Archive for March, 2011


Just when you thought it was safe

Filed under: Animals, Beauty, Family N Friends, Health, Sports
March 9, 2011

Today was my Wednesday off so I made plans to go out with Christine. I woke up with a wicked sore throat. Couldn’t swallow without pain. It was pretty annoying considering I woke up in time. Thinking that maybe if I got up and started moving about I would feel better, cause sometimes that does happen, I got up and made eggs for breakfast. I sprinkled some of my very hot red pepper flakes on them. Red pepper is good for sore throat. It didn’t help, the longer I stayed up the worse I felt so I ended up going back to bed.

Of course in this house you can only stay in bed if you have the plague or are dying, or is that, ‘dying of the plague’? Eventually I had to get up. Em wanted lunch and Gwen wanted to go up to apply for a job at the mall. I also wanted to try for Yankee tickets. After getting home the mail came and my findings arrived, so now my Yankee earrings have lever-back ear wires instead of posts. One more thing ready for opening day, just have to get tickets.

My hair appointment had been changed from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. since my stylist had to go to a funeral. After my appointment I was supposed to pick up Nick. Of course first the stylist was late, then it took forever to do my hair. When I tweeted ‘Why does it take so long to do my hair?’ Em tweeted back, ‘Do you know how much hair you have?’ This much, this is how much hair I have, but it does look good doesn’t it?

Finally she was done and I left without getting it dried. Picked up Nick and some other kids, took them all home and then we got home. I was so happy to be home, but the day wasn’t over yet. As I was coming up on the deck I heard a commotion inside, Butterscotch was running back and forth on the windowsill, and I was wondering what was wrong with our cat? Then I realized it wasn’t our cat. It was one of the feral cats from the neighborhood (yes one of those cats I hate, unreasonable I know), that had somehow gotten inside. Abigail was locked upstairs, Butterscotch put in the basement, and while I stood in the cold with my sore throat and wet hair holding the door open so they could chase this demented feline out, it ran the opposite way into the living room, up on the windowsill behind the computer desk and almost took out our router.

Stitch manged to catch it and put it outside, where it rocketed away from the deck. It is not the cat’s fault it is stray and wild, but if that cat ever gets in our house again, it is getting the business end of my boot.

The rest of the evening our two cats were eying each other, perhaps to make sure we hadn’t replaced one of them? Abigail kept sniffing the windowsill, after all that is her perch to watch the world go by. And an impostor had been on it.

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Plugged in and tuned out

Filed under: Miscellanea, Technology, Work
March 8, 2011

Today when I got back from lunch one of my co-workers walked into the building before me. As he held the door he was smiling and commented that I was ‘in my own little world.’

Yes I was, just me and the Flobots, or maybe the Foo Fighters. It has to be an F group, I’ve been listening to my F playlist for days. I was plugged into my iPod and tuned out from the world.

This is why the personal safety experts say not to wear headphones or ear buds while running. Because you can’t hear when the serial killer sneaks up behind you to grab your 25 year old, 5’2″, 125 pound body and throw it in his white panel van. Or is the pedophiles that have the white panel van?

Well anyway, the jokes on them because I weigh 136 and am not even in my 20’s. They do check I.D.s don’t they?

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Weight Watchers Progress

Filed under: Health — 2 Comments
March 7, 2011

Just a quick update:
Starting Weight: 142.8
Current Weight: 136
Goal Weight: 115
Weight loss: 6.8

Not at my 5%, which I reached previously and because I went ‘off program’ as they say, I went back up. However, I am still below 140, almost to 135 and have lost more then 5 lbs. It’s progress, I’ll take it.

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Coconut oil

Filed under: Health, News — 1 Comment

Recently there was an article in the NY Times, Once a Villain, Coconut Oil Charms the Health Food World, you can click on the link to read the article in full but in summary, at one time coconut oil was considered to be very bad for you, containing more saturated fat then butter, lard or beef tallow. It was the reason movie theater popcorn was so bad for you, because it was popped in coconut oil. Recently however, its been available in the health food stores and the attitude toward coconut oil is changing. Apparently, the studies were done on partially hydrogenated coconut oil, we all know any hydrogenated oil is not good for you. But virgin coconut oil isn’t so bad for you.

The article goes on to talk about how not all saturated fats are considered equal and while its uncertain if coconut oil, like olive oil, is good for you, in small amounts it is not bad for you.

However many good things might be said about coconut oil, I still won’t eat foods made with it, I like breathing better. Air in and air out is good, no air in and no air out is bad, very bad. This brings up two concerns of mine about coconut. First of all, coconut is not a very common allergy, so while you can look at the list of ingredients and at the bottom of the list in bold print, is whether or not the product contains, peanuts, wheat, milk, soy or tree nuts, coconut is not mentioned. Which brings me to my second concern, why don’t people consider coconut a nut? Doesn’t it have nut right in the name? And that tall thing it grows on, isn’t it called a palm tree? It makes me wonder where this woman’s head is:

Elizabeth Schuler, who writes the blog mycommunaltable.com, started baking with coconut oil after her son’s severe allergies to tree nuts, eggs and dairy were diagnosed. She searched out vegan recipes and was surprised by the number that relied on margarine and Crisco, a no-go as far as she was concerned.

This means I have to be super vigilant about coconut, it helps that I know what foods are likely to have it in them, Lindt Truffles, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Girl Scout Cookies, other high end chocolates, Häagen-Dazs® chocolate covered ice cream bars, some fudge ice cream toppings and some soft serve ice cream. And I read the labels, all the labels, every little ingredient.

Like I said, I like breathing, a lot.

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Would you do this?

Filed under: Family N Friends, Personal not private
March 6, 2011

March 5 is my parents wedding anniversary. They were married in 1954 when my mom was 19 and my dad was 20. So you can see they are in their 70’s now. Every year I call them on their anniversary. I am the world’s worst daughter.

Before you protest or go awww, I should clarify something. I call them first thing in the morning. Today is was around 7:20 a.m. my time. I live in New York. They live on the west coast. That made it around 4:20 a.m. their time. I hear my mom tell my dad, it’s Bella, she wanted to be the first to wish up happy anniversary. My father groans and mumbles something I am sure is unrepeatable.

Yep, world’s worst daughter.

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Why?

Filed under: Miscellanea, Questions
March 5, 2011

These are my socks, it may not be visible in this picture, but they are in a plastic resealable bag, like a ziplock bag. Why? Are they afraid the socks will go stale? By the way, that’s a medium in GIRL’S socks.

Another why question I have is, WHY did Splenda® stop making the SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Flavors for Coffee in Cinnamon Swirl? It’s available in French Vanilla, Mocha and Hazelnut, but no Cinnamon Swirl. That stuff was great on oatmeal.

When I first had the idea for this post I was also going to include Special K20™ Protein Water Mixes, my favorite is Strawberry Kiwi Protein Water Mix. Besides being yummy it has 5 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, but as I was wandering around the grocery store, because I didn’t want to say, you can’t find it or they don’t make out without checking it out first, there was the Protein Water Mix in the diet aisle of my local grocery store.

Also on my list was flavored instant coffee, I mean besides Starbucks, can you find it? And there in the coffee aisle was Nescafé® Taster’s Choice® in Vanilla and Hazelnut. I took pictures, but I must have deleted them. These are from the website.

This post was originally conceived as being full of questions about missing grocery items and how it seems that as soon as I start to really love something, it disappears. Instead with a little searching I found one of the items. The cinnamon swirl Splenda® is not even on their website. So there are only two questions. I will have to console myself with a bottle of Stawberry Kiwi Protein Water.

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News Alert: Protests at Military Funerals Are Protected Speech, Justices Rule

Filed under: WTF? — 2 Comments

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Wed, March 02, 2011 — 11:12 AM ET
—–

Protests at Military Funerals Are Protected Speech, Justices Rule

The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that protests and picketing at military funerals are protected by the First Amendment’s free-speech guarantee, taking precedence over the mourners’ right to privacy.

The court decided 8-1 to uphold a lower court decision in favor of members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., who frequently stage protests at private military funerals to promote the church’s claim that God is angry at America for its tolerance of homosexuality, with signs bearing messages like “Thank God for Dead Soldiers,” “You’re Going to Hell” and “God Hates the USA.”

The ruling was a defeat for Albert Snyder, the father of a Marine killed in Iraq in 2006, whose funeral at a Catholic church in Westminster, Md., was picketed by the Westboro group.

Read More: The New York Times

These people claim to be Christian, there is nothing Christ like about their conduct. Christ raised the dead, he healed sick people, he RELIEVED suffering. He wept when he saw others grieving their dead loved ones. He healed the servant of a Roman Military Officer. They are more like the Pharisees of whom Jesus said, “You are from your father the Devil.” The Devil delights in death and suffering.

They are also saying that God, who created the world, who made the heavens with all the stars. Millions of powerful angels, one of whom was able to kill 185,000 Assyrians in one night, who rained fire and sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah needs other country’s soldiers to express his displeasure. Not true.

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The most dangerous job

Filed under: News, United States of A, WTF?
March 4, 2011

There have been studies done about this and articles written. Right now I can’t remember what any of them said, but in my opinion the most dangerous job in the U.S. is Border Patrol Agent.

According to this article in the Arizona Daily Star, Records show agents fired beanbags in fatal border gunfight. Border agents are instructed to use non-lethal force when confronting illegal aliens with guns.

Border Patrol officials declined to answer questions about protocol for use of force, citing the ongoing investigation.

But Terry’s brother, Kent Terry, said the other agents who were there that night told him that they were instructed to use the non-lethal beanbags first. It’s a policy that doesn’t make sense to Kent Terry.

It doesn’t make sense to me either, if an NYPD officer sees a person pointing a gun at anyone, and the person won’t put the gun down, they are going to get shot. Usually about a billion times (I don’t have a problem with that, if you’re that stupid, kind of like kicking a police dog, if you’re that stupid, you deserve to have your leg bitten off). The article goes on to mention that the bullet removed from the agent is the kind used in AK-47’s. So you have the bad guys, with AK-47, and the good guys are shooting bean bags at them. To me, being a Border Patrol Agent should be listed as THE MOST DANGEROUS JOB.

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Topic #61 What’s the longest you’ve been without sleep?

Filed under: Family N Friends, Health — 1 Comment
March 2, 2011

Since this blog is about my life, I can make this post about anything I want. Pulled an all nighter? Well when I worked nights, I don’t think that is what they are talking about. Watching Bones on Hulu.com?

When I flew out to Washington State because my nephew was seriously ill, I think I was up for hours, I went from work straight to the airport, the flight out of Buffalo was delay, thunderstorms in Chicago. Where I was changing planes, then we almost didn’t make it to Chicago. My flight out of Chicago was delayed also, I don’t remember how many hours. Then straight from the airport in Seattle to the hospital. I don’t remember if I had a place to sleep or if I had to sleep on the floor.

I’m not sure if that is the longest I have been without sleep, but it certainly felt like it.

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Nervous

Filed under: Health, Work

Since the carbon monoxide incident in our office, people are really nervous.

The other day management announced they were testing the fire alarm system because the fire marshal was there. The first time the alarm went off, my boss comes out of his office, almost at a run.

Today I went to the reception area to get the overnight mail, there were a bunch of men in hard hats and safety vest crowded around the elevator. I’m sure my heartbeat went up at least 20 beats per minute.

Someday the sight of safety vests won’t upset me like that. I keep telling myself that.

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