MikkiStreak

HAHA! For once, I'm the first to realize someone has a special event on the calendar and I'm putting up the congratulations thread!! (Benefit of being an insomniac now, I guess-- I notice the calendar this late at night!) Jamy, I absolutely adore you--- you are one of my favorite people on this forum and have been ever since you wrote that response to my aunt's letter (which I still have a copy of, because it was so damn funny!)... Here is hoping you and Will have an amazing first anniversary day, full of fun, drinks, and some nookie! (Sorry, that was the closest to the "nookie" comment that I could find in the smilies)

"The church said it cannot change the rules banning women from the priesthood..." Really? The church can't change the "rules"? Hmmm.... if I recall correctly, that's what VATICAN II did--- it re-wrote a LOT of Catholic "rules" that had been in place up to that point! "...because Church law states that only a baptized male can be made a priest." Ah yes, this is what it really boils down to.... the CHURCH LAW states what can/can't be done. But notice, it's called "church law" not "God's law"... oh wait, that's because they think the Church IS Christ!!! I was born and raised a Catholic.... and am now a "recovering" Catholic...

When I lived in Iowa, ethanol blended gas was very common. But here in the DFW area, ethanol blends are rarely found at gas stations. It was fairly common here in Texas before the 70's, but right around that time, it phased out of Texas and is harder to find now. So, when Frank and I were over in Sachse this weekend, we noticed the Kroger fuel station has E85 ethanol blend as an option. Of course, it had the typical disclaimers about consulting the owners manual before using because E85 consists of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. But, the price difference between ethanol blend and full gasoline is about $.40 per gallon. For us, it means a savings of $50/mo just by driving about 10 miles to Sachse to fill up both vehicles. Many of the vehicles on the road today are already able to use this high of an ethanol blend fuel, without the owners even knowing about it. The interior of your gas door may indicate whether your vehicle can use an E85 fuel blend. Here's the official DOE website information also: Flex Fuel Technology Here's the specific page to see if your vehicle is FFV compatable: Make/Model Search There are also tax credits for purchasing energy efficient vehicles, including FFV: Tax Incentives Maintenance on FFV compatible autos is the same as non-energy efficient vehicles. So, while lifetime expenses on a hybrid can equal or exceed a regular gasoline vehicle, the FFV autos don't cost more than a gas vehicle, and you still get gas savings plus the tax credits. So you wind up saving money immediately and over the life of the vehicle. And, the other huge plus if you're environmentally aware---- ethanol blends have lower carbon and toxic emissions and is better for the environment also. To locate a fuel station that uses E85 blends: E85 Energy Independence

Quote: Originally Posted by Elizabeth Medina Mikkistreak, that would be incredible! If I can help you with information let me know! Elizabeth, curious---- have you done weddings in the Cooper Canyon region? That's another region of Mexico that Frank and I think is absolutely gorgeous!

Ever since I saw the first wedding you posted from one of the Haciendas, I've been hooked!!! FI and I really want to get married at one of them when we finally begin planning...

I gotta admit, my favorite pairing for lamb is a white bean flan or maybe a wild mushroom & rosemary flan...

Quote: Originally Posted by MsShelley that is what I don't get, we don't have an official home owners association. Yes, they have meetings, but we don't pay money, nor did we sign a contract. So, just to update, yesterday when I left I found a county card in my front door and someone (the same bitch) called the county and complained about Amos' tow truck- again! We went through this last year and they determined it was fine, now they are just starting war. So, yesterday we happened to be outside when our neighbor got home, Amos said calmly to her, Hey Helen, thanks for calling the county on us while we were away, I really appreciate it. And she denied it for about 2 minutes and then she admitted to calling the county. We so caught her in her lie. It kind of turned into a big screaming match. Amos just kept saying, we have to live next to each other, can't we just get along. We honestly don't bother anyone in the nieghborhodd. Basically the guy from the county told us that the reason why people were complaining was because they couldn't see what the other neighbors were doing WTF?? We tried to talk civil to them, but her husband start cussing and yelling. He finally said that he couldn't get his garage built, they denied him, so that is probably what this is all about. So, anyway, they have halted all work and we are filing for a variance Monday morning.... Well, that would be the line that declares war mentality in me. Anytime they make a noise that I would hear inside my home, I'd call the cops. Anytime they have a guest who parks in the street, I'd call the cops for "suspicious behavior".... It sounds like they are bitter people who are trying to drive you guys out of the neighborhood, to be honest. It's so sad when people have nothing better to do than to cause grief for everyone around them. If this lady is that bitter over something so petty, imagine how horrible it must be for her hubby to have to LIVE with that every single day....

Quote: Originally Posted by MsShelley our permits are in the front window, and we did get a permit for the second story, but I think the problem is, it is taller than our house (a rancher) but that really shouldn't matter if we had a county permit. Shelley, do you guys pay neighborhood association dues? If so, there was probably a contract you signed when you bought the house, and there's might be something in the contract that is giving her the ability to keep calling the county. Most homeowners/neighborhood associations have clauses in the contracts that say the homeowners have to get written permission from the association before beginning any building projects, in order for the association to keep all the homes in the area within neighborhood specifications. Down here, they are complete hard-asses. They define what color the home can be, what materials can be used for fencing in yards, what kind of sheds can be placed in the yards, etc... and any project that requires a contractor usually has to be approved by the HOA. They suck, as the homeowner, and the only plus side to an HOA/neighborhood association is that they are used to deter the neighborhood from becoming HUD or investment properties, which will plummet a homes value.

Christa, I have house envy of you right now. I cannot wait to be in your shoes again! I miss that insane home-project obsessed state. I've missed my friend Mr. Lowe's.... And, I really cannot wait to move all our stuff out, then play "kickball" on the ceiling in the middle of the night to pay back those fuckers who live above us. I mean, for real, tiny freaking people like that should never be able to make that much stinking noise when they move around.

I voted for #4, but I also like #3 too. Frank LOVES watches, so for Christmas I got him a nice Citizen Eco. It's cool because it doesn't have to be wound and is solar powered. I've had Eco for 10 years now, and no matter how much I abuse it, it always looks good.

Thanks Tammy! That's what I was thinking because I know that even when the county re-asseses, it's just a drive-by without taking interior updates into consideration. (or adding value for additions/upgrades that had permits issued for the work.) Are there public sites available where people can research market property value (without being a licensed realtor)?

I'm starting to dig into property values for a couple homes/neighborhoods we've been looking at. So I've been checking out the appraisal district records to see what the house appreciation has been like over time, as well as other homes in the immediate vicinty, and also checking to see how frequently ownership rolls over and whether there are many rental homes in the neighborhood. So, I know the mortgage company does an appraisal to determine what the LTV is going to be. But I'm wondering how that measures up to county appraisals? Like--- if a home is for sale with an asking price of $200,000 but the county tax roll shows the actual value (without exemptions) at $180,000: is it more likely the mortgage appraisal will come in closer to the sale price, or closer to the tax value? (or does that even matter?)

I met the lead guitarist of "Autograph", Johnny Cash, and the guy who played Ned Cunningham on General Hospital (all in the St. Louis Airport and/or the Cedar Rapids Airport). I got hit on by Tracey Gunz (LA Guns) when I was 16 and followed his tour bus to an autograph signing. When I was 16, I sang at Kennedy Center for a Fourth of July celebration for Ronald Reagan. I used to dance for Lords of Acid in my mid 20's, and I used to party with the guys from Stomp every time they came thru town during my mid 20's also. I also met Shawn Michaels (WWE fame) back when he first started with the American Wrestling team after he left San Antonio. (I was drinking with him backstage for one of his shows and wound up with an autograph on my boob when I was 14. hehe) Because of Frank's involvement in music for so many years, I've met quite a few of his friends (some who are fairly well known, and some who are really well known), as well as gotten VIP treatment at concerts and met quite a few famous people that way. Friends of Franks: Drowning Pool singer (Dave Williamsm before he died), Chuck Rainey (played with Steeley Dan, Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes), Vickie Carr (family friend of Frank's mom and dad; was famous in the 60's), Trini lopez (Frank's godfather; famous in the 60's and was asked to design a guitar for Fender), "Dimebag" Daryl (Pantera), Bret Hoffman from Maelvolent Creation (engaged to Frank's best friend). Stevie Ray Vaughn (a close friend of mine's husband grew up with Stevie and played in his first band with him) Met backstage or drank at "private" bars after the shows: Kid Rock, Gwen Stefani, Sevendust, Jacob Dillon from the wallflowers, Shaun Salt from White Zombie, Kitty, Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20, Stabbing Westward, Frank Beard from ZZ Top (his daughter went to school with Frank), KMFDM, , Clutch, Chevelle, Static X, Cannibal Corpse, , Glen Benton from Deicide (very funny guy!), Whitesnake, Enuf Znuf, System of a Down, Gwar, 3 Days Grace, Mushroomhead, Kill Hannah, Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden (much shorter than you'd think in person), Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath, Fu Manchu...

I think they need counseling. Sex issues are a touchy subject for most couples because it's taken very personally by both parties. So if she tries to talk to him about it, he could easily take it personally; or the opposite--- not give much credence to how she feels about the issue and she winds up offended. I think counseling is needed for the communication issues. I also think that if she wants to get into the "why" behind porn, that an unbiased third party is a good way to do that. But I also gotta say, she may want to think about the "why" behind porn bothering her. Some people are uncomfortable because of their own lack of confidence and wonder if their guy is comparing them to someone else; or because they have mild jealousy that their guy finds someone else sexually attractive; etc...

On that one, I would darken the over-exposure in the lower right corner (by either trying to lower the brightness, or cloning the upper left corner coloring). I'd probably clone out the shadow because it shows so much detail in the woolly looking carpet/blanket that it becomes distracting to the image of the pup...

there are a lot of other services that do this service for free too. unfortunately, removing from google doesn't remove from other services. too bad the "do not call" registry doesn't remove numbers from things like this... and, even tho this is probably one of the easiest ways to find people---- the reality is that it doesn't take too much effort to find anyone online. I've helped adoption agencies track people down just from a womans name and the town they lived in 20+ years ago, in less than half an hour, and found my own mother in less than 7 hours when all I had to start with was the first initial of her last name. with determination and motivation, it can be done by almost anyone...

I would love to have a hybrid, but like Trish pointed out---- they aren't really going to provide enough gas savings to make the purchase worth it. To add to that--- make sure to compare how the maintenance prices for a hybrid compares to regular vehicles. If I remember correctly, hybrids use different oil, and because replacement parts aren't "mainstream" yet, they tend to be more expensive. Also, check the lifespan of the fuel cell (I think that's what it is called) because I've heard the replacement cost is about $5k. (Not sure on that tho...) Also, insurance rates increase the more expensive a vehicle is to repair when damaged---- so definitely check insurance rates before buying because you could see a significant increase when purchasing a hybrid.

Quote: Originally Posted by SoontobeMrsE The little girl looks up at me and says very matter of factly..."Thats just what that lady said on tv, so you must be a whore too". "I saw that lady on TV too! She also said once that little girls who are disrespectful should be spanked by their parents. So I guess I'll have to tell your dad you need spanked too!" I really don't like kids that much to begin with, but when they have behavior like that, I don't even bother being polite or nice to them.

And remember, helmets lose their safety protection if they are dropped. It's recommended to replace them if they drop or have been in an accident.

I love making different types of mashed potatoes. I don't like them creamy tho---- more chunky mashed potatoes. * smash up some red baking potatoes, add some diced ham steak, mushrooms, and some gryuere cheese. this one is my favorite! * twice baked using sour cream, cheddar and shrimp * sweet potatoes, rum and mint * my dad has a sweet potato recipe that is the most amazing thing I've ever had. I'll have to dig it out... I just remember it having ribbons of brown sugar thru it, with a streussel topping. mmmm..... my dad was an amazing cook!

Quote: Originally Posted by dragonfly Liam was to live where he could catch gekko's, hehe, oh to be 5:) We have gekko's here.... Can I convince you to move to Dallas?

Tough question... miracle implies something that you could change about the present, and I'm not sure what I would change about the present, except undo the effects of my aneurysm so that she's "all there" again, and cure Frank's moms parkinsons so that she could walk and speak (normally) again. If I were rolling back the clock for a miracle, I'd wish Frank's dad were alive again. I would love to see the way his eyes lit up whenever Frank walked in the door, and to see that "look" between him and Franks mom-- 50 years of marriage and those two loved each other more with each passing day.

Quote: Originally Posted by Rachelle E. oh wow Maria...those pics are crazy! Where that little plane is flipped over is like seriously 4 minutes from my house!! eek! I'm glad to hear you guys are ok!! I was thinking you lived up in this area... I pulled these photos from the WFAA site. I'm leaving work about 3 hours early today so I can go out with the camera and take some photos of what hasn't been cleaned up yet. We're over in the 75/Legacy area (right by the golf course by Legacy), and the apartment complex was completely littered with trees. I heard it was really bad by Stacy Road/75 too.... and a metals sculpture at the entrance of Craig Ranch completed wrapped around a tree (like the "arms" of the sculpture folded around the tree)... one of my co-worker's neighbor in Craig Ranch actually had the brick on sides of his house rip away, down to exposed tylock house wrapping, etc.... we're at the bottom of a hill, and it was like a mudslide when I left for work this morning from all the run-off and soil erosion..... ick....

Still here.... our neighborhood is a complete mess tho.... Here's some photos from the area... I woke up around 3:00am and just heard 'pop', 'pop', 'pop' over and over and over. It was the 70' tall trees all around us falling.... Saw 'green' lightning from the power lines & transformers being blown to bits.... winds were clocked at like 80+mph.

Quote: Originally Posted by StephanieMN My mom is pretty self-invloved. My older sister actually snapped at her this weekend during my bridal shower telling her the day wasn't about her. I agree that saying anything now is not going to work out too well. I would like to stand up and toast my sister at the wedding for bailing us out and thank my mother for once again causing me stress. That would go over well. "Family and Friends, Thank you for sharing our day with us. We are so happy to share this moment with the people we care most about...... (etc...) I'd like to take a moment to thank some of the people who have brought us to this day. I'd like to thank my wonderful sisters, who shared in the excitement of being a bride by going gown shopping with me, smiling politely thru bridezilla moments (haha), helping to plan the wedding, the shower, and contributing financially to make this day as special as possible. I'd like to thank my mom, for giving birth to me and my sisters. I'd also like to thank you for not forcing yourself into the wedding planning. Your complete abandonment while you focus on yourself and your new marriage, is just what I needed to further cement the bond between myself and my sisters, thus making this day so very special. You've taught me so much mom, and it reads like a "what not to do" manual for marriage and motherhood." (BTW--- I love your sense of humor. Revoking the wedding invitation is pretty amusing to picture)