Saturday, January 14, 2017

End of the Week...

and 6 days to Inauguration and

                                    "Everyone is Losing Their Minds"


Breathe.

I was fortunate enough to be added to a bipartisan FB Political Group recently with RULES and composed of individuals who can conduct themselves like ADULTS instead of third graders. This is a huge plus!



If you are reading...thanks, Diane. 

 It is pleasant to be able to engage in political discourse without name calling, personal attacks or other infantile behaviour while we attempt to sort things and hopefully come back together as Americans (...not my team ~vs~ your team mentality...) It is interesting to hear both sides and the genuine reasoning and thought process behind some of the events to come and to share ideas...thoughts and concerns. We may not always agree...but we are always respectful.


On the Internet...hell, on Facebook, no less!
Maybe there is hope.

The Automotive Porn for 2017 has already started.






and even in the Colour of The Year

Including Ford's newest Shelby GT Mustang, an electric version, with that same muscle-car power!



They just keep getting sexier.  They don't even NEED half bare men or women draped over them. We would just ask them to get out of the way and don't scratch the paint while they were going.

James and Nicole recovering from The Plague this week.
(...we take turns...you see...)

James is loving the welding position...and having a three day weekend every week (4 ten hour shifts a week) isn't bad either.

Nicole is glad the kids are back to school...and has been re-organizinng the house.

(...the same task I am currently undertaking...it's endless...)

Tina has finally started her EMT classes

"Wow...birthed a baby...transfused blood...and eviscerated a guy the same night... omg...is that a penis on the ex-ray???"

"No Mom...that is a FOOT."

"Yeah hon, that is what they all say...maybe 6 or 7 inches." 

Just kidding around, of course.  She is very excited and plans to go directly from the EMT classes to Paramedic.

Chris has been hitting the books hard for his A+ Certification.



With multiple "body parts" everywhere and


Being able to run both Windows OS and Linux OS simultaneously on the same machine.

Both his Union Tech and his direct supervisor are seeing a Tech position in his current job once he passed the A+ .  From the factory line to Tech.
Not too shabby.

Very proud of both of them!

Lennon has been enjoying a visit by his Bio-Mom and Aunt who are down for the holidays with his Grandma!  Sent them all gift cards to Chili's this year.

                                                 Lennon and Jill


                                                  Fran and Pat

He has started making progress up the ladder at work, now has his first raise, and (more importantly) Full Time! Got his Yearly Review some time back and it was outstanding! The Company (and his immediate supervisor) are beginning to notice him!

For the record...I always knew you were outstanding!

Since snow does not seem to be in our immediate future...and the weather has been -3 then 50 then 20 then 47 degrees. I found a great Cuban Beach Landscape to begin in acrylic.

When we get snow then I will finish the Snowy Lane.

So painting, writing, working on de-cluttering (both cyber and real) muttering to myself "...where does it all come from...",   perusing the many many spring flower and plant catalogues that have cropped up in the past week and planning the Spring Gardens.

Spring...only 64 days away. 

Now THERE is HOPE.

Enjoyed a Mall Ratting mid-week with Loretta and Janelle in Terre Haute where we shopped the sales and indulged in Cinnabons and Coffee early in the morning and Bourbon Chicken before we left.

The ADF (4:3) going pretty well. Lost 2 pounds last week and will weigh in the morning to see where I am at with  "the adjustment" Only have 7 or 8 to lose.
Then it will be back to the 6:1 Maintenance. 

The very first week of 500 calories (every other day) felt a lot like this





But by the third Fast Day I had made the adjustment and space out the 500 pretty good now...also getting creative. A half cup of white rice at the end of an evening is only 100 calories...but is much better to sleep on and feel full.

A 60 calorie slice of unbuttered toast spread with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter 30 calories (2 tablespoons (180 calories) equal 6 teaspoons. 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons Ergo...1 teaspoon equals roughly 30 calories) goes much further during the day with your morning coffee than plain buttered toast.

Only a few more weeks of this. 
Then I will be back to where I want to weigh...

November and December free were totally worth it!


 

 Back to checking out Cuba tomorrow!




Oh....and wanted to share the coolest phenomena I've never seen...until now




Light Pillars!
Google it yourself.

A natural phenomena occurring when (usually) artificial city light is refracted through ice crystals in a super cold atmosphere.

This was one of a series of photos taken in Canada recently.

This is rough illustration of how it occurs.

If it ever happens here, I swear I'm going to tell my neighbor


"Rapture, Bob.  Sorry you didn't make it."