good luck stw!

lcuy, really ... no buyer? what happens now?

GoT, we gotta do a marathon GTG one day. 12 miles this Sunday!

Great to see you're going to do the 'thon again, GoT!! I really admire you.

Seems like alot of us are having a ranty Friday.

Rant: UPS overnight birthday gift for friend lost in transit today when it was guaranteed to arrive by 10:30 am. Contents not easily replaceable either. X-(

Rant: My e-mail server is down and my IT guy has not returned our calls. Tough to function in business without e-mail. X-(

Rant: Tons of work to do for Monday

Rave: Still going to spa with best friend for birthday massage this afternoon. Just wish I didn't have so much other stuff stressing me out so I can enjoy it...

Rave: Seeing "Live" tomorrow night at the TomsRiverfest in NJ. Meeting up with Budman & Mrs. Budman for wine event tomorrow afternoon too. :)

Have a great weekend everyone! If anybody has any influence at UPS in Louisville, KY let me know!

Trish ((#))

seetheworld: Glad you made it back and had a good time! Awaiting your TR!
Prayers are with you.

Chin up, I say...thanks for the thoughts and prayers, they are deeply appreciated. Oh, to be sitting on the beach in Portugal eating Bohlinas. Good times. :)

PM, happy travels to Portland!

Ethel, your plate is full. My thoughts are with you. Hope your dad feels better soon!

JAGIRL, so what holiday are WE celebrating next week?? :D

AnnMarie, your produce shower guy sounds like he's been watching too many Seinfeld episodes! Remember the one when Kramer prepared dinner in his shower? Yuk!

mms, whiplash? LOL Glad to hear she's improved. ;)

lucy, "Work" in Hawaii? Sounds like an oxymoron to me, lol. :D ;)

Scarlett, many continued prayers for Mimi and her husband. ((f))

Kureiff, I hope your dog feels well soon. Peaches and ice cream -- ohhh, sounds so good. I think I'll take my ice cream maker out this weekend!

Hey there Trish!

Thanks OSB...I will shamelessly plug my trip report here...

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34842240

I got a salt system for our pool installed this week. The guy was supposed to come out and give an estimate, but actually had a work order and installed it. No problem, in fact, I feel fortunate, as 3 different people at that company had told me they were really busy and couldn't get to me until Fall!

I'm seeing alot of incidents on the TV news of children getting stuck to the drain in either a pool or hot tub. They say this is a hidden danger in most pools and HT's.

My pool is almost 10 yrs. old, so it has only one drain, as opposed to the requirement of 2 drains on any new pools. This is supposed to prevent the sticking situation from occuring.

The alternative, they say is to have a 'quick kill switch' installed on the pump, so that, if the pressure increases to a certain amount, it would shut itself off.

My problem, is no in our area knows where to obtain this. The pool company is checking around, but I was wondering if any of you have such a thing or know where to get it??

We are expecting our 1st grand child, and I'm trying to consider all the necessary safety aspects. I've known two different families who suffered a tragedy with a drowned child in the past two years!

I was a vigilant mother, but have slowed down abit - actually purposely, wanting to free myself from the 'super mom' neurosis, but I don't want anything like that to happen to my grandson!

I just had a nice visit with my new neighbor...she's just what I've been praying for!...somebody comfortable enough to come over spur of the moment and have morning coffee, etc.- which we just did...no makeup, hair not done - as we were both outside tending to the yard abit.

She's more my age than the rest of my neighbors, so we have more in common in that area. Yet she has a totally different background, which makes her all the more interesting!

Yes we are in a ranty mood this Friday...

But get this Rant:

A photographer sells photos of children cying (up to $5000 a piece). She gives them lollipops and then takes them away to get her desired pose!! Sick. Even sicker is that parents let this happen!! I guess people will do almost anything for money. Mind games with young children, terrible. :(

Rave:17 mile bike ride around a gorgeous lake. Watching a pair of hawks soar (OK, that maybe a little Bob Seegerish, but we really did). Coming home with my wonderful DH. Having fresh picked corn, zucchini and squash for lunch...topped off with fresh blueberries. Having five happy pups to love (Tiff, that story was HORRID, they should license people not dogs)
Life in North Carolina is good.
My heart goes out to STW and others facing challenges ahead. Peace.

"My problem, is no in our area knows where to obtain this. The pool company is checking around, but I was wondering if any of you have such a thing or know where to get it??"

Hmmm, we have a "quick kill" switch with our spa, but that was done by an electrition (how come that does not look spelled properly?). Good luck finding what you need. Pool safety is so very important!

STW~Absolutely get a 2nd opinion.

I continue to hold a good thought for Mimi and her husband.

Scarlett: When do you need a Pupsitter and for how long? One of our old Vancouver friends, who used to pupsit for us (and when he comes to visit us in Europe, he still gets stuck with a day of pupsitting our cocker in exchange for free room and board), may be available (he also works as a department manager at Costco). Do you want someone to stay overnight? If you can't find anyone and might be interested in our friend, email me.

Rant: My father-in-law in McMinnville still can't get any real relief for his back pain. It's becoming debilitating

Rant: some of the sly, snide anti-American stuff making its regular appearance over on the Europe board.

Rave: UK heatwave may be breaking. A lot less humid today.

Rant: Haven't been able to sleep well for several nights because of said heat wave. Makes me cranky.

Rave: DH came back from week-end in Germany with six bottles of Austrian and German eiswein and six bottles of Austrian Gruner Veltliner. And four bags of nonpareils from favorite boutique Swiss chocolate maker. :-D

Rant: Bags of nonpareils are REALLY small. Won't last the week-end.

((y)) Summer school is over!!

((N)) I have to switch classrooms so I need to pack up my room.

((Y)) I go to California is one week!

((N)) We lost power for 12 hours last night; we lost it for 14 hours (along with most of SE PA) last week

((y)) The power is back on

((y)) IT'S FRIDAY!!

STW
Emancipation Day is on Tuesday
Ind<font color="green">epe</font><font color="gold">nde</font><font color="green"></font>nce Day is next Monday. :D

yay! ff is back up!

rave: it's friday!!

rave: summer is halfway over! (i love summer, but summer in nyc?)

rave: my bf.

rave: my parents, and best friends.

rave: the bartender at the w tonight who will pour me a dirty martini. i haven't met him yet, but i love him already. ;-)


rant: only one...found my first gray hair this week! :-O (that plus the heat and stress...see rave above)

;-)

STW, lol! Yes, I remember that episode! Thanks for finding the humor in this for me, I needed a laugh. :-)

GoTravel, I posted FFR&amp;R last night. I guess they didn't like it. I come back from an all morning long doctors appointment and its gone. Thanks for starting it up again this morning.

Rant: I found out this morning that I have diabetes and I don't even know if I am spelling it right. This changes everything.

jorr: Having trouble posting...4th attempt!
It seems I cant use apostrophe without losing my post!
Glad to hear you are not banned!
Sorry to hear of your new challenge with diabetes. Did they say any possibility of reversing it with diet &amp; exercise? My DH did so a few years back.

By reversing it, I mean he no longer has to take glucophage.

Jorr ~ I am sorry. My Mom had a sudden onset of diabetes after my father passed away three and a half years ago. She has been able to control it with her diet.

Did they set up an appt for you to consult with a nutritionist or dietary specialist?

It is a pain for her I know, but she still travels and goes on about things. I wish you the best. We so care about you here.

jorr, welcome to the diabetic &quot;club&quot;. I was diagnosed about two years -- knowing it was coming since my father, brother, and sister all got the same diagnosis within a year of two of age that I did.
I don't know your situation, but the most frustrating thing is the number of people who insist it's all about diet and if you eat right you can get rid of it -- SO WRONG!!! Some can, but that is NOT always the answer at all.