I am staying in tonight. Had a short day at the clinic, though. Went and got my hair trimmed. It's long and blonde and had a few high and lowlights added. Looks awesome! Went jogging and tonight am just going to shampoo carpets in my dining room and mop the hardwoods and the kitchen. Oh, and fold one load of clothes.

Am going to do my sushi thing tonight and order in. Then i will have a glass or two of merlot and just zone watching a good movie.

And FC, that's gonna happen. You are a great guy and gals see that. Happened to me the other day. Guy was a cute stockbroker behind me at a framing shop. Getting a lighthouse print framed for my son's bathroom. He was very attractive and only two years older than me. He gave me his business card and said if I needed anything to give him a call. Just was very nice back to him and keeped the card. Maybe one day when it's final I can call. But not right now.

It is good that this happens to us. All this negative stuff which was thrown at us makes us feel not too attractive. I am almost blind to the fact that others find me attractive now. It is wierd. LIke my ego took some huge hit. But instead of ego coming back, I just have self confidence. No big ego anymore, just quiet assuredness. And I know it will happen when the time is right. Oh, and at the salon tonight, they sold this hot rock heating thing by igia. It is supposed to give that spa experience at home. They wanted fifty bucks for it. I thought of you and almost bought it.

Except I may have had a couple of glasses of merlot and gotten the rocks way too hot and then ended up with some strange red marks..LOL! It looked so relaxing on the box. I picked it up and then this guy there getting ready for his appt. walked over and asked if it was supposed to be relaxing..I said that I haven't personally tried it, but that a GOOD MALE FRIEND OF MINE HAS GIVEN IT THE THUMBS UP. The guy said, really? I said, it must be good if my good doctor friends says so. The guy picked up the box and placed it in his lap and I guess after he disappeared into the different rooms where they do the styling (actually an overpriced place with all these private "styling rooms") he was going to buy it.

My dog is snoring at my feet right now. He is soooo cute. Read glamour while getting my hair done. Trying to catch up on styles. Then read in style. Am working on revamping the already somewhat cool me. The guy when I checked out and paid said, "wow, you have got Christie Brinkley hair!" and then he said that we kinda favored each other. I smiled soooooo big. I haven't heard that one in about five years. It felt good to be back to my former glam self for a bit. But we shall see. Tomorrow night, one couple that I am friends with want to go out with me to a very trendy spot. They are determined to get me to mingle just as you did, FC. And if you could indeed survive it, so shall I.

Hoping you are all having a good night. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

I am somewhat reluctant to post this, since it is more of a "something good in a bad situation" post, but here goes:

I lost someone very, very dear to me today. I called her "Granny."

When I was a kid, I never knew that my aunt, uncle, cousins, and Granny & Gramps weren't really "related" to us. I just thought of them as family. It turns out that my "aunt" was really just my mom's best friend since the 7th grade, and that my "uncle" was my dad's best friend.

My "real" grandparents died before I was born, and Granny & Gramps (my aunt's parents) took on the role. Gramps offered to "fill in" for my mother's father when he died, and Granny always treated us like we were her special "bonus" grandkids. They were a great pair...Gramps was an old RAF pilot who entertained us with old Welsh drinking songs, while Granny regaled us with tales of her life as a ballerina in London, swept off her feet by a dashing young flyboy.

Gramps died six years ago. When that happened, Granny was already deep in the grips of Alzheimers Disease...at times, she didn't even realize that her husband had gone. She's been living in a nursing home for the past four years, unaware of who we were or even who she was.

She deteriorated very quickly last night, and passed away this morning.

I am terribly sad at the loss of my Granny, yet part of me is glad. Glad that she is finally at peace. Glad that such a wonderful person lived for over 90 years. Glad that I knew her, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

I am beside myself with grief, but at the same time, I know that life goes on.

cjack,

I think that is completely appropriate. Sometimes it is the best thing that someone that we love should pass on out of a difficult existence.

Missed my post last night.

Went to my Youngest son's soccer game yesterday morning. Was great fun.

Took my oldest son to a Golf tournament that my group puts on twice a year. He is 9 and LOVES to drive the cart. We drove around all over the course and he did great. I played pretty well, playing best ball and our foursome shout 7 under.

Anyway, my boy forgot that he had his clubs with us until the last two holes. I told him to get on the tee and "CRANK ONE". Well he got up there and let the most beautiful drive out of his soul that I have ever seen. Being 9 years old, he hit the ball about 160 yards, straight down the middle with a little draw. It was amazing. Everyone of the guys I was with was hooting and hollaring. Saying why am I wasting my time being a doctor when I have him. I could just be his caddy and make more money than I could being a doc. Haha, it was one of the proudest times I have had in my life. He just kind of grinned sheepishly and walked back and cleaned his club off and put it back.

When we finished, he asked me if we could go play another round, that he forgot about playing because he was driving so much. But I had to go teach at Bible school so we were unable to go. But I told him that we DEFINITELY would go before winter.

I love my boys so much. WAS A VERY GOOD THING!!!

Congratulations. Sounds like you are grooming a budding tiger...I used to own a golf cart and do live in a golf course subdivision now where I am renting. Really good course. I don't play but want son to do that. He has little tiny golf set. We play together.

That is so awesome! The place where my bro in law and sister just moved to is the most lovely little town. He got the dream practice. Small town but thee is a cluster of three other towns nearby that each are about fifty thousand people so it is a decent sized metropolitan area but very rural feel and gorgeous lakes. Their cc they joined has a marina and is on banks of huge lake that is inlet of TN river. It is so ruggedly beautiful there and so peaceful. You have everything you need as far as shopping goes (but my sister now insists that because she is only four hours away from me that she has to go buy her clothes in atl now) and they have it made. A public school where all the kids know each other. One of the teachers that my neice has is the mom of one of the docs in the practice. Wonderful grandmom lady. And they can leave their doors unlocked if they wanted to. Although I live in the burbs, and am less than an hour from the gorgeous ga mountains, I feel stressed here. Think it's about the whole thing I endured after moving here. Moved and in less than three months it all changed.

But it is so pretty here sometimes. There is a little mountain village about an hour from here with alpine flair. Very cute. I am going to take son there during the holidays. One of my favorite movies is "Funny Farm". Loved where they went into the little town and everything went wrong. That movie and "groundhog day". But my new favorite is "Bridget Jones' Diary". All of us going through this need to see it. Hilarious and some great lines we can remember. A good way to deal with this whole junk/situation is to laugh it away. Realize that it is their choices and decisions and not ours. Plus if you guys had opened your front door and saw a strange man who was strangely looking like your husband, wearing an outfit my neighbor's fourteen year old son would not wear out in public to a rock concert, then you would laugh also.

Keep working with son. One of my buddies from high school got a great golf scholarship and played in college. He loved it! Has a good degree, is successful, and got to do what he loved all the time in college. Not as demanding as football or basketball team though so that's good. Keep up work and that can be a great goal for him. Think the trick is to be positive about it. Even when it comes to his errors, build him up. That is what I do with son.

I used to perform during halftime in college. Won't say what i did, but can say that it involved alot of practice and I took dancing for over twenty years. So I know firsthand how a good scholarship can help. My parents weren't rich and dad had to work two jobs to send sis and I to private schools before college. Our college years were cheaper than our elementary and high school.

Really did nothing at all today to speak of. My boys are at their mother's. Did laundry at the laundry-mat. Man I can't even remember the last time I was in one, and I am not sure really that I ever did laundry in them before. I was trying to think about college, but I really can't remember ever using them. But it is great having 5 machines going all at once. But trouble is, that I can't dry much of what I wash because everything gets too small. I have rather long legs, and wear 34X34 pants. They tend to shrink and then I have "high-waters". Also, my shirt sleeves tend to shrink so I just dry my underwear and T-Shirts. Everything else gets hung, has since Highschool.

Felt really pretty good today for some unknown reason. Probably the best I have felt without my boys with me since all the crap blew up. Went to the gym, then bought a magazine at Barnes and Noble. Not sure what I am going to make for supper. Just bought a new cookbook for Wok cooking so may make some peanut chicken or something easy. Just not sure. Maybe see what is on the tube. Rarely watch TV anymore so I have no idea what is on. Usually watch Discovery channel or Outdoor network. Maybe something will be on HBO. Drank some wine last night. Maybe finish the bottle tonight. Second bottle since I moved out over two months ago. Haha, better slow down.

Have a good evening people.

FC,

How was your dinner? BTW if you want my email address, email orchid @ mborchid@yahoo.com. She is a MB friend of mine for almost a year now. Awesome person. Anyhow, got the cute lighthouse stuff tonight. Bought "Body for Life" at Barnes and Noble. Too bad you weren't at the one here in ATL. Just put up groceries. My weekend alone too, but it was ok.

I am going to get up early tomorrow and go for a jog. Tonight in line this really sweet checkout lady was scanning and there was the magazine, us I think, and she said I looked like Reese Witherspoon. Asked if anybody ever told me this and I said, yep but her older sister with long hair. She laughed. A single mom with 2 kids was in front of me. You can tell us single primary custody people when we are out. We are usually doing a thousand things at once. Her kids were so kind and helpful to her. Son was same age as mine.

I am going to get some rest in a bit. Feel a bit tired today. Ok. I am not going to keep giving in to my recent indulgence of good wine on a three times a week basis anymore. Although I only had three glasses last night, I had a headache this morning. Too much of a good thing. But I am a giggly wine drinker. Aside from all this poop, I am giggly in general usually. Am starting the body for life thing tomorrow. This will be good. It combines healthy eating with aerobic and weight training. Going to have an egg white omlet tomorrow morning. After a jog.

Oh, and at walmart bought the new linkin park cd, reanimator. It is soooo good. The new remix of "in the end" is basically the whole story of my last year. Will listen to that on way to work. Oh, the pleasures of traffic in GA.

Haha, Supper was fine. Instead of going easy, ended up going for broke and had 'Sticky rice balls with pork stuffing'. You know, have to try this out for myself, then friends, before I try it out with a date. I love cooking. My wife is such a great cook that I usually didn't cook except a Sunday or so a month. Generally when she said it was my turn to cook, it meant she wanted to go out to eat. Hehe, I didn't mind. But now that I am cooking again, I realize what I have been missing.

Anyway, about the Linkin Park CD. I don't have the new one, but I have a funny story about 'In The End". Seems that after I found out about my wife's third affair, I found out out of order so this was the first one I knew about, but was at least the third I was to find out. She was reallybeing overtly mean and crass, tearing me up as I tried to come to grips with what was happening. We were still living together, but she was "Trying to figure out what she wanted". So we went out on a Sunday afternoon to a School Supplies store to get her classroom some things. IN THE END came on the radio, it was on a station that I don't usually listen to, and she said to me, looking me dead in the eye, "I think this is my new favorite song." She then proceeded to sit there and kind of dance in the car as the song played. I was driving and our boys were in the back. I wasn't listening to the song at all. My mind was in complete turmoil. I heard not one word. But several weeks later, after more and more of this sort of thing, I was driving alone and listended to the words.

Well as you know, this song is about someone who TRIED. Well at that time, I felt horrible. I felt as though I had let her down. Well in about a week I found out about two more affairs, and had it out with her. I realized that the song only represented what she wanted to believe, not anyone's reality. Not even her's. I told her so, and she 'acted' ashamed at her behavior. Well, throughout my Plan A during the following 4 months, anytime that song would come on she would change the station. She at least 'acted' ashamed at how she had acted.

When she left me for the second time for this guy, I realized that the song was actually ABOUT ME!!! Not her. It had not one damn thing to do with how she had acted and how she had "tried". She didn't try. She let me do everything and then wasn't happy because I couldn't make our lives rosey. She is just so ill that she simply cannot see anything of her part in our lives. She will continue to be miserable throuhout her life. Just like her mother, but worse, because her father was an alcoholic and abusive, while I was simply working too damn hard and expected her to understand. I will live a great life and she will do whatever it is she wants to do. But without changing herself, she will never be happy. Maybe she can find some guy that can provide for her and be as shallow as she is. Then maybe they can live happily ever after, on a plane of existence a piece of paper thick. Nothing under the surface but "Survivor on TV".

Anyway, I have been playing "IN THE END" and "PLACE FOR MY HEAD" alot since I moved out. It just seems so fitting. I wish that I was a tenor rather than a bass, I might even chance singing it to her, but it looses alot in the traslation with a bass voice. The screams of fury don't sound quite as piercing.

I will have to get the new CD. I love their stuff although I had heard none of it before my family's debaucle.

Take care all. Have a great night and morning.

Reanimator by linkin park is great. Remixed and urban hip hop thing going on. There are all new verses to their second version of in the end on this album. Very much more about our situation.

Song that describes my situation besides in the end, is "one step closer". Great album. I love all kinds of music but really like alternative rock. College habit that formed. Funny but your wW should change her song prefrence. Definitely not about her. About you and me. People like us.

Also love the new song, warning, by incubus. It is sooooo good. I am a hip mom, so they say. My son loves to dance around in his car seat on the way to school. We've been listening to books on tape together. Last week was toy story. This week it is "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". Great stories. They are so good. Harry Potter's author is a single parent. She wrote the stories while sitting mostly in a cafe in London. Wrote the character of Harry so that even the kid in the worst possible situation ever could feel good about themselves. She took lots of lemons and made lemonade for her son.

Son is coughing now. Guess he has a cold again. It really was imho, too cold to have taken him to the beach. I asked son if anybody went with them (ms. monkey but did not say her name or anything like that) and son said, no just daddy and I. So that was good. Guess he is really broken up with the thing. But I am just happy son is home and that we are together. Going to go get some firewood. Walmart didn't have any last night, but they do at kroger around the corner so before bed, I will read him the mercer mayer halloween book to him in front of the fire.

I love being a mom!!! And did like you requested. DID NOT ENGAGE AUSTIN. Took full advantage of his snoopiness and used it to wise advantage. It is going down to upper forties tonight here. BRRRRRRRR. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

Good day today. Or rather good evening, even though it was very tough.

I confronted my wife about her ongoing #4 affair, that she thought I didn't know about. She is one of the densest people I know. I don't know how I ever chose her. I must have been on drugs. Although I have never tried anything stronger than Tequila haha.

Anyway, I feel great and bad at the same time. I mean I feel great because it was really knawing at me. And now I don't have that pressure within my heart any longer. Bad, because it just surfaced so strongly and I saw her scrambling, trying to excuse herself and blame me. I don't feel bad about the blaming. She is lost and I know that she is just trying with everything she is to rationalize her behavior. It hurts me to see anyone so low in life, but for it to be someone that I loved so much, it really is just absolutely pitiful. I hope that she will be OK.

Anyway, Take care. Please post something good. ANYTHING at all.

Ok, I like this post something good thread! My good thing is that my ex mother in law came into town - not in itself a good thing!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" /> and as she was leaving today, she said "You are really doing well, aren't you?" And I really am, and I'm glad others can see that. Of course now she can go report to my ex H that his leaving his 8 month pregnant wife and 2 small children wasn't such a terrible thing after all, since we have all recovered so nicely, but that is ok. So there is my small good thing. Hooray!

Well, made it through a day after confrontation with wife. It was somewhat surreal. I have held that knowledge within myself for so long, almost 3 months, that now that it is out, I almost wonder what to do with my time. I realized before that I was almost obsessing about the confrontation, constantly going over it in my mind. What I wanted to say. How to say it. etc. etc. Now that it is over, I feel relieved. I feel bad, because there was not one bit of remorse in her for it. In fact she blamed me for it all, OF COURSE. If nothing else, she has learned consistency in one aspect of her life. Anyway, today overall was a good day.

Now for the kicker. I know that you guys are all going to think that I am going over the deep end. That I am trying to live a new life and that it is a fantasy life. That I am making up for all this materially. BUT, hehe

I ordered a new 50th Anniversary Corvette today. Actually I put my name on the list for delivery next summer. I know, I know, but I have wanted a Corvette all my life. I drove past a dealership on my way home everyday for the last 5 years. And this anniversary edition is EXACTLY my favorite color. I went out and test drove a vette for the first time yesterday. Convertable of course, I don't like the look of the Z06. I do however like the coupe, but man, that convertable just took me away. I looked at the paperwork and realized that I make far less a year than the car costs. But that will be changing next summer.

My wife always said she would buy me one when I started working. Well, I am going to hold her to it, in a way she is buying it. Because all the things that I wanted to do for her when I finally started making money, I am going to spend on my boys and me.

I drove into the dealership in my beat up Jeep and the guy says "You need a new Jeep." I told him, "NOPE, I need a new vette." <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="images/icons/cool.gif" />

WOW FC, Talk about ways to do something for yourself!!! LOL!

Okay, I have not been here for a few days....down in the dumps, as you can see from my ongoing thread. But there have been some good things happening....

Two nights ago I woke up to find my eldest daughter in bed with me. This child can be stand-offish with me, because she was daddy's girl from birth....from this and other things the past few months, I can see she is recovering and moving on. And she is regaining that gentle way about her that she used to have when we were all together.

Today was a milestone day for my 9 year old son, going on school camp for the first time. It is only two nights, but it is the first time that he has been away from me where I can't just call up any time I feel like it, lol! He was a bit concerned about missing us, and then I got concerned (to myself, didn't show him), but it all went well in the end. Gosh I miss the little guy tho!

Another plus is that eldest daughter made a friend of a new kid at school...who happens to live right nearby us, and we didn't know. Her mum seems like a very nice person, so I may have made a new friend too:).

Thank you for this thread...REALLY! It just occurred to me that even though some bad stuff is going on around here right now, that this thread FORCES us to look for the positives, and that is SO important. God Bless You.

Love and light,

Jacky

Wow a vette. That is certainly going to be one sweet ride. Your boys are going to think you are the coolest dad.

I am home again today. Son is doing better. He ate today and is playing now.

Slept in until 10. I needed that after the no sleep marathon of the other night...

I am so happy to see that you did this for you. Sure will make the drive to work very enjoyable....Awesome!

Here is my new email. Created new screen name. domgoddessatl@aol. And that is what I am..lol...the atl's domestic goddess. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

Even though I haven't read this entire post, I like the theme.

This week amongst the rain,the TV, phone, computer and answering machine getting fried by a thunderstorm, locking my keys in my car at work yesterday, the dog chewing up various articles of clothing, and forking out $1300 to start my D's ortho..... I have to admit I am extremely blessed. I do tend to dwell on the negative when so many things come all at once... However,

Last weekend I got the opportunity to go to my very first NASCAR race. It was a blast, even after the 3 hour rain delay. I just thought I had it bad before....

I was truly blessed to have a far away friend to share the experience with. This friend is truly just a friend and not a romantic interest, which made the weekend so relaxed and enjoyable for me. I had forgotten how much I missed spending time with someone. I have wonderful memories from this weekend and while I'm finding myself a bit lonely this week, I know there is a lot of fun left out there for me to find (and a lot more souveniors to buy <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" /> ).

Thanks for this thread and for making me think how lucky I am to be blessed with good friends and good fortune( for the most part anyway)

PP

I had a quick visit with a friend (divorced for a few years) and she said something that really encouraged me. She talked of all the things that have gone wrong in the past years: loss of her marriage, death of a dear friend, money/job problems, children acting out in desperation, etc... but at the end of it all she acknowledged that while she was away for the weekend she and her children all attended a church in that particular city and were ALL really moved by the pastor's sermon. She said she realized that even with all the loss in her life recently, GOD IS GOOD. She had all her children with her AT CHURCH, they all take their faith very seriously, they had a great time laughing and joking with each other all weekend, and they have a home to live in and food to eat. God is good! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

That really encouraged me. I have thought much about that since then, and realize that I really quite like my life right now! If it wasn't for the fact that I no longer have my husband by my side, I realize that God has been incredibly good to me too. I'm taking quite a few courses, most of which I'm really enjoying and learning a lot in, and God has showered me with some wonderful Godly, honorable friends. At a time when I feel numb and pessimistic about there being ANYONE out there anymore living their lives with integrity and honour, God has gifted some dear people into my life. And the people on this site. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" /> Life WILL go on even without our WS, and God WILL love us and provide. Take heart everyone - God loves us and is for us! We will not be defeated by the enemy.

Son is doing much, much better today. I am going back to work tomorrow. His fever and nausea is done with!!!

Son is eating dinner with me now. Said he was really hungry so I made beef/veggie stir fry w/brown rice. He was just shoveling it down. Said "mommy it's soooo good". Then we clicked out plastic tumblers together and said "cheers".

Truly believe the finances will get better soon. I am hoping and praying. In a wierd way, once the D is done, I will be hopefully financially stable for a good while. Will be able to pay off debts and just enjoy life as I do now. Austin attempted to IM me earlier, but was busy with son today so I couldn't respond.

For the life of me, I just don't understand it folks. How they can walk away from their lives. And it isn't what they want it to be. And usually that fantasy doesn't work out. Guess that is what austin is finally discovering. But I cannot attempt to second guess this man who has now become a total stranger to me. Yep it hurts sometimes. I thought by now we'd have another child. When we built dream house (which I no longer live in) we planned the room that would be the nursery. But God is going to bless me. I am still relatively young only 33. Lately it seems, that God has blessed me with seeing how others are making it without their WS's. I have met so many people by chance--grocery store, last night at pharmacy while getting son's prescription filled. The pharmacist said, "wow it sure is rainy and cold. How come you took your son out with you on a night like this one?". I replied to him, "well I can't leave him home by himself" "that is all there is at our home besides one dog, one parrot and a crab.". He smiled and said "sorry. It happens I guess to all of us. Just can't see why you and that cute little boy are alone is all". "he is nuts".

It is funny. Sure I miss being married, but not to this man. Not to the man austin is now. But I am now very thankful in a strange way. Thankful I don't have to carry the burden of his affair. Thankful I don't have to constantly defend myself as a person, wife, and mother as I used to have to do. Thankful to hear the words "you cook good mommy" or "thanks for fixing it mommy" . I now realize that I do a very good job at being who I am. That his excuses were just that. Excuses. Really had nothing to do with me at all. Just had to do with the character lacking now in his life and his denial of God's presence.

Tonight I am going back to gym for one hour. Going to leave and do about an hour of cardio tonight. Tomorrow I will do aerobics and then wt. training. While son was playing today, got alot of housework done. I am independent now. It is good for now. One day I know I will not be alone. God is saving someone for me and for son. Someone who is strong yet kind. Someone who is happy with the little things in life and realize that the big things are just that--only things that can break, be lost, and are not the stuff of forever like a family, a wife, a child. It has dawned on me that Austin probably cannot comprehend what it is to be truly committed to anyone. After all, a few short years before me, he was married to wife no. 1 for a short while. Before that he was engaged to his h.s. GF. The minister should've said during both of his ceremonies, "do you take this woman only for better, questionable if it gets worse, in health only, for richer, and until you find someone else newer one day, should life with your wife become predictable?" At least mine is only child having to deal with his subsequent divorces. He is one year older than me facing two divorces now. I honestly wonder if any woman in her right mind wouldn't SEE THAT AS A RED FLAG WHEN MEETING HIM? Probably not. They will see a flashing smile, nice face and gorgeous house and $$$. They will see the present before them. Never think about their future or his recent past as a clue to what lies ahead.

But life is peaceful now. Life was hell last year at this time. In losing him, I found peace. That is good. I am not getting back on the roller coaster with this man. Unless God has his changing as part of the plan for me and my son's life, we will move on as I am doing this very minute.

Getting ready to go upstairs and take a bath. Gonna get clean and then go to gym and sweat. I am funny about that. Like to feel good when I exercise.

I am so blessed. My son is happy. I can do alot of things, including building a crab habitat. I can work in cutting edge medical technology but can also band aid a boo boo. Read books at night by the fireplace as I did last night to a sick little precious son. Hold him as he falls asleep. I do not want a man like Austin beside me anymore. Just praying God will place a man of real substance here one day. And I am also blessed, so very blessed to have loving family and friends. And you as my friends here. Thank you so much for listening and offering your good advice. Although we are educated adults, when this kind of horror enters somebody's life, they can't think their way outta a paper bag. That is when wise counsel comes in. Here we have both. Good friends and good resources. Thanks for being bold when needed, never padding the issues to make me feel good, and for being there, just being so supportive when I didn't have anybody to turn to here in this city of over a million.

Please know I am praying for all of you and for our families including the WS's. Hey, who wants to bring back the "self improvement" thread I started...??? WE could add that idea to this thread and combine it. The positive plus our self improvements...Awesome.

Call the newspapers...I've got TWO good things!

First, my boss (who was very difficult to work for) is leaving. He's been promoted to a bigger and better job. Now, this could have been a bad thing, since in my line of work, a new boss usually cleans house, and my job would be at risk.

But the powers-that-be have promoted another guy to a supervisory position above whomever my new boss might be, and this guy is one of the few people who truly understands and respects what I do for the company.

Second, I met someone new...well, sort of. I hate to admit it, but I went through an online dating service. Until today, it has been a dead end. A few days ago, I sent an e-mail to a woman on the service who looked interesting. She replied, and I gave her my phone number. She called.

We wound up talking for over an hour. Our personalities are so similar that it is almost scary. I dare not hope, but....