Still looking.

[link] WHOA. Maybe I *should* take a sterling set from that person who owes me a lot of money and keeps trying to give it to me instead of paying back X value of cash. On the other hand, what does a person who usually eats on the sofa watching Tivo need with a sterling flatware set for 12?

Here's a diagram of a proper table setting, in case you can't remember if the bread plate goes on the left or the right: [link]

We are grownups in other ways though, I just know it.

Um, just last week my cable was off for the same reason. This is why my sister takes care of my business bookkeeping.

Attn Car people! I need to get a car for my son Brendon. We are about to be a 4 driver household. We own 3 vehicles, none of which are a good match for him. DH drives a big 350 truck. My Jetta is a standard and although he can drive it now it is torture for him and the clutch. Bobby will happily take this car next year when he can turn his permit into a license. He thinks the clutch is wonderful. The other vehicle is a big van.

I need to get a vehicle that is small enough to be convenient for the 2 big destination parking lots - school and mall. Also, cheap enough that he can work off paying me back because that is the deal. I found the following car which seems to fit the criteria with the added bonus of the kid thinking it is a great deal. Of course he intends to work hard and save for teen appropriate modifications.

Thoughts from people that are car knowledgeable? [link]

Liv named one of her dolls "Abby."

Okay, she is just so excited by that, you have no idea. Actually, she's been thrilled to see the pictures and said to tell everyone she's very, very happy and to thank you all for giving the dolls such good homes.

(Have I mentioned how much I love my kid? Seriously?)

Any of the Seattle-isatas have recs on real estate agents/companies that are pleasant to work with?

Does this mean what I think it means? If so, EEEEEEE!!!!!!

Yep. Short of some sort of bizarre natural disaster, we're going. In fact, Lewis and I are looking at going out in a couple of weeks to do a tour/preliminary house hunt.

I am loving the pictures of the girls and their dolls. I was such a girly girl with the dolls. Ah, my life now is all boy stuff.

I recently read a short story that involved a dinner party wherein the hostess said '"The goblets are to the right, just above the forks" when she wanted to make a pre-dinner toast and it irritated me no end. Though I certainly don't care how the table is set when I actually sit down to eat, so I don't know where all that irritation came from.

I am not really car-knowledgeable, Laura, but that looks liek a pretty good deal to me. It has, like, airbags and things? The list of features was too long for me to actually find anything important...

Whoa, that's great, Barb!

I know it's not the most financially responsible thing to do, but we have our cable bill (and a few others, like the NYT subscription) paid automatically by credit card so we can't forget to pay it. It's one of the biggest monthly expenses we have, I figure we may as well earn miles on it.

Short of some sort of bizarre natural disaster, we're going.

Yay!

Any of the Seattle-isatas have recs on real estate agents/companies that are pleasant to work with?

I don't, but I will ask the other members of the Goth HiveMind who have recently been house-hunting. Yay!

Laura, I'd try to find something like a late model Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla or Scion (which is made by Toyota). They tend to run forever and be very reliable while still being hip and fun enough that a teenager will like it. Also those are models that should have lots of teen friendly modifications available.

I'd be worried on the Olds for a few reasons. The big one is that it is now a discontinued brand and has been for a few years so model specific parts are going to start to become more difficult to find. I believe they have to maintain parts for 10 years after the model year and beyond that there is no requirement. Also, GM engines and transmissions of that era do not have the best track record for racking up a ton of miles with no real problems. Honda and Toyota both have a tendency to be able to roll on the miles and keep running.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

If he wants something that's totally fun but somewhat impractical the Mazda Miata is typically one of consumer reports and AAAs top ranking cars for young drivers. You can get them quite cheap since they've been around for a long while now, they run forever, and they have great safety records.