Moving - Good Homes Needed

It seems we live in a 'disposable' world. Use once and throw it away is the marketing pitch for many products.

We don't believe pets should be part of that world. Remember, that little cute and cuddly kitten will live up to 20 years. Depending on breed that puppy will be part of you family for 15 years. Pets are a LIFE LONG commitment.

This was supposedly an actual want ad placed in a newspaper - obviously a spoof on ads
seeking new homes for "favorite" pets.

Please help! We're in the process of moving. We must immediately get rid of our two children now because there won't be any room in our new place. Since we're leaving on Monday, we MUST place the children in new homes by this weekend!! They are described as follows:

Jerry, the Super Hero

Well 36 hours to go until the movers get here.  Jerry is being a superhero.  My husband is the absolute greatest.  He always goes into overdrive to pick up any slack and he pulls it off!  He really pulls off the last inning finish, which is when I'm puttering out.

Last night I was so sore from all the bending that today I still don't feel that great.  I'm almost 1 month post op and have 4 more weeks to go on restrictions.  The soreness goes all the way around my middle down to my lower back.  My back is hurting the most.  I can't wait until the movers load up and I can take an extended guilt free relaxing rest.

Nana's Sour Milk Chocolate Cake Recipe YUMMY!

3 cup Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 cup Sugar
1 cup Butter
1 cup Sour Milk
1 cup Water
1 tsp Vanilla
6 tbsp Cocoa
2 Eggs

Murphy's Laws of Moving

 

1. No matter how many boxes you have, you will never have enough.

2. The more your friends promise to help, the more likely it is they will be deathly ill or out of town the weekend you are moving.

3. Whatever it is that you need, it is always in the bottom of a box that has already been taped shut.

4. Now that you are moving and no longer need it, you will always find something you have been looking for for years.

5. The tape, the scissors, the markers and the screwdriver all know how to play hide ‘n’ seek.

6. The thing that gets broken will always be an irreplaceable antique heirloom - never something cheap that you didn't like anyway.

7. Regardless of long the drought has been going on, it will always rain on moving day.

8. You will always loose your checkbook, your car keys, the remote control or the telephone.

9. If you stay up all night packing to be ready for the movers, they will be late.

10. No matter how large the new place is, it will shrink before you move in.

The Four Gates of Speech

An old Sufi tradition advises us to speak only after our words have managed to pass through four gates.

At the first gate, we ask ourselves, "Are these words true?"

If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they go.

At the second gate we ask; "Are they necessary?"

If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they go.

At the third gate we ask; "Are they beneficial?"

If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they go.

At the fourth gate, we ask, "Are they kind?"

If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they go.

If the answer to any of these is no, then what you are about to say should be left unsaid.

Humor: Downsize your husband before moving

Humor: Downsize your husband before moving

When you've lived in a home for several years, it isn't easy to move, as I discovered recently. Not only have you accumulated a lot of junk, you've grown quite attached to it. So what if the old TV doesn't work anymore -- it still serves an important purpose: covering the stain on the carpet.

Deciding what to do with everything is a major challenge, especially if you're a married man like me. It would have been simpler, of course, to let my wife, Malathi, make all the decisions. All her things would have gone into a box labeled "collectibles." All my things would have gone into a box labeled "Goodwill."

Goodwill, as you probably know, is a chain of thrift stores across North America. I shop there occasionally, but I never buy secondhand stuff, only pre-owned goods in mint condition. Yes, my standards are high, which may explain why Malathi would want to donate my stuff to Goodwill. She knows it would sell well.

Goodwill receives tons of donations every day. Some of the donors are moving like us, some are merely trying to create a path through their homes and some are getting rid of items in a desperate effort to find their lost children. The folks at Goodwill sort through the donations very carefully, keeping all the good stuff and returning anything that says, "I want my mommy."

Our home was never so cluttered that our children went missing, at least not for more than a week or two. Even so, one thing was clear: We needed to downsize considerably, otherwise we'd have to rent a moving truck the size of Sri Lanka.

Getting my wife to downsize is like getting a 12-year-old to stop reading Harry Potter. It might happen, but not without an act of Congress. And even then, there'd be a lot of kicking and screaming.

In the weeks before our move, Malathi bought several books and other items, forcing me to spend a few minutes explaining the meaning of the word "downsize."

Me: "Downsize means to reduce in number or size."

Malathi: "So if I got rid of you, would that be downsizing?"

Me: "Uh ... well .... those are some really good books you
bought, dear. I'm sure we can find space for them."

Malathi did eventually decide to downsize, thanks partly to the resolution in Congress. She organized a moving sale and was a storekeeper for a couple of weeks, dealing with various customers, including a few who were still trying to master English.

Customer: "We might come again tomorrow. Where is sale going
to be?"

Malathi: "Right here. Same place. Why do you ask?"

Customer: "Well, it is moving sale. I thought it is going to
move somewhere."

Malathi: "Actually, it's called a moving sale because I want
everything to move. Especially my husband's stuff."

Some of the customers insisted on bargaining with Malathi,
despite the low prices.

Customer: "How much for this fan?"

Malathi: "Two dollars."

Customer: "Hmmm ... will you take one dollar?"

Malathi: "Sure."

Customer: "Hmmm ... will you take 50 cents?"

Malathi: "Sure."

Customer: "Hmmm ... how much will you pay me to take it
away?"

Vadrum Meets William Tell (Drum Video)

I just love this guy! He is so talented.




http://www.andreavadrucci.com/

I am so pooped!

I am exhausted!  We have 10 more days in Texas and still have a lot of packing to do.  Luckily, Jerry's last day at work was yesterday, so he'll be here all week to finish up the packing.  I'm doing all I can, but the hysterectomy was only 2 weeks ago and I'm still on lifting and bending (not to mention sex) restrictions for 6 more weeks.  It's very frustrating!

I can get a box together, but it takes twice as long as it should and when I'm done filling and sealing it, I can't move it.  I have to wait for Jerry to come home and move it our of my way to do another.  So basically, I've been able to pack one box a day.  Not very productive, but now that he's going to be home, it should move much faster.

For a very do-it-myself independent woman, this is near torture!  Jerry is so sweet though.  He saw a trash bag tied up to go out and got mad at me for lifting it.  I had to explain to him that I carried the trash to the bag a couple pieces at a time.  Not exactly fast, but it got the job done!

Unpacking should go a lot faster since we're only going to unpack the things we absolutely need for daily living and we are taking the time to label the boxes very clearly and detailed.  No unnecessary unpacking.

I just wish we hadn't found out I needed surgery a month before the move.  Bad timing, but it was not something I could put off with my medical history.  Unfortunately it adds a bit of urgency to things that otherwise might be able to wait.

Looking forward to getting to the east coast, just hope the kids behave on the trip.  Other than Romeo, none of them have been on a long car trip and none of them have come close to a 25 hour trip. 

Lucky for me, I'm spoiled and Jerry wants me to relax and read and play games the whole way and not worry about doing any of the driving.  So with a little Dramamine, it should be smooth sailing for me!

Yay!! We got the Slumber Party house!!

Well, I think we got the house!  Whew!  What a load off.  I can relax a little bit now. 

All of my peeps have an open invitation to visit anytime!  This goes out especially to all my relatives in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine!  The entire top floor is a big game room and I think we could fit everyone up there for a big old slumber party (only 1 bath, but we'll make it work).  The house is less than 2 miles to Downtown "Party Central" Richmond, Shockoe Bottom, we're an hour from the beach and I think 2 hours from the mountains.

Chuck & Val, I expect you guys to take Val's vacation down in Virginia next year and bring the cutest nephew on the planet with you!

 

Jennifer, I expect you and Stephanie to come down for a girls weekend when you can get a sitter,  Uncle Joey, there is a golf course nearby if you need a weekend away with free room and board.  All the other brothers, sisters, cousins, Aunts and Uncles are welcome, even if you just need someplace to crash on Spring Break (for the younger ones).

I am so excited to be finally closer in distance to my family.  I hope the closer distance will help make us closer as well.

Needfire - Young, Free and Celtic

This is an awesome Celtic Rock band and this is one of my favorite songs.  This son is on my iPod in my "get down" playlist.  Song doesn't actually start until 1:30 into the video.

You can download one of their albums that has 2 of my favorite songs on it (Young, Free & Celtic/Walking Back to Austin).  The album is only $5.94 to download!

Greeting cards you'll most likely never see on a Hallmark...

"Looking back over the years that we've been together, I can't help but wonder:...
What was I thinking?"

"Congratulations on your wedding day!....
Too bad no one likes your wife."

"How could two people as beautiful as you....
have such an ugly baby?"

"I've always wanted to have someone to hold, someone to love....
After having met you, I've changed my mind."

"I must admit, you brought Religion in my life....
I never believed in Hell until I met you."

"As the days go by, I think of how lucky I am....
that you're not here to ruin it for me."

"As you grow older, Mum, I think of all the gifts you've given me.
Like the need for therapy..."

"Thanks for being a part of my life!!!....
I never knew what evil was before this!"

"Before you go,....
I would like you to take this knife out of my back. You'll probably need it again."

"Someday I hope to get married....
but not to you."

"You look great for your age....
Almost Lifelike!"

"When we were together, you always said you'd die for me....
Now that we've broken up, I think it's time you kept your promise."

"I knew the day would come when you would leave me for my best friend....
So here's his leash, water bowl and chew toys."

"We have been friends for a very long time....
What do you say we call it quits?"

"I'm so miserable without you....
It's almost like you're here."

"Congratulations on your new bundle of joy....
Did you ever find out who the father was?"

"You are such a good friend that if we were on a sinking ship and there was only one life jacket....
I'd miss you heaps and think of you often."

"Your friends and I wanted to do something special for your birthday....
So we're having you put to sleep."

"Your kisses are sweet, your hugs are passionate....
But compared to your sister, they're only second rate."

You're an 80's child if...

You had a crush on one of the New Kids on the Block members.

You wanted to be on Star Search. (Come on, we all did)

You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off.

You wore a banana clip or one of those slap on wrist bands at some point during your youth.

You wore French rolls on the bottom of your splatter painted jeans.

You had slouch socks, and puff painted your own shirt at least once.

You owned a doll with 'Xavier Roberts' signed on it's butt.

You know the profound meaning of ''Wax on, Wax off.''

You can name at least half of the members of the elite ''Brat Pack.''

You can remember watching Full House and Saved by the Bell for endless hours!!!!!!

You have seen at least 10 episodes of Fraggle Rock.

You know that another name for a keyboard is a ''Synthesizer.''

You hold a special place in your heart for ''Back to the Future.''

You know where to go if you ''Wanna go where everybody knows your name.''

You thought Molly Ringwald was REALLY cool. (Was there an 80's movie she WASN'T in?)

You know what ''Sike'' means.

You fell victim to 80's fashion: big hair, crimped, combed over to the side, and you wore spandex pants

You wanted to be a Goonie - (hey u guyz!!)

You owned an extensive collection of Cabbage Patch Kids and trolls.

You actually saw Ted Danson as the MacDaddy he played ''Sam'' to be.

You ever wore fluorescent -neon if you will clothing...(or nail polish)

You could break dance, or wished you could. (I said hip hop....)

You remember when ATARI was a state of the art video game system. (Remember Pong)

You know all the words to ''Ice Ice Baby''.

You remember MC hammer well.

You can still sing the rap to "Fresh Prince of Bel Air"

You own any cassettes.

You were led to believe that in the year 2000 we'd all be living on the moon.

You remember and/or own any of the CareBear Glass collection from PizzaHut.

Poltergeist freaked you out.

You carried your lunch to school in a Gremlins or an ET lunchbox.

You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the ONLY female smurf.

You wanted to communicate with some being named Cinergy.

You wanted to have an alien like Alf living in your house.

You wore biker shorts underneath a short skirt and felt stylish.

You wore tights under shorts and felt stylish.

You ever had a Swatch Watch.

You actually spent countless hours trying to perfect the care-bear stare.

You remember when Saturday Night Live was funny.

You had Wonder Woman or Superman underwear.

You wanted to be The Hulk for Halloween.

You Believed that ''By the power of Greyskull, you HAD the power''

You thought that Transformers were more than meets the eye.

Partying ''like it's 1999'' seemed SO far away!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you can identify with at least half of this list then you, my friend, are a ''Child of the 80's.''

Deglon Meeting Knife Set, Stainless Steel Knives

Amazon.com: Deglon Meeting Knife Set, Stainless Steel Knives and Block, Set of 4: Kitchen & Dining

I absolutely love this knife set!  It's dropped $300 since I started watching it.  If it drops another $400, it is gonna be in my kitchen!!

The Deglon Meeting Knife Set is practical, durable and a work of art. Designed by Mia Schmallenbach and produced by Deglon, it won first prize in the 5th European Cutlery Design Award. This lovely set is made of high quality stainless steel and seemingly appears to be created from a single block of stainless steel. Each knife nests within the set. To remove each knife, simply press down near the tip of the blade and life knife away by the handle. Set includes a 3-1/4-inch paring knife, 5-1/4-inch utility knife, 8-inch chef knife, 8-3/4-inch slicer and matching stainless steel block. Occasionally, use a steel to sharpen. Hand wash and dry, recommended. Made in France by Deglon. Deglon - handcrafter of quality cutlery since 1821. Limited lifetime warranty.

Native Union - Moshi Moshi Pop Phones - AWESOME!!!

 I simply had to write about my new toy.  Plug it in, set your ringtone to “Classic Ring” or “Old Fashioned” depending on your phone, then sit back, close your eyes and wait for a phone call. 

If you were born before 1985, you will be instantly transported back to your teen years.  Long nights spent gabbing on the phone to your BFF about the cute boy in class while your parents are yelling at you in the background to stop tying up the phone line (remember, there was only one phone in the house and most of us didn’t have call waiting until the 90’s) twisting the cord around your fingers until it was so mangled when you hung up the phone the cord was now permanently stuck in a big ball! 

Ahhhhhh… I can almost smell the Aqua Net!

The Body Odd - SAD in the summer? Sunshine depression rare, but real

The Body Odd - SAD in the summer? Sunshine depression rare, but real

Many of us can hardly wait for summer to arrive, but a small number of people are much happier when it's over. You've no doubt heard of Seasonal AffectiveDisorder, the wintertime mood disorder -- but some get SAD in the summer.

As hot weather approaches, those with summer SAD sleep less, eat less, and lose weight. They're extremely irritable and agitated. (It's the reverse for people with winter SAD, who sleep more, gain weight and crave high-carb foods, and tend to slow down and socially hibernate from late fall to early spring.)

Summer-onset depression is thought to affect less than 1 percent of the population, making it much rarer than the winter variety experienced by an estimated 5 percent of people.

In its most severe form, people with summer seasonal depression may be more at risk for suicide than cold-weather SAD, says Dr. Norman Rosenthal, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical School, who has studied both types and first helped discover their existence. "Suicide is more of a concern when people are depressed and agitated rather than depressed and lethargic," he explains.

When summer depression was first recognized in 1986, Rosenthal said that mental health professionals suspected the cause was the heat and humidity. That, he said, lent itself to the idea that a cold shower, air conditioning, swimming in cold lakes or heading North would relieve symptoms. Although these treatments for hot-weather depression are useful for some, they lack the staying power that light-box therapy has on winter SAD. 

'The light is cutting though me like a knife'
A person with summer SAD can stay inside, crank up the AC, and darken the room but then go outside into the heat and it's as if they've never been treated, explains Rosenthal, the author of "Winter Blues."

Another idea is that it might be the light itself that's aggravating sufferers, whether it's the intensity of sunlight or the angle it's coming at people. One of Rosenthal's summer depression patients describes it as "feeling like the light is cutting though me like a knife."

Still another possibility is that there may be two kinds of warm-weather depression, says Dr. Alfred Lewy, a professor of psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. He suggests there might be one group of people who have an unpleasant reaction to the heat and humidity -- a discomfort with the climate. But even in Portland where summers aren't that hot or humid, he's seen patients struggle with summer depression.

Lewy suspects the cause in a second group might be that the body's natural clock, it's circadian rhythms, are misaligning in summer. Instead of cueing to dawn, the longer daylight is causing some vulnerable people to cue to dusk. Cueing to dusk shortens the typical body clock and delays a person's sleep-wake cycle. This mismatch, theorizes Lewy, may be triggering depression.

He successfully treated a person with summer depression with a combination of getting early morning sunlight (30 to 60 minutes daily), which shifts the body clock forward, and low-dose melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep-wake cycles. Severe symptoms may also benefit from antidepressants.

Do you secretly -- or perhaps not-so-secretly -- loathe the summer months? What helps you get through them?

My Robotic Hysterectomy Post Op Experience

****THIS POST IS A DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OF MY EXPERIENCE****

IF YOU DON’T WANT TO READ A NO HOLDS BARRED DESCRIPTION OF MY EXPERIENCE AND HOW I DEALT WITH DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF AFTERCARE, THEN LEAVE NOW. 
IF YOU DO WANT TO READ ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE TO MAYBE HELP WHEN YOU ARE GOING THROUGH IT, THEN CLICK “READ MORE”