This makes me smile

There is nothing better in my eyes, than a smile. It could be from a friend, a child, a stranger or just a :O) and my day will be complete. Whenever I hear this song, I smile, because the words are so true. I just found this vid on YouTube, I have blogged about this song before, but never saw the vid. So I wanted to give everyone a smile for the day. Hope you enjoy as I did, and of course smile!

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Get me outta here!

Tractor plow almost swooping up Italian Stallion # 2

Just keep piling up the snow

Piles and Piles

The crew in action? Then why are they all standing around?
(this pic cracks me up)

Each winter you truly forget how debilitating a snow storm or blizzard can be. I guess you actually want to forget it, because it causes so much grief. It sometimes seems your outside surroundings come to a complete stop as the snowflakes fall. This winter NJ has been hit with so much snow that our state is over their normal budget for snow removal. I have never been so tired of snow as I am right now. I have decided for today, to take a chill pill, and enjoy the site of it, cause if you can't beat it why fight it..

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We didn’t know we were poor...

By Mary

My parents are 1st generation Americans. Their parents were from Mexico. I am sad that I don’t know much about my Great Grandparents. I have asked, but from what I gather records were not kept well where they came from. I only have two of my Father’s sisters left. All of my Mother’s Brother’s and one sister are gone. Growing up I had no idea I would value this information. I know my parents had a hard life growing up. I’m not sure I could have taken all that was thrown at them. They were both subjected to prejudices of all kind, but persevered. They raised 7 of us to see no color lines and too give as good as we got. They didn’t have much, so they didn’t leave much which is fine with me. I am proud that they were so charitable to those less fortunate. They would give their last dollar to anyone that asked.

My husband was raised in a one room two story cabin. His Father died very young of an aneurysm from a fall while trapping beaver, fox etc. He left 5 sons and 2 daughters. My hubby was 17 months old when he died and had a younger brother. They younger brother was eventually adopted by an Uncle. Life was very hard for them in the Michigan Upper Peninsula. His Mother moved to Lower Michigan to look for work. She worked at a clothing shop until cancer took her when hubby was 17. All 7 grew up to be fine hard working adults. Here in lies the differences in our families… They all are tighter than tight! They don’t give or do for others anymore than they have to. An example is my hubby, our snow plow was down for repairs this week so our driveway was impassible. Our neighbor cleared us out without our even asking. My Hubby will plow our drive, & not even notice that our neighbor across the road is drifted shut! I will say something to him and he just shrugs his shoulders. It just doesn’t occur to him that others could use the help! The same thing when he mows. I sometimes shame him into helping lol! There are many others, but my point is how two families basically grew up in the same type of back ground but turned out so different.

Of course the upside is that they are all living very comfortable lives and will no doubt leave a bit of dough lol!

I am curious about your partners and the way they were raised, how it affects your relationships/lives.

All In A Day's Work

by Bonachichi

This blog is mostly for Tina, because she likes the car stuff. Sometimes I pick up a consulting job that requires some sort of qualification or certification. The road rallies I used to do had that requirement. I don't know who or what put the requirement in place, but in order to work the job, we all had to prove we could drive if needed. Whether that was our primary function or not. Here's one year of qualifying, which spanned two days for all of us. I am happy to say that I did qualify. Barely, but I did it. Has anyone else ever found themselves doing something totally NOT what you thought you'd be doing for your job?

~ Shattered Dreams ~

by Tina~in_ut

When I worked in Customer Service, I was never able to take advantage of special opportunities at work. An email would come out asking for volunteers for this or that, and anyone working in my department wasn't eligible because we were short staffed and needed on the phones.

Last week, an email came out asking for volunteers to go to Japan to help with training. I was surprised to find that my new department was included, especially since there are only 10 of us. I immediately put in for the job. It begins March 1st and goes thru June 4th. Each person chosen wouldn't stay the entire time, but would have to commit to at least two weeks. I really didn't think I would be chosen to go, but it has been fun dreaming about it this past weekend.

Yesterday, I ran into a Lead and a Manager. We started talking about the Japan assignment and they told me that so far, 50 people had expressed interest in the positions from our office alone. They were already weeding out people who definitely were not competitive and wouldn't be picked to go. Both ladies were very complimentary and told me, "Be careful what you wish for!" It gave me hope and a spring in my step.

Today, when I got to work, my dream was shattered. I had two emails waiting for me. It had been decided, upon further review, that the two new departments were not eligible for the assignment because of "operational needs." I was so stinking bummed! No....that's not right.....I was pissed!!!! Just ask Janice! I kept seeing her duck when I turned her way. It's one thing to be told that you didn't get the job because there are other people more qualified, but to be told that you were able to apply for the job, and then not.....after a freaking week......ugh!!!! So what did I do to get outta my funk? I did what any red blooded American would do! I emailed DeeDee to tell her my whoa's and here is her reply:

well it's my fault.......I had a plan for you to cinch being picked but I just figured you were a shoe-in......don't worry darlin'.....we'll get you a big ol' bowl of rice.....put you in a REALLY small room and give you a pair of chopsticks....it'll be just like being there....just without the fishy smell!!!

There was more to the note, but just that one paragraph had me laughing and made me feel so much better~ DeeDee, you're priceless~

Just some thoughts

I cannot get into the Olympics this year. I am not sure if it's my mood or I just find it boring. I have been looking forward to them for sometime now, and now that they are here, I find myself switching channels. I have also come to the conclusion that I like the Summer Olympics better. I think the events of the summer Olympics grab my interest more than the Winter Olympics. I do like figure skating tho, which I think starts the end of this week. So hopefully I will want to watch.

On a completely different subject. I must get something off my mind.

Tiger Woods! Oh my dear glory be, what is up will all the apologies? We all know by now he cheated on his wife several times. But in my humble opinion, that is between him and his wife. I know there is a certain image he must maintain to keep his endorsements for his level of play, but in this crazy world of money, another apology is not going to make a difference. He will certainly get his endorsements back and the support of his fans. President Clinton did, so why should Tiger be any different.

During his latest apology, he looked like a beaten man, and yes I am sure he feels so. His "speech" was well rehearsed and not from the heart. It was something he felt (or his people) he had to do to keep his image. If it were up to me, I would have told him enough with the apologies, work on your marriage and move on. The money, the image, the play is not going anywhere. Many men in his financial situation do the same exact thing, some get caught, and others don't, but most rebound. This is how our money world works. Sad but true.

So Enough, Please!

When I think back on all the high profile celebs, athletes etc., the only one that I can truly say that did not rebound was OJ Simpson. Simple fact, he murdered his wife as well as Ron Goldman and got away with it. He was never able to make money off himself again. It did come back to him tho, as he sits (and hopefully rots) in jail for a unrelated crime, all because he thought he was invincible.

The Simple Things

by Bonachichi

I had a really good day today. Nothing spectacular happened. It was one of those days where everything just falls into place. I had a meeting scheduled with a new partner. His name's Jerry and before today, I'd never even seen him. The way he described himself, I was looking for Alfred Hitchcock. I was to meet him at Starbucks and as usual, I was early. I sat down and popped open my laptop. There were some people talking nearby, but I was doing whatever I do.

I kept looking up from time to time, searching for Alfred. A lady asked me if I was meeting someone and I told her I was a consultant, meeting another consultant. It is one of the unchangeable laws of the universe that if you tell people you're a computer person, they'll ask for advice. I don't mind it. It keeps me on my toes. Her son had something wrong with his laptop. I knew it was a virus and told her to call him and have him bring his machine to Starbucks.

Then I went looking for Alfred. I mean Jerry. He was in the parking lot, leaning against his car. For the record, he doesn't look anything like Alfred Hitchcock. I told him I'd met a woman who needed some help and maybe we could work together and get a feel for each other.

I can't even describe the ease with which we worked together. We'd just met, but were on the same page. Jerry doesn't write computer software. The only thing he does is remove viruses and spyware, a booming business. And he is a master. I could have gotten the job done, but it would have taken me longer and I'd not have had the confidence he did.

After the woman and her son thanked us, Jerry told me he'd love to partner with me. Apparently the ease I felt with him was mutual. This all started as a shot in the dark. A phone call to some unknown person. Everything fell into place and I've now got someone to navigate this technology jungle with. I've been on my own for a long time and I'm so thrilled to have someone on my team. Sometimes it's just the little things in life that are most satisfying.

What are some of the little things in your life that really make your day?

Hearts Don’t Break Even & the Shards Can Cut Those Around Us

by Bebbi

A couple of weeks ago my son broke it off with his girlfriend of 4 ½ years. This has been especially hard on me. Her parents are both dead and she came over every weekend and stayed with us. I have grown quite attached!

When my hubby texted me that it happened, it was quite a surprise. We had just gone out on Saturday for my son’s birthday and everything seemed fine.

To me, their relationship never seemed “hard”. It was a good match, they got along well and really care about each other. A lot of their friends said they were their “favorite couple”. I always felt a lot of pride in them because there relationship was so good.

I can understand my son’s life is his life. I can get through this, it just makes me really sad when something that seems so right has to be broken apart. I do think my son makes very good decisions and he understands the importance of being 100% sure of things in his life. This young man has an exceptional mind and heart. I am very proud of him.

Also, she is quite awesome. She works hard in school and has to deal with so much in her life. She has a good attitude and will always do well. I want her to know that I love her and miss her. She will always have a place in my heart.

The first week after it happened I would randomly start crying. I would check their Facebooks to see how they were holding up. I wanted to reach out to both of them but didn’t feel like it was my place. I did put some quotes up on my wall, hoping they would look but they probably didn’t..LOL. She was coming over this past weekend to get her stuff but I missed her because we were still coming back from Florida.

Have any of you had to deal with growing attached to someone and then losing them because of this type of situation? How did you handle it? Do you still have relationships with any of your children’s previous girlfriends or boyfriends?




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Jeremy Lusk 1984 - 2009

by Bonachichi

I've just returned from Costa Rica. I wanted to write about my reason for going there last December, but I'd been feeling judged and didn't want another firestorm before an emotional journey. A group of us went to honor a wonderful young athlete whose life ended too soon. I'd met Jeremy only once, just 2 days before he had the accident that ultimately killed him. He was unremarkable to me, a little rough around the edges. I meet a lot of 20-somethings like that. I can never forget him though, because I saw the jump that killed him. I see a lot of these guys fall from staggering heights and lay limp for a few seconds that seem like minutes. They always get up, give the thumbs-up signal, and almost always leave the field under their own power. Not Jeremy, though. I knew it was bad. Everyone knew it was bad. I didn't like or dislike him. I didn't know him. But he was part of my world. One of us. A fallen soldier, doing what he loved. It was only right that we gathered to salute his memory. In 10 years, nobody will remember this young man. Life moves on, woulds heal. I just feel that he deserves one last pat on the back for being a master at his craft. Rest in peace, Jeremy Lusk.

Pre-Cruise Follies

by Dianne

I thought I would write a "before and after" cruise blog. First, it might have something interesting or funny (might, I said), and second...hey, it's a blog..right?

To set the stage for this, my husband and I have been on two cruises, both with Holland America. One was to Alaska and the other to Canada and along the coast. I prefer cold weather vacations as I really do not like to be hot.

The cruise we are taking next week is to the Mexican Riviera on Royal Caribbean. We wanted to try a different ship and area. Now...if my husband had more time off we would be going to the Antarctic in the summer, but he teaches year round. Next week is his Spring break so that is why we chose now to go.

We got a veranda this time and I am excited about that for hanging out in the late AM and having room service. I am hoping the temperatures we are seeing now will not have a 100% humidity attached to them, or you will find me never leaving the ship. We also wanted to plan a couple of land tours. We have done this before .....bus/van tours of the city, other sightseeing, train rides, local shows for the culture, etc. My husband printed 49 pages for me to pick out some tours. Hmmmmm, let's see-----do we want to horseback ride along the beach, zip line through the jungle, scuba in the deep waters (they will give us a certificate after an hour in the pool), take four hour walks through towns and churches, dune buggy across the beach, or bungy jump---I wonder how I will ever make a decision. I check with Mr D and he doesn't care and wants me to decide. Well, there is a two hour whale watching cruise that sounded fun and another boat trip...check. Those are all in one port so now, what about the other two stops?

After much thought I have made some executive decisions and they are as follow: 1) if it is too friggin' hot, I will go and lay on the ice in the ice arena aboard ship 2) best tour (designed it myself) go the dining room for a great dinner, entertainment show after dinner, and then head to the piano bar (and I don't need a certificate for that)!!!!

Part 2 will follow after the first of March----------------------

How far have we come, or have we?

by Lynnd

I watched this on another blog this morning because I missed it last night. Sometimes I watch but the last few days I have been so tired that I could not take any more bickering and arguing, and then this special comment punctured my weariness and had me riveted. It was a concise and caring argument about how far our country has come and yet the lingering effects of societal issues are still there today rearing its ugly head. There are some who play these differences like a fine violin to further their prejudices, to make them feel better.

I always wonder about the human race. Why do so many of us feel we have to make ourselves feel better by excluding others? We make them different and scary, we make the choice to not look beyond the surface and see that there are real people, individuals in that group we have lumped into a stereotype. When do we confront the fears and really look at ourselves and ask why am I doing this?

So I am asking everyone here to set aside preconceived notions and watch this. Listen to the words and the meaning of them, don’t be distracted by who is delivering it. There is a very good point even if you don’t like the messenger. What are we afraid of?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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~ The Daytona 500 ~

by Tina~in_ut

Lol~ watch the first one (you'll have to pause the second one!) THEN watch the second one~


The Daytona 500 was so much fun to watch this year. You never know who's going to win because they all run so close together at this track. There was a break in the action this time because of a crack in the asphalt caused by all the rain they had. The pothole was causing damage to some of the cars (Jimmie Johnson). The race was red flagged twice for a total of about 2 hours so they could fix it. Both times I prayed that the race would re-start because I didn't want the guy in first to be declared the winner. They weren't my favorites. In the end, the race went into overtime and Jamie McMurray won. That boy is such a cutie and I was so excited to see him win. I also loved watching Dale Earnhardt Jr. go from 10th to 2nd in one lap. He always puts on a good show and never disappoints.

Jamie has an interesting story. He was thrown into another driver's car for the last 6 races of the season when the other driver got hurt. Jamie had never raced in the Cup series. In his second race, he won. I was there. It was so exciting to watch the new guy win. And he was a hottie! He raced that car for the next three seasons, but never won another race. He had decent finishes in the point standings, but did not win. He moved over to Roush Racing and became part of a five team operation. He was with them for four years and won twice. NASCAR changed their rules a few years ago stating that one owner could own no more than four cars. This was the year it would take effect and one of Roush Racings teams had to disband. Jamie's team was the one. Luckily, his old team was looking for another driver and Jamie was welcomed back to Ganassi Racing. When you see him crying in Victory Lane, this is why. A lot of guys cry when the win the Daytona 500 anyway, but I think Jamie was also grateful that he could pay back all those who believed in him way back when.

Here's a picture from my stalking days at California Speedway!

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The Singing Nun

by DeeDee

October 17, 1933 – March 29, 1985

Jeanine Deckers was a Belgian nun, and a member (as Sister Luc Gabriel) of the Dominican Fichermont Convent in Belgium. She became internationally famous in 1963 as Soeur Sourire (Sister Smile) when she scored a hit with the song "Dominique". In the English language world, she is mostly referred to as "The Singing Nun".

While in the convent, she wrote, sang and performed her own songs, which were so well received by the order and at retreats that the monastery decided to let her record an album, which visitors and retreatists to the monastery would be able to purchase.

In 1963, the album was recorded in Brussels at Philips. The single "Dominique" became an international hit. Many radio stations in the U.S. played it and other softer hits more often in the wake of the John F. Kennedy assassination. Overnight, the Dominican nun was an international celebrity. She gave concerts and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on January 5, 1964. As of November 2009, "Dominique" is the only Belgian song that has ever been a number one hit single in the United States.

In 1966, a movie called The Singing Nun was made about her, starring Debbie Reynolds in the title role. Deckers rejected the film as "fiction". Sally Field spoofed the role starting the following year as the title character in the television series The Flying Nun.

Deckers did not gain much from this international fame and her second record, Her Joys, Her Songs, did not get much attention and disappeared almost as soon as it was released. Most of her earnings were in fact taken away by Philips, her producer, while the rest would go to the convent. In 1967, Deckers left her monastery to continue her musical career under the name Luc Dominique. She could not keep her initial name "Soeur Sourire", as Philips owned the rights. She released an album called I Am Not a Star in Heaven. Her repertoire consisted of religious songs and songs for children. Despite her renewed musical emphasis, Deckers gradually faded into obscurity, possibly because of her own disdain for fame: she was never able to duplicate the success of her one hit wonder.

Although she was deeply religious, she was also increasingly critical of some of the Roman Catholic Church's doctrine and eventually became an advocate of birth control. She also agreed with John Lennon's statements about Jesus in 1966. In 1967, she recorded a song entitled "Glory Be to God for the Golden Pill", a paean to contraception, under the name Luc Dominique. It was a commercial failure.

Her musical career over, Deckers opened a school for autistic children in Belgium. In the late 1970s, the Belgian government claimed that she owed approximately $63,000 USD in back taxes. Deckers countered that the royalties from her recording were given to the convent and therefore she was not liable for payment of any personal income taxes. Lacking any receipts to prove her donations to the convent and her religious order, Deckers ran into heavy financial problems. In 1982, she tried, once again as Soeur Sourire, to score a hit with a discosynthesizer version of "Dominique", but this last attempt to resume her singing career failed.

Citing their financial difficulties in a note, she and her companion of ten years, Anna Pécher, both committed suicide by an overdose of barbiturates and alcohol on March 29,1985. She was 51.

Now you know………there is a lot of additional reading material about this awesome woman……

There are pictures of her and Anna’s final resting place at this link with more pictures of her…….http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=11350&PIpi=9945432

Poo Goddess

by Jennifer

Yes, I'm the Poo Goddess. I flush more poo a day than I care to think about. :) We have 350 children at our school, and none of them seem to like to flush their poo. Every day we walk down the hall for our bathroom and drink break. We have three of those breaks every day and every day we go into the bathroom and there is poo floating in the toilet. None of the children will use the toilet until someone flushes it, which is usually me. I really didn't envision this when I dreamed of being a teacher, but Poo Goddess I am!

Now when I go to the movies or mall there is always a toilet full of poo. I never flush it. I just go to the next stall, because it makes me gag which, by the way, is why I totally try to avoid public bathrooms. However, flushing poo at school just comes second nature. I need to get the bathroom/drink break done quickly, so I just hurry up and flush.

This poo blog came to mind from little Alyssa. Little Alyssa is very petite and quiet. Well, on Monday she came running to me with a very panicked look on her face. "Mrs. Masini, Mrs. Masini my poo is too big to flush, I can't get it down. Please help me!" said little Alyssa. Well, like any caring teacher I ran down to the bathroom and it flushed for me. She was so relieved and thankful. I explained to her sometimes poo does that and you just have to wait and flush again.

So to sum it all up, some days, I feel like a Poo Goddess! :)

Only You Can Love Me This Way

by Zona

I have never been much of a Keith Urban fan. It's not that I don't like his music. I've just never really listened to it. Mr Z, on the other hand, has always loved his songs. A while back he came home with the CD "Defying Gravity" and asked me if I would sit with him and listen to one the songs. He told me he always thought of me when he heard it. What could I say? I sat down and listened. Right from the opening chords, I was hooked. Not only did I love the melody, but the words almost made me cry. I think this is an absolutely beautiful song...and one that is perfect for today. I hope you agree. Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

SHE'S GROWING UP

by Dianne

I know I talk about my grandchildren a lot but I wanted to write this blog about my oldest one. It is my granddaughter that turned 11 in October. She is in 5th grade and is excited because Middle School is just around the corner. It is looking like so much fun to her. First of all, her sister will still be in grade school for one more year, so she will get to be "on her own"; second, she is getting to pick out some of her classes; third, it means she is just a little closer to those teenage years that she absolutely cannot wait for.....

I get such a laugh out of listening and talking to her. She thinks she is so grown up, but is still a little girl inside. This child still leaves notes for the Tooth Fairy, went to see Santa, and is sure the Easter Bunny will be here soon. She is pretty innocent on the meaning of so many words and says them without a blink of an eye. The hard part is that when I hear her, I have to not laugh and be serious and then ask her what a particular word means to see just how much she knows about whatever she is saying. I would like to bore you with a couple of recent stories:

My GD has a big Barbie bus and was passing it on to a younger child. We talked about getting it ready and she casually told me that she had to straighten out the dolls in the bus because they looked like a bunch of "whores". I gulped a couple of times and asked her to repeat what she had said and she did. I noticed that neither she nor her sister were paying much attention to just what had been said. I then asked her what "whores" meant. She didn't miss a beat and looked at me like, once again, I am old and don't know much. "Nana, like those people on Oprah. You know the ones where their house is a mess and people have to come in and help them clean it?" I said, "Oh, you mean hoarders?" "Yes, that's what I said...whores...hoarders...it's the same thing." Now I really had to try not to laugh ...I was dying inside.

She has also liked a boy in her class for a while. Now please understand that they don't speak to each other as they are both too shy. She told me she "broke up" with him yesterday. She had her sister (my other GD) tell him. I asked her why she broke up with him. She kept telling me that he was crazy and I would just have to be at school to see it. I kept trying to find out if he said crazy things, hopped on one foot, made funny faces...just what did he do that was so bad. She finally (with that deep "she's old" sigh) said, "Nana, he acts like he is all that and a bag of chips!"

Ok, one more story. ..... my daughter and family were leaving a rodeo event a couple of weeks ago and apparently the car next to them was so close they couldn't get in car. My SIL said something to my granddaughter so she had to get in her sister's door. When the younger GD wanted to know why she was getting in that door my GD proceeded to say, "because that dickhead parked too close to the car." After my daughter pulled herself off the ground from fainting, she asked where she heard that word and that it wasn't a nice word. Well...Daddy told her and she was just repeating it to her sister. Thank God she didn't go to school repeating it. They then came here for dinner and I was hearing the story and getting after my SIL for his mouth and my GD wanted to know what it meant. My daughter told her to ask her dad since he was the one using it. Naturally, he wouldn't tell her so I told her in the most simple way possible and then it was done. GRRR...I had to get after daddy on that one, but can you imagine hearing your child say that so innocently? I was just picturing a desk too close to hers at school and saying that to someone. Heck, she would be in the principals office and not even know why!!!

This granddaughter was my first of five grandchildren. She was the only one for almost two years. We have quite a connection and have since the minute she was born. While I went through all my dental work...she thought her jaw hurt. Her Mom even had to take her to the doctor for a sore throat and she told him about her jaw. He wanted to know when it started hurting and she asked her mom whenNana went to the dentist.

As you can tell by this blog...my grandchildren make my heart melt. I can have the absolute worst day and talk to one of them and hear a story and everything is okay. I know I am probably the typical grandmother that is boring everyone with my stories but I just wanted to share them. Come on, I will listen to any of your stories too about anyone!! For some reason I can't remember my kids being this adorable, growing up this fast or being this perfect...I wonder why that is.......

Oops!

Oh no, one's worst nightmare
At least he can laugh at himself
So funny!


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~ Bosom Bombers ~

by Tina~in_ut

I was driving to work a couple of days ago and although I normally listen to the music stations, something caught my attention on one of the morning shows, The Morning Zoo. Frankie kept giving teasers, none of which I can remember now, but he kept me listening to his station to find out what in the world he was talking about. FINALLY, he told the most outrageoustale. I thought it was a joke at first.

He told about the MI5 (the U.K.'s counter-intelligence and security agency) and a threat that they uncovered. Along the same lines as the Christmas Day bomber, al Qaida is recruiting women to get breast implants, but instead of saline, the implants are filled with explosives. Crazy-scary, isn't it? Men can also get implants in the appendix area or their rear end. These are places that diabetics use to inject their medication and no one would think to question it. Either way, it would be almost impossible to detect using today's airport scanners. The TSA would have to use x-ray machines in order to detect this, which would cause major delays in getting thru security and make air travel a pain in the ass. (as if it already isn't!!!)

This had me really worried until I realized that no matter what we do, al Qaida seems to be one step ahead and ready to counter whatever we do. Next, they'll be implanting explosives in innocent babies~

Stop the world, please! I want to get off~

Piles of Yellow Snow!

Whoever tells me they like snow, I will totally throw them in a pile of it, and it won't be the white snow. I am thinking more of yellow shade.

Heavy snow or blizzard conditions, disrupts so much of our lives. Before the dreaded snow arrives, it's off to the supermarket everyone goes, to stock up on bread and milk which I never understood, because bread and milk are boring. The planning of the day before can be just as stressful as the storm itself.

For me (and Tina), it's worse. The reaccommodation of passengers is a complete nightmare and a job that is overwhelming. Trying to get available flights during or after a storm is awful. So many people had to switch their flights that there are just no more seats left on any planes till almost a week later. And the passengers are not happy campers, so the words that spew out of their mouths, are words I will not repeat, but in my mind I see these people falling in yellow snow, which makes me take in the words easier.

Did I say Nightmare!

I am a bundle of nerves today, 12 to 18 inches is just too much for me to navigate my way thru. I have to hope it is not as bad as they are saying it will be.

I wish I was back in school so I could be excited about this snow day. But of course, I am not back in school. I am a professional adult who only wishes for many to fall into yellow snow..

Crap and Double Crap!

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~ Got Pork? ~

by Tina~in_ut

Hubby and I had dinner the other night with some friends from Argentina, Ana and Julio. We were joking around with some mutual friends about a mirror they had just purchased. We told them to put it on the ceiling over their bed, and from there, the jokes just kept getting worse and worse. At one point, Ana made a joke about eating pork which made Julio laugh and laugh. I didn't get it, but when Julio laughs like that, you know there's a good story!

Apparently, the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez, was speaking to members of her country's pig farm industry. She told them that she had just recently found out that eating pork improves your sex life. She stated, "It is much more gratifying to eat some grilled pork than to take Viagra." She then went on to joke that "it was all good" after spending a satisfying weekend with her husband, former President Nestor Kirchner. It finally dawned on her what she said, "I just realized what I said - Kirchner will kill me." Although her point was to announce subsidies for the pork industry, her speech got a lot of air play on local radio and television stations.

Ana and Julio were mortified when I told them that I was going to write this. They love Argentina and don't want to shed any kind of negative light on it. I just couldn't help it! I thought the whole thing was hilarious. I can't imagine anyone not wanting to get porked~

Would you make the call?

by Just_Lin

Underneath a magnet on my refrigerator door is a scrap of paper with a phone number and the name Rachel, pronounced Ruh-shell. It's been there for well over a year, maybe even two years. I have yet to call the number but I haven't wanted to throw it away either. I was given her name and number by one of my husband's five kids. They all agree that she is amazing. From what they tell me, she is a medium and she speaks to dead people.

I call them kids but they are all adults and some are not that much younger than me, really. They are all intelligent, logical people. The youngest is a police captain and hostage negotiator in Texas and another has retired from her position as a police dispatcher. All of them sincerely believe that they communicated with their father through this woman. Each of them felt like they needed closure with their dad on a couple of issues and they were able to get it. Two of them also felt that they were able to communicate with their deceased spouses. Each one of them believes their experience was real and they are very glad that they did it.

Some of them traveled to Sacramento to meet with this person face to face and another had her session by phone. The charge is $100 and they tell me it is well worth it. They have encouraged me to contact her. They said to make sure I have tissues nearby because each of them found the experience to be extremely emotional.

I don't know why I haven't picked up the phone and called this woman. Part of it is that I don't know if I believe in it, even though I, myself, have experienced knowing things about someone who I never met and shouldn't have known anything about. The knowledge just "came to me" and I can't explain how it happened. I just know it did.

So why do I balk at calling? I think it's guilt that stops me. Guilt because I wasn't there at the hospital when he passed away. I had returned home for the night because I was sick. And although I know he never would have faulted me for that, I still feel bad about it. Or maybe I feel guilty for wanting to have a new love in my life to spend my remaining years with. My husband was a very no-nonsense, pragmatic kind of guy, being a cop and Navy man, so I know he wouldn't fault me for that, either. So why do I find the possibility of communicating with him intrigueing but scary, too? If it was you, would you do it?

Superbowl Sunday!

Oh yes the Superbowl. Everyone gears up for a fun night of Football. We all watch with anticipation to see what team will win the most coveted award in sports. Parties will be the place to be to watch with friends and family. I am not a huge sports fan (unless the Giants are playing) but I will watch anyway.

Really if you think about it who can possibly miss..

Men with tight pants on

Grunting sounds coming from the men with tight pants on

Whats inside of the tight pants

Pushing and shoving of several men all in a pack

The possible sight of blood

A quarterback getting groped by several men

The sight of the running back's tight ass

Sweat, sweat and more sweat

The perfect head butt along with the head slap

Sexy manly hugs

Men in black and white stripes whistling @ the tight asses

The snap, crackle, pop of possible bones

Now that is what I call the Perfect Superbowl! Good Luck to the Saints and Colts, let the groping begin!

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The End of the Season

by Dianne

Super Bowl is Sunday and then football is over for another season. We will have to wait until August to have Professional football start again. The training season starts earlier in the summer but not the "real" thing. I do also have my Fantasy Football league that I am in every year....(came in last this year and the best QB Drew Breese was my QB). My husband likes the college football but unless it is Colorado, I'm not too interested.

It took me a long time to like football. I was divorced in 1974 and had probably never watched a football game, but now I was single. All of a sudden, I was with single men and women that actually watched and loved football. I realized as a young single woman that I need to broaden my horizons plus look like I knew what I was talking about to those cute young men...so I learned about football and actually started liking it. We had Bronco parties in those days (with a much different group of people that today). Yes, I still ask questions as I don't understand some of the calls, etc., but I know enough to enjoy watching a game...even if I am home alone!!

As you all know (I think), I am a huge Bronco fan. I have season tickets that I sell now but used to go to every game, regardless of the weather ---but I was younger then, too. My ex and I would put on our snowmobile suits and brave the weather--snow, blizzard, or rain. We have a group that we have Bronco parties with for about 7 of the games ending with the Super Bowl (okay, we women watch in a different room because the men say we talk too much). I get so excited with the action and watch many more games that just the Broncos. Sunday is going to be a withdrawal for my husband and me now. We have a ritual of staying in sweats all day, reading the paper, napping, watching football and having Subway for dinner. Now what will we do???? It has been a lot of fun sparring with SACBARB, ZONA, MO, JODI AND MARY on their teams...when we have all known all the time that the Broncos are the best (especially against SACBARB AND ZONA'S Raiders).

Do any of you have a sport you like to watch on TV? I know some of you love tennis, ice skating, golf, nascar, etc. I think it would be fun to hear if any of you go through any withdrawals like I am about to go through.

At least we have the Olympics coming up and that will take care of a Sunday or two. Oh yeah, one more thing.......GO SAINTS!!!

Ouch!

by Zona

Not many statements can make me stop harvesting my farm on FaceBook..."Honey...don't panic...I cut off my finger.." however, would be one that could. It was 3:45am on a Sunday morning when my husband said these words to me. Of course, the best way to get me to freak is to tell me not to….works every time. I jumped up leaving my pumpkins in the fields, ran down the hall, bounced off the door jamb as I turned the corner and yelled "WHAT!!??!!" Mr Z. was in the kitchen. "Don't come in here!!" he yelled over his shoulder. Too late! I saw the mangled, bloody mess that used to be his pinky finger. Even in my attempt to stay calm, I heard myself repeat "Oh my God! Oh my God!" Mr Z said, "There's a lot of blood! Call 911!!" "What the hell happened??" I asked. He explained about the table, how it fell on his hand and how when he pulled back because of the pain, a third of his finger was yanked off. "Oh my God! Oh my God!" Somehow I got to the phone and called 911. The operator told me to get the finger and put it in ice cold water. WHAT?!?!! I repeated these instructions to my husband and before I could put down the phone, he was out in the garage looking for his missing knuckle and nail. I grabbed a small tupperware container (finally found a use for the damn thing) and filled it with ice water just as Mr Z brought in the glove he had been wearing. He turned it over and let the finger fall out into the water. There is something completely surreal about seeing part of a finger that you recognize floating in a dish. You know it shouldn't be there. Very weird!!

The paramedics arrived, bandaged up his hand, and although we wanted to go to the big hospital downtown, they advised us to go to the one closest to us which is less than 10 minutes away. We arrived there carrying the container with his finger within about 30 minutes of the accident. I have to stop here. I hate Emergency Rooms. I know that the doctors and nurses there save lives, but no matter what injury or sickness you go in for, you can count on being there for at least 3 hours and when you hurt or feel like crap, that's just way too long. Mr Z was admitted immediately. Well, as soon as I paid the $200 co-pay, that is. A doctor came into the room an hour later, shot Novocain into Mr Z's finger, and assessed the injury. She ordered x-rays, looked at the floating finger, and left. About 90 minutes later, she came back and informed us that they couldn't help us. They didn't have a hand doctor on staff. We'd have to go to the downtown hospital about 5 miles away. Did they not know this when we walked in the door almost three hours ago? Couldn't they have directed us to the other hospital immediately? Arrrghh! X-rays and floating finger in hand, we left.

Once again, Mr Z was admitted into the ER immediately, no wait. To my surprise however, we had to pay another $200 co-pay. I questioned this as he was just being transferred. They wouldn't budge. After we got in the room, which contained 2 recliners but strangely no bed, a nurse came in, started an IV line and hung an antibiotic drip. Except to take down the empty fluid bag, no one else walked into that room for 5 hours. I would occasionally go out to the nurse's station to ask if the doctor knew Mr Z was there and was told that of course he did. Sometime after noon, a nurse walked in with a gown for Mr Z and a bed was wheeled up. In a bright and cheery voice she told him, "You're going upstairs for surgery!!" WHAT??!! We hadn't even talked to a doctor! She assured us as she handed me the floating finger which was looking a little pruney by now, that we would talk to someone upstairs in pre-op. Although the doctors and nurses didn't seem to be in a hurry, the orderly that took Mr Z upstairs did. She literally ran through the corridors. I sure was glad I brought my inhaler. ijs! From the time we crossed the finish line into pre-op, until the actual surgery, it was another 3 hour wait. Poor Mr Z. After waiting 12 hours to hear the fate of his finger, the surgeon finally came in 15 minutes before the operation, took one look at the floating finger and unceremoniously threw it away. "It's been sitting around too long," he said. I wanted to kick him in the ankle.

The surgery went well. The doctor said he had to remove the nail bed or Mr. Z would have had something akin to an eagle talon growing out from the stump of his finger. Interesting…but not entirely desirable. Monday was his first follow up appointment and we were shocked to see close to 75 people waiting in the office when we got there. We found a small section of the wall to lean on and settled in for what turned out to be an almost 3 hour wait. They finally called him back and the bandage was removed. The word meat grinder comes to mind. The doctor popped in for about 5 minutes to say the finger looked like it was healing nicely and that the stitches would probably be removed in a week. He took a couple pictures for his carnage scrapbook and then he was gone like the wind. Mr. Z then surprised me by taking out his cell phone and snapping away. I asked him what he was doing. He smiled, "Taking pictures for your blog!" Aren't you glad I said, “No thank you?” :D

I'm a Farmer

by Dianne

This song/video is pretty cute on the "farming" issue from Facebook. I read last week that over 800 million people are now "farming". The article said people use it for an escape from their life, problems, etc. It's like playing a video game or something. The article also had some people writing why they liked it so much and they said it was relaxing and just not a thinking project. I agree and let me tell you my short (or long) story....

TINA needed me to be a farmer so she could have neighbors, so I gave her my password and before I knew it I was getting gifts for Farmville, Farmtown and an Island. I continued to tell others that "I don't farm". As time went on friends and family started IM'ing me on my farm. Tina would either ignore it or just try and say hi or whatever. As I talked to other people, I gradually learned how to farm and would go on once in awhile. Before I knew it--- I was hooked and now I no longer wanted Tina on my farm...because I WAS THE FARMER!!

I have enjoyed it and my two granddaughters do Farmville. I like FT and FV. I know all of you don't do it, but I think everyone has heard of it. I enjoy Farmtown because you go into a market to get people to harvest your crops. I have talked to many interesting people from Australia, the Philippines, England, and all over the United States. I have kept some of those people as what we in Farmtown call "buddies" and we can go back to them to work on our farm or vice versa.

The downside of farming.....I find I spend many more hours on the computer than I ever have in my life. I get very irritated if I am harvesting for someone and the computer loses its signal and I lose my job and all the money I could have made!! I also spend too much time on the kids farms just keeping them up when they are in school during the week.

Soooooo, if anyone wanted to know about farming or didn't...my granddaughter showed me this song (except she turns down the sound during the "naughty" word) and I just thought it would make a cute blog (and give Tina and Carol a break). Happy Farming---(J/L--does this now convince you that you need to join FB)?

~ Kris and Adam ~

by Tina~in_ut

Kris Allen and Adam Lambert both have songs playing on the radio right now. Kris’ “Live Like We’re Dying” is at #26 on Billboard’s Top 100 and Adam’s “Whataya Want From Me” is at #37. As of last week, Kris is also leading the Idol group with the most downloads for his song. I like both songs and know them pretty well by now. In fact, I liked them before I even knew who sang them. I’ve always favored Kris. I guess I like that he’s low key (some call it boring) and seems like a really nice guy. Adam is the bad boy and his antics make me laugh. Both have great voices, although they couldn’t be more different. It remains to be seen how well they’ll do compared with the other Idol alums. So far, they are nowhere near the star power of Kelly or Carrie. Time will tell. What do you think of these two songs/videos?

Kris Allen

Adam Lambert

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Music Can Certainly Fill The Soul!

I so enjoyed the Grammy's on Sunday Night. Performance after performance blew me away. What talented singers shared the stage that evening. So many times the Grammy's would air and I would be shocked that some could not hold a note, yet they were performing.

From JBJ to Lady Gaga and all in between it was a fantastic show. My favorite of the evening was Pink, I have followed her music for many years now, and even tho some of her songs are very edgy, she can truly sing. The words to "Glitter in Air" have so many hidden meanings, they are so poetic and so true. When she wrote all the songs on the Funhouse album, she was going thru a breakup with her husband. You can tell in each song, her heart hurts, yet the words flow. When something is so deep inside the best way to express them is with words. And in her case, music as well.

Fantastic!

Glitter in the Air

Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Close your eyes and trust it, just trust it
Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face
And said I just don't care?

It's only half past the point of no return
The tip of the iceberg, the sun before the burn
The thunder before lightning, the breath before the phrase
Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?
Your whole life waiting on the ring to prove you're not alone
Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?
Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?

It's only half past the point of oblivion
The hourglass on the table, the walk before the run
The breath before the kiss and the fear before the flames
Have you ever felt this way?

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

There you are, sitting in the garden
Clutching my coffee, calling me sugar
You called me sugar

Have you ever wished for an endless night?
Lassoed the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight
Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself
Will it ever get better than tonight? Tonight

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~ I'm Going To Miss Them ~

by Tina~in_ut

At 6pm Sunday night, the department I've worked in for years closed for good. I wasn't at work, but at 6:15pm, while out with my husband, it hit me. We've all known for over 2 years that it was going to happen.....eventually. They kept extending the date, so we all held out hope....up until the end. We are all splitting up. Our little family of 14 is moving on.....and I must be pms'ing because it's making me cry~

Friday night, all but 2 of us met for dinner and drinks. One couldn't come because her family was coming into town. She was missed. The other.....well.....we didn't really miss him. Let's just call him the black sheep of the family. Anyway, we had a great time. Laughed mostly, some crying and a little complaining (we're so good at that!). Hubby had a thing or two to say when I got home because I was gone for five hours!! He couldn't believe I was actually out to dinner that long!

Janice and I are going to a department that is brand new. Five others are going to another new department which we will be working closely with. These departments are so new that even though we open today, we still don't have our new job duties clearly defined. The rest of our group are moving to the Customer Service department which is open 24 hours, and everyone's shifts are changing dramatically. There are four lucky devils who will remain with my old boss. Janice and I wanted to take him with us to our new digs, but it wasn't meant to be (he didn't suck up enough to his boss!!!).

For those of you who have been concerned about me throwing Janice out of her chair and taking over her computer so I can be first, I want you to know, Janice will be arriving at work 3 hours AFTER me from now on. I work at 5am and she works at 8am. So there ya go!~ I will no longer be harassing her.......except for the normal harassment that she gets from me! In fact, she asked me to save her a seat next to me! Hey.......maybe that means she likes me! :D

For the next couple of weeks, we will are be going through training. Mine starts today at 2:30pm. I lucked out and don't have to start my 5am shift yet. Quite frankly, after talking to my new manager, I think EVERYONE wants to delay me working that 5am shift. I'm not sure why!!!!~ :)~

Anyway, I know I will like my new job. I know I will like the people I will be working with. It just won't be the same. Our old group had the best time together. Everyone had such a great sense of humor. And when someone was mad or upset, we knew when to back off or lend an ear. We were close enough to tell each other what we really thought, even if it hurt. I'm sure going to miss what we had~

p.s. The video has nothing to do with this blog. The last thing DeeDee said to me tonight was "I hope your blog isn't another damn song!" So that vid is for her~ :)~ (don't tell her, but my next one IS a song!) shhhhhh~