Ten Things Tuesday- The End of the Year Edition

There are always best of of worst of for the year.
I decided to do a ten things Tuesday on the highlights of my year.

Here we go:

1. Published a book
     It is currently in the createspace estore and hopefully by tomorrow it will be available on Kindle. It's a cookbook on dips.

2. Got rid of Directv.
     I lobbied hard for this and finally after a couple years, I got my wish.

3. Sister alienation
     I am not sorry. But, it ain't easy knowing my own sister doesn't want to hear from me.

4. I got Christmas presents that I asked for
     Lots of years, I got nothing or things that I didn't care about. This year was a nice change.

5. More family time
     Honeyman got a day job with weekends off. We get to do family things that we haven't done in years.

6.  Climbed on my roof
     The antenna wasn't going to put itself up so we tag teamed it.

7.  Bought things for myself for no known reason
     I didn't need them, but I bought them anyway. This is almost unheard of.

8. Sent out Christmas cards
     For the first time in several years, I actually did it.

9. Started buying cocoa powder in bulk
     Almost 9 pounds costs $32 plus shipping. Even with the shipping, I save over buying it at the grocery store. If I had a bigger house, I would so be a prepper.

10. Did not win the PCH sweepstakes again
     I was so sure I had a lock on it this time. $5000 a week for life to be given away. ON MY ANNIVERSARY. It was a sign. It had to be. They must have gotten lost. No other explanation.

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Have a great Tuesday!

Who Is This Phil Person You Speak Of?

Last week I saw a post on Facebook stating that everyone was changing their profile picture to Phil.
No last name.
Just Phil.

I am just left to wonder just who this Phil person is.
I had just been watching Better Off Ted on Netflix.
Do they mean that Phil?
Dr. Phil?

Turns out they mean that Phil guy from Duck Dynasty.

A week before that I saw this lady, they kept calling Miss Kay.
She was promoting a cookbook.
Honeyman says that it is probably the mother from Duck Dynasty.
They say her last name and he says that has to be her because that is their last name.

I am not here to say whether or not Phil should be allowed or not allowed to say what he said.

I hear Duck Dynasty and think "Oh." and tune it all out.

It's nice they make lots of money from duck calls.
It doesn't make me want to watch the show.

Unless it is the name Cher, Madonna, or Beyonce, I need a last name.
Do you know how long it took me to find out who the hell Snookie was?

I have enough reality.
And the few times I have attempted to watch reality TV, I found it really boring.

Example: Jack Osborne taking an entire show to put his contacts in.
I can do that in my bathroom without turning the TV on.

A Lesson In Getting Things Done.

Step 1. Bitch.
Step 2. Bitch with more details.
Step 3. Get really upset and maybe bitch a little more.

It gets results.

But, really to get the greatest possible results, do this on Facebook or Twitter.

It just doesn't look good on their page if someone complains how they were treated.

I've done this twice now and I made progress.

I did it a few months ago and got my husband's credit card rate lowered to a more acceptable level.

This time, I got half my fee back from the mortgage company.
OK, it's not in my bank account yet, but I got a call and I am going to receive a formal letter.
I can live with that. Once it's in writing, they are legally obligated.
In fact, since all our calls are monitored, there is a record of that somewhere.

Would I have liked the whole amount?
Sure.
But, I will settle for half.
Better than $0.

They made sure to tell me that they were doing it as a "goodwill gesture".
Sure.
Or damage control.
Whatever.

Honeyman once told me that all women have a bit of bitch in them.
I guess it does come in handy sometimes.

Ten Things Tuesday- Tis the Season

Well it's a no go on the home refinance.
Apparently a 100 year old small farmhouse on 4-1/2 acres is just not worth enough.

Credit came back fine.
So did the debt/income ratio.
We had enough money in the bank.

The place is worth more than we wanted to borrow.
Just not enough.

So we wasted $537.
Yay!

But onto more interesting things.
Today is Tuesday.
Time for Ten Things Tuesday, which I have missed the last few.

This weeks Ten Things Tuesday is about what this time of year is all about.
So, here we go:

Tis the season for

1. Conversion
     Scholars have come to the conclusion that Jesus was actually born in September, but I have seen people date his birth as early as late spring. Why did they pick December 25th as the day to celebrate His birth? That date is during Yule and the best way to get pagans to change their religion is if another religion is right there to take it's place.

2. Shopping
     Sales out the wing wang. I still don't know what I am getting for my daughter, but I am sure I will find a bargain.

3. Checkout lines are all open.
     The only time that happens at Target and Walmart is during the holiday season. Possibly Kmart too. So many have closed, I can't find one.

4. Waiting
     You wait for stores to open. You wait in checkout lines. You wait in return lines. You wait to see if anyone is going to send you a card this year.

5. Eggnog
     You can make it anytime you want, but you can only buy it at the store this time of year.

6. Sadness
     Some people get the blues around the holidays. I do. When I was a teen, my grandma was found dead on Christmas Eve. That's a phone call I won't forget. Neither is having to go to my other grandma's on Christmas Day to celebrate. Cause that is just what you do.

7. Candy canes
     Is there a way to eat them without getting all sticky?

8. Christmas movies
     They make tons of made for TV Christmas movies every year. But, I am a fan of A Christmas Story.
I watch that and Scrooged every year.

9.  Decorations and lights
     I am a fan of simple and tasteful. Putting up gazillions of lights and lawn decorations is why I am glad I live in the middle of nowhere so I don't have to see it.

10.  Making cookies
     People that never bake cookies, bake this time of year. My daughter, nieces, and I get together and make cookies. My sister doesn't celebrate Christmas anymore and she doesn't talk me much so she doesn't come anymore.

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Have a great Tuesday!

OK, So What Is It?

Is it a hair product?

Is it a wood cleaner?

Or, it it something closely resembling cheese?

Only you can decide.

Almost Officially Over It

I know Thanksgiving or Thanksgivikkah(thank you, Robyn) is not here yet, but I am already sick of Christmas.

Sick of all the TV and internet ads.
People putting up trees and lights and posting pictures on the internet.

I hate the commercialization of Christmas.

Some of the same people that write "Tis the reason for the season" are the same ones that spends shit tons of money on gifts.

Which, good for you, if you want to and you can.
But, what happened to Christmas is love?
Last time I checked love did not come in a box.

My husband was raised getting tons of gifts for Christmas.
I was not.

He thinks it's a lean year if we can't buy tons of things.
Which is pretty much the norm.

I'd rather give a gift just cause rather than because I have to.

I used to mail Christmas cards.
I barely got any.
I never even got a thank you.

Is a thank you so hard?

I know. I know.
But, I put thought and effort and a thank you to show appreciation is nice to get.

Last year I really didn't care about getting a tree.
This year I don't either.

We don't celebrate the religious aspect of it.

I just I might as well start saying " Bah Humbug!"

Something New Every Day

Feeling pretty good.
Pretty optimistic even.

I get a call from the attorney general's office.
Turns out my house may not have been reaffirmed after we filed bankruptcy 7 years ago.

Our lawyer told us we needed to.
It was listed in the petition.
So we thought we did.

But, maybe not.

Apparently a lot of people are thinking they have reaffirmed debt and
no, they haven't.

What does this mean to my hopes for a refinance?
There could be a problem.

Am I going to be stuck at 8.25% forever?

I got a hold of my lawyer and bank we are hoping to refinance through.
The lady told me today I need to write it out to the company so I have proof that they were told before appraisal fees were paid.

Boy, am I glad she called when she did.
I was all set to pay the money.

Now, I get to wait and see.

Heard back from the lawyer.
The bank never requested one so the request was never filled out.

I really don't know why I should be surprised.
That mortgage company did have to settle a lawsuit for having people fudge on their applications to get the loan in the first place.
A right, stand up organization.

In other, much more awesome news:
My girlie is in Journalism.
She is writing for the paper.
Here is the online edition of her paper.
She didn't think she's do great, but she is fabulous.

Have a great Friday!

Searching Gone Amok

I used to love the search engine.
Type something in:
Boom! There  It  Is .

What happened Google, Ask!, Bing, etc., etc.?
You are starting to let me down.

It is taking me multiple searches to find what I need these days.
If, I can find it all all.

I keep getting asked if I mean this instead of that.
My words are underlined when I know what I mean.

I am looking for a funny picture.
I should have saved it when I found it.
But, I thought
How hard can it be to find?

Pretty damn difficult.

I type in angles and all the answers are for angels.
Is angels the most misspelled word on the planet?
I know it is written angles a lot.
But to the point that Google tells me I spelled angles wrong?

It did give me a few answers on the British too.

And I say something and I get an answer from someone that they just assumed you spelled it wrong.
How many stupid people live on this planet that they automatically think no one can spell?

The Good Old Days

You know what I miss?

I miss when people didn't call between 11:00 and 1:00 or 5:00 and 7:00 because those were when most people ate meals.
FYI- A lot of people still do.

I miss going to the doctor and not having to pay that day if you had insurance.
Now, you have to pay a co-pay or they estimate your share and charge you before they see you.

I miss non-stretchy jeans. Really! Where the hell are they?
If men can still get them, why can't I?

I miss the Susan B. Anthony dollar.
I got it as change once instead of the quarter I was supposed to get. My mom made me walk all the way back to the store to give it back and get my quarter. It was a fabulous day. And then it wasn't.

Yeah, I miss a lot of things.
Aw, well.

That's the breaks.

Sex, Drugs and Food?

I am really baffled by the names of foods that people are putting out there.

I guess maybe it all started with the mixed drinks.
Sex on the beach, slippery nipple, that kind of thing.

Which I really don't understand.

How does a sex on the beach taste like having sex on the beach.
It's not like all gritty and smells of seaweed and seawater.
Oh and dead fish and seagull poop.

And there is the slippery nipple, which is made a few different ways.
Can someone enlighten me?

It has somehow evolved calling something Better than sex cake.
Which leads one to wonder how can you really compare the two.
And what do you say if someone asks if it really is?
Does that say the cake is THAT good or your sex life is that BAD?

Now, I have been seeing this recipe for Crack potatoes.
Which, I just don't think sounds all that great to begin with.
But, if one has never done crack, how does one know?
Cause if you say that it is as addictive as crack, would that make you seem like a druggie?
I have a friend that sells potatoes.
I guess that would make her a dealer or a potato pusher.

Yesterday, I read an article about oreos being as addictive as cocaine.
Seeing as how I have never done cocaine, I will have to take their word for it.
I do know that when I quit wheat and I went to a friend's house and oreos were taken out of the cupboard, I took big sniffs. They smelled AMAZING. But, I fought the urge.
I read a bunch of comments from people about how oreos would not cause you to steal your grandma's TV like a cocaine addiction would. But, that is faulty reasoning. I am pretty sure John Belushi never stole his grandma's TV.

A Pumpkin and a Pumpkin

I mentioned having a cinderella pumpkin to Susie from loonysuse and I told her I'd get a picture of one of mine since she hadn't seen one.
Here it is:

I also have some pie, or sugar, pumpkins.
But, I think everyone knows what they look like.

I did cook my very first long neck pumpkin this year.
Here is what this one looks like:

Ten Things Tuesday- The Birthday Song

Today is my birthday.
Hold your applause, please.

I thought I would compile a list of birthday songs that I like.
I hope I can find ten.

So, here's this week's ten things Tuesday.

1. Birthday- Beatles
     I love this song. One of my favorites.



2. Happy Birthday- Weird Al
     What's an occasion without Weird Al?


3. Happy Birthday Hippo Rap
     Interesting.



4. Birthday Song- Carole King
     I have never heard this one before today.


5. Celebration- Kool and the Gang
     Because you made it through another year, you have to celebrate.


6. Party Rock Anthem- LMFAO
     Celebrate with a party.



7. Darth Vader says  Happy Birthday



8. Unhappy Birthday- The Smiths
     Why you would take the time to wish someone you don't like an unhappy birthday, I will never know.


9. In Da Club- 50 Cent


10.  Birthday Gal- The Replacements


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Have a great Tuesday!
  
  

I Really Don't Know

I don't really have a topic for today.
I have realized that I need to get my thoughts together earlier in the day or I don't have a chance to post.

That's what happened to last Tuesday.
When I thought of it, Honeyman was on the computer and was doing his fantasy football leagues-yes, in the plural- so I couldn't get it done.

After that, I kind of went into a funk and didn't get anything up.

Good news.
I am almost done with my gazillion apples.
This is what I started with:

That was not even half of what came off my dad's tree, but this was what we brought home from picking.
I have made apple butter, apple jelly, applesauce, apple crisp, froze some, and some are in the fridge to eat fresh.
I have just enough left to make another big batch of applesauce and some more apple butter.

I am kinda appled out.

I sicked the attorney general on Ocwen's ass. My mortgage servicer has denied my home modification. Fine. Fine. But, they have stopped sending me statements and that's a big no-no. I can't get anyone to talk to me.
So, let's see how they like this turn of events.

What else?
I turn the big 4-2 tomorrow.
Today is my sister and father's birthdays.

One way for your family to never forget your birthday?
Be born on or the day after them.
Best way to never get a birthday phone call?
Be born on or the day after them. They always say "Happy  birthday to you, too". Since, I am the day after, I get the " a day early" added.

Finally, here is my pirate skeleton doing his thing. I first posted this a couple years ago so you may or may not have seen it. I can't get the video to copy and paste here from the original post so you will have to check out the link.

Well...

To what?

To where?

Ten Things Tuesday- Reasons to Shutdown the Government

Maybe I should have done this last week.
But, who knows how long this could drag out.

We do have whiners running the country, you know.

So, here are my reasons that we really should shut down the government.
The parts that consider themselves essential anyway.

1. Do we really need new laws every year?
     No we don't. Congress should be in session every few years and not even year round. The President could go down to part-time. Just be there for the big things and call it good. Save us some coin. Everything could go on just fine without them.

2. Not too big to fail
     Remember when we were told banks were too big to fail. Nothing is too big to fail and if we don't start shutting a few things down here or there, we are gonna fail.

3. 401(k)
     Whoever thought Congress getting a 401(k) as a benefit was a good thing? Doesn't that promote conflict of interest? Like there isn't enough of that already. Shut it down til they get a better idea.

4. They got rid of the $2 bill.
     Those things were cool. You didn't see them too often so they were special. Than the government just took them away. Poop heads.

5. They keep changing the Pledge of Allegiance.
     The original said "my flag". That was changed to "United States", than "of America" was added, than later on "under God" was added. Just leave it alone! What's next? They need to learn to quit messing with things. It's been 60 years so we're do for a change of some sort.

6. Old people
     Raise your hand if at least one senator or representative from your state is older than dirt. Some of them have been there for decades. It's time to go.

7. Blowing the budget
     Every few months, they have to raise the debt ceiling. I'd like to raise my debt ceiling too, but it ain't gonna happen. Actually I don't, cause I'd still have to pay it back. But, it would be good to just know that I could.

8. Too many vacations
     If you think you are so important that you have to be in session every year and all year, quit taking all these recesses. Hey! Do you think the reason they act like children is because their time off is called a recess like little kids get? There's a thought.

9. Daylight Saving Time
     I know a lot of people like it, but I hate it. It messes my sleep up. And there are always more daylight hours in the summer than in winter, a day is still 24 hours, and the study that says it saves us money in electricity makes no sense because it would be lighter later anyway without the government messing with the time so we would use less anyway. But, if you get up early, you are using more electricity because it is dark then. And why did they extend it? For years it was end of April/end of October. Now, I have to look it up to see when it is. Who do they think they are?

10. Moving every holiday to Monday
     I know they like their 3 day weekends, but hump day would be good too. A nice little break during to week. Of course, that would mean those poor congressmen wouldn't have time to fly anywhere and that's what matters anyway.  I think if they could move every holiday to a Monday, they would. More convenient.

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Have a great Tuesday!

Just a Pic

Romantix used to go by the name of Adult Emporium. After some consideration, they decided gay porn and S&M paraphenalia screamed romance and not adult book store.
Hence, the name change.

These two businesses have been next to each other for as long as I can remember.
Tools for every occasion!

On a comment a few days back Al told me I needed to get a picture and I told him if I was in the area I would.
Lo and behold, I had to buy windows and paint on the south side of Des Moines.

But

It's only October!

What about Halloween?

See? It's over there. No need to worry. Though I do wonder about the red light that seems to be shining on that dogs rear end. At least I think it was a dog.

Maybe it came down to Christmas and ate Rudolph?

This should just not be happening!

Something just seems wrong about selling grills right next to inflatable snowmen.

I knew It

But, I did it anyway.

What do an agnostic, Wiccan, and cult member have in common?
They are all part of the same happy family.

I am pretty sure I just lost one of my sisters.
It sucks.
But, that's how it goes.

I was raised in a family that just ignored the monkey in the room.
So what if he be flinging poo?

As long as you ignore it,
it's not really there.

But, eventually the shit starts to pile up and smell.
I grew up and realized ignoring was not my style.

I talked to my sister about her involvement with God's Church.
Also known as, Church of God- Preparing for the Kingdom of God.

It didn't seem to be a good place to be.
Any church that requires tithing to be a member is not good.
And than they teach the members that once they give the tithe it doesn't matter where it goes.

Cause, it's for God.
Or Mediterranean cruises or BMWs.
Whatever- it's all good.

Than after the first talk I let it go.

After that little things changed.
No calls or doing things on Saturday.
Personal things in her relationships changed.

I let that go.

Than, I found out about the head of the church being charged with tax evasion.

Can you say too much poo flinging?

So, I decided I was going to talk to her more.
Send court transcripts to her.

It didn't matter.

And now she says I am attacking her religious beliefs and someday she hopes I will see what she sees.
So, I am now ragging on the church leader and the leader of the Worldwide Church of God - which is where COG-PKG came from.

I got mad and told her they were full of shit.
Well, come on.

They both prophesied a lot of things that didn't happen, but I'm the bad one. 

I told her a while back that she was going to lose people over this and she said I was wrong.
She has.

I am supposed to just be OK with everything.
All of it is my problem.

I knew how things could turn out if I said something.
But, in the end, I think I'd have lost her anyway.

I had to try.

Ten Things Tuesday- TV Shows That Have Gone On Too Long

The idea for this one came from fellow blogger, David Oliver.
He has several blogs so I linked to his profile so you can choose which one you may like to read.

At first, I thought maybe I had done one of these.
I've done a few on TV shows, but I checked and I did one on shows that never should have been cancelled.

Turns out I have done 78 Ten Things Tuesdays and I started in May of 2011.
Not bad for skipping a few Tuesdays here or there.

I am going to try to do this list without mentioning a reality show.
There are so many and I could crank out this list in 2 minutes.

Instead I am going to go with the real shows.
Ya, know.
The ones with actors and contract disputes and bad behavior.

So, here we go!

1. Saturday Night Live
     This show used to be the one to stay up for on Saturday nights. Every so many years, they seem to bring it back to life. I think there is no more coming back. Stick a fork in her. She's done.

2. How I Met Your Mother
     At first it was funny. Now, I just want Ted to meet the mother so the show can be over. He should have met her a few seasons ago.

3. The Bold and the Beautiful
     First it was Brooke and Ridge and than Taylor and Ridge. Ridge back to Brooke. Than back to Taylor. Lather, rinse, repeat. Oh dear God! Now, Ridge left the show so it's Hope(Brooke's daughter) with Liam and Steffie(Ridge and Taylor's daughter) with Liam and back and forth he goes. Why do people watch this?

4. Maury
     I do not know which is more sad: A daytime talk show that always seems to have the topic of paternity tests OR that so many people don't know for sure who the father of their baby is.

5. Judge Judy
     This could apply to any court show. Why is this entertainment? I wonder if there are people that just go hang out at their local courthouse for fun.

6. Parks and Recreation
     Remember the show My Name is Earl? It did better in the ratings than this show but which one got cancelled? Parks and Recreation was cheaper to produce so it got to stay.

7.  Wake Up With Al
     The whole Weather Channel was starting to suck, but why put Al Roker on there? To make it less watchable?

8. Two and a Half Men
     You all know my position on this one. It never should have made it past episode 2, 3 at the most.

9. The Good Wife
     Either cancel it or call it something else. Not much of a good wife is she?

10. Cops
     Now, it is Cops Reloaded, but it's the same show. How often can you sit and watch drunk people act stupid and get arrested?

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I tried to go with all current shows. What shows past or present do you should have been put out of their misery?

Have a great Tuesday!

Breaking News

That's right, People! It's National Taco Day. You know what this means? Besides, it's National Taco Day.

You must fulfill your civic duty and eat a taco.
Or 2.
Or 3.

Come on!

You know you really, really want to.

 

Ten Things Tuesday- Movie Sequels That Never Should Have Been Made

Sometimes movies are made and just shouldn't be. The first one might be good, but do we really need another?
That's what I am talking about.

Here's my list of movie sequels that never should have come to pass.

1. Cinderella
     Not only was there one sequel. There were two.  They were made in 2002 and 2007. Just...WHY?

2. Mummy
     I loved the first one. It is great! The second one was watchable, but the kid was a brat and the parents ignored him so they could smooch and that is why he got taken. Than was The Scorpion King, which was not Mummy Three, contrary to many people's delusions. The Scorpion King had nothing to do with The Mummy other than the fact that he was a character in the second movie. The last Mummy was bad and didn't even have the original woman actor and the mummy was different.

3. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
     Cute little movie. "Meatier showers" made me laugh. But, the second one just looks goofy. Food that's alive. What is this? The Disney version of Aqua Teen Hunger Force?

4. Police Academy
     I liked the first one. The second one was not bad. By number three, I was over it. And yet, they made more. Seven Police Academy movies have been made and apparently number eight will be coming out in 2014. By the time that movie comes out, it will have been 30 years since the first one. Some of the original actors have died and I bet the rest ain't lookin' too pretty.

5. Hangover
     I know this was a hit. But, I HATED it. I thought it was God awful. I don't even know how that one got made. Than the second one came out. Everyone went to see it. Well, except for me and the mister. He didn't like the first one either. People said that one was bad, but since it made so much money cause everyone "had" to see it they made a third.

6. Meatballs.
     Great summer fun with Bill Murray.

Than they made three more really bad, stupid ones.

7. City Slickers
     I love the first one. One of my favorites. But, you just don't go and replace Bruno Kirby with Jon Lovitz. Nope, sorry.

8. Matrix
     First one was great, second was too. The last was pretty good til the end. They ruined it. They just ruined the whole damn trilogy. Now, I can't even watch the first one without thinking of the ending and what was the point?

9. A Christmas Story
     Did you know there were sequels? Neither have the original cast. They can't. Too old or too dead. The first sequel was called A Summer Story and came out in 1994. A Christmas Story 2 was a DVD release in 2012. 

10. Predator
     This was never my favorite movie either, but what do I know. After the second, came the two Alien vs. Predator movies and than a third sequel- Predators. The creator wants to do more too. So, we have that to look forward to.

What movie do you think should not have been made?

It's a Handout

People really need to bone up on their vocabulary skills.
Apparently lots of people don't seem to know or understand what a handout is.

I am not proud of my government.
Far from it.

I believe they serve the best interest of themselves and big business and not the people.
I don't care what side.

That being said, I am tired of all the crap I am hearing and seeing about how so many people in this country are getting handouts and how it is so wrong.

First of all, I get this from a lot of extended family.
My grandparents got what used to be called ADFC(Aid to Dependent Family and Children), now called welfare.
If it wasn't for that aid, my grandparents, father, and his 13 siblings could have starved or frozen to death because they were homeless.
And yet, I have heard some uncles, aunts, and cousins bad mouth it.

Think about where you come from before you bitch about things.

Second of all, anything you get without effort is technically a handout.
If you get more money back than you paid in taxes because of the earned income credit or child tax credit, you are the recipient of a handout.
You didn't earn that money, you were given it.

If you participated in Cash for Clunkers, you got a handout.
The dealerships got the money from the government so a $500 car could be traded for $4000.
Government program that someone benefited from without effort = handout.

I am not saying handouts are bad, but lots of people seem to just count certain things and forget about the rest.

Who Steals a Turtle?

There's Rainbow, aka "the bubbers". He/she/ whatever was so named by Kiddo because we didn't know the sex of the turtle.

The females get bigger, but when they are itty bitty it is hard to tell.

Rainbow got taken.
We got up Sunday morning and Honeyman went out to feed him and he was just gone.

This is his home. Honeyman made it. He built the frame and set a koi pond down into it.
If you look closely, you can see Rainbow in the corner during one of his escape attempts.

The water was lower than in this picture.
He never could get out because he couldn't get his flippers hooked over the sides of the tank to pull himself out.

So, the explanation is that someone took him.
People have been known around here to steal kittens and puppies.

But, if by some miracle he was able to get out on his own, I do hope he made it down to the pond safely.

Adding insult to injury was that Kiddo was celebrating her birthday.

Just a few weeks ago, she lost Felix.
Another cat came on property and killed the poor little guy.

Which leads me to the question of why would someone steal a turtle.
Because they a a walking turd, that's why.

No other possible explanation.

I Was Born in a Small Town

I grew up in a small town.
Now, I live outside of a small town.

Nothing says small town like petitions circling to keep a Family Dollar out of our town.

The city council sold an old baseball field to the corporation and it is scheduled to open a store next summer.

The outraged range from not needing a dollar store in my town because they can drive out of town to go to Walmart or Target OR because we must support local businesses.

Number 1- why would you drive a half hour if you could find something right in town.
Number 2- What local businesses? Have you people looked at this town lately?

Other reasons include the name of the field.
It's named after an old coach.
And there are the memories.

From what I hear, the coach was an ass wipe on the butt of humanity. But, he could win games.
So, he is kinda like the Patriot's head coach.
And memories are in your head.
I remember lots of things that are no longer there.

I really am for local businesses over big corporations.
But, the town doesn't have much of any kind of business.

I'm tellin' ya.
It's just like when the grocery store started staying open on Sundays.
OR
Like when Subway came to town.

Cause we don't need none of those new-fangled fast food places.

Forget Me Not

I have not forgotten to post here.
Yet, it feels like I have.

I have been so busy with the garden.
Canning tomatoes and salsa and freezing peppers and broccoli and zucchini.

Which reminds me, I have yet to check my zucchini this morning.
I'll wait til the bees are done doing their thing.

I have come to the conclusion that having a good memory can be a curse.
My husband says I have a mind like a steel trap.

Which is nice, except everyone I know seems to have rusty traps.

I did this mail things to 5 people on Facebook and when a friend of mind ( who signed up to do this) got hers she wanted to know why I gave it to her instead of keeping it.

My cousin and I made plans that when she came through Iowa on her way from Arkansas to Minnesota, she'd stop and we'd have lunch.
She never told me when.
But, she mentioned  going on Facebook and I told her to let me know when and she said OK.
Turned out she drove through the next day and never got a hold of me.
Drove back through a few days later, spent the night 30 minutes away and not one word.

Yesterday a friend was supposed to come out and pick up some tomatoes and zucchini.
We talked about it the night before and she never came out.
My daughter said she probably forgot.

Is this stuff really so hard to remember?

From one day to the next?

So, I get a little irritated.
My husband forgets a lot.
My daughter forgets a lot.
Well, she forgets unless it is something in one of her books.

My oldest sister forgets.
The other one too.
My oldest niece forgets all the time too.

The list just goes on and on and on.

And there is me.
I am one that remembers a comment someone made on my blog a year or two ago.

What Is Going On?

The weather has been extremely weird this summer.

I can't figure it out.

Cold and rainy.
Dry and warm.
Cool, but dry.
Hot and dry.

Another cool down came along.
We didn't run the AC much in July.

August came and it felt more like September.
Cue, the start of school.

Major heat up.
We are talking schools letting out early for the first week and a half of school.

There was still no rain in sight.

Than two days ago, it started cooling down.
It got down to 52 degrees Fahrenheit this morning.

Still no rain.

It is supposed to start heating back up again.
A little bit every day.
90's here we come again!

But, what is it?

Is it the chemtrails(not to be confused with contrails)?
Is it HAARP?
Is it global warming or climate change?
Or it is just Mother Nature being a bitch?

Ten Things Tuesday- Too Many

Too many days since I have had much to say.
Getting used to this new schedule is harder than I thought it would be.

I can do it.
Just take me a while, that's all.

This week's Ten Things Tuesday is about what there is too many of right now.

1. Idiots
     I see and hear so many things that just make me want to shake my head.  I think that nothing will ever surprise me. Than, boom! There it is!

2. Numbers in the forecast
     It is supposed to hit 102 degrees F. today. That's the temp. not the heat index. That is one too many digits.

3. Typos
     Lately, I am having to continually go back and correct spelling. I keep hitting the letter next to the one I want.

4. Know-it-alls
     Why does everyone think they know everything? And no such thing as a normal conversation and exchange of ideas. If you don't see things the same way, you will be enlightened as to the "truth". Because they "know!".

5. Zucchini
     I cook two, I go out and pick three more. My daughter gave them out to the teachers at school Monday. I love zucchini and never thought I would say too many. But... TOO MANY!!

6. Bank problems
     Honeyman's direct deposit got kicked back twice so he got a written check. He took that in and it was filled out wrong so they wouldn't cash it. Thursday is pay day. Let's hope for good news this time.

7. Cicada killers
     They are huge, nasty wasps that dig in the ground and drag cicadas down their holes for the young to feed on. The stingers are huge and the wasps do not like anyone near their nest. Problem is that they dig all over the garden. Under the broccoli, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini. It makes it difficult to do anything without being chased by one. Thankfully their season is almost over.

8. Green tomatoes
     I have about 50 tomato plants and they have lots of tomatoes on them, but they are staying green. I have been able to make one batch of salsa. That makes 5 pints. But, when they all turn. Holy Crap!

9. First day of school pictures
     Last week was the first day of school for a lot of kids around here. Facebook was just covered with first day of school pictures. I get it if the kid is just starting school. Other than that I just don't.

10. Golf carts
     OK, the nearest town to me has 1800 people. Look at the golf carts. I couldn't fit them all in the picture.

This was at the wedding I went to. Lots of people own golf carts in this town. By the way, they did not have enough chairs and we don't own a golf cart so we had to stand the whole time.

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Have a great Tuesday!

I am Just Going to Say It

I've been biting the big blogging ass.
Biting the blogger ass?
No, definitely biting the blogging ass.

I say I will do better and I never do.
I want to write something, but I never do.
I have nothing.

NOTHING!

OK, I have this.

What is the world coming to? You just can't take a horse for a walk on the bike/walking trail anymore.

Honeyman just started his new job and after years of doing everything in the evening and staying up til whenever, it is not quite a delight to have to go to bed early so I can get up at 5:30 to make his breakfast.

My oldest niece got married Sunday.
The guys wore kilts.
I tweeted Craig Ferguson about coming.
I even told him could wear his kilt.
Sadly, he did not come.

This Saturday, I have another wedding to go to.
This one is on a golf course.
Not in the club house-such as it is.
It's on the course.
I forget which hole.

To save them renting chairs, they wanted owners of golf carts to just use those.
And the bride was buying 100 cupcakes for the reception.
They invited 500 people.
I am sure that will be plenty.

We Have a Winner

Dave Mustaine from Megadeath shared this on Facebook.
For those of you that haven't heard, I thought I'd share.

Ten Things Tuesday- Changes

I have had a lot of things going on lately.
Some stressful and some a big relief.
Here's a rundown:

1. No TV in the living room
     We haven't gotten the outdoor antenna up, but we have a couple indoor antennas. Those are for the HDTVs. The third TV just sits there with no reception. It works to watch movies though.

2. Vacation time
     My husband got paid not to go to work. He gave notice and they gave him a deal so he took it. Lots of family time for a while.

3. No more lonely nights
     My husband found a new job. It is days and no weekends. After 7 years, I am more than ready for this.

4. Less pay
     The new job pays less so we will have to make some adjustments. I may be getting a job, the lower pay could mean the loan modification will actually work, and I may have to figure out how to pull money out of my ass.

5. New kitten
     Kiddo wanted a kitty from a friend. His name is Felix.

6. Permit time
     Kiddo finally got her permit. She had a lot of trouble so this last time, she took it orally instead of on the computer and she passed. The state has an app with a practice exam, but you can only get it if you have an android or iphone. The rest of the lowly people seem to have a lot of trouble passing, but the android and iphone people do great. Kudos to you, Iowa!

7. Cell phone
     My family is entering the modern age. We had to get a cell phone so Honeyman has one for work. They don't have pagers or radios, but give a monthly allowance for minutes used. It's not a "smart" phone, but it makes calls and that is all that matters.

8. Buying a dress
     I have nothing against dresses. I just never have a reason to wear them one since I never go anywhere. Now, I do. My oldest niece is getting' married in about a week so I need to find one. My first kilt wedding!

9. Having a kid on the go
     My daughter, at the ripe old age of 16, has found herself a social life. She's going to the pool or the beach, or to the MALL. It's a strange concept.

10. Lower stress levels.
     In a lot of ways, we have been happier with less money. This time is no exception. The atmosphere Honeyman was working in was horrible. The best thing about it was the insurance. That will be missed. But, it was like walking on pins and needles and never knowing what crap was coming down the pipe. It made things hard and it was affecting the home life. So, this is nice.

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Have a great Tuesday!

Ten Things Tuesday- Reasons I Got Rid of Directv

I finally got my antenna.
It's not hooked up yet.
I need the stuff to ground it.

After ordering one and not getting it,
using that refunded money to buy Christmas gifts,
and hunting high and low for another one.
I got it.

This week's ten things Tuesday is for all the reasons I am going over the air and saying good-bye to the dish.

1. Being treated like an idiot is not something I enjoy.
     I know how to read a manual and follow directions. But, sometimes, something just won't work. I call Directv to tell them what's wrong and they want me to do everything I just did. That didn't work the three times I tried. "Let's just try it again!" Turds!

2. Don't mess with my music channels.
     Whether you have Dish or Directv, radio stations come with the deal. Directv changed my channels. I had a favorite. They took that away. I found another one and they changed that one too. Turds!

3. Reality shows are the bane of my existence.
     You can take the Kardashians, Braxtons, Ax Men, Ice Road Truckers, Honey Boo Boo, etc., etc., etc. and set them on fire. The shows, not the people. That might be a little mean and it would smell really bad.

4. Same show, different channel.
     Over the years, there have been so many good shows on TV. But stations pick the new ones and show them all over. A few years ago, any hour of any day you could find Scrubs. After that, it was How I Met Your Mother. Now, it is Big Bang Theory. What happened to variety? Isn't that why we pay for 150 channels? Turds

5. The Audience channel blows.
     I think it used to have a different name. I don't remember. I do remember that they showed concerts most of the time. Now, they seldom do. Turds!

6. $104.48
     In the end, that was my bill a month. A $3 a year raise in price for programming, equipment or protection plan was the norm. If you got really lucky, they'd raise one and just a few months later, they'd raise another thing. When I called to cancel, they said they'd knock my bill down $35 and "that's less than new customers pay". Really? If you could charge that much, why didn't you? Turds!

7. Where's my anniversary gift?
     Directv started to do this nice thing after we dropped the movie channels( Later we did get Encore again). They started giving us three months free around the anniversary of me signing up. If I didn't like that channel, they'd add the one I wanted. Than one year, they just exchanged the one they gave me for the one I wanted. By the way, they always gave me the Showtime channels that I never watched. The last year I got a gift, they wouldn't even let me switch. What good is a gift that I am not going to use? Than, they just quit giving me a gift. But, they value my loyalty. Turds!

8. The Viacom/Directv debacle of 2012
     I remember it well. The only channels we watched much of were the Viacom channels like Comedy Central and VH1 Classic got taken off the air. Viacom wanted more money from Directv for showing the channels. Directv thought it was unfair to have to pay more even though they hadn't paid more in 7 years. Doesn't that seem a bit ironic? They bitch because they have to pay more, but it's OK to charge the consumer more EVERY year. To make up for the inconvenience that Viacom was causing Directv customers, they gave everyone free Encore channels. That's nice. But, we were already paying for those.
Like either one is in the right. Just greed. Directv generates a profit of $2 Billion per quarter. As of last year. Turds!

9. The storms make my dish go out.
     If something nasty is coming, losing my local channels showing weather and radar is not good. Speaking of weather, what happened to the Weather Channel? It really has gone to crap.

10. The movie channels have gone to pot.
     When I was a teen, the movie channels had fairly new movies. Just wait a few months and it would be on HBO. Now, all the premium channels are is older movies with a newer one sprinkled in once in a while. I have a theory that the premium channels made a deal with Directv( Dish, probably too) not to show movies that would compete with the movies on pay per view. Directv needs to make it's $4.99 a movie and they can't do that if it's available on HBO or Stars. The movie channels are possibly in cahoots with the movie studio/dvd sales too. Turds!

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Have a great Tuesday!

Ten Things Tuesday- TV Show Names

Do you ever wonder where some people get their ideas when they name a TV show?
Some I understand.
Some I just don't get.

That's this week's Ten Things Tuesday. It's a list of TV show names that are weird.

1. Top Hooker
     It's a fishing reality show. Really, it sounds like a show about the best prostitute. Last week I saw an advertisement for it and they said "See which top hooker is going down!". I am sure if she is paid enough, she will. I just can't make this stuff up.

2. Graceland
     I am not sure what this is about, but something tells me it isn't Elvis.

3. The Real Housewives of ___________.
     Insert whatever place you want. I might be wrong, but don't a lot of these women have businesses or never do normal housewifey things?

4. The Willis Report
     Yes, it's a serious show. When I see the title, in my head I hear " What chu talkin' 'bout, Willis?"

5. Two and a Half Men
     I have never been a fan of this show. The kid is not funny or cute and Jon Cryer's character is so annoying. I used to like Jon Cryer. In fact, he was the ONLY redeeming quality of the movie Pretty in Pink.
OK, half a man cause he's a kid. Still lame. Now, he's not a kid and from what I have read, he is not on the show half the time anymore.

6. Design on a Dime
     I wish. What I consider an inexpensive remodel and what the people in this show do are two very different things.

7. Tanked
     Sadly, this show is not about people that are so drunk(and funny) they should be in the drunk tank.
This show is about people that make fancy fish tanks. I have one question. WHY?

8. Loaded
     Once again, not a show about booze. Or guns. It's a show on the weather channel. I guess it's about trucking. On the weather channel.

9. Beer Money
     What? These two guys go to bars and ask people trivia questions and pay them if they answer right. I guess that makes sense, but it's still a weird name.

10. Cat Chat
     OK, who thought this was a show about cats? It's a religious show. Cat is short for catholic.

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Have a great Tuesday!

Say What?

So, I Goofed!

As much as it pains me to admit, this happens more than it should.

I like to think of myself as somewhat computer savy.
I know my way around the internet.

Apparently, I still have some things to learn.

A big, glaring example is this whole google reader going away.
I thought I knew what the reader was.

All these blog posts about getting this so you will still see your favorite blog updates.
So, I went and got bloglovin, thinking I am going to lose my updates.

I never even used google reader.
Hell, I thought they meant my blog list on my dashboard.

There is a difference between the dashboard and the reader?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The reader was supposed to go away on July 1 and I was baffled that the blogs were still appearing in my reader.
Or, what I KNEW was my reader.

So, I investigated and found out the reader is something completely different.

Why did I even get bloglovin?
I don't know.

And come to find out, it is not even sending me everything.
I thought it was and thought it was odd that this person or that person hadn't posted AGAIN.

Once again, I looked into that and found out those blogs had lots of posts I hadn't even seen.

Oh, the stupidity!

Ten Things Tuesday- The Independence Day Edition

There's that old joke: What country has the 4th of July?
Answer: They all do.

True.
But, you never see Happy Independence Day anymore.
It's always Happy 4th of July.

I am bringing Independence Day back.
Calling days of significance by nothing more than a date is a pet peeve of mine.


 This week's Ten Things Tuesday is what Independence Day is all about.

1. Declaration of Independence
     It was signed by the 2nd Continental Congress July 4, 1776. That's why we celebrate that date.
  The link above goes to the original document.

2. Fireworks
     Lots of cities set them off. Some states they are illegal to shoot off, but people do it anyway. In Iowa, most fireworks are illegal. Sparklers are fine and lots of people give them to little kids to play with. I really don't see how that is safe. But, if you have $10,000 to get a permit, it can be legal.

3. The movie
     It stars Will Smith and everyone's favorite actor in glasses. Yes, I am talking about Jeff Goldbloom. They show it every year at this time. Sometimes over and over and on several channels.

4. Knee high by the 4th of July
     It's a saying, in case you have never heard it. It's about corn and it is good to have your corn plants knee high by now. It means a good year.

5. Ka-ching!
     It's the day off with pay. If you are lucky.
It's the paid 1 to 2-1/2 times for working that day. If you're lucky.

6. The day you hope nothing breaks down.
     Cause no one will come to fix it. No one will answer the phone.
No A/C? Suck it up, buttercup!

7.  The flag
     It's a day when the not so patriotic become very patriotic. Break out the flag napkins and flag tiki torches.
Make a flag cake and eat a red, white, and blue cupcake.

8. Camping
     Lots of people camp over the holiday. The campgrounds are usually packed.

9. Grilling!
     Oh how I love to grill. Any excuse is a good excuse to grill. I will grill anything. Bread dough, zucchini, beer can chicken. It's all good!

10. Cops
     They love this time of year. Catch some drunk drivers, maybe confiscate some boom booms or give fines to those who shoot them off.

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Have a great Tuesday!

But Why?

Damn! I was really wanting to smoke here, too. What is their problem?

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Cowboys Need Saved

This is where they turn.

Conveniently located along I-80 in Newton, Iowa.

Ten Things Tuesday- Plans

Some of us are planners and some of us aren't.
I am a planner.
Not so much out of choice.
More out of necessity.

Years ago, Honeyman and I were spontaneous.
Than life threw us a curve.
Plans had to be made.
Always.

No plan and it didn't happen.
Sometimes even with plans, it didn't happen.

This week's ten things Tuesday is about life and planning.

1. Hell was paved with good intentions.
     My mom used to say this all the time. You can mean to do one thing- you have a plan- and it just goes horribly wrong.

2. " Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans."- John Lennon
     This is one of my favorite quotes. No matter what, you can't plan everything. Too many variables. I didn't plan a lot of things in my life, but there they are.

3. The best laid plans...
     You can think you have all your bases covered. But, something can always happen.

4. Plan on it.
     That's what you tell people when they ask you to do something with them.

5. Plan B
     This is what you do when Plan A doesn't work. Try to always have a fallback.
Also, the name of an album by Huey Lewis and the News. And I think it's a contraceptive for those times when you didn't plan ahead.

6. Simple Plan
     Cause, who wants complicated? And it's a band.


7. It threw me a curve.
     Something came out of nowhere and screwed everything up. Ain't life grand?

8. Menu plan
     That's what I should do. But, I don't. An hour before supper, I say " Is there anything special you'd like?" I used to plan meals. Now, it's what is in the house that I can put together.

9. My being productive in the morning plan
      I am not a morning person. But, summer comes and Kiddo has to return her laptop to school so it is back to one computer. Since she is a teen and sleeps pretty late, I decided I would do all my blogging in the morning so she can have the computer later. I have brain function problems early in the day so it's not really working according to plan.

10. The budget
     It's a plan of what to spend how much on what. But, it's hard to stay on track. We get a bill paid off so I should be able to put that extra money toward paying off another bill. That doesn't work. The gas budget and food budget had to be revised. It is indeed a quandary. I hate budgets!

Are you are a planner or do you just go with the flow?
Does it work well?
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Have a great Tuesday!

Just Call Me Queen R

I have decided too many people in this world could benefit from my control guidance.
Therefore, I should share my expertise in life skills.

I shall forthwith be known as  Queen R., the one to rule them all.

I need to teach people to once again use commonsense.
To know what it means to think for oneself without the need of "experts".

For the people that live in another plane of existence that seems to have no basis in reality,
I will give them a much needed reality check.

For the ones submerged "up to here" in reality,
I propose a couple weeks to get away from it.

Even though reality can suck,
you can't escape it forever.
Sorry!

For the morality challenged,
I am gonna stick them in the muck where they belong.

For the ones that work hard and play by the rules.
I will give them their just due.

I could go after the corporations and corruption and greed.
But, the way I figure, if I help the people out by doing all the other stuff this part gets taken care of.

I could go after governments.
But, since I am now Queen R.
I run things.
No other government needed.

Pimping Out the Sis

 My oldest sister is a very creative person.
She has always wanted to be a writer and finally published her own ebook on kindle and paperback.

Go here to check it out. That link is to the kindle book. For some reason they didn't upload together so to check out the paperback click this link.

The book is a short story and is in the fantasy genre.
If this is well received, she plans to offer a compilation of short stories.

She also makes jewelry and has her own business. Stone Circle Designs is a great place to get handmade jewelry for you or for a good gift for someone else.

She has even nicer items pictured on her website. Link above. Stone Circle Designs is also on Facebook.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to give her a little exposure.

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Apparently she got the books linked together now so either link will take you to both editions.

The Dreaded Whirlygig

Sure, it looks innocent enough, sitting all by itself in the grass. But, don't let it fool you. It wants to take over the world, leaving nothing in it's wake except for maple trees.


Remember Bob, my barking squirrel? He does his best, eating the ones that fall into the garage gutters. But, there are just too many.

This is what they do.
They show up every spring and wait for just the right time to make their move.
All they need to some wind and they are off.

Next they need a good spot to land, preferably moist, bare earth.
Than, they do their thing.

They sprout little baby maple trees.

 Now, this year has been a great year for the whirlygig. The plan is working.

The perfect storm for them-
Lots of wind from storms going just the right direction.
Lots of rain to make the earth moist.
Lots of fertile bare earth in which to sprout.

This is my garden, full of little trees.

It is too wet to till and too wet to hoe much.
When it starts to dry out to get in, it rains again.

Where all the little trees are is where my sweetcorn is supposed to be.

I will not be overrun!
Those trees are going down!

Ten Things Tuesday- Got It Goin' On

Lots of things have been going on around here.
Thought I'd take this opportunity to share.
Plus, I can't think of a theme today.

1. Rain
     Too much. I didn't get half my garden in and my sweetcorn didn't come up. Too wet to replant and by the time it ever dries out enough it will be too late.

2. Kiddo got her 2nd Dan in taekwondo.
     That's a second degree black belt. She tested Sunday and she did amazing.

3. Made a pie
     I love pie. I haven't successfully made one since I gave up wheat. I tried a rhubarb pie and while I need practice rolling out a gluten free crust, I still have pie. I love pie!

4. Picking asparagus

     I am still growing my patch, but in a couple years I may be bartering or selling my asparagus.

5. Harvesting rhubarb

     The stalks got plenty big this year. I love rhubarb!

6. Finding ticks
     I usually never have a problem with them. I've found them on me, but never been bitten. Til this year. I found it right after it bit and it gave me a nice red mark for a few days, but it's all good. No lyme disease. I know you were concerned.

7. Still helping Honeyman on his weight loss journey
     He has lost 35 pounds since January. He is doing good there.

8. Nursing my tomato plant back to life

     It is doing well. Somehow it busted off at the ground. Since it had a cage around it, I am not sure what happened. But, it's looking pretty good.

9. Planting
     In between days of rain, I did get some plants in the ground. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, basil, and oregano. Oh and the corn that didn't come up. Or the watermelon or pumpkin that also didn't come up.

10. Questioning my still watching the news
      Reporters asking really stupid questions is getting to me, the repeated typos( I may typo here, but I don't get paid to get it right), and the complete lack of simple math skills is pathetic. Last night my local news said that 56% of people approved of the government listening to our phone calls and 46% disapprove. How can you ask everyone, which is 100%, and come up with over 100 %? They not only read it, but put it up big on the screen. Two weeks ago another news said that the CDC announced that 20% of children had a mental disorder, but only 1 in 5 were getting treatment. Huh?I guess that lady from the IRS isn't the only one not goof with math.

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Have a great Tuesday!

Drawing a Line

Sometimes that is what you gotta do.
Over the last few weeks I have become increasing frustrated with doing surveys.

They are paying less.
They are starting to implement fees to pay me.
They are sending less surveys.

The less surveys I get.
The paying less to do longer surveys is not kosher.
The charging of fees on top of that is just...
Enough is enough.

Now some sites are "improving" things.
Translation= it is going to suck for you, but deal with it.

I have decided to change things.
The surveys helped out for a long time.

But, it taking too much time for what I am getting now.

Trying to make money with that is taking time away from the ebook I started.
It got messed up so I have to start over.

I decided to take more time on my blogs, which have gotten very neglected lately.
Blogging is my outlet and I need that.

I did make a facebook page for Ruth's Yummy Stuff. I also gave that blog it's own domain. If you want to check out my blog, click the link above.
If you'd like to check Ruth's Yummy Stuff on facebook, you can do that by clicking here.
I don't have much on there yet.

Making the decision to phaseout doing surveys has been tough.
But, in other ways I feel better.

What's really going to suck is to have to shell out money for things instead of just using the amazon gift money in my account.

Ten Things Tuesday- Fun Facts

I collect little tidbits of information that I like to call fun facts.
So, for this week's Ten Things Tuesday, I am going to share some with you.

1. Only 50% of people can smell asparagus pee.
     Those people have the required gene to do so. Does the lucky person have the gene or not?

2. The CDC says that 20% of children have some type of mental problems but only 1 in 5 gets treatment.
     Why is this fun? 1 in 5 is 20%. Saw this scroll on the ticker of the news. Not sure if it was a typo or if the CDC doesn't know math.

3. In Iowa, fireworks are illegal to shoot off.
     However, you can buy fireworks and sit around and look at them as long as you don't set them off.

4.  The singer Eddie Money used to be Officer Mahoney.
     Before he became a singer Edward Mahoney was a police officer. I find this funny because Officer Mahoney was the name of a character in Police Academy.

5. There are 5,000 cults operating in the US today.
     They collectively bring in $70 BILLION a year. Maybe I should start a cult.

6. Ground meat used to be the priciest.
     Now, it's the cheapest. Figure that one out.

7. Gelatin comes from cooking animal bones, connective tissue, etc.
     When the broth is cooled, you get a jelly like substance. To make jello, it is powdered, flavored, colored, and stuck in a box. Who wants jell-o?

8. Rubbing fresh basil over an insect bite will make it quit itching.
     It works. I have tried it. Just don't rub too hard or it doesn't last.

9. Twizzlers are made with wheat.
     About a year ago, Honeyman bought some and I read the ingredients list. Wheat. What the crap? In candy? It's everywhere.

10.  Xmas comes from the Greek X or Chi which is the beginning of the word  Χριστός  which translates to Christ in English. The mas part comes from mass, of course.
     It is NOT meant to take Christ out of Christmas.

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Have a great Tuesday!

Healthy Blog Hop- Healthy Fats

I don't do a lot of blog hops, but this one caught my attention. The Get Healthy Blog Hop is hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, Stephen Tremp, Diane Wolfe, and Michael Di Gesu.
It is, of course, today and is about sharing what we are doing to be healthy.
As, I am all about health. This is right up my alley.
I have always been interested in doing as much as I can to be healthy and get better if sick without using drugs.
Eat to live is my motto. I have books of natural remedies and home food remedies.
A few years back, I ended up with a copy of The Coconut Diet. I don't even remember ordering it, but it came to my house.
I looked through it and put it down. Later on, I picked it up again and I read it. Really read it.
And it opened my eyes to all the things that I was doing that I believed was healthy and really isn't.
I learned fat, truly healthy fat is not the big bad boogie man.
We all need fat. It's the lubrication for our brains and our bodies.
Coconut oil is not a bad oil. Sure the hydrogenated, refined kind is. But the organic, virgin coconut oil is healthy.
Many of the cooking oils you can buy today are so heavy refined that they aren't healthy.
Lots of people think I am goofy when I tell them that coconut oil is good for you.
That's OK.
It speeds up metabolism, helps your cholesterol, blood sugar, along with blood pressure.
So, the fats I cook with are organic coconut oil, organic, olive oil, and organic butter. Also, some grape seed oil sometimes.
Coconut oil does not taste like coconut. It has a slight coconutty smell, but that is it.
My husband doesn't like eating coconut, but he eats the oil with no problem.
I gave up canola oil a long time ago. It is supposed to be so healthy, but it is most likely GMO and even it is not, it is very heavily refined. At one point it was pretty much all I cooked with.
I feel better since I quit eating it. So does my husband.
There are so many things I could say about what I do to stay healthy, but that could go on and on.
I chose fats because the truly healthy fats get a bad wrap and what have been taught about what healthy fats are comes from flawed studies.
Too much of anything is not good for you. But, at the same time too little fat is not healthy either.
If you'd like to read more benefits of coconut oil, check out mercola.com or just do a search on coconut oil benefits.

Have a healthy day!