Congratulations Ang! I'm so happy for you. No worries, increased pay and better for your eating habits. Win, win, win! Can't wait to hear if you like it.

Shirley- Hope you're having a great first day on your vacation. Pina Coladas, strawberry daiquiri, etc. Don't forget the little umbrella

L- Oh no!!!!!! I can't believe you are injured again. This has been a hard year for your body. What is your healing time? I hope you aren't in pain.

Amy- You have an amazing sense of humor when dealing with your kids. They don't know how good they have it. I would be more of a tough love type mom. If you're 18 or older and don't go to school, then get a job, help with rent, food, and household chores. If you don't like it, find somewhere else to live. You are a very patient mom

Marla- Enjoyed your bball pics on FB. Which one is done with ball and when do you finish both? What's new with Zach?

Our trip was wonderful! We enjoyed driving down and back together, time for the two of us by the beach, explored the coast east and west, ate lots of fish shrimp and crab and met some snowbirds and picked their brains on spending months in the south during the winter. Life is so busy at home so it was nice to reconnect. We made some decisions about how we spend our time at home, communicate, etc. to strengthen our marriage and improve our quality of life. It was hard to come home to sub zero temps and wind chill advisories. At least the sun is out. I go back to work in the morning and Russ will take the day off, pick up the dogs, get groceries, etc. Our cat is so happy we are home and has an evening with us without the dogs.

Time to relax and unpack.

Jenny

I went for a follow-up appointment for my hand and wrist this morning and left with a diagnosis of strep throat. So, Shirley, that's what's next. Can you believe?? I've taken the whole adage of things coming in threes to things coming continuously for three months.
I. AM. OVER. IT!! As far as the wrist and hand, no better but no worse which was a huge surprise. I certainly didn't keep it completely immobile. But I do not want a hard cast. I was told to expect 6 weeks to recover. My top three difficulties: 1. ironing clothes; 2. brushing teeth; 3. putting on deodorant under my left arm. (bra on/off is a close tie for third). Writing sucks, starting my ignition with my left hand is a difficult, zipping is odd. Blah Blah Blah

79 yesterday 33 today. What the What?? All of the state offices were closed in North Louisiana today due to sleet and ice. I was to travel there today for my training session tomorrow. I got half way there and an email came out declaring closures for tomorrow too. Around I turned. Glad to be at home tonight. I'm sure the attendees would be very glad too, knowing that I'm "Typhoid Mary" these days.

Your basketball pictures were fantastic, Marla! Sounds like your boy killed it this weekend. Way to end it!!

Amy, I agree with everyone else. Where I would be freaking out, going every shade of bat $h!t crazy, you keep a sense of realness and humor. I'm sure equally as frustrating for both of us, but your approach makes me smile.

Jenny, your vacation sounds like it hit the spot. Sorry it was so short for you. My BFF and I used to drink strawberry daqs and pina colada mixed with amaretto and called them Thelma and Louise's. I swear that's where at least 30 of my pounds came from. As much as I love them, I will not fall back into its wicked goodness.

Huge congratulations on your job, Ang. So glad the timing has worked so well for you and a pay increase is the cherry on top. Way to go! How's the commute?

Shirley, I like your vacation plans? Drinking, eating, shopping, beaching. It all sounds fabulous! Hope to see some pics soon.

On to a dose of antibiotics, ice packs/heat, and a pillow! Make it a great week.

L- I liked the movie Thelma and Louise and the drink sounds tasty. I can't afford to gain weight so my drink in FL was a one time treat. How inconvenient it must be for you. We really find out what skills we take for granted when we are injured and have to adapt how we do our daily living skills. Bummer! Glad you got to stay home due to weather but too bad you were already on the road when you found out. 79 sounds wonderful! Dropping to the 30's is the extreme we usually experience, one day warm, the next freezing.

Marla- A good thing about football is there is room for every student. They find their niche and make a lot of friends. The discipline of weight training and football practice is a good way to spend time when not studying. Good luck to Zach. I hope Caleb does well with his spelling bee. I use to love spelling in elementary school, especially when we had class competitions with a spelling bee. I usually won or was second place. Good for Caleb to take on the challenge.

Shirley- Catch some rays for me. I'm having a hard time adjusting to being back to work after a week of relaxation

Hi Ang and Amy!

I bought a treat, chocolate/vanilla popcorn mix, in Florida for my neighbors who watched my cat. It was a huge bag of flavored popped popcorn, very yummy. Well the cat knocked it off the counter and the dogs had a feast while I was showering this morning. Grrrrrr! They looked and acted guilty! Didn't even rush to eat their breakfast. Plan B- I'll buy them a box of Dilly Bars or Cupcakes from the cupcake bakery. Bummed!

Jenny

It happens around here once in awhile Marla. I just don't know if they are all in it together or if the cat is trying to open the container and accidentally pushes it off counter. Then the dogs snarf it up! I dropped off Dilly Bars today and said thanks to the kids.

I got a lot done at work today so I can relax and not do any paperwork tonight. I do need to wrap a birthday gift for a friend.

Colder than normal! Tired of this weather. We made it out of Florida in the nick of time. The drive home would have been brutal if we left a day later. Feeling grateful we had a safe drive.

Well stay warm, out of the rain and wind or whatever weather you are experiencing in your part of the country.

Jenny

wow. I don't know if it's this new 'bladder' rx I'm taking or raging PMS or just too much winter - but I am SERIOUSLY fussy today - hormones, hormones go away -

OMG !

I only thought I was busy last hitch !!! Seriously I was at work last night until 10:30 pm ! . We close at 6 pm I was doing drug testing and still drawing blood at 6:30 pm . I tried to speed up the process by doing the paperwork later dadada. The clients still had like a 2 and a half hour wait even though I was just getting the work done and I ended up having to work so very late ! . I was exhausted this morning at 4:30 when I woke up . I wanted to get up at 4 to work out but I have been so busy at work since Monday I haven't even been able to have lunch - I did bring up some things like slimfast shakes and the atkins shakes thank goodness. I actually had to apologize and tell the office full of clients that I needed 5 minutes so that I could drink one. literally only drank a half a bottle of water all day yesterday because I didn't have time. then at about 1 pm today - you could hear crickets in the office hahaha.
- Exxon is opening a new place up here or some project is starting up so they are sending their employees in for blood work to test for TB because TB is so prevalent up here in the villages of Alaska . So that's what is making the clinic crazy - but I can't ship to the lab on weekends so that's why they aren't sending anyone over right now . ( sigh of relief )
-
My company is kind of expanding our clinic ..Not sure yet how it's going to work yet but we are changing the office around and emptying one room and making it into a patient room for like sick or injured patients -( right now I only do occupational , like audio's ,fit testing for respirators , lung testing and drug testing , shots and blood draws . ) oh and I always work alone . So starting on the first we will have a Physician assistant here. I'm not sure how that will work ? I'm usually too busy to babysit a P.A. Lol I don't want to help someone who will likely sit and watch me work most of every day and then expect me to help them when they have a few patients a day ? I shouldn't say that though That's mean . maybe they won't be like that - but the few I have worked with.... lol you know ,I'm a lowly nurse hahaha. man I need to get this meanness out of my head ...I'll let yall know how this works out . I'm sure this is why I got that raise hehehe.

Oh did I tell yall my sister got her CDL to drive a school bus ! Hahaha she is so funny ! I can't wait until I can ride with her when I'm visiting , although .... she's a fast driver ...I hope the bus will teach her how to slow down . she is very serious about doing this for a living . She say's she is too old to work in the lunchroom at school anymore because the work is too hard the pots and pans are too heavy . I'm telling you if she says it's too hard , then it is because I don't know many people who work as hard as my sister .

Marla, I watched one of those cat video's too ! so funny
Jenny , I remember you guys saying something about dilly bars before , what are they ? Maybe it's best I never find out haha.
Shirley , I'm so lonely for some warm weather ...Have a great time.
L . wow 79 to 30 that's crazy talk . no wonder bad things keep happening .
Anj . I know how you feel about the snow - I'm sick of it too !

Thanks for the vote of confidence in my parenting skills lol;
I am not a really high strung person . Except during PMS . I am not really me at that time .

Well, I hope I can write again tomorrow !

Hey ladies ,

I have to be quick - my boss is up here hahaha,
- I was able to sleep in for weather today - so nice . I didn't get to come to work until 1 pm ! really bad weather 0 visibility it was a phase 3 weather condition so no vehicles can be on the road . I slept till 9 am !
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Dilly bars sound amazing !