Wednesday, War Day?

[zip2play]

Good morning Maintaineers,

Yesterday everything came to a head....moving, money, imminent war, difficulty with editor, computer melting down. My nerves went kerflooey and I got "quivery" inside. Checked my BP and it was through the roof (175/99) so I took 90 mg. Cozaar and 10 mg diazepam (Valium)- first this year. I slept like a baby but feel a bit befogged this morning....but better. I'll check my BP in a little while. It's never good to check it firts thing becasue the act of awakening tends to spike it quite a bit...strange phenomenon isn't it. I guess when our Paleolithic ancestors were roused to wakefulness it was often by a bear or a sabre toothed tiger and he had to be ready to BOLT for the nearest exit! We get the genes but no bears. (Except for Linda).

SO off to work for the next 8 weekdays: today for me CLEAN THE HOUSE....and start writing a drama- ONE PARAGRAPH at least (well, maybe just an outline.) For some reason the title "BUSHwhacked" is appealing- I wonder why? I will also use the next days to get the taxes done and mailed.

Linda,
One last thought on the estimated tax: remember, NO PENALTIES ensue if, on April 15, 2004, you figure out your taxes including your SS and you owe the government no more than $1000 after subtracting the withholding. In this case there is no need for estimated taxes during the year 2003, either from regular or SS payments(self-employment tax).
On the other hand if you send the IRS a couple hundred dollars estimated tax payment on April 15, 2002, you'll be CERTAIN they'll owe you money next April 15 (2004) or at least that you'll be under the $1000...that's as precise as you need be.

Tink sounds like you had a nice day with your friends... and MADE a few pennies to boot!

Off for coffee (and BP)
OK: It's coming down: 147/94...60 BPM (I'll take another Cozaar this morning- that should do it) I guess Chinese linner, and all that salt, contributed mightily.

Later

[SuSUN]

Good Morning Zip and All you Magnificient People that follow,

Another Sunny day up here

Yep, me too Zip nervous about the talk of WAR! Travelling next Tuesday, oh joy, oh joy, at with airport security! Ontario has stepped up its Security a level yesterday.

Sorry about your BP this morning, glad its coming down! Does coffee spike it? I can see the sodium connection. Visions of "Clan of the Cave Bear".......good analogy!

Today, I have the noon group to prepare for, presentation, handouts, Patches and snacks etc..... I'll check back this aft.

Susan 122lbs

[ShellyNC]

Hello everyone. It's been busy. Hope that all is well with you.

Prayers are going up for the world and talk of war. When I think of the things going on in my life, they all pale in comparison to what it must be like for the soldiers and citizens over in Iraq facing war.

Hope you are feeling much better Zip2Play!

Enjoy the day everyone.

~ Shelly ~

[OrchidCactus]

Hey Skinny Bunch!

Ahhh, it feels good to be back to normal (or as normal as I can be LOL). Got all my chores and activities done for the day except the daily 8 at work. Sure is nice to settle into the ol' routine once again.

Shelly, we just had some strong t-storms go through here...you may be next so keep an eye on the weather.

Susan, a WAXING??? Are you ever brave. Just the thought of that makes me cringe and consider wearing mulitple layers of clothing! Ouch....how do you stand it?

Shawnee, yep, girl, just take it easy on the home improvements! We want you happy and loose, not in pain. Remember, you're not on a time schedule! Daffy's blooming here now to go with the crocus (croci since they're really starting now?) and Lenten Roses. Shrub magnolia in bloom nicely now too.

Linda, how you doing? When will your bears come out of hibernation? Don't forget the handgun on your walks!

Loretta, I sure hope the tstorms avoided you. Now it's just gorgeous out--around 70--but will have to check and see if I need the snorkle and flippers for work.

Zip, have you seen many pics of the house in PA? Did you find out any more on the condition of the place and if it's up to code structurally, electrically and most definitely with the plumbing? Don't forget the roof too, and check on any restrictions and taxes that may be lurking about....we're waiting with baited breath for your decisions!

Pam, great on your winnings! How fun to have a get-together with BB friends!

Well gang, I should get my pics back either tomorrow or Friday, depending on how desperate I am to get into town. Keep your fingers crossed that they turned out, and I'll do my best to either email them or post them (shawnee, HELP!) All's well here, and everyone have a wonderful day!

[zip2play]

Hi again everybody.

I need to be congratulated for getting WORD to work (after only about 4 hours work I must have pulled and reinstalled it (AND the whole WORKS Suite) 5 times. I even started to reinstall WINDOWS but panicked midway, If that had hit the fan I'd have HAD to start reformatting today.
Then I kept writing one word sentences and saving documents as WORD til I opened it- I swear by force of will alone I wore it down...miraculaously all of a sudden all the document got a lovely blue W and I was off to the races. I pray that's an end to it.
(I think Bob fiddle-farted it but he's pulling a Manuel and claiming "I know NOOOOTHING Mr. Fawlty" in his best Barcelona accent.)

BP is a mess today...later in the morning went to 177/113 so I added a thiazide diuretic and walked my asp off to use up the adrenaline... Last was 147/98 with an 85 BPM pulse (way high for me.) I'll watch for awhile but still have a few tricks....Inderal and Corgard (both Beta blockers)

Well the good part is that nothing burns calories like HBP with a side order of panic.

Bob is going to the theater tonight...NOT ME. Since the only way home is the PATH train under the Hudson some 3 hours after our invasion of IRAQ and bombing of Baghdad is to begin....should I FORBID his going or would that be silly on my part?
I've actually Saran Wrapped all the vents in the apartment (don't laugh)....I hope I don't pass gas...it could be fatal. The place is tighter than a snare drum.

Oddest thing just happened. ISP just cut me off for typing too long so I signed back on and called back LCFriends and I get three sharp beeps...never heard anything like that before???

Ginny,
A nice feature about "the house" is that is has a NEW roof and I'm good with plumbing and electrical...after about 6 month's I'd probably be the first on the block with solar panels heating the place.

OK gang, that was my carbon monoxide detector giving a low level alert....I had ONE BURNER on and as I said, the place was tight....a dilemma for me! I guess is either open the vents or stop cooking.
Maybe that's what my BP is responding to??

[SuSUN]

Checking back after today's group 10 attended today. That is the groups finished now before Florida. Just the paperwork on Friday.

Yikes, Zip your BP, sounds like you have lots of meds to get it under control there! BP stands for barametric pressure too. I wonder if that if affecting you! Good strategies employed so far. I like the walking one to burn up the adrenalin. How's the Caffiene intake? Sodium? Water it down! Stress? What can you treat yourself to de-stress? A wonderful massage like the one I had yesterday. I am still feeling the benefits of it. A good Brit-com perhaps! LOL!

Ginny, glad to see you are back and gettin into the ole rountine. Get in some comfy clothes and enjoy your homey stuff! YOU deserve it after all the travelling and being "on show."
RE: the Waxing, it is a little discomfort but I love the smooth look afterwards of the ole legs. I feel like I have lost a lb when I come out of there!

Shelly, so good to see you posting with us again. You said you have a lot going on in you life, feel free to vent, share with us. Thats what we are here for! We are not just here to maintain, we are holistic beings with other stuff going on while we are losing/maintaining.

Waving to Linda, Shawnee, Pam and Loretta.

Hope to sneak back later tonight.

Susan 122lbs today.

[tinkerpam]

Okay, so what time does war start? Apparently sand storms were severe today. Just got back from taking Polly (nicknamed Bambi by me) to the vet for her phenobarbital levels. She sufferes from seizures. $126. OY!! But, she is worth it. DH & grabbed a bite at a bar and grill last night. Then headed to our local little casino, Lakeside Inn. Nickel video poker is all we ever play. Came home +$150. The secret is to know when to hold 'em & know when to fold 'em!
Linda--How is that bronchitis? Hope it's better soon, and the heartache gets better about Inky.
Roger--Darn it, get that B/P under control right now! Could be a lot of things, stress being a major one. Thank goodness for the carbon monoxide detector!
Susan--Are you headed to Florida? The weather in central FL is oh-so-warm right now. How nice for them!!!
Ginny--Those pictures are going to be gorgeous. Can't wait to see them.
Shawnee--How is that eye doing? Take it easy, girl!
Shelly--I'm saying a prayer along with you. It's the "not knowing when" that has us on pins and needles, also.
Loretta--DH went to an 8 hr. driving school session a few weeks ago. It wasn't that much to attend. At least the officer didn't clock him at 85. It was a 65 mile zone, and he only wrote him up for 75 mph. Anyway, the class was well worth not having our insurance premiums go up.

[Loretta V]

Hi this late evening.

Busy day here today. One odd occurrence after another. Just an out of the routine kind of day.

Gee Zip you should not fool around with that bp. Are you on a daily rx for it? You should probably not wait until it gets too high to medicate. You need to take your rx daily. I would not fool around with it. Glad that you got that Word working for you.

Ginny glad that you are getting things back to normal there. We had bad storms during the night and early morning but sunshine and warmth the rest of the day today. Lots of wind though. Kept the fisherman home. Anxious to see the orchid pics.

Linda hope you are feeling better and getting over that bug and that your work day went well.
Your stint will be over soon and you can get to baking and trying out some new recipes. Has the clutch been fixed?

Susan your traveling should be ok. You must do a lot of “groups” during a years time. Is that a 6 week course? I think DH and I went for 8 weeks. They used the Cooper Clayton method and it was a different video each session and the support they got from each other. That massage sounds heavenly after my day like today.

Shawnee hope you are now worn out from the painting and redoing the cabinets. Taking it all out, putting it all back in place. A real job there. It will get done so just relax and take another day off. I have been working on a project now for about 2 weeks and it is just a matter of making decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of. I’m having a hard time throwing things away.

Good to hear from you Shelly. Yes the “war” is in most every ones thoughts and prayers. We are so out of control of the situation. Prayers are our best recourse.

Tink glad you had a nice lunch with the low carbers. Did I miss your report of the baby shower for Ryan? How was that? I am going to check on the driving class tomorrow.

A good night to all

Loretta

[LoveMontana]

OMG the war just started as I loged on here according to Fox News... May the creator protect the troops and people of Iraq as well as the rest of the world.

Roger, my god get that bp under control and de stress a bit. Don't OD on those BP meds, Please!! Hopefully things will fall easily into place with the house and move. Glad the computer is co operating.
Thank you for the tax tip. I'll be paying a few hundred every quarter just in case.

Hopefully Bob will get the hell out of the city and back home safe and sound soon.

Good to hear from you Shelly, and I hope things settle down soon for you so you can post a bit more.

Loretta, I hope all is well with that out of routine day. Is everything OK?

I'm feeling much better today but haven't had a good nights sleep in several days. Hopefully tonight will be better.

Ginny we are all looking forward to seeing those pictures. It's nice that you are getting back to normal. Hopefully the strong storms didn't do much damage in your area.

Shawnee, How is the painting coming along? Please lady, don't wear yourself out.

Pam, I'm sorry about your poor Polly and hope her med level is stable.. Congrats on the winnings.

Gotta run and watch the news..
Later

[zip2play]

Things calmed down by evening:
7PM: 125/76
8PM: 117/77
9PM 120/73...heart rate down to 70 beats per minute....Beta blockers not necessary.
These spikes are the darndest things. I won't see another flare for weeks or months.

I feel dreadful about the willful and unprovoked attack on a sovereign country. The USA will NEVER live this down.
I hope the slaughter of people is kept to a minimum but murder of one person is still murder.

I hope Ginny and Loretta aren't too badly hit by this wicked weather system from Colorado to the Atlantic.

[shawneesioux]

Hi Y'all

another rainy day...at least it warmed up to 55° so I could open a door and let fresh air in.

Guess we're all under a lot of stress, waiting for the other shoe to drop in this war and terrorism mess.

ZIP, you must be a walking pharmacy! I'm sure you know what you are doing, but please be careful for the rest of us! We've been known to worry!.....and Congrats on WORD !

We have taken a few precautions: stored 40 gal. of water, extra gas, extra meds for us and Pup...flashlights, batteries, food..

I don't expect the CRAZIES to sit and take it, I worry that SOMETHING will happen in the US.

Montana, I know it has been a tough month for you, and You keep a monitoring eye on your own BP !
I painted some today, had to re-paint some cabinet doors, even tho I used good stuff: one coat///LOL//(sure!) Behr Premium Plus Kitchen and Bathroom. I must be getting acclimated to "work" cause I don't hurt as much! How's that "bug" doing? Hope it's loosening its grip on you.

Loretta, I hope your routine can get back to normal; we know you are a creature of habit. I have a hard time throwing stuff away when Bob is around, he's a packrat! I ran across things I'd stored a loooong time back: Seal-a-meal...Espresso machine, etc...he wants to keep them all, to just take up space!

Tink, you and your DH are either REALLY lucky, or REALLY talented re Gambling! Way to go! Was that $126 JUST for the Pheno test? Pup's is $66, which I think is more than enough. She takes it morning and night, along with Insulin shots for Diabetes. Hope little Bambi is regulated on her meds.

Susan, you must be getting pretty revved up to get underway.
I once tried some of that NADS (as seen on tv)..OUCH ! I am too much of a crybaby to ever do that again! You know us, we'll wanna see pics of your vacation!

Shelly, good point; our little trifling family events sure are brought to humble proportions when compared to what is going on in our world...

Ginny, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! .....glad you are back to your usual, and enjoying the glow from your successful show. No one grows Lenten Roses here; a shame, I understand they will even bloom in sneaux! Yup, I'm listening...and slowing down...

HI Dragon!

later, all........be safe.

Shawnee

[tinkerpam]

Late night check in!
Loretta--The baby shower was really nice. It was given by my older DD & younger DD's sis-in-law. Held at younger DD's in-laws. It was coed, which seems to be the trend these days. I like it. Anyway, she's about set for everything. Just the dresser, and mattress for the crib. They got $, and gift cards, so that'll cover that. Lots of food there, and plenty of l.c. offerings. I had deviled egg, cheese, celery and cold cuts. Also coffee, and yes, a piece of cake. There were around 34-35 people there. Skinny 5 yr. old DGD ate too many sweets, and wound up up-chucking later, poor little thing. She was fine the next day.
Linda--Poor drama queen little furbaby was shaking all the way to the vet. Sharon, the vet, will call with lab results tomorrow. Like you, and the country, I'm gonna head back to the t.v in a minute. Flashbacks to 1991. But hope they get the ******* this time!
Shawnee--So ya think DH & I should become professional gamblers, LOL? No, I think it's just luck. You are getting rain, we, the snow. Not much, though. I love the small of fresh rain, and the temps must make your weather very refreshing!
Well, back to the news coverage.