragging me down. I think I have hit an emotional place where I can let go of things much more easily than before. I'm struggling with my mom who has emotional issues with hanging on to STUFF. I am also realizing I won't have that many more years before my son heads off to college. Time is flying by so quickly and I am in a bit of a panic. I may have discovered my new obsession. Cleanliness. I don't get it, but will go with it as long as I can. My family will benefit.

Ok, gotta run cause of our new schedule. Oh yeah. Sleep. I'm trying to get more. So that minimizes my time for my own stuff. Sleep. Trying to make it a priority. Really affects my mood too.

Have a good day everyone. Sorry I couldn't address all of you separately!

 

[CJ2008]

Hi NIRDIs.

I don't feel like doing my usual very happy greeting today because we have a few people who are struggling.

I did not read every word from every post so it's quite possible I will miss a lot. But know that I appreciate you all and think of you all.

LLJsmom - I love what you said about one day at a time. Even though I don't pray I get what you're saying.
It's tough to deal with someone who likes to hold on to stuff, especially if you find it easier to let things go. I hate clutter when it's disorganized clutter - meaning I can deal with my area getting messy or have it looked cluttered when it's from using it/just not having the time to clean up for whatever reason. But clutter that comes from old things that aren't used, accumulating, etc., I *hate*. I hope you can enjoy your cleaning time in some way - make the chore as enjoyable as possible for yourself (put music on if that's what you like, etc.) - anything to make the time feel like it's worth it and to remind you that there's a rewarding part to it.

Hope you're able to get some sleep, too.

gypsy hope the funk passes soon. I've read somewhere that it's good to give yourself a time limit to stay in a funk (say, like 3 days). But the key is while you *are* in it, accept it...ride it like a wave. If you can do it, maybe meet up with a friend for coffee or lunch - someone's who's just easygoing and lighthearted and you can just forget about things for an hour.

june sorry to hear about your mom. I hope she gets better and like rainwood said it's possible that this may help her accept the aide more. It was also good to hear you say that now you feel your sister "gets" how hard it actually is to take care of someone 24/7. There is so much to feeling understood. It's not always enough, but it goes so far.

missy and scandi as always I love to see all your pictures. I love to see missy and greg together, I love to see your kitties, I love to see scandi's views and dogs (and that gorgeous hair!)

I read about the Greg's wrist in a few responses even though I missed it in your own posts missy - but I hope it gets better.
And scandi I know there's a painter out there who annoyed you you let him know you've got the NIRDIs after him if he keeps it up I also hope your doggie feels better (I haven't owned a dog in a long time but now I remember - they do sometimes like to eat poop don't they).

callie, jimmyanne, kristie,marcy, rainwood and EVERYONE - have a wonderful Friday. Whatever wonderful means to you today - even in the smallest way, I hope we can all find moments in the day when we can feel grateful and happy to be alive.

xoxoxxox

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Gypsy, so you are having a bad day. How is your hand doing? Hug one of your cute kitties.

Scandinavian, hello to you in the woods. I think you should use a “mask” for your fur baby too. Of course I am easily amused. I hope your fur baby is doing better now. Holy crazy cow you had to threaten those jerks with the police to get them to leave. That company is trying very hard not to step up and do the right thing for damaging your logs. Good idea to buy bling to match your car - what color is your Tesla? That sapphire is my favorite blue sapphire so I was excited to see that color matched my future car. That’s important you know.

Missy, I am glad you guys aren’t cutting your vacation short and Greg’s wrist is doing better. Sweet that you both went for a ride today. The ice cream looks delicious even if it wasn’t from your favorite place. Road trip to NYC in my new car. Maybe someday. Good deal you weren’t still cycling in the rain. Greg will enjoy his new tool chest. That will help his wrist feel better too.

Jimmianne, you ring tease. Your ring turned out beautiful. The onyx really goes well with your gorgeous asscher. Tony did a great job. Sorry I’m not buying it that waiting is fun and the best part.

LLJsmom, cleanliness and more sleep are great goals. It’s always so rewarding to get rid of stuff and clean out things.

CJ2008, very good point to find even a small thing every day that can make us happy and feel alive.

I left work 20 minutes early today so got home a few minutes before 5. Marty was puzzled. I told him I pretended like I was driving my new Porsche and got here really quickly. He said I was a flake.

Work was another chapter in my on-going saga of dealing with passive aggressive employees. I am glad I don’t act like them.

I warmed up some leftover steak for supper and made oven fries. I topped it off with some cherry slow churned ice cream.

I have no idea what we are doing this weekend. Marty can’t play golf because they are having the Wyoming open here this week. The cleaning lady comes in the morning so we are going out for breakfast.

Have a fabulous weekend. Hugs to all of you wonderful ladies.

Marcy

 

[Scandinavian]

the rest are going on SMTB. I'll post a link.
It's impossible to type with fake nails!
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-dear-ish.224101/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-dear-ish.224101/[/URL]

Jimmianne, that ring is gorgeous! A bit art deco in a very good way in my head (then again I love the Agatha Christie Poirot episodes that plays in the old 1920s houses ) I hope you are happier with it each day that goes by! I love the black! Very nice contrast that sets of the stone oh so nicely

Missy, Good morning! I think I'm safe to beat you as the opening act today, lol, but you never know Hope Greg is feeling all better today! How is Cola? You know I love all your kitties, but Cola is special picture number 1 coming up in separate post! but you should expect one of the mountains later LOL

LLJsmom, I think your new "obsessions" sleep and clean sounds very healthy and productive and nice I could sure do with the same I hate clutter too! Our cabin is clutter free, I have forbidden my mom to bring any and I throw away and attempts she makes for making it "cozy" Lol. She has been warned

Marcy, I'm sorry that people are annoying! I think perhaps that is the trademark of people?? Dogs - lovely! Furbabys including horses - lovely! Bling - lovely! DHS - sometimes lovely (lol) DS/DD - potentially lovely! Good friends/NIRDIs - lovely! Rest - highly questionable! !

Jimmianne that reminds me! I was so happy go read that Pom is doing better!! Please include pictures any time you like

CJ you are just so sweet! Could you tell us a little bit more about you self so I could get to know you a little better? Only if you want to off course, otherwise please ignore

Gypsy! You need a break! Come on over the pond and you can borrow the summerhouse! It will be empty next week Seriously though, any chances for a small getaway in the near future? Just a bit of change in scenary can do wonders, I think?

Marcy, both our cars are black, so not much to work with there... I have never been a big fan of black diamonds... but maybe I'll change my mind... lol

Gotta go make a very late breakfast Hugs!

 

[Scandinavian]

Little sleepyhead so annoyed at me for taking a picture, but she woke me up this morning because she needed to go outside, so I think we are even...

 

[Scandinavian]

Mountain bling not the best picture... but you get the idea

 

[rainwood]

Hi all! I'm alive and well, but it's been crazy busy the last few days. Fingers crossed I have time to do a real post from the island this weekend. I hope everyone has a good weekend!

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Junie, I am thinking of you and your mom. I am so so sorry about your mom and what your whole family is dealing with right now and I am keeping her in my prayers. And sending good thoughts to both of you. (((HUGS))).

LLJsmom can you help me get that obsession of cleaning/decluttering too? I would love to get that urge and maybe you have inspired me when we get back to NYC to start the cleansing/purging process of all my "junk". I too have accumulated way too much and it is time to get motivated and clear out all the stuff I don't wear or use. Thank you for the good energy and I think I am ready. Hope your process is going smoothly and efficiently!

One day at a time is perhaps one of the most helpful thoughts ever and it is a good NIRDI motto for all of us. I too have taken it to heart over these past years and embraced what it really means. And it does help when things get challenging.

Jimmianne, I hope you are still on a high enjoying that gorgeous new ring of yours. It is a work of art. Kudos to you and Tony.

CJ, how are you? I forget when you are planning your trip with friends. Has that happened already or is that trip coming up? I hope you are enjoying the summer. Thanks for your good wishes for Greg. His wrist is improving each day slowly but surely so that's a relief. I like what you wrote about finding small moments that make you happy and grateful to be alive. So true.

Marcy, I think your joke about getting home early was funny. I am sorry work is continuing to be a real PITA and unhappy place to be. Not only don't you act like them you are the opposite of them and they don't deserve you.
Your dessert and dinner last night (especially the fries and slow churned ice cream) sounded delicious. Enjoy the Wyoming Open though I am sorry Marty doesn't get to play golf. Enjoy your breakfast outing this morning. It is only 4:10 AM by you now but I have already enjoyed my breakfast. Lucky you that you have that to look forward to. And I know you will enjoy the clean house your cleaning person leaves you with today.

Scandi, that is a fabulous chandelier. Love it. And of course I am in love with your sweet dog. She is a real beauty and she knows it. LOL sleepy girl. If she is anything like Francesca she sleeps and it is never enough. HRH Francesca needs her beauty sleep to the tune of 20 hours a day I think. LOL. I love your suggestion to Gypsy about a change of scenery. I agree that really can help rejuvenate you and improve how you are feeling.

Cola is a sweetie I agree but sadly I think Ann has decided she cannot be re-domesticated and will be releasing her soon. I am of course sad but at least we tried. Ann feels this is probably best for Cola and I have to defer to her judgment as this is not my area of expertise. We are going to try TNR of the other kitties next weekend but not sure how that's going to work as Ann has 8 other locations she needs to trap cats and only 6 slots and one of those taken up by Sprite who is going to get spayed finally. As an added complication we don't have a lot of time here next weekend as we are expecting out of town company and will be out during the time we normally try trapping. Not going to worry about that right now and we will do the best we can but we still have at least 4 more ferals to TNR and I am anxious to do that as soon as possible or you know there will be more babies being born. Also with the other 6 out there who we already TNRd who walk right back into the traps well you can see it is challenging. I keep telling myself One Day At A Time. The new NIRDI motto and it's a good one to take to heart. That and just Do The Best You Can Do. I like that one too.

Have a wonderful weekend in the woods!

Gypsy, big hugs to you. I hope yesterday was a better day for you. How is your finger feeling? How are your sweet kitties doing? I am thinking of you and sending good thoughts your way. I hope you have a good weekend!

Sharon, how is your mom recuperating? Hope you are doing well!

Rainwood, thank you for updating us and letting us know you are well. I hope you have a lovely weekend on the island!


Kristie, more (((HUGS))) coming your way. I hope you are feeling OK this morning sweetie.

Callie, you are a good friend and a true friend. (((HUGS))).



We woke up today to a cloudy and windy day that feels a bit cooler so that is good. Rain not expected till late afternoon so planning to go out cycling. Yesterday we had a great day because it wasn't as terribly hot as the day before (though still very humid so sticky) and the wind cooperated so we got to enjoy a nice long bike ride and Greg's wrist is still improving so yay for that. We had ice cream at our fave place in OG yesterday in the middle of our bike ride so that was a nice break too. We are enjoying our time here and I cannot believe in 2 days we are back to the city already. It goes so fast.

Have a great Saturday girls! Extra hugs to Junie and Gypsy and Sharon.

 

[MarionC]

Thanks to you all for posting on my SMTB thread.
AZ, nice that you commented that it's got something going on from every angle, but isn't busy. Quite a compliment!

Puff is talking up a storm. He is in his cage because I am dogsitting while my young friends are at the beach. Puff does not usually talk to me. This morning he said hello and when I said hello back he said "What's up Pete?" "I'm pretty good" "What a bird!"

Hi CJ. Your name makes me smile - I"m a CJ and my husband was a CJ!

Rainwood, I hope YOU are having a good weekend. What's up?

Scandi, love that bling. The contrast is wonderful. Is this something in your house or from your idea file? In any event it's terrific.

LLJs - I hear you about stuff. You can't take it with you ya know? Hope you are getting some quality sleep and taking care of yourself.

Missy I can hear you : ) Love that. Beat me to it again. Goodmorning!

 

[missy]

Good morning Jimmianne. I posted sort of late this morning as I woke up a bit late (yay for sleeping) and I hope you got to sleep in this morning too! How are you and Ish doing?
Big hugs to Puff boy. Glad he is feeling "pretty good".
He is a love.

I am going to add a few photos from yesterday. Hope they make you smile.

 

[MarionC]

Your cats are so beautiful, Missy. I love that you get so much pleasure from them and I love these photographs.
I also want that ice cream!! What an idyllic idea - tandeming to treats lol

 

[missy]

Your cats are so beautiful, Missy. I love that you get so much pleasure from them and I love these photographs.
I also want that ice cream!! What an idyllic idea - tandeming to treats lol

Thank you Jimmianne. And my sweet kitties thank you too. Purrs and kisses from them to you.
Haha love that. Tandeming to treats. Sometimes I think one of the main reasons I love cycling is the ice cream I reward myself with ice cream.
But that's only partly true. I love cycling because it feels freeing from everyday troubles if you kwim. It feels like flying in the best sense of the word.

Boo to the weather right now. There has been a change since first checking this AM and radar is showing that there is a 59% chance of rain this morning and afternoon. So we are not going the beach route and that means no ice cream at Days. Oh well. Instead we are going another route that doesn't involve the 3 drawbridges we normally cross during our beach route. The drawbridges get slippery when wet so not taking that risk. No thanks. I would rather not get caught at all in the rain (been there done that and it is no fun) but feel like we missed out on the 2 days Greg's wrist was recuperating so want to get a ride in today despite the weather.

ETA: Change in plans again. No bike riding today. Not nice out at all and not worth the risk. Instead we might stay through Monday if that is a nice bicycling day. It's OK we will get stuff done around here that needs doing.

Have a good day everyone!

 

[Scandinavian]

A few pictures from today's hike

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Scandinavian, I think most people are good and we just hear about the bad ones more. That being said my employees could be more motivated and willing to improve their skills. Good plan to keep your cabin clutter free. It can accumulate so quickly. I generally haven’t liked black diamonds either but maybe I’ve never seen some nice ones. The chocolate diamonds are pretty especially in rose gold and with a pink or purple gemstone. I must not think of pretty things like that now because I am trying to buy a new car. It’s going to be TOUGH. Too cute that sleepyhead wants to sleep now. Your mountain bling is pretty. Great pictures from today’s hike. Look at all of that snow still too. Our mountains still have snow as well.

Rainwood, oh no for having a few crazy days. I hope you have a quiet weekend.

Missy, one day at a time and getting encouragement from our fellow NIRDI’s is a great way to live. I was highly amused by my story why I am home early but then I am easily entertained. I always have hoped that leading by example would rub off on my employees but my team doesn’t seem to be influenced that way. I am probably going to rip off the bandage and tell them hey this is where you are - this is where we want you to be. If you ever want a raise or promotion here’s what you need to do. You were up early for sure. We did have a nice breakfast. I had the basic eggs, potatoes, bacon and pancakes. Marty had some healthy omelet and turkey sausage. We are eating at Olive Garden for lunch. I hate to hear Ann feels Cola can’t be domesticated but she gave it her best shot. You are doing as much as you possibly can for the Soda Gang. Ann has been a big help as well. I am so glad to hear Greg’s wrist is still improving and you got to enjoy a nice ride that included an ice cream break. Life is good. Your kitties are adorable as usual and that ice cream looks delicious. Rats the weather was bad today. It is hot and dry here. The car said 92.

Jimmianne, that is so cute Puff is talking to you more. He is feeling more comfortable at home now. Sweet.

Our house is clean. Sweet. We went to Olive Garden after Marty got home from golf and we split a lunch. We wandered lots of stores today - Walgreens, grocery store, Pier 1, Bed, Bath and Beyond and Office Depot. Marty was bored. I ddi need another ream of ink jet paper though.

I took food allergy medicine before we went to lunch so I could eat a little bit of chicken parmesan. That stuff makes me really warm - I am just starting to cool off now that we are home. I did enjoy my little piece of chicken though. We’ll see how wise it was later today. Ha!

I dreamed of driving my new car last night. I can’t believe how excited I am over a car.

Have a great weekend.
Marcy

 

[rainwood]

I’m posting from the island, but more about that later.

Missy, love all your kitty photos. I didn’t realize until today they were all males. And the weather sounds really changeable. Glad you got some bike rides in despite Greg’s wrist and the storms. Staying an extra day is always a good idea! And thank you for the virtual ice cream. Looks yummy and no calories! And no lactose. Love the red Craftsman toolbox. My DH had a similar one in dark blue which is still full of his tools. I’ll keep the chest but not all the stuff in it. I’ll winnow it down to what I might actually use – litmus test starts with if I even know what it is – and sell the rest. The garage clean-out is a long-term project because DH had a lot of tools and related stuff, and I need to organize a big garage sale so they can go to someone who will use them. And I’m sure the soda gang will get TNR’d as your time and the clinic slots allow. As you said, you can only do the best you can. You’re not only talking the talk, you’re walking the walk, Missy. Congrats!

Jimmianne, I’m so glad you finally got your asscher ring! It is so striking. The onyx makes the diamond corners look like they’re floating. And you’re totally right about the bezel. It does give the center stone a lot of oomph and announces “I’m octagonal, baby” which is one of the great parts about an asscher. Are you still feeling mixed about it or happy? I’m hoping it’s happy. And Puff cracks me up even though I’ve never met him. I’m glad he is getting chattier. I’m not sure how I’d react if I had a bird that spoke to me, but it must be pretty cool.

Marcy, of course you should be excited about your big purchase. You should be super excited because you’re not getting a car, you’re getting a Porsche! Hear Marcy roar! Plus it’s such a gorgeous color. And I’m sure you’ll share it with Marty when he’s home so it’s really a car for both of you. (Do you think he’ll buy that argument?) Telling your employees where they currently are and where they need to be to get raises and promotions sounds like a good plan. After that, it’s up to them. And yay on a clean house. Getting a cleaning service is on my to-do list when I get back. I’ve been stalling about it for years, feeling guilty about having someone else clean my house, but I really do need to get over that and hire someone in the city. You’ll be my inspiration. Any tips I should know about for finding someone good?

Scandi, I love that close-up photo of you and your fur baby. That face is saying “Yes, I ate goat poop. And I liked it!” Not such a good result for you with the diarrhea, but that’s just part of the fun of dogs. And a reason to own a carpet cleaner. My dog always made sure that any of her deposits (always when she was sick because she never, ever wanted to “go” in the house) always seemed to end up on carpet, even at the island where the only carpet is on the stairs. Why is that? Vomit was always, always on a rug. She must have thought it was the closest equivalent to grass. And those chandeliers are in the mountain house? How stunning!! That must be quite the place. And your fur baby looks like she has such a snuggly faux fur bed to nap in. Lucky dog!

CJ, glad to hear from you! I’m the “3-day rule” creator and it does seem to work for me. I hope Gypsy is able to make it work for her too.

LL(Super Cool)J, I admire your cleaning and purging efforts. They are so hard to start, but offer such tangible rewards. I need to get back to that myself. Or have you fly up to my house! And getting enough sleep is so important to feeing good. Don’t apologize or feel guilty for making it a priority. It should be a priority for all of us.

Junie, hope everything is going okay with your mom and that she’s progressing as well as can be expected. As always, hang in there.

Gypsy, I hope you’re finding your way out of your funk. It takes so much effort, but it’s so important to take those first steps. Literal steps. Get out even when you don’t want to. You will be glad you did. Walk that Lab, talk to strangers, smile and wave at your neighbors. They are little things, but they can add up to that boost you need for a change of mood. ETA: I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. My thoughts are with you and her. And I find that sometimes the best way out of a funk is to try and help someone else. It looks like that someone else will be your mom.

Sharon, Kristie, Callie and anyone whose name I’ve failed to mention, hi and hope all is well.

It’s been Grand Central Crazy for me. A really interesting few days, but interesting in a good way. I have a situation at work that I can’t talk about specifically because it is, of course, confidential but I really enjoy when I come across something that requires me to fire on all cylinders. And now that I’m getting close to vacation, everything is rolling in the door. So I suspect I’ll be doing more work this coming week than anticipated which means something else is going to suffer. Probably trip planning, but that’s just the way it is. Winging it when we travel can be fun too.

I’ve been spending a lot of time on the neighborhood block watch stuff this week, both the larger neighborhood group and our new specific micro-areas. We have a lot going on crime-wise (the worst is the trend of burglarizing OCCUPIED houses) and I’m one of the people in the ‘hood who coordinates some of the things we’re doing to try to address the problems. So that’s taken a lot of e-mails and conversations and we had a potluck for our mini-block watch. I really like almost all of my neighbors so it’s fun as well as work, but I wish some of this could have waited until I got back.

And Thursday was one of those days where things just didn’t want to go my way. I spent an hour “chatting” with Verizon. I wanted to add a specific international plan and thought I had but it kept saying “pending” so I finally contacted them and did a text chat to find out what was going on. Text chat takes longer but I end up yelling less so it’s often the better option for me! So the person looks into the problem and says the travel option I wanted wasn’t available with my plan. So I, of course, asked why the website didn’t just tell me that right at the beginning so I’d have known 2 weeks ago. She didn’t really have an answer for that. So she told me I could change my plan to something more expensive and get the travel option I wanted or keep my “legacy” plan and buy something that was a bundle but without much data when data was what I’d probably use most. I was running out of time and had to go make my contributions to the potluck (garlic smashed Yukon Gold potatoes and a romaine salad) so I picked a bundle and called it done. Not perfect, but done. I thought about it overnight and deciding that changing my plan and getting the travel option I originally wanted might be the better alternative so I decided to chat with Verizon again. This time I got someone who said I could keep my original plan, cancel the bundle and get the travel option I wanted. So I’m glad I went back to them but why couldn’t the first person do that? It makes me nervous when the result depends so much on who ends up helping you. It’s Customer Service Roulette. And Friday I had another stroke of good luck. On Wednesday, I had found out the vacation I wanted to take to celebrate my birthday next year was sold out for that week and I was bummed because it was the third time I’d try to book there over the years and had always been unsuccessful. I was patting myself on the back for planning so far ahead, and it still didn’t work! Got an e-mail back Friday with a possible solution which is even nicer accommodations and they are giving me a couple of discounts so it doesn’t cost that much more. Sweet! So it looks like I might have my birthday vacay sorted out as well. And I’ve worked out the logistics with my BILs for a trip next winter which will be a culinary and wine adventure that should be a lot of fun. I really enjoy them and it’s important to have things to look forward to. As Jimmianne said earlier, sometimes you just have to wait until things turn around and start going in your direction.

As for the short-term, I’m on the island and I have both A/C and hot water so that’s good. What’s not so good is the septic system is acting up - the alarm was blaring after I took a shower - so I will be leaving early again (this is like the 4th or 5th time – so many I’ve lost count) and what I was hoping was the last trip over here before I leave for Europe might not be the last. I did find the manual for the septic (we were required by the county to build a very fancy, complicated one) and know who I need to contact so will be making a call on that Monday morning. Just once, I’d like to come over here and find out all the primary systems are working so I can stay. Is that too much to ask? This house is only 4 years old! But I did get to see a movie I’d wanted to see tonight and had dinner out with a friend so it was worth the trip over. And leaving early is probably a good idea anyway as I have A LOT demanding my attention back in the city.

So that’s the Rainwood Report. I hope everyone is hanging in there, taking it one day at a time, and doing the best they can. Over and out, NIRDI’s!

 

[Gypsy]

Hello all. I am coming out of it. Promise. Will post more soon. Found out today my mom broke her leg in 5 places, had to have surgery, has pins all over the place, and didn't tell me until this evening! Going to see her tomorrow.

 

[Scandinavian]

Good morning

Excuse typos, I'm typing on my phone...

The children finished this 1000 piece puzzle the last time they were here! I think they did very well, they have been working on it for a long time



Tried to include my hand to show you the size but that kind of backfired, my hand was too close to the camera so it made it look much smaller than it really is, lol.

Marcy, I do agree with you that most people are good. Just trying to give you a laugh I do think you are handling them very well!! Over to the fun stuff. Off course you are exited about the new car! That's the benefit of buying exactly what you want My DH and I have two cars, but they are ours, not mine and his. But he always let's me take the one I want. You could try that with Marty? Say it's for both of you and then race him for the key in the morning? NB: remember to put the key in a different place each night so that he does not know where to look for it... should give you a head start

Missy, Cola will be fine. She is a head strong girl, a true NIRDI. So if she does not want to be domesticated, that is her choice. She will just have to take it one day at a time like the rest of us She is very pretty though, that generally helps

Jimmianne, a bird that talks! How fun!! Some friends of my parents had a very talkative parrot when I was a child. When we would visit them, they had to carry him to another room after a while because he always wanted to be a part of all conversations He was great fun!

Rainwood, sorry about the house issues! Should be unnecessary in a four year old house! But sometimes things take a little "living in" I think before they are ready to be truly lived in, if you know what I mean. Work sounds fun though! I kind of love hectic projects where there is a lot on the line. Challenges are fun I think at least as long as no one on my side of the table caused the challenging situation at least... lol.

Gypsy, looking forward to hearing from you Do you like road trips? Sometimes they can be fun

Junebug, fingers crossed things are going in the right direction!

Re cabin stuff: the chandeliers are in our mountain cabin, I love them! Thank you Jimmianne for saying that thing about the contrast! That is exactlywhat I was thinking when we bought them. I love cabin life but can't say no to a bit if glamour
And thank you so very much to all of you for such nice comments about the pictures Who knew there were chipmunks above the tree line??? LOL.
Furbaby is not allowed in the furniture, so we bought her a chair that is allowed it's hers, but in the same style and brand as the rest of the furniture (white leather) so it blends nicely so when she is not so clean I put a faux fur blanket there for her the chair works out very nicely, she likes a bit of higher ground when the children get a bit carried away and she is done playing with them and it saves me from sitting on the floor to give her cuddles

Hugs!

 

[Scandinavian]

The timber is white washed and the chandeliers are gold/copper

 

[Scandinavian]

Missy, I forgot to tell you that I love the pictures of you kitties! Especially the first one - they look like they have never met before! Totally adorable! (I don't speak cat so please don't tell them I said so....)

 

[MarionC]

Marcy, it's not just any car! I hope you will share your excitement as much as possible.

Scandi, what a beautiful puzzle. It looks tricky with all those stripes and trying to figure out whose stripes are whose.
Oh! those lights are in YOUR house

Rainwood, wow you sound super-busy. You will need that vacation! Tell again, as I missed - where are you going and when?
FYI I have Sprint with the international feature added to my regular plan, so I just turn on the feature when I am leaving the country. Texting & data [photos] are free and calls are 20 cents a minute. Sprint is the only service that works out here, so I had to use them anyway. A good plan, but even then it turned off several times during my trip and I had to have chat sessions. Why are these things so complicated? It's mysterious. Then again, how cool to be able to send photos across the miles, so it's practically a miracle : )
Sorry to hear about the septic and hope it is/was an easy fix. We need to have a talk with your house, maybe bring it flowers? and then talk to my house, who is 16. I agree, at 4 your house should be well-behaved.

Going to an art reception this morning and a "concert on the lawn" this evening if the weather holds.