Dena, I remember when my DH was laid off. Even though he hated the job he was laid off from, it was very difficult for both of us, anyway. I hope your DH ends up with a better job, and things go well for you. I'll keep you both in my thoughts and prayers. BTW, my DH found a job he liked much better, but paid a fraction of what he was making before. In the end, the happiness in the job is much more important than the money. I forgot about Libby being in the hospital with Hurley. I'm sure this is all leading up to a big season finale cliffhanger, but what can they do to top what they've done so far? I didn't pay any attention to that clue thing. It's a gimmick for the local news station and their sweeps. I don't watch that channel much any more for news since they've gotten a lot more trashy than they used to, and I like Kristine Kahanek's (sp?) weather reports the best. Sally

I didn't watch it but did get to see all of Mt. McKinley from our hotel room. When we got there it was enclosed in clouds but the hotel said they would call us when it was visible. They called when I was taking a shower and DH didn't tell me......however the next morning it was visible in all its glory. I was able to get some great pictures. Glenda, you will have to go back again.

It's after 12:30 here and Claude and I are up waiting. We have some clouds, but I just went and checked and the moon is big and bright and clear. It should at least be visible off and on. The eclipse starts here just past 1:30, and that's when I'm waking Sophie and Benjamin up (Oliver wouldn't be impressed!) The plan is to put on warm clothes and go out periodically over the course of an hour or so. In between, we'll warm up with hot chocolate and cookies inside. Then, hopefully, they'll get back to sleep relatively quickly. I'll pay for the lack of sleep tomorrow, but it'll be worth it. I think it's something neat that the kids will remember!

A related item i found yesterday: If any of you recognize the name William Safire, you'll remember him as a self-educated expert in the English language, words and word usage. For many years he had a column On Language in the NY Times. One position he held (that I won't necessarily forgive him for) was as a speech writer during the Nixon administration. Among his many accomplishments, he created the memorable phrase "nattering nabobs of negativism" that Agnew used to attack critics. Not an honorable task but a great phrase all the same. Back to the moon, Safire wrote a brief statement for Nixon to read to the press IN THE EVENT he needed to announce that the lunar lander was stranded and unable to return its two astronauts to Earth. Here's an article about it from the Washington Post and a copy of the speech. For me, the first sentence is an unbelievable creation of a genius, simple and very moving. The rest is pretty special too. I hope you like it. Safire's speech for Nixon, just in case needed.