19th May

[Mick]

And how are you all doing today then? Hope alli s well.A current 26 degrees here with the promise of hotter to come.
been messing around in the garden most of the morning thinking about juggling plants around. Gor straight in here today ..no guest stuff nothing. Doctors for me tomorrow afternoon..Julie's in the morning to gee results of blood tests.What are we all up to today? As long as its a good weekend that's all that matters.
Take care all and have a great

[Determinator]

Happy Sunday ABskers!

Slo, I'm in Tirana Albania not quite a week now. amazing place! having fun exploring daily.
best on the condo! that's exciting stuff.

Mick, thanks for getting us rolling as always. do any metal detecting these days?

Last couple of days have been mega hot/humid which I'm having some trouble getting acclimated to but
not boozing makes my body's heat regulation much better at least. And there's a cafe' about every 15' so
plenty of places to grab a mineral water, coffee or whatnot.

Great news on the work front. Got a gig with a travel company to edit their video clips into actual produced videos
for marketing on various platforms. Getting rolling with that tomorrow if all goes according to plan.

well, time to make something like a Greek salad and watch a silly show

be well loves

[Lavande]

Sunday greetings everyone!
We finally got a nice sunny day here, much appreciated too. Only two more days before we can take real showers again, haha. The new tankless hot water system will be installed Tuesday, yay!!! Boiling water in the kitchen & carrying it back to the bathroom sinks is pretty ridiculous. But we don’t stink real bad at this point LOL We should never forget to be grateful for the clean, warm showers we have all become accustomed to, right? Planted my parsley & oregano in the herb garden today. The dill seeds I planted last week are up already too.

Mick, the forum is still a bit wonky after the update but I’m glad it still mostly works. Glad we can all check in daily.
Sounds like you had a nice gardening day too. Good luck with the doc appts coming up.

Det, Congrats on getting the new work, sounds great & something right up your alley.
Stay cool, I don’t think I would be able to cope with so much heat. & humidity. I’m an AC princess Lol

Slo, I saw your post & Congrats on the condo. I hope you love it there & can make it feel like home. That’s important to our mental/emotional well being.
YB surprised me today by bringing up the ‘maybe it’s time to downsize’ talk. Oh boy! The thing is he would never be happy in a condo, I know this. He HAS to have a garage to tinker in & a garden,. Etc. Nothing will be happening on that front anytime soon I’m sure. It’s obvious he’s tired & struggling to keep up with this place. I think I’ll quietly start the decluttering tomorrow, haha!

Hello to Cyn, hope you’re OK after your 4 day TJs stretch.
Hello to Pie, hope all is well.

have a nice night kids,
Lav

[Mick]

mae all how are we today? hope all is well with you .Julie been to the doctors..all tests ok .hoe reckons it could be stress ...I would certainly agree it has played a part .Im at the back specialist this aft .Overcast here today but no rain forecast .Argyl out on the grass eating ...he seems to be doing a lot better on the meds ..I think the anti inflammatory is working ..he is a pain to medicate ..Bonnie has been out this morning ..I have locked the hutch so that she cannot use it as a bolt hole .been doing some work in the garden this morning ...re arranging plants etc .

hiya Lav glad you had a sunny day yesterday .As for the shower or lack of...sounds like a tankless task putting that in ..ok ok ..Downsizing? from where you are to a condo ..nah that wouldnt work ..Bob n Doc sharing a bed ???have a good day .

hiya Det ..how are you buddy?hope all is good and things go well with the job youve got starting today Dont go metal detecting as much as I used to...not as much land available ...farmers are loathe to let folk on their lands now .Since all these treasure hunting programmes came on ...people think its a get rich quick scheme ...and are getting machines.some of the holes dug and left open are horrific ..especially with animals around .Hope this job pans out ok for you .

big shout to everyone else ..hope you have a good day .

My friend Joel went on the Dolly Parton diet!
It made Joel lean! Joel lean! Joel lean! Joel lean!!!!!

Vin Diesel - American actor or cheap French wine from Aldi?

[Slo]

Good morning!

I had an excellent day yesterday that included a bike ride, and then to my sister’s friend’s house who lives on a lake, along with Sister & Young Daughter; for dinner and visiting and a boat ride all around the lake. The boat ride was actually provided by my real estate agent, who knows them too. I’m busy giving her business again.

Det, so Tirana is in Albania then! I guess that would be where you are, since you said you were heading to Albania next.
That is so true how the boozing affects our body’s heat regulation system, leaving us hot & sweaty.
Congrats on the job!

Lav, we do take that running hot water for granted! While our ancestors a couple generations back had to heat water on the stove in order to bathe.
A couple in my condo development regrets their move to a condo too soon, as the husband likes to tinker and do yard work, and now he is at a loss on what to do.
My one son-in-law is like that too, so they are looking for a house with extra garage space that he can use as a workshop. He loves to garden too.
Maybe you could move back to a house in town?

PQ & Lav are both declutterring! -and both for potential moves down the road.

Mick, yay for Spring, and the rabbits can be outside in healing nature munching grass. Even if Bonnie has to be forced to stay out! Thankful that Argyl’s inflammation is relieved some. One vet (not mine, but one I saw for a needed vaccine) suggested that my cat Boyd could be put on a new anti inflammatory medication. Maybe I should have done that for him. And I wish I had learned about grounding pads or sheets a bit earlier -I should have had one for Boyd to lay on. At least I had a heating pad for him this past Winter.
”A tankless task”! -good pun!

TG, my new condo is across the street from Trader Joe’s!

[Lavande]

Greetings friends,
Woo hoo, another rainless day here, yay! We have had so much rain our lawn is just full of little brown mushrooms, haha! I hope the wildlife around here has a feast on them.
I’ve increased Doc’s food portions again, he’s a hungry boy. He’s taken to throwing the empty food bowl around in between meals just for fun & attention. Can’t wait until tomorrow, we will have hot water again. Yuo don’t know what you have until it’s gone, for sure.

Mick, glad Julie’s labs are OK. Stress can do a real number on us & quickly too. If you have an Amazon account you have access to their music offerings. I use several of their guided meditations to clear my head & help me to sleep. Maybe Julie can try out a few of them glad to hear the rabbits are happy to be home & Argyle is feeling better. Hope your back doc visit went well too.

Slo, if I was on my own I could be perfectly happy with a condo, I’m not that hard to please. YB & his ego think he needs ‘everything’ to be happy but is never really & truly happy. That’s what chronic depression is all about. I decided I had to stop worrying about that a long time ago if I was going to survive. He would never tolerate living in a condo. I’ve suggested he hire someone to do certain chores around here that he’s having a hard time doing lately. He wants to continue the grass cutting because he enjoys that. I won’t cut grass, my allergies would kill me haha! I’m glad your day was a positive one yesterday & hope yo have many more.

PQ, how are you? Off today?

Cyn, hope all is well with you.

Hello to Pie who is busy with doggies!

Have a nice night all!
Lav

[treegirl]

Mae all! Final day of 4 at TJs today. The crowds just keep growing,, and so do the chronic busy times... I’m not sure I can handle the stress of it all. But I must remember that this has been a heck of a last 10 days. An extra day cooking for the Shelter people (shared cooking 100lbs of ground beef). 2 Days of helping my SD get into her apartment, unpacking and taking cardboard boxes, etc. Having SD stay with me at my apartment, which worked just fine, but still has been an interruption... I probably mentioned all this in a previous post - sorry, my mind is a little addled. Just tired, very tired. Day off tomorrow
.
Det, love seeing your posts. Glad that a wonderful gig popped up for you. Kudos on stepping away from AL.

Mick, sorry about Julie’s stress... you have both been through a lot... I’m glad you have a way to escape for a bit, but I’m sure the worry never goes away. Glad that her labs are OK. Here’s hoping you stay well and the rabbits behave!


Lav, such interesting thoughts about your future... I know you will figure it out. But in the meantime, there’s Doc to take care of! You’ve been amazing living without hot water - glad it is coming.

SLO - I missed the news of your move! I’ll read back - congrats!

PPQ and Pie - hoping all is well.

Cheers all -
TG

[Lavande]

Hey gang,

I am happy to announce we have HOT WATER again!!!!!. I will be jumping in the shower in a few minutes & enjoy every warm second Lol
Beautiful weather here, it actually hit 82 degrees with a nice breeze.

Cyn, I hope your day off today was as restful as possible. You truly have been running at full tilt for a while. We have to allow decent rest times & give our natural immunity a chance to save us from whatever is coming at us next. Treat yourself well!!

Hello to the rest if the crowd & wishing everyone a nice night!
Lav

[treegirl]

Mae all -
I’m so glad I found the posts on FB… Mick, what a time for Julie and her dad… and you too, of course; worrying is stressful. I hope things calm down soon.

Lav, congrats on the hot water!! Amazing how we learn to love and appreciate things all over again when we’re without! And that was a long time! The pics of the pup are great.

Pi - I saw a dog pic… is that a new rescue? Good luck! I hope you are out of the severe heat.

SLO- are you still enjoying your condo? Hope so.

Det, I hope all is well and pics and memories are being made.

Huge storms came through here this morning… flooding just in front of my apartment building… I watched people try to drive through - most turned around. The storms continued all day long, so it kept me inside, yay. The wind is still blowing like crazy… grateful that these beautiful trees here are still standing - they’ve been “dancing” all day long.

wishing all well ,
TG

[porqoui]

MAE ALL...it was a cold, wet, miserable long weekend. Got a bit of snow, not enough to stick around, and there was frost this morning. There's a reason you don't plant anything until after May long. Rain and cool temps for the rest of the week, we were in the 30's this time last year, and then by Sunday I think we may get some sun and heat, Read through the posts, didn't think I'd been away that long. Wouldn't you know it, if I post daily I'm talking to myself and when I don't post you all show up. Is there something you're not telling me. LOL Boss was off today, accountant left at noon, and the day passed quickly. Worked on some piddly little problems, the ones I usually put off until they pile up and then the pressure's on.

Mick...sounds like you had some nice weather on the weekend. Glad Julie's tests came out ok. How did it go with the back specialist? Glad Argyl is feeling better and that Bonnie came out to play.

Det...great news about the travel company job, you'll have fun with that. Sorry about the heat & humidity, I wouldn't be able to deal with it.

Lav...glad you've got hot water again. A new tankless water system. Is that something like heating the water as it goes through the pipes? Be careful, if you have an endless supply of hot water you may never come out again. I can just picture Doc throwing the food bowl around. LOL Sounds like your weather has turned around, ours will too soon.

Slo...sounds like you had a great Sunday. I'm sure I already congratulated you on the new condo, When do you move or have you?

TG...hope you had a relaxing day off, you needed it after the 2 weeks you just put in.

I am feeling totally wiped, and I only worked 1 day. LOL Taking the car in for a recall tomorrow morning so I don't have to get up early. Have a great night all...PPQP

[Mick]

hiya all how are we all doing? hope all is well.Yes we have had a bad few days ,but fingers crossed we are through it ..Thank you for all your good wishes and help.Was in bed last night at 9pm and slept through...so did Julie ...was dreading that phone ringing .Julie can handle stress ....maybe a lot better than me ..but it certainly got to her , but lets take each day as it comes.Again ..I reiterate ..thank goodness I dont drink .

Wen to see about my back ..Basically what is up with it is a combination ....Wear and tear ,posture,and also doing things for a long time .I explain...first one is age ..albeit my brain hasnt caught up with my body ,secondly posture ...when I walk etc I walk upright with a straight back ..I didnt know ..but that puts a strain on the back to maintain that posture ...sometimes those muscles need to relax ....lastly doing things for along time in one position ...repetitive action. watching television,on a computer etc .its not about hard work ...digging and doing different jobs but more about static stuff if that makes sense .

Argyl is doing a lot better ..the metacam as an anti inflammatory is definitely working .At one stage I thought it may be endex for the little fella ...not so .he is doing great .Also Bonnie is starting to come round ..she will come out of the hutch now ..once she is out I shut the hutch door ..she doesnt seem to mind .and gets on with it .
Raining here today ,and very cloudy .Glad the hot water is back on track Lav ....I take it that it is a combi system? we have that one .
hiya teegee how are you doing?hope all is well with you .I take it the 4 day stretch is over ? you take care .

hiya ppqp...how are you? sounds like you had a good day ...no boss ..no accountant.the weather is definitely changing year by year and thats world wide .I hope you have a good day today too.

hiya Slo ..how are you doing? it sounds like you are settling in and getting on a bit better ...out for a bike ride..good for you ..Yes ,the meds are working well for the little man .and the carpet works really well for him.I wish you all the best in your new place .

hiya Det how are you doing?how did the new job go?


right folks take care all.

[Lavande]

Greetings friends,

We had early morning fog here for some reason but it burned off pretty quickly. Lots of sin & the thermometer hit 86 degrees & it was humid. Sounds like summer has gotten here already. I ran out for a super short haircut (frizz prevention) so i’m happy. The hot water system is working great & will save over $400/yr which is nice. So there’s no more 90 gallon tank sitting in the basement anymore, just this cute little thing.

Cyn, glad those storms left your area but I think they are making their way across the country now. I’ll never understand people wanting to drive through flooded roads, it’s just dumb. Great that you had no damage.

PQ, you know we’re always with you in spirit even when we’re not here, LOL
sorry your weekend was cold & miserable. Doc is using his new food & water bowls now but he’s still carrying the food bowl around when it’s empty. I think he likes it haha! Hope yo get warmer temps soon!

Mick, it’s hard accepting that we just can’t do ALL the things we used to do when we were younger. I do try to keep that in mind & not risk injury. Maybe some anti inflammatories would help your back too. When i think back to the hard physical work I did lifting people & equipment, etc I just know that’s history, no more of that for me. Be kind to yourself, we need you here in mostly one piece!!

Hello to Slo & Pie, hope you are both well.

Here’s my new tankless hot water system.
Have a nice night all!
Lav
IMG_6864.jpg

[porqoui]

MAE ALL...had Mick weather today, you can have it back now. Got the car in for the recall fix this morning, first time I've walked out of a ford service centre with a zero invoice. Felt kinda good. LOL

Mick...had a look at FB to see what was going on and figured that's what was happening. So sorry that you guys continue to go through this. Hopefully you can get something worked out. Back pain is the worst. I've only experienced it once and was totally incapacitated. Once I found a position that didn't give me pain, I didn't move. There's something to the saying "sitting is the new smoking" Glad the rabbits are doing good, one thing you don't have to deal with. I did have a good day today, was able to just concentrate on the things I wanted to do.

Lav...when you said lots of sin, you had me thinking. LOL No sin here! Cold 41F, wet, windy and dark. I managed to get my hair cut fixed on Monday so it's pretty short as well. Glad the hot water system is working well. What a difference from seeing a 90 gallon tank in the basement. I would always worry about it leaking. When you had Doc on the reduced diet he probably figure you just didn't know he was hungry. LOL

Thinking of Pi, Slo, Det, TG and Sam. Have a good night all...PPQP

[Slo]

Good morning,

have had Young Daughter living with me this week, which is wonderful. She’s so snuggly, and we have watched several movies together. It’s nice to have someone to come home to.

Mick, it’s frustrating what you are going through with Julie’s dad…all that running him to the hospital for every little thing.
Sorry about the back pain. I haven’t enjoyed the low back pain & it’s related problems (nerve damage, peripheral neuropathy) that I have developed one little bit. I hope yours is temporary & fixable with some modifications.
Well I have to bike, since I can’t take walks with my condition. That makes it hard in the wintertime. However, I did manage a 10-12 minute walk with my daughter last evening! Victory! I had to ice my feet and knee and stay sedentary for a long time afterwards, but at least I could do it! It would mean so much to me if I could get to being able to take 10-minute daily walks.

PQ, I got the air conditioner fixed in my car last summer, and it’s broken again! I wish I could get it fixed again for free, but, they will probably find a way to charge me for it.

Lav, that tank is so small! Nice that it involves an annual savings too.
I wonder if Doc just likes playing with his food dish like a toy, or if he is communicating that he wants more food?

My present condo gets listed for sale tomorrow. The word will be out, and it will be official! Closing date on the new, smaller place is on June 24th.

Hi to TG & Det.

[Mick]

hiya all how are we doing today then? hope all is good with you ...Van now in the garage...should be ready by tomorrow night ,and then I have to arrange to take it down to Leicester to get the shower fixed...its a specialist job ,hence the travel.Raining today .I feel really tired today so Im not doing much ...see if I can get some zip back .

hiya Slo how are you doing?well done on the walks.Be good if you could walk daily ..no reason why not ...just take it very slowly .We have both got bikes and took them away with us ,but tbh I didnt feel safe riding on the roads ,nor did Julie .so they will go ...I would rather walk .Im glad that you managed to walk .

hiya ppqp ...how are you doing? how is our weather today then? As for the rain ...cheers we have our own here .Glad you had a good day ,hope today is a repetition yes I am weary atm ...I think its a combination of a lot of things.How is the boss /coordinator saga going?

Lav ...where are you living??? check your post yesterday ..lots of sin??? there you go..Save you over 400 of Baron Greenbacks finest excellent ..Yep I saw that about Trump.When you go back over history ..you won the War of Independence..but bearing in mind that Trump is of Scots origin and you are now proud owners of the Harry and Meghan show as well ......we didnt do so bad .thats a natty little heater ...Good for doc ...

hope you have a good day .


Police are investigating an episode of 'Bargain Hunt' filmed in Liverpool after both teams got their 3 items without spending any of their