<p>Missing you sabaray. Check in when you can!</p>
<p>Moda == hugs from here too. The slide show sounds like an amazing gift.</p>
<p>Oh Moda – so sorry to hear this news. Whatever other emotions are roiling around, sadness is certainly one of them. </p>
<p>Anyone want to volunteer for puppy training? Honestly, I think she’s toying with us! 
H missed almost all of the training on our previous dog, so his patience is being severely tested! It doesn’t help that it’s still freezing cold here. At least she’s sleeping through the night, so I’m grateful for that.</p>
<p>Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all. </p>
<p>Is she training you, CBBBlinker?</p>
<p>Hi all. Nothing new here. Things are calm except on the sibling front. They are having a blast acting like they did as children. Nasty and vicious and fighting over personal property. I only have one pretty but not working watch Mother gave me 4 years ago but it was bequeathed to my sister who has the ring bequeathed to me. I am so glad I did not ever take anything that was offered. What a mess.</p>
<p>D is studying 8-10 hours a day. I do not think I would have been able to pull it off. But then memorizing never worked for me as I have a need to understand if I am going to remember something.</p>
<p>CB, I am in love with the scat mat I bought from amazon. D’s dog now stands back from the front door. She has been shocked twice, I have been 3 x’s and H a time or so. She wins for learning. It does not hurt one bit but it is surprising. I may get another so we can take the gate down from the area we do not want her in. She learned how to move the side and now it is reinforced with stuff and we get to step over it. Have not hunkered down to deal with her behavior when she sees another dog.</p>
<p>Oh, I guess I am suffering from a Baker’s cyst on the back of my knee. I cannot exercise and the days have many more hours in them now…feels odd to stay off my feet. My complete sympathy to PG woman who are on bedrest.</p>
<p>Back from viist to MILs. Let’s just say I’m glad that is over. Now I don’t talk right – I mumble. Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t mumble at all. She said she can’t hear me so it must be my tone. REALLY? She needs a hearing aid but won’t admit it. I asked her a question Sat. night and she didn’t even act like she heard me. My H repeated the question and she didn’t hear him either. She just doesn’t want to admit that she is missing conversations. I’m sure however it is ALL my fault. :)</p>
<p>Hello all. Back safe and sound from Budapest. Hope to have more time for a report later. </p>
<p>Moda, it’s so nice that you put the slide show together but hugs to you and your family.</p>
<p>Oregon, I had a Bakers cyst removed from behind my knee when I was in 5th grade. I have a long thick scar…I was in the hospital for 10 days! Can you imagine? I bet it’s day surgery now.</p>
<p>Right before we left, Son was admitted to his 4 year school…so I guess we really will have an empty nest in the fall.</p>
<p>While we were there, older D had a Skype interview and obtained and received an offer for a paid internship in Chicago this summer.</p>
<p>Also while we were there, younger D’s stupid weasel BF broke up with her by iMessage.She was very upset…for less than 24 hours…then she was already to the “screw him” stage. (We didn’t want to see her hurt but are so glad he’s out of the picture.)</p>
<p>Wow! MP! That’s really super great for D1 and S! And really pretty great for D2 as well!
Can’t wait to hear all about Budapest - always sounded so exotic to me, very Orient Express.</p>
<p>Moda - hugs to you.</p>
<p>MP–good news on ALL fronts!!!
Waiting for your report on your travels.</p>
<p>Sooooo sick of the snoowwww. And so glad that we are now in an apartment and don’t have to shovel.</p>
<p>A bit of Budapest dorm trivia. Two triples (TINY triples) share a teeny bathroom. There is a chart (made up by the dorm, not the school.) The bathroom must be cleaned twice a week (each girl has an assigned day) and the bedrooms once a week. (They are supposed to mop the floor - D had never used an actual mop - I have hardly used one myself. Even my mom used a sponge mop when we were growing up.) Interestingly, no one is ever assigned to clean the communal kitchen, which is in constant use. Also, the girls take their own toilet paper to the bathroom each time they use it, and take it with them when they leave. (Only D and her friend typically leave theirs there.) H felt very sorry for D in her extremely crowded, fairly unpleasant living conditions. I said “She’s been to Istanbul.” (Meaning, there is a lot of very good that goes with the bad.)</p>
<p>MP, great news about all three kids. Especially fabulous for PieSon, but great steps for all three.</p>
<p>Woohoo to pieson! And the missy dx2. Can’t wait to hear more about Budapest.clearly, the city must be charmed for so much good mojo to have occurred while there ;)</p>
<p>Took mch to see Brit Floyd last night. Pretty funny in terms of crowd-watching 
At least I don’t THINK I was having an acid flashback…</p>
<p>Congrats to the pie family!!! Such good news! Would love to hear more about Budapest!</p>
<p>Ugh…got more snow last night. So tired of this winter.</p>
<p>D2’s fiance got a great job offer yesterday! Yay! The company needed someone right away so he will be starting at the beginning of April even though he doesn’t graduate until the end of May. They are allowing him to work three days a week and finish his classes the other two. We are so happy for him as he is such a hard worker. </p>
<p>Forgot to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to missypie!!! Enjoy the day and have a fun year ahead! :)</p>
<p>Happy Birthday MP!</p>
<p>Not much going on here. Winter is still hanging on unfortunately. I’m ready to get outside and do somethings in the garden.</p>
<p>NM, that’s awesome! Congrats for SIL. That’s gotta feel good ;)</p>
<p>Happy (belated) Birthday, Missy!</p>
<p>On the weather front, I hear you. On one and, through the eating snow and ice I can see a hint of the blue pool cover. The sides are still like a stadium bowl. And next week more snow and nights into the teens. My mandeville s that are overwintering in the poolhouse have sent out scout vines…they don’t seem to know its still lethal out there for them ;)</p>
<p>Future SIL needs clothes for his job. Can anyone suggest where to shop for dress pants? I told D2 I would pick up some pants and a shirt or two. </p>
<p>Kohls has a good selection.</p>
<p>Missy, how is your cold? We, several of us, are really affected by some chest virus that is hanging on forever. Dad’s wife is in the hospital with it. I am making the hour+ drive again today, day 4, to help poor Dad, who has not gotten it yet but who just lost his sister and has had dizzy spells. And I look out the window and see snowflakes. Enough!</p>
<p>NMN, for suits (but not pants), I go to JosBank when they are on sale (the sales vary daily – two days ago all suits were 65% off or something like that). I buy the high-end product ($1200 reduced to 330) for me but have bought lower end stuff for ShawSon. I also got a wool topcoat for him that was reduced from $495 to $99. I don’t know if this will show up and I think the sale is off (<a href=“http://www.josbank.com/menswear/shop/SubCategory_11001_10050_9213000?langId=-1&parent_category_rn=&top_category=&pageView=0¤tPage=13&pageSize=&filter1=&filter2=&filter3=”>http://www.josbank.com/menswear/shop/SubCategory_11001_10050_9213000?langId=-1&parent_category_rn=&top_category=&pageView=0¤tPage=13&pageSize=&filter1=&filter2=&filter3=</a>). But, I’ve paid $100+ for suits for ShawSon that look very good on him. He likes the suit with no tie look. Dressy, casual and cool (and particularly good if you are tall). I wear the same thing when I am in London.</p>
<p>Remarkably, he and I wear the same size even though he is significantly taller (and thinner) than I am. I inadvertently put on one of his suits to go to a party at a Museum the other night and discovered that I had done so only when I was in the car. Surprisingly, it didn’t look like I was wearing someone else’s suit.</p>
<p>For shirts, I now buy Kirkland non-iron shirts at Costco (see <a href=“http://www.costco.com/mens-dress-shirts.html”>http://www.costco.com/mens-dress-shirts.html</a>). Kirkland is their house brand. They are a little under $20 and are as good as JosBank or Brooks Brother and better than many others. We had dinner at the home of a friend who is a hospital CEO and he identified my shirt as a Costco shirt – he was also wearing one in a different pattern. So no need to worry if they are of high enough quality. I get them for ShawSon now as well.</p>
<p>Dress pants are harder. I haven’t found anything perfect. Costco has some high quality pants – see (<a href=“http://www.costco.com/pants.html”>http://www.costco.com/pants.html</a>). I don’t like JosBank pants – relatively expensive and poor quality for some reason – and don’t want to pay Brooks Brothers prices. Maybe Men’s Wearhouse? I don’t know them, but they are trying to buy JosBank at the moment.</p>