mary

Good morning, Y?all!

Well, Micheal came home after work last evening?.and stayed.  I guess he was feeling a little guilty about leaving me in the lurch like that!  Guess he decided he liked my company better than theirs!!  I wonder why?  I guess the fringe benefits must be much better here than with the guys!!!!!  Ya think???

Oh, and I?ve gotta tell you about the story they had on the news yesterday.  It seems this 2-year-old took his mother?s keys, went outside, unlocked the door of the minivan, got in, started it up and slipped it in gear, then the van rolled down the driveway and across the street hitting another car.  This was on the news, just as I told it, I kid you not!!  Now what part of this story doesn?t make sense?  Have you ever watched a 2-year-old try to crawl into a minivan by himself, AFTER the door has been opened?  How did he get the door open to begin with?  And he started it?  With a lot of vehicles, you have to push the brake all the way in before you can start it, and you have to hold that brake to take it out of park.  I think mom must have had a moment of stupidity and left the kid unattended in the vehicle while it was already running then took the easy way out and blamed it all on the poor kid!!!!!  Just had to share that with you.

As you can see, there?s not much to say here this morning, so I?m gonna quit while I?m ahead and go read some blogs.

Y?all have a fantabulous day!

Sometimes I just want to strangle my husband!!  He called from work yesterday and asked about inviting a co-worker (who is here from out-of-town) for dinner tonight.  No problem.  So this morning I get meat out of the freezer, plan a menu, straighten the apartment, etc., etc.  What happens?  He calls and tells me that the plans have changed.  A group of them are going out for dinner instead.  So where does that leave me?  Sitting home alone, just like I do all day long most weekdays.  MEN!!!!!  Don?t ya just love ?em?!?!?!

He did say that dinner won?t be til about 6:30 so he?ll come home and watch me eat dinner alone.  Thanks for being so considerate!  And no, I?m not cooking the meal I had planned.  I?m not gonna spend the time cooking a nice meal just to eat it alone.  I?ll probably just have some fruit salad and be done with it.

Oh well.  Maybe there?ll be something decent on TV.  If not, I?ll spend the evening reading, doing Kakuro puzzles or on the computer.  I can?t even get out and do anything myself cuz he?ll have the truck.

I know, I?m being childish and self-centered.  I just hate making plans and working on something special, especially when I?m hurting, and then having it all dumped.  I guess I should at least be thankful that he didn?t wait til late afternoon to call, after I?d started cooking, and tell me the plans were changed.  And I know he needs to get out with co-workers once in a while.  It?s just nice to have a little more notice than this.

Sometimes I get so tired of moving.  I do love the traveling but it?s hard to meet people and make friends in a new place when you?re not going to be there long, or when you?re unable to get out very often.  Micheal is here in the evenings and on weekends, and I do get out once or twice during the week, but that still leaves me alone the rest of the time.  It can just get so lonely.  And Micheal doesn?t really understand because he?s at work all day and around other people.

Micheal just sent me an e-mail with details of his evening.  He said ?worst case, he can come home long enough to watch me eat dinner?.  Worst case?  Gee thanks!!!

Ok, my vent is over.  Nothing I can do about it now, except make plans for an evening home by myself.

I?m gonna go read a few blogs now.

Good morning, Y?all!

We had a great anniversary.  We went to Maxwell Silverman?s for dinner & dancing (only slow dancing?I can?t handle the faster stuff).  We killed 3 bottles of champagne and were feeling little pain when we left!  Of course we took a cab, so the other drivers out there were safe.

I had swordfish and asparagus for dinner, so I did good!  But I didn?t really care for the swordfish.  I?d never had it before, and most of the other seafood was covered with all kinds of sauces.  I guess I could have ordered something else without the sauces, but I thought I?d try something new for a change.  That?s ok.  You never know if you?ll like something til you try it!

Max?s was great!  The dancing was with a DJ and it reminded me of the discos from back in the 70?s!  You gotta love a place where the employees are dancing around while waiting on tables and even dancing with the customers!  The host was standing up by the counter dancing and singing and even coming down around the tables.  Everybody was soooo friendly, even the other customers.  It was a blast.  Our waitress even gave us both a hug and a kiss on the cheek and told us happy anniversary before we left.  We?ll definitely be going back again!!!!

Needless to say, I paid the price Sunday for the dancing.  I was hurting pretty bad, then I had to get up and go out again yesterday.  Can we say ?OUCH?!!!

Oh, and Micheal loved his Mickey Mouse watch!!  He got me a portable scanner.  I?ve always liked listening to the police, fire, medic calls, especially when I?m hearing a lot of sirens around!  And since it?s portable we can carry it with us on long road trips.  They programmed several state police codes into it so when we?re on the road, we?ll know what?s going on with traffic jams and if there?s an accident ahead.  It?ll make it easier to plan detours!

I had my appointment with the oral surgeon yesterday.  I go next Monday to get two wisdom teeth extracted (upper left & lower right both at the same time), then a new upper partial.  I won?t be able to eat at all for a few days, and very little after that til the new partial gets made so maybe I?ll finally get off this stinking plateau I?ve been on for the past 6 months!!!  And maybe he?ll give me some really good happy pills that will help with all the pain for a few days!

I called my Dad Sunday, and my sisters were all there.  He passed the phone around to them so they could say hi.  I almost told him not to bother.  I talk to the one just younger than me all the time.  The other two?well, I quit calling them a long time ago.  I?d call and call, but they can?t be bothered to call me except on my birthday.  Then they make one call together.  And when we?re down there, they have more important things to do than come to Dad?s to see me.  Oh well.  They don?t know what they?re missing!!!!!

That?s about all that?s been going on around here.  I?m gonna spend the rest of the week recouping from the weekend and resting up for Monday?s dental appointment.  I will have to go to the grocery store sometime before Monday.  I went yesterday, but didn?t get anything I can eat after the extractions!!!  Gonna have to stock up on popsicles, soup, V8 and stuff like that!!

Well, I?m off to read some blogs.

Y?all have a fantabulous day!!!!

Good morning, Y?all.

I hope it?s a good weekend for everybody.

We found a restaurant for tomorrow night?a place called Maxwell Silverman?s, just a couple of miles from here?dinner & dancing with a DJ.  It?s not live music, but it?s supposed to be romantic so it will do.

Just to clarify what happened with the 5-year term Micheal was supposed to have here.  There are two reasons why the term is being cut short.  First - The company that Micheal works for has been bought out by another company.  They?re making a lot of changes.  Several of the higher-ups have already been let go.  Some got notices that their positions will be terminated at the end of the month.  Micheal?s position isn?t being terminated (at least that?s what they?re saying), but they said he won?t be staying here.

The second reason he won?t be staying is that the company they have the contract with actually hired 5 different contractors to all do the same thing at the same time!  Each of the 5 companies is working on the same project, in different ways.  None of the 5 is communicating with the others.  They?re all making changes to the system and doing testing at the same time.  So what one contractor does may be undone an hour later by another.  You spend hours, even days working on something, test it, and implement it, only to have another contractor completely undo the whole thing the next day.  Now how stupid is that?  Luckily Micheal?s company has been documenting the hell out of everything and getting the executives at the company they?re at to sign everything they document.  So Micheal?s company can?t be found at fault when the whole system crashes down around them!!!!  Micheal?s actually lucky he?s not going to be staying. 

So that?s what?s going on there.  Micheal is questioning his involvement with a company that will do business that way and so am I.  He?s working on updating and reactivating his resume on-line to see what else might be out there.  The good thing is that this has given him documented management experience to add to his resume.  He has been passed up for some great jobs in the past because he had no documented management experience, and now he has some.

I?m not saying he?s gonna quit his job.  We?re playing it by ear right now.  I say ?we??it?s his decision.  I?ve always told him that whatever he decides to do, I?ll go with him and support him.  I say ?we? because I handle the finances in our family and I?m working on paying off the bills we have?my truck, our credit cards.  Ha?except for rent and utilities, that?s all of our bills!  We already paid the rest off!  But I?m working on getting us a nest egg for our future.

So that?s how that stands right now.  If he sticks with the company he?s working for now, there will be travel involved.  If not, then there?s no telling where we will end up!!!  But I don?t care, as long as we?re together.  No more being apart for weeks at a time like when he was working in Minneapolis, thought.  We already decided that!!  Even if he has to fly out on short notice and I have to drive, I?ll be going with him.

Well, I?m off to read some blogs.

Y?all have a fantabulous day and a great weekend!  And if your Dad?s still around and within reach, don?t forget to give him a big hug Sunday.  At the very least, call and wish him a Happy Father?s Day. 

Good morning, Y?all!

Spent yesterday out running around.  Had my manicure/pedicure (I soooo love that massaging pedicure chair), got the oil changed in my truck, picked up my earrings from the jewelry store, did some shopping.

So I finally got the estimate back on fixing my earrings.  They said it would cost $575 but they would cut that to $375!  Are they crazy?  Even $375 is more than Micheal paid for the earrings, matching necklace and an extra chain!!!  I told them to forget it.  We?re going to put that money in savings instead.

Monday and Tuesday were pretty bad, pain wise.  I wasn?t good for much.  But Tuesday morning I did find something that helped a little.  I poured a bit of Disaronno in my coffee!  Talk about yummy!!!!  No, I didn?t end up drunk before lunchtime, (besides, it was 5:00 somewhere!) but it did help with the pain!  Things started getting better before the morning was over.  But I?m gonna take it easy the next couple of days and rest up for the weekend.

Saturday is our 6^th anniversary.  We started making plans to go to Niagara Falls Friday afternoon and come back Sunday, but then we found out that Micheal?s position here may not last past the end of September (don?t even ask what happened to the 5 years we were supposed to be here).  So, since we?ll be driving back to Indiana at that time, we decided to wait til then to go back to Niagara.  Why make a trip all the way out there and back now when we?ll be going within a hundred miles or so of there on the way home.  We can take a couple of extra days and make a short vacation out of it.

But until then, Micheal?s going to try to get the whole week of the 4^th of July off and we?re gonna fly home for that week.  We haven?t been home since the end of April.  I?m sure I have a mountain of mail on my desk by now! 

But back to our anniversary?now we?re trying to decide what we want to do.  We?re talking about finding a nice restaurant around here that has some live music and/or dancing.  And we?ll take a cab so we can have some wine or whatever with dinner and not have to worry about driving.  It?s just that the majority of the restaurants around here are Italian.  Now don?t get me wrong.  We like Italian, but they just don?t usually have live music or dancing.  The only place we?ve heard of with either is a Chinese restaurant that has both (go figure!).

As for Micheal?s anniversary present?I got him a couple of really pretty Hawaiian print shirts (he really likes those and can wear them to work on Fridays) and, well, I got a bit silly?I got him a Mickey Mouse watch!!!!  I saw it and just couldn?t resist!!!  And I got him a musical card that plays ?Wild Thing?, after all, he is my ?Wild Thing?!  So if I don?t show up on here again after Saturday, you?ll know he killed me over the present and card!!!!  Knowing him though, he?ll get a kick out of wearing the watch to work and showing it off!

Well, I guess I?ve rambled enough.  I?m off to read some blogs.

Y?all have a fantabulous day!!!!

Good morning, Y?all.

The other day Madeliene wrote a blog about blogging.  She made some good points.

I was like Madeliene at first.  It took me a few days to start blogging after I got on BuddySlim.  I was a blogging virgin, and didn?t really know what to do or say, but once I got started??!!!!  I seldom ever missed a day of blogging.  It killed me if I had to miss a day.

At first, when I?d blog, I?d eagerly check back really often to see if anybody had commented on my blog.  I just had to have that confirmation that people were reading it and giving me positive feedback.  That was the insecure me.  I was looking for everybody?s approval.  I needed that feedback.

And, I?d make sure to occasionally write a very ?thought provoking? blog.  I had the need to feel that everybody thought I was soooo wise and knowledgeable.  And I?d do the same thing with comments I made on other?s blogs.  I had to be sure I sounded like I really knew what I was talking about.  I had to make sure my comment sounded intelligent (or silly in some cases).  Boy, was I into myself!!!

Things must have changed since then.  Now, I don?t usually write about my ?diet?, cuz I?m trying not to consume myself with every pound I?m NOT losing.  I write mostly about my daily life.  I write about my activity, my daily experiences, my thoughts, and my feelings.  My hope is that one day I can sit down and read back over all my blogs and see if there is a relationship between my daily life and my weight loss, or lack thereof.  Yeah, I know that how I eat and my daily activity level will have a direct effect on weight loss.  But what about the normal day-to-day stuff?  Does my body refuse to let go of the weight because I?m in pain?  Does it refuse to let go because of stress?  Is there a relation between all that and weight loss, and what will trigger my body to start losing again?  Maybe I can read back through my blogs and find a connection.  And maybe not.

But now I write my blog for me.  Yeah, I ramble a lot.  I write about all the things I?ve done since the last blog.  I write about my aches and pains.  I write about things that irritate or infuriate me.  I write about whatever I want to.  And I no longer care if anybody comments on it or not.  Yeah, I read the comments I get, and I do appreciate them, but I don?t depend on them anymore.  I check in a lot more often to see if a Buddy has written a new blog than I do to see if anybody?s commented on mine.

In other words, I don?t blog for ?attention? any more.  I blog for me.  I don?t fret over missing a day, or two or four of blogging.  I?m not obsessed with it anymore.

And if so-and-so or whozit doesn?t want to comment on my blog, I don?t care.  If they don?t even want to read it, I don?t care.  I used to care.  I used to get upset if certain people didn?t comment on my blog, but not anymore.  I?m not doing this for their approval or comment.  I?m doing it for me.  That?s the bottom line.  Why the change?  I don?t know.  Maybe I?ve finally matured.  Everybody?s always told me I should start acting my age.  Maybe I just needed the attention.  I don?t know.  But I do know I?ve changed.

But please know that when I comment on your blogs, my comments come from my heart.  I may read your blog and not comment, because everybody else that has already commented has said everything there is to be said, or because I really just don?t have a comment. 

So that?s my blog for today.  Confirmation of why I?m doing this.  If what I say today (any day for that matter) helps somebody in some way, that?s great.  I?m glad I could help.  If it upsets somebody, I?m sorry.  I wrote it for me.

Y?all have a fantabulous day!!

Good morning, Y?all!

Just a short one this gloomy, rainy morning.  I actually slept last night (after a couple of margaritas) but woke up hurting pretty bad?uuggghhhhhhh!!!!

I had my dental appointment yesterday afternoon.  This dentist had a much better chair-side-manner.  She took the time to tell me that the pain is actually because of gum disease.  She said there are two teeth that do need to be pulled, but that the rest are very healthy and that after pulling the two, treating the gum disease, and making a new upper partial, the pain would be gone.  Now why couldn?t the other dentist tell me all that?  Jerk!  But she did schedule me to see the oral surgeon a week from Monday just to see what he said.

And I had to have the windshield replaced in my truck yesterday morning.  I got a tiny rock-chip Wednesday that immediately started a crack running right down the middle of the windshield.  The next morning it was beginning to spider-web, so a replacement became a necessity.  I sure am glad I opted for the $50 deductible on comprehensive!!!  The glass company even waived that!!

I picked up a few groceries before Micheal got off work.  I bought lots of salad stuff.  By the time we got home, I was totally wiped and hurting.  I took the time to make a big bowl of salad and that?s it!  So today?s gonna be a relax-day, especially since the weather?s so crappy.

Well, I?m off to read a few blogs.

Y?all have a fantabulous day!!!

Good morning, Y?all.

I went to the dentist yesterday morning.  When I made the appointment, the lady told me that the dentist wouldn?t argue with my decision to have the rest of my teeth pulled.  Wrong!  He said, in good conscious, he couldn?t refer me to the oral surgeon.  I told him I guess we?re done then.  He said yeah, we are, and I got up and left.  Didn?t even stop at the front desk.  What a bunch of malarkey!! 

I spent the rest of the day shopping.  I bought a couple of skirts and a top, then came home and changed into one of the skirts because Micheal was taking me out to dinner last night.  I haven?t worn a skirt or dress in years!  We went to an Italian restaurant for dinner, but I was good.  I had salmon and broccoli.

I went to bed last night when Micheal did, but couldn?t get comfortable so I got back up cuz I didn?t want to keep him awake.  I finally went back to bed at 3 (after a couple of margaritas) but I was back up at 5.  I?m wiped! I guess a nap will be in order later today.

Oh, and the company told Micheal to go ahead and sign a lease for another 3 months here.  He called the manager of the complex and she told him she would move us to a first floor apartment after the first of the month.  That will make things a lot easier for me.  Those stairs are killing me!

Well, that?s about all now.  Guess I?ll go read a few blogs.

Y?all have a fantabulous day!

Good morning, Y?all!

Just once, I?d love to wake up with no pain!  That would be simply wonderful!  But at least I am waking up!

Well, I made a big decision yesterday.  I made an appointment with the dentist to start the process of having the rest of my teeth yanked and get full dentures.  I already have a partial, but it?s getting old (I?ve had it for more than 15 years!).  My teeth have always been brittle, and now my mouth is starting to hurt most of the time.  It hurts to chew?not like a regular toothache?more like pain from pressure.  So it?s time to get it over with.  At least that?s one pain I can get rid of.  And, they said that all the teeth can be pulled and a temporary denture put in all in one day.  Yeah, I probably won?t be able to eat anything solid for a few days, but that might be a good thing.

Maybe not being able to eat for a few days will get me off this stupid plateau I?ve been on for too long!  I know I?m doing all the right things.  I?m keeping my calories within range.  I?m keeping the fat content down.  I eat very little sugar in any form.  I?m getting exercise in when I?m able to?walking anyway.  I?m drinking all my water.  I even shake things up once in a while.  So maybe a few days on a liquid diet will get things going again.  I sure hope so.

Micheal has been working 10-12 hours a day.  He spends 8-9 hours at work, then comes home and works some more.  Then, he works several hours on the weekends.  Neither of us likes that.  Most of his time at work is spent in meetings and there is no hands-on.  He agrees that it?s time to cut back on the hands-on, but he?d like to keep doing a little anyway.

So, we?ve been doing some talking?about going back to Fort Wayne and finding a job there, even if it?s less money.  My truck is almost paid for, and most of the credit cards are completely paid off.  The only ones with a balance are fairly low balances.  We have a little money in savings, and we can now afford for him to take a lower paying job and still put money away for the future.

Of course, Fort Wayne is the first option.  Anywhere he can find a good, permanent position and housing is reasonable will be great.  But I think we?re about ready to settle down for a change.  We?re both getting older, and our recovery time after a trip is getting longer.  And, Micheal would love to have a place so he can get an old car to restore?one of his passions.  He can?t do that with the traveling, living in apartments or extended stay hotels, etc.  For that, we?d need a home with a garage.

I?d like a room where I can spread out all my craft stuff, then go in every morning and see it all and decide what I want to work on that day.

And we?d like to have a place where the grandkids can come and spend time when they?re out of school.  As it is now, we have nowhere for them to stay.  We?re in a one-bedroom apartment.  If we move into a two-bedroom, it will still be rough cuz it would be cramped and there?s really no place for them to get out and play.  And we?re not talking about just one or two of the grandkids.  We want to have ALL of them here at once.  I know that?s not gonna happen.  It will be a cold day in hell before Nova lets me have her kids without her being there.  But that still leaves 8 more (that?s including the one due in 2 months) that we could have all at once?uh, as long as Micheal can get vacation time and we can rent a van and car seats!!!!!!

But that?s probably all just a dream.  We?ll see.

Well, I?m off to read some blogs.

Y?all have a fantabulous day!!!!

Good morning, Y?all!

This morning started out just wonderful.  The power went out and stayed off for over an hour!!  My coffee got cold and I couldn?t get on the computer, watch TV, listen to the radio or anything!  The quiet was kinda nice, but now my coffee?s hot again, and everything?s up and running.

Now, I want to clarify something from my last post.  I?m not a person that makes a big deal out of things.  Things aren?t that important to me.  I wouldn?t care if I didn?t have anything more than costume jewelry or any at all.  I don?t want designer clothes, a big house, fancy cars or anything like that.  But, I do cherish gifts that people give me out of love, and if one of those gifts gets damaged or lost, I do get upset because I feel as if the person that gave it to me may think it wasn?t important to me.  It?s not so much the gift itself, as the thought that went into the giving.  I cherish the charm that Nikki sent me just as much as the opals Micheal gave me.  That?s why I was so upset over the earrings.  Micheal took the time and spent the money to get me something nice, and then something not so nice happens to it.  Yeah, it?s only jewelry, but Micheal bought it for me, and that makes it special.  But when Micheal spends money on something like that, he does demand quality, and we definitely didn?t get that.

I did take the earrings back to the jewelry store, and they got all snippy and said there was nothing they could do about it.  Finally they said they could send them for a repair estimate, but I?d have to pay for the repair.  So, I?ll find out in a week what it will cost to repair them.  After Micheal got home, he called their customer support line and told them he wouldn?t be spending any more money at Kay?s.

We didn?t do much this weekend.  Micheal had to work part of the day Saturday.  We were going to go to the casino yesterday but it was rainy, so we decided to just stay home.  We did go out shopping, though.  We went to Sam?s and found a Shiatsu massage cushion that?s almost as good as the massage chairs at the nail salon!  Guess what?there?s one on my couch right now, and boy is it nice.  And, I got a lot of walking in at Sam?s and at Best Buy.

Well, I?m off to read a few blogs.

Y?all have a fantabulous day.