Yea!!! To the powers that be in San Francisco for allowing gay marriages. We've been living in the Age Of Victoria for WAY too long! :)

Boo!!! To the Nobel Peace Prize awards committee for nominating George W. Bush. Could it be an early April Fools joke? :(

Patrick, I don't know what pop up stopper you have, but Spybot has worked wonders for me, and it's free http://www.safer-networking.org/, you just have to perform a scan about once a week.

Rant/Rave: I'm with Deborah on the stressful work situation. I'm a manager working with what has to be the most incompetent, lowest work-ethic, backstabbing women around. Hope things work out for you--I am working on a venue change by the start of next year. So this is both my rant and rave for today.

Only other thing I'll say is Buckeyemom sounds like the main person here with a real "rant" today. I'll try have a cold one for ya! ((b))

Poor buckeye mom,
to be stuck in the car was bad enough, but with a stinky dog??? ((&))
I bet he kept panting in your face too, right .. LOL
I hope tomorrow is a much better day for you, ((L))

Rant: Had toe surgery on Monday, and can't run!
Rave: Have a week and 1/2 off because of it.
Rant: Have 3 inch heels to wear at a wedding tomorrow!

Rave: Hey, I made it in time to post this week before midnight on Friday night (I know we decided it doesn't matter, but I made it anyway, it may be the only on-time thing I've done this week- everything else I've been two steps behind on)

Rant: I didn't figure out that you really can't use kitty litter to get traction on a driveway that was just repaved w/blacktop a few months ago. Couldn't get up the pipestem drive in the ice last weekend and used kitty litter in act of desperation. Now I am resorting to going out late at night when I should be sleeping, trying to hose it off, as it is discoloring and getting stuck in the pipestem, which we co-own w/totally nutty neighbors. It looks pretty awful. Just want to get out of town and leave the pipestem behind.

Rave: Lots of people on this post are possibly as old as I am and have been married as long or even longer! Happy anniversary Maryann and bennnie!

Rave: My husband is happily planning his preseason baseball trip to Florida w/his buddy, while I am planning my spring hiking trip to Utah w/my buddy. Separate vacations are a good thing, love each other but need the separate experiences and the buddies.

Rave: Happy Valentine's Day to All tomorrow. It means oysters for me!
Rant, we are getting another deep freeze here.

Rave: dear hubby of almost 40 years (38+) sent me a dozen red Valentine roses at school today and everyone was sooooo jealous! I think I'll keep him for another 40 years.

Rave: Just served my LAST bus duty as I retire in June!!!

Rant: Brrrr... I hate being cold. We still have a lot of winter left in Illinois.

Thanks EMD!

Rant: I do not have enough occassions to use some of my favorite words- minions, trollop, vacous. I mean, how often can I go around "The vacous minions of that trollop Paris Hilton ..."

Rave: If you have an interest in French cooking and Impressionist painting, I higly recommend "The Cooking Journals of Claude Monet." Great pictures and several good recipes. The Chicken in White Wine Sauce being my personal favorite.

Early rave: I won't be here at a computer next Friday since I will be at the Mandalay Bay. Vegas, Baby, VEGAS!!! :D

One more early rave: The Friday after THAT, I'll be in San Francisco. :P

Rant: It's Valentine's Day and I have to spend it with my computer. :(

Rave: Tonight is date night with my DH for the first time in MONTHS.

Rant: my toddler is teething and despite all the Orajel and Motrin I can give him, he's still being a little bear!

Rave: the termite inspector who found termites at our house yesterday will treat it for free because DH is in the military. What a patriotic guy!

Rave: we sold our house for asking price! Woo hoo!

YAY!! Jocelyn!! on both the termite extermination and the house being sold!!
Are you moving far? Are you packed yet? Need tips, lol, I just did it and we still are not unpacked..

Jocelyn,
You might try wetting a washcloth or two and putting them in the freezer. Then give them to your son. The cold helps our 1 year old daughter get a little bit of comfort.

Rave: That the Friday rant and rave posts generally end up so positive and supportive (even when people rant they get support), unlike some other posts during the week.

Scarlett,

This move is a very complicated one, especially with a one year old and a three year old!!!

Luckily, we're leaving the Navy (in San Diego) and they pay to pack and move us, so minimal packing is necessary (whew!). We're taking a LONG break from work, staying for about 6 weeks with DH's family in New Mexico. While we're there, we're leaving the kids with Nana and Papo and taking two major trips: one to Vegas and one to Italy, to celebrate 10 years of marriage. aaaaaaahhhh. Then, off to Tulsa, where we're building our dream house. They just started framing yesterday (rain has held them up), so we'll be in a temporary apartment or hotel for a couple of months. Of course all the temporary homes will be inconvenient, but we're so excited about the move and the house and our trips we're not dwelling on it. We're pretty good planners so hopefully we'll have what we need along the way. Advice for such a move is always welcome, though! :)

Scarlett, I've been following your move, and I hope you're already feeling at home.

Ryan, thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try!

Jocelyn, try Infant Advil instead of Motrin. I know they're supposed to be the same but for some reason, the Advil Drops work better for our two. And the washcloths or any teethers placed in the freezer, might help, too. And lots of cuddling :)

Jocelyn--our move is because dh just retured from the Navy:) movers come in less than 2 weeks...and we are just waiting for a closing date on our new home. glad you all get a break for a while...dh's new job started the monday after his retirement which was on a Thursday...so no break for us...but cannot complain at all.

that should read "retired"...see, the darn broken hand still isnt anywhere near 100%, lol!

Kikahead: Thanks so much!

OK and one more rant: sooo many of you and others around me are Vegas bound...I'm having withdrawals!!! I'm completely jealous!