Oh, that's too bad, so sorry to hear about your butterflies. I am still wondering about the Monarch chrysalis that I squashed a bit when I closed the top of the container he pupated in. This one wanted to be right near the edge and I wasn't careful. The chrysalis looks almost normal, but not quite, as he hadn't fully hardened yet. No spots or leakage though. I guess stuff happens despite the best intentions. I wonder if euthanizing in the freezer is painless for the butterflies?

I am back with an update. I did talk to an independent computer tech person who immediately told me it was not worth fixing my machine. She felt that the problem I was having with it not turning on maybe the motherboard. I am also seeing the case suddenly deteriorating faster and faster. Opening the computer, moving it from my lap to a table, keeping the screen upright, are now something I have to think about and fool with every time I pick it up. So, thank you Sue for the suggestion but I've decided I am ready to get a new machine. I am especially anxious to get it done before it goes kapoot and I can't get my files off of it to a new machine. I do hope you enjoy your machine as long as you can though, Sue!! :-) I have enjoyed my Dell and would have been just as happy to stick with it. secsteve....the 'trackball' I refer to is the one that is part of the keyboard of my Dell. It is in the middle between the G and H keys and very small movements with the index finger make it very easy to place it right where you want it easily. The button to select once the pointer is where you want it is right under the space bar and I can reach it with my thumb without even taking my hand out of typing position. Very convenient and easy to use. On the Apple it is instead the pad which you swipe your finger across to move the pointer. The key to select it is below the pad, no where near the keyboard, so you are always having to change position and taking your hands out of typing position. I just don't know what they were thinking to let go of the arrangement that works so well with the keyboard, to adopt this style. We went in to the Apple Store last night and even the salesperson who demonstrated using the pad, didn't seem to have any more mastery over it than I was getting. Slow and awkward. They have NO computers that offer the trackball as part of the keyboard. He suggested a wireless mouse, which I think they offer, but didn't have in the store. From what I can see of it online, I am not sure how easily it will work. It does appear to be one that you don't actually move the mouse around so much as you move the tracking ball on the mouse. So that is one option. According to him, there are no manufacturers that are making the keyboard w the tracking ball any more. Hmmm...will have to check that out. I asked him, what about people who have Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, which is a pretty common problem for people who type. He looked at me like I was speaking Greek. [g] Most salespeople in computer stores are young people it seems to me..lol. Of course, makes sense. He did show me some sort of contraption that holds the computer on it, with front support to rest your wrists on and that elevates the computer for air circulation. But if you are using it that way, the ergonomics are just not right for both the keyboard and the tracking pad and buttons. And if you use the pad to raise the computer, now your arms and shoulders are in a much more awkward and unsupported position. Very strange that for a company that put so much thought into ease of use and common sense applications that they seem to have spent no time on ergonomics. So disappointing! It is a little frustrating because if it were not for that issue, I may have already bought an Apple. It is just an issue that I cannot ignore. I was very impressed with everything I read on their website about their machines. Another thing I like is that they will transfer everything from your old computer to the new one for you. There is a store close by too. So, this afternoon, I am going to call Dell and see what their story is. Not what I expected to be doing this week. :-( Anyone else who has some Apple or Dell experience, I pretty much have it narrowed down to these two. Thanks pm2

well, to fix it all would be $450--which is what the stupid thing cost new. So we're not spending the $180 to fix the decorative handle (It apparently has the electronics fused into it; you can't just buy a pretty plastic case). I wish I could have spoken to someone to find out what the projected fix would be; I'd have said "screw it" and bought a new dishwasher. Honestly, w/ the stuff that's gone wrong on this DW, I could have bought a new one all over again. And of course, if we want to put our place on the market, the cracked handle is going to be really obvious and we'll probably want to go buy a really cheap DW and put it in just so nobody decides "oh, their kitchen looks worn, we need to redo it." Honestly, I'm so discouraged. It feels like every single component we put in this kitchen 4 years ago is dinged up. (Certainly every SINGLE appiance is!) Why did I spend $30k? Oh, so my kitchen would look OK for resale--not that I wanted to get a lot of money, but that I didn't want someone to say, "oh, don't buy that place, you have to redo the kitchen!" And of course, part of these are things I could have fixed for cheaper if I'd only moved faster.

This level of tackiness makes me cringe. If they can't afford more paid ground workers, they might try putting out a call for volunteers, or apprentices who would work for less pay and the experience, or even for the joy of it. There may be apartment dwellers nearby who would like to get their hands in the dirt. High schoolers. A program developed for middle schoolers who are at loose ends after school. A local corrections center program. Residents of a retirement complex. Almost anyone can pull weeds. It sounds like they're spending way too much time hand watering. The initial cost for a drip irrigation system with a timer would be a good investment. It might even be donated if the need is made known. A more creative and resourceful head grounds keeper might be the solution.