May 10, 2008 Ship of Thieves! Stealing the Magic..AGAIN!!! Panama Canal FL to CA!!! Part 3

[clynne]

One more thing. I went to DD's parent teacher conference and she gets perfect scores when not timed. When she is timed, she freaks out and just guesses to get done fast. Any advice from this group? She is in 1st grade and apparently with the new no child left behind law she has to do everything in one minute including read 40 words in 1 minute. Comprehension is apparently of no value to this test, only speed. Don't get that at all!! The teacher sends home the best comprehension homework that I love and then they have that stupid timed test... Really beginning to despise that law.kim

Other than trying to work it out with the teacher, I don't have advice for you. But, this really annoys me! My oldest would have frozen and then filled in nonsense answers, my middle would have done it well (but he would have been EXTREMELY stressed for an hour before the test!) and my youngest (at 5 now) would be really stressed if she didn't finish in time. Really...if they KNOW THE MATERIAL why must it be timed. (Ok, yes, I know it's a good skill to know the facts, but if she can do them well when she's not timed, SHE KNOWS THEM!)

Excuse the mini-rant...good luck...

Carolyn

 

[lillygator]

Julie - how awful, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and the children.

Noel - you know I really haven't given much thought about a will, but seems like I should look into it.


We went out to Olive Garden with my Dad. We went early and were seated immediatley which surprised me. Not becasue I think everyone is rushing out to OG on St Patty's but it is season here as well as spring break.


Not much planned today. I am going to pick up a sewing machine....I joined Freecycle, where people give away things they don't want any more. I am going to try and make some of these "boutique" clothes I have been paying a fortune for. Other than that....watch basketball and hang out.....nothing exciting.

 

[clynne]

The weakness is that comprehension isn't assessed at all so if a child is a "word caller" they can appear to be making appropriate progress with no indication of their comprehension difficulties. It isn't perfect, but it is a good quick measure.

Is a word caller someone who can fairly accurately sound out the word, but has no idea what it means?? DD's kindergarten is using Hooked on Phonics, along with other things, but that's what the parents come in and work through with the kids every day. Some of them are obviously understanding, other are just sounding out and moving on...

Carolyn

 

[UKANGEL]

My goodness, what a lot there was to catch up on today!!!!

Well, we went to London yesterday, my sister and I and our Mum. had a lovely time all 3 of us and decided we really don't do it often enough.

If anyone goes to London and Harrods, do try their afternoon tea in the Georgian Restaurant. It's really wonderful! Felt extremely civilised to be drinking champagne and hvaing tea, sandwiches, scones & cakes I think Mum really liked her surprise so I'm please.

While we were in town we saw a great parade by the Irish Guards outside Buckingham palace too, as we drove by in our taxi. That was an added bonus! (We kidded Mum it was just in her honour of course!)

I'm a little sad today so could do with a hug or 2 as my 'baby' is n't here to wish me a Happy Mother's day, for the first time ever. She's still over in germany on her college trip, hopefully having a blast.

OK...back to catching up.......

 

[UKANGEL]

Happy Mother's Day. And I'm so jealous about the Harrod's Tea. Have some Harrod's #14 for me. It's my absolutely most favorite tea in the whole world!

can't remember which tea we had now! All I know is we must ahve drunk around 6 cups each in the end!!!!!!!

....we had a lot to chat and laugh about!

 

[clynne]

How did 45 caskets fit in thier car? Karen

Just guessing, but I think she meant bullets or casings?

Carolyn

 

[UKANGEL]

So what exactly do you folks get for vacation?

well I know this has already been answered , but for us, when I was in the insurance industry I started with 4 weeks (and worked flexi time like Marilyn said, too), then after just a few years that went up to 5 weeks (plus all the public holidays). If I had stayed 10 years it would have gone up to 6 weeks. When I worked for the Public Library I had 4 weeks, then after 5 years had an extra week, and then after 10 years again it would incresae again.

Obviously when I worked in a School Library, I only worked 42 weeks of the year (salary was paid pro-rata)

 

[clynne]

Do you think that I can get away with that as well. My birthday is in the forgotten month... December!! Karen

Never heard of December as the forgotten month for birthdays, but it sure makes sense. I feel for you, with an early January birthday here, don't know how many people have forgotten it (hangovers??) or how many times my mom used the excuse at Christmas, "This is for Christmas AND your birthday!" People are just kind of party-ed out by 1/5! (Personally, I kind of like it as I don't tend to like all the fuss!)

Carolyn

 

[UKANGEL]

Oh....the perfect time of UKANGEL to give us our 'English' lessons

That's a date!

I often have people ask me, "Are you sure you don't just dye your hair brown to cover the blond?" So I'm constantly saying, "I swear, I'm NOT blond!" [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

Holly, I get asked the same all the time...'are you blonde under that red??'

We should find out what each other does for a living....we know Karen sell Wine....

I design and sell office furniture to very large office buildings. My DH, who will not be traveling with me, is a minister!!

well, I'm a librarian, although I'm having time time out for the first time in my life, and am currently a kept-woman!

Mark is a contractor in the IT industry, it's somthing technical but I have no real idea what he does, except its important!

 

[UKANGEL]

Never heard of December as the forgotten month for birthdays, but it sure makes sense. I feel for you, with an early January birthday here, don't know how many people have forgotten it (hangovers??) or how many times my mom used the excuse at Christmas, "This is for Christmas AND you birthday!" People are just kind of party-ed out by 1/5! (Personally, I kind of like it as I don't tend to like all the fuss!)

Carolyn

As someone who has their birthday just 2 days before Christmas I know just what you mean.....my brother's birthday is also the day before mine (just a year younger). We even used to get presents between us, for Christmas & birthday....must've have saved people loads of money!

My poor parents though didn't organise that very well eh?

 

[UKANGEL]

UKAngel, your dd is beautiful, she looks like a pixie in that picture with her lovely eyes.

Thank you Julie! That's what I say too!

Hi, I'm John. My wife is Granmaz (Marilyn). Thought I would join so I could talk to here occasionally!!! and see what she gets up to!!!! (Joke). I cannot remember names, so thought it would be good to start trying to remember some soon as it will be good to meet you many of you.

welcome to the gang John!

Deb,

After your order came in we got a bunch more orders!! You opened the Dam and thanks again!

It has been so unusualy quite on our site I thought something was broken!

Just needed some DIS pixie dust!!

Karen

Really glad all that pd worked Karen!

 

[UKANGEL]

Yesterday night the very good friends of our friends were killed by someone who attacked them from another car with firearms. Apparently 45 caskets were found inside their car. As of now it looks like it was a revenge (the both come from very rich families, Peralta and Lopez Portillo) because of the way they were killed.

They leave a 4 year old boy and an almost 2 year old baby girl. My heart is breaking for them.

That's absolutely terrible news. So sad. We'll keep them all in our prayers.

 

[birkner]

Ahhh Haaa!!

Do you think that I can get away with that as well. My birthday is in the forgotten month... December!!

The DIS will go down any minute!!

Talk to you tomorrow! Er, later today!!

Karen

Another December baby here as is my DH!!

Noel,

Great advice!! We set up all of our wills and trusts after my folks died as we learned a lot after dad passed away and wanted to protect my sister and our daughter if anything happened to us.

Good for you. Remember to review them at least once a year as laws and circumstances change.

I am so sorry for your loss. It must have been very difficutly, especially when you were so young.

Karen

Thank you. It was but I am now happily married to a wonderful man!

My DSis went to High School with Robin Williams. Redwood High in San Rafael, CA.

Karen

Small world is it not?

Haven't caught up yet but did have a suggestion about the list that is being put together. If you get email addresses you could then email the list to everyone on the list -- that way everyone would know each other's email addresses which might make contact a little easier to set up meets prior to the cruise.

We could also start mapping out delivery routes on the ship.

Snow has yet to melt here. Not warm enough to have the windows open unless you want to freeze. Darn spring, where the heck are you???

Fiona

I think that is a good idea but we would have to ask everyone who gave us their email address if we could share their address. What do you think Lisa?

Julie - how awful, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and the children.

Noel - you know I really haven't given much thought about a will, but seems like I should look into it.

Let me just share with you that in the last 4 years, our family lost my mom, my sister and my dad. After my mom died, my dad put all his property etc. into a trust. My sister died without a will so her husband got everything which she would not have wanted. My dad spend bare minimum (guided by the sister who passed) and it cost us a forture because the trust was not properly done. My nephew who was 11 when he inherited from my Dad (as my sisters heir) was the main problem.

To make a long story short, if you do a trust and will, be sure you get a competent trust attorney. Our trust attorney is also our patent attorney's trust attorney. Best recommendation we ever had!!

Just my thoughts...

 

[birkner]

Just guessing, but I think she meant bullets or casings?

Carolyn

Carolyn, that is just what I assumed she meant that the car was riddled with bullets. GMTA.

Never heard of December as the forgotten month for birthdays, but it sure makes sense. I feel for you, with an early January birthday here, don't know how many people have forgotten it (hangovers??) or how many times my mom used the excuse at Christmas, "This is for Christmas AND you birthday!" People are just kind of party-ed out by 1/5! (Personally, I kind of like it as I don't tend to like all the fuss!)

Carolyn

Did we grow up in the same family?

As someone who has their birthday just 2 days before Christmas I know just what you mean.....my brother's birthday is also the day before mine (just a year younger). We even used to get presents between us, for Christmas & birthday....must've have saved people loads of money!

My poor parents though didn't organise that very well eh?

I expect my mother got "with child" on St. Patrick's Day so a double holiday to celebrate!!

My birthday is 5 days before Xmas and DH is 2 days after. The rule in our family is when my DH asks "When is your birthday again? " I reply "A week before yours, you forget mine, I forget yours!!

Noel

 

[birkner]

Off to the airport gang. Will check in at some point later today!!

Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!!


Noel

 

[UKANGEL]

I expect my mother got "with child" on St. Patrick's Day so a double holiday to celebrate!!

My birthday is 5 days before Xmas and DH is 2 days after. The rule in our family is when my DH asks "When is your birthday again? " I reply "A week before yours, you forget mine, I forget yours!!

Noel

Have a good day Noel !

 

[Ginamarie]

One of the points Julie mentioned in her post is that the family that was killed did not have a will. I believe it is imperative that every family have a will and Living Trust. It is so much easier if you start making them at a young age and review them once a year.

I was a young widow at 29 and if it weren't for the planning we did when we first got married, I would have been in very serious financial shape.

Just a word to the wise......

This is SO true! I'm working on a case now for a young man who passed away when he was only 19 years old. It's a messy situation, as he owned a couple of different pieces of real estate and has relatives who may be entitled to his property both in the US and in Greece. I urge everyone to have a will prepared, because you never know what may happen, and you wouldn't want all of your assets taken by the government and by attorneys fees!

 

[HollyTyler]

Yes, mother´s day here is always on may 10th, big traffic in Mexico City, since one of the most sacred thing in life in Mexico is one´s mother. We always stay at home an celebrate on a different day. Who wants to eat at a crowded restaurant and receive poor service because they are bursting with people?

How wonderful that mothers are so honored there! It's just not a big deal here.


No, I don´t think so, oh well on the other hand, men in Mexico are machistas (like macho man) so they expect women to cook for them, do their laundy, pick up after them, but don´t do this, train him to clean and fare for himself (like I trained hubby ) or get him to pay for a maid

Good for you----training your hubby! Well, one thing I noticed about Alejandro's apartment is how clean it is. Even the bathrooms! Surprising for 3 young guys. I already told him I don't cook, so maybe that's why I haven't heard from him in a couple days. Scared him right away! But seriously, if he ends up sticking around, I supposed I would start cooking a little because he works such long hours (10am - 10:30pm, 6 days a week). He could use a little TLC.

 

[HollyTyler]

I finally caught up with the board. More than a 100 pages in 2 nights, whew!

Today Cordelia, our puppy, got an immunization, and dd was cuddling her and being so sweet, but I think she hugged Cordelia a bit tight because the puppy bit her wrist. Fortunately she didn´t penetrate the skin, but you could clearly see the teeth marks, beside the physical pain, she was heartbroken and could not understand why she was bitten.

Cordelia is still feeling under the weather

Awwwww.......I hope they're both feeling better soon! Your daughter's hurt feelings and Cordelia from her immunizations.

 

[HollyTyler]

Today was blackberry and weed spraying day. I stepped in a hole, fell with the 5 gal backpack sprayer on and sprained my ankle. Ouch! Not too bad though, with ice and a bit of tylenol I was able to limp to dinner and then to the store to get milk.

Owweeeee! Feel better!