dee-dee - where are you? Is your school district planning to do the same thing? with all the snow days, we're already going to the end of June. I can see closing the school where the infected child was attending, but *all* the schools in the district, K-12? I assume you have one fully functional bath downstairs? How old are your kids? Hopefully not teenagers who spend an hour at a time in there! I am definitely a perfectionist - though when it comes to tearing walls out b/c a header is crooked, I'm learning that cutting the sheetrock so the casing lays flat is "good enough". I spent yesterday AM while DD was on field trip (I didn't have to drive) skimming some spots around my bay window so the baseboard wouldn't have a huge gap behind it. Anything under 1/4" we can caulk, but over that just really needed joint compound (with stained trim, can't hide as much with caulk and paint). My cousin is meticulous, but as he said, he knows how fussy he *can* be, whereas I know how I want things, but don't really know what's possible, or possible with a reasonable amount of effort. He did finally call. DS is sick with a high fever, but dr didn't say it was serious. They're not in the same district (though his ds and my dd attend the same preschool), so there really isn't any way he could have been exposed to anyone in our district who may have been exposed to the kid who just got back from Mexico. He doesn't have a cell phone, so couldn't call me when the landscaping ran late. I don't know why his DW couldn't call me back when she heard the message (maybe figured he'd be home soon enough, maybe figured I'm *his* cousin calling for *him* to work, so let *him* deal with me). It just drives me crazy waiting for someone who never shows and doesn't call when they're late/can't make it. He is a good carpenter and just a sweet guy, so I'll wait until he's available again, just keep finishing what I can so it's ready for him to nail up or miter. Some day, maybe 5 years from now ;-), my house will finally be finished, with floors that *stay* installed, and a bath for the kids/guests, and my soaking tub (Calgon, take me away!!). Then I can start thinking about replacing the laminate countertops and doing a tile or stone b/s ;-), maybe even repaint the ceilings LOL! Thanks for letting me vent.

So glad I didn't post anything in the other thread. :) I'm a homeowner. It's paid for and I'm grateful. Its value at this writing has probably doubled since I bought it in 1999. So has everything else, so I'm not really feeling flush, unless I sold and left this expensive area. Back in 1985 we lived in a $500 rental on one acre and we loved it. The owners decided to sell for something like $140K and offered us first crack. We didn't have a pot to piss in besides paying our monthly bills, so it was out of the question. If we'd had enough for a downpayment and could qualify for a home loan, we'd have jumped on it. If we'd had the money for the downpayment, I doubt we'd have invested it in lieu of buying a house. We just weren't that smart or able to wait while the money increased, hopefully, risk and all. I can't claim that homeownership as an investment is better than renting and investing the rest. When I was a renter, I didn't have anything left over. When my husband was alive, we weren't very good at saving money. I'm a 6 on the Enneagram. I crave security. As a renter, we received one too many letters telling us they were selling the house and we had to move. Too many landlords saying no pets. Disclaimer: How did an adult life of no extra money saved result in home ownership and no mortgage after 5 years? We bought our house for nothing down in 1999 with a G.I. loan. My husband took out a life insurance policy to cover what was owed in case something happened to him. It did. He died in 2004. In 2006 I paid off the house. Many encouraged me to invest that wad of cash. I didn't have the balls to do it. I live within my means, pay cash for everything, including home improvements, have enough liquid cash for a new roof or furnace and beyond, "loan" money to my grown daughter with no expectation of being repaid, although sometimes she surprises me, in a good way. :) I have a decent pension with good Kaiser coverage. I continue to save and invest. I don't believe in spending as much as I can before I die, which could be any day as we never know. It would give me great pleasure to know that after I'm gone something will be left for my daughter. I have friends in their early 50s who will work another 6-8 years. Both will have slightly better pension payouts than I currently enjoy. Their house is also paid for. They plan to sell the house and rent a smaller apartment in the nice senior community in our town. I think it makes good sense for them and they will be in Fat City.

Thanks everyone, I don't feel saintly! I like the alcoholic analogy...I've always told DH that he's an enabler. His brother has always been the one bailed out by someone. And he's the older brother, too! I wonder if it has something to do with my DH being a very big man...very muscular. His brother is petite, so maybe DH always thought of himself as the 'big brother'? When BIL was 18 he was caught with marijuana and their DAD took the rap for him. My FIL went to jail for 6 months for something his son did!! So that gives you an idea of BIL's mindset perhaps. It's always up to someone else to bail him out. I've told DH that he can't put his brother over me, and he swears he wouldn't. I just found out from my MIL that DH is at the end of his rope with his brother, but he feels responsible for him. My MIL is the same way...she brought over a couple of bags of groceries because DH has been griping about having to buy so much food. Both of us are perturbed by what she did, but this is her skewed way of thinking...she too is responsible for her 50 YO son. We TOLD her not to do that, but you can't tell that woman anything once shes made up her mind. There is no way BIL can go live with her; just another disfunction in this utter screwed up bunch. So I just do what I want from now on. I've stopped cooking...we had enough left overs that we could eat those for the last few nights. BIL has been making himself rather scarce lately, too. I think he's sensing that he's worn out his welcome. I printed up a chore chart...specifically things that they can do, but I haven't hung it yet. And well, if BIL doesn't like it, he can hit the road. DH and I have a 20 year history of dealing with family. His son is a whole book in itself. I'm amazed we made it through intact with that kid in our lives. But at the same token, there is my family...again, incredibly disfunctional, and the crap they put my DH thru, up until the last couple of years, has been more than anyone should have to deal with. So it's a compromise. I'm grateful for this outlet to vent. And I think maybe Buddha will be front and center for the dining table this week!

My husband was diagnosed with Celiac about 18 months ago. He has always been extremely active and healthy but went downhill for a couple of years until he was a wreck. Within 48 hours of his diagnosis the changes were amazing. I bake his "daily bread" using recipe's from the Gluten Free Goddess blog. We live at higher altitude- she used to live in New Mexico and many of her recipes work for us. One of our close friends is Celiac and casein free & Goddess recipes also work for her. If I can't bake for some reason I buy Canyon Bakehouse bread. I don't buy much that is prepared/processed but the Kinnickkinnick donuts are too yummy to resist. We especially like the cinnamon donuts with hot apple cider. I also like the Pamela's chocolate chunk cookie mix and Arrowhead Mills brownie mix. Martha Stewart's "Best Buttermilk Pancake" recipe works well for us with Gluten Free Pantry or Bob's Red Mill GF all purpose flour. This is the only recipe where I like using one of the flour mixes. I serve this to guests and they have no idea that it's gluten free. We rarely have pasta at home any more. I serve things over polenta, shaved zucchini, shaved carrots or spaghetti squash instead, and I make risotto more often. Martha Stewart also has a nice gluten free lasagna recipe using shaved zucchini. When I need to use GF pasta DH prefers DeBoles corn pastas. I received Elizabeth Barbone's Easy Gluten Free Baking book as a gift and have found that some of her recipes work beautifully and others fail completely. My kitchen is not completely GF but I do completely segregate my equipment and storage. Most of our meals are GF but I do make gluteny special occasion and holiday treats (I am the holiday hostess in our family these days), and the children and I still have granola and some other things. I was thrilled to see my husband's health return but there were times shortly after his diagnosis when I felt overwhelmed at learning how to bake without gluten, especially at higher altitude. if you are just starting out, don't get discouraged, you will probably have to kiss some frogs on your way to your prince charming recipes. Keep notes and keep your sense of humor! I am linking to the Gluten Free Goddess Blog's tips for success section- lots of good information there. I make her Delicious Gluten Free Bread and Gluten Free Multi Grain sandwich bread every week. I use white wine vinegar rather than apple cider vinegar. Here is a link that might be useful: Gluten Free Goddess Tips