Dave and I were talking this AM about what situation and/or person we would like to do without.
He asked me who would be my #1 choice in a person. I picked my ex-husband and said "Oh wait, I am doing without him!" :p

Cmon guys and gals join in, should be fun to read:

One person or circumstance you could do without in this merry-go-round world.

Trish

Interesting subject. I have a pretty good list of who I could live without and a great list of who I couldn't. I am glad my list of who I couldn't is far longer and I am grateful for that.

What I could live without are the circumstances. Like it's Fire Season and there's a fire in my community - AGAIN. People are loving but can be mean. Can do without that. Vacations are too short - (hey, this is a travel board). There politics of the world are a whole long subject with many circumstances we can do without.

So much to pontificate about but I am stil at work paying for my last and next cruise.

Trish, certainly no offense meant here. It might be nice (or fun, in a strange way) to hear those stories, but I prefer to look forward, not backward, if we are talking about "#1 choice in a person" we would "like to be without". In my profession, what is in the past is not always helpful, we have to look from now onward. No sense dwelling on past disappointments and having an avenue to vent that won't help. SO, maybe we might talk about who we are not and wish we were? My mother was the most wonderful person I ever met!

Olivia, we must have the same Mother!! Exactly how I feel about her.

Trish: You have posted some of the most "interesting" threads - BUT I, too, don't want to dwell on past sad, negative relationships - I think you can tell, until Kathy & Olivia's responses, no one wanted to touch it! We ALL can find fault ....wonderful people??? - oh yes great topic - my mother's 3 maiden sisters??? - YIPPEE!!!! Joanna

All negative is forgotten. Make that 3 GREAT Mothers! - Michele

Michele - you are more than OK!!!!!! :ch: :ch: :ch:

Another vote for the most wonderful mother!! I don't know what I would do without her! :) :hug:

Okay, just to stay a bit on the same topic as it was started, but with a different twist...I can definitely do without a ban on cruising, foix gras, chardonnay, soft shelled crabs, LCT and LCT friends!!! I didn't want Trish to feel bad about her topic!! :) ;)

Thanks Sheri - Sorry if I upset anyone. I recently heard someone comment on how one loses something in the translation on the internet especially because facial expressions are missing.

Having a sister and bil that are social workers as well as having mental health professionals in my family, I can certainly appreciate what you are saying, Olivia. I certainly was not looking to discuss anything really heavy. It was meant to be more lighthearted and not taking life too seriously.

I liked your response, Kathy, about your list of people you couldn't live without being a lot longer. Sorry to hear about the fires again though. Hope you are staying safe.

Trish

Thanks, Trish. Fire is out in Westlake - it was about 3 miles away from us but nothing like it for getting all the neighbors outside for a good chat

Trish, like I said, I did not want to offend you or anyone in my post. I was just thinking that most posts would be negative, even if light hearted, and about ex-spouses, and friends gone wrong. This board is not about negative, and I guess I try to stay with the flow. Glad to hear the fires are out in Kathy's area! Trish, hope you will continue to bring up other subjects!

Olivia - I entirely agree with you that it would be dreadfully negative to discuss ex-spouses and friends gone wrong. Therefore, perhaps we should describe the truly tragic episodes of ex-spices and herbs gone wrong??!! Who has not experienced the heartbreak of tarragon turning terrible or basil going berserk? And, the most horrific of all, finding that one's precious stash of saffron (smuggled back from a business trip to Barcelona) has turned to nasty orange dust just when one intended to use it in a fabulous risotto milanese to impress the new neighbors... Oh, the humanity!!! In view of Ngaire's rule that posts must be only "happy" posts, I cannot further describe the racking agony of spices and herbs gone bad. Perhaps one day I will remember to put little date labels on my Spice Islands bottles and will thereby be spared the pain of losing flavor along with losing my dignity. Cheers, Fred

Fred,

Not only am I ROFLMAO, I can't even post anything intelligible! :D :lct:

I'd like to contribute to the category of "F" going wrong. Fungus. Some whisper the word in dread, some shout it with a variety of Fred's risotto in mind.

I tend to hoard things. If I buy a jar of "something" when I travel it becomes "too good to use" when I return home, and joins its comrades on a shelf in one of my kitchen cupboards to be fondled and admired, but, never ever opened and actually used.

I have learned to buy in quantity. I tell myself I will buy four jars of tartufi, three to keep, one to give to a friend who will actually use it. As I approach the cashier my hand will begin to shake, I will add two more jars to my basket as insurance (repeat same story with Knorr Funghi Porcini broth cubes, except double quantities).

I am now the proud owner of six jars of black truffles that look like something I scooped up in my cat's liter box, but have the consistency of a giant be-be. I did better with the cubes. I am down to three boxes, so they have entered the "endangered catagory" and will be mounted and framed sometime later this decade.

You should see my amazing collection of unopened jars of "things" from Fauchon. (Not fungus, but still covered under "F").

Let's add my jars of Vanilla Beans from Tahiti to the mix, my olive oil from Portofino, and tea bags from Nova Scotia, England, and elsewhere. Oh and the Jamacian and Kona Coffees!

To solve the bad spice issue, if you go to Costco at holiday time they sell spice rack full of fresh spices and you can THROW away the old spices, get a whole new batch to toss next year. You can also buy a lifetime supply of toilet paper, which, will never go bad!

I think this segued topic deserves its own column.

What to title it? Food items we have bought abroad that we cannot bear to use once we get home (verrrry long) or , even something generic , like , are you a hoarder? ...????

C'mon someone...

Editing to say, I'm just going to go for it with the hoarding topic and will copy some of my post from here...

OMG - I did a "Karen"...I almost spit my coffee all over the keyboard...Fred, you are hilarious!!! And BOTH Fred and Suzette have the art of diplomacy down pat!! <img border="0" alt="[vhappy]" title="" src="graemlins/icon_vhappy.gif" />