how about drinking?
Comments
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Not many steps today - left in the dark and got home in the dark - had a 7:00 am staffing then one at 4 - 6pm. In between I conducted 7 504 Plans - all at 3 different schools.....thankfully tomorrow I don't have to leave till 7:30 so I can get a morning walk. Sandal weather again today - don't remember wearing sandals the end of October - I think this year I've worn them for 7 months!!! not bad for living in Denver!!
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Just sopped by to say HI....
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Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Twofer Tuesday!Apologies for not posting yesterday ayem, I went in early to (finally) get my annual fasting blood work done. My PCP office is (finally) on line with a patient portal, so I got the results last evening. After a year of being on a cholesterol lowering medication and losing about 5 pounds my cholesterol results have gotten worse, and my liver function tests are almost all running high. So much for that little pill, no help, making things worse (which is what those drugs all seem to do) so I'm thinking about stopping it. I still do not believe there is any real correlation between cholesterol levels and heart disease or anything else. But that's just my opinion. Sadie happens to agree withme, but most people don't take her opinions very seriously for some reason!
Muddling--where do you live? Living in Maine I'm usually the last one to get the effects of a weather event. Wasn't that rain just cold?Made me shiver!
Jazzy--I will look into the software company option. I don't mind a bit of travel. And I have taken steps, so my stress level at work is dropping. Still waiting to hear from HR.I was supposed to get a call yesterday, but I think the time zone difference may have had an effect.
Goldie--the nurse that just left is going to talk to HR, too, I gave her the e-mail address the other day. If she follows through that will be 2 major complaints in a short time and that may have an effect. Oh my, what a snarky response from that lady in Chicago! I mean, really, what has happened to common courtesy?
Cammy--I didn't go off on the woman cuz I know that she'd love that. That's just the kind of reaction she's hoping to get, then she can make out that someone is over-reacting or too sensitive or what not. The best way to deal with the likes of her is to keep records and use the HR system. Since that is already started I'm happy to let things run the course and see what happens.Then it may be time to make more decisions about work. Glad to hear Leslie's nurse is nice. Praying she heals up quickly.
Dwiseley--Welcome to the HTL! You really have been picked on by the cancer demon, haven't you? Just not fair to get bc after colon.And then to have the hematoma break open, so just not fair! Life is a little better just slightly under the influence, isn't it?
Jazzy--Yup, a good soaking rain will test the roof integrity. I hope it won't take too much to get the bathroom back into shape. I bet we would be great business partners! Sadie and I had a good weekend.Fridaywas sunny and nice, got a lot of errands done and visited with Mom and Dick for a bit. They are doing well. Both showing the effects of aging, though. Got 3/4 inch of rain in the storm on Saturday into Sunday.
Illi--So sorry to hear about your dog. So hard to have to go through that part of sharing your life with a pet. Hugs. And to get a sinus infection on top of that, life just is NOT FAIR.
Chi--You poor thing, what a combo of things for making you feel miserable! I know about how the allergy and infection feel different, I can tell the difference, too. It doesn't take much of a fever to make someone feel awful. If you let the fever go as long as you can without taking something to bring it down it will shorten the time you are sick. Most viruses and bacteria cannot live in an environment that is warmer than around 100 degrees, so the fever itself is killing them off as well as other parts of the immune system.
Janky--thanks for checking in, and keep having a good time!
Goldie--waiting to talk to HR.Hopefully that will happen today. That is a lot of truck for camping.What's that work out to, $20,000 per trip?
Celia--Things here are good, weather wise.This storm was nothing like I tend to think of Nor'Easters,since it was rain and not snow. Not too much damage, some power outages, mostly all cleaned up now. Coffee with Chambord? Never thought of that combo and I love both!Will have to try it.
Goldie--what a golden "I told you so" moment!
Hi, Karen!!
Hashy Smoke's DOTD:
Jumping Bean
Ingredients
Pour tequila and sambuca into a mixing glass half-filled with ice cubes. Stir well, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with coffee beans, and serve.
Best served in a Cocktail Glass.
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No snow in our forecast Jazzy.
NM, what were you taking for the cholesterol? Maybe check into red rice yeast? The lady in Chicago, like I said, maybe didn't see my money and thought I was asking her to buy me a water. I have to go with that, cuz otherwise, it really pissed me off! I bet it grinds CM4 that you don't argue with her......LOL! 20K per camping trip! Well, I guess we have been a total of maybe 9, since the truck is 3 years old! As for the "I told you so" moment. He went by himself yesterday to attempt washing the truck again. He was back in an hour, I said that was quick! His reply......"I took the wrong F***ing key". Mind you, it's an hour round trip to go there!
Hi Karen!
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Hi, NM, I'm in the mid-Atlantic, right smack at the foot of the mountains. This makes for interesting weather. The back woods of the backwoods. The land that time forgot. Miles from anything and many miles from my cancer clinic, which is a small one itself, in a small city 70 miles away. We have no hospital of any kind, not even an urgent care. When we moved here 35 years ago it was a charming and thriving little town and county. Now, it's nearly a ghost town.
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Muddling, my onc is 4 hours away, so 8 hours round trip every 6 weeks! Wouldn't go to hospitals around here, so 4 hours to a hospital one way as well.
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I am all done with the paperwork that comes after someone dies. It was not too bad because everything was in both of our names. I am thinking about putting one of the kids on name on things with me so there is no problem when I pass on. I am doing good if I stay busy and I have lots of family around. Evenings and nights are sometimes hard. This is kind of weird, but this is the first time I had a bedroom to myself. I went from sharing a room with my sister to being married. I do miss having someone to talk to in the middle of the night. One of the ladies I work with said that I will be hanging up a disco ball with wild colors. We did buy paint for the bedroom and planned on painting after Tom got his mother settled in the nursing home, which was done a week before he died. My son-in-law said that he would paint it for me. Just kind of sad when it was a project we were going to work on together. It's all good. Sometimes to treat myself special, I put on a beauty face mask and have a glass of wine and a piece of dark chocolate.
Have read all of your posts and am too far behind to comment, but I am thinking of all of you.
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Mistyeyes- you might want to consider talking to an estate atty to decide what to do going forward to ensure you have paperwork in place for medical and financial power of attorney, and updated will, whether you should have a trust, etc. And also whether you should put another person's name on accounts or the house too. There are pros and cons to doing this. You are still going through a lot and some of those decisions should be made with time. I am single, so I have those documents for myself, home, and business so if anything happens to me, my sister (who is my POA and beneficiary for most things) can easily step in during the unexpected in life. It is worth the money.
Big adjustment going on here friend. Be kind to yourself and don't make any rush decisions about things.....
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Jazzy - Your advice is really good and gives me something to think about. You are right about not rushing into things, I am really just doing the minimum right now I don't think I am in any frame of mind to make major decisions right now. I am going to really consider what you said. It makes more sense than anything anyone else told me or what I think myself. Thank-you.
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Kim, Bob & my PCP are at odds about both statins and metformin. Bob said if it were up to him he'd put them in the drinking water (or at least bottled water for anyone over 50). My PCP wasn't going to put me on a statin (my HDLs are so high that they make my total cholesterol appear higher than they are in effect) until letrozole cranked my LDL up quite a bit--though my Framhingam score is only 4, my cardiovascular-trainwreck family hx led him to put me on a very low dose of Crestor. He had me discontinue the low-dose aspirin too, saying it doesn't confer benefits for women who have no CVD. Bob, OTOH, self-prescribed Lipitor & Zestril, and insists on baby aspirin rather than enteric-coated, for better absorption. My glucose, in the low 90s before Letrozole, was hovering between 100-120 (the higher number once I started the statin) until my last CMP before the Prolia shot--it hit 141 (I'd fasted 12 hrs, but had an espresso before heading to the lab to stave off caffeine withdrawal, so that might have accounted for the high reading). My a1c had been 5.9, so we will have to retake it. Bob says metformin, especially because it might have anti-neoplasm properties; my PCP says let's see what the a1c says. He prefers Jardiance because it's more cardioprotective. But both raise LDL.., and statins raise blood sugar.
I decided not to take my Arthritis Tylenol today and let my low fever run its course. I'm at 99.4, which doesn't sound like much except that I rarely run above 98 (usually mid-to-low 97s or even high 96s, depending on time of day--but I normally take that Tylenol BID. Took it last night but skipped it this a.m.). When I was a kid, my temp ran in the low 99s--my mom didn't consider anything under 100 to be fever. Have a touch of laryngitis--awaiting the show's director's permission to attend rehearsal tonight, since as I'm on day 6 of my cold (3 days coming, 3 days with you, 3 days going) I might still be shedding viruses and one of my fellow castmembers in a couple of numbers is still recovering from joint replacement (shoulder) surgery. Joint replacements, especially recent ones, are susceptible to infections via an impenetrable bio-film forming and colonizing bacteria & viruses. I might have a secondary bacterial sinus bug too--but not gonna ask for an abx script because those tend to be self-limiting; and I'm allergic to too many abx as it is (plus getting palpitations when on a Z-pack).
Have my ortho surgeon appt. tomorrow at noon--they'll X-ray to see if I microfractured any of the ulna around the hardware, or just irritated the soft tissue. Icing and elevating as I can.
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Chi- the AIs raised my blood sugar. I am now a diabetic and not seen any change to things reversing since I came off the AIs in Feb. The endocrin said it could, but not always. They just don't have enough clinical history to say what may happen or not?
The MO always said it was my cholesterol that would take the hit on the AIs but there is plenty of literature to support bc patients often become diabetic. Chicken or egg syndrome, was I heading there anyways as my AIC was around 6 the first time they tested it? Maybe as my mom was diabetic. I have my diabetic meds well under control and my AIC is around 5.7 now on both metformin and Trulicity. The struggle is real......
Misty- they always advise to not make any big decisions after an sort of death that deeply impacts you for at least a year. I took those words to heart after some major losses in my life and it was good advice. I am glad you got through the paperwork. Are folks at work being good to you? Sending you big hugs across the miles. I am so sorry for this loss sister.
Waiting for some snow on Halloween...
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Blecch--up to 99.9 now. Had short (very short) online voice lesson--teacher says I do have the range but it sounds strained & fatigued, and should avoid talking as best I can and just do some brief lip trills ("horse-lips") every now and then. Got an e-mail into the director to see what she says about tonight. (In one of the numbers about NATO, I play Angela Merkel again--but looks like next year she'll be out of the picture and I'll be out of a role).
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Ugh ChiSandy- these things never come at a good time. Feel better and hope you got something figured out for this evening!
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Stayed home, with permission from the director. Got some good-quality sorely-needed nap time--I was up part of the night coughing, and when I finally fell asleep Bob's alarm kept going off (he sets 2 hrs.' worth of alarms and hits Snooze every 9 minutes--but I have to keep telling him his alarm is ringing. No wonder my circadian rhythms are so messed up).
Seeing ortho surgeon tomorrow for my ulnar pain--hope it's only bruised. (You know you're getting old when you actually want to be told you're just being a hypochondriac). Then I have to hold down the fort for the trick-or-treaters till at least 8 or we run out of candy, whichever comes first. (No, not gonna hand out #2 pencils or soy sauce packets when the candy's gone).
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Hope everyone is having a spooky day!
Sharing my favorite Halloween picture from the hot springs I was at a few weeks ago. Do you think maybe they soaked a bit too long?
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We went through 12 lbs. of candy, one piece per kid (except for Hershey kisses, which I gave out two at a time). Started at 4pm, finally closed the door and turned off the porch light at 8:30, with nothing left but 8 Hershey kisses. Fortunately, I don't like milk chocolate.
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy TGIF day! Sadie and I got in a 15 minute walk yesterday, from the house to the start of the first big hill.Plan to try to get up the hill today. Gray. Gloomy, rainy, making it hard to get up any ambition.Trying to, though. The house is so messy it easier to just lose myself in a book or take a nap than try to figure out where to start on cleaning up. I so need helpin that area. Sadie doesn't help with pulling things out of the trash to play with. Yes, I know, take the trash out every day and that won't be a problem!I'm working on it, really I am!
Goldie--I was taking pravastatin, twice a week.Any more often than that and my muscle ache all the time. I'm really not convinced that the whole cholesterol thing is a real thing anyway. Funny how hubby can get back from the car wash place in half the time it takes anyone else!
Muddling--too many small towns have turned into ghost towns for various reasons. Makes it hard to deal with medical issues. I bet you do get pretty interesting weather right up against the mountains. Do you get a lot of snow?
Misty-- congrats on getting all the paperwork done. That's a big step, and a lot of work. Glad it wasn't too bad for you. It's a really good idea to put at least one of your kids on your bank accounts now, then they can pay bills and manage things if you can't for some reason.I'm on my Mom's accounts for that reason, and she is on mine.We don't see each other's statements or anything like that, so there are no privacy issues, but if anything happens to either of us someone can pay the bills and keep things going. Glad your son-in-law will paint for you, no reason you can't work with him, but it won't be the same as working with your hubby. Evenings and nights are the hardest times, I've heard. Less going on for distraction. Good for you for the treat!
Jazzy--hmmm, you remind me that I should relook at my arrangements and set up some backups in case Mom can't take care of things.
Chi--Some of these "protective" medication recommendations are so crazy.Aspirin won't help me, I've never had a heart attack and all the research is on aspirin preventing a SECOND heart attack. In MEN. Little to no research on the effect in women. No research showing any protection from a first heart attack in men or women. The research showing that aspirin is associated with lower rates of bc recurrence in women with a bc history is much stronger than for the cardioprotective effect, I wonder why it isn't advertised more? Not enough $ involved, maybe? Lots of people have a temperature that is not "normal" when they are healthy, as long as it's consistent for them, it's no big deal. But it does mean that a lower temp for you would be considered a fever.Since starting the pravastatin my liver enzymes are up and my fasting blood sugar is up to just about 100. And the pesky knee pain that is supposed to be arthritic is much worse. So I'm ditching the entire statin thing. Hope the ortho eval turns up no big problems, irritation of the soft tissue is bad enough with all that hardware in place!
Jazzy--I hadn't realized there was a connection between the AI's and diabetes. Just what we all need to worry about on top of everything else! Good advice to Misty about waiting on making major decisions.
Chi--Pencils and soy sauce packets when the candy runs out? Never heard of that! Would not make you a popular stop on Halloween!
Jazzy--yup, they soaked just a tad too long!But look at the weight loss!
Arctic Herky Bird's DOTD:
Army Green
Ingredients
- 1 oz Tequila
- 1 oz Goldschlager
- 1 oz Jagermeister
Pour into a shot glass. A chaser may be needed.
Best served in a Shot Glass.
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Hi NM, you asked about snow here. We usually have two or three moderate snows of five inches or so. Occasionally we get a foot or so. Just a few miles away, on the mountain ,they get more snows and deeper ones. Unfortunately we get lots of freezing rain more than snow. Ice storms have been rough over the years.
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Tactical Buff here. I was kidding about the pencils & soy sauce packets--but I noticed Halloween-themed pencils in some (a very few) kids' pumpkin buckets. Also single-serving bags of Smart Pop nonfat popcorn. I suspect the pencil-and-popcorn-pushing houses may not have been the most popular on the block.
Maryhill Cabernet Franc 2014 last night. (2 oz., via Coravin).
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Splinter Voodoo here 'down under'. My goodness, it is amazing how much can be packed into each day over here. Right now I am laying in bed, barely after 8 p.m., so am enjoying a few posts here
We were at a wildlife sanctuary today - what a place, so many rescued animals, and the chance to get up close to koalas and kangaroos too! Making so many precious memories to take home with me Cheers! Janice 0 -
Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Saturday! Got a steady rain going on here, already an inch and a half just from yesterday and overnight. Very cold rain, too! I just about shivered myself silly checking the rain guage, and Not-so-sill-Sadie wouldn't go out at all till I made, then she ducked under the deck to piddle and ran straight back in! Can't blame her! I can't believe it's November already. This year is going by so fast now.
Muddling--I'd rather have snow than ice and freezing rain. That stuff is scary rough and damaging!
Chi--I have noticed a bit of buzz about giving out non-candy Halloween "treats". I can't see that catching on anytime soon! I bet the pencil-and-popcorn houses were quickly identified and marked for more tricks than treats!
Janky--Can't wait to see some of the pics!Glad you are having a good time.
Arctic Herky Bird's DOTD:
Gunfire
A British drink, the gunfire was first mixed by British army soldiers during the 1890s. This cocktail is typically served at breakfast. It is also traditionally served to soldiers in their beds by their officers on Christmas Day at Reveille if they are deployed over the holiday. The Australian version substitutes the black tea for coffee.
Recipe
- 1 cup of hot, black tea
- 1 shot of rum
- Pour the rum into the tea and stir.
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Don't forget to change your clocks if you live where that happens!
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OMG I'm trying to ketchup, I've read, but I don't really remember. Seems like a lot going on here---I'm so sorry for anyone not feeling well, it's rough trying to feel better and ur body fights it and ur brain pushes it, for sure.
I love reading answers to all our problems tho---we really have some intelligent people here and u should all feel proud. And this is the perfect place to come to feel better and not be judged at all.
Leslie is coming along slowly, the nurse come 3 times a week and cleans her vacuum, cuz she has it on 24 hrs. a day---but it still looks awful--- the other nite she tripped on one of the wires that are all over her and broke her nose---back to ER for her, it just keeps on going on here--Joey is still sick, staying in his room, Marty has gone back to work in pain, but has to and I'm trying to feel good. My pulmonologist said she couldn't believe how well I did on all of the tests I took, so that was good---I still feel tired alot but that's about it. But neighbors are great taking turns bringing dinners---no one wants to walk in tho, someone suggested burning sage here to clear this place of all bad vibes. I thought it was just us. Leslie gets up every 4 hrs. and gives herself a anti-B shot so sleeping around here is not very quiet, either. My work is taking a toll, cuz I just get so screwed up, so we'll see on that.
I hope all is better for all that need it and good times stay around for those that have it.
LUBS U ALL
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Cami, was going to say your family just can't catch a break, but Leslie's nasal fracture puts the lie to that.
Kim, this is an unusual neighborhood in that nobody plays "tricks," not even TP-ing.
Last night we went out to GT Fish & Oyster for Gordy's belated birthday. Started with a "mocktail" of honey, fennel, and lemonade.With oysters, I had a half pour of Muscadet. With a lobster roll (CT-style, sorry, Kim) an Albariño.
Today I'm gonna teetotal: had coffee & half-portions of quiche & salad, and it seems my cold virus is now hitting my gut. Ugh--hope it's not a norovirus--the last time I had that I was out of commission for days.
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Hi friends- will be here for some updates in awhile but what about this for your holiday DOTD?
https://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/thanksgivin...0 -
Good afternoon friends- hope everyone had a good week and happy November and Daylight Savings Time. I love having more light in the morning I walk before work) but will be sad to come home from work in the dark starting tomorrow. I need to change my exercise routines to get to the pool more after work. Busy getting some home org/change of season stuff done here as late fall is moving in now. NM had some big snow up north midweek. Foliage is done, leaves are coming down.
I did something fun yesterday, went to a cooking class up in Santa Fe yesterday on preparing a meal Southwestern style. Lots of great things that included red or green chili mixed in. It is a big traditional here to do a red chili gravy for Thanksgiving with a turkey, but I think it overwhelms the turkey taste. We did a brown gravy with some green chili in it that I liked MUCH better. I am going to try that next time I make any sort of turkey, baked chicken, etc. I am going to spend the holiday with friends and got some ideas on something to bring with for the meal.
I spent the rest of the day up there too, and visited some of my favorite spots which were quiet with the slow down that tends to happen with the tourists. I love this time of the year in general here as things quiet down, less people around, nature goes in to hibernation. There was some good snow on the mountains yesterday. We stand to have a white winter and who knows, maybe I will get to sit in snow in the hot springs on Xmas too?
Cam- I am so sorry about all the hardships going on in your family. I wanted you to know I put you on the prayer thread and have some ladies out their praying for you and your family. I personally feel prayer is a way to send love and energy to people in need of it. Leslie is having such a bad time, Joey is still sick, Marty went back to work too soon after surgery maybe and then you are struggling too. Is your other daughter able to help you as she can? Your family does need a break and in a good way. Sending much love sister. Just so sorry about all this.
NM- Cold rain this weekend. We have been having a lot of rain this fall too (snow up north). I cannot believe it is November either. I went on my reunion trip in August came back and been running ever since. I hope you and Sadie had a nice day of warmth in the house. I cleaned out my kitchen utensil drawer today and thought of you and Sadie, lol.
Chi- glad you got out for Gordy's birthday. Where are you and Bob spending the holidays this year?
Janky- your trip sounds really great so far. I pack in things day and night on vacation too (and the come home needing a vacation from my vacation). Like NM, I will look forward to photos when you are back and settled, at least a couple of the highlight spots!
Mistyeyes- I am glad my suggestions are helpful to you. When our mom passed away, the elder atty suggested we not make any big plans for a year to ensure we have all the bills paid that need to be from any final medical care received, or other things that would come up to be settled. was unfortunate to get my cancer dx later that same year (my sister did as well, lucky us), so a lot of things got parked as a result of just not having the bandwidth to deal with things. We made it through all that and you will get through this too.
Goldie- how are things out in AZ? Are you back from your travels? How is your mom doing?
Dara- I hope the new job is still going well. Hope you are enjoying time with your GS too!
Gotta get out for a walk soon before the daylight is gone. Wishing you a good week and would love to hear what everyone's plans are for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Including if you are a black Friday shopper, Cybermonday guru, etc.
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Jazzy, unless Bob wants to go to NY or DC I think we'll be staying put here in Chicago to celebrate with friends. It was fun going to NYC for Christmas 2016 and then to my sis' inside the Beltway for a few days before New Year's, but it just feels more special with everyone here. Bob has both holidays off this year for the first time in forever. We have enough travel coming up in early 2019--Vegas (timeshare) in Feb. and the ACC medical convention in NOLA in early March, plus Amsterdam/Jerusalem/TelAviv for me late March-early April (continuing legal ed trip).
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Our internet is not really working, have to use a hot spot on the phone and that eats up the data on the phones. Been sick for the last week, coughing, sneezing, stuffy head, chest hurts from coughing, fever......oh my! Horrific headache this morning. Hoping to get internet fixed tomorrow. Will just jump in when that happens.
Cami, I am so sorry about Les, my gosh, the poor girl!
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Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Monday Monkey Day! It's a little easier getting up this ayem, but not much.Sunrise isn't until almost an hour after the alarm goes off. Getting up in the dark, yuck. Seeing some gorgeous sunrise, yeah! Even Sadie has been lazy the last couple of days.
Cammy--holy moly, so much going on in your house! Poor Leslie, how much more can that poor woman be put through? Poor Joey, not feeling well is hard, isolating himself is harder still, poor Marty going back to work while still in pain. I'm glad that you have neighbors that are being helpful with meals, even if they don't want to come into the house. And work is probably ramping up for you with the season change. Hugs and prayers for all of you!
Chi-- It's good there aren't any tricks in your area, they can be troublesome to clean up. Come to think of it, I don't hear much about Halloween tricks anymore around here, either. I guess that's going the way of door to door trick-or-treating. Ok, what is a CT-style lobster roll? Hoping you have just a cold virus and not a norovirus. Those guys are brutal.
Jazzy--those shots look very yummy!!! Can you really taste a difference between red and green chili? All I can taste with any chili is burn. Ooh, sitting in the hot springs in the snow at Christmas time, that would be wonderful! Funny about you thinking of Sadie while cleaning out your utensil drawer. She pulled my smaller cast iron pot off the stove the other day and it cracked down the side! Right after I had just re-seasoned it! I guess nothing last forever.
Chi--that's lots of travel you have coming up!
Goldie--I hope you feel better ASAP! Sounds like you've got a miserable cold. Hope the internet gets fixed, too!
Arctic Herky Bird's DOTD:
Army And Navy
Ingredients
- 2 Parts Gin
- ½ Part Lemon Juice
- ¼ Part Orgeat Almond Syrup
How to mix
Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add all ingredients. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.
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Kim, a CT-style lobster roll is warm, drizzled with melted butter (instead of cold mixed with a mayo-based dressing). Of course, both styles are nestled in toasted, buttered split-top potato buns.
Lori, this virus is going around like wildfire. Half the news anchors here are hoarse (if they're even on the job). I hate having to use my phone as a hot spot, but sometimes when traveling with a wi-fi-only iPad Pro (with keyboard case as a laptop replacement) it's the only way to get online. I have three providers (long story short: Sprint family plan, which was my first carrier in the flip-phone era and is mostly for Gordy's phone and has unltd. data; AT&T for my iPhone, which was the only provider that offered iPhones in 2009 when I got mine and has the best int'l service; and Verizon on an old iPad Mini, for traveling into the boonies where it's the only game in town). AT&T includes hotspot, and I added it to Verizon & recently to Sprint.
Unfortunately, all three carriers have data caps for hotspot use. So when I get close to the cap when using my old Sprint phone as a hotspot, I switch off the hotspot and use it as a standalone, so its data is unlimited. (Usually for data-intensive stuff like internet radio, streaming music when I want to listen to something not downloaded to my AT&T iPhone or Apple Watch, or for navigation and Sirius XM when renting a car that doesn't have them). Sprint has the spottiest coverage, and sometimes it can be maddening when it drops out for a bit and then needs rebooting--more than once, I've missed turns when in a dead zone, and have to pull over and log back in to my XM account once I emerge from a dead zone. Yeah, telecom is a big part of our budget (though Bob's Verizon is paid by his office), but we don't go to the movies, theater, concerts or opera very often (nor to major league sports unless as someone's guests). I stopped buying CDs and downloading albums as well.
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