Merry Christmas 🎄🎁 Tess! I love your idea of relaxing at the day spa! What a wonderful plan for the day!

My BF is hosting Christmas Eve. Mom and I will be there, and we have invited his neighbors. I also invited my friend's Nurse, but alas she will be working. I used to spend every holiday with my friend and the same nurse worked every holiday. Now that my friend has passed, we miss seeing her nurse. I may try to track her down Christmas Day and see if I can stop by.

My errands for the day are done. I am doing laundry and preparing to bake.

Hi friends! Just popping in to wish everyone a happy holiday! It always makes my heart happy to log in and see everyone still chatting. I hope I can keep up better next year.

Today I ran errands, but that's it. No housework. I'm physically and emotionally exhausted. I had to have some work done in my apartment this week. My landlord didn't say anything about the condition, but I still feel embarrassed. So embarrassed. Now that he's been in here, maybe I'll lose a bit of my anxiety about someone seeing. The condition only gets better and better.

What is everyone doing for Christmas? I'm always alone on Christmas Day. This year I'm going to try to spend the day at a resort spa just a couple hours away. They have a wonderful water area and lounging room. I can purchase a day pass without paying for the overpriced services or purchase a service and get a day pass for free. We'll see what happens there!

If I don't pop in again before Christmas, have a very merry Christmas. Love you guys 🙂

Checking in and running errands. BF was very happy with the cleaners. He was there when they started but not when they left; nonetheless he said he felt lighter knowing they were cleaning his house. He wants to have them at least once a month. I'm glad he was happy. He works a ton of hours and deserves to have this done for him. She also told him she'll help him organize, which he really needs help with.

Going back out there to run some more errands. I'm tired right now. I need the exercise.

That is a surprise! And the cats were all chatty and impatient.

Up very early. Fed kitty and brushed teeth. Back in bed. Cleaners go to BFs today.

We had record warm temps yesterday. So windy and rainy.

Good Evening Everyone

Hi Tatoulia
YEA! for Monday off!
Hope you and Miss Kitty are dreaming sweetly by now.

Well he surprised me.
He brought home the car late this afternoon.
I didn't notice it right away because I had fallen deeply asleep on the couch but the cats kept jumping on me to wake me up to tell me the car came back.
Watched "Bird Box" on Netflix today.
It was good and scary, very well done.

Hey SubC the game sounds like fun! I've only played it a few times and it wasn't fun but the camaraderie you describe sounds like great fun!

Tillie I am so sorry about this turn of events. What a pity that he is no longer working. I'm glad your car is fixed but here you are, stuck without it.

We have Monday off. I'm so excited. I am tired tonight. It is warm and very windy and very rainy. I still managed to walk to work. BF picked me up and he ran errands while I sat in the car.

I'm in my pjs. Going to relax a bit then head into bed.

HAPPY WINTER 🙂

I have some special treats to put out for all the cats and birds that visit my yard.

The car is fixed.
Still at the garage because he didn't bother to get it yesterday and today he's gone off to Carson City and the garage is closed on weekends.
Good thing I don't need to go anywhere and have all the groceries I need.

House is still dusty and the bathroom needs cleaning & floors need attention too.
Have absolutely no motivation to do anything about this.
I didn't make things dirty. 🙁

Oh, I like that game, but we always play it with white elephants and some good things from the host and multi ages where we make sure all the children are happy. People are very funny extolling the virtues of their 2006 Champaign flutes or framed catalog cover when someone is trying to chose "steal" or "open"

My cold is fine, but I am exhausted and have no voice. I'm taking a lot of medicine and going to work anyway because so many teachers are sick we are out of subs and still running on a skeleton staff. The director will be manning the front desk tomorrow with a black eye from a house decorating accident.

It's the last day before Christmas break. I think there will be a lot of game playing and art. The elementary science teacher has an exploratorium set up in her classroom, and she told me to just bring my 6-9s down to play in it after lunch if I need to.

Oh I think we call Dirty Santa a Yankee Swap. The good gift keeps getting chosen and you could get stuck with something stupid. I have been places where that happens. I never take the good gift, I find something moderate and inoffensive like Yahtzee so no one takes it yet I'll enjoy it. I haven't done one in years and not a big fan of that.

I'm still not home. Waiting in car for BF. Wanted to check in.

CM there is a cat on twitter who loves Barbies. Really sweet.

Will check in more later.

SubC how is your cold?

Hi CriticalMass
YEA! for no Winter depression!
Think maybe girl kitty wants a dolly for XMas?
WAY TO GO! for sewing!
That sounds like a great way to keep those Winter blues away.

Hi Tatoulia
YEA! for new PJs that fit and other larger ones off to donation!
So, did you play with the new Kitchenaide?

Hi Subclinical
Hope you have been resting and feeling a bit better now.
I think "dirty Santa" is a game where people get a gift but someone can steal it from them and it goes around the room with everybody trying to end up with the gift they want the most.

Have a "sick" headache since yesterday that I'm trying to shake.
Scooter was excessively clingy yesterday when I finally got back home.
He actually cuddled under the covers all night.
He never did that before.
Twinkles keeps following me around having a serious discussion with me.
Meow, meow, meow...
The house is dusty, wish I was motivated to fix that.
Maybe if this headache goes away?

Quick drive by

Tillie, belated Happy Birthday. Sorry about your car though, that stinks. Hopefully it will just be the one thing and not like my old junker van. I sure have been blessed to have the new one.

Tatoulia and SubC, hope the colds go away and don't come back!

I'll post more soon, I hope. Been sewing Barbie clothes a gal at church wanted. Might be the kickstart to doing more and selling as I've hoped.

The girl kitty, the more curious of the two, got busted by my roommate for grabbing my Barbie by the hair and attempting to kidnap her. Wish I'd seen it, LOL. Glad the doll is unharmed. I just bought her the other day. Have slowed down considerably buying them by the way. But I'd had my eye on this one since it was first advertised.

Two days till solstice and six till Christmas and so far I'm avoiding winter depression. Yay!

Oh Tillie, what a rotten thing. I'm so sorry. I can feel the pain and frustration and hassle and I'm so sorry.

Hi Guys
Get something warm in you both like soup or tea, put on snuggly jammies and go to sleep.

The weather was beautiful today but...
I should have stayed in bed.

Decided to go into town this morning
fill water bottles
visit with my friends at the food bank thrift shop
and finally go grocery shopping.

After I finished grocery shopping I loaded up all my groceries into the car, got in and...
the car would NOT start.

It was doing all kinds of weird electrical things like flashing the emergency lights, not responding to locking or unlocking the doors, etc.
But turn the key and -------nothing---------

Walked over to a kindly looking older gentleman and asked him what he thought was the issue.
He was very helpful and concerned but had no idea what was wrong.
His wife lent me his phone to call Steven and they made sure I would be rescued shortly before they left me there.

Steven arrived and soon after his friend called & when Steven told him what was going on he came over there to help too.

The tow cost 77.00 and the mechanic was going to work on it right then but by then it was AFTER FIVE PM so since Steven knows the guy he told him to go home and fix it in the morning.

Seems like a battery cable decomposed and rotted and short circuited things and caused the battery terminal to sizzle & stink and I really don't know what the heck was going on there.

It was a long day. :p

HinSubC, I'm so sorry that the cold has derailed you! I agree with husband that you need to take sick days! I didn't take any with my cold this time because I, for the first time ever, didn't have the head fog and exhaustion. I had the sore throat and stuffy nose but none of the rest of it, thank goodness. I think I am mentally exhausted. I had a mentally stressful meeting last night and it weighed heavily on me all night long.

I am working hard today on reports and spreadsheets and other stuff that I find mentally exhausting! It is so cold here too. I think I'll bake in a bit and give my new kitchenaide a whirl.

I am tempted to go shopping due to sales but guess what? I don't need a thing.

Big victory yesterday. A co-worker gave me a pretty pair of red with white polka dots pjs and they were in size medium! And they fit! A few years back she had given me some XL pjs that I cannot wear any longer because they fall off. I have freshened them up in the laundry and put in donation pile.

The cold?

Mine has completely routed me. Dh wouldn't let me go to work yesterday (I agreed) or at all today. He said you either take a sick day, or you don't. Nobody takes half a sick day.

I'm going to call in to my 3:30 class, give my lecture, and lead my discussion. Because, I just need to be there.

Tillie, i'm Glad you had a lovely day to work on your garden. You always seem to find the bright side of things, even when there is little to be bright about.

How are the cars and jack?

I am drying a few things by the fire - works as a winter humidifier too.

Motown, I approve of the 13 y.o. Getting what he asked for.

I don't know what dirty Santa is?

Checking in. Very busy day at home. End of work charts and data, etc.

Last night before going to bed, I almost left my dishes just sitting there. So glad this AM that I hadn't done that. Nice to have a clean, clear sink.

I'm exhausted. Not sure why.

Good Afternoon Everybody

Hi Tatoulia
Thank you but it's not until the 27th.
But with all the craziness in the stores and some places being closed for the holidays I need to plan my attack early, therefore, I need to decide soon what I will want to eat. LOL ;D

Hi Subclinical
LOL ;P

So happy for you that this year you have made that wreath and you are happy with how your home is.
(((HUG)))

Hi Motown
Stick around with us and I am sure that in 2019 you will see great progress toward your goals/hopes/dreams.
Good luck with the stone.
Have they been able to analyze the stone fragments and discover what may be causing the stones to develop?
Steven refuses to "catch" the stones as they pass so his doctor can't prescribe treatments to help prevent them.
My mother's were caused by her gout.

Very nice day today.
Sunshine and absolutely no breeze/wind.
Laundry is out on the line.
Pruned a few branches off the Apricot tree and started sorta pruning on the Honeysuckle.
Lilac hedge needs lots of pruning so I did cut off one branch so I can say I started on it.
If I do a little every now & then on lovely days it will make me feel like I am not too far behind on getting the garden in order.
Have from now through March to do this.
At least I started.

Oh SubC taking before pictures is a splendid idea! I have taken pictures of some of my disaster zones and hope to get them in much better shape before this time next year.

I have gotten maybe half of the gifts wrapped and under the tree. Don't remember who suggested it but I did say to the kids that if they did not help to clean up in the living room and keep it picked up that I would not be putting gifts under the tree for them. The smart mouthed 13 year old said that he didn't want anything from me anyway. So guess what....

I think my kidney stone is like the death star from Star Wars--hard to destroy!

I have that procedure on January 11 but on January 10 hubby has foot surgery. He's getting only the left done this time so he will still be able to drive me. Then after that he can have the right one done. Glad he's retired!

Tillie, I think of you often and hope that you are able to enjoy your birthday in spite of the circumstances.

Happy there is sunshine in your life at least.

Glad everyone is just about ready to celebrate with family and friends. I still hope for that someday. I have been praying for the ability to get it done in 2019. I just know it's gonna be a good year for me. For all of us!

About to go make a pig of myself at our office Christmas potluck and then we will play dirty Santa (I detest that game) for ornament exchange. So I won't be worth anything the rest of the day (we will all be fighting that nap!).

Hamburger pizza followed by carrot cake! 😁

All of my saucy comments about Steven and the bathroom and his hoard were too off color for me to share.

Motown, can we hope that there was more damage to the stone thAn they could see and it will break apart over the holidays on it's own? Stranger things happen.

Did you manage to get a nice space to put your gifts under the tree?

I am feeling pretty calm about the holidays. We have lived in this house for 15 years, and for 15 years I have wanted to make and hang that wreath I tried one other time, but I didn't have a hula hoop and it collapsed.

There are a few things on the floor in the den that I need to either find a place to put out for decor or put back in the bin for this year and put away. I need to sweep and vaccuum, clean toilets, and put out fresh towels. I have some laundry and dishes to put away and things to clean up in the scullery. The gifts need to be wrapped and I still have candy making and baking to do. (I'm procrastinating because of my cold)

I haven't gotten my lesson plans together for this week, and yet, it all seems very doable. My house is really in the best shape it has been for a long time, but I want to walk through it and take pictures on Friday as "before" pictures for 2019! It may also just be that the sun finally came out today and i'm Crazy.

Happy birthday, Tillie. You are a great friend, a terrific resource and a wonderful person.

Hello

Hi Tatoulia
Hope you stay feeling good and really enjoy tonight's concert!

Hi Subclinical
WTG! for all you've done and for feeling a bit better.

Hi Motown
Sorry about the stone issues.

He monopolizes the bathroom making it difficult for me to use the bathroom or shower.
Honestly, how many times a day does a man have to crap?

Anyways, showered and washed my hair this afternoon even though I wanted to do it this morning.
Will do laundry tonight and hang it out tomorrow.
The sun has been shining more lately and we haven't had any more snow/rain for a while.

Trying to decide what I want to eat for my bday.
Pizza? A hamburger? Carrot cake?

Just a quick drive by...hope those that have been ailing are feeling better.
Found out Friday that the procedure to break up my kidney stone was not successful. Well, not enough. the procedure knocked it down from a 9mm to a 6 mm but that still isn't passable so it might as well still be 9mm. Have to repeat the procedure on January 11. Yay. Like I have yet another 3K lying around for stuff like that. and then there are no guarantees that it will break up small enough so they might have to end up doing the scope procedure that will be 1. way more expensive, 2. more painful with bleeding, etc. and 3. more time off work.

But enough about that, at least it isn't hurting me now as it has decided to hang out in the kidney for awhile and not try to fit to pass. Hope it's lazy for a few more weeks! LOL!

Went to Goodwill yesterday and just about finished up Christmas shopping for the kids at my house. Still have to get stuff for the ones in Chicago-land and get them mailed (I'm a terrible procrastinator).

Haven't sent the first Christmas card this year. Feel like a heel when I get pretty ones but oh well. Can't do what I can't do.

Going to join the biggest loser contest at work starting at the beginning of the year and hubby has agreed to kinda do it alongside me so that will be welcome support. DD might join us too to lose some baby weight.

Close to time for me to clear off my desk and get ready to head home to the chaos. Hard to believe that one week from today is Christmas Eve.

Will try to do better in the coming year. Hope to anyway.

Talk to y'all later!

Motown

Posting again after I went back and read tillie's post again.

Tillie, I hope your fix works. We have an empty stove pipe from moving our woodstove and dh stuffed it with insulation, covered the end with a piece of tyvec, and taped it in place with metal duct tape.

Are things looking any better?

Hi Tatoulia!

You sound like you are cooking right along!

My cold is a bit better. I have been cleaning up today and decorating and doing laundry. I got everything off the floor in the scullery, put the empty toy train boxes away, and made a giant wreathe for my garage. I used the hula hoop I bought at goodwill for that purpose a long time ago!

I have also run the dishwasher twice.

I have also been sorting out legos so ds can take a bin with him when he comes for Christmas.

Out, out, out!

Hey it's me again. Working, doing laundry, wrapping gifts. I gave kitty a piece of wrapping paper to sit on and play with. Let's me wrap in peace.

I'm determined to just keep going. I want to get this done and then my dining table will be pretty again. I am also looking for something that I know my co-worker wants: something I already own. I found one in the back of my car (right where I had pictured it and now I need to find the second one.

I'll keep you posted. I want to finish this today. Concert is at 8.

Good morning! I have had a full blown cold but somehow I've kept it together. I've been able to do my usual stuff so that's been good. It appears to be gone as of last night! I did get up at 3:30 to drink the vitamin c and zinc potion. Tonight we are seeing the holiday pops and I'm so excited that I feel like myself again!

I finally finished the two boxes to mail and went to the post office last night. our main P.O. is open 24 hours I think. The line moved fairly quickly so even though my number was 27 places beyond the one being served, I got through it with no real bother.

I need to wrap a few things here and put away the wrapping supplies.

Tillie I love my glue gun. I don't use it frequently but when I do, it works miracles. It sounds like you are doing your best right now. Keep forging new routines. I'm sending you strength.

SubC how are you feeling?

Hello CM! Hello Motown! Hello Anony!

I'm going to do a bit of laundry now. I can't remember if I posted Saturday but I aired out my house (it ended up being in the 50s and I love having my house aired out. I did get laundry done over the weekend (towels, delicates, pjs) but I still have my sheets to wash. I do not like combining my loads.

I got rid of one of kitty's beds. She hasn't used it and it's just taking up room. I couldn't wash it and donate, it wasn't washable. She likes the one on the chair by the fireplace and she likes the one blanket on the little couch. No need to have my cleaners cleaning around it.

This time last year I had cat blankets over everything including my big couch. When you walked in, you saw a cat house. With the new placement of my furniture and my cleaners and my work, my house is great. I need to keep fighting. Just as I was writing this, above, I realized if I finish wrapping things, I get to put my wrapping supplies away. With God as my witness, I didn't realize that til I wrote it.

Many years ago, after one of his surgeries, my sibling complained about using a cane, and I said, when you decide you are sick of it, you can get rid of it (naturally he had refused the recommended PT) and so one day he left it in the grocery store and decided not to go back to it. I need to apply this to my life.

Oh! I received a corporate gift over the weekend and I've already 1) kept the one piece I need and will use; 2) gave the boyfriend the portion that he will use, set aside two pieces that one of my coworkers (not someone who would have received the gift) will use, and donated the rest of it. The box is already in my recycling bin.

So, what are you doing today??

Good Afternoon Everyone

Hi Subclinical
Hope you have/had a lovely time today.

I'm very fussy about clothes too.
They must fit, be cotton/wool/silk/linen/no synthetics, and found in a thrift shop since that way I am not paying possible slave manufacturers for them.

Forced myself to actually do something today.
By 1:00pm I was dressed, hair brushed, teeth brushed and face washed.
Made egg salad for sandwiches, cooked/ate the apology artichoke and did all the cat related tasks.
In a few, I will get up and clean the kitchen.

Since this house originally was a one room house located out in a gold mining town that is now a proper ghost town it used to have a wood stove for cooking and heating in the Winter.
Well, the stove pipe is still in/through the roof with the opening in the ceiling above the kitchen cupboards.
It has a metal cover that looks somewhat like a paper plate covering the hole.
This metal plate is hard to keep in place to help keep out the dirt and spiders.
Once there was a Starling came down the stove pipe and I had to let it out into the house and then chase it out the door.
Anyways...
That metal plate fell off again the other day so I had to get the ladder and get up there.
Noticed the tops of the cupboards were dusty so I had to clean them and also dusted the cupboard doors while I was at it.
Got an extension cord and my hot glue gun and glued that metal cover over that stove pipe hole.
Hope it holds and that I don't have to pry it off in case of Starlings.

Losing my sense of taste with this cold is a blessing. There is nothing like a week of hot tea and soup to cement a weight loss.

I need to have my weight down from my high to clean out my closet because otherwise the experience becomes depressing and I quit. Last time I tried it, I realized very quickly that my closet could be divided into "things I like" and "things that fit" with very little overlap. It is really hard for me to find clothes that I like.

The swimming has helped a lot with the joint pain even at a slightly higher weight. I don't think i'm going to be able to go on Tuesday though.

We are going to the ballet this afternoon. I hate that I feel crummy, and I should probably stay home, but I want very badly to go. I will probably take a decongestant - which I also hate, so that I won't be sniffly. I have convinced myself that it is ok to take my germy self out in public because I seem to live in a society where the expectation is that you will keep working and attending school with mild illness and "oh yes, wash your hands." But I am feeling very hypocritical.

After the show we are going to dd1s house so dh can hook up the electricity for her kitchen fan. She is going to feed us dinner.

Good Evening Everyone

Hi CriticalMass
WAY TO GO! decluttering too large pants!
It is important for all of us to know that trying to follow too strict of a diet with food or any other activities in life too often fails.
We need to keep flexible or otherwise we tend to revolt.

Hi Subclinical
I'm looking forward to your closet organizing after the holidays no matter what your size.
Keep up with the swimming whenever you can and you will feel better mentally and physically and spiritually. (((hug)))

Hi Tatoulia
Wonderful that even with that cold the food tasted delicious!
The one thing I hate about having a cold is losing the sense of taste, along with the runny nose & eyes, sore throat, sneezing & coughing, fever and generally feeling like crap. ;P

Another mostly cold cloudy gray day.
Dusted the kitchen cupboards including the tops.
Tidied up the kitchen.

Hello everyone! Good to read your posts. I continue to battle the cold. I thought for sure it was winning but now I'm feeling a bit better.

WTG! On getting rid of the bigger clothes! Definitely counts double!

I am just trying to not get any sicker but I think if I were honest with myself, I do have a full blown cold. But I prefer to think I'm winning

I continue to lose weight and ladies, a lot of what my nutritionist worked on was changing my personal internal dialogue. I truly now think of food as nourishment and it's been freeing. At mom's Christmas party last night I enjoyed the turkey dinner, felt full, and never had any of the sweets. The food tasted so good. I hadn't been able to eat all day and then that was delicious.

I have one more gift to buy then I'm done. Good feeling. Something for a coworker. I still haven't gotten my Christmas cards done but I will. I was home by 7 last night and went to bed.

SubC I am excited about the trash service! You are doing so well!

Tillie I have a cat next to me right now, sleeping away. What are you doing today? Would love a description of your weather! It is 40F here and so pleasant. Sunny and bright.