yeah, couldn't find the most recent. But I did go with that over the mudpack one

That was very kind of you. lol

I have my moments

yeah me too. ;)

I've posted before about the kid's show "Fetch, with Ruff Ruffman" on PBS and how good it is. Well, I recently found out that a friend I had in college works for that show, and after talking with her on Facebook, she sent me a bunch of goodies from the show for my kids. Pencils, stickers, posters, trivia cards. Very cool. The best part was a personalized letter that Ruff wrote to my family. It was so good, it's on our fridge.

Thats grrrrrreat! glatt. Little things like that make all the difference.

Lots.
And nothing (specific anyway)

Today is a good day and I'm happy.

I got some flowers from Big Sarge yesterday.
They did make me happy, but it wasn't a great day, so I didn't feel I could do justice to them here. (Thursdays are therapy days, so they're never really the highlight of my week)

I took a pic this morning, but thought I will wait until more of the flowers are open, then take another and post it. Because you won't be standing there, bewildered, as a HUGE box with your name on it arrives. And you won't be checking out the side which has the name of florists in France and the Netherlands and slowly realising someone has sent you flowers. And you won't open the box with a kitchen knife because it's on the table and you are too excited to get something more appropriate. So you might not realise how amazing they are when 50% of them are still buds. But I did, and it made me happy.

Anyway, today.
I sent my CV off for a 10 hour a week admin job.
I posted a letter.
I got confirmation that I will be starting an OT (Occupational Therapy) class next week - Pottery.
I went to 3 supermarkets to find the best (value) salad for lunch tomorrow.
I painted my toenails.
I'm cooking stirfry tonight for Mum and me.

Voila.

I am happy that Sundae is happy.

Thank you Big (-hearted) Sarge!

Now everybody knows I have a crush on SG. LOL

...yeah, cos we really hadn't noticed before :P

Koko Taylor is featured on KEXP.ORG!

You all can listen live, or stream the show (Preachin' the Blues) for another week. I recommend both!

As promised, here is roses pic.
Aren't they beautiful? I'm not just saying that because I got them, they really are a lovely mix of foliage and flower.

And also, blowing my own trumpet pic.
I decided to ease out of my own weight loss thread and show how well I'm doin on the board proper.

WOW, they are beautiful Sundae!! Well done, Sarge.

Very impressive loss there babe, big dip at the end there.

You are crushing the "competition". You go, girl!

Wow! that is fantastic SG! Good work. :thumb:

Applause!!!


:notworthy:

Excellent SG!

That is some weight loss!! I wish I could do as well as you are.

bacon and hash browns.



what?

I have finally started the other half of my better half's Christmas present (last Christmas!). I gave him a camp stove and am painting a picture on the lid, as I promised. It feels great to hold a brush again. It has been far too long.

:D good one, Monnie!:D

Today is the Virginia Democratic primary. Finally. No more robocalls until the Fall! It's been a heated one. Every day, we got about half a dozen calls, one right after the other. This was after each of the local candidates came to our doorstep in person.

I love voting in the primaries though. Nobody does it, so my vote is actually worth something. Must be why they come to my door.

It will be nice to have the commercials off the TV, the signs down, and a quiet phone again.

I would election time way better if it were way shorter.

My family loves me. :)

I am back up to eight and a half stone (119 lbs) :) Which puts me back into the healthy BMI band (just). I was down to seven and a half stone (105 lbs) after the stress of that last semester followed by the gastroenteritis (sp?), which was ridiculous for my height.

I'm happy about this because it's been an effort to try and eat. My appetite hasn't really come back properly. It did for about three days after I stopped being ill, then it sank back down again. I've discovered though, that if I have complan( a meal drink) in the morning I am able to eat something proper by the afternoon. And if i don't manage to eat much during the day I can always have a second complan in the evening. That guarantees me between 250 and 500 calories of actual nutrition and means I am definitely getting at least 25% of all the vitamins and minerals I need.

It's working I think. I'm finding I have a proper meal at least once a day, most days now and sometimes a second light meal as well!

I'm happy about this because frankly I was looking awful. Thin may look nice in the magazines, but there's nothing sexy about a visible rib cage and hands that look like talons. Or indeed pinched and gaunt features. And skinny jeans dont look good if theyre hanging off you and have to be held up with a tight belt.

You should come to my house Dana. I'll fatten you up quick smart. ;)

What's a complan? Is that like an Ensure drink?

It's a meal drink that you have when yuo are recovering from illness, or often is used by the elderly to boost their diet

SonofV passed his First Class Board of Review!

I am ecstatic!

He went from IHATESCOUTS!!!! at 7 pm to I love Scouts! at 9 pm. Now we can go to Alaska this summer. We're going to hike the Chilkoot Trail. It's going to be the trip of a lifetime.

Excellent news V! You must be so excited:)

Big congrats to both of you.

Air Conditioning! :D

Strawberries!


My friend Jill has been going on about some gorgeous straberries she got the other day. So much so I ended up buying a punnet....which I ate...all of it...in omne sitting.



[eta] lol oh I think I should leave the typo as is, it's kind of freudian.

punnet
noun: a small light basket used as a measure for fruits


omne
beats the shit outta me?

:lol2:

Omne : om and one: a noun to describe a single sitting of nom

My god, you mean you didn't nom nom nom, but did the whole punnet in one nom? :eek:

Oh! There's something else that's making me happy *does the happy, happy; joy, joy dance*

If anybody has been following the ups and downs of my final undergrad semester theymay recall I caught a 5% deduction on my dissertation and was really worried that this would drop it down from the expected 1st class mark and crash my grade average. I also got a 15% deduction on an essay but that was only worth 20% of a 2 semester module's overall mark, where the dissertation is worth 100% of a two semester module's overall mark. 5% deduction on this could be criticial to my final degree class.

So...the happy bit is: my tutor emailed me last week to apologise that my feedback sheet couldnt be emailed as she'd done it separately from the others, by hand (mine was on extensed deadline) but that it was a 'comfortable first' and that she'd written to the head of school and exam board to see if anything cuold be done about the 5% deduction (which she thought was a little unfair). I'm not going to put too much hope in that part of it, because you never know how inflexible the system might be; but I emailed her back to ask if it would stil be a 1st with the deduction...I got an automated on holiday reply and have been waiting all week for her to get back lol

She emailed me yesterday: with this:

"Yes, definately!"

*grins* I am soooo happy. That means before the deduction it must have been a mid or high 1st. Getting a high 1st in a history dissertation at Leeds is not easy, it's a few percent at the top. To get a high 1st means original ideas. I think I may have pulled off my slightly bold new theoretical construct. Even if it's a mid 1st that's still good. Most don't get a 1st at all. I think maybe 15 or 20 %? Not sure of exact figures. But her emphatic reply I think means it was High 1st.

Enjoy your well earned happy dance. :D

*grins* oh I am. That's what gets looked at in a history degree, if you're wanting to progress through the next levels. First they look at overall mark; then they want to know about the dissertation. That's what says what kind of historian you have become.

Oh Dana! Well done! Congratulations!

:jig:

Hive five Dana, that is awesome.

Thanks! :) There's still a couple of bullets to dodge (exam results and that module with the nerfed essay mark)that still could mess with the final degree mark; but at a personal level this was big deal, in terms of proving something to myself (and the academics I'm trying to impress :P

Eeeeexcellent!

woohoo dana...good for you! you original thinker you

What will you do next with your degree and esp a high 1% except for the obvious distinction?

There is so much a History degree can work into. What are your plans? ( that is if you even want to say at this point )

When is your graduation Dana? I think you said but I'm too lazy to look. We want pictures.

Congrats!

My first graduation at my new job was last night. It's way huger than than the old place. An entirely different atmosphere. I was giggling with my cow orkers. It was fun, but not as meaningful as the old ones where I knew a great number of the students personally. Those could make me emotional. This one was nice...but different.

Must have been a long week: I slept until 1:30. Few things make me happier than waking up and looking at the clock and realizing I can sleep more.

way to go, Dana! happy for you! :)

a posey :flower: for ya!

Good going, Dana.

History is one of the very best things to know.

Especially if we can learn from it.

That's a great idea... I'd never heard that before.

Yep. Chalk me up for another dumbass post.

You needn't worry about that.

You'll be hearing it again someday.

We knew you had it in you, even if you didn't Dana! We are witness to your brilliance on a daily basis - CONGRATS!!! (On the weight gain too - been there done that, and a lot of people don't realize for some people gaining is harding than losing....woot!)

And enjoy Alaska, V! Pics upon return, or it didn't happen.

*snort*

I can't believe you challenged me to take pictures of my camping trip. OF COURSE there will be pictures. I am guilty of not sharing/inflicting them on the general population though. I can see how you might imagine that I hike without a photojournalistic care in the world.

Wel I didn't see a camera in the FAWET lists...

Diz caught a bird!
I am so proud of him.
He's a proper grown-up cat now.

I was downstairs watching TV as the 'rents were out and I could indulge in reality shows.
Diz was in the garden.
Then I heard him do one of his mad-cat-scramble runs up the stairs. All normal for the Diz Olney household.
Or so I thought...
A few minutes later he was still crashing, banging and walloping upstairs.
Now this is not normal - usually he only does that when he is shut in.
It did cross my mind that he might have a guest, but not with any conviction.

But when I went upstairs, there he was.
Hunched over with a young starling in his mouth.
He was very good, and opened up for me pretty quickly.
Clarisse got entangled in the net curtain, and I had to free her with one hand while opening the window and holding Diz. But he was quite happy to watch this new development, only scrambling down when she was finally perched on the sill. He sent her on her way with a farewell pat.

No blood and only one or two feathers were shed.
And he walked around waowing for a while to prove how important he was (he got some of Dad's special deli ham too)
He does keep salinking into the bedroom in case she's come back, but that's typical Diz behaviour (see previous post about Diz and the spider dispensing door).

I know I am not supposed to be proud of something I had no hand in.
But soddit.
He's my clever boy. And those naughty birdies better watch out.

Happy today and yesterday. My wife surprised me with a brand new 2009 Harley Davidson Classic Road King in a rare color. Still a little shocked at how she pulled it off. It was for our 25 Wedding Aniv (Aug 09), my BD (July 09), and Fathers Day. What a woman. :thumb:

Crikey me, Merc
I should think you're pleased!

Pics please

I will when I get it. Can't pick it up til next week.

What color Merc? Is it a man mobile, or did she get the comfy seat on the back to accompany you?