Marsha, this isn't a food idea but you might like to try it anyway. When my good friend was recovering from chemo/radiation for breast cancer, I filled a basket with small wrapped gifts...a funny book, soothing CD, notecards, etc. I wrote a short verse for each gift as a clue to what was inside. There was a poem for the entire basket to direct her what to do. The gifts were for when she was having an especially bad day and needed cheering up. She loved it.

Thanks for the ideas, everyone. Donna, I like the idea of the gift basket.

I made consomme yesterday and took it over this morning, along with some lemon bars for her husband. I'm going to make the grapefruit jello next week, it really sounds good. I am going to remember that the next time the flu comes through here, too.

Whoo Hoo! I just got great seats for Neil Diamond at Staples Center. (No Stones, No McCartney - oh, I did get Eagles Tix for the following week too)

Kathy, AWESOME! Neil Diamond and the Eagles - two of my favorites growing up! The other night my husband downloaded "There's a Hole in the World Tonight" by the Eagles - everytime I hear it, the tears well up. Very compelling song, it really hits you. But what else would we expect from the Eagles!

:woh: Got my Stones tickets today. I would love to see the Eagles. Lucky you, Kathy.

Lucky you Beth for the Stones tixs!!!!

Thx Joanna. Randy & I are so excited.

I just cleaned out my fridge and holy smokes, where did all that stuff come from? I found packets of Arby's horsey sauce, I can't even remember the last time I was at Arby's. I threw out at least 15 salad dressings that expired last year, a jar of pesto from last century, a jar of strawberry jam that had turned to sugar crystals. Most of this stuff came from the shelves on the door, a place I guess I don't look very often :)

Now I am going to conquer the freezer.

Karen, my fridge desperately needs to be cleaned! Maybe I'll get motivated and do it this weekend.

Today I'm going to get my hair highlighted by the person who won the Improper Bostonian's "Best Blondemaker" award for the last 2 years. A little nervous because I've had the same stylist for a few years, but I need a fresh, more natural look.

Oh Andrea, that sounds wonderful! You might have to post a pic so we can see your new do!!

Hi, I'm back.

Sewer people arrived yesterday. So far they have taken out the phone, computer, cable, neighbor's phone and severed 5 sprinkler heads. Phone now back, but we have a new problem. THEY CAN'T FIND THE CITY SEWER LINE!!!!!!! Camera showed it down 39" They are at 5' and still no sewer.
Thought I would be losing water. So far, this is the only thing still working, but it is only noon. And they would still take out the pool pump.
"Call before you dig" man arrived 2 hours after the digging became AND when I called to have someone to come fix the cable I was informed that we had canceled our service on June 24th.
And yesterday was poor Clay's birthday.
I have already had to "take down" several people (which is very unlike me) and the BBB will be hearing from me soon.
Happy Thursday.

Andrea: Let us know how it turns out - bet you'll have perfectly frosted hair -

Betty: Save this and submit for a tv sitcom - I know it's not funny while you're living it

Latest from the back yard.
Supervisor, English speaking person now on the scene. I quote, "No findy." And now they have cut the water.

Betty, you are cracking me up! I feel for you but your story IS funny!

And now they have cut the water.

I am getting thirsty thinking about you

Andrea, honeycomb blinds are very nice. We just finished adding a sunroom onto our house at the end of the year and put honeycombs out there.

Betty, I remember seeing the Plantation shutters some years ago when they first came out...are they still hot? I also have no clue! I still like them if they are out. I actually ended up choosing just regular blinds - no material - with a valance. We have sliding glass doors that go out to a patio. Our cat enjoys sitting behind the curtains even if the windows aren't open. She sheds like crazy, no matter how many times a day we brush her. Plus, we have just as many nights in MN that we are able to sleep with the slider open as we have to sleep with the A/C on, and we needed something that could go to the side and not up and down (but still keep cat hair off).

BTW, does anyone have a cat that has NOT been declawed? If so, have you discovered an answer to keeping your comforter//bedpread in good shape?

Trish

They finally "findy." It is in the yard behind our next door neighbor's house. And they have cut the phone line to our neighbor's house again.
Clay looks like he has aged 5 years in just 8 hours. They are still out there, & you won't believe it!! They are putting the new pipe line in exactly as before, without correcting the problem. We have a 7 foot hole in our yard with cave tunnels running under fences to 2 different yards. And they want money for this!

Oh my gosh, Betty!!! Bless you!!!!

Betty

Ok Betty asked - I e-mailed my friend in Cashiers/Highlands NC- plantation shutters still "IN" no fabric though....straight from the decorator's mouth - this is same gal that told me I could not do my bedroom (we're friends so it was for free) in toile...and fought me on doing this - dust ruffle, drapes, over the double window treatment - I disregarded her advice (she said toile needed to tell a story and my room wasn't big enough - I wasn't looking for the story) and 6 yrs later still love it and it needs to be redone - I will do it in toile again - if you like it get it!!!!

Clay just forgot & flushed. We have 3 very unhappy aliens in the yard.
And they want money for this.

Careful, Betty -! We went through something similar this past April. We had a HUGE battle with the utility company coming through our property with bulldozers, dump trucks full of dirt, etc. This lasted a month. (They were repairing the footing for a huge power tower.) The only problem was they did not have an easement thru our property. They would NOT listen and could not provide documentation - Don (my husband) ended up in the cath.lab at UCLA Med Center due to this stress. Just be careful - it WILL workout. - michele

Kathy - we just saw Neil Diamond last week at MCI here in DC - he was awesome!!!!!!!!!!Loved every single minute of it and would go back again in a heartbeat - of course it was made even more special by the fact that that day was also the day I saw my Dr and got all that good news, posted earlier on that other thread of "sharing good news"! Neil doesn't look much older, or is it that I don't think we do, thus he doesn't???

This is the funniest thread to try to follow. You have to go way back to figure out what is going on. I am enjoying hearing everyone's domestic challenges, since I have none of my own right now, except for the water problems that buckled my kitchen tiles and d.r. wood floors that are still not fixed. Misery loves company, as they say. Tickets?? We are getting the Beach Boys here over Labor Day, I think. They don't seem to be able to hit the notes anymore, given the performance on Today show the other day.

I am sure you don't want to hear about the shutters now......flushing flushing...

Beach Boys are lovable has-beens know that from going to Univ southern Ca

So, Joanna, you think I should pass, given my comments on them from Today show?

I'm sorry to laugh at your misery, Betty, but I'm DYING over here, rolling on the floor!

Masaki

Beach Boys are in court with each other. One is group is missing something and one is Brian Wilson alone.

Repairs of the week: One office computer printer - the main one $250.; One separate call to the Macintosh Comptuer Repair Guy $250.. iBook cannot handle QuickBooks for Mac and I have a new Mac Client! Had to upgrade to the newest operating system. Kitchen sink decided to leak. New Garbage Disposal and $350.00 plumbing bill. There went the weekend in Los Olivos (Santa Barbara/Sideways Wine Country) I was surprising Frank for his next birthday. ;-(

IMHO - we saw Brian Wilson's performance at Glastonbury this summer on TV. It was NOT the same as I remember. Bob Dylan sadly falls in the same category. Both of them need the money but can no longer sing. I still enjoy the CDs from their more musically talented years.

A brighter day is dawning. I have extricated myself from home decorating stores without too much damage on either side. The bonus was I found the kitchen window valances I wished for three years ago are now available. A new set of chair cushions and the kitchen is now finished to our satisfaction. I report first thing this morning to the paint store to pick up a different color of paint. After that, it's up to Mr. Bill the painter. He has been muttering about how easy, in retrospect, the English professor gig was as he's dealing with 30 year old wallpaper. Yesterday he needed a golf break. I don't think that was a feature of the English professor gig, but I'm keeping my mouth shut until the painting is complete. Today's scheduled for an all-day paint fest. I've got the beer and chocolate chip cookies ready for the cocktail hour.

Betty, my heart goes out to you! Our new neighbors three doors down found a rusted oil inground tank during the home inspection. It was a mess for quite some time until they got the remediation done. Then, another round of ground rip-up when they installed gas service for heating and air conditioning. The kicker was the landscapers, not ONE day later, showed up unexpectedly and hit the gas main line. We all had to evacuate for about an hour until the gas company came. You can unfortunately picture the supervisor trying to blame the gas company for putting the lines in where they did. Did they arrange to have the utilities marked, you ask? Noooooo! Those situations where they rip up your property with lots of gusto and few plans or understanding are like scenes from Kafka. Any chance you can get yourselves out of there this weekend?

Kathy - when it rains, it pours. I'm so sorry to hear about the multiple repair bills - not to mention all the time involved in sorting out the messes. We'll wish Frank a happy birthday over a bottle of Pinot up here. Gary's been camera shopping and is about ready to get a Canon. Your advice was very helpful to him. How's our little star Daisy doing?

Cheers, Anne

Saw the Beach Boys on the today show as well, agree with jhp - they just can't sing anymore, it didn't even sound like them!

Sorry Betty about your plumbing problems, the story is funny, but so sad for you. It sounds simlar to a cable one we had a few years back!!Hope things get back to normal soon.

Kathy - sounds like you had a rough day - I'm sure things will be better next week, hopefully.

Betty, I so hope your repairs are getting done. What a pain!

Kathy, It is interesting how problems seem to follow each other. One thing goes wrong, then another, and so on.

I've had a pounding headache all week, from the pounding they are doing, putting on our new roof. Then yesterday, my car got sick. It literally limped into the drive way. I have no idea what may be wrong, but it can't be good. They took it on a tow-truck to the car hospital. WAAAAAA!!!

Betty

Oh Betty - I feel for you!

Speaking of water...yesterday (along with the new blinds, which look fabulous) we had a new dishwasher installed. We had also received a note from our management company that the water would have to be turned off in order to fix a retaining wall on the first floor of our building.

When we arrived home last night we found that the water was still off, so Jerel called and was told that no, they didn't have to turn the water off. So he gets under the sink (I'm catching up on email and LCT at the computer, so I'm not paying attention) and telling the person, oh we just had a new dishwasher installed, maybe they shut the water off under the sink, let me see if I turn this knob if it will come on etc. Of course, that wouldn't explain why we didn't have water in the bathroom too. We eventually find out that yes, the water was turned off and the plumber is on his way to turn it back on.

I sent Jerel out to pick us up a salad since I can't wash anything, and right after he left I hear the sound of water running in the kitchen. Thinking he had left the faucet on a bit so we would know when the water came back on, I walked into the kitchen to investigate. Hmmm, the faucet isn't on, but I hear water. The water sounds likes it's behind our counter near the refrigerator, across from the sink. "That's so weird", I think to myself. The phone rings, and it's Jerel. The plumber has turned the water back on. I told him I knew that, because I could water running. I held the phone near the noise and asked him if he could hear it. Suddenly, I see water streaming out of the cupboard pooling on the floor. "I see the water!" I yelled. "Uh oh" he says. "That's my fault".

Turns out he had turned on the faucet that connects the water supply to our refrigerator ice maker, which isn't actually hooked up.

We eventually got the faucet turned off and the water cleaned up. I'm hoping the cabinet or floor weren't too damaged.

On a better note, our California Closet will be installed later today!

Betty, I'm sorry for your water/sewer troubles but your story is hilarious. I have been laughing out loud here!

We recently re-decorated our bedroom including new carpet. Now our bedroom patio door is leaking so every time it rains (we're in the monsoon season) my beautiful new carpet is getting wet plus the woodwork is warping. We keep drying the carpet out with a box fan. We can replace the door and woodwork but it won't solve the problem. Unfortunately, the fix will be at least $10,000 and major disruption. I think I'll just keep replacing the door, woodwork and eventually the carpet.

Andrea - Were you pleased with the blondmaker? It's just amazing how easy it is to turn the wrong handle, etc.

Donna - hope the waters die down quickly. Enjoy the new decor!

Cheers, Anne

Yes Andrea tell us about your hair

I just got through this thread and I just know people are wondering what's so funny in my office!! Betty I feel your pain - how's it going? And Andrea do you like your hair?

You folks get the Eagles and such - our big concert this week was a combo of RATT, Cinderella, and Quiet Riot. That's small town life in the Midwest! We had downpours last night and did NOT have a little waterfall on the basement stairs. I was SO excited!

This thread is like "group therapy". :) Michele

I love the Eagles - they were in Vegas recently and my friend's husband bought her tickets for her birthday. Alas, I don't think they're planning any tours here.

Trish

I agree - a little bit of everything and a captive audience who will listen!!

Hair turned out great - it's very blonde! I'll get a picture taken and have the great Karen update my avatar.

Donna, what a mess. Same thing happened to the 3 penthouses in our building when we had the roof replaced a few years ago. I think it was $10K for each of them to replace their doors - which they wanted back from the condo association.

Sue, did you go to see Ratt & Cinderella? Funny, I think I saw them together in '88. Yeah, I did, at the Louisville Gardens. Good times, good times.