Good luck to those in the paths of blizzards.

STW, hope you get to do your weekend away and have a fabulous time! So glad the weekend with your sons went well. Sounds like it was a lot of fun.

Yes, we're in pretty good shape on the B&B's although I still find it frustrating that it's so hard to find much info. We still need to make reservations for two nights. But I'm going to hold out on those until I'm absolutely sure my husband is going to be able to go.

Ani, glad to hear you're having so much fun with your daughter. Treasure every moment. It goes by so fast! But, yes, it does get even better!

Scarlett, thoughts and prayers for your daughter.

And for you and your family, JJ5.

Rave: Our passports came. Well, three of them anyway. We hope the fourth will arrive today.

Rave: We leave 6 weeks from tomorrow!

Rant: Despite the best efforts of some very helpful posters on the Europe board, I'm still having some trouble grasping the fine points of rental car insurance in Ireland.

Huge Rant: Because I've eased back into my exercise routine these past few weeks and because I thought I could tell a difference in the way my clothes were fitting, I thought it was safe to get back on the scale this past Monday. Imagine my horror when the number I saw was 14 pounds over what I weighed when I went to the dr. last April! Some of it must have been water weight because I was down 3 pounds by Tuesday and have stayed there. But I've still got a lot of work to do before I go back in April. I'd really hoped to go back there *down* a few pounds, not *up* a few!

Rave: It's Friday! It's been an exhausting week. I worked as a volunteer at the dental screenings at school this week. That meant three days that I was there the full day. In my defense, it was a lot of running (and I was very glad for the exercise!). But, basically, I'm such a wimp! I'm not used to being there all day. I have so much admiration for those of you who work a full day every day, come home and cook, clean, etc.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Rave--It's Friday!

Rant--Our old freezer in the garage died this week. Lost a lot!

Rave--Small town appliance stores. When I discovered what happened, I ran there asap and bought a new one. When I told them the circumstances, they changed their delivery schedule and had the new one at my house within an hour to try to help salvage stuff.

Rant--Superbowl calls.

Rave--Seeing the sun here in Portland this week. I had to find my sunglasses again, lol!

Scarlett--Sending best wishes towards your DD!

Raves
DW and I met 48 years ago on the 14th.
Celebrate our 46th in June.

Lost seven pounds since early January. First goal is eight more and then another ten.

Having wood flood installed next week in family room, kitchen and laundry room. Glad to get rid of carpet and linoleum prior owner put down.

rant
cancelled trip to Switzerland is paying for it.

it's friday:

rave: storm on it's way. i love blizzards as well, and haven't felt right, that we didn't have any snow this year. but am nervous, as it's the first blizzard here in nyc, and i have to work sat. and sun at my second job.

rave: have off from second job last night unexpectedly.

rave: i may be accepted for a more challeging position and a pay bump here at work.

rave: sister is in town from london!

rave: fun web sights (can i name them?) that can link you up with old friends. i'm hearing from so many people out of the blue!

rave: responsibility. looks like cheney's going to get a big taste.

rant: dear family friend died this week, peacefully but after risky surgery and certainly aging quickly these past few years.

Rave: After hitting a little plateau, I lost 1.5 lbs this week. Even after eating the lasagna on Friday and all those chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday. That makes it 16lbs lost since 11/7. Look out wedding dress!

Rant: Many birthdays and social activities are looming and I have no money!!

Rant: No vacation until our honeymoon which isn't until October. We still don't even know where we're going. I think we're leaning towards Vegas, as cheesy as that may sound. What can I say--we're big kids and we like to drink!

Scarlett--I hope your daughter makes out well. Thoughts are with you.

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Rave: I'm hanging in fine. Thanks everyone. I'm down to working 4 - 11 hour days to have an extra day in the City with the parents. I'm there all weekends too. My guy has been fantastic and is great help. He took his own mom to dialysis for 4 years and thinks this is a piece of cake. My extended family is also all doing numerous jobs to help.

Rant: Blizzards when you have to drive, and this year has been terrific in that regard, so it is really not a rant.

Rave: Sister's white cells are up and everything is GO (1/2 way through the chemo.) She is going to a cancer spa and looks marvelous. She is getting LESS sick after treatments, NOT more.

Rave: One of my cousins is bringing soup over to my Mom's every morning and it's about all she finishs every day.

Rave: Best quote of my later adult life this week- Vingenza's (my Mom) quote,

"I'm dying, and you want me to be NICE every day." (said coquettishly)

Rave: I found three perfect lamb chops to cook for her, in her style. She almost ate one.

Rave: Hospice nurses and drugs.

Rave: I got the exact place I wanted (Sheraton Centre Toronto) for $66 a day for 3 days at the end of May.

Rant: I spent the money I saved on great bedding and an electric blanket for my Mom already. But she can never get warm.

Rave: So many good people who will help you go out with some dignity.

klr6773, don't worry about the percentile- small is GOOD. We don't make more money, but we live longer.

Enjoy every day filled with rants or with raves, and do both to the fullest.

There is one BIG RANT:
I'm using up my paid vacation time by the day and if I take a family leave as in federal law, it will leave me with ZERO when it is all over. Well, I hope we can extend Toronto and expand the driving trip in May.

Can't wait for Amazing Race to start and meantime I will be watching Torino with my Dad.

Oh I omitted that the $66 a day (plus parking of course) was on Priceline. And I just can't say enough about how good they have been for SO many fast trips.

Oh how could I forget my biggest rave:

My fantastic daughter who is 36 years old this week and her husband and beautiful boys, who are all back from flu hell. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! to my daughter and SIL. He's Feb. 12, she's Feb.13.

bonniebroad, glad I'm not the only one that doesn't get bent out of shape over a blizzard. I'm "stuck" here at home today in the middle of nowhere with zero visability, roads completely blocked with drifts and loving it humming that tune...let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Ann Marie, I once saw a PBS show which documented a man making obsitcle after absticle over time for a squirrel to not get at his back yard bird feeder. Over the summer the squirrel figured out how to manipulate every one of them and remember the exact order and procedure to get at the feeder.

semperfid, "Rave: ExxonMobil, the most profitable American company ever! Thanks for the dividend check.
Rant: People who complain about gas prices. Hey guys, it's called capitalism!"

Did you also know that those high fuel prices and profits cause thousands of old people to choose between maintainence drugs to keep them alive, and heating their homes? Don't be so cavelier and reckless.

Rant: those two women on Survivor last night who just sat there and let the cranky addict and his buddy get them on the chopping block.

Rave: We're finally having alittle cold weather here too...not a blizzard, or even snow flurries, but Low Temps of 28o predicted for a couple days, and 30's for a few more. So we can actually comfortably wear a sweater for a few days!

Rant: The cool/windy days have nixed my desire to sit in the swing/pergola, which is now finished, except for getting some vines to grow up on it. Oh well, it'll soon be warm enough!

Rant/Rave: Have to work again Sat., but
have a good crew to work with, so it shouldn't be too bad. And actually need the extra hours, as DS keeps calling for more moola! Will May EVER get here!!

Rave: Get to visit some family next week...long overdue visit.

Ani: Do you have a link to a trip report or trip pics of the UK?? Would love to see them!

Scarlett: Am praying for 'nothing'!!
Do let us know how it turns out.

PM: Congrats on the Priceline deal! I've only done it once (with iceeu2 and OWJ's help) and was so thrilled to get a great deal! I envy you going to London!

Byrd: Do you live near Huntsville?...re: the snow flurries.

Otto: Good luck on the job situation!...More moola for trips!!

mms: Oh NO! I hate it when that happens! Were you able to save much?
As a teen, I was responsible for our huge freezer being turned off ( it was connected to the storage room light somehow..) We didn't realize it until returning from a trip....Oh the smell Ugh! Guess what my punishment was??

ronkala: I'm glad your able to enjoy your home renovations. Sometimes it's difficult to choose where the money goes...hope you'll make it to Swizterland sometime in the not too distant future!

Ethel: YEHHHHH!You're doing great with the weight loss....when's the big day? Are you planning to make your wedding pics accessible to view on the internet? Would love to see you in that dress!

Vegas is alot of fun, but if you want a wonderful beach, and if you are on the East coast, have you considered ST John in the USVI? ...and day trips to STT and the BVI.
Plenty of drinking opportunites! Ever had a 'Painkiller'? Delish!

Belle

bonniebroad, forgot to say that I think you DH has a great scense of humor. LOL!

Scarlett, prayers for your daughter.

Rave: 1. Poodle put # 1 turned 1 this week. 2. New furniture for family room arrives tomorrow. The old stuff is so bad I couldn't even donate it to Goodwill. 3. We should miss the Nor'easter hiting the coast and only get a couple of inches of snow for the pups to play in.

Rant: 1. Poodle Puppy # 2 is only 7 mos old and hasn't quite figured out that my living room is not his personal bathroom. He prefers not to mess up his backyard. 2. 19 y.o hard headed son who is resisting a tutor to get him thru Calculus, the last math he will have to take in college. Is it me, or do male children resent getting extra help in school more than females?

Have a good week end all. For those getting lots of snow, try to think of shoveling as a different kind of workout.

Thanks to Jorr for responding to "semperfid" in the way I'm sure the majority of us are thinking about his excitement over the rediculous way oil companies have made money off of us all...being a single mother paying $200 a month for gas because of the logistics of where I need to live to have help with my daughter versus being closer to work makes me need to cut back on alot of other things I'd love to be able to have and do. I can't imagine being on social security and having to pay for heat and gasoline.Don't want to get deleted from the post, so I'll leave it at that!

HUGE RAVE--Just got a call that SIL had a baby boy a few minutes ago!

OSB--With teens, you can imagine how much stuff we had in the freezer....and lost. My husband asked if I added up what we lost and I told him I didn't want to think about it. I was able to salvage only about 6-7 things. Anything even remotely questionable went away. But, we did have to eat 2 potroasts this week...thank goodness everyone likes it, lol!

Congratulations, mms! What a wonderful rave!

Congrats mms!

Rave: My mom is finally out of the hospital after 2 weeks!

Rant: She isn't any better, though...more chemo.

Rave: DH is coming back tomorrow from NJ. It looks like his flight leaves before the snow gets there. Keeping my fingers crossed! :-}

Rant: I still haven't heard anything about a possible new job. Had the interview last Thursday...

Rave: The Olympics start tonight!!! Yea! I love Italy (DH is Italian), so we're looking forward to seeing it.

Have a great weekend, stay warm, and stay safe!

I want to add my Congrats as well! Tell us the stats when you get them!

Best wishes and cyber hugs to all who's health is in geopardy >:D<

Congratulations to all losers - weight loss I mean - still sitting at the 6 lbs loss :(

Mazel-tov MMS and all new (and not so new) parents ((Y))

Rave: Olympics opening tonight, that's the fever I welcome! =D>

Rave: Chinese new year parade without rain ((&)) year of the dog

Rant: a friend is having lumpectomy on Valentine's day :(

Rant: less then a month away, my tour travel documents had not arrived yet :-@

Rave: meeting Shanghainese, she's such a sweetheart! :X

Speaking of babies, has anyone else noticed that there is NOTHING from swalter518 this week. Could it be that she has a bundle of her own and can not get to a computer!

Congrats on the new baby boy in the family, mms!

My compassion to those with health challenges or with family members with health challenges. I admire your strength.

Rave - winter Olympics! I'm glued to Tv for 3 hours every night - will watch ALL of it - and I'm not really into sports except the skating -but I love Winter Olympics. Can't wait to see stories about the area.

Rave - Love Dancing with the Stars because dancing is my life. The best time of my life was spent ballroom dancing with a hot instructor from the Czech Republic. We danced to I've had the time of My Life and tonight on the result show Bill Medley is singing and the professional dancers are recreating the Dirty Dancing routine.

Rave - By working VERY hard, being VERY good, and losing VERY slowly, I have lost7 pounds. At 4"10" each pound makes a difference. My new size 6 jeans are falling off me and I finally could get into a junior size 7 -- I'm 52 so am starting to feel good about my body again.

Rant - weather forcast... with brother's wedding in 2 weeks - keeping fingers crossed that weekend will be clear.

Rant - Splat! The sound of more work being dumped in my in box - more work, less help - that's state gov't for you.

Rave - 6 more weeks till Switzerland trip... planning Scottsdale trip for summer to check out apartments for fall move...