I can't wait to see it.

Yep! In fact James Bond is there right now! His unit goes there every year for 2-3 weeks to do a joint exercise with the Japanese army. He really likes it there, and is crazy for the food. He sends me photos every day of what he's eating for lunch or dinner. Not much of it has had fish in it. We lived in Germany for 11 years, so going to Japan would just give us another place to explore. I have loads of friends who have been stationed there, and they all really liked it. I have a friend who works for the DoD, and has been living in Korea for the past 5 years, and they visit Japan all the time. She says it's lovely. Thee are loads of travel opportunities too. Our friends have been to China, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. I get the bit about being away from extended family, BUT you'd be giving your kids an amazing opportunity to see something outside their every day, and the grandparents can come visit and see Japan too. My mom and dad flew to Germany many times while we lived there. We traveled all over Europe while they were there. My mom never would have gone to Paris, Rome, Cairo, Athens or tons of other places if we didn't live there. It's a lot to think about, but this is really a once in a lifetime chance.

Only if it were a sexy and/or naughty elf costume, he might not care, but it would be awkward around the boys.

No! JUST FREAKING NO! Gross. This cannot be a thing. It's icky. I spend money every few weeks to get it waxed off. In fact, I'm going tomorrow for an appt. I can't handle armpit hair. Heck, James Bond even gets his waxed. LOL! I posted this on my FB page the other day. It's hilarious.

We have a real tree, that we cut down at a local tree farm. It's a 6.5' Nordmann, which is the kind of tree we had in Germany, so it makes Indy happy. I also love them for the open branches. We have white lights, no blinking! I don't know how people handle blinking lights. I think I'd have some sort of seizure. I am nutty about my tree, and like it to be pretty, so I decorate it with a theme color. The last 3 years it's been red, white, lime green, and silver. The wrapping paper MUST match. It drives my parents batty, and they quit sending wrapped presents a long time ago. They just send them and let me wrap them to match the tree. We have a 6 foot artificial tree (also white lights-no blinking) in the playroom, filled with kid ornaments. They like having their own tree. In the DR, I finally got to put up the tea cup tree I've been wanting to do forever. This year I only did a 4 foot tree, because of space. It's an artificial, white tree with white lights (no blinking!), that is decorated with some of my vintage transferware tea cups and creamers, small, silver tea spoons, and I tucked in a few red poinsettias, and red ribbon. I love it so much it hurts. It fills me with girlish glee. I have enough tea cups that I could decorate two 6-7 foot trees. At last count, I think I had roughly 5 dozen tea cups. I might have a small obsession with transferware. ;)

Cucumbers! How freaking weird is that?

^^^ That's genius! Why didn't I think of that? Oh, wait, because JB would probably gripe. He knows I don't like cooking that day, and always says he'll do it, but that really means me doing half the work, and 3/4 of the cleaning. Where's my holiday??? I'm just not dedicated enough for that. <---- :smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5:

We really don't have any traditional foods. I wish we had something other than Thanksgiving Redux. I'm not a fan of T-giving foods as it is, so doing it again...blech. On Christmas Eve we usually go out to dinner, and on Christmas Day, James Bond likes T-giving foods, and I just can't handle it. If I remember, I make cinnamon rolls for b'fast on Christmas morning, but more often than not, I forget, and everyone is too hungry after opening gifts to wait for them to cook. Oops. I haven't figured out what we're doing for Christmas dinner this year. Last year we went to a buffet at one of the local casinos. It was really good, but I don't want to do it again. I would be happy with Chinese, but I don't think I can get anyone else to go for it. I really want to make a yule log for Solstice, but I'm afraid! Maybe this year! We don't do a big meal on NY, like a lot of people. It's just a loaf around the house kind of day, and everyone usually fends for themselves, except Han Solo, and he'll eat whatever I give him. My family in the south does the whole big NY dinner, and they all eat black eyed peas and collard greens. :ack2: :ack2: :ack2:

Thanks everyone. For those asking, he has had Davis Dyslexia Therapy, which helped so much with his reading, but his spelling didn't improve at all. We've tried so many spelling programs, and none of them have really worked. I found a used copy of Mega Words, so we're going to try that first. I'm afraid this is really going to hurt him in high school and college. He types some stuff, so there's spell check, but some of the words have such insane spelling, even spell check has no suggestions. He's frustrated, and so am I. I feel like I'm failing at this, and not prepping him well. James Bond is also dyslexic, and his spelling is also horrible, which frustrates him terribly, as he has to write tons of reports for work. Luckily no report ever gets sent up without someone else reviewing it for content, accuracy and grammar, so the spelling is always checked. His medical record states that he's dyslexic, so he makes sure his command knows it. Sigh.

sbgrace, isn't that a British program though? Do they have an America spelling version? I can't find it.

Indy simply cannot spell! He's dyslexic, so I get that it's hard, but seriously, it's terrible. He writes 'could' as 'coughd' and it's the same for would, and should. Thought is 'that' and it's the same with caught. These are just a few I can think of off the top of my head. We have tried spelling programs, including Phonetics Zoo, but he just doesn't get it. HELP!

I'm quite miffed at them right now. Not because of service or anything, but because they use a Stargate in their holiday logo, and yet carry no Stargate merchandise. How could they do that? I need to buy Stargate stuff for Christmas!

I haven't seen it, but in the promo shots, the Pharaoh is wearing the queen's vulture headdress. Really?

I would totally go to a Sea Shepherd love-in,in Vancouver, because I know Richard Dean Anderson would be there (he's an honorary Sea Shepherd board member). 😠I'm such a dork. Indy wrote an email to Sea Shepherd to see if there were any volunteer opportunities for him, but it turns out you have to be 18. In the email, he mentioned that he would be turning 12 in July (to see if there was anything for his age), and they sent him a b-day card and a small amount of swag for his b-day, which was nice. They also mentioned that while he isn't old enough to volunteer with them, he can still do his part to spread the word to other people about the ocean, ocean life and environmental issues. Sadie, I'm not understanding why you keep going on about other environmental issues, and saying essentially (IMO) that this does't matter. It's not one or the other in this case. You can be outraged over the environment AND the damage done to the Nazca sites. What gives them the right to damage a site that's been there for 2000 years to get their message out? All they succeeded in doing, aside from damaging the site, was make people angry, and that's not helpful for their organization. What if they had posted their letters on the Wailing Wall? Wouldn't you be upset over that? It's also a World Heritage site.

I love, love, love DLP! We've been several times. Are you planning on staying there or just taking the train in from Paris? The trains don't run much longer after the parks close. It might be an hour or two, but I can't remember. It is bloody, freaking cold in Dec. We went to Paris a week before Christmas a few years ago, and there was snow everywhere (which was beautiful), but we couldn't stay outside long. At DLP, you will be outside in the lines, so dress warmly, and IIRC some of the rides close if it's too cold (mostly outside roller coasters). Their fantasy land is the best IMO. Even with the new expansion to WDW in FL, which is nice, I like the one in Paris better. Make sure you visit the dragon cave under the castle! Tomorrow land is very cool. It's much more interesting, than than the one in WDW, IMO. Perhaps it'a all the Jules Vern stuff. The rides are also better. ;) English will not be a problem. On the weekends it seems like there is more English spoken than anything else, because the Brits seem to invade. I saw quite a few people in wheelchairs and scooters (not nearly as many as WDW, but some), and they didn't seem to have any problems. I am a very, very picky eater (thank goodness my kids didn't inherit that!), because I have serious texture issues, and I didn't have any problems finding stuff to eat. DLP is very, very expensive, especially with the exchange rate sucking so much, so be warned. It's loads of fun though. Enjoy your trip to Paris, and please, please, please eat a chocolate croissant (or 10) for me.

I would love to know why Christians think they have the right to tell non-Christians what they believe or are supposed to do. Many non-Christians (other religions) and atheists know an awful lot about Christianity, the Bible and Jesus. Yep. That. Binip, I didn't quote your post, because it was so long, but if I could like it a million times, I would. I know! Sometimes it's interesting to read, but other times, I need a shot of something very strong with my popcorn to keep me from saying things I shouldn't. And that's sad, isn't it? Can't we all just get along?

I like your ending much better!

Urgh. James Bond and I are the same freaking way. I love him to pieces, but when he's home all day, I want to smack him. It's vacation for HIM, but there's no vacation for ME. He sleeps in half the day, plays video games (even though he knows Indy isn't allowed to play during the week, and it distracts him!), and makes a mess. He disrupts our routine, and honestly, that's rather important. I'm not crazy strict by any stretch of the word, but some things MUST get done on a daily basis, and I expect them to be done, even when someone is on 'vacation." Meals get eaten, teeth get brushed, dishes get put in the dishwasher, clothes get washed, etc. If things aren't done on a daily basis, then it piles up for ME to deal with, and that makes me crazy. It doesn't help that I'm bipolar. ;) James Bond works hard, and I know that, but I work hard too, even though it's not outside the house, and his vacation shouldn't make more work for me. When it does, I get mad, and we argue, or he gets mad because I insist some things get done, and we start to argue. Sigh. No, these are not hills I'm prepared to die on, but IMO, it's disrespectful to ignore my wishes.

I haven't read the entire thread yet (I will though), but I'll comment while I have it on my mind. Perhaps because Atheists can look at Jesus more objectively than Christians? We don't feel like we have to blindly follow and worship. I have no idea if Jesus was a real person, though I think it's possible. Whether he was or not, the ideas attributed to him are a good foundation for a moral life, not necessarily a religious life, but one of kindness, love and compassion. I know a lot of Atheists (I'd like to think myself included) who live this way, but don't believe in religion.

Oh, I forgot! I only buy one pair of sheets per bed (because more would mean finding a place to store them). Sometimes when I wash the sheets on our bed, I forget until it's time for bed, and just don't bother putting them on, because it takes too long (we have a king). Our mattress has a cashmere blend cover (WHY?), and it's the softest thing in the world, so I'm happy to sleep on it. Sometimes I won't put the sheets on for days, just because the mattress cover is so soft.

****SPOILERS**** WTF? Ewwww. It seems like it was just an accident, but the other...just ewwwwww! Creepy.

My dogs are just little weirdos. Bella (Yorkie-5 lbs) likes to sit on the back of the sofa and sniff my hair. She pokes her nose right up against my head and moves it around, sniffing. I'm constantly pushing her off of me. She likes to sit on James Bond's neck when he's on the sofa. No particular reason that we can figure out. She loves drinking straws. If a straw comes into the house (like from a fast food drink), she MUST have the straw or she goes crazy. She also has a thing for cucumbers. She hates the telephone. For the longest time after we got her, any time the phone would ring, she would bark like crazy. I changed the ringtone, thinking maybe it hurt her ears, and turned the volume down, but she still barked, and continued to bark the entire time we were on the phone. If we left the receiver on the sofa or coffee table, she would bark at it until we moved it. About 6 months after we got her, she finally stopped. If she's outside and anyone other than us talks to her, she pees. It's a PITA when we order dinner, because they always say hi to her, and...pee. Jack (Pomeranian-4 lbs) has some serious problems. We recently acquired him. He was abandoned by his previous owners, who paid a fortune for him, and spent a good amount of time training him, so we gave him a home. He's freaking nut. He hates paper with a deep and abiding passion. If he gets hold of any kind of paper, he shreds it with singleminded determination. He doesn't eat it, he just shreds it. He also has a thing for telepods (tiny little figure with a code on the bottom that allows you to scan them into Angry Birds games). He doesn't mess with any other small toys, just telepods. I've yet to figure that one out. He will not eat hard food at his bowl. He takes a mouthful (he's tiny, so it's not a lot), and carries it to the dog bed or the rug in the LR to eat it. There are also some pieces he won't eat for some reason, even though there's only one kind. Some pieces he pulls out, licks, then drops on the floor. Bella cleans those up. He also likes to "bury" his food, and "dig" it up later. He'll "dig" just under the dog bed, deposit his food, then walk away. A little while later, he'll go back, "dig," then eat it. He likes to clean ears. Eww! He's always cleaning Bella's ears. I was worried, so I took her to the vet to see if there was something wrong, but they were fine. She doesn't mind, so I let him be. He tries to clean our ears too, and I'm constantly yelling at him to stop licking mine, or Han Solo's ears if we'er on the sofa. Indy freaks out and moves. He also has excited pee (my floors are incredibly clean, because I'm ALWAYS mopping them!). Indy can't talk to him at all, because he pees the moment Indy says something. Of course it could be because Indy is always baby talking to Jack. He's so freaking adorable it's hard not to baby talk him. For a while, Indy couldn't even look at him without Jack peeing. He gets so excited. Luckily, being so tiny, it's just a few drops, but still! Indy can talk to him, and even pet him now, but ONLY if Indy is sitting and Jack has crawled in his lap. If he does it before Jack makes it to his lap, Jack will pee. He has to wear one of those "boy wrap" things, to keep him from sprinkling on the sofa. Pepper, our Shihtzu/Pug mix who passed a few years ago was sneaky when it came to toys. She and our other dog, Dutch (Pekingese), who passed this summer, would play, and if they had toys, she would leave hers somewhere, take his, then run back to her toy, lay on top of it, and play with his. She also loved Christmas. She would leave the packages alone, but on Christmas morning, we would give her a toy wrapped in paper before anyone else, and she would take it under the table and shred the wrapping to get to the toy. It was hilarious. We had to give her her own package to open, because she wouldn't leave Indy alone. She wanted to open the packages. If you asked her if she wanted to go outside, she'd make this weird noise that sounded exactly like she was saying "NOW!" She was the best dog. I miss her so much. Dutch used to like to "exercise" with me. If I was doing crunches, he'd lay on his back and wiggle around making weird sounds until I was done. He liked oranges and ice. When he wanted my attention, he'd head butt me until I gave it to him. He had what we called his "Elvis" face. If you baby talked him, he'd pull his top lip up into this weird little grin that looked like the Elvis lip curl. He wouldn't sleep without a certain toy. I love animals. They are quirky and have the best personalities. Best of all, they're not afraid to let their freak flag fly.

We do need to get together again! Maybe after the holidays we can do something together. Maybe a museum?

BTW, I forgot to mention that this post was one below the post about Racism vs Stereotypes. When I first saw the title, I thought it was a spinoff on that and stereotypes. Imagine my surprise when I read you just want to learn how to make it. :blush:

Holy cow! Those are great! Thank you so much for posting this.