I don't think people meant them as dismissive at all, but now that I know they felt that way to Tep, I am sure they'll stop. Glad you spoke up, Teppy. You said earlier that you felt it took too long for you to speak, but I think it just takes as long as it needs take. You put up with it until you had to speak up and then you spoke up. That seems to me to be the essence of health.

maybe you're just more desirable than us, Tep. Everyone wants you in their city. Though I have to say, my level of comfort in my hometown must be at an all-time low since I found myself envying people on Intervention their long-distance rehab. And the fact they won't see their family members for a whole ninety days.(Which is terrible...they give me everything. But that's kind of just it. The closest I came to being "on my own" involved having a passel of attendants acting like my parents, in one way or another.)

I always interpreted the links as signs of affection, attempts to recruit you closer to them. A sympathetic gesture with a little wink that it would be nicer if you weren't so far away.

I always took them this way too, and I am so sorry that they upset you. I seem to remember them starting around the time when you work was being particularly horrible to you wrt your hours and cutting back on your time at work. I thought it was more of an encouragement to get you out of a particularly horrible situation where you obviously were not being properly appreciative.

::wearing my "What Scrappy Said" t-shirt

I don't know how Tep feels, but the responses to her clear, legitimate issues seem to be trying to justify why it was okay to do it. (and in the interim, may be making her feel badly about not liking it) It doesn't matter what the intent was, it made her unhappy, and it just needs to stop. Plus I think that we should stop talking about it and putting Teppy on the spot.

So, how about them Tigers?

I am at home relaxing after shoveling and warming up Andi's car so she can go to work.

Last night I went into the ditch. Well, a wide deep median, I guess, but ditch like. I was driving fairly reasonable for the snowy conditions, and decided to pull over to the right lane, as some cars were gaining in that lane far behind me.

I hit a patch of wet ice,and started swerving out of control, I tried to steer into it, and was gaining some control when I hit a small patch of dry pavement. That tossed me about more and into the ditch.

I Immediately called AAA, and they said I'm out of incidents for the year, so it would be chargeable. I said to send one anyway, my year is up at the end of the month, I hope not to have more. (Besides, I have Roadside through my car insurance, too.)

Then a cop shows up, checks on me, and calls a closer tow truck, and I got pulled out just as the AAA one arrived. Oh well.

$85 later and I got to go home.

Glad today is my day off.

Daniel, are you okay? Any injuries? How's the car?

Yikes, Daniel!

I'm finding out some remarkable things about the shooting in Tucson:

- The little girl who died was born on 9/11/2001

- A staffer 5 days into the job go to the congresswoman and propped her up against his chest so she would not asphyxiate, and applied pressure to her wound until medics got there.

- A 61-year old woman wrestled a second clip out of the hand of the gunman.

- two other bystanders tackled the gunman until police got to him.

And the hall of shame:

- the Westboro Baptist Church plans to picket the funeral of the little girl (for one)

However:

- A group of volunteers calling themselves "Angels" will block the WBC protesters from sight of the mourners.

and:

- The Arizona legislature is rushing through a bill to keep protesters 300 ft away from funerals.

The new truck came thorough it with flying colors, it just isn't 4WD, so I couldn't crawl it out.

I'm glad I had the upper right tie rod end replaced last week, it was ready to snap and would have done so with the strain.

I'm OK, a bit of adrenaline hangover last night, then zonked out for 9 hours on the CPAP/BiPAP...