julie

Pixie I'm not sure what all the chapsticks for headaches had in them. It felt almost like if you would have used BenGay --- I'm not sure what's in it ,but it feels like it sinks into your skin and gets sorta hot-feeling . Maybe it just made your head-skin feel burnt and you took your mind off your headache because your head felt like it was on fire. Whatever it had , it helped . I haven't heard of migraleve, but there is Aleve over here sold over the counter . I can't use it due to kidney disease ,so I'm limited on the drugs I can take for headaches . The Maxalt works fairly well but costs an arm and a leg . 300 bucks for 18 pills ( that is through a Canadian pharmacy , which is much cheaper than buying them here . Last time I bought them here it was 189.87 for 5 pills .

Perfect ! I should have just looked it up instead of trying to explain it . The pictures are much easier to see what I'm talking about . Did you play Chinese jump rope too ?

Wow, dontcha love when that happens ? Better to get it early as supposed to rather than late !

Thanks KM - Very nice of you to drop in and for the well wishes. Maybe now that some of the money/insurance worries will be easing up I will be more in the frame of mind to read . I sure hope so ! Athena Hopscotch was a game I played as a kid. I don't know how long it's been around , but at least 50 years ! You draw a chalk ( or a rock that will write on cement) set of squares on your sidewalk . You make boxes and put numbers 1 -10 in them ,then each person playing has a rock. when it's your turn, you toss your rock and have to hop on one leg on the single squares and 2 legs on the doubles . I wish I had a way of drawing it on here . Anyhow, it'sa very simple game for little kids, but you need 2 sturdy legs to hop ! I hope this explained it a little bit better . It'd be easier to show you in person ! Pixie Yea, I will have my laptop with me at the hospital,so will still be able to log in here I think. This will be at a different hospital, but I think the other one will have free internet there too, so I can keep updated with what's up in here . We have a small grocery store downtown . It doesn't have a great selection, but enough to get us through. Just the basics . I'll have enough food stocked up here before hand that we wont need much I don't think .

Quite an interesting topic . I'm with Kate , it'd be hard to think of many in the past 20 years that would be in the running for classic status. I would think the Harry Potter books would have a shot since they were so very popular and still are . Kinda like more modern day Grimm's for lack of a better term . There is only one that I can think of that is ( at least in our school system ) required "Modern Classic" reading : A Prayer for Owen Meany by Irving . A REALLY good book with some great moral lessons ,so I think it'd stand the test of time. It's not exactly a currently released book, but it's still modern I'd say . It's also a great book for discussion since it deals with many different topics throughout . I'd probably toss a vote in for a Wally Lamb book, but I doubt they'd ever make Classic status in the long run .. Maybe A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. That was also one terrific story !!

Hope you all don't mind if I jump in here . Anna - I understand completely about the high cost of meds. I take some too, that are unbelievably high WITH insurance. And yes, our insurance situation here is a mess . I, also don't tend to talk politics online much. Too much of a chance of someone getting angry at someone else . I wouldn't say I'm an Obama Fan, but also not an Enemy. I guess he's tried to do something about the healthcare ,and from our last piece of time without it, we found out a lot about it. I think if they can get the kinks worked out of it ,it will help more people . Anything that will give people health care is a step in the right direction so I hope it'll be improved more in time . They actually have a sliding scale based on income so you can get a huge discount . We were taking steps to get that ourselves awhile back . Our insurance would have been $1,100 a month for the 2 of us ,and with Obama care ,it would have been about 600 . Still a LOT of money, but at least a big chunk would have been paid . When you get into the Medicaid system, it will actually pay all of your costs in most instances. We also looked into signing up for that ,but if you get into the System, THEY tell YOU what Dr's and hospitals you have to use . I guess it's still a good route for those that need health care ,but we were hesitant to try that . It's really nice to have your own Dr's that you have seen for years and trust . So, I hope eventually ,someone down the road will make more improvements in our health care system. Like Kate said, sadly, there are lots of people who fall between the cracks with the current one. They all DESERVE good health care, but it'd still be a real struggle to pay for it .

I take Maxalt , a drug that my neurologist ordered a couple years ago. Most times it helps, but once in awhile I get a doozy and end up in ER . I've never tried anything Herbal or such for them, but a company in Canada used to make these things that looked like huge chapsticks. You smeared them on your head right where the pain was and it was something that sunk into your skin and actually relieved the pain somewhat . They no longer make them, so I cant get them anymore though . -- I like your story with the ducks !

Hi Anna You have convinced me that I need to hunt down a copy of King's new book . It sounds good . I haven't read a lot of his books, but I've liked all the ones I have read . Thanks for the good review and the reminder .

Will Hope you don't mind me dropping in on your conversation regarding male teachers. We had only one in our elementary school : 5th Grade . I got him that year and was scared to death of him ! He was an older man, probably late 50's and looked very STERN . He ended up being very stern, but also very dedicated to teaching, so he was excellent . It's a very rewarding profession, I'd guess , to help teach our kids and be a good role model for them .

Yea ,it'll be ok I think. I'm just so glad for things to start getting back to normal and this knee has been getting gradually worse so it is something that needs done. It's funny, the first thing my Grandson said about it was that "Good ! Now you can play Hopscotch with me again !! " Funny thing is, he wouldn't play it now. He's 12 and no 12 year old would be caught dead playing hopscotch today ! He probably remembers 5 years ago wen I got my other one done, I couldn't play Hopscotch when it went bad . I used to play with him all the time ,and we'd go out and roll down the hill in our front yard ,and when it rained, we'd take our shoes off and go splashing in the mud puddles !! We have lots of fun memories like that . And thanks for yakking with me, guys .. I don't have a whole lot of family left around here anymore ,so it's nice to have people to talk with .

It must be more common in NY -- never heard that one before !

Thanks so much Pixie Yes, my grandson said he'd be glad to come stay with me a few days and help out . He doesn't know much about cooking either, but I plan on stocking up on really easy microwave type stuff and simple to cook things . He'll be a great help and some entertainment . I'll go STIR CRAZY being stuck at home for that long . I just have an old car, but I love my car ... it's my freedom to get out a bit each day . It'll be fine, though , I'll just come in here and post a lot so maybe some of you guys will yak with me to keep me entertained too . I'll go to the library and check out a HUGE bag of books to put in the closet for spares on those days when I am looking for something different to read . I'm already making a list of everything I can get done ahead of time . We'll manage ok I think .

Up here in our neck of the woods, instead of puking a buzzard, it's ~~~~Enough To Gag A Maggot . ~~~~

Pixie Sorry to hear of your migraines. I've never heard of that type either. I just get regular old migraines . You made the dark hospital hallways sound like the beginning of a Stephen King book ! You should try your hand at writing if you haven't before ! Best of luck with your health ! By the way, Robert Goddard is great -- hope you like him .

Thanks Athena I'm not afraid to get any of them done it's just routine stuff I've had done before. I also have to toss in my yearly thyroid cancer tests, also which happen to be due next month .. I have those orders stacked up with the others . I'm really not afraid ,since none of the tests are difficult things that HURT ,and for surgery you're sound asleep so you don't know WHAT they are doing and would rather not know . The only mistake I made last time I got my knee done was to lean up on my elbows when they wheeled me into the OR ... NOT SMART . I wanted to see what all the nurse was putting out on the tables. I've never had so many GAGDETS for any other surgery ! I soon laid back down . It looked like an auto-repair shop . Sometimes it's best to play dumb . So, I'm taking the Forrest Gump attitude with this surgery : THE DOCTOR IS GONNA FIX MY KNEE .

Kate Very true, we did have YA books I guess . I just don't quite put them in the same category because they really didn't even have such a name for those books. In our library, you just gradually moved along the shelves depending on your age level and probably Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and some of those would have been our version of YA. Maybe like a Patty Duke version ? I do think it'd be neat if younger folks still enjoyed those books, and maybe some do . All my teen grandkids who like to read tend to lean towards the mainstream, Harry Potters, now they are big into Eleanor & Park, Fault in Our Stars, Hunger Games and such ,so I guess book tastes change with the times like TV shows . Some of us would still love to turn on the tv and watch Ed Sullivan on Sunday nights ( like ME ) Athena You are very right , and brought up a good point. The YA books I'm sure help lots of teens address situations in their lives that they struggle with such a s bullying for one . There are probably lots of teens who don't have a close person they feel comfortable in talking to ,so they can read about others who face adversity and how to handle it .

Thanks Kate I try. That is one of the best traits you can have in my opinion.

I have to go with Truman Capote . He wrote a very wide ranging set of books himself. Some could be so very tender in spots, it'd bring tears to your eyes. The love he had for his family members was beautiful . It shows through in some of his stories . Then you can read some of his shorter "reporter-type stories where he is talking about a celebrity he met and he can be very sharp with some of them. He was a very opinionated person ,so that shows a totally different side of him . Of course we have to end with In Cold Blood . It's pretty rare to have true crime authors who write beautiful family stories . So my vote goes for Truman, of course !

First, in honor or Kate's Puking Buzzard note above : It really irritates me when people make WISENHIMER comments about other people's taste in reading . I would love to see more YA aged kids READING rather than playing video games all day . They are lucky to have a huge selection of books that fit their age group . That being said, it's really not my business if an 80 year old wants to read YA books . I'm not 80 (YET) but I've read a couple myself. Some are hard for me to relate to, mainly because teenage life is so much different now than it was back in the Tie-dyed bell -bottom days . But, some stuff stays the same : school, friends, laughing about silly things, and enjoying life . I think our world would be a better place if people would keep their noses and negative opinions in their own business . The End .

Thanks, guys . I am so relieved. I know other people go through this ,sometimes many times in their lives . This is our first ,after him getting the job the summer he turned 18 and we are now 56 . It's very scary to have your security pulled out from under you like that and go out into the Job-hunting -world , first time since 1976 !!! Anyhow, thanks for all your good wishes . I think everything will be ok now. It's gonna be a hectic month coming up, with me going for tests 3 times pre-surgery, 2 more Dr visits before that ,then the surgery on the 29th . I'm not allowed to drive at all ( since my right knee is the bum one ,so I will also not be able to get to the grocery, mail bills , run errands ,etc. Also cannot get up and down the steps to get laundry done . I feel bad that all the odds and ends will be on him to try to do at night,such as laundry ( I can fold it and put it away, but not do the basement steps). I can't get groceries, so something tells me we will be eating a diet of Pop Tarts (COLD) and possibly popcorn if he remembers not to sit the pan on the couch . I'm just SO GLAD to be getting some of these BIG THINGS completed so life can go back to good old ORDINARY . I'll be on my own for most of it ,since the hubster will be working an hour from home. He won't be here to be my backup person this time ,as he always has before , but I've already told him it's fine . It's taken too long to find this job and I don't want anything to happen to mess it up,so I will learn to be strong and brave and handle things on my own .

The Hubster got a new job !!!! Whew .............................. Doggone, I've been sweating bullets . What a relief .

Devi Doing ok on this end . Maybe it'll take some getting used to with the new heart med. It'll probably be better for your body in the long run to help your heart rest as it should .I'll hope that you soon get more used to it and it doesn't bother you as much. Sometimes the side effects of meds are almost as hard to handle as the original illness ,but you have to trust that your Dr is making wise choices for you . And you really ARE an inspiration !

Devi I've been away awhile and just read your updates about your recent diagnosis . Sorry to hear it . I hope the Dr can figure out something else you can take for it other than the ordinary meds . Hang in there. You are such an inspiration to us all . I'm really glad you are able to read a bit again . That's awful when you can't read ,isn't it ? Sometimes ,reading can give us a little vacation in our head at least !

Kate I saw the same thing with Tom Cruise and it made me really angry . He had no right to make those comments. He's not a lady and has never been in her position ,so he was very nasty for making that remark . I agree, if someone is intentionally making comments that will offend someone else that is not acceptable . Kinda like Adult Bullying ,don't you think ?

Anna Maybe Childs is fascinated with our country ,as a lot of Americans are fascinated by England ,so you could look at it like that and consider it a compliment that he wants to write stories that take place over here . I can't think of any authors that I've lost respect for. They are all human and have their own beliefs and values , just as the rest of us do .