:iagree: I had this before and plan on getting another one. I had some of the mentioned side effects, like spotty, light periods that were irregular at best, but none of the depression, weight gain or cramping. In fact, I haven't had it for the last 6 months (dh was supposed to get snipped) and switched to using a diaphram. My periods and cramping got worse as did my moodiness. Plus dh hasn't manned up yet for his V and I HATE the diaphram. So, I'll be getting a new Merena.

Back in the day when I worked at Wendy's, there was a motion sensor outside the window that would start and stop with the movement of the car. And yes, it is dishonest, but I also remember the timer had an alarm that would sound if the time went past the allotted time (say, 30 seconds) and it was very annoying and would only shut off once the car left. We would often ask people to move forward just so we wouldn't have to hear the stupid beeping.

:iagree: :iagree: yep, this is true.

I have several friends in ps here and we've discussed this very thing. Plus, some of our hs friends register with the county and they're taking the tcaps this week, too. Here's the thing we're confused on. Don't the results from the tcap come back sometime in August? Or at the very least, over the summer after school is out? How, then, are the tcaps supposed to be part of the grade? Are they getting the results back faster this year than they did in previous years? Or will they mail out the final report card to the parents over the summer, once the results are in. There's only, what, six weeks left? It takes longer than that to get our Stanford scores (we don't register with the county but with a private school), so how can they really say it's part of the final grade? It just seems like a lot of additional work for the teachers. It might be worth it to your friends to do a little research on their own to find out about whether or not the state will actually be able to follow through with this, and if so, how? After re-reading your post, I realize I didn't really respond to your comments, just added my own thoughts and experiences around here. I can totally see your teacher-friend's point of view. So often I hear "Oh, it's just the tcaps," implying that they really aren't all that important. I'm sure the teachers do find that POV frustrating, and I remember, even back in K and 1st (my DD was in ps before I started hs'ing) they were already practicing for the tcaps. However, to your parent-friend, I'm sure she's frustrated, too. I have a dear friend whose daughter really is starting to stress out about the tests this week. I'm thinking - and this is JMHO - that if the parent knows her child stresses about tests, then maybe they can work on it throughout the year to alleviate some of that. It's not like the tcaps are a secret pop quiz. There are tons of practice test books out there (I used them when my dd first took the Stanford) to get the child more comfortable with the format. Obviously, there's not enough time for that now, but maybe in the future? I've talked to some hs parents who end up with that "oh carp, we have testing coming up," mentality and they haven't prepared anything for their child. Not that I support teaching to the test, because that doesn't work, but it also doesn't hurt to practice the testing format and a few subjects over the school year just to build familiarity and comfort. I just had another thought (this is getting longer than I expected - sorry!) that maybe some of the mother's stress is transferring to the child? That could be an influence, too... And I'll stop here :tongue_smilie:

:iagree: so, wait a minute, she insulted your cooking and hosting skills AND took your napkins, too? :glare:

:iagree::lol::lol:

If she's likes animals, pet sitting or dog walking for neighbors would be a good one, too.

I'm not sure, as I've never clicked on the link, but I think it's a way for hackers to get into your FB account. At least that's what I've heard.

I'm curious, too, and I'm also curious about what makes Greek yogurt better for you than regular yogurt? At least, that's what it seems like the ads are saying...

:iagree: I guess I'll try using the advanced search option.

I left my house all the time - I was also still working full time, right up until the day before I went into labor (DD was born a week before she was due and I was on the work schedule up to my due date). People I ran into usually chalked it up to me trying to induce labor by walking and shopping and such :tongue_smilie:

Is there a local food bank you can donate to? Our church has one, and there have been occasions where we'd have eggs given to us to give to families. We'll cut the crates in half and each family gets 6 eggs until they are all gone. They are so grateful!

:grouphug: for your frustrations! Oh, of only you were closer! We have an '07 Odyssey that I'm anxious to trade in for a sedan.

This is a bit off-topic, but the tech doesn't need to be the one to decide whether or not a fecal should be run. Perfectly healthy looking puppies could still have parasites and it should be the vet's call as to whether or not the fecal is done. We have two big dogs and they start circling the bed and whining around 5:00-5:30 in the mornings. I don't do early mornings like that for dogs (I barely do it for my kids) so I started shutting them out of the bedroom at night. If they start whining outside the door, they'll go back in the crate in the basement. They get plenty of food; they've just been conditioned to know that if I get up out of the bed, they get food. They just don't get the concept of time. :glare:

We stayed there last year, and yes, I do remember paying a daily fee for parking. And for a fridge and internet :glare: But I don't remember what it was. Not sure that's helpful :tongue_smilie:

Congrats on the job!!! This response may mean zilch but I'm throwing it out there. There are construction unions (or maybe it's just one union) around here who will hire homeless people to sit near big banners with "SHAME ON [business name here]" in front of businesses who hire companies that aren't union. They are out there rain or shine, hot or cold, for at least 8 hours a day. Seems like the homeless need a union :tongue_smilie: I worked for one such company who was building a new facility and the info I got from them was that the employees of the contractor all voted NOT to join the union. The owner gave them the option and they said no to the union. So the union put up these signs to "shame" the people who work there. One of my coworkers actually went out to talk to the people sitting there with the sign and that's how we found out they were hired homeless. We see these signs everywhere, even outside neighborhoods with a person's name (ie owner of a construction company). Because of this, I have a bad taste in my mouth for unions, whereas before, I didn't really pay any attention to them. I don't know much about unions, but I don't like the practices of the local ones here to try and "shame" people who make the choice not to join.

:lol::lol::lol:

:iagree: And our church also uses smugmug for things like the father/daughter dance.

A good friend of mine is undergoing surgery today to have a brain tumor removed. The surgery is expected to last at least 10 hours. Please pray for peace and patience for the family and friends in the waiting room, and for the surgeons performing the surgery. Thanks!

:iagree: this is what we have, too.

:iagree: of course, my dd is an avid reader and will re-read HP and the PJ series. HEY! I remember that book!! I read it, I think when I was about 10, and loved it! I had forgotten all about it until you posted this. Thanks for the reminder and list of books for my dd :) ETA: ok, I feel like a dummy. I didn't click on the link before posting about The Others Side of the Island and apparently it isn't the book I was thinking of. The title reminded me of one I had read ages ago. Never mind.:tongue_smilie:

awwww, man! I love sugar! I'm not sure I want to watch....

:lol: *visions of CSI agents dancing in my head*:lol: Wouldn't a zip line also be considered dangerous by homeowner's insurance? We have a very wooded lot on the side of a hill which would be a great place for a zip line, but I wonder about having parents sign waivers and such. I'm loving all these great ideas for summer! Keep them coming!

:iagree: but, the YMCA day camp I went to for the summer had them sometimes and that was where I ate them from the box with milk. Loved it.

We have one that we negotiated into the purchase of our new house and LOVE it - mostly. The doors popping open actually doesn't happen often with ours. Usually, it's when one door is closed too hard, the other door gets "pushed" open. We have the door alarm, too, but it seems to only work when the left-hand door is open. Nice to have, tho! But anyway, I've made a habit of just giving a gentle push on both handles once I've closed the doors, just to make sure, because I'm OCD about some things like that. Of course, I do that with our old side by side fridge in the garage, too, just to make sure the doors are closed. The one thing I don't like, and I think the OP mentioned this, is that the ice/water dispenser takes up more space than we expected, so there isn't as much door space or left-hand shelf space, for storing things. But then, it encourages me to clean out the fridge more often, so maybe that' a good thing.:tongue_smilie: