[Cherry Cow]

I think stringers make about 20-100 dollars a story... but my guess is based on very old information. I knew a guy who did three summaries a day, five days a week, and made 800 dollars a month...

[PainterWoman]

Welcome back Cherry!

Unitarians had interesting signs for their churches. I think you can get them on google. I hate the doom, gloom and satan/rapture ones. I just got this article forwarded for those of you interested in DaVinci code and other catholic sponsored conspiracies.
It's Matthew Fox's response to being kicked off "Hardball."

The biopsy was a breeze. No more news until next week.
I think that since this isn't life threateming in the next few days, I am going to succumb to cleaning.

I've been to too many "unattended deaths" where the person died and LEFT A REAL MESS. I can understand that happening if you had NO warning. Under my circumstances, there's no @#$%ing excuse! Well, at least clear of flat survaces, and do the laundry.

I certainly haven't had much of an appetite.

Hope all are well.

Here are my climbing mermaids.

[Cowpernia]

Painty !!! In view of all YOU'RE going through, it's remarkable that you made ME laugh!1 Clear off the flat surfaces... HAHAHAHAHAHA.. It's like Harold and Maude.

I am depressed though. I did not get the job I wanted. I may have shared that. Sob sob sob. Blah

[Lush]

Hi Darlings,
Oh Painty, I hope everything is ok. My boobs look like tic-tac-toe boards from the era of surgical biopsies. I know the needle ones are supposed to be better, but I think they're worse. They hurt more and the idea of the needle wipes me out.
I'm glad to know this is not life threatening, but the stress is still awful. I admire you for venting your anxiety into cleaning.
DD was gorgeous at the prom. Her dress was white and strapless. Her date was a red-headed boy.
Peachie, sorry about the job. Another, better job is in the wings. Finding a church is so hard, mostly because whatever people claim to be is usually exactly what they are not. I hope this one is nice, nice, nice.
I'm off to the grocery store. I have actually GAINED weight since I started my thing that you see below my message. Oh well.

[Cowpernia]

Lush-tiny-font-person, I sent out pictures of DS in his Tux and I would send them to you and Cherry too if I had your email addresses. Mine is new and I don't have old data.

I would not mind seeing your gorgeous DD. I have seen Bagzette and Kiwizette. They both wore lime sherbet dresses.

Thank you for your kind words on the job. I am waiting for Plan B to materialize. There is no point in saying you (I) believe in God if you are not going to put your faith and trust there.

I have gained weight too. All of us have I think.

[Kiwonk]

Originally Posted by Lush

DD was gorgeous at the prom. Her dress was white and strapless. Her date was a red-headed boy.

We want pictures!!!

I think those trackers are jinxed. That's why mine doesn't reflect my weight. In fact it's pretty much meaningless. When I put up a weight one, the first thing I did was gain a few pounds.

Darling Peachcow, Kiwiette did not wear lime. She hasn't gone to the prom yet -- it is in 7 hours, and her dress is red. That's all right, you are mourning the d*** job, I'll let it slide this time.

Yesterday at 3:30, DD went to take a nap after decorating the gym all morning (you know, instead of school--who needs school?). I got my little bitty travel steamer going and tried steaming the wrap/scarf thing from her dress to make sure it was going to work. About 15 minutes later, the power went out. I sat and stared at it (the lack of power. In fact I glared at it) for a while and it didn't come back on, so I reported the outage. I waited a little longer and finally went to bed for a nap figuring I'd get up when the power came back on. It didn't. DH brought home pizza and we sat in the living room staring at each other trying to decide how long this damn outage was going to last. At 7:30 we decided it wasn't going to end and DD and I both needed showers (we don't have running water when we have no power), so we started calling relatives. Took the prom dress with us with the steamer, and made DH come too, because I didn't want to keep my in-laws up till all hours steaming the thing, so he was going to let us into his office and we would do it there. So we took showers at the MIL's and by the time we were done and checked our answering machine, we found that the power was back on, so we went home and started steaming the big red thing. Took over an hour, but it's gorgeous and pretty nicely wrinkle free. Friday the 13th indeed.

Painty, you have a great attitude. I wholeheartedly approve of attacking something like your house when there's nothing you can do about the test results but wait. Your climbing mermaids are very artistic.

Cherry, glad to see you back! Did you know that Cookie stopped by for a few days a couple of weeks ago? Remember her? She was in favor of thong underwear... How's the family doing?

My head is a block of congestion. Now DH is feeling sick too. I just hope DD doesn't feel lousy at the prom.

This is my first experience with a prom (no, I didn't go to mine--I avoided them out of a combination of rebelliousness and a dearth of age-appropriate dates). DD is going to a friend's house afterwards with about a dozen kids and hanging out and watching movies. The kids she hangs with now are so trustworthy, I'm not even worried. However I feel obligated to attempt to worry. I'm thinking she doesn't need a curfew tonight. What did you all do with your darlings' on prom night?

Kiwi the Unclear

[Bagzz]

DON'T GET ME STARTED ON PROM NIGHT!!!!---I WAS A WRECK!!! around here they stay out ALL night long USUALLY at a beach and do crazy things like SWIM----last year dd's prom night ---they took a ferry boat to an ISLAND that has no way to get off of it til the next day unless someone has a BOAT---which some idiot did have---i BEGGED,PLEADED AND ORDERED ----PLEASE DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES GET ON ANY BOAT WITH A BUNCH OF DRUNK TEENAGERS----- she thought i was a little "excessive" in my demands but agreed to stay on the island-------------of course they were all drinking and whatnot so I HATE PROM NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!----other dd went "camping" on prom night---around here they stay at the Prom for about an HOUR with their five hundred dollar dresses and then take off to party in their jeans--------DIDN'T I SAY "DON'T GET ME STARTED ON PROM NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" this backwoods town! soooo Painty!!! i must agree with the others---you are dealing with this very well---besides---there is no proof that this is not just a benign spot ,right?? needless to say,i was "called back" on a mammogram three years ago and things turned out to be okay BUT i haven't been back since---they scared the be-jeezers out of me and i ran scared and still won't try it again!!!!-----health sucks.we will say all the prayer type utterings we are capable of in this crazy world! i am bothered that God decided to visit earth several thousand years ago and expects us to figure it all out based on that one little stopover----i think he should stop by again and refresh our memories-----THERE ARE TOO MANY MESSENGERS AND NOT ENOUGH CLARITY FOR ME TO FIGURE IT OUT!!!!!! peachy can find out for us and report back!----KIWONK AND LUSHBAG WE WANT PROM PHOTOS!!!!HURRY THE **** UP.ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNND SUGAR SUGAR-----we all know that hangin around here causes weight gain----SO IT'S A GOOD THING CHERRY IS BACK!!!!! CHERRY---YOU WERE ALWAYS THE MOTIVATOR SO YOUR FATIHFUL SERVANTS AWAIT THEIR ORDERS-------------GOOD FAT CARTOON PEACH!!!

[PainterWoman]

Oh, Baggz, thank you so much for yelling. I feel better!
Cowie--- I am SO sorry about the job disappointment. Keep writing your writerly stuff.

One think I have discovered is that when I'm stressed, I can't type!
I w.i.l.l. concentrate on my s.p.e.l.l.i.n.g!!

Oh, Kiwi-- I agree with you about prom. If your kids are generally reliable, they'll be "generally" reliable on prom night. I had become generally unreliable for mine (1968 for crying out loud.) It was at the Ambassador hotel the week after RFK was assassanated there.... My bf was allowed to borrow my father's Cadillac instead of us going in HIS dad's beat up stationwagon. There was dinner AT the hotel, and we danced some... then we went to a party at a kids house (bless his parents).... I don't think there was even drinking... though I'm sure there was weed in the far back yard. My parents had almost grounded me from prom because they'd discovered we were, um... sexually active... so that night? there was no real interest... Too scary for me.

My son and daughter (within the past 8 years) went to prom in groups... fancy dinner, then rock and rolling at SouthFork (!)... then heading for a friends house... I think there were all night videos/games/movies and a big morning breakfast.... Neither of them were drinkers then....

I do think the extra lecture on designated drivers is worth it! There was a fatality from DD's HS her sophomore year at homecoming...(Captain of the drill team killed while in the car of her drunk bf, who'd graduated and been captain of the football team....) it impacted us all SO much that everyone I know had a designated driver or didn't drink.

Well, that's glum.
I hope everybody wakes up happy in the morning.

Glad to hear from those of you who've been awol!

[Bagzz]

peachy!! i forgot to say DUCK HUDDA on the arses who did not hire you---this would mean that something better MUST come along because that is how we are chooosing to think right now-----in a few years your DS will be so wealthy from his brain power that we will all be envying your lavish lifestyle-------or herbie will kick the bucket and you will produce his NEWLY revised will that he just happens to have dropped off at your house-----let's get working on that shall we!----------PAINTY---you sound great!!i am reading a book called Garbo Laughs and the main character just had a biopsy and it was benign----i am calling her Painty. xoxoxoxo cow cow

[Kiwonk]

What fat cartoon? Did I miss it?

I really hope these kids stay at the prom for a few hours at least! Although on our way home from the "Grand March" (good lord, does any other place on the planet do this?), there were 4 cars peeling out in front of us on the lake road -- I daresay they were "supposed" to be at the prom. The kids looked so great, and they are all so sweet. DD's date came to pick her up about 20 minutes after she arrived home from the BBQ at his house -- honestly, they are funny. It took her another 20-30 minutes to get ready, so DH amused the date by coming down the stairs with his shotgun under his arm. To his credit, the kid laughed.

So anyway, the "Grand March" -- I never heard of this before I moved here. All the parents, and really anyone else who's interested gather at the h.s. gym 30 minutes ahead of time and cram into the bleachers on one side. They line everyone up outside the doors and announce each couple, who walk in on a formal path and end up in front of the crowd where a professional photographer takes a quick shot and parents shoot photos as well. Then they announce the queen/king/prince/princess/court et al, thank all the advisors and parents who helped out and encourage the spectators to leave. At least 15 minutes later they finally start the dancing. How odd is that? When I first heard of it, I thought it was insane -- why would the kids stand for this? But of course now that my kid is out there, I was front and center...

Get this -- the advisors are giving out a $100 cash prize at the end of the night to be awarded to one of the couples who is still there with the person they came with. Cute, huh?

I'll send out a few pics in a mo.

Kiwi

[Cherry Cow]

Kiwi, one of my schools did a Grand March type of thing, but the other school bused us to Prom and didn't want a bunch of parents driving there. (Parking was extremely limited.)

I can't wait to see pictures!

[Bagzz]

kiwonk!!! we have the GRAND MARCH here with the couple coming in under the canopy of flowers----you have described the event that takes here to a tee as well!!!! the difference it----no king or queen thing,but the first dance of the evening---the girls dance with their dads and the boys with their moms!!!! and THEN the parents leave---up until then it's all about parents and kids and photos and marching and what not---but seriously---they only stay atthe dance for an hour---that makes me boillllllllllllllllllllllllllll.

[Kiwonk]

Well, I'd love to tell you how the prom went -- But she's still in bed!!!!!!!!! I'm threatening to make her get up, but after all, I did say she didn't have a curfew. She rolled in about 3:30 am.

Interesting how different prom customs are. I know in a lot of cities, they rent a ballroom -- of course you know where they are usually located: in HOTELS! Now there's a bad idea if I ever heard of one, eh? I love the parent dance idea, Bagz. DD would just die.

Gotta go get those pics loaded.

Kiwi

[Bagzz]

DARLING--YOU JUST HIT ON ANOTHER "CUSTOM"=== the dances here are held in HOTEL ballrooms as well!!!! the kids are too poor to rent hotel rooms so they just shack up in Tents on various and sundry islands .poor souls.

[DixieAmazon]

Painty! Hope your results are and negative.