Sudokuaholics Anonymous 9A

Our temp got above freezing today. We have Sunshine! Kitties were so happy to see the sun they have both been outside soaking up some rays! If you or a kitty could find a place protected from the wind, that sun felt wonderful. Winds are milder today. I had to go for a short walk.

Once again I found walking with my back to the wind to be pleasant. It is the return trip into the wind that gets ya!

I'm on my way out the door to pick up Rain. I'll be back in a few hours.

Good morning lovely SA people.
Oh Suzy - I hadn't heard that the father had died. Yes, I would want to go with them. If I lost all of my immediate family, I can't see how I could ever possibly get over it!
I started typing this post an hour ago and got stuck with 2 or 3 phone calls - now I've forgotten what else I had to say and have to go back and check!!!

Ok, went back and checked.
Heidi - I hope Rain helps ease the sadness over Melony.
MizT - glad the weather has improved and that the kittys can go outside.
Suzanne - proud of you for doing your new avatars!
Brenda - I have friends up near Leeds and Huddersfield - they are snowed in.
Love to all - off for a shower then to see my Mum. Ciao!

Just came to tell you all what an idiot I am. My mother doesn't like the way I file 'pending' mail on my bench so she tidied it all up for me while she was here. I knew there were bills in the pile, but out of site, out of mind... and now my telephone is cut off! My fault, I knew exactly where all of the mail was!!!

I'm back with Rain. She's a lovely lady, a blue merle Smooth Collie. IH took one look at her and fell in love. She'll take a while to settle in, but I think it'll work out.

Oh Suzy....a woman after my own heart...
Thank you for the good laugh!
Big hugs Heidi. Welcome Rain...a well timed distraction.
Tricia your kitty's aren't at ALL spoilt... my Jessie gets the door opened for her [despite having a perfectly good door of her own!]
Suzanne...way to go! Keep at it.
I cannot remember what else I was going to say...
Catch you all later.

Speaking of idiots, Suzy... on the way up to Louisville to pick up Rain, I rear ended someone at a stop sign. This is the first time in my life that I did that!

I cannot get over being able to post... this computer has been giving me the irits!!
Ciao...

Heidi, sorry about Melony and good luck with Rain. i am not sure if I would want to take on an old dog with incontinence!
Suzy, hope the phone is back on soon! I often vacuum etc at one daughters but never touch any paperwork. Pleased you have heat again Tricia. We had kerosene heaters when I was young. Always smelly though.
I do feel a bit better today but very sore from continual coughing. I did go to the pictures with Belinda and Laura yesterday saw 'Fantastic Mr Fox', Laura (first time to the movies) squirmed about a bit and I think it was more of a 'boys' movie. I asked her what she thought of the movie. "Brilliant"
I ran a bit of a temperature all day and have had very little sleep the last couple of nights so that is why I have not been around.
I have been to a funeral today. A Full Mass and I got a couple of coughing turns during the service. Sat behind two rows of young baseball players so could not see very much! (An ex baseball coach in both USA and Australia)

Heidi, it sounds like Rain is a lucky collie.
MizT, glad you are keeping warm.
Hello to everyone else I might have missed. I got a booboo on one of my fingers and my band-aid is making it hard to type. My mom made me take a typing class in high school and it has paid off. One of the two useful classes I had in high school. (the other was driver's ed where I learned to change a flat tire)

June... NOBODY else wants to take on an old dog, much less one with incontinence. That's why I have her. It's that or having her put to sleep. I'm the only person in Kentucky who will take in geriatric Collies with health issues. The Collie Rescue group in Louisville told the owners that they only take healthy Collies 2 1/2 years old or younger! The group I am with takes in Collies of all ages. I'm the person in the group that takes the old ones that are probably not placeable.

I'm flinging food right now. Roast beef, mashed potatoes and green beans. I call it comfort food. I need it after saying my final goodbyes to Melony.

Heidi, dinner sounds really good. I wish I could come up and share it with you.

Tonight is supposed to be the coldest night yet. Temps could get as low as the upper 30's (3-4 celsius). For South Florida, that is cold.

Yes, I have central heat, it comes with the central AC (a Florida necessity). We all have long sleeved shirts and sweaters or sweatshirts as well as jackets. I own one cashmere sweater which I will wear tomorrow. It was a gift several years ago and I get to wear it a few times a year.

With that, I am going to get in bed and snuggle under the covers were it is nice and warm. Talk to you all tomorrow.

Don't faint everyone, but I am in the middle of making lasagne. I've worked out that it is cheaper to buy ready made, but hubby likes this one better. If it works out that is.

Heidi, I hope you didn't hurt your back or either car too much in your little accident.

June, I hope your cough clears up soon. I had that one before chrissie and it started to feel like my insides wanted to get out. Nothing is off limits with my mother. We lose things sometimes for months after she has been here.

Tami, I didn't take a typing class but one of my friend's mother was a secretary. She taught her daughter typing and got me started when I visited one time. Mum gave me a typewriter for chrissie that year and I played around and taught myself to touch type. It came in very handy while doing my course even though I am only accurate at about 30 wpm.

Nobody was hurt, Suzy. My truck didn't get a dent, but I'll have to buy a new bumper for the other car. Those fiberglass or plastic ones don't hold up even with a small, low speed bump. My bumper is steel, and is nearly indestructible under the same conditions.

I am really tired after my long, stressful 2 days. I'm gonna feed the dogs , then go to bed.

HUGE - the girls have been invited to perform at Kids Day Out at the races. They usually have professionals! Unfortunately the extras that usually make up the extra time are not answering their phones... Could be difficult!

Heidi, I'm glad you and your car weren't hurt. I was rear ended at a stop sign about a year ago - my tow bar destroyed their front bumper with no damage at all to my car.

Is sudokuland broken?

I could not see any post post mine untill I posted again. I thought it had been hours since anyone had been here. Once I posted, half a page of messages showed up.

Heidi, so glad noone was hurt in your fender bender. Hope Rain fits in well with the other dogs. It is good that Gil likes her.

JUNE, I now have a new microwave. Had to tell you cause you worried about me and my old one that hubby repainted. It was still not budgeted for , but Al found it on a 50% off sale, and phoned to see if we cold work it in somehow. It has different controls so I am getting accustomed to it . It soes not have one feature I wish it did, the add 30 second ( or a minute on some machines) button. I will get accustomed to it It is a lot faster than the old one, it is like learning to cook again.

Night all fore I fall into the computer,

Hello - I'm back! Good visit with Mum today. Her Xmas gift from the Care Home was a book full of pictures (Steve Parrish ones)and articles of all he capital cities in Australia. She loves it and hasn't put it down since she got it. She was always a voracious reader. We went through it and she managed to remember that she was born in Melbourne, recognised Sydney's Harbour bridge and opera house, many places in Brissie and that she was in Darwin for 'someone's birthday' - my sister lived in Darwin and had her first 2 kids there - Mum was there for both births - so she was right, it was Greg and Sarah's birthday!

Ah, Suzy - I've done that myself without the interference of my Mum. I forgot to pay our mobiles and only just managed to get them paid before they were suspended - not good when you operate a business using them!!!
Heidi - I'm glad Gil loved Rain. Those dogs are truly blessed to have you save them from otherwise certain death. {{{hugs}}}
Tami - 3-4c temperatures are rare for us too and do we native Queenslanders complain when we get them!
Beanie - glad you're able to post again.

I did have a strange discovery while burning the bonfire/pyre today. The pile was nearly 3/4 burnt (it was about 25 feet x 25 feet, and 15 feet high, made of densely packed branches and trunks which came down in last winters ice storm) and I noticed a circular object on the ground at the one edge that hadn't burned yet. I reached down and picked it up. It was a hibernating baby turtle! She was encased in a thin coating of ice. I held her in my hand until I got back in the house, and put her in a container in the kitchen to defrost and come out of hibernation. She's now walking about in it. I'll fix up something better for her tomorrow. I've been reading up on her dietary needs on the interwebs, and find she eats worms and bugs. Her species is the Red Eared Slider.

Cyn, my mobile phone comes on the same bill so it wasn't working either! They're both working again now. I'll go through that pile tonight and make sure there isn't anything else I've missed.

What a wonderful visit with your Mum, and what a thoughtful gift from the care home. They must have known that a trip down memory lane would result.

Heidi, that's a WOW discovery! I'm guessing a red eared slider is a fresh water turtle since you found in inland. Amazing.

Heidi - you have the knack of saving animals, even accidentally. That's amazing!
Suzy - it was both of our mobiles and the one we provided for our driver. All hell would have broken loose without them.

I think we must be going to get a lot of rain. I have been finding ants in the house the last couple of weeks (mainly after the cat food) and tonight I have found them in the pantry. I feel like sh*t and the last thing I want to do is empty the pantry to get rid of the ants!!!
What a wonderful and thoughtful present Cyn. I am pleased it was able to bring back some of your mother's memories.

Cyn, that would have been drastic! All I suffered was embarassment - today of all days 2 parents tried to call to arrange a trip to the beach, and 2 called to try to arrange the new gig for Monday...

June, we've had ants starting to come too. I just put Antrid around and it seems to work, until the next day anyway.

Hi all, we have snow again but not as much as lots of areas in the UK. Temps not too good either -2C.
Heidi, the loss of Melody seems to have brought about the rescue of two other creatures. I know you would have taken Rain in even if you hadn't lost Melody, but you would never have found the turtle.
Suzy I pay all bills by direct debit so I don't have a chance to miss paying them, I just have to make sure that there is plenty money in the account.

Oops I have just remembered one bill which doesn't get paid by dd and it is overdue It doesn't affect anything major as it is for the flat we rent out, but I must log on and pay it.

Brenda, I'm glad my stupidity reminded you...

Just about had a heart attack then. The coordinator of Pride posted on fb that there are 6 gigs in January! I counted and either 2 of them are just the oldest girl (which happens) or she is counting rehearsals...

June, I'm sorry you are still under the weather - hope you are feeling better soon.
Ants in the house are a sign of a rainy spell to come - or they are up here.
Anybody know anything about computers?? - I'm having so much trouble with FB - it won't let me in - internet explorer just drops out - do you think it's a virus? Also even if I restart my pooter, I'm still signed in, then it drops out!

Sorry CynB, I know nothing about face book, and neither does AL, one place we have not gone!

Heidi, good luck with raising the turtle. now I can just see you, our digging for worms for this newest addition to the Surreal Farms.

I am up early today. was up to potty when I noticed the faucet at sink was no longer dripping water. Now I know you Aussies do not understand, but this is accepted policy for such freezes as we have, drip water to keep it from freezing under your house. It is repeated on the weather forecasts, bring in your pets, check on the elderly and drip water. If customers were not dripping water and paying for it, water board would have to open lines to keep water moving in the mains. Just not buried deep enough for a freeze like this. There have been major breaks in water lines up north in some cities from this freeze already.

The particular faucet in question has this strange ability to turn itself off over time. It is also the one line that freezes first, always has been. this is the one I have often used my hot air popcorn popper to thaw! So I am doing the faucet watch, to make sure it is dripping. When I turned faucet on full a bit ago, it was running Ok, then stopped and then started again with a noise. YEP, Ice in the line somewhere. Glad I caught it or at least this one sink would have frozen.

I hate winter and to think, we have another 5 days of this and worse forecast!! Current temp is 17F (-8C) but with no wind, that is a blessing.

OK, my mandatory whine for today, and I am out of here. I think a cup of tea is in order.

OH, to save money and water, Al drains the system in the dome, so we are not dripping water out there! Besides, it can freeze out there even if dripping! He has to take his jug of water out to make his coffee now, poor baby!

I think I have fixed my computer problems!