I paused cleaning to have a French 75(Brunch without alcohol is just a sad, late breakfast.). Vacuuming, then handeggg.
“You can’t stand on the newly repaired shoulder, and it’s a bad thing when you do and Roomie makes that noise.” -Me, to Spot
Indeed. Plus I wouldn’t have to walk on a moving belt, like I usually do.
Started Typing: 11:02 AM ET
Clicked Reply: 12:21 PM ET
Happy birthday, cupcakes! 
And happy New Year’s Eve, all! 
Yesterday morning I went to my first Zumba class at the gym: frankly, I was underwhelmed. It wasn’t much of a workout. The steps frequently changed before I could pick them up (and I’m not that bad of a dancer), and there didn’t seem to really be a pattern to them. I don’t think my heart rate increased much, and I didn’t get even a little winded. Yesterday’s instructor was a sub: I’ll try it again in a couple of weeks with the regular instructor, just in case it’s any different/better, but in the meantime I’ll look at the other classes my gym has.
After Zumba I took Bailey for a walk, then took a shower and hung out around the house doing laundry, watching TV, and playing with Legos (more on this later). I also changed the sheets, and it was nice to end the night in a clean bed.
Today I have no plans at all, which is fine with me. I am totally happy to largely repeat yesterday, minus the gym and laundry. 
I’ll stay up to watch the ball drop, but won’t tune in to any countdown until around 11:55pm.
Tomorrow I’ll be seeing my BFFs and their son (and his long-time gf), though the “when” and the extent are TBD because Wife BFF is still struggling with this latest infection. She really wants to make a big dinner, especially since she didn’t on Thanksgiving, but her strength varies daily. Worst case, I’ll go over there just long enough to exchange gifts with everyone…and grab some cookies. 
The gf goes back to college (in Texas) later this week, so tomorrow’s the last chance for me to give her her gift in person. I want to give everyone else their gifts, too!
On Friday evening I started building the Lego jazz club set that I’ve wanted for the past year and finally bought last month. Here are the 2899 pieces (in 15 bagged sections) and the 317-page instruction booklet:
https://i.ibb.co/tpNV7Gg/2023-12-29-01-Start.jpg
I got sections 1 and 2 done that night (the building will house a jazz club, a pizza place, and another shop or two):
https://i.ibb.co/Xp60njT/2023-12-29-Part-01.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/f9wm8J7/2023-12-29-Section-02.jpg
Yesterday I finished section 3:
https://i.ibb.co/YL3MSzw/2023-12-30-Part-03-View-02.jpg
Some of the detail is impressive. I kind of love that there’s a bathroom in the club/under the stairs that you can’t see unless its door is open. And the pizza place even has a peel by the oven! Snapping that into place made me think of shoe.
Speaking of pizza, time for a few replies and then lunch and some TV: I’m looking forward to two Trader Joe’s bambino pepperoni pizzas, and S2 of the 2012 docuseries/competition show The Pitch (which I found on Tubi, thank you RealFish!!). After a few episodes I’m sure I’ll return to my little bricks for a while!
Yay for being warm and comfy!
These consecutive four-day weekends have me completely turned around on what day of the week it actually is. 
But I love the little moments when I remember that I still have one more day off!
Might cost you more in gas to redeem it, but still…woot!!
Oh no! All of the FairyChats are in my thoughts… 
LOL! 
How awesome! Congrats!!
That’s really good to hear. And fingers crossed that you get the green lights you want from the surgeon this week! 
I’ve never been in the restaurant biz, but never in my life have I heard that term! I always thought those were called ramekins. I’d assumed you were referring to something used to make monkey bread, but now I’m glad that shoe asked.
They’re starting a once weekly Zumba class here in the early evenings. I’d intended to give it a try. Here’s hoping it’s a bit more exercise and a bit less skillful dancing than what you experienced. Good luck with your regular instructor.
Hooray for seeing the folks tomorrow, diseases permitting.
That is some amazing Lego you’ve got there. Gonna be magnificent when it’s done along about Tuesday. 
I thought monkey dishes were the ones Shoe’s cat uses. 
The roads are wet, and it’s supposed to get below freezing tonight (for the 1st time in a while!) so the roads will be nice and slick and icy for Amateur Night.
Goodie.
That is so cool!
That’s a helluva description.
I don’t like to stand around in a pouring rain, but I like to stand in my shower …
Ummm. . .you’re six months late, I’m afraid.
I tried a Zumba class once and never went back. The woman teaching it apparently expected a class full of people who knew what they were doing and could do it fast, even tho it was advertised as a beginner class. I spent most of the time just trying to figure out the order of moves. To me, that’s the mark of a bad teacher.
MIL called - they’re doing an echocardiogram tomorrow, so she’ll be in the hospital at least one more day. I’m hoping FCD can talk to her Dr as soon as he reviews the results. She sounded better than I’d expected, tired but not weak or confused. So I’m cautiously optimistic that we’re still good to go on the 18th. But as I told FCD, our trip is insured and if we have to cancel, so be it.
We had lunch at Salsa’s. FCD is now watching football. I’m going to read my cheezy novel. Chillage shall reign.
Make that three~I enjoy winter and snow, which I got to enjoy when Nebraska enjoyed a white Christmas a few days ago. We had a 2+ day long winter storm warning and 5 inches of that pretty, fluffy, floating down like in a Christmas movie snow. Fine by me, I didn’t have anywhere to go anyway. Sure beat the gray, gloomy, sunless forecast I’m stuck with now.
Boo, 
Yeah, without the reflected light from the snow, things get pretty grim after a few months.
Cookies, Cupcakes, what’s the difference?!
They’re both sweet baked desserts and they’re both sweet people. Occasional extra-crunchy grumpy bits notwithstanding. 
Boo & Cookie. Yeah. The unremitting cold and gray on almost entirely snowless ground really killed my spirit during the ~20 winters I lived in St. Louis.
I decided my personal vision of Hell was a bare dirt field of stubbly dead whatever, a row of scraggly bare trees not being a windbreak, and maybe a small patch of dirty snow in a shaded depression. Gray scudding clouds, a low and dim Sun not even slightly visible as a lighter gray spot in the gloom, and 25 degrees with 10 more of windchill to make it feel like 15. Shoot me now.
Our occasional bouts of covering snow brightened the scene slightly, but added wet hands and feet to the misery index.
It was a pretty snowfall.
I made the one-bowl apple cake because I didn’t have all the makin’s for pineapple upside down cake. FCD napped. I read. He’s watching tackleball now and I may read some more.
Chillage.
I’ve been a bad Mumper - haven’t kept up with reading or posting. I’m sorry for missing any bits of important news, but I offer hugs, snuggles and home baked cookies in recompense.
It’s been a busy week over here with me spending far too much time in pain. I’ve spent far too much time sitting in one place over the last week and and my back has not like it at all. I had PT eval on Friday and my therapist says he’s 90% certain that I don’t have thoracic outlet syndrome but more likely a pinched nerve in my neck. So I’ve got an appointment to see a spine doctor next week. If I’m lucky, we’ll be at the end of this soon.
This weekend has been a lot of board game playing. My best friend has been here since Thursday so there’s been lots of hanging out and lots of playing of our new board games and watching Doctor Who. I may have some new favorite games to play. Tonight is going to be playing more games until midnight (or whenever we crash). Really, is there a better way to ring in the new year?
A large part of why I wanted to come in was to wish everyone a happy new year. My wish for all of you is that your 2024 be better than 2023. And to thank you for welcoming me back after all my time away. My love to you all.
FCM, as long as we are being ashamed for what we read, I will tell you I once read Barbara Cartland novels.
Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes, I have always had fun with a birthday on NYE.
Hey Shoe: I got this from a friend of mine. Ring a bell?
Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku.
/shchen-shlee-VEH-gaw no-VEH-gaw RO-koo/
Howdy Y’all! We deheathenated, had sammiches, napped, and day drank. I know for certain we will not see midnight. Netflix and chill is up next along with popcorn. That’s as wild as we shall be tonight.
Going to a church service. I like this church.
Evening all. Did make it to the gym and gave the stationary bikes a workout (guess I had a workout too), then waited in line at Longhorn (didn’t know so many people ate Sunday dinner at 4pm) but the service was good and the steak was too. Home now and will spend the rest of the evening readin’ and internettin’ before bedtime, which will almost certainly be before the New Year. Have already heard a couple of fireworks in the distance, hope it doesn’t turn into a constant series of bangs and booms.
Also checked my weight on the gym scale, which I use as my point of reference, I started the year at 269.8 lbs and ended it at 235.8lbs, a loss of 34 pounds over the year. My goal for 2024 is to get to 220lbs and try to stabilize there while doing more muscle and body work, so we’ll see how that goes.
Oopsie, kudos to your perseverance and skill with the Legos.
FCM, good sign that MIL has her wits about her well enough to call and chat with you and FCD.
Never learned to dance when I was young, so Zumba does not interest me at all. Think they had something like that on my November Cruise, so FCM may be able to get some aerobics in…
Sorry, BBBoo and Cookie, I shoved too many driveways in my younger years to appreciate snowl it’s 48F outside right now and that’s just fine with me.
Real Fish, hope the back pain is treatable. If I sit to long or come out of a bent-over position just the wrong way, my lower back gives me a painful jolt; probably need to ask the Doc about it, but 90% of the time it’s not an issue.
NoSunburn (can’t remember your MMP name), not a church-goer, but glad you have found a place you are comfortable with. Be well.
And that’s about it. See all y’all in 2024.
This is a ramekin. This is a monkey dish.Sometimes sides are served in one, sometimes, the other. I use a collection of vintage restaurant china at home and make good use of monkey dishes. Ramekins I use to bake stuff like mini casseroles or souffles in.
Picked up the new microwave, got it into the apartment with the help of my neighbor and set up. It’s bigger in size as well as wattage, so I’m going to have to experiment around with my timing. I nuked a cup of cold coffee once set up, and one minute made it quite a bit hotter than the old one.
I replenished the stock of coffee beans with 3# worth, then went to the outlet grocery to pick up TP, most condiments minus hot sauce (that was last trip), laundry bleach, hair conditioner, bacon and snack nuts for less than $50, so it was a successful day.
Now it’s messing around in the studio, watching videos and surfing.
I like that!-nosunburn!
They are having a “breakfast” at midnight. Fun and fellowship.