May 12

It is so beautiful outside today!! I am so ready for this, too. I think it is supposed to rain tomorrow and warm up even more.

I am going to Walgreens soon to refill a printer cartridge. I saw a sign on their door when I went into WG in Pigeon Forge to get allergy meds that they refilled color cartridges for $15. I tried this once myself on a Lexmark cartridge and it was never quite right. Since they do it for you for that price, I figure it is worth a try. This is the alternative to spending $40 for one new color cartridge!! We actually went to Sam's last weekend looking for cartridges and it was less expensive to buy a new printer!!! We did, but when we realized that we also have 2 new black cartridges for our old printer, we decided to try refilling the color cartridge and use these up before we installed the new printer. I am sure this is severe overshare, but, oh well!!

I am going to try and start calling around for new window estimates tomorrow. We have talked about this for some time, but it is time to JUST DO IT!! I am sure the windows willl not only look 1000% better, but will be more energy efficient, too. It is hard to spend money on things like this because most people won't even notice, but we sure will. Even when they are clean, these don't look it because the seals have been broken and they are clouded up. Yuck!! It is way past time!!!

We had a great time in the Smokies. The weather was great for the most part (just rainy the day we left) and it was so beautiful. The trees and flowers are ahead of us down there, so it was very, very green. They had had a lot of rain the week or two before we got there, so a lot of their annual flower beds weren't planted yet, but you could tell they were working on them. BEAUTIFUL!!

Till next time...

Another tax season behind me...

and I survived!!!!! It sure was a looooooooong tax season and a rough one. I am finally settled on and at peace with the decision to NOT be the office leader again. Unless there is a drastic change on how the job is done and the pay structure changes dramatically (highly unlikely) it is just not worth it. I love the taxes (I know...that alone probably means I have a defective gene) but the schedules, client service, office management and all that goes along with this stuff stinks. After 19 years of being the office leader, it is time to pass the torch. I think the job will be much more enjoyable and a LOT less stressful. So there.

I am going to have a busy week. I need to pack the first part of the week and get things ready to watch the Grandbabies this weekend since the Mommies are going to a Women of Faith conference this next weekend. It will be so much fun (if a little bit exhausting), but then we are leaving next Sunday for the Smokies!!! Ronnie is coming down the following Friday. At first, it will just be Pam, Debbie and me though. We will miss April, but she wouldn't have fun if she goes and then spends the whole week worrying about Frank.

I cannot believe how Susan Boyle sings!!! I watched the clip of her singing on "Britain's Got Talent" and talk about looks being deceiving!!! She looks very ordinary but she sings like an angel. I think I had the same expectations as the Judges, but I was blown away. I can't hardly listen to her without either tearing up or smiling from ear to ear...very extreme emotions. I would buy a CD tomorrow if it were available.

My sinus "crud" thing is still going on and I hope it doesn't get any worse. I just keep telling myself that it is better to get it overwith this weekend instead of having it next weekend when we are leaving!!

Good night........

Thursday

Well, I am going cruisin' in two days and I am still not packed. I am off work today though, so hopefully, that will all get finished except for my make-up, of course. It seems like we look forward to our cruise for soooo loooong and then the last week flies by so quickly. How does that happen?!?

We are looking forward to some warm, sunny weather and crusin with our friends and family.

Work tomorrow will be grueling, but I guess that is just a price I pay for being gone a week during tax season. And, I might add, it is worth it!!

Speaking of packing, I had better get to it...I've got a lot to do today and a Wal-mart run is on the agenda. Gotta pick up those last minute necessities, of course.

It's been a while...

I can't believe that it is already the 22 of January!!! Time is really flying.

Not much happening...I am just working and gearing up for Peak and also thinking about packing for our cruise next month!! I am going to try and get the formal wear packed and maybe send that with the Southwards if they don't mind so we don't have to pay for extra bags. I need to check with our Vacation Planner, Michael at Carnival first and see what the airline's policy is. I am not sure of our flights. Our itinerary showed one set of flight info and the Graham's showed another one, so either we aren't traveling together or one of us will have our plans changed. Either way is fine with me so long as we all make it to the right boat!!!!!

Eli has an ear infection, bless his heart, so I hope he gets over that soon. He is such a sweet boy and has even been a sweet boy through this past month when he didn't feel good. Abbey May is as onery as ever and so is Katie Lynne Turner, Big Girl. I do love them that way though...they always make me smile no matter how I am or have been feeling.

Ronnie's surgery went as well as the doctor had hoped and he is finally seeing some progress. He went back to work this week even though it is a little bit inconvenient and awkward, but he didn't have to use any of his vacation or personal days for the year, so that was great news. He was a little worried about going on a cruise so soon after being off on sick leave, but that is not going to be an issue now. Whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is 41 degrees today and that feels downright tropical compared to what we have been seeing.

I started Weight Watchers on the first Monday of January and have lost almost 7 pounds so far. Now, that is not as quickly as I would like to be losing, but at least I am going in the right direction. I do know from past experience that slow is better if you are going to try and keep it off long term, but when you are going on a cruise in 30+ days, you just want it to come off faster!!! Oh, well, the cruise will be fun in any event.

Until next time...

Happy New Year

It is already January 1, 2009!!!
A lot has happened since my last post. Christmas Eve came and went and so did Christmas Day. I think everyone had a good time. I enjoyed it all, but boy, was I pooped! Then, I didn't even get my day (after Christmas) to just veg out and not do anything because we had to be at the MV Surgery Center at 7:30 am for Ronnie's 9:00 surgery.

He came through the surgery well (considering the extent of the damage he had done to his shoulder) but recovery has been challenging. He can finally take a shower tomorrow and he goes back to the doctor on Monday morning at 10. I hope his healing has been on schedule and hopefully the doctor will give us good news and lay out a plan for his rehab. The doctor called the first three days after surgery and in one of those conversations, he told Ronnie that on a scale of 1 to 10, his shoulder damage was an 11. Hopefully, he will still recover well and not have any (or much, at least) permanent damage.

The Kids all stopped by tonight and it was so good to see them. I missed them this week, especially those little ones. I have had a pretty full plate, however, but I am starting back to work tomorrow. Well, I have been working a little along all fall, but my office opens up tomorrow...that means I will be pretty busy for the next 3 1/2 months. That means that my plate will be even fuller!!!

I think I will just take it easy tonight and work tomorrow on what I am supposed to be doing on Saturday.

Happy New Year...more later

Christmas Eve Eve

I am baking some today and getting a few things ready for tomorrow night and a small head start on Christmas Day. My carrot cake is in the oven even as we "speak" and then I am going to bake some cookies, make my cheese ball (they are better after they sit for a while anyway), and hopefully chop my celery and onions for my dressing later, too. I just keep thinking of things to do ahead, but I also have to wrap presents yet and then figure out a place to put them until after we do gifts with the Powell family on Christmas Eve. Having our gifts under there with everyone's gifts that they bring in would be even more chaos!!!

It really is fun seeing all of the little kids together, but boy are there a lot of them now!!! They really do enjoy the singing, too and are so cute to watch.

Speaking of carrot cake in the oven, I had better get busy and get ready to make icing.

Merry Christmas!!!

Post Christmas Day

Ronnie has to have surgery the day after Christmas. He tore his rotater cuff in 3 (not 1, but 3) places and he will not be using his right arm or shoulder for two weeks following surgery. Then he begins a minimum of 8 weeks of physical therapy and then he will go from there. The doctor has already told him that it would never be 100% again and he would never be able to lift anything above his head, but hopefully, he will make a complete recovery. At his age, he probably shouldn't be lifting anything anyway.

I am working tomorrow and then on Friday, I have a class in the morning. Abbey will be joining me there because Eli has a doctor's appointment. She is just going to come home with me and spend the day and then we are going out with Pam and family on Friday night then coming here for our gift exchange. I am sure the girls will have fun.