Redbox is turning 18 today - 11/18 only. Use code 18BDAY for $1.18 off a movie. DVD's are currently $1.80, so for 62 cents, kids are getting the live action Mulan after orthodontist appointment.

1 mile done in the sunshine! Beautiful autumn day here.

College DD just had her "Go Home" test on campus - she is currently negative. College DD is set to be home Sat or Sun (DH driving down to get her). I think we will have the two of them hole up in the master bedroom (the closet is big enough for a twin bed) for a couple of days. DH will probably test Tuesday-ish since he'll be traveling through 4 states and staying in hotels, etc. Younger DD has an orthodontist appointment tomorrow. I am thinking of testing her and me on Monday as our area currently has a pretty nasty outbreak. We'll call quarantine done if everyone's test comes back negative. Hoping it will be by Thanksgiving, but as it'll just be us, so I guess it'll be no biggie if Thanksgiving is put off until the weekend.

I'm in Illinois.

Awww, my mom just bought DD a coat. It was $40 at Justice. She would've been ecstatic with $16.

My brother borrowed the car this morning for a doctor's appointment, and when he gets back, we're going to go to the library. The big city (next county over) library closed last night for the next two weeks. So, we're going to our library to get books before ours shuts down. I missed the chance back in March to get to the library in time; I'm not doing it again as we use the library a lot for school. Tomorrow, DD has an orthodontist appointment, and then nothing outside for a while. I'm thinking of getting 2 of us tested following that appointment so we know we're not harboring anything since oldest DD will be coming home this weekend from college. She's negative as of this moment since the school tested them before sending them home. DH is thinking he needs to get tested after driving there and back to get her. My county edit: in Illinois hit over 29% positivity yesterday (7 day rolling average).

Ours is free and easy. It was more difficult a few months ago, but now, it's drive through, no insurance needed, no appointment needed. Bigger city next county over has 5 (maybe 6?) days a week 9-5 drive through testing. Lean out the window and get your nose swabbed. No symptoms needed. Just fill out a form with your name, address, phone number, and any symptoms. Takes 24-72 hours for results, although they say it can take up to a week. DH and youngest have both been through this one. State (Illinois) hosts "pop up" testing in our county often (we're at almost 30% positivity). Same deal. Drive through, no insurance needed, results in 24-72 hours. I've used this one a couple of times. The urgent care down the street from me has testing 7 days a week, but they use the not as reliable test, so I haven't used them. They have 3 or 4 parking slots where they come out and test you while you remain in the car. DD got tested prior to a hospitalization and that was charged to our insurance (which did cover it 100%), but that was a different than I'm having some cold symptoms or was exposed and I should probably get checked.

Yep, UAH was her choice. She'll be coming home this coming weekend for winter break.

1. March - we made an early March run to Alabama to do a college tour. DD ended up going there so I am glad we got there. 2. March. Same trip 3. I don't know that we'll do much eating out - my budget is much happier now. Also, it's hard to think about the After Times. 4. Eh - if I don't have to cook, I'm happy. But it's less exciting eating around our table I guess. 5. Not really.

I took Russian lit senior year in high school. If I am remembering correctly, my personal fave was Anna Kerenina. Next, Crime and Punishment. Third, A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. To be honest, those are the only 3 I remember - maybe we read The Death of Ivan Ilyich, but I don't remember a thing about it but the name.

My youngest is an itty-bitty. We were never able to convince a doctor to get us to the endo even though she has been considered short stature since she was 2. She has run from below the 1st percentile to the 3rd percentile her entire life. She is 13 and 4'7 1/2". DH is 5'5" and I am 5'3", so various doctors just gave us the "constitutionally short" speech whenever we brought it up. At this point, she's made peace with her height. We figure she'll be 4'8"-4'10". I would be shocked if she makes it to 5'.

Did a cold-ish walk (low 40s) around the neighborhood after school was done for the day. Very sunny and not as crazy-windy as it's been lately.

My kids really wanted pizza this year, but there is one kid who doesn't like homemade and nothing's open this year. Honestly, I don't know - no one agrees on any meal here. There's always one kid who poo-poos the meal, so I haven't decided. It won't be turkey, although I do have a turkey breast in the freezer. So maybe?

Windy, rainy, cold. So I did the exercise bike. I was able to ride longer than I have yet, so I'm calling it a win today.

Dollhouses Children's books

That's inspiring, Margaret! I am seriously, seriously impressed with your mileage! I really, really, really didn't want to do my mile after I spent the entire morning fleshing out DD's biology class. It took a lot more out of me than I thought I would as I bought Friendly Biology and then realized there aren't any labs in the whole second half of the program (ERGH!). And it started raining in the afternoon here, so I got on the exercise bike (with a very bad attitude) and did it. It worked well once I got started though, especially since I started a good book yesterday and I could read it while biking (The Bookshop on the Shore).

I have 7-9 categories: New England (Maine - Pennsylvania) Mid-Atlantic (Maryland, Delaware, Virginia) - sometimes these get split between New England (Delaware & Maryland) and The South (Virginia). The South (North Carolina/Kentucky/WV are the norther border over through Arkansas/Louisiana, includes Texas) Midwest (Ohio - Dakotas, includes down through Oklahoma) - I sometimes split this into Great Plains (Iowa - Nebraska lines) and Great Lakes (Ohio - Wisconsin) The West (Montana/Idaho down through Colorado/Utah) The Southwest (New Mexico & Arizona) The West Coast (I include Nevada sometimes here, sometimes in The West) The Others - Alaska, Hawaii

Oh, how awful! I hope you heal quickly, and this antibiotic (#6!!!) works like a dream.

Super cold mile done this morning. Not a ladder in sight!

I thought for sure she misunderstood, so I went to the email the leader sends out weekly with the topic - Yep, DD is correct... I'm trying to decide on whether to be "that parent" who says, "Hey, what are y'all thinking?!?" Don't forget that next week is our bring a friend fun night! Students who bring a friend will be entered into a raffle with their friend for an awesome prize!

DD's doctor's office has "multiple employees" out due to Covid now. Back to telehealth for at least 2 weeks - ugh. She has 2x weekly appointments in the building. Now I'm wondering if I should get her tested. Youngest DD told me her youth group (where she is the only one who virtually dials in is having "Bring a Friend" week next week. Um, why do you want more people in the buildings? There are so many cases in the schools, they just switched to giving us the total in the county's schools instead of listing all of the schools who had cases. DH has been called in every morning this week. So tired of the stress of worrying about everyone.

I am now caught up. 1.5 miles brought me to 12 miles. Go, Me - I rock!

This may work. I happened to search for an item (edit CLEP Psychology guide) that fell under the deal and it has a "Shop Items" link. https://www.amazon.com/gp/promotion/A2SAUF9WH7QY9M?ref_=pdaatf_psp_A2SAUF9WH7QY9M

Awww, hugs, popmom. If they're eating as per their schedules, then I'd consider the cost to just be the cost. One of my DD has a mental illness, I choose not to think too much about how much stress-relievers and supplements and x, y, and z cost, because they are what is needed.

That grocery bill gets me, and then I realize that we are eating 21+ meals (my DH can eat 6 times a day LOL) at home most weeks. That's a lot of food used added with wanting to keep a good stockpile. On a similar note, the copycat Steak n Shake garlic burger (here) is good, and I buy "Fast Food Fries" in a bag from Walmart. Blend up a vanilla milkshake. Nice distraction meal when the lockdown is just too much for the teens.