Auction did you say? Contain that enthusiasm and get into the auction mode. It is like poker. You mustn't give away your intentions by over exhibiting your zeal for the prize. They are no fools (I suspect) and will read the bidders with great scrutiny. Do your homework. Determine the real value of the place and define a maximum bid price (include any buyers premiums). Make certain the home has no deficiencies. You want the place only if it is in good shape and can be gotten for an acceptable

Yeowser, bad move on the crocs part. No exit strategy. But I really got a chuckle from the first post on the website: "Hmmmm, the next time I see a hippo on my window sill I'm reaching for a can of Raid!"

Even though he is a good actor I feel no sorrow for his troubles. Were it not for his Hollywood insider connection, uncle Francis Ford Coppola, Nick Cage would be a brick layer somewhere with a lot more respect for money.

Happy birthday to you. If you get Palladiums at 25 what do I get when I turn 58 next year?

This is art at a very intriguing level. The sand medium is ephemeral and brooding, the perfect vehicle for her deeply intense subject matter. Things that happen that you don't necessarily want to remember, like sands in an hour glass you go through them but want them to pass. Each rendition is unique and she does have any number of versions. There is a branch of psychiatry that employs constructional expressionism to allow people to communicate their problems. I think on its highest level that

Islander...... Sorry if I knee jerked on your message. It is a problem I am having when it comes to this situation. I am too sensitive. It feels like marriage (or divorce) battle fatigue where you digest everything related with critical discernment. I need to simma down some and relax.

Cal, I just saw this thread. Very sorry to hear about your wife's sister. It sounds as though she lived an active life and nurtured her family well. She will certainly be missed and fondly remembered. The values and strengths she taught her family will help them deal with her unexpected loss. You are all in my thoughts.

Thanks everyone for your input and support. I always look forward to these forums and the unique audio bonds that weave us together. ace168516, your situation does sound very similar and you have my condolences in having to juggle its conundrums. We all want our kids to have better than we did growing up but we still need to instruct and prepare them to be successful and autonomous adults. I think that goal becomes more challenging with each new generation. My 1st marriage ended after 28 years and

[quote user="Islander"] [quote user="oscarsear"]I am better anchored, informed and prepared for this situation now and intend to be a good deal more circumspect.[/quote] So now you think you know what to do and how women think? I respect your optimism, but even women don't know how women think... [/quote] I never inferred knowing anything about women. I know more about myself and for that I am optimistic. I have a better foundation from which to work than I did previously

A 'blended' relationship is one where 2 families become one like televisions Brady Bunch. But if any of you are headed into one make sure you look hard at the kids, yours and the other persons. It is the children who will present both of you with the greatest and on going challenges. Even if they are out of the house they will impact the relationship some way. I still cannot say the right way to assess the situation. Having read up on the subject there are volumes of horror stories out there