No wait here in our small town at 9:45 a.m.

Ask for a provisional ballot. Dh has a similar situation and we've been told that he may be able to vote on a paper provisional ballot and then have his info checked to make sure he should be able to vote before it is counted.

So, I was listening to Talk of the Nation on NPR this afternoon, and they were discussing favorite movie presidents. I started trying to remember all the movie presidents I could and decide who was my favorite. If I had to choose, I think it would be Harrison Ford from Air Force One. I'd prefer Jimmy Stewart's Mr. Smith, but he doesn't count since he wasn't president. People called in to say who their favorite movie president was and I started to wonder why no one mentioned Luke Wilson in Idiocracy.:lol: This led to me thinking about the Starbucks offer of a free coffee and my conversation with dh this morning. Me: I don't really like Starbucks coffee. Dh: Maybe they'd give you a latte. (Hysterical laughter) To make any sense of this, you'd have to have seen Idiocracy and know what Starbucks and a latte are in the movie. (See definition #3 here, but be fore warned that it's crude.)The meanings will never be the same for us. All it takes is for us to see a Starbucks or see someone drinking from a Starbucks cup and we're laughing. People give us weird looks when we ask if they got the latte and then crack up laughing. Driving home from the grocery store this afternoon listening to the discussion over who the best movie president is and wondering about who our next president will be, I suddenly thought how appropriate it would be for Starbucks to hand out lattes for voting. Yeah, I'm a little jaded about politics and what any politician is likely to do to serve the people of this country rather than him/herself, but at least I'm laughing about it. And I'm still voting. But I'm not telling for whom.:tongue_smilie:

I think you are saying you want opinions on a book called Don't Know Much About the Bible. Am I right? I don't know anything about this book, but it almost looks like you are saying "I don't know much about the Bible. What do you think about it?"

I think I've got a fairly good grasp on all the subjects listed except for math. What I don't know or don't understand I can easily read more about to gain a better knowledge and understanding. I understand basic math, but algebra and higher eludes me. If I think about a problem long enough or see similar problems worked, I can figure them out, though perhaps not with the proper formula. For example, someone asked for help with a math problem on their blog a week ago. I figured out the answer pretty quickly (for me), but I couldn't give her a formula to say how I'd worked it. I used the *words* in the problem to make a mental picture and figure out the problem. Formulas do not speak to me. So, I could say I wish I understood math, but I don't really have any desire to. It doesn't interest me beyond what I need for my daily life. What I do wish I had a firm grasp on is somewhat related to math. I wish I understood economics, both personal and global. I'd like to understand more about how interest works on credit cards and on traditional loans and how they "get" you. I can function just fine by knowing that it's bad to be in debt and I should avoid that at all costs and that a bank loan is usually better than charging on a credit card, but I don't know *why* no matter how many times dh tries to explain it. Truth be told, I don't think he fully understands. Besides, he speaks a different language due to the opposite side of his brain being more dominant. I would like to understand the stock market. I've learned quite a lot more than I knew before, but I still don't get the basic concepts. It's baffling to me and just so completely abstract. This is not how buying and selling happens at the grocery store or anywhere else in the real world. I'd like to know how we can be borrowing money from countries that are supposedly in debt themselves. (Is it from individuals in those countries?) There are just so many things I don't understand. I don't want to take the time to learn them either. They aren't interesting enough for me to enjoy learning about them and spend that kind of time on them. I'd just like to be zapped with instant knowledge and understanding of economics. If someone in some government finance committee or at the federal reserve can do that for me, I'll share my knowledge of comparison shopping and finding deals at thrift stores. I think we could both benefit from the trade.:D

Mmmmm...Playdoh...yummy:drool5: Just kidding. :lol: I remember tasting it when I was a kid and that it had an almost pleasant salty taste. I still like the smell of Playdoh. I was never good about letting dc play with it and make messes though.

I love the way some of the enamelware looks, but it chips very easily. I won't buy it any more for camping or for anything other than decoration. I'm concerned about using it once it has chipped because I don't know if more will flake off in food without us noticing it. From now on I'm buying only stainless steel. The enamelware chips just from being clanked together a little, so I imagine it would chip even more being dropped on a tile floor.

I'd never buy one at normal Cabbage Patch price, but what a great idea. I think CPs are creepy, but I know there are people who are interested in that sort of thing. It's a very creative fundraiser for Toys for Tots. Obama's looks the least like him, though. It should have had bigger ears and a longer, thinner face.

I'm a cheapskate especially when it comes to my own clothes, but I think $26 is pretty reasonable. I wouldn't consider it a great deal, but I can rarely find new jeans that fit well for less than about that price. It's nice to know about Steve and Barry's. I've been meaning to try there. Walmart used to carry some Jordache jeans for around $15 that I liked the fit of, but the last time I tried there I didn't like the way they fit. I have a hard time finding jeans that fit in both the waist and the hips and don't come ride so low that I'm mooning everyone every time I bend slightly. Usually I just buy from thrift stores. The last pair of new pants I bought was a pair of denim capris at Charlotte Russe for about $26 in August. I'm not entirely happy with them either. It seems I find a brand and style I like and they change the cut and sizing slightly each season.

Huh. I never thought about audio books for this child. I got several for 14yods who struggled with a conversion deficiency and had trouble catching up to grade level in reading. (He tested at above 12th grade reading level this year and loves to read now, btw. Yeah!) Since dd doesn't have a vision problem, it just didn't occur to me. It's a great idea though. Thanks for suggesting it!

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I'm going to look into these. I read the Trixie Belden books when I was a kid and just hadn't thought of them. I did like Trixie's style! I also picked up two Roald Dahl books this afternoon at the public library. I don't think anyone in the family has ever read one of his books. A friend recently told me that he is one of her all-time favorite authors and she only read his books after having kids of her own. I've been meaning to read some of his work since then just to see why she likes him so much. I started reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory while waiting to pick the kids up from school and I've enjoyed it so far. I'm going to have her read it and see how she likes it.

Found this thread while searching for one I started because I forgot about the subscribe to thread feature. I'm glad to know that Apiphobic is Linksalot. I've been wondering about this Apiphobic. And, yes, I was Jenni in KS on the old board. I've seen posts by Prairie Phlox and momentarily thought I wrote them, then thought I must have lost my mind because I didn't remember writing them. True story.

I'll check into this series. I've never heard of it. I doubt sailing lessons would be possible. We're landlocked. Do they take sailboats on lakes? If they do, I don't think there's much of that going on around us. That's what's great about books though. You can go to places and do things you'd only dream about otherwise:D

I'm trying to figure out what to get 16 and 12yodds and 14yods. (I know what I want to get 18yods if we can afford it with everyone chipping in.) The girls both would kind of like to redo their rooms and we've talked about new comforters and sheets. 16yodd wants the Twilight series of books. 12yodd really wants a cell phone, but I don't think I'm willing to start that yet. 12yodd also mentioned an iPod docking station/radio alarm clock and that might be something each of them would like. 14yods has no idea what he wants. There are plenty of things they would probably like but know better than to ask for. We have said no to video games in the past, and I really think my kids would tire of them quickly anyway--or go too far the other direction (14yods). They'd like four wheelers, but that's way out of our budget even if we got one for them to share and that was all they got. They wouldn't ask for these things and others, but I'm sure they'd like them. They're pretty content with what they have and whatever they get which leaves me wondering why I feel the need to get them not just gifts but "the perfect gifts". Ugh. It's like this every year. I'm torn between not wanting to promote materialism and wanting to shower my kids with things they will love while being on a fairly tight budget. I wish I knew what the perfect balance was so I could just relax and not sweat it.

I think I would trade $1,200 worth of meat for our non-running Suburban right about now. It does make a lovely lawn ornament, but it isn't worth fixing since it costs too much to drive (which is why we bought a Saturn) and probably can't be sold for $1,200 anyway. It makes me ill to think about it. Good thing it's hidden by a hill so I don't have to see it often and get nauseous thinking about it. Man, did I love that thing when it was running, when gas was not so outrageously priced, and I had a family of 6 to haul around to camping trips. I would love it still if it ran and didn't cost so much to drive.:crying: Since I can't drive it, I'd just as soon have meat. Sold to me off the back of a truck. By people I wouldn't give cash to.

As someone who has always loved to read, this kills me! It's like pulling teeth to get dd to read. She is very athletic and very social (must get it from her dad) and does not like to sit still long enough to read. She was hooked on Nancy Drew for a while last year, but now she's bored with that. She reads at about 6th-7th grade level, loves animals and sports, and is pretty mature (as in 12 going on 21). I've tried suggesting books that I loved as a child to her, but she doesn't seem interested. She loved Because of Winn Dixie, but I can't remember any others she's said she really enjoyed besides the Nancy Drew books for a while. Any suggestions?

This is the first movie I thought of when I read the subject line. The ending just wasn't necessary at all to the plot. In fact, I think it detracted from the plot and the point. No, life isn't all happily ever after, but the ending was too far in the other direction. How depressing.

Thanks everyone! We just got a call from Caleb. He only had two minutes to talk, but he says he is better and returned to training the day after he called home to say he was sick. His graduation has been set back a week. He heard that since his new graduation date is so close to Christmas he may get extra time for leave--possibly a month. We'll see. I've been waiting to call the airline until we heard more news. I think I'll go ahead and call tomorrow even though we don't have the full details yet. It would probably be good to start working on it at least. Thanks again. Jenni

I got a phone call from Caleb yesterday. He has been dropped from his platoon (Marine Corps boot camp) because he has pneumonia. Once he is better he will be assigned to a different platoon. Would you please pray with us for a speedy and complete recovery? Also, this delays his graduation date. We already bought plane tickets--and then found out right afterward that we should have waited but it was too late. Obviously this is not as big of a concern as Caleb getting better quickly, but we are hoping to find a way to avoid the $150 x 6 fee (or some of it) of changing those tickets. I know that God is willing and able to take care of the situation, but I would appreciate having others praying with us about this.

No, I don't think I would. (I went with the "already has the real thing" option.) I feel very uncomfortable having my picture taken fully clothed. I know dh would like such a picture, but I don't think I could bring myself to do it--even if he was taking the photos on our digital camera to be printed on our own printer. I'm not the most modest in dress, I'm not shy in the bedroom, but I feel so very awkward in front of the camera. I have such a hard time overcoming that feeling that most pictures of me come out absolutely horrible. I don't think I'm that hideous looking, but I usually am in photos. I will suck it up and allow my picture to be taken now and then so some day my great great grandkids have proof I existed. A boudoir portrait is not the type of proof I'd like them to have:lol:

I don't personally care for the look, but I would never judge someone based on their having a mohawk. I don't think it would be distracting to me either.

Could I get chapter and verse where the Bible says that a modest appearance was high on Jesus' list or that a mohawk would not have been acceptable? Where appearance was high on Jesus' list at all? I haven't done a search this morning and I don't have time, but from what I remember of the gospels, Jesus associated with people who were not quite so acceptable to the religious leaders of the time. If memory serves, he looked on the heart and dealt with heart issues. It's what is on the inside that counts and you can't say that a mohawk is an outward manifestation of rebellion or anything else. What it means to one person, it may not mean to another. I could easily judge someone with long hair and ankle length denim jumper as being overly religious and concerned only with outward appearances, but that wouldn't be right for me to do either. This thread has gotten bizarre. What do I know though? I just got my hair chopped to chin length, so apparently I have a spirit of feminist rebellion brewing within me.:001_huh: I honestly had no idea.

I would be annoyed about being handed a specific recipe with no explanation. (If someone said, "Hey so-and-so has allergies. Can you make it this way?" it wouldn't bother me.) I would figure it was someone being anal and/or controlling and I don't deal well with that scenario unless I'm the one being anal and/or controlling. :D Last year I was irked because one of the cross country moms volunteered to be in charge of packing sack suppers for the team. Everyone was asked to contribute a certain amount of money. In addition, they asked if anyone would like to donate items. I volunteered to bake cookies. I planned to do it several times during the season, but changed my mind after calling this mom in charge. There had been no organization the year before and I had just sent cookies with the kids several times. It's a small team, but I baked enough to fill two 5 quart ice cream tubs (my Tupperware) to make sure all the kids, the coach, the driver, and anyone else riding the bus would get some. Of course the kids loved it. When I called the mom in charge of the sack suppers last year to let her know I was willing to bake cookies, she paused then said something that kinda pissed me off. "Well, that would be nice--except could you please bag them separately two to a bag. It will be much more sanitary that way and we don't want to spread germs." Okaaaay. No biggie, but the way that she said it and the tone with which she said it really ticked me. (You really had to hear the tone.) She obviously knew I had sent the cookies last year and had been disgusted by my unsanitary methods. Sheesh! I would have thought highschoolers were capable of simply grabbing a cookie or two without touching every other cookie in the bucket. I wonder if this woman freaks out when cookies are served on a plate with no tongs or other serving utensil. I bagged the cookies, but I did not offer to make them more than once. She did not thank me for helping. Dd said the cookies tasted like plastic from the bags. Sigh. I do try to control my controlling tendencies, be polite and considerate, and accept input from others. It just really irks me when others do not do the same.

I go whenever I am near one and have time, which isn't often these days. When dd was doing gymnastics in a nearby town, I had to pass a Goodwill on the way there 5 days a week. Sometimes I would go several times in one week just to kill time and not have to drive half an hour home and half an hour back a few hours later. Now I mostly go when I need something. I try to look for things I need at thrift stores and garage sales first before buying new, especially if it's clothes.