Canned pork actually makes a fairly decent pulled pork BBQ. Just warm it up with some decent BBQ sauce. (I've actually eaten the government issue stuff. It looks horrid right out of the can, but actually looks edible once it is heated up.) The apricots could make a decent sauce for chicken or pork chops. I would finely mince it or puree it and make an asian style sauce. Or make an apricot cake.

Mine has nothing to do with it, and I like it that way. So do the kids..lol.

I live 45 minutes from Gatlinburg. The weather in March can be REALLY iffy. It will either be beautiful and warm, or cold and rainy..lol. Everything indoors costs a fortune. Given your circumstances, I would go to Chattanooga. The butterfly exhibit at the aquarium is awesome.

We have a family full of teen girls (my daughters and nieces). Gift cards to the movie theatre have been a HUGE hit with all of them. I usually wrap it up with some of the movie theater sized candy. My 15 year olds requested them again this year. Jewelry would be extremely hit or miss with my group. Only one or two of them would really like a bracelet like that.

It varies at my school. For my management class there are just open book "exams" due every few weeks. For other classes you have to come in to the testing center on campus.

It IS rampant here in Appalachia. I don't know anyone locally that hasn't been affected in some way by the HUGE drug problem. We've had family members die because of it. Families destroyed. It is every.where. I would use extreme caution. I've seen good kids from good families get mixed up in this mess. It is insidious. I would keep looking if it is known that drugs are being exchanged there. Even innocent kids can get a bad rep just from being at the wrong place, and it is even worse in Smalltown USA. My kids all want to work/do work. We've had to be pretty picky for these very reasons. There are just places that we don't even want them associated with. Even the grocery store jobs here have the reputation of being where all the druggies work. My oldest was 18 before she could even find a job worth working.

(It's the sound paper cuts make. Yes, it's weird. But it causes me actual nausea. *shudder*)

I have plenty of weird things that bother me...however, Loud laughing doesn't. (drives dh bonkers) Bugs and rodents don't bother me (unless it is a roach, everyone has their limits!) Gray hair doesn't bother me. Loud music doesn't phase me. Weird people don't bother me. (good thing, because I am one!) I wasn't even aware that toilet paper HAD a direction until FB. But for the love of Pete, would you people STOP creasing paper!! And using your fingernails to do it makes me want to cause you bodily harm.

Sounds like rotator cuff tendonitis https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000438.htm I have a likely tear that I've been putting off seeing a doctor about, that probably started off as tendonitis before I injured it catching a falling cooler :( I would probably just go see your family doc. It is common enough that they could probably recommend something. I was on Mobic for a few days for sciatica and it helped my shoulder pain a lot.

The thought of cinnamon celery and soapy cilantro makes me sad.

Use red potatoes, garlic, onions, maybe some Tamari in the sauce. Do they make vegan worcestershire? That would up the beefy flavor. I would add another type of mushroom or two.

I have watched far more anime and listened to far more music in foreign languages than I ever wanted to for the sake of my oldest..lol. I do still watch/listen, but I do keep my "sessions" short and she knows that my tolerance is limited before we have to either talk about something, or do something else. She gets to share, I get to see some of the things that are part of her pop culture, and we get to touch base. I do the same thing when I watch the Roadshow on PBS with my husband..lol. I sympathize! Maybe you can find something else to watch together?

This came up at our house today! My oldest dd was told not to use shall on the library website (where she works) because it sounded too old fashioned. She was a little miffed...lol.

For us, paying for their own things has been tied to having a regular paycheck. My oldest wasn't driving until 17, and didn't have a job until she was 18. Once she began working regularly she had to pay for her own gas and car maintenance. She also pays for all of her "fun" stuff, haircuts, snacks and extras. We still buy all of her school books, food, toiletries and car insurance. She buys most of her own clothes, but I do chip in occasionally. That will probably be how it goes as along as she is living at home and going to school full time. The plan will go much the same for my twins, although it will start a little younger. They plan on getting their licenses as soon as possible, and jobs this summer. As soon as they have jobs they will begin the same plan as my oldest. We do buy them inexpensive cars to drive. (I'm talking cheap...dh is an ex-mechanic and can judge wether a cheap, old car will be reliable) I also tie their jobs in with being able to drive. With my schedule X3 teens, I cannot possibly drive them to work regularly.

Knit. I can do so many crafty, artsy things, but I cannot get my hands to knit. And fly. Absolute terror there, and I wish it weren't so.

It was used quite a bit when I was growing up. Most adults in my area would probably know what it meant. I wouldn't really expect people younger than me to know because I don't hear it used much any more.

I love a good lecture, and learn a lot that way. However, it completely depends on the professor as to whether or not it is effective. My Econ professor is GREAT at giving lectures. She is engaging, loves her material, is very knowledgeable, and asks just enough questions of the class to keep you listening. My Biology professor, however, is like that droning teacher on Ferris Bueller. He reads from a power point, often has to correct himself, and just doesn't come across very well. I've learned very little from his class lectures and have to rely almost entirely on the textbook to pass the exams. What is sad? Outside of college, I LOVE learning about biology, and find economics kind of dull.

I voted whenever they are ready. I think gray is beautiful on many women, and I wish it wasn't thought of negatively. I'm way too lazy to keep up with coloring mine, so it is going gray naturally. I'm not 40 yet and have A LOT of gray. That is too many years of coloring for me..lol.

I have a plastic bin in a closet near the kitchen that I keep all of our bottles and insulated coffee cups in. I have a smaller plastic box beside it that all the lids get tossed into. I don't store them with the lids on because they tend to get gross if I do. I have a glass one from Target (Zulu brand) that I love. No straws or hard to clean bits, and since it is glass it doesn't make my water taste weird.

Gatlinburg. Look into cabins in the Wears Valley area. A little cheaper, gorgeous views. Plus, with a cabin you can eat more cheaply since there's usually a full kitchen. Also...hot tub ;) You can also do things in Knoxville without much of a drive.

18 and 20 years olds that are falling in love are disgustingly cute. I'd forgotten. (My daughter has her first real boyfriend and they are cracking me up. He's really sweet though and I'm over the moon happy for her) It is possible for a woman to get a man cold. This garbage has been lingering for weeks, and now I just want to lay on the couch and have people bring me soup. Coffee is the best.

I eat a Strong and Kind bar nearly every day for "brunch".

I wouldn't think anything about it. Dh and I are comfortable with our choices about me staying home all these years, and I have even jokingly referred to our planned role switch (after I get my degree we plan for him to be a stay at home husband) as him getting a turn at being a trophy husband.

My Biology class is using APA. (community college)

I hate making small talk. I stink at it. If I don't have a specific topic to talk about, then there really is no telling what will come out of my mouth (or HOW it will come out). If I'm trapped with you long enough, and I don't have some sort of background to go on, I will probably eventually put my foot in it. I've done it several times lately as I have had to make meaningless small talk with a number of people through various college things. Sigh. If I know that we have something in common (homeschooler? Awesome! ) it goes much more smoothly. I agree with previous posts. 1. We've lost the art of conversation and 2. People get offended SO easily.