[Mil]

Hi Mary - things are going okay here - actually not really that great, now that I think about it. My husband is driving me crazy. He wants to retire, but that's not really the problem. He's only 52, but he has 30 yrs. in at his job. But the company has changed over the past few years and he's come to hate working in the atmosphere it's become. I want him to retire too. But there is so much financial mumbo jumbo and so many decisions. And it's driving him crazy and in turn he's driving ME crazy!!! I wish he'd just do it and be done. But he's an engineer - and therefore has to have every 'i' dotted and every 't' crossed. I swear he's making me nuts with all of this!

Well, I think my taxi service is finished for the evening, I'm heading for bed. Oh Mary, the stool is beautiful! You're very talented.

Take care and sweet dreams to everyone. Goodnight.

[cathy102]

Wow!!!!!!! I found my friends, again... I just turned 39 last Sunday (Feb 6th)...... Happy birthday to Cobb and Toby....Going to bed soon but wanted to say Hello to everyone... Miss all of you...

Hugs,

Cathy

[snow princess]

MIL - that has to be so frustrating - i'm sure you just want to scream "retire and be done with it" Does dh plan on retiring 100% or finding himself a part time do nothing job? Thank you on my painting

Cathy - happy belated birthday !

hugs
mary

[cathy102]

Originally Posted by snow princess

MIL - that has to be so frustrating - i'm sure you just want to scream "retire and be done with it" Does dh plan on retiring 100% or finding himself a part time do nothing job? Thank you on my painting

Cathy - happy belated birthday !

hugs
mary

Mary...Thank you so much...

Hugs,

Cathy

[jenniperg]

Linnie

Re: being a taxi driver - I often joke with my kids and husband about getting me a cap and a fare meter. I barely ever leave the town I live in, and still I manage to rack up some decent milage just driving back and forth across it several times in one day.

Are you in MA? I went to school in Boston and hubby and I lived in Acton for many years before we moved back down here to NJ (with a few years in Queens in the middle).

[InionGrinn]

Hi all!

Sally - you GO for it! Have some fun with the part. One of my little dreams is getting involved with our community theater once the kids are a little older.

Mary - that stool is a beaut! You are so very talented! I love when you share your work here.

Cathy - hey! Glad to see you...I haven't been able to catch up with you much since you returned from your trip - happy birthday, too, to you!

Jenni- I guess we all get to be cab drivers - they should give you your taxi medallion when you become a mom! Between karate, chess, dd's dance class and little league coming up WHEW!

Hey Linz! How are things down under? Still warm? Sounds great right about now.

Last night we went to a dinner dance for the 50th anniversary of our Boat Club. It was a lot of fun...I didn't recognize half the people there bc they were in jackets and ties! One of my favorite things was watching a few elderly couples dance - I love that - they are so intune with each other's steps, it's great. What a lost art.
On the down side, a couple who knew some of the people at the dance "crashed" the dance- they showed up drunk, danced away, I don't know if they were asked to leave but finally did and they wound up crashing their car and rolling it over on the way back to town. We don't know what happened but the whole road was shut down, and a medivac helicopter came and landed in the road. We heard it leave about 1 1/2 hrs later. (our house was 2 block from the crash but we had to drive up into the next county and around to get home - 1/2 hour out of our way if you can beleive that!)
Just awful. Why do people still drink and drive? And the boat club made available a limo service all night for ANYONE for FREE who needed it. They could have done that..

[paigeturner]

Cathy,

Happy Late Birthday! Take it from me, enjoy being 39...40 will be here before you know it!!!

[InionGrinn]

So it turns out the man in the car wreck died and the woman is in the hospital. On top of the drinking, the cops found a big bag of weed with them in the car.
It is so eerie to think that we were dancing just inches from them in the last hour of that man's life. I feel awful for his family.

[Cobb]

Hi everyone, being new around here, I still haven't figured out who all of you are, but I'll get the hang of it. At this point though, I don't have the ability to respond to everyone. In fact, the long posts with notes to everyone else amaze me. What's the trick to keeping up????

Let's see, someone asked me my drink of choice. My standard is an iced decaffeinated green tea (Celestial Seasons doesn't have an after taste, so it's my perfered) and Strawberry Kiwi herbal tea blend... Boil three bags of each and poor over a gallon of ice... I could live on it... But, if you're willing to stock the good stuff, I've recently fell in love with hot Tangerine White Tea, poored from a tea pot into a Chinese handleless tea cup. I discovered it at a restaurant and haven't been able to track it down, so Sally, if you're able to find some, that would be divine...

Chrissy, the senseless accidents get you everytime, don't they? If one moment would have been different it could have been prevented. Talking to my mom this morning, she told me that earlier this week school was let out early for snow. Seems a dad took his son and another boy for a sled ride out in the country... He was pulling the sled with his car... There was an accident and his son's friend was life flighted out with a severe head injury... If only this man wouldn't have thought for a minute.. and The boys were only in 8th grade and now this little guys life might be changed forever...

BTW, per a request... a friend sent this avatar to me, describing it as a "caped crusader". It appealed to me, since I do my best to help kids. The hand drawn, not to slicked up quality kind of captures the feeling that I don't always know what I'm doing... Definately not a "crusader" yet, but I do what I can... So, I decided it fits... Thanks for the compliment!

[InionGrinn]

Ugh, god that is just awful. I'm feeling ill. I can't stomach the sensless accidents involving children. A house burned down close to my son's karate school and they haven't razed it, it's now abandoned...we just passed it by again, a 6 year old was playing with matches & started the fire, and perished. While passing the house always starts me in on my "fire safety" lecture, the fact that it *really happened* that way is so chilling and sad, and I get stuck in that spot as a parent where I desperately want my children to 'know better' but don't want to traumatize them with the details...fine line.

As for the multi-pointed posts - it IS hard! Some people are better at it than others...maybe its a good exercise to stay mentally sharp...

I myself only started posting in this thread group a few months ago and took me some time to get who everyone is...especially now since the threads with peoples stories are closed it's harder to go back and find out more about them.

I h aven't tried white tea yet - I'll keep an eye out, too... maybe ebay? You never know.

[jenniperg]

Originally Posted by InionGrinn

they should give you your taxi medallion when you become a mom! Between karate, chess, dd's dance class and little league coming up WHEW!

No kidding. Today, which is supposed to be my "day of rest" has been as follows:

Hit the ground running - today was the annual "hebrew school service" at the synagogue, so each class did part of the service. It was lovely - BUT DD#2 had basketball at 12:15 and DD#1 had a street hockey game at 12:30 on the other side of town. I got them both changed at the school where basketball was and sent the hockey player off with her friend's grandpa. Waited for hubby to show at basketball and zipped over to see street hockey (and freeze my *** off because I was still in skirt and heels ). I'm glad I did because she played a great game - she's the only girl on her team.

Now we're off to my a/parents for dinner - it's mom's birthday.

I have to confess, as much as I complain about the running around, I love every second of it most of the time.

[taramayrn]

Just popped in to say hi...Going to start reading.

[Volfe]

Wow Chrissy - I'm sorry to hear about that accident. When death treads so close, I feel the bonds of friends more tangibly. I'm grateful you are here

Cathy - Good to see you and Hope your bday was the best ever.

Cobb, Paige, everybody Hi, hope everyone is having a restful wkend.

And Happy Lent to all that observe.

Maia

[l-thompson]

Hi everyone

Chrissy - that really is awful. Drink driving has been a major focus for the police for so many years now and one would like to think the message is finally getting through....and now theres all these other drugs out there that affect a persons ability behind the wheel. Here in NZ they have been stopping drivers and testing for not only booze but marijuana, "P" and other drugs that can cause havoc...it really is a worry. As the mother of two teenage daughters I do worry about them, as soon enough they will be out at the pubs and clubs and opening themselves up to lots of dubious things. Drink spiking is a problem over here and many young woman have fallen victim to these unscrupulous people. The world has become a scarey place in many respects.

OK, time to hit the mall with my daughters...the "mall rats" The girls are also keen to get their hair done so might have to drop by the hairdressers as well.
Have a great day
Linz

[dl]

debsdone ~ Glad you found us. Yes, it sure did pour all day yesterday!

tigger4jdt ~ How are you? Thoughts and prayers are with you as you await a response to your letter.

Bwinks ~ Thoughts and prayers continue to be with you. Know it's a difficult weekend. Hope you've been able to find support in a safe environment.

katnap80 ~ Hope you feel better soon. My "pest" lasted two weeks and the cough is still lingering! Take care!

Toby30 ~ How did you drop so much weight and dress sizes!!! Congratulations!!!

snow princess ~ Sorry you've been having computer problems. My computer froze the other day and I lost my inbox!!! Yes, it is sad that so many are just out there for themselves. Products of the "me" generation I guess. The foot stool for your friend is beautiful!!

Sally ~ Congratulations on your return to the stage!! Hope your hubby copes!!

Mil ~ Totally understand what you mean about engineer's needing "every 'i' dotted and every 't' crossed". My Dad was an engineer. Please be aware that won't change when he retires!

jenniperg ~ Didn't you post a few pages back that you have a "friends" story you were going to share?

InionGrinn ~ That is so sad about the accident. Especially since it could have been prevented by using the FREE limo service!! UGH!!

Cobb ~ Thanks for sharing the story behind your Avatar. I noticed it and thought it was cute. Like it even more now that I know the story.

What a tragic accident!!!! This man will he haunted by his thoughtlessness forever! Hope and pray the boy recovers and is not handicapped.

l-thompson ~ Oh ~ the mall on a Saturday afternoon with two teenage girls!!! Hopefully you not only survived but had fun!!!!

Off to an open house at a friend's that did a major remodel and then out to dinner with another friend. Check in later tonight!