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What are you up to today? This week?


heidiiiii

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Helen, it's so good to see you! I'm so glad you are feeling a little better; I can totally relate to things coming out scrambled since I often have to re-type things several times before I get to what I'm actually trying to say.

Deb, as a general rule I dislike rodents of all kinds but that little rat is kind of cute! I think it's the big furry feet that get me.

Well, I hit my 10,000 steps in a day goal today. Now if I could just figure out how to get more hours in a day so I could get out my minis I'd be a super happy camper.

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Well hopefully today the carpenter is going to finally show up and finish up the estimate and give us the start date for redoing a section of our bathroom so we can move the washer and dryer in there. It's in a very inconvenient place and with me planning my surgery for my two knees to be replaced, I finally convinced DH that having the washer and dryer where I can get to it easier would be so nice during my hospital stay (for he and the kids) and when I come home and have to rehab. Of course he doesn't know how to turn it on or sort or anything but I've been teaching Twinkle and Wisteria some of it so they should be able to muddle through it. Of course it would have been nice for now when I'm still hobbling like a drunk penguin but at least he's on board now.

In the process, I'm also hoping to get a bathtub, a linen closet, some laundry storage in the little nook we will create. I want it hidden away so the bathroom doesn't appear to be a laundry room!

I'm also vying for a set of shelves on the wall in my studio so I can get some "stuff" off the floor. Again I'm using the recovery card since it will be hard for me to get around for a while and I surely wouldn't want to trip on all that "stuff" now would I? :evil: :wicked:

The plumber has all his ducks in a row already but the electrician hasn't stopped by yet. Will have to put in some outlets for the washer and dryer and put some lights in different spots.

So fingers crossed that he actually gets here this time. :yeahrite:

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Oh, Selkie, how well I know thaqt waiting game! I have my fingers crossed for you, too!

If the rain lets up I hope to go play in the workshop. I mostly hope the rain lets up before the water that was in their side yard and had risen with the past two days' rain moves back in over their floor again.

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Oh, Helen, you have accomplished so much. I know what it means to be able to do what seems to be childs play, but it's like climbing a mountain for us. Once you get on a roll, try doing just a tiny little bit more each day! You go, girl!

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Selkie, you know best how to go about getting what you want and need! Most of us just come close, but you sure have got a good reason for wanting AND needing these comforts (I use the word comfort lightly, but definitely don't mean it that way at all!) These things should have been done years ago (?) when you first started having problems with your knees. I'm glad you have the kids to help in any way they can. Keep up the good work!

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Helen, I've been down that long road back from cognitive dementia (I really wish they had a nicer sounding term for it because while I might be a little crazy, I'm not demented yet) and sympathize with what you're going thru. One of the most encouraging things my neuro told me was not to give up and think that my language and memory skills were gone for good because the brain can be taught to "reroute" circuits. It's a matter of learning how to go around the roadblocks instead of trying to break thru them and I've worked hard with several things that seem to have helped. One of the best ways I've found to rewire my short term memory as well as retrieve lost nouns is to play those "hidden object" games on the computer. You can find the software in the cheap section at Walmart and there are usually three or four games on a cd. Usually there's a little story line so you navigate back and forth thru various scenes retrieving things or completing quests (great for memory recall) and then there are scenes with lots of items and a list of things to find in each one. Those are excellent for short term memory recall but they also help a lot with regaining nouns since you're matching a word with the picture of an object. On days when I was stuck in bed unable to move, I could still play them on my laptop so it helps to pass the time in an enjoyable way. There's no stress or frustration to them either because they have "hints" that you can use if you get stuck. At about ten dollars for a cd, it's a lot cheaper than therapy too. They've done wonders for me so I thought I'd mention it to you. I hope that you get good news from the neuro assessment and that they'll have you on the road to recovery soon.

Selkie, that's an awesome sounding bathroom! I've always believed that if women were the ones to plan houses, laundry rooms would always be on the same floor as the bedrooms and preferably in a nice closet in the bathroom. It just makes sense to have them closer to the objects they're used for. <chuckling> I've always said that most houses were planned by men who weren't familiar with the functions of things like laundry rooms and kitchens.

Sarah, that's a lot of steps in one day! If they were all going up, you'd be on top of the world by now!

I've been out spraying weeds and deep watering the mesquite trees. I'm still not sure they have my drip irrigation system working properly coz the thorny mesquites out front are looking a bit wilted so I have the hose out and am letting it trickle around the canopy edge where most of the feeder roots are located. I had to laugh at one of the lizards who's out there trying to pick a fight with the garden hose. He's doing all the defensive posturing and hissing at it and just having all kinds of fits.

Speaking of lizards, for those who were following the story of Lizardzilla and Bridezilla, I regret to say that they've fulfilled their part of the food chain and are no more. We've had a whip snake hunting the yard so our lizard population dropped considerably. Lest I sound like a hypocrite for allowing a whip snake to wander freely, I should mention that they are the least dangerous and most recognizable of all the snakes around here. They look like a pale pink ribbon which is distinctive enough but their motion is what gives them away since they run with their heads up. They're not blind like most snakes so they can see where they're going. They're also more skittish about humans than any other reptile and will go to extreme lengths to avoid us so they're seldom seen. They're primarily nocturnal as well and even if they are cornered and bite, they're not even in the "semi-toxic" category so they aren't a danger to kids and pets. I caught this one unaware after he'd wandered into the backyard thru one of the water outlet vents in the wall one evening. He's about four and a half feet long and two fingers wide so he's a good sized fellow. Bruce used the garden hose to guide him back out the vent (snakes hate showers) but I've heard him slithering around in the rocks when I'm on the patio at night. He pretty well hunted the yard clean of lizards and he may have moved on since the late spring/early summer lizard clutchings have been showing their little heads here and there. There's a teeny little great horned lizard about two inches long who greets me at dawn by crawling out from under the gravel at the edge of the patio and scuttling off to work. I call him Sam.

One of the teenage spotted whiptail lizards has been teasing Frankie and Deano thru the patio doors. I've dubbed him Kidzilla since he's probably an offspring of one of the other Zilla family. Lizards are as curious as cats and he's been curious about my cats since he can see them thru the glass doors and it didn't take him long to figure out that they can't get to him. So he sits out there on the welcome mat watching them body slam themselves into the glass trying to get to him. If lizards can laugh, that one is out there slapping his knees at the antics of Frankie and Deano trying to claw thru the glass. However, as soon as he hears me jack back the super soaker, he beats feet outta there before I can spray him. They're smart little things, that's for sure.

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Sad to report that the carpenter has not showed up yet. There is still day left of course but I'm getting cranky .....

Thanks for the support. I hope it will be what I expect when all is said and done. You know how things look better on paper sometimes than in RL. OK back to work Selkie and get your mind off the irritation. :bicycle:

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Take pictures in Cuba! (if allowed).

Photos are not a problem. We won't be going anywhere near a military facility. I'm planning to blog the trip when we get back.

This door's frame has rotted too. We need $300 worth of wood and it's very involved to repair that the carpenter says it's crazy but it might be cheaper to just buy a whole new door. --- fun and games :banana:

We're looking at replacing both the front and basement doors when we get home. Both have moved beyond the simple repair stage.

We're at the hotel in Miami, fly to Cuba tomorrow. So far the trip has been great, and flying by way too quickly!

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Wow! What a great report from everyone this morning. No, life isn't all good but it's good to hear from you all.

Helen, I thought about Deb when you wrote me about your memory challenges. Sounds like she's been through something very similar. I have, but haven't. I experienced a rough time following a car accident/head injury. It's an awful feeling to reach for a bottle of water and ask someone to hand you the panda bear :) Fortunately, these things can be worked with. I wish I would have had this forum then. No doubt, someone would have understood.

Selkie, last weekend we just were talking with my Dad about when he had the laundry moved for my Mom. He said it proved he had been good to her. Ha! I reminded him that while he was good to her, moving the washer and dryer out of HIS motorcycle repair area in the garage was most certainly NOT done for Mom. Men!!! It has made me have all kinds of comical visions about your situation.

Kathie- Safe and happy journeys!

On that note, I think I will get ready to go visit my Daddy :) All of you have a wonderful weekend.

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I am heading to a wedding in Rhode Island for the weekend. :)

Oh, at one of those fancy castles or mansions that we always hear about ???

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Oh my goodness Deb I LOVE hidden object games! I have had almost exactly the same experience as you with them; fantastic for cognitive boosting, as well as just plain fun. I have been a member of a site which sells them for about 5 years. Not sure if it's okay to post the name of it, so if anybody is interested just drop me a PM. They have a new game every day, and there is a 1 hour free trial of any game before you buy. I definitely recommend them for anyone who wants to sharpen up the old brain cells :ohyeah:

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I have discovered I enjoy the games that you spot the differences, and there are a slew of fun ones online. One of my favorites is Museum of Thieves because there are usually more differences between the pictures than the number they have you search for. Here is my most favorite games source: http://www.memory-improvement-tips.com/index.html. I'm fighting to retain most of my memory and cognitive functions and these help!

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First off! Big Hugs to you Graz! You have been through alot recently. The cosmos need to lay off now and give you a break. I have type 2 diabetes. I can be hard at first but you will get the hang of it. If they put you on Metformin, just ride out the nausea. It does go away after a week or so.

Helen, for years I was in a slow decline cognitively and my balance was in the pooper. Long story short, I had a massive infection in my right mastoid that ate away at the bone. I had the surgery two years ago. It has taken awhile but I feel so much better. I literal lightbulb has been switched on for me. If I could get my hands to behave properly, I could get into miniatures too. I hope you have a speedy recovery.

I have lots of lovely veggies and herbs to put in ground and pots tomorrow. I am going to dig out a small front bed that has been neglected the past few years. It has sad under performing strawberries all over it. I am going to dig them up and plant them in my big barrel planter. See if that makes a difference. I have a cheesecake going in the oven for a friend`s birthday tomorrow. I have just been busy.
I like that I can be busy now. When your brain works better, you accomplish so much. Makes me feel good.

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I haven't found hidden object games to be much of a challenge yet, but I'm waiting for the day when my kids will be old enough to work on jigsaw puzzles. I like those, but our youngest is at that age where he most enjoys tearing things apart and ruining puzzle pieces.

I have been trying to fight off another case of G.I. erosion all week, but I'm losing the battle. Fortunately I still have Oxycodone and Zofran from the last time this happened. I also have a bowl of Jello curing in the fridge and plan to get some Gatorade later this evening.

We're pushing through with our plan to buy the house. The inspection, insurance quote and repairs have been dealt with. Now all we need is the loan approval and to write a check for the down payment and closing costs. Besides applying for unemployment benefits, the company that laid me off last December has an opening I applied for- the original data entry job I held before being recruited by the Legal department. The supervisor would most likely hire me if she doesn't already have someone else in mind, but it would be a $320 per week pay cut. The other problem is it's an 8 - 5 shift, so going back to school would be a problem. There aren't any night courses in the ASN program.

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If anyone is having brain issues and is on facebook, I highly recommend playing the game criminal minds. It's a tad gruesome, but it has lots of memory games. Timed 'find the objects', 'find the differences' and rearrange the picture squares. I love it. It's not competitive, you go at your own pace. It's free.

I delivered some baby trees to a friend today. We don't see each other often, but we talk on the phone. 40 years of friendship and no matter how long between communication, it seems like the last time was yesterday.

I am itching to get in the miniature village. I have fairies screaming for lights in their houses.

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Has anyone here played The Fool's Errand (by Cliff Johnson)? Took us a few months (!) to get to the end and it was fabulously difficult! There's a new one out called The Fool and His Money, which I haven't bought, but this looks like a source not only for this game, but others as well... maybe free ones also... http://www.fools-errand.com/ I will study it when I'm not half asleep, but I wanted to share this while I remembered!

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Just found a wonderful doll maker, whose work can be seen at http://sasminidolls.weebly.com/

I found one of her dolls on eBay and was very much impressed by the detail and the quality of her work, that I thought I'd share it here. After seeing (and using) the same old Houseworks dolls, this was like a breath of fresh air!!! The dolls run about $65 each, and I think they're absolutely worth every penny of that price!

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Sandy, I checked out that site. Some cute dolls. 1/2 scale, 1:12 children and kits are much less than $65. This means for some of us on a tighter budget, look! I was impressed with the selection in the lower prices.

I spent the day enjoying life. Looking at pictures, ordering mini's :) Basically, just looking for reasons to smile :)

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Today we are celebrating our 19th Anniversary in a very relaxed kind of way, ie enjoying the sunshine and puttering about in the garden potting and planting alittle as well as planning this and that ;)

We'll see what we might do for dinner though, no ser plans there either so whatever wefeel like later on sounds good to me

Hugs

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Congratulations Anna! Our 19th was Monday! I'm not sure we even did as much as you did, ww just hung out here. We will probably go to dinner one evening this week.

Today is shopping and errand day. Groceries and he real shopping, mow the lawn, etc. Lawson started working this week, and I realized he has no clothes. He wore uniforms to school, so I haven't had to worry about that! He had 2 shirts and 2 pants, so that was plenty. Same with Brennen, he starts volunteer work at the school bookstore, I should get him a couple things too.

This past week started our big summer project at work. Normally I am right in the middle doing everything, last year I was at every school and got a good relationship with the company we use for the computer installs. This year I work in the office, but my boss still wants me involved, so I have been doing a lot of juggling and running back and forth. I don't mind, but I feel bad leaving the office people that have to do more when I'm gone. He wants me in the schools 100%, but that can't happen, so hopefully I'll find a good compromise.

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