Salvia Divinorum is one of the more intense hallucinogenic drugs out there. Many people liken it to a quicker and less spiritual version of DMT. It can be found in either the very potent "extract" form or in dried leaves. It is smoked and leads the user into a 3-7minute (on average) trip. In the lower grade trips you may see closed eye visuals and have some physical effects. Contrary to what was written above, I've never had much trouble moving around, or running, while on weaker trips. In more intense trips, the user can experience ego death, or a total loss of self, where the world is stripped away. This can be terrifying or amazingly freeing. Strong trips usually contain open eye visuals as well, although sometimes all reality can be lost track of. Why it is still legal is beyond me, aside from the fact that it didn't get publicity until recently. Once it is illegal it will most likely die out as it is more expensive and less rewarding than conventional hallucinogens such as mushrooms or lsd. In two days it will be illegal in Illinois. I believe Michigan has yet to pass legislation though. For more information involving the chemistry, dosage, laws, and other info about salvia, see my link. P.S. You can't get high off of smoking banana peels or peanut skins. There are no psychoactive chemicals in either of them. Here is a link that might be useful: Erowid - Salvia

Our house is THE hang out house for my very social son and his friends. On Friday night, my husband and I were having a quiet dinner in the kitchen when my 16 year old son boiled up from the basement--along with 7 of his pals! They ransacked the kitchen looking for a dessert. I offered them a semi-freddo (Italian frozen cream dessert) I had made for a dinner party but had not served. Their faces lighted up; they fell on it like vultures, and there was only a small morsel left! Our house has always been the magnet for my son's friends. We remodeled the basement some 4 years ago--it is very cozy, and has a big-screen TV, gas fireplace, foosball, bathroom, and refrigerator and freezer (stocked with lots of Trader Joe's foods). It's private, we put in lots of soundproofing--so the noise doesn't bother us--the furniture is comfortable, and they play music, watch movies, and play video games, and have access to my cooking. Our older daughter is away at college, so there are no other siblings around. I'm delighted that our house is the hang out, but I will admit that when schools here were closed for some 9 days (due to the snow) it became a bit much. It felt like I was living in a frat house.

Other than babysitting, when I was 12 I had my first real job. Six nights a week I went to my dentist's house and gave their 3 little boys a bath, picked up toys and folded clothes (mainly diapers). Those kids were holy terrors and I only got .50 a night. On Saturdays, the parents went out and I babysat. When I turned 15 I got a job as a soda jerk at the local teen hangout. Most fun job I ever had. We made sodas, sundaes, malts, cokes (from the syrup and fizzy stuff) and phosphates (fizzy stuff with cherry, lemon or vanilla syrup). Plus hamburgers, cheeseburgers, ham salad, egg salad, tenderloins, grilled cheese, hot dogs, chili dogs, fries and ice cream cones. The most expensive thing on the menu (as it were) was .30 for a breaded tenderloin. We got .50 an hour plus all you could eat. We had to haul big buckets of ice from the basement icemaker. All the kids hung out there so it wasn't like working really. Except at night we had to clean the place. Scrub the grill, clean out the coke bin, mop floors, etc. AND, clean the restroom. I kept that job after high school during the time I was in secretarial school until I got my first "big girl" job.

We're almost a year into a full-house renovation, which will probably end up about 90% DIY. We'd DIY-ed smaller reno projects on our previous home, plus a full refit on a 40-foot sailboat, and all those previous projects had gone quite well, so we felt competent to take this BIG project on. I have to say there have been many times we've regretted it!! To be fair, there have been a lot of unexpected major surprises, though. We thought we'd be totally done (interior + exterior) by now, but I'd say we're about halfway. I think the WORST part is that we've had absolutely no time for our daughter.Every single weekend and after-work free time has been spent working on the house, often in dirty and stressful conditions. The house has been mostly piles of parts, materials and debris all year. Poor kid!!! I have been the project manager and GC and it's been nearly a full-time job at many stages. Researching, sourcing, and ordering parts and materials takes a long time! I've also been the designer for some pretty major changes, with input from architect friends and the talented folks on GW of course! I spent months and months at a drafting board last spring trying to figure out how to add another bedroom and make a workable kitchen, living, dining area. I concur with those above who say that even when you hire subcontractors, you have to be prepared to spend time and mental energy supervising. The times I did NOT do that were the times things had to be ripped out and redone later.... so even when you spend the $$ you still need to do some of the work. I guess that's why people hire General Contractors to do that for them. I'll add a tool that's indespensible for any major project: a compressed-air nailer!! We had access to both a framing gun and a finish nailer, and MAN did they make that work go so much faster!!!!! Tools, I agree, are so important. You just can't do a good job without the right tools. Or maybe you can but it takes a lot more time and frustration! In my Christmas stocking I got a pliers set and under the tree was a screwdriver-tip kit and a new screwdriver set from DH. Romantic, huh? But now he won't worry I'm borrowing his work tools (he works at a boat yard which is GREAT for us since he has access to the whole woodshop there with awesome woodworking tools.) Books: We find that the Taunton pro series is best for really useful info. Here's the scope of our project and what we've done so far: Landscape drainage- 25% DIY, 75% subcontractor Main living space (kitchen, mudroom, dining, living) reconfigured, including moving several bearing walls): -demo: DIY, including walls, tile flooring, subfloor, plumbing & electrical -rough framing: subcontractor -sheetrock: subcontractor -plumbing: DIY, major replace entire kitchen -electrical: DIY, major, rewire 4 new rooms to code -cabinet install: DIY -appliance install: DIY -counter install: subcontractor (marble) -hardwood flooring install and finish: DIY -slate tile flooring: DIY -window/door trim: DIY (ongoing) -backsplash tile: DIY (not done yet, she says sheepishly!) -paint: DIY -woodstove install: DIY -pantry cabinetry build and install: DIY -built in bookcases buiild and install : DIY -heating/radiators install throughout: DIY Master bedroom/master bath/new office-bedroom- -demo: 50% DIY, 50% subcontractor (it was a mold issue and the insurance paid for much of this work to be done in order to eradicate the mold) -framing: subcontractor with close DIY supervision! -sheetrock: ditto above, plus we had to DIY a bit of it. -electrical: DIY -plumbing: DIY except for basic DWV layout -heating: DIY -tile: Bill Vincent!! -radiant heat floor install: DIY -window/door/finish trim: DIY -tub, toilet, vanity, etc install: DIY -paint: DIY Exterior- remove all vinyl siding and re-side with cedar shakes; paint all exposed concrete areas; install 3 new windows; build 3 porches and one deck; paths and landscaping: all DIY Phew. Now I'm really tired. Ugh- back to painting trim and installing toilets and lights today!!!