Jerzee, I really thought about what you posted. I asked myself if I honestly was just jealous of her success. I don't think I'm jealous of her success per se, but rather her success made me question my own abilities. She's a top producer at our office, and I'm lucky to have her as a partner; she's helped me immensely and throws lots of leads and deals my way. I just got home after that day and found myself thinking, "What is WRONG with me?" Like PaigeCT, I was thinking "I *should have* done this-or-that. A "proficient" individual would have done fill_in_the_blank..." I believe that's the root of the whole thing. Her success juxtaposed with my horribly bad open house made me question my own abilities, and made me think that I'd made a mistake, I'd never get it right, I'd screwed everything up, etc. While I know those aren't rational, that's where I was. (Poor DH, when I got home and he asked me how it went, I screamed at him, burst into tears and ran back to the bedroom, leaving him standing there with a cookie crumb dangling from his lips and a bewildered and hurt look on his face.) Fact is, when I'm up, I'm pretty much unstoppable. I don't care what the *facts* are, I can get stuff done. But when my confidence is shaken and I don't believe in myself, the world becomes a very scary place! I just need to chalk that day up for what it was; a learning experience. I need to put on my *big girl pants* and go find someone else to help! (Can you tell I'm beginning to become annoyed with myself? I don't have too much tolerance for being down....) Paige, THANK YOU for sharing your own experience. I really emphasizes "That's how life is", and it wasn't just me!! And Susanfnp, I have to say that I've never thought of my "act now---question later" attributes as being GOOD things. I've always considered my impetuous behaviors to be a bad thing, and so I consequently feel guilty about 99% of the time. You really made me realize that I need to have a different perspective! Almost EVERYTHING I do is done without hesitation, and I honestly never looked at that as being a good quality. Just last week, I got the wild hair to remodel a small powder room. One minute I was telling DH that we needed to pick out tile, and then next minute I had the crowbar in my hand removing the old stuff. I felt TOTALLY guilty for 3 days, as I felt like I was "putting everyone out" and not being a good wife, mother, broker, etc. But you know what? That powder room is finished. In 3 days. Why didn't I see that as a good thing before? Wow. What a catharsis. Nothing like seeing your own mess scrawled in black and white on the WWW for a little introspection!! Honestly, thank you. I really do have a different (and much healthier) perspective. And Pecan, I would NEVER turn down your pound cake. It's to die for!

Awful. Avoidable. Sorry for your community's loss. Hopefully this brings awareness to drivers. Our city is in the midst of connecting/ building a 100 mile greenway loop for bicyclists (some of which will be bike lanes inshared roadways) as well as a 75+ mile trail connecting mt. biking and cyclocross trails. Trust me these can not come soon enough! Most drivers in this city do not respect cyclists or give us the necessary space. I have had numerous close calls. While we were dating, My husband was involved in a collision where someone sideswiped him and left him for dead! Thankfully he only broke his collarbone and cracked two ribs and had bruises etc. But the jerk driver didn't stop and just kept going. He/she was never caught. I often wonder if they even tried to follow up to see if they killed a person that day! In my hometown the former miss america of 2000 or some year give or take a two who married the lt. Governor actually killed a cyclist. Her interviews after the fact horrified me. The guilt she lives with daily... I cant imagine. The incident enraged the cycling community as many thought the police report was written with an anti cyclist bias and "celebrity" leniency. Still the cyclist had some blame as she wasn't wearing a helmet... We need to all be more aware. I love the "icky" reminder!

Pesky, I didn't see your post earlier, but want to express my sympathy on this sad situation. I don't know if this might work in your case, but something I did when my dad needed help was to write letters to all of his doctors giving specific examples of his condition and the situation with my mother, who had lied to the doctors. They couldn't discuss his case with me, but I know the letters were read and most acted on them. We managed to get a geriatric specialist nurse and her assistant into my parent's condo, under the pretense of being worried about my mother's stress, and they confirmed the reported neglect and elder abuse. That led to my dad being placed in a very nice secure care facility for Alzheimer's patients. Your brother's case is clearly different, but perhaps you might be able to persuade his doctor(s) that he poses a danger to himself and others unless he gets appropriate treatment. FWIW, I'm a firm believer in gun ownership rights, and have a concealed carry permit. In this case, however, it might be a good idea to write a letter to the local law enforcement about your brother's illness, the threats he has made and your concern about weapons in the home. They might at least run a check to see if the guns were all obtained with appropriate permits or maybe some LEO would encourage your SIL to remove the weapons from the home, giving her the courage to follow through on your advice. Best of luck to you all.

Oh Melissa, I know all too well what you're feeling. In fact...my husband and I just had our final meeting with our lawyer today. We "trusted" someone we "thought" we knew. Come to find out he scammed people all around our town and he's doing the same now in South Carolina. Thank goodness he had insurance so we were able to recoup some of our money, but it has been a nightmare for over a year and a half. Ours was a whole house remodel, so we have been living with my father 30 minutes from our home town since Nov. 2009. I have 3 young children who have lived in a "cocoon" since then. They don't deserve this!!! It's amazing the emotions you go through. You feel so stupid for allowing someone to take advantage of you and your family. You wonder how the "man" can sleep at night. You've never wanted to physically harm someone in your life, but it would bring you joy to see him suffer. I can tell you from experience, you will make it through this, and you will be alright. If there is any legal action you can take, do it now. Contact a good lawyer and tell him your situation. You will be in my thoughts. Lori