Ahhnold - sorry you don't understand. No override is required in our particular circumstances as all of the towns are well below their taxation authority. A tax increase only needs approval of a special town meeting in each of the three towns. But one of the towns selectmen voted against placing the article on the warrant. They won't even give the taxpayers a chance to say yeah or nay. Paying a high price for a home unfortunately doesn't translate to the best school system if you live in a regional district where the other towns control what goes on. One of these towns voted to DECREASE its taxes last year - only the 3rd time its happened in all of Massachusetts since Prop 2 1/2 was passed. Trust me we are not overtaxed. Our tax rate is one of the lowest on the North Shore and far lower than many less prestigious towns.

And I would love to move to Weston - its where my husband grew up but it means leaving a town we all love. Its not an easy choice.

By the way Ahhnold - I have paid $750 extra to date to the school system so that my two children can ride the bus to school and participate in the band/strings ensemble - not exactly extravagent extras.

Rant: at lunch today, there was a group of four sitting at an outdoor table (I was inside) with a child around 18 months old. The group let the child walk, jump, dance, stomp, etc. ON TOP OF THE TABLE. Yuck. Then the food came and they all ate it without cleaning off the table. Yuck. I guess they didn't grow up with "shoes on the floor" said by parents.

Rave: State Fair starts today. Looks like decent weater predictions for the next week. And more bathrooms this year. I look forward to having a milkshake and funnel cake. I haven't tried the deep fried twinkies, but since I don't like twinkies anyway, I doubt I'd like them deep fried. Also have deep fried banana pudding wrap this. I'm not sure about that one either.

omigod, ncgrrl -- I gained 12 pounds just reading your rave! Have a funnel cake for me!

Hi Trish! Since my little Miss Jen Kitty is still very much kitty and not cat, I think she'll eventually love having a new playmate she can tear ass through the house with!

My older cat doesn't like to play as much.

I was sleeping this morning and she crawled up on the bed and snuggled up to me. I put my arm around her and fell back asleep. I woke up and I had drooled all over her. She was just puuuurrrrring!

ncgrrl, here are my lists of MUST-EATS at the Fair every year:

Al's Fries (at least once, and sometimes we have them again for dessert ... ... with vinegar, seasoned salt ... YUM!)

Pork BBQ Plate

Roasted Corn (sometimes two!)

Sausage Sandwich

Peach Cobbler

AND I may just break down and try that Fried Banana Pudding this year ... Now we DO split these things, I promise!

Then we WADDLE to our car after the fireworks...

The corn does sound good at the fair. I'm just not sure about deep fried banana pudding, but you'll never know until you try.

The milkshakes from the NCSU food group (at the craft buiding) are a must. Last time I was there I tried something like strawberry or raspberry with white chocolate chips. Chips weren't really a good idea if you're trying to drink it through a straw.

And I want to play tic-tac-toe with the Navy diver. Not really sure how that works, but it was in today's paper.

WHAT Fried Banana Pudding thing? What am I missing?

ncgrrl, my DH has to have a huge cone of the NC State ice cream every year, while I eat peach cobbler. I just told him that you said he should try the milkshakes!

GoT, I can't remember what the Fried Banana Pudding looks like or exactly how they assemble it ... but I think this is the year!

I tried the Fried Dill Pickles last year and they were yummy, but SO greasy!

Rant/Rave: My cousins are here for a few days.

Rant: See my post about kitty and bear sweat shirts at The Ivy

Rave: They are healthy, happy and they washed my kitchen walls this morning.

Rave: They are going to wash and organize my bathroom on Saturday.

Rave: It is good to be alive on such a beautiful day in Los Angeles and I may have a new boyfriend! I love Junior Mints.

Must be nice. I have to eat "dirt" and take Lipitor (to keep my LDL under 100). Good news is I can drink wine and my HDL is >130.
M

Peeky,
Happy to hear you love your new boyfriend. And would that be the eldest son of Senior Mints?

By the way, I've been reading your 'cousins' posts and all I've got to say is that at least they seem happy and excited to be there. I have cousins who regularly (every 5 minutes, it seems) visit me from Long Island and all they do is bitch and whine (him especially) about how everything is better/cheaper at home! It starts right at the airport: "Our luggage carts are cheaper", "The car rental place at your airport is s**t", "I can buy three boxes of All-Bran for what you paid for that one". ARRRRRRGH! I'd be thrilled if they wore kitten sweatshirts 24 hours a day and were more pleasant houseguests! And they wash your walls! Wow!

I haven't read through all of these. So I apologize if I'm missing something. I promise to read them later. But just had to share a

HUGE RAVE: My husband had a p.e.t. scan Tuesday. He got the results during chemo this morning. It was completely normal!!! They won't know for sure whether he's completely in remission until they do a bone marrow biopsy. But they've cut back his remaining chemo from four cycles to two.

Isn't it amazing how your whole outlook on life can change dramatically in just a matter of hours?! So nice to finally have realy good news to share!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Sorry, should be *really*!

CAPH52, your happy news has made my day!!

HOORAY!!

=D>

Here's a virtual high 5!!

Rant: Yesterday we got a phone call from one of our credit card providers. It seems someone has engineered a bit of identity theft on Phil Flash. Changed the billing address and set up online management of the account with paperless billing. And charged $6000 at a well-known New York photo supply house. Yikes!! We may be lucky in that so far it seems to be confined to this one card. But we don't know how much information the thief has (ss#, password, etc) so you can imagine how I've spent my morning...

Rave: Paris!

HUGE RAVE for CAPH's good news!!!

Thanks, P_M! I don't need to tell you that it made mine too!!

Good luck to you with your job decision. I know it's really hard when there are so many different angles to consider. But I know you'll make the right choice! I think it's one of those life changes where things do always tend to turn out right. It may not seem like it at the time. But in the grand scheme of things...

Bonnie, if you drown the deep fried pickles in ranch dressing you won't even notice how greasy they are.

Great news, CAPH!

Thanks, Marilyn!

And good luck to you! You won't be responsible for the $6000 will you? What a frightening thing to have happen to you. As much as you hear about identity theft, it's hard to really grasp until you hear a personal story.