Hi Cindy! Upstate SC here (born and raised)living slap-dab-in-the-middle between Easley and Clemson. I suppose if we're too vocal, Jeff will be calling on us to help with one of those swaps I hear he likes to organize/host from time-to-time. ;) Brenda, I love so many things about our state (couldn't say it any better than Gurley). I live in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains and have several sweeping views along my drive home no matter which direction I travel (couldn't describe it better than John). There is just something that calls me when I'm away and my heart answers whenever I see those beautiful mountains and I start passing home-folks "throwing up a hand" at me...home!! If you smile and strike up a conversation with 95% of our population, you'll gain a friend before its end and we take great pride in showing off our best "Southern Hospitality" to our friends.

I want to clarify what happened. My husband and SD's mom had agreed on a joint party. He told her to go ahead and book it. She called back and told him the price $300 for the package she wanted. She told us how many kids & how much time that included. I then went to the bowling alley's website and saw the package that she told us she was getting was $180. Then she admitted it was 180 and they agreed to split it 100/80. After that, she wanted to add a banner for $20 and when he agreed to that, she called back and wanted to add another lane for $60. that he didn't think was needed. She then told him that she was only paying for $80 and he had to pay the rest. That's when he said enough. She was already pissed that she didn't get away with getting him to hand over $300 cash because in the past, he let her make the arrangements and trusted that she was being fair and just gave her however much money she requested. They had a huge fight on her birthday (because Mom had gone into his job to demand money for a costume that had nothing to do with the party & she said she was only paying for HER guests) Her actual birthday party was a couple of days later and we all attended and were civil to each other. In the end, we split the cost of the party there at the bowling alley. She tried to get us to pay the whole thing on our credit card and she offered to "write us a check" for her half. We didn't go for that. (and for anyone that thinks I didn't want to pay for my step daughter's anything, that's very wrong. I buy her school clothes, counseling, girl scouts, doctor & medicine, school lunches, etc. We don't get a penny of support from her mom who hasn't held a steady job in 12 years and lives on the child/spousal support her first victim pays) Just from her history, he broke up with her after she took his credit card from his wallet and charged $2000 in Mary Kay products without his permission. They were never married and she told him she was on birth control, but as soon as she got pregnant, she was telling his family that they were getting married (he never asked her). In her first marriage's divorce papers, her first husband said the same thing, she told him she was on birth control but still ended up pregnant... only he married her & divorced her a year later.

I love this show...this is from Variety (you might have to skip the ad if you read the link) "Additionally, [casting director] Strack points out that dire poverty is not a prerequisite for being cast. "That's a huge misconception," Strack continues. "We have to be conscious of what we're doing. We can't give someone a big house knowing full well they can't afford to keep it." Home-makeover recipient Brian Wofford of Encinitas, Calif., credits the show's producers with "drumming it" into his head that "with a bigger home comes bigger upkeep." To ensure that he could afford a big, new house for himself and his eight children, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" conducted a thorough check into his financial background, according to Wofford. Someone's financial history is only one part of an extensive background check. The show investigates every aspect of a potential subject's life. Strack contends that the background check "is the same as if you were applying for a job at the FBI." Veronica Ginyard, a resident of Capitol Heights, Md., whose family was the subject of an episode, says she had to provide court records to back up her contention that she was the victim of domestic violence at the hands of her ex-husband. "You have to prove your story," Ginyard says, "and I don't blame them one minute for that. Once vetted, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" pitches a family to ABC executives who make the final decision. A family doesn't actually find out whether it has made the cut until the day host Ty Pennington and his crew arrives at their house." Here is a link that might be useful: Variety

Yes, I live in sunny So Cal~~~I live inland about 35 miles from Disney and my DD lives about 30 miles from there on the coast so we meet there. It is the most fun when it is not too crowded but you can never tell~~~we have been going since the baby was about 9 months, now that I am retired I can go monthly. We always eat breakfast there, we only stay about 4 hours and have only gone once in the evening. You all will have alot of fun no matter when you go it is so pretty now.