So...whats for dinner?

susan - a bientot, bon voyage!

Susan, add my shits to the rest!  Xeloda sounds like a  warrior name for a drug, so lets just hang on to that powerfully formidable name in scaring the you know what out of the C-cells!  Surely this d r  realized you were serious about your trip the last time you saw her!   C'mon people.  You give us your fears while you are gone and enjoy yourself and we will manage them for you stateside!

Lacey, so sorry for your  news about your brother.  I agree the whole day should be done over...

I've been really bad munching on greasy potato chips with French onion dip and a diet coke, so dinner--hmmmm.  maybe a turkey & cheese sandwich.  Had a different therapy guy today and he really worked the heck out of my wrist.  I still have to do one more work out today, and it is kinda painful already.

Have a sinus infection/virus or something gong on with a cough that makes my chest hurt, but the bored dr. in Prompt care just gave me a Z-pak and told me the lungs sounded clear.  Not sure how you dignose sinus infection without looking at anything b ut my throat, but that's what she did....

Susan, bon voyage! Eat lots of good olives and stinky cheese, but most importantly, enjoy yourself! And second most importantly, tell us everything!

Lacey...sad news about your DB. As usual, "I'm sorry". just isn't enough....I wish I had some magic word..but I don't.

DD is 17. I told her I'd *help* fix things, but I want her to do the majority of the wrench work and such. I'll help and show her what to do, but I want her to do most of the work. I told her it's not punishment, but (quoting my grandfather) "Having my daughter standing along side the road, crying and waiting for a man to rescue her...will not do.." My grandfather was way ahead of his time and he has influenced me more than he knew.

Off to sleep for me.....I've got to get up at 3:30am tomorrow....uggh.....training starts early.....

Susan, forget about everything but enjoying your trip! Eat a good crepe for me and remember which wines you get. We'll all be interested. Safe trip!

Eric, glad your DD wasn't injured. And learning to fix cars is a great thing. I could change out the oil and change tired before I met my DH. All my kids had to learn both of those things before they got their license. And for the same reason. Better to know how to do it than wait for help. And that was even before cell phones. LOL.

Lacey, so sorry to hear about your brother. That is it an easy thing to deal with.

Joyce, that's a lot to deal with for you and your friends. Really a lot.

Red, i hope the PT helps with the hand faster than you think. And I hope the cold doesn't get worse and just fades away.

Minus enjoy the concert. Tell us what you decide on! LOL

I'm having my 2nd cataract op on Monday. So keep your fingers crossed. Thanks!

To everyone on this board, may only better days lie ahead of you all.

Much love

.

minus - OMG - we say the linner/dunch thing too!

moon - hope all with the cataract surgery goes smoothly and that someone is spoiling you!

eric - my DD had a highway speed accident when she was in her first year of community college - she was lucky to survive and her airbag did not deploy.  I was a good thing I saw her before I saw the car - $16,000 damage to a $15,000 car, and she was very lucky - also lucky not to have a chain reaction and be hit from behind.  She was scared to drive for a while, and she was much more cautious for quite a while.  So glad your DD was unhurt - can the car be fixed?

red - hope the PT is helping - I start on Mon for 4 weeks, twice weekly, for the hip/lumbar pain that the MRI showed was all orthopedic stuff, thank goodness.

lacey - so sorry about your DB.  My MIL has short term memory issues and has had some confusion, did not do a stellar job on her assessment, but seems to get through the day and maintain normalcy.  She seems to have reached a point, but not progressed beyond it, so we are happy about that.  The whole thing is hard.  I have noticed that she has scaled back activities, cooks a lot of the same things - smaller repertoire, all coping mechanisms.  I felt bad for my son - he called to thank them for his birthday check, and neither of them remembers him doing it - so he called them again two days later.  DH just saw them a couple of weeks ago and they have no memory of either phone call.  Next time I think he will have to write a note.

got home, changed out of the uniform and went right into working on the car until about 7:30pm. For some reason I'm tired.

It's a $500 car. The damage isn't that extensive (sheet metal and plastic trim stuff); but since it *is* a $500 car, the fix - don't fix decision will depend on what the junk yards charge for parts.

Tomorrow is my mom's taxes. That should only be an hour or so..

Eric, your productivity never ends nor ceases to amaze!

Moon, good luck with the cataract surgery!

At the concert tonight, the entire audience of a couple of hundred people was in the sixty-seventy year old range, and very few wore glasses. It occurred to me that many probably have had their cataracts done and no longer need glasses to watch a performance.

We got to hear the New Black Eagle Jazz Band at our church coffee house tonight. Lots of New Orleans style jazz. DH loves that music.

We had a fast dinner of every last little remnant from last weekend and the one stuffed artichoke we had not eaten earlier this week. I would rather be eating at your house Carole. You are whipping up some tasty sounding meals!

I can just imagine the wonderful meals our Susan is enjoying in Paris. Ooh la la!

I hope I've eaten enough out of the garage freezer so I can defrost it tomorrow. I used to do this every year but haven't tackled it since the BC was first diagnosed. Needless to say, it will be a monumental job. I still use pans of boiling water like my Mother did, but also the old clunky portable hair dryer that has a connection for a hood on the end of the hose. I bought that hair dryer for my Mom around 1960. Things used to be made to last.

I can taste that baguette!

That breakfast is much better than the one I had....coffee while working on mom's tax forms.

I wish I wasn't needing to be so productive....a month long disaster deployment is actually a chance to relax.....

Moon, have a gentle procedure today and easy recovery with lots of cuddles from that sweet baby!

Eric, you could use a vacay! But hopefully not brought on by any disasters.

Am heading over for three hours of allergy testing today. From last time's experience, I now know it leaves my body feeling exhausted....not a good thing since I caught very little sleep last night.

My DB called last evening to tell me about his newly diagnosed dementia, and it was such a heartbreaking and difficult conversation. Ugh! So many times I was reminded of the phone conversations with my mother throughout her struggle. I am desperately hoping that DB's wife maintains her health so that he does not end up institutionalized, which he shared is his worst fear, understandably. He has three days of more tests this week, so maybe we can hope for a glimmer of light, especially if the spinal tap relieves some of the pressure on his brain. It's hard to have him be on the other side of the country away from all of our family.

Anyway....the weather is gorgeous here and the pollen is not yet flying, so I'm trying to appreciate that bright side of the day

I was just going to type---Bet Susan is enjoying croissants for breakfast--and you send a picture!!!!!!  Love it.  Find a good pastry shop and get yourself some sinful chocolate.

I need to give some thought to dinner tonight - I think something easy, I have a PT appt at 4 - not sure how long I will be there, but I will be in traffic coming home.  I made split pea soup over the weekend and flipped DH from a pea soup hater as a child to someone who likes it!  It only took me 32 years.  I also stripped contact paper out of cabinets and drawers and relined them with the foam mats.  I have reconfigured the kitchen and keep confusing myself, but it is a change for the better - it started with new dishes and just kept going.  I took the pots and pans out of the two big drawers where they were stacked and put them in a cabinet with an upper shelf - much better!  I put the storage containers that had been in the cabinet in the drawer with measuring cups and mixing bowls - now they don't fall over when I stack them - yay!  I had an appt with a new PS on Friday and got a call from her office that they can work me in for surgery on Wed - um, what?  I asked to delay until PT is over in a month.

Special, can you share your pea soup recipe?  I bought some split peas a month ago and have yet to use them.

I also bought some black rice (that's a new one for me) Going to try the recipe on the bag for Black Rice with Sweet Potatoes:  Kind of worried about the sweet potato cooking w/o sticking based on the recipe.

3/4 cup black rice

1 1/2 cups water

3/4 teas salt

2 Tablespons veggie oil

3/4 cup scallions ( 1 bunch)

1 tablespoon fresh giner peeled and minced

1 large sweet potatoe (12-14 oz) peeled and diced

Bring rice, water and 1/2 teas of the salt to boil in 1 1/2-2 quart sauce pan, then reduce to low and cook the rice, covered until tender and most of the water is absorbed, about 35 minutes.  Let rice stand covered off the heat for 10 minutes.  While rice is cooking, heat oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat.  Sauté scallions, ginger and sweet potato, stirring until coated well about 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to moderate and add remaining 1/4 teas salt and pepper to taste, then cook covered, stirring occasionally until potato is just tender, about 12 minutes.  Add rice and toss gently to  combine.  Serves 4