How about around Boone/Blowing Rock, NC? I was just there this past weekend and I can't wait to go back (we're camping in that area @ 2 weeks from now). It is such a beautiful area and there is a lot to do - maybe you could take the Blue Ridge Parkway down from VA. There's Grandfather Mountain, Blowing Rock, Linville Caverns, Valle Crucis (make sure to visit Mast General Store), Linville Falls, and so much other stuff, I can't even name it all. If you are going this weekend, the Scottish Highland Games are going on at Grandfather Mountain! I really want to go back to see this. It's not a long drive into Asheville either, and there's tons of neat things in Asheville, besides the Biltmore Estate. I would say find a neat B & B, but if money is an issue, there is a new Sleep Inn in Boone where we stayed, and I highly recommend it. The rooms were nice - and fairly cheap - even for July 4th weekend (@ $71/night). They have a heated outdoor pool (it was great), and it's in a pretty convenient location. It also wasn't very crowded at all, even for a holiday weekend.

Toys with Robin Williams and LL Cool J. My high school boyfriend and I went to see it at the theatre. It was beyond awful.

I dislike the word moist. I really have an unnatural hatred for that word, and I have no idea why.

Tegucigalpa just rolls off the tongue in such a lovely way. Makes me want to visit Honduras. Indubitably. Inconceivable! Yum-diddly-scrumptious (it's a fun made-up word, and describes the toasted coconut Haagen-Daas I'm getting ready to snack on :) )

Coconut oil, if you have it. It soothes the burn and moisturizes rather than holding the burn in like butter or similar oils. I have tried this and it worked rather well on a recent bad sunburn. I kept putting it on about every 3-4 hours and I didn't peel as badly and the pain went away a lot quicker than usual. Vinegar, aloe and tea also work well. Soaking in Epsom salts helped me too.

I've got a feeling I'll need all the advice I can get :D We'll still be hanging around there quite a bit between running club and chess club, and visiting our buddies, so I'm sure I'll get to meet you very soon!

I am very familiar with the school where you will be teaching :) My son went there for 4 years and we loved it -I know you will too. The last day of school this year was a sad one for us, having made many friends there, but we are so excited about our new homeschooling adventure! Best wishes and we will be praying for you and your family.

Funny, I didn't get any crystal for either of my weddings. But I was up to my armpits in brass candlesticks.

for this family, and for your dd and friends. My mother is acquainted with some of the boy's family members, as we are only a few miles from where it happened, and it was such a shock for all of us. I can only imagine the pain your daughter and her friends are suffering during this tragedy.

Getting my gallbladder out was probably the easiest, least painful procedure I've ever had. Not that I've had a lot, but...getting my tonsils and adenoids out last year was 100x worse. Seriously. I had my surgery @ 5:30 in the evening and got out of the hospital the next morning well before noon. I was driving the day after that. I did get a little post-anesthesia nausea, but they can give you good drugs for that. Never felt sick after that. A little soreness lasted for about a week, but nothing extraordinary. I think I only took my Percocet for 1 day, the day I got out of the hospital. I took Advil the rest of the week. On the other hand, I wouldn't wish a tonsillectomy on my worst enemy.

a medical transcriptionist, working as an independent contractor. I generally work about 4-6 hours a day, and I can *mostly* work when I want to (sometimes have to do a priority note or if things are behind, I have to work more or odd hours, but this is not the norm). When I formally begin homeschooling, I'll probably work mornings and school in the afternoons. At least, that's the plan right now. I am also a technical trainer and teach a class for certified pesticide applicators in my state so they can earn continuing ed credits. My classes are only 6-7 times a year right now, though, but hopefully I can grow this business over time- only been doing it for 3 years. Hey, it pays for vacation, though, so I'm not complaining :)

:iagree: I would recommend Kelty or North Face. We have a Kelty Pavilion 6 that even has a screen porch built in. It wasn't my first choice but I got a good deal on it, and it has been a great tent (it got a rip when I set it up for the season this year when a gust of wind flipped it into a boat motor, and I sent it back to Kelty for repairs - they didn't even charge me!) Like Malloree said, You definitely get what you pay for in a tent. My ds also has a Eureka 2-man pup tent and it is excellent quality also. Those brands, along with Sierra Designs and Big Agnes, are generally going to be your best bets, from what I understand. REI also makes nice tents. You may want to check out REI online and see if they have any specials, or any tents in their outlet. Sometimes they have great deals. And I agree, go with aluminum poles if you can, whatever tent you get - Lighter and stronger. Definitely, go with a much bigger tent than you think you will need, and it will probably still be cramped :) I've found, in my years of tent buying, that a tent will hold precisely half of the number of people it actually advertises to hold. :glare: Maybe since your ds is so tall, a cabin-style tent would be a good bet for you, so he won't have to bend over so much in the tent. I don't have much experience with those, but my dad and some of his friends used an old Coleman cabin tent for years on fishing trips and never had problems.

:eek: Oh God. The wolf spiders. We are just eat up with them around here too. They scare me to death. They get so honkin' big! One bit me on the toe when I was about 8 years old - now I'm just DONE with spiders. Don't want to see them, don't want to be in the same state with them. The only good spider to me is the one that is flat, dead, under the "T" World Book Encyclopedia. My vote is to call 911... :D

:iagree: with those who said, visit the ob/gyn. But...that probably won't help before the recital. :( I might suggest trying her with a DivaCup or a Keeper, for the recital. (I LOVE my DivaCup, I don't even know I'm having a period except twice a day when I change it- even on my heaviest days). It is less prone to leak and has the added benefit of measuring her blood flow during that time. There is a line on it that measures the contents (ugh) in ounces. I know, TMI...but when she goes to the doc, this could be very useful information. I don't know if it would help, but, it's an option. You can find them at Whole Foods or Earthfare around here, or a larger health food store may carry them also.

Thanks for all the responses so far! You are pretty much confirming what I had kind of planned for, about 2-4 hours a day. It is great to hear from others who have already BTDT!