Rave - My cousin Stan 'Bubba' Smith of Tyler, Texas will be on Extreme Home makeover this Sunday.
He is building a tree house for the family that has 5 kids.
The company he works for is based in Seattle.

Rant - I just burned my last piece of Ciabatta bread from Central Market. I was going to make a killer brie and ham sandwich and I burned the CRAP outta that bread. House full of smoke and the alarms DID NOT go off. Argh on both counts!

Oops they have -6- kids, not 5.

Rave: The love of my life popped the question on Tuesday, we're going to pick up my ring tonight, and we're getting married two weeks from today!

Rave: The kids are excited and plans are coming along fine, lots to do!

Rave: Honeymoon in Kennebunkport, got 1 night at Captain Lord Mansion, and they have a 2-nt. min. - how lucky!

Rant: How could I?

Well wishes to all, especially those who had rants, for a healthy and happy week ahead.

Rant: Dr found a 6mm shadow in my mammogram - had to wait a week for a second mammogram - the longest and most nerve wracking week of my life!

Rave: Second mammogram came back ALL CLEAR!! Yippee

Rave: This time next Friday, I'll be on my way to Arizona for 2 weeks!! Yippee

Rant: 1500 and counting....

Rant: Difficult health situations, loss of life, and relationship difficulties for Fodorites and their friends and families.

Rave: Getting excited and ready for my Florida vacation! Picked up some heavily discounted designer clothing for my trip - right place at the right time! But the BEST bargain were the two cashmere sweaters I picked up at 90% off :D

Rant: The weather is still so very cold (he,he, I can wear my new sweaters) but unstable weather is in the forecast which can cause some travel problems! Spring, where are you?

Rave: Went to the Orchid Show at the NY Botanical Gardens last week and brought home two new "babies" to add to my collection! My Dendrobium is beginning to bloom :) It's one of the most difficult to bloom - or so I am told by the pros at the Garden!

Rave: No technology class for the next two weeks - Yippie! However, I will be locked in the library tomorrow doing some heavy duty research before I leave for my trip :(

Congratulations to those college bound students and their offers - decisions, decisions!

Sam, that's great news - congratulations!

Stay well, everyone!

Gilbert,
Not uncommon - maybe 3% in capable hands. Often it's much more common to be brought back for a "diagnostic exam"
'cuz it generates income while getting "old films" for comparison costs the facility and the docs uncompensated $$'s.
M

Home depot aprons... hmmm... possibly recycled "Gates?"

Bennie--Fitness Factory??

All raves today!

74 degrees and sunny in OK today--more of the same tomorrow.

DH has a three day weekend.

Date night tomorrow night and casual GTG with new friends on Monday.

Family is happy and healthy.

We have two week-long family trips coming up in the next month (hopefully those won't become rants!).

No matter how many trolls try to hijack this board, the good advice given by helpful fodorites will always keep me coming back.

Buckeyemom and Patrick,
Your recent experience is more than a little bizarre.
I agree that health is all we really have.
Rant: Saw a psychiatrist on only my second "Oprah" show yesterday who convincingly stated that 1 in 25 folks in the US is a "sociopath" and confirmed that the largest threat to pregnant women in the US is murder by the father of their baby - what a great country.
Happy the Supremes voided the death penalty for minors under 18?
Rant: Perhaps if we had a universal draft, we would have more than a few US Medical School grads caring for the troops. Most of the the "regular" Army and Navy Docs are home each night, while the "reserve" folks have left their families and practices and are on the front line - little change since the regulars got hammered at Keh Sahn, Viet Nam in '68. Remember the nerve gas storage/Atropine and 2-Pam syringes everywhere?
Never the least bit scared until diving into a trench with a MSGT, USMC crying and soiling himself with incoming a few meters away.
Rave: All the college acceptances - good luck with the financing.
Rave: Summa college grads - I know only one who is "wealthy". The others are happy, lol.
M

Eva - Yes! the Fitness Factory - very small world we live in!

Rave: Had a wonderful time up snowboarding for a couple of days. It was nice to be back at the condo again. So relaxing and we woke up to fresh, falling snow the next am! :)

Rave: Had a very nice brunch last weekend and met our future in-laws. There were ten of us and all had a great time getting to know one another!

Rave: Swim meets! One today, relays tomorrow, meets next week! DD is one awesome swimmer and she's going for a Varsity time in the butterfly stroke! :)

Rave: Spring! I've been enjoying riding my pink Del Sol beach cruiser around with our oldest Vizsla trailing along behind!

Rave: Getting ready for a trip to Sonoma and the Oregon Coast this month! Should be lots of fun!! :D

Rave: Engagement announced at church last Sunday, the happy couple was beaming! We had a nice dinner last night and browsed through engagement pictures which turned out very nicely!

Rave: Saw Hitch last weekend, it was a very funny movie! Maybe the John Travolta one "Be Cool" this weekend.

Happy weekend, happy travels! ***kim*** ((#))

Rant: All the people suffering from health problems. My wonderful, little, Italian grandmother who raised me always said "If you have your health, you are the richest person in the world!" How right she was.

Rave: My little Italian grandmother who stated the above phrase!

Rant: I'm not going to Florida for spring break - the 1st time in many years.

Rave: Buffalo had one of its' mildest winters in a long time and, therefore, I will survive not going to Florida for spring break (sort of)!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

\rave- I am in Dallas visiting my dtr who goes to school here!!! Hi Mikemo

Rant - When I left Stl. it was sunny and warmer than it is here in Dallas - go figure???

Hope everuone has a happy &safe weekend!!

mikemo-We must have insulted the same psycho. :-) I think a couple of other people have had weird things happen to their passwords also.

Rave: The contractor finally finished our pool.

Rant: The temperature today reached a high in the 50's (West Central Coast of Florida)....don't think we'll be using it any time soon.

Rave: Going on a road trip next week to the Alabama, and Mississippi coast. Taking our two Cairn terriers.

Rant: Wanted a little spontaneous trip...but have to plan since we have our doggies.

Buckeyemom: So so sorry about your difficult news. And equally sorry that the "psycho" harassing you is so bad that he might use that news in his harassment. Amazing.

(And for the record, Mikemo, I'm very happy the Supremes did what they did -- the practice is barbaric, not to mention utterly ineffective as a deterrent.)

As usual, I'm a day late and a dollar short...No comments about my tardiness, please!

Buckeye--Am thinking of you and your brother. Hope the wacko that messed w/you gets caught or goes away.

Bonnie--dinner and 'Tini's--it couldn't suck!

Scarlett--Have a woonderful, wonderful trip!

Rave: A gorgeous spring weekend here in Atlanta, 4 days after snow flurries. Not too cold, not too hot and beautiful sunny skies. My husband and I will go for a long bike ride on Sunday (no time today).

Rave: Getting together several couples to celebrate a good friend's bday. Can't go out b/c Bday Girl is 9mo. pregnant. and they couldn't find a sitter for their 2yr old. But we're making steak and lobster and other yummy stuff. (Rant--I should be 9mo pregnant too...)

Rant: Can you believe it, but we have no big trips planned? Everything is on hold while we try to sell our condo and buy a house...

Rave: A friend and I are off to Charleston during my Spring Break for a little get away while my husband works.

Happy Saturday, Everybody!

OWJ: You are not trady. It was declared months ago (maybe a year now) that one can post on FFRR until Sunday night at midnight without being freaky.

So here, to make you feel better:

Rave: my daughter woke up this monring the night after her 12th birthday party (w/all the sleepy girls still here) and announced to me that she is very serious that she is now a vegetarian. She's been toying w/the idea for a year now but has seriously decided. I am proud of her! I may try to join her in giving up meat (but not fish). I am glad she will still eat eggs and dairy, as that makes it a bit easier to transition into the new diet and for her to get the complete proteins, etc. Her decision will likely result in benefits for my whole family.

Rant: A former student of mine in Philadelphia was arrested for serial rape.

Rave: They finally got this psychopath off the streets.

Saturday Rave: I lost 3 lbs. in 2 weeks since I started back to the gym! Must be doing something right! :)