Isn't it just the cutest little ol' calico? I too love the perplexed searching, the increasingly aggravated whaming! and then the quick flee when the paper "gets" it back. Love it. Laughed so hard it brought tears to my eyes. Well duh (totally! kidding) Meldy, she was just making the paper look like computer paper, eating the chads so as to not leave the evidence. (((wink wink))) Murphy fangs his approval on most every piece of paper I am dumb enough to leave lying around, bills have been torn to shreds, and I say, me too bud!, or LF has painstakingly drawn a picture and Murphy gives it a chew of approval; dismaying to the little fellar.

Your vegetarian husband is going to have great blood pressure, great cholesterol, no arterial build up and no erectile dysfunction so he will chase you around the bedroom until he is 95. So if you don't want him around, just shoot him before you get too old. You'll be out on parole in 3-5 years and can start over with another guy. Be sure to marry an old guy who likes fatty meat and has lots of money. You can change your name to Anna Nicole, buy some Viagra and be sure he changes his will before the honeymoon.

Stand next to your vehicle (so that you can listen and maybe observe some of the inside lock buttons) and try the unlock function on your key fob. If you hear the familiar "clunk" sound, then the unlock system is trying to operate the lock/unlock motor/solenoids. In this case, the problem is sticky, stubborn door lock system. Most likely, it is the the motor/solenoid. It could be a frozen door lock, but the motor/solenoid units are highly suspect. Remove the inside door upholstry panels to gain access and remedy the sticking condition. It could be interference, gunk on the parts, need for re-lubrication with a cold weather lubricant, or frozen moisture in the motor/solenoids. If any of the thin elastoner boots on the 'solenoids' are leaking, replace the solenoids hopefully with improved units. If any solenoids are completely inoperable, then check to see if these are receiving voltage on the lock/unlock command. If the voltage is present, then replace. If the voltage is not present, then trace the circuit to find where the inturruption exists and repair. [In some cases, you may find that the solenoid system is switching the ground connection of the solenoids instead of the hot lead. This changes the logic to be used for circuit traces.] A repair manual with circuit diagrams is needed for circuit traces. It takes only one drop of moisture frozen on the plunger of a motor/solenoid unit to stall it. That's why the boot is there. It's suppposed to keep moisture and dirt from getting inside the unit. Sometimes, the boot on a motor/solenoid gets accidently torn when other service is performed inside the door, and goes unnoticed. These boots are very thin and fragile to remain flexible in cold temperatures.

The best answer probably is, "because it's illegal and I could get in trouble". If your state is like mine, kids have to be 13 to be left home alone. Of course, even at 13, it's not a really good idea on a regular basis. Unfortunately, teens without adequate supervision usually find a way to get into some sort of trouble sooner or later. And the homes where kids stay home unsupervised--at least in my neighborhood--seem to turn into the hangouts. I know a couple of mom's who would be very upset and disappointed if they knew exactly what was going on when their children were home alone. And I'm not talking about horrible kids. Even good ones at that age, don't have the sense to always do the right thing. I've actually seen a lot of women giving up their jobs (or rearranging their hours) so they're home during the hours when their teens are home. In some ways, parental supervision is even more vital when they're beginning to flex their wings, and learning to make decisions. Especially considering that teens brains aren't fully mature. Until they reach their mid-20's, they don't usually have the ability to make logical, well-thought out decisions--that's a medical fact. Teens are working on pure emotion--and you know how much trouble that can get one into You're definitely doing the right thing by seeing that she doesn't have too much time on her own, unsupervised. Even though she may complain now, you're the parent, and making sure she stays safe and healthy now will pay off in the longrun.