Sudokuaholics Anonymous 10

Rolanda, if you'd never had a good connection you wouldn't miss it so much! I don't think I could go back to dial up even though I had a lot fewer problems back then. It's hard to go backwards...

MizT, did you open your presents or put them under the tree? I'd like to think I'd put them under the tree, but I'm not sure...the old me would have, the older me might not be able to resist.

I'm glad the fire truck didn't stop at your place!! I dread the sound of sirens in the weather we have at the moment...

Gail, bummed you didn't get your usual hotel, but very happy you are getting to have a weekend in your old stomping grounds! Have a wonderful time!

June, I remember my inlaws spitting the dummy over a similar question about my FIL. Then they ended up doing what I suggested anyway!! I guess they had to wait until it was their idea... It's not nice, I agree. Big hugs! Rather you than me dealing with the snake! Especially a red belly black snake and even a baby!

Cyn, kids start working very early these days. Too early if you ask me! They're going to be working their whole lives, do they really need to start while they are still children? I blame smart phones! They have to have enough money for their unlimited texts, and lots of internet...

I wish I could remember the funny quotes I was reading on my friend's desk calendar!

Hi, Everyone! So sorry to be MIA from the SA pages lately. There's just too much to do. Hopefully by the weekend I'll get caught up in reading and commenting. In the meantime, I'm thinking of everyone and hoping you are all enjoying the last days of November!

Please feel free to share these {{{{{{ H U G S , prayers, healing vibes and positive thoughts!

Lachlan said the interviewer said it was a 'good interview' and he will know next week.
They hire them young because it's a cheap rate of pay, but, yes, as June says, it helps with job prospects in the future.
I told him NOT to tell the interviewer that his main reason for wanting a job is so that he can pay for a Foxtel connection in his room and not have to watch what his parents watch. Also, when his mother's phone contract is up for renewal, he will get her current iPhone and will have to pay for his own recharges.

Off to a dental cleaning. I'd rather sleep in with the head cold I'm developing.

A bit too hot to sleep.I would like to put the AC on but Hubby gets too cold.

Back from the dentist's. No nasty surprises this time. For a change.

Suzy, I am also glad the fire truck did not stop at our place. I am mortally afraid of fire, of being burned. I almost dropped out of nursing school because of this fear. I found out we HAD to go to a burn unit for about 3 weeks of clinicals, one day a week. I asked to be excused, had to explain why, but nope, I had to go!

Teachers were great though, talked and talked to me, and at last, found me a patient well past the burns and back in hospital because his grafts were getting infected, and because he could not eat enough calories to provide the energy needed for healing. I literally walked into the unit and was escorted to my patient's room with my head down, as if I were blind, so I did not have to see other patients. I will never forget that patient, and how much he had to eat to keep up with his calorie needs, it was a LOT. If he did not eat it, he had to go back on IV''''s central line, where he could be fed large molecule fats and proteins into the veins. That meant being away from home, back in hospital again for long periods at a time. He literally ate around the clock, they brought him food at bedtime and again middle of the night. Every meal tray also had snacks, candy or other high calorie food he had to eat between meals. He was determined to eat enough so he could go home as soon as his infection cleared up.

We do get a lot of visits here from fire department. Often the truck comes if the medics are on a call, when someone has fallen, or accidentally pulled the old 'help' cord, or pushed the button on the new life alert pendants. Now,they will not come if the resident answers their phone, life alert phones to see if you really need help and what kind, if you can get to phone to answer.

Julie, we should enjoy the weekend and start of December here, temps are going back to early fall, 70 F for a high and lows that are warmer than the highs were last week. I want to get outside for some of the warm sunshine.

Speaking of getting out, it is time for the vegetable man to arrive, I will go see if he has plums and tomatoes, more later, hugs to each of you with extras.

Hi everyone. It is Friday and I am happy. Have read quickly but don't really remember what I have read. I will come back tomorrow and try to reread.

Good morning fellow SAers. Hubby and I slept very well last night, we only had a couple of hours sleep the previous night before driving here yesterday. Last night hubby was feeling icky, but I think the good sleep has helped him. Despite our blahs, we had a lovely evening with Bill and his gorgeous girlfriend, Val (both on their 80s, so cute!). A wonderful steak and yummy veg dinner followed by homemade brandy snap baskets, berries, ice cream and cream. Tres ples :)
We got back to the motel about 9.30, sat outside for a while watching nature's light show then went to bed about 10.30. Earliest my head has seen a pillow in a loooong time!
Today we are heading to our dearest friends' new house, here in Hahndorf. The last time we were here we said farewell to thwir last home of many years, but they needed to move as he has quite advanced Parkinson's, can't work or drive any more, and the garden had become too hard for him to manage. Looking forward to seeing them as today is his birthday and each year is precious these days. There will also be some other mutual friends drop in through the day, so it should be fun-filled!

IH isn't coming home tonight!!! I'm gonna have a relaxing evening and night.

Morning all,

Gail, your dinner sounds lovely! I'm glad Bill found someone. Have a wonderful time with your old friends!

Cyn, the interviewer probably guessed that anyway! Alie has never had a job but has been 'working' since she was about 12, for free! Some years she had so many gigs it was worse than a full time job, especially when the rehearsals are added in.

MizT, I have visited the burns ward in a hospital - many many years ago. Thankfully I only saw the boy we were visiting. He was a few years older than I was at the time, maybe 16, a friend of my aunts. I can't imagine what it would be like to work on a burns ward and am glad the instructors found a way around it for you...

Heidi, I must have missed your chipped tooth repair. Did you pay for another holiday for the dentist?

Daily anecdote: I went to a bargain shop today looking for the ring that goes on key rings to hold your keys. The girl who served me recognised me and said 'Hi Miss!' then told me how horrible the class was to the returning teacher. She said she was so embarrassed and horrified that she apologised to her at the end of the lesson. (This is the class that wanted to start a petition to keep me - rotten little thingys...)

The chipped tooth isn't too severe, so we just put it on the back burner for another time. It's just a shame about it. I've only had that tooth a little over a year, and it cost me over $1,000.00.... and it's no longer perfect. Today's appointment was just a regular check-up and cleaning. The oral surgeon's office called me to cancel the much needed appointment I had scheduled for this coming Tuesday. I don't know when it's gonna be now. I have a fractured root on a support tooth for a bridge and it's painful. Some days I want to grab the pliers and just pull it out myself.

I don't remember students acting like that when I was in school. I just remember students showing respect in the classroom. When did it start to deteriorate?

G'night everybody. I'm going to bed early for a full night's sleep.

Hello everyone - been absent from here for a while - not well and feeling too miserable to 'talk'. Today is a better day and will try and catch up on the news. Hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to the holiday season, cheers.

{hugs} Midge, somedays life is like that. Thinking of you xo

Hi, Everyone! I've just done a quick glance through page 552. No time to comment. Sure wish I could find an extra hour or two every day! Tomorrow's another busy one, followed by a busy Sunday, busy Monday, etc.

Thinking of all of you and sending wishes for nothing but the best: positive thoughts, healing vibes, prayers, {{{{{HUGS}}}}} and !

Hugs Midge! I hope you are feeling better soon! Though unless you have air conditioning, it will be a few days yet...

Heidi, I think the change has been gradual... What surprises me the most about dealing with these children when they are being horrible is that I don't get angry!! Oh I get frustrated, and I pretend to be angry, but so far it doesn't really get to me. I wonder how long that will last?

Morning all, from a frosty small town. Brrrr.

Heidi, I think the fact that teachers' hands are tied as far as discipline is one of the factors. When I was in school, fear of the strap kept us in line. And if that didn't do it, fear of what our parents would do to us when we got home certainly would do it!

Hubby went to stay with his dad yesterday and will be home after supper today. I spent Thursday making meals for them. I am going to look after the grandies at 9:00 this morning so that their parents can get a little Christmas shopping done. Tis that time of year.

Midge {{{HUGS}}}

Had a lovely day today with our friends, hubby and his mate have known each other for many years, since they were in primary school. They are both now 54. His wife and I were not the greatest of friends early on, but over the years we grew to be the best of friends, with a few road bumps along the way. There were probably 40 in all, coming at various times, and it was lovely to catch up with other good friends, and to meet new ones.
There were a few more of the boys old time buddies, so there was a lot of reminiscing and boasting going on. It was quite sweet to watch.
Time for sleep now. In the morning, hubby and I will be going into the town for breakfast and having a wander around for the morning. Then I will come back here, get ready for the wedding, and drop hubby off to be Scottsat at the friends' house (he's not coming to the wedding).

Have a wonderful day everyone :)

Suzy, you are right about teachers hands being tied. There is not much I am allowed to do other than call a parent or write a detention. If it is serious, I can write a referral and send the kid to the assistant principal. Some kids just don't care.

Heidi, I remember having classes not being good for the sub. We did behave for our regular teachers. When I was in 6th grade (about 11) my teacher got sick and was going to be out for 2-3 weeks. We had a male sub. He came in for 2 days. On day 3 a different sub came in. She put us in our place. She told us that the sub we had refused to come back and that she was pulled out of a 1st grade (6 year old) classroom that she liked in order to deal with us. She did not put up with us and got us back in line. I don't even remember what the class did.

For some, any punishment is like a badge of honour! They brag about how naughty they are, and how many times they have been sent to the principal's office :(

Would it be a good idea to keep the miscreants back a year if they get sent to the principals office, or detention, a certain number of times a year? That could be humiliating to them and break up the troublemakers.

Heidi, most of my students this year have been retained. I have a girl who is two weeks younger than Mitchell. He is in 10th grade and she is in 7th. She can get her driver's license in January and theoretically drive herself to middle school. The kids do not care about being retained.

Well, I just spent a miserable hour with the grandies. Arguing with each other, arguing, arguing. I gave them fair warning and after 20 minutes I took their toys away, and turned up music I wanted to hear to drown out their cries. Told them and their parents I expected sincere apologies today from the girls ... haven't heard a word.

Suzy, I think in some ways you are lucky Dana moved out. In my case, I think it's a case of 'familiarity breeds contempt' ... they see me so often.

Still wondering where Mama is. Did she say in one of her posts she would be away for an extended Thanksgiving?

Weird. I would think kids would have some self respect, Tami.

I don't remember,Theresa.
I'm sorry that your grandies have been so awful. They do owe you an apology. Their parents need to teach them respect for other people.

Yes Heidi, they owe me an apology. I have already told D that I will not look after them full days, i.e. if they're sick or if it's a PA day. There is also talk of rotating one-day walk-outs by the teachers with only 72 hours notice for the parents ... I won't be looking after them. Their other grandmother has eye problems and can no longer drive, for now. She is waiting for surgery some time this month I believe.

Hope you got a good night's sleep, Heidi. I on the other hand will be going for a nap shortly. Tomorrow hubby is off, so we might go and get some shopping done for Christmas. I still have about half the people on my list to get presents for, but at least I've started. With some snow on the ground, at least I feel more like getting ready. We get a real tree each year, usually around the middle of December ... gotta find the decorations.

Cyn, hope you're feeling more in the spirit. One year hubby and I just weren't in the mood and we didn't even put up a tree. We vowed never to do that again because it made Christmas even worse. I imagine we'll probably spend Christmas Day with his parents, after going to D's to open presents and for me to make my special Christmas breakfast afterwards.

Just thought you should know ... the more I get to know some people, the more I like my cats!!!!

Theresa, I feel the same way about my dog. Right now I am ready to throw both of the beastie boys out of the house. All they do is argue with each other and call each other names. I told them if I heard one more 4-ketter word coming out of their mouth I would serve them a bar of soap for dinner. More likely I will just shove it down their throat.

My parents are coming over for dinner tonight. No reason, just so they can see the grandkids. Besides, I am still a better cook than my mom

Have fun, Tami. Unable to sleep so I was getting some ffuts done instead.

Why do you think I surround myself with dogs? I generally prefer their company to that of most people. They have no ulterior motives and won't lie to you.

I spent the afternoon hauling hay. IH said cousin Don was giving us 14 good rolls of hay, and I just had to go pick them up. So off I went in my tractor with the hay hauler in tow to get 'em. I had assumed that the hay was up in his hay barn, but when I got to his farm I discovered that not only wasn't it in the barn, but it was several fields away, through steep muddy tracks through tree filled ravines. When I finally got back to the hay, I found out that it was cr*p hay. Poor quality to start with, but after sitting outside for awhile, stacked in the rain, it's half rotted. If the cows eat it, it'll have very little nutritional value. I'm gonna set in in some eroded areas, so anything the cows don't eat will help stop the erosion. In other words, it isn't worth the diesel I used to get it. But it made Don happy to give it to me. In past years, I've given him plenty of good quality hay for his critters when he didn't have enough, so he thinks he's paying me back. IH can't tell good hay from cr*p anyway, so there's no sense saying anything to him. He figures if it's free, it's gotta be good. Don gets all his farming advice from IH, so he doesn't know anything about hay quality. I just thanked him for the hay and hauled it off.

Tami... you don't need a reason to have your parents over for dinner. Kind things don't have to have a reason. I'm proud of you. I wish I had a loving family like you do.

Morning all,
Heidi, some schools are better at it than others. One school, which has fewer 'bad' classes, has a discipline committee and a Principal who is so strict you'd think you'd gone back to the 70's (without the cane). Even with that you get problems - like the class I mentioned above, but overall it is better.

Theresa, I hope you eventually got your apologies! I definitely get along better with Dana now that she has moved out. She is just as expensive as she was at home though... Time will tell how Tahli turns out.

Tami, I hope you have a wonderful dinner with your parents and the beastie boys are on their best behaviour! It's one way to get a break from the arguing..

Cyn, I think I need to go to the mall and be surrounded by all the Xmas stuff they put out trying to trick you into buying stuff you don't really need. That might put me in the spirit. It's hard this year because mum was really into Xmas and this will be the first year without her.

My hip has been giving me a lot of trouble. It used to 'go out' every now and then. It's now acting up almost every day. I've made an agreement with myself - when I've gone for my ultrasound and had the cysts sucked out (sorry, gross, but that's basically what they do), and to the dermatologist for a check up and hopefully a bit of freezing, and to the optometrist for new glasses that work and aren't suffering from being stepped on, hit with balls, etc... then I can get my hip looked at!

Daily anecdote: It's too early in the day to have an anecdote but talking about the kids reminded me of the assessment task I marked (they're not called exams or tests anymore???). If I've already told you this one, sorry.

When marking the test I kept finding 'and stuff'. One kid has it written at the end of every single answer! In class the next day I covered a few of the things they had missed, but forgot about the 'and stuff' until someone used it in class! Oh that reminds me, 'and stuff' is not a valid answer to a question and will not get you more points! But Miss, we lost marks because we didn't put it on an old paper so now we put it everywhere (yes, most of them said this). Okay, I said wisely, if you are asked to list the essential ingredients of something, and stuff is definitely not acceptable. If you are asked to explain the reasons a particular ingredient is used, it MAY be acceptable to write 'and more' or 'and so on' but never 'and stuff'.

Great response, Suzy!!!

Maybe it's time to declare war on ''political correctness''. It's been taken to a level of stupidity that's beyond the ozone layer!!!!