SHOPAHOLICS: ONE DAY AT A TIME (SATURDAY, 12/13)

Good Morning! Thanks for getting us started Jean. Hope you are able to go off that blood thinner. I'm glad that things seem to be going okay with your heart. Also glad that you received your purse, and I hope you enjoy it very much. We did some more shoppng yesterday, but I hope to avoid it today. Money is flying out the door. LOL The birthday lunch should be nice, but my SIL won't be there since he is doing a photo shoot. Everyone slept in this morning, and I was the first one up -- that was a surprise since DD usually gets up around 4:30 or so. She made a huge breakfast, so I'm hoping I will be able to eat some lunch. The birthday boy had fun with his friends last night, and DGD and oldest DGS enjoyed the movie. Youngest DGS had an okay time with his gf, but they went to a frozen yogurt place after the movie, and I think she spent most of the time talking to her gf who worked there rather than him. Hopefully, they will have more time together before Christmas. I have pretty much decided to take back the rental car tomorrow afternoon, and just get a cab from the hotel very early on Monday morning. The hotel shuttle doesn't start until 5:00, which is way too late for our flight. But, the hotel said they can call ahead for a cab to come when we like (I'm thinking 3:15 a.m. or earlier.) Hope we can sleep a lot on the plane, but if not we can always sleep when we get home. It has been a challenging year for me as well Jean. But, I know (as you do), that we are lucky to be given the gift of life. Waves to Kathleen, Arlene, twinny, Rosa, Gayle, Susan, Marijane, LindaR, Karen, and all of our posters and readers. Hope everyone has a nice day! Hugs, Linda

Jean, Your hear problems sound so complex. Thank goodness for good medical help. Yes drugs are very expensive. Good insurance is a must now days. DH & I have to change our drug plan & also our supplemental insurance starting January 1. Almost all insurance companies in our town offer a plan. We checked on two of them that we knew the people & there was a $25 a month difference. Doesn't sound like much but it is an extra $300 to do something else with.

It is foggy again today, but very mild. Upper 40's for the next few days is a plus this time of year. DH is at his men's breakfast so I am putzing around the house. I just finished putting some empty Christmas boxes back in the basement. The house looks nice with a few extra things here & there. I am glad the tree is done too.

It is off to the bank as soon as DH returns home. Last night we went to a local fish fry that we really liked. They changed managers & took away the salad & soup bar which were both very good. We won't be going back anytime soon as we were disappointed & there were not very many people there where they used to have a full house every Friday night. I did fill out a survey & said what I thought about the new menu. Hopefully things will change back again.

Hugs to all of you.

Linda--It is so easy at this time of the year to see money fly out the door. You are very good with your buying decisions. It sounds like you are having a good time visiting the family. When I look for a room near the airport for an early morning departure, I always try to find one that has a good shuttle service but I have had to use a taxi.

Twinny--It is so disappointing to return to a favorite restaurant to find changes that are no longer tempting. The difference in the cost of the insurance can be a savings if deductibles, co-pays, etc. are the same. After the past year, I can understand why so many people have medical debt to the point they have to declare bankruptcy. Good insurance is the key but many people are not that fortunate.

My car is 9 years old this weekend. I told the service department that at times I was tempted to get a new one but this one has been fabulous and is still doing great. They told me that my car was in better shape than some people's cars after a couple of years of use. I've always kept it well maintained with no major expenses except for tires and a new battery. I've never had a car this long but it just keeps purring for me with great mileage.

I feel some Kindle time coming on. Despite sleeping late, I still feel tired, so I've decided this will be a day of rest.

Jean, I meant heart problem. DH came home before I could proofread my post & we had to head out right away. We had a CD come due today & wanted to get to the bank to get it out of our safety deposit box. Then we had to go to the Cr. Union to get the actual money out. Then on to the bank with our checking account as the oil man came a couple of days ago & we needed to replenish our checking acct. The rest went into our checking account which pays nothing right now. All had to be done before noon. The CD rate was 5.25% so I wanted to cry. I remember when my DH first retired, we could live off of the interest. Now it barely buys a burger.

I didn't know that Leah came on an hour earlier today. I set the alarm & realized that her show was 1/2 over. I did see the D. & Co. washable suede jacket & it looks very nice.

LL, Your trip sounded like it was fun filled despite spending extra money on shopping. I did finish my Christmas shopping this week too except for the package to our DS & DDIL. That will be mailed out on Monday.

I feel like it will be nap time after we hot tub today. Then maybe Kindle time as there is nothing on TV that interests me. Maybe that is a good thing.

Hi girls!

Well, My day has barely begun, and I'm exhausted already. I got up to let the dogs out to do their business and feed them, and before I could get Honeybun and Angelica on their tie-ups, all three went running off. Honeybun is getting to be pretty good at coming when she's called, but I had to get in my car, wearing a robe and PJs, to look for the others. I asked a man if he had seen two dogs, and he said, "Including a very beautiful one?" He told me they just ran off behind a house. I saw Autumn right away, and she started to run home as soon as she saw me - she knew she was being naughty. I drove around a little while before I saw a man who lives around the block and a bunch of kids with Angelica; they had her on a leash and were walking towards me as they heard me calling her. He said he knew she was mine as soon as he saw her collar, which is embroidered with her name and phone number; his wife found Autumn when she ran off during the summer, and she has one of those collars as well. They were a good investment, and I think they're a great idea even if a dog is chipped, because that way someone who finds the dog can call the owner right away and not have to fuss with taking it to a vet or calling Animal Control - especially on the weekend, when those services aren't available and they might not want to be bothered taking the dog in for a couple of days. Given the remarks I get about how beautiful Angelica is, I have to be especially careful so she isn't stolen as my Ahulani was. Anyway, I came home and went back to bed for a little while as I was tired and frustrated.

Glad to hear you're doing OK, Jean. Since you live alone and have medical issues, do you have one of those emergency call thingies you wear around your neck so you can summon help if you need it?

My car is a lot older than yours, but even my mechanic is impressed by how well it runs, so I'll keep it as long as I can. It may not be the prettiest car around and doesn't have all the fancy gadgets that newer cars do, but I average only about 350 miles a month driving, and it's nice to not have a car payment Meanwhile, I get my oil changed twice a year and an annual tune-up.

Twinny, I agree, it's pitiful to see what banks are paying in interest these days - usually .5%, which doesn't even begin to keep up with inflation. You might as well keep your money in a safe place at home! There's one local bank that has a sign that says, "High interest on CDs!" - followed by 0.5%. What a joke! Yet the banks are making far, far more than that on your money.

Oh gosh, LindaL - tell me about money flying out the door! I went to Publix for 3 items and ended up spending over $70; I needed just a couple of things from Aldi, and that trip came to over $50, because I saw some deals that were really good, including some very nice cookie sheets that had been reduced. At least from Aldi I had a cart that was more than half full; not so with Publix. In fact, I got a coffee cake at Publix that I'm going to ask for my money back on. I'd been buying it for years and it's always been excellent, but they must have changed the recipe to use cheaper ingredients, because it's dry and tasteless. I don't have $5 to throw away; I guess I'll have to just make my own baked goods - they're not only cheaper, they're better. I thought I'd have enough cat kibble to last until the end of the month, but I just opened up the second large bag today, as the prior one didn't last as long as I'd expected. (sigh) Oh well...God always provides!

I checked on the tablet my very generous bear ordered from HSN; they said delivery is expected on (and guaranteed by) 12/24. I guess they must be coming directly from the manufacturer or something - usually HSN's shipping is very fast.

I've been using my Kindle to watch my CBS shows on (Criminal Minds, CSI, all three NCIS programs, and Hawaii Five-0), but since they're often pre-empted for holiday programs at this time of year I had to find an alternative. I got the YouTube app on Kindle, and was happy to find that YouTube has a lot of old shows that I love, including Golden Girls, Are You Being Served, and Keeping Up Appearances. Who needs high-priced cable?

Well, today I'm going to get the rest of my stuff listen on my FB page where I'm trying to raise money to send packages to troops - everything is new and unused; please check it out. (Send me a PM on FB if you can't find it.) First...a nap!

Have a blessed day, everyone!

Arlene--I've rarely had fast shipping from HSN. I do hope that tablet works out for you. They had an earlier one of the same brand but in the 10 inch size. I almost ordered it but held off; the later reviews pointed toward a good decision. You have so much patience with your dogs.

Right now, I'm watching "Untold Stories of the ER." I went to read my Kindle this afternoon in bed and fell asleep. I awakened to find Midnight curled up by me.

Good evening. For me HSN ships very fast---the Q not. I guess it depends on the area ofthe country and where the fullfillment center is. But I admit I am spoiled by Amazon!.

Jean: Hopefully you can do without one medication---I know how costly meds are and I am truly greatful to have insurance to help with these costs. I don't take but one med but of course that could change in a blink of an eye!.

Today is was bright and sunny--tomorrow the CA stuff (rain) is heading our way--I watched the news---poor people who lost their homes to the mudslides---absolutely no warning at all.

I watched Lisa's last show last night--I was curious to see what kind of send off they would give her. I still remember parts of Kathy Levine's big ""do"" when she left. They had a couple of items which were to me---high end--but I am sure to people who would buy such items they probably weren't all that high end. One was a watch which she said she purchased that afternoon--just under $3K and the other a ring--somewhere in that price range. I was so distracted by the noise from the party going on in the background.

I agree about the grocery store runs---I went the other day--needed a few items to take to church for our supper. Spent $70---not sure on what!.

LindaR, I remember well the Kathy Levine send off party. I think perhaps the Q and perhaps the hosts preferred a less ostentatious farewell. I didn't watch the Lisa show. I only watch her shows when items might be in my price range. I'm not Madison Avenue so the extreme prices may be acceptable for those with a nice financial status, but not for me.