Now I really did it :((

[rainwood]

It's been an interesting week and I was without an internet connection for 2 days so am way behind again.

Missy, it sounds like you have the summer version of the coughing, hacking mess that made the rounds here during the winter. It hung on waaaay past its expiration date, and for some it came back for a second go-round. It will go away eventually although it sucks to be under the weather when you're at the beach. And I'm sorry you're having a hard time trying to find a saddle that works for you. Maybe you need to let everything heal for awhile before trying out others. You did a lot of riding right off the bat and maybe it's best not to do that but instead to ease in with short rides then longer ones, but maybe not two days in a row. Even if you don't find the perfect saddle, there's probably a strategy that will allow you to ride at least some of the time.

And Ann is right about the ferals. It's sad the Soda Gang is gone or mostly gone, but you're making a dent in the problem and that's all you can do. I love that they have a cat stand in the yard even if they don't go inside the shelter. They may be unlucky in that they're feral, but they're lucky that they live in your neighborhood!!

Junie, I didn't know you had a Tesla but I'm glad to hear you like it. I'm on the waiting list for a Model 3 (somewhere in the middle of the list) and so am always interested in Tesla owners' experiences. I'm glad you're putting your mom's house on the market. It's the right thing to do and will be a big weight off your shoulder once it's sold.

Jimmianne, I'm assuming you've headed to the Cote d'Azur with some handsome Frenchman for a brief respite from DIY home renos, right????? Maybe we should all make our predictions about our ex-pat NIRDI is up to? I vote the French Riviera with a dashing Frenchman. What do you think, everyone?

Kristie, how is Maggie doing? Are you still seeing improvement from her acupuncture? And how's the working life again?

Scandi, the flower photos are gorgeous. Rhododendrons are one of my favorite parts of spring around here. I can never remember how to spell it though. No wonder everyone calls them rhodies!! And I'm with you on gardening. I love looking at the results, but hate doing it myself. I've scaled back to the bare minimum. Glad you like your Tesla. If I remember right, the tax on a electric vehicle is much smaller there if it's an electric car. Is that correct? And I have dust elephants at my house!! Not as much now that my championship shedder is gone, but I'm still finding some over a year later!!

Marcy, your flowers also look great. Very pretty colors!! Hope you're doing okay while Marty is out of town. And belated happy birthday!!

Callie, you may have arthritis in your shoulder but your doctor is wrong if he says you just have to live with the pain. There's lots you can try, from yoga to natural remedies to OTC meds. And I hear you on the weight thing. Don't we all wish we weighed something different than we do? I know I do.

Austina, you're headed to Texas soon, right? I hope you have a great time visiting with your DS.

Sorry if I missed anyone. It's so hard to catch up when I haven't posted for awhile.

It's been a week of getting things fixed - internet, dead car battery, cable TV. And that was just through today. And work has been exploding and that will spill into next week. I'm currently waiting for a FedEx delivery I have to sign for. No not diamonds!! Alcoholic beverages - a gold-medal winning local raspberry liquor to be exact. I thought they'd be here 3 hours ago and I have errands I'd like to run but I know they'll come the minute I leave. They always do!!!

Take care, everyone!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Missy, I know this might be out there, but maybe an appointment with a physio or OT might help? Something might have changed with your posture that now you can't position yourself properly causing pressure points.

I dunno just thinking out loud. Our bodies change--I now need orthotics in my shoes whereas this was never on my radar before. Maybe you need orthotics for your bum! (UKWIM )

cheers--Sharon

 

[Calliecake]

Rainwood, MY doctor said there is a lot we can do about my shoulder. She wants me to begin Physical Therapy. The pain isn't awful. During the day it is annoying and really only seems to hurt bad late at night. I'm sure the way I sleep isn't helping either. The furbaby sleeps with us and has to be plastered against one of us at all times. Nights she picks my husband I feel much better in the morning. She usually picks me and she tries to get under you. I'm always afraid she is going to get hurt and I never want to disturb her if she's sleeping. She basically runs my life LOL. I just don't want anything to interfere with my gardening and when I do work in the yard it really bothers my shoulder. I know the 3 hours a day working outside probably isn't gong to be doable this year. My dad called last night with some ideas to thinks may make it easier for me.

Missy, That picture is beautiful. I hope you had a fun day and cycling was fun and pain free. I was all excited about having the yard done until it dawned on me that I will feel awful for a few days afterward. I am so allergic to mulch and having the yard done always results in a headache for days. I've decided I now want a lawn mower. This may be a hard sell as I know the husband is perfectly content have the service handle it. The new neighbors cuts their lawn multiple times a week and his yard looks beautiful every day. I used to do that too befiore we got the service.

Junebug, You will prorbably feel better once you sell your mom's house is sold. We were lucky that we were able to have everything with the house settled within a few months.

Sharon, Did you buy that bracelet yet????

Austina, I hope you are in Austin and falling in love with our country. Maybe you will want to move here.

Marcy, Is Marty coming home tomorrow??? Do you have any plans for the weekend? How are your flowers doing now?

 

[junebug17]

Missy, that is great news about two of the ferals being trapped! I know it's very hard and I admire you for being involved with the process in spite of it being difficult for you. You and Greg, and Ann of course too, deserve a lot of credit for the effort you are all putting into this. Sending lots of healing thoughts to you and I hope this pesky virus clears up soon. And I really hope you can find a solution to the soreness - I was reading about chamois cream and I'm really hoping it helps. Beautiful sunset!

Calliecake, I'm glad your shoulder isn't really painful all the time. I'm in the same boat with Zoe the cat as you are with your furbaby - she sleeps right next to me and I can't move much and end up in some odd positions to the point that I'm stiff in the morning! Sometimes she sleeps in other places in the house, and I have to admit I sleep better on those nights. It's a done deal though, I don't have the heart to boot her out of the bed at this point!!!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Junebug, I love my little sprinklers. I wish we’d started using them years ago. Ice cream does sound good. I had some heated up homemade soup for supper and ice cream would have been a good dessert. I can easily believe Joan Rivers could have said that about diamonds on the floor. Good luck getting your mother’s house on the market. I hope it sells as quickly as my parent’s house did; it never really hit the market.

Hi Sharon.

Missy, rats you have another sore and still have the crud. I am sending “leave Missy alone NOW” threats to them. Hopefully one of those new seats works and I was also thinking of maybe a completely different kind of seat or bike but I know you and Greg are clever and inventive enough to keep exploring options. I used to carry around a pillow I called my “butt buddy”. I cracked / broke my tail bone and couldn’t set down comfortably for months. That sucker still flares up now and then. Yay for trapping 2 ferals today. Good start. I agree; the weather is always a safe conversation. Around here we can always talk about the wind. I like to say “what wind?” when someone brings it up. Of course I think I’m funny. Gorgeous sunset and yes the colors are fabulous.

Now much new here. I chatted with Marty for a little bit tonight. He is frustrated with some stuff at work and they had more lay offs. It was nice to see his face for a few minutes anyway.

Tomorrow is Friday. Woo hoo!
Take care.
Marcy

 

[marcy]

Rainwood, Callie and Junebug, I missed your posts on the next page.

Rainwood, how exciting to be on the list for a Tesla 3. They are sharp looking cars. LOL at dust elephants. That made me chuckle. I swear I can build a dinosaur out of what collects behind my washer and dryer. Thank you. I am anxious to get some more flower pictures once my flowers start filling out. You have been busy and I am sorry to hear work is hectic right now. That’s tough being without internet for 2 days. Raspberry liquor sounds pretty tasty. I am doing okay with Marty out of town; thanks for asking.

Callie, I think PT is a good place to start with your shoulder. I hope it gets to feeling better soon. I have no problem believing your furbaby runs your life. But she’s so cute. Marty is staying through next week and will be home next Thursday night. How are your flowers doing? My flowers are doing well. I keep thinking I’ll go take more pictures but they are always blowing in the wind.

Junebug, that is cute Zoe sleeps where she wants. Marty is 6’4” and when we had a queen sized bed I’d get up to use the little PS room and try to get back in bed and find him diagonal across the bed. Good thing I’m short. I would squirm in above his legs and keep pulling on the covers until I got enough of them back to keep warm. Or sometimes I’d just say forget it and move to another bedroom.

Marcy Part 2

 

[junebug17]

I missed a few posts too…

Rainwood, it's exciting you're on the list for a Tesla! It's a great car and fun to drive. I'll be relieved to finally have the house on the market.

Marcy, I'm glad you got to chat with Marty tonight for a bit - my dh has a lot going on at work too, I hope things calm down for both of them soon. Lol to Marty taking up the whole bed! Sometimes I pinned on one side by Zoe and on the other side by dh, who has somehow managed to end up on my side! I feel like I'm in a straight jacket. Sometimes dh will jokingly say "this bed is too big, you're too far away" and I'll say no it's not, in fact do they make a double king size bed? He just laughs

 

[marcy]

I know Junebug, I didn't notice another page. Marty said he was going to go to the range this weekend but probably not play golf out there. It's kind of gloomy and rainy there. I am sorry to hear your DH is traveling quite a bit too. It sounds like sometimes you get pinned in between Zoe and your DH. It would probably be the same in a double king size bed- they love you. We have the California King. I can't find over sized flat sheets or blanket that gives us more than about 8 - 10 inches on each side. Mattresses are so high anymore it cuts down on what hangs over the side. Marty usually falls asleep on top of the covers, then pulls up covers out of the middle, then he rolls over and I've got nothing left. I'll set there and tug on them trying to get them back. Sometimes I wrap covers under my outside arm so he can't steal them then I'll wake up all sore and stiff from sleeping different than normal. I've thought of getting twin California king top sheets and blankets then over lap them in the middle but that might be more of a mess than it's worth.

Here are a few pictures from tonight. The Strawberry Moon was surrounded by appropriately pink clouds and a glorious color sunset.

 

[Scandinavian]

Callie, this is for you
http://www.husqvarna.com/us/products/robotic-lawn-mowers/
I love this one. We have one of the larger versions at our summerhouse. It cuts the grass every single day, making it look perfect always. Also, it keeps it short so that my allergies don't flare up. Apparently, the parts that make my nose itch is a littel higher up on the straw.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Sharon thank you for all your helpful advice. I appreciate it! And all of it makes good sense IMO. LOL yes I need a donut to sit on while cycling

So a bit of a hopeful update. We were cycling yesterday (and I was in quite a lot of discomfort) but I had the idea to pop in to the new Asbury location of Brielle Cyclery. We have been going to Brielle Cyclery for decades but in there original Brielle location which is now about 30 miles from our house so 60 mile round trip and that cycling trip isn't going to happen anytime soon lol.

So we made it to Asbury yesterday afternoon and checked out the cycling store and I asked about a special saddle measurement done while riding that I read about the night before and guess what? They have that special saddle and video camera measurements etc there! And Jarrod the specialist was there and I got to speak with him for about 45 minutes. He is hopeful he can figure it out for me. I am a little shy because I have to be videotaped and measured while riding and the special saddle is going to take all these private measurements me...

It is am expensive system and I was pleased and surprised that they had it. It takes a few hours to do (and it's a pricey consultation) but Jarrod (the guy who does it) put me in for this coming Monday at Noon. He is off today (Friday) and yesterday he didn't have the time to do the measurement since it takes a long time to do so Monday it is. It's supposed to be crazy hot here (90s) by Monday but if it's too hot we will drive with the bike in the car. Greg will take it apart. It's 20 miles to and from the bike shop in Asbury so 40 mile round trip and I may not be able to do it.

When we arrived back to the beach house yesterday I had a few more sores on my sensitive lady parts. Jarrod was adamant that I take a break from cycling till the sores heal but it is going to be such a good weather weekend that I am going to attempt at least a short bike ride. We will see how it goes. Another 2 saddles came yesterday afternoon and while Jarrod said not to try any more saddles we might try one of them today.

When we got home we watched a few of the Tandem Trike videos and we are leaning that way. At least eventually but sooner than later if we cannot solve my cycling saddle sore issue. I know it doesn't look cool but I don't care! I just want to cycle any way I can in comfort. Safety is an issue and Greg doesn't want to go the Recumbent Tandem route because he doesn't feel it is safe enough but the Trike Tandem looks to be quite safe. My concern is that we are super low to the ground and how will other cars see us clearly but Greg said not to worry. So we will see. At this point (not to sound like a spoiled princess but those of you who know me know I couldn't be further from that) I will spend whatever it takes if I can ride successfully. So I am in a different frame of mind than I was the other day. If we can continue to enjoy our sport together it's worth the money.


OK and more good news...Drumroll please Ann dropped 2 more traps off yesterday afternoon when she picked up Tux 1 and Tux 2 and we trapped another 2 yesterday late afternoon!! Woohoo!!! Bianca and Fresca 2!!! They are still in our shed because Ann is coming later this morning and picking them up and will drop off 4 more traps so we can attempt trapping and spaying/neutering all 8 of them! Fingers crossed because that would go a long way in helping control the kitty population here. We are overrun in the neighborhood. Ann said on her way here to pick up Tux 1 and Tux 2 she saw cats everywhere in our area. It is nuts. So at least we are doing what we can. A small dent in the problem but a dent nevertheless.

SCANDI- COLA is alive and well!!!! She almost walked into one of the traps (silly silly girl!!!) and Greg had to open the front door to scare her away LOL. OMG but at least she seems well!! AT one point yesterday afternoon there were 4 kitties sniffing the 2 traps we had out there and I was dying watching them on video. I could do it so I had to leave the room. Bless my dh for doing all this. I am weak when it comes to watching any potential issues with the animals. Thank goodness they are OK this morning and just waiting for Ann to arrive to get them and leave us 4 more traps. I hope she brings all 4 traps because she was a bit hesitant as that's a lot of cats at once but I won her over (I hope) with the case for getting them all at once before we complicate things with releasing the ones already spayed who can go back into the traps making it more difficult to get the rest...

OK I thought that you would be quite happy and pleased with that bit of news about Cola! Hope F is doing well and thinking of her and sending more healing and good luck vibes for her second surgery later this month I believe.


Rainwood, we were smart about the cycling season this year and started slow. It has nothing to do with building up time in the saddle and everything to do with my menopause changing body I believe. We will see what Jarrod says Monday. I am remaining hopeful because even if we cannot make this work (and believe me we are trying) we will explore the tandem trike option. However that will delay us months and months and perhaps we will lose the whole cycling season due to the custom nature of this bike just like our Calfee took 4 months to make but we will keep our chins up and do the best we can.

Did that Raspberry liquor arrive yesterday? How does it taste? I am intrigued. I am sorry about all the hassles of broken things that needed repairing recently for you and hope that is all done and fixed so you can just enjoy things uninterrupted for a while. Are you enjoying the island this weekend?



Marcy Yes it is Friday! Haha yes we think so similarly. I love asking about the wind speeds too. It makes a huge difference in the weather especially when cycling. Gorgeous gorgeous skies! Glad you got to chat with Marty last night. Before you know it he will be home.

Junie How did it go yesterday with your mom's house? How is your brother doing? The chamois cream started burning at first and I was a little worried (LOL not another issue please!) but it seemed OK. I still ended up with new sores but am going to use more today and see what happens. It is supposedly a gentle one without harmful chemicals yada yada yada but we all know the weird reactions my body has to supposedly gentle products so fingers crossed. Please hug dear Zoe for me and I hope you have a nice weekend planned. The weather is quite nice right now. Though yes it will be brutally hot soon enough.

Callie, yes there is so much you can do. Remember what I told you Greg did about his wrist and thumb arthritis and it really helped. SO don't give up or despair. This will be a manageable problem.

Bonjour Jimmianne, hope you are enjoying it all. Thinking of you and missing you.

Austina hope you have the best time in Austin!

I am sending this before I lose it. Hope I didn't miss anyone/anything.
Have a good day girls!

 

[missy]

FYI here's the trike we are considering.

 

[Austina]

Morning lovely ladies, just a quick hello as I haven't had time to have a proper catch up read. It's hot, hot, hot here, and I've had little sleep due in part to jetlag and the election worry. It's been a disaster, resulting in a hung parliament

Will read through and post properly over the w/e. Have a good one y'all

 

[Scandinavian]

Missy, thank you so much for the news re Cola She will always be my favourite
You are not going to believe this, but just came home from the vet. Eye infection. Very green stuff. Yuck. So now to do some honest work (read: that makes money come in instead of just going out... LOL)

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Hello ya'll!

Missy, sounds like you have things in hand--and success to you. A physio or OT would do what Jarrods assessment seems to cover. And FWIW, I wouldn't ride a recumbent bike on the road for safety issues. And yay on the kitty capture!

cheers--Sharon

 

[marcy]

Missy, I am so glad to hear you saw Cola.

 

[Scandinavian]

Hello girls!

OK so where to start. Furbaby woke me up this morning because she had a lot of green stuff in her eye and couldn’t open it properly. Poor baby. I think it might be because her immune system was lowered by all the antibiotics after the surgery. Anyway, have been to the vet with her and got some drops that should fix the problem. And – how is it possible – it appears that she has got a straw of grass stuck in her throat. So she coughs. A lot. But they can’t know for sure or take it out without anaesthesia, so I’m going to try and wait it out. Hopefully she can fix it herself. So my day has not been very efficient…

Missy, I’m so very happy to hear that my girls Cola is back. I knew she was a fighter. Beautiful little baby. And the neutering thing. It really is so good of you. And very wise in my opinion. Otherwise you would have a lot more ferals in your garden.. I’m crossing my fingers really hard that you can figure out the bike thing. But if not, I think the one you posted might be a good alternative. At least it will allow you to get out there and that is what matters. Oh and a second alternative. 20 pounds of fat on you bum might help… LOL

Marcy, my DH likes to steal the cover too, when he is sleeping. I’m trying to train it away by elbowing him so he wakes up. Fantastic pictures. Auuuuotch to broken tail bone! Hope it is all better again. Too bad about that “free” subscription being “cancelled”.

Rainwood, you are quite right re taxes. A bit less for electric cars. But cars are still really expensive here. LOL to dust elephants. We have a few of those too!

I want to play your game! I think Jimmianne is doing her construction.. with the help of a fantastic prince/lord/rich manor guy that is bored with his perfect estate and couldn’t resist helping Jimmianne when he met her shopping in the local grocery store on her wonderful new bike and looking all glamorous with her fantastic hair blowing in the wind. (JIMMIANNE – If I’m right – you better log on and tell us this second !! LOL)

June, we need a bigger bed too. Furbaby has started to think that its OK that she jumps into the bed when we are sleeping. I have been keeping her close since the surgery. She is so spoiled already. She knows that by 3am we have no willpower to resist, way to tired. Lol. And I know! People at work are so rude, wanting me to work also! Is it not bad enough that the rest of them are working??

Austina, please send some of that heat here. It is sooooo freezing here now. Raining and super cold.

Hugs!

 

[rainwood]

Missy, stop being stubborn and let your sores heal!!! Seriously. Take that advice.

 

[rainwood]

Missy, I should explain the reasoning behind my advice. It's hard, if not impossible, to figure out if a saddle works for you until your sores are fully healed. My guess is any bicycle saddle is likely to bother sores that are already there. Some of those saddles might not cause the sores in the first place, but it's impossible to know that if you're testing before that healing has happened. It's like testing new hiking boots while you still have blisters from your old boots. None of the boots will feel good in that situation. So that's why I agree with Jarrod.

 

[missy]

Just a quick reply as we are running late to meet friends for dinner and just got out of the shower but just checked in and don't want to leave this till tomorrow. Rainwood thanks! I always appreciate your advice and I know you are right. Tomorrow we are taking a day off from cycling and actually visiting the recumbent trike dealer about an hour or so away from here. I will check in tomorrow and respond in more depth and to everyone else as well.
Thank you all for caring and sharing your advice and support. You girls are the best. Have a great evening and (((HUGS))).

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Scandi, that is awesome - a lawnbot. I need to find a dishes / scrub the stove bot. Oh no that furbaby had gooped up eyes and even worse she has something caught in her throat. LOL at elbowing your DH to get covers back I feel bad poking or pushing on Marty but sometimes I’ll just keep pulling on the covers and wake him up. I hope it warms up for you soon. We get cold rain here too. Darn that they expect us to work when we at work.

Missy, I’m with Jarrod and Rainwood - wait until your sores are healed. That would be great to get all the ferals trapped at once. Good luck. Have fun at dinner with your friends.

Austina, you are definitely in a hot climate for a few weeks. I hope you get over your jet lag soon.

Sharon, I think summer finally showed up in Wyoming. Is it there yet?

I see Jimmianne riding her bike around the beautiful country side, enjoying the lovely weather, stopping for some coffee and croissants and loving life.

It’s finally the weekend. Woo hoo!

Poor Marty is sick today; sounds like he has the flu. I told him it’s that exposure to so many people. I don’t think the bears and rabbits spread that many germs. I hope he sleeps tonight instead of going to the gym.

I cut off my dead flowers tonight. The flowers are looking good. Once again I hated to try any pictures because the wind was moving all the plants around.

Tomorrow is house cleaning day. I will run some errands after she gets her. Clean house all weekend. Sweet!

Have a wonderful weekend.
Marcy

 

[LLJsmom]

Hi Ladies, just reading this page to catch up a bit. Missy, I am so sorry that you are still dealing with those annoying sores. I too hink you should not cycle until completely healed. But I do think you and Greg will figure something out for you. I'm sure of it. I'm crossing my fingers for you with that new saddle you're going to get measured for. And congratulations on catching more ferals. You and Greg have been so patient and persistent.
Ladies, your fur babies sure do seem to rule the house. Even my 11 year old doesn't climb into my bed anymore.
Callie, hope your shoulder gets better. I'm so sorry it is getting in the way of your gardening. It's so hard to give up doing things we love. I would go Linda crazy if I couldn't run so I totally understand Missy.

Hi everyone else. I'm sorry my memory is bad. I don't remember everything about each person and don't want to keep going back to check. I hope you are all doing well.

Jimmianne is meeting some guy with an estate??

I found out my daughter made it into accelerated math which means she will finish algebra by the time she graduates from 8th grade and can take geometry as a freshman. It makes a huge difference in the curriculum she is allowed to take in high school.

I've been on a turquoise kick but I haven't wanted to post anything yet. I'll share some pics of some totally gorgeous Sleeping Beauty turquoise pieces Kristie helped me choose. Aren't they amazing??? I want to make a pair of earrings and a necklace. This will be a long term project for me. . Alright. I should try to keep up with the posts more consistently. Have a great day tomorrow.

 

[Calliecake]

Have fun tonight Missy! I hope you are at least beginning to feel better so you can enjoy the evening. I can't wait to hear all about your day and evening.

Scandi, I'm so sorry about poor F. That poor baby can not catch a break lately. I think she deserves to sleep in the bed with you for a least a few months after all she has been thru. i feel so bad for the poor baby. Thank you for the lawn mower suggestion. This could be a problem as I'm afraid it will end up in the water behind my house. Part of the reason I want a regular lawn mower is It is good exercise and I know I will actually do it because I love how the yard looks when I'm finished.

Marcy, Do you have any plans for the weekend? I know it's not much fun when Marty travels. Those pictures you posted are beautiful! The landscaper came today and planted 23 rose bushes today. I needed to replace quite a few that weren't looking good and filled in some spaces I wanted more roses in. I spent all afternoon watering because we have had no rain in a week and it's supposed to be in the 90's for the next week. I have my fingers crossed that the roses survive.

Austina, Hot is the normal for summer in Texas. I hope you are enjoying the time with your son.

Rainwood, The raspberry liquor sounds delicious!!!

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Marcy I'm sorry Marty is sick And has the flu. That sucks! When is he coming home? Glad your flowers are looking pretty and yay for getting a clean house today. We are glad Cola is still alive and well knock wood.

Sharon that is my exact concern. Plus I have been reading a trike tandem forum and it seems they are high maintenance though their owners seem to love them. But it doesn't seem like you can do as long distance cycling as with a regular tandem. We used to enjoy 50,60 even 70 miles and I don't think that will be possible with the trike but we are going (probably) to the trike dealer today about an hour plus away to just see if we can test ride one. IDK. I haven't given up on our beautiful racing tandem but I have to say I have tried so many saddles at this point and while I know I was sore I just can tell they wouldn't work. I've been cycling so long now I have a second sense about these things. But perhaps Monday will bring new insight she I am evaluated by Jarrod and his special machines. I am remaining cautiously hopeful. I am not a quitter but I have to know when I cannot make something work so just trying to be realistic while hopeful.

How is your cycling with your dh going? Let me enjoy vicariously through you. Have you ever rode a tandem with your dh? Once we rode a tandem I never wanted to go back to our single bikes. It's so nice to be together and chat if we want and just enjoy our time cycling together on a tandem.

Rainwood, I am resting today and probably tomorrow. We have a heat wave coming tomorrow. Forced rest on the cycling LOL. What are you doing this weekend? How was the raspberry liquor? Is it sweet? Does it taste like raspberries? Our dessert last night had raspberries and oh it was so good. Yummm.

Scandi how is F doing today? What kind of eye infection does she have? Is it yellow/white goop coming out of her eye? I hope she is doing better and it is always something isn't it? Sending lots of hugs and healing vibes her way. (((HUGS))).
Yay Cola!

Fresca 2 has an eye infection and I am upset because regular veterinarians here won't treat ferals and the feral vet we go to doesn't work till next week. Ann has the appointment to neuter/spay the kitties next Friday and it is over an hour away from her and she said she won't bring Fresca 2 to get her eye checked before then so now I am concerned she may get an ulcer. You cannot easily treat a feral's eye so this is the best Ann can do. Greg reminded me it was luck we trapped her as she might still be out there with the eye infection and all but it is little comfort if she loses her vision in that eye. Their life is hard enough but I have to respect Ann's decision. She has Fresca 2 now.

We let Francesca sleep with us and she usually sleeps curled up in my arms so yes while that interferes a bit with my sleep it is comforting too. Sometimes she sleeps on Greg's side but I suspect it is when I move around too much. Little brat.

I wish we could send our heat your way. It is going to be in the mid 90s (heat index higher) the next few days. I am not enjoying the heat. I prefer 60s and 70s any day of the week. Summer is here that's for sure.

LLJsmom gorgeous turquoise. Just BLUEtiful. It will make a lovely ring and earrings. And what a great summer color. Do you plan on wearing them together? I am not a matchy match person so I would wear them separately. That is wear the ring when you feel like it but not with the earrings and wear the earrings on different days. Of course lots of people like matching like that and there is no wrong. LOL not even sure why I am bringing this up. I think I have an aversion to matching so closely. NM because YMMV and IDK what I am saying.

Go LLJsmom DD!!!! So proud of her!!!!!

Callie we had a great time last night. We were at dinner for 5 hours LOL. Luckily the restaurant never got crowded and it was just perfect. We really enjoyed the 2 couples we went out with last night and I don't know why I am always so hesitant to make plans and tie up the evening. I am ridiculous because it was just a truly amazing time. And K texted me as soon as she got back home saying what a great time they had too. We live about an hour away from them and we should make more of an effort to get together. They traveled to us last night and made it super easy as we went to a place 10 minutes from us in Red Bank.

It's all my fault re not getting together more often as they are always wanting to make plans I always put them off. I don't know why but I hate tying up the evenings. LOL. B (K's dh) is having an art show in Asbury in July so we are looking forward to attending that. B did the photos for our wedding too and was our sole photographer for the wedding. He is very talented.

And the other couple -well they are so interesting. J was a gourmet chef and she still writes for a magazine as food editor. And she has traveled all over the world meeting famous people when she used to cater and also write her reviews. And her dh don't get me started. He is politically connected and knows so many famous people (has met all the living presidents but for Trump (and no loss there ) and is such a colorful character himself. The stories he tells. Man you wouldn't believe them except you know they are true. You never get bored talking to him.

Hope your shoulder is feeling better and that you enjoyed your evening last night.

Austina yes Texas is hot though this week we may be hotter than you. Hope you are recovering from jet lag and enjoying your visit to your son! How long will you be here in the USA?

Cat update

We trapped Tigre around 7AM but this trapping is proving more challenging. The other cats are not falling for it so I am not sure we will be able to get anyone else before the deadline of Wednesday since Ann has to have them by then because Thursday she makes the trip to the veterinarian to leave them overnight for the Friday spay/neuter. We cannot try trapping every day because we need to make sure they get to eat b/w withholding the food. I don't want anyone to starve literally so we cannot withhold food for more than a day in a row. Greg took the food away last night before we left for dinner so we are going to have to put it back this early afternoon before we head to the trike dealer because we won't be back till late. So this AM is our chance. It will be too hot tomorrow or Monday to trap and that just leaves us with Wednesday. Fingers crossed we can get more kitties trapped and spayed/neutered. It gets so much more difficult once we release the others back to our property.

Oh and my dh is the softie in our relationship. He put Tigre in our house when he trapped him this AM (in our basement) because it is getting warm out and didn't want to keep him in the shed which is warmer than our house. OMG remember that is how I think we got fleas last time. But see it is my dh who is the softie because I think the shed would have been fine for now. OY if we get fleas I am not going to be a happy camper. Sigh.

And as I wrote above unfortunately Fresca 2 has an eye infection so please send out good thoughts for her eye to heal and no permanent damage to occur.

Have a lovely Saturday girls! XOXO.

 

[Scandinavian]

Just logged on super quick to see how the ferals were doing. So sorry about the eye infection Missy! My darling has green goop. Better today though. Not as much goop as yesterday. Will take her to the vet again on Tuesday just to be safe. We got drops, called Kloramfenicol. Looks like they work.

Hope you all will have a fantastic Saturday! Tomorrow, I'll venture into the new house to get some pictures just for you girls! Hugs!


Oh, and Callie. Lawn moving exercise actually sounds like fun. If you regret it, please know that the automower will not end up in the water. They put down a copper line that tells him where he belongs, he has a gps and never crosses you line. Good boy, LOL. And he will actually call you crying "robber" if someone forces him across that line, lol.

 

[azstonie]

Hi All: Today was the first morning swim of 2017! Air temp 81 degrees, pool water temp 84 degrees, OPTIMAL! Finn was so happy, he really loves the morning swims, he comes in and wakes me up by clicking on his nails all around the bed, then he scratches my side of the bed, and THEN he sits up and puts his front paws together and pumps them up and down really fast. Of course, he gets anything he wants this way

Thank you all for the good vibes and prayers for Miss Maggie's arthritis. They all helped her and me. She is finally weightbearing on that right hind leg. Is it from: acupuncture, CBD oil, Galliprant, Adequan injections weekly, gabapentin, doxycycline? We will never know! But she's walking now and happy now and she stopped beating the living daylights out of sweet little Finnie Boy, so we will carry on as is.

We took Finn to the vet last weekend. He has deafness, presbycusis, from age. It seems like it waxes and wanes, though, or maybe he can hear some frequencies but not others. We try not to "sneak up" on him, and give him lots of visual cues and lots of pats and scratches and massages. I've spent the last 14-1/2 years talking to Finn, so I wonder if he thinks I'm not talking to him any more I sure hope not.

So hopefully it'll be a good summer for the Westies.

I'm trying to get up the courage to have someone else cut my hair. It'll be 2 years as of August since the last hair trainwreck. I have a good reference from the receptionist at the vet clinic. I've been watching her hair for 2 years, its what I'm looking for so I know that particular stylist CAN do it, I just have to determine if she will do that for ME

Marcy, I hope Marty's flu is wrapping up---have you sent him to the gym space to shed all those germs?!?!??! I'm always trying to get Bob any other place than where I am, when he is sick.

Rainy, glad you got better TV happening and quite a few of those annoying tasks either completed or further prioritized.

Scandi, a lawn bot, SWEET!!!! Glad FiFi is doing well, sweet girl.

Missy, COLA LIVES! I'm so glad. You guys are doing a yeoman's job with the ferals. You are. I hope you can take something positive from that.

Sharon, Hi and you must be enjoying some nice weather right about now!

Austina, your boobs pic over in PBs thread cracked me up, LOL, who says the English are tight-asses??? Who else has topless girls on the front page of the newspaper every morning?!??! When I rode the Tube with my DH, we cracked up, all the staid looking banker types, lawyer types, beautifully dressed in what I assumed was Saville Row, holding a naked chick newspaper during their morning commute

Hi Jaaron, how are things going?

Jimmianne, I feel you are summering in the South of France now, maybe Aix? Of course to handsome Frenchman!! And wine! And croissants and baguettes! Carb it up PLEASE!!!

Callie, how are the roses?

LLJs, we are going to have some beautiful SB turquoise jewels to share here, aren't we?

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Goodday ya'll!

Kristie and Marcy: Miserable rain today and cold! WE have been enjoying very warm temps (27C) but the tide has turned. A week of rather wet weather predicted. But in all fairness, we are due. Good news about the health of your Westies.

Missy: how did your visit to the cycle shop go? Feel different about the recumbent bike? I know I will sound like a nag--but you can get pressure point from sitting like that was well. Anyway, I've never considered riding tandem with DH because our riding styles are very different. And he talks too much and I like to get away from him.

Scandi: your posts are always very charming--funny! Sorry your pooch is under the weather--no pun intended but when it rains it pours.

I hope JA is doing well. Her posts are always lovely to read.

LL--those turquoise look soooo good I want to eat them!

JuneB, Callie, RW, Austina and the rest of the gang--hope your weekend is good. We are headed to Palm Springs next week and I can't wait! Holiday loooonnnng overdue.

cheers--Sharon

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

LLJsmom, I love your turquoise. Very pretty color and will be fabulous in a ring and earrings. I am so excited for your daughter; that is awesome news.

Callie, I don’t have any special plans for the weekend. I got all of my chores and errands done today but still have laundry to do tomorrow. How about you? That’s nice you got some new rose bushes put in. They probably will need a lot of water being newly planted and with warm weather.

Missy, glad to hear you and Greg like the trike tandem okay. I hope your appointment with Jarrod on Monday gives you several more options as well. Yay Cola indeed. That’s great you enjoyed meeting your friends for dinner last night. Good deal you caught Tigre and yes Greg is as much a softie with the kitties as you are with them.

Scandi, I’ll look forward to pictures of your house.

Kristie, yay for a swim today! I am delighted to hear Maggie is doing better and can walk on her right hind leg. I hate to hear about Finn’s hearing; big hugs to both Maggie and Finn. I hate trying to find someone to cut your hair. Marty’s germs are far away so I won’t get sick. Sweet.

Sharon, I see snow if forecast for some areas early next week; I hope you don’t get in on that. I so agree we can all use the rain. Too many fires in the last few years. Enjoy your trip to Palm Springs.

I had a short night. I couldn’t fall asleep last night and had to get up by 7 since the cleaning lady was coming at 8. After she got here I went and ate breakfast, got my car washed, safely navigated the treacherous drive through at the post office and picked up groceries. After the cleaning lady left I went to Outback for lunch. I was planning on bringing home 1/2 of my steak for sandwiches but it was smaller than expected so I ate the entire steak. I had popcorn for supper.
I kind of freaked out because I thought I broke the side mirrors on my car. I went to a car wash and turned my car off while the wash was going and when I pulled out of there the side mirrors were both folded in. I kind of heard something as the big old brushes were going by but didn’t know what it was. I went and found an open parking lot and got out my owners manual and found how to put them back in place. Everything worked after that. Then coming home from lunch I hit a bad bump in the road; I decided I’d best stay home before I hurt my car.

Have a great Sunday.
Marcy

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Sharon, no you are not a nag at all and I appreciate all your input. I want to hear all the negatives that I might not have thought of before we purchase. Thank you! Sorry it is raining by you but it is good you can use the rain at least. I could do without our current heat wave however LOL.

Scandi how is sweet F today? It sounds bacterial and should be self limiting and hopefully she is improving each day. Big gentle hugs. To her and you.
Sadly we were unable to trap any other ferals yesterday despite trying for 5 hours when we returned from our tandem trike travels so we put the food back and will try again tomorrow AM and remove the food before bed tonight. We are in the middle of a heat wave so the cats are not coming out. It is brutally hot out. Wish we could send our heat your way.

Marcy thank goodness you didn't hurt the car or yourself! Glad your house is sparkly clean and I hope you slept better last night. Hope you are having a good weekend and hope Marty is feeling better.

Kristie yay for a morning swim. Ahhh heaven in the heat you have there I am sure.


We did enjoy the recumbent trike tandem ride yesterday though it was in the 90s when we did a trial ride. It was a fun ride and yes a workout. Really a good workout I think. The farther back you lean the more your abdominal muscles are working. I like that and who couldn't use work on the abdomen LOL.

The trike specialty shop was about 90 minutes each way from us so it took much of the day. The dealer isn't sure if the model we want is still being made (it is not a popular read profitable product for the manufacturer since so few people buy a tandem trike so they might have stopped making it) so he is calling the manufacturer Monday to find out and then we will decide what to do. If they are still making the Tandem Pro (the upgraded and only model of this brand we would consider due to smoothness of ride and ability to go far distances i.e. 50-70 plus miles as opposed to the basic model we trialed yesterday ) we are going to go ahead and purchase it most likely. We will use flags on both ends for visibility and I think it would be safe. Sharon to address your comfort issue you are quite right. But compared to all my other options this one is the surest bet re comfort. However I know there is nothing perfect besides not doing any cycling which I hope it won't come to. We still have the special session tomorrow with the bike expert at Asbury cyclery (aka Brielle Cyclery) so fingers crossed. It would be great to be able to enjoy both Calfee and the Tandem Trike and switch back and forth b/w the 2 bikes.

If it is still being made the lead time could be 4 months so not a quick fix for us unfortunately.

Took a quick photo before we left yesterday after our sweaty trial ride. We had already changed from our helmets and cycling gear so rest assured we did not ride like this but forgot to take a photo when we were fully geared up so right before we left to go back to the beach house Greg said let's take a photo. So we did.

The model we want (that they did not have to try) is lower to the ground but has a better frame for a smoother longer ride. And is more than double the price but worth it. We hope.











Have a good day girls. We are off to kayak in our backyard. As Callie pointed out our pedal kayak is like a recumbent on the water.

 

[Scandinavian]

The floor in the 2nd bathroom coming along nicely

 

[Platinum-blonde]

@missy,

I apologize for not going back, and reading through your threads, but I have little free time with an 11 month old, and a 3 year old.

I just wanted to say that getting your sit bones measured, while kind of ackward, can do wonders when it comes to finding the perfect saddle. Also, getting your bike fitted by a pro fitter can really increase your overall cycling comfort. It's crazy how minuscule tweaked can make such a huge impact. I apologize if you've already done this, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

For the sores, i liked to use Chamois Butt'r. I went through tons of creams before if found the one that worked best for me. I also could only wear certain cycling bibs. Some chamois worked better for me than others. If I wore the wrong pair, I would get sores in places that I didn't know I could get sores! Lol

I hope that you find something that works for you soon! Also, when trying to get my bike perfect for me, I found a cycling forum for ladies that was really helpful, and super addicting. Lol Good luck!