Well gosh, mongo, I think I'll save that post for my inspiration file :) Thank you so much for your kind comments. I respect your opinion greatly, as you know, so it means a *lot* to hear that what I've posted passes your inspection. I actually thought of you as I was arranging the stones on the edges of each linear foot so that the transition from one to the next would be unnoticeable :) We have just fallen in love with rocks (it's hard not to, out here) and I think that even though it's a *bit* idiosyncratic to put rock slices up on your bathroom wall, it will appeal to the Oregonian in possible purchasers :) and may not have to be taken down, as the Sicis glass tile backsplash I did in the kitchen just may be. (That was the first mosaic I'd ever done--no cutting, really, except for top and bottom rows--just arranging every single 1/2" tile for a 16 sf space...I just shake my head in disbelief when I think about the fact I just bulldozed my way through that back in 2004--ignorance was totally bliss--I figured "it's just arranging tiles, what's the problem? :)). O.K., and to your other points (bringing the swelling in my head back down to a manageable level :)): We ended up not using the teak because I saw what my cats had done to some wood furniture and I would have had a huge crying fit if they'd done that to the teak after everything we would have put into it, since it wouldn't be as easy to change out as, say, a tabletop. So we're making a table out of the teak, instead! A really nice side table for our family room. That's project #372 in the queue. But I'm so thankful for the finishing advice you gave and I still have it. I used it to test finishes last summer before we decided. And re the *cougar* mosaic? ;) It needed to be sent to Australia on mesh to be installed with hundreds of others on that Steve Irwin tribute wall, so what I did was make a work surface of the picture glued onto cardboard (which really didn't help that much--I couldn't really see it through the mesh enough for it to make any difference so I had to work from another pic I had sitting up next to the mesh) topped w/saran wrap as you noticed, then taped the mesh on it and Weldbonded the pieces of glass onto the mesh. I would go under the mesh every so often to separate the glued mesh from the saran wrap. Then I packed it (I made it *exactly* the size to fit into a large fixed-price international priority box) within an inch of its life and luckily, not a piece came off during the trip. I did have to back-paint, with various colors of nail polish, many of the vitreous tiles so as to get enough color variation to be able to come *anywhere near* the gradation of Malina's gorgeous face. I still think it looks a bit cartoonish...what was I thinking?! Why didn't I do a tiger or a skunk or something?! But I've completely fallen in love with cougar markings and just marvel at the incredible shadings each one has. I think I may do the indirect clear mosaic-mount sticky contact-like paper thing you refer to for the big accent lines in DD's bathroom upstairs, though--I prefer it to surface-mounted onto paper because you can have some sense of how things are going before you take the mount off. I'll put tiles in a grid, then stick the mosaic mount on the front of them, then install them onto the wall. Have you used it? How do you like it compared to mesh? (And mommielady, you underestimate notre cher mongo :) You'll discover he's a complete treasure of this forum--accomplished in way too many areas for a normal human being and extremely generous with his knowledge (and patient with people like me who ask too many irritating detail questions!). I have a theory I'm working on that he must have been the subject of one of those secret mind-experiments the military did "back then"...like a mental Bionic Man, you know...do I date myself?) (DH just looked over my shoulder and said "The Mongo Identity" -- much more contemporary :))

I did, also at Costco. My insurance covered it, but even if it had not, I definitely would have paid many times over to prevent getting the flu. I do hope those "You are not just flu'in yourself!" advertisements worked. Although I definitely understand not getting the vaccine if you have an allergy or sensitivity - TG does, which is all the more reason for me to get the shot. I office out of my house, but about once per month I travel for business. So, I have the worst combination of lack of consistent exposure to bugs and the barrage of germs you come in contact with in airplanes and hotels. I swear, if I come within ten yards of a kid with a cold, I get a cold, so I'm not taking any chances!

From what I've read the strain of influenza that is affecting most dogs is different from the one in the vaccinations. That leads me to believe the boarding place is probably acting out of fear rather than their educated knowledge. However, as frustrating as that is, I can totally understand it. My dog has been going to the same day care two-three times a week for 4 years now. I know the owners and talk to them often about the business so I can understand the dynamic from both sides. So as upset as you are, if you didn't have that shot requirement and your dog were to get the flu while under their care, would you be upset? And if you also found out there was a flu shot available but dogs weren't required to be vaccinated, what would your response be then? I know what my response would be. That they dropped the ball and didn't act responsibly to protect my pet. From that perspective, I think it is good that they are doing what they feel is needed to protect themselves as well as all the dogs in their care. I know that doesn't help you with the added costs, but have you considered hiring a pet sitter to care for your dogs instead? We had cats and birds as well as our dog to board and it was WAY too expensive. Instead we turned to a pet sitting site where we were able to interviewed several people and find a wonderful woman to care for our pets. We boarded the dog, but she fed our cats and birds twice a day at a fraction of the cost. The arrangement was perfect because we didn't have to up root our pets and they still had human contact while we were gone. She did a wonderful job and we actually became friends. The site we used was www.care.com Good Luck!

Wildchild, for mostly blond, (darker blond naturally but I keep brighter with the regular hair appts), green eyes, I'll bet I can tan - never burn - darker than anyone else you know. Can, and have, used to do it regularly and intentionally. Dark enough it called attention which had been my intent. No sun screen, not ever. There may be some native american on my fathers side but thats never been proven. But my point is, I kept an appt with my endo one year in July when I was deepest darkest bronzely tanned. She asked about my sun exposure and I braced for the stern lecture I was sure was coming. It didn't come. My Vit D was reading low on the pre-appt blood work I'd had done for her. I thought she was kidding. If the amount of sun I'd had hadn't supplied the Vit D along with the large amounts of milk DH and I both drink, there is no way (no way under the sun ;)) to acquire it naturally. We don't eat junk food either, never have been interested. She had me begin 2000 mg Vit D and I've kept it up the last 20 years. DH has darker Croatian skin and had always tanned too. Not to the extent I did but he would always mow the lawn shirtless and in shorts, and he worked outdoors for a living most days of the week until his recent retirement. After a physical one year when I was browsing his copy of his bloodwork, I noticed his Vit D at the very bottom of the normal range too. His doctor hadn't mentioned it. I had him begin the same dose that I take and we've both been in the mid normal range every year since. With our unbroken dairy habits and outdoor time, if we could be low - anyone could. Don't count on natural light to provide the optimum amount.