A Couple of Pictures

With all of the talk I've been doing about the snow we got recently, I thought I should post a picture I took today. This was taken in the parking lot of the local mall. All of this was cleared from the lot after the most recent snow storm. It made for a nice snowbank! :)





I also do a lot of talking about my cat, so I thought I would post the last picture I took of her. Here she is, my fat cat:



(She's not FAT, she's FLUFFY!)

Celebrate

Celebrations for the week:

13 April
National Peach Cobbler Day
International Plant Appreciation Day

14 April
National Pecan Day

15 April
Rubber Eraser Day
Take A Wild Guess Day
That Sucks Day

16 April
National Eggs Benedict Day (YAY!!!)
International Moment of Laughter Day
International Stress Awareness Day
National Wear Your Pajamas To Work Day

17 April
National Cheeseball Day
Blah! Blah! Blah! Day
Ford Mustang Day
Get To Know Your Customers Day
High Five Day

18 April
Look-Alike Day
International Juggler's Day
National Animal Crackers Day
Pet Owners Independence Day

19 April
Garlic Day
Husband Appreciation Day
National Hanging Out Day
World Cow Chip Day

Next Stop, Nashville

On Monday night the third game of the first round will be played. And Detroit will go into the game with a 2-0 lead in the series, after winning 4-2 today. I'm not expecting the Wings to sweep the series, but at least ONE win in Nashville would be nice.

In both of the games so far, Detroit has had some lucky breaks. LAST year, they had some UNlucky ones. I don't know if it is harder to LOSE to questionable calls or WIN because of them. But, this is what playoff hockey is all about. Only 14 more wins and the Cup is theirs!

glitter-graphics.com

Giggling and Blushing

If I had any talented whatsoever, I would be an actress. That is because I am an attention whore. Meleah has so kindly fed my addiction, once again, and gave me more awards. YAY!!!



AND:

Awarded by
Meleah Rebeccah
to CMK

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Updating the Storm

There is no telling how much snow anyone here in the UP got. Anywhere from a couple of inches to almost 12 fell--BUT, it wasn't as much as was predicted. Everything that fell was dense, heavy, and wet--lots of slush. Some places lost power, but not many. Basically, all of the schools closed for the day. The roads had warmed enough in the past days/weeks, so by this afternoon most were just wet--at least the ones that had been plowed. At 10:00 AM, I looked outside--it was still snowing--and decided to cancel the appointment I had scheduled for this afternoon. I didn't need to. I'm not sure I would have made it out of our driveway, though--the plow pushed a ton of snow into the mouth and I would never have been able to shovel it. Oh, well, that is life here.

The forecast says we are not done with this particular storm. It has started snowing again and should continue overnight and tomorrow. We still are under a storm warning calling for 7 more inches with high, gusty winds. A NSW meteorologist was interviewed on the local news and she said this should be the last of our big storms for the year. However, she also said it isn't unusual for us to get storms all of the way into May. In 1990, we got 20 inches from May 9-10. :)

Clearing My Mind

I LOVE how women connect. It is as if we have one mind. For example: When talking to another married woman, all I have to say to explain why I am mad at my husband is, "MEN!" EVERY married woman knows what I am talking about. Of course, it isn't only about men where we connect so wonderfully, but it is one example. We women are quite great, aren't we?

**********

So, we had about six inches of snow fall again this past Monday into Tuesday. The second week we had a storm. Tonight we are under another storm/blizzard warning for all of Friday and into late Saturday. This storm is supposed to dump up to 24 inches up the road from us. In the city we could be looking at 10 inches or more. All of this snow will, once again, be wet and heavy. Add the blizzard-strength winds and we could have one hell of a mess to get through. yay. To top it all off, we could possibly get a thunderstorm tonight. Just what I need, thundersnow! (Yes, it is called that. And yes, we have had it before.)

**********

I mentioned to Meleah the other day that you won't find anything on Canadian TV in the evenings for the foreseeable future. This is because the Stanley Cup playoffs have begun. I don't know if she actually believed me, but it is absolutely true. At 7:00 PM each and every night through the first round, at least, the first game of the night begins. Then, at 10:00 PM, the second game begins. IF the first game ends early enough, they MIGHT show the news. And the news WILL fit in the time between games. If the first game should happen to go into overtime, or just run a little long, the news program will be shortened. In Canada, NOTHING is more important than hockey. The rest of the world be damned!

**********

As you can imagine, I am caught up in the playoffs. If Detroit isn't playing, I am watching two games at once. I find, though, that the playoffs for me are like our political elections: When trying to pick who I want to win, I wind up looking at the lesser of two evils. The ONLY teams I will ALWAYS want to lose are Anaheim and Pittsburgh. Anaheim because they have the dirtiest players in the NHL. Pittsburgh because I am so damned sick and tired of hearing about Sidney Crosby. My worst nightmare? Anaheim and Pittsburgh playing in the finals! That will be the day that Lord Stanley rolls over in his grave. (He probably did last year when Anaheim won the Cup.)

**********

Has anyone seen the new $5? I don't know, but every time I see any of the new currency, I can't help but think, "FAKE!" For those who haven't seen one, here is what the new fives look like:

First One Is Done!

I am so very embarrassed to say this, but my stomach is so tied up in knots right now I'm afraid I'm about to develop an ulcer! And why is that? Because I was so worked up over tonight's game. STILL two more months to go before the end of the playoffs...at least I HOPE the Wings are still around in June!

Anyway, the Wings won 3-1 tonight. The last goal was an empty-netter, so it was a much closer game than the score indicates. Detroit was playing quite well, but so was Nashville. It was a fight right down to the finish and the Wings managed to grind out a win. Don't know how many more of these close games I will be able to handle.

The first octopus--at least the first that they showed on TV*--went onto the ice before the game even started. The next one that we were shown was after Z scored the last goal at the end of the game. Neither octopus came anywhere close to the record-setting 50 pound one that made it to the ice during the 1995 playoffs! :)

*Officially, nothing is supposed to be thrown onto the ice during a game. So says the NHL. (Actually, I believe a penalty can be called against the team if the refs think it is warranted.) Unofficially, EVERYONE wants to see an octopus.



--Detroit Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood (30) congratulates goalie Dominik Hasek (39), of the Czech Republic, after Detroit's 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of the NHL Western Conference quarterfinal hockey playoff series in Detroit, Thursday, April 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)--

Only In This Town

CITY POLICE LOG

--2:01 PM:
Man went into medical center with bear cub on his shoulder.



WHAT can I say?

Are You In?

10 April 2008

Joe Louis Arena
Detroit, Michigan

7:00 PM

Detroit Red Wings
vs
Nashville Predators

Round 1
Stanley Cup Playoffs

Broadcast Nationally
on Versus

Are You In?


--'Al' the octopus, the Red Wing mascot--

Husbands create 7 hours of extra housework a week: study

This is one of those 'DUH!!!' stories. Any married woman could have made these observations without any 'studies' done.

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - For married women who can't figure out why they always have so much housework researchers may have the answer -- husbands.

A new study from the University of Michigan shows that having a husband creates an extra seven hours of extra housework a week for women. But a wife saves her husband from an hour of chores around the house each week.

"It's a well-known pattern. There's still a significant reallocation of labor that occurs at marriage -- men tend to work more outside the home, while women take on more of the household labor," said Frank Stafford, of the university's Institute for Social Research (ISR), who directed the study.

"And the situation gets worse for women when they have children," he added in a statement.

Stafford's findings are based on 2005 time-diary data from a study on income dynamics that has been conducted since 1968 at ISR.

The researchers studied diaries to assess how people spent their time and questioned men and women about how much time they spend cooking, cleaning and doing basic work around the house.

They found that young single women did the least amount of housework, at about 12 hours a week. Married women in their 60 and 70s did nearly twice that amount, while women with more than three children spent 28 hours a week cleaning, cooking and washing.

But it's not as bad as it used to be. In 1976 women did an average of 26 hours of housework a week, while men did about six, according to the study,

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; editing by Belinda Goldsmith)

I'm Feeling Much Better Now...

There is nothing like getting some sleep and having the sewer guys fix what's wrong to change a person's mood--so things are getting better. :)

Today when the guys came in, they not only cleaned out the pipe but they put a camera in to see what the problem is. They found a tree root ball which is making things go all funky. So, they put Rid-X in the pipe and we are waiting for the appropriate three hours to see if all is well. They could only estimate as to how far away from the house the root ball is, so we can't be certain if it is on our property or not. If it is on city property, we could possibly have the city come in and fix the mess--if it is on our property, well...

This is so maddening to me for several different reasons. Of course, it is just not right to not be able to use water/toilet/shower. This doesn't make for a happy person. I HATE having to pay for the same thing over and over again. It isn't the drain-guys' fault, but I wish things could be taken care of ONCE instead of having to do the same thing over and over again.

The biggest reason this pisses me off is that our sewer reliability has always been phenomenal. I am sure I could flush a full-grown elephant with no problems! We have lived in this house almost thirty years and before this run of problems, we have only had to have the pipes taken care of three times previously. I could live with once every ten years, but having to have work done every couple of months, no. K said he is going to start using Rid-X routinely so we don't have to do this again. I hope it works.

NOT In A Good Mood...):

So I'm doing laundry this evening and went in the basement to switch loads. What do I see? The damn sewer is backing up...AGAIN!!!!! We just had the guys here about six weeks ago because it was backing up! I KNOW it is someone's fault and when I find out who, I WILL take action. SOMEONE'S balls--I assume it is a man responsible--WILL be nailed to the wall. I don't dare take my blood pressure because I'm sure it is high enough to make me feel I need to go to the hospital. This is just fricking ridiculous, having to have someone here again so soon.

That is all...you can now go back to your day.

glitter-graphics.com

Lord Stanley's Cup

So, I did Red Wing trivia yesterday, today I will do Stanley Cup trivia--pretty much the same as I posted last year (there are some changes), but still interesting. (At least to some of us. :))

--The Stanley Cup was first presented in 1893.

--And it is the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes.

--Has logged more than 400,000 miles in travel during the past five years.

--Weighs 35 pounds and stands just under three feet in height.

--Is the only trophy that is passed along from player to player the summer their team wins it. Each player and team management member of the winning team gets to take it home for a day.

--Has visited the White House (several times), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the David Letterman Show.

--Made a guest appearance on 'Boston Legal' last season. Denny Crane was trying to engrave his name on the Cup. He felt he deserved it because he helped the Bruins win the Cup by lending Bobby Orr his lucky jockstrap for the winning game. (Of course, it probably WASN'T the REAL Cup, but still...)

--Players have used /abused the Cup in many ways. Among them: It has been used as a baptismal font. It was 'forgotten' on the side of the road by a group of players when they stopped to fix their flat tire--it was still there when they went back to get it. Has been used as a cooler at parties. Has had cereal eaten out of it. Several players have tried to see if the Cup 'will float' by throwing it in a swimming pool or lake. (I guess it doesn't.)

--Is the only trophy in professional sports to have names of all players, coaches, management, and club staff of a winning team engraved on it.

--There are 10 women's names engraved on the Cup.

--There are several misspellings on the Cup. Jacques Plante's name has been misspelled five times.

--One name was put on it--and shouldn't have been--and was later "x'd" out.

--Henri Richard won the Cup 11 times.

--Jean Beliveau's name is on the Cup the most times: 17. Ten times as a player, 7 as management.

--It takes 13 years to fill a ring of the Stanley Cup with names.

--In the space for the 2004-2005 season, it is engraved "2004-2005 Season Not Played." That was the year the season was canceled due to a labor dispute.

--Montreal has won the Cup a record 24 times. Toronto comes in second with 13 wins.

--Detroit has won the Cup more times than any other US team. At 10 wins, they are number 3 on the list behind Montreal and Toronto.

--The first US citizen to have his name engraved on the Cup is John Sherf of Calumet, MI. (That is here in the UP!) He played with the Red Wings in 1936.

--To have one's name inscribed on the Cup, a player must have played at least 41 games for the championship team during the regular season, or played at least one game in the finals. There are exceptions--of course--and are looked at in a case-by-case basis.

--It is a tradition that, after winning the Cup, each member of the team takes a lap around the ice while holding the Cup above his head.

--When the Cup travels, it is always accompanied by at least one representative of the Hockey Hall of Fame. When the reps touch the Cup, they always wear white gloves.

--In 1997, the Wings won the Cup for the first time in 42 years. The last time they won was in 2002.

--Last season, the Cup was won by a team named after a Disney movie--they shall be NAMELESS for now. (I'm still bitter.)

About The Red Wings

I just HAD to do this trivia post. Deal with it! :D

--The team was founded in 1926.
--Before they were the Red Wings, the team was known as the Cougars and as the Falcons.
--The Wings play at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
--Mike Ilitch, the owner of Little Caesar's Pizza, owns the Red Wings.
--The team roster consists of four Americans, eleven Canadians, eight Swedes, two Czechs, one Slovak, one Russian, and one Finn.
--The oldest player in the NHL (age 46), Chris Chelios, plays for the Wings.
--The Wings are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs, The Boston Bruins, The Chicago Black Hawks, and the New York Rangers. The NHL doubled in size in 1967 when 6 more teams were added.
--Detroit is nicknamed 'Hockeytown' because of the Wings.
--The Wings have won 10 Stanley Cups--the most of any US team. They are third behind the Canadiens and Maple Leafs.
--Gordie Howe (Mr. Hockey), is one of the greatest to ever play hockey. He was a Wing.
--From 1967-83, the Wings went into a funk. This was the period of time when they were known as the 'Dead Wings.'
--The Stanly Cup win in 1997 was the first time the Wings won in 42 years.
--Fans of the Red Wings have a tradition of throwing octopi on the ice after goals are scored--especially during home play-off games. This is for good luck.
--The Wings have retired 6 numbers that former players wore. One other number has been retired league-wide: Number 99, which Gretzky wore.
--As a team and individually, the Red Wings have won more honors, trophies, and awards than can be mentioned here.
--Steve Yzerman was captain of the Wings from 1983 to 2006. This was the longest tenure of a captain in NHL history.
--33 former Red Wings are now in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
--The Wings' minor league team is the Grand Rapids Griffins.
--The colors of the Red Wings are red and white.

glitter-graphics.com

Bits of My Life

The trial K was a juror for came to an end today. They found the woman guilty. The case was this: A woman was a manager of a gas station. During one of her shifts, some money came up missing. She couldn't explain what happened to it. K isn't 100% sure she took the money, but he thinks she may be covering for someone else. He doesn't think she had adequate representation, either. He is convinced she would have been found not guilty with a better lawyer. But, the jury had to work with what they had, so they had to find her guilty. K is just happy it is over with.

**********

My newest, favorite snack is Ritz Toasted Chips--garlic and mozzarella flavor. Damn but they are good. Once I start eating them, I can't stop! Nummy.

**********

I guess I called it too soon. We are NOT getting spring yet. And this, despite the fact I saw my first robin this evening! Anyway, we are under a winter storm watch for tomorrow night and there is the possibility (probability?) of an even worse storm coming for the weekend. I don't mind having storms, I just hate getting the wet, heavy snow that is being predicted. I worry too much that we will be without power. Not fun in the least.

And It Is Done...And It Begins

Today was the last day of the 2007-08 NHL hockey season. The play-off season begins on Wednesday. The last possible day for it all to be over for the year is 9 June. A long season.

The Wings ended the season in fine style, by showing the Blackhawks who was in charge. After last week's embarrassing loss, Detroit won 4-1 today. And they looked as if they were in play-off mode. Good to see. Hudler managed a goal today to end his dry spell--hopefully it will follow into the play-offs. My biggest disappointment was that Baby Boy didn't get his 20th for the year--that time off with the injuries kept him from achieving the mark. Well, there is always next year.

With today's win, the Wings' goaltenders won the Jennings Trophy. It is given to the goaltenders of the team with the fewest goals scored against them for the season. Hasek and Osgood did very well this year and deserve the recognition. Hope Hasek can keep himself healthy through the play-offs.



--William M. Jennings Trophy--

Before the game today, the Wings were presented with the Presidents' Trophy. It is awarded to the team with the best overall record for the year and Detroit won it with 115 points--7 points ahead of the next team. But, as has happened most years, it means nothing during the play-offs. In 2002, the Wings won the Presidents' and then won the Cup--a team hasn't won both in the same year since.

In hockey--as in most sports--there are many traditions and superstitions. As the superstition goes, when being awarded the Presidents' Trophy, the captain of the team--or ANY member of the team--cannot touch the trophy at all. Big time bad luck to touch the Presidents' before winning the Cup. As the pictures show, Lidstrom couldn't stand far enough away from the Trophy today. (The captain accepts the award for the team.) It is rather amusing.



--Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom stands next to the 2007-08 President's Trophy as the National Hockey League's regular season champion before the start of their NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Detroit, Michigan April 6, 2008. Reuters--

More Links

Since doing the meme the other day, I found a few more links that I HAD to pass along.

Urban Dictionary--There are many times--partly because I'm older than dirt and partly because I live where I do--that I don't have a clue as to what a young or urban person is saying. This site has it all--or at least everything I have wanted to know! (I didn't put this in with my favs in the meme because there weren't supposed to be any R-rated sites. This would qualify as an R site, at least. Or maybe I only look up R-rated words/phrases. ;))

Lab Tests Online--Unfortunately, I have needed to use this site more times than I care to think about. But, it has been invaluable in many ways. Any time lab tests have been ordered for me, I go here and find out just what the doctor is looking for with the ordered test. I have saved myself a lot of worrying by going here and getting the info.

Rockabye Baby!--This site I just found and I'm still not sure what I think of it. This company takes music--ROCK music--and transforms it into lullabies for babies. Think of the music of AC/DC, Led Zepplin, The Rolling Stones, Nine Inch Nails, and others, as instrumentals, slowed down to a lullaby. It is really rather surreal. When you click on 'Albums' at the top of the page, you can listen to short clips of each song on the albums shown. Quite unbelievable.

KissThisGuy.com--If you have never been to this site, be prepared. Before you start reading, go to the bathroom and don't have a mouthful of coffee--you don't want to wet yourself OR spray your monitor screen. This site is simply the best place to go for a laugh. An example: The Canadian national anthem starts with these words: "Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee..." and the child heard the lyrics as: "Oh Canada, we stand on cars and freeze..."

GIANTmicrobes--So you have a bug. And you want to know what it looks like. And you would like to HUG it. Here is the place for you. Someone--I think the person was a genius--decided to make stuffed toys that look like common microbes. Not only are these funny, but they also can be very informative and educational. My youngest was going to see about getting some of these for the vet clinic she works at as a way to remind people to get their pets immunized. MRSA and Toxic Mold make me chuckle--the toys, not the real thing! :)

Celebrate

Holidays for the week:

6 April
National Caramel Popcorn Day
Drowsy Driver Awareness Day
Teflon Day

7 April
National Coffee Cake Day
No Housework Day

8 April
National Empanada Day

9 April
National Chinese Almond Cookie Day
National Cherish An Antique Day

10 April
National Cinnamon Crescent Day
National Sibling Day

11 April
National Cheese Fondue Day
Dandelion Day
Barbershop Quartet Day
International "Louie, Louie" Day

12 April
National Licorice Day
Walk On Your Wild Side Day

On Being Old and Out of Shape

Just minutes after waking up yesterday, I moved in an awkward way and felt a 'POP' in my left shoulder blade. And that was the end of my day. I could barely move my left arm without experiencing a lot of discomfort and had to hold my bent arm close to my body to feel halfway decent. I tried aspirin first to see if that would make things better, and it didn't. Before I went to bed I sucked down three Advil and woke up today with the shoulder and back feeling much, much better. However, the longer I am up and doing things, the stiffer my left side is getting. Damn. I guess this is one of those 'have to work itself out' kind of deals. As long as it doesn't get any worse, I won't be going to the doctor. I really think it is a matter of being old and out of shape. yay.

Bits 'n' Pieces

K reported for jury duty today and was chosen to sit. He has to go back on Monday and maybe Tuesday. I don't know what the case is, as he wouldn't tell me. He said the judge told them they could go to jail if they discuss the case, so he won't. The only thing he said was that accountants were involved--and that he has never been as bored in his life! I'm sure he'll tell me what the case is after it is all over, but I may not want to know then. :)

**********

Early in the trial process, K said the judge called out the number of a juror and told him to leave. No explanation, nothing. K found out later that the judge was given a note saying that alcohol had been smelled on the juror's breath. When the rest of the jury went into the jury room, the first thing someone said was, "Okay, who has a bottle. We can ALL get out of here!"

**********

I should know better than to ask him any 'secrets.' I ran into this when he was in the Navy. The boat he was on had a designation of being nuclear capable. When asked if they had nuclear anything on board, he repeated the company line: "I can neither confirm or deny whether there is anything nuclear on board." To me he CLAIMED not to know the real answer, but I don't know. If he DID know, I am sure he wouldn't have said.

**********

It has been announced that the Wii Fit will be available in the US on 21 May. Some sites seem to be taking pre-orders, but I will wait and take my chances. I think it will be as hard to find the Fit as it was to find the Wii system. I can wait, though. To find out more about the Wii Fit, go here.

As of now, Nintendo hasn't said what the Fit will be priced at. I have read/seen prices ranging from $80-250. I think it will be around $100. I don't think they can sell it for $250--that is what the Wii system costs!

**********

The Wings DID sign Abdelkader to a three year contract today. He really isn't expected to be in the regular line-up next year--he will go to Grand Rapids to learn the game. But, he just might be in the play-offs THIS year because of injuries. Kopecky left last night's game with an injury and he is out for the rest of the season. He suffered a torn ACL and sprained MCL in his knee and will need surgery. He won't be playing for 4-6 months. Hopefully he'll be ready to go to training camp next year. Damn--and he was just coming into his own, too.

After tonight's games, it is decided that Detroit will face Nashville in the first round of the play-offs. It is good because the travel time is almost negligible, but Nashville is on a roll right now and that is dangerous. However, there are bad things about playing ANY of the teams in the play-offs, so...

FINALLY!!

The Detroit Red Wings wrapped up the President's Trophy tonight--FINALLY! After last night's loss and the slow start to tonight's game, it seemed as if they weren't going to win it at all. But, they came back, played a better second period and a much better third, winning it all with Z's goal with 11 seconds left in the game. It now doesn't matter if they beat the Blackhawks on Sunday--win or lose, next year will be interesting when the two teams meet! I think we may have a rivalry brewing.

Two more players are now injured. Maltby got hurt last night and Kopecky got it tonight. No injured came back tonight, but most should be back on Sunday or early in the first round.

Detroit had a new player in the line up tonight. Justin Abdelkader, a junior from Michigan State, was given an amateur tryout--and did very well. They hope to sign him to a three-year contract before Saturday so that he is eligible for the play-offs. Abdelkater is 6-2, 203 pounds and was named the MVP of the Frozen Four in 2007. He scored the winning goal to help MSU win the 2007 NCAA title. He made his presence known in the game tonight--he made some fine hits. He will be a fine addition.


Just look at these smiles--they say it all!



--Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg, of Sweden, celebrates his game-winning goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with teammate Pavel Datsyuk (13), of Russia, in the third period of an NHL hockey game in Detroit, Thursday, April 3, 2008. Detroit won 3-2. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)--

The Links Meme

Burg over at Sweet Insanity tagged me for this meme--this should be a lot of fun!


THE LINKS MEME

ALL are invited to join in The Links Meme fun!


PLEASE follow the rules!

Just copy paste THIS and everything below up until my Five links:


I thought it would be cool to have a meme where we post links. We can post up to five. Then we tell five more people to share their links. If we all share who tagged us, our links are sure to be seen!

They can be business links, favorite sites, affiliate links, whatever you want…


There are some rules, as usual:

1. MUST be clean. No R rated sites.

2. Only FIVE links.

3. MUST tell 5 people.

4. A link back to the person who tagged you

____________________________________________________________

1. I Can Has Cheezburger--I love a good laugh and have several sites where I get my fill every day. It was hard to pick just one, but this site NEVER fails to make me chuckle!

2. Artbeads--At best, I am an amateur at making jewelry. I make bracelets for friends and relatives and personalize each one in some way. (I just made C an autism awareness bracelet, for example.) My favorite beads to use are Swarovski crystals and this site is the best place I have found to get beads of all kinds--especially Swarovski of every shape and color imaginable. And better still, they don't charge for shipping! WOOT!

3. mental_floss--Anyone who has read my blog for a while knows how much I enjoy this site. I can spend HOURS surfing the site and still not be finished. This is the only place on the net for trivia buffs, by far!

4. Wikipedia--I know this site gets a lot of negative comments, but where else can you get so much information in one place? Wikipedia is usually the first place I go to find out about something. (I went here when I wanted to have an idea about chaos theory--I know I'm not going to have to read anything too incomprehensible when I come here first.) If there is a question about whether the info is correct, there usually is a note that states the fact. I still find it a one stop shopping place for information.

5. PostSecret--This site is one of the most interesting I have ever found. New 'secrets' are posted every Sunday and it is something I look forward to every week. The idea behind this site is this: People send anonymous postcards to the man behind PostSecret. The postcards have peoples' deepest, darkest, ridiculous, never been mentioned secrets on them. These postcards are then posted on the site. There have been heart-wrenching secrets, some that are maddening, some that are laughable. Many, many times I have marveled over the fact that another person feels the way I do. It certainly makes one feel a lot less lonely in this world.


Here are the people I am tagging:

Sue at The Torn Pages--I would like to see where she goes on the information super highway. She has an interesting life, so her links must be interesting, also!

Janet at Janet's Ordinary Life--Janet is deaf as a result of contracting spinal meningitis at the age of six. What are her favorite sites? Is her deafness a factor in where she surfs? I doubt it, but I will be interested to see.

Meleah at Momma Mia, Mea Culpa--What a life this woman has lived! I can't imagine she has an uninteresting site that she frequents. Come on Mel, surprise me!

Jan at Down Yonder Green Valley--Jan lives in Wales! (Beautiful country--at least from the pictures she posts!) Jan is the only non-US resident I read every day, so I would like to see what interests her.

Ann(ie) over at Life is short. Partake in happy hour!-- Okay, Ann(ie), show us you don't only surf adult beverage sites! :D

Just WHO Are They Kidding?

K and I went to our favorite Italian restaurant tonight for dinner. (And, no, it was NOT Olive Garden--we don't have one in our town. :)) I sat with my back toward the wall and faced the rest of the restaurant, which I usually do. Right in my line of vision was an elderly man--he was in his 60s or 70s. The man was balding--badly. He also had the mother of all comb-overs--with a swirl to top it all off. It was very, very sad. He wore his hair rather short--except for the comb-over--and parted it less than one inch from the top of his ear. I think a very ill-fitting toupee would have been less noticeable. Just WHO do these men think they are fooling? Don't they see what the rest of us see when they look in mirrors? Or, are they completely in a state of denial? Thank goodness he and his party left before my food arrived. The comb-over kind of put me off my feed. :/

Forgetting

Tonight's game was so embarrassing, it doesn't deserve to be commented on. I'm going to forget it was ever played.

GRRRRR!!!!!

Just a short note. If I should happen to go MIA, it is because I have been having some internet problems. Probably after effects from the storm, so... Couldn't connect at all earlier and I'm not comfortable thinking that everything is fine. Time will tell--if all is okay, I will post later tonight.

Bits and Pieces

We got a letter today announcing The Father's family reunion this summer. Oh, yay. As I have always said, I certainly wouldn't be friends with most of my family. I have to be around these people ONLY because they are family, so... The day of the reunion, K will be in the middle of a night-shift stretch. This means he will have to take time off so that we can attend--something HE has to decide if he wants or not. He hasn't told me what he has decided yet.

I never was very close to any of The Father's family, but that is mainly The Mother's fault. She didn't like them, so we didn't spend time around them. (She said THEY didn't like her, so it is hard as to where to place blame on this one.) There are a couple of my cousins who I would like to be friends with, but it is way too late for that--too much water under the bridge. AND too much family drama. I will go to the thing and I will enjoy myself, but I won't cry if we stay home.

**********

I posted as to how much snow we got during the storm, but I didn't mention how much of an impact this had. All of the schools in the area were closed, including the university. You know the weather is bad when the university closes. After all, most of the students don't need to commute, so there isn't that much of a concern over commuting safety. If there were any business closings, I don't know. Surprisingly, our mail got here before noon--and we don't usually get it till after 2:00 PM! A mystery.

**********

Our new freezer was delivered on Monday. For five years, at least, I have been telling K that there was something very wrong with the old one. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of the guys K works with, so I didn't know what the hell I was talking about. A couple of months ago he asked around at work and, lo and behold, my assessment of the situation was confirmed--so we ordered a new one. I did all of the research to find a replacement, but when the new one got here, it almost didn't fit through the door--turns out it is bigger than my old one! Oops. Well, I guess I'll have a lot of fun filling the darn thing.

**********

Several more teams clinched play-off spots again tonight--but there still are several spots that won't be decided till the last game of the season. It still isn't decided who Detroit will play. The President's Cup winner hasn't been decided yet, either--tomorrow night, maybe.

I watched two games tonight--both could have a definite impact on who the Wings play in the first round. I really don't know who I want them to be up against--there are good and bad things about each team. It will be nice when all is decided, though. One more week and the play-offs begin--can't wait!

Holmstrom could be playing tomorrow night. He got a cortisone injection in the groin to help with the pain he has been experiencing. Ick and ouch! It will be interesting to see whether he can play up to his capabilities. Draper is out--probably through the end of the year--with HIS groin problem. Stuart has been skating with the team and is hoping the finger is fine for the first round of the play-offs. He said he can't shoot very well, yet. And Samuelsson should be back, as well, before the play-offs.

Three games left in the regular season and Baby Boy has only one more goal to reach twenty. When it happens, he will be the sixth Wing to reach at least twenty goals for the year--not too shabby.

Storm Update

Our blizzard lasted less than 24 hours. The snow started about 5:00 PM on Monday and the sun came out this afternoon. When it was all over, we had received 10 inches of snow here in the city and 5 miles north of us--at the National Weather Service office--25+ inches fell. All through this ordeal, the temperature stayed in the lower 30s--and went up into the mid-30s during the day today. Already the snow is beginning to melt. Everything that we got with this storm should be gone before the week is up--the temps are supposed to be in the lower 40s. I figure we should have a couple of more days where we get measurable snow and then spring will be here for good. I don't anticipate any more storms--but anything can happen here in the Great White North.

Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month. Here is a short article about what autism is, by the Autism Society of America.

ABOUT AUTISM
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause for autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today.
In February 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their ADDME autism prevalence report. The report, which looked at a sample of 8 year olds in 2000 and 2002, concluded that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 150 American children, and almost 1 in 94 boys. The issuance of this report caused a media uproar, but the news was not a surprise to ASA or to the 1.5 million Americans living with the effects of autism spectrum disorder. Nonetheless, the spotlight shown on autism as a result of the prevalence increase opens opportunities for the nation to consider how to serve these families facing a lifetime of supports for their children.
Currently, ASA estimates that the lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism ranges from $3.5 million to $5 million, and that the United States is facing almost $90 billion annually in costs for autism (this figure includes research, insurance costs and non-covered expenses, Medicaid waivers for autism, educational spending, housing, transportation, employment, in addition to related therapeutic services and caregiver costs).

Know the Signs: Early Identification Can Change Lives

Autism is treatable. Children do not "outgrow" autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes.

Here are some signs to look for in the children in your life:

• Lack of or delay in spoken language
• Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)
• Little or no eye contact
• Lack of interest in peer relationships
• Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
• Persistent fixation on parts of objects

My grandson, C's son, has been diagnosed with autism. He is a very high functioning autistic, so many people would only see him as slightly learning-disabled. He isn't like 'Rain Man' or Jerry Espenson on Boston Legal. (Jerry has Asperger's--a form of autism.) He should be able to live a fairly normal life. Of course, there is a lot of work involved in getting him to be more 'normal' and some things will always be a bit of a struggle for him. However, C is very hopeful and sees this as a small bump in the road.

For more on autism, go to the Autism Society of America's website.

In Case You Didn't Know The Difference...

Just in case you ever get these two environments mixed up, this should make things a bit clearer:

In prison:
You spend most of your time in a 10X10 cell.
At work:
You spend most of your time in a 6X6 cubicle.

In prison:
You get three meals a day, fully paid for.
At work:
You get a break for one meal and you have to pay for it.

In prison:
For good behavior, you get time off.
At work:
For good behavior, you get more work.

In prison:
The guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you.
At work:
You must carry a security card and open all the doors yourself.

In prison:
You get your own toilet.
At work:
You have to share the toilet with people who pee on the seat.

In prison:
They allow your family and friends to visit.
At work:
You aren't even supposed to speak to your family.

In prison:
All expenses are paid by the taxpayers with no work required.
At work:
You must pay all your expenses to go to work and they deduct taxes from your salary to pay for prisoners.

In prison:
You spend most of your time inside bars wanting to get out.
At work:
You spend most of your time wanting to get out and go inside bars.

In prison:
You must deal with sadistic wardens.
At work:
They are called 'managers.'

THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE!

Now, get back to work! You're not getting paid to read this blog.

Winter Storm Warning

We are under a winter storm warning--AGAIN. Starting late on Monday, the NWS calls for wet, heavy snow and winds. It is predicted that we will get 10-16 inches of snow through Tuesday morning, when it is supposed to wind down. We'll see.

Three More To Go

The Wings lost on Friday and won on Sunday and there are three games left in the regular season. If the Wings get one more point, they win the President's Trophy for the sixth time. No other team has won it more than two times. Winning the President's will guarantee home-ice throughout Detroit's Cup run--always an advantage.

Celebrate

This week's celebrations:

30 March
National Hot Dog Day
Grass Is Always Browner On The Other Side of The Fence Day
Pencil Day

31 March
Oranges and Lemon Day
Tater Day
National "She's Funny That Way" Day

1 April
National Sourdough Bread Day
Boomer Bonus Day
National Fun Day
National Fun At Work Day
Sorry Charlie Day
St. Stupid Day

2 April
National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day
Kick Butts Day

3 April
National Chocolate Mousse Day
National Find-A-Rainbow Day
Tweed Day

4 April
National Cordon Bleu Day
World Rat Day

5 April
National Raisin & Spice Bar Day
National Birding Day

Adventures In Living With Wildlife

(That PROBABLY will be the last "Adventures In..." title--I hope! :))

It MUST be spring because we are playing host to another member of the wildlife community. This time it is a red squirrel. It is living in our back entryway or basement--not too sure. K managed to get a look at it in the basement rafters, so... WARNING for those who don't want to know these things, but... If all goes well, there will be one less red squirrel in the world before the weekend is done. Of all of the creatures we have had live with us, I think red squirrels are the most destructive. And once they have established a home, it is very hard to keep them from coming back. That is why they have to leave this earth. Obviously, we DIDN'T find all of the ways to get into our house last summer. Damn!

I should have known something was down there--the cat has been walking around with various pieces of dirt, cobwebs, and dust on her fur. I knew she was skulking around in the basement, but I couldn't figure out why. Of course, my brave hunter doesn't do anything more than LOOK at whatever shouldn't be there! The other night, for example: She moved from her sleeping spot in the kitchen doorway, looked in the corner under the cabinet, looked at me, looked back to the corner, and looked at me. Obviously she was trying to get me to see what she was looking at. So, nice mommy that I am, I got my fat ass off of the chair and went to her rescue. And, of course, she was looking at a spider big enough to rampage Tokyo! Now, she is about 15 pounds or so, and she could take down a spider if she wanted--she doesn't want. I had to kill the spider so that she could go back to sleep in her spot. Lazy ass cat. She fits in this household beautifully.

Adventures In Driving

I have mentioned before that we have two seasons here: winter and construction. Our roads, specifically, have three seasons: winter, construction, and pothole! We are in pothole season. And it is bad. I am so thankful that I drive an SUV--we have potholes big enough to swallow small cars! They rival black holes in space--if something goes in, it never comes out.

One good thing about winter here is that the potholes are filled with snow or ice. There is no worry that you will lose your vehicle in a hole, but then you have to be aware of the possibility of skidding or wiping out in a spin. There are always trade-offs and this is one. We don't really appreciate how nice it is to drive in the winter, to drive on smooth roads, until the spring comes.

Our weather is very hard on the roads. All spring and fall, we have water from rain or melting. Of course, any holes or low spots on the roads will fill with the water and then freeze as the temps go down at night. This constant thawing and freezing takes a toll. The expanding and contracting of the road material is what causes the cracks, which develop into holes, so we get the potholes. And until someone invents a better way to make roads, we will have this problem.

I'm sure all of the northern states have this same problem--I'm not sure how much the middle and southern states experience this. Different organizations, radio and TV stations, etc, hold contests each year to find the worst pothole in the state. Most are done with an air of humor, but the idea behind the contests is very serious. Hitting some of these holes can cause real damage to a vehicle and it is dangerous for other drivers when you swerve to try to dodge the holes. Considering Michigan's economy is as bad as it is, I don't see there being anything more than the repair of 'pothole filling' again this year--and we really need some new roads, instead. I guess things won't be much different than any other year.

Adventures In Visiting

Today a wild/wonderful/great/fantastic disaster/hurricane/whirling dervish visited our household: C and her family came to visit. Wow. It was interesting, to say the least.

My house is used to holding two people and one cat--and at times it seems too small for that many entities. C and her family added eight more people to the mix. Suddenly, the walls felt as if they were closing in on me. Everywhere I turned, there was a person! To have that many kids in one house, you need a place twice as large as mine! You couldn't walk two steps without almost stepping on a kid. I think the fact that they move so fast made it seem as if there were more here than actually were. They were like speed demons tearing through the house. Not much sitting was done by any of them.

We are empty-nesters who don't get a lot of company--especially company of the under 14-year-old kind. So, I haven't child-proofed my house. That made things a bit interesting. I wasn't afraid that the kids would damage any of my stuff--it is only stuff and can be replaced--I was just concerned that they wouldn't hurt themselves. The 2-year-old didn't want to walk across the floor--she rather liked going from one end of the house to the other by climbing on the furniture. She wanted to sit on the window seat in the dining room--the one that was made for our 16 pound cat! Not a good idea. We disagreed on how good of an idea it was. She also would take an object that she knew she shouldn't have and run to the best hiding place in order to play with it. She reset our remote thermometer while hiding and walked off with my book light. The child finally passed out just before they left (which wasn't surprising as she didn't stop the entire time they were here.) This was something C was hoping would happen--it just makes the ride home that much easier. :) I'm STILL wondering where the kid gets her red hair from. We are blond/light brown haired Finns, for crying out loud!

Things could have been quite bad while they were here if I wasn't such a cool grandmother. How do I figure I'm cool? I have EVERY Nintendo gaming system that has been made, so the kids have something to do while they visit. And play they did! The son-in-law and two oldest girls played the Wii in the kitchen while the 3 and 4-year-olds played the Nintendo 64 in the living room. C herself played my Nintendo DS--at least when she wasn't nursing the baby! The noise level was amazingly loud, but everyone was happy. What more can you want?

Other than a few slops of food on the breakfast nook floor, they really didn't do much 'damage' of any kind. The 2-year-old DID bite a couple of chunks out of one of my round candles, but it could have been worse. (We only found one of the pieces, so changing her diaper ought to be interesting in the next few days--the candle is a nice shade of cobalt blue!) I never would have thought of putting the candles away--they were in the middle of the dining room table where I thought they would be safe. Goes to show how innovative those kids can be. :)

I don't get to see the kids often enough, so I was very happy they were here. I am happier that K took the afternoon off so he could be here to visit, too. I don't really know if I could have done the visit on my own. It really took four adults to keep the kids corralled, safe, and non-destructive. They don't get here that often and, in all honesty, I don't mind all that much. :)

It REALLY Doesn't Get Old

And, once again, the Wings won. They are in a very good position to win the President's again, but big whoop! In the past 21 years that the President's has been given, only six of the the winning teams have gone on to win the Stanley Cup--one of which was the Wings. It just goes to prove that the play-offs are a season apart from the regular one.

Cleary was back tonight and did beautifully. He didn't really show any skittishness and went for the full checks and hits--which is good. He is a gritty player and his kind of play is needed during the play-offs. He even managed to get a point tonight--good show.

Baby Boy didn't play again--they are saying probably Friday. McCarty might actually make his debut on Friday, also. Dom might be in net--hard to say. I wonder if this will be his last year? If it is, who in the world will they get in the net? Cancel cancel--not something to worry about right now! Holmstrom had a set-back with his injury--no word on when they think he will be back. It just doesn't seem as if he has been right since his injury earlier on. Hopefully the summer's rest will be good for him. He plays his position in such an amazing way--a hard one to replace!

Feeling My Age

I have several different doctors that I see on a regular basis. The only reason for this is the state of the medical community and the emergence of specialties. And, it is ridiculous the amount of specialties there are. While I haven't seen one yet, I wouldn't be surprised if there are/will be doctors who only specialize in the big toe of the right foot! But, I digress--as I have been known to do.

Of all of the doctors I see, my ophthalmologist is the only one who actually makes me feel my age. I guess part of the problem is that he is at least ten years younger than I am. Also, there is very little that can be done to reverse any age related problems that eyes suffer. Eyes get old and that is about the end of that. And he doesn't mince words at all--he says what is happening and explains it IS age related. He doesn't say things to be mean--he is just being honest. I am sure he doesn't realize that I view his words the way I do. And it isn't that it makes me depressed or anything, it just makes me realize that I AM getting older--like it or not!

It is quite amazing that I don't have too many doctors who are younger than I am. My ophthalmologist is, as is my dermatologist. Then, my internist, gynecologist, and dentist are all older than I am. The dentist and GYN are about my age--within a few years--but my internist does have several years on me. I like him because he calls me 'just a baby.' :) As much as I hate to think about it, they are going to be facing retirement in the not too distant future. (We all know how fast time goes by!) I don't want to have to find new doctors--I have been seeing the ones I have for 15-30 years! Just another reason to hate getting older. :D

Being a Little Pissy

Since becoming empty-nesters, I don't cook nearly as much as I used to. I guess I should feel guilty for not cooking meals more often, but I don't. And I have a perfectly good explanation for this.

K worked today, so he didn't get home until after 6:00 PM. I figured, seeing as it was Easter, I should make a meal--I was finishing up when he came home. I have never been one to have a meal ready to be served as soon as he walked in the door--that was The Mother's shtick, not mine. Besides, he has always liked to 'put his feet up' for a while after getting home. (Read that as 'fall asleep.') No problem--at least this way, the food will be hot when we sit down to eat. As long as the meal is served within one hour of him getting home, I feel as if I've done my job well. Tonight, I had the food ready about a half hour after he got home--not too long to wait at all. When everything was done, I called to him in the living room and said the food was ready. He answered me and said he was coming. I heard no movement from the other room, so I sat down and ate--by myself. When he FINALLY made his way into the kitchen, I was just finishing up my meal. Once again, I ate alone. Hell, if I have to eat by myself, I might as well eat pizza or a sandwich! I find it much too annoying to prepare a meal and have it be too much trouble for him to come and eat when it is ready. This just was not cool on his part. I'm not sure when I will take the time to cook again. (This is DEFINITELY not the first time this has happened--it happens much too often.)

It wasn't enough that K pulled his 'can't be bothered to eat when it is ready' crap. After he finished with his meal, he then went back into the living room and went to sleep--again. And he stayed there until 10:00. He then got up, went into the kitchen for something, and went to the bedroom to go to sleep for the night. We said about three words to each other from the time he came home from work till he went to bed. Life just doesn't get any better than this. I know there is an outage beginning, so I suppose he is getting himself in overtime mode. Yippee. It looks as if I am heading into one of my 'living as if I'm single without being allowed to date' cycles. I better start looking for things to do on my own--I will be spending a lot of time alone. Good thing I don't mind my own company.

Happy Easter

Rejoice!
For He has risen--He has risen indeed!

They Keep Rolling On

"Another year, another 50 wins."

That is the way the Wings' win is being described in the news stories. It just isn't a surprise anymore--and that is a little scary. This is their third year in a row to win 50 or more--the first time a team has done that since Montreal did it in the 70s. Right now, there are only two more teams that MIGHT make it to 50--and they have to win all of their remaining games to do it. (Well, San Jose only has to win 5 of their last seven games.) For some reason or other, the Wings make it look pretty easy during the regular season and then kind of blow it for the play-offs. Last year it wasn't too bad--they DID make it to the conference finals. Somehow, though, this year's team seems to be a bit different. I think they really have a chance to win it all--but it certainly won't be easy.

During the game, Datsyuk got points number 58, 59, and 60. Number 60 was a short-handed, unassisted goal! Go Pavel! He surpassed his personal best and could possibly get 100 points for the year. Z got his 40th goal--HIS personal best. Babcock became the first coach in NHL history to win fifty games in each of his first three seasons with a team.

I may have assumed too much with Baby Boy being out of the line-up. He still didn't play in Saturday's game and probably won't be back till next Saturday. I guess he really is injured--there is no way he would be given that many days to just rest. Cleary opted not to play until Tuesday. He will have surgery to remove the wires from his gums on Monday, so he won't need the special mouth-guard he would have needed on Saturday. Hopefully he WILL be back on Tuesday--that will give him a few games in which to get comfortable playing again. He will be needed in the play-offs.

Celebrate

Things to celebrate this week:

23 March
Toast Day
National Puppy Day
Near Miss Day
O.K. Day

24 March
National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day

25 March
National Lobster Newburg Day
Pecan Day

26 March
Legal Assistants Day
Make Up Your Own Holiday Day

27 March
National Spanish Paella Day
Kite Flying Day
Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day

28 March
National Black Forest Cake Day

29 March
National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day
National Mom & Pop Business Owner's Day
Texas Loves The Children Day

Quite An Ending

The Red Wings are certainly making the end of the season interesting, to say the least. They had a five-game winning streak, lost two and then won the next two. And the wins weren't ordinary.

On Wednesday, I was watching the game and thought, "Could this game be any more boring?" The first goal wasn't scored till about halfway into the second period--by Columbus. The Wings were playing as if they hadn't had a day off for weeks--just not with it at all. Just before midway in the third, Z decided enough was enough, and scored. He continued to score and managed a natural hat trick! (His second trick of the year, third of his career.) The last goal was beautiful--a highlight-reel moment, for sure.

Thursday night's game was better played. They came out with jump. There was quite a bit of 'feistiness' and 'button-pushing,' but no real fighting broke out. With the Wings up by two goals going into the third, it seemed inevitable that a major fight would happen, but then Nashville tied. They were very good at containing their emotions, but it didn't help--Detroit put in four goals to win. (insert sigh of relief)

With seven games left, they still are at the top of the league standings. San Jose is seven back, but it could change at any time--the Wings could go into another slump. More important than staying on top is getting ready for the play-offs. Dom needs to be at the top of his game--he DID play well tonight, but he needs to be better. I don't think they would do badly with Ozzie, but Dom is perceived as number 1, so... Unfortunately, there aren't enough games left for the injured to come back and get comfortable in the line-up--they will be playing their first series before they're all in shape. They still have four key or semi-key players out--they really need to be totally well in order to continue beyond the first round.

Not only are Draper, Holmstrom, and Cleary not playing, but Stuart broke his finger and won't be back till sometime in the first series. Great. (However, this probably will give him time to be with his wife when their baby is born.) Filppula was out the last two games--either his knee or his groin was the problem. In all actuality, he probably had nothing wrong with him. The NHL frowns on letting players take 'rest days,' so the teams create small problems for the players to have that need taking care of. Filppula played every game of the season, so he has to be play-off ready--even though he is only 24. :) He should play again on Saturday.

All in all, things are looking okay. But, despite that, the play-offs are totally different from the regular season. Anyone can win it all...and it has happened.

Quirks

We all have our strange little quirks and my girls are no different. See if you think these are very, very strange.

--A, my youngest, has NEVER seen The Wizard of Oz. And she absolutely refuses to see it. I don't know what she has against the movie and I'm not sure she even knows.

--C, my oldest, HATES, HATES, HATES the Easter Bunny. Well, the ones they have in the malls. She actually is afraid of them and is certain they stalk her. You won't find her in a mall around Easter unless it is absolutely necessary.

As I said, we all have our quirks--these are just a little unusual. :)

And You Think I'm An Awful Driver!

One day, The Mother and my grandmother (The Father's mother) were driving along. My grandmother was behind the wheel, as The Mother didn't drive. After a short time, The Mother realized that my grandmother neglected to stop at any stop signs. When she asked my grandmother about this, g-ma replied, "When Nels (her second husband) taught me to drive, he said really good drivers didn't NEED to stop at stop signs." She must have been VERY good, because I am unaware of her being in any accidents. Of course, she probably CAUSED a whole lot, but... :)

"Psycho" Virgin

My youngest and her husband watched the movie Psycho last night. He had never seen it before. She said he was shocked and surprised at the appropriate moments. I love being with a Psycho virgin when they experience the movie for the first time--not much is more enjoyable than that! I had the pleasure of introducing both of my girls to the movie. I guess it's time to find another virgin--I need a little bit of fun. :)

Celebrate

Holidays for the coming week:

16 March
Buzzard Day
National Artichoke Hearts Day
Lips Appreciation Day
St. Urho's Day

17 March
Submarine Day
Freedom of Information Day

18 March
National Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day
Awkward Moments Day

19 March
National Chocolate Caramel Day
Act Happy Day

20 March
Absolutely Incredible Kid Day
Great American Meat Out Day
Proposal Day
Snowman Burning Day

AND

Valterri Filppula's 24th Birthday, aka 'Baby Boy'
(#51, Detroit Red Wings Center)

21 March
National French Bread Day
Memory Day
National Common Courtesy Day

22 March
National Bavarian Crepes Day
As Young As You Feel Day
International Goof-Off Day

Today's Irritation

There are a few reasons why I don't own guns. For example, the roadways would be littered with dead bodies if I owned a firearm--I HATE idiotic drivers. This morning I would have had a field day with shooting if I had a gun.

Anyone who knows me is well aware of the fact that I could sleep through anything. (I attribute this ability to my being sleep deprived--a situation I have created myself. But I digress.) Having a relatively early wake-up this morning--the Wings are playing an early afternoon game--I was dead to the world and enjoying myself immensely this AM. Suddenly, I was woken up by a rattling that would wake the dead. While trying to clear the cobwebs from my brain, I realized the noise was my cat trying to go through the front window of the bedroom--the combination of her going through the metal mini-blinds and her bouncing off of the window glass managed to wake me. Of course, I had to get up to see what was causing her such distress. I was sure there would be a moose, bear, or--at the very least--a couple of white-tails in our front yard. But nooooooooooo!!!!!! What was causing her such pain was the neighbor's cat. Across the street. There would have been two feline carcasses in the neighborhood if I would have had a gun.

Notes

Yesterday we did an out-of-town day-run to shop. The weather was fine, so travel was good--we made good time both ways. While I didn't have any pressing shopping needs, I managed to get a few things I wanted. Among my purchases were the first two 'Dexter' books--the ones the Showtime series is based on. I have been watching the 'cleaned up' version on CBS on Sunday nights and have been enjoying it quite a bit. However, I'm not sure I could actually watch the Showtime version--might be a bit too graphic for me.

DSW had the new spring shoes in and I walked out without buying a single pair. I know I would have broke our bank account if I had known what I wanted, but I had no clue. And I couldn't let myself buy shoes JUST to buy shoes. I've done that too often recently and have to stop. :)

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We ended our shopping trip at Sam's Club, as usual. I have always thought that I don't really enjoy shopping, but I realized at Sam's that that is NOT the case. What I don't like are other shoppers! Anyone who has ever been to Sam's knows how wide the aisles are--you could practically drive a Hummer down one and STILL have space on both sides! So how rude is it when other shoppers completely block the right-of-way for others--not to mention it is a very hard thing to do. There was a couple in one aisle. They had positioned their cart in a way that NO ONE could get around it. Then they took up the rest of the aisle to have a discussion about the peanuts on the shelf. Excuse me!?!?!? Whenever I'm faced with this situation, I try to be patient and wait till I can make eye-contact with the person/people blocking the way before saying 'excuse me.' Of course, these two didn't acknowledge that another human being was within 100 miles of them, so I waited...and waited...and waited. When they FINALLY moved, I started to squeeze pass them and they had the NERVE to give ME a dirty look! As I said, I hate the shoppers, not the shopping. GRRRRRR!!!!!!

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The other thing that really got on my nerves at Sam's was the check-outs. First, they didn't have nearly as many open as they should have--every open one had at least FOUR people in line waiting to be checked-out. Then we made the wrong decision and picked the check-out with the slllooowwweeesssttt clerk in the world. I swear, instead of coffee for breakfast, this woman drank a cup of tranquilizers! Watching her do her job was like watching a movie in slow motion. Unbelievable.

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This may be one of those 'Why do I need to know this?' things, but here goes: Memory Foam pillows freeze. And when I say freeze, I mean they become hard as a block of ice if they are cold enough. How do I know? Well, I bought a Memory Foam pillow because I thought it might do good for me. (I have pillow issues.) I found I couldn't sleep on the thing, so I use it as a lap desk whenever we travel--it is comfortable on my lap, doesn't weigh too much, and it is quite firm. When we stay overnight, I don't take the pillow into the hotel with us, I just leave it in the vehicle. The last time we stayed overnight on one of our trips, was about a month ago--still cold, winter weather in our part of the country. When we got into the vehicle the morning after our stay, the pillow was hard as a rock. I thought for sure the thing was ruined, but as it warmed up, it soften again. Quite interesting.

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Okay, so we don't have HUGE news days here, but this is big news for us. The DNR has admitted that some tracks they found here in the UP are probably cougar footprints. For years people have brought evidence of all kinds to the attention of the DNR and the existence of cougars here has been dismissed. Some people think the reason is that if it is determined that they actually do exist here, it will cost the DNR a bundle of money because cougars would be an endangered species. I can't understand how good the evidence must be for them to have to finally admit we have cougars. It will be fun to follow this story.

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The Wings got it done tonight. They won their fifth in a row and met a bunch of milestones in the process. With the win tonight, they became the first team in the league to be assured of a playoff spot. They tied the league record of having eight straight 100-point seasons. They won the Central Division title for the seventh year in a row. This is also the 17th year in a row they have qualified for the playoffs--the longest streak for ANY pro-sports team. They are now undefeated for the month of March. Good going.

Datsyuk is still on a roll--he scored two and had one assist tonight. Baby Boy got the last goal of the night--an empty-netter--and had two assists. Right now, Filppula is only one away from 20 for the year--something he should be able to accomplish with 11 games left in the season. And besides, if he stays on Datsyuk's line, he could come very close to a 50-point season! Again, good going.

Cautiously Optimistic

Tonight the Wings won their fourth game in a row. They are beginning to play like they were earlier in the year--and that is both good and bad. It was nice to see them hang in there for the win--they did out-play Chicago. Shots on goal were 47-20--numbers like they are used to getting. Still, with that many shots on goal, the goals scored should have been MUCH higher! Sure, they got three goals, but one was an empty-netter. For some reason, the Wings just can't figure out most of the goalies in the league--and that is not good. Secondary scoring kicked in again tonight and that ALWAYS is a good thing.

Chelios came back in the line-up tonight. I was pretty much sure this injury would have been his career-ender. And at 46 years old, it wouldn't have been that bad of thing, right? But as everyone says, he is a freak of nature and he spent thirteen and a half minutes on the ice tonight. I would LOVE to know what the man does to keep himself going. He is playing in a game that is terribly, physically draining AND competing against guys half his age. AND he is doing a damn good job of keeping up with, or surpassing, the youngsters! Perhaps he has a portrait hidden somewhere like Dorian Gray did. ;)

Cleary should be back by the end of the month--a good thing. But better still, he signed a new contract with the Wings for five years and $14 million. He has a no-trade clause built in for the first three years--which just may not be a bad thing. It definitely is good to see him talking again. I'm sure having the jaw wired shut was difficult. He has gained back almost five of the fifteen pounds he lost and has been skating, so he should be good to go for the playoffs. The biggest worry, though, is the fact he will have to wear a full face shield when he starts playing again. Understandable, as he has to protect that jaw, but hard to get used to.

The Way I Am

Anyone who knows cats will be familiar with this scenario. As a cat walks from one end of the house to another, it will walk very close to furniture or the wall. Cats don't seem to like walking in wide open spaces--even in the safety of their own home. Most of the time--with my cat, anyway--the tips of their fur will barely touch the furniture/wall as they pass by. I seem to have this in common with cats.

For some reason or other, I tend NOT to walk through the middle of a doorway or the empty part of a room. I walk way too closely to walls and furniture--and this causes me problems. I injure myself. My only broken bone came because I was hurrying through a doorway--too closely to the frame--and caught my little toe on the door frame. It hurt. I am ALWAYS slamming my arm, leg, hand into the wall or furniture as I am walking. I'm NOT afraid that there is anything WRONG with me medically, of course--I am just a klutz and have always been this way.

Earlier today, I was walking into the dining room from the hallway and slammed the knuckle of my right index finger into the doorway. Immediately it turned color and the vein popped out. The pain was considerable. After moving the finger around, I came to the conclusion that it probably is NOT broken. About an hour later, I slammed the SAME knuckle while I was dusting. It is nicely discolored, but I STILL can move the finger. I guess I will just watch it and if anything changes, THEN I will go in and have it looked at. This is just another look at the way I am. :)

My Daughter

As I posted a few days ago, I got a new cell phone. It has some really neat features. One of the things you can do is assign special ringtones to each person in your contact/phone book. I have told my girls that they can pick the song they want associated with their name. A is still thinking about it. C knew immediately. This is what she picked:

She has been having a couple of off days. :D

Sunday

The weather was very nice today. The sun was out and the temp recovered from the single-digits of the last few days. Tonight is still quite cold--2 degrees right now--but for the rest of the week we should be seeing temps in the mid-30s to around 40! Wow! Maybe we WILL get spring here eventually.

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The Wings won the game today--the third in a row! Woo hoo! However, they let a 4-0 lead going into the third period trickle down to the final score of 4-3. It seemed as if they just got over-confident and settled back and let Nashville get into the game. This just may have been a good lesson for them. Through the end of the season, they will be playing against very desperate teams trying to make it into the play-offs. Desperate teams are very dangerous--they can win against all odds. I really worried the last two minutes of the game--but they managed.

Lidstrom came back today and he really wasn't showing any signs of his injury. Maybe that means he didn't come back too soon. Holmstrom hurt himself during Friday's practice--some sort of groin/abdominal thing. It seems to be in the same area that he injured earlier this year--hope it isn't something that will keep him out too long. Lebda was out with the flu, so he should be back soon. Chelios probably will be back sooner than they thought at first--the man IS a freak of nature! And they expect Cleary to be playing a few games before the play-offs begin. Will be nice to have all of the team back.

Stuart got his first goal for the Wings, Hudler broke his dry streak, and Franzen scored twice--all a very good sign. It is necessary for the team to have secondary scoring, and today they got it. Filppula got an assist, so his points went up again. Way to go Baby Boy.

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Our local high school hockey team made it to the state champion finals for the second year in a row. Last night they played against the same team they lost to last year. The game was tied 1-1 after regulation and they proceeded to play 8 overtimes before the game was called for the safety of the players. (The teams played more minutes in overtime than they did in regulation--by quite a lot. The total amount of time they played was equivalent to approximately two and a half regular games!) They named BOTH teams as state champions--the first time ever that there have been Co-Champions.

The game was the longest high school play-off ever played in the state of Michigan. It was the second longest played in the US--in 1955, in Minnesota, a game went into 11 overtimes before someone scored the winning goal. Crazy!

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K received a letter on Saturday--he has been picked for jury duty AGAIN! The last time he was called was in October--just six months ago. I don't understand: Is he one of only a small amount of people they pick from? He has been called at least four times--and maybe more. I have been called twice. Hmmm. He is lucky, though, as he gets to serve here in town--about a couple of miles from our house. I, on the other hand, have had to go to court 15 miles from us--once in the middle of winter. It wasn't fun trying to negotiate the snow-covered roads at 7:00 AM!

Being a stay-at-home empty-nester, I don't particularly mind having jury duty. But, I don't get called as much as K, someone who has to get off of work in order to serve. Something seems very wrong with this.

PSA

Don't forget, move your clocks ahead one hour tonight!

Celebrate

Reasons to celebrate this week:

9 March
National Crabmeat Day
Check Your Batteries Day
Get Over It Day
Panic Day

10 March
National Blueberry Popover Day
Napping Day

11 March
Dream 2008 Day
Organize Your Home Office Day

12 March
National Baked Scallops Day

13 March
Good Samaritan Involvement Day
National Open An Umbrella Indoors Day

14 March
National Potato Chips Day
International Ask A Question Day

15 March
National Pears Helene Day
Maple Syrup Day
True Confessions Day

Just Links

Found a couple of things that I thought I would pass on:

--This first link is to a European website. HEMA is a retailer with brick and mortar stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, and Germany. Now, the store is neither here nor there, to me. The thing that is so neat is the way the online products are presented. After clicking on this link, let the page load--sit back and watch the fun! VERY cool.

--I love this site. You can work on your vocabulary AND make a donation to a charity at the same time--all for free! I managed to get to the 43rd level before I stopped. (Of course, I did make mistakes...:))

--For this video, you will need to use headphones to get the full effect. This is called the Virtual Barber. This is an example of an auditory illusion, the stereo effect. Your brain will 'tell' you that the sounds move from ear to ear, etc. Quite interesting.

And if you would like to hear more auditory illusions, go here.