I love you, Seabird. That made me laugh.

I find that caffeine enables me to stay up later, and therefore drink more booze. That was when I was in my 20's.

If I'm ever in Houston, I'm goin' want to party with you.

GG,

If you're ever in The Lou', leave the yarn and knitting/darning needles at home and we will drink and dance the night away at The Dog, my treat.

Try some music to change your mood. I like it loud. iPods rule!

cherry pie - - - - - put up a bunch of cheeries

Yeah, but I was serious, Cinderella.

And BOoka, how did you know I knit? I'm such a Widda.

GG,
I have nothing to add for you except this joke I found in my archives. I guess it's related to this MB Forum in some way. Hope to make you smile and it's a new year for us all.


One evening a husband, thinking he was being funny, said to his wife, "Perhaps we should start washing your clothes in Slim Fast. Maybe it would take a few inches off of your butt!"

His wife was not amused, and decided that she simply couldn't let such a comment go unrewarded.

The next morning the husband took a pair of underwear out of his drawer. "What the *@&#@# is this?", he said to himself as a little 'dust' cloud appeared when he shook them out. "Mary," he hollered into the bathroom, "why did you put talcum powder in my underwear?"

She replied .."It's not talcum powder......It's 'Miracle Grow'."

GG - I know what you mean. At first, I thought it was a typo but I TOTALLY understand.

When you open those cherries, you get a cheery rush. I get it. I love to can tomatoes. When I open them in the bleak mid-winter, it's like opening a jar of sunshine. TOTALLY understand.

BTW, a while ago, you mentioned knitting and going to a knitting group. I have found an MBer who owns a yarn store. Depending on where you are, maybe we could meet up at that store in Ohio. It's 4-5 hours from me. I've been there. My dog would like to go again. She spent a day there with me and greeted all the customers. (We went back in on Sunday, when the shop was closed, and she stood in the middle of the store, looked at the door, and waited for customers.)

Ohio is 5 to 10 hours depending. But I have relatives in Cleaveland, and I'm due to go see her. I'll send you an email.

HAPPY NEW YEAR GG!

Your Christmas pix were nice on facebook. HOpefully I'll find my files to upload sometime soon. You look good.
Enjoy the New Year.
S

You got it!

Would you be game for Cincy?

Why not? I've never been to Ohio. Cincinatti is probably closer to me anyway. I think.

And Seabird and Booka, don't be surprised if I take you all up on it.

PS: Newly, once I figure out if I'll have any money, I hear NM has gotten a LOT of snow. I haven't hit the trails in 4 years. Or it may be time for a trip to Greek Peak. Unfortunately, Dad sold his place.

GG - we'll have to work it out with the shop owner. I wonder how many more knitters we have on the boards....or crocheters. Do you know of others?

Don't forget to look me up, too, when you come to Houston!

That's right, Cat! Hmm. I can meet Cinders in Cincinnatti (sounds like a poem), and then go meet you and Seabird in Houston. After that, it's a hop, skip and a plane ride to The Lou to see Booka and whoever else. Wasn't Starfish from there? She's not around anymore...

Then, I've got my Young Widows and Widowers group. I'm meeting the Philly ones for drinks tomorrow night and a group from nothern MD are setting something up that I'll go to. The advantage of them is they can get together without fear their spouses will feel threatened.

I guess we could here on After Divorce, but there seem to be many more widows than people hanging here. I think most people that get divorced leave us.

Cin,
Are you in Cincy?
I'll be there president's day weekend.
I hate missing the long ski weekend, but need to go.

GG, The three bear inn isn't that bad, and drinks are cheap there.

Haven't been to GP in a few years.
Check out skipa.com for the 4th & 5th grade snowpass for more savings. I also got the NY pass in case we make it up to GP.

HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR.

Newly, I am not...I am 4.5 hours away but I am a knitter and I know someone with a yarn shop there.....a SEX run is a good excuse for a road trip. SEX, to a knitter/crocheter, is not the same as sex. SEX = stash expansion expedition. A SEX run is a trip to the LYS (local yarn store) to buy more yarn.

I finally did some internet research. Mike's 401K, which is sizable, will go to the beneficiaries he named. Had we been married for more than a year, I would have been entitled to half of it, or all of it. This, combined with Mike dying without a will, means that I will get very little money. More than 75% of Mike's money will go back to his family.

I have really mixed feelings on this. Probably, it will mean I get to stay on friendly terms with my in-laws. On the other hand, I feel just a little betrayed. Mike was definitely meeting my need for financial support, and I know he wanted to provide for me after his death.... But, I'm not being provided for. Plus, I have to do all the work.

Now, I have to look for a job on top of all this.

What a mess.

Mike was definitely meeting my need for financial support, and I know he wanted to provide for me after his death.... But, I'm not being provided for.

I'm sure his intentions were to change all of that so that there were no worries, GG. You had less than 1 month together - hardly had caught your breath to allow the whole 'married' thing to sink in, and pow.

You just never know. We don't have a will either, and we've been married almost 27 years. This is the year that I'd like to get a lot of financial things straightened out - ccs paid off, some savings, will made out, life insurance revamped, etc. And hearing stories like yours just makes me all the more determined to do it.

I know inspiring others is such a poor payback for losing someone, but that is often what happens. I've been trying to be kinder to dh and more respectful, appreciating him more, etc., and now the will thing is waving over my head, because your situation makes it all too clear to me that it could happen to anyone of us without warning.

Unfortunately, Soolee, you are right. Being widowed can happen at any age. Get a basic will.

And for all those who are divorced, please check to make sure the beneficiaries on all your accounts are who you want. I'm sure there are a lot of us who would hate to see our ex's get the IRA's, etc.


The good news for me is that I can just ignore the 401K. I don't need to know how much is in there or anything. It's not mine, and that includes the problems that will go along with it. Mike left it to 2 out of 6 nieces and nephews, and 1 of his siblings. One sister and 2 brothers were not included at all, nor their children.