I was adopted. Some might look at being adopted as an unfortunate happening in one's life, but, in my circumstance at birth, it was the best thing that could ever have happened to me. I grew up with a loving family who gave me every opportunity to be somebody, and my parents really did love me. I will always consider my adopted parents as my parents.



I did get to meet my birth mother years ago, and I have two older brothers and an older sister. I have never met my birth… Continue

...a magnetic peace sign given to me by my daughter. I've been seeing other vehicles with these magnetic peace signs on them, but I did not know where to get one. The ones I had seen were solid pastel colors.



My daughter knew I wanted one, and she found out where to buy them: Vermont Peace Works



She got me the tie-dyed one which looks really cool on my black… Continue

Yes, "tail" as in dog, though this is some tale here about Chester the Pug Dog getting a degree.



Money can't buy you love, but for $499, you can buy a college degree.



Chester Ludlow, a pug dog from Vermont, has been awarded an online MBA (Masters in Business Administration) by Rochville University—an online college that offers distance learning degrees based on life and career experience.



Chester is believed to be the first dog to be awarded a college degree… Continue

I am so happy that I just have to share my joy.



My boyfriend, significant other, partner -- I hate the term "boyfriend" at my age -- had an acting part in the movie "The Color of Money" in 1986 with Paul Newman and Tom Cruise. In fact, Paul Newman received his first Academy Award for playing Fast Eddie Nelson in this movie.



How my boyfriend got the part was that he's a well-known professional pool player:… Continue

It’s true. You can get paid to drive your own car, whether to work, to church, to your kids’ soccer games or any of your other normal destinations.



You won’t get rich doing this, mind you, but, in these recessionary times, taking in an extra $300 to $900 a month can definitely come in handy for a lot of folks.



I have seen these cars driving around my area and always wondered why they'd advertise for various companies. The old way was not cost effective, which was to… Continue

We do not get as many children as we used to on Halloween. When I was a kid, the neighborhood was filled with children scampering up and down every street.



We knew which house gave out the best treats, and sometimes we'd sneak back up a second time. I think the homeowners knew we were coming for a second round, but they didn't seem to mind. One elderly lady on 32nd Street would hand out apples dipped in caramel, and on Dogwood Street, one homeowner baked pumpkin seeds, which were… Continue

I ran across this a few years ago and thought I'd share. It's kind of interesting to read these factoids. As it pertains to our industry, I like Nos. 4, 8, 11, 12, 17, and 35, though No. 30 sparks a vision that wouldn't seem so bad on this side of pond. [Sorry, Nancy.]



1. Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

2. Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.

3. There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

4. The average person's left hand does 56% of the… Continue

Philippines has been devastated by Typhoon Ondoy, much like New Orleans was devastated by Katrina. Manila and the surrounding areas hasn't been hit this hard in over 40 years. Most of the city, consisting of 15- to 18 million people is under water.



Short video clip of a rescue: Rescue of a Stranded Woman



If you feel inclined to help monetarily, please check out this link:… Continue

I quit smoking cigarettes February 16, 2008, at 1:30 p.m. Since that time, I have gained a lot of weight in less than two years. To add insult to injury, I have been busier than I have ever been in my job, especially since the Obama administration got in, resulting in many hours being sedentary.



I knew I was in trouble, though, this past week when my feet got so swollen from sitting in one position for so many hours. I could hardly walk.



Years ago, when I was younger, I… Continue

Unbeknownst to many of his visitors in the Oval Office, President Richard Nixon had hidden microphones throughout his office that recorded all conversations. I just read an article this morning about the National Archives trying to get 18 minutes of missing audio transcribed pertaining to Watergate:… Continue

My HP Laserjet 1320 printer died. I researched the HP printers and ended up geting the HP Laserjet P2050DN. I didn't need the "DN," but they were out of the regular HP Laserjet P2050. It must be a popular model. The "N" stands for network, which I don't have. I don't know what the "D" means, at least not yet.



So I plugged it up, placed the toner cartridge in it, and then let it self-install with the HP CD.



I was so bummed, as the printer just would not print. I tried… Continue

Last night, I woke up about 2:30 a.m. My eyes were tired and scratchy, and I was a little dizzy as I was walking to the bathroom. I was still half asleep, but then I got the shock of my life. EEK! It was a tiny gray mouse scampering for cover in my bathroom. The door was shut, and he was trying to get out, running back and forth furiously. The faster he ran, the louder I screamed. I didn't know what to do. It was just me and a mouse trapped in the bathroom, with nowhere to… Continue

I work long hours, to include weekends. One thing I try to do every evening is provide one good meal. It's every man for himself during the day, but, in the evening, I like to have a nice meal, dag nab it!



I know every member of this forum may have some favorite dinner quickies, requiring little work. I want to know what yours are, so I can have some new treats to look forward to.



Here's one of my favorite dinner quickies. I boil water and cook DeBoles organic garlic and… Continue

In these tough economic times, it's nice to get something for FREE.



I thought I'd share this coupon with you, which is good until July 12th. I've never had one of these burgers before. In fact, I don't eat fast food very often, but there are some family members of mine who enjoy a nice burger every now and then.



And there's something about it being FREE that just might make it taste that much better. LOL



Here's the coupon link from Arby's:… Continue