Saw the box of stuff from Gargamel sitting in the sewing room. Read the letters she wrote to AJ about their wonderful romance. Still think she wrote them after-the-fact just to hurt you, since if he'd gotten them, she wouldn've have had them, would she? <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> However, after reading those, those, those things she wrote, I now have a new name for her. I suggest we call her GargaMel. What do YOU think? <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> And then her full name could be GagMe with a Spoon.

t&l <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

Trust me, Neak darling, nobody on THIS site thinks you've been spayed! Not after we've spent months going through your first trimester queasies with you. Ad nauseum, I might add. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

t&l

<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Soon. Very soon.

Yes, indeed. The veteranian has told me she is sharpening her tools even as we speak. Goin' to the vet, and she's goin' to get tutored! (Sing it to the tune of "Goin' to the Chapel") <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> What fun for you!

t&l

She hasn't even had twins yet. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

SS

I read your post to Neak, and she says that, being a person who can learn from the experiences of others, she'll let your wife tell her all about what it's like! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

t&l

P.S. CSue, do you still have visitors? Or did you catch Clam while he was visiting, and are still trying to work up a conversation? <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

Morning Neak, neaksis, t&l, & SS and anyone else I forgot...hope you all well.

Took time off work today to have a mass for the Bali victims and also they bought home young Brendon's body for his family to bury in the little town of Busselton south of Perth.
Very sad. Prayed very hard for his family. A youth just learning to know about life.
His mum was totally distraught & inconsolable ... hard to understand who can gain in this war or if it ever shall be over.

In Gods hands.

Holding Mikey right then was so important to me, bought a lot of peace & yes happiness. I dont think that the bright happy go lucky person that Brendon apparently was would deny anyone that even then.
I'm finding it very hard not to hate them as they hate us, but I am trying not to.

I wish I could sing and feel the words like my DD can. But this croaky voice would shatter glass.
I love going to mass and hear her sing though, she's good if I say so myself <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
We have a lot of people of italian decent in our parish and one man is a very good tenor and DD sings with him quite often. He sings in italian and DD sings in English & italian
I love the old Hymns best but really do like this song & it feels right just now..

Li prego sarò i nostri occhi e li guardo dove andiamo.
Ed aiutili ad essere saggi nei periodi in cui non sappiamo

I pray you'll be our eyes, and watch us where we go.
And help us to be wise in times when we don't know

Lasci questo essere la nostra preghiera,
quando perdiamo il nostro senso
Ad un posto in cui saremo sicuri

Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way
Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe

We ask that life be kind,
and watch us from above,
We hope each soul will find
another soul to love,

Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way
Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe

Need to find a place, guide us with your grace,
Give us faith so we'll be safe,
It's the faith you light in us
I know it will save us

Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way
Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe

Hi AW,
There are some things in life that are just hard.

We have ceremonies, and write songs to make then easier to live with, but they are still hard.

Are you coping alright? It's always harder when your companion is gone. The little ones make us focus, but things still get to us sometimes.

Wishing you well today. Hoping everyone can catch a little of the spirit of God, and let it lift their spirits.

SS

Hi SS

I'm doing ok, not in meltdown or anything.

I expected the events to be sad of course but I was surprised I found myself so angry.

The targeting of these families has no sense, most of them are probably the very ones who do not support the Gov intervention in Iraq.
These weren't the well off rich influential tourists who actively support our Gov policies but just working class people who had saved & saved ... arrrg its just plain hate no more no less.

It comes down to a simple thing for me ..my baby is here but my man isnt and that sucks.
Better get to sleep before i wake t&l with al the chatter lol

Thanks SS

t&l,

Whew, I'm back.........looks like I have much reading to do here. I peeked in when I could, which wasn't often.

I'll be back when I have more than just a moment. Had computer problems which finally got fixed today! Whoooo Hooooo!

Neak, How are you doing? You've been on my mind frequently while I've been away from here. If you don't mind me asking...how long has your marriage been in recovery? I didn't follow your original posts, and have only met you on t&l's thread!

Anyway...."Hi Everyone!" I've missed you all!

Chatter away, AW. You can''t wake ME up. I sleep with fans so I can't hear anything thats going on around me. They were even able to roof while I was asleep, surrounded, as I was, by the tornado! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

Hi, CSue. Glad to see you didn't lose all your verbal skills while GrandClam visited. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Hope it was a good visit for both of you. You probably have a LOT to say now!

I've got to get dressed and go to an appointment with an attorney about this septic problem. It's very discouraging, though, since I have to work 6 whole hours to pay for one of his hours, so it's one day of work for every 2 hrs. I "buy" him. And since I'm already working the maximum I can do, it's not like I can just pick up a few extra shifts to pay for his retainer. But every extra (haha) penny we've got is tied up in that house, and we either have to walk away from it and lose the whole thing (plus a place for Neak and her family and my dad to live <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />), or the people who are responsible for this mess have to be held accountable and made to fix it at their own expense. And nobody's going to want to do this, because it's going to be at least $30-40,000 dollars to do. I'm going to go to the lender as soon as I have a cost estimate and tell them they either need to increase the loan to cover the cost of the work until the legal issues can be resolved and we can be reimbursed to pay them, or they'll just have to have the house back and we'll leave. Only if they refuse to help and get the house returned, they'll still have to do the same "fixing" in order to be able to re-sell it to anybody else. So I think they'll help us out. It would be self-defeating for them not to, but this whole thing is just very upsetting for me...and hits me in a couple of my very vulnerable places--uncertainty, and financial burden overload. Come on, Satan, tempt me with drugs for a change! I could handle THAT!!! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> Sigh.

Off to see the (very expensive) wizard! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

t&l

AW - I like your hymn, too. I used to have lots of fun bugging Mom by singing in as many foreign languages as I could. She hated that!

CSue, here is a quick timeline for you:

December 2004 - Affair began with a few "friendly lunches"
January 2005 - Affair exploded after H started to work at the same job as OW
January 18-19 - H said he was leaving
February 12 - Dday
February ? - EA became PA
Early March - A supposedly ended, claimed to be "just friends". Sadly, did not know about NC.
April 16 - end of rope, found MB
April 18 - joined MB forum
May 5 - Recovery #1 upon delivery of PBL, NC lasted 10 days, broken briefly and reinstated for another 9 days.
May 25 - EA renewed, steady contact until...
June 21 - Recovery #2 upon delivery of PBL2 and notice that any further C would lead to immediate D proceedings. I was so done messing around with the A.
July 1 - 9th wedding anniversary
October 13 - 114 days of NC, so far as I can tell. Has it been that long already?

Happy news, the baby up and booted AJ in the elbow tonight and made us both jump. It's the first time he's felt it. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

AW,

We have a recording of that song, done in italian and english just that way. Andrea Boccelli (blind italian tenor) does it with Celine Dion. I like it very much. My xw carries it in her car. I think DD likes it too.

It's called "The Prayer" on the albumn called "Songo"

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/det...product-details

-AD

T&L,

Hi. Yes, I'm alive.

Sorry about your sewer and legal problems. I think your analysis is quite good. It's in their interest to help you.

How did it go?

-AD

<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

How on earth did a sensible middle-aged woman end up in this predicament?! And does anybody want a couple of slightly-used daughters, cheap? Neaksis is bargain basement right now, as far as I'm concerned, so you could probably afford her easily. You don't even need a coupon. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

To put it in context, let me say that my idea of "camping" is cabins in the woods, with a nearby cafeteria, so it's never particularly broken my heart to have always been working during the yearly church campout. However, last year I promised that THIS year I'd go (it seemed very far away at the time!), and unfortunately nobody forgot what I'd said by the time we got to camping time. Growing up in Hawaii, I developed a profound love of the ocean, and was disappointed that the one year I go, we wouldn't be right on the beach, but 3 days with my daughters sounded fun, even if it meant putting up with a lot of little kids, and intermittently grumpy men (2ndary to "lot of little kids") in the process. HP, for whom camping is a rite of worship, purchased (for this momentous occasion) a brand-new tent big enough for 6 people...although he's not actually letting 6 people sleep in it, you understand! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> He also got a new camping stove--whose flames you could probably see from space. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I would've fed the little terrors, I mean, darlings, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But no, we're going to have hot meals if it kills us all. I have steadfastly, vigorously refused to take part in any of the planning. I figure since I'm paying for most of it, I've already done my part. Let the people (that would be Neaksis and HP, in particular) who enjoy planning, plan. I'm working. I'm busy. Leave me alone and just tell me what it costs.

What I've been urgently wishing to avoid is getting stuck over in the Bay area in Friday afternoon rush hour traffic after I've worked all night and then been up all day. I just found it difficult to imagine my sunshiny demeanor (haha)surviving well a challenge of that nature. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> And I've been afraid that getting 12 people on the road in a timely fashion might prove impossible, and so suggested to that traitorous Neaksis that perhaps HP and I might take her DS11 with us early and go ahead to the campground so the "boys" could put up some tents early. That way, if I fade once it's dark, which is likely, I'd have a place to go and collapse while the rest of them could party around the campfire. I'm not sure how this happened, but Neak told me last night that HP enthusiastically accepted the idea, with just one slight modification. No DS11. Just me. And him. And all those tents.

Well, I WON'T do it. I'm not working all night (for the 6th 12-hr. shift in a row), staying up all day and driving to the coast so I can put up multiple tents with a very persnickity tent putter-upper, who will, based on past experience, very quickly become annoyed with his inept assistant. Won't. Won't. Won't. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> Neaksis, what on earth were you thinking to even let him entertain such a hare-brained notion as that? I think I just found your last marble, my dear. You seem to have lost it. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> Come over here and let your mama give you a big smack. WHACK!!! Oh, you thought I meant with my lips? Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Did I complain about having to work too much? My mistake. Employment is looking better and better all the time. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

t&l

Hi girls

t&l camping ..Mmmmmmmm yes

Now we haven't been camping for years due to the war I guess... and then the other A stuff.

However every Easter before 9-11 our family have traveled from Perth to Cunderdin a small wheat belt town about 156 km east of Perth on the Great Eastern Highway, Cunderdin is a typical wheat belt town with a population of under 800 people.
We go and camp on my uncles farm which is the ideal place to just relax and do a bit of lazy walks with a very large shearing shed, ample shearers quarters, laundry, hot showers (when the fire is lit) and 2 outside corrugated iron toilets (dunnies!)….. Like I said, an ideal place to camp when there is no local 5 star Hilton hotel. I mean these days my idea of ‘roughing’ it is going to a 3 star hotel!! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

One night after tea – that’s dinner to you yanks - I wandered down to one of the toilets for the constitutional. Aussie had been experimenting with native foods again and I had foolishly tried some marinade on my steak. It tasted ok, wonderful in fact, but seemed to have….. Ah …... unforeseen after effects. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

It was pitch black I carried a torch (lucky for me I did) I walked in closed the door lifted the seat dropped my duds, quick check that there was some toilet rolls (Aussie calls them ‘date’ rolls and says the jobs not over until the paperwork's done). <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

I was just about to sit when something caused me to shine the torch into the bowl. I was really annoyed that someone before me had not flushed so I pushed the button …….. imagine my surprise when what I thought was ..um … well crap …. reared up about 6'' or so. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I slammed the lid closed, pulled up my pants, and ran like the Billy-o to Aussie screaming my head off!!!

At first Aussie and the oh so laughing drunks around the camp fire thought it was some sort of a twisted joke, but after much cajoling on my part they finally came down to have a look. I opened the lid and there it was still rearing up trying to get out but not making any headway.
The commotion that we were creating brought up a couple of the older kids who were camped near the showers as well. Privacy..sure! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

So there was me – embarrassed as, don't forget there are now 5 blokes – in-laws and brother, plus wives & sisters & kids everywhere all trying to fit into the toilet to have a look. There were more torches than at an Olympic games opening!....... and the snake was really getting agitated.

Right about then Aussie decided he ‘needed’ to take a photo of this as no one would believe it. But as they were busy making SO many jokes with me as the butt – if you forgive the pun – of them he didn’t do it right away. He at least went over to the other loo & checked it out for me as I was getting desperate by then.… simple needs can be so relieving. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

After about 20 minutes or so and lots of suggestions about how to tackle the situation (alcohol had probably dulled our capacity to react quicker than that!) our budding cameraman heads off at a fast trot, he was not exactly sober so his trot was not too fast but still at a pretty fair pace. We had promised not to try and extract the snake until he returned.
Well, we waited and waited, blokes had a few more cans and decided to proceed without him. My brother stood on the bowl and held the torch. BIL fetched a long handled shovel and the second BIL readied a smaller shovel, next time the snake reared up he was pinned with one shovel and his head was severed with the other. I realise that snakes are protected but a snake in the toilet was a very ‘dangerous’ situation. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Well, we are all standing around the snake’s corpse, us girls enjoying another chardy, when our budding cameraman finally turned up.
He was as mad as a cut snake, covered in dirt and could hardly talk he was so pissed off. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

It transpired that one of the female campers amongst us <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> , had raced over to the clothesline just before going to the loo and thinking everyone was in bed, lowered the clothesline to retrieve some washing ‘she’ had forgotten.

When our photographer had gone running back, it had been left lowered, and he coathangered himself.....<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> It lifted both his feet in the air, flipped him head over heels and sent him crashing to the ground where he lay stunned for about 10 minutes. Of course I wouldn't like to make any allegations that the consumption of most of a carton of 24 stubbies of beer had ANYTHING to do with it ....Needless to say the only photos that were taken were of the dead snake.
<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
The snake must have climbed onto the toilet after the small green frogs that hop around the rim of the toilet seeking the moist conditions, and had simply slipped in.
The female campers identity has remained anonymous for her own safety. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

AW, how very dull my camping trip is going to be, after reading about yours!! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> I'm going to try to cut and paste your story and email it to Flard, who, in addition to being a lover of all nature-type things Australian, is a snake fanatic. He wouldn't have let anybody kill it, though, not even if he had to detach it from his personal butt cheeks first in order to save it! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

I'm having a better attitude about camping already, though not necessarily the tent pitching. In Hawaii, every year the academy had a school trip to Camp Erdman, which is right at the ocean's edge. It was for high school students only, but since my parents were teachers and camp chaperones (and for some reason didn't want to leave me at home unattended and alone! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />) I got to go on the campouts every single year we were there. Cabins by the beach, and a cafeteria. It is my lifetime gold standard against which all other vacation trips are measured. I have a dream that someday before I keel over, I can take all my family back to Oahu and spend a week or so at Camp Erdman again, since they still rent out cabins. No snakes, though. Rats. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

t&l

P.S. I'm SO glad I went to the bathroom before I read your story. My chair thanks you, as well! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

t&l

it was not THAT exciting .. at least not the way I would wish ..lol

We have this lovely island off the Perth coast - 12 miles out - that was was a Army base but is now a family resort. As kids Aussie & I unknown to each other used to send a few weeks a year there..much the same I think as your camp in Hawaii ...cabins & cottages & camp grounds and a few shops, a bakery - I still can taste the pies they made - used to have to wait for the 'mail' boat to arrive to get the newspaper - golden days T&l, golden days. Too developed these days I feel but maybe Aussie & I will give them a try again when he gets home.

Also have VERY romantic memories of Aussie & I there before we were married ..lets just say a gun emplacement was a strange place to Ahem for the first time..lol <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Maybe exciting wasn't the right word. Pretty doggone funny, though. There's nothing like drunken runners tripping over rope to bring a smile to my lips! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

As far as the gun emplacement, I hope you were very, VERY, ahem, careful. You wouldn't have wanted the earth to move for everyone else in the neighborhood, too! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

t&l, who is going to bed before any further distractions can be located and enjoyed! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />