Wednesday DT

whisker's mom

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Is it just me or was yesterday a very quiet day for everyone here? I did not get much of a chance to post.

It is very brrrrrrr
here today. Wow! I am really anxious for summer.

I am going shopping on my lunch...for a nice big tree for my office. Any ideas what type would make a nice office plant? I do have a window but the amount of light is limited because it is tinted.

Hope you guys all have a great day!
 

auburn412

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Did seem kind of quiet here yesterday.

I like ficus trees for inside. Their twisty trunks are cool. They must be pretty adaptable for inside life because I see them in a lot of places.

My boss is leaving for a conference at noon tomorrow, so I'm hoping to have a kick back and catch up day. I'm guessing because he's going out of town, he will leave pretty early today (he always has reasons to leave early -- it's pretty humorous at times) so even better!
 

katl8e

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Quiet here, today. No more rain, for a while and we're back into the 70s.

Tomorrow is my dad's birthday (76) and I'm going to take his present to him, today. He's been wanting one of those hand-held sewing machines and I picked one up, for him, last week.

Happy hump day!
 
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whisker's mom

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Thanks Jan!

I will try to see if I can pull up a picture of one somewhere!
 

lhezzza

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Originally posted by Whisker's mom
I am going shopping on my lunch...for a nice big tree for my office. Any ideas what type would make a nice office plant? I do have a window but the amount of light is limited because it is tinted.
BONSAI TREE
 

ldg

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I'm almost positive you have to train the Ficus to have the twisty trunks, though. They are beautiful like that! You could consider a Sheffelaria (spelling?) - they're leafy and pretty. I don't think they need LOTS of light.

Ghys - it was pretty quiet here yesterday. I got caught up with Leslie's spamming!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADY!

Well - today is a big one. This is something I never posted in the 10 Things You Don't Know About Me thread. But Gary and his Dad don't talk. Rather - they go in cycles. And Gary's dad is rich. Really, really rich. But he's also psycho, and Gary was abused as a kid - both psychologically and physically. When Gary was first born, his parents couldn't deal with it and left him in the care of a nanny while they headed to Europe for nine months. And Gary wasn't beaten senselessly - just - like in a snowstorm, heading up to the country house in Wisconsin from Chicago, Gary's Dad would send him out in front of the car (on a HIGHWAY) with a flashlight and a rope tied from Gary to the car and Gary would have to walk for miles, "guiding the way" (at age 7). Punishment for being bad was with a belt. That kind of thing. Dad wanted to teach him early that life isn't fair and life is tough. His Dad taught him to play chess at the age of four, and never "let" Gary win. They played Chess until the first time Gary beat his Dad (age 9).

Anyway - Gary left home at 15. It took his Dad two years with a private detective to find him. Then he escaped by emigrating to Israel after working with Dad for two years. His dad disowned him for that. But when Gary was being awarded a very high honor (close to the equivalent of a Congressional Medal of Honor) (Gary was three times decorated during the Lebanon war: 1983 - 1985 1/2), the Army contacted his Dad and invited him to Israel to the ceremony - without Gary knowing. That's when they started talking again. Until 1990, when Gary moved back to the US and went to work for "the competition." (In the box industry). That only lasted one year though - until Gary's Dad "forbade" him from getting divorced from his first wife. Despite the fact that Gary was miserable, a drunk, and a gun-toting nut at the time. So he quit the business, and bolted. We got together after that - when he'd already quit drugs and alocohol. We started our own business together via my relationships on "Wall Street." And we worked really hard for a lot of years. When we started appearing on TV and in the papers, his Dad called. So now they've spoken on the phone once a year for maybe the past three years. Four years? Anyway, despite his family ties to Wall Street (his Uncle ran one of the large brokerage firms for many, many years, and now manages the Pritzker's estate (Hilton Hotels)), we worked our way to where we are COMPLETELY on our own. And we've just been offered a position where Gary would be the #4 (the Chief Investment Officer) at a firm with close to 1000 employees. Anyway, there are SO MANY unresolved issues with his Dad. Gary has dealt with the war and has healed from those things. But this Dad thing is a big one. And several months ago his cousin entered the business, in the footsteps of Gary's Uncle. Gary's Dad called and asked Gary to help his little cousin along. So they've been talking (kind of) for a couple of months. It is very painful and awkward for Gary. Gary's Dad abandonded Gary's sister when she needed help, and we've been paying for her cancer treatments - despite the fact that we now have nothing, and his Dad has millions. And Gary's mom divorced his Dad when he was just five - and she got nothing, and has had to work her whole life, and just got fired, and doesn't have enough money to retire. His Dad never compliments him and always puts him down. And though Gary has debated and stewed for weeks about this, he agreed to meet him. To see him. We don't know what he wants, but Gary believes, that like always, there's some ulterior motive here. His dad has always used money to "motivate" people around him, and Gary always refused to play that game. And I agree with Gary. We'd rather be poor and happy than "rich" and miserable, with his Dad's side of the family with their hooks in us. (Gary's Dad literally stole the company through legal wrangling from Gary's grandpa. The first thing Dad did was fire all the family employees, buy the mortgage on his brother's home, called the mortgage, and when Uncle George couldn't come up with the money, Dad had the family evicted from their home - and took Gary (age 11) to watch the Sheriff kicking them out!)

His Dad flies in tonight, and has invited us to drive out to his hotel and join him for dinner. His Dad would like to meet Gary's "new bride." (We just celebrated our ninth anniversary on Dec. 26). So I don't know if we're actually going to end up going tonight. But that's what we're supposed to do today. It'll be a shock to Gary's Dad. We don't smoke cigarettes, we don't drink, Gary is very grey already (just turned 40), and is all hunched over after back surgeries. Not the same spry, slim guy who ran 8 miles a day and could do 100 "push ups" standing on his hands (despite being drunk most of the time!) the last time Gary's dad saw him.

If we actually go - it should be interesting!
 

spooky

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Today is another boring day- as usual.
I have some homework to catch up on, but I don't feel like doing it until after I get back from my lunch break. It already -10 degrees and tonight its suppossed to drop down to -30 degrees.
I'm DEFINITELY not going anywhere later.

Laurie-I hope everything goes ok with meeting Gary's dad. I'm sure it will be quite interesting.
 

auburn412

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Wow, Laurie. If you guys go it will be quite the ordeal!!! (I know, thanks, Captain Obvious!) But truthfully, if you go, we'll be back here sending some postive enrgy your way. Sounds like you'll need it. I also have to say something you already know, Gary is an amazing man for having come through all of that and made what he has from his life. And as they say, behind every man there is a great woman.
 

russian blue

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Originally posted by LDG
We don't know what he wants, but Gary believes, that like always, there's some ulterior motive here. His dad has always used money to "motivate" people around him, and Gary always refused to play that game. And I agree with Gary. We'd rather be poor and happy than "rich" and miserable, with his Dad's side of the family with their hooks in us....
First of all, Wow!! What a story!!

Laurie, I grew up around money and it left a very bad taste in my mouth!! So I totally agree with the statement above!! And Rob and I have done EVERYTHING on our own. We have payed for our education by working 3 jobs, we both had left home (separately) by the time we were 20. We have had a morgage since the age of 23.

We are very proud of ourselves. Meanwhile, half my friends are still living at home and don't know the first thing about financial independance! I don't envy them at all!

Good luck with whatever choice you make tonight!

 

kiwideus

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Wow, Laurie, thats quite a life Gary has had and my heart goes out to him. I hope it all goes well at dinner. Gary is very lucky to have a wonderful woman like you Laurie!
(((HUGS))) to both of you!

As for me, Ive been vacuuming, cleaning up, thinking of doing some spring cleaning, theres so much clutter around here that needs to be thrown out.


I dont really have any plans today, just one of those days. Appetite not really fully back yet, just nibbling at little things.

Have a great day everyone.
 

nenners

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Wow, Laurie! What a story! Has he thought about writing a book? The only thing I can say is what goes around comes around! Gary's Dad has been offal to everyone. He'll be fortunate if any one speaks to him and takes care of him when he's too old to help himself!

It is sooooo cold here! At least 8 degrees!
Work is at it's usual. Our roommate bought a 36 inch flat screen TV! It's awesome! He also bought a car, which is great because I don't have to cart him around.

They caught a large dog fighting ring in Columbus this week! Forty people were arrested! Two of the dogs they found were badly injured. They are going unfortunately to put them down. They don't know if they will be adoptable to anyone because they been taught to be aggressive.
Hopefully, the people responcible will be punished. In Ohio it is a 4th degree felony punishable to up to 18 months in prison and a $4000.00 fine!
 

flimflam

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Laurie - good luck with the dinner tonight, hope it all goes well.

Absolutely rubbish day at work. I've "lost" 11 grand somewhere in our accounts/forecast - I know where it is but my boss doesn't believe that the person dealing with them before me screwed up (she was perfect, obviously). I've been struggling to explain where the mix-up is to my boss for the past two hours. If I see another spreadsheet in the next 12 hours I might scream.

I should be hoovering and tidying, but I just can't find the motivation to start doing anything houseworky. I feel that tonight's dinner may well involve toast quite heavily.... "Toast Surprise" - the surprise being that the only ingredient is toast.
 

myste

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Not much today. Just got up and started laundry (I don't let Mike touch the laundry) although I am not happy about having to do it before my first cup of coffee. I sat down at my computer and he immediately wanted to start the laundry. Grrrr, I didn't even have time to turn my monitor on, much less get my shower. *sigh* Some days.... At least I got the fridge cleaned out yesterday. Slowly but surely I will start getting the apartment cleaned and organized! We're not slobs, rather, Mike's a neat-freak. I'm not, I hate housework and have no clue how to do a lot of it. but I love organizing things! Maybe I'll even get started on my dress!
 

jeanie g.

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Laurie, My prayers go with you and Gary to dinner. Be proud of yourselves. Not many people can overcome the problems that Gary has. We are so proud of you. You don't have to go along with what Gary's dad wants. Money doesn't talk loudly enough for everything, does it?
I feel so sorry for Gary's mom. We can't choose our relatives!
 

adymarie

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Laurie - Gary's dad sounds like a sad, sad man. If you go, remember nothing is as strong as your love for each other and that this may help Gary heal. I am about to head out to visit John's mom in the hospital. She went back in there while we were away.
 
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