Sudokuaholics Anonymous 8

Well, off to feed the dogs (including Lucky)

Good idea, Heidi, about the congressman.
Is Lucky lucky he's being fed or is all forgiven?

Dear CynB & Heidi:
Cyn; my mom KNOWS when I am not telling her something, just wish I knew how my brother Chris does it!!! Got the wine, not really helping!! Too tired for it to work well!!
Heidi: Would like to contact congressman there, BUT, the thing is that Washington State is not as transitional as Utah. Need a current job, proof of income & proof that your residency is primary (can do secondary residency, BUT need 20% downpayment which is going to take a while to come up with!!)
I am TRYING to be patient, but I hate the fact that I don't drive & can't get around here!!! I am FIERCELY independent and don't like to ask for help! I appreciate your input, but at this stage, don't have any idea how to move forward. Any & all suggestions would be appreciated!! Thanks for the soapbox, I will give it back to Heidi now!!

I really wanna cry my eyes out now, getting mad at Darrell even tho I know it's not his fault! Just a depressing situation, wish I knew what to do!

Going up to bed, maybe a good night sleep will help with this dilemma!! Let me know what you folks think! I would welcome the input!!
Thanks again for letting me vent!! TTFN!LOTS OF LOVE!!!!

Greetings from Illinois, USA! Yikes! Another LONG day & very little time for the computer.

CynB, thinking of you as you think of your Dad on what would have been his birthday. Rolanda, happy thoughts for you as your Dad's birthday approaches. Suzy, hopefully you had happy thoughts of your Dad on what would have been his birthday. We visited MIL today. She'll be 95 in October - same day as my Mom would have been 91. MIL has some days that are good, and some that are more difficult. I realized today that we both talk too fast. We can follow each other's train of thought pretty well, but it's difficult for someone whose hearing isn't as good as it once was. I also wonder if just being alone so much means she has less "practice" at listening. At any rate, it could explain some of her confusion.

Suzanne, no advice about your dilemma because I don't know what happened with your mum and hubby (other than an argument), but my advice in general is to give yourself a little TLC and do whatever you do that calms you down and relaxes you. I also recommend taxis. Cheaper than owning a car and you are not imposing on anyone, in fact you are helping their livelihood.

So sorry that I always seem to miss eaa. Sounds like you had an enjoyable couple of days, eaa! Come back again soon!

Seems like a lot of food flinging - eaa, Gail, Broni, Suzy, Rolanda, MizT, June (my goodness - food for 100?)

Suzy, good luck with the applications for teaching! I remember those being LONG and involved!

Heidi, I'm so sorry about the Crocs! I think Lucky is lucky to be alive after all the work he put into "interior decorating" while you slept.

Suzanne, thinking positive thoughts for the house hunting/buying. So sorry that things blew up around you on this trip. I hope everything gets patched up between you & your Mom & your hubby! I think both CynB & Heidi have some great ideas for dealing with it.

Hi Julie!
I wonder if you think of your MIL as deaf rather than confused if it will help you to worry less? It is likely that it is contributing. It is so hard to watch people who were once independent and lively going through what she is going through. Sending hugs!

I've just finished 3 hours of tutoring and have an hour to spare before I go to pick up the girls from school. Now I could slosh that wet thing all over the floor, feed the machine, or splash some smelly stuff all over the wet rooms, but I decided to come here instead... a good decision I think.. as long as my connection holds up.

Suzanne, Suzy also offers good advice. A taxi can be a big help! Be sure you take time to organize the errands, etc., that need to be done so that you can spend as little time going from one to another as possible. It will save you time & money. Another possibility is finding someone from a club or church you're affiliated with & possibly sharing a ride or taxi. It's sometimes surprising to find out how many people are willing to help - if you let them know you need the help.

Suzy, I think you made the right decision! You have some very busy days coming up, and deserve a little time to enjoy yourself.

You asked about the knees. If all goes as planned, both knees will be replaced at the same time. Every time I find someone who has had the surgery, I grill them. Nearly everyone agrees that doing both of them at the same time makes sense. (Why go through all that pain & rehabilitation twice - seems to be the prevailing sentiment.)

Suzy, you tutored for 3 hours while your girls are in school? Are you tutoring home-bound students? Or maybe uni students? It just occurred to me that most students would probably be in school at the same time - one of the reasons I decided not to pursue tutoring. I would have been working during the time hubby was home & had free time.

I hope you didn't lose your internet connection. It's now past 11:30 p.m. here, and I'm dealing with lack of concentration. I better head to bed. Love & Hugs to Everyone! Get well & stay well! Sending all of you positive thoughts!

Oops - just noticed Rena is onsite somewhere. Hello and Good-bye, Rena, if you visit here at SA8. And now, Good Night!

Julie, I hadn't thought about the rehab, it does make sense to get them both done at the same time.

I'm tutoring a girl who wants to join the Navy but didn't take Math for her Higher School Certificate (set of statewide exams taken in final year of school, only English is compulsory, all other subjects are chosen by student, each studied for the final 2 years). She is now studying Higher School Certificate math by distance so she can join the Navy doing what she wants to do.

Ebob is in the middle of choosing her subjects for her final 2 years. So far she has decided on extension maths (maths and a half), physics, chemistry, biology, english. She needs one more subject but can't decide. She's even thinking of doing a TAFE subject. That would be done after school but give her free periods during school time. I've told her that she is about to put herself through hell, but she is determined. So we get to live with a stressed out bunny for the next couple of years....

I'm off to bed (Hollie insisted on eating her supper on my bed! How spoiled can she get?!?!?) now. It's 2 am, and I'm tired. Plus, it's raining again!

Uh Oh.... I just got a call from my neighbor. There's a tornado in the neighborhood, heading this way

This poem was in our rural paper.
Worth Sharing:
Rain from nowhere By Murray Hartin

His cattle didn't get a bid, they were fairly bloody poor,
What was he going to do? He couldn't feed them anymore,
The dams were all but dry, hay was thirteen bucks a bale,
Last month's talk of rain was just a fairytale.

His credit had run out, no chance to pay what's owed,
Bad thoughts ran through his head as he drove down Gully Road
‘Geez, great grandad bought the place back in 1898,
Now I'm such a useless bastard, I'll have to shut the gate.’

‘Can't support my wife and kids, not like dad and those before,
Christ, Grandma kept it going while Pop fought in the war.’
With depression now his master, he abandoned what was right,
There's no place in life for failures, he'd end it all tonight.

There were still some things to do, he'd have to shoot the cattle first,
Of all the jobs he'd ever done, that would be the worst.
He'd have a shower, watch the news, then they'd all sit down for tea.
Read his kids a bedtime story, watch some more TV.

Kiss his wife goodnight, say he was off to shoot some roos.
Then in a paddock far away he'd blow away the blues.
But he drove in the gate and stopped - as he always had
To check the roadside mailbox - and found a letter from his Dad.

Now his dad was not a writer, Mum did all the cards and mail
But he knew the style from the notebooks that he used at cattle sales.
He sensed the nature of its contents, felt moisture in his eyes,
Just the fact his dad had written was enough to make him cry.

‘Son, I know it's bloody tough, it's a cruel and twisted game,
This life upon the land, when you're screaming out for rain.
There's no candle in the darkness, not a single speck of light
But don't let the demon get you, you have to do what's right.’

‘I don't know what's in your head but push the bad thoughts well away,
See, you'll always have your family at the back end of the day.
You have to talk to someone, and yes I know I rarely did,
But you have to think about Fiona and think about the kids.’

‘I'm worried about you son, you haven't rung for quite a while,
I know the road you're on 'cause I've walked every bloody mile.
The date? December 7 back in 1983,
Behind the shed I had the shotgun rested in the brigalow tree.’

‘See, I'd borrowed way too much to buy the Johnson place,
Then it didn't rain for years and we got bombed by interest rates.
The bank was at the door, I didn't think I had a choice,
I began to squeeze the trigger - that's when I heard your voice.’

‘You said “Where are you Daddy? It's time to play our game,
I've got Squatter all set up, you might get General Rain.”
It really was that close, you're the one that stopped me son,
And you're the one that taught me there's no answer in a gun.

‘Just remember people love you, good friends won't let you down,
Look, you might have to swallow pride and get a job in town.
Just 'til things come good, son, you've always got

Just 'til things come good, son, you've always got a choice
And when you get this letter ring me, cause I'd love to hear your
voice.’

Well he cried and laughed and shook his head then put the truck in gear,
Shut his eyes and hugged his dad in a vision that was clear,
Dropped the cattle at the yards, put the truck away
Filled the troughs the best he could and fed his last ten bales of hay.

Then he strode towards the homestead, shoulders back and head held high,
He still knew the road was tough but there was purpose in his eye.
He called for his wife and children, who'd lived through all his pain,
Hugs said more than words - he'd come back to them again.

They talked of silver linings, how good times always follow bad,
Then he walked towards the phone, picked it up and rang his Dad.
And while the kids set up the Squatter, he hugged his wife again,
Then they heard the roll of thunder and they smelt the smell of rain.

Ohh, eaa - you made me cry! I'm getting to be such an old softie!
Sorry - Hi everyone, hope you're all having a good day. :)

eaa
I was not going to read that - too busy - then something made me! I'm glad I did.

A Winter's Tale.
(Yep, it's a sad one) I'm all alone - hubby's gone away for days. So I figured no-one would care if I pigged out a bit (as you do). I bought myself some chocolate, had half after dinner the other day - was looking forward to having a bit more last night, but ... I couldn't FIND it!!! I hunted high and low, looked in every cupboard, wandered up and down the house - you'd think I was a junkie looking for a fix! Never did find it - when I finally gave up looking I just moped around for the rest of the evening, though I did jump up every now and then to look "just one more time". How is it possible to lose something so well? And the thing is, I know Rob will come home in a few days and within three minutes he'll find it! (he's that kind of guy). I'm wondering if someone sneaked in when I wasn't looking and HID my chocolate - some kind of diet Good Fairy. (If I ever catch the little beast...!!) So,(I told you it was a sad one...) now I have to go down the street and buy some MORE, because now I can't stop thinking about it. Such is Life. (At least around here it is!) ;)

Hi CynB - sorry I didn't see you come in! Finished ranting now.
Have a good one! :)

Evening all.
eaa, I'm speechless. That poem is wonderful. Is the poet a local person or is it a poem that has been around for a while?

Judy, I feel for you. How could something like that happen? Maybe, just maybe, you ate it while sleepwalking? You dreamt you were eating it and you actually were?

Hello my wonderful friends.
eaa you also made me cry and feel happy at the same time.
Judy you made me laugh, when you need a fix????

Hopefully will pop in tomorrow, finances did not stretch for the wireless so will be off the air for at least a week.
Hugs for those who need them, healing hugs for those who are recovering and smilie hugs for those who are happy.

Have read all the comments and my thoughts were with you at the time but CRAFT is my excuse.
Brenda, you are a true friend.
Heidi, Lucky's antics reminds me of Bella, I still have the bedroom suite that Bella chewed the legs on and she still grabs my slipper of a morning and slobbers on them and throws them around.

eaa, beautiful.

Judy, sleep-eating?

RAIN, Rain, More RAIN! Can I share with anyone? It has rained for the last week, predicted for another week. NOT all day, but rain, and stop and rain again. and again. And again. OK, I know we could be begging for rain like a couple years ago, but I would glady share with any area needing rain.

That bad storm got up to you Heidi? Did the tornado do any damage? I hope it ws not on the ground. At 10 pm news I heard of it in Tennessee. here it was just a short blowy T storm, I think it gained strength as it went North. NOT the normal way of travel, south to north, but what is normal about our weather lately?

Well, I am up listening to the rain, checking the weather to see if anything major is involved. Now time for me to get back to sleep, I am almost falling over the computer. Hugs to all, and I hope to get time today to comment on the messages I have read. I am at least caught up on reading.

Hugs to all,

Night MizT, shutting down here myself.

Yes please, would love to take some of your rain off your hands, we had some drizzle today, which is nice on the new plants, but hardly wetting the ground. The local dam is the lowest I have ever seen it, I am seeing stumps emerge that we have never seen before!
Hubby and I moved the last of that load of mulch, and burned off a pile too. We are having fun, if a little ouchy!

fingers crossed....

Well...that went through...now to try to repost the same post I tried to post earlier today..

Hello Bean! What are you doing up so late?

Wishing I had some chocolate...

Vici...I'm going to miss you again.
Judy I had a good chuckle at your very sad story... sounds like a scenario from over here!!
I do the same thing with chocolate... then I can never remember where I have put it!!
Now I had best go to bed...

Good Night, Bean!

Sleep well, DUGs!

Good Morning, Top-siders!