?

I just watched the Opening Ceremonies of the London Olympics and I was interested to see that the only Royals that seemed to be enjoying themselves were Kate, Prince Charles and Camilla. The few times Prince William was shown, he looked angry about something. I do hope he and Kate are still getting along alright. And Harry just looked like he'd rather be somewhere else.

The Queen, bless her, had her "sucking lemons" face on again but maybe that's to be expected since she just jumped out of a helicopter!! Or maybe she was thinking, as I was, what a bizarre and overall disappointing evening. It seemed such an odd theme: honoring national health care? Seems odd to this Yankee, anyway.

I haven't kept up with my tabloids lately so have I missed some Royal domestic trauma recently?

"Inquiring minds would like to know".

Overall, if you watched them on TV, what was your impression of the Opening Ceremonies? Frankly, I've seen better.

My church's sanctuary (where we hold services) is not air conditioned although the rest of the church building is. During the hot & humid summer months, we hold services in the Fellowship Hall (cafeteria) which was fine when the congregation was smaller, but we're getting new members (YEA!) and the cafeteria is getting crowded.

Would it be possible to install a ductless a/c system in the sanctuary? It doesn't have any outside windows (except the large stained glass window on the second floor) since the sanctuary is a sort of room within a room set up. Maybe this system could be coupled with ceiling fans to distribute the cooler air? Would 3 or 4 ceiling fans be enough to cool things down without an air conditioner, too?

Maybe someone who is familiar with the ductless technology could help me with this situation. I'd like to be able to give my Pastor some information that he can take to his financial committee and maybe get them to at least think about the possibility.

Perhaps you could recommend brands to me so I can research them "on line"?

I know God is everywhere, but I sometimes have a hard time "connecting" in a noisy, crowded lunchroom where the tile floors and hard surfaces seem to amplify sound.

Guess I'm not that spiritual!

THANK YOU so much for your help.

I had an interview with an local company late last week and felt really good about the interview. I seemed to have a real connection with the HR man and he seemed pleased to speak with me. In person and in a subsequent e-mail, he said that he would "get back to you early next week for follow up". But it is already Tuesday afternoon and so far nothing.

I don't want to nag the guy but is there some way that I can politely inquire as to the status of my application? I don't want to cross over the fine line between eagerness and pathological nagging, so how would you advise me to proceed?

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY need the hours and bucks, plus benefits this job offers and I'm tired, after 3 years of being out of work, of not having any money at all. I even have the good folks at my church praying for me! And I know that I would be great at this job, plus an asset to the company.

If you were in this situation what would YOU do?

Thanks in advance for your help/advice.

About a year ago, I made the acquaintance of one of my neighbors who has since become a pain in the butt. She is very curious about everything that I do, seems to get upset when I mention other friends I have and can be very offensive in her humor. Before my husband passed away, he always left the room when she entered and rarely spoke to her saying that he just didn't like her. He pegged her as the sort of person who uses people and although I didn't agree with him at the time, I sure do now! Many times I have given her rides home from the bus depot which is in a bad section of the neighborhood. She no longer has a car and I have taken her shopping a few times. She has never offered to pay for gas or for my time. I have introduced her to other friends of mine who have come back to me the next day to tell me how they felt uneasy and uncomfortable around her. If we are known by the company we keep, then I feel that I have to cultivate a wider circle of like minded friends.

She claims to be in 'spiritual contact' with my late husband which I find interesting since he never spoke to her when he was alive; I find it odd that he would suddenly open up to her now that he is on the other side.

I guess it's my fault; right after my husband died, she took pity on me and kept in touch with me so I wasn't alone during that difficult time. But now I regret being friendly and doing things for her. I feel that she has her hooks in me and seems to know what emotional buttons to push to make me feel obligated to her. But enough is enough.

How would YOU handle this situation? I don't want to be mean or cruel (I want to be tactful) but at the same time I want to make it clear that I no longer want to be friends with this strange lady.

Many thanks for your insight and help.

I'm thinking of getting a used SUV and would like to compare GMC and Chevrolet products. What I had in mind is a Chevy Blazer (not the newer Trailblazer) but I'm told a GMC Jimmy is similar.

If you've had experience with these 2 manufacturers, I'd appreciate hearing your impressions.

NO I do not want Ford, Honda, Dodge or anything besides a Chevrolet or a GMC, thanks all the same.

Many thanks in advance for your ideas!

My husband of 23 years passed away this past December and I am having an awful time just doing things that need to be done. Every day I tell myself that I HAVE to do things but my energy level is so low, I feel like I've hit a wall and fell into a vat of glue; I just can't seem to move. I've never been a 'domestic goddess' so the simplest chore, such as vacuuming, requires a huge mental effort.

I have to take a car trip 400 miles away to sell some property we had and I am just dreading it. The trailer he left to me MUST be cleared out prior to selling it; I know this has to be done, and the sooner the better or I'll start to lose money, but I just can't seem to shake a feeling of doom about the trip itself, not to mention the 'fun' of once again going through both our belongings and leaving the vacation spot forever.

It feels like I must do all this alone and I don't really want anyone else with me because it is a private process for me. But how do I become 'UN stuck' enough to start the process? I will be connecting with mutual friends once up at the vacation spot who also live here in Pennsylvania and I am looking forward to that. But it's taking the first step that has me flummoxed.

Isn't 7 months of missing him enough, already? He hadn't been deathly ill but died within a few weeks of being diagnosed with pancreatitis (NOT cancer) which resulted in peritonitis and a general all-around systemic poisoning at age 71.

Any hints from people who have gone through this would be most welcome. Someone who has actually lost a spouse would have, I think, a little more insight into the emotional distress.

I am a Christian, I do believe in a divine plan for all of us and I am not mad at God for taking my husband. And I do believe that I will be fine but this lack of energy has me

concerned.

Thanks so much for your help.

I know he's lost a lot of weight recently, but these days he just looks gaunt and ill. Also, has his "Good Eats" show been canceled or something? Having a hard time locating it on TV these days except for constant re-runs.

Thanks for the info!

I live in an apartment and when we moved in 8 years ago a brand new GE dishwasher was waiting (all the appliances were new when we moved in). Okay, because it IS in a complex, of course the washer isn't 'top of the line' but until about a week ago it was doing a great job. Now my silverware (stainless steel) comes out with white blotches and film and I see the same residue on other dishes.

I have tried:

1) changing detergents (went from a packet of powder back to liquid)

2) using white vinegar in the rinse cycle

3) using a dishwasher cleaner in an EMPTY washer to clean and disinfect it

4) washing half loads and trying to keep the dishes from 'nesting'

5) running the kitchen tap on hot for a minute to increase the water temp in the washer

6) pre-soaking the dirty utensils/cutlery before putting in the washer

7) made sure the Jet Dry dispenser is full

NONE OF THE ABOVE HAS WORKED!

As I said, I know this washer is not 'top of the line' and a maintenance man indicated that this model doesn't even have a 'waste filter' that might need cleaning because it is a basic (aka: cheap) model.

When I open the washer mid cycle, there is plenty of hot water and steam so I'm guessing the cal rod heating element is working. Is it just time for a new washer? I was brought up with GE products (Dad worked for GE so all the appliances we had growing up were HOTPOINT and GE--he was a 'company man' alright!) and I used to think they were pretty good. Now I don't know...

Maybe a repair person can give me an idea of something else to try. Okay, it isn't a world shaking crisis, but it is annoying and I would appreciate some ideas of a solution.

Many thanks in advance for your kind assistance!

I am thinking of dabbling in on-line stock trading and want to get an idea of experiences, good and bad, about it. Does anyone have any recommendations as to brokers, etc? How do I select a broker; I see there is a LOT of competition out there and wondered if suggestions could be made: who/what worked for YOU?

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Okay, okay I know I'm behind the times but I'd like to know what a BLOG is and could someone make money 'blogging'?

THANK YOU!

Okay, I just bought a 46" SHARP TV because I wanted to see 'all four colors' as the ad suggests.

So far, I'm not favorably impressed at all!!

Also, due to restrictions in the apartment complex where I live, I cannot put up a dish in the front yard

which is where I would have to place an HD dish. The current dish (with dish network) is an older model, NON HD, and located in my back yard. The dish guy was around the other day and said the HD dish would have to be placed in a different spot, since the satellite is in a different location in its geo synch orbit, which I cannot do.

It has been suggested that I switch to a cable system like Comcast but I've had that in the past and disliked it very much; I have had satellite service for 9 years and really like it.

I have seen HD TV at other people's houses and, honestly, I'm not horribly impressed with what I've seen.

Is it possible to still get NON HD TV sets? It doesn't really have to be a flat screen.

Any suggestions about this and brand names would be helpful.

THANKS!

Okay, I know William and Catherine just got married, but when do you think they will start their family?

I was thinking that since it is quite unlikely that the Queen will bypass Charles to let William rule, they should get a start on their baby plans early in their marriage so their children can be raised in a fairly normal (for royalty) atmosphere and they can be real parents.

I'm saying within 2 years. What do YOU think?

Did anyone else see a riderless black horse run away during the return trip during the Royal Wedding today??? The camera picked up the open landau carriage the happy couple were in but right behind them, on Williams side you can see a black horse, no rider on board, running. It was just a few seconds after they passed the Cenotaph. None of the BBC America commentators mentioned it at the time, but since I tivoed it, I was able to re-run it and there it is. Who else saw it? And no, I was not celebrating early with champagne!! LOL.

I had read that a custom started with the present Queen's mother would happen today; that Catherine would leave her bridal bouquet at the tomb of the unknown soldier in Westminster Abbey. I understand that it was a custom started at the 1923 wedding of the present Queen's mother since her brother, Fergus, died in France during World War 1. The present Queen left her bouquet there after the ceremony on the way out and her mother had left her bouquet on the way in before approaching the altar. I was watching today, and Catherine didn't leave hers, which surprised me since she is now a military wife. Was it a gaff or didn't she plan on doing it, despite reports that she would?

WONDERFUL ceremony and thank you, thank you, thank you, England, for allowing us to view it on TV! Thanks for the invitation! It is so nice to see a young couple in love actually get married BEFORE they have children! Makes a refreshing change.

May they have a wonderful, long and loving life together with mutual respect and honor. God bless them all.

We've been using TOYO for my 2003 Chevy Silverado C1500 but I'm not sure the present set of 4 will pass inspection (they've been on about 4 years) and I want to get a new set. I've been told there is a 'national back order' on TOYO tires and has been for the past year. Which is odd since I bought 2 new TOYOS last November for my other truck.

WHAT brands are good in rain, snow, ice, highway driving, fairly quiet and smooth ride? Also, I really don't want to spend a TON of money but if the performance and wear is great, I would spend extra money.

ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Thanks!

Who pays the inheritance tax(s) on property (items, not land or houses); the beneficiary of the will or the estate of the decedent? What if there is no cash left in the estate to pay the inheritance tax(s)? The items have already been legally transferred over to the beneficiary. This is in Pennsylvania.

THANK YOU!

Apparently, the Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity shows have been scrapped on the local radio station known as "The Big Talker" here in Philadelphia (1210 AM).

I can understand some people being upset by Glenn Beck and just bored by Sean Hannity, but I nearly fell out of my chair when I learned that "the powers that be" made the switch to accommodate...

MICHAEL SMERCONISH! Or as I call him "SMIRKconish" the always loud, always obnoxious and traitorous baldy that decided to dump his morning slot on this same station. Give me an f-in' break, already.

Okay, I'm venting now. But I am interested in seeing how many people in the Philadelphia area are as disgusted by this programming change as I am.

And YES, I will be bugging the station about it. Let the e-mailing begin!

Actually, I don't need to get too upset about this since I just bought a WiFi from C.Crane and can listen to anybody via the computer now! And I can always listen to the OTHER Conservative radio station in Philadelphia, 990 AM (WNTP).

Just thought I'd ask, gang.

Have a wonderful day/evening.

I accidentally deleted the little Internet Explorer globe icon on my desktop and can't figure out how to get it back. Can some clever and technically gifted person please help me?

MANY THANKS!

My companion of 23 years passed away recently and left some items for me in his will. His daughter is the executrix and thinks I should sell these items and give her the money. Do I need my own attorney? I know he meant the items were for my own use to sell or keep as I see fit and to use the money for my own use if I decide to sell them.

Please advise!

Many thanks.

When Kate Middleton marries Prince William, will she be known as Queen Catherine when he comes to the throne?

Being a Yankee, I'm not entirely sure of how the monarchy works over there in England, so please forgive the silly question. When Philip married Princess (as she was then) Elisabeth, he didn't become King when she became Queen, so I was curious.

Could some of you who are versed in the ins and outs of royal protocol please help this poor Yankee get this straight??

Many thanks and I hope you all have a Merry Christmas.