Tootsie Pops are the best. We used to eat these at my old job and they seemed to pick up everyone's mood. Even the bosses would eat the tootsie pops.

katy, classes are better than I'd expected. However, the board canceled our meeting with mediators and teacher reps. Teacher reps are now asking us to show up ONLY for contract time and leave right at 330.

Fine by me.

Although Milk Duds are tasty, Sugar Babies are clearly superior. Both are good movie theater choices. However, the runaway winner is Jordan Almonds.

Hey Loungers!

had to take a little sabatical..... work, homework, diapers...irl yadda yadda

hows everyone doin?

my vote for absolute best candy in the world....



we sold these in highschool for french club and I got hooked like a hopeless crackhead. Anyone thats had these will understand.

I've never tried a bon bon. I don't even know what they are.

How is life, Livinit? Did you get a new babysitter?

weird situation with some of our friends....

Our good friend (John) told me last week he is upset and confused because his wife (out of the blue) up and bought a house all on her own. Like she decided to move to a new neighborhood and went house shopping without him. She said she did it for the kid so the kid could go to a better school. I asked if they were getting a divorce and he said "no." He also said that he is really confused.

I always did think they were a little unusual in that they scheduled their time with their friends separately. The wife loves to party. She was always going out with her girlfriends on Friday nights, and then John would get Saturday night to go out with his friends, this way someone was always at home with the kids. They have been married for about 15 yrs. Have you guys ever heard of such a thing?

What's your opinion, is it normal to spend your evenings and weekends separately from your spouse? Is it okay for each spouse to go out to bars late at night without the partner?

Yes to doing a lot of extra curricular activities separately, but no to buying a house on your own. That seems bizarre unless you're so wealthy that such a purchase is the equivalent of buying a cup of coffee.

Ask again in a couple of weeks. I can get behind buying stuff without "asking," but a house?

Extracurricular activities I can see, but are you saying that it's okay to go to the bars regularly (until late at night) without the spouse? I really don't get that. I told my S.O. that if I start doing that it will be to flirt with guys because I really don't see the point in going to bars and drinking for hours and staying out until 1 or 2 am. What's the point of it all?

Also, my friend's wife is in the process of moving into her new home with her two girls, but she has not asked for a divorce. It is pretty confusing.

I know for a fact that in the past year they refinanced their old house. Apparently she has a new high paying job and she was able to go out on her own and buy a house. I don't think she wants to be with him anymore but when I ask MrSeagull or John if they think she wants a divorce they both act very clueless like "No, of course not. Why are you so suspicious?" Like what the heck? Are men blind?

Yeah, that's both very inappropriate of the wife (everything she's doing) and clueless of the husband.

You don't get married so you can still go out and party separately.

I have this little scene playing out in my head where they pull in, past the big SOLD! sign on the lawn, and go into the house as a moving crew unpacks the dining room set and the whole time she's going, "Oh this? No, I've had it for ages."

Aside from the house, where to school the children might have been mentioned at some point.

Are you any good at acting surprised?

ks,
name of old v new neighborhood.

seems totally odd that she is not consulting him.

Lebanon/Anderson

The situation with our friends has made me insecure, tbh. This is the 3rd couple in our circle of friends to get separated (or divorced) in the past 5yrs. In 2 of the cases it was the woman who initiated the separation. It makes you wonder how people can commit to each other for the rest of their lives. Like, realistically, is my s.o. going to want to come home and watch TV with me every night for the rest of his life? I think it's rather doubtful!

It's realistic to realize not everything lasts. Even the very best of things. But that's no reason to see tragedy and wonder if you're next in line. Appreciate what you have for however long you have it, whether that's today or until you die.

7.1 Earthquake in Christchurch, NZ

Did you or your girlfriend leave yet, its_just_me?

moms watching them during the day for now, but weve got one in line. lifes been a rollercoaster as usual. you?

That's very nice of mom to watch them. How is she handling it? Is she a good babysitter?

I hope you don't stop with the updates. I've been enjoying them! I hope he likes his college. It's very cool that he has his own room. Dorm roommates suck.

Agreed. The house buying thing is absolutely bizarre. And I mean no exaggeration by that.

I can see doing lots of extracurricular activities separately, especially if each person is strongly involved in a lot of hobbies. I wouldn't want to go to all her pottery classes and shows, for example, and wouldn't expect her to want to hang around my martial arts or poker friends.

The general socializing, though, I guess that's a more individual thing. There's nothing wrong with people doing what makes them happy, but it seems to me that if you enjoy other people's company so much more than each other's company, you're an odd match.

Then again, there are plenty of people whose relationship has lost its spark and become a habit, and who stay together just "for the children." I suppose there is no reason for that kind of a couple to be together much. My problem is that I'm not sure they should be together anymore at all.

The wife has a boyfriend, I'd bet money on it. Divorce will be following shortly.

Tammy says it spells D-I-V-O-R-C-E.

Forever is a long time and a bit unrealistic. I think you have to accept that going in.

The difficulty of forever is also a good prompt for not taking each other for granted. My parents never treat each other like they take each other for granted, and I believe that's the most likely reason that they're still married 40 plus years later. They still do little things for each other, a little extra here and there, all the time; constantly give positive reinforcement; and the other's feelings are never too much to be bothered with. If you look at and treat your partner with a comfortable indifference, much less like, "Been there, done that" or "So? What's SHE going to do about it?," you deserve the consequences IMO. Not taking each other for granted is a sort of working equivalent of "romance" in long-term relationships, IMO, and keeps the bond lively as well as merely alive.