Thread owner, you should have DS drive you because that's what you go through motherhood for-- to have a chauffeur after they turn 16. You probably won't feel like driving anyway. (Congrats on the 130s, BTW.)

I was at Cub Scout Day Camp, so I didn't even know there was a Michael Jackson verdict.

re pdf. "You have adobe acrobat and stuff?" asked DS.

Kick my doctor? I'm talking about the radiologist, a person I'll never meet. A person who will probably never enter Dogpatch. He will look at pictures from his safe haven of Milton, Florida.

Right-o! I'll go break out the liqueurs! Maybe a sombrero slushie?

I ate at today. My stomach hurts; serves me right I guess.

I'm glad you're going to have the test, Peachie. Always better to know what's going on than to guess. I think the radiologist is pretty expensive, but I don't know how you'd get any results without him. When I went in for my mammo, they informed me that I could now pay extra and have my mammogram screened by a CAD program (computer aided diagnosis) in addition to being read by the usual techs and dr. Gee, how nice of them to offer 2 levels of care! I declined.

I totally understand what you're saying. I was brought up as an active church member and did all the sunday school/choir/youth group stuff and I always felt that I got a lot out of it. Mainly in the personal growth and social development sense. By the time I was in college I knew I couldn't be a professing church member, so I eventually stopped participating. I did take DD to church a number of times and supported her interest in going to sunday school with one of her friends, but she also knew where my beliefs lay (generally) and she lost interest after a while. I do think it can be an excellent community, but it's not the only way to be in a community, so I felt that I would just have to provide the values and support to her in another way. She seems to be doing pretty well, so I don't regret it. I can't wait to hear what happens with DS' meeting with the minister. I used to have intellectual discussions with the ministers in my church when I was a teenager--theology is very interesting to debate!

Me either. I think he should be locked up anyway.

I don't have the software that lets you make pdf files, just the reader, so I can't tell you what the prob is, Painty. Have you been able to upload other types of graphics? Maybe it's the file type.

Ahem. My father was a radiologist. Youda liked him. He actually travelled between 3 small hospitals every week to read films etc., for most of his career. Course that was before internet. Now he is kicking back watching the sunset and sipping a Rob Roy, in a hammock on his 50 foot yacht in the sky, waiting for some lovely angel to bring him his 5 pound lobster for dinner, with a pail of butter.

Kiwi

I meant to post this picture. I think exams are stressing the poor child out, eh?

Cowie--
I hope that you get fast, definite results with your tests, AND that there is something simple, cheap and EFFECTIVE that can be done.
In the meantime, I'm sending you all sorts of best wishes!

Tell DS I do have Adobe Acrobat distiller and PDF writer (only "4"-- we're cheap) ... I did a test page and THAT works, but not the "real" document with lots more pix... I'll try again tomorrow. Maybe I'm having a clump of blond moments.

Kiwi... Yes, I think I woulda liked your dad, indeed. A boat, a drink, AND a lobster. Cool. (Have you read secret life of Lobsters... talk about odd ducks!)

I'm sending an infuriating anti-fat article to those whose email I've got... or you can find it in the Journals....Now... to bed.
Don't know where all my energy came from!

Hugs all.

Kiwi ... that hair ... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Fix it back.

Now continuing on our theological discussion, have you ever been in complete, utter, devastating despair and not been able to see the light at the end of the tunnel? If so .. did you find yourself looking for God? In my situations, I did. Always. I'd be curious to learn an alternative.

It is wrong for Michael Jackson to be acquitted. Yucky-poo.

Time for Lushy to pop in.

Painty, I read that article that THAT'S THE KIND OF THING I mean. This woman is being unjudgemental, unloving and b*tchy. Is she looking at the mote in her own eye and suggesting a b*tch tax? NOOOO. I am DETERMINED to be a liberal Christian. Determined!! Maybe not "liberal" by some viewpoints but Democrat, at least.

Miss-I-Got-An-Idea-To-Help-Those-Who-Are-Not-Like-Me needs to talk to me.

Every day, darling. Every day.

No. Never. My alternative is to look inside myself for what I need. Sometimes I find it, sometimes I don't. I was also exposed to large amounts of religion as a child and teenager but it never stuck. Like Kiweenie I could see the social, commnunity side of it, but the rest? Nope. Not for me. Of course that's not to say that God is not what YOU need, Peachy. To each his own. But I just figure that if you're asking and no one is answering, there's more research to be done.

Painty - that "fat tax" article was SO offensive. Either she was trying to raise a stink on purpose, or she's a really nasty piece of work who needs a good smack upside the head to jar her brain cell loose.

So Michael Jackson is free "man". Now what? I heard on the radio that his family want to host some kind of celebration here in Germany wherever it is they hang out when they're not being dysfunctional. Oh please. There's this case going on here right now where a 32 yr old male kindergarten teacher has been accused of sexually molesting 7 children over 200 times in the course of three years. This kindergarten is only a few blocks away from where we used to live. He has admitted to the abuse and now they're trying to find out what other children are involved. What a sicko. And now all the other male teachers who truly care for the kids are getting a bad name.

I have to go for a p*p t*st tomorrow and I have nothing to wear. Seriously. No flowered paper gowns at this doc's. First you have to take off your shirt and he does the top part of the exam. Then you get to put your shirt back on and take yer pants off and he does the rest. None of my pants fit. The fat squooshes out over the top. What should I do?

Do y'all know "mel" from the journals? She's in a wheel-chair, has a similarly disabled daughter etc. She actually used the email in the article and sent one hot reply. IT MADE ME FEEL SO GOOD. I am still to much in name calling mode to write her directly. I hope she gets so much e-mail SHE crashes!

When I was most most most depressed, I couldn't find God anywhere. I imagined myself inside a big, bronze statue of some sort... It was dark, and I was relatively small, afraid and definitely lonely. But there was also a "little sprout" of something growing up through a crack at the bottom of the statue... a little bit of a vine or plant or something... and I knew that THAT was enough.

That's as close as I've ever come to "knowing God" when I NEEDED Him/Her.
There's been other times when I felt great, when I knew I was in the presence of Something Amazing. It doesn't happen all that often for me IN church, though. Muir Woods? Every time. Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, AR? Every time. Listening to Beethoven's 9th? Every time. Taking the time to draw or paint something with curiosity and patience? Most times!!

She had her hair in many very tight braids for the dance recital. I think she took them out Saturday morning and washed her hair and then braided them again; then she left them in until last night. When she finally unbraided them, they positively exploded! Hair is back to normal today.

I'm with Sugar. I can't say I haven't looked for the God answer, but my mind is just not built that way. I recognize that religious belief involves a leap of faith--you can't argue yourself into believing, from my experience. And for me, I can't reconcile the inconsistencies.

I'm starving; must go eat. I was so good today so far: I made oatmeal for breakfast, and had half a can of soup with carrot sticks for lunch. So now....

Kiwi

Oh my goodness, we're getting so deep here! I'm sort of a heathen. I've never been a church goer. Never raised that way. I'm sure it wouldn't have hurt. However, I do have a spiritual side to me, just not into organized religions. I have plenty of friends who have long time marriages, happy families, are well adjusted and are non church goers. I think it has more to do with your philosophy for living and your basic morals.

Dang. I'm late for my nail appt. No time for deep thinking for me.

Painty, you sound absolutely radiant. Isn't good health a wonderful thing???

if there is a God,will He let us into heaven even though we were doubting Thomases???hope sooooooooooooo.

Good morning. My procedure is in 1 hour and 20 minutes. That stuff they give you makes you lighter on the scales. And hungry.

I think you got to doubt Bagzie. "I believe. Forgive my unbelief," is one of my fav Bible quotes. I'm reading "Stealing Jesus" right now. Fascinating.

Now, I must go see if DS will be willing to act adultish and supportive this morning and not whine about being waked up early.

Hope it went okay, Peachie.

Pretty MOOSIEE. I got legs like that, too.

It went ok as long as the results are ok. I don't believe you weigh 195192 lbs. though.

Shall I adjust my ticker to what I weighed this morning?