Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[kassygreene]

My Marine son and his family just got transferred to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina..should I worry? How close it that to the ocean?

Bit late with this, I guess, but Lejeune does amphibious assault training, is between two NC deepwater ports, and has 14 miles of beaches (thanks wikipedia), so a) they are on the coast but b) if the Marine Corps doesn't have a hurricane plan they are fully capable of improvising a good one.  Kidding, they are probably better placed for community support than most of the state.

[Tabbygirl521]

I probably should have said the cats slept through a moderate earthquake. Stuff rattled on shelves, etc., but no real damage. They just really failed to be any kind of warning! These same cats also slept through the biggest and loudest thunderstorm I have ever experienced. Lazy kitties.

[Defrauder]

Yikes Defrauder, stay safe. We lost our home in a tornado, mother nature, as you know can be a bitch. Warm & fuzzies with you. Please check in so we know you're okay.

I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your home GeeGolly.  That's so sad.  You've been through such a terrible thing.  I have never been near a tornado but they seem much more frightening to me than even a hurricane because usually with a hurricane you have some time to prepare.  Thanks for your concern.  Sandy hit in October and I'm getting all post traumatic stress about this new hurricane coming up the coast.  Especially since Sandy made a 'bizarre left hand turn into New Jersey' as they like to call it.   Even though my home was OK I saw such devastation all around me.  Huge mansions on the beach - just gone, trees on homes, ocean waves taking over the street, homes washing out to sea.  The sound of the wind. 

Defrauder, I am thinking of you and every other person in the path of this hurricane and hoping for the best -- maybe it will blow out to sea.

 

Hugs and more hugs.

Thanks MissyV.  Maybe it will blow out to sea.  

[Satchels of gold]

Hi all! I'm meeting a college friend for dinner tonight that I haven't seen in 25 years and I am ridiculously nervous. He was my bff who I think I may have been in love with but the timing was all wrong. Anyhoo, I'm pretty certain our politics are radically different now so it should be interesting. Wish me luck.

Thanks for all the encouragement, the dinner was amazing. We laughed for 3 hours straight. Now I can start worrying about the hurricane. I can only obsess over one thing at a time.

[Defrauder]

Thanks for all the encouragement, the dinner was amazing. We laughed for 3 hours straight. Now I can start worrying about the hurricane. I can only obsess over one thing at a time.

So glad you had a great time!  Sounds wonderful.  As for the hurricane before Sandy hit I made a bunch of sandwiches and put them in the fridge, put ice packs in the freezer, and then when the electric went out I grabbed the sandwiches and threw them in coolers with the ice packs.  It got us through the first couple of days before we had to resort to cans.  Highly recommend.   Good luck.

[Lemur]

Well, Joaquim seems to be heading for Canada, so I hope he has a passport handy.  However, it was about 50 degrees out this morning when I left for the train and I had to turn the heat on last night when I got home to chase the cold, damp, grave feeling from the house.  I'm just happy my heat actually turned on this year.

[Defrauder]

The seagulls are flying due north today.  We have serious beach erosion already from this frontal storm unrelated to the hurricane and the ocean is now taking more.  I'm taking no chances and have decided to begin panicking now.

[Lemur]

The seagulls are flying due north today.  We have serious beach erosion already from this frontal storm unrelated to the hurricane and the ocean is now taking more.  I'm taking no chances and have decided to begin panicking now.

Wasn't that on your to-do list for yesterday?  ;)

 

I've come to the conclusion that the gulls are flying North because they finally found out where Staten Island was.

[amitville]

The seagulls are flying due north today.  We have serious beach erosion already from this frontal storm unrelated to the hurricane and the ocean is now taking more.  I'm taking no chances and have decided to begin panicking now.

Defrauder you live on long island,.  i think all of us who live on long island are in panick mode.  T

[Defrauder]

Defrauder you live on long island,.  i think all of us who live on long island are in panick mode.  T

Hi.  I don't live on Long Island.  I live in New Jersey.  Ground Zero Superstorm Sandy.  The Jersey Shore, within a mile of Seaside Heights.

Wasn't that on your to-do list for yesterday?  ;)

 

I've come to the conclusion that the gulls are flying North because they finally found out where Staten Island was.

The Seagulls are flying North to get away from this storm. 

[Lemur]

The Seagulls are flying North to get away from this storm. 

 

Yeah, they're saying today is going to be worse than Joaquim.  Go figure.  Maybe the winged rats will get lost and end up somewhere in the Midwest.

 

Stay safe down there.  The beaches are taking another hit by all accounts (I'm sitting in my office in NYC, on the 33rd floor and listening to the building pop and flex in the wind).  They've opened our lake floodgates to try to keep Ocean Grove and Asbury Park from flooding out again.  

[amitville]

Hi.  I don't live on Long Island.  I live in New Jersey.  Ground Zero Superstorm Sandy.  The Jersey Shore, within a mile of Seaside Heights.

The Seagulls are flying North to get away from this storm. 

Jeresy so much loss from Sandy.  i am a bundle of nerves on the island.. 

[Defrauder]

Jeresy so much loss from Sandy.  i am a bundle of nerves on the island.. 

What island are you on?  There's LBI (Long Beach Island, NJ), the barrier island in NJ (Seaside, etc.) or Long Island, NY?

[Defrauder]

Yeah, they're saying today is going to be worse than Joaquim.  Go figure.  

No they're getting out of town while they still can before Joaquim comes up. The Seagulls know ahead of time, go figure.

[Love2dance]

No they're getting out of town while they still can before Joaquim comes up. The Seagulls know ahead of time, go figure.

Really hoping this storm presents minimal damage. Thinking about all of you in the path of Joaquim. Super big hugs.

[JenCarroll]

Looks like we're not going to get the worst of the storm in New Jersey, but I wouldn't want to be in the Carolinas. And they're getting flattened in the Bahamas; sounds like it's about as bad as it could be down there.

Of course it's pouring rain right now while I blithely note how easily we'll be getting off.

[Liz Tudor]

I'm in Va., and it's coming down here good...and Joachin officially gets in the area tonight/tomorrow. This is a low pressure system we already had. We could get 10 inches of rain in 3 days. Wheeeee....

[Wellfleet]

Don't forget the neon University of Arkansas can opener, and a new Generac, all on the fan's dime.

 

Boob would be thinking ahead - I bet he'd list 19 Generacs. After all, they're pricey. Let the fans pay for those. He'll handle the can openers.

[amitville]

I'm in Va., and it's coming down here good...and Joachin officially gets in the area tonight/tomorrow. This is a low pressure system we already had. We could get 10 inches of rain in 3 days. Wheeeee....

Stay dry and safe.

[Lemur]

Looks like we're not going to get the worst of the storm in New Jersey, but I wouldn't want to be in the Carolinas. And they're getting flattened in the Bahamas; sounds like it's about as bad as it could be down there.

Of course it's pouring rain right now while I blithely note how easily we'll be getting off.

Boy, am I glad I didn't book a cruise for this week.

No they're getting out of town while they still can before Joaquim comes up. The Seagulls know ahead of time, go figure.

 

Unrelated to the storm, every time I see your name, I sing the Pixies' "Debaser" in my head, but change it to "Defrauder".  

 

I'm very easily amused.

[GeeGolly]

 

Lets hope this will pan out to be true!

[amitville]

 

Lets hope this will pan out to be true!

From an old Dusty Springfield song........................Wishin' and hopin' and thinkin' and prayin'

Edited October 2, 2015 by amitville

[magpye29]

I'm here in Massachusetts where it's been 50 degrees and pouring rain all day--that really cold, soaky rain that goes right through your clothes and gives you a chill.  Today is the day our handyman decided to replace the upstairs neighbors' broken windows, which have been broken for months now.  I guess they want to be ready if the storm comes.  That's another reason why I'm glad to be in Mass. again--we have a gas stove, so we'll still be able to cook if we lose power.

 

So here's another celebrity story, courtesy of my uncle and a close friend.  A lot of celebrities come through the airport in New Bedford on their way out to Martha's Vineyard and the islands.  The regulars like Carly Simon and James Taylor are all reportedly very nice, friendly, and unassuming.  The one who had the reputation for being kind of an arrogant jerk was Christopher Reeve, who, according to my friend, was quite demanding and very full of himself.

 

So my uncle, who had a slip in Padanaram Harbor for his sailboat, tells me that Christopher Reeve wanted a slip in Padanaram, and was highly upset to be denied one.  There is a long waiting list for space in Padanaram, and the officials were not willing to let CR jump the list just because he was famous, so he had to make do with a spot in Fairhaven (my town). 

 

I was somewhat surprised (after all the stories I'd heard) that Christopher Reeve turned out to be such an example of grace and humility after his tragic riding accident.  I guess adversity brought out the best in him.

 

On another note, Missy Vixen, I went to a high tea at the Ritz-Carlton in Boston to celebrate the publication of one of LaVyrle Spencer's new novels.  Interestingly, Christopher Reeve ended up playing the lead in the movie version of LaVyrle's novel Morning Glory because Peter Weller (RoboCop) couldn't do it.  Anyway, LaVyrle and I were having a lovely chat when I asked her what she thought of the very new magazine Romantic Times.  She got the nastiest look on her face and said she did not like it at all, and made a hasty getaway.  I never got to speak to her again.  I didn't know at the time that many romance writers seem to have had issues with Kathryn Falk.

 

When I wrote reviews for TheRomanceReadersConnection.com, I got to interview Sandra Brown over the telephone.  She was lovely to speak with.  Beverly Lewis did a good interview, but she completely edited and rewrote my article about her.  Most of the authors I reviewed were really nice about my reviews.

 

The two romance novels I've written were really awful.  Now I'm working on a Southern fried coming of age novel, which my book club critiqued mostly favorably, and their criticisms were, for the most part, on point and very helpful.  Writing is hard.

[CofCinci]

If you're watching the RU broadcast, come to the Free Josh Slack and livechat.  Most of us have been banned from the actual RU chat screen.

[Missy Vixen]

I've heard Harlequin throws the best parties -- and pays the lowest royalty rates. Seems like a bit of a trade-off. On the plus side, they do accept un-represented manuscripts.

Hmmm. WIthout giving myself away, I don't write for Harlequin, but I can speak a bit re: various romance publishers and what they offer to their authors.

 

Let's see here. Harlequin may or may not still be getting sued because they were paying their authors a reduced royalty rate for many years via a shell company. I strongly suspect this may be the reason they were sold to Harper Collins a couple of years ago. The suit was initially (again, allegedly) thrown out due to a paperwork issue, it was (allegedly) refiled and if a judge finds in the authors' favor, there will be a huge payout. They pay industry standard -- at least right now -- for print is 8% and digital is 25% of net. Their "big names" don't care about royalties because they get an advance that's sizable enough that they don't care if the book earns out. And I agree with you that the lavish party at Romance Writers of America's national conference once a year probably kept a lot of authors quiet for a long, long time. EVERYONE wants to go to that party.

 

To my immediate knowledge, most other publishers pay the typical royalty for print and 25% of net for digital. If one writes for Avon Impulse, however, one gets 50% of net after one has sold 10,000 copies. Romance authors are getting either no-advance offers or very low advances from other houses who will go nameless -- $1500, for instance. That's paid out over three years.

 

Montlake (owned by Amazon) remains a huge mystery because they don't publicize their royalties, advance or anything else in their deals. I have heard through the grapevine that their typical advance is $5,000 and that they pay a higher royalty rate as well. I know someone who writes for them and is hugely successful; she's a great author and a sweetheart so I try not to be too jealous when I see her latest FB posting about what she got from her editor when her book hit 250,000 copies sold... ;-)

 

Another little secret re: unagented manuscripts. Any author can submit a query letter and a chapter or two, especially if you're writing romance. Publishing houses are always looking for the next great romance star since romance makes more money than any other genre. The readers are voracious and buy at least a book a week. Authors can also attend a writers' conference and pitch to an agent or editor. If the book is good enough and the editor wants it badly enough, she will either find you an agent or she will recommend several to contact. The digital arms of Harlequin, Penguin and Avon accept unagented manuscripts, BTW.

[Missy Vixen]

On another note, Missy Vixen, I went to a high tea at the Ritz-Carlton in Boston to celebrate the publication of one of LaVyrle Spencer's new novels.  Interestingly, Christopher Reeve ended up playing the lead in the movie version of LaVyrle's novel Morning Glory because Peter Weller (RoboCop) couldn't do it.  Anyway, LaVyrle and I were having a lovely chat when I asked her what she thought of the very new magazine Romantic Times.  She got the nastiest look on her face and said she did not like it at all, and made a hasty getaway.  I never got to speak to her again.  I didn't know at the time that many romance writers seem to have had issues with Kathryn Falk.

 

 

The two romance novels I've written were really awful.  Now I'm working on a Southern fried coming of age novel, which my book club critiqued mostly favorably, and their criticisms were, for the most part, on point and very helpful.  Writing is hard.

I have also heard that LaVyrle wasn't especially nice to visit with. She's been retired for a while. I can't figure out how anyone could retire from this; obviously, people want some time to themselves, but seriously? The writing can be tough, deadlines suck, but I haven't found anything else that makes me as happy, besides DH. ;-)

 

I'm betting the romances you wrote are not as awful as  you might think. ;-) The coming of age story sounds cool! I'm so glad you have a supportive book club, aka beta readers. The writing IS hard. The hardest part is forcing yourself to face that empty page every day. I hope the words are flowing!

[Missy Vixen]

California dogs (mine) who live with me during periods of a lot of seismic activity typically don't know about the first quake but become warners of subsequent quakes.  It's up to me to notice the warnings. 

I'm just outside of Seattle, too. We had a 6.8 in 2001. We live in a small town in the Snoqualmie Valley. It's common to see cows, sheep and horses in the pasture that borders the road out of town. The morning of the earthquake, I noticed all the cows were lying in the grass as I drove by. It was a little weird, but I didn't think about it until I came home after the earthquake to see the cows still lying in the grass.

 

Let's just say that when I drive through the valley now and see cows lying in the grass for whatever reason, I get a little freaked out. ;-)

[Liz Tudor]

An old saying I grew up hearing: if you see cows lying down, it's going to rain. And it's fairly accurate!

[lookeyloo]

I love a good romance novel when I am in the mood. The thing is, for me, when I've read 10 books by an author I get tired of the books. They all seem so similar. Used to love Nora Roberts for example but the more I read the more I felt like she was "phoning it in" not that I could ever even write a page of something readable (slowly his hand crept up her thigh). Sometimes I read Christian novels because they are simple and don't hurt my head and usually end well. Which is a nice escape. And I'm not even Christian. I labored through 50 shades of gray skipping a lot and thought they were very poorly written. Didn't see the movie.

[magpye29]

I have also heard that LaVyrle wasn't especially nice to visit with. She's been retired for a while. I can't figure out how anyone could retire from this; obviously, people want some time to themselves, but seriously? The writing can be tough, deadlines suck, but I haven't found anything else that makes me as happy, besides DH. ;-)

 

What I heard was that she retired after her daughter committed suicide.  I didn't like her later books as much as her middle books.  In her contemporary novels, she always put in so much detail about the furniture, knick-knacks, and other setting things that I would skim huge chunks of the story.

 

I'm betting the romances you wrote are not as awful as  you might think. ;-) The coming of age story sounds cool! I'm so glad you have a supportive book club, aka beta readers. The writing IS hard. The hardest part is forcing yourself to face that empty page every day. I hope the words are flowing!

 

No, they really are.  I love what I'm working on now.  It started as a fictional autobiography, but the characters have taken over and are telling their own story now, which has been a lovely surprise, and, I feel, a sign that I'm on the right track.

 

One of my favorite things about romance novels is the authors' quirks, the things that seem to find their way into each book.  For instance, Catherine Coulter's characters often go cross-eyed in the middle of good sex.  Nora Roberts always likens her characters' bodies to pistons in sex scenes.  Jude Deveraux often has heroines that are a little rabbity in the looks department.  I don't read as much romance as I used to (I've forgotten more books than most people have ever read), but I still pick up a romance every now and then.  I miss Regencies, to be honest.  

 

The thing that still offends me even after all these years is the assumptions people make about what a Harlequin romance is.  (I got an A+ on a paper I wrote about this issue for a college class.  One of the other students kept grilling me about Danielle Steel and couldn't get it through her thick skull that Steel doesn't write anything even resembling a Harlequin.  It led to a very heated debate, but the professor ultimately came down on my side because I could defend all my arguments.  I later rewrote the article for TheRomanceReadersConnection.com.)  People would be so surprised to hear that some of their favorite movies could have been published as Harlequin romances.  The funny thing is, my dad, who just turned 75, reads 2-3 books a day.  He favors westerns, and since he's read pretty much everything that's out there, he's begun reading authors like Linda Lael Miller, Jodi Thomas, Dorothy Garlock, and a few others to get his western fix.

[magpye29]

The thing is, for me, when I've read 10 books by an author I get tired of the books. They all seem so similar. Used to love Nora Roberts for example but the more I read the more I felt like she was "phoning it in"

 

Lookeyloo, I know just what you mean.  With some authors, I glom everything they've written and go back for re-reads, but I think Nora's just so prolific that after a while I have to be in the mood for her.  I lost track of her in Death series, and the only reason I haven't picked it back up is because I don't know the order of the books from where I left off.  I like her stand-alone books the best.  I just reread The Witness, and it held up to a third reading.

 

I think I'm hijacking this thread, so I'm going to back off for a while, but I just love the breadth of experience and interests of everyone here.  I look for new posts from all of you every day, several times a day!

[kalamac]

I have a huge issue with the trend in Nora Roberts books where one of her women characters will straight up tell the guy she's not interested, so he grabs her and kisses her, and says she'll change her mind or something along those lines. I don't care if the characters are meant to end up together, kissing someone without their consent, after they've explicitly said they're not interested, isn't romance, it's assault.

[lookeyloo]

I do love Linda lael Miller books.

[emma675]

I don't read romance, but I find this inside dirt fascinating. I'm a mystery reader--I grew up on Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden and graduated to Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels (it's the same person, Barbara Mertz, RIP).

[latetotheparty]

I don't read romance, but I find this inside dirt fascinating. I'm a mystery reader--I grew up on Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden and graduated to Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels (it's the same person, Barbara Mertz, RIP).

 

Same.  Went to a talk given by Sara Paretsky last night.  What a great writer and even more amazing human. 

[Tabbygirl521]

I'm just outside of Seattle, too. We had a 6.8 in 2001. We live in a small town in the Snoqualmie Valley. It's common to see cows, sheep and horses in the pasture that borders the road out of town. The morning of the earthquake, I noticed all the cows were lying in the grass as I drove by. It was a little weird, but I didn't think about it until I came home after the earthquake to see the cows still lying in the grass.

Let's just say that when I drive through the valley now and see cows lying in the grass for whatever reason, I get a little freaked out. ;-)

MissyVixen, my husband grew up on a dairy farm in Stanwood, and he has always told me that cows will lie down like that when it's going to rain. I notice it sometimes when we're out and about in the country.

We live in south SnoCo. I have always thought the Snoqualmie Valley was so beautiful - even as a kid I realized it. :)

ETA: very relieved to see that Joaquin seems to be heading NE!

Edited October 3, 2015 by Tabbygirl521

[Defrauder]

MissyVixen, my husband grew up on a dairy farm in Stanwood, and he has always told me that cows will lie down like that when it's going to rain. I notice it sometimes when we're out and about in the country.

We live in south SnoCo. I have always thought the Snoqualmie Valley was so beautiful - even as a kid I realized it. :)

ETA: very relieved to see that Joaquin seems to be heading NE!

Me too - relieved that Hurricane J is staying out at sea. 

[Defrauder]

 

Lets hope this will pan out to be true!

This track is much better than what they were previously predicting.  Glad it's staying out to sea.  The ocean though will continue to be rough and with the beach erosion we've been experiencing flooding may be our worst expectation.  The farther away this hurricane stays the better. Have begun UN-panicking.

Edited October 3, 2015 by Defrauder

[CherryMalotte]

Very happy that Joaquin has decided to do an exit stage right and not inflict itself upon our Eastern peeps.

 

Have you ever just wanted to hide from your family...seriously.  I can't even go into greater detail because I'm so mindboggled but my parents are Medicare age and SS age and have never applied for either.  And now I have to help with the process.  I nagged at her years ago to get their ducks in a row and get going, but see it's okay for parent to nag the child, but not for the child to nag the parent.  I just hope this doesn't take long.  Frankly I don't even know if they've filed taxes in years.  It's stupid to be so ignorant but they don't want to share any info unless they have to, and when there's a crisis.  They've chosen to live a certain way and not share info and not listen when I've tried to explain 'you need to do this this and this' - and really I'm the one stuck with the fall out because there is no one else to help them.  If I'm not taking up a spot on the area hospital psych ward by the time this is over I'll be surprised.    

[Love2dance]

Very happy that Joaquin has decided to do an exit stage right and not inflict itself upon our Eastern peeps.

 

Have you ever just wanted to hide from your family...seriously.  I can't even go into greater detail because I'm so mindboggled but my parents are Medicare age and SS age and have never applied for either.  And now I have to help with the process.........when I've tried to explain 'you need to do this this and this' - and really I'm the one stuck with the fall out because there is no one else to help them.  If I'm not taking up a spot on the area hospital psych ward by the time this is over I'll be surprised.

Yikes! Hang in there, CherryMalotte! Hugs to you.

[Absolom]

Have you spoken to their doctor about dementia?  Unreasonableness was one of the first symptoms with my parents.  I'm engaged in a tax clean up for my parents, too. 

[CherryMalotte]

I wish it was that simple Absolom.  I think this was more a stupid decision on their part that is going to bite them in the ass.  I can't say either parent has ever truly thought deeply about what their carelessness does to others, including their child.  The only thing I can do is help them thru the mess they created.     

Edited October 4, 2015 by CherryMalotte

[Absolom]

My sympathies.  I have had quite a bit of that also.  There is this dog I begged them not to buy who I will now be saddled with until he dies.  He's pure bred, white, and never trained or properly socialized and also requires fussy grooming.  No, no consideration for what you're doing to your only child.  Good luck!  Did I forget to mention all the resource blowing purchases such as a $150K RV? 

[MarysWetBar]

My brother had ten years of taxes he never filed. I spent an entire weekend doing them for him by hand.Then he died while they were enroute to taxation. Then i had to modify them all again. Sigh. You know what he said when i asked why he hadn't filed them? "I never worry about that sort of thing. .i can't be bothered wasting my time. .i knew you would be able to sort it out for me eventually. .that's more YOUR type of thing. "

I can relate ladies.

[Muffyn]

I did not speak to my mother for more than 20 years.  We only started speaking when my sister became critically ill.  I would only discuss her situation.  Every interaction we had furthered my belief that keeping her out of my life is the best possible choice.  One of my brothers I helping her out.  She has subsequently destroyed his life.  He does not work and has become so difficult to deal with that people avoid him at all costs.  She has also helped encourage his extreme eating disorder.  She may well outlive him.  I won’t be jumping in to help her. 

 

When my Great Aunt was alive I helped her quite a bit with weekly tasks, arranging help and doctor’s appointments, taking care of legal issues, etc.  It is draining but I didn’t mind because she had always tried to help others and, until her health slipped, she had been a responsible person.  In a way it was like she had done her job all those years so she earned a rest by having others help her out.  And she was always appreciative.  A sincere thank you goes a long way. 

 

My sister and I would joke about my mother when she would set up situations where everyone was supposed to jump in and help her just because she chose not to take care of her own affairs.  Our code for this was “lily of the MFing field”, just waiting for a force outside of her to care for all of her needs or desires.  My only advice to others is establish boundaries sooner rather than later and immediately address it if there are over-stepped.  Otherwise you’ll end up on the BSC train.  I’ve left a seat open for you. 

 

Best of luck to everyone dealing with family issues.

[Julia]

Best of luck to everyone dealing with family issues.

 

Yeah, this. I think one of the reasons this family is so popular with hatewatchers is because they're a goldmine of family-of-origin issues. And as much as I don't know their life, I do know that even if you can't fix yourself, you don't break your kid(s). 

[CherryMalotte]

All I can say today to everyone is I feel your pain...

 

I did (after a sleepless night) get rather sticky with the mother over the phone this morning and issued a couple of ultimatums while she was at my home.  She was rather compliant.  I do feel for her, she deals with my father on a daily basis and he is no prize.  I can understand where her bitterness and nagging come from and accept that she will do it, but she really needs to lay off, especially since we've been dealing with my grandmother as well.  I was able to get her and my father signed up via online for their benefits...let's see what happens.  It was much easier than I thought, plus I will say a friend from an online group who has been thru some of this prior was a great help to me.  I just wasn't going to let this linger so I'm glad I insisted we start this process today, and if there's anything the ole gov needs they'll contact her.  

 

It's sad though - she's wasted so much time with stupid stupid crap that she's a negligent grandparent.  I was lucky enough to have all my grandparents growing up and was spoiled with attention from all of them.  I hope my daughter has kids one day so I can spoil them just as I was.  Both my parents have missed out on a wonderful and loving relationship, what a pity.               

[Happyfatchick]

Greetings peeps! From the overcast shores of Tybee Island, Georgia (just south of charleston). We're at the very bottom edge (I think) of the storm, so other than a wet ride down some spritzes today and probably a storm or two tomorrow, we're all clear. I'M ON VACAY!!!!! Yippee!!!!! We come here every year at this time (I sooooo want to retire here). We love it. We fish fish and fish and fish, and eat and eat and eat (it's high shrimp season), and we drink delicious lemony drinks with sprite and vodka... I earned this VACAY, I've looked forward to it forever, and I'm not doing one dang thing I don't want to. (Well, except cook because I'm here with 4 guys, although I'm making them help with prep and they have to clean).

Update on my daughter: when I crashed the board meeting, the one guy told me that when they are out of. Only and there's not enough to support them, the next message will be "you have to come home". So my daughter started dropping messages that they are completely broke, they have zero dollars. (They had to buy round trip tickets down, so we know they can fly home - but they are 2 hours from the airport and we aren't sure at all they can get to the airport). Suddenly now, the SIL's title posted on FB has changed to "Former Founder and CEO of RPMI). I know, I know, you can't even BE a former founder. You either did or you didn't. My best guess is that the board told them to come home and they've refused, so he's been removed as CEO. Which means that the already limited support they had is probably gone. I've been talking to my daughter regularly, trying to help her swallow the disappointment. They aren't ready to give up just yet, it's just a cluster all the way around. If they do come home, there's someone living in their house. Where will they go? And what will they do for money to even have a roof over their heads?

But. I swore I wouldn't spend my VACAY worrying about that. It's on my mind,mbutnim not stewing because there are founder to be caught and shrimp to be eaten.

ETA: i meant to say that my prayers are with those in the path of the storm, and I REALLY hope Jersey is in the clear this time.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Happyfatchick

[Liz Tudor]

ENJOY your vacay, HFC!! The fizzy lemony drinks sound great! I'm not too far from Tybee, and hope the rest of your stay has great weather! Put the family issues on hold ('cause they're always waitng on us) and kick back!

[magpye29]

Hope you're enjoying Tybee, HFC!  I just moved back to Massachusetts from Fort Stewart in February.  The school I used to work at took our third graders to Tybee every year for their social studies unit on the Coastal Plain--even though we were so close to Tybee, we had kids in the grade level who had never seen the ocean!  It just boggled my mind, but the level of poverty in Hinesville is so bad that most of the kids in my school qualified for free or reduced price lunch.