Members' News

I got some good news this week yay I have an interview tomorrow with orange its a telephone interview so I can stay in my normal cloths and I don’t have to get up early. The only problem is that if I get this job I will have to move to Edinburgh.

I have no news of my friend in America but I do of my cousin who’s in Iraq with the USA army as his family lives in Denver. He nearly got shot down on Saturday so I'm now worried about him. I just hope he doesn’t do anything stupid.

Everything else is back to normal here in my little village in Scotland.

I just remembered, I got two new cousins the 22nd. The oldest was born naturally, Neil Craig weighed 7lb and is 20.5 inches long, his brother flipped into breech position and had to be delivered Caesarian , Lloyd James, weighs7lbs 12 oz and is 19.5 inches. They live in Austin, TX. Their mom is one of my twin cousins, her sister is expecting a baby sister for her little boy in March. I really have to get my knitting needles going.

These kids are from my mom's side of the family, last year we got two cousins on my dad's side, Lindsey Mae was born on her brother's second birthday, February 23rd , I think.and I am pretty sure Thomas Lamar, Jr. was born August 31. LIndsey lives in Saginaw, Minnesota but TJ is in the Savannah, GA area.

this generation is Michael-23,Aaron-22, David-18,Amy-16, Carmen-15(these 5 are my nephews and neices)Jamey-12, Emily-10, Erica-7, (I'm guessing my aunt Bonnie's grand kids ages)Jason-4, Anikka-4,Sky-3, Collin-2yr 11months, Elicia-2yr 9months, Lindsey- 11 months,TJ-6months,Neil and Lloyd-2days.

I have first cousins who are younger then my nephews and neices and my nephew Aaron has a 2year old. If I didn't have so many cousins that don't have kids there could be a whole lot more of them, counting me and my brother there are 21 who don't have kids opposed to 8 who do. 15 of the childless ones are at least 30. I think it's possible that a couple of the younger ones will have a kid or two but most of us probably won't. It seems sort of strange that this family of mine is so in love with kids but has so few, maybe its because we don't have so many that we find them so precious.

I have been working on my dad's family tree for several months, I have a bunch of info from a cousin in Belgium and a cousin in Michigan, I was told the original DeWandeler ancestor to live in Belgium was from Austria. He was supposed to have been a soldier in the army of Empress Maria Theresa who retired in a little town near Antwerp.

My Belgian cousin says we have a wandering gene or virus. I guess there is a tendency to travel.

I got about halfway through getting the thing put toghether when the computer died. I really should get started again, maybe I can get it on a disc this time.

::crosses fingers for peapod's cousin::

::wonders if crossed fingers mean the same thing in Scotland as they do in the US::

Hsing I feel for you *feel*

I had a similar problem in an old apartment I lived. It was so bad that there was mould 6 feet up the walls in the back of the closets and my flatmate and I had to throw out a few pairs of shoes (some of them were quite expensive) because they were covered in mould...

Its yuck and depressing but it maybe worth investing in a dehumidifyer or getting your landlords to get one because it sounds so serious it should be their problem.

Oh, Hsing, that is so bad, I hope you can get the problem fixed and get a nice comfy bed right away. We had a lot of mold in the doublewide and it really does effect your health. so far I haven't had problems in this place.

I am about to take the on-line contestant search test for Jeopardy! if I win I still would have to audition in a big city, Chicago or Denver are the closest so I doubt this will lead to a TV appearance but it doesn't hurt to try.

Hsing that sucks **hug and ice cream** damp is a real pain in the butt, I do sympathize. Reg's parents' outer bedroom wall is against a small driveway and the bastard neighbours have blocked the little drain that used to go down the opposite side of it so all the rainwater goes directly into their dry-stone wall. The damp is abosolutely dreadful in there, and going to the toilet requires a good stomach (or bad eyes) as the wallpaper is black and peeling off the wall...

On your scale, I would say the dehumidifier is a good idea, there are some pretty neat disposable ones with just bags of absorbant salts in a special plastic box. They are cheaper than the big expensive ones, but of course not quite as efficient, still, they may help. And yes, get your landlord to look at this problem, maybe just fitting some decent aeration vents could do the trick...

It is more a case that with the disposible ones that they either get saturated with water quickly or they are being used in too big a job. Plus they are of crap quality.

What you need is a high quality desiccant such as silica gel with a cobalt chloride colour indicator (commonly called indicating silica gel). It goes from bright blue crystals/pebbles to bright pink crystals/pebbles when wet and can be reactivated if it is placed in the oven at 150 degrees C for 3 hours.

Place it in a plant pot (more silica gel surface showing the better) in the wet room. Reactvate it occasionally, the stuff lasts forever. and you have funny retro crystals to show off to people.

Edit note: Don't put a plant in this pot just the silica gel.

You will need to buy it from a supplier such as Desiccant Global - silica gel desiccant, desiccant air dryer, desiccant cooling, desiccant city, desiccant bags, they should quote you about $250ish (AUD) for around 3 kg of it. Which isn't bad considering it will last forever.

Hey, thanks that sounds like a good idea...

Be careful with your daughter getting at them though Hsing, sounds obvious I'm sure, but still, better said than sorry

.I had my interview yesterday it was ok but I did not come over that well. I hate telephone interviews. I got a reply back today it looks like I was unsuccessful in my application.

I do have another interview on Tuesday, which would mean I could still, live with my mum and dad. Its local and I went to the local high school so that may give me an advantage. The only problem is that have a meeting with the local job centre and my mum has an appointment on the same day. But we do have a plan so if I get this job it means no stupid training courses for me yay.

Hugs to everyone who needs them

Hugs to everyone who needs them... Seems like a lot of people are going through a rough patch. Peapod, keep at the interviews. Tamyra, I hope that everything goes well with your divorce, and congratulations on the ever expanding family. Pepster, good luck on finding what was wrong, and to your girlfriend's speedy recovery.

*Hugs* for everyone who needs them and even some of you who don't but want some anyways.
Pepster, I hope your girlfriend is okay. Cracked ribs! Ouch! And have you found out why you collapsed? I hope you are okay too, hun.

Tamyra, good luck with the Jeopardy try outs. If you make it would you be willing to get Alex Tribec’s (sp) autograph for me. I don't know why, but a sick part of me thinks he is kind of sexy.

Hsing, we had a bad mold problem in our other house, mostly in the bathroom which was built like an after thought to the rest of the house. I hope your new bed is soft, comfortable, and helps you to forget why you had to buy it in the first place.

I did the Jeopardy! thing literally minutes after I posted about it. They tell you up front that you will get no feedback unless you are chosen by lot for a followup audition, but it was sort of fun, I don't have any idea how many I totally blanked on versus the ones I guessed or knew but there wasn't much time and they covered a lot of trivia territory. I'll probably do it again the next time it is offered. I've been playing the on-line version but it has gotten sort of boring because they just don't have all that many clues available, once you've seen them all a few times there isn't much challenge. I'll try to tell you about it in time for you to try it for yourselves if you want to. If I get to meet Alex Trebec I'm sure I'll have a whole list of people to get autographs for.

Ok so its been 12 months to the day since i joined as miss whiplash.

I thought today about how much has changed in the last 12 months. I have a new job, a new man, a new home, some new pets and a garden......

I think this year has been the best one ever.

Then i got to thinking about the board. All of the above is down to you lot! I joined a welcoming community. Made lots of friends and found the love of my life. If you lot hadn't been so nice and friendly to me i wouldn't be here now!

I know it sounds slushy but what the hell. I love you all......

Oh and P.S we joined a gym today and i have lost 2 stone 12 pound in 3 weeks on the slimming world diet.

Hey ! Happy Boardiversary Wendy A lot of things have changed, and I hope they stay at least as good as they are now ! Congrats on the gym etc. just be careful you don't loose too fast, it's as bad as not losing at all sometimes Take care honey, and have a great year to come !

Congrats Tamyra and Missy...

I have one question: Since when did Dave need to lose weight? Have you been fattening him up? Oh and congrats on your own weight loss, I wish I had the discipline to do it.

I don't think she said that Dave was on the diet, just that he'd joined the gym too. Congratulations Missy on the weight loss. Hope it continues well.


I just found out why I couldn't access the internet over the weekend. It seems that my broadband service has been 'ceased'. They sent me an e-mail the day after to tell me, which I was only able to access via the computer at work. Having got through to the helpline at the second attempt it seem that BT (the telephone provider) was responsible for this, though they haven't put a reason why. So we have to ask BT to connect the service again which will take 10-12 working days :x (why isn't there an emoticon for screaming?)

In the past six months I have put on about 10 Kgs, but No - I don't need to diet yet...
That said, I am probably eating more healthily now, so you could say that I am...

The gym? Hells teeth! I am not looking forward to that...
All of the grunting and testosterone! The blokes aren't much better either

HE HAS A PODGE.

Don't let him fool you. LOL. Even his family can't get over what iv'e done......*gushes with pride*

And he is looking forward to the gym (i aint doin this on my own matie)

Also may i just say "a dwarf?" yes Rinso truely does rock.

Yes - I am a dwarf...

Online on the Planet of the Giants. In this world you are three times as high as the nearest dwarf*.

*I don't know where the nearest dwarf may be but I'd try somewhere in the vacinity of Rinso, he has this unerring ability to attract them. It might be his pheromones.

...

Regarding my collapse I mentioned previously, It is was most likely from dehydration and exhaustion. Still I need to get a CT brain scan, just to make sure it wasn't from a tumour or such.

Its really just being done for completeness; at least I will have proof I have something between my ears :shock:

Edited to add: I am also currently enjoying some gifts from ebay I have given myself. The movie "Scarface", the game "Planescape: Torment" and the self titled ablum of the Aussie band "Thirsty Merc" (whom I recommend to all).

Good news it isn't something serious and an easy cure...
Drag a big, comfortable armchair in front of the TV, pour yourself a drink, get your feet up and watch your new movie

My Dad's a dwarf. He's 6 foot something (roughly 1m95) or at least, he used to be, he's probably shrunk a bit He has big hair and a big beard. (I know I've told this one before, but I like it so shut up people !) Once while my sister and I were playing in a playground a little girl went up to him, looked hard at him and yelled "Muuuuummy ! Look it's Father Christmas !" and he looked down at her and said "No, little girl, I am a dwarf. I am a big dwarf." She sat there puzzled for a while, and then ran off to play.

* Pictures Robbie Coltrane's Hagrid and nods in satisfaction *

I knew it! You do have large prehistoric cave(wo)man hands!

Yep. And they are hairy, callous and have disturbingly long thick yellow nails.

This is my dad, it was at my wedding, so he had cut, washed and brushed his hair and trimmed his beard

Heee . I can only see two of the other wedding attendants, but he looks like he'd be towering over the whole party.

I thought my family was tall. I had my interview on Tuesday just waiting to here back. The main part went ok it’s just the typing test I'm not sure of. There have been no suitable jobs in the area for the past few days so I don’t know how I’m going to contact 4 employers this week I may just make up a speculative letter and send it off to hotels and such in the area.

My mum had to have some blood tests this week because she was very ill a couple of weeks ago. If they come back that it is a genetic illness that will mean that I will have to have blood tests as well. I hate needles have ever since my meningitis c jab.

It was my great grammars 97th birthday this week so 3 more years and she’s 100. I think that’s all my news

Edit, just found out i did not get that job but will keep looking.

No worries about the blood test Peapod, just look away and be strong. Good luck to your mom.

I've met my first Bordanian in person! Well, a wayward Bordanian that is. I met up with Mike, aka Chimera for those who remember the night before he flew back home to South Africa. I was able to get to New York for an hour and a half. We had Thai food, and it was nummy.

Feeling a bit down today, my Mum has just had a small tumor removed, and we're going to see her in hospital this afternoon... She had to have a mamectomy after they found a similar tumor about 5 years ago and she hadn't even psycholocgically recovered from that, we're hoping that it won't be the same this time. Cancer sucks.

Big hugs to you and your mum, Kat. Hope things improve real soon.

*hugs Kat* Cancer sucks big time honey. I hope she makes a full recovery, just be there when she needs you babe.

I hope that she gets well soon, Kat.

Yep, cancer is a bitch. Hope your mom gets better, Kat.

Katcal, I hope your mom has a good prognosis and takes this as something she's been able to conquer already. It has to be one of the darndest diseases but they are getting a better handle on it all the time, God Bless your family in this time of trial.

I have frozen pipes again, Now I have to go try to take a bath and wash my hair with a couple of gallons of water I heated on the stove. Luckily the hydrant is still working and I don't have to hike down to the lake to haul water. We have had -0 temps for the last two days and I don't think it will get a lot warmer for a couple more days yet.

Thanks all, I went to see her in hospital on saturday, she's going to have to have some radiotherapy, it's not good but it could be worse, she has a nice room on her own, the clinic is nice and modern, the staff seem nice, which is a big improvement on last time, when she was in the maternity ward with all the new mothers breast feeding and screaming babies, plus staff who dropped her off the trolley-thingy on the way to the OR... :roll:

I'm desperately trying to cheer myself up and you are helping I must say **runs back to the baby contest page to play with baby Garner**

Have a look at my latest postings in the Joke section, Kat... I guarantee you'll leel loads better after that

You don't seriously think you can compete with Baby Garner 2000 do you ? :shock:

hope your mum's allright katcal.

and i hope your pipes unfreeze soon tamyra! it must be a pain, like Grace said, you don't realise how much you need and use water until its gone.

Ofsted* are inspecting the college i'm at all this week, I've been told that i accepted to meet with them to talk about enrichment which i had no idea about. the only bonus is that we're being bribed with a ten pound gift voucher

The Girl that won the governorship has stepped down (as we guessed she would) meaning that I've been bumped upto vice governor wile my friend that came second has taken over as govenor. so all is as it should be, well maybe i shouldn't be allowed so much responsibility but i seem to be doing ok :badgrin:

Other than that i sorted out Valentines today so all i gotta do is wrap a couple of presants and write a card. and thats all my news.

*Ofsted are a government run inspection agency for schools and colleges around england, useually means that all the teachers get super paranoid :d

edit to add subscript.

Officially -30F this morning, my truck was pretty stiff at first, including the seat, but I heard someone say it might be +30F as early as next week, that would be so nice.

That was wierd my last post snuck in line before Spiky's reply to Dane and has a different time then my clock.

Best wishes to your mum Kat.

And Dane you could go all SHakespeare on your friend, stab him in the back after a long soliloquoy of procrastination, and usurp his place as Governor :badgrin: Like all evil dictaors should.

I've only got a couple of days to go for the Oz DWcon, so much to do, so little time. Wish me luck

Best wishes to you mum Kat...

Also, good luck to spiky I'm ever so slightly jealous.


Me, I'm just busy...but what's new about that? Thankfully it's Chinese New Year in a few weeks (Gong Xi Fa Cai!) which means a week off! I'll be off to see my dad in Kuala Lumpur.

My only big news is that I should be entering the wonderful world of boarding school for my last school year next August. Should be...umm...interesting.

Now I'm off to do rather intimadating university research.... I need to start thinking about what I want tp study... :?

My home internet is working now. Hopefully they're not going to shut it off again. In the meantime I'm working my way through a box of tissues because of a cold that's just started. I'm hoping it does snow heavily tonight so I have a good excuse not to go to work tomorrow. (Though I don't want the temperatures Tamyra's getting, -5C is plenty cold enough for me.)

Have fun at the con Spiky

Hope your Mum does well Katcal.

too late, I've been apointed second governor! The white paper states that its going to be mandatory for every college to have at least two student governors in autum of 2008, we decided to jump the gun . also i'd feel bad about stabbing ne of my friends, and her boyfriend is bigger than me :?

Yesterday was quite a nice surprise, i was allowed to go to an NUS conferance with the governor acting as vice governor. It was at the ma maison in Manchster. A swanky Five star hotel jobby! we got to eat the tiny portions of food and super posh coffee! it was brilliant, i didnt even know that place existed.

we walked in and its all black marble and posh bottles of wine all over the place, we were so out of our depth. We didn't know what to expect, we both went in jeans and tee shirts and everyone else turned up in suits. I did make a few friends though, they all gave me their business cards and went on their way back.

so yesterday was a lot of fun. today was my last day, we have a holiday next week so i'm going to katys tommorow. for now i'm going climbing.

hope you get better soon jaccairn and have fun at the con Spiky.

I'm unwell

*waits for big AAAWWWW but gets tumbleweed instead*

I have a virus thats attacking my system and sending my sugar up the wall. I keep passing out.

I passed out today and stuipidly hit my head on a computor we have lying around in the comp room. It don't half hurt, really messed my face up.
I don't look pretty at the best of times, but i have no chance now.
I think i need a bit of TLC and alot of hot chocolate.

*praps not the hot choc but i can but hope i spose*

So i am off work til Wednesday now and am not in high spirits. I may spend at least one day in bed feeling sorry for myself/my battered face.

AWWWH, that's awful. damned viruses, I once fainted off the toilet and landed on my face, split my chin, bit my tongue, and chipped two teeth. It apparently taught me not to do that anymore because it had happened twice before(the fainting business at least) but it hasn't happened since and its been over twenty years now.