Ann

I'm so very sorry.

You know, Geri...I have one of those old ladies that seems to follow me around too. She always pops up just as I'm about to look in a mirror.

The perfect Wal-Mart Greeter A very loud, unattractive, mean-acting woman walks into Wal-Mart with her two kids in tow, screaming obscenities at them all the way through the entrance. The Wal-Mart Greeter says, "Good morning and welcome to Wal-Mart .... Nice children you've got there - are they twins?" The ugly woman stops screaming long enough to say, "Hell no they ain't, the oldest one, he's 9 and the younger one, she's 7. Why the hell would you think they're twins?........ Do you really think they look alike?"

Cindi...You...an old lady...ha! Now that's a real joke!!!Don't think anyone could ever think of you as old.

My mid-thirties were very good years for me. I was past the point of being too young and still wasn't old. I think it took me a long time to grow up and become a woman. Those "growing up" years were difficult for everyone...especially me. I'm not uncomfortable with my current age but I would like to have "frozen" time so that Dennis could have been well and with me.

Thirty nine years old today, and I remember it well, July 20, 1969 man landed on the moon and then 6 hours later, walked upon it. Apollo 11. Wow, it still amazes me what we owe to our brave astronauts and the scientists who made this possible, and future space missions. I realize not everyone thinks NASA is a worthwhile expenditure for the US, but I think we owe a lot of our modern technology to NASA. According to Ken Klaas, a self-proclaimed Space Shuttle junkie and an employee with the NASA contractor Aerojet since 1981, "the exploration of Space continues to be the catalyst of technological advancements for all of mankind." And those technological advancements have become a part of our daily lives. Things we owe to NASA- Velcro The modern PC Miniaturization, like smaller electronics, phones, computers, etc The INTERNET Solar Energy Panels Enriched Baby Food Scratch resistnant lenses Dustbusters Flat panel TVs and the list could go and on And the medical discoveries- Pacemakers, artificial hearts, light-weigh prosthetic devices, laser angioplasty, to name but a few- all these things are spin-offs from discoveries made on our space missions and have been made possible because of our investment in NASA. And last but not least, TANG! Where would we be without TANG? lol So Happy Anniversary NASA, for our first moon walk in 1969. And keep up the good work! We have some very intelligent people working for us, inventing new and improving old things, all the time.

If you could have stopped aging at any point in your life, up to the present, how old would you want to remain?

Thought this looked like an article worth posting, as we have had so many questions about this topic. Getting the most out of each visit with your doctor You can prepare for your visit in a way that helps you get the information you need, and manage the information you get. Prepare a list of questions and concerns that you want to discuss This should include any new or changed symptoms that you have experienced since your last visit. It should also include any major changes or stresses in your life such as changes in your living arrangements, difficulties getting your medicines, or the death of a loved one. Number the items on the list so you know which are the most important to talk about. Consider bringing a family member or friend to help you. You may need only moral support or company in the waiting room, but having help is good. You may forget to ask something important (especially if you didn't put it on your list!) You may wait longer than usual and feel too tired to drive yourself home. And, if you get test results or treatment recommendations, it is helpful to have someone there to help you remember many of the details of what was said. Bring all of your medicines or a list of all of your medicines. Although you may think your doctor knows everything you are taking, sometimes things get left out of the chart. This happens often when a patient is being seen by more than one doctor and information about test results or new medications hasn't gotten from one doctor to the other yet. Bring any vitamins, nutritional supplements, or herbal medicines you are taking, too. While these usually do not require a prescription, they can still interact with other medicines you may be taking. Set your priorities for the doctor's time. At the beginning of the visit ask, "How much time do you have for me today?" Then, address the issues on your list, beginning with the most important one. If you are not going to cover everything on the list in the time available ask, "How can I get 30 minutes (or whatever you need) to talk about the concerns I have that we don 't have time for today?" This lets the doctor know that you have more concerns and that you are aware of the time constraints he may be facing. Be honest. Telling the doctor what you think she wants to hear will not help her to help you. It is natural to want to seem to be improving, sometimes for your own well-being and other times to feel like a "good" patient. But this will only result in less than the best therapy for you. Be honest about your priorities. It is often easier for doctors and patients to talk about medicines and treatments than it is to talk about what is really happening in the course of an eventually fatal illness. Do not be afraid to say, "We have talked a lot about the side effects and the schedule for the next round of chemotherapy. I really want to hear from you what it means that there is almost no change in the tumor." Ask questions. If you have questions about anything your doctor says, ask! Ask what unfamiliar words mean, why you need a certain test, or what to expect from a new medicine. Ask what new treatments and medicines are supposed to do to help you and how likely it is they will do what they are supposed to do. Ask whether the therapy being recommended is supposed to treat symptoms or prolong life. Ask what side effects you might experience. Ask what is likely to happen to you if you do not try the therapy. And do not hesitate to ask about the cost if that is of concern to you. Take notes. Be sure to bring pencil or pen and paper to record the doctor's answers to your questions. You can assign this task to whomever comes with you if note-taking is hard for you or if you want to concentrate on talking to the doctor. Repeat what the doctor tells you, in your own words. Nothing tells you or your doctor what you think he said better than to say it back in your own words. "If I understood what you just said, then I should increase my pain medicine to 120 milligrams every twelve hours and call back day after tomorrow if that doesn't help." This allows you to uncover and correct any misunderstandings. Make contingency plans. Doctors can't predict every symptom or complication that you might experience, but they should be able to tell you the major ones. And the ones you already have may change over time. Ask the doctor what to expect and what to do if you have a problem. Do you take more medicine? Do you call the office? What if it is 3 AM? Asking these questions and planning in advance can save you frantic trips to the emergency room when you have a problem.

(((((((((((((((((((((Val))))))))))))))))))))) You are so loved by this group! I know how your heart still breaks!

Peggy....You are so clever to come up with this idea! I know this will help so many people who just don't know what to say when someone has lost a loved one. I'm so very proud of you! You have found such a wonderful way to turn your grief into something that will mean so much to so many! I know Don is proud.

Very cute!!!

"IF YOU CAN'T FEED EM, DON'T BREED EM!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Constipated People Don't Give A Crap. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If You Can Read This, I've Lost My Trailer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Horn Broken... Watch For Finger. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Earth Is Full - Go Home. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I Have The Body Of A God - Buddha. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So Many Pedestrians - So Little Time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cleverly Disguised As A Responsible adult. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If We Quit Voting, Will They All Go Away? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eat Right, Exercise, Die Anyway. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Illiterate? Write For Help. ~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Honk If Anything Falls Off. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cover Me, I'm Changing Lanes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He Who Hesitates Not Only Is Lost, But is Miles From The Next Exit. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I Refuse To Have A Battle Of Wits With An Unarmed Person. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You! Out Of The Gene Pool - Now! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I Do Whatever My Rice Krispies Tell Me To. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fight Crime: Shoot Back! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (Seen Upside Down On A Jeep) If You Can Read This, Please Flip Me Back Over... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stop Lights Timed For 35 mph Also Are Timed For 70 mph ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Guys: No Shirt, No Service Gals: No Shirt, No Charge ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If Walking Is So Good For You, Then Why Does My Mailman Look Like Jabba The Hut? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ax Me About Ebonics. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Body By Nautilus; Brain By Mattel. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Boldly Going Nowhere. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Caution - Driver Legally Blonde. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Heart Attacks: God's Revenge For Eating His Animal Friends ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Honk If You've Never Seen An Uzi Fired From A Car Window. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How Many Roads Must A Man Travel Down Before He Admits He is Lost? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All Men Are Animals; Some Just Make Better Pets. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And...my personal favorite is : My Golden Retriever is Smarter Than Your Honor Student

I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping. Here's how the scam works: While you're putting your shopping into the trunk, two really good-looking, well-built guys in their early twenties approach your car & start cleaning your windshield. Shirtless, with highly-defined chest muscles & rock-hard abs... well, it's impossible not to look. When you thank them & offer them a tip, they ask you for a ride to another shopping center instead. You agree & they get in the back seat. On the way, one of them climbs into the front seat & begins kissing your neck & begs you to pull over so he can make love to you. While this is going on the other guy steals your purse. I had my purse stolen last Tuesday, Wednesday, twice on Thursday, again on Saturday, yesterday, & most likely tomorrow.

How about this one...... No husband has ever been shot while doing the dishes.

Ginny, I know why you're not wearing a hat and your face does look lovely but....you just seem to have a wonderful hat personality!!! I can just see you as being able to wear even the most outrageous of hats. But, being able to see your face would definitely be in order with your sign. By the way, I love the sign. I'm wearing a dark blue baseball cap that says Action Service Plumbing of Brevard. This was the name of Dennis's company that he was so proud of. He wore one of those caps constantly. I kept the cap that he wore most often and from time to time, I get it out of the drawer and hold it to my nose, in hopes to get a little smell that will remind me of Dennis. My sign is very simple and to the point. It just says...Lung Cancer has no age preference. 50 is too young to die.

So very sorry to hear this news, Melinda. Just remember that both you and your mom are true warriors and together you will overcome this monster in a very courageous battle! I have all the faith in the world in both of you! I know how disappointed you are to hear that there is a recurrence but I'm sure the treatments will do a wonderful job! It is very good news that there was no development in the brain. Hey...look for the good news!!! Please know that I will be keeping your Mom...and you...in my thoughts and prayers! When this group prays...God does seem to listen!

Hope everyone has the same blue skies that we have here in Florida today! You know what? I think today is a marvelous day for a LCSC Parade. Let's all dress up in funny hats and carry signs to promote LC awareness. Now...describe the hat you are wearing and tell us what your sign says.

Answers To Quiz: 1. The one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends . . boxing 2. North American landmark constantly moving backward . Niagara Falls (The rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute.) 3. Only two vegetables that can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons . . asparagus and rhubarb. 4. The fruit with its seeds on the outside . . strawberry. 5. How did the pear get inside the brandy bottle? It grew inside the bottle. (The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small, and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.) 6. Three English words beginning with d w... dwarf, dwell and dwindle. 7. Fourteen punctuation marks in English grammar . . p eriod, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation marks, brackets, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses. 8. The only vegetable or fruit never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh . . lettuce. 9. Six or more things you can wear on your feet beginning with " s... shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts.

Answers will be posted in the morning...lol!

I try and do a consumer reports check on most major appliances before buying. I also listen to recommendations from friends. I do a lot of shopping around before I buy anything. Sometimes, this isn't good as I waste so much time (and gas) and eventually buy the very first thing I was looking at.

I hope your son's 9th birthday is a very special one for him. I hope he knows just how lucky he is to have you for a mom. I know this will be a very special day for your entire family! Enjoy!!!

I'll post these questions and let you drive yourself nuts for a little while before I post the answers. This is a quiz for people who know everything! I found out in a hurry that I didn't. These are not trick questions. They are straight questions with straight answers. 1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends. 2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward? 3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables? 4. What fruit has its seeds on the outside? 5. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle? 6. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters "dw" and they are all common words. Name two of them. 7. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them? 8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh. 9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter "S."

Alan is having his biopsy at 8:30 (California time) this morning. Please say a prayer that this will go well. Deb is a bit worried, as there is a great possibility that his lung could collapse. Thanks for your prayers.

When you are making a major purchase for your home, do you do a lot of research before you buy or do you just see something you like and go for it?

Wow, Katie!!! 7000 posts!!!What a milestone for you...and for all of us. You and Rick have helped so many people by creating this website. I just know that your Dad is so very proud of you and all the hard work you have done in his memory.