CaliNurse: I'm with you...working today, leaving shortly.

Have the phone company trace the call. Or report it to the police and they will do have it done. They can put a name to that number. I put up with someone calling and blowing a whistle in the phone for over a year...but we've put a stop to it now by doing the above!:)
Now, I have an obviously retarded person calling semi-regularly, getting the number mixed up, so I just practice alittle patience in this case!

Mikemo: DF? BRCA?
All I know is I'm thrilled she's OK! She intends to at least make a formal complaint to the hospital. What would you do? (They had her with one foot in the grave!). She is only a couple years older than myself.

Thanks! Belle

my big big rave!

I am a new auntie again! My little neice was born yesterday afternoon. It wasn't the best of circumstances as Wednesday night my sister-in-law was diagnosed with preeclampsia (at 31 weeks) but they acted quickly and Mommy and Baby are fine!

her name is Madison Elizabeth! I guess this means I have to be a role model now, gulp. :)

I mean niece. doh! bad typing!

Good morning, all, sorry I'm late.

STW, I hope this snafu is resolved soon. I've had my fingers crossed for you for several weeks now, and I fear they are permanently stuck that way. Please keep us posted.

CAPH, still hoping and praying for you every day. I can't wait to tune into the R&R's in Feb to learn that your DH is in remission. I'm so glad you are planning this trip!!

otto, the Phantom is my all-time favorite musical. I've seen it 4 times. Enjoy.

Ani, I live in S/Central Texas. Could you please tell me what is "winter?" I have vague memories of cold white stuff on the ground when I was a child in Northern OK. Is that related to winter? :-))

Tiff, thanks for staying in touch during your trip. Are the mushroom heaters going at the outdoor cafes?

OSB, wishing your Dsis the best.

flygirl, what a thrill to have a new niece, congrats!!

I hope I haven't left anyone out, but hugs and good wishes to all.

Rant: Today is the 20th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. :-((

Rave: We got some much-needed rain this week.

Rant: I got a text message from my dad and stepmom, telling me they are having a great time in Egypt but they are really sad that I had to cancel on this trip. This made me sad. :-(

Rave: I'm glad they are having fun. I will go to Egypt someday.

Rave: Only 69 days left until my London/Madeira trip!! This makes me feel better. :-)

Happy weekend to all!!

RAVE: Three weeks until we make a trip to New England with overnight stops, coming and going, in Maryland where we stay at a great Holiday Inn, with huge indoor pool, and have the most wonderful food at The Olive Tree next door.

BIG RAVE: This trip gives me a whole week to do all the fun stuff with my DGD! :-d

RANT: My ACC basketball teams are NOT playing like ACC basketball teams this year! :-( (Well, except for Puke ... er, I mean Duke :p .... no further comment! :D )

RAVE: My Carolina Hurricanes ... amazing how these boys from Tobacco Road can play hockey! ( :-d ... RIGHT!!!!)

RAVE: Tiff's in touch! So good to hear from you; have a fabulous time! ((d))

CAPH52, so happy for you and your DH that his Chemo is ending. You will continue to be in my prayers for a wonderful visit with the docs next time!

Flygirl, congrats on the new niece. One of the dearest people in my life is a niece, and though I am 61 and she is 49, our bond endures from her babyhood! :-)

Seetheworld, good luck with your career moves, and congrats on your weight-loss! So proud of you! I have maintained this past week, but have exercised four of the last five days, so I'm doing okay ... All in good time.

RAVE: All the people here who are sticking to their new healthy lifestyles, exercising and losing pounds!!! We can do it! :-)

RANT: A sibling of mine is drinking himself to death. We intervened before, but it didn't take. What a waste ...55 years old, and has no further interest in living! :-(

RAVE: Really cold nights in Raleigh the last few ... good for blazing fires, big glasses of wine and favorite movies!!!

RAVE: "Capote" .... "Brokeback Mountain" ... "Munich" .... "Walk The Line"... What a great crop of movies I've seen in the last month! I recommend them all HIGHLY!

Have a wonderful weekend, Fodorites!

bonniebroad, I have a brother with the same problem. It has totally ruined our relationship with each other. He has become the most unbearable, irratable, negative, impatient person I have ever known. I also know that only he can fix himself and after years of dealing with him I no longer have to get trapped under the black cloud he drags with him what ever he does and where ever he goes.

Bonniebroad, being a huge Duke fan married to a HUGE UNC fan, I am relishing in this season! But I feel your pain as the roles have been reversed as we know.

Not really a rant or rave but my due date is TODAY and I'm still here-no action. I've had a very easy pregnancy so I'm definately not complaining but I feel like I've been pregnant FOREVER!

Rave-we've already decided that we're going to Fla. in October so I get to plan our first trip with our little one! (If she ever gets here!:))

Thanks so much for all the wonderful good wishes, everyone! Can't begin to tell you how much it means! We need all the prayers we can get! Hope you know that all of you are in my thoughts and prayers as well.

OSB,
Dear friend and BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes which have a significantly higher risk for breast, ovarian and colon CA.
Best to all who are ill.
M

For those of you talking about wine and losing weight, there was a link to this on AOL's start page just now:

Have a Drink: Even though alcohol has calories, studies show that people who enjoy a daily glass of wine have lower body mass than those who imbibe only occasionally. Alcohol slows the absorption of food and increases hormones in the body that curb your appetite for sweets. Of course water is good, too –- just don’t drink it lukewarm. Hot or cold liquids require more energy to digest and may even cause a spike in your metabolism.

Thank you, CAPH! I will now go get snockered ... :p

and just yesterday on the today show, a health person was saying that it is a myth that wine has special healing properties, but that having a beer or a glass of scotch or other liquor is just as effective as a glass of wine.

bonnie....jorr.....my heart goes out to you. I have a brother in the same situation and his alcoholic rages have caused so much tension in the family. Not to mention there are those in denial of his condition.

Bonnie and jorr, been there done that with my BIL, only his problem is cocaine. Melissa is so right about other family members who are in denial of his condition. It nearly destroyed my marriage when I had to convince my DH and FIL that BIL is a coke addict. They just didn't want to believe it, and they blamed me for "judging" him unfairly. DH came around soon enough, but I'm not sure FIL is quite there yet, despite the fact that BIL has gone in and out of prison so many times on drug charges. BIL is out now and swears he'll never touch coke again, but time will tell.

Ala-non was a big help. If you haven't already done so, please go to a meeting. You are not alone.

Actually, earl, although that bit I copied and pasted mentions having a glass of wine a day, it goes on to talk about alcohol slowing the absorption of calories. So it sounds to me like a glass of scotch, etc. would work just as well!

Jorr, Melissa, P_M ... thank you for your replies. I'm so sorry that you have had to deal with this problem also. I am one of seven siblings, two of whom I have already lost ...... a sister died of ovarian cancer at age 61 and a brother of lung cancer at age 72. Much too young, and do you have any idea what they'd have given to live longer to enjoy their families and the gift of life? Yet this baby brother of mine has been throwing away his life since college-age, to drugs & alcohol both, totally rejecting REAL life. I will never understand how you choose to live in a fantasy world ... I am heartbroken, as he was so bright, and was going to be the family star, we all just knew!!! :-(

On a lighter note, Swalter18, I do hope that you are going to raise this new little girl in the proper religion ... you know, the Church of Tar Heel Blue! :-d God does love us BEST, as you can see everytime you look up at the sky and see that Tar Heel Blue! :p

Bonnie,
The one thing we can agree on is that she'll be a college basketball fan! :)) Given that DH and I both went to Illinois, she'll definately have blue in her blood, althougth UI and Duke's blue are closer than that wussy Carolina blue! :) Anyhow, we hope to visit her someday at either UNC or Duke-much better than cornfields!

Sorry to hear about the heartbreak you've gone through, how hard to see a loved one throw his life away and not being able to do anything about it.

Geez,
Dad, NYU '32
Mom, UNC/G '40 No women in Chapel Hill
M, UND '66; Manhattan '67; Georgetown '71
DSIS, M/U.MD. Doc/UNC
OSon, SMU
YSon, JHU, UTA
DD, Pomona, UTA

Oh well. Life is great in MX.
M

Does anyone know where "Jersey" is?