Making a light stand is worth it. Overdriving the lights is not worth it if what you are using them for is tomato seedlings. I have done that. I have two banks of six fluorescent tubes each and all of them are overdriven. Before, I could raise seedlings from the day I put in the seeds until they were ready and almost too big to plant out in five weeks. Now, I can raise seedlings from the day I put in the seeds until they are ready and almost too big to plant out in five weeks. So, no gain there if it is for tomato seedlings. The better move and more useful is to ensure there is enough light by strapping several shoplights together. As you can tell, three shoplights together is six tubes. Also, I use Philips T8 tubes. They are TL 865 Plus, which is a 6500 degree Kelvin color temperature, almost equivalent to sunlight. They were expensive at the time I got them because they were a new product and not widely available. I believe now you can get them at places like Home Despot for a better price. That part is worth it and the significant part is the 865 designation which gives you the size and color temp. Other numbers are longer life or less mercury, etc. etc. If you can find them, that's OK too.

I'm also a two king pillows with cases and two king pillows with shams user. Everything is white cotton or white matelasse, with a solid yellow quilt folded across the bottom. Our walls are yellow and the bed is against the wall. We have no headboard or footboard. Kitty cat sleeps on the yellow quilt every night. I also relate to your disappointment! I literally cried when my bed was delivered and set up, and called my sister on the phone I was so beside myself! I thought it looked so big and awkward and awful. I concluded I'd made one big honkin' mistake, and couldn't imagine *how* I could make such a thing actually look attractive. A little over six years later now, and I regard our king-sized bed as one of the best purchases we've ever made! Within a few months of living with it and adjusting my eye to it, I loved it, both in terms of how it looked in the room and how it functioned as a wonderful, dreamy place to sleep! I hope you find yourself with a transformed perspective too, Sonicmom.

The boy has been living with his grandmother for half his life, and all his 'memory life'. That is his home, his mother, his life, his stability, his comfort. Dad bought a house 8 months ago and there's not enough room for his son. But there's enough room for you? The fact is, and you need to look at it in the eye--he doesn't want to take care of his son. It says a lot about him. I'll let you think about what it means. So then there's you, and you pressure your boyfriend to do what he ought--step up to the parenting plate. Your boyfriend has made it very clear he doesn't want to, so he pushes the burden back onto you and pressures you to step up to the parenting plate. The truth is neither of you want to do the job (and I don't blame you if you don't want the job, it's a big responsibility and a lot of trouble--particularly when your partner isn't going to do his part). However, both of you are quick to criticize grandma and how she raises him. How many children have you raised? How many ADD children have you raised? A supreme court justice once said, "I used to have 9 theories about how to raise children; and no children. Now I have 9 children and no theories." You've invested very little into this relationship. Only a year, you are independent, you have your own house, you aren't hungering for a wedding and a family. Already you are pressuring him, he's pressuring you, things seem to be falling apart, you have the inkling that the engagement was 'premature'. Stop and think. And be honest. Nobody but grandma has stepped up to raise this child, not his mother, father or you. And you should not; because if things do fall apart and this child gets to depend on you and you leave, you will have done a terrible thing. His grandmother is doing fine, no matter what you think. She's his home, his center, his world, all he knows best. Don't meddle because you think things 'should' be different. If you really think things should be different, you need to find a different situation that fits your definition of should. That's the only way you will be happy. You cannot force a square peg into a round hole. If your boyfriend does not feel paternal, he does not feel paternal. Deal with the reality. It is what it is. You cannot pressure him into feeling what he doesn't feel. Any more than he can pressure you into feeling something you don't feel. And why is he pressuring you so marry so quickly, to move in, elope, whatever. Is it to get you off his back about his parenting? Or is there more. I say do nothing until you think this through more. He's not 24, he's 30. And he's immature. And he's not good parent material. And he's coming with baggage. A little boy with problems that are only going to get larger as he understands his situation better (where's mom? why don't I live with dad? is grandma going to die?). No you are not being selfish, you are being wise.

hi, well I know I can do it but can I tell you how to do it ??lol that is the hard part. well i,m not sure about attaching to the desk because i can,t see the desk?? but to the wall next to the desk is an easy one. do you know what "conduit clip" or conduit strap is that is the little c shaped clip you see metal electric pipe attached to walls with , they attach with 2 screws, and come in all sizes and are at most 25cents a pc. if you don,t know what one is go to the hardware store and ask them ?? and take 2 and place at last 6 ,8 in of flex shaft and find the stud in wall and attach vertically then bend shaft around to light area. if the shaft is a little smaller than the clip (1/2in)use a pc of rubber, paper , cut up pop can ???cardboard , to fill the gap before attaching . if the desk can be screwed into this would attach it at the back on the side and you would not even see the clamps , but also look around the junk stores alot of this little stuff ends up in their misc. bins. Rick