A friend who is a doctor and is married to a flight paramedic/nurse - both of whom make very good money and live in a gorgeous house on a lot of land in an idyllic area - were unable to have children of their own.

My first pregnancy I had what I liked to call 'morning, noon and night sickness'. There was no keeping down vitamins when even brushing my teeth made me puke. The labor was horrific - 15 hours of back labor in a military hospital that refused pain meds but had no qualms giving pitocin since this kid was two weeks late…

Agreed. Also I have your pic as a fridge magnet. It's my fave ;)

I have such a thing for Emily Blunt. I don't know why but her laugh just feels infectious to me.

Honestly there is no salient reason why firefighters need degrees. But it's become a national trend that if you want to be a Lt. you need a two year degree, for a Captain it's a four year and for a Battalion Chief it's a Masters.

You know what - had she asked me I *might* have been okay with it. I know all about wet nurses and I realize that she is disease free. I think it was just the notion that I was given no choice at all that really put me over the edge.

I had to go back to work a few weeks after my second child was born. My parents kept her while I worked and when I got home that night I was met at the door by my sister in law, my brother's wife who had a baby a mere week before I'd had mine. Apparently she'd been at the house all evening. She giggled and rolled her…

I'm a firefighter. I can get in the door without a degree but if I ever want to get a promotion I am required to have a two year or four year (depending on the level) degree. It's the way of the world now.

I went out to dinner with five of my best friends, left my wallet on the table and went to the restroom. When I came out I went to pay my bill with the 100 dollar bill I'd taken out on the way to the restaurant and it was gone. There's no way a stranger came to the table and took it without anyone noticing which means…

Lol - yes it does. Although I'm sorry that you have anything that is painful that you have to live with...thank you for the hugz. I'm going to allow myself to feel worried and sorry until exactly 8 am tomorrow morning and then it's time to suck it up and deal with life and certainties instead of what if's.

Ack - I skipped Web MD and went straight to my MD friends! Three of them who told me that there's not nothing to worry about but not to worry. Yeah. Exactly.

That's wonderful! Me too...I'm really trying not to think about the negatives and instead focus on how silly I'm going to feel when this turns out to be some sort of basic infection. It's not working just yet, but I'm trying.

That sounds like a wonderful idea. Thank you. I hope I'm not prying but did everything work out okay for you?

So...I'm spending my time post appendectomy quietly freaking myself out. Before my appendix decided to pop I was already supposed to go get a CT scan with contrast; it seems I've had three abnormal chest x rays and a regular CT scan, all of which show enlargement of the hilar and perihilar region in my lungs.

The entire notion of playing by some invisible set of rules makes me punchy. It's why I was never any good at dating. I hated the antiquated notion of the meek girl who blithly accepts whatever the man is willing, out of the goodness of his heart, to bestow on her. If she's kind enough, sweet enough and passive enough…

I'm spending my Good Friday - and all of my Easter weekend - in bed. I just got home from the hospital after having my appendix out. Frankly the drugs they gave me are nowhere near as good as the ones I was getting in my IV and I'm totally feeling it at the moment.

Because men are trying to play some game they think we invented. It's so ridiculous, honestly. I broke all of the rules with my husband. I gave him my number before he asked for it and I called him - the very next day. My friends were incredulous. We've been together for 15 years.

My husband was in the hospital for 11 days after his ruptured. He was 18 and told his mom he was hurting two weeks earlier but she thought he was being a baby because he'd just broken up with his girlfriend!!!

Youch! Your story makes me glad I went in as early as I did and yes - glad they yanked it out of me too!

That is a good point. And thanks for the good thoughts. My friend Mr. Morphine and I are getting to know one another... ;)