Panda

I just found out about Des. and I am heartbroken. We became friends though our mutual love of theO and working together to help the community. Back in the day we would always send each other birthday messages since we shared the same day. He deserved many, many more birthdays. I am really at a loss for words as nothing I can think of really can covey all I am feeling. My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends, we will miss you always Des.

You know I feel your pain Japan since I am stuck in the same snowy state as you! Luckily for me I live in the Moses Lake which isn't as far north as Spokane so we didn't get the really bad snow storm. It's bad when the airplanes at the airport in Spokane are sliding off the runway! I hope the snow removal crews make it to your neighborhood soon. My hubby did get the car stuck in the snow right in front of our house since the snow was so high in the street. He was on his way to pick me up from work. Luckily for me one of the girls I work with has a vehicle better suited to the snow and she drove me home. I am ready for winter to be over. I really don't want to shovel any more snow. The weatherman says we are suppose to be getting more snow all this week. Joy. :animesigh

My gift list is pretty small since we didn't have our usual extended family gathering for Christmas this year. I ended up with a new dress form to help with my cosplay creations, Final Fantasy 12 Revenant Wings, Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations, $100 cash, $50 gift certificate and a DVD player. My DVD player was dying a slow and painful death. I was trying to get it to work when my brother stopped by one day to visit. Being the great guy he is and seeing that I was just about ready to throw the stupid DVD player across the room, he went out and got me a new one! Woo Hoo! Perhaps next year I will complain about my car so he'll buy me a new one... I can dream can't I?!

New Year's Eve will be spent like it has been for the past few years, with friends and family. My brother-in-law and his new wife, my brother and a pile of our friends will invade my house for food, drinks, games and conversation. After the typical midnight toasts and kisses, we will break into "Happy Birthday" since we also use the gathering to celebrate my brother-in-law's (Jan. 1st), my brother (Jan. 4th) and my (Jan. 3) birthday. We have an epic Guitar Hero tournament planned. We shall be rockin'! But not too loud since my next door neighbor is a cop. lol

I am not a cook, that is why I married a man who loves to cook and is really good at it. I can cook but I just don't enjoy it. I find it a chore versus fun. It's just something that needs to be done. I am more of a special occasion cook. I enjoy making cheesecake from scratch and making my family's secret teriyaki sauce that has been passed down through the women of our family. But when it comes to everyday, I would rather not cook.

This may just be one of those things that has always been happening but it's just now it was noticed. Kind of like if you take the time to make note of how many people in their late twenties/ early thirties that have braces on their teeth. Normally braces are associated with pre-teens/teenagers, not for thirty-somethings. When you start to look for it, you start to see there are quite a few in that age bracket that have braces. I see the cane thing in the same way. You don't really notice it until you start to purposely seek it out. In response to the arthritis in young people increasing: I use a cane (or wheelchair) when my RA flares up. I didn't get the disease until I was in my mid-twenties but there are plenty of kids who suffer from JRA (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis) and must use them from a very young age. Arthritis isn't a geriatric disease which is probably another reason people think it's weird to see kids with canes. One child in a thousand will be affected by arthritis and add to that the kids who suffer some sort of accident requiring a cane, so when you think of it that way, the chances of seeing a young person with a cane or in a wheelchair isn't so odd. So, I guess what it comes down to is that I don't think it's a trend and arthritis isn't just a disease old people get.

I love the pictures! The kids look totally amused by seeing a Storm Trooper at Wal-Mart. :animesmil I really want to go to Dragon-con to see the big costume parade and the huge Star Wars gathering. I've seen pictures but never seen it in person. It looks like it would be so much fun. I really need to get involved in SW costuming...

I enjoy the boards because it isn't filled with lame threads that flame, insult or just put something/someone down just to be catty. The topics, as well as the members here, are quite interesting. I've made quite a few friends here and I just like being on the OtakuBoards.

Welcome to the OtakuBoards SakuraOkashiiXD! Your best way of learning the ropes around here is to first check out the Rules and FAQ for the site. They can be found in the menu bar to the left. You should also introduce yourself over in the [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=57985"]New Members: Introduce Yourself Here![/URL] thread which is stickied at the top of The Lounge. Since this thread should have been a post in the new member thread I am going to go ahead and lock this one. If you have questions about the rules or how the site works, feel free to PM any of the staff members here on the site. Welcome once again to the site and I'll see you around the boards! :catgirl: Edit: Shoot, in the time it took me to write/edit this post James posted! LOL Since he posed a question I guess I'll unlock this thread.

Email received and the issue is being addressed.

I have no idea about Taurine and humans but I can give you my professional veterinary input on Taurine and cats. Cats have to have Taurine as a part of their diets. Without it they can have all kinds of health issues such as feline dilated cardiomyopathy (heart problems) and/or eye issues including blindness. Taurine for your kitty is a good thing. Taurine for you, I have no clue. As for energy drinks, I've never had one. I prefer coffee as my "energy drink" of choice. I am a coffee junkie and can't imagine my life without it. Coffee just doesn't seem as damaging to my health as those extreme energy drinks with 500x the daily recommended amounts of supplements, vitamins and misc. chemicals.