:party: :party: :party:

:party: Oh. My. Gosh. How very kind! :party: I lost/forgot to come back and check this thread amidst all of the holiday prep. Thank you so much for taking the time to post this. I have copied and pasted every word. It sounds delicious!

This may be a long shot gift idea, but I'm putting it out there anyway! Desperate times call for desperate measures. :laugh: My husband also has back issues and has been through the gamut of evaluations, medications, and PT. He has been living and functioning with chronic pain for literally years. Travel (primarily sitting) has caused him great discomfort, which is rather problematic as he "works" in the travel industry and sits for long periods of time...9-10 hours every few days. Someone on this board recently mentioned a support belt for the lower back. I purchased one several months ago and my sweet husband has declared it to be life changing and the best present EVER. He now drives and flies virtually pain free. Who knew? I wish I could credit and thank the unknown boardie who initially suggested it! https://www.amazon.com/Serola-Sacroiliac-Hip-Belt-Medium/dp/B000NIFVLW/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1511627546&sr=8-3&keywords=serola%2Bsacroiliac%2Bhip%2Bbelt%2C%2Bmedium&th=1 Might be worth a look...

Wow... Thank you! :hurray:

*Sometimes* the lottery seats are excellent! Good luck and have fun! :hurray:

:thumbup1: You just made my day!

I would not spend that amount of money... :svengo: especially for less than amazing seats. Do you live close to an area where it is playing? My daughter caught it last month in NYC as a stand by ticket. (She is post college and currently attending a theatre/music/dance academy in midtown this year.) Initially, she was planning on seeing an Off broadway show, but decided to wander past Hamilton and peek longingly at the marquee. While standing nearby she spied a line forming... Someone explained that about five minutes before curtain, any unsold seats are released for sale. She ended up with an Orchestra Center standing "seat" with a railing in front of her to lean on...for $40! She texted me a picture of the marquee with the caption, "Guess what I am doing tonight?" :party:

Are you stuffing acorn squash or another variety? Will you please share some of your stuffed squash options? This sounds utterly delicious! Great suggestions! :hurray:

Have you found a great recipe? I have never made one as I live and breathe for pumpkin pie, but my sister makes 15-20 every year to give away as gifts. People beg her not to change the tradition! If you are interested in seeing (another) tried and true recipe, I will ask her to send it to me today. Have fun! :thumbup1:

No answers, but listening in for the same reason. :lurk5: :lurk5: If we're lucky, RebelYell will chime in. She's one of our hair pros on the board.

Perhaps ask about the possibility of a set non-modifiable base amount of support and a percentage vs a set amount of his bonus compensation. :grouphug:

You are so kind. I just didn't want you to feel like I was constantly hounding you. I wasn't clear, but my suggestion of garnishment was indeed intended for the final decree. Right now you appear to be set for the next four months of temporary support. :hurray: One final bit of unsolicited advice... :lol: being brought to you by my copious hours of research on behalf of my girlfriend: I know you were in a very long term marriage and you gave up a career in order to raise your daughters and in order to home school. Do you have an idea of what type of spousal support you will receive? Is it going to be for a specific number of years or is it going to be permanent support unless you remarry? The reason I ask, and you certainly do not have to answer publicly, is that it may well be in your best interest to attempt to make your support decree "Non-Modifiable." There are pros and cons to this tactic, but with unreliable x's, IMHO I think the pros outweigh the cons. No, if his income increases you do not receive any increase in spousal support, however, if his income decreases (say maybe he quits working in order to appear less able to pay, or he strategically engineers a job change, or something along those lines) your spousal support legally remains the exact same amount as it has been from the beginning. My dear friend's xdh was the one who wanted to make their decree Non-Modifiable. Yeah, he knew he was poised to jump back into private dentistry and make a small fortune and he did not want to share with my friend and their two wonderful daughters. Nope, he wanted all that money for himself and the other woman. :closedeyes: (This part of the story took place about a year before I met my friend.) Anyway, my friend was looking for stability and just wanted to be able to budget and plan responsibly, so she signed her agreement to a Non-Modifiable decree. For awhile, she was really on the short end of the stick monetarily, then as her xdh started all the nonpayment/contempt hearing/legal motion junk, she began to realize how truly fortunate she really was. In Florida, in the case of long term marriages, Non-Modifiable means exactly that. Her xdh has now tried every maneuver under the sun to quit paying her to no avail. I have little sympathy for him as my friend became his girlfriend at 15, dated him all through their mutual college years, and put him through dental school. Sorry, she put a lot into that relationship, now it's time to pay the piper. :coolgleamA: Good Luck!

Thank you so much for sharing an update. I have wondered how it all worked out for you and was hoping for good news. :hurray: Just another shout out reminder (my last) to consider asking your attorney to request garnishing your xdh 's wages going forward. As I stated in your last update thread, this situation is playing out almost exactly the same as my sweet friend who was formerly married to a dentist. Garnishment was a game changer! As long as your xdh is not self employed, you can be virtually assured of receiving your court ordered support like clockwork and there is not a darn thing he can do about it. My friend was married for 26 years has been divorced and dealing with this same merry-go-round contempt and/or nonpayment issue for almost 20 years. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Garnishment finally brought her some peace of mind and some semblance of sanity! Good luck!

I love this lighthearted banter... I guess the element of surprise desired depends upon the recipient! :laugh: You are braver than I am...lol! In my case: Many years ago my amazing dh came home from a six month military deployment with a PURPLE alligator purse. Note: I have nothing at all against either the color purple or alligators, but the combination... :svengo: it simply defies description. That was also the deployment that yielded a gold necklace with my name spelled out in hieroglyphics. :crying: Or the amazingly butter soft brown leather coat he thoughtfully picked up in Chicago at Marshall Fields in their boutique department that came complete with HUGE FLUFFY FUR non-removable collar...however, we live in FLORIDA and I would have been prepared for the Antarctic Circle. :lol: My dh and I now play a fun version of "What Did I Give You For Birthday/Anniversary/Christmas This Year?" and we laugh. Oh how we laugh... :party:

I have been doing this for about 28 years! :laugh: It works amazingly well for both of us. My sweet dh doesn't have to torture himself trying to figure out what in the world I might want and every present 'he' gives me is exactly what I was hoping for! It works for us... :coolgleamA:

Beautifully stated. :iagree:

Fun topic! IME, it all depends on your relationship dynamic. What did you say about said purse? Did you clutch it tightly to your heart while waxing poetically about it or simply murmur a quiet comment? Does your dh know how to read you? If he does know how to read you, does he generally respond to hints? If he doesn't know how to read you or isn't one to plan ahead, you might consider making a more direct comment or suggestion. Perhaps way more direct! :lol: I :001_wub: my dh beyond words, but if I don't verbalize my thoughts surrounded by sparklers and blazing twinkle lights, he just won't pick up whatI I am laying down. He is Mr. Black & White and I am Mrs. A Million Shades of Gray! Keep us posted! We are now invested!

Lol...me too! #again #sigh :lol: :lol: :lol:

Disclaimer: This idea may be completely insane, but... :lol: :lol: :lol: I am wondering if it is feasible to use a recycled plastic kids playhouse...maybe along the lines of a vintage Little Tikes. Sure do wish I had kept the one I bought used and spray painted to match our house...it could have simply been 'plopped' on top of the generator and the cord could have been strung out a window. https://www.pinterest.com/explore/little-tikes-playhouse/

Game over. You win!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. My dh just saw an ortho doc at Mayo this past week for the very same issue. The Dr. prescribed PT and also wrote 'scripts' for a LidoDerm patch as well as a topical lidocaine gel. In addition, he told HIM that as a temporary measure he could double up on Aleve twice a day. The Aleve has actually helped. Just sharing... ETA: Still can't type... :tongue_smilie:

I know! It's a sad reflection of the world we now live in. This was just a sobering firsthand account of something that could have been even worse. :crying: I now view calling 911 as the best option to pursue.

I am copying my reply to Beth in another thread to give this topic even more visibility... My husband just returned home from Dallas. A local man he was partnered up to work with for several days arrived at their meeting location and appeared completely "banged up." Translation: He was covered in bruises. This man shared a harrowing tale. It turns out, a few days prior this man was driving along a road in Texas (somewhere in the Metroplex area) and stopped to help a woman who appeared to be experiencing car trouble. Her car hood was raised and she was standing alone by the side of the road. As soon as this man stopped to see if he could help, two men jumped out of hiding, proceeded to beat him, and then stole his car, wallet, and cell phone. True story. When the police arrived, they said that this is becoming far too common and that if you ever see a motorist appearing to be in need, call 911 and report it. A patrol car will be dispatched to the location. I could not call all of our kiddos quickly enough! Food for thought, folks...

Unrelated, but similar. My husband just returned home from Dallas. A local man he was partnered up to work with for several days arrived at their meeting location and appeared completely "banged up." Translation: He was covered in bruises. This man shared a harrowing tale. It turns out, a few days prior this man was driving along a road in Texas (somewhere in the Metroplex area) and stopped to help a woman who appeared to be experiencing car trouble. Her car hood was raised and she was standing alone by the side of the road. As soon as this man stopped to see if he could help, two men jumped out of hiding, proceeded to beat him, and then stole his car, wallet, and cell phone. True story. When the police arrived, they said that this is becoming far too common and that if you ever see a motorist appearing to be in need, call 911 and report it. A patrol car will be dispatched to the location. I could not call all of our kiddos quickly enough! Food for thought, folks...

Another thought is to overnight (via Fed Ex or UPS) some cash or a credit card of yours. Visa & MC are generally more flexible than AmEx on this issue.