how about drinking?

Jazzy, I'm in the same boat as you with the car. My FJ is 15 yo and has 185,000 miles on it! I just spent over $800 on fixes and they tell me I need about $1000+ more done to it. Like you, I need it to be safe as most of my driving is not only long distance, but higher speeds on 99% of the roads I'm on. Enjoy your little trips and family time.

NM, so glad no one was hurt from that fire, but sad for those that lost their jobs because of it. You sure sound happy! I do hope Colt is ok. Funny how they can play you. If I remember right, I think I recall Sadie pulling that trick?

I'm just glad to be able to come back and post. I've been following the "post your glitches...." thread. We have a lot of angry members! I leave Friday for Moab and will probably head back on the 6th or 7th. Sending Nora a birthday gift will throw mom of knowiing of my visit.

Teka, thanks for...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtuXryfkJWk

Good morning everyone! Just heard a news story about a school project “pep talk hotline”, which plays recorded advice from kids. My favorite was “if you feel nervous, go get your wallet and spend it on ice cream and shoes” LOL

We’ve accepted an offer on our house, closing in about 30 days. Lots to be done still but I can’t wait to be a full time mountain girl.

Kim - love hear all about Colt and Zoe. Keep them coming - pictures too.

Lori - the picnic table is great. What a nice gift. My two older kids always got outside presents for their birthdays since they are in May - picnic table, sand box, wading pool, bicycles etc.

Jazzy - happy birthday

Sandy - the wedding is coming up quickly - everyone must be excited.

Lori - 2 weeks tomorrow till DD#2 arrives and one week later DD#1. I've been mailing DD#2 counting down cards and she is so happy to get them. Not sure if there is enough time for one more card to arrive before she leaves, so will wait and mail a card to greet her when she gets back home.

Nice week-end hiking in the mountains - will post photos from my phone.

BabyGirl, congrats on the sale of your house. I've heard of that pep talk. I didn't know it was recorded, but great advice!

NM, I'm glad Colt is feeling better. Sneaky boy, grabbing Zoe by the collar. OMG, Colt slept on you? Seems like that would be painful, he's a big boy! Any plans for the April break?

Karen, what do you do, mail a card every day? What a sweet idea! And to have one there when she gets home. I'm excited for you, having both girls home at the same time. I won't get to see my DD until Sept. I liked the picnic table as she will get several years out of it. Instead of outgrowing it in a few months, like they do with most toys and clothes even.

Sandy, good luck with all you have left to do. Crunchtime!

I still haven't heard back from that company on the $840, but then I haven't been to the post office either. I might go out today, I have to go for my Faslodex injections, but it rained. So, depends how wet the roads are. If it's muddy, I'll wait and go tomorrow.

Karen, that is such a sweet gesture. I'm sure your DD looks forward to her cards. You can never stop now! Fires have started here too. Nothing too drastic yet, but it's very very dry.

DOTD: Goblet of Fire

2 ounces Ty Ku Liqueur

1 ounce coffee liqueur

1 teaspoon cream

1 ounce 151-proof rum

1 dash grated cinnamon

Gather the ingredients.

In a cocktail shaker, pour the two liqueurs.

Fill with ice and shake well.

Strain into a wine goblet or cocktail glass.

Float the cream on top by pouring it slowly over the back of a bar spoon.

Float the rum on top of the cream using the same technique.

Light the rum with a match. As the flame burns, sprinkle some grated cinnamon onto the flame (it should spark a little).

Clap your hands over the flame to put it out (double-check that it's extinguished) and give the drink a quick stir. Serve and enjoy.

Happy Wednesday. Spring break is over 1/2 over. Cleaned my ovens and cook top this morning. Will have to do a quick once over just before Passover. I'm always so proud after cleaning but don't do it often enough. Yesterday I did the fridge in the basement and the freezer. Going to tackle the kitchen fridge when I got off BCO.

Lori - she does like the cards.

In the past week, there have been at least 3 terror attacks in Israel with 11 Israeli's murdered. The one yesterday was in the town next to my DD#2 and in fact just a mere 5 minute walk from her apt. She sometimes catches the bus there. And her school isn't far from the attacks either. There was a shooting attack during the day with 5 people murdered. I knew about the attack, but when DD texted me to tell me that it happened and that she was okay it just broke my heart. I knew she was okay physically, but I wasn't convinced that it didn't shake her up. This was harder for me than the bomb attacks when she sent us texts with her in the bomb shelter in the fall. I can't wait to see her in 13 days to get a great big hug. I need it and so does she.

Karen, prayers for your DD's safety and your peace of mind. We've had our own nerve-wracking lately: a carjacking in our old neighborhood, across the street on the corner where we'd lived for 7 years; and two days ago, a middle-aged father was gunned down on his way to work in Lakeview, only half a mile from Gordy & Leslie's house.

We're biting our nails hoping the tornadoes miss NOLA this time. Meanwhile, Chicago's in the BiPolar Vortex--rain-snow mix followed by cold & clear followed by warm & stormy--lather, rinse, repeat. Guess what's supposed to happen next Thurs., when we fly out of Midway? Yup--mixed rain & snow showers. So trying to make a dinner res. with our BFFs, my sis & her DH & DD is "up in the air"...in case our plane isn't.

Even more stressful is trying to make a Sunday brunch res. for our party (10 days out) for the day after the wedding--as few as 18 people and as many as 22. Any places taking reservations for brunch that day require booking a private room for a party that size--and the private rooms are booked up weeks ahead. Our one hope is the large casual-Cajun Mulate's (aka House of Stuff You Shouldn't Tell Your Doctor You Ate): they told me they don't take brunch reservations but can definitely handle our party as a walk-in. It's a fun, authentically Cajun place with live music, no dress code (no shoes, no shirt, no service--flip-flops count as "shoes"). But health food it's not. (I suppose they can do a plain burger or seared shrimp--but spice levels may be challenging for some). I will definitely have that oyster po'boy I've been craving since summer 2019.

OK, DOTD: with dinner of pan-seared scallops, 2020 Domaine François Millet Sancerre.

Jazzy, your sisters puppy is so cute.

Karen, I pray for your daughters safety. It will be so good for you both to see each other.

Goldie- It is great that you will get help with all the medical bills. That is a big relief.

Sandy- I am sure whatever you decide to wear will be great and just enjoy every moment of the wedding.

NM- Wow! That explosion was horrible. I am glad that no one was hurt. I bet a lot of people are out of work now.

Illimae- Glad you got an offer for the house. It is exciting to finally be at your cabin. You both worked so hard building it, and the pictures you post of the area is beautiful and so peaceful.

We have are having rain and it looks like we will have it until Sunday. I am going through cleaning out some paperwork and it is going slow because I am watching tv while I am doing it. No one here to catch me sloughing off. Mammo tomorrow morning, I always hate them, but I really try to block it from my mind until I am there in the waiting room.

Sandy, when are you supposed to fly out? And when is your return?

Jazzy, what a cute puppy. But then again, what puppy ISN'T cute? What's his/her name?

Misty, I don't know if that bill will be paid or not. It's time to play the waiting game! I hear ya on the paper work. Good luck with the mammo today, in your pocket.

Karen, I guess I just assumed she was going to school there and would be back after that. Good for her trying to improve her credit. YES, we always worry about our kids, no matter the age.

Went for my injections yesterday. I'll be leaving in the morning. No set time, just whenever I'm ready. Shooting for 8-9 am.

DOTD: Golden Dream, for Jazzy's sister's puppy.

3/4 oz Galliano

3/4 oz Triple Sec

3/4 oz Orange Juice

1/3 oz Milk Cream

Decoration: Orange Twist

Goldens are the cutest puppies. Every time I get an LLBean catalog I want to go out and get some.

Ohhh! She's beautiful!

Illimae - congrats on the new pups 🤗

Sandy, It's a temporary fix, but fabric stores sell iron on hem tape. You put the hem where it should be, insert the tape where you would normally sew, and iron. If you want them to finished properly, the iron releases the tape. Some people use it to hem pants for heels and for flats. Just change the length.

Wren, I've resorted to that tape many, many times. I also carry strips of double-stick "Hollywood tape" for hem ermergencies, but the dispenser definitely doesn't contain enough to do two pant legs. Hope I don't have to now--but I won't know till late Wed. afternoon.

That was the tip of the iceberg. Right after that I got a nasty paper cut (R hand, of course--always the R hand) on a corrugated-cardboard "flat" as I reached for cans of cat food in Petsmart. It stopped bleeding, but I hope it doesn't get infected. Last thing I need--on my LE risk arm--is cellulitis.

Then the low-tire-pressure light on my dash came on (maddeningly, it doesn't say WHICH wheel's sensor, just as my "door/liftgate open" light doesn't say which door--so I have to pull over & try each one). Looked at my car and did a double-take: BOTH front tires were low. Subaru had just installed & balanced them 2 weeks ago--no wonder my steering was so hard. After 3 tries I found a repair shop willing to put air in them for me--and they confirmed they were simply grossly underinflated. Now, just one tire? "Road hazard" would have been a plausible explanation. But BOTH? And the rear tires were fine. So much for dealership service.

Got home, turned on the TV and found that SW's computer systems were down and dozens of flights were getting canceled. Then it started to snow. Only hope everything's fine by Wed. (when the kids fly down and there's a 20% chance of a severe t-storm in NOLA) and it isn't raining so hard Thurs. morning that our flight gets delayed or worse.

Is the universe trying to tell me something?

DOTD: 2019 FitVine low-carb Pinot Noir.

Hi ladies- just a quick hello here on this first Sunday in April. It is nice to see everyone having some great plans that including new pups, planned final moves to West Texas, upcoming trips and wedding celebrations. I am celebrating having some family in town right now from the east coast; a cousin and her husband who were planning a trip out here to the west two years ago when the pandemic first started and rebooked it this spring. They came in to town yesterday and we met up for some shopping in the Old Town area, then a nice dinner (including a blue margarita for me, yum). They are stopping by for a bit in awhile to see the house, then off to do some touristy things. They decided to spend an extra day here too, so I plan to see them after work tomorrow too. As most of you know, I don't have any family here where I live and haven't seen hardly anyone in the past two years with the pandemic. I have more family time planned back east in July.

Weather here really feels like spring now (or so we hope). The fruit trees are out in their full blooms and my trees are all coming out now too. I planted some pansies last week as it is still a bit too cold to do much of anything else yet. I put my house plants out yesterday and those should be okay at night as we are in the 40s with overnight temps. I will just have to watch for some remaining cold blasts. I have a lot of pruning and yard work yet to do but will pick up with that some more next weekend.

Hope everyone has a good week!