Yes I'm here - I've just been busy this past week or so. Had a lot of problem with cookies (computer) to get on line, then got very distracted by co-hosting a shower for a niece that is getting married. And all the snow has kept me busy - we have had 5 snow emergencies already and winter just started today. My life has has become: shovel, work, shovel, cross country ski, shovel, work, snow shoe! Too much black ice this winter to keep running so I took up two new activities. I mentioned at the shower to my nieces that I had purchased snow shoes at Costco and was having a blast. The 8 of them looked at me like I had gone mad! Ann - those are two really great sources for Minnesota Wild Rice. Gibbs sells cultivated (paddy grown) - which I don't think is organic. But Moose Lake has an excellent hand harvested product. In fact, I buy from Charlie Worrath of Moose Lake in the years my family's crop is not so abundent. And Charlie shipped some to me this year for my friend Karen from Texas. Karen grew up here and comes home for the holidays. I have her rice shipped to me and then give it to her when we meet for a drink. Karen and her husband drive back to Texas with a car full of Minnesota beers, wild rice, hazelnuts and who knows what else. Nothing wrong with Gibb's rice though. I have a couple pounds in my cupboard. I picked it up at the Farmer's Market - 2 pounds/$6. The vendor was throwing in the towel for the year and having a clearance. If I am going to have wild rice soup on a buffet - I actually prefer the paddy grown rice. It seems to hold up better over long periods of time. There are many areas of the country that don't have the rice readily available however. Rusty has never seen it while shopping nor has trixietx. And I believe Beverly also said it was not availble in her area. And who else in Florida said they don't travel much so they don't get wild rice anymore..... was it mustangs? I think we all have foods that are regional to our area. Paw paws!!! They have a short shelf life and can't be shipped. Anyone see those in your farmer's markets? My mother had them as a kid and always talks about them. Up North Teresa

For the latter sort where you pick up to discover you're on hold, I deal with them efficiently. When their person comes onto the line 3-10 seconds later, I just tell them that if they don't have the courtesy to be on the line when I answer the phone, they cannot expect me to have the courtesy to listen to them now that they are ready. I used to work in a call centre so I am generally pretty easy going when it comes to telesurveyors. Telemarketers, on the other hand, get short shift from me. Especially when the call centre is automated. I try to bear in mind that there's some poor bugger on the other end of the phone just trying to earn money like I was, possibly paying their way through Uni or some other "higher goal" sort of scenario but when I pick up the phone and find myself in a holding pattern with a machine, I cannot be bothered with niceties.

Elmer, I think the relation between the aisle walkways and parking space size relates to land availability. Where land is cheap and abundant, parking lots can afford to be generously sized, including the driving lanes and individual parking spaces. Where land is expensive, parking lots need to squeeze in as many spaces as possible. So seeing a walkway is a clue -- but not a guarantee, of course -- that the rest of the parking lot will be nicely sized. That's how I took it. Elizabeth, I agree walkways are nice. But I think the safest thing for small children is to have an attentive adult with them, teaching them how to walk safely, no matter where they walk.

Here is a list I compiled of blooming plants that do well for me in the heat of summer. Bear in mind........these might not do well for everyone, but they work for me. I would think they would do well in any hot climate. My clematis have always done just fine with extra mulch/composted horse mature put on the base of the crown - same as I do for my roses. When I first started growing them, I put the proverbial stone over the roots to keep them shaded. When I realized it didnt make any difference, I just used the mulch. I just bought 3 more at Tractor Supply this afternoon. [Nelly Moser, Jackmanii and Rouge Cardinal]......needed some special feed for one of my older horses - came out with that, 3 clematis and 3 roses - Tiffany, that I had been wanting, 2 Sally Holmes, 1 for a friend. Same with Walmart - found 3 Lavender Crush I had to have........good thing every store I go into doesnt have roses! Hope this list helps! SUMMER PLANT LIST: periwinkles [Pacifica red is great] angelonia – dark purple and white show up best purselane/portulaca [does well in pots] – edging in hot sun hibiscus [tropical] – in pots or planted in ground lantana – New Gold is not as invasive mandavilla – climbing vine, loves hot sun plumbago canna Sun Coleus profusion zinnas [like white & yellow gomphrena [combo: orange marigolds or profusion zinnias w/ purple gomphrena] Fireworks is lovely – tall and spreads zinnas from seed [spray for mildew] salvia – perennial greggii [put in drifts or rows] - Blue farnicia esperanza Gold Bells - sun cant get hot enough for this one, blooms constantly blue daze Lady In Red salvia [overwintered well in pot in greenhouse in 2011- Celosia cristata – cockscomb celosia – loves heat Mexican Honeysuckle – justinicia Mexican heather Mexican Cosmos [tithonia] – hard to find, was at ARE Jerusalem sage potato vine [use new bronze color with fall blooming plants] grasses: purple fountain grass ,asparagus fern, ornamental peppers