Off The Toppa My Head

Awesome 80's Music Video!!!

2010-09-04T19:32:00.002-06:00

Have I got a video for you!

A little background first... I supervise summer day camp at the Blackfoot Community Center, which includes swimming, bowling, community service projects, arts and crafts, a garden, city hikes, and lots of other stuff. AND this year it also meant preparing for an end-of-summer musical production! All summer the kids choreographed their moves and rehearsed for their musical performances to their chosen music. Even the youngest ones faithfully practiced putting on a show! Of course, the staff had to perform as well, and with almost no rehearsal time, I wondered what we could come up with.

The evening itself included a BBQ dinner, our giant waterslide, a free book giveaway, and the BIG MUSICAL. I plan to post the kids' group performances on YouTube, but couldn't resist posting the staff performance (if you can call it that) here as well. We chose an 80's music mix for our performance, came up with some "costumes" (if you can call them that), rehearsed (kinda), and here you go. Silliness prevails... Listen to the laughter - after all, kids love to see a little wackiness in adults once in a while. The topping on the cake is the parent who stands up at the very end for a good pic - right in front of the camera. Love it!

Chico Marx Piano Solo... Okay - It's Alex!

2008-04-13T22:43:00.004-06:00

I REALLY need to post A LOT more often! I am so sorry! I hope I can make it up to you with the video below. This is my son playing what is referred to as a little "ditty" that was originally played by Chico Marx just prior to the piano falling apart (exploding?) in "A Day at the Races."

I don't mind saying that my son, Alex, is a very good pianist, self-taught, and he truly loves to play (can you tell?). Please feel free to watch more of his YouTube piano videos - he has quite a following. You'll notice that there is never any sheet music - he plays by ear and has done so since he first learned to play Pachelbel's Canon in D at age 11, which he heard on an episode of "The Wonder Years." Prior to this, he had never sat down at the piano.

Want to know about the antiquated piano, by the way? He found it at a thrift store. He sat down and played it, and the other customers were so impressed that not only did someone offer to buy it for him, but another customer had it delivered to his apartment! A very good shopping day!

Mormon Missionaries Can SING!

2008-01-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Any reader who has kept up with my weblogs has likely figured out that I am a Latter-Day Saint or "Mormon." I hope that if nothing else, I have convinced you that we Mormons do not take life TOO seriously - in fact - we have a darn good sense of humor and we're not afraid to use it!

Here's a great example. Please, relax and watch this video all the way through. It will make your day.

Cheap Gas

2007-03-19T09:58:00.000-06:00

When I first started driving, I completely understood that the associated costs would be my own responsibility. My parents made sure of that. I was firmly engrained with the fear of two things: auto insurance payments and the ongoing cost of gas and car maintenance. (That's why I didn't drive until I was 19.)

As a full-time college student, I considered gasoline to be expensive, yet necessary, at 29-cents a gallon. If I could manage to save up a dollar (which wasn't all that easy on $1.65/hour part time wages) I could put almost 3 1/2 gallons in the tank and I was good to go! Truth is, I knew gas was a good deal, especially as fuel prices began climbing the mid-'70s. When gas reached 50-cents a gallon, I was ready to hang up my keys. The very idea!

Boy, was I naive. Nowadays I would kill for prices like that! You've seen it - more and more folks are actually driving off without paying for a fill-up, which is really dumb since gas stations video tape license plates as you drive away. If I were that desperate, I would find another way to get around.

What may surprise you is that the price of gasoline and everything else is really just the same as it always was!

What the. . . ???

It's true. Back when stuff was cheap, our dollars were backed by real silver; and today, that same amount of silver still buys the same amount of gas as it did back then. The problem is, our paper money is no longer backed by silver and now it has far less value than it used to. Therefore, increasingly more dollars are needed to buy the things we need. So in reality, the prices of goods and services have not gone up at all; instead, the value of the US dollar has diminished. Drastically.

What this also means is that real money, like gold and silver, holds its value over time.

Okay, great. What does that mean for you and me? Well, investing in precious metals makes good sense! Investment experts recommend diversification, especially in uncertain times. Simply put, a minimum of 10% to 20% of an investor's assets should be tangible - assets that keep their value such as gold, silver, platinum and palladium bullion and bullion coins. Using the experience, expertise, and resources of Monex, you can buy gold coins with confidence, and join over one hundred thousand investors who know that precious metal continues to hold its value.

By the way, the value of your fuel-buying dollar will slip again this summer. Unfortunately, you likely won't be able to pay for your fill-ups with silver or gold, so please don't carry your precious coins around in your car console.

The 60-Day Experiment: Recommended!

2007-03-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned the 60-Day Experiment?

I was a fledgling freelance writer when I found David Perdew's new Experiment on a writers' website. I had never built a website before - in fact my total experience with online publishing was exactly one weblog - this one. I was an online newbie, and had no clue where to start in my quest to earning a living online. The more more I investigated, the more the Experiment seemed to be just what I needed, so I decided to jump in.

A year and a half later, I can honestly say that my "60-Day Experiment" experience was similar to taking several college courses, only better! I recieved one-on-one attention from David and the 60-Day Forum. I recieved oodles of tools (mostly free), and best of all, a weekly -- no, daily -- step-by-step program to help me build my online business in terms that I (remember, a newbie) could understand.

At the end of 60 days, I had learned and achieved all of my goals (remember, this is a hands-on course, not just an e-book to file away on your harddrive somewhere). I discovered how to:

Find my story and my expertice (we are all experts at something!)
Find my corresponding niche and choose a business model.
Build a viral marketing plan and refine it.
Create a functional, profitable weblog.
Write and edit a niche-ready ebook and accompanying sales letter (guess which comes first!)
Publish and market ebook.
Build a multi-page, functional, content-rich website.
Build Google Adwords campaign.
Market with articles, newsletters, e-zines.
And much, much more!

Why is it called an Experiment, you may ask? Well, in David's words, the Experiment is intended for those of us "with too little time to write and not enough know-how to change it." He started The 60-Day Experiment because he believed we need each other for support in creating our future. Our first time around this was truly an experiment as we made and embraced our mistakes and those of our colleagues.

Mistakes???

"The greatest minds in any business, philosophy or scientific study cherish their mistakes. Mistakes lead to learning and learning leads to success. More mistakes, more success. In fact, one the biggest problems you'll have as a beginning Internet Marketer is info overload. We focus on the real experts and use their material when appropriate." --David Perdew

Since the inception of the Experiment, people without technical skills (like me) have created weblogs and websites promoting their work just by following this step-by-step process; and you can do it too.

Video: Bush's Border Control

2007-02-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

This is too funny; I couldn't resist!

Get Event Tickets - The Easy Way!

2006-12-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

Every time I ever went to a sporting event, it seems like I got bad seat. Not that I would have known the difference, but when you can't see what's going on due to distance or a giant column in front of you or a terrible vantage point, you have to rely on the people around you or the big screen TV or the sports announcer to figure out what's going on. Might as well be at home in front of the TV.

Once we went to see the Smothers Brothers in a huge auditorium. Our seats were in the balcony. I realized once the Brothers came on stage that they looked awfully small; in fact, you couldn't tell Tommy from Dicky except for the bass and the guitar and the yoyo. However, the cheap seat crowd came prepared. We never thought to bring binoculors, but everybody else did.

Now, there is an easy way to buy tickets for your favorite events before they sell out AND you can get the seats you really want. Premium Seats USA is a premium online first-class ticket broker that takes the hassle out of getting tickets to sporting events, shows, and concerts nationwide. Take my advice and bookmark 'em, like me. Then maybe you won't NEED to bring your binoculors.

Have Fun - Make Money - On myLot.com

2006-12-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

I just discovered myLot, and already I recommend it. This is a dynamic online discussion community, where members are encouraged to discuss topics of interest with people from all over the world. Not only is it interesting and fun, but you can make money by just participating. Start by posting some of your personal interests; then earn by posting topic starters, responding to discussions, and adding linked photos (or posting your own) within your responses.

I'm still exploring myLot, but one thing's for sure; this is a site that is difficult to leave once you get started. There's always something current and new to read about and/or respond to. I like the web design too - it's easy on the eyes and navigation is pretty smooth. If you have a PayPal account, just click here, sign up, and you're in business!

Relatively Cold? Or Biting, Numbing, Stinging Cold???

2006-12-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

Every morning, first thing I have to do is take little Charlie out. He's an indoor dog, so obviously by morning he is a bit anxious to go outside. Whatever the season, whatever the weather, that means getting out of a nice warm cozy bed, checking the thermometer, then dressing accordingly for our little morning trek outdoors.

This time of year, what I need to know is; is it cold, really cold, or frigidly cold?

While experiencing my first few weeks of winter here, as a recently transplanted California girl, cold was just cold, meaning anything below 40 degrees F was COLD! Now, having acclimated a bit, I am able to detect minor differences in degrees of coldness. Anything 25 to 40 is relatively warm, believe it or not; no hat or muffler needed (although I always wear gloves). 10 to 24 is gettin' a little cold, and single digits or less means cover the face and head, or the nose and ears will hurt.

Anyway, this morning I did not need to look at the thermometer to know that it was COLD out there! When I looked out my front window, I saw the wintery scene in the photo above. It was winter wonderland-feeze-your-butt-off cold. It was 9 degrees.

Charlie didn't care, by the way. He just wanted to make yellow snow.

The Perfect Last Minute Gift - Delivered!

2006-12-21T14:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's post was about the wild holiday party I threw earlier this month. Now, I know not everyone gets to go to a holiday party as fun and crazy as mine, but something anyone can do is visit Dot Flowers and see what all the buzz is all about! You may not be able to find the perfect "white elephant" gift to exchange at your party, but at Dot Flowers, you WILL find something for anyone on your list. You can choose from same day Forist Direct flower delivery to Field Fresh flowers straight from the growers. Or, if you prefer something a bit different (maybe you don't feel your big burley Uncle Fred would appreciate a lovely winter bouquet of flowers) (however, you might be surprised), you can also choose from a variety of gift baskets and gourmet treats that will please him and anyone else. We're talking gourmet coffees, cookies, cheese, crackers, wine - you name it. You'll love all of the gift basket themes - in fact, it's hard to choose once you see them all.

I love the Dot Flowers website. Very easy to find exactly what you are looking for, and they have an award-winning customer service department, too.

If you are still wondering what to get Uncle Fred for Christmas, this is the easiest and best way to go. Just browse and click. Uncle Fred will be so surprised!!!

Christmas Party!

2006-12-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I had a few of the ladies from my church over for a little Christmas party. Believe it or not, at least to my recollection, this is the first Christmas party I've ever thrown! Well, "thrown" may not be the right term. There were no fancy hors d'oeuvres and certainly no alcohol (and, of course, no men). This was a pot-luck dinner, which, as always, worked out perfectly. Everything was delicious; amazingly, there were no duplicate dishes!

Before eating, by the way, we enjoyed some original holiday poetry that my neighbor Carolyn read to us. I had no idea that, as well as a fabulous quilter, she was such a talented and creative writer!

After a bit of small talk, we ate dinner, and then we exchanged cookies. This how it worked:

We all brought homemade cookies, and because there were eight of us, we had lots of different kinds of cookies to sample and take home. After carefully scrutinizing the cookies, selecting our samples, and completing our individual cookie plates, we moved back to the living room for a white elephant exchange. We each brought a wrapped white elephant gift; and for those readers who have no idea what this is, I'll explain:

A white elephant gift is an item that one finds in one's house that one might be willing to part with. Or something that hasn't been used in a while. Or at all. Sometimes, although all people have stuff they really need to get rid of, suddenly everything they own seems extremely valuable and impossible to part with, so instead they buy their white elephants at the Dollar Store, which is technically cheating, but often enough, they plan to get their own gift back anyway and they usually manage to do so.

In any case, we picked numbers; and beginning with #1, we selected and unwrapped the gifts. Ah-but there's a twist! The next person in line could either unwrap another gift OR take one of the gifts already revealed. Once a gift exchanges hands twice (that is, has a third owner) it cannot be taken again.

Fun - fun - fun!!!

Wow! Next year, I plan to throw yet another Christmas party! In fact, a bigger one! It's already in the planning stages. . .

PS. Here are some Christmas planning ideas (for this year or next) to help spark up your holidays, too!

Bad Weather? Work at Home!

2006-12-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

As cold as it's been around here lately, I am all the more determined to work at home! Beyond the obvious frustrations and bummer gas expenses of the commute, dangerous cold icy roads provide yet another excellent reason to leave the car in the garage. I would much rather sit in front of my computer in my jammies and robe and watch the pretty winter weather through my living room window while I work, thank you very much!

One of the best ways I have found to accomplish this is to find freelance work over the Internet. Here you can find a global pool of potential clients, many of whom need the exact kind of work that you, as a freelance expert, can provide. Interested? Start your work-at-home career today. Get direct access to hundreds of freelance and home-based jobs. Click here to find work now.

Lifelong Learning - Easier Than Ever!

2006-12-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

I am a life-long learner. I love to learn. I spent six years in college and would have stayed longer if life didn't take me elsewhere. I returned to college part-time when my last child was two, then again (full time) when she was nine.

Right now I am teaching art classes, but that doesn't mean I'm not learning. In fact, they say the teacher learns much more than the student while preparing to teach. (You can read more about that in my previous related post.) Now most of my learning consists of visiting the library (I still love the library and I still check out books!) and, of course, surfing the net.

As an alternative to attending classes on campus, the Internet offers a great way attain a college education. Online college programs are available to anyone, anywhere, without ever having to leave home. Can you imagine? Well, you probably can, but I went to college (three times) the old-fashioned way. Well, one of those times was almost as convenient; the college was right across the street.

Now, you can live in Tempe, AZ and earn your degree from Capella University in Chicogo if you want to. How convenient is that? Capella University, as an example, is an accredited university that offers 76 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate specializations in business, information technology, education, human services, and psychology. The university serves students in all 50 states and 63 countries. How many local colleges do that?

Hmmm. . . I'm thinking about taking a few more classes.

An Inconvenient Truth - Our Planet is at Stake

2006-12-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

Did you know that while the "war on terror" has fervently waged on, a much larger and more dangerous threat to our very existance has been rapidly closing in on us? The fact is that we are very nearly at the point of no return; but, of course, the Bush administration, in all its power and pompousness, has failed to even acknowledge, let alone act on this very real peril to the habitability of the earth.

Of course, I'm talking about global warming. This is not just a scientific term that we can let others worry about any more. We are seeing the catastrophic effects on the changing global climate very clearly, and it is affecting the very lives of hundreds of thousands of people and other living things all over the world. This is not a partison or a national issue anymore; it is a habitability issue. Whether you are Democrate or Republican or whatever, whether you live in California or New Hampshire or Peru or China, global warming will greatly affect your life and the lives of your children very shortly, if we don't act now.

See for yourself what is going on. See photos of glaciers that have literally disappeared within the last a few years, and at least one town in Alaska that has disappeared with them. Warmer oceans have created fiercer (and more) storms like Katrina. Why is that? Drier, hotter fires are burning in the California, even in winter. Why??? Please, learn more and find out what you can do: check out this award winning film, An Inconvenient Truth, and see for yourself. Warning: this is scary stuff, but ignorance is much more dangerous. The concensus is that we have only the next decade or so to act, or the damage can never be undone.

By the way, there are skeptics who argue that this is all "junk science" or mere conjecture. (I think most are paid conservative propagandists.) Okay, what if it IS wrong? Can becoming better stewards of our planet hurt?

The real question is (and the answer appears evident), what if it's right?

Hands-On Teaching? Do THIS First!

2006-12-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

I'm back!!! I haven't written since - (gulp) - July?????

Well, it's been a hectic summer and autumn, what with my new art center and other major changes in my life. The art center has gone well; the locals here seem to appreciate the fine arts and crafting opportunities I am offering here. Or, as one little girl told me, "My mom has been looking for art classes for me FOREVER!!!" (She's nine; forever is obviously all relative.)

In any case, I've held art classes steadily thoughout the week since May. The classes are just a few hours per week in total, but the PLANNING! Oh-my-gosh, sometimes the planning takes, well, forever! I've learned that "planning" means, after deciding what to do, doing it.

In fact, this is the number one cardinal rule for teaching any kind of hands-on lesson:

NEVER do a project with a class that you haven't done first yourself.

Ah, heck, why not? It's such a simple project. You did it when you were a kid, for God's sake! Well, there are many reasons, and believe me, I would know...

First, it forces you to assemble everything you need in advance, and so if something you thought you had (usually vital to the project) is unusable, like dried up paint or hardened glue; or missing, like colored chalk, green glitter, or black construction paper, you can run out and get it. Once you have everything in front of you, you can begin the project. Be sure to time yourself from beginning to end, so that you'll know in advance if a 1-1/2 hour project is really a 4 hour project.

The process of trying the project first will make you very aware of what works and what doesn't. If glue sticks don't work, you'll know you better substitute Tacky glue, and if that doesn't work, you can go for the glue gun! (Oops! No glue gun sticks!) If folding paper or tying twine or punching holes through cardboard is difficult for you, it'll be much harder for your younger participants. You'll know what you need to cut, measure, or prepare in advance. And finally, you'll have a finished product that you can use as a sample, which is very important -- students like to see what it is they are going to make, even if their results are very different.

So, planning and teaching classes. That's why I've been away so long. Well, in addition to personal changes in my life that I alluded to above. Maybe another time.

Pictured above is a life-sized papier-mache' snake created by Robert, age 11.

Down and Out in Bush Country

2006-07-29T09:14:00.000-06:00

Have you ever found yourself in a sitatuation where you are "financially embarrassed?" You know, you have bills up the yang-yang and you have to search the couch cushions and between seat cracks in the car for change to buy 1/2 gallon of gas? You have trouble sleeping at night, knowing that you haven't paid the rent and having no idea when you can? You can positively state, without reservation, that you are officially and unequivocally - PO'? (That's worse than 'poor.')

I was talking to a guy at Sams' Club the other day and he echoed the sentiments of many a folk, I believe. He said he was just on the brink of homelessness. This guy is not lazy, mind you. He does some kind of construction work, but because of the price of fuel, jobs are few and far between. He moved three times in the last year (different states) following work. Right now, he said he has a project, but once it ends, nothing else is lined up, and his savings are gone. Our conversation then moved to the why's and wherefore's, and as you can probably guess, George Bush was mentioned, and not in a positive light; but that's a whole 'nother subject.

Unfortunately, even in the worst of circumstances, one's bills still have to be paid. Living in todays' Bush world is not a piece of cake, is it? People are getting desperate for answers to their financial woes, and that's where those friendly debt consolidation people come in! Also known as "debt negotiation" and "debt settlement" companies, they have one purpose, and that is to serve you, counsel you, and ultimately make your debt go away, painlessly and easily! WHAT COULD BE BETTER?

Actually, a lot of things. Truth is, debt consolidation is often a trap. These companies work for your creditors and on their behalf. Although they tout themselves as "non-profit," they do charge service fees and often skim these fees right off the top of your monthly payments. If you are considering the debt consolidation route, first learn all you can about it and be fully aware of the dangers. The fact is that what they do for you, you can often do for yourself as far as negotiating lower interest rates and payments with your creditors! Another option is a low-interest home-equity loan that will allow you to pay off your debts. Of course, you have to be a home owner to do this, so it may not be a option for you. Your home becomes collateral on the loan, so, with the obvious tax and payment advantages also comes risk, so be careful.

When in dire straits, people start looking for ways to trim their expenses. One item that is often scrutinized is insurance, and auto insurance is a good place to start. Obviously I don't mean to get rid of it (unless you're looking for an easy way to get an expensive ticket). Just take a look at your rates and do a little car insurance comparison shopping. You can almost always find better rates and already you'll be on your way to better financial health.

For added protection, CarInsurance.com can even help you with a new product called "temporary comprehensive coverage," or a short term policy, which can save you money as well. How? You can buy insurance for temporary situations such as moving a car from seller to buyer, taking a vacation with the expectation of sharing the driving, or lending (or borrowing) a car. That way, you don't have to buy a full insurance policy, and you eliminate the financial risks of not having any coverage at all.

If all else fails in your struggle to survive financially, bankrutcy may be your best option. For some, this is akin to death; but brighten up! Although drastic and certainly a last resort solution, bankruptcy is not the end of the world. It can stop those irritating dinner hour phone calls (thank goodness for caller ID!) and may get rid of unsecured debts and stop foreclosures, repossessions, garnishments, utility shut-offs and also let you keep most of your stuff. Best of all, you'll get a little more sleep at night and a nice, fresh start.

Let's Get Sensible, Now

2006-07-22T00:12:00.000-06:00

Quick! Name the top three things that in my opinion reek havoc on the sensibilities of every otherwise normal American citizen!

Of course, you said:

1- Religion
2- Politics
3- Credit cards

Okay, the answers were so obvious, I apologize! (Next quiz will be harder, I promise.) What else besides these three things would cause people to do things that border on insanity???

Religion: Obvious one here. People have always been a little (or very) weird when it comes to acting on "what they believe in." Need we even go there?

Politics: Oh my God, don't get me started. I grew up in a Republican family, then registered as an Independent as soon as I turned 18. Later, I used my brain and decided to become a Democrat. Unfortunately, most people look at politics like they do religion. They don't think, they don't study the issues or the candidates' stands on them, they just - well, I don't know what they do anymore. Look at how so many seemingly normal Americans jumped into the bushes, for example. (I said it from the very beginning and it bears repeating: stay-out-the-Bushes!) I have personally interviewed many of these individuals, by the way, and clearly they did not know why they supported him. Just because. So, so scarey!

Credit cards: Okay, I don't care who you are, credit cards have been the downfall of many a normal American citizen: neurosurgeons, swimming pool attendents, college professors, Walmart greeters, housewives, and homeless individuals. For that matter, credit cards were probably what created homeless people. Perfectly normal people can go a little crazy with credit cards in their possession, am I right?

On the plus side, when it comes to convenience, what could be better? Money to spend when you don't have any! Unfortunately, many people see credit cards this way; when in reality, our credit cards can be ideal tools for managing our finances. They make online purchases easy, let us carry less cash, and allow us to conveniently handle travel expenses. Why do so many of us, then, go so crazy with credit and end up thousands of dollars in debt???

Beats me. I guess certain things just make us a sort of nutso. Even little plastic cards.

Time for a Vacation!

2006-07-09T01:18:00.000-06:00

Idaho is a great place to live and I love it. Mostly. But now and again one needs a vacation.

Am I right?

My sister moved to Florida a few years ago. Now, we are originally California people. I thought a move to Florida seemed rather risky, at least compared to Idaho, what with global warming and all. Lately it seems those monster hurricanes make a beeline for Forida. They literally line up to batter, flood, and pummel this state, seemingly attempting to wipe it off the map.

I asked my sister if she has had any hurricane damage, and she said "just a little." What does that mean exactly??? Did a tree branch blow into the yard, or did "just a little" of her roof blow away?

Well, in spite of the sometimes catastrophic weather, I've been hearing a lot about vacationing in Orlando. Apparently, in the year 2000, the Orlando area had over 43 million visitors, making it the number one tourist destination in the world. By comparison, the population of Orlando is a mere 185,000. However, this is one of the fastest growing communities in Florida, as well as in the US. What are all of these people doing there? Are they flocking to Disney World?

Actually, there are seven major them parks in the area, plus many other enjoyable ways to spend a vacation. The best way to explore the area might be an Orlando Vacation Home Rental. I've got it all figured out. If I rent a home, I'm basically saying, "Hey Neighbor, how's it goin'? How about a barbeque?" I could explore all seven major theme parks, lie on the white sandy beaches (keeping an eye out on the horizon for hurricanes, of course), explore the Everglades, check out the historic homes and interesting architecture, shoot a few rounds of golf, and shop, shop, shop! And meanwhile, if need be, I could pack up and be outta there in a matter of mere minutes.

Yep, a vacation in Orlando sounds like just the thing. I'm up for it. (But first, I'll just switch on the Weather Channel.)

Keep on Truckin', Man...

2006-07-09T01:07:00.000-06:00

Remember the old addage, "Keep on truckin'"?

You don't?

Well, maybe I'm older than I thought. Come to think of it, a little kid DID ask me recently, "Why do you look so OLD?" Does it really show? Wow...

Anyway, it wasn't so long ago, man. Keep on truckin', that's what we said. I think it meant, keep on movin', walkin', doin' what you do best, and don't look back, man. (We said "man" a lot back then, too.)

Nowadays I think the meaning of truckin' has changed. Now it means actually driving trucks, I'm thinking. Especially here in Idaho, where 90% of the male population over the age of 12 has access to and drives a pickup truck, and 90% of those trucks are old, battered, and lacking a muffler. The favorite things to do with a pickup truck here are:

a) Lay rubber while turning a corner from a stationary position (summer) or squeal across the ice while turning a corner from a stationary position (winter).

b) Go off-road wheel-spinning in wet weather so as to return with your truck entirely covered with a rock-hard coat of dried grey-brown mud (which is more obviously desireable than the original dingy rust & yellow tones beneath).

c) Load all of your stringy haired friends into the bed of your pick-up truck, then speed down Main Street whooping and hollering as you pass an officer of the law.

If you are a truck enthusiast, you'll be thrilled to know that you can now order all of your trucking accessories online. BuyAutoTruckAccessories.com offers a large selection of auto, SUV, van, and truck accessories that you can easily find by simply typing in your vehicle year, make, and model. Even better, they offer free shipping for orders over $100 (excludes oversized items). They have truck racks, tool boxes, tow packages, interior accessories, and more.

So, turn your wimpy grocery carrier into the manly cargo hauler it was meant to be! And while your'e there, check out their great tips and safety suggestions - always a good idea. Right boys?

Blackfoot Art Center - Off and Running!

2006-05-21T22:01:00.000-06:00

Well, I did it!

I am now the sole proprieter of the Blackfoot Art Center. I am also the teacher, the bookkeeper, the buyer, the publicist, and the janitor. And I'm loving it! I just published our summer class schedule, so if you are interested, visit the Blackfoot Art Center weblog and download the current class information.

I really love this little town. People are so supportive, and now so excited about an Art Center here. One woman came by and said she nearly drove off the road when she saw the sign.

And that reminds me of my only real pet peeve about living here - the drivers! (Not the above-mentioned lady, of course; my awesome sign was to blame for that!) The "in" thing here in Blackfoot is driving a loud, beat-up pick-up truck (with no seatbelts) and laying rubber. I live on the corner of a busy street, so you can imagine how that is for me. Yep, just really poor driving habits here, and I see it every day. (Kids in Idaho can drive at age 14 1/2, by the way...) I don't think there's so much of a problem with auto theft here, however. It must be pretty easy to obtain an old pickup truck without having to steal one, I'm guessing.

I just learned that six of the top ten auto theft locations are located in California, where we moved from not so long ago. While still living there, we switched insurance companies to GEICO and never looked back. Now GEICO has recommended 11 steps California drivers can take to prevent being targeted and losing their car to thieves. They're not just for Californians, in my opinion; everyone should take heed. Tips include simple things like not leaving your keys in the car or valuables where people can see them, and locking the car even while driving. But how about hiding your registration papers in a secret location (not the glove compartment where thieves and find and produce them for police)? Or, try etching your VIN on every window? Thieves hate that! (Too expensive to fix.)

You'll find all of these great tips (thanks GEICO!) at CarInsurance.com, where you can also get free auto insurance quotes that will save you both time and money.

Opening a Art Center!

2006-03-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

I'm going to open an art center! I think it's a great idea. One reason is because this little town doesn't have one (I checked the phone book). Also, there is little opportunity to work in a small town; at least doing something you like doing for enough money to live on. Something I like to do (besides write) is teach art.

The idea just came to me one night as I was falling off to sleep, then I couldn't sleep at all. The more I thought about it, the more excited I became. I've done this before, mind you, (teach art classes I mean) but this time I'll have an actual classroom (well, an entire finished basement), instead of my kitchen table or someone else's borrowed space. I'll have plenty of storage for supplies like paint, paper, scissors, glue, and art books; instead of lugging everything around in cardboard boxes. I'll have walls for displaying student work, running water for rinsing and cleaning, linoleum floors for spilled paint, and white walls for projected images.

I'll teach the little ones fun arts and crafts projects and everyone else will learn to draw, paint, and take good photos. I might teach creative writing too. Or a puppetry class!

Why didn't I think of this before?

Interested? Take a look at my new Blackfoot art center weblog. Very soon you'll find a journal of what we're doing, and we'll be showcasing lots of student work. You'll find class schedules and registration forms there too. Is this exciting or what???

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One of the best thing about spring is Spring Flowers. I used to go out to the foothills in Monterey County to photograph and paint the amazing displays of spring wild flowers in March and April. Wherever you happen to live, don't miss the flowers!

Please, Tell Me It's Spring!

2006-03-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've had enough winter now. Time's up!

Tomorrow is officially the first day of Spring, and I'm ready. And yet, as I sit here looking out the window I'm seeing snow drifting to the ground, which, by the way, is steadily turning white and not at all a spring-like green! It seems like every morning when I wake up, I find that it snowed all night. Then every day it melts away, and warms up a bit and we think we've seen the last of it. And then it snows. AGAIN.

Yet, during the earlier months of winter when we were looking forward to a beautiful winter wonderland, it rained. Or it snowed every so often then boom! It was gone. Or it didn't do anything but get cold. And no matter what, the roads were ALWAYS made of ice.

Well, in any case I'm ready for some warm, even hot weather. I'm ready to see the daffodils and the tulips and the crocus pop out, and I'm ready to plant my tomatoes and squash and sweet peas and maybe some pansies and petunias and anything else that'll brighten things up and get me out of the house and into the yard. Heck, I can hardly wait to mow the lawn!

This has been brought to you by someone who has cabin fever and wishes she had a nice Vacation Home Orlando to go for a nice warm visit right about now. . .

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Silly Inventions - They Just Keep Coming

2006-03-09T23:03:00.000-07:00

I never cease to be amazed at the stuff I see advertised on TV. Do you know people are still trying to invent stuff? Now, it should be obvious to anyone that anything worth inventing has aready been invented. Well okay, that's what folks said at the beginning of the 20th century, but nobody listened. Well, now everything worthwhile HAS been invented. For sure this time! If you ever watch late night television, you'll know what I mean. That is, if you can force yourself to sit through the 20 minutes of commercials between five minutes of programming instead of going to the john or fixing one or several midnight snacks or vacuuming the popcorn out of the carpet.

This stuff has no business ever being invented. Maybe that's why you can't find these items in stores. Sometimes we in our house watch an ad and then look at each other and say in unison "That is so STUPID!" (Yes, this has really happened, and on more than one occasion.)

My theory is that this rash of stupid, useless inventions, is due to the commercials for inventors to hurry up and send in their ideas. Maybe they hurry too fast before they come to their senses and realize that the invention still needs a lot of work or was just a bad idea right from the start. In any case, what I think happens is people send in their invention ideas, then the people who receive them send them a reject letter (very bad idea, just forget about it, etc.) then claim the idea as their own. And it really IS a bad idea.

Or maybe it's because of the commercials that show these wonderful inventions that everyone now owns and loves, except the inventor never got rich because they "didn't - have - a - patent!" So, so sad.

The thing about these new innovations is that first the ad has to convince you that you need the item. A perfect example is the Pasta Express - just cook, strain, and drain! (Of course, first you have to boil the water in another container, then pour the boiling water into the Pasta Express.) Uh - it seems that I always cook, strain, and drain, only all in one pot. Now, I grant you I didn't go out and buy the SPECIAL pasta cooking pot with the little draining holes in the lid, and I thought that was a mistake, but now I know it was a good thing because it has ALREADY become obsolete with the birth of the Pasta Express! Yet, I'm old-fashioned I guess. I don't mind draaaagggging out the strainer and straaaaaining my spaghetti and then waaaaassshhhhing the strainer, which takes up an extra three or four seconds of my busy, busy schedule.

And speaking of spaghetti, did you know some genius invented a self-twirling spaghetti fork? Truly amazing! And suspiciously similar to the battery-operated Crest Spin Brush, come to think of it. So, can I say, "I rest my case," or does my reader need still further evidence? I mean, if you really insist on inventing something, why not take something mundane, yet useful, like Office Room Reception Chairs and redesign them? Add more cushiness, for example, and maybe a pillow for all those long meetings, and a soft foot rest and maybe an insulated beverage holder.

In any case, I think the best way to go is to forget the stupid TV commercials (us viewers will just laugh at you anyway). Put your innovative new product on the web, then get some really expert Internet Marketing Consultants to be on your side. You'll have a world-wide marketplace, and someone out there is bound to love your what-ever-it-is!!!

Big Boys and Boats

2006-03-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

What is it about boats?

For some unknown reason, all men dream of owning a boat. Every man I ever knew did. My ex always talked about how "someday" he would get one; however, he never specified what kind of boat. Maybe it would be a sailboat, a power boat, or maybe a fancy yacht. Maybe a small boat with an outboard motor or a rowboat or even a log raft would do. Remember Huck Finn?

Does the type of boat count, or must it be merely something that floats?

Now-a-days electronic marine devices are a must, especially since most boat dreams involve all-day fishing. Gizmos like fish finders, GPS plotters, depth finders, and electronic compasses all belong in boats now (apparently). Often, that all-important fish finder is more valuable than the boat itself.

When I was a kid, finding fish was not the problem. You go out early in the morning to the center of the lake, then sit quietly. Eventually, if the fish are around, you'll see them beneath the boat. The question is, are they biting? Do they have devices to tell you if the fish are hungry?

Well, in any case, I'll never understand why guys think they need to have a boat. With today's sleeker, fancier, faster boats (not to mention jet skis) and all the great electronic gadgets to put in them, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

If you are a guy who just bought a boat or a very expensive electronic device to find hungry fish, you might want to think real hard about what to say to your significant other. My suggestion: send flowers. You may even be thinking about tying the knot. If so, your boat and accessories may have set you back a bit, right? Other than making your home on the boat itself, here is a cost saving idea: cheap wedding favors! Take my word for it, your guests will be none the wiser, and your boat will be patiently waiting to take you and your honey on an awesome honeymoon.

By the way, here's a joke for you.

This guy went ice fishing for the first time. That morning he went to a house near the frozen lake to borrow an ax, which he promised to return as soon as he got through the ice. He finally showed up to return the well-used ax late that evening. The ax owner said, "Wow, that took quite a while! Did you catch a lot of fish?" The fisherman replied, "No, not really. I never actually did any fishing. It took all day to get the boat into the water!"

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Alyice Stops In to Answer My Questions!

2006-02-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

Alyice Edrich is taking a blog tour, and fortunately, my blog is on her itinerary! While she was here, she agreed to answer my marketing questions.

Alyice is the author of several work-from-home e-books, including Tid-Bits For Making Money With E-books — where parents earn hundreds of dollars selling information they already possess.

My three questions (just off the toppa my head, of course) were as follows:

Me: There is so much information out there about how to succeed making money on the Internet, with a lot of conflicting information. Is it better to focus and spend my time on one good niche (with content-rich website, e-zine or newsletter, e-books, etc.) or is this putting all of my eggs in one basket? Should I instead be creating as many sites and products in as many good niches as possible to improve my Internet presence and income possibilities, as recommended by many of the gurus?

Alyice: When people spread themselves too thin, they cannot successfully create an income to live off of or they spend all their time working that they simply do not have time to enjoy their lives. In my opinion, I think people should start one website at a time. Build that website up and when it generates a certain amount of income, steadily for a set period of time, then move onto another website or develop products and/or services to enhance your current website.

Having your eggs in more than one basket is vital these days, but that doesn’t mean that you need more than one website to do it. If you pick a theme that you are passionate about, you can develop several departments within that niche to build on.

Lets say that you love photography. You take photographs of families for a living, but you live in a small town with the nearest town 35 minutes away. You want to increase your income so you decide to go with what you know and develop a photography website. You start by building quality content: teaching your readers how to take professional quality photographs, pick the right camera and equipment, and eventually you add content on selling photographs to magazines.

But you realize that while this hobby has brought you name recognition, which has caused people in other towns to drive to you for their family photo shoots, it hasn’t generated the income you had hoped. You think about closing down the publication, but you love what you do so much you just don’t have the heart to do it.

That’s when it hits you! You can add advertising to your publication through affiliate programs. A quick search on http://cj.com helps you locate products that match every article in your publication. A month later, you begin to see an income and as time progresses your income increases and so do the private emails.

Because of reader feedback, you discover a need for certain products you cannot find through your affiliate programs, so you get a resale license and you buy wholesale. You then open up a shopping cart and begin selling those items through your publication and your income increases again.

Eventually, you realize you have a lot of wonderful photos sitting in your studio collecting dust so you decide to find a publisher to develop a few coffee table style books. With the left over photos, you open up a stock photo area in your shopping cart.

Now, you still have one website, but you’ve just created multiple streams of income. And you aren’t spreading yourself too thin, because you only have to promote one domain.

Me: I don't really understand the point of finding an e-book publisher. I thought that writing an e-book, converting to PDF (which anyone can do with free software), and marketing through a self-designed website, were the great advantages of selling an e-book. Other than the digital delivery service and PayPal fees, (and affiliate fees if you use affiliates), you stand to make a very nice profit from each sale. What are the advantages of using an e-book publisher?

Alyice: Personally, I don’t like the idea of signing a contract for exclusivity to an e-book publisher. But there are many people who just don’t want to deal with the whole entrepreneur side of things. When you sign a contract with an e-publisher, you get royalty checks and don’t need a business license (in most states).

Me: I have recently written a how-to e-book in a specific niche, establishing myself as an expert and featuring the e-book on my website. I have submitted articles to a few free e-zine content sites and have shared links with a few websites. I also send out a content-rich newsletter to a growing subscriber list. What else should I do to market my e-book and website? (Am I on the right track)?

Alyice: You are definitely on the right track. Many people think that because you have an e-book you cannot send out press releases to traditional media outlets. This isn’t true. While some media outlets still do not understand the concept of e-publishing, many do. Take your chances and contact radio stations, local news outlets, and cable talk shows to discuss the theme of your e-book. And don’t forget to advertise in print publications.

You can visit Alyice Edrich at Dabbling Mum Press to order a copy of her e-book, Tid-Bits For Making Money With E-books, today!

Catch up with Alyice by making another stop on her blog tour… Here.

Strange (Indoor) Weather We're Having...

2006-02-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

I've found that cold winter temperatures bring about strange indoor weather patterns.

Since moving here from California, I've discovered that when it's cold outside (I mean really cold like -10F, not California cold like 45F), you're not so inclined to open up the windows to air out the house. Now, I like fresh air; I like to sleep with the window open. During winter, however, that's not really an option. The furnace is on almost constantly, recycling the same stale, dry air throughout your firmly sealed house. What do you suppose is floating around in that stale, dry air (and lots of it)?

For one thing, dust.

An evergrowing accumulation of dead skin cells, animal dander, dust mites, and other such lovely things that form a thick coating on everything because it has no place else to go. The mirrors, the TV, the table tops, the book shelves, and computer screens begin to take on a dull, gray finish and you eventually realize there's nothing wrong with your vision. You also realize that you now have to dust every day or your lungs will look like your TV screen.

But that's not all. Within this same atmospheric cesspool are germs, germs, germs. We bring them in from school, church, Walmart, friend's homes; and then they take up residence on doorknobs, countertops, and everything else that we touch. The problem is, we tend to contract those germs more easily and get sick during wintertime, not because of the cold weather, but because of the warm dry weather in our homes! It's true! Ever notice how your sinuses tend to dry out during the winter months? Mucous is what your body uses to flush germs out of your system. In a warm dry house where other people's cold germs have made themselves at home, you pick them up on your hands and then you touch your nose. Bingo! You get sick.

Then, there's "winter lightening." It's that snap-crackle-and-pop that goes on 24/7, but is most noticably at night, when you're tossing and turning in bed. It's dark, but you lift the blanket and see a dozen or so little sparks of light. Snap! Crackle! Pop! It's in your bedding, your clothes, your hair, your carpeting, and your cat. Those little dryer sheets are worthless, unless you can throw your whole house in the dryer. We finally found some anti-static spray at Radio Shack. We sprayed down the carpet, furniture and mattresses; and washed and dried all the bedding (with a double dose of dryer sheets). Then we were relatively static-free --- for maybe a week.

Now I understand where cabin fever comes from.

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Have you ever heard of Airsoft Guns? I'm personally not into guns, but I've heard that paintball guns are a lot of fun. This is a sport that allows a boy to never grow up. You know this when you look at a group photo of paintball enthusiasts, who are physically grown but wearing camouflage clothing and big cheesy grins.

Not (Usually) a TV Fan

2006-02-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

I’m not a big TV fan. I have old favorites like I Love Lucy and the Dick Van Dyke Show. I loved Carol Burnett’s and the Smothers Brothers’ variety shows. I enjoy good comedy. But my taste for TV watching dwindled when I left for college. There was one television in the dorm lounge, and although it was always on, no one ever watched. We were too busy studying, partying, and growing up.

One weekend I went home and found my family gathered around the TV for a new show called All in the Family. Was this what people were watching? All that whining and arguing about ethnic and social issues was not entertaining to me. I was glad to get back to the dorm.

I stayed another five years or so, leaving the dorms and sharing apartments with various roommates. We had TV, but again, it was almost never on. We’d rather listen to music or sleep or have friends over or be out and about. Or in class or at the library studying, of course. Watching TV was synonymous with “stuck at home.”

Eventually I became acquainted with a new show called Saturday Night Live. Now this was funny TV! To this day, I think those original SNLs are priceless entertainment, classic comedy. However, a bit later on a show called Married With Children brought TV down to a new low. It was so bad that we (I was married now) banned it from our viewing menu. Another show, In Living Color, seemed pretty clever and funny at first, but then a little weekly sketch called “The Buttheads” ruined it for us. (If you never saw it, use your imagination.) Now I know this show launched the careers of Jim Carrey the very talented Wayans’ brothers, but the Buttheads sketch was in such poor taste, we shut it down too.

During the eighties and the nineties, I was so busy raising my family I had little time for TV. I had no “spare” time, so to speak; and because TV had deteriorated so much, I preferred reading, sewing, or maybe even jumping jacks to watching television. I was so far removed from the TV habit that it never occurred to me that I might be missing anything good. Maybe I was wrong.

We have this new gizmo on top of our TV now called a “DVR.” You can program it to record a certain show whenever it comes on, even if you don’t know the TV schedule. It’s called a “season pass.” My significant other knows all about that stuff, so he has it set up to record his favorite semi-oldies that I guess everyone (but me) was watching at one point in time. These were serial dramas, sort of. There were new problems and dilemmas in each episode, but with recurring or continuing issues as well. Our current season passes include ER, Boston Public, New York Undercover, City of Angels, and Judging Amy. Believe it or not, I am now seeing these shows for the very first time, and with the added advantage of seeing one episode right after another instead of having to wait!

Okay, I’m impressed. I’m finding some good writing here; imaginative, intriguing storylines, interesting characters, and pertinent issues brought to the forefront. So maybe I am a few years behind (and many of the issues ten years old or more). And, it appears to me that the students on Boston Public seem a bit too mature for high school kids (I’m guessing most were not actually teenagers), and the emergency rooms are busier than any I’ve EVER seen (I have experience here; I raised three active sons).

My overall favorite is Judging Amy. My DH says he’d dump me for Maxine in a minute if the opportunity presented itself. Okay, I’m soft and wishy-washy; she pulls no punches and stands up for herself. And she smokes. I’m not so sure he realizes what he’d be getting himself into…

As far as the programs currently showing on television (except American Idol, of course)… I know just about as much about them as I do about stock option trading. Nada.

That’s okay, because we have one more season pass to fall back on for really great classic entertainment - - - But wait! We're traveling through another dimension; a dimension of sight and sound and also of imagination.... Look! There's a signpost up ahead!

Next stop: THE TWILIGHT ZONE!

Great Idea for Book Lovers (Like Me)

2006-01-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

I received a lot of Christmas mailings and catalogs, most of which went into the trash. One, however, sparked some ideas! In my book club's Holiday Gift Guide, I found a whole flyer filled with "book baskets." Interesting idea, huh?

Each basket contained books based on a theme. Some also have a related item such as a Santoku knife included in the"Celebrity Chef's" basket, and a "Holiday Entertaining" CD in the "Art of Entertaining" basket. Of course, the price of the book collection was reduced from whatever the books would cost individually. Of course. In the picture, the books were actually placed in a red box, and wrapped up in cello and a bow similar to gift baskets.

I like the idea of book baskets. You know from my last post that I love to read, so if someone gave me a book basket, I would be thrilled, no matter what kind of books they were. I collect books, by the way.

In any case, my point here is that I thnk creating book baskets as gifts is a great idea. The only thing I would change is the red box, and the place where I get the books. I would select my own books from Edward R. Hamilton Bookseller. I have ordered books from this company for many years because they have a huge selection, their prices can't be beat, and best of all, they charge only $3.50 shipping no matter how large your order! Buying books from Hamilton would make book baskets a cinch to make. Here's an example:

First click on View Subject List. Now you can click on whatever subject your gift recipient might be interested in OR for really great prices, you can click on "Specials" at the top of the page. Then select Today's Price Cuts, Audio Books and Videos and scroll cown the list of titles. That's what I'll do here. Now let's assume our gift recipient loves quilting and needlework. This is what I found:

QUICK AND EASY CROSS STITCH DESIGNS INSPIRED BY YOUR GARDEN
By Anne & Michael Lane. Published at $24.95 - your price $3.95

EMBROIDERED TREASURES FOR CHILDREN
By Claire Garland. Published at $19.95 - your price $7.95

QUILTING FOR THE MEN IN YOUR LIFE
By Pearl Louise Krush. Published at $22.99 - your price $7.95

EMBROIDERY FOR THE HOME
By Jenny Bullen. Published at $35.00 - your price $8.95

DEBBIE MUMM'S BEST TIPS AND TECHNIQUES FOR QUICK COUNTRY QUILTING Video. Published at $19.95 - your price is $2.95

If you bought all of these books you would pay a whopping $32 plus $3.50 shipping. (You would save nearly $100 off the publisher's prices, by the way.) Get a cute basket, some tinted cellophane, and a bow at the dollar store and there you go! What a great gift for Valentines Day, don't you think?

Of course, you could take the traditional approach with Valentines Day flowers. On the other hand, if you are looking at diamond engagement rings, now's the perfect time!

The Reading Life...

2006-01-09T11:56:00.000-07:00

I'm a reader. I love to read just about anything I come across. Every night I take time to read, just for pleasure. Not to learn, not to better my skills. Just to enjoy a good book.

Right now I am reading Everything That Rises Must Converge, one of three selections by Flannery O'Conner. This is a collection of tragic short stories, most dealing with eroding family relationships, race relations in the "new" South, and other equally compelling themes. I also recently read several thrillers by Charlotte Armstrong and have still more waiting their turn in my stack on the bedside table. I read God Bless You Mr. Rosewater, my first crack at Kurt Vonnegut, and enjoyed it. Then I began Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, which is written as a series of titled journal entries by "Jonah," who is attempting to write a book about what different Americans were doing the day the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. I put that one down for a while.

This past year I also read Michael Crichton's Prey. I like the fact that he is a scientist-turned-writer. Makes his science-fiction (including Jurassic Park, Congo, The Andromeda Strain) seem all the more plausible and believable.

I read The Street Lawyer again. Great read. Also Skipping Christmas, an unexpected one from John Grisham. I read two books about bones: Stephen King's Bag of Bones, which I read half-way, then lost in our move, then found a year later in a box and finished. A bit long, I think; the second half much better than the first. The other is The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold. This is the story of a 14-year-old girl who is murdered by a neighbor. Amazingly, it is not gruesome or even sad, really. It's touching, loving, and even humorous. Hard to explain, really, you'll just have to read it.

My very favorite book of the year (by far) was The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. What can I say about this book? The story is about two boys growing up in Afghanistan, but that only touches on what you will encounter in this book. This is one of those books that you hope will never end, and when it does, it stays with you long after you finish reading. It is one of those books that you want to read again, even if you never read a book twice. Many others were affected as I was by this remarkable story. You can read their reviews here. Whatever you do, please find, buy, or borrow a copy and read this book. I can hardly wait for Dr. Hosseini's next book, to be published later this year.

I had a neighbor back in California who said reading was a "waste of time."

What??!!

He might as well have said learning is a waste of time or BREATHING is a waste of time. I could only surmise that he couldn't read, and his remark was his feeble attempt to rationalize away his illiteracy. I can't even imagine a life without books.

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Those Little Ankle Biters!

2006-01-01T00:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I found this story on the Internet: Pack of Angry Chihuahuas Attack Officer

Apparently, these Chihuahuas were not too happy when they realized that their 17-year-old owner had been escorted home by a police officer. So, they did what any devoted, redblooded, sharp-toothed, rat-sized canines would do. With nothing less than bow-wow gang-mentality (and possibly some awareness of their small size), they rushed the cop at the doorway and did as much damage as they could--to his ankles.

The cop was rushed to the hospital where he was treated and released, uh, two hours later. So apparently, the bites were, well, just little bites.

By the way, the cute little chihuahuas pictured at the top of this post are not, I repeat, not the perpetrators in this unfortunate incident. Their mugshots are currently unavailable. The above photo is only intended to provide the reader with some idea as to what this noble peace police officer found himself up against.

This is just one of many heart-stopping, gotta-have-it-right-now (slightly offbeat) news stories you wouldn't want to miss, and has been brought to you by me (of course) and this week's sponsors:

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Beautiful (Mutilated) Barbie?

2005-12-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

My sisters and I grew up with one major goal: get more Barbie dolls.

I treasured my Barbies, spending many hours doing all I could to provide for their comfort and happiness. I brushed their hair and made sure they were always fully dressed and properly accessorized with hats, gloves, belts, purses, and gold jewelry; right down to their tiny high heels. I even built my Barbie dolls a three-story condo from a cardboard box. I fashioned furniture and appliances from tissue boxes, and I made rugs for the floors and blankets, pillows, and bedspreads for the beds. I constructed a stairway (how else could they move between floors?), and I found pictures of handsome young men in magazines that I cut out, framed, and put on the walls and dressers. These were Barbie's "dates." I even arranged for flower delivery from Ken and her other boyfriends, and placed her lovely bouquets on tables and dresser tops.

When I was ten or so, I received a working toy sewing machine. My mother found several Barbie clothing patterns at a fabric store (do they still make these?), and I sewed an entire Barbie wardrobe from scraps of fabric I found around the house. We also had the Barbie Queen of the Prom Game wherein my sisters and I would discover who would get to date Ken and who would get stuck with the nerdy guy and who would have to stay home to wash her hair.

I bring all of this up because today in Yahoo In the News I found an article about the (still) best-selling Barbie doll and the "Voice of Reason." This rather confusing article discusses the ever-popular Barbie doll, how she continues to represent a distorted and unhealthy body image, and the surprising things little girls do to their Barbie dolls once they receive them. Is it possible that little girls do not idolize Barbie or desire to emulate her perfect body and "cool" lifestyle as we once did? When 100 young British girls were interviewed, it was discovered that many of them mutiliate their Barbies; that is, "Barbie torture (is considered) a legitimate play activity."

My sisters and I would never have dreamed of torturing our beloved Barbies. One reason may be the fact that I had no brothers. Boys are known for decapitating Barbie dolls and finding even more original forms of torture. (I know because my own daughter had to protect her Barbie dolls from her brothers, that is until she, being the oldest, roped them into playing nicely with her Barbies and her).

Also, back in the early sixties, Barbie was seen as a toy for older girls, so we didn't have Barbies until at least age eight. To us, Barbie time was serious playtime. We were mature enough to recognize the true value of the proper preparation of Barbie for a date with Ken, correct wardrobe management, careful accessory selection, and emulation through voice and thought projection and similar dramatic play-acting activities. Okay, we pretended a lot.

Besides, back then, little girls had baby dolls. Now, three-year-old girls have four or five Barbie dolls tossed across the bedroom floor. My theory is that present-day Barbie torture begins when a three-year-old can't dress or undress the doll (physically impossible at age three). The clothing becomes torn and eventually lost, the shoes get stuck in the heating vent. The hair starts to go reggae almost immediately, as the doll is dragged around naked by the feet. Eventually someone decides to add nipples and tatoos with a felt tip pen and the head pops off. And there you have it: girl-generated Barbie doll abuse.

I don't think it has anything to do with "Barbie-induced self-loathing" or any of the other social ills that have been blamed on her. In my case, had we mutilated even one Barbie, our parents would have been very unhappy and would not have replaced her. We weren't stupid.

Besides, when I was twelve, my father secured a job at Mattel toymakers. We now had access to all of the latest Barbies; a dream-come-true for girls of the sixties such as my sisters and me!

My new favorite Barbie had plastic hair in the shape of a bun. This was so each of her three wigs could easily fit onto her head. She could go youthful with a brunette flip style, or she could be a platinum blonde bubble-head or a flirty curly redhead!

Now what could be more fun than THAT?

I'm Dreaming of a - Wet Christmas?

2005-12-26T22:14:00.000-07:00

If it ever looked like a white Christmas was immanent, this was the year for it!

And wa-la! It rained.

It was the craziest thing. Suddenly, you could walk outside in a t-shirt (well, compared to the sub-zero temps of most of this month and a good part of last). It was literally raining on the snow! After Dec. 21, the first official day of winter, I might add!

YUCK! What a mess! Slushy, muddy, puddles, and dirty, mushy "snow." But, at least by Christmas Day, the snow was all but gone, the grass was green (very well-watered at this point), and all the slippery ice had melted away.

The local children have all been grumbling about "no white Christmas, no sledding, no fun" etc. However, as I watched out my front window today I saw a group of children who had NOT given up. They obviously had recieved snow "vehicles" from Santa and were determined to use them. Their house located on the other side of the church parking lot that is across the street from us, an easy view from my living room window. What was left of the snow was piled at the end of the lot, just across from their house. They dragged a new sled, a snowboard, and a bright red saucer to the top of the mound and slid down, one by one. HMMPH. Very short ride. But fun!

They huddled and apparently made a plan. They went home and brought back two snow shovels. As one kid dragged pieces of the smaller snow mound to the larger one (to make it bigger, of course) another spread snow out from the bottom of the hill to make the ride longer. The third packed snow on top of the hill. Now, you must understand that this was very hard work. The snow is "old snow," crusty on the top from freezing, thawing, and refreezing. And being rained on and frozen again, it was more like, well, ice. But work hard they did, all in the name of FUN!

Finally, as I watched, the work was deemed complete. The children now, one at a time (there was only ROOM for one at a time) dragged their snow toys up the mound, which still didn't quite qualify as a "hill," and down they went, and it worked pretty well until they hit the hard asphalt at the end of the melting run. A very abrupt stop. But, with just a little imagination, they could have been the children in the picture above. Right?

By now, I went off to do something, probably the dishes. Two or three hours later I took my dog out for his walk (noticing that my face didn't hurt from the cold as it did the last few weeks) and as we walked around the block and passed the snow mounds, there was almost nothing left but slush. Across the street, the sled and the snowboard and the saucer were strewn across the lawn, but broken-in somewhat. Just as they should be on the day after Christmas.

And now for a few after-thoughts...

Did you get what you wanted for Christmas? If it wasn't a sled, then maybe it was diamond jewelry that you were hoping for. Of course, silver is always nice too; check here for current online silver prices.

The best gift of all, of course, is the gift of health. I have posted an article on another blog that you are invited to read, concerning menopausal health and hormonal replacement therapy. When synthetic hormones were introduced in the 1940s, many women thought they had found a fountain of youth, so to speak. Unfortunately, cervical cancer and premarin lawsuits followed. Read here about the Premarin problem from the perspective of a horse lover. Premarin is manufactured from "pregnant mare urine," by the way. You may be surprised at what you learn.

It's a Cold One!

2005-12-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it's like in your part of the world, but here in southeastern Idaho, it's COLD! This is only our second winter here, but apparently last winter was considered mild. My desk is situated in a corner of the living room where I can gaze out the window as I think and write. This is the scene that I am currently viewing; a winter wonderland! Of course, it helps to know I am inside looking out.

I really do love cold weather and snow. It's one of my favorite times of the year. But, my goodness! Last year it never dropped below 15 degrees or so (except one weekend it hit -0-). But this year we've had plenty of single digits, and the first week of December was minus 5 to minus 15 (that's BELOW zero!) every day!

Mind you, the first day of winter is not until December 21! That's not for three more days!

Now, when you have a house dog that be taken outside on a daily basis, you are forced to enter that beautiful winter wonderland and feel it. This means feeling not only the sharp frigid cold that forces you to cover every part of your body including your face. It also means feeling the sensation of trying to walk on a surface that provides no traction; so that in order to avoid slipping you must walk flat-footed like Frankenstein, often prefering to tramp through the snow than risk the slick sidewalk.

I'm proud to say I've only slipped twice on the ice, and once in a snow-covered parking lot. I survived without a bruise (snow is very soft) and no one saw me fall, as far as I could tell. I'm good!

Oh, another great thing is that the little dog that normally drags me around the neighborhood (short legs never walk, only run), now just slips and slides on the ice, putting me in charge! Those doggy legs look like blurry little cartoon legs, and yet he goes nowhere unless I choose to follow. Now he knows who's boss!

So, if you live in a no-snow zone, such as the central California coast where we're from, I hope I have given you just a taste of what you're missing. (You're either saying, "Gee, I sure wish I lived in such a lovely place!" or "You can have all that damn cold snow and ice!")

You can find another snowy winter image and some real Christmasy stuff too on my new blog, Link Letters. You're invited!

This little excursion into the white stuff has been made possible by my sponsors:

Pet ID Tags could save your pet's life! After all, even your best little furry buddy could slip away! (Get it?)

Did you know people taking Bextra have 2.19 times greater chance of heart attack, stroke, sudden death than Vioxx? Learn more or find out about a Bextra lawsuit.

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A Happy Accident

2005-12-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Did you ever take an accidental picture?

You know, you're trying to take a picture of something in particular and you know exactly what you want it to look like. Your subject is right there in front of you but illusive - you can't quite get it centered, and it keeps moving around. You turn the camera this way and that; and you move forward and then move backward. The wind is blowing and the light changes. You check the camera settings, then you try agin to focus on your subject. No, no, this isn't right! you think, and you briefly drop the camera to your side and oops! You accidently hit the shutter button.

Oh crap! A wasted picture!

Then, later, when you get your pictures back - hey! What's this? I don't remember taking this one... That's how this picture came about.

And I like it.

In spite of the fact that I took a photography class in high school, more photography courses in college, later a correspondence course, and later still, a refresher course at a local cummunity college, guess what? Accidents happen, and can bring surprising results.

Did you know, by the way, now you can take photography and many other courses through online colleges?

Then again, you may want to look into auto insurance ... Some "accidents" are not so happy.

Tradition!

2005-11-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and we'll be eating good. Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams, peas, macaroni and cheese, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, and sweet potato pie. There are only three of us at home now, where once we consisted of seven (oh, and a different hubby).

Personally, I would be quite willing to forego all the hoopla and keep it simple. Really simple. I thought briefly about a restaurant, but who wants to sit around waiting for their food in a restaurant when we can do that at home, in front of the TV? Plus the cost, of course. We could all go to the local "community dinner," maybe even volunteering to serve for a while. But then, it just seems like a hassle, and so much more comfortable to stay at home. I thought about turkey TV dinners. Not just any old TV dinners, of course. These would be Hungry Man Turkey Dinners! The best!

Well, in the end, my significant other won out. He is very much a traditionalist. He talks unendingly about how things USED to be, and food is very much a part of his family memories. Of course, he's not a child any more, his siblings and cousins are hither and yon, his parents have passed away, as have many aunts and uncles. So, now there are just the three of us, he and I and my youngest daughter, and we live far from the remaining relatives, who he reminisces used to pop in all day long to visit, and watch TV, and hand out quarters to the kids, and share a good meal. Actually, my holiday memories are not so different. I just see myself in a different time and place, and I accept it. I even like it.

Nevertheless, my dreams of "something different" are now sufficiently subdued. I went on over to Walmart today and did some last minute grocery shopping. We'll share in the cooking chores (he smokes the turkey and makes the pies, I do the rest), and we'll just have ourselves a merry little Thanksgiving.

This little taste of a traditional Thanksgiving that almost wasn't, is brought to you by Risk Management jobs (visit this site to search for jobs or to post an online resume), and by the people who can help you with your Vioxx lawsuit (they can help you with a free case evaluation).

A Dog Story

2005-11-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

True story. Many years ago we had a dog named Heidi. She was a beagle/lab, which means she was a beagle on stilts.

Heidi was extremely smart. If we so much as muttered the words dinner, food, eat, outside, walk, leash, the dog, Heidi, or a lot of other things, her ears pricked up, even if she was in a sound sleep. We had to start spelling within her earshot, especially anything pertaining to her.

During the warmer months she spent the night in the backyard. One morning she wasn't at the door waiting for her breakfast (she knew that word too), so I called her and found that she wasn't in the yard. I walked around and found that the inside garage door to the backyard had blown open because my husband had been too lazy to close the big garage door as he drove off to work that morning. In the past when she had gotten out, she'd be sitting on the front porch waiting for us, but no Heidi. It was quite windy that morning, so it dawned on me the her sniffer might be confused after her trek around the neighborhood, and she couldn't find her way home.

Then, the phone rang. Someone found Heidi on the side of a busy street a half mile away. She had just been hit by a car. Her dog tag had our telephone number on it, so her rescuer called us from a cell phone. When we got there, she was surrounded by several people who had seen the accident, including the driver. They all wished us the best as we rushed her to the vet. She was awake, bewildered, and could no longer use or feel her left front leg. The vet said to give it time, but from that point on, she was a three-legged dog.

Which was okay. She was still our Heidi. I know one thing, without those pet ID tags, we may have lost our usually really smart dog.

My Website Update - WooHoo!

2005-11-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

This last couple of weeks I've been working feverishly on my homeschool website, this time on the shopping page. My goal here is to provide recommendations for books, games, magazines, kits, and other resources that homeschooling families can use. Most of these are hands-on items, not just stuff that tells you why homeschooling is a good idea, etc., etc.

In any case, I am very meticulous about everything I do, so consequently it took hours and hours to search the web for the very best resources, create affiliate accounts, create site pages for various types of products, create code to insert on each page for each item, and insert pictures for some of the items. Finally I'm done! My little shop looks pretty good, I admit; but it is not the main goal of my website to sell other people's stuff. Being a writer and a veteran homeschooler, I wrote a homeschooling e-book describing hands-on curriculum ideas that work. What I really want is to get it out there to other homeschooling families. I know they'll use it and they'll love it. Know any homeschoolers? Send them to our website at www.allthingshomeschool.com.

As I told you in my previous posting, I now have sponsors! If any of these look interesting, click and take a look:

If you have a background in finance and are in the market for a better job, you can look here at financial jobs or post your resume online.

Do you or have you ever taken Vioxx? As you probably know, in September 2004, Vioxx was voluntarily recalled by its manufacturer, Merck because in clinical studies it was found to "double the risk of a severe cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes and can even cause sudden death. Those taking higher doses of Vioxx have triple the risk of severe cardiovascular events." Learn more about a Vioxx class action and your rights.

Here's a feast for the eyes. These yellow diamond rings are truly stunning!

My New Website and Other Stuff

2005-11-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

It sure is getting cold out there, but guess what? NO SNOW! It's been hitting 25 degrees or so at at night, but it's crystal clear. Daytimes are cloudy and rainy and chilly. Oh well, the ground isn't even frozen yet, so the snow wouldn't stick anyway. (I'm just a big kid, ain't I?)

I've been spending massive amounts of my time working on my website. I've launched it, of course, but still have pages under construction. Finished the About Us page, so if you want to know more "about us," give us a visit.

I've noticed that when I am working so hard and so many hours on major projects (such as websites for example) one tends to need to pay one's bills and such. So, I've decided to find a few sponsors. I am including some of their links, and will do so here and there in the future. Please feel free to check them out and who knows? You may thank me later. (Although you don't have to do that.) And please know that I wouldn't send you anywhere that I wouldn't go myself. (If that means anything!)

So here we go...

Visit Lussori to see some really gorgeous diamond anniversary rings (and other jewelry too).

You can find a good personal injury attorney at NY lawyers, plus lots of up-to-date drug and health information.

To get literally thousands of lenders clamouring for your business, check out best mortgage rates.

And, my personal favorite, Psychotherapy T-Shirts, is where you can get a t-shirt that will let everyone know about your mental condition so that "you can get the compassion and understanding you deserve." We all need these! Check out the kid's t-shirts too. Adorable!

Give Me Seasons!!!

2005-11-03T14:37:00.000-07:00

Can you believe Halloween has already come and gone and Thanksgiving is just around the corner? (You better send mom or grandma some Thanksgiving flowers before too long!)

Me? I can't believe it. In fact, I can't believe we've already lived here in Idaho for a whole year, as of September 1st. Now we are again looking at our first snowfall of the year, probably this week sometime according to the weatherman. I know I've said it before, (right here in this blog, as a matter of fact), but I really look forward to the changing seasons. Autumn has been so beautiful; and call me crazy, but I love the snow. Maybe it's all the years living in California, which is literally seasonless (at least along the coast). Whatever. I like to FEEL the seasons. I like to SMELL them, to SEE them outside my window.

I love living in Idaho.

And Christmas will be here before you know it.

Favorite Funny Photo!

2005-10-02T15:49:00.000-06:00

Okay. I couldn't resist.

I took this and many other photos of my grand-daughter one day, before leaving Monterey, California for Idaho. She and her
sister were playing on the backyard deck, so I pulled out the camera and started snapping. She is beautiful and very expressionable; a spitten' image of her father when he was a blonde curly-locked lad.

Kayli is my daughter's younger daughter. They live here in Blackfoot, and she is now a big three years old. So why am I posting this silly picture?

I haven't the slightest idea.

But, don't you love it?

60-Day Experiment

2005-08-04T12:52:00.000-06:00

Guess what I've been doing the past two weeks? Give up? Writing an ebook! And writing a sales letter for my new ebook! And designing a new website so that I can promote my new ebook!

Prior to blogging, I had no online experience or presence at all except a few published articles on other websites. Then I started to wonder, "why am I supporting these other websites by supplying them with great content when I could be writing my own great content on my own profitable website?"

One big problem (which is actually many all wrapped up in one): How do I do it?

I've always enjoyed writing, and I've always intended to get online SOMEDAY. The idea of an online business has always been intriguing to me. Could it really work? Could I really make money in my jammies? Or while I'm sleeping, or lying on the beach in Maui? (Or both?) I knew other people did it, but obviously they know much more than I do about the Internet. How could I ever catch up???

Frankly, the more information I found about doing business online, the more I realized I didn't know. Eventually, the very idea of setting up a profitable website became overwhelming proposition; what with so many website design options, web hosting options, search engine optimization, PDF conversion options, affiliate marketing options, viral marketing, optimal sales letter copywriting, and everything else you have to think about to be successful. Us writers would rather just do what we love to do -- WRITE!

Then came the 60-Day Experiment - to the rescue! I can't say enough about it! More specifically called "60 Days to 100K," the Experiment has taken me and many more like me on a journey like no other, step-by-step, from Internet "blockhead" to teaching me how to turn my words in CASH! The facilitator, David Perdew, is also a "frustrated" writer; wanting to write but worrying about the bills, just like the rest of us. So, he came up with the 60-Day Experiment and never looked back!

We started the Experiment by identifying a vision. We learned to focus on what we really love, and translated that into an online business concept. We discovered the tools we needed to develop our blogs or websites, and learned how to promote and optimize the sites once built. We found a niche market, developed ebook concepts, composed sales copy, wrote our ebooks, and now we will be marketing them through our sites and affiliates. There is also a members' forum, where we fellowship with one another, share experiences, and exchange resources.

My ebook is finished, my website is nearly done and soon to be live, and I'm excited!

The 60-Day Experiment is a goldmine of information and a great catalyst. It forced me to get up off my duff and do what I wanted to do instead of just dreaming about it. It provides hands-on guidance through day-to-day lessons that even an untechnical mind (like mine) can understand and follow. I can't thank David enough for putting this together for us writers, and to all of the participants have been so supportive!

If you have ever dreamed of having an online business, take at look at the 60-Day Experiment. You'll love it!

(By the way, the next session starts October 1st, so hurry!)

Diagnostic Doggies

2005-06-26T22:59:00.000-06:00

Tonight on 60 Minutes they did a story on dogs sniffing out cancer in humans. Yep. You read that correctly. They said that dog's noses are 2000 times more sensitive than human noses, and that is why they can "sense" things so much more quickly than we can (actually sometimes we never have a clue). They are actually smelling things that we didn't even know had a smell, like cancer cells.

Now take my little dog Charlie. (Not really, I don't mean to literally TAKE him) (and actually, he has several names depending on who is talking to him: "Puppy," "Scooby," "Little Dude," "Marshall," or "Charlie." Believe it or not, he comes no matter what you call him! He really is amazing!)

Sorry, I digress.

When Charlie is asleep in the bedroom and a stray dog walks by across the street on the other side of the house, he wakes up, growls, runs to the door, and starts barking at the dog that he does not even see! So it would not surprise me that a dog could sense through smell when people have illnesses. A dog would know when something isn't right, and I would think that a disease, especially an invasive one like cancer, would not smell good. Just like when a person has the flu or some other cruddy illness, you know that "sickroom" smell? Imagine how that would smell to a dog!

A dog is always sniffing, whether in an obvious way (around the floor, the food in your hand, your guests' crotches, etc.) or not so obviously. I notice even when Charlie is just standing around, his little nose is just going to town, with head turned up slightly so as to take in more of the surrounding smells.

When your dog sniffs you, that's okay, according to the show. The time to worry is when the dog's reaction to you suddenly changes. If he acts fretful, whiney, and uncomfortable when near you, especially if you are his "special person," you may have a problem. He is worried about you, so you better worry too. Go see the doctor.

Choose Your Favorites!

2005-05-31T11:25:00.000-06:00

If you're like me, you have visited a lot of blogs and have learned that some are (alot) better than others. Some are so good you bookmark them, or, if they're really really good, you add a link on your own blog because you just have to share!

In any case, now there is a way to vote for your favorite blogs! Clicking the above button allows you to vote for this blog as a favorite (and I hope it is!), which will bring it to the attention of a wider audience. It will also take you to a list of current favorites, which in turn will allow you to visit other high quality blog sites. Wow!

When you visit Top Blogs, you'll notice that Aaron's Truck Driver Blog holds the number one rank so far. Which is why I have included his blog in "Links to Blogs I Like". Be sure to pay him a visit for an insider's look at the OTR life.

A Bloggin' Fool!

2005-05-16T23:59:00.000-06:00

Wow! Keeping up with three blogs is tougher than I thought! (Yes, I said three.) Have I lost my mind? I sometimes wonder.

Each blog has a different theme, all are fun, and I do enjoy writing. So, amidst everything else that I do, I try to add fresh new insights to all of my blogs on a (fairly) regular basis.

What else does she do? you ask. Well, I write. Articles, letters, procedures, newsletters, content in general. Whatever I can find that someone will pay me to write!

It's sure a good thing I like to write, isn't it???

If you want to check out my other blogs, click here:
http://homeschoolinghelper.blogspot.com

or here:
http://www.seniorweblogs.com/MyBlog.aspx?id=17

Enjoy!

Did He Pass???

2005-05-07T14:14:00.000-06:00

Wow! Has it been that long since I last posted??? You must be dying to know whether my son, "passed" or not!

Good news! He did great and now is an official Idaho driver's license-carrying-person. Not that Alex drives all that much, but occasionally he drives a borrowed car.

He got a job at Walmart, and started this week. He's in charge of the dairy section; all things dairy like yogurt, eggs, cheese, and, of course, milk ("Man, people sure buy a lot of milk!") and guess what? He walks to work every day. Okay, it's only about three blocks. If he had a car, he should oughtta walk anyway, right?

I mean, I walk everywhere within a reasonable distance myself, leaving my car in the garage. Of course, with a gas guzzling SUV, why get it out unless you have to? The SUV was not my idea, by the way; it's totally my significant other's baby. And, actually, over time, I've decided it's quite a nice car, AND good for me, because I avoid driving it unless I have to, encouraging walking on my part, which can't be bad. (How's that for twisted rational?)

Anyway, now my son is working, and, being the tightwad--I mean--super saver that he is, he should have money saved up for a car of his own in no time. Then he can save up for insurance. And after that he can begin the real task of saving up for gasoline!

PARK the Car???

2005-04-11T21:29:00.000-06:00

My son is taking his on-the-road driving test tomorrow. This whole "driving" thing has been quite an ordeal for me, personally. Here in Idaho, kids start driving at age 14. Yes. You read that correctly. Ten plus four years old. In California kids drive at 16, and mine don't drive until age 18. My premise is that driving is an adult activity, coupled with adult responsibility. So, my 18-year-old, "adult," high school senior son has been pretty adament about getting his driver's license, NOW. Obviously, he's the ONLY senior at his school who does not drive a car to school or even have his own wheels, which means girls have to pick him up for dates, etc., etc.

So, he took Driver Training, which is actually still offered here in high school. He was, of course, the "only senior in driver training class," but he went along with it because he knew it would bring him closer to his ultimate goal. Besides, putting him behind the wheel on the icy winter roads with a certified driving instructor suited me very well. Also, I reminded him that legally, the school must provide driver training to anyone up to age 21, so really, he wasn't too old to be in Driver Training class (should anyone show up who already graduated from high school).

He completed his training, and passed his written test yesterday. Tomorrow is the big day. Turns out his tester will be his driver training teacher from school, with whom we made an appointment by calling his home phone number (this is a small town). We'll be meeting him at the municipal pool parking lot. By the way, my son was worried about parallel parking, so I taught him how to do it. As it turns out, they don't test parallel parking here. The tester informed me that the State of Idaho does not consider parking as "driving." That's like saying landing an airplane is not considered "flying!"

My son is confident he'll pass the test. Once he attains his license, he will have one simple rule: stay away from all other drivers in the student parking lot!

The Popcorn Chronicles

2005-04-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

I love to eat. In fact, I have so many favorite foods, it's hard to narrow it down to my favorite FAVORITE foods.

With so many favorite foods, it's amazing that I am not as big as a house. (Actually, I could lose a little weight, but at my age that's not so unusual.) I am not a couch potato. I rarely watch television; in fact, I'd rather play volleyball, or tennis or softball when the weather is right. I walk my dog up to three times a day. I rarely snack. But, sorry, I digress.

My favorite foods include just about anything edible. In fact, I dislike only a very small number of foods, so it may be easier to simply list what I don't like. (You're wondering, "Why? What's the point in all this?" Keep reading please. I do have a point.)

My list of disliked foods includes: lima beans (ugly, bland taste), French toast (Mom used thin white bread, left them raw in the middle, so gross), tapioca (sickening texture), rice pudding (even worse), jalapeno peppers (too hot, give me the hiccups), and most steaks (seared chewy flesh, what's so great about that?). And that's about it for yucky foods.

Of the favorite FAVORITES I would have to say dark chocolate nuts-n-chews (See's), almost any Mexican food, especially enchaladas and chiles rellanos and tamales etc., and finally, POPCORN!

Ahhh, popcorn. Just the thought of it makes my mouth water. I can almost smell its enticing aroma floating from the kitchen. Have you ever walked into an office where someone just popped up a bag of microwave popcorn? Is there enough for everyone? Is there more in the back?

It's important that I get my popcorn at least once a day, without which I feel thoroughly deprived. I look forward to settling down at the end of the day with a bowl of hot buttered popcorn to read a novel or watch Animal Cops with my little dog Charlie (it's his favorite show).

I won't even consider going to a movie if I'm too broke to buy the popcorn. And let's face it, the popcorn can cost as much as the movie--but oh, what popcorn it is! Yes, it's artery clogging stuff, but as rarely as I go to the movies, I don't worry about that.

I often make homemade popcorn, the old fashioned way. Heavy pot, a little oil, shake it till it stops popping. Usually it pops the lid off the pan, I'm so good. Salt, melted butter (margerine will do). Sometimes I get a little brave and try some Parmesan cheese, or add a little sugar (Kettle Corn is "in" now.) Even have a recipe for Carmel Corn in a bag that you can make in your microwave oven. And let's not even get into chocolate drizzeled popcorn, especially mixed with pecans or almonds or....

Anyway, yep! Popcorn is the one food I could never do without. And I know for a fact that I am not the only one. We popcorn lovers know who we are. We know it's irrational and maybe a bit over the top. But we also know that popcorn is good for you! Great roughage! Okay, maybe the stuff we put on it isn't so great. But, I tell myself that if it ever came down to it, yes I could air-pop my popcorn, and I could even season it with far less salt and use fat-free butter flavoring and still be the same happy popcorn lover. IF it ever came to that.

Over 50? Play Volleyball!

2005-03-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

I am a volleyball junkie.

I play whenever I can, at least once a week. Volleyball is the one thing that gets me off my rear after sitting in front of the computer screen all day. I also walk my dog (he's gotta go when he's gotta go!) but it's not as much fun. I have tried working out in the gym and found it be possibly the most boring activity on the planet. Ditto for aerobics.

I'm the competitive type. I need to smack a ball at someone and get points for it. I need people (especially younger people) to nod at me and say "nice hit." I need to pound aces into the opposing court; I need my spectacular serving skills to eventually win the game for my team. And, oh yeah, I need exercise too.

I'm probably the oldest person in my VB crowd; definately the oldest female. However, I've played regularly for at least the past 12 years, usually at local community colleges, on church teams, and informally whenever the opportunity arises. I've always played at the level of players much younger than me, so I've constantly pushed myself. My skill level is good, a serious game of power volleyball doesn't scare me. I have a nice pass, I can spike, and I have a killer overhand serve. Conversely, I can't jump so my blocks are fruitless, and my sets are lousy, but getting better. I plan to play this game forever. (I also plan to live forever.)

The advantages of volleyball are:

you don't need physical strength
you don't have to kill yourself running (like basketball, soccer, or the treadmill)
you can continue to improve your game at any age
it's genuinely fun.

Disadvantages? Fear of the ball (you can get over it) and broken nails (oh, please!).

There are volleyball clubs for all ages. Anyone can play community college volleyball, and many churches and city recreation centers have volleyball teams. Click here to learn more about joining a team.

If you are looking for a great way to get off your bum , have fun, and get real aerobic exercise, play the awesome sport - play volleyball!

Modern Teens Playing MONOPOLY???

2005-03-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

Wow! Today my 18-year-old son surprised me! He and two of his friends spent hours around a table in the basement playing Monopoly! Does this still happen? Is this normal? The really amazing part of this story is that he just recently hooked up his new Xbox Live, complete with Halo 2. He can now play this game with anyone in the world, even speaking to other players live as they interact in the game (headset included).

Granted, he and friends played video games for a great many hours during the last couple of days. Actually, his friends played more than my son did. He got bored and came upstairs to play the piano or he lay on his bed to read for much of the time.

In any case, it was great hearing these boys laughing and giggling over Monopoly this evening. And get this! They've arranged an all-night Monopoly marathon this coming weekend.

I'll buy the sodas and make the popcorn!

Caught in a Time Warp!

2005-03-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

I think my state, the Gem State, often called the Potato State, should be renamed the "Time Warp State." This is because living in Idaho is like living in California 50 years ago. The Idahoans I have met agree with me on this. They admit life "moves slow here," and some are even apologetic. But in the long run, it's the very reason people move here, and the reason natives never leave.

Here, kids leave their bikes and skateboards strewn all over the front lawn and the next morning, they're still there!

Here, people own guns that they actually use for hunting; and no one complains or protests when gun & knife shows come to town, except for me (silently).

Here, teenagers wear regular clothes that fit. No saggin' baggin' jeans on the boys, and no bare bellies and spaghetti straps for the girls.

If dogs get out of a fella's yard and attack a city councilman, inflicting wounds that require stitches, the owner is told to keep his pets in the yard. After all, dogs can sometimes be dangerous. (This really happened.) (By the way, what's a "leash law?")

Here, you can find plenty of candy or soda for sale in the middle and high schools. Hey, what's lunch money for, anyway?

Here, most male Idahoans 60 and under drive pickup trucks with no mufflers. Many of the younger ones also own sedans with all windows tinted completely black.

Here, kids typically ride in the beds of pickup trucks, and dogs enjoy the same privilege, untethered of course. (After all, the kids aren't tied down!)

Here, no one's ever heard of the term recycling. For the record, the Cub Scouts have a paper drive bin at the neighborhood strip mall (remember paper drives?) , but bottles and cans are no deposit/no return.

Here, you can leave your car unlocked and your front door wide open and no one will help themselves to your stuff; although they may walk into your house to see if everything is okay.

Here, if you hit a cow that's standing in the middle of the road, you are at fault, even if the cow broke through the fence. But if someone shoots down a couple head just for the fun of it, the owner probably won't press charges. He'll just want the shooter to pay for the cows.

Here (get this) there are no helmet laws for motorcyclists, bicyclists, scooterists, skateboarders, rollerbladers, rollerskaters, or anyone else!

Seat belt laws exist here, but only a few of the elderly wear seat belts, and no one is ever cited, unless they can be pulled over something more serious, like throwing empty beer cans out the window in front of a police car.

Here, car restraints for children are rarely used. Children prefer to climb over the seats and hang out the open windows while the unbelted parent struggles with the family dog (on her lap) as she attempts to drive the car.

Here, by my observation, approximately one half of the population smokes. (The other half are Mormons.) I took particular note of this because in California, smoking has been nearly eradicated. Any poor souls still clinging to the filthy habit are delegated to the dumpster areas in alleys behind office buildings. But here, public smoking is common!

Here, although 90% of the residents are white, race isn't considered an issue. In fact, folks make a special effort to not say the wrong thing to "people of color."

Here, wages are low, but homes are cheap, neighbors are friendly, and groceries are a bargain.

Here, after voting for one's favorite Republican, one notices that there are no propositions listed at the end of the ballot. Being possibly the most conservative state in the Union (even compared to Utah!) it's a fact that new laws, regulations, ordinances, statutes, or whatever, rarely make it to the ballot. As a result, the world changes, but Idaho... uh, doesn't.

No More SNOW???

2005-03-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about Idaho is the snow!

I realize that many Idahoans and and others in the northernmost reaches would disagree with me on this. Apparently they see snow as a big pain in the a** . However, having experienced snow the first seven years of my life, then having lived in California the rest of it, I really really missed the snow. (Well, all of the seasons for that matter.) I ached to see tree-lined streets filled with the flaming colors of fall, and I missed swirling silent snowflakes and the scrunchy sound of newly-fallen snow under your boots (or athletic shoes, as the case may be).

Now, I can sit at my computer and as I work I gaze out of the big picture window in my living room. Those first few snowfalls were like magic. I sat mesmerized, and of course, got absolutely nothing done.

In all, we got maybe all of six inches of snow this winter, so far. I don't know what everyone was whining about! Well, maybe I do. They say years ago winters here were much worse than they are nowadays. Maybe they're exaggerating, or maybe we're headed for a drought, or maybe global warming is messing everything up. I heard on the news that right now the snow pack in the mountains here-abouts is less than one-fourth of normal, and that it would take a miracle so late in the winter season to get it up to one-half of normal. I know the farmers and ranchers are worried about it (this Southeastern Idaho valley is actually a desert, you know).

Isn't it ironic? Folks don't appreciate the snow until they don't get enough of it. Kind of like most things, isn't it? All I know is that for me, I'm looking for more white stuff before the end of the winter, or maybe a surprise blizzard in the spring!

Western Appalachia

2005-03-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

We recently moved.

California and Arnold and $120K homes selling for $450K are history now, at least for us. And we haven't looked back. (Or at least when we have, we knew we done good.)

Now we are residing in the "Gem State." (Why do they call it that? I haven't seen any gems, and very few jewelry stores). Have you figured out my new home state? No? Okay, this state is sometimes referred to as "Western Appalachia." (However, don't actually say that around these folks, they don't like it.) No? How about the "Potato State"? Ahhh, that was too easy! Idaho, of course!

Folks around here really do grow potatoes! Lots of potatoes. So many, in fact, that they give a good portion of them away from the backs of pickup trucks. Some of the farmers here are paid by the government to NOT grow potatoes. Kids in some schools have two weeks off in the fall to help with the potato harvest. And many of them really do harvest potatoes! Everywhere you go in my little town, folks talk "potatoes," and, of course, everyone eats potatoes every night for dinner. Different recipe, same main ingredient. (My kids are already hesitant to accept dinner invitations unless they are craving something new and different involving potatoes.) Spuds are "dirt" cheap here (get it?), so why not?

One day last fall, I was at Walmart in the greeting card section, searching for a belated birthday card for my son, when I overheard two potato farmers discussing "potatoes." They were standing together in the candy section, arms folded, and I knew they were potato farmers because they both wore flannel plaid shirts and muddy boots. The younger guy in blue jeans and suspenders was getting potato advice from the older fella, who obviously knew more about "tator farming" because he wore dirty overalls and was doing most of the talking. The conversation went something like this:

"Well... we got most of it done now, just a couple more acres to go."
"Yeah."
"Ya know, they got them new varieties out now."
"Yeah."
"They're pushin' em on us, ya know."
"Yeah."
"Ya know, they're not the same as the Russets."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, they're different. They look nice, pretty color. Nice shape. Smooth."
"Hmmm."
"Look pretty on the store shelf."
"Yeah."
(Neither one of these fellas, I might mention here, has looked up once during this conversation. They seemed to be focused on their muddy boots.)
"But, ya know, they don't taste the same."
"Yeah."
"Oh no. Not the same at all."
"Hmmm."
"And they don't cook up the same."
"Yeah?"
"Oh, yeah. Any housewife could tell the difference."
"Yeah."

At this point, I almost fell asleep from sheer boredom. My eyes had glazed over and my purse had slipped off my shoulder and I had forgotten why I was at Walmart or what I was looking for. I quickly left the store and took several deep breaths of cold October air. Then, for some reason, I went straight home and fixed Rice-a-Roni for dinner.

I'm a Blogger!

2005-03-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to blog ever since I figured out what blogging was. (About a week ago.) Now, finally, I'm blogging. I blog. This is great! It's way better than folding laundry ! (Even clean laundry!)

Okay, now that I have contained my excitement, I will blog my first point:

During this past week I came up with maybe a million witty and wonderful ideas to write about; perfectly worded, laugh-out-loud funny, really great stuff. At the time I was vacuuming, or driving home from Walmart, or sound asleep. Did you ever notice that when you sit down (later) to type up all this great stuff, OOOOPS! You go dumb.

You think, "what the heck was that I was going to write... wasn't there something I wanted to say about... something... oh crap!"

This just happended to me. Dang. Some blogger I am.

Nevertheless, I plan to survive and even thrive as a Class-1 blogger. Starting tomorrow.