Just got scared to death....heard a horrible noise outside. Heard it several times.

Finally, got worried and ran to the front door.....didn't see anything at first.....but I heard the noise again......first thought was it was one of my cats injured....so I called the cats and heard nothing and saw nothing.....

Then I saw a coyote run across the street and stop and look at me....

So, I called the cats again.

The coyote stood still....then ran on and stopped and looked at me...

I came back inside and opened the door to my basement - there was one cat....Felt better....

went downstairs

and, to my relief, there was our cat that hides from us most of the time.

I was scared to pieces but now I'm not.

The end of a great day - dog is safe, cats are safe, children are safe. Whew!!!!! Life is good.

Update on the music: Neakbro may have figured out a way to do this. I'll get back to you if he does. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

You were right, C, it was the MP3 problem. Neakbro fixed it and stuck it online.

So I will post the link, but first the disclaimer. He really meant to be helpful, and I am so appreciative, but he just put all the songs on the CD on there, including several which have some very <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /><img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> notes in them. Bad enough that I would not voluntarily play them for my own mother, never mind the public at large. So listen at your own risk, I am not responsible for any resulting eardrum perforation. If memory serves, tracks 1, 5, 9, 10, and 15 are all reasonably ok. 5 is my favorite. All right, disclaimer over.

I will exercise my powers of censorship as soon as he shows me how.

Music

I can hear!!!!!!!! lovely!!!

BTW, I was meaning to tell you guys that on saturday night I dreamt that Flard had a thread here! It's not true is it?

Neak,

Wonderful!

Check your email for an additional suggestion.

~ Cissy <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Hey gang. I haven't kept up on MB in several months--I've been too overwhelmed, but I still figured that it was the easiest way to get ahold of the family!

Thndr and Neak, you have an urgent email in your inbox. Flard is unravelling.

Hi gellnjen. Unraveling in a bad way or a good way?

both bad and good. I am wondering if he's semi-suicidal right now?

But it will be the first time he has actually shown emotion and admitting he's got problems, and wants help. From me. He wrote pages and pages that I just finished reading, and frankly, I'm shook up, pretty darn bad. I can't seem to stop crying either, and I have to get a grip since I'm at work!

This seems like the break-through of the century for him.

Can you call and talk to him???? I would be very worried.

Where's the rest of the Neak clan????

He apparently wrote this letter yesterday, so he's stable enough for now, I hope. I have a long drive to Spokane today, so I am going to call him this evening on my way there. I think he's suicidal in the sense that if he doesn't have some sort of a break-through, he cannot imagine living like this the rest of his life, and it would be easier for him to end it than to continue on like he has been. But I think he's ok at this moment... even in spite of being really depressed. He is searching, and looking for affirmation.

Teach me to weedeat....I come back in and my house is covered in cake mix and portentious news is popping up all over.

Checking my email.

Whew, Neak is on the scene with her cape of power.

New update, as of five minutes ago, he just responded back to my VERY long email:

"While in a sense, I've not really cared what people thought of me, that's because there was always someone who I knew cared and that was enough. But when nobody cares, despite my best efforts to be a really good person, it's kind of like being the sort of atheist you were raised to fear. If I only exist and matter to myself, then there is no worth and it's like floating around in space, just like if there is no god then there is no right or wrong. I can just pretend to be whatever I feel like being, which counts for nothing at all. So no, it really isn't possible to completely disregard your value to other people without negating your value to yourself.

And thanks infinity for caring. I'm really sorry if anything I say messes with your mind at all, but when I'm this close to the edge I really need to do what it takes to keep whatever shreds of my insanity are still intact.

And no, suicide just won't happen. The last Harry Potter book won't be out for at least a year or more.

Anyway hugs and flowers.
~Flard

Wowie. But that was NOTHING in comparison to the other stuff. And he's not the type of person to just exaggerate or b.s. If he says something, he REALLY MEANS IT.

p.s. Neak, I need to run to an appointment in ten minutes, but when you discuss this with your mom, discuss the possibility of me flying out to see him June 7th to talk to him face to face. I really want to just go and hug him and tell him it will be all right.

And then I want to have the biggest cry fiesta with him, and just go through a catharsis of the past three or four years of ****** and get it done and over with.

Sadly, my cape of power is at the cleaners. I was absolutely furious about the cake mix. The trail starts at the pantry, goes across the kitchen, through the dining room, then splits, with one trail going across my clean laundry and into the bathroom, and the other across the living room and out the front door, including a liberal dusting on the front doorknob. I will just be honest and confess that I pretty well lost it.

And then to come in and clean myself up (still not up to doing the cake mix quite yet), and find this scary wonderful news - wow.

Well, Jen, you keep loving and we'll keep praying. "The way of the transgressor is hard." When you have a tough life here, and nothing to look forward to afterwards, it's anything but easy. Insects just do not fill that God-shaped hole.

I've got to run over to Neaksis' house to give her my check (2nd royalty advance, woohoo, even if it is only $250 because we had to split it <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />) so I will tell her.

TTFAM

yeah. And so I feel like I'm going through a mini-melt-down myself.

Rachel had her baby Friday. THey transported her to Spokane because they said huge complications, high risk, yadda yadda. A c-section later, baby pronounced fine and dandy.

Got a call ten minutes ago. Mom and Rachel stranded in Spokane. Rachel having an emotional melt-down. I'm leaving in half hour to drive furiously over there to pick them up, find a place for the three of us to spend the night at, fix everything.

Planning a huge Amnesty International event this Thursday while in D.C.

Missing almost a week of classes on the quarter system.

Flard issue--the toughest one of them all.

I could use a few prayers.

Ciao bellas. Love to all. I'm fine.

{{{{{{{{{Jen}}}}}}}}}}}}} You are a nicer person than I would be. You will need lots of extra hugs being closted with that person and her squalling infant. I would not be able to do it.

Have a safe trip, and let me know when would be good for one of us to call you.

Wow !

Prayers continue.

SS

Oh Neak -
Maybe they were pretending the cake mix was gunpowder. What's on the other end of the trail?

SS