JJ5

Just didn't feel like ranting or raving today. I won't until I have some good news. I do like reading others good news, as it proves there is some out there.

FainaAgain

I join the "just saying hello" group. You know, sometimes the dreaded 4-letter W-word "work" interferes with the E-life

Hugs for everybody who needs them.

travgina

Rave: As part of "Remembrance Day", I attended a Holocaust exhibit at a local gallery, and the documentary "Paper Clips". The film is about students at a high school in Tennessee attempting to collect 6 million paper clips, representing the Jews that died during the Holocaust. They ended up collecting about 27 million. The citizens of the town then got a rail car that had transported people to the death camps shipped from Germany and it now holds 11 million of the paper clips (representing the Jews, plus gypsies and other minorities that were killed), as well as other Holocaust items. The exhibit and film were both very moving.

Rave: Jorr reminding people of the dangers of tanning.

Rant: Gas prices and oil company profits.

Rant: After spending four hours stripping wallpaper, my back is aching. More of same tomorrow!

My best wishes to all Fodorites. Thanks for making this such an enjoyable place to visit!

lcuy

Rave: my mainland vacation got extended by a week!

Rent: not by choice. While visiting our kids in NYC & Boston, we got word that a wall on our San Diego property collapsed, damaging the house next door.

I had to buy all new tickets NYC-San Diego-Honolulu and dump my NYC-Honolulu return.

RANT: Now I'm in San Diego, having to deal with AWOL contractor and nasty neighbor. Plus, I've got nothing to do and no one to see once the work day is over. AAARGH!

Guess I could work on a trip report for the Bosotn & NYC days.....

Rave: getting to eat lots of good Mex food!

P_M

jorr, thanks for the reminder and congrats on your survival. Like OWJ, I am also a reformed sun worshipper.

bennie, wishing your mom a speedy recovery.

Rachel, I hope your cousin will indeed beat the monster.

Ed, also wishing you the best with the retinal degeneration.

lcuy, that stinks!! I hope things will be in order soon.

seetheworld: Thinking of you. ><

Rant: BTilke is in Paris and I'm not. Also ranting that BTilke's SIL was sick throughout her trip. I should have gone in her place.


Rave: A cool front blew into Austin and brought temps down to the 70's. Brrrr!!

Rave: The Alamo Drafthouse, our new favorite movie cinema. Each row of seats has a cabaret table so you can order dinner and/or bar drinks while watching the movie. We are so spoiled to having wine and dinner with a movie, it would be awfully hard to go back to popcorn.

Rant: Spending $40+ for going to the movies.

Happy weekend, all!!

ElendilPickle

Thanks for the reminder, Jorr. Living in New Mexico, we should probably buy stock in some sunscreen company.

Rave: 18yo dd graduated from high school last week and also did well on her finals at community college.

Rave: 10yo ds's team is 5-1 so far.

Rant: I got pinkeye in both eyes.

Rave: Thanks to meds, I no longer look like the Eye of Sauron.

Rant: Still can't get on Fodor's except from Mr. Pickle's work computer.

Rave: Going to my dad's in CA next month, with a too-short hop to San Francisco and Monterey!

Lee Ann

girlonthego

Another rave for sunscreen. Dad had melanoma,but has thankfully gotten rid of it. I have his skin. and was fried of course as a child.

Well tonight my girls went to their first ever middle school dance and had a great time! Time flies and they grow up so fast!
Have a good weekend all.

OldSouthernBelle

Rave: Only one more week until DS is through with college enough to get a full time job!

Rant: He dropped French II so he won't actually graduate yet.

Rave: I love the sushine that Springtime brings. Yes, I do use sunscreen.
Do you know that Rit dye makes a product that you can use in your regular laundry to add sunscreen protection?...some clothing manufacturers charge big bucks for this feature.

Rave: Everyone's fairly healthy at the moment here.

mcnyc

Rave: I finally finished jury duty after 9 days, spread out over 3 weeks.

Rant: Jury duty could have been shorter if one of our group could have kept an open mind and applied logic to the evidence given. It was an open and shut case.

Rave: I feel good and confident about the decisions I made.

Rant: One guy had his own agenda coming in, became alienated from the pack, and decided to hang the jury on one count out of 4.

Rave: I've been away from the office for 9 blissful days.

Rant: 4 days of deliberation, trying everything we could to ask him to help us understand his thinking, but instead we got harassed. We requested the court to read every shred of evidence and testimony he requested. I wouldn't call it a waste of time, but it was an exercise in futility.

Rave: I was not the foreperson!

Rant: The defendant stared me down daily. He took extensive notes during jury picking, and since we were asked extensive questions regarding where we worked, he now knows where I work! And I'm getting paranoid!

Rave/Rant: I don't remember a thing the judge said after we gave the verdict. I would have loved to hear and remember what he said. Instead, I think we were all just relieved things were over, although I think all of us secretly wanted one last chance to get the hold-out to work it out with us. None of us were satisfied with walking away without a final resolution on that last count.

Rant: Someone else is jumping on the coattails of something I had already successfully negotiated, another grant for $1.5 mil. The way things are going, I hate my boss and I need out.

Rave: My boss was doing the Homer Simpson panic dance. He deserves it after what he's been doing!

My thoughts to all who are in pain and in need. My happiness to all who have joy in your life.

And Jorr: are you talking about the National Portrait Gallery in DC? If so, then your concern (and others) will not go unheard. I can pass your concern to the Director if you'd like. You all have connections.

LoveItaly

Sun screen, thank you for the reminder jorr. This week we went from winter weather to 91 degrees overnight. And how I enjoyed the warm weather. But ooops, forgot to put on sun screen. I too spent decades baking in the sun, from laying on beaches and around pools to boating. So far I have not had a problem and none of my family or ancestors have but that doesn't mean anything I would imagine.

Raves: I got a lot of "spring cleaning" done this week.

Rant: I sure was tired and achy after a lot of physical activity that didn't take place during the long rainy winter.

Rave: It looks like I will be going to Paris late September. I have never been to France so I am so excited!

Rant: I need to spend some time learning how to learn and pronounce some important phrases. I don't think just knowing "bonjour" and "merci" will do it, LOL.

Rave: A Fodorite and his dear wife from Australia will be here over Labor Day weekend and I will be spending time with them. They are so special and I can hardly wait for their visit.

Rant: A dear Fodorite who is going through so much physical and mental pain. She is on my mind and in my prayers constantly.

Rave: BTilkes' little five year old niece being an angel when her mother is so ill while in Paris. I was ill in Albuquerque, NM years ago and my little angel five year old daughter was the same way..she even learned how to order room service.

Rant: Getting ill when away from home..not fun and what a waste of valuable travel time.

Rave: All the beautiful people in my life, I feel so fortunate.

Rant: People that go out of their way to cause harm, stress and worry to others.

Wishing everyone a beautiful weekend and may you all have hope and faith that your future is bright even if you are dealing with adversities at this time.

jorr

mcnyc, I would very much appreciate you forwarding my concerns to your connection at the gallery. I have created hundreds of portraits in pencil, watercolor, and oil over the years so I do know a bit about what makes a good portrait.

The Clinton portait is so wrong on so many levels, composition, style, focal point, and positioning of the subject. The portrait has also become the laughing stock of TV programs such as The View, The Jon Stewart Show, The Tonight Show and others. The painting also has sexual connotations plastered all over it. I can site at least four. Thank you in advance.

Jury duty. What a pain. I've done it, and a few friends have done it as well. One said she got very stressed out from the constant arguing in the jury room. Another friend said he was the forman and when the guilty of murder in the first degree verdict was anounced for the gang member defendant the judge told everbody in the court room the full name of the foreman. He was really afraid for his life after that.

lindsyb

I am usually a lurker but have been reading the FFR&R posts faithfully. I think of you all often but today (I'm a little late reading as I had some work issues yesterday) Jorr you struck a nerve. I lost my dad at 50 yrs old(and I can't believe it has now been 15 yrs since he passed - I still miss him so) to Melanoma and urge all of you to keep up with the sunscreen.

Other than that no specific rants or raves.

P_M

lindsyb, so sorry for your loss. If only people would be as wary of skin cancer as we are of other cancers. Thanks for sharing your story.

CAPH52

Happy weekend, everyone. I didn't post last week and haven't earlier this weekend 'cause I really can't think of much to say. Except, of course, that you're all in my thoughts and prayers. Especially Tiff and JJ5. And you too, stw, if you're reading! Glad your IEPs are done, OWJ. Just from my short time working as a special ed aid, I know what a relief that must be!

But I do want to make a point of thanking jorr and lindsyb for their warnings. You've reminded me that I need to start wearing sun screen everyday when I walk. I remember reading that most of the damage is done in short, everyday type exposure.

I've seen so many PSAs lately for breast cancer and colon cancer awareness. Can't remember seeing any about skin cancer. With the warm weather upon us, I hope the American Cancer Society will have more to say about it as well.

CAPH52

One more thing! Since I didn't post last weekend, I want to add that I'm so glad you had a good trip, P_M. And that your husband recovered well from his surgery.

P_M

Thank you CAPH. I hope your husband is still feeling well?

mcnyc

Consider it done Jorr. I've not seen it yet, but when I'm in DC later this month, I will definitely go see it. Sounds like a farce of a painting.

This particular jury duty stressed me out completely. I couldn't sleep a wink. There was almost fist fights among the jurors and the holdout, who was determined unreasonable. I had to ask our guard if anyone heard our arguments in the courtroom since it did get quite heated (thank goodness no one did). I think I'm paranoid, but I could swear that the defendant was staring us down and looking for revenge once he's out of jail. Is that still considered jury tampering?

And thanks for the Melanoma awareness. I always use sunscreen but a good reminder here and there is of the upmost importance!

CAPH52

Thanks for asking, P_M! Yes, I'm happy to say that he's feeling great! All his hair is back (including eyebrows and nose hair!). And his appetite and taste buds are back. At this point, there don't seem to be any lasting effects (affects?) of the chemo.

I know we're not out of the woods yet. The dr. told us right at the beginning that, if it's going to come back, 80% of the time it'll be within the first two years. So he still has the porto-cath. And they'll be watching him closely. But, for right now at least, things are very good. And we're very grateful!

gomiki

Rave: As a lurker here, my thanks to Jorr for the reminder. I also have had MM. May I suggest nothing less than SPF 15 for everyone More is better IMHO. Please pass it on. And if something doesn't look "right"..please mention it. I have and it has made a difference.

LoveItaly

I have a neighbor who had skin cancer on her nose. She had medical care for it (before I knew her). Just a week ago she had "something" burned off again on the same spot so she now has a big scab on her nose.

But she doesn't wear sunscreen even now because "she just doesn't remember to buy it", sigh. What is that old saying about "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink".

I have given up..I tried to talk to again today about using sunscreen, but my conversation fell on deaf ears evidently.

P.S. I haven't seen the portrait of Bill Clinton or even heard about it. Who is the artist?