Woohoo gt!!!
I have been remiss! :eek:
<ahem> clearing throat <ahem>
**
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY DEEEAAARRR GGGTTT!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
**
ETA: Rebo, young lady, march right in there and score that feud!
I’m working on it! Excel keeps freezing up. The next time it “thaws” I’m gonna save it. I’d better not lose all that work. Grr.
Happy Birthday, GT!!
Thanks for the hugs. At least things should get better after the surgery.
That sucks, bobbio.
{{Herbs}}
Hope things are better today sticky.
Welcome to geek world, fiat!
There were snow flurries this morning! I’m kind of excited about that because that means x-country ski season is coming up. If it’s going to be cold out, it’s far better to have snow and to be able to get out and do stuff than to have it cold and dry and just be stuck inside.
Glad you like it!
Anyone else having issues with gmail this morning (afternoon)? I keep getting a security warning when I try to log on.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GT!!!
Bobbbio I’m really sorry about TVCTPYouO. There should be rules about how shitty life can be all at once. I’ve had those days (years) and there are definitely times when they can make life seem like complete shit.
Fiat LOL! I was in the same place as you last year. I took Stats (hated with a passion but got an A), Algebra and Precalc - all in 2 semesters. I had the same prof for Algebra and Precalc and he was AWESOME!!! I actually ended up really enjoying myself and I learned a lot. It’s amazing what a really good professor can do.
Happy Birthday, GT!!
I’m heartily sorry that crap just seems to be raining down on you, Bobbio. I hope you take names and kick ass and that there is some financial reparation made.
Today is a DONSA, so it’s been farily quiet at work so far. I hope this trend continues.
Hippo Birdies, gt!
Happy Day of the Traveling Gardener!!! 
Alrighty - first five photos hereare my latest creations. I’m kinda bummed about the penguin - I used white clay but apparently it was white with speckles in it that didn’t show up till the final firing. I’m going to try to refire it with white glaze over the spots. Or maybe I’ll just paint it with acrylics…
You’re right, **rosie **- it is pretty and shiny!
anyrose, that’s a pretty magnet, but I scrolled through the rest of your pics. Is that your toe?! You poor thing! Has it gotten any better? Is it fungus? My mom had toe fungus, and I fixed it for her. If you want to know how, just ask.
Well, it was a good day when I woke up. I slept well. I got enough sleep. I didn’t even blurf.
Then, the day started.
The puppy is better and full of spit and vinegar. Dad, however, is showing exactly the same symptoms the puppy had - lethargy, lack of appetite, general crappy feeling. Of course, this is Dad, so he’s also mega-cranky. I’m working very hard on keeping the puppy away from him and treating him nicely.
Since I was feeling pretty good, I decided to Do Stuff. In this case, that meant going through my mail and looking for the letter from CalSTRS which should have the form I have to sign to pledge that yes, I really really really do want to cash out my retirement give me my money bitch and send back in.
No sign of that. What I did find was a bill from the lab where I get my blood drawn that was three months overdue. sigh And, there was a note from the radiology clinic where I got my mammogram a week ago. They need to do a follow up. Now, they’d already called me to get a copy of my previous mammogram from five years ago, and the notice was from the day after my latest mammogram, so I was really kind of hoping it was about that.
Nope, they want to do more images on my left breast and an ultrasound as well.
You know, it’s nothing. I have lumpy boobs and always have. My left breast is bigger than my right breast, always has been. They’re going to x-ray me and bombard me with sound waves and conclude that, yep, I have a boob.
Even if it is something, I’m 39, and I don’t have any symptoms. So at most it’s going to be a ‘hmmm, that looks a little strange, let’s keep an eye on it’.
I’m still scared.
Worse, I just can’t share this with my mom. She’s under too much stress as it is. She works 60 hour weeks and continues working on projects at home. She frets about Dad. She frets about me. She frets about money. All she wants to do is retire and move back to Texas, and we’re still working on Dad to bring him around to that. She has too much on her mind.
I’ve been trying to think of someone I can ask to go with me, and I can’t come up with anyone. One of my half-sisters? They both have mega busy lives, and we’re just not that close. I made a friend last year, and we were close enough for a while, but we’ve drifted apart, and I’m afraid I alienated her. I don’t want to go to her and say “hey, I"m really sorry about that thing, by the way, can you take half a day off work and hold my hand while I get checked for cancer?”
I have, at least, heard from the disappearing friend. No, she hasn’t quit her job. Yes, she’s stressed and feels like crap. No, she’s not taking two hospitalizations for stress as enough reason enough to leave. No, there’s nothing I can do for her. I think I will send her a card, at least.
And, my best friend from high school called me yesterday. We’ve talked a couple of times in the last month, and she listens to me moan and whine about my life and offers just the right mix of sympathy and advice. Yesterday, she told me there was a line from an otherwise glurgy email she really liked and wanted me to remember: “right now, someone is thinking about you and loving you.”
She has no idea how much that means to me right now.
No, Harvey, it’s not fungus. I’d broken my toe beginning of October. It still twinges now and then, and swells on humid days (like today). I think I’ll take the toe pics down.
Owie. Broken toes are no fun! I’m glad it’s doing better.
Well, that was fun. I hauled all the aquarium stuff downstairs, stacked about 2 days worth of firewood in the garage, covered the pile outside (it’s supposed to rain tonight) and started a fire in here. Except I’m so hot and sweaty, I don’t need the fire. But it’s cooling down outside and I expect before too long, we’ll be glad for it.
As soon as my daughter calls and tells me she’s leaving the school, I’ll stick supper in the oven. She’s got tomorrow off, so she won’t be in a rush to leave - we can have a nice visit. 
And cake - we can have cake, too.
Life is good in FairyChatLand!
Blurf! In the process of caffeination, but still excited. You are reading a post from someone what owns their car free and clear! I went to pay the usual amount and noticed I was closer than I thought, so I paid it off, et voila! zee leetle car, she eez mine!
Hey** Phouka**, I didn’t know you taught in Cali! Me too until this year and I know how fun STRS can be. Well, maybe that’s not fair, it could be just this one guy who doesn’t return my calls. Since he’s MIA, today I have to be super brave and call his main office to get some answers. Not a big deal for most, but torture for me. Stupid anxiety.
So much creativity going on around here (not counting the free style winterizing Bobbio’s enjoying, poor sweetie). FCM and anyrose, you’re inspiring me to get back to work on some of my projects, thanks!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GT!
Shrimp salad sandwich for lunch today, yum!
((((phouka))))
Do remember that you are young. You haven’t mentioned any family history, so I’m guessing that’s not an issue. The odds are overwhelmingly in your favor. Remember that.
FCM and rosie, you two have some awesome artistic skills. I’m jealous.
Now then. Allow me to vent, if I may.
First of all, I’m a man, in case you guys didn’t know that. I’m about 6’4", 275lbs. I have dark brown hair and a long, full beard. Think a bigger, older version of Zach Galifianakis, even though I’m only 30.
I’ve been studying Spanish for all of… 6 weeks? I’m at the point now where I feel comfortable saying small phrases without screwing up. That’s feels pretty good. I have made an effort to talk to myself in Spanish whenever I can. Today I decided to try it out on some random member of the public. First stop: a bookstore/coffeeshop on campus. In my bookbag I have an empty travel mug filled with dry oats for lunch. My plan is to get some hot water, mix it up and eat in the library before class.
So I’m sorta planning the conversation in my head as I’m getting a cup of hot water and a cup of coffee (this is a serve yourself coffee bar). I get the two cups and head to the register.
Bimbo behind the counter: “two coffees? That’s $3”.
Me: “perdóname, no. Esta es coffee [I point to the coffee], y esta es hot water.”
(translation: forgive me, no. This is coffee and this is hot water)
Bimbo: (says nothin for five seconds as eyes dart around room) finally: THAT’S… THREE… DOLLARS! (said loud and very slowly)
Me: “tres dinero? Para coffee y hot water?” (note I used English for ‘coffee’ and ‘hot water’)
At this point some other girl comes from a back room and joins her collegue behind the register. In full voice Bimbo says “he doesn’t speak English. I don’t think he wants to pay for his coffees.”
The new girl says, again in regular conversational voice, “fuckin’ beaners” she then sorta elbows Bimbo away and says, slowly, “YOU… HAVE… TO… PAY… FOR… THE… COFFEE!”. She turns to Bimbo and says “if he won’t pay, call the cops. Won’t hurt to have another Mexican deported.”
I was very, very close to rage. I paid three bucks for $1.75 worth of goods and left.
FTR my family settled in Virginia in the 1750’s. One of my ancestors fought against the British in the revolutionary war, and that man was born in Virginia. As was his father
Some people’s children.
Aw, kanga - I wish you were in Texas and I’d go to the tit-squishin’ with you. I’m sorry you’re scared. It will be ok. What state are you in? (Other than the state of confusion! 
)
Agua caliente, Lancia. Just for future reference. (But you’ve probably already figured that out, so never mind.
Woody, shame on you - you should have spoken to them in plain English when they got all nasty, then demanded to speak to the manager. Then started crying… 
fiat - :eek: Un-fuckin-believable.
I’m in California these days, living with my parents. The state of the economy is such that there simply are no full time teaching positions, and I don’t expect there to be any reasonable hope of employment as a teacher for 5-10 years, if/when the economy recovers, the older teachers retire, and new positions open up. By that time, I’ll be back in Texas.
And, I wish I could say I don’t have a family history. I do. My mom was diagnosed with DCIS (ductile carcinoma in situ) when she was 46, and her sister - my maternal aunt - was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was (does math) 55. Both of them have multiple children and chose to breastfeed, which is supposed to lower the risk. I have no children and, hence, no chance to breastfeed. So, I’m at an elevated risk.
And it’s not even the extra pix and ultrasound that scare me. I handle medical procedures pretty well. It’s the waiting for the appointment (next Thursday) and the following wait for results. Good Og, how do people do it?