Sudokuaholics Anonymous 11

RIP former President George H. W. Bush.

A man of decency and intelligence.

(Altho' he was a Republican, he voted for Hillary Clinton instead of Donald Trunp.)

Thank you, Heidi. RIP former President George H. W. Bush. Your comments are most appropriate.

I apologize for setting you up for the TOPP. I keep forgetting to check the numbers.

Our wood turning club's silent auction and sale portion of the fund raiser for local food pantries raised over $3,000 (a record for the 15 years we have partnered with the Empty Bowls organization). We don't know how much they brought in. They had thousands of ceramic bowls and other art, plus the food component. All money brought in goes to the food pantries. I made 2 bowls, and hubby made 19 or 20. We ended up buying my 2 bowls, 1 of his, and another bowl for a gift.

Thinking of everyone and sending healing energy, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, prayers, , and positive thoughts.

Hi, Everyone! It's very late, and I need to head to bed.

Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate it.

Thinking of everyone and sending {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, healing energy, , positive thoughts, and prayers

Julie, that was an amazing contribution to the fund raiser! Several years ago I met an older lady who lived/s down the road. She’d recently lost her husband and showed me some amazing wood turning work he’d done. It was beautiful. I wish I could have been at your fund raiser!

Musical ''ear worm'' for the day...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ind7BEZgWJU

Morning all - Colin saw the opthalmologist yesterday. All is well with the transplant, no sign of rejection. Only remaining problem is the severe aversion to light. Doc says it's rare to be this bad and that it will ease. He has given us a few pointers to assist in the meantime. Once Col can deal with that he can drive and return to work. Yayy! Doc hopes it will be much better by the next appointment in 6 weeks. (I hope it will be better in 2 days!)

The girls are hearing the end of their time in NY. They leave on Wed evening NY time, 9am Thurs, our time - and arrive home on Friday afternoon after quick stopovers in LA and Sydney.
They are at Central Park today. Yesterday was the Statue of Liberty and the day before was the sombre but worthwhile Ground Zero area.
They've had a wonderful time and will remember their time there always.

well, It has been a while since I have dropped in. My apologizes. I have still been having problems with BP meds. Even going back on the one I had taken for many years did not stop the craziness. I had to phone the doc Friday after a particularly scary Thursday evening. The room seemed to be spinning in 2 directions at once, and the floor was undulating. Could not lift my head off the pillow back of my recliner for a couple hours. BP and heart rate were going up, then bottom dropping out in just a few minuets. I had forgotten how to swallow, muscle cramps everywhere, other interesting things. So today doc took me off any BP medication. He said my BP without meds was never over 150/80, (and that only once) and he had rather see those numbers and no symptoms, than to get a BP of 120/70 with meds and have those crazy symptoms. Just watch the salt intake, keep a record of my BP and call him if it goes higher. I also got a B 12 injection for the fatigue and exhaustion. I could feel that beginning to improve before I got home

OH, at last management called in outside help with my HVAC unit. I told him about the cold air coming through unit, and about the heat continuing to come on running inside temp up to near 80 even when thermostat was set for 66. He found the problem as soon as he took the cover off the unit. We could see daylight! huge gaps between the unit and the housing or casing that goes through the brick walls. It seems when my new AC was installed (mine and every one that had to be replaced in building) was put into the old casing, that did not fit! Both a new unit and housing should have been installed at same time. He did a temp fix with some 1/8 inch thick foam insulated tape over every place he could feel any air leak.The cold outside air was hitting thermostat, and keeping unit running. I have not had a problem since he was here, but it has been rather warm. Later this week it will be below freezing so that will tell the tale. Management said they are 'looking' for a new casing now.

OK< time to go hold down my recliner once again. I did read, but hope to be back later to comment on what I read. Know I thought of each of you. Hugs to each of you, with extras.

MizT - How scary for you. Sounds like your doctor has a good idea.

The 'management' should go after the incompetents who installed the new AC units. Sounds like they took the easy way out with the installation. There is no excuse for that type of work.

Good Evening from here in USA.

Suzy, I'm not sure how many items were sold at the fund raiser. I think the highest bid may have been $150 for a wooden turned, carved and air brushed vase, It was about 14 inches (.37 m) by 8 inches (.27 m). There was quite a variety of objects besides bowls, spurtles, a couple of banks, bottle stoppers, decorative lidded boxes, etc., Some items were price between $10 and $40 in addition to the more expensive items in the silent auction.

DOrA, thanks for the Bob Marley 'ear worm.' You're so right that the management should go after whoever installed the new AC units. I can't believe they thought it was OK to install them in spaces that were too big and without an insulation.

CynB, thanks for the update on Col. I'm glad his ophthalmologist is essentially pleased with his progress. If only the light aversion could improve - and SOON!

I'm so glad your D and her D are enjoying their New York visit. I've only been there once and for less than half a day when our D was there to audition at Juilliard. She had 2 auditions (the other one in Philadelphia at Curtis Institute) and an international competition in Michigan in one weekend the spring of her senior year of high school.

MizT, so glad you were able to update us. How awful that all of the blood pressure medicines caused troubles, especially the one you described. Seems like your doctor may be on the right track to take you off all of them and just monitor your blood pressure.

I'm glad the management finally got someone in to check on the new HVAC system. No wonder it was getting so hot in your apartment. I hope necessary changes will be made - for everyone who got a new unit - and quickly!

Thinking of everyone I haven't mentioned and hoping everyone is well!

It has been a long day, so I'm about to turn off the computer. Sending , {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, prayers, positive thoughts, and healing energy!

Hi everyone.
Just a question. Is a Richard Webb a new Sudoku member?
Thanks 👍

Hey Viv. A search on the ''members page'' doesn't show Richard Webb as a member. He may use an alias, however...

His alias is Arachnid. Think he sets poozles these days.

Ahh, Christmas is upon us now. Did some Christmas shopping yesterday. Not much more to do. I'm so glad that I had a flash of brilliance and checked with my family of 10 whether anyone would like an Ancestry DNA kit. 6 of the 10 of us said yes. Bought them weeks ago. So I only had 4 Grandies, one chose a kit, plus my sister and brother to buy for. Much easier.

Today is the Christmas party for our Watercolour group. Usually a fun few hours.
And then on Friday night is the Art Gallery Opening of the Shore Birds Sculpture Exhibition. Since I sculpted 4 of them and grandie Hayley sculpted 2 of them, we are invited along to see our names in lights. Slight exaggeration there. Really to see our names on the list of contributors.

Sorry I'm not here much. I still feel like my body has been beaten with a bat, and the earache returned the day after I finished the antibiotics.

Okay, so today I got a letter from the coroner saying nothing else is going to happen unless I ask for it to, went to the bank to complain that a deposit I had made went into my savings account instead of off a bill I was paying which led to all kinds of issues, only to be told my husband had to come in because he was primary on the bill. Now I’ve just had some kind of police chase end across the road from me. At least a dozen police cars, all with sirens going, mostly marked, but also unmarked though the officers in the unmarked cars were mostly in uniform. They were driving on both sides of the road. It looked like the bad guys car was completely surrounded. It looks like they stopped him by stopping in front of him and he couldn’t go anywhere because he was surrounded by cars. His car has run into the back of a police car. Traffic is now being directed around the remaining cars. Only half a dozen left now. Half the street is out watching. I came inside once I worked out it was all over bar the clean up.

Thank goodness it happened now and not half an hour ago when I was driving home.

Hi, Everyone!

How nice to see our members helping each other (as in determining who Richard Webb is). All it took was a question from Vivacious Viv and responses from DOrA and CynB! Good going, Ladies!

Cyn, what a great idea! Ancestry kits for almost everyone! With their sale, there may be a lot of new information available in the next few months.

Cyn, I hope you had fun at the Watercolour group's Christmas party! And this weekend enjoy the Art Gallery Opening of the Shore Birds Sculpture Exhibition! Will Hayley go as well, since she will have a couple of sculptures in the exhibit? I'm guessing that they won't allow any photographs of the sculptures, but maybe you can take a photo of your names on the list of contributors.

Heidi, it's not a wonder that you haven't been visiting much. I hope you will soon feel MUCH better, and get the earache under control again!

Suzy, what a horrible day you have had! I hope all of the red tape issues can be sorted out quickly! At least the police chase helped to provide some drama and diversion from the daily routine. I'm so glad you got home before that transpired. It would have been awful to be caught up in the police activity!

Thinking of everyone and sending positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, healing energy, prayers, and

It was on the internet. The guy was a multiple car jacker, including from a 91 year old woman and her 54 year old carer. He started in Sydney and worked his way down the coast. Hopefully he won’t get released on bail, though I think that’s a wasted hope.

Here’s a difference between the US and Australia. In California car chases continue no matter what. Here they stop if it gets dangerous for others, which I think means bad guys know the worse they drive, the more likely they can get away. So, is it more likely innocent people will be injured if the bad guys know the chase will continue no matter what, or if they know the police will stop chasing them if they drive insanely?

Wow, Suzy, I'm so glad you were at home and NOT out on the road while the chase and capture took place!

As to the question about which policy would result in more innocent people being injured - I could see an argument both ways. Either way, the reckless driving and high speeds have the potential for innocent people being injured. There must be some way to stop the chases, including the culprit trying to escape, with less potential for damage and injure. I don't know what it would be, though.

Heidi, I hope you're feeling better today.

MizT, I hope getting off the BP meds will result in the elimination of all of the nasty side effects you were experiencing!

Tami, I hope all's well with you, your family, and your Mom! Happy Hanukkah! (You may have missed it when I wrote it before.)

A piece of good news from today: I got through the duet my teacher and I will play on the Saturday holiday recital with only a couple of missed notes and no stops until we got to the end. We're playing through it entirely twice: the first time I play the melody & she plays the harmony, then we switch for the repeat. It was actually pretty pleasant and a proud moment. (That is SO much better than at my lesson last week.) I can only hope it will be as good or better on Saturday. Crossing fingers, toes, eyes, etc. (Of course, there was no audience at my lesson . . .)

Thinking of everyone and sending positive & pleasant thoughts, healing energy, prayers, , and {{{{{HUGS}}}}}

Julie, maybe each time you perform publicly you’ll be a little less stressed by it.

If you’re on the other site, I shared the news report of the chase that ended up outside in the sudoku group.

What kind of pet does laundry?









Wait for it.....







A ''laundramutt''..................




All together now, GROAN!

OK ........

Thank you DOrA and CynB.
That answered that question.
Well a quiet Christmas here this year. Hubby’s Mum is 94 and in a home with dementia.
His poor sister who is not yet 70 has some rare form of Parkinson’s.
She was given 9 years to live about 5 years ago and now cannot walk.
Trev and I will go for the morning to our favourite Flynn’s beach. 🏖🌊🌊🌊🌊😢
Then will visit his sister for a couple of hours.
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🌹🌹🌹

It never rains but it pours. A couple days ago, the compressor in Debbie's heat pump (part of the heating system) fried. With temperatures below freezing, I had to replace it as quickly as possible. Ideally, the entire system needs to be replaced at once, but that is very expensive. Less expensive, and quicker to install was a reconditioned heat pump (for nearly $2,000.). So that was done yesterday. This will only hold for about a year, but it gives me time to look around for a good deal. Today the clutch went out on my tractor. That'll be expensive, too. And Mike's tractor is in the repair shop. He got a neighbor to feed the cattle today. It's going to be a long time before I can afford the bariatric surgery.

The girls will be landing in Sydney in less than an hour, and home here in Brisbane at about 1pm. Can't wait to see them and hear their NY stories. But I'll bet they're exhausted from that long Pacific crossing - 15 hours! After many hours crossing from NY to LA. Only a little over an hour from Sydney to Brisbane.

Our shore birds exhibition started well and then hit a big snag. Fortunately we had seen everything we wanted to see when Col said to me, look who just came in the door. It was my ex-husband, grandfather of Hayley, who was with us. Should be okay? Not in this case. This man had a disagreement with his parents 16 years ago, demanded that his first 2 children (mine) sever all ties with their grandparents. When they said they would like to keep out of it and not take sides, he wiped them from his life, including his grandchildren. Even at his parents funerals (he got back in with them at the end of their lives when they had dementia), he ignored our kids and grandies. It really upset Hayley so much, we had to leave. We sat outside for a while until the rest of our group came out them we went and had a great fish dinner and forgot about the idiot!

Cyn, what an a hole, I wonder why he’s your ex....

Hope the girls had a good trip. I mean, it’s long, and tedious, but I hope there were no a holes near them on the planes, the food wasn’t too bad, they got some sleep. You know what I mean...

Gizmo is growling up a storm. My neighbour is removing the old chook pen. Gizmo remembers he’s the one who broke his leg so stays away. He’s growling through the window!

I just heard on CNN that they expect impeachment proceedings to be started by Congress in January. There is no longer any question of him having committed at least one felony of the campaign finance laws. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. He cannot be tried for any felonies until he has been removed from office.

By ''him'', I mean Trump.

Suzy, thanks for the encouragement. I would hope that I would be less stressed as I perform more, but it's basically just 2 or 3 times a year, which doesn't seem to help. My previous teacher had a 'performance class' every week. Some of her students (including our D many years ago) play every week, which does seem to help. She had me play about every 3 or 4 weeks. I never enjoyed it, but it was a little bit less stressful than the current system. (And, yes, I saw your post about the police activity on TOS.

DOrA, I'm adding my GROAN for your laundromutt post. But it IS clever.

Hi, Vviv! I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's mother and sister.It certainly sounds like it will be a quiet Christmas. Is your son anywhere nearby?

Oh, Heidi, what a lot for you to deal with! I'm glad you were able to get the compressor for Debbie's heat pump replaced promptly. I guess it will take some time and a big expenditure to replace the tractor's clutch. I'm glad Mike was able to ask a neighbor to help feed the cattle. I hope there won't be any more hits to your budget for a while!

CynB, I suspect your D and grande will be exhausted by the time they get home. All the sight seeing can tire them out, but the flight just adds to the jet lag.

CynB, how awful that you would have to see your Ex at the shorebird exhibit! What is the likelihood that he would be there at the same time as you, Col, and Hayley? How awful for you and especially for Hayley. I'm so glad you were able to 'escape' and wait outside as the others finished looking at the exhibit. Even better, you had an enjoyable fish dinner afterward and ended the evening on a positive note!

Suzy, I hope things have calmed down by now and Gizmo is back to being a relaxed and quiet pup. He obviously has a memory of the previous experience.

Saltie, I hope all is well! Is the football and horse racing season over? (I'm thinking the heat isn't conducive to heavy exercise outside.

MizT, thinking of you and hoping you're feeling more normal as the blood pressure medicines work their way out of your system.

Sending positive thoughts, healing energy, prayers, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and for everyone!

Heads up - it looks like 7 or 8 posts until the page will be turned.

Thanks for the :feel better soon: posts. It is happening, but slowly. I am getting a bit done each day, some of it things I just want to do, not just necessities . I still have achey, cramping muscles all over from the overload of potassium, and still finding myself wondering why I am in the kitchen, why did I come in here? I do hope this clears up soon, Now having a bit of problem with LOW blood pressure, at least the bottom, dyastolic, number. It has dropped into the 50's several times, below 60 is considered low. If still doing that by Monday, another phone call to doc.


suzi, that was a scary car chase that ended on your street. I also am glad it did not happen earlier and involve you.

OH, Heidi, I am so sorry that so many expensive 'fixes' are interfering with your bariactic surgery. If not done soon will you have to have all the tests you have just completed done again?

I was sooo sleepy sitting in my chair reading after my bed time meds, But by time I had turned off all the candles and fairy lights, the room lights, gone to toilet, and got into bed, I was wide awake, bummer. forty minuets of tossing and turning in bed, and I am up again, need to get back to recliner, see if I can get sleepy again, Hugs to each of you, with extras,

forgot to say, it is now very cold out, not getting warmer mid day, damp and cloudy. rain forecast for next 4 days, toasty warm inside without the unit running all the time, I am happy with way it is working now. still have to set it at 65.

I need to go to grocery need some things for family party in less than a week, plus milk and bread. Was going on the bus today, leaving at 10:30. I did not wake till 10:30, so I shall have to drive in the rain. I have had a string of cannot get to sleep till the wee hours, much like tonight, sleepy in my chair, but wide awake before I can get to bed.

Julie, we had a good storm on Tuesday, with lots of lightning, wind and rain. It brought with it an end to our heatwave and our temperatures are much more normal for this time of year. Our max today was a much more comfortable 26C, and it is expected to stay mostly below the 30C mark for the next week or so.

I must admit I'm a bit of a pleb when it comes to sport, I mostly don't take much notice of it. But there is still plenty of it, including racing and footie, cluttering up our TV screens.

Heidi, I'm so sorry to hear that your bariatric surgery will need to be delayed. I hope that your finances take a turn for the better in the very near future, so your preparations so far are not wasted.

VViv, I guess, like me, you will be missing the frenetic activity of last minute Avon deliveries at this time of year. Yes, I did it for nine years until mobility interfered, and I admit I still miss the hustle and bustle of catching up with my customers.

I messed up and my post disappeared. I ended up on salties page instead.

Well, it seems that the loser of the last election and her hubby can't even fill the seats at their speaking tour events when they give away 50% off coupons on 'Groupon'. Guess people are waking up...

See for yourself:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6473637/Bill-Hillary-Clinton-resort-using-Grou pon-generate-ticket-sales.html

The girls arrived back safely. The flights took their toll on Maddy, she got airsick again. They were happy to be home. We'll call in to see them this afternoon for a little while. I can;t wait to hear their stories.