That much, huh? Is it slowing down at all? Did you find out what happened? I googled it but nothing was showing on the news over there yet that I could find.

How's it going?

Ok, here's hoping this isn't a kick in the face, just some friendly advice and maybe a few questions you should ask of yourself. First off, if you want to meet people, it's up to you, not them. Why should they e-mail you first? Yes, replying to your e-mails may be the courteous thing to do but having that expectation is unrealistic. Might happen, probably won't.

Second, if no one is replying, I would ask myself why? Is it something in my e-mails? What are you saying? Are you saying "Hi" and that's it? You need to give someone something to respond to and a reason for doing so. Telling someone "You're HAWWWWWWWWWWWT" is NOT a reason, contrary to popular belief, most women do NOT find this flattering and it is NOT effective. I'm not saying that's what you're doing, but if it is, for God's sake, STOP! What you need to do is find some common ground. Actually READ their profile, don't just look at the pictures. Comment on something you liked, ask a question about something they've written, etc. Showing a sense of humor is almost always appreciated. DO NOT DELVE INTO ANYTHING OF A SEXUAL NATURE FOR A LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG TIME! Don't get too personal in the first few e-mails, don't give out your phone number or Yahoo or anything in the first e-mail, it's just a little creepy.

And, as others have suggested, get involved in the forums, have a little fun, meet people here.

Third, if you do get involved in the forums, do not make your 2nd post the ever-popular "I'm such a nice guy, why do women always choose (pick your own adjective here)". You think you're getting a bashing now, it's nothing compared to that.

That's the way my mom taught me as well, tart and sweet, juicy vs not as juicy, you get great flavor and texture that way with minimal ingredients, just 4 or 5 different apples, a teeny bit of sugar, lots of cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into crust and bake.

I don't use a recipe and don't have proportions, just do til it looks and smells right

If you've never read Patricia Cornwall's Scarpetta series and are into CSI kind of stuff, those are pretty good.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is a "what if" mystery about "what if" there really was a real "Dracula" and he's still living. I found it fascinating.

Pillars of the Earth and the sequel (I can't remember the name off-hand right now) by Ken Follett about building a cathedral in the Middle Ages.

Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley about King Arthur from a woman's perspective.

Jacob's Ladder by Donald McCaig is about the Civil War from the perspective of a woman of color who escaped slavery and passed as white in the south.

My favorite books ever: To Kill a Mockingbird, and Steinbeck's East of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath.

I Know this Much is True by Wally Lamb.

I've learned that some men like to hump their mattresses

Yup, sad but true. Chalk it up to at least you know what kind of person he is before you have to much invested, instead of after.

Who knows? Another one bites the dust and time to move on. It's the unanswerable question, don't ya know.

Awww, that sucks ((CB)))

Tell her I'm sorry

Is it? I've never been one to memorize albums and what's on what. All these years and never had a clue

Kashmir, my absolute favorite Zep tune!

Did anyone see/remember Fast Times at Ridgemont High? It's prominent there

What's the point if you're not having any fun? I find joy and fun in the smallest things. Saturday, we ran errands woo hoo, right? But we also had a great lunch out and went to the used book store where we spent an hour flipping through all these great records. That was just so much fun, seeing real records. I tell you, if I had a record player, I'd have spent a fortune.

BTW, if you're still holding on your records, most I saw that were in good shape were easily 2x what you paid for them back in the day, if not more. And that was in a used book store, on Ebay or something, you might be sitting on a fortune

Nope, cannot afford to get fired. And in law firms, no matter whether it was justified or not, I would take the fall for anything. They are not going to do anything to antagonize the people who bring in the money. I am a necessary expense, easily replaceable. This much I know.

Oh well. I don't think I'm going to respond unless he says something directly. Then, I just hope I can keep my temper.

If I ask a question, I expect an honest answer. And I HATE having things kept from me when they're being kept from simply because someone things it will "upset" me. My thought is, people who have nothing to hide and hide nothing, people who have something to hide, hide everything.

Yet, I also think that potentially painful truths can be given gently, compassionately and with respect, no holds barred if necessary, but still, in ways to potentially lessen pain. I don't believe that we as human beings should deliberately cause pain to others, but that DOESN'T mean shrouding someone in lies and half-truths to protect them either.

I suppose. I'm a little tired of it, though.

That's the thing. If I did something wrong, I'm fine with the criticism and with taking responsibility for it and whatever. But don't tell me I did it right then turn around 6 months later and tell I was wrong all this time. WTF is that about?

No, of course not. I'll survive. I just need to remember to get it back in my purse and quit taking it out.

Oh, and to top it off, I left my medication home, again. 2nd day in a row. I grabbed it and had it in my hand when boo came over. It apparently never made it to my purse.

Seriously. I don't know, I just keep thinking, maybe I should talk to someone about changing my assignment. Except this is a small firm and I don't really want the gossip either. Everyone would know and everyone would talk.