AussieGirl, thanks for sharing your story. I could immediately relate, and my heart is just overflowing for your friend. I hope that she only continues to galvanize increased support for the very special parents who are raising these very special children.

My own son, while he didn't have trouble toilet-training & was by comparison a very good eater, was always going a million miles a minute (his day-care teachers called him "Flash"). And he had such a problem with hitting--no impulse control. I was never a spanker, and he was never one who could sit in time out, or even sit on my lap in time out without hitting me, so restraining him (with my arms) at times was the only option. That alone was very grueling, both physically & emotionally, and variations of this continued into elementary school. He also could never fall asleep easily, from birth onwards--as an infant he needed constant patting to soothe his nervous system enough for sleep, and if I let him try to cry himself to sleep he'd projectile vomit, every time. A bucket & mop were fixtures in his room for years. Trying to help him find sleep during the preschool years when he simply had to have a nap--or his nervous system would just spin him into a crazy collapse--are some of my worst moments of parenthood, because by then I had an infant to attend to, as well. Eventually, my son started to stutter, to the point of total dysfluency in 1st grade, after which I decided to home school him for a short while to ease the pressure on him to hit certain milestones within the system. I never had a conversation with him until he was in the 2nd grade. And later, my younger son also developed stuttering, and I had it in stereo for a good ten years.

These are just some of the issues that I grappled with, and it doesn't sound like my son was as remotely challenged as your friend's son, AussieGirl. I can only imagine what it must have been like for her. I eventually did reach very painful breaking points in my life, moments where one sits on the edge of sanity & peers into what lies beyond. I became a single mom when my boys were 5 & 2-1/2, and when I later experienced a collection of unrelated, but seemingly impossible and completely overwhelming challenges, I hit a point where I realized, "Ah... this is where women take their own lives, after first taking their children's. I understand, now, what drives them to do it." For me, however, I didn't have any sense whatsoever that dying helps you escape anything--I believed very strongly that life (with all its pain & all its joy) would continue with me into the next realm--so I just stayed in my pain, having no alternative because of my beliefs, and eventually I moved past it. But I completely understood what circumstances would cause another to take a different path.

Whatever support you can give your friend, AussieGirl, to help her heal her life and to take her tragic experience and move it into the direction of its silver lining, please do. I've known a lot of tragedy in my own life, and I have never, ever known each experience to have a seed of beauty & goodness in it.

yogi, I applaud your following your own inner impulses regarding the path you & your son are following together. I do feel that my son eventually healed into this beautiful flowering he's experiencing because of the nurture I surrounded him with, albeit imperfectly. Everyone's situation is different, so maybe what worked for me isn't right for someone else, but FWIW that's how I feel about my own circumstances.

On a much lighter note... Ricci, your piadinas remind me of the little fried breads my Greek 'yiayia' (grandmother) would make for me (I would beg for them!) everytime I visited, and I would put both grated cheese AND sugar on them, or else honey with cinnamon. Man, they were good! What were they called...<scratching head>... oh, yes! Ti-ga-NEE-tes! Yum!

Also, re Michelle from Survivor, I remembering being so excited that she was from Pittstown, because that's where we lived for most of our time in the county. But then she was such a disappointment.

Goodness, Aussiegirl, your poor friend. How very, very tragic. Thank goodness she has good people such as yourself who are there to support and affirm her. What a very sad story.
Dodo, I'm sending you lots of good rental vibes--hope you get them all rented out in a week! I'd love to go see your play, but I don't think there's a plan for it to travel to Boston, is there?
So the TAR finale is confirmed for Sept 21st. Must start figuring out TARCon plans....

Wow! I can't believe the finale is so soon. Can't wait. I'm glad to hear your thoughts are moving in the direction of coming down, Hildy. Hey, it's only a short train ride! I've decided to root for Charla, just to be obstinate. Actually, she's the best thing about this season for me.

Oh Aussie!! My heart is breaking for your friend! Believe me, I thank God every day that my own children are "normal" (whatever that is), and that they're not suffering through the pain that specially challenged children have to face. I can only say that you and Yogi and samina have my deepest admiration and respect. I just can't imagine what it must be like to have to cope with your childrens' difficulties on a day-to-day basis, every single day of your life. I can't believe how well you keep your sanity, let alone your sweet, positive natures! As far as I'm concerned, you and all the families like you out there, are truly heroes. I don't think I'd have the strength of mind or will to be able to cope. I hope I never have to find out whether that's true.

On a much lighter note, I'm only about 4 or 5 hours away from NYC, but I seriously doubt I'll be able to make it for a SMM get-together. For one thing, you'd have to drag me kicking and screaming to get me into any city (unless there was an excellent concert going on that I just had to see)! I'm a country kind of gal, plain and simple. I get very, very nervous just driving into Binghamton (on the interstate which doesn't really even go into the city). But if you ever wanted to get together somewhere in the country, count me in!! I'd love to meet you all in person!

Tracey, I'm so glad to hear that your Sierra kitty is feeling better and more like herself. I had a severe scare with my own Crissie kitty just a couple of days ago. She was coughing alot and her breathing sounded horrible! I took time off from work to take her to the vet, and it turns out she just has a respiratory infection and fever. Thank goodness I got her there so quickly that the infection didn't have a chance to get into her lungs! I got antibiotics and a decongestant to give her, and she already seems much better. But I was scared witless!! I've alway thought it unbelievably cruel that our pets have to leave us so soon. I'm so glad you still have some time to enjoy with Sierra.

Dodo it's always great to hear from you, even if it is only once in a while. I'm really thrilled for you that things seem to be going so well. I wish I could see you in your play, but see above. If only I wasn't so phobic about large cities!!

Gosh, there's so much more I wanted to say. Like welcome back Hildy! I hope you had a great birthday and a great time on your vacation. But this post is already very long, so I guess I'd better sign off for now. I just want to say that I have to agree with the general sentiment, you people are so wonderful! I don't get a chance to post very often, but I do read your posts every day. I'm so glad I found such a great group of people!!

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts about my friend. It really is such a tragic thing that could have been avoided if she had had more support. For instance, she was allocated just one night a month respite care for her son from the health service. For the rest of time, she just had to get on with it. I at least, have a very supportive husband (he's mildy autistic himself, so he understands first hand what it's like for my son, whereas I just stand there totally bewildered), and my friend didn't even have that.

Yes Ricci, I am still in contact with her and will continue to be. She helped me so very much when my son was first diagnosed, more even than the professional people we saw. As I said I have invited her to come up here to get away from the media frenzy that is still going on, and told her that she will not be judged by any of us, we will just feed her, talk to her (if she wants), and love her. The problem is that she lives interstate and as part of her 5 year probation/good behaviour bond may not be able to travel up here easily. Another problem is that she is currently trying to get access/custody of her daughter, who is now 14, so she has all her energies focussed on that.

It's just a sad realisation that we as a community have failed parents like this, those who love their children deeply but are just too depressed to be able to cope. That's why I have been so worried about my cousin with post natal depression. She, BTW, started on anti-depressants about a week ago, and said that she slept better for the first time in ages, so that helped. Unfortunately, her husband is still away on business trips a lot. He's going away again this weekend, and my cousin was desperately frightened of being alone with 3 kids to care for, so my mother is going to stay with her for the weekend. God bless my mother! She's 81 and nurtures children better than anyone I have ever known. My cousin is closer to my mother than her own. Her two sisters and my mother and I have been doing much of the cooking and shopping for her to try to ease the load. And the thing I have been telling her as often as I can, is something I wish someone had told me - "it will pass". She needs hope, to feel that she will get better.

And something good has come out of my friend's horrendous experience with the media - public and government realisation of the appalling lack of support for families of special needs children. That little boy's life and death has given so much meaning to many, and will help to change the system for the better.

Samina your sharing about your son has brought me to tears, as Yogi's has done in the past. I feel an especially close bond to you both. And to all the posters here - you are all such wonderful people, and have enriched my life more than you know.

Okay, after all that emotional sharing, I had to go get some coffee and chocolate and pull myself back together and finish this post.

On a lighter note - Dodo it's always good to hear from you mate, even if it is sporadically. I would love to see your play - are you planning a Down Under tour, perchance?

Skachica I read in a magazine this morning the following report about Eric Bana being considered for the role of James Bond:

Hold the dry martinis! Eric's publicist swiftly detonates the story. 'There is no truth to the rumour that Eric will be the next Bond. He has not even been approached', she says, adding that the actor is happy to live and...let live (sorry). 'He thinks Pierce Brosnan makes the best Bond'.

Sorry mate, here's the tissues....would you like some coffee and chocolate too?

On a happier note - I came back from picking up my son from school yesterday afternoon, and when I got home, Mr Aussie was home early from work, and he had - for no reason whatsoever - bought me a bunch of red roses! Awww....! Sweet.

Aussiegirl That is the most incredible story i've ever heard, and after hearing the rest of the story. all i can say is it is just so sad. She has a good friend in you. someone who truly understands what she is going through, and i'm glad she has you.
I know i speak for the board when i say that we are all thinking of you, and that we are here for you when ever you need an ear.

There is a guy that works in the mail room at the hospital i work at, and he is autistic also. He is a great person, and a big survivor fan to boot, which is even better. We go out sometimes to a movie, or dinner. we are friends. Idon't know if it is the same for all autistic people, but he doesn't like to be touched, if he has his back turned and you wwant to get his attention you have to make a noise, not touch him, well the first time we went out he gave me a hug, which was such a big deal for him.
it sounds like from the stories you have all told, that there are varying degrees of autisim, before i met this guy the only thing i knew of autism was from that movie
"rainmain". he is a great person, and i hope we can still stay close when i leave this job.
well i've blatherd enough here. not even sure if i made sense or not.
it will be interesting to see if the cast and crew get out of venuatu ok.

Ciao friends I will post when I return (If i do get near a computer next week it will be to castigate my thesis mentor). Anyway looking forward to a meet up soon. For you F911 fans (myself among you) here is an interesting little storyF911 in the Arab World I hope that the DVD is released early fall so I can have a screening party.

Also this summer I had a law course taught by the assistant superintendent of the autistic school system of North New Jersey (Morris-Union). She was fantastic (not too mention it was nice to have a female teacher for once) and we learned a lot about how to work with parents and children that need assistance. It was my favorite class.

OK have lots of adventures while I am gone - CIAO

Hey Gang at MM and Ciao, Bella Ricci! Have a wonderful holiday!

I'm having a little dinner party tonight in the garden in celebration of the perfect and unseasonal weather we are having. I'm making tamarind crusted baby back ribs and cheddar cheese cole slaw with roasted corn on the cob. Any suggestions for a little something to serve with drinks before dinner? I can't think of a thing. Can you grill an hors d'ouvre?? Any ideas? I'm grilling dessert. We are having pineapple covered with brownsugar and grilled served over coconut gelato. It's quite yum.


I feel that too, Aussie Girl. Your friend's story, your story, effected me deeply yesterday. Luckily, I was scheduled to spend some time at lunch with someone who is very special to me. I kept thinking how fortunate I am to have so much kindness in my life, and I pray that your friend's life becomes full of kindness and forgiveness. I know that she is very lucky to have you in it. I'm also glad that your cousin is doing a bit better under the care of medication. I remember Mr. Yogi traveled six days a week the first year and a half of Little Yogi's life. I was alone in a new, suburban neighborhood after many years of living in the city with a sick child, no friends and staggering debt. I can tell you, it's no way to live. Sending out lots of prayers to your cousin and your friend.

Do you have fun plans for the end of the month, skagirl? I hope you are escaping the RNC. I am seriously considering a trip to California for that week. NYC is not going to be a pleasant place in light of all this recent activity. I'm so pleased they arrested the man in Albany that was trying to buy a missle launch to kill the Pakastani ambassador as the embassy is two blocks away from my house, and I walk past it several times a day. Ugh.

But hey, y'all, I have been and continue to fight the good fight! I'm staying right here, baby, in the thick. It'll take more than a few buildings going down, a bunch of terrorist threats, and some gun toting soldiers at my front door to dislodge the Yogis for any length of time. Particularly Mr. Yogi, because he is a roach, and proud of it. Those terrorists will need a mighty big can of raid to get rid of us, let me tell you!

Our office closes the last 2 weeks of August (this week, it's the first week of Sept. too) so I'm off to Chicago for a week and to visit a friend in Florida (ugh, hot, humid, but I love her so I'll sacrifice) labor day weekend - however, the three days I'm here will overlap with the RNC because I cannot read calendars. I thought they were here the end of the week. Bah. May extend Chicago visit but need to see.

Don't worry about the embassy- they are usually v. well protected. Totally random, did I ever tell you that my freshman dorm was 2.5 blocks from the White House? And I lived next door to an embassy? And across the street from the IMF? The year before I was there it was almost monthly bomb threats, we only had a few. But, at least then, it was the safest place because we had Secret Service, Metropolitan Police and Federal Security, plus Univ. Police (snerk). I also recently discovered that I lived two summers within 3 blocks of the Saudi Embassy which I always thought was more of the State Department!

AussieGirl, the feeling's mutual, absolutely. And this group here is simply chock-full of great people.

Dodo, good luck on your upcoming performances! What kind of performance is it... I gather you're an actress, but is this song-and-dance, or drama, or comedy? Broadway, Off-Broadway, or Off-Off? I checked some of your back posts, but didn't see a reference. Probly missed it. I'm always up for a good show!

Ricci, have a great time, if you haven't already left!

Birdlady, my parents lived in the Elmira/Big Flats area for a few years while my dad worked at Corning. We went to the Finger Lakes region a couple times, and I'd always wanted spend a lovely autumnal afternoon hitting all the wineries. Alas, it never happened before my folks abandoned the north forever for Florida! It sure is pretty up your way, though.

yogi, your dinner party sounds amazing. Cheddar cheese coleslaw... I can't picture it. What's in it? As far as an appetizer, something's been on my mind that I saw recently on Queer Eye, & haven't yet had a chance to try. You take the the pits out of some nice plump dates, fill them with soft goat cheese, wrap each one in bacon, and heat til crispy. I bet they would work on the grill, too. Man, now I'm hungry. This thread certainly does a good job at inspiring an appetite!!! Do let us know how your party goes...

Oh my heck, that bacon date thing sounds delicious! It's evil how delicious that sounds. I want one now.

I got the recipe for the coleslaw for a William's Sonoma grilling class in the Time Warner building store. It originally called for blue cheese, specifically stilton, but I am changing to a nice aged Black Diamond white cheddar. I think that sharpness will be a good contrast to the tamarind sweet sour flavor. That's what I'm thinking. The cole slaw with the blue cheese was the best cole slaw I have ever tasted, so I'm hoping this adaptation works too. If you would like the recipe, I can send it to you, but you need to send my your e-mail first because I can't send attachments through TwoP.

Wow, Florida in August, skagirl.... hmmm.... maybe the RNC doesn't sound too bad? Just teasing. But it is awfully hot and humid there that time of year. How nice that your office closes shop for a couple of weeks. What a good idea for a small office, but then, who gets the mail?

We have a similar proximity to embassies and missions. I share a wall with the Syrians. We once even had a border dispute over the garden fence - heh. Just down the block is the Palastinian embassy and across the way are the Israli police to keep an eye. A bit farther down are the Indian and Pakastani embassies. What are you going to do? I just hope when someone shoots the missle launcher in the neighborhood, they have darn good aim - heh.

Oh, the dinner party sounds good, and I agree with samina, dates are the new figs (or papaya or mango...but I am seeing them a lot).

Yea, I'm only doing 3 full days there, and one day will involve a trip to Miami to see the Cubs clobber the Marlins. But I figure, I'll sit in the shade, drink lemonade & relax - it's only a flight & dinner I'll pay for & it's the only thing I can afford (well, not really but fart it. I want to see my friend). And yea, I HATE the heat, and HATE HATE HATE the humidity. I haven't been on a proper vacation (i.e., not home to Chicago or a one-nighter to DC) since May 2001. This is as close as I'm getting until I win the lotto.

My, yogi, you really are in the thick of things, aren't you! It's like your own little mid-east-crisis microcosm!

Do you take cooking classes often? I haven't been to the new Time-Warner building yet, although I've thought of coming in for a weekend and checking the whole space out at my leisure, including the fab restaurants.

skagirl, I went to Miami once & just loved it! My parents & brother live in the Tampa area, though, so that's where I usually visit. And I don't think I'd mind the heat right now, even though I'm also one who wilts in humidity. I just would love the feeling of heat penetrating my bones. I work in an air-conditioned fluorescent cave that chills every inch of me. I'm actually sitting here with a warm blanket wrapped around me as I write this!

I have only taken one cooking class at the William Sonoma, but it was excellent. The program is run by two really talented woman, Zoe and Marlene. In fact, I saw Zoe today and discussed my menu plan with her. She said it sounded so good, could she please come to dinner - heh. She particularly like the dessert. She suggested that I change back to the blue cheese cole slaw though, and she is right. My goodness, it is so good! Then she helped me find a couple ingredients at the whole foods downstairs. The classes are taught on Thursday nights, samina, so if you ever want to go, I'd be happy to do it with you. You get huge amounts of food and drink plus all the recipes with the cost. Sadly, I don't remember the cost. But it's such a cool store too.

Oh, skagirl, I'm sure you will have a good time in Florida, even with the heat. As I recall, Florida is heavily air conditioned. I bet they even air condition the stadium! And you will just have to come up to my neck of the woods (you'll feel right at home) and I'll give you a mini vacation in NYC. I may even try to scrounge up an umbrella to put in your drink!

Actually, yogi, I think it would be fun to take one of those classes. Is it just a one-night affair, or do you pay for a multiple-evening sequence? My kids will be gone for 2-1/2 weeks at the end of August, and I'm always looking for things to do at that time which I normally find difficult to schedule. If they're having a class during that time frame, I'm definitely game!

I love Whole Foods. I have to drive an hour to shop at one, though. I used to go every week, but I've gotten out of the habit.

I'm in the mood to see a movie tonight, but there's just so little out that interests me. Does anybody else feel that way? What kind of movies do you all want to see more of? I'm "that close" to hauling off and writing a slew of screenplays that are more to my taste, just so I can have more quality films to choose from! It seems to get more & more pathetic each year.

Teena a lot of autistic people do not like to be touched, but thankfully, my son is okay about that. We're always hugging him, and the only problem is that now he's almost 12, he's starting to do the "don't kiss me, mum, when you take me to school" thing. Oh well. I will still try, I'm sure.

When he was first diagnosed, the only thing I knew about autism was what I'd seen in "Rainman", but I became determined to find out everything I could about it, from books, the internet, and our support group. Autistic Spectrum Disorder is so varied, some don't like touching, others are okay with it, some speak, others do not, etc. Not any two people with autism seem to have the same "symptoms".

Ricci I couldn't get into that site, but certainly would like to. You probably won't read this before you go, but on the off chance you do, can you post another link please?

Yogi your dinner party menu sounds scrumptious!!! I'd love to get that recipe so will email you, if that's okay. Hope it all goes well. Speaking of dinner parties, Mr Aussie and I are going to one tonight, at my sister's house. It's in honour of a friend who is celebrating his birthday, and it's going to be curry. Mr Aussie doesn't really like curry, but I do, being part Sri Lankan and all. Looking forward to it.

Samina, Dodo is an actor! Don't worry, I made that mistake once too, and he took it in good humour. What's happening, Dodo? BTW Samina, I get like that too in air conditioning. I was the one with the heater plugged in at my feet, shivering in the cool a/c, while it was stinking hot outside. One of the best places I worked in had no a/c, but it was right on the beach, and we had a lovely sea breeze to cool it off. It was so casual, all of us walked around in shorts and with bare feet. And this was a government office!

Ska hope you have a wonderful time in Chicago! Say hello to the wonderful windy city for me - it's been 17 years since I was last there! And enjoy FLA too.

Hi agian after God knows how long between last post, good news, I got a new computer so I can actually come here on regualr basis, Yay!

{{{Miss Yogi}}} I've missed you sweety!

Hey guys!! Before I start to get into my boating story again, I need to set the record straight. Our mast most definitly did not fall in the water. I'm sorry if I made it sound that way. What happened was the boom (which is the part that sticks out at a right angle from the mast and attaches to the back of the boat) had come detatched from the back of the boat and became perpendicular with the boat. My dad had to walk to the side of the boat, lean over the rail and grab the ropes that held the boom to the boat. Dd that make any more sense? Here, a sailing website. I know it's hard for people who don't know the terminology! I was a beginner to sailing once, too.
Now for Part Four: Crossing the Bar*:
*Bar: The part in the water where an ocean meets a river. Usually very rough.
Ahh, the light of morning. Dolphins swimming around the boat. Sharks circling us later. The Pacific Ocean, about 5 nautical miles from the Astoria bar. Me, thinking, "thank you, God, we're so close, please don't let anything else go wrong." Famous. Last. Words. Cut to 2 miles from the Astoria bar. Seas: 6-8 feet. Wind: 15 knots. Me: Clutching the wheel for dear life. My dad: On the bow of the boat. The jib's roller furling had jammed, meaning we couldn't get the sail in. My dad, all 53 years of him, went on the bow of the boat to (hopefully) unjam it. Good luck. My mom's eyes got this big as the boat went down a huge wave. Literally, all you could see was water. 5 minutes later: mission accomplished. No one died, no one was hurt, although one of us did hurl. Not mentioning any names. *coughcoughdadcoughcough* We cross the water at "slack tide", which was a joke. Slack tide means there are virtually no waves and very calm seas. Yeah right. I think they lied. It was 5 foot waves until we were 2 miles into the Columbia River. Two words: Never Again. The End.

On another topic..... You guys talk about soliders patrolling your streets. You should see it out here, in the wilderness that is Rainier, OR. Everyone on our road owns a gun, except one who just moved in. We have guns for protection. Not from terrorists, or murderers, or anything like that. It's from the raccoons. I jest you not. As of two weeks ago, my dining room table became an official weapons center. A revolver, just one. I had a rabid raccoon (I think, it might've had raccoon fever) try to attack my cat. It came (seriously, I'm not kidding) 3 feet from my house, even with me yelling at it. In the middle of the day. Raccoons are night creatures, for number one, and for the most part, scared of humans. This one was sick. So if I, or any of the other neighbors see it, we are on strict orders to kill it. Yup. That's the way we use guns out here.

On a more peaceful topic... Yogi! Do you cater? Willing to send some out West? Love you all!

Woodlock, my love, how are you? What a pleasure it is to "see" your elfin self. Congratulations on your new computer! Any new news since you last posted? Are you staying cool in the wilds of Texas this summer?

I'm so glad that the mast did not break off and fall in the water, PiP. I was picturing a film with Russell Crowe as your dad and Gwyneth Paltrow as you struggling mightily to reattach the broken wooden mast that had fallen in the water. Russell dives in and "hands" small but plucky Gwyneth the huge mast that will save them in the raging storm..... or something like that. Clearly, my image was a bit overly dramatic. On the other hand, Crossing the Bar (I learn so much in this thread) was clearly the dramatic part of this film. Good Gravy Marie, your Dad was very, very brave. If I were your Mom, I would have fainted. I don't even like it when Mr. Yogi goes to Chicago on the plane; I can just imagine my response if he disappeared into the Briny Deep to unfurl a jib. Not that he would do it. I'm more the unfurling of the jib type in our house, as Mr. Yogi, though as sweet as the day is long, is one of the unhandiest men ever to live. His only real competition for that award is my father. We always just pray that these men never actually attempt to fix anything. It's always a catastrophe.

I think going to a cooking class together later this month is just the thing, samina. I believe they are having another grilling class in a couple of weeks that looks very promising. You only buy one class, so it's most do-able (is this a word? I use it all the time.) Shall I e-mail you the information?

Speaking of e-mail, I'm off Time-Warner as my Internet is on the fritz at home and my e-mail is not going out with dial up. Aussie Girl, I will try to get to the office soon to send you the fabulous recipe for Blue Cheese coleslaw. You will totally love it. I have tons left over (I always make enough to feed an army.) You should all come over for dinner!

AussieGirl, my son was so like this. I always described him as "prickly". But he was fabulous with the Grand Gesture: a mad dash in for a huge hug & kiss, and then a blinding sprint away, evading any contact with my own arms. I relished a phase during the pre-school years when, at bedtime, he would wrap his arm around my neck and pull my cheek down against his own, and hold it there for a few moments. Such rare, exquisite contact. What a dear he was--and still is. He experienced his first love this past year, and I would marvel at how he would remain in constant physical contact with her! It made me so happy for him!

yogi, I'm a bit insecure about grilling, so that sounds like the ticket! Let's email to arrange details: amleeds@hotmail.com. And I use the word do-able all the time so, if you're not exactly in good company, at least you're in linguistically parallel company!

Dodo, so sorry for my sorry assumption! [Thanks for setting the record straight, AussieGirl! :-) ] And I'm no less interested in your performance. When (if) you have the time, please do elaborate.

PiP, your tale had me on the edge of my seat! You all must've gone home with a sense of euphoric heroism, like Odysseus. I think I would have been lost at sea, and no doubt hurling to the heavens.

Miss Yogi, I am doing very well, I got a job at Cingular, and I have a car now, oh and we actually have a cool spell (which I'm sure means like 80-90 but still about 20-30 degrees cooler), so Yay!

Still on the boyfriend hunt, not luck yet but my time will come, oh and I'm gonna be a catholic school girl for halloween this year.

Hi Woodlock, nice to see you here.

PiP - my God, that is just bloody incredible! You poor buggers! I think I would have died of fright. What a nightmare trip! And that raccoon sounds very determined to get your cat, if it's nocturnal and coming out in the day, and it should be scared of humans. Is there any other way of scaring it off, rather than having to shoot it? As you can tell, I don't know much about raccoons, never having seen one in my life.

Yogi, I'll await the recipe - I just love blue cheese so am really looking forward to it. How did your dinner party go? We went to one at my sister's house last night and it was nice, lots of great people there. We ate and ended up having to leave early so we could pick up the kids and drive home. Which was fine by Mr Aussie, as he has been working very long hours lately and is just exhausted.

Samina, your son sounds so great. And how wonderful that he is able to have such close physical contact with his girlfriend. That must have been a huge step for him! Good for him. I'm sure you are seeing all the extraordinary effort you have put in over the years pay off and that he appreciates having such a warm, loving mother. I think you are an amazing woman.

Hildy, where are you, girl??

Congratulations on the new job and car, Elfin One! This is a fabulous development. I am so happy for you - new computer, new job, new car, could a new boyfriend be far behind? I think not! You have been a very busy elf this year. And I'm certain you will rival Brittany Spears for the sexiest Catholic girl evahh - and I can judge as a former Catholic school girl myself - though perhaps skagirl is the true expert in this area.

I am temporarily without e-mail, samina, but I continue to try to send. The grilling class is on Thursday the 19th. I hope that sounds good. I will send the particulars when Time Warner gets their butt over here. Ugh.

One of my best friends is in town this week from Florence, Italy with her 8 month old baby and husband. We spent the afternoon together - it was such fun. She has been collecting wine for many years, and put away two bottles of 1985, one Haut Brion and one Mission Haut Brion which she is going to share with us on Tuesday night. Hurray! I am very, very excited. Yum. It's my lucky, lucky day! So we are going to take them to a nice French restaurant so that we have the appropriate meal for this wine tasting extravaganza. Hopefully, when I squeel with glee, I will do so elegantly so as not to disturb the other diners when I taste this. Heh. Plus, we are putting aside the whole day Thursday to spend time together. I haven't seen her in almost two years, and I'm really looking forward to a whole afternoon of talking and fun. I have missed her so much since she moved to Italy - there's something about an old friend who knows all your secrets, isn't there?

How was the curry, Aussie Girl? I'm very fond of a good curry.

Edited to add, we were posting at the same time aussie girl. See above on the e-mail issue. I'm working on it. No later than Tuesday, I promise! The dinner party? It was very delish. The only problem? I was so very, very tired. I really need to rest. But it was lovely to see old friends, and they seemed to enjoy the food and conversation a great deal.

samina How old is your son? That is great that he will hug you. even if it is a swoop in and swoop out. I know when i got a hug from my friend, who is autistic, that day we were out I was surprised, that was one thing that i didn't expect.

aussiegirl Good day mate..I hope you are doing well. It's saturday night here in beantown..better known as boston. i'm thinking about you, and sending good thoughts to you..i hope your friend is doing ok too. I know your mom is a big help to her

pip that is one heck of a story. Will you ever get on another boat again?, or better yet will your poor dad. ONe time when i was a kid, probably around 10, my father and I went fishing on the ocean, in a row boat, everything was going good until the wind started to pick up, and we tried to get back in. Dad had a little moter on the boat, but it wasn't getting us in too well, because of the current. The thing i remember the most that day was seeing my mother on the shore waving her arms like crazy for my father to get us back in ( like he wasn't trying). So while i was holding the stick on the motor steering, my father was rowing at the same time. We finally got back on shore. I thought my mother was going to kill him...Not as exciting as pips story, but it was pretty exciting then.

yogi I hope you are doing well. Thats' something i should look into my self. a cooking class. I can cook, but it's always the same ol thing. Let us know how it goes.

skagirl I hope you are having fun in Florida. When there is no humidity it can be great, but as soon as the humidity hits, that's what it feels like..you've been hit with it. It's awful..When I went it was October so the humidity wasn't too bad, but to me it was bad enough. I can't imagine during the summer.

Well...good night all...talk to you soon

Yikes, Teena and Aussie Girl, looks like the three of us all posted at the same time and asked each other overlapping question. [twilight zone music] Or maybe it's a matter of great minds thinking alike, though separated by many time zones....

Woodlock, where do you live that it gets to hot? Holy cow! Sounds like the Greek islands in the summer.

AussieGirl, thank you so much for your kind words! And yes, I really am absolutely tickled by how my oldest son is doing. He still stutters, but he deals with it, and he's surrounded by scads of friends, and he's very handsome & sweet, so the girls are very fond of him. Teena, he'll be 17 in January but he looks a couple years older than that. Size 14 shoe, can you imagine?!!!! And yes, he is much more affectionate these days. I just love talking to him. He's a very hip young man--I was joking with him today that he's my little "metro-sexual", and he seemed to agree. Not too many of those around in Hunterdon Cnty, NJ, I must say! He's straight, but wants to be an art director for a fashion mag & go to FIT in NYC. I actually used him as my "closer" in my Survivor video, because he had some very nice things to say, and is so natural in front of the camera.

yogi, the 19th sounds good--I'll put it on my calendar. Coincidentally, both my boys will have left the night before for Florida, to spend a week with my parents, so I'll be a swinging single (har-dee-har) for a little bit! <still guffawing...come to think of it, it would be a good time to fire up a romance... maybe I'll have to get crackin' on that!>

Hi Aussie, How's it goingdown under, oh do you suppose you can get me a great red Kangaroo other wise known as a Macropus rufus for a pet lol.

Yogi, I already got the make up and the skirt(apparently I wear a size 15 in juniors whatever that means), I still need to get a hold of a bra and panty set plus a white dress shirt and a blue cardigan and some knee high socks and some mary janes of which shouldn't put be too far back, but that wig I fear will not be cheap.
BTW are you going through Peachy withdrawels like I am :)

ETA
Samina, I am a Texas elf, or boy whatever you perfer :), specificly Wichita Falls which is like 2 and a half hour drive from the dallas area, and no trees for shade all we have here are mesquites, and its not even a freakin' desert. oy. In one word it's ugly.

Woodlock, your costume sounds FABulous!!! I wish I were there to put the makeup on myself! Make sure you take picture, y'hear?!

Thanks Samina, I don't think I'll have too much trouble with the make up I did a few years in drama, but the stuffing of the bra troubles me lol.

Have you been at the encyclopedia again, Woodlock? I never met an elf who had such a love of technical terms. I can not help you with the bra stuffing issue as I have never done that for a variety of reasons. But I did see a Will and Grace episode where Grace stuffed her bra with a water bag of some type, and of course it sprung a leak in an art gallery and kept sending a direct stream of water shooting out in the most unnatural way. But it did look good. I think that if you want to appear to be a true Catholic school girl, that kleenex tissue would be the most realistic stuffing device. I'm sure there are many Catholic school girls that have actually used this item over the years.

I can't imagine where one would buy Mary Janes in a man's size?!? I wouldn't even know where to look for a pair for me.

I'm thrilled we are going to go to the cooking class on the 19th, samina. On the menu is a recipe for grilled soft shelled crab. I'm intruiged. We will have to celebrate your first night out with the boys on vacation.

What am I doing up in the middle of the night posting? I dreamed of PiP's attack racoons - heh. Kidding. But seriously - those are some scary racoons. Even still, I am more nervous about loaded guns lying on the dining room table - heh.

Heh, neither have I! But a waterbra (what Grace was wearing in that episode) or these silcone inserts that Trinny from the UK version of "What Not To Wear" swears by (she calls them "chicken fillets", and says she occasionally fishes them out of her dress at parties as a conversation starter!?!?!?!) would work well. But yogi's right, Kleenex is traditional. You may actually see if there's a place online that caters to female impersonators - I remember reading a funny article from a young lady who used to buy her stiletto heels at one of those shops because nobody made 'em in size 13.

I think Kleenex (which by the end of the night will be shredding and very amusing) or socks (white, athletic) would work best. We found one girl trying the Kleenex thing in sixth grade. Woody, what sized shoe are you? I know Payless goes up to an 11 women's sometimes.

(and Teena, I'm in NYC until the end of the month - I'll give a heads up when I begin vacation)

I wear an 11 in men's but could probably squeeze into a 10 if I had to, why do men and women have differnt sizes grrr.
OH and I also bought Nair for men, which in case your wondering smells just as assy as regular Nair, but while wiping the hair off your legs you can go hey it's okay its Manly :), and then I would ruin that by pulling up a mini skirt oh well.

Eta becase Shirt and Skirt are not the same thing, as it is I would never show my belly :)

This whole chat on dressing Woodlock up in drag is a hoot! It brings up some fun memories, too -- when I was growing up my father would sometimes dress in soft drag for Halloween, and it always had us in stitches! My dad, this burly, manly Greek man with lipstick & a stuffed bra & blush on his cheeks, talking in falsetto. The guy must've had a past life in vaudeville or during Shakespearean times, because he was so good at it!

Nothing like a man in uniform, or in a woman's skirt! Hah!

woodlock, I'd be happy to lend you a pair of my daughter's mary janes, but something tells me they just arent' going to fit.
As for stuffing, yes, the water bra is, I think, an actual item that can be purchased. I've used socks in a Halloween costume (St. PauliGirl, long story) and they were good in that they did not shred and compress, as I fear kleenex would. It's important to think these things through.
You know, knee socks might not be so easy to find, either. I have trouble finding those good, thick cabled knee socks myself. Apparently, sock manufacturers thinkn that women don't like to keep their feet and calves warm once they turn 10 or so. sigh.
Okay, you guys, I'm so very jealous of all this dinner partying and cooking classing. I wanna go too! I did make three nice flower arrangements this weekend, however. I went to a farmers' market and got some flowers, augmented with stuff from my garden, and went to town. I love arranging flowers. It's a very restful thing to do.
So skagirl, did you wear a uniform to school and everything? Oh my. Failing to wrap my tiny brain around that concept.

Hildy, my brain is suddently withholding the region where you live -- where is that again? It would be simply smashing if you could come to the cooking class!

What an utterly gorgeous day it is in these parts. I'm going to stick my nose up at the weed-wacking my tiny patch of riverside grass craves, & instead am going for a walk to drink this all in, before it goes up in vapors with the rain that usually settles in about now. This part of New Jersey becomes an overgrown, dank, dark-green jungle every year as August progresses, so I'm relishing this low humidity, blue sky, & cool breeze!!!

You know woodlock, that is a critical consideration when removing hair from various areas of the body -- Heh. You are a nut. I knew that skagirl would come through with the definitive realistic Catholic school girl advice, as she is the real thing! Of course, the rest of us are here to advise. Trust y'all to come up with a practicle strategy for cross dressing.

The only thing stopping my Boston friend, Hildy from joining in on the various and sundry dinner party, cooking class tomfoolery is .... I don't know what... Yankee pride, maybe? Get your butt down here girl! You know you've got a place to stay! Come drink wine, cook, eat, yack (not in the skagirl sense though. Too messy - heh.

This day is too beautiful! I'm going to go kiss Mr. Yogi.

Woodlock, if you need knee socks, try getting soccer or softball ones. They're huge and come in all sorts of colors, i think white also.

Well, I do hope to come down in September, but it's not a simple thing to get away. I don't feel right abandoning Mr. Hildy and the small people, not to mention spending a lot of money, so I try to limit my excursions. If I lived within easy driving distance, it'd be another story.

Oh, Hildy, I was just teasing you. I know how difficult it is to leave home with a family that depends on you. I feel exactly the same way you do. (Except for the little bit of yankee teasing, I can't help that, being a native Virginian and all.) I just want you to know that you are always welcome, and that I look forward to meeting you in person when the time is right. :)

It's just that I was so shocked to hear the word "Yankee Pride" associated with my name, Yogi. There is NOTHING about the Damn Yankees that one could be proud of. ;-)

Yogi, the curry dinner was good (but not as good as mum's!). Lots of nice people. It was just nice to mingle with big people, for a change, seeing as how most of my life is spent with children! It was a cold night, which was a shame, as they have a pool and it's sometimes warm enough in August for a dip. But they got a roaring fire going, and I sat near to it most of the night.

Teena - g'day to you too, mate! My mum has been spending time with my cousin, and she is doing a little better. I'm hoping to get over to see her in the next couple of days.

Woodlock sorry mate, no Macropus rufus, will a koala do instead? Lol. Do you get into Dallas at all? I spent some time there through the 80's, great place. My friends who used to live there have moved away now, but one didn't move far - she's in Azle TX now. Is that anywhere near you?

Samina not surprised to hear your son's shoe size is 14 - my son is heading that way too. He's in size 10, and he turns 12 years of age this week. We have to keep buying him new shoes as he just outgrows them so quickly. His feet are huge! And of course, finding shoes with velcro rather than laces is no easy task.

Hildy some people have a gift for arranging flowers like you do, sadly, I am not one of them. I just put em all into a vase and hope it looks okay. I'll bet your flower arrangements look exquisite.

Suffering acute Peachy withdrawal here. Sigh....

Have a good day all, see you tomorrow!

Hee You guys rule!
I don't suppose any of you have a blonde wig I could borrow?
Oh I saw G.I. Jane today good movie never saw it before, but Aragorn scared me lol.

Here's an interesting discussion of Nair for Men, while we're on the topic:
Interview with Thomas Lennon (Lt. James Dangle) of Reno 911!

I can hear Lennon doing this interview in the "Dangle" voice, which makes it much, much funnier.

Suction, that was the best interview ever, Nair for balls heh!

Yogi, your memory is so sharp! Yes, I was a wee Catholic school girl until I was unleashed on the public school system for high school.

Woody, for the socks, you are v. skinny, right? Then any cable knit knee socks or thick white will work for you from the ladies or young miss department. As for the blonde wig, I'd make a wee road trip to a huge costume shop sometime this summer - avoid the rush at Halloween. Plus then you can wear it home with sunglasses and reenact "To Wong Foo".

Again, dear Elfin One, I do not have a blonde wig for you, for similar various reasons to the ones regarding stuffing of bras. Though I do recall that when I was a little girl, my mother had wigs for some reason. She called them "falls". She sort of incorporated them into her hair. Then she would tease her hair up around them. Do any of you remember those things?

As always, you can always count on our skagirl to know the exact place for a young man to buy a blonde wig! A former Catholic schoolgirl indeed is a friend indeed as well... or something like that. It sounds like you will be well dressed for Halloween. The knee socks are a must. I used to have thousands of pairs of those things. Where do socks go when they die? Possibly the best place for a man to buy cable knee socks is a men's store that caters to preppy men or men who golf. They are called "over the calf" socks rather than knee socks there, but they are essentially the same thing.

Isn't it ironic that the land of real, actual Yankees is land that hates the Yankees baseball team with the heat of a thousand suns, Hildy. Mr. Yogi and I frequently discuss this irony. Actually, Mr. Yogi comments on it, and I nod and say, "yes, honey, that is, indeed, very ironic." He is a man obsessed. When he threw three coins in the fountain at Tivoli, his wish was for a humiliating Yankee (baseball) loss this year. Now he is certain it will come to pass. Oh well, hope springs eternal for Red Sox and Mets fans.

Great link, Great interview suctionprints. I particularly enjoyed that he kept repeating he is open to discussions regarding Nair for Balls. Because sometimes I am twelve.... OK, usually I am twelve.

I lit the fire last night too, Aussie Girl, as it is unseasonally cold here. It sounds like a wonderful evening. And curry too? Yum!

How many more days until Peachy?

Peachy is going to be on Regis and Kelly on wednesday august 11th. co hosting with kelly.. I hope i get to see it

I am late to the party 'cause of our long weekend at the cottage, so I will just say:
Hugs to Aussie and her friend - what a tragedy.
Hey, you silly school-girl WoodElf! And, be careful with that Nair.
Dodo, you go, boy! I just know you will have a good week.

Mine did, too. She had a full wig and a "wiglet" (a small hairpiece) and a case for them with a wig stand (a foam head).

The reason behind the fake hair was that hairstyles in the 60s required weekly trips to the beauty salon, and the wig would tide you over to the next appointment if you had to wash your hair and didn't have time to set and dry it*, or if it got mussed. They were also handy if you were traveling and couldn't get to the beauty parlor. My mom would wear hers, for example, when we had just returned from a week at a beach cabin.

*for the youngsters: "setting" meant putting it up in rollers (not electric rollers, the kind where your hair was wet when you rolled it) and "drying" meant sitting under one of those dryers you've seen in movies, with the big beehive-shaped dome; blow-dryers did not exist back then.