OKay My life isn ot very interesting but here it is:
I am 18 years old and I live with my boyfriend. I am a sophomore here at Pitt State and my major is Finance with a minor in computing and/or econmics (not sure yet). I work at Ace Hardware as a cashier and I am not to fond of it. (just found out that when they pay they dont pay us for ALL the hours that we work). I am trying to find a job at a bank to help me with my career.
My parents are divorced (when I was in 3rd grade was when it happened). they only live within 10 miles of each other. Which worked out great for me becuase I could still see both of them. I went to school in a tiny tiny town my whole life. One of those towns where everyone knons everyones business no matter if you like it or not. Well anyways that is where I met my boyfriend. I was a sophomore in High school and he was a junior. We have been dating for three years now and only broke up once for a day. lol. (stupid stuff). I knew everyone in my class we were all very close. I graduated top three in my class, however there were only 16 people in it. But oh well. The class before mine was only 12. I knew all my teachers.
While in High school I worked at the Ace Hardware a little ways from my home town (not the same one as now, i live 3 hours away from my hometown). I worked and went to school to help get money for school and so I could get my dream car a vw beetle. I got that car last April and LOVE it. I make a's and b's. My first semester of college was a 4.0. I try to do my very best in school.
Getting to Yorkie :)For my mom and I's birthday we got a yorkie (our b-days are 10 days apart). His name was blu he we got him when he was 8 months old and he was the greatest dog ever. However, he died two septembers ago :(. He was outside all day while I was at school. He would did not like to be inside when no one was there. He had a doogy dog. His collar got caught on a chair and hung himself. I will never let my cosmo wear a collar again. After that I wanted to get another one becuase he was such a great dog. I searched for ever for a dog and then recently I found one in OK about 4 1/2 hours from me. My friends thought I was crazy for traveling so far to go look at him, but I did not care. We talked for a long time even before the puppies were due and then when they were born I went and visited them and picked out Cosmo, he wa the cutest and had the greatest personality. On april 30th I brought him home, we had a few probalems but now everything is great and Cosmo is growing. I was lucky that I got him he was $250 b/c he is not reg. and she thought he was going to be big because the parents were both 8 lbs. well he is 12 weeks old and weighs 2.8 lbs. I am soo lucky. I want to get Cosmo a playmate but not until I get a bigger apt. I live in a one bedroom.
Well I have went on for a while and can't think of anything else about me. I think I have taken up enough time. lol
THANKS for this great website I love it.

Omg, I didn't know FastEddie was the creator of this site. lol. Where have I been? All I know is he's a nice guy cause I've talked to him a couple of times in the chat room. But Thank you Fasteddie for the site, I absolutely LOVE IT, and I have learned SO much from being on here, so when I get my yorkie, I will be 100% prepared! :thumbup:

Now, my turn to tell a little about myself:

My name is Melanie. I am 19 years old. I live in Yuma, Arizona right now, and have been here since December. As most of you know, my husband, Chris, is in the United States Marines. That is the ONLY reason we are here in Yuma... not a place I would pick to live. It's really, really hot here, and there is NOTHING to do! I have lived all over the US, because my dad works for Ford Motor Company. When I was a kid, I hated that we had to move every 1-2 years, but now that I am older, I am glad we did it because I have gotten to meet SO many people and seen a lot of places that I probably wouldn't been able to see if it wasn't for my dad. I was born in West Virginia.. but I have lived in Michigan, Tennessee, Mississippi, Ohio, Florida, California, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. I think that's all. I have been to a lot of other states too.
I met my husband when I was in high school through a mutual friend. We've been together for almost 3 years, and have been married 1 year on August 14th... YAY!! He is everything to me! I love him to death, and even though we are both young, I don't regret marrying him. He will be out of the Marines on November 17, 2008... and even though I am VERY VERY proud of him for what he does, I am counting down the days till he gets out! It is very hard being a military spouse, but I do it for him.
Both of my parents live in Michigan right now. My husbands mom lives in Mississippi (where I met him), and his dad is currently in Iraq (Army).
I have one brother, Jamie. He's 26, and is currently in the Navy. He is one of the few people that I hold close to my heart. Him and I have always been close, and I could never ask for a better brother!
Right now, my husband and I do not have any kids. But we do want to have at least one child before he gets out of the military. I plan to start college soon, so by time my husband gets out of the Marines I will have a degree. I am still unsure of what I want to do with my life. There are several things that I would like to major in, but it's been a hard decision for me. My husband is now working towards his AA in General Studies, then he wants to eventually work up to a Masters Degree. I am very proud of him, because he is one of the most determined, hardworking person I know. I wish I could be more like that!
After we leave Yuma, we plan to move to Kentucky, which is where my parents will be moving also in about 4 months. We plan to buy a house there, and live.
As far as a yorkie goes, my husband and I both decided it would be better to pay off all of ours bills first. We don't want to make a commitment like that, until we are good with money, if ya know what I mean. Which is fine with me because when I do get my furbaby, I want to be able to spoil her (I want a girl) ROTTEN!!! lol.
If I could describe myself in three words they would be: giving, sensitive, and funny.

I enjoy telling people about myself, and my life. And it's also fun to read other peoples history.


That's all folks! Ya'll have a nice night!

What an awesome thread!

My life isn't as interesting as anyone elses but I still have a long way to go! I am 20 years old, turning 21 on December 16th. I am a 3/4 Chinese and 1/4 Vietnamese. I was born in Dallas, Texas and I have been here ever since! I am a student, majoring in Computer Science/ GraphicDesign and have been working as a graphics designer for almost 4 years now (I started early). I have had a good 3 years of real job experience. My parents bought me a Honda Accord when I graduated which was back in 2003, which I thank them for! I have one brother who is 27 and is getting married June 11th..this Saturday! He acts like a kid and looks like he's 18 but I love him to death. I love my whole family. When I was younger, I was never close to my family as I am now. They mean the world to me!

I have a boyfriend and we have been dating for almost a year now. No kids, lol :p I still live at home with my 'rents but I also pay for a condo in Dallas so that, in case I land a good job, I will have somewhere to move to without having to worry about apartment hunting. I plan on owning property when I grow older and renting it out as an extra source of income. Right now, I only have one property which is the condo!

My favorite hobbies would include traveling, cooking, exercising and basically anything that includes being creative and artistic. I love painting, designing, interior designing, wedding planning/decorating (I've only done it twice, but it's FUN!), reading, sleeping.. and I can't forget.. fine cuisine! The way to my heart is through my stomach!! My boyfriend jokes all the time about it.

I remember living in a apartment complex when I was 18 and ran into a neighbor walking their Yorkie. I fell in love with them and always wanted one. On my free time, I would search the internet reading up about them and looking at pictures (which didn't help my infatuation). I was never ready for one but then a couple months after my boyfriend and I started dating, I told him I really loved Yorkies and he told me he would get me one and help me raise it! So, we started searching for breeders and three months after vigorous search.. we found Fred! He was the runt of the litter and still remains pretty small. He is almost 6 months and some change but still weighs in at around 3.5 - 4 lbs. Luckily, I found YorkieTalk to help me through troubled times with him! We got lucky and Fred never had any health problems. He ate when we brought him home, he never yelped or cried at night and he has never had any hypoglycemic attacks!


This thread is interesting! Keep it coming!

Megan, you seem very intelligent and mature for your age! Make your career choice as a vet your goal ... it's such a rewarding profession!! Glad you finally discovered and love Yorkies!! ;)

:) My Patrick and I have worked together 24/7 ever since we married over 14 years ago!! People are really surprised to know that, because we get along so well .... we never, ever argue [really, we don't]! We have worked with couples that treat each other so hateful it's hard to believe that they are married! :eek: We thoroughly enjoy just spending time together [with Toto, of course] ... we had a hysterically funny thing happen the last time we were home. We were having an awfully hectic day ... too many things to do, too little time, both of us stressed! My son was helping Patrick with some last minute "projects" before we were to fly back to Colorado. I can't even remember what we were talking about but Patrick made some little "snippy" reply to a question I asked him .... :eek: ... the look on my daughter-in-law's face was absolutely priceless!!! She said "the two of you ARE normal after all!!" I said "what do you mean?" .. she said "I have never heard Pat speak to you like that!" ... in awe I said "he has never spoken to me in that tone!" I was as surprised as she was!! Naturally, when he realized how he sounded, he apologized until I really wanted to smack him! :) I knew his being snippy was from stress and really never gave it a second thought!! We aren't perfect ... but getting along ... life is way too short to not get along!! ;)

Well, first let me say this is fun and really interesting reading about all of you guys that we talk with. And Fasteddie, I too want to thank you for starting this site. I love it. I never belonged to another forum and this one is perfect! So, many thanks, FE.
Now, about myself. I am 62 years young, have four kids,: 40, 37, 35, and 29 years' old. I have 6 grandchildren. I have a husband of 33 years, who's my best friend (besides my yorkies), and 2 yorkie sisters, 6 yrs old. I used to be a nurse back in the day, but then I turned to education and have been an instructional assistant in Special Education for the last 21 years at a high school. I just retired (June 1st was my last day). I loved working and keeping busy, but I started missing being home with my hubby and gurls, so I opted to retire, and I'm so glad I did. I like having the freedom to do what I want to do, which is being with my hubby and gurls. I do intend to go to the beach a lot, as soon as I get caught up on things I've been wanting to do but never had the time. We live in the mountains in California, about 1 1/2 hours from the beach. Our nearest neighbor is about a mile away. We love it here. We see a lot of wildlife. We also have 3 HUGE dogs (strays and rescued) and 2 cats.
Well, that's about it. Keep up the posts, peeps! :thumbup: :p

Thanks so much, Fasteddie! I have learned so much from YT! I appreciate your hard work and dedication to this sight! OK..here goes!

My name is Shelley and I am the proud mom of Rocky, 4 months, and my 2 legged daughter, Lyric. Lyric is 12 years old and the greatest kid in the world! lol...aren't they all? I spend my days home schooling her and running her around to voice lessons, dance classes, performances, auditions, etc. That is the biggest reason I wanted a Yorkie! I am on the go so much and I wanted a playmate for those long hours of waiting in the dance studio lobby and hours in the car! Of course, the rules changed when I got Rocky! Now, I come home and play with him instead of sitting around with the crazy stage moms! No offense to anyone who sits in a dance studio..lol! Anyway, coming home and playing with the baby is much more fun! My daughter keeps me very busy and I had no idea what a stress reliever Rocky would be! He makes me laugh and relax and I didn't expect this! I am 32 years old and been married to my best friend, and high school sweatheart, for 14 years. We both graduated high school at 16 and went off to college, where, after 2 years, we decided to get married! He was an engineering major and I was theater! Doesn't really sound like a match, but it works perfect! We are total opposites! We live in Tucson, Arizona. I am lucky to be a stay at home mom and my husband works as an engineer at a small optics company. I do volunteer twice a year as a stage manager for a non-profit children's performing group and I love it! Theater is my passion and I don't want to let all of those years in college go to waste! Fortunately, my daughter is also very interested in theater! She spent last summer in NY and it only fired her desire to be involved with any type of theater or acting that she can get into. She is very quiet and shy, like my husband, until she gets on stage...then I know that she is my daughter!

I grew up in Abilene, TX and I hope to return to Texas some day. We have lived in AZ for since 1997, but I am not particularly fond of the desert. My husband was in the military for a while, so we have lived in NC and in CA. OK, I think I have babbled and bragged long enough! It is really fun to read a little about everyone! I would like to thank you all for your kindness to this "newbie"!

Wow! How fun to read about all you guys! Fasteddie you are the GREATEST! This place is a haven for yorkie lovers!
About myself: Pushing 50 :eek: , seriously I don't care! Have a 24 year old son, widowed when he was 8 (daddy died from cancer at 42). Remarried, divorced, and turned around and remarried the same man again almost 2 years ago. Returned to college at 40, got a degree in theatre, graduated with a 3.9 (math killed me!) and a 4.0 in major and minors (psych and english). Because of a heart condition, I can't work but I volunteer at the community theatre here and do childrens and teen theatre work as well. I had my yorkie (Sophie) for almost nine years, she went to the Rainbow Bridge 2/28 of this year. Never had dogs growing up, saw some yorkies at college and fell in love. Hubby got me Sophie for my birthday (that he forgot that year, so I got a good present :thumbup: ! She stole my heart and I've been a yorkie fan ever since. Presently looking for a new baby, may have one lined up. I like to talk, write, read. Use to do a lot of crafts but have developed arthritis in my hands and it's really hard to do now. My parents are elderly, dad is 86, blind and suffering from early Alzheimers, mom has a bad heart too. I help take care of them, help them out when I can. I live in Kentucky, but grew up in MI. Hubby has a chi named Cosannah, about 3 pounds, she was a freebie (we joke that she was the best $5 we ever spent, that's what the gas cost to go get her!) Got her for him so he would have his own cuddle pup because I always had Sophie, now she is the only cuddle pup we have. My son has a poodle/yorkie mix named Mr. Bear. Mom got him for me after Sophie passed (he's about 5 years) but he decided he loved my boy and my boy loved him so.....! Occassionally, because we live in the country, we take in a stray for awhile and try to find it a home, we always have strays passing through and since we live near a fairly busy road if we don't do something they end up as roadkill, and I just got tired of seeing them, so we take them in. Our last was a rottie, he found him a good home now though.
I could talk about myself all day - guess that's the actress in me (though I'd rather direct, I like to be in charge, just ask my hubby if you don't believe me :p !
Great getting to know everyone, YT is such a friendly place with such nice people! If you love yorkies, you can't be all bad!
Windy

What a wonderful idea for a thread! Here's my story:
My name is Teri and I am a 45 year old mother of two. Megan is 12 and Kevin is 14. I have been married to my husband, Kenny for 17 years (next Saturday). He's the love of my life and I often wonder why he puts up with me! I worked as an x-ray and mammography technologist for just over 20 years. I loved the work, in operating rooms, ER's and mammo centers all over. (I spent most of the time working for a medical temp agency so I worked all over). 5 years ago I retired from x-ray for health reasons. Now I am a project manager for a pharmaceutical marketing company. I love my job. (especially since it gives me time to go on YT!) I was recently diagnosed with MS but we are dealing with it!

We have always had large dogs, and we have a lab now named Rusty who is 8 years old. My daughter was begging for a puppy for a long time. I fnally was able to talk my husband into it as long as we promised that it would be a small dog. OK we were clueless! We went to a pet store to look at puppies. I was looking at a cute little guy, I think it was a cocker spaniel. I said "That one is cute. And my husband says "I want this one" I turned around and he was holding a little Yorkie. My first reaction was "No, no, no" Too little. I've heard things, too much energy. Are you crazy? He handed me the puppy and he put his paws on my chest and licked my chin. I fell in love! We bought the puppy that night. We named him Bandit because he "stole our hearts".

As most of you know Bandit only lived with us a month. He died from congenital liver and metabolic problems. I was so heartbroken and I swore I'd never get another one. Then, I was taken under the wing of so many great people on YT who helped me heal. In the process I fell in love with yorkies! Last week we brought home Tucker who is 9 weeks old and two pounds of trouble! I adore him! Now I'm a real yorkie lover, and I can't imagine life without one!

As far as hobbies, aside from spoiling Tucker, they are:
My family, reading, geneology and the beach.

Well where to start.... I am a 40 year old stay at home mom. I have two children one from a previous marriage Travis 20. Travis is at college (Purdue Univ.)The other from my current marriage (5 yrs) Alexa Rae who is 4. We are mainly homebodies. We enjoy movies and going out in our hottub. We have two furbabies Chachi (5 months old) and Jewels (4 months old) We love them both so much. We have a sailboat that sleeps 6 that is our home away from home in the summer. It is nice to get away. We have a small courier business that I help my husband run. We also enjoy taking walks in the park and our downtown canal with our little doggies and Alexa Rae.

Thanks, Mary Ellen (aka Higgin's Mom) for starting this thread - one of my favorite things in life is to learn about others! As Schatzie mom said - "EVERYONE has a story!"
& to FastEddie - thanks for providing such a fun place to come & meet so many great people with great stories & great information!!! I am amazed at the maturity level of many of the younger members here & love the sense of humor & wisdom of some of the more mature (vs older ;) ) members.
A little about me - I'm turning 49 the end of this month & cannot believe I will be turning 50 next year. I think once I got out of college, I quit aging - until I look in the mirror or run into some of my old highschool buddies that I graduated with & see how they are aging!!! :eek: Also, I think I still FEEL young because I am the youngest of eleven children & my mom still refers to me as "her baby!"
I was born & raised in Edmond, OK - a suburb just north of Oklahoma City. (So close to OKC, in fact, that our windows rattled when the bombing occured in 1995.) I married my highschool sweetheart, Phil, - we started dating our senior year (we were basketball queen & captain together :) ) & married after graduating college in 1978. Our first child, Isaac, was born ten months later (no sense in waiting, huh). We have three children - Isaac 26, Mandy 24, & Audra 20. I worked parttime until our third child was born & then became a stay-at-home mom. We worked hard to give our kids a good home & family life. I home-schooled all of our children thru 4th grade & they were all very competitive in gymnastics. We traveled all over the U.S. for meets & spent MANY MANY hours in the gym as well as MANY MANY $$$ (Phil worked two jobs for several years so that I could remain home with kids.) They all made it to the Elite level but at different times each grew tired & weary of the sport & the wear & tear on their bodies. Our youngest daughter was able to make the women's US team (6 gymnasts) & traveled to China for a US/China meet. (That was pretty exciting!) Our middle daughter went on to make the co-ed varsity cheerleading squad at University of Oklahoma. They all three are great kids & I hope to some day have many grandkids!!!!!!!!! In the meantime, however, since they are all out of the house, we have two new puppies. :D Our love for Yorkies began back in 1988 when we purchased our first Yorkie Mocha for $350 - my family could not believe we would pay that much for a dog!! Mocha was with our family until May, 2004 & was a wonderful dog. We knew very little about the breed other than they were small & cute! I have learned more in the past four months on YT about Yorkies than I ever did having one in the house for 15 years!!! lol We laugh now how Mocha ate the same food, used same shampoo, no toys except socks & a few chew bones, etc. & lived a long, happy life! LOVE & attention goes a long way!! With Kodah (our 20 week Yorkie) & Stormy (our 15 week Yorkie/Maltese) we have researched food, shampoos :rolleyes: , chew toys, health issues, etc. - funny what you do when you have more time on your hands!!
Since all of my kids are out of the house, I STILL fill my time with my kids (our girls live in a condo three miles from the house & son is in Norman, OK) & with my extended family. My mother is now 87 years old & needs a little more help then in years past & I still have five sisters & three brothers who live in OKC area. I love photography - just spent last weekend taking TONS of pictures at my nieces rehearsal dinner & her wedding day. I do this a lot for my family. (& we have a HUGE extended family) (They think I know a whole lot more than I do :rolleyes: ) The time-consuming part of digital photography is putting the pictures on the computer & running them thru photoshop!!! & then playing with the many different looks you can achieve. I enjoy it, though! I love this time in my life when no kids are NEEDING me to cook, clean or be somewhere!! I think I could get use to this - but I would like to do some volunteer work, once the puppies are potty trained & well adjusted. My husband is president of an insurance company that handles attorney malpractice insurance - loves his job & is good at what he does! I still run three miles, six days a week & enjoy mowing & working in our yard. I do feel truly blessed in life - not that we have not had many ups & downs but God is always faithful in seeing us through the hard times as well as giving us MANY good times!
Okay, enough!!!! I love to read about everyone & even though I don't post as much as many of you - I do think of all of you as family & laugh when you laugh & cry when you cry! I look forward to being here a long time. Here are a couple of pictures of my family taken a few months ago in Florida! (Did I mention I LOVE pictues - both taking them & seeing EVERYONE elses!!)

A little about me
 

Hi everybody.

My name is Holly and I am 25 years old. I live in Erie, Pennsylvania. I went to college for graphic design and currently work at our local newspaper. It's not my dream job...but there's not much in this city for graphic designers. I live with my yorkie Sydney, and my fiance Chris in a small apartment near Lake Erie.

Chris and I met through mutual friends...my close friend Marianne married his college roommate. They introduced us and that was it. We have been together for a year and a half, lived together for a year, and a few months ago he proposed during our vacation to Disney World. We are now in the process of planning our October 14, 2006 wedding. :p After the wedding we are planning on packing up and moving to North Carolina where we won't have to deal with these awful winters and where I can find a better job in my field.

Sydney was a christmas gift from my friend Michelle who's mother is a yorkie breeder. She gave me a certificate for a free puppy for Christmas 2 years ago. Unfortunatley the breeding mother that she owned had complications during pregnancy, lost the puppies and had to be spayed. So I had to wait for her to buy another breeding mother and for her to mature enough and go into heat. About a year and a half later Sydney and her sister were born. We went to visit when the puppies were 4 weeks old and picked out our little angel. Since the first day I brought her home, Sydney has been a complete Daddy's girl. And Chris...who didn't want a dog in the first place...is completely in love with her too, and is talking about us getting another one.

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with Syd (aka. walking, playing fetch and cuddling), reading, movies, theatre, travel, and most importantly SCRAPBOOKING. I'm a scrapbook freak. ;) Myself and 3 friends go twice a year on a 3 day scrapbooking retreat...lots of fun.

I think that is all there is to tell about me. This is an interesing thread...keep it up everybody.

What a great thread!!! You guys are all so interesting!! And, Megan - if you do run for president you get my vote! Any Yorkie-lover is fit to run this country!!

My story? Well, I'm 26 - I'll be 27 next month (July 28th if you want to PM me I can send you the address where you can send gifts). I have lived with my boyfriend Scott for a year (I am a good catholic girl and really didn't want to do the "living together" thing, but we had been together for 8 years before we moved in together & we simply can't afford to get married - again I can send you my address if you want to make a donation to the Jessica/Scott wedding fund).

I was born and raised on Boston (GO SOX! Sorry Brooke & Mocha) and wouldn't leave if you paid me! I don't have any kids - but spend a LOT of time with my 6 nieces & nephews. I have my 2 dogs - Biddy & Tucker and they are the loves of my life. Everything I do pretty much revolves around them. I don't really have much of a social life (unless you consider reality TV a social life!). I work in the Accounts Payable department of a pharmaceutical company and have been here for 5 years. It's not a bad gig - it pays the bills. But if I ever strike it rich I'd like to stay at home & breed Yorkies.

Well that's my story & I'm sticking to it!!!

Well, I wasn't originally going to reply to this post because I don't have much to say, but I'll give it a shot.

My name is Stephanie. I am 14 years old and I just graduated from 8th grade. I live in Ohio. I have 2 Yorkies named Riley and TJ, and just recently I had to send my 1 year old Basset Hound Charlie to live with my stepbrother who lives about 2 hours away from me. Riley is 9 month old and TJ is turning 3 months old tomorrow. We live in a large house with a very small back yard (so we litter trained Riley and TJ) I have two brothers who are 16 and 20. I love to read and am very interested in animals, especially dogs. I want to do something with dogs when I get older, but I do not want to be a veterinarian. I just can't handle the euthanasia and I don't I would be strong enough to handle any big dogs. I would have to be a Yorkie and toy dog vet LOL! I am very addicted to YorkieTalk. LOL! Riley is completely litter-trained and has the entire run of our house. TJ is learning and will probably have the run of the house in like 2-3 weeks at the rate that he is going. I am in love with my dogs! Umm I dunno what else to say!

Thank you so much Fasteddie for creating this forum. I don't know what I would do without it. It is my lifeline when I need important advice about my Yorkie and also to just chat with people who know what I am talking about. LOL! THanks so much! I am so glad you made this forum!

I gotta admit I wouldn't have guessed the wide range of ages here. And thank you fasteddie for creating this site. I learned so much here before getting Trace and have enjoyed reading about other puppies antics, as well as advice from other yorkie owners.

I am 44 yrs old, born, raised, and remain in Virginia Beach, Va. Been married for 24 yrs to the same man. Took us awhile to get pregnant and had our first and only child, a girl, 12 yrs ago. I work in a family owned business with my older brother. Have worked here for 21 years. I am the sole clerical staff....accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, invoicing, etc. I touch every piece of paper that comes into this office :cool:

We have had Trace for about 8 weeks. We got him from our neighbor who is a hobby breeder. He was a "litter" of one. He was so cute, but I did a ton of research on the breed BEFORE committing to getting him. I will admit during the first few days the thought occurred to me that "potty training is a PIA", and why did I agree to this. He is so dang smart and adorable. I didn't quite expect the personality he has, but he's wonderful. He has won my husband's heart as well.

We also enjoy camping. Trace hasn't experienced it yet, but will this summer.
I also enjoy reading, flower gardening, swimming in our pool, and lounging on the deck in addition to participating in my daughter's sporting events.

Keep the thread going, I enjoy "learning about all you yorkie yakkers".