Rave: Temps 20 degrees above normal for the past three weeks.

Rant: The highs are around 32 which makes for lots of bad driving conditions and ice everywhere.

Rave: TV shows Wife Swap and Changing Spouses. These shows say so much about people they could be called documentaries. Amazing how different families are from each other. Its like a class in sociology...which I took in college but the TV shows are better!

Rant or Rave? The Chinesse will be putting a 4 door car on the American market for under $10,000. If this thing is successful we can kiss much of our auto industry goodbye but get cheaper cars.

Rave: Ditto on the rare warm spell here in Minnesota!! It is a treat to go out without mittens.
Rant: Our skating pond is closed due to the warm spell and my nieces and nephew are coming for the weekend. My daughters usually like to take them skating. It is very "romantic" in our town; a neat old chalet and a bonfire right on the pond ice.
Rant: My boss asked me to speak to a group of convicted felons tomorrow morning! Hmmm...is she out to get me?? Ha.
Rave: My college aged daughter returned safely from a dogsledding and snowshoeing trip with some college friends.
Rant: I used to be the one having these adventures!

AuntAnnie, My town is also having a problem with the ice rinks. Its too warm to make good ice. Its just too weird!

Rave: had a wonderful Christmas and New Year'sa eve with all my family here. Now they've all left. Both are raves... 16 people are a lot to entertain even though they all stayed in hotels, and Hawaii at Christmas offers a lot of simple things to keep guests busy--the beach, for one! Best was having time with my niece and her baby...My first great niece!

Rant: Both daughters are back to college, and both had to leave early. One is at rowing camp in Florida with her team, the other had to go to her regular college in Oregon to pick up her winter clothes, then had to be in NYC today for new student orientation. I feel like I didn't get enough time with them over Christmas.

Rant: College athletic coaches who keep changing the students schedules. I had to change her air tickets twice already (for the rowing camp), and now she needs to stay "a few extra days" after the end of school for another race. This is not a race that they qualified for at the last minute, or anything. Luckily, after the first date change, I ended up getting a 60,000 mile FF ticket that can be changed with no penalty and pretty much is good on any UAL flight.
Do these coaches think we have unlimited funds, or are they just too lazy to look ahead and give us a fixed scheduled in the fall?

Rave: All the help I'm getting for our trip from Fodor's. I've gotten so much great information from the Europe board. And the two threads this week on this board about fear of flying and travel anxiety have been quite helpful too.

Rave: It's been wonderful having our daughter home these past four weeks.

Rant: She goes back Sunday. I know it's time. She's getting bored. And I need to get back into my routine. But I sure am going to miss her!

Rave: I know the time until her next visit will pass quickly. Besides all the usual stuff, I'll be busy planning the trip. Oh, how wonderful to have a trip to plan during the winter doldrums (although that phrase certainly doesn't describe the unbelievably nice day we had today). It's been three years since I've been able to do some serious trip planning this time of year.

Rant: That I'm still up at this time on a school night. I'm having a tough time getting back into the daily grind. Tired all day and then can't seem to settle down when it's time to sleep.

Good Friday everyone!

Rave:
It is not snowing and it is not brutally cold.
Rant:
It has rained for 24 days and more is expected.
Rave:
The worst thing to rant about is the weather

Rave: Dad's been visitng for a week

Rant: Dad's leaving tomorrow. Something doesn't feel quite right when he goes I'm holding back the tears

Rave: going to a movie this weekend probably Syriana

Rave: watching the slasher movie "Wolf Creek" with pops the other day

Rave: Having time to catch up on all the goings on in Fodors land \/

Right there with you, Scarlett! This rain is just bizarre to me! Of course, everybody is saying" Wow! It hasn't done this in (blah blah) years...!" well, it's my 1st Winter here and what a welcome!

No other rants!

Rave: Proud Mommy moment!One of the only things that ever scared me about the thought of parenthood! Daughter is "officially potty trained" and daycare goes down a whole $6 a week! It's not the money, it's the excitement of knowing that we managed to get to this major milestone before her 3rd birthday. Now, of course,to her,the panties are just as important as the rest of her outfit every day!

Rave: Leaving for Thailand/Cambodia in a couple of hours.

Not really a rant, but had to put 14 work hrs in today and now I have to get a few minutes sleep in before we go. Had to check my travel boards first though and unwind. Kind of addictive, ain't y'all? Heading for bed now though.

Clifton, if you have one last addictive moment before departutrre and see this--Bon Voyage!!
AuntAnnie, you've given us another Jeff Foxworthy moment, as he jokes about building bonfires on ICE. You have to admit, that sounds pretty shakey!!
Rave: The stories above of great family moments and children's successes, from college athletes to potty-trained toddlers!
NO rants this week because... BIG RAVE...my brain MRI results were great: no edema, no visible leftover little monster fibers; results confirmed by both neurosurgeon and radiatiologist!!! (Sorry Faina--if you see this, it's about the fourth time you've read it.) So, am breathing a huge sigh of relief 'til next MRI in 3 months.
As Scarlett said, it's a rave when your biggest rant is the weather..or in my case, not having a joking excuse for a "swollen head."

CaliNurse--that's great news!

Rave: It's going to be almost 50 degrees here today. Woo Hoo!!
Rave: Finally seem to be getting settled in our new house and getting back to the daily grind.

Rave: LOST 2.5 LBS. this week!! Don't know how I did it since I wasn't very good. It's those damn work parties! How's everyone else doing on the "weight loss bandwagon"?

Rant/Rave: Going wedding dress shopping tomorrow with my Maid of Honor but the weather is supposed to be a mix of rain and snow and I hate driving in that weather. We may just have to postpone.

Great news, CaliNurse!

Rave: Had a great mother/son day yesterday with the youngest before he heads back to school on Sunday! We went shopping and had lunch. He's a very funny guy. I will miss him, but it's time for him to go back (I need my sleep and apparently he dosen't need his, lol).

Rave: It was a beautiful spring-like day yesterday. 8-)

Rant: Eating large quantities of raw baby carrots can make a person feel very ill. amp;

Rant: Only lost 1/2 a pound this week. PMS & chocolate - I have no will power. Now that the chocolate truffles are gone, things should get better.

Rant: My husband is working another weekend.

RAVE: Calinurse!!!! That's a HUGE rave and such wonderful news!!

RAVE: Yippie Ethel!! Good going!!!

Rave: To all of our kids for being who they are! ><

jorr, der Spiegel had a recent article on the transfer of "all" VW European/Asian parts manufacturing to China: amazing economic impact(s).

CaliNurse, I missed your ordeal, but happy to see your "normal" MR.

Rave: Received the annual property tax bill on the new house yesterday: $425.US (less than 4.5 % of my last (Dec '04) bill in Dallas).

Rave/rant: The recently adopted "mop" got neutered yesterday and the Diva is really depressed waiting for his return this AM.

Rant: Chilly mornings require the gas logs for heat. LP is getting incrementally more expensive even with the "large user" discounts.

Rave: Glorious, warm days.

Rave: SO is in Dallas getting her "family" and "shopping" fixes.

Feliz fin de semana!

M

Rave: Yesterday while I was sitting on the bleachers tying shoes for students a kindergarten girl walked up, grabbed my cheeks and said, "Your hair is gorgeous!" They make my job so much fun!

Rave: Just got flights to take my 16 yr old to Manhattan Beach in Feb.

Rant: People who blame the bad things that happen to people on their religious beliefs or lack thereof. Are you kidding me?!?

amwosu...ditto that last rant. I think he's lost it...or maybe he did a long time ago!

Rave: gorgeous gorgeous weather in this part of TX. Warm and sunny day after day. WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE SEND US JUST ONE DAY O9F RAIN???

Rave: The weather! We slept with every window open in the house last night. After an unseasonably cold December, this is welcome!

Rant: Health problems of loved ones.

Rave: Our dear friend came up to stay with us from Key Largo. Haven't seen him since June.

Rave: That candy doesn't tempt me- I have three boxes of Fannie May Pixies, 2 boxes of Frango Mints Christmas edition, and 1 large imported container of Truffles unopened. My daughter thinks I am not genetically female at some level- wants a DNA test.
And I already gave away 2 boxes of Frangos.(All Hostess gifts from holiday parties.) I'll get rid of 3 of these, at least, at my Bears party on Sunday.

Rant: Don't know which hospital to get to first- and all are distant from each other. Nearly all my peers are getting fixed. My best friend is getting new heart valve next week- angiogram and some final tests today. My sister is starting chemotherapy- has her port.
And that's just two of them.

Rave: That we can get fixed for the most part when things wear out early.

Rave: My parents are still standing and are not sick at the same time.

Rant: Semester start is hard.

Rave: I can start making plans for Toronto and Cleveland trip in May/June.

Rave: I now have 4 weeks and 5 days of paid vacation, plus 10 holidays and also the week between Christmas and New Years. That puts me into more than 7- 40 hour work weeks of paid vacation now.
Yipee!

Rave: Weather has been terrific for commuting.

Forgot a big one-
Rave: Total surprise- I received a white gold White Sox insignia on a great chain for my birthday and won at the casino with a free crab and lobster dinner. Now that was a great birthday!

And they match my Sox earrings perfectly. That guy did good this time.

Rave--Last weekend we went to a 100th birthday party. This lady has been a friend of the family for ages and it is so nice to see someone age so gracefully!

Rave--Had a great time with my mother while she was here.

Rave--DS won the Geography Bee for the entire Middle School! He is the youngest of the 3 grades there too. Last year he won it for the elementary school. Wonder what career he can have in this? LOL!

Scarlett and Klr--I am loving this rain! Don't like the flooding though.

Klr--That is too cute

Calinurse--What GREAT news!!!

Ethel--Way to go!