Secular Confessions

[AbbeysMom]

Chrissy, I'm sorry about Cramer. I hope you can get the credit and I'm glad he's getting good treatment. On the upside, maybe your and Rich and the rest of your family feel bonded over your worry for him... I know that's a stretch, I'm just hoping there's an upside.

Myles, I love 'detoxing' and I don't really do it for any supposed physical benefit other than reminding myself I do have self-control with food and exercise. It gives me a great start to eating right again when I've fallen off the wagon, especially when we've been eating out frequently. Obviously I would do anything like that pregnant, but I'll be looking at the cleanse you posted for whatever I decide to try to kick-start my arse into shape post-partum. For me, I do a lot better on restricted diets as opposed to moderation too (vegetarian for 18 years and I don't drink at all). For whatever reason it's just easier for me to say 'never' than 'sometimes' to certain foods, and it's easier for me to say 'always' than 'whenever I can' to an exercise regimen.

That's awesome about Gilly and swimming! Abbey was supposed to be in lessons all last week but obviously the bug derailed that plan. I hope she has the chance again this summer (they do two-week intensives three times at out neighborhood pool).

Thanks for all the well wishes for Abbey too, she's still got the cough and is now in the stage where she wants to run and play but any running makes the cough come back fiercely. And you know she never acts that sick, which is why I feel like the worst mom when I take her in for a nagging cough or whatever, and I'm sure I'm being overprotective, and then it's pneumonia or strep.

[missychrissy]

I'm glad you talked to the director and he was so understanding and awesome Myles.

Rich got $1,000 care credit. I was declined I went a little overboard with buying stuff for my apartment. dammitalltohellandback. Rich is going to talk to his employer and see if he can borrow some from his retirement or get an advance on pay or something. I still haven't called my dad. My mom offered to loan me 300-400. I get 3 paychecks in August, so paying 800 back won't be that big of a deal...except I wanted to use that money for other things. But such is life when you own an exotic pet.

I guess I should count ourselves lucky that he's not a sickly bird. They can be very expensive to care for. I do think that we're pretty bonded over Cramer. It's nothing that's making me think we'll get back together, but we can still go through family crisis together and that's something.

[demigraf]

Obviously I would do anything like that pregnant, but I'll be looking at the cleanse you posted for whatever I decide to try to kick-start my arse into shape post-partum. For me, I do a lot better on restricted diets as opposed to moderation too (vegetarian for 18 years and I don't drink at all). For whatever reason it's just easier for me to say 'never' than 'sometimes' to certain foods, and it's easier for me to say 'always' than 'whenever I can' to an exercise regimen.

It's really reasonable, Molly! I think you'd like it. It's basically just one nutrient-dense food after another. I'd venture to guess you already eat this way most of the time anyway. I love some of the recipes I've gotten from the plan and will be eating them long after. Even if you don't do the full blown one now while you're pregnant, try some of the recipes. Coconut pistachio-stuffed dates, where have you been my whole life?

Chrissy, so glad that Rich qualified for Care Credit. At least that takes some of the pressure off! I hope Cramer is hanging in there!

[demigraf]

Tickets to Nicaragua for Aug dates are crazy cheap right now, from CA and prob'ly TX and FL too. DH isn't up for going this year, since we already have some small trips planned, and I reluctantly agree that it'd be excessive at this point. But for any of you trying to figure out your next vacation plans, there's one idea.

Speaking of... DH & Bodhi are going away for a week soon to visit his ailing mom. I have had a knot in my stomach about missing them, but have recently gotten excited and started to plan all the things I'm going to do with the free time. I have a list of sewing projects, a yoga/surf/run schedule already made, a bike ride along the coast planned, and a couple girls' nights out on the calendar, including a pec-tastic "Magic Mike" movie night. I'm starting to feel like this will be a sort of holiday for me too, minus the time off work. I dread being away from Bodhi again, though. 4 days in the desert without him was bad enough. I was telling DH after that trip that I still like traveling alone, because I get some much-wanted space, but prefer to have them in the next room. Like, I was joking about having them follow me wherever I go, but take separate flights, eat at separate tables, and stay in separate rooms, so I could still do my own thing but have them there whenever I miss them. That probably makes me sound horribly selfish, but that's the kind of fantasizing I do about traveling now that I have a family, but still have the old wanderlust.

[Bridget]

That is so great that Bodhi is doing better in lessons and even better that the director took your concerns seriously. That just proves why it's so important for us to speak up for our children. It's hard to sometimes, I think, because nobody wants to be "that parent" but if we don't stick up for them, who will?

I spent the day at my dads yesterday with the kids. My older brother was in town sans wife and children for a funeral. A highschool friend killed himself last weekend It was really nice to see him although definitely not under the circumstances. When I came home dbf had opened one of his carbonated energy drinks in the kitchen and seems it exploded everywhere. It was on the wall, the ceiling, the floor, the silverware drawer. Needless to say I was highly annoyed that he didn't clean up but I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he'd take care of it eventually. This morning I let him know the drawer needed to be cleaned out so he washed the ceiling but left the drawer. So I'm taking care of it now. Can you imagine making a mess like that and just leaving it? Come on! Oh, and Savana just came in crying that she can't find a shovel and dad won't help her (he's in the yard with them). I went out and asked him to help her and he says "he's busy". Hmmm, I say as I pick up a shovel and hand it to her, "I'm busy cleaning up the mess you made. If I can help you out, maybe you can help them out?"
I just got a big ol' eye roll for that one.

Nicaragua you say?.....

[missychrissy]

He takes the cake Bridget. And you deserve a medal.

Did you all see the video of the middle schoolers teasing the bus monitor till she cried? She's in her 60's and it's absolutely heartbreaking. A really great thing came out of it though, where people created a website and donated money to her. Initially, it was to send her on a nice trip, but it grew so much it's now her retirement fund. I hate that those kids did that, but honestly it's nothing that doesn't happen in every public school probably every single day. It's not new either because I remember my classmates behaving like that. Generally it's towards other peers but occasionally they'd seek out an adult. A first year teacher was treated so bad every day that she gave up teaching permanently. Miss Lewis. They stuck 'tails' on her butt and loudly talked about playing pin the tail on the donkey and laughed. They shot spit wads at her, while she was looking right at them and talking. But the flip side is I really love how good people came together and donated thousands upon thousands of dollars to that woman on the bus.

[missychrissy]

Did you guys scream in your yards when you were kids? Whether in distress or in play? Even though we had an acre and essentially only 1 house immediately next to us and another diagonally across (so we were mostly surrounded by woods) my father wouldn't let us scream-not even squealing with delight. Not loudly anyway. He was always worried the neighbors would think something was wrong.

I don't know if it's because of that, but I've twice now heard kids screaming in my new neighborhood that was difficult to tell if they were playing or needed help. Today I actually started walking down the sidewalk. I walked because I wasn't sure which house it came from and I was waiting to hear it again before running. I really thought someone was hurt or something.

I'm not annoyed about it, but curious how y'all were raised. I don't want to become immune to the sounds and end up ignoring someone that might really be hurt, but it would be nice if the kids would only scream like that if they did need help. Stinkers. It's nice seeing young kids have fun though so I didn't get upset. I guess I'll just spend all my free time walking up and down the street looking in yards. Until someone confronts me about being a weirdo.

[AbbeysMom]

Did you guys scream in your yards when you were kids? Whether in distress or in play? Even though we had an acre and essentially only 1 house immediately next to us and another diagonally across (so we were mostly surrounded by woods) my father wouldn't let us scream-not even squealing with delight. Not loudly anyway. He was always worried the neighbors would think something was wrong.

I don't know if it's because of that, but I've twice now heard kids screaming in my new neighborhood that was difficult to tell if they were playing or needed help. Today I actually started walking down the sidewalk. I walked because I wasn't sure which house it came from and I was waiting to hear it again before running. I really thought someone was hurt or something.

I'm not annoyed about it, but curious how y'all were raised. I don't want to become immune to the sounds and end up ignoring someone that might really be hurt, but it would be nice if the kids would only scream like that if they did need help. Stinkers. It's nice seeing young kids have fun though so I didn't get upset. I guess I'll just spend all my free time walking up and down the street looking in yards. Until someone confronts me about being a weirdo.

Kids scream all the time around here... and I let Abbey scream/yell outside, and I'm sure I used to yell too. I don't remember my mom ever telling us to be quiet outside. We use the phrase 'indoor voice' so it makes sense that they would allowed to be as loud as they want somewhere.

[heartmyboyz]

yeah in Jr. High my classmates ran a teacher out. she had 4 or 5 periods of math and I think all of her classes gave her a hard time. The things they did and right in front of her face. Just like with your teacher Chrissy. It's sad what happened to the bus monitor. It brought back a ton of memories of when I was bullied in the 6th grade. My mom wouldn't take me out of school though. I woke up every morning so sick to my stomach thinking about what would await me that day. Everyone was in on it. That is not an exaggeration. The whole sixth grade class would constantly torment me. About a year later in the seventh grade a girl came up to me and apologized for herself and every one's actions. It was nice and I didn't even know the girl (she was just one of the many faces).

On kids and screaming it's crazy. I wouldn't mind it so much if they would just clarify the screams. They all sound alike. You know throw in a few laughs here and there so I can tell it's all just fun.

Btw HI everybody. Hope nobody minds that I'm popping back in!!

[heartmyboyz]

Oh yeah as kids we would definitely scream. I always try to control the boys screaming though because I don't want anyone to think they are in trouble.

[Cosmosmom]

Chrissy....keeping Cramer in my thoughts! I hate spending money at the vet....but that is one of the few things in life that I would run up a credit card bill for. I just adore my girls.

No absolutely no way was I allowed to scream when outside. My mom said if we were screaming, there had better be blood or someone trying to steal us. had we screamed for another reason outside, that would be the end of playing outside that day! I plan to do the same thing....but the kids in the neighborhood don't seem to scream either which I really like.

Today was weigh in day...another 3.1 lbs. So total is somewhere between 9-10 I think. It's hard to know for sure as the scale in class weighs in higher than the wii fit....and I wasn't thinking and didn't start checking on there as well until a few weeks ago. But almost 7 lbs in the past two weeks.....and that isn't just water weight as I had lost some of that before.


And big whine of the day....freaking japanese beetles! I feel like it's always something here....technically I live in the city but it's like country. First it's gophers, than ticks, than I started seeing coyotes, and now japanese beetles. OMG, if it wasn't for all the yummy fruits and veggies in the store this time of year, I would be so done with summer. At least in the winter the only worry is snow.
I do have to say that since I put that stuff in the grass for the ticks, we haven't see any on us or the dogs....before that it was almost daily. I just wish we had done it sooner as it also works against the grubs and japanese beetles. Next year we will do that early May I think.

[Cosmosmom]

Kids scream all the time around here... and I let Abbey scream/yell outside, and I'm sure I used to yell too. I don't remember my mom ever telling us to be quiet outside. We use the phrase 'indoor voice' so it makes sense that they would allowed to be as loud as they want somewhere.

Yelling outside or being loud is fine.....the thing that we weren't allowed to is that high pitched scream....the kind that makes one think that something awful is going on. That way if mom hears that scream, they know to come running. But if you do it all the time, the one time it's needed, no adults will come running.

[missychrissy]

Kids scream all the time around here... and I let Abbey scream/yell outside, and I'm sure I used to yell too. I don't remember my mom ever telling us to be quiet outside. We use the phrase 'indoor voice' so it makes sense that they would allowed to be as loud as they want somewhere.

We weren't told to be quiet, but no screaming. I never heard the phrase 'indoor voice' till I was well into my 20's. We weren't told to be quiet inside either.

yeah in Jr. High my classmates ran a teacher out. she had 4 or 5 periods of math and I think all of her classes gave her a hard time. The things they did and right in front of her face. Just like with your teacher Chrissy. It's sad what happened to the bus monitor. It brought back a ton of memories of when I was bullied in the 6th grade. My mom wouldn't take me out of school though. I woke up every morning so sick to my stomach thinking about what would await me that day. Everyone was in on it. That is not an exaggeration. The whole sixth grade class would constantly torment me. About a year later in the seventh grade a girl came up to me and apologized for herself and every one's actions. It was nice and I didn't even know the girl (she was just one of the many faces).

On kids and screaming it's crazy. I wouldn't mind it so much if they would just clarify the screams. They all sound alike. You know throw in a few laughs here and there so I can tell it's all just fun.

Btw HI everybody. Hope nobody minds that I'm popping back in!!

I had a very similar experience in 6th grade as well. And it repeated in 8th, but at that time it got physical and I would be shoved from behind going from one class to another. The teachers knew about it-I was taunted in class in front of the teachers. They'd say, "Stop it you guys!" and one went so far as to say that she didn't know how I could stand it without crying because she knew she'd have been in tears if it were her. Thanks for the support.

Chrissy....keeping Cramer in my thoughts! I hate spending money at the vet....but that is one of the few things in life that I would run up a credit card bill for. I just adore my girls.

No absolutely no way was I allowed to scream when outside. My mom said if we were screaming, there had better be blood or someone trying to steal us. had we screamed for another reason outside, that would be the end of playing outside that day! I plan to do the same thing....but the kids in the neighborhood don't seem to scream either which I really like.

Today was weigh in day...another 3.1 lbs. So total is somewhere between 9-10 I think. It's hard to know for sure as the scale in class weighs in higher than the wii fit....and I wasn't thinking and didn't start checking on there as well until a few weeks ago. But almost 7 lbs in the past two weeks.....and that isn't just water weight as I had lost some of that before.


And big whine of the day....freaking japanese beetles! I feel like it's always something here....technically I live in the city but it's like country. First it's gophers, than ticks, than I started seeing coyotes, and now japanese beetles. OMG, if it wasn't for all the yummy fruits and veggies in the store this time of year, I would be so done with summer. At least in the winter the only worry is snow.
I do have to say that since I put that stuff in the grass for the ticks, we haven't see any on us or the dogs....before that it was almost daily. I just wish we had done it sooner as it also works against the grubs and japanese beetles. Next year we will do that early May I think.

Congrats on the weight loss!!! I think my dad's philosophy was like your mom's. He didn't come right out and say it that way, but he'd just say that someone might think we were being hurt or needed help and we should be mindful of that.

Yelling outside or being loud is fine.....the thing that we weren't allowed to is that high pitched scream....the kind that makes one think that something awful is going on. That way if mom hears that scream, they know to come running. But if you do it all the time, the one time it's needed, no adults will come running.

That's how our rules were. I wouldn't say we were quiet, but anything that started to get shrill and dad would just say, "They neighbors are going to think you're hurt." He didn't say it mean or anything. So we'd try not to be shrill.

[missychrissy]

Oh, and thanks for the thoughts about Cramer Jennifer. He's still doing about the same. He's probably a bit confused about what's going on, but he's curious and looking to see what he can get into when he's by himself. When people come over, he pretends he's a stuffed parrot. We're going up at 6 tonight to see him.

[AmeriBrit]

My parents pretty much let us do whatever when we were young, so yeah, we screamed and ran wild as kids. We lived out in the country, though, and didn't have neighbors close enough to hear us. I let T and C be as loud as they want to be out in our yard; they aren't shreikers, though.

Hey, Anna; nice to see you in here again!

Congrats on the weight loss, Jennifer!

I've just sat down and eaten a chocolate covered ice cream. It's been a long day and I deserved a treat. I'm trying to motivate myself to start on the ironing (yes, that's me talking about ironing again!); I need to at least do T's school uniform. I've got that show called 'One Born Every Minute' on and seeing all the teeny tiny babies makes me want one just a teeny tiny bit. LOL. Once the show goes off, I'm sure that feeling will fade!

Myles, have you ever heard a British person say 'Nicaragua?' They say it like, "Nick uh rag you uh." It's one of those words that I and my fellow American expats often have a good laugh at our British friends about. I understand your feelings about traveling. DH and I are talking about going away for one night or two just by ourselves. We've never left the boys at all, so it's kind of exciting to think about just having some couple time somewhere nice like Dublin or Edinburgh.

[demigraf]

Hi, Anna, a.k.a. the first APA mom that I met IRL. How's the old neighborhood? Bet the weather's beautiful there today. Have you visited where Paseo del Mar fell into the ocean yet?

Ash, I literally almost peed myself when I read your phonetic pronunciation of Nicaragua. I can totally hear it in my head now. They are so quaint and charming.

Bridget, for your DBF's next birthday, I'm gonna get him a clue.

Chrissy, I don't remember my parents stopping us from a screaming outdoors. And I do remember them letting us enact drowning and being rescued for their amusement as they sat by the lakeside while growing up. Remind me not to that.

Jennifer, what did you put on the grass for ticks?

Suja, what was this dress you posted in Random? What was it for, and can we get a gander?

We had a fun morning. Met up with some parent friends at a kiddie place with rides and puppet shows. Bodhi was getting on SO WELL with a boy he used to lock horns with all the time. It was like they were best buds all of a sudden. They wete totally sweet to each other today. And they brought some other friends, and those friends brought their friends, who brought more friends, and pretty soon it was a party for us grown ups as well.

Crazy story, one of the dads today - whom Lydia has met at least once (Nathan ring a bell?) - was telling us about what happened since we last saw him at Bodhi's bday party. He was in Geneva for his job when he got pickpocketed. He chased after the guy who had his wallet and jumped off an overpass or bridge, trying to cut him off. The guy got away but our friend, he ended up in hospital for 12 days with a fractured pelvis. His company ended up paying for his mom to come and be with him in Geneva and fly him home. Then he was in the hospital again for another 15 days once he was back. And he has a 2 year old girl. :/ Talk about a huge disruption in your life. And can you imagine how hard it must be to chase a toddler on crutches and pain medication? Owee!

[heartmyboyz]

Hey Myles haven't been. I should go by there, it would make for a nice drive. The weather is great. Nice for a swim and still cool at night. But we can feel the heat coming. Not much has changed out here.

[Bridget]

I always tell Savana and Kai if they keep screaming like that the neighbors are going to call 911 and say a child's in trouble. Then they are all quiet and looking around like, "Really mom??" I don't care how loud they are outside one bit but I do let them know they should save their "I need help" scream for when they really need help.

Today my bff drove down for the day and we took the kids to the beach. Perfect day.

[missychrissy]

We got to visit Cramer finally He chattered, made noises at us, and even laughed at us. He ate really well while we were there. I hope he doesn't get depressed or show signs of stress now that we're gone, 'cause they won't let us visit again if he does. He'll be able to come home just a day or two after his surgery. I was surprised it was that quick, but happy of course. We can't wait to have him home.

[Cosmosmom]

OMG that is great that he plays stuffed parrot!
I admit that I'm not that really into birds (never knew a parrot before)....but we have a killdeer that laid 4 eggs in the mulch around my oak in the front yard. This bird is so funny....if we go out there, he/she runs around on the ground putting on a huge show of having a broken wing to lure us away. Every single time we go out to get the mail or whatever, same show. They do fly but not much, mostly run around on the ground. So we are having fun watching this bird/birds (think that there are two parents) and look forward to seeing the babies.


Um Myles, I put down this granular stuff from Menards. http://www.menards.com/main/lawn-gar...54-c-10118.htm So poison. I REALLY didn't want to do this but on the other hand I was really tired of pulling ticks off us or the dogs every day. And that is with treating both girls with frontline every single month. And keeping the grass short. It's not like we were going out in fields with tall grasses or woods. It was making is so we basically couldn't really play outside at all and I would only let them out once a day (rest of the time they had to use the litter box) as it was too much work to tick check them more than once a day.
My area has a very high lyme concentration and I have known many to get that as well as ehrlichiosis from ticks.

[missychrissy]

Today my bff drove down for the day and we took the kids to the beach. Perfect day.

Yay!!

I admit that I'm not that really into birds (never knew a parrot before)....but we have a killdeer that laid 4 eggs in the mulch around my oak in the front yard. This bird is so funny....if we go out there, he/she runs around on the ground putting on a huge show of having a broken wing to lure us away. Every single time we go out to get the mail or whatever, same show. They do fly but not much, mostly run around on the ground. So we are having fun watching this bird/birds (think that there are two parents) and look forward to seeing the babies.

Awww...I love watching birds. It's neat you have a family so close to you that you can watch.

[girlwonder]

I'm glad Cramer is feeling well enough to be playful and get up to his usual tricks.

I'm so exhausted. Summer arrived this weekend with our first two days of over 100 degrees. On Tuesday it is supposed to get up to 109 degrees. Molly - I imagine you are bearing the brunt of this as well. I guess I will never understand why people think that summertime is a good time to have outdoor parties. We spent five hours outside today, going from an outdoor birthday party with a pool for the kids (where's my poooool?!?) to dinner with friends who thought it would be grand to sit outside next to the grill and have dinner out there in the heat. I get really nauseous when I get too hot and I had a hard time eating even half of my hamburger from feeling like I was going to throw up. I don't know why I can't just say that I am feeling incredibly uncomfortable and can we please eat go inside for a while. I feel that would be rude. I imagine that my feelings can be inferred from the sweat rings under my arms, the perspiration rolling down my face and dripping into my food, but perhaps I am being to subtle?

[Suja]

This is the picture I took down:
And it's gone again!

Anyway, I've been revamping my wardrobe considerably, and a good bit of this weekend was devoted to making piles for tossing and giving away. My problem has been that although we can afford for me to buy nice clothes, the living frugal background always catches up, and I feel guilty about getting nice things for myself. As part of my eat right/get fit campaign, I've also decided that it's time for me to stop looking like something the cat dragged in, and since I loathe shopping, have been doing mail order. A LOT of it is from Zulily, which means I can't return it. So, this dress was part of that. I don't know why, but I fell in love with it. Right now, size is kind of tricky for me. I was a 4-6, now a solid 4, but my body is not nearly where I need it to be, so I have been buying things in the lower end of that range, even when the size chart said 'fits 2-4'. This one falls into that category. I know that I will eventually be able to pull it off, just not sure if in my midlife crisis, I'm trying to dress like a 20 year old. I could wear something like that on a date night (assuming we will have one before I turn 50).

I know that a lot of people don't think I have any weight to lose, but I do. It's all right around the middle, so it isn't just vanity talking. This is the metabolically active fat, really bad news for the cardiovascular system, and with a heart disease history as strong as it is in my family, I have to do something, or risk serious problems down the road. I had a 23 inch waist oh, about 5 years ago. I'd love to get that back, but I'd settle for somewhere around 25 (currently 29, down from 32). If only i could take the stuff around my middle and shift it to my rear! Would solve both my problems.

[AbbeysMom]

Katy, the only time I'm outside is at the pool. I can't take the heat, I actually will pass out. I filled my gas tank yesterday and felt like I was going to pass out in the five minutes it took to fill up. But we just got a new car that has remote start and it's been amazing, I can go inside someplace then turn on the car a few minutes before we leave and walk out to a nice cool car.

Jennifer, I want you to take a video of the killdeer. I love animal stories like that.

I just ate cranberry-walnut bread with havarti cheese and pear slices and it was amazing. I know I need to clean up what I eat post-pregnancy but for now I'm loving food.

[missychrissy]

I hate shopping too Suja but I'm too cheap to risk catalog shopping for clothes. I must try crap on before I buy it because you can't count on labels to tell you anything. I have size 7 jeans in one brand that wouldn't fit me at all in a 9 (they were too small!). It was the EXACT same brand! wtf? I also have 5's that I wear. So that 9 really blew my mind.

Katy, I love sitting outside and usually we have everyone eat outside when we have bbqs but if anyone was uncomfortable I'd rather they say something so we could go inside. I want my guests to have a good time, not suffer through waiting for the torture to end. I'd feel horrible.

The only time the heat gets me is if I'm in too cold AC for any length of time. I avoid grocery stores when it's over 90 because THAT makes me sick. The AC. For many years I would get migraines from riding in cars with AC on. I don't any more...but then, I still don't really utilize my AC that often.

[girlwonder]

That's what it was, Chrissy - it just felt like torture and I couldn't wait to get home to my ac and cool shower. I love to be outside, but after it gets up above 95 I don't enjoy it at all. My body isn't made for heat - just hate it. If it was only for a few days at a time I would be able to deal with it, but it is knowing that this unrelenting heat will be hunkering down on my head until October, which just seems a lifetime away right now, that is just upsetting. And last summer, the hottest summer recorded here in TX, just sapped me and I haven't fully recovered and now here comes another one. Tired of it. I know we had this conversation last year too!

Molly, I came close to fainting from the heat once a long time ago when I was getting a fitting for my bridesmaid's dress for my sister's shotgun wedding - had to sit down and put my head between my knees. I felt like I had to explain to the seamstress that I wasn't also knocked up like my sister, just couldn't take the heat!

My dh and i were watching some survival show set in snowy frozen Alaska, so that helped a little bit. Maybe I should just get a DVD of snow falling and icicles and have it on repeat on tv.

[demigraf]

What a sweet dress, Suja! You look very youthful, so even if you're worried that you're "trying" to look like you're 20, at least you're pulling it off. Would you hire me to be your personal shopper? Not because I have any taste, but because I do enjoy me some retail therapy. I almost never try on clothes, but most of the clothes I buy are stretchy, so I don't often bring something home that doesn't fit. I have to alter a lot of things for my height anyway.

Jennifer, thanks for sharing. I'm always looking out for ticks, so now I know about how you took care of the problem (hope it worked for good!). We've been bringing them home a lot from a field we play in. So far, they haven't seemed to infest our yard, which makes me wonder if they have an aversion to deep shade.

Katy, I wish we could borrow maybe 20 of your degrees this summer, so you could cool off and we can heat up. It's attributed to Mark Twain that he said: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." I don't know if he really said that, but it's kind of true regardless. So far, it's been beautiful, but here on the coast, we can have a brutal fog season where it's cold and dark out for weeks on end. I keep waking up on gray mornings thinking, "has summer finally arrived?" Anyway, I agree, I wouldn't want to be at an outdoor party on a 100+ day. It was 107 in the Palm Desert earlier this month, and the pools were literally spilling over with people, and it was not a relaxing scene (more Spring Break than anything) so I avoided them.. The concrete was baking and you'd keep hearing people shriek "Ouch" as they got out of the pool as their feet burned on the ground. I went to Bikram yoga when I was there and it was the first time the classroom was 1 degree cooler than the air temp outside. The best way we got out of the heat was for us to take an aerial tram to 8500+ feet, where it was only 75 degrees up there.

DH just came over to me and said, "I just read this disturbing story..." and goes on to tell me about this. WTF is wrong with people?!?

[AmeriBrit]

Suja, I love that dress; I want one like that! I loooove pink! I think it looks great on you; I know what you mean, though, about weight loss and body type, etc. My Wii Fit tells me that to have a BMI of 21, I should weigh 137 pounds, but I weigh 122 with a BMI of 19.5 and still think my belly has too much blubber on it. I'm going to try a circuit class this week instead of going to zumba; I am getting bored with zumba and I think circuit training will help me tone more-well, it might make me sweat more instead of concentrating on trying to get dance moves right.

Myles, that news story was heart-breaking. I cannot believe how many people are horrible to children like that. I hope that little girl finds a new, loving home.

Chrissy, I'm glad Cramer seems to be doing so well. I bet he was like, 'hey, my people are here!' Let's hope he continues to mend so well and gets to come home soon.

And Katy, I'd take some of that Texas heat right now, too. It's been so miserable, rainy and cold here lately. We had a month's worth of rain in one day last week and a lot of the rural roads were flooded, so a 15 minute journey took up to an hour at some points.

[missychrissy]

DH just came over to me and said, "I just read this disturbing story..." and goes on to tell me about this. WTF is wrong with people?!?

How horrendous! How can people be like that?

Something smells like cat pee at work. Blech. Happy Monday? My friend, Faye, has finally returned after being out for four weeks having shingles. I'm so happy to see her finally I think if she couldn't come in today, I might have actually shed a tear. She's a wonderful person.

[Ky'sMom]

Glad your friend is back Chrissy, but now I am all weirded out your friend had shingles. DH has been having some tingly/burning type of pain and my aunt said that it may be a symptom of a shingles outbreak and I am kind of freaked out about it because I have never had chickenpox and I don't want to catch it at my age. I'm 33 and my mom got it when she was around my age and had to be hospitalized and still has ugly scars from it - chickenpox that is. I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday and I think I will ask about a varicella booster as I haven't had one in a while and I'm not sure if I'm up to date. Elle and Ky are up to date on theirs, so I'm not worried about them, but I am kind of freaking out.

Suja you look GREAT in that dress! I also didn't see it when you had it up earlier. I think that is a dress that anyone can pull off and if you pair it with some great accessories and shoes, it won't look like a 20 year old's outfit. I think it is a nice, classic sort of dress, right up my style. I'm like Chrissy though in that I don't shop online or from catalogs, I HAVE to try things on. I have huge boobs and some designers/brands don't cut a dress big enough for me on top. It is crazy because I have had to buy really big dresses, once an 18 to fit me because my boobs can't fit a 12. I can fit a 10-14 depending on the dress, I have no hips and a slim waist usually - unfortunately I always gain in the midsection so right now I don't even know what size I am because I am so pissed about gaining 20lbs in my midsection and it is all in my stomach so pretty nasty, but huge big boobs. I am like Betty Boop without the hips LOL! But I love dresses, especially in the summer. They make me feel feminine and sexy and I like to switch and flirt at men, including DH with blinking and striking up conversations. I feel like a different woman in a dress, so I wear them often usually. Not recently though because of my stomach but I figure it will be gone by September, and autumn is my favorite season for dresses and flirty behavior - it is my favorite season.

Like Katy, I am anticipating being exhausted due to the heat this year. I really, truly, despise summers here. I am to the point now that I would rather move back to Ohio and deal with snow than deal with 4+ months of unbearable heat. I actually submitted a resume to a company I used to work for back in my hometown for a contract/proposal writer, something I do right now at my current job as well. They pay nearly twice what I make and it would be nice to move away from here and this **** heat and crazy acting people. I have been feeling so done with the south for a while, but I love Ky's school and would love for Elle to go there too but I don't know if I can live here much longer. Plus DH hates it here and never wanted to live in the south for this long. Oddly he doesn't mind the heat, but he thinks most of the people here are idiots and not customer service/business oriented and he is sick of it. We both don't think any high schools here are good and he has even said he'd rather live in my hometown than here. I don't know if I want to move back there specifically, but my mom would be happy. I know I hate this fricking heat though. It isn't 100+ but it is getting to that time of the year when it is 95+. The humidity is just ridiculous too so I am dreading the oncoming onslaught of high temps and humidity.

Erin