Not all schools have a waiting list sm

For me, it's because I usually forget the list! [2008-11-03]
I'm a person who has to write reminders to remember my reminders.

She'll be waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge [2008-10-26]
She will still have that little piece of your heart. I hope you feel peaceful, you did the loving thing. Wise

Unfortunately, the schools stick their nose in many things that should be the parents job (sm) [2008-10-16]
my children have had teachers give one-sided views of politics, whether they should be democrats or republicants, who their parents should be voting for, etc. For some reason, some teachers don We don't pay them to teach their opinion.

Ok then, list yours out for us and we will call them out for you (sm) [2008-10-16]
No one is without sin so I guess we should all go around pointing the finger at each other all the time and not worry about what we ourselves are doing?

LOL She looks like she is waiting to ...sm [2008-10-12]
to take off or something.

my list is ongoing and never ending! [2008-10-10]
It seems I spend all my time working (and playing a bit around here on the internet) but I actually just cleaned out my closet and took my clothes to the Salvation army and felt very good about it. Organizing has NEVER been my thing and i wish so much that it was. I have loads and loads of paperwork to sort out, file, etc. I try every day to go through my mail (you wouldnsave to shred).. I need to send some baby gifts off to my baby sister -my niece is now 7 weeks old!! - i have attached a pic because she is the new love of my life and i like to show her off whenever possible :) I would like to organize my desk, clean my kitchen, get my carpets cleaned. Rearrange my room (maybe it's my life i want to rearrange?!) Oh it goes on and on and on!!! have a GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!! This is Allyson Ayn! (she is in North Carolina, I am in Nevada)... A lot of the things I want to get done revolve around me being able to go see her for the second time ever soooo wish me luck on my tasks ahead! xoxo

My 'to-do' list: -sm [2008-10-10]
1. The dishes: (No more clean ones left. Tired of pulling dirty ones out of the pile and rinsing them off.) But of course, am I doing them? NO! ID 2. Vacuuming: When a dark red rug is starting to look white instead, that's enough cat-hair to build yourself a whole 'nother cat! 3. Car-Maintenance: Poor thing is overdue for oil-change, tires, you-name-it. But I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and get it taken care of, if I'm going to be able to rely on it to get me 'over the river & thru the woods' to family Thanksgiving this year, 400 miles away! 4. Yard Work: My landlady wants me to keep the plants in the back yard watered. Instead, I keep hoping it will rain. 5. Laundry: I currently have a good excuse - washing machine is broken and I'm still waiting for the part that was ordered. But MEANWHILE, I'm having to dig back in the closet to my worst, oldest clothes in order to find something to wear each day. And I'm down to the underwear your mom tells you never to wear 'because you never know when you might be in an accident and have to go to the hospital, and then wouldn't you be embarrassed.' Well, actually I woudn't, 'cause I would be in the hospital, and I wouldn't care! 6. Replace missing skate wheel: I broke an axle on my inline skates 2 weeks ago, and had to 'limp' along for miles on 3 wheels instead of 4. That sucked. 7. Letters/Emails: I owe ) Which I guess I'd better do now, in order to fix that car, buy stamps for my unwritten letters, buy a new axle for my skate, buy dish-soap, buy new underwear, and get the vacuum-cleaner fixed after it dies from vacuuming up all that cat-hair!

That is what stinks about private schools - sm [2008-10-01]
my kids used to attend private school, one reason I pulled them out was this one girl who bullied everyone, she was allowed to hurt kids, over and over again because the school wanted the tuition money and the father donated thousands of dollars in money, time, and construction labor to the school, and they were constantly giving things just so their daughter would not get kicked out. After trying to stangle someone the parents were finally told they had to get the girl some help and now she is on medication, but it took 4 years before the school did anything. The girl is still there, friendless basically, all the kids in her class cannot stand her, and she is just a pain in general. It is very sad in a way, if the parents had gotten her help a lot sooner she probably would not have allienated all the kids in her class (20 or so).

What are you waiting for? [2008-09-19]
Just wondering why you are still trying to figure out if you will stay 7 years later? Have you really discussed it with him? Why, what, how does he really feel now? You need to feel love and respected and that you can love and respect someone back. Don't wait until you are 80 and then realize you should have left!

Our schools do the same thing [2008-09-12]
Having kids from 7 up to 19 in our district, I But the difference is, our school district sends home on the very first day of school, a form that tells you if there is an emergency and kids have to be dismissed early, what you want to happen. I elect for my kids to get on the bus and if no one is home, they will be sent to Latchkey. When they take the bus, the bus driver will not let them off until an adult appears. She will sit there and honk for a few minutes and then go. Working with headphones on makes that difficult too, but I normally get someone calling telling me they heard about the school, etc. as a warning. They don Not to mention, if the power is out at our schools, the phones go out as well. Now we have had practice evacuations in case of fire, bomb threats, etc at the lower age and the teacher has to get them to our local fire dept, which is a very short walk away. They wait there until the buses can get there and take them home. They had to do this one time and it was a mess. Of course parents heard about the bomb threats (blanket threat over the whole district so everyone was evacuated), so they showed up to get their kids or sent friends, but they would not release kids to no one but parents. No grandparents, nothing. Reason being, if a true emergency like 9/11 happened, would they honestly have time to get those emergency forms? No one knew that they were not going to release the kids to parents only. Now that they I know its hard, but I would at least write a letter explaining your situation, but be compassionate to what they are experiencing as well and come up with a compromise. They shouldn I They knew they were liable.

Went to the schools to eat [2008-09-09]
Several times. Nothing like we had when we were kids. There was No quality to their meals. I was not pleased.

One I was at a restaurant waiting [2008-08-30]
in line for a bathroo stall. Finally a lady came out ofonel and I went inside. There wasurine ALL OVER the seat. I was just livid. Okay lady, if you are too scared to sit down to pee because of the germs, then for crying out loud, WIPE UP YOUR PEE so it Or hold it until you get home. Gross, gross, gross.

Make a list of budget/spending priorities for your self employment income [2008-08-24]
Dave Ramsey's book has a irregular income planning sheet. Basically you list your expenses with the cash flow sheet. With any steady income you allocate it. For irregular income, make a list from the cash flow sheet of what needs to be paid first. Keep a culmulative total.

You could try Craig's list. Are you including pictures with your ads? [2008-08-04]
That always gets people too. Pictures of sweet little puppies.... AWWWW.

and the punk kid next door would be first on the list [2008-07-09]
Too bad he This kid is a really piece of work. He is a total psycho. He He has a 6 year old brother - cute as anything and lots of fun to watch. Looks up to big brother (wrong role model to look up to). Kid is hanging out with gangs, into drugs. Mother came home the other day (screaching halt with her car) got out screaming at the top of her lungs for him to pack his bags, he is out of there, he I say - ship him off to troubled teens or boot camp or anywhere but here. Luckily the parents are seeing through his lies. Other neighborhood kids are no longer playing with him and when his parents go off to work hooligans come roaming around. Okay - just had to say that.

they have a date list on the IRS website [2008-05-23]
If you go over to http://www.irs.gov you can check on when you should get your money. They also have a spot somewhere on there where you can check to see how much you should be getting. You should get your check based on the last two numbers of the main social security number, the bigger the number, the later your check will come.

still waiting on a tax rebate deposit [2008-05-08]
sending them out early my $%%

Are you prepared to list every risk [2008-04-23]
How far do you want it to go? Fill out a huge form (that they paid someone to design instead of paying claims), that lists every supposedly avoidable risk imaginable, including amusement park rides, occasional bowling, how often and when you take a walk, if you might be a passenger on the back of someone Then they can spy on you (instead of paying claims) or encourage your fellow employees to be whistle blowers, catch you doing something that you said you wouldn How often do you eatjunk food- are you prepared to be completely honest and accurately estimate how often you intend to do that? How often do you exercise - and what if you say you will but for some reason don Prepare to lose your coverage over it because they can prove you a liar deliberately cheating the system. That's what this is coming to!

Our high schools here all have a no cell [2008-04-22]
phone policy. First time, the parent comes to pick it up. After that the school keeps it until the end of the year. No reason for them to have cell phones turned on during classes is the way I see it. Before and after school is fine, but not during. My daughter's middle school also has no cell phone policy. Even if they are in their lockers and ring, they are taken away. One school in a neighboring county was confiscating them and giving them away. The parents there filed a law suit and they now keep them, but the student loses it until the end of the year.

Same at our schools [2008-04-22]
The kids can have them in school, but they have to be turned off and kept in their lockers. They found that the students were actually using the cell phones to cheat on tests. My daughter is probably one of the only teens that doesn't have a cell phone. If she goes out and absolutely needs one then she borrows either mine or her father's. We never had cell phones. I think most of us turned out okay.

Hand him a lonog honey-do list one day after work, [2008-04-10]
x

Update: I am waiting for doc to schedule an abdominal CT for me - sent my husband a message saying [2008-04-10]
that they will be scheduling me for a CT today or tomorrow. His answer: 10-4, I hope you get your health in order. Exercise please. I am having abdominal pain, back pain, bleeding, etc. but I guess if I exercise it will fix all that.

ESL students in elementary schools [2008-04-02]
They probably bought the store from a cousin. I grew up in public schools where about 1/3 of my fellow students in elementary school were SE asian refugee children and some spanish speaking children and some who spoke other things. My teachers did not know what to do with classes of 33 students (5 over limit) where they had students speaking Laotian, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Spanish, and who knows what else, and little to no English. These kids spent an hour a day in ESL but they never caught up (maybe by senior year in high school, some of them) . There is another method where they spend their first year in intensive ESL study before going into the regular classroom. Since kids learn languages better the younger they are, this makes a lot more sense. I know that I and other students were slowed down by this problem in the classroom (as well as the fact that the school could not keep up with the numbers and our classes were overcrowded).

Schools' hands are tied in many states.... [2008-04-01]
My daughter teaches third grade. This year, she had a child from Yemen, an Arabic country. His dad, who barely speaks English, bought a convenience store and ran that. His mother speaks NO English. His older brother of two years understands a little more English and can speak it better though. But my daughter's student can't even read the instructions, read English, take a test, nothing. WHat is more frustrating, she is still expected to teach him like the other children (they have no special teachers for ESL students), even though she can't communicate with him. His father is very considerate if he is absent and writes her a note (very badly written at that) but that's all. Now get this....he can't understand anything in class, my daughter is expected to just give him F's or whatever and just keep going, BUT when standardized testing is going on, she is REQUIRED to count his grade in her overall classroom score, which brings the overall score DOWN. Now how dumb is that? This was going on all year but she went in last week, no child, no explanation. She gets a call from the office asking to look in his desk to check for any books he may have left. Come to find out, she was told he and his family had been put on the next plane OUT of the country and back to where they came from. We believe they were here illegally BUT how did they get here, buy a store, and go about their business? Our government allowed their being here....they should be required to explain why that family was here in the first place and why they suddenly disappeared. Our government is so busy trying to cater to everyone, they are screwing the rest of us.

I'm Still waiting on Mr. Right. . . NM [2008-03-22]
xx

Just check all the ads in the newspapers. [2008-11-21]
Most stores have special coupons for early birds on Friday morning. Around here, stores open around 4 a.m. and last year we got there at 3 and stood in line in the cold just waiting to get in. Good luck. Don so unless you are first in line at those places you are usually out of luck. I know last year, people were in line at Best Buy at 2 a.m. waiting for it to open at 5.

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.

Has our country taken a turn for the ... [2008-11-21]
Our once great country, I afraid, has just turned a corner for the worse. I have watched as the mentality of our country has gone from setting your mind to something, working hard, and you can accomplish it to giving up, sitting back, and letting somebody else take care of them. I was brought up, as many were, with a good work ethic that was instilled in us by our parents. With the idea that if you want something you had to work for it, and by working for something you learned quickly the difference between wants and needs. There were always incentives for a person to strive to better themselves. Whether it were financial incentives, or just the pride you gained in knowing that you did something yourself, it didn�t matter. I wasn�t long ago that people had that �small town� mentality, and everybody knew their neighbors. And those neighbors helped each other out, in any situation, it was just what you did. And people were so proud that some times help would have to be disguised, you remember the lines like..�Mom made more stew than we could eat, could you help us out by taking it so that it doesn�t go to waste?� But, somewhere along the line those thoughts of some (I guess now the majority) have changed. Some how, if somebody works hard to gain something others feel entitled to have the same things, even if they didn�t have to go through the struggle to earn it. Some how, things like big screen TVs, cell phones, and shiny new cars have wrongly slipped from the �wants� list to the �needs� list. Somewhere the incentives to strive for betterment have been replaced by incentives to be lazy. The easy way out and hand outs are now the norm. The feeling of pride about being self sufficient is supposed to be replaced by guilt for having more than others. The �small town� mentality is gone and our neighbors have turned into strangers. People no longer help out their neighbors or even themselves, instead they sit and wait for the government to come solve things for them. And when help does come they complain that the help wasn�t good enough or didn�t come fast enough, the pride is gone. Well, I refuse to think that way, my small town roots and work ethic runs to deep. I refuse to let somebody take care of me while I am willing and able to take care of myself. I will continue to meet and know my neighbors and help them out when they need it. I will continue to work hard to take care of my needs and by doing so, my wants will take care of themselves. I will continue to volunteer for things and give to charities of my choice regardless of what the government wants to take away from me and give to the undeserving. My hope is to change the thinking back to the way it was. The sun will rise again tomorrow, I�ll keep doing what I do, and this country can be great again�.at least in my little corner of it�

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.

it never really goes away, you just have to chalk it up [2008-11-21]
as a lesson learned. this is amazing, cuz the same thing just happened to me this week. been helping someone for ages, then they turn on me !! blew my mind and i we can only learn to surround ourselves with the loved ones around us. you can I and go down the long list of things that you know you are blessed with. this is the worst: youall the people who have done me wrong. so much for getting back to sleep once that list starts creeping into your consciousness. forgive yourself, realize it and remember, no good deed goes unpunished. -- sorry.

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.

Haven't done it for years . . . sm [2008-11-20]
but this year my 14-year-old daughter and her friend and mother are all going to try it again with me. I am looking forward to it, because I think it will be a lot of fun for me and my daughter! We don't go out too seriously, though, just for fun!!! I used to like to bag the bargains when the kids were little, but nowadays the bargains never match my list!!!

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!

Sorry you are feeling so down (sm) [2008-11-20]
First of all, relax. You need to go to a doctor and get on an antidepressant? No insurance? If you can get the money to go to the doc for one visit, you can get them to prescribe an antidepressant that is on Walmart's $4 list and get it for $4 a month. Call United Way and see if they can direct you where to get help with your rent. Don't worry about whether or not you have cable, you'll be okay without that unless you need it for your job? Don't worry about not being able to give Christmas gifts...just explain that you don't have the money. People will understand and your grandson can have it explained to him. I have the same isolation issues that you do because of the job. Can you go to a temp agency and see about getting a job outside of your house so you can be around people more? There is a website called Exercisefriends.com where you can meet people in your area who want exercise buddies, maybe just someone who is starting out trying to walk every day or something like that (not sure what your fitness level is). Or advertise on Craigslist for a walking buddy (but be careful of course when first meeting the person). I met one of my best friends this way and have known her for 4 years now. If you want an email buddy feel free to email me. I think everyone is struggling right now and it is hard. I would be happy to have you vent to me via email all you want. :-)

My 14 yo wants clothes but.. [2008-11-19]
I don She goes shopping (with her older sister) at the mall and puts clothes on hold and several different stores. I go later in the day,with her list of stores, and pick out what I like best, wrap them and put them under the tree. She gets what she really wants, but doesn know exactly what she is getting. Works well for us.

Eating Out - About the Same as You [2008-11-18]
We usually get take out on Friday's because I don't cook on Fridays (it's my day off so to speak). Then we go out on Saturday nights just my husband and myself and our best friends and usually spend about $40+ depending on where we go. The kids get together with their kids and they usually get some sort of take out. Then on Saturdays we usually either eat lunch out (fast food) and then Sundays either lunch or dinner out (fast food - I hate to say sometimes it's both). We have been trying to cut down the Saturdays and Sundays as far as the fast food goes. My daughter who is a vegetarian doesn't usually get much from the fast food restaurants so our bill usually isn't that large (About $10). We always use coupons, though (buy 1 get 1 free - we have what is called Entertainment Books that the schools usually sell). My husband will cook, and I hate to say he cooks better than I do.

I am myself (and I am 33!) [2008-11-18]
I have read all four of the books, and I absolutely love them and have been waiting excitedly for the movie! I will be seeing it on Sunday! :)

$50 a week if I send DH. $100 or more if I go [2008-11-18]
I always overspend cause there's always something on sale that I will need sooner than later. DH goes by the list and the list only. I live in PA and there are only 2 of us now.

Pitbull Hero [2008-11-17]
Stray Pit Bull Saves Woman, Child from AttackerPet Pulse Staff Reports Browse NewsFront Page BY CATEGORY:Alerts Notices Animal Attacks Care Safety Crime Law Cruelty Abuse Deaths Accidents Entertainment Health Science Heroes International Lost Found New Trends Petlanthropy Strange But True Survival BY PET:Dogs Cats Fish Birds Horses Reptiles Small Pets Other Pets November 5, 2008 A dog came out of nowhere and stopped a knife-wielding robber from accosting a mother and her young son on Monday afternoon. (Pet Pulse Illustration by Tim Mattson) PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The wandering 65-pound Pit Bull mix might have seemed menacing to some passerby, but one woman will always remember him as her guardian angel. The dog, which authorities think is lost and not a stray, successfully thwarted a robbery attack on a mother and her 2-year-old son, who were held at knifepoint Monday afternoon. The Florida woman, who has been identified by authorities simply as Angela, was leaving a playground with her toddler son in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot with a knife and told her not to make any noise or sudden movements. Angela didn't have to do either to protect herself and her child -- a dog mysteriously ran to the scene and charged the man, who quickly fled. I don Animal Control Lt. Brian Jones told Pet Pulse. I don The exceptional part of the story, Jones said, is that the dog had never met or even seen the people it quickly jumped to defend. You hear about family dogs protecting their owners, but this dog had nothing to do with this woman or her kid, Jones said. He was like her guardian angel. After the alleged thief ran away, Angela quickly placed her son, Jordan, in the car and tried to drive off. Before she could, though, the dog jumped into her backseat, waiting with her for the police and animal control officers to arrive at the scene. The dog was transported to a local shelter and if his owners donAngel. Animal control officers and shelter workers believe Angel is lost, and not a stray, because of his good health, sturdy weight and mild temperament. It Jones said of Angel's possible owners. For Angela, it doesn't matter where the dog came from, just that he was there when she needed him most. I don Angela told NBC2 News. For a small town with a population of 46,452, animal control officers were kept busy Monday afternoon. Jones says they department also responded to a report about a boa constrictor in a church parking lot. The snake found its way into a car engine and was able to be removed without being harmed. It took three people to move the massive, seemingly random placed snake. It he said of the Gulf Coast town. And we can go for four or five months without the media contacting us about a story. It Officers from the responding county sheriff's office canvased the area and were unable to locate the suspect described as being in his 20s, tall and dark haired. Tell us what you think about Stray Dog Saves Woman, Child Held at Knifepoint below. Share your favorite videos by clicking on the ZootooTV tab. Send us your story ideas by e-mailing us at news@zootoo.com or by calling us at 877-777-4204. Pet Pulse reporter Amy Lieberman and NBC-2.com contributed to this article.

Rest in peace, Fred! [2008-11-16]
We just put our 22-year-old cat, Fred, to sleep this evening. He had wasted away from 17 pounds to 5 pounds and was too weak to stand or eat. He was a loving companion for the past 22 years and will be missed dearly. Rest in peace, Fred. Benny, Gus, and Lily will be waiting in heaven to greet you with open arms!

American Girl Doll things [2008-11-16]
I posted this before and a very kind MT responded with American Girl dolls for sale for Christmas. I am still searching for Samantha, Kitand Nellie and I am also looking for extra American Girl outfits. Any suggestionswhere elseto look? I have watched Craig If any MT would like to sell American Girl doll things, please let me know. You can reach me by e-mail through this site. Thanks for any offers or adviceon getting second-hand AG dolls for Christmas gifts.

I checked that site out a couple [2008-11-15]
months ago. They didn't have any stores on the list for my area. Our stores won't even take computer-generated coupons for some reason.

I'm so sorry for you pain... [2008-11-14]
My dad drank a lot too. I donan alcoholic though. My dad was a horrible father when all five of the kids were at home. He beat my oldest brother horrendously in front of all of us many, many times. He lined us all up by age when I was 5 (I There is a long list of other things that happened. Once we moved out of the house, he turned into a different man. He did apologize to us. He became the best father and friend I could ask for. He was always so thrilled when I stopped by and made me feel more loved than anyone ever has. Fourteen years ago yesterday, my dad was killed in an airplane crash. He had an experiemental airplane and was flying by himself. I have never forgotten my childhood because it has a lot to do with who I am today, but I am so thankful for the time I did have with him once things changed. Maybe you could tell your dad how you feel about him, explain how hard it is to be around him now and let him take the next step. It might beworth a shot. I I know it is really difficult to sort out all the emotions sometimes. I'll be thinking of you.

We have grown children and paid up condo. SM [2008-11-13]
I think about advice I would give others. Getting any part-time job I could, delivering papers, selling Avon (people still buy Avon), renting room out in house. If elderly people near you, offer transportation or shopping service. One thing is, no matter what, no one should just sit around waiting for another job, be they male or female.

Always, always call the cops sm [2008-11-13]
My husband was nearly killed by a tractor trailer driver who changed his story a dozen times, themedics were called but unfortunately, the other driver went his merry way and was not cited until days later for following too close, reckless endangerment, speeding, mistake in log book, and a laundry list, first he said my husband going too slow. Reconstruction said no way, but while my husband was in hospital having his scalp sewn back on, this guy ran away. Had to hire a detective to find him, went on for years before we got our bills paid, he got off with heavy fines and warnings he would go to jail if it happened again. It had happened in another state previously but could not bring that up in court. My sorrow - I should have had him arrested right that moment but I was not there. He should have been tested for drugs, etc. He went from saying husband's fault to that he dropped his coffee and was picking it up off the floor and then changed it again to something else. He still drives and my husband is totally disabled. Please get the cops involved the minute something happens - don't wait. I had no choice, I had to travel to another state to the hospital. I wish my husband were conscious enough to have him arrested right there. You did the right thing calling the cops, everyone should do that. Believe me, she could have killed you or someone else later. I hope you scared the pants off her.

Stocking up [2008-11-13]
I have not lived through a depression and hope we aren't headed that way but think we probably are. As far as saving, I clip coupons but only use them if the item is also on sale or something that I use regularly. I feel coupons just get you to buy the brand name product when you would otherwise save more buying generic without a coupon. I look for 2 for $ sales. A good one is cereal. When it is on sale I buy about 10 boxes. Same for oatmeal. Anything that I can buy more than one and get it on sale, I do. I add to my normal grocery shopping so its not like I am spending a lot. One time I buy my meat and higher cost items, the next I stock up on whatever I can. As far as meats and vegetables, the bulk of my list, I buy what is on sale. Lots of soups and stews now that winter is here because it seems to stretch things farther and the meat is a lot cheaper to buy. I do not take anyone to the store with me, cuts down on impulse buying. I plan all of my shopping for one day. I find that cut down on impulse buying too. If I know I bought a special shampoo or something for me at wal-mart, I will be less inclined to buy something special the same day at the grocery store. I have an area in the basement where I can keep extra stuff, especially toilet paper, canned goods, and a deep freeze.

I actually would [2008-11-12]
The only reason is I think my kids would probably appreciate me more. I watch it every day too, and I can't believe some of the families they have on there. Actually I'd love to be in the one that had the husband waiting on the wife hand and foot and her in bed all day long doing absolutely nothing. Might be fun for two weeks.

Holiday memories.... [2008-11-12]
My dad saying (when I was age 4 to 6) that there was an elf that would hop on his shoulder every morning when he got in the car to go to work and ask if I had been good the day before. I can remember waiting for him to get home and then excitedly asking him if he talked to the elf...ok, now I'm misty eyed! Waiting in the longest line to get Cabbage Patch Kids for my daughters when they first came out....lucky enough to get ones with decent enough names and birthdates close to my girls' birthdays. Making the dreaded yam/sweet potato casserole at Thanksgving and ALWAYS setting the marshmallow bag on the hot oven door, thus melting the plastic, nice touch. Realizing that I don't care if I have to pay full price, I do not shop the day after Thanksgiving any more!

LOL at the elf story. [2008-11-12]
What a cute story about the Elf! I love that! My sister once had a friend call my nephew and saw she was Mrs. Claus. Omg, it was so cute. He was so serious on the phone talking to her. He must have been about 4. He was perfect that year waiting for Christmas and doing everything Mrs. C asked him to do. I think everyone puts the bag of marshmellows on the oven. That's too funny the things you remember. I'm sure it was funny at the moment though. I have finally given up shopping the day after Thanksgiving too. Itgreat deal so I vowed never again from that day. Unfortunately, from what I have heard, my mom was one of those mean people trying to get my cabbage patch kid that I spoke of earlier. lol It's very unlike her but I guess you'll do anything if you know it will mean that much to your kids.

FYI [2008-11-11]
This information comes from the Mensa International web site: Mensa was founded in England in 1946 by Roland Berrill, a barrister, and Dr. Lance Ware, a scientist and lawyer. They had the idea of forming a society for bright people, the only qualification for membership of which was a high IQ. The original aims were, as they are today, to create a society that is non-political and free from all racial or religious distinctions. The society welcomes people from every walk of life whose IQ is in the top 2% of the population, with the objective of enjoying each other's company and participating in a wide range of social and cultural activities. Mensans range in age from 4 to 94, but most are between 20 and 60. In education they range from preschoolers to high school dropouts to people with multiple doctorates. There are Mensans on welfare and Mensans who are millionaires. As far as occupations, the range is staggering. Mensa has professors and truck drivers, scientists and firefighters, computer programmers and farmers, artists, military people, musicians, laborers, police officers, glassblowers--the diverse list goes on and on. There are famous Mensans and prize-winning Mensans, but there are many whose names you wouldn't know. The term IQ score is widely used but poorly defined. There are a large number of tests with different scales. The result on one test of 132 can be the same as a score 148 on another test. Some intelligence tests don't use IQ scores at all. Mensa has set a percentile as cutoff to avoid this confusion. Candidates for membership in Mensa must achieve a score at or above the 98th percentile on a standard test of intelligence (a score that is greater than or equal to that achieved by 98 percent of the general population taking the test). As this list suggests, Mensa is a remarkably diverse organization. While Some Mensans noted here are well known, many others lead interesting lives out of the public eye. Geena Davis: Academy-award winning actress, who has starred in The Long Kiss Goodnight, A League of Their Own, Thelma and Louise and Hero. Donald Petersen: A former chairman of Ford Motor Company. While at Ford, Petersen was involved in the development of two of Ford's most successful cars--the Mustang and the Maverick. Marilyn Vos Savant: Listed in the Guinness Hall of Fame for having the worldAsk Marilyn!, a weekly column in Parade magazine. Bobby Czyz: A former two-time World Boxing Association (WBA) Cruiserweight Champion. Czyz now commentates on many nationally-broadcasted fights. Dr. Julie Peterson: A former Playboy Playmate, Peterson is a graduate of Life School of Chiropractic. Alan Rachins: Portrays DharmaDharma Greg. Rachins, who left the Wharton School of Finance to pursue an acting career, also portrayed Douglas Brachman on the hit TV series, L.A. Law. Adrian Cronauer: Radio personality, lawyer and subject for the movie Good Morning Vietnam. Terance Black: Screenwriter of HBOTales from the Crypt, syndicated series Dark Justice and the feature film Dead Heat. Barry Nolan: Co-anchor of TVHard Copy. Deborah Yates: Member of the world-famous Radio City Rockettes. Bob Speca, Jr.: Professional domino toppler. Speca travels internationally doing domino shows and has appeared on TV programs and commercials. John N. Moore: University of Virginia law professor who specializes in international law. Moore was hired by the U.S. ambassador to Kuwait to help the emirate recover damages inflicted during the August 2, 1990 invasion. Jean Auel: Best-selling author of Clan of the Cave Bear, Valley of Horses, and Plains of Passage. Linda Warwick: Creator and producer of the billboard mega-hit childrensBabymugs!, and the Toddler TOGS series--the fantasy video for highly creative tots. Maurice Kanbar: Inventor and owner of Skyy Vodka. Henry Milligan: A boxer and scholar, Milligan was the 1983 National Amateur Heavyweight champion. Patricia P. Jennings: Pianist with the Pittsburgh Symphony. She is the symphony's first black member and has performed internationally. Richard Lederer: A master of the pun. Lederer has written dozens of books on word play and is a frequent guest on National Public Radio. Judge Ellen Morphonios: Nicknamed Maximum Morphonios for her strict rulings in Florida. Morphonios is a former model and beauty queen who passed a Florida exam that allowed her to enter law school without an undergraduate degree. Richard Bolles: Author of What Color is Your Parachute? which at one point had been on The New York Times Best-seller List for 228 weeks. Velma Jeremiah: A retired attorney who graduated fourth in her law school class at the age of 47. She is a former chairwoman of Mensa International. Dr. Abbie F. Salny: Author of the Mensa Quiz-a-Day books and calendars. Dr. Salny is a retired college professor and expert in intelligence who has served as Mensa's supervising psychologist. Note: most of the members listed are members of American Mensa.