I'll admit it, kids and people do get hurt by untrained/unsafe dogs allowed to wander, but I don't think a dog that would unprovoked attack a person should be allowed to live. Cats don't have anymore right to wander than dogs though I don't believe. Don't fool yourself into thinking a cat is less dangerous because of its size, the injuries I got from being attacked by a 10lb cat were a lot more extensive than when I got bit by an 80lb dog. The dog stopped when it was yelled at, hasn't done it again (he mistook me for danger because I was on a bike in his territory), the cat wouldn't quit and couldn't be caught. I say keep your cats inside if they seem happy with it. If you're comfortable with letting it wander around, do so, but don't get pissed at my dog if he catches it. I'm not trying to be a bitch, if I'm around I'll save your cat, but I'll assume its a stray to the pound it will go. If you do the same to my dog, well fair play I guess.

Cat, dog or kid, if it attacks me, one of us will be dead.:eyebrow:

Sorry about the wonderful looking building CZ, but the fire was pretty. Hopefully something better or equal will take its place and ya'll will pull through this year just fine. If it makes you feel better about your weather, its been 100+ and humid a few times these past few weeks here.

Glad you found your cat SG.

I'm upset just because my mind won't quit worrying. Of course it would stop if someone would just text me back....

Well in this case the dog was doing its job.

I'm sure if you post your number here, someone will text you.

I guess a new pier would be a lot more attractive than a tidal power plant...

I was bringing a basket of laundry into our bedroom.

Mrs. Dallas' nightstand is right next to the door. It has a jewelry box on top of it. Nothing fancy, but I gave it to her last Christmas so she'd have a place to stash earrings for her newly pierced ears.

I managed to knock the jewelry box off onto the floor. As if that weren't bad enough, I stumbled forward and regained my balance by planting my foot . . . . right into the jewelry box. :crunch:

Ow, you crushed the family jewels!

Right. Bedtime.

Have been up waiting to see if the burgalar alarm would go off again.
As it was doing from about 23.00 onwards.

After much distress and hair pulling I finally got an engineer on the phone who gave me some useful advice. Which was very good of him as it wasn't his alarm and he wouldn't have got a penny for the call. Previous calls to the police, the council, the electricity board and the alarm manufacturers were less fruitful. As were the calls to HM, away at a festival.

Not sure how he'll feel when he sees the mess I made of the alarm panel. But the outside alarm only stopped about 30 minutes ago, and given that our neighbours have a toddler and a child on the way (not to mention the rest of the street - oh, and me!) I figure he can deal with it when he gets back. Also, the reason he couldn't help is that he has forgotten the code - it's been so long since he used it. Which to me suggests he won't be too miffed.

Why Sunday? Why always Sunday?
I was so looking forward to a quiet night. For once since I started work.
No HM inviting people round to play guitar until gone 03.00.
No HM coming home pissed and deciding to climb through the skylight into my room rather than knock on the front door having forgotten his keys (last week).
Monday is my only 12 hour working day in the week. Why always Sunday?

Sleep. Sleep now. Night night.

:compute: Someone sending me a report that they didn't check. The spreadsheet had about 75% of the data doubled out. Faster for me to edit than send it back and wait for a response.

Monday I'm supposed to be picking classes at late registration, and I'm also supposed to pay for the semester. Silly me thinking that the "SUPER EASY ONLINE" application for student loans would be simple, and I'd have money for school. Silly me thinking that maybe when you call your bank they'd have someone available for you to talk to. Silly me thinking that when you called the number the bank gave you, someone would be there to tell you why you were denied. Silly me thinking that the next phone number wouldn't lead to a recording with no real people AT ALL for a free credit check. My letter will arrive in 7-10 days telling me why I can't get any aid. With a co-signer. For school.

Silly me.

Razz, are you looking at Stafford loans? You don't need a co-signer, there's no credit check, and the rate is fixed by the feds. Alternative, or private, loans are another animal altogether. Also, a student who gets no "free" grant money will have eligiblity for federal Stafford loans because eligibility is based on Cost of Attendance versus aid received. You should have no problem getting a stafford loan, and most schools have a listing of lenders who they have worked with in the past; many students don't use their local bank. Of course, you can use whatever lender you choose, you would just give the lender code to the FA department.

Since every school does things a little differently you should go online to your school or contact their FA department to see what their steps are. Stafford loans are based on the FAFSA, so you would have to complete that process, but it's a better deal and you should exhaust that possibilty first due to the many benefits of the program (one of them being the deferrment while you are attending school, and the 6 month grace period once you finish or cease attending.)

I should add that it can be a lengthy process, especially if you have not begun the FAFSA process; many schools offer a payment plan and if you are eligible you will basically be reimbursing yourself at a later date. This is high processing time, so it can take some time...but I believe it to be worth it.

PM me if I can help in any way.

There is expertise in the Cellar.

Go to the financial aid office and ask for help. I have found them to be extremely helpful making sure that all things are "checked off the list". If you haven't done the FAFSA, do it right away.
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Also go to the school website for financial aid options. There should be a link to the Stafford Loan which is pretty easy to apply for. I've done this for both kids and it is pretty painless. They'll just ask you to sign a letter accepting the funds. Once this is done, you'll pretty much get it throughout your school terms.

Well, as I said, every school is different, but the FAFSA is an annual process. Also, not all schools pre-package. You may need to specifically request a loan throught a request form, rather than relying on saying "yes" to loans on the FAFSA, same for federal work-study. The reason for this is some schools, such as us, are firm believers in default management, and we have felt that the student needs to know what they are getting into (i.e. REAL debt) as opposed to them seeing a pretty number on a page and thinking "sweet! I'll take it!"

As Tink said, contact your FA office for specifics on their processes, and PM me if you have related questions.

I finished my fafsa last night, then I tried to apply for a private loan from the bank that I've had accounts with since I was 13 years old. The bank denied me even with my dad cosigning for alot of shit that doesn't make sense, and gave me an 800 number that doesn't go anywhere to "answer all of my questions". So now I'm trying a stafford loan (currently on hold going on 10 minutes now) to get info about that, because I went to the FA office this morning and they just said to "call the 800 number" or "try applying again" because the rejections were due to me not having a cosigner...even though I did.

It's all fucking nobody's fault, because "we don't handle that, xxxx dept handles that, here's their 800 number" and I keep getting 800 numbers until I hit one that has NO people available to talk to at all, and then the recording tells me to have a nice day.

Also I'm now late to work today, where I'm supposed to be covering a shift for another girl because I can't get through to anyone. Awesome.

(Don't mean to shit on your help guys, I really, REALLY appreciate you trying to help, but this is getting really ridiculous and frustrating.)

Razz, I'm really just trying to understand this, but why wouldn't your FA dept lead you to a Stafford loan (administered by the school) and tell you to forget about the private loan. Again...you need NO co-signer, NO credit check. I'm quite confused. Make sure you're asking the right questions, arm yourself with information. A great resource is http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebA...lish/index.jsp

The more you know, the easier it will be to navigate the process. Please let me know what happens, and why you are not applying for a stafford...

I'm fucking COLD! I ask for a heater, but NOOO, if I get one, then others will ask for one and let's not forget about the fucking safety issue of having a heater in my cubicle. Fuckers. I have problems with cold, it says so on the mayo clinic website!!

Luckily my boss is going to say it is because of health problems that I need it. If I still get denied, I am getting the ugliest brightest fucking blanket and MATCHING fucking sweater. We'll see what they do then when the precious visitors are being shown around and I am bundled up like a bag lady.

Oh and thanks for telling me that the temperature is good for Everyone. Apparently I don't FUCKING count.

fuck

Just get a big heat lamp. Tell them you have bad night vision.

Pearl the dog is in surgery tomorrow morning to remove the 1" steak bone she ate over the weekend.

Luckily she was in the x's watch, not mine, and so x has offered to pay 100% of the bill.

You don't feed dogs cooked bones, people. They can't digest them.

She is under really good vet care, and she's a strong girl, she will make it. They were very good at assuring me this one is not a problem. It's in her stomach and so it should be pretty simple. They had her under anesthesia before and she did very well. This is one of the best vets in the area.

And those are all the thoughts I keep repeating.

I'm sure your puppy will be fine UT. It's still frightening when your pet has to have an operation though. Keep your chin up. She'll be home before you know it.

Will definitely be thinking good thoughts for Pearl tomorrow.

My friggin lift kit broke. What the hell? :headshake

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL162.../329084445.jpg

Get ready with the snuggles and hugs, UT. Pearl's gonna need extra love when she gets home.

U.T.Thinking good thoughts for Pearl.( a beautiful name btw)

Jinx-I don't know enough about cars to know what I am looking at except something that looks like a bandage :blush:

Hope everything goes smooth for Pearl, UT.

jinx - that looks like installation error, to me.

MY KIDS ARE DRIVING ME NUTS. All day long, bickering, competing over who gets what first, who sits in the front seat, who chooses the TV show, who gets the computer, who made the mess in the living room, who was the last one to scoop the litter box, GRRRR! And then my daughter gives me this doleful look and says "do you hate me?" Knowing damn well I could never in a million years hate her, it's just a way of pushing my buttons. If you ask me, summer vacation is at least 2 months too long!

bbro - without wantingto sound harsh, at least you have the option of putting more clothes on. I have been too hot in every job I've had in the last 6 years, and the longest of those had air-con! If you have a health condition I do commiserate - you should be provided with a personal heater, or at least allowed to provide your own.

But the coldest person in any working environment should never be allowed to raise the genberal temperatue to above recommended guidelines. And no amounts of fluffy jumpers and blankets should be allowed to sway that.

UT - very sorry to hear about Pearl. She's with the experts and I'm sure she will be good as new very soon. My cats have raw bones all the time, and HM gives them cooked ones - no problems yet, but I am wary. When we move, Diz won't be getting any more cooked bones. Especially not the spicy chicken ones, which he somehow didn't realise would result in cat sick all over my bed...?

Juniper - I thought you packed them all off to camp or summer school in the US? Not a parenting dig - we were shipped off to our Grandparents here :)

UT--thinking of Pearl, I'm sure everything will come out fine (pun intended.) Lots of lovies when she gets home!

juniper, I used to know a group of ladies who had a huge party every year when their kids went back to school.

The only problem with putting more clothes on is the moment I step outside, I start to sweat. No, I don't think that they should raise the entire temperature just for me, that wouldn't be fair to anyone else. I just want them to realize that they can't say it is good for everyone when I'm suffering over here. It'll be fine, I'll just wear my cute clothes outside and dress like a bag lady in the office. :D

People in general.

Yep, she needs to fire her mechanic. ;)

UT- Good luck with Pearl today.

Juniper- Sorry. What ages are the kids? Maybe we can come up with a book series that will suck them in and shut them up! Remember that you are their model for behavior. Problem solve out loud... that sort of thing.

I'll second that.

Was bounced around from the Financial Aid office to the Scholarship office several times today only to find out that -- surprise! One of my scholarships ran out last year! Thankfully, I have one other one that covers 75% of my tuition, so I'm not in too much of a scrap. I'm just upset because I spent the whole summer thinking I was good for school this year, only to find out -- three weeks before the semester starts -- that it's not the case. Stupid red tape.

(PS -- Razz, good luck with tuition crap.)

Sigh. You can bet the administrators love red tape as much as you do. Do you not check your own financial aid and keep track so you know when it's going to "run out"?

It turns out that Pearl has developed a heart murmur since her last treatment in November, so the vets are now opting not to operate, to just keep her fluids up and hope that her digestive system breaks down the bone. It is supposed to do that eventually but can lead to further complications. They are calling in a doggie pulmonary specialist to evaluate the murmur and see what caused it.

Very sorry to hear that UT. It must hurt like hell (for you I mean, I'm sure she's doing fine).

I do, actually, and that's why I'm frustrated. I checked it several times last semester and over the summer to make sure I had what I thought I had, and the system told me that both of my scholarships had been awarded for 2008/2009 and were estimated at $x, the usual amount. It took three separate visits to the Scholarship office for them to tell me that my eligibility had expired for one of them, despite the fact that my online account still claims I will be receiving money from it this year.

@UT, sorry to hear about Pearl! Hopefully the specialists will be able to figure it all out. Best wishes for the pup.

Don't get me wrong, I adore my kids. They are 10 and 12, and I think it's just a developmental thing that makes them so annoying at the moment. Yeah, one of those "phases" that will last for the next 8 years or so. ;)

Thinking of you and Pearl, UT.

Sorry to hear about Pearl , UT. Hope all goes well and she's back on her paws soon.

Sorry Chocolatl...that does suck. I didn't mean to project my own personal work frustration on you! Please forgive? :blush:

Hang in there girl!

I'm sorry about the financial aid problems too, Chocolatl. Got to be incredibly frustrating. I've solved that problem by not qualifying for anything. ;) But then, I'm attending the cheapest university I could find, so I guess it works out.

Sending healthy get-well vibes for Pearl, too.

UT - it went in a bone, but it will come out a pearl.

Sorry UT. Prayin she pulls through just fine.

*sigh* school tells me to apply through chase, but they're having issues with their website, so my application dies every few minutes. I just got the technical support equivilant of "did you try turning it off and then back on again?" so now I've got to wait 20 minutes to see if the error "clears up" so I can continue my application

PS All the extra soothy and feel bettery vibes I can muster are being sent to Pearl.

That sucks UT. Sorry.

That sucks. Keep plugging away. Chase is good. We have one loan through them.


Me.....friend of my son's house burned completely to the ground the other day. Friend (20 and deaf) taking care of two younger siblings (also deaf) while parents were at work. Evidently something having to do with a fan.

My mom's best friend's house burnt down a few years ago...

Source of the fire?

She'd taken her laundry out of the dryer but they were running late for dinner plans so she didn't take the time to fold and put away like she usually does. One of her underwire bras got ridiculously hot. Crazy eh?

More soothy vibes to tink's son's friend and siblings.

Some friends of ours house burnt down recently because:

their step-son, who had recently come to stay with them, set the house on fire and was watching it burn, with them inside, while he was waiting for the school bus.

No harm done. :) I didn't fully explain the situation the first time around, so you didn't have all the details. I'm not complaining too much, though -- I know other people end up having to pay a lot more out of pocket, so I'm grateful for what I've had!

I'm going to work on filling out a late FAFSA over the next few days to see if I qualify for anything (doubt it) and if all else fails, fewer impulse buys and maybe a tiny loan will hopefully solve the problem.

Was everyone okay?

Good luck to you. :)

Yep. Thank goodness. Large acreage and Grandma lives just through the woods so the kids ran there. Sad. Loss estimated at $860,000! Everything gone.

What's sad about those kinds of catastrophes is losing all your pictures, mementos, etc. My heart goes out to your friends.

UT, hope Pearl's feeling better soon. Pilau has his paws crossed for her.

It just never ends. I have these friends, a married couple, who have split up and gotten back together I don't know how many times. They are both heavy drinkers, and they are fun until they get to a certain point and then it's either they are fighting or they are talking at the same time and getting louder and louder. After they reach a point, it's time for me to go.

Last night I stopped at the club for some beers and conversation, and they came in. We were sitting on the patio having a nice time when all of a sudden they were fighting again. I have told them I can't deal with their conflict, and can't be around it (watching this kind of thing brings back bad memories and makes me sick to my stomach and I just can't stand it.) I told them to stop hurting each other, and I went home. It didn't help that Homeless Guy then came home from the bar with his sister and was bitching about her saying he could have done this or that in his life. I get crap all day at work. J & R had my stomach in knots, then HG starts in with his WAaaa-waaa crap. Mad because he doesn't like what his sister says about his DJ'ing when he hasn't had a job in I don't know how long? How much can he keep taking, and why can't I be mean and stop giving and kick him out on his ass.

J calls today here at work and was telling me that R is saying he wants a divorce. I can talk to her, and listen, but she wanted to know if I wanted to go out later. I don't get off work until at least 6:30 tonight, probably later to finish something I am working on. I am not a good friend I guess, but I don't know how to help them, or her. I see them both at fault. LIke I said, because of some things I have been through I get physically ill watching people hurt each other like that.

I don't know...I try to keep my spirits up but why does the world seem hell-bent on making sure all I see are rainclouds?

Sorry...

tell them to save some time and trouble. they should both go completely dry for 30 days. at the end of those 30 days if they still want a divorce just file for it immediately.

there are any number of likely scenarios in those 30 days to give you fodder for the what's making you happy thread.

sorry, i make inappropriate jokes sometimes.

my fodder was killed in the 9/11 you bastard