Monday and a Mod Talk

[Deleted User]

Happy Monday, y'all!

OK, I'm getting this mod talk out of the way.  There have been some complaints about our board, specifically rude, personal attacks and looking through a poster's history to bring up other stuff to nail them on.  I have been asked to say something to you all about this, so I'm saying something.  Please don't do that because it's not fun for me, and I don't want to have to get on to anyone in particular.  So this is a general "PLEASE PLAY NICE IN THE SANDBOX" warning for everyone, especially with newbies.  If you're picking on each other (regs that don't really care), I guess that might be different, but you gotta be respectful towards the newbs and non-regs.  Sorry, guys. 

Anyway, how was everyone's weekend?  Anything exciting to share?

Dignity100

Good Morning Ladies!!

I'm back from FL - came back to a snow storm ; it was *only* 7/12 inches so far and another 1-3 today.  We had a great time and booked a 'bounce back' trip in May for Star Wars Weekends!

I'm super tired today - I went with H to watch the super bowl at BIL's place.  BIL invited his GF and his GF's dad and she brought her kid too and they were super late, so we ate and didn't start watching the game until over an hour late.  GF's Dad and MIL talked through the WHOLE game about gardening and such and GF's kid was running around and shouting like young kids do - so it was not a very enjoyable experience at all.  I know BIL's GF is just trying to get their parents to be buddy-buddy (she thinks it'll help her move the relationship along faster).  I know H was a little annoyed with the situation too.  I had only went with H because of the snow and he's not the best driver in the world.

Today I'm back at work and I totally don't want to be here.  Oh well, it is what it is.

[Deleted User]

Mornin'!

Early work today - bleh. As much as I hate losing out on my evenings, getting up and going straight to work is kind of a downer, too. I'd almost prefer the late shifts. But I have RCIA tonight, which is rather important, too. Then it's script-writing with the executive producer (we make a webseries) and off to bed in preparation for a DAY OFF! I'll need it after yesterday - the mad Super Bowl rush at work to buy Tostitos and cheese dip was exhausting!

[Deleted User]

We got to bed late last night and then Baxter woke me up 30 minutes early with fishbutt.  I downed a cup of coffee and I'm feeling okay so far, probably will get to bed a little early tonight.  If I start out the week in a sleep deficit, I'll be dead by Friday!

I had a good and bad weekend.

The Good: 

Friday, we had Pei Wei for lunch and got all our errands done, plus my appointment.  For dinner we had ciabatta bread with oil and vinegar.  It was delicious.  I also made butterscotch and choc chip cookies.  And we went buy Target to get stuff for my friend who had a baby.  Love shopping for baby things!

Saturday, I cooked a TON.  I made Portugese Braised Eggs and Peas with ciabatta for breakfast, and then made homemade honey rolls, enchiladas, latin rice, and taco soup to take over to my friend who had a baby.  We stayed and visited with them for a while.  I got to love on the baby and it was wonderful.  He is so sweet and precious and looks just like his sister!  Then we ate out with some of our Hispanic group and went bowling.  The kids loved it.  You can tell they are soccer fans because every time someone got a strike or a spare, they would yell "GOOOOOOOOAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!"  Way too cute.  I also got to work out on Saturday, finally.

Sunday wasn't eventful.  I worked out.  I took a nap.  We went to church.  Had brunch and dessert at our favorite places.

The Bad:

I didn't get good news at my appointment on Friday. I didn't get horrible news, but it definitely wasn't good news. I have a 4 cm solid mass (neoplasm) growing off the bottom of the right side of my thyroid. Your thyroid should be the size of your two thumbs side by side, so the tumor is larger than my thyroid. We still don't know if it is malignant or benign.

I have a day of pre-op, pre-op biopsies, and a physical scheduled for late Feb. I'll be staying overnight in the oncology surgery center March 3-4 for a partial or complete thyroidectomy, depending on the results of the pre-op biopsy and/or the biopsy during surgery.

I have to have a traditional thyroidectomy done because the growth is A) too big to do a transaxillary thyroidectomy (through the armpit so there is no scarring) and ineligible because of the possibility of cancer.

I'll only miss a week of work, so that's not too bad. Still crossing my fingers that it is benign and I won't have to do any radiation/isolation treatment.

H and I are referring to the mass at "Tommy Tumor", but it has to be said in an Arnold Terminator voice. I plan to get a new pair of soft PJs to wear home from the hospital. I'm going to make a few freezer meals to have on hand and I scheduled my cleaning lady to come by while I'm in the hospital.  I already had my cry-fest so now I just want to kick this thyroid growth's butt and get back to normal. The good news is they think the migraines started last year because of the mass beginning to grow on my thyroid, and I should see relief from migraines once we get things under control. That is really exciting!!

labro

 

Ok, had to get that out of my system.

This weekend was pretty much dedicated to removing wallpaper glue. I spent 8 hours on Saturday in the dining room scrubbing walls and it sucked! Whoever put wallpaper up in that room is the actual devil. They glued it DIRECTLY to the freaking drywall and it took forever to get off. However, I did successfully get all the glue off and the walls in there look so clean and amazing now. Luckily H has very little drywall repair work to do in that room so I should be able to start painting soon!

On Sunday I spent 3 hours removing wallpaper glue in the foyer. Thankfully they actually primed in that room before putting up wallpaper and I think they put up some sort of self-adhering wallpaper so there was very little glue residue on the walls and it came off easily. My arms and shoulders are still super sore from all the scrubbing. H has a lot more drywall repair work to do in the foyer though so it may be a few weeks before I can paint. After I was done, we got cleaned up and went to my parents house to watch the Superbowl. Holy crap what a game! I didn't really root for anyone in particular (although I did sort of want the Pats to win so @GoldenPenguin would be happy). Instead I just cared about the score. H and I won $75 this year in his office pool so yay! 

lmcooper86

Gooooood morning! 

It is snowing like crazy here today. Started around 5 yesterday and hasn't let up at all, and I got a snow day! So I'm on the couch in sweatpants watching the snow fall and am very content.

Weekend was good, we finalized our WP limo on Friday, met with our baker on Saturday to finalize the cake. FI and I went and had dinner with my parents Saturday night, and it was DELISH and my dad sent me home with leftovers. He's nice. Yesterday was church and then I made some tasty snacks and we went over to my friend's place to watch the super bowl. I didn't care much about the game, we use it as an excuse to get together, but it was a fun time and we had lots of great food and I thought Katy Perry was great at half time (those sharks?! Anyone?!)

So today I am going to do laundry and some cleaning and take care of some wedding stuff. But for now I am going to sit on my couch and watch snow while I eat breakfast. YAY!

Dignity100

@CocoBellaF - I had a slight thyroid scare (I have some cold nodules and cysts on it, all non-cancerous) and talked to a few people who had their thyroids removed through 'traditional' methods, you couldn't really even see the scars because the surgeons were good at putting them in natural creases. Hope it comes out benign and no further treatment is necessary (besides the needed medications that go with it of course).

[Deleted User]

UGH I don't feel good this morning. I kind of just want to go back to bed.

This weekend was ok. Friday night DH won this contest at school where he could win a mini i-pad and stuff so he had to make a 3 pointer to win it. He didn't make the 3 pointer but right after the competition was over he shot another one and made it...that would happen.

Saturday was seriously the laziest day of my life. I sat on my butt and watched tv with Maddux until DH got home from helping move some furniture for his mom.

Sunday we went and looked at more homes. We found a builder that we really liked that is building in our area. We won't know if they will be done in time for us to move by May but if so then they will probably be a top contender. Then I made buffalo chicken dip and watched the Super Bowl with my family 

Blahhh.....I want to go home.

labro

@southernpeach89 What do the homes look like that the builder is building? I wanna see some models! I think the greatest thing about getting a new home is they usually come with a warranty and the builder has to fix any random things that happen in the first year you own your home. A lot of times cracks and stuff will appear from settling and the builder has to come in and do the repairs for you.

Swazzle

I'm pretty sure part of that is directed solely at me because last week I mentioned I looked through someone's post history (sidenote - why is it available if we're not allowed to look at and reference it?) and mentioned she was just as crazy on the other boards as she was appearing on NEY. I didn't link to anything so basically what you're saying is that we're not allowed to even mention that we looked through someone's post history? Is this in the TOS? I'm not trying to be a smart ass, I promise, I 'm really just trying to understand. 

Anyway.....

My weekend was really nice although I didn't get anything done at the house even though I planned to. Friday night, I went out with some friends to see a Saved by the Bell Parody Show. It was SO hysterical! 

Saturday morning, I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting. I was terrified but I did it and for that I'm proud. My starting weight makes me want to cry. After that, I went to my aunt's house for lunch. She made us a delicious Skinnytaste recipe that I want to make for dinner this week: CLICK. I intended to go home and unpack more boxes, clean, start laundry, and finish painting the bathroom but did none of that. Instead, I caught up on some shows. H got home really late from work so we skipped the Devils game that night and went to bed pretty early. 

Yesterday, H and I slept in and it was glorious. Sunday morning have become my favorites because it's the only morning we get to sleep in together. We went to a couple thrift shops (I got a nightstand, 2 lamps, and a JCrew coat for $24 total1) then stopped at Pottery Barn to look at the couch we're going to buy. I want to order RIGHT NOW, I'm so excited. I cooked a bunch of stuff for the game and H's friends came over. They raved over my food and loved our new house which all made me super happy  

[Deleted User]

@Swazzle - It is not solely directed at you.  It has been more than one complaint.  I have asked for some Knot God guidance on some of that.  I was under the impression that we were to mod according to the culture of the board, but people are reporting posts and I've been asked to tell people to simmah down.  You can look up the TOS... they are vague (surprise, surprise) so a lot of it is open to interpretation.  My interpretation isn't as strict (culture of the board in mind), but apparently it's not sitting so well with others.  So we'll see what the Knot Gods end up saying about modding to the culture of the board. 

ETA:  But, yes, your post was one of the reported ones.  Sorry! 

[Deleted User]

@ourladyofpotato - I'm going through RCIA right now too!  Woo-hoo conversion!

@CocoBellaF - I am so sorry to hear about the news from the doctor...that sucks.  But you're tough an you can do this!  We're all here supporting you if you need us.

My weekend was...quiet.  Friday I went home and ordered pizza, then a friend came over and we had a wine and hookah night.  I hadn't gotten to catch up with her for a while, and she's got a lot of awful stuff going on at work so she got to vent and we relaxed a little.

I slept waaaaaaaaay in on Saturday...I woke up at noon when Mr. H called.  He was still in San Diego; he got the official verbal offer on that job and so we're waiting for the written one.  He also still needs to talk with the job in DC, and he has an interview for the job in Afghanistan tomorrow.  I'm trying not to be irritated that he's even doing the interview...I just want this to not even be an option. The Afghanistan job pays REALLY well, but we really do not need to go through another deployment.  I'm hoping the money in San Diego or DC will be solid enough to convince him that Afghanistan isn't worth it, because that is a fight I do NOT want to have.

Yesterday was church and lunch with my family, then I came home and cleaned house.  I bought a new vacuum cleaner on Saturday, because mine was old and I felt like it wasn't working well anymore.  I was right...I had to empty the dirt canister 3 times just vacuuming my living room!  But now I feel like the floors are much more clean and so I'm not quite as disgusted.  I watched the Super Bowl and went to bed early-ish.

Today is a typical Monday...grading, lesson plans, job applications.  I need this week to be SUPER productive dissertation-wise, so I'm hoping to get everything else out of the way today.

Dignity100

@Swazzle - that recipe looks really good (and easy); I'd probably use chicken and add green/red bell peppers to it to it.

@Southernpeach89 - What does the home you're looking to build look like?  H and I are looking at ranch/1-level homes (with a basement) - our top contender right now is >>THIS<<.  I get a discount through that builder through my work, but some of their contractors don't get the best reviews.

@futuremrshistorian - hopefully you and Mr H get some more details on his job offers soon so you can make a decision!

[Deleted User]

@Dignity100 This is the builder's website with some of the homes that they are building in our area. 

http://smithdouglas.com/our-communities/cherokee-county/river-brook/

This is the neighborhood we looked at but we won't move there since it's too far. They will actually give DH a discount on the closing costs since he is a teacher so that is also particularly why we are interesting in them

labro

For the record. This was my favorite part of the entire Superbowl:

speakeasy14

@CocoBellaF T&P your way lady! As for the super comfy pj's to wear, Kohls has a set of Vera Wang fleece pajamas (pants and a swing cardigan top).  My mom shops by touch and wouldn't put those down so I bought them for when she went to the hospital. She wanted to wear them in the hospital but they didn't keep her overnight so she wore them home.  I ended up buying myself a pair because they are so soft and cozy.  

It is snowing here today, well a mix of snow, rain, sleet, and ice, and as usual it is worse by my house than the office so I had to come into work today.  The nice part about that though, is there was no one on the road.  

I made a huge bowl of sangria yesterday. My sister and I were the only ones who drank it, so I have a giant jug still full.  We also had so much food; so much that we told my brother he will be getting superbowl leftovers tomorrow as his real birthday dinner (which he doesn't mind since everything we had is food he asked for anyway).  @swazzle I made your pickle dip and it was a huge hit.  

I took Callie and my mom's dog to the vet on Saturday. Callie has always been a nervous dog, but it seems to be getting worse which makes me nervous for the move.  The vet told me to get a calming collar and some organic calming treats.  Anyone have any experience with calming treats? 

[Deleted User]

@speakeasy14 - Thanks for the PJ tip!  I don't have any advice for calming treats, but when Baxter was suffering from really bad anxiety the ThunderShirt worked wonders for him.  He loved it!

Swazzle

@Dignity100 - How was your vacation?! Welcome back!

@CocoBellaF - Big hugs

@LaBro - I cannot WAIT for after photos. 

@lmcooper86 - Yay for WR checks! What's your cake going to look and taste like?

@southernpeach89 - How were the houses you looked at? Feel better!

@futuremrshistorian - Fingers crossed that your BF sticks with San Diego or DC. 

[Deleted User]

@swazzle They were really nice! Hopefully the builder will break ground soon in our area. We would definitely sign a contract for those if they get started within the month.

Swazzle

@speakeasy14 - I'm so glad you loved it! Most people think it sounds super weird because of what's in it but then love it as soon as they try it. Except for @hummingbird125, who should be exiled because she did not actually love my pickle dip off the bat. 

labro

@CocoBellaF Big hugs and vibes for your upcoming appointments!

@speakeasy14 We gave Cinders some sort of treat recommended by our vet that was supposed to help calm her. We used it on a long car trip and it definitely worked...but it gave her diarrhea for a few days. I think it started with an S - and basically works like a mild doggie Xanax.

KeptInStitches

@dignity100, Star Wars weekends?! I'm jealous!

@cocobellaf, all the health-restoring vibes to you.

@labro, yay for ill-gotten football gambling gains!

@lmcooper86, not gonna lie, when I saw the sharks I contemplated pouring out the rest of my beer.

@futuremrshistorian, the first day with new cleaning supplies/equipment is always great. It should come with its own "Ride of the Valkyries" soundtrack.

---

Ok so I had an amazingly good, super-productive weekend. Saturday my mom and I went out to find bridal lingerie; I got shapewear I can get into on my own, get out of on my own, and that does shrink me a size and Lord only knows where it went. I also got a longline bra that we'll take the front boning out of if it works with the dress. Existential crisis, though: I thought I was a 36D and I actually measure as a 30G/H. Where does one even BUY cute bras like that? (I tried to whine to my mom, who is ... not a G/H cup and she was like "What's food like on your planet?")

Then my mom and I blocked a baby blanket for one of her coworkers. She's got claim to one in June, too - her friend's daughter is pregnant.

Yesterday on an absolutely insane play call by the Hawks (I'm sorry, but WHO THE FUCK THROWS FROM THE 1/2-YARD LINE?), I won football pool!!! $200 total pot, I'm still working out what I will do with my ill-gotten gains. FI and I watched the game at my favorite sports bar, and they had all-you-can-eat buffet for 4 hours, so between that and the two beers ... I'd better behave today.

Tomorrow night I have my first dress fitting, and I promise to come back with pictures!

Two things I could use help with: 1.) I have a pair of Dyeables shoes and I cannot find the form I need to send in with the shoes for dye-to-match. Does anyone know where this form is?

2.) My brother's GF is looking for Hershey Kiss-shaped stickers (not the ones that go on the bottom of the kisses). I haven't been able to find them; does anyone with superior Google-fu want to take a couple minutes? I suspect there's a licensing problem and they don't exist, but confirmation would be sweet. Thanks!

speakeasy14

@cocobellaf we have the thundershirt, but Callie has put on a few pounds and it doesn't fit her anymore. Haha I tried getting it on her before we left for the vet and failed.

@labro that's what I'm worried about, drugging her up and having her get sick from it.  Hopefully the collar is enough.

KeptInStitches Try intimacy.  My best friend is, I believe, the same size and that's where she gets her bras from.  

So, I am really enjoying all of the superbowl memes and gifs. Some of my favorites:

Who wore it best? 

 Also, I saw that people were posting on Twitter and Reddit and all those sites, that they didn't know who Missy Elliot was.  How does that happen?! 

labro

@KeptInStitches Congrats on YOUR gambling winnings! I wish we could've won the full pot, but I guess winning two quarters out of 4 isn't so terrible either. Between this win and H's $100 win a couple years ago we're still ahead in our money spent on betting.

labro

@TwoDimes I'm sorry your party last night didn't work out. You should reschedule for the spring and have a big cookout! Also, congrats on the baby announcements! Although I'm also bummed for you that they may not be able to come. We had two newborns at our wedding but they were both closer to 3 months old...however I don't think all hope is lost! Depending on if the babies arrive early (and how early) maybe they'll still be able to make it.

eilis1228

@CocoBellaF I'm glad you've finally got a diagnosis and a plan! I know it's not the best news in the world, but it's definitely not the worst either. It sounds like you're in very capable hands! I'm so glad that once it's all over, your migraines should stop and you can go back to being your normal happy, healthy self. Try and think of your week of recovery as a week of relaxation-- watch that show on Netflix that you've been meaning to start, or make a dent on that list of books you've been wanting to read.

@Dignity100 How was your trip? Where did you guys stay? And I'm so jealous that you're going back for a Star Wars weekend. That sounds like so much fun!

@LaBro Yeah no more wallpaper! What colors are you thinking about painting?

@lmcooper86 Enjoy your snow day! You better stay in those sweatpants all day! :-P

@southernpeach89 Aw, I'm sorry you're still not feeling well I'm glad that you've got more ideas for a house though. I really hope the builder option works out.

@Swazzle What does the couch look like? Also, that recipe looks delicious! Totally going to make that this week.

@futuremrshistorian That's great that your BF has so many options! I know you're upset with him about even considering Afghanistan, but he may be going through the motions so he can use it as leverage to argue for a higher salary with the stateside jobs. Either way, it's seriously wonderful that he has so many doors opening for him!

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I woke up this morning thinking that I only have to make it two days before I can work from home. Gotta love Mondays lol.

This weekend was great! Very lazy and also very productive/eventful. Friday night my stomach was feeling really off due to PMS, so FI and I stayed in. I watched more Buffy and finished a puzzle, and FI goofed off online. Saturday we went to meet with a Disney travel agent, and she basically said that the rates I'd found from renting a timeshare were way better than anything she could offer me, so FI and I put in a request with the timeshare rental company. We found out Sunday that our top-choice resort wasn't available (which was a let down but not surprising because the website said it books about 11 months in advance, and we're 9 months out...), but our second-choice was available and was cheaper. We're officially booked for a week at Disney World at the Old Key West resort in November! Woohoo! I also went ahead and got park tickets because Disney is about to raise the rates, but I'll wait to book the plane tickets and the Universal Studios portion of the honeymoon. 

Anywho, Saturday night my sister came into town and stayed with us. It was nice bonding with her outside of family events, although I did have to have a couple of "stop being a child and grow up" talks with her regarding family issues and her finances. Sunday morning we went to my BM brunch, and my mom surprised me by paying for it all. It was so much fun! Everyone got to meet, and the food was great. Afterwards we went down the street so they could find their BM dresses and get measured, and everyone found something they loved and felt comfortable in. Only two girls ended up with the same dress, which I found a little funny. The dresses ship mid-May and should be in by June.

Sunday night I ate way too much junk food, napped on the couch, and watched more Buffy. I've decided that I'm going to get back to the basics of dieting and consistency this month, so no alcohol and no cheat meals. I've gotta get back on track and stay on track. Wish me luck!

lilacck28

@cocobellaf ... Sorry if my "bonkers" comment caused you a headache. 

Weekend was quite eventful! House sat for FI's parents, and took care of the puppy (he's not a puppy... he's 7). That was fun, except walking him was very BRRRRR! And he just LOVES to loiter in the snow. He also tried to steal my blanket... Silly dog! When he sleeps (all adorable-like and curled up), I have the strongest urge to pet him, even though it makes him twitch in his sleep. Yeah. I'm dog obsessed still. 

Besides that, we saw my parents. Talked about invitations with them... they're on board with the invitations I showed you guys before, but I'm going to get the matching RSVPS to be safe, even though the other ones are just so damn pretty! I also had my second alterations appointment... did the hem of my dress. And I decided to use the belt I had bought after all. I waffled over it back and forth forever. My dad came with us this time... it was the first time he's seen the dress in person. He was the first person who saw pictures last time and said to lose the belt. In person, he said he thinks the dress looks better with it and he completely changed his mind. My mom agreed. I couldn't figure out what I actually thought, so I went with it. They often disagree about that stuff, so if they were both in agreement.... 

FI and I both have snow days today... yay! But the ice pelting against the roof isn't quite as peaceful as a normal rain/ snow would be. 

oh...I also had a totally awkward conversation with a good friend of mine. Apparently she figured out I didn't ask her to be a bridesmaid, when talking to my other good friend who IS a bridesmaid. My bridesmaid friend said to talk to her so I did. I explained that I thought it would be more uncomfortable to have a conversation about it, and I'm sorry if she was upset... that we wanted to keep everything small but that I love her and she's one of my closest friends. She said she wishes I had been upfront to begin with instead of brushing it under the rug, and that it doesn't matter and she's fine. I still feel like a right prat. She IS my very good friend. I thought about asking her and another friend to also be my bridesmaids. But... then I would have asked 4 of the 6 girl-friends I am inviting to my wedding to be bridesmaids.... and... money and space. But maybe I should have asked anyway. Oh well. 

Swazzle

@KeptInStitches - I'm a 32G and I buy my bras at Nordstrom. I try to stock up during their big sales because they're pricey but a good bra in your right size is magical. Intimacy is also fantastic, like @speakeasy14 said. That's the first place I ever went to be measured back when they only had 1 store and no website! 

@eilis1228 - We looked at this one: 

And brought home fabric swatches to test out. We're definitely going with the everydaysuede but unsure of which color (stone, light wheat, metal grey). 

Now I've been looking this morning and I'm thinking the bigger sectional would look better in our awkward living room: 

lilacck28

@swazzle I grew up with a huge sectional sofa. So many sleepovers, and cozy times on that couch! 

I LOVE them. DO IT. 

audrewuh

@swazzle - both of those couches are great choices for me to pass out on after a night of drunken debauchery. 

@ellis1228 - speaking of drunken debauchery, I'm excited for drinks tonight!!

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My monday has been off to a dramatic start. 

Our dryer never stopped last night, so it ran for 6.5 hours. The heating element went out sometime around 2 am, I think. So, new dryer time!

Once I finally made it into the office, I found out I get enough comp time to travel at the end of the month!! So, plane tickets booked!

[Deleted User]

@speakeasy14 - My first FB status update after the halftime show was "...and every person under 20 is all, 'Who's this Missy person?'"  So depressing!  I, on the other hand, was breaking it down in my living room.

@ellis1228 - That's the way I keep trying to think about it.  I'm actually a little pissed that he even took the Afghanistan interview, but I'm trying to keep myself under control because I don't want to come across as unsupportive.  The ONLY way I would willingly condone the Afghanistan job is if he got a teaching position in the fall and he took the Afghanistan job as a stopgap measure in the meantime.  I trust him to make the decision that's best for us, but I also want him to have a job that keeps him here so we could...you know, maybe start thinking about making some serious plans/timelines.