Oh, I am so sorry, you have my sympathy. It must have been the week for water damage. After a summer of 100 plus degree temps and no rain, Monday night a wind storm took off the roof of our office building, and then the rain came. Tuesday on my way to a dr appt I get a call that the office has been flooded. This is our second floor in a month, mind you. The property restoration people showed up not long after I got there, with their fans and dehumidifers. It looked like a mess, but that we would survive. It rained Tuesday night. Office flooded again. More carpet sucking, then carpet removal, more dehumidifiers and fans, Thursday it rained again, TWICE. By now it was way past funny and on the threshold of disaster. Fortunately the computers and files were fine, just everything else was soggy and/or destroyed. Clients of ours gave us some temp space until they can rehab our entire office. It rained again last night, I ran up to check today. They had supposedly temporarily fixed the leak, but I didn't trust it, but lo and behold, the floor was dry and a massive blower with super hot air was blowing through the office. Monday we have to tackle inventorying what was destroyed and trying to decide how to store what didn't die.

Rhody, not sure if I'm supposed to take that as sarcasm? The Mid-Atlantic is on the East Coast. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_states (OT historical note, it's interesting that as far back as 1883 there was a map defining "middle Atlantic" in the contemporary way that we do, including Virginia. I sometimes meet people who insist the term only applies to states north of the Mason Dixon line. Although I would not dispute MD & VA being "southern" states...along the strict nothern/southern dichotomy, they have and always have had a cultural distinctiveness from the rest of the south. As for Maryland, could any other southern state have been forced to join the Union? The reasons were greater than the physical proximity to a federal city. And look at what happened to Virginia: home of the capital of the confederacy, yet split into two by the War!) Anyhow, I think it does have to do with the cloudiness of this spring time. Most of my plants are in morning sun, but there hasn't been any sun in the mornings! The plants that are blooming "out of order" are ones that get late afternoon sun, when the sun has been out.

Thank you for the Psychology Today suggestion. I was able to find a sex therapist in my area that is also on my health plan, who is certified and she has 20 years of experience. I am going to call her in the morning before work. It doesn't say that she is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist but does say she treats couples with relationship issues, so I might be able to see her for both issues. On the V issue, I am currently looking for a new doctor. It took me over 10 doctors and 7 years to get a diagnosis. But, my current doctor, who did make the diagnosis, has tried all that she can think of and wants to do surgery. My research shows there are other things still to try, such as estrogen cream, even though I am young. She won't prescribe it due to my age, even though very little is absorbed into the system. I may have to go out of state (it would be worth the travel costs). You had asked how I handle critism. Well, that is my achilles heal for sure. I can handle it pretty well when it comes from a supervisor, but when it comes from my husband or close family member it feels as if I have been stabbed. Of course, it matters how its delivered. If its a "Hey, I was doing xyz until I tried this and it was sooo much easier" I take it different than "why are you doing it that way" "Does it make sense to you to do it like that". or if they suck at it and are giving me advice (like my sister offering to help me clean and organize my house, or telling me something is wrong with my house (like a crack in the drywall) or DH offering bill paying advice when he overdraws his account every other month) And sometimes I think to myself, does it really matter? So what, I am doing something different than you would do. Whatever it is...as long as it isn't endangering someone or something does it really matter? Such as loading the dishwasher or something trivial. I do feel like he puts me down for my family. I know they are crazy and dysfunctional. But, I feel like he thinks he is better than everyone and everything sometimes. For example, even though he would deny it, he projects that he is superior because he doesn't believe in a god. Well most of the world does, and it annoys me that he projects that in front of family (mine and his) and will make comments to me that its all silly. Of course he doesn't come right out and say to them " I'm an athiest". But, he gets that smirk on his face whenever they talk about anything religous or having to do with god. It comes accross to me, that he thinks because his family has clean houses and they do not yell and scream that they have no issues. Really, they have issues, they just pretend they do not exist. For example, his older sister will not go to his aunts for XMAS dinner, and yet no one even mentions it when she is not there. (Its because she is a lesbian and brings her partner and they don't like her - according to my husband). Yet, if I miss a holiday or event with them, DH acts as if its the end of the world. I'm rambling a bit, I know. Or the fact that his mom lost it once and insisted he take a drug test. It was freaky. There are other things too...but that isn't really the point. And he thinks that if I see my mom he should go. ANd if he is eating lunch with his mom I should go. Sometimes I just want to do my own thing with my mom or sister. That we should never really visit family without the other spouse. I really don't get that. His family is tolerable and some are even very nice, but they are not my family, and my family drives him crazy, so why do we need to always feel as if the other person needs to attend family functions? Just because we are married? Is that what most people do? Most of the relatives are within an hour and live in the same town. Usually, we both go to each others relatives, but I have tried to do the , Ill go to yours for an hour or so and then over to mine for the rest of the day. But that makes him so mad. I invited him to go to my sisters to see my nephews who adore him. They love him and ask about him atleast weekly. Its far enough away that we have to fly. He had a work trip so he arrived there the day after me and left the day before me. He was there for less than 48 hours. To be honest, I was pretty annoyed that he was annoyed that I left him alone for 3 or so hours on Sat, with the boys and BIL. Me sitting next to him would not have made my sister's house clean or the kids better behaved or BIL less annoying. In fact, it would have probably ensured we got on each others nerves. I think he thinks when he is there we purposely do nothing and just sit around. Well, that is my sisters life. Work, make dinner, bathe the kids, go to bed, do it all over again. They are pretty young kids so taking them out is a chore at this point. So, I told him yesterday he does not ever have to go again, but that we would need to give some explanation. Me saying he has to work, isn't going to cut it forever. The 5 yo thinks my husband is coming to his b-day party in March. He will be so sad to know he is not coming. Of course, I plan to lie and say he is working. What do I say to my sister? "My DH doesn't like your DH, your messy house or how you are never happy with your food, and he hates you don't have a spare room and can't deal for 48 hours." I don't think that will make anything better.

Zinsser makes a great primer. The others are right though, it won't go on evenly like your final coat. You're doing fine. :) I painted a wood desk last summer and when I finished with the primer, I thought the same thing, "oh, what a mess I've made." But then I put on the first finish coat (a black high gloss paint), all of my doubts went away. You may need to put on two coats of your regular paint though since you're covering the wood and primer. I would put one coat on and then see if you even need to fill those corners. A little spackle will work - no mixing needed. When you first apply it it will be pink and then it dries to white. Then you can lightly sand it and paint on your final coat. Also, as others mentioned..use a really good regular paint brush. It will have finer bristles and give you a nice, smooth application. The inexpensive brushes have courser bristles. Believe me, the brush does make a difference. Bottom line is... you're doing great! :)