Thanks Sundae. Am loving the lifestyle right now. :)

Very nice...

That entrance looks even better with a lil snow on it.
Damn fine work.

As Shel said to David Hasselhoff...

She shoots, she scores!

Griff, that's idyllic. It's a good feeling to be snug and dry under the result of your own work.

Yeah V, but then the rains came. Still snug but less idyllic... seriously its January.

beautimus Griff

Thanks Bro!

My place, while no where near as photogenic, has also been snug and dry through this last spasm of actual winter weather, snow, wind, rain, more rain. It is very gratifying to report that my repair on the roof has proven to be successful. No more wet ceiling.

Though... I now have a chance to learn how to plaster a ceiling. That should be fun.

I don't know if I said this before, but it makes me happy that the 'rents bought me a new bed (out of Grandad's money)
Installed it when I was in Scotland in December.

I was a bit grumpy about the idea, as they previously replaced the mattress and it was worse than before (from another bed in the house). And also I am a very private person and I knew Mum would use the installation as an excuse to poke through everything I owned.

She did. I came home to things from drawers and wardrobes separated into bags and boxes for me to sort through. After a 12 hour trip. Niiiice.

The good thing is we've reached an unspoken compromise re my room.
She is allowed in to hoover; I hoover, but not frequently enough for her.

She can check Diz's litter tray (so she no longer drops nasty hints about me not looking after him)
As it turns out the only emptying she has done was when he had the squits this week - and I thank her for it.
She imagines and smells a lot when she can't see.

I empty my wastebin almost every day, so she has no excuse to say "It must be stinking by now" when all that is in it is paper.

But above all - I have a great bed!
When I wake up in the middle of the night I soothe myself back to sleep by knowing I can relax IN MY GREAT BED.
On weekend mornings I can actually sleep in because I have a great bed.
Okay, it's still a single. There isn't room for anything wider.
But the mattress is .... great!

I haven't had a new mattress since 1998. New to me I mean.

I do thank Mum every few days.
I love it.
It makes me happy.

Ohhhh... I envy you your great bed!

I have a 'double' but it's one of those wooden slat type things. Shouldn't have got it. Knew at the time it was a foolish choice, but all my rooms are fucking doll sized so had to get dollshouse furniture and this was pretty much the smallest bed ikea had that could still carry the tag 'double bed':p

Problem is those wooden slats fuck your mattress up faster than a very fast thing. It's been turned over, and around and every permutation possible, but I think i am going tohave to bite the bullet and buy a new one. I have to sleep in a distorted z shape so as to weave my body around the springs.

Actually....thinking about it, I don't think I have a single piece of furniture in my house that could really be described as 'comfy'. 'S all too bastard small.

What's making me happy (and sad, and excited and full of trepidation, all) is tha I have just booked flights, for this Saturday, to Guernsey to go and see the little brown beardie pup.

My hand's shaking a little. Though that might be the three glasses of wine I had at the Post Grad open evenin :p

I am swinging wildly between elation and deep sorrow. F'r instance I startd this post with a big grin on my face, but I'm ending it with tears streamin down my face. Fucked up eh? :p

I really want this dog. Not as much as I want Pilau back. But that isn't an option obviously. I still can't quite bear the notion that I'll never cuddle him again. But at the same time, I imagine holding this little pup and my heart leaps.

Ha. Whaddaye know. The tears have stopped and I am smiling again. Funny old life this.

Perhaps you're insane.

I considered that possibility, but the voice in my head told me that was silly and really I am fine.

^^^
:biggrin: :thumbsup:

Happy today?

This:

Attachment 36980

haha...it's amazing how long it took to get here, but it arrived in the end, and that's the main thing.

Just in time for Australia Day actually, which is today! :)

Happy Australia Day, Ali. Is that like Independence Day in the states?

I am a scaredy-cat of tech support. I think a lot of it is that if I don't understand the question and if they are even slightly snotty I get tongue-tied and I can't even talk. I couldn't possibly WORK tech support, and I understand they hear the dumbest questions on earth, but I am the type of personality who feels like I'm screwing up their day by being an idiot.

So I had to call Verizon tech support today. She was SO helpful and SO nice and SO friendly I almost cried from relief.

Thank you Verizon for having such a wonderful staff!

I'm going to send an email or however you send them compliments.

Well...barring unforseen disaster, the little brown pup is to be mine ;)

Won't fully believe it til he's in my house *smiles* but everything went well in Guernsey, the breeder and her family were lovely and she is happy for him to come to me when he is ready.

And... cross fingers for J. Despite his conviction that he could never get another puppy after the grief of losing Pilau (he has a rescue collie as well, but it's a very different, though close, relationship), he was very struck with a couple of the little slate boys. He asked about the possibility of him having one of them and she seemed to like the idea of the pups continuing to have a relationship as brothers, which they would if we had two of them in the extended pack :P

He went home and talked to Janet about them, showed her some pics and vids and so on...and this morning emailed the breeder to say that they are very interested in taking on one of the slate boys, both of whom he got on very well with, and is now waiting to hear if that'll happen. It's a tense waiting game now! There have been quite a few enquiries made of the boys so am really hoping that having met and liked J, knowing that he has another collie and the fact that the pup would be in contact with a sibling and living in a place with lots of open countryside and heather dotted hills will swing it in J's favour.

Very pleased. For both of you.
You're both crazy of course.
Diz has just switched the printer on for the third time tonight, and knocked my glasses on the floor with his twitchy tail.

Who would have a pet, eh?

My cousin is home from Afghanistan ...
alive and well & now about to be married.

Hooray!

Yay!

Yay!

I've finished my last day at Big McHuge Hardware and Software Corp. Yay.

Start my new job tomorrow.

!!!

Wow. That's awesome. If you're all done with that old job, would you mind handing it down to me? What would you take in trade?

But... enough about me. What is your new job about??

It's about five days a week. :D

All seriousness aside.

Email from my ceramics teacher (who is not given to unnecessary communication) about 5 minutes ago:

Turtles
Hi There, I couldn't help calling last night to tell how great they look. Outstanding!

So i look over and the message light is flashing on the phone. Message:
"I just took your tortugas from the kiln and they are.......... flawless"

:D :D :D

(almost) completely turned my day around -didn't take care of the IRS thing that was due yesterday that I forgot about :( -don't think fines are involved but ugh....

Pics! :)

Tortugas. I learned a new word today.

My 9 year old niece bought a wheel (well my mom was shopping with her and S feasted her eyes on it.) I haven't seen it...it's a kid's wheel, but she is learning to throw pots!

Insurance company finally caved, elemental formula is covered after all. Hooray!

Thats fantastic Clod! I know all too well how hard it can be to get some people/entities to do the right thing.

Hooray!

most excellent

wonderful Clod, good job fighting the good fight, all the way to the end.

Hurrah! Nice goin Clod.

I am happy today because: The two Js are having one of the pups !!!

So my little Carrot will have a sibling growing up with him in his extended pack :)

Oh....and they're calling their little fellah: Merlot.

I have a phone interview with Chrysler tomorrow! That's only the third hoop, though, but I thought it had passed me by, so I am quite happy today.

I didn't know they had made it so difficult to buy a car.

Congrats on that hard fought win, Clod!

Dana, Im really happy about your new friend...:)

LOL

Its only factory work and probably only part-time, but the money will mean so much to our family if I can get it.

Crossing fingers and toes for ya Pico :)

Thanks Dana, me too.

Got a pic from my aunt. She says it was all over the local paper ...

my wife told me that she thinks its brave of me to have wrote the apology and that she needed to hear that.

and most important of all: she told me she has missed me too.

she doesn't know what to do, and neither do i. at this point there is no promise of a future, no promises at all, no commitments at all, this doesn't mean a thing yet...

but she gained comfort from what i said, and she told me she missed me too, and as small as that might be, i haven't being this happy in the last six weeks.

maybe, just maybe, i can get my family back.
at the very least my best friend and lover no longer hates me.

sounds like a good outcome traceur. I hope it all ends up for the best. :)

Aww Trace, I'm glad to hear that :)

Well done traceur.

this is good news, happy news. wtg traceur.

SUN IS OUT!

Ya-hoooooooooooo!

Back to work letter from my shoulder Doc , some limitations , and Keep up the PT .
My boss said he could work with that , now if his Boss will go for it .

I guess if I post when good things that happen for my grandson,
I should also post the not-so-good, even if this is the wrong thread.

Here is my previous post about him carrying a heavy work and study schedule in November.

Well, yesterday the Supervisor at the hatchery told him they were letting him go.
Apparently he was not getting on with some of the permanent employees,
and there was an incident of damage to some fish-feed bags with the forklift,
which he denies knowing about.

In any case, he seems to be handling his emotions (he's pissed) better than I expected.
I'm at least happy about that...but we'll have to see how things go.
.

Dealing with awful co-workers can be a difficult skill to master. Make sure this is a learning opportunity not just something to bitch about. I'm sorry about his finger.

New student in my class was supposed to be almost non-verbal, no interest in people etc... After one week and one day I watch him hook another kid under the arm and haul him up onto the playground bridge. He's running catching kids hugging, fooling around with me at table and using single words and the occasional short phrase. There is something about getting outside and running around with friends that just clicks for some kids. This kid has found joy.

Good stuff Griff !!!

Awesome. That must make it all worthwhile.

I've already posted this in the Post Your Pet thread but....

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6...dea16e7fb9.jpg
029 by daniellecoombs@btinternet.com, on Flickr



ohmigod I am so excited. It's looking very, very likely that I'll have him by the 20th...three days before my Birthday :)

Have stepped away from writing my conference paper. I was hoping to get it finished ahead of Carrot's arrival, but that was when I thought it was end of Feb early March. I've got it halfway there so I know what i'm doing with it.

Am instead sorting out house. have sorted/cleared a bunch of stuff from living room. Gonna do kitchen, pantry and landing cupboard tomorrow, then spend Thursday cleaning. Because Friday a man is coming to measure up for new carpets, and as blase as I generally am about the state of my house, it's pretty bad even by my standards.

Have to get new carpets, because the alternative is cleaning the existing carpet and frankly, I don't think it would survive. Even if it did, the underlay is fucked, and there's frayed edges and exposed grip strips where Pil dug the thing up eveyr night. Too loose and baggy as well.

So...since I'm dong carpets I might as well throw some paint up. So that's this weekend's task.

Need to wash curtains (hang down quite low to the floor and used to drape over Pil's back when he lay under the window = filthy at the bottom they are!) and sofa cover as well. I have no idea what Pilau might have been carrying. A vaccinated dog can still carry parvo. And I have no idea really what finally got him. He was too old and too ill to go for a bunch of tests. For all I know it could have been a viral infection at the end. Now I cleaned up the vomit and the explosive dire rears as they occurred, and disinfected chunks of the house as needed, but that isn't necessarily enough.

So...busy week. Busy couple of weeks really. Soon as I have the house stuff dealt with I need to drop onto uni work and get as much of that done as possible.

Really looking forward to seeing him. Look at that little face!

I could eat his face off, he's so cute! :)

I'm happy for you, and this lucky pup. *waves at Carrot*

I fully intend to eat his face off :P

Beardies are ridiculously cute as pups. All puppies are cute. I've yet to see one that isn't, but beardies take it to a whole other level.

Maybe go slow on the new carpets until house-training is secure ?

Ha! Yes, I can give that face the title of Best Face-eatin' Face of ALL TIME.

I'm grinning here. I can't wait to see pics as he grows up. :)