Take it outside, boys!

So.... it's been a LONG while (ahem) since my last post. So much has happened this year, it makes my head spin! Here is one such "happening".
My husband and son always love to goof around and wrestle. I make them go outside to save the furniture, knickknacks, really anything that might be in their path.  While cooking dinner one night, I laughingly told them to take it outside, with the famous last words "Don't hurt each other!"  


Then THIS happened! Total separation of the AC joint.

And No he wasn't even on the good drugs yet.....

After the operation and 6 weeks of therapy and recouperation he is almost as good as new!

Theme Music

I am obsessed with blogging. There is no other way to say it. It’s like scrapbooking on steroids. I have pictures, videos… even theme-music (like Peter in “Family Guy”)! THEME MUSIC!!!! Who doesn’t love that?


Admittedly, as a beginner, “newbie” previous non-blogger I am constantly having to figure things out. I mean, who knew the joy, the rapture I would feel when I discovered how to EMBED. Really.

Previous conversation with Jessie:
Me: So today I learned how to EMBED a video to my blog!
Jessie: Oh, you mean an HTML?
Me: No...Oh yeah, that was it. The cut and paste, thing you do in HTML mode.
Jessie: (chuckling) Cool, Mom!

At this point I do not feel cool. But hey! At least I have THEME MUSIC!

So yesterday I wanted to share my experience of skydiving in my blog. (hey, Skydiving is cool..) Problem #1: The DVD of my jump won’t let me copy it.
Problem #2: No matter HOW hard I tried, I couldn’t get the glare/image of me using my camera to tape the DVD (like a Dum-Dum) off.
Problem #3: My video which saved to my computer just fine, was too long to upload to my blog.
Problem #4: This is now an all-day project. That. Won’t. Work.
Problem # 5: I will not be denied.

After calling in all resources, (which meant my son and his friend)…hours later (yes! hours!) I was denied. AND I burned the buns I was toasting for our BBQ sandwich dinner. Where’s the theme-music for that?

"TIT LOANS"

Yessss. What can you say when your son comes home with a picture of a title loans store, neon sign with the "LE" burnt out? Seriously?

Shoes As Weapons

My Mom is a "vertically challenged", petite woman with an Amazonian Warrior-Woman attitude. Seriously, she, when riled, you do not want to mess with. Growing up in the late 70's early 80's, clogs were the shoe du jour. Not only did they give Mom the extra inches to make her a respectable 5'3 they also made incredible deadly missiles when hurled at people.

Jim and I were snuggled up, relaxing when this old memory of Mom chucking clogs when mad at us kids, made me laugh. I shared the story with him and he said "Hey MY Mom threw shoes at us too, only she wore these pointy high heel pumps!"

Now to be fair neither of our Mothers practiced shoe chucking often, but we both agreed it was effective as the memory stuck all these years! It made me wonder why I haven't hurtled a shoe at Nick. I mean, I've surely been mad enough at times...... I suppose since my footwear of choice is mainly flip-flops or none, it's a moot point.

There is nothing scary about a mad Mom wielding a flip-flop.

Bean Fung Shui

My husband loves to cook. Not in your average "I love to cook" way, but in a "I wake up dreaming of _____ (fill in blank with any kind of dish) and now (even if it's 4:00 AM) I must cook ______" (again, fill in blank with previous answer), way. It's scary. It's a delicious, my wife of two years has gained 10 pounds, kind of sickness. It's a passion.

Although we cook a huge variety of dishes, one of our favorites is Red Beans.
It's just funny that everytime my sister calls on a weekend, we have a pot of beans on. Here's yesterdays conversation:

Lori: "What'cha doing?"
Me: "Just hanging out in the kitchen with Jim..."
Lori: "What'cha cooking?"
Me: "Beans and a pork loin's on the smoker."
Lori: "Ahh, I know everything is right in the world when beans are on the stove!"
Me: "It's bean Fung Shui!"

"Good Luck, God Bless, Stay In The Condo!"

In June 2009 I was witness to the best, cut- you -off at the knees exit line.

My son, Nick had an incredibly busy weekend, just before our "family vacation" to Daytona. The weekend before we were Florida-bound he spent the night (Fri) at a friends house where they played "Hide-And- Seek-In -The-Dark" outside. The next morning (Sat) he was dropped off at his Grandparents house to sleep over there.

Phone call from Mom: "Hey sweetie, I think Nick must have gotten into some poison Ivy last night. I've given him Benedryl and he wore a frozen beauty mask to sleep in, BUT....it's bad.

ME: "What?! How bad??" (Now what you need to know at this point is that Nick, like my Dad, is HIGHLY sensitive to Poison Ivy)

Mom: "Bad. His face is all swollen and he can't open his eyes."

I picked him up and seriously, It looked like he had stood on his face in a patch of Poison Ivy. My son looked like Shrek with his eyes closed (and red, not green). Even his ears were eclipsed by the swelling. Not to mention the rest of his body was covered in rash...but it was the face that was so shocking.

Off to our new family practice where all the office aides and nurses came out to look at my shrek-son while we waited our turn. After steroid shots, creams and an antihistimine the doctor advised me as to what to do during our vacation, for Nicks recuperation. "Reschedule your vacation." she said. "Wait, we just can't do that", I started.... "GOOD LUCK, GOD BLESS, AND STAY IN THE CONDO." she said to MY SON as she whisked out of the room.

wow. The greatest parting shot ever...."Good luck, God bless, Stay in the Condo"

Sidenote:

So, if anyone's wondering..I had him soak in Aveeno Oatmeal Bath twice a day and slather himself up in Aveeno body oil after baths. Between that and his steroids, antihistimines and creme, his rash and swelling cleared up in about 4 days. And we did not stay in the condo.

Dear Jogger

Dear Jogger I almost hit with my car this morning,

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?? There you are, I see you happily jogging down the sidewalk. Your earphones are in as you are probably listening to your latest book-on-tape or maybe Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger". I am with you in spirit, wishing I could jog along with you and be all healthy, enjoying the sweat...feeling the burn! I am admiring your safety garb, your yellow, neon sleeves so we vehicle operators can see you. "Good job!", I say to myself. Nicely done, jogger! What a glorious morning for a jog!!

And then you Screw. It. Up. What POSSESSED you to veer left, without looking, no HAND GESTURE, nothing.... to cut across the street without a crosswalk, corner....anything that might have given me a clue? My happy mental music of "Eye of the Tiger" came to a screaching halt as simultaneously my blood pressure shot up, brake jarringly applied and my brain screamed "NOOOoooooo". Nice, Jogger. Niice.

Now I have to go home to change my pants. Just thought you and your neon sleeves should know. Oh and by the way, your little smile and halfhearted wiggle of the fingers doesn't change the fact that I wet myself.

"Samson, you in DANGER, Boy!"

Have you ever heard a song that just makes you stop everything just to listen? Not even thinking to chime in because it is just that GOOD? Makes the -hair -stand -up -on -your -arms, good?? (OK, so now you know I have hairy arms. Get over it.) And no, it wasn't on American Idol....although contestants use this song a lot. THIS version, by some guys from Norway TAKES MY BREATH AWAY. Can't help it ya'll...the song is just beautiful. I have tried to share the magic of this video with my husband, who, to his great credit tries, really. he says: "Sure Honey, it's beautiful...but, umm, well don't know about wanting to rip my clothes off and have their baby and all." See.

I show it to my son, who although he has a healthy appreciation for music with his "anime techno" he loves to listen to...didn't get my rapt fascination with this song. I say: "Listen to the words..they're beautiful, bitter-sweet....it's about sometimes getting the object of your desire and it sometimes can destroy you. Beautiful words...

My son looked at me oddly and said "Nice, Mom."

Here are the lyrics:

i heard there was a secret chord
that david played and it pleased the lord
but you don't really care for music, do you
well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
the minor fall and the major lift
the baffled king composing hallelujah

hallelujah...

well your faith was strong but you needed proof
you saw her bathing on the roof
her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
she tied you to her kitchen chair
she broke your throne and she cut your hair
and from your lips she drew the hallelujah

hallelujah...

baby i've been here before
i've seen this room and i've walked this floor
i used to live alone before i knew you
i've seen your flag on the marble arch
but love is not a victory march
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

hallelujah...

well there was a time when you let me know
what's really going on below
but now you never show that to me do you
but remember when i moved in you
and the holy dove was moving too
and every breath we drew was hallelujah

well, maybe there's a god above
but all i've ever learned from love
was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
it's not a cry that you hear at night
it's not somebody who's seen the light
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

hallelujah...


You just want to warn poor Samson to stay away from that conniving cow, Delilah. She's not all that! Or get all Whoopi Goldberg in "Ghost" and tell him "Samson, you in danger boy!"

Get inside my head...

I am the test subject for my sister Lori's psychology exam. She is going to get inside my head and uncover what makes me, "me". I think she should be scared....

I had to take the Human Metrics personality test and these were my results:

My personality "type" is ENFJ

EXTRAVERTED - 11 o/o

INTUITIVE - 62 o/o

FEELING - 50 o/o

JUDGING - 89 o/o "Whats this?!!! JUDGING!! Me? I so don't think so! PLUS, I would just like to point out to everybody that if you add up the percentages they come to 212 o/o !!! What?.....are we talking multiple personalities here???

I have decided to embrace my new identity as a "JUDGER" and am trying out new ways to introduce myself......."Hi, I'm Linda, "ENFJ" ? (must say in a "Borat-type" voice)

I will judge you gypsy, but I will still feel your tears!"

What'cha think?

Spring Is Coming!

I so love Spring!  Everything new again... I see my plants just opening up.  Revived, refreshed and GROWING!!!  The rain, which we have had for a couple of days now let up for the past hour or so.  I ran outside to snap a few quick pics of the first harbingers of Spring in my yard.  Although the rain is supposed to keep up until Sunday, by then the Bradford Pear will be ready to pop open.  Come on Spring!!

What To Have For Dinner?

 

This for dinner I think.  Had no idea what to cook today, but after looking through the fridge I realize I have a huge stockpile of carrots.  Time to eat carrots!  So I Googled "chicken and carrots" and this popped up and looks good!  Plus it'll go well with our FREE appetizer Jim's picking up @ Panda Express!  Yummy!!!

Roasted Chicken with Carrots

Ingredients

• Whole fryer chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds, preferably organic or kosher, wingtips removed
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, sliced in half
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled
• 8 carrots, peeled, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 1 to 1½ cups chicken stock
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

 Method

1 Preheat oven to 425°F. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper. Stuff with lemon, thyme and half of the garlic, then, using butcher's string, secure the wings and legs to the body.

  

2 Place chicken in a small roasting pan or large, deep, oven-proof heavy skillet. Surround with the carrots and remaining garlic, then add 1 cup of the chicken stock. Drizzle with olive oil.

 3 Roast the chicken for 15minutes at 425°F. If you have a convection oven, you can reduce the heat to 375°F for the remaining time (otherwise, just keep it at 425°F). Roast until chicken is golden and carrots are well caramelized, 1¼ to 1½ hours; baste, with broth and pan juices every 15 minutes for the first 45 minutes. Add stock if pan looks dry.

  

4 Transfer chicken, carrots and garlic to a platter. Discard twine, thyme and lemon, and let chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Skim fat from pan juices and discard. Add vinegar to remaining pan juices and serve over the chicken.

Kia Soul.....Soul baby!!

Lori has quit smoking. Her goal : to buy a new car late this Spring and at the moment she has set her sights on the Kia Soul. As a reward and to celebrate her 11th day we set out to test drive one and check it out!

We had so much fun, the weather was warm, gorgeous and sunny! Afterwards we took our lunch to Black Shoals park so Sean (my Nephew) could get some good landscape photo's for his photography class in school. Here are a few of my own..

This is one of the few covered bridges in Georgia.

Here we are picking up a few hard-bodied men....LOL

Sean working at getting just the right shot at the Veteran's Memorial.

GREAT DAY!

Burnt Birthday Cake, Hot Peppers and Blackbirds

Have you ever had one of those days that you plan out but, it had a mind of it's own?  The plan was to bake a cake for Dad, have coffee with Jessie, see Mom and Dad (for his belated birthday) at 1:15ish, a few odd errands and return home.  Nick missed the school bus, my cake burned and I wisked into Marshall's for a kiss and a coffee to go from my daughter's roommate.  Thank God for Publix.....

Lunch was great (again, thank you Publix...we LOVE your hoagies, and your coconut cake was a success too.)--So in the end everything turned out great, but driving out of my parents subdivision I was engulfed by a flock of blackbirds.  I love that!  I actually just sat there in my car for a moment and grabbed the camera to try and film that rush, of them flying all around you....I didn't do it justice but here is a glimpse....

I gave Dad his birthday hot pepper seeds, between Jim's from Valentines day and Dad's we should have an unusual crop of a variety of hot peppers.

Baby Cilantro

Oh we are going to have cilantro!!  My seedlings have taken off and I am anticipating all the yummy black bean dip, soups, and salsa we are going to enjoy!  I need to get my other seeds planted....just 5 weeks to go before this nasty winter goes away.

Opticle Illusions....

So many people send me funny jokes, pictures, emails etc....I love them!  Here is a favorite couple of opticle illusions.....

THE LADY IS GETTING READY TO ENTER A PUBLIC TOILET IN HOUSTON.....

Now that you've seen the outside view,

Take a look at the inside view...

It's made entirely of one-way glass!


No one can see you from the outside, but when You are inside it's like sitting in a clear

Glass box!

A PAINTED BATHROOM FLOOR!!!

Tenth floor of a hi-rise building......

IMAGINE YOU ARE AT A PARTY ...

AND THEN YOU HAVE TO VISIT THE BATHROOM.....

You open the door...

NOW, REMEMBER THE FLOOR IS JUST A PAINTED FLOOR !

IT TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY......

THIS IS A CEILING MURAL IN A SMOKER'S LOUNGE.

Joke of the Day....

An Amish woman was driving her buggy to town when a highway patrol officer stopped her.
"I'm not going to cite you," said the officer. " I just wanted to warn you that the reflector on the back of your buggy is broken and it could be dangerous."

"I thank thee," replied the Amish lady. "I shall have my husband repair it as soon as I return home."

"Also," said the officer, "I noticed one of the reins to your horse is wrapped around his testicles. Some people might consider this cruelty to animals so you should have your husband check that too."

True to her word, when the Amish lady got home she told her husband about the broken reflector, and he said he would put a new one on immediately.

"Also," said the Amish woman, "The policeman said there was something wrong with the emergency brake."

BBQ Roasted Chicken with Parmesan Potatoes

BBQ Roasted Chicken with Parmesan Potatoes

What You Need!
1 lb. small red potatoes (about 8), quartered
1/4 cup KRAFT Italian Vinaigrette Dressing made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-1/2 tsp. chili powder, divided
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1/4 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make It!
HEAT oven to 400ºF.
TOSS potatoes with dressing in 13x9-inch nonstick pan; sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. chili powder. Bake 25 min.
STIR potatoes; push to sides of pan. Place chicken in single layer in center of pan; sprinkle with remaining chili powder. Drizzle with barbecue sauce.
BAKE 20 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF) and potatoes are tender. Transfer chicken to platter. Stir potatoes to evenly coat with pan drippings. Spoon around chicken on platter; top with Parmesan.

Kitchens Tips
*Using one pan to roast the potatoes along with the chicken makes for speedy cleanup


This recipe came from the KRAFT kitchens......obviously you can use any brand.  Easy, looks good and I say it's gonna be dinner!

Dental Appointment

Today I am taking Nick for his dental cleaning....at our new Dentist.  Since we moved to Loganville, I have been using our regular Dentist, Dr. Cavola.....but driving to Conyers for an appointment was getting old.  I hate change, but this is realistically necessary.  So a few months back, on a Conyers jaunt, I stopped by Dr. Cavola's office and asked for our records and latest X-rays.  How I found our new Dentist was serendipity.....thier office is right next door to our local bowling alley.  Last November on Nicks birthday, the family all met at the bowling alley to play and celebrate.  My daughter's purse was stolen while we bowled.  Long story but it ended happily enough....the Dentist office next door called us to say they had found it in thier front yard!  They were so nice, so I checked them out and decided to adopt them as our new family Dentist!  So here is another great tip:

 **Cut down the time you spend in a doctor’s waiting room by having the office fax or e-mail any forms before your visit. Some offices have thier forms on thier website which you can download and print.  Bring them with you to the appointment, completed.  Along with any medical records, or in this case latest x-rays, your insurance cards and drivers license.

You just breeze in and everythings done!

PARENT - Job Description

PARENT - Job Description

POSITION :

Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma

Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION :

Long term, team players needed, for challenging,

permanent work in an

often chaotic environment.

Candidates must possess excellent communication

and organizational skills and be willing to work

variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends

and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.

Some overnight travel required, including trips to

primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities!

Travel expenses not reimbursed

Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :

The rest of your life.

Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily,

until someone needs $5.

Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.

Also, must possess the physical stamina of a

pack mule

and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat

in case, this time, the screams from

the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.

Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges,

such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets

and stuck zippers.

Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and

coordinate production of multiple homework projects.

Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings

for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.

Must be a willing to be indispensable one minute,

an embarrassment the next.

Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a

half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.

Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.

Must assume final, complete accountability for

the quality of the end product.

Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and

janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :

None.

Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills,

so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :

None required unfortunately.

On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :

Get this! You pay them!

Offering frequent raises and bonuses.

A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because

of the assumption that college will help them

become financially independent.

When you die, you give them whatever is left.

The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that

you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :

While no health or dental insurance, no pension,

no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and

no stock options are offered;

this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love,

and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

** AND A FOOTNOTE "THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER!!!

I Believe In Miracles!

I do.  I believe God shows us miracles everyday -small and large.  A friend sent me this in an e-mail last year and every once in a while I look at it and...... it still makes the hair on my arms stand up.

Look at the picture and you can see where this guy broke through the guardrail, right side where the people are standing on the road (pointing). The pick-up was traveling from right to left when it crashed through the guardrail. It flipped end-over-end, across the culvert outlet, and landed right side up on the left side of the culvert, facing the opposite direction from which he was traveling.

Now look at the 2ND picture below...

More Tips! Other uses for dryer sheets....

1. It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels mice.


2. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from          entering your vehicle.

3. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often.

4. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.

5. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer) screen.

6. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.

7. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.

8. To freshen the air in your home - Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.

9. Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.

10. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.

11. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.

12. To freshen the air in your car - Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.

13. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan.

14. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.

15. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the lose hairs.

16. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.

17. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

18. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

19. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.

20. Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.

21. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.

"I Need A Pig Here!"

Alice In Wonderland, starring Johnny Depp! I seriously want to see this, with the company of my sister Lori, tortilla chips, plastic cheese dip and lots of jalopenos! My favorite new pig line : "I Need A Pig Here! I love a warm pig belly for my aching feet." That was said by Helena Bonham Carter playing the Queen of Hearts. Watch the trailer HERE.

My previous favorite pig line was from The Lion King - Watch the "Hula Song".

Well, OK, I still love it, so now I have two favorites... Makes me smile every time!!

If you’re hungry for a hunk of fat and juicy meat,

Eat my buddy Pumbaa here because he is a treat,
Come on down and dine,
On this tasty swine,
All you have to do is get in line.
Are you aching:
yup yup yup
For some bacon:
yup yup yup
He’s a big pig:
yup yup
You can be a big pig too!
OY!


- Disney’s The Lion King

The “Jones’” Have Nothing On Us

We’ve all heard the saying “Keeping up with the Jones’”. Every one of us knows that particular family or individual who, no matter what, seems to need the biggest home, best “tricked out” SUV or sports car, largest plasma screen TV, and all the best toys money and credit can buy. Our society as a whole is bombarded with television commercials, marketing ploys, random sales calls to our homes with the hope that we are convinced we cannot live without whatever service or product they are selling. This is the greatest financial and mental trap we can fall into. What pleasure do you receive if you are working overtime, or maybe a second job and avoiding the bill collection calls? Is that purchase or service increasing the quality of your life or draining you financially and physically? Are you a slave to your own lifestyle?
With some changes in your thinking, habits and work ethics you can create and shape the life that suits you, soothes you and enhances your world.

Scrapping With Jessie

What is it about doing things together with your children that just feels so fantastic???  I sometimes just gaze at my daughter in absolute worship...and words just do not come that justify.  And sometimes I just want to smack her over the head.  Not often, LOL! 

Jessie came over to scrapbook with me yesterday and we had so much fun!  She made a picture montage for her boyfriend, JD.  It turned out great.  Isn't she great?

Be the kind of woman that......When your feet hit the ground each morning, the devil says, "OH CRAP, SHE'S UP"!

I Love This!

Lifetime Goals

This is my "United States" ongoing list of things to experience......
I am still updating the rest.  I love to travel and experience what this world has to offer!  Right now my family and I are deliberating on where we want to go for summer vacation.  We are leaning towards South Carolina...
LIFE GOALS


To see, do and experience….

VISIT EACH STATE AND SEE SOMETHING OF INTEREST

Updated 12/2009

Alabama
Alaska
      • Glacier Bay National Park/Preserve
         o Glacier Bay Cruise
      • Denali National Park
         o Mount McKinley
         o Wonder Lake
      • The Kenai Peninsula
      • Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes
      • The Alaska Highway
      • The Northern Lights
Arizona
      • Flagstaff
        o Grand Canyon
      • Painted Desert
      • Petrified Forest
      • Hoover Dam
      • Lake Powell
Arkansas
      • Hot Springs National Park
California
      • Death Valley
         o Artist’s Palette
      • Redwood Nat’l Park
      • Yosemite Nat’l Park
         o Giant Sequoia Trees
         o Yosemite Falls
         o El Capitan
      • Beverly Hills
      • Hollywood
        o Hollywood Blvd Walk of Fame
      • San Francisco
        o Ride Trolley/cable cars
        o Golden Gate Bridge
        o Alcatraz
      • Baja
      • Monterey Peninsula
      • The Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1)
Colorado
      • Pikes Peak
      • Aspen
      • Red Rocks Amphitheatre
      • Mesa Verde National Park
        o Cliff Dwellings
Connecticut
      • Mystic Seaport
Delaware
Florida
     • Kennedy Space Center
     • Disney World
     • Florida Keys
     • Everglades
     • Sea World
        o Penguin adventure
     • Alligator Farm
     • Marineland
     • Kissimmee
     • Weeki Watchi
     • Destin
     • Daytona Beach
     • St. Augustine
     • Panama City Beach
     • Ft. Lauderdale
     • Ft. Myers
     • Cocoa Beach
     • Spring Hill
     • Miami
       o South Beach
       o Eat at Joe’s Stone Crab
     • Amelia Island
     • Silver Springs
     • Homosassa Springs
     • Sanibel Island
     • Captiva Island
Georgia
     • Fernbank Museum
     • Callaway Gardens
     • Atlanta
        o Underground Atlanta
        o Eat at “Down the Hatch”
        o Eat at “The Fish Market”
        o Eat at “Baccanalia”
        o Walk around Little Five Points
        o Atlanta Aquarium
        o Eat at “The Abbey”
        o Omni
        o Dave and Busters
        o World of Coca Cola
        o Six Flags
        o Sundial – Westin Hotel
        o Centennial Olympic Park
     • Jekyll Island
     • Savannah
     • Helen
     • Warm Springs
     • Chateau Elan
     • Braselton
       o Cabbage Patch Doll Hospital
     • Warner Robbins Flight Museum
     • Stone Mountain
     • Tallulah Gorge
     • Warm Springs
     • Plains
       o Grinning Goober/Jimmy Carter High School Museum
     • Amicola Falls
     • Okefenokee Swamp
     • The Golden Islands
     • Providence Canyon State Park
     • Radium Springs
Hawaii
    • Oahu
    • Kilauea
    • Kauai
    • Maui
    • Molokai
    • Volcano (helicopter flies into)
Idaho
    • Lake Coeur D’Alene
Illinois
    • Chicago
       o Visit Blues music scene
       o Chicago boardwalk
       o Eat a “Chicago Dog”
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
     • Mammoth Cave
     • Echo River
Louisiana
     • New Orleans
        o Mardi Gras
        o French Quarter
        o Eat at the Napoleon House
        o New Orleans Zoo/ride Ferry boat
        o Jackson Square
Maine
     • Acadia Nat’l Park
     • Maine Lobster Festival (late July – early Aug)
Maryland
     • Baltimore Harbor
     • Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Massachusetts
     • Cape Cod National Seashore
     • Martha’s Vineyard
     • Nantucket
Michigan
    • Detroit
    • Greenfield Village
    • Henry Ford Museum
Minnesota
Mississippi
     • Biloxi
Missouri
     • Gateway Arch
Montana
     • Glacier National Park
Nebraska
Nevada
    • Mojave Desert
       o Lake Mead
    • Las Vegas
    • Reno
New Hampshire
    • Franconia Notch National Park
       o “Old Man in the Mountain”
    • Mt. Washington
New Jersey
    • Atlantic City/Casinos
    • Wildwood
    • Ocean City
    • Cape May
    • Liberty State Park – Ellis Island
    • Delaware river tubing
New Mexico
    • Carlsbad Caverns
    • Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta (Early Oct)
    • Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad (Fall) Chama, NM – Antonito, Co
    • Roswell
    • Santa Fe
       o Santa Fe Opera
       o Inn of the Inasazi
       o Ten Thousand Waves Spa
New York
    • New York, NY
       o Statue of Liberty
       o Empire State Building
       o Big Onion Walking Tour
       o Times Square
       o Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
       o Brooklyn Bridge
       o The Cloisters
       o Grand Central Terminal
    • Niagara Falls
    • Adirondack
    • Coney Island
    • The Catskills
    • Cooperstown
    • East Hampton
    • Finger Lakes
    • Hudson Valley
North Carolina
    • Biltmore Estate
    • Kitty Hawk Island
       o Wright Brothers Flight Museum
    • Great Smokey Mountains Nat’l Park
    • The Outer Banks
       o Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
    • Eat at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, Oklahoma City, OK
Oregon
    • The Oregon Coastline
    • Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, OR (June through early Nov)
    • Crater Lake Nat’l Park
Pennsylvania
   • Valley Forge Nat’l Park
   • Philadelphia
      o Independence Nat’l Park
      o Liberty Bell
    • Longwood Gardens
    • Altoona
    • Reading
    • Allentown
    • Bowmanstown
    • Hershey Park
    • Bird-In-Hand
    • Mutter Museum
    • Gettysburg Nat’l Military Park and Cemetery
    • Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Rhode Island
    • Block Island
    • Cliff Walk, Newport, RI
South Carolina
    • Myrtle Beach
    • Beaufort and the Low Country
       o Coastline and “Sea Islands”
       o Beaufort
    • Charlston
       o Bowen’s Island Restaurant
       o Low Country Oyster Festival (late Jan/early Feb)
       o Spoleto Festival (Memorial day Weekend through 17 days)
South Dakota
    • The Black Hills
       o Mt. Rushmore
       o Crazy Horse Memorial
    • Badlands Nat’l Park
Tennessee
    • Nashville
    • Tennessee Aquarium
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Ruby River Falls
    • Memphis
        o Elvis/ Graceland
    • Train Ride up Smokey Mountains/white water raft down
    • Chattanooga
        o Incline Railroad
        o Aquarium
Texas
     • Cadillac Ranch
        Located in a cow pasture off Interstate 40 in Amarillo, Texas, the Cadillac Ranch is a bizarre roadside attraction. Created in 1974, it consists of a row of half-buried Cadillac cars. Spray-painting graffiti or other messages on the cars is encouraged by the Ant Farm art group, which created the monument, so is has a colorful and ever-changing look.
      • Padre Island National Seashore
      • San Antonio
         o The Alamo
         o The Riverwalk
Utah
     • Bryce Canyon National Park
     • Moab and Red Rock Country
        o Arches National Park
        o Canyonlands
        o Raft along Moab’s stretch of the Colorado River
     • Monument Valley
     • Mormon Tabernacle (Salt Lake City)
        o Mormon Tabernacle Choir (Free admission to rehearsals)
     • Zion National Park
Vermont
     • Manchester Village
     • Northeast Kingdom Fall Foliage Festival (last Sunday of September for a week)
Virginia
     • Blue Ridge Mountains
        o Skyline Drive
        o Luray Caverns
      • Colonial Williamsburg
      • The Natural Bridge
      • Bushe Gardens
      • Great Adventure Amusement Park
      • Arlington National Cemetery
      • Manassas National Battlefield Park
      • Alexandria’s Old Town
Washington
      • San Juan Islands
         o Whale watching (mid-May thru Aug)
      • Seattle
         o Pike Place Market
         o Eat at Rays Boathouse
West Virginia
      • White Water raft on the New River
Wisconsin
      • Apostle Islands
Wyoming
      • Cheyenne
         o Cheyenne Frontier Days (10 days in late June)
      • Grand Teton Nat’l Park
      • Jackson Hole, Jackson,Wy
      • Yellowstone Nat’l Park
        o Old Faithful
District of Columbia
      • Washington DC
         o Smithsonian’s
         o White House
         o National Monuments
         o Walk through Georgetown
Canada
      • Alberta
          o Banff, Jasper, and Yoho Nat’l parks
          o See the Canadian Rockies by train(late July – early Sept)
       • British Columbia
          o Heli-Hiking (early July – mid Aug)
          o Vancuver, Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
          o Eat at Tojo’s and Granville Island
          o Pacific Rim National Park
                Broken Group Islands – (Sea Lions!)
          o Stubbs Island
                Telegraph Cove
                Wale watching
           o Royal British Columbia Museum and the Museum of Anthropology
      • Manitoba
           o Polar Bear Safari
      • Bay of Fundy
           o Fundy National Park
           o Alma Beach
      • Gros Morne National Park
      • Cape Breton Island
      • Ontario
          o Niagara Falls – Horseshoe Falls
          o Ride on Maid of the Mist
      • Quebec City
          o Carnival in the Heart of New France

Getting Ready For Spring!

Bring it on Spring! I am sooo excited that winter is almost over. It's time to start getting ready. I pulled my portable greenhouse out of the garage and am now starting my seedlings. So far I have Cilantro, Sweet Peas, Calendula, Shasta Daisys and Butternut Squash seeded. I will soon be planting the pepper seeds I got Jim for Valentines day. The predicted last frost for my area is March 28th. Click here to find your area. HAPPY PLANTING!

Tips!

I love TIPS!  Tips are cool!  Here are a few new tips I just read from Real Simple magazine:

Use White Bread to: Dust an oil painting. Gently dab a slice of white bread over the surface to pick up dirt and grime.  Also picks up broken glass, dust/grime in the corners of your hardwood floor and baseboards.

Use Ketchup to: Remove tarnish from copper and brass cookware. Squeeze ketchup onto a cloth and rub it on pots and pans. They should go back to their coppery color in minutes. Rinse with warm water and dry with a towel.

Use Oatmeal to: Scrub very dirty hands. Make a thick paste of oatmeal and water; rinse well.

Use Rice to: Clean the inside of a vase or a thin-necked bottle. Fill three quarters of the vessel with warm, soapy water and add a tablespoon of uncooked rice. Cup your hand over the opening, shake vigorously, and rinse.

Use Tea to: Scour rusty garden tools. Brew a few pots of strong black tea. When cool, pour into a bucket. Soak the tools for a few hours. Wipe each one with a cloth. (Wear rubber gloves or your hands will be stained.

Use Glycerin to: Remove dried wax drippings from candlesticks. Peel off as much wax as possible, then moisten a cotton ball with glycerin and rub until clean.

Use Cornstarch to: Clean grease spills on carpets. Pour cornstarch onto spots and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes before vacuuming.

Use Rubbing Alcohol to: Erase permanent-marker stains from finished wood floors or solid-surface countertops. Pour rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball and apply.

"Unwind" by Neal Shusterman

My son, Nick loves to read.  (He gets this from me! :-)  It's amazing to see him get so excited about a book and over the past couple of years, I read pretty much everything he reads.  That said, he has been bugging me to read his current favorite, "Unwind" by Neal Shusterman.  Curling up with a highly recommended book seemed the appropriate thing to do yesterday, since I was all grumpy and fat, and bloated.....
\
It was an awesome book!  A very quick read, perfect for a sluggish afternoon!  Here is a review by the NY Times:


"What keeps Unwind moving are the creative and shocking details of Shusterman's kid-mining dystopia. First, there are the Orwellian linguistic tricks. People who have been unwound are not "dead"—they are "in a divided state." Then there are the rules and rituals. Before being unwound, Lev is honored with a lavish "tithing party," which bears a strong resemblance to a bar mitzvah. The most terrifying scene is devoted to the unwinding itself. The author's decision to describe the process is a questionable one—a book's great unknown can leave the strongest impression on a reader—but he executes as precisely as the surgeons who perform the unwinding. Ultimately, though, the power of the novel lies in what it doesn't do: come down explicitly on one side or the other."

INTRODUCTION TO COUPONING

You may want to get another email account and use it specifically for couponing. Your email box will be filled with newsletters, shopping updates etc.. Most email accts are free.

TIME SAVING HINT:

Use Google toolbar *AUTOFILL* button to create your form fill information (name, addy, phone #) and from now on all you have to do is click AutoFill in your menu bar and it will automatically fill in your information so you don't have to type it in each time you have a form to fill.

In the beginning, signing up is tedious, but once you've got the main stuff, it's pretty easy because it all comes to you. I designate time in the morning to cruise through my inbox and Sunday mornings to get my Q's matched up with the weekly sales ads.

I use envelopes for my shopping, each envelope dedicated to a particular store, to hold my savers card, shopping list and Q's. Envelopes labeled and filed in a recipie box, binder, folder, whatever works best for you to put all my "use later Q's"

Ways to get Q's

• Kroger,CVS, Kmart and Ingals all have frequent shopper discount cards. Get them and keep in your designated store envelopes.
• Sign up on your favorite manufacturers websites for emails, special savings.
• Don't forget to look by the sales fliers at the entrance of each store, for in-store coupon booklets (Publix, Rite aid, Walgreens), free mags (most of which have Q's)
• Sunday paper. I have a sub. to the Sunday paper only! PS: Publix runs a "mystery gift" Q for .01/with the purchase of $10.00 or more each Wed. It ONLY is available in the Wed. paper.  I have gotten everything from Ballpark Hot Dogs, 1lb of coffee, tortilla chips, bleach etc. Good deal!
• "Blinkie" machines or in aisles by product. Even if you aren't buying the product now, you might later during a sale.
• Always check each purchase (check your cupboards!) for a "peelie" (coupon peels off front of package) or a coupon inserted in product or inside box....before throwing away.
• Always check your receipts for "RR"s (registar rewards), or Q's
• Friends, Family
• Printable Computer Q's usually allow (if they don't it will say in the fine print of the Q) you to print TWO of each Q. Use your back arrow to reprint after you have printed once. If you have more than one computer in your house you can print two more Q's from each computer. They track the IP address of each computer so as to limit you to 2 printings each.
• Become "fans" on facebook with your favorite manufacturers to get Q's and special orders. Again, you may want to set up a facebook acct specifically for couponing. I just use facebook for keeping up with my son and couponing, so I only have one acct, but it fills up daily.

No Shower, Car Trouble And I'm On My Period.

"Ohhh... OH! Well....yeah. Of course you've had a bad day. Yup, you're on your period!".

OK, I admit that the statement, the tone of voice that implies the statement, or even the THOUGHT of the statement above makes me momentarily cringe and become somewhat rabid cranky. I mean didn't you notice the car trouble...the no shower???

I have come to the conclusion that it's not really "the period" that's so awful, it's the menstrual bad JuJu. The once-a-month visitor that brings tidings of hormonal miscontent. Not Joy. There is no joy. I am a joyless lightening rod for all good things to go sour. I have lost my MoJo. Plus, I have cramps.

With that said, yesterday morning I made the breakfast bake. I figured, good hearty breakfast for the boys before our college adventure. And it was good! I figured that between my son (who would eat the vacuum cleaner if I put it between two slices of bread) and my nephew, Sean (the pickiest eater I know) I would get a fair assessment. It was deemed "good", and devoured. I will definately make this again.



While I cleaned up from breakfast I sent the boys off to shower and get ready.
So far, so good...and right on schedule. My turn for a shower and wait for it......no hot water. What is it about the "no hot water" we don't get? Standing there, cold and naked, with the shower going full blast while you shove your hand in and out repeatedly? Nope, still no hot water. Minutes pass, maybe...no. No hot water. It finally sets in. Now it's decision time...cold shower or cold sponge-bath? Geez, well we are running late now, so no time for a shower anyway. Decision made. Icy sponge-bath it is. Hair won't behave, I feel gross and I'm running late. Bad Menstrual JuJu.

Once in the car, balance is restored. Directions, well-groomed boys, gas, and I even remembered to bring gator-aids for when I got the "Hey, can we stop and buy a coke....I'm thirsty." Mental pat on the back and we are off to the college.

The trip was 37 miles long. Of those 37 miles the last 15 were spent in quiet panic with soaring blood pressure, and a cold-sweat of indecision. My car seems to be stuck in high gear (the screaming whine of the engine heard over the radio is indicating something is amiss). Definately something is WRONG. Wait, lets turn off the radio so we can hear it better. Maybe if I concentrate on the pitch of the screaming I will be able to instantly diagnose the problem and make a decision AS TO WHAT TO DO. "What's that noise, Mom/AuntLinda?" Oh, well guys, that's the sound of lightning striking out at my hormonally charged, dark aura.....never mind. Wait, I notice that as I lift my foot from the accelerator the screaming stops. Completely. Testing it I apply my foot to the gas...instant scream! Scream , scream (playing with it like a tongue with a sore tooth). What does this MEAN? I shift my concentration to take inventory as to where we are exactly (actually...looking for a SIGN to help me decide what to do.....if a Pep Boys appeared...THAT could be a "sign".) My engine scream has settled into a consistant, loud "emergency-vehicle" sound and we are just a mere couple of miles from the college. Decision made. We scream up to the college and (Oh Thank you Lord!) there is one, just one parking space left in this tiny, metered parking lot. I slide my car in, shut the engine off and ask the boys...Do we have change?

10 minutes for a quarter, 4 minutes for a dime and 2 minutes for a nickel! After scouring the boys pockets, the car floor and my purse we have 1 hour and 44 minutes. I can actually feel the bad JuJu gathered around my unwashed head like rainclouds, just waiting to bust loose.

The college tour was blessedly uneventful. The highlights for me were the(very good and strong) coffee and watching my nephew during part of the tour. He was standing off to the side of the group, completely engrossed in finger-combing and flipping around his glorious mane of hair. My sister had previously told me of this phenomenon, but I had never witnessed it before. (It truly is great hair. I envied his glorious, clean hair.)

After the college tour ended, we drove off whined away with 30 min left on the parking meter, and a car waiting for our spot. (My random act of kindness for the day......did I tell you that today was the first day of "Acts of Random Kindness" week? Huh.) See how the days glow has just tarnished away? Just get us home, you stupid car. You piece of junk.

We screamed all the way home, but we were home. And safe. So now we just wait for my husband, fixer of all things broken, to come home and we can figure this out. He test drives it and ...it drives fine. Evil, two-timing hunk of crap. Jim looks at me kindly, searching for just the right words....(no rash movements, here) and states it must be an "intermittant problem".

I'm tired, unvalidated and ...I'm on my period. End of story.