It's a conversational skill, to be able to change the topic of someone else's monolog in a friendly or at least diplomatic way. Their topic could be anything, which is why it's a general skill and not restricted to 'bragging' per se. Concentrate on your breathing, count to 10 internally or whatever you need to do in order not to feel too frustrated or angry or irritiated. Then try to add something that can take the conversation in a slightly different direction. It can still be about whatever the child did, only in a more general way; or about something else which might be at least a little related even if it's a bit of a tangent. Asking a question in that way can sometimes work to change the topic and let the talker keep on talking. Sometimes, especially with something that feels to the listener like bragging, aknowledgement can curb things. A simple kind of 'he's lucky to have you and you him' or something else that kind of pats her on the back verbally. Basically, give her some feedback that lets her feel like someone else on the planet notices her efforts, and her child's little new successes. Different people have different habits of expression, and different interpretations for what they hear. Try to grant your friend any benefit of the doubt because she may not be intending to be tiresome, or to brag. What you hear may be her best attempts to convey information about what's new for her child or in her child's life. Even if your method of delivery is very different try to react to her as you would like people to react to you when you try to share information about your own child. general conversational techniques will work, or be gentle with her and share your feelings (don't forget she is a 'friend' and a human being who is probably doing her best, just as you are even though she may have a habit you find irritating)

It should all be on your phone records, isn't it? I mean, if you guys said no texting but texting appears on your bill, simply show it... and especially because you pay for everything else, I think it is more than OK to start severing the financial umbellical chord and tell your SS he needs to get his own phone. TMobile has great pre-paid cards, it really puts things into perspective for a college student! Granted, I was in college pre cell phones, but I remember when my father talked to me about our home phone bill and how I was sending it through the roof and that I had to contribute if I wanted to use it the way I did... I learned a lot. I think you can focus on helping your SS mature versus him lying... a childish attempt if you ask me. I am grateful for my father cutting me off when he did, even if at the time I was indignant and couldn't believe the betrayal. It took me some hard falls (only now is my credit score finally in a good place; I have been paying the cost of immature college negligence), but I learned my lesson. It's no biggie: think about it this way, you are giving him $2400 instead of $2500.... or take the opposite approach and give him $100 extra for his own cell phone bill. Maybe you can "beat DH to it" and say, I was thinking that it's time to let SS have his own phone and own bill...

Rosefolly, I partially use the merger. I spent my first nineteen years in northern Iowa. Before I left there in 1969, most of the people I knew didn't say cot/caught as soundalikes, but when I returned to Iowa a decade later it was more frequent. Twenty years after that, it seemed as if most Iowans I heard were using it. I attended a university lecture discussing the merger and, at that time (mid 1990s), the origin of the merger was thought to be in western Pennsylvania, so your growing up in Pittsburgh would make it a logical choice for you. Interestingly, to me, Iowans didn't seem to have acquired it from the eastern direction. It was probably brought back to Iowa from the west after Iowans had gone out to live for a while in California and Oregon. I can go either way with cot/caught -- merged or not merged. However, I maintain the distinction between 'don' and 'dawn', probably for the very reason Mudlady points out: it is too easy to confuse the two, particularly when they are names. I knew a young woman named Dawn who ignored anyone who called her 'Don'. But she would relent after a while and ask, "Are you talking to me? My name is Dawwwn." I have heard 'warsh' for wash, and also 'rinch', same as wrench, for rinse. The person I most associate with these pronunciations was from eastern Ohio, just a hop over the line from Pennsylvania. Woodnymph, dialect word choices are always fascinating! I probably enjoy them second only to pronunciations. Since I grew up not far from the Minnesota line, I listened to the Minnesota accent enough that it was normal, although I think the stronger Scandinavian accent was farther north of us. Also, my great-grandmother was Norwegian so I heard "Uff da!" plenty.

I'm not exactly sure how long 'Firepower' holds on to its leaves. You're in what, zone 7b? I'm guess at least for two seasons. They'll only be chartreuse when they first emerge. Then in cold of winter they turn red. When it warms the following spring they simmer down to a normal green. They 'might' just get a red tinge again if they last into the next winter, but they never turn chartreuse again.