Found a free Mah-Jongg site where you play the traditional American version and they have the new 2017 card ... either with people or with bots. Totally addicting!
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Found a free Mah-Jongg site where you play the traditional American version and they have the new 2017 card ... either with people or with bots. Totally addicting!
A perfect spring day. I was so happy doing yardwork.
We had dinner last night in the Cafe Royal Oyster Bar. Incredible oysters, mussels, langoustine and lobster for husband, pate, steak for me. Simple, but cooked absolutely right!
PS. The Cafe Royal in Edinburgh, not London!
That life changes so often and I can see the positive in that,,, (most the time)
Had my first ever informational interview. Some other things I have learned/done recently are new features in Excel, how to use Skype, networking groups, preparing a portfolio, and asking for LinkedIn recommendations. (I hate to ask for favors.) Losing my job pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me grow. I have learned more these past two months than I did the past four years at my job.
Ann Arbor, MI Just one of my favorite cities for so many reasons
We are now in my favorite part of the year, April-July. It is glorious. I am free all day, every day. Even though I am old, all of my parts work well and if I do not look in the mirror, I can almost feel like ten year old me at the beginning of summer vacation. Only, I get to drive! An added bonus.
Today my house and dogs are (relatively) clean, everyone is healthy. 9/10 of my gardens are weeded. Iris are just starting to bloom. It is a great time!
I agree IL, you've described my feelings. But only 2/10 of my flower beds are weeded...
Less than a week into my new job and I get a three day weekend. I have never worked someplace before where I got Patriots Day off with pay.
Dropped off a box full of old paint at the city's hazardous waste recycle event. Free and easy, and cleared up space in the garage.
I stand corrected - I just measured and I am living in about 250 sq. ft (plus tiny bathroom), not the 300 sq. ft. I though I had! In this space, I have a soon to be completed kitchen wall (cabinets and stove installed, and am waiting breathlessly for the counter top to be installed on Tuesday and the plumbing hooked up), a studio space and an office corner. The bedroom will soon be just a bedroom with space to store my clothing, shoes, guitars, amplifier, and camping equipment. It's amazing how it all works just so! And now I have a deck off the bedroom which increases my living space by a third!
I will be SO grateful to be able to wash my dishes in a kitchen sink instead of in the bathroom! And so grateful to have an apartment sized stove to cook on too! The electric frying pan has worked fine, and the rice cooker is great, but a real stove where I can boil water for pasta will feel like such a luxury!
IN will post pictures as soon as my kitchenette is done!
A single induction cooktop (portable) would solve the water boiling issue. We used on in a commercial bakery that had them for a cooking class. Amazingly fast and safe. When it is off, it is OFF. We are considering only induction cooktops whenever we need to replace our stove. But for a tiny space, a single portable unit is great.
http://www.magneticcooky.com/best-po...ction-cooktop/
Good, do post photos! Because what I saw was really nice. It's going to be a great little kitchen area!Quote:
Originally Posted by SiouzQ.
Home Depot gave me a free gadget for opening paint cans. No more ruining my butter knives.
Good Health
Being assigned my own branches at work. So I have successfully completed training.
I will be very glad it is all finally done - I have semi-custom cabinets, a beautiful double farmhouse sink, a working stove, and absolutely beautiful Ceasarstone counter top. Today was back-splash tiling day, using an array of Mexican talavera tiles. Tomorrow is grouting day, replacing the bedroom door and adding a screen door screen door off the deck from my bedroom.
It is really, really beautiful and I PROMISE I will take a video to show ya'll soon! It's been fun designing this tiny space on someone else's dime, but I am ready to be finished with it. Every week for at least five or six weeks construction is happening during my days off from the gallery. But I just feel so blessed with abundance to be in this situation!
I love my little 3 branch community bank. Yesterday I arrived at 4:55 and they stayed open until 5:15 to help me renew my Roth IRA. They charge miniscule fees on it. At my last job a new VP of HR came in and switched us to a high fee 401K plan. I was losing instead of making money, and have not signed up for my new company's plan because I fear a repeat of that. But the Roth I control, and can withdraw from in an emergency without a tax penalty. I am so glad Suze Orman recommended it.
Bluebirds looking at the nesting box. Lilies of the valley scenting the sidewalk to the back door. Pinks, purples, whites and a thousand shades of green. Spring in Maryland.
This may be more of a rant? But--
there is a break in the rain. i could go out for my daily tonic (walk.) but there were about 8 gunshots just now. Go out?Stay in? Miss the rain break? Hmmmm.
Entertainment free except for the gas to get there. I climbed a mountain today that the state has not slapped an admission fee on. Though at one point I thought it would be worth a small charge to not have to pee in the bushes.
Trail in the the city, I can get 2.25 mile loops done in the wonderful woods and river area.
My first full week post-training and my coworkers are all helpful. Two hours a day commuting is still a drag, but I had an evening interview at an organization in the same city I live in, at a place I applied to before I accepted the new job. I will see if anything comes of it.
I so agree! Spring is my favorite season. And I also agree with your take on your age. I feel the same way!! I love being older. I tell the kids all the time "I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore" (sometimes I sing it a la Maurice Chevalier). If I could only de-sag myself I think life would be perfect!Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lily
Just want to say that I rarely read this thread, but I have thoroughly enjoyed going back several pages to hear everyone's "raves." That gratitude is contagious.
SiouzQ, Yes, please do share your abode re-do! I have loved being on this journey with you.
And in closing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RZEj7t1EaA
Day One of Retirement and the verdict is: It's great!
Sat in the coffee shop early this a.m. watching customers grab their to-go orders and hustle out the door to go to work and thought how grateful I am that it's not me! Did some weeding in the yard this a.m. then realized there's no need to rush, have plenty of time to do all of this stuff tomorrow and tomorrow ..
Lainey, Good for you!! Enjoy as you worked for it! I hope you are like many that can say "I don't know how I had time to work".
Michigan in the spring, a beautiful day for sure.
Have to add one more, our neighborhood as a litter of Fox. SO great to see them.
I just met our new next door neighbors. We won the neighbor lottery. The wife is on the board of our favorite animal charity and has already suggested we swap pet care duties for each other. Quality animal lovers, hooray. They are active and already have plans to make improvements and asked for anyone we could recommend.
Congrats Lainey!!! Welcome to a wonderful world of doing WHAT you want WHEN you want.
That is great news! May is such a beautiful month. i remember my first week of retirement in mid April, the westher cooperated beautifully that week and really, the entire summer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lainey
Attachment 1736There are no flower arrangements better than a spring basket! Every year I forget how perfect they are.I made several May baskets and a couple of "Wild Garden" designs for a fundraiser. I didnt have to buy any plant material, all items are from my garden.
Attachment 1735
Congratulations, Lainey! Love the arrangements, IL.
So happy for you Lainey.
Beautiful arrangement IL!!!
I retired in the Spring too--twenty-three years ago. One of the happiest days of my life--congratulations! Enjoy it to the fullest!
A rave from yesterday: the doctor's office called to say the portion of the bill I owed was only $15, not $92, due to another readjustment from my insurance.
I had left my HSA card number with them so they asked permission to run the card for the lower amount. Heck yes. I also thanked her for letting me know, because they could have ran it for the higher amount and it's unlikely I'd have figured that out.
(as everyone knows, even 2-3 office visits can cause multiple billings with Lab, Office visit, Doctor charge, etc.) Thank goodness for honest people.
Lainey, that's a definite rave!
My dad, who has always had my back. We are going to a new nature center for Father's Day.
Gee, yesterday I paid a bill online for the doctor for $813 and then I went to the mailbox and pulled out an insurance-adjusted bill for only $205!! I'm going to call them first thing Monday and hopefully I'll get a refund or a credit without a hassle!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Lainey