S W

The other day, a new boyfriend (of a few months) asked me if I would get a tattoo -- specifically, one on the inside of my thigh, with his name.

I'm not in to tattoos so the answer is no.

What I was curious about is, why would he ask me to do that?

My friend, who lives in another state, has been homeless and broke for over three years now since losing her job. Things were starting to look up for her once she entered college -- she is doing well in school but is STILL homeless. The University, knowing her situation has done NOTHING to help her with a place to stay. Her loans and grants have barely covered her tuition. They're not interested in helping her any further.

Because the cost of school went up this semester, she's now got a balance due ($1000). Needless to say, she cannot afford to pay it.

She's been through so much terrible stuff, and now she believes there is nothing left to live for, that things will not get better for her. I was on the phone for two hours tonight trying to talk her out of it. I don't believe I was successful in convincing her not to harm herself.

She is such a BEAUTIFUL PERSON but she's had awful luck these past few years.

I don't know what to do. Can you suggest anything that I can tell her --- please no Bible-speak. This is someone who has been going to church and praying for over three years and her life is still a mess.

Any suggestions you can give me will help.

Thanks in advance.

Had a very difficult therapy session today with my psychotherapist, whom I've been going to for a little over three years now. I brought up something that I had done and not only did he attack me for it, but he brought up something that happened last year in therapy that was pretty bad, I guess, as some sort of "point" about my behavior. He made me feel worse than I've ever felt in my entire life. And I am so disappointed that I feel now as if I cannot trust him. That he is judging me.

I left at the end of the session stunned, and worse, I felt upset and hopeless and worthless and ashamed. I actually want to quit therapy now. And I am afraid of what will happen to me if I do. I began therapy because of depression and thoughts of suicide.

I've come a long way since then, but today just knocked the wind right out of me.

I feel now like I cannot trust him. I cannot confide in him. I don't want to leave because he is a good therapist, but I feel as if he does not respect me as a human being.

How can I keep going to a therapist who does not respect me?

I feel bad because up until today he was great to work with. And I feel like there's just no going back from what happened today.

I don't know what to do. My next appointment is next week and I just feel like just not showing up and never going back. No phone call. No explanation. Nothing.

I don't know what to do.

I'm on the fence about reporting a woman I know who has Food Stamps and continually and habitually "sells off" her Food Stamps for money for alcohol, cigarettes, and most likely, drugs. Meanwhile, there will be days -- in a row, where her children won't even have milk or cereal or any food in the house to eat.

The reason I'm asking this question is because she ALREADY has an open case with ACS. And in spite of the fact that her house is kept like a pigsty, ACS has allowed her to maintain custody of her two children.

The third child is living with "foster parents" BUT she is still receiving a housing allowance and Food Stamps as if the child was still there. And ACS is aware of this and has allowed this to continue.

I am torn over whether or not to turn her in for Food Stamp fraud or to turn her in for child neglect. Her drinking has gotten worse, and she is using the money she gets from her SSI, Food Stamps and cash assistance to buy alcohol.

The other night I arrived at her home after 11PM to find her passed out drunk on the couch.

I just don't know what to do. Her kids are good kids. Very smart and doing well in school. But the environment she has them living in is a detriment to these children.

Does anyone have any advice?

A group of friends and I have started a group where we crochet blankets for donation to homeless shelters and to hospitals. We also make chemo caps for cancer patients.

We're looking for a way to get some yarn donated so that we can continue our work and continue to provide these wonderful gifts to folks who really need them.

Does anybody know of a definitive source we can go to who will donate free yarn to us? We're all set with crochet hooks, so we just need yarn.

Please don't suggest any "wild goose chases" -- just a definitive source who regularly does this.

Thanks for your help!

A group of friends and I have started a group where we crochet blankets for donation to homeless shelters and to hospitals. We also make chemo caps for cancer patients.

We're looking for a way to get some yarn donated so that we can continue our work and continue to provide these wonderful gifts to folks who really need them?

Does anybody know of a definitive source we can go to who will donate free yarn to us? We're all set with crochet hooks, so we just need yarn.

Please don't suggest any "wild goose chases" -- just a definitive source who regularly does this.

Thanks for your help!

Shortly after the New Year arrived, my ex-boyfriend, whom I broke up with three years ago, called me.

We had three telephone conversations -- two that were very nice, where we spoke about old times and the fun we'd had, and the third where he spent the entire time talking about the intimate side of our relationship. I kept changing the subject. After all, three years is a long time for us to just "jump back into" our sexual relationship.

He has not called me since that last conversation where I didn't take the bait and invite him over. I forgot to mention that I had initially agreed to meet him in our first conversation for coffee somewhere -- not at my place. He agreed, we made preliminary plans to meet, and he never called to confirm.

The next and last time I spoke to him he mentioned NOTHING about meeting for coffee, and instead spent the entire conversation talking about sex. As I said earlier, I just kept changing the subject.

That was a week ago, and I am somewhat relieved that I haven't heard from him since.

Will he go away and stay away this time? Or am I in for another "curtain call" from him?

I am reaching the end of my therapy for a bout of severe depression, that left me suicidal and withdrawn. Now several months later, I am doing great. My psychiatrist will end my antidepressants at the end of the year, and I am back on the road to great emotional health.

I have a separate therapist that I see weekly, and our time together is about to end. I really enjoy talking to him and I would like for us to be just casual friends after my treatment ends. Is that permitted?

Not like hanging out or anything, but just keeping in touch.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

I am reaching the end of my therapy for a bout of severe depression, that left me suicidal and withdrawn. Now several months later, I am doing great. My psychiatrist will end my antidepressants at the end of the year, and I am back on the road to great emotional health.

I have a separate therapist that I see weekly, and our time together is about to end. I really enjoy talking to him and I would like for us to be just casual friends after my treatment ends. Is that permitted?

Not like hanging out or anything, but just keeping in touch.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

I have been seeing my therapist weekly for nearly five months now.

In recent weeks, I have realized that I am attracted to him. So much so that I have been having romantic and sexual thoughts about him. I've done some research on "transference" -- and it may be possible that this is what these feelings are.

But I am wondering whether or not I should mention this to my therapist, who is very professional. I also feel as if he may be attracted to me as well. I am afraid that if I say anything about my feelings for him that he will send me to another therapist. And I really would miss talking to him every week.

I am torn. What should I do?

I've been using my TV, with an internal antenna for several months now -- since we can no longer afford cable to pick up our local stations. The stations come in very clear without cable.

My question is, will I be able to hook up a digital converter to the TV and get the same stations in digital format, once the digital switch is made, even though the TV has an internal antenna?

I don't have to buy any special equipment other than the digital converter, do I?

I've been using my TV, with an internal antenna for several months now -- since we can no longer afford cable to pick up our local stations. The stations come in very clear without cable.

My question is, will I be able to hook up a digital converter to the TV and get the same stations in digital format, once the digital switch is made, even though the TV has an internal antenna?

I don't have to buy any special equipment other than the digital converter, do I?

We've been arguing about this all day and can't find any information online.

One of my cousins has an outstanding tax lien. She's been unable to pay it because she is out of work.

At the time the stimulus checks were being mailed, she had no address to mail them to and is too afraid to call.

The quick question is: if you have a tax lien, will they still send you a stimulus check even if you filed your taxes and everything else is done?

Please help me settle this argument. Thanks!

Advil, Tylenol, Motrin or Nuprin?

Is it even possible for death to occur by mixing alcohol with over-the-counter sleeping pills? I've heard a number of opinions on this subject. A colleague of mine is rumored to have tried to commit suicide by taking an entire bottle of these pills with alcohol.

A friend of mine recently came into a good amount of money and swears that her prayers to St. Jude were the reason why.

Have you used this prayer and experienced something miraculous -- or have you seen this with someone that you know?

Do you believe that someone, after praying and praying for a miracle for years can finally receive it when they have reached their limit? For example, someone that needs money getting a miracle of winning a lot of money just before losing their home?

Would you ever encourage someone to believe - even when things were "down to the wire" and there appeared to be no way to save them?

Would you ever discourage someone from believing in such a miracle?

A friend of mine is going through some very hard financial times. He's been out of work for five months now, sent out probably 1,000 resumes and not gotten a job.

He is five months behind in his rent. Whereas the landlord has already filed suit to have him evicted, his lease runs out at the end of this month. So he will definitely have to leave then.

He has decided that the best thing for him to do is to end his life. He has struggled with bills for years and I think he has just gotten tired and frustrated and has just given up. He says that he's survived these last five months praying every day that if he goes on just one more day then a blessing of a job or a financial windfall will come and he will have a reason to keep going.

But now, things are so bad I just can't reason with him and he believes that ending his life is the only solution and option he has left.

I've never seen him like this before. How can I help? What can I say to him other than "don't do it"?

Can you order a refill of a prescription if you're no longer covered by that insurance.

I filled a prescription a couple of months ago when I was working at a company and covered and I am not working there anymore.

Can I go and order the refill and still get the prescription filled for the co-pay amount? Do they check?

A year ago, last Valentine's Day, I broke up with my boyfriend after several years together. We had been on-again, off-again for the entire time we were together. Finally, on Valentine's Day after no card, no plans to spend anytime together, I broke it off.

Fast-forward to this year, he calls up out of the blue -- just shy of a year. He left FOUR messages on my voicemail (happily, I had my cell phone off that day, as I was working). Each message asked me to "call him," "I wanted to know how you were doing," "Please call me back," "Call me if you want to," "Did I miss your call"?

Just one message after the other. As I said earlier, we had been on and off again before. But this time, I am determined to keep it "OFF." When I broke things off, I explained that he wasn't moving towards anything and I needed more.

What I can't figure out is why is he calling me? When we first split up a year ago, he didn't call once.

What is the urgency now? And am I wrong not to call him back?