jorr

Rave: The amount of spam email in my inbox has dropped ten fold this week. I don't know what happened but I like it.

Rave: My aging Dad got to "dig" his rented-out-to-somebody-else farm yesterday. He's the Energizer Bunny and can work circles around people half his age. I tagged along in the passenger seat for a few rounds.

Rave: The septic system replacement will finally get started within two weeks. The old system is shot.

Rant: it will cost up to 4500 bucks.

Rant: The cost to heat our home with fuel oil will rise $180 per month this winter based on today's price.

Rant: Our Governor confirmed that over 100 National Guard troops from my small town -based infantry battalion will be sent to Iraq this fall. We are getting more disgusted with this war by the day. Civil war is starting in Iraq now and our local troops will become a part of it. Ohhh I'm ticked.

dwooddon

Rave: I've spent the last three weeks in Alaska and the Yukon. It's every bit a wonderful as I remembered.

Rant: I have to fly home Saturday night.

Rant: My ex-mother-in-law is quite ill.

Rave: I was able to visit her on the way to Alaska.

LoveItaly

My goodness, again I am the first poster, LOL, but again I am cheating as it is still Thursday evening on the left coast.

Rant: Our electrical bills here doubled. Everyone sort of fainted when they opened up the envelope. But with this heat we need a/c.

Rant: The cost of gasoline. Enough said.

Rave: Good and understanding friends, how would one make it through life without friends.

Rant: My friend/neighbors 20 year old grandson was electricuated at work yesterday. He is in training for a large a/c co. The electrician failed to turn off the power! I seems this young man will be alright but what a scare for everyone. And all because some "idiot" didn't do what he was suppose to do.

Rant: The photos I have taken these last weeks did not turn out well. Think the advice from the photostore regarding what film to buy was incorrect.

Rave: Went to traffic court with my 19 year old grandson who got a traffic citation. That was an education, LOL. My grandson was so mature and respectful that he got his fine lowered by two thirds. Hope has has learned his lesson!!! Uhm, the citation is not my rave, my grandson's attitude and demeanor with the judge is my rave, LOL.

Rant: Can't believe the way almost everyone that goes to the courthouse dresses. Makes the lines at the DMV look like a fashion show. I am sure one really makes a good impression on a job with their "dirty saying" Tshirts etc. What an experience!

Jorr, your Dad sounds great. My grandfather was like that. The Energizer Bunny, good description.

Take care, and a happy weekend to everyone. And all of you in Florida take good care of yourselves.

LoveItaly

Rant: I took to long typing so I am NOT the first poster! Hope your ex- MIL gets better Dwooddon. How nice that you visited her.

girlonthego

HI all! It is officially Friday on the East or Right coast!!! So, happy Friday.
Rave: Spent a couple of days at the beach. A nice way to end the summer.
Rave: A few cooler days here..NO humidity!!!
Rant: School starts in two weeks and that means the homework and activities and chaffeuring around begins. I will miss the lazy days of summer and doing whatever I want to do!!!
Rave: Still two weeks of lazying around left...

Alisa

Happy Friday and best wishes to all and your families.

Rant: I spent 3 hours this morning in the dentist's chair getting 6, that's right, 6 caps on the left side of my mouth.

Rave: No more teeth pain!

Rant: I should have gone to dentistry school. The check I wrote this am could have paid for many a fine vacation!

Rave: 1 month until our honeymoon in Kauai! A much needed vacation.

Rave: My DH is almost done with fantasy baseball season!

Rant: Fantasy football coming up. Thank goodness I have a sense of humor and can amuse myself. He says the same thing about me and Fodor's! And of course my love of the Los Angeles Lakers!

Rave: I am going to London at the end of October for a quick trip to see my Grandfather for his 80th birthday. He is so happy and I am so glad that I get to spend some time with him. At my wedding last month, for the first time I realized that he was getting older and not as spritely as he used to be. I am blessed to be able to see him again so soon and for such an important event.

Scarlett

Rave:
We made the trip across the country, we are now moved in to our new home in Portland Oregon and loving it.

April

Congratulations, Scarlett! We'll wave when we pass through on Amtrak in September.

My rant would take up four letter-sized pages, so I'll leave it. Next best: over $1000 in dental work.

Rave: Summer weather , blackberries and Venus & Jupiter in the early evening sky.

MelissaHI

Rave: I get to take a tour of the new NCL Pride of America!

Rave: Got my tix to Miami. Got my tix to Vegas. Got my hotels at outrageous cheap deals. Life is good. OK, well, life is inexpensive, anyway.

Rave: Finally got my car's AC fixed after seven years. Just in time!

Rant: My feet look terrible! Did you know that wearing sandals every day will dry out your heels? I stopped wearing pumps to work in March, and my feet look & feel like cacti.

Rave: I guess this means I need to go for a pedicure!

Ryan

Rave: Haven't posted in several weeks. Hope all are well.

Rave: My son turns 4 on Sunday. How time does fly.

Rave: Medical issues shouldn't be a concern for the next few years and a far shorter stay on the DL than I expected!

OneWanderingJew

Tiff asked me to post this for her as she is postcard hunting for me while Mr. Tiff searches for his golfball in the sandtraps of Idaho golf courses. he


Greetings to all you great FFR&R’ers ~

OWJ ~ Many thanks doll, for posting for me, hopefully I am getting your Idaho postcard right this very minute!

CAPH ~ Good & loving wishes!

LoveItaly ~ For you sweetie, for many reasons ><

PM ~ good thoughts for the job front are still coming your way!

STW ~ a cup of Earl Grey for you, just because.

Bonniebroad ~ sending you lots of sunshine for you and your DGD to enjoy!

Rave ~ My optimisim (Ha!) or should I say my naive, wishful thinking, hee, that OWJ will actually be posting for me and that my DH and I have flown on NWA are in Idaho right now on our romantic long weekend away. Only time will tell...

Rave ~ Shiny, happy people.

Rave ~ I still am so happy that Jorr's house is done, I realize it's old news, but man, didn't you just feel for that situation! A happy dance for Jorr's house being completed, ha. \/

No rants.

Wishing everyone a wonderful, fun filled weekend!
Miss you all Tiff

elizabeth_reed

Rant: I was fine yesterday but woke up today with a puffy eye and possible stye. Never had this before.

Rant/rave: may or may not drive out to my mom's tomorrow. This has been a weird weekend of schedules.
Rant: my mom has another rattlesnake somewhere in her yard. She's 78, lives alone and has killed several this year; a neighbor killed two, also.

Rave: Pup seeing a camel was a true Fodor summer highlight.

Rave: I live maybe 100-200 miles from jorr.

cd

Elizabeth
Where does your Mom live that she has rattlesnakes? I hate snakes! I would be so freaked out!

Rave: Our lower level is almost ready to decorate! It has been all summer and finally we get to go shopping for carpet!

Rant: More money to spend.

Hope all fodorites have a really good weekend!

Statia

Good morning my Fodorite friends! I haven't been here in the past couple of weeks due to work being a bit crazy.

dwooddon, I hope your ex MIL gets better.

Rant: Hurricane Katerina killing four people.

Rave: My best friend and boss are in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale respectively, and came thru unscathed.

Rave: Little Statia is doing great with her driver's ed classes in Houston.

Rave: DH's ex gets to be the one to drive with her while she's learning. Although, we did do some practicing with her here a few times this summer.

Rave: The temps are cooling off here on the island and we have been getting some nice afternoon showers to keep the island green.

Rave: DH is off almost all weekend after working nights all week long. He's now taking care of the grocery shopping, laundry, etc. so we can enjoy our afternoon and evening when I get off work. And he wonders why I love him. (blush)

Rant: Close friend and co-worker of DH's is leaving the island next week. We will both miss he and his daughter.

Melissa, get out that pumice and use it everyday in the shower, then put Vaseline and socks on your feet for the evening and remove them before bed. Guaranteed cure from the sandal wearing queen.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Eeva

Rave: Just had a lovely couple of days in NYC with my daughter.

Rant: The previous couple of days were with my MIL in NJ. She's not evil or anything but it takes a great deal of energy to deal with her for 3 days.

Rave: I finally got my new classroom all set up.

Rant: Our only child begins high school on Wednesday. She seems too young!

Other than my minor rants, everything else is peachy. Sorry to hear about those of you with REAL rants.

P_M

dwooddon, I hope the ex MIL is better soon.

MelissaHI, happy trip!!

Ryan, welcome back, and I'm glad your medical news is good.

elizabeth reed, I hate rattlers too!! Where I live we mosty have water snakes and grass snakes, but my friend recently killed a 6 foot ratter in her yard with a shovel. What a woman, I can't imagine confronting something like that.

Rant: When my company announced a couple of months ago that our jobs were ending, they told us how much they care and will do anything possible to help us find new jobs. Last month an in-house job came up where I met all of the qualifications they listed. I was hopeful since they "care so much about helping us." But what did they do? They gave it to someone on the outside.

Rant: This week I went to another interview where I had to read a case study, write a report and give a presentation. I was only allowed 45 minutes to prepare all this. The presentation went OK, but the report was very frustrating because I know I am capable of better work when I'm not under pressure and playing "Beat the Clock." So I will not get my hopes up about that job.

Rave: I have learned from this experience. Remember when I was going in for the interview a few weeks ago and I asked you all if I should just sleep with the boss to get the job? That idea received overwhelming support from this board, but when I saw that the interviewer was a woman I backed down from that idea. So I have learned my lesson--I cannot afford to be choosy. I shall no longer refuse to put this plan into action, regardless of that person's looks, age, or even gender.

Rave: My dad and stepmom's 25th wedding anniversary was this week. Tomorrow night they will have a renewal of vows ceremony and a reception later. I'm so excited. This will be happening in Houston, so we will make the drive to Houston tomorrow morning.

Rave: Dad and his wife already have company using their guest rooms so we have to stay in a hotel. That's OK because I used Priceline for the first time and got a room at the Sheraton for $50. I am now a Priceline fan.

Rave: My wonderful Fodor friends!!

Happy weekend, all!!

ethel

Hi Everyone!!!

Alisa--I hear ya, sister. My bf is into fantasy football and I'm dreading it. It seems like he spends all of his free time on the computer. I can't complain though--the first year he started he won so that was some nice spending money.

MelissaHI--I hear you, too, sister. My heels are horrible. I've exfoliated, moisturized, etc. to not avail. Have yet to try vaseline and socks so thanks, Statia, I'll try that.

Rave: 1 week exactly until our relaxing, quiet week in Vermont. Yeah!!!
Rave: Happy Hour and dinner with friends tonight.
Rave: $1.05 drafts and a chance to win $105 with every beer. Nothing like a little motivation We won last time we went so send us good luck vibes to win again.
Rave: Can actually afford to go out for dinner and drinks tonight.

I have some rants but there so minor I won't bother boring you with them.


Make sure you all get out there and enjoy one of the last weekends of summer!! I know I will, because before I know it, the snow will be flying here. Oops, did I just say that?

jersey

Hello from Central New Jersey. The weather is extraordinary this week. Low eighties, little humidity, and blue skies.

Rant/Rave: Just back from vacation in San Diego. Had a good time but hate to come home to family issues.

Rant/Rave: DD#2 securely planted in college and loving it. She is playing soccer for her college and already has a starting position. But, yikes, I miss her.

Rant: Obnoxious 15 yo daughters who think they know more then the adults in their lives. Said child will be grounded until she 40. Anyone want a bratty 15 year old?

Rave: Dad is recovering from surgery like a trooper. You'd never know he is pushing 80.

Best wishes to my Fodors friends who are facing "issues". And have a great weekend.

GoTravel

Rant: One of my best friend's mother died. I'm to be an usher in his upcoming wedding (I'm not close enough to his fiance to be a bridesmade) and I'm heartbroken about his mom.

Rave: She's in a better place with her husband and a big ole scotch laughing at us.

Rant: One of Mr.GoTravel's clients shot himself this week. Young guy with a young family.

Rant: Life is so heavy sometimes.

Rave: I have my health, my love, my family and am thankful.

Meesthare

Not a rant, just a sad announcement: our little Worf Cat passed on yesterday. We had had such good news after his treatment started, and it seemed that he was going to come through with flying colours, but yesterday morning suddenly the bottom dropped out of everything. We were able to spend a little time with him yesterday afternoon in the ICU before they mercifully hastened things along.

Rave: My sweetie who has been an incredible source of support and affection through all this. The last time I had to go through something like this, I was on my own and just had to cope somehow. We took this on together and it was easier.

Rave: All my kids are in town for our final family-reunion bash before Sweetie and I head off for British Columbia. Today is lunch with my California daughter and son-in-law, and tonight when New York daughter, SIL and grandson arrive we will have a lovely evening at my son's place telling dumb jokes and having lots of cookies and lots of hugs. Tomorrow we're having a family picnic at the beach.

Have a great weekend, everybody.