VW, not to worry about short temp assignments.

Oh, it's not a worry really. I was just in line for a three-month higher-paying position, and the company decided they didn't want it at this time. So, I had my hopes up. It's fine. At this point I just need some work. It'll be fine.

Every time I get my brows plucked I swear to myself that I'll keep it up, and then two more years go by before I get around to getting them plucked again.

Or possibly you just have naturally more tame brows? I also have fairly short bangs most of the time so my eyebrows are always On Display. And I'm lame about plucking them myself.

DJ, I'm so sorry about your friend.

Free patterns (for knitting.)

Also over at Knitty where the summer issue was just put up.

Or possibly you just have naturally more tame brows?

I don't know if they are more tame than most. They are dark and thick and a bit arched naturally, and I think they look fine that way. Or at least I can say they've never been over plucked. But I have to admit they look way better after they've been plucked, I'm just too lazy to keep them that way for a whole year at a time.

Oh yeah! She's at Vierra and Friends in Cole Valley. Only a couple of days a week right now because she's in nursing school. The number is 415-665-9335. Her name is Laurel.

Definitely say I sent you!! And that you are a friend from the Buffy board.

Awesome!! I am so going to contact her! Thanks.

Susan W. One thing to consider is that cost of living differences are often not as great as they appear at first glance. Yes, lower rent but:

1) Do you have to drive more? Not just gas, but wear down car faster, more auto maintenance

2) Insurance costs?

3) Food costs?

4) Medical care costs. All insurance plans are not created equal. If the job offers worse insurance, even if still decent, that could reduce the differences in cost of living.

4) Schools: as a conservative low government spending state will you have to put out money for a private school to get your kids a decent education. Or move into a high end neighborhood, eliminating much of the rent difference?

I would not worry about it too much now. But if your DH actually gets an offer try to figure true difference in cost of living, not just looking at rents.

Yeah, I remember Aims saying awhile back that Michigan ended up being more expensive than LA in many ways.

I know it *could* be just extra fat, but combined with the unexplained pain that occurs randomly throughout the month, it's got me a little concerned. Not overly, but still. I'll be glad to get it checked out tomorrow.

Steph, it might be a fibroid. Have you noticed any changes in your cycle?

Well, we wouldn't be renting anymore, in either case. We're planning to buy next year. (At LAST, thank GOD.)

Schools...well, we may be looking at private schools even if we stay here. Our lease isn't up till April, which means Annabel's public school assignment is going to be based on our current address. You get to tour schools and express a preference within your general section of the city. There are five possibilities in our area, one excellent, three good, and one terrible (low scores, bad academic reputation, etc.). We're closest to the best of the lot, but everyone wants to go there, so only kids who lived within a few blocks got in for kindergarten last year. We're second closest to the terrible school, which as I understand it means the odds are high that no matter what our expressed preference is, she'll be assigned there. And if she is, we're going to put her in private school. Fortunately there are some decent possibilities nearby, and we're going to tour them as we're touring public schools this fall so we'll know our options.

I'm kinda kicking myself for not researching the issue before renewing our lease. I don't suppose it makes me a bad mommy, but it may make me a mommy who's paying private school tuition for the next 6-8 years. Sigh.

I don't suppose it makes me a bad mommy, but it may make me a mommy who's paying private school tuition for the next 6-8 years. Sigh.

....but if you bought a house, wouldn't you move? And then be in a different public school area? Couldn't she then go to a decent public school? So it'd be a year of private school tuition? Or heck, a year of bad public school, even, if you decided you couldn't afford private school adn buying a house in the same year? If it wasn't a TRULY bad (ie guns and drugs in the elementary school) public school, a year probably wouldn't be anything she couldn't catch up from, in kindergarten.