I'd LOVE to go, but am going on first cruise (was thinking of you, actually) Feb 9th - 14th to Cozemel, then back for 10 days and off to Austria for 3 weeks so won't be home! This short cruise is a 'test run' before booking an Alaska cruise. Any suggestions (Alaska) re best line/ship? Have a great time - how can you miss with 42 others!?lks!!?

Are your fixtures low voltage fixtures? They are several types of dimmers and it depends on the type of lighting you are using. If you have pendants from like a monorail system, I believe you have to use a dimmer that is compatible with magnetic transformers. If you have an electronic transformer, there are dimmers for that. I have personally found Lutron dimmers, switches and plugs to be higher quality than the Leviton products. Pass and Seymour is also good. Most of my leviton paddle switches all failed within a year of moderate use. Your experiences may vary. I am including a link to dimmers.net where I purchased some timers recently. I like the way the webpage is broken down by the type of lighting you may have. I personally have the Maestro dimmers and I like them alot. Good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: An example of dimmer options from dimmers.net

SS11 has gone through several stages like that. He's in one now, actually. Our approach has been multipronged: - We remind him that he wants privileges (such as being allowed to go to the store alone) but that privileges come with showing maturity and responsibility. Lying doesn't show those things and makes it hard for us to believe he is ready for the things he would like to do or have. - We've had him write apology letters or write a list of 5 reasons that lying is wrong. None of the reasons can relate to getting caught or being punished. - We've explained to him that we greatly prefer to trust him. It's easier and happier for everyone if we don't have to police his every move. We've presented it like this: "A__, you don't like when we nag you and check on your every move, right? You like when we trust you and give you your own space. Well, when you lie to us about simple things, like brushing your teeth, it shows us that we NEED to be nagging you and checking on your every move. If we could trust that you'd brush your teeth when asked to, we wouldn't have to pester you about and it wouldn't turn into a fight. If there's no fight, then everybody is happier." Then he sees that our actions (nagging him) are a direct result of his actions (lying to us) and is more willing to change his actions. - We issue rewards for completed tasks. If he wants to watch a show that will be end a bit later than his usual bedtime, so we say "If you are ALL ready for bed BEFORE the show starts, then yes, you can stay up late to watch it. So that means you have to have your backpack ready for tomorrow, be showered with your teeth brushed, and in your pajamas. If ANY of those things aren't done by the time the show starts, then no show. Deal?" He knows that we mean it. If he skips something, he won't be watching and it will be his own fault. - This one is underhanded and a bit manipulative. We don't use it regularly. SS is always really worried about what other people think - he doesn't do well in social situations or make friends very easily, which is too bad because he's a nice boy and I've seen that he is a loyal friend. So we've reminded him that people don't like liars. We've said "People don't want to be friends with someone who lies to them. No one wants a friend they can't trust; they want a friend who will be truthful." For this case, we thought a little peer pressure might be a good thing, although it isn't a technique I'd usually advocate. - For personal hygiene issues, we've shown him pictures of gum disease and so on. He also doesn't like to brush his teeth or bathe. We explained that we don't tell him to do these tasks to spite him, but so that he is healthy and well. "Yup, brushing your teeth is a pain in the butt. But we don't make you do it to be mean to you or to think up clever ways to torment you. We make you brush your teeth because it's important for your health. ~Insert explanation of gum disease, complete with photos, here~. Now do you understand why it's important for you to brush your teeth?" We've had to do this roughly once a year since he was about 8. - And, of course, we try to praise and be positive for the things he does when asked and for telling the truth. To be honest, I get a bit frustrated with having to tell an 11yo that he did a good job because he put his dirty clothes in the laundry basket, or praise what a very good choice it was that he told us the truth about something... But he needs it, so I do it. I think it will continue to be an ongoing battle for us, for the same reason you just mentioned. SS doesn't really understand cause and effect or that actions cause reactions.

I think I used to 'have a thing' w/ the guy that owns it. Okay - maybe not that specific bar, but the guy that I had a 'thing' w/ does own a similar bar. I'd be able to better tell if I'd been to that bar if I went through the motions: Drink too much. Get drunk. Laugh so hard I fall off of my stool. Lie on floor still laughing hysterically for no reason. If I recognize the Eagle on the ceiling then I've been there but I'd have to go through these steps to know for sure. Please don't think less of me. Not because of the dive, character bar thing but because of the 'thing' thing.