Circle of Friends

I lost it!!!!!

Yesterday while the kids were taking a nap I decided to see if my jeans would fit. I tried them on and what do you know they fit. I was so happy. Only 3 weeks after having Nikolas and my clothes fit. This has never happened before. I only gained 11 pounds with him. After having the other kids I usually gained weight and it took forever to get it back off or it never came off. I was so happy that I did my hair and put makeup on. David came home from work and had to do a double take. It has been such a long time since I wore makeup. I think the last time I wore it was at his dad's funeral which was in February.
He asked why I was all made up and I told him that I felt good cause I was able to fit back into my pre pregger clothes. Even the Kids said mom why are you all dressed up. I told them I was finally feeling better and wanted to make myself look good. Taylor told me that I am beautiful. She is the sweetest. So I guess I will keep up the good work and just keep all the bad stuff out of my diet. I have been drinking soda, but not as much as I used to. I am still drinking alot more water than I used to. I think that when I cut soda out completely that's why I didn't gain alot of weight. Alot of people told me to not go back to drinking it and I have. After I get the go ahead from the doctor David, Brandon and I are all going to change our way of eating. NO MORE JUNK!

What does your birth month reveal about you

Mystery of the zenhex - Fission powered Love and Mystical Light.

What does your birth month reveal about you?
created by evilia

Your Results:
January
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people's flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking andproductive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very Stubborn and money cautious.

Birth Month

What does your birth month reveal about you?

Take the quiz: "What does your birth month reveal about you?"

December
Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egoistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

Ear wax candy!!

I used to think I was pretty hip for a 50 year old. I thought I'd seen it all, did most of it tried some of it, but nope, This beats it all. Ear wax candy!

Read more about it at:
Stupid.com

Kids Have It Too Good These Days II

I was going to leave a comment for Michele on her entry and then I realized that I had too much to say, too much in common with her, and no really outstanding advice to give.

I especially felt this "yeah me too" when Michele talked about taking Xbox from the boys and they didn't seem to care. I thought, yikes! That happened to us too. We tried the old "we'll take it away" with toys first. We picked up so many toys our room began to look like Toys R Us. So we got this big box to throw the toys into. Pretty soon we had almost all the toys the kids owned ... and they didn't seem to care!

At that time, we were seeing a family therapist (more about that in a minute). I was frustrated and asked, "Why don't they miss the toys?" and the counselor answered, "Because they have too much." And I said, "What? But I've taken away almost everything!" and the therapist said, "Yes but they know they'll get it all back eventually and then more." Her advice was to take the box and pitch it. ACK! All the money we spent ... and wasn't that unusually cruel punishment? Rich and I never could bring ourselves to actually throw everything away. I think that in the long run, our "mercy" didn't do the kids any good.

Now that they are older, they still don't seem to care for their belongings. Heidi, the artist, will leave her pencils, colors and sketch book lying out. Billy forgets and leaves his cards out or the dog's leash. Kristin leaves out everything ... books, socks, sweaters, shoes ... TB and I are stricter about the stuff. We pick it up and we hide it if it's been lying out. The reaction has been everything from anger over the hidden pencils to total indifference -- especially when it comes to socks.

They are better about helping with chores although some reminders are necessary.

TB has a stronger backbone than I do and so we have firmer time-outs. Used to be, just like most kids, ours would wheedle and whine and "Give me another chance" and so on and they'd get right back doing what they did to get into trouble in the first place.

I came from a dysfunctional background. My parents are deaf and they drank a lot. My parents would fight and beat each other up which just complicated things more. As the older kid, I was the family interpreter. I would break bad news to my parents, try to explain complicated stuff (like putting a house in escrow or what happens if you refuse to take a breathalizer test), and give them advice about what they should do about this or that. Trust me, it's a heady feeling for a kid to have that kind of "power" but it's also pretty darn scary! There were times when I felt I needed the advice and support but I never got that because my parents didn't know how to give it.

Values are different in the deaf community. Back when my parents were coming up, deaf kids were sent away from home and lived at the state schools for the deaf. They'd come home summers and Christmas, that's it. Even before then, they didn't have strong bonds with parents or siblings because of the obvious communication problems. So on top of that, the deaf kid lives away from home his or her whole life. They don't bond with the counselors and teachers so who is left? Each other. So the biggest value for deaf people in my parents (and succeeding)'s generation was friends, not family. Life centered around the deaf club.

So we would go to the deaf clubs with our parents and basically, turned loose. I can remember that we got into all kinds of mischief ... but who cares? Our parents couldn't hear us and they didn't ever come to check on us because they were too busy yakking or playing cards. When I was a teenager, my parents turned totally "laissez-faire" ... do what you want, just don't get into so much trouble we have to get involved.

So basically, I didn't know how to raise kids ... what is normal behavior and what isn't?

As for Rich, he grew up in a highly critical, authoritarian household where his self-esteem was totally stomped on by his dad. So he knew his expectations were warped too.

Did the family therapy help?

A little.

It's hard to make changes -- not impossible, but hard. It takes a lot of time.

When my kids were small, I was a parent who tried to give them everything because I hadn't had much. I didn't want to deprive my kids. But like I said before, I don't think now I did them any favors. A lot of kids are like this -- they want the world, don't appreciate what they've got and want a free ride. That makes it harder to try and parent the right way.

As for family curses, it's not unique to the Husseys. The curse passes to everyone. ;-)

Unconscious Mutterings:

I say ? and you think ?

1. Diminishing:: smaller

2. Fed up:: that?s enough

3. 3:00 AM:: middle of the night

4. Interfere:: butt in

5. Often:: many times

6. Hay:: horses

7. Prediction:: educated guess

8. Homophobia:: fear of gay people

9. Booty call:: what?s that?

10. Enunciate:: pronounce clearly
    

Which season are you?

You're a Spring. You usually are very close-knit
with your friends and value everyone freidnship
you have. You're a real people person and
everyone loves how friendly you are. You're
good with encouraging people but usually don't
like to be the center of attention. You are a
social butterfly and probably are in several
circles of friends but it's just because you're
well liked and you make people comfortable.
You're both fun and wise but you are very
realistic about life.


What season are you? (pics)
brought to you by Quizilla

Kids have it too good these days.

Why are Kids so darn lazy these days? I know why. They get everything given to them on a silver platter. I always said that my kids are going to have everything that I didn't when I was growing up. Which isn't much cause my parents made sure that we had everything that we needed. We didn't have it easy though. Linda and I had our own responsibilities. If they weren't done then we got more to do and for a longer period of time. I have tried to get my 3 to do their chores and The boys fight about it just like Linda and I did. It is funny how each one of them are just like Linda and I were at that age. Taylor is too young to give her more responsibility. She has to put her own clothes away and pick up after herself, but what else can I give a 3 year old? I have taken the X box away from the boys about 2 months ago and they don't seem to miss it. What a punishment! I can make them stay in the bedroom where there is no TV and they seem so ignore me when I say go to your room and stay there. Or I can say Wait till your father gets home which I hate doing. My mom used to do that to us and all it does is cause problems for Dad and us. My poor Dad had to be the bad guy all the time. When we were growing up we didn't have X box or playstation or any of that garbage. If we were told to go to our room we went kicking and screaming and then stayed there until our grounding was over. Of course we would ask every 5 minutes if we could come out, but we couldn't just come out. That is my kids. They walk out of their rooms and think that I forgot that they are grounded. When I say get back to your room they throw themselves down and cry. I see the Hussey curse and how it works now. I think that every Hussey parent has bestowed this curse on their kids who have kids. I know that My Gram said it to my Dad and my Dad has said it to me. It simply states that our kids will do to us what we did to our parents. Well I think that my Kids are a heck of alot worse than I was at 10 and 8. Then I don't remember that far back. I want to come up with a punishment that isn't cruel, but my kids would hate it. I just have to figure it out. When I do they are in for a rude awakening.

Which brain are you?

I guess the apple didn't fall to far from the tree.......

I'm a smart duck!

What Kind of Duck Are You?

Something Right for a change...

Today, something went right for a change. We were afraid it was going to be a waste of time. Way back in the spring, when the company's workman's comp carrier decided they couldn't help TB anymore, his attorney sent them a letter asking them to reconsider. Dr. Farrell, the wonderful man who'd done the 2 previous operations, felt a 3rd surgery would be beneficial for TB. And we waited a bit but TB was in so much pain we decided to go ahead with the surgery. A couple of weeks ago, TB got a letter from those vampires wanting a second opinion (again) to Dr. Farrell's. So we went today.

That doctor was terrific! He doesn't BS around and doesn't tell the insurance companies what they want to hear. He was surprised that we got sent to him because TB already had the surgery. Well, we explained what happened and he dictated this great letter to the insurance company. He detailed everything he'd been through, talked about his own observations and ended by saying he would have agreed with Dr. Farrell.

Yay!

It doesn't mean we're going to get any financial help any sooner but it was good to have another doctor affirm that what Dr. Farrell did was right and necessary.

Now we wait for someone (the insurance company, workman's comp or social security) to make the next step.

My Hippie Name

21 Things to Remember

21 Things worth Remembering

1. No one can ruin your day without YOUR permission.

2. Most people will be about as happy as they decide to be.

3. Others can stop you temporarily, but only you can do it permanently.

4. Whatever you are willing to put up with is exactly what you will have.

5. Success stops when you do.

6. When your ship comes in.... make sure you are willing to unload it.

7. You will never "have it all together."

8. Life is a journey...not a destination. Enjoy the trip!

9. The biggest lie on the planet: "When I get what I want, I will be happy."

10. The best way to escape your problem is to solve it.

11. I've learned that ultimately, 'takers' lose and 'givers' win.

12. Life's precious moments don't have value unless they are shared.

13. If you don't start, it's certain you won't arrive.

14. We often fear the thing we want the most.

15. He or she who laughs......lasts.

16. Yesterday was the deadline for all complaints.

17. Look for opportunities...not guarantees.

18. Life is what's coming...not what was.

19. Success is getting up one more time.

20. Now is the most interesting time of all.

21. When things go wrong...don't go with them.

Mom's best friend

Well I don't know if you can call it Mom's or baby's best friend. Nikolas has had some bad gas all weekend long and I haven't gotten much sleep. So David went to Walgreen's and got Mylocon drops. God, I love that stuff. I wonder why they didn't have that out when Brandon and Ryan were babies. About 5 minutes after I gave it to Nikolas he was burping and passing the gas. No crying. What a relief for him and me. He was fed at 10 last night and went right to sleep. He was due to eat again at 1am and didn't wake up till about 2:30 or 3. I got to sleep!!!!! Then he slept till 5:30 and it was a good night. I think that I should buy stock in that company. I just hope that they continue to have such wonderful products out like this one.

Coincidence?

I found this here and just couldn't resist! I wish homeless girl had left a link to where she originally found this. I'm assuming it was written by Bob Morris? Anyway here tis:

Long time no blog...

Hi all, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEIDI!!!!

We just got back late last night from being gone for a week, and found out that our church basement had several feet of water in it yesterday, courtesy of Ivan - gross, muddy water - LOTS of it. Thankfully our home was spared any damage, but the town down the hill (where the church is) is truly a disaster. Lots of loss and damage. Really sad... and lots of work to be done. We spent most of the day just begining to deal with that. Our congregation is very small and largely elderly so we don't have a lot of help to draw from, though today we were blessed by some helpers that came from other Methodist churches in the area.

Anyway, that's pretty much what the rest of our free time for the next week or longer will be spent on (I might be being optimistic about that time table...) My personal biggest concern as chair of the education committee is that our nursery was totally a loss so it's got the be entirely re-done - and our church barely has money to meet the payroll of 3 paid employees (pastor, organist and nursery attendant - everyone else works for free) and pay essential bills (and sometimes not enough for that). The money that is spent on other things in this world blows my mind, while churches trying to serve the community and spread the word of God go begging... but that's another rant

The nursery carpet was trashed and even the wood floor needs ripped up and replaced, and we're not sure what's under it (maybe dirt) so it should be a real adventure. Needless to say all the work needs to be done by us - no money to hire anyone - and we have no answers yet on whether the insurance will pay, or whether FEMA will give assistance to churches And that's only the beginning - we think we may have lost all the kitchen appliances, possible the furnace, all the beautiful cushioned chairs in our fellowship hall, furniture, books, all the kids' toys and games... it's unbelievable

So anyway... if I'm quiet, please forgive! In between our regular hectic schedule of homeschooling and housework, I'll be scrubbig or bleaching or mopping... or just praying... but I'll be back!

Take care and I'll talk with you all again soon!

Nancy

Heidi is Sweet 16

We wanted to make it special for her, especially because she's 16 only once. I'd been urging Heidi to tell me how she'd like to celebrate her birthday. We couldn't afford to do a big bash like what happens on Long Island. Here, though, a lot of Heidi's friends had "Sweet 16" sleepovers. I thought she might like that too but she was totally lukewarm about it. Billy gets movie tickets free so we decided on a trip to the movies. I asked her if she wanted to invite a friend. Billy can also get a free ticket for a friend. Heidi thought she'd invite Liz but it didn't work not. Not sure why. Liz stopped by while we were out. She baked Heidi some cookies, very sweet of her!

Heidi was also camera shy today and I guess I understand, but I sure wish I had a picture of her. We got her a sweet 16 balloon and a single rose. She'd wanted a watch, computer games, books, etc etc and we got her a watch and a nice cardigan sweater. Kristin got her some manga books, Japanese comics I think. Linda got her a beautiful unicorn with a light stand. It changes colors!

The kids decided they wanted to see Resident Evil 2 which is something I refuse to look at. TB and I went to see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. That was pretty cool! It was a sort of sci-fi Indiana Jones story. I am really impressed with Jude Law. He has been a terrific actor in every movie I've ever seen him in.

We capped off the evening with pizza and one of those death-by-chocolate birthday cakes.

Billy has to work until 11 this evening and again tomorrow from 7-11 p.m. He is being trained to work in the box office.

So I hope today was special for Heidi.

If your pets could blog!

You live, you learn

Most days I wonder why people are they way they are.
What has me thinking about this right now is this.
Last year the ground by the back corner of our house became muddy.
We didn't think much about it. There had been lots of rain.
But it stayed that way and got worse.
So we finally decided something must be leaking. Called the Water Co.
They came out and yes, the water line leading into our house had
sprung a leak. They explained sometimes this happens. They had
been flushing or doing something to hydrants down the street. This cause
pressure thru the lines. Which caused our problem. Since our water
meter is in our basement they had to fix it. Which they did. Then they
moved our meter out to the street.
What they did not tell us is, they only patched the water line. And the
whole line needed replaced. Knowing full well that this would happen again.
Sure enough friday, my daughter came in and told me there was water
spurting up.
I called the Water co.
They came out, looked and said yes, it's leaking again. But denied it was
where they had patched it. All they could do, was turn off our water.
The younger guy chimed in and said this would keep happening.
(getting a frown from his boss)
He said the whole line needed replaced.
If that is so I said. The line should have been replaced last year when this
happened.
The head guy told me. Well you didn't ask for it to be replaced. Now it's
your trouble! Since the leak was between the our house and the meter.
If we had pitched a fit when the leak happened last year, before they
moved the meter to the street, they would most likely have had to
replace it.
I hope karma works. I hope this creep gets his one day.
We had to get a plumber to come out and patch the line so we could have water
until the line can be replaced. $145.79.GRRRRRRR
We have to have a check made before the plumber can replace the line.
The check is to see if it's ok to dig.
This takes 2 business days. Unless it's an emergency. Like someone on
life support in the house. People needing water and to go to the bathrom
doesn't count.
Replacing the water line will cost us between $400 to $500 !

Most overpriced places to live 2004

Most overpriced places 2004

Rank City Job
growth rank Income growth rank Cost of living Housing affordability
1. Seattle 122 149 132 122
2. Bergen-Passaic, N.J. 110 102 141 131
3. Miami 79 132 127 137
4. Portland, Ore. 118 133 114 105
5. Middlesex, N.J. 85 131 138 116
6. San Jose, Calif. 150 28 149 142
7. San Francisco 145 27 150 146
8. Chicago 119 98 123 120
9. New York 103 63 146 143
10. Jersey City, N.J. 98 101 119 135



Source: Forbes.com ? Print this

you think where yoDo u live is overpriced? You may be in for a shock. No matter how bad you think you may have it, it's a good bet that plenty of other Americans have it worse.

I got the blues

This baby blues stuff is for the birds. I feel like crying all the time and if I don't cry I want to throw something. I look at my perfect little angel and get all emotional. David pulled up his pic on the Baptist website and I got all teary eyed. I am lucky that my husband understands. He just chuckles and says awww boo boo bear. Having a baby is fun though. Taylor is the biggest helper and her and Ryan fight over who is going to help out or hold him. Brandon is so loving with him. He gets a kiss and a hug every day morning and night. Yesterday was a day from hell with Nikolas though. I was changing his diaper and he projectile pooppied on me. It went everywhere and I wanted to puke. I guess I have gotten slow. I used to put the diaper under the boys to stop something like that from happening. I had to hand off the baby to Daddy so that I could change my clothes. We also took him to the doctor and he was just a little jaundice. He weighed lbs Oz and he grew 1/4 of and inch. WOOO HOOO. We came home and put him in front of the window and he was back to normal.

He is the best baby ever. The other kids weren't this good. He gets up 1-2 times in the middle of the night and goes right back to sleep. He is eating 3 ounces. We'll see how long this lasts.

Everyone is Sick

One by one we are falling to a new mysterious plague. Heidi's been sick for over a week. It started as allergies and turned into a sinus infection. Meanwhile, I seem to have picked up a virus. The other day TB wasn't feeling well and today Linda said she didn't feel good. Kristin just came and told me she's got a headache and a sore throat. Poor Little T has been sneezing, coughing, and now is cranky. Guess he's got it too. The only one I haven't heard from is Billy, but then he is still at school. He went to a debate club meeting. Maybe he will be able to escape it all.

Robin Publishes another ebook

Subject: [writers-staff] XPOSTED: NEW RELEASE FROM WRITERS EXCHANGE - MID GRADE READER/HORROR
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2004 23:15:23 +1000
From: Sandy Cummins
Reply-To: writers-staff@writers-exchange.com
Organization: Writers Exchange E-Publishing
To: writers@writers-exchange.com

Writers Exchange is proud to announce Robin Helene Vogel's third book for WEE, and her second Heartstopper Horror:

TITLE: Brad Simpson and the Ghostly Field (A Heartstopper Horror)
Author: Robin Vogel

ISBN: 1 876962 75 5

Book page: http://www.writers-exchange.com/vogel-book3.htm
Excerpts Page: http://www.writers-exchange.com/excerpts/vogel-excerpts3.htm

Talented eleven-year-old actor, Brad Simpson, has just finished making movies with some of the most famous actors in the world, but he's more than ready to settle down with a steady role on "The Pioneers," an exciting new TV show. He and his young castmates are having a great time together. Brad even gets the chance to play baseball, his favorite game, against the cast of another show.

>From day one, however, Brad senses something seriously amiss on the set of "Pioneers"--terrifying visions, threatening ghosts, an accident that nearly costs the entire cast their lives. The director is forced to shut down filming while the kids recuperate, and it begins to look as if the show isn't even going to make it to the small screen--unless Brad and his scared but determined Pioneers, castmates team up to play a game of baseball against the LosAngeles Pioneers, aghostly, doomed baseball team made up of failed actors from the late 19th century. They need an ingenious solution--and Brad is confident he can satisfy both teams and keep their show in production.

Will Brad and his castmates solve the mystery of the ghostly field and successfully banish the ghosts from their set?

GENRE: Mid-grade Reader

PRICE: $3.00 (download) $9.95 (CD)

FORMAT: pdf, html, palm, rtf, Microsoft Reader and unencrypted mobipocket (prc) - Available by download and CD

RELEASE DATE: 14 September 2004

--
Sandy Cummins
Writers Exchange E-Publishing
Writers Exchange
Electronic Books starting at $3.00!

This is for Cassie

Leprosy

(sung to the tune of "Suddenly", Beatles)

Leprosy, I'm not half the man I used to be, all my parts are falling off of me, Oh I sure hate this leprosy!

Congratulations! You have Leprosy! One of the
trademarks of the Middle Ages, it is actually a
hard to catch bacterial infection that you
probably caught years ago through respiration.
Now that it is making itself known, you have
noticed white patches on your skin and numbness
in your fingers. Things will only go from bad
to worse as more areas become numb, making you
prone to hurt yourself without knowing it and
thus causing massive infections. The good news
is you will be given a free bell or clapper!
The bad news is you will need this as you
travel the countryside unwanted in rags warning
people of your approach.


Which Medieval Plague Do You Have?
brought to you by Quizilla

Taylor and Nikolas

Blah

I feel very out of it today. It's after 4 and I can't think of anything I did except remake the bed. I had intended to sit down and work on some stories and I wonder where the heck the time went and what was I doing anyway? Could be something is wrong with our scale. I feel like I've been starving myself all week, eating much smaller portions. I haven't had a lick of ice cream nor a taste of candy. I've been on the treadmill exercising. I've been recording everything I eat in my online weight watchers diary. My weigh day is Mondays but I thought a little encouragement might be inspiring. I asked TB to see how much I weighed ... and it was the exact same as it was when I started! He had me get off and try again twice -- one time I'd lost 2 lbs and the third try, I'd gained two. So for lunch I ate two cheeseburgers I was so darn mad. And my cravings are worse than ever now.

Congratulations! You have St. Anthony's Fire! Today
known Ergotism, this illness is caught
through ingestion of a fungal infection of grain,
usually rye. If you are not already, you
soom are going to be suffering from dizziness,
hallucinations, and a sensation of burning in
the limbs, thus giving the disease its name. It
could result in gangrene. The good news: there
is a 60% chance you will survive it! The bad
news? You will wish you had not. You will have
lingering symptoms for the rest of your life,
including mental impairment and being more
susceptible to it in the future rather than
having immunity. You probably live in a rural
town undergoing a very wet winter to have
caught this skin-reddening sickness.


Which Medieval Plague Do You Have?
brought to you by Quizilla

I forgot what it was like.

I forgot what it was like to have a newborn in the house. I know the cats forgot too. They hear him crying and are like what is that? He is such a beautiful baby. Everybody wants to help out. The only child I trust to hold him properly is Brandon. He supports his head and talks to him. Ryan says he loves having a little brother but still shows no emotion toward him. That's OK cause in Ryan's eyes ya just don't kiss boys. It's OK for him to kiss me or Taylor but not his brothers or Dad. I thank God that Nikolas is a healthy baby and that he is finally here with us. He doesn't sleep much for a baby. He doesn't eat that much either. I guess that all comes with time. He got up every 2 hours last night and I figured I would stay up till his 5:30 am feeding and then hand him off to Daddy. Well that's what I did and I have been sleeping off and on all day so that my body can heal.

Taylor (Little Mommy) is really into helping out with the baby. She is also jealous. She has to be right there all the time or else she throws a fit. She sings to him and talks to him. It is so cute. She wants to hold him all the time. the boys think that they have to tip toe around the house with him sleeping. I keep telling them just got about your normal business. It is all going to be a readjustment for them.

You Know You're Addicted to Internet When...

Never Forget

"To a Terrorist," by Stephen Dunn, from Between Angels

For the historical ache, the ache passed down
which finds its circumstance and becomes
the present ache, I offer this poem

without hope, knowing there's nothing,
not even revenge, which alleviates
a life like yours. I offer it as one

might offer his father's ashes
to the wind, a gesture
when there's nothing else to do.

Still, I must say to you:
I hate your good reasons.
I hate the hatefulness that makes you fall

in love with death, your own included.
Perhaps you're hating me now,
I who own my own house

and live in a country so muscular,
so smug, it thinks its terror is meant
only to mean well, and to protect.

Christ turned his singular cheek,
one man's holiness another's absurdity.
Like you, the rest of us obey the sting,

the surge. I'm just speaking out loud
to cancel my silence. Consider it an old impulse,
doomed to become mere words.

The first poet probably spoke to thunder
and, for a while, believed
thunder had an ear and a choice.

God Bless The U.S.A. Words and Music by Lee Greenwood

If tomorrow all the things were gone I?d worked for all my life,
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife.
I?d thank my lucky stars to be living here today,
?Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can?t take that away.

And I?m proud to be an American where at least I know I?m free.
And I won?t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I?d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
?Cause there ain?t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,
across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,

From Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA,
Well, there?s pride in every American heart,
and it?s time to stand and say:

I?m proud to be an American where at least I know I?m free.
And I won?t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I?d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
?Cause there ain?t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

Posted by Cassie at 11:05 AM

High School Stereotype: the Outsider

I answered this as if I was still in high school.

Take the What High School
Stereotype Are You? quiz.

What High School Stereotype are you?

I'm not sure if I should have answered what I think now or what I thought as a Teen. I gave my current thinking and came up with, dare I say it! "GEEK!" Ahhhhhhhhhh!




Take the What High School
Stereotype Are You? quiz.

Cassie & I have a new grandchild

Michele had her baby boy today!
Nikolas Aidan makoto Phillips
Weight: 8 lbs
Length: 19 3/4 inches
Mother and baby doing great!

This makes five grandkids so far!

Seven reasons why babies cry!

I found this and it made me think of my step-sister Heidi, she loves Tk very much be doesn?t know what to do when he cries!

I'm hungry
once you learn to recognize the signs that your baby wants to eat ? she'll fuss, make noises, and root around for your breast if you pick her up ? you'll get pretty good at feeding her before she starts to really cry. But when she is crying, check first to see if she's hungry. Food might not stop her crying right away, but let her keep eating if she wants to. Sometimes a baby will continue to cry even after you start feeding her; keep going, she'll stop once her stomach is full.

Change my diaper
some babies will let you know right away when they need to be changed; others don't mind when their diapers are soiled ? it's warm and comfortable to them. (Parents are often surprised when they pick up their infant and find they've been sitting around in a dirty diaper and never made a sound.) Either way, this one is easy to check and simple to remedy.

I'm too cold or hot
Newborns like to be bundled up and kept warm. (As a rule, they need to be wearing one more layer than you need to be comfortable.) So when your baby feels cold, like when you strip her naked to change her, she'll let you know that she's not happy by crying. You'll learn how to quickly change a diaper and wrap your baby back up to calm her until the crying stops. Watch out that you don't overdress her, since she's less likely to complain about being too warm than about being too cold and won't cry about it as vigorously.

I want to be held
Babies need a lot of cuddling. They like to see their parents' faces, hear their voices, listen to their hearts, and can even detect their unique smell (especially Mom's milk). After being fed, burped, and changed, many babies simply want to be held. You may wonder if you'll "spoil" your child by holding her so much, but during the first few months of life there's no such thing. Infants will vary a lot in how much they want to be held. Some demand a lot of attention, while others can spend long periods of time sitting calmly by themselves. If your baby likes the attention, pick her up or keep her next to you.

I can't take it anymore
while newborns seem to thrive on a lot of attention; they can easily become over stimulated and have a "melt-down." You may find that your baby cries longer than usual after spending a holiday with many adoring family members or has periods at the end of each day when she seems to cry for no reason. Newborns have difficulty filtering out all the stimulation they receive ? the lights, the noise, being passed from hand to hand ? and can become overwhelmed by too much activity. Crying is their way of saying "I've had enough." This usually happens when your baby is tired. Take her somewhere calm and quiet and let her vent for a while, and then see if you can get her to sleep.

I don't feel good
If you've just fed your baby and checked that she's comfortable (it can be something as subtle as a hair wrapped around her toe or a clothing tag that's poking her), but she's still crying, consider checking her temperature to make sure she isn't ill. The cry of a sick baby tends to be distinct from the hunger or frustration cry, and you'll soon learn when your baby "just doesn't sound right" and needs to be taken to the doctor.

Very exciting day!

Today Michcel went into the hospital to be induced for labor. She was finally going to have some relief of the aches and pains of pregnance, and enjoy the pain of labor! hehehe! We found out at 7pm that she had the baby and she is feeling well.
Congrats to Michele and Nikolas!

How Good Is Your Geography?

Yikes! I think I could answer, like, 2 of these!

1. Which is the only state in the USA to touch two oceans?

2.What are the official languages of Canada?

3.Where and what is the tallest mountain in the world?

4.Where and what is the lowest surface point in the world?

5.What is the largest country in the world?

6.Which mountains separate Europe from Asia?

7.What is the world's smallest independent country?

8.What is the only tropical state in the USA

9.What Country in South America speaks Dutch

10.Which country is the largest producer of Roses and Rose Oil

Click for the answers

Question #1. Which is the only state in the USA to touch two oceans?

Answer: Alaska. The Arctic Ocean covers the Earth's polar region, and the Pacific Ocean laps the balmy southern coasts of the largest U.S. state

Question #2. What are the official languages of Canada?

Answer: English and French.

Question #3. Where and what is the tallest mountain in the world?

Answer: Mt. Everest, which is 29,035ft (8850m) high and borders Nepal and Tibet.

Question #4. Where and what is the lowest surface point in the world?

Answer: Dead Sea, Israel -409 meters (below sea level)

Question #5. What is the largest country in the world?

Answer: Russia, which is 17,075,400 sq km.

Question #6. Which mountains separate Europe from Asia?

Answer: The Ural mountains.

Question #7. What is the world's smallest independent country?

Answer: Vatican City. Located inside Rome, Italy.

Question #8. What is the only tropical state in the USA

Answer: Hawaii. Tropics are places located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn

Question #9. What Country in South America speaks Dutch?

Answer: Surinam. It was a former Dutch colony

Question #10. Which country is the largest producer of Roses and Rose Oil?

Answer: Bulgaria. The Famed Valley of the Roses in Eastern Bulgaria produces most of the rose oil used in the world.s perfume industry.

First Day of School

Well, today was the first day back to school for the kids. Billy is satisfied with his schedule. He is taking a class with a 15 year old kid who self-taught himself at home. He's so advanced that the administrators just skipped him to AP classes. Wow! Heidi and Kristin don't have any classes with their friends from last year. I see it as an opportunity to meet new people but you can't tell that to a kid and expect them to be okay with that.

I had Little T this morning and he was in such a great mood! He has got the sweetest disposition.

Michele is going to be induced on Thursday morning if Nikolas chooses not to make an appearance between now and then. Poor Michele. I know that she's very uncomfortable right now.

Kennan stopped by to visit T and, once again, Linda was busy on the computer. It's working out really well ;) Kennan gets quality time with his baby and not much opportunity to try and manipulate Linda.

The only bad thing about today was that TB accidentally took too much of his pain medicine and was feeling loopy. He thought it was the decongestant and he didn't have his glasses on. Never take medication without checking first to see what it is and it's a terrible idea to take meds without your glasses on! I used to go into my medicine closet in the dark and pull out what I believed to be my evening med. Luckily I've never swallowed anything bad but what happened today has made me swear off that practice. Pills are to be taken with the lights and the glasses on!

Ten on Tuesday:

Ten Things You'd Save if Your House Was on Fire

Assuming TB, Linda, the kids, Tomas, the cats and even that dumb dog are out safely:

1. my photo albums
2. my pictures that are hung up
3. my computer
4. my books
5. my ideas for stories
6. my family history
7. my CDs
8. my DVDs
9. my guitar
10. my rocker!

What would you guys save?

Harebrained

(adjective)
[HARE?braynd']

1. very foolish; silly: "One of these days, your harebrained schemes will get you arrested."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Origin:

In action:
"Traditionally, senior management is charged with conceiving ideas that will drive the organization toward profitability and industry leadership. Hence, there is immense pressure on executives to deliver innovative ideas that can be turned into products and services for profit and competitive advantage. Unfortunately, these visions are often intertwined with any number of half-baked and, at times, harebrained ideas. When half-baked and harebrained ideas get communicated to them, many project managers don't object because of a culture of not questioning the senior people. The general thinking is, 'How could they be wrong?'"

Gopal K. Kapur. "Opinion: Intelligent Disobedience," Computerworld (August 30, 2004).

"The lethal combination of youth and money has made permanent kooks out of countless celebrities -- Macaulay Culkin, Elizabeth Taylor and Drew Barrymore, to name a few -- but their harebrained antics pale in comparison with the painfully aberrant behaviour of Jackson and Elagabalus.

Both men were/are bona fide megalomaniacs, envisioning themselves as celestial beings. Jackson, for instance, appears to believe he is Tinkerbell, having disbursed a large chunk of his formidable wealth to create 'Neverland,' a surreal estate replete with ice-cream trucks and a miniature petting zoo for his many young male visitors.

In turn, Elagabalus genuinely believed himself divine and endeavoured to wed a goddess (an actual goddess -- the Carthaginian deity Tanit), but settled for marrying one of the sacred Vestal Virgin priestesses, expressing a quite literal hope for 'god-like children.'

Sexual relations with a Vestal was a crime so heinous and so unusual (the penalty for the Vestal was to be buried alive) that the mighty Emperor was actually brought to trial in the Senate (being politically omnipotent, he was acquitted)."

Showey Yazdanian. "Boys will be toys," The Toronto Star (August 31, 2004).

"A man is standing on the bank of a river. He is desperate to get across. Soon enough, he spies an old fellow fishing on the far shore. The fisherman, it so happens, is from Newfoundland.

'How do I get to the other side?' the man calls out.

'You are on the other side,' the fisherman replies.

Just who is standing on the other side -- and who is standing on what all egocentric cultures like to think of as 'this side' -- is a question that sits at the heart of many a visit to Newfoundland. People go for good reasons and they go for harebrained reasons, and what they very often find when they set foot on lovely, rugged Newfoundland -- much to their surprise -- is a culture that is at least as sure of itself as the one they have left behind."

David Macfarlane. "Rockwell solid," [Book Review: 'The Big Why' by Michael Winter] The Globe and Mail (August 21, 2004).

I recieved this as a word of the day. I thought it was kinda funny....that's if you know my kind of humor!

Smittens

Cassie and I love to hold hands while walking, I should get us some for the winter!

Smittens - Walking mittens. Giftware, knitwear, gloves & mittens for friends & lovers

I created the idea of Smittens^tm while on a romantic walk with my husband. We were trying to hold hands through our bulky mittens, when it dawned on me to create a mitten that was large enough for both our hands. That way, I thought, we could truly hold hands.
Handmade in Seattle, Smittens^tm are available in 3 sizes to fit most kids and adults, and come in many colors. Smittens^tm are made from Polartec?, a cozy fabric known for its lightweight warmth and breathability. They are machine washable and will last for years of enjoyment.

The perfect gift for:
Walking Enthusiasts, Apres Skis, Sporting Events, Valentine's Day, Anniversaries, Newlyweds, Engagements, Twins & Kids and More!

Yeah! No more finger sticks!

Drawing blood could become history with MIT ultrasound technique

February 29, 2000

CAMBRIDGE, Mass--The familiar prick of a needle for drawing blood could eventually be history, MIT researchers and colleagues hope. The team will report in the March issue of Nature Medicine the first human tests of a noninvasive technique using sound that can painlessly extract a number of important molecules through the skin.

The work is of special interest to diabetics, who currently should draw blood at least four times a day to test their glucose levels. The clinical trial described in Nature Medicine used the new technique to successfully monitor glucose levels in seven volunteers with type 1 diabetes.

"We're hopeful that this could eventually be a universal way of noninvasively sampling a variety of substances from humans," said Robert Langer, the Kenneth J. Germeshausen Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at MIT and an author of the paper. "Blood tests for any number of things, such as cholesterol and bilirubin, could someday be replaced with this technique."

The researchers expect that the first application will be a portable device for noninvasively monitoring glucose. The device could be available in three to five years, and "should be comparable in price to the glucometers diabetics currently use to test glucose levels," said coauthor Joseph Kost, a professor at Ben-Gurion University in Israel and an MIT visiting scientist.

Earlier work reported in the journal Science by Professor Langer, MIT Professor Daniel Blankschtein of chemical engineering, and some of the same researchers on the Nature Medicine paper showed that the technique can also be used in reverse: drugs such as insulin can be delivered through the skin via ultrasound (the work in the Science paper focused on animal models and skin from human cadavers).

As a result, "this approach could be further developed to combine the sensing and delivery parts into one design (wristwatch or patch)," the researchers write in Nature Medicine.

Coauthors of the paper are Professor Samir Mitragotri (MIT PhD 1996) of the University of California, Santa Barbara; Professor Robert A. Gabbay, MD, director of the diabetes program at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine; and Professor Michael Pishko of Texas A&M University (formerly an MIT postdoctoral associate in Professor Langer's lab). The clinical trials were held at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and the MIT Clinical Research Center.

SENSING WITH SOUND
The new technique relies on ultrasound. Professor Langer explained that the outer layer of skin is composed of dead cells and fatty layers arranged like bricks and mortar, respectively. Ordinarily that barrier is almost impervious. Ultrasound, however, disorganizes the fatty layers, creating pathways for molecules to travel through. It increases the permeability of skin by several orders of magnitude.

In the clinical trial and in tests on rats and on skin from human cadavers, the researchers applied ultrasound to the skin for two minutes. (Professor Kost said that in a current clinical trial they are now down to half a minute.) The ultrasound frequency used was 20 kHz, which is much lower than the frequency used to visualize babies in the womb.

They specifically inserted the ultrasound probe into a small glass cylinder affixed to the skin and containing a soap solution. After the ultrasound treatment, they put saline solution into the cylinder and applied a vacuum to it for five minutes to extract a very small amount of fluid from the interstitial spaces surrounding the cells. This fluid is not blood, but is known to have the same concentrations of glucose and other substances as in blood.

Nine samples were collected from each patient over four hours. These were tested for glucose concentration, and compared to the glucose concentration in blood drawn from the same volunteers. The two sets showed a very close correlation.

Professor Kost notes that skin permeability remained high for about 15 hours after an ultrasound treatment. As a result, he envisions that one day diabetics, for example, could apply ultrasound in the morning, then put a patch on the pretreated site. "The patch would have sensing capabilities and a display showing the glucose levels, and alarms if those levels go out of a safe range." (Professor Kost said that in the future a vacuum won't be necessary for extraction.)

NO PAIN
Volunteers reported no pain during the procedure. The experiments also indicate that ultrasound does not damage the skin, although the researchers note that "further studies assessing safety (especially the effect of repeated extractions) will be required."

In the Nature Medicine paper, said Professor Langer, "we report the clinical feasibility and safety of this ultrasound approach." With further work, the researchers expect significant improvements. For example, the ultrasound sonicator is already getting much smaller than the laboratory sonicator used in the Nature Medicine studies. "We expect a battery-powered device about the size of a cigarette pack," Professor Kost said.

Professor Langer said that eventually the technique could make drawing blood obsolete. He noted, however, that the detection of some substances requires a larger sample than the ultrasound extraction can currently provide. As analysis techniques for these substances get better, however, that should change. In addition, the technique currently requires one blood sample before the ultrasound treatment for calibration. Professors Langer and Kost say that eventually this, too, will be unnecessary.

Since 1988 Professor Langer and colleagues have received a series of patents related to this work that are currently licensed by the company Sontra Medical. Sontra, in turn, is developing a second generation of ultrasound units for this application. The company is also running a third clinical trial (a second trial was recently completed), said Professor Kost, who is a scientific advisor at Sontra.

The ultrasound technique could make life easier for many. Professor Langer remembers when his son, then four, had to get blood taken. "He ran around the MIT infirmary for over an hour because he was so scared," he said.

With the new technique, perhaps future little boys will simply have to sit still.

The work is sponsored by the American Diabetes Association, the Juvenile Diabetic Foundation, the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation, and the US Centers for Disease Control.

RE: A picture of beauty

We can't get our scanner to work. So I'll just have to use words to paint
you my picture of beauty.
My picture of beauty is a picture of love. And it is my husband.
He works hard to provide for us. Getting up so early in the
morning, driving an hour there and back.
He calls me to check in, to see if I'm ok or just to talk.
He worries, put up with my moods, pitches in even with he is
wore out, teases, will go with out to make sure me and the kids
have what we need or want, protects us, cares for us when we
are hurt or ill, oh I can go on for hours. But by now you are
beginning to see my picture of beauty.
So this will be a picture for all the husbands out there and the women
who love them.

Random stuff

Tk has done something new today. I was talking to him and started to say how much of a good boy he is and he would laugh and smile to whole time. It?s so cute to see him smile for me and my family, I just wish my sister would get in on it!!!! I love you Shell. I was at Acme today and met another woman who had her baby the day after Tk was born.
I was surprised, but in a hurry because Tk was getting fussy at the same time. I wished I could have got to know her better, this way we could trade secrets or something, but you know how kids are. They just want to get out of the store a.s.a.p.! and don't want to soicalize.

After dinner Kennan came over to visit Tk. I was sitting at the table trying to do my work and Kennan says he would like a minute to talk to me in private. I told him if you want to talk to me, now is better then never. He said he didn?t want to talk knowing that there?s people around to hear what he has to say. I also told him that I had given him plenty of time, Three years in fact, to talk to me but he refused. So there ended the conversation.
Then he left for home, so I think I might have made him angry.

I say oh well you snooze you loose!!!! I don?t like to be that way but sometimes you just have to.
Now I'm just trying to waste sometime until it becomes my bed time!!

A Picture of Beauty

Weekly bit:

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to find an image and post it. Find a photo of something beautiful. Something that really catches your eye. Something inspiring. Post it and write why you chose the photo & how it makes you feel. It can be your own photo, a photo of art...anything you want. If you can't post the photo, post a link to it.

I love pictures of babies and their mothers. Children are our hope for the future. They need to be loved and cared for and raised well. I feel very tender and protective of babies, just as mothers almost always are.

What would you guys post? I'd love to see your pictures of beauty!

It's labor day

It's labor day. How come I'm not in labor? This has to be the most stubborn kid in the world. I can't wait till the morning to find out if they are going to induce me or not. I thought that last night was going to be it, but no dice. My contractions were 10 minutes apart and I was feeling a lot of pressure. Then after an hour of rest they went to 15-20 minutes apart. Everyone is asking what are you doing to help it along? I am doing everything that I can think of. I have been walking with the kids, some more private stuff and just staying active. What else is there to do other than wait. That is KILLING me! I hate to wait. I am not a patient person. Especially when the doctor said I am 2 centimeters. They tell you in Lamaze classes that you are in labor once you start to dilate. Well how long am I going to be in labor for? Days? Weeks? Months? I know that was an exaggeration, but that's what it feels like. I guess I'll have to just learn to be a more patient person and wait till he is ready.

On another note. Hurricane Frances is supposed to come straight for us. The good news is that she is a Tropical storm and now a hurricane. I'm not worried about her at all. Yes I live in a mobile home but we are tied down and God will take care of us. If they tell us that we have to evacuate than we will. I think we have had some fierce storms this summer. I have seen some scary stuff. I am a big chicken when it comes to storms. If I could have fit under the bed, that's where I'd be. Taylor and I hate the ones in the middle of the night. We wake up screaming for David. Poor David ends up staying up through the rest of the storm all squished like a sandwich between me and Taylor. Hopefully we won't have to go through that with this hermicane!!!!

British Top Scientists Named!

Telegraph | News | Muppets' screen chemistry

EXCLUSIVE!

Muppets' screen chemistry
By David Derbyshire
(Filed: 06/09/2004)

A poll of almost 43,000 people has shown Britain's most popular screen scientists to be a pair of Muppets - Dr Bunsen Honeydew and his hapless assistant Beaker.

Accident prone: Beaker and Dr Bunsen Honeydew
In the vote, conducted by the association with BBC Online, the cloth duo - who spent most of the Seventies embarked in a series of self-destructive experiments - saw off stiff competition from other screen scientists including Star Trek's Mr Spock, Doctor Who and Dr Frankenstein. Dame Julia Higgin, the association's president, said: "I'm not sure that Dr Honeydew is quite the role model we would be looking at for a responsible scientist.
"His treatment of his faithful assistant Beaker is rather alarming, though admittedly rather amusing."
A statement released by Disney, and attributed to Kermit the Frog, said: "They have spread the message that science is not just for short round headed bald guys and their orange haired goggle eyed side kicks.
"It's also for people like you and frogs like me."

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

I wish I could find this recipe on our recipe blog, mmmmmmmmmmmm
Planet Twinkie - World of Wackiness

Phil Delaplane Designs Swanky Cake for Special Day
Phil Delaplane of Red Hook, NY is a man with a sophisticated palette. A chef by trade and an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Phil teaches chefs who go on to cook in some of the fanciest restaurants in the world.

So when Phil and his fianc? Pam began planning their wedding, he knew the only cake that would make their special day complete was one created entirely of Hostess snack cakes.
Phil and Pam both loved to eat Twinkies and Cup Cakes as children. On their first date, Phil ended a day of golf with a bottle of champagne and Cup Cakes to munch on as they watched the sun set over the Hudson.
It only took Phil one hour to complete his wedding cake. After building the tiers with layers of Styrofoam disks, the only complication was figuring out how to piece the snacks together. Finally, after several design changes, Phil came up with this idea of using a variety of Hostess snack cakes such as Twinkies, Cup Cakes, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, Suzy Q's, Sno Balls and Mini Muffins.
Don't be too surprised if this creation ends up on the dessert tray at your nearest swanky restaurant!

Mama Buy Me That!!

I was surfing and saw the add for this "Desktop Super Computer!"

Read more about this Computer

Wanna see the price list of my dream computer

Reassurance

To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students...here is something to make you chuckle.

Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children.

After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was "DON'T!"
"Don't what?" Adam replied.
"Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said.

"Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve...we have forbidden fruit!!!!!"
"No Way!"
"Yes way!"

"Do NOT eat the fruit!" said God.
"Why"
"Because I am your Father and I said so!" God replied, wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants.

A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked!

"Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God asked.
"Uh huh," Adam replied.
"Then why did you?" said the Father.
"I don't know," said Eve.

"She started it!" Adam said
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"DID NOT!"

Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.

BUT THERE IS REASSURANCE IN THE STORY! If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself. If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you?

It's been a long day

Today was a long day. The kids are off of school until Tuesday. I wonder why I am still sane. All the do is fight and bother each other. Mostly the 2 older ones. Brandon has a bad attitude and Ryan ignores me. I guess being a parent never fails. If all the yelling I do doesn't put me into labor I don't know what will. So far I have tried everything. So the kids will either send me to a mental institute or put me in labor. Either way I'll get a vacation. Little do they know I win!

How did salt and pepper become the standard table spices?

The Straight Dope: How did salt and pepper become the standard table spices?

How did salt and pepper become the standard table spices?
14-Nov-1986

Dear Cecil:

We have been puzzled for a while about how salt and ground black pepper became the standard spices on the American dinner table. Why don't we use cinnamon or oregano or something else instead? --Joe and Fern S., Beverly Hills, California

Cecil replies:

This is just the kind of thing that fascinates historians, gang, something you may want to consider next time a historian asks you out for a date. Actually, the popularity of common salt (sodium chloride, or NaCl) is pretty easy to account for. It stimulates one of the primary sensations of taste, via the salt-sensing taste buds at the tip of the tongue. (The other primary tastes, of course, are sweet, bitter, and sour.) It has long been used to preserve meat and fish, obviously a matter of considerable importance in the days before mechanical refrigeration. It is essential in humans and animals, playing a vital role in body heat regulation, among other things. To maintain health you must consume between three and eight grams a day.

Salt's popularity, therefore, is not surprising. Every major civilization has cherished it. It has always been an important object of trade and at times has been a medium of exchange. Roman soldiers, among others, were paid in salt, which gave rise to the English word "salary."

Pepper is a different story. In terms of total volume, it isn't even in the same league with salt. Every year Americans douse their food with a staggering 6.5 million tons of sodium chloride, whereas during the same period they use a measly 27,000 tons of pepper. (That is to say, black pepper, the fruit of the plant Piper nigrum. Red pepper adds another few thousand tons.) Pepper nonetheless is among the most popular of all the spices, and always has been. (Salt, strictly speaking, is not a spice.) In terms of total tonnage, it lags behind sesame seed and mustard consumption in the U.S. But whereas the latter two are largely confined to the hot dog and hamburger biz, pepper you can cheerfully dump on nearly anything.

Indigenous to India, pepper came to the Romans around the first century BC. They became so fond of it that they established special pepper storehouses (horrea piperataria). Partly because of its scarcity, the stuff became extremely valuable; it's said Alaric the Goth demanded the Romans give him a ransom of 5,000 pounds of gold, 30,000 pounds of silver, and 3,000 pounds of pepper.

But it was only in the late Middle Ages that pepper got really hot, so to speak. After centuries of tasteless gruel, Europeans developed a craving for certain spices that could be obtained chiefly from the East, among them pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Pepper, being pungent, became particularly popular, since it could be used to disguise the taste of semirotten meat, a commodity then in abundant supply. So precious did pepper become that at times, like salt, it was used as money. The popularity of pepper dropped off a bit after 1650, partly because the European diet became more varied and there was less need of it, but it remains an extremely common seasoning today.

What exactly accounts for pepper's popularity, apart from its evident versatility, is hard to say. Given its usefulness in decayed beef, we may speculate that the rise of the fast food industry has done much to prop up the market. More generally, I would say that pepper's macho fieriness gives it a broad cross-cultural appeal that must forever elude such justifiably obscure herbs as fennel, which sounds like something out of Rosemary's Baby.

Cecil's own researches in the kitchen (he is to spaghetti what Mozart is to music) persuade him that pepper plays a vital if indefinable role in the human diet. Many are the hours I have sweated over that damn pot trying to get the proportions of salt, pepper, and garlic--the Magic Triumvirate--exactly right. But it's been worth it, needless to say; we're talking about a dish that will heal the sick and raise the dead. Play your cards right and I'll invite you over for a plateful.

--CECIL ADAMS

Wha hoppen?

Did everyone see how cute Tomas looked in the pool?

Watch out for this counterfeit bill

This is funny and yet tragic, the "200" dollar bill was passed at a woman's clothing store in PA. I'm wondering why this isn't surprising me. Maybe it's because the stores seem to be hiring more than their quotas of morons and incompetents. It's a rare event when I can find competent help when I'm shopping. Which is not to say there isn't any, it's just rare.

Store Clerk Accepts $200 Bill

George W. Bush is currently the U.S. President, but he's not currently on currency.
GREENSBURG, PA-September 1, 2004 ? Pennsylvania state police aren't laughing about the person who passed some funny money ? a $200 bill with President George W. Bush's picture on it ? at a women's clothing store.

To read more click the link below.

Here's the LINK

WOO HOO ANY DAY NOW!!!

This is great news. I went to the doctor today and I am 2 centimeters dilated and completely thinned out. She told me that he is going to be a big baby. I measure big. That's OK cause Taylor was a big baby. The boys were normal, but I didn't have gestational diabetes with them. I have it under control. I have been watching what I eat and doing what the doctor says. So the baby's gonna be big. BRING IT ON! I just want it done and over with.

Taylor woke up and asked what we were doing today and I told her that I had to go to the doctor. She asked why and I told her to see if it was time for the baby to come. She asked me if they were going to use scissors to take the baby out. I chuckled and told her no. She was very upset when I came out of the room with no baby and that we didn't let her come back to hear the heartbeat this time. I didn't want her in the room while I was getting an internal. She didn't care. She cried all the way home. It is hard to explain to a 3 year old that babies take time and that they have to come on their own. She wants to feed the baby baby food too and doesn't understand that they only drink for the first few months. I know that she wants to help and I can't wait for her to, but I know that I am not going to be able to leave her and the baby in the same room alone together. She'll be feeding him stuff that he can't have. No, really I think that she'll do just fine and be a great big sister. She already runs heard around here. I'll keep everyone posted on when the baby comes.