Sudokuaholics Anonymous 9A

It is 11:30 on a Sunday morning and I am still in my pajamas. I love being on break

It's noon on Sunday, and I'm still in my pajamas, too.

MizT... The tree is in the living room, so the lights can be seen by anyone coming up the driveway. The lights are finally on the tree and I only have to put the ornaments on it. That'll be finished in a little while.
The Open House at the Farm Machinery dealership was fun. I knew almost everybody there. I think our entire Cattlemen's Association turned up. There was LOTS of good food... in fact I haven't eaten anything since then, I was so full.

Finally got dressed and ran a few errands.
Heidi, glad you had a good time at the open house.

Good morning all.
MizT - love the link to the lights - haved shared it on Facebook (but given you credit for finding them).

I love quiet days. I need to go do a few chores, but that's all. Tomorrow will be busy, though. I've got someone coming over to trim hooves on the horses, and put shoes on a few.

Hi CynB. How is life treating you today?

***VIV NEWS***
Have had an answer to a text I sent Viv yesterday as follows (I don't think she would mind me posting it!)
'Am OK, have had a cr@p time lately. Have no internet or phone since last week. Thanks everyone for their concern. Viv x'

Thanks for the update, Cyn!!!!

I sent her one back saying that I sorry things weren't so good, that she was in our thoughts and I would pass messages on if she wanted.
Hope things improve for her and that she gets her internet back asap!

Cyn, Thanks for the update on Viv. If you hear from her again, let her know we are thinking of her.

Morning all,
Poor hubby is off to work, Ally is still asleep and I have some ffuts to put on the line, only it is blowing a gale out there so I don't wanna.

I have put up 2 photos of Ally showing her makeup, she took the photos. She has learned how to use 5 colours to do it - most I ever managed was 2. There are no photos of them performing, only videos and I can't put them up right now because of my slow connection... They don't do them justice anyway. I'm hoping someone else has a better one that I can get a copy of.

Thinking of Viv!

Very proud to have braved the wind 41kph with 63 kph gusts to gnah clothes out!

The house is QUIET. Family have gone out for the day. Sorry I have not been around but things have been hectic. About to have a shower, put on some washing and get myself together before they return later today. Thanks for the news on Viv. I had not had time to phone her. Yesterday we had a Christmas breakfast here with my sister and hubby and all our family. Then lunch with all my family and Ken's mother and sister for Ken's birthday tomorrow. I was exhausted last night.

Pleased the carols went OK Suzy. We had Carols in the park near us on Friday night. They finished with a great fireworks display and we stood on our front lawn with them going almost over our heads.

Believe it or not..... my tree is decorated!

Good for you Heidi!!
Hubby just rang to say his boss just gave him a Christmas card with a Coles/Myer Gift Card in it for a tidy little sum. Will come in handy later in the week when we stock up on last minute goodies - woohoo!! We can now be a little more extravagant!

Most of the wrapping is done, MizT. I don't enjoy doing it though, so next year could you come and help me?

I will be making cookies with the grandies the day before Christmas. We will be having our dinner with them and their parents on Christmas Eve. Then on Boxing Day we will go to hubby's parents for Christmas dinner. Christmas Day tends to be a lazy day for us - except that I make breakfast for everybody.

My son and his new/old girlfriend are taking it to a new level - both have posted that they are 'in a relationship' on FB. WooHoo! Hope this one works out, she is a keeper and loves our family. What a change from the last one!
They have known one another for more than a year and he was seeing her more casually for a few months, then he felt he wasn't ready and pulled out of the relationship. This time he's ready and she welcomed him back. If there's a stumbling block, it will be the girls, whether she can deal with them, I hope she can and from what I've seen/heard so far, I think she can.

Just passing by.. have to leave soon, take Mum to her eye appt..
My Christmas Tree is up, and decorated.
The house is clean.

No, Tricia it is not my house, If I had known it existed the house a couple of weeks ago, Hubby and I could have done a drive past when we were out to dinner the other night with his work. It is a fair distance from my suburb.

It is raining here in Perth, temps still quite warm.
Saw the forecast for the C day.. HOT 38C

Later Aligaters

-7c here at present and we still have snow, though no more than yesterday.
Hubbies brother has posted to say that the power lines for the trains are down just north of us. Hopefully they will get them repaired overnight so R can get to work tomorrow.
Suzy, hope your gnihsaw is securely pegged out in that wind.

Forecasts can change, Rolanda - hope they do!
Ours is 28C and showers for C Day - can handle that!

Cyn, I am pleased to hear about your son and friend, you had quietly mentioned that you had high hopes. I wish them all the best xoxo

Hello again! :)

No washing on the line today - still raining cats and dogs.

Every time I open my pantry door I see all the Christmas goodies stacked up ... puts me off my toast and vegemite, a bit - I want nuts and candy-canes and shortbread and ... everything!

Only have a few more pressies to buy; might have to start wrapping some ... singing a few carols as I work ... mmm, can I drown out the thunder I'm hearing ... again! Everything is pretty sodden, but I have to say I prefer it to stinking hot, especially when braving the shopping centres! :)

Have a great day everyone! :)

It looks like we might have a nice day on Saturday, better than the cold and dreary we have at the moment! Hubby and I were going to do a supply run in to the hospital today, but we have decided to do everything we need tomorrow, supplies, stocking fillers, pressies etc. Please keep us in your thoughts!!!

You're always in my thoughts Gail!

Brenda, I hope the power lines are up for R tomorrow. I have extra pegs in everything, which is just as well because they are flying almost horizontally out there...

June, please pass on birthday wishes to Ken for me..

Cyn, that's huge! I don't even have hubby on there... How does she get along with the kids?

MizT, are you finding time to keep up with all of the exercises you have to do with your hand along with everything else. It must be so frustrating for you to not be able to do what you love to do!

The boys are all sleeping and I am downstairs playing on the pooter. I am not tired yet. At least I don't have to get up early.

I just had something surreal happen. The phone rang, and I answered it. It was some guy with a thick Kentucky accent, and slurring his words besides... like he was on drugs or drunk. He asked me if IH was home, and when I said "yes, would you like to speak to him" he quickly said no... he had something very important to tell me... something I REALLY needed to know, but I had to be alone to hear it. He said that he HAD to speak to me so he would call back tomorrow, but I had to promise that I would not tell a soul, especially IH, that he called. That was very important. So as soon as he hung up, I immediately told IH about it. I stressed that the guy sounded like he was on drugs. He'd called from a cell phone, so we couldn't get the name from information. Seconds later, IH's assistant called, and IH mentioned the call and told her what the phone number was. It turned out to be the number of her sister. Her nephew (a drug dealer/user) had taken the cell phone and was driving around with it, stoned, and furious because his family had just hidden all their prescription drugs from him. Why he called me, I don't know, but if he shows up here, the dogs will take him down.

Heidi, that sounds kind of scary. I am glad you have the dogs, and other things, for protection. I hope nothing happens.

Tami.... I'm keeping my gun within arms reach, and I will for the next few days. That guy may not know that I'm more dangerous than IH is. He runs away from all danger. I confront it.

Heidi, How strange and a bit frightening too. I do hope he does not show up there. Glad you have the dogs as an early warning and protection crew.

Good to hear from Viv, hope she gets her internet back soon. thanks for letting us all know.

Tami, enjoy your first Monday off work, sleep in, wear jammies late, wonder if you could get the beastie boys to bring breakfast in bed?? I have a question for you, hope you do not mind. what do you do on Christmas day? Most stores are closed, cannot go shopping. Many restaurants too. Something I have often wondered but never had anyone to ask. What did you do back when you were a child? Back long enough ago, NOTHING was open on Christmas Day. I remember trying to find batteries for something Santa had forgotten, nothing open anywhere.

Suzy, I have not been doing my exercises, how did you know? I really should, I can tell hand is getting stiff. Perhaps I can pack my instructions and some of the things I need and do them in waiting room? Imagine that would be a conversation started, especially the hammer one.

Judy, my fridge was full of christmas goodies. Yesterday was my family's Christmas meal, and there were leftovers. Tonight Joy was here before leaving for Florida, and I brought out the dresing and coke salad, and green bean casserole with the sweet potatoes and lima beans. I hav not brought home any turkey, have some in freezer, but it takes planning to thaw a whole cooked turkey breast, so we had boneless pork chops with. It was yummy.

At out christmas party, we each brought everyone a gift, but rules were, cannot pay more than $1 each. Yard sales, re-gifting, home made or the dollar store were options. We had a lot of fun. some of the gifts were so appropiate for the recipients. Joy had asked me about something to keep her bra straps from sliding from her shoulders. she got just that as a gift!! Joy and I had been cooking the boiled cookies, and I did not have wax paper, she bought and wrapped me some! My sister loves birds, chocolate and Santa, she got a chocolate chop cookie in a reusable tin, the decoration was a santa with a bird on his shoulder. Her son had just said he would give good money for a Santa with a bird on his head for his mom, close, very close. We laughed and talked and had a great time! My sister from Atlanta ( about 4 hours away) came, first time in several years, since Mom died I know. Was good to have her back.

Gail, will be thinking of you as you try to get everything in one day. Boy it takes a lot of supplies for home health care doesn't it? Good luck tomorrow.

Brenda, may the snow melt and the power to the trains be restored by tomorrow.

OH, I now have water again! Al needed some part he did not have, our friend Terry did, and he helped AL get the line repaired. He also put in a cut off valve for that toilet, it leaks again, only toilet will be turned off.

Rolanda, sorry I did not know sooner about the house of lights, someone sent the link to

Well, I did a Julie! but I did save before sending so here is the remainder.

Rolanda, sorry I did not know sooner about the house of lights, someone sent the link to me. I posted it as soon as I got it hehehe.

Rolanda has a tree, Heidi has a tree! Are those the last 2, amongst people who have trees. Anyone who does not put up trees besides Tami?

CynB, happy for your son and his new/old girlfriend. I do hope it works out for them.

Theresa, remind me in time next year so I can get to your house to wrap. I have helped others wrap gifts most all my life. As a child I wrapped my Grandmother's gifts, without scotch tape! I said then I would have everything I needed to wrap nice packages, once I grew up and I did just that! Funny how little things like that mold our future lives.

OK< back to watch TV with hubby, he will think I have deserted him. Hugs to all and extras.
till tomorrow.

Heidi - scary stuff, but as you say the dogs will take him down. I always feel protected here, even with Jewel. If nothing else she'll bark and the neighbours know the difference in her barking. Also would give me enough time to alert the police etc.
I hate being without a dog!! All I worry about is that they are prepared to put themselves in danger to protect their owners and I couldn't handle that.

Suzy - the girlfriend hasn't met the kids yet (Andrew didn't want them to meet anyone until he was ready) but she will on several occasions in the next weeks. But Emily is the one she'd have to cope with should they end up living together. I think Emily will rise to the occasion and will love having her to herself.
It all remains to be seen. So much more complicated with children involved. She has no children.

Heidi, how scary! Hopefully he won't remember anything tomorrow (today) and he will leave you alone. It does make you wonder though if there really is something important he needs to tell you. So glad you have the dogs.

MizT, sounds like a wonderful family gathering. It's funny how inexpensive but thoughtful gifts can be so much fun. Where I used to work we would have a Chinese gift exchange at Christmas, limit of $20 per gift - everyone would just bring a wrapped gift. When you picked and opened your gift but you wanted a gift that someone else had already gotten, you could just go and take it. It really did make for a lot of laughs.

Good luck with all the running around, Gail.

Glad to hear Viv is fine, if computerless. When you know of someone's situation, it makes it hard when you don't hear from them in a while.

All quiet here on SA9a. My family are moving north early tomorrow. I thought they were here till Wednesday so I am a bit disappointed. They will be back for a couple of days in mid January.
My son has been marvellous and done a lot of jobs that Ken has been going to do for years.
He cleared out a lot of junk in our large store room (I must admit that some of the stuff belonged to my son and got left behind when he moved to Melbourne)
Neil also commented that we must own shares in Bunnings hardware store paint brush department as I have a large collection of unused paint brushes of all sizes.
I still have to make my pudding for Christmas day.And one or two small gifts to get. We have already exchanged quite a few gifts so the pile has decreased!

Theresa, nobody here for 6 hours and then we both post together.
Heidi, lets hope he did not really know who you are and where you live and was just making calls from the address book on the phone he pinched.
Tricia, pleased Al had a good time. An outing he enjoys is better than a lot of medicine.
Gail lots of hugs and loving thoughts going your way. Lets us pray for a kidney to become available in 2011.
Cyn, lets also hope that your son's life turns around for the better in 2011.
Half an hour ago I could not keep my eyes open. Now it is time to go to bed I am wide awake!