I think we should re-examine if Canadians pay more tax in order to get health insurance. It sounds like you guys are paying way more than we are one way or another. We have 10 acres, a four bedroom house with separate garage with it's own living quarters, etc. etc. and our taxes are $3000 a year at the most. It sounds like you guys could use a touch of that socialism that is being used to scare people into voting for McCain. I do have to admit that an 8 year old car sounds downright new to me. I drive a 17 year old Jeep and it's the newest, most luxurious car I've ever had! I send a hug to your cat. I have two that are 17 and keep hoping they'll stay healthy. Beth seemed not to be interested in eating much this summer and is as light as a feather (she always has been). I talked to the vet who suggested getting her tested for failing kidneys or diabitis. The treatment was different for each (one was low protien diet). The cost would be $250 for the test then whatever for the medication. I was going to do it but then she seemed back to her old self. She's eating well, seems to have put on a little weight. I started giving her and Mandy (her cousin also 17) a small spoonful of mayonaise every couple days. This is something my mom always did for a cat with fur balls. Maybe that's what helped? Mandy, meanwhile has become obcessed with her spoonful of mayo and stands and stares at me until she gets it. McT

Chris, hi there. Actually it is Hazel that first wrote about her massive lack of flowers, then she and I got into mentioning our other 'downsides' of 2007 which then took over the thread...(sorry Hazel). Anyway, back to the loss of flowers,....hopefully Hazel will pick up again on this. I personally only have a Celadine which I grew from a cutting taken in Oz in 2005, which did incidentally flower in 2006. In 2007 it produced only a few, maybe 6 weedy leaves, nothing like the size and strength of the previous years growth. Following an accident I had my arm in a cast so was only able to top dress it's pot when it did eventualy start to grow, so that may not have been enough. It was fed, but that didn't do the job either, but I gave it no bloom booster as it hardly had leaves never mind being able to sprout an inflo! My other 4 'NOID' plumies were seed sown in spring 07, so are still immature although three have grown several branches and are almost as tall and thick as my Celadine. Hopefully Hazel will get flowers this year as I know she has many plants as you can read in the first msg on here... I'm also hoping for some on my Celadine too as I will be able to give it more TLC come spring! Last years season was a washout in the UK, literally, we did have a hot spell in April, then it went downhill rapidly with very little sun and tons of rain right through till August, our so called summer was over then and so was the growing season. Regards, Gill.

The first time was when I installed Avast and it came from Cnet and it was a super long install and I must have used the regular instead of custom indeed there didn't seem to be a choice. Next they published a new version that would not update/grade/install over the previous so I uninstalled previous (safe mode Avast uninstaller etc) then installed the new and I do believe I did not do the custom install again. I think I clicked on the regular then tried to stop it but too late - conduit. Anyhow what ever I did the conduit came back or was reactivated. Wholesale. One reason I did not do the custom install was it coughed up a list of files and said check or uncheck (one tuther) files I did or did not want (respectively) and I looked at them, my eyes began countra rotating and I thot how the hell do I know? Figuring I got rid of Conduit once I could do it again I went ahead with the regular install. This time it wasn't so easy. Prior to installing the new version the auto updates began to fail. After installing the new version the updates still failed. After running the programs stated in my above post Scotty popped up and said all kinds of good files were removed. Why I don't know. Running SFC /checker not only replaced or reactivated the those files but the Avast auto updater began to function properly again. The conduit was installed only on the IE 11 browser which I seldom use but not on the Google Chrome which is a backup I never use nor on my main browser which is Maxthon. So that is my sad tale of woe. :-) Please don't nobody tell me I'm stupid - I've been privy to that fact for quite some time. I try not to advertise it but it does slip out occasionally. :-)

Good grief you all have me so nervous. SushiPup, I stopped by the drugstore tonight and picked up some TechNu and scrubbed down. Yow Joann, I just can't stop thinking about your uncomfortable situation. Moni, I wish I had thought to wash off at the waterfall, but truth be told, the water really didn't look all that inviting. Marilyn, don't even get me started on chiggers ... picked some up in Little Rock, AK and didn't know what to do about them until FL, several days later. I was miserable. Linda, if one leaf looks like a hickey, falling face first into a entire bush should be very interesting. Chemocurl, if the TechNu doesn't work, I'll be out there looking for Oral Ivy. From the sound of it, $125 will be a bargin. Nicole, wow, maybe we should just avoid canyons that start with Black. Bulldinkie, hot, hot water? Bleach? Rubbing alcohol? At least I'll be totally sanitized when I'm done. :-) Jodi-