I still know there was something I had to do...

[Liesje]

is no Hawaii related to no snow, or is that something else?

and does this mean Phil's unemployed all winter?

Tim's weather radio went off today and said there were waterspouts on the lake up by St. Joe.

Mmm, waterspouts. They've been popping up a lot in the past few weeks.

Phil gets to plow snow eventually which is actually way more $$$/hr than he makes now. When they are done w/ their assigned landscaping for the season, he gets an unemployment retainer from the company (which is actually more than his wage now since they take your best quarter from the previous year, which was a different job) until there is enough snow for a steady income. He wants to change jobs, but he's most likely starting school after Christmas and I don't think he should work full time as a full time student. He can get a student loan if we need help.

The Hawaii thing is more related to me telling my boss I'd love to come back and work for him for a very nice salary, and then him saying I actually can't start until Novemeber, and then the travel agency saying I have to pay for the trip in full by Oct. 24 even though the trip is not until mid-December. We're trying to think of a way to find a cheaper deal that we can put on the credit card instead.

Kelly, I really want to meet you!

 

[kellyahern]

I want to meet you too .

I hope things work out for you guys. I guess the recreation job search in Florida didn't work out . Or did he change his mind and decide to go back to school for now?

 

[Liesje]

He's going back to school for special ed. He's always liked working with disabled kids, and he can't find a rec job that offers this on a consistent basis and actually pays enough to live on (ie, not summer camps). He's taught gymnastics to disabled kids, but only a few hours of his 40 hr week. We have two facilities around here that house disabled and troubled teens, but those jobs are more like giving people medicine or restraining them.

He tried to get into schools in Florida, but they wouldn't allow any transfers of his college credits, which is odd since Michigan has one of the hardest el ed certifications in the country and he was halfway through the program before switching. If he stays here, he can use some of the credits he's already taken with his previous degree and he will have a second degree including the student teaching in two years or less.

Not ideal, but a hell of a lot cheaper in the long run.

 

[kellyahern]

That sounds like a good plan. That's unfortunate that the Florida schools would allow the transfer of credits. I know Florida State has a good special ed program.

My sister is a special ed teacher. She teaches kids who are blind or have visual impairments.

 

[Liesje]

Yucky. I think I might be sick. I'm wearing two tank tops, a sweater, a fleece jacket, and a suede blanket, have the heat at 75 and I'm shivering. I had this terrible headache and Phil gave me some pills. Then later I was falling asleep on him whilst watching TV and he says "do you need to go to bed or something?" and I said "well, you gave me Tylenol Sinus for Nighttime." Oops.

How's everyone else?

 

[hippy]

poor Lies

I would say I'm doing better than you seem to be! I'm sorry to hear that things didn't work out for South FL (my mom called last night and she was driving home with the windows down on a balmy 75 degree night). But it's definitely cool that an alternate plan is taking shape for you and Phil

I hope you feel better soon!

 

[Kristie]

feel better lies

at least you have someone to take care of you!
how's married life treating you?

 

[Liesje]

I feel fine today. I must've just been tired or something. Or maybe I just don't care b/c I put down a deposit on a Hawaii trip today

Married life is OK. To be perfectly honest, I get really bored since I can't start my job yet (HR went on a retreat and can't process my payroll and benefits). This is the first time in my life I've lived within close proximity to at least 4 other people. Between sharing a room with siblings, having roommates and suitemates, and then piling people into college houses, you get really used to the company of others. I kinda miss having my friends around, like goofing off watching movies, doing cleaning chores together, piling on each others' beds and ranting about life, etc. My life is rather dull and boring so I sort of miss everyone's drama. I'm going to call them this week b/c it's like I've gone from spending every waking moment besides work with them to seeing them once every few weeks. Plus Ellen is still in DC and our other best friend Lisa moved to Africa until January and her parents moved to Canada so she won't even be coming back here. I wish we had a house so I could make friends in the neighborhood. Everyone keeps to themselves aroun here.

 

[kellyahern]

Or maybe I just don't care b/c I put down a deposit on a Hawaii trip today

Yay .

 

[Kristie]

yaaay hawaii!

except it being a disaster area right now and all.
But I'm sure they'll get that fixed up soon.

 

[hippy]

yaaay hawaii!

except it being a disaster area right now and all.
But I'm sure they'll get that fixed up soon.

Bono DOES make magical things happen


On a somewhat related note: iTunes just randomly started playing "Wake Up" and I swear I'm on an adrenaline high now...

 

[kellyahern]

Bono DOES make magical things happen


On a somewhat related note: iTunes just randomly started playing "Wake Up" and I swear I'm on an adrenaline high now...

He makes money in my bank account magically disappear .

Seriously, I checked one of the hotels websites on Oahu and they had an announcement saying they suffered no damage or interuption of service, so that's good .


I once heard "Wake Up" at a food court in the mall. I had the sudden feeling that something exciting was going to happen. Unfortunately, I was just taking the seniors on a field trip to the mall .

 

[Kristie]

aww I wish I had that song

 

[hippy]

you know I couldn't leave you hanging, twin

http://save file.com/files/176227


remove the space, of course

 

[Kristie]

you know I couldn't leave you hanging, twin

http://save file.com/files/176227


remove the space, of course

Ooooooooh
I have dial-up, though
well, this might just have to take a little bit.
Thank yoooouuu

 

[Liesje]

Kristie + dial-up =

I was fixing my aunt's internet last weekend and in her Comcast folder, I saw an invoice for the install of the new line, since their neighborhood didn't have access to any high-speed ISP. It cost SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS just to put in the fiberoptic!!! I guess my aunt and uncle were really desperate

 

[Merc]

Just dropping in to say "Hi"...

Hope everyone is doing great and congrats to those of you who are going to Hawaii - will be looking forward to lots of pics and detailed reports!

 

[hippy]

It's a new Lies! $700 is a hell of a lot of money... geez.


And Merc! I'm doing well... swamped under lots and lots of midterm work due this week. But I keep telling myself I love this

How are you doing?

 

[Merc]

And Merc! I'm doing well... swamped under lots and lots of midterm work due this week. But I keep telling myself I love this

How are you doing?

Uh, good luck with that!


Great! Spending my days trying to learn everything at my new job...

Got the best email today - couldn't help laugh a bit when I saw it! It was an invitation for Scandinavian Sport Days on 4th November... in Nairobi - sent by the embassy!! I left Kenya 6 months ago, I did go to the embassy when I left, told them I was going home and wasn't living in Kenya anymore... but apparently they forgot!

I'd really love to go back, but not for Sport Days!

 

[Kristie]

hey, twin, how's boston treating you?

you turned into an icicle yet?

 

[Stories for Boys]

in all fairness, kristie, i spent two very icy nights in a ga line in boston with kim, and she survived that...

although i'm pretty sure she was wearing the equivalent to my entire wardrobe at once...

 

[hippy]

Laura -- I was wearing every piece of "cold weather" clothing I had I will never be doing that again, either...

I'm not an icicle YET, but I am also not spending the night outside

Boston is generally good... a little bit lonely cause I'm used to my whole family being around, but the amount of work I've had to do for school hasn't left me much time to think about that... and Mom is coming to visit this weekend!

How's home? And Laura, how's Chicago?

 

[Stories for Boys]

chicago's good. i start work tomorrow...finally. and i just found out i got the time off for hawaii. woo! other than that, not much going on here yet...

 

[Kristie]

home's all right
I am poor but I have a job
dogs shed all over everything
mom went back to work yesterday and they sent her home today because the corporate office says she can't have any restrictions... she got sent back with two: she needs a chair to sit in sometimes, and she can't lift more than 35lbs. It sucks.
and.. that's about it.

 

[Liesje]

I think I've figured out why I've been feeling sick for weeks (like when I was complaining earlier in this thread). There's black mold surrounding the windows in each room. I've got specimens from each window growing in agar plates on the kitchen counter. See journal for details.

 

[Merc]

I think I've figured out why I've been feeling sick for weeks (like when I was complaining earlier in this thread). There's black mold surrounding the windows in each room. I've got specimens from each window growing in agar plates on the kitchen counter. See journal for details.

Lies, I just took a look in your journal!

This is not good, and I'm 100% sure it's the reason why you're feeling sick - and I'm also sure if you keep living there the symptoms you're having will become cronic, you might develop asthma or something similar!

My advise to you would be to do something about it (but I guess you're already got some sort of plan since you're growing it in your kitchen! ), and do it quick!

 

[Liesje]

Dammit! Merc, you're a science/medicine person, any idea what type of mold we're dealing with? I just posted a photo of the swabbed samples in the agar plate at 48 hours. Well, here it is again for you. You can't tell in this photo, but the edges of some of the moldy thingies are starting to turn black

(the big black marks are my writing in Sharpie on the bottom which room the sample is from)

The HVAC plate looks like one spore is starting to grow, not large enough to photograph, but I guess that means the mold is coming through our heating system.

 

[Kristie]

hmm
I'm not much a one for types of mold, but I'd get out the bleach and go get an air purifier...

 

[Merc]

Dammit! Merc, you're a science/medicine person, any idea what type of mold we're dealing with? I just posted a photo of the swabbed samples in the agar plate at 48 hours. Well, here it is again for you. You can't tell in this photo, but the edges of some of the moldy thingies are starting to turn black

(the big black marks are my writing in Sharpie on the bottom which room the sample is from)

The HVAC plate looks like one spore is starting to grow, not large enough to photograph, but I guess that means the mold is coming through our heating system.

I took at look in my microbiology book, looking for some pics that would be similar to yours... The ones on the left (dark green) and right (red) I can't identify at all, but the one in the top of the plate (light green) could be an Aspergillus fungi, but I'm not very sure!

I'm basing it partly on your pic (which could look like the one I have in my book, somewhat hard to tell) and partly on the sympthoms you've described. Here's some text from my microbiology book:

Some fungi cause immune responses that can result in allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions following exposure to specific fungal antigens. Exposure to fungi growing in the enviroment may cause allergi symptoms on reexposure. For example Aspergillus is a potent and common allergen, often causing asthma and other hypersensitivity reactions.

I'm convinced that just removing this, or jusing bleach, will not get you anywhere, the problem will just return - I'm affraid your problem is more serious, probably involving errors in the construction of your home! Do you live in a house or an apartment? Is your roof flat or do you have an upstairs neighbour who have a bathroom? I'm asking because problems like these, with mould and fungi, normally appear when you have water coming in somewhere!

 

[Liesje]

Thanks, Merc. I'll take some more pictures if it starts to mature, or whatever. Right now it all looks like green and pink fuzz, which is a little odd since it came from swabs of mold that is black and not really fuzzy.

I'm not sure if the large spots on the ceiling are actually mold, or just watermarks left from a spill above us.

The black mold surrounds each window and so far I haven't seen it growing anywhere else. I know exactly why this is: our windows have metal frames. Right now, it's freezing temps outside and 75 inside. None of the windows have storm windows. I dunno if you're familiar with a "storm window" or not, but in places like Michigan, when it gets cold you actually take out your screens and put in a second layer of glass to help insulate the house. Since we've got metal frames and only a single layer of glass, the frames are constantly condensing. I don't think any water is actually leaking in, it's forming inside of the apartment.

Also, since we live on the "ground" floor, we're actually mostly underground, so there's not a lot of ventilation, not any really. There's two floors of apartments above us.

I'm wondering if the toxicity may not be so much of a problem, but maybe I am allergic to mold? It doesn't seem to bother Phil, but I feel sick all the time. My eyes feel dry and itchy. I'd like to have an allergy test and see if there's something I can take continuously for this, but I don't have health insurance (or money) at the moment.