House prices here are utterly insane. My place in Campbell River more than doubled in price in 8 years. Back then when we bought that place I could never have imagined paying what I did for my current home. It's lovely, but, sheesh! Young families with kids are completely priced out the single-family-home market and are buying condos instead.

Well, THAT was rude, Marian! Yikes, indeed!

Here in the Midwest real estate prices are high, but not astronomical.

Good morning, Danish, Donuts and bagels in the Break Room. I got my Christmas wrapping done yesterday. I only lost one present, easily replaceable. Pedicure and lunch out with a friend today. Enjoy the day and hug someone.

Connie, a pedicure sounds great. Maybe I'll see if I can find a nice spa nearby. The last place I tried was a bit dicey.

Good morning, Danish, Donuts and Bagels in the Break Room. Shopping is on the agenda today, Trivia at the Eagles tonight. I did find the wayward Christmas present, it was in the bag with the pets stocking stuffers. Enjoy the day and hug someone.

Glad you found your wayward gift, connie.

Have a nice weekend all.

So the great Portable Catio experiment is over. I had put it together a while back but the weather's been so terrible I just forgot about it. A couple of cat-owning friends have urged me to try it because their indoor cats love their little portable outdoor enclosures (the tents).

Dude was whining to go out more than usual this morning, so I scooped him up and put him in the catio, which was situated under some shrubs near the pond. He spent the next hour howling and smashing his face against the bars trying to get out. I was sure he'd try to escape when I let him out, but he dashed back inside.

Willow saw the catio, struggled mightily, turned into a buzz-saw when I tried to put her though the door, got away from me, and headed straight for the back door. I don't think I'll ever be able to get her into it.

Now I have a large useless metal catio.

Good afternoon everyone. Still recovering from a surprise retirement party yesterday morning at work which I thought was a pre-christmas safety briefing! My out of town son and daughter were a part of the surprise as was a morning a half-mile walk around the grounds of our work complex where my dispersed co-workers were waiting to meet and greet me with signage flashbacks from my career. I was totally surprised...a wonderful day...and now enjoying a great visit with the kids. Connie, are there any cinnamon crunch bagels left? I am glad to hear you found your wayward present! Take care everyone--Have a great Saturday!

You're retiring soot?

Dan, that sounds like a wonderful send-off, and your co-workers obviously appreciated you to plan such a great event in your honour.

Great stuff Dan: glad it was a good party!

Hagatha, it sounds like the catio was an even greater success than most cat toys: perhaps you could use it to house some other creature that likes to live outdoors (and be a source of interest for the felines)...

... alternatively perhaps you could create a passage into it via a catflap...

Good morning one and all. Dark roast Kona coffee, English breakfast tea and bottled Fiji water in the Break Room. Yes, OldBroad, I am retiring from the Monday through Friday 9 to 5 routine. Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday.

Happy trails to you, soot! Enjoy your retirement!

Good morning, Danish, Donuts and Bagels in the Break Room. Soot, enjoy your retirement. Going to the Eagles later today to pack up the gifts for our W.S. Elementary school families for Christmas. Each family will receive toys, clothes, and a gift card. Enjoy the day and hug someone.

Congratulations on your retirement, Dan!

Lex, there's no good way to create a tunnel from the house to the catio; it would have to be an enormous hole in the wall and that would void the warranty on my house. Plus, they now see it as a bad thing, so I'll see if I can find a place to donate it. Maybe the SPCA. There are also a lot of local charities here. I'll check with the local "library ladies," who seem to know about all of them.

Congrats soot! I'm so jealous.

Good morning, Danish, Donuts and Bagels in the Break Room. Meeting at the Eagles tonight. Enjoy the day and hug someone.

Enjoy your retirement, soot !! 👍👍👍🍷

Good morning, Danish, Donuts and Bagels in the Break Room. Bowling at the Eagles tonight. Enjoy the day and hug someone.

Hello Boomers! Hope this finds you well!

Enjoy your retirement, soot, and best wishes for this new chapter in your life!

Are you all ready for Christmas? How quickly this year has gone. I'm greatful for a good ending to what has been a challenging year for our family. Having said that, our youngest son has just come down with Covid. He's feeling rather rough and will be having a quiet Christmas. It was his partner who was diagnosed with bowel cancer earlier in the year. Happy to say she is doing much better and has returned to work. There's not much happening here. Gifts all bought and wrapped up, glad to get that out of the way. It will just be Hubby and me for dinner on the day although we will see the rest of the family at some point.

Take care everyone, and much love to you all!

Mary

Mary, nice to see you here. It sounds as though your life has settled down a bit. Enjoy it.

Good morning! We survived our Colorado trip!

Mary, I'm sure you will be glad to see this year in the rear view mirror! But a relatively good ending...

Congratulations on your retirement, soot! There is nothing better!

Our flights were on time, but all the airlines have compressed their seating so that it makes it uncomfortable for my hubby who is 6' 6". Lots of driving this time as Ft. Collins where Colorado State University is located is a 1 hour 15 minute drive - in good traffic. We all met at a Japanese restaurant up there Friday night after we flew in and it took 2 hours because of stop and go traffic for an hour. It was horrible - especially in the dark and unfamiliar place! But I scored a pic of hubby eating Japanese food with chopsticks which is going to be sent to all his buddies! Next day it was back up there for the graduation - much better traffic! So, now we have an official Microbiologist in the family! She is heading to graduate school in January - something in Biopharmaceutical studies.

Hubby was very happy to be able to keep up... he has to have both his knees replaced. Of course, they are all in their 20's and my son and DIL are in their late 40's, so they don't think anything of walking 12 blocks to the Irish college bar! Between all the airport and other walking, according to my Fitbit, we were doing at least 3 miles every day. We are both glad to be home parked in our respective comfy chairs!

Happy Tuesday!

Good morning, Danish, Donuts and Bagels in the Break Room. Good to see you Mary. Lunch wit a friend today, Music Bingo at the Eagles tonight. Enjoy the day and hug someone.

Good morning all. I have a party to go to tonight, which required a trip downtown yesterday in search of something to wear. I settled on on black jeans with very subtle sparkles, a nod to Christmas.

Tomorrow there's a potluck lunch, which requires cooking. Not sure what I'll make. Maybe just a great big salad with fruit, since everyone else usually brings starchy things or meaty things.