Pot Bellied Stove / Water Cooler

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  • arobed53
    arobed53 Posts: 2,004 Member
    Sheryl, how was the brisket? I'm been working on food today - interesting experiences. I think we may be having jello soup - tried a new recipe and it's still liquid. I baked 36 cupcakes yesterday - 12 gluten free and decorated today - blue frosting, a rainbow stripe of candy and white blobs on both ends for clouds. Then I went for a lemon meringue pie - a favorite of almost son-in-law. First pie crust shrunk down to nothing. So made another one and it's too think but didn't shrink too much. Made the filling and then a meringue (haven't done one for years) but I guess it looks okay. We'll find out tomorrow. We celebrate 3 birthdays. A neighbor called and asked to make a big casserole for us (I guess cause I'm so busy with the wedding) but I passes cause I have all the stuff for hamburgers and hot dogs, chips, etc. Ralph and I went in at noon and picked up the meat from the two hogs we had done and took it to the guy who is cooking the meat - Tomorrow we'll go take it off the bones. Ralph also bought 5 more chicks so we have 31 now.

    We went to Thomas' baseball game last night. Again, he's a freshman so doesn't get to do a lot. He got one hit but they got him out at first base and then he struck out the other times he got to bat. His dad is the coach so we could watch him supervise 3rd base. They lost the first game and then we left during the second cause it was cooling off and we had an hours drive home.

    Sheryl, yay on getting the faucet back together and in better shape than before. At least he knew he needed your help. So sorry insurance is making Nancy do so much before doing surgery. Surgery on the feet does not sound fun either. Glad her daughter can help.
    Dress fitting went great. Dress was fine - in and out in 15 minutes so I wasn't even late to Bible study. They'll steam it and she'll pick it up next Wednesday when she picks up the decorations for the receptions tables. My next big job is the list of what I need from Sam's.

    I don't know if next week will be horribly busy or not. Guess I'll know soon. Have a great rest of the weekend.
  • isyvanek
    isyvanek Posts: 1,039 Member
    edited April 2016
    Hi ladies, Dan got up at the same time I did yesterday so we hit the ground running and were busy all day. We spent the entire day together. We set up the home phone that my friend had me buy for her then decided she didn't want (our 25 yr OLD home phone finally died). We really like the new one. Then we ran errands, did a little bit of clothes shopping for "loungy" pants for Dan at Target, dropped our old home phone at Best Buy for recycling, I got a pair of shoes at TJ Maxx which was next door to Best Buy, and we stopped at Trader Joes since we were in the area. Then he took me to dinner for pulled pork sandwiches a few hours later. It was a very nice day. The one frustration to the day was when I went on line to buy several items from Amazon such as boxed birthday cards, etc. When I went to check out I discovered that you now need $49 for free shipping if you don't have Prime, which I REFUSE to pay for, so I kept adding items to get to the free shipping but it kept telling me that the items didn't "qualify" toward the free shipping total. I finally got SO angry I cancelled the entire order. I ended up going to each individual website and ordered all my stuff direct and got free shipping from each site. I will not be ordering much from Amazon any more. They have become quite the rip off as far as I am concerned! OK, I'll get off my soap box! :wink:

    We had another repair come up this week - our garage door springs wore out $450.00 later. The good news is that someone came out right away, had all the parts and did a good job even tho it seemed a tad overpriced.

    Turns out that Dan's Dr. appt was so that he could get his blood pressure meds renewed. But he is starting to finally feel a bit better. He also got some lab work done and when he told the doc that he couldn't afford it she sent him to a lab that only charged $23 for it. All in all, it was a good experience for him.

    Anew, so happy that hubby was able to get the trucks repaired and that the bugs are "less prevalent" now. You WILL reign victorious!

    Sheryl, the pic of your llama on the sand pile was so cute. He looks very proud of himself. The sand seems like it will be quite the chore. Do you have a snow plow type attachment for your little tractor that you could spread it with? I guess you can't drive it in the mud though. Too funny about the ants names. Hope their relatives don't show up for the funeral. :wink: You always amaze me with your handy man (or should I say handy woman) skills. I am so impressed that you got the faucet back together and it works great. It is a shame about Simon, but your sister has a good head on her shoulders and sounds like she is making the right decision. At this stage in our lives we don't need someone who is "too much work". It is funny about your sister calling you while she is on her walks. I call my brother every day while on my walk at lunch.

    Debora, I am so proud of you for having much of the room emptied now. I have faith that you will definitely get a bed in there! Glad you got your taxes done and you are getting a refund of sorts. That is always good news. So very happy that the dress worked out. I can't believe the wedding is only 9 days away now. Hope you don't have too much more to do to prepare. Can't wait to hear all about it.

    Marcie, I'm guessing all those extra projects have you very busy at work. Hope it doesn't get too crazy for you that you have to give up your walks.

    Well, I am going to go and cook my greens for the week and prepare a turkey meatloaf for tonight. BTW, it is 90 degrees here today. Looks like we have Santa Ana winds blowing in. It will be hot for much of the coming week then back to the 70s again.

    Have a wonderful week everyone!
  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
    edited April 2016
    Good Morning, a quick pop in. Another early morning with John. We're having record heat, high 80's, and I think we'll get in the car today and take a drive. John doesn't seem to regulate himself very well anymore and works outside too long in the heat. It is good that he wants to stay active, but not good that he doesn't realize when he needs a break and rest.

    Isabella, yes, the tractor has a front loader on it, (a bucket) and after this dry week, the ground is solid enough to use the tractor. ( I looked back and the photos of the tractor are on page 23 of this post). I use the shovel/wheelbarrow to move some sand to the small areas, around the automatic waterers, but the tractor to move several bucket loads over to the other gateways and to spread the remaining out in the area where it was dumped at delivery. I will be ordering another delivery of top soil to fill in low areas in the pasture, where I want to reseed, and I'm tempted to get extra just for a hill for the llamas to play on. They enjoy it so much and they sure need the activity of running up a hill and playing. I have told myself for years that we should build an obstacle course and train them like the llamas we see at the county fair, but haven't done that yet. I am terrible about a regular training routine, I barely get them sheared and vaccinated each year.

    Gotta go.
  • mygnsac
    mygnsac Posts: 13,413 Member
    Hi everyone. I feels so accomplished. I finally got caught up on all your posts. Boy was I ever behind!

    Saturday Dad and I went out for lunch at a new restaurant called Rey Azteca Taqueria Restaurant. Neither of us was impressed. Neighbors on the NextDoor website were raving about the place, but we didn't get it. I ordered a BLTAC (bacon, lettuce, tomato, avacado & swiss chees sandwich), but it was just meh. Won't go back there again. I wished we had gone to Chevy's, which was our initial destination, so I could get the chicken fajitas that I was craving.

    The weather is getting warm now. We got up to 90 degrees yesterday. The house is staying cool though, so haven't had to turn on the AC yet. A cooling trend is on the way again though.

    Well, this is my jury duty week. I checked the court's website Friday afternoon to see if I had to report today, but I didn't have to. I have to check again tomorrow afternoon to see if I have to report on Wednesday. My boss and our division chief aren't thrilled that I may have to report. We have so much going on at work right. I would have postponed jury duty, but just don't want to be stuck doing it in the summer. Get it over with now.

    I've been making a point of going for several walks throughout the work day. I've really been walking the city lately. It gets hard sitting for so long in front of the computer, so I need to get up, stretch and get the blood flowing a bit.

    Sheryl, good job getting that faucet back together. You are so talented! Sorry to hear that things are going better with Norma and Simon, but maybe this is best. Also sorry to hear that Nancy is struggling with her feet. Love the picture of Bandit on the sand pile!

    Anew, yay on the AC in your car, but boo on having to replace the electrical outlets! I'm sorry you are still getting bit by those awful bedbugs! What an ordeal! I totally get your hubby being stressed when he gets home. I often feel the same way.

    Debora, that wedding is just around the corner! The time sure has flown by. Glad to hear the dress fits! My Dad would sure love some of that roasted hog! I'd have to pass though. Not much of a pork person. Bacon, of course, is the exception. Ha! Yes, Dad is still walking each day. He's walking four times a day now. Dawn (with Cisco), around 8 am (with his walking group), around 4 pm (with Cisco), and around 7 pm (with Cisco and one of his walking buddies). I'm sure once it gets real hot he'll probably scale back a bit.

    Isabella, it sound like you and I are having the same weather right now, except no Santa Ana winds for me. I hope your new neighbors are nice and don't give you any trouble like Mr. Difficult. Your fence looks really good. Sorry about the garage door expense though!

    Well, its too warm outside now to walk, so I think I'll go down to the parking garage and do a couple laps before my break is over. It's usually not too warm down there. Have a wonderful evening everyone.
  • arobed53
    arobed53 Posts: 2,004 Member
    Thought I'd drop in to chat once more this week. Then I think things will be getting busier. I'll still drop in to read though so don't stay too quiet. Good News Club went well. We had a missionary from Sweden come and talk and they really enjoyed that. I got my Sam's order ready and sent to Lori so she could place it. I've been gathering up stuff I have here that needs to be taken to church together. Tonight after church we will set up tables and decorate tomorrow. Julie doesn't think it will take long but everything always takes longer than you think. I'm just glad we are starting Thursday and don't have to do it Friday. The bridesmaids have their final fitting today and Julie picks up her dress and the reception decorations. So.... that's what is going on here.

    Isabella, your Saturday was busy. Glad you like the new phone and didn't have to hunt for one since you already had this purchased. Bummer on the Amazon deal. Lori has the Prime and lets me use it and I pay her a bit. With the way I operate, it pays for itself. Ouch on the springs for the garage door. I'd say that's enough now. Glad Dan is feeling better and the doctor listened to him on the costs.
    Thanks for the encouragement on the decluttering. I found a box of papers (from my folks) that I'm going through now. Not keeping much. My problem, is there is much more than this room to go through. I don't feel like I live in a huge house but there's plenty of stuff. I'll be at this for a long time.

    Sheryl, hope you were able to get John to go for a drive. We are a bit cooler again and got more rain last night. Our back yard has quite a bit of water standing. A hill for the llamas sounds like a great idea.

    Marcie, so glad you able to take breaks from work and go for walks. They say we sit too much now and those breaks probably make you more productive. Your dad is staying on the go. Cisco helps in that. As busy as you are, glad you haven't had to report for jury duty. Hopefully, it stays that way.

    Well, better go, things to do. Enjoy the rest of your week. I plan to.
  • mygnsac
    mygnsac Posts: 13,413 Member
    Good morning everyone.

    I still haven't had to report for jury duty. I have to call after work today to see if I have to report tomorrow. There are only two groups before mine now, so I'm feeling I will have to go in tomorrow. With my luck, I'll have to go in and it will carry over until next week. I've had that happen to me before a couple times. You report on Thursday, wait all day to be assigned to a trial, then they send you home and direct you to come back on Monday.

    Work is still super-busy. More new assignments every day. Ugh. I guess I should look at it as job security.

    They say the weather should be cooling off now, but I just got back from a walk and it's definitely not cool out there! I even slept with the window open last night. That was my third walk of the day. I've really been enjoying my morning walks lately. Yesterday though while I was walking one of my shoes broke. After hobbling back to the office I switched them out for a second pair I keep under my desk.

    We've had some shady characters in the neighborhood lately. The neighbors on the NextDoor website have been posting about it. While walking yesterday morning Dad and his walking buddy witnessed a couple blocks over from our house a suspicious looking guy going through someone's garbage can.

    Today I'm having a chicken Vietnamese spring roll for lunch. A local Asian restaurant near work makes really good spring rolls. You have the choice of shrimp, chicken or pork wraps. I love those things, Lettuce, BBQ chicken, carrots, rice noodles wrapped in a moistened rice wrapper and dipped in sweet and sour sauce. Yum. I also splurged and got a few pot stickers while I was there. Also yum! The thing about the spring rolls is you have to eat them fairly quickly because the rice wrappers dry up pretty quick. Of course I was interrupted while I was at my desk eating lunch, so the second roll dried up. I wound up removing the innards of the wrap and ditching the wrap. That's what I get for eating at my desk!

    Update on my printer issue...Yesterday while I was out on a walk one of the managers in our IT division pulled my aside to inquire about the status of that issue. He said he had been informed it had been taken care of. I let him know that it had not and that I've had no printer for nearly two months now. He directed me to follow up with the guy who had been trying to resolve the issue. I sent a follow-up email to him this morning (with a CC to the muckity-mucks in my division and in the IT division). He says he's going to bring me a regular (non-color) printer ASAP and will continue to try to figure out the issue with my color printer. At least that's some progress.

    Debora, sounds like lots of progress has been made on the wedding! I sure hope it all goes off without a hitch.

    Looks like it's about time to get back to work. Have a nice day everyone!
  • anewstart22
    anewstart22 Posts: 885 Member
    edited April 2016
    Good morning everyone, we have had some rain but the last couple of days have been sunny and bright. We will get more rain today and I guess thunderstorms tonight. Sadly, Houston has been getting historically flooded again and there are at least 8 deaths confirmed of people caught in their cars on flooded streets, how sad that is.

    I decided to take an online course in nutrition because it was cheap on Groupon and overall much cheaper than the gas it would take me to go to big town twice a week for a nutrition class. I linked it below, the course is only $29.00 and they say it takes at least 150 hours online with no time limit to complete it. The course is on a raw food diet, I asked my husband if he could handle more raw food in his diet, he told me he didn't think so, lol. The kicker is that half of the course is also getting certified in being a nutrition coach and starting a business. I won't go that far but it will sure be nice to know I can learn more about food and how it relates to the body. I would love to be healed from all my body aches and I do believe that a majority of them can be healed with food. So, here is to an online nutrition course, one I think is much more interesting than a lot of the ones I have seen on Groupon in the past years. Here is the link.

    https://groupon.com/deals/centre-of-excellence-online-1024


    I have also found my trigger point massage book by Claire and Amber Davies, which I couldn't find for the life of me, until I re-organized the makeshift pantry in the dining room. It had fallen to the back of the shelf and was against the wall, I was quite happy to have found it. I ordered the Theracane yesterday so I can work on all my injured areas I have suffered from for years. When I was seeing a chiropractor she would treat using trigger point massage on my injured forearms. That just about sent me to the ceiling each time and my arms would be very heavy and in pain for a couple of days. Then they would feel much lighter and the pain was a lot less than it had started at.

    The problem is just normal daily usage causes my muscles to get all tight in my arms again. My neck and shoulders are a whole other story, I can't do anything without causing myself much more pain. So, I am going to try trigger point massage and I will go slow to try not to overdo it. I also ordered the Prostretch Plus rocker for treatment of my plantar fasciitis, I hope this helps my feet because it would be nice to have less pain in them.

    amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Therapy-Workbook-Self-Treatment/dp/1608824942/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461240575&sr=8-1&keywords=trigger+point+therapy%2C+claire+davies

    amazon.com/Thera-Cane-BLUE-MAX-Massager/dp/B00TQJHVS0/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1461240660&sr=1-1&keywords=theracane+max

    amazon.com/ProStretch-S01000-Plus/dp/B0051BNU9Q/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1461239254&sr=8-1&keywords=prostretch+plus


    April 10th is the last time I was bitten, so that makes 11 days toward my 55 days free and clear of bed bugs goal. I just hope it continues on the positive side, although I have had three episodes of flare ups on body areas, like my outside forearms and my belly. It is so strange, suddenly the bite wounds start getting an extreme burning feeling and then itch very bad. Hopefully that will be over soon, I am still healing all the bites I had originally, but my feet and legs look much better now. I have definite scarring from these bites though, my feet look like they have round scars in the skin, kind of like blotches of darker skin around a lighter skin area, really weird. It is nice not being one huge welt anymore though.

    We re-treat again this weekend the entire house but I don't think we need to treat the beds or sitting furniture because there have been no new bites. I think we will just treat baseboards, cabinets and dressers to make sure they are gone. We will then move to once month for a treatment and then on to 6 months as long as we don't find anything and don't have any bites. The test will be after the 55 days free and clear, then opening up the closets and the craft room one by one, hoping anything in them has been eradicated. I sure don't want to re-introduce those monsters. Hubby put in the new plug for me so I can start using the machine on things that can't go in the dryer this weekend. Reviews say it sounds like a hair dryer going and I don't want to use it while hubby is home trying to relax after a hard days work. He's going to a huge car flea market on Saturday making it the perfect time to do it.

    I've got a lot of catching up to do so I will come back sometime today. Have a nice day everyone.




  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
    Good Morning, I have lots to say this morning, so this may be long, or, I'll make more than one comment.
    Monday was a bad morning for John and he went back to bed about 10 am. I could have and should have done some work outside, but instead, I took the opportunity to just sit in my big chair and relax and do nothing. He stayed in bed until 4 pm, so I got the whole day "off" and just kicked back.

    Monday, we had planned to take off in the car, but since John wasn't up to it, I told him we could go Tuesday. When John woke up really early Tuesday, (and get this) he asked if it was OK for him to take a shower. I said OF COURSE, that's great, and if he would sit for a little bit before, I'd give him a haircut and a beard trim. I reminded him that we were going to take a drive to try to find two ghost towns in Oregon. He did not remember, but was willing to go. He had watched a tv show, Grant's Getaways, a local 1/2 hour program that features interesting places in the NW and this guy apparently talked about these ghost towns. I didn't see the show, but John jotted down notes on the tv schedule.

    We had to be on the Interstate to cross the Columbia River and get through Portland, but then, we got off and took two lane country roads, it was beautiful scenery and a nice drive. Saw lots of farm land, orchards and vineyards, lots and lots of vineyards. I am amazed at how many vineyards and wine tasting places there are. If someone were so inclined, to stop at each wine tasting room along the road, they would be too drunk to drive within just a couple miles.

    The first stop was Hopewell, OR, not even on the map, so I really thought it would be a ghost town. I map-quested it and when we got there, there's a beautiful sign welcoming us to the town. It even said there's a bed and breakfast there. There was only one building that was vacant and looked old and forgotten. The homes were nice, well kept farm homes with manicured yards. And, two churches, so there are people there and activities.

    Then, we headed to McCoy, OR. That town is on the map, but I map-quested it anyway to have directions from Hopewell. Too funny, there is no town, at all, of any kind. MapQuest stated to turn on a Bethel Road to be in McCoy and if we get to another certain road, "you've gone too far". Well, that second road was within about 2/10 of a mile from the turn and there was absolutely nothing there, no old building, not even a sign.

    We drove on and stopped at a Wildlife Refuge and walked around and drove some more. Put 210 miles on the car and was gone all day long. What a difference a day makes...Monday was awful and Tuesday was wonderful.

    We stopped at a Dairy Queen for an ice cream cone and John got a strawberry-banana fruit smoothie instead. That now is his favorite thing.

    Yesterday, I had a blood test scheduled, (my numbers are still good and I stay on the same dosage of warfarin and get checked in another month) and then did grocery shopping on my way home. I stopped at a DQ and brought a smoothie home for John.

    We either slept through or got out of town on our record breaking hot days earlier this week, so now that I'm home and ready to work outside, today may be my only day. Starting tomorrow, we have rain in the forecast until next Tuesday. I sure know how to put off work. It's too hot, now it's raining. (say that in a whiny raspy voice).

    Christina saw a new pain management doctor yesterday and she called me sounding very encouraged. Got put on 4 new meds, (for nerve, joint, muscles spasms and sleep), and there is a big leeway on the dosage, so she can keep taking higher dosage until she gets relief, OR the doctor will work with her and said he has more meds to try if these don't work. He said he won't give up until she is relieved from pain. (and can sleep). Finally, a doctor who isn't telling her there's nothing more to do.

    Also, she will start aqua physical therapy. If I'm remembering correctly, I think Jannie talks about aqua therapy too. Sounds wonderful.

    Debora, wow, the wedding is here already. Have a great weekend, celebrating and enjoying the company and the food. I wish Julie and Matthew so much joy and happiness. Can't wait to hear all about it.

    Well, this is a long comment, thanks for reading.





  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
    Oh Yea, Debora, the brisket was delicious. I use John's Mom's recipe and it never fails. I have lots of her old Missouri recipes and enjoy each one.
  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
    edited April 2016
    "It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring" (John is the old man this morning, still in bed, so I get my "me" time)

    Good Morning, the llamas are all in the stall, so I think I'll put out some hay today. They are knee deep in grass in the pasture, so I haven't given them any hay in over a week. But, since it started raining fairly hard just now, they all headed for shelter.

    I've come to the next level of John's deterioration, when I came home Wednesday, I found the front gate left open about 18 inches. Now, that's a major problem and I'll have to monitor that closely. Two other gates would need to be opened for the llamas to get off the property, so I'm not worried about them, but the birds could easily get into the street through the front gate. I don't know if John was just checking the mail or if he actually went down the street while I was gone. I may have to insist that he go with me to all doctor's appointments and even grocery shopping.
    Also, John can't remember the animal's names or how many animals we have anymore. That seems to be more of a shock to me than anything else so far. How can he forget the animals?

    Just a quick note regarding Nancy and Karen, not that it matters a whole lot, but it's Karen that is having foot surgery and Nancy is needing back surgery. Both will be laid up for at least a month. The good thing is that this is a good reason to be getting in-home care for my uncle and he thinks it's because Nancy needs help, not that he needs the help. Well, they both need help. I hope they can find someone who fits into the family well and is a great help. We loved our in-home caregiver when I was so sick and I will call on her again when I need help with John.

    I better get going now, but will be back since today is an indoor day, too wet outside.
  • mygnsac
    mygnsac Posts: 13,413 Member
    edited April 2016
    Good morning afternoon everyone. (It was morning when I started writing this, but I got side-lined again!)

    I typed up a post yesterday, but before I could finish I was called into a trial for jury duty, so I lost it.

    I had to report for jury duty yesterday. As usual for me, I was one of the first ones that had to report for a trial, one of the first ones seated in the box, and the last one to be chucked at the end of the day. I'm glad they chucked me. It was going to be a trial that would last about a week. An assault case. Anyway, I skipped happily out of the courthouse at the end of the day and am done with it! :smiley: It's funny how in the morning everyone that reports for jury duty is frowning and unhappy, but at the end of the day when they release us they are smiling and happy!

    It was pouring rain on my commute to work this morning, but the sun is peaking out now. We should have sun and low to mid 70s later today throughout the weekend. The weather should be nice for the next few days. At least the 90 degree days are no more...for now.

    I just got back from my co-workers retirement party at the Mexican restaurant across the street. It was really special. There was about 50 people there, current co-workers and lots of retired folks who used to work with us. It was nice seeing them again. The restaurant served carnitas, fajitas, beans, rice, salad, homemade chips, fresh salsa, and a fruit basket cake. Really good. I'm going to miss her. She's on Facebook, so we'll keep in touch there.

    Sheryl, I'm so sorry to hear about John deteriorating further. I know it is expected, but it's still sad to hear. Lots of healing in Karen's and Nancy's future! I hope that goes well for them.

    Take care everyone, and have a wonderful weekend. I'm sure ready for it!



  • arobed53
    arobed53 Posts: 2,004 Member
    edited April 2016
    We decorated half the day on Thursday and then finished today - I did my errands first and then to the church. Then Lori and I went to Spangles to eat and then got the stuff from Sams. I brought it back to the church and unloaded, put up cupcake signs and came home to make more and change clothes.


    Rehearsal is done. It went okay. Met a lot of Matthew's family. Hopefully, the boys will do what they are supposed to tomorrow. The flower girls did great. Katie had made bear looking hoods for the ring bearers to wear tonight - so cute. Supper was delicious and plenty of it. His family ordered it and stuff but I had to keep things going. And we left the leftovers at church to deal with tomorrow. Hopefully, his family will take it home. Matthew and Julie were still at the church when I left. I said they can get out but the doors are locked so they can't get back in. I have to be back there at 8 in the morning. With her schedule, we won't eat dinner until 2 - everyone else will be done I'm afraid by then but this is how they wanted to do things. I do have cheese, meat and crackers and grapes for the kids to snack on before the wedding.
  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
    I hear wedding bells.

    Good Morning. No new news here, same old same old. Have a wonderful weekend.

    I'll try to pop in later.
  • isyvanek
    isyvanek Posts: 1,039 Member
    Good morning all,

    I caught a cold. :s It started with a sore throat night before last and now a cough and the whole nine yards. Oh well, if this is the worst that is happening I can't really complain. I really over-extended myself this weekend tho. I am going to visit with my friend Teri (the one I bought the phone for) for a couple of hours then my friend who moved up north is coming into town today and wants us gals to get together this evening. But we have not been given a time yet. That makes me crazy. I'll have to see how I feel later. I also planned to work on decluttering but I've decided to take it easy for the couple of hours I have instead.

    Dan met the new neighbors across the street Tuesday when the trash truck accidentally dumped their recycling all over the street and he went over to help them pick it up. He thinks they are going to be good neighbors. They were very nice and asked the trash guys to let them dump a couple more loads of recycling. They even have both their cars parked in the garage. That shows that they have read the CC&R's! (or that they are smart people or both!) ;)

    Sheryl, glad to hear that the tractor does have the front loader that will make the sand chores a bit easier in some areas. Building a hill for the llamas could be fun but you'd have to make sure it isn't going to create other problems some how like trying to get around it if/when you have to. Your drive sounds really nice and the pics look like it was very serene. Sorry to hear that John is moving into the next stages. I'll keep praying for you both. Very good news that Christina finally has a Dr. that seems to understand and care about what she is going thru.

    Marcie, it can be a bummer when your set to eat something and what you end up getting doesn't measure up. But at least you now know that the new restaurant isn't worth it. Your daily walks sound wonderful. I have been taking morning walks in addition to my lunch walk as well and am really enjoying the cool morning air. Glad to hear that it seems like they are finally going to do something about your printer situation. It shouldn't be that difficult!!! Great that you were released from the jury box. Another obligation completed. I have never been called to a jury room. Every time I've had to report I just wait in the lounge then get sent home at the end of the day. This last time I got a notice I declined due to financial hardship since my company does not pay us for jury duty and I am now the sole earner. The retirement party sounds like it was really nice. So good to see old acquaintances.

    Deb, sounds like you are all ready for the wedding. Hope it goes really well today and that the happy couple will live happily ever after! It is a big step to continue to declutter the rest of the house but you know what they say: "the only way to eat an elephant is 1 bite at a time"! :wink:

    Anew, the class sounds interesting. Even if you don't completely embrace the lifestyle you can usually pick up some good tips. So great to hear that you have been bite free since the 10th. We are waiting with baited breath on whether this will go the distance. I sure do hope so!!!!

    OK, well, I'm going to go start my day and make breakfast for hubby and I. Have an awesome weekend and I'll try to check in tomorrow.
  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
    Good Morning. Sitting here with my coffee and planning the day. I would like to go to church today, but I need to wait to see how John is when he gets up. I'll be all ready to go to the later service and see what happens. We talked about it for the last two days, but John probably forgot.

    I got Call The Midwife dvd's for Seasons 1-4 (they are holding back sending out season 5 until most of it airs on tv). I watched the first 3 episodes and am enjoying it...lots and LOTS of babies. Kids all over the place!!!! Unbelievable, and yet, I guess that's the way it truly was back then, before birth control. Unbelievable, oh, I said that already.

    I'm really fed up with Photobucket. I have been trying to upload my video of the llamas playing on the sand hills and it goes and goes and goes and then at the very last moment, cancels out. The video clip is only 2 1/2 minutes, so I can't imagine that it's too big of a file to upload. I will try to find a way to contact photobucket and see what's going on. One of the videos that I took of the mud/drainage problem wouldn't upload either, but it was 4 minutes, so I thought maybe it's too much data for one file. But, years ago, I uploaded photos and videos from the Columbia River Gorge day trip and they were much larger. I can't keep up with this technology, it suckers me in and then disappoints.

    Debora, I hope Julie and Matthew are well on their way to married bliss. I forgot if you said they were traveling anywhere for a honeymoon. Are they leaving town? Are you recovering? You are always so busy, throwing a wedding into the mix probably didn't phase you at all. Just a few more people for a Sunday dinner, on Saturday. And, flowers.

    Isabella, glad to hear Dan met the new neighbors, and how nice that he helped pick up the mess. I'm sure that made a great impression on them and they will love you guys forever.
    Our neighbors came by with their coffee yesterday morning and sat for a visit. John was outside when they first came over, so we had a chance to talk about him for a few minutes. I told them how he can't remember the animals and he left the front gate open. They said that they noticed the gate open the other night and came over and closed it for us. Wow, I was home and I missed that one. What a blessing to have good neighbors. Jack was concerned that John doesn't remember his name, because he said John hasn't called Jack by his name for a long time. I said that I don't think so, because when we hear his truck or their big gate opening, John looks out the window and tell me what "Jack" is doing, so he knows his name. John has forgotten other people's name, but so far, not Jack's.

    My mug needs a refill...
  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
    I'm back, did not make it to church this morning. Naturally, John didn't get up until 10:20, if I wanted him to sleep in, he would have been up by 7 am. Typical morning, very confused, what day is it? what are we going to do today? What day is today? What day is it again?

    Right now, it's pouring down rain, hard. Can hardly hear the tv basketball game for the rain. But, it will pass quickly, the hard rain usually does.

    I nuked my coffee and added sugar and milk to it this afternoon, a sweet treat.
  • isyvanek
    isyvanek Posts: 1,039 Member
    edited April 2016
    Hi all, I didn't end up going out yesterday after all. My friend Teri called and left a message on my cell phone voice mail that she wasn't up for a visit and had to cancel. Good thing I thought to check my cell right before I headed out the door. She lives 25 miles away and I would have been really bummed if I'd gone all that way and she wouldn't see me. It was a good thing though since I wasn't feeling good anyway. Then I called "the girls" and cancelled the evening plans. I figured I wouldn't be much fun and didn't want to subject them to the risk of catching my cold. So instead, I decluttered the rest of the boxes in my closet and all my dresser drawers. I have 5 more bags of stuff to give away. I could still stand to go thru some clothes but I am not in a hurry to do that. Next up for decluttering will be tackling the kitchen. I made Costco meatballs in the crockpot today and we had meatball sandwiches for dinner. Yum! I have plenty left over so I froze some and will make pasta later in the week to use the rest. I think we'll even have enough to make meatball sandwiches again. :smiley:

    Sheryl, Sorry John didn't remember about church. Maybe next week. Really nice that your neighbors came over to chat and very nice that they are looking out for you guys as usual. Hope you get the photo bucket figured out, I'd love to see the llamas playing on the hill.

    OK, I'm going to close for now. Have a great week everyone!
  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
    Good Morning. Beautiful morning, we will be drying out. Yesterday was on again, off again showers with a few hard downpours here and there. I came over to turn off the computer due to the storm, but after I took a moment to comment here, the storm had passed.

    Today, John and I will work outdoors again. So much to do, many chores and projects on my list.

    I guess that's it for now, my mind isn't awake yet.
  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
    Good Morning. I read through all the troubleshooting and help pages of Photobucket and could not find what I am doing wrong. The size limitations state no more than 500 MB and 10 minutes long. My two videos are 261 MB, 2 minutes 25 seconds, and 421 MB, 3 minutes 23 seconds. I wrote out a narrative explaining my problem and submitted it. I got a robotic email back giving me links to pages that "may help". Everything that I had already done, sheesh, do they think I'm an idiot? I already wrote out, in detail, everything, but they didn't read it, they emailed me their "Robert the Robot" flat statement sent to everyone. So, I finally found where I can reach a REAL person and the explanation was that the size limitations for uploading off my computer is no bigger than 150MB and no longer than 10 minutes. The 500 MB is for mobile apps. I replied "thanks" and please update your tech support page because it does not mention mobile apps in regards to the 500 MB size limitation. I actually got an acknowledgement email back again from Josh: "You're welcome. And sorry about the confusion on our troubleshooting/FAQ pages. I have forwarded your feedback to our engineering team." I doubt they will change it any time soon, but it did make me feel better. Now, I'll be very careful to keep my videos even shorter, so I can upload them to share. Although, I doubt the llamas will "play" on the sand hills like they did that first day, the novelty has worn off. (And, the sand is being moved, so the hills aren't as big). Next time I get a load of top soil, I'll take more pictures.

    I feel like an OLD woman, one good day of work outside (actually, only a few hours, not even all day anymore) and it takes me a couple days to recuperate. I'm moving very slow this morning.

    I guess that's it again for now, just no new news to share.
  • mygnsac
    mygnsac Posts: 13,413 Member
    Good morning everyone.

    I stayed home from work yesterday. Had a very bad headache.

    We had really pretty weather this weekend. We got some rain on Friday, but lots of sunshine over the weekend and in the 70s.

    After the rain on Friday my car is sure dirty. I never got around this weekend to getting it washed. Maybe I'll run it through the car wash after work today.

    Dad took a bunch of stuff to the Goodwill on Saturday. There was an e-waste collection going on in the Home Depot parking lot near us and he was going to take the stuff there, but stopped first at Goodwill to see if they wanted it since it was all in working order, and they did. There was a couple vacuum cleaners, a printer, some keyboards, and a few other electronic things. I tried to get him to take some decorative baskets that are taking up space in the closet in the spare bedroom, but he sad that's girly stuff and I can take it. He can be such a brat sometimes! I really need to purge that closet. It's just packed with stuff we don't use any more.

    Dad and I went to Chevy's Mexican Retaurant for lunch on Saturday. We both had chicken fajitas. Really good. This was where we were going to go the previous weekend when we decided to try that new restaurant we didn't care for.

    Cisco has decided he's done sleeping with Dad. He slept with me last night and kept kicking me all night! I should kick him out of bed, but he's just so stinking cute! I didn't even know he got in bed with me until he kicked me awake.

    On my walk around the city a little while ago I stopped at the burger joint near the office and got a veggie burger. Yummy. It comes with fries, but they give you so much. I just can't eat so many fries any more.

    Sheryl, I'd love to see more videos of the llamas. Sorry you've been having so much trouble with Photobucket. You sure do have some wonderful neighbors! Sorry you weren't able to go to church.

    Isabella, that was so nice of Dan to help pick up the spilled trash. Sounds like you have some great new neighbors. Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. It seems to be going around. Seems like every time I turn around here at work there is someone else who has a cold. I'm just keeping my fingers (and eyes and toes) crossed that I don't get it.

    Debora, I hope all went well and look forward to hearing from you!

    Back to work. Enjoy the day everyone.