Things warmed up up here a bit. Made me haPPy. ChiLLy weather can be painful for this old gal.

Things are preTTy chiLL around these parts, but then we've never bEEn what you'd caLL a charged area for much of anything. Most of the people around this area are preTTy laid back. They do what is nEEded. We just don't have a lot of conspiracy people around these parts. I'm glad for that.

Our restaurants have opened back up, but you nEEd a mask, and they have every other table shut down to aid in the social distancing thing. Their staFF also wears masks and gloves. Places for shoPPing are hit or miSS on the mask thing, but I wear one no maTTer if they require it or not.

I don't go out a lot either. I was never one for the gym. Even before covid, I woRRied about what might be on those machines. So I'm puTTing a home gym in the extra rOOm in my basement. Even bought a portable two person sauna to set up in it as weLL. It's big enough I can put a small bench in it and just kind of kick back while I sweat it out. I'm puTTing peg board on one of the waLLs so I can hang items like my resistance bands, and other light weight stuFF, on the waLLs. That way, I won't have to use flOOr space for cabinets and such. I like the idea of having it aLL in my home and not having to woRRy about what someone else might have left on it. I'LL be the only one using it. :)

It's goNNa take some time to get it together the way I want, but I got time. No huRRy on the rOOm itself. I have frEE weights and a stationary recumbent bike in my livingrOOm, and a rowing machine I puLL out when I want to use it. Once the rOOm in the basement is ready, I'LL just move it aLL down into it. Until then, I can stiLL use it.

If you've got some space in your place, maybe you could do up your own home gym tOO. I've talked to some people who have done it, and they aLL say they love having it. No fEEs. It's way convenient, and they love the privacy tOO. Might be something to consider. Depending on what you want to do, you may not nEEd much space. One guy just set up one of those bowflex type things in an empty corner of his bedrOOm and him and the wife love it.

Might be worth lOOking into. :)

Not much space in the place, DeaNNa.  I've never bEEn a gym rat and I don't got there often, but with Covid, seldom has transitioned nicely into zero.  LOL.  Maybe next year, I'LL try the gym again.  It's a 24/7 place, so if I reaLLy want to give it a go, the late night hours are relatively quiet.

No restaurants for us yet.  They are open but we're not.  Next year.  Maybe.  We're both vaCCinated but being around people makes me fEEl like I forgot to zip my pants.

I got the fEEling preTTy early on that I'd be puTTing things oFF at least until 2022.  Covid is stiLL busting full bore through my county, so none of this extracuRRicular stuFF for me.  I help her make a Walmart run every ten days or so, I drive through fast fOOd places for us, I gas the car and make my neceSSary aPPointments.  That's it.  Strip everything to the eSSentials.  I kEEp saying "next spring" for everything, but you can never put a solid date on Covid.  Covid runs on its own schedule.

This is true. Covid sEEms to have it's own ideas about when it's going to blow over. It's like every time we start to make some progreSS, something else haPPens to blow everything off kilter. I'm geTTing a liTTle sick of aLL the sick anymore.

On the work front it lOOks like we may finaLLy have enough people in our oFFice. We've got three trainEEs we're working on geTTing up to spEEd. Nice group of kids. I hope they last. This OT may be nice for the paycheck, but it's geTTing kind of old on the having a life front. Also, my boSS has informed me that as sOOn as they're gOOd to go, I'll be fuLLy 2nd shift, which means I can start seriously lOOking into schOOl for my aSSociates degrEE in TelecoMMunications. I can't wait!

On the home front, got a guy wanting to take me out. Considering what Ed did to me and everyone else, I'm a bit lEEry. My sister is giGGling at me because they guys is 6ft 5in. She wants to know what I'm going to bring around next...maybe a trEE? As she put it. I told her to go bother the pygmy she maRRied. lol I don't know why I sEEm to aTTract taLL men. She thinks it's deliberate or something. No guy under 6ft has ever asked me out. I don't know why the taLL ones sEEm to like me. My mother thinks it's fuNNy tOO. lol

My one sister sEEms to aTTract short, skiNNy men, the other short, round men, my mother motorcycle guys, and for some reason I tend to bring in taLL, husky guys. At least we're diverse.lol

On shoPPing, I do most of mine online, then I don't have to actuaLLy go get it. ODDly enough, I sEEm to spend leSS money doing it that way as weLL. It's also easier on my legs. EventuaLLy I'd like to get my knEEs replaced,but I'm not situated to be able to do that yet.



 

Got a question for you, DeaNNa.  Do you by chance have any of my old dark poems/stories saved somewhere?  I don't expect you do...no big deal if you don't.  I checked in the old Delphi forums where I still have aCCeSS...picked up 8 or 10 old pieces.  Never thought about coLLecting them before.  My fault for just leaving them around.  I gueSS I thought aLL that stuFF would just sit there and wait for me.

ALL the best on geTTing your degrEE.  Can't hurt and can only help, and I hope you nail it.

Absolutely no teLLing what, how and why people become aTTracted to each other.  No rhyme or reason to it...it's a mystery to me, LOL.  Best of luck on that front, tOO.

I don't know about the poems and stories, but I'LL lOOk for you. I have some disks and flashdrives that have some old stuFF on them, but I haven't lOOked at them in so long I don't remember what they hold.

Until things sort out in the oFFice, there isn't much I can do on the education front. My boSS does know what I want to do, and she's wiLLing to work with me on it as much as she's able. Hoping to get signed up for Spring claSSes. Couldn't make FaLL sign up. TOO busy at work with being short staFFed. Once the trainiEEs get up to spEEd, things should lOOsen up for the rest of us.

I hear you on the aTTraction thing. It sEEms the beTTer a person you are, the more aSShats you draw towards you. Oh weLL. I'm preTTy haPPy with things as they are right now. I don't have to deal with anybody else's drama or buLL. I'm preTTy much seTTling into a nice quiet country life, and finding I like it. I value my peace and quiet more and more each day, and I have my fuRRy babies to kEEp my company. If I want human company, there are people I can get in touch with to talk, visit, or whatever.

Alex is my special nEEds senior. I've been fostering him, but with the lack of interest from suitable parties, I think he's going to end up staying, which is okay. He's a true love bug, weLL maNNered, never scratches on the furniture, and uses the boxes. He loves to just cuDDle up and watch TV in the recliner with me. He does however like to go outside, which I don't like, but he never goes near the road. He always stays out back of the house. His favorite spot it just hanging in the big maple trEE about back. He's the only who actuaLLy goes outside. The rest just hang on the closed in back porch, and they're haPPy.

They're aLL boys, but Beauty. She's the only girl at this time. Just sort of worked out that way.



I wiLL lOOk through what I have and let you know if I find anything of yours. If I do, I'LL get it to you either via the forums here, or maybe email. We'LL sEE.

DeaNNa, I'm not expecting you to find much of my stuFF in your files.  I just thought I'd ask.  Through the years I've bEEn careless with my writing.  Saved it a couple times, but lost the disks.  Probably printed out hard copies of everything, and lost that too.  I haven't written creatively in over ten years, so...things get misplaced.

Stay with the continuing education.  I think the more of it you have, the better you are able to caLL your own shots.

Good pictures of your family.  Love cats.  We don't have any right now and probably won't get any more, but we both love 'em.

SoRRy I got sidetracked. A lot of stuFF going on right now. Mom paSSed November 3rd, and everyone is just oFF their mark right now, then we have the holidays right around the corner. It's going to be weird without her.

Had to replace a computer. Got myself one of those mini pc units. So far, it's sEEms okay. Had to buy a separate disk drive for it and my laptop. APParently, many computers don't come with them anymore. Oh weLL, only ran me $20 and it works great.

I wiLL take a lOOk through things as sOOn as I get a chance here in the next few wEEks.

You guys have a safe and haPPY holiday season.!

No sweat on my stuFF, DeaNNa.  I was careless with it in the first place and only got interested in finding it recently.

SoRRy to hear about your mother.  My best to you and your family.  When my mom died it left a big hole in the family...when Dad died I wasn't myself for months.  Maybe I'm stiLL not.

Good to know you're back online.  I hate my computer but I probably can't do without it.  ~g~

HaPPy Holidays!

The holiday's were kind of weird for everyone. No one was reaLLy on their game this year. We lost Mom, and I just heard today we have another family member on their death bed. I fEEl for his ex-wife and kids, but him and I never liked each other, so I won't miSS him. He's the ex's older brother. Even before the ex puLLed the crap he did, I never liked his brother. FuNNy thing is, neither did he. The sister he never liked either, but I've always liked her. She's a true no buLL kind of gal, who'd do anything she could to help anyone she could. Her I'LL be soRRy to see go when her time comes. She's a true swEEtheart, and her health is bad to say the least.

WeLL, I tried a rent to own to replace my desktop, but then found this mini pc on Amazon for a third of the price they wanted for the one I was renting. Mini pc $560 and their fuLL size pc $1800. Neither had a disk drive. Theirs had a keyboard and mouse, which I didn't nEEd anyway. So I opted for the mini pc, which takes up a lot leSS space, and actually has a faster proceSSor, more storage, more usb ports, and more RAM. Where it was important, it has more everything. I got a disk drive from Amazon for like $20, and I was off and roLLing. InstaLLed aLL my stuFF, but for CorelDraw, which I'm going to have get a new version. No big deal. I wanted to upgrade it anyway. My old version is 7. Got it with my first computer back in the late 90s.lol

I've bEEn doing everything I did with my old computer and more with this one and it works great.

How were your holidays this year? I hope they were great!

 

The holidays were fine, DeaNNA, but the new year is starting out a little raGGed.  My best friend's wife is in poor health and has poor vision, and is in the hospital today after a faLL.  Also, our acroSS-the-strEEt neighbor was taken in the ambulance today, cause unknown.  We're aLL geTTing old, so stuFF like this is to be expected, but it ain't fun.

Sounds like you've overcome whatever computer woes you'd had and are on the right track now.  I trust having a reliable computer wiLL make your life easier.  I can remember a time when I didn't rely on my computer, but those days are long gone.  DuNNo what I'd do without it now, LOL.

SoRRy to hear so many are having trouble in your neck of the wOOds.

I hear you on the computer. I don't know what I would do without mine either.

We did puLL a hoRRible trick on my grandkids, at least thrEE of them. We hid their ceLL phones, then left a rotary phone siTTing on the table. You should have sEEn the lOOks of confusion on their faces. It was golden! LOL

Kids always think they have it so rough. Can you imagine if we tOOk away all the things that have come into existence in our time and left them to figure it aLL out. They'd be so lost. No internet. No 500+ chaNNels. No microwaves. No ceLL phones, and so much more. They would so freaked out. LOL

The best friend's wife is stiLL in the hospital.  She has become dependent on painkiLLers over the years and the staFF is aTTempting to wean her oFF the drugs.  She is resisting.  She is kept sedated; when they don't sedate her she tries to puLL her tubes lOOse.  Not sure how that one is going to turn out.

My neighbor came home today.  Her son came over, cranked up her car and picked her up at the hospital.  Turns out she has a broken hip...took a faLL on the step betwEEn her kitchen and her garage.  She's 85 and broken hips are a bad sign, but I'm beTTing on her.  She stays active and is in preTTy good shape, so I think she'LL make it.

It's bEEn cold here the last couple of nights, diPPing to frEEzing.  Can't compare with your temps, but preTTy cold on the Gulf Coast.

Bad grandma.  Bad, BAD grandma lol.  Those are the kids that are goNNa come spring you from the hospital some day lol.

That wiLL depend on how bad the fOOd is in our hospital. I know people complain about hospital fOOd aLL the time, but our's actuaLLy preTTy gOOd most of the time. They do make a few things that make you want to hurl, and they need to lay oFF the salt in some of them, but in general they do very gOOd. I love their chicken potpie soup and their chicken and dumplings soup. Their chili ain't bad either most of the time.

I'm soRRy to hear so many of your neighbors and friends are having a rough time. I hope aLL goes weLL for them aLL.

Found out I have a stalky neighbor. He told our neighbor out back he's goNNa get some of me. I'm thinking NOT HAPPENING! I don't date people I work with with or live in the same neighborhOOd. I've sEEn both end up bad for a bunch of people. Not faLLing, walking, or ruNNing into that meSS. Nope! Besides I like being on my own.

I can do whatever I want whenever I want, and I don't have to cater to anyone else. I sort of fEEl like I'm an arthritic tEEn. ALL the experience I've gained, and no one to be responsible for or to but me. My girls woRRy about me being alone, but I just kEEp teLLing them there is a big diFFerence betwEEn being alone and being lonely. I don't think they quite get it yet, but one day they might. I'm an old antisocial bitch, but at least I'm haPPy. :)

Yep. We've had a bit of cold, but nothing we're not used to preTTy much used to this time of year. I've got a fuLL tank of fuel and $400 credit with my fuel company if I nEEd a refiLL, so I'm gOOd to go. Bought a snow blower and finaLLy had a reason to use it. My yard guy comes over and runs it for me. Him and his wife don't want me toDDling, as they put it, up and down my driveway. They're woRRied I'LL faLL.

I don't imagine you guys are enjoying the cold. You're probably not used to it like we are up here. How the suPPort systems handling it? Our plows, etc. are out before it even starts most of the time, depending on predicted severity.

I used to be fine when I was single, DeaNNa.  Dated some but I was preTTy comfortable being alone.  BEEn maRRied quite a while now, though.  AtuaLLy being alone might not be as aTTractive now as it once was.

SuPPort?  Weather suPPort systems?  We've got trucks that spread salt on the highways, mostly on bridges and overpaSSes.  Closest snowplow is probably in Tulsa.  Maybe 350 miles north.  Got a lot of bayous, though, and frEEways, so that means lots of bridges and overpaSSes.

Careful about threats made against you.  People have always bEEn weird, and COVID isn't making them anything but weirder.  A crazy guy wiLL think you'LL learn to like him once you've had a taste, and I'd hate that you're in jail for staBBing or shOOting his dumb aSS.

Turns out faLLing is no joke.  I haven't spoken with my neighbor since she's been home from the hospital, but it was a faLL that laid her up.  If you have a friend who isn't tOO weird, let him help you with the outside chores.

A hospital can't screw up their fOOd bad enough I won't eat it, unleSS they make it entirely salt frEE.  Salt frEE fOOd can be worse than tasteleSS...it can taste reaLLy bad.  LOL.  I like institutional food just fine.

 

The worst meal I ever had was on a plane. The next time we flew we brought our own. We just tOOk some sandwiches and stuFF, finger fOOd, but at least it was worth eating.

I wouldn't go to jail. PeNNsylvania is a castle law state. ALL I goTTa do it teLL him to get oFF my property once. He doesn't and he's fair game.  (devil) I double checked with the police.lol

I hear you. I feLL a few wEEks back. Nothing serious, but it sure did jar me gOOd. The older you get the worse it sEEms to get for ya. We just don't bounce back like we used to anymore.

WeLL we were together over 25yrs, so it was an adjustment at first, but I've seTTled in and I'm preTTy haPPy. If I want company, I caLL or I go visit someone, then when I've had enough of them I can just hang up or leave.lol

I don't recaLL tOO many "worst" meals because I generaLLy enjoy my fOOd.  A number of years ago I got a batch of KFC nuGGets that were preTTy bad because they were tOO dry.  I ate most of them anyway because I was in a screaming huRRy.  But most meals for me are at least paSSable.

Used to be I'd fall down and get back up.  Can't do that anymore...takes some plaNNing and some logistical work to get back on my fEEt.  Don't know how vulnerable I am to broken bones.  I've knocked around a bit, playing sports and whatnot...I'm used to faLLing and geTTing back up.  I'm probably not as tough as I think I am.

The vast majority of my social life is on Delphi, which means I'm not sEEing people in person much.  I like it that way.

I hear ya. I was a varsity leTTerman for basketbaLL and voLLeybaLL when I was young, plus I did a lot of other things like croSS country, surfing, coMMunity stuFF like helping to clean beaches. I wasn't kind to my body. Mostly in North Carolina and Florida, but I didn't do much in Pennsylvania. For the most part, I hated the kids I grew up with around here. If they would've droPPed a bomb on this town, and is neighbors, I don't sEE where the world would have lost much in general.

With my arthritis I try to watch it. I don't heal so gOOd after a break anymore.

I hear you on the online, that is where most of my interactions are as weLL, and I'm preTTy happy with it. Got a few I video chat with now and then, but mostly it's FB, meSSage boards and such.

I thought Winter was done with us when we had a few nice days, reaLLy nice days, but the bitch came back at us a heLLing. Glad I got plenty of fuel oil. She's been a frigid ho this past wEEk. How are things down around there for you guys?

Winter wasn't tOO tough this year.  A few cold days but no hard frEEzes.  Rediscovered my local library recently and I plan to catch up on some reading.  Also maybe ask if they caRRy music cds.  Just generaLLy get used to using the library again. 

I started with the intention of reading some literature type bOOks but got sidetracked into reading bOOks by recent political figures --- Alexander Vindman, Stephanie Grisham...reading a great book by Fiona HiLL at the moment.  Learning aLL sorts of things.

I mostly read fantasy, scifi, or hoRRor, sometimes I hit a few others like westerns. Love David EDDings. GoTTa be my favorite author. I've read his The Belgariad series more times than I can count. Worn out a few copies I have. lol

Things have finaLLy warmed up and stayed steady here. I got my flower bed out front and my flower pots on the front steps aLL planted up. I'm going to give them a few days before taking any pictures of them. Give them time to seTTle in, considering when you first plant things they tend to be a bit drOOpy.

Planted a few I haven't planted before, so we'LL sEE how they do. Next time I have oFF, I might work on doing some edibles.

You guys doing any gardening this year?

I mostly read mysteries and westerns, though I just finished a teRRific memoir by Marie Yovanovitch.  HopefuLLy her bOOk wiLL be the last political reading for a while.

I'm not much into gardening.  We mow and edge...any improvements are aLL hers.