[SpecialK]

.... and you get to dress in the most hidious Christmas outfit - hohoho 

[Mermaid]

Just a strange little story...

Many years ago, long before I met H, I started dating an engineer with a big bike. I had a huge crush on this guy, and was amazed that he even looked at me. My dad hated him, hated his bike, so I had to sneak out to see him. One fine day about 32 years ago, he took me on a picnic to a beautiful hill with another bunch of bike-lovers. I felt tongue tied and awkward, not only because the helmet had squashed my hair, but because they talked about nothing but their bikes, (or beer).
"did you hear the roar of that Bonneville?" "Yeah, he's put in an oil pump upgrade- blocked off the passages where the oil flows to the hydraulic tensioners, a great way prevent sumping..."

In the middle of all this, there was one engineer/ biker who was actually capable about talking about other things. I didn't even remember his name, and I think I would have forgotten altogether if my bf hadn't taken a photo of me talking to him.

But my romance with my bf was short lived, just 3 months, and I got my first broken heart. Actually, I was convinced that I just wasn't pretty or interesting enough. It took a long time to get over.

Fast forward to the internet age, FB, etc. I started to get in touch with friends from far away and long ago, and up popped the bf who had so carelessly tossed my heart around. After some friendly chats and updates (he's now happily married), he actually apologised for his dirty rotten scoundrel treatment of me so many years ago... well, even after 30+ years, that was nice, even if it doesn't matter any more. I sent him, at his request, that photo he'd taken of me and his unknown friend so many years ago, and he said "oh yeah, that's PK, I see him all the time." He also loved the photo, because it brought back such good memories of our day out. Really? I can't have been such a failure, then! Wish I'd known that 32 years ago...

Today I got an email from PK, this guy from the photo that I hadn't seen for more than 32 years, and that I barely remembered meeting more than once. Unlike me, he remembered meeting me several times, fancying me rotten, having great conversations with me, and I was apparently so kind as to invite him to dance once... everytime he hears "Layla", he thinks of me. He even advised my ex bf not to give me up...

So that one fine day from the photo carried memories for different people in different ways. I had thought that the day existed in my mind only, and was too insignificant to be remembered by anyone else. How wrong I was. And how wrong I was about how I was seen by the world, although I was so down on myself.

It also shows that even though our hearts are broken, that the outcome is not what we hoped for, it doesn't make us any less interesting or beautiful as people. We shouldn't let the situation tell us who we are inside.

[Anjae]

Made me and the kids some amazing dark choc brownies using dark belgian choc the other day. Having lost so much weight in recent months, for a reason not to be mentioned on this thread, I indulged myself and pigged out!

Dark Chocolate Brownies:
Quantity   Ingredients
100g (3.5oz)   unsalted butter
175g (6oz)   caster sugar
6 tbsp    dark muscavado sugar
125g (4.5oz)   dark chocolate
1 tbsp   golden syrup
2   eggs
1 tsp   chocolate or vanilla essence
100g (3.5oz)   plain flour
2 tbsp   cocoa powder
½ tsp   baking powder
   
   
   


Method
1. Lightly grease and line an 8 inch cake tin.
2. Place butter, sugar, dark chocolate and syrup in a saucepan and heat gently until mixture is well blended and smooth. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
3. Beat eggs and flavouring. Whisk in the cooled mixture.
4. Sieve in the flour and cocoa powder together and fold into the mixture using a metal spoon or spatula.
6. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin. Bake in a preheated oven 180C/350F/gas mark 4 (I did it 170 because I have a fan oven and I like my brownies a bit stodgy) for 25 minutes or until the edge of the cake is beginning to shrink from sides of tin. The inside will still be quite stodgy and soft to touch.
7. Leave the cake in the tin to cool completely. Then cut into squares

For extra indulgence top each square with melted chocolate.

Like this. 

I've eaten a great lasagna and read some more of tales of this wonderful tales book I'm reading.

[Musica]

Once upon a time, a farmer's donkey fell down into a
well. The animal cried piteously for hours as
the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the
well needed to be covered up anyway;

it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and
help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began
to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the
 donkey realized what was happening and cried
 horribly Then, to everyone's amazement he
 quieted down.

 A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally
 looked down the well. He was astonished at what
 he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his
 back, the donkey was doing something amazing.
 He would shake it off and take a step up.

 As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel
 dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it
 off and take a step up.

 Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey
 stepped up over the edge of the well and
 happily trotted off!

 Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds
 of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well
 is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of
 our troubles is a steppingstone.. We can get out
 of the deepest wells just by not stopping,
 never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

 Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

 Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.

 Live simply and appreciate what you have.


  Give more.

Expect less



 NOW ............


 Enough of that crap . The donkey later came back,

and bit the farmer who had  tried to bury him.

The gash from the bite got  infected and

 the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.



 MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON:

 When you do something wrong, and try to cover
 your ass, it always comes back to bite you.



       

[kikki]

  love it lpxpe

[Standing in Patience]

Since a number of the responses to mlcer leaving the LBS and money becoming an issue because it is withheld, disappears in wild spending or income is lost to downsizing or being fired, or LBS having to be employed for the first time in many years or go from part-time work to full-time work, etc. etc. ....I thought it would be good to talk about how to save money.

Here's a few things I did to save more money now and into the future:

1) Reviewed my income and expenses (as in really wrote down the income and expenses for the last two months) and crossed off the expenses that were in hindsight probably avoidable or unnecessary> latte, dress on sale, etc. and circled the ones that I wouldn't have changed - seeing a friend for a movie, gas bill, etc. Much more careful with expenses.

I have 2) reduced the number of premium channels from cable bill, 3) called my utility companies to see what I can do to save more monthly each month (resolved to wear sweaters more this winter by reducing the heating temperature by one-degree (yes, still have to tell the children that I am doing this)), 4) gone to the library more instead of Barnes and Noble, Borders, etc., 5) called the insurance company and increased the deductible, 6) combined trips in the car for several errands, 7) reducing the budget allotment per person for the upcoming holidays, stopped buying the packaging at the post office, 9) turned in travel miles on credit card to reduced credit card bill, and 10) religiously turn off lights in rooms where no one is staying in.

Any other ideas??? Please share - we all could benefit!

[Mermaid]

Love the story, Ipxpe.

Good topic, SIP. It hasn't been a particular problem for me, but I like saving money. Apart from buying fewer clothes, sacking the maid, selling the country cottage and moving to the city to save on transport costs, I've come up with the following:

Money saving ideas;
1. Buy unbranded products at the supermarket
2. Shop around for cheaper car insurance
3. Travel by public transport whenever possible.
4. Minimize phone bills by using skype
5. Use up leftovers
6. Buy chicken and pork rather than beef, fresh veg rather than frozen,
7. Eat in rather than eat out
8. Cut out the gym and go for a run instead