It may be christmas but I'm still around!

One local high is my general knowledge is booming since taking the global challenge and not only did I beat my rating all the way to 1817 I'm also 97th from all the players, which is about 11,000 last time I looked.

I also collected my first bifocals today and am having to relearn how to look at things at different angles and still keep them in focus. I think once you've got the hang you stop noticing it but I'm getting a normal pair for driving so I don't get distracted. These are a lot stronger than the last ones so the focus is much improved.

Good luck satguru, it takes a while to get used to bi-focals (or so hubby tells me). I was fortunate to have lazer corrective surgery so only need glasses for reading.

You're right, a day later I barely notice them. Only the computer and mirrors appear to be slightly the wrong distance to focus on perfectly but I expect that'll become natural soon as well, these are varifocals and having never tried the two part versions have nothing to compare it with. And seeing all those road signs at night so clearly is also such a relief...

Don't walk down the stairs or on steps at first! Mine don't have lines (progressives) but I remember tripping at first because of the depth.

I'm the opposite from you though, and supposedly can drive with them but don't dare.
I'm far sighted.

I've had just a bounty of "highs" this week past (none of which had to do with bifocals, unfortunately - but the jury is still out on whether I could use a set or two of them at the moment so I may be able to join that discussion later ). I got to go to Illinois, just outside of Chicago, for Christmas. Definite 'high' there all around. It could be said that the abscence of my old friend was somewhat large but I'd have to call it sizable in a good way. His widow is doing well, his daughters are just about as vibrant, terrific and perky as they've always been, his grandchildren were killer funny (and neither of them broke anything or vomited on my shirt , which was a plus). It seemed a good and honorable continuum of things. And all the different ages of people was really fun. I got to play with an EZ Bake Oven [which made real food, no less - apparently that was a HUGELY important feature], make chicken fajitas with the 20-year old daughter's boyfriend [who, in my estimation, was just a little too perfect/renaissance for his own good - my God, he's even in training to become a fireman!] and spend time with my friend Mari with whom I marveled at being pals now for -yikes- 35 years. We went to Michael's grave which was, naturally, somber but levelled out when we soundly giggled (a little) and decided that it clearly appeared that they buried him backwards. I know that it sounds flip to do something like that, but it really wasn't. It was just the regular flow of things with a twist.

I got fiercely ill at Christmas dinner but, while likely a low, it turned out OK. They saved me a large plate for later, went about their stuff and rounds of visits and, at the end of it, were surprised that I wasn't sicker than I was. It was all pretty darned great. That I got gifts of jazzy coffee, extremely modern looking pen sets, books about up-and-coming interesting Democrats AND a Betty Boop calendar was just icing on the cake.

All in all, a very grand way to end a year. And my friend even had a bathroom installed for me (can you imagine such a thing?). Just so I wouldn't have to climb stairs too much. My guess is that she planned to put one in anyway, but I still like that they all call it "Dave's toilet" .

What a moving story Gatz, almost made me cry. Glad you had such a good time, especially with the EZ Bake Oven, sorry you were ill.
Pity they did not install the bathroom in your home. Perhaps Santa misunderstood when you said you wanted a toilet for Christmas.

SOunds like a terrific Christmas Dave, and no less than you deserve!

Good to hear you had such a great Christmas, Dave.

Hats off! to Mari, a very considerate friend.

And I have to agree with Skunkee - you certainly deserved it all.

I have a cold!

Oh dear, what a miserable start to the new year Velvet_Rain.

So in catchin' up with the daily/weekly highs and lows and so on and so forth.

The year has been a pretty interesting mix of highs and lows. My favorite Aunt passed away from a rather sudden case of lung cancer. She treated it at first but it was too agressive so she decided to go out with dignity and did the hospice thing at home where she passed in her sleep after spending a lot of quality time with family and friends. I could not get back up to Chicago to see her because of my job. I could either see her when she was ill and miss the funeral or vice versa. So.. I did what any mature, very depressed, over worked and underpaid premenapausal single woman would do. I quit.

Spent a few months getting my proverbial doo doo back together on oh so many levels. Spent a nice long month in Chicago with my sisters and their kids. Spread my Aunt's ashes on the summer lake we all grew up at in Baraboo Wisconsin. Went to a great science fiction convention in Atlanta called Dragon Con and had an awesome time. Got to meet some of the folks from Firefly/Serenity too!

Now I'm coming to the tail end of my semi and selfish retirement (budget imposed as allotment of personal time is just about up) I feel much more mentally, spiritually and emotionally reinvigorated. I've rediscovered my passion for knitting and on my way to become a master knitter. Been adopted by my local yarn shoppe as one of the regular gals and will soon have opportunities to teach kids how to knit in the summer after I complete some required knitting guild courses. I've also already been approached to be a judge at some county fairs in the future once the Master mantle is achieved. Through my new knitting contacts I've been able to find very solid leads on prospective employment to start shortly after the New Year. I have a very strong committment to knitting for charity and I'm working on organizing a local group to work together towards a common charity each month.

<takes a big breath and flexes the fingers> Oops.. sometimes I can be a bit on the wordy side.

Oh.. and Tai Chi for beginners starts in 2 weeks.

I really like the way things are headed these days.

Cool post, FLHazel! So sorry to hear about your aunt but it seems to have guided you in a new and better direction? "So.. I did what any mature, very depressed, over worked and underpaid premenapausal single woman would do. I quit." hehe. Nice one.


Well, great news here. We had big storms come through about lunch time, much lightning and thunder, much rain and hail, huge winds and it poured down. The heavens opened up BIG time. We only measured 1.5 inches but there would have had to been more than that - I don't think a lot of it registered with all the wind. It's not drought-breaking and didn't cover all of the property but it sure helps!
Broken Hill, 200km away but our nearest main town had over two inches and was is the wettest day for seven years. Just hope it can keep up now!

This photo is one I took during those storms today, soory it's a bit blurry. I haven't altered it in any way, that is exactly as it looked. That was around 2pm this arvo and the whole sky was letting off this errie orange light. Lighting was cracking all around, thunder booming and just this weird light. Spooky. (that's the house dam and the huge amount of water that was filling it )

Great news Copago, hope you get some more rain. We have had a lot of rain here in the past month - very unusual for us to have this much. Everything in the garden is blooming. Have not had this many flowers for many years.

Fantastic news Copago, may you get scads and scads more of the nasty stuff - you can have some of mine with pleasure, my garage roof is leaking as it is being blown into the crevasses.

FLHazeleyed, another knitter! Ren is sitting there knitting even as I type. I have loads 'on the go' but do not really do any while I still have a cat, I find the two do not mix well for me. I haven't done any since my stroke so I do not know if I can still knit.

I am sure it will soon come back to you, Sue, although having met the dear cat, I can see your point!
Yes I knit lots and I always have, although in Hong Kong it is impossible in summer, much too hot and humid. I spent the last year making bedspreads for various people, and of course there are always new babies to knit for. I will find some pictures later of the stuff I have done
Jill that is fantastic news about the rain. I can imagine how thrilled you must be. A good start to the year.

I wasn't thinking about having forgotten how to knit, more a case of my fingers being nimble enough.

I always find as winter approaches I get a yearning to knit. Its like riding a bicycle so I'm sure you have not forgotten Sue. If your fingers are nimble enough to type I'm sure they can still knit.

High: My 2nd TV appearance was shown this morning, I managed to know just hours before it was on and told lots of people many who have seen it.
Low: Due to it being on before I get up I set the video to record it on cable and the cable box jammed. I had to order the video and until it comes I won't be able to see it myself.

You get up late, we saw it at 10.40am.

Highlight of last few days, is having a exceptionally quiet New Years Eve. I am sure 2007 is going to be a better year for us all!

I certainly do get up late, I come alive after dark and without a reason to do otherwise get up whenever I've had enough sleep. I'd need a lot of money to tempt me up earlier and so far no one's offered any...

Today really has to be a massive high. The men Sara ordered for me turned up, five of them, if you didn't count the photographer from the local newspaper.

It was a bit like one of those television makeovers, they worked so hard, all of them including the boss.

They cut back overgrown climbers and weeded the flower beds, then they mowed the lawn. Next they powerwashed my walls in the garden while another wirebrushed the walls in a long enclosed passage that I have between the front and rear of my house.

They took all the rubbish from my garage and took it to the tip. My car will now fit!

Then they painted the garden walls and the side passage.

Tomorrow one will be returning to give a second coat of paint to one wall which had bad marks on it.

All I did was make some coffee and tea and provide some biscuits (cookies).

We will have some photos eventually, Sara has some but they are not digital so we will have to wait and scan them in.

Yesterday evening was a real high for me. My eldest son, after visiting his Mother over Christmas, turned up out of the blue. Totally unexpected; a tap at the door and there he was, large as life. He just trolled in, helped himself to some chocolate and we chatted for a couple of hours and this time, he didn't ask for a thing. Just came for a visit. I must admit that his visit left me feeling extremely happy.

That's terrific Trojan!