Hey Everybody!!!

[jgarcia]

A great big HELLO to you all. I've been away so long you probably don't remember who I am (and I see there are a bunch of new folks I need to get to know). I think my user name is the same, but I had to re-register because the new format must have booted me out

Things in my neck of the woods have been interesting, to say the least. We've moved again... I lost my job 3 years ago (I think I've been in since then, though)... and Ralph lost his twice... the first time for 2 months, the second for 6. It's been a struggle, but he's back to work and all is mostly well. Our son, Jamie, has been unemployed for just over 3 years, but the construction industry is finally starting to pick up and we have hopes that he will return to work soon. He lives with us....

Dominique (granddaughter) graduated from high school (2 months ahead of her class) with a 3.86 GPA and an "advanced" diploma (2 credits more than she needed). She did her high school studies at home through a program called Advanced Individualized Studies (AIS). She picked up a packet, did the studying and then went into the school to test. It worked very well for her because she had dropped out for a year and a half and did not want to go back to a regular curriculum. As soon as she turned 18, she moved out and is living with her boyfriend (against all of our wishes); she is working and doing as well as could be expected in this economy.

Anyway.... enough for now. Just wanted to say HI and touch bases with you all.

Huggzz
Judy

[JoS]

Hello! It is so good to see your name on here! I'm not typing much as I have a badly bruised hand and it hurts like the dickens, but just had to say howdy! Hope you are back to stay!

[Schmitty]

Hi Judy....so glad to see you here.... I have thought of you and wondered how you were doing.. Missed you and hope you can visit with us again... Hugs.

[jgarcia]

Hi Jo & Mickey....
Jo, I'm sorry you hurt your hand! What happened? Hope it feels better soon.
Mickey, I am hoping to check in frequently. I've missed everyone, and I think about you all often. My computer crashed a while back and I lost the site address. JoGee and I have kept in contact, and I finally asked her to give me the address so I could visit.

[JoGee]

Hi Judy!
It's great to have you back with us. You have survived these last few years and employment challenges pretty well.
And good for your GD. She learned from her mistake of quitting school, and made up for it.
As for living with her boyfriend, I am changing my attitude about that. If they are looking forward to a serious relationship and not just playing the game of lust, then it seems to bring about a better marriage commitment in the long run. From what I have seen of that generation. Just get to know her partner and let him blend into the family.

Yesterday I had a sugar binge. Glad I don't have to see the doc for a couple of weeks yet. It was one of those days that I just "had" to, you know? Shame on me anyway. Got that out of my system, so can go back to my regular schedule off real foods again. I think I'll make a crock pot of veggie soup today, which is always good for hunger pangs. My problem is I prefer breads. I need carbs to start my day, but was raised that if I wanted to eat between meals, it's bread and butter. (Thanks, Mom. Not!). So I crave the carbs.

Anyway, keep on visiting, Judy. We missed you here.

[ladyebug]

Well, Howdy!

OMG! Judy, it is great to find you here again. Sure have missed you. You always had the BEST recipes. Hope you can stick around. We do have some lovely new folks you need to get to know.

[jgarcia]

Hi Elaine.

The 'kids' seem to be getting on very well. He has a decent job (assistant manager at a Jiffy Lube) and she just left a job with Papa Murphy's (take-and-bake pizza) for a job as a cashier and department worker -- cosmetics and photo -- at Walgreen's about a block from where he works. It's nice that I don't have to do the 26+ mile round trip to pick her up, take her to work and return home any longer (she doesn't drive, and he was usually working when she had to be to work).

Hope all is well with you and John... please tell him hello for me.

Huggzz

[Nalani]

Hi and Welcome back, Judy! Have wondered about you all the time. Sorry about all the problems you have had but hope all will look up and get better now.

[jgarcia]

Hi Nalani... thanks for the welcome back.

Things are hopefully looking up... there are some big projects starting up down on the Strip, and we're optimistic that Jamie will go back to work soon and that should ease the stress level here. We heard that the MGM remodel will call out about 100 guys off the list... I think Jamie is somewhere in the top 50 (he started in the high 400s 3 years ago)... He moved up into the 150s, then the out of work list was voted out so contractors could call by name. Problem was that Jamie hadn't worked for any local contractors -- the work he'd done as a journeyman was under Ralph for a company out of Utah. Out of state contractors cannot call out guys by name, so Jamie just has to sit and wait for his number to come up.

I am planning on sticking around for a while... hopefully I can be more upbeat these days than I was when I wandered away.

[spring]

Glad you are back ...we've missed you. You all have had it rough, with everyone losing their jobs. The economy's been rough. Glad things are picking up for your family.

My job has been iffy this year...9 got laid off. Hopefully no more. I was sweating bullets. So far, I'm hanging in there.
Just to let you know a little about what you missed with my family...

Our grandkids keep us busy..they are busy with sports, and we try to attend all their games if possible.
Our little hobby farm has grown. G-son had 3 calves, T-bone, Bandit, & Apatche.. this spring/summer...we had to sell them early due to the drought. G-daughter has 2 pigs..Billy Bob Jr is about 100+ lbs. and Emily Rose weights about 20lbs less. We also acquired 3 more rabbits and traded one for a rooster. Also we had 11 hens disappear...so we got more chicks.. Currently we have 15 I think..can't remember. And finally we got both g-kids a horse each. Flicka (red roan) and Nate (palamino). Our little hobby farm is keeping us busy. We didn't have a garden, as this was the year we decided to let it rest. We do that every 7 years.. And that's about it.

[jgarcia]

Thanks for the welcome back, spring.

Definitely hope you dodge that bullet... unemployment isn't any fun, especially when you "spend what you earn" like most of us do, then the earnings, even with unemployment insurance are cut to about 1/4 of what you are used to... it's funny how many ways you can learn to cook cheap cuts of meat and veggies when you have to - LOL.

Your little hobby farm sounds to me like a full-fledged one. It's always good for the g-kids to learn the responsibility of caring for the animals.

[cookielady]

Oh it's so good to see you Judy!!!! I contemplated hosting a RU this Fall, but life threw us another curve ball...as usual...and that got put on the back burner...again.

I'm not sure if you knew we moved from Freeport, PA to Bradford, PA about 4 years ago. Well last October the GM came in & informed Corky & the head groundskeeper that they weren't going to renew their contracts...nothing personal...just finacial. Yea, right. Anyways, Cork got a job here in Shelby, OH at their country club. It was a big step backwards, but a job is a job.

Right before we moved from Freeport, Kathy started giving us MAJOR problems. She's put us through hell & back. She got pregnant at 15 even though I had her on birthcontrol. We ended up getting custody of our grandson when he was about 6 mos old. Kathy moved out the last day of school her Junior year & in with her boyfriend's family. She ended up dropping out of school before Thanksgiving her Senior year. She just moved back in with us about 3 weeks ago. She's matured some. Now if we can get her a job & her GED. The goal is for her to get her own place, get on her feet, and get custody of Blaise. Time will tell.

[Mayebarnes]

JUDY!!

WELCOME HOME...... so glad to hear whats been happening in your life...

I think my life is about the same... couple grandsons got married... and the grands all got older... the "baby"' is 12 .... when gdson Jacob graduates this year. ,there will only be two girls of the nine grands will still be in school ...aggg ... I feel old.. ... and I also have a granddua. living with boy friend .. she finished beauty school. and they are both working... I like her young man.. so even if I feel kind of not comfortable with the situation.. I feel she is mature enough to know her own mind..


welcome home... stick around and get to know a lot of the lovely newbies... so happy to have them here.

[jgarcia]

Wow, Cookie... you've had a plate full, haven't you. I've seen you talk about Blaise, and I remember that when I was here last, Kathy was pregnant. How old is Blaise now? I sure hope she gets her life together... So, I guess I need to study up on my geography... is Shelby close enought to Bradford that Cork can 'commute'? I did know you moved... just didn't know where. I would so love to attend another RU when one is planned!!

Janet... It's kind of like old times with me coming back. Kind of pick up where we left off with a few changes. I'm looking forward to getting to know the newbies, and reacquainting myself with the ... ummmm ... ones who were here before (didn't DARE say oldsters - LOL) I ran some errands this afternoon and one of those was to pick Dominique up from her new job, take her to her old job to pick up her final check... back to the bank to cash it... to her boyfriend's work to give him some money... and I was going to take her to the other old job (the first was at Papa Murphy's... the second one she worked for about a week at a Subway sandwich shop -- HATED it, and now she works at Walgreen's Drugstore), but she couldn't go get that final paycheck without taking her apron, etc., back, and she didn't have it with her... So, tomorrow I'm taking her to get the check and taking her to the 99¢ Store to get a few items... even though most of what they sell is an "off" brand, I have never had problems with their canned goods and such, and they even sell very good produce. Domm is so broke she can't pay attention, so I am cleaning out the last of the side of beef I bought last year (a couple of roasts, a pkg of sirloin steak and one of cube steaks. We have another coming next month) and taking it to her. She said the only things they've been buying to eat are bread, peanut butter, jelly and milk. Been There Done That... not fun. So, I am trying to help her out. I made a huge pot of spaghetti sauce 2 days ago and froze the leftover to take to her... there's enough for them to have 2 meals out of it, and I don't think we would eat it. That should give her enough food for a while... at least until her regular paychecks start coming in from Walgreens.