dani negreanu

The only authors I've recognized are Grisham, Lee Child and "Robert Galbraith".... but I took notes 👍

Since we're all gathered here tonight.... Would someone explain to me in a few words what is 401K ??? Yes, I've tried to google it... seems like savings for retirement. Since I've been freelance almost all my "working life", I've saved monthly in a "pension" plan. The thing is, those savings are placed in the stock market, and Covid and its "after shocks" seriously diminished its value. Is it the same with 401K, or you're safe from the stock market's fluctuations??

@singinalot Crystal, so glad to see you posting. Absolutely love the 2 jobs and the pool 😎 And many thanks to John @Ozark_Kid, for allowing me/us to see your movies. 🤞 for your MRI.

It's never too late to start 😉 Many new contributors joined lately, welcome to all, and the more -- the merrier 🌷

For sure, YES, he can. He just booked 4-5 couples of friends of mine 😉

Thank you so much, Valerie, and nice to "meet" you 🌷

+1 John @Ozark_Kid @Sunshine3601, Debbie, Happy belated birthday wishes to Eric 💐

Joy @derorim ((((((((((((((( ))))))))))))))))))))

Thank you for your kind words. The situation here is so bad, and, as you so rightly said, it breaks my heart when I see how many young people are willing to leave. You narrowly "avoided" a big group, my son's family and my DIL's brother and sister, all highly skilled people, giving up on your wonderful country, since the company which "advises" immigration to Australia, wants 4K (US $) pp for their services.... They're now checking Holland, which might be easier for us to live or just to travel back and forth. The same.... + 1 Debbi and Maryann @Luckynana + 1 You'll meet him or you've met him? If the latter, and you don't mind telling "us", how was it? + 1 , Bonnie @BonTexasNY Thanks, Bethany. YES, the system s...cks. It's not that other docs are not allowed, it's that we cannot make an appointment to another dr, other than the one we "belong" to. In theory, we can call the CENTER, explain the situation, and they can check and offer us an appointment if another dr in our city has an opening. It is a long process of waiting on line, of the customer service pouring schedule after schedule, and Wednesday, when he couldn't bear the pain, the only opening we found was at 5PM. It was 4.52. I drove like crazy, let DH out the nearest I could, and the secretary refused him entry, claiming the opening was a glitch... It was a very high recommended dr, and the next opening was on April 9. We can switch drs tomorrow (starting a new quarter), but we don't want to switch without at least having an appointment with one other dr, to see if we "fit"... It doesn't help that Passover eve is April 5, with the schools already on holiday, and many, drs included, taking advantage of more than 2 weeks vacation to travel or taking time off...

Had to google it... kept receiving "SAP [the company] collector" results 😠

Thanks, Bonnie, not so well. Yesterday he started trying his 3rd pain med, with no improvement. His blood work is OK, including the one checking the possibility of MM. We're quite "in the air", since our family doctor is on holiday, even though he promised that DH may contact him via Maccabi's site [Maccabi is our health provider]. What he forgot to mention is that there is a limit of 5 messages per quarter, and we reached it very easily... I went to Maccabi's offices yesterday, asking to extend the limit, given that the dr is out until April 16, and we cannot make an appointment with another dr, since we "belong" to this one until March 31,which falls on Shabbat. Moreover, in order to switch drs, we have to give Maccabi another name, and the good ones do not receive new patients. The manager, more or less, let me understand that we're f ed [as if I didn't know it...] since there's nothing she can do, the dr being an "independent" dr, not Macabbi's one... A real mess.

Her smile brightens the day 🌷 🌈

Well done 👍. You managed to sum it up in just a few sentences, and spot on to boot .

Living in Israel... political tensions can start from a day to another... 90 days is a long-long time. Traffic is horrendous. I suggest staying overnight off ship, and using small van tours. Good luck to you.... and us here 😢

"He" is an outstanding liar and manipulator. Since "he" is under 3 counts of indictment, of course he'd like to chose his judges, not to mention chose his verdict.... Contrary to what "he" declared [what else is new 😢...], the anti-democratic laws are at the ready. Just waiting for the right moment to raise their hands. "We" blink, and we're facing a fait accompli. @jagsfan Mimi, so sad to hear your battling pneumonia. Please get well soon, you're thoroughly missed here 😘

OB, I remember it very well, and I appreciated it twice coming from you 😘 I wanted to reply, but somehow I didn't want to take too much space in this thread.... Let me make it clear. I would leave tomorrow, and, for the first time, our married son, thinking of his young kids, will leave with us. He knows from my memories of immigration, how hard it is, and, until this new government, he and his wife wouldn't even hear the words "leave Israel". So sad. The biggest issue for DH and me is the health insurance... All his health issues have arised after us being insured for many years, national and private, through his previous place of work. The health insurance [and the SS] is good only if we live in Israel for 181 days in a year... Trying to insure ourselves, at our age, in a new country.... don't see it happening. Our hope is that DS2, with a PhD in law in the next year or so [and DIL with MSW in her resume], will find a position or a grant for continuing to post-doc, and ... remain there ... And we'll travel back and forth to see them 😢.

Thank you all for your kind words -- the above + Judy @NHProud, Graham @grapau27, Mark @h20skibum, Mary @MJSailors and Marietta @DaniDanielle Karen, I'm the "unrest" -- my family, my friends, my neighbors -- we're all in the streets to keep our only country from becoming a dictatorship. Sadly, we don't have a Constitution and 2 houses, no "balances" whatsoever, and the newly elected ultra-religious guys (no women in their parties...) already have laws against gays (allowing doctors, inn keepers/hoteliers and business owners, among others, to refrain from "dealing/treating/supplying services" to them...), separate beaches & swimming pools for women and minorities, etc., and I could go on and on. Abolishing the every 4 years elections is in the cards too... We're the only democracy in the ME, and intend to keep it this way. More for our kids and grandkids. @h20skibum + 1, I don't think there is a greater reward than to spend precious time with them.

Toda, Bonnie, thanks for asking. Today is the first day that he's not in back pain or stomach pain. He stopped with the pain reliever 3 days ago, so we're happy and cautiously optimistic. "Turn around day" - hopefully it's not temporary. Note aside -- how would you say in English "titchadshi" תתחדשי, בקשר לאבא הביולוגי החדש שנמצא 😉

Looks like an amazing place. Italy is beautiful. Should be a lot of fun 😘 @Sunshine3601 Debbie, I've noticed that Petey "brought" you a book for the cruise... "Shakeup" by Stuart Woods. That's a new author for me, and I'd like your impressions. Have a smashing time on Anthem and eat a roast beef sandwich for me 🥪 @ReneeFLL How are you and Mike doing? Did Mike had a better time in Tel Aviv in his 2nd visit??

I experience it for the last week... Didn't know about "swimmers itch". I thought they changed a bit the formula of chlorine ... or my new swimsuit .... Didn't swim for about 10 days before Monday (March 20), thinking we'll travel Sunday (March 19) and didn't want to catch a cold before hand, or Covid...

Glad for you, it must be an awful sensation. @reallyitsmema same here, that's sheer bad luck 😢 @reallyitsmema + 1

Thanks. We're in a bit of "catch-22" here -- the blood tests so far are OK (my doctor friends say that the worst diagnosis for them is "unexplained", i.e. when everything is OK, but ... is not). We're missing only one which tests the probability of multiple myeloma... The orthopedist advised Monday to wait a week and see if there's no improvement, to do a "mapping of bones" test. Our family doctor is, of course, on holiday until April 16th, and, bar an emergency, we can switch doctors only at the end of the month.

Still poorly. Today is the 2nd time he has to stop taking a pain reliever, since it impacts his stomach. We're quite at the end of our wits.

@brillohead Debbi, so glad you have such an amazing closure. I'm looking for the right words here, and they do not translate well from Hebrew to English. The gist is -- if you see someone wearing new shoes, or any other clothing, you say: "wear well the newness [your dad]"... @brillohead + 1 😘 Wishing the four of you a very enjoyable cruise 🌷 There goes one of the 2 options I had for a direct flight.............😢 Amazing pictures and colors. Thank you so much for sharing 💐 Absolutely not, just the natural course of things.... Linda in courts? I thought she was retired, unless is for "cruise money" 😉

If he is from Romania, then the spelling is Razvan. A very nice and masculine name 😎 She is sooo beautiful 🌷 Hope that the Mohs surgery went well and everything is OUT. So sorry, Maryann. I hope you get the mild "version" and you'll be back to your usual self in no time at all, smell and taste included 😘