Worked my first shift at the new job last night! AMAZING! I can't believe I have been missing out on so much for so long!

I clocked in last night and 3 minutes later delivered a baby right off the elevator. I just jumped in and did what I have been trained to do. I just did it! After the delivery I was introduced to the staff by the girl that is orienting me. She is also the same girl who oriented me at the old job!

Way to hit the floor running! I'm still hyped up on adrenalin!

Outstanding, J. Sounds like you're gonna love it.

HI all! Just peeking in! I've been so busy I swear I've hardly had time to pee.

Life is good, though :)

Doing the same as Synn. Just peeking in, been busy, summer vacation has started for the kids and we've hit the ground running. One camping trip already enjoyed and over, Canada day festivities, swimming, and hoping to get the house tidied so we can enjoy even more of the summer.

It's all good over here in the Alty house. Smiles all around. :)

Tooling around the country in the semi. Just went over the Million Dollar Highway (US 550) in Colorado for the first time. Never again in a 77' tractor trailer!!

Scariest road I've ever been on... beautiful views, definitely, but too many drop offs, and S-turns, often with no guardrail... no room for them.

There truly is an abundance of spectacular scenery in the US!

Starting my two week vacation today and looking forward to a lot of rest, working in the garden, side trips to eastern Ontario for some beach sitting at our lovely beaches !

Happy summer all !

So... I started Weight Watchers almost 2 weeks ago (my weigh-ins are on Wednesdays). I was down 5.5 lbs last Wednesday, and I feel so much better already. It's hard, but not as hard as I thought it would be. And I'm astonished at how many people I've met that have been on it before! My goal is 105 lbs off, but I'd be happy with just 80 off, honestly. I just want to be back in clothes that aren't plus sized anymore, and I want to be able to shop anywhere instead of only specific stores.

So... yeah. No one has checked in here in ages, so I thought I'd start it :)

I've just been busy as heck at new job and trying like crazy to get caught up on all of my projects before it turns cold. I know I'm not getting them ALL done... but anything is an improvement.

Retailers say they make most of their money between Thanksgiving and Christmas. In the bug business that works out to from July 4th to Halloween. Busy? I'll say.

So happy for you Synn. Keep up the good work. :)

Congrats Synn! Keep it up. You can do it!

Favorite move: Idiocracy
Favorite food: dog on white bread
A person you know: Adolf
A place you'd like to visit: explore the bush up Madonna's skirt
How you describe yourself: more real than road kill
Favorite animal: that thing in that movie that eats everybody
Favorite drink: blood of the yak

Favorite move: Idiocracy
Favorite food: dog on white bread
A person you know: Adolf
A place you'd like to visit: explore the bush up Madonna's skirt
How you describe yourself: more real than road kill
Favorite animal: that thing in that movie that eats everybody
Favorite drink: blood of the yak

Mag, I can't accept your list. Why you ask? Well, I don't believe you're real, and if you are, well, we have to talk.

You flit in, flit out, sometimes months go by between your flitting. You drink yak blood, compare yourself to road kill, although to be fair you rate yourself slightly above said road kill, and love animals that eat everybody.

My favorite show is Supernatural. Yes, be afraid. All your answers mean that I have to hunt you my friend. So run little yak blood drinker, I'm on your tail.

Hey... bring it!

Hey... bring it!

I'm not afraid. I'm a witch! :)

Slight topic change. I'm a sucker. I just took in two hamsters my cousin didn't want anymore. So I'm back up to 12 pets, 9 of them cagies (animals that need to be caged). Cagies are a lot more work than free roaming. Cages need cleaning, and cagies need to be out of their cages every day, otherwise it's just not right. So two more to care for. But I have to say, they're freaking adorable!

I have decided that I will be now charging admission to visit my petting zoo, so if you plan on visiting, bring money. :)

I'm sure your house smells real good.

I'm sure your house smells real good.

LOL! It actually smells like cedar. That's the bedding we use for the cages. :)

I'm not afraid. I'm a witch! :)

Slight topic change. I'm a sucker. I just took in two hamsters my cousin didn't want anymore. So I'm back up to 12 pets, 9 of them cagies (animals that need to be caged). Cagies are a lot more work than free roaming. Cages need cleaning, and cagies need to be out of their cages every day, otherwise it's just not right. So two more to care for. But I have to say, they're freaking adorable!

I have decided that I will be now charging admission to visit my petting zoo, so if you plan on visiting, bring money. :)


HEY! *I* am the Witch in this group!

Cat fight... I'll bring the beer. :-) Who's bringing the chips and dip?

I need a vacation. I'm coming to visit. Just need to renew my passport.

HEY! *I* am the Witch in this group!

Eeek! Do not turn me into a frog! Green is not my color!


I need a vacation. I'm coming to visit. Just need to renew my passport.

Tell me about it. I've needed a new passport for... oh, I think 10 years now. Not an easy process.

Really really considering biting the bullet and finally becoming a Canadian.


Cat fight... I'll bring the beer. :-) Who's bringing the chips and dip?

Did you say beer?

I have to share this with someone, and I can't post about it on Facebook.

Every year we're invited to my Aunts and Uncles house for Christmas dinner. My Aunt normally PM's me on fb to invite us, but this year she posted it on my wall.

Now, she's German, English is her second language. She speaks it very well, but writing, not so much.

This is the invitation we received this year: "Hi Andrea
Dinner at 2:00 on so day !
You are infinitesimal and your Family .
your Auntie!"

I'm assuming that so day is Christmas day, and I'm very sure that she tried to invite us, and it auto-corrected to make us small and insignificant.

It's never a dull moment with family, and I really needed the laugh. :)

That is a good one.

God its been years since I was here last! 4... 5 years!

God its been years since I was here last! 4... 5 years!
Welcome back!

Welcome back! Obviously, we're not as chatty as we used to be :(

I don't like to blast my personal life on FB, but I have to unload somewhere.

Today my FIL was placed in hospice care. I really don't think he will make it through the weekend. Right now he is still of sound mind. He told everyone today what he wants them to have regarding his possessions. He made sure that my MIL has access to secret bank accounts he has kept over the years in order to take care of her and their 55 year old special needs son in the event something happens to him.

My FIL was a serious business man and has never rested until his business was done. We are waiting on hospice to deliver a bed to the house before he is released from the hospital. We are expecting this to happen on Thursday. Right now he seems to be crossing all his T's and dotting all of his I's.

My my worry is my MIL. She is 83 and relatively healthy, but they have been married 65 years. I don't know how long she will make it without him.

Fair reason to worry. Last two elderly couples I knew that married young and spent nearly that much time together... never made it a year after losing a spouse.

This is the man who owned the gun shop, was a millionaire, and had to claim bankruptcy with the closing of the gun shop. Apparently he was also a very smart businessman who had some hidden assets. It appears the family will be taken care of very well after his death.

My husband will be taking over paying my MIL's bills from their accounts as she has never had to pay a bill in her life.

I worry for her, but also worry for my husband as I don't think he grasps the fact he could lose his mother soon after losing his father.

Do your in-laws live in their own home? Near you? Is she capable of living alone, can take care of herself, cook, shop, etc.? And the special-needs son lives there, too? Can he help her with stuff? And does he give her a reason to keep living? (My mom just turned 92 and, even though she was very dependent on my dad, has outlived him by 15 years with family help.)

Do your in-laws live in their own home? Near you? Is she capable of living alone, can take care of herself, cook, shop, etc.? And the special-needs son lives there, too? Can he help her with stuff? And does he give her a reason to keep living? (My mom just turned 92 and, even though she was very dependent on my dad, has outlived him by 15 years with family help.) They do own their own home relatively close to us. She is very capable of taking care of herself as she is still working for the court system as a CASA. She is extremely active in the community.

Scott does live there as well. He is handy when he is pushed to get a job done, he can mow the grass and some simple fixes. Oh, and he does work a full time job.

He he knows his time is here as he has already contacted the VFW to set up a military funeral (he fought in Korea) when the time comes. He's even contacted the funeral home and pre-paid for his cremation.

90% of the time he is of sound mind, but his body is broken. He is septic now, his kidneys are shutting down a little more each day. He hasn't been out of bed at all since about December or January. He cannot feed himself and has lost almost 100 pounds.

It's the end, we all know it is coming, it's just the waiting is the hardest part.

The he belongings have been divided between the family and he wants them out of the house before hospice brings him home on Thursday.

MIL might surprise everyone and stick around. Scott might be a good reason to, plus she sounds involved with people and life.

Once FIL passes, be sure to find ways to celebrate his life. We planted a pretty tree near our parents' house and in my dad's memory; we all pitched in to write a book that included photos, drawings, and each family member's memories of him (and we each got a copy); we to this day talk about him frequently--remembering funny things he did, his love for golf and Reader's Digest, our childhood memories of him teaching us gardening and board games and softball and croquet and handling guns intelligently and helping him fold the Sunday bulletin. He's still very much alive in our thoughts and conversations.

Sorry to hear that your family is going through this rough time. I hope she surprises every one and continues to remain reasonably healthy and stays active. I lost my mom last year. At the end, she too had hospice care in the home for the last several days. My dad is 86 and doing pretty well, after a few health concerns of his own. He and one of my brothers even go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week for a little exercise, and he is hoping to get back to a bit of golfing this summer.

I think it helps tremendously to have the time to prepare. The pain and sense of loss remain, but you have the opportunity to say what you want... to share laughs, tears, etc. with family around.
Prayers for comfort for your family J_9, and especially for your FIL, peace of mind and soul. I hope, in time, you all will find comfort in how things transpire, given the situation.

Thanks ladies. We will see how this all plays out. Hopefully she will be ready to get back into her typical busy life when this is all over. Unfortunately she is not all that healthy herself. She has battled an eating disorder all of her life, it's just getting worse with all this stress.

Doula, I am very sorry for your loss. It sounds like your father has handled it very well.