If MT is all you've ever done, and yer too old for sm

I've been there. [2008-11-22]
I don't believe in getting even - although, whew! I'm human. I've performed several mental castrations. But through quiet observance, being stuck around this person albeit distant, I learned I didn't have to stoop. Life took care of that time and time again with the fool. Talk it out with the right person, cry it out, write it out as much as you can; key word is out. Find an outlet, running, drawing; don't bury it within.

I've been there [2008-11-20]
I have been in your shoes. Last year my husband died unexpectedly at age 56, I literally woke up one morning and he was dead in our bed next to me (aneurysm). That started a downhill spiral . . . . since then I I canhow depressed III am working now and starting to pull myself up out of the dark hole I've been in. The poster above is right. You need to see a doctor. I found out that most major health systems have programs for those of us with no insurance and no money. Call their financial offices and just tell them point blank you need to be seen and you have no insurance. They will not refuse you. I found a clinic near my house that is part of a largehospital. I was able to see a doctor for a physicalandget my annual Pap and mammogram done at no charge. They gave me samples of my medications (I have asthma) for a few months until I had insurance again. They prescribed an antidepressant which worked wonders and they gave me that as samples each month. Move closer to your family. You My family has been supportive of all the decisions I Spend time with yourgrandchild, kids can make you feel so much better.If you I did. I didn Forjust myselfI was given 174.00 a month for food and it helped outtremendously. I know it You may be hesitant to take free medical care or ask for food benefits, but remember THIS IS ONLY TEMPORARY and you will get back on your feet. It may take a while, but you will make it. Good luck to you.

I've been wanting one of those every since they came out.(nm) [2008-11-17]
x

Obviously you've never had a family member killed by a drunk driver. [2008-11-17]
Long ago? Time has nothing to do with it. The man has an alcohol problem and left the scene of a homicide. Sounds like you're ok with that. I'm not. It speaks volumes about his character.

I've been in a funk all day and suspect that [2008-11-11]
it will follow my normal pattern of lasting all winter. I love the tree and the lights and watching those once a year movies but I agree about the finances and the very non-hallmark family. Halloween is my favorite but I was a bah humbug for that and didn't even put out a pumpkin this year. Ho hum...

You've been married 15 years [2008-11-02]
and you've put up with it for 15 years. There's really no reason for him to change, is there? You've allowed him to do this to you. Sorry to be so blunt.

I've been in this dilemma [2008-10-30]
once where I was already half way through something and then realized I needed something (an egg I think) and I couldnt bring myself to do it. So I went to the store. I know of AT LEAST 4 people I know wouldnt think anything of it, and probably more than that, but I would never. I just cant.

Really? I've been doing this over 12 years and never had the problem before nm [2008-10-29]
x

I've been making a "quilt" for my daughter - [2008-10-29]
I have a hard time throwing anything away, so I have material from old clothes of all of ours, plus old sheets, curtains, a shower curtain, you get the gist- I cut them up in to approximately the same size squares. I have most of them sewn together, six across and seven or eight down (about 10-inch squares). Then I think I'll buy a bedsheet for the backing and put either batting, or more probably, because I'm cheap, an inexpensive blanket in between. What I'm doing also is embroidering pictures on each of the squares, so it's turned into a multi-year project, but it will be done before she leaves for college next fall. Really, I mean it! (I started it when she was in 6th grade).

I've never made dumplings before, [2008-10-28]
but that made me think of chicken and waffles. My kids love that dish. I looked up a few recipes for dumplings and maybe I Thanks for the ideas! I Yummy!!!

at least you've still got a sense of humor [2008-10-24]
Good luck.

I've done it - sm [2008-10-24]
When we would go on vacation and still had milk I'd freeze it rather than pour it down the drain. It always seemed fine when I thawed it out again. Not to mention, I used to always freeze breast-milk when I was working out of the house or for babysitters (for what it's worth). Go ahead - give it a try. The only thing, though, it will probably go bad a little faster after it's thawed.

Isn't that a shame? But it's not just a recent thing. I've heard of it [2008-10-24]
//

I've read the books (sm) [2008-10-24]
We actually got HBO solely for the reason of watching this series. So far it is...okay? I love the books but the series is not sticking strictly to them, and is changing some things that I don However, by itself, I do like the series. Just hate it when they go from books and change majorly seriously big things!! HC

Why would you think her purse was in the trunk of her car?? They've found "items" on a maj [2008-10-22]
road so i'm wondering if it's the contents from her purse. It's very strange - no forced entry, only her purse was taken. The latest is that she is still in critical but stable condition. If itW and had been at a premier for it late last week.

Totally agree and I've always wondered...sm [2008-10-17]
HOW the H**L do they get away with it when they obviously are NOT the majority?!!?? I don And if they have rights to have things their way, what about OUR rights to have it OUR way??? I Especially the whole Christmas thing. It seems to me, that if 99% of the people WANT Christmas parties or Halloween parties or whatever then they should have them. It would then be the parents right to keep their child home from school on the days of the parties they do not believe in. The same goes with the Pledge of Allegiance. If you don Don I also don They have to know they are the minority, yet they took away our rights, not to mention in some cases, many, many, many years worth of history! I Can you imagine if we did our presidential elections the same way? The winnerbeing the one with the fewer votes just because some p*ss head was a crybaby and couldn To me all of it is just a DUH! situation or as Carlos Mencias says it dee dee dee! and shame on the courts/government or whoever lets these idiots get away with it!!!! MY rights have been taken away because of a FEW a**holes that apparently weren Same goes with banning books from libraries, shows from tv, etc. If you don DUH! I don DUH! DUH! DUH! FREAKIN' DUH!!!! And WHY the H*ll are WE, the majority, not putting up the same fight the p*sshead, friggin crybabies did to get these things back??? Instead we sit back and p*ss and moan and cry about it. (and go off on boards like I am right now, lol) Struck a chord, sorry. It

You've been "dead"... [2008-10-17]
So youother side and theredon...wow, for your sake, I certainly hope you're right...but I wouldn't hold my breath...people like you frighten me. Bet you watch Oprah, don't ya?

haha - I've seen a penis or two in town, but golly - [2008-10-16]
LOL!

I've never watched Oprah so I wouldn't know [2008-10-16]
x

Yes, I've had this happen too, sm [2008-10-15]
As my allergies have gotten worse over the years, I have been pulling up the carpet throughout my house and yuck, nasty! I would love to put wood floors throughout, but cannot afford it. In the fall, my sinuses are even worse. I can To get rid of the drainage, you have to dry up your sinuses. I personally use Zyrtec and it works very well for me. I also have a personal steamer that I use a few times a day to try and steam things out. I I keep a few peppermints with me in case I'm in public and the nausea gets too bad, it helps dry things up for a few minutes at least. Good luck!

As an MT, I feel I've been living in a "recession" or - sm [2008-10-13]
a 'depression' for years already, not just recently. The only thing that's different for me now is how far my 401K has nosedived. When it happened after 9/11, I at least had the knowledge that I was still putting funds in, and my employer was matching those funds, and the mutual fund was buying more stocks with it at discount prices. But this time around, the 401K has several more strikes against it: - It still hadn't recovered to where it would have been if 9/11 had never happened. - I haven't been able to fund it for the last three years, and as a result there is no employer input, either. So what's changed for me now, is a real fear that I'll be on the streets in my old age, even though I'll still have to work forever. I was counting on money from my 401K to help make up the difference when my Social Security and work paycheck are not quite enough to live on. (And they WON'T be, especially if MT pay continues to be stagated or declining, as it is now.) So at this point, I would say there really isn't any way to 'cope' - I'm already working as hard and as many hours as I can, and doing without everything but the most basic needs. So at this point, all that's left is to try to hope that something will change for the better in the years to come.

I've read that they're happy to just lie around all day, but [2008-09-29]
if they get out, they could take off and sometimes see little pets as prey. I have neighbors who have little dogs and wouldn't want to risk having a dog that would eat their dogs.

I've had this happen before and it is usually [2008-09-26]
when there is fluid behind my eardrum. Usually no cold associated with it. It sounds like a bee buzzing in my ear.

And your point is what? I've been hanging out SM [2008-09-25]
with Sarah Palin and she has all kinds of tips. I hear moose if pretty plentiful and one or two should last you through the season. You might have to charter your own private plane, though. Happy hunting!

I've had DirectV for years and love it. sm [2008-09-21]
AT&T recently offered me a free year of Dish, but I turned it down. I'm happy with DirecTV. Love my TiVO, too!

I've been there. [2008-11-22]
I don't believe in getting even - although, whew! I'm human. I've performed several mental castrations. But through quiet observance, being stuck around this person albeit distant, I learned I didn't have to stoop. Life took care of that time and time again with the fool. Talk it out with the right person, cry it out, write it out as much as you can; key word is out. Find an outlet, running, drawing; don't bury it within.

live in a town of <150. No zeros. [2008-11-22]
that's less than 150 people, 13 miles from nearest grocery, in the middle of the USA...and i grew up in a big city in CA. but whoohoo!! now we have a cell tower too. turkeys roam the yard every day. sometimes deer, right in town :) and we've been upgraded to high speed I/N as well. Living is good!!

Everyone seems [2008-11-22]
pretty happy. It doesn't seem prurient. I've been in favor of other situations in which people are free to develop on an internal time clock rather than one imposed externally & in that regard there's probably something to this, but the siblings following the first probably got the idea to continue for a long time from watching, so there's definitely a bias there. Would be interesting for someone to design a study comparing long-time thumb-suckers with children weaned at a later age. This woman would probably say that the experience of breastfeeding can't be duplicated or substituted with a bottle or a plastic nipple because the emotional part of it would be lost. I don't know. I guess it depends on the family involved. I remember on Six Feet Under, how Lisa & Nate were letting Maya sleep in their bed until she decided she didn't want to any more. I think there's just a whole movement out there comprised of people with similar ideas, & until someone does a long-term study, I guess I'd have to say any suggestion that it's out-&-out wrong is just conjecture or has a cultural bias.

Boobage - SM [2008-11-21]
I feel ya, girlfriend...I wear a 32DD and the choices are so limited. Believe it or not, ICurvation. I bought a couple of them when they were on sale because they were really cute (black with pink ribbon trim and leopard print demi-cup with pink ribbon trim), but didn't really expect much from them and figured they'd just look nice. Imagine my surprise when not only did they look great, they actually provided support, lol!!! I found that the demi-cup is actually even MORE supportive than the full cup style, which I hadn't expected. Have fun and show those girls off to full advantage :-)

Whatever sale item is most important to you [2008-11-21]
start there...early. Sale ads from Wednesday night's or Thursday morning's newspapers should tell you the store hours and sale hours. Many end at 11am. My dd and I like to go about an hour after stores open, though it's still dark outside. The crowds that were waiting in line overnight for the big ticket items are gone by then, and most everyone else avoids the stores until the afternoon hours, thinking they will be less crowded. Wrong they are though. There are more employees on duty early rather than later, so things move more quickly in the morning hours. We've also found the earlier crowds to be friendlier. DD starts singing Christmas carols while standing in line and soon lots of others join in. She's a blast to shop with. Then we go to a late breakfast and go home before the unfriendly crowds show up. Hope your experience is an enjoyable one.

How exciting for you -- sm [2008-11-21]
I My mom always drug me out an hour before the stores opened. The ads usually come out in Thursday In the past, I Get the paper and makea game plan. Some stores open an hour or 2 later than others, so you may be able to get to both in time for the specials you Wal-Mart generally has a lot of specials, especially in the toys dept. Our Wal-Mart gives you a map when you enter to tell you where each BF special is located in the store. They put some stuff in strange places -- like TVs in the meat dept, computers in dairy, etc. It Ask the Wal-Mart greeter when you enter. Our Wal-Mart is also open 24 hours, as are most, which means no waiting outside. We usually arrive an hour before the sales start so we can be in position for the item. Obviously, the most-sought after items are electronics, so be there early if you Target is 1 of my favorite places because their specials run all weekend, not just until 11 a.m. (I hope it They usually open an hour after Wal-Mart. I usually head there second because even though the specials run all weekend, they do run out of stock. Kohl The cash can be redeemed usually starting the Sunday after Black Friday. Don If there General advise: Wear comfortable shoes. Be polite to others, but don If you got there first, it Make sure you and DH have cell phones so you can communicate if you get separated. Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!! Let us know how you make out afterwards.

mine's probably obvious [2008-11-21]
aside from the fact that i my initials for tying are MS, which are very common. so, many, many years ago, to separate myself from the group, i changed my initials to MX, which no one had. now, i also, as is probably common, some of us have other screen names here than just our primary. i have more than one identity here, which shall remain nameless. another one of me is much more of a trouble-maker than the true XanaX, another regards being an ex-employee for another company, and yet another regarding my location in this country. i

According to DH, our budget is $1,000 [2008-11-20]
But more likely I We have 3 kids. We usually get them 1 big gift to share and then round it out with smaller gifts. This year, they It The breakdown of the other $350: Parents $150, Grandma $25, Gift Exchange $60, Siblings (from my kids $20, Niece/nephew: $40, Teacher Gifts $30, Student Gifts: $15. The remaining $30 will go to Toys for Tots! Each of my kids like to pick out a $10 gift to put in. I have 3 siblings and 1 that My brother that Of course, my 2 unmarried siblings also buy small gifts for my children, so we always get them a little something from them -- usually lottery tickets or a gas card for Sheetz. $10 used to fill We do our exchange party on Christmas Eve. It keeps the kids entertained and gives them a little preview of what I have to say I enjoy Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day. It Teacher gifts kill me. It I usually go for a coffee mug with a Christmas scene or teacher saying on it and fill it with candy. Of course, DH thinks I do all this for Christmas for $1000, but why tell him and spoil it? We do a Christmas Club for $1000 every year and I just buy the other stuff here and there. We already got our Christmas gifts for ourselves -- a 46-inch LCD TV for DHand a Dooney Bourke purse with matching wallet for me. Now you all got me excited again about shopping next week. I I always wait until the day before Thanksgiving to do that so I know I won For those of you below who posted that you don Let me just say that I don I sometimes snag a deal or 2, but I learned a long time ago not to wait until Black Friday to get the most sought after items. Best to get them in Sept or Oct.

For my fellow Black Friday shoppers, a little tip [2008-11-20]
Don I know they may seem like a great deal, but usually those items are only $20 to $50 less than they normally would be. The aggravation of trying to get it isn I generally go for the smaller deals -- like the cool PJs on sale and the board games or DVDs on sale. These are great sales. One year, I got 3 Fisher Price/Hasbro games for my 5-year-old for $3 each. DVDs were only $5 each. There were3-piece fleece PJs for $9. These are best deals in my opinion. I Then I spent the next month trying to find one anywhere for my kid for Christmas. I go out early on Black Friday for the excitement and some bargains, but never the big ticket stuff. I have that bought before then and stored away safe and sound. To me, it's like tailgating -- the thing that gets me into the spirit of the season!

My husband is oblivious to our finances [2008-11-20]
Sometimes that It sounds like maybe your husband is too proud to tell his family that he can I I would suggest talking to the leader of his family, the person who hosts the get-togethers, and let them know that you do the finances and you just don It doesn I would certainly let your husband know that you are going to say something beforehand, but he doesn I For birthdays, we take the time to call and wish that person a happy birthday. We don My brother lives about 2 hours away, so we don Unless his family is loaded, I'm sure they'll understand. As for the glasses, I just took my son for new glasses yesterday. The eye doctor said he needs a new prescription, but I asked if just the lenses could be replaced and the frames reused. He said absolutely. Our insurance covers new frames, lenses and the exam, but my son has a tendency to break things at the most inopportune time. We just bought him these glasses in June because he broke them and according to the insurance, it wasn Now that he is eligible for everything new, we asked for just the lenses. If he breaks his frames later in the year, we can just get new frames (covered by insurance) and pop the lenses in. The only problem there would be is they discontinue his frames because the new lenses probably wouldn So, something to consider here is, if your stepchild needs a new prescription and already has glasses, then I would check with your lawyer to see if you can just buy new lenses for the current frames. The frames are what normally cost the most anyway.

Anyone go through a divorce w/younger kids? sm [2008-11-20]
Iit just isn while I have always felt you don't throw around the word divorce unless you mean it. Well, I mean it now. I gave him an ultimatum - straighten himself out or I leave with the kids. I am not going to go through 5 years of this again. It is affecting the kids, and my son is acting out to the point of saying he wishes he had never been born. I am giving my husband until after Christmas to decide what he is going to do, and if he does not value our marriage more than his alcohol, I am moving out of state. This is not to keep him away from the kids but because my parents (divorced also) are in a different state than I am and I have no family at all here. Has anyone had to make a decision like this? I donno other options. He refuses to go to counseling or to see a doctor about what I am positive is depression. Any tips or suggestions? Sorry to dump on everyone like this, thanks for reading.

I've been there [2008-11-20]
I have been in your shoes. Last year my husband died unexpectedly at age 56, I literally woke up one morning and he was dead in our bed next to me (aneurysm). That started a downhill spiral . . . . since then I I canhow depressed III am working now and starting to pull myself up out of the dark hole I've been in. The poster above is right. You need to see a doctor. I found out that most major health systems have programs for those of us with no insurance and no money. Call their financial offices and just tell them point blank you need to be seen and you have no insurance. They will not refuse you. I found a clinic near my house that is part of a largehospital. I was able to see a doctor for a physicalandget my annual Pap and mammogram done at no charge. They gave me samples of my medications (I have asthma) for a few months until I had insurance again. They prescribed an antidepressant which worked wonders and they gave me that as samples each month. Move closer to your family. You My family has been supportive of all the decisions I Spend time with yourgrandchild, kids can make you feel so much better.If you I did. I didn Forjust myselfI was given 174.00 a month for food and it helped outtremendously. I know it You may be hesitant to take free medical care or ask for food benefits, but remember THIS IS ONLY TEMPORARY and you will get back on your feet. It may take a while, but you will make it. Good luck to you.

bought/sold couple hundred items [2008-11-19]
i've had a good experience both ways. it is time consuming, communicating with customer/feedback/packaging items/mailing, etc. Like you, i thought of doing same. but you really have to have something special/in demand to market, or maybe do the drop-ship method where you don't even keep the inventory yourself to make a real business venture. I don't think it's any more of a golden goose than other business ventures however.

Too afraid of meat in restaurants now sm [2008-11-19]
Their meat may be old (sorry). If we do go, will only go to very busy place as even some bought at market are questionable. We have gift certificates which we appreciate as they are from busy places. Sometimes we have a UFO party. Unidentified freezer objects - if theycautious but things are rough right now for everyone, even the markets, restaurants, etc. I sure hope the turkeys are okay, even in good times webad ones - have to open them up and be sure. Martha likes to brine hers in salt water - not a bad idea these days to check them out before it's too late the day of or the day before. Fresh is best - wish we had our own farm as some do.

Wow! sm [2008-11-19]
INo men or children allowed on Black Friday. :) Black Friday is also my favorite holiday. Good luck fellow shopper!

Nissan Altima [2008-11-18]
I presently own a 2008 Nissan Altima and get about 32 miles per gallon. I previously owned a 2006 Dodge Charger, but only got 22 mpg. My first car was a Honda Civic and second was a Honda Accord. IChevy Nova (Corolla type),Chevy Prism, and Dodge Durango (my fave). I prefer foreign cars because of their reliability. Of course my present foreign car was built here in the USA.

Well this makes me feel better [2008-11-18]
We tend to eat out quite a bit on the weekends, although we never intend to. We usually eat out on Friday night, then sometimes on Saturday for lunch and dinner, then usually cook on Sundays...if I feel like it and we've had a chance to go to the store. Anyway, it's nice to see we're not the only ones who do this...

I'm embarrassed to say this, but [2008-11-18]
we usually eat out at least 3 if not 4 nights a week. Always eat out on Fridays and Saturdays and then usually Tuesday and Thursday nights. I generally cook a large family meal on Sunday with enough leftovers to last through Monday. Tuesday night we either order in and Wednesdays we have breakfast for dinner -- my kids love that one. Thursdays we usually order in because it We usually eat out Friday nights because we go to get groceries (I don Saturday we We When it was a 15-minute drive to town, I planned our meals ahead of time and usually only ordered once a week or once every 2 weeks and we only ate out on Saturdays. We seemed to have picked up these extra 2 nights of ordering in out of convenience (a nicer word than laziness). Oh the cost -- I have 3 kids and a hubby. On the nights we order in, we spend about $25 to $30 (saving because of no drinks or appetizers). When we eat out, the bill is usually around $50. So altogether, I guess I spend about $155 a week on eating out -- WOW/YIKES! Thanks for making me realize that. I think it

YEAH baby!! Me too. sm [2008-11-18]
About 10 years ago I bought a Honda HX with prototype gas-efficient trannie, light wheels, no frills. That puppy would still be with me if not for the prototype trannie pretty much fizzled on most of the HXs but I milked mine for as long as possible. Ex had a Prelude, same year (99). He loved the car and took great care of it. Gas was killing him though (uses it to drive and travels a bit). He wanted to keep it in the family so he sold it to me. I drive about 5000 miles a year, if that. Amost 300,000 miles on that one and what a dream it is!!! He bought a new Civic. Another SWEET car. My son has a 1990 Accord, bought it used with less than 100,000 miles about 3 years ago. We've put some money into it, mostly cosmetic and just catching stuff up, but it runs like new. My Civic was actually built in US, so I didn't feel too guilty, but how many years have US automakers had to see the writing on the wall? I'm sorry, but I like keeping a car forever. No car payments are great. Honda fits that mold.

Us too - sm [2008-11-17]
On 11/13 we had to say goodbye to our 19-year old cat named AhAh. We've lost many over the years, and each one hurts as if it was the one and only. So sorry for your loss.

My DH drives a Chevy Malibu Maxx... [2008-11-17]
I have a 2005 Buick LeSabre and we also have an older Ford Explorer that DH kept to use for hauling stuff..... I've never had anything but an American made car........... LOL, I'm not exactly a car salesperson's dream customer........ I keep my cars forever...... 1972 Plymouth Duster 1984 Buick Skyhawk 1996 Buick Century 2005 Buick Skyhawk.......... only 4 cars in over 30 years......

I read an interview with her family.... [2008-11-17]
They won't even say his name. I don't wish he would've died. I wish they would've thrown his a@@ in jail like he deserved. He has no business being in the postion of authority he is in. He should've been punished for what he did and he shouldn't be allowed to be making decisions that affect this country.

I used to feel the same way, but [2008-11-17]
my family loves my e-cards, which I have only sent for birthdays and Mother's Day (also sent flowers to Mom). They know that I don't get out to shop much, though. I actually bought a subscription to Doozy Cards because at that time we only had one car, and with us living so far from everything and wanting to spend what time I could with my family, it seemed senseless to have to go out at night after hubby got home from work. For Christmas I would send paper cards. To OP, I do not think handing them is tacky. I've heard others say that it is, but I think it is the thought that counts.

My tracfone does have texting capabilities [2008-11-17]
my daughter figured that one out all by herself. LOL. We've been thinking about getting her one for a long time, but our problem is she'll have the minutes gone within weeks and then she'll have no phone. I guess she'll have to learn the hard way if that happens.

This Is So True [2008-11-15]
When I took an IQ test and scored 166, I thought it was a huge mistake.I struggled in school, which I believe is because I was bored. I am very good with technical things (computers and such), but I learn by doing not by reading. ThereI have had depression my whole adult life, but Iwrote about those with higher IQsare just like me. I always thought I was dumb because I did not get As or Bs in school and could not retainmost of whatI read. Of course, like I said, ADD plays a big role in that. Thanks for your post. Made me realize some things that I hadn Only my husband knows my IQ score...I don't want my friends or other family members to know (I don't think they would believe it).