I understand Gordie’s needs. Think I’ll go accomplish nappage right now.
ahem I am soo sick and tired and being sick and tired! WaHHHHH!
OK. To the shower in a minute for shevelment. After I am decent, then I head to the kids’ schools to pick up all of their work from them being out sick. Supposed to fly to CA tomorrow and I have no idea how that will work. I am a disgusting germ monster. Blurf.
My advice, from having sat on the reviewing team, and also having taught writing:
-Write more than you think you need to say. Get it all out there. Worry about editing later.
-Re-write and edit
-Re-write and edit
-Re-write and edit
-Let someone you trust read the result before you send it off
-Read it aloud to yourself before you send it off
Start with all your big ideas, but by the end you want to be honed in on your main points.
Save early, save often (losing drafts sucks).
Refer to the instructions, of course, and make sure you follow them.
I think those are the main bits. Let us know if we can help!
Ahhh, the convention center / casino. I was last there Sat night; got attacked by a cougar, did I.
I have always longed to visit the Mutter Museum. Got a postcard about it even, in one of the exchanges. Had this mis-shapen skull on the front.
At FCD’s request, Cracker Barrel will be making supper for us tonight. I suspect he’ll be having breakfast for supper. I think I’ll be having haddock - their haddock is YUMMMMMM!!!
As soon as we feed Higgs, we shall be off.
Our annuity statements came in the mail today - since we’ve been able to hold off on tapping into any of our retirement funds, plus with the additions to our 401k accounts, we’ve managed to accrue an additional $200K since I retired. It makes our retirement picture that much brighter - we shouldn’t have to touch our IRA for at least 3 more years, so it will continue to grow at a whopping .4%!! 
It’s all a game of sorts - how much should we have tied up and how much should be more readily available. Our money guy at the credit union has helped us find a balance that we’re comfortable with. We may avoid living in a refrigerator box yet!!!
Thanks 
I have to wait for a reference before I can submit the form, which my former boss has cheerfully agreed to do, as my current boss is not a native English speaker, and isn’t very comfortable writing in English, plus, to be quite honest he may not be very happy about me going. They’ve already sent the request, so I should have a few days at least for writing and rewriting.
An old friend who’s good at this stuff has agreed to critique the first draft, and I have another friend who actually does UK University admissions occasionally, albeit for a totally different subject, who I can probably get a final check from before sending it off.
One problem is that there really are no instructions, aside from a word limit, and the form won’t let you submit if it’s outside that anyway. It’s the written equivalent of the dreaded open ended ‘So, tell us about yourself’ interview question. The other problem is that this is an attempt to turn a hobby into a career, so I don’t have any real relevant experience, just an interest, which can sound a little feeble and clichéd stretched over 3-4000 words.
I don’t want to sound like the person who sent in an application to work at my parents’ zoo, where their sole relevant qualification or experience was having a goldfish (they didn’t get the job). But clearly I don’t want to make stuff up either…
Anyway, I’m rambling; it’s a lot easier to write stuff on 'ere than on scary looking applications! 
Beast stew and cornbread have been ingested. Peach cobbler is bakin’ as I post. There’s even 'niller ice cream for the cobbler. YUM!
A catamount or a catamite? :eek: :p:D
Did a little more new car looking, and was really impressed with the Dodge Durango. Anybody else here have one or know anyone with this SUV?
Then took a late lunch/early dinner at a place called the City Cafe Diner (seems a bit redundant, but their call), which delivered good diner food (in huge portions). The waitress and most of the staff appear to be Greek, and there is Greek food on the menu, too bad I don’t like Greek food…
Soccer tomorrow, just sent the kids/parents a reminder.
I take it that she was seriously visually impaired, or in dire need of funds.
Peach cobbler and good 'niller ice cream. YUM! I earned major points.
MetalMouse except for baklava I agree with ya about Greek food. Too much lamb. I don’t like lamb.
All I know about the Durango is that many years ago, **FCD **worked for the company that made the plastic interior panels for the Durango (circa 2003, I think) and he was not impressed with the vehicle. He thought it was cheaply made. But it was some years ago, so who knows.
FWIW, the company he worked for no longer exists - rumor has it some hotshot MBA made some *baaaaaaad *decisions.
Supper was good. Now we’re home chilling. Tomorrow will be busy, tonight will be lazy.
{{{{{Dot}}}}}
So we went to Black Bear Diner for lunch. It was very good. Not froo froo food, just good honest diner comfort food and plenty of it, cooked properly. I had fish and chips and Wifey had sausage and eggs with skillet red potatoes. The fish was not greasy or over cooked, the fries were not cold, the cole slaw was dressed with something that was not mayonnaise. The sausage, which they make themselves, was excellent and the taters were as good as I’ve ever tasted.
An interesting story; as we were getting ready to go to lunch, Wifey got a text from a friend that she had just sold a house to, (Wifey is a real estate broker). She is moving into her new house today and had some guys there working on stuff and one of them was hauling the not legal fireplace insert out the front door when the hand truck and insert fell through what everybody thought was the poured concrete porch. It seems there had been a wooden porch there originally and some genius had simply poured a couple of inches of concrete on top of the old porch and left it at that. Of course the old porch rotted out from under. Looked solid, but the insert, which couldn’t have weighed more than 100 pounds, was apparently the last straw.
People are dumb.
We shall now retire to the boudoir to watch teevee until sleepy time. Tomorrow is shapin’ up to be a day of sloth so we best rest up.
Nitey Nite Y’all!
I’m struggling with this right now. I keep telling myself “It doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be written.” Eventually I may get that.
I would also like to state that I have not ever attacked a Spiderman. I usually leave spiders alone unless they’re poisonous and then they get a thorough stompin’.
Colts are my team; they finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs. So Go Falcons. I hate the Patriots.
Oh, and TGIF!!!!!!!!
Just on Wednesday I was thinking, “Only two days to go until I get TWO WHOLE DAYS OFF!”
Wait…
My dad worked as the parts department manager in a Dodge dealership about 5 years ago, said he sold a lot of catalytic converters during his time there. I seem to remember that he was talking more about the Rams, but I would suggest you check into that before you make any decisions.
Dodge trucks are Ram stuff.
Not a tagline I’d use in my commercials :dubious:
Tomorrow is a hellish day. Second event is sponsored by DD but I will not partake because two milesish away is KK, where I will be stopping on the way home to purchase some.
Now, I need to pack & go to sleep as I gotsta get up at dark:30.
Neighbors are having a very loud drunken party. I love these neighbors but come on, we are tired and want to get some sleep.