It turns out that I'm wrong about Patrick McManus writing that story. I searched around the Internet a bit and found out that no one seems to know who wrote the story. I did find this addendum. Now for the local legend. I was pretty beat up. My scalp was split open, I had several large goose eggs, my wrist was bleeding pretty good and felt broken (it turned out to be just badly bruised) and my back was bleeding in a few places, though my insulated canvas jacket had protected me from most of the worst of it. I drove to the nearest place, which was the Co-Op. I got out of the truck, covered in blood and dust and looking like hell. The guy who ran the place saw me through the window and came running out yelling, "What happened?" I have never seen any law in the state of Kansas that would prohibit an individual from roping a deer. I suspect that this is an area that they have overlooked entirely. Knowing, as I do, the lengths to which law enforcement personnel will go to exercise their power, I was concerned that they may find a way to twist the existing laws to paint my actions as criminal. I swear... not wanting to admit that I had done something monumentally stupid played no part in my response. I told him "I was attacked by a deer". I did not mention that at the time I had a rope on it. The evidence was all over my body. Deer prints on the back of my jacket where it had stomped all over me and a large deer print on my face where it had struck me there. I asked him to call somebody to come get me. I didn't think I could make it home on my own. He did. Later that afternoon, a game warden showed up at my house and wanted to know about the deer attack. Surprisingly, deer attacks are a rare thing and wildlife and parks was interested in the event. I tried to describe the attack as completely and accurately as I could. I was filling the grain hopper and this deer came out of nowhere and just started kicking the hell out of me and BIT me. It was obviously rabid or insane or something. EVERYBODY for miles around knows about the deer attack (the guy at the Co-Op has a big mouth). For several weeks people dragged their kids in the house when they saw deer around and the local ranchers carried rifles when they filled their feeders. I have told several people the story, but NEVER anybody around here. I have to see these people every day and as an outsider a "city folk". I have enough trouble fitting in without them snickering behind my back and whispering, "There is the dumbass that tried to rope the deer!" TM

The load I washed last night with the new Miele tabs came out great. I had pots, a lasagna pan, dishes, plastic Oxo mixing bowls, glasses, serving utensils, measuring cups, spoon rests and lots of utensils. Everything looks clean, shiny and it feels silky. To be 100% honest though, the load washed with the Miele tabs did not look, feel or smell any better than the load washed with the Cascade All in 1 packs! I like the Miele tabs, and since I have 72!!! of them, I will of course use every one of them. But, when it comes time to buy more dishwasher detergent...I will have to decide between Miele and Cascade! Again, THANKS to Mieleguy2832...I think the most noticeable change in the cleanliness of my dishes and machines is the addition of the 2nd Rinse and Water Plus. I think both these setting were part of my La Perla I, that I used from 2001-2011 (I had 2 La Perla I units in two houses). The La Perla II (2832) is now operating like the La Perla I...flawless and clean dishes!!! Btw, Miele is coming out on Friday 3/5/11 to check the door. The noise gets better, goes away...and then without warning, comes back with a vengeance! I just want to make sure nothing is internally getting damaged...and I hate the noise it makes..it makes the machine sound so ghetto and cheap :)!

Two steps backwards, one step forward. While dealing with the impending death of my own pc's hard drive, I had plenty of time to work on her computer. I opened the case. Cleaned out the dust bunnies much more thoroughly than I had in October. I found the fan - and actually took it out and cleaned it thoroughly (mostly compressed air, and a little damp cloth). I did remove the label and add a drop of WD 40. (While I was at it, I searched for replacement fans in case this didn't work - and bookmarked some - it would be so simple to replace if needed.) Put the pieces back together and started it up. Still noisy. I started organizing her files, deleting duplicates and ridiculous things she didn't even know she had on there. I put everything in logical folders - then copied her 16GB of video (Ipod videos and flip share) onto a 32mb flash drive. Deleted 8gb of that video bc. it's also on her ipod. Then I ran auslogics defrag. Defrag was 100% successful - and she now has about 15GB free on a 40GB drive. Now the noise is less. I hear the fan a little - but you have to stop to listen. Not sure if it just took running a little for the oil to do it's thing. From what folks said earlier, it's unlikely that freeing up space and defragging reduced the noise. So far, so good. (I even think I could have turned it on with the case open - but i didn't have to.) Thanks. Lynn.

Thanks for all your hard work Karen! Can't wait to read it in its entirety. Jodi-