Tuesday is poker! and other stuff...

Tuesdays are great around here with canasta and poker too!  A whole day of friends, friendly games, and tonight is pizza night at poker.  We do that twice a year.  I'll have two slices of cheese pizza for 10 points and a big salad.  I remember the last time I ate pizza I felt awful afterward but I love it so much I'll do it anyway.  Maybe I'll only have one slice.  And a bigger salad.  Yeah, that's what I'll do and I'll still get to eat it and I won't feel bad.  

Then when I get home I watch Covert Affairs and try to see if White Collar is on again after, sometimes it is, otherwise I have to wait to see it on Video on Demand.  It takes a day or so to show up.  I've been in tv heaven lately what with Big Brother, Leverage, Burn Notice...  So many shows I love.  Honestly I have not been watching the Olympics.  Every time I try it's just many many commercials and commentary that seems to tick me off and soccer, tennis, water polo, stuff I don't like.  

I wonder if I could play water polo in my pool?  I'd have to use my noodle for a horse and get a big stick and a beach ball, hmmm.  I bet I could get another medal! Ha!

Yesterday the duck hit 100 pounds lost!  Isn't that amazing!  He has worked so hard and looks so good. I'll get a photo for you when I see him later this week, you'll see.  And I hit 59 pounds myself.  On the button.  236 sticks of butter gone from my fat a$$!

Have you ever heard of "negative calorie foods"?  I was wondering if this was true and it seems it is.  At least in the case of celery.  I have also heard that lettuce, grapefruit, kelp, cucumbers and even onions and pickles are negative calorie foods.  

What about ice cubes and water with ice?  Yup, though not foods, they burn calories to process in the body.  I've been busy on the Internet, haven't I?  Drinking eight glasses of cold water burns 70 calories.  That means every ten days 700 calories.  Now we're getting somewhere!  And that, my friends, is a great reason to drink your water.

Have a lovely Tuesday, I know I will...

Monday is the start of a new week...

Well after that awful photo yesterday I decided I'd post a slightly better one today.  And yes, that's a blue feather in my hair.  I'm nuts I know.  I just love life so much!  Be happy, be not afraid to dance for how you look, twirl and smile, enjoy each moment.  Tell your friends how much you love them.  Call someone you haven't spoken to for some time.  Don't have regrets.  

Now July is about over so we'll have the dog days of August next.  Hot and sultry days, long lazy naps in the shade of the balcony, swims in the pool, cards, what a life I have!  Do I appreciate it?  Heck yeah I do.  Every day I give thanks for it too.

So let's recap yesterday, I went swimming for so long when I got back upstairs all I could do was get a shower and into my jammies.  Exhausted!  Sunburned!  Happy!  Tired!  So I just vegged out the rest of the day.  Today I'll get busy somehow though.  There is nothing on the calendar but I'm not staying home again.  Maybe I'll wear my gold medal too!  Ha!

One of my MahJong gals is having her knee replaced today.  I'll be thinking about her all day.  I know she'll be fine though.  She's a golfer and walks a lot.  She's a sweetheart.

Go out and have a wonderful day y'all.  Me too...

And the winner is.....

Synchronized Swimming and Water Jogging

With a Noodle

I won!  Did you have any doubt?

Oh, and notice I even wore my USA bathing suit!  Well since I was the only one in the pool it's a lead pipe cinch I was going to win but still...

Oh my, I even let you see me with no makeup and hair askew.  What I do for a solid gold plastic medal! 

Since the duck is going to see the Marlins today I don't have a lunch buddy so I'll just figure out something to do and stay active.  I'd go to a mall if I wasn't on shopping ban again.  Rats.  There is a place in the Wellington Mall that has wonderful really healthy wraps.  We'll see...  Have a lovely Sunday y'all.  I know I will, whatever I decide to do. 

Friday in paradise...

Well, with some more Saharan dust tossed in for good measure!  

Boy howdy did y'all make me happy yesterday with some new commenters and some old friends that I didn't know were still around, thank you so much!  Apparently the thingy went missing for a few hours though but it is back now.  Y'all rock!

Are you watching the Olympics?  I guess that's a dumb question, everyone is I suppose.  There are a few things I like to watch.  I think I'll pretend I'm in an Olympic event in the pool today.  Synchronized water jogging with a noodle.  I might even award myself a medal.  Maybe a solid gold plastic medal and I might even wear my tiara when I present it to myself.

Oh hell's bells, the fish oil seemed to have kicked in again.  Hang on, it might get rocky! 

I'm going to the fruit stand today I think.  I can't get in the pool until later in the afternoon (well I can but I don't want to) because this guy brings his grandson (which would be fine but he's an out of control brat).  I like mornings or later anyway and they go in the middle of the day every Saturday.  I'm learning people's schedules now.

Oh, I've been put on swimsuit shopping ban now.  I have six.  Sigh...  And four cover-ups.  And two beach towels.  And that's all, oh and one purple noodle.  And that's all.  Oh, and water shoes, two pairs of those.  And I swear that's all.  Gosh dang, a gal buys one or two little things and she gets herself on shopping ban.  Buggers.

Don't tell but I figured out something.  If I get rid of something every time I buy something no one will know.  Shhh.  Kind of like an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth one in and one out.  What do you think, will it work or will I get busted?

I make my own salad dressing.  You probably wouldn't like it but I do.  I only use 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of vinegar and some grey poupon mustard to emulsify it and that's it.  This is 3 servings so it's really only about 35 calories.  Also if you shake your salad you can use much less dressing.  

As I have been watching all the goings on in London on the tv it brings back so many memories.  Sarge and I went there for 10 days some years back and I'm seeing places that we visited together and it was such a lovely trip.  And I think the Queen's hat was totally tits!

So you'll have to excuse me now, I have to go make my medal.  I'll take a photo for you.

Saharan dust...

The haze you see in these photos is dust that traveled across the Atlantic ocean and is moving through our area.  You can read about it HERE if you want.

You can't see much of it from the ground and the air we breathe is not affected as it is very high.  It is amazing, isn't it?  It's been going on for days now.  It's also the reason we are not having rain.  You can't smell anything and there is no dust on the balconies from it.  I sure am glad if it has to be here that it's so high in the air.

Well it's Friday and I know how y'all love that.  I don't have any games today, it's my day off but I'll still swim and try to see the duck too if he's free any time.  I really enjoy spending some time with him, he motivates me and looks after me.

You know I have this thingy on my sidebar that shows where visitors are from (y'all), well if you wouldn't mind would you please look at it and leave me a comment with your location.  I just think it would be interesting to see you and know where you are (y'all).  (How was that for saving that old preposition at the end thing?  Caught it twice there!)

So enjoy your Friday and have a wonderful weekend.  I will too...

Thursday stuff and other stuff...

Gosh yesterday was about the best day I've had since Sarge left.  I had a wonderful MahJong game where I won several times, the cable is working again, and I had a great swim afterwards!  That's about as good a day as anyone could want.   And on top of that I was able to finally catch up on the Burn Notice shows I missed because it's on the same time as Big Brother.  And finally Big Brother was on last night too.  

I don't think we are going to have a canasta game today though.  One of the gals is sick and unless we can find a sub we won't get to play.  That's okay with me either way, I'll just spend more time at the pool if I can't play.  I'll have a lovely day either way.

The gal that had to take her dog back to the vet lost her.  She is heartbroken of course but has already gotten another.  I hope it's another good fit between her and the new dog.  She is such a sweet person.

We have not had storms yesterday and today also.  Very unusual for summertime here but I love it.  

I had some cilantro lime shrimp from Costco.  If you have one near you it is really good and very low calorie.  One of the gals brought it to MahJong.  Next time I go I'm going to buy some.  I like Costco so much better than Sam's Club.  In fact I didn't even renew my membership to Sam's.  Sarge loved to go there but I don't.  And BJ's I don't like at all.  They all try to be the same but Costco has the best food that they make there.

So I guess that's all I know for today y'all.  Go out and make it a great day.  I know I will!

It's Wednesday y'all...

Solid gold plastic ships on a stick... I has 'em!  These are not counting all the ones I gave away either! Don't mess with me at trivia contests, ha!  What is it about these silly things that so many of us love so much?  Memories, pure and simple!  I have those too.

Well canasta got canceled yesterday because the one with the sick doggie had to take the little thing back to the vet.  Poor gal too, she was so hysterical, I feel so bad for her.  She is the sweetest thing too.  

But then sometimes things happen that aren't bad at all, case in point... I called the duck to see if he was free for lunch and he was!  Panera Bread is a great place to go, it has the calories posted right next to the price on all items and the food is great.  They have a nice soup and half sandwich or salad deal that is low cal and fresh and delicious.

You asked me if Dr. Wacks lowered any of my meds this time.  No, in a word.  I am taking very little besides my supplements already, very low blood pressure med, very low cholesterol med, vit b12, vit d, calcium,  and zoloft which I am not ready to lose yet, oh, and the aromasin which goes away in October, that will be 5 years since the breast cancer.  Oh, and Osteo-Bi Flex 7 day for my knees which I will not ever give up.  That stuff works y'all.  (Thanks again Patti!)  I took the brand Move Free for years and it stopped working so the Osteo-Bi Flex was such a blessing!

I read about something called "refrigerator oatmeal".  Since I love oatmeal and I also love cold foods I tried it.  It was wonderful!  You just take your oatmeal (instant or quick oats), add milk or water, stir, refrigerate all night.  Morning comes, stir and eat.  It was so good.  I had the high fiber pouch and added only 1/2 cup of 1% milk, nothing else.  I'll do that again soon I know.  You could certainly add fruit in the morning too.  If you work you could just grab it and take it with you in a small container with a lid.

So I guess I've kept you long enough today.  Have a lovely day, I sure will too...

Tuesday is poker! and other stuff...

Well first things first.  My Comcast cable on demand is still not working and now they are coming back on Wednesday evening.  However I got another very nice message from that nice Comcast guy, let's see if he can help this time!  Here is what he said:

I don't mean to intrude, but I just wanted to apologize for the trouble with your Comcast service. I also wanted to let you know that I work for Comcast and would like to offer my help. Please feel free to contact me if you're interested in my help.
Mark Casem
Comcast Corp.
National Customer Operations

Intrude?  No, not at all.  Help would be lovely as I am frustrated beyond belief with the whole thing.  Anyway I'll let you know how things progress.

And just for the heck of it I googled Mark Casem and it seems he is a real person, not some computer responding to posts about his company.  Interesting.

Next and more importantly was my doctor visit with Dr. Wacks.  To say he was thrilled with my progress is an understatement.  My blood work was all perfect, nothing at all wrong.  Nothing hurts, no problems of any sort.  I go back in another three months.  He would like me to lose another 40 pounds but we'll have to see about that.  I bought size medium pants last week and they fit.  My size large pants are now too big.  

It rained yesterday morning but I was able to swim when I got home in the afternoon.  Oh, and my new passport came yesterday too, finally.  I wasn't in a hurry though so it didn't matter when it got here.

All in all it was a pretty danged good day.  Today will be too, I have canasta and poker!  Hope your day is as good as mine!

Monday in paradise...

Too bad I won't be here today but it's not so bad, all I have to do is wait for Comcast yet again,  and then go see Dr. Wacks in the afternoon, then hopefully it will be sunny so I can swim.  Yesterday it rained and I didn't get to go in.  

Comcast did show up yesterday (on a Sunday no less!) and the guy was very nice but he had no idea how to fix it.  He replaced both boxes and no difference.  It must be in the wiring somehow.  But customer service?  Nope.  They don't have it.  For two weeks they kept telling me it was a "known issue" and now they say it isn't (and wasn't).  

I've been walking much better now.  I can walk to the club and back.  I still can't walk the whole Walmart or Costco yet but I hope someday.  Keep plugging and it might happen.  Or a whole cruise ship.  Even better!

It's like a smack in the head when I see something or hear something or smell something that reminds me of Sarge.  He had this favorite shirt, it was seersucker and a yellow plaid.  He loved that shirt.  I was flipping channels on tv and saw a guy wearing that exact shirt.  

I wish I had kept it.  At the time I just couldn't think straight and the only clothing I kept is his dress uniform.  It's hanging in my closet in a plastic bag.  Next week will be six months. 

Is it any easier?  Yes and no.  Some things are and some aren't.  But at least it's not harder so that's a plus and a blessing.  And I really do know how lucky I was to have him as long as I did.  I'll always be grateful for that.

So onward and upward we march.  Are you coming with me?  I'll be the one with a big smile pasted on my face today!  Hope you have one too...

Sunday in paradise...

Boy howdy yesterday was busy!  I ran from one thing to another but I did manage to get in my workout and eat right.  It's possible if you're just careful and plan ahead.

Today is the day the duck and I go to the Walmart and we have lunch while we're at it.  First I have to wait for Comcast to come.  Again.  Or should I say yet again.  I grow weary of this "service".  But honestly none of the others are any better.

Tomorrow I go back to Dr. Wacks for my annual exam, part deux.  Very thorough.  This part takes two hours with him.  I know he'll be very happy with my progress.  I hope all my blood work is good.  I expect it will be.

I watch a good bit of tv.  I know I probably shouldn't but I do.  Well the ads lately are almost all attorneys and political.  There used to be other things like soap and cereal and deodorant  and milk and all kinds of stuff.  What happened to that?  There are infomercials though.  And honestly the attorney ads are mostly not even attorneys.  At the end in small print is the statement "non attorney spokesperson".  I have never seen this before.  I don't know what they do but I assume they refer you out to an attorney for a fee.  Oh, and cars.  I almost forgot the car ads.  Tons of them too.

I don't imagine I'll ever buy another car.  Sarge liked to trade often but I don't and I like the one I have so I plan on just keeping it.

I guess that's all I have in my brain today.  Have a lovely Sunday.  I will too...

Saturday in paradise...

It's the weekend and y'all love that I know.  I have a canasta game today so I'll be busy.  Yesterday I had a lovely day.  The duck and I went to Red Lobster and still managed to eat healthy.  You really can if you are careful and order things just how you want them.  

There was a different wrinkly guy at the pool though yesterday.  I did my 45 minutes but he pissed me off.  He had a radio and was listening to some foreign station talk show.  There are no radios allowed in the pool area but I don't really rat people out, I just let them piss me off.  (Y'all.)  Anyway by the time I was dry and going in he was still there, just sitting in the sun and listening to the radio.  

Then in the afternoon I sat out on my balcony in my outdoor recliner and it's so comfortable.  There was a nice breeze and it was in the mid 80's so you know to me that's about perfect.  

This time next week we'll all be watching the Olympics.  I am apprehensive about it though.  There is so much bad going on in out world and so many nutty people I just have some fears.  I sure hope I'm wrong.

Are y'all watching Big Brother?  I sure am.  I think I like Frank but not sure yet.  I'm glad he got to stay so I can decide though.  Willie is another nutjob but that makes it interesting.

And that's all I know today my friends.  Hope your Saturday is totally tits.  I know mine will be...  

Friday is my day off!

This was a few days ago, it was sunny and stormy at the same time.  But beautiful either way.  

Yesterday Oblamer Obama arrived in West Palm Beach.   I sure missed Sarge's commentary, Debbie Wasserman Schultz was with him of course, another of Sarge's favorites (choke).  He went to Century Village for a speech.  In case you don't know, Century Village is a very large complex of mostly retired people.  Mostly retired democrats.  He's certainly preaching to the choir there.

Today shall find me swimming and having lunch with the duck and then a trip to the fruit stand to see what's new and delicious there.  I already ate the watermelon, the tomatoes, the nectarines and peaches, and the bananas.  I am officially out of fruit.  

That reminds me, I used to always buy Jiff low fat peanut butter.  (It reminded me because I put 1 teaspoon of peanut butter down the side of my banana.  And I think my fish oil kicked in too.)  

Anyway I heard on Dr. Oz (why I watch that I have no idea, if you took all the stuff he tells you to take you'd take 400 pills a day) that the low fat peanut butter was not as good for you as the regular and the calories are exactly the same, 190 for two tablespoons.  

So when I went to the Walmart last week I bought their brand of natural peanut butter and I want to tell you it's absolutely the best peanut butter I have ever tasted.  And it's so creamy I can keep it in the refrigerator so it doesn't get rancid before I use it up.  Sarge was a big peanut butter guy but now with just me I use it very slowly.  Anyway it will still spread nicely straight from the refrigerator.  Tits.

And so my friends, that's about all I know today.  Hope your day is lovely, I know mine will be!

Thursday in paradise...

This is the pool from my bedroom balcony.  It looks little but it feels much bigger.  Yesterday I went after MahJong and no one was there so it was lovely.  Warm and so relaxing, well after the exercise anyway.

Today is lunch at the club and then canasta.  I like Thursdays.  Lots to do.  I can't decide whether to swim before lunch or after I get home but either way I'll go.  My online program tells me I burn nearly 500 calories in 45 minutes of water jogging.  You know I doubt I could jog one minute on land but in the water I can just go and go.  I wear the water shoes too.

Not one person pissed me off yesterday, what about that?  A good day.  Let's hope for today to be as good.  Yours too...

Ocean glimpse...

You can see it better in this photo, it was a clearer day.  

Well I got a new phone call.  Having lived in high rises for the past 18 years I have not been bothered by the door knocking Jehovah's Witnesses.  I don't mind anyone's religion, honest I don't, but I don't want to be preached to by others thinking their god is bigger than my god.  Anyway back to the call, it was one telling me that since she can't get into the building she was going to witness to me by phone.  Um, no, I don't think so sweetie.  Buh-bye.

Next up was the pool.  Remember the guy from the elevator?  Well here's what happened:

Him:  You really should swim instead of just jogging back and forth. 

Me:  Yeah?  You think so you saggy bastard?  You just come out here and sit on a lounge chair and read books in the sun.  And you think you know more than my doctor and my physical therapist?  (I said in my head.)  Thank you. (I said out loud.)

So canasta got cancelled because one of the gals had to take her doggie to the vet.  I didn't mind though, I had a nice day and still had poker.  Didn't win but didn't lose too much either and it was a nice game.  

There was finally an answer to the banana question yesterday, go to yesterdays's comments if you want to see it.  It was anonymous so I don't know who to thank though.  The nutrition changes but the calories stay the same.

Here's a nice low cal recipe from the duck.  Take a bag of slaw cabbage (you can cut your own but then it would be work) and spray your pan, add a bit of chicken stock and steam it and brown it at the end.  You can also add onion to this which I like.  Make it as crispy or soft as you like it.  It's only about 70 calories for the whole bag.  You can put a nice chicken breast next to this on a plate and slice a tomato.  What a lovely (huge) meal for under 300 calories!

So that's it from me today.  Hope y'alls day is tits, I know mine will be!

Tuesday and other stuff...

This little baby is over two years old and has never had one day without blooms.  It gets a drink on Thursdays with one drop of African Violet food and that's it.  Can you imagine the joy it has brought me all those months?

So yesterday I decided to go to the pool while Steve and Jane were there and it was the perfect time to go!  No one else is there and the water temperature is the same as the air temperature (84) so it does not feel cold at all when you get in and it is warmer when you get out so that feels good too.  That's my new pool time, at least for the summer.  I hope no one else discovers how great it is!

But I did have a bit of excitement while I was there.  I was merrily jogging back and forth when I glanced over to the deep side and saw something moving.  Oh no!  A snake in the water with me!  About that time a guy walked by and I asked him to see if it was a snake, he looked and said it sure was.  I hightailed it out of the water and he went in and got the manager who in turn got the maintenance guy who came out and got the skimmer to get it out.  

It was a palm frond.  Sigh...  It sure wiggled around like a snake!  Too funny, and I was sure glad that's all it was.  Of course the first thing I think of is "I'm totally blogging about this!".  Guess I'll have to start taking the camera with me in case anything else interesting comes along.

I have a question and I can't find the answer.  Take a banana, it has roughly 100 calories.  When it just under ripe it's not sweet or as sweet as when it's more ripe.  The riper it gets the sweeter it tastes.  Does the calorie count change?  It's the same thing with corn only in reverse.  It's sweeter when it's first picked and the sugar goes down and the starch goes up each day after.  Well until it's canned or frozen that is, but I can see where that would stay the same in calories but not bananas.

Along those same lines you know I am on weight watchers, but not the new points plus program.  I don't know about that one.  Anyway the one before let you eat raw carrots or onions for 0 points but if they were cooked they had a points value.  The explanation I was given in a meeting was that the sugar content went up when they were cooked. (?)

I know.  I think too much don't I?  Some days I can't help it.  Now today I have swimming in the morning, canasta in the afternoon and poker tonight.  Totally tits day for me!  Hope yours is the same.

Monday in paradise...

It occurred to me that I hadn't taken a photo from the bedroom terrace.  Here's what I see from there.  That pond is in front of the club and is full of turtles.  If you walk around it they come to you.  

The the white roof is the clubhouse.  The water you see is Clearlake, not the Intracoastal.  The ocean is on the horizon, on a good day I can see it.  I call it "ocean glimpse" and not "ocean view".  

Yesterday the duck wasn't feeling too good.  His belly was hurting from the surgery.  The surgeon told him it was normal and would take a while but still, he was hurting.  Poor baby.  Anyway we did manage to have a nice lunch and go to the Walmart and then I came home and did my pool workout.  

I am walking more and more now.  My legs are strong enough but the only problem I am having is breathing, I get so out of breath after about a half a block.  I am going to push myself more and more to try to get over it.

Steve and Jane come today to make my condo sparkle and then I have to go to the dentist for a cleaning.  I go every three months.  I don't know if it's necessary or he's making more $$ on me but I listen and I go. 

So that, my friends, is my world in a nutshell.  Hope your Monday is fabulous!  I know mine will be...

Well meaning friends...

Sigh... I grow so weary of people trying to tell me what to do.  I know they mean well but I'm not really one to take direction easily.  Especially when I have my own agenda, namely to get fit and lose weight and I have been doing pretty danged good at it too if I say so myself.  Yesterday was a day for people to "help".  

You know the comments, "you look wonderful but should you be eating that?".  (There is always a but!)  Yes I should, I know very well what to eat and how much, and I have been doing just that for nine months now, thank you very much.  

And they then ask me how much weight I have lost.  I'm not sure I like this either.  Now I tell y'all these things all the time but to ask a woman how much weight she lost?  Somehow I don't like that either.

I talked to the duck about this and asked him if it bothered him when people said things like this.  He said he didn't mind it, that he just took it as they were being friendly and helpful.  I'm trying to do the same but it's not as easy for me somehow.  I don't know why.  Maybe I am too sensitive.  I hope not.

That reminds me (I have no idea why but it does), have you tried Amy's Light and Lean Entrees?  They are very good.  They look small but are filling and organic too.  Lots of variety.  That's what I have been going to when I don't want to cook.  Mostly I do cook though but the Amy's are not a bad substitute.  Much better than the other kinds I think.

Today will take me back to the Walmart with the duck on our weekly jaunt.  Hopefully it won't be too bad.  I don't need a lot because I got a good bit at the fruit stand but I still need to go.  

Hope your Sunday is totally tits.  I know mine will be!

Saturday in paradise...

First of all let me tell you I am very happy about Big Brother and like the new show already.  I know it's just trash but I enjoy it three times a week for an hour and I admit it.  I think Survivor has run it's course but I still like Big Brother.

Today I have canasta so I won't be in the pool but yesterday I went in for a long time and did some really good exercises.  I had to go at 11:00 because I was meeting the duck at 1:00 and the water wasn't all that warm.  I like it later when the sun has beat down on it for a while.  Now it wasn't cold mind you, just not warm enough.  Well for me anyway.

There was a different old guy at the pool.  I was about half done when he got there and he came in and was in about maybe three minutes and out he went.  He was too cold.  Once I got to jogging I got okay in the water but was just as glad he left.  I like it to myself.  And I was gone before that other guy got there, he comes around noon and I left at ten till.

I got some good veggies and fruit at the fruitstand yesterday and especially more tomatoes.  This time they are not wonderful but still good.  And I got the car washed too.  When it's dirty I feel bad because it was Sarge's car and he took good care of it.  If you remember he used to charge me a dollar to drive it.

I'm hoping y'all have a lovely weekend.  I know I will...

Friday - and I'm off today!

Hey!  I heard that!  Not that kind of off.  And it's Friday the 13th too.  Usually something good happens to me on this date.  We'll see.  Is it a lucky day for you too?  I hope so.  Since I don't play cards on Friday I wonder if I should buy a lotto ticket?  Naw... I never do.  I actually figure I'm a winner for not spending all those dollars for all those years.

I have some errands today, I don't go out in the car much and this will be two days in a row.  I want to go back to the fruitstand and get some more tomatoes and fruit and bank stuff and maybe lunch with the duck if he's not too busy at lunchtime and then home for some pool time.  I have it all planned out already.  And if it's not a rainy time I might get the car washed too, it is really dirty.  We get the salt air here and it gets slimy like when it's windy.  Not okra slimy though.  Just salt spray slimy.

I had two people piss me off yesterday and I really don't get pissed off easily.  The first one is just a negative nellie, always sees the worst, never the best.  I just can't listen to that kind of talk.  I asked her to change the subject several times and then got up and left.  Then when I got home and got in the elevator this guy gets in that is usually at the pool and asks me if I swam today.  I said no, I played cards.  He starts telling me how I don't want to swim, I should have gone, blah blah blah.  What the??  How is this his business.  I don't even know his name ffs.  

Okay, enough complaining, sorry.  I'm not going to get upset about anything today.  It's the 13th and I shall have fun.  I hope you do too!

Thursday stuff and other stuff...

Well I had a great day at MahJong yesterday, got two dots too!  (We put a dot on our card next to a hand we have not made this year yet.)  I have fifteen dots now.  The year starts in April for some reason and we only play once a week so that's pretty good really.  Of course when you make a hand more than once you don't get more dots.

When I got home I had an email from someone called "sexy single" wanting to "get laid".  My word.  Can't a 65 year old woman have any control over these emails?  It was obviously a mass mailing but it made my stomach lurch.  Sickos.  

That reminds me.  We had a nice young handsome weather man here some years back that "came out" and then got in some trouble and was no longer the weather man.  Suddenly.  Well now I hear on the news (with live photos) that he was arrested for having sex with two young teen boys he met on Craig's List.  He won't be out for a long time.  What a shame.  I really liked him too.  Now I just want to slap him a good one.  A really good one.

Are you going to watch Big Brother tonight?  You know I am.  I hope there are some likable people this time.  Someone that you want to win.  But probably not, well not if they are anything like the past few seasons but I'll watch anyway.  Just because.

This morning I have the first part of my annual physical.  Dr. Wacks is nothing if not thorough.  This part is the fasting blood work and the ekg and that kind of stuff and then in a week and a half I have the rest of it.  Then we'll discuss how much more weight I need to lose to be done and go on maintenance.  I have a feeling his number will be lower than mine but we'll compromise.

Then I have canasta in the afternoon.  My favorite canasta game of the week.  The gal that is having memory problems does not play in this game.  It's getting rough but we are still playing with her.

Hope your day is lovely and bright.  I know mine will be...

Wednesday in paradise...

So it's Wednesday and that means MahJong!  I used to always say Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day as you know but not so much any more for me.   But that's okay, I am starting to really believe that nothing tastes as good as thin feels.  I was looking at some old photos of me and I was really huge.  You know I'm sorry too because they are photos of me and Sarge.  He would be so happy now if he could see me.  I have my annual physical soon and I am anxious to see how much more weight Dr. Wacks wants me to lose.  And if I can get off any other medications.  But not my fish oil!  Don't take that!  Arggg...

So yesterday I lost five dollars at canasta and won one dollar at poker.  There was this guy that sat next to me and for the whole night he ate (loudly clicking against his teeth) lollypops.  Other than that it was pretty fun.

When I play cards I don't manage to get in the pool though.  Since today is MahJong and it's at my building and we finish around 3:30 I plan to go right after that.  I feel so much better when I go do.   

Do you ever think about things like what you would do with your life if you could go back in time?  I don't know why I think about this stuff, it doesn't do any good but sometimes I think about a different career, stuff like that.  I'd definitely live where I do though.  But in the end (of my thoughts) I don't really think I'd change what I did for work, I liked it and I liked the people I met and the places I got to go and the excitement of it all.  

I'd just find some way to start traveling sooner.  I know we were very lucky to travel while Sarge was in the service but I'd do more and see more and I'd like to live in Italy for a time.  I'd still come back to Florida though.  And not just any place in Florida, I like where I am.

And so my dears, thanks for reading today.  Hope you weren't bored.  Have a lovely Wednesday.  Me too...

Tuesday in paradise...

Oh my gosh that pool feels good.  I usually sit in the shade after I swim until I am mostly dry and read a bit or just enjoy the day.  There is normally no one else there or maybe one or two people.  Well in the summer that is, it's much busier in the winter.  I really wish they would update the furniture though, it's really getting sad looking.  I guess budgets are tight.

I got some great tomatoes at the fruit stand yesterday after seeing Dr. Raymond.  Oh, and that visit went very well, thank you very much.  I can stop taking the Aromasin in November and I don't see her again until January.  That will be five years since the breast cancer.  Yay me!  Five years already, where did they go?  I still remember that feeling when I heard the words "breast cancer".  I was in Podunk at the time and was very lucky to have a wonderful surgeon and only minor invasive surgery and radiation because it was very early.  Have you had your mammogram?  It matters.

Did you notice I went from tomatoes to breast cancer in one paragraph?  Sometimes my brain scares me it jumps around so much.  Anyway back to the tomatoes.  I hate tomatoes that taste like nothing and so many do now but the summertime ones are lovely, juicy, ripe, sweet, amazing.  I bought two, the first one I sliced when I got home and ate it.  The other one I'll enjoy today after cards.

I got some Del Sol nail polish on the cruise.  It goes on blue.  When you go in the sun it turns green.  It's fun!  I put it on my toes too.  They have all kinds of colors and glitters too.  A lot of fun for ten bucks.

So today is canasta and poker, I am really looking forward to it, it's been quite a while since I have played either since the cruise and then being sick afterwards.  Life is getting back to normal.  Normal?  Well maybe not exactly but it's pretty good.

And that, my friends, is all I know today.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope your day is totally tits.  Mine will be...

Monday ramblings and other stuff...

Today I go back to Dr. Raymond, my oncologist.  She is a doll and the best.  And she calls Dr. Wacks "Bobbie" and that cracks me up, I have no idea why.  She is also a neighbor, she lives in one of the houses on the golf course by "Bobbie".  

And this is my "Romney mail" for the past few days.  Well, with the exception of the Ann Romney mail that I tossed before I brought it upstairs.  Now really this is too danged much.  I'm sure if I were a Democrat I'd be getting just as much from his highness.  Why?  Every one of them is a scare tactic and a plead for money.  No thank you.  Very much.

The calls have tapered off, they were driving me insane and I actually threatened one guy, told him I'd send all my money to Obama if they called me one more time and hung up on him.  Now they only call every few days.  I hate them all.  

So yesterday after the WalMart I got in the pool and did my 30 minutes of exercise!  The whole thing! It felt so good.  There were a few other women out there and I talked to one of them for a while.  She just got off the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Sea ( the really big one).  She said she was never nickeled and dimed like that before, they charged for cupcakes, they charged for ice cream!  Can you believe that?  She said the food in the main dining room was not very good and there were so many pay restaurants.  She won't go on it again.

There is some great tv coming back this week,  White Collar, Covert Affairs, Big Brother, a bunch of stuff I like.  I won't be bored.  Lots of card games this week too, canasta, mahjong, and poker.  I'm well enough to play and no longer contagious either.  It's going to be a great week y'all!  You'll see...