Things you didn't know about me!

[Terri B]

I hope this will help us all get more aquainted! Please add! I'll start!

I'm 6' tall.

[Colleens_Husband]

I went to a very small rural high school. My graduating class had 26 students.

[notamrnpsn]

i am a member of the bowling lanes 'Oh S**t club.'

[freyja]

I grew up in a teeny tiny town, too...population 708. I lived on a farm where my sister raised show horses. My best friend calls me, "FARM"!

[Beckie]

I have tied shoelaces with my toes.

[StephN]

Good idea TerriB -

I feed overripe bananas to my roses. They love the potassium!

I forgot what school I attended ...

[Terri B]

Back in my late 20's & 30's, I taught Greek folk dance. Even though I'm not greek! But I was married to one at the time.

[hutchibk]

I am a proud, "charmed life" army brat.

(thanks for the gardening tip, Steph!)

[Believe51]

I live in the same house I was born in, although I have moved out of it a few times. No place like home.>>Believe51

[Colleens_Husband]

Great thread idea, Terri B!

I was in a serious bicycle crash in a sprint finish of a race in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. I fractured my skull (which might explain everything) and the damage from the crash plus the surgery left me with a swastika shaped scar on the back of my head. Someone asked me if I was going to shave my head in support of Colleen losing her hair due to chemo. I said I wasn't going to because I didn't want all the skinheads to try and be my friends. Yes folks, I really am that shallow.

[Believe51]

I love to drink a bathroom sized Dixie cup full of black olive juice during the holidays.....I know, I know...but it is sooo good!>>Believe51

[AbbyDawg]

I, too, am six foot tall. (Welcome, Sister!) Grew up in a town of 1000 - graduating class of 58 (ugh, not 1958 -- 58 students!).

At one, I time formed a corporation and sold 1/3 of it to a member of the Miami Dolphins "Unknown Defense" ... so naturally I didn't know who he was at the time.

[Terri B]

Marie, ewwwww!

Abby, did you play basketball? Was there enough for a team? I played all through junior and high school! What else was a girl that tall to do? No boys would dance with me.

(my husband is only 5'9") ;)

[Midwest Alice]

I have been a single mom for 15 years, I have a son who is 18 and a daughter who is 21.

This is fun!!!

[Bill]

I love bird-watching, and trying to figure out what kind they are.

[Bill]

I watch the X-files every night with Rita while we eat dinner.

[chrisy]

I got my picture on the front page of the Chicago Tribune...cutting class on opening day at the Cubs game

[vickie h]

Great Idea, Terri!
I'm 6' tall also and I played basketball (half court) while in high school.
My first boyfriend, Alan, had to stand on the bumper of my mother's car to kiss me (He was 5'2"...I was 5'9")...And yes, I've heard all the Jolly Green Giant jokes years ago.
Love,
Vickie

[Believe51]

Guava and mangos trigger migraines for me and I love these two fruits so much.>>Believe51

[hutchibk]

I am 5'10" - wonder if height has anything to do w/ bc (or her2) risk?

And in the "small world" category, Lee - my mom and brother lived with my Aunt in Bartlesville, OK in the late 50s (before I was born and while my dad was stationed in Iceland)...

[notamrnpsn]

seems to be a lot of tall people. I'm only 5'2

[Believe51]

My favorite season is fall, favorite month is October, favorite day is Sunday.>>Believe51

[alicem]

Our family lived in Milan, Italy from 1992 - 1994.

Buona Notte a tutti!!!

[Believe51]

I have rescued all the animals that I have made part of my family.>>Believe51

[Terri B]

I was a pack and a half smoker for 27 years. I quit cold turkey a year and a half ago to avoid lung cancer!

two months later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer!

It made me fat, but I still don't smoke!

[Believe51]

Sometimes I do not leave the house for 3-4 days and love it. I love home and always find something wonderful to do here. So, daily changing of the jammins(pj's) and no pressure to even get the mail if I wish. Ahhh, I am getting excited just thinking about it.>>Believe51

['lizbeth]

My Dad gave me a pony when I was 5 year old. His name was Champ.

[Jackie07]

I am 5'7" (always the tallest girl in my class while growing up) and a point guard on the basketball team from junior high all the way to college. The level of the game in colleges in Taiwan can not be compared to that of the U.S. because technical schools are the ones training the corporate-sponsored future 'professional teams'.

So we were the real 'amateurs' and true enthusiasts because no colleges provide scholarships for their atheletes. (We did get to stay in the gym during spring training and all transportations and meals are paid for.) Several of my teamates have received their Ph.Ds and are professors in various universities. So far there has been one other teamate who's had breast cancer diagnosis - she underwent treatment in 2007, same time during my recurrence, but has not e-mailed me since the end of 2007.

"One day when we were young..." Thanks, Terri, for bringing back the good memory.

[Sheila]

Terri, this is great
I am 5'6"...short compared to some of you. I grew up in a town of 650 people, where my Dad was mayor, Fire Chief and Chief of Police all at once (he also had a day job) . My parents still live in the same house

[Believe51]

Sheila, looks like we are all tiering in height as if we are taking a giant photo together....I am 5'1" (lol)...I'll have to stand in front with you!>>Believe51

[Sheila]

I wont complain...I am taller than my mother and my sister...

My grandfather was a mechanic on Charles Lindberg's plane

[Believe51]

Looks the same for me, Mom is 4'11", oops sorry 'lil Acorn for giving away your secrets.

Awesome to hear of Grandpa's life, amazing.>>Believe51

[harrie]

I am barely (I mean just under) 5 ft 1 inch.

I love playing sports and have as long as I can remember.

By nature I am very energetic, bordering on being hyper and have been nicknamed "the energizer bunny". I LOVE to dance!

[SoCalGal]

I've been married twice, divorced twice. The first time was my choice, the last time - 4 years ago - was his choice. I still hate him for breaking our family. Somethings can never be properly repaired.

[SoCalGal]

I'm 5'7" and weigh between 118 and 122. Depends on Mike & Ike.

[SoCalGal]

I am a HUGE fan of Chelsea Lately.

[SoCalGal]

I've been dating the same man for 4 years. He recognized me at Whole Foods one day. We went to Jr High and High school together. He had a crush-ola on me way back when so I am lucky because he still sees me as that girl. He was the Pres of our high school. I was the President of the Stoner's club.
It's good we found each other now!

[hutchibk]

I stay up too late at night for my own good.

[SoCalGal]

haha....Me too! Although technically you are ahead by two hours. Here, catch some z's:
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzz

[Jackie07]

Flori,

We've got the exact same height and weight - may I claim that I look exactly like what's showing on your avatar? :) I love your 'Beverly Hills' look.

[Sheila]

I was on a Girls Tug of WAR TEAM, and placed 1st in the state of Illinois (this might be a midwest thing)
So why did all that muscle turn into arm flab???

[Believe51]

Harrie, that means you will be up front with me for the picture, Darling.

Flori, ROTFL.......I am so pleased to hear that you have not killed anyone. (Still laughing)

And Brenda, I always thought we were vampires from way back. Yes, we should get more sleep and I am smiling reading your reply too.

I love you guys. Thanks for helping me to live life with the zest of sometimes forgetting about cancer.>>Believe51

[Believe51]

O I don't know Sheila.....What is this thing hanging down on my neck????>>Believe51

[Colleens_Husband]

I was in an accident when I was 32 years old and broke my back. One leg and part of my back were paralyzed. I was in a wheelchair for more than a year and was told I would never walk again. I fully recovered, mostly out of spite.

In 2005 I had an acute case of Guillain-Barre' Syndrome and was mostly paralyzed. I could still breath on my own and wiggle my toes and fingers, but other than that almost nothing worked. I recovered quickly and was able to walk without a cane after about a year.

Paralysis is a whole lot less fun than it sounds. I wouldn't recommend it. Even so, I still wouldn't trade paralysis for cancer. All of you are brave beyond words.

[Believe51]

I love pickles!!!>>Believe51

[StephN]

Marie -
What kind of pickles? Sweet, dill, cucumber chips, gherkins or another kind? Watermelon rind?

If you say Vlasics, I am going to say you are influenced by subliminal advertising!

[hutchibk]

Sweet Gherkins for me... and bread and butter pickles.

I love olives!

[StephN]

Hi Brenda -
Just knew you were a sweetie!

Are bread & butter pickles the same thing we call cucumber chips out here? My grandma in Miami Beach used to give us what she called "bread & butter pickles" and they looked and tasted like Nalley's or Farmen's (local Washington state brands). Don't recall the brand grandma had.

[Terri B]

I dabbled in the Martial Arts a couple of years back and competed in many a tournament. All after my 40th birthday! I have a room full of trophies!

[Bill]

Wow, Terri! You go, girl! I've dabbled in martial arts a little, but never competed. (Quick side story- when my son Daniel was 14 we use to "cross-train" for wrestling by stick-fighting in the garage. I made two bo-staffs and we would spar from time to time. I taught him to remain calm and centered, even while receiving blows. (No, Ladies, I did not beat him, lol). He went on to dabble in martial arts himself, and 6 years later a group of MS-13 gang-members jumped him in the front yard. These guys were 20-35 and thought he was someone else. They made a bad mistake. They called him out of the house, circled him, and ten minutes later when the cops arrived, 2 guys were still on the ground with broken bones. The others had fled, merely bruised. Daniel was still standing, unharmed. Daniel's mom, my first wife, said something like, "I guess your special workouts with him weren't such a bad idea, after all." Sorry for the rambling story)

[Gerri]

I used to be 5'7 1/4", I'm now 5'6". Not only am I lying about my weight on my driver's license, I'm lying about my height too.

['lizbeth]

I'm 5'5" and don't want to fess up to my weight.

[sassy]

I was a cheerleader from elementary school thru college.

I'm now on my third round as a high school coach, all female now, but co-ed in the past.

As for being tall..,.,.,.,.I'm, 5' 4" and was a high jumper and ran hurdles in high school. (Didn't say how high I jumped!)

['lizbeth]

Years ago I woke up one morning complaining I was more tired than when I went to sleep. My diabetic sister checked my blood sugar and said "Yup, you should be dead by now". It was 44.

[hutchibk]

I hand feed my cat grass. It's pretty cute.

[juanita]

i love reading!

[chrisy]

I make the best cheesecake in the 3 states

[sassy]

When can we get together, Chrisy? For cheesecake?

[Believe51]

Hey Sassafrass, if she is really a good girl I may want to share my Mother-in-Laws famous cheesecake recipe......well, a good girl and maybe a slice of her masterpiece that is.>>Believe51

.........and it is dill pickles that I love. Those and stick pretzels of course!!

[alicem]

I love stick pretzels, especially if they are first dipped into a jar of Nutella! I also love any kind of cheesecake . . . . . YUMMMMMMMMMM.

I love cycling AND watching the Tour de France - - GO LANCE!. It is great to be back on my bike again. I have ridden my bike on 4 days this past week for a total of 90 miles! The longest ride was 31 miles. I'm training for a bike ride in October where I will ride my first century ride as a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Support. Yep, 100 miles all in one day. :)

[juanita]

i want to open my own bakery.

[Sheila]

I saved a construction workers life doing full CPR for 20 minutes until an ambulance arrived...truly one of the best days in my life as a nurse!

[Colleens_Husband]

Hooray for Sheila! Now that is something to be really proud of.

[hutchibk]

Alice ---- NUTELLA! yes.

[Believe51]

My Mommy and Daddy bought me a rocking chair on my first Christmas. I was 6 months old at the time and I still have that bad boy. It is one of few things I have from my first year of life and til this day provides me comfort. Of course I would never dare to sit it in....not in fear of breaking it but the vision in peoples faces when I showed up at the emergency room to remove it!! (lol) My chair 'rocks'!!>>Believe51

[juanita]

i still have my stuffed tiger that was my first toy when i was little. dilly played with it too, but jr so mean he'd demolish it.

[Bill]

I could live on dill pickles, olives and cheddar cheese. (nice avatar, Bonita!)

[Believe51]

I have never been to the Statue of Liberty.>>Believe51

[juanita]

i am afraid of heights

[Jackie07]

Believe51,

I was in New York for 10 days around July 4th in 1986. Not sure why I did not go to the Statue of Liberty. But a lady who had dressed like one (on tilts - now I know it couldn't be Juanita :) was in the celebration crowd and I had a wonderful time in the Big Apple...

[sassy]

On a trip to New York, I found $20 on the sidewalk by the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and a gold necklace on the subway.

[alicem]

Soooooooo . . . THAT'S what happened to my gold necklace!!!

;)

[Believe51]

.......and my $20....Hmmm>>Believe51

[sassy]

I swear------they were just lying there!

[WomanofSteel]

I learned to tie my shoes by making two bunny ears and wrapping them around one another and that is how I still do it.

[Believe51]

Hey WOS, looks like we have more in common than loving Goofy. I tie my shoes the same way (smile).>>Believe51

[vickie h]

I found a dollar on the sidewalk, bought a lottery ticket with it and won $50.00. That'a the most I've ever won at anything! Yipeeee.
Vickie

['lizbeth]

I was captain of the drill team. My senior year we had the smallest team in the state - 8 girls and we won this huge trophy. For decades it has been the largest in my high school's gym lobby.

[Believe51]

I am really good with numbers, problem is I do not really care for them, go figure.>>Believe51

[Sheila]

I was a finalist in the Illinois State Spelling Bee way back in the mid 60's.......................YIKES, I'm OLD!!!!!!!!

[chrisy]

I decided to become an accountant just to prove that not all accountants had to be boring. Before that, I was a psychology major...which actually serves me well in my work!

[StephN]

Sheila - Good for you! Hope you are working with those grandchildren to help them with spelling/grammar. The teachers sure let a lot of errors go by "in the interest of getting the child through the grade level." Where has pride in our language gone??

[Sheila]

Steph
My younger sister still calls me for spelling corrections...even with spell check...

[Colleens_Husband]

Something you don't know about Colleen. She is really smart. She works for me as a researcher and she just naturally picks up difficult concepts without having me to tell her what to look for.

Colleen is great at gardening. She grows bigger and better peppers, tomatoes, sunflowers and pumpkins than any body I know.

Finally, Colleen is the best person I have ever met. Her first instinct is to always do the right thing. I am very fortunate to be able to spend my life with her.

['lizbeth]

I was voted Worst Flirt my senior year of high school. And one of my best friends was voted the same the year before. ;)

['lizbeth]

I also said in my yearbook I wanted to be a scientist.

[Terri B]

I have arachnophobia. So severe that I will black out if there is one close enough and big enough. UGH.

I can handle any other of God's creatures but those! Give me snakes, mice, wasps anyday!

[Jackie07]

Terri,

I kept a big one in a jar in my room when I was in Junior High. :)I also made my oldest sister 'scream' when she tried to clean my room ang got a long, thin 'scroll box' out from under my bed. It was full of leaves, caterpillars, and some moths and cacoons. I learned from the experiment that the regular sized caterpillars won't become butterflies, only small flying stuff... :)

Spiders eat roaches... (I hear your 'screams' - hey, this is part of the 'desensitizing' program...:)

[Terri B]

Jackie,

desensitizing does not work for me. I've tried. I hate it at work when someone comes in with a spider story, then next thing you know, 10 more people all have spider stories, each one worst than the last!!!!

I just want to vomit and hide.

[vickie h]

What Terri? No Charlotte's Web? Just kidding!

[Jackie07]

Terri,

You've already typed the word 'spider' two times. Evidently the desensitizing process worked... :)

Perhaps we can ask Joe to put into a device that will automatically block postings that contain either the Latin, Greek, or English form of the critter for you? The Chinese word is '蜘蛛' (Chihchu).

Don't block me, I might post some interesting and/or valuable information in the future - NOT. :)

['lizbeth]

I have pteromechanophobia and a Citation type rating. :)

[Jackie07]

'lizbeth,

'Scientists' are usually the 'worst flirts'. Are you a 'scientist' now? If so, I am sure you don't care about the labels any more. If not, those immature opinion of your school mates were wrong and there's no need to be worried about it. :)

I'd had 'pimples' all over my face since junior high. My home room teacher even pointed to the one on the tip of my nose one time and laughed. And I was too tall for most of the men in Taiwan, so (not really a causal-effect) I came to the States and found me a good-looking guy to marry... (No, I came on a student Visa - to marry a gringo was not my intent - it just 'happened' while I was on the so-called 'practical training' visa after I'd gotten my degree.)

Remember 'living well is the best revenge'... :)

[Jackie07]

'lizbeth,

For 'flying' or 'driving'? (The 'Citation' :)

[sassy]

I won the county 4-H blue ribbon in Arts and Crafts for my demonstration of Tie Dying........the first time it was popular......boy do I sound old!

[juanita]

i am going to be a grandma again sometime in feb or march. trying to pin down a date!

['lizbeth]

Flying. I have a Commercial Multi-Engine certificate and obtained my Citation Type rating in March 2006. I did the training and checkride in a Citation II.

I took a discovery flight in 1993 to humor a bank auditor. I was working as an Accounting Manager at Eagle One (car care products). And I had a terrible fear of flying after a bad experience on TWA Flight 99. I almost never flew again after the first flight but the flight instructor scheduled me for 6 more lessons and I didn't have the heart to cancel.

On the 2nd lesson I was hooked. Over the last 16 years I've accumulated 1000 hours, over 100 in turbine aircraft and some of the biggest adventures and best friends ever. :)

['lizbeth]

My previous job was as a diamond grader. I had a sparkling good time.

['lizbeth]

It was my birthday on July 5th. I shamelessly went and updated my profile so everyone would notice. However, I forgot to save the update. So no one noticed, not even Believe51, Ms. Marie, who notices everyone's birthday. LOL

[Henny]

I lived on a commune in the early 70's.

[hutchibk]

I just bought a hula hoop.

['lizbeth]

Hutchibk - a hula hoop? I love it! And how is the hula hoopin'?

[Believe51]

'lizbeth, I knew it was your birthday, yeah, yeah....I thought you wanted to keep it a secret, ah..that's right, yeah. Yeah, I thought you wanted to keep it quiet, that's the ticket. (rotfl!!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART!! Your secret is out know but atleast I am not the blame (lol)

[hutchibk]

I think the hula hoop broke one of my ab muscles. Ha ha. No really. I'll let you know after I recover.

[Henny]

If I had a hula hoop I'd have to use it in the bathroom or garage with the door closed-NOBODY should see me hooping it up (or it falling to my feet over and over as I work on the hip twist thing)

['lizbeth]

I'm not good at keeping secrets. LOL

Not like Marie :)

['lizbeth]

Maybe I should buy a hoola hoop. I'd like to be narrower around the middle.

[hutchibk]

That's what I bought it for. It is awesome ab work. It burns about 250 calories in 30 minutes. I can only do about 10 minutes right now. It has to be the proper size for an adult. The plastic ones for kids at Walmart or the grocery store don't work for adults. Mine is 40" and weighs about 2.5 lbs. It's about the best "core" workout you can do. It takes some practice, but practice itself is a great workout. Mine ends up around my feet after about 30 secs or a minute, but I pick it up and do it again and again... also, you have to teach yourself how to do both directions. One of my directions is broken, apparently. Ha.

[Bill]

When I was a kid, I wanted to buy one of those plastic fake ice cubes that you see in the back of comic books, but my Mom said no, so I made my own out of real ice and real bugs and kept my little secret in the freezer on the bottom tray of our stack of four trays of ice cubes, and then when my Mom and Dad had a Christmas party at our house, I offered to ice everyone's drinks. Boy, was that the greatest idea ever, at least for a few minutes. Justice was swift and immediate!

[Bill]

You know, Hucklebuck, if you hold a few small hand-weights in your hands as you twirl around inside that Hula hoop of yours, you can call it "cross-training". Maybe a pound or two.

[sassy]

When I was in college I cut tobacco to help a group earn money.

[Believe51]

All of my closet friends in my daily life I have had for 20+ years.

And the friends I have made here, I feel like I have had them for 20+ years. Love ya.>>Believe51

[juanita]

i am left-handed.

[hutchibk]

I am right.

[hutchibk]

Oops, did I leave a word out of that last sentence?

[Jackie07]

I am right handed. But I can play basketball with both hands. And I can write with my left hand also - having practised it 20+ years ago while tutoring a 10-year-old boy who had lost the use of his right hand because of a car accident.

My Sister-in-law is left-handed. She uses her right hand for most tasks except 'writing'. She plays piano and organ very well. She's a nutrition professor and a RD, PhD.

All the left-handers I know are smart people. The best athlete in my high school and college years(we played on the same team for 7 years) is a left-hander. She's top student of her class [in the top college in Taiwan]while on both basketball team and track team. I think it might have something to do with having to exercise both sides of their brain.

The percentage of modern left-handed presidents is very high - another proof.

[Bill]

If you notice, there are more and more left-handed people about these days, both men and women. It used to be somewhat rare to see a left-handed woman, but now they're everywhere. Left-handed people are taking over the world, one generation at a time.

[Jackie07]

Don't be paranoid, Bill. You see more and more left-handers these days because children are no longer forced to use their right hands any more.

So more and more people are going to be the 'smart' left-handers who can use both hands well. (Look at the percentage of left-handed presidents we've got in the last twenty years. We are headed toward the left-handed Aquarius Age :)

[Sheila]

I am Left handed...well actually ambidextrous...I had a teacher in 2nd grade who did not want a left hander in her class...I was made to feel like there was something wrong with me...anyway, I never learned to write with my right hand, but I eat right handed, bowl right handed, iron right handed, pitch right handed, use scissors with my right hand...however, I write, swing the bat (baseball) and golf Left handed....I am just plain weird! (all thanks to my 2nd grade teacher)

[AbbyDawg]

I write right handed but am left-hand dominant ... which provides much entertainment for neurologists. So, as some of my editor friends say, I am "amphibious."

Another source of amusement for neurologists is that I am 6' tall but only wear a size 7.5 - 8 shoe. I'm an endless target of tip-over jokes for them ... and for countless friends to threaten to use me instead of going cow-tipping!

PS - Most folks don't know that neurologists have a sense of humor!

[AbbyDawg]

Sheila ~

I have heard of that a lot. I was naturally "amphibious" -- no one ever tried to "switch me at birth."

['lizbeth]

One of my first jobs was as a Princess House consultant. I still have a house full of crystal.

[StephN]

AbbyDawg -
Is cow-tipping a Meenysotta "thing"? Never heard of it here.

[Mary Jo]

I am 5'5". I was married when I was 18 years old and am still married to the same man, my highschool sweetheart. It will be 31 years this September.

This is fun.

Mary Jo

[AbbyDawg]

AbbyDawg -
Is cow-tipping a Meenysotta "thing"? Never heard of it here.

Steph ~

Ya shure, yew betcha! It is a sorta midwestern sport -- on the order of "snipe hunting" -- only real.

In the middle of the night when the cows are standing up asleep in the pasture, you can sneak up on them and gently push them from the top of their side and they will tip over like a four-legged chair.

This causes laughter to the point of hyperventillation for people who happen to be of Skandahoovian decent.

Important Note: Before participating in this sport, it is IMPERATIVE that you know the difference between a cow and a BULL!!!!! Bulls are not like neurologists ... bulls have absolutely no sense of humor!!!!

Another Note: Nearly 100% of the Skandahoovians of this persuation and sense of humor will talk about all of their cow-tipping adventures and laugh themselves silly -- yet only 1% of us have ever really tried it! And the ones who are talked into trying it are usually the first people invited to go snipe hunting in the Fall.

[AbbyDawg]

Myth and Reality

Cow tipping is the purported activity of sneaking up on a sleeping, upright cow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow) and pushing it over for fun. In reality, though, cows do not sleep standing up. Therefore, cow tipping is a myth.

According to popular belief, cows can easily be pushed over without much force because they are slow-moving, slow-witted and weak-legged, have a high center of gravity and sleep standing up. Numerous publications have debunked cow-tipping as a myth. Cows do not sleep standing up, nor do their knees lock, making the act of cow-tipping impossible. A variety of calculations have been performed to determine if cow tipping is physically possible. A study led by Margo Lillie, a doctor of zoology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoology) at the University of British Columbia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_British_Columbia), concludes that cow tipping by a single person is impossible. Her calculations found that it would take at least two people to apply enough force to push over a cow if the cow does not react and reorient its footing. If the cow does react, it would take at least four people to push it over. Professor Lillie noted that, contrary to the myth, cows are well aware of their surroundings (they have excellent senses of smell and hearing) and are very difficult to sneak up on.

[Believe51]

My hair is almost down to my bum and to go to sleep each night I twirling with my left hand. I am right handed but can only sedate myself with the left hand. Once I had stiches in my thumb and I could not sleep right till I healed. Ah, somethings never change.>>Believe51

PS: With my left hand only, I can tie a knot in the strand clump and remove it all in one shot. You have to see people cringe thinking I am making a narly mess with my hair only to find out I remove it with ease. Now if I can only tie a knot in a cherry stem with my tongue....I'll be in 'da house.

[Believe51]

Ed and I have been saving change since the first day we met one another. Saving it so long I do not know how I could ever cash it in.>>Believe51

[Bill]

I got this thing I do, when I'm sitting in a chair. Actually, I'm doing it right now. I've got my left leg sorta on the ball of my foot and my leg is jumping up and down like there's no tomorrow. It does it all by itself, and I just let it roll.

[Mary Jo]

Hahahahahahahaha Bill....my leg can do that too IF I have it just a certain way - (ha-ha - you're not the only one.) http://her2support.org/vbulletin/images/icons/icon7.gif

[harrie]

When I am sitting in my chair, the top of my right ankle is balancing behind the heel of my left foot. I never thought about it until WB you talked about your feet. And when I am really concentrating, my lips get really small like a bird's.

[Becky]

My father's grandparents (paternal) were identical twins and the other 2 married each other too (identical twins married identical twins) so all his cousins from the other marriage are biologically like brothers and sisters to him (same genes).

[Bill]

Thank you, Marejo! I just knew someone was gonna tell me I've got a "condition". And, Harriecanarie!!! Why am I not surprised that you have a little bird mouth when you concentrate. That is so cute.
Becky, what you just said seems like too much math, and it made me think of your haunted house post from awhile back. You got my leg jumping again.

[Jackie07]

Believe,

We have 3 big tin cans full of coins as well. :) For some reason, hubby would not give them up. A couple of years ago, I almost convinced him to bring them to the bank and convert them to 'real money'. Soon after, the banks started charging fees. So they are still 'burried' in our study.

[alicem]

I used to be a Bank Teller. Sounds like its time for a "coin rolling" party!!

[SoCalGal]

I find the whole leg/foot/hand/ TAPPING anything- thing ANNOYING and have been known to tie limbs to silence them.
But, as I mentioned before, I have never killed anyone.
Kindest personal regards,
Flori

[Sheila]

Becky...
My Dad's Sister married my Mom's Brother....all 13 of us kids look alike....9 girls, 4 boys, and I am the only one that got breast cancer...must not of run in the genes

[Sheila]

I once danced with the cardboard Marlboro man....its a long story and I am not gonna share all the gory details

[Believe51]

All my little cousins call me 'Cousin Marie', it is real cute and I guess respectable in their little minds. I love these little Darlings!!>>Believe51

[juanita]

i wear glasses but don't wear my glasses.

[Believe51]

I have sprained my wrists twice and my ankle once to avoid stepping on my cats. I might have wounded myself but kitties were fine.

Best part was that they looked at me like they were saying....."what did you do that for??"

[Mary Jo]

...and I have shouted loudly at my dogs when they have decided to move while I am trying to avoid stepping on them.....well, I've almost killed myself....geez. Like Marie's cats, my dogs look at me like.....what is your problem.

[Believe51]

Mary Jo, I get the same looks too when Mookie falls out of his bed or rolls off his pillows.....as if I did it to him. He is so darn cute. Today he literally held my face as he rubbed his chin on it, then a big kiss to Mommy.>>Believe51

[Laurel]

Oh no, kitty-cat stories! Okay, I have 4 inside cats, 2 adopted outside cats, and one stray who has adopted us! I'm pathetic.

[Believe51]

Laurel, let me set you straight....first of all I think they all adopt and train us, do not let them fool you (smiling). Pathetic yes you are, but you're ours so join the club (lol). Wait until I tell Ed about your kitties, this is sure to brighten his day because I know it made mine.>>Believe51

[Believe51]

All of the paint and rugs in my home are 'cool' colors, guess you could say I am a cool girl. (lol). I do have warm color items throughout the house but cool is the primary theme and the warm are the accents. I did not plan it this way.>>Believe51

[Colleens_Husband]

If I could be granted only one super power, I would want to be able to turn invisible.

[juanita]

i live in a rural area.

[Bill]

I often dream that I'm flying through trees and over roof-tops at night, and on occasion, flying nearly straight up to the edge of the Earth's atmosphere, where all I can see is an infinite number of stars, and as I hover for a bit, it all makes sense.

[sassy]

Jim Valvano once kissed me on the cheek.

[Believe51]

Several years ago I choked on a popsicle when I was alone at home. I could not believe that I really did see my life flash in front of me as I tried to bang into the kitchen sick to dislodge it. There are times when I am eating a popsicle that I do think about the foolish moment that one almost took my life.....whew!>>Believe51

[chrisy]

I'm on vacation and the airline lost my bag.

I'm almost disappointed that they have located it because it will still take a day or 2 for me to get it which is long enough to need to buy new undies, but not long enough to justify a bunch of neat new clothes!

[Believe51]

Chrisy, you should always make the time and justify the purchase of new neat clothes (lol)!!!!
If you need help, ask Flori for tips on 'power shopping therapy' (wink).

Sorry about the mix up with the luggage, what a pain.>>Believe51

[juanita]

i HATE cold weather!

[Laurel]

Okay, I love the 10th doctor! Any Dr. Who fans out there?

[vickie h]

I always order 2 pizzas when my grandchildren are over and we take the second one to the homeless shelter nearby where I volunteer. My youngest grandson, Dylan, calls them houseless not homeless because he says the earth is our home so we all have a home only some don't have a house. What a wise little soul he is.

Vickie

[Colleens_Husband]

Chocolate or vanilla ice cream? Vanilla. Definitely vanilla. With chocolate syrup on top!

[Believe51]

Lee, my Mommy would love having you over for snacks. Her favorite ice cream is vanilla and to her (and me) there is nothing quite like a quality vanilla ice cream.

Growing up Mommy and I would bake, before beginning we grabbed all the ingredients and placed them on the table. "First things first", she would say as she unscrewed the pure vanilla extract bottle. Both of us would dab on some pure vanilla behind our ears and wrists. Ah, the wonderful memories.

I have never baked with anything besides pure vanilla extract.......I use real vanilla bean when making extravagant desserts......and yes, I still dab my vanilla extract just like in the old days. Life is good.

And Vickie, I will tell you one more time, Dylan is a very wonderful little person. He always seems to make me proud with something he has done or said. Give him a kiss for me.

[alicem]

I was a Girl Scout for 9 years. When I was earning my Cook badge, I decided to make my mom's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies all by myself. As I looked over the recipe, I saw I needed brown sugar . . . but I didn't think I liked brown sugar. WHY? Because it looked dirty!!! <<HaHa>> So, I left it out and - - - the cookies were HORRIBLE!! Now, I have a hard time not following a recipe to the letter.

[Mary Jo]

Today is my 4 year cancerversaryhttp://her2support.org/vbulletin/images/icons/icon7.gifand I thank God I am happy and well.

Mary Jo

[Becky]

Oh Mary Jo. Congratulations and praise God you are still the great wonderful woman you are to us and everybody else.

[Believe51]

I still have my wedding flowers after 16 years and believe it or not they are still as white as they were that day. I never treated them with any chemicals, just placed them into the freezer.>>Believe51

[duga35]

I'm 6'5 and weigh @300 pounds. I can't read nor write very well at all but I can lift the front end of a VW! I got tired of people asking me if I played football, so I just started staring down at them all mean like and replying, "No, I don't play football, are you a jockey?"


Oh yeah, and I also love the Stones. Gimme Shelter and Midnight Rambler are my fave songs. I don't like the fact that they spent the biggest part of their lives in a drug-induced fog, nor endorse it, but during the period that Keith was an all out herion addict was when he wrote most of his best music.

[harrie]

If I have a yin/yang best bud, it would be Duga. We have almost identical histories with our bc....even down to carrying the BRCA gene, DCIS, mastectomies, tamox, oncotype, you name it....BUT the BIG difference is that he is probably one of the BIGGEST people at this site and I am prob one of the smallest!!!!
But I do love that big guy and I have so much respect for him.
By the way, DON'T ANY OF YOU OUT THERE BELIEVE FOR ONE MIN THAT HE CAN'T READ OR WRITE VERY WELL! He writes very VERY well...articulately, discriptively, informatively, and with an amazingly honest heart that shines through. I've seen it with my own eyes!!

[Faith in Him]

I lived in Aberdeen, Scotland from 1979-1984. My father worked in the oil fields in the North sea.

[notamrnpsn]

Hey Faith in Him, I was born and raised 30 miles South of Aberdeen, a little town called Montrose. Had brothers who worked on the rigs.

[LoriE]

I enjoy fly fishing with my husband. My introduction was via Casting for Recovery! (and I don't eat fish.)

[vickie h]

I love driving up the coast and camping in Big sur whenever I can. Bought a new tent yesterday for our next trip (in between chemos). We don't roast hot dogs but instead pack in all kinds of vegetarian food and take long hikes. It's so beautiful there. I'm yearning to go to Yosemite before it gets too cold.
Vickie

[Midwest Alice]

I took my first oil painting class this summer. It was fun.

[Mary Jo]

I learned to play the piano at 38 years old. It was always a dream of mine so I did it.

[swimangel72]

I'm 5'9" - and my oldest daughter is 6 feet tall (and became an All-American basketball player - she got her talent from my DH's side of the family.) In my 20's I was a really into skiing and English-saddle riding........my right hip is now reminding me of all the falls I took back then!

[duga35]

Harrie..............shhhhhhhhhhh

Ya gave away my secrets!!!


:)

[Marlys]

Today is the first time I have indulged myself in this thread and I really love it. I do have a few comments to make... Sheila- about dancing with a cardboard Marlboro Man... I used to drink a lot, too!!! I, like you, am a nurse. I was dating a man who worked as a doorman in a Roaring Twenties night club in Denver, called Big Al's GasHouse. Well, one night he broke up with me, saying that he was too young to get married. I don't remember ever saying anything about marriage but he did owe me $13 and I wasn't about to let him get away with out paying me that $13 so I started working as a cocktail waitress there on the week-ends. I wore a flapper dress and danced the twist on the tables as part of the show!! However, as some of you may know, I was raised a good little Seventh Day Adventist til the age of 23 and although I was imbibing freely by this time I did not know the names of many cocktails. I was never sure what a Cuba Libra was but the bartender must have given me the right drink because I made great tips (made more money than I did as a nurse). Oh, that doorman finally married me so he would not have to pay back the $13. That was 45 years ago.
Love & hugs,
Marlys

[StephN]

Yes, Marlys -
Poke around in this web site and you never know what you will run across to take you away from "your life at the moment." This the beauty of this site that Joe gives us the freedom to start threads on most any topic, avoiding the "P" and "R" subjects as much as possible!

I love your Flapper story. Guess I was never that ambitious for either the money or the husband, but that sounds like it was darn fun! You are a go-getter!

[vickie h]

Marlys,
I was also raised a Seventh Day Adventist. My grandfather was jewish, my grandmother a gentile and so they settled on raising my mother in the Adventist church because they practiced a lot of the same dietary laws and we attended sabbath on Saturday. From sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday, there was no work allowed. We played, went to church, had potlucks (no cooking allowed either). As we grew up my mother went back to my father's jewish religion and so we attended services at the Temple then. Still later, after we were grown, she became a Jews For Jesus.
Very interesting background, wouldn't you say? I still eat no pork products, shell fish, etc to this day. I've visited and attended several different churches since then, even went to a Baptist revival in a tent in Idaho once and then to a Budhist retreat. God is everywhere.
P.S. My first real job was also as a cocktail waitress in Northern California. Since we didn't drink, I couldn't tell the difference between a bloody Mary and a gin and tonic....those poor customers....I was delivering all the wrong drinks to different tables and still didn't get fired!

[Mary Jo]

Vickie, I just had to say that I loved that story. I even read it to my husband.....being a lover of Jesus, I loved the part about your mom becoming a "Jew for Jesus!" Thanks for sharing the story.

Mary Jo

[vickie h]

Hey Mary Jo,
She always went back to Jesus.....couldn't live without him.
Still wanted to hold on to her jewish heritage and finally found other jews who believed in Jesus. She was also an activist for the poor, protested viet Nam, raised chickens in the middle of LA, and sang opera. Very interesting woman to say the least, which made for an even more interesting childhood!

[Midwest Alice]

My first job was a cocktail waitress. One side was a bowling alley and the other side was a disco. I would work in the bowling alley and later in the evening I worked in the disco. I had fun working in the bowling alley... but not so much in the disco.

[Midwest Alice]

I have the last four US Presidents dolls on my fireplace mantle. You push a button on their back and you hear different Quotes from them in their own voices.

[harrie]

Duga,....then I guess you'll just have to tell us some more of your secrets!.....come on......we're all eyes...

[Bill]

I'm 5'10", 195 pounds, and people are always referring to me as being "skinny". No man likes being called "skinny". "skinny" guys get sand kicked in their faces at the beach and have their girl-friends taken away, at least that's what the comic books taught me.

[Midwest Alice]

Well Bill, You sure look nice with leaf hair ...skinny or not

[Bill]

Oh, that old thing, it's just something I threw on at the last minute. Actually, I ate that "leaf hair" weeks ago. Thanks, Alice.

[Terri B]

I'm on a diet trying to lose all my chemo/stress/quitsmoking weight that I have been carrying for about 3 years now. It is a SIGNIFICANT amount of weight. I'm also working out every day at the gym.

I'm pissed at the world. I love food. :(

[Mary Jo]

OH Terri.....I hear ya! Boy do I. I'm constantly working on "me" and it's damn hard (excuse my language but it is http://her2support.org/vbulletin/images/icons/icon11.gif) I love food too.......especially the kind that 'THEY' say we shouldn't consume......You know the kind?? The foods loaded with fat and calories.........(pssst...the best kind).

Just wanted to chime in so you knew you weren't alone. It probably doesn't help though cause hey, I'm not chocolate you can consume.... I'm just another sufferer who confirms what you say......Dang....it's SO UNFAIR, isn't it?http://her2support.org/vbulletin/images/icons/icon8.gif

Love ya "sister"

Mary Jo

[Gerri]

Terri,

Boy, do I know what you mean! I was already struggling with my weight pre dx - then packed on another 30 lbs with treatment. I joined Weight Watchers at the very end of August last year and have lost 50 lbs! It is such a great program; I am so glad I gave it another try. I am still working toward my goal and feel so much better physically and mentally. Don't give up, you are on the right track!

[Midwest Alice]

I have a copy of the Declaration of Independence matted and framed hanging in my living room. Strange… I know….

I have lost 30lbs . I started my new eating plan in March. It is very hard.

[juanita]

i like getting in the car and going for drives just to see the great state i live in! saturday we were lost down along the ohio river, but got to see some beautiful scenic views.

[StephN]

Hey, Juanita! Looks like you got some sun this summer with all the gardening, etc.

And Dilly looks like a little cherub (angel?). I am sure she is a good girl for grammy Juanita.

[Midwest Alice]

I send my first letter to the editor and it was printed in the paper this week!!

[Terri B]

Thanks Gerri and Mary Jo for the shot in the arm. Having had lost a lot of weight in the past, I know it is doable. Actually, this is the easy part. The hardest part is keeping it off. I have YET to accomplish that one!

I'm going to the gym everyday and biking for 3-5 miles and then working my way up on the elliptical torture device. Then some weights for my beefy bi's & tri's. I need to get some muscle built so it will help me burn the fat!!! arrrrhhgghgh!

(just MISSING the pizza, seriously!)

[vickie h]

You Go, Alice! Send us a copy of your letter, we'd love to read it. I've sent many, many letters to the editor and have had a few of them published also. I'm such an activist at heart...can't imagine life without that activism!
Congratulations!
Love and hugs to you,
Vickie

[Believe51]

That my kitty is sitting on a pillow near my shoulder. He climbed up there to purr and give me a kiss on the nose, and the kiss made me have to clean my glasses.>>Believe51

[StillHere]

My husband and I started dating at the age of 16. He is the only guy I have ever french kissed and vice-versa (at least so he says).

[Jackie07]

I always wanted to have a boy friend in my teens so we could 'grow up' together. But none of the boys I grew up with or met in college worked out (I was too tall, too loud, and with too much pimples on my face...) Eventually I met hubby when I was 27 and he was 30. The funny part is that we felt so comfortable with each other when we first met - it's like "I can't believer there is someone as naive as me" - we were like two little kids and we felt like we'd known each other all our lives.

I am the baby of the family of 3 boys and 3 girls - my Oldest Sister is the oldest child. He is the baby of the family of 2 boys and 1 girl - his older Sister is the oldest one. His birthday was only 4 days behind that of my Third Brother. And they are the same build-up, both athletical and witty. Both of our fathers are World War II veterans. My Father fought the Japanese army in the Burma-India border. His Father fought the German troops in the Battle of the Bulge. My Father-in-law became a teacher and then principal. My Father retired a colonel and then became a teacher and principal...

[juanita]

that my son and his family moved back home and that's why i've been gone for awhile.

[StephN]

I bought some specially made pillows for "neck problems." Got them from the Select Comfort store and after just one night with them we notice the difference! Price of one pillow is less than I pay for 2 massages. Figured it could not hurt to give them a try.

Don't know why I was holding out except the price. They are on sale right now, and I don't want to have to get the massages every week like I have been, since we have another big trip coming up. http://her2support.org/vbulletin/images/icons/icon12.gif

[Bill]

I sleep with 3 pillows. One between my knees to help my lower back, one for my head, and one parallel to my body against my chest that I drape my arm around. I roll over several times at night and I have to carry my lower two pillows with me. It's quite a challenge for me to get a good night's sleep. I miss the old days when I could just go to bed, sleep, and then wake up 12 hours later!

[Believe51]

Bill, 12 hours later??? Dammmn..lol, I miss your warped humor.

My wedding ring is a marquis-shaped diamond and my wedding band has sapphires and diamonds in it. Gorgeous rings and picked out by the big guy himself.>>Believe51

[Believe51]

I only wear Oakley sunglasses and have been doing so for over 30 years. They are the best for my eyes, headaches and both winter and summer sports. I won't tell you how many pairs I have but I will tell you that my two favorites are the orange and the purple pairs.>>Believe51

[StephN]

Bill -
They have "body pillows" at the large kitchen/linens/stuff stores. Get one and you might maneuver easier in your sleep! http://her2support.org/vbulletin/images/icons/icon12.gif

Maybe if my hubby was not with me any more I could think of getting one! But it seems too hot and constricting to have so much extra "bulk" in the bed.

[Mary Jo]

I met my hubby when I was 15 years old...we started dating on Sept. 3, 1975. We married on Sept. 2, 1978. We will be celebrating our 31st wedding anniversary on Sept. 2. We've been together 34 years. Man, that sounds like old people, doesn't it? YIKES.....am I old???? Hehe!http://her2support.org/vbulletin/images/icons/icon7.gif

[chrisy]

I met my husband in college and while he thought we would soon become engaged, I thought I was dating someone else. I broke his heart (although he puts it "she told me to take a hike") and we never spoke again...

Until 12 years and 2000 miles later when we had both separately moved to California (although still 500 miles apart!) and found each other again in response to a "dorm floor" reunion.

This time it was love at first sight (for both of us!) and after a 2 year long-distance courtship we were married. So we've either been together 20 years, or 32 years.

And of course, now I take credit for my hubby's second favorite thing - long distance hiking - since I gave him the idea all those years ago...

[Colleens_Husband]

The first time I ever saw Colleen, she was getting her newspaper in a frumpy bathrobe. It was real obvious that I had embarrassed her. The first thing that ran through my head was that I was going to marry her and embarrassing her would only make things more difficult. I actually met her a couple of days later which was really weird, because I was 100% certain that I was going to marry her eventually.

[notamrnpsn]

I met my husband over 48 years ago in a local dance hall. This was in Scotland and he was in the US Navy. After the first dance I told my girlfriend that I was going to marry him. So after 47 years of marriage 6 children and 16 Grands and 2 great grands we still feel the same way about each other. Jeanette

[freyja]

I met my husband when I bought my house from a friend who had hired my husband to do work on the house. I tell people, "he came with the house!" That was seven years ago this week......(our baby boy was born 10 months later! He's six now.)

[freyja]

When I know what I want I don't waste any time.

[Believe51]

LOL!!!

Ed was my first and only blind date....I did not even want to go but went to silence my girlfriend. October 21st is our 14th Wedding Anniversary.>>Believe51

[Jackie07]

Hubby and I met at church also. Just celebrated our 21th anniversary. My late Mother-in-law had told me it would be just a 'blink of the eyes' - she's right. I often thought about the statement made by Rebbeca in 'Cheers': "Has it been that long?"

[Believe51]

That if you listened to the tone of voice I use speaking to my cat Mookie or our conversations....you would have me committed!! LOL>>Believe51

[Brenda_D]

Since I've recovered from BC, I've become a beekeeper!

[vlcarr]

I was adopted by my grandparents when I was a baby.

[notamrnpsn]

I adopted my grandson when he was 5years old. <Jeanette

[bejuce]

I'm from Brazil and look forward to being there for the soccer World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016! Let's have a survivor party there!

I met my hubby (also grew up in Brazil, but born in Taiwan) in Kansas at the airport after my first flight ever (for a college exchange program). We hit it off and have been together for 19 years (married for 8, I know, I was patient).

We're now in CA and love it here.

[Bill]

Several times a month I have the most god-awful sneezing fits for some reason.

[Colleens_Husband]

Bill, I have sneezing fits too. Of course that should come as no surprise to anyone.

I am allergic to the whole world and everything on it, and that includes myself.

[PinkGirl]

I have major sneezing fits too ... hmmmmm

Makes you wonder about that whole time zone thing and
Bill and I being born on the same day .. sort of ... depending
on time zones ... and I think Bill and Lee etc. are brothers ...
aren't they? They have the same granny ... but that could
make them cousins ... I guess ...

[juanita]

today is the day i become a grandma for the third time! my daughter and son are at the hospital now waiting for my granddaughter to decide she's ready to make her appearance. and second, i'm no longer blonde like in my picture, i'm now a redhead. changed it last night. just gotta take a picture to put on here.

[Bill]

Congratulations, Juanita!

[Jackie07]

Congratulations! [Is your grand baby going to be red-haired or brown-haired? :)]

[juanita]

she's here! jadyn marie was born yesterday evening at 6:30. she is 8 lb 4 oz and 21 in. everybody is doing great! she is a beautiful little girl with blue eyes and a HEADFULL of jet black hair. i gotta wait for my husband to get home to download the pictures on the computer but for those on facebook i can send those from my phone and there are a bunch on there already.

[Laurel]

I happened upon this thread while searching for information and recalled that it was a good one and fun. Thought I'd resurrect it with these little known facts:

Warren Zevon once gave me the mic to sing into at a concert. Some chick behind me was jealous and set my hair on fire!

I very nearly drown at age four, but was rescued from the bottom of the lake by my teenage cousin who saw me go down for the last time.

I love to drink in Chownings Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg.

My all time favorite film is "Harvey" with Jimmy Stewart. My second favorite is "The Deer Hunter" with Robert DeNiro.

I used to party with some of the guys from Anthrax. They are all challenged in the height department....

[StephN]

Hey, Laurel -

I almost drowned, but was rescued, as well. Age 2 I slipped down the bank of an irrigation ditch behind our house (after clambering over a wire fence).

A neighbor lady saw me (heard me) and leaped to my rescue. I got a rocking horse as an incentive to stay in the house after that!

I was at a small party with the Ramones in Vancouver, B.C. in 1977 or 78.

[Laurel]

Steph,

I love the Ramones! You lucky girl, you! I saw them in Hammerheads on Long Island in the eighties. Was it Joey who recently died of cancer?

Ok, gotta add another tid bit. My first love was a wonderful French Canadian boy named Andre'. My family would travel to this little town named Senneterre in Quebec. From there we would travel by train or on a dirt logging road back to the Fishing Camp Andre's family ran. He became a bush pilot and died in a tragic plane crash at the age of 21. It was so sad because he was one of those guys who was so full of life.

[Jackie07]

A coincidence you just mentioned about first love...

One of my Junior High school buddies (I was a tomboy, so all of them were 'guys') went to the military academy after graduation. I had corresponded with him through high school, but decided I was going to enjoy my college years - thinking that if he really cared, he would take actions. And if it were meant to be, a separation of 4 years would not change anything [I had read too many 'traditional' Chinese romances that emphasize on the 'eternal' relationship - usually a 'platonic' one.]

He did pay me a surprise visit at the open house of my college with a couple of other 'buddies' - which wasn't easy as he was in the Naval Academy at the time. So I played basketball, sang in the choirs, did my volunteer work...Then boom, right before his appointment, we were told that he's going to get married - to a female officer he had met in a joint Forces exercise. Bunch of us Junior High classmates went to the wedding and the old 'Gang of four' actually stayed overnight at his new apartment (a traditional Chinses prank - friends/relatives staying overnight to hold the groom/bride 'hostage'. [Usually just the groom, so the exhausted bride can get a good night sleep]) I did my usual thing - reading Chinese Readers Digest while others playing Mahjong.

He and another 'gang' called me earlier this year after chatting online for a while that night. I was a little bit surprised but was happy to catch up with them. He sent a picture of his family via the Internet. By summer I had received several pictures from another buddy who had also attended the class reunion in spring. 7 of my classmates made posters to wish me well and 'he' was one of them in the 'formation'.

I was so shocked to learn last night that he had been divorced from his wife of more than 28 years not long after our conversation and is now dating a widowed classmate he had met at the Reunion. Knowing both of them well enough to realize how painful it must have been for him to have had a divorce and how difficult it must have been for her to have become a widow at 50, I just felt so sad about what each of them had been through while at the same time so happy for them to have found each other.

[Laurel]

I reconnected with my High School sweetheart with whom I spent 11 years after 17 years apart. Now we speak regularly. We marvel at how we have become old farts!

[tfabre]

I would be "skinny" if I were 6' tall, but unfortunately, I am only 5'3". I once helped my neighbor burn a wooden ladder that had floated to his pier (while we were enjoying a few beers), only to discover later that it was the ladder from MY PIER! LOL!
Every year, right after Thanksgiving, I watch "How The Grinch Stole Christmas (old and new versions), "Christmas Vacation", "A Christmas Story", and "It's A Wonderful Life", while decorating my fresh cut tree....I can't wait!

[Colleens_Husband]

I haven't posted for a while because I have been suffering from an extremely rare disease called vitamin B-12 polyneuropathy. It is so rare that the cheap-bunned HMO flew in specialist from San Diego and Seattle. It turns out I am very allergic to vitamin B-12 and if I don't get it, the nerves in my body start dying. It is official, I am now allergic to the whole planet, everything on the planet, and myself as well. So I have been taking immuno-suppresants and then getting vitamin injections directly into my liver. And I used to think taking Flinstone Chewables was bad.

And the worst part of it all is that all the people with real diseases that have cool names think they can kick my butt because is there anything that sounds more sissy than vitamin B-12 polyneuropathy? No, I didn't think so. At least it isn't cancer. I need to thank God for that tender mercy.

[tfabre]

Wow! That IS rare, but hang in there!

[Laurel]

Sheesh, Lee, that sounds pretty doggone awful to me! At least you aren't allergic to Colleen! I am just a bit ditsy tonight. Are you allergic to B12, but yet require it desperately for your nerve's survival? The question is then how do you take the B12, by the direct injection into your liver? That sounds pretty grizzly to me! Will this be a lifelong necessity?

You can be "one rare bird, too."

[Jackie07]

Ouch! ['...injection directively into your liver'?] Below is the link from Merck:

http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec06/ch095/ch095h.html

Looks like it is a complex disease only an intellegent person can acquire and understand... [not sure if a smiley is appropriate, so I am not going to put it here.] Hope you get better soon.

[DiDi70]

I was a member of a medicinal plant expedition in Nepal in 2001. My team catalogued plants that were used for medicine by healers (not many left there) and then presented our report to the King of Nepal in Kathmandu. He declared many of the plants endangered or gave them special status as the poor in Nepal can't afford things such as antibiotics, so they would have to rely on medicinal plants for health. A few days after our visit, he was shot dead by his son, the Crown Prince.

[Colleens_Husband]

Laurel:

You are correct. My immune system is attacking vitamin B-12 in my blood serum and if I don't get vitamin B-12 I will lose all feeling and lose all muscle control because nerves will start dying. I am taking IVIG which is immuno-globulin taken from tens of thousands of people which shuts off the immune system long enough to absorb some vitamin B-12. IVIG costs about $3,500 a dose I am taking it every week. Hopefully the good doctors can find something else that works because it feels like I am losing this battle very slowly. Oh well, if they can at least slow thing down until they come up with a better way, then that will help. One doctor wants to try really small doses of vitamin B-12 in the hopes of sneaking under the immune systems radar. At this point, I am willing to try most anything.

[Laurel]

Man, none of that sounds good at all! I will be praying in earnest for a new easier and more effective method to slide that B12 beneath your immune system. Is the nerve damage mostly in your hands and feet at present or is it more involved?

Thank you, Jackie, for the Merck link. It was very helpful in enlightening me on the polyneuropathy.

DiDi70 very cool story about your expedition to Nepal. Wow! To have been Kathmandu!

[Bill]

Lee, I'm really sorry to hear about your condition. I admire your courage, though. I can see that in spite of everything, you haven't lost your sense of humour. Hang in there, my friend.

[PinkGirl]

Geez Lee ... that's a bummer for sure.

When I was a kid I drank some chlorox bleach.

[DiDi70]

I fell out of a tall tree the day before my First Communion so I had a big black eye and 3 big black stitches sticking out from under my white veil....

[tfabre]

I fell out of a tree after sneaking a few swigs of my friend's dad's moonshine, when I was 13.....I had a hard time explaining that to my parents!

[StephN]

Well LEE!
Was it REALLY necessary to try to outdo Colleen's cancer treatments with some cockeyed rare disease of your own??

(Tapping my foot ...)

Seriously, if you have not just made all that up, I have a pot full of pity for you. Keep us posted.

[Jackie07]

A tree limb broke while my 3rd Brother was swinging on it . He scraped his knees and cut one of his ears. He's got one big earlobe (a good sign according to the Chinese Fortunetellers) since he was 8 because of the stitches.

I fell to the ground off a small ladder when I was only 4 or 5 while playing in a neighbor's yard. The lowest rung of the wooden ladder leaning on the wall was 'rotten' and broke instantly when I stepped on it. I was taken to our Army village clinic and my Mother had to put the antiseptic powder on the outer corner of my left eye sevral times a day for several days.

When I wrote about the exprience for my composition class several years later, my teacher (5th grade?) asked to see the tiny scar by my eye to validate my story.

Another time I got drunk by drinking a couple of shots of the sweet rice wine in the house (did my Father make it? usually it's purchased from a travelling vendor for making the sweet rice wine soup.) I fell asleep ('passed out'?) for several hours - I must be only about 8 or 9 years old at the time.