Never buy glasses at Lenscrafters. I have several long stories and not enough time to tell them, so just trust me, don't buy glasses at Lenscrafters. You know where my favorite place is to buy glasses ... shhh don't tell anyone, Walmart. I don't shop at Walmart. The only thing I buy at Walmart is eyeglasses. Val, we are going to need to buy almost all new kitchen appliances. I have a fridge picked out and a dishwasher picked out, but I haven't picked out a stove top or oven yet. Thanks for the heads up on the stove... You may be able to take those rusty grates to a machine shop, have them sand blasted and re-coated. I will ask my hubs where you should take them (he is in charge of metal repair...).

Houston had a really bad drought last year. Several million trees died, primarily pines and magnolias, but a lot of oaks, too. About 6 pines on my block are dead (that's 100% of the pines on my block). A lot of houses that lost trees are rent houses, and believe me, most renters don't give a fig about the landscaping. I told the renter next door to me that he needed to water or the trees would die and he blew me off. Now there are 2 dead pines in his yard, and supposedly he's buying the house, but doesn't have enough money to get the dead trees cut down. I hope they don't fall anytime soon. It takes a LOT of water to keep a pine alive, since they have a really deep tap root. Also, people on limited incomes (like me) can't afford a huge water bill. I was saving water from my a/c just to keep my roses and other plants alive. These trees weren't just in peoples' yards, but were on city rights-of-way, city parks, and large natural parks that don't have any water unless it rains. The 200 acre arboretum, which is mostly forest, has thousands of dead trees and looks terrible now. Plus, we had water restrictions. And the city quit watering trees on their property to conserve water. Plus, water lines broke all over the city because concrete and asphalt buckled, and a lot of water was lost that way, too. Crews had to come from other cities to help repair the leaks. It isn't as easy as just dragging the water hose around.

Not exactly your question, but I'm amazed at how many people don't know this... If you are going to pay with a Visa or Mastercard (not sure if Costco accepts those), call ahead and find out what their warranty program is. Most of my cards will automatically double the manufacturer's warranty as long as I keep the charge receipt. Some cards require you to put the item on file with them when you purchase it. Just thought I'd pass it along....

dedtired, Hints for seasickness... 1.) Look off the stern instead of the bow; 2.) Fix your eyes on the horizon instead of looking a few feet ahead of the boat (you'll be out of sight of land); 3.) Sip on cold Diet 7-Up; 4.) Many people do fine underway; but when drifting they start feeling queasy. Whale watch boats stop frequently for whale sightings. While drifting, stand at the gunnel stanchions & hold on to a rail if it's rough rather than sitting down...much better. Actually, more people get seasick in calm water than in rough seas (within limits, of course!) When there's good wave action your body gets into a rhythem. In calm seas, there's just a slight up/down, up/down that gets to some people. Beam seas are the worst! That side-to-side motion can do in even the saltiest of seamen! Since I've been a boater, I can't imagine WHY people stick babies in cradles! Inhumane punishment, IMO! Also, if you're focused on looking for the blow spouts of whales your body won't notice the rolling sensation nearly as much. We need Lori. She's more local to Newport...I'm about an hour away. But here's a place to start...a fun lunch spot in Newport is the Red Parrot. Allow about an hour just to read the menu & make your selection. It's also a great place to people watch. And go hungry! Parking is tricky. Don't be a hero & try to find a parking spot on one of the side streets...it's mostly "Residents Only". Just pay your $15 & chock it up to a good day in Newport. You can also rent the most adorable two-seater scooters in Newport. The shopping is one of two things...either touristy or very expensive boutiques, gallery quality art, designer jewelry, home decor, etc. There are also some great bookstores. History lesson on Newport: Did you know that most of early Newport was built with slave labor? Most people don't realize the extent Newport relied on slaves. The wonderful granite cobblestone roads, the houses, the ships...all slave labor. By 1770, the entire workforce was slaves mostly from Ghana. They came as children & were different than the southern plantation slaves. In Newport, most slaves lived in the same house as their owners often slept in the same bedroom as the owner's kids. They were taught skills & became highly trained. By 1830, most Newporters had freed their slaves. They went on to found businesses, become councilmen, teachers, policeman, fireman, & held high offices. But they came to America as slaves. End of history lesson. Follow the signs for Ocean Drive/Mansions & go to Brenton Park. It's right on Ocean Drive. On weekends, it's a popular place to fly those huge kites in different shapes. The water is right across from the parking (free). Actually, you could just sit in your car & stare at Newport Channel for hours watching the boats. You'll see many huge international & corporate yachts. The rocks at Brenton Park are also a popular dive spot. Look for small boats with a red flag floating in the water near the boat. The red flag means, "Diver Down". When's your trip? /tricia Here is a link that might be useful: The Red Parrot