Two votes for TARDIS here. (My husband thinks you may be addled to even ask)

I think it becomes drama when everyday (or worse) bad spots take on a soap opera / Jerry Spring quality. It doesn't matter the topic, it's the quality/disproportion of emotionality that kicks it into the drama department. (and, yes, I know a couple of families irl whose perceptions/choices seem to invite drama and misfortune. )

:lol: Between an east coast earthquake and an impending hurricane, the stores get ghost town empty REALLY fast!

My vision is around 20/40, 20/50. I have glasses to drive and, honestly, unless I'm driving on a road trip or needing to read street signs (like the names of streets, not highway signs), I don't wear them. My distance vision hasn't changed in 25 years of iffy glasses wearing, so I'm pretty sure eye strain is not much of an issue.

That sounds like my personal training instructor. She was a dolt and said the most horrifying things... I honestly have no idea why people like that work in wellness areas. I do wellness consultations with people who have trouble walking in from the parking lot... I am so glad they are there, I make sure they have my cell phone number if they have ANY training questions. The 20-somethings I work with do the same. We work in a very poor area. We KNOW people can't afford personal training. We want them to reach their goals. Period. As a trainer, I generally suggest that people just starting out use the pin-weight machines - We have Cybex, your gym may have Universal, they pretty much all work the same. These machines are easier to start with in that they restrict you to a specific plane of movement, so you're not going to have to worry so much about form. (You can always move to free weights when you're ready for more variety) 1. If you're looking to build stamina for activities of daily living, use low weight and lots of reps, say 2 sets of 12 repetitions. When you can achieve that, add another set. 2. If you're looking for strength building, find the heaviest weight you can lift 6-8 times on each machine. Work up to 2 sets of 6. When you can do that, add weight. 5 lbs, 10lbs, it really depends on where you are how much you want to add. (eg, you will add more to a leg press than a bicep curl, because you can just plain press more with your legs so adding 5 lbs to 110 isn't much of a challenge) Either way, what you're looking for is a moving goal. You want to work to the point of failure. When you meet the goal, move it up. There are pictures on the machines, but I would demand another consultation with a different person. If you have any more specific questions regarding goals/machines/exercises, feel free to PM me.

Staples? Office Depot? Office Max? Kinkos? They can all do it. I can't comment as to rates.

That would drive me nuts. I DO have control issues but, I'm sorry, this is why it is important for everyone to be timely, IMO. I would plan school and then send my regrets to those whose late-determined schedules just don't fit in. I haven't got time for other people's scheduling issues. (and there you go. Anyone who has been harboring the delusion that I am nice, you can let got of it now.)

Um. Ew. I suppose it goes along with high expectations of a rich and famous lifestyle, financed by... well, I don't know. But, in my mind, just ew.

Me, too. Mine is heading for 10 years. I'm sorry, I know people love them, but I think my mother's Miele is drek.

I possibly did not need to know it takes him longer to pee these days...

My husband says Old Navy is doing public service, balancing all the extra apostrophes out there... he also mentioned hearing about PETA's thank you campaign for their efforts in saving the kittens. :lol:

Not to mention they've done away with the food pyramid, haven't they? Maybe he needs to do some independent reading to keep up w/ not so current health trends.

:drool: :lol:

I've only ever had one explode when a burner was accidentally turned on under it. Same with any other non-metal bakeware. And we still have a ring on the ceiling from when my husband forgot to put water in the percolator... That was way more dramatic than bakeware! :lol:

:ack2: I hate that. Hoping that once you're properly caffeinated and have cleaned yourself, everything else will fall in line. (what on earth drama can sneak up on you when you're sitting alone? Is it the evil, sock-stealing gnomes, out wreaking havoc before they noticed you were up?)

I also support the Sunday afternoon teA idea. Frankly, even if you don't get to it, having the discussion about it so you're both cognizant of the situation can go a long way to helping. Yes, I think this is one of the seasons we go through in marriage. But I also think the space between you can become so ingrained that you don't meet back up when this season changes to the next, unless there is some kind of acknowledgement. KWIM?

I was going to answer something like "oh, nooooooo" with a big eyeroll toward my board name, but then point that my board name is sort of ironic because our life is pretty boring... But then I started making a mental list. :blink: Ah, yeah. We've had some drama and craziness. We've had annoying, foisted on us drama. We've had crazy, life-changing drama... My husband points out that it all depends on what your "normal" is, whether you notice the crazy in your life or not. What is the craziest carp that has ever happened to one person is a day at work for him. And, on posting: I haven't posted much about the drama, except retrospectively. It's not because I'm private or concerned about what people think; when I'm in the throes of my life absolutely blowing up, it doesn't even occur to me to post. I'm a "go within" stress processor. By the time I crawl out of myself, I have fixed the situation (or have adjusted to it). Interesting question, Renee.

We sucked you back in! The earthquake was part of our evil little plot.;) Welcome back.

I would like to clarify my "drama queen" comment - not directed to you specifically, Chris, but because I think when people are beset by carp in their life, they can feel as you expressed above. When I say I'm sure we have drama queens, I mean there are some in every crowd who seem to go out of their way to set up drama and crises in their lives. I do not mean that when our posters come here to vent, seek cousel/commiseration, or ask to be held up in prayer they are being "dramatic". Nor do I have anyone in mind as a drama queen. It was just an observation of social groups.

I just searched "homeschool" on iTunes and got 139 podcasts, including one that I meant to download this weekend (the Catholics Next Door). Hmmmmmm.

:lurk5: have to sub to this one. I heart podcasts.

Yes, I think that. But, as someone posted on another thread recently, if we have ever had a conversation, you can bet I have replayed it and dissected it over and over, looking for what stupid thing I said. While there are probably some drama queens around here, I run into the same IRL, so that doesn't seem particularly out of the ordinary to me. And, frankly, we all have those seasons where the sky seems to fall. It's never occurred to me that not having a blog would make me stand out as peculiar. Guess I'll have to start blogging again and update my siggy with that and the kids' curriculum. ;) ('cause that strikes me as more of a red flag than lack of blog)

We interact with lots of school types - retired/current administrators & teachers as coworkers, members at work, parents/coaches on sports teams - and the only comments that could be construed as negative, if I were so inclined, would be our neighbor's... He's lobbying for the kids to go to highschool so he can have them in his class. :D (I do not take that as a negative comment in any way) Most -even the current teachers/principals - recognize that a 1 on 1, individualized education is about as good as it can get. (And I recognize that there are some things that are better learned in a group)

Yes. HepB is bloodborne. All healthcare workers should have it, unless there is a medical reason not to. I know of no one (including myself) who has experienced any untoward side effects from the series.

Angela. If parents prefer their children to be more formal, it's Mrs. husband's last name. I'm not Southern. I see no difference in respect when one inserts a "Miss". Use of given name implies familiarity. If you know me well enough to address me by my first name, then do that without contrivance. To be fair, though, my kids' friends are family friends. They are not generally kids that they've met on their own. And they tend to call adults they're familiar with by their first names, too. More formal interactions naturally lend themselves to the kids addressing adults more formally. They call our neighbors Mr & Mrs Lastname, and some of my coworkers they don't know well (upper management types), with no prompting from anyone.