Hey! Sitting right here.

I would say bike riding. I have three children and this is something that we all enjoy. They are ages 9, 6, and 4. Maybe just spending some time outside kicking around a soccer ball or something.

On the issue of 'special' parking spaces. I don't really see how that is necessary. Other than handicapped spaces. You could always try going to the store during off peak hours when you can get a closer spot if you need one badly enough. There are plenty of ways to solve the problem of walking in parking lots. And I say that as a woman who had morning sickness to the extreme all through three pregnancies and hypertension with the last.

I base my parking space choices on where the cart returns are as well. If I need to walk through half of the lot then that is what I do. We all hold hands and stay right close to each other. There are so many big SUVs zooming through parking lots that I wonder if I am tall enough to be seen sometimes so I know my children are not. I keep a very tight reign on my children while shopping because I know that they are not to be any one else's nuisance or responsibilty. I know this cannot be said for many parents. And I am not trying to make myself out to be a Stepford-mom. I just respect that other people have their right to shop peacefully. I know I enjoy it when I go out on the occassional spree all alone. :)

When I get a call at home from someone who has the wrong number, I always feel like they think I am lying to them when I tell them they have the wrong number.

Not to worry, JudyZ, you're not the only one missing the beginning of TAR6. Although I'm not missing it by much.

See, I am a moron. I book my flights to go to DC to visit Papa Tiger, where he's now working, and incidentally go to TARcon during the week I'm up there -- and in a total fit of stupidity, I book my flight back for Saturday evening, 9/25, leaving BWI at 7 pm and arriving in New Orleans at 8:05 pm. The show is on from 7-8 Central time.

I am SUCH a moron. Thank heaven for the miracle of videotape!

To quote David Cassidy, geebs_criminy, I think I love you.

Honestly, I think it can be said for many parents. I don't think most parents sit around at home and say "Oh look, honey, Zach and Brianna are totally losing their shit. Let's buy them slurpees and go to Wal-Mart!" As painful as it can be to see a screaming kidlet hauled around the mall, trust me that it is much more painful to be the one doing the hauling.

We really don't do it on purpose. Really.

In fact, I think it's good for us to be hauling them along. What else are we gonna do, give in? "Gee, honey, since you've screamed about it, I won't get the food / clothes / whatever that we really need. We'll just go home now." Yeah, that kid's gonna grow up to be a responsible, disciplined adult. She'll probably feel that convenience spaces are a personal affront to her able-bodied self.

Better that they learn, early, that many things are more important than their comfort. That they can't have every toy they see. That Mommy and Daddy don't go places with kids for the fun of it, but because we actually have things to do that really need to be done. Otherwise, you wind up with Paris Hilton.

Pssst...lose the husband!

I'm weary just contemplating this output of energy. What was/is your sport?

Hey, at least you're hauling. My problem is with people who let their kids run free in dangerous situations.
As much as screaming kids in public irritate me, I am even more bothered by the parents I see that give in and bribe their children to shut up. I know that they are embarrassed and feel pressured to stop the child but I can't help feeling that those kids are going to grow up into people who park in handicapped spots just because THEY WANNA! THEY WANNA! GIMMEE!

Point taken, Zron.

Let's buy them slurpees and go to Wal-Mart!, this line is totally more funny when read in your mind's voice like Donkey from Shrek. Tomorrow I'm making waffles! Ahem, sorry.

Anyhoo, there were mentions of earworms several pages ago... I am curious what do you do when you have an entire soundtrack repeating randomly? I watched Chicago for the first time over the weekend and now I have the songs running through my head all weirdly spliced together. It's not really all that bad though, I think the songs are great.

Wait, how does that song go?? "You're so vain...


But then I'd have to do my own laundry and the washer and dryer are in the basement. That and he actually likes to cook so I have much more variety in my diet than I would if it was up to me.


For the Paralympics in 84, 88 and 92 I was a thrower (Shot put/Discus). I went to Worlds in 95 as a wheelchair rugby player. I still play rugby on a club team but that's it. The hardest thing for me about no longer competing is that based on how I threw in Barcelona, I could have medalled in Sydney, if I'd competed. On the other hand my kids couldn't have come with me if I'd gone as an athlete.

Thanks for the clarification delta Now I have some guidance on what to get. I think he'd really love an iPod but I have plenty of time to do detective work and see what tech gadgets are really on his wish list.

I have an annoying telemarketer story. A few night ago the phone rings and the caller asks to speak to Mrs. [mylastname] Yeah, I'm not a Mrs, that would be my mom and she is 600 miles away. So I polityly reply that there is no one here by that name and hang up. The phone rings again just minutes later and the SAME FREAKING guy asks if my mom or dad is home; well I don't know they live 600 miles away and I have been on my own for almost 15 years. So I tell him that they are not present and I have no interest in speaking to him. The phone rings AGAIN not 2 minutes later....same guy that asks if I am the lady of the house! At which point, I lose my patience and tell the asshat that I am but I have NO interest in speaking to him and that is he calls once more I am filing a harassment complaint with the phone company. Geez!

I got a 5 yr old step-son as a package deal with the fiance (he has primary custody) so I'm rather new to all this parenting so while I think Zron that you have a point; I also think that in many cases parents set kids of up to fail in public by taking them out when the kids are sleepy (naptime or late) and not being prepared. And indeed, going to Target or out to dinner or whatever is infinitely more fun to a 5 yr old than staying home and playing with the same toys. So I am glad to take him as long as he behaves. A few weeks ago, my fiance and I went out to dinner with some friends (childless) and took my future stepson with us. He had a nap and we discussed good behavior. While it was a family style restaurant, the kiddo sat and colored on the paper placemat, ate his food without throwing and or spilling it and asked politely to be taken to the restroom. Afterwards, he asked if we could go out for ice cream. My response was ABSOFREAKINGLUTELY! You reward good behavior and have consquences for bad behavior. Act like a hellion and you don't get to go anywhere fun in public with me. Of course, let's see how well my theory holds up next weekend when I have the kiddo for 2 whole days while my fiance goes out of town for a family thing.

Is the 7-year-old ready for skates? I know that worked for my brother's family. Some skated, some biked, he jogged.

Having a new baby myself, I appreciate everyone's comments. At this age (<1) naptimes are still pretty random, and shopping is way cool for him, so we haven't as yet had any major meltdowns. On the weight thing, see the first sentence of this paragraph. If I have any time at all in which to exercise, I generally trade it in for some sleep.

On the hair thing, sparky1, I feel for you. I once had a stylist hold a nasty argument with her mother who had dropped by --and burned my scalp. I mean like scorched. I had to yell to get her attention and knock her hand away. Nowadays, I'm a Suicide Redhead (she dyed by her own hand).

ETA: And while I'm confessing, I'll confess that I don't post in the episode threads, since I'm finding page after page of the same stuff said almost the same way over and over and redundantly and again some more. But I search out certain posters (e.g. El Guapo) because some folks around here can make me snort tea out both nostrils. Blessed are the bringers of the funny.

I don't read the episode threads, either, but that's because I can't stay caught up to them. I have enough trouble staying caught up with the few threads I do read. Hell, I went away for one day, and I'm just getting caught up.

Congrats on making it to those Paralympics, JudyZ. I'm sure it took a lot of dedication to make it that far. Also, go rugby! I play rugby and I've seen wheelchair rugby on TV, and I swear that the wheelchair version is more brutal. Our version has nice, soft grass to fall on/be tackled on. Hard floors? Not so nice.

It's really not so bad, and frankly, what's gonna happen? I fall, break something and have to use a wheelchair? Gosh. With most of these guys, the worst thing they could imagine has already happened so they're pretty fearless. I'm seen some brutal injuries, a couple of broken hips, the odd concussion but at almost half the New Zealand team is made up of guys who broke their necks playing stand up rugby, so I'm not sure it's not worse.

True. In four years of playing, only two people on my team have had to go to the hospital, though I've seen several players from other teams go. AFAIK, none of the injuries have been serious. I've been able to make it through with only cuts and bruises. I did get a black eye though, and at the same time I had a bruise on the other side of my face. Good old war wounds.

Well, considering that one of the crowd cheers for my college's rugby team was "Blood makes the grass grow!", I think you're probably right, Judy.

That is my job and I'm sad to say that we've actually had that first request many a time, I'm kind of thankful that we haven't had the second. Though I did have a lady try and tell me that we ruined her negatives with a bunch of goo. Upon closer inspection...she sneezed on them.

My favorite story ever though is the woman who called me and said that she was having a dinosaur party for her son and wanted one of those cakes where you give the bakery a photo and they put it on the cake. So she called to ask if I had any recent pictures of dinosaurs. I think I managed to keep it together long enough to tell her to give them a picture from an encyclopedia or magazine or something though I have no idea how.



I swear you were standing next to me at that concert. I was the one in the lime green leggings with the NKOTB shirt tied up at the side with a pink shirt-tying-thingie.

I totally understand the pregnant women parking thing when it's at places like the grocery store or the mall where there is a lot of walking required. However, I don't think they are necessary at places like the movie theater or Starbucks where the walking is fairly minimal.

And may I just say that this board is starting to be reminiscent of the West Wing one? Once we got on the topic of weight loss this thread hauled.[/talkingabouttheboardsontheboards]

ooh - new topic, annoying telephone calls. I got one on Sunday morning, at 8:30 a.m. from the Police Benevolent Association (or someone claiming to be with them - the caller ID said "out of area", which always makes me suspicious).

He doesn't even apologize when I point out that it's early. He just launches into his "OK, so I'll start you off with a $50 donation". Yeah dude, you woke me up on a Sunday morning, and with nothing more than your say-so I'm going to tell you my credit card number. I don't think so. Moron.

Ms. Alli, I love the blog. Parts of it made me laugh. Parts made me cry (it was all good).

One thing I've noticed is that because it's become popular to believe that no one REALLY has glandular problems, people aren't referred to specialists to see if there is an underlying problem. I'm not fat because I have Hashimoto's thyroid (and, really, he can have it back), but it certainly makes it harder to lose weight if your metabolism is legitimately slow and you are so exhausted you can't drag yourself past to and from work. And too many GPs are working from old texts that don't have the right info on what the thyroid numbers should be. So I'd encourage anyone with a serious weight problem to respectfully request a referral to an endocrinologist. If I hadn't had a neck injury and they hadn't seen the tumors in my thyroid on my CAT scan, I don't know how long it would have taken them to know I was sick. It isn't like I wasn't bruising easily, or didn't have really dry skin, or wasn't exhausted (when a Dr. asks, "How's your energy level?" how do you know it's not good if you've never had any energy? NOW I have energy and I realize what the heck they were talking about!), and my thyroid hormone levels were well below what an endocrinologist would find acceptable, but the GP was working on a different scale.

Now I'm relatively healthy, but still fat. I couldn't go for the whole hog (no hog) approach. I, too am a graduate of the shake your way to skinny (18 weeks, not a single bit of food), gained all back and plus some. And I had eaten and exeercised off 100 pounds and gained them and more back. So this time I just started just eating more fruits and veggies (and when I eat more fruit, I eat less chocolate and don't crave empty cals) in June. (Oh, and it's summer and I was on vacation, both times when I am less likely to eat madly and more likely to walk around a lot.) I also wonder if being too warm all the time (yes, I'm menopausal, why do you ask?) means I'm burning more calories? I don't have a scale. So I didn't know that I was doing more than just feeling better and feeling better about myself until Monday when I popped in for a little fun with phlebotomy. I've lost 14 pounds in 12 weeks. The woman in the office who went "fruit! aren't you getting too many carbs?" got a deep sigh, a shake of my head, and a no. just no.

My sister the doctor (who told me in March, "Just eat more anti-oxidants.) had one of those harnesses for her son. And she used it much later than the average mom, because he's developmentally challenged and was way faster of foot than most kids who don't know better than to run into traffic.

I sit here often and wonder if Zron and JudyZ are in the same room on separate computers. The interplay is just one of the little sweet treats in the Market. One question, Judy....does he iron?

Whee, more fun weight-loss stuff: at lunch today a manager in my department was expounding on his beliefs about weight loss. Which include: that all doctors ("All doctors!" he practically yelled) are taught in medical school, and have been taught in medical school since modern medicine began, that low carb diets will keep the weight off. But, in order to increase their business, they've conspired and kept their mouths shut lo these many years, offering useless tips like exercise and cutting calories and low fat. Dr. Atkins, apparently, was the only doctor brave enough to speak up and let us all in on the truth.

I guess I know why we don't have pizza lunches anymore. Heh.

Besides, I never liked those skinny girls, anyway; it always looked like sex would break them in half.

Guys have actually told me this. I responded that just because I've got padding doesn't mean you get to roughhouse. Snicker.

JudyZ, I am in awe. I'm in awe of anyone who can dedicate themselves that way to competing.

Sort of continuing in the same line, did anyone see Monster Games? I don't actually watch Monster Garage, because it doesn't hold my interest (unlike Junkyard Wars) but the people from that show tried to make mechanical equivalents to compete in shotput, hammer throw, javelin, high jump, long jump, and a running event. It was rather cool. They competed against atheletes going to the games (regular and paralymics for the runner). It looked like everyone had a good time.

Yes, it's a conspiracy. A conspiracy to keep the easy, obvious solution away from the masses. The easy, obvious, low-carb solution. Oh, brave Dr. Atkins.

I saw an article not long ago that correlated the beginning of the recent increase in obesity (however real you believe it to be, based on what you've read recently) to the advent of the lowfat, high-carb advice that started to be heavily promoted in, say, the late 1980s or thereabouts. The article theorized that people actually did try to follow that advice, and they tried to do what they were told was right, but because the advice wasn't sound -- or, more accurately, was incomplete -- they wound up being worse off than before.

Unfortunately, I suspect that people who absorb an incomplete version of the low-carb philosophy (not so much the South Beach people, who I think are mostly just more extreme than is necessary, but more the freak-out people who insist that if you don't eat a lot of carbs, you cannot gain weight no matter how much protein and fat you eat, which is just foolish) will ultimately show up in the numbers with similar problems.

It's sad to me, the way that people have been let down so many times by their experiences with weight loss advice that they will follow something that you'd think would sound instinctively nonsensical (and here, I am talking again about the "fat and protein cannot possibly make you gain weight no matter the quantity, so you can literally eat four pounds of steak every morning for breakfast without gaining weight" and yes, I have had people insist to me that this is true), even knowing that the evidence of its effectiveness and safety over the long term is lacking.

Heh, and then there's the guy suing Atkins because he had to have, like, a triple bypass after eating nothing but red meat for 10 years. Dude.


Suzikins, you are me six years ago. Good luck with that. Heh.
Have to ask, do you get the thing where people think it's so weird that your fiance has primary custody of his own son and want gory details of why and how that happened? People seem like they still can't get over the fact that the court gave my husband custody of his child. Geez, dads are people too, you know. [/soapbox]

All I know is how greasy my face feels for a day after eating a high fat/high protein meal. And how hot I am. And how I can't imagine that means I've just done something good for me.

And I'm grateful that my main docs (GP, endocrinologist, gynocologist, asthma/allergy) are all caring whole-person docs who understand my history and are supportive. I am very very lucky, I know. Pushing or putting down just makes me want to eat mass quantities of stuff I don't even like. (Yes, I have figured out who's on the other end of the rope. And that has helped a lot!)

The current TAR is really making me want to go to Egypt. When I went to India years ago as my first big overseas vacation, the folks on the tour with me were mostly seasoned travelers. And they were almost universally surprised that I'd chosen India as the first place I wanted to see (it was an art history class in college that got that dream going, along with reading "The Far Pavilions"). They kept asking why I hadn't gone to Egypt. And at the time, I hadn't even thought of that. Still hadn't gotten on the Egypt train until Colin and Christie hit Cairo. Have been salivating over the gorgeous ruins (no, not the twins!) ever since.

I am right there with you, BoDiva. Add the fact that the kind folks at the Survivor MM recommended the Amelia Peabody mystery series for a vacation read, and I've been living with a pair of Victorian era Egyptologists for about a month now, and you get somebody who really, really wants to go. I've also been trying to remember what ruin or famous temple it was that got drowned by the Aswan Damn. Does anybody know?

Judyz, rugby? Wow. My college roomies all played, but I must admit b/c there were kegs prominently featured at the games. However, out of three roomie players, 2 suffered broken noses in one season.

Weight: I'm like Auntlada--string bean track runner growing up, outdoor enthusiast in my 20s, never thought about weight. Now I'm 40 with two small kids, and the weight has crept on a little. I miss my exercising, but figuring out a reliably sustainable program has been a challenge.
I also have to say that my mother gave us the great gift of feeding us very healthfully, and really enforcing the concept of family meals. We almost always had breakfast and dinner as a family. People have been known to laugh when they hear that fruit was a frequent dessert at our house, and when I was a kid, I used to be astounded at the size of the portions served for dinner at my friends' homes. Of course, I fell right off the wagon in high school, when I started buying lunches that consisted of a cupcake and a bag of french fries, but I had good basic habits to come back to, and I mostly have, except for the ongoing french fry habit.

That is Abu Simbel I believe.

This is going to sound like a weird question, considering where I live, but I need some help from those of you who have travelled to NYC in the last few years--

Does anyone have a recommendation for a decent hotel somewhere in midtown (preferably near-ish to Times Square) that would cost around $200 per night for a double in October?

I have a friend of a friend from Ireland who's coming over then, and I know nothing about hotels, as I live here!

Thanks!!

Suzikins, JenEx (waves hand excitedly) me too, me too. Only my boyfriend's son is six. Cute as a button 75% of the time, not so cute the other 25%. I've tried to work on his out of the house manners (shopping, dinner and the like) by talking to him before we go anywhere "There will be no running, no jumping, no sliding over the counters and displays..." and by nipping it in the bud when it starts to happen.

A couple of weeks ago we were in BJ's and he saw a "Bounce House" and immediately went into "Can I get that?" mode. I said no and he commenced to pouting. So rather than deal with the attitude for the rest of our time in the store I took him over to look at the price. It was $299.99. I then told him that if he was really interested in getting it, there was a way it could happen. I put him in the cart and proceeded to explain to him the concept of a mortgage. I told him he could go home, open his piggy bank, use the funds as a down payment and I'd put up the rest. By the time I got through explaining what interest was, how his mortgage payments would work, the concept of present value of money, his eyes were rolling and he was begging me to stop.

Me: You're sure you don't want this? Because I think I can make the numbers work for you. You'll be the first kid you know to own a house
Him: No, no, I don't want it. We can leave it, let's just keep shopping
Me: You're sure now, I think your Dad will be okay with this...
Him: No, no, please, let's just go.

This was made all the better because his dad and I are both bankers. We had a good laugh over the whole thing. And I got through an hour and fifteen minutes in the store without him asking for another thing.

Whereverthefk, as funny as this sounds try both the Waldorf and the Intercontinental (Park and 48th/49th Sts) they often run specials for the weekends and have rooms for about $240 per night

Here's some info on Aswan Damn.

I too really want to go to Egypt. I've always been fasicnated by Eqyptian history and art and TAR has renewed that interest. However my next big trip is tentatively going to be Namibia (and that has nothing to do with TAR... I just learned a short while ago that it was a destination in S2). Although now I've been invited by a friend to visit her in India. So I don't know what I'll do. It's such a big world, so many places to go!

wtf, you could check out Millennium Broadway. That should be around $200. It's a nice clean modern hotel.

wherever, a bunch of TWoP types just stayed at the Hotel 41, right off of Times Square, for a few nights. While the rooms are teeny, it was perfectly acceptable. And it's next to "Rent," so you get to see a lot of quasi-hip poseurs milling around. I think the price should be approximately right. I actually paid a little less than that.

For me it's back to Egypt. I was talking to the bf about this the other night (He finally "gets" TAR now. Yay!).

He said, "You've been to all these places, right?"
"Sorta, kinda," I replied.
"Huh?"
"Well, I was 19 and broke, so even though I was there, I was too young to appreicate what I was doing and when I had the chance, a month later, to return to the pyramids, I stayed on the ship because I couldn't afford it and it was hot and...ugh. I was stupid, ok? I wanna go back. Like, now."
"So you didn't see the Nile?"
"Shut up."

To be honest, JenEx I haven't experienced that too much. Although I do get people thinking it is so brave of me to take on the burden of another woman's child. *eyes rolling* My fiance told me that he had primary custody of his son on our first date; if that was an issue for me, I could have bailed then. Although sadly there are some gory details with my fiance's son custody arrangement which is why I'll have the kiddo all next weekend when my fiance has to go out of town rather than the child's birth mother.

rlb8031 Hee! I have to say, my future step-son's behavior is very good for a 5 yr old about 90% of the time and most of the time his poor behavior can be tied to being tired or having his routine disrupted (either at his aunt or mother's house). Although my fiance tends to not realize that a 5 yr old is more capable of things than a 3 yr old. So I have the kiddo pick up his toys when he is done playing with them. He also kicks off his shoes the second he is inside (I do the same) but I have been working on having him take his shoes up to his room, more so we know where they are. The other day, my fiance had kicked off his shoes in the living room and the little guy comes down and see them. He says "Daddy, Chelle doesn't like it when you leave your shoes down here. Be a helper and take them to your room." Hee! I about wet myself laughing.

whereverthef I stayed at the Sheraton on 54th (maybe 52) and 7th for around $150. Although make sure to get rooms at the newer Sheraton towers rather than the older Sheraton NY (they are across 7th from one another) as the older one SUCKS! Also the last time I was in town for busines, I stayed at the Novatel which I think was actually on Broadway and practically next door to the theatre where Hairspray was playing. Kind of weird set up because the lobby is on like the 7th floor. But lots of Europeans staying there and the nicest doorman. I've also gotten really got rates on Travelocity and Travelzoo.com also often has really great hotel deals, particularly for the fall.

rlb8031



This? Was absolutely brilliant! I get the feeling that this kid is going to grow up to be a pretty savy adult thanks to you.

Suzikins, I have the exact opposite problem. My wife doesn't have the kids clean stuff up; when I get home, the house is a mess. I make them clean, but that just saps my energy. You would think programming, indoors, in a seated position, would be restful, but by the time I get home, I'm ready for bed. Cleaning is just too much.


THIS I've gotten them to understand. Most of the time. Unfortunately, the two-year-old gets pretty much free rein in the house, and she likes to move stuff. More things I never thought I'd say: "What is your sneaker doing in the dishwasher? And where's the other one?"

Edited because "free rein" is an equestrian term. Although "free reign" is probably more appropriate.

Heh. How about "Put that away. No one here wants to see your penis."

(Mind you, if I ever host Survivor, I might have need of that phrase again.)

Since I'm still doing the September hotel search, I checked this...seems like prices are $289 and up in September.

I thought I was the only one who said that...

ETA: Judebert you should try something my mom used to do. Whenever she got fed up with our mess she'd just throw everything out. She'd make an announcement that we either could come claim our stuff or it was going. She'd then give us fifteen minutes or so to move our belongings and then she would walk around an start putting stuff in a garbage bag. After the first couple of times my sister and I learned to hop to it and clean or lose our stuff. Of course we were a little older (I was about 8 or so and my sister was older) so we actually did clean. I don't know how it would work with little ones.

Typically not, mostly because he can post from work and I can't. Consequently I most often catch up when I get home from work and he's making dinner. The only reason I'm posting this much this week is because I'm home in the afternoons. It's payback for working seven nights in a row.

As to the ironing, Zron went to Military College so for all intents and purposes he has a degree in ironing. That's a good thing because I don't.


We had a conversation like that here this week. The boy wanted to go to daycare even though I home in the afternoons. I explained that it's a flat rate and that I didn't want to pay $40. Then I told him that I knew he had $40 in his piggy bank and if he wanted to pay for it, I would be okay with that. After a few minutes he said "I think that might be a waste of money. I can just go next week." My thought? How is it that my six-year-old gets delayed gratification but some of my best friends don't. I just hope he remebers this later.

ETA: rlb, my brother does that, although with less warning and he just moves everything into the shed, and then reintegrates it into the house over about six months. Although his kids now know their stuff isn't really leaving forever, the thought of having to venture through the dog run into the shed or do without for six months motivates them to put stuff away.

Sigh. Mandatory evacuation. We're boarding up and hauling out. Electricity MUST be restored by 10:00pm Tuesday night so I can watch TAR. I'll try to catch up later, but if anyone wants a TARcon non-smoking roomie who was around after the Beatles but before NKOTB.....

I worked in Yellowstone National Park one summer (1995, the year the wolves were first released back into the park) answering phone calls for lodging reservations and the following are just two of the idiot calls I had:

Caller: I need to know where in the park to go to see some grizzly bears.
Me: There is no specific place to see bears; they can be any where in the park.

Caller: But I want to make sure to see some bears.
Me: Sir, they are not kept in cages. The park is almost 3500 square miles and there are less than 1000 grizzlies. And the bears are allowed to roam freely throughout the park.

Caller: So I might not see a grizzly?
Me: Sorry, sir, probably not.

Caller: OK. So where can I see one of those new wolves?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Caller: (almost whispering) I heard a rumor you had an earthquake a day or two ago.
Me: Yes, that’s true. It was very small earthquake – no damage, no injuries, very few people even felt it.

Caller: Well, are there going to be any more earthquakes?
Me: There is no way to predict earthquakes, but since Yellowstone is an active geothermal area there is the possibility of further earthquakes. (I knew it would totally freak her out if I told her there are over 1000 small earthquakes a year in Yellowstone.)

Caller: But I need to know, because if there are going to be any more earthquakes we just can’t visit this year.
Me: Sorry, I just have no way of knowing that information.

Good luck, Hexele! Here in New Orleans we're happy that Bonnie and Charley are ignoring us, but of course that means that they're just bothering other people. Stay safe, and I hope your stuff is all fine when you get home!

My telephone number is one digit different than a local elementary school. My voicemail message actually says "You have reached xxx-xxx-xxxx. If you are trying to reach Samantha Smith school, the number is xxx-xxx-xxx(x-1). If you are trying to reach me, please leave a mesage after the tone."

Anyway, most of the time it's not that bad, just a few mis-dialed calls every month. But last year at the beginning of the school year, the PTA sent out a newsletter that had a typo in the listing for the office number.

Caller: Hi, this is Joey's mom. He's sick today.

Sorch: I'm sorry this is not Samantha Smith school. The number you need is xxx-xxxy.

Caller: But it's on this list!

Sorch: Yes, I know. Apparently there is a typo on the list, but it really is the wrong number.

Caller: Okay, thanks.

(next day)

Caller: Hi this is Joey's mom again. He's still sick.

Sorch: I'm sorry this is not Samantha Smith school. The number you need is xxx-xxxy.

Caller: But that was what you said yesterday! I thought they would have it fixed by now!

WTF?

If I don't go to Vegas, the terrorists win!

My mom and dad and sister live on the opposite side of the country as my husband and me. Rather than intruding in on our tiny 1 bedroom apartment for their annual visit (yes I work full time with a good salary, but this is Silicon Valley and a decent 1 bedroom is still $1500/month and I have a car payment and a graduate student husband, gosh darn it), my parents decided to take us all to Vegas. Actually, I think it was my 21 year old sister who did the deciding, but I'm not complaining.

Since they have never been there but hubby and I have several times, I was in charge of making the reservations for a place to stay. We're going to be at the Excalibur (cheap rooms = more money for food, gambling, and shows). Last night my mom calls me (we're flying there tonight, by the way), and points out that these "new 'terrorist videos' of Las Vegas are of a hotel that looks like a castle, is that where we're staying?"

"Yes mom"

"Will we be blown up?"

"I doubt it mom."

"Well, at least I'll be with my family"

"Mom, there is nothing to worry about"

"Maybe we should stay somewhere else"

"I think the off-strip Motel 6 is booked, and they don't have poker tables."

"Okay, but we should keep our eyes open for suspicious activities."

"Yes mom. I have to go pack now. I'll try to remember all my spy gear."

This is the woman who didn't want me to move to California because she was sure I would die in an earthquake the second I stepped off the plane. I am very happy that I have inherited my dad's ability to stay calm and cool through just about anything.


Edited to Add: After the recent TAR episodes I have a strong desire to spend a lot of my Vegas time in the Luxor.

My parents phone number is one digit different from a restaurant and they get a lot of wrong numbers for xxx Grill. Usually my Mom gives them the right number, but one early morning she had enough. She answered the phone and when they asked "Is this xxx Grill?", she said "We're not cooking today!" and hung up.

Good luck, Hexele, hopefully Charley will lose some steam before he gets to you guys.

Thanks everyone for all of your suggestions on how to get some exercise with my daughter. I know we'll be trying them!

I think a large part of the problem right now is that I spend all day sitting at my desk while she spends all day running around and playing, so when we get home I want to do something active and she wants to veg out in front of the TV. We have a street fair tonight though, with tons of food, entertainment, and small vendors, so we'll be walking tonight - she just loves it!

I read an article a little while ago that related the whole history of the low-carb thing, dating back to the 1800s, when some monk came up with the idea.

It said that every 30 or so years since its inception, it comes back into vogue and flames out in a couple of years. It talked about how this time, all these companies threw marketing behind it to try and grab the craze, but by the time most of the new products hit the market, the 'diet' will be on it's way out again. Which seems to be being borne out, as I read last week that only 10% of people who'd gone on the serious low-carb plans were still on them.

And that's interesting about the obesity thing Miss Alli, I wonder how it'd relate historically. The last theory I read about what might be helping to cause the problem was in the book Fat Land, that tied the rise of the use of high-fructose corn syrup to it.

Apparently, we don't metabolize it right, but it's very cheap and in ten tons of processed foods and the explosion of it's use coincides with the rising obesity rates in America. It also had stuff about how now that it's being exported and used much more as a cheap sweetner to other countries, their obesity rate is growing as well. I dunno if it's true, but I thought it was interesting.

I always thought we were getting fatter because we were sitting on our butts more, not to mention supersizing all the food portions.

I have a ridiculously simplistic view of weight. It goes like this:

Our bodies evolved over hundreds of thousands of years. For most of that time, our ancestors walked a lot, worked hard, and ate a lot of fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Periodically someone killed a musk-ox, and then they had one big feast, followed by six months of musk-ox jerky.

Eventually, we settled down. Some people accumulated enough wealth that they didn't have to walk a lot, and were able to feast on musk-ox every night. They became fat; this was how you could tell they were rich. The rest of them? Walked a lot, worked hard, and ate a lot of fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

Ove the last hundred years or so, society progressed to the point where no one had to walk very much, and everyone could feast on musk-ox. Now we are all fat. But few of us are rich.

Basically, you've got stone-age hunters and gatherers driving SUVs to the McDonald's drive-through.

(This is also my beef (heh) with Atkins. I'm thinking Homo erectus ate more roasted tubers than bacon.)

(And yes, I snickered when I typed erectus.)