Guess I'm wild, too, because none of what you describe strikes me as off (no pun intended). Count me as outside the hive mind. : )

Got a kick out of this thread, as I'm right there with the 83 yo woman. Wouldn't toss it ~ and seriously doubt it would affect any of my guys, all of whom are hale & healthy and began drinking our raw milk before their first birthdays.

Sorry about what you're going through. I get it, to an extent. Your daughter is an adult who doesn't live with you. She needs to secure her own auto insurance, if possible ~ and if not, work within that reality. Stop twisting yourself into a pretzel, getting worked up about things that should no longer be your concern.

What do you mean by "party"? That's a rather broad term. It can encompass addictive and or potentially damaging (to self or others) behaviors on the part of very young teens. Then again, "using" might reference a 20 yo having a couple of beers while watching a football game. Huge difference. My guys know I don't agree with this country's hypocritical laws that allow a young adult to vote and go to war even as s/he is considered a "minor" when it comes to buying a six-pack of Bud. I encourage my young men to be aware of the laws and act accordingly. I remind them that common sense is often absent where young people are involved ~ and where puritanical U.S. expectations are involved. I don't wring my hands about a group of guys sitting around a bonfire on the back of my property, sharing a six pack. Truly, no big deal in the grand scheme of things ~ as long as driving is taken into consideration. Communication, perspective, recognition that I can't force my preferences on others ~ including my children ~ all of this plays a role in my approach (such as it is).

Sports addict here, follower of everything, all the time, even when I don't have a dog in the fight. So yeah, of course I'll watch. Goes without saying that I'm all about the Royals. The mere fact that they're in the mix brings back memories…but now I'm dating myself. : )

What things? And your chances of contracting Ebola are still infinitely smaller than are your chances of dying in a car crash. And really, always will be. Glad we cleared that up!

Thank you for the encouragement and good wishes. Some of you know that my marriage has always been challenging, but I'd prefer to avoid divorce ~ at least until my youngest guys are older. In other words, this isn't my choice, but it is what it is. Given all that is involved, it may be a rather complex process, unfortunately. Sigh. While I appreciate everyone's input, this first reply particularly resonates with me. I do like sharing the same last name as my sons and I can just view it as their/our name. Thinking in those terms, I realize that for now at least, this is what would feel best. Oh, I know a name change here in WA isn't difficult and that I can make the decision any time. But given all the tough choices & compromises that lay ahead, it's comforting to consider the relatively simple things, kwim? That's unique! Coincidentally, my mother's name is actually contained within my married name. But I have zero attachment to her maiden name, and really, she doesn't either thanks to some challenges in her upbringing. Just wouldn't make any sense in my case. Ha! That's not uncommon here in my Dutch town and is even a road name. : ) I'm glad I started this thread. It was really helpful to me & I've settled the issue in my own mind for the time being.

...following a divorce, will you share your reasoning? I'm in the initial stages of a divorce and while the name thing isn't a pressing issue, it's on my mind. I didn't initially change my last name when I married. I was 26 at the time and while I had a pretty awful maiden name, it seemed odd to just "be" this other person, name-wise. So, despite my yearning desire to get far away from that name (kidding ~ sort of!), I stuck with it for a couple of years. By the time our second son was born, though, I'd taken Hans's last name. It did seem more convenient and logical with children and also in terms of our business. So for many years now, I've worn that name. In many respects, it does feel like my married name is me, if you kwim. It's the last name of our five boys. It's the name affiliated with our farm. It's the name by which everyone in our community knows me. And yet...I don't know. I've never clicked with Hans's family and some how, it seems odd to have him divorce me and then keep using this name. On the other hand, as I said, I certainly don't have an affinity for my maiden name. And beyond my parents, I've never really known anyone in my dad's family or had any deep, multi-generational connection to that name, either. So. Just thinking what I might do. I actually know a woman who created a new last name altogether after her divorce. She didn't want to keep her husband's last name, but she had terminated her relationship with her birth family and didn't want to go with that name either. I understand her reasoning, but in my case, I'm not really keen on developing a new name identity. Plus, as it stands, I'm the only person in the world, to the best of my knowledge, with my name ~ both in the case of my maiden and married name. I do like to be unique. ;-) Please, if you reply, don't quote my post. Thanks! : )

Eh, I'm not hearing hysteria, just discussion of what is currently and understandably a hot topic. Same. True, but given the number of utterly irresponsible things I've done ~ and given that a young, healthy person often lives with the delusional belief that s/he is immortal ~ I can't rush to judgment.

Yes, I've observed the same phenomenon. My comments aren't directed at Dallas health officials collectively, rather an observation re the general public.

This is unrelated to my earlier observation, viz. many people are more concerned about the dog than they were/are about the earlier patient and those connected with him.

Her comments make little sense given that tuition at German universities has always been nominal, comparatively speaking. Sure, but schools in general and colleges in particular are much more than an academic experience. Obviously, this particular forum isn't the place to engage in an objective discussion on the pros & cons of that reality, but it's now our cultural norm.

I'd like to think so ~ but I don't. I have no doubt there are a lot of people who feel worse for that dog than they did or do for either Thomas Duncan or his friends & relations.

Can't help but note that the dog is getting more immediate care and attention than did the family with whom Thomas Duncan was staying.

Same reason I don't have a cell phone: I find a ridiculous pleasure in not joining the bandwagon. ;-D

Nice! I'm in northwest WA, but I really enjoy Boise, especially the fantastic greenbelt along the river. I need one of my guys to go to Boise State so I have an excuse to visit there more often. : )

I'm a euro-style minimalist. I intended to go with Paperstone; it's a sustainable composite product, and this particular company is based here in WA state. I couldn't track down anyone north of Seattle who had experience installing it & didn't want to be the guinea pig. But I've seen it installed elsewhere, and I love the look, the feel, and the very flat finish. After looking into various other options, I ultimately opted for Caesarstone quartz in Ginger. I was concerned it would be too shiny for me, but it's fairly low-key and blends really nicely with everything else.

I dislike granite in general, especially that "flecked" look, so I much prefer the first option. It will look far less cluttered and provide a cohesive, calm effect to the whole room.

Too true. Had I known, back in the day, that Swiss people (of both genders, and regardless of level of intimacy) expect hand shakes and direct eye contact virtually every.single.time you see one another, I'd have saved myself a load of grief. Agreed. I don't consider it a male vs. female thing. When I do shake hands, I'm all about a firm, direct grip ~ though ultimately, I'm a fist bump kinda gal. ;-)

I understand the call to avoid carpet, but it has its place and all carpet is NOT created equal. It doesn't have to be a synthetic, environmental bane to our existence that harbors all manner of household junk. In my case, I have no pets and don't wear shoes in the house, so those two factors alone help minimize accumulation, as does a good (Miele) vacuum. I have bamboo flooring in the kitchen, dining, hall and office areas; Marmoleum in the boys' bath and mud room, and stone in the other bath. But I love carpet in living/sitting room areas and in my bedroom. I did a great deal of research and opted for an all-wool, jute-backed carpet from Geoffrey Hirst, an Australian company. It is lovely and I highly recommend it both in terms of care, appearance, and health/environment.

Except in downtown Vancouver when the Canucks resoundingly lose the Cup to the Bruins. ;-)

Hogwash. There are many, many tribes here in the fourth corner (northwest WA state) and tribal members routinely use the term Indian. Whether the term Indian, Native American, NA Indian, American Indian, or specific tribal name is used is entirely dependent upon the individual and, quite often, the person(s) with whom they're speaking. I've known quite a few tribal members who dislike being identified as "Native American". As others said upthread, they consider it a bureaucratic attempt at political correctness. I live directly on the WA-BC border, and in this case, the border does make all the difference. "First Nations" is common usage there, yet wholly unused here. On the other hand, the term "indigenous" is more commonly coming into play. As evidenced by the Seattle City Council's unanimous vote today to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People's Day.

Nope, you can't go back. Especially in this region where the show was set, the early 90s were a very particular time that can't be recaptured. Twin Peaks, Northern Exposure, Singles, Nirvana, Pearl Jam ~ it all exemplified a certain scene. Driving my oldest over to college last year, we stopped for lunch at the Roslyn Cafe. I tried to no avail to explain to him the uniqueness of Northern Exposure, the way the show & cast came to be part of the region. I couldn't do it because it's all changed so much. (Well, not "all"; the town of Roslyn never changes.) The hamlets where Twin Peaks was filmed are Anytown, USA bedroom communities now. Downtown Seattle lost its edge. Granted, there are some things we don't want to revisit. I sure as heck would rather watch the current Seahawks play at Clink than I would endure the Hawks of the early 90s in the Kingdome. ;-D

Even easier than that is just buying the Roma Pass online. Did this a number of years ago & it was super handy.

I didn't say it was untrue. I'm encouraging you to consider the reliability of sources, particularly when using those sources at reference points. I don't see great value in passing along links to sites that are presented in an almost comical, National Enquirer fashion. If in fact the info you share is valid and available elsewhere, it makes good sense to provide the more respectable, less tabloid-esque source. Yabbut…doesn't it stand to reason that if we talk of chili and Texas-Okie wars and football, canine attraction to vomit is fair game, too? ;-D So many things about this situation are just…concerning, at best. I'm not following the story closely because the "news" is in a constant state of flux, not reliable or genuinely informative. I have many questions, most of which are unanswered and likely to remain so. Frustrating!