Posts in the last 7 days:

sad sack 2-Sep-10 Hi, I just arrived back from my short vacation in North Carolina. I am so happy I was able to leave right before the hurricane was supposed to hit. I do like it there and would like to spend more time there once I retire. Shortcake, I loved your story regarding your puppy dog --- it shows what a warm hearted person you are. Your puppy dog is so lucky to have you as her owner. She is treated like a little princess. Lucky her!!! I only have a few days left to my summer vacation and am sad to see the summer go. I did not really enjoy the weather very much but it was still nice to be off from work. While down in NC, I kept thinking that it would be nice to retire. I just loved sitting on the beach and admiring the beauty of the Atlantic. It was so peaceful and serene. My son will be going back to school soon and I hate to admit it, but I am glad. His presence stresses me out. He told me he does not want to go back to the therapist which saddened me a great deal. I know while I was away they had a phone conversation, but don't know what it was about. I will ask my son if anything positive came out of the phone call. Sad to say, I haven't been able to get through to my son who seems to be resistant to any type of positive change. He is one difficult child (not really a child as he is 21 years old). Shortcake, do you ever wonder what happened to Elle? I do. I hope everything is okay. Elle, if you are reading this, please know that you are in our thoughts and are truly missed here. That goes for NVR and Courage also. We miss you all!!! Ladies, please enjoy the holiday weekend. Make the most of the last unofficial weekend of the summer!! (((hugs to all))) sad

ShortCake 2-Sep-10 Hi Sad, welcome back from vacation. I am glad you got back before the hurricane was suppose to hit. I was listening to that on the news… yikes. The pre-storms are always intense. I am glad you like the Carolina’s. I have never been to the either of the Carolina’s, but after reading your posts it sounds wonderful and maybe someday I will visit. I am still planning my next vacation to be in April of next year to New York. I am planning on going to New York for my friends wedding, and then heading to Boston and possibly New Hampshire. There is a doggy bed and breakfast I want to see in New Hampshire for idea’s on my own business plan. I thought why not rent a car and make it an east coast vacation. I will definitely be getting tips from you when that vacation gets closer. I hope the rest of your summer vacation is relaxing and fun. Hopefully your new students will be good. When do find out if you will be offered the options of early retirement? As for your son, I hope his Senior year is a success and he learns tools to help guide him when he graduates. Sorry to hear about the therapist. Hopefully your son finds the answers he is looking for to help him. As for Elle, I think of her often (Elle if your reading this we miss you). I bet she pops up one of these days. I sure hope so. She has been on this thread since the beginning and she is missed. With everything being exclusive, it’s tough when you don’t hear from someone and can’t check on them personally. I also agree, this goes out to all the wonderful people who pop in and out of this thread. Girls – My puppy dog is doing great after her surgery (eye cyst removed, clean teeth, trimmed nails, and she had one of her back teeth pulled… ouch). She is a trooper. She is not in the mood to socialize with the others, so I keep her all to myself and give her lots of love (she loves it). My mom is in charge of the other two pups right now. I am really looking forward to the holiday weekend. I am going to get some things organized in my life and possibly look at my study books again (unsure, but I am being encouraged to try one more time). Part of me wants to pass these exams to prove to myself I can, another part wants to never look at them again. I am going to do some deep thinking on the topic. A close friend of mine who is a geologist said, starting my own business is a great idea and the business sounds marketable. However, having these exams under my belt and being a registered geologist is something I will always have to fall back on if needed. Plus, I find friends offering guidance and support now that I want to quit. So I am taking notes and sucking info from them when I can. As for my decision to re-take it… I am thinking maybe. Well girls, have a wonderful day and a great holiday weekend. Shortcake.

ellehcim 7-Sep-10 I am still here, I pop on once in a while to read but never have a chance to post anything, there is so much drama in my life it is hard to write about it. The autism is taking a huge toll, the marriage is almost over, daughter may have gallbladder issues, step daughter either on drugs or diabetic, I am leaning on diabetic, and I think somethign is wrong with my thyroid even though levels are normal. the only thing going right is my oldest, he has a great job and is getting ready to start back up at school. I dont smile anymore, I know the marriage is over but it is hard to sit here and read how wrong I am for staying, I am working on a plan, in the end our marriage will be better... or it will be over... I cant really say I am leaving and have no where to go. he has no idea how I feel, I try to tell him but he does not think there is a problem. I should go elle

sad sack 8-Sep-10 Hi, Elle, I cannot tell you how good it was to see a post from you. However, I was saddened by your somber tone. Of course, only you can make the decision whether to stay in your marriage or not. We do not live your life nor do we walk in your shoes. I hope we did not offend you in previous posts. I apologize if I wrote anything that upset you. You said you had a plan. Can you share that with us? ... You said you never smile anymore. I noticed your change in mood, on these posts as well. You always came across as having the best sense of humor. I can always depend on you for a chuckle when I read your posts. I don't see that anymore. You said you have no place to go. Is that a factor in your staying in the relationship? I do recall that before you became engaged, you spoke of buying a condo yourself. What happened to that independent woman? I know she is still there inside of you. I wonder why he does not hear you when you try to tell him how you are feeling. How can he NOT see how miserable and frustrated you are? Do you still attend counseling sessions together? If so, perhaps you can address the lack of communication that the two of you are experiencing. For me, whenever I was in an unhappy relationship. I would ask myself, "Is this the way I want to spend the rest of my life?". The answer was always a big fat "NO!!!" and that made it easier for me to make the decision to leave. In terms of your step-daughter, I wonder if she has been to a doctor. A simple test can determine if she is diabetic. ... I am so sorry to hear of your daughter's medical problem. ... That is wonderful news that your eldest son is doing so well. For him to have a great job, especially in these economic times, is a wonderful accomplishment. I know you are very proud of him. I hope it won't be months before we hear from you again. You were so missed here. Shortcake, I was glad to read that your doggy is recovering nicely. ... In terms of your exams, I think it is wonderful that your friends are supporting you and encouraging you to not give up. Would it be possible to take one test at a time, so that you can focus on one aspect of the material? It always sounded as if you were overwhelmed with all the material. Well, whatever you decide, I wish you all the best. ... I am also glad you are pursuing your other dream to open up a business. It was (and still is) a great idea. As for me, my mom and I finally bought a property in North Carolina. At first, I was so excited but now I am a nervous wreck. Did I do the right thing? Will I go down there enough times to make it worth it? Can I ever be comfortable in a place other than NYC? Did I financially sabatoge myself with this added investment? These are all the questions rolling around in my head. I just don't know if I made the right decision. I suppose time will tell. Ladies, have a wonderful week in your respective neck of the woods. Thinking of you all. sad