Kathy from Valrico, Florida, USA

Hi Kathy!! I am glad to see that Fay did not turn into a big Hurricane! We left on Thursday for a motorcycle ride and ended up in Mackinac City! We crossed the bridge on Friday and spent about a half a day in "da U.P.!" It was fun and so beautiful up there. I really enjoy that ride along Route 2 where you can see the water. It is good to be back home, though. "There is no place like home!" Have a great day, Kathy!

Kathy - you asked how to watch a video on full screen.

1) Click on video to get it started.
2) Once loaded click on video again - this will take you to Youtube.
3) At the bottom right of the Youtube Video screen, click the button - this will expand it to full screen.
4) too return to regular mode, hit escape
5) then close link to youtube or check out related videos before closing.

Not all videos are good on full screen - high quality photography is needed.

Kathy - I'm so excited you are coming out and that Keith is putting this together! It's going to be great to meet you in person. Have seen you in some other's galleries for visits. Someday I hope to go to Australia...I'll have to stay for 6 months just to visit everyone!
Love to say this, "See you in November!"

Kathy - just looked at your Sudokupal page on flickr. It was so great to see so many - putting faces to names. I had seen pics of Shosho, Jane, Debby, and you, of course, but the others were new to me. SF will be great! I saw Mamacita post that she would like to come out - she has a granddaughter (I believe that was the relation) that she could visit. This could be a big group!

I'll check my piggy bank and see if I can swing the airfare up! Was thinking of trying this one What do you think?

Hi Kathy--I'll answer your "contractor" question here. We worked with an interior designer; she did our friends' kitchen, and though there's took a long time as well (they knocked out walls and had structural issues though) we loved how theirs turned out and were told that the designer did all the project management, so they wouldn't have to deal with the trades. Too, we were given discounts on faucets, our sink, the cabinets and flooring. Of course, we figured out that along with using her trades, that meant she was getting money from each of them; as a result, when things began to go wrong, we started to feel that her loyalty belonged more to her crew than it did to us, the paying clients. Short cuts were taken which we would not accept, then came the psychology of making us feel as if we were being overly demanding. She's become quite dismissive, and it was only when we started holding back money that problems began to be addressed. Needless to say, we're digging our heels in now, insisting that we get the quality we've paid for. It's emotionally exhausting and it's started to take its toll physically as well. We're certain we'll deduct money for her "management fee" since she's not doing that too effectively. While I try to maintain some sense of humour, this entire project has permeated our lives for six months, and still we're likely weeks away from completion. Now as September rolls around, I'm coming to grips with the anniversary of my mother's death and was hoping for the quiet privacy to get through that. But we have all of this struggle yet to deal with. I will say that we know the kitchen is beautiful, and the space is an organized dream. Yet that is tainted by what we've had to put up with in terms of delays and blase attitudes. To be honest, I've had some tearful days because of it and just hope to heck it will all be over soon so we can have our friends over when we need them most. It's a crapshoot--some people have their renovations go fairly smoothly and I sure hope you'll be one of them! But beware, and ask tons of questions up front, even if you sound like a broken record. (Our designer has yet to answer my question about the cost of cushions for our window seat, though I've asked three times.) It will pay you to ask for the worst case scenario in terms of project duration, and whether your contractor foresees any snags in the project which would drive costs up. (We didn't have any of those, but somehow, the money trickled out here and there until we were over budget.) Don't let our experience spoil things for you; there were times, at the beginning, when we had an absolute ball with it. But if you have questions and I can help, fire away. I wish you tons of luck and hope you have a wonderful space to use when all is done.

G'day Kathy, How lovely to hear from you and what a nice person you are to remember what this week means to me. Today is sad for me too as it's Roger's birthday, so you can see I wasn't looking forward to this week. However, it really hasn't been as bad as I expected and so far I have kept myself together. I think this is mainly because I moved house and so there's not that sense of him in every corner of every room. Apart from that my life is OK, if a bit boring. Liz's cochlear implant has settled down just fine but to be honest I really haven't noticed a lot of difference. She still lipreads me all the time, but I think that may be a habit rather than the fact that she has to. It's very early days though and still plenty of room for improvement. Little Jemma is 2-1/2 now and I have that nice photo of her in the spotlight in My Page. She makes my day, but has a touch of the devil in her, like most kids that age. Amazingly too she is using sign language with her Mum and Dad, mostly self taught too, just like we would learn English as a baby. I still get on the Sudoku site every day and do the puzzles and read some of the comments. I had to pull back a bit though because I found I was wasting far too much time and most of the stuff I was reading was just garbage, so now I just access once a day and that's it! I still think it's a great site though and there are some wonderful members in it, like yourself. Anyway, thanks again for your good wishes, Kathy. I appreciate them very, very much and wish you all the best also. Cheers, Kate

Hi kathy,
I was sitting on my new patio just soaking up the sun and noticed something in the new area of the yard. It looked unnaturally round. So I checked it out. The coin seems to be in better shape than the ones on ebay, but is not worth very much. But just HAVING a 111 year old coin is worth something to me! I guess it'll be my lucky coin!

Hi Kathy,
Thanks for your kind words in regards to the girls 1st birthday party.They are such a joy.Renae (daughter) hopes to sell their house near Brisbane to move up here permanently,that way I can pop in anytime.At the moment they are 5hrs drive away.
I am an aged care nurse(now called a personal carer)and have been there over 13yrs now.I find it very rewarding helping the elderly.

Kathy, you had asked yesterday just what it was Heidi was holding in her hand.



Here is a nice close up picture! Vici had found the "four finger" coffee cups graphics for me to use. They were for sale online and Heidi saw them and ordered cups for herself!

So, now you can see up close and personal

Hello Kathy. you are right. i haven't posted for quite some time. like just got crazy and busy once we moved back to Indiana. 3 grandboys here keep me hopping. they are in sports most seasons and we try to attend all games. football this season means 3 different teams. whew. hard to keep up! hubby is still traveling back and forth to southern LA. he was to leave this weekend but postponed it until after Gustav makes its mark. his departure now depends upon how much damage is done. they are without power right now, so he will head that direction soon as power is restored.

thanks for keeping in touch!

Kathy, I'm typing this at 8:30 but just wanted you to know that I was thinking of you today, and saying a prayer for you and your mom, this being her birthday. We had wine on the patio and I drank a toast to you and your mom. I'm sure you took a few moments to savour some memories. Wishing you a wonderful week, my friend--take care ...

Hi Kathy...not sure if anyone has answered your question about D & D.
I started calling the 'Open Forum Discussions and Debate' page D & D in a comment in SA5....I thought someone was accusing me [probably rightly] of being D & D when in fact they were referring to the forum page.
It seems to have stuck.....

BT, D & D = drunk and disorderly [downunder]...does it mean the same topside?

Hi Kathy - Just calling in with a belated thank you for your lovely wishes last week for my retirement, my brother's birthday and my (possible) win on the baby tipping contest. I still haven't heard, unless I missed that post somewhere.
to you and yours and please try to stay our of the path of these hurricanes.

Hi Kathy. I'm glad you enjoyed the Peru pics. It was a wonderful trip and I was very impressed with OAT. I especially liked the small group.
We had s terrific tour guide (Edgar) I believe he is spotlighted on the OAT website. Except for two mornings in Lima (chilly, drizzly) we had very good weather. It was foggy in the morning at Machu Picchu, but burned off rather quickly. I am very pleased to say I didn't have a problem with the altitude. I never took the Diamox, or the Cipro, for that matter. We just took it easy and drank A LOT of water. I did have some coca candy. A few in our group went charging around Machu Picchu like they were on fire and suffered the consequences. Come to think of it, they were also the ones who wore shorts and were eaten alive by mosquitoes! I think all parades in Cusco have a religious significance. There was also a smaller one that went by the hotel later in the evening. All traffic stops and anyone can join in. They seem to have a great time. I didn't pay to take the photo of the woman with the alpaca. That particular picture was taken from the bus. We did pay others (especially kids) for a photo op. Usually one sol. Aside from Mach Picchu, my favorite place was Cusco. I would love to go back!

thanks for the birthday wishes kathy. as for the galapagos.. well, someday. the man wants to go, so i'm sure it will happen. beautiful pics!

Hi Kathy, I sure hope your Fripp Island place does not see too much storm surge from Hanna. So far its winds remain 'weak' in hurricane terms, hopefully they will stay that way.
Ike is a whole 'nother matter though, 11AM EDT prediction shows the eye hitting Marathon Key- where a northern track, followed by an eastern turn, could put the storm on you by next Wednesday or Thursday. But a quicker turn to the north could have a Cat3 over me on Tuesday night. I will evactuate on Sunday if that is still a possibility and go to Orlando to ride out the storm. Good luck to you, me, and all of us in "The Cone of Death" LOL

Hi Kathy.
I just wrote a personal message to you answering some of your questions. It suddenly flipped off somewhere without me telling it to. I hadn't finished it. However I did receive a notification saying it had 'been sent'. I hope it went to you at the right place !!!!

hi Kathy, always good to hear from you. hubby is back in LA waiting to hear if he should evacuate today. Ike should hit late tonite or tomorrow morning. hubby will probably only get tropical storm winds and rain, which is enough. he's up high enough that he should not experience flooding, which seems to be the worst thing expected.

Lol, i can't figure out how to change my name or i'd probably make it NOT LA/NC. but then, i'd probably head back that way again, so i guess it might be better to just leave it alone and let those who know realize what's going on. lol.

did the hurricane (as it hannah?) bother you? is that the one who marched up the east coast? they all mix up in my head once they have passed. guess i don't pay enough attention to pass the test of remembering when needed.

for an update, i am studying for an insurance agent license - hope to sell additional health insurance (actually aflac). sounds fun and i am ready for a fun job.

hope all is well with you.
sandy

Hi, Kathy, I was mostly "raised up" in Oregon. (from 4th grade on) Then 20 years in US Navy. Returned to Portland Oregon area. Moved across the river to Washington where I've lived for the last 20 years. The beach house looks nice.
Have a wonderful day...

Kathy, I posted the following bit in Easy, but wasn't sure if you'd see it (plus added more just now) Hi Kathy. I just read about your renovations. They sound great, but there's one thing. I'm not meaning to be rude or stick my nose in where it's not wanted, but you might want to rethink the sunken shower, if it means what I think i.e. the recess floor is lower than the floor straight outside of it. I know that they are very difficult for the elderly or anyone with leg / hip problems to get into and out of, plus the same for young children. They're also almost impossible to wash a very small child in. I found this out when my son was in hospital as a toddler, and again now with Mum. The hospital replaced the sunken showers with floor level ones only months after the new bathrooms were made. The wet, soapy, slippery environment, hard tiles and glass screens adds to the danger. I hope you don't mind me telling you this, but I'd hate to hear later that you were unhappy with your shower while I'd sat back and said nothing.

Kathy, thanks for your reply. The main problem isn't stepping into the shower for unsteady people, it's getting out, stepping up, while wet etc, nothing to hold onto firmly, unlike steps. The new shower recesses here are flush to the floor, no ledges to step over either. With the hospital, the floor was sunk about 12", and trying to wash my son while I was on the outside leaning down was hard. With Mum, our 2nd shower here is raised because and Mum found it really hard. With the hospital, it was a few years ago, and I don't know the exact details, except that it was just too difficult for people to get into and out of. I hope that's a help to you, but please don't just take my word for it, maybe you could find out more elsewhere. I guess too, it depends on how much you plan to sink it.

Oops meant 12 cm - 5 inches

Hi Kathy! Thanks for your comments on the photos. In answer to your queries:
The car is a Ford Territory (4lt, 6cyl) is a cross between a 4WD and a station wagon. Very popular here.
The wombat is pretty well full grown though he/she, I believe, is young.
The rocky terrain is the actual lake bed which is currently about 9 meters below full. Result of the drought.
We caught three trout (2 brown and 1 rainbow) ranging from 1kg - 1.5kg, I also lost one and we had a few hits whilst trolling. The reason for the trip was mainly to run in the auxillary motor on the boat.
Hooning is an expression usually referring to young people who drive their cars around in a dangerous manner like street racing, smoking up their tyres etc.

Hope you liked the 'thong' pic!

Oh! I didn't realise that the house ripper outers were ready to start. I think the 2" you said shouldn't create a problem, but if it ever does, I guess you could put a 1" high piece of something in the shower as a first step. i'm feeling a bit responsible that you've changed your shower plans over what I said - would have preferred you got extra advice to get me off the hook!!! Just out of curiosity, how deep were you initially planning to sink the recess? I want photos later! It all sounds great! I want a new bathroom too - can't think of what colours though - something timeless - not like the all apricot / peach bathrooms here of the 80s.

Hi Kathy, thanks for stopping in. Jackson, who is adopted, was named by her original owner. Jack's owner was a roommate of mine for about a year they moved in together but when my roommate moved out Jake stayed.

Hi Kathy! Thanks for stopping by while I was away!
Had a fabulous time even with all of the rainy days (12 of 14). The Usk River even flooded for us while we were there! The water was twelve feet higher than normal!
Saw the graves of both Dylan Thomas & also Llewelyn ap Gruffydd (1223-1282 AD), (AKA Llewelyn the Last) the last great ruler of independent Wales. Saw castles, manor houses & beautiful gardens. Saw lots of old friends, too! What can I say? All of my favorites!

Kathy, we have Aldi here and I go there every week. First I go there and get what I can, as it does vary on what they have, then I finish up at another grocer. I do save a bit, but keep in mind they do not have brand name generally. They do have some Aldi brands, we have discovered the items branded Mama Coszi are quite good. eggs are cheaper, bread, milk,canned goods, most things actually,. enjoy!

Sorry Kathy it looks like I only answered one of your questions. The balloon festival was the same time last year I was just a bit slow in getting the pictures uploaded to flickr. I'm sure that I will be out for what I'm hoping with be a very colorful fall and will definately let you know if I post any fall pictures.

Hi Kathy. Glad you visited my website. It is a lot of fun to work on, however, I have been slacking lately and need to update it. Our next destination is Cancun, I believe. We go to Mexico every February with my s.o.'s(significant other)company. There is usually about 100 of us that take over the hotel where we stay. Dreams Resort is where we stay in Cancun and it is WONDERFUL!!!!

I run a tanning salon that is a part of a large national chain. There are approximately 47 in the St. Louis/Metro area and about 75 nation wide. My salon has 21 rooms and it keeps me hoppin. We are getting into our slower season, so I find myself with a little more time to work on the computer and play a little more sudoku

With as many places that you have been, you should joint virtual tourist and share your travels. I forgot that I had my link at the top of my page, so sharing my real name is no biggy it seems everyone does here anyway.

Well, thanks again for stopping by. It was meeting you as well. Have a wonderful weekend.

Oh, Kathy... I don't know how to put pictures on my website! Or even download them from my new camera.
Everything I do on my computer is self-taught and this is a bit beyond me.

Dear KATHY.

.

Very happy to read your very kind post.
All my best wishes to you.

Hi Kathy
Thanks for visiting my photos and making such nice comments. I am glad you noticed me. The jigsaw has the 5 extra pieces to make it more difficult and the repeated pictures of the same stamps as well and of course no edges. It was a challenge but I photographed it and pulled it apart without much hesitation. I have one to do at the moment but with books to read and photos to take I have been slack.

It was great to see your Flickr pictures of our fellow sudokuists - I noticed you were trying the Tim Tams but not the Vegemite - definitely an acquired taste! My grandson has it on toast for breakfast at one year old. We start 'em young over here.

A fabulous youtube!

You asked what kind of work I do... not that easy to explain. I went to college for elementary education but funds were too tight to finish. To help with money, I did catering. You know, white shirt black bow tie and pants. It's wickedly harder than it appears and there's an enormous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes. In high school I was a summer school aide (which gave me my love for young children) with gym classes and computer classes. After all that, I got into the trucking business. I worked the Parts counter at a heavy duty truck dealership (read - semi's). Very dirty, but I loved it. It also gave me important customer service skills and money handling experience. When I got pregnant very unexpectedly with Mitchell (my little man with the disabilities), I quit to be home with my kids.... and daycare for 3 children under the age of 5 was outrageous. Since then, I have done babysitting, volunteering, and I do people's taxes. I also try to get to the local food pantry to help, who in turn help us. I have a strong support system with my family that has seen me through my divorce, when my youngest wasn't even a year old, and now all that life has thrown at me. I am trying to get into the banking business now. I'm great with people and numbers and I have to have something that's day shift M-F. Nearly impossible to find out here.

I also wanted to thank you for your comments regarding the site. I'm not always good with words and probably came across rather harsh. I don't mind the greetings, happy birthdays, and weather reports. But I've seen enough cake and present smilies to last a lifetime. Personal pages were created for THAT reason. I've been around here for a long time. I came to this site when it first started, just looking for something to do. I didn't start posting until about a year later, because everyone seemed to know each other. Once I did, I became a regular. I've had some absences at times, mostly due to having 3 active kids, the oldest in sports, the middle has all the signs of mild autism with ADD (though I'm in denial with him), and my youngest has Cerebral Palsy, all while finding a way to keep our house and put food on the table.... while not working. And I do it on my own. Long story short, the way things used to be around here was quite the reprieve for me. It was like a little holiday from folding clothes, making dinner, and scrubbing floors. Glad to see that several took matters into their own hands last night and started a cruise.... too bad it flopped. I hope someone grabs the wheel today and starts the motor back up. Ugh, must go now. I am volunteering at the school so they know I am serious about wanting a job there...

Thanks, Kathy! I AM very lucky! I hadn't been anywhere overnight for two years since my cat was diagnosed with diabetes and hubby felt sorry for me... or he wanted my sanity back! Cat's doing fine; hubby has learned to give injections! And so did our wonderful neighbor... Hubby got to go to Wales with me! (Welsh photos still on camera!)

Kathy...what fun to catch up with Jane. Have a wonderful time. Ciao.

Phew! What a whirlwind life you and Rob lead. I can't wait till hubby retires.


Give my love to Jane.

Wow! When are you leaving? That is quite some itinerary! Have a GREAT trip!
Have a great time with the Sudokuists in SF! Wish I could be there, too!