Oh this is faboulas news - Judith Ivey is my 2nd cousin on my Mom’s side of the family.  Her father and my Mother’s Mom were brother and sister.  I have never been able to meet Judith but I have pictures of her with my Grandmother, Judith’s Aunt.  We get yearly letters from Judith’s parents giving updates in their lives and their children’s lives. 

How wonderful for Judith and she looks beautiful!  Maybe one day we can meet as I named my daughter after her Aunt, my grandmother. 

"Instead of fixing up their homes, many citizens used the money for large screen TV’s, cars, etc."

Deber - my friend that survived Katrina along with his family - he works for one of the major insurance companies and he saw his friends take their FEMA money & spend it on what you listed above or worse.  They handed drug dealers and people strung out on crack, these FEMA cards - he said it was awful.  Then those same people had the nerve to go on tv and say they didnt get enough or the Govt has still forgotten about them……..He and his family used the money for what it was supposed to be used for - rebuilt and are living strong in Slidell, LA.  After last year’s hurricane scare - he has moved to MS to work at his own Agency. 

I kissed on the first official date with my now hubby - he was shipping off to Iraq in a month - didnt have time to wait!!! 

LW #1 - Your situation is hard and I feel for you - I am not sure what I would do if I were in your shoes.  I know you LOVE this man and its not easy to just walk away from someone you love b/c you want to see them happy and be the one to make them happy.  I agree with Margo that if he isnt willing to get help for himself then there isnt much you can do for him.  Before I married my hubby we hit a rough patch BUT b/c we loved each other we went and talked to a local Pastor who helped us greatly see what each of us was doing "wrong" - that was a real eye opener for both of us. 

If your Love isnt even willing to get help - I am not one for ultimatums but in this case it seems like the thing to do but REMEMBER dont ask or say anything if your NOT prepared for the response. 

Helen - may I ask you this - Blackwater offered my hubby a job in Iraq making $125K for 9 months of work BUT here is the kicker - he would have NO Military support.  He would be there working for them, riding around the streets with no Military back up….so he declined.  9 months in Iraq last year would have paid off all our debt and then some but he turned it down.  He was an MP in 2003 in Iraq and there was no way he was going back without Military back up. 

SO please tell me what blackwater is doing that is so wrong? 

Back then for me was working at my families Pharmacy & we didnt have the fancy cash registers of today - we had to actually count back change and we ran the credit cards through those GOD awful clunky "things" & had to write out everything the customer was buying on 5 lines.  :)

When I first got an office job - there was no more smoking in the office but it was funny to see so many going out every couple of hours, no matter what the weather, to puff, puff, puff.   Today its still funny to see those running out the door to puff.  I laugh at those who come back in wet when they go to smoke in the rain. 

My first desk job - was an answering service for doctors & realtors.  That was fun - I was hooked to both the computer and phone for 8 hours.  It was interesting some of the messages we got to hear! 

For me Margo is a professional on this site and she should uphold that.  Margo can post back without insulting - posters do it all the time on this site.  I have never seen another "celebrity" writer on this site respond in such the ways as Margo does and for me its insulting.  It shows that Margo has no respect for some that read her articles.

We only dated - nothing serious but it was hard considering I was his boss’s admin…I am glad its over and now that I look back it was a great lesson learned. 

I am smiling b/c I find it funny so many commented on Margo’s opinion about David Letterman….Who cares what DL did or what Margo thinks.  So many say we dont care yet they are blogging about it and writing articles about it and giving their opinions….if u dont care - then be quiet.  And that is all I have to say on the subject.