Heads or Tails - Fool

Today it's HEADS - FOOL

 

In my email yesterday I received this Chilling Picture of a man with only seconds to live: 

 

If this doesn't say FOOL, then nothing does.

Now, the question is:  Why are so many men portrayed in the media and entertainment as such fools?   Any thoughts?

 

Don't forget to visit the home of Heads or Tails to see more participants.

This is Going to Look Nice

We bought one ceramic floor tile yesterday. We went to several places looking to see what we like. Who knew there were so many different colors and styles and finishes? I did decide right away that I do not want anything shiny and slick. Of course, I've never liked shiny in much of anything. Back when I was using film cameras and having to get all my pictures printed, I always got the matte finish instead of glossy. For a floor that I plan to walk on, I definitely don't want shiny and especially not slick. Imagine walking on that in socks.

I found a couple different ones I liked, and a good friend of ours who knows about this kind of stuff suggested that we buy one tile, bring it home, step on it, put some water down, etc. - to see how it feels. Is this something I'm going to be comfortable standing and walking on? That sounds obvious, but we didn't think of it on our own. It's going to go in the kitchen, dining room, and front entry - so there's going to be a lot of standing and walking on it. We bought the one tile, and Jeffrey is going to go back and get the other one we kind of liked today. That way we can compare them and decide which one we like better. I'm starting to be able to picture it, and this is really going to look nice.

What Was I Going to Say?

Sometimes I sit down to post something in my blog, I start typing, and I just can't stop. Other times I sit here and wonder what in the world I have to talk about. Tonight is one of those nights. I'm sure there is plenty to say, but I can't think of it. Instead I'm reading other people's blogs - I see Misty is thinking of starting a photography meme that involves animals. Why am I not surprised by that? It does sound fun, doesn't it?

Along with reading blogs, I'm dropping Entrecards. I've found that dropping those cards can get extremely addictive. Not quite drug rehab addictive, but addictive nonetheless. I keep thinking, "I'll just drop one more." And then that one more turns into 5 or 6, 7 or 8. It's really hard to stop. Anyone else having that problem?

Mr. Sticky

Every year when we go to the State Fair, we walk through lots and lots of exhibits with lots and lots of people trying to sell us something. We have bought several different things in the past - from magic color markers for the kids to Oxy Ball laundry detergent balls to some great smelling shoe cleaner. Sometimes we're really pleased with our purchases, and other times we wonder how we got suckered into it. Usually everything costs $19.99 or something like that, and they throw in an extra this, that or the other thing to the first 5 people who buy. I'm sure you know what I mean.

This last summer, since we had just gotten the cat, when we saw the demonstration for Mr. Sticky, we decided this was the product to buy this year. I just want to say that I love Mr. Sticky! We have white cat hair everywhere - on people's clothes (Cory wears a lot of black), on the furniture, everywhere. Mr. Sticky picks it up so nicely. Then, simply run it under warm water, and the cat hair slides right off. Dry Mr. Sticky, and it is ready to pick up more cat hair.

Definitely worth the $24.99 for the regular size Mr. Sticky, the travel size Mr. Sticky, and the extra large jumbo size Mr. Sticky. Just saying - because I just finished cleaning the cat hair off the couch cushion next to me - the one Tillie claims as her own when just the two of us are home so she can be right next to me.

What to Do in Chicago and Elsewhere

In the past several years, we have spent most of our vacations in the Wisconsin Dells. Yes, I know, real far away, but there is plenty to do there, and we're familiar with the area, so we know what to go and do. Plus, we don't have to do everything while we're there because we know we'll be back before long. It's even close enough that we could drive over there for fun, even without being on vacation, for a weekend perhaps.

Chicago isn't very far from here either, and I know there are plenty of things to do in Chicago, but we rarely go that way. I do remember one time Jeffrey and I spent the weekend in Chicago. We met some friends for dinner, and we got there a little before they did, so we decided to get a drink in the bar while we waited. When Jeffrey went to pay for the drinks, he realized he didn't have his wallet! He had left it on the dashboard of the car after having to pay a toll. Then we got to the restaurant, and left the car with the valet for parking. Oops! So, Jeffrey left me in the bar with the drinks while he hitched a ride with one of the valet parking crew to wherever they had parked our car, and back. Luckily, the wallet was still there on the dashboard. He came back. Our friends arrived, and dinner was really good. Afterwards we walked around the streets of Chicago for a while just enjoying the sights.

Our friend lived and worked in the area, so he knew where to eat and what to do, but without someone to help you out with that, it's nice to have help from something like Trusted Tours & Attractions. You get family vacation ideas and discounts on attractions, like these tickets for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, should we ever make it to New York. I hear there are museums in Chicago, too, which I haven't visited. I missed my 8th grade trip to Chicago, and I haven't made it a point to go since.

Right now you can sign up for the Trusted Tours & Attractions newsletter for a chance of winning an IPOD Nano as well as getting plenty of great vacation ideas.

Sky Watch Friday (#16)

It's Friday again, and that means Sky Watch Friday! I love Fridays.

This was taken one morning recently. The sun was coming up on the other side of the house, but looking out back, I noticed the light was really pretty. I really liked the colors of the clouds and that blue sky. The morning light even makes the neighbors' houses look pretty.

If you enjoy looking at the sky as much as I do, you'll want to check out Sky Watch Friday. It's hosted again this week at Wiggers World, so run over there to join in or just to see lots of wonderful sky pictures.

Work, Break and Friends - When Do We Sleep?

Beth just called. She's on her way home from work. She's been working a lot this week, since it's Spring Break and she doesn't have school. She was scheduled to go in at 2pm Monday and Tuesday and then her normal time of 5pm Wednesday and Thursday, but Tuesday they asked her to go ahead and come in at 2:00 on Wednesday and Thursday. So she picked up some extra hours there. Since it takes the same amount of gas no matter how many hours she works, it's good to get as many hours as possible when she does go in.

Anyway, since she's on her way home, I should shut things down and go run some water through my bathroom faucets, wash my face and brush my teeth and get to bed at a decent time. It seems we don't get to bed very early any more since someone is usually waiting for Beth to get home. This working until 10:00 or later and then having to drive home means she's not usually here until 10:30 at the earliest and 10:45 or later most nights this week. Jeffrey's been going off to bed anyway the last several nights. You know he's 4 years older than I am - so he needs more sleep. :P

Cory has his friends from the library over tonight, too, so someone has to stay up until they leave - which will probably be when Beth gets here or soon thereafter. They're all downstairs playing games on the Wii and GameCube. It's nice that he can have them over because he doesn't see them very often. He knows them from the library and TLC, but none of them go to his school. We live right on the edge of the school district, so that, even though they live close, they all go to a different school. At least they have the library.

OK - getting ready for bed. That was the point. Until tomorrow then.

I Hate to See Anything Go to Waste

I noticed a couple visitors from cnn.com today. Curious as I am, I just had to know how they found me, so I clicked and found this page. The title is Extreme recycling: food, furniture, diapers. At first glance, I couldn't figure out what that had to do with me, and how anyone could get from that page to my blog, but I scrolled down and noticed this little 'From the Blogs' thing, so I clicked on it, and there's my blog:


As I read through the article, I saw that it does have a thing or two to do with me. No, I have never recycled diapers, but I did use cloth diapers for both my kids. Come to think of it, that is recycling diapers, isn't it? We still have some of those same diapers around that get used as glasses cleaning cloths, paint rags, and various other things.

I don't believe in pulling food out of the trash, though I do believe that people throw away way too much in this country. Even my own daughter can be extremely wasteful when it comes to food, which bugs me so much. I have gotten all kinds of useful things on trash day - from the glider rocker in my living room to the coffee table in the basement. The first couch Jeffrey and I had when we got married came out of the dumpster. No sense in good furniture going to waste if we can use it, right? The same goes when we need to get rid of something. I'd rather not throw it away if someone else can get some use out of it. I may not classify myself as an extreme recycler, but I really hate to see anything go to waste.

There were several websites listed in this article that are supposed to help people give and find free stuff. I already knew about Craigslist and Freecycle, but there were a couple other ones I'd like to check out.

All that because my blog was on cnn.com today! I'm really not sure how it works, but I still think it's cool.

Most Expensive Hotel Room in the Country

On GMA they're showing us the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City. Get this - $30,000 a night! It's the most expensive hotel room in the country. It does look pretty nice, but that's ridiculous. If I ever want to stay someplace like that, I better get a term life insurance quote or two. You know, so if anything ever happens to Jeffrey I'll have plenty of money. (Just so you know, I'd much rather have him around than any amount of money, but it does make me feel better to know I will have something if anything does happen.)

Really, I think no matter how much money I had, I'd never be able to spend that kind of money on a hotel room, or anything else. Think how many people could be helped with that money. It bothers me to see celebrities go out shopping and spend more money in one day than some people make in an entire year. Yes, if you earn the money, you have the right to do what you want with it, but still, it just seems so irresponsible and selfish. Even a small portion of what they throw away on non-essentials could make a huge difference in someone's life - or a lot of someone's lives.

I'm Reduced to Sniffing the Bag

A couple weeks ago, I received a sample of Joffrey's Jamaican Me Crazy coffee in the mail. Caramel, vanilla and coffee liqueur flavoring. ... Do I even need to say that I drank it all myself, and I didn't share? This stuff is good. Normally I'm really obsessive about throwing the trash away, and when my darling daughter leaves wrappers or other things on the counter, it makes me crazy. But the bag from the coffee is still there on my counter, and sometimes I pick it up and sniff it. Is that weird?

Today I went online to see if I could order some more, and I got a page saying this product couldn't be found. What? Where'd it go? Then I did find it, along with a whole list of coffee choices. They have some coffee flavors I've never heard of, and they all sound so good. Decisions, decisions - there's a chocolate and coconut one, chocolate macadamia nut, cinnamon graham cracker, French silk pie, and more. They also have blends, dark roasts, teas, and organic coffees.

I can't imagine why I want some coffee right now...

Pinching My Pennies

I was talking with someone the other day, and the conversation moved to the cost of living and how the cost of practically everything has gone up recently. She looked at me and said, "You're feeding a family. I can't imagine." The conversation moved on, and we never really had a chance to discuss it, but it got me to thinking. I know food prices have been going up, but am I really spending a lot more than I used to? I don't really think that I am.

Like I've said before, I put a lot of effort into cutting Grocery Coupons and reading the ads so that I can get the best deal possible on everything I buy. When something is on sale and I have coupons, that's when I buy it. That's when I stock up so that I don't run out and have to buy it when it's not on sale. My freezer is full. My pantry is full. Also, a really big thing is that I don't buy a lot of pre-made convenience foods, and I know that saves money. I'm home. I have time to cook, so I don't have to rely on those convenience food, though I know they are life savers for many working moms.

Today I found the Penny Pinching Gazette, and it looks like my kind of site. Here you can print out Free Grocery Coupons, look at online grocery circulars - to combine those coupons savings with the sales, get recipes, and read some helpful articles. With the cost of everything increasing, it's great to have new resources to help save every penny possible.

Win a Modern Steel Necklace

I've entered to win a modern steel necklace from Timothy Adams Designs, and I thought some of you might be interested in this giveaway. Each month for the rest of 2008, there will be 5 winners. All you have to do is enter your name and email, then leave a comment about the necklace you like and want to win. The winner gets to choose one of 10 different styles of necklaces. I really like the organic steel (with the flower) and there are some cute vintage camera necklaces that would be perfect for the photographer we all know and love. (*cough, cough* Misty)

They're all really neat, and it's hard to pick a favorite. I really hope I win. The next drawing is April 25^th so you have plenty of time to enter.

In Home Tutoring Service

Here's another option for students who are struggling in school. Club Z provides Tutoring in the comfort of the student's own home. Club Z tutors are certified professionals with a passion for teaching. The combination of individualized one-on-one attention and a secure learning environment works together to help struggling students get back on track. It's also more convenient for the parents because they don't have to drive students to tutoring sessions, and the schedule is very flexible, with sessions available mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekends, during the summer, whenever is convenient for the family. Tutoring is available for students in PreK through 12th grade and adults too.

What a Mess!

...or... a watched mug never boils, but turn your back, and it goes everywhere!

I have this habit of making hot cocoa out of my coffee. If I drink part of my coffee but it gets cold, I do not like the way it tastes when I warm it up - unless I add some hot cocoa to it. Yum, mocha! Well, usually I warm the coffee up, add the cocoa mix, stir it up, and then warm it up some more, and then add the marshmallows. I usually keep an eye on it, but there's never any problem. It just warms up nicely and gets kind of foamy.

Today, while I was warming it up, I came over to the computer to check on something. While I wasn't watching, the cocoa boiled over and spilled all over the microwave. Luckily I have the turntable that is easy to take out and rinse off. The mug is a mess, and ended up only half full. It tastes pretty good, though - more like dark chocolate than the usual milk chocolate flavor.

Oh, and I blame Cory for getting me hooked on this hot cocoa thing. We buy the big cans of it at Sam's, and he goes through it like crazy.

No More Waiting in Line at the Post Office

I'm on our local library board, and one of the things we do every month is go through the expenses, approve the financial report, and accept the checks. There for a while it seemed that every month several small checks for postage came through. It's not that we don't know or agree that the library always has something that needs mailed, but it seemed like a waste of our Library Director's valuable time to have to run to the Post Office just to purchase the stamps needed for that day.

Now I think she buys a good supply of stamps at once and keeps them on hand for when they are needed. If the library got a Dymo LabelWriter 400 Turbo, she could save even more time. It comes with the DYMO Stamps^® software, which makes it simple to print the new "shape-based" USPS®-approved postage in about a second – for envelopes, small packages, Flat-Rate Priority Mail^®, Express Mail^® and International Mail. There's no monthly fee, just the cost of the postage used.

Not only can the Dymo LabelWriter 400 Turbo print the online stamps, or postage labels, it can also print the mailing labels, so no one will ever have to hand address an envelope. I, for one, end up throwing away too many envelopes because I mess up when I'm addressing them. (I think they have to be perfect, of course) Maybe the people who work at the library have better handwriting than I do, but still, simply printing a label to stick on the envelope could save envelopes and time. The labels can also be ordered pre-printed with a logo, so it could be great advertising every time anything is mailed.

By itself or in conjunction with the Dymo postage scale, this label writer would be ideal for not just our library, but any small business. If you send mail through the USPS, visit Dymo's site to see what they can offer you.

Wordless Wednesday #5 - Addiction

Check out more Wordless Wednesday here

< /wordless >

This was Cory's latest entry into a contest on his Bionicle forum. He didn't win, but he did come in 6th out of 99 entries, so that's not too bad. If you're interested, you can see the rest of the pictures - various angles and detail of the desk and room. The figure is supposed to be a skeleton who sat at his computer (blogging?) for so long that he wasted away to nothing but bones.

Take Me to the Rodeo

Jeffrey wants to go to Las Vegas someday. I haven't been real encouraging because it just doesn't excite me, probably because I think of Vegas, and I think of casinos. Yes, I know people get into gambling, and there's the excitement of winning, right? I guess I'm just too practical or pessimistic or something, because I know the House is always going to win. So, if all there is to Vegas is gambling and casinos, then I'm not at all interested.

I have been doing a little Vegas research, and I realize my perceptions of Las Vegas aren't really true. There are so many other things to do. I bet you could even go to Vegas, never even set foot in a casino, and still have a good time. Of course, Jeffrey would have to try his hand at Texas Hold 'Em, so he'd want to visit a casino or two, at least once.

Something I'd be interested in seeing is the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, held this year December 4-13. Now there's something that actually has winners. Back in 1984 Las Vegas Events (LVE) guaranteed the rodeo a prize fund of $1.8 million to the cowboys and $700,000 to the contractors to get them to move the rodeo finals from Oklahoma to Las Vegas. I'm sure that prize fund has increased over the two decades the rodeo has been held in Las Vegas.

When I was much much younger and my family still lived in California, we went to a rodeo and had a great time. I don't remember much about it except for the excitement and the horses. I was always crazy about horses. We knew a couple girls who had quarter horses and participated in barrel racing, though I don't know that they rode in that particular rodeo. Still, it made it more interesting. Since then I've only watched some rodeo on TV. I'm thinking that, if some small little rodeo was exciting enough that I remember being there all these years later, imagine how much better the National Finals would be. If Jeffrey said we'd get WNFR Tickets, I just might be talked into going to Vegas. December is a good time to get away from Wisconsin.

Starting Over

I get used to having all kinds of information in my browser. When I start to type in a url that I visit frequently, my browser knows what I want or at least suggests a list of several that start with that letter, narrowing it down the more letters I type in. I never have to type the whole url in. I just use the arrow key to move down to the one I like, hit enter, and away I go.

Recently I installed Norton Systemworks on my computer. Not only does it include the antivirus program, which is very important, it has all kinds of other stuff utilities to make my computer work better. One of those very helpful things deletes all my temporary internet files and means I have to start over with my browser - training it to help me visit all the places I regularly visit. By the time I have it all trained again, Norton wants to help me out all over again.

Here's one of those sites I've been using regularly but haven't bookmarked: a script @ OBLife.com that lists the latest bloggers who have dropped their Entrecard on you. I had to go find the post where I first mentioned it in order to find it again. I'm really liking this script. It gives me a list of the last 50 bloggers who have dropped on me. The links all go directly to the blog (one click) and they open in a new window or tab, so ideally you can click, drop, close the tab, and move on to the next one. Except that I click, drop, read, scroll... and sometimes even comment. So much for saving time... LOL!

Custom Wedding Invitations

When Jeffrey and I got married I really had no clue how to plan a wedding or even what I was supposed to want. I know lots of young girls grow up planning their weddings and have all kinds of dreams and plans. Not me. I didn't even know where to start. On the plus side, that meant there were things I didn't know I was supposed to want or have, so I didn't have them and, therefore, did not have to pay for them. On the negative side, every decision was stressful because I didn't know what I should want or have. But then again, I've heard the whole wedding planning thing can be seriously stressful anyway.

We did have the usual wedding basics like invitations, flowers, cake, punch and napkins. I remember we had to have the napkins reprinted because they were wrong. The wedding invitations turned out nicely, though back then we had to go to a shop of some kind, look through books of invitations, choose one, choose what it would say, etc. We chose "This day I will marry my friend, the one I laugh with, live for, dream with, Love."

Now brides can simply go online and choose from many 1st Class Wedding Invitations like this one I really like - though there's one with a motorcycle I bet Jeffrey would like. It's really easy to choose one you like and then fully customize it by adding personal wedding info, choosing a verse and then being able to fully customize that, choosing the font and font color, and other options. I don't see the same verse we used for our invitations, but it is really easy to insert whatever you want. The whole process is quick and easy, and invitations ordered today can be shipped by Friday. I haven't priced invitations in years, but these prices look pretty reasonable.

One of these days Beth is going to decide she wants to get married. A big dream wedding isn't something she's talked about, so I guess we'll see what she decides. At least she'll be able to choose from some Contemporary Wedding Invitations and get that part of the planning taken care of easily.

They Don't Believe Me

Since Beth brought this cat home, it seems like she's never home.  Whether it's work, school, or the fact that she thinks staying home will kill her or something, she's always gone.  Then, when she does get home, she expects to grab Tillie and head off to bed.  Now that she's leaving the door cracked at night so the cat can get out to the litter box, she often ends up sleeping elsewhere.  I don't think Tillie knows she's supposed to be Beth's cat.

I think Tillie thinks she's my cat.  Yes, I know, I'm the one who didn't want a cat.  However, I'm the one who is home with her all day, and she thinks it's her right to be on my lap or to have me pet her any time she wants.  When I tell Jeffrey and Cory how she acts, how she climbs into my lap or spends the day on the couch right next to me when I'm there, or waiting for me to come back when I'm not, I don't think they believe me.  She certainly doesn't act like that when anyone else is home, so I guess I can understand why they wouldn't believe me.

I think she does it on purpose.  The kids are on break, so Beth was home until 1:30 and Cory was home all day yesterday.  Tillie spent her day in 'her' chair, in between being picked up and held by Cory and sitting by the back door watching whatever was going on outside.  Today she spent the same way - until Beth left for work and I got back from taking Cory to the library.  As soon as I got back, Tillie got up off 'her' chair and came over to lay on the couch.  She's sleeping right next to me now.  (The picture is from another day.  Today she's stretched out on her side sleeping right there.)

Silly cat.  She really does crack me up.

Choosing a Digital Photo Frame

A while back I mentioned that I was thinking about getting a digital photo frame because all my pictures are digital now and I rarely print any out to put in frames, photo albums, or anything. I got a couple comments saying that while these frames look nice, they cost quite a bit. True, and as cheap as I am, I will definitely be doing my research before I finally break down and buy one.

I found some video reviews of digital photo frames at digital frames direct that might be quite helpful in helping me choose. I already learned that there are 5 important things to consider: the look, screen quality, display options, storage capacity, and whether or not you can send photos to the frame remotely. Did you know that some of these frames have timers so you can set what time they turn on or turn off, or light sensors so that they turn off when the lights go off? While price is a big consideration for me, I know it's also about what you get for the price, so I've still got some looking to do.

Heads or Tails - Surprise

Paden's First Ice Cream Cone
Originally uploaded by krissypants.

Today it's HEADS - Surprise!

Here are a few quotes about surprise I liked:

“Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.”
- Boris Pasternak

“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his greatest surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't”
- Henry Ford

“Love is like swallowing hot chocolate before it has cooled off. It takes you by surprise at first, but keeps you warm for a long time.”

“When science finally locates the center of the universe, some people will be surprised to learn they're not it.”
- Bernard Bailey

“I doubt whether the world holds for anyone a more soul-stirring surprise than the first adventure with ice cream”
- Heywood C. Broun

Quotes from Thinkexist.com

Don't forget to visit the home of Heads or Tails to see more participants.

ETA: The center of the universe one is my favorite, too. It reminds me of someone I know.

I'm Sorry They Made Some Bad Decisions, But...

We were just talking this weekend about some of the improvements we'd like to make on our house. Unless there's a really good reason, like moving for a job, we see no reason to move. Instead, we'll just stay here and make some improvements here and there, like adding a patio and pergola out back, replacing the carpeting with ceramic tile and/or hardwood, and maybe even eventually adding a fireplace. We like our house.

Sometimes I wonder if we're the exception to the norm because, even around here, houses are constantly on the market. Sometimes people really are moving away and have to sell. Sometimes they just want to move to a bigger and better house. I think that's part of the problem with the mortgage industry now. People were taking out loans they really couldn't afford, except that the interest rate was so low at the time that, if they really stretched, they could afford the payments. When the interest rates went up and the payments on their adjustable rate mortgages went up, suddenly they couldn't afford that bigger, better house any more. It may be simple to get quotes for Mortgages, but buyers still need to make smart decisions.

Now we keep hearing people wanting someone to help, wanting the government to bail them out. If the government does decide to help these people out, I can't help but think that some of that is my money going to help these people out. Not that I'm against giving. I just don't think it's right to penalize the people who have been responsible and not gotten themselves into trouble by making them help pay to bail out those who have.

Cory's New Addiction

A while back I entered Elizabeth's contest to win a year's supply of Orville Redenbacher Natural popcorn. I didn't win, but I've been wanting to try that popcorn, and I finally bought some last week. I went with the salt and cracked pepper flavor. It comes in a perfect snack-sized bag, and Cory decided to try it yesterday. He fell in love with it and popped another bag later on in the day. He did share with me, and I have to say that I really like this popcorn, too. It has a really good flavor, and the pepper just adds to it.

Cory had to pop another bag today - this time he didn't share! I am going to have to pop my own so he doesn't end up eating all of it.

Orville Redenbacher's Products: All Natural via kwout

Cooking Barbecue Ribs in a Blizzard

I made barbecued ribs for dinner Friday. It had been a while since I made them, so I was online looking to see how I was supposed to cook them without having to take the grill cover off the grill, and I found a page titled, "Cooking barbecue ribs in a blizzard." I thought that was pretty appropriate since it was snowing rather heavily all day, though I didn't follow that recipe. I think we got 9 or 10 inches of snow throughout the day. What a great way to welcome Spring, huh? A blizzard and some barbecue. I ended up baking the ribs until done with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and some onion, and then smothering them with barbecue sauce and baking them again. They were fall apart yummy and messy!

I thought about warming up the leftovers - it was a big package - today, but instead we're having hot dogs. Jeffrey looked at the package and decided I was trying to mess his diet up - because the hot dogs have too many calories and too much fat. I agree, they do probably have too many calories, but it's not like we have them all the time. They're really easy for a Sunday. Those ribs probably had more calories and fat, because they were really greasy, but there was no package to tell him that.

I did remember to cook the dogs on the George Foreman grill this time. I used to cook hot dogs in the microwave, and they're OK, but since we got the George Foreman grill, no one wants them cooked in the microwave any more. They never used to complain, but Cory for one complains loudly now. I know because last time we had hot dogs, I forgot I had the George Foreman, and I cooked the dogs in the microwave.

Speaking of complaining, I should probably complain because Cory got hold of the remote and turned on some disturbing TV show. What is that show called? Family Guy - disturbing, but Cory thinks it's funny.

Hi, Philadelphia

How about that? If you Google "beth in leather pants" my blog comes up #1. I wonder if the searcher noticed that it wasn't Beth in those leather pants. It was me, Beth's mom. Just interesting. I love that Feedjit widget!

Also, if you Google "beth and cory's mom" or "beth and corys mom" my blog and all kinds of other stuff about me comes up. That I would expect. Not saying there isn't some other mom out there who just happens to be Beth & Cory's mom - some other Beth and Cory, of course - but I'm the only one I know. So, really, it doesn't surprise me that someone searching for "beth and cory's mom" would find me. What does surprise me is that I regularly see that I have a visitor from Philadelphia who finds me through Google, using that very search. After several visits I started wondering why my Philadelphia visitor didn't simply bookmark my blog or subscribe instead of having to search every time. Then I started noticing that, while "beth and cory's mom" is the top keyword listed in Google Analytics, and "beth and corys mom" is the 2nd, the visitors who find me using those terms do not stay for any length of time. For a while there, the time spent on the site was 0, and my bounce rate was 100% - meaning that Philadelphia is searching for me, finding me, and then bouncing right out of there. Perhaps there's another Beth and Cory's mom in Philadelphia, and I don't have just one visitor from Philadelphia, but multiple visitors?

It does puzzle me, but maybe I'm growing on Philadelphia, because tonight I noticed that the time spent on the site has increased, and visitors looking for "beth and cory's mom" are staying for over a minute. So, if you're out there - Hi, Philadelphia! Nice to have you here.

Cory Needs New Boots

Cory was complaining this afternoon when he came in from shoveling the driveway. His boots gave him a blister, and it's all my fault because I've known all winter that his boots were too small, and I haven't gotten him a new pair yet. Never mind that I'm not responsible for buying his clothes any more. That's why we give him money every month. Never mind that I'm not actually in a store much more than he is, so he should have looked for and bought his own boots. Besides, with those growing feet of his, how in the world would I have known what size to buy him?

I did look at boots when I went to Walmart yesterday. They had 3 pair I thought might work, but I didn't know which size to go for. I guess we'll have to make a trip to look for boots - together - and hope there will be some left. It's kind of frustrating that all the summer clothes are in the stores, and winter hasn't left us, yet.

Oh, and by the way, I didn't buy him any equestrian clothing either. Never mind that he didn't need any of that.

Pasta Giveaway

We love pasta in our house. When I make spaghetti for dinner, my son tells me he loves me. Of course, he tells me he loves me all the time, but spaghetti really makes him happy.

What's even better than a teenage son who loves his mom? Well, not much actually, but coming in close would be being able to feed him pasta that is healthier for him. After all, he is a growing boy - and his father is trying to de-grow (grow smaller?) so I'd like to feed him healthier, too. Ronzoni now makes pasta that is healthier, and they sent Elizabeth @ MomCooks some to try and some to give away. Four lucky winners are going to win 3 boxes of Ronzoni SmartTaste and 3 boxes of Ronzoni Healthy Harvest to try for themselves.

I'd love to win, and if this sounds like something you'd like to try for your family, head on over to MomCooks to read the rules and see how you can enter. You Canadians are eligible, too.

A Cure for the Common Crud

I think we've all been a part of the viral film revolution. You know what I mean, videos spreading from web user to web user, being forwarded in emails and posted in blogs, spreading through the web like a virus. If people like it, it's everywhere, and if they don't, it dies a painful death fades away.

Vanksen | Culture-buzz and BEFILM The Underground Film Festival, in association with Dailymotion.com, will hold a special "Viral Screening and Party" on April 28, 2008. Space is limited for this Viral Film Festival, so register now if you'd like to attend.

They are also calling for video submissions, so if you think you have the best and most creative video the web has to offer, your video could be included. All videos must be less than 30 minutes in length, and the deadline is March 29.

Quick Thinker

I got this email from my mom yesterday. I just can't help myself. It's too funny, I have to share:

I took my dad to the mall the other day to buy some new shoes. We decided to grab a bite at the food court and I noticed he was watching a teenager sitting next to him. The teenager had spiked hair in all different colors: green, red, orange, and blue.
My dad kept staring at him. The teenager would look and find him staring every time. When the teenager had enough, he sarcastically asked, "What's the matter
old man, never done anything wild in your life?"
Knowing my Dad, I quickly swallowed my food so that I would not choke on his response; knowing he would have a good one. And in classic style he did not bat an eye in his response.
"Got drunk once and had sex with a peacock. I was just wondering if you were my son."

*grin* - I was so obviously tickled by this, that both Jeffrey and Cory had to know what was so funny. So Cory read it, burst out laughing, and then volunteered to read it to his dad. He liked it, too.

Education and Experience

Because we've got two kids in high school, we are constantly getting letters and information from various colleges and universities. There are so many! How do students even begin to choose? I guess that's why they send so much information.

Today I read about a very interesting and unique opportunity offered by Kettering University. Students not only receive a quality classroom education at Kettering, they also get hands-on education and experience through Kettering's engineering co-op programs. Students are placed with companies in their freshman year, and work and study year around, in alternating 3-month periods. No waiting until graduation to put what they are learning in the classroom to practical use. I also like the idea that the students are getting work experience while in college, instead of waiting for graduation, looking for a job, and being told they have 'no experience'. Kettering students gain up to two and a half years of 'real world' experience by graduation.

U.S. News & World Report publishes their America's Best Colleges Guide every year, and Kettering has ranked #1 in industrial engineering ( Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering to be exact) for 8 years in a row. That speaks very highly of their program. They also came in at #11 overall in the Best Program category.

I'm going to have Cory take a look at Kettering to see what he thinks. Michigan isn't so far away, is it?

Sky Watch Friday (#15)

It's Friday again, and that means Sky Watch Friday!

I didn't really get out and take any pictures this week.  Shhh, don't tell anyone!  I started going through pictures on my computer, in the folder labeled 'clouds' and I found this one.  I like it, so I thought I'd share this one with you this week.

 

If you enjoy looking at the sky as much as I do, you'll want to check out Sky Watch Friday. It's hosted again this week at Wiggers World, so run over there to join in or just to see lots of wonderful sky pictures.

Ready for the Snow

Shopping today. It always takes me a while to get out of the house because I have to go through the ads and make sure I have all the coupons. I thought I was doing pretty good when my friend Mary called, and when we get on the phone, we don't get off quickly. We work together every year on the school district wall calendar, and this will be our last year. Actually we were thinking last year would be our last, but we've agreed to do it one more time. After that, the district will either go without or have to find someone else to do it. I can't remember if this is the 5th or 6th year. I know Mary did it one year before I got involved, but she's moving away from the area, and I know the project would never get done without everything she does. So, I said I'm not doing it without her. Besides, it's a lot of work.

Anyway, I got out of the house, finally, and went over to Walmart, where I had to get new tires put on the van while I was shopping. Once I got that done, I still had to go to Walgreens and Pick 'n Save, so Cory was definitely already home by the time I got here. Actually, he was already home by the time I left Walmart, because I called him then to see how he was getting along. Beth was home, too, but she had to leave for work way before I got there. Jeffrey was home, too - so both Jeffrey and Cory helped me carry everything in. That's always nice. I mean, I picked it up, paid for it, and loaded it into the van - the least they can do is help me carry it in, right? Then, of course, I had to get everything put away - and after all that, I'm not going shopping again for a very long time!

It's supposed to snow tonight. They keep changing the forecasted amount, so who knows how much we'll actually get. I've heard up to a foot. We already know there's no school tomorrow since they're already out for Spring Break, and we're all stocked up and could be snowed in for a month or so! Of course, it's already Spring, so no matter how much snow actually falls, it's bound to melt rather quickly so we can get on with our lives. Still, with the work I should start doing on the calendar, I might as well be snowed in, since I won't actually have time to go anywhere for a while.

About theFiremen

I found it. It was one of my friends on LiveJournal who mentioned one of the signs of Spring being the firemen starting to jog in their shorts again. Of course, she lives a bit further south, so she's going to be seeing Spring a little sooner than we are here. I'm not quite desperate enough to start looking for Branson hotels in the hopes that Missouri is far enough south for Spring to be arriving. It might happen, though. You never know.

And speaking of my dear LiveJournal friend - I hope this Spring's weather is much kinder to her and to her family than last Spring's.

Spring Has Sprung

To celebrate the first day of Spring, I removed the adorable snowmen from my blog and put them away until next winter. Of course, since I live in Wisconsin, I'm probably being overly optimistic. They're calling for snow Friday night I think. Oh well, I refuse to dwell on that. I want to start looking for signs of Spring, so I replaced the snowmen with some flowers.

I read on someone's blog today (Sorry, I forget where I was) that one of the signs of Spring is that the firemen are jogging in shorts again. Sounds good to me! I did see someone running down the street in shorts yesterday. I don't think he was a fireman, but I'll take it as a sign anyway.

Since I'll be waiting a while on the real flowers, I think this Flower Garden is fun. Just click anywhere on the screen and see what happens.

5th Annual Dark Sky Festival

Whenever we're out driving on a clear night, I can't help but look out at the stars. Luckily, we don't live near a big city, so we can actually see the stars, especially on a dark road between towns. Unfortunately, there are a