tigra

I left the hospital the same day on crutches, and was walking without them the next. I took 2 days off work. And I felt immediate relief, even when I was still sore from the surgery. I had it done in the winter, and I'm not a cold weather jumper so it didn't interfere with my skydiving at all.

Some people can keep them in forever with no problems at all. For me, the hardware caused a lot of pain and limited my range of motion. There is some argument about the metal increasing your risk of infection, even after routine dental procedures- I have no idea how true that is. My ortho suggested I have mine out long before I realized it would bother me - his logic? I was still relatively young and active, and healthy enough that the surgery didn't present any unusual risk, and had no issues with bone growth. The hardware had done its job, bone won't grow where the metal is but will grow back once you take it out, and in the long run, bone is better than metal. And the long ones running through both bones (that you don't have?) are almost always temporary because once you start weightbearing, they can break pretty easily.

Sounds like we will have matching scars- let me guess- a plate and screws on the fib side, and maybe some vertical screws through the tib (inside) and possibly some long screws going through both bones?

Speaking from personal experience, there isn't too much uglier than the way your leg looks immediately after the staples have been removed! Now, when the swelling is down a bit and the scars have had a chance to heal???? Well, I won't go so far as "dig" but at least they aren't scary anymore! (And the dudes don't seem to mind mine............)

I don't think I would turn down a legit offer for something that may or may not happen in the near future- not without a better reason. You really don't know how long the hiring freeze will last, or what the competition for the other job might be. And, if it turns out that you take the first job and and end up with an offer from the hospital in a few weeks or months, I would just explain that this is an opportunity you can't pass up- better pay, better benefits and in a field that you have a degree in. They might not be happy, but that doesn't mean you don't have a right to keep looking and exploring your options.

Business checks are pretty easy to forge/ falsify unfortunately- much easier than a cashier's check, which is also fairly common. These days, all you really need is one legit check with a valid signature and a scanner and printer to make more. A few years ago, when my company's bank refused to honor a forged check that appeared to be from our account, the bank that DID honor the check took my company to court. (I guess because they figured it was easier to go after us than the criminals that forged the check??) I believe the case was thrown out in less than 5 minutes. I remember it well because it was MY signature that was forged, and not very well, either.

How do you KNOW she's not entitled to the assets? There is nothing in the article that says she did not contribute to the family home or have a right to any equity. I do think the last statement is sad- that she's relieved to be out of her marriage but might have worked harder at it if she'd realized there was so little equity. Divorce is expensive- maybe if more people understood that upfront, they would put more thought into getting married and not bailing at the first signs of trouble.

Not exactly true. In most states, the purchaser gets an owners' policy of title insurance and the lender gets a loan policy. The owners' policy insures and protects the owner, the loan policy insures the lender. If you refinance your home later, you do generally pay for a new title insurance policy for your lender because things may have changed since the time you purchased your home. You will need to get a new loan policy (or at least an updated search) each time you refinance. But the owners' policy you received when you purchased your home is good for as long as you own your home. Title insurance is different from other types of insurance because it doesn't protect you from future events but does protect you from undisclosed past events. Unrecorded liens, unpaid tax bills, fraudulent deeds, missing heirs who show up to claim property, etc. The title company does as thorough a search of the public records as possible and generally collects affidavits from the parties involved in the transaction stating there are not any unrecorded contracts or liens, etc. They charge a one time premium for the title insurance policy- a potential bargain in the case of an owners' policy (if the seller is not paying for it) and a necessary expense for the loan policy.

Bitter?? The article is about the housing crunch and the fact that divorce is expensive, more so than many people realize- men and women.

Well, I am really sorry to hear that. Your injury will heal but his problem could affect him and anyone he is close to for a very long time. Having the pain meds you need stolen by someone who just wants to get high really sucks too!

Actually, there are lot of fraudulent cashier's checks. The criminal can put a legitimate check through a scanner and recreate it, changing any information they want. Without physically inspecting the check for watermarks and other signs of tampering, the bank wouldn't necessarily know. The OP's only option at this point is probably to go after the person who gave him the fraudulent check. OK, I see that the OP actually went to the bank in person and presented it. There may or may not be some recourse there.

sorry, i've been high since i woke up today. i didnt even think to search. I missed the memo; How did you get damaged? short version? hard landing on concrete. broken tib-fib. Ouch! Tib/fibs are not fun! As far as the pain pills- you do need to manage your pain. It is an important part of the healing process and really, if you are taking them for pain, as prescribed, the risk of addiction for most people is minimal. I think the "blockage" that goes along with them might be a bigger concern at the moment. And do you really need to hide them from your brother or was that a joke? I hope you were kidding.

Well, as you said, it really depends on what you need. I did go ahead and spend the money on RS because learning and improving my Spanish is important to me personally (would not hurt me professionally either), other self study methods only took me so far, and I couldn't work classes at a decent language school into my schedule or my budget. As far as the tapes, etc. - I found when I was mainly using them- say in the few weeks before I left for vacation- my pronounciation and vocabulary improved enough that I could do things like ask for directions and sound like someone who was fairly competent in Spanish. The thing is, I couldn't understand the responses more often than not! I guess I fooled the locals enough that they didn't think they needed to speak to me very slowly!laugh] I think the coolest thing about RS is that it breaks you of the habit/ need to mentally translate before you speak or as you are listening or even reading. The process is really natural. Pimsleur did not do that for me. Of course, when I tried it, all I had were the tapes, and it was a pretty dated set at that. Maybe they've improved since then.

I disagree with this approach too- at least for me, going back and trying to finesse my grammar, reading and writing skills meant pretty much starting at the beginning again. If that's your goal from the start, in the long run you will save time doing it together without having to unlearn any bad habits. And if travel basics are all you really want or need right now, there are cheaper methods out there. Tapes or CDs you can listen to in your car on you way to and from work, etc. No one can laugh at you alone in your car repeating after the tape, right? These days, people will just asume you're on the phone with a blue tooth in your ear!

Ok, its been a LONG time since I've used Pimsleur and maybe their program is better now, but I disagree with you. I am using Rosetta Stone now for Spanish and I don't think any other at home self paced program compares to it. In addition to speaking, pronounciation and listening, Rosetta Stone incorporates reading, writing, spelling and grammar and it does so in a totally natural way. I've tried a few different methods and knew some basic Spanish before I started, but with Rosetta Stone, things just "click" and make sense where in the past I've gotten stuck, frustrated and ready to give up. I'm not using the program as much as when I first got it, but I am really surprised at how much better my Spanish has gotten- even when I am not studying regularly. Just stuff like understanding when people are speaking Spanish around me, and being able to order at the corner taco joint without any real effort. Its just a lot easier and more natural- I don't have to do the mental translation before I start talking.

She's obviously trying to save her little newspaper by replacing paid staff with unpaid staff. Are the new skills you are learning worth working for free, at least for the time being? (It seems to me that most interns and apprentices get paid something, not nothing.) Are you attached enough to this job and this paper to help your boss potentially save it, and will she reward the loyalty when and if things turn around for the paper, or is she just using you? Times are tough all over right now- lots of people in all sorts of businesses are being laid off or having their hours cut, very few businesses are hiring and with so many people out of work and looking, the market is very competitive. Companies are essentially getting the "pick of the litter" and paying them less. Those of us who still have jobs are sucking it up and dealing with increased hours and responsibilities and less money because we know it beats the alternative. That's the reality of today's economy. Only you know whether you can "afford" to work for free, or if you should try to find another job. And it really depends on how much you enjoy what you are doing, if you think things will change, and if you're getting any real benefit from learning these new skills. Face it, your situation at home might not be ideal but you do have a roof over your head and help from your family which is probably more than most of your colleagues have right now.

He's my hairdresser, what can I say? He also said he still has the infected computer and has to take it somewhere for "de-bugging" and its going to cost him $200.00. But, you know, when he's got the scissors in his hands, who am I to suggest maybe buying a new computer was a little extreme? Besides, he makes me feel like a little less of a moron about computers!

When I had problems last month, it took several tries to get Webroot to run all the way through, and then a couple more to clean everything up. That was some kind of trojan along with a ton of spyware. I purchased/installed the Webroot AFTER I realized I had a problem- I had let the McAfee that came with the computer expire so it let the virus in out of spite! Good luck! I also know someone who wasn't able to repair his computer after clicking "yes" on one of those official looking links, and he had to buy a new one.

To answer your question, I don't think you're an asshole. But based on the situation you describe, I also think the two of you are not ready to get married and you are not as "OK" with the current financial arrangement and differences in your incomes and you claim to be.

Well said! I have nothing to add to that.

I would say that kind of depends. Does she need the clothes? For work or something else? How long has it been since she's bought new clothes and will she bargain shop or hit one of the high end department stores? And where did the "extra" money come from? Bonus/gift/ windfall? And by "slack" are you also paying HER bills or just a larger percentage of the household bills? I think its important to set a budget, sit down and figure out priorities, etc. And it sounds like you are trying to do that, which is good. But I also think that unless you are both completely strapped financially and struggling with basics like food and rent, a small "splurge" for either one of you shouldn't be a problem. If you are actually helping her pay her own bills, or if she's completley out of control with her spending, that's a different story. But really, she shouldn't be made to feel like she doesn't have a right to spend her own money simply because she makes less than you. How would you feel if the situation were reversed? You say you don't mind paying the larger share but you also seem to resent her wanting to spend money on herself if she happens to have a little left over. Does she question you when you buy something for yourself? I've been in both situations myself- the person making less and the one picking up the slack. Neither is fun.

iTunes is offering the video for Angels on the Moon free until tomorrow. I won't call myself a Thrivingi Ivory addict, but I do love that song.

I had good luck with Webroot Spysweeper a few years back just for spyware. At the time, I was using Norton for virus protection- it would find the spyware during the regular virus scan, notify me that it was there and they couldn't get rid of it. Spysweeper did, and it did a much better job than anything else I tried. I'm sorry to hear your low opinion of their anti-virus protection because I ended up buying and installing it about a month ago when I was having issues with my computer at home. It seems to be working OK but now I am paranoid and will probably try AVG tonight just in case! Thanks!

I don't get the symptoms you do, but I must be at least a little bit allergic. My arms and hands will always itch after we bring the tree in and set it up, same for decorating it and taking it down- I usually will take a shower afterwards. So, yes, I believe you could be allergic to the tree. Try a fake one next year and maybe you'll have a better holiday season.

Like I said- my bad!