Faith, she is getting to be so pretty...and so grown up!

Remember when we talked about our DD's and they had both put on weight, and we worried for their self-esteem and the cruelty of other children? Well I don't think you need to worry about that anymore. Paige is really slimming down too. She is back in cheerleading and volunteering at our no kill animal shelter. She is a good worker there and I couldn't be happier with that. Although I am having some problems with her as she has gotten in with a bad crowd and she skipped school. I called the school and reported it myself and she had to do an inschool detention. She is a good kid but somewhat of a follower I'm afraid. I have to be on her all the time.

SS, yes it is cold here. 7 below this morning and we have had a lot of lake effect snow. Heater went out in my old Blazer and I thought we would freeze to death just driving home from P's school. Someone told me to tap on the motor with a hammer and see if that did the trick. It did. YAY!

You are so very fortunate to have your family intact. And your children are so fortunate. I wonder if people realize just how fortunate they are when they have their families together still.

2long, your children are very fortunate as well. I am so happy for you and your wife, that it looks like you will make it.

I have led a very wild lifestyle for most of my life, and the biggest regret of my life I think is not marrying young and having a whole slew of kids.

I'm happy, but I know a different kind of life was possible for me, and I blew it. Just didn't know any better how much I would end up longing for a family.

I have P, but being a single mom is a hard road to travel.

Well, there is always my next lifetime! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I wish this for Gray as well, and Gray you are so young it is still possible for you, so don't dispair and please don't give up. Just keep dreaming and visualizing what you want to be in the end, and you will be. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

JJ, you still around?

Weaver, my older DS was a follower. I had to put him in a tiny private school for jr/sr high school. No way I could trust him to make good decisions in a public school. He is 23 and doing great now. Good going having P volunteer at a shelter. Volunteer work is good for the soul.

Yeah, DD will be 14 Christmas day! She is an awesome kid, though quite hormonal <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

Faith,

Do you think this is what turned him around? Seems like you could get into just as much trouble in a private school. Our school here is very small, and we have no private schools at the junior/high levels.

I told P's dad that if she continued down this path I would send her to live with him.

That would dang near break my heart but if it means she will get straightened around I will do it.

I'll see how the rest of this semester goes though before I get too distressed.

Weaver, our public schools while not huge are big and the teachers/administrators have their hands full. My DS's private school every teacher/administrator knew the name of each child. The children were required to stand when any adult entered the classroom AND notes were sent home for any grade (homework, quiz, test) below 80 percent. He needed that. During my younger DS critical phase of illness older DS started to slip in school. I had phone convos with his teachers and they really helped him through the tough time. Plus the kids he met there with the exception of one were awesome. Very involved parents and nice kids. Made a huge difference.

I'm thankful to live in a place where the teachers still call you up and talk to you if the child needs help.

Wouldn't the world be wonderful if everyone cared.

SS

Hi there, I am inviting JustJ to read my post, I am a lesbian BS and it was suggested that you may have some valuable advice for me. I am fairly new here and my post is on GQII. titled intermittent fog/withdrawal. thanks for any help you can offer.

Eeeeep! I need to check this thread more often. Sorry Fighingback, I'll go read your thread now.

Everyone else? Hi! I'm busy. Very very very very very busy.

Okay, I wrote to FightingBack and just took the time to kick back and read through the rest of the posts since I've been away.

Gents, how was the meeting? I sorta wish I were still in that crowd. Your meetings happen less often than mine do, for one thing. I finally sent my boss my meeting schedule and asked for help. 13 meetings, each lasting more than an hour, is too many for one week. And I've been doing it for two months straight at this point. They're not repetitive, either. Those 13 meetings are for 10 separate projects. No wonder I'm tired.

SS, you asked a really good question about my options and HoFS. I have thought about them, but have not fully discussed them with HoFS himself, so I don't want to post everything that I've thought quite yet.

I don't daydream like I used to, though, that I know. Somewhere in the tantrum about seeing my daydreams used in commercials on TV, a lot of my daydreams melted into a much more ... hard edged? Pessimistic? I'm not sure what it is. But something shifted and I'm not a starry-eyed teenager anymore. More like a hollow-eyed 40 year old who desperately needs a nap.

There is still love here. And yet that feels grittier, too. Unless that's just the sand in my eyes. But now I look at the love from the perspective of "how do we keep this alive" and "wow, weekends with kids really blow the romance out of the water quickly."

And this is with kids whose company I genuinely enjoy. I wonder what it would be like if I didn't like them. Sheesh.

So anyway. I'm tired. I've been working for almost 12 hours today and there are still two major... three major... drat. A lot of major things left to do. So it's time for me to stop blowing off and get some of it done.

hey, J. I liked your advice. I like your style. Drat is even my favorite expletive.

So, how is everyone?

I am wonderful.

Now gimme a marshmallow stick and a beer, please.






It's quite around here. Too quiet.

It's quite around here. Too quiet.

I was thinking about throwing a string of firecrackers in the fire.

Do you think that would be too much too soon?

SS

A boost for that soon-to-be-former-Yooper weaver.

Or is it once a Yooper, always a Yooper?

Say Hi to the future cheesehead.

We got engaged Saturday night after we had our Christmas with his DD (22 yo) and mine. He proposed in front of the girls (they knew in advance) as we were opening gifts.

I started bawling, and then he started bawling and the girls just laughed.

He popped a bottle of Moet (sp) and we celebrated after with some of his family who stopped by. (they all knew too before I did).

We had the best weekend with our DD's. We had been telling them how tight things were and so the night before we wrapped up things like a loaf of bread, some rotten potatoes, and old 2006 calendare (put a sticky which said "regift" on it", some old Marde Gras beads, etc and we wrapped them really, really nice.

Anyway I was so engrossed in looking at the girls faces (priceless) as they opened their gifts, he caught me completely off guard. He was on the floor passing out the gifts when all of a sudden he cried out in pain that he had popped his back. Then he crawled over to me, proposed and gave me the ring. Stupid me, I still thought he hurt his back, so I kept trying to get him to give me his hand so I could help him up.

So in June, P and I will move to 'sconie. She is very excited and happy too, at least she seems to be.

Yay for weaver!


Seems to me us old guys sitting around the fire should get to walk you down the aisle or something.

Only natural.

You know Appy, if I didn't think you old guys would drink all the beer I might consider it.

You have been writing awesome posts Appy! Just awesome! I loved the one to WB about adventures. You and Orchid should each have your own radio show, or write a book or something. Brilliant, the both of you.

I call GB Huck Finn, or Huckleberry all the time. In fact I got him the complete Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (sp) on audio for Christmas.

His favorite places in the world? The theme parks at Disneyworld and New Orleans (a place he says is both strange and wonderful).

I am sitting here bawling now. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/teary.gif" alt="" /> Weaver! I am soooooooo thrilled for you. Could not have happened to a better person. Love you bunches, girlie!

Appy, I like your idea. Perhaps we all need to set a time to raise a toast to our friend Weaver.

I guess we are all moving on, aren't we? This thread has dropped off and my friend Appy says he is doing well. That makes me smile. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I am happily recovering both myself and my marriage.

Now if we could just get GC to see what a catch he is. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Weaver, you have my email addy still? I don't check into MB very often any more. Too much pain here.

Hi SS, 2long, JJ and anyone I missed.

Lake effect?

Faith, you are one of the most beautiful,caring people on this forum. And yes, I have your email addy still. I only have this addy left and I am not sure if it is the one you have - ***edit****
I am so glad you are becoming happy again. It's been a long time, I know.

I hope you have such a good Christmas with your kids and H! I'm sorry though, that you won't have snow. That bites.

Alright....Faith...I need your tissue....

I'm crying too.

All blessing, Weav...all blessings....

OMG! I'm so farging happy.

(sniff, snort)

(a little birdie told me to check on you, btw...)

(happy sigh...wiping tears...)

May I suggest Mole Chicken for your wedding feast?

It brought me good luck!

Well, I'm NOT crying!

It's the dang smoke from the fire. Stupid wind shifted to where I'm sitting.

May I use that tissue next, please...

Hey wow!

Hot Damn!

Congra2lations 2 weaver and GB!!!

-ol' 2long

Sonofagun. Couldn't happen to a better dame. Congratulations weaver!
GC