Science played a part.

This. And Tea High quality spices. I have socks that cost more per pair than I care to admit but not dealing with raynaud's in my feet is worth it. Shoes that fit my feet. This has become harder and harder with the gel insoles and shoe technology etc that make almost all brands of sneakers impossible for me to wear without extreme pain. Actually, I think this is more a splurge for my husband so he does not have to listen to my rantings about shoe manufactures. Sheets from this website: https://www.bedgear.com/shop/performance-sheets-and-blankets.html Massage and chiropractic care to manage my physical pain for an injury I sustained while moving. If I ever move again I will splurge on professional movers.

Different situation. After extensive testing the results are that they have no disabilities. We did not charge the adult step-children rent because like you I am not a fan of the idea of it. I am not sure how well that worked though, they did not look for a job or partake in job training, college, volunteering, or do anything outside of staring at screens. What we did was slowly increasing the things they had to pay for (cell phone, medical, etc) did not help motivate them. I stopped buying foods they would eat, which was easy as they would not put forth any effort to cook or prepare food. For example, instead of buying preshredded cheese and cooked flour tortillas I bought a block of cheese and uncooked flour tortillas. We stopped driving them places. We stopped waiting and found places for them to apply and made them go. No jobs but they found someone else to pay for them to have a place to live and to buy them food.

I do not cut my parchment paper, I let all the edges hang over the side. I did not even know it was a thing.

All of this and adding in to look at the website for Tesla solar roofs. We have talked to them and they felt they would be everywhere within 5 years and the deposit is 100% refundable if something happens.

This!!

Hmm, you must be nicer than I am, I would politely decline rummy and invite her to play the most complex game in my personal collection. Currently that would be Mage Knight with the two rules books and fairly steep learning curve for non gamers. It takes up the entre table to play, has a solo player mode, and if the person does not know the game they will have no clue what the objectives are or if/when they have been completed so the game can stretch for days and days. If that did not work I would start a Descent 2.0 (with all expansions) campaign and claim it cannot be stopped until every possible scenerio has been completed or I would borrow Diplomacy or the massive Axis and Allies with expansions.

Please teach me! I do some things already and have been able to cover domestic trips, but I am always open to other options. I know if I signed up for an instant cash back program and bought gift cards at stores I shop at I could gain more which is awesome, except I do not shop. Those I knew who were doing it and making the most shopped competitively. We are minimalists and I cannot tell you the last time I set foot inside a big box store except to buy dairy products. Even our groceries are not bought through chain grocery stores. Except the dairy, then it is Costco.

I wonder as well. We pay as much as possible with the credit card and then pay it off. I specifically asked if I could put the mortgage on a credit card and I was told it was not allowed. Same with insurance and something else I did not care enough about to spare the braincells to remember.

Great BBQ!! I need to get to Joe's again. Last year we discovered Burnt End Reuben's. I love Des Moines, it stole my heart years ago and is a great place and it is just a day trip to get Joe's.

I am not from Florida. I have never lived in Florida. The closest I came was when DH's employer was looking to move his job there. I visit Florida fairly often, more so than any other place. I have learned a few things, most important, there is no relief for those who suffer from enviromental allergies. I sneezed my way to a pharamcy on our trip in January when Florida was in the midst of a cold spell.

I am looking at my experience as a step mom and the hell I have gone through and am only starting to emerge from and I have to wonder what part mental illness plays in a successful blended family. My son had almost no trouble blending families. My step kids were adults when we blended, and by the accepted timeline of our society they should have long been independent and working full time with college behind them. That was not the case, both have significant mental illness and addiction issues. It was stepmom hell. No matter what I did, it did not matter. All the time and labor I put in to helping them fix major financial issues, or getting them jobs handed to them, or patiently explaining basic things that are preschool level life skills, it did not matter because mental illness. Now that they do not live here they have started treating other people as poorly as they did DS and I and crying to others about how horrible their family treats them and how we all hate them. This is not a result of blending families, this is a result of mental illness and addiction. It is very sad to watch young people with potential self destruct, but they would have even if DH had stayed single or if DH and his ex stayed married. And I am sad. This is not what is common in my family and social circle.

I have seen a divorce where the step parent kept in touch with their former step kids.

You missed the point then.

Another point of view of the legacy of Billy Graham https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/21/billy-graham-wrong-side-history

https://m.clclt.com/theclog/archives/2018/02/21/billy-grahams-other-legacy

All or nothing? They were nothing but hate mongerers who put on a show around and for specific people to promote an agenda which is/was little more than hate painted pretty. No amount of good deeds can offset the legacy of hatred that Bily Graham pepertarted and his son continues. He used his position to spread misinformation and fear to further his own agenda at the expense of other people. His actions and resulting ripples that can still be felt today needs to be remembered, putting him on a pedestal is doing a disservice to those who bore the brunt of his hatred.

Starting charitable organizations does not make a person awesome. https://www.glaad.org/cap/franklin-graham

I will acknowledge that your phrasing gives a clearly defined line between the person and their illness and is progressive and can help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and I applaud you for your ability to do so. I am not there. I will still use the line "don't engage the crazy" as a reminder to myself of what I have endured and a warning to run far, far away because no matter what, it is a trap.

That sucks. And you have an answering machine?! Wow!

Honestly, I hope the seeds of hatred he sowed die with him. But as said above, our society has a taboo about speaking ill, even if it is true, of the dead and the number of people singing his praise while ignoring his faults and the lasting negative impact his of words and will continue to have bothers me to know end.

I do not buy them. My son does not like sugary drinks and is too cheap to buy them himself.

I guess I am still a child abuser. My poor son, I even make him walk almost a mile to take his dog to the dog park rather than driving him and the dog.

I would be all over subsidized gym memberships if we could pick facilities. DH's work offers only one gym and it is lacking in everyway except the price, even with discounts. Sigh. I wish they would subsize sneakers for DH to walk to work, or a bike to commute with, those would be used more. Or even give a monthly allowence to be spent on general fitness so we could hire a personal trainer who works in one of the parks using public facilities.

I was walking around the streets in the heart if downtown in a major city this evening at 11:30pm. I guess it is technically, yesterday now. I was within a few blocks of an alley where a significant amount of drug sales happen, and I have frequently walked right past said alley. I usually am out after midnight when I run (downtown) which is 3-4 times a week when the weather permits. Never had a problem. Late one night I had a horrible stomache ache so I grabbed a bus to a convience store for a 7-up. I ended up leaving right before a man and when he realized we were both headed the same way he announced himself and said he was going to the bus stop and sped up to go around me so I would not feel as though he was following me.