Thursday DT

How is everyone today? Happy Birthday Ghyslaine! Laurie - how did the dinner go? As for me, I went out last night, shopping for new jeans, levis were on sale at JCPenney - I usually wear the mens ones, more comfortable.
It snowed here last night ACK! So that means that Jake gets to stay home from school again today. He left his homework on the table last night and one of the cats chewed it up. A change from the classic 'the dog ate my homework'
I have to go and buy Jake's birthday present and I have no idea what to buy - his birthday is tomorrow!
I hope everyone has a great day and hugs to all!

I'm being lazy, again. Visited my parents, yesterday. Today is my dad's birthday and I dropped off his present. He loves that Handi-Sew. He's looking around, for things to fix.

Since I was on that side of town, I bought Krispy Kremes! They're coming along, pretty well, with the construction of the shop, near me. Maybe, by the end of the month, I'll have them close by.

Have a good one.

Happy Birthday Ghyslaine!!!!!

Kellye - good luck picking out a present for Jake. If I had any suggestions, I'd share - sorry !

Well - we went last night. It was just another put down session for Gary. It's just so sad. Gary kept on a happy face, and there was no "confrontation." You'd think after 10 years Dad could say something nice. He didn't offer any money or involvement in family business - obviously he knows Gary too well for that, so there were no decisions to make. At least all that angst was for nothing. I'm sure they'll stop talking again for years. It's so difficult for Gary, and my heart aches for him. The sad, sad thing is that his Dad is a very sick person. Apparently he was a pill addict for many, many years. He doesn't remember chunks of time from back in the 70s. He's been diagnosed as a manic depressive, bipolar - and psychotic? He's on LOADS of medications for various types of mental illness. I thank God that Gary seems to have been spared the worst of the family genes. Gary's Dad doesn't believe that Gary's "clean," doesn't drink alcohol, and isn't on medication for mental illnesses. Gary probably is borderline manic despressive and certainly has ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder).

But the one thing that was clear as a bell to me was that his Dad is intensely jealous of Gary. Gary is brilliant, completely self-made, having left home at 15 and never relied on the family or even ever needed them for anything. Gary is a wonderful human being and always does the right thing by people - we're clearly in love and happy, and I think it is eating away at his father. He tries to make Gary jealous with the money thing, but he just doesn't get it. Gary doesn't care about the money. The saddest part is that all Gary really wants is his Dad's approval (Gary still won't admit that). All he wants is his Dad to say something like - Well - I was a tough father, but you're really done something with your life. I'm glad you're happy. But Dad can't even give him that. His Dad thinks Gary is riding on my coat-tails (I was in business on Wall Street before Gary and I started working together), he thinks we can't truly be happy because he doesn't know one married couple that is, so "whatever," and he found numerous ways to to just be mean and try to undermine Gary's confidence and successes.

Gary's Dad constantly interrupted Gary - it is always about "him," and, quite frankly, didn't let Gary finish a sentence. So all it was was painful and hurtful. But Dad is a sick man, so what is there to do? Give Gary hugs.

So here's how the evening ended. Gary can't play golf anymore because of his back (he was a scratch golfer). He has a set of original Ping nickels. Gary and Dad chatted about Golf for a while, and Gary said he remembered that his Dad used to love those clubs (we acquired these on our own in our early years together when money wasn't so tight). Gary says "I know they're worth something, and I'm not asking because I want money for them - I know you loved the set you had, and you don't have them any more. Would you like me to send you my set as I can't play anymore?" And his Dad smiled and said that would be great. Gary's Dad DOES know how difficult things are for us, with all the medical bills we've had and things being slow in our business! The old coot can't even say - "That's so kind son, but instead of giving them to me, why don't you sell them? I know you could use the money."

And that was it. We were standing at the door by then, and Gary said, Well - it was good to see you Dad. And they hugged and we left. All Gary said on the drive home (almost an hour) was: Well - that's all there is to it. He's a sick, sick man, and I just have to remember that.

My heart is still aching for Gary.

BUT at least that's behind us now, and all the gut-chewing for Gary is over - no more wondering what's up. !!

Cindy - are you SURE you want a Krispy Kreme near you? Those things are addictive! LOL!

...and there's one more thing I have to add about "Dad." This was just too funny. Or too sad. I'm not sure which. "Dad" says - and you're not smoking? Gary says no - we quit when I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. (Didn't need to mention the couple week slip there). And his Dad leans over to sniff Gary! Gary looked at him like he couldn't believe it, and says "Here" - and held out his hand for his Dad to smell his fingers! You'd think he was 14, not 40!

Ady - how is John's mom? Sorry to hear she's back in the hospital.

Thanks Kellye!

Yes....Laurie, How did it go??? I dind'y have time to post yesterday but I read the thread. I hope the dinner went okay.

Poor Jake...the cat ate his homework. I would LOVE to be a fly on the wall when he explains it to the teacher!!!!

It is still COLD here! I hate, hate, hate winter!!!!!!!

Have a great day everyone!

Ooops! Guess I typed too slow. Looks like I have answers to my questions before submitting my post! That'll teach me.

Laurie - What an ordeal! I can't believe he sniffed Gary!! That WAS funny in it's own sick way.

Things going okay here. It's cold. They actually cancelled schools because of the cold. I don't rmember them doing that when I was young. This is where I start into the we walked 20 miles in a blizzard to get to school story, isn't it? But really, we DID have to meet the school bus at the end of the road on a snowmobile once.

Cindy - Krispy Kremes! My husband gained 5 pounds when they came to town!

Very cold still here also!!!



Krispy Kreme just opened their second location in Canada - just down the block from me. To tell you the truth, I don't think they will take the 'donut' market here! To me they are too small,sweet and overpriced!

I'm excited because I received a response to an email I sent out a couple of weeks back. Go to the Feral Colonies forum and it's posted there.I met Rene Chartrand (the catman) and he is such a fresh breath for the soul! He really inspires me and hope I will have his self sacrificing attitude when I reach his age!

Laurie, glad you and Gary survived the dinner last night. Rob had a bad relationship with his mother and finally decided 2 years ago to cut ties all together. It was the best for his future and ours. She was never satisfied with what he did. In her eyes, he always did things wrong. Even when we saved up (on our own) to buy our first home, she yelled at him.

There's a point in one's life that you have to take control of your future. No matter how difficult it may be.

Have a 'warm' day everyone!

Laurie, I'm glad things went better than you expected. Sometimes it's just better to leave things alone than tear yourself up over it. Some people never change.

Poor Jake! Tell him he's not the only one to have work torn up. Ninner's shreds important papers in the office all the time!

Same old same old here. It is even colder - 20 degrees with wind chill

Laurie, I'm so sorry dinner was a real downer. It's sad the Gary's father treated him as if he was a naughty little boy who's word couldn't be trusted! The man must be really self absorbed if he didn't even ask about Gary's health problems. Thank God he has you.

Ghyslaine, birthday girl, have a great day, and don't eat any of Bundy's vegemite!

Kellye, I hate to tell you this, but when I was teaching school there's no way in the world I'd have believed that one! It's classic! I guess you can't send a note with Jake. "Dear Professor, About Jakes' homework----" It's a shame he'll have to do the whole thing over! (Don't tell him anyone might be amused by this.)

I'd like to start the "I hate winter with a passion club." Any takers? Our weather was down to 2 degrees last night. I have a collie who hates being cooped up in the house, and I am not allowed to breath this cold air. I will probably not be outside until spring, which better be early! (Sorry, Lord, didn't want to tell you your business!) An optimistic thought! The days are getting longer. It isn't dark by 5 p.m. any more-not until about 5:20! That's not much, but it's a good indication that this weather will come to an end eventually.

Laurie - what a horrible evening for you and Gary! Sounds like the best thing would be to just break all ties completely to save yourselves pain and suffering.

Jeanie - I'll join in the I hate winter with a passion club! It is minus 15 C today and the wind chill makes it -25! It is horrid.

Laurie - thanks for asking about John's mom. She ended up back in the hospital while we were in Mexico. She was coughing up blood and her doctor re-admitted her. She is refusing to leave until she feels she is on the road to recovery. She is up to 20 pills a day and the are scheduling a scope for her to see how the lung is doing. She may need surgery to get rid of the infected tissue. I'll keep you up to date!

Busy day at work again. Keeping up here is getting difficult.

Looking forward to my birthday party this weekend that my mom is throwing for me! My mom makes amazing cake. there ill be 2 - a Smartie cake and an apricot cake as we are also celebrating my BIL b-day.

Hope everyone has a good day!

Y'all are making me (almost) feel guilty. Its 68 and sunny here.

Probably, though, in late March we'll get one last blast of winter. Easter Sunday, 1999 - it SNOWED!

Jeanie, if you start your club I want to join!!!! I absolutely hate winter, and today has been the coldest day so far. It got down to 15 degrees below zero last night and they have had wind chill advisories out for today.

Most of our winter was fairly mild up until this week and the ice on the lakes isn't very solid or very thick. Last night a couple of teenagers from the Twin Cities drove their car out onto a lake and the car crashed through the ice. The boy drowned(sp?) but the girl was able to get out of the car somehow and got back onto the ice. Unfortunately, she froze to death before she could reach help...

These kids were only 16 and 17 years old, it's always so sad when these things happen.

Cindy, 68 degrees and sunny????????? That isn't fair!!!!! LOL

My computer at home has been acting up a lot lately and so my husband had a friend come over to look at it. Well, he install an new OS, which is fine, but I could have done that myself and I would have known to save the drivers first. Somehow the driver disks are missing for the sound and video card.

Okay... so I try downloading the drivers off the net, but one of them kind of messed up the computer. He gets is back running again and decides to take it into the computer repair place next to where he works. He TELLS them it needs drivers for the video card and sound card. After and hours and half worth of labor, they tell him they can't load the drivers because the video card is not made anymore and all the drivers on the net are homemade versions. Okay -- I told my husband that!!! So explain to me WHY they have to take a computer apart to find out it needs the drivers installed! Especially when we told THEM that in the first place! So now they are charging us $130 to take the computer apart. And then they are installing a new video card for another $60. I installed that stupid video card in the first place and could buy a new one for less than that. UGH!

What started out as a decent day has gone to &$*@#(@! To top it off, there are more and more signs around here that my job is slowly being phased out.

Sorry for the foul mood. I am sitting here at work trying to be cheerful while growling like a rabid dog inside. I just had to let it out.

Lorie, That's a tragic story. Your winter is worse than ours, but now, with temperatures in single digits, the wind is picking up, and you know what that does to the wind chill factor. I feel so sorry for the homeless people. Cindy, do you have a few extra bedrooms?

Auburn, About the computer, AARGH !!!!! Now, doesn't that feel better? What a racket! Sometimes repairmen just don't listen to women. Well, what do we know, after all?

Originally posted by Auburn412
Sorry for the foul mood. I am sitting here at work trying to be cheerful while growling like a rabid dog inside.

Click to expand...

:LOL: Sorry Auburn, but that image in my mind is priceless! It's times like these that you just have to laugh in order to make it through the day, you know?

Wow, Lorie! That really snaps things back into perspective. I can't even imagine what the families of those children must be feeling.

Kassandra - I have have been cheering myself up all day by looking at pictures of Nakita prowling for fries! :laughing2

I feel so out of it...I haven't posted to or even read most of the stuff in the Lounge this week. Another hectic one here at work, as well as watching my rear end by not letting anyone see when I'm on here.

Laurie, I'm so sorry Gary's Dad treats him so badly. It's so hard when a parent does that. No matter how much you tell yourself differently, most all people want their parent's approval in at least some small way. At least that small part of your life (the dinner) is over and you can get back to the wonderful life you and Gary have built together solidly based on love and respect. No matter what, his Dad can't take any of that from you.

Some years I would join your "I Hate Winter" club, but this year I'm still waiting for winter! It got pretty cold yesterday, but it's been in the 50s and 60s almost all month. Sounds great, but we are in such a drought...Earl hear on the news yesterday that Colorado is working on the worst drought in recorded history, and yes that includes the Dust Bowl period. We're worse than that right now, with no relief in sight.

Jan, doesn't that just burn you? GRRRR! (I'll growl like that rabid dog for you.) Computer repair shops are like mechanics - there are good ones but there are a lot more that know that most people don't know all that much about computers and will pay whatever they want to charge. And just like with cars, us women can't know ANYTHING about computers.

I managed to get back online - the snow knocked out the cable internet service and so we had no tv or internet. But just as well, we rented a couple of movies 'About a Boy' - I loved it, it was great. (I love british humour) and we will watch Undercover Brother in a few moments.

Jake has no school again tomorrow and I managed to get his birthday presents, and he wants to go to Fudruckers for dinner tomorrow night. Hamburgers, ugh but its his wish to have them. Hes a nut for burgers.

I know how you feel Auburn, having a day like that - I get that all the time, especially when Jake wants to add new things to the computer.