Friday, December 26, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Dating Today vs. the 1960's
I asked my son (11 years old) if he had called his 'girlfriend' today.
"Mom, that's what you did in the 1960's!", was his reply.
"Mom, that's what you did in the 1960's!", was his reply.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Anna's Home Spa
Lucky me! Lying across 3 kitchen chairs I was at a spa!
First there was the honey oatmeal face mask made of:
6 tsp oatmeal
6 tsp honey
1/2 banana
3 drops vanilla oil
Then the face mask....
Just missing the cukes for my eyes!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Haus Frau Stuff!
I am sick, sick, sick of all the haus frau stuff!!
dishes dishes dishes
laundry laundry laundry
cleaning cleaning cleaning
garbage garbage garbage
recycling recycling recycling
compost compost compost
picking up picking up picking
making beds making beds making beds
ironing yuk ironing yuk ironing yuk
driving driving driving
food shopping double yuk food shopping triple yuk food shopping
and in general, being the one who makes it all happen....
there are so many other things I would rather be doing!
how about you?
dishes dishes dishes
laundry laundry laundry
cleaning cleaning cleaning
garbage garbage garbage
recycling recycling recycling
compost compost compost
picking up picking up picking
making beds making beds making beds
ironing yuk ironing yuk ironing yuk
driving driving driving
food shopping double yuk food shopping triple yuk food shopping
and in general, being the one who makes it all happen....
there are so many other things I would rather be doing!
how about you?
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Angry Kid - Noises
Ok - this one is also hysterical - but I don't think this is the original one....
Friday, September 19, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Reduce, Reuse & Recycle
Today we spent about 6 hours in Anna's room. We went through all her toys - everything! And look how much stuff we are getting rid of!! There's a lot for Goodwill, a big black garbage bag to throw away, a mini box for Ellie and a box of craft supplies for downstairs. Next is clothes and books!
What a difference it makes!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Favorite lunch!
This is my favorite lunch these days, inspired by Ruby's friend Cathy. Proscuitto, cherry tomatoes, figs, fresh mozzarella, pepper and Himalayan salt drizzled with good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Just delicious!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Was in CH for 5 days - some work, a hike, a little bit of shopping and some fun!
Came home last night. Everyone was in good shape - well fed, made it to school on time, lots of playdates etc. The boys room was even cleaned out and rearranged. The top bunk is now where the desks were. Looks great! I think they got rid of a lot of stuff - Yeah!! Love getting rid of clutter.
Anna's room is next!
Mark did a great job. Thank you thank you! Because I couldn't have gone without his great help.
BUT - I did just spend an hour and a half reclaiming the kitchen. And started on mounds of laundry. The laundry wasn't in the laundry room- it was still in everyone's rooms.
Oh and the freezer is broken so we lost all the food on the top 3 shelves. BUMMER!
Came home last night. Everyone was in good shape - well fed, made it to school on time, lots of playdates etc. The boys room was even cleaned out and rearranged. The top bunk is now where the desks were. Looks great! I think they got rid of a lot of stuff - Yeah!! Love getting rid of clutter.
Anna's room is next!
Mark did a great job. Thank you thank you! Because I couldn't have gone without his great help.
BUT - I did just spend an hour and a half reclaiming the kitchen. And started on mounds of laundry. The laundry wasn't in the laundry room- it was still in everyone's rooms.
Oh and the freezer is broken so we lost all the food on the top 3 shelves. BUMMER!
Switzerland
Had a great trip - my speech went well at a small informal lunch at Zum Gruenen Glass. Went to the Zorten with Henriette for the night and hiked up to the Rothorn on Saturday. That was about 4+ hours up! It was so windy that the cablecar was closed so there weren't a lot of people up there. I took some great photos - well, at least until I lost my camera!
We stopped for a drink of water and I put my camera down on my right side, drank my water, had my biscuit and then packed up the backpack. About half an hour later I wanted to take another couple photos....and of course realized that I had never put my camera back.
Gone!
We ran into a biker that we had seen earlier as he was riding down. So, we asked him to look for it and bring it to the Mittel Station. I had high hopes that he'd find it and I'd have my camera back in a matter of hours.
When we were coming down - the camera wasn't there. I held onto my hopes.
But back at the Mittel Station - no one had returned a camera. We even asked at the Trottenet rental place (that's how we got down to the bottom). And we asked at the very bottom. Nothing. Filled in the forms etc and now must wait.
OK - am really upset about the camera - but am more upset about not having the photos....it's just killing me....and there are only about 20! I had already downloaded all the rest.
Henriette called the Polizei and they told her to wait out the week - sometimes it takes that long for these things to show up.
So, I'll wait....
But I must say, I really truly thought someone would pick it up and return it to the mountain somehow.
Has Switzerland changed?
We stopped for a drink of water and I put my camera down on my right side, drank my water, had my biscuit and then packed up the backpack. About half an hour later I wanted to take another couple photos....and of course realized that I had never put my camera back.
Gone!
We ran into a biker that we had seen earlier as he was riding down. So, we asked him to look for it and bring it to the Mittel Station. I had high hopes that he'd find it and I'd have my camera back in a matter of hours.
When we were coming down - the camera wasn't there. I held onto my hopes.
But back at the Mittel Station - no one had returned a camera. We even asked at the Trottenet rental place (that's how we got down to the bottom). And we asked at the very bottom. Nothing. Filled in the forms etc and now must wait.
OK - am really upset about the camera - but am more upset about not having the photos....it's just killing me....and there are only about 20! I had already downloaded all the rest.
Henriette called the Polizei and they told her to wait out the week - sometimes it takes that long for these things to show up.
So, I'll wait....
But I must say, I really truly thought someone would pick it up and return it to the mountain somehow.
Has Switzerland changed?
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
German Speaking part of CH
This email flies around about once a year - it always puts a smile on my face -
You know you've been in (German speaking) Switzerland too long when:
...you think it's economically wasteful to have more than one brand of a product in a store
...you think sponteniaty is OK, as long as it's planned
...you think getting up early is good...you get upset in the train when a foreign tourist opens the window causing a draft to go down your back
...you actually get interested in the local elections...you know the words to the Swiss national anthem
...you expect the shop clerk to say goodbye after you purchase something
...you wait for the shop clerk to open the door to let you out of their shop
...you prefer to buy in small shops even though its more expensive
...you think joining clubs is an acceptable way of meeting people socially
...you start studying for a Nachdiplom
...you get annoyed when the car ahead of you doesn't turn off it's motor at a traffic light
...you look forward to Wildsaison
...you're prepared to pay for a local dentist
...you're not upset when a public holiday falls on a Sunday
...you try to defend cartel based economics to a visitor
...you think that plaid jackets with flowery ties don't look that bad
...you think it's fair that you can only wash clothes once a month
...you wonder why anyone would want to shop outside of working hours
...you buy Siwss
...you get concerned about all the foreigners moving into the country
...you approve of school on Saturday mornings
...you don't mind spending all day in the restaurant at a ski resort, and wonder why all the foreigners insist on skiing when the conditions are less than optimal
...you know the difference between Cafe Traesh, and Cafe Luetz, and get upset when others don't know
...you become suspicious of people who think independently
...you decide on a vacation in the US, planning to buy a car and drive around for six months
...you can comment on the quality of english schools in southern England and California
...you consider taking a vacation to Florida, but then don't go, because it's too dangerous
...you think it's OK to drive slow on Sundays
...you pull out in front of another car, to reserve your place
...you reserve your table first, before getting food in a cafeteria
...you don't worry about your jacket being stolen in a restaurant
...you feel like you're broke if you have less that $300 in your pocket
...you get upset when someone pays with a credit card, instead of paying cash
...you dress up to go grocery shopping
...you wear white socks with black shoes
...you feel embarassed when your squash racket grip doesn't match your socks
...you wish the Swiss government would do something about their refugee policy
...you don't get upset about US politics, because after all they're American
...you hope Switzerland doesn't join the European community
...you consider food with garlic in it to be spicy
...you understand why Chinese food _should_ cost more than _normal_ food
...you get embarassed when a visitor asks for a doggie bag in a restaurant
...you prefer Swiss wine
...you are willing to pay higher prices, because it ensures higher quality
...you wish that your town had expensive garbage bags too
...you consider target shooting a 'sport'
...you assume that all blacks are foreigners
...you assume that all asians are refugees
...you start judging restaurants and hotels, giving criticism when your expections are not met
...you think it's OK for a Chinese restaurant to be run by a Swiss and staffed by Spaniards and Portugese
...you start refering to the French speaking Swiss as Welsh
...you start thinking, 'Why can't they just speak Schwiizerdutsch?'
..you don't mind waiting in restuarants
...your German is better than the waiter's
...you insist on speaking German to people that are obviously English speakers
...you take a foreign language course, in German
...you have trouble finding English words
...you stop going out on Monday and Tuesday nights, because you have to work the next day, but always go out on Thursday nights
...you don't think it's funny when someone confuses Switzerland with Sweden
...you get upset when someone thinks Switzerland's forth language is English
...you know the difference between a Landsprach and an Amtsprach
...you stop liking peanut butter
...you start capatalizing Nouns, and joining Bigwords together
...you think that Generalversammulung is an important event
...you start preparing costumes for Fasnacht
...you join a Guggimusik band
...you think Thursday night shopping is really convenient
...you buy Swiss eye glasses
...you entertain in restaurants
...you decline an invitation because you have to clean your apartment
...you think it's normal for a family with kids to live in an apartment
...you don't take part in a sporting activity, because you're not dressed for it
...you consider it normal to make reservations to see a movie
...you are glad of the pause during a movie, so that you can smoke a cigarette and buy an ice cream
...you think that large American cars are 'cool'
...you think it's cool to drink expensive imported American beers
...you prefer fizzy mineral water to tap water
...you expect a slice of lemon in your coke
...you worry that you don't have the right sort of glasses for the drinks you are going to serve
...you throw a party and expect everyone to leave by 11:30 pm
...you clean up during parties
...you expect dinner guests to help with the washing up
...you think that air conditioning makes people sick
...you begin to understand the subtlity of the Swiss cusine
...you appreciate the differences between the cantons...you don't get mad, you just answer 'Bon appetit' when someone asks you what's English for 'En guete'
...you don't mind drinking Panache
...you feel really hungry if you don't start eating lunch by 12:00
...you start disliking fast-food
...you prefer plain chocolate to candy bars
...you have breakfast cereal for dinner
...you consider it healthy to eat lots of milk products and lean red meat
...you say Gruezi to everyone, and consider it impolite when they don't say it back
...you don't mind paying $12 for a paperback book
...you think that PTT approved telephones are better
...you buy a new one instead of getting it repaired
...you realize the subversive implications of doing something 'just for fun'
...you think that 3% unemployment is high
...you think it was through their own efforts that Switzerland stayed out of world war two
...you think that milk and butter prices should be regulated
...you worry about the economic hardships that Swiss farmers face
...you consider getting goats and sheep to graze in your backyard...you think that wood is 'Heimlich'
...you start to think in kilometers
...you think that a pound is 500 grams and not 16 ounces
...you don't feel embarassed when you order something non-alcolohic in a bar
...you only eat fondue in winter
...you complain to your neighbor about the noise when he flushes his toilet after 10 pm
...you become interested in the myriad of insurance offerings
...you call the police when you see someone washing their car on a Sunday
...you start complaining about the breakdown of traditional Swiss values
...you think that Sunday should be a day of rest
...you take part in Jass tournaments
...you get interested in Schwingen
...you volunteer to help organize the Dorffest
...you buy a new TV because the old one doesn't match the new furniture
...you expect to be delayed by road works
...you aren't surprised when a perfectly good road is torn up and repaved
...you buy a new ski suit every year
...you feel comforted by public safety announcements
...you prefer hamburgers without the bun, and eat them with a knife and fork
...you think that only foreigners use catsup
...you expect bacon to have bits of bone in it
...you wonder why anyone would want such a big refrigerator
...you become concerned about the color of your neighbor's curtains
...you put Aromat on all your food
...you start judging the quality of the whipped cream
...you become offended when reading this
...you think that Switzerland's conservation efforts make a difference
...you think it's OK to wear red Levis
...you refuse to leave messages on answering machines because it's too impersonal
...you start complaining about the difficulty of finding really good Bauernschnapps
...you expect beer prices to go up after midnight
...you worry about getting a cold when there's a draft
...you refuse to tell someone your salary
...you think that hard work is responsible for the stability of the Swiss franc
...you read this far
You know you've been in (German speaking) Switzerland too long when:
...you think it's economically wasteful to have more than one brand of a product in a store
...you think sponteniaty is OK, as long as it's planned
...you think getting up early is good...you get upset in the train when a foreign tourist opens the window causing a draft to go down your back
...you actually get interested in the local elections...you know the words to the Swiss national anthem
...you expect the shop clerk to say goodbye after you purchase something
...you wait for the shop clerk to open the door to let you out of their shop
...you prefer to buy in small shops even though its more expensive
...you think joining clubs is an acceptable way of meeting people socially
...you start studying for a Nachdiplom
...you get annoyed when the car ahead of you doesn't turn off it's motor at a traffic light
...you look forward to Wildsaison
...you're prepared to pay for a local dentist
...you're not upset when a public holiday falls on a Sunday
...you try to defend cartel based economics to a visitor
...you think that plaid jackets with flowery ties don't look that bad
...you think it's fair that you can only wash clothes once a month
...you wonder why anyone would want to shop outside of working hours
...you buy Siwss
...you get concerned about all the foreigners moving into the country
...you approve of school on Saturday mornings
...you don't mind spending all day in the restaurant at a ski resort, and wonder why all the foreigners insist on skiing when the conditions are less than optimal
...you know the difference between Cafe Traesh, and Cafe Luetz, and get upset when others don't know
...you become suspicious of people who think independently
...you decide on a vacation in the US, planning to buy a car and drive around for six months
...you can comment on the quality of english schools in southern England and California
...you consider taking a vacation to Florida, but then don't go, because it's too dangerous
...you think it's OK to drive slow on Sundays
...you pull out in front of another car, to reserve your place
...you reserve your table first, before getting food in a cafeteria
...you don't worry about your jacket being stolen in a restaurant
...you feel like you're broke if you have less that $300 in your pocket
...you get upset when someone pays with a credit card, instead of paying cash
...you dress up to go grocery shopping
...you wear white socks with black shoes
...you feel embarassed when your squash racket grip doesn't match your socks
...you wish the Swiss government would do something about their refugee policy
...you don't get upset about US politics, because after all they're American
...you hope Switzerland doesn't join the European community
...you consider food with garlic in it to be spicy
...you understand why Chinese food _should_ cost more than _normal_ food
...you get embarassed when a visitor asks for a doggie bag in a restaurant
...you prefer Swiss wine
...you are willing to pay higher prices, because it ensures higher quality
...you wish that your town had expensive garbage bags too
...you consider target shooting a 'sport'
...you assume that all blacks are foreigners
...you assume that all asians are refugees
...you start judging restaurants and hotels, giving criticism when your expections are not met
...you think it's OK for a Chinese restaurant to be run by a Swiss and staffed by Spaniards and Portugese
...you start refering to the French speaking Swiss as Welsh
...you start thinking, 'Why can't they just speak Schwiizerdutsch?'
..you don't mind waiting in restuarants
...your German is better than the waiter's
...you insist on speaking German to people that are obviously English speakers
...you take a foreign language course, in German
...you have trouble finding English words
...you stop going out on Monday and Tuesday nights, because you have to work the next day, but always go out on Thursday nights
...you don't think it's funny when someone confuses Switzerland with Sweden
...you get upset when someone thinks Switzerland's forth language is English
...you know the difference between a Landsprach and an Amtsprach
...you stop liking peanut butter
...you start capatalizing Nouns, and joining Bigwords together
...you think that Generalversammulung is an important event
...you start preparing costumes for Fasnacht
...you join a Guggimusik band
...you think Thursday night shopping is really convenient
...you buy Swiss eye glasses
...you entertain in restaurants
...you decline an invitation because you have to clean your apartment
...you think it's normal for a family with kids to live in an apartment
...you don't take part in a sporting activity, because you're not dressed for it
...you consider it normal to make reservations to see a movie
...you are glad of the pause during a movie, so that you can smoke a cigarette and buy an ice cream
...you think that large American cars are 'cool'
...you think it's cool to drink expensive imported American beers
...you prefer fizzy mineral water to tap water
...you expect a slice of lemon in your coke
...you worry that you don't have the right sort of glasses for the drinks you are going to serve
...you throw a party and expect everyone to leave by 11:30 pm
...you clean up during parties
...you expect dinner guests to help with the washing up
...you think that air conditioning makes people sick
...you begin to understand the subtlity of the Swiss cusine
...you appreciate the differences between the cantons...you don't get mad, you just answer 'Bon appetit' when someone asks you what's English for 'En guete'
...you don't mind drinking Panache
...you feel really hungry if you don't start eating lunch by 12:00
...you start disliking fast-food
...you prefer plain chocolate to candy bars
...you have breakfast cereal for dinner
...you consider it healthy to eat lots of milk products and lean red meat
...you say Gruezi to everyone, and consider it impolite when they don't say it back
...you don't mind paying $12 for a paperback book
...you think that PTT approved telephones are better
...you buy a new one instead of getting it repaired
...you realize the subversive implications of doing something 'just for fun'
...you think that 3% unemployment is high
...you think it was through their own efforts that Switzerland stayed out of world war two
...you think that milk and butter prices should be regulated
...you worry about the economic hardships that Swiss farmers face
...you consider getting goats and sheep to graze in your backyard...you think that wood is 'Heimlich'
...you start to think in kilometers
...you think that a pound is 500 grams and not 16 ounces
...you don't feel embarassed when you order something non-alcolohic in a bar
...you only eat fondue in winter
...you complain to your neighbor about the noise when he flushes his toilet after 10 pm
...you become interested in the myriad of insurance offerings
...you call the police when you see someone washing their car on a Sunday
...you start complaining about the breakdown of traditional Swiss values
...you think that Sunday should be a day of rest
...you take part in Jass tournaments
...you get interested in Schwingen
...you volunteer to help organize the Dorffest
...you buy a new TV because the old one doesn't match the new furniture
...you expect to be delayed by road works
...you aren't surprised when a perfectly good road is torn up and repaved
...you buy a new ski suit every year
...you feel comforted by public safety announcements
...you prefer hamburgers without the bun, and eat them with a knife and fork
...you think that only foreigners use catsup
...you expect bacon to have bits of bone in it
...you wonder why anyone would want such a big refrigerator
...you become concerned about the color of your neighbor's curtains
...you put Aromat on all your food
...you start judging the quality of the whipped cream
...you become offended when reading this
...you think that Switzerland's conservation efforts make a difference
...you think it's OK to wear red Levis
...you refuse to leave messages on answering machines because it's too impersonal
...you start complaining about the difficulty of finding really good Bauernschnapps
...you expect beer prices to go up after midnight
...you worry about getting a cold when there's a draft
...you refuse to tell someone your salary
...you think that hard work is responsible for the stability of the Swiss franc
...you read this far
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Houston, we have a problem
Houston, we have a problem.
Anna just googled:
How to get on the Hannah Montana show
And she actually got a link.
Printed it.
And read it to us.
And now wants me to play the taxi driver in her skit.
To practice her acting of course
THE SKIT:
I was the taxi driver and I had to take her from Charlotte to downtown Burlington to the Mall. She was 20, a student and had not yet decided her major. She was on her way to go clothes shopping.
She paid me with a sock.
(I am folding laundry)
Anna just googled:
How to get on the Hannah Montana show
And she actually got a link.
Printed it.
And read it to us.
And now wants me to play the taxi driver in her skit.
To practice her acting of course
THE SKIT:
I was the taxi driver and I had to take her from Charlotte to downtown Burlington to the Mall. She was 20, a student and had not yet decided her major. She was on her way to go clothes shopping.
She paid me with a sock.
(I am folding laundry)
Monday, August 25, 2008
Summer Goal #3 Read at least 5 books
Books I read this summer:
The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
Lopsided: How Having Breast Cancer Can Be Really Distracting by Meredith Norton
and now I just started A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Summer Goals
The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
Lopsided: How Having Breast Cancer Can Be Really Distracting by Meredith Norton
and now I just started A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Summer Goals
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Summer Goal #10 - Make a Fire Pit
Done. But I can't take credit - Mark made it and it's awesome!!
Thank you Mark!
Thank you Mark!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
Summer Goal #6 - Get rid of minivan
Light blue Chrysler Town & Country AWD minivan 'traded' in for a grey Toyota Matrix S AWD
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Where I'm From by S.S.
This just came home from school:
Where I'm From
I'm from the speeding country
I'm from the land of mountains with snow as fluffy as whipped cream.
I'm from the land of skiing,
I'm from
Switzerland.
I'm from playing tennis and swimming in lakes
from June to July in the warm summer days.
I'm from traveling from continent to continent to visit my many
other friends.
I'm from a soccer and skiing family,
I'm from getting on a plane to move to the U.S.,
and making new friends and losing others.
I'm from iPods and DVD's, to plasma TV's.
I'm from a working Dad right next door, and mountain biking
with my friends
I'm from the most amazing grandparents, uncles and aunts
who have pulled me through some of the hardest moments.
I'm from cousins that moved just like me,
and skiiing with them is just as fun as anything else.
I'm getting lost in cities like New York City,
and skiing in the alps
and then tumbling off the trail into the woods.
I'm from a very proper grandmother and divorced grandparents.
I'm from going to soccer and then to lacrosse in the same day,
and being with my friends in Synergy practice,
and always finishing practicce with, SFC!
I'm from a new technical world with new friends
and wonderful things to come and go.
Where I'm From
I'm from the speeding country
I'm from the land of mountains with snow as fluffy as whipped cream.
I'm from the land of skiing,
I'm from
Switzerland.
I'm from playing tennis and swimming in lakes
from June to July in the warm summer days.
I'm from traveling from continent to continent to visit my many
other friends.
I'm from a soccer and skiing family,
I'm from getting on a plane to move to the U.S.,
and making new friends and losing others.
I'm from iPods and DVD's, to plasma TV's.
I'm from a working Dad right next door, and mountain biking
with my friends
I'm from the most amazing grandparents, uncles and aunts
who have pulled me through some of the hardest moments.
I'm from cousins that moved just like me,
and skiiing with them is just as fun as anything else.
I'm getting lost in cities like New York City,
and skiing in the alps
and then tumbling off the trail into the woods.
I'm from a very proper grandmother and divorced grandparents.
I'm from going to soccer and then to lacrosse in the same day,
and being with my friends in Synergy practice,
and always finishing practicce with, SFC!
I'm from a new technical world with new friends
and wonderful things to come and go.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Why? Why? Why?
Why, Why,
Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are going dead?
Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough money?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?
Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?
If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?
Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?
Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?
Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?
Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?
Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?
How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?
When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, "It's all right?" Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, "That hurt, you stupid idiot?"
Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?
In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?
If you know the answer to any of these questions, please let me know!
Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are going dead?
Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough money?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?
Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?
If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?
Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?
Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?
Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?
Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?
Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?
How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?
When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, "It's all right?" Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, "That hurt, you stupid idiot?"
Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?
In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?
If you know the answer to any of these questions, please let me know!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Summer Goals
Every summer I have a long list of things that I'd like to do. Summer flies by and I am sure I never even do half of what I wanted to. So here's my list for 2008:
1. Travel
2. See lots of family
3. Read at least 5 books
4. Start a compost pile
5. Make new garden bed in driveway
6. Get rid of minivan
7. Catch up on work
8. Catch up on Shutterfly
9. Plant a mini tomato garden
10.Make a fire pit
11. Make some jams
12. Do a CSA farm share
13. Exercise more!
14. Be better @ laundry
15. File File File!
1. Travel
2. See lots of family
3. Read at least 5 books
4. Start a compost pile
5. Make new garden bed in driveway
6. Get rid of minivan
7. Catch up on work
8. Catch up on Shutterfly
9. Plant a mini tomato garden
10.Make a fire pit
11. Make some jams
12. Do a CSA farm share
13. Exercise more!
14. Be better @ laundry
15. File File File!
Monday, June 9, 2008
MADD Mothers Against Drunk Driving
The one thing that scares me the most about having children - teenagers in particular - is drunk driving. This email poem has gone around many times and each time I read it it brings tears to my eyes. I thought it was a keeper - one that I want to read again and maybe even to my children one day:
I went to a party Mom
I went to a party,
And remembered what you said.
You told me not to drink,
Mom, so I had a sprite instead.
I felt proud of myself,
The way you said I would,
that I didn't drink and drive,
though some friends said I should.
I made a healthy choice,
And your advice to me was right.
The party finally ended,
and the kids drove out of sight.
I got into my car,
Sure to get home in one piece.
I never knew what was coming,
Mom, something I expected least.
Now I'm lying on the pavement,
And I hear the policeman say,
the kid that caused this wreck was drunk,
Mom, his voice seems far away.
My own blood's all around me,
As I try hard not to cry.
I can hear the paramedic say,
this girl is going to die.
I'm sure the guy had no idea,
While he was f lying high.
Because he chose to drink and drive,
now I would have to die.
So why do people do it,
Mom Knowing that it ruins lives?
And now the pain is cutting me,
like a hundred stabbing knives.
Tell sister not to be afraid,
Mom Tell daddy to be brave.
And when I go to heaven,
put ' Mommy's Girl' on my grave.
Someone should have taught him,
That it's wrong to drink and drive.
Maybe if his parents had,
I'd still be alive.
My breath is getting shorter,
Mom I'm getting really scared
These are my final moments,
and I'm so unprepared.
I wish that you could hold me Mom,
As I lie here and die.
I wish that I could say,
'I love you,Mom!'
So I love you and good-bye.
MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers)
I went to a party Mom
I went to a party,
And remembered what you said.
You told me not to drink,
Mom, so I had a sprite instead.
I felt proud of myself,
The way you said I would,
that I didn't drink and drive,
though some friends said I should.
I made a healthy choice,
And your advice to me was right.
The party finally ended,
and the kids drove out of sight.
I got into my car,
Sure to get home in one piece.
I never knew what was coming,
Mom, something I expected least.
Now I'm lying on the pavement,
And I hear the policeman say,
the kid that caused this wreck was drunk,
Mom, his voice seems far away.
My own blood's all around me,
As I try hard not to cry.
I can hear the paramedic say,
this girl is going to die.
I'm sure the guy had no idea,
While he was f lying high.
Because he chose to drink and drive,
now I would have to die.
So why do people do it,
Mom Knowing that it ruins lives?
And now the pain is cutting me,
like a hundred stabbing knives.
Tell sister not to be afraid,
Mom Tell daddy to be brave.
And when I go to heaven,
put ' Mommy's Girl' on my grave.
Someone should have taught him,
That it's wrong to drink and drive.
Maybe if his parents had,
I'd still be alive.
My breath is getting shorter,
Mom I'm getting really scared
These are my final moments,
and I'm so unprepared.
I wish that you could hold me Mom,
As I lie here and die.
I wish that I could say,
'I love you,Mom!'
So I love you and good-bye.
MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers)
Sunday, May 11, 2008
New Knee
See the torn ACL? It's the frayed one....
The 2 bottom pictures are the repaired one with the hamstring!
Pretty Cool.
Where's the blood?
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Four Perfect Pebbles
Today Marion Blumenthal Lazan came to speak to the 7th and 8th graders. She's a holocaust surviver and wrote the book Four Perfect Pebbles. She told her story - just horrific! Tears a flowing the entire time. She is a very strong, powerful women who has the incredible ability to be able to talk and share her experiences. Others in her family can't. Her message was clear - don't just follow along because everyone else does. She came with her husband, Nathaniel, who has obviously been an amazing support.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Weird Coincidences....
Ok - so here's a list of randoms that have happened in my life:
1. Walking down the street in Hong Kong ran into my friend Lisa who I had known since 1st grade, but had no idea that she was living in Hong Kong at the time.
2. Walking just off the beach in Bali ran into another friend that I knew since first grade - from the same class as above! I had no idea she was living there either.
3. On a business trip in Madrid hanging out with Miguel from our Madrid office in a random bar - ran into Emilio and Melinda!
4. In Florence, late one evening I was dying...I had to go to the bathroom so I ducked into an alley (yes, this was ages ago) and I ran into my cousin (non blood - by marriage) Seth doing the very same thing!
5. In Puerto Vallarta spring of my junior year in college I ran into Torrence - someone I knew from my gymnastics years!
keep checking for more...as I remember them I will post them!
1. Walking down the street in Hong Kong ran into my friend Lisa who I had known since 1st grade, but had no idea that she was living in Hong Kong at the time.
2. Walking just off the beach in Bali ran into another friend that I knew since first grade - from the same class as above! I had no idea she was living there either.
3. On a business trip in Madrid hanging out with Miguel from our Madrid office in a random bar - ran into Emilio and Melinda!
4. In Florence, late one evening I was dying...I had to go to the bathroom so I ducked into an alley (yes, this was ages ago) and I ran into my cousin (non blood - by marriage) Seth doing the very same thing!
5. In Puerto Vallarta spring of my junior year in college I ran into Torrence - someone I knew from my gymnastics years!
keep checking for more...as I remember them I will post them!
Friday, May 2, 2008
One Stop Shopping
Mark had his surgery today. All went well. He's just been moved to the recovery room. He'll be there for an hour or so and then moved to a waiting area where he will stay until they release him.
And we have time...
The mini van broke down on the way down here to Rutland this morning...I called AAA, told them where it was, left the keys under the mat and told them to tow it to the closest Chrysler dealership. So - should we hitchhike or call a taxi? Before we had a chance to put our thumbs out - the people, whose driveway we were at the end of, happened to be leaving and asked if we needed help. Why YES! We said, can you give us a ride to the hospital? We crammed into the jump seat of the pick up truck... And they drove us both to the hospital...
We were only 20 minutes late!
I tell you...why do I always have these little 'bumps' in the road? Drama. It always has a way of finding me. I guess life would seem so boring & mundane without it!
I called the dealer and the coolant lines had corroded and therefore leaked...hence the overheating engine and massive amounts of black smoke that bellowed out from under the passenger seat side of the car...so much that for a moment there we thought the car might blow! $329 and I can get the car between 3 and 4...which will be just about the time Mark will be ready to go home. The timing is perfect and the parts were in stock!
Note to self: figure out how to get the dealer and where it is!!!
And as I always try to see the good things in any situation... All I can say is thank goodness the minivan didn't die on the way home....
Can you imagine???
And we have time...
The mini van broke down on the way down here to Rutland this morning...I called AAA, told them where it was, left the keys under the mat and told them to tow it to the closest Chrysler dealership. So - should we hitchhike or call a taxi? Before we had a chance to put our thumbs out - the people, whose driveway we were at the end of, happened to be leaving and asked if we needed help. Why YES! We said, can you give us a ride to the hospital? We crammed into the jump seat of the pick up truck... And they drove us both to the hospital...
We were only 20 minutes late!
I tell you...why do I always have these little 'bumps' in the road? Drama. It always has a way of finding me. I guess life would seem so boring & mundane without it!
I called the dealer and the coolant lines had corroded and therefore leaked...hence the overheating engine and massive amounts of black smoke that bellowed out from under the passenger seat side of the car...so much that for a moment there we thought the car might blow! $329 and I can get the car between 3 and 4...which will be just about the time Mark will be ready to go home. The timing is perfect and the parts were in stock!
Note to self: figure out how to get the dealer and where it is!!!
And as I always try to see the good things in any situation... All I can say is thank goodness the minivan didn't die on the way home....
Can you imagine???
Thursday, May 1, 2008
The Over 30 Crowd - Yes That's ME!
you know me - I am such a nerd that some of these email thingamabobs I get I just have to post so that I can enjoy/refer to them again. Here's another:
When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tearswith their tedious diatribes about how hard things werewhen they were growing up; what with walkingtwenty-five miles to school every morning ... uphill BOTH ways
yadda, yadda, yadda
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up,there was no way I was going to go on about how hard I had itand how easy they've got it!
But now that... I'm over the ripe old age ofthirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today.
You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to mychildhood, you live in a utopia!
And I hate to say it but you kids today youdon't know how good you've got it!
I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have TheInternet . If we wanted to know something,we had to go to the library andlook it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!
There was no email!! We had to actually writesomebody a letter with a pen!Then you had to walk all the way across the street andput it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!
There were no MP3's or Napsters! You wanted tosteal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!
Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ' d usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up!
We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it!
And we didn't have fancy Caller ID Boxes either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!
We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'asteroids'. Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!
When you went to the movie theater there no such thing as stadium seating! All the seats were the same height! If a tall guy or some old broad with a hat sat in front of you and you couldn't see, you were just screwed!
Sure, we had cable television, but back then that was only like 15 channels and there was no on screen menu and no remote control! You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! There was no such think as channel surfing! You had to get up and walk over to the TV to change the channel and there was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons.
And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up we had to use the stove or go build a fire . Imagine that!
If we wanted popcorn, we had to use that stupid Jiffy Pop thing and shake it over the stove forever like an idiot.
That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled. You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980!
When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tearswith their tedious diatribes about how hard things werewhen they were growing up; what with walkingtwenty-five miles to school every morning ... uphill BOTH ways
yadda, yadda, yadda
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up,there was no way I was going to go on about how hard I had itand how easy they've got it!
But now that... I'm over the ripe old age ofthirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today.
You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to mychildhood, you live in a utopia!
And I hate to say it but you kids today youdon't know how good you've got it!
I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have TheInternet . If we wanted to know something,we had to go to the library andlook it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!
There was no email!! We had to actually writesomebody a letter with a pen!Then you had to walk all the way across the street andput it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!
There were no MP3's or Napsters! You wanted tosteal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!
Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ' d usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up!
We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it!
And we didn't have fancy Caller ID Boxes either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!
We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'asteroids'. Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!
When you went to the movie theater there no such thing as stadium seating! All the seats were the same height! If a tall guy or some old broad with a hat sat in front of you and you couldn't see, you were just screwed!
Sure, we had cable television, but back then that was only like 15 channels and there was no on screen menu and no remote control! You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! There was no such think as channel surfing! You had to get up and walk over to the TV to change the channel and there was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons.
And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up we had to use the stove or go build a fire . Imagine that!
If we wanted popcorn, we had to use that stupid Jiffy Pop thing and shake it over the stove forever like an idiot.
That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled. You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980!
C'est Moi & The Story It Tells
Ok so scanned in this photo last night...for various reasons....
It tells so much! It was taken in Greece in the summer of 1988 in Athens. Notice a couple things that crack me up:
1. It's 20 years ago. Am I really that old?
2. The sunglasses
3. No bra
4. The necklace - the long one - was a gift purchased by Mark on Santorini that trip
5. The HUGE scab on my left shoulder - we had a bad motorcycle accident on Ios and I kissed the payment
6. No wrinkles
7. Still have those puffy eyes
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
6 degrees? or only 2?
My last trip to New York was the most amazing trip in terms of happenstance and coincidence. So, if you have a moment - read on and enjoy - I just had to write....
I got up at 5 am on Sunday morning, packed and headed to the airport for my 7 something flight. Parked the car, kiosk check in, into the security line. Behind me in line walks up Susan Z who was headed to Las Vegas for business. We start chit chatting, put our stuff on the belt etc etc and once through security I realize my phone, yes my blackberry, is still in my car charging. I hand Susan my stuff, grab my boarding pass, ID and car keys and run back through security, through the airport, up the stairs (you ever notice how there is no up escalator? there) and through the garage to my car. Success!
The flight was uneventful, got my bag, got on the Air Train and headed to Jamaica Station. Got my LIRR ticket etc and headed for track 2 for Penn Station. While standing there a young woman comes up to me and says that we were both on the flight out of Burlington and then here we are again standing on the tracks.
"Why are you going to the city?" I ask. "I'm going to the GoGreenExpo", she says. Can you believe that? Both from BTV to JFK for the expo?
Anyway, she works for a company called Lindblad Expeditions and they have just moved all their video work up here to....the next town over and she, Amy has been transferred up here from NYC with the company. So she was an exhibitor at the show - they had the best booth!
So that was weird...ok I think to myself - it's really common to know people on flights in and out of BTV....but that she was going to the Expo? NYC is massive with so many events going on on any given day.....weird.
I went to the show - which was great and I can write another entry about all that - and while there I saw that they were showing a couple movies. honestly I didn't care which movie - but by 1:00, I was tired of walking around and was looking forward to being entertained and sitting down for a bit. I found one of the rooms that had a movie and was told it was full and there was no room. I am not really sure why I stayed standing there in the hall, but I did. I just stood there waiting to get in. And I didn't even know what the movie was. I had no idea what I was waiting for. But I waited.
And less than 5 minutes later some man in a suit came out, grabbed me and guided me to an empty seat. And there I sat for the next 2 hours.
The movie was called, Fields of Fuel - check out the link or go here and check out the clip on Youtube. Amazing! Just amazing! I could also write a novel about all that as well....
But anway, there was Q & A after with the Josh Tickell - the guy who made the movie, the producer (who was the man in the suit that shuffled me in) and Josh's fiancee, Rebecca H, who is the marketing manager and they were talking about how they would like this movie to be shown in schools all across America and how they are looking for funding.
I'm not sure why? or what I was really thinking, but I went up and introduced myself and started talking to Rebecca. I told her I would be interested in learning more and getting a copy of the fundraising package etc...as I might know some people who would be willing to donate. And would they consider looking at a small state, mine for example, and try to get into all the schools there first? She says - of course! She's from the very next town to the east of us! Ok - bizarre! She reminded me there had been an article in the press about her and the movie before Christmas - I remembered it.....
So the rest of the day was normal - walking around, shopping, thoroughly enjoying the alive-ness of New York! I just love that city! It sends energy through every vein in my body!
At breakfast, Neil's, I see this woman come in and sit at the counter. We finished breakfast. Dad went off to the office....and I took a wild shot and leaned over to this woman and said, "Glynnie?". Yup. it was Glynnie and I hadn't seen her in about 18 years! We went to college together and I think the last time I saw her was at our wedding! So great to catch up!
Went to MOMA, saw the color exhibit - which highly recommend if you get a chance, then took a car out to JFK to catch the 3:10 JetBlue flight. I start chatting with the driver - he's Pakistani, blah blah blah, used to work for a company with HQ in CH. In a small town "called Lachen, but you probably haven't heard of it" he says. "Oh yes, I say, I lived just down the lake from there. He then says he worked for Transamonia! GET OUT! Our great friend has worked for Transamonia for 20 years - both in the Lachen and the Stamford Offices. My Pakistani worked in the NYC office, so I didn't bother asking if he knew Richard. What a small world we live in!
So, go to check in at the handy dandy kiosks and low and behold - the machine doesn't recongize anything I have - my CC, my trueblue #, the bar code, the confirm # - nothing! Trouble. I look at the board - the 3:10 flight is cancelled, the 9:55 flight is delayed until 11 something and the 10:45 flight was delayed until close to midnight.
"I can put you on the 9:55 flight the guy says or I can give you your money back." I looked over at a UVM student and asked her if she wanted to rent a car and drive up together - she looked at me like I had snakes coming out of my head. I took that as a definitive "NO!".
So I make the guy give me all the 800 #'s for the car rental companies and start calling. As I am making that first call to Hertz - old habits die hard - I look up and see Idoline and Angie (ski friends)...I am not at all surprised - we run into this family in random airports around the world so this was almost expected!
Yes, they were also on the 3:10 flight. So we rented a car and were on the road by 3 pm - Biddle driving us off LI, over the Throgs Neck and onto 95 through cats and dogs! It was pouring! Seven hours of chatting - what fun!
I arrived home (after returning the car at the airport etc) at 10:10 pm.
This morning I found out that the 9:55 flight had been cancelled and the 10:45 flight got in about 1:15 this morning.
What a 48 hours I had - so many degrees of seperation and weird coincidences!
Doesn't the world work in the most mysterious ways?
If you got this far, thanks for reading!
I got up at 5 am on Sunday morning, packed and headed to the airport for my 7 something flight. Parked the car, kiosk check in, into the security line. Behind me in line walks up Susan Z who was headed to Las Vegas for business. We start chit chatting, put our stuff on the belt etc etc and once through security I realize my phone, yes my blackberry, is still in my car charging. I hand Susan my stuff, grab my boarding pass, ID and car keys and run back through security, through the airport, up the stairs (you ever notice how there is no up escalator? there) and through the garage to my car. Success!
The flight was uneventful, got my bag, got on the Air Train and headed to Jamaica Station. Got my LIRR ticket etc and headed for track 2 for Penn Station. While standing there a young woman comes up to me and says that we were both on the flight out of Burlington and then here we are again standing on the tracks.
"Why are you going to the city?" I ask. "I'm going to the GoGreenExpo", she says. Can you believe that? Both from BTV to JFK for the expo?
Anyway, she works for a company called Lindblad Expeditions and they have just moved all their video work up here to....the next town over and she, Amy has been transferred up here from NYC with the company. So she was an exhibitor at the show - they had the best booth!
So that was weird...ok I think to myself - it's really common to know people on flights in and out of BTV....but that she was going to the Expo? NYC is massive with so many events going on on any given day.....weird.
I went to the show - which was great and I can write another entry about all that - and while there I saw that they were showing a couple movies. honestly I didn't care which movie - but by 1:00, I was tired of walking around and was looking forward to being entertained and sitting down for a bit. I found one of the rooms that had a movie and was told it was full and there was no room. I am not really sure why I stayed standing there in the hall, but I did. I just stood there waiting to get in. And I didn't even know what the movie was. I had no idea what I was waiting for. But I waited.
And less than 5 minutes later some man in a suit came out, grabbed me and guided me to an empty seat. And there I sat for the next 2 hours.
The movie was called, Fields of Fuel - check out the link or go here and check out the clip on Youtube. Amazing! Just amazing! I could also write a novel about all that as well....
But anway, there was Q & A after with the Josh Tickell - the guy who made the movie, the producer (who was the man in the suit that shuffled me in) and Josh's fiancee, Rebecca H, who is the marketing manager and they were talking about how they would like this movie to be shown in schools all across America and how they are looking for funding.
I'm not sure why? or what I was really thinking, but I went up and introduced myself and started talking to Rebecca. I told her I would be interested in learning more and getting a copy of the fundraising package etc...as I might know some people who would be willing to donate. And would they consider looking at a small state, mine for example, and try to get into all the schools there first? She says - of course! She's from the very next town to the east of us! Ok - bizarre! She reminded me there had been an article in the press about her and the movie before Christmas - I remembered it.....
So the rest of the day was normal - walking around, shopping, thoroughly enjoying the alive-ness of New York! I just love that city! It sends energy through every vein in my body!
At breakfast, Neil's, I see this woman come in and sit at the counter. We finished breakfast. Dad went off to the office....and I took a wild shot and leaned over to this woman and said, "Glynnie?". Yup. it was Glynnie and I hadn't seen her in about 18 years! We went to college together and I think the last time I saw her was at our wedding! So great to catch up!
Went to MOMA, saw the color exhibit - which highly recommend if you get a chance, then took a car out to JFK to catch the 3:10 JetBlue flight. I start chatting with the driver - he's Pakistani, blah blah blah, used to work for a company with HQ in CH. In a small town "called Lachen, but you probably haven't heard of it" he says. "Oh yes, I say, I lived just down the lake from there. He then says he worked for Transamonia! GET OUT! Our great friend has worked for Transamonia for 20 years - both in the Lachen and the Stamford Offices. My Pakistani worked in the NYC office, so I didn't bother asking if he knew Richard. What a small world we live in!
So, go to check in at the handy dandy kiosks and low and behold - the machine doesn't recongize anything I have - my CC, my trueblue #, the bar code, the confirm # - nothing! Trouble. I look at the board - the 3:10 flight is cancelled, the 9:55 flight is delayed until 11 something and the 10:45 flight was delayed until close to midnight.
"I can put you on the 9:55 flight the guy says or I can give you your money back." I looked over at a UVM student and asked her if she wanted to rent a car and drive up together - she looked at me like I had snakes coming out of my head. I took that as a definitive "NO!".
So I make the guy give me all the 800 #'s for the car rental companies and start calling. As I am making that first call to Hertz - old habits die hard - I look up and see Idoline and Angie (ski friends)...I am not at all surprised - we run into this family in random airports around the world so this was almost expected!
Yes, they were also on the 3:10 flight. So we rented a car and were on the road by 3 pm - Biddle driving us off LI, over the Throgs Neck and onto 95 through cats and dogs! It was pouring! Seven hours of chatting - what fun!
I arrived home (after returning the car at the airport etc) at 10:10 pm.
This morning I found out that the 9:55 flight had been cancelled and the 10:45 flight got in about 1:15 this morning.
What a 48 hours I had - so many degrees of seperation and weird coincidences!
Doesn't the world work in the most mysterious ways?
If you got this far, thanks for reading!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Bill's 11 Things
I just got this in an email and I think all points are absolutely valid. I'm posting it here so I know where I can find it!
"Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping g you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
"Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping g you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Inventory - March 2008
I'm only going to start with one thing per item:
1. Things I want to start but haven't started
~ my new website's database
2. Things I want to change but haven't changed
~ my exercies routine
3. Things I want to stop but haven't stopped
~ volunteering too much
4. Things I started but haven't finished
~ cleaning my office
5. Things I want to do but haven't done
~ get back into running every day
6. Things I want to say but haven't said
~ to the person involved with the person who is the cause of my migraines
7. Things I want to learn but haven't learned
~ spanish
8. Things I have felt but haven't expressed
~ see six.
1. Things I want to start but haven't started
~ my new website's database
2. Things I want to change but haven't changed
~ my exercies routine
3. Things I want to stop but haven't stopped
~ volunteering too much
4. Things I started but haven't finished
~ cleaning my office
5. Things I want to do but haven't done
~ get back into running every day
6. Things I want to say but haven't said
~ to the person involved with the person who is the cause of my migraines
7. Things I want to learn but haven't learned
~ spanish
8. Things I have felt but haven't expressed
~ see six.
Incompletion Inventory
I saw this great in Real Simple and thought it's one I should do every once in a while:
1. Things I want to start but haven't started
2. Things I want to change but haven't changed
3. Things I want to stop but haven't stopped
4. Things I started but haven't finished
5. Things I want to do but haven't done
6. Things I want to say but haven't said
7. Things I want to learn but haven't learned
8. Things I have felt but haven't expressed
1. Things I want to start but haven't started
2. Things I want to change but haven't changed
3. Things I want to stop but haven't stopped
4. Things I started but haven't finished
5. Things I want to do but haven't done
6. Things I want to say but haven't said
7. Things I want to learn but haven't learned
8. Things I have felt but haven't expressed
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Yoga Quote of the Day
My yoga teacher sent this out this morning. Can you identify? I don't ever feel drained and dejected, that's just not my nature, but I do feel like my to do list never ends and therefore a twinge of frustration at the realization that I will always, always have a long to do list!
So, here it is:
"........multitasking is a highly addictive behavior pattern because it's brimming with adrenaline and it makes you feel wanted and important... That's a lot of busyness, and busyness equates with importance, so you must really be someone special. But at the end of the day, you feel drained and dejected, and you don't know why....It's because you're not showing up in your life. Nobody's home- there's just a lot of activity.
"Real communication is incredibly powerful and transformative but it happens only when you show up completely in the activity- whether by talking on the cellphone, exchanging e-mail, or sitting across a table from someone. The vehicle for the communication is not the issue. It is your presence that makes the difference."
Sarah Susanka, The Not So Big Life
So, here it is:
"........multitasking is a highly addictive behavior pattern because it's brimming with adrenaline and it makes you feel wanted and important... That's a lot of busyness, and busyness equates with importance, so you must really be someone special. But at the end of the day, you feel drained and dejected, and you don't know why....It's because you're not showing up in your life. Nobody's home- there's just a lot of activity.
"Real communication is incredibly powerful and transformative but it happens only when you show up completely in the activity- whether by talking on the cellphone, exchanging e-mail, or sitting across a table from someone. The vehicle for the communication is not the issue. It is your presence that makes the difference."
Sarah Susanka, The Not So Big Life
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Dear Lilly - Magic Stick Two
Dear Lilly,
I am going to show you a cereus saying about magic. Here it is:
Lilly, Lilly
you have the
write to give this
stick of mine magic
so I can be magic too
I have wanted this and you are my only hope. I am begging you that's why I am giving you some presnets
I am going to show you a cereus saying about magic. Here it is:
Lilly, Lilly
you have the
write to give this
stick of mine magic
so I can be magic too
I have wanted this and you are my only hope. I am begging you that's why I am giving you some presnets
Fashion Show
Ok - remember Open Calls from January? Well, this coming weekend Anna will be in very first Fashion Show at the U Mall. We have to go to the mall to Kohl's, Sears and JC Penny to try on her clothes.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Dear Lilly - Magic Stick Three
Dear Lilly,
I really need my stick back with magic. Please try to make it magic. I really really want it to be magic. Put the stick in the black cage where my other magic things are. By the way please the snowman. It's for you. Please talk about magic in the letter you write back to me.
I Love you (a heart) You
Love,
Anna
p.s. I really want to see you.
I really need my stick back with magic. Please try to make it magic. I really really want it to be magic. Put the stick in the black cage where my other magic things are. By the way please the snowman. It's for you. Please talk about magic in the letter you write back to me.
I Love you (a heart) You
Love,
Anna
p.s. I really want to see you.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Dear Lilly - Magic Stick One
Dear Lilly,
I want you to do something magic for me. This is what it is. I have wanted you to do this for a long time. I want you to put a spell on me so I can be magic. And make myself have wings like you and stuff like that. You would be mybest friend even though your nice allredy.
I would love you.
Pretty Please.
Love,
Anna
look on the back of this page
This box is a present for you and your family.
Please
Please
Please
I want you to do something magic for me. This is what it is. I have wanted you to do this for a long time. I want you to put a spell on me so I can be magic. And make myself have wings like you and stuff like that. You would be mybest friend even though your nice allredy.
I would love you.
Pretty Please.
Love,
Anna
look on the back of this page
This box is a present for you and your family.
Please
Please
Please
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Going To Bed
(yes, another one of these.....but this truly happens in my house everynight!)
* WHY I LOVE MUM *
Mum and Dad were watching TV when Mum said, 'I'm tired, and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed'
She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches. Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for dinner the following evening, checked the cereal box leve ls, filled the sugar container and put spoons and bowls on the table.
She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button.
She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer.
She watered the plants, emptied a rubbish bin and hung up a towel to dry.
She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for an excursion, and pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair.
She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse.
Mum then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night solution & age fighting moisturiser, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails.
Dad called out, 'I thought you were going to bed.'
'I'm on my way,' she said.
She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked.
She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and TV's, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the basket, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework.
In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list. She said her prayers, and visualised the accomplishment of her goals.
About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular.
'I'm going to bed.'
And he did...without another thought.
Anything extraordinary here? Wonder why women live longer...?
CAUSE WE ARE MADE FOR THE LONG HAUL..... (and we can't die sooner, we still have things to do!!!!)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Lilly - Anna's Forest Fairy
About 3 years ago - wait, even longer - when Anna was in kindergarten (yes, 2004) she started writing notes, leaving them on her nightside table to any fairy that might be out there to respond.
Well, what do you know? A fairy came, read her notes and then left Anna notes in the tiniest handwriting you have ever, ever seen. (note to self: take a couple pictures of the notes and upload). You can hardly read them the print is so tiny!
Anyway over the years we have learned a lot about Lily - she has a sister who had a baby about 2 years ago, her father is a pretty good carpenter, she lives up on the hill above us somewhere, her birthday is on April 1st and she always remembers to write on Anna's birthday and Christmas.
In fact, almost every time Lily does come, she always has some tiny, itty, bitty something to leave behind for Anna. Some of the items include:
mini wheelbarrow
mini flower pot with plastic flowers
mini clay pot
mini friendship book
mini toys
mini fairy tale books
beautiful mini stone heart
(again, I'll take a couple pictures of some of the cool things that she has brought).
Hmmmm....today's Feb 13th and I think I can pretty much confirm that Lily isn't coming tonight - she doesn't have anything for Valentine's Day....
And, funny how Lily doesn't come when I am not at home.
I wonder why?
Well, what do you know? A fairy came, read her notes and then left Anna notes in the tiniest handwriting you have ever, ever seen. (note to self: take a couple pictures of the notes and upload). You can hardly read them the print is so tiny!
Anyway over the years we have learned a lot about Lily - she has a sister who had a baby about 2 years ago, her father is a pretty good carpenter, she lives up on the hill above us somewhere, her birthday is on April 1st and she always remembers to write on Anna's birthday and Christmas.
In fact, almost every time Lily does come, she always has some tiny, itty, bitty something to leave behind for Anna. Some of the items include:
mini wheelbarrow
mini flower pot with plastic flowers
mini clay pot
mini friendship book
mini toys
mini fairy tale books
beautiful mini stone heart
(again, I'll take a couple pictures of some of the cool things that she has brought).
Hmmmm....today's Feb 13th and I think I can pretty much confirm that Lily isn't coming tonight - she doesn't have anything for Valentine's Day....
And, funny how Lily doesn't come when I am not at home.
I wonder why?
Anna'a been Scouted
Oops! Forgot to report that Anna has been scouted. So let's see....we went in on a Wednesday afternoon, Monday was Martin Luther King Day and first thing Tuesday morning I got the call.
They wanted to sign her up!
Here are a couple of the ones I sent:
They wanted to sign her up!
So I went on in - signed some docs, and mailed a disc of some pictures of Anna.
Here are a couple of the ones I sent:
The Racer A.S. by A.S.
This was written by A.S. in the spring of 2007 for school and I just found a copy of it while cleaning out my inbox - deleted the email but had to save the story:
I was born on April 13th, 1999 in Switzerland. I lived there for 3 ½ years. I have blond hair. I always wear Uggs. Often, I don’t were socks. Do you think I can do a split? Because I can! My favorite color is pink. I always wear bright colors.
My zodiac sign is Aries .The meaning of my name is gracious. The members of my family are Jack, Scott, Louisa and Mark. I live on RTL. My favorite kind of food is strawberries. My favorite movie is Scooby-Doo and The Werewolf. Shaggy turns into a werewolf.
I love going on trips. When I was little I had a dolphin that was named Orca Whale and my nookie. I went to the Swiss Alps in Switzerland. I also went on the train that takes you up to the mountains. My favorite games are tunnel tag and freeze tag.
I have lots of memories from school. I had a field trip to Shelburne Museum in 2nd grade. My kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Scatchard. I had Mrs. Johnson for 1st and second grade. I have lots and lots of stories that I wrote at school. My teacher called me Anna Banana!
In my future I will live in Switzerland. When I’m 15 I will babysit. When I am 20 I want to be in the Olympics. I know I will like it because I can be on TV. The hard part is it’s hard to do all the sports.
I was born on April 13th, 1999 in Switzerland. I lived there for 3 ½ years. I have blond hair. I always wear Uggs. Often, I don’t were socks. Do you think I can do a split? Because I can! My favorite color is pink. I always wear bright colors.
My zodiac sign is Aries .The meaning of my name is gracious. The members of my family are Jack, Scott, Louisa and Mark. I live on RTL. My favorite kind of food is strawberries. My favorite movie is Scooby-Doo and The Werewolf. Shaggy turns into a werewolf.
I love going on trips. When I was little I had a dolphin that was named Orca Whale and my nookie. I went to the Swiss Alps in Switzerland. I also went on the train that takes you up to the mountains. My favorite games are tunnel tag and freeze tag.
I have lots of memories from school. I had a field trip to Shelburne Museum in 2nd grade. My kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Scatchard. I had Mrs. Johnson for 1st and second grade. I have lots and lots of stories that I wrote at school. My teacher called me Anna Banana!
In my future I will live in Switzerland. When I’m 15 I will babysit. When I am 20 I want to be in the Olympics. I know I will like it because I can be on TV. The hard part is it’s hard to do all the sports.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
DID YOU KNOW?
Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it.
Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.
To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.
For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.
Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.
Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simple chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla icecream.
OTHER GOOD THINGS TO KNOW:
1. Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micropizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.
2. Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
3. Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar andcalories per serving.
4. Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place themin a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
5. Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.
6. Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.
7. No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
8. Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants withcayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and thesquirrels won't come near it.
9. Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
10. Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and -- ta da! -- static is gone.
11. Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes rightout.
12. Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalk board eraser and keep it in the glovebox of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!
13 Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside , just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.
14. Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair...
15. Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
16. Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!
17. INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He took the filter over to the sink, ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material - I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well,...the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn'tgo through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh and that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free -- that nice fragrance too, you know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box, well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to catch fire & potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (& to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out & wash it with hot soapy water and an old tooth brush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd share!
Note: I went to my dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water & a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds.Then when I rinsed it the water ran right through the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!
Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it.
Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.
To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.
For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.
Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.
Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simple chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla icecream.
OTHER GOOD THINGS TO KNOW:
1. Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micropizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.
2. Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
3. Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar andcalories per serving.
4. Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place themin a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
5. Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.
6. Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.
7. No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
8. Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants withcayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and thesquirrels won't come near it.
9. Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
10. Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and -- ta da! -- static is gone.
11. Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes rightout.
12. Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalk board eraser and keep it in the glovebox of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!
13 Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside , just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.
14. Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair...
15. Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
16. Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!
17. INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He took the filter over to the sink, ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material - I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well,...the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn'tgo through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh and that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free -- that nice fragrance too, you know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box, well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to catch fire & potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (& to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out & wash it with hot soapy water and an old tooth brush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd share!
Note: I went to my dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water & a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds.Then when I rinsed it the water ran right through the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Open Calls
Anna's plan is to first be in commercials and then be in a TV show and then have her own TV show.
I think this plan started when she saw Mary Pat in a commercial last fall. From that day on all Anna has done is ask me if I called her to find out how to get in commercials. I told her that if she was still interested after the holidays I would follow up.
January 2nd, the first day back of school - she got off the bus and asked if I had made the call. She was determined and her dream was not going away!
So, today I picked her up at 1:45 and drove into town. It took no more than 5 minutes. I handed in her application and a couple photos that I had printed, then they took 3 shots et volia we were done!
They told her they would call in 2-3 weeks.
I think this plan started when she saw Mary Pat in a commercial last fall. From that day on all Anna has done is ask me if I called her to find out how to get in commercials. I told her that if she was still interested after the holidays I would follow up.
January 2nd, the first day back of school - she got off the bus and asked if I had made the call. She was determined and her dream was not going away!
So, today I picked her up at 1:45 and drove into town. It took no more than 5 minutes. I handed in her application and a couple photos that I had printed, then they took 3 shots et volia we were done!
They told her they would call in 2-3 weeks.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Huge photo in the paper
Scott and I were in the paper today. Page 2 of section B. When I first saw the picture I gasped - horrified. It was HUGE! And there I was looking right at myself in black and white and very HUGE!
All I can say is, I am so thankful that it was a great shot! No double chin.
Scott thought he looked sexy. Go figure? 10 and sexy?
Oh...the article was about H2H - we're leaving to go to Honduras in just over 2 weeks and we can't wait!!
All I can say is, I am so thankful that it was a great shot! No double chin.
Scott thought he looked sexy. Go figure? 10 and sexy?
Oh...the article was about H2H - we're leaving to go to Honduras in just over 2 weeks and we can't wait!!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Santa finally brought Butterscotch!
This morning, next to the tree (not under), Anna found Butterscotch! He had this note in his mouth:
January 8th, 2008
My dear Anna,
Finally! Christmas Eve was one of the busiest ever. I made it back to the North Pole, slept for 2 days straight and ten took Mrs. Claus on a very relaxing beach holiday!
When we returned, the Elves had caught up with their toy making and there was a Butterscotch with your name on it!
I was glad to see that your parents left your Christmas up with the lights on tonight so I could easily find your house. It doesn’t look very much like Christmas with not very much snow at your house anymore.
Enjoy Butterscotch Anna! And remember to write me again next year with your wishlist….a little earlier so we don’t run into the same problem again next Christmas.
With all my love,
SANTA (and the Elves)
p.s. Remember to be good!
January 8th, 2008
My dear Anna,
Finally! Christmas Eve was one of the busiest ever. I made it back to the North Pole, slept for 2 days straight and ten took Mrs. Claus on a very relaxing beach holiday!
When we returned, the Elves had caught up with their toy making and there was a Butterscotch with your name on it!
I was glad to see that your parents left your Christmas up with the lights on tonight so I could easily find your house. It doesn’t look very much like Christmas with not very much snow at your house anymore.
Enjoy Butterscotch Anna! And remember to write me again next year with your wishlist….a little earlier so we don’t run into the same problem again next Christmas.
With all my love,
SANTA (and the Elves)
p.s. Remember to be good!
Monday, January 7, 2008
Butterscotch Arrives
Today, with no warning, no email, no nothing, Butterscotch arrived on our front porch in the biggest box ever!
Thank God! So, I put it together, hid it in the laundry - good place because it's such a bloody mess in there no one can find anything anyway.
Have to think of a creative way to "give" him to Anna!
Thank God! So, I put it together, hid it in the laundry - good place because it's such a bloody mess in there no one can find anything anyway.
Have to think of a creative way to "give" him to Anna!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Beauty and the Beast?
Shannon called last night to let Anna know that there were tryouts for Beauty and the Beast today at the high school. Of course, Anna HAD to also go. So, we made a last minute change of plans and instead of going skiing - we went to tryouts.
The newspaper had the tryouts listed as 9:30. We got there at 9:25 and there were plenty of people already there. In fact Alaina had gotten there so early - they were first in line. Anna was number 58. I had to sign a gazillion sheets of paper, list her experience (none) and sign her in.
She then got the number 58, had ot pin it to her shirt and have her picture taken. Then all the girls (and a couple boys) lined up in the hall - 1 to 60. Then they all filed into the auditorium and were gone for over an hour and a half!
At abt noon Anna finally came out. She was all smiles and several of the girls were telling her she had done a good job. And of course I had loads of questions - I wanted to hear all about her tryouts!
Apparently they all went in, learned a song and then one by one got up on stage and sang a song! Wow....I can't believe she had the guts to do that. When I asked her if she was nervous she said, actually it's easier to be on stage in lots of people than just a couple. Is she really my daughter?
And that was that - there were over 100 kids there, there would be 30 call backs and then 6 children picked for the show in April.
They were going to call every single person tonight and let them know.
So after skiing, we called into our homephone and got the message:
"Thanks but no thanks."
I told Anna - and she was just fine with it and she and Lila just went off to choreograph their latest High School Musical Masterpiece.
And me.....I suprised myself....I felt like they had rejected my beautiful Anna...how could they?
I had to force myself to get over it....why was it so easy for her? She's the one who really wanted a part. I have no idea how we would have swung it if she had gotten the part....
The newspaper had the tryouts listed as 9:30. We got there at 9:25 and there were plenty of people already there. In fact Alaina had gotten there so early - they were first in line. Anna was number 58. I had to sign a gazillion sheets of paper, list her experience (none) and sign her in.
She then got the number 58, had ot pin it to her shirt and have her picture taken. Then all the girls (and a couple boys) lined up in the hall - 1 to 60. Then they all filed into the auditorium and were gone for over an hour and a half!
At abt noon Anna finally came out. She was all smiles and several of the girls were telling her she had done a good job. And of course I had loads of questions - I wanted to hear all about her tryouts!
Apparently they all went in, learned a song and then one by one got up on stage and sang a song! Wow....I can't believe she had the guts to do that. When I asked her if she was nervous she said, actually it's easier to be on stage in lots of people than just a couple. Is she really my daughter?
And that was that - there were over 100 kids there, there would be 30 call backs and then 6 children picked for the show in April.
They were going to call every single person tonight and let them know.
So after skiing, we called into our homephone and got the message:
"Thanks but no thanks."
I told Anna - and she was just fine with it and she and Lila just went off to choreograph their latest High School Musical Masterpiece.
And me.....I suprised myself....I felt like they had rejected my beautiful Anna...how could they?
I had to force myself to get over it....why was it so easy for her? She's the one who really wanted a part. I have no idea how we would have swung it if she had gotten the part....
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