Sandy, sorry I feel I have ignored you, so engrossed in my own dilemma at the moment. Welcome to the mob, I do hope you have as much fun here as we do.

Thanks Linda, I think one glass topped table is enough when LAdd is here. She gets soooooo freaked out about them, there are times I start counting the days till she goes home.

Boy, so much goes on here, after I turn off the computer for the day!

Well, astraea................ don't turn your computer off :)

Sorry Astraea, should I have said happy Passover or whatever greeting you use for the first day. Can't believe I have had that many Jewish friends and I am still ignorant of formalities.

Roo - Thank you; I really don't observe.

Sandy! So glad you found us! Sorry I missed you. I was getting reacquainted with the inside of my eyelids. Look for us any time you're on houzz. Always same location, just OLLD and the day's date.

For seagull loving roo.

Creesy - they look like something out of The Birds!!

Can you imagine what the wing span measures on those puppies?

Probably just the angle.

roo, it was similar. My mother took a bag of bread out on the beach and they swarmed her. I stood to the side laughing at her and taking photos. *L*

I don't know what is the worst gulls or pigeons. Most of our beaches have banned the feeding of them now, we have so many outdoor eateries, it gets impossible to have a meal.

This is more my style

How cute!

I like sea gulls; they're very graceful! When I was in England, we went on a harbor tour of Plymouth, and in the morning & lunchtime, our tour guide told everyone to save their leftovers. On the boat, the gulls followed us .. and if you threw something up, they'd catch it!

SEAGULLS are entertainment that's for sure. Two houses ago we lived on a tidal river that emptied into Nantucket Sound. At the end of the river was the herring run. In early Spring, the herring would start up the river. Before we saw the fish, we saw the cormorants. That bird dives for food, seagulls don't if another bird will do it for them. No exaggeration…there were 75 seagulls screaming in the air. As soon as the cormorant brought a herring to the surface, those seagulls would swoop down and steal that fish right of the cormorant's beak.

They are good weather forecasters, too. When I see them all gathered in the store parking lots, you know bad weather is coming.

Have you seen this from Carolina Photo to Go?
http://www.etsy.com/listing/105425657/ocean-bird-on-wrightsville-beach-north?ref=shop_home_active

Poor cormorants!

judy, ever see Finding Nemo? "mine" "mine" *L*

Astraea, hate, hate the cormorants. They are so dirty. After they ate the herring they would relieve themselves on the boat. Droppings are like super glue. :

That's a cool pic from Carolina Photo to Go! I'd like to see it in person, 3 D on metallic paper. I wonder what metallic paper is? Has anyone seen it in person?

this is a seagull frenzy in miami...i have better pics, but this is the only one i have access to right now.
same goes for the other pics...got more at home. I find the pelicans to be much more interesting however. I DO want to paint one of those. And I will soon! These pelicans were in the keys and it was an overcast day, but still pretty. Love that clear water.

An Aussie seagull

Bobbi - the metallic paper is beautiful! My son did some really nice closeup photos of a pot of tulips in black and white and had them printed on the metallic paper - they were really cool. Too bad I can't get him to take any photos for me as he really has a good eye but if I request something, he usually ignores me.

Linda - you are ONLY the mother - we don't count!!!

Linda, I do know that feeling :((

Linda, hubby and I have commented on that very thing before. We can ask the kids for things and it goes in one ear and out the other. Let a friend ask them and they are doing it at breakneck speed. I can't tell you the joy it gives me seeing my daughter as a young mother and knowing all of this is coming back around. *L*

Ah, it's good to know I'm not the only one......

bobbi, not by a long shot. Hubby and I sit back and wonder, were we like that with our parents?

And did you find an answer? I was very good to my mother until she turned on me; my father refused to accept any assistance whatsoever!

We think we're better than our children in how we treat our parents, but I'm sure our view is slanted. *L*

Isn't the issue were we game enough to be like that with our parents. In our house it was black and white, do it or else and the 'else' was not pleasant. I wonder how things would have been if we were allowed freedom of choice in everything like kids today have.

I think 'freedom' is the key word. My middle son once was so angry at me, because I was staying home, doing day care, instead of 'working like all the other moms'. Ah, my own little terrorist....

I remember having a discussion on a Houzz ideabook one time about working at home and how it was never perceived as "real" work. Gosh that goes back to one of my first comments I think.

It's true, no matter what kind of work you may do from home, it's not 'real' work. So many parents felt that I should care for their kids for free, because I was home anyway!

You know I have a feeling you did join in on that discussion with me - back in the days before I really knew you. Quite a few others did too we sort of wafted the who thing down a totally different track ............ as we do.

I don't know how many people I've had make comments like "what is your real job..." and now that I'm basically retired, I can't possibly do "real" work from home........ I actually had a potential client for a house design, when I gave him the proposal for my design fees, actually make the comment that it couldn't possible be that much, that I worked from my house so it wasn't really a real design job........my reply was "Oh, I'm sorry, you wanted a real design for your construction permits.... wait, I need to add another zero to that fee if you want a REAL design for REAL permits."

Needless to say we didn't come to agreement that day............but, about 3 months latter he was back with a more humble attitude. Turns out he had gone to a REAL designer, with a REAL office, who gave him a REAL fee..........only problem was he still couldn't get a REAL permit with the REALLY crappy set of documents with a REALLY ordinary plan that he REALLY wasn't happy with..........didn't say a word when I pulled out the original agreement, just signed both copies. Once I signed them, I told him we could now get started on his real plan.

STK, REALLY? hehehe I don't get the attitude of some people. Why do they think we can do less of a job, for free, just because we're home, in our slippers and jammies? My brain doesn't stop functioning just because I don't leave the house. In fact, in Silicon Valley when they starting permitting the relaxed dress code (translated as 'anything but flip-flops') people worked better. Why? Because they were more comfortable! There's little comfort in a 3-piece suit and tie for the guys and stilleto's for the women. I'll take my fuzzy bunny slippers anyday. The best thing about working from home, though, is the commute!

Society is too rigid in its perceptions & "pigeon-holes". A "home office" can be just as professional & busy, as commercial office space. And it's also a way to save money (and pass the savings on), and often get a faster response.

And if you think that the stereotypes about working from home are bad, the ones about retirement are even worse .. some people think you sit around all day doing nothing! I know retirees into their 80s, who have positions of responsibility, with non-profits, and other organizations, They get unpaid government appointments to local, county & state boards, where there are regular meetings, subcommittees, reports due, etc. Since I was elected President of that women's group, I've put in as many hours, as with a full-time job. My "project" since the luncheon, was to ID everyone in > 100 photo taken, send out 40+ "thank you" notes, send out an e-summary of the event for non-attendees, and print all that out for members w/o e-mail. And I'm encouraging the event chair to organize a "post mortem" meeting, and review an "event planning template" for our next event in the summer.

Astraea, I would like to agree with you, but unfortunately I do sit around all day doing nothing. It's getting on my nerves! All this week R is working 12 hour days so I can't even get a break when he gets home. The unfortunate part of living in this cow town is there's nothing within walking distance, and since I don't drive.....I so need a hobby!

I can relate. I've been working from home for 10+ years now, and still, I get bored family members who phone me up and ask what I'm doing today, do I want to go to shopping, to Costco... wherever. Um, I'm working... just because I don't go to the office doesn't mean my phone isn't ringing off the hook and my email is getting backed up!

Astraea..... girl you're preaching to the choir. After a few months of sitting around the house doing stuff around here. I took up an invitation to get involved with the local Habitat for Humanity group by doing some floor plans for them.......next it was can you lead a work crew and once you get into our way of doing things, maybe you could take on the role of a project manager..........well, I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night. Been there and done that and if one is not careful, one can get sucked into the "volunteer" role and be should deep in quicksand before you know it.

I have learned to be honest with myself and realistic and even on my best days, those type of efforts aren't on my dance card. I've become very realistic with my "volunteer" efforts. I may be just 57, but I realize I'm an old 57 and no amount of illusionary mind games on my part will change that fact........it is what it is.

STK, I've been thinking about volunteering at the local hospital, maybe just one half day/week. I don't know.....I don't want to get roped into something I may find frustrating, and I'm told volunteering at the hospital is a one year commitment. So....I think I'll take up a hobby instead.

..... thinking of ways for Bobbi to keep herself amused in her cow town.......1. Cow tipping.. 2. Learn cow talk.........moooo, mooo, moo.........moooo! (translation: "Can you get me a beer now" or it could be "Can you wash my butt for me".....I haven't gotten the conjugation down pat yet....sorry) 3. weld checker plate to the cattle guards at open gates and watch the real west excitement break out in town...... them dang cowboys don't do much during the day anyways.....a good old fashion round up is always fun to watch. 4. In a couple of days, weld the checker plates down again just to piss them cowboys off again. 5. Cut out cow profiles from foam boards and place them in the fields in shall we say embarrassing activities (if you get my drift), paint them with spray paint to look like cows and see just how many cars or trucks will actually stop to look. 6. I'm convinced that most internet porn sites are started and run my bored western Kansas farm wives with nothing better to do.............might be profitable. 6. Start a fictitious blog site about a local call girl ring started by bored farm wives and watch a lot of people get really nervous (hint don't use real names).

Some volunteer work doesn't require training, and you can just show up to help at a single event or do more. I get it, that some types of volunteers require training, so the organization is spending time & money doing that, and they want volunteers who will commit to being there regularly or for a minimum period of time. I don't want that commitment .. sounds too much like a "job" to me, so I wouldn't volunteer anywhere they have a time commitment.

I definitely don't like being treated like because my time isn't costing THEM anything, I feel like wasting it. Any organization that isn't organized with their volunteer projects, won't see me for very long.

Bobbi - I didn't know you didn't drive; how can you manage in California?

Astraea, not driving in California is a challenge! I used to drive but I got into a pretty good accident, thought I was going to be decapitated, so after that I just couldn't do it anymore. There are no buses here to speak of! And the closest bus stop is a hike and a half, so.....

Bobbi - That's tough! I was in an accident years back; no one hurt, but it was traumatic anyway, and for a long time I avoided that traffic circle. Ironically, one of my cousins had their engagement party at a restaurant ON THAT CIRCLE .. I had to find a different way to get there, to avoid going around the circle.

Astraea, I wish you could see some of the more amazing intersections we have here! It boggles the mind how anyone could navigate them!

Kutchie - you are madder than all of us put together!!! She could just be practical and learn to MILK a cow. Then there is cow pat throwing - now that is an art, you don't try the fresh ones. Then she could organise a big cow pat throwing rally for 4th July - bit like our Thong throwing competitions on Australia Day - and raise money to decorate the neighbourhood.

Thong throwing.....? Now that's an event I would take part in.....someone has to help remove them remove them thongs........(evil, evil grin).....

Kutchie, I don't think you had joined us when I gave the OLLDS a language lesson. Here we call flip flops thongs. You don't think a tough Aussie is going to go around saying "flip flops" do you!!!!!