AwakeAtLast
AwakeAtLast's JournalI've been a DU member for 20 years today!
I cannot believe it has been that long!
20 years ago, I was a teacher and a soldier's wife with a two-year-old. My husband was away at Basic Training and needless to say, I wasn't getting much sleep.
Computers were so different back then! I found DU because one of my substitutes left it in my browser history. I read the Top 10 Republican Idiots for awhile before I realized there was a whole website to explore.
Late at night, after my daughter was asleep, I decided I needed to sign up as a member. Because of the lack of sleep, I called myself "WakeMeUp". It was also a fitting name because of how much information I got from DU.
George W. Bush as President just about killed my husband in Iraq, our finances from 2008, and my will to continue teaching from Betsey DeVos.
DU kept me sane and helped me through many hard times. I have even met some of you in person! My husband is a disabled Veteran with PTSD, and my daughter and her girlfriend will be getting married next year. I finished my 26th year of teaching Music last week. We have persevered!
Thanks to Skinner, Elad and EarlG for creating DU!
Please kick in to the Tip Jar if you haven't already, this place is too valuable.
Lastly, thank you, dear members, for your contributions to this awesome place. Your participation is what truly makes DU special.
Edit to add: 14,136 posts. Not hugely prolific, but I do what I can. 
2nd edit: I'm a fraud! I can't keep my years straight! I've been MARRIED 24 years, I've been on DU for 20!
I think I need a drink, LOL!
Mom has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer
She is 80 and in marginally good health. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated. She will see an Oncologist once they contact her for an appointment. We don't yet know the details, just that the biopsy showed Cancer. Thank you!
The new DU4
Is currently offline for maintenance. I am thankful that our admins have given subscribers early access. I am hopeful that they will get it up and running for everyone soon.
It is fabulous! It is so easy to read and navigate. I've only been reading it for about a week and a half, and I already miss it.
EarlG and elad have done an outstanding job with this new update! I can't wait until everybody gets to use it!
I'm on vacation in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
We booked our rooms for the week of Memorial Day before Christmas last year and prepaid. When the Tennessee Legislature went crazy we said we wished we could cancel. We haven't had a true vacation for the entirety of our 23 year marriage, so we went.
Memorial Day weekend was crazy busy, but this weekend was vastly different. A lot of business owners commented about how slow it was.
Maybe we weren't the only ones who didn't want to come?
Anyway, we spent most of our time in the Smoky Mountain National Park and I wore the Pride Slides I got at Target every time we were in town!
VALENTINE HEARTS ARE BACK!!!!!
My original post had a bug I think, it disappeared, so I posted again.
MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE DU YEAR!!!!
Who needs some love?
"Somewhere South" - perfect for a lazy Saturday!
I'm watching PBS and doing, well, not much. There is a marathon of this show, and it is fabulous! I'm learning so much about not only cooking, but American history as well! I love Vivian Howard, too!
Link if you want to catch it:
https://www.pbs.org/food/shows/somewhere-south/
Rachel Maddow FTW
"Republican Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell pounding his little shell and telling corporate America to stay out of politics!"
Found another Unicorn
11 years ago I desperately needed a better car. I searched online, in car lots, kept my ears perked when friends talked about selling their car.
I eventually found a 2000 Toyota Avalon with only 56,000 miles on it. Less than $10,000. I snatched it up and have driven it basically problem free since then. It now has 252,000 miles on it.
It became apparent that we needed a third car to accommodate my daughter's work schedule. I started the search again.
I found a 2015 Lexus RX 350. 57,000 miles. Less than $23,000. It's in perfect condition and fully loaded! It even has special edition leather, even though that was not something I was looking for or particularly care about.
The dealer was super nice and helped me out. I'm so excited! It's a sweet ride!
Profile Information
Gender: FemaleHometown: Illinois
Member since: Tue May 25, 2004, 12:11 AM
Number of posts: 14,154
