QOD 1 - Receptionist/Secretary/Advertising Agent/Graphic Design/Therapist/Gardener/Office Manager/Trainer/Data Input and yes sometimes I do windows!!! at a local real estate office. QOD 2 - Taxes have been done for a while, but going in the mail today - can't see giving the government money sooner than we have to. I am taking a ride to Syracuse on Sunday to visit my mother and sister for a couple of days. It will just be us girls and we are going to watch some chick flix and have a lot of laughs. I am bringing the movies Chocolat, Spanglish, My Life As a House and Under the Tuscan Sun. I am not taking the highway and going through a lot of small towns that I have never been to, so it will be a 4+ hour adventure for me. I put a deposit on a kayak yesterday and am so excited. I am using my French Lick money to buy it. I will pay for it when I go to try it out, but I have sat in one on the ground and really liked the feel of it. Suzanne - I was in Manchester Center yesterday. We had a nice lunch and did a little shopping. Of course, I thought of you. Beautiful day for a ride. If I don't get a chance to check in until next week - have a great weekend.

Hi goils! Besh--your MIL is in my thoughts and prayers---(((hugs)))!! How is Happyto? I was thinking about her a while back, and was hoping that things were good for her-- Tikanas--happy belated birthday! :):) Well, I got the auction--I signed it on Monday, and have a good chance to maybe get the real estate--it's been rezoned as commercial, so it would be a goooood thing for me--and I'd appreciate any and all good thoughts for me to get this--it can literally change my life-- Things are good here--the weather is great--I can't believe it's this nice--78, and low humidity. Raeanne--since you liked my sticky chicken mishap, I think you'll enjoy this one--I decided in June to enter a cake in the KY State Fair (which started here on Thurs). So I sent off the $, got the rules, and waited until last Sunday morning to make the cake (it was due by Mon at 5pm, but I had to work...). Let me preface all of this by saying that I have never made this cake before--I found the recipe in a box of stuff that I bought at an auction(now, **that's** a surprise!), and so therefore had no idea just what I was walking into. On Sat night, after getting out of the bath, with wet hair and no makeup, I realize that I need a bottle of bourbon--well, actually, just 2 tablespoons. So, off the the liquor store I go, and find an airplane bottle of Maker's Mark, and then realize that I have no cash. So, I charged $2.50. I was sooo embarrassed. Anyway, I got up at 6am on Sun morning to preheat the oven, and off I go. I'm just a mixin and a stirin, and raisin all sorts of h3ll, and I pour the batter into 3 brand-new 9" pans, and they go into to the over for 45 minute. DING! They're done--whhoooboy--they are done--burned on the bottom, that is. I'm standing in the middle of the kitchen, hot, tired, and just bawling. I was just so mad--and I had a raging case of PMS to top it all of, and poor ol Rog--didn't know whether to hug or to laugh. He wisely chose to hug, and then told me that we can cut the botteom of the layers off, and noone would ever know (true.) So that was our plan. Now--to top all of this off, the entry department opened at noon, and I was supposed to be at work at an auction at noon, so I had to keep an eye on the time. I made the frosting following the directions, and dumped into way to much powdered sugar, which gave it that funny, sugar-y taste, so then I added more bananas, which changed the texture. THEN--my cat decided to love me as I was dropping in the yellow food coloring (did I mention that this is a banana cake?), which made my icing look like a horrible mustard color (made worse by the fact that it had lumpy stuff like toasted coconut and chopped pecans in it), only sicker. What a freaking mess---I wanted to throw the d@mned thing aqgainst the wall, but managed to refrain. I iced it, and it is sitting on my countertop, glowing like a d@mned lighthouse. Sigh..... Anyhoo--I hope all is well with everyone--and where is Amy and John??? Hugs, Maddie

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes! I am having a great birthday week! Tomorrow I FINALLY get to pick up the new kayak! I'll take it for a paddle out on the bay for a couple of hours.I can hardly wait! Then in the afternoon, I am attending a friend's dtrs going away party. Tomorrow night is our family birthday party at my sis' house. I took my first full day off in almost 4 weeks today.... Whew! Sunday it's church and then veg out ALL DAY LONG!!! George, sweetie, yes I am Greek! But alas, you are not really my type, sad to say. Have you got a brother who is maybe the rugged cowboy type? Wouldn't turn down a spin on your yacht though... ; ) You guys are just the best! love, Tikanis

Thanks much for the welcome :) I have ordered the WATP videos on half.com and can't wait for them to arrive. But since I posted, I decided to start anyway with the treadmill in our basement. I have done a mile of brisk walking every day since then. EXCEPT *sigh* the weekend. DH took me to this most awesome restaurant in NYC and I stuffed myself to the gills the food was sooo good. But today is Monday...I am gonna get back on track or rather on treadmill :) Speaking of the treadmill, I tend to slow down (in other words, "give up") once the counter says 1 mile. Do you think throwing a towel over the counters (speed, distance etc.) would work?? Superbee