The ***OFFICIAL*** Weekend Singles' Thread -- New Year's Weekend (December 29th-31st)

December 29, 2006 | ilovew, darkangel82

[ilovew]

On Tuesday, former president Gerald R. Ford, Jr. died at the age of 93. He led a full life beginning on July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska.

The future president was a star athlete and the captain of the Grand Rapids South High School football team. He was offered contracts with the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers but declined so that he could attend Yale Law School. Shortly after his graduation, an outside event changed his plans. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Gerald Ford enlisted in the Navy.



Shortly after returning from the war, Ford decided to run for a seat in the House of Representatives. His 24-year tenure included his rise to the House Minority Leader. After Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned, President Nixon chose Ford to beceome the new vice president. When Nixon himself later resigned, Gerald Ford became the first (and only) person to ever rise to the presidency without ever being elected as president or vice president.


His presidency was notable for not only his pardon of Nixon but, according to many, his restoration of trust in the presidency. President Ford worked hard to ensure that his tenure in the office was open and honest. Later in life, Gerald and Betty Ford moved to their Rancho Mirage home in California. It was there that President Bush visited the couple in April of this year.



On December 26, 2006, Gerald Ford died at his home in Rancho Mirage. Ford will have services in Washington, DC and will be buried at his Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

[WFTR]

Happy New Year to you as well.

[WFTR]

The show was pretty nice. I could see where about four or five groups were shooting some pretty nice stuff.

[ilovew]

Sounds like fun :)

[WFTR]

It was fun. Chatting with you this New Year's Eve has also been fun. Thank you!

[ilovew]

Awww thanks. That's so nice.

[WFTR]

Well, I need to be winding down. Sleep well and Good Night!

[ilovew]

Good night! Sweet dreams.

[Kate of Spice Island]

Happy New Year!

It is officially 2007 in my time zone.

[Nowhere Man]

I want to wish a Happy 2007 to All!



2007 image on my 1966 Sony TV

First off, a word to what I have lost personally in 2006:

On December 10th, I lost a good friend to Hodgkins Lymphoma, he lived in Colorado, his name was Timothy Riley Walker. He passed on at the age of 35. I met him online at one of the role playing games forums for Twilight: 2000 and we became friends around 1998 or so. We exchanged ideas, gifts, cards, and so on in the ensuing years. Like me, he loved cats and I consoled him when he lost one cat as he did when I lost three total in the time I knew him. I know he wasn't a Freerer but I felt it was a good idea to mention him somewhere. My God grant him, his family, friends and anyone else I might have forgotten on the list, the comfort and guidance that is needed at this time



Greystone: (4-15?-2001 - 4-15-2006, he was found as a kitten on 5-12-2001)

We lost him due to kidney failure at the age of five, he barely made it to five. His passing was hard to take.



Pansy: (8-19-1987 - 8-27-2006)

Lost her due to lymphoma although I think her age could have been a factor, I dunno, until she hit a brick wall, she was so active. She had a hyperactive thyroid but we kept that under control. She was very hard to take due to her being with us for so long plus we were still reeling from the effect of Greystone



Corky: (5-12-1989 - )

She is my oldest cat now, she will be 18 in May.



Boo (Buddha): (Found 7-19-1990)

He got very sick a week after we laid Greystone to rest. The vet said his liver was acting up and he was put on antibiotics hoping it was an infection causing his problems. His liver values returned to normal for a cat his age (will be 17 this year) so we pulled him through.

I hope 2007 is better for all of us.

[WFTR]

I'm sorry to hear of your losses in 2006 and hope that 2007 is happy and healthy for you and yours. I had a rough time in 2006 also although I didn't lose anyone to death.

I lost my nice rural suburban neighborhood to the influx of people that we're getting as people move away from New Orleans. My road that had been so nice for taking walks will get about three or four subdivisions in 2007. It will go from a rural suburban area to an urban suburban area. Walking may no longer be safe, and losing a favorite form of exercise will be bad for my health.

After waiting 35 years to get my first real pet snakes, 2006 saw an attempt by the state legislature to take those pets away from me. While the bill didn't come for a vote in the state senate, all but one member of the state house voted for it. As a result of that vote, I will never support any current house member. Even those Republicans that other people around here like will never get my vote again. As far as I'm concerned, they can all go to Hell. I didn't lose my pets, but I now have that threat hanging over me.

In July, I learned that my employer failed to set me up in the pension system when I transfered to my current job. I spent 2002 at this job working on a "letter of assignment." One reason for using the letter of assignment was to try to keep my pension intact. In 2003, I was officially transfered here because changes made the transfer possible. I filed a request for an investigation. Right now, it appears that I'll get put into the system for 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. I don't know whether I'll get any credit towards retirement for my work from 1999 to 2003. If I do, I likely won't get full credit. Several human resources and management types kept telling me that they believed that the situation would be fully resolved. Because of that, I didn't start looking for a job. If the situation isn't resolved to my satisfacation, I've now lost six months on finding a new job and starting a new life.

Again, here's hoping that 2007 will be better for both of us.

Bill

[RockinRight]

Happy New YEar!

At Hoodie's parents' house until this evening so my internet availability is limited.

[Nowhere Man]

I'm sorry to hear of your losses in 2006 and hope that 2007 is happy and healthy for you and yours. I had a rough time in 2006 also although I didn't lose anyone to death.

I lost my nice rural suburban neighborhood to the influx of people that we're getting as people move away from New Orleans. My road that had been so nice for taking walks will get about three or four subdivisions in 2007. It will go from a rural suburban area to an urban suburban area. Walking may no longer be safe, and losing a favorite form of exercise will be bad for my health.

How close to New Orleans are you? I know ourselves, we are getting built up more and more as time goes on. where we used to play baseball and watch movies at the neighborhood Civic Assaociation as kids, it is now a place where high priced patio homes have gone up. Where I used to toboggan and sled ride as a kid, it used to be a golf course, now there are a lot of pricy homes and that is not the end of it. It's still safe here, but a lot of open spaces are being taken away.

After waiting 35 years to get my first real pet snakes, 2006 saw an attempt by the state legislature to take those pets away from me. While the bill didn't come for a vote in the state senate, all but one member of the state house voted for it. As a result of that vote, I will never support any current house member. Even those Republicans that other people around here like will never get my vote again. As far as I'm concerned, they can all go to Hell. I didn't lose my pets, but I now have that threat hanging over me.

What type of bill is it, an anti-snake or reptile bill? I've heard of regulations in some areas concerning venomous snakes but does this proposed law cover all snakes or reptiles?

As to your employer troubles, I had a similar problem with my health insurance in the year 2003 when I worked for thiso ne guy. I feel and cut my left hand open on the side of the garage while getting out of my vehicle and slipping on the ice. I think God that my auto insurance took care of my medical bills since it involved the car, even getting in and out of it. The reason, our boss did not pay the premiums for our health insurance so we were not covered but we thought we were.

I hope 2007 is better for all of us too.

[WFTR]

How close to New Orleans are you?

I'm about an hour from New Orleans. It's amazing that people are willing to drive an hour to work each day and an hour coming home. I know they do it that way in many places, but it's still strange. I think people just want to get away from places that flood and get the worst of the hurricane winds. The bad thing is that all of the new development is more than our drainage systems can handle. Places that never used to flood are starting to flood when we get heavy rains. They'll end up not escaping the problems that they left to escape but will bring the problems to places that never had those problems in the past.

What type of bill is it, an anti-snake or reptile bill? I've heard of regulations in some areas concerning venomous snakes but does this proposed law cover all snakes or reptiles?

Last year's bill was anti-snake only, but three of my four pets are snakes. This bill covered all snakes of any kind. We already had regulations covering venomous snakes and any snake that grew over 12 feet in length.

Your health insurance problem sounds like one person not keeping up with something for all empployees. Part of what makes me feel so bad about my situation is that I'm the only person affected.

To make matters worse, I've come down with a cold. I feel like garbage, but I need to get to work tomorrow.

Bill

[krunkygirl]

Hi Bill--

Thank you for the New Year's wishes~~the same to you!

I know to most people a "no snakes" law wouldn't matter much, but it really does seem wrong to single out snakes as
long as they aren't venomous or very large...and you probably remember there's no love lost on those critters by me.

I really hope you won't give up the fight re: your pension benefits. No matter what they say, road blocks and delays they throw up, stick to your guns! The way I see it is that it is your money and you can never go back and re-do those earning years...Be the "squeaky wheel" that won't shut-up until it is greased...

O.K., enough of my 2 cents.
Nancy/kg

[WFTR]

Thanks Nancy,

I've come to realize that in many ways, my employer is getting me at a bargain price compared to most engineers of my ability. Maybe I need to find another company that would value me more. I hate moving. I hate the thought of the upheaval associated with new jobs and new locations. However, I recognize that maybe I'll get something better if I go elsewhere.

Bill

[DollyCali]

Happy New Year to all my buddies who showed up at the singles thread this weekend( and a few, like me, might have been “gone” or didn’t’ have time to post.)

May your year ahead sparkle with happiness, promise, new friendships & success in your endeavors!

Just got in a short time ago & have a LOT of catching up to do w/Dose, Finest, here, ATRW & the Saddam & Ford threads along the way. Probably will NOT post much elsewhere so will use this for catch-up. Miss my doggies (a LOT) ..will pick them up tomorrow morn.


Darkangel82 & ilovew.. THANK you so much for hosting the thread & for the touching tribute to President Ford.


BUT. Man did I ever pick a good weekend to NOT have Internet connection! (The threads discussion ON how OLD we are & HOW MUCH WE weigh.. UGH!....which I will right now deliberately AVOID.

But will comment on the hunks that I might spend New Years Eve with.. (good idea Ken)..

Well, I am NOT counting crappy politics, age or marital status.. just a date right? *chuckle*

Let’s see.. Mel Gibson, Brad Pitt, Harrison Ford, Dwayne Johnson, Denzel Washington; Clive Owen; POTUS(as long as I am dreaming.. I CAN REALLY DREAM!?!?!?!)

Good to have some new posters & to the couple of you who are recently “available” ….well, many of us here understand your pain/frustration/relief etc… Even ending a bad relationship is hard.. ending one that you THOUGHT was good until the “bomb” is awful

And to Rav.. congrats on your engagement! I wish she were NOT a liberal , but I trust you will use your charm, and “stud-muffiness” to correct that in short order.

Pcottraux, aquamarine, & Carolinamom.. I was in your back yard but flew to Charlotte & we rented car to Grove Park Inn & Biltmore.. No extra time for visits.. LUXURY (spoil Dolly) was very nice.. trust me.. if impression was the “goal” , it WORKED! I had spa treatments & products that cost exceeded my monthly income (for BOTH mom & me).. the food(3 four star restaurants, where one bill exceeded 500! For two of us); gala parties..well.. I didn't really miss FR tooooo much.. and time just wasn’t there for extras along the way.

Here are a few pix of Mark & me at a few different events this past weekend.

[snugs]

Lovely photos Dolly - sorry not been round the singles thread much this weekend but duties on the dose plus promised year review of photos meant that most of computing time was spent on that.

[snugs]

Catching up on what I missed due to my dose duties :o)

[snugs]

Sounds like a great graduation present and also sounds as if you getting on with your mom better.

[snugs]

How about Barcardi breezers and reefs do you like them?