Sudokuaholics Anonymous 7

Gail - I totally agree about SA7. What a lovely community of friends here.

Gail... the reason that i can get through it with humor is because I have no control over the situations. I can only control my reactions and responses. Freaking out and cursing doesn't solve anything, and only makes things more stressful.

Ohhhh that was close. Nearly TOPPed!.

Heidi that is the best reaction to have, you can get over most things as long as you don't let it get to you (if that makes sense)

How is the setting up of the new business going Cyn?

My TOPP was accidental, Heidi. I had no idea we were nearly there.
And, Heidi, I've always said you were an exceptional woman and your strength in coping with what nature has thrown at you recently is an example to us all.

Brenda - Ready to go in the next few days although he has done a few small jobs already and has qouted on a big one - waiting for an answer today. Ads in local papers this week. Fingers crossed.

The guy who does my garden started out doing one or two gardens because he didn't have anything more he could do in his own garden, apart from general up keep. He was made redundant/early retirement from his job and things just went from there. He now has so much work that he sometimes cannot fit it all in.

Fingers crossed that that first big contract come in. Cyn

What a grim situation our state of Victoria is in...
Have just looked through this gallery....
http://www.theage.com.au/photogallery/2009/02/08/1234027828219.html
I just hope that some vets can get into the area soon and put some of the animals out of their misery...it breaks my heart to think of our wildlife, our stock, our pets and our citizens that have perished in the most horrendous inferno imaginable. Then there is the infrastructure...

Catch you wonderful people later..I'm out of here..

Devastating news from the Eastern States with the bushfires and deaths.
Hope Susan is ok up in the floods.
Viv, sorry to hear your health isnt too good.
Heidi, you can only do what you can, and you are doing a great job with your animals
Cynthia, fingers cross on the big contract for Colin.
Brenda, how is the snow situation?

okay am out of here.. stuff to do..
later aligater

Just getting here for the first time today. I am completely devastated by the loss of life (both human and wildlife) and property due to the fires. The thought that some of the fires were deliberately lit baffles me. Positive thoughts and prayers for all those affected!

I forgot to say Hello to everyone! Pardon my lack of manners, please.

Hi guys
Just got a text message from Susan:

The water left our house a couple of hours ago. Street still full. Sun is trying to come out. Will be cleaning all day.

I sent back that I had heard there was more rain coming later in the week. Her response...

Nooooooooo! I'm moving

Snow situation here isn't bad, what we have had has thawed but frozen again. It has snowed a little this evening, even though it wasn't forecast. Hopefully everyone will be back at work/school tomorrow

Now that I have a start on reading, I must send a comment to Viv. I'm so sorry to hear about the terrible bout of migraine/vomiting/diarrhea! It seems unlikely that the thyroid tablet would cause it, unless you are extremely overdosed or extremely underdosed. (I have never had such a reaction, and I've been through MANY various doses with my thyroid medication.)

I'm glad the ER called for a CT scan. Be sure to follow up the findings with a neurosurgeon as soon as possible! Positive thoughts and prayers for you, too.

Good to hear that Susan has survived the flooding again but bad news that more rain is forecast for her later.

Suzy!!! That was cruel! Into the naughty corner with you!

A feel good fire/animal story - Horse saves farmer from blaze... happy ending, I figure we could do with some of those

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/745278/horse-saves-farmer-from-blaze

Julie... I've been on Thyroid meds for years, too, and never had those reactions..... and I'm on high doses of 2 different ones (initially, my T3 AND T4 were the worst my GP had ever heard of).
Migraines come with vomiting and diarrhea, besides the bone crushing headache and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. I used to have them too regularly, then started going to a good Chiropractor. I rarely get them now. DO YOU HEAR THAT, VIVACIOUS VIV!

But it's true Heidi!

I like the horse story, Suzy.

SUZY, thank you for passing along the news from Susan. It is good the water is down, and hope it is not up again later in the week, ENOUGH already!

Suzy, I had read the horse story earlier too, very good story. the story left me wondering, did his brother make it out with his motorcycle? Guess that was not part of the story.

I also noticed, the two things he took with him, his horse and a beer.

Viv, I have been on thyroid medicine for 18 years and never had a reaction like you did. I hope they get the dosage corrected quickly for you.

I would like to second the comments about our wonderful SA community and the strength and humor shown by Heidi. Heidi, you are so right that all we control is our reactions and responses to the situations thrown at us. Unfortunately, it is so easy to forget that. Thank you for leading us by your example.

Great news, thanks Suzy, the the floodwaters have subsided at Susan's place. Hopefully the rain later in the week won't be as bad.

Julie. It really did help me to know that all my friends here were sending such kind and caring thoughts. I didn't feel completely alone.

Brenda, thinking of you and all the snow you have had. I hope you get some of the warmer temperatures to get it thawed and water from thawing down the sewer.

I have 2 questions for Gail or any other Victorian reading.
1. If you live in a bush-fire-prone area, can you get insurance coverage?
2. I've noticed a disturbing trend up here where new estates are built with only one entrance/exit road - probably to stop rat-runners and hoons. However I think this is such a dangerous practice, particularly if a fire approaches at the entrance - how does one escape? And has that been the case in any of these fires? If so, the town-planners need to be charged along with the arsonists.

I wondered and have just read a story which confirms it - I went through high school with the mother of our Miss Showgirl. Her father was one of my flatmates for the first 2 years I was at University. We lost touch when I moved to the States, but I am happy for them.

Suzy, thank you for the updates from Susan! I'm so glad to hear that water has left the building. I hope the predictions for more rain in the coming week are NOT correct!

For those of you who suffer migraines, including vomiting and diarrhea, the good news for me was that the arrival of menopause has reduced the number of migrains considerably. (I know, TMI.)

CynB - new vocabulary for me - rat-runners and hoons.

Suzy, is Miss Showgirl a title earned for a municipality/country? Perhaps like Miss Florida, Miss California here in the US?

Cyn, I'm not Victorian but I heard an interview with an insurance company representative this morning and he said his company covered about a half of the houses affected and they were covered.

Julie, sort of. From the info site:

The Showgirl Competition aims to find a young woman to act as an ambassador for rural NSW with her role involving many official and informal
duties both at the Sydney Royal Easter Show and during her travels within NSW and overseas.

The contestants are judged on personality, confidence, ambition and life goals, general knowledge, rural knowledge, presentation and speech.
Finalists are also asked to demonstrate knowledge of their local community and current affairs and apart from their potential ambassadorial qualities,
contestants are also judged on their involvement in and experience of rural affairs.

Forgot to say, winning this weekend was only the first step, she will have to compete at additional comps before the Royal Easter Show, which is held in Sydney at ... Easter.

I went downstairs to feed the kiddies and I missed a lot of posts.

It is nice to have a cooler day. Have made some Lemon curd and plum jam and now have some rhubarb and strawberries on to stew.