Audiobooks, earphones, phone chargers Books, sudoku, word finds Car shoes - I don't like to travel with icy/snowy/salty shoes so I always take a pair of slip on shoes to drive or ride in. I keep my outside walking boots/shoes in a grocery bag within easy reach and change after pulling into a gas station/rest stop and change back into the slip ons before leaving. It adds a few seconds to the trip but helps maintain cleanliness and comfort. Old towels or inexpensive throw rugs to protect the floor of the car from mud and salt If you'll be traveling through states that salt the highways, make certain you have topped your windshield wiper fluid. Cleaning the dratted dried salt can drain fluids Nighttime driving - flashlight with extra batteries, something to clean snow-/saltcovered headlights

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I am so sorry. I hope you have fully recovered. Sending so many hugs.

That's what I have been told might happen. They wanted to give me a heads up about what clothes to bring to wear home.

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Thank you for the replies.

Yes, it's fairly big. A lot like this but a bit bigger; I don't think it's manufactured anymore. Plus it came with accessories like the stairs, exterior handle, brand new cover, the cover lifter, extra filters. It is a nice hot tub and nothing we would ever have bought for ourselves but when a gift came our way, we were not turning it down.

I love my hot tub. We have had it four years and I use it at least 4 times a week. Ours sits outside in our backyard. We were gifted the hot tub from our neighbors when they sold their house and the new owners didn't want the hot tub. Our 'free' hot tub ended up costing us over $10,000 to have installed, however. The expense came because our town has strict rules for a hot tub pad (cement thickness, rebar for grounding, wiring regulations, etc). We tried to go under the radar (like most people) and just set it up but we remodeled our kitchen and when the city inspector came he saw the tub and tagged it. In order to keep it, we had to pour a new pad and hire an electrician. The hot tub was a $25,000 tub, though, so we are still under cost. We also had to file some paperwork with the local water district stating the hot tub was not tied directly to our water spigot and that we fill it with a hose. I wish our inspector would have looked the other way when he saw it. It was just bad luck on our part as most people in our area did not have to go through what we did and most hot tubs are not up to code (or so the inspector says). As to the day to day, maintenance is easy. It does cost a bit to keep it running in the winter but I have opted to pay for it because there is nothing better than sitting in the hot tub while it is snowing.

Yes, if I knew I could afford the medical bills. I think I would purchase the pet insurance, take that baby to Petsmart, load up all of the things, and give him the best few years I could. Yes, loving a senior and knowing the end might be near would be something I kept in the back of my mind but little dogs can live up to 18+ years. Can you take your 3yo dog for a meet and greet? If they get along, go for it.

Washington and Lee did as of 5 years ago

Wonderful update. I am so happy for your family. Hope your little one feels better soon.

And this is what I think a lot of people do not understand. Dogs need time and space for zoomies, sniffing, jumping, playing, etc. Many active breeds are under exercised and then exhibit behaviors that reflect their boredom and inactivity. It's one reason why there are so many malinois being rehomed. I have an affinity for the Belgian breeds and am interested in their plight and I know it has nothing to do with the op. OP - I hope your DS and DSIL can find the best dog for their situation. Dogs are such wonderful companions and I wouldn't give up my two for anything (even the new rescue who gets on my nerves daily). If they are not in a hurry, I would suggest lots of research and meet and greets (with the young children in tow in order to gauge a rescue dog's response to children). I thought I was an experienced dog owner and I am, with Belgians. Not so much with Border Collies. This Border Collie is on a whole other level and needs different training, handling, and exercise than my Belgian. Was I prepared for her? Nope. Am I trying my best? Yep. I had a 14 yo Belgian when I brought home my puppy (now my 2.5yo). Having the puppy gave my 14yo more energy and desire to get up and live again. He began eating from a bowl instead of out of my hand and gained weight. The puppy also wore him out and he took longer naps. But the bond they formed was wonderful and I knew my older dog wasn't lonely when I had to be away from home. As he aged, he was losing his sight and hearing and needed someone (usually me) to offer comfort. The puppy helped fill that niche when needed. I think the puppy helped my dog have a good final year. My older Belgian passed away just after his 15th birthday. My puppy was just over a year old and had never been by himself. It took a while for him to get used to not having the older dog around. He would look for him around the house and in the yard and just go lie in his spot. It was heartbreaking. His need for a companion is one reason I chose to get a second dog. I am finding out that not only are there Cat Ladies, there are Dog Ladies too.

Hello all~ I hope your July and yearly goals are progressing nicely and you are enjoying seeing your progress. After much consideration, I have decided not to continue posting the goal threads. I wish you all the best in setting goals and finding peace and joy in your lives. Thank you for joining me in this journey.

Will your DSIL be able to handle a new puppy (house breaking, training, etc) while caring for young children, including an infant? Is he experienced with raising and training young dogs, esp a breed that is active and high energy? Babies and puppies are the best things ever but both require so much work/time/energy. I am definitely in camp pro-dog but I hadn't seen this mentioned yet. I am not trying to be snarky or cause problems It's an honest and sincere question.

Is the assumption that I don't see people as fully human? It's a real question and not meant as snark. Because if my behavior implies that...well, I have bigger issues that need to be addressed.

I think what confuses me is the idea of "what if I could have prevented something from happening?" I watch too many reality crime shows where the police say something akin to "If someone would have reported/said something/noticed something" the tragedy may have been averted or we could have stopped the abduction/caught the robber/murderer. Or, in the case of an older adult or sick person, if someone would have walked up to the car and asked if anything was wrong the person could have received help. When is the right time to say something? Call someone? What circumstances necessitate action? I don't want to be the person who doesn't take action but I also don't want to be a Karen.

Congratulations! I hope you sell your home quickly and for well above asking price.

I guess I don't think sitting in front of my house is a place to take a lunch break. There are more beautiful and well landscaped houses a minute up the street. A beautiful park is a couple of minutes away. We're also not in an area where people do that sort of thing. Is it normal for people to drive to a residential street and park there to eat their lunch? I could never do that. A park - yes. A parking lot - yes. A nice country road with horses running in a paddock - definitely yes. But sitting in front of a stranger's house in a residential neighborhood for an hour? I couldn't do it. And it was noticeably odd. My DD visited and asked who the lady in the red car was. I told her I didn't know but she parked there every afternoon. My DGD was there when the lady pulled up one day and got excited about our visitor and then was a bit confused when I told her the lady just sat in her car for a while and would leave in a bit. The neighbors in the immediate vicinity were also questioning the presence of her car. They came up to DH and me while we were doing yardwork and asked if we knew her. The older retired gentleman across the street was concerned about her casing the area and tracking the comings and goings of the neighbors. He actually called the police one day but she was gone by the time they arrived. I just happened to be the one to go up and talk to her and I'm glad I did. I had no idea our internet provider had an automatic inclusion to the shared wifi network. None of us in the nearby houses (who all had the same provider; small town, not a lot of options) knew about it and were automatically included. It's why the lady's signal was so strong. I guess what makes me wonder about it is that it wasn't a one off. This is something that was becoming commonplace. Once I knew she was working in the area and had a reason to be in the neighborhood I was fine with it. I did discontinue the shared wifi network because that is not something I wanted to participate in but it's not like I asked her to leave or threatened her in any way. I simply asked if she needed assistance. She's the one who admitted she drove around the neighborhood looking for the strongest wifi signal so she didn't have to use her data. Now I'm worried I did something wrong (social anxiety and not understanding social norms is an issue for me)

I get it. Totally get it.

Here's my story. We live on a residential street. One afternoon, I noticed a car parked in front of my house with a woman sitting inside. She was obviously on her phone so I assumed she was being safe and pulled over to talk while driving. She stayed there 30 mins. This happened at the same time every day for a week. It wasn't a car I had seen before and her parking in the same spot every day was causing me a touch of anxiety. She would park under the shade tree and eat, drink, and be on her phone. Sometimes she would be there for almost an hour. One day, I went up to her car, knocked on her window and asked if she needed assistance. She explained she was a home health aid and on her lunch break. The area in front of our house had the strongest wifi signal for her internet provider which also happened to be our provider. This particular company has a program where customers can use other customers' signals while away from home so they don't have to use cell phone data. I disabled the ability for other customers to piggyback off our wifi and I never saw her again. It is a public street and she never got out of her car but having a stranger sitting there for an hour every day was weird for me.

I am sorry you are struggling. The journaling question...that's why I don't do guided journals anymore. I found trying to answer some of those prompts more stressful than helpful. I don't think I would be able to answer the "I want, I need, I hope" prompts on a regular basis. Mainly because what I would write there is unachievable without dramatic life changes and or a time machine. Are you overthinking? I had a mentor tell me once to just write off the cuff and not overthink the answers. She believed my immediate response was more accurate than the over thought, deep response I was always trying to come up with.

@TexasProud - please do not think you failed. Goals are shoot for things. Things we want to make happen. You have made progress! That is a good thing!! You are 12 down. That is amazing. You might not be able to reach a total of 40 in 2023 but you can keep going and see how much you can lose. Wouldn't it be awesome to get to December and be at 30 # down or even 25#? What wonderful progress that would be. Just think of the benefits. I also have a weight loss goal (should have been 35# but I made it 'easy' and only went for 15# this year since I struggle so much with losing weight). It has taken 6 months for me to lose 5 pounds. What can we do to support each other in this goal? What are your small steps? What is your plan? Back in January, one of my steps was to eat 300 Salads in 2023. I chose this as a way to increase my vegetable intake which was dismal. I have now modified that to be 300 Plant Based Meals. I have defined plant based to meet my needs and it's working. I am also trying to eat 30 different types of fruits and vegetables each week. I have found I really like cucumber and hummus sandwiches. Drizzle a little evoo and sprinkle with a pinch of black pepper and it is delicious. I have continued my walking/hiking/outdoor goals to keep me moving each day. If I can lose 5# more, I will be at my lightest weight in years. Still overweight by 25# but at my lightest. And I will consider that a win for 2023.

Here are my yearly goals with updates: Lose 15 pounds - I have lost 5 pounds on the new eating plan. I feel so much better. Inflammation and joint pain are greatly reduced. It is a lot of work and I spend more time than I anticipated on meal planning and assessment. I am eating more vegetables than ever before. Some days I think this is going to be a great new change; other days, I struggle and wonder if it's worth it. 1000km walk/hike - 365; I know this is higher but I wasn't good with tracking in March and April. 600 mile bike - 72/600 I enjoy riding my bike when I do but I can't bring myself to ride this year. Officiate 20 days - I have officiated 17/20 days. I have jobs lined up for the fall and should reach the 20 days by the end of September. Pay off truck - Done! We reached a couple of other financial goals as well. Paint 4 rooms -Really struggling with this one. It paralyzes me and I am unsure why. Declutter and paint the basement - Cannot complete this task without the help of DH (most of the remaining stuff is his) and he isn't on board yet 1 new adventure a month - This is causing a lot of unrest. I want adventure but, with the expense and needs of a rescue pup and some other goals, it didn't happen. Apheresis Gold Level (18 platelet donations) - I have donated 10/18 times. Find a new volunteer activity - Honestly, the way I feel about this community, I don't know if I want to find a new volunteer opportunity. What I need is a job and the ability to make a steady income. For July- I need to think this through.