Ok, that wind is fucking brutal. Even driving, the brief exposure was such that my eyes were watering in sinus pain. And that's with 2 layers+ hat+2hoods+scarf+down coat. I have no idea how the vendors survive it. I thanked them profusely.

Headed there now. If they can make it out to sell things, I can make it there to buy.

MY MOTHER MAKES ME SEEM LIKE I HAVE TACT AND FILTERS!

See, upside! This brings to mind poor Mika on Morning Joe. (Don't ask me why I still watch this morning show, but I do) Anyway, Mika's mom routinely texts her to tell her how awful her hair or makeup or outfit is while she is on the air! Thanks mom, way to shake my confidence.

Mom doesn't use computers or phones for that matter. Step-dad says stuff whenever any bad language is used, and my brother is in the right wing whackadoodle crew. Otherwise my on line interactions with family are pretty normal.

My mother every day of our lives has told all of us how we are perfect, beautiful, and brilliant. That is mom.

No one in my family is very active on Facebook (Mom does not have an account, Dad has an account but never looks at it, sister had to get an account for some course she was taking but hasn't friended anyone except who she was required to for the course, and brother has occasional flurries of activity which are always good-natured - even the niecphews are sporadic in their posting (or careful of their privacy settings, but I think just sporadic)), which is probably good for all of us getting along.

Had cookies for breakfast and am now enjoying Saturday morning Shonda. Egregious use of decimate just now on Gray's.

My sister and niece are active on Facebook. I actually know a lot more about their day to day lives since we all joined, so that's nice. There's the occasional political/religious tension, but on the whole, we're pretty civil.

My BiL posts enough to keep me aware of what's going on in their household (or at least what cute stuff their cats are doing), for which I am duly grateful.

My primary means of communication with my sister in Pennsylvania is Facebook.

Fake pockets should be outlawed. It's fraud.

Fake pockets are at least honest in their fakedness. In boot camp, our pants had pockets, but we were not allowed to use them or put our hands in them. If anyone was caught with their hands in their pockets more than once, they had to sew them up. I believe the reasoning was that if you stood around with your hands in your pockets, you would be unable to provide an appropriate salute if required. In which case, why pockets?

I really wish I could get into a credit union, but the ones around here are for public employees.

I'm not sure exactly where you are, but you might check into credit unions affiliated with universities. It might only be unique to my own, but the UW credit union allows anyone who lives within a 5 mile radius of a branch join, which effectively covers the entire city.

Timelies all!

My parents are barely online. I get email from them every so often, but mostly we communicate by phone. I think my brother is on Facebook, but I'm not.

Consuela, there are a number of credit unions around here that are community-based rather than employer-based. I'd be really surprised if that was more common where I am than where you are. I know my credit union used to be strictly for employees of Shell but is now open to anyone in the community (who lives there, works there, or goes to school there, I believe, it's pretty broad (I actually wouldn't qualify under that but I joined as an employee's dependent back in the day)) so you might want to recheck your options.

Fake pockets are at least honest in their fakedness.

No, I will not grant that. They are tricksy and out to deceive. And I include the too-small-to-hold-anything pockets in my definition of fake pockets.

Having pockets and being prohibited from using them is a whole different ball of wax.