OMG Gayle, I am so glad that you were there to get Gary, you both have such great adventures, although some end up having serious turn of abouts most are quite interesting and comical. I live my travels through you.

I am on vacation this week, i think i have something scheduled for just about everyday, I will have to go back to work toget some rest LOL.

I have been so busy with the puppies but they will all be going to their new homes by Dec 4th, i am keeping them an extra week due to the holidays and either the owners traveling or having company . I will start a new post and post pic's of them, they sure have been a hoot LOL.

My youngest daughter goes for hopefully her last court date in her divorce/custody hearing this Tuesday, then it will be up to the judge to decide where the girls will live, the judge can take up to 90 days to make his decision and with the holidays coming up i think he will use everyday he can so as not to up set the girls during the holidays, at least that was his excuse when this all started at this time last year. So far everything has been going good for my daughter, even his lawyer is having trouble finding things to say bad about her, other than she made a bad choice when she left the girls with his mom when he was in jail, but she knew they were safe and she had to get herself together before she could take care of the girls
I'm sure your asking why i didn't take the girls, well i was trying to help get my daughter through everything that he had done to her, and the girls were and are still so angry with their mom for their dad being in jail, it was just a complicated time.

How can a judge think that 2 little girls would be better off living with a dad that is on house arrest for burglary and a rapist is beyond me, but thats the court system for you. So any ways we could use some prayers that the judge will make the right choice this time, it will be a rough time for Amy and the girls although they have been makeing great strides in their relationships, they don't like the idea of having rules and consequences at their moms house.

OMG! Lynne, I can't possibly think what on earth the judge could be thinking to even consider letting the girls live with their father. I just know that he will see what is best for them is to be with their mom!

I am sitting at the airport waiting for a flight to New Orleans. I'm making a quick trip to a conference for a presentation this afternoon ( hope the plane is not late). Gary was supposed to go with me but when he got sick last month, we decided a week in New Orleans was not the best idea. So I shortened the trip and he ended up taking a quick train trip to Oklahoma. Now he's home to keep the boys while I am gone. I'll be home tomorrow.

I'll eat some gumbo, or jambalya, or something Cajun for everyone! :D

OMG Lynne! The judge will certainly see the reality! I will be praying that he makes this easy for your daughter and the girls! You not taking the girls makes sense....you had to take care of your daughter so that she could take care of her children.

Gayle, have a wonderful time! You and Gary do have some interesting days!!! You can never say your marriage is boring!

I am going food shopping today. I stayed home AGAIN yesterday, and ended up getting cabin fever! I took the dogs out for a walk and we had fun. I have been staying home a lot lately. I blew off about 4 social things in the past 2 or 3 weeks. I'm not sure why, but I'm thinking it's not such a good idea. I have to force myself to get out when I don't feel like it.

So, today I will go out!

Enjoy your day everyone!

I had great plans for today, but they are not starting off well. I was planning on going to my home church (where I am a member), but I actually slept too late. I was up quite a bit during the night telling someone to QUIT SNORING!!!!

Now it's almost 10 minutes till 11 AM and I'm still on the computer...not accomplishing anything. Guess I should get dressed and maybe find something fun to do.....but what??? LOL

I didn't mention anything about Lynne's post...we talk very often and I know how's she's feeling about all this. She also knows I'm praying all goes her daughters' way.

Gayle....you never have a dull moment do you?????

Nope, never a dull moment! Now I'm in the Houston airport waiting for my flight to New Orleans in a few minutes. Looks like I will make it in time for my presentation which actually isn't until 3:30 and I'm supposed to arrive at 12:40, so I'm really not cutting it that close. The earlier flight left at 7:00AM and I didn't feel like getting up at 4:30! I guess I'm lazy! :rolleyes:

Thank you all for your comments, and Janet you are such a dear friend to allow me to unload my problems on you, sometimes it just helps to say things outloud to someone other than the ones that are going through it. Thank you

Lynne...you are more than welcome....you always listen to me too and I honestly love you and value our friendship....don't know what I would do without you.

All right. I'm back at the airport for my flight home. I told you it was a quick trip.

Last night for dinner I had crab quiche, poached oysters, and seafood gumbo. Mmmmmmm everything was so good!

The New Orleans Saints (NFL football) played the Seattle Seahawks at the Superdome yesterday just down the street from my hotel. Yesterday evening the French Quarters were FULL of Saints fans. It was pretty rowdy. We took a cab to our restaurant in the French Quarters so we were safe! LOL!

I wish I had one more day to eat again! The food is soooooo good!

I had such a great weekend!

We got our Christmas decorations up outside (3 lighted reindeer and 2 spiral trees and some candy canes) on Saturday. It was about -20 C but no wind so it wasn't too bad!

Then our realtor came over to finally see the house and give us housewarming gifts! She got us a really nice wall clock and two large torch-like candle holders for the wall behind the hot tub, with candles and covers. They are huge! Probably 3 feet tall. They are gorgeous though and will look so good on that bare wall!

My parents came over after that to see the place since we've got it done. They loved it!

On Sunday we went out for lunch for my brother's birthday and then did some shopping. I bought a new pink snowboard and bindings (last year's models for cheap!) and a gorgeous dress for one of Scott's work Christmas parties.

Finally we got home in time to catch the last three quarters of the Western Finals in football... and we kicked Calgary's butt! Okay, not a huge kicking, but we won anyway and will face off with Montreal AGAIN this year for the Grey Cup next weekend! (equivalent to your super bowl) This is the first year I actually followed the team for the whole year so I'm quite excited! Last year we lost to Montreal at Grey Cup due to a bad mistake nobody likes to remember :eek: but here's our second chance! It was a great end to a great weekend!

Merry Christmas house!!! Take pictures of the reindeer please.....

I am considering taking out my Christmas stuff. Not sure what I have. I know I have a nice door wreath, and a new little optic tree. I think I also have an optic Santa. I have an angel or two, and I think that's about it.

Once Jessie was out of the house, I stopped making a Christmas house. I eventually gave her everything. It's really nice to see our stuff from her childhood up in her house now. I do have my tree, but I haven't taken it out of the box in years. Jessie gets a live tree.

Oh wait...there's a little half dead potted tree that I put on the porch yesterday. It was as dry as a desert, having been stuck behind a bush all summer. Poor little tree!

I didn't even get dressed yesterday.... :D....so since I needed to drive the bus today..lol..I got dressed. Then ran to town and finished up buying what's needed for dinner on Thursday. I love turkey and dressing and my stuffed mushrooms.

Judy, I don't think I'll ever stop doing Christmas decorating, I've been obsessed with Christmas my whole life!

I was feeling pretty good this morning but for the past hour I've been not so well... I don't think I got over that touch of flu last week and I'm nauseous and feverish now. Scott's on his way to pick me up and I'm going to my grandma's house to sleep for the day. What a start to the week :(

I'm in Houston - don't have to get off the plane though so that is good! Home soon!

The guy next to me stinks. Thankfully this is only a 30 min flight. And why do they all have to invade my space by extending their arms over the arm rest.

OMG Gayle, you crack me up LOL. Maybe you should fart or something and he would move over so you could have the arm rest LOL

You guys WON'T BELIEVE IT!!! He turned out to be a PSYCHIATRIST!!! He had been to a podunk town in west Texas working the weekend at the State Psychiatric hospital out there. I don't think he had taken a shower all weekend! LOL!

He was VERY talkative - and when he found out I was a nurse, he NEVER SHUT UP! Thankfully, it was only a 30 minute flight. He was pretty funny and nice too, and I kinda could overlook the stinkiness.

Lol Gayle!!! You're hilarious! I hate when people talk to me on flights, I hope that doesn't make me snobby. I just like being in my own little world.

Last night was so weird for us. We had nothing to do on the house. We had it all cleaned up on the weekend so we got home last night and RELAXED. What a concept! I love it! I was still a bit feverish last night but felt a lot better after sleeping at my grandma's house all afternoon. I spent the evening watching tv all snuggled under a blanket, had a bubble bath, and went to bed. Today I'm back to 100%!

Poor Gayle! At least he was fun to talk to! When you ride the trains in the summer in NYC, it can get really smelly too! People hang onto overhead straps, and if you are next to a sweaty person, it can knock you right out!

Gayle...you are hilarious!!!! I'm glad the flight wasn't very long with the stinker...lol.

So far today, I've cut up bread so it can dry for the dressing, boiled some eggs and .....that's it. I'll do more tomorrow...just not in the mood today.

I went to Jessie's today. Brandon and I watched "Raptor Island," which was hysterical. It was a real B movie. Brandon and I had fun watching it, and I love listening to him go on and on about dinosaurs, who were the good guys, who were the bad guys, and so on. Then I hung out with Mackenzie and Steve for a while. Kass had a fever and she and Jessie were both napping.

It was a really nice, quiet family day.

I had class this evening and my students were doing presentations. They did such a good job, I'm so proud of them. It also meant that I didn't have to prepare and teach a lesson. WHEW!

I have really enjoyed teaching this class - it is a theory course, and it is hard, abstract material, but they have all done so well. And they seem pleased with themselves. I had one student tell me tonight that she recommended to a friend that they take the class from me next year. Now, I know this student told someone else at the beginning of the semester that she was going to drop the course because she didn't like the class, it was too hard and she didn't understand it. Tonight she was just beaming while telling me about her theory development paper and about recommending me to her friend. Teachers don't often get such positive feedback, so it was a feel-good evening!

Yesterday afternoon I layed out all the ingredients to everything that will be prepared for Thanksgiving dinner. Looks like I haven't forgotten anything. In a few minutes...I'll head to the kitchen and get started so I won't have as much to do on Thursday.

That must feel so rewarding Gayle!

I am stressed a lot at work again. I have already told them I'm not working late in the winter unless I get a copy of the program for home and I'll work there because I don't feel safe on the highways in the middle of the night. Well, they can't do that for me right now. I have so much work and no time to do it. Sooooo... tonight I am updating my resume.

Scott and I have pretty much decided on the trip we're taking to Europe next year! The tour takes us to London, Amsterdam, Rhine Valley, Lucerne, Innsbruck, Venice, Rome, Florence, French Riviera (including Monaco!), one night in a real castle called Chateau du Fontager, Paris, and back to London! Then hopefully we'll have another 10 days to travel a bit through Scotland and Ireland on our own. I am so excited! There are a few places we won't be able to see that I'd really like to see, but I guess we'll just have to go back someday :)

I'm going to the Texas Women's basketball game. But hey, I have my iPad so I'll be connected. Thankfully the game is at 4:00 PM, because I still need to make a salad and a pecan pie when I get home!!!

I was able to get so much accomplished in the kitchen today. Ricky was a big help until he had to go to work. I've got the 2 pecan pies and a chocolate pie is done, cheese cake is done, deviled eggs are made, noodles are done, got the dry ingredients together for the stuffed mushrooms and crockpot dressing, so all I have to do tomorrow is add the rest and start the turkey. I'll peel the potatos tomorrow too. It's been a pretty easy day, but Ricky really made if fun and not seem like work. Whatever girl gets him is going to be one lucky girl.

Made two pumpkin pies, one chocolate creme pie, deviled eggs, and meatballs for tomorrow. Early start for me.. usually I get up very early and do it all.
Oh and lets not forget the three loads of laundry!
Now I am on my way to kitchen to do dishes... I made a mess tonight!!

Well, I went to school this morning and one of my students who has been in the PhD program for SEVEN years, successfully defended her dissertation and she is FINISHED! She's from Thailand and got sick twice and had to return to Thailand for a year each time. I'm so glad that she is finally finished.

Then I went to the Texas women's basketball game - we won! :D

Next, I took my mom home and ate a tostada at my daughter's. Mmmmmmm! It was good. Oh and I had a piece of pumpkin pie (she made two).

After that, I came home and made a pink salad (cherry pie filling, pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, marshmallows and cool whip), pecan pie (only ONE), and got everything ready to go into the crockpot dressing tomorrow.

We are being lazy this year and ordered a fully cooked meal from our local organic grocery store. We are getting a turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetable medely, cranberry/orange relish, dinner rolls, and pumpkin bread pudding. It serves 6-8 and only cost $49.00. We are just filling in some blanks, like the pies and a couple of salads. Oh, and I have to make crockpot dressing because Gary like LOTS of sage in his dressing and NO ONE puts as much sage in it as I do for him. In fact, I always have to make two batches, one super sagey and the other regular. This year though, I only have to make the sagey batch! :p

I think maybe I should have a second Thanksgiving this year and go visit you guys to eat tonight.

Today I asked for time off for Europe and got turned down. So now we have to make other plans :( Other than that I've been busy at work and still stressed out as usual!

Aw Lindsay, that's too bad that they won't let you off for your trip to Europe. I can't imagine why - isn't it in the summer? Seems like all the extra time you've put in for them, they could at least let you take your vacation when you wanted. Geesh!

Ordering dinner sounds like a great idea Gayle. I would also have to make the crockpot dressing because we love it so much. I may have to think about that next year.

Lindsey...that is awful, with all the time you put in for them to turn you down. Did they just turn you down for the time frame you're wanting or turned you down for any time off?


We had the best dinner...I really did good this year...not to brag...but from someone who doesn't like to cook, I do enjoy making Thanksgiving dinner except it's so exhausting.

Rick has been having some pain in his lower back on the left side. He was up and down and couldn't get comfortable. The more he ate at Thanksgiving the more it hurt and he's had to sleep on the floor, (what sleep he could get) for the last two nights. Well, it hurt so bad around 4 PM yesterday that I told him he really should go to the ER. Turns out he does not have a kidney stone, they did a cat scan, but he does have a really bad kidney infection. The gave him meds for pain, inflamation and an antibiotic. After about 4 hours...we were able to come home.

He's feeling better this morning and went to work.

Not sure what I'm going to do today...but I'm not going to fight the crowds at the stores...

They turned down the time frame. We wanted to go in September, so it's still warm but we don't fight the summer crowds. Apparently we're SUPPOSED to be getting a project for final design of a mine site in June and it would last the rest of the year, and they don't want me gone for that. So they'd like me to go before June if possible. But the other reason we had chosen September is we'll have enough savings by then and Scott will have enough holiday time from work. We're trying to work it out though, we might be able to take some funds from elsewhere to go early, and if Scott works a LOT of overtime before that, he could get more time off. Otherwise we'll have to put our plans on hold for another year, and who knows what work projects we'll have then :(

I'm glad you had a good Thanksgiving Janet, other than the ER trip! I've had lots of kidney issues and they're not fun :(

Janet, I'm sorry to hear about Rick, glad it was nothing more serious though and is feeling better.

Lindsey, I hope you are able to work things out and make your trip to Europe as planned. Sounds like you have a very demanding job.

Well I am not fighting the crowds either, I tend to do my best shopping at the last minute.

I also thought i was going to end up in the ER yesterday, dinner went well with mom here, but just after i had returned home from taking my mom home it hit me just so quick, i had such pain between my breast and through my back, i was breathing so hard and couldn't get any relif from it, it was not a sick feeling but pain. Yes i am a smoker and the thoughts of a heart attack did enter my mind, I know the symptoms of a heart attack varies for a woman than a man.

Awful thing is after i did throw up a couple of times i did feel a little better, guess i can only blame it on my cooking, but i checked with mom and she was fine and we ate the exact same things and hubby was fine.

Looks like i may take your lead Gayle and order our dinner next year LOL.

I am still feeling a little under today so just hanging out at home, trying one leftover at a time and seeing what happens.

I hope you feel better Lynne! I wonder what you had...maybe a virus?

I hope Rick feels better too Janet! Must be interesting to see who is in the ER Thanksgiving! Any food poisoning?

Gayle, you are a woman after my own heart! I think ordering a dinner for the holidays is the way to go! $49.00 for organic is such a great price too!

Linds...I went to Europe in September, and it is a wonderful time to go. Still warm, no crowds. Your bosses sound nuts! Don't they understand that if you left, they would be in really bad shape! I'm sure you'll work it out though, and the trip will be wonderful!

I went to Jessie's for Thanksgiving. She makes a delicious holiday dinner, and unlike her Mom, loves to cook. She has the girls into it too. I think that's such a nice family feeling. My mother ordered in, so that's what I learned. Jessie and I always had a big fuss about the holidays though, so I guess she brought the cooking in by herself.

Two of her dogs were about to deliver yesterday. Just as most of us were finished eating, Molly, the malamute, delivered her first pup! Ginger, the Japanese Chin, still hasn't delivered, but her temp is down and she is in her whelping box. I stayed late while Kassidy had a fever of 103 (it went down after her medicine) and Brandon had a breakout of hives, which he has been getting a lot recently. So...1 pregnant dog, 1 dog having pups, 2 sick kids. I have to say though, that it was not a rough day. You know how it is, you have to just do one thing after another.

I'm going back there soon. Molly has had 5 pups so far, but they are taking her to the vet because it has been so many hours. Ginger hasn't had an yet. I think she will deliver on her own. She is a strong little one.

Lynne...that is what I use to have...that pain from the chest to the back and the vomiting. I take meds for GERD and it hasn't happened since. Talk about pain....I thought I was having a heart attack too...same as you...and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

I was told it's when that "flap" in there closes and doesn't give...it causes a build up of stomach gases. I'm glad you're feeling better.

Lynne,
Heart pain can make you throw up - it's called the vagal response - PLEASE go see the doctor on Monday and if you have the pain again - PLEASE go to the ER. Hopefully, it was just something you ate, but it might be your heart!

Gayle, I promise if i have another episode of it i will go to the ER, it did scare me.
I have been fine today, ate only little helpings of left overs and no problems so far.
I think thats what scared me the most was that it was not a sick feeling before i threw up but a painful feeling.

Thank's Janet for texting me and thank you for the info Gayle.

I'm so glad that you are feeling better! I hope it is nothing, but I just needed you to know that heart pain can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. I know you will take care of yourself and go to the ER if you have ANY more pain at all. I'm sorry to worry you - but I just want you to be safe!

I really do apperciate your concern, I do have to keep my self healthy for mom, and my self, but seems this body of mine has really gotten run down the last couple years.

Don't know what we would do with out you here to take care of us.

Love ya

I second that. Don't know what we would do without you...not only for your medical advice, but for everything you contribute to this forum and to our lives. You are so loved!

Aw Janet! You are too kind. I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful community of friends.