ChasUFarley

Okay... a cup of coffee to whomever can explain the reason why the Little Golden Book, "The Three Kittens Who Lost Their Mittens" was on the Junk Table. Maybe the reference to "three" was the trinity? Maybe the rat the mother cat smells at the end of the poem is a debbil spurt? Maybe VP was smoking something that day? Please explain...

Did you have too much coffee today?

Coolchef - sounds a lot like what we did here in our little NH town today too. I think there were more people in the parade than were watching it. Each year the convertible carrying the WWII veterans seems a little less crowded than it was the year before; and ditto for the Korean and Vietnam veterans. The marching band plays, the local politicians act like the day is for them, but really, all eyes and all clapping is for our beloved veterans. God bless you for helping them today and cooking them a dee-lish meal - I'm sure they appreciated your cooking!

For the male version of this, the guy probably doesn't use a hollow finger...

If it's Paula Deen, it's got to be GOOD - and FATTENING!

Catcup, Your post has hit me in a place deeper than I have words to describe. Words fitly spoken.

Rotten Apple jokes? I Googled it just to figure out what I'd been missing... I came up with some jokes from the Rotten Apple III site but nothing more...

I live in a rural area but pick up anywhere from two to five other wireless networks. Not sure where you live, but perhaps satellite internet might be the solution. It's popular around here because of issues with people living on islands where they don't have cable available. Google it and explore a little - The best he'll find is who is running specials that will save him $$ over time with the company but nothing outstanding, especially at the residential level. Check out this article in PC World for more info: http://pcworld.about.com/magazine/2306p080id120341.htm

I run Safari, FireFox, and Opera on my Apple and Safari, FireFox and Internet Explorer on Windows (my iMac is set up to run both the Apple OS and Windows). Safari is consistently fast but I notice little/no difference with FireFox. I should mention I do all my internet access via an AirPort (the best thing since sliced bread!), hooked to cable modem. MacLife magazine recently compared these programs, and a few other browsers, for speed, security, usability, etc. Safari basically won but FireFox was a close second. Opera was noted to have a good computing experience - and was kudos for its speed and safety. Safari was slammed for not being able to be easily personalized and for having few plug-ins available. The thing that stuck with me most about the article was that due to Safari being part of the iPhone thing, and iPhones being hacked, that will make Safari a target. Look for problems with it in the future and lots of security patches. (While I'm thinking of it - tell your son to go into "Disk Utility" in his Applications and "Repair Disk Permissions" whenever he's done any kind of software updates. This will help keep his Apple speedy.) In short - use what works for you. I use Safari for most thing but some EZBoard (now Yuku) are better in FireFox.

I do videography for work and prefer the Sony Handycam over anything else I've worked with. There's little/no learning curve and you can pick up a refurbished one for around $150 that takes Mini-DV (tiny tapes). I don't care for the DVDs with the cams right now but probably will go HD storage someday. For now, the DV tapes can be re-used many times and I store the video on an external harddrive. Check eBay - just make sure you go with a reputable seller.

Dog trainers, vets, etc., will all say the same thing about those enzymes, chemicals, etc. - save your money. Just good ol' Borax powder (like what you add to your laundry) will do the trick just fine. Blot up the urine with newspapers or paper towels by standing on the paper towels until no more liquid can be absorbed. Then pour - don't sprinkle - a the Borax on the spot. Let it sit for a couple of hours and vacuum up. We have white (yes WHITE) burber carpet. Two cats. One dog. Two kids (one is potty trained, the other probably never will be potty trained.) This works. Trust me - and you won't go broke using it!

I left in January 2000 for several reasons but the main one being that I was tired of being treated like I was 12 years old, when I was about to turn 30. I was sick of filling out a stupid form so I could visit my widowed mother in the next state. I hated the weekly/monthly schedules we had to turn in. I thought it was absolutely nuts I got called on the carpet - before the leadership in the entire region - because I went to my 10th year high school reunion by myself. (Even tho I'd turned in the paper work to attend, etc., well in advanced.) I left because I saw how people scrambled to prepare for Y2K but then nothing happened - and anyone with a brain to think would have told you it was going to be a tiny bleep on the radar. It was a total non-event for third world countries - but yet TWI wanted to crow about saving the world from the adversary once again. Oh, gag. Yep, I wasn't buying it anymore. Life is too short.

Cindy - Yes, PLEASE get a second opinion. The diagnosis may be correct but you might want to explore your treatment options. I have an autoimmune condition but opted NOT to take the meds because of the side effects. Some folks do just fine on the meds - it's up to you. This is totally my opinion and preferences (this is a disclaimer): I hate taking any medication unless I have to and I especially hate anything that's long-term. The idea of something that will chemically alter my body really bothers me. I'd go far out of my way by altering my diet, exercise, other treatments, etc. than to take pills. Please don't think I'm being judgmental - I'm not at all - but this is just what doesn't work for me. I've found comfort in some supplements prescribed by my chiropractor, regular exercise, and controlling my stress levels. There's other things that are factors in flare ups - like sleep and diet - but overall, I feel better more often than not and I'm not dealing with the side-effects of the medications. Do what works best for you, of course, but I would recommend like others have here, that you get a second opinion.

Hi Phil, Thanks for all you've shared here so far - interesting thread here. My husband was Greek Orthodox before he joined TWI. We're both "cop-outs" in TWI terms. He's somewhat returned to the Church, although he doesn't attend frequently it's more due to logistics than heart. Upon meeting him I had no experience with the Orthodox Church or its teachings. As a former Wayfer, I had trouble going into any church that was trinitarian and feeling comfortable there. Since learning more about the Church I've had no problem attending services and we have even baptized both our children in the Church. The priest is wonderful and very understanding of some of issues families face just to try to get to church - he's down to Earth. However, I will tell you that the place I've found common ground for both TWI and the Orthodox Church is around the teachings about Easter and more specifically the "traditions" behind them. You and your girlfriend will bump heads on some the things you've mentioned - such as 5 crucified vs. 3 crucified, etc. and most certainly on the polytheism of the Orthodox church but you'll have common ground on the importance of the resurrection. I will caution you, as others have, to be prepared for her to not accept your believes and to try to whittle away at them. I sense you're rooted in your church and believe you're willing to go the extra mile to connect with this gal. Your priest has given you wise council and I can do no better - only tell you how I relate to your case by my own experience. All the best to you. -Krista (ChasUFarley)

Quite a first post - Welcome to Greasespot Cafe!

Never heard that one... Talk about insanity....

I was there. It was the most money I've ever paid for food I didn't eat - because there never was any! Funny Story: My best girlfriend, Judy and I schlepped up to the bar at the top of the hotel. We'd missed like two meals in a row because there was like a food shortage at the hotel. It was crazy. Anyhow, it was a beautiful setting and we picked out a table near the windows, so we could enjoy the view. Then we spotted them - roasted cashews, with salt, on the table! We ordered our drinks, nibbed cashews and cleaned out the bowl before the drinks arrived. The waitress brought another bowl of nuts.... we ate that. We klepoted a bowl of nuts off a nearby table and started on that (each bowl was maybe 1 cup but anyhow...) Then, Judy decided to start dumping bowls of nuts in her purse in case there's nothing for supper! I remember ordering a second drink (Long Island Iced Teas - no joke!) and tottering back down stairs to the afternoon meeting. I don't remember as damn thing about that day other than the nuts and drinking my a$$ off....

Yeah, I think that's the one... It's strange but tastes so good... I think I'm going to make it as cupcakes with Andreas today (he's 3 years old) - as it's snowing/raining and just too nasty out to go anywhere.... (You know I'm bored when *I* bake!)

After the birth of our first son, Kristopher, I was treated for severe postpartum depression and also for post-traumatic stress syndrome (you referred to it as "shell shock" in your post). PTSS can occurr also in people who are in accidents or other extremely stressful situations and their coping mechanisms basically shut down. There's more to it than that, but essential that's what happens. Due to our purchasing a house, moving, Kristopher coming 6 weeks too early and my being shipped two hours away to a hospital with a neo-natal ICU to have him - all those thing rolled together that happened within 3 days of each other - I just overloaded on the stress. There were some other factors involved with it but those were the big ones. Coping was right out the window for a while... which is very unusual for me - I'm the type of person who likes be in full control of myself 24/7 - I was pretty Type-A before that happened... (and still am in many ways - but learned to relax a little...)

Ron - Amazon also has a lot of great promotions and there's sellers who sell second hand items - it's not just new. (I shop second hand for the kids' clothes because they usually out grow the clothes before they wear them out.) There's lots of free shipping - and when you consider the price of gas these days and the time it take to go to the store, etc. - it's well worth it. I do almost all my holiday shopping via internet - between Amazon, LL Bean, and eBay - what else is there???

Yes, I've had several dogs with this condition. Question: How's her eyesight? I'm asking this because I generally see this condition in dogs with poor eyesight or when they've gone blind. They have serious separation anxiety issues and there's really nothing you can do. Labs are especially verbal (most hunting breeds are) so it's really something you're going to have to "live with". You can continue giving her sedatives but you've become her security blanket, like it or not. Can you lug her upstairs with you while you work? Just wondering....

George - Have you considered re-homing the cats (and other pets, I assume?) If I lived closer, I'd offer to help you out - seriously. ------- On a side note - I think leather is going to be a mistake. In fact, it's sounding like new furniture is a bad idea altogether. I think I'm going to fix up the furniture we have now with foam pads under the cushions (the sofa is a sleeper and very uncomfortable now) and perhaps some nice new slipcovers. BLECH!

I hope that thing comes with a side of Lipitor! Dang! That's about as bad as poutsin - a Canadian dish that consists of french fries, smothered in beef gravy and topped with melted cheese curd.

What percentage of a purchase does GSC get? And how do I know when I check out that it's the GSC link (contribution)....? (Sorry for the pesky questions - but I want to make sure I do this right....)