I saw that Bill Maher episode too

Quicken Bill Pay [2008-05-14]
I use that site. It's worth the $9.95 a month to me for all the bills I write.

Hospital bill [2008-05-12]
As long as you pay something every month, there is nothing they can do to you. I would not take my money out of the CD Just keep paying something every month.

I saw that Bill Maher episode too [2008-05-11]
I recently started watching him and he really puts things into persective. Especially the comment about about Colonel Sanders and chicken going up. Has some fascinating guests on. One thing I did say to DH after I heard Bush say that people could use the stimulus to help pay for gas I looked at him and said Of course he wants us to spend it on gas. He Can't wait for Bill Maher to come back on.

Maybe someone else paid the bill for you. [2008-04-24]
no msg

chocolate. George Lopez or Bill Cosby? [2008-03-26]
x

I'll call the other kid's parent, make them pay the bill [2008-02-21]
One would assume your daughter thought the girl was just making a quick call. It is irresponsible of the other person to text on your daughters phone. I'm all for your daughter being responsible but it seems that she was totally taken advantage of and that just isn't fair.

I liked the previous episode [2008-02-14]
when Christian 'pulled out his resume' at the dinner table. LOL.

I actually thought it wasnt a very good episode. [2008-02-14]
I mean like you said, Julie confronting Eden like that. Not smart. And where the heck are Conner and Annie? Matt was very rude to Rachel. And Matt and his sister - eeewww How do we know she is really his sister anyway.

I watch both CSIs, caught a typo on a Vegas episode, they spelled Novolin wrong! LOL. nm [2008-01-24]
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Refusing to open a bill doesn't make it not yours. nm [2008-01-23]
k

ty...problem not the phone bill though...psm [2007-10-20]
We are fortunate that we have unlimited texts, so the problem isn't the phone bill. The problem is I feel he is running his life into a ditch. I know he has to make his own mistakes but we raised him better than to be rude, disrespectful, and lie. At least I thought we did :( I know they say you have to let your kids make their own mistakes but it is so hard to do that when you know disaster is on its way. The only real problem with taking is phone away is he will be 2 hours away and I won't have any way to contact him or him us at any time. They don't even put phones in the dorms these days. I was at a football game last night and his girlfriend was there texting away to him. I heard her tell her friend I am talking to him on AIM since we can Which meant she can't text him (we set him a limit of 200 a day) so he is sitting in his room talking to her on the computer instead. I can't stop it. There is no way I can take away his computer. I just have to let him do what he's gonna do at this point I guess........thanks for the help! Any more advice would be greatly appreciated. I really do appreciate any help!

This is the way the first episode sm [2007-08-21]
started, years ago, with Brooke being raped. I haven't watched for years, but did in the beginning.

Must have missed that episode. (sm) [2007-08-12]
Oh wait, just had a thought. Was it that weirdo guy they hired to help out at the funeral home- the one the mother liked?

they called Bill a pig but Condi and GWB have been [2007-07-25]
those in glass houses should never throw stones, eh? *lol* -

I know all about that bill they tried to pass and failed so far, [2007-07-19]
I am against it being mandatory, and yes, I am part of the breed/show world, and did mixed breed rescue, volunteered in a few shows for a long time and it is heart breaking. But, in all the years I volunteered in them, the pedigree cat was rare, I only saw a persian once and a siamese once. I am not out West though. Mandatory spay and neuter will only create a black market. In CA there is already a problem with smuggling puppies in from Mexico, imagine how much worse that will get. And yes, breeders can get a license, but not everyone will get one and unfortunately, it will knock out the good ones, the bad ones always find a way around things. The better answer would be low cost spay and neuter programs so that it is more affordable. I don't know costs in CA, but here in PA they are getting very high. My vet loves me, I spend a fortune there and if somebody gets sick on the weekend, I don't think twice about going to the emergency vet and paying extra costs. I do recall, however, in the pounds I volunteered in that there more pedigree dogs, particularly large ones. In these cases, it seemed people did not do their homework and did not realize the puppy would get so big. As for pet stores, I would never buy a pet in one of those, nor would I ever let one of my kittens go to them. In fact, my breeding is very small scale, I am most definitely not making money on it, and I am very picky about who let have one of my furry kids, and I do have high quality within my chosen breed, good health and show. Good luck in CA, but I don't think that bill will ever get passed. It is really not cost effective to the state and like you said, how could they enforce it? People find a way, sad, but true.

just know that you all can bill an MD for wait time [2007-07-12]
really - it's being done now - whereby you, the patient, can bill the doctor's office for exhorbitant time waiting.............gives them back a taste of their own medicine (with them billing you for not canceling an appointment in a timely fashion) - TWO can play that game....*lol*

Update - doctor bill for missed appt [2007-07-11]
Here is the latest scoop- and thanks everyone for all the support. I called today and spoke with the office manager, who seemed very nice and truly seemed embarrassed by the whole thing. She told me that the doctor himself had wanted those letters sent out, and that they are not for patients who missed scheduled appointments at all, which is what I thought it might be (even though I cancelled the appointment at least a week prior to when it was scheduled). He is charging us for making the appointment and cancelling it!!! Yes, I am serious. She apologized, said her hands were tied and that she had butted heads with him over this, but he would not budge. He told her to tell the patients that they could either pay the $100 or he would turn them over to his attorney. Again, I am serious. Talk about a jaw dropper. She also said that I was not the only patient to be complaining. Apparently other folks are as upset at this as I am. I told her that I understood she was in a tough position, and I do. It is not her fault this doctor is an a double s. I told her to go ahead and tell him to contact his attorney if he felt he had to, but that I would be filing complaints with the BBB and the Kentucky Med. Licensing folks. I contacted the BBB, filed a complaint promptly with them, and also talked to the Kentucky Attorney General Tomorrow I will call the Med. Licensing Board, as well as my insurance company, just to put them on alert. I hate the thought of this quack getting even one person to pay this ridiculous price. A patient should not be punished for cancelling an appointment. I just can Not that I think I am smarter than everyone else, but you all know that doing the work we do kinda takes the godness out of the way we look at doctors. I know that people are going to pay him when they are threatened with his attorney, and that is just wrong. Anyhow, thanks for letting me vent and I will keep you updated. HC

After just watching today's episode [2007-07-02]
I think there will definitely be a triangle with Nick, Phyllis, and Logan, and maybe a square adding in Sharon.

How we cut our power bill...sm [2007-06-14]
The bill arrived yesterday and it was $40 less than it usually is when compared to any summer month last year. Here I enforced people turning off lights when they leave rooms. We switched the light bulbs in the living room and bedroom to the energy savingenergystar ratedbulbs. When the washing machine died we replaced it with an energy saving one. I was suprised that the power bill went down this month... especially with it begin summer and having the A/C running. To help the kids remember to turn off the lights when they leave a room and to not leave water runningthat is not being used I gave them the incentive that if the utility bills came in what our usual budget is then they can have the excess money for extra activities this summer. That has sure gotten their attention!

Who is on the $10 bill? According to two seven year olds, it's President...(sm) [2007-05-30]
George Clooney!! Ha!! My daughter said it the other day, and tonight I heard her friend say the same thing. They sat in the back seat of the car arguing with my 10-year-old that they were absolutely sure. My son, also slightly misinformed said, George Clooney is a comedian to which my daughterNo, a comedian is someone who works with animals. These really are pretty smart kids most of the time - but I got a huge kick out of their facts tonight! HA!

Yes, I saw it (no spoilers unless you haven't seen the latest episode) [2007-05-18]
Not a whole lot of new information, just mostly confirmation of things that are already known, like yes, Desmond's failure to reset the computer was the cause of the airplane crash and later when Desmond turned the key it did temporarily make the island visible so Penny knows about it - but they didn't follow up on that. This is my guess - but presumably the ship that the woman who parachuted onto the island is trying to contact was sent by Penny. They touched on the idea of the interconnectedness of these people but very lightly - just hinted that there was something that brought this particular group of people together. Interestingly, they didn't say anything at all about the people from the tail section, but the show that was run last night was only 45 minutes because Grey's Anatomy ran 15 minutes over. The one that will be shown next Wednesday is a full hour - I'm going to watch that, too. The main thing (as far as Isomewhere in the space-time continuum. Interesting....

Farewell, Gilmore Girls. Last night's episode was the last. nm [2007-05-16]
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I heard that in some states you can bill the MD [2007-05-07]
I heard this quite a few years ago, never tried it....but our time is as valuable as anybody else And don Usually a 30-45 minute wait and I don't like that either.... Most of us have places to go, people to see, things to do.....all as important as anybody else.....they are not gods....far from it, actually. Yeah, they pay our bills/mortgage/rent but doesnlike 'em....*l* thanks for the place to vent...

Bill Gates is paying $100,000 million or is it billion? Not easy [2007-04-27]
a

Bill Maher addressed this end of show...sm [2007-04-23]
Bill Maher at the very end of his show Friday night (Real Time With Bill Maher) addressed this very thing in the final new rules of his show...the seriousness about the bees dying off...and what will happen if pollination no longer occurs. VERY SCARY indeed. Not looking for a Bill Maher like or dislike flame....just stating he brought this to MY attention Friday night....I didn't know about the bees/pollination issue nor exactly what that all meant. Thanks for mentioning the bees/pollination issue here.

Here's one: When you're at an ATM, and - sm [2008-10-10]
just started your transaction, and someone comes up behind you, is standing there tapping their toe on the sidewalk and checking their watch, and asking you every 20 seconds or so Are you done, yet? That ALWAYS makes me decide to check my balance twice. Or THREE times. Or take out cash ONE $20 bill at a time!

do you speak with your hands - and I don't mean [2008-10-06]
My husband does not listen to me either. He looks like he's paying attention but he misses half of what I say. Couple thought I have is. Awhile ago we were watching a TV special it said that people listen and remember what you say when you talk with your hands (the study was done on school children). Well I don't talk with my hands. Never have and don't know how and when it do it just looks odd. I told him maybe I should start talking with my hands because then he would remember what I tell him. Iwhat he. He's been out of work for about 5 years now and he doesn't know what he wants to do with his life (he's 50 years old). We will talk and talk and talk and then the next day it's back to square one like I never said anything. Sometimes what I will do that helps is I take scratch pieces of paper and I write notes on them and them leave them all over the place. Like I keep a running list of errands we have to do and keep it on the corner of the table and a couple times through the week I will say we need to to this or we need to do that, and then I ask him when he would like to go do them (usually ityour not interested in what I Maybe the note thing will help, it does with me. I wish you luck.

It certainly is about education (sm) [2008-10-05]
I enjoy watching Cesar Millan's show. Pit bulls are one of his favorite dog types. His have wonderful personalities because Cesar understands them and how to communicate with dogs of any type, and especially those with a reputation for being difficult. I recently saw a great episode about a man who was terrified of dogs. He'd been attacked by a dog in Mexico - a pit bull. Cesar taught him how to read what dogs were saying and how to broadcast calm leadership, even to a dog behind a fence many feet away from you. That man was very happy to overcome his fear, and Cesar was able to help his family adopt a dog from Cesar's pack that had the right energy for their lifestyle.

We had that happen with an old dial-up account [2008-08-31]
But there was no advanced warning or anything. One month our bill was what they said it would be and the next month it had doubled if not tripled. They told us it was because we were unusually heavy users. I don

Same situation [2008-08-26]
...except I am a single parent. I have a 10 year old who was arguing with teachers and classmates and fighting almost daily. He also started to be disrespectful at home and when I would send him to his room for punishment, he would kick and throw things around in his room while mumbling under his breath as well as blatently yelling at me. The second episode of kicking and throwing things, I told him to stop or I would call the police. I was downstairs and eventually heard something break. I was very angry at this point. I ran upstairs to his room (wanted him to hear me running) and I forcfully opened his door (was glad to see that he looked startled). Very angrily, I told him that if I heard one more noise from his room, I would call the police. I told him to clean up the mess from the item he broke. He told me he wasn't going to clean up anything. I called the police. The police arrived. After I explained to him the long list of problems I had been having with him, the policeman gave him a speech for about 30 minutes...asking him questions along the way to keep him engaged. He said all of the usual things that any adult outsider would say to your kid. This worked for about 3 weeks...then back to the same. After a terrible morning of him lying about something and being sent to his room for punishment, he started the same throwing, kicking, talking back routine. I politely pulled his suitcase into the hallway. I entered his room and began removing his clothing from his closet and placing them into the suitcase. I told him to go put his dirty clothes in front of the washer so I could wash them. I calmly told him that I was not going to put up with his crap anymore and that I was going to take him to the intake office for foster care. I told him that while he was in foster care I would be inviting his cousins over to enjoy his xbox, model cars, CDs, DVDs, etc. I told him that it was going to be nice having kids around who are respectful and appreciative of my love/affection and other things that I could offer them. He did not say a word. While those clothes were washing, I did not hear a peep out of him. When I put the clothes into the dryer, he said, I don I told him, sorry...I have no choice....told him I was sick of having a house that was always filled with turmoil. Told hi that since he seems to be unable to control himself and cannot disrespect the mother who works so hard to take care of him and tries so hard to love and support him....he has to go. He says...please don't send me to foster care. I told him I would give him one more chance. I told him that his suitcase would remain packed and that he was to get dressed each day out of that suitcase and that whenever clothes were washed he would place them back into the suitcase. This happened in April. He is still getting dressed out of that suitcase. You would not believe the difference this has made. He still lies and when he is caught he is sent to his room, but now there is not kicking or throwing things...there is no talking back. He just lies quietly on his bed reading a book or fiddling with one of his little gadgets. After an hour or so (because he is taking his punishment like a normal person should) I tell him that he can now come out of his room if he is willing to apologize for lying and admit that he lied. Long story short...the packed suitcase has done the trick. He knows that I am serious. He now understands that if he breaks the rules he will be punished. He understands that his behavior while he is being punished has a major impact on the length of his punishment. It is sad that he has to get dressed out of a suitcase, but this has been very effective for us.

Forgot to add... [2008-08-26]
just in case it is unclear...the purpose of the packed suitcase is if he has another episode, all I have to do is zip up the suitcase and we are off to the foster care intake office. Yes...I would really do it. If things get to that point, I would allow him to remain in foster care for a few months before starting the paperwork to get him back. We live in Georgia. They told me that it could take from 1 to 6 weeks to get him back, but that I would be able to get him back if I wanted to.

That explains it then!! She is certifiable! LOL! [2008-08-26]
I missed the very beginning of the first show this season where everyone met everyone else, so I missed the part where Sean said she wasn I saw last week's episode, too, with the campfire and the craziness back at the house. I was in shock! I loved it when she wrote her song, and she was reading it to John Rich and it went on and on and on and on and on, just pages! I just caught a bit of the Outsiders Inn last Friday night where they were doing the talent show and Carnie had hemorrhoids and was uncomfortable and putting everyone down! It does look funny, though. I just think it's so strange that someone like Sebastian Bach can go from heavy metal to country. Talk about two opposite genres of music!! It will be interesting to see what happens as the show unfolds! :)

Before the post gets buried below regarding credit - very long message sm [2008-08-24]
I just wanted to share with the posters who were considering bankruptcy. Unless you are on the verge of losing your home, I would strongly encourage you to consider another option. Bankruptcy does not just go away after a few years. It Even if you rebuild your credit afterwards, it A friend and my in-laws also filed bankruptcy in the past. My in-laws filed over 20 years ago and have recovered financially but it My husband is a credit card spender. I would only spend when I had the cash and did not depend on credit. It didn Our spending habits combined nearly led to our financial demise a few years back too. This is what I did and I hope you give it a try and it works for you too. I started with a complete inventory of all of our bills, separating them into three categories. Home (mortgage and utilities) Credit cards - (lowest balance to highest balance regardless of the APR) Miscellaneous bills (entertainment, clothing, food, gas, fast food, etc.) Since the Home category is pretty consistent every month, I set up a budget for that first. I went back through our utility bill for the year prior and chose the highest month bill of the year and added that amount to our mortgage amount. Next, I reviewed our telephone, internet, and television (satellite) bills. On average, I was paying about 230.00 per month for them all combined. Way too much in my opinion. I started shopping around and found a bundle package with Verizon. Now I pay 153.00 per month for unlimited long distance telephone, satellite TV, and DSL service. Saved $77.00 per month, just doing that. Then I added this amount to the mortgage and utilities. This totalled amount is what I know I absolutely have to pay every month and I better make sure it's in the account. Next, I did the Miscellaneous. I I started going over what was spent where and learned that we spent a lot more than we really needed to. I set up a weekly grocery budget and a fun budget. If there was anything extra at the end of the week, it was divided evenly between the two and added to the next week. I do this every week until the end of the month. If there is anything left over, that amount is divided in half again and half is divided again and added to the following week's budget (grocery and fun), the other half is locked away in the savings account. The money for monthly gas was a little trickier when the gas prices skyrocketed. I first had a set limit for gas each week but did have to adjust that. I did manage to adjust it a little bit upwards and still be able to pay the cards down (see below.) Also, every time I spend cash, no matter if the amount is $5.01 and all I need is a penny, I don Instead, I will give them $6.00 and get 0.99 change to put in my giant size espresso cup of change. When the cup gets full, the change is rolled and turned in to the bank as a deposit into the savings account. My cup last gave me $281.00 change to put in the savings account. That was in March. It Nobody touches the cup! They might lose a finger or even a hand! That being said, and having two set amounts for each budget, I then subtracted that amount, plus the Household amount from our combined monthly income. Lastly came the dreaded credit cards. To be honest, I was floored when I learned just how much credit card debt we had. My husband had wracked up over $40,000.00 in credit card debt alone. Since he paid his own credit card bills each month, I had no idea. Even worse than that, he is very inconsistent about paying his bills on time so he had late charges and the interest rates were way the heck up there. It was terrible. I took each of his cards most current statements and started from the lowest to highest balance. The lowest one was about 1200.00 but the interest rate on it by that time was 22%. This is where I started. I had him call the company and basically gave him a script to go by (my name wasn He requested a decrease in his APR on each and every card. Two of the five card companies agreed on the first call. The 22% card was reduced to 11% so they cut it in half. Not as low as I would like but it was a start. Another card was up to 31% and they reduced that to 20%. The other three didn't budge the first time. This is where I made two The first one was MS Money software. I highly recommend it. You can set up your checking, savings accounts, print your checks, balance your checkbook in about 5 minutes, pretty much a no brainer software that really keeps you in line with your bills and spending as long as you remember to faithfully enter any debit card purchase in your check register provided with the software. It will also link to many banks to update your balances online. You can also set it up to remind you for upcoming bills. (Maybe if the husband had used this earlier, we would not have been in this situation?) The second purchase was about $8.00. An accordion file folder for the monthly statements. Husband always threw his away and I cana dumb idea that is. KEEP them. Organize the tabs for each bill and put your statement in when you pay each bill. I also write the date and the amount when I make a payment somewhere on the statement, then keep them in chronological order. The actual payments came next. The smallest balance card was paid off first. All of other cards only got the minimum payment PLUS $1 more. I started doing this just for my own peace of mind I guess but I learned later that this actually helped us a bit when negotiating the lower APRs on the three more stubborn cards. It may have only been $1 extra but it was EXTRA payment and, believe it or not, they do look at that. Excluding the card to be paid off first, I added up the minimum payments of the remaining four cards (plus the extra dollar to each of those) and decided on an amount to pay the lowest balance card to get that balance moving toward 0 as fast as I could. In this case, I decided on 200.00. This left me with a little over 200.00 extra (I call it mad money but it really goes into savings anyway -planning ahead for birthdays, auto insurance, Christmas, and emergencies.) I had that card paid off relatively quickly in a few months. When it was paid off, the card was cancelled and that 200.00 was added to the minimum payment (plus $1) on the next lowest balance card. After the first month of this, once again, had the husband call his credit card company and ask for a reduction in his APR. This time it was granted. Should also mention that this card was one of the three that refused the request the first time. The first six months or so of this wasa mildly painful transition. He was used to whipping out a credit card, I was used to having cash on hand for whatever I wanted. It wasn't going to happen anymore. Finally, I wasdown to the last remaining card (754.00 per month payment by this time, having applied the payments for each card to the next as they were paid off.) When I got to this point, I started shopping around for cards with rewards programs and started comparing those cards. The last card I was paying on also had a rewards program but not quite what I wanted. I wanted to know if the terms were negotiable. It was! How about that! So, instead of losing a valuable customer the card company decided to keep me. Now I get 3% back on purchases of most things as long as I pay the balance in full every month (which I do). Any kind of air or rail travel purchased with the card is a 6% reward. I no longer use a debit card. The husband is not allowed to get a credit card again but instead, takes a certain amount of cash every week. Say what you want but he got us into this mess pretty much so he has to live with it now. It I find that I average about 400.00 per month AFTER the rewards bonuses kick in so essentially I am able to bank another $354.00 per month in savings. It adds up quicker than you might think. Should also mention that we have two teens still at home and they can really be expensive. They were made a part of the plan and do their part to help out too. Their contribution is mostly the avoidance of fast food all the time. They can come home and have a meal or eat before they leave. Things like that. Sorry for the lengthy post but hopefully I can help anyone else get out of a potentially bad financial situation like we faced.

This is wonderful. [2008-08-24]
I forget the man ironically enough you can charge it on your card to purchase! So, kind of funny there! I checked out the book at the library instead, figured out what to do, and still have not gotten around to it. I need to get it all down on paper, and I However, he does put his own gas in the car and treats us for different odds and ends, fast food, movie night, day at the beach, you get the picture... The only problem I see with this is the way I get paid. I am an IC. I only have one online company that truly pays me on time. My other accounts I bill every other week but they don Also, the work fluctuates. So, I may make $1.400.00 a month with one account but if the docs go on vacation, that can bring it down to say $600.00 a month. So while your plan, I agree, is wonderful and yes it does work, and yes Ibudget wise income wise for me personally being an IC and having fluctuating work. I might add the online company I range anywhere from 14,000 to 20,000 lines a month given the work is there, I work from a pool; no line quotas, and no set schedule. So, I need to be on my toes to grab the work. I do have a lot of accounts to choose from, but when I go out twice a week to pick-up work, I am away from the computer, hence losing some of those jobs I could have grabbed. I check all day long until 11 p.m. to make sure I take all that I can. Sorry this is so long, but I think thatfloundering on this budget thing where I am never sure if Imy end of the budget every month. I don been doing it 20 years, and love it and love being at home with the kids (school age), but still...

not to worry - sm [2008-08-24]
It's tough to tie ourselves up with something like this. I completely understand. During the past few years my husband has lost his job, got a new one, I have lost income to various reasons (mostly not enough work) but have managed to stick with the plan. Sometimes it hurts just a little bit for sure. In your situation, maybe you can set your limits a little lower according to your income each month but maintain one constant... the one you are trying to pay off. Other things can slide a little bit if they need to but just maintain that one bill that you are putting the bigger money on. I should have mentioned earlier too - Car insurance! Did you know that some companies offer you a tiny little discount when you pay every 6 months or once a year, rather than once a month? I now pay about $30 less every year because I pay every 6 months. I know, it's only $30 but it is what it is right? While everything may not really be negotiable, that's the attitude I have adopted and it has helped me change my money habits for sure. So what if they tell you no the first time, or the second time, or even the third. Keep asking. By the way, if you remember the name of that book, please post it. I would be interested in reading it too. Maybe there is something else I have missed that I could be doing.

It's definitely been worth it for us... [2008-08-21]
We only have experience with Veterinary Pet Insurance (just go to Google and type in Itmale Rottie who had bone cancer, and our little female Rottie who just recently had immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (!) of all things. I guess if you Our dogs are like our kids, so we will spend whatever is necessary on their vet care if they get sick or hurt. Having the insurance gives me the peace of mind of knowing that no matter what the treatment costs, we will be reimbursed at least part of it, so that It doesn It LOL You go to the vet you want, pay for services, then fax (or mail) the claim form and receipt and VPI mails you a check pretty quickly for part of the cost. We just pay for the policy once a year from out tax return, but you can make monthly payments if you want. You can chose lesscoverage (lower cost) or more coverage (higher cost) and optional routine coverage for vaccines and stuff. I think you can still get an online quote. It is expensive if you want a policy on a senior animal, which is why I didn My one regret is that I never had VPI insurance for my Siberian Husky, Wiley. I spent so much on his vet care over the years with his chronic tooth issues and then cancer andjoint disease. I Insurance would have saved me a fortune.

I have Meniere's. [2008-08-14]
It's been a while since I've had a full blown episode but last week I had a lot of stress and my hearing went out on one side. Was told to watch my sodium intake and do some stress relieving exercises.

sm above right about blindness and [2008-08-08]
residual. If nervous or worked up about something, I still get little shooter type feelings across one cheek (mine started above my eye). Alice, you did not mention name of drug or if it is only for those who have never had shingles. Wonder if it can be used for prevention of future events even though one might have had an episode before.

me2!!! [2008-08-05]
I am in a bit of a different situation as I am a single mom. My boys are 8 and 3 and they both sleep with me and there are nights when I wonder just what I got myself into, for the most part though I love waking up and seeing them still sleeping there and going to bed and talking about everything they are thinking as they are laying down for the night. It is a special kind of a bond I think. As for the spirits, ghosts, etc., I have been watching psychic kids on A&E and it is fascinating and they did have an episode where they told this one girl's uncle who had passed that kept visiting her to cross over so maybe the cleansing of the house would be a good idea. He wasn't a mean spirit though. My 8-year-old sees things and hears things that no one else does as well. Just keep the lines of communication open!!

Chest pain relieved by Nitro [2008-08-01]
I received a phone call from my brother last night. He sounded really bad. He told me that he had been admitted to the hospital because he had chest pain that went to the back of his shoulder blades and down his left arm. This has been happening for 3 weeks. He did got to his PCP and he did an EKG and he did not like what he saw (bro did not any specifics) and they were going to do a stress test on 08/07. Well, since this episode, they are going to go ahead and do the stress test tomorrow, which is actually today. Anyway, they were telling me that his enzymes were doing fine so far. They said that since his chest pain was relieved by Nitro they are sure it is heart-related, maybe a clogged artery. I never heard of chest pain being relieved by Nitro having any diagnostic value. Bro is 36 years old, not too overweight but a little overweight. He does not smoke. He does drink occasionally but I am not sure who much though as I have never seen him drunk nor do I see him with a beer can in his hands regularly. He has, however, had a highly stressful life. Bro was telling me that on the phone, part of it is his doing some of it is not. I remember with he called 2 weeks ago telling me they suspect things going on with his heart, mom and I thought it was anxiety. It maybe more serious. I am worried. I cannot believe my brother is going through this so young.

If I see one more fat person at the store in a motorized shopping cart... [2008-07-30]
with the basket full of crap food....I agree that if you are unhealthy because of your diet, smoking or drinking to excess, you should pay more for your healthcare. Why should I pick up thebill for your high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, lung cancer, etc? Studies prove that a change in lifestyle can make a huge difference in the state of your health. Look at how many fat, unhealthy kids we see now tethered to the computer or playstation umbilical cord, eating crap, drinking pop all day and looking pasty because of the lack of sunlight!

stress reduction [2008-07-29]
My ex-hub wrote some papers while he was doing his PhD in psychology on stress reduction. I typed his papers both before and after we were divorced. It made sense to me. One of the things he said that you work all week to make a paycheck to pay your bills. He said you have to consider yourself a bill out of your paycheck that needs to be paid just like any other bill that you owe. You need to pay a bill owed to yourself for hard work in the form of whatever you can afford out of each paycheck no matter what the amount that you may deem to afford meaning a new outfit, pedicure, meal out, movie, whatever makes you relaxed and feel happy. Set an amount aside even if it is just $20-$25. It gives you something to looks forward to. We have been divorced for 15 years, but I still remember this and still do this. It makes me feel good because I know I have to pay this bill to myself and it makes me feel good.

Y&R [2008-07-26]
You were right! That did not look like gingerale or club soda. There were no bubbles! Just a crazy mess up I guess. Surely a recovering alcoholic would have known if David gave her alcohol. That was a great episode but it was not as much of a cliff hanger as I thought, only because I knew David and Sabrina would be killed off the show and Nikki was in Paul's hands so everyone knows he is smart enough to get her help and comes to everyone's rescue. I want to know who was in the other car. Looks like there's a possibility that it was close to the ranch since Victor obviously arrived right away. Was the other car a set up, was it Phillippe (sp?)? Now that Victor knows about Jack (especially with Sabrina being killed) he's going to be in for it seriously. I do think the accident with Sabrina (and Nikki) will bring the Newman family closer. He knows the truth about Nick and Phyllis and that's great. Don't know why Nick didn't tell him in the first place. Although I feel terrible for Victoria. Nothing like last minute there. I think this is going to send her into an emotional tailspin.

We do! [2008-07-25]
I used to watch Will and Grace until my hubs burned me out on it. I have seen every episode atleast 10 times. I also loved sex and the City but just can't do the reruns. I haven't seen the movie yet either, but really want to! Y&R is what made me do this post. I was actually able to watch it yesterday and am trying to tape it today but my step-son (hence why Old Christine is hilarious to me) is here today and I probably won't get the chance so I went online to read about it. Well, guess what I found...you can watch them ONLINE! I cannot tell you how excited I was to find that. Now if my mom says I missed something good, I can go online a week later and watch the episode or just get a recap. Its wonderful! http://www.cbs.com/daytime/the_young_and_the_restless//

Okay here are the rumours LOL, sorry for the spelling [2008-07-25]
I did read in one of the soap mags (no longer buy them, just read them while in line at the grocery store) that Sabrina is definitely leaving the show. I also read elsewhere that it is rumored Sabrina and the baby will die in a car accident. Well, of course if Sabrina dies so will the baby. Anyway, I think Heather may get herself in danger with Walter since she is starting to connect him to David and Ji Min. It has shown in flashbacks that David killed Ji Min. Don't know why yet. He has ties with the mob and Walter is getting him to do the dirty work. Do you ever go to Soap City on the net? Here is the website. http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/soaps/index.html They will give you daily recaps as well as a weekly preview. Any other questions just let me know. I take my lunchbreak during Y&R so I can watch. Each days episode is also on the soap channel at 7:00p.m. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Okay, I think you are my new best friend LOL [2008-07-25]
I can't believe she is going to die! I can, cause she's way too nice for a soap, but I really like her and want her and Vicki to be friends again. Oh, how that death will put Vicki into a tail spin. She's going to feel so horrible for how she treated her. This will definitely push Nikki and Victor back together again too I think. Wonder if Victoria will take over the art gallery?! Wow, lots to think about. Yes, Heather was going through Ji Min's belongings and found a picture of him with Walter. Paul just saw it as she asked him for help on the Ji Min thing. (not sure, you may already know all of this). Anyway, Paul asked for the complete photo as it was cropped and I'm sure David will be in it. Then all of this will go down in a hurry with the Nikki thing. Wondering if I should watch today's or tape it and watch it WITH Monday's episode, cause I know it will be a cliff hanger today. Thanks for the website, I will have to check it out.

saw a commercial last night for ACE of Cakes [2008-07-25]
and the next episode is New Season. Don't know exactly when that episode is, last night, tomorrow, or sometime this weekend, but at least you are getting your wish.

Sophia...sm [2008-07-23]
I love GG too, watch it every morning, probably have see every episode 100 times or more, but never gets old. *Sophia* was the best and I am sure will be truly missed. I had heard at one point that she had Parkinson's...anyone know if that's true?

For starters, I think you need to (sm) [2008-07-22]
RUN, don Do the math - your daughter is 16 and 18 is around the corner? She wants you to go slow and nice. You simply do not have the time for slow and nice. Your daughterI don See, I can say this because I was once in your shoes, although I wasnnice as you seem to be. I also had afew more years to work on it - yes, I said years. You are not going to undo this in a matter of months,trust me. Do you have any Tough Love chapters in your area? If so, contact them ASAP. You are in for the ride of your life. I think you have to first step back and realize your daughter is playing you like a fiddle. She can anticipate your move by her behavior. That is the control you MUST take back. So she wants to leave? Have you offered her a ride? I agree with the other poster (?Linda) - you leave with the clothes on your back, not with what I have purchased with my hard earned money. You're old enough to be on your own, you need to find a way to support and clothe yourself. She If not, who is paying that cell phone bill? If you are, I believe that phone belongs in YOUR possession. You really need to sit down and realize that right now your ONLY obligation to her is to do your best to make sure she is safe. You may not like being called names, etc., and try to ration with her about this, but you know what? Very simple - you home, your rules. She does not have the right to speak to you under the roof you pay for. I know it breaks your heart that shesweet little girl that you once knew. Right now those days are gone. I can assure you though, if you Yes, I said thank you. Do you have a juvenile officer in town? Maybe you need to speak with him/her. I Definitely hook up with Tough Love - at the very least buy the book. You are going to need support for YOU. Eventually this will invade your marriage if you continue on the path you First order of the day - TAKE BACK CONTROL. No more you can but rather I will not tolerate that language in my home. Take baby steps to regain your footing. She needs to know who is in charge and believe it or not, way deep down she may even be craving this - an adult to guide her. I wish I could give you a (((BIG HUG))) because I know exactly what you are feeling. I don If handled correctly though, you and your daughter can become friends again in a couple of years. Right now she needs a mother and consistency. Good luck and keep us posted!

Your little girl - sm [2008-07-02]
I can't blame you about the bill. That was unconscionable to be so petty about the money. They're lucky their dog wasn't put down and they should know it. About your daughter - I wouldn't dismiss out of hand getting her a dog. Not right away, of course, but after some time has passed. Let me explain. I saw my sister attacked by a dog when I was five, and although I wasnmagic cure for your daughter's fear as she finds out that most dogs are friendly and loveable. This also worked for our son, who was nine when we got our first puppy. He was so scared that he actually spent the afternoon in the garage rather than come into the house with Sam (who incidentally was a three month old golden retriever!). Now he owns his own dog and is considering going into veterinary medicine. Good luck to you and your family. And I pray the owners of the dog that attacked your daughter have an attack of conscience and do the right thing by your family.