We were told by our allergist that Epi pens and Auvi Q's are ok at 'body temperature'. They are not ok in extreme heat and cold. My child has carried an Auvi-Q in the front pocket of their jeans for years. No breakdown in the product, no concerns from the allergist. The important thing is that the epinephrine is carried. Having it in a smaller container like the Auvi-Q has resulted in a greater willingness to carry it at all times.

The Auvi-Q is about 3.5 inches by 2 inches and about a half inch thick. So, about the size of a credit card, but thicker. Hope that helps! P.S. The Auvi-Q can fit in the pocket of your pants, whereas an EpiPen absolutely could not. She may find there are other times she wants to be out and about without a purse - and it makes a big difference. Also, they have a program where they subsidize your insurance co-pay. Ours were 'free', and the Epi-pens would have been about $100 out of pocket. Check out their site for more info.

Have your daughter look into getting an Auvi-Q instead of an Epi-Pen. It is the same medication, but they Auvi-Q's are MUCH smaller. She will have an easier time finding a way to carry them.

To answer the question about Magoosh: Yes, it is video lessons. There are a series of video lessons, and then practice problems. On their blog, they list sample study plans for if your test is one month away, or three months away, etc. After you do the practice problems, there is a video 'work-through' of the problem -- which shows WHY the wrong ones were wrong, as well as showing the solution for the correct response. The video lessons do have the transcripts provided, in case your child prefers reading along. The bottom line is you need to use what works best for your child. I know some do not do well with video lessons - and if that is the case, this is not the program for them. It worked well for my child. She liked being able to watch the videos when she wanted, and for however long she felt like studying that day. We were looking to raise ACT score, but did not have the money to spend several hundred on a live, in person class. We also looked at some of the other online ACT Prep Courses (like PrepScholar) , and they ranged in price from $400-600. It was just too much, in my opinion. Magoosh was $79. It also had a money back guarantee. Your child's ACT composite goes up by four points, or your money back. So I felt like for $79, that was a pretty good gamble. If the scores went up by four points - well worth the cost. If the score did not go up, we got our money back. Now, the catch on the money back guarantee is that 1) you have to have previously taken the ACT and provide them with your scores. 2) you must watch ALL the videos, and do ALL the practice problems. My child started with Magoosh when she was three months out from the test. It would be hard to get all that done in one month, unless you had a lot of time to devote. Let me know if you have specific questions about the video instruction - or anything else!

Seconding the recommendation for Magoosh! We also paid $79 - composite went up by five points to a 33! (She was also shooting for a 32....) Much more structured than simply doing practice tests. (Although that is part of it as well.) The program helps you identify weak areas, and then you can focus your practice on those areas. -- I think that is key on raising the scores.

I would still answer -'yes', that they can contact your former employer. Basically, they are going to call HR and verify that your worked there and what dates. (Not sure they would even do that much, given the length of time that has passed since you worked there.) That is different than contacting your former direct supervisor. Also, from an HR standpoint, if someone says 'no, you can't contact my former employer' I would view that as an area to explore further. As in, 'did you have a bad experience there, or were you fired' type of thing. I am guessing they are also going to ask you for references - that is different than 'contacting your former employer'. For a reference, you COULD list a former supervisor (if you are still in touch with them) or you can generally list a friend, or someone you volunteer with, etc.

I have the 2nd edition of Jensen's Format Writing. The ISBN is 1886061297. If you need this edition, pm me for details!

We used Magoosh - it is much cheaper than prep scholar, and has a money back guarantee. (I think it was 4 points for ACT, but they have SAT prep/guarantee, too.) Worked well, too -- ACT score went up by 5 pts!

Here are some next steps: 1) Reboot your computer into 'Safe Mode'. To load your Mac in Safe Mode, press and hold the Shift key while it boots. You can stop holding the Shift key when you see an Apple logo and progress bar. (Note that it will take a little while to reboot into Safe Mode. Unlike with a PC, it is actually repairing things as it boots into safe mode. ) To leave Safe Mode, just reboot your Mac without holding the Shift key. Still having problems? Then go to step two: 2) In your applications, Go to 'Disk Utility' and click on 'First Aid'. If you are not running Sierra, it might have an option for 'verify' and 'repair' disk as mentioned previously. Once that is done, reboot your computer. Still having problems, then: 3) Reset your PRAM and your SMC. Here is a link that tells you WHAT that is, and more importantly, how to do it. Note that the instructions vary based on which mac you have and whether battery is removable or not, etc. So, in other words, read the whole thing. Note that resetting PRAM and SMC fixes a lot of weird things. https://thenextweb.com/lifehacks/2010/12/04/how-when-why-to-reset-the-pram-smc-on-your-mac/#.tnw_wfJcpjLN If you are still having problems: 4) Download 'Rember'. This free software will test the health/functioning of your RAM. It takes a while to do. Here is a link: http://www.kelleycomputing.net/rember/ Good luck!

I agree with the suggestion to check your RAM. Bad RAM makes your computer act inconsistently. There is a free diagnostic called "Rember" that will thoroughly check your RAM. It is even used at the Apple Genius bar, so it is absolutely safe to use. It has found RAM problems for me - absolutely worth checking! Also agree with cleaning out your downloads folder, making sure you have plenty of space on your hard drive (take some off or upgrade the size of the harddrive). Finally, look at how much 'crap' you have on your 'desktop' of your computer. Macs need to basically 'draw' them each time - (for lack of a better way to explain it) and it can suck your processing power and make things slow to open up. I eventually made 'folders' for my stuff on the desk top, and then put all my random documents etc into folders. It helped. Note that when I read the tip to do that, I thought it was BS. But, when I cleaned up my desktop, it made many things noticeably faster. Good luck! Computer problems make me tear out my hair!

I am sorry you did not get the mother you deserved. I have absolutely been where you are - you dread calling, but if you don't you will feel SOOOO much guilt. So you call, thinking that is the lesser of the evils. My advice - send her an email. Get it done today so it doesn't wreck YOUR Mother's day. If she doesn't like it, too bad, so sad. Just ignore her. That is my short term advice, but for long term I recommend the book "Toxic Parents" Also, there is a forum called DWIL on Baby Center. (It stands for Dealing With In Laws - but it is really about all toxic family). It is really eye opening and helped me see how others deal with this and come to terms with how I could handle it. Anyways, lots of hugs. You deserve so much better than this.

Hart of Dixie - sweet like the Gilmore Girls, but less family angst. Set in a small town in the south. I prefer it to the Gilmore Girls, and I am a huge Gilmore Girls fan.

We use Nexgard, and it definitely works on ticks! Also, the Frontline was an oily mess to apply, you had to worry about it getting on furniture, kids touching the Frontline spot before it was absorbed by the dog's skin. Nexgard is a chewable tablet - no muss no fuss. I REALLY prefer it to Frontline, and am so happy we switched.

Our dog is also a very aggressive chewer -- and he prefers soft things that squeak. We have finally found a brand that is 'almost' indestructible. They are plush, with a squeaker, and on average they have lasted almost a year each. I cannot recommend them enough. They are called 'Fluff and Tuff'. Here is there website, but they are sold in various pet stores, too. http://www.fluffandtuff.com Good luck!

I think I didn't explain the backup situation right! I meant to say that I turn off Time Machine backup TEMPORARILY! I only turn it off while I have both operating systems running, and then IMMEDIATELY turn it back on. It takes a lot of ram to run two operating systems, and to add to that I am running ram intensive software on the Windows side. (Quickbooks) So it made the programs very sluggish if Time Machine happened to start a back up while I was running Quickbooks. When I was finished with that program, I ALWAYS turn Time Machine back on. It is obviously a very bad idea to have no backup! Sorry for the confusion. (And by the way, with Parallels, you can set it up so that Time Machine backs up both operating systems.) When I used BootCamp and set up the partitions, I did only the amount I needed for the operating system and the programs I was installing - as listed by the software companies. The problem came about when I needed to add new software, or when there was a new version I had to install that required significantly more disk space. It does not sound like you would have that issue. You might actually find it cheaper (and less of a headache) to just find new versions of the software that is not compatible with Yosemite. Good luck - it is always a balance of risk/reward when making changes in computer operating systems. I totally empathize!

I have used both Bootcamp and Parallels to use Windows on my Mac. I did not care for Bootcamp. To use the other operating system (Windows), you have to shut down the mac side, and then start up the other side. There was no connectivity between the Windows and Mac side -- meaning I could not access files saved on one operating system while on the other. Doesn't seem like it would be a big deal, but it happened enough to be annoying. Also, when you set up BootCamp, you partition your hard drive -- I did not make the 'Windows' side large enough, and started to run out of space. At that point, I was faced with completely wiping the hard drive, repartitioning it (in other words, dividing it into two pieces) and then reinstalling OS X, Windows and all software. I think if you were running really memory intensive games, the Bootcamp would be preferable -- but otherwise I would pass on it. I am currently using Parallels. I thought it was pretty straightforward to install. The previous posters are correct though, if you want to install Windows on it, you need to buy that separately (or already own it.) (By the way, that would be true with Bootcamp as well). I really like the fact that with Parallels, you do not have to dedicate a certain amount of your hard drive to Parallels. Also, I can run Windows apps, but still EASILY switch over to my Mac side if I want to check email or something else on the Mac side. The downside to using parallels is that it does use more RAM. I usually turn off my Time Machine while I am using it, so it is not trying to do a backup and run Parallels at the same time. From what I understand, you can set up multiple 'virtual machines' in Parallels -- so you could have a virtual Windows environment, and virtual Linux environment etc. and just select the one you want to use. Parallels also has a pretty good user forum, and their support line has been very responsive when I have needed it. Hope that helps. I guess the bottom line would be if you are at a beginner level of computer proficiency, you probably don't want to deal with EITHER Bootcamp or Parallels. If you are in the intermediate skill level, you would probably be fine. P.S. I have also used VMWare -- and I find it a little less user friendly.

We gave it a try....it looked promising, but ultimately did not work out. A couple of reasons - -First few classes are pretty straightforward, but it gets tough after that -Hard to know if you are on the right track without getting direct feedback -The attempt to make the class 'fun', just kind of made it weird. -My kid took this without any previous programming experience (and the course listing said no experience necessary) -- but I think you need to have some to have the ability to get up to speed quickly. Finally, I know that they sent an email saying they have 'tweaked' the course -- so your experience may be different. I think we are going to look for an online class with actual instructors -- :001_smile:

If you are looking for a text that covers the different aspects of movies and film making (such as directors, cinematography, acting, writing, themes, etc.), I highly recommend the book "Understanding Movies" by Louis Gianetti. It is available on Amazon for a fairly low price - especially if you go for an older edition. This is a text used for introductory film classes in college, but it is very readable. I think learning about the different aspects of film would help your child with analyzing movies and writing about them.

In literary analysis, it is known as "cosmic indifference"

I second the recommendations have your dog evaluated by a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon. Our 80 lb dog had TTA (tibial tuberosity advancement) surgery on both legs (about 1 year apart). There is a WORLD of difference between the information we received from our regular vet, and the information the orthopedic surgeon was able to provide. Also - there is a yahoo group called 'orthodogs' that has a lot of great information. I suggest signing up on that, and then posting your situation there to get feedback. There are people who have older, large breed dogs in the same situation as you, and will be able to help you identify the pros and cons. There are also people that have used approaches other than surgery, and it is helpful to get information about all of your options - particularly given your dog's age. Good luck to you and your dog - it is a tough situation!

Ignore the message. And I am really sorry that you have to deal with that! I swear people like that have some kind of radar to know when you are struggling with things -- and that is when they rear their ugly heads. Don't add to your problems. I GUARANTEE this person has not changed. Stay strong -- and if you can't do it for yourself, do it for your kids.

I believe this is a form of panhandling. I was approached with this same story while grocery shopping once. When I refused to give him some cash to 'help him out' -- he continued approaching people in the store, several of whom gave him money. But I still put this in the category of creepy!

Here is another suggestion: In the back of the book, there are 'extra' problems for each chapter. (I think it is appendix F). Anyways, my kids strongly prefer those problems to the ones at the ends of the chapters. We do all of the problems in Appendix F -- but split them over several days so they are doing about 6-7 problems a day. It is a manageable amount, plus then the following day we go over their results before they start the next set of problems.

You actually CAN watch HULU through a TV -- but you need additional software. We use PlayOn (http://www.playon.tv/playon). It runs through our ROKU, and works great. It also allows you to watch online videos (like YouTube) on your tv as well. Our alternative to Satellite TV includes ROKU, Playon, Netflix and Amazon Prime. We have an antenna to get local channels for the news and weather. We do not miss cable/satellite at all. Plus we are watching it on our schedule, and mostly commercial free. (Except for Hulu.)

I have the 2nd Edition of World of Chemistry. It has a wave with a surf boarder on the cover. The beginning of the text does have sections on: Reading Chemistry, Writing Chemistry, and Testing in Chemistry. I really like the look of the book. I think it explains things in a clear and straightforward manner. Zumdahl's Introductory Chemistry has a much 'denser' writing style. I think World of Chemistry would be much better fit for someone who is new to chemistry or just a bit intimidated by it. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have any other questions about this edition!