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Had to go out for fieldwork today. It's such a struggle to leave the house, like a small panic attack or something. Pushed through and got to the site on time. Good thing was I got to stop by my daughter's new job and see her for a bit afterwards, so that was cool. She's really enjoying the new job and it's an excellent spot for her. Tried to get all my errands done so I wouldn't have to leave again for a few days. Got home feeling like I'd been in a three day fight and fell sound asleep in my chair for two hours. Guess I "jes' ain't got it anymore". Doesn't help it turned warmer again and rain moved in, melting all my snow and bringing more gray skies. Or maybe it's living through the one year mark of my Husband's funeral.
 
So sorry Heartbroken. I don't even want to think about that but it could happen to anyone. I would not be able to live here like we are without the husband. It's a scary thought and I would definitely have a panic attack

Well, got my Yukon back, all fixed now. It has all new brakes on the front and a new master cylinder. It is old enough now where all the pieces parts break, one after the other. Usually I would buy another one with less miles and newer at this point, but I can't afford it, and there isn't any available anyway. So I will just have to keep getting it fixed. The engine is still ok for now.

Today we have to rush to get everything done this morning before it rains, about to get started
Have to clean the house for company this weekend. It's Chinese new years on Sunday and I am going to make dumplings. Year of the rabbit, so my granddaughter is going to be a little rabbit . Talked to daughter yesterday. She is now only a month away . 2 more weeks and the baby will be ok to come. Sadly she is by herself right now, husband is on a ship for a few weeks. I hope the baby doesn;t come early

Oh finally got all my appointments at the meat processor made for this year. I didn't get exactly all I wanted but we can work with it. They are just about booked up for the YEAR . Wow. And this is not a cheap place either. The problem is we sell the meat, so it has to be inspected by USDA. That's the problem. There are quite a few meat processors in the area all much cheaper but none do inspections. Typical government interference, they make everything harder and more expensive.
If this meat processor shuts down for some reason we are going to just sell chicken and half or whole animals which do not need to be inspected.

Oh and I still haven't gotten a call back from the vet school about our goats. But they are not acting sick and it doesn't seem to bother them. I have not gotten any weird sores on me either and it's already been over a week. Maybe they really do just have cold sores. But at least they could call me back.....
Considering how much of our money is going to that university I find that not impressive....
 
So very sorry for your loss Heartbroken. Two years ago my young b-i-law died suddenly, and all the '1sts' are the worst.
I read somewhere the body remembers traumatic events and can often react years later. I hope time eases the pain for you.

Nothing exciting here, a lovely bright day after a frosty night, but spending it at the desk, drinking gallons of coffee and munching on my blackcurrant slices.
 
As usual going to work! Starting today I am making some schedule changes because I am not working seven days a week! I try to help everyone and end up taking on too much! So I am back to saying NO! Going to work in the yard later adding some manure to my raised beds and pots. Hope everyone has a nice day!!😊
 
So I am back to saying NO!
Boundaries are hard to set and harder to stick by, for me.

living through the one year mark of my Husband's funeral.
Anniversaries are difficult as is life after. I'll be praying for you!

This morning, I will walk first.
Wash windows.
Therapy.
Walk dogs.
Take ebay photos.
Bible study this evening.

You all have a good day!
 
Woke up to a severe frost, -7. I've damaged my back slightly so I was creeping across the slippy yard when I noticed one of the cats (Phoebe) growling at something in the distance. She took off, and went after the old cat (Bronn) who was sitting hunched watching Phoebe's 7-month-old kitten Inkytoes (IT). She must have thought Bronn was about to attack her and was protecting the kitten, but it turns out there was a robin trapped; I.T was playing with it, Bronn was waiting for a 2nd breakfast. So the poor thing ends up surrounded by three cats licking their lips. Rescued the robin, and apologised to the cats for ruining their fun. I kept him in for a few hours and then released him when he recovered enough to bash around the box. If only I could recover so quickly!
Tidied up the pantry, and started to work my way through the chest freezer, where I have bags of our own veg and fruit. Every year I begin by making one thing- at least- a week from one of my Pinterest boards. Today is blackcurrants, and I found this link All The Blackcurrant Recipes You Will Ever Need | Tin and Thyme
I'm also knitting thisView attachment 102839 and working on my portfolio. The sun is shining here- Enjoy your day!

Wow, she is gorgeous! What was this post about?? Now I have to read it..
 
So last year I was asked by Petco to be part of their product testing team. This means I have the oppertunity to receive products for free for my honest opinion. I tried three products- none of which I had any use for or desire to ever use. But you have to review the products if you want to remain an active tester to receive more items. So far just in the last 2 weeks I have been asked to review 5 different products! Mostly it seems to be a new petco branded line of toys and grooming gear from recycled materials. Well, I got the first toy today and the smell of the rubber toy was strong enough it woke the puppy up from a nap to play with it. She has something like this made by Kong but who says no to a free dog toy for a teething puppy.

Trying to get the motivation to get back to decluttering the kitchen. I just have to do under the kitchen sink and the sideboard cabinet in the dining room. I have been under the weather with the recent storms and temperature shifts. Yuck.

On top of decluttering I am trying to get K on board with repairing anything we want to keep that needs minor repairs or cleaning. I told him I don't want to move a project across the country only to not complete it once we move. He didn't like this but then I am the one making the calls to get rid of junk and sell things we don't need.
I recently was invited to be part of the Amazon "vine" program where I can pick up to 3 items a day from a huge list of items. I learned really quickly that these reviews take time/effort and not to go overboard on my ordering! I've gotten some really nice stiff (faraday bad, memory foam pillow, cordless drill storage rack, dog toys) and some junk that barely worked (induction headphones, heart rate monitor, kid's toys that broke instantly). It is fun to go online and shop for "free".
 
@Heartbroken, you are in my prayers - these firsts are so very hard and sometimes it's hard to believe that life is going on despite our pain. Hopefully time will heal all wounds and a new life will emerge someday.

The last week has been a blur and I'm glad there's a light at the end of the tunnel finally. Work blew up with annual audit for the ERP system I administer, just when I had thought I was done. Long story short weird stuff happened which made it look like I was making changes in the system an hour before I was granted permission - spent endless hours trying to prove that wasn't the case but could never give the auditors enough evidence. Fortunately my boss is being super understanding and told me to just drop it and we'll take the failure without any repercussions to me.

My puppy, Atari, celebrated his 6 month 1/2 birthday by eating a couple of toys and really messing his guts up. My youngest, who lets him out & plays with him while I'm at work put the toys in his crate with him at the end of the day and despite never having torn up toys before, the pup ate an entire squeaky toy and 1/2 a nylon rope one. So I've had a week of cleaning up dog mess from both ends, worrying if he should go to the vet, not being able to get him into a vet in a 25 mile radius, and more worrying with the poor guy sitting in my lap. The good news is he never got lethargic or lost his appetite, so I think we are good. The GI system seems to be back to normal and I've seen 3 toys worth of stuff come out of him, so I think we are out of the woods. Super glad because my son was taking this horribly and probably worrying more than me.

Hope everyone is doing well!
 
Had to go out for fieldwork today. It's such a struggle to leave the house, like a small panic attack or something. Pushed through and got to the site on time. Good thing was I got to stop by my daughter's new job and see her for a bit afterwards, so that was cool. She's really enjoying the new job and it's an excellent spot for her. Tried to get all my errands done so I wouldn't have to leave again for a few days. Got home feeling like I'd been in a three day fight and fell sound asleep in my chair for two hours. Guess I "jes' ain't got it anymore". Doesn't help it turned warmer again and rain moved in, melting all my snow and bringing more gray skies. Or maybe it's living through the one year mark of my Husband's funeral.
The anniversaries of our losses are such hard days. Decades later these can still be sad days. Remember the good times. Celebrate him by having a meal that would have been a favorite of his.
 
I have done some work clearing my walks this morning, with a snow shovel and deicer. It is currently 24 degrees, and I am waiting for it to warm up a little bit.
My shoulder and arm feel much better today. I've been giving it a rest the last couple of days and I can tell the difference. I was being really careful when I was using the shovel this morning.
 
@Heartbroken, you are in my prayers - these firsts are so very hard and sometimes it's hard to believe that life is going on despite our pain. Hopefully time will heal all wounds and a new life will emerge someday.

The last week has been a blur and I'm glad there's a light at the end of the tunnel finally. Work blew up with annual audit for the ERP system I administer, just when I had thought I was done. Long story short weird stuff happened which made it look like I was making changes in the system an hour before I was granted permission - spent endless hours trying to prove that wasn't the case but could never give the auditors enough evidence. Fortunately my boss is being super understanding and told me to just drop it and we'll take the failure without any repercussions to me.

My puppy, Atari, celebrated his 6 month 1/2 birthday by eating a couple of toys and really messing his guts up. My youngest, who lets him out & plays with him while I'm at work put the toys in his crate with him at the end of the day and despite never having torn up toys before, the pup ate an entire squeaky toy and 1/2 a nylon rope one. So I've had a week of cleaning up dog mess from both ends, worrying if he should go to the vet, not being able to get him into a vet in a 25 mile radius, and more worrying with the poor guy sitting in my lap. The good news is he never got lethargic or lost his appetite, so I think we are good. The GI system seems to be back to normal and I've seen 3 toys worth of stuff come out of him, so I think we are out of the woods. Super glad because my son was taking this horribly and probably worrying more than me.

Hope everyone is doing well!
If your pup is no longer vomiting and is pooping normal, he's ok!! Hopefully next week is a good on for you!!
 
If your pup is no longer vomiting and is pooping normal, he's ok!! Hopefully next week is a good on for you!!
Thanks! This pup is so sweet, he's worth the headaches he sometimes causes 🥰

The powers that be have been encouraging me to declare my interest for positions up the corporate ladder, but I'm not sure I want more work responsibilities this week 😏 A couple dozen acres on a river is sounding better by the day!
 
Had a telehealth visit with my NP today to discuss my blood labs and urinalysis from the first week in January. Everything checked out very well, except that my cholesterol was slightly elevated. The total was 211 and the ratio was 4.7 - not terrible, but not that good either. She suspected that a month of basically being physically inactive after Covid was to blame. So, we're going to give it 6 months and check again. I'm still having some problems with sudden, unexplained fatigue after having Covid. Hopefully that will continue to improve in th coming weeks.

Otherwise, everything was pretty good. My kidney function has actually improved. My triglycerides were great and liver function was good. My HBA1c was 5.7, which was up a little bit from last time but still outstanding for a Type 1 diabetic. 5.7 is equal to an average blood glucose level of 117, and for a non Type 1 person would be considered the high end of normal. I feel pretty good about it.

Angela (my healthcare provider) wants to put me on low dose testosterone. My T number is toward the lower end of normal and she thinks raising it will help me have more energy and motivation. I'm not convinced I need it, since still I'm in normal range, but I'm considering it. All in all it went real well today, and I'm pleased with it...
 
Got mom to the doc appt today, and her xray on her hip yesterday looked fine So that was good...the nurse in her assisted living place was concerned she had a compression fracture, but all she needed was some pain cream and tylenol. Hopefully that'll help. Tomorrow is the first day this week that I don't have the day planned, so anything can happen!
 
Got mom to the doc appt today, and her xray on her hip yesterday looked fine So that was good...the nurse in her assisted living place was concerned she had a compression fracture, but all she needed was some pain cream and tylenol. Hopefully that'll help. Tomorrow is the first day this week that I don't have the day planned, so anything can happen!
A lot of things come to mind 😉🤪
 
Spent the day volunteering at the local mission. We served 50 families. It is so rewarding to be able to help folks. So many are unaware of all the work that goes into one day a week distribution. I guess people think all the food and hygiene products just fall from the sky sorted and arranged.
 
Yesterday I completed my European work, so I am back on normal time... Its amazing how exhausted you feel after you meet/complete a set of deadlines and the pressure is lifted for just a bit.

Today should be a short day expecting to finish up by 2PM, that will leave me time to go for a long walk in the woods. Still trying to break-in my new boots, they are tall snake boots and stiff as all get out, but they keep the thorns from tearing up my shins..

The wife is very frustrated, when ever she lays down she starts coughing, she's okay when she is sitting up, but she can't lay down and sleep. Her recovery from being sick is taking way longer than she will accept and it makes her mad at the world.... When you have served people all your life it is very difficult to not be able to do even simple chores (like cooking or dishes). It makes one question their personal worth...
 
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I just posted this on the neighborhood page, thought I would share just for something to read.

"Starting in XXXXX and all the way north to XXXXXX, and beyond, the highway is covered in wind blown snow, which is packing on itself as the wind blows the new snow onto what is already there. It appears the road crews have been to their little home in XXXXXXX l but it does not appear that anything has been done to the highway in quite a while. No way of knowing when they passed by here last or when they will return to clear our roads. Although the road did not appear to be icy it has the potential to be very slippery if you make a mistake or have to react to someone else's mistake. After I stopped at the mail box I played a little on the highway and it didn't take much to spin the tires or fishtail, even at 30mph it would spin the tires and jump sideways with a quick press on the gas peddle. A heavy step on the brakes kicked in anti-locks almost immediately but the snow build up did help slow things down, just not necessarily in a straight line of travel.
It's almost 4:30, we already decided the daughter is not going to school tomorrow, based on the lousy roads now we don't want her on the bus because I just don't know when the plow trucks might clear the road again or how fast the snow will drift back over them."

So, the moral of the story is I am loving this little snow "storm" and I enjoyed seeing the very small snow drifts. Aside from that, after a good night at work I have a bit of design work to do on the computer for a friend and I need a few more drinks and then hopefully I can get to bed before the sun starts coming up.
Sweet dreams, and Good morning.
 
Well, Jury Doody is over, I never had to go downtown. Maybe I will go up to Cabelas today, I am really tired of winter and cold gray days. Found my #5 fly rod while I was looking for the mossberg barrel, I'll use my single shot 20 till I find the barrel. :)
 
Well, Jury Doody is over, I never had to go downtown. Maybe I will go up to Cabelas today, I am really tired of winter and cold gray days. Found my #5 fly rod while I was looking for the mossberg barrel, I'll use my single shot 20 till I find the barrel. :)
I hid that pretty good 😉
 
Good morning! 3.5 hours sleep. Ugh!
Will walk first.
Pick up friend and drop off her cat at vet for bloodwork.
While we wait, will hit Walmart.
Shoe store.
New Aldi.
Have lunch somewhere.
Pick up cat and take home.
Only regular chores planned for when I get home.
Add NAP to your list!!
 
Going out to do animal chores, but geesh it's cold...23 out at the moment. Took the girls to their schools. Little granddaughter is in a spelling bee at another school today, and looks a bit nervous. Grandson is again smoking drugs and spraying aftershave and running the cooling fan upstairs, so I've had a headache and sneeze fit all morning. Husband is going in for bloodwork, then we'll be out for brunch, and maybe to get feed.
 
I recently was invited to be part of the Amazon "vine" program where I can pick up to 3 items a day from a huge list of items. I learned really quickly that these reviews take time/effort and not to go overboard on my ordering! I've gotten some really nice stiff (faraday bad, memory foam pillow, cordless drill storage rack, dog toys) and some junk that barely worked (induction headphones, heart rate monitor, kid's toys that broke instantly). It is fun to go online and shop for "free".
How does one get invited to participate in this? My daughter would be good at it, and I am interested.
 
Talked to the vet at the vet school....she told me it is to her knowledge not likely for a goat to get this virus without being exposed to it. She asked me 3 times if we got new animals recently or took ours somewhere like a show. NO! I asked if they can take a test and see what it is. She told me she would need to do some research and call me back....this is the VET SCHOOL. They should know without having to reasearch! So far she has not called me back
My truck: was told they were working on it all morning yesterday and couldn't get the brakes to work at all now. ( they worked before I took it there) and it needs a new master cylinder. So it's still there

I have a pain in my lower right side. I wonder if I have a hernia. No other symptoms. It's not a lot of pain but uncomfortable if I move a certain way. I am hoping for just a sore muscle and it goes away again.

Today I need to go shopping. We have run out of most fresh stuff and living of frozen , which is ok but I want some fruit

Hope everyone is having a better week than me
Sounds like something that would happen at my vet's office. Sometimes I think they don't know what they are doing. They misdiagnose a LOT.
As for the side pain, do you still have your appendix?
Our little post office keeps getting a new person. Just when I get used to the last person. They're only open half a day, Mon thru Fri, and an hr on Saturday, as it is. The people sit on the computer and type stuff unless you go to the counter and ask for something. I always wonder what keeps them so busy at the computer. Maybe they get one customer every half hr.
We have one consistent employee at the office who rarely smiles but from time to time we get new people but they don't last long. Ours is only open half a day and one hour on Saturday as well.
Had to go out for fieldwork today. It's such a struggle to leave the house, like a small panic attack or something. Pushed through and got to the site on time. Good thing was I got to stop by my daughter's new job and see her for a bit afterwards, so that was cool. She's really enjoying the new job and it's an excellent spot for her. Tried to get all my errands done so I wouldn't have to leave again for a few days. Got home feeling like I'd been in a three day fight and fell sound asleep in my chair for two hours. Guess I "jes' ain't got it anymore". Doesn't help it turned warmer again and rain moved in, melting all my snow and bringing more gray skies. Or maybe it's living through the one year mark of my Husband's funeral.
I hope you get feeling better. I wonder if it is depression or something else. Have you had your thyroid levels checked? Grief can really bring you down though. Those anniversaries/birthdays always hit hard. Sending virtual hugs your way.

Yesterday I went to Samsclub with my brother. We stopped to eat at Panda first. The manager there is always very friendly to us & I love the food. Stopped at the Honda dealership to dispute a charge-- they charged me for my own oil that I provided. Got blown off and told to call back the next day. Stopped at the post office to get mail & then dropped some stuff off at friend's house. The kitties there were ecstatic to get food. They don't like the stuff friend has been feeding them as much as this stuff. His 1st ex might take one of the kittens because she's cute-- but she's moving in across the street soon so the kitty will still be nearby.

Today I called the dealership several times until they finally let me speak to a manager. I hate to be *that* person, but I'm not letting myself get screwed out of $ like that. Got put on hold multiple times. Finally got through & manager said I'd get my refund. Then they tried to say it was only $35 but I pointed out it was $37.20 and would be $40 with tax. He claimed that the tax was included. I didn't feel like arguing over a couple dollars so I let them have that win. They will send a check in 3 weeks or so. I'll call them if I don't get it.

Went in to Mom's bathroom to get something (or maybe do something-- I think she asked me to put water in the dog's bowl) & saw how disgusting the toilet was. Got some cleaning stuff together and spent an hour scrubbing it and the seat. My shoulder now hates me and I'm about to take a nap again.
 
Woke up feeling a bit rough this morning. Actually I woke up at 7, and said goodbye to my daughter as she rushed out the door to her junior college class. The class has been meeting at the main campus in Ankeny, 50 miles away, for the past week. We had the blizzard a couple days ago and I'm a little worried about her driving with the ice and slush on the roads, but her whole route is US highways and 4 lane state roads so she should be fine. I still had to be a dad and tell her to drive safe and don't be afraid to slow down. Once she left I went back to sleep for a couple hours. Now I'm trying to get motivated to do something. I think this afternoon will be dishes and laundry...
 
How does one get invited to participate in this? My daughter would be good at it, and I am interested.
It's an invite program, and as far as I can tell the best way to get an invite is to give good honest reviews of the products you already buy. For a while I was buying all the IT eq for work through my personal accounts on a company CC, so I got a lot of purchases & reviews in.
 

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