<p>Perhaps I should qualify… While I did not think there were rules or traditions in place (as she is my only sibling that also has children), her point was that she had made a point to give my kids things until they graduated from HS. Her two boys are in 8th & 10th grade. Thing is, though, when my kids were young I recall a lot of family gifts… like the tubs of popcorn, so there has clearly been a misunderstanding of some type. AND I will use Shaw’s words pretty much verbatim. In fact, I’ve already cut and pasted into an email draft that I will tweek to fit a little better …thanks!</p>
<p>Modadunn, hope your recovery continues to go well!</p>
<p>D is working the late shift at her internship this week, which means I don’t get to see her much, because she’s asleep when I’m up in the morning, and I’m going to bed when she gets home. Yesterday she and the intern from Northwestern wore pretty much the same outfit by accident. </p>
<p>Was in such a boring meeting yesterday. Six of us from various areas were on a telephone conference call; we were all together in a room and our vendor’s implementation project leader was on the phone. It was supposed to be an hour long but ended up being almost 2 hours. The guy was the master of answering our questions at length without actually answering or saying anything.</p>
<p>On Sunday S surprised me by being so adult and mature. He did a good job on the hymn he was singing, was gracious when people told him how well he did, told the choir director he’d sing again when he was home for spring break, and told a church member who is the forensics/debate coach for a neighboring HS that he would be a judge at the tournament they are hosting when he’s home in March. </p>
<p>At the baptism on Saturday, there were lots of young children running around/fidgeting/annoying their parents during the service. Afterwards at the party, I turned to my two kids and jokingly told them how proud I was for their good behavior at the church (young kids/their parents weren’t present for my comment). My father-in-law started laughing at the remark. While I truly enjoy children, it’s also nice when they grow up to become delightful and well-behaved adults!</p>
<p>Glad your surgery was smooth, Moda, and that you’re feeling better about the sis-tuation 
I find that any time someone is hurt, they’re just not feeling loved, so it’s worth loving them up a little ;)</p>
<p>So i made grand plans yesterday to start getting back in shape yesterday by re-instituting my morning walks, which I’d faithfully taken for more than a decade before moving here a year and a bit ago. The trouble was that here, it’s a dark, fast, country road that’s not safe for early morning walks, and last winter there was an awful lot of hunting to be heard in the back woods, so I was afraid to do the trail at my usual time. Then, when I tried to adjust things when it was light, I twice slipped on the steep hill and twisted my back. Said back is tricky, and was the reason I walked faithfully before, so hurting it was counter productive.</p>
<p>Yesterday, I finally conquered the hill by using my snow shoe ski poles and it felt great. I had big plans to get home in time to do another mile on the treadmill.</p>
<p>But I got hone at 11 pm so beleagured that I instead ate an ice cream Sunday and sat down with a book. Which explains precisely how I’ve gotten to this state so it’s not just the hill I have to conquer. It’s the late nights at he office! I’m not sure what to do about that. Perhaps I should fire myself ah, we’ll, baby steps.</p>
<p>That 10,000 steps thing makes one very aware when their life is in part sedentary by work-related attrition.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, I will climb that hill again today, because as they say, use it or loose it! Or in the case of those of us on the rubinesque side, use it to loose it ;)</p>
<p>I’ve noticed this year that since I’ve posted our woods with ample “no hunting except by written permission” signs that it really has made a difference, so my hunch last winter that the gunshot were in fact coming from my own property was accurate. I guess the blind in the tree should have been a big clue </p>
<p>The trail through my woods joins up with a bigger trail on easement land that runs all the way to a small, damed river. Now I know where those beavers I see crossing the road up at the next mile concessions are going – I got to see their handiwork ;)</p>
<p>Although it sounds like a bad joke, I used to literally wonder why the beavers crossed the road when the ‘big’ river was on the other side ;)</p>
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<p>That is touching, Eddie. </p>
<p>When I was sick I kept alarming myself whenever I passed a mirror…how old and drawn and basically unrecognizable I looked…I wondered how long it would be before that was my constant look. Maybe one of my Ds will be sweet like Eddie and help me out.</p>
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<p>Great words of wisdom and applicable in so many situations.</p>
<p>My resolution to work out 3x/week has been a fail. The first week of Jan is our quarter end close, always super busy and between getting home late and being tired it just didn’t happen. So it occurred to me (duh) to use the 20 minutes in the AM that I used to use driving S to his bus stop. Started yesterday, spent 20 min on the treadmill in the basement and wasn’t too bored (Good Morning America helps), so I hope to stick to this.</p>
<p>Am having an MRI this afternoon, I was referred after my mammo in Dec. Am thinking (hoping) that the Dr was just being cautious.</p>
<p>Fallgirl, fingers crossed for you. Let us know how it works out.</p>
<p>Moda - I hope you are able to rest and repair while thinking of all this. Take care!! (shawbridge - very, very well put.)</p>
<p>Best of luck to those of us whose New Year’s resolutions have slid off course. I count myself among you and must, must, must get back on track.</p>
<p>PS We received our Commencement package last night. I was all excited. D…not so much!</p>
<p>FallGirl – my fingers are crossed for you too.</p>
<p>MissyPie – I hope you’re getting your energy back. Mirrors are not your friend when you’ve been sick. </p>
<p>I’ve been looking through family photos, and doing some math – and in pretty much every case, my female relatives in pictures in their 50’s looked way older than I think I look, and I’m certainly hoping that the trend continues. Some is just Lady Clairol & sunscreen, but I’m thinking that not having grown up in the Depression and going through World Wars and the associated privations is probably the larger part along with not nearly the backbreaking work. Or, I’m just delusional. (But happy to live in that delusion.)</p>
<p>H has an unfortunate reality – when he “turns off” his face (when he’s concentrating on something else), the corners of his mouth drop and he looks grumpy even though he isn’t, and it is getting much worse as he gets older. I don’t know if there is anything he can do about it. </p>
<p>FallGirl – My exercise plan has been a fail so far this year too. H likes to go to the gym at 9 or later in the evening, and I can’t fathom that, and the weather has been way too cold to go walking around outside. Excuses, I know. I just can’t seem to push myself real well on that front now. It might be better if the pedometer actually worked, but we used them in an exercise challenge for his company a couple years ago and it was infuriating to see that my pedometer registered way fewer steps than his did even when we we walked together – and even when we traded pedometers to see if mine was defective.</p>
<p>Today is my dad’s 80th birthday. He and Mom and my sister went to a restaurant for lunch. On the way out, he had a heart attack. And died. I don’t know how to do this. One step at a time - get there. Glad my sister is there.</p>
<p>MP - how tragic! I know what it is to lose a parent. Mom died of a heart attack 20 years ago. Hugs to you and your family.</p>
<p>missypie, I am so, so sorry.</p>
<p>Oh missypie. I am so sorry. Hugs seem insufficient but sending them anyway.</p>
<p>Missy, I am very sorry.</p>
<p>Oh, missypie. I am so sorry.</p>
<p>Oh Missy, I’m so very sorry – sending beams of strength.</p>
<p>Talk about feeling old! had a patient’s mother tell me her 14 year old son might be more motivated if he had a young pretty nurse. She was joking kinda, as there seems to be a criteria for that in my unit not just pretty but beautiful and thin. Not to happy for this middle aged woman.
My husband has kindy shared his cold. I went to work underthe weather, but its worse today. he is on the mend so I am hopeful this one wont hang on. Woody i hope you get better soon! There is one virus going around that goes right to the lungs, i was on inhalers and prednisonein the fall.
D2 finally got her flu shot hope she feels ok and doesnt end up with the flu, I am hearing it is only 65 percent effective this year.
Moda glad the surgery was good, and you had the added bonus of a cute anesthesia guy
I am tired of the gift thing too. I feel bad that my brother feels obligated to send me gifts, he has a young family. I have suggested no gifts and he doesnt want it. i would rather just send it to his young sons. Instead of wanting his GC I just feel bad knowing his family could use. it.
I gave a friend of mine some really soft fingerless gloves, she is single mom, and its so thankless , I just wanted her to have something luxurious, then she turned around and gave me over the top stuff for my birthday, sigh. I just wanted to five to someone who doesnt get much. Some people it its too hard to receive. But will get hr back hehe</p>
<p>Missy so sorry, for the loss of your father! Hugs to you!</p>
<p>Oh missypie…so terribly sorry for the loss of your father. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Take care, my friend.</p>
<p>Missypie, very sorry to hear about the unexpected loss.</p>
<p>MP i am sorry I missed the post. It is one day at a time</p>
<p>Missypie, so sorry to hear of the loss of your father. Keeping you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.</p>