how about drinking?

OOPS...sorry to have bumped into you Lori!!! Too bad they couldn't even show up on time...but good you told them to forget it....sounds like they need to realize the world does not revolve around THEIR schedule! And smart idea about not planning to go to that area with temps so high. I guess she thinks you will both be drunk????? We drink at the casino too, but never enough to cause any problems....well, sounds like you will have a good time at the casino with just the two of you! Glad the blood work was good...yay....hope the dr vist goes well too. Have a good time in Phx!!!!

Huts, Kathy

Enjoying my 2nd glass of a nice Israeli petite sirah....yumm!!!!  The weather was beautiful this evening....not quite as hot as the past few days.....didn't quite melt!!!! The sun is bright and full in the sky by the time I leave at 7:30am, so I'm already hot by the time I get to the bus.....another week of learning done...tomorrow is a "field" trip....in the afternoon it is to a kibbutz/vineyard....lunch is with soldiers...need to stop and pick up a cake to bring for them....not sure where the morning will be spent.  Friday is a free day....will do some shopping and wandering parts of the city that I see on the bus...I am spending shabbat with a friend I have met in this program....she lives about an hour from where I am staying...Next week, my "4th" child and his wife will be here so will get together once or twice and also trying to meet up with a friend who moved to NJ two years ago and is here for the summer....I'm enjoying the quiet in the house tonight...just me....my gf's husband gets back to Israel tomorrow.....

I can't believe that I left Denver 3 weeks ago!!!  Haven't read a news paper or seen much news and feel out of touch!!!  I talk to DH every day or every other day.....he said that Denver has had rain (and mega rain) for the past week!!!  DS has not been able to get much painting done....he is also helping friends get their house ready to move.....so he has some income, but no "real" job....well  what he is doing is real, but they will come to an end soon.....

I need to go back and read all the posts.....so I do apologize for not addressing everyone individually....you are all close to my heart.....Hugs   Karen

Junie - good luck with the ipad2...I'm excited to be one of your guinea pigs!

Stanzie - so sorry about your AC again, LOL at teenage boy dreams, so funny.

AStorm - hope you are having a gwate twip! Missing you!

Chrissy - congratulations on your 42 wedding anniv! That is just awesome! My 16^th is in September if we can stand each other another two months (j/k). I think I will keep mine another year for sure - tee hee. LOL at the purple haze!

DorK - Hope you are doing okay and getting ready for surgery? Is it the 21st? Want us to get the party bus loaded up for ya, I'd love to be there and make sure your docs get it all right! Hope you will check in sooooooooooon and have a big dwinky with me!

Wahine - Oh yikes, DorK's surgery is sooner that I thought. I sure hope it goes smooth as silk for her! I'm so glad your mom got in safely and you're having a great time with her! That is scary she got a pill from another passenger, oh my, I would love to tell you all the times my dad was saved by a guardian angel. He liked to travel and he got lost in airports and all kinds of places and there was always a guardian angel who got him to safety. It was truly amazing. His last trip ended when I had to go rescue him when he got lost in Salt Lake City, he got confused and then he got scared...somehow he got a phone call to me and I hopped on the next flight to go get him. I told him over and over, stay at the motel (where the guardian angel dropped him off) and I will be right there. Well when I got there he wasn't there and I was so worried, but then I found him - whew! He was so sweet and we just went out to lunch like nothing had happened and then we flew home together. I wish I had him to go rescue again! He traveled to Alaska and Belize and I can't remember where all and every time there was some story about how he got lost and a nice person guided him to safety. There are some super nice people in the world. My dad was very head strong too and proud and you couldn't tell him not to go on these trips. He used to threaten to go on another one after the really scary one, but he never did. So cute your mom wanted to call your dad at 4 in the morning! I just love the beautiful flower pics you posted. I can't believe you got that bad instructor again, no way, so glad your mom just showed off her talent...yikes, sad news about the turkeys in Kansas, is this not the weirdest weather this year?

Goldie - hope the rain calms down the dust and fires over your way. What did you do with all the food? If it's still there I'm on my way!

What's to drink? The crud is this ball of issues left over that I'm grappling with. I think one of the biggies that has driven me crazy for a long time is the tug-o-war on my heart between my DH and Washington life and the fact that my fam wants me back in California. It isn't even that far, but you'd think I was on a different planet. So to have a fam visit sets all of this in motion and they sort of blame him for me moving, but it isn't his fault. Anyway, I ended up having a couple meltdowns and now my DH is blaming it on tamoxifen. Which may have something to do with my moodiness, but I think it's a nice big fat combo of sh*t including that I had cancer last year (duh! holee molee, that was a biggie!). Anyway, that sh*t too shall pass. Tamox is my friend. Mostly I am so much better, really doing great, but need to throw more fam-crud-bs under the bus and keep me sane.

Sounds like you have some fam-crud-bs too, hey, how about drinking? So glad your blood work is good and hope your doc apt goes great too!

Kymn - congrats again on POST chemo!! Also loved your trailer, it has a great floor plan and looks like it will be a blast.

Karen - glad your trip is going so well, sounds just great!

NM - Good idea to pay for help with lasagna, did you see the wedding singer where the old lady pays him with meat balls? Funny! Love the handyman cartoon, and the shoppers in their comfy clothes, and the beautiful puple haze! Wow! LOL at the swan lake safety, and the mer LOT and mer LITTLE, ha ha ha! I will take the Capt Morgan rum with ice and lemon, yummeeee!

Claire - you sound really great and I'm glad you are enjoying such fine weather...I just love summer. Hope the eggs benny was delishious too and that the work with your former biz partner will be fun and prosperous! What cycling are you doing next? How is your ankle doing?

I'm good, but still kinda can fall off and melt here and there.

 I wanted to share a quote that is helpful to me,

"I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot... and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why... I succeed." Michael Jordan

So here's to life's little set backs, that really are just part of success! Love, hugs and cheers ma dears! ~Beans

Here is a picture of me entering Portland.  This was at mile 194 of 204. - Claire

Claire - Guilt is something I excel at. I have a crud ball that I'm picking apart to see why I've had such a tough time since Saturday. It is so nice to have some time alone to see wassup with me and to tell the truth, I'm doing really well. Just me is fine, really feel healthy and strong and happy. I gotta learn (will I ever learn?) how to keep me in tact when there is fam stuff going on. Keeping boundaries set is an ongoing problem. So glad your foot is doing well and sounds like you had a great day. Hope your *** will feel better when you ride again (tee hee). Oh great pic too, thanks so much for posting, you look just fab!

Wahine - Arrrgh about your foot! I had to see a podiatrist once a long time ago and she was so helpful, just had me wear quality shoes and I haven't had a problem since. She took molds of my feet and had these inserts for my shoes made and I wore them for a long time, but not any more, I just make sure to have good shoes on most of the time and limit flip flops. I sure hope that gets fixed soon! I liked the hormone pill cartoon too, reminds me of when Gail took the puppy meds and grew a tail! It is weird how much flack I get about being in WA...this is such a beautiful state...oh well, to each his/her own. Glad you are joining me for happy hour! Where are the others? Where is DorK? Hope she is not working too hard!

YeeHaw and more mer LOT please!!! cHairs!

Crud seems to be the term for the day.  Got on to post this am and the computer dies.  Again.  At least I may have a fix for that-- a friend wants to get rid of a computer, so I'm going to look at it this evening.  Since I paid off the car early AND got an especially large paycheck coming tomorrow I can get it if the price is right and it does what I want.   A dependable computer would be nice right about now!

Family issues are no fun.  I still haven't talked to my Mom since she took Sadie and tied her up on the 4th.  Don't plan to right off, either.  On the flip side, that incident made me follow through on my intention of some time of checking out the  town landing on the local pond. Nice place!  Not big or fancy, but it has a boat ramp, picnic table, port-a-potty.  Met some nice people, Sadie got to chase balls in the water but mostly she just swims around with a ball in her mouth.  

I've also come to the conclusion that family issues are never solvable.  No matter where you live Beanie, the fam will not like it.  You'll either be too close or too far away, or in the wrong neighborhood or the wrong SOMETHING.  So just tell them "I'm sorry you feel that way." and move on.  

Claire--you truly  live in another world. A 20 mile bike ride is "non-challenging"?  I had all I could do to take Sadie out for a half mile walk this morning!  Good for you, though!  

Karen--do we need to beat you about the head and shoulders to make you remember that apologies are not allowed in the lounge?????  We know what you are going through and love having you post and understand when you don't.  So quit worrying about it!  

Happy Anniversary Chrissy!

DorK--I saw the Tenders starting to stock up the bus for our trip to be with you during surgery.  They were trying to decide if they should bring the percotini fountain or the appletini fountain.  Maybe they'll bring both!  

Time to go hit the farmer's market and run a couple other errands.  Catch you all later!

NM.....yes, it is another world I live in.  Unfortunately, I hang with some people who think nothing of cycling up mountains.  So I feel like the biggest weenie on the face of the earth.  Glad Sadie is having a great time.  I would go for a new computer unless the one on offer is w/i 2 years old.

Otherwise the operating system is too old/hardware not fast enough to work with what is currently out there.  Worth the extra $ for the hardware.  BTW - hardware is only a fraction of what it cost only 5 years ago.  (You get nailed on software.)

Karen.....sounds like a wonderful time.  You can always start planning "next time".  I think they gave you the "guests only" tour of the Kibbutz.  Saying this because I laughed and laughed during college at students who has spent their summer in Israel and were astonished to learn that picking pears is work!!!

My "trip to Rome" potluck at my church was fascinating.  Learned about how different forms of the Eucharist and community outreach dinners have their roots in Roman hospitality.  Plus lots of pictures showing sites of Early Christianity.  Fr Torvend also talked about giving his first sermon in Italian when just starting out, and getting an idiom wrong.  He caused quite the stir among the worshipers (until someone bailed him out).  Wonderful potluck Italian food and drink.

Tonight, it's France as is Bastille Day with appropriate festivities in Pike Place Market.  This includes burlesque Can Can dancers.  I never got how scandalous the Can Can initially was until I saw this performance.  Usually, when it is included in an opera, it's professional dancers intent on getting the choreography right, so very pretty as opposed to racy.  The burlesque dancers focus less on the choreography and more on working the crowd.  Lots more fun.

And of course, there will be wine with good baguettes!!! - Claire

Wine tasting, anyone?.......

Stanzie - So sorry to hear things are rough and hope you will be able to post when the time is right. I'm just getting past some bullcr*p myself so I so wish you all the best.

Wahine - I'm here for Pau Hana! Yay! Another great day and some wunnerful wine! Such a funny cartoon! What a sweet story about your mom, I love that she wanted the pretty pink pail and not the orange one she had gotten by mistake, oh gosh, just so so so sweet! It does sound like she's doing so well too and she made her own easel so well, that is cool! I'm glad you are having a good time with her!!!

NM - Did I miss sumpthing or didn't you just recently get a new computer? And it is a POS (piece of s___) and you need a new one again? Crud (I mean cr*p), is that right? Hope you get a new good one soon...love the crash pic! And you are so right, I think your words, just say, "I'm sorry you feel that way" is perfect, and good point, never solvable, just have to accept what is reality. I'm sorry you haven't talked to your mom but totally understand and too cool you found a local pond for Sadie. That is just great and I'm so happy you both can have fun there and hope nobody ties either of you up (he he he)!

Karen - congrats on your upcoming anniv too, 34 years! Wow, you were a child bride! That is so cool you stomped grapes and made pitas and LOL at your clay thingy! Just sounds so fun and the time is flying by, only 10 days, hope you will post some pics here when you get a chance.

Claire - You are so far from being a big weenie, that is so funny, you are a total champ. My DH is younger than I am and can run circles around me, but I'm always proud when I can get out and at least go for as long as he can, I mean time wise, I cannot possibly cover the same distance in the same time. But I'm so happy I can still move my bod! I'm better on the computer than he is though, so he can't compete there! Hope you enjoy the wine and baguettes, sounds so good!

Well, did my 40 min run (who am I kidding? it is like hop walking, more or less...) and got so drenched from the drizzle, but it felt good. I am just getting clearer every day and so glad.

Here's a thought:

To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine.. . and those who don't.
As Ben Franklin said:
In wine there is wisdom,
in beer there is freedom,
in water there is bacteria.

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria  found in feces.

In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.

However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whisky or other liquor), because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.
Remember:
Water = Poop,
Wine = Health .

Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of shit.

wahine - did who say what? just kidding, I'm talking stupid! hee heee! Oh wow, husbandless, and Jocks and Pants are here...wow, will Pants give me a massage, my legs are sore from my so-called work out! I miss those galz too, where's Kristy and DorK too, hope they are having fun and hope they will be back soon for group therapy...

Well, I'm sure hoping Pants will think I look cool in my new shirt...

I will say...

Heeeeeeeeeee heeeeeeeeeeeee heeeeeeeeee!!! Now to look for my lampshade!

Risque wisque - Yeah, seems like DorK or Junie always end up with Pants and Jocks, some gals have all the fun, but since they are both AWOL - yipee - we get them and ahhhhh I did need that massage, feels so good! So sawwy your dad is alone and has to get cancers cut out, he is so strong and I'm glad he's okay and getting that taken care of, but I'm just sorry he's in pain and OMG no likker for 2 days, I hope he can handle that...did they give him good pain meds??? Oh, yes, time to turn over! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Claire...yes, it was the tourist "tour"....if was all "old days" way of doing things....didn't see the housing etc but it was living history.

Wahine....yes, I've heard about the horrid rains and storms in Denver....more rain in the past week or so than I can remember...for that matter more rain than several months....DH said everything is so green...unusual for mid July in Denver.

Beans....I have posted pics on fb....seems to be the easiest place for me to figure out...I tried to email pics to my family and it wouldn't go thru so I told them to check fb....when I have more time, I can try here!!!!

Went into town this morning...bought a jean skirt for DD#2 and found a great hat for me...saw the hat the other day and didn't get it but I kept thinking about it so luckily I found the store again and bought it.  Saw a pretty ceramic bowl, but its a bit more than I want to spend...also worried about getting it home...keep thinking about it, but it will have to wait...may ask DH what he thinks.  Still trying to figure out what to get DD#1 and SIL and actually thought of the bowl for them, but then I would have to mail it to Canada and that would be expensive, so will get them something small.

Time to jump in the shower...have an hour till I need to head to the bus....hope I don't melt before shabbat as I don't think I can get a shower at my gf as she has 7 or 8 people who need to shower before shabbat!!!!  oh well, they'll just have to put up with me.

Have a great Friday and week-end....Hugs from Israel.  Karen

Just dropping in for a long cool drink of summat.....PaNtS!!!!    Bring it on!!!!   Oh and thanks goils for all you good wishes on our anniversary...much appreciated. 

OOo Karen your trip sounds wonderful and I'm glad you are enjoying it.  The two weeks have gone so fast that before you know it you will be home again.

Kathy, great that you are having such a good time with your mom.  I can relate when you say that the tireser she gets the for forgetful she becomes cause that's exactly how my FIL was.  Enjoy the time that she is lucid!

Claire that pic of you is marvelous!!  You look so fit and healthy it's unbelievable!!!  I so wish I could do what you do but alas alak I'm in need of new knees and they stop me from doing a lot.....sigh!

Beans, in a family that has issues, nothing you do will ever be right.....you need to do what pleases you!  It is an unfortunate fact of life that you cannot please all the people all of the time.  I think it just comes down to doing what makes you happy.

Dotty, thats a bit rough that you don't get any renumeration for the hard work that you've put in!  I would have a tendancy to let it ride for the last couple of days too so don't feel guilty about it.  I'm getting so excited about the trip, it's getting closer every day!  Hope you are as excited as me.  I'll let you know as soon as I have final dates but it looks like I can do Philly.

Stanzie, I sure hope things settle down a bit for you soon.....let us know how you are and remember we are all here for you.

Junie, hope you are okay, I know you posted but if I go back a page I will loose this....grrrr!

To everyone else, I hope you are well, have done well and are getting well.

TITZ UP!!!!!!!!

NM as usual the toons are great

Good Morning I am alive, had a couple of rough days my mind said yeah chemo is over and my body said na uh. wow had terrible chemo limbs felt like my blood had been replaced with lead. Was hard to to even go from my bed to the couch with out being totally exhasted by the movement. But today I feel stronger so I am back at work but glad its friday and I only have to get through this one day. Was at the hospital yesterday getting ct scans and mapping done for my radiation. I am getting 28 sessions prolly start in a couple of weeks.

Kathy those flowers you posted a few pages back were so beautiful, I sure hope all is well with you and your parents are doing well.

Thanks to everyone for thinking about me, I miss having a brain that can keep up with the conversations going on lol hopefully soon

hugs Kymn

Kymm......yes, the last one is hard because you are mentally done but your body is saying "no, not yet".  Anyway, you should be now on the mend, and you never have to do this again.

I found that at about Week 5 I was bursting with energy.  Went to do a walk, and realized I was power walking.  Was so wonderful when I got to that point.

So hang in there.

As for radiation, I used the aloe gel which I supplemented with Bag Balm.  Worked just great on my own personal udder, so had no more than a bit of discoloration and light peeling.  Healed right up.  Ongoing benefit is that I use cream on both breasts every day now.  Skin looks wonderful.

Congrats on making it through!!!! - Claire