Hi, Damon...   
      
    DG@> Wasn't aware that chicken pox could do that, actually. That's kind   
    DG@> of a shame. :( Well, I mean I think it is, anyway. I know that   
    DG@> having my son goaded a change and a level of responsibility/maturity   
      
    First, any childhood disease is MUCH WORSE in an adult. Second, I've seen   
   several posts on Facebook where they wish they waited to have kids, so they   
   could "have a life" first. I have a very weak gag reflex...not to mention   
   having a "bad experience" with an unsupervised child awhile back at a local   
   bowling alley (he destroyed my umbrella, and the parents denied their son   
   did it). Plus, the way the world is going, I'm glad I'm not having kids.   
      
    DG@> Absolutely. I knew I was in for a bad stretch in life when I was a   
    DG@> kid and I saw that the dog I got my mother actually trained her instead   
    DG@> of her being able to train it. ;)   
      
    Of course...the pet is the most important creature in the home.    
      
    DG@> Seriously, though, that happened. I've written extensively about the   
    DG@> mistakes of my parents, and how I've managed to do fairly well-- at   
    DG@> least _I_ think-- learning from primarily negative examples. I really   
    DG@> should've caught my mom's dog training her on video the last time I   
    DG@> spent time there, before the dementia made a relationship with her   
    DG@> completely impossible.   
      
    My Mom is doing remarkably well at 87. She has macular dengeration starting   
   in her eyes, so I'm doing most of the driving for her. Both of us are fully   
   disabled (some days, she's in better shape than I am), and I'm only 20   
   minutes away from her, if she needs me.   
      
    DG@> Ack. I dunno, I just moved out of the projects here; it was terrible   
    DG@> there, much worse, like you're saying, than when I was a kid. I'm   
    DG@> really hoping that it's not quite as severe now that I'm in a better   
    DG@> area of town, though. Gonna keep my fingers crossed on that one.   
      
    Don't hold your breath...it is RARE to find "well behaved children" in this   
   day and age. The one EXCEPTION I've seen is with the Duggar family of   
   northwest Arkansas. Jim Bob, and his wife, Michelle, have at least 19   
   kids, and also have some grandkids. But, when he becomes impotent, or she   
   goes into menopause, she's going to be a basket case!! The family lives   
   debt free (both of them are licensed real estate agents, and at one time,    
   he was also a state senator in Arkansas), and their huge home has (count   
   them) NINE bathrooms!! I'm sure they run up a huge bill at the grocery store   
   each month, not to mention the supply of toilet paper they get. But, each    
   of the kids have supervisory roles in bringing up the younger brothers and   
   sisters. I do not know what "religion" they are, but I want to say they're   
   Pentecostal. But, as noted, the kids are VERY WELL BEHAVED.   
      
    DG@> Tell me about it. I'm still licking wounds from my last   
    DG@> relationship. She taught me a hell of a lot about how to be a much   
    DG@> better human being, how not to judge on stupid superficial qualities,   
      
    If I've said this before, I apologize...memory is an issue after a severe   
   concussion and suffering 2 indirect lightning strikes growing up.   
       
    The first woman I was engaged to ALWAYS wanted me to take her to the   
   most expensive place...ALWAYS wanted me to pick up the tab...and ALWAYS   
   wanted me to forsake everything outside of work, and spend every waking   
   moment with her. Basically, I was to do all the GIVING, and she was to   
   do all the TAKING. That kind of a relationship does NOT work. At least   
   my late wife offered to pay for things...a lot more than I could say   
   for my first fiance' -- I broke that engagement just before Christmas   
   almost 30 years ago now.   
      
    DG@> Best wishes and a happy new year to ye!   
      
    I hope so.   
      
   Daryl   
      
   ... 3 things fail with age. Memory is 1st; forgot the other 2   
   --- MultiMail/Win32 v0.49   
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
       
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