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Good morning, Y?all.

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I spent all day yesterday out shopping.  Found some nice summery blouses that aren?t too dressy or too casual.  Everything I have is either very dressy or t-shirts.  I decided it was time for something different!  The tops I got can be worn with jeans or dress pants, so they?re versatile!

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And I got in a lot of walking, and not just strolling behind a shopping cart.  At Wally World, I parked halfway out from the store in the parking lot.  At one shopping center, I parked in a central location, and took my packages to the truck after every store.  Yeah, I used my cane, but I was moving, and that?s the main thing.  According to my pedometer, I got in just under 3 miles!  The bad thing is I can hardly move this morning!  Yup, overdid it again.

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The plans for going to India for a week in October may be changing.  They?re talking about sending Micheal to India for a whole year!  Of course I?ll go with him?do you really need to ask?  Couldn?t handle being away from him that long, even though they would let him come home for a week every other month.

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Well, the drama continues.  Micheal?s mother and daughter are about to drive us crazy.  He did finally hear from both of them with belated birthday wishes, but he?s wishing he hadn?t.

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We had suggested to his mother that we have a small picnic on Sunday while we?re there?just some dogs, burgers and chips?all our treat.  Tuesday evening his mother called and announced that she?s setting up a big picnic at a local park.  Ok, that?s not too bad.  But you have to pay to park there, and you have to be there when they open in order to get a picnic area, and you have to pay for that, too.  And she?s planning to buy pre-cooked ribs & chicken, potato salad, etc, etc.  Ok, we can handle that…a lot more money, but we can handle it.

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Now, here?s the kicker?she told Micheal she invited his ex and her mother.  What?!?!?!  She said that she?s family cuz she is Melissa?s mother and the kids grandmother.  She sees them every day!!!  And if she?s there, she?ll be hanging onto the kids all the time and we won?t be able to spend much time with them.  Besides, we?re kinda tired of her being included in everything every time we?re there.  Can?t we have some time with our grandkids without her there distracting them?  She?s Micheal?s ex, for heaven?s sake!  Oh, and she accepted the invitation!!

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And Melissa (Micheal?s daughter) isn?t making things easier.  After her graduation on Friday night, she?s having a party.  We?re invited, of course, but we?d be there with a couple of dozen of her friends and their families.  So she?ll be spending all her time with her friends and the grandkids will be spending the time with the other kids.  So we?d be sitting there twiddling our thumbs.  Then Saturday she?s attending the wedding of a guy her husband works with, and he knows the guy so well, he doesn?t even know his last name!  We?ve been designated babysitters during the wedding.  We weren?t asked, we were told, but we don?t mind that.  That part is ok.  What irritated us is that they hadn?t planned on going to the wedding because they couldn?t get a babysitter.  Then they decided since we were coming out, we could babysit.  Oh, and Sunday!!!  Melissa has made plans for her family to attend an all-day Memorial Day celebration at church.  (So, who?s Micheal?s Mom planning to feed all that picnic food to?)

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Ok, which is more important?going to an all-day Memorial Day celebration at church, and to the wedding of someone you barely even know, or spending time with your father, who just spent more than $1000 (airline tickets, rental car, hotel) plus taking time off from work to come more than 3000 miles see you and your kids?  Is that really a hard decision?  And all these plans were made AFTER we told her we were flying out.  Really considerate of her, huh?

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We?re thinking very seriously about changing our plans.  We could still fly into Sacramento and go to Melissa?s graduation, then drive to Reno and spend the rest of the time with Micheal?s grandfather.  He would drop absolutely everything to spend every minute he could with us.  Micheal?s aunt was planning on bringing him to California on Sunday to see us, but we could tell her not to bother.  Boy wouldn?t that chap everybody else?s butts!!!!!

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Well, I think I?m through ranting?unless they come up with more stupid plans.  I know, you?re thinking ? don?t let them bug you ? but how can you NOT when you make plans to spend your time and money for the trip to see them and they go ahead and make their own plans?

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Ok, I?ll quit now.  I just had to vent.  I?m gonna go read some blogs.

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Y?all have a fantabulous day!

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Good morning, Y?all!

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Well, the sweet & sour pork I made for Micheal?s birthday dinner was ok.  It wasn?t the best we?ve ever had, but definitely not the worst.  But the birthday cake turned out pretty good.  I put strawberries in the frosting, which gave it a little extra zip!  I got really silly and added candles with colored flames, and sang happy birthday to him.  He got a kick out of all of it.

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But the evening ended on a little bit of a bitter note.  Micheal was a bit upset because he didn?t hear a word from his mother or daughter?no phone calls or birthday cards.  Made ME mad.  We?re going through all the time and expense to fly to California for his daughter?s graduation the end of the month, and she can?t even call and tell her father happy birthday.  I feel like calling her and his mother both and giving them a piece of my mind, cuz I know just how he feels, but I won?t.  I?ll just do my best to make up for their insensitivity.

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Ok, enough ranting.

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Even with the cake, I didn?t do too badly yesterday.  Didn?t stay within the 1200-1400 calorie range, but only went over it by a little.  So today, I plan to keep within my range.  I have chicken and veggies planned for dinner, and I have a Lean Cuisine in the freezer I can have for lunch.  And I had an English muffin for breakfast.

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Not much going on here today.  Maintenance is supposed to be coming to check out the freezer.  The meats I put in it last week are frozen, but Micheal?s ice cream that I bought Saturday is really soft.  You can squeeze the carton!  And I have the freezer turned almost all the way up.  Weird, huh?  How can the meats be frozen but everything else be soft?  As long as nothing spoils, I guess it?s ok, but they?re gonna check it out anyway.

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Oh, and they?re gonna bring me another casserole dish.  I was cooking dinner Saturday and boy did I mess up.  I put the water kettle on the back burner and turned it on, then set a casserole dish on the burner in front of it to put the hamburger in after it browned.  While the hamburger was cooking, I started emptying the dishwasher.  I was bent over it, getting things out, and next thing I knew, there was a loud bang!  I jumped and yelled.  It took a few seconds for me to realize what happened.  I?d turned the wrong burner on and the casserole dish exploded and threw glass all over the kitchen.  Instead of turning on the burner under the kettle, I?d turned on the one I set the casserole dish on!  The settings aren?t clearly marked (it?s an electric range, so no flame to alert me), and it?s not the first time I?d turned the wrong one on, but never with those consequences.  Now they?re labeled clearly!

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The way that glass flew, I?m surprised I wasn?t cut to pieces.  Glass was everywhere!  It was even in the bottom of the dishwasher.  But I didn?t have not even the tiniest shard in my hair, and not even a nick anywhere.  I was in there barefooted but didn?t get even one cut, not even on my feet.

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Well, that?s about it for me.  Gonna spend some time this afternoon out on the balcony, soaking up some sun.  The temp?s supposed to get up to 83 today and it?s supposed to be sunny!  It?s gonna be nice!

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Now off to read some blogs.

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Y?all have a fantabulous day!

Good morning, Y?all.

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Micheal loved his massage.  Of course, he was in hog heaven cuz he was the only man in the place except one employee.  It was a deep tissue massage and he was sore after, which he was told he would be.  But he still enjoyed it.  And he got the manicure and pedicure, too.  He didn?t go play golf cuz the masseuse told him not to.

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We went to the circus yesterday.  That was a big let-down.  Definitely not the circus of my childhood.  We knew there would be no tent, because it was in the DCU Center, but it was more of a theme show than anything.  There were no trapeze or high wire acts, only some acrobatics.  It was mostly clowns and horses.

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Woke up hurting again this morning.  I?m sure it has a lot to do with all the stair climbing this weekend.  We went out Saturday to get groceries, then to the circus yesterday, and at the circus.  Plus there was a lot of walking yesterday.  So, I?m sure that?s what it is.  And, well, I slept like a log last night?only about 5 hours, but I slept hard.  That always contributes to the pain.  Can?t win for losing!  Oh well!

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Today?s gonna be a busy one, so I?ll just have to shove the pain to the back of my head and work around it.  Micheal wanted Chinese for his birthday, (it?s actually today, but I was spreading it out over the whole weekend) specifically sweet & sour pork, but none of the restaurants around here serve it that we?ve found.  So I?m gonna try my hand making it.  And I still have to make his cake.  I bought fresh strawberries this weekend, so some of them are going on the cake, and maybe even in it.  There?s only the two of us, so I?ll probably end up putting half of it in the freezer.  Micheal will eat most of it, but I?ll have a little.  Just have to cut back on everything else.

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And speaking of cutting back.  I?m gonna drastically cut my calories for about a week.  I?m gonna drop down into the 1200-1400 calorie range and then up it again after a week and see if that will jump-start my loss again.  I?ve been on this plateau too long.  Well, don?t know if you can actually call it a plateau, since I keep bouncing the same 2-3 pounds back and forth, but most of you know exactly what I mean.

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Well, I?m off to read some blogs.

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Y?all have a fantabulous day.

Good morning, Y?all!

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Well, it?s almost NOT morning, anymore!

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Micheal?s gone for his birthday spa treatment and massage and I?m here watching TV.  Don?t know if he?s gonna go hit a few golf balls when he gets back or if we?re gonna do something.  But he?ll be gone a good couple of hours, anyway.  He was really excited when he left.  I think he?s gonna enjoy it.

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The pain?s a little better today?still hurting, but tolerable.  I woke up hurting pretty bad, but it finally eased up.  I?m back to sleeping only 4-5 hours a night because of waking up hurting, but I?m coping with that, too.  I?ll see about getting a doctor and seeing if I can get something to help.

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I met a lady at the salon Wednesday, a nurse, who said she?s heard some wonderful things about acupuncture for pain.  I may try that.  I?ve thought about it before, but never knew where to start looking for someone that really knows what they?re doing.  I may just check into that a little further.  But I do know I need to do something before things get worse.

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So not much else going on around here today.?gonna get a shower in a few minutes, then just watch some TV til Micheal gets home.

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Well, I?m off to read some blogs.

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Y?all have a fantabulous day.

Good morning, Y?all.

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Feeling a little better this morning, but still hurting.  I didn?t get to sit out on the balcony yesterday.  Maintenance was outside cleaning all the sand and stuff off the parking lot and it was just too loud and dusty.  I couldn?t even leave the door open because of the noise.  But they should be moving on to another section today so maybe?  They?re delivering patio furniture for us today.  The management is providing patio furniture for all the furnished apartments.  I hope it?s not much.  The balcony is awfully small as it is!  It?ll probably be those narrow plastic chairs.  If so, I won?t even be able to sit in them!  If that?s the case, I?ll just set one of them in the corner of the living room and use my chair.

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It?s supposed to be a really nice weekend.  Micheal has his massage tomorrow, and we have tickets to a circus for Sunday evening, but I don?t know what else is in the plans.  I think Micheal wants to go out and hit a few golf balls sometime this weekend.  And that?s ok.  That?s why I encouraged him to bring his golf clubs up from Fort Wayne this past weekend.  He works so hard and such long hours sometimes, and he needs a bit of a diversion.  Besides, when he?s hitting those golf balls, he imagines they?re the heads of those trouble makers at work.

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Speaking of work?about the whacko where Micheal works?they finally talked to her yesterday.  She started screaming discrimination and they wanted details.  She couldn?t give them any.  They told her she was officially being warned and written up and any further problems or complaints will result in her being fired.  She got mad, jumped up and left.  Nobody saw her the rest of the day.  Hopefully she won?t be back.

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The reason for the delay in talking to her?  Who really knows.  They?re saying they had to make sure everything was done legally because she was screaming discrimination and because she?s supposedly manic/depressive and bi-polar.  They didn?t want anything coming back on them legally.  I think they should have been more concerned about the danger she was posing to the other employees, but what I think doesn?t really matter.  They had their reasons for the delay.  But maybe it?s all over with now.

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Well, guess I?m gonna go read a few blogs, then relax a bit.  Hopefully this pain will all be gone before the circus Sunday.  I?d hate to go to that and be hurting where I can?t enjoy it.  It?s not far from here, so we?re gonna take a cab rather than driving and trying to find a parking place, then maybe ending up walking quite a distance from the truck and back.  A cab will drop us at the entrance!  Hmmm?I wonder if they?ll allow cameras and/or camcorders? 

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Y?all have a fantabulous day!

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Good morning, Y?all.

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I had a busy day yesterday.  I took Micheal to work, then went for a manicure & pedicure.  They put me in the pedicure chair and much to my surprise - and pleasure - it was a massaging chair.  Boy did I need that!  Those rollers running up and down my spine, vibrating and pulsing, felt sooooo good!!!  I think I?m gonna see about getting one of those chairs, without the pedicure bath, for home!!

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While I was at the nail salon, I bought Micheal a spa package for his birthday.  I got him a full massage with pedicure and manicure.  I wasn?t sure how he?d accept that, but he loves the idea!  He immediately started talking about what he would wear to make things easier!  His birthday isn?t til Monday, but I went ahead and gave him the certificate cuz his appointment is Saturday, and I didn?t want him to make other plans.

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I spent the rest of the day shopping.  One of the first things I did was to pick up Dr. Oz?s book ?You on a Diet?.  I?ve wanted to read it, but just couldn?t bring myself to spend $25 on a book, but Border?s had it marked 30% off, plus I get a 10% discount on top of that, so I caved and bought it.  I?m gonna read it and see what Dr. Oz has to say.  Maybe I?ll find something that will help.  I sure hope so.  I?ve seen him on talk shows before and he seems to know his stuff.  Gee, I don?t know how much money I?ve spent on diet books and aides this past year, but if I lost a pound for every dollar spent, I would definitely be at goal by now!!!

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I slept too hard last night.  I didn?t wake up or move all night, which is very unusual for me.  And, I woke up hurting?bad.  I can already tell it?s gonna be a bad day.  I?ll probably spend most of it on the couch, reading.  If it warms up a bit, I?ll move out to the balcony and soak up some sun while I read.

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Well, guess I?ll go read some blogs.

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Y?all have a fantabulous day!

Good morning, Y?all!

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Anybody miss me?

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What a weekend!  First off, we got to the airport Friday afternoon and got bumped from our 4:30 flight to a 6:30 flight.  Then our flight was delayed because of weather.  When we finally got to Detroit, we had to scramble to get to our gate for our connection, only to get there and find out that flight was on delay ? only 15 minutes - but that got extended to over an hour and a half!  Micheal decided we?d just get a rental car in Detroit and drive to Fort Wayne.  He said the plane we were waiting for was a really small one and we?d be more comfortable driving it.  Besides, that would have gotten us to the Fort Wayne airport about the same time the plane landed, so we could get our luggage.  Not!

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We had to walk over a mile through the airport just to get to the area to catch the shuttle to the rental car agency.  We had to wait half an hour for the shuttle.  I started doubting Micheal?s logic, but by then it was too late to even think about making it back to the gate to catch our flight.

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It took over an hour to get the rental car.  When we finally got on the road, there was a major traffic jam!  It took us half an hour to go 2 miles.  When we finally got to Fort Wayne, there was absolutely nobody at the airport, so we had to get a hotel room because we?d put our keys in the checked luggage and had no way to get into the house without calling the landlord or our housekeeper at 3:00 in the morning!  We weren?t going to do that.  But we finally got our luggage first thing Saturday morning.  And we learned a valuable lesson.  NEVER put your keys in your checked luggage.

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Saturday we spent most of the day running around.  We had to find a bag to carry Micheal?s golf clubs in on the plane.  He dropped me off at Catherine?s so I could go shopping while he was doing that.  Then Saturday night we took our housekeeper out to dinner.

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Sunday, we packed up some things we wanted to bring back, and otherwise, mostly relaxed. 

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Yesterday morning we overslept and had to hustle to make our flight home.  Since we got the rental car in Detroit, we had to return it there or pay $300 extra!  So we skipped our flight from Fort Wayne to Detroit and just drove up.  When we got to the ticket counter to check in and check our luggage, we had problems.  What we didn?t know was, skipping the flight from Fort Wayne to Detroit canceled out our tickets from Detroit!  Luckily they didn?t charge us extra to re-activate them.  We just made it to our gate, with only a few minutes to spare!  When we finally landed in Boston, we went to get our luggage and Micheal?s golf bag hit the carousel wide open!  The lock was even gone off it.  The stupid nylon zipper had separated.  Luckily, nothing was missing.  I don?t know what happened to the lock!

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Now here?s the funny part.  While we were standing in line to go through security (this is still in Detroit), Micheal realized he still had his Zippo in his shirt pocket, so he dropped it in my purse.  Guess what.  We made it home with his Zippo.  They make you jump through hoops going through security?take your shoes off, empty your pockets, etc.  They wouldn?t even let me walk through with my cane!  But they miss a Zippo in my purse?????  Go figure!!  After we got home, I called the airport and asked for security and told them what happened.  They told me that taking off shoes and all that crap was because of a directive from the president.  I told them I realized that, but that was a lost cause if they didn?t do their job screening items going through the x-ray machine.  I asked them if they realized just how much damage a person could do on an airplane with a Zippo lighter!  He asked if I wanted to lodge a formal complaint.  I told him no, that I just wanted to let him know how lax his security was and how unfair it was for them to make us jump through hoops when his security wasn?t doing their job.  He said he saw my point and that he would investigate.  Yeah, sure he will.

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Anyway, we?re home safe and sound.  And it was a good trip, for the most part.  Wait, who am I kidding?  It was a lousy, trip, as far as the traveling was concerned!!!  But we enjoyed being home for a few hours.

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Oh, and after allowing myself the whole weekend to be bad, I expected to see a 10 lb gain this morning?not!!!  I only gained 2 lbs!  I?m flabbergasted!  But it?s back to being strict, starting this morning.  I?m determined to get some more of this weight off!  On the flight from Boston to Detroit I had to get a seatbelt extender, and I don?t want that to happen again!!  This weight is coming off, one way or the other?genes be damned!!!!!!!

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Well, I?ve still got blogs to read and stuff to unpack, so I?m gonna shut up and get busy.

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Y?all have a fantabulous day!!