If my cat Puddy were still alive, Marda, he would probably be saying a few choice words about shots. He knew words that would embarrass a sailor. My job was to either throw a towel around him and hold him or give the shot, i'm thinking now that a shot would have been the better choice. Linda, I can't begin to imagine what you had to go through with chemo and having a shot every day. Until the weekend when I was forced to heed my daughter's pleas for help, I was the one that turned my head away when my aunt gave herself insulin shots in the stomach. Now it doesn't seem so bad to me. I could have probably given myself a shot but just the thought of sticking a needle in someone else was just too much. Michelle, you of all people are the one I would have considered fearless. For everyone else, you to, Michelle, if I could do it anyone could. Suzy, I am feeling better and hoping against hope that Neil doesn't get it. Poor dear had his birthday ruined because I was taking care of Katrina and then I got sick. He took care of me, offering to give me shots but I declined, I sort of toughed it out. I really wanted to save the injections for him if he got sick. He doesn't need to be violently ill with the hemmorrhaging going on with his eyes. Andie, you are right about the crud this year being bad. I've never seen anything like it and some people are having to be hospitalized. Katrina should have gone to the hospital, she needed IV fluids. One more day and there would have been an ambulance crew knocking on her door. I hope none of you get this but if you do! Have Syringes Will Travel!!!!!! :0)

Oyster shooters - that used to be my favorite drink. There was a sushi place in at the foothills of the Angeles Crest. We knew the senior sushi chef well enough that he never asked us what we wanted, and we never told him. Sit down, and unexpected, intensive, surprising things arrive. He liked having customers who would eat absolutely anything. Such as the shrimp tail, so fresh that the shrimp's legs and antennae were still moving on your plate, until it was whisked away, dipped in boiling oil, and returned to join its rear end in your tummy. Mmm. Anyway, we always ended the evening with a round of oyster shooters. I recall small sweet oysters, sake, tobiko, thin sliced scallions, a drop of chili sauce, and maybe a drop of sesame oil? I think I'd like to have one again, of course I'd like to be thirty in Southern California again too, but I can have the oyster shooter. Back to the water tasting idea. I think it would be a fun way to get everyone to hydrate well. But I'm really more of a tap water person myself, so I need guidance. If I asked you to participate in a water tasting, would you think "this guy is a total tool" or "not again, tasting water is so pass�"? Is there really enough difference between different brands of sparkling and still water to interest you?

To start, let me say this: I am in the middle of a complete DIY kitchen remodel which I designed, planned and made my dream come true (yes, little ole 58 yr old woman, me!) And I couldn't have done it without this website and your blogs!! Thanks to all! To those who wonder why use a pot filler because the pot you fill with water will have to eventually return to the sink for draining anyway, I can say this: for me who has carpel tunnel and arthritis in my hands and shoulders, just cutting one trip to the sink (my cooktop is opposite the sink several feet away), justifies the need for a pot filler. Also, I chose a single bowl 33" sink (9" deep) and this will reduce "inconveniences" at the sink when I try to fill a pot while my son (or husband) is cleaning or draining something else. I chose a deck-mount pot filler (great price on the net) which requires just an extra hole in my new granite and no drilling or worries about something being installed on the back wall. This also means simple install because all I had to do was ask my plumber to draw a copper line horizontally from my fridge to the cooktop with a shut off valve, and then use a flexible heavy duty hose from the valve to the pot filler (easy access because I just remove the drawers under my cooktop to install it). And as I am one of those people who change their flexible water lines from the washing machine and dishwasher once every 5 years, I will add this line to the list. This way, no worries about leaks! Thank you thank you thank you to those who suggested Never-MT and Plugmold items. Wow! This is the type of convenient items I searched for on the internet all day yesterday! Love you guys!

I'd open it first, and look and smell. If there's mold floating on top, scoop it off, the rest might still be okay if it smells right. If it smells awful, like sewer or sulfur, then it's shot. If there is a thick layer of solids fused to the bottom, or looks like cottage cheese, no amt of shaking will fix it. Casey