Beefy Or Peachy

Well hubby is thrilled to death that I got in the do it now mode today which entailed cleaning the laundry area and underneath the kitchen sink! Now that it is done it is ever so much more functional and cleaned up. My niece is coming over around 430 to do some of the other cleaning that needs to be done that I can't do right now so I am getting extra help from hubby before she gets here so her job will be quick and easy.

My son was invited down to Tucson for the weekend so we have the house to ourselves for a day and a half and he gets to go to a concert tonight and hang out with an old buddy of his he has known since 4th grade so I'm sure he will have a great time.

My sister and aunt in Tucson are both in grief today as my sister's grandon and his girlfriend moved out yesterday and flew to live in Florida and share a place with a friend of theirs'. Well my sis and aunt were counting down the days and now that it has really happened they are feeling lonely already. Time will tell whether or not the two of them are ready to make it on their own and they both currently have health issues they are dealing with also.

Well I am in my 'cool down' mode after helping hubby with those chores and doing laundry and making the bed. My legs started shaking and I broke out in a sweat so I guess I might have overdone it abit. Shortly I will shower and get cleaned up and ready for my niece to come over. We usually all have dinner when she's done and she loves my hubby's cooking!

Later all, and keep some sunshine in your heart for yourself, and for others :)
Aly

Well besides the little starting problem the new 'used' car runs like a dream! So we will be going down to Tucson early Friday morning to get that checked out. I do believe they are going to stand behind the car since we just purchased it and informed them 3 days after the purchase.

Tomorrow is the gel injection in my right knee and I must say I am a bit apprehensive. I guess it can't be worse then fluid being taken out of it but at least my hubby was with me then. Tomorrow I go with my friend Dar and so I will be on my own...yikes .

Tomorrow afternoon my niece will be coming over to help out with the housework. Our angel has been looking out for both of us these last few weeks. We are ever so grateful for her kind heart and deeds.

Well have a good day all. I must say that having my son here has added much joy to my heart. It is so good to see him and spend time with him again :).

Hugs,
Aly

Well today was a day for me to remember my dear sweet Dad with a huge heart and a twinkle in his eye. He was so dear to me and I lost him way too young in my life.

My niece came over today and helped me with cleaning. She does the vacuuming and washing the floors and I change the bed, do laundry and dust. My son got back from Tuscon and pitched in also by cooking dinner for us and cleaning up. After my niece helped me here she went to my friend's house who just had surgery and helped her clean also. She was just thrilled!

We then watched the movie 'Shooter' which was pretty good and then just chilled for the evening. I hope many of you got to spend your day with your Dads and had a great time.

Well have a good day all and be loving and communicate with those you love. Don't shut them out of your life or you might lose them.

Aly

Well hubby and I went for a nice swim earlier tonight so that I could do my knee exercises and relax. I did get some of it done however there were several young children there jumping off the steps where I usually sit and do my exercises. I did manage to steal the spot for a few minutes and get some done before swimming off to the deep end just to get some laps in. The kids were a bit wild and I was worried about one of them banging into me and hitting my knee. This is the first time so many people have been at the pool period.

Took some time out to color my hair, get some laundry done and spend a little bit of time with my son before he headed off to Tucson to spend a day with an old friend of his and his wife. He was excited to have the weekend off as he doesn't expect he'll be getting anymore very often. The business he works for is very busy all the time. It is such a pleasure to spend some time with him and it will be great to see his wife and little Haley in the next few months .

Well I am all tired out tonight from the exercising and work around the house and hair coloring so now it is time for a nice game of spades or a game at Pogo.

Have a good weekend everyone!
Aly 

Well today was spent on the phone scheduling my knee injections, calling about a missing gift certicate for my son Mike in CT from Bob's Stores in Manchester. Hubby resigned our lease agreement for this coming year so now I have to get over there to sign my part. We are getting a half month free rent in August and our carpets cleaned as well. We like it here well enough to stay one more year as the location is so fantastic being that we overlook the golf course.

My friend Dar visited today and she is so uncomfortable as she is so twisted and has some ribs out of place. She did see our chiropractor earlier today but he said it would take him more then one visit to straighten her out. I felt so badly for her as her discomfort was all over her face :(.

I managed to get myself to the pool again today and swam and exercised for about an hour. It felt fantastic :). I met a nice young woman there who was quite chatty and we had a nice visit while swimming.

Well off for now. Take care all and hugs,
Aly

I don't think my niece realized how much work this job was when she started it. Hubby and I are packed into this 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment and even though every time we move we have thrown things away we still seem to have too much!

Then hubby went to plug in our phone in this room and realized it doesn't work. He then realized our cable connection didn't either. He called Qwest only to get a recording saying they were closed at 6pm!!! No help to us. So between no technical service available and cheaper rates we are switching everything back to Cox. So much to deal with and I can't be up and helping. I asked him to put papers and shoes on the bed for me to sort through and throw away things we don't need. I woke up crying from a sound sleep I felt so overwhelmed.

We both also have to get use to sleeping on different sides of the bed which is hard to do as it puts my right leg in the middle of the bed instead of on the outside. Being closer to the bathroom is easier for me and I am sure it will be after the next surgery as well. I just wish I felt stronger then I do. Later we see the chiropractor and hopefully adjustments to my back and neck will help me feel better. He is not touching my leg period.

Hubby had pictures fall on his foot and it hurt like hell and cut him too. It has been a busy morning already.

Well I have to try and get showered which is always a thrill.......grrrr.

Have a good day all,
Aly

Well later on today will be packed with things to do so this is just a quick post before going to sleep. My friend had 2 of her pre-op tests done today before she gets scheduled for lap band surgery. It was difficult for her to get done but now she can move forward. I pray she finds the strength to do whatever else it takes to get this surgery done as she also needs 2 knees replaced and they won't do it until she reaches a certain weight. I don't think living alone makes it very easy to watch your diet. Instead, I think she eats out alot bc she doesn't just want to cook for herself and bc she has become so handicapped.

Hubby fixed us a nice dinner and then we all watched 'Casino Royale' which was a very good Bond movie. Since I slept til 2 today out of sheer fatigue of course now I am having trouble sleeping but I must as I have to get up earlier today.

I hope your nights and days are filled with kindness and love,
Aly

Well a team of 3 people from Lucy and Ethel's cleaning service arrived today before noon and spent almost 2 hours dusting, vacuuming, washing floors, cleaning tiles, both bathrooms, cleaning ceiling fans, dusting picture frames, cleaning all the counters in the kitchen, the drip pans on the stove and much more. They weren't cheap but they even asked me if it was ok to add me to their prayer list at church which was very sweet of them :).

My sister called tonight to say she and my aunt Charlotte are planning to come up early next Wednesday morning to help us out after the surgery. I think her intentions are sincere this time but I'm not sure if my aunt's health will hold up.

I know I sound like a broken record about the POGO passes but since people are still sending me their email addresses, I must say this again. I DON'T need the email address, but I DO need the POGO username in order to send any passes once I get more from Pogo.

May Peace, Love, and Courage follow our footsteps,
Aly

I asked the Lord to tell me

Why my house is such a mess.

He asked if I'd been 'computering',

And I had to answer, "yes."

He told me to get off my fanny

And tidy up the house.

And so I started cleaning up...

The smudges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside.

That really did the trick...

I was just admiring my work..

I didn't mean to 'click.'

But click, I did, and oops I found

A real absorbing site

That I got SO way into...

I was into it all night.<<Sigh>>

Nothing's changed except my mouse

It's very, very shiny.

I guess my house will stay a mess...

While I sit here on my hiney.

Well I slept so much yesterday during the day I guess due to the pain and that is how my body is choosing to handle it, that I could not sleep last night. I also knew hubby had to work today and coping alone with one bad leg and just a cane that really doesn't help much, that today would be challenging at best. Well I slept a few hours and woke up, managed to make toast and jelly and tried to get it back in my bedroom without dropping anything. Oh well, that didn't happen. The toast fell on the rug face down with the grape jelly all over the rug! That of course meant getting the resolve and trying to clean that up before the rug was stained and starting over for breakfast. Well the pain in my knee cannot tolerate all this walking and without crutches this is just not working.

Hubby got to work only to find out that his boss sent out a late email on Thursday after hubby left for his weekend saying he would not be in on Sunday. It also turns out the other team lead called out sick so he is the only manager who bothered to be there so now he has to stay later. He was worried about leaving me alone today and now has to stay until 6 tonight. He will be addressing this lack of communication with them all tomorrow. He does have phones and an email where he could have been informed ahead of time to try and make some arrangements for someone to be here with me part of the day. He is angry over their disrespect and lack of professionalism. Me, I'm just hurting and making a mess of things.

I can tell by how my knee feels that any housework is just out of the question and I am destined to be mostly on my back with an ice bag when I feel up to getting one. I hate to say this but by the way this leg is feeling it feels like something is structurally wrong, sigh.

Well it is hurting just sitting here with my leg bent so I guess that's all for now. I thought maybe my gf could come over for awhile but she has a birthday party to go to this afternoon and that is more fun then coming here.

Maybe later I'll try again to sit up awhile,
Aly

Well since we live in the valley of the sun one doesn't expect it to be only 45 degrees during the day!!!! The heat has been running non-stop and I've had on my fluffy Santa socks all day, lol. I was up all night again after taking a 3 hour nap late in the day yesterday. Hubby slept also and didn't get to sleep until 2 am and had to get up at 6 am for work and I was worried he wouldn't hear the alarm so I waited until after he got up to go to bed. I've been there all day with my cat Jordan sleeping nearby. He's always happy to have a 'sleep' buddy as he sleeps the day away and is a wild cat the rest of the night, lol.

Well I will be hoping the weather warms up here and just be grateful we don't live in Denver, I'd never survive that weather, period.

Hugs and Peace to Your Hearts,

Snuggling Aly 

Get Connected with Your Truth

The hardest thing to do is be honest with yourself. Asking yourself some key questions will lead you to some amazing discoveries, and possibly motivate you to do what it takes to create the life you envision for yourself.

I suggest writing your (honest) answers to the following questions in a new journal for the new year:

• What makes you happy at work?
  

• What makes you happy at home?
  

• What makes you happy with your friends and family?
  

• What makes you happy when you're by yourself?
  

• What do you love to do?
  

• What would you do with your life today if you weren't afraid of failure?
  

• What's not working in your life?
  

• What are you currently doing that prevents you from experiencing joy?
  

• What's working in your life?
  

• Who's not working in your life?
  

• Who in your life is subtracting value from and adding misery to it?
  

• Can you fix any of these relationships, or should you let them go from your life?
  

• What relationships are working in your life?
  

• If we were getting together one year from today, what would have to happen for you to be able to tell me that you now have more joy in your life?
  

• What's the single most important thing you've learned about yourself as a result of answering these questions?

To read the full article, go here: http://finance.yahoo.com/columnist/article/millionaire/18930

Well do to the fact that my gf fell back to sleep until just a short time ago our plans for today will be shortened as to what can be accomplished. I did get a hair appt scheduled for Friday late afternoon for color and cut at a nice salon in Scottsdale so I am looking forward to that.

Today I will be looking for a holiday blouse, getting some banking needs done, and taking care of her eyeglass needs. Hubby is picking up two gifts from Best Buy on the way home. We are getting there, slow but sure :).

My brother just called to tell me how happy he is to hear that I have invited my sister and aunt up on New Year's in the hope that we can all move forward. He thanked me for taking the step knowing that I most likely still feel vulnerable, but at least willing to give them another chance at some sort of relationship. I will do my best and pray for guidance and support.

Thanks for all the support here!!

Hugs and Peace to your Hearts,
Aly

Well this will likely take awhile as they are accepting 2000 entrants unless of course I get awful cards and play them like an idiot, lol.

I will post later on folks! Wish us luck as we are both playing today :)

Aly 

While in my heart I still do not feel my spirit as upbeat and positive, I know that it is my own best interest to do something that will make me feel better about myself. Today that task was working on my adopted aunt's memoirs. While any lengthy typing is difficult for me to do these days, I know she has been waiting for the new chapters to be typed, and for the re-writes to be updated. I didn't think I could manage it, but I did.

So for now I will send her off the rough drafts and wait for any changes plus new chapters. I will now rest with some heat on my back awhile and perhaps watch a bit of tv while I do so.

It often helps us when we are feeling low to do something nice for someone else.

Peace and Hugs.

Aly 

Well hubby and I said we would just rest for a short while.... and 3 hours later the phone woke us up! That was of course after the showing of Heroes at 8 pm our time, sigh. Hubby is all upset and will have to wait to see our friend's taped version, lol. Now all the people chatting at work at the 'water cooler' will be an episode ahead of him, tsk tsk!

I read one review about last night's show and it said it was a let down after all the hype. Is that true? Did anyone here see the show?

Awake at 3 am and now I will have to fight to stay awake today.... sigh.  

Hugs,

Aly 

Mood: Ugh, lol

Well it is time for an oil change, tire rotation and balancing and I'm sure at least 2 new tires! I hate that we have to spend the money now just before the holidays but we are doing everything possible just to keep the car running a bit longer. It has been great not having a car payment for almost two years. I do forsee it though in the not too distant future. Where we take it to they match all competitor coupons so we end up saving quite a bit of moolah while continuing to build a good relationship with the auto shop.

I guess we'll be watching some movies today and maybe playing some spades or Texas Hold'em online. It is a good thing we got most of our other running around and chores done yesterday as he's working us into a totally booked day so he said it could take quite a few hours before he can get it all done. Oh well.

Our cat Jordan will like it that we are stranded for a better part of the day as it means more cuddling time  for him, lol! He's such a wonderful cat and with so much personality.

Later folks!
Pictureless Aly

Mood: very tired tonight

Well I didn't get to sleep until after 5 this morning and then got up at 10:30 and have been on the go all afternoon. We both got our hair cut and shopped for some furniture (that was a bust) and had a late lunch at Quiznos (yummy) and came home to chill out.

My son did qualify for a poker tournament online tonight and if he had won it, he would have been flown to Las Vegas all paid for complete with an entry into a $25,000 tournament. There were 298 players and he lasted until the last 44 players before being eliminated. He was so excited at the possibility of winning and going. He is a good player and it was fun watching him play online. He'll keep getting better at it. He loves Texas Hold'em as do we. Hubby might try it now that he knows you can get a completely paid trip and an entrance into a big tournament there. That was our big excitement for tonight.

Hubby and I did manage to have some nice cuddling time. Since my days and nights have been so messed up we haven't had much time for that as I've been up at weird hours and sleeping here and there. I do feel really exhausted tonight so perhaps I'll finally catch a good night's sleep!

Have a peaceful night and weekend all,
Aly

As this new week starts and many uncertainties regarding family still exist, I find myself clinging to hope desperately that at some point they will accept responsibility for what has been said and will assist the process of healing for the sake of us all. Knowing my sister's ability to cut off her own kids when she's upset with them, I guess that is 'wishful' thinking, but I still cling to a thread of hope.

May your days be blessed with kindness and love.
Aly