Sudokuaholics Anonymous 11

In the course of my life, I have often had to eat my words, and I must confess that I have always found it a wholesome diet.

- Winston Churchill -

Spike got enthusiastic last night, jumped up, and broke my glasses. I'm gonna have to go in and get a new pair asap. Drat.

Bad Spike!

Spike is a good boy. He's just a klutz. He's almost as big as his lost brother Bear.

CynB - even if they were together, the inheritance was not left to her so stiff s**t.
Suzy - good on Allie- love free spirits.I remember one time my boys asked an air hostess to sit them a long way from me on the plane as they were embarrassed by what I wore - rainbow overalls and Einstein T shirt (I was very skinny then and had an afro hairdo). They roll their eyes now.
Heidi - what a nuisance having to get new glasses but worse without them or a big lump of sticky tape holding them together. How are your fur babies? Hope Patch is comfortable.
Our horse came in 6th yesterday, she just wasn't interested. The other one racing at Bendigo on Friday, the beautiful gentle one so we are looking forward to seeing her again. Unfortunately her name is True Kisses - ghastly name.

Patch is getting more and more feeble by the day. I don't think he's going to last much longer. And Daisy still refuses to eat. I keep trying her on canned dog food, canned cat food (irresistable to most dogs) and bacon. She shows no interest.

Midge, I love the sound of your outfit! And your sense of adventure! I had/have perfect 80s hair, no matter how much crud I put in it. These days I just pull it back into a high pony tail. As long as I don’t brush or comb it the tail is messy curls. If I do anything other than finger comb it, it’s a fluff ball. I’m a jeans and a tshirt kind of person, I was a bit more adventurous when I was younger, but not much. Today my tshirt is Big Bang theory characters telling superhero jokes.

Hugs Heidi, I know how much you love your dogs so it must be hard having two sick at once!

Poor Daisy, it is hard for her with Patch so crook. They must have a huge bond. I hope you are on the improve - such a rotten time. You must have had a wonderful time in a past life. I say that about myself - just wish I could remember it!! Suzi you lucky thing! Over the years I have paid a small fortune to have my dead straight hair permed and cajoled into some sort of curl. As far as clothes are concerned, I figure I am at an age (66 - magic number) where I can wear what I like and when I like, hence the 70's/80's clothes sometimes get an airing. Not many of them left as D goes and takes what she feels like wearing too. Look online at Gudrun Sodjen - I love this type of clothing, just have to start sewing again.

Midge, I wouldn’t be brave enough to wear such bright colours! At least not in such big pieces, maybe a smaller blouse. Boring, I know. Over the years many people have assumed I permed my hair. Especially if I had a haircut because as soon as some of the weight was cut off it, it would curl more. I used to blow it dry to get some of the curl out of it. Now I don’t bother.

Oh, No! Another day without time to read. Thinking of everyone! Feel free to share {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, healing energy, prayers, , and positive thoughts!

Midge - like you I had/still have dead straight hair. It worked well in the hippie era, when I wore it nearly waist length. My ex-husband had an afro. We both wore bright colours, I still do, although I also wear a lot of black. Never been a pastel person.
Having my fourth 70th birthday lunch today with another friend. It's amazing how many of us have had our birthday within 3-4 weeks of one another, all between 15th January and 9th February. Maybe I just gravitated to people whose birthday was close to mine?

Thinking of Patch and Daisy. So sad.

I keep coming back to look for news on daisy and patch. I expect bad news about Patch, and hope for improvement in daisy. 😔

Patch is sound asleep in my bedroom. I'm taking Daisy back to the Vet's tomorrow. I believe they missed something serious. I've been feeding her chicken broth via a syringe in the mouth, but she won't swallow much of it. I can't stand watching her starving herself to death.

I hope they find it Heidi, she has to be hurting. 🤗

Need opinions please.
My oldest granddaughter Hayley is at Uni and went back to live with the egg-donor ex, her mother. She receives $250.00 per fortnight Study Allowance from the Govt. Her mother who has a job, gets her own Govt payment as well as child support from my son, has control of it because H is not 18 until May. Good old Mum keeps half for herself, and dishes out the rest as required. Even if H wants a choc bar while they are shopping, her Mum pays for it out of H's account. Is that petty or what.
My son has told her he wouldn't take a cent unless she was earning a lot more than that and he would even then only take 20%.
Is he, and because I agree, am I, too lenient. Out of that money I would expect her to top up her bus card and buy her own pre-pay for her phone as well as any entertainment.

Oh, and there is more!
H was given a manual car from a friend when she turned 16 and got her learner's. Her driving skills, particularly dealing with the clutch were as hopeless as mine and she has been holding out to learn an automatic car (no doubt at her mother's suggestion), which her mother has and promised lessons, a carrot to get H back there, and not done. My son gave the manual car back to the friend and now he can afford it, he has told both H and Em that he will buy one Auto car for them to learn in and it will stay at HIS place. Once the first one gets their licence he will buy a second car. Good deal I reckon. The egg-donor is saying he is reneging on a promise to give H one to have there to learn in. Oh yeah! Her mother would drive it to work every day, run it into the ground, while hers stays garaged and safe at home.
You can see what an evil psycho we deal with daily. And to top it off, she is always saying horrible nasty things about their father, me and my daughter and her kids. She always flirted with Col and my SonIL so they are exempt. She still thinks a snap of the fingers and they'd be hers.
I am not kidding with any of this!!

Oh Heidi, I'm glad Patch is sleeping soundly, but poor Daisy. I feel for you. As we all know, it is wonderful to have a dog until they get sick. Big hugs to you and the dogs.

Hi, Everyone! I'm trying to find time to read some of what I have missed.

First of all, CynB, what a relief to know that Emily was back at home, planning to return to school, and seems to know her mother. What a great Grandma you are to offer to sit down and talk with her over brunch and coffee in a non-judgmental way! She seems pretty level-headed for a sixteen-year-old. Here's hoping that there won't be any other 'false alarms' and she will make it to adulthood essentially unscathed! (Well, of course, there's the problem with the egg donor. Hopefully that presence and influence/disruption will become less and less as the years pass.)

Thanks for the great TOPP, Heidi! And sorry about your broken glasses. I hope you can get a replacement quickly.

Midge, I love the sound of your outfit! Rainbow overalls and an Einstein T-shirt -- what a fun combination! I don't think I would have ever been brave enough to wear that, but I would have liked to.

Heidi, I'm so sorry that Patch and Daisy aren't making the improvement we had all hoped for. I hope you receive better news from the vet tomorrow. Thinking of you and sending {{{HUGS}}} and positive thoughts! I hope you are feeling better each day!


Suzy, I like the sound of running your fingers through your hair & putting it in a pony tail! My hair is also naturally curly, though probably not quite as much as yours. I tried to grow it (VERY slow-growing) for a donation. It finally reached to my shoulders and I could get it in a short low pony tail. My sister (a beautician) kept telling me I looked like a homeless person. Hubby agreed with her! I finally gave up and let her cut it. I have spent a good share of my life blowing my hair dry (resulting in an unsightly hay stack), then needing to use a curling iron to smooth it out. Before growing it out I tried to let it just go natural. Since the hair cut, I'm back to the blowing/curling routine. NOT my favorite thing to do.

It's time to get to bed, so I'll say Good Night! Sending an abundance of healing energy, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, positive thoughts, , and prayers to all of you!

Julie, I have to spend more time on my hair when it’s short too! It’s very fine so sleeping on it leaves it looking weird when it’s short. Not a problem when it’s long, particularly in a pony tail! Alie says it suits me this way and she very rarely compliments me so I’ll take it.

Haley needs to leave the egg donors house! I know she won’t because she is looking for the love she didn’t get when they separated, but it’s so bad for her!

Daisy has a Vet appointment in 2 hours. We'll be doing x-rays, among other things.

Still can't find a single thing wrong with Daisy. We're trying prednisone and antibiotics, and if she hasn't started eating by Monday, and is still alive, she'll have to go to a specialist.

Heidi, so sorry to hear about Daisy. I did hope the vet would find something that was treatable.

Well, I do have an appointment for the MRI (for back to toe pain, mostly at knee, cannot bear weight on that foot), only took from Monday morning to Wednesday at 5:30pm for the phone call. Appointment is not till Friday Feb 17. over a week away. DRATS. Don't expect to see me here often, sitting in computer chair puts pressure on the inflamed nerve, and is just too painful for more than 2 minuets at a time. Cannot read much in 2 minuets, and have to type fast to say much.

Hugs friends, till I can get back again.

Heidi, I thought she might have ended up on an IV and stuck at the vets. I’m hoping that coming home means she is not as bad as she could be. Sending SA vibes.

MizT, there can be a wait here for an MRI too. I hope they can find some way to fix you!

Cyn - I thought the $250 would go straight to her bank account. Have you thought of contacting Centrelink to see if the money should go direct to her? We have 4 children - each of them I taught to drive in my car - why can't ED do the same? Then we looked at cars for them. We bought each of them a first car (reliable bomb) I can't believe she has the gall to use her daughter's money to buy her a treat. Hurry up May!! At least H knows what a cow her mother is. Another use of the money could be driving lessons but it would be far better being saved for later so she can establish herself without the ED.
MizT - hope you are feeling better soon, What a long time to wait when you are in so much pain.
Heidi - hope your weekend goes well. At least Daisy must be getting enough fluid. Is she passing urine? Are you feeling any better yourself?
Off for a another doppler on my other leg now - hope this is the last one. Then off to the races to see True Kisses run. Staying in Bendigo for the night and then looking at a 40 acre property which might become a 'weekender' for our family. 40' shed, no electricity, dam and fabulous views. Cannot be built on as it is listed rural but we can put 'sheds' up - there is always a way around rules and regulations.
Best wishes to all

I was just talking to my dear friend Donna, who is a retired Vet. She thinks Daisy has Addison's Disease. The symptoms fit, mostly. There is a test for it, and an effective treatment (no cure... regular hormone injections) which we can live with. I'm going to call my Vet first thing in the morning to get started on the diagnosis and treatment as fast as possible.
Addison's is rare but Donna has seen it before.... in one of her own dogs. Donna was my Vet before she retired, and she's fantastic. Really knows her stuff. But she's a sensitive person and couldn't take the abuse from clients who would scream at her and/or sue her if she couldn't save their animal after they called her too late. She always treated each animal as if they were her own beloved pet, and took it personally if it got sick or died.

BTW.... late President Kennedy had Addison's Disease.

MizT, the good news is that you finally have an appointment for the MRI. The bad new is that it's nearly 2 weeks after you initially requested to be scheduled for an appointment. Have you found anything that helps reduce the pain? That's still a long time to wait. Sending very gentle {{{HUGS}}} and positive thoughts for a swift passage of time! In the meantime, we certainly understand if it's too uncomfortable for you to sit at the computer to post a message.

Heidi, I guess it's good that your current vet didn't find anything serious. Like Suzy, I was half-expecting that Daisy would be put on an IV. I guess she must at least be drinking enough fluid to stay hydrated. But I'm especially glad that you talked to your friend/retired vet. She may have pinpointed the problem. If that (Addison's Disease) is what is causing Daisy's problem, the good news is that there is a treatment for it!

Midge, you thoughts about the money for Haley going into her own account makes sense, though I have no idea about Australian laws. I couldn't believe that the ED insisted that the money for a candy bar should come from the money due H. That ED seems to be a real piece of work!

Midge, I hope the Doppler of your leg doesn't find any concerns. Have a wonderful time at the races. Enjoy your couple of days away. I'm excited for you and your family about the prospect of a 'weekender' property! Please let us know how everything goes!

Heidi, I hope you're feeling better!

To all of my straight-haired and curly-haired Sudoku friends, enjoy the rest of your day/evening/night! Please share the , {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, healing energy, prayers, and positive thoughts! Good Night!

CynB, check the breakdown of the study allowance. If it has a living expenses portion it is fair that her mother should have that, but she must provide her daughter's clothing and toiletry needs as well as feeding and sheltering her. Any amount allocated for books, study materials, transport etc should be going direct to the student. You would need to check with Centrelink, but I would expect the payments to go direct to the student's account regardless of age.

I know things have changed in 45 years, but at 17 I was a bush kid fresh out of a small country boarding school, no experience with money, starting out in a city I didn't know, with parents and friends over 500 miles away. I received my student payments direct, and it was up to me to see that my board and other expenses were paid on time. I'm sure I could have done with some friendly guidance, but I definitely didn't need someone else to hold the purse-strings!

I hope you can find a fair and equitable solution for your granddaughter. Cheers.

Tahli has successfully finished her first week of kindergarten. She did a good start assessment, apparently measuring her starting point for literacy and numeracy. The teacher told Dana that Tahli is quite switched on, and even pointed out errors on the worksheet to the teacher. I, and Dana after me, made it a point not to teach before school. We played number and letter games, but they were games. I had read that kids who were taught to read before school were at an equal reading level to those who weren’t by age 8, and were missing other skills that kids learn through play. Tahli has shown signs she might be reading before school, but it wasn’t clear cut. Blurting out something that you wouldn’t expect her to know if she hadn’t read it for example.

Dana has a friend whose 3 year old is speaking 3 languages, reading, and doing math. Her friend is a single mother with addict parents and has just finished her law degree.

Suzy, glad to hear that Tahli is doing well at kindergarten.

Daisy is now up visiting specialists in Louisville (1 1/2 hour drive each way). She's undergoing testing for everything they can think of. Meanwhile, she's on IV liquids.

Wow, Heidi, that’s quite a drive! I think it’s weird that I come here wanting to see how she is doing. I don’t even know her! I’m glad specialists are looking at her, but you might have to mortgage the farm to pay for it!

At this point, they've quoted me a minimum of $1500.oo. That's without any treatment.

MizT knows Daisy's mother, Angel. Daisy is the most lady-like of the 3 sisters I kept. She never gets in serious trouble, unlike her sisters Sandy and Katy.

Hi, Everybody!

Hi, saltie! How are you? Thanks for dropping by to share some information with CynB and the rest of us about money given for housing, clothing, study, etc.At least it gives a starting point to try to determine if things are being handled correctly in Haley's case.

Suzy, thanks for sharing news about Tahli's first week of Kindergarten. It must be heartwarming to know that she's off to a good start! I can identify with you and Dana not trying to 'teach' a lot before she started school. As a teacher, I had seen children who came to school and became very upset when they were taught to do something in a way different from what a parent or grandparent had taught them. I didn't even try to teach handwriting, though, of course, they saw me and their Dad writing and I'm sure they could read their names and some other words they had been exposed to. We avoided flaws cards prior to their starting school and teachers encouraging their use. They also got off to a fine start.

Heidi, I hope the specialists in Louisville can identify Daisy's problem and hope the IV will help her get back on track! Did they think Addison's Disease could be a possibility? I hope things will finally come together for her and she'll soon be on the mend! How is Patch doing? More importantly, how are you feeling?

Thinking of all of our Sudokuaholic friends and sending healing energy, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, positive thoughts, prayers, and

Ouch! That’s gotta hurt!

Anecdote. Alie was telling me about a text conversation she had with a friend who persisted in using the wrong your/you’re even after she pointed it out. He’s in the airforce, she said, don’t you have to be smto be a pilot? I pointed out to her that you have to be smart to be an engineer too and a sign in the common room said: used to be I couldn’t spell enginere, now I are one. Spelling isn’t necessarily linked to intelligence. And autocorrect can stuff you up at any time.

Hi Julie, you posted while I was typing. The only thing we did work on with Tahli and it was because they were working on it at preschool, was crocodile fingers. That is, holding her pencil correctly. She fought that one big time.

I look in here (lurk) when I remember to visit. Every couple months, weeks or days. Very irregular. You SA regulars have a special caring bond and I'm so glad SA exists. I really haven't had anything to say apart from my admiration and concern for you as individuals so I haven't 'gotten in your way.' But after all that Heidi's been through and with her tough current circumstances I wanted to express my support for her on her birthday today here where I know she has the best chance of reading the sentiment.

Birthday blessings, Heidi.