trinacriabob

imposter

I look at my web home page and there's a link to "campus shooting." Unbelievable: it's at the University of Washington in Seattle More unbelievable: in the Architecture Building They weren't students, per se, but it was a murder-suicide between a research associate and a man who was obviously obsessed with her. One of thinks of smug, morose, safe Nordic Seattle and this is hard to believe. On the South End, maybe. But on the UW campus? I rarely visit the place as I want to forget the school experience there. However, if I ever do, it will be creepy.

I lived in a LaCrosse CX for a week. Under normal driving, it was quiet enough and very pleasant. It's quieter than previous Buicks I've driven or owned. Let's face it, all OHV V6s, be they Buick, Chevy or Ford/DCX, have a sound that is different from that of a V8 and, under acceleration, a muffled exhaust note will display this sound to you. If you want to notice a difference within the GM ranks, take a basic GP V6 out for a spin and hit the gas. When you come back to the Buick, you will inevitably think it's quiet. Other than that, I don't know what to say.

Good, except for your gratuitous homosexual overtones which are an inextricable part of everything you do and say! :AH-HA_wink:

Las Vegas

What if they are big Germanic hefers with broad shoulders and thick ankles, you still wanna kiss them? (Remember, German girls in America are put together differently from German girls in the Motherland...I'm sure you know).

Wow. I went to 16 years of Catholic school (grammar + HS + bachelor's degree). Nothing ever happened to me. Agreed - this thing has been a black eye for the church. I seriously think that priests ought to be able to be married and that women should be admitted to the priesthood. (Our two closest allies, the Episcopals and/or the Greek Orthodox) allow these things. In grammar school, I just did my work. In high school, one could actually talk to them. In college, the few teachers that were priests or nuns treated you like an adult and were wonderfully helpful and easy to talk to. In fact, I have one priest friend in Portland, who transferred there from the Northeast, that is so "salt of the earth" and commonsensical, that I call him up and take him to lunch when I go up to there to visit my Mom to get his feedback on things.On the flip side, I don't have a uniform respect for the clergy. I have met some bad apples. When I lived in ATL, I went to a monied parish on the north side. Every one of the priests was as much of a jerk as the parishioners. It made me puke. I have also experienced some gross inconsistencies at confession as to the reaction I've gotten for some "transgressions." I don't know. I am ok with the content of the faith. I am NOT that ok with the bureaucracy and dogma that accompanies the Catholic Church. But, in reality, I think other religions would suit me even less. I just try to choose Catholic parishes and events that suit my sense of what is "correct." The Catholic church erred gravely with how the molestations were handled. A lot of people are mad. The Archdiocese of Portland OR has declared bankruptcy, as have others. Contributions and being named as beneficiaries of estate plans are way down because people don't want their money going to lawyers to defend these suits. Can you blame them?

A little early for the question for some, but mine is all planned already. And, no, I am not a kid, so I can afford to do this. I recently quit my full-time job to spend the final 6 weeks tending to a graduate business degree for which I overloaded on credits and ought to be done in mid-May. I am moving out of my apartment and taking my crap to Portland to store it. I leave for Europe in mid-June and come back in early-August. Holding down a full time job and tending to this degree at night for almost 3 years made me say: SABBATICAL! Schedule: Florence (IT) (arrival at relatives only) Sicily (IT) Porto, Portugal Madeira Island, Portugal Gran Canaria Island, Spain Valencia, Spain Sardinia (IT) with cousins Bavaria in Germany Venice (IT) and surrounding areas Florence (IT)(prepare for departure back to states) Rest of August: chill September: go look for a job in a new field

I swear, WMJ, you are the resident titty freak on this site! Are you sure your name isn't Nick? You know: Nick the Greek, the titty freak. Aw, never mind!

Of your additions, this is the most compelling. I think you have to hit birthday 30 to come to this conclusion. It's so damn true. I did ask someone about this, and they did say that relocation has validity when the "old place" is laced with trigger points. This could be someone who is dealing PTSD or has been abused. A move will help but not eliminate this as "wherever you go, there you are." Incidentally, it also applies to people who have had run-of-the-mill negative experiences that weren't a party to the above situations.Others I love/like: What goes around comes around. Water seeks its own level. He who lives by the sword perishes by the sword.

I was very receptive to the Aura and went to check one or two out at the Saturn dealership. They were very nice and respectful. Just based on sitting in it, I didn't like it. The quality of the fabric was just "eh" and the cabin felt cramped. I'm not even that tall. Therefore, I didn't even proceed to test driving it.

Richard Simmons (Weeeeeeee!...as in aerobics tone you)

Wow! Amazing that I have thought the same thing! My family is intact as a traditional immigrant nuclear Italian Catholic family. It doesn't mean they have it together and their penchant for high theatrics and drama certainly has brought about some inefficiencies in my life. Since 1996, I have been going back to Italy nearly every year as I finally decided as an adult "Hey, just go." Let me tell you, it has been a discovery trip(s). I am able to see all my first-cousins on BOTH sides, see how they were raised and see the family dynamics that I was previously unaware of. It's been like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. A lot of it is NOT good. As a result, each successive trip has been LESS family and MORE vacationing in new places in Portugal, Spain and Italy to spend less time with them. It's my Goddamn vacation that I wait 1 year for, after all!

Tres bonne! Vous avez de la chance! J'ai loue' un Grand Prix la semaine derniere a Las Vegas.L'annee prochaine, j'acheterai la LaCrosse ou la GP. Je ne sais pas, encore. Mais j'acheterai les versionnes basiques. Pour la Grand Prix, je voudrais l'exterieur blanche avec l'interieur/les tessuts noire. Quelle coloeur avez vous choisissez pour la GXP? Fotos tout suite, s'il vous plait!

:rotflmao: That's cool. I've been to the Vatican a total of 5 times or so, including one climb to the top of the cupola which is a must. Never got to see the Pope. In fact, with today being Palm Sunday, I had written down Mass on my daily schedule. Then, I thought about the 2 hour factor. I said nah. I'll dutifully eat fish next Friday night, be good and go to Easter Mass. Glad to hear you're having an awesome time. This is something that makes for a lifetime of memories. Study abroad for us (U of Ill goes to Versailles, outside of Paris) wasn't compelling because it extended the time in school, derailed me from in-state tuition, and all the jerks in my class were going. Plus, I had lived in Europe between 4 and 8. But your stories all kick-ass!

hate

I don't know. I know people complain about humidity but 87 and very humid still feels a LITTLE milder than 110, no matter how dry. I know that North Central CA gets pretty hot during the day, but the "Delta Breeze" from Stockton / SF comes in and cools things down. Evenings can be wonderful. However, up north toward Chico or Redding, the evenings stay hotter due to less access to this breeze.The other thing is that, in So. Fl., houses are built of concrete block in hurricane prone areas...I am wondering how much consolation that is...

Oh well, don't get me started! I always thought I would end up in a suburban business center of LA, where I grew up (specifically Woodland Hills or Calabasas). Well, what happened to prices between 1999 and 2005 was not foreseen. I have also always fancied Walnut Creek (East Bay 'burb of SF, connected to the city by BART). Same story. When I moved back down South from Seattle, this had already occurred and, strangely, the firms that interviewed me in northern CA/inland were more professional than some mega-firms in either LA or SF ....so what's going through my head is: Flaky firm + big mortgage or rent does not add. So, that's it. I am done with an evening masters in about 6 weeks. I am thinking about going back to ATL or to Florida ... or remaining in North Central CA. Not sure yet. Bottom line: I should have moved to O.C. or the East Bay in the mid-1990s.

euphoria

Gang-bangers, right? On second thought, don't answer that.

Thanks for the come back and carrying forward/harboring some back and forth from before. I voiced that I ALSO do not like the other places for their dryness and bleakness. That's what these threads are for. I think the vegetation in CO and MT are nicer; that's why I recommended those instead. I doubt that, coming from Delaware, he's a rabid mountain biker. That's what the Moab scene is all about -- intense fanatical mountain bikers and such to the point that it's almost "cultish."Pontiac-Custom-S: your call. Digest the posts and make your decision.

galaxy

Yes, there are some cool canyon type places but expect it to be hot, parched and dry. I am NOT a fan of the Intermountain West at all. Beyond the stark grandeur, it is too sparsely populated (I've always thought I'm agoraphobic since anyplace that is wide open and untreed brings on instant depression) and lacks any kind of cultural sophistication. Then, add Utah's demographic situation - that is, with over 50% of the state being Mormon, it is not a comfortable place for people of other religions to make a life....Mormons tend to be nepotistic and advancement is difficult, so I know several garden variety Protestants and Catholics (nominally, not particularly religious) who left because of the "glass ceiling." Therefore, I don't want to drop my tourist dollars in such a place. SLC is kind of cool with a street-friendly downtown and some good restaurants...one to two days in the area could be ok. The Great Salt Lake is pitifully stagnant, so it can't be used for beaches or water sports. It's downright gross. I see more negatives than positives.If I was doing a Western grandeur vacation, I think I would opt for Montana or Colorado in a heartbeat.

I can drive a stick but I don't want one....at all! In most conditions, it's fine. However, have you ever come to a stop sign at the top of a hill in San Francisco where you seem to be perched at a 45 degree angle? Have you ever had to make a quick left onto a side street from a super busy main street somewhere like Italy only to find you stalled the engine? It happened only once and I was able to restart the engine real fast...and this was as I was on my way to the airport to return the car. No thanks. It takes only a couple of experiences like that to say "that's enough."

shooting star