Another One Bites the Dust

I just heard some upsetting news from someone I know who got married less than two years at a very lavish wedding.
The marriage is on the rocks, unfortunately.
Apparently the guy lets his parents push him around, and his parents mix into the marriage to the point that the wife finds it intolerable and the husband doesnt stand up to them.
You may have figured it out by now, but the wife is the one I know. Anyway, this guy is no youngster- certainly old enough to have his parents more in the background, and was also very successful in business, so who knew he was gonna be such a pushover?
Anyway, bottom line, shidduch crisis (they were both older singles) is now going to move on to divorce crisis, and of course- new baby (mazel tov) single mother crisis, and back to the singles scene for both of them.

So What is going on out there? Why is this happening? Why so many failed marriages? SAD!

PARKING PROBLEMS????

Lack of parking in the "downtown area" -this issue has been in and out of the local papers of late.
Several plans have been floated to build parking garages around fourth and clifton to alleviate the "problem".

There is nothing more unsightly that a parking garage!

Although Lakewood has grown and spread and population wise is closer to being a city than a town, and ugly townhouses are springing up everywhere, and trees being chopped down like they are going out of style, at least the downtown area is still a friendly and small townish kind of area. with a town square for open space, cobblestones and low buildings.

The addition of a 5 story garage in the heart of town, possibly at the expense of said town square would ruin the look of the area, and take away the open and pleasant feeling. and parking garages always give me the creeps. I always feel that someone is lurking behind a parked car, and there is nowhere to run...

It seems that the people that are pushing for this are the ones that would gain most - by selling their land to the township. (Naturally)
But you dont see average people, or me for that matter, begging for a 'Solution" to the parking problem cuz:

in my opinion, there IS NO SHORTAGE of parking spaces, OKAY?

I have never once gone downtown to take care of errands and turned away because I couldnt find a spot. Okay, I may have had to park farther away than I would have liked and walked two blocks! But that is not a parking problem THAT IS A LAZINESS PROBLEM!!!!

These proposed plans would cost millions of dollars (whose money, I wonder?) and aside from the aesthetics, I dont believe would be worth it. Dont forget the town is spreading out a lot and there are now several commercial areas, so people will be taking care of their shopping needs in areas other that clifton and fourth that are more convenient to where they live. In my opinion there will be less congestion there in the coming years, not more. As westgate strip mall, Chateau, Shloimys, Kosher village open and establish themselves, this will become evident.

What can be done to stop this before it becomes a reality?
does anyone know?

ps when i speak of the nice area, I am referring to 4th, 3rd, 5th. 2nd would of course be nicer if we tackle the other problem - illegals hanging around.

My two and a half year old is so funny! She talks a lot for her age and says the funniest things. She put on her pajamas and then came over and asked me, "Can you snapple this?"

She told me that her sister is crabby. (cwabby)

Anyway, I was talking to some other mothers and they asked me what playgroup she is going to next year. I dont know, I have to think about it, I answered.
WHAT??? You'd better call today or you wont be able to get her in where you want her, I was told.
So I quickly called the local 3 year old Morah where I sent my other kids, and registered her. Lucky for me, she kept some slots open for siblings, and since my older kids went there, were IN! woohoo!
So that's one thing off my mind.
But HELLO? it's a full year in advance! I barely know what I am going to be doing a few hours in advance. I am a pretty fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants (or skirt) kind of person, so planning anything this far in advance is foreign to me.
I don't have a retirement fund, or savings account for my kids' weddings.
Heck, I dont even have a savings account! Well I did try that once, but it got depleted.

This school thing is a real challenge for me lately, it seems. A couple of years ago I had to get my daughter into Primary. That was pretty heartbreaking, let me tell you. I was one of those people who couldnt get in, even though we do everything "right" -white shirts, formerly kollel etc. (Everyone hates me!) The next year I had to choose a ninth grade, and this year I have to choose a 3 year old playgroup and another ninth grade for the Bar Mitzvah boy.
Decisions, decisions. and I cant usually decide what to drink with my pizza! I stand in front of the fridge, thinking it through...
AAAARGGGG!

Wow! its been a long time since I've done this, but with yomtov, school starting (remember that?) and bar mitzva-ing my son, I have been busy.

One morning last week I turned on the faucet to the milchig sink and lo and behold -no water! the hose did work however, and believe me you get used to that water flowing out, and its a royal pain in the neck when it aint there. So every time we needed the sink, we had to get water from the hose. and no one bothered to close the faucet since nothing was coming out anyway.

so my husband, who could be a little neurotic tells me to make sure to keep it closed cuz one day when the water starts again, it might make a flood if no one is home to turn it off. so i laughed at him and told him that it isnt going to get fixed until we spend some of our green stuff on it.

My husband is always telling me that he is blessed with special siyata dishmaya, and I should always listen to him...i just roll my eyes.

SO a few days later, the sink randomly starts working again!!!

The husband is busy patting himself on the back and telling me he knew all along it was going to start again. It worked for a day and then was off for three. Now it's on again.

It seems that my belongings are following the lead of my kids - they only listen to me when they feel like it.

The same with the vacuum cleaner. Very often, while I am using it, it just stops! I have to leave it alone and some time later it starts working again. What the heck is going on??