Sudokuaholics Anonymous 9A

And a speedy bye.......

Hi again
Julie, we met an ex New York cop a couple of weeks ago - 20 years on the job, now works for the marshalls - and I asked him if we were right that the CSI shows were nothing like the real thing. He said the CSI people are slobs who turn up in sweats and then the geeks in the lab do all the testing, but the stuff they can find out from the tests is amazing! I don't care though, I still like the shows!!

eaa - good one again!

BIL just telephoned. He had sent me messages on that other page but they didn't come through. Kathy has left us, and her ex has shown up to claim the kids. They don't want to go with him. He apparently left them and hasn't been in touch for years, dead-beat dad - owes over $30,000 in child support etc etc. But he is biological relative so they may not have any choice. I figure that unless he is a druggy or a criminal they will ultimately be better off with him. I hope.....

Suzy... Lets hope that the reason he left was Kathy's alcoholism, and that he really does love his kids. There may be all sorts of extenuating circumstances involved in the child support.... if that's even true. That may have happened only in the mind of an alcoholic.

eaa.... That is my favorite avatar of yours. It fits you SO perfectly!

I still need to feed dogs and run another load of laundry.

So good to see you here, eaa!

Suzy, hoping that looking at things positively may help. Perhaps there's more than meets the eye or the ear. Hoping the children will do OK with their biological dad!

Heidi, hope the dogs enjoy dinner! Starting another load of yrdnual? Will you stay up to see that it's dry?

Exhaustion has set in. Good Night, All!

Suzy - well, you finally don't have to wait any longer. Condolences to your family here and topside. Here's hoping that the kids settle happily with someone. If they have to go to their Dad, it would be nice to think that being a full-time Dad will bring out the best in him. {{{hugs}}}

Well, my hair has been trimmed and coloured - one shade darker - looks quite dark at the moment but will fade. Happy with it for now.
Did I mention my dilemma when I went to renew my licence? One question asked for hair colour and on my previous licence it stated 'dark' and in the pic (5 yrs ago) it was dark. I asked the girl at the counter what to put and she said 'your natural colour'. I told her that was now 'grey'. We ended up deciding on 'brown' - it covers a whole range from dark blonde to dark brown.

Tomorrow I'm doing a Gail with a really nice neighbor. We've gone on trail rides together, but this is our first lunch. I mentioned this neighbor before in the incident of the lost, trained, Peregrine Falcon befriending her nearly 2 years ago.

After I get home, the tractor tire repairman will finally arrive to fix my flat. He didn't have the right size of inner tube , and had to order one. The cows will appreciate some fresh hay. IH promised to feed them hay today with his tractor, but forgot. In the meantime, they won't starve. There's a little grazing left.

Kathy RIP



I hope your next life is easier than this one.

If scientists really want to play with genetic engineering, I wish they'd figure out how to remove that alcoholism/ addiction gene. So many lives are destroyed by it.

RIP, Kathy

Gail... how is the water situation now?

I was feeling a bit sad when Ally came home from school. I haven't told the girls yet as I wanted us all together. There's something about kids though that makes it hard to be sad for long...

Ally auditioned to take drama for sport today. (We don't mind her missing school sport as she does sport outside of school). She did her bit and then the teacher said. "Can I ask why you chose to use that accent?" What accent? asks Ally. "Oh, can you say something for me?" asks teacher. What do you want me to say, says Ally. "Oh, are you American?" the teacher exclaims.

After some reflection, I am actually a little more optimistic for the children now that their biological father has come forward. I'm glad I have waited to tell the girls because I will be more upbeat about it now.

Cyn, how about pics from you too? I don't see Gail's yet...

Heidi, I wish I could do laundry... the baskets are now full and it is STILL raining here. There are huge puddles everywhere.

Funny story, Suzy. Accent? What accent?

I think it's a good thing for the kids to go with their father. I know he's a stranger to them, and they're having too much upheaval and drama already, but in the long run they'll be feeling better that their father DOES want them. He rejected their mother, not them. That's a good thing.

The gas has been connected, now just waiting for the plumber to fit us in, hopefully tomorrow or Saturday.

Gail, have I missed something. Thought it was just a water pipe burst under the house, why was the gas disconnected.

Suzy I hope your nieces children have a better chance in life with their father, as someone said (Heidi I think) the picture painted of him may not have been totally correct.
How long have you lived back in Australia? Normally a young person would lose their original accent fairly quickly, just going by my emigrant relations who have picked up the accents of their new countries quite quickly.

Ok, here's the story...
We have, sorry, HAD electric storage hot water, which means a large tank that fills each day, heats up once and that is our hot water for the day. The tank was old enough that the inner casing has rusted and split, ergo dumping 6the water out. Luckily, it is located under the house, which actually means outside, so not in the house at all. The water drained out onto the dirt.
As for the gas, our house is not attached to the mains gas. When the house was built, they had the gasline brought up to the house, but not plumbed, probably with the intention of connecting at a later date.
We have chosen now to switch our hot water from electric (very expensive to run with the possibility of running cold if too many showers etc) to gas instant hot water (much cheaper to run and never run out of hot water...luxury in a house full of people).
So, what this entailed was having the gas company come and put a meter on the pipe (done) and then the plumber coming and installing the system and plumbing it to the bathrooms etc, hopefully in the next couple of days.
We have been managing by having what we call (please don't get offended anyone) 'a pommy shower'. I boil up a big pot of water, bring it to the bathroom and wash who's ever hair it is at the time, then the sink is filled with warm water and we 'top and tail' ourselves.
My neighbour very kindly offered us the use of their shower, but hubby is unwell at the moment and staying indoors, Hannah is managing with the sink routine and Beth is having cold showers (freak!). I am going to pop over the road tomorrow and have a shower, don't need to wash my hair, that was done today at the hairdressers, but it has been a hot, muggy day today and I have been a bit sweaty, would just love to rinse off properly.

Gail that sound very expensive, but hopefully will be cheaper in the long run and give you hot water on demand. How is your house heated? I know you probably don't need heating as much as we do in the UK. My neighbour has a similar system to your new one for hot water and it runs her heating too. She had her new system fitted just before nwe had ours done last year.

You're right Brenda, it is expensive, but whichever way we did it was going to be, and as you say, cheaper in the long run.
We don't have any central heating. We really only have the combustion stove and small electric heaters in the bedrooms and our lounge. The wood heater is in the large middle room, but apart from when we are in the kitchen, we don't really use it as our living area.

Brenda, Gail's house is friggin' cold without the wood heater!!!!! except when I guess it gets hot!

Snap Dag!

You are!

Phhhthhht!

Hey girls - cut that out!
Suzy - keeping Kathy's girls in my prayers and hoping for a harmonious outcome. RIP dear Kathy

Gail - it just proves how tough that Beth is...taking cold showers! Is it hot at home at least? When I lived in Puerto Vallarta we would go without hot water in sometimes, but it could be so hot there that a cold shower would feel good at that point.
Keeping Steve (hahaha - Scott) in my prayers. Hope he feels better soon. Big hugs to him.

Love seeing eaaaaaaaaa screeching across the top of the page. I did get to see a couple of those cute Devil Dogs at Healsville (in captivity)...there was one nesting in a hollow that they had on camera and one challenging the caretaker as she spoke to us about them. I fell in love with them, but had to hurry off to hear the Platypus talk clear across the other side of the park.

BREAKING NEWS!
Just spoke with June via Messenger. We just typed as she was in her undies and I had just rolled out of bed. She was hurrying to catch her flight out of Bangkok, but told me about her fun petting tigers at the sanctuary and the train trip that she and Ken took on the Death Train over the river Kwai. Sounds like their trip is off to a grand start. She asked me to send her hugs along to all of you here at SA9.

I can remember a time when we didn't have central heating, at the time we just got on with it. My parents had central heating installed in their house when I was 12, before that we would get ice on the inside of the windows during the winter. My kids still think our house is cold even though the heating is on.

One last post (a CP in honor of CP):
I received a special package via the US postal service yesterday...a bubble bag with 2 of my favorite Timtam flavors (dark chocolate and double-dip). There was no note and no return address, but the brand was Arnott (not Petridge Farm) so they came from Oz. They were sent, however, from Suffolk, Virginia. Please help me solve this mystery. I know Susan's son was recently in the US, but I didn't think she knew about my addiciton. Who could have sent these to me? Had to be someone who knew me as they had my home address. I am STUMPED and want to thank this wonderful, mysterious benefactor. Any ideas????

Morning Brenda - I'm use to a cold house, too. We will put on a sweater or blanket and love to use our wood burning stove rather than the central heat...but it is nice to have!
How are you this morning? Good to be here when someone else is. I'm usually just blabbing on to myself!

Good Maen everyone!
Suzy: So sorry to hear of Kathy's passing. She is in a much better place now. Having had alcoholism in my own family, alcoholics lead VERY tortured lives. I will keep Kathy's children in my prayers.
Safe trip June! Enjoy your trip!!
Hello also to Vici, Broni, Brenda, Gail, Heidi, Cyn, Julie, TTT & eaa. Hope I didn't miss anyone.

Need my coffee, so TTFN. Had a lousy night sleep last night.

Ah-Ha! Plum helped me solve my mystery. CP's hubby just returned from Virginia. That little cutie has been showering me with gifts! First the platypus watercolor - now my favorite Timtams. Must get over to her page to thank her.

OH DEAR, I am so far behind reading! Trying to catch up this morning, but it is not gonna happen! I must sort out and pay bills, one of the chores I really dread, even when I have sufficent and more $$$ for the tast!! I realized just how far behind I was when I saw Julie's Ground hog day avator, and it was only Feb 1 when she posted!! How did I get so far behind??

Well, Monday I had therapy and errands, came home and to bed, was worn out. Hand hurting a bunch after therapy, I do not think this is helping at all, perhaps making it worse. Tuesday I went out with hug=bby to pick up a computer, and shopping. Yesterday I cannot remember what kept me so busy. time just sliping right by without me notic8ng I guess.

Hugs to all, I read and thought of so many things to day, but so far behind it would be out of context now. I did think of you all thugh.
BEAN, wear that pain patch, dear, it is working, and you want to go messing with success???

read only to page 88, Oh dear.

MzT - boy do I relate to the days getting away from you. Good luck with the bills and so sorry to hear the PT has been a bust so far. It was always so helpful for me with my back, but I remember Mike not enjoying it much with his hand recouperation, either.
Love your "hug=bby" hehehe - makes me think of my guy. He just got our hot water recirculator up and running. Going to take my first shower in the master bath and then take a soak in the jacuzzi tub later today. YEEEEEHAW!

Suzanne - sorry about your lousy night's sleep. That can make for a LOOOOOONNNNNNNNGGGGGG day. Hope you get a nap.