Carlene

We got another 3 inches of the wet stuff today. At this rate, we will all be needing boats to get from place to place. Good luck with the dogs,BOH. I am a resuce person myself. I just wish I could stick to rescuing dogs and let the people take care of themselves.

BOH... I can soooooo identify with what you are going thru - including the 87 year-old mother (MIL, in my case). The joke here is that we live in Seattle, TX. It is raining as I type - pouring, actually. My DH, a compulsive grass cutter and avid golfer, is near his breaking point. In addition, while I don't have 6-8 stray dogs, my daughter left her abusive husband (again) and has been at my house since Wed (3 AM Thurs, to be more precise). She walked 8 miles (in the rain) with nothing but the clothes on her back. I had to take her to get new documents (still have finished that). We were finally able to retrieve some of her clothes (and the two kids' clothes) yesterday - most of them damp and moldy. Her older child is visiting an aunt in San Antonio and comes back in less than a week. The younger one is at my son's but they are leaving Tues on vacation, so we have to find a place for the three of them very soon. We called the Battered Women's Foundation, but they are full. Check back in two weeks, they said. Thanks....that's very helpful. My son-in-law is in jail (he violated his probation from a previous assault charge, in which she was the victim), as of two days ago, but who knows when he will get out and start making all our lives truly miserable. His dad plans to bail him out as soon as possible, because he is supposed to be the best man in his brother's wedding next Sat. Best man my Aunt Fanny! That's the cruelest joke I have ever heard! The man is a psycho jerk! My DH has never lived with a lot of people, nor has he raised kids, so he is not pleased with any of this. My MIL is very critical of my family under the best of circumstances, so she keeps up a constant stream of whispered compalints - from her mouth to my DH's ear. It has not been a fun week.

Both the moms knew about the relationship and approved of it?????????? What could they possibly have been thinking?

Tylenol liquid for adults works really quickly. The Go Tabs are convenient, especially if there is nothing available to wash them down with.

Paula...your comparison made me laugh. At times, I have felt the same way. Usually that's a polite way of saying that you have to follow the rules in order to see results. You will always and forever be able to out-smart the band, no matter how many fills you get, and some people truly don't "get" that (which is not to say I think you are one of those people). It's a little like being hugely pregnant and having people ask you - all the time - "Haven't you had that baby yet?" DUH.... Again, I thought so, too. But my DH is one of those people who experience a "delayed reaction" to fills. I don't think anyone knows why. My own restriction is immediate, but his takes as long as 2 weeks to max itself out. It's really a non-event, unless something gets stuck....a lot like an over-fed baby spitting up, but without the formula smell/stain on your shoulder. Keep working on that! Exercise multiplies your efforts by about 100%.

I've had one of those for ages - probably 10 years. Often I use it when company comes. I make some kind of fruit based sauce, or a brownie or something, then while we are eating dinner, the ice cream is making. Nothing like it! You can make the best guilt free sorbet too. I use Stevia for sweetner. Yes...that's the one! It makes yummy, smooth-as-silk ice cream. I am learning that you do have to allow for extra milk money, and go back to SB for your coffee, of course, and a bag costs $10. Still, it's nice to have real SB first thing in the AM.

I'm staying out of this discussion....except to say that Bullseye Original Barbecue sauce is very much superior to KC Masterpiece. Try it and see if you don't agree.

Me, too, BJ. I went around forever, checking out every espresso machine I saw. I was reluctant to part with the big $$$ for what the uninitiated refer to as "a coffee maker". I wanted to be able to reproduce that great, addictive Starbucks taste or else I wasn't interested. So when they (SB) set up a working display in my local coffee house, I tried it and found that it tastes EXACTLY the same - just doesn't steam the milk as quickly. I am consoling my bank account with the idea that, over the long haul, I will actually be SAVING money - at almost $7.00 per day for one grande latte each, for myself and DH, at the corner SB. BTW....have you test driven the Krups ice cream maker? My neighbor has one and the frozen custard she makes in it should be against the law.

How did your cake turn out, Edie? My DD's birthday was the 21st and I so wanted to make her a kitty litter cake, but she wanted German chocolate. What a brat!

Do you have On Demand? There are some short pre-quel snips on there that go back to when Margene first met Nicki, and one of Nicki when she had her first baby. Who's your favorite wife? I love them all, but strangely enough, I think Nicki is my favorite. Barb is reliable, but predictable, and Margene is sweet, but all that ingénue stuff gets on my nerves.

The espresso machine at Starbucks costs about $10 K.....whereas mine was $350. It's still a pump type machine, but obviously on a much smaller scale than the big commercial ones. I was told you want to avoid the machines that produce the espresso via steam, as they are not as well built and the espresso quality is inferior. Espresso machines come in a variety of styles. Which kind is right for you? You've decided you need an espresso machine at home, but what kind? They all have the same basic mechanism: forcing hot Water through coffee grounds under pressure. But there are different ways to accomplish that. There are 4 basic machines, and each has its positive and negative features. Pump Espresso Machines These use a powered pump to produce the right amount of water pressure Usually the most expensive Can be quite large, bulky and noisy Produces excellent espresso Pump can get clogged with mineral deposits from the water Commercial machines are often this type Lever/Piston Espresso Machines There is a manual lever and piston on these models to create the pressure Can be hard on the arm Very quiet machine Espresso quality can vary Few parts, low maintenance Steam Powered Espresso Machines The steam from heated water creates the pressure Pressure isn't always strong enough to make a good Espresso Smaller machine, sleek design Quick and easy to use Here's a picture of my espresso machine...It's a Barista brand.

Grande White chocolate Mocha from Starbucks Serving Size16 fl. oz. Amt Per ServingCalories 510Fat Calories 220Total Fat (g) 24Saturated Fat (g) 16Trans Fat (g) 0.5Cholesterol (mg) 80Sodium (mg) 260Total Carbohydrates (g) 58Fiber (g) 0Sugars (g) 55Protein (g) 14Vitamin A 8%Vitamin C 0%Calcium 50%Iron 2% SizeTallGrandeVenti®MilkNonfatWholeSoy (US)Soy (CD)Whipped CreamYesNo

I am so Starbucks addicted, I bought their machine and now make it at home. Starbucks uses a white chocolate syrup. The recipie is mocha (2-4 pumps depending on size) esspreso steamed milk (fat free) wipped cream (Redi Whip fat free) If SB does not sell a sugar free white chocolate syrup, other places do. I bought a bottle at World Market. You can use sugar-free hot cocoa mix for the mocha. Experiment a little....it's fun and you won't have to worry about getting caught cheating.

I'd like to add...."I could care less" makes NO sense in the context I see it used most frequently. Think about it...if you could care less, then you obviously have a vested interest in the topic. What you really wanted to say was, "I couldn't care less".

Ya'll come right on over. Texas is so big, you can see just about anything here: mountains, beach, desert, forests, hill country, grasslands, rural life, urban life, the rich life, the simple life, ghettos, barios, upscale yuppie paradise, old towns, gated communities, lakes, rivers, theaters, steak houses, sushi bars, saloons, barbecue joints, fancy places and places you have to fight your way in and fight your way out. We have all kinds of folks....God love 'em.

I have been to some of the places mentioned so far....Boston, DC, Memphis, New Orleans, Florida, and Chicago. I loved them all - but especially Boston and DC. There are tons of FREE attractions in DC, including the Smithsonian and the Holocaust Museum. Do you like history? If so, these are the places to visit. I've also seen Las Vegas - no place in the world like it - and some of our many natural wonders: the grand canyon, the geysers at Yellowstone, the great salt lake, etc. I've never been to NY, but I'd love to visit someday.

Katrina was indeed a devistating storm, but it was not the "greatest national disaster in this country's history". On Semptember 8, 1900 an unamed category 4 storm came ashore in Galveston, TX, flooded the city, and killed between 8,000 and 12,000 people. Katrina was responsible for 1,836 deaths - a huge number in this day of instant communiction and considering our ability to predict when/where a storm will make landfall. And I agree....the people of New Orleans have done a fantastic job of rebuilding their city.

Paris Hilton was deemed too sick to stay in jail, yet this woman was allowed to DIE on the floor of a county hospital's ER. LOS Angeles - An inner-city hospital is struggling to survive amid a new report of breakdowns in patient care, the replacement of its chief medical officer and an ultimatum to correct long-running problems or close. Newly released tapes of 911 calls reveal that a woman who lay bleeding on the floor of the emergency room died last month after dispatchers refused to contact paramedics or an ambulance to take her to another facility. The woman’s treatment was “callous, it was a horrible thing,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Burke said Wednesday. Earlier this week, the county Board of Supervisors grilled health officials about conditions at Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital. It ordered them to return in two weeks with a plan to deal with a hospital shutdown if it is unable to correct deficiencies laid out in a federal inspection that concluded emergency room patients were in “immediate jeopardy.” The federal review was based, in part, on a report that a man with a brain tumor waited four days in the emergency room when he needed to be transferred to another facility for lifesaving brain surgery. Hospital given deadline After the inspection last week, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services gave the hospital 23 days to correct problems or face a loss of federal funding. That could force it to close. Burke said the county-run hospital is a crucial facility and that nearby hospitals could not handle its patient load. “I can’t tell you whether it can be fixed but ... the community can not stand to lose another emergency room,” she said. Dr. Roger Peeks, the hospital’s chief medical officer, was placed on “ordered absence” Monday and replaced on an interim basis by Dr. Robert Splawn, senior medical officer for the county health department. Department spokesman Michael Wilson confirmed the change but declined to elaborate Wednesday, saying it was a personnel matter. Health officials are “doing everything in our power to help MLK-Harbor meet national standards,” Dr. Bruce Chernof, director of the health department, said in a statement. In a report to the supervisors on Tuesday, Chernof said quality of care had improved but warned that there was no “roadmap” for what he called the most difficult effort to “reinvent a failing hospital” ever undertaken in the United States. The hospital has served “thousands of patients well and a few very poorly,” he said. The hospital, formerly known as King-Drew, was built several years after the 1965 Watts riot to provide medical care in the South Los Angeles area. It has been cited more than a dozen times in 3½ years for inadequate care that has led to patient deaths and injuries

Yes, I've had the zuchhini bread, the banana bread, and the lemon pound cake. All are to die for. I told myself I was going to buy this machine with our tax refund, then banked it instead. Then we took a short trip to the LA casinos and I said if we win, I'll buy one. We brought home more money than we left with, even after paying for the room, food, etc, but again, I put it all back in the bank. So when they offered me this deal (regularly $399 for $249), I decided to "just do it". My DH used to say, "If you give Carlene ten dollars, she will put five in the bank." I may be cheap, but I'm not easy.....LOL

My DH has that apple shape thing going on. ALL his weight is in his belly. His tush and legs are super small. As we were heading out the door one day, his mom said to him, "Bob, you really look good from the back."

Sherri Jo... Men can be such pigs. Do not let him make you feel like a failure, because you aren't. Here's my advice...it's free and worth every cent, by the way. 1. Do not leave your home. If he doesn't want to look at you, let him leave. 2. Get an attorney. Ask around and find the baddest one in town. 3. Take stock.....anything you think you will need to replace in the next 5 or 6 years (washer/dryer, fridge, AC system, computer, etc), buy it all now - on a credit card that has him as primary. In the divorce, if it comes to that, ask the court to give him all the credit card debt. 4. Get a new credit card in your name. Put it away and don't let him know about it. You may need it later, as it can be hard to establish credit when you are first divorced, especially if you have no job. 5. Clean out the safety deposit box. Rent a new one in your name only. Put anything you don't want him to see or take in the new box. 6. Remember that in case of adultery, the wronged party (that would be you) gets more money/stuff. Don't be afraid to put the screws to him. He has it coming. 7. Alimony.....ask for separate maintainance while the divorce is pending, and lots of alimony for afterward. Again, he deserves it. 8. Do not be ashamed. This did not happen because you are lacking something. It happened because HE is lacking something....integrity. 9. Resist the urge to get even with the other woman. Do not tell her husband, parents, etc that she is a cheating, no-good piece of shit. People believe what they want to, and they may not want to believe you. 10. You will NOT die single...unless you choose to. I was widowed at 50 and remarried 3 years later. Spend some time mourning the death of your marriage, then join a singles group - or two - and have some fun for a change. 11. Decide what you will tell your children. The truth will hurt him, but it will hurt them, too. 12. Only you know if it's really over or not. If it is, then own it and move on. Don't poke at the wound and keep yourself in constant pain. Don't follow him....don't monitor his phone calls...don't make threats (or promises)...and above all, don't beg. Be strong. It's gonna hurt like hell. 13. The affair is not over. And she can't lose her kids just because she is screwing around. She either knows that already, or she will find it out. Maybe in 1950 that would have happened, but not now. I am so sorry you are having to go thru this. Life isn't fair, but it sure should be.

Ah, the beauty of prequels....pre-whacked. I thought the Sopranos finale was pretty lame, too. To me, the draw-your-own-conclusion thing is a cop out. The best series-ender I ever saw was the last 6 minutes of Six Feet Under. Talk about appropriate, and closure...that one had both - in spades.

Sometimes my MIL makes me crazy, but I am still not sorry I allowed her to come live with us, and it's been almost 4 years. She is my DH's mother and doing this for her was the biggest thing I could ever do for HIM. I mean....that's HUGE - inviting another woman to live in your house with you. And he knows it. And he appreciates it. Moreover, I have three sons and I hope that someday, when I am old (older, I should say) and toxic, their wives will be somewhat nice to me. I am not a perfect MIL, but I try. When my oldest DS and his wife were young and poor and had a chronically sick baby, I drove her everyday for a month to the hospital to see him (Nick, my first grandchild). I bought his clothes and shoes for the first 4 years. And I took him regularly and had photos made, so she would have pictures of her baby. And when their second child was born, I left the hospital and went to the one hour photo place and had pictures of the newborn processed and overnight mailed them to her mother, out of state, because she couldn't be there to see her new grandson. Now my DS and DIL make lots of money and have tons of photos, but haven't given me one in over ten years. Not one. Not even a school picture. We were at her house last night and DDIL had boxes of photos out, for some reason, and I was looking thru them and dropped lots of hints ("Oh, I love this picture! I need this picture.") but she did not offer to give me a single one. But when she asked for the big studio photo of myself and DS, taken when he was a baby, I took it off my own wall and gave it to her. I console myself with the fact that she is the mother of boys, and someday she will know how it feels. Do unto the mother-in-law, girls, as you would have the daughter-in-law do unto you. It doesn't always work, but it's still the right thing to do.

Super, Green. I have an air mattress with your name on it. We turned the 4th bedroom into a home office, but have lots of space in the living room and den, plus 3 couches.