If you go to this site, today only, you can get a free sauve product...it only takes like one sec. to register...heres the site... http://www.suave.com/nomics/index.html    just cut and paste.... got mine!

Thanks...Im going to try my hardest to get home in time and If I do Ill try to phone in..I have my daughtrs banquet this eve but I dont think it sould last too long...I hope not. ...and Reenie..your welcome.

Connie, we'd be lost without you. I am with you (and everyone) 100% on all that you suggest. I think Board Protocol is in order and I will be very conscious of conducting myself accordingly.  I won't be around this weekend to assist, but trust that whomever wishes to participate in pulling this together will do so admirably. And yes, I agree - if Joan and I (and everyone else) would have had the benefit of face-to-face communication in this thread, there would have been no miscommunication, misinterpretation, mis - anything. We simply would have had a lively exchange with the objective of merely trying to understand each other's point of view. Isn't that what healthy families do?  I value everyone on this board and feel greatly indebted to all. Maureen

Reenie whats the station...hopefully I'll be home by then and I'll try to get it on down here, Ide like to hear it. 

Also know I am thinking of you...

Joanie and Maureen,

I just want to go on the record here and say that the reason I have not been posting lately is simply that my life is insane.  It has nothing to do with anyone on this board.  This is so important to me that I'm missing work this morning to address this. 

I try to learn things from everyone who touches my life and I've certainly learned a lot from both of you.  I've also learned a lot from my dogs.  I have been contemplating the life of the late, great Peabody, friend to all and licker extraordinaire and my constant thought is that he always assumed good intent.  When I got Peabody a million years ago, he was the happiest dog I'd ever seen in spite of being hit by a car and arthritic at an early age, the vet also thought that he might have been abused by his former owner.  In spite of his trauma he assumed everyone wanted the best for him and was as happy to see him as he was to see them. 

I believe that Peabody's advice for this board would be to "assume good intent."  Whatever happens after this and no matter who is left after the dust settles (and I hope it is everyone), going forward, I think we all have to assume good intent. 

I have an e-mail rule for my team.  If the matter isn't resolved after 3 e-mails, get off your butt and go have a face to face conversation.  I wish that we could do that here, but we can't.  I think we'd solve a lot of our misunderstandings here if we could talk face to face.  OK, another story coming on...When I first started dating The Man, he told me that he was representing an officer in a disciplinary hearing and was going to go talk to Judge Whozit about it on Thursday to get some advice.  I think to myself... ummmm... why do I care?  On Thursday night, I'm talking to The Man on the phone and he says, "My plane should get in at 11:00 tomorrow morning." 
What, what, what?  Where are you? 
In Portland. 
Portland!?! 
I told you I had to see Judge Whozit.
In police work, you seldom communicate by e-mail or even phone because you miss half the conversation.  You miss subtle clues, body language and facial expressions.  We also miss half the conversation in our posts.  Looks of concern, smiles and tears.  I would have never had the opportunity to come in contact with all of you without this board so I'm grateful to have it, but it's also a curse in that we are always missing half of the conversation.

The world would be a very boring place if we all thought alike and agreed all the time.  If the world was full of Connies, as much as I like myself, I'd be bored to tears and I'd never learn anything.  I have learned so much from both of you over the years and I'm going to miss out in the future without both of you to teach me. 

I value both of you very much and I would like to have a do over.  A fresh start with new ground rules.  I'd like to propose that as a group, we brainstorm some ground rules for going forward.  I know that everybody is hurting and ouchy and it's hard to unring the bell, but here's my proposal... 

Let's take a breather for a couple of days and this weekend, lets come together and start to put together new rules of engagement going forward.  We'll work together to come up with a mission statement and list of ground rules to operate under.  We've made it together this far and that's something no other surgery date board has done.  As a personal favor to me, could we just give this one more shot?

Love, hugs and many deep breaths to you both,
Connie