Now I really did it :((

[missy]

Good morning girls! Happy Saturday Saturday!

Rainwood awww, 4, are you sure? I trust your judgment (a lot!) so I know in my head you are quite right. But my heart is saying adopt another adopt another.

Since your recommendation we have been buying only organic. Thank you for sharing the info with us. Yes the organic bananas spoil faster and taste a bit different but that proves to me that the non organic bananas are full of bad stuff and pesticides so yeah organic all the way now. I don't need the list. If it isn't organic I don't (knowingly) buy it.
Hope you are enjoying a lovely weekend.

Sharon thanks for all your good wishes! I appreciate that. We are A OK and hanging in there. LOL it has been a challenging winter but doing OK. One day at a time. Fingers crossed things go smoothly from hereon out or at least no more big blips till we get the current issues settled. (((Hugs))) to you and your mom. Hoping all continues to go smoothly for her and you and your lovely sisters.

Marcy hahaha yes well I exercise my credit card frequently. I don't know how to use the debit card but my AM ex gets quite the daily (usually multi daily) workout. Speaking of which we ordered a new oven and hopefully we can get the store and building insurance certificate together for delivery next week. Nothing is simple right? Living in NYC in a co-op has its own set of challenges. Oh and 2 of the 3 elevators here are out of service. Should prove for an interesting delivery. If we can get it next week that is. Thank you for your good wishes! Hope Marty is feeling better and safe flight on Sunday.


So for those of you interested here is a link to the range we purchased. We needed a slide in gas range and wanted it as soon as possible. We found anther but it would be 3 weeks till delivery. Costco is great but their big appliances take 3 weeks to be delivered here so we went with PC Richards. Greg insisted on purchasing the 10 year warranty for an extra $400 but I wasn't going to argue with him over that. Not worth it. I don't love having to call them if the appliance breaks down but some battles aren't worth fighting as we all know by this stage in our lives.

It's not another high end oven to replace our last one but hopefully it will be reliable and do the job. That is all we really want from it. In the meantime thank goodness for our BBQ and the Microwave and good friends who live nearby.

We are off to the ballet this afternoon and hope everyone has a lovely Saturday.

Cannot resist adding this photo. Too adorable. I asked Debbie why is everything tinged pink and she said it was the room color making it appear that way. I can assure you that Zena is not tinged pink. Except for her eyes and her lips.

 

[junebug17]

Hi everyone!

Missy, love your new oven! So sorry about all the hoopla and inconvenience, and I hope you are up and running with your new range soon. What an adorable pic of Zena and your niece, I love it!

Sharon, have a great time celebrating your dh's birthday, your plans sound great. I'm so glad it's going to warm up a bit for you, you really have been suffering through such cold temps. It's wonderful to hear your mother is progressing well!

Austina, I understand about not wanting to travel far, especially during such miserable weather. I would love to go to an afternoon tea in England at a beautiful hotel (with delicious pastries too, right?) - that sounds like so much fun - I wish I could come along!

Marcy, I understand your feelings about your eyesight and I'm sorry you have to deal with the blurry vision. I'm glad things seem to have stabilized, and in fact have gotten a little better, but I know it's challenging. (((Hugs))). I hope you're having a relaxing weekend - sorry Marty has to go out of town but your nirdis are here for you! And oh no to that mac cleaner still driving you crazy, so frustrating!

CJ, what a strange and awkward experience! That waitress was extremely rude and I don't blame you for not leaving a tip.

Rainwood, hi! Yes, I could get used to this weather lol - it's all ending tomorrow unfortunately!

Having a good last day here, dh is getting in one last round of golf and then we'll get dinner somewhere. Also doing some laundry and a little cleaning up.

Happy Saturday to all!

 

[MarionC]

Missy, I’m with Greg. They don’t make appliances the way they used to. My new Samsung washer lasted three years. The one it replaced was a Maytag; 12 years old and was still working fine when I gave it away to get an « upgrade » .
I’ve also had major issues with Bosch and Jenn-air.

June, I’m happy to hear you are enjoying your stay!

Hi everyone <3

 

[missy]

Good morning girls! Happy dogday Sunday!

Junie so glad you are having a great time in SC and wishing you a safe easy trip back home!

Jimmianne, Amen to that. The old models, including us (haha) are the best.

Hope everyone is enjoying a lovely weekend!
We had a great day yesterday. The ballet was wonderful. The pros (for us) of living in NYC outweigh the negatives. I feel energized after such an amazing performance. Leaving you with a few pics of the day.

Heading to the ballet we made a new friend on the subway. His name is Tugboat and he is a 6 year old French bulldog. Sweet he is.



Haha I was chatting with A PSer on our way to the performance and sent her this pic right after it was taken and she told me to stop giving my camera to strangers to take pics
Selfie stick? What fun is that? This way I get to talk to interesting people.


The beautiful ceiling inside the theatre.



and lastly they had a lovely display called the 5 domes. Live in the moment and enjoy each experience. Sage advice.



Greg in front of the display...pretty right and the display isn't bad either.


I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday. (((Hugs))).
Diamond(s) (lights) for all!

 

[Austina]

Happy Sunday lovelies

Hi @rainwood technically, tea should be made with just boiled water, rather than boiling water. It apparently ‘scalds’ the tea, but I always use boiling water and don’t find it affects the flavour at all. Tea made with warm water is just yuk. It doesn’t allow for the flavour to develop, neither does making it in a cup. Even when I’m just making one cup, I use a tea pot.

If you’re ever in England @junebug17 , we’ll take you to afternoon tea at Henry VIII’s hunting lodge, Great Fosters. He would sail to Runnymede then stay at the lodge. It’s also where my friends are getting married. Of course the invitation is open to any of the NIRDIs who’d like to visit We’re also close to Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle!

So glad you managed to find a new cooker @missy hopefully they’ll be able to deliver and fit it soon. Awww to the Frenchie on the Subway. So glad you enjoyed your trip to the ballet, a lovely interlude in an otherwise trying week.

Zena is obviously feeling so at home with your sisters family, how wonderful that she’s settled so quickly and easily. I do think rescues just know when they’re wanted and appreciate the second chance.

Are you all ready for your trip on Tuesday @Jimmianne ? There’s always so much to do before you go away. Who takes care of the animals when you’re gone?

Hi @marcy, hope you’re having a good weekend and Marty isn’t coughing so much.

It was freezing yesterday up in town, and soooo busy. The venue was near the London Eye, and it was heaving. Good for our economy and good that tourists haven’t been put off visiting.

I got home just after 7.30pm, really tired. I don’t know how Colin did it day in and day out for all those years.

Beautiful right sunny day here, but cold, hope you’re all enjoying the weekend.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

We were out for DH's BD at the hippiest place in town and I was the only gal there NOT wearing high knee boots! I wanted to call everyone Missy! I need some SW boots! lol

cheers--Sharon

 

[MarionC]

Sharon, I’ll go for SW if you do!
Do they make them with snow and ice studs???

 

[canuk-gal]

Sharon, I’ll go for SW if you do!
Do they make them with snow and ice studs???[/QUOTE


LOLOL JA...we need to suggest to SW that they should!!

 

[missy]

HI:

We were out for DH's BD at the hippiest place in town and I was the only gal there NOT wearing high knee boots! I wanted to call everyone Missy! I need some SW boots! lol

cheers--Sharon

Sharon, I’ll go for SW if you do!
Do they make them with snow and ice studs???

Sharon they would look fabulous on you! (Loved your comment about wanting to call everyone missy haha hysterical). Happy birthday again to your dear DH. Hope you both had a wonderful day!

Jimmianne tried them on SW OTK Boots when she visited me and they were just gorgeous on her but she didn’t pull the SW trigger...yet. She’s saving that purchase for her next visit. Right Jimmianne?



As for a studded version they just might. I did a quick online search and all I could find was an otk SW sock boot but there must be a better OTK studded version. I’m still waiting for them to come out with a waterproof OTK boot. I asked them to please ask Mr Weitzman.

 

[CJ2008]

missy yeah the worst part was her rudeness. And yeah, it's a diner, you expect hot coffee or hot tea. So if you can't serve that the least you can do is be nice about it. :/

Organic bananas definitely spoil faster.

Tugboat is so gorgeous.

So glad you enjoyed the ballet.

marcy LOL so Marty actually splattering the bears MORE. He's mischievous isn't he.

Sorry that you're still dealing with the malware. :/ So annoying and time consuming. Did you take it to the store?

I really reallly hope this new boyfriend is worth it and treats her children and her well. You don't really know anyone until you've spent significant time with them.

I looked up the diner's email address and I am considering letting them know what happened. I might add something in there how in the past this same waitress has been fine. She's never been great, but she's OK. Just so they can put it into context. But they should know they lost a sale for sure, and if she's not offering the regular tea to make more money on the check that is dishonest. I usually prefer to talk to someone in the moment - and I even considered telling her straight out - "you know, x, we've been very nice to you and all you've given us back is bad attitude. Just so you know. That's why we're not staying and that's why we're not leaving you a tip, because in essence, how you were with us took away our desire to eat here." But I was tired and just didn't want to deal with it.

rainwood thanks I have no doubt missy and greg are wonderful in every way. Celebrikitty says hi

junebug strange and awkward for sure. And annoying. It felt good to not leave a tip.

Hi PB hope you're having a nice weekend

Every NIRDI kisses and hugs and have a wonderful Sunday!

 

[missy]

Hi CJ, (((hugs))) to you and hope your weekend is going well. Just wanted to chime in about the waitress. Please feel free to ignore my thoughts however and I won’t take it personally I promise. We all have our own comfort level and whatever works best for each of us is what counts.

So my thoughts are as follows-Who knows what this waitress is going through and I am quite sure it has nothing to do with you or Your DH. However I don’t think there is any excuse for her to behave so rudely to you for absolutely no reason and personally I probably wouldn’t go there again. Not for a while at least and maybe even not as long as she is there. Idk call me paranoid but when eating out you are at the mercy of the staff not to do anything gross and after reading Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain I don’t eat anywhere the staff makes me nervous if you kwim.

By all means go ahead though and let the manager or whoever is in charge know about your unpleasant experience but still I wouldn’t want to continue being a customer at least in the short term. I am sorry you had to deal with such an unpleasant situation. Going out to eat should be pleasant and easy not stressful or upsetting.

Yes, Tugboat was such a love. He was kissing me and I was hugging him and oh my I just want a few frenchies of my own. Hahaha.

 

[CJ2008]

missy I am with you 100%. On everything.

And it's not lost on me that the same night when someone asked her why she was laughing she could have been doing something to the tea water. I chose to not think that at the time but I realize it's possible that happened.

I have a few reasons for not being sure whether I should write, one of them being exactly what you're talking about. I would feel very uncomfortable going back there if she was there, and she often is. Especially because I didn't say anything to her directly, and I regret not doing so, only because I feel tht is the most fair way to handle something like that. But like I said I was tired and drained by that time. But I feel a little guilty bypassing talking with her directly and going to a manager.

But also because if she is NOT a nice person yeah she could definitely mess with our food. Even if she's not our waitress.

So yeah we probably won't be going back there for a long time. Maybe not ever. Which kind of stinks because it's one of the very few late night places that we can go to.

She was really an a**. She always has a bit of snottiness to her but since things don't usually go wrong it doesn't get in the way.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. (((hugs)))

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDs!

Rainwood. I am glad you finally got rid of MacKeeper. I’ve ended up with Advanced Mac Cleaner. I have visited the Apple support, googled it and watched videos on YouTube. So far (ssh don’t tell my computer) it hasn’t popped up again since I deleted it all yesterday. One of the tips I found on YouTube was it adds itself to your startup apps so even if you have deleted it everywhere and reboot your computer it comes back because it’s in the startup. I do have Apple Care; if I keep getting it I may as well take advantage of that service.

Missy, I imagine getting something delivered to you is quite a challenging process. Living in the big city; like anywhere, has both pros and cons. Your new stove looks really nice. It’s sad appliances don’t last as long anymore and of course they cost more. Zena is almost as big as your niece. She does like pink. I am glad you enjoyed the ballet. Something like that is a pro for living in NYC. I like all of your pictures, ha ha for asking strangers to take your picture. People never seem to mind when I ask them and it is a good way to meet someone new. Tugboat is a cutie. Very going point about why it’s a good call not to eat somewhere you don’t trust the staff.

Junebug, thanks about the kind thoughts for my vision. It does bum me out but not much I can do than try to prevent further damage. I appreciate all of you ladies keeping me company when Marty is on the road. I am hopeful I finally had got rid of that malware but I’ve got rid of it before only to have it start up again. Your trip to SC went by too fast; it does sound like you had a wonderful time.

Jimmianne, we saw a lot of bad reviews for Bosch and Jenn-Air when we were looking. Our house came with Frigidaire and I wouldn’t buy them again. We are happy with our Kitchenaid and GE Cafe appliances. That is too bad your washer only lasted 3 years.

Austina, on the flip side of hot tea; I make frig tea because I think it is less bitter. Marty drinks so much ice tea though I quit making it; I couldn’t stay ahead of it. I used to drink an orange spice tea by Lipton and once they quit making tea I kind of quit drinking iced tea. It sounds really good right now though. I usually don’t drink hot drinks; only cocoa on very cold, snowy days. Those places near you sound fabulous. Marty enjoyed seeing the sights on his trips to the UK. Darn that the weather was so cold on your trip to London. That’s good the tourists are still visiting cool places like the London Eye.

Sharon, I hope you had fun at the hippiest place in town. We even had some places like that her in our small city and I feel like grandma came along to visit. You and Jimmianne definitely need to get some SW boots but like Jimmianne said with some safety features on ice.

CJ, you should get here about 4 pm today to get some hot cookies coming out of the oven. Marty is very mischievous and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I egg him on and certainly can hold my own along those same lines. I have not headed to the store yet about that malware; I haven’t seen it for over 24 hours now. Crossing my fingers and toes there. I hope the new BF works out well for your friend as well. One of my good friends is married to a guy who I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up cheating on her; just a case of his past wouldn’t indicate he’d do anything else. I remain hopeful for her because she really loves him. I’ve only complained online twice but like in your incident I was so unimpressed by their service I wanted them to understand how and why they lost a customer. They send me a discount coupon to use which of course I never used since i never went back there.

We’ve had a busy weekend. The cleaning lady was an hour late yesterday but since it was the sister who often does that I told Marty to cook his normal breakfast so he wasn’t hangry waiting for her to show up. Worked like a charm. Since she was an hour late she was doing all sorts of extra things. A win win there! She is going to open her own cake business soon so maybe she can clean during the week. She said she’d quit her full time cleaning job but keep her side cleaning jobs.

We went out for lunch after she left then went shopping. The wind was brutal and coming off a glacier somewhere; darn it was cold out there. We watched a classic movie last night; the Breakfast Club. I got all of the laundry done so Marty can pack and am making us homemade beef noodle soup.

The forecast shows we’ll be slightly above freezing during the day for the next 5 days. I’ll almost need to dig out sandals and shorts.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Marcy wow it was/is windy by you. How is Marty feeling? Hope Marty arrived safely to his destination and hope work goes well for you both this week. I haven't seen the Breakfast Club since it was in the movies haha and thanks for the reminder because perhaps we will put it on our list if it is available to watch on one of the cable or netflix channels. That would be a blast from the past. We did watch a really good movie last night called 25th hour. It's a Spike Lee movie starring Ed Norton. Excellent. And it is also a lovely homage to NYC IMO. There is one bit in the movie that OMG and LOL and WOW. When he goes off on a diatribe and it is powerful. I recommend this movie if you have not seen it. Haha to digging out your sandals and your shorts this week since it will be above freezing. I might join you. We are hitting the 50s for a few days this week. Shall we dress in pastels for the spring weather Marcy?
(OMG pastel colors...that reminds me Easter isn't that far away )

CJ I hope you are feeling better about things this AM. I know it is hard to shake off unpleasantness (and you know I know this and understand how you are feeling) but this woman isn't worth more of your energy or time. She is probably an unhappy and miserable person and that is why she is the way she is. Content happy people are not mean and rude. (((Hugs))) and hope you find a new diner you can go to that you enjoy even more than this previous one. How is sweet Mousey doing? Any plans for the week?

Junie, hope you had a safe trip back and enjoyed a wonderful time away at your beach house!

PB hope you had a lovely weekend. How are you enjoying your gorgeous new bling?

Austina hope you enjoyed a lovely rest of your Sunday and that you have a good week planned. Hugs to Dottie.

Scandi hope you are feeling well and hugs.

Sunstorm hello there and hugs to you. Hope things are going smoothly.

Sharon hope your mom is continuing a good recovery and that your weather is recovering too. From the freezing cold temps that is haha. Cmon spring!

It was a busy day yesterday. Food shopping, cooking (thank goodness for our BBQ yay), laundry and Greg also went to the beach house to evaluate what was done and what still needs to be accomplished and fixed. A punch list. So far crickets from our ill mannered and ill behaved GC and his wife. A few emails went unanswered last week and Greg is not pleased. He is not one to get angry easily so I feel sorry for them. Well not really because they deserve the full wrath of Greg. I am not getting in the way haha. We shall see what today brings as Greg emailed them the punch list this AM. They don't like to talk on the phone. Yeah really easy dealing with them. Not.

I added some photos to the backsplash thread but will add a few photos here. Both fridges are installed. I like the backsplash as it has lightened up and the contrast with the brick and the wood make the white a perfect choice for us. It was a very dark rainy gloomy day yesterday yet with the lights on the kitchen was nice and bright. Unlike our kitchen pre reno so yes to that. You can see how dark it was yesterday from the dining room which is peeking through in the last photo.









Have a lovely Monday girls!

 

[CJ2008]

marcy Thank you for making me cookies! (((hugs))) Hope the malware is gone for good complaining is sometimes the only way owners find out what is really going on. Nothing wrong with that, especially if you remain factual and polite which I am 100% sure you are. A cleaning lady who also makes cakes win win win LOL And glad you talked marty out of his hangriness good going. I'm going to dinner to my friend's tonight and I am so so hoping I at least like the boyfriend. I just want her to have a man who is on the same level she is. Hope your work day goes smoothly today without any annoyances.

missy thanks (((hugs))) yeah, she's kind of young, and I'm sure working at the diner and dealing with people all day s*cks. I know I wouldn't want to do it. But that's why when you get a table and the people are nice...take a chill pill and appreciate them. We plan on doing dinner with my friend tonight. I am feeling super lazy and don't feel like doing anything but what else is new? I know I'll be glad after because I really do love her and want to support her and she's such an extrovert she needs these get togethers.

Mousey is good. She actually asked for a pet this week. She chirped and raised her paw to me. I'm working with her to see if she can feel comfortable on my lap. Prompted by a rescue person losing interest in her the second I told her I can't pick her up, even though I had already told her the story of how far she's come and how super affectionate and gentle she is.

The kitchen is looking gorgeous. Hope the issues get resolved so that Greg doesn't have to spend any energy on getting angry.

Hugs everyone, have a great Monday.

 

[PierreBear]

Hi Ladies! Sorry I’ve been MIA. I got the one work project out of the way and DH and I got to relax this weekend with a movie. We wanted to initially watch Black Panther but my FIL said it wasn’t very good and actually walked out of the film. We watched a sci-fi film called Annihilation and it was amazing! We did go for the bottomless popcorn and ate way too much… umm DH and I were guessing we might have eaten 3 to 4 bags of popcorn together?!! Felt sick but I think it was my nervous reaction to the scenes in the movie to keep munching. Hahaha… oh well it was worth it.


To make up for being away, I did take a photo of the pie. It was a salted honey pie and it was pretty good. I still am not a master of homemade crust. I felt that it was too thick and obviously it looks ummm “rustic” on the top. I still can’t figure out how to get the crust from shrinking as I’ve put it in the oven before baking and had it stretched out at the very ends already. I’ll keep working on it!

This week I’ll be traveling for some training on my part time job. I’m nervous that they “picked the wrong person” and that I won’t add value. I know it’s partly a self confidence issue and anxiety is hard for me to deal with. Just wanted to share though.

@junebug17 – Nice to have masks to darken the room so you can sleep well. I’ve seen my husband try it a couple of times. It makes me laugh when I see it half off of his face in the morning. Ohhh little manly sleeping beauty.

The black beans turned out decent. Thanks for asking. I still think that canned beans you can find at the store works just as well though!

@missy – Oh yes, my bony butt concurs with curved seats Good luck on the search.

Yikes a gas leak? Are ya’ll ok? So nice of your friend to offer to use her oven in the meantime.

Hope you continue to make strides on your health! Big hugs!!!

What a beautiful display and Greg looks very handsome!

@Austina – I haven’t been in the realm of collecting jewelry that aren’t everyday pieces. Sounds like a dangerous avenue… when do you get to wear those special items? More like date nights and weddings? Would love if you shared some more photos!

What is an afternoon tea hen? Is that a metaphor for something? Hopefully you still had a fun time though despite the cold. How far of a trip is it for you to get to London?

@marcy – Congrats to Marty passing the CPR certificate! Yum that trip to the steak house sounds great, particularly splitting that dessert!

@Sunstorm – Gosh sorry to hear that you aren’t doing well. I think I’ve had the dental abscesses you are going through. Painful and for me it was due to stress and possibly the mis-use of the electric tooth brush by being wound up so tightly. Hope you can get down the source and be on the road to recovery soon.

@canuk-gal – Happy Birthday to your DH! Hope ya’ll enjoyed going out on the town. Did you sing happy bday and blow out candles?

Hahaha just read your other post… I wouldn’t fit in either as I don’t wear high knee boots.

@CJ2008 – Sorry to hear about your tea experience but glad you pushed past the experience. It’s hard to be in that customer service industry but at the same time I think it can be forgotten how their actions can really impact other people’s day as well and vice versa. Hopefully the next time ya’ll go out, it will be a joyous experience to focus time and attention on your DH instead of on the waitress. : /

@rainwood – Thanks for sharing your perspective on organic. I honestly haven’t priced it out in that way. When you mention it in total $ amount, for some reason it doesn’t seem as bad as I thought. I appreciate the encouragement.

 

[Austina]

Hello lovelies

It’s snowing

You’d feel right at home @marcy, it’s into minus temps here with the windchill factor brrrrrrrrr. Even with thermals on this morning, I was cold. We having a saying here that it’s cold enough to freeze the b***s off a brass monkey Break out the sandals and shorts and come on over.

I hope your noodle soup turned out well and hit the spot, I made vegetable today, added tomatoes so more like a minestrone. Hope Marty got away safely on his trip and is feeling better.

Hi @CJ2008 poo to that person being put off by Mousey not being comfortable being handled yet. She obviously doesn’t understand that it comes with trust and will happen. Dottie didn’t seek any affection from us at all when she first arrived, but loves to be fusssed now.

Glad you enjoyed your DH’s BD outing, @canuk-gal get yourself some booties and join the hipsters

Safe travels tomorrow @Jimmianne

Glad things are progressing @missy but poor Greg having to deal with the GC and his uncommunicative wife. Hopefully they are still owed money so will attend to the snagging list and get it sorted.

So great to see how all your choices have come together so well, the kitchen really is looking like something from a style magazine.

Hi @PierreBear I’ve seen on cooking programmes that the pastry is left hanging over the edges of the dish, so that once the pie is cooked, even factoring shrinkage, any excess is trimmed off giving a neat edge.

I’m sure you’re the right person for the job, they wouldn’t have chosen you otherwise

A Hen Do is what you know as a bachelorette party, where female friends of the bride to be get together. We met for afternoon tea, as we were mostly mature ladies, so going out clubbing and drinking cocktails really wasn’t our thing

Although geographically we don’t live that far from London, the train journey is about an hour, then the venue was about 20 minutes from the station.

I have a rainbow sapphire collar with matching earrings, bracelet and ring, which I wear when we go on cruises. Unfortunately the ring is a double row full eternity, and is too tight now. I also have a 4.56ct pink sapphire ring with 1.25 cts baguette diamonds in platinum that I don’t wear daily, but often wear on holiday. I also have 2 AAAA Tanzanite pieces that are currently in 18ct y/g that I’m planning to swap to white metal at some stage.


Not a good photo, doesn’t show how vivid the colours are


Again, not a great photo, it’s much more vivid IRL



Swiss blue topaz necklace

 

[Austina]

The rest of the Swiss blue suite

 

[Sunstorm]

Nice bling @Austina ! I think that top Tanzi is very nice in the ring, the design is quite nice too but I agree that WG would show off the stone better. I love your pink sapphie ring too.

Just wanted to drop in for a few. Of course cannot follow everything that has been going on and sorry if I leave out someone but thanks to those of you who thought of me.

Weather has been absolutely horrible. Yesterday I had to travel to meet some clients and really just wanted to stay home watching tv and nothing else.

Tomorrow I am off to Budapest and then flying out the next day. Of course I do all of this when it is the worst weather in the entire winter. We are hit very very late! And very severely.

I am trying to recover as much as I can. Had a problem with my doctor so I am changing doctors and going to a specialist when I come back and do more teeth stuff too, that will be fun, not!

There is quite a bit of work now which is good though. Then perhaps my dream of buying those yellow cushions for my dream earrings can come true.

Now of course just when I am trying to save for buying a really nice place with my BF. So typical. I have money I do not care about properties but bling. Tell me girls that I really need to get my act together ok? Thing is my dream place is sort of finalizing in my head so I will surely focus on that this year. Hope that by the end of the year we are well on the way towards that.

Have a great day girls, hugs to you all!

 

[junebug17]

Hi girls!

Missy, love the pics of your day at the ballet, what a wonderful day. Makes me feel like I was there lol. Lovely pics of you and Greg! And Tugboat is just adorable The kitchen looks fabulous, I love how bright and cheerful the room is even on a dreary day.

Austina, I would love to visit England and go to tea with you! Hmm, maybe someday, dh and I do talk about places we'd like to visit. Although by the time we are ready to travel you might be here lol - which is fine, I'll just visit you in Austin Thank you so much for the amazing eye candy! Oh my gosh your pieces are gorgeous! Love your pink sapphire, beautiful color and great size. The swiss blue topaz pieces are such a fabulous shade of blue. I love everything, thank you for taking time to post pics.

Sunstorm, thanks for checking in, I've been thinking about you and I hope you're feeling ok. Sounds like you have some busy days ahead, good luck with your traveling and work. Very exciting that you are looking for a place with your bf! Lol to caring more about bling than properties, I feel the same way! I tell my husband I'd be happy in a little condo if I was surrounded by gorgeous diamonds lol - he looks very scared when I say things like that haha!

CJ, I'm sorry about the rescue person losing interest in Mousey, that is a shame and I don't really get it I dunno, you'd thing a person involved in rescue would be a little more understanding. How sweet she asked for a pet, what a special girl she is. You are doing a great job with her. I hope you have a nice dinner with your friend and I hope you get good vibes about her bf. Lol to feeling lazy, I've been feeling the same way lately! Just don't feel like doing much of anything these days. Too bad we don't live closer, we could do nothing together ha!

PB, that pie looks absolutely amazing! Yum! My dh wears sleep masks sometimes too, and it cracks me up a little when I look over at him! Sending lots of good thoughts to you this week as you start your new job, it's understandable you'd feel a little nervous but try not to worry, you're going to do fine!

Marcy, that would be great if your cleaning person could come during the week, I hope it works out that way. Sorry it's so windy, makes it feel so much colder when that wind blasts you. You were definitely on the go this weekend. I hope Marty made it to LA with no problems.

Our return trip went well - ran into some traffic here and there but still made it home in good time. Dh is happy because he has a "new" tv lol. We had a nice week, but we did have a problem with Zoe, kind of strange...she saw her reflection in a window one night and I guess she thought it was another cat, and got extremely agitated - growling, hissing, screaming, and swatting at her reflection! I thought she would catch on that it was her reflection but she kept it up all week. Ugh. She was scared, and it was upsetting to hear her. Crazy, huh? Going to have to figure something out, dh was thinking about sticking fake plants in front of the windows at night. (It's mainly windows at her eye level, such as patio doors).

Hope everyone is having a good night!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Missy, it was very springlike here today and I did wear pink and green. I will have to try and watch 25th Hour. My cleaning lady suggested Riding in Cars in Boys; so I rented it last night. It was pretty good. Good luck with getting the items on your punch list fixed. Have you paid them in full yet? I hate people like that who won’t return your calls. I hope you and Greg are pleased with the new kitchen; it really looks great. Very bright and happy.

CJ, I had 2 of your cookies tonight but there are plenty in the freezer for you. I agree that if you do complain about service you’ll get further if you are polite about it. Have fun with your friend tonight and I hope you like her BF. That is pretty neat Mousey wanted you to pet her; she has come a long way. Sending hugs her way.

PierreBear, sounds like Annihilation is pretty intense. I can see how you’d munch on popcorn during something like that. Your pie looks delicious. I like pie treats from leftover crust (for those who have never enjoyed them - it’s butter, sugar and cinnamon on leftover pie crust). I think we are all hesitant when we start a new job; sending you mega good luck wishes that it turns out to be a great experience for you. Safe travels.

Austina, I did see where you were going to be cold and snowy there. Stay warm! That saying is well known around here too. Pretty funny. It does sound like I’d feel right at home there right now. Brrr. My soup did hit the spot and I took a cup to work today for lunch. Minestrone does sound good; I was thinking of trying something else. I wish I could eat chicken because I’d made chicken and rice soup. Great pieces of jewelry there. I remember your tanzanites from previous pictures. They are amazing color. Your pink sapphire is gorgeous and how fun to have the multi color sapphire set. Beautiful color on the swiss blue topas.

Sunstorm, darn you are having bad weather. We are finally warming up for a few days. Have a safe trip and good luck finding a new doctor when you get back.

Junebug, yes it would be nice if it works out this cleaning lady could come during the week. She’s not punctual but cleans better than her sister and it eliminates getting up early every other Saturday. Time will tell. I was glad the wind died down today. I could barely walk not fighting the wind. Ha ha! Oh no that Zoe got so upset at her reflection. Give her a hug for me.

Marty did make it to LA last night. He is feeling okay but not great yet. I don’t think I’m getting his crud but I feel like I have a tumor trying to grow out of my right eyebrow. I keep poking at it too which I am sure isn’t helping at all. It’s probably my sinuses but it hurts.

I had leftovers for supper and 2 of CJ’s cookies. Then I filled out the renewal form for my driver’s license. I even went out and mailed that and my FIL’s birthday card all without hitting any curbs going through the drive through at the post office. Woo hoo!

Take care.
Marcy

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Junie glad you had a good trip back and enjoyed your time there. I'm sorry about sweet Zoe. Cats are weird and while I don't think ours ever growled at their own reflection before they sure have gone crazy when they see the outdoor ferals at the beach house. To the point where Tommy hits the glass doors to the backyard over and over trying to get out to I don't know do what to the feral. It is sort of scary more than funny (and I break it up ASAP but he goes right back to it and the ferals generally just stay put outside watching this lol) but he eventually calmed down and doesn't do that anymore. I think it would be a good idea to do what you can (at least for now) to block her reflections with plants as your dh suggests. With time she will get used to it but blocking her reflection is a good idea. If it makes you feel better I think the more intelligent cats see their reflections so Zoe is a smart kitty. Our kitties walk right by mirrors and never even "see" anything there. Oh well I guess they won't be attending the gifted program in school anytime soon. Hahaha.

Hope your week is shaping up nicely and that everything goes well and it is an enjoyable week back.

CJ hope you enjoyed a lovely time at dinner with your friends last night. I feel the same as you when we have plans with friends. Initially I am excited to see everyone but often the day of I start feeling lazy and anti social haha but as soon we get together that all evaporates and I usually have a wonderful time. So hope everyone had a good time and thanks for updating us about Mousey. She is as sweet as sugar isn't she? Just love her.

Marcy yes check out that movie. We enjoyed it and I was surprised we missed it in the movies all those years ago when we were going at least once if not twice and three times a week. I was quite the movie lover in those days. Still am but don't enjoy the movie theaters here so we watch at home as nothing beats the comfort of being in your own home and watching movies.

No we have not paid in full but like 90% as per the contract and we had no choice. Had to sign it (and pay along the way in check as written in the contract) or they would not have taken the job. However Greg is confident they are not going to cheat us that way and will complete the job. And yesterday the GC's wife responded within an hour of Greg's email and scheduled the carpenter to finish the siding work outside. However she scheduled him for this Friday-what is predicted to be the worst weather day of the week with torrential downpours and high winds. So I asked Greg to please email her back and make sure she rescheduled him and we were not expecting a response at all (her MO when she doesnt like the way things are going) but lo and behold not only did she respond she put him on for today. The nicest day of the week. And he is there right now. Woohoo.

How is Marty feeling? Woohoo to avoiding curbs dear Curby. You go girl!
Did someone mention cookies?

Austina I LOVE the beautiful bling you shared above and love the swiss blue suite. Bluetiful and bluelicious. And glamorous and I love all the pieces. Oh my snowing by you. How much snow are you getting? I think it is late in the season for you to be having snow IIRC but perhaps it will only be a dusting. Though there is something exciting about a later season snow knowing that the warmer weather will soon be here so it is a different (for me at least) type of feeling when it is a late winter snow knowing the warmer weather is around the corner. Does that make any sense? Anyway hope it doesnt slow anyone down or cause any issues and that it is just a pretty snow.

PierreBear your salted honey pie looks yummy. I never heard of that pie before but just the name is delicious. It looks like pumpkin pie and I love pumpkin pie. Haha to nervous munching of popcorn while watching that movie. I do that too. Glad you enjoyed the movie. Good luck with your new job. They will be lucky to have you and not only will you add value I have no doubt you will do a wonderful job and everyone will adore you there. How can they not? I am thinking good thoughts for you!

Sunstorm ugh to your bad weather...spring will be here soon and hopefully more mild temps will be here soon...have a good trip and good luck finding your dream place with your boyfriend. Very exciting! And I hope you are continuing to get stronger and feel well.

Jimmianne any updates? How are you feeling? How is your DD doing? When is your next trip there planned? Thinking of you and sending hugs and love.

The weather here is perfect. High 50s and sunny and beautiful. Our carpenter is working today at the house doing outdoor siding etc and hopefully all goes smoothly. Greg is pleased with how the kitchen is looking so that is good. Within the next month we are hoping we will be pretty much done. Haha I think the GC's wife is being more responsive now because she wants to be done with this project and us too. Hahaha. We shall see.

Have a great day girls!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Weather is perking up here for the next few days, then more snow. Phooey. Oh well. Just roll with it. I turned on my favorite radio station (CKUA) to my coffee this AM--and heard James Brown. He funked me up! Definitely the way to start my day!

Sunstorm--sorry your weather is the pits. I definitely relate. I hope your new coat and boots helped in that regard.

Marcy and JB--my DH was looking a Macan's yesterday online. There is a good selection locally so we might take a test drive this weekend--weather dependent. We are casually looking for another SUV replace our 2008, and I mean casually because we really don't need one. And at this point an SUV. My DH still plays hockey and that equipment is bulky, but is that a reason to get another SUV? I think a sedan with a big trunk would suffice. Anyway, we are MB people and might not be able to make the leap to another brand! LOLOL

I really need to get moving--but am enjoying my coffee.

Hope your weather is settling down Austina. Don't get much snow in your neck of the woods?

Hello NIRDIS.

cheers--Sharon

 

[PierreBear]

Hi Ladies! Thank you for the encouragement of my new part time gig. I’ll admit that the anxiety is still building up more and more but I did sleep well yesterday. Yesterday in cooking class it was all about beans. So many different version of beans and it was exciting as can be I guess? A curry garbanzo bean, lentils, borracho beans, and we also made a falafel out of chick peas. There was plenty leftover to take home so at least I know DH won’t go hungry while I’m out of town.

Well keeping it short today but I’ll be signing off and will report back next week with hopefully some good news. Hope ya’ll have a great rest of the week and take care.

@Austina – Ahhh thanks for sharing what you learned on cooking shoes. Yes, I did exactly that where the crust was covering all the way to the decorative edge of the pie but it still shrunk unevenly. I’m scratching my head on what else to try!

Hen Do sounds much more fitting than a bachelorette party. Haha clubbing and drinking sounds like a nightmare to me. I didn’t even want to do that in my 20s. I’ll join in on afternoon tea though!

Thanks for showing your non-daily wear goods. Wow that first ring… I love that asymmetrical look!!!! It’s sooo unique and one of a kind! Please never change that ring! I love love love it! Oh and how it matches your necklace too. : ) All so beautiful!

@Sunstorm – Wow Budapest sounds fun. Is this for pleasure I’m assuming. I would love to hear about what you have planned on your trip!

@junebug17 – Oh no that she got confused with her reflection. Did she eventually calm down or does it help to distract her with a toy? Putting the plants outside is a great idea! My cat still has the annoying habit of jumping on the bathroom counter (we all share one small sink) to hog the space heater so we can’t actually brush our teeth/wash face easily. DH said lets try to break him of the habit so once he does that, we will put him in the shower with the glass door closed (with the water not on… like a time out) Well I look over and he’s just licking the shower floor to drink some water. So much for punishment. Hahaha… having fun wherever he can!

@marcy – Good idea on the pie treats! I actually had some left over and wasn’t sure what to do so I just froze it back up in case I needed to “patch some holes” the next time I made it and perhaps rolled it a little uneven.

@missy – Go carpenter go! Hope everything go smoothly with the outdoor siding. Glad to hear that the GC’s wife is more on board with everything. One more month is not much of a wait… I know I’m eager to see the final product too. Is Greg going to blind fold you and then do a big reveal as you walk into the space for the first time? Yiipeee!!!

 

[MarionC]

Missy, good news on the carpenter!

I’m leaving for the airport in two hours and will be lurking from my unpredictable wifi in France. Will be there 21 days.

XX

 

[canuk-gal]

Missy, good news on the carpenter!

I’m leaving for the airport in two hours and will be lurking from my unpredictable wifi in France. Will be there 21 days.

XX

Safe travels! Have fun!!

xoxo--Sharon

 

[junebug17]

Jimmianne, I thought I remembered you saying you were leaving today...safe travels and have a great time! <3

 

[Austina]

Hello lovelies

Safe travels @Jimmianne I hope there are no delays, The Beast from the East is being pretty brutal here.

Poor Zoe @junebug17 if only we could explain to them there’s nothing to fear. You will of course be very welcome to visit, either here or when we’re hopefully living in Austin.

Good luck @PierreBear you’ll do great.

I hope your trip goes well @Sunstorm and that you can find a good specialist on your return who can help you.

You’d be feeling at home here @canuk-gal , it’s minus temps and been snowing off and on all day. Fortunately, only about an inch or so has settled, but it’s very icy out. Hope your Mum is continuing to do well.

It’s going to be -6 tonight @marcy, we’re giving you a run for your money! Poor Marty, this is really taking its time to shift, even more miserable being away from the comforts of home. Glad the soup hit the spot, there are so many great recipes to chose from. Have you tried roasted butternut squash, that’s really easy and tasty?

So glad the GC’s wife is being more responsive @missy, hopefully this is all going to be finished soon, then you can start to enjoy your beautiful new kitchen, not to mention taking the pressure off Greg.

I channelled my inner Missy today, guess what I bought?

Yes! A pair of navy blue OTK boots I’m sure they don’t look as good on me, but what the hay, I’m going for it

I remembered that I was going to share my on board purchases. I found the links rather than taking a photo because it shows the colour more accurately.


Dottie is loving the snow, she keeps going outside to snuffle it She had a lovely snowy moustache, but shook most of it off before I could capture it.

I’ll leave you with a photo of her waiting to come in



Keep safe and warm

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Missy, that is scary about Tommy hitting the glass over and over trying to get outside because of a feral cat. That had to hurt. Poor Tommy and Zoe. Again, I’m with you - I’d rather watch movies at home. We have better popcorn and seats here plus you can pause the movie for a quick trip down the hall. That is positive to hear the contractor’s wife got back to you about finishing up everything. Progress! Marty said he is feeling fine but he was still coughing when he left Sunday. The little brat made me jump about an hour ago though. I got home and was rounding up the trash to put out tomorrow and hadn’t turned on the TV yet. My text alert for him is a bunch of Minions laughing and it really startled me. He said that was a bonus knowing I jumped. Mm cookies. I am delighted to hear you had a lovely day there today. We had very nice weather as well. It was almost springlike.

Sharon, that is a great way to start your day. I’ve been listening to quite a bit of my old favorites on Prime music lately. I hope you guys do go test a Macan; we were both blown away at how well it handles and drives for a SUV. I still have a smile on my face when I’m driving it. Glad to hear you had some nice weather today too. We both know we have more snow coming our way though.

PierreBear, I can’t say I’d get excited about cooking up a lot of beans but Marty would be excited. Good deal your DH is stocked up with food though. I hope you have good news too; sending you good news dust! Pie treats are pretty tasty. My mom was a pie baker; I know her crust usually hung over the edge at least an inch and then she’d pinch it up to the edge. I have her crust recipe somewhere but since she always made great pies I might have made 3 pies my entire life. I took care of the cookies.

Jimmianne, Mildred is so glowy at the top I knew your avatar with a 1/2 inch showing. Have a safe trip to France. I’ll miss you!

Junebug, has your Macan made it to the dock for shipping yet? That has got to be soon.

Austina, -6 sounds very cold. It’s nice you are joining in my misery. Stay warm! I saw some places over there had 16” of snow. Marty said he is feeling normal again so that’s good. He had it long enough. Great shopping spree there! I love the color or your tote an wallet and those are fabulous glasses. I’ve been wearing my red Ray Bans to and from work because I am always driving in to the sun. Hi Dottie!

Not much exciting going on here. I went to lunch with a friend today. She is a manager under the same senior manager so we vented about our employees but it was nice to commiserate with each other. Tomorrow is the big meeting with the senior manager who is apparently telling us all not to expect good ratings on our appraisals and that we won’t be getting any raises. After he rips the bandage off I’ll go throw salt on their wounds and tell them if you want to succeed you need to do this, that and the other thing. Should be interesting.

Marty found some safety spotter arms he wants to buy for his weight racks. I told him that was fine because my next shopping spree is going to be expensive. Ha!

I had fast food for supper so no dishes to clean up. I am a lady of leisure tonight.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Junie how is your week going? Beautiful days so far this week but today might be the last of the good weather for at least a while. N'oreaster coming this way. Hope you are enjoying the nice weather for now.

Jimmianne have a wonderful time and a safe trip and I hope you have exciting news to share with us when you return.

Austina oh sweet Dottie is precious. Look at her enjoying the snow.
Hahaha channeling your "inner missy" LOVE that. And I cannot wait to see your beautiful blue boots. Please share photos. And I know you are going to look gorgeous in them Austina. You are gorgeous in anything cause you are gorgeous. I know because I have seen your photos.

Marcy glad your weather is cooperating. Yay for Marty feeling better and I sure hope his cough soon disappears. LOL to him enjoying making you jump. What a jokester. Good luck on your big meeting today and I am glad you got to enjoy lunch with a friend yesterday and were able to share similar work stories. It helps knowing you are not alone in the crazy behavior you deal with on a daily basis at work. Ooh yes to your expensive shopping spree. Smart move letting Marty spend money so you can prepare for your spending spree. I like the way you think. Enjoy being a lady of leisure and yay to no dishes to clean up.

Sharon did you go Macan shopping yet? Cannot wait to hear your thoughts. I think that might become the NIRDI car of choice soon. Marcy has started a trend.

Hi CJ hope you are having a good week.

Pierrebear thinking of you and hoping everything goes well. You are going to do great.

Have a wonderful day ladies!