MyrnaLynne

keepsmiling! LOL, you are so funny that Emily should get a beat-up passport photo, to look her worst for customs.

The snow and ice is still with us, it's been almost a week! But supposed to warm up this week, and maybe we'll get some melting finally. The sun is stronger, now that it's Spring (today), so I'm hoping all this mess will GO AWAY! Hope by the time Mr ML gets back from his trip, the snow in the driveway will be gone. (He is loving the heat in Florida, and how hot my Dad keeps his condo, too.)

Although Mlette managed to park in the driveway on Friday; I was impressed! It's softened up a little and I've chipped away at the snow/ice that was narrowing the entrance to our driveway (piles of snow on either side of it with 3-4" of ice at the bottom of it all). It's so frozen is isn't going away fast at all.

Took Barbara out for an airing yesterday and her car out for some 'exercise' (she's not allowed to drive for 6 months with her fainting spells and until she adjusts to new medicine for it, but she's been doing fine - knock on wood - so maybe she'll get her car back/okay to drive again soon). It's too bad, because she loves driving (and I don't) but we drove up to the mall and went out for lunch, walked the mall a bit (it was cold and windy outside) and I drove back again. She gets out and walks every day, but just around our town. Before Mr ML went on his trip, he was driving her here and there, in her car, to keep it running.

He's been gone a week and I'm moping around feeling sorry for myself. And he plans to be gone another couple of weeks. SIGH

Saturday morning, I took myself by bus and subway (and walking across a semi big road) to a Retirement seminar put on my by work (Mr ML was supposed to drive me there, but then he left town. ). It went from 8-noon, all about Medicare, Social Security, saving for retirement, the new retiree medical advantage plan they are coming out with. It was informative but a long time to sit and take things in - and they didn't have breaks, you just got up and went to pee when you had the call, or needed a snack (they had coffee and tea and snacks available). It was a very nice thing for them to put on. They are doing separate segments of that talk during the week at the hospital too, but they are usually just an hour and some idiot asks some complicated question pertaining only to herself, that bogs down the speaker... Trying to figure this stuff out! It's very complicated! Plus you have to figure out a whole new life for yourself, post working, which Mr ML and I are just sort of coming to realize. And since there are no grandkids, we can't just transition to the job of doting grandparents/helpful parents.

podmom

no grandkids yet

Our snow just started melting today. I hope yours follows suit tomorrow!

"Took Barbara out for an airing yesterday" I liked that bit enough to quote...taking out for an airing is such an "our parents" saying it made me happy and Barbara for sure should be happy!

keepsmiling your advice to Emily made me smile too....so the lips are healing not the jaw yet.... wish it was just the lips

keepsmiling7

ML.......you and MrML are so helpful to Barbara.......especially keeping her car running. My hubby hasn't driven in over three years, but we still have his older SUV because it is easier for him to get in and out of than my smaller car. I tried to have his name removed from the auto insurance since I was the only one driving........but the company said as long as he had a valid driver's license they wouldn't remove him.
I can't take the hope away from him, but I'm sure he will never drive again.
My car goes a long time without being driven, so I have to make a special point at least once a week to prevent the tires from becoming square. Sometimes I just back it down the driveway and back. Crazy huh?

MyrnaLynne

Not that crazy Keepsmiling - Barbara had her car and her late husband's truck and kept both of them for a couple of years, and had to drive them around to keep them going, sometimes just around the block, up one street and down the other, going noplace (before doctor said to stop driving), so she sold the big truck and now just has the little car. We don't drive our car that often (except when Mr ML suddenly goes to Florida - lol). When we were both working, we both took the subway to and from work and the car in the driveway looking decorative all day. But we do take it for groceries and here and there when we need to.

Strange the insurance company wouldn't do what you want them to do, take hubbies name off, but as you say, he might as well keep thinking he might drive it again someday.

I was really surprised when my Dad said my Uncle bought a new car (he's 90!). I asked if he was going to drive it to Connecticut from Florida, but no, some of his wife's daughters were going to bring it up for them (and then they're going to sell the old car they have in CT too - they had a car at the FL condo and one at the CT condo!) Now they are going to sell the Florida place (and Florida car). Makes sense.

That's what Bossy Betty and her hubby Wayne did, when they sold the house in NH and moved to NC - sold their two old cars, bought one nice new car, and drove it to their new place in N Carolina.

LOL, I signed up for another retirement talk at work this week "Turning your Savings into Retirement Income" from Fidelity - sounded good!

Had my annual physical this morning. Guess I'm in okay shape, for the shape I'm in. Getting shorter (and fatter) though, that was a bit alarming!

MyrnaLynne

Found out Mr ML should be back April 1 (unless that's an April Fool joke - "April Fools! I'm staying in Florida!" ) Three weeks without Mr ML is a ridiculously long time for him to be away (and me to be playing Macaulay Culkin - home alone)


I think he's pretty bored down there as well, plus my Dad's computer is S-L-O-W and driving hm crazy (a slow computer is fine for a 94 year old guy).

He kept calling me up during DWTS to discuss the dancers and who was good and who was bad. That was hilarious. He's never taken any interest in DWTS, except when somebody like Amber Rose was on (dancing with enormous, um, assets).

keepsmiling7

That's so funny ML.........MrML calling you to discuss DWTS.

MyrnaLynne

Yes, and he kept calling every few minutes, after the different dancers. He really must be bored!

He was telling me about Wheel of Fortune today when he called.

I made a reservation for a motel in northern Florida for the first leg of his trip home (Dad's computer is super slow and driving hubby crazy trying to use it).

The new little supermarket gave out $10 off $25 purchase coupons, but they expired tomorrow, so I walked over there and hauled home a bag of groceries. It came out to $28! (despite it being freezing today and howling winds.) I was so proud of myself (math not being my strong suit) but I guestimated right.

I'll be glad when the car is back (and Mr ML to go shopping). Oh well.. I found a bunch of frozen hamburger patties in the freezer, so there are some dinner options.

Ekua

Popping in to say hey!

Hope all you lovely ladies are well!! Sorry I'll write more later....exhausted right now!

podmom

I'm popping in to say hi too. Liz Walter and the kids are coming for the weekend....unless the baby does poorly sleeping here..then they'll leave after dinner Saturday) and I was at her place the last two days until 9pm or so ...so I have lots to do to get ready.

Too funny about MrML ML calling all those times thanks for reminding me it is on I hope my DVR got it.

Ekua hope you get a little rest

keepsmiling it would be so hard to give up driving.... not that I am at the opposite side of the fence at the moment and drive way way too much. You are kid to your hubby in so many more ways than that.

MyrnaLynne

Sorry I've been MIA - my work email kept warning FF was a 'dangerous site' and I shouldn't go there. Seems to have sorted itself out! Phew!

Mr ML found a nature park with walking trail that had lots of birds and wildlife to look at; he's been there twice. His vacation is almost over - should be packing up and heading northward middle of this week.


The 40-degree weather will be a bad shock to him though, when it's 80 down there. At least it looks like most of the snow and ice will be gone before he gets here. Rainy this weekend, rainy today, washing it SLOWLY away. If we'd just get some sunshine and a few warmer days...

Did stuff with Barbara Saturday (drove to Walgreens and Kohls and then came back and walked out to lunch) -while we were eating, we looked out and it was SNOWING! But then it switched back to (icy) rain.

Brought work home and proofread most of Sunday. Good thing I did, because I still had 3 more papers at the office, and of course 3 MORE just showed up over the weekend too. I never ends...

Hope you had a good weekend with your daughter and her family and the baby slept okay so they could stay. She is such a hot ticket, that little Grace. A natural comedienne

podmom

Wow that is so weird and scary about you guys seeing that warning pg...I never got it shwew.

The baby slept and they stayed. The kids loved their new room I fixed up for them with all the toys in the walk in closet. Made it much easier for me to clean up after too. The baby slept through the night and napped well.....her first night home she woke up at 2am then Anna Lee woke up at 4am sick. Tommy was coming down with a cold here on Sunday...cranky which he never usually is and a little snotty. Poor Ann Lee is really sick yet again. I went there yesterday...she was running a fever over 102. Liz did a rapid strep test it was positive.. she had literally just got done a 10 round of antibiotics for strep. Either it didn't get it totally gone or she got another strain. It is so hard on she and Liz how often and badly she gets sick don't know why. She had her immune system tested 2 years ago that came back normal. Tommy rarely gets sick and it so far thank goodness is never bad. Praying the baby doesn't catch either Tommy's cold of ALs strep.

Just having them here for the weekend is exhausting....cooking for more pps and doing the kids non stop. I don't know how keepsmiling does all her pps plus cook for 10!?

Did you have that get together yet keepsmiling?

Our weather was hot cold too this weekend.

Rainy today

MyrnaLynne

Glad the visit went well Podmom - toy closet sounds like a great idea. When I was a kid, I used to play in a walk in closet upstairs

Yikes that AnnaLee keeps getting sick, and that the strep came back (or was still there) and Tommy got a cold - kids are truly little germ factories. Your poor daughter, with 3 little kids and 2 sick. My officemate used to go visit her nephews (and kiss them a lot) and come back with one gross cold after another. Now she has a baby of her own, so I guess maybe she's built up an immunity? IDK.

Getting excited that Mr ML will start the long trip home tomorrow.

And Mlette and I got tickets to go see a regional acapella competition, at the theater right near my house, this weekend. That should be so much fun. We loved 'The Sing Off', went to some acapella concerts. This should be pretty cool.

Ugh, it has been so cold and rainy here for days and days. Really depressing. I hope we get some sun and it warms up/dries up soon. At least most of the snow (and ice) is gone at this point, although some piles that were big are still lingering.

podmom

Glad MrML is on his way home.

It warmed way up here today so I bet it comes your way soon I hope.

That sounds so fun the acapella music thing!!!!! We liked the Sing Off too. Have fun!!

Yea it is so hard having this poor child suffer so much and for my poor child to have to deal with it so so much

keepsmiling7

PODMOM........yes my weekend of 22 family members was the March 18 weekend. We had six birthdays we celebrated, plus it was spring break for the younger kids.
I really treasure the times we can all get together and since no one lives in the area it is a special treat.
I am sorry that AL has so many struggles with her health. That is hard on the entire family. Again, Liz is so lucky to have you available to help her out.

So MrML is heading home. I know you will be happy ML. Of course you work so hard it must be nice to have a little free time at home. I was an only child so with this big family we have now I never have any alone time. It's something I miss.

WEN.......did the doctors ever discover what caused the concern with little Brayden. I pray he is doing fine now and nothing serious was wrong.

podmom

keepsmiling good to see you and honestly I thought of you several times as I had Liz's family here and was hoping your gathering was going well and wondering how in the world you do it! I think your kids and grandkids are lucky to have you!!!!!!

Wen I'm wondering the same thing about little Brayden that keepsmilingis? Last we heard it was a miracle and perhaps and hopefully it is just that and he is totally ok!!!!

ML