Ok, thanks for the technical support guys and gals! Sorry for the huge size, but these are big boys. Max (red and white) wandered up to a co-worker's house way out in the woods. Don't know his story, but he's very social and really loves the ladies. My ancient cat, Hazel, had died a few months earler, and I wasn't really ready for a new family member, but he quickly won me over. After taking care of his reproductive parts he doesn't seem to miss them. Since he grew up in the great outdoors, I had to install a kitty door for him to come and go, and he's become pretty popular in the neighborhood as the "Cat Ambassador" winning over people who never really liked cats. Steely Dan started sneaking into the house and eating Max's food. I'd chase him away, and he'd return when I went to bed. I realized that he and Max were friends, so I've slowly adopted him into the family. I guess he was an outdoor cat somewhere nearby, and just likes it better here. He was named because he would steal Max's food, and also due to his dark grey color. He's a really sweetie, but pretty leery of other folks. It's a blast watching these two guys romp/stalk/chase/tumble together.

Hi myfampg! Actually today is the first time in a very long time I've come here. This summer has been far too busy to breath, let alone get on here. I'll try a quick catch up...... it's NOT been all good, just been too busy. DS17 dad moved to Michigan. He's 3 hours north. He's been great though, if he wants him he's been coming all the way and getting him and he's even brought him all the way home. He also took him to the race up there for Father's day. I have to say, I'm imppressed. No problems with him. DS12.... his sperm donor was sentenced to 17 months, is doing half then he is done. No probation, nothing. When he doesn't pay I will have to start all over from square one. He is scheduled to be released September 10. They actually moved him to a real prison. So he's no longer in a county jail. This suprised the heck outta me and I'm actually scared to death of retaliation. I guess I'll deal with that when September comes. SS..... well of course there's been drama there. BM originally told dh that she wouldn't mess with ss's baseball or all stars at all this summer. She said he could stay until it was all over, she didn't care. Well, all star tournament is this weekend, she's getting him tomorrow. Go figure, right?!?! Oh and yes, you know the date.... it's July 10. She has to have him back to us by August 5 because he has a middle school rally that he has to go to since he'll just be entering the school. So not even close to 8 weeks this summer. We tried getting her to take him July 4. We went to TN for ds12 World series baseball (BTW... they were the runners up!!! Wooohooooo!). We thought we could drop him to her on the way, well she had promised him a trip to Virginia beach that she cancelled so she wanted us to take him to TN with us. I honestly didn't want to cause I was trying to save money on the trip. DS17 didn't go cause he had to work. So anyway, we took him with us, she was supposed to call on Sunday to meet us. She never called.... we didn't end up coming home till Monday anyway since the team did so well and we kept playing and playing till late Sunday. We made ss call her last night cause we had a feeling she was going to try to cancel again. She did try.... ss wouldn't let it happen. LOL! We knew he wouldn't so that's why he called and not dh. She is now moving to the southern part of our state, right next to Kentucky. (Which btw is where ds12 donor lives.... OMG!! Kill me now if they ever meet each other or get together!) She told ss that she'll now be 2 1/2 hours away. There is NOT one part of KY (her dh will be working in Louisville) that is 2 1/2 hours from us. She's so full of crap! It's gonna be 3 hours and 15 minutes away compared to 4 hours. Oh my... like 45 minute difference will make her come to his games. Which she still has never made it to. She also told dh that she will no longer be working. Oh freaking wonderful! Now she'll quit paying her support again! I'm so over this crap with her. I told dh that she doesn't pay, they go back to court. She gets treated exactly the same as ds12 donor. No if's and's or but's. Also, if she's not going to be working, she does NOT get the tax exemption every other year. Period. (She's never going to be current on support to be allowed to have it anyway) I'm so nervous that she's going to pull what she pulled in February (trying to keep him). This time she'll be in our state ..... which I think she is moving to our state and not KY for this reason. She's going to think she can keep him. I'm just so stressed that we are going to have to go through this again next month.... and stressed that she's NOT going to pay her support. Oh and last time she saw him was Memorial Day weekend. Her ss (the evil little brat) broke ss's ipod, he poured water on it. No discipline given, no ipod replaced. UGH!!! So wrong! So glad to see you again though myfampg. Don't take exdh crap!

Hi, Bemore. I haven't been around much and don't remember your style. Since you really don't like the 2 possibilities, though, how about not doing either and ending up living with them for way too long? I don't know if it'd fit your kitchen, but for a custom inexpensive version I'm imagining doorless boxes on the bottom (whatever wood/color suits) with shelves, covered with curtains on pull rings, changed out with the seasons if you like and replaceable nice doors someday if desired. On the wall, simple custom shelves or open shelf units, pale-to-white finish to help MW blend in, for less than $500, including fine-grained wood and carpentry. Counters could also be wood, as they were often in pantries long ago. I scanned the picture in my head, but it doesn't seem to include brooms. :)

Jodi is not a mean drunk. She takes excellent care of her animals. She drinks beer all day long. It doesn't bother me. Yeah she talks a lot in the evenings but it isn't anything I can't cope with. I am grateful to have a place to stay near my animals. She keeps a spotless house..... works her butt off. I wish she didn't smoke or drink, but I feel like it is none of my business. She doesn't smoke around us. Y'all don't feel bad for us. We aren't missing any meals, we have a roof over our heads and we are comfortable with Jodi enough to know she doesn't consider us a pain in the butt. She is happy for company. I am the one who can go all day and happily never speak except to a cat, dog or horse. Everyone has been so incredibly kind to us. We don't want for anything. Our house is over 100 yrs old. It has been thru a lot. It sat 8 years cut in half on a house mover's lot. It is built out of heart pine. You can hardly drive a nail in it. It will be fine. Many people have it so much worse than us. And as I have said before, we don't have enough sense to be worried. And believe me, worse things have happened to us. And Mama Pinky is right. I socialize on FB and forums..... That makes up for being somewhat of a recluse in real life.