Don, Thanks for the link! Loved the seagulls with waves crashing. I have similar thoughts of here's your sign! when I go to lunch with friends who seem a little miffed over amulance sirens going off (and they too work in a hospital???!)... it's now a running a joke that I say, "Funny how that works when you're in the middle of four hospitals!". I love to hear the life flight helicopter as I know lives are being saved. I hope it. This past week on our way to St. Louis, LF and I had the top down on the Miata and I remembered that truckers used to honk at me all the time. I know, being a mom is different and I am happy with it! But I also remembered being a child and getting the rigs to honk by making the airhorn signal at them. You know, the one where you look like you're the one pulling the chain? I got him to make eye contact with one particularly polite driver (actually passed the cars at a good speed and got over when reasonable, not that slow as heck sh--) and make the sign. LF must've giggled all the way through Illinois. It's odd the things you remember. :)

Just heard on TWC that a tree's down on the tracks in New Haven, CT so Amtrak is down between Boston & NYC. I was wondering why we've not heard any trains!! Don't know if the heavy downpours loosened it or if they caught a wind gust. Unfortunate place for it to fall. Lots of people heading to NE from NYC for the long weekend. Pressure here is at 29.51 and falling. That's not very impressive. Rain bands have filled in & we're getting pretty much steady rain now. /t

I did see the movie "We Are Marshall" and loved it. Powerful story and well done, but also very sad to think about such a horrific loss of life. On a slightly different note, from 2003 to 2005, I flew almost once a month and I came to loathe it for all the reasons I mentioned in the opening paragraph. It is partly fear, but you'd think after all those flights I'd get used to it, but I haven't. I tolerate flying and that's it. In 1996, I was on a Southwestern flight from Norfolk to Denver and we were preparing to land in Denver in the middle of severe thunderstorms. As we were landing (and not far from the tarmac) a tremendous burst of wind shoved the plane down toward the ground and gave us all a good jolt. The pilot goosed the two engines on that 737 and we went up at a very sharp angle, back into the skies. He flew over the airport and then tried to land again from the other side of the airport (and was successful). It really was a terrifying experience and after that flight, it took me years to get over the feeling of terror and dread when I stepped on an airplane. Thanks for the posts. I don't feel so alone. :) Rose

DS just moved out of a Trinity in Philly that wasn't as nice, actually it was downright dismal! It was about the same size but had 1 Bedroom on the 3rd floor, the laundry area and the only bathroom were on the 2nd floor, and the basement kitchen didn't have any windows, the only daylight was from a recessed window well 7' off the floor - so no view either. It had standard renter's appliances and barely enough room for a tiny table and chairs . Since it was in a narrow courtyard it was always in a shadow. He only had windows in the front because there was another trinity behind him sharing back walls. It was in Northern Liberties which is a hot area of Philly and I think the rent is now $1500 a month - no parking, no yard but it was in a gated complex with a common courtyard. He was actively looking for to buy but as Pal states the market is hot. He'd make appointments to see properties after work or on the weekend and more than half the time there was already a bid placed before he could get there. It didn't help either that his agent was so busy that she seldom returned calls. He finally found a condo that he really likes but it took about 10 months. DD and her BF searched for almost 2 years before finding something that they could afford and wasn't in need of a complete rebuild. They found a great row home that was totally redone 10 years ago - it's 18' wide, 10' ceilings, almost 1900 square feet, a rear yard, available on-street parking BUT it's in N. Philly near Temple. Their block is nice, it's quiet and stable. Most of the neighbors have been there for many years and they've told her how happy they are that a young couple bought the house because apparently before that it had been a rental for 4 college guys. Some of the areas around her are sketchy and others dangerous. My other DS and his wife have finally decided to leave the city after 10 years and like so many others in their age group are moving to the suburbs because of the schools. Unless you can afford private school most of the schools in the city are abysmal. I mentioned this on another thread but there are only 9 librarians for 218 city schools - and those schools are also lacking nurses, guidance counselors, art and music teachers too. Tuition at Friends' Central ( A Quaker school) in Center City is $23,000 to $30,000 for grade school and $35,000 for high school. Mayor Kenney's initiative to tax soft and sugar drinks was originally touted as utilizing the proceeds to improve Parks and Recreation, expand pre-K and neighborhood schools. If only they had followed though on that and used all the money for schools, parks and recreation. Instead Council is planing on keeping a portion of that money for the fund balance. There have been several studies published that show millennials and empty nesters are buying properties. And Pal's right too about the increase in New Yorkers moving here for the lower prices - they can ride Amtrak or a bus into Manhattan - although that can get rather tedious on a daily basis. There is also a significant number of New Jerseyians moving into Philly and PA to avoid the high taxes on the Jersey side of the Delaware. The city has also granted 10 year tax abatements for certain areas of the city as a lure to improve those areas. I'm not a pro but it looks like the demand will continue for a while - especially as long as mortgage rates remain so low. My kids have trouble believing me when I tell them that when we bought our home in 1983 mortgages were 17%. While the market is hot there are many developers putting up additional housing units - I don't know what the demand will be like when the majority of them come on the market. Maire