Have you considered disability insurance and/or long-term care insurance? May be good tools to keep your income source safe or contribute to maintain a certain quality of life. Good luck.

I was at the Public Storage facility at 700 Fairview Ave North the other day and they have boxes of all sorts of sizes there. Maybe you should call or swing by to see if they have a size that fits your needs.

The following site has tons of ideas and studio apartment makeovers, should be very useful for you:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

I really like www.pagliacci.com, even the delivery pizza is great!

I can most definitely help you out, since I am currently in Panama.

8 days in Panama, here's what I would do:

- Go to the Panama Canal, watch the ships go by, very interesting (http://www.pancanal.com/eng/anuncios/cvm/index.html)

- Go to Casco Viejo, the old quarter of the city which is very quaint and interesting, lots of restaurants and a couple of bars there, lots to see (http://www.cascoviejo.org/content/cnPanels.php?cid=10)

- Maybe have dinner at the Causet Way, in the city, it's nice out there and there are a number of dining options (http://www.amadorcausewaypanama.com/)

- Take two days and one night (or three days and two nights) to go to San Blas, the beautiful archipelago in the Caribbean just a short flight away (http://www.sanblaspanamahotels.com/)

- Take the Panama Canal Railway, it's a great day to travel alongside the canal (http://www.panarail.com/home.html)

Those are the highlights, IMO. I would also stay in the city; there are lots of different options and this way you will be close to the different attractions and points of interest. There is a Marriott Courtyard on the Cause Way which is right on the Canal, that might be a good place to stay at.

Do not take any buses! They are dirty, messy, and sometimes dangerous. Take taxis everywhere and beware: they do not have meters. So be prepared to be charged ridiculous amounts if it is obvious you are a tourist; what you can do is ask around before going somewhere so people can help you determine the approximate cost.

As with most places in Latin America, take some basic precautions when heading out: don't carry too much cash, pay attention to your surroundings, etc.

Good luck! Hope you get good service, which is scarce in Panama.

I recently made a most delicious squash soup. Simple, easy to make, can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Got my 2 thumbs up.

Here is the recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/squash-soup-recipe/index.html

Hi nseattlite.

Thanks a lot for taking the time to share; it's a lot of valuable information for me. And thanks for the reference to the doctor. I don't mean to pry, but if you feel comfortable with it, would you tell me the approximate cost of the whole procedure?

Thanks again!

I recently read The Righteous Men by Sam Bourne.

It was an interesting mix of crime with apocalyptic themes.

A place for everything, and everything in its place.

This requires planning, executing, and control. But once you have done the first portion (a place for everything), the second portion is just maintenance.

Also, I do try to constantly examine what I have to determine what can be optimized or upgraded.

I think, overall, organization is just a matter of keeping the habit.

The smell is not so pleasant, but I have burned my back and shoulders really bad in the past and what my mom told me to do was to take an old t-shirt, put it on, and soak it with white vinegar (the common kind). EXCELLENT to take away the sting and stiff skin feel, really does work.

Another good remedy is to put milk of magnesia (yes, the white laxative stuff) directly on your skin. It really soothes.

GL!