No helmet, not even her jacket....sm

Most important part of biking..wear a helmet!. [2008-07-07]
And don't forget about extra foam padding for your handlebars, they make gripping handlebars so much easier. Especially for those of us who might have carpal tunnel problems. And those BIG seats are worth their weight in gold. Also a little first aid kit and a portable tire pump. I have one of those where every time I pump the handle, all the air goes into the tire. My hubby, son, and I bike along the rails to trails here in Michigan, and they are great for learning about shifting gears, figuring out how your bike works and other things that you just can't do in your driveway or on a city street. But above all....HAVE FUN.

No helmet, not even her jacket....sm [2008-06-23]
and it is a little cool out tonight. I I know she would never do anything to harm her, but WHAT IF.....You just never know when an accident can happen, so why risk it? My daughter doesn Thank you for you response. And you do not sound grim - you are just telling the truth - that is exactly what was going through my mind. I will have to let her know I

Maybe it was the owner's initial? The person who bought the jacket? [2007-12-11]
nm

I believe the outfit is a suit (jacket optional), pantyhose and heels. [2007-10-02]
xx

My 50 y/o bud was THE most matronly MOB you can imagine in a long brocade gown & bolero jacket. [2007-05-30]
s

Glad she got her jacket back. [2006-11-15]
x

I usually do a lot of handmade gifts. This year each kid gets $100 they are all grown sm [2008-11-21]
I make my oldest son boxer shorts, he only likes the ones I make. My other son wanted a robe and matching PJ pants. Daughter wanted a couple of outfits and a denim jacket. My mom wanted something I had knitted up for her. Stepdad just wants to be remembered. My brother won't take anything from me, so no problem there. I will do some small things for my friends, but I won't spend $500 total, even with giving the 3 kids $100 each. I have NEVER spent that much on Christmas! I have worked like a dog all year, but I have had no time to do these things they think they want.

Awww I love 'zons! sm [2008-11-01]
I am down to budgies, but I did have an Indian ringneck parakeet for a long time, 2 in fact. I finally decided that she didn't have the life here that she needed and deserved, so I gave her to someone who has always been crazy about her. She is much happier and well loved. IRNs are not as teachable as an Amazon. They tend to be more calm and live in harmony with furkids. Plus, they are so large that no right-minded cat or dog would dare to challenge them. I know of a couple of 'zons who have put holes in cat's and dog's ears just for living. You have to know that she is very attached to Birdie. I have a feeling, however, if someone was hurting you she'd do the same thing to them that she did to your jacket. I am glad you spoil her, she is a lucky bird. So many people go into having a larger parrot and don't understand their habits and needs. This is why so many birds are abused and far too many of them can't recover from it. I'd be willing to bet she is beautifully fully feathered and a deep lime green. If her whole head is yellow, she is a double yellow head. If that is the case, they are known to be the best tempered of all the Amazons (and the most expensive in many places). Thanks for being a good birdie mom, we need more like you!

How about a spoiled rotten 40-year-old [2008-10-31]
Amazon Parrot? She is so beautiful and knows it! She has a bright yellow head and talks to the dogs, and all the dogs we have had prior to this one. About 3 years ago I bought her one of those parrots that will talk back and flap its wings and repeats everything you say. She loves BIRDIE so much that I tried to pick it up (have to admit was teasing her with it and kissing it) and she got so jealous she bit my leather jacket and made a hole in it!So much for the jacket, but I love my Morry. We thought she was a boy so we named her Morris, then we were told she was a female. . . I switched her name to Morrisa, i.e. Morry. Wish you could meet her. She is just darling and spoiled and rotten and . . . . . . . .

This may be your last chance, your only chance... [2008-10-18]
This may be the only chance--it may be the last chance for you to save your son. My son started in with smoking pot and drinking alcohol at about the same age. I, unfortunately, was too soft, was a push over, and I, too, didn't want to go overboard. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret my decision. Every time I hear the wail of a siren in the distance and it is coming toward this part of time, I cringe, and I wonder if theythe knock, associated with the police coming to tell me my son is dead. My son is 28 years old now, and he is not only an alcoholic (and a nasty, obnoxious drunk at that), he is addicted to meth. He will take anything just to get high. He stole the phenobarbital that I give to my dog to control his epileptic fits. He drank 2 whole bottles of cough syrup with DMX just to get high and hallucinate. It doesn't matter what the drug is, he'll take it. His primary jones is with meth. I saw my son the other day for the first time in about a year, walking down the street. If he hadn't had the particular one-of-a-kind jacket on, I would not have recognized him. He looks like a walking corpse. His face has morphed, looking like the faces of meth you can google. He's 28, but he looks older than I am (55). He was, at one time, brilliant, with an IQ in the 160s. Now, he is what I'd describe as dull-witted, unable to reason his way out of a paper bag. Even his voice has changed. He walks the fine line between severe psychotic episodes and sanity--and he is toppling toward permanent psychotic behavior more and more. In short, my son is dying, and he lives every day to get more and more of the poison that is killing him. Don't go into doormat mode. Tell your husband. Get mad. Do what ever you have to do--including having your son committed to a rehab facility against his will until he is of legal age. If you stay in doormat mode, you enable your son's habit--and it is a habit...one so well established that he thinks nothing of posting pictures of the crimes (and they are crimes, and YOU are responsible for what goes on in your home) on the Internet. If you don't act aggressively and act NOW, you will be responsible for its outcome. My son is dying because of my inability to act. Do whatever you need to do, including taking him to the police department--anything and everything. Once he tries meth, he'll be a goner. I'll be saying some prayers for you and your family. If you think Itoo harsh and don't do something, any refusal or inability to act right now may very well end up killing your son. I, unfortunately, am speaking from experience.

How old is your son? Something similar happened to mine in first grade and it escalated. sm [2008-10-01]
It was because he was a bigger, tough boy, and like yours I have taught him to only hurt others in self-defense. This girl ended up dragging him around the playground by the hood of his jacket and almost choking him to death before a teacher who happened to be looking out the window (not the ones who were gabbing on the playground unaware) noticed and ran out to help him. Even after that the teacher was just going to make the girl sit out for a little while because the girl has a little crush on your son. I made such a big deal that the teacher called a class discussion about safety and not touching others and how you can hurt people, etc.

Some suggestions...sm [2008-08-06]
I would enroll her in a good basic puppy obedience class. She sounds like a typical fun-loving, high-energy pup, but youclose to full size, just with some filling out to do). Plus,she will soon be entering into what I LOL She just needs to learn some need to learn how to communicate w/her in a way she can understand, which a goodtrainer can help you with. Learning the basics (sit, stay, down, come, heel) will come in very, very handy - esp. I mean, think about it, she can Teaching basic obedience to your dog issort of like teaching manners to your kids, can you imagine how insufferable they Ask your vet if there are any training classes locally that he/she recommends. You can also try the Assoc. of American Pet Dog Trainers: http://www.apdt.com/ Find someone who uses fun, positive, dog-friendly methods, and avoid anyone who wants to useforce, yelling, hitting, pushing the dog into a sit, drilling the same command over and over, etc. Do some research before deciding on a trainer,because anyone can hang out a sign and call themselves a dog trainer - doesn Training s/b a fun, bonding exp. for you and your dog. In fact, you might want to look into something called If you can And personally, Iwould not play tug-o-war with her, at least for now. For some reason, that game seems to get dogs pretty wound up and *Maybe* later, if she learns to release the toy on command when you say We train our dogs from the start that they are never allowed to put their teeth on us, ever, but some people allow the dog to do it if they do it gently, in play. I just find it easier to not let them put their teeth on us at all, but that We also teach our dogs that they are not allowed to jump up on anyone unless the person gets down on the floor and calls them up (by patting the chest). They doncontrol untilthey settle down. Please don- far from it! I often For instance, there is a dog toy called You can fill it with peanut butter and kibble, freeze some beef broth and kibble it it, all kinds of things, and give it to the dog to keep them busy. I love it! If you go to their website, they have recipes. My other big suggestion is: Exercise, exercise, and more exercise. Dog people have a saying: I can tell you from personal experience that this is soooo true. My dogs can be so obnoxious when they haven A dog that gets plenty of exercise, both physical exercise and mental exercise (in the form of training where the dog is having to concentrate which wears them out mentally just like it does us) is a good dog, because ita dog that doesnto get into mischief. Some ideas: 1. Treadmill (supervised, of course). 2. Walks on a leash with the dog having to heel and wearing a backpack that has something it for a little weight to wear him out a little. 3. Running,playing, wrestling with another dog of similar size and energy level (with a friend's dog or at the dog park maybe?) 4. My absolute, all-time personal favorite (because ILOL): Riding around the neighborhood on my mountain bike with my dog running/pulling alongside, attached with something called a Springer, which you can find here: http://www.springerusa.com/ (I use a better harness than the one that comes with it.) This is a great way to exercise your dog, IMO. Be careful, wear a helmet, let the dog set the pace. You have a high-energy breed, so... enjoy!

Yes, very dangerous...sm [2008-06-24]
I haven I didn It My brother-in-law has a 15-month-old who he takes on the riding lawnmower with him while he I know they think I

I don't think I would allow it. [2008-06-24]
I own three 4-wheelers. I know they can and are dangerous. I make my stepson wear a helmet and chest protector when he rides and he is 14. My husband and I often take rides with our 4 y/o son sandwiched between us on one 4-wheeler but my husband drives at a slow speed and has BOTH hands controlling it while I I also have my son's bicycle helmet on. Not only is that a lot of noise for such a young person but ATVs are just dangerous. She should have at least asked for your permission first.

Short story about ATVs [2008-06-24]
A woman I know was riding one with her 2 y/o grandson. She was turning on the 4-wheeler when it kicked into high gear and wouldn They were heading right for a tree. Basically she had to jump off while holding onto her 2 y/o grandson. The 4-wheeler then ran into a tree and did some major damage. Thankfully, no one was hurt and she did the right thing by jumping, but still. They found out that whoever had put the 4-wheeler together before they bought it had done something wrong and when she turned it caused a wire to do something weird and it made it go fast and wouldn I can't remember exactly what they said happened, but if she hadn't jumped, she would have run right into a tree at full speed with her 2 y/o grandson. Also, there was a young kid....about 5 or 6....who was killed about a month ago on an ATV. His older brother was driving and something happened and the kid hit his head and was killed. Had he had a helmet on, he probably would have lived. When my stepson has a friend over, we always ask the parent Asking permission is just common courtesy.

It's not the noise I'd be concerned about [2008-06-23]
Is she wearing a helmet that fits? There are daily accidents with children on ATVs. I If she should happen to flip the ATV, which can happen on an incline at any speed, your daughter could be killed. I don't mean to sound so grim, but it's something to be aware of. We have an ATV. My 3 boys do ride with their dad and do wear helmets, but it Every time they get on, I feel like I have to hold my breath until they're off.

I think the question is why he put it there, not what it is.. (other than pornography which) [2008-04-18]
should never be there. For example, is he putting the Bible there for it to be in other people's faces? For intimidation? To teach them a lesson? I think if he cares about the Bible for himself, he can put it in the drawer and not be ashamed of it. Or his backpack, or a pocket Bible for his jacket. Or, if it is so important to be near him, he can keep a book cover on it. If he had good intentions, that is for his own inspiration then he would have no trouble keeping it private. But, it is different if he wants it there as a reminder to others of his beliefs, to witness, etc. This country was founded on Freedom of Religion. His religion, my religion, your religion. If for some reason I believe my religion is interpreted by me to say other people must believe my way or they will go to an eternal unrest, then I must remember that other people have the freedom to not have to hear that very same thing, so I need to be wise about forcing my beliefs down other people's throats. Jesus never ever threw his beliefs down other people's throats. When he was beaten he was silent. He did not try to condemn and he did not say they were going anywhere eternally evil. Same for us. Buddha never put anything in our faces. Nor did Moses, Abraham. Nor do many athiests. True believers allow others to have the freedom to not hear. So does a Supreme Being if one exists. GO ahead don't believe. That is your choice. So are the consequences. Just IMHO.

Giants' blue [2008-02-04]
You know what confused me? I have always, always seen the Giants in blue, and to see them in a different color just rocked me! And then, of course, the coach was wearing the regular blue jacket, which was even more confusing! We were halfway through the first quarter before I stopped automatically looking at the blue jerseys to be the Giants!

If you don't have a suit yourself, I'd say a nice skirt and blouse . .. [2008-01-17]
nice slacks with a jacket... that sort of thing. You just want to avoid anything low cut, too-short hemline, or anything that sparkles. Congrats to your hubby!

Are there others like me? [2008-01-14]
I am just curious to hear if anyone feels similar to how I feel. Please don�t write me and call me a �crack-pot� or anything demoralizing. I am just curious if anyone else out there thinks similar to how I do. I watch so much of the news and find that things are being spoon-fed to us. We are constantly bombarded with news of Brittany Spears and so many other �non-essential� news stories that it seems like we are lost with what is going on in reality. I will hear 100 times in an hour about Brittany not showing up in court, but I don�t hear once in 24 hours about the real news (the war, the economy, education, etc � all the things that we should be interested in). Who cares if Brittany doesn�t show up or does show up to court or loses custody, or shaves her head. She needs to be in a straight jacket, but that�s not the point. Maybe if so many people care about that and not what�s happening in our own lives maybe they should be in straight jackets (just kidding � actually talking about my mother-in-law) EDITED OUT POLITICAL CONTENT BY ADMINISTRATOR (Please post political content on the Politics forum.) It seems like each day is like living in a Matrix world. Yes we have to pay our bills, cook dinner, get up and work, send our kids to school, but it all seems so unreal to me and I find myself being disconnected with life more and more. Maybe I�m going through a midlife crisis (haven�t gone through menopause yet � and I�m 49 years old), but I seem to be asking myself the question over and over�..is this all there is to life? Anyway�just wanted to know if I�m the only person out there with these feelings or if there are others like me.

I'm a big thriller/horror movie fan s/m [2008-01-02]
The Others is a really good movie if you haven't seen it. Some of my faves are I also like Rosemary's Baby, The Butteryfly Effect, The Jacket and Donnie Darko.

Twas the Day After Christmas (sm) [2007-12-26]
Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the house,Every creature was hurting - even the mouse.The toys were all broken, their batteries dead;Santa passed out, with some ice on his head.Wrapping and ribbons just covered the floor, whileUpstairs the family continued to snore.And I in my T-shirt, new Reeboks and jeans,Went into the kitchen and started to clean.When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,I sprang from the sink to see what was the matter.Away to the window I flew like a flash,Tore open the curtains, and threw up the sash.When what to my wondering eyes should appear,But a little white truck, with an oversized mirror.The driver was smiling, so lively and grand;The patch on his jacket said U.S. POSTMAN.With a handful of bills, he grinned like a foxThen quickly he stuffed them into our mailbox.Bill after bill, after bill, they still came.Whistling and shouting he called them by name:Now Dillard mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt>Here mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt>To the tip or your limit, every store, every mall,Now chargeaway-chargeaway-chargeaway all!He whooped and he whistled as he finished his work.He filled up the box, and then turned with a jerk.He sprang to his truck and he drove down the road,Driving much faster with just half a load.Then I heard him exclaim with great holiday cheer,ENJOY WHAT YOU GOT ... YOU mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt>

Please read [2007-12-24]
Last week a little girl in my community was having a snowball fight with her friend. Her mom was clearing the snow from the driveway. The little girl slipped and fell and her jacket got caught in the auger of the snowblower. She was without oxygen for at least 11 minutes (that was response time for emergency workers to make it to her house). We donat that time try to get the jacket off of her. The little girl has so far made it but she is still on life support. I am asking for you all to do 2 things: 1. Keep this little girl and her family in your thoughts and if you are spiritual then please keep her in your prayers and let 2. I am asking that you please don I know my kids are always playing outside when we clear the driveway and we shoot snow at them from the snowblower but that will not happen again. This poor mother has to live with what happened for the rest of her life and I can't even imagine the guilt and pain she must feel but she has to keep going because she has 3 other children at home. I'm sorry to be a downer on Christmas Eve but if a miracle is going to happen it will be today. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to all.

Well, it could be, but it looks [2007-12-11]
more like it was original to the jacket. It's probably an outdated jacket. I was thinking about giving it to my son for Christmas, but if it's an old one, I won't. Thanks for your idea!

Any Nascar Fans? Question [2007-12-11]
I got a jacket at a yard sale, still has tags on it. It is a Nascar jacket for Dodge/Havoline/Texaco with the initials BP on it. I am not a Nascar fan, but am trying to figure out which driver is (was) BP. I have tried Google w/o much luck. TIA

last but not least [2007-12-10]
Lakota in her diva jacket, she is a chow by the way, she will look like the other chow in the other picture with her hair grows out.

Are you really a nursing student? [2007-11-30]
Public health 101 - THEY ARE CONTAGIOUS!!!!! No, they are not an infectious disease, but all you have to do is stand next to a child with lice, brush up against them, brush up against their jacket, use the same computer headphones, etc., and instantly they have made you head a home now! Obviously you have never had a child with this, or you would understand how frustrating it is. We bagged all the stuffed animals, steam cleaned mattresses, pillows, furniture, washed EVERYTHING in the house, etc., did all the treatment on my daughter's hair, and we got rid of them. I don't think you understand how much work this is, but we did it willingly to get rid of these pests. However, two weeks later my daughter came home with them AGAIN, because that same child's parents simply washed her hair in NIX, did not pick out the nits, and did not treat anything else in their house. This child was infested with lice, and she was allowed to be in school. The school nurse said there was nothing they could do about it as far as letting parents know because of privacy issues. Out of 24 kids in her class, 16 of them got lice. The only ones who did not were the boys, because most of them had buzz cuts. I don't think the OP was critizing or ridiculing the little girl, just stating how frustrated she is at the school system for allowing this to happen. She does not need to be in school where she can spread these to everyone she comes in contact with. I don't think the OP is being a pain in their butts, and I sincerely doubt that a family who is not willing to take care of a problem their child has is going to welcome outside help! I really hope that you never have to experience this, because it is horrible. Just imagine your child knows (and can feel) that there are hundreds and hundreds of bugs crawling around on their head, making them itch like crazy!! My daughter begged me to make them go away, she could feel them crawling constantly, and it angers me that she should have to be subject to this repeatedly because someone is too lazy to EFFECTIVELY treat their child. Enough said!

country club dressing sm [2007-11-06]
Just attended a wedding at a country club. No matter where you go, everyone dresses differently. I would wear a dress or nice pants & top with some jewelry if you have any. Some of the men had suits and some had just a shirt and tie (with slacks, of course!). I wore a plain short dress with a jacket handy because the place was so air conditioned, and a nice necklace, nylons and a slight heel. Everyone was dressed differently. Just make sure your hair looks neat, your crowning glory, then the rest of you will feel just fine. I think since it is your family, you may feel better if you just look neat with a little jewelry that's in your budget. They are very fortunate that you are celebrating their milestone. Wearing a smile and taking lots of pics and giving a copy to the couple will put you high on their list. Have fun!!!

There's always 'one'.... [2007-10-17]
I donYou must be from the midwest, would that have been offensive? Go figure. Hey, I'm waiting for some one to jump all over me for the Nixon comment. I'll be under my desk with a helmet on for the remainder of the day.

When my son was little... [2007-10-05]
...I bought a lot of his clothes at Goodwill, even when it wasn't Halloween. It took some time to look through the racks and find clothes that weren't torn or stained, but I found nice Health-Tex and Oshkosh clothes there. One Halloween, I dressed him as a fireman. He already had a helmet, so I went to Goodwill and found a red plaid flannel shirt, black suspenders, and a pair of red sweatpants. All I had to do was add his black winter boots, which we already had - instant fireman!

Saw him perform on Oprah last year - sm [2007-10-03]
At least what he did there was believeable. For the mind tricks he said he pays more careful attention and is more perceptive than the average person. He watches for very, very subtle changes in breathing, body language, etc., for the mind tricks. I did see him escape from a straight jacket on Oprah. The camera never left him.