2016: First Quarter of January 1 through March 31, 2016

Helene610

Jean..I had a 20% off coupon so the cost came in at $4.87 per pizza. As I said, it's a larger size than the NS pizzas so I think the value is comparable. I frequently get emails from Fit and Free offering coupon codes. This is the first time I've ordered from them and I'd probably reorder only with a coupon. I think I could space my orders out enough to wait for their offers. I got the 12 pack because 2 of us are eating them but if it was just for me, I'd probably order the 6 pack.

Pam..I saw an interesting segment on BMI on The Doctors. Recent research shows that BMI has nothing to do with health. It was developed in the 1020s and uses only height and weight to calculate BMI. In the segement, they said people with normal BMI can be unhealthy and people over the ideal BMI can be more fit and healthy, depending on lifestyle. It made some good points. Congratulations on getting back in your desired range although that's an awful way to get there.

KonaKat

Helene--20% off is a good deal. The regular price is $59.99 for six pizzas, which makes it around $10 a pizza. I had a $5 discount to use but compared to the size of the Lean Cuisine which I love, I can get more for the money with the Lean Cuisine which is just slightly smaller but comes with the goodies if you buy the Supreme at less than $4 a pizza. I can get 2 Lean Cuisine for the price of 1 Fit and Free. I got tired of having to add things to a plain cheese pizza, so I can see myself also getting tired of buying and adding things to the Fit and Free.

I'm really enjoying some of the healthy frozen foods I can find in the city but not here. As a result, I have too much NS shelf stable on hand. I had to call and justify my delaying the order. The automated system wouldn't let me delay either online or by calling. I still have NS gift cards to use. Some of the shelf stable foods I really enjoy especially when one has to drive long distances to find healthy food options. The local place has plenty of food options loaded with fat, etc. as people love country style cooking where they can inhale a pound of bacon as a side dish to the morning meal, or huge serving of sausage and gravy with minimum of two biscuits.

mdubbs1

Pam - congrats on the weight loss! Although I bet you'd trade it to have avoided this experience.

Jean - sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to our weight. Maybe your body needed a jolt!

I caught Sammy licking Jack's head last night. Jack of course just ignored him. Amazing how peaceful this introduction has been.

I went to the storage unit today to get organized for the cat show this coming weekend. We have this and then a flea market 3 weeks later. Plus now that the first mailing of the year is (finally) at the post office it's time to write the first newsletter of the year!

Meanwhile all I want to do is sit down and read the new J. D. Robb! My bad....

I talked to my dad yesterday. Sounds like he's definitely moving home to which I did a silent cheer. We discussed easy cooking (both my sister and one of my brothers are chefs in the best sense of the word but he knows I'm not) and I gave him some suggestions. I'd email him some links but he refuses to learn how to use email.

PamS53

Maryanne, you reminded me about the J. D. Robb book that just came out! That series is one of the few for which I am willing to pay full price when they are released. When I searched it on my Nook, I realized that I had also missed the one that was released before this newest one, so I feel like I've hit the reading jackpot. Plus, my niece gave me a $25 gift card for Christmas which I had not used. It took awhile to figure out how to add the gift card to my account but I finally got it added and downloaded the two books. As soon as I finish the book I'm reading now, I can start on them. Thanks for jogging my memory!

mdubbs1

Pam - I somehow managed to lose my list of what books are coming up. I try to buy most of them used (if you could see how many books I have here - unread - you'd know why) but didn't want to forget about any so I started a list and crossed them off when I eventually ordered them. No idea where I put that folder. But like you I'm willing to pay full price for J. D. Robb! AND it's one I don't lend until I've read it.

Time to start a new list. I never order from Barnes & Noble but they seem to have the best, most organized, list of what's coming up. I've never managed to find similar info on Amazon.

I've been working my way through the 19 book Hannah Swensen series on my kindle and that's kept me occupied. DH asks me when I'm going to read the books he gave me for Christmas. I read the first one which was the first Hannah Swensen and I've been reading those ever since. I admit they are getting a little formulaic by this point and the recipes are meaningless to me, but I keep going. I do wonder, though, whether they read all those recipes when they make an audiobook. I bet some of the books have 30-50 pages of recipes.

I'm having a NS frozen today, starting with French toast for breakfast. I ordered a few things on my last a la carte order.

I lost a pound last week. I'm keeping a ticker going on the NS Refugee site. I just like changing the ticker on Monday. At least when I lose. LOL!

PamS53

Maryanne, congrats on the pound lost last week! You are really doing well since you got started again. Like you, I've read dome of the Hannah Swensen books but after reading a few I found them too formulaic. I think I tried a few of the cookie recipes and they weren't bad, but I have so many cookbooks and now Pinterest from which to choose that I doubt I'd use any of those recipes again. If you enjoy that type of book, I recommend the series by Dianne Mott Davidson who has written a series about a caterer named Goldie and who lives in Colorado. Her books also include recipes of all types, and I tried quite a few of them. All that I tried were excellent, and her plots were much less repetitious than Joanne Fluke. I really have enjoyed that series and I need to revisit it for the newer ones I haven't read yet.

We have a rainy week coming up, but since the temps are in the 70's I won't complain. I think some of our school districts are on Spring Break this week while others will do it next week. I have a couple of appointments this week, so getting out in the rain won't be fun in the wheelchair. DH has to wheel me out the front door, down the sidewalk, then over to the driveway to get me in the car. Our garage is too crowded to take me out that way. My only rain coat is much too warm to wear this time of year, so I'll just have to hope for a break in the rain when it's time to leave for my appointments. One is optional, but the other with my dentist has already been postponed by two months. When I rescheduled that one I thought I'd surely be back on both feet by then, but no such luck. I've tried to wear my boot and take a few steps, but it's very painful. I really think I need a physical therapist to help me learn how to use the walker correctly, so I've been reluctant to try too much on my own. Hopefully we can get that set up this week.

mdubbs1

I don't think I've seen a Goldie book lately. Have to go look when the last one was.

The physical therapist was the first one to show me how to use the walker and crutches. I wish the doctor's office had done it because p/t didn't come along for MONTHS.

Helene610

I've listened to most of the Goldie books on audio and I love them. The last new one was a couple of years ago. And to answer your question, yes they read all the recipes. The funny thing is they read them all after finishing the book. I was very surprised the first time I picked up a print copy to find the recipes were written into the chapters. I'd just assumed that they came at the end like the audio version. I never made any of them but they all sounded pretty darned good. After seeing the difference, I can see why they do them at the end. It would interrupt the flow of the story if they read them during the chapters. When you read the print version, you have the option to skip over the recipes and go back later if something sounds appealing.
Pam..If it's raining, consider cutting holes in a trash back and slip it over your head. It will cover your body enough to let you get into the car dry. Slip it off in the car. If you have to park somewhere uncovered, put it back on until you're in the building. With any luck, you park in a garage at the doctor and only have to use it getting into the car at home.
Maryanne..Congratulations on the pound lost.
Jean..I hope you got some rest over the weekend.

mdubbs1

Helene - it would make a lot of sense to read recipes at the end of an audiobook. Glad to hear they do that! I don't listen to nearly as many audiobooks as I did when I was commuting from Baltimore to Harrisburg!

KonaKat

I don't think my reading tastes are the same. I like mysteries, thrillers, sci-fi, etc. I'm in the midst right now of reading a collection of 5 books downloaded from Amazon's Kindle Unlimited Program. These books involve the adventures of a female spy and are very well written. Apparently, they were big sellers so they offered them as a collection. I get my money's worth out of the $10 a month fee for the Kindle Unlimited Program. I've borrowed several books a month from that program, the cost of which would have far surpassed the $10 if I had bought them.

mdubbs1

My friend and I trade books. Our tastes overlap but each of us reads some things the other doesn't. She likes sci fi and historical romances which aren't on my list. There are also some Dean Koontz books she gives me which I don't like (although there are others I do). There are some specific series and authors she doesn't want from me like the Jack Reacher stories, the Ali Reynolds series and the occasional Danielle Steele. But for the most part we're similar - Patterson, both Kellermans, Stephen White, Harlan Coben, J.D. Robb, Patricia Cornwell, Jefferson Bass, Michael Connelly and others in that genre. We also both enjoy the Stephanie Plum series for some reason. I guess in a way J. D. Robb is sort of sci fi but it doesn't feel like that.

I subscribed to the daily bookbub emails (Jean - did you tell me about that). It's like crack for kindle owners. I have so many free books on my kindle now that I'll never read that it's embarrassing.

I'm trying to put on my kindle only books Bonnie wouldn't want to borrow and free books.

I did NOT appreciate when they unilaterally updated the software on my kindle. Luckily with the help of the kindle section of amazon I was able to put it back so it looks exactly like it did before.

Helene610

Maryanne...Our author tastes are very similar. The only one you mentioned that I hadn't tried is Robb. I also like James Lee Burke and his daughter Alafair and Karin Slaughter. The book I just returned was by Slaughter and it's not part of her Grant County series but it was really good and kept me guessing until the end. It's called Pretty Girls. I also like the Goldiw the caterer mysteries that Pam mentioned but I'm all caught up on those until she writes another. I like to read self improvement books too but I rarely put much of the information into practice. I'm reading the art of Tidying Up by a Japanese authro. She has a unique method of decluttering and storing what you keep. I'm actually going to try her method when I finish the book. It had a huge waiting list at the library and my book club is going to discuss it at a future meeting. I hope I'm back by then. I figured I'd try it in FL because I have a lot less stuff here. If it works here, I'll tackle the stuff I have up north.

mdubbs1

I know Pretty Girls is in one of the piles here. I don't keep books after I read them so these endless piles are all unread books. Let's hope I live until retirement so I can read some of these. LOL!

Pam would likely second me saying "ya gotta try a J D Robb". Even if you don't generally like Nora Roberts, the Eve Dallas books are a natural for anyone who likes Patterson/Kellerman/etc. They are set in 2060 after the Urban Wars but they don't read like science fiction (at least not to me). They are murder mysteries with a kick *kitten* female cop who just happens to live in 2060. If you can get your hands on the first book in the series I'd start there.

Helene610

Okay, I'll give Robb a try. You recommended the Dave Gurney book which I loved. I went through the whole series since then. Have you tried Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache books? You'd enjoy the. Read in order since the characters continue and you'd find out what happened earlier before you needed to know that.

PamS53

Yes, I definitely would recommend the J. D. Robb series, starting with the first in the series. The books add characters as they go along, and one of the things I particularly enjoy about them is seeing how the characters change and grow from book to book. That's the main reason I recommend reading them in order, if at all possible. There's also a lot of humor in them. I like Nora Roberts too, but find the female characters in her books very repetitious. I can't read her too often for that reason. I used to love the Kellermans, but I haven't read any of their more recent works. Some of them are pretty dark. Same for Patricia Cornwell -- awfully dark. I enjoy espionage and mysteries, too. I really love Steven Koontz and Vince Flynn and read all of their works. Another favorite is W.E.B. Griffin, who is quite prolific. I believe he coauthors with several others, which is why he's so prolific. My favorite books of his are the Presidential Agent series. Again, full of action and humor.

mdubbs1

I don't mind dark. I always enjoyed Robert Walker's books and he's probably at the far end of "dark" spectrum in the genre. Of course I also read and watch a lot of true crime. If I were young now I'd probably go into forensics.

Nora Roberts - in my mind - writes four kinds of books: (1) the J D Robb books which are wonderful (2) romantic suspense which are usually pretty good (3) regular romance which are okay and (4) fantastical type stuff (fairies etc) which I avoid.

Helene610

Pam..I stopped reading the Kellerman and Cornwell books for the same reason. They got awfully grisly with the violence. I don't mind reading books with murder but I don't need to see extreme violence. John Sandford is another favorite of mine but I had to stop reading the prey books when he got so dark. I love the Virgil Flowers books though. I've requested the first Robb book so I should get a call from the library pretty soon.

mdubbs1

How could I have forgotten Sandford on my list? My apologies John! And he's the only one I ever "met" (book signing). Virgil Flowers is a hoot!

PamS53

Just back from a dental appointment. I had a routine appointment scheduled for early January that I had postponed, thinking that by now I would surely be back on both feet. It's pretty tight quarters in the dental hygienist's area, but we managed to get me in there in the wheelchair. I had noticed that I was getting brown stains between most of my teeth and I've never had that before. I suspect that my IV antibiotic is the cause, since that's the only thing in my routine that is different. The hygienist was able to clean it all off, and the best part is I only have one more dose of the IV antibiotic before I can switch to an oral version. I don't know yet if it will be the same drug or a different antibiotic. I plan to keep a close watch on my teeth and if the stains come back I'll go back before my next six month cleaning date.

Lots of rain here but DH was able to figure out a way to get me in the car in the garage, so I didn't get wet going to my appointment. We got lucky with a break in the rain getting out at the dentists office and again when it was time to get back into the car. It's only taken two months but we're finally getting the hang of this handicapped business!

Helene610

It really makes you appreciate what someone with a permanent disability must go through getting out and about. Did the hygenist work on you in the wheelchair or were you able to transfer yourself to the dental chair? I'll bet you're right about the antibiotic causing the stains on your teeth.

PamS53

Helene, I was able to transfer to the chair. I can hop pretty well now, so it was only a couple of hops with DH and the hygienist holding my elbows. I just finished my last IV infusion and DH is on his way to pick up my new oral antibiotic. It will be so nice to be able to sleep through the night and not worry about not waking up in time to get the medicine out of the fridge two hours before time to administer it. It looks like I can probably have the Picc line removed now and that will really be nice. It also looks like I will only need the wound vac for a few more days. I will really enjoy being untethered when that happens! It's a real nuisance to have to drag the wound vac machine everywhere with me, while also wrangling 5-6' of tubing between my leg and the vac.

KonaKat

Pam--I know you are thankful for the treatment but it will be a great relief when you no longer have to deal with the meds, equipment, scheduling and the nuisance created when you have to get out and about.

I've worked every day this week and will tomorrow. I was called twice by the auto system to sub today but due to the location, grade and my desire to take a break, I decided to turn them down. Had they been like yesterday's assignment, I would have said "yes."

I had the usual Quaker Weight Control oatmeal for breakfast. I may go grocery shopping in the city today or I might stay home and be lazy. Yesterday was so beautiful; today is gloomy with rain expected. A good time to read!

mdubbs1

Pam - sounds like good news all around!

Jean - I'm glad you're getting a break.

I've been busy getting ready for the cat show this weekend.

Helene610

Good luck with the cat show. I hope you have help with set up and staffing the boooth. It's so physical and you seem to do more than your shre of the heavy lifting.
Pam..That will be so good when you get rid of the pic line, wound vac and all that stuff. I can't even imagine how that all must have been. And it's been such a long time to deal with all of it too. I hope the rest of the recovery is smooth sailing.
jean..That's great that you've been able to work so much. It's good you took a day off though. You don't want to run yourself down and get sick. Scheduling rest and down time is important.
I just got a robo call from the library. It's probably the first Robb book that I ordered. They give you a few days to pick it up so I'll try to finish up a couple of the ones I have on hand.

PamS53

My niece's husband went missing Tuesday afternoon. It doesn't appear to be foul play at this point, as he cleaned out their joint bank account and turned off his phone, after a session with his psychiatrist. The doctor was shocked to hear he is missing as she said that when he left he seemed in an upbeat mood and they had worked on plans for his treatment. He's now listed in the NCIC database as missing. He had a very difficult childhood, losing both parents before the age of 14, I believe. His grandfather moved a mobile home next to his own and my nephew lived in it with minimal supervision from his grandfather. He and my niece met in their first year of college and got married by age 20. In the early years of their marriage he struggled some with alcohol abuse and decided to give up alcohol, though he never went to any treatment for his issues. Until recently, there was no evidence of any relapse. He's a gifted actor and has always been sought after by the local community theater for various productions. He has always been very devoted to his family, especially their two children, ages 15 1/2 and 14. He recently began openly drinking again, which led my niece to issue an ultimatum: get help or get out. That's when he scheduled an appointment with a psychiatrist and began treatment, although I don't think he's seen her more that a couple of times at th point. He was seen yesterday near Lubbock, Texas, which is close to where he grew up and about six hours from his current home. A tow truck driver saw the missing notice on Facebook posted by a mutual friend when he got home and reported towing his car in for a flat tire. But he had no idea where he went after having the tire fixed. His behavior has been erratic for the past six months or so, but this has really blindsided his wife and kids. I feel so helpless but there is really nothing I can do except pray for him and the family.

Helene610

Pam..I sending prayers as well. Is this the person you went to see in the play in NYC last year? I hope they find him alive and healthy (physically). What a shock for your niece and children. I hope he just needed a break to get his head straight.

PamS53

Helene, no he is not the one we saw on Broadway. He only performs in community theater productions. He's extremely introverted, but really comes alive onstage. I suspect he was acting with his psychiatrist, and since they were just starting treatment, he was able to fool her successfully. I'm hoping as well that he comes to his senses, calls someone, or goes back home. There are a lot of people looking for him, and quite a few are in the area where he was last seen.

KonaKat

Pam--Prayers! I do hope he is found. The whole thing is very devastating to the family.

Maryanne--I hope you have a successful cat show.

Helene--I haven't heard of robo calls regarding books. I do know that Stephen King will be in our capitol city on June 10 for a book promotion. I hope to be able to see him.

PamS53

My library uses automated calls to remind that books are due, but a human makes the call when a reserved book is available. That way, if they reach the library patron they can ask if they want to pick it up at the front desk or at the drive through and have the book waiting in the appropriate area.

mdubbs1

Pam, that's awful! Cleaning out your bank account and disappearing when you have children still at home? Sounds planned enough that I suspect he won't be found for awhile. You can maybe help your niece figure out what assistance she's entitled to. Hopefully the police will be looking to see if he accesses any of his credit cards. If they have any joint credit cards your niece should immediately contact the credit card folks to put a hold on those cards. I'm not sure exactly how you do that but I bet it's possible.

Alcohol has destroyed a lot of lives. I had an "uncle" (I think he was more like a second cousin once removed or something but a generation older than us) who was a great guy when he was sober but caused all kinds of tragedy - to his wife and children - when he wasn't. Family lore had it that he drank because he was afraid of heights and his job involved going up telephone poles. Like all family lore, who knows if it's true? (We also had a story that we were part native American and a simple DNA test disproved that one!) Luckily his children turned out great.