Salinye

Lovely. Perfectly lovely, Mira. The new line I'm working on is: "Devotion drifting on a gentle breeze" A bit abstract, I know. :0) ~Salinye

Words are not enough... ...to mend the wounds of sorrow. ...to heal a broken heart. ...to wash away the memories. A look is not enough... ...to cause my heart to soar. ...to turn my despair to hope. ...to make me long for your embrace. A touch is not enough... ...to bring a hot flush into my face. ...to give my emotions reign over my mind. ...to make me lose myself in you. Knowing this is not enough... ...to make it true.

I didn't have a lot of time as I'm about to walk out the door, and poetry has never been my strong point, but I liked this particular line and decided to give it a try. Constellations of citrus glitter upon the trees, As if gems set within its emerald crown of leaves. Golden strands of wheat gently stirring in the breeze As if possessed with the graceful sway of the seas. My sightless eyes remember-my soul to appease. As if in answer to my spirit’s unspoken words and pleas. ((New Line: "Laughter penetrates the silence"))

Quincunx~ ALL HAIL THE INVENTOR OF CROCKPOTS! *Dons her best toga and bows down in proper worship* ~Salinye

*looks around for Venyfyxatu's computer with a magnet held solidly in her hand behind her back* ~Salinye

I think you said it very well, Ayshela. :0) Each person has to make their own decision. I did the "climb the corporate ladder" thing once upon a time and was doing very well at it, but in the end I chose the stay home mom/homemaker route and wouldn't have it any other way. However, that being said, my husband and I consider outside employment 1 full time job, stay home mom/raising the kids 1 full time job and attempting to keep the house/bills in order another full time job. So, obviously he does the outside employment thing, but we divide the household things evenly and although I'm with the children more hours of the day than he is, he's no less involved. I think to put one person in charge of raising the children 75% of the day, keeping the house in order and all the bills paid would be an unrealistic expectation. I've seen women put that expectation upon themselves and then think they are failures because they can't pull it off. My husband will tell you (in good humor) that if he needs a break, he'll go to work!! lol I think the mistake would be in assuming that if one person works and one person is a homemaker then they draw obvious lines of responsibility. Not that some people don't, and perhaps it even works for them. In my assesment, in a happy marriage I think we'd find that regardless of the chosen circumstances, probably most responsibilities are more blended than black and white. Would be an interesting research project. :0) I like it when topics turn thought provoking in here. **also only expressing my own opinion/view/observations** ~Salinye

In my experience, I think it's more of a blend between the two. I couldn't resist modifying them lol. 1. HAVE DINNER READY: Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal - on time. This is a way of saving yourself a lot of stress and will ensure your family will get at least one meal this week that consists of more than Top Ramen or Macaroni and Cheese. Furthermore, if you don’t have anything prepared and are stressed, don’t be afraid to call your husband and ask him to pick something up (assuming your budget can afford it, even McDonalds for 6 people is $20.00) then he’ll know you’ve had a hard day and can help make it better. If he comes home and asks what’s for dinner, you can reply, “I don’t know, what are you making?” 2. PREPARE YOURSELF: Try to take time out during the day to rest so that you don’t feel too run down by the end of the day. Whether you’re a stay home mom or at a job all day, it’s important to take good care of yourself. You can’t be expected to be good to anyone else if you’re not first good to yourself. 3. CLEAR AWAY CLUTTER: Help your family establish good habits so that you all feel like the home is a peaceful and comfortable haven from the stress of school, work and other stresses of every day life. It takes more than one person to make the mess and one person shouldn’t be expected to clean it up! If your husband comes home and asks “What did you do all day?” Then come talk to me and I’ll show you what a well-placed magnet can do to his computer. 4. PREPARE THE CHILDREN: Children are little treasures and messy faces, sticky hands and uncombed hair is just a sign of a day full of adventure. If the house is a mess and dinner isn’t even close to being prepared, but the kids are happy and think their home is the greatest place on earth, then you’ve had a successful day. If messy hands bother your husband, show him where he can find the soap and tub. TV is not a baby sitter….except when your sanity is in serious question…. We all have our days. 5. MINIMIZE THE NOISE: Might as well go take a bubble bath and escape because you know after the kids have been away from their dad all day all chaos will break loose the moment he walks in the door. It won’t matter that the baby is sleeping, wrestling, yelling and things involving terms like “Hi-YA! I GOT YOU, YOU’RE DEAD!” and the famous “IT”S MY TURN!” will soon be echoing through the house. Calgon, take me away. Why pretend men are anything more than big kids and frankly, who would have it any other way? 6. Some Don'ts: Don’t be afraid to have open communication with your husband. Sometimes that means nearly exploding when he walks in the door with little to no concern for the stresses of his day and sometimes that means not nagging when he just needs to unwind in front of the computer for a half hour without being bugged with little to no concern for the stresses of your day. 7. MAKE HIM COMFORTABLE. Now is the time to pop a movie in for the kids or to plug them into a video game so you can have a quicky with your husband and HEY, who said this was about his comfort? I think not. 8. Refer back to # 6. 9. MAKE THE EVENING TOGETHER: Some nights it’s all about geeking on the computer or watching the football game. Some nights it’s all about shopping for that perfect pair of shoes or going out for fondue. Yet some nights it’s all about sitting in the McDonald’s play land bored to tears while your kids run wild having the time of their life. It’s all about balance. Girl’s night out IS a must. 10. The world revolves around whatever you choose to make it revolve around. I suggest love, patience and unselfishness as a means of figuring it all out. A wise man I know said two things of importance. 1. The leading cause of divorce is selfishness. 2. The greatest gift you can ever give your children is to love your spouse. ~Salinye

Patience is something you appreciate in the driver behind you and hate in the driver in front of you. If you're not sure if someone is a good person or not, ask a child. Attention is not the same as devotion. The point is not to find someone you can live with, it's to find someone you can't live without. ~Salinye

Merry~ Happy birthday, my friend. I hope your day is special and leaves you with memories as wonderful as you are. :0) *sniffles and looks at Ayshela* "They grow up so fast, don't they?" I'll leave you with warm hugs and thoughts from me, Merry. ~Salinye

Drats! Too bad I didn't think about that sooner! We just recently named the DOG Lumpy! ~Salinye

THanks everyone. :0) Black, one of my two year old twins is named Anna. Salinye isn't in the running, but we always pick three names that we like equally and then pick one when the baby is born. One of the names *IS* a name I've used in my writing, however. :0) ~Salinye

Well, I had my ultrasound today and I will indeed be having a baby GIRL! We're very excited. Now we're just trying to decide if this is indeed our very last one or do we need to have just one more? LOL Hmm I'm not sure I know the answer to that one. :0) Now, what to name her? Thanks for guessing, it was a fun wait! ~Salinye

Salinye casually steps up to the mic momentarily reminiscing about how long it's been since she attempted this. Shrugging off her doubts and knowing it's all for fun she fills the caberet room with her sad rendition of a freestyle birthday greeting in hopes of spurring more to come. Dopey~ It’s yo’ birthday, so don’t be mopey! Eighteen, but hopefully been kissed- That’s one sentiment I’m sure you’d miss. Not old enough to drink, but old enough to go to prison- Above such things, I’m sure you’ve risen! So have your cake and eat it too Paint the town red and don’t be blue. You’re better at this quick jive than me But I just want your day to be great, you see. Fellow Pennites-I know it’s been a while So grab the mic for some birthday greetings FREE STYLE! With a sheepish smile the mage steps away from the mic waiting to see who else will take a turn. (An older example of freestyle can be found here. :0)

I liked them both, especially the first one. You're very good at creating clear images within your readers minds. ~Salinye

Mira, you obviously do not have a wardrobe that consists of many clothing items containing "DO NOT DRY" or "DRY CLEAN ONLY" or "YOU NEVER SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT ME, I'M WAY TOO HIGH MAINTENANCE TO CARE FOR" tags. I think your next poem should be about "If it can't be thrown in the dryer to be ironed, than it's not worth owning!" I like your poem. Bringing the mundane to life is a nice gift. ~Salinye Who always has way more laundry to tend to than she wishes.

Knight: Been there, done that. :0) This time it's only one. And NOOOO I will not be changing the baby's sex to match the vote! lol Dark hair is very possible, Brown eyes are unlikely as every single one of us have blue, BUT you never know! Looks like we have an even 9 to 9 so far. :0) Hmmmm... ~Salinye

Well, it's almost time to find out! I'll have an ultrasound on March 9th, that's in 12 days. So, if you'de like to guess just for fun, have at it! We'll see who's right! Maybe we should ask Madame Quixotic! Currently we have two boys and two girls, so this 5th child will tip the scales to a permanent unfair advantage one way or the other! *grins* My oldest daughter is REALLY pulling for a girl. lol She want's to keep the big room. Happy guessing, ~Salinye

Oh, and if you visit Washington, be sure to say hi to every female assuming one will be me! ~Salinye

YAY! Good for you, Mynx! I'm so excited for you! WTG!!! *hugs* ~Salinye

OOC: Thank you so much! I'll be sure to respond to this in rp style when I'm feeling a little better. :0) Turning 30 is wonderful! I enjoy 30 even more than I did 20! My birthday was rather uneventful as I am so sick, and the roads iced over, but that's alright. :0) We'll do something to celebrate later. :0) Thanks again to everyone for the sweet birthday wishes! ~Salinye

So, I dl'd the stupid upgrade to Trillian 3 like it kept prompting me to do and then it wouldn't work. So I opened up my old version and it won't work either! Any suggestions? If I end up having to wipe the whole thing hten re dowload the old version that I know worked, will I lose all my contacts? Anyone know anything abou this? Technologically irritated, ~Salinye

Option # 4 The Devil’s Advocate’s real name is Mitch Cranson. Mitch is really rather well off. He has two kids, James and Amelia, and a beautiful wife Jeanie who works as a paleontologist at a local museum. Mitch himself has a good job as a trial lawyer with Schwartz, McHoliz & Johnson. Mitch also if the Devil’s older brother. Mitch dosen’t really know how it happened but somehow the time stream was bent out of proportion and the space continuum was kick in the rear. The short of it is that Mitch is the Devil’s older brother, and as his older brother, Mitch is responsible for keeping the Devil safe. This is why Mitch acts as the Devil’s Lawyer in all matters, both in earth and in heaven and hell. Mitch is rather successful, with a 84-14-1 record (the tie counted when a Buddhist Monk’s soul was up for grabs and before a verdict he reincarnated) he is the ultimate gentleman working for your soul’s well-being. Just call 1-800-OH-SATAN now!

Option # 3 A tiny fire flickering in a dark, smoke-filled room, two hundred years in the past. A tiny hexagon, less than half a foot across, with enchanted herbs at each corner and a phoenix feather along each side. The murmured tones of spells being cast, safety nets woven at every turn. The most powerful magician yet seen by the world. Black magic. A summoning, then another. Two supernatural beings, bound together by phyiscal and spiritual and mental ties. Such was the Devil's Advocate brought into the world. About two hundred years ago, a magician summoned an angel and a demon and twisted them to his own means. Shrunk in size to a mere two inches tall and thrust together into a portable enchanted cage, God's Advocate and the Devil's Advocate were intended to serve their owner by debating important decisions until a choice was made. They were given as a gift to the magician's son when he left to make his own way in the world. Approximately one hundred eighty years ago, after only twenty years serving as intended, the Devil's Advocate found a way to break the spells holding him, killing both the angel and the magician's son and escaping into the world. Some magic still prevents him from returning to his true master, so for years he wandered Terra and served Satan's will by attempting to corrupt good people the world over. Hearing of the Mighty Pen Keep and all the heroes who make quarters there, the three-inch tall demon found his way there, only to be recaptured by the Pen's best mages. His true nature cannot be changed and he is a constant danger to any but the most pious or most corrupt, but he is once more bound to a cage and forced to answer direct questions with truth, albeit twisted. Conniving always to poison minds or to escape, the Devil's Advocate is nevertheless a valuable possession. His tiny frame is well-muscled and his mind sharp, always ready for a good argument. He is unclothed (and unashamed at using his body to subvert females or insult males) with red skin, unnaturally little hair (just eyebrows, goatee, et cetera) and of course two horns and a spiked tail.

Option # 2 Devil's Advocate The Devil’s Advocate, not to be confused with the Devil’s Avocado or the Devil’s Adventist, is in fact a living imp skeleton with bones fashionably dyed in red ink. He arrived on this plane by stowing himself away in part of Horace’s briefcase, and can usually be found nestled on top of peoples’ heads, which he mistakes for their shoulders. He is small and bitter, like the Devil’s Avocado, and speaks with a chatter of teeth and a nasal squeak. A bitter rival of the Death of Rats, he enjoys constructing satanic mousetraps, which often prove to be as useless and self-destructive as the Devil’s Adventist. He is also skilled in music from Hell, and can play Britney Spears’ “Oops I did it Again” with a small rubber band harp and a set of toothpicks. At the direction of his master, the Devil’s Advocate will argue for whatever cause its owner chooses, even if that argument is in favor of the Devil’s Adventist. All of the imp’s arguments eventually deteriorate into an argument for why the Devil is great, however, and he frequently becomes repetitive and irritating. Fortunately, this is often enough to dissuade opponents from arguing entirely, which makes for victorious debates. Essential for any Minstrel Hall feud!

Option # 1 Devil's Advocate: This item, highly sought after among assassins, forgers, and disguise artists, appears to be a small leather-bound folder of the type used for carrying important documents. The leather has a slightly reddish tint that is disconcerting to anyone who inspects it for too long. Any documents that are put inside have the annoying habit of becoming lost. The actual use of an item comes into play when it's owner has need of a false identity, or needs to impersonate a real person and whispers to it: "Advocates, They're hard to get. Associates, Food on my plates, I'm in a state And need someone to take my side. I have a plan That needs refining. I'm just a man And slowly pining. But with help This little whelp In plain sight can hide." The Devil's Advocate will then contain a complete set of identifying papers including birth certificates, deeds to property, and any other papers the user needs to fill his real or fictitious persona. It will also contain directions to places where the user can acquire costuming, weaponry or anything else he may need to fill the role. Once the user is finished playing the part he simply has to destroy the papers and the Devil's Advocate will be ready to craft another identity. The Devil's Advocate was created long ago when an assassin told a mage he'd been contracted to kill that he'd spare his life in exchange for a powerful magical item. The mage bound a spirit of trickery into the folder and handed it over to the assassin. The assassin then killed the mage anyway, accidentally getting a little of the mage's blood on the folder. This is where it's reddish tint comes from. Some who know the Devil's Advocate's history suspect that the spirit of the mage is somehow also trapped in the item. They have good reason for suspecting this because anyone who uses the item for an extended period of time will begin to believe that he actually is the person he claims to be. If he is impersonating a real person as this happens, the urge to kill his "impostor" and properly take his place will also grow. As this takes place, the certificates and papers in the Devil's Advocate will begin to disappear, giving the user less proof of his identity even as he becomes more sure of his delusion. If the papers in the DA are destroyed or all disappear, the user will slowly regain his rightful identity although he may retain some little aspects of his delusion (answering to the false name, speaking as if he were that person occasionally, etc.) This situation can usually be avoided by not using any identity from the DA for more than a couple of days. Although someone who uses it in short spurts a great deal may still receive some residual effects...