Bits and Bobs of Barcelona

My Daughter is in Barcelona right now in a language immersion camp. Enforex is the program. I have been really pleased with everything about the program. This is her dorm room. The purple suitcase is hers, we painted it to match the brown trimmed carry on a bit better... the back is really cool!


I am not sure if I can carry these fancy new shoes off very well, but I do like them! Just call me 'Flamma'!!

He was one of the most famous gladiators of Rome because he was awarded the rudis four times but still chose to remain a gladiator. His gravestone , in Sicily,reads:
"Flamma, secutor, lived 30 years, fought 34 times, won 21 times, fought to a draw 9 times, defeated 4 times a Syrian by nationality."

Oh wait... thats not Barcelona! Thats some new planting I just did yesterday... which reminds me I need to post photos of my vegetable garden! I actually have a ripe tomato and a bunch of cukes!

This is my daughter and I in Barcelona the day I left her. We stayed at a Hilton right at the beach with a breathtaking view! I am told the tall tower behind us is the last remaining chimney from what was the garment district in Barcelona many years ago. Today its the convention center area.

Are We Happy Yet?

Americans have always had a thing about happiness. We all have certain unalienable rights, declares our Declaration of Independence, among them "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Here is the link:
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/301/are-we-happy-yet

Interesting survey about happiness. I imagine it crosses the international gap and most would apply to any country... although I have nothing to substantiate that comment.

There are some generalizations that can be made:

Married people are happier than unmarrieds. People who worship frequently are happier than those who don't. Republicans are happier than Democrats. Rich people are happier than poor people. Whites and Hispanics are happier than blacks. Sunbelt residents are happier than those who live in the rest of the country.
We also found some interesting non-correlations. People who have children are no happier than those who don't, after controlling for marital status. Retirees are no happier than workers. Pet owners are no happier than those without pets.

In my opinion the difference between very happy and pretty happy depends a lot on what kind of day/week you might be having. Right now, on the eve of returning from Barcelona, I am feeling very happy. Talk to me in a month when I have spent the last 3 weeks being a taxi driver, cook, maid and secretary as well as working some... and I think I might be just pretty happy... or worse! lol PS Did I mention I love Barcelona?

Happy Holiday Weekend from Philadelphia!

Its a big holiday weekend here in the US. Thanks to all the men and women in the armed forces who arent able to be in the US to celebrate.

I love the sentiment of the day, but have always thought of July 4th weekend as being the 1/2 way point of the summer... so its bitter sweet to me in that way.

Ever wonder what happened to the men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Fifty-six men from each of the original 13 colonies signed it on July 4, 1776...

Nine of the signers were immigrants, two were brothers and two were cousins. One was an orphan. The average age of a signer was 45. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest delegate at 70. The youngest was Thomas Lynch Jr. of South Carolina at 27.

Eighteen of the signers were merchants or businessmen, 14 were farmers, and four were doctors. Twenty-two were lawyers - although William Hooper of North Carolina was "disbarred" when he spoke out against the king - and nine were judges. Stephen Hopkins had been governor of Rhode Island. Forty-two signers had served in their colonial legislatures.
John Witherspoon of New Jersey was the only active clergyman to attend. (Indeed, he wore his pontificals to the sessions.) Almost all were Protestants. Charles Carroll of Maryland was the lone Roman Catholic.

Seven of the signers were educated at Harvard, four at Yale, four at William & Mary, and three at Princeton. Witherspoon was the president of Princeton, and George Wythe was a professor at William & Mary. His students included Declaration scribe Thomas Jefferson.

Seventeen signers fought in the American Revolution. Thomas Nelson was a colonel in the Second Virginia Regiment and then commanded Virginia military forces at the Battle of Yorktown. William Whipple served with the New Hampshire militia and was a commanding officer in the decisive Saratoga campaign. Oliver Wolcott led the Connecticut regiments sent for the defense of New York and commanded a brigade of militia that took part in the defeat of General Burgoyne. Caesar Rodney was a major general in the Delaware militia; John Hancock held the same rank in the Massachusetts militia.

The British captured five signers during the war. Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, and Arthur Middleton were captured at the Battle of Charleston in 1780. George Walton was wounded and captured at the Battle of Savannah. Richard Stockton of New Jersey never recovered from his incarceration at the hands of British Loyalists. He died in 1781.

Thomas McKean of Delaware wrote John Adams that he was "hunted like a fox by the enemy - compelled to remove my family five times in a few months." Abraham Clark of New Jersey had two of his sons captured by the British during the war.

Eleven signers had their homes and property destroyed. Francis Lewis's New York home was razed and his wife taken prisoner. John Hart's farm and mills were destroyed when the British invaded New Jersey, and he died while fleeing capture. Carter Braxton and Nelson, both of Virginia, lent large sums of their personal fortunes to support the war effort but were never repaid.

Fifteen of the signers participated in their states' constitutional conventions, and six - Roger Sherman, Robert Morris, Franklin, George Clymer, James Wilson, and George Reed - signed the U.S. Constitution.

After the Revolution, 13 signers went on to become governors. Eighteen served in their state legislatures. Sixteen became state and federal judges. Seven became members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Six became U.S. senators. James Wilson and Samuel Chase became Supreme Court justices. Jefferson, Adams, and Elbridge Gerry each became vice president. Adams and Jefferson later became president.

Five signers played major roles in the establishment of colleges and universities: Franklin and the University of Pennsylvania; Jefferson and the University of Virginia; Benjamin Rush and Dickinson College; Lewis Morris and New York University; and George Walton and the University of Georgia.

Adams, Jefferson, and Carroll were the longest surviving signers. Adams and Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Carroll was the last signer to die in 1832 at the age of 95.

Sources: Robert Lincoln, Lives of the Presidents of the United States, with Biographical Notices of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence (Brattleboro Typographical Company, 1839); John and Katherine Bakeless, Signers of the Declaration (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1969); Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-1989 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1989).

Most Wonderful Favorite

"These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers."

Kate at http://holdfastseeker.blogspot.com/ gave me this wonderful award while I was traveling a couple of weeks ago. I feel honored that she chose me! Thanks Kate!! I have been so fortunate to have met and become friends with some of the most interesting and diverse people here in Blogland. I thank you all for sharing a bit of yourselves with me.

The rules of this award are as follows:
Deliver this award to eight bloggers who then must choose and deliver the award to eight more and include the following text into the award. "These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers."

There are so many blogs that inspire me. Some its about the people, some the places they write about and others the things they write about. In truth the lines between the categories are often blurred, but for the sake of this post I am choosing a lable. I am not going to pick only 8, but award a bit of praise for many! Please take on the award and share it too! (oh and if I left anyone out, forgive me!!)

People- Foams perspective, dianes kind heart, Bones way of making a simple story histerical, Dales stories and wonderful audios, Lee for working out of both halves of his brain, Pams stories of her Grand kids, Boneman and K9's art and their pets, Katie, her horses and poetry, Cruel Virgin for her unapologetic opinions on topics that make us think, Courting Destiny for the diversity of her interests

Places - SJ stories of his life in India, Diane photos of Australia, Luxy and Hliza in Malaya, Ricardos bachelor life in NYC, Aggies wonderful world Down Under, Pete and his pictures.

Things - Shadows poems, Middle Ditches stories, Xdells passionate posts on crime and extraterrestrials, /t.'s and Ruelas art, Fancy and Annalys ways they connect the globe in their writings, Buffs chili stories, Libby for her unwavering optimism, Mayden for her ability to share her joy of the simple things with us. Pug for making me laugh more with every post!

I hope you all had a good weekend and please keep Hliza (her blog A Woman, A Mom, A Lover )in your thoughts and prayers as she recovers from an accident.

rip

RIP

Michael Jackson and Farrah Faucet!

Now I hear Jeff Goldblum is dead in New Zealand and Harrison Ford went missing off the coast of France with his yacht! Truth or fiction??? Idk... Not a great day to be an entertainer, or their fan!

Its the 3rd anniversary of my brothers death too, and my Grandmother was just put on oxygen support for her breathing. Not a good health day all around.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy weekend!

Spain and Portugal

The slideshow runs from Spain -Barcelona, Malaga, Puerto de Santa Maria (yes they believe as in the Nina, Pinta and THE Santa Maria), Cadiz, Sevilla, then into Portugal - Tavira, Santiago do Cacem, Sines coast and Lisbon.

I meant to upload them into slide shows by town, but it didnt happen and I am out of time... I did add captions though! Thats gotta count for something! lol

It was an amazing trip. I will post some highlights of each stop, in reverse order. I leave to go back to Barcelona in 8 days, to take my daughter to a language immersion camp, and assume I will have more to share!

New Post Coming Soon

New post coming soon. I have some catching up to do today on everyones blogs, and, even some gifts to claim!

For now, this one is for Boneman, Middle Ditch and SJ.

Fields and fields of sunflowers growing seemingly EVERYWHERE in Spain! As far as the eye could see. Just lovely!

If its Monday it must be... Barcelona

I leave today for Barcelona. My Dad is in the air right now coming into Philly to meet me so we can fly out together. We will have an afternoon here with the family, celebrate an early Fathers Day and the twins 8th grade graduation with him. Then its off for a 12 hour flight!

As you can imagine, this week was crazy busy getting things prepared for my being away. Of course business wise it was a pivotal week with many meetings and major decisions to be made. The kids all had finals and end of the year dances... and my house is still a major construction site. I actually have scaffolding in front of the house! My house is filthy... inside and out... but... I am leaving and when I return it will be further along in the process, so thats fabulous!

Its also my 2 year anniversary of this blog! It seems like yesterday... lol Funny to think back on how long I have been blogging with many of you! Many Many years now! Its like you are part of my extended family!

Well, have a great week. I will post photos when I return!

Ciao

Any interesting plans for the summer?

(or winter if you are down under! lol)

I just got my daughter registered for the adventure of her lifetime! She will be going to Spain for 2 weeks to learn Spanish . I am so happy to be able to give her that opportunity! She couldnt be more excited! My oldest son, 16 just got his first official job. He is working for a car detail shop here in our little town, cleaning, waxing... taking out trash... whatever they need, all for minimum wage! He is thrilled to have the job and wants to work the bulk of the summer... My youngest son is floundering...and I am not sure what he needs. He will go spend a week or 2 with my Dad in FL and visit some friends this summer, but also will be taking a summer school class. His grades stink and so does his attitude. My spouse is in a Triathlon in July and is busy training for that and traveling for work....

My summer begins on June 7th! I am so looking forward to traveling with my Dad. I will be gone 10 days!! Its funny, once you are a parent, even if you are off alone and they are cared for, you still have parental worries dontcha (my Dad would tell you that he has MATERNAL worries... worring about leaving my Grandmother that is...)!?!? I am already worried and I havent even left! lol

I love summer!

Train Station Belgium - Sound of Music

Wouldnt it be great if this was a part of your daily work commute!?!?!? Have a great day!

Lost in space.

You know, sometimes when the world around me is going

totally crazy, its the little things that keep me sane.

Thanks for your comments today. I know the topic was
not of interest to many of you, but I really appreciate the support. Its been a long couple of weeks. Challenges personally, at home and professionally.



My kids are in a bit of a state(and as anyone who has kids knows, that is a world rocker! ll)
as a 15 year old boy in their school committed suicide last weekend. Shot himself in the head. About 4 weeks ago another teen jumped off a cliff... he lived. I dont remember having this sort of thing happening when I was a teen... its tough.

I have all these things I need to tell my kids in response... 'I am sooooo glad that you arent feeling those thoughts!' 'If you ever get close to that, know that there are options!' and ' Your Dad and I would do ANYTHING you needed to avoid that situation... up and move if we had to... anything to support you guys!!' Of course they only wanted to talk about it a bit then it was all too much. I managed to say the first and second lines... will have to go back and sneak in the third. They know it, but I am sure, its always good to hear!



I could go on whining about the rest of life, but it would do no good. Suffice it to say, life is chaotic and I am trying to stay afloat. I cant even wait to escape on June 8th!

LLC registration Info for PA

My partners and I didnt want to pay for an attorney to do my registration, so I did the research and filing myself. It is not difficult and all forms are online. I am posting this info for anyone in PA who may also be starting up a small business. It took hours of research and phone calls. Hope it saves someone else some time. =]

Corporations

Pennsylvania Limited Liability Company

1. Check with the Corporation Bureau to see if company name is available here:

Corporation Name Search

2. Forms

A. Certificate of Organization

B. Docking Statement (both forms needed and the cost is 125$ 717-787-1057)

C. EIN - With the IRS (1800 829-1040 or 1800 829-4933 direct and its free.) * must register the name (steps A and B) before EIN can be processed

3. Fees: Fees & Payment

(link above) Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization $125 Each ancillary transaction $70 Certificate of Merger, Consolidation or Division $150 Additional fee for each association which is a party to a merger or consolidation $40 Additional fee for each new association resulting from a division $125 Annual Registration (restricted professionals only) at least $380 (Annual registration as per instructions in form 8998 appears to be $420 x number of partners... this seems high... have to check on this).

HOURS The Corporation Bureau is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. The Public Records Room hours of operation are from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Documents may be submitted by delivering them directly to the reception area, by mail, or by facsimile. The bureau maintains two addresses as follows:

Department of State Corporation Bureau P.O. Box 8722Harrisburg, PA 17105-8722 Department of State Uniform Commercial Code Section P.O. Box 8721 Harrisburg, PA 17105-8721 Courier or personal delivery address for Corporate and UCC Documents: Department of State Corporation Bureau Commonwealth Avenue & North Street206 North Office Building Harrisburg, PA 17120 You may reach the bureau by telephone by calling (717) 787-1057 or by facsimile at (717) 783-2244. The telephone lines are available from 8:00 am to 4:45 pm.

Weekend

Have a wonderful weekend!

Stand by Me

Awesome...

Breath Mint?

Foam wrote a post about, among other things,being turned off by Whisky breath...

It made me think of a guy I went to high school with who is now a comedian. He is a total riot. Interestingly enough, I had no idea he was even funny when I knew him in high school!

I almost got to see him perform this weekend while I was in NJ. Unfortunately time didnt permit that, but next time I will definitely try to go.

Very funny bit, but it did make me want to go have a breath mint! lol

House Staging Weekend

My tenant moved out of my Moms house in NJ this week. I spent the weekend cleaning, meeting with contractors (notice that perfect brand new driveway!!! )and 'staging' the property to get it rented soon. It looks good and this time I did the staging myself, so I didnt have to pay someone to do it (last time I was in FL so I had no choice).

The front, I weeded and mulched, added a wreath and some annuals to make it cheery. Inside, I thumb tacked some fabric up for curtains, added some mirrors, a card table with dishes and linens in the dining room, some fake plants, fluffy towels and rugs in the bathrooms, and even set up an air mattress on some crates in one bedroom. It was a car full of items, but it looks worlds nicer than a vacant house.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

CoolTravel Links

I have been surfing the web doing research for my next big adventure. I came across these and thought I would pass them on.

This one is a site, like google earth, but with 360 different cities world wide! I could put in the address of a hotel I was reviewing and really see what the area looked like. Very helpful... and just cool!

http://www.360cities.net/map#lat=38.76834&lng=-9.09878&name=platform-of-oriente-train-station&zoom=17

This site, Drive-Alive was so helpful when planing my driving route. While it doesnt suggest scenic routes, it gave me the estimated time it would take to get from one place on my agenda to another which let me plan where I needed hotels. If I wanted to drive no more than 3 hours a day (which is what I am trying to hold it to). I could put in different towns to get the right distances, then go to TripAdvisor Official Site my absolute favorite travel related site, and look for hotels and sites to see along the route. There are millions of forums there and if you have a travel question, its likely someone else has already asked it and gotten an answer!~

Another thing that Trip Advisor does, is to hold an annual Travelers Choice Awards. Travelers' Choice Hotel Awards It's worth a look for sure!! I'm not staying in any of these places as my Spain hotels were arranged prior to finding the site! =[

By the way, I have found www.booking.com/Hotels to have the best prices on hotels by far! That and Sixt European Car Rental was cheaper than Hertz by $400usd for a week long Spain to Portugal car rental. Anyone looking to start a business over there... There is currently no easy way to get from Seville to the south of Portugal. Only a few hours apart, but you have to take a public bus to get there. Someone needs to begin a shuttle service OR car rental to cross the border so that you could rent a car in Spain, leave it in Seville, take the shuttle to the nearest town over the border in Portugal and rent a car there. Sounds crazy, but it would probably shave another $400 off the cost of the car rental!

Hope this helps someone!

Have a great weekend!

Values and Fulfillment

Your true value depends entirely on what you are compared with.

I liked the quote, hated that it ends with a preposition though (hehehe)...

It needs to go a bit further though,

Your true value, to others, depends entirely on what you are compared with... your personal fulfillment depends on being true to your values.

Every individual has a core set of personal values, a belief, a mission, or a philosophy that is meaningful. "Your values are not something you want or would like to have, but something you literally need in your life to be true to yourself..." (hummmm so if I am not being true to myself and my personal values, I may never be fulfilled and thereby totally happy?!?!?!? Theres a thought!)

"Being true to oneself and one's values (I found this article interesting and some of the thoughts for this post were from there... have a look). Fully integrating one's values into daily life continuously reinforces the integrity of self, creates life satisfaction, and sets the stage for fulfilling one's dreams." One key point I have discovered about values, is that it takes implementing them to energizes everything concerned with it. Committing to and applying those values builds momentum and attracts achievement, success and ultimately should lead to fulfillment.

I have found that some of my values have changed over the years... as I read the above article I decided I should spend some time identifying what my values are... what my goals are... and give the second half of my life better direction. I seem to be floundering and going with the flow. Not that where I am swimming is bad, I just need to be sure that its the pond in which I really should be swimming!

Here is an exercise to help determine your values:

An effective way to quickly identify your unique values set is this:

1. Make a list of things very important in your life--so important that you can't be happy without them. Your first draft may be very long. You'll narrow it down in subsequent steps.

2. Revisit each value you listed and identify why you listed it. What is it about this value that causes you to believe it's one of your core values. Do you need it in your life to be happy? Without it would life seem intolerable? If there's any doubt, strike it out.

3. Repeat this process until you have a short list of about six values clearly describing what you need for life to be meaningful and fulfilling.

Want to read more?: http://self-awareness.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_values_based_life#ixzz0FIKWNjPH&B

I am putting this on my to do list for today. Its pretty important stuff!

Happy Mothers Day

Garden

I am trying to create a low effort but creative vegetable garden this year.

I prepared a plot on my property to use(its actually a cool site as its inside the stone remains of the original carriage house on the property... ) and have some seedlings started (although after 10 straight days of rain, most of them are dead and floating). The other day I went out in the rain and purchased some plants and I also have some seeds to sow directly.

(My crop this year will be tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lots of herbs, sunflowers, corn (both edible and ornamental), eggplant, pumpkins, gourds and cutting flowers)

I have been surfing to come up with some ideas. One site offered up the idea of planting corn circles to make a secret garden inside. Kinda cool, but I dont know if the center will get enough sun... hummm I should make some raised beds, but I really just want to slap the plants in and add water! lol I told you, little effort! =] Oh and my neighbor is raising bees this year, so I am anticipating a wonderfully pollinated garden!

2nd Bi Annual Road Trip and Life in General

Life is funny.

My Dad came for a visit. Knowing that my Moscow trip was cancelled and I was depressed about that, he asked me if I wanted to take another road trip in Europe. He wanted to go to Spain and Portugal and drive a good part of it like we did in Europe 2 years ago. He offered his frequent flier miles... and my spouse said yes, so last night I booked the flights. I still have to plan all the specifics, but we fly into Barcelona and leave from Lisbon. I hope to get some travel suggestions from Ruela (see link on the right) for places to visit in southern Portugal and in Lisbon... Other than that I will be researching and reading travel blogs etc! I love this stuff!

As fate would have it, I was on the phone with USAir booking, my cell phone rang. I didnt answer it. When I retrieved the message, guess what... My friend had gotten the call that there was another baby in Siberia for her. Same timing as before, either next week or the 23rd. She has no one else to go with if I dont go. I cant do the week of the 23rd, but if its next Friday, I am there! (I dont think they can turn it around that quickly though...)

Besides the travel stuff, I have 8 men on my roof at the moment, and a contractor finally laying the tile for the main bathroom in my house that has been offline for about a 7 weeks now. My kitchen is torn up from having to sure up the support beams and replacing the soil stack from the 2nd floor to the basement (due to a crack in it... yuck!). I have siding and stonework beginning later this month and construction on my bedroom (replacing an exterior door to the sleeping porch) and another bathroom. I also begin some major construction on my Moms place on the 15th and need to interview perspective renters... if I am not in Russia that is.

When we bought this house we took out enough money to make these renovations happen. Its just scary to be doing it in the recession, but... I suppose I am helping to keep people employed... I just pray my family stays employed! lol

Oh and a tidbit on the open air market project I am working on... My partners and I presented the idea before the Commissioners of the Township and it went very well. We were granted a lease contingent on getting neighborhood support (which I think we have, all but the church that uses the space we are looking to use on Sunday... but there really is room for all of us and we just need to work through that.). Our hope is to begin in Sept of this year. We have one vendor already and havent really begun our solicitation yet! It has been and continues to be an adventure... and as many of you already know, thats how I like to keep my life!

So there you have it, my life in a nutshell... at the moment at least

Disappearing World Wonders

Disappearing world wonders

Maldive Islands

submerged by 2050

Dalmation Coast, Croatia - crushed by tourists
Great Barrier Reef, Australia - By 2050, the reef will have lost an estimated 95 percent of its living coral... they site tourism, acidification and rising temperatures as the reason
Mount Kilimanjaro -glaciers could be gone completely by 2020...
The Swiss Alps- estimated that about 40 percent of the mountain range’s pristine skiing areas will disappear by 2100

Galápagos Islands, Ecuador- 39 percent of animal species, 50 percent of marine species, and 59 percent of plant species to be threatened by excessive tourism.

If you follow the link Disappearing world wonders it gives some time lines...

I have been to the Alps and the Dalmation Coast and they are amazing! I would love to visit the Galapagos Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef.... since tourism is killing some of the locations, I should want to stay away, but reading this kind of article makes me almost desperate to get there! I think its an illness! lol

Have a great weekend!

Another BD

My brother Ross would have been 40 today.
Wow... thats such a strange thought... my little brother 40!
RIP big guy. I miss you.

No comments on this post please.
Thanks.

Or Not...

I received a call at 7:30 last night from my Sister in Law. My trip is off. The adoption agency called and it seems that the baby's biological Mother took him back.

Needless to say, I am disappointed, but my poor friend is devastated. She had totally fallen in love with baby Serge. Knowing that he will be with his biological family helps and also thankfully we didn't make the long expensive trip out there for nothing.

There will be another baby for her for sure... its just so sad at the moment.

Heading to Siberia

My friend has gotten the call. She has been waiting to adopt a baby from Russia. Finally, after a long wait, she is making arrangements to meet him within the next 2-3 weeks. He is 20 months and his name is Serge. I love the name, but she is going to change it to Cohl.

http://whataroadtrip.blogspot.com/2008/07/russia-in-distance.html I have written about her journey and some additional information in a few other posts after this one if you care to revisit...

So anyway, it seems I get to go to Russia next month! I am doing all sorts of research now (along with scurrying to rearrange my calendar) on flights, weather, hotels, and things to do in Moscow and this place we will be staying in Siberia, Krasnoyarsk. lol just saying Siberia makes me giggle. Who goes to Siberia??! lol Never in my life did I figure I would be going there, but I am and I am thrilled for the adventure!

I am hoping to spend a few extra days in Moscow. I figure I probably wont get back that way again anytime soon, so I best see what I want while I am there! Make hay while the sun shines!

If its Thursday...

Moods markedly better, weather forecast is looking up too (74 tomorrow and 80's for the next 4 days!!). My project with the farmers market is coming together (details after the Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday night). My tunnel has light.

EARTH DAY 2009: THE GREEN GENERATION

Tracing its roots, I found that the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970! Wow. Earth Day Network you can find all sorts of ways to do your part and join the cause.

Today I vow to:

- Use those recyclable bags, I carry around in my car, when at the market.

- walk/bike instead of drive somewhere... I am thinking to the library later.

- turn off the lights throughout the house instead of ignoring them.
- feed my family by candle light and save 45 minutes of electricity.

- buy greener products when available to me.

- use my stainless steel water bottle.

The thing that strikes me is how easy it is these days to pitch in and do our part. Perhaps it was this easy years ago and I just didnt recognize it, but if each of us does a little, it adds up to a significant amount! NPR did a report recently about those digital photo frames, saying that their popularity is increasing, they use a lot of energy, and most of them do not have an auto shutoff. NPR Rails Against Digital Picture Frame Electricity Waste ... They indicated that if each home in the US had one we would have to build 5 new power plants!!

Our society is now used to instant gratification. We have cable converter boxes, water heaters that run all the time to insure hot water on demand, charging stations for phones, ipods etc that stand ready... using power all the time.

I once had to turn off all appliances for my electric company to check something. I did, or thought I did and was amazed how much energy my house was still consuming!!!

My point to all of this is, be aware and do your share. We all share the planet.

Happy Birthday Mom

She would have been 70 today. Barbara Jeanette
She lived a colorful but tough life. She could be my best friend or make my life totally miserable... but she loved me and I was her life. I miss so many little things about her. Funny how endearing they seem now and how frustrating and annoying they were then! lol Red was her favorite color.

I have been going through photos all day. Trying to reclaim them from old PC's and laptops so that I could put together a collection here and for the kids... to help remember.

My daughter inherited my bad memory. Its a joke in our family... but in reality, its not at all funny. Its terribly sad.

Thank goodness for photos and video.

I wish I had more! Its still a strange thought that there will never be more photos of her. Or of my brother. His birthday is in 10 days.

I am a bit of a weepy mess... Today at breakfast, my daughter informed us that she already knew what she was getting me for Mothers Day. My son, Peter, said that he was getting me," Fried nothing and stewed less." which is a phrase that my Great Uncle Jesse used to say. I have tried to keep it alive as a bit of a tribute to him. Today, hearing Peter just say it made me cry. Uncle Jesse was somewhere smiling that he was being remembered! I tried to tell the kids that but sadly, the sweet sentiment was overshadowed by my reaction. Oh well...

On a positive note, my Dad called and is coming to see me in about 2 weeks. I know he is coming to help cheer me up. He's the best!

Why?

Ask for it then not take it?

Begin the process then shut the door?

If, hope, love, peace, clarity... time.

But what will time bring?

Becoming an Italian

Yes We Can!

At dinner last night we had a discussion about becoming a European Citizen... It turns out there are huge benefits to being a part of the EU in the business world. The freedom to work and travel in 27 countries. How about getting paid in Euros instead of dollars (thats a pay raise of about 30%). Free education and health care...

My spouses Dad was from Italy.

WAYS TO BECOME AN ITALIAN CITIZEN AUTOMATICALLY
1. by having an Italian parent(s); 2. by being born in Italy: including cases in which the parents are unknown, stateless or do not transmit their own citizenship to their child according to the legislation of the State to which they belong, as well as children found abandoned in Italy and for whom it is impossible to determine status civitatis (citizenship); 3. through paternal or maternal recognition while the child is a minor (in cases in which the child recognised is no longer a minor, he/she is obliged to elect to become a citizen within one year of recognition); 4. by adoption, both if the foreign minor is adopted by an Italian citizen by means of the Italian Judicial Authorities, as well as in the case in which adoption is granted abroad and made effective in Italy through a writ, issued by the Juvenile Court and registered with the Civil Registry. If the adoptee is no longer a minor he/she can become a naturalised Italian citizen after 5 years of legal residence in Italy (see How to Apply: Naturalisation). Embassy of Italy in Washington

Reading further it seems we would have to reside there for 2 years. I totally would! Gosh 2 years in Italy would be such an experience! Hummmm where would I want to live?

The region of Piemonte seems a lovely choice. It is mostly mountains and hills, on the north-western border of Italy with France and Switzerland... close everything really... mountains for skiing, ocean for swimming, other countries for travel... Turin would be the biggest city though... its lovely (they hosted the winter Olympics in 2006).

Orrrr there is Rome... even the town of Fiumicino, Italy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia would be nice and they have the major airport there!

Ah to dream...


Ok my bubbles burst. My spouse just woke and I mentioned that I did all the research. He said ohhhhh no, I meant it was a huge benefit to a company, not MY company...
So I am, smacked back down to reality.

Venting in Blue

I ran today, for the first time in 2 yrs.

Back to the track I used to run after my Mom/Brother died...

My knee throbbed, but, to be honest, I welcomed the pain today.

I welcomed back that feeling of exhaustion,

and unfortunately some of the old feelings as well.

Hauntingly familiar... I even had the old songs playing on my ipod.

Its been a long and difficult day.

I am not complaining, as much as venting.

On a positive note, its warm and sunny... and time heals.

If its Tuesday... Rome

Rome

A city with so much history. On April 21st they will celebrate their 2762 nd Birthday! That is difficult to even imagine when we Americans celebrated, what our 233 rd bd? lol



I imagine Italians and most Europeans are used to eating in places that are 600 years old. Picnicking in places where Gladiators fought... Partying in squares and on roads where world history was made and where their ancestors were walking in 752 BC!!!!! BC!!!!! Can you even fathom that? Its mind blowing to me! Everywhere I went I was struck with the grandeur, with the voices of the past and the beauty that remains. Even the way the Romans have managed to grow their city around the ruins of the past... incorporate today into the foundations of the past. Just awesome. (Rome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some history)





We took a cab from Ciampino Airport (which is where Ryan Air flies into, a bit out of the way but not terrible.) to the hotel. The driver swindled us for 70 Euros (asking for 75 but coming down to 70). We were told later that it should have cost 50-60.... (another shifty thing they did to foreigners was to try to switch bills on you thinking you wouldnt pick up on it because of the different currencies. We, and 2 other families we met, there were all victims of this. I caught it and called the woman out on it, but ultimately it wasnt worth the fight so I left... One couple lost 10 Euros, the other caught on and didnt lose a thing.) Anyway, I digressed...


We arrived at our wonderful Hotel. Rome Cavalieri - Home The only fault with this place is that it is off the beaten track. They provided a free shuttle bus to and from the Spanish Steps area every hour, so that was fine, but I prefer to be in the thick of things when I have a short stay in a place. This would be the place to come if you had a week and could really take advantage of all the amenities!!! Because we were Hilton Honors members they did upgrade us to rooms with a view and included breakfast, but no Executive Lounge... bummer I bet it would have been amazing there!!!


Anyway, the rooms werent ready so we walked up to have some lunch. I caught a nasty cold or something so when we got back and were assigned rooms I napped while the family went and explored the city.

That evening, the day after the tragic earthquake in L'Aquila, I was in my room with one of my sons when we felt the big, 5.6 aftershock.Italy earthquake: stricken L'Aquila suffers again as aftershocks ... It was an amazing thing to experience. Lucky to us Rome didnt experience any damage and our travels to Venice werent affected either.

The next day we all went into the city and took the Open bus tour. In Rome the tour was not nearly as good as in Paris and London. They did provide headsets, but there was VERY little information shared. We decided to take a guided tour of the Colosseum and the Forum/Palace area. That was amazing and so interesting! Did you know that ancient Romans used urine to get their white tunics clean and bleached (it was the ammonia in the urine that did the trick... but can you imagine the smell?). There no women's bathrooms in the Colosseum so the ladies had to do their thing on the top floor in linen bags and would toss the results over the walls onto the streets! This is why the nobility were the only ones allowed to walk on the sidewalk near the Colosseum... they were sheltered from falling objects! The original marble floors from the palace can still be seen outside! Also they reused all the marble from the Colosseum for the Vatican!

Speaking of the Vatican, we were fortunate enough to be there when the Pope was speaking! I am not even Christian and it was a great experience for me! The down side to that is that we werent able to get into St Peters Basilica.... they shut it down during his talks. We did get to see the Vatican Museum though and the Sistine Chapel! Really awesome!

We ventured off to have some dinner. Pasta and pizza were pretty much all we ate in Italy. Mostly because it was cheap, but also, 'when in Rome...' I would say the food was delicious, but so outrageously expensive. First, they wont serve you tap water in Italy. In England and France they will. I asked about it and was told that the water has a really high calcium content and the Romans wont drink it because they have a tendency for kidney stones.... true? idk ( read more here if you would like Kidney Stones - urologychannel) Anyway, so each bottle of water you drink(and we drink a ton) was 4-6 Euros. Wine was about the same cost as here, a bit more perhaps, but food was high. The Italians serve meals in courses... so pasta would be one course of 2-3. The pasta itself was 12-14 Euros for just spaghetti and tomato sauce! I had a shrimp pasta once and it was 28Euros! The portions were small because it was meant to be eaten with other courses... BUT... I dont mind spending money on an amazing meal, but to pay 20USD for a cup of pasta and sauce is highway robbery! It was consistently priced though in Rome and Venice. Pizza for one person (the portion was large though about a 12-14 inch very thin crust pie) was 10-12 Euros.
Rome was clearly a highlight of the trip. I would love to be able to spend a month or two there exploring the city and surrounding areas.

If its Sunday it must be... Paris

Paris in the Spring...

If I were going to Europe without the kids, I would have skipped Paris this visit and spent more time in Italy (I would love to have gone back to Florence instead). Dont get me wrong, I love Paris,but I just visited the city in Nov. with my girlfriends. This was my childrens first visit abroad though, so I thought it important for them to see the city.

We took the Eurostar from St Pancras International. I was glad that the French immigration officer stamped the passports... it was the 2nd stamp for the kids (prior to the EU every country stamped you in and out. Now many countries dont even stop you or if they do its a quick look at your documents)! I dont think the kids cared, but I was glad to have it recorded. They can look back on it later. It was about a 2hr 20 min uneventful trip into Paris throught the Chunnel. Its still amazing to me that Paris is a day trip from London! Europe is so wonderfully condensed!


I was a handy traveling companion, if I do say so myself... I knew Gard Nord and was able to secure a taxi for 5 without much waiting (almost all London cabs can accomodate 5, but in Paris its about 1 in 10 that can. Those are Helene statistics, btw). Of course the cab driver took us the long way and charged extra for the 5th person, but we made it to the Hilton Arc de Triomphe Paris hotel safely by 2pm(side note about the hotel, it was lovely but a bit off the beaten track and in a more residential area. Because of this, there werent many options for restaurants within a short walk... although they will tell you there are... or places to shop.) Not that I am complaining since the hotel was free! (we were able to use all Hilton Honors points for the hotels this trip! Thats why we were at such lovely places. I kept telling my kids that most people dont stay in places like this... and that even when my spouse and I went to Paris a couple of years ago we stayed in a much less expensive hotel... I think it goes on deaf ears though, as its all they know.)

So we arrive. The good news was that it was past check in time, the bad news was that our rooms werent ready. They were initially not pleasant about it, but ultimately after making us wait 2 hours upgraded us and allowed us to use the Executive Lounge.



Until recently, I didnt even know such a thing existed. There is an entire Executive World out there getting spoiled at hotels and IIIIII didnt know~?~? lol Well, once officially upgraded, the gifts started pouring in. Really! A beautiful flower arrangement for each room, 3 boxes of chocolates, and water bottles. And, my friends, that was just the appetizer! The pièce de résistance was the lounge itself. Its a well appointed place with indoor and outdoor seating. I think it operates from 10am - 11pm. There are free beverages, buffet of limited, but choice snacks... fruit, cheeses of the area, bread, desserts, soup, salads... and a full bar! At about 3 dollars a water bottle, 10 dollars a glass of wine and 5 hungry mouths to feed, this puppy saved us a bundle during the trip! One night we decided to have it be dinner so we could go out and spend our money on a fancy dessert experience.



Ok so moving beyond food... (no worries I will get back to it! *wink) We decided to take the Open Bus Tour here as well. It was my plan from the start, every city we would get a narrated overview then revisit what we wanted to see in more detail. The lines for the Eiffel Tower were huge so we didnt climb it, but we did spend some time in the Louvre (Musée du) visiting with Mona, and her assorted artistic friends (did you know that The Winged Victory of Samothrace sculpture , pictured above, is dated to 220-190 BC and is by an unknown sculptor!?!?! Amazing to me!). We walked down the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomph (The arch honors those who fought for France, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. Underneath is the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War I.). Its fantastic... really beautiful city!



The kids were amazed with the number of motorcycles in the city and that they park seemingly EVERYWHERE! Also they thought all of Europe drove on the 'wrong' side of the road lol. My oldest son, the one who didnt even want to come on the trip, decided that he wants to live in Paris when he gets older... and I am aloud to come visit 'all the time' lol . Especially since now he understands that not all French people hate Americans. The kids really believed that!

The weather was beautiful 60 to 65 and sunny! It did rain as we were leaving for the airport to go to Rome, but we left that rain behind. Rome was delightful!

Impressions of London

Travel to London from Philly took about 6.5 hours. We had an evening flight (11pm) and were able to sleep most of the way. By the time we got a cab to the hotel it was near 1pm so we were able to check in immediately. =]

As noted in the previous post, the hotel was wonderful and centrally located. The staff was wonderfully helpful with booking our Eurostar train tickets from Rome to Venice. It wasnt easy (or cheap) but they got it done.

Cream teas every day, tasting some traditional fish and chips (Is it Cod or Haddock thats traditional?), game pies, pasties, Marmite, lots of tea and of course a proper Full English Breakfast were among the list of food we tried. I hoped to try a Curry House, but we never made it... Next time! =]

Our first day we walked the area, visited the British Museum and had a lovely Cream Tea (Cream tea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)which my children thought was the best thing since sliced bread! The weather was absolutely perfect, so we took the on-off bus tour that included a boat ride up the Thames River. We caught it right by the Tower of London and road the boat all the way back to the London Eye. The Eye was too crowded so we didnt go on it, but we spent a lot of time in the Tower of London... Saw all the major sights... With the weather being nice, Fri night the people at the Pubs were spilling out into the streets making for a lively evening. I think my family got a great taste of the UK.

If its Friday...

There is no other city quite like London.

It was our first stop this trip

The Great Marlborough Street Magistrate’s Court set the scene for many famous cases over the years, which were either heard there or taken to full trial at Crown Courts such as the Old Bailey. This was the case with the first obscenity trial for a comic book in English history, against International Times in 1971. John Lennon’s sensational court case regarding the sale of sexually explicit lithograph drawings was thrown out on a technicality in 1970, and Mick Jagger spent time here defending his name when it was alleged he was caught in possession of cannabis (and Marianne Faithful! Cannabis are a form of tranquillisers ). Keith Richards received a £205 fine here in 1973 for possession of marijuana, heroin and mandrax, as well as a Smith and Wesson revolver and an antique shotgun, both held without a licence. Oscar Wilde also had the start of his ‘Queensbury’ case heard in the building.

Its now the London Courthouse Hotel (a Doubletree Hotel) in the heart of Soho, in central London. The jail cells have been turned into a lovely seating area in the bar. The hotel is close to:

Royal Opera House
Selfridges
London Palladium
Covent Garden with its markets and piazza
Berwick Street Market
Soho Theatre
Chinatown
Bond Street designer boutiques
(not that we saw all those places...)

I was particularly interested in seeing the British Museum - The Rosetta Stone

The inscription on the Rosetta Stone is a decree passed by a council of priests, one of a series that affirm the royal cult of the 13-year-old Ptolemy V on the first anniversary of his coronation.

The importance of this to Egyptology is immense. The stone is inscribed three times, in hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek. Soon after the end of the fourth century AD, when hieroglyphs had gone out of use, the knowledge of how to read and write them disappeared. Later scholars were able to use the Greek inscription on this stone as the key to decipher them.

Napoleon's army discovered the Rosetta Stone in 1799 . On Napoleon's defeat, the stone became the property of the English under the terms of the Treaty of Alexandria (1801).

Another of my favorite parts of London is Trafagar Square. I love the mix of old and new there... Politically correct and not so correct. Below is the one I saw when I was there a couple of years ago, Late 2007 they added a new one ont the 4th Plinth,

A colored glass sculpture. It was lovely. Photos to follow in next post.

From Roma

Hello from Roma!

We have had a wonderful trip through England and France. Got a bit worried (and saddened) about the earthquake in Italy! We arrived in Rome yesterday. Last night we did feel the 5.6 rated after shock! It was really something! I was in the hotel room with one of my sons (repremanding him at the time) and he kept saying," does your bed rock Mom?" I was getting even more angry when my oldest knocked on my doorand asked me if I felt something as his bed was rocking... We all felt the remaining minute or so of the earth moving. I am not sure if this makes any sense, but I was really excited to experience it. I have alwas wondered!!!

Ok soI do the spell check here and its clearly in Italian! lol So sorry for mispellings, but I did want to touch base and let you know we are all ok! Its been a nice trip and I am so sorry to be leaving Europe soon! UGG...

Off to Venice tomorrow. Should be nice, but I would rather have had more time in Rome or London!

I will post pics and more details when I return home!

Thanks for thinking of me! xoxo H

If its...Tues it must be Rome

We Leave tomorrow. First stop, London, just in time for the G20 Summit riots: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/04/01/g20.london.protests/index.html


I am anxious to see Rome again. Of all the stops on this trip, its my most anticipated.



Partly because I havent been there in 20 years, and partly because we used Hilton Honors Points and got upgraded to the Rome Cavalieri hotel. It will likely be the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in (and I have been in a few in my time). I have found that most city hotels in Europe dont have pools. Especially the older ones... and even fewer have indoor pools! This one has both! Given that we are going to be there in April we will need the indoor pool option! My youngest son was in charge of research for Rome and determining some fun things to do while there. He wants to take a Segway tour http://www.segwayfirenze.com/rometours.asp

Ya that'll be me... I call the peach colored helmet! NOT

I would like to visit the catacombs http://www.tours-italy.com/rome/catacombs.htm this visit along with the rest of the tourist stops... there is sooooo much history in Rome. (OK all of Europe...) it never ceases to amaze me. I think my 120 yr old house is old then talk to someone with a 2000 yr old Roman wall in their yard! lol

From Rome we will ( HOPEFULLY) take the Eurostar high speed train to Venice. Its about 4.5 hours there plus time to travel to and from train stations. I have had such a time with figuring out the logistics of the Rome visit.

We have 2 nights in Rome then I thought we would rent a car and drive to Venice for 2 nights then back to Rome to catch a flight home. Good idea. Well sorta, its more romantic than taking the train and in theory I could have stopped off in Florence for a quickie on the way back to Rome... but when I did the research and found that it was about a 6.5 hr drive if all things go your way. Also having 5 people and some luggage I needed to rent a van.

The first hurdle was that ALL the vans were manual not automatic. Ok. can do(I may have an issue with parallel parking, but other than that I think its gotta be like riding a bike... ). The real issue is that they dont have many of them so I either paid 800Euros for 4 days plus gas, tolls and parking or had to drive 2 smaller cars for 450E plus the extras. The train is no bargain either though. Taxi to the station will be 25Euros or more for the extra people, then 56E each way (561E total for tickets) but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Try to BUY the tickets though! Its a nightmare. No kidding, I have emailed 5 times and had to send passport photos for credit card verification then the computers werent working so I called them and had to leave 3 messages as their lines were busy. Then when I finally got them, their computers were down for credit card purchases!!!!! UGGG

Ok I had better go and call Italy again for the tickets or we may be hitch hiking to Venice and back!

I will post photos etc from there or upon my return! Have a great week!

Wedding Hangover

The wedding was fun, but in truth I am glad its over.

It was a beautiful wedding, but a huge amount of work went into it.

I dont think that even at my own wedding I worked as hard!

Friday we had the rehearsal. Fri night the rehearsal dinner for all out of town guests, then Sat at 8 we had to set up the building for the wedding and reception.

My Step Mother was very organized... but as she is a perfectionist, it was a stressful and difficult morning. The result though, was worth the effort and she was happy, so all is right with the world! lol (this fruit display is made from an upside 3 legged table round side table with a leg removed... clever eh?!?)

The wedding was held outside in the blue bldg. A lovely historic house in Longwood, FL. It was on the warm side, but it was a short ceremony so not bad. Plus being in the wedding I got to stay inside until it was time to perform! =] There wasnt a ton of dancing, but we did cut a rug for a bit!

As you can see, I didnt wear peach... I chose a black strapless pantsuit with a green silk jacket (kept on at all times mind you) for the wedding. I did though, wear a peach wooden bangle bracelet... my attempt to blend in with all the peach. I dont think she even noticed what was worn! lmao... after all the contemplating!

Her bouquet was absolutely fabulous... she and the groom looked wonderful and seemed to have a great time.

For as long as it took to set the place up for the wedding, it broke up in about an hour. A bunch of the family members decided to head to a local restaurant for dinner... this is a photo of my brother and I there (Houstons in Winter Park... a fabulous restaurant where you can eat and drink lakeside... one of my favs here in Central Florida)

So, here I am, in FL for my only 'free'day and its raining buckets! ugg! In 2 hours I will get my Grandma and we're having a family dinner with Dad, she, my brother, Dads gf and me. It'll be great. Grandma was sooooo excited to see my brother yesterday... she hasnt seen him in a couple of years, and he has always been her favorite. It will be nice to all be able to spend some time together again this afternoon. I am northbound in the morning. Not sure if I am ready to be home or not, but I do miss my family and I have to get ready for the next adventure... Thurs off to London!

Movies

Click here : Must-see movies

How many have you seen?

How many have you never heard of? lol

53/14

Feeling... well...

The other choice for posting was an old piece of paper
which said,

"Without adequate
time alone
you may
begin to feel
worn out."

I am a bit overwhelmed at the moment, but there is light at the end of the tunnel! I leave for Florida in 3 days and will have adequate time alone in 80 degree temps!!! I do have this peachy wedding to attend... but all things considered, I am thrilled to be getting out of Dodge for a bit!!

Anyone else got that song "Feelings" going through their head? no? ok well click here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHapMnqSeR8

On Being the General Contractor

My job title has morphed a bit as of late.

With the economic market being what it is, my marketing business is poop, so I am focusing my time and efforts on saving money where I can instead of bringing it in.

If I can shave 3k from a renovation job because I play general contractor, then I do it. If I can save $300 by landscaping my Moms yard or my yard myself then I do it. I am, sadly, going broke saving money! lmao I choose to look at it as I am stimulating the economy keeping others employed!

Currently my job list includes projects at 2 houses

House A.

In PA

-is in process of having a hall full bath and a powder room complete renovation. There were some major safety issues with the electrical in that room and, unfortunately as the contractor was working on some plumbing there was a leak that caused water damage to my kitchen ceiling! uggg it looks awful, but it will get fixed.
Ohhh and the contractor thinks that since the critter in my attic is coming out at night, its probably a raccoon not a squirrel! Great!! grrrrr

- next will be a wall removal and reinforcement of the back of the house (somehow, like 60 years ago, people renovated the rear of the house and cut out a good part of the supporting beams. There is literally a 3-4 inch dip in the floor of my 3rd floor loft room! You can see it on the 2nd floor now that the floor and walls are all torn up!)

- my sleeping porch will get a screen and I am having french doors put in where that is located.

- New roof, siding and stone re-pointing will all have to be done (in that order too).

- My spouse is feverishly trying to add a shower to the upstairs bathroom so we arent 5 people living with one shower (its a tiny master bathroom too!)... (it had a great claw foot tub up there that wasnt really functional, and enormous! I put an ad on Craigslist.org. for someone to take it for free... it went the next day! Gotta love Craigslist!) I do wonder which will be done first, the hall bath full renovation or his shower addition! lmao

House B

is in NJ(photo above).

- Currently the gutters and an awning are being repaired.

-Yesterday I did lawn and landscape maintenance (weed,seed, feed, rake and mulch pretty much in that order) It was a wonderfully warm sunny day in NJ yesterday!!

- I got a letter from the insurance people that they want to up the insured amount on the house AND are requiring me to get a new roof put on!!!!!!! ugg So I am going to get some estimates and see what happens with that. I may have to be in NJ a lot this spring!

So thats what I have been doing to keep busy these days. I have so many projects going on in my life right now, none of which is near closure at this point. I really could use some closure! The good news is that I get to get outta Dodge soon and escape on vacation! The bad news is that work stops when I leave, so I am no closer to closure when I get back.

New York City

I took the Where should you be living? quiz and the result :

New York City

You are tired of having to drive an hour just to find a McDonald's. You are so ready to get out there and conquer the concrete jungles and climb a skyscraper. You don't want to be a farmer; you want to go find something exciting, acting maybe, or get into business and NYC is the perfect place for you.

I dont disagree. I am a city girl. I was sort of hoping it said London, Paris or Rome though! lol (one of my friends on Facebook, where I swiped this quiz from, got Paris! oh lala!) Guess I will have to be content visiting! Only 19 more days until I will be traveling through Europe! I cant wait!

Top Searches

Today's Top Searches from Yahoo

http://www.yahoo.com/

1. Adriana Lima (Brazilian supermodel in case, like me, you didnt know. Shes the one NOT showing her belly) Is it me or do they all look alike? Those Brazilians, make beautiful girls and keep the waxing people in business.
2. Kelly Clarkson (has a new album out... but viewing her photos (I spared you) is like the before and after and well after of a diet commercial. I feel for her. Its tough enough to struggle with your weight but to have to do it in front of the world... like Oprah...
3. Lindsey Vonn She is an Aussie and I believe she skis... I am soooo over winter sports! Plus its summer there! Whats with her making #3!?!? I dont get it.
4. Diet Tips (15 Best Diet Tips Ever, Rachael Ray's Diet Recipe, Lose Weight Fast: Acai Berry Double Diet, and the list goes on and on ... 1 - 10 of 221,000,000 for Diet Tips (About) NO LIE!!!)
5. Will Ferrell ... he has his own Wikipedia page!! Will Ferrell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
6. Gerri Willis - cute and sassy anchor of CNN's weekend business program. At least this means people are watching CNN!
7. 2009 ACC Tournament Basketball. Everyones got predictions...2 outta 4 Thurs/ 1 outta 4 Fri predictions were right for this dude... hes sweet... had to post him... and I love that he let his Mom decorate his room that way! hehehe

8. Credit Counseling So why is this 8th on the list? I suppose people are finally waking up to the fact that this recession will touch ALL of us at some point or another.
9. Private Investigators hummm.. One would think, according to CNN Nine reasons recession is good for your love life - CNN.com that the recession is a good thing for relationships! Guess you best be sure who you are getting involved with now days! How do you spell p a r a n o i a?(wait did I spell it right?)
10. Cosmetology Schools I get that you might want to go back to school and learn a skill if you are out of a job or looking for a new one... but WHY cosmetology school? In this economic environment where people are cutting back!!!

There you have it. Yahoos list.

My top searches have been (not in order):
housing issues in NJ and Landlord responsibilities, cell phones online upgrades, Linkin Park top songs, Art galleries, 12 person hot tub, distance from Rome Ciampino airport to rome fiumicino airport, Grand Tetons, nsad, and Frankensteen seed(which I must be spelling wrong as I get nothing... its an oil they add to moisturizers that I love the smell of...)

Whats on you list?

Are you a Doodler?

*I posted this earlier today but since I drafted it earlier in the week, it was posted way down below... thanks to those who commented earlier when I moved it up I had to lose the comments*

Researchers found that test subjects who doodled while listening to a recorded message had a 29 percent better recall of the message's details than those who didn't doodle. The findings were published in Applied Cognitive Psychology.



"If someone is doing a boring task, like listening to a dull telephone conversation, they may start to daydream," study researcher Professor Jackie Andrade, of the School of Psychology at the University of Plymouth, said in a news release issued by the journal's publisher. "Daydreaming distracts them from the task, resulting in poorer performance. A simple task, like doodling, may be sufficient to stop daydreaming without affecting performance on the main task."

I often draw aimlessly... it usually looks a bit like the above photo too! lol (I must have a secret doodling twin somewhere out there!) I remember getting in trouble for doodling in school. I hope Mrs Koffman reads this article!

http://health.yahoo.com/news/healthday/takenotedoodlingcanhelpmemory.html

Snow and Random Thoughts

I really hate winter. Its long, cold and keeps me indoors more than I like to be... but even I have to admit that the snow is beautiful. Plus, its March, so spring is JUST around the corner now! Light at the end of my tunnel!

My oldest son was in Orlando this week for his schools band trip. I got a call last night saying that Airtran had double booked their flight and they were without a plane! They had been at the Orlando Airport for about 5 hours before they were told that Airtran would put the 115 of them up for the night at a local hotel. 11:30pm I got that call. He is scheduled to leave at 10:30am today... but we are still in the midst of the Nor'easter! We shall see!

This is the view from the small sleeping porch off my bedroom. Thats a big old Sycamore tree on the right. I also have the most amazing Copper Beech in the yard. I will have to post a photo of that when its in bloom!

Speaking of blooming, The Philadelphia Flower Show is going on now. Welcome to the 2009 Philadelphia Flower Show I think I may hop the train with my daughter and some friends to see it today. Thats if my sons flight is delayed. The chances of that are pretty good! lol
Gotta make lemonade outta the lemons!

A Dollar and a Mother in Law

Let me first start out by saying that I have a wonderful Mother in law. Now stop laughing! lol I really do. She is kind and loving to me and my family. My Mother got along famously with her and even went on vacations together... she is great, BUT..

She keeps sending me religious emails. (Not to mention all the McCain propaganda I got from her during the election!!!!!) She is devoutly Catholic. She has been supportive of my spouse and my decision to raise our kids Jewish... but...

Today I got this email:

Please help do this...refuse to accept these when they are handed to you. (lol yea right in this economy???)

I received one from the Post Office as change and I asked for a dollar bill instead.

The lady just smiled and said 'way to go' so she had read this e-mail.

Please help out...our world is in enough trouble without this too!!! (and this will definitely push 'our world' over the brink of disaster)

U.S. Government to Release New Dollar Coins (wait, I thought you said the Post Office was already giving them out???)

You guessed it!'

IN GOD WE TRUST' IS GONE!!! If ever there was a reason to boycott something, THIS IS IT!!!! (forget Jimmy Carters boycott of the 1980 summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the invasion of Afghanistan... or the Alabama bus boycott, in 1955, Rosa Parks...)

DO NOT ACCEPT THE NEW DOLLAR COINS AS CHANGE Together we can force them out of circulation!Please send to everyone on your mail list!!!

Ok so I finish writing this post... and decide, on a whim, to check one of my favorite sites... http://www.snopes.com/ ... sure enough... there it was with a big ole FALSE next to it!

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/dollarcoin.asp

I had deleted the email without answering it. Now that I know its false I will have to dig it up and ease her mind! Shes so lucky to have me! lmao

Remember to always be yourself. Unless you Suck...

"Remember to always be yourself.
Unless you suck."
- Joss Whedon

So profound... he's the guy who was head writer for Buffy the Vampire Slayer after all that, would you expect less?

So many times I have looked to reincarnate myself... to change that which I find undesirable.

In truth, I think that if I were true to myself, I would find value in what I am... what I have either been born with or have developed.

I have always worried about what others think... most of us do to some extent.

I think I have cared more than most about it though. Its one of the things on my top 10 list I would change about myself if I could... although I suppose there is value in being concerned with what others think.

It used to be I had a huge list of things to change about myself. As I have gotten older( I would say when I hit 40), I find I am less incline to change so much about myself. I find I am more willing to embrace the things that make me, ME! Its cliche but true - I am comfortable in my own skin.
I may be far far from perfect, but what I aspire to be, is the best version of ME that I can be.

*side note, this post was inspired by a comment from SJ. Thanks SJ!*

Payback?

Ok so I was up AGAIN with that darn squirrel... 2:03am this time. UGGG That on top of this whopper of a cold is kicking my butt!

I find I have thoughts of greatness when I am up in the wee hours... I came up with the idea to tap into Obamas Stimulus package for a project I am working on (granted it may be a longshot, but I have nothing to lose by trying!)... I remembered 4 thinks I needed to accomplish today that I hadnt had on my list... and I reflected back on a situation that happened last week.

It was a sunny day. The snow had melted since it was near 50 degrees. I decided to venture out into the yard and have a look to see if any of my spring bulbs were peaking their way above ground yet.

The dogs were out with me. Usually they are right under foot, but I noticed Theo (4 yr old Maltese) was intently eating something out there. I yelled to him but he didnt budge. As I walked closer to him I noticed some fur in the grass... clearly the gray tail fur from a squirrel...

It turns out my sweet little baby is eating the guts of a squirrel!! I yelled at him and he backed away. No carcass, skin, head, feet or anything remained, just the guts. Now, I was pre-med in college so I am not the squeamish type, but ICK! lol

He sat waiting ever so patiently for me to leave, so I knew I had to deal with the mess. I got a stick and figured I would fling it over the fence into some wooded area... I was never good at baseball, and I do throw like a girl. My aim was just a bit(*cough*) high. It found its way over the electrical wires! There he was dangling, from the electrical wire... behind my house. Like when kids throw their sneakers... well I had squirrel guts swinging up there,

It took 3 days before the guts were discovered by a Hawk or fell off... and as I lay here this morning, I thought, perhaps this squirrel finding its way into my house... ruining my house and my sleep, is somehow payback! lol

Squirrel in the Attic

Squirrel (they only look cute...)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

A squirrel is one of many small or medium-sized rodents in the family Sciuridae.

Not exactly how I would have chosen to describe it at 330 this morning! Somehow one got into the attic space above my bedroom... UGG !! It was 'digging for gold' for sometime before I decided I couldnt take anymore and stumbled out of bead to deal with it. I pounded on the ceiling. It took 3 trys,but about 1 hour, I did get it to settle down. It may have actually gone outside. I really dont know, but its quiet now thank goodness... of course I am WIDE awake! grrrrrrr Did I mention that in my effort to scare away the pest, I scratched the walls and knicked the ceiling paint in several spots (I used a hairbrush... not a wise idea, but then who is really thinking properly at 330am!) No probably not, I am far to tired to think straight.

Diet
Unlike rabbits or deer, squirrels cannot digest cellulose and must rely on foods rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fat. In temperate regions early spring is the hardest time of year for squirrels, since buried nuts begin to sprout and are no longer available for the squirrel to eat, and new food sources have not become available yet. During these times squirrels rely heavily on the buds of trees. Squirrels' diet consists primarily of a wide variety of plant food, including nuts, seeds, conifer cones, fruits, fungi and green vegetation. However some squirrels also consume meat, especially when faced with hunger.

Not to mention my HOUSE (and dont get me started on my garbage cans!! Nasty critters)! I can hardly wait to see the damage... and of course my spouse is in flippin Japan when this happens! I am just waiting for the 2 feet of snow to fall and our heater to fail next! lol (God forbid!)

Control:

The arsenal of weapons for controlling an onslaught of squirrels is varied, but the best may be your own inventiveness. The following information will help you plan your attack. Keep in mind, however, that trapping to reduce populations is generally not effective and poisoning is illegal. (Illegal???? WHY??? They are Rats!)

Squirrels which have entered attics can often be chased out with a broom and the entrance closed. When the den area is inaccessible, trapping is about the only alternative. The live trap should be placed as close as possible to the squirrel's entrance way. Peanut butter is a very good bait. When removing squirrels from January through early September, remember that young may be in the nest. If you have access to a nest with young, put the whole nest in a box and put it outside near the entrance in a safe place. The mother will take them to a new location. ( according to this site,http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/squirrels.asp)

Yea well, as I sit here, having had 3.5 hours of sleep last night, I am thinking of taking up target practice with the dude... ok maybe not, but rat poison in peanut butter is sounding good!

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