Coffee and...part 13 :-D

No kidding Julie, we got a good frost last night. Just before I went to bed I happened to catch the weather and dashed outside in my pjs to rescue the pots I had set out to get a bit of sun, good thing I did!! Hope the neighbors enjoyed the view...! They should be used to it by now. Sometimes when the weather is good I start poking around outside and forget that I should get DRESSED before the commuters start driving past on their way to work.....but what kind of sense does it make to get all cleaned up and then go get all dirty again?

Hope Darius is home again, and taking care of herself. If anyone calls, give her all our good wishes for a speedy recovery. She might remember which forum that Garlic thread was on, I looked but unless someone else posts something on it, it's a lost cause. I looked but can't find it myself. (Note to self: Write things down.) Wonder how she's handling the "DG withdrawal"?? Without a computer at hand, it must be frustrating.

Sarv, I think it's great that you took the time to go to the store manager and praise the clerk who was so helpful...I try to do that on those rare occasions, because people are always so quick to complain (and probably are justified in doing so) but not many will take the time to pass on a compliment or let management know they have a valuable employee. When Maytag sent out the serviceman to replace my range top, I wrote back to the company immediately and said what a good job Sandy did in taking care of the problem. I got a call from her within a few days thanking me for the letter, and she said I "made her day". I think Maytag has some serious problems, stock prices hit the basement this week...the new CEO has his work cut out for him, if they are going to recover.

Too cold to play outside. I was hoping to get after that crab grass that's flourishing in the flower beds but not anxious to freeze my substantial butt off to do it. But, look at the iris!!! They don't care if it's cold!

And the tulips don't care either!!

m5 - look above :)

M5...LOL! I used to be one of those people in my PJ's out in the yard, too. But that was when I lived in the last house on the block, completely closed in by DNR wilderness. I broke myself of the habit when I spent my weekends at the cabin (in a resort area) on the Mississippi River. You *never* knew for sure who would see you or where they'd see you from. (Some boats are pretty sneaky with those new motors on them. heheh)

Thanks for the update on Darius, Laura. Good to know she might be coming home this evening. Hope all goes well.

~julie~

I am out in my pj's everyday the weather permits!! Hang the neighbors!!! There is only one that can see me and they are gardners too!!

Thinking about Darius and wish her well and hope she is able to get home soon - nothing like your own bed!!

Speaking of your own bed, I only have one more night 'teensitting'. Man, will I be glad when it is over - it has been a long 8 days. Tomorrow I am getting up at the crack of dawn and doing the bedding and remaking the bed - running the vaccuum and wiping down the counters (my sister says I am nuts to do that - I am not the housekeeper!) I have a soccer game at 10am. I told the teens that i expected their help (not holding my breath tho!)

DH is mad that I am doing this at all! He wants me home...

Weather is still cool here - we were really fooled by two weeks of really warm stuff. I need to move everything back into the greenhouse - my house is a total disaster!

Well, gotta go for now, headache coming and I just want to take a litle nap (never sleep well in someone else's bed!)

Good morning. Did anybody bring goodies to go with the tea?

Sarv, will you volunteer for teen sitting duty again? I agree, no bed like your own bed, and your husband will be glad to have you home again.

Oooo, pretty iris, Meezer. I see some bloom stalks forming on some of mine that are in a protected spot. I'm getting up close looks at things as I weed. Yesterday I only got in about an hour of weeding, then it was warm enough to go riding. Before I got home the wind came up, the temperature felt like it had dropped about 10 degrees and my sweatshirt was not warm enough. The wind blew hard all afternoon, rain threatened but never came and I didn't want to go back out. Instead I called a neighbor and we went to visit our recently widowed neighbor. Last fall I promised her a bromiliad so I delivered that. She has a solarium with several beautiful ruffly ferns, some kalanchoe and some other things but this is her first bromiliad. It has lots of red on the leaves near the center of the plant so really makes a statement!

The sun is peeking through the clouds and I need to get out there with the weeds. Neut cat will help as usual. It's always nice to have some comic relief when the project seems endless. Back later.

Hi everyone...just got off the phone with Darius. When I called she had just gotten back to her room after going through the stress test (Yes! I asked her if she "passed" it. LOL (I always feel like I'm supposed to *study* for them!)). She sounds terrific and seems to be in pretty good spirits. Of course, she really wants to come home today but has to wait for the stress test results.

She said that if she comes home she'll come here and let us know.

I passed along all the messages I got here and in emails. I hope you all know that you're really making a difference for Darius. And because of all the well wishes and phone calls, she doesn't feel nearly as "alone" as she would without her friends here at DG. (And I can speak from experience that Internet friends *really* make a difference when things go wrong in our lives.)

SOoooo...now we have to wait until we get more news. Let's all hope it's GREAT news and that Darius is just having reactions to those steroids.

Later,
~julie~

Wow-lots of catching up, seems that I would get here every day-but doesn't work out.
Things are blooming here, but still to cold for me to work on stuff. I do get out to let the dogs out..in my nightie...I figure that folks are lucky that I don't dash out in my birthday suit!!!
Keeping Darius in my prayers-like the idea of putting her on the road somehow. Could hit the best weather in every area..
Mary-my cat helps with the computer sometimes-she doesn't know how to spell though and just wants to purr, step on the keys and scent the monitor.
Sarv-hope you get a break soon, remember sitting for teen nephews..wouldn't do that again ..really fun timing out a couple of fighting brothers who were bigger than me..I am just meaner!!
Woodspirit-know what you mean..Madison gets voted as great place to live-the folks move in (we have the medical, school etc. etc), but the cost of living goes up, and the taxes are now really high, with $$$ real estate.
Sarv-glad that you passed on the compliment-generally they just hear the complaints.
Julie and M5-gotta look closer at the plants-didn't know that it was supposed to get that cold..I left the plants that I purchase out on the porch-drat.
Hi, to all-
Miss you when I don't talk daily--so much to catch up on-everyone so busy.

Good morning, I'm dropping in again, it's coffee time 'cause it's being relatively cold and breezy out again this morning and I tried planting but it's no fun.

We all have such good wishes for Darius - mine is that she gets to live in her OWN place with some space to grow things. I'm afraid where she is may have too much in the way of mold problems. But I don't think shipping her around the country would do much for her in the way of stress relief.

I'm betting she'd really just like to get settled with her things around her so she could find 'em when she wants them. I've a friend who has been hanging on to her 5 acres of wind blown high desert for years in case we end up neeeding the space in our old age to hod each other up.

thing is at 7300 feet the oxygen available is a stress on her breathing problems. She spent the winter in Arizona and we'll be seeing this wknd how she deals with the elevation change.

Well, I got called away and involved and sent that without re-reading, - wanted to say that right now I'm praying she gets back on balance, that the weather warms for her so no more gas stove, and that she knows we all are pulling for her. ~Blooms

to addd: ps, i haven't been lurking, I've been lost. I've been doing catch up on two whole threads of Coffee and. much happens in the 'neighborhood' when ya go missing.

This message was edited Apr 29, 2005 12:50 PM

Too right Blooms! Take a couple of days off and you miss so much. These GOBs are a busy bunch, I'm not sure how they all get time to do the yard work - nevermind the house work. LOL
I'm still working on those photos I took at Big Bend - when I get through all 225 I'll put some on my web site and post y'all a link. My trouble is I like them all and there are too many to put them all up! Its taking ages to label them, and if I don't finish it this week I'll start to forget what and where they are. I guess its a senior thing!
One thing though being a Senior meanswe shall never have to pay ane entry fee for a National Park again. DH has his Golden Age Pass and the $10 fee lasts for ever for him and his vehicle. 2 years before I can have mine so I'll have to take him with me for a while. :>)
Any body heard the results of Darius' tests yet? I still have everything crossed for her.
Carol

Just taking a quick break here (where else for heaven's sake?) and had to laugh at Carol's "nevermind the housework". That's my system! It's clean enough to be healthy and messy enough to be happy. My hubby says my definition of housework is anything I can see from the house.

Hoping to hear something from Darius..... Meanwhile, back to weeding!

Hi, GOB's... I'm home! You all make me feel so welcome and cared about!!!

Didn't have the results from the stress test but my doctor has promised a full review with me when she gets them and time to call me. Preliminary (verbal) looked okay but I had the test at the Emory Sattelite at the hospital where I was and they had to send the data to an Emory cardiologist (in Atlanta) to be read. Results weren't back by the time my own doctor had ER duty at the hospital in the next county but she felt assured enough to release me. Could have to have more tests later, depending on all the data.

The good news is that she really thinks it was esophageal spasms from the steroids in all the breathing treatments earlier... and that maybe all these months on the inhalers I have been allergic to them. So, I'm off them for now, and she's trying some new meds.

The other good news is chloresterol... mine was 215, down from 250 18 months ago which was down from nearly 400 5 years ago... all reduced by proper diet as I'm allergic to the meds like Lipitor, etc.

I'll be back later... Glad to have such a nice Welcome Home!

DArius, I'm glad you're back in your own bed tonight...aren't those hospital beds and pillow the pits?? Jo

Well, life is good - my cuttings are under cover, housemoots seem to be the same size this evening they were this morning before I propagated the epimediums into a nice carpet under Dad's boxwood, which hopefully in 20 years will screen the compost pile, and Darius is home in the Shire.

Am I the only one on this thread who went to see the Lord of the Rings for the hobbits and their shire, only to have to suffer through most of the movie shireless?

Very glad to see you home, Darius.

Welcome back. So pleased that the results are in an acceptable range.

Jo, yes, the hospital beds and pillows ARE the pits. They had to change my bed at least 2-3 times a night because the plastic covers under the sheets make me sweat profusely. I finally got them to put a cotton blanket under the sheet on top of the plastic and then it was better.

I cannot sleep on any poly stuff either, not even mattress pads with a 100% cotton cover because of their polyfill. Allergies, I guess. My 100% cotton fill/100% cotton cover mattress pad set me back aboout $100 but my bed doesn't react with me anymore.

Hi there Darius, glad to see you back with us again.

Synthetics are something people don't think they can be allergic too - even the meds sometimes. when we lived in the UK I spent years with my legs swelling to horendous sizes, particullarly in the winter and after an evening out. I had several different diagnoses and was told it was "my age" by one young female doctor!! they prescribed heavy guage nylon support hose, but it didn't improve things at all. I hated them they were hot and sweaty so when we went on hols to the med I left them off and the legs were always fine - and after we moved to Texas they were completely normal without the tights. That is until my granddaughters christening after which they were as bad as ever. The only difference I could see was that I wore a skirt and nylon tights to the christening. So I experimented, and yes every time I wear tights or stockings the legs swell. So its cotton socks and long pants in the winter from now on.
Hey- ho I do sometimes wonder about all this rushing to prescribe stuff without really working out the cause!! Off soapbox now and back to working on those pics!
Carol

Carol, I hope woodspirit1 reads your post. She's having trouble with legs swelling and your experience could be helpful.

One of my mother's friends (and sewing customer) had allergies to synthetic fabrics that kept getting worse every year until she even had to have special fabric ordered to re-cover the seats in her car. My mother made all that woman's clothes for a few years but even the natural fabrics required washing in some special way first.

It's only been in the past 5-6 years or so that I cannot tolerate some synthetic fabrics, and more recently, I just gave up and only buy 100% cotton, linen or wool. Not worth the allergic reactions. It's amazing how much pesticides are in the non-organic cotton.

If DG had HUGE text I'd use it to write:

W E L C O M E H O M E D A R I U S !!!

I'm SO glad you're home and back online with us again.

Get some rest, now!

Talk to you tomorrow.

~julie~

: )

I was going to call u and thought u'd be in bed but you're still up and about!! I don't work till 10 tmw to maybe I can get a call in in the am. So pooped tonight - did a faux paux at work and beating myself over the head with it. Why do I do that? grrrrrr! forget it and don't do it again!!!!! These confidentiality rules are so stifling and I overstepped - gave to much info to the agent taking over my call when I was going to break. Super happened to be walking by and saw what I typed - Laura, erase that, you don't need to say that --felt like an absolute HEEL!! Oh well, gotta forgive myself and reread the rules on that particular aspect. I'll figure out the boundaries sooner or later. :(

darius - very glad u got to come home! That lowering of ur cholesterol is great! What exactly did u cut out and what did u add to ur diet? (If u guys hate my abbreviations, LMK, I'm learning them for work. There's a page full of them and it speeds up ur transmission speed, and u get points on surveys for using them too!) ......So, are u basically doing the O2 like before, just have to be more faithful with using it? I really think traveling about from DGer to DGer is a good plan - I don't think any of ur drives wld be very long. :) Another thing I'm wondering, wld the dry AZ weather be better for ur lungs? Maybe u need to go see roadrunner for awhile. lol

Laura, don't sweat the faux paux... you are still a newbie and learning...

Actually the lowering of my chloresterol is largely a function of whole grains (esp. brown rice & bulghur), good extra-virgin olive oil, flax seed oil, salads, lots of green steamed veggies and beans which scour out cholesterol. Then, cold-water fish like salmon (high in Omega-3) and seldom much beef, chicken or pork unless I can get grass-fed. Even my eggs are organic free-range, local where possible. I think the extra money I spend on organics is paying off (in spite of recent hospitalizations, LOL!)

I refuse to give up butter but make my own "spread" from half butter and half mild EVOO for toast and cooking eggs, etc.. I use the really good olive oil on my daily (sometimes twice daily) salads with fresh lemon juice, never use the bottled salad dressings. I still eat a lot of cheese, but not processed cheese anymore. Also, I look closely at labels for hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils/fats and avoid them at all costs.

My "bad" chloresterol is still too high, don't know when it got inverted because the "good" used to be the best.

Darius...that is a wonderful idea...come on out...I love it here...OPPPS....no cats though...DD is alergic...seems there are allergies of some type everywhere. Jo

Yeah, thanks, I know, but.... I tend to rehash these things for hours instead and then get mad at myself for doing that! It's a vicious cycle..... :)

The beans you mention, is that legume beans? I love dried peas - they're descendants of those my parents and grands brought with them from Holland. Mom dolled them out, one scoop for replanting and the rest for eating. We always chuckled at that. I soak them, cook them for 1-2 hours, and add bread and butter pickles and corn syrup plus a little bacon grease and fried bacon. It's so absolutely yummy but I think the added extras aren't the best, right? lol (It's one of those comfort foods for me, have it once or twice a year only, makes me feel close to home and family.)

Actually, I'd love to be in a position to travel for 2-3 months every year and visit DG'ers all over this wonderful land of ours!

However, first I need to re-think my future and secure a decent place to live and garden where my enviroment doesn't send me to the hospital every 6 months.

Blooms (I think) mentioned something about lungs and altitude? What have u read about that? Is it something to be considered? And pollen counts, etc.? I image lots of environmental factors can be considered.

Yes, lots to consider. But I'm very opitmistic about my lungs.

Attitude means a LOT!! :)

Altitude too -- for the same reason that all of us huff & puff a little at 9,000 feet [or more than a little] she really feels the difference from down in Arizona to her own home at 7000', so this year she's gonna spend part of her first week with me at 4300', here in Moab.

She'll be here tomorrow nite and I'm as excited as can be to have her back. It was a blast visiting her this winter and I'm hoping to return the hospitality. Stripped the guest bed and washed up the sheets so they'll be fresh. they were clean, but they've been on the bed for months.

She gets Sunday to rest from her trip and then we're taking cameras out looking for wildflowers or cactus or something to take pitters of. If it just stops being so cold and windy out that would be nice. I've got Paper Dave & Trish here too, so maybe they'll come along. We've been mostly housebound since they got here. Who knew we were gonna have such a lousy spring??? /;-) ~Blooms




This message was edited Apr 29, 2005 11:16 PM

All that was reference to my afore mentioned galpal from LaSal. In case it sounded like I meant Darius. Though you'd be welcome here too Darius. - I need warning so I can clean house instead of yard when folks are coming. LOL

yep, my legs have turned into a giant problem. And I'm getting little fungus infections around my ankles, fighting that with Lamasil. I have to go to the doctor on Thursday, in the meantime having to take diuretics, but boy, t hey cause cramping. I'm going to get some bananas and kiwis this morning.
darius, have you ever thought you might be allergic to the cat?
Also, I just remembered something. You said you didn't use that inhaler much over the RU weekend. I'll bet when you got home you went to using it regularly again and that's when you started having problems, no........?

Welcome back home Darius - is this a bunch of old age stuff happening to all of us??? There is so much crud in our environment - my allergies are just horrid, but I just hate to take meds. Hack and sniffle and itch thru it.

I am DONE teensitting and if I ever think of doing it again, would someone give me a slap!! Last night the 15 yr old left me a note that she was at "Jason's" and might need a ride home. I didn't give it a thought until I remembered that "Jason" was the new boyfriend. When I picked her up, I asked if his parents were there - she said NO! (at least she is too dumb to lie!!) She said they only kissed...ya right...I'm still debating about whether to tell her mom about that one - I need your counsel about this girls. Sometimes things are left better unsaid.

Sun is out and I am raring to get busy in the garden. I think I may move things out to get hardened off. None of my canna's are coming up -they looked dry as tinder when I potted them up. I thought they were unkillable..

I really need to wash my windows, they are so dirty, that I can't see out them anymore!! (hate to do windows...)

Welcome home Darius. You were in our thoughts daily....allergic to cats? Perish the thought! I don't think it's likely, I'd blame the environment and that heater of yours. And overdoing at the RG and all that work at your ungrateful sister's...have you thought of billing her for all that work, seeing as she throws money around like confetti? She would never have gotten overbids if not for your efforts. Oh never mind, it wouldn't cross her mind I'm sure.

Wash windows, Sarv? Mine have multiple nose prints on them, thinking maybe the cats would take it on themselves to clean them. No, huh? I'd definitely tell the parents about the teen visit to her boyfriend, so they can be aware that his parents are not always available to "chaperone". Maybe then they won't ask you to baby sit the next time... People who are too cheap to reimburse their caretakers are just beyond my orbit. They can afford a nice vacation but not reimburse for food? That's just thoughtless. IMHO.

Speaking of hospital bedding, those are pillows? I thought they were sacks of sand. I even took my own with me when I went out east with my daughter. Synthetics make me perspire too, haven't had them next to my skin for years. I suspect it's chemicals leaching from the fiber, but who knows. Even the air we breathe has so much junk in it...which is my excuse for not quitting smoking, and spare me the lectures. I've heard them all. Tried everything available and have just given up on quitting.


Sun's out here too, yesterday it warmed up nicely so I went out and dug out several clumps of those never-dying purple iris from the front berm. Gonna kill everything on it,because it's just not doing well. Planted some incredibly thorny shrub roses there and they look scraggly and half dead, the hydrangea didn't make it through the winter, and all that survived was the iris. Start over. Life of a gardener, lol. Called DIL and GS and said, "come and get 'em". We'll see if they bite. Any other takers? Will ship for postage, but be warned, they are huge and this isn't the best time of year to be moving them. These aren't the cute little ones I posted the photo of, these grow about four feet tall.

Better get dressed. Hello to everyone I haven't mentioned, enjoy the day.

Morning, Everyone! Looks like it's going to a pretty good day here. I'm not babysitting for a full *9* days! Yippeeeeeeee! Now maybe I can find out what's still alive and kicking after the low temps and a teeny bit of neglect ("teeny" yeah, right!)

I've been sitting here this morning trying to plan out where to plant what and when. I sure do envy you guys who have had your gardens going for several (if not *many*) years. As I walk around the yard and see all the wonderful perennials coming to life, I sure wish I'd been able to afford to plant *more* last year. But as I go through my lists of winter sown and IBLF seedlings, I know that next year things will be a LOT different...*and* there'll be a lot less work and worry for me through the winter months. (OH! And WHOLE lot more space in my basement when March and April roll around. hehehe)

DH is beginning to complain that there's "too much moisture" in the basement now. He's getting "mold" behind the well pump. tsk tsk tsk. It seems to me like he should remember that we've never had a concrete basement before...and that HE needs to fix a few cracks...or better yet SEAL the inside of the walls before he gets on my case for "adding" more water to the air. (Yeah, yeah, yeah. I *know* my plants aren't helping the situation any...BUT ! LOL)

Sarv...glad you're time of torture is OVER! As for "telling"...I, personally, am a tattle tale! Especially if the parents have set rules and kids ignor them (speaking of grandkids here).

Darius...I hope everything is going well for you today and that you continue to improve. Those cholesterol numbers are FANTASTIC! Sounds like you're doing a great job of taking care of that AND with meds!?! WoW!

My regular Doc's office called yesterday to set up another appointment for blood tests for my Diabetes & Heat meds. I told them to go jump in the lake. 4 times a year is *not* the norm for testing *me*. They've always done it twice a year! Now, the Health Care system that regulates his office is "recommending" quarterly tests. Well...yeah...DUH...it doesn't take a genius to figure out that THEY make money every time I submit to the testing. Sheesh! The last tests in January cost me right around $400.00 and the insuance company doesn't pick up the costs of "routine" testing. I guess *everyone* has to watch that 'bottom line...especially hospitals and insurance companies. ;-)

The sunshine is beckoning...and I *must* answer. :-D

See y'all later...have a good day!

~julie~

Hi all!

Darius - so glad you're home and doing better. Congrats on your cholesterol! For some reason, mine is low (178) even though everyone in my family has high! And I DON'T eat right - not even close.....so I count my blessings. Anyway - glad to hear you're on the mend! I've been sending good vibes your way and will continue to do so!

Well - after visiting a few more forums for catch-up, I'm off to Home Depot for vinyl tile to redo Heidi-cat's bedroom. She's made a complete and utter mess of the carpet - so out it goes! Vinyl tile is inexpensive and easy and so that's what we're going to do. We're even thinking of doing the great room and hall. I'm also investigating how to do stairs - basic problem is the stair nose - so if anyone has any ideas, pass them along.

Every one take care!

Marcia

Hi All,
Popped in for a coffee and a thaw out. We've been watching the grandson's soccer match again and boy was it cold....for Texas that is - around 54 and with a chilly wind too.
Glad to hear, your 'torture' is over Sarv. Yup I'd tell too, just drop it in casual don't make an issue out of it, but they need to be aware in case there are 'consequences', if not now, in the future. After all boys will be boys and saying 'No' isn't always easy.
Darius, I suspect you need a drier climate. I know you want to stay East, but its much drier in the middle of the country, less humidity means the hot and cold don't feel so intense either. Give it some thought :>)
Woodspirit1, it might be worth trying the bare legs approach if you don't already. I had the fungus stuff too and they were so swollen and full of fluid you could hear it slurp as i walked. They aren't the worlds most attractive legs now, but they are normal and healthy looking. I use Vaseline Healing on them to combat the dry skin you get by exposing them to the elements, it helped heal up the sore patches too.
Strange I wasn't allergic to anything exept coconut as a kid - but now all sorts of things rub me up the wrong way, and coconut oil actually heps the skin allergies settle down. Its a strange world.
Carol

Gray, gray, wet morning here... I usually awaken when it gets light... or when my cat bugs me to be fed, whichever comes first. I thought my watch said 7:30 (wasn't wearing my glasses) but it was 10:30 and dark as sin. The thunder rolled like it was going to take down the house...

I don't think I'm allergic to my cat (or not much anyway). I've had her almost 12 years and this would have surfaced long before now.

Back from the soccer game too - sat swaddled up in a big blanket - wishing I had a cup of hot cocoa and was home...grrr

Hey gals, wrote my brother an email telling about their daughter's no no with the boyfriend (he's their step father) We always communicate by emails. The only problem is that I am sure he doesn't share things with his wife.(their mother) But, not my problem - I told - they can handle it any way they please. The girls did show me how to break into the locked liquor cabinet too. The funny thing is is that I gave the cupboard door a real hard tug (looking for a clean glass) and popped the lock open. Now it is broke!! They don't know who did it (I did email my bro and told him that I did it)

I am going to snuggle up in a blanket on the couch and snooze for awhile - I am just beat... DH dragged me to a grand opening of a new grocery store in our area- it was mobbed!! The only good thing is that they gave our huge bowls of ice cream - I downed one of course.. then went looking for the free coffee!! LOL

It is only 2pm and I really think I could put on my pj's and hit the hay...DH is suffering with a cold (ya know what suffering means - sniffling and acting like he is dying)

Hungry for some chocolate - anybody have some???

Sorry, Sarv, chocolate is off my list... Dr. put me on low-fat, low-sodium diet!

Spent $75 @ the grocery today on JUST salad stuff, veggies, fruit, protein drinks, etc. No meats, no paper products, but did get a pkg. of free-range chic. broth in 4 individual packets, some Muir Glen organic tomatoes for Chicken Chasseur and a pkg. of 2 individual slices of frozen key lime pie for my big splurge! I figure if I cut each slice in half, and spread out eating some just every few days (and I don't eat the fake whipped cream), I can make them last 2 weeks. : )

I'm around 15-18 pounds overweight, all in a "spare tire" middle... so that HAS to go!