I'm Not Sure, But I think.....

........it's going to be a better commute for me this morning.  Yesterday they were predicting more of the snow/ice stuff, falling all night, then warming up slightly and turning to rain by this morning.   The hospital even cancelled the Back Pain seminar last night, and as I was calling all the people who had signed up, they all seemed relieved to have it rescheduled for a later date.  I heard the pitter patter of something about 8pm, looked out and it seemed to just be rain. So I get up this morning and the temperature is 38 degrees and all the snow in my front yard is gone.  YEAH !!!!!!!!!!!!   It seems a nice south wind came in and warmed my area up, so the snow/ice fell as rain.  Now up north of here they did get some of the icky stuff and I'm sorry for them.  They are still making school closure announcements on the local morning news for areas in northern, western Washington,

Jim went back to work last night, and was supposed to work 4pm to 12:30am.  He said he'd packed a bag, because in case the weather got bad, he was going to come here and sleep.  I live about one mile from where he works and his place is 12 miles away.  He called me about 5:15pm and asked if my power was still on and I said it was.  It seems the whole business complex where he works was totally dark.  They were going to call the power company and see what was going on...certainly it wasn't weather connected as nothing was going on at that hour.  My guess was that someone ran into a power pole.  Anyway, about 6:30pm I heard a vehicle in the drive way and it was Jim.  The power company told told them, they'd get it fixed as soon as they could but all their repair people had gone home for the day, so they had to call them back into work.   So all the employees were told to go home.  He stayed for about 30 minutes and then took off for his place.  His face looks pretty good.  The steri strips are still on his cheek where it got cut open but the yellow bruising and the swelling is almost gone.  He sees the plastic surgeon about his nose on Friday. 

Well, I'm off to get ready for work...I hope everyone has a good day.  Linda

WEATHER UPDATE

Good Morning, it's a dark, cold winter morning here in the Pacific Northwest.  The weather guy tells us we hit a record low temperature in this area last night.....18 degrees.  The last record  lowest temperature was in 1975 when it went down to 22 degrees.  I believe most of these temperatures are measured at Seattle-Tacoma Int'l Airport, so some areas may be a little lower and some a little higher.

They're forecasting another nightmare commute this evening.  More snow is predicted late this afternoon and thru the night but sometime early Thursday morning it's supposed to "warm" up a little and the snow will turn to rain.  So the Thursday morning commute could be ugly and then hopefully after that it should get better.    

There are still hundreds of abandoned cars littering the highways and side roads.  And thousands of houses and businesses are still without power.  My heart goes out to those people with no power in this very cold weather. 

Well, folks have a good day....I'm off to brave the very slippery streets and get to work. Linda

P.S. I did go out in the dark and the cold last night and cover those outdoor faucets...hopefully not too late.  When it warms up, I'll know.

PLEASE SEE THIS VERY IMPORTANT JOURNAL ENTRY

Please follow the link to this very important request for mail, cards and specific items requested by some of our men and women serving in the military this holiday season.  Thanks to Elizabeth for posting this very important entry.  I plan on emailing this list to people in my address book, that aren't necessarily journalers.

Here's the link to Elizabeth's entry; http://journals.aol.com/bethjunebug/Bethjunebug/entries/2006/11/28/attention-jland-friends/766

TO WORK AND BACK HOME

It took me 50 minutes this morning to get to the office.  At no time did I go over 20 miles an hour.  The drive normally takes about 20-25 minutes.  It was ugly.  The roads I used had not been sanded as yet so were solid compact snow & ice.  Tonite the forecast is for temperatures between 12-20 degrees, so anything that melted today will be frozen in the morning.  And it just dawned on me, now that it's dark and 22 degrees out there, that I had not put the protective covers on my outside faucets.  Gosh, I hope they don't freeze and break open.  If they do, once it warms up, I'll have water spurting everywhere.  According to the weather people, Wednesday afternoon, evening and during the night will be more of what we experienced Monday night.  An ice snow storm, and guess what folks ?  I'm supposed to work at another seminar Wednesday evening.  I tried to get ahold of the person in charge of this one, to see if she planned on cancelling it but could not reach her. Hopefully she'll get ahold of me in the morning and let me know one way or the other. If it's going to be cancelled, I'll have to call the 36 people signed up for it and let them know.

The son of one of my co-workers went with some friends to the Seattle Seahawks game (in Seattle) last night on the bus.  They left from Tacoma (30 miles to the south of Seattle).  The snow started just before kick off and by the time the game was over, it was very cold and snowy.  The guys, went out and got on their bus for what should have been, at the most, a 1 hour ride.  The bus left Seattle about 10pm and they finally got into the transit center in Tacoma at 3:30am this morning.  They said it was horrendous.  There were accidents everywhere, buses, cars, trucks...every manner of vehicle in all directions on the freeway and in the ditches along the freeway.  I heard on the radio coming home tonight that the Seattle police responded to over 600 calls for aid in about a 12 hour time period.

I haven't talked to my son today, so I don't know if he's going to try and work tonight or not. I'd like to see him stay home this entire week....but since he's 35 years old...I can't tell him what to do anymore.  In other words...I'm no longer the boss of him.  LOL

Thank you all for your kind words of concern about the weather conditions here.  I actually felt a real peace as I drove (slid) into work this morning.  I knew my friends all of the US and the British Isles were thinking of me.   You're all the greatest !!!

Until next time..........Linda & Gabi too

 

I Gotta Go

Well, I got a call from the boss...she made it into the office and sort of suggested I should try it.  So I'm ready to go...the only thing that will save me is call saying that all non-essential employees can stay home.  I realize a hospital can't run without it's employees...but I'm not a nurse or a doctor so those of us who are non-essential should be off the roads, without a black mark on our record for an unexused absence.  So at 7:20am...I'm on my way.  Hopefully I can get there before 8am, working until 4:30pm and still get my 8 hours in today.   Again, I hope it's warmer where ever you are.....Joni and Monica, be careful going in today.   Linda

FOR NOW...I'M STAYING HOME

I just talked to the acting supervisor (our regular supervisor is on vacation), and she said "Linda, stay home."  I just feel very uncomfortable driving in today.  I have several good size hills that I have to go up or down in order to get to the office.  I know the road crews do their best to get them sanded but when it's like this they can't be everywhere.  Unfortunately, it's supposed to be even colder tonight, so if the sun comes out today and melts anything, it will just freeze.   Anyway, I asked the boss to call me when & if she gets into work and if she doesn't have too bad of a time I may chance it a little later in the morning.  She lives about 4 miles due east of me, so she has hills to travel, too.  She normally picks up the freeway not too far from her house, but with last night's commute still out there, she said she'll probably stay off the freeway this morning.     Again, the weird thing around here is..... that what's going on weatherwise 4 miles from here could be different than what's in my neighborhood.  You just never know.   I just heard on the news that the Narrow's Bridge is a mess this morning...I can imagine.  Bob and I drove across there once in an ice storm and big pieces of ice were falling off the cables onto the bridge deck.  They closed the bridge that day, just after we crossed.  That was about 6 years ago, the day after Christmas.  

Ok...well I think I'll take my shower and at least be ready to go in if it warms up a little.  

Here's a link to the traffic cams in Washington state.  If you have nothing to do...you can sit and click on each little camera and see what's happening.  Of course I am writing this at 6am and it's still dark out there, but in a few hours it will be lighter.     http://wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/default.aspx

TODAY.....IT'S BAD

It started snowing last night about 7pm.  Here in the mobile home park where I live, the roads, the yards & trees and anything left out and not under cover turned white very quickly and it stuck !  I probably have only about 2 inches on my yard but the problem is....the temperature dropped and the wind came up.  When I went out to get the morning paper off my porch this morning, there was snow on the north end and the south end , the only place it wasn't covered was right in the middle.   The temperature this morning is 25 degrees.

Now I'm hearing on the TV news, this is being called a flash freeze and that there are still people out there in their cars trying to get home from work from yesterday evening and from the Seahawks football game that was in Seattle last night. They've been out there all night !  Here's what KOMO TV has to say;

Dear Linda,

Updated Tuesday 4:03 a.m. Seattle got it this time, 2” of snow that actually sticks to the ground and causes major problems on the roads. As soon as the snow fell it “Flash Freezed” and turned to sheets of ICE ! Just as we expected, snow started to fall again Monday. Heavy first on Camano Island, Whidbey Island, all the way to Marysville with widespread power outages. The Puget Sound Convergence Zone continued to develop and spread heavy snow bands down through Seattle during Monday Evening. Snow Advisories were issued and stayed up all night in many areas. Bellingham was on the other side of the arctic boundary so they just got the bitter cold and wind that whipped around all of the snow from Sunday. A VERY Cold morning tops the weather headlines with most of us in the 20's, ICY roads and slick sidewalks will be a problem most of the day! It is still snowing lightly around the South Sound. Tacoma, Olympia, through the SW Interior. Expect very icy conditions. This is the type of cold that you will want to check up on your neighbors and see if they are staying warm and see if they need anything. Today will include clearing and a sunny, cold afternoon with highs only reaching the upper 20's and low 30's on average. We will have a North wind around 10 mph. Tuesday night into Wednesday morning the sky will be clear by then, but bitter cold overnight temperatures will drop into the teens and low 20's. We finally moderate some during the day Wednesday, as temperatures should get up closer to 40 with a mostly sunny sky, but another weather system is heading our way for late Wednesday and Thursday, and with cold air in place, that could spell more snow potential. That should eventually change to rain Thursday afternoon. Looks like just a few rain showers Friday, and then cold rain Saturday and Sunday with highs in the 40's. Will it be the 0.09" we need to get over the 15.33" rain total for November that would tie the Federal Building record for wettest month ever? With the overnight system and Thursday's system we WILL be it !

Sincerely, KOMO 4 Weathercaster Jim Castillo I'm going to go get ready for work...hopefully before I leave someone will call and say "stay home."  They just announced that the local schools will be closed today.  The kids get a play day, unfortunately it's way too cold to be outside playing.  Hope it's warmer where you are.....Linda

 

 

IT WASN'T TOO BAD

It was very slippery for about the first 4 miles going to work early this morning.  But after that the road was clear and no sign of snow anywhere.  (That's how weird our weather can be.....one end of town completely clear, the other end...snowed in.  The rain does the same thing.)  But even at the office it was very cold.  Then throughout the day we'd get snow for 15-20 minutes then you'd look out the window and it would be sunny...go figure.  I walked over to the hospital about 9:45 this morning and even though the wind was blowing and it was very cold, the sun was shining brightly in a blue sky with big fluffy white clouds.  A half an hour later it was dark and snowing.

After work today, I delivered the electric blanket to my son.  He looks better than I thought he would, the right side of his face is sort of a yellow color.  He said he thinks the right side outside mirror is what hit him in the side of his face...when he went to get the stuff out of his car, it was laying on the console where the shifter is located.  He called off work again tonight as he's still not feeling 100%, he said his face is still quite tender and he finds himself sleeping alot.  So it's better he's staying home, I guess.  His job is very physical and probably the longer he's off the better for the healing process.

Well, I'm going to go fix some dinner.  It's going to be early to bed this evening, not knowing what I'm going to face in the morning.  If the conditions are worse, I'll have to leave earlier than I did this morning.     Have a good evening,   Linda

Mother Nature Fooled Me

When I went to bed last night is was 42 degrees.  I was hearing about snow, up to 7 or 8 inches way north of me but I just smiled and went to be confident it wouldn't come here with the temperature way above freezing.  Well, butter my buns and call me a biscuit (I learned that from Robin) there was snow on my lawn ( the one I've never been able to get cleaned up) this morning.  So now, I proceed to get ready for work with fear and trepidation, trying to figure out how I can get to work without going up several big hills. My usual "snow route" is no longer available as it's been demolished as part of the new Narrows Bridge project. So...I have about 45 minutes to come up with a different plan.

Have a good day folks, I'm off to face my snowy world.    Linda

Sunday early evening/late afternoon

I did a great entry earlier but lost it.  Seems it's happening to everyone these days.  Ok what did I say ?   Well, I was taking a break from ironing, now it's turned into a very long break.  Oh well, at least I have something to wear to work tomorrow. 

I've talked to my son and he's feeling a little better today but still not 100%.  He states the swelling on the right side of his face has gone down since yesterday.  He also told me that my brother and sis in law brought him their pick up truck this after noon, so now he'll have wheels under him again.  The insurance adjuster is supposed to go out and check out his car either Monday or Tuesday, but it's hard to say how long the whole process will take.  And who knows when he'll be able to get another vehicle.  I'm still so thankful he wasn't hurt worse and whenever I think about it, it brings tears to my eyes.  God is good !!

I did do a little decorating today (I was a little intimidated by Robin..her house looks beautiful.)   Bob brought my 4 foot, permanently decorated fake (but green) Christmas tree in from my storage shed before he left for California. I keep it wrapped in plastic and in the shed all year except during the holidays.  All I need to do is set it on the table (actually 2 large cardboard boxes, on top of each other, covered in a white sheet) plug it in and straighten out a few branches and untangle some of the ornaments.  I also put the holiday wreath on the front door and brought out the silk poinsettias.  I'll do more but that's a good start since we are still in November.

The weather was very strange here today.  I woke up to about 36 degrees and rain.  I kept checking for snow but instead the temperature went up into the low 40's. Then about 2pm today the wind suddenly came up.  I mean it was really kicking up !!!  It was coming from the west and for awhile I was concerned about that big cedar tree in my front yard but at least with the wind out of the west, it would have gone down in the street and not over my house.

Well, I must get back to either my ironing or my Christmas cards.   At least I have themall addressed, the stamps purchased and some have notes written in them and are actually sealed ready to be mailed.  I'm having writers block when it comes to my Christmas letter that goes out to family and close friends living far from here, however.  Hopefully, that will pass and I can get that task completed by the end of next weekend. 

Hope you all had a good weekend and that this coming week will be good for you too.   Until next time, Linda

Oh here's a cute web site , especially if you're a cat lover;  http://www.fluffytails.ca/christmas.asp  

Thanks to my former co-worker Debra for sharing it.

P.S. I just heard on the local news that our neighbors to the north in Bellingham got 14 inches of snow in the last 24 hours.  And they are predicting another 6 inches during the night.   I bet there'll be no school up there tomorrow.  If you look on a map of Washington, Bellingham is very near the British Columbia/Washington border.    We on the other hand have had 15 inches of rain this last month. 

SATURDAY EVENING

Well, after I posted my entry this morning Barbara called and said she couldn't go to the movie today after all, so I dug in and started to get stuff done around the house.  Then she called about 2:30pm and said she could go and was on her way over.  We went to see Hugh Jackman's new film "The Fountain."  I haven't seen a movie that weird since "2001, A Space Odyssey."  It was weird, weird, weird !!!!!   We were absolutely baffled about the meaning of this movie.  Anyway, the popcorn was good. 

I talked to Jim before we left.  He said the right side of his face is so swollen today he can barely see out of his right eye.  He admitted that it didn't feel all that bad yesterday so he didn't really ice it like he should have.  But today, he's staying right on top of it.  he was supposed to go to work tonight but called his boss yesterday and told him what happened so was excused from work tonight.  Actually the Emergency Room doctor wrote him a note to be off thru next Wednesday.  So he's just going to play it by ear for the next few days.

It's still cold tonight but there was no rain/snow here in my area.  It was actually sunny most of the day but the temperature didn't get above about 42 degrees.   I think if it stays this way until tomorrow, I may get the lawn mower out and run it over the front yard.  There's still all the debris from the cedar tree and now a bunch of leaves, etc. from all over the neighborhood.  If I run the lawn mower over it....it will be green and nice at least for a day or so.  

Well, I'm going to go clean the bathrooms and then maybe it will be time to go down the hall with my book and my kitty.   Speaking of books...I started a new one the other day.  It the new book from Richard Paul Evans (The Christmas Box) and it's titled  Finding Noel.   I think it's going to be a good one.  I've read all of his books since  The Christmas Box and there was only one I didn't really care for.   Until next time.....Linda

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

It's cold, cold here in Washington state.  I see on the news the folks up north of here (almost to the Canadian border) in the Bellingham, Mt Vernon area  got some snow last night.  But not here in what's called the South Sound .  However, in looking out my window I see that Jack frost came thru here last night.  My car is under cover but one of my neighbors has a couple vehicles that sit outside and they are both very frosty this morning.  The temperature on my porch outside my kitchen window is sitting right at 30 degrees.  But the sun is shining and I see blue sky and fluffy white clouds.   They are having a terrible time in the mountain passes.  So much snow.  Here's a link to a cam up at Snoqualmie Pass where Bob and I were just a few weeks ago.  They are skiing up there now.  http://www.summitatsnoqualmie.com/info/winter/cams.asp   This heavy snow fall has also been attributed to a fatal accident on the pass.  A snow laden fir tree fell across the highway and across the front of a pick up carrying four men.  The two men in  the front of the truck were killed.  A freak accident that had they left a few minutes earlier or later might night have happened.  My heart goes out to their family and friends. http://www.komotv.com/news/4736241.html

Bob of course is basking in the sun and warm temperatures down in Pasadena, California.  He called last night and was telling me that he went out to the auto auction with his son in law (he's an auto wholesaler) and it was like 65 degrees which Bob thought was fine.  All the workers out there had jackets on and were hopping around, rubbing their hands together like they were freezing to death.  Meanwhile Bob was in jeans and a regular short sleeved cotton shirt and they were looking at him like he was crazy. 

Well, I'm going to get off here and get some breakfast.  Barbara called last night and wants to goto a movie this afternoon.  I told her that would be fine unless Jim needs me for some reason.   So, I'm going to eat, shower and get another load of laundry done this morning to I don't feel guilty about sitting in the theater for a couple hours this afternoon.  Sandra...you'll be happy to know the ironing is piling up here.  So Sunday afternoon I'll be standing behind my ironing board like you do most Sunday's.  I even brought out all my holiday work blouses, so they will need to be run thru the wash and then ironed.   I washed them before I put them away but that was 9 months ago so they need to be laundered again. 

Have a wonderful Saturday, until next time,

FRIDAY EVENING

I've heard from my son several times today.  He says the right side of his face is more swollen today and that he feels like he was ran over by a big truck.  When I talked to him on the phone, he sounded stuffed up like he had a bad head cold.  A friend of his came and took him to clean out his car, so he was happy that's done. 

He only had one request for Christmas...an electric blanket.  His upstairs aprtment has very little heat in the winter so I can understand why he'd want one.  Well, I called around.....today being the biggest shopping day before Christmas, I was surprised that those who answered the phones in the various stores were very pleasant.  I ended up at my favorite store...Gottschalks....at a mall near my home.  They had Sunbeam electric blankets for 80% off.  So this beautiful $180.00 blanket cost me just under $60.00. I was thrilled and I know he'll be happy to have a warm bed.  I told him I'd found one and that I'd leave it out and he could have it before Christmas.   When it's something they  need...it's mean to make them wait until December 25th.    Other than that, I didn't do any shopping.  I think I'm pretty much done anyway. 

It's still very cold tonight.  They say it's snowing like crazy in the mountains. But Gabi and I are all cozy here in the house with a fire in the wood stove, so we don't care.  I'm anxious to see if the weather man is correct in saying we'll get snow down here in the lowlands.   My car has all time 4 wheel drive but I still don't like to drive in the snow because of the other people on the road.   There are some drivers who like to even exceed the speed limit the worse the streets are. I  never could figure out that mentality.

Well folks it's back to my Christmas cards...and the movie I've got going.   Take care and have a wonderful Saturday.    Until next time.............Linda

P.S.  Bye Jeannette and Andy....have fun and be safe !!!!!

HELP ME STAY THANKFUL

That's my plea as I read my personalized weather forecast email from KOMO TV in Seattle this morning. 

"Dear Linda,

MOIST AIR WILL CONTINUE TO STREAM INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON TODAY AND TONIGHT WITH THE SNOW LEVEL AROUND 1000 FEET. LOWLAND SHOWERS WILL LIKELY BE MIXED WITH SNOW AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF SEATTLE. ANOTHER FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...WITH SNOW LEVELS BELOW 1000 FEET. COLD AND UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEK. Today: Showers are scattered across the area THIS MORNING WITH SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. Highs in the low 40’s. HEAVY SNOW WARNING will CONTINUE until NOON FOR ANOTHER 3 TO 6 INCHES. SHOWERS WILL DECREASE ACROSS THE LOWLANDS AS WELL LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN QUITE LOW...PROBABLY AROUND 500-1000 FEET IT COULD BECOME A PROBLEM IN SPOTS. THINGS BECOME MORE COMPLICATED OVER THE WEEKEND. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE SATURDAY WITH COOLER AIR ALOFT STILL WORKING INTO THE AREA. A mix to some snow is forecast late Saturday into Sunday. AT THIS POINT IS FOR A MAINLY SNOW EVENT FAR N INTERIOR. OTHER AREAS WOULD LIKELY START AS RAIN AND POSSIBLY CHANGE TO OR MIX WITH SNOW AT SOME POINT IN THE EVENT...ESPECIALLY N OF SEATTLE. GIVEN THIS IS A POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT EVENT AND ALSO A BIG TRAVEL DAY...THE FORECAST SHOULD BE MONITORED CLOSELY. Temperatures will stay in the 30’s for highs and low will likely drop into the upper 20’s in Seattle. Updated Friday 4:03 a.m."  (I'm probably between 0 and 200 feet about sea level) I'm determined to go about my business and hope they are wrong on this forecast.  However the temperature is dropping, it's 38 degrees on the the outdoor thermometer on my porch. So I guess as the day goes on, I'll see what happens.  I'm going to go to the post office to get stamps for my England & Canada bound Christmas cards and also try to get my hair cut today. I just realized ....I have no left overs, except green bean casserole.  But I do have some left over vegetable soup that I made last Monday evening.  So I guess that will do. Happy Friday everyone.......Linda

I'm Still Thankful.......

Today did not turn out like I expected.  Just as I was getting ready to leave for my brother's place my cell phone rang and it was Jim, my son literally screaming into the phone "Mom, mom...I've been in a bad car wreck!"  He went on to say it had just happened, he was still in his car but that his face was bleeding real bad and that the paramedics were on their way.  I asked him if he was going to have to go to the hospital and he said yes, that he was bleeding real bad from his face, so I told him to have them take him to a certain hospital and I would meet him there.   (Mind you now...I hadn't even dried my hair yet and the green bean casserole was still in the oven)   I called my brother immediately and told him that Jim had been in an accident and I was heading for the hospital.  He said.."I'm on my way out the door, I'll meet you there."  Then about 10 mins later Jim called back and said he didn't want to go in the ambulance, would I please come and get him.  He was only about 3 miles from my brother's house and I was 10 miles from the accident scene.  So I called my brother back on his cell  phone (thank you God for cell phones) and asked him to go get Jim and take him to the hospital and I'd meet them there.  So that's what we did and actually I got to the hospital first...never did figure out how that happened.   Anyway, some guy hit him on the passenger side of his Honda Civic (with only 20,000 miles) and it pushed the passenger door into the console where the gear shift is.  Thankfully, there was no one with him...they would have been killed for sure.  Something from the passenger side hit the right side of his face and left a big gash that the doctor had to put together...he didn't stitch it but used that glue stuff and steri- strips.  Then the doctor ordered a CAT scan to see if he had any other damage and they found that the little bones on the right side of his nose were crushed.  By this time, Jim was thinking that something was wrong because it was swelling on the right side and he said it felt like he was getting a cold on that side.  Meanwhile my brother went home (taking my green bean casserole with him) for dinner  with the family while Jim and I sat and waited for what seemed like hours for all the reports to come back.  He hadn't eaten since last night and I hadn't eaten since breakfast this morning.  We were both starving.  I asked the nurse if I could get him a sandwich or something from the cafeteria and they asked me not to, until the CAT scan results were back.  (I guess in case he would have needed surgery).  So we were both starving.  Anyway,  they finally discharged him about about 5:30pm and he said he just wanted to go home.  His clothes were bloody and he really didn't feel like doing anything but going to bed.  He said the guy he rents from was cooking today so there would be food there to eat....so I took him home and headed for my brother's place.  My oldest niece and her family were just leaving but they did stay and visit for a few minutes.  And the other one and her family stayed until I left about 7pm.  They had a plate of lovely turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy for me.  And I had a piece of my brother's apple pie...he's becoming quite the baker.   My dear son said to me when I pulled into the driveway where he lives, "Mom  I'm sorry I messed up your Thanksgiving."  I told him "no my son, you didn't mess it up, we got to spend the day together...that's what holidays are all about."   

 My brother has offered to loan Jim his little pick-up that he only uses for hauling trash and will get together with him Friday so he can do that.  Jim is anxious to get to the wrecking yard and get his personal things out of his car, so he'll be able to do that tomorrow too.

Tonight I'm thankful for;  the fact he wasn't hurt worse, that there was no passenger in his car this afternoon, for the quick response of the paramedics, for the fact that he was so close to my brother's house and that my brother could go get him, that even though we had to wait for what seemed like an eternity, he got a thorough exam and excellent care at the hospital.  While we were waiting in the Emergency Room,  I was telling him and my brother about the pastor reminding us last night that the Bible says "In everything give thanks.."  And my brother agreed....he said....Jim's alive, he's not in the Intensive Care Unit or worse.  And this time next year other than the fact that he'll have a different car, this will be just a vague memory.   Thank you Lord !

Jim just called me...he did get a plate of turkey & the works from the guy he rents from.  He's started the antibiotics that the hospital gave him and has taken one pain pill and he's going to bed with an ice pack.  He can feel that the right side of his nose is pretty swollen as it's difficult to breathe from that nostril but he's so tired, he's sure he'll sleep ok. 

Now this tired old mom is going to go to bed herself....so it's down the hall with my book and my kitty.     Linda

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.   We all have so much to be thankful for......and I'm going to go out on a limb and take a chance to say I'm even thankful for the rain we've been having.   The Bible says "In everything, give thanks" so in my mind that means rainy days as well as sunny days.  I was thinking last night about the people who live in very arid countries and how they would love this rain.  Their land is dry, cracked  and barren, no crops, trees or flowers growing .....I look around me and everything is green and lush.  The heavy snowfall in the mountains will provide drinking and irrigation water for this area next summer when we may have 90 days without a drop of rain.  So for today, I'm thankful for the rain.         We all have so much........if you're reading this you have power, a telephone line and a computer.  Compare even those things to those in some parts of our world who won't even have enough to eat today.  Those who may have already lost loved ones to starvation and diseases that we can't even imagine.  We are truly blessed !

Gabi has had her first serving of Fancy Feast's "Turkey Florentine in a delicate sauce with Garden Greens."    Pretty fancy, huh ?   She's sitting here beside me washing her face. So it must have been good. 

My son and I are going to my brother and sister-in-law's place today.  It will be a lively day...their two married daughters, along with their husbands and little ones will also be there. Each of the girls have two children, so it will be fun.  Their other daughter is going to graduate school in Denver and she won't be able to come home until just before Christmas, so she'll be missed.   My poor son had to work the graveyard shift last night and he had hoped he'd get out of there early but I talked to him about 9:30 last night and he said it looked like it was going to be a full shift and that means he wouldn't get off until 6:30 this morning.  He said he'd rush home get some sleep and try to get over to my brother's place around 1:30 this afternoon.  I don't have a clue what we're having for dinner, I've been asked to bring a BIG green bean casserole, so maybe that's it  ?!?     

Have a wonderful day, I'm thankful for the gift of friendship you've all given me this past year.  And I'm thankful for the men and women in the military who are serving at home and abroad, though even if they are "at home" they may be away from their families today, serving...to keep us free.    

Until next time, Linda

P.S. Have you checked out this new AOL journal? http://journals.aol.co.uk/santaxmas123/santasshortblog/

 

Will it ever stop ?

Another night of rain and wind....another day of rain today....here's this morning's report from KOMO TV in Seattle.   I'm off to work for another day, the last day this week however, due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.   Have a good day,  Linda

 

Dear Linda,

13.31" is our total so far and it continues raining, November the wettest month in Seattle's weather record keeping history. (@ Sea-Tac) I was downtown when the Tuesday Thunderboomer hit. The hail was tiny but enough to whiten the ground, the wind was very gusty, the rain came down in buckets and the lightning was vivid. Our KOMO Cam atop Columbia Center captured a brilliant multi-legged lightning flash that appears to strike the Space Needle, the Washington Mutual tower, as well as several other buildings in the Downtown Seattle area. See our home page for the spectacular image. Showers are still around this morning and the temperatures are cold in the upper 30s/low 40s. Today will bring some sunshine and showers again, with some of those showers perhaps containing lightning or hail for a few locations just like yesterday (Isolated Thunderstorms). Highs will only reach the mid-upper 40s. The forecast for Thanksgiving may be a tad stormier. Now it appears another wave will come in Thursday afternoon instead of Friday. So expect increasing rain as the day progresses, with highs in the mid-upper 40s. This storm is expected to bring heavy snow to the passes starting sometime after midday Thanksgiving. So if you're traveling over the mountains for Thanksgiving, best to go either Wednesday or even as late as Thursday morning. But try and be on the other side by midday or prepare for heavy winter driving conditions. Rain changes to showers Thursday night, leaving us with another shower-and-sunbreak kind of day Friday. However, that Thursday storm will usher in some very chilly air, meaning Friday's highs will only be in the low 40s to mid 40’s. A real nip in the air with showers and some sunbreaks is expected Saturday with highs in the low 40s,and then perhaps another wave Sunday with more wind and rain. Showers and sunbreaks return next Monday into Tuesday. As temperatures stay in the low 40s, snow levels will stay well under pass level (about 1,500-2,000 feet) so pass travel will be snowy at times. Safe Travels Updated Wednesday 4:28 a.m. more...

Sincerely, KOMO 4 Weathercaster Jim Castillo

I LOVE MY JOB

I love my job, I love the pay!

I love it more and more each day.

I love my boss,  he (she) is the best!

I love his boss and all the rest.

 

I love my office and it’s location.  I hate to have to go on vacation.

I love my furniture, drab and grey, and piles of paper that grow each day.

I think my job is really swell, there’s nothing else I love so well.

I love to work among my peers, I love their leers and jeers and sneers.

I love my computer and it’s software,

I hug it often though it won’t care.  I love each program and every file.

I’d love them more if they worked awhile.

 

I’m happy to be here, I am. I am.

I’m the happiest slave of the Firm, I am.

I love this work,  I love these chores.

I love the meetings with deadly bores.

I love my job-I’ll say it again-I even love those friendly men.

Those friendly men who’ve come today.

In clean white coats to take me away !!!

 

NO SUN THIS SUNDAY

Hello and happy Sunday.  I woke up this morning to pounding rain again.  I guess 3  or 4 days of sunny dry weather is all we here in the northwest cam expect this time of year.  Bob stopped by for breakfast...he's on his way to Pasadena, CA for Thanksgiving with his middle daughter and family.  Plus he's a sun person, so he can stay down there for a few weeks and soak in some rays. Meanwhile today and tomorrow I think he'll be driving alot of the 1,200 miles from here to there in the rain.  He has a doctor appointment here in town on December 14th so I don't expect to see him again much before then. 

I have all my grocery shopping done for the weekend so am going to be house bound today.  I'm going to make of batch of my mom's fruit cake (it has to age for about 4 weeks.) And a pot of soup and finish addressing my Christmas cards.  And maybe do a little ironing, oh and then I need to vacuum so I guess I have enough to keep my busy right here.  Bob very kindly started a fire in my wood stove to it's nice & cozy in here.  The "queen" of the house is all curled up near the wood stove sound asleep.

Yesterday Barbara and I went to see the new James Bond movie  "Casino Royale."  I personally don't like those kind of movies but she had read the book so wanted to see it.  It was high adventure of course, lots of fancy cars, beautiful women, cars and buildings being blown up and dead bodies.  Be warned if you go see it..the running time is 2 hours and 25 mins and that's not counting the time for all the previews.  They need to give a 15 minute intermission, so after drinking all that soda with your popcorn,  you have a chance to go to the bathroom and not miss any of the movie. 

Tomorrow, is a big day for some of us at the hospital.  Over the years many of the departments have gone Union however, the department I work in plus several  others have never been associated with the Union .  We started talks with the Union organizers last Spring and tomorrow we get to vote "yea" or "nay" in regards to be unionized.  I've never been big on the Union but it's come to the point where we need it in the worst way.  There are people in Human Resources that are supposed to be advocates for employees but many of us have found that if we go to them with a problem, the supervisor knows we've been there before we even get back to the office.  And further more the people in H.R. always side with management no matter how severe the issue may be.  So I think it will help to have the protection of the Union.  Also, the present system allows for raises based only on our yearly evaluation.  So if you're working your buns off and the supervisor doesn't like you...you get little or nothing for an increase.  But if you're "teacher's pet" and do nothing you get the top of the line increase. With the Union this won't happen.  We will automatically get a salary increase on our anniversary date and then once again on the anniversary of the union contract for our particular department.  So, I'm hoping for a favorable vote...it's time for a change in the way things happen.

Well folks...I'm going to go get busy so I can accomplish all the tasks on my list today.  Tomorrow it's back to work... at least for just three days this week due to Thanksgiving at the end of the week.      Until next time.  Linda

IT'S A BRIGHT SUNNY DAY

Friday morning has brought another day of sunshine to the pacific northwest. Yes, Thursday was also a sunny day...sunny but cold.  I worked my normal 7a-330p shift, raced home, fed Gabi and closed up the blinds, turned the porch lights on and headed back on the freeway to Gig Harbor for the seminar that was being held last night.  I was brave and drove over there alone, as it was still light and not raining last night.  It was so beautiful going over the Narrows Bridge...the lights on the new bridge were on but it was twlight and the effect was breath taking, with the sun setting in the background, etc.  You would have had to be there, I guess....  I should have set on on the seminar, it was about hormone replacement & your health.  But I was so tired, I headed back home about 7:45pm after I was sure that all who were coming were there.  You see, when I work at these events I'm what you call the "greeter."

I got a call from Lori at the travel agency yesterday, and I'm really bummed out.  So far only two couples have signed up for my 2nd Alaska 7 day cruise scheduled for next August 17th thru the 24th.  We need 8 cabins sold to get the group rates and the first deposit is due Monday November 20th.  After that Royal Caribbean can take away the cabins the travel agency has held for us.  So....if there's anyone out there that would like to be apart of this group, call Lori or Erin at 253-383-8000 and ask about "Linda's 2nd Alaska Cruise."  They've got all the details. 

I want to again invite all that read my journal to visit my friend Joni at;  http://journals.aol.com/jonibooks1991/jonis-life-now/         Joni and I (and of course Barbara) all went to grade school and high school together.  We haven't seen Joni very often since our high schools days as she moved out of our home town and to add to that works different shifts all the time.  But we hope to change that after Joni and I get to retire, next year ????  maybe ????  Anyway go sayhi to Joni and don't forget to add her to your alerts.   Thanks.....

Well, I'm going to close here for now.  I'm going to a meeting at 1pm today about Medicare supplements (I hope I don't fall asleep)  but it's something I must get busy thinking  about since the Medicare season for me is just around the corner. 

Have a good Friday....we here is western Washington are going to enjoy our sunshine because according to the weatherman it's not going to last the whole weekend.   Linda

 

Very Windy

I've taken all the bigger windchimes down...it's very windy tonight (yes it's raining, too) Some of the floating bridges in the region have been closed.  Yes, here in western Washington we have bridges that float on top of the water. And thousand's are without power, tonight.  Mine have flickered a couple times...so I'm going to let you see the weather report I got this afternoon from KOMO TV in Seattle and get out of here.  More later in the week when the weather calms down.  Thursday I work all day and then have to work at the Hormone Replacement Seminar over in Gig Harbor, so won't be home until late Thursday night.  Although if the wind is worse tomorrow, they could close the Narrows Bridge too.  It's happened before.

" Dear Linda,

Perhaps what will go down as the strongest storm of the fall season thus far has brought another round of heavy rain and gusty winds as high as 60-90 mph in some spots around the region, knocking out power to over 100,000 people. The far northern areas have been battered for several hours today, with Bellingham reporting gusts over 50 mph for 12 consecutive hours. Over on the coast, wind gusts were well over hurricane-force strength (74 mph). Tatoosh Island along the coat hit 91 mph, while Clallam Bay hit 87 mph. There is said to be a lot of damage in the area. Here's a list of peak gusts today: Tatoosh Island: 91 mph Clallam Bay: 87 mph Sekiu: 77 mph Clallam Bay: 70 mph Sequim: 70 mph Hoquiam: 68 mph Bangor Sub Base: 66 mph Anacortes: 65 mph Mount Vernon: 65 mph Oak Harbor: 66 mph Forks: 62 mph Bellingham: 63 mph Vail (Thurston Co.): 60 mph Friday Harbor: 59 mph Brinnon: 55 mph Tacoma: 53 mph **** Everson: 53 mph Port Angeles: 49 mph Olympia: 46 mph Everett: 45 mph Seattle: 41 mph Once we get into tonight, the rain and wind will decrease (whew!) Although a Convergence Zone could keep rain going in the Lynnwood/Everett general areas. Lows will drop to the upper 30s to low 40s. Thursday will be a calm day with scattered showers amid perhaps even a few sunbreaks. Highs will reach about 50. We get to keep the calm weather for Friday and Saturday, with still mostly cloudy skies but only isolated showers Friday, and then perhaps a little wetter for Saturday, but still pretty light. Highs each day will be in the upper 40s and low 50s. Yet another warm and wet storm comes in for Sunday, but while it will be rainy and windy once again, it doesn't look as strong as today's storm. So that's a little bit of good news. Back to showers again for Monday and Tuesday, and then yet another storm for Wednesday."   Bye from the "windy city".......Linda

Monday Morning Question

From Krissy at; http://journals.aol.com/fisherkristina/SometimesIThink/entries/2006/11/13/monday-morning-question.../1186

Cats:  Rule or drool?    She's   #1 at my house

Lobster:  Eat or no treat?  Yummy

Ties:  Wear or nowhere?  Yes, love a man in a shirt & a tie at the proper time and place.

Escargot:  Slime or sublime?   Slime...some of the people that were on the cruise had escargot one night at dinner and I had my salt shaker ready in case one of the slimmy things moved.

ANOTHER DAY OF RAIN?

It is raining so hard this morning, it woke me up.  It started raining last night shortly after getting back from the mountain and it has been pounding us every since.  They just said on the early morning news that the snow is really coming down up at Snoqualmie, (where we were yesterday.) And in looking at the web cam for the west side of the pass, they are right.  Here's the link to a weather cam up there.  It's still a little dark at this hour but you can see the snow.  And there's much more on the road than there was yesterday.  http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/default.aspx?cam=1100

Well, I'm going to get off here and fix some breakfast & vacuum the house.  I'm getting together today at 3pm with the local ones that went on the Alaska cruise in August. We're going to meet a at local restuarant so we can see each other's pictures and "catch up."  That should be fun.

Until later,  Linda

Awesome Snoqualmie Falls

Awesome Snoqualmie Falls

This is a  video I took today at the beautiful Snoqualmie (Snow-qual-me) Falls.  The mist from the falls was rising hundreds of feet up into the air and spraying us while up on the path to the viewing area.   The falls are 268 feet high.  My parents actually went here during their courting days back in the late 1930's.  I have pictures of them standing hand in hand next to the fence that borders the walkway along the edge of the hill overlooking the falls. 

A TRIP TO THE MOUNTAIN

Bob needed to go up to the Summit at Snoqualmie (snow-qual-me) to get his picture taken for his season ski pass.  So he waited until today, so I could ride along.  It was so pretty up there, with the snow beginning to cover the mountain top, the trees and of course the ski slopes.   I think I posted an entry similiar to this last year  about this same time, as we have made this trip before.   It's weird to think that a mere 70 miles from my house the snow is already coming down and soon the season will open.  Last year he skied over 30 times up there, plus he went to Lake Tahoe and skied with his cousins who live in Carson City, Nevada.  I'm not a skier and it's too late to start now, so I stay home where it's warm and cozy.  I might make one trip up there again towards the end of the season for him to ski a few hours, while I sit in the restuarant drinking coffee and reading my book.   Today it was nice up there, a lot of families up there with the kids...making snowmen, tubing and having snowball fights.  One of the favorite ski areas (Crystal Mountain) is opening this coming Wednesday but Bob figures it will be several weeks before Snoqualmie opens. He prefers Snoqualmie as it's not quite as far as Crystal. 

After we got his ski pass squared away, we headed back down the mountain.  I had heard that Snoqualmie Falls was really thundering with water what with all the rain we've been having.  We went thru the little town of North Bend and then into Snoqualmie and parked in the parking lot to walk over and see the falls.   There are  always hundreds of people there, from every country in the world.  You hear every language there is being spoken as you walk over to the viewing area.  The falls were truly awesome today.....so much water...the mist was rising hundreds of feet up and falling on us as we made out way to the viewing area.   There's a resort there, the lovely Salish Lodge.  It very expensive to eat there and to stay there, so I've never been able to do that.  Today there was evidence of a wedding taking place in one of their many banquet rooms.  

After leaving the falls, we stopped at the shopping outlet mall in North Bend.  I went into the Sock Store (imagine a store that just sells socks)  and got some socks to wear with jeans & slacks and then I visitied The Paper Factory.  I love that store, they have lots of neat stuff and of course at this time of the year everything is for Christmas.  After that it was back on the freeway, headed home.  We did go by the Puyallup River and have a look.  We had heard that it flooded in some areas, where we were today, it was still in it's banks but running fast and high.  The weather guy says another storm is due to hit us in the next 24 hours.  It was nice to have a reprive today and be able to go up to the pass and not worry about having a problem driving.

The next entry will be a video I took at Snoqualmie Falls.  I hope you enjoy it.  There's really no way to capture it's majesty...you have to be there in person. 

Until next time,  Linda

VETERANS DAY

I would like to join others in honoring and thanking all our Veterans, those who have served and those who are presently serving in so many locations around the world. We are able to enjoy all that is precious in our country because of the commitment and service of our Veterans....it takes courage to serve....to protect....to keep our communities strong.    Thank you to all Veterans, everywhere.  

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS

The award winners have been announced and I was happy to see that 7 of my regular reads are winners in this year's competition.  So CONGRATULATIONS  to Jan, Jeannette, Greg, Krissy, Guido, Jeannette and Sugar !!!!   Here is the link to the complete list of winners; http://journals.aol.com/siennastarr/2006-vivi-award-journal/entries/2006/11/09/2006-vivi-winners/601

It pouring rain, cold  and very windy  (they are saying some gusts have been up to 38 mph) down here at sea level.  In the mountains they are announcing "winter storm warnings."  There could be up to 12 inches of snow today, which will make all the skiers jump for joy. 

 I have an appointment this morning for some allergy testing, so I'm off to get ready to get my arm poked over & over again.  And then I may go to a movie, depending on my mood when I get thru at the doctor's office.   Happy Friday,  Linda

CATS IN SINKS

If you haven't looked at this web site for awhile, you should take a look.  There's lots of new pictures.  I wish I could get Gabi to sit in the sink so I could add her picture to their web site.        Linda

http://catsinsinks.com/

A BIG BALL OF FIRE IN THE SKY

It poured rain all morning.  I kept looking around at the front window of the office and the rain was pounding on the glass.  I sit with my back to the window and this afternoon about 2pm I noticed the room was brighter..I turned around, walked over to the window and looked out...........a big ball of fire was up in the sky.  Sunshine, heavenly sunshine.  Everybody perked up...it's amazing how a little sunshine after the rain can not only brighten the room but also one's mood.   More rain is on the way but at least this afternoon's respite will allow some of the rivers to go down and hopefully not do anymore damage.   

Until next time........Linda

SAME STORY, DIFFERENT DAY

It's still raining but the temperature has dropped to 58 degrees. Here's the latest from KOMO TV in Seattle.

 

Dear Linda,

Updated Tuesday 3:45 a.m. Historical Flooding is the Top Story as the National Weather Service declares that 7 rivers are now expected to reach record severity for flooding. The rivers that are set to see record flooding include the Snoqualmie, Skykomish, Snohomish, Stillaguamish, Carbon, Skagit and Cowlitz rivers. We've got more flooding specifics on our home page with the top stories. THE FORECAST: The moist Strong Southwest flow continues aloft bringing in some heavy rain for the Southwest Interior and the Mountains. This morning there is still some heavy rain from around SE King County to Southern Mason Co. Southward which includes Pierce Co. Later this afternoon we will see the Snow Level drop as some cooler air moves in and the tropical downpours finally stop. The wettest day Seattle has ever had totalled 5.02". If you remember, that happened only a few years ago on Oct. 20, 2003. Rainfall yesterday was 3.29" making it the 3rd wettest day ever @ Sea-Tac. Airport.  For perspective, we usually get about 6" for the entire month of November, and most of Seattle's Top 10 wettest days ever are around 3". Highs today will be in the morning, right around the upper 50's and then drop a few degrees. Look for scattered afternoon showers after the morning rain. The wind will still be up to 20-30 MPH out of the Southwest. Tonight the wind dies down to 10-15 MPH out of the Southwest with Snow Levels down to 4000 ft. Overnight lows will be in the 40's. Wednesday will include scattered showers and sunbreaks with highs around 50. Thursday should be a dry day and cool with high temperatures in the upper 40's. Another storm comes ashore by Friday, but by then the rivers should be back in their banks. Also, this storm looks much cooler, with snow levels closer to 2,500 ft., meaning snow in the mountains and not so much water runoff. Cool showers for Saturday, and then cool rain again for Sunday and Monday with highs in the upper 40s. Jim Castillo KOMO 4 Meteorologist more...

 Hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday, I'm off to get ready for work.......Linda

Photo Scavenger Hunt #95

Photo Scavenger Hunt #95 (from Val at; http://beta.journals.aol.com/valphish/ThereisaSeason/entries/2006/11/06/photo-scavenger-hunt-95-subject.../1846 for Krissy....will be due on Sunday, November 12, at 11:00 PM EST.

    

This week's subject will be:  "feet"


Krissy came up with this subject and told me to give it to you guys on the phone last night.  You can interpret this any way you wish!  Please leave full URL link to your submission in the comments section.  Have lots of fun!!

There....that's my photo entry on the subject of FEET.  Linda

Still Raining

Bob came over and he drove me around today.  The side roads are horrible !! On some of them, one whole side is flooded with several inches of water.  I noticed as we crossed over the freeway several times today, it has been at a crawl each time.  It was nice to have him driving...he pulled up to the door of the Post Office for instance and I jumped out, went in took care of business and then when I stepped out the door he pulled up and I got back in the car.  So I didn't get drenched after all.  Anyway, I'm including the latest email weather information I get each day from KOMO TV in Seattle. Tomorrow it's back to work for me, I've already decided which route I'll take after seeing the conditions out there today.  

Dear Linda, The storm has gone from very wet to historically wet, as the National Weather Service declares that 7 rivers are now expected to reach record severity for flooding, with heavy rain now expected to fall through Monday night and into early Tuesday before tapering finally tapering off. The rivers that are set to see record flooding include the Snoqualmie, Skykomish, Snohomish, Stillaguamish, Carbon, Skagit and Cowlitz rivers. We've got more flooding specifics on our home page with the top stories there, so I'll just focus on the weather forecast itself here. And the latest forecast is not good news. That front is still stuck overhead, and now heavy rain is expected to fall through Monday night and not taper off until Tuesday morning. That means several more inches of rain in the meantime. How wet? In the western Washington lowlands, we're seeing rain totals from 2-4" with another 1-3" expected overnight. The mountains have already seen 10-12" and another 4-6" is expected on top of that through Tuesday morning. Seattle, as of 4 p.m., received 3.03" since midnight, and over 4" since the rain began Sunday. That 3.03", by the way, makes today the 4th wettest day ever so far, with more rain falling. For perspective, we usually get about 6" for the entire month of November, and most of Seattle's Top 10 wettest days ever are around 3". (The record being 5.02", set in October of 2003.) Snow levels are up around 10,000 feet, so it's all falling as rain up there. So as you can imagine, that's set the stage for the worst flooding we've seen...possibly ever. Or at least in the area's recorded history. It will also be windy with this storm, but the one bit of good news is that despite this storm being of significant strength, the center of the storm is expected to make landfall far enough north of the area that we aren't looking at major winds, but they will still be gusty to 40 mph in the Northwest Interior and along the north and central coast, and 20-30 mph in the Puget Sound area. Speaking of the coast, A HIGH SURF ADVISORY and a COASTAL FLOOD WATCH are in effect late today into Tuesday. Expect rip currents, high surf and minor beach erosion. Residents along the coast should monitor this very carefully. The rain slowly tapers off Tuesday morning. The rest of the day will feature scattered showers (and a possible Convergence Zone) and cooling temperatures, to where by afternoon we should be in the low-mid 50s. Wednesday will see just few showers amid sunbreaks, and then we're thinking it'll actually be a dry day Thursday. Highs each day will be around 50. Another storm comes ashore by Friday, but by then the rivers should be back in their banks. Also, this storm looks much cooler, with snow levels closer to 3,000 feet, meaning snow in the mountains and not so much water runoff. Cool showers for Saturday, and then cool rain again for Sunday with highs in the upper 40s. By Monday, it's even cooler with scattered showers and highs in the mid-upper 40s. Updated Friday 4:40 p.m. more... Sincerely, KOMO 4 Weather Producer Scott Sistek I'm off to finish up a few things that need to be done around here before I return to work.  Have a good evening........Linda

It's not going to quit soon....

I'm listening to the TV news at noon and they are saying there are 17 rivers in western Washington already flooding or near flood stage.  People are fleeing their homes, rounding up their animals and heading for high ground. And they say the worst is yet to come.  I am so thankful I live in the part of town where I don't really have to worry about it.  Oh there's water standing in my driveway in puddles and I see there's a little water on the side of the roadway out in front but I would be very surprised if it did any damage to my house.  Here's a link to a Seattle TV station for more information.  I'm off to the Post Office....Linda

http://www.komotv.com/

Rain, rain go away...

Rain, rain go away...

It's still rainy and windy...I don't think it let up for even a moment all night long.  I'm glad I didn't have to go out to work this morning.  But, I do need to go to the Post Office today and that parking lot is huge and if this doesn't slow down..I'll be drenched just getting in and out of the building.   Have a good Monday...Linda

Midnight Rain

Midnight Rain

Gabi is sound asleep but the wind and rain is so loud against my bedroom window I'm not asleep so I  decided to get up and make a short video. The weird thing is, it's a mild 60 degress out there right now.  That means the mountains are getting rain too, the skiers won't like that.  I have a whole bunch of wind chimes of various sizes hanging along the overhang of my front porch.  At times they can be downright obnoxious but tonight I really don't mind too much because I don't have to be at work Monday morning.  Anyway that's what's going on around here at this hour.  Until next time........Linda

He is not a cat lover

Bob is not a cat person.  He even claims he's allergic to them.  But I'm not completely sure about that.  Anyway, he came by for dinner tonight (remember that roast I was cooking earlier in the day) and after we ate I put a movie in & he promptly fell asleep.  Gabi was on my lap but I moved over to my computer to do some on-line bill paying and the next thing I knew I heard this noise from him & I looked over and he was wide awake (for a moment anyway) and Gabi was on his lap.  I guess she was bound & determined to sit on somebody's lap tonight, no matter what !!!   Anyway, I looked over about 10 mins later and they were both zonked out.   So I did what any sharp journaler would do...I grabbed my camera and took a picture.  Neither one of them flinched when the flash went off and since he's not interested in my journal, he'll never even see this.   I love it !!!!!!!!   LOL        Linda

No Sun Glasses Today & Happy Birthday Will

It is raining more than cats & dogs today. Plus the wind is blowing.  I braved the crowds and went grocery shopping....the good old Fred Meyer store near my house was packed.   And everyone was in a cranky mood, banging into other people's carts, there were screaming kids and yelling mothers.  Oh what a mess!  It actually took me almost 2 hours to navigate thru the newly remodeled store to find everything on my list.  Of course when they remodeled they moved everything around.  WHY DO THEY DO THAT ?   But now I'm home with a little chuck roast in the crock pot for dinner later tonight.   On days like this, I like to turn on all the lights in the house and turn the radio or a CD up loud.  It seems to take the gloomy atmosphere away. 

I heard on the radio coming home that today is the 127th birthday of that famous American, Will Rogers.  He was born November 4, 1879 and died in a plane crash in 1935.  The radio announcer said his favorite Will Rogers quote is  "What this country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds."  I agree...that's a good one.  If you'd like to read more about Will Rogers just follow this link; http://www.willrogers.org/

Well, my break is over.  I've got all those bags of groceries sitting around in the kitchen and they need to be put away, so until next time.......Linda

Color Test

It's really late here in Washington, almost 1 am.  And I'm so tired but I've been up looking at items on eBay and listing a couple things I wanted to get sold.  Then I got this alert from Kathy (she was up late too) and I had to take the color test.  So here's the information and my results.

 From Kathy at; http://journals.aol.com/kaydeejay5449/Yadayadayada/                                                                                          who got it from Jeannette at; http://journals.aol.co.uk/jlocorriere05/Welcometomytravels/                                                                                        who got it from another journaler.  The results below are for me as I followed the directions on the Color Test website.  http://www.paulgoldinresearch.com/cg/index.htm                   

Very interesting and I have no comment....LOL        :)

" You are longing for some love and affection at this time - not that you have been deprived of tender loving care - but there are times when everyone needs to try something new or to go 'somewhere' else to perhaps experience that little extra 'understanding'.

You are a leader and possibly at this tine in a position of authority, but you are experiencing problems. You are not quite sure how to handle the present situation.

Although you are, deep down, a very caring person, you are very particular in the choice of friends and indeed very demanding at times. You can be most quarrelsome and controversial and it is because of this argumentative trait you can at times explode into open conflict - conflict with even those you may care for and love. It is because of this inherent argumentative streak in you that may have resulted in broken hopes and dreams.

Presently, you are experiencing stress because of restriction on your independence. You need and seek respect from other people and it is essential that they appreciate you for yourself and not for what they would like you to be. You have your own beliefs and convictions and you would like to be respected for them. You are anxious to avail yourself of every opportunity that may come your way but nevertheless, come what may, you have the need to control your own destiny without imposed limitations or restrictions.

You don't like conflict and you endeavour to avoid criticism. You want to do your own thing and to be able to decide what is right for you. You have considerable personable charm - and this is used with considerable effect on those that keep your company. "

 

I'm back home from the colonoscopy

Well, it went very well.  Bob took me in, I got there about 7:30am.  And we got back to my house at 10:30am and he had stopped and got me some breakfast afterwards.    I'm allergic to some of the stuff they give you for sedation, so they used a lot of benadryl and something else in the IV they put in my arm.  I was wheeled into the procedure room, the doctor came and and talked to me about my medication allergies, administered the drug thru the IV in my arm.  I got sort of wuzzy and the next thing I knew I was back in my cubicle and the nurse was asking me if I'd like something to drink.  I drank some 7-Up, then dozed off a little more and she was there again to help me sit up and swing my legs over the side of the gurney.  Once a little dizziness went away, she left me to get dressed.  Then they came and got me and walked me out to the waiting room where Bob was waiting.    I now believe what everone says...the prep is the absolute worst part of the whole thing.   Because you are not aware of the procedure at all.  I was very blessed  to be totally free of  polyps so I have nothing to do but go back in 5 years for another one. 

I am still sort of rummy, can't drive,operated heavy machinery, sky dive or anything like that for 12 hours so I'm going to go back to bed and take a little snooze.  I'm sure Gabi will be in her glory to have me back in bed. 

Until next time....Linda

P.S.   If I can do it, you can do it......schedule a colonscopy today if you are due for one or have any symptoms.  Like this doctor said...there is no need for anyone to have colon cancer with the modern tests available to all of us today.

"The Watchmaker"

I just got this from my friend Lynnette, she's the one that shared a cabin with me on our Alaska cruise, this last August.  Enjoy.....

http://www.kids4truth.com/watchmaker/watch.html

Changes to our journals by AOL

Here's what John the AOL journal guy has to say about the new changes;

http://journals.aol.com/johnmscalzi/bytheway/entries/2006/11/02/new-buttony-goodness/6692

HI THERE...I'M HOME TODAY

It's a little warmer out there this morning, clear up to 42 degrees.  But....the rains came in about 4am so there is a downside to the warmer temperature.  I wish I would have had my camera as I went to work at 6:30 yesterday morning, there was the most beautiful sunrise behind Mt Rainier.  The sky was a beautiful blue and of course pink right behind the dark silhouette of the mountain. I was thankful for a red traffic light so I could have a few moments to take it all in.  Today the mountain won't even be visible, unless you're right up there in the park and even then it might be hidden in the clouds.

I'm warming up my breakfast right now....chicken broth!  You heard me...chicken broth.  I'm home today preparing for a colonoscopy that's scheduled for Friday morning.  I wasn't going to talk about that here but with the recent finding of colon cancer in my friend's son David (age 51) I decided to at least mention it.  This is something I've put off for years and have actually re-scheduled it 3 times this year.  After David's surgery and now chemo therapy treatments I decided I had to to do it no matter how unpleasant.  I'm very sure colon cancer is more unpleasant.  So today I'm on clear liquids, at about 1pm this afternoon I start the Golytely stuff.  I have to drink one 8 ounce glass of that stuff every 15 minutes until it's gone (1 gallon total liquid).  After that I can continue to drink clear liquids until bedtime.  I can also have broth again in the morning  up until two hours before the exam which is scheduled at 8am.   So today I will be here in my house, close to the bathroom, doing whatever I can do.    When I took the prescription to the pharmacy for the prep stuff, the pharmacist got this weird little smile on his face and confessed he has been putting this procedure off for three years.  As I left the pharmacy with my bag of goodies, I told the pharmacist "If I can do it...you can do it!"   He said he'd call Monday morning and schedule his.  I wonder if he did ? 

That's all for now...I've got a load of laundry in the dryer and I'm going to vacuum before I have to start drinking the nasty stuff.    Linda

P.S. What has AOL done to this entry area of our journals?  It has a new look today.....

BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE !

Oh wow, I just walked by my kitchen window and looked at the thermometer out side...it's 26 degrees out there this morning.  According to the weather guy on TV it's supposed to warm up to 49 degrees by this afternoon.  From the looks of my beautiful Mother's Day fuchsia basket...I'd say it's done for.  I hate winter already and it hasn't really even started yet. 

I ignored Halloween last night.  I turned off all the light in the street end of the house and settled in to my room in the back part of the house.  I need to get a VCR/DVD player for the TV in my room so I can watch a movie there when I want to.  There just isn't much on TV that I'm interested in.  I peeked out the front window a couple of times and didn't see any kids around but you never know.  Sometimes the parents bring car loads of them into the park here and turn them loose. 

Well, I'm off to get ready for work, have a good day.......Linda