Marlene, Cindy, Kathy, It was my pleasure to host the swap and we will do it again next year as well. I can't believe that the weather turned out to be the way it did, nor rain, sun and a few clouds, but I could have done with out all the humidity. And to think, at 6:30AM this morning I was sitting here trying to decide who to scream at first for pushing me to go with today for the swap. It was storming for the 4th time since 1AM this morning and the weather maps where showing a wall of rain and storms heading in. Who would have thought we would luck out the way we did. Glad you had a good time, we do have a wonderful group of gardeners that come every year to the swap and keep adding and adding to the selection of plants and seedlings every year. Marlene, I will email you if I find any more pots that Michelle could use, and you should tell her to start checking out the yard sales whenever she can. She will be amazed at the pots she can find that way and the prices are really a steal. Kathy, I checked some of the pics in the link and those flowers still didn't look like the one you gave me last year and I got seeds from. Happy planting to all of you and happy gardening. How about some pics of the plants and seedlings when they bloom and thrive in their "new homes'. Hint, Hint Kathy, "new homes". Fran

George, that is great news. The trend now seems to be to hire temp workers and there are several reasons for it. Some companies do it so they don't have to pay benefits, but others do it because it is a way to test them out before they have to make a real commitment to them. I am sure you will do great and if there is a permanent job behind that temp, they will want to keep you. Prays are answered, aren't they?

I'm sure you all heard of the North Shore Animal League. Well a dog was adopted from them, they live in back of me. They brought it home tied it to a tree, just like you said and left it there. Once a day water was offered but was spilled after they left. Same with her food. She did eat once a day. There are two boys and a little girl wholive there. 2, 9, 11. Perfect ages to play with a dog. Winter came and dog still outside. It was cold. No bed, no house. A few weeks later a dog house appeared. only thing is the dog could not reach it with the chain. It was a plastic house and the wind would blow it over or away. It was never but back in position. Now I wonder is the dogs water frozen? I called north shore animal league and complained. They said they went there and checked it out. I sat and watched all day to see if anyone came. No one was there to check the dog. They lied. I found out the dogs owner's father is the judge of our town. When I called and emailed a second time they said the dog was fine. I would gibe the dog water during the day. My heart broke. MY den looks out over their backyard. Why the neightbors on either side could watch this they had a view of the yard also. Well the NAAL must of told them I complained, (wich is against the rules) now all the neigbors will not speak to me. They are afraid because her father is the judge. I know why I love animals more then people. BTW summer came, they cut the tree down that gave it a little shelter. Poor thing. Finally one day I noticed he dog was gone. Was it because I threatned the NORTHSHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE to call the newspaper? I have unfriendly neighbors but maybe I made a little dog happy.

Things not looking great again. Yesterday we discovered that 2 of our 3 new Totos arrived broken. I guess it's not that big a deal as they will be replaced, but now we have to wait again for new ones. We had a meeting with the GC on Tuesday night to discuss how things are going. It didn't go well. He says that I am nice to the whole crew, but not to him and that's why he barely comes to the house. He said the whole crew had noticed 'how I treat him' and that in 10 years of business he has never had this problem before. So now I feel uncomfortable in my own home. Now I'm wondering if it's me that's the problem. He called the following day to apologize for how he spoke to me, but I really don't much want to talk to him at all any more. He is asking us to eat a lot of extra expense (including most of the $940 Home Depot bill) because of all the 'extras' he has done including 'thousands' in additional plumbing work for free (?). He says we can go over the contract again but it will end up costing us thousands because he will charge for all the extras he's done. We appear to now be paying for wiring and other items I had no idea would be on the list. I thought he was paying for behind the walls stuff and we were paying for the 'pretty' stuff (including paint, but wiring??). My husband has stepped in to talk to him and yet I don't feel satisfied with that arrangement either. GC was meant to go to Home Depot for $80 worth of unidentified stuff (paid for by us) and when the Home Depot person called for our cc number (which GC no longer has) it was for $175. For 'wiring and boxes'. Huh? The problem is I just don't trust him and I guess the GC feels that and is (understandably) offended by it. But when we ask for receipts he flashes them at us and then says he needs them back. It's like the Hone Depot receipt debacle all over again. But we DO have extra issues that SHOULD be resulting in extra charges - the problem is getting numbers out of him for the extra issues is tough. So our sunroom leak issues and retiling (over the existing) bathroom floor are costing an additional $2400 on top of the $940 which he owed us from the Home Depot thing, but we didn't know that until he's ripped out carpeting and the place is a disgusting mess and we have no choice really but to do the work. I just wish he would tell us what this stuff would cost before starting it! I don't know what to do at this point. I feel like every time we question something he has a million explanations and excuses which never really tell you anything. He talks a mile a minute and you can't get a word in edgewise. I know we should be paying for the unexpected stuff, but the way it happens is so backwards and confusing to me and I end up wondering what is going on. Why for example have we paid $500 for insulation product as part of the contract as well as $814 in insulation as part of that Home Depot bill (that's NOT part of his $940 building materials which was all dry wall) and yet he says the remainder of the insulation in rolls downstairs isn't ours. It's his? He says we have to eat the $500 for insulation that was in the contract because he underbid the installation part of insulating and because we owe him so muc for the extra plumbing (which he hadn't mentioned before and we thought was included). Another example. He ran wiring for the baby's room high hats and ceiling fan. Told me the switch was slightly off center and not to straighten it or it might short. A couple of days later it stopped working. He says it's a coincidence and the wiring must have been 'chewed by rats or squirrels' and that it's an unforeseen issue. this seems like a remarkable coincidence to me. I thought if we contracted that he was installing 4 recessed lights and a fan, that meant they should work? The house has a newer panel with a ton of electric amps, but I guess that doesn't mean no problems. Maybe we're being unreasonable in our expectations. Apparently most people around here tell him to go ahead and fix unforeseen issues and just send them a bill. It's very possible as there's a lot of money around here. But we would like to know what things will cost in advance. He seems to take this as a personal insult. :( DH thinks he's on cocaine. I would not be surprised. I am exhausted and this has turned into a book. Sorry. Just needed to vent again.