Gotta Love Those Kids!

I don't believe I have posted these before. I got this in an email a long time ago, so I hope you all haven't seen them. If you have, enjoy them all over again!

A kindergarten pupil told his teacher he’d found a cat, but it was dead. “How do you know the cat was dead?” she asked him. “Because I pissed in its ear and it didn’t move,” the child answered innocently. “You did WHAT?!!” the teacher exclaimed in surprise. “You know,” explained the boy, “I leaned over and went ‘Pssst!’ and it didn’t move.”

An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into mischief, finally asked him, “How do you expect to get into Heaven?” The boy thought it over and said, “Well, I’ll run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says, ‘For Heaven’s sake, Dylan, come in or stay out!”

One summer evening during a violent thunderstorm a mother was tucking her son into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, “Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?” “I can’t dear,” she said, “I have to sleep in Daddy’s room.” A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice: “The big sissy.”

It was that time, during the Sunday morning service, for the children’s sermon. All the children were invited to come forward. One little girl was wearing a particularly pretty dress and, as she sat down, the pastor leaned over and said, “That is a very pretty dress. Is it your Easter Dress?” The little girl replied, directly into the pastor’s microphone, “Yes, and my Mom says it’s a b*tch to iron.”

When I was six months pregnant, my three year old came into the room as I was preparing to get into the shower. She said, “Mommy, you are getting fat!” I replied “Yes, honey, remember Mommy has a baby growing in her tummy.” “I know,” she replied, “but what’s growing in your butt?”

One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of Chicken Little to her class. She came to the part where Chicken Little warns the farmer. She read, “…and Chicken Little went up to the farmer and said, “The sky is falling!” The teacher then asked the class, “And what do you think that farmer said?” One little girl raised her hand and said, “I think he said: ‘Holy Sh*t! A talking chicken!’” The teacher was unable to teach for the next 10 minutes.

A Little More Detail

The other night I posted about the youngest having problems getting pregnant. I didn't go into any further explanation because I thought someone from my town had 'found' this blog and didn't want all of A's business 'out there' when it comes to people we know. I now realize that I was tracking my own 'visits' to this site--some tech geek I turned out to be! I had to reset my router for my wireless network the other day--so that I could get on the net with the Wii--and I didn't realize that it changed my IP address and that I needed to tell Sitemeter to ignore my 'visits.' DUH!! So, with that settled, I will add some more to what is going on.

A and her husband have been working with a fertility specialist for a while now. She was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Among other problems with this, infertility is just about a given--or, at the very least, difficulty in getting pregnant. The doctor has been testing her to the best of his abilities and treating her as well as can be. (She can't go through certain tests--those using dyes--because she has a shellfish allergy/sensitivity and the dyes contain iodine.) Between ultrasounds, medications, 'turkey basters,' etc, she has been trying to get pregnant. The last go showed that her eggs were not being very cooperative and maturing as they should. They had another consultation with the doctor on Monday and he gave them two options. One is a try with another medication, which will result in an 18% chance of success and the other is IVF (in vitro fertilization) which would be about a 56% chance of success. Of course, the IVF is 5 times the cost, and insurance--I believe--will not cover it. They will try for the 18% and hope for the best.

I still haven't talked with her--I'm giving her the time she needs. When she feels up to it, she will call, but I don't have words of wisdom for her. As far as I see it, the doctor came just short of saying that, in all probability, she will not get pregnant without extensive, costly, medical measures. This is something that she did not need to hear. And, of course, her sister cannot understand any of this--after all, I sometimes think C can get pregnant just by talking on the phone with her husband! To top it all off, A is far from family and her closest friends, so she doesn't even have many people for her to talk to--if she feels like talking at all. I've just been in a bit of a funk over all of this and am trying very hard to not dwell--and it is taking some effort.

So, this is where I am at right now--just keeping on keeping on. Thanks for letting me share!

Rapunzel, Rapunzel

The other day Burg blogged about her 'hair through the ages'--this after she got a cute, new, sassy haircut. Never letting an opportunity go by to steal an idea from someone else, I decided to do a post about my own hair. And I guess it didn't hurt that I had my monthly cut/color done today to motivate me, also.

When I was a child, my hair was so white that it was almost translucent. And it was fine and wispy: fine, Finnish, fairy fur. Most of the kids with Finnish ancestors that I know have the same kind of hair--it is as we get older that things can change.

In high school, my hair was a pretty color blond--not too light and not too dark. It almost was an ash blond, I guess. I wore my hair very long and straight--as so many high school girls do/did. I wasn't able to do much more than that with the hair because it was so thick--enough for two people, actually. When I put my hair in a 'pony tail,' the description was VERY fitting! This was when I really got used to taking a bath/shower at night, because it took all night for my hair to dry. I REALLY didn't want to go to school in below zero weather with a wet head--NOT a fun activity.

I began wearing my hair shorter when I was pregnant with my first. My hair was about waist-length and I got it all cut off to chin-length--I figured, rightly so, that it would be much easier to take care of with a newborn around. Not only did my hair continue to get shorter as time wore on, it also began to get darker. Don't know why--but The Mother had the same thing happen to her, too.

For the last several years I wore my hair in a short bob--just about earlobe-length. It was a flattering cut for me and easy to take care of--my hair just naturally bends under, so I only have to blow dry it and it falls into place. (Of course, if my stylist wasn't as talented as she is, NOTHING would work--thanks, Barb!) Then one day I took a good look at myself and realized the short hair really wasn't the best fit for me. Over the years, I have added a little too much weight to this short, stubby body of mine and having too short hair just isn't right. I realized that having too short hair would cause me to look just like a beach ball with a ping-pong ball balancing on top--NOT a good look! So, the decision was made to let it grow out. I now wear it longer--several inches below the top of my shoulders. Definitely a better choice--now the top and bottom balance out a little better. :)

Unfortunately, my hair has not retained its thickness--and I'm not too sure why. I suppose some of it has to do with age, but having thyroid problems and psoriasis has taken it's toll, also. I probably could get used to having less hair, it's the thinner texture that I can't handle--I ALWAYS had such thick, heavy hair that it is hard to accept the thinner, finer hair I have today. I keep telling the oldest--who has even MORE hair than I did--that her day will come, too. The mother's curse--it will work once again. :)

I have always wanted to have short, spiky hair. I figure that would be about the easiest to take care of--but, alas, that can't happen before I drop about 3000 pounds! The friend I go to see when we do road trips has the short, spiky hair and it looks so good on her. Of course, she weighs about 65 pounds--AND she is about 5 inches taller than me--so she HAS to have short hair so that she won't look like she's about to fall over! (This is the same friend that 'bloated up' to about 75 pounds when she was pregnant--for her twins! I think I hate her!) It looks as if I will be sticking to the longer hair for a while.

As I said, my hair has gotten darker over the years. Now, this WASN'T the reason I started to color it--the reason was the grey. Before I go any further, I MUST say my grey hair isn't ONLY because of age: one of the favorite activities a group of us used to participate in during boring lectures in school, was to see how many grey hairs could be pulled out of my head. Yep, I started getting grey in high school. And, actually, it is VERY slow moving--I don't believe I am any more than about 15% grey under the dye. And if there is more than 15% going on, I don't really want to know about it. I wouldn't mind going natural if my hair would be a pretty color, but it won't. The Mother has unattractive grey hair and I know mine would be just as sad--salt and pepper, but NOT in a good way.

Right now my hair is a very pretty blond--my stylist outdoes herself every time I go in. However, I LOVE to go VERY funky with color whenever I can. These days we have to stick with the blond because I am frequenting the tanning booth--for my SKIN, not for the color--and any color other than blond wouldn't last more than a week before fading. My preferred color is red and I can't wait to get back to it--but I will live with the blond just as long as I have to be under the 'hot lights.' I would have very crazy things done to the color, but my stylist is MUCH more conservative than I am. My motto when it comes to color: I don't want anyone to think this color is real! We have managed some funky things and it always is so much fun.

My whole attitude toward hair is this: it should be a fun accessory. Do whatever you want to my hair--if I don't like it, change it. If the color is wrong, we'll change it back. If the cut is wrong, the hair will grow. It's not worth getting upset about if it isn't right--time will fix anything.

I Am So Honored!

Burg has so honored me by giving me a 'Rockin' Girl Blogger' award! It is asked--usually in a meme :)--why I blog, and the answer always HAS to be: my readers! I definitely consider those who read this little bit of nonsense on a regular basis, my friends--ones I haven't met in person, but still friends. If I can, in a little way, make someone think, smile, or react in any other way when they read what I have to say, then it is worth every minute spent taking care of this blog. And if someone can be entertained enough to come back a second, third, or more times, then I am thrilled--and you make me feel a little worthy if you spend your limited time reading my drivel. Thank you to my readers and especially thank you, Burg--you made my day. :)

Now, I am supposed to give out this award to five others. There is no way for me to decide, or narrow my list down to five. If I didn't think you all rocked, then I wouldn't visit your blog every day--and that includes the guys, who really AREN'T Rockin' Girls. :) So, consider yourselves awarded the 'Rockin' Girl Blogger' award: Jan, Leazwell, Cindi, Kristi, Virginia Belle, and, of course Burg, who started it all--and anyone else I forgot. A better group of 'girls' I can't imagine!

Such A Disappointment

Heard from youngest daughter tonight, by email, and the 'trying to get pregnant' bit didn't work--again. I don't feel too comfortable going into all of the details, but they are working with a doctor and were hoping things were going in the right direction. Obviously they aren't, as things have fallen apart once again. They get to go and have another consultation with the doc tomorrow, so they will figure out what to do next. She was so upset that she couldn't even call to tell me--she had to send an email. I wish I knew the words to say to make her feel better, but all I can come up with are cliches. Oh well, I keep trying to think 'what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.' I sure hope she is strong enough to go through all this.

Celebrity Idiots

WHEN are these people (celebrities) going to realize just how damn stupid they sound to those of us who are actually normal? Here are a couple more examples of 'celebrity idiots.'

Our favorite idiot had this to say:

Angelina Jolie told Marie Claire magazine that she doesn't think she's ever seriously said "I love you" to Brad Pitt.

She said, "I don't think we've ever said (I love you). I mean, I'm sure we have, but we would have to punch each other in the arm first."

And another idiot--who seems to think he is God's gift to the world--acted like this to fans:

Justin Timberlake left fans calling him a "f***face" when he refused to pose for pictures and spit at them outside his Swedish hotel. Justin responded to them by saying, “You’re calling me a f***face? Go f*** yourself!”

And:

When a little girl later asked him for a picture he responded with, “You want me to juggle also?”

WHY are these people still idolized by some? Their popularity completely eludes me.

As For Hockey...

Yes, I know, it is the middle of summer, but things STILL are going on in the world of hockey. And the big news is the signing--or NON-signing--of players.

The Red Wings have officially come out and said they will not offer contracts to Lang or Calder for the next year. While I wasn't quite as bad of a 'Lang hater' as some were, I'm not crying over the fact that he will no longer be wearing the winged wheel. He just didn't do enough last season--and I found myself (toward the end) cringing every time I saw his line come out onto the ice. Not good. So, he won't be around for Wings' fans to kick anymore. I AM sorry to see Calder go--I still think he has potential. Unfortunately, after his big splash right after he came to Detroit, his play went downhill. Too bad.

Right now the biggest thing that needs to be done is negotiate salaries. While Hasek said he is coming back, his pay hasn't been agreed on. I KNOW he will ask for a raise, but I don't know how many other teams would be willing to take him at a much higher salary--he has to watch what he asks for. The Wings would like to have Bertuzzi, Markov, and Schneider back, but at the (alleged) asking prices, I don't think all of them will be playing for Detroit next year. Damn salary cap! :) It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

And We DO Live In A City!

The other morning I looked out the back window and I saw not 1, not 2, but 13 ducks! I think they were all from the same family--a male and female were off from the rest of the flock, just keeping watch. Of course, they all looked to be the same size, but it IS that late in the season, so the babies would be as big as mama and papa by now. We haven't had that many ducks in the yard at one time before. It really was kind of cool.

Here is a picture of the ducks I think are mama and papa--you can see them right at the bottom:




And here are all of the 'babies':



If you look real closely, you can count 12--one of the parents made it into this pic.

The ducks just wandered around the back yard for about a half hour and then a little at a time, they all just flew away.

A Little Updating

Last night I finally did a bit of updating to this blog. I started by putting links to all of the 'Things To Do When You're Bored' posts in the sidebar. This way, if you ever need to find something to do, it will be easy!

I added a blog to the list of ones I read daily: Down Yonder Green Valley. Jan writes this blog from Wales and I find it fascinating. The words she uses, the way she phrases things are so different from what I experience in my daily life--I am just so very interested. She has a menagerie of pets and also feeds numerous wild creatures--including hedgehogs! I love looking at the pictures she posts--a most beautiful part of the world. Do go and look at her blog, if for nothing more than the pictures.

In the links section of the sidebar, I added a couple that I have been meaning to. Stuff on My Mutt is the companion site to Stuff on My Cat. If you want cute pictures of dogs or cats, these two sites are for you. I find myself, more often than not, laughing out loud when I am looking at the pics.

For those of you who never got around to seeing Cows With Guns, I now have linked to it. It still is one of my all time favorite things to laugh at. Every few months or so I have to watch it again--and I ALWAYS chuckle. Check it out--especially if you never have seen it before.

Although it has been a link for a long time on the sidebar, I want to point out Demonic Squirrel Riding Story. Before reading it, make sure you go to the bathroom and DON'T drink a thing during the read--it IS funny enough to make you pee yourself or snort liquid through your nose.

And finally, I added a link to my post 'You Might Be A Yooper.' If you ever want to understand those of us in the UP of Michigan, this would be a good place to start. While it is a humorous look at us, it definitely is more real than any of us might want to admit!

And Finally...

Here is the last installment in 'Things To Do When You're Bored.' If you can't get any inspiration from these lists, then you are a hopeless case! :)

-Go to McDonald's and pretend you can't speak English

-Write to your congressmen, senators, President, etc. to tell them what a good job they're doing...On April 1st

-Take apart all your major kitchen appliances...mix and match them

-Turn your TV picture tube upside down

-Phone in a death threat on President Kennedy

-Put lighted EXIT signs on all your closets

-Carry a tune...drop it, see if it breaks

-Play hockey with your little cousin...as the puck

-Make a deal with the devil...but keep your fingers crossed

-Put instant concrete in your big brother's waterbed

-Give a lecture on the historical significance of cream cheese

-Debate politics with a fern

-If you lose, stop watering it and try again.

-Increase your territorial holdings by force

-Find out how many ways there really are to skin a cat

-Boldly go where no man has gone before

-Be a threat to the American way of life

-Do research into the cause of World War III

-Be a threat to the Northwestern Tibetan way of life

-Re-establish the Roman Empire...in Pittsburgh

-See how small you can scrunch your face

-Sell firewood door to door...in Atlantis

-Found the TLO (Toledo Liberation Organization)

-Play nuclear chicken with a small third world nation

-Raise professional certified racing turnips

-Give your grandmother a raise and another day of paid vacation

-Lead an aerobics class...for patients of the I.C.U.

-Go to a drive-in movie in a tank

-Go to a non-drive-in movie in a tank and drive in anyway

-Found a cockroach stable and stud ranch

-Send your goldfish to obedience school

-Free the oppressed toasters of America

-Weave a tablecloth out of copper tubing

-Park your car...with a friend

-Park your car...with a group of friends

-Frame your first statement of bankruptcy

-Place it on the wall of your office

-Solve the population problem (x^2 + y^2 = population...solve for x)

-Contribute to the population problem

-Wear a T-shirt that says "I'll walk on you to see The Who" and a peace sign

-Practice the Aztec method of heart removal on your least favorite neighbor

-Find out who made the super glue commercials and give them your Ginsu knife

-Get Ronco and K-tel to merge...they sell the same stuff anyway

-Sneak into a nuclear physics lab and stay the night

-Play with anything that looks interesting

-Drop piston engines on two people and see who squishes first

-See if your goldfish can live in Coors rather than water

-Try to ignite water...the Mississippi might work

-Draw Venn diagrams...screw them up

-State fallacies as fact (like, "peanuts grow on bushes")

-Visit the Architecture building...loudly criticize its design

-Make a schematic drawing...of a rock

-Wallpaper your laundry room...with pages from books you don't like

-See if diamonds really do cut glass...on everything in your neighbor's house

-Tenderize your tongue...chew on it for a while

-Bronze your sister's turtle

-See how long it takes for her to notice

-See what she does when she notices

-Bronze your sister

NHL Draft

On Friday, the NHL draft was held. Yippee?! It is really kind of hard to get too excited about this--after all, most of those being picked are still in their teens and won't even SEE the inside of an NHL rink for many years to come! Detroit picked 27th and got a defenseman.

The neatest thing about the draft: the first two picks were AMERICAN BORN PLAYERS! I guess we DO grow hockey players here in the States, after all. :) All in all, ten Americans were picked during this first round. Now THAT is something worth cheering about.

They Said WHAT?

I know I have mentioned the fact that the youngest daughter works at a vet clinic--actually, TWO vet clinics--before. While we were talking tonight we got into some of the strangest, stupidest, and craziest things she encounters people saying and doing. So I just HAD to share some of them.

At one of the clinics, people are required to fill out some paperwork when they come in as new clients. This is the requisite health history, etc, of the animal, plus some other questions that are helpful to the vet. At the bottom of the form, they used to have a line graph labeled from 0% to 100% in increments of 25--0, 25, 50, etc. The question was, "Approximately, how much time does your animal spend outside?" Most people would circle one of the numbers. One person put a circle between the 25 and 50 and inside the circle wrote '44%.' Now, HOW do you figure something so closely? Is this a sign of OCD or was the person just completely anal? They no longer ask the question.

Today YD answered the phone and talked to the woman on the other end. The woman was asking if she could bring her dog in for a 'distemperment' shot because it has been quite moody lately. She was hoping this would mellow him out a bit. I guess a LOT of people seem to think that distemper has something to do with the way an animal acts (its moods) and are not aware it is an actual disease.

And the one that REALLY made me laugh. A client told the vet that his dog was not in any need of flea or heart worm prevention--or anything else. They had a fenced-in yard, so the dog was completely protected. I guess they must have lived in a plastic bubble, because how else do you keep fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes out of your yard?

People--you gotta love 'em.

Almost Done

After this, there is only one more time I will be posting boredom busters--I certainly hope this has helped all of you in your quest for a certain amount of excitement! And here is the second to the last list:

-Kill a plant

-Buy a 1931 Almanac

-Memorize the weather section

-Think lewd thoughts about yourself

-Peel grapes

-Make paper from the skins

-Send chills down your spine

-Blow bubbles

-Catch them with your radiator

-Bloat

-Get run over by a train of thought

-Make up famous sayings

-Bite your pinkie

-File your teeth

-Design a better toilet seat

-Shred a newspaper

-Scratch

-Have a headache

-Sniff

-Hatch an egg

-Play air guitar

-Spill

-Act profound

-Spell

-Stare

-Truncate

-Slouch

-Develop hearing problems

-Put your feet behind your head

-Tie bows in everything

-Hold your hand

-Watch the minute hand move

-Grow your fingernails

-Pretend you're a telephone

-Radiate

-Ring

-Skip

-Play hopscotch...with real scotch

-Clock the velocity of your REMs

-Put your shoes on the opposite feet

-Cross your toes

-Roll your tongue

-Crystallize

-Baby oil the floor

-Hide

-Attack innocent bunnies

-Declare war

-Destroy a tree

-Hide the scrabble bag

-Seduce your stick shift

-Wink

-Memorize the periodic table

-Mummify

-Pretend you're a roadie

-Buy a Ginsu knife

-Collect electrons

-Correct typos that aren't there

-Polish your neck...use Pledge

-Repeat

-Ad lib

-Fade

-Loosen the lug nuts on your dad's new car

-Drop your cat off the roof to see if it lands on all four feet

-Unscrew all the light bulbs and rearrange the furniture

-Found the Jim Jones School of Bartending

-Listen for non-satanic messages (i.e. "Drink milk")

-Dress like Motley Crue...surprise your grandmother

-Dial-a-Prayer and tell them they're wrong

-Go into a bar and ask for a Molotov cocktail

-Learn everything there is to know about the Holy Roman Empire

-Make a drive-in window at your local bank where there wasn't one before

-Walk on water...but don't get caught

-Confess to a crime...that didn't happen

-Be in the wrong place at the right time

-Plot the overthrow of your local School Board

-Request covert assistance from the CIA

-Discover the source of the Mississippi

-Search for buried treasure...in Nebraska

-Hot wax the bottom of your brother's dress shoes

-Preach the philosophy of Marx...Groucho, that is

-Drink as much prune juice as you can

-Write a book about your previous life

-Serve ping-pong balls...as hors d'oeuvres

-Jump up and down...on your alarm clock

-Make a quilt out of used cocktail napkins

-Sterilize your stereo...with Jack Daniels

-Drive the speed limit...in your garage

-Wear a three-piece suit...in a sauna

-Pay off the national debt...with a bad check

-Go to a cemetery and verbally abuse dead people

-Give yourself a hernia...for Christmas

-Defend your neighborhood from roving Mongol hordes

-Recite romantic poetry...to your toaster

-See if you really can build a nuclear device in your own basement

ALMOST The Land Of The Midnight Sun

It never really occurred to me that other parts of the country had shorter days than we do during the summer. A lot of people come from other parts of the US to help when there is a problem at K's work and they have made comments about our long summer days. (Of course, they ALSO talk about our winter snow, but that isn't surprising.) So, today is the first day of summer and our longest day.

Today, the sun rose at 5:58am and will set at 9:47pm--that means a total of more than 16 hours of daylight! Actually, it starts getting light by 5:30 in the morning and stays pretty light till almost 10:30--kind of hard on people who can't sleep unless it is totally dark! It REALLY was hell to go and see drive-in movies (when we still had drive-ins) because they started so late. The movies wouldn't be done till 3:00am or later!

Of course, we do have the flip side of all of this--winter. Beginning in November and lasting till February (?--not really sure on the duration), K wakes up for day shift in the dark and comes home from work in the dark. He only gets to see daylight during his days off or if he leaves the plant during a workday. I think he has more problems with THAT than he does with trying to sleep while it is light outside.

So, I wanted to know how long the days are where my readers live? Leave comments and we can compare! :)

A Little Recipe

So many of the bloggers that I read post recipes, I finally decided to post one of my own. This is an old Finnish recipe--I remember my great-grandmother (as well as others) making this. For my family, I would make this on those evenings (usually Sunday) when we would do 'breakfast for dinner.' I usually served this with some kind of breakfast meat--bacon, sausage, etc.

Finnish Oven Pancake (pannu kakku)

2 eggs (slightly beaten)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups milk*
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Put 1/4 cup butter* in 9 x 13 pan--place pan in oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (Don't let butter burn.) Remove pan when butter is melted.

Meanwhile, mix eggs, sugar, milk, flour, and salt together. I use a wire whisk and beat till blended. (There may be some flour lumps--doesn't matter.) Pour batter into pan. Bake for 40 minutes. (No need to open oven to check on it.) It should be golden to dark brown.

Immediately upon removing from oven, sprinkle top with sugar.

This is somewhat of a custardy thing. (I don't know how else to describe it.) While it is baking, it will raise quite high and then will collapse almost immediately after coming out of the oven. I like to eat it while it is hot, just as is. (It also isn't too bad cold.) Some people put syrup or jam on it. It is good as a light meal or as a snack.

And, if anyone tries this, let me know how you like it. As I said, it is one of the recipes I have from 'the old country.'

*I have made this with margarine and skim milk and it still works out. However, it IS best when made with whole milk and real butter--much richer tasting.

A Long Way To Go For Dinner--And LOTS Of Weather

As I mentioned before we went on our road trip, we went out of town to have dinner with friends--and that is about all we did. We got a little shopping in, but nothing worth mentioning. It is very good to get out of town, though.

When we got home, the cat hadn't eaten much of the food I left for her. With that--and the fact there was so much water in the basement--I had to guess there was bad weather while we were gone. I thought it was going to be bad where we went--I had kept up with the weather forecasts--but we didn't even have a thunderstorm.

Today, we made it onto the Weather Channel. The skies opened up this afternoon and rained 'ice!' We got so much hail that it looked as if we had a snow storm--some of the hail was 3" in diameter. I don't know if we ever have had such bad hail. While I don't THINK any damage was done to our vehicles--haven't done too good of an examination--the hail DID take out the screen on our back storm/screen combo door. It really was something. I wonder what this did to crops in the area?

Boredom Buster

I have been bored lately, so there is only one solution: ROAD TRIP! Actually, K has 10 days off starting tomorrow, so he suggested we go to see our friends. Pretty good--we drive over 3 hours to (basically) go to dinner with friends. I think we may need to get friends that live closer. :)

To help everyone else with their boredom, I give you the next installment of 'Things To Do When You're Bored':

-Mug a stop sign

-Change your name...daily

-Go for a walk in your attic

-Challenge your neighbor to a duel

-Try to join Hell's Angels by mail

-Wonder

-Be a square root

-Ask stupid questions

-Weld your car doors shut

-Spew

-Vacation at Three-Mile Island

-Surf Ohio

-Teach your pet rock to play dead

-Go bowling for small game

-Be a monk...for a day

-Wear a sweatband to your wedding

-Staple

-Run away

-Intimidate a piece of chalk

-Abuse the plumbing

-Bend a florescent light

-Bend a brick

-Annoy total strangers

-Don't talk to things

-Have your cat bronzed

-Have your gerbil gilded

-Write books about writing books

-Create random equations

-Mispell words

-Tell your feet a joke

-Throw a tomato into a fan

-Sing the ABC song backwards

-Pretend you're a dog

-Dial-a-prayer and argue with it

-Grease the doorknobs

-String up a room

-Stack furniture

-Relive fond memories

-Tie your shoelaces together

-Gargle

-Count your teeth with your tongue

-Decay

-Find your half-life

-Build a house out of toothpicks

-Howl

-Wear a lampshade on your head

-Memorize the dictionary

-Stomp grapes in the bathtub

-Find a bug and chase it

-Make yourself a pair of wings

-Be immobile

-Dance 'til you drop

-Check under chairs for chewing gum

-Squish a loaf of bread

-Moo

-Bounce a potato

-Outmaneuver your shadow

-Climb the walls

-Appreciate everything

-Challenge yourself to a duel

-Believe in Santa Claus

-Let the best man win

-Throw marshmallows against the wall

-Hold an ice cube as long as possible

-Adopt strange mannerisms

-Blow up a balloon until it pops

-Sing soft and sweet and clear

-Sing loud and sour and gravelly

-Open everything

-Balance a pencil on your nose

-Pour milk in your shoes

-Write graffiti under the rug

-Embarrass yourself

-Grind your teeth

-Chew ice

-Count your belly button

-Sit in a row

-Stack crumbs

-Gesture

-Save your toenail clippings

-Make a pass at your blender

-Punt

-Make up words that start with X

-Make oatmeal in the bathtub

-Search for the Lost Chord

-Chew on a sofa cushion

-Sing a duet

-Balance a pillow on your head

-Hold your breath

-Faint

-Stretch

-Flash your mailman

-Learn to speak Farsi

-Swear in Russian

-Use an eraser until it goes away

-Disassemble your car

-Put it together inside out

-Record your walls

-Interview your feet

-Make a list of your favorite fungi

-Sell formaldehyde

-Make napalm

-Tattoo your dresser

-Watch a bowling ball

-Buy some diapers

-Eat everything

-Begin

-Pour milk in the sink

-Make cottage cheese

-Tie-dye your sheets

-Carpet your ceiling

-Hold your earlobes

-Fold your earlobes

-Flap

-Squawk

-Read tea leaves

-Analyze the Koran

-Be Buddha

-Award yourself a Nobel Peace Prize

-Plug in the cat

-Turn on everything

-Drop pebbles down the chimney

-Turn off your neighbor

MORE Things To Do When You Are Bored

-Ski Kansas

-Sleep in freefall

-Kill a Joule

-Test thin ice...with a pogo stick

-Apply for a unicorn hunting license

-Crawl

-Invite the Mansons over for dinner

-Paint your windows

-Watch a watch until it stops

-Flash your goldfish

-Paint

-Smile

-Paint a smile

-Flirt with an evergreen

-Rotate your garden...daily

-Shoot a fire hydrant

-Apologize to it

-Pretend you're blind

-Plant a shoe

-Sweat

-Give a Rorschach test to your gerbil

-Turn

-Take your sofa for a walk

-Write a letter to Plato

-Mail it

-Start

-Stop

-Dial 911 and breathe heavily

-Go to a funeral...tell jokes

-Play the piano...with mittens on

-Starch your shoes

-Polish your Calvin's

-Contemplate a cockroach

-Get a dog to chase your car

-Let him catch it

-Investigate the Czar

-Form a political party

-Have a political party

-Climb a sidewalk

-Sharpen a carrot

-Get diagonal...with a good friend

-Interrogate a gerbil

-Annoy yourself

-Get mad at yourself

-Stop speaking to yourself

-Be a side effect

-Ride a bicycle...up Mt. McKinley

-Duck

-Redecorate...your garage

-Develop a complex

-Try harder

-Hit the deck

-Cut the deck

-Put legwarmers on your furniture

-Scheme

-Sit

-Water your family room

-Stay

-Cause a power failure

-Roll over

-Wriggle

-Play dead

-Donate your brother's body to science

-Find a witch

-Burn her

-Ask why

-Regress

-Sleepwalk without sleeping

-Go bow hunting for Toyotas

-Kidnap Cabbage Patch Kids

-Jump back

-Play to lose

-Scalp a street light

-Have your car painted...plaid

-Read a tomato

-Sharpen your sleeping skills

-Watch a game show...take notes

-Put out a fire

-If you can't find a fire, make one

-Interview a cloud

-Play tiddlywinks...go for blood

-Play basketball...in a minefield

-Crumple

-Translate Shakespeare into English

-Skydive to church

-Cheer up a potato

-Do aerobic exercises...in your head

-Play cards with your swimming pool

-Pinstripe your driveway

-Play Kick the Fire Hydrant

-Harness chipmunk power

-Build a house with ice cubes

-Call London for a cab

Things I'm Ignoring

There are several things that I'm trying to ignore these days. I could probably do very long posts about each of these subjects, but I will not. So, here is my list of things to ignore:

--My weight/healthy eating. This is a constant source of anxiety for me, so I will just ignore it.

--Paris Hilton. Hasn't she been written about WAY too much?

--Brangelina. Yeah, she is making ridiculous demands of reporters and insisting she isn't anorexic. WHO cares?

--Hot weather. This is another subject I could rant and rave about for hours, but I won't. It has been hot here, it will cool off. Enough said.

--The Soprano's finale. I NEVER watched the show, but I HAD to watch the final few minutes on YouTube. If I had been a fan, I would have been pissed.

--Bob Barker. So what--he retired at a time most people are planning their funerals. Big deal. Never liked him--he always seemed like a rude, dirty old man to me.

--Michael Moore. He has a new movie coming out. Just another rant at our country. When will someone just tell him to SHUT THE F*** UP? He is such an idiot.

--Anaheim Ducks. Nothing to say--I'm ignoring them.

Being Bored

I don't really have a reason to be bored--hell, besides everything I HAVE to do, I have enough FUN things to do to keep boredom away! But, my life is in one of those ruts right now, so I thought I would share some things you can do when you are bored. (This will take several days to complete.)

Things To Do When You're Bored

(I didn't write this, but it has always given me a good laugh. The more slap happy you are, the better.)

-Wax the ceiling

-Rearrange political campaign signs

-Sharpen your teeth

-Play Houdini with one of your siblings

-Braid your dog's hair

-Clean and polish your belly button

-Water your dog...see if he grows

-Wash a tree

-Knight yourself

-Name your child Edsel

-Scare Stephen King

-Give your cat a mohawk

-Purr

-Mow your carpet

-Play Pat Boone records backwards

-Vacuum your lawn

-Whine

-Rake your carpet

-Re-elect Richard Nixon

-Critique "Three's Company"

-Listen to a painting

-Play with matches

-Buff your cat

-Race ferrets

-Paint your house...Day-Glo Orange

-Have a formal dinner at White Castle

-Read Homer in the original Greek

-Change your mind

-Change it back

-Learn Greek

-Watch the sun...see if it moves

-Stand on your head

-Stand on someone else's head

-Build a pyramid

-Spit shine your Nikes

-See how long you can stay awake

-See how long you can sleep

-Paint your teeth

-Wear a salad

-Speak with a forked tongue

-Get your dog braces

-Shave a shrub

-Have a proton fight

-Watch a car rust

-Quiver

-Rotate your carpet

-Learn to type...with your toes

-Set up your Christmas tree in April

-Buy the Brooklyn Bridge

-Be someone special

-Go back to square one

-Factor your social security number

-Take the fifth

-Memorize a series of random numbers

-Read the 1962 Des Moines white pages

-Join the Foreign Legion

-Learn Sanskrit

-Exist...existentially, of course

-Print counterfeit Confederate money

-Kick a cabbage

-Sandpaper a mushroom

-Take a picture

-Put it back

-Play solitaire...for cash

-Abuse your patio furniture

-Run for Pope

-Count to a million...fast

-Make a schematic drawing...of a rock

-Commit seppuku...with a paper knife

-Revert

-Think shallow thoughts

-Sleep on a bed of nails

-Boil ice cream

-DON'T toss and turn

-Run around in squares

-Think of quadruple entendres

-Speak in acronyms

-Have your pillow X-rayed

-Drink straight shots...of water

-Calmly have a nervous breakdown

-Give your goldfish a perm

-Fly a brick

-Play tag...on 35W

-Exorcise a ghost

-Exercise a ghost

-Be blue

-Be red

-But don't be orange

-Paint stripes on a lake

NHL Awards

For the fifth time, Nick Lidstrom won the Norris Trophy. (NHL's best defenseman) Only two other players have won the trophy more times--and one of them was Bobby Orr! Pavel Datsyuk won the Lady Byng Trophy for the second year in a row. (for sportsmanship) The low level of penalty minutes a player has seems to have a big part in being considered for the Lady Byng. While it is true that the contenders for the trophy play the game as it is intended in its purest form, I would GLADLY have Datsyuk not be in contention next year if he would only do a little more hitting. And I KNOW he can do it--I've seen him.

Congratulations to Nick and Pavel--the Wings are lucky to have both of you!

Hasek's Coming Back

Dominik Hasek will be back for the 2007-08 season. I'm really not all that surprised as I'm pretty sure he wants to retire with a Stanley Cup win. He did very well this last year and if they can keep him healthy, he will do fine next season. He doesn't have many more seasons left in him--he will turn 43 next birthday. But, at this point, there just aren't any good goalies available at a reasonable price--and considering Hasek won't be paid much more than his $750,000 base salary next year, he is a bargain. This will give the Wings enough time to get Howard up to speed for the NEXT year, or time to figure out whether they want to try and get someone who is established. It just is good to have one more player signed.

WHY Do They Do This To Me?

Last Friday, I went for my six month cleaning and check-up at the dentist. Of course, my dentist wasn't 'in the office' again. (I think he may be semi-retired.) Fine, I'll see him next time. Then on Monday, I got a call saying he was checking over my x-rays and 'saw something' and would like to see me. GREAT! For a dental-phobic like I am (see here), that is like saying he wants me to come in so he could rip my arm off and cram it down my throat! To say I have been on edge since then, is putting it mildly.

So, I got up this morning--morning, there are MORNINGS?--and hauled my ass to the dentist's office. This, of course, is no easy task, as we are fully into the 'construction season' around here. (You know, we have two seasons here in the UP: winter and construction.) Every easy route--or every one of my normal routes--to get to the office is closed. To get somewhere that is 5 minutes away from our house, now takes AT LEAST 15 minutes. I don't know if it is any faster to go through the detours--and the 4-way stops every two blocks--or go allllll the way arrrrround like I do. I can't believe so many roads are torn apart and we still are able to get around this town--not easily, but we can still get around. I DON'T go downtown because 'you can't get there from here'--it is so complicated that it is easier to stay away. I get my hair done and frequent some businesses--as well as the dentist--on 3rd street, which doesn't have easy access anymore. I can't imagine what will happen when the students come back in the fall--some of the road work isn't supposed to be done till November!

Anyway, I got off on a tangent. Now, I am so anal about taking care of my teeth, that when ANYTHING even slightly negative is said, I go nuts! Even getting the braces off hasn't cut down on the time it takes me to do my nightly cleaning routine--at least not by much! So, it just seems so unlikely for a problem to crop up that I don't handle it well when one does.

After sitting for almost a half hour--they just WANT my blood pressure to go sky high, don't they?--I was brought into the exam room. The dentist came in and did the exam and ordered new x-rays. As it turned out, there was an 'anomaly' on the original x-ray and there is nothing wrong with my teeth. I certainly breathed a sigh of relief.

And now, my dear readers, this has been a lesson on how to take a very boring, short sentence (Had to see the dentist--everything was fine.) and turn it into a reasonably lengthy post--and get away with it! :D

Wii Are Having Fun

Okay, I know it's a bad pun, but I just had to do it! This is my official announcement: I FOUND A WII!!!!!

Yesterday, A called to tell me they got their Wii--and did the 'nanner, nanner' bit. So, while I was out shopping last night, I decided to look for one and Target actually had THREE on the shelf. I was so excited that I almost forgot to go to the grocery store--I wanted to get home so badly to set the thing up.

All I have to say is this: RUN, don't walk, to the nearest place that sells Wiis, and get one for yourself. I don't remember the last time I have had so much fun 'playing.' Basically, I buy Nintendo systems so that I can play one of the gazillion Legend of Zelda titles. I haven't even put the Zelda disc into the system yet and I'm still having more fun than I imagined. The Wii comes with Wii Sports, which includes tennis, golf, baseball, bowling, and boxing. To play these, you actually have to stand up and MOVE--just as if you were playing the real thing. I actually broke a sweat while boxing! As I told A, we don't EVER have to worry about paying the membership fee at a gym anymore--all we have to do is work out on the Wii!

Now, I will have to go and do my workout for the day! :)

Again About The Reception

A little more about the reception we were at on Saturday. The music was provided by an authentic mariachi band. Unfortunately, they were only okay. And to top it all off, they were LOUD!! I really felt sorry for the people who were sitting at the table closest to the band--they were no more than five feet away. They must have left with ringing in the ears! I definitely was glad we sat closer to the back.

As I mentioned in the last reception post, this was a double reception--two sisters got married and had a combined party. The girls are a year apart from my girls--the oldest is a year older than C and the youngest is a year older than A, so I have known them the entire time we have lived in this house. And I am sure they have given their mother more than a moment's worth of anxiety about their marriages.

The youngest met her husband in South America. She visited him for about a year and they then decided it was too much travel, so they married there--it was the only way he could get his visa. He has been in this country a little over a year now.

The oldest daughter has lived in another state for a while now, so I don't know how she met her husband. He is from Europe and they got married rather quickly because he was having problems with HIS visa. (He was already here in the States.)

While I am hoping for the best for both girls--and they all seemed happy--I hope neither of these men are taking them for a ride. It just seems a bit strange--but I will admit I don't know the WHOLE story about either relationship. Like I said, I'm sure the mother has had many an anxious moment and many sleepless nights. We all just want what is best for our kids.

Chelios Signs

Chris Chelios has signed for another year with the Red Wings. This will be his 24th year playing in the NHL--he will be 46 years old on his next birthday. He is the oldest active player in the NHL. However, Gordie Howe was the oldest ever--he played at the age of 52. I would LOVE to know what kind of youth serum these guys take!

Adventures In Eating--At Least For ME!

In no way can I be considered adventurous--and that is even truer when it comes to my eating. I like to pretend that I like variety and I can almost convince myself of that, but, it all comes down to this: I like what I like and don't want to try new things.

Now I must explain the reason I am the way I am. When I was growing up, our meals consisted of meat and potatoes--potatoes prepared every way imaginable. This was because of The Father--he would not eat anything 'unusual,' so we ate meat and potatoes. He also ate bread and fruit, but rarely ate any vegetables. I still don't understand how the man is still alive--his eating habits defy everything that nutritionists consider 'good.' The Father described lasagna and pizza as looking 'like it had been eaten once already.' And because everything that went on in the household was first and foremost for The Father's happiness (this was The Mother's decision), food that was served was what he wanted to eat. So, I never even ate pizza until I was a teenager and I didn't have my first taco until after I was married. Living in a 'vacuum' for so many years is hard to get over and it has left me with the need to be safe in my food choices. K gets perturbed with me when I won't try new things in restaurants, but I figure I will order something that I KNOW I will like and eat. (Now I know I could always have something else if I absolutely couldn't eat what I ordered, but that, too, defies my upbringing: you must eat what is put in front of you or you go hungry till the next meal. Those childhood psychological barriers are a real bitch!)

All of this was quite interesting for me when we attended the double wedding reception of our neighbor's dughters last night: the reception was held in an authentic Mexican restaurant. I didn't think there was going to be much of a problem at first--hell, after two or three BIG glasses of Sangria, is ANYTHING a problem? As an appetizer, chips and salsa were placed on all of the tables--and I don't think I have ever tasted better salsa. 'This is going to be fine,' I thought. Then we made our way to the buffet table. And I began to panic. I didn't see anything that looked familiar and I didn't know what I was going to eat! Here I was, starving, holding onto a HUGE plate, in line with dozens of people, and I was close to walking away with one measly little taco. Of course, I was too embarrassed to do that, so I went with stuff that looked rather safe. I DIDN'T take one of the aluminum foil packets--couldn't see WHAT was inside--and didn't take one of the corn-husk wrapped things--again, couldn't see what was inside--but I managed to cover my plate well enough. As it turned out, I had enough to eat. I had a taco and a spoonful of a beef mixture and something that was shredded chicken in tomato sauce and stuff and some rice. There was an entire pan of refried beans--shudder--and I managed to stay FAR away from that. When we got back to the table, my friend across from me had taken a foil packet and it contained some flour tortillas. I guess the beef and chicken mixtures were there so you could make your own fajitas--which I did do. All in all, it could have been HORRIBLE, but I managed to enjoy myself. Now K has threatened to put this restaurant on the list of places to frequent--Lord help me! I must say, though, that the cake was one of the best I have EVER tasted--it was a two-layer white cake with extremely rich butter cream frosting and it had a raspberry filling. YUM!! I wish I would have thought to take a piece home with me.

Despite my resistance to change, I am trying. Never before would I have considered going to a Caribbean restaurant--which we did when we went to Chicago--or an authentic Cajun restaurant--which we will do here in the near future. I now have ventured past Olive Garden for Italian food and past Taco Bell for Mexican food, so I am expanding my horizons. Just, please, DON'T try to get me into a Greek or Indian restaurant--don't think I could handle either one of those!

Saving The NHL

Yesterday I posted about how to ruin the NHL. Today I am posting a solution to the problems. (I wrote this with my tongue firmly in my cheek--although, if you read it carefully, you can certainly see that there is more than a smidgen of truth to it! :))

More and more you can read about how things have to change to save the NHL. There have been numerous rule changes to make it easier to score. The lock-out produced a salary-cap which was to help the teams in non-traditional hockey cities—and to help the profit margin of the owners. (Let’s not think for a minute that THAT wasn’t the number one reason for the salary-cap!) We are now in the time of the ‘new NHL’ and if the powers-that-be have their way, it seems as if there will be more changes coming. All designed to get more people to watch and embrace the game.

Of course, the problems the NHL are experiencing have NOTHING to do with their changing of a game that has been played professionally since before World War I—and changes not necessarily for the better. Also, the fact that there is no contract with ESPN to televise games—as was the case before—and the fact that Versus broadcasts games nationally, has absolutely nothing to do with people not embracing the game. (Versus is NOT a basic cable channel—it definitely is not seen by the vast majority of the people in the US. Good job trying to bring the game to the masses!) And the fact that places such as Phoenix, Tampa Bay, Nashville, Atlanta, etc.—places that have hardly ever seen ice in nature—have to try and sustain teams AND teach the locals what the game is all about, plays no part in the struggles the league is experiencing.

Anyway, the NHL is—supposedly—struggling. And I know how to fix it.

The first thing that has to be done is to get Oprah interested in the game. She can then declare to the world how wonderful hockey is. This will get every suburban soccer-mom on board and hockey will be the fastest growing sport in North America. Within two years, teams will be looking to build new arenas just so they can fit all of the new fans.

The year after the new arenas are built, Oprah—that champion of all downtrodden African-Americans—will have a change of heart. She will declare hockey to be a racist sport because of the relative lack of African-American players in the NHL. This will cause the suburban soccer-moms to rethink their love of the sport—after all, if Oprah thinks it’s bad, it must be—and abandon it. Their husbands and children will no longer be allowed to have anything to do with hockey—Oprah said it’s bad (remember how she affected the sales of beef!)—and the arenas will become empty. Teams will go bankrupt and shut their doors.

That is, all fans except for the TRUE hockey fanatics! The original six teams—Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Red Wings, Bruins, Rangers, and Black Hawks—will be stronger than ever and the cities that have the second six teams to come into the league (or their equivalents)—Flyers, Blues, (the now defunct) North Stars, (the now defunct) Seals, and Penguins—will re-embrace the game. The TRUE hockey fans will love their teams and players and the teams will love the fans right back. No one will have to explain the game anymore—watch NBC’s Game of the Week if you don’t know what I’m talking about—and no one will have to defend checking, hard hitting, or fighting anymore. All will be right with the world once again.

A Bit Of My Life

Here's the scenario: You go to the frig or pantry to find something. You have a craving. It could be fixings for a sandwich, it could be leftover dessert, it could be potato chips, but you go to get it. For yourself. It is NOT where you left it. And you KNOW where it was put because you put it there. Hell, you put everything in the frig and the pantry because no one else does! What you want is not there. Someone else has eaten what you have been craving. Again.

I thought when the girls left home that this would cease to be as much of a problem. WRONG! I think it is more of a problem for one simple reason: K doesn’t have to ‘pretend’ to eat ‘healthy’ foods as an example to the girls. (Of course, ‘healthy’ is a relative term. Rice Krispie treats for breakfast are okay because they are made with cereal, right? Same goes for oatmeal cookies or Mandarin orange salad made with cottage cheese.)

So, I came home from shopping the other night and we had this conversation:

Me (C): I bought some chips—they had a ‘buy one, get one free’ sale.

K: Oh, good…By the way, what are those Doritos for in the pantry?

C: Doritos? You mean the bag that I hid waaaay in the back, behind the cake carrier, out of plain sight?

(Like there are any others in there—you’ve eaten everything else!)

K: Yeah, those.

C: Excuse me, but HOW did you FIND them?

(You MUST have the nose of a bloodhound because those things were HIDDEN!!)

K: Oh, I was looking around for something to eat.

(Riiiiigggggghhhhhhttttttttt. You were hungry. After all, it has been ONLY two hours since you had that three course meal.)

C: I hid them because they are needed for a casserole I’m going to make. Now you have chips, so it isn’t a problem.

(Of course, I got the blank stare—just as if I was conspiring to keep food away from him. You know, I’m just waiting for him to waste away to normal.)

C: I guess I need to find some other hiding places for things I don’t want you to eat. The vegetable bin was a great hiding place—no one EVER found what I hid in there.

(This last statement produced a look from him like I was speaking Klingon and he never heard the language in his life. Total blank look.)

K: Vegetable bin? You mean the one in the frig? You hid stuff in it?

C: Yes, I hid stuff in it. I ALWAYS had a stash of candy bars, GOOD cookies, and other nummy things there while the girls were growing up. It was the one place I KNEW no one would ever look for something to eat—and I was proven right.

K: Vegetable bin? Hmmmm.

(Yeah, like I will EVER hide anything in there again!)

I relate this little conversation for my readers’ benefit—now you know of a place to hide things where the rest of your family will never find them. It was a good enough hiding place for me to use for over twenty years—and then I went and opened my big mouth. I guess I will just have to find another one. Hmmm, K NEVER goes into the sewing room…

Ways To Ruin The NHL

Here are several ways that the game we love so much is being ruined:

--‘Punish’ a dirty goon like Chris Pronger with a rap on the knuckles for his attempt at taking another player’s head off—several times. Twice he was suspended—one game each time—during the playoffs, for the exact same thing. Obviously, the ‘punishment’ isn’t working: he has been suspended seven times. It is a shame his name will be engraved on the Cup this year.

--Have one of the dirtiest teams in the league win the Stanley Cup. Yep, Pronger and his dirty teammates won the Cup—a dark day for me and for a lot of people.

--Allow Brett Hull to be a commentator during games. And to make it even worse, have Don Cherry stop by between periods and spout off HIS stuff and nonsense. There are no two people who love to hear themselves talk more than these two do. I am just happy there is a volume control and channel changer on my remote control.

--Give the rights to broadcast games to VS and NBC. First, I don’t believe even half of the households in the US are capable of getting VS, so, right there you have a drop in viewers. Next, allow NBC to leave a playoff game before the overtime period is even begun just to cover the preliminaries of a rain-delayed horse race. GREAT way of attracting new fans.

--Despite what some people may say, ending tie games with a shoot-out is NOT wonderful. For one thing, this is a team sport and a shoot-out is a one-on-one skill—no teamwork involved. If tie games are not wanted, just continue playing sudden-death, as in the playoffs. A MUCH better way of doing things.

--Insist on keeping/putting expansion teams in cities that can’t sustain outdoor ice rinks even in the dead of winter. The majority of the people in these cities don’t care about hockey—and most of them don’t even know there is a game called hockey. Get out of the southern cities and DEFINITELY get out of California—it would go a long way towards restoring the NHL to what it should be.

--Continue to have Gary Bettman be the commissioner of the NHL. Nothing more needs to be added.

Blogger

I just looked at my last post and saw that the formatting is off, again. I thought Blogger was WYSIWYG? Well, it doesn't seem to work all that well for me. Anyone else having problems? It isn't all that big of a deal, but for someone who borders on OCD, it IS! I really have to keep myself from spending HOURS trying to fix my posts so that they are 'just so perfect looking.' My problem, what can I do. :)

Trivia

Because I haven’t done a trivia post in a while, here is a sampling from mental_floss.

* While a stiff penalty for panda hunting in China (20 years imprisonment) has helped to cut down on poachers, the number of giant pandas in the wild hasn't recovered since it dipped below 1,000. This is not only due to destruction of their natural habitat by China's ever-increasing human population, but also the result of a low reproductive rate. It's well-publicized that the animals have trouble mating in captivity, but their success in the wild isn't much better.

* Would some panda "performance enhancement" pills help? Probably not. Panda mating season only lasts from March until May, and females give birth only once every two years. The creatures spend so much time foraging and eating to stay healthy that amour is typically way down on their list of priorities.

* While pandas may occasionally dine on eggs, fish, rodents, or insects, they subside almost exclusively on bamboo. Unfortunately, bamboo isn't the most nutritious foodstuff, so it may take a panda 12 hours a day to locate and consume enough bamboo to survive. A large panda may consume more than 50 lbs. of food daily.

* Teflon is a brand-name DuPont plastic used to keep kitchen pans scratch-resistant. It was invented in 1938, when chemist Roy Plunkett was experimenting with Freon gas. He found that by freezing and compressing one of the chemicals used in the production of the gas, he could create a plastic that was super-slippery. Today, Teflon is not only used for cookware, but in various applications. The outside of the roof of the Metrodome in Minneapolis, for instance, is coated in the stuff. It helps snow and other debris just slide right off.

* Some trivia books indicate that the name Wendy was "invented" by author J.M. Barrie for a character in his story Peter Pan. While research shows that the name was around before then, there's no doubt that the tales of Neverland led to the explosion in its popularity during the 20th century. One of the most famous Wendys is the freckled-face youngster that's the namesake for the fast food chain of the same name. While she's quite real – a daughter of the late Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's – her real name wasn't Wendy. It was Melinda. The family used Wendy as a nickname for her growing up.

* The Chinese dish known as Moo goo gai pan didn't get its name because it's cooked in a pan. The "pan" part of the name actually means "sliced, " to go along with "moo goo" ("mushrooms") and "gai" ("chicken"). So there you have it – sliced chicken with mushrooms.

* Tin Pan Alley was a section of lower Manhattan known for being the center of the songwriting and song publishing business in New York. There are two legends of how the area got its name, but they both relate to the pianos used in music offices in the area. Due to complaints from others in the neighborhood about the volume of the piano music coming from the offices, players were forced to muffle the pianos using various techniques. The resulting sound was "like a tin pan, " according to songwriter Harry Von Tilzer, leading to the moniker. Others believe the "tin pan" name is simply a corruption of "tinny piano" in reference to the sound.

40 years ago, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band—one of The Beatles’ best and most well-received albums—was released. Here are a few trivia facts:

* In "With a Little Help from My Friends," the Lennon and McCartney lyric "What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and walk out on me?" originally contained a line about throwing tomatoes at the singer. Ringo remembered the years when George was pelted onstage with jelly babies by fans after he mentioned that they were his favorite candy. Just in case they ever took to the stage again, Starr asked the composers to change that line, and they obliged.

* Two people that were originally included on the Sgt. Pepper album cover were "retouched" out of the picture before the album was pressed. One was Bowery Boy Leo Gorcey, who requested a fee for his likeness. The other was Mahatma Gandhi, removed on the request of record company EMI, lest any fans in India feel offended.

* Speaking of the cover, the Sgt. Pepper's packaging was innovative for its day. Not only was it one of the first gatefold (open-up) album covers, but the full lyrics were printed on the inner spread, something never before done. A special cardboard insert featured fun cut-outs, including a stand-up of The Beatles and a wear-it-yourself moustache.

A BUNCH OF FIVES

Burg tagged me with this meme, so here goes.

A BUNCH OF FIVES

Instructions: Remove the blog from the top, move all blogs up one, add yourself to the bottom.

Special K Family
Blogging Obsession
Jersey Mum
Deeper Shades of Red
Out of My Mind

Five people to tag:
Cindi
Kristi
Virginia Belle
Ann
and anyone else who wants to!

What were you doing 10 years ago?
Ten years ago my first granddaughter was about to turn one, my oldest was about to celebrate her first wedding anniversary with her first husband, my youngest was in middle school, I was superintendent of our church Sunday school, and I was actually talking to The Family. What a difference ten years makes!

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Feeling very disappointed that the Red Wings didn't win the Stanley Cup. No different than today. :)

Five Snacks You Enjoy:
1) Potato chips and vanilla ice cream—at the same time
2) Popcorn
3) Hershey bars
4) Cookies—various kinds
5) Cake

Five Songs That You Know All The Lyrics To:
1) Happy Birthday To You
2) Itsy Bitsy Spider
3) Amazing Grace (first verse, anyway)
4) Your Cheatin’ Heart by Hank Williams (see, I know SOME country songs!)
5) Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton (as well as numerous others by EC—at least well enough to sing along to)

Five Things You Would Do If You Were a Millionaire:
1) Give some money to a charity.
2) Make sure my daughters and their families were provided for.
3) Buy a Hummer and several other vehicles.
4) Buy the most expensive, state-of-the-art computers I could find—and continue upgrading at will.
5) Build my dream home.

Five bad habits:
1) Overeating.
2) Not listening enough when others talk.
3) Not sleeping during ‘normal’ hours.
4) Procrastinating.
5) Bitching and whining.

Five Things You Like To Do:
1) Overeat.
2) Talk.
3) Be on the computer.
4) Read.
5) Bitch and whine.

Five Things You Would Never Wear Again:
1) 4” high heels.
2) A two piece swimsuit.
3) A sleeveless top.
4) Skin-tight jeans.
5) A bra without an underwire.

Five Favorite Toys
1) My computers.
2) Palm PDA.
3) Zen Micro.
4) Nintendos.
5) Cell phone.