Sunday, October 20, 2024

Weight 120.2. Probably too much junky food this week. Need to get back to a stable pattern. Also need to take a queue from the rest of you and start an exercise routine (in addition to our morning walk).

Paula, I remember the picture of you in that beautiful blue dress. Exciting that you are almost back into it. CC, like Paula I enjoy my 10 pound dog blanket but Kirby would be a bit large for me too. And Diane S, so wonderful that you are already feeling good results from the surgery.

Yesterday's activities were fun. Today DS is using the car and driving to a friend's home to visit for the day. We will probably hang out at the neighborhood pool, though DH wants to watch the Patriots game in London staring at 9:30 am.

Today is Sunday, so the bus leaves at 7:30. Have a simple Sunday!

Happy Sunday morning! I finally have time for an update.

First I'll offer my own congrats to Diane about her obviously successful hand surgery. That's got to be a great relief and will be a bigger relief when the healing is fully over. And big congrats to everyone who's having wins, whether large or small, in their lives. We should thank ourselves, our good luck, and the forces that support us more than (I think) we might always do.

Our home remodeling project is getting closer to starting. We had a very busy week looking for and finding good materials, good people, and good conversations with each other about what we REALLY want to do. It's a lot of fun, although we both realize there's a lot of messiness we'll be living in for a while. That's OK--we're creating something together that we'll enjoy for the rest of our lives.

Yesterday I drove by myself 475 miles back to my home, which normally is a 7.5 hour experience. Yesterday it took 12.5 hours because on my way (in Nowhere, Indiana) I discovered I had a bum tire that needed to be replaced. After pulling off the interstate and calling AAA and then waiting an hour for them to show up, I finally found a tire store where I realized I should replace all four tires because they were older than I realized (did you know a tire's manufacture date is visible on the outside of the tire? I didn't!) and because replacing only a single tire on an all-wheel drive car can screw up your ride and potentially your safety. Anyway, the tire purchase and replacement took three hours because it seems Saturday is the day when everyone wants to buy new tires. Then I got back on the road and high-tailed it down multiple interstates amidst monster truck convoys and, after dark, over unlighted, winding, up-and-down mountain roads watching out for deer who might wander into my path.

I rose to the occasion (have I mentioned that adrenaline is my drug of choice) by jacking up the radio and appreciating the still-beautiful nearly full moon.

Today will be a well-earned day of rest!

That's all I got, kids.

Glad you made it safely! That sounds like a hairy ride.

Damn, it really was.

Yikes! Sorry to hear about the tire replacement delay! I would say you rose to the occasion very well!

So glad you made it safely! Yikes.

Greetings all

Another sunny day. We are getting spoiled before the rainy season comes. I want to the gym but did not quite do my full walk. Baby steps for me. I think the desk person wonders what I do there since I am in and out in 15 min.

On to the studio where I had a lot of stuff to glaze waiting. Place was packed. I can glaze since I can cover my hand with a glove and just use a small paint brush. Pretty tame.

Ann yikes that sounds like a tough drive! Car issues are no fun but at least it was fixable. Glad you made it safe.

Enjoy the sun Liz. You too DD. And CC. We all have sun for now,

Yow Peps! Buster came through for you big time. He i****ting his stride. He looks great. You too.

Not much thought about food here. Pot pie for tonight. I am at least drinking skim milk for a snack rather than eating crackers. Our vegetable consumption is pathetic. Is BBQ sauce a vegetable? Don't think so. I might have to go to Safeway and get the cut up ones.

Spent 10 minutes looking for my wardrobe of bandages last night. Forgot that I had put them in a drawer. I have four boxes of various shapes. Looking forward to ditching them.

Diane S

154.4. Up even though calories were low. Maybe because they were low. Did better today.

Made beef stew for dinner and pressure cooked and then froze 2 racks of ribs for when DSD and fiancé get here. I will only have to thaw, throw on some BBQ sauce (a very worthy vegetable) and warm up in the oven a bit along with figuring out some sides.

Watched last week's church service from new church on line and will try and get today's service watched tonight.

Worked a bit more on organizing the basement and scrapbook stuff to sell. That will be a long project! My goal is to move some of my business mess to my current scrapbooking area in the unfinished part of the basement and reclaim the bar and table for entertainment (even though we have never entertained in the basement except for having Aidan's college friends stop by once for a pre New Years Eve party). They all met at our house, ate pizza and snacks and then carpooled to Milwaukee for the real party!

Back from Galveston, after a really fine trip. The weather was perfect. My only regret is I did not get pool time until after 4pm, and the pool water itself was just a bit too shady for swimming. I did enjoy the extra cushy loungers though.

It's surprising what buildings have stood over centuries in Galveston, especially those that survived the hurricane in 1900 that killed over 8,000 people. We learned it is still the greatest natural disaster in the U.S. Much of the older architecture is reminiscent of the French Quarter, and just as haunted. I would definitely visit again.

We stayed in the Grand Galvez, built in 1913. It is lovingly restored and it's Art Deco/Spanish Mission Revival grandeur is so my aesthetic. That it has interesting ghost stories and serves a roaring 20s gin drink called Bee's Knees makes it even better.

My Dad is out of the hospital. He had an infection in his GI tract that was causing nausea and diarrhea that is now being treated. My brother and his wife are spending the nights, sleeping in the guest room until things are a bit more sorted.

Work tomorrow morning. I discovered when I checked my email today that one of my favorite co workers was in a bad accident Friday. He is a big time bike racer, doing marathon races (100+miles) on all kinds of terrain and elevations. He was competing in Northern Arkansas, crashed and broke his hip. Surgery was in Springfield Mo. If he's up to it, we're going to FaceTime with him during our lunch tomorrow. I sure hope he'll be okay. Looking towards the weeks of recovery, we are really going to miss him! He's one of the bright lights in the building.

Well time to unpack. Tomorrow unseasonably warm again,(79) so I can get another day of sandal wearing. It's the small pleasures that mean the most :)

DD, you may already know this, but Northwest Arkansas is (oddly) the premiere mountain biking capital of the world. Those trails and facilities were built by one of the Walton heirs (a son) whose passion is mountain biking. The Walton daughter heir (Alice) has built a magnificent art museum (Crystal Bridges) at Bentonville that has collected and displays American art. It's a magnificent museum and collection. You and your husband might consider going down there to visit when you're in the mood for another several-days holiday. The town is full of interesting places, which you might not be expecting. So much money in that town!