Beauty

[rnmom]

We had a tiny bit more fun yesterday too. My sister and her hubby and son came over and we ordered pizza and hung out and played cards for a few hours She likes coming to my place because it's one of the few places that they can act "normal" and don't have to worry about being too close to someone or breathing the same air. A lot of people are really paranoid up here.

Even with all that, I checked my weight this morning expecting to have gained a pound, or at least stayed the same, and I'm pleased to report that I actually lost another pound! Holy smokes! It was so hot, maybe I sweated it out!

[aprilskies]

So, my iPad is going. I love this thing and the question is do I replace it. I have used it to death and it took a beating for sure. I do have a computer but this thing has been awesome. Nice size and compact. Maybe I will keep an eye out for a deal. I do have a small tablet from Amazon but I dont like it as much but should at least get some use out of it. 

I also yesterday noticed one of my lock n lock butter keepers is cracked on the side. I love these things because they even hold cream cheese fresher for longer. But, so funny, while I was disappointed, I got some joy out of seeing that. Things finally just used and loved instead of collecting dust or just donated barely used. 

I have also used some t-shirt’s to death. But I have been ordering a ton of tanks and T-shirt’s. I just live in these things ever since I have been home. I  think I went overboard but that is okay because if they all work out, I will be set for a while. My only reservation is I wear vneck so I am hoping the crewnecks are okay. I dont remember liking crewnecks on me but I am tired of what is visible with vnecks every time I have to bend down.  Okay enough about T-shirt’s. LOL.

Just thought I would throw out a little USED it up as progress towards compacting even though some things are being replaced.  A great feeling. 

[just bee]

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@aprilskies wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

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@aprilskies wrote:

I swear I dont know what these people are smoking. I wish they would pass some along so I too can be insane. 

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@aprilskies 

And that's precisely what they want.

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@just bee, And what is sad is, they are achieving it and a little too easily. 

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@aprilskies 

Ain't that the truth.

[just bee]

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@rnmom wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

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@rnmom wrote:

I hope that everyone had a nice 4th of July. I will admit, I haven't been feeling terribly patriotic lately with everything that's going on in our country. But I did get a slight reprieve for one night. 

Our family decided to take an overnight trip, on friday night, to Shipshewana in Indiana. We haven't left overnight in probably about 4 years because of the dogs, but we found a dog sitter and decided to take a chance. I knew I didn't want to just "go up north", everyone does that, and I wanted to get out of Michigan. Wonder why. Never been to Indiana so we decided to try it. 

So we hit the road Friday morning and found the country's largest flea market. We shopped during the day and spent the night. They had fireworks (everything around here was cancelled) that we were able to actually see very well from the car in the hotel parking lot so when they were done we able to just walk back up to our room.

We ate in a restaurant and the kids got to swim in the hotel pool and we played ping pong, air hockey and video games in the small arcade. Saturday we shopped some more and headed home. It was so darn hot, by around 12:30 we just couldn't stand it anymore so even though I didn't really want to leave, we did.

We had such a nice time. Everyone was acting almost "normal". A few masks, but definitely the minority, whereas up here, almost everyone wears one and we feel out of place because we don't. I did not want to leave and come back at all, I felt like I was coming back to jail. Just being able to do those little things, that we all take for granted, is what makes life worth living. I didn't realize how much we missed it. If we have to be locked in forever, when we didn't even do anything wrong, then what's the point of even being here?

Anyway, we bought lots of stuff at the flea market, some of it we actually needed, most of it we didn't. We ate lots of food, I probably gained a pound back in 2 days. But it was needed so badly. We had such a good time that I'm already planning to go back in about a month when I have another small stretch off work, before hubby goes back in the fall. (If he goes back, might end up doing all online teaching again if we get locked back up). 

I don't know how many times the kids told me how much fun they were having, how much they enjoyed being out. They thanked me more times than I can remember. And this is two teenage, almost teenage boys, remember. They were asking me when we could go back and didn't want to come home either. It was actually kind of sad. Made it worth every single penny and makes me want to do it again. This lockdown is terribly hard on them too. Maybe worse than on the grownups. So it was bittersweet. We had a fun, but didn't want to come home. 

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@rnmom 

This is something that should be published and read because it just says so much.  You summed things up when you said...

If we have to be locked in forever, when we didn't even do anything wrong, then what's the point of even being here?

And that's how it feels here.  We're being punished.  Every time our governor speaks, it's punitive.  And it's always a threat.  If you don't comply and do what we're telling you to do, you will pay.  We'll shut it all down again.

The annual Independence Day celebration at Balloon Fiesta Park was canceled, of course.  No fireworks at Isotopes Park because the baseball season has also been canceled.

Instead, the city planned fireworks displays at a handful of parks and then told us not to come to the parks.  Instructions were to stay home.  We were told that we could watch from our backyards.

Call me crazy, but how was this supposed to work in a city this size?  I can guarantee that a lot of people weren't able to see them.

But I can tell you what did happen.

It's been terribly dry and fire danger is extremely high.  The governor discouraged illegal fireworks this year.  And guess what?  There were more than ever.  They've been going off every night and even during the day for the past week.

I stood outside last night and there were explosions all over the city and in my neighborhood.  The dog has been terrorized all week.

I don't even know how to interpret this.  I'm out there, in my driveway, every year watching the display at Balloon Fiesta Park and there are a few going off around the city and in the neighborhood, but last night was different.  I have a view of the mountains and most of the city and it looked like it was one giant display.

I've never seen or heard this many in the 25 years I've lived here.

Again, I'm not sure what it means.

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@just bee - I know, you have it just as bad where you're at as I do, both of our governors are devil's spawn. We are always being punished and threatened too. She sounds just like I imagine Hitler would. 

We too, had every single fireworks display cancelled. We had one small town that still had some planned but then they had to cancel it the night before because the AG threatened the town with citations, etc for going against the governor's EO. I'm glad I left the state, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. 

And us too, we had more personal fireworks than we've ever had before. Ours are legal up here now, and we always hear some, but there have been tons this year. I was worried about fire here too, it's been super dry for us and hot, almost 100, for a week or two now. My grass is totally burned up and brown. There were a couple fires in neighboring towns, but nothing really close by thank goodness. 

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@rnmom 

Did you see the WalletHub survey, States with the Fewest Coronavirus Restrictions?

New Mexico is the most restrictive state when it comes to COVID.

Our wineries are still closed.  Why?  Still no explanation.

[just bee]

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@rnmom wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

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@aprilskies wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

It seems like every month I ask you to post your fun experiences.  Am I overlooking them?

@rnmom  just posted something fun.  Bittersweet, but still fun.

@KaySD  just posted something fun.  A lot of work and expense, but a transformed kitchen and livingroom is pretty darned fun.

We seem to be having a fun deficit.

I'm going to concentrate on fun.  No, scratch that.  I'm not going to concentrate on fun.  I'm going to concentrate on something else and fun will just happen when I least expect it.

I'm counting on it.

So if it happens, I'll let you know.

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@just bee, the only fun I have been having lately were a couple family picnics.  Yesterday's picnic was a disaster. Big family blowout which just depressed me. We are too old for people to be going back 40 years and discussing old resentments. It is good to talk things out but we are just too old for it. Do old resentments ever die? Plus, you never get anywhere when people are just not listening to each other and understanding. 

I stayed out of it.  But, at least the first one was fun. 

Other than that, I was going to venture to the beach on Friday. A few friends chickened out and I was still going to go myself but decided not too. I just didnt feel like going myself.  But, I am going to one day before we are possibly locked down again. We will see. It is so hot and humid here that that doesnt even sound like fun anymore.

But, I agree with you. I think we need to add some fun to the mix. I just dont know what that is at the moment.  

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@aprilskies 

I'm convinced that if my mother's siblings were alive today they'd still be b____ing about the pizzelle iron with the family crest that someone in the family stole.

And I absolutely agree.  We desperately need some fun but I have no idea what fun is anymore.

Fun is just so pre-COVID. 

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@just bee - Isn't that the truth? Fun is definitely Pre Covid. 

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@rnmom 

Humor is pre-COVID. 

[just bee]

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@rnmom wrote:

We had a tiny bit more fun yesterday too. My sister and her hubby and son came over and we ordered pizza and hung out and played cards for a few hours She likes coming to my place because it's one of the few places that they can act "normal" and don't have to worry about being too close to someone or breathing the same air. A lot of people are really paranoid up here.

Even with all that, I checked my weight this morning expecting to have gained a pound, or at least stayed the same, and I'm pleased to report that I actually lost another pound! Holy smokes! It was so hot, maybe I sweated it out!

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@rnmom 

It's probably a good thing that your place is slightly removed from the madness.  You have a little bit of nature around you.  Sanctuary.

And pizza always helps.

[just bee]

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@aprilskies wrote:

So, my iPad is going. I love this thing and the question is do I replace it. I have used it to death and it took a beating for sure. I do have a computer but this thing has been awesome. Nice size and compact. Maybe I will keep an eye out for a deal. I do have a small tablet from Amazon but I dont like it as much but should at least get some use out of it. 

I also yesterday noticed one of my lock n lock butter keepers is cracked on the side. I love these things because they even hold cream cheese fresher for longer. But, so funny, while I was disappointed, I got some joy out of seeing that. Things finally just used and loved instead of collecting dust or just donated barely used. 

I have also used some t-shirt’s to death. But I have been ordering a ton of tanks and T-shirt’s. I just live in these things ever since I have been home. I  think I went overboard but that is okay because if they all work out, I will be set for a while. My only reservation is I wear vneck so I am hoping the crewnecks are okay. I dont remember liking crewnecks on me but I am tired of what is visible with vnecks every time I have to bend down.  Okay enough about T-shirt’s. LOL.

Just thought I would throw out a little USED it up as progress towards compacting even though some things are being replaced.  A great feeling. 

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@aprilskies 

BH dropped his phone this week and killed it.

We've become so dependent on technology.  Instead of getting up and pulling a reference book off the shelf, I just look things up online.  Lost most of my reference books and my dictionaries.  If my PC dies, I'm in trouble.

Yes, replace your iPad if you enjoy it.  If you use something and it improves the quality of your life, it's a necessity.  Like biscotti.

Good point about the T-shirts.  I noticed QVC was selling J. Jill items.  I used to enjoy their catalog so I checked out their website.  Almost ordered some longsleeve tees/tunics.  I considered V-necks but you're right.  Same reason I always wear crewneck shirts under my scrubs.  No one needs to see my chest.

I still need some replacement tees but I just haven't committed yet.  I like that I still have some social distancing in my closet.  There's actual space between hangers.

[just bee]

@rnmom 

You mentioned suicides.  Our local paper, The Albuquerque Urinal -- er, Journal, just published a story: New Mexico's Suicide Rate is Highest in the Nation.

But it looks like these are numbers from 2018.

Just wait 'til they get the 2019 and 2020 data.

[geezerette]

Sorry I'm a little late.  It's been a strange week.  Might take me a while to catch up.

[aprilskies]

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@just bee wrote:

@rnmom 

You mentioned suicides.  Our local paper, The Albuquerque Urinal -- er, Journal, just published a story: New Mexico's Suicide Rate is Highest in the Nation.

But it looks like these are numbers from 2018.

Just wait 'til they get the 2019 and 2020 data.

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@just bee @rnmom, So tragic though.

I cant even imagine the data for the US from this year alone. So many people will come out of this with severe mental or social issues.  And we have only just begun. Between finanical and health concerns, what hope do the majority of people have. 

.