mdrai

Good Morn, Vi's~~ Wow am I ever tired! I went to bed around 12:30am on Fri & woke up @ 5a on Sat! Did the yard sale... it was... interesting, I'd say. I vacillated between "I want to make some $$" and "I want to get rid of this stuff"... ha ha! I made about $225 and got rid of about 1/2 the stuff I took. Then I gave my sis 3 boxes of clothes for her church's thrift shop... so came home w/only a few boxes, which I think I'll put up on e-bay to see if there are any takers... and if not, then by that point you'd think that maybe I'll get the hint that, although I think these items are wonderful, no one else does (at least not enough to buy them, ha!) and I'll donate them somewhere. Lots of interesting folks @ the yard sale... and thankfully it was a gorgeous day. So all in all, a good day, but I was soooooo tired that I didn't go to the soccer party, but came home, took a bubble bath, & crashed. Then this a.m. I woke up to TOM! Lovely. Just had an upsetting phone call. My ds watched a neighbor's pets this week while there were on vacation... he's done it for them & others before... and they came home yesterday & the dad called and said that ds didn't do a good job... gave several legit examples... I am stunned and very upset. So had a talk w/ds about it... he is surprised, too... thought he did ok... (when he was younger, I'd go w/him when he watched pets, to help him & teach him, but I haven't done that for his last few pet-sitting jobs, I thought he was old enough to do it on his own... I did ask him frequently if everything there was ok, if he needed any help, or I'd say, "Did you scoop the cat's poop today?" stuff like that, so it's not like he didn't have the opportunity to say, "can you come & check out such & cush...")... so I had to go into "parenting" mode about working for people, whether it's a part-time kid job or a full-time job to support a family, and how it's not what YOU think you did but what the BOSS thinks... & that's why dh & I go "above & beyond" in all that we do... and what he should say to the neighbor when he goes up in a bit to return the key... ugh... I reminded ds that we learn more from failures than successes and that I hope, rather than just feeling badly from this, that he learns something that can help him do better in the future... blah blah blah all that kind of stuff... but I still feel like crap, too! I hate this feeling!!! Letting someone down... ugh...

Wasn't it just last year that everyone was raving about how 7/7/07 was such a lucky day?? Guess next year it will be 9/9/09! :thumbup: Just finished watching the Olympics & packing up the car... off EARLY in the a.m., then a soccer game, then soccer party... so it'll probably be Sunday before I "see" you all again. Wish me luck w/this Yard Sale thing!!

Good Morn, Vi's~~ Happy 08/08/08! Yep, Olympics tonight... ds is insisting that we have Chinese food for dinner while watching the opening ceremonies... I bet lots of folks will be doing that tonight! Ha! A run on egg rolls!! Last day to prep for the yard sale tomorrow... am not going to "clean" in the basement, but do have to go down & pull out a few more items & then organize it all & pack up the car... the sale starts @ 7am & we can get there starting @ 6am, so I'll have to be all ready to go tonight. Make it a good one, Vi's!

Well, we know who wants presents now, don't we??

Wow -- fun filled, rum-soaked times, eh Laura? Yep, that's Jamaica! Where did you stay again? We were @ Sandals Montego Bay... of course, that was 21 (21!!!) years ago... it wasn't leaky & mildewy... other than that, you brought back lots of memories (swim up bar, beach games, fire eaters, RUM drinks...). Now you can check that off your list & try another new place next year! Edited to add: LOVE YOUR NEW PIC!!

There... all nice & clean... but my legs are actually still wobbly!... well, a good start... still a lot to do... Laura, I can't wait to see your pics! DH & I honeymooned in Jamaica, mon... memories...

I'm back from the land down under! Barely! Phew! is all I can say. We got about 1/3 of it cleaned out & started a massive throw away pile... I'm thinking that I'll call 1800GotJunk once we're done & haul it all away. It was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo NASTY down there! So bad, that I ended up taking off my shirt & throwing it away!! Am now sitting here in my sports bra & sweats w/sweat streaming off of me & I swear I smell like old cat pee... lovely image, huh?? I'm off to shower...

Good Thursday Morn, Vi's~~ Another day of rummaging around the house planned for today... I'm actually dressed in my grubbies so I have no excuses not to venture down into the bowels of my dusty, dirty, messy basement! Hey, I'm sure you've all heard the reports about the guy they think sent the anthrax letters who killed himself last week just as the authorities were getting ready to indict him? Well, that's my town! Frederick, MD. (ok, I technically live in a tiny town just north of Fred., but basically that's where I live.) On the morning of 9/11, I was at dd's pre-school, which is 1 block away from Ft. Dietrick, which is where this guy worked & where they do all the biological warfare testing stuff -- lovely, huh? It's a huge story here, naturally, as the folks who knew him can't reconcile the guy they think they knew w/the one who's being portrayed in the news... weird huh? Double lives are so interesting, dontcha think? But it'd be too complicated to live one! Ok... off to eat & then adventure down to the dark & murky depths...

Piehole Report B = van chai protein shake L = 1 boca burger on 1 sliced homegrown tomato, 1 slice am cheese, 1 dill pickle spear & some mayo S = grande skinny cinnamon dolce latte S = 1 sugar free frozen fruit pop D = a few spoonfuls that probably = about 1/4 cup of tuna casserole S = mocha java protein drink

Hey girls... quick check-in... back on the wagon, rather than under it... yay... Spent an hour on the phone this a.m. w/a mom from school who called me & said she'd heard I'd gotten Lap Band & would I mind talking to her about it? Thus, the hour on the phone. She's enthusiastic... & I gave her this Web site address, of course! Other than that it's been unearthing "treasures" to sell on Sat... except everything that dd sees she wants to keep... even tho she hasn't seen it/thought about/remembered she owned it in YEARS... dd = pack rat! Off to unload groceries, then out to get ds's hair cut, then home, then out to dd's poms practice AND ds's HS orientation!! Ack! Never a dull moment!

Be safe, TX girls!!!

Tracy... don't be silly!! Oh, & PM me your new address -- just to be sure I use the correct one! :thumbup:

Too funny, Judy!! TracyKS -- Expense the coffees & the scone... they're definitely work-related expenses! Enjoy!! TracyK -- It's your lucky day! Betcha didn't realize that, huh? Well, in prep for the yard sale -- yeah, I figure I'll give it a whirl -- I pulled out ALL my cookbooks, cooking magazines, little snippets of clipped newspaper recipes, etc.... and I found several kids' cookbooks for you! I also found a couple other fun kitchen-related kid items, so have started a box for you!! I'm going to keep it open as I go through the house this week, looking for YS stuff... if I think Macy will like something, I'll toss it in!! Time to cook dinner... bbl...

Exercise Info from the August Oprah mag: If you're trying to get out of exercising... remember that there's one consistent finding in health research: Exercise helps you live longer and better. Five new studies confirm what experts keep telling us: Every little bit of effort counts. 1: It wards off Alzheimer's. 2: It boosts your energy. 3: It slows down aging. 4: It helps manage menopause. 5: It reduces the need for drug treatments (for diabetes, etc.).

Thank goodness you know it ALL, Dr. Jazzy... where would I be w/out you?? Great ideas... yippee! Thank you!!

New topic! -- Yard Sales. I'm not a YSer at all... but I keep making piles of stuff that I think, "some day I'll have a yard sale" but then I never do + we live way out in the boonies & who would come all the way out here to buy my crap? So... the Sam's Club is sponsoring a YS where you pay $10 for a parking space to set up in & you sell your crap. It's this coming Saturday from 7am - 4pm. I'm thinking about doing it. So my questions are: should I? Is it worth the time/effort? How do I know what to price items? What sells well? I've got kids' clothes, some of mine & dh's... + household items... + books... + the last of my Mary Kay stuff that I want to get rid of... + I thought I could take orders for my market bags... + old toys... Then I think... "but it's all my old crap. who'll buy it?" but people do, right? Thoughts/suggestions?? Discuss.

Yep, it's the mobile vet! My first cat would NOT ride in a car... so I started using her... she's great! Gotta love a gal who'll come to your house to roto rooter your cat!! :smile: It always seems greener on the other side, doesn't it? Sometimes I daydream about having a "real" job where I sit behind a desk all day & get to work w/adults (altho dh always tells me that he wonders about that w/some of the folks he works with!) & not have to clean or cook or drive someone around... or deal w/cat butt issues or clean the washer & dryer or vaccuum & do dishes or cajole kids into cleaning their rooms & listening to the whining that always follows that (all things I've done so far this morning!)...

Good Monday Morn, Vi's~~ I have a thrilling day planned today: waiting for the Sears repair guy to show up some time between 8am & 5pm! AND... just cuz' that's not quite enough fun for me... I also will be waiting between Noon & 2pm for the vet to come to "unclog" my cat, Mo. (After which time I must enclose him somewhere that is "easy to clean up"... lovely!) I know, you are all jealous of me, right?

ooooohhhh... quiet here... I'm getting ready for dh's b'day dinner... babyback ribs, coleslaw, salad caprese, corn bread & for dessert -- mousse au chocolat!! All homemade!! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Why I haven't eaten all day!! Watch me pb after the first bite, too! Ack! Make it a great one, Vi's!!

ex-er-cise? what is this strange new word of which you speak?

219!? Fantastic Laura!! DH & I honeymooned @ Sandals in Jamaica (Montego Bay) & I'd suggest taking some $ as there are "optional" activities you can purchase while there... massages, catamaran booze cruises, walking up a waterfall... Everyone travelling... have fun!!! DS comes home today, yay!... I've missed the little bugger!! Make it a great day, Vi's!

Today's Piehole Report: B = van chai protein shake L = 5 oz. homemade chicken salad S = vita top pb chip (not THAT kind of pb, the good kind made from peanuts!) muffin top D = corned beef & cabbage (dd's fav, she'd eat it once a week!)

Yes, I admit it, for some reason I keep stumbling onto BB when it's been on this summer, so I kinda know who's who & what's going on... I don't even know when it's scheduled to be on... it's just happened that when I randomly plop down in front of the tube then voila! -- there it is. Too funny. DD's been watching it, too... she's so funny... she still doesn't get the veto concept, but has definite opinions on the different people on there... how gross was that flower pot challenge?? Yuck! And I understand that the annoying personality people are the ones who make the show interesting to watch, but I can't stand them... Libra (ugh! don't even get me started on how she should be home w/her newborn babies!) & Rennie... bleh... do you think the casting crew purposely gets folks w/annoying voices?? I'm definitely not up on all the secret ins & outs of how to "play" the game... but it's at least something new to watch over the summer.

Yes, but he is soooooo nice to look at!! :thumbdown:

Good Thursday Morn, Vi's~~ It is hard to type w/a cat's head laying on my left wrist! Silly cat! Laura, thank you for agreeing to host our xmas exchange again this year! Now that we're down to just our core group here, couldn't we move the "decide if you're going to participate" date up a bit? Maybe to the end of August or something? Because I agree w/Suzie... as one who likes to hand-craft gifts, having a bit more time would be great! Just a suggestion... ((Pamers)) Judy... you are my exercise hero! You're very motivational. Terry... Thank you again for starting the daily Piehole Report... w/that accountability I've been eating much better this week and even more importantly drinking better (water-wise) and am down 5 of the 8 I was up. Thank you! Another regular day here in Maryland... make it a good one, Vi's!