U. S. Open (Golf): Wow! Tiger won in sudden death on the 19th hole. That's epic.

Yep, what everyone else said. my mom and I took my then 90-year-old grandmother on a Royal Carribean Alaskan cruise, and it was amazing. We had reserved a wheelchair onboard and got a (huge, for a cruise ship) handicapped-accessible room with its own balcony that slept (albeit tightly) all three of us, and it was money well spent. Gram sat out on her own little balcony a lot since it was so convenient and private.

Of course, I had to invest in earplugs since both my mother and my grandmother snore like mad, but it was worth the savings to split the cruise room three ways. I'm also somewhat claustrophobic, so having a big wall of glass made that much more manageable.

If you can't take sleeping in the same room and don't mind the lack of natural light, a cheap inside stateroom is the way to go. You'll spend most of your time on deck or elsewhere on the ship anyway.

I recommend using a travel agent for all of this, btw. They will make sure you get the best rooms possible and will help you to be sure your mother is all set.

ETA: Shore excursions are often ridiculously expensive, but they do usually indicate the activity level, and most are able to easily accommodate the elderly. Once or twice my mom and I went on a more active excursion while my gram either stayed on board to relax or went on another excursion she could access. She needs supervision to not get lost, and the cruise and tour people were great. I think I was the youngest person on the Alaskan cruise by at least 20 years when I went. The age of the passengers directly correlates to the route. Colder routes like NE, Canada, and Alaska are always going to skew a lot older.

E(again)TA: Also, I am Kat. I liked cruising a lot more than I expected to, though it's not my favorite mode of travel. I've been on several and only had one bad experience--and I think that had a lot more to do with personal issues than the cruise itself.

Damn, Kat, that's hot.

Re cruises - from all I've heard there's one constant - they feed you. Constantly. Which can be a good news/bad news thing.

they feed you. Constantly. Which can be a good news/bad news thin

They also constantly provide opportunities to drink, which--when traveling with one's family--can be a blessing.

Kristin, I enjoy that your quote cuts off at "thin".

I didn't have a graduation until high school. Also, our schools go P-6, 7-9, and 10-12, so a grade 8 graduation would just be weird.

9 year old setter playing with a puppy - so cute.

ETA: there is Elvis music and the occasional bark in that video.

Can someone who is better versed in current pop culture explain to me why Kat Von D has her own makeup line at Sephora? I know that she's a reality TV "star", and that she's dating Nikki Sixx, but I don't quite get how that translates into getting her own makeup line.

Dear lord! My mother just sent me an email forward that it is taking all my strength not to reply to. It's one of those "and you think your shoes hurt" thinks about "footbinding in Japan" Only the shoes in the email are. not. Japanese. They are fetish-wear not only the crazy stripper heels and the ones that you're not really expected to walk in, but also the ones used for pony play.

My need to correct is fighting with the need for my mother never to know (or know that I know) about these things.