Hey g, I hear ya on no outside. It's darn raw here today. Was supposed to be warm, but you can't tell it by me. I've had a number of experiences over the years, but I'll tell ya'll about the first one I remember. When I was five my grandfather died. I had wanted to go visit him just before then but my parents wouldn't let me...long story. So, when he died I wanted to go to the funeral bad. They wouldn't let me, said I was too young. I was very adamant and really threw a fit about it. I didnt' get to go. Shortly thereafter, one night I was in bed. A storm was coming, something woke me up and I saw a figure of a man at the window putting the window down. I knew it was him. Right after that my mother came in to shut the window and was surprised it was already shut since I was too small to do it. I told her Grandpop had did it. That summer several times he came and shut the window before a storm. After that my mother wasn't surprised when she came in and it was already done. About ten years ago my father died. I live in the house where I grew up. Had moved back here to help him a few years before he died. Sometime in the first year after he died, I was at the computer in the living room with my back to the hallway. All of a sudden I heard his loud.. Hey.. It was how he always greeted us. My mother died before him and that was about the same time I kept feeling her around when I'd talk about her. Smiles. Guess he wanted to make himself known too. My mother and I learned when I first moved away from home that we could do the mental messages to each other. If one wanted the other to call, we'd just think of it and they would get the message. Then I started doing it with my aunt and later my best friend and I would do it. Still do it with my aunt and best friend. Friend lives across country and we don't talk often, unless one of us sends 'the message'. To this day I always can tell when my mother is around because we smell the cigarette smoke. No one has smoked in this house in twenty years at least.

Here's what happened: Yesterday, I called the phone company bright and early and explained the problem. The guy said "We'll call you right back." And he did, claiming it was fixed. Alas, it was not, and I called him again to let him know it still wasn't working. This time, they tell me "we'll get a guy working on it, and call you back." (I guess the little Brownie that lives in the office wasn't able to figure it out, so they needed "a guy"...) Later that afternoon, I called my ISP and found out that four of their customers in the my area had no service. Four customers doesn't sound like much, but you have to remember the town has about 370 people. It's a rural area, not exactly booming economically (KWIM), so if you have 10% of the people with a computer online, you're doing good. Out of that number (let's round up and say 40), over half half are going to sign on with the phone company because they don't know enough about computers to even look for another option. You could divide the remaining twenty in half again, for wireless service, with the remaining ten divided between satellite and the only other dial up ISP with a local number for this area. So, four is about right. Yes, there are only two companies in the entire world that offer local dial up service to this area. Lots of companies *claim* to offer a local number, and it probably would be if we had service with another phone compnay, but we do not. It is what it is. My ISP tells me that if the routing has changed, it might not be a localnumber anymore, and if they can't fix it to call accounting to see about a refund. I call the phone company back to see if this is going to be permanent, and he said they were "tracking the lines", which I recognize from past experience is a swell technical sounding phrase meant to placify the customer. He asked meexactly what was going on, and I explained that although this had been a local number for over a year, as of yesterday it stopped working. I could dial in using the area code, but the number wasn't supposed to be long distance. He thought that was curious. I didn't think it was curious so much as irritating, still, I realize it's not this guy's fault, so I don't get upset. We continue chatting and he says "You know, I think we have DSL available in your area." (Technically they do, but despite that big fat cable buried right out in front of my home, the actual service stops two miles west. I called about it a month ago and was told that at this time there isn't enough "customer interest" to activate it further east anytime soon.) Bless his heart, not knowing that, he said, "Have you thought about switching to our DSL? We're running a special, only 69.99 a month plus tax plus..." (I'm thinking, Oooo, what a deal! That's only three times what I'm already paying the company that can't even keep a basic land line operational for 60 days in a row. I'm completely underwhelmed.) I politely cut him off saying "Uh, You know, right now is probably NOT the best time to hit me with a sales pitch to upgrade my service for an even *more* expensive plan..." He laughed and said "Yea, I know, but I'm supposed to..." I said "Hey, I understand, it's like, 'would you like fries with that?' We both laughed, and he promised to give us a call when it was fixed. He really *is* very nice, even if he can't help. Later that afternoon, I discovered that my ability to dial in using the area code had also gone pffffft. When I called the number direct, I got a "This number is no longer in service" message. Of course, that's not true, it's working number for everyone but us. When I called using the 1 plus area code, I got the recording that says 'We're sorry. It is not necessary to dial a 1 or the area code for this number. Please hang up and try your call again." With any other company, this might be discouraging, but coming from these guys it's means they're doing *something*, so that's progress. LOL This morning, the 13th, I call and tell the guy what's going on with the line today and he says "We're aware of the problem". (I get the impression the other three customers might have beat me to the punch with the status update.) Then he tells me, "We'll get someone working on it." I'm thinking, excuse me, but wasn't someone supposed to be "working on it" since yesterday? I'm sure there's a three dollar word for this kind of thing, but all I could think of at the time were the four letter ones. Not good. Instead, I tell him thank you, and go outside. The deal is that my DH works on a pipeline, and they've been laid off for most of the winter. They just started a job this week, but the budget is a bit pinched for me to run out and order a more expensive internet service even if it were available. We're talking dialup or nothing. I just walked around in the yard admiring the crocus and quince and was telling God about it. I mean, he already knows, but it makes *me* feel better to have someone to listen to me rant. ;^) So, I make my rounds inspecting the yard, finish my whine about the internet and said "and Bless my phone company". Now, that is the *first* time I have ever said that. Usually, if I think of them at all, my thoughts immedietly go over to the Dark Side. But there you go; here I was getting all warm and fuzzy over a utility company. I guess all the fresh air and sunshine went to my head. On a whim, I came in, sat down at the desk, tried to connect again, and voil Here I am. Which means the line is *still* local. Looks like God really was listening. That, and someone just had that coffee maker plugged into the wrong outlet afterall...

That must've frustrated you horribly! I hate that as well, and there are a LOT of that guy's relatives living around here. It rains a lot, and they all think that not only do they have to go over the speed limit, they think I need to as well as evidenced by them getting close enough to my bumper to push me :-P . I swear I'm going to have a bumper sticker made that says "Riding my a$$ will NOT make the car in front of me go ANY faster". I'll never forget my first brush with road rage - this was back in the early 90s - I was on the interstate (3 lanes each way) and driving in the middle lane, minding my own business when out of the blue off of the on-ramp this guy flew out of nowhere and into my lane in front of me. There were no other cars around, he could/should have picked either the far right lane (that technically he would have been in anyway from the ramp) or even the far left. Out of reflex I threw up my hands like "what are you thinking?" - didn't flip him off or anything, was more of a puzzled gesture to myself if anything. He apparently did not like it and not only followed me but tried 2 or 3 times to run me off of the road. He was an older gentleman, with a lady (his wife probably? poor woman!) in the car sitting next to him swatting him over the head. I see the humor in it now, lol, but at the time I was not amused. This was before cell phones were common, and I was very young. I kept driving, trying to be as evasive as I could and still stay safe, and he eventually gave up. I think I shook for an hour afterwards. Some people have no sense, and just don't realize that when they get behind the wheel they are utilizing a weapon. Everyone stay safe out on those scary roads :-) april

I have the exact same symptoms as aussiesoni. My hot flashes happen once a month and usually only one time, but it lasts for about 15 minutes (although it seems longer). It is always in the middle of the night, around 2 a.m. I suddenly wake up kind of panicky, not knowing why, then shortly get a radiating heat in my chest which then spreads outward to my extremities and then my arms and legs tingle and I feel like I am going to pass out. I also get the feeling of extreme nausea and the need to have a bowel movement. I lay as still as I can, practice deep breathing techniques and reassure myself that I am ok and this will pass. It feels like a panic attack and I'm sure I am anxious at the onset. I am 44 years old and had a total hysterectomy 7 years ago. Initially I was on Progesterone, but my gynecologist switched me to Estradiol and I have been on that for 6 years. The hot flashes have been a recent development and the first few times I had one, I thought I needed to go to the emergency room. Finding this website was a Godsend and I know I am not alone! My question is, can anything be done or is this something that I'll just have to deal with? I also need to say that I have had a kidney transplant and because of the medications I take for that, I cannot take just any over the counter medication or herbal supplement in case it interferes with my anti-rejection medication. And not that I wish this on anyone else, but I am glad that I am not the only one experiencing this and grateful for your stories! Best wishes!!!