One month ago I did the Terry Fox Marathon and lost approx. 10 pounds along the way:)-better news is it's still coming off and I have hips again

Karma or Schadenfreude?

Fixed up a load of medical appointmentds in the last two days.
First aranged to have my blood taken locally so I don't have to go all the way to Luton and back this afternoon - yay!
After that I have four different appointments booked. Appointments coming out my hoo-hah, excepting none are about my hoo-haa, thank goodness.

One is to have my contraceptive implant replaced though. TMI?

Yeah. Specially since you said it twice! lol

Damn, and too late to amend or delete to make you look silly.

My daughter needed a specific graphing calculator for school. They cost around $130-$140.

I got one on Ebay for $66 including shipping, and it's in good shape and works perfectly. It's even a good color.

$66 is more than I wanted to pay for a school supply, but it's a hell of a lot better than $140.

I read somewhere that this graphing calculator has a faster processor than the computer on the first space shuttle.

Heh... graphing calculators are way more powerful than most teachers realize. In my high school calculus class, we created a handful of programs to do things like solve the quadratic equation for us, just to save time. The teacher wasn't a complete idiot; before every test he would go to each desk and personally clear the memory of each calculator.

What he didn't realize was that you could reassign even the basic programs that came with the calculator. You could, in fact, write a program which simply displayed "Memory Cleared" on the screen when the appropriate menu item was selected, only without the actual deleting of anything.

Then again, maybe he did know that, and just figured that if we were smart enough to program such a thing, we didn't really need to worry about his class anyway.

It's complicated! I wanted to see it work, so I figured an easy one would be x squared = Y. But I had no idea how to enter that. It even took my daughter about half an hour so show me that feature.

I saw somewhere that you can get simple games for it.

If I had the desire and time, I bet there's a lot I could learn about what it will do.

My friend's mom just gifted me a set of snow tires as a bribe for a short stint of house sitting/cat watering.

Hells yeah.

Nice!

Haha cat watering ...

That could so easily be Diz!
Except if he loved water like that I'd be able deal with Mr Poopy Tail softly and gently. He is very very wary of my trying to clean his fur right now because his actual parts are sore and swollen.

Which is not making me happy at all. Neither is the 24 hour fast he is on.
Quick, think of something happy...

I have beans in soak for a cassoulet tonight.

I just got my dream job! After being off work for 9 months, with a bad hip, I just got a job where I can sit, or stand when needed! I am now the Esthetics instructor for the MC College- Vernon Campus!!!! I am a teacher, in the field I absolutely love.
I go in on Tuesday to sign a contract, and do my orientation. The pay is enough to get us out of the very large hole we are in, in just a few months, and will allow us to be able to replace our leaky roof by June. After that... who knows!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!

:celebrat:

That is very good news!

Congratulations, Jaydaan! Very happy for you!

What's making me happy tonight is ... my BeeBee, my Siamese queen who saw me through chemo (she fussed over me, slept with me, tucked herself under my sore arm when I needed a small 'pillow', and woke me up in the morning with a cat kiss) - is cuddling with me now. In a few minutes I'm going to pour myself a little wine and sit in the hot tub, check out the night sky.

I am happy to be in my space, on my property, where silence is the rule - not jets taking off every 50 seconds from Reagan Int'nl Airport.

My brother's band is on the short list for Grammy nomination. I wasn't aware there was such a thing, but apparently they start with about 30,000 submissions, somebody whittles it down to about a 1,000 for the short list, and then some special subset of Academy voters narrows it down to choose the actual nominees. Anyway, they're up for 5 different categories. I'd be rather stunned if they got beyond this stage, but then again I'm stunned they got this far, so it's pretty cool.

Wow, that's cool!

That is supercool! Whats the name of their band?

Hello Caller, www.hellocaller.com

They have a strict rule about not starting any big social media campaigns to try to influence the Academy voters, though I don't even know who those people would be at this stage anyway. I got to vote one year in the main Grammy voting when I was interning at a music studio, but I think the people who choose the nominees are a pretty select group.

Pretty damn cool, clod!

I'm happy about the way my thesis is going. I've been in a bit of a funk with it lately. and time is short.

But last week I spent a few days bringing disparate chunks together into coherent sections. I now have a more or less complete first draft introduction - just needs a little round up of what's in each chapter, which I will do when the rest is finished. And half of a first draft Chapter 1.

was feeling good about that, but wasn't sure on the quality of some of it. Have just had a meeting with my supervisor and he seems to think it passes muster. Just a few alterations needed to what's there. Am hoping to finish that chapter over the next week and a half.

Realistically, I need to be doing a chapter a month now in order to get this in in time. It's a big ask, especially as I have only done some of the statistical analysis needed for the major sections, but I am feeling more capable of producing the goods than i have in a long time.

From now on I am sticking to a single chapter at a time until it's finished, rather than jumping about doing odds and sods as the mood takes me and as conference papers dictate.

So...yeah...feeling quite fired up.

Good to hear, Dana!

I'm happy tonight because I'm going to go spend the evening with my oldest son. Relax, have a beer, chat. Yay!

I am happy because there is auto correct :lol: some NSFW words

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/394839092301861124/

Aden got a letter in the mail inviting him to the course he wants to do at uni next year. We knew it was coming, but still such a relief to know the first one is on his way. :)

Congratulations to Aden! And to you, who made it possible. Great news, Ali!

Thanks Ortho. We are very pleased for him.

So, is this like the American equivalent of getting accepted into a particular school? Or was he already in the university, and now he's allowed to pursue specific coursework? Sounds like good news, whichever it is. Congratulations!

He's just finishing high school. He's been in a program for the last two years where if he fulfills certain criteria, including passing exams etc, he had a chance of being offered admission to the course he wants even before his final results come out. So anyway, he did all the stuff he had to do and passed the exams and did well in all his other subjects, so now we know for sure that he's going to university to study Exercise Science next year. It's a three year course which will leave the door open to a multitude of pathways for future study and employment. He doesn't start any earlier. He just doesn't have to sweat on his results and waiting to see if he is offered a place later on. Takes a lot of stress out of the summer holiday for him (and us). :)

Sound more like UK unis where you choose your course/major before you apply?

Yep thats right monster, except he doesnt have to wait like everyone else. He already knows hes in.

I had the funniest dream this morning just a few hours ago. I dreamed I was at some kind of official meeting and Governor Rick Perry was there and he was praying to Jesus and I was talking to the guy next to me and the Governor got all mad at me and started threatening me with expulsion so I got into a big argument about the separation of church and state and if we needed to have a prayer to start the meeting why not a non-sectarian prayer.

I think I dreamed that because l was listening to the arguments last night on the news for the case before the SCOTUS. Pretty funny.

Anyway I argued with the Gov that if I led a prayer it would be to Zeus or something like that. He was pissed. :cool:

yeah, here they do a year of general study before they decide on a specialty. Then they do another three years. I'm generalizing wildly, of course, and colleges are chosen for their areas of excellence to a certain extent..... it's all very strange and foreign and scary. But there is no waiting for results here. Junior year (the penultimate one) is the hard slog and worry year and senior year is a breeze afaict.

Congrats to him.

My wife and I got into a discussion yesterday on that topic.
My thesis was: If it is "prayer", that is the sine qua non of belief in a god.

It doesn't matter what words/thoughts/ideas are involved.
So even a "non-sectarian" prayer can be as much an affront to someone
as a invoking the name of Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, or in my household, the dog, Vicky.

I'm just waiting to see how Antonin twists his interpretation of the Constitution
around to strike out "establishment of religion" and leave "free exercise"
as the Right of a state, county, city government ... and all corporations.

I'm happy because Hector got to keep "his" number (30) when they handed out equipment yesterday for the hockey team. He was worried because #30 hadn't been available in the practice jerseys as the last #30 they had kept it. But he didn't keep the regular shirts, so YAY!

Staring at a night sky full of stars. No light pollution. This is one of the reasons I love my property.

Listening to tunes and enjoying a Rusty Nail. Yes, I have committed sacrilege. I have added Drambuie to a malt. But this malt deserved it.

Morning fire on a quiet Saturday, nice.

I had a customer (a pa wine & spirits sales rep) last night that wanted the tire plan. He didn't want to pay for it though. He offered me a case of wine in exchange. I agreed to the deal. $135 for the tire plan. I figured, if they are $15 bottles, I'm ahead, and I'm set for Christmas gifts for my Co managers....

Well, the case has 8 bottles of $25 a bottle wine, a bottle of makers, a fancy rum, kahluah, tequila.

Probably about $250 worth all in all. Nice guy.

It's the middle of November and the hummer is still with us...

Attachment 45993

We'll keep feeding as long as they stay.

New Nexus 7 up and online. Finally. :lol2:

What is a Nexas 7?

It's a big, fat phone/tablet.

Ya 'sposed to stop, so they don't stay.

The PDX area is a mild climate, and hummers can be winter residents
... but as you say, as long as food is continuously available.

I found some support for that idea here

Quite a few visitors will stay if food is provided early in the season. If you start feeding, the key is: don't stop. Your visitors will have missed their chance to migrate and will be dependent on you.

I'm happy tonight because I successfully presented a huge change to proposed clinic space to the hospital admin this morning. If the changes go through, I'll have a real chance of developing the practice I dream of.

Early December and we have 4 daily visitors.

The mating chases are continuous, really vigorous, and window-threatening !
Any times during the day, there will be a loud thump of a hummer flying into the glass,
... but so far there doesn't seem to be any permanent injuries.

It is truly amazing to watch their aerial gymnastics and occasional hovering beak duels.
Right how we have 3 females and 1 male,
... if he is able to keep up with these chases, he will pass along some very good genes

Hummers are very aggressive, are you sure they are "mating chases"?

Happy to be back in my apartment for the next three days with two very needy cats competing for my attention tonight. Tomorrow, onco labs, ultrasound, and appointment; then fingerprinting and training for my stint as a 'guest researcher' at NIOSH. A visit from my husband, who has offered to clean my apartment and do laundry so that I can work on my Master's project and study. For all of which I am truly thankful.

Not sure, but I'm sure the 3 girls will sort it out between them. :mad2: :heart-on: :heart-on: :heart-on:


Does anyone know if the red color of the solution makes a real difference to the hummers ?

We bought another brand of dry "food" packets, but this brand has no color.
The feeder, itself, is red and these four birds are habituated to it.

We'll try it, but it's not as satisfying for us humans as seeing the original red goop.

Feeding. Evidently the color is important.

I have been asked to make a Dave Minion cake for a 3 yr old birthday. They're paying me and everything! This is my first commission!!

Congratulations, Ali! Make sure to take pictures so you can put them in your bakery's future website's gallery. :) (And so you can show them to us, of course.)

Yeah, especially post pictures so I can see who Dave Minion is.

What's making you happy today?
 

Nothing. Nothing is making me happy today. I am not happy. I cannot see happy from where I am. Happy may have been killed by a train.

Yo Dave

I think the only distinction with Dave is that he has hair. Besides that, he looks like all the other two eyed minions.

And its parts smeared on a long span of the old train tracks? Yeah, I feel ya.

Every thing is making me happy. HAPPY HAPPY, JOY JOY!!!

Lots of overtime.
New, smaller work uniform (the trousers were getting indecent when I bent to get items from the fridge).
And sad and sorry and hungover people today smelling of teh booze and me all smiley from 06.30 onwards (work Christmas party last night, yes there was a free bar, yes I chose not to go).

Yay you!

Sent by thought transference

Excellent on all counts!