Sudokuaholics Anonymous 10

Rather than leave the TOPP for an unsuspecting person, I have decided to repeat the TOPP from the previous page:

'People who love you, people who you love back, people that will always be there for you, through the good times and the bad, they make you happy when you are sad; they are angels that have yet to earn their wings; they are your dearest friends.'

Worth repeating, Julie.

IH claims that they broke open the gate, but he was the last person to use it. I suspect that he didn't secure it. Why do I suspect that, you ask? Because of ALL the times that he hasn't securely shut gates or doors. He leaves the door to the sunroom open every time he goes through it. The house is now full of flies, and I'm having to spray insecticides a lot.

I have a wee bit of satisfaction. He caught my 'flu.

Off to bed now.

Hi all. Two people mentioned about using the slidy thing in this heat....all I can say is what heat. Our summer, apart from the odd day or two, has been cool and wet. Today is supposed to be one of those rare days, temps predicted to be about 26C which to most of you isn't that hot.

26C sounds perfect temperature to have Year Round !!

YAY!! Tax Info done and emailed to Accountant :)
Another thing crossed of the 'Must Do' List!

Time to fling Dinner for him and me.

Bon Appetite

Morning all.

Brenda, our temps will be the same for the next 4 or 5 days. Plus the added bonus of rain for the next 4 days. We really need the rain, but it means I'm kind of stuck in the house. Might have to resort to swearing!!!

I am so excited. I got reply from Linda at EP who tells me she was out sick with a bad back. OUCH, not fun. Sister and I are going to see and measure apartment tomorrow!! The apartment is finished EXCEPT they have found a leak in the living room wall, and must find where that is coming from and repair. Everything else is finished!! I can get what furniture I want ordered. and storage stuff, over the door storage solutions (found a neat online source for dorm living, how to use most every inch of space for storage). I am getting a wee bit excited!

How wonderful Tricia. Some busy days ahead for you.

Good for you, MizT, bad for Linda (ouch!). Have fun measuring!!!

Chaka is arriving here on Saturday morning. They decided to deliver her so they could check me out. They'll see that there are 17 happy collies here, all spoiled rotten.

The horses have been caught. It was easy. They wanted back home. I just walked over to the gate and opened it and they came running.

IH is gone until tomorrow afternoon, so it's peaceful here today. I can get stuff done without having to correct his constant c0ck-ups. I feel guilty about mot grooming the dogs as often as I should, especially when they're finishing shedding (that's when they matt very easily), like now, so I'm determined to thoroughly do a collie each day. I got Missy done yesterday, and Mason this morning. Tomorrow I'll do Lucy.

mot = not

Hi all. Had a busy day. I have to move classrooms as well. Last year I started the year in room 618 and got moved to 803 a few weeks later. My stuff is stored in both closets. This year I will be in 604. Mitchell and I went today and moved everything from both closets into my new room. Was able to put some stuff in closet but need to reorganize closet first. At least all my stuff will be in one room.

Julie, temps have been in the mid 90's (35 c) all week. I planned on doing the driveway in Oct/Nov but was not given a choice. I does look good though.

Rolanda, glad things are progressing on the house. It is fun to watch a house be built.

Tricia, glad things are well with your new place. It is exciting to measure and plan. Good thinking on looking at all the 'back to school' stuff. There is a lot of smart storage solutions designed for a dorm room.

Don't remember much else. I will try to come back later.

Excellent news MizT, I'm excited too! :)

Vicki, thinking of you. Heal soon xo

Very exciting Tricia

Well hello there..everybody.. laughing out loud at Gails reccomendation to me.. tis much easier said than done.. LOL
How can I go to bed if I am asleep on the sofa?
I think I need to revert to watching tv in bed and then when I fall asleep I can just roll over and snuggle down.. Point taken tho Gail.. I know I am my own worst enemy..

Sorry you are still feeling so blurk today Rola but what exciting news about your house!

Chuckling to hear that the horses are still with the cattle and that IH hasn't noticed Sere yet...

Julie you are spot on with all your comments..
Your suggestion for us is a good one.. truth is I think that we probably both achieve a lot.. the problem is there is so much MORE that we wish to achieve and that distracts us from what we have done. Perhaps we need to start making a list as well of all the things that we achieved in a day.. LOVE my lists...

This is a reminder to self that I haven't read this page... TGIF.. it has been a week and a half!! Heading off into the city tonight to meet Diana to see a David Williamson play. Have lots to do before then. Have just realised that I have forgotten to eat so far today other than to taste what is in the slow cooker.. is it any wonder I have a weight problem.. My body thinks it is consistently in a famine and zealously stores every morsel I eat. I KNOW the importance of regular 'sensible' meals to maintain my blood sugar at a functioning level.. so how can I ignore the growling and rumbling in my belly?

Hope to get back before Sunday but if not.. keep out of mischief everyone.. or if that is too dull [know it will be for the dags & Tami..] be safe.
Love you all.. big hugs

I stuffed myself tonight... I made a bowl of chili and served it in a fresh baked bread bowl, still warm from the oven. I promptly fell asleep for several hours. I got up to do a few chores, now back to bed with a still full but very happy tummy. I love the peace and quiet of being here alone in the house(except for 17 collies).

Actually, I like that idea of watching TV in bed, Bean. I think I'll fall asleep doing that. IH can't complain about the noise keeping him awake! (Really, though, I have to turn the volume up to hear it over his snoring.)

See you all tomorrow. Byeeeee

Hi, Everyone! I'm arriving here later than planned tonight, so comments will be brief.

Heidi, I think your assessment of how the gate was opened is probably correct. What a 'shame' that IH is under the weather - and out of the house tonight.

Brenda, we would be glad to share some of our heat with you, if you could share some of your rain.

Rolanda, hooray for getting tax information to your accountant!

Tricia, remember a good measuring tape, notepad & pen or pencil, and camera for when you visit the apartment. What perfect timing for the move - when so many stores have back to school/back to dorm sales! What a great way to look for storage ideas! We're excited for you!

Heidi, I'm sure the rescue group will be thrilled for Chaka to be able to join your collie family! I'm glad it was so easy for you to get the horses back where they belong! It seems like they had enough freedom for now!

Tami, I'm glad Mitchell was with you to help move things from closets in two rooms into the closet of your classroom for this year! I hope this will be an easy transition and you'll be off to a great start!

Bean, enjoy your weekend! Your suggestion to make a list (of what needs to be done, as well as what has been done) is a good one! If I'm honest with myself, I will need to cut back on fb and SA time. I guess I need to get myself more organized. Bean and Heidi, we don't have a TV in our bedroom - just the one in the family room, so we won't be watching TV from bed.

I better get ready for bed, as it isn't getting any earlier. Sending boatloads of {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, positive thoughts, prayers, and healing vibes for everyone! Good Night!

Evening all,
I'm back! Well sort of, I'm kinda tired so don't know how long I'll last.

Why are we mums busier when we are not working than when we are working?? This week we had house guests for a couple of nights and the 4 year old is full on, ADHD I think. However, he didn't grind his teeth or have nightmares while he was here. As soon as he went home they started again! A few times while he was here I was quite stern with him. 'How about you say it this way?' and refusing to do what he asked until he asked politely, that kind of thing. When they were leaving he asked if he could stay!!! Could have knocked me over with a feather.

Don got all excited when my second pay check came in from my block and, since he'd used the first one to pay an almost $1000 electricity bill (thank you Dana!) and was feeling very flush (still lots of bills that could have been paid, but...) he booked us into a cabin with a spa for the night last night. He also made reservations at the mexican restaurant down that way. (Mexican is not an inexpensive meal with main meals (Entrees for the topsiders) costing about $22 on average.) So a really nice night out. He even took a flexi on Friday. Then at the last minute I got called to work on Friday! I couldn't really say no and risk getting dropped to the bottom of the list... We still had our night out and I had a much shorter drive to work in the morning, but we didn't get to wander around the local area etc..

Work was 'interesting'. I taught 3 periods of HSIE. Two of them on the Vietnam war. Then I had 2 periods of English. One on a book I've never read, the other on a movie I've never seen! I stumbled through somehow...

Now we have Tahli for the night and Don and I are having trouble keeping our eyes open...

Tami, I'm seriously impressed by your driveway efforts. I don't know that I would have been up to that challenge! You go girl!!

Ditto Gail, your painting and planting efforts are awe inspiring for this whimp...

June, congrats on your winning streak! I hope you bought a ticket in lotto with all that luck coming your way. (Though some of it was skill, not luck!)

Heidi, I'm glad the horses were an easy catch.

Rolanda, I gave up on houseplants with our first cat. She thought it made a wonderful digging place.

Vicki, we've had a lot of illness in this house too so I empathise with your awful fortnight! I hope everyone is soon on the mend..

Bean, only you can fix your bad sleeping habits... and you had better do it girl or I'll be after you with a stick!

MizT, I'm so glad you finally heard from Linda and that it was illness not incompetence that kept her away! Incompetence in someone you have to work with is a scary thing... Your storage plans sound fantastic! I can't wait to see photos and hear all about how well it is working...

Tami, I'm wondering what you will be teaching this year. Did you get to go back to your specialty?

Morning all. Coffee is ready, help yourself.

Suzy, I will find out Monday what I am teaching but I have a suspicion. I was moved into a different room that is set up as a computer lab. I have 27 desktop computers, not sure if they work. I think I will be 'teaching' course recovery. That is, I will be assigning kids work on the computer so that they can retake the classes they failed in a previous year. They can fail 2 classes and be promoted but they have to recover(pass) the class before they can go to high school. If this is what I have, I will have a roomful of troublemakers. I had this class a few years ago. This could be an interesting year.

Morning all. Woke up with a nasty headache at 5:00, took some Tylenol, fed my cats so they would leave me alone for a while, and went back to bed until almost 8:00. The little black cat outside (I call it Snookums) was meowing at the door, so I fed the outside cats as well. I don't know if it is male or female, I feel we don't know each other well enough as yet for me to go looking under its tail!!!!

Hubby will be home a bit later today as he will be picking up a new screen door for our kitchen after work. So I told him he would have to pick up something for his supper. I'm not waiting around to fix supper for whenever he gets home. Friday is usually the day we go for a drive, but that won't happen if he's home later. Plus it's raining and a nice temp outside. I must say with the humidity and then the rain, I am getting a touch of cabin fever. Oh well, good practice for winter!

Julie, I don't know how you do it. With your schedule I would be bonkers by now. I don't do well when there are a lot of things in my schedule. I seem to need a lot of down time.

MizT, I am interested in your storage solutions. Since we downsized to only one bedroom because the rest have gone to my D and her family, we need all the storage solutions we can find. I have been cleaning up the sun porch and using it for storage. The porch isn't really useable because it's too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter, and it's right on the sidewalk. I have put a wardrobe out there and that's where we put the off-season coats and boots, etc. Once I have the porch organized I will open the door so the cats can go in and out. They have never been allowed out there, so it will be a whole new world for them.

Off to get a coffee and then go take care of D's animals. They will be home later today, so that will be one less chore for me to do. She has a fish, a rat and four cats. The two youngest cats are kittens and it is so much fun to watch them.

Suzy, kind of tugs at your heart strings when the 4 year old wants to stay with you, doesn't it?

Hellooooooooooooooooooooooo

Hellooooooooooo right back at you, Theresa.

I think I understand why the 4 year old wants to stay, Suzy. You offered him some structure and rules, so he knew where he stood. He could have some control over how adults behaved to him by his behavior. With his mother, there are too many unknown factors, and little stability, so it's much scarier. And there, he has no control over anything important to him.

Hi Heidi. I agree with you, kids need routine and boundaries. It makes them feel much more comfortable when they know what to expect.

I just went to the store ... there was a light rain falling and it felt really good!!! It is supposed to rain for the weekend and everything is starting to look more greenish. Maybe Mother Nature has gotten over her hissy fit??? We can only hope.

Hi there everyone.
Oh Theresa you make me laugh!! (Not knowing the cat long enough to lift its tail).
Tami..sounds like a really big job getting the driveway done when it is so hot.When does school go back?
Suzy...hope all the family are much better now.What a wonderful hubby you have to book a cabin and have dinner out.You certainly deserve a little pampering and time to yourselves.
Your teaching and psychology knowledge made the 4 yr old enjoy your company.How nice is that.
MizT..I am pleased that you are so excited. Not long now before beginning another life experience.
Heidi..the chilli in a bread bowl sounded delicious.Even better that you could enjoy it with just the dogs for company and you can do what you like.I hope you are feeling well now.
Rolanda..before you know it,you will be in the house.Great!
Bean..I do the same and eat when I am hungry.Sometimes I have 6 smaller snacks rather than a big meal.Being a diabetic,that is probably not a good idea for you though.Laying in front of the TV puts me to sleep faster than anything whether in bed or on the lounge but my body clock is whacko since studying.Last night,I slept from 7pm until 3am which is OK.
Julie..thanks for your posts that keep me up to date.You are very busy as usual.
Brenda..I am enjoying the games (the little I see)
Yes,26deg here is very pleasant and it was that the other day in our winter.Things have changed again with wind, and temps dropping to a top of about 18c.Not bad though, as the days are beautiful.
Hi to all not mentioned. I am running out of time.
See you next time.

Hi Nola, how did your sister fare last weekend? You had mentioned she would probably be feeling unwell by the weekend.

I have diabetes, and the diabetes clinic I go to says if you can't eat 3 meals per day, it's okay to have 5 or 6 smaller ones. I have had several appointments with the clinic and will probably start my insulin treatments next week. They are having a pot luck this coming week, but I won't be attending. The pot luck is at 8:00 PM and quite frankly I am generally in bed by 9:00. I don't think I can wait for my supper until 8:00.

Hello everyone, hope you're all well. :)
I haven't been here very much - life seems to be full of so many 'things to do'. This time of year we seem to be alternating birthdays and visits to Mum. Mum turned 88, so we took the train up to visit her - had to leave at 5.30 am! We took a lot of birthday food and little presents - think she had a good time. We've almost finished cleaning out her house, soon we will be trying to put it on the market. Wouldn't it be great if it sold right away ... but sure there'll be lots of stuff to do first!
Today we'll be looking for birthday presents for No. 1 Child, then we'll be getting together for her party - fun!
Ok, that's about all. Take care everyone - hope the sickies get better soon and you all have some fun and happiness.
Oh wow, the sun's come out! :D

I think IH is one of the luckiest people around. I made him buy his present truck 9 years ago. It was being offered as a loss leader at a Toyota dealership in Louisville, and I dragged him up there before anyone else could get it. A loss leader is a really nice vehicle being offered at a below cost price to bring customers in. He got it with payments of half what mine were. We both have Tundras. Since then, he's put nearly 400,000 miles on it. It still runs really well, but he's having a few problems with uneven tire wear, etc. He just had Toyota's main mechanic look it over, and he discovered excessive rust underneath. Toyota will be replacing the entire undercarriage of the truck (along with several things causing the uneven wear) FREE OF CHARGE (an $8,000.00 job), and giving him a free rental car while his truck is being repaired!!!! I think he leads a charmed life.

Wow, IH does lead a charmed life, Heidi!
I have been reading but not posting, sorry.
Vicki - sorry you have been so sick. Hope you're feeling much better very soon.
Tricia - glad things are moving along nicely now. We will all be so pleased for you when you are in your new abode and settled.
That goes for Rolanda as well. Time will fly and you'll be ready to move in.
Suzy - what a nice little escape for you and hubby. Shame that you couldn't spend the morning looking around. But just getting time to yourselves is good.
Now I've forgotten everything else - so much more to say - all gone! Love and hugs to all.
Especially Broni - where is that girl??

Morning all,
Heidi, Gil does lead a charmed life - except for his business! I hope you've been able to establish that he hasn't used the farm as collateral against your wishes.

Judy, your mum's birthday sounds wonderful!

Nola, it's 14C here, but the wind has given us a 'feels like' temp of 5C!! After such nice days it's a bit of a shock. My body clock is set on work time so even when I'm not working I'm awake before 6.30 - not as bad as 3am but still driving me mad!

http://www.dogheirs.com/larne/posts/1677-heroic-mother-dog-saves-her-puppies-from-blazing-ho use-fire

A friend posted that on the other page and it's such a feel good story (apart from poor Amparo) that I had to share it here.

Dana's friend has posted something cryptic on the other page. I think HIS family have been following her around taking photos! How creepy!! They actually called her last week and asked her to think about how HE felt, she wasn't being fair to HIM.

Tahli is sleeping and Dana has started texting about getting a ride home so I'll be out of here in a minute...

Howdy everyone, love and hugs before I get started xoxo

This morning I finally got around to putting the first coat on the pantry door...I hate louvres! Unfortunately, because the door was raw I am having to put an undercoat on it, but hubby said he would sand it because I HATE the feel of sandpaper! Whenever I have to sand anything, I use a palm sander, but hubby has to change the pads! It should be dry enough to sand after lunch, then I will put a coat of colour on it...hoping one will be enough!

I want to ask for suggestions please.
As you all know, Chloe and her fiance moved to Darwin 3! months ago, and her birthday is at the end of this month. We were really hoping we could surprise her and turn up there on the weekend closest to her date, but with finances, distance and hubby's situation, that just isn't possible :(
So instead, I want to start making up a care package for her, not just a birthday pressie per se, but a lot of things that let her know how much I am thinking of her all the time.
I have only thought of a couple of things, sort of fun/silly things, but am open to all suggestions.

Chocolate - the good kind, a hand fan (it's blasted hot up there), a hanky (because you cry when you miss her)... a party popper and whistle, I saw a plastic blow up birthday cake in a shop the other day.. a pillow pet to hug when she wants a hug from you.

I'm sorry, I'm not very original...