trinacriabob

Yeah, right -- Mormons don't like Catholics, in case you didn't know. :AH-HA_wink:

Do you have any ascots in your armoire? :AH-HA_wink:

You're not kidding...I read that, benign as the Ozarks are supposed to be, that part of the country has a bunch of meth labs tucked away in wooded nooks and crannies and that rangers/wardens unexpectedly run into trouble when they stumble upon them while actually looking for altogether different things (hunters, poachers, whatever)......inspiring reading while sitting there in the dentist's waiting lounge...

It's amazing to see where this thread has gone...

No, Reg, it's because I know you've worked in enough office settings to have "been around the corner" so I knew you would agree with me. It isn't about being politically correct or being optimistic, we preach "reality." LOL. Delta, this "hit the fan" when you cited part of the reason for the diversion that you are in a relationship but not "getting any." Some people on this forum will be on that "like flies on $h!," pardon my crassness.

pot sticker

toad

Grrrrrrr.....I tell everybody "Draw the line at Sunrise Boulevard which runs for at least 10 miles in a N-S direction and clips I-80 to the north and US 50 to the south." Anything west of there is hideous, including most of the city, because it's flat and bleak. To the east of Sunrise Blvd., the terrain starts to undulate and, in about 15 miles, there are some interesting hills and ravines in the foothill communities. In fact, real estate in Folsom, Fair Oaks, Roseville, Rocklin, El Dorado Hills, and Auburn is generally of newer stock and more expensive.

It's Texas's Berkeley! When my cousin came over from Italy in 2002 and we were sightseeing around San Francisco, I told her: "OK, we're going to get on a BART train and ride it to the other side of the Bay for about 20 minutes...there's something I want you to see." Put it this way, the word "granola" has now become part of her vocabulary.

philanderer

It's not the quantity/frequency, P-C-S, it's the quality. Women that are not educated and have someone else's kids (baggage) are ubiqutous...how FAST can I run?And you're back to using THAT emoticon...

I'll bet.I'm all for "second-tier" metropolitan areas. As much as I enjoyed growing up in L.A., I think that chapter is closed. New York is waaaayyyy too much. And I don't like Chicago's geographic position and weather. And San Francisco is waaaayyyy too expensive. Ok, so where does the second tier begin? Probably 2 to 3 million and on down to about 1 million in the metro area. This would include Atlanta (which I loved), Seattle (too Nordic and uptight) and Portland (too close to Eugene, OR and too filled with hate for California transplants). I have to live in a metro area because I require more mental stimulus than what a small town can bring. Plus, I like the whole multi-ethnic patchwork that one can't find in a small town.

Brando...well, yes, later in life...My response to thread: Rosie O'Donnell

Leverage for what? Bad sex or ...no sex? Where's the door??? My best friend from college who now lives in S.D. had this periodic holding out from his now ex-wife. Well, after he had had enough, he "walked." He was so glad they had no children. Now, she regrets it but he says he's glad to be on his own. We've had these kinds of posts/threads before. And, Reg, you know where I stand. Repeat after me: 1 in 7 - yep, I saw it on Oprah or some talk show, where a panel of experts was up there, while I was on summer break from architecture school: 1,2,3,4,5,6...7 1,2,3,4,5,6...7 1,2,3,4,5,6...7 That's how many girls have been subjected to sexual trauma. I am NOT interested in paying for it. Put out....or GET OUT. We've had these discussions/threads about attractive never-married professional women. My theory: 1,2,3,4,5,6...7 I mean, we can make light of the situation, but it's actually quite sad and the implications are far reaching. Delta, do what you want. But, eventually, you will have to figure out a solution.

I'm sorry, but the mother-in-law in a thong visual is...well...NOT inviting. Water sack tits in holsters and a dental floss bikini on a woman approaching retirement... Masturbating since 9? Really? Don't most of us wait until puberty for that urge to kick in? I thought they coincided. As for as the abstention from sex, I am wondering why. I hope it's not a religious thing. I knew this chick when living in ATL who was a C.A.P. (Catholic American Princess) who had no trouble putting out; however, her performance left much to be desired (read: laid there like a board). So, something is keeping you around...I know, it's the cooking!

biomedical engineering

The resident W-body aficionado will now weigh in: all models are DOWN except for the Impala which is UP. I wonder if the minor touch-up will help the LaCrosse pick up some steam in the next M.Y. I had lunch with a friend from work today (it's actually the "alumni club"... LOL...who have departed the firm I used to work at who get together once a month) and I was talking about VVT. He quickly told me that his full-size Toyota pickup truck has it and it's no big deal. The 3.5 VVT is not only in the Impala and the MC but powers a good chunk of the Auras ought there, which also appear to be selling quite well. Go General!

nanosecond

Personally, I would always use a clutch (never personally driven a motorcycle, though). It's there for a reason. The only time I don't use it is if I park a manual transmission car in a perfectly level spot (garage), at which point I put it in neutral and set the parking brake. Never had a problem. On a grade, I will usually put it in first and apply the parking brake. So glad to have an automatic trans. Whew.

maid

Balthy has a penchant for older things, houses included. :AH-HA_wink: You make some good points. I remember driving around ATL when I first moved there and, in some of the intown neighborhoods, they have those ALL BRICK homes with the 12:12 (or higher) roof pitches, with dormers and all kinds of other projections, that are beautifully detailed and you think "Wow." In your area (I only know North Jersey around Teaneck), they would have those homes in Forest Hills - Queens or Jamaica Estates - Queens and they too hit the "Wow" factor. However, they are frumpy on the inside. They smell musty. The amount of light let in is depressing. The house plan that "breathes better" and is more interesting is a more recent phenomenon. It used to be that room plan geometries were very rectilinear and formal, and I find that boring. And, unfortunately, that same formality is still sought in the Southeast, for example, and appears to thrive in New England as well as a "saltbox" colonial. In the West, the "5-4-and a door" colonial just would not sell. Here, the market demands real varied geometries, both on the outside of the house and in the rooms. (Interestingly enough, so does Florida, as I can see in the floor plans builders are doing down in that area). Simply put, the idea is to get the craftsmanship of old with the conveniences of new. It creates a challenge either in lining up the subs to pull it off OR it makes for a very expensive house! What we are talking about can be found in new construction of houses that are on slopes overlooking Lake Tahoe but then, people who commission those homes could put dollar bills on their toilet paper rolls.

Friday

I guess I'm conservative with cars...DUH. Well, I think about the rental cars out there. Once put into service, they don't know who will be driving it and how and I think they change the oil the very first time at around 7,000 miles, per the owner's manual. When I got my new car, I drove it real "easy" the first 1,000 miles or so, mixing both city and highway driving. Then, I took it in for a "break in" oil and filter change at about 1,500 miles and then returned to a regimen of changes every 2,500 miles or so. The car has been awesome. I really believe that any "impurities" in the oil or the engine will be flushed out with an early oil change and that things will seat / seal properly. At $ 29, why mess with "should I/shouldn't I." At any rate, I would do both of these upon getting a new car. But, do you need to? What is your input?

xenophobia

You're not kidding! I DETEST the older housing stock that people regentrify/refurbish. I LIKE the newer suburbs just fine, and always have.