True Love 101 discussion
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Random Chat... What's going on with you?

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THANKS, everyone, for your well wishes! Can't wait to start on the 19th. Then again, it means having to get up at 6am again... wow, haven't had to do that in ages. There are some benefits in working from home - I could work in my PJs and shower in the afternoon - LOL! Not so on this job. But really looking forward to it. I expect I'll be a bit of a zombie for awhile, though...



You went all out! I've been scaling back on birthdays this year...

To those who want to extend some love and assistance, thank you...
How to Help Typhoon Haiyan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFQfyl...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFQfylQ2..."
Damn, I needed that, Leea!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFQfylQ2..."
I laughed so hard. Thank you for this. :)

It's not offensive and it doesn't look anti-Christian. Anyone who finds it offensive has their own personal issues with it, but in general it isn't offensive.

Well technically not really something going on with me but with Hubby. His "baby", a 63 VW bug that he's restored, was hit again Wednesday night. This is the second time in less than a year! If you click on my avatar it's the car in the background.
Last year it was almost totaled by a distracted driver (on her cell!) Fortunately it was parked although the driver of the other car ended up in the hospital with broken ribs. Mike insisted that the insurance not total it and he found a body shop to do the work and then he did the engine himself.
This time it was rear-ended while traffic was stopped on the freeway. Mike's ok although he's not signing off on the insurance until he see's how he feels over the next few weeks. The other driver wasn't hurt either but he didn't want us to contact his insurance---NO WAY! Insurance adjuster was out yesterday and hopefully it will be fixed by next week. Maybe he'll stop driving it as a "daily driver" now!

Thanks, Leea! Yeah, hubby is SO bummed!


I think your Dad is the same age as Mike and I! We're in our 60's.


I love cars but I don't have the spare cash to keep a third car. The Ford is a commercial, I also have a Holden which is an Australian manufactured car from the GM group. My brother has a 1966 MGB GT...which is very sweet and a 1956 Jaguar Mark 2 (which doesn't go). Jaguars are like Fords and Alfa Romeos...you'll spend more time banging your head on the hood than actually driving the damn things.

When I was a kid, my step-dad had a '50-something Jag convertible that he was working on forever and the day he got the engine running, I heard it a block away and went running home - yay! That thing was so fun when he'd floor it out in the country. Ah.
But I miss my Bug - had a '63 with the canvas sunroof and later a '68 that I drove up here to Wash. state and which I don't miss during the cold snowy winter months. Even though it handled great in the snow, I froze while driving it.

Love reading all the car stories! We remember the Bill Cosby album with the VW comment, think it was titled "200 MPH"? Very funny album!
Although so sad about the lady being killed in the VW Golf accident. We would never own a newer VW.
Ian, to me a 2008 IS a new car! lol! Mike drives his '63 VW to work most days although once it's out of the repair shop I hope he goes back to driving our Blazer. I was driving the '98 Chevy Blazer with no AC, very uncomfortable in the summer. Then this past July we lucked into a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee (spelling?) for only $1,000! Long story but at least it has AC and very comfortable seats. Has 158,000 miles on it but was a deal we couldn't pass up.
Lisa, lol! VW's don't have the most reliable heaters! Well when we're young we can put up with those inconveniences! Even here in Calif, Mike wears a ski hat in the winter driving to work! When we had the '65 Mustang, Mike spent a lot of time trying to keep up the heater and AC. I finally told him it wasn't worth the time and money so I would bundle up in the winter on the way to work in the morning.
Wow, Jags! classy cars but yeah a lot of work to keep up. Mike's always had a thing for fast cars! His first car in high school was a 50 something Porsche, they look like upside down bathtubs! Was only working part time so couldn't afford the parts to keep it running. Then he had a '69 Mach 1 Mustang that he still misses to this day! He sold it before I met him. When me met he owned a beautiful '67 VW Karmin Ghia (spelling, sorry but it's almost midnite and I'm too lazy to look up the spelling! lol!) He drove it every day but parked it in our garage at night and kept a car cover over it. I swear the engine was always so clean! He has always kept up his cars better then the condo! lol!

I'll be 65 next year and Mike is 62 :D Sad to say but I've never driven our VW. I never learned to drive a stick! Dad drove a '65 VW Bus when I was in high school but he didn't have much patience so I learned to drive on Mom's car which was an automatic shift.

I got the Ford back on Thursday...new clutch, $3000, on Friday I lost 3rd gear. WTF? I'm honestly driving around in a car with no 3rd gear, I'm so sick of it I just couldn't be bothered thinking about it at the moment. In the next week I'll decide if I want to even bother spending another few thousand on it.
German cars used to be quality. Now they're just rubbish. The last good German car I drove was a little BMW 318i...that would have been late 1980s early 1990s I think. Since then I've driven Audis, Mercs, BMWs, VWs and Opels (never owned any of them except the Opel), they've all been cheap cars with expensive badges.

Hi Ian. My soon brother-in-law wants to sell me his little BMW- no way I'll buy it. It's high maintenance and I don't even think it looks good. Quality cars, well, hard to find, aren't they?
About your comment concerning speed, you can easily kill someone at 50 kph, even at 30 kph..

Cars these days seem to be built to break. Some of that is actually kind of cool. I mean crumple zones in cars save lives, but other stuff is just plain stupid. Until my current car I had never changed the brake rotors on any car...on this car I've had to do it twice.
Not sure about quality but the Toyota Hilux is tough.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnWKz7...

I know what you mean. Speed limits really can save lives. I don't know if you've ever driven on a German Autobahn- it's madness. People come from other countries to drive their cars to the max here.
I checked out the Toyota- it's huge! lol I don't think a pickup would be my kind of car- I bet it drinks gas like crazy..

I have Kitty and the Midnight Hour and Kitty goes to Washington on MP3 CDs narrated by Marguerite Gavin. They're pretty good urban fantasy about vampires and werewolves.
If you think you'd like them, let me know and I'll send them to you. No charge...just a random gift from someone who thinks books should be passed around.



I used to have a BMW 2002 (1972) that's how I learned to drive a stick. It was not easy at all. Sensitive clutch but i've honestly been driving since I was 13. My father taught me everything I know about driving, I can back any car into any spot, parallel like a pro and have a lot of confidence behind the wheel.
My good friend has the VW tdi (Diesel) wagon and every time i'm with her filling it up. Some guy comes up to use and makes sure we know we're filling the car up with diesel - Ugh! We just laugh.

It's not really erotic...but there is sex. The Duke's Tattoo is quite a hoot. It's really good fun.


Have you read Anne Stuart's House of Rohan series? They are close to what you are looking for, I think.
Vanessa wrote: "I have a question...I am getting a new patient and this patient is 35 and bed ridden and cannot speak. I am prepared for the nursing responsibilites but I worry about her mind. She is not mentally ..."
Poor woman! You could check with her family or see the books she has and choose from that.

Is she able to use her hands? I guess making sure she always has paper and pens. Hospitals are often about making things easier for the staff to care for the patient but in doing that they make the patient's space unwelcoming. I would want to make her space safe and comfortable. If she's in a ward, I'd put her close to your desk and preferably as far from the door as possible, but not in an isolated area. I'd have a few chairs for guests...if I could get one an extra table.
Knowing what she enjoys is important...books could work but choose them carefully. Music...but sounds can be pretty serious triggers (there is a type of diesel engine which if I hear it starting up can send me off the deep end) so no radio because you can't predict it and make sure it isn't the music the asshole liked.
Keeping her mind active is kind of important. There is a lot of waiting around in hospitals, and I'd kind of want her to always have things to do. Maybe knitting, origami...coloured pencils and a sketch pad if she's arty. Something like an iPad could be awesome if she enjoys surfing the net. The great thing about a tablet is it is empowering. She might be stuck in a bed but she can have the world at her fingertips.

We will have to work with her to establish a communication system with her eyes. Once we have accomplished that, I should be able to figure something about her out. I hope.

How about you ask her? Is that possible? Since she can move her eyes ask her if she likes this or that.
As Ian said, a lot of things could trigger something bad. I can't get her out of my mind now.

.I am just worried about her mental state and fear if she lapses into a depression ( which I am sure she is in) that she will just give up. Its complicated and I wish asking her questions would solve the problem but it hasn't yet.

If it was me, I'd make her space visually interesting. She is in bed and can't travel, so I'd probably take her on a world trip from her bed. I'd put up a world map, buy a bunch of those little flags and then take her to a different country every day or so. Print out pictures...not just the touristy stuff but things that will engage her mind. So if you were taking her to France I'd put up pictures of all the different types of wines from France and what part of France they come from. As you take her to different countries add the little flags to a vase. If you have staff, you could get them involved so it's not just you printing pictures doing the research etc..
If you have staff from different cultural backgrounds even better. You could get them to make small treats from their culture and play a game with her "To Eat or not to Eat?" If she indicates "not to eat" you have to eat it. Then whoever ate the food rates it yum or blurk.
I kind of have the genesis of a lot of other ideas but nothing fully formed. keep us updated and my mind will spew forth a torrent of ideas....most of them rubbish, but one or two that are good.

Vanessa, A small suggestion.... Audio books. Either on a CD player or mp3 and earbuds. This way, when you're not there she is still being entertained. I did this for my daughter once when she was home sick for a week! It kept her company when I was at work. One can only watch so much t.v.



Books mentioned in this topic
Once in a Lifetime (other topics)A SEAL at Heart (other topics)
A SEAL at Heart (other topics)
Forged in Fire (other topics)
The Summer He Came Home (other topics)
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So glad to hear your good news! A vacation and a job! Yeah!
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