No ash, but it always smells like smoke, and visually it looks like fog in January. In some places, mostly the foothills, you can only see a couple of blocks. In Colfax they are getting smog readings almost daily above 300 (!) and I guess the air readers broke because they got so clogged. (Below 50 is good, 50 to 100 is moderate, 100 to 150 is hazardous for sensitive, and above 150 is severely hazardous for everyone) I went to Home Depot this afternoon and it was actually a little hazy INSIDE because of their open doors. Carla in Sac

* Posted by jerrod6 (My Page) on Sat, May 24, 08 at 18:23 "I wonder if it is possible to compare TL or FL made 1 or 2 years ago to the ones made today because the energy requirements are stricter. I think washers made for the 2008 market must use less water than washers made for the 2005, 2006 or 2007 market. In this process they must use less energy which has made some manufactures define a hot wash as 90F. Sorry, but any temperature below my body temperature is not hot." My F&P Aquasmart purchased a couple of weeks ago defines hot as "Incoming water from faucet". I assume you could crank up your water heater to whatever temp you wish, although I still wish it had an internal heater. Couple things I dislike: No FS dispenser. I thought this was very low rent for such an expensive washer. Even people who don't use FS may use vinegar. There is no feedback on programming. You can program in an extra rinse but there is no way I can see to look at the machine and tell if it is going to do one rinse or two. F&P recommend deep fill for sheets, whites, bulky and Easy Iron. So maybe 50-60% of the washing sees an energy (water)saving? I like that it has 1000 RPM spin... clothes dry faster. As for cleaning ability... it seems adequate. I haven't had it long enough to have any challenging tasks. If I could change anything it would be to add a fs dispenser and an internal heater to easily reach sanitizing temps.

KKNY I don't know what to make of you. Of course we don't make the skids 'spy' for us. They brought the subject of smoking up themselves, we usually don't ask about those things (BM's drinking, the smoking - while pregnant of course, and other negative trades). That is because we'd feel bad knowing that the girls would probably feel like defending their mom. So therefore we wait till they volunteer the information and then we might ask what they think about it, or how they feel. The therapist has given us really good advice on how to be supportive of them, and how to adress these kinds of issues without criticizing their mom. However we do ask the girls general questions to show an interest in their other family, which is important for them. Like about their little brother or what they were up to on the weekend? Is that allowed?? Ima already explained it very well. It's about the power of brainwashing,I guess you're not that familiar with it. Like Ima's SD saying it is raining when the sun is clearly shining (that was your post Ima, right?) Also what is the significant difference for you between Stepmom or SO? I'm FDH's SO and stepmom to the skids. They actually started calling me that without my encouragement, they think it's 'cool' and so that's fine with me. You always think that it's the SM's vs the BM's here, and I don't understand why? Surely you're not that shallow to assume all Stepmoms are on the same page and all BM's are on the other? Just because I'm Dutch doesn't mean that I'm on the same page as all other Dutch people, right?

Matti, I tried to reach out to you and Georgie. Chemocurl was working with me on the other side with new computer techniques. I even made a Halloween card that included Georgie's dog and others for Georgie using my new training.I got in trouble for posting the final result of my training but I was thrilled to have chemocurl as my friend. Very patient and I learned a lot and liked that she is so darn real and tries to be kind and encouraging. I was moving right into Georgie's backyard and she asked me where I was going to live. when I told her where I was moving to I got no answer. I understood and moved on. When georgie called out for me I told her I was on the Computer Help side. No answer and when I came back to trivia it was not the same for me. Jasdip was clear I was not wanted even though when she was having personal problems I offered her a place to run to. Georgie, never spoke to me again and jasdip missed the fact that I won 2 days in a row. Not much to analyze. For a long time the questions were repeats and too easy to google and I didn't want to be a part of people who did that. I enjoyed the smart answers to the dumb questions that were impossible to answer. Quite a mess but possibly a misunderstanding on the part of you and georgie and me. Someone suggested journaling every morning and and what I wrote back to you all it was off the page in a couple of minutes due to an onslaught of everyone writing at once. I got lost in the shuffle and was off the page before anyone could read it. I probably was not the only one whose posts were missed. A bad idea that I guess stopped. But I am on other sites like Computer Help and Decorating where one can go off the subject and talk about any thing off topic from decorating on a side channel. I will continue to come over here but I miss so many who got passed over and left. It is great to have a core group and I find Alisande and others spot on with good questions so when it comes to someone being ill or losing a spouse I am there. Like Phoggie who lost her husband. I don't see her and because she was brought to this site maybe by raven she got taken care of and was able to move on. I miss mommyme if that is the right name and wrote her when she got ignored and sue va who doesn't answer my e-mails. I remember the big build up when you join. The hellos and glad to have you but they don't last for some of us. There is a core group of wonderful people like Glenda who has always something going on. Inspirational and would love to meet her. And others who never recognize my questions or praise. But I feel the need to tell them they are clever like lazypup and his frog.It would take another 10 years to be recognized by some. Sorry, Susan that I hijacked this. It may be that I only want a few to know how I feel. But I suspect people are concerned about your health and will find this rant but may pass over to get to your new info. You have been a great help for many people I understand and taught them to journal about their life. Good stuff. It seems that so many are glad you did that. Let's see you figure this out. I am hoping for new news and good treatment. Yes, you are someone I would like to meet also. Please keep journaling your time of day and reactions. And if your BP is important stay with it because mine fluctuates so very much without a bit of caffeine in my body. Enough... Ellie