<p>DTE, good luck. And, thank you for your service to our community by working when everyone else is fleeing. I told all my employees to stay home. We have a global business, so a number of them will be working from home. I have two guys in Europe. One is flying to the West Coast, but we told the other guy to just stay in a hotel for the weekend as his flight would be canceled. </p>
<p>PRJ, I read that all flights out of Logan are canceled but I hope that yours preceded that cancellation. </p>
<p>kmc, we’ve lived in the same place for since ShawSon started kindergarten. Interestingly enough, I wanted to buy a house in the next town over, which has 5 acre zoning and some beautiful houses or in other parts of our town (where I found a Bauhaus house on 3 acres), but ShawWife wanted to move into a neighborhood where she could see the neighbors and was in walking distance of a town center (and school and library and place where she could by cappuccino as we used to live near Dean and Deluca’s) and we found it. So, given that I am gone half the time, I figured she got to choose. And she was right. It was a great place to raise kids. Our kids have friends here, even though both went to private schools for part of their education and also have friends spread out over several towns, and the neighborhood has a very nice feel. </p>
<p>Houses have sold quickly here – many never hit the market even during the downturn – because of the neighborhoody feel and also because it is one of the less expensive areas in a relatively expensive town. However, that is starting to change as every smaller house sale in the neighborhood seems to be a teardown that becomes a much bigger house. When we came, we bought the biggest house in the neighborhood and added 1000 square feet. Now, I think it is significantly smaller than some of the newer houses. So, I wonder if the neighborhood feel will change.</p>
<p>Shaw, I got out on an 8:30 flight and I’m currently waiting for my connecting flight in Philly; expecting to be home by 1:00. Thanks for your good wishes. I look forward to my NEXT trip to Boston!</p>
<p>Stay safe and warm to those out East!
H just took off for a work retreat in Northern Wisconsin. Our snowstorm won’t hit until Saturday night and Sunday morning. He returns Monday evening so I think he will miss the bad roads.</p>
<p>Lots to do today to get ready for weekend visitors. D1 should get here around 7 and D2 around 10. I need to clean, grocery shop and bake!</p>
<p>I just was called in to staff the shelter overnight…which is at the HS within walking distance. H is stuck in Chicago at least until tomorrow, so I said yes. I guess they are expecting flooding in the beach area. Another fun weekend!</p>
<p>Good luck, PRJ…I 'm surprised you got out!
Looks pretty nasty out there…Be safe everyone!!</p>
<p>Well, the snow is falling, but the dishwasher was delivered at 9 AM and the contractor is now here installing. So, I won’t have to hand wash dishes for our progressive dinner. Our organizer lady canceled today, so I will have to take up the slack in terms of preparing for the party.</p>
<p>Great to hear that you got out PRJ and woody, thank you too for your service to the community.</p>
<p>I join in thanking dte and woody for being the people that others count on.</p>
<p>D called this AM, I made sure that she went out and got water, flashlights and batteries “just in case”. She has the luxury of being able to just hunker down in the apartment. Her bf works in an urgent care center and she was worried that he will get stuck there tonight. I told her that worst case he can sleep there, but he will be safe. I would be worried if they were driving in this.</p>
<p>I was so focused on “me, me, me” getting out of Boston that I missed the opportunity to give D parental blizzard advice or even buy her a shovel! But since I got home, I’ve bombarded her with texts. She is hunkered down, safe and warm, and knows enough not to drive. And it sounds like she and her friends are well fortified :rolleyes:</p>
<p>If you were nearby, I would hire you. Our current person has worked with us since the kids were little – I think she replaced a nanny after the kids were in third grade or something like that and now only comes once a week, but cancels two out of three weeks – her life has a lot of complexity – although we probably don’t need that much help anymore anyways. But, if a couple is as disorganized as we are and works at the pace that we sometimes do, having a good organizational person who knows the family and who has a good brain has been very helpful. I need it at my office as well.</p>
<p>PRJ…Made me laugh at the “well fortified” comment! Good thing it is Friday! </p>
<p>Just finished making bars for D1 and now making a comfort food dinner for when she arrives. Just have to wrap gifts. Guess I should get fortified myself with a nice glass of cab! Cheers! ;)</p>
<p>YUM
Thanks to all who have the skills and love to serve the rest of us in such a situation!
I failed my sleep study I could not give my tech 2 hours of sleep before 2 a.m.
Even after a sleeping pill ( and then I actually snuck more in the bathroom but he did not know (mature, right)). I did fall asleep and had dream about a person I do not like and then woke up–10 minutes total.
So I have spent the day feeling as if I failed a college test.
I figured out to check my D’s Providence, RH address and she still has power. Does this mean I am a helicopter mom? I protest! I just did not want to wake her.
My mother is moved and yet everyone of us expect her to be in the hospital within days, just to get the last word. She told her best beloved grandson (50 yrs old) how horribly dissapointed she is in him and that he is dead to her. He rolled with it.</p>
<p>eddieodessa, what are your rates? I need an organizer! And a cleaning person… with a shovel, especially for the boy’s room. Or front-end loader might work better, if only we could get one through the door. </p>
<p>Oh, oregon… good for the best beloved grandson, and I hope your mom settles in beyond all expectations. </p>
<p>I hope everyone affected by Winter Storm Nemo is staying safe and warm. Heck, I hope everyone is staying safe and warm. We don’t have the storm, but we do have high winds here. And cold. I suppose it’s morning even though I plan to go back to bed, so I guess a hot toddie is out. Darn.</p>
<p>Good morning! Thanks for the cybertoddies, Owlice. You’re a very fine hostess indeed.</p>
<p>Sending lots of weather warm vibes to the coasties. </p>
<p>So, I have a new definition of hellish workout for my sedentary self…snow shoe up the evil hill with knee-deep fresh powder. Egads, I think the deer were worried I’d die. So much for the “beauty” and “communing with nature” that I’d predicted so naively on this thread yesterday morning. More like gasping and burning and lurching ;)</p>
<p>It is paying off though, I can feel and see shape returning to my muscles.</p>
<p>The food part, even though I’m not crazy strict about the ratios and stuff, is paying off for McH. His second set of blood work yesterday came back with the blood glucose of 106, down 20 points from the diagnostic “magic” number of 126 two weeks ago. So I think the evidence would suggest if he just eats what I say, keeps losing weight, and moves his tail a little, we can avoid metformin and other nasty stuff!</p>
<p>I was fairly surprised by the difference.</p>
<p>Gotta run get some editing done before writer’s meeting this a.m. but safe cozy happy Saturday to all!</p>
<p>Good Morning, friends! Loved the hot drink, owlice.</p>
<p>I hope that all are safe and warm this AM. Plan on calling my sister in NH later, she should be OK as long as they have power. Assuming D is fine, it is way to early to call her. We had some wicked wind here in NoVa last night.</p>
<p>Good for your H, kmc! It’s always nice when there is a concrete result like a number to monitor progress.</p>
<p>H and I are meeting one of his college classmates and his wife for bowling and then dinner. Should be fun!</p>
<p>I think we are having sympathetic cold here. Woke up to 34 degrees, which is about as low as it gets here. After heavy rain yesterday, there was frost/ice on the lawn, deck, cars, etc., this a.m. Snow level dropped to about 4000’, so our snow is up in the hills/mountains, which, to my mind, is a darn good place for it. And it is beautiful to look at!</p>
<p>Life insurance paperwork complete, copied, mailed by certified mail.
Pension paperwork complete, copied, mailed by certified mail. (Involved a road trip to one of their banks an hours’ drive away.)
Health insurance paperwork complete, copied, mailed by certified mail.
Mom & Dad’s 2012 tax return complete and e-filed.
And that was my Thursday and Friday.</p>
<p>We never did go to the tea room that Mom wanted to go to for her birthday (it’s about an hour drive one way) because she was so intent on us getting all the paperwork done. It really was a tremendous relief to her and I’m glad I could do it.</p>
<p>My mom keeps talking about how Upstairs Downstairs was better than Downton Abbey, so I got her the complete Upstairs Downstairs for her birthday. She wept when she opened it. Maybe watching all zillion episodes will keep her going for a while.</p>
<p>Nephew’s GF is definitely pregnant…he bought another pregnancy test and was in the bathroom when she took it. She has 2 kids from a previous marriage and is a “good Catholic girl” so she is definitely keeping the baby. I would actually be excited - the out of wedlock part is certainly not the end of the world (after all, my nephew is 30) except that he doesn’t seem to like the baby mama very much. </p>
<p>Mom and I talked briefly to Sister about her living situation. She got very defensive and said that talking about it made her panic. Mom keeps repeating “you can always live with me but without the dog” and she said she would prefer to pitch a tent in a park than give up the dog. Sister thinks her goal is to find a new apartment that doesn’t require a credit check and that will take the dog and Mom keeps telling her that she will not pay the rent. And so it goes. Crisis coming at the end of the month.</p>
<p>eddie and oregon, hugs for dealing with your moms. </p>
<p>NM, I totally misread your reference to “bars” the first time around…thought you were making the rounds of the local bars. </p>
<p>Oregon, last fall my dad had a sleep study…they said he was the only one they had ever had who got 0 minutes of sleep. </p>
<p>If they are going to name potentially deadly blizzards, how about they use serious names, or at least not names with immediate orange animated fish references? </p>
<p>Younger D is at her first ACT prep tutoring session today.She has a cheer competition later today. It will be the first time of the season I have seen her compete and I think this is the next to the last one ever. (Not choking back tears as I was when older D’s dance competitions were drawing to a close.)</p>
<p>I have lost a bit of weight. My mother does not comprehend “gluten free.” Offered me sandwiches, mac and cheese, cake. On Thursday night I was literally opening every cabinet and other location where there could be food, looking for something gluten free. I finally made us some pretty terrific salads.</p>
<p>If you aren’t on Facebook but still want to be included in the possible April meet up in DC or Boston, please PM me or someone else who is on Facebook.</p>
<p>missypie, wow, you accomplished a lot. good for you and good for your mom to get that all behind you. I guess you’ve handled the things you can control (paperwork) while you wait for the crisis you can’t (your sister). remember, we’ll all be here for you at the end of the month.</p>
<p>kmc, so nice to see/feel results, be it muscles or weight. kudos to you for gently guiding mcH. DH was doing so well with exercise and diet before I got sick, but he’s having a hard time getting started again. I know if he could see just a little change he’d be more motivated, so I will keep encouraging him and cooking light. </p>
<p>
oregon - good for him. it sounds like that’s where your whole family has to get with your mom. we have to do that sometimes with my dad when he gets angry/argumentative/rude - we just remind each other that this is not really our dad.</p>
<p>owlice, thanks for the well timed refreshments ;)</p>
</p>
I could not give my tech 2 hours of sleep before 2 a.m.