Fast food anomalies

Have you ever noticed that you're driving along, and it doesn't matter the time of day, but as soon as you decide to go through a drive-thru, three cars will pull in ahead of you. It can be the middle of the night, ok after 9pm for me and even before I turn on my blinker, others will immediately turn into the parking lot. It's like they have radar -"Hey she's hungry and it's late; let's mess with her and pull in front of her." The parking lot can be empty, but because I wanted a burger, so did a bunch of other people.

And what's up with those automoated greeters? As you pull up, a pre-recorded voice starts pushing the special. I never know when to order - do I start talking - thus activating a real person to respond? Do I just sit there through a minute long discertation of the "new and improved" burger? When do I get to talk?

After waiting, some bored kid comes over the speaker, what do ya want? Ummm, I'd like to speak to a real person? I'd like not to have to listen to your restaurant pushing crap I'm never going to eat. But instead I meekly give my order - by number of course. I'll have a number 1 (they can't mess up the number 1). What do you want to drink? Diet Coke. Of course the speaker cuts off the first word and I see Coke show up on the screen. It takes another 3 minutes of back and forth to figure out that I want a DIET Coke; By this time, the guy behind me is gesturing crudely so I gesture back.

Finally, I am told my total, which I spend the next 3 minutes trying to figure out how they came to that number, but I'm too beaten to argue any more and besides the guy behind me is now bumper pushing me forward. I pull ahead, which is really around the corner where you can't see how many people are in front of you.

Unfortunately, I seem to get behind a minivan full of kids and a screeching mother more often than not. The kids are jumping up and down, flipping over the seat, while the mother is trying to find 38 cents in change in the bottom of her purse. Meanwhile, Little Johnny has discovered there is a car behind them and proceeds to make faces at me.

The mom hands the money through the window and obviously has to add to her order because I see the cashier talking to her and more money going through the window. Once she gets the food, instead of pulling forward, she hands out all the meals to her kids, knocks on the window and asks for more ketchup. I know because she's screaming to be heard over the kids. She knocks on the window again - napkins. Oh and can she buy and another soda - Little Johnny has spilled his. More money goes through the window. The mom hands the cashier soda soaked napkins, more dry napkins are handed out, along with a new soda. Finally, I see the brake lights go off and she rolls forward.

It's my turn. I have my money ready. My bill was $11.69. I had the cashier $12.09. He gives me a puzzled look. "This is too much," he says trying to hand back the 9 cents. "No, I don't want pennies," I explain, just give me 40 cents. He calls his manager over and the two of them discuss this money dilemma. I guess I should have just handed him $12 and been done with it. The window opens and the manager says "you gave him too much money." "I gave him $12.09 so that I get 40 cents back." The manager goes back to the cash register, the two of them converse some more. Finally, she opens the window and gives me $1.31 in change and my food. I'm not about to argue any more. Besides I've now been in line for 22 minutes, so much for fast food. Maybe I should have handed back the extra change, but then I'd be short and I'm sure we would've argued over this too. I just wanted a burger. I pull ahead reach into my bag and instead of a hot juicy burger, I find a warm chicken sandwich. I sigh and head home. I could call, I have in the past but got nothing except an automated response. So I'll warm up the chicken. That's what I get for trying to get a quick hot meal that I didn't have to cook.

Grades are done

I finally finished calculating my grades. Now the moaning and complaining begins. I don't understand - if you get a zero on a project worth 10 percent - the BEST you can do is a 90 and that is if you have 100 percent on everything else, but if you forgot, or just didn't get around to doing a project that you had a whole semester to work on - you probably put about that much effort into the rest of your work. But the complaints will roll in. The good thing is - all of my grading was in writing at the beginning of the semester - what was graded, how much each project was worth and the DUE DATE - it also explained that I wouldn't take anything late, without the one freebie pass I give out. I tell them, plan ahead, you can turn your work in early, but yet somehow it will be my fault that they got a grade they don't like. Merry Christmas to me

First day of Holiday Break work vs home

Ugh! I hate holiday breaks. Ok, I don't mind that the semester is over because I was pretty bored with the classes, but let's jump right back in with the next semester. Maybe it won't be so bad - Ha! That's a laugh. Going to work is my social time. I like my job, I like going to work, being at work, I like the work. It beats the alternative - being at home.
*Work - we have a custodial staff to do the cleaning vs Home - I clean
*Work - an ever changing group of people vs Home - my husband sitting on the couch playing computer games.
*Work - set schedule vs Home - no schedule
*Work - cafe vs Home - make your own
*Work - clean vs Home - cat puke
*Work - sharpened pencils vs Home - oh crap I'll just use this lip liner to sign the check
*Work - bring home money vs Home - spend money.

So you can see - being at work far outweighs the benefits of being at home.

Thyroid

So I have a thyroid problem - supposedly I've had it for years. It's enlarged which I guess means there's a problem. The doctor noticed that 5 years ago, but it wasn't bad enough to do anything about so we waited. Three years ago, another doctor noticed it was enlarged (still) and that my cholestrol was high so more tests were ordered. Diagnosis - nodules possibly cancerous go see an oncologist. What? I sought a second opinion - nodules were beign. But my blood tests showed I had low thyroid function, but nothing was done.

I've been told my problems are all in my head, that I'm female, that I'm getting older and now - I'm at that age - you know - the change. REALLY? I've been complaining for years something isn't right, but no one listens. My blood work falls just inside the normal levels. It's low but not that low. What if I'm NOT like everyone else. What if I need more thyroid to function properly? What is a norm? Oh yeah, it's a statistic based on the average of a lot of people, but maybe for me - I don't fit that - it wouldn't be the first time I was different.

A month ago I noticed a bulge in my neck. I can feel it when I swallow. It makes my voice hoarse so it was back to the doctor.

After having blood tests and an uptake scan and seeing a specialist. I once again appear to be NORMAL, oh yeah, except for the swelling on my neck. Ah that's just a goiter. A goiter??? Those things are hideous. Do something about it.

Today, I'm off to have more blood tests done and an ultra sound of my neck. Please, just tell me I'm normal so I can get some relief.

Anti-Social

My kids have called me anti-social for years. My parents tell me all the time I'm not friendly and finally - last Sunday, my dear husband said I was anti-social. I really don't see that, but if they keep it up - well you know what they say - you hear it long enough you start believing it.

Just because I don't go out does not make me anti-social. Just because I don't chat up the neighbors doesn't make me anti-social.

Let's look at those two points. It's true that I don't like to socialize. By the time we get around to going out - it's late and I've worked all day. Whether I worked at a job or just around the house. I'm so exhausted that I often ache. Then there is the getting ready - if I've been cleaning, or have gone to the gym, I have to get cleaned up and made up - which makes me even more tired. When we do get to our destination - usually the local Eagles - it's noisy. With my thyroid pressing on my vocal chords, my voice is barely audible so conversation is nearly impossible.

It's very hard to have fun, when I don't feel well and let's face it - I'm fat. My husband's ex-g/f has made it very uncomfortable for me - she and her friends moo at me when I'm out. I don't feel pretty any more.

Then there is conversation. When it is quiet enough to chat - I have no idea what these people are talking about. I don't bowl; I don't play bingo; My kids have left home and we rarely speak. My parents spend half a year in Florida - we rarely speak. I work a job that most people see as intimidating so it's hard to have a conversation. You can only talk about the weather for so long.

As for the neighbors...I'll be friendly, but I don't want them over all the time - which has happened in the past. I know my husband wants me to be friendly with the new woman who moved in across the street, but - it worries me. She's a widow. I don't want to be friendly so she thinks it's ok to ask my husband to do things for her. Maybe that's a bit paranoid, but when you're the third wife, you're paranoid.

Waiting

I've never been good at waiting. The longer I have to wait, the more my anxiety climbs. Three weeks ago I noticed that my thyroid was pressing against my vocal chords making it hard to speak. I tried to make an appointment that week, but the first time I could see the doctor was on Monday of last week. Not so bad, as I didn't really know what was going on.

The Monday appt. got changed to Tuesday because the doctor was sick. Tuesday I finally got in and waited nearly an hour and a half to see the doctor - who ordered blood tests and an uptake scan.

The blood tests were done immediately. The uptake scan scheduled on Thursday. I did all of the registration, filed the paperwork and was waiting for the test when one of the techs came out and told me the machine was broken and they couldn't perform the test. They were suppose to reschedule it for me at another hospital - I waited - they didn't. I called my doctor - it took the office over a day to re-schedule.

Meanwhile, my blood test results aren't in yet. I'm hoping that by the time I see the endrocrynologist (a week from Tuesday) all of the tests will be in and he can see what's going on and get me on some medication. I'm tired of waiting. I've been waiting for nearly 20 years for this to be over.

I told my doctor in the early 90s something's wrong. That doctor sent me to the University hospital to a specialist - nothing's really wrong. I went to another doctor who said you're just getting older I was in my early 30s. In 2005 - my doctor said your thyroid is enlarged let's run some tests - yeah it's not normal but not bad enough to do something.

In 2007, my cholestrol was high so the women's clinic sent me to a health clinic for people without insurance who had an ultrasound done. Oops- you have nodules and they could be cancerous - go find an oncologist. I ended up at another clinic, had a biopsy - no cancer - just nods, don't worry about it - you'll be fine.

FINE??? I'm not fine, I'm exhausted. I'm irritable. I feel miserable. I hate myself. I don't eat - so I'm cranky and light-headed, but yet I gain weight; I don't feel pretty or sexy. Now my neck is swollen and it hurts to swallow. I wonder if my throat is going to swell shut in my sleep - so I don't sleep and now I'm tired plus hungry. Not to mention the achy joints, ear ache from the pressure and the stress of the bills. Add that to menopause and I'm afraid...and people around me should be afraid.

Uptake scan is scheduled for Thursday at 5:30am...let's hope it's nothing serious but it's something so they can treat it.

Hi!
It's been oh so long since I started blogging - but sometimes - life just gets in the way. Since, I've last blogged, my mother-in-law has died, my brother-in-law has had a reoccurance of cancer, my daughter has been having blackouts and is seeing several specialists to figure out why and me - well my thyroid has swollen and I'm now undergoing tests to find out what's going on.
On a positive note, I've started doing some genealogy for my husband; I'm back to work teaching college classes, directing a play and doing some substitute teaching. In two months my middle child will be getting married. I don't have much on my plate - no wonder I'm always tired and crabby. LOL

I found a fun website http://www.kuriositas.com/ it's just for fun :) enjoy.

It's Been Awhile

To my readers, followers, groupies,
My apologies for not keeping up with this blog. Life got really busy. First, I must pay respects to my colleague R. Carson Soelburg who passed away unexpectedly March 21, 2010. With his passing, I picked up one of his classes, taking my teaching load to 15 credit hours which at the time I didn't think was going to be that big of a deal, but it was. The students were great, but it was still a tough time for all.
On top of the added class, I knew that I wouldn't be teaching this summer and was trying to save up money to get us through the summer; Hubby was still not working at the time so I was substitute teaching as well.
Something had to give and it was my blog - which I had such high hopes for. Now summer is under way and life has slowed so I'll be back to writing on a regular basis.
Thank you for hanging with me.
Tami

April 20

Good Morning today is April 20th. We're three-quarters of the way through the month already.

This day in history:
1836 The Territory of Wisconsin was established by Congress.
1902 Scientists Marie and Pierre Curie isolated the radioactive element radium.
1939 Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox.
1999 Two students went on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., killing 12 students and one teacher before taking their own lives.
2008 Danica Patrick became the first female winner in IndyCar history by capturing the Indy Japan 300.

Birthdays:
1937 - George Takei, American actor
1941 - Ryan O'Neal, LA Calif, actor (Peyton Place, Paper Moon, Love Story)
1961 - Konstantin Lavronenko, Russian actor
1972 - Carmen Electra, American actress

Holidays:
Look-Alike DayToday's a day to find someone you really look up to, and try to look like them. Start with the hair. Cut and style your hair, as needed, to look like the person you've selected to look like. Then, select items from your wardrobe (or buy some new clothes!) that your lookalike wears. Along the way, make sure to practice and copy their walk, their talk, and their facial expressions. In other words. try to be as identical to that person as possible.

Volunteer Recognition Day a day to recognize those who unselfishly give of themselves for others.

Word of the day: maffick (MAF-ik)
MEANING:
verb intr.: To celebrate boisterously.
ETYMOLOGY:
Back formation from Mafeking (now Mafikeng), a town in South Africa, where a British garrison was besieged for 217 days during the Boer War. Lifting of the siege on May 17, 1900 sparked wild celebrations in London.

Joke of the day: One day Mikey was sitting in his apartment when his doorbell unexpectedly rang. He answered the door and found a salesman standing on his porch with a strange object.
"What is that?" Mikey asked. "It's a thermos," the salesman replied. "What does it do?" asked Mikey. "This baby," the salesman said, "keeps hot things hot and cold things cold."
After some deliberation Mikey bought one, deciding it would really help his lunch situation. The next day he arrived at the plant where he works. Sure enough, all the other employees were curious about his new object. "What is it?" they asked.
"It's a thermos," Mikey replied.
"What does it do?" they asked.
"Well," Mikey says in a bragging manner, "It keeps hot things hot and cold things cold."
"What do ya got in it?"
To which Mikey says, "Three cups of coffee and a popsicle."

Quote of the day: The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.
Frances Willard
US educator & temperance activist (1839 - 1898)

Criminal of the day: (Location Unknown): A man successfully broke into a bank after hours and stole--are you ready for this?--the bank's video camera. While it was recording. Remotely. (That is, the videotape recorder was located elsewhere in the bank, so he didn't get the videotape of himself stealing the camera.) (freeman institute)

Factoid: The bald eagle became America’s national symbol when it was placed on the great seal in 1782. One member of Congress who did not support the bald eagle selection was Benjamin Franklin. He thought the Continental Congress should have selected a more uniquely American bird. His choice was the turkey.

Weather for Adrian, MI:
Today
Partly sunny. Highs 62 to 66.
Tonight
Partly cloudy during the early evening...then becoming mostly clear. Lows 37 to 41.

Website of the day: www.psychologytoday.com the website for the magazine. Everything you need to know to analyze your friends, family and enemies.

Working

Dear Readers -
I have not forgotten you - but my muse was busy in other areas the past few days. Primarily, I was at the Toastmaster's district competition on Saturday. It was a learning experience. If I ever make it that far again - I have a pretty good idea what the judges want.

Sunday was cleaning day. Not only did I clean my house, but my brain as well. Because my brain had been purged of bad thoughts and was a fairly clean slate - I only thought it fitting that I find some reading material to fill it with again.

As muses are - mine flitted around before finally settling down in the crafty mode late last night and I was up until 1:30 trying to figure out a new crochet pattern - an alligator. I think the third attempt might be a charm. I will post pictures of the little bugger when I finish him. In the meantime, my cats are enjoying new yarn toys.

A side note, if one is cleaning the brain, one should start with the body and so I made my regular trip to the gym today. Regular as in once a year, I go and join a gym.

Hopefully, my daily facts will return tomorrow along with a short essay on Salt - the seasoning of man.

April 16

Good Morning - It's Friday!!! For most of us that used to mean the end of the work week but not any more and not for me. My work week never ends any more. I'm not complaining I'm thankful for the jobs - so many people don't have jobs, but I'd like to just work one job and know I was able to make enough money to pay the bills. But times they are a changin'.

On this day 1705 - Queen Anne of England knighted Isaac Newton.

1789 President-elect George Washington left Mount Vernon, Va., for his inauguration in New York. 1922 - Annie Oakley shot 100 clay targets in a row, to set a women's record. 1968 - Major league baseball’s longest night game was played. The 24 innings took six hours, six minutes to play.
2007 A student killed 32 people on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., before taking his own life in the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history.

Birthdays: 1889 - Charlie Chaplin, (Tramp), comedian (City Lights)/IBM salesman; 1930 - Herbie Mann, Brooklyn NY, jazz flute/sax (Just Wallin'); 1961 - Selena, Texas, spanish singer (Grammy-1994)who not to be confused with the famous tejano Selena who was also born on this day 10 years later and was fatally shot by one of her own employees.

Deaths 1948 Babe Ruth, baseball legend, dies;1980 Jean Paul Sartre, writer, dies at 74;

word of the day oneiric\oh-NY-rik\ , noun;
1.Of, pertaining to, or suggestive of dreams; dreamy.

factoid: Cheesecake was invented in Ancient Greece and served to athletes at the very first Olympic Games - side note - Sand Creek High school athletes are selling cheesecakes as a fund raiser.

stupid criminal of the day From Athens, Tennessee, comes the story of bozo door-to-door meat salesman Robert Sloan who was apparently knocking on doors and trying to sell his product with a city permit. When the cops approached him in his vehicle, he panicked and tossed a half-burned marijuana cigarette in his mouth and swallowed it, in full view of the officers. He's got a lot more to worry about now than selling meat without a permit. (Bozo criminal of the day)

quote of the day Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.
Steve Jobs
US computer engineer & industrialist (1955 - )

Joke of the day Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Officer asked a young Engineer fresh out of MIT, "And what starting salary were you looking for?"
The Engineer replies, "In the region of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package."
The interviewer enquires, "Well, what would you say to a package of 5-weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every 2 years say, a red Corvette?"
The Engineer sits up straight and says, "Wow! Are you kidding?"
And the interviewer replies, "Yeah, but you started it."

Weather for Adrian, MIToday
Mostly cloudy during the morning. Partly sunny during the afternoon. Breezy. A chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms through 2 PM. Highs 68 to 72 Chance of rain 40 percent.

Tonight
Partly cloudy and windy. Lows 34 to 38.

sunrise 6:54 AM EDT sunset 8:18 PM EDT 13hours and 23 minutes

Happy Tax day! It's April 15th and you have until midnight to mail off your taxes.

On this day: 1912, the British luxury liner Titanic sank in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland, less than three hours after striking an iceberg. About 1,500 people died.

1861 President Abraham Lincoln declared a state of insurrection and called out Union troops three days after the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina.


1865 Andrew Johnson became the 17th president of the United States after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Birthdays: Leonardo da Vinci 1452 - Artist ("Mona Lisa", "The Last Supper")

Roy Clark 1933 - Musician, country singer

Elizabeth Montgomery 1933 - Actress ("Bewitched")


Word of the day pelf\PELF\ , noun;
1.Money; riches; gain; -- generally conveying the idea of something ill-gotten.

Factoid: A yellow baseball (thought to be more visible to batters, fielders and spectators) was tested in a 1938 college game in New York City, between Fordham and Columbia. Obviously it didn't work.

Criminal of the day Indianapolis, Indiana: James Simpson was released from prison after serving a four-month sentence for marijuana possession. His wife came to the jail to pick him up and the urge to celebrate his freedom immediately was apparently just too much to resist. A police officer noticed their car being the driven erratically just a few blocks from the prison. He pulled the vehicle over and inside he found our James, his wife and a friend enjoying his freedom by smoking a joint. Oops. He's headed back to jail. (Bozo Criminal of the Day)

Todays Weather for Adrian, MI Today
Mostly sunny. Highs 80 to 84. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear during the evening. Mostly cloudy overnight. A 40 percent chance of showers overnight. Lows 55 to 59.


Sunrise: 6:55 AM EDT Sunset: 8:17 PM EDT Tomorrow will be 2 mins 40 secs longer.


Joke of the day: A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her
five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor thy
father and thy mother," she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy answered: "Thou shall not kill."

Today's Quote: I have found power in the mysteries of thought.
Euripides, 438 B.C.
Greek tragic dramatist (484 BC - 406 BC) Euripides is my favorite of the Greek tragic playwrights. He wrote Medea (the original one) and died a horrible death - mauled by dogs either intentional or accidental.

Have a good day!









y

Happy Tax day! It's April 15th and you have until midnight to mail off your taxes.

April 14th

Oops I missed a day, but I'm back and better than ever. I collect the info you need to get your mornings going.

April 14th - the 104th day of the year. Today is: International Moment of Laughter Day is a special day that will put a big smile on your face. The objective of this day is to get people to laugh, and to laugh more often. After all, "laughter is the best medicine".

On this day in 1865, President Lincoln was shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth while attending the comedy "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. He died the next day.
1828 The first edition of Noah Webster's "American Dictionary of the English Language" was published.
1902 J.C. Penney opened his first store, in Kemmerer, Wyo.
1912 The British liner Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic and began to sink.




Birthdays:Anne Mansfield Sullivan 1866 - "The Miracle Worker", famous for teaching Helen Keller to read, write and speak
Rod Steiger (Rodney Stephen Steiger) 1925 - Actor
Loretta Lynn 1935 - Country singer, first woman to earn the CMA's Entertainer of the Year award
Pete (Peter Edward) Rose 1941 - Baseball player
Brad Garrett 1960 - Actor ("Everybody Loves Raymond")




Deaths: 1759 Composer George Frideric Handel died in London
2007 Singer Don Ho died in Honolulu, Hawaii, at age 76.

word of the day: dishabille\dis-uh-BEEL\ , noun;
1.The state of being carelessly or partially dressed.2.Casual or lounging attire.

Quote of the day:Well, the telling of jokes is an art of its own, and it always rises from some emotional threat. The best jokes are dangerous, and dangerous because they are in some way truthful.
Kurt Vonnegut, Interview, Mcsweeneys.net
US novelist (1922 - 2007)
I love the writings of Kurt Vonnegut. Sometime soon I'll share with you his ideas on drama and why people need it in their lives.

Today's weather for Adrian, MI: Today is suppose to be warmer than yesterday. Partly sunny. Highs 66 to 70. Tonight:Mostly clear. Lows 45 to 49. Look for temperatures to climb to near 80 on Thursday. Our average should be a high of 59 and a low of 35. And because I'm a meterologist geek: the sun comes up at 6:57am and sets: 8:16pm. Length of Day 13h 18m


Today's stupid criminal of the day: From Holiday, Florida, comes the story of Rebekah Koonce who was pulled over by the cops after she ran a stop sign. The officer noticed she had bloodshot eyes and was slurring her speech, so he decided to search her car. And that was when he found the evidence that sealed her fate. Inside the car was a green plastic box with a label reading "Rebekah's pot" on the outside. And that's also what was on the inside. She's busted!(Bozo Criminal Report)

Today's joke: Pete and Larry had not seen each other in many years. Now they had a long talk trying to fill in the gap of those years by telling about their lives. Finally Pete invited Larry to visit him in his new apartment. "I got a wife and three kids and I'd love to have you visit us."
"Great. Where do you live?"
"Here's the address. And there's plenty of parking behind the apartment. Park and come around to the front door, kick it open with your foot, go to the elevator and press the button with your left elbow, then enter! When you reach the sixth floor, go down the hall until you see my name on the door. Then press the doorbell with your right elbow and I'll let you in."
"Good. But tell me...what is all this business of kicking the front door open, then pressing elevator buttons with my right, then my left elbow?"
"Surely, you're not coming empty-handed."

Odd news story of the day: Workers strike over ban on drinking at work
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – A few hundred warehouse workers and drivers at Danish brewer Carlsberg halted work for a second day on Thursday to protest a company decision to limit beer drinking at work to lunch breaks.

The strike in Denmark followed the company's April 1 decision to introduce new rules for employees on beer drinking at work, said Jens Bekke, spokesman at the world no.4 brewer.

"There has been free beer, water and soft drinks everywhere," he said. "Yesterday, beers were removed from all refrigerators. The only place you can get a beer in future is in the canteen, at lunch."

Bekke said drivers retained an old right to three beers per day outside lunch hours, and warehouse workers claimed the same right.

"Because of that, the warehouse staff went on strike yesterday, with other staff striking in sympathy," he said.

Bekke said as many as 800 had walked out on Wednesday, with 250 still on strike on Thursday, and the Confederation of Danish Industry and trade union 3F had agreed to look into the dispute.

He said there would be no shipments from Copenhagen on Thursday, and delays in the rest of the country, but said he expected the financial effect of the strike to be minor.

He added that Carlsberg's trucks have alcohol locks so drivers would not be able to drink too much and drive.

(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom, editing by Paul Casciato)

Today's work out move: Bob Harper's Mountain Chair Climber. Use a non-rolling chair against a wall. Put your hands on the seat and extend your legs so you're standing at angle. Pull your abs tight and lift your right knee to your chest. Put it down and lift your left knee. Repeat by alternating lifting legs for a minute, rest for a minute and repeat the process two more times. (this is from MSN.com and 5 minutes a day)

website of the day: http://www.marcandangel.com/2010/02/08/29-semi-productive-things-i-do-online/ this is a hysterical blog page about looking busy when you're playing on-line. Hey, I'm being productive, I'm writing a newsy blog. People need this info.

factoid of the day Depending on the time of year, the Earth’s distance from the Sun can vary more than 3 million miles

Good Morning! It's another Monday - April 12th today just a few more days until you have to give the taxman the clothes off your back. But you can still celebrate - this week is organize your files week. And today you can celebrate
Russian Cosmonaut Day Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space on April 12, 1961 aboard Vostok 1. He spent 108 minutes in space. This day was decreed by the USSR's Supreme Council on April 9th, 1962.

Things that Happened today: 1833 - Charles Gaylor patented the fireproof safe.

1861 - Fort Sumter was shelled by Confederacy, starting America's Civil War.
1877 - A catcher's mask was used in a baseball game for the first time by James Alexander Tyng.
1955 - The University of Michigan Polio Vaccine Evaluation Center announced that the polio vaccine of Dr. Jonas Salk was "safe, effective and potent."

1985 - Federal inspectors declared that four animals of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus were not unicorns. They were goats with horns that had been surgically implanted. Duh-this happened in 1985? Did you not see the name Barnum (King of Hokum) in the name? Did you really truly think there were unicorns and if you did, why did you call in the government to burst your bubble?
1988 - Harvard University won a patent for a genetically altered mouse. It was the first patent for a life form. Now the mouse has a horn growing out of it's head, but where are the federal inspectors?

2000 - Robert Cleaves, 71, was convicted of second degree murder and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Cleaves had repeatedly run over Arnold Guerreiro on September 30, 1998 with his car after the two had an argument.
2002 - It was announced that the South African version of "Sesame Street" would be introducing a character that was HIV-positive.

Birthdays: Henry Clay 1777 - "The Great Pacificator", U.S. Secretary of State under John Quincy Adams, three time unsuccessful candidate for president of United States. Quote: "I would rather be right than president."
Ann Miller (Lucille Ann Collier) 1923 - Actress ("Sugar Babies", "Hit the Deck"), dancer
Tiny Tim (Herbert Khaury) 1930 - Ukulele playing, falsetto singer ("Tiptoe Through the Tulips")
Herbie Hancock 1940 - Jazz/fusion musician, composer
Tom Clancy 1947 - Writer
David Letterman 1947 - TV host, comedian ("Late Night With David Letterman")
David Cassidy 1950 - Singer, actor ("The Partridge Family")

Deaths: 1945 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in Warm Spring, GA. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 63. Harry S Truman became president.

Stupid Criminal of the day: Cheerleaders at Saginaw High School in Fort Worth, Texas, have a strange way of spreading school spirit.

A handful of girls have been disciplined for giving their teammates sodas that contained urine, reports the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

According to a parent of one of the students who drank the tainted beverages, one girl peed into a cup, then mixed in it with the sodas. The other girls then got the idea to distribute the drinks to teammates at the basketball game.

When the prank victims complained the drinks tasted funny, the cheerleaders said it was tart candy.

District officials told the Star Telegram two of the girls have received in-school suspensions and the others got lesser punishments.

The culprits have also been banned from all cheerleading events for the rest of the school year.

Word of the day: neologism\nee-OLL-uh-jiz-um\ , noun;
1.A new word or expression

Today's weather for Adrian, MI: Mostly sunny during the morning. Partly sunny during the afternoon. Highs 61 to 65.
Tonight
Partly cloudy during the evening. Mostly cloudy overnight. A slight chance of rain. Lows 40 to 44.

Quote of the day: Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.
C. S. Lewis (1898 - 1963)

April 8th

Good Morning. It's a cold and drizzly morning in southeast Michigan. Apparently, spring is taking a holiday today. I keep reminding myself it's only April and April showers bring May flowers...although...I have a lot of flowers blooming already.

Today in: 1513 Explorer Juan Ponce de Leon claimed Florida for Spain. 400 years later the senior citizens claimed it for their retirement spot. 1974 Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hit his 715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruth's record. 1990 Ryan White, an AIDS patient whose battle for acceptance gained national attention, died at age 18. 1992 Tennis player Arthur Ashe announced that he had AIDS.

Birthdays: Mary Pickford 1893 - Actress ("Coquette", "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm"); Elizabeth "Betty" Ford (Bloomer) 1918 - Wife of 38th U.S. President Gerald R. Ford, founder of the Betty Ford Clinic; John Schneider 1954 - Singer, actor ("Dukes of Hazzard", "Smallville");Patricia Arquette 1968 - Actress ("Medium","True Romance", "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors"),
Word of the day:
interlard\in-tuhr-LARD\ , verb;
1.To insert between; to mix or mingle; especially, to introduce something foreign or irrelevant into; as, "to interlard a conversation with oaths or allusions." (dictionary.com)

Fact of the day:Swearing to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” dates back to English Common Law. Interestingly enough, there were no penalties for perjury until the 1600s; prior to that time, it was believed that the fear of God’s wrath was enough to keep witnesses honest

Quote of the day: If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.
Frank A. Clark

Today's weather in Adrian: Mostly cloudy and breezy. Scattered light showers...ending around 10 am...followed by a slight chance of light showers after 2 PM. Highs 53 to 57.

April 7th

Good Morning, it's hump day - Wednesday April 7th...everything is downhill to the weekend now.
What happened on this day:1933 - Prohibition ended in the United States.
1940 - Booker T. Washington became the first black to be pictured on a U.S. postage stamp.
1949 The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "South Pacific" opened on Broadway.
1963 - At the age of 23, Jack Nicklaus became the youngest golfer to win the Green Jacket at the Masters Tournament.
1970 - John Wayne won his first and only Oscar for his role in "True Grit." He had been in over 200 films.

Holidays: Today is Caramenl Popcorn Day. (Does that mean that tomorrow will be see your dentist day?)

Births:1860 W.K. Kellogg, 1915 Billie Holliday, 1928 James Garner, 1933 Wayne Rogers (MASH), 1939 Francis Ford Coppella (director), 1954 Jackie Chan
Deaths: 0030 Jesus crucified by Roman troops in Jerusalem (scholars' estimate, according to astronomer Schaefer) 1891 P[hineas] T Barnum US circus promoter (Barnum & Bailey), dies at 80; 1947 Henry Ford; 1994 Kurt Cobain grunge rocker (Nirvana), commits suicide by gun at 27

Word of the day: Megrim - a migraine; a fancy or whim;

Fact of the day: The popular dice game known as Yahtzee was created by a Canadian couple who played it aboard their yacht — hence the name.

Quote of the day:
A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Lenten Roses

I found Lenteen Roses last year and bought a couple because of their interesting pale greenish/white flowers. I can kill most anything the first time, but I stuck these in the ground and walked away. They took thrived last year and this year, they started blooming on Easter Sunday. Here's a picture from my garden.


Family: Ranunculaceae (ra-nun-kew-LAY-see-ee)
Genus: Helleborus (hel-eh-BORE-us)
Species: orientalis (or-ee-en-TAY-liss)

If you have never seen or grown these plants, here's some information on them. The very popular, early blooming shade perennial more commonly known as the Lenten Rose. Lenten Roses grow hardy around the world in temperate zones 4-7.
Although we know them as a Lenten Rose but are not roses at all. They are actually of the Butter Cup family. Their flowers bloom during the Easter celebration of Lent, leading the vernal procession of color in the shady areas of thoughtful perennial gardens.
When they are not in bloom they remain as lush ground cover throughout the year; and they are deer proof. This lush, hardy shade perennial is grown and prized by master gardeners throughout the world.
Sun and Soil Requirements for Lenten Rose:
Grow lenten rose plants in partial shade to full shade. Shade helps preserve the vibrant color of both the sepals and the foliage. Helleborus orientalis prefers a well-drained soil.

Outstanding Characteristics of Lenten Rose:
Lenten rose flowers are valued for their early-blooming quality, injecting color into the early spring landscape. Besides early blooming, an almost equally salient trait is the persistence of Lenten rose's trademark sepals.

Caveats in Growing Lenten Rose:
All parts of Lenten rose plants are toxic. In fact, I've heard of cases where especially susceptible people have developed a mild skin irritation after an extensive period of handling Lenten rose plants without garden gloves. I only handle these plants wearing gloves or I start itching.
Uses for Lenten Rose:
Reputedly a deer-resistant plant, Lenten rose may be a logical choice in areas infested by deer pests. When they re-seed (as these Hellebores are wont to do) and spread, the attractive foliage of Lenten rose plants make them gorgeous ground covers. In fact, Lenten rose will naturalize under the right conditions. As with hostas, the shade tolerance of these Hellebores make them perfect for woodland gardens. Even though the intensity of their color diminishes as summer approaches and is entirely faded by fall, These will be perfect for our property. We have a river, woods and lots of deer behind where the house will go.
Care for Lenten Rose:
As mentioned above, the new foliage emerges just in time in early spring to supplant the old leaves, which may be tattered by this time. For aesthetic purposes, trim off the old leaves when the "reinforcements" arrive. Amend the soil with compost to improve the vigor of your Lenten rose plants. Divide clumps in spring to propagate Lenten rose.
Origin, Meaning of the Names, "Lenten Rose" and "Christmas Rose":
In relatively mild climates, Helleborus niger may bloom in winter -- thus the name, "Christmas rose." There is a legend of the Christmas rose that is very similar to that for poinsettias.

Helleborus orientalis, meanwhile, may bloom in early spring, around the time of the Christian season of Lent. Likewise, "Pasque flower" is so named because it blooms around Eastertime in some locales (Pasque being the Old French for "Easter").

Both bear "flower buds" that resemble rose buds (see picture above), thus the "rose" part of the name.

I took the picture April 5th in my garden in Adrian, MI. The information about the plant came from various websites selling the plants except for the comments in bold which are mine. I bought my Lenten Roses last year at Lowe's.

April 6th

Good Morning! It's Tuesday April 6th. On April 6, 1909, explorers Robert E. Peary and Matthew A. Henson became the first men to reach the North Pole. The claim, disputed by skeptics, was upheld in 1989 by the Navigation Foundation

Today's holiday: Plan your epitath day. (How bizarre. Just make sure you spell your own name correctly.)


Birthdays: Lowell Thomas 1892 - Broadcaster, journalist,
Merle Haggard 1937 - Country musician, songwriter,
John Ratzenberger 1947 - Actor (TV: "Cheers")


Deaths: 1992 Science fiction author Isaac Asimov died at age 72. 1998 Country singer Tammy Wynette died at age 55.

Today's word of the day: tantalize • \TAN-tuh-lyze\ • verb
: to tease or torment by or as if by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach

Today's Factoid: Although estimates vary, humans blink their eyes around five million times each year. (Does anyone care?)

Today's Thought: The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook.
William James

Weather in Adrian today: It's suppose to be a bit warmer today than yesterday. Mostly cloudy through mid morning...then becoming partly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs 77 to 81. Southwest winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Tonight Partly cloudy during the evening. Mostly cloudy overnight. Breezy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows 63 to 67. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph...diminishing to 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Yesterday's high was 74 with a low of 54.

The kids are on spring break so drive slowly - they're out and not paying attention to traffic.

April 5th

For years I woke up very early and collected the news of the day; I was the news director and morning co-host for a small radio station. I loved telling people what they were waking up to, so here's my chance to do it again.

Today is April 5th the 95th day of the year. On this day in 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death for conspiring to commit espionage for the Soviet Union. 1614 Pocahontas, daughter of the leader of the Powhatan tribe, married English colonist John Rolfe in Virginia. 1792 - U.S. President George Washington cast the first presidential veto. The measure was for apportioning representatives among the states.


Today's birthday's include: Booker T.Washington (American educator), Bette Davis;
Several famous people also died this day: Sam Walton (1992)Allen Ginsberg (beat poet) (1997)and Charleton Heston (2008)

Today's word of the day: GROK - to understand
Today's Factoid: Jason Varitek & Ed Vosberg are the only people to play in the World Series, College World Series Championship Game, and Little League World Series



Dyngus Day, also spelled Dingus Day, is a Polish Holiday. It is very popular in Poland, and in Polish communities in America. After the long Lenten holiday, Dyngus Day is a day of fun. And, perhaps a little romantic fun. It is always celebrated on the Monday after Easter.

There area all sort of ways for boys to meet girls. But, this one takes the cake.

Guys, on this day you get to wet the ladies down. Sprinkling or drenching with water is your goal. Chase after the ladies with squirt guns, buckets, or other containers of water. The more bold and gallant boys, may choose to use cologne. Hitting (gently, please) the ladies on the legs with switches or pussy willows is also common.

Yes ladies, you can strike back. Ladies , you get your revenge on Tuesday, when tradition has it that you throw dishes or crockery back at the boys. It has become increasingly popular for the ladies to get their revenge on Monday, tossing water back at the boys.

Note: Dyngus Day is also called Wet Easter Monday. Hmmmmm, I wonder why!?

When exploring the roots of Dyngus Day, Historians point to the baptism of Polish Prince Mieszko I in 966 A.D. Baptism with water signifies cleansing, fertility, and purification. Somewhere along the way, the tradition of tossing water on the girls and hitting them with pussy willows evolved.

This week is: Garden Week.

My quote of the day comes from:1887 British historian Lord Acton wrote in a letter, "All power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Today's weather for Adrian: partly sunny becoming sunny with highs in the mid-70s today. Tonight - becoming cloudy with thunderstorms overnight possible. Low of 57

Introduction

I hope that some of you will follow my journey as my husband and I build our home on 10 acres of land in Southeastern Michigan. Originally a farmgirl, I've been living in towns and cities for the past 10 years. Currently, we're living in a modular home community (trailer park). The neighbors are too close, there's no room to grow much of anything and less room to breathe.
When the opportunity came along to buy 10 acres of land, we couldn't pass it up, even though my hubby is unemployed and I'm under-employed, but this is Michigan and we're typical of others here.
Within this blog, will be my musings on life, my quest to live a greener life, and keep myself intellectually stimulated and maybe you too.
I'll try to keep labels on my posts as accurate as possible so you can skip over those that don't interest you.
Enjoy!