6:41 p.m. - 2006-01-28
poupourri
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Currently Reading
The Bay at Midnight
By Diane Chamberlain
Today I have several different things on my mind. Just things I have observed in the past few days that might be of interest to some of you, Well - at least I hope so.
Several months ago, I wrote an entry about how people select the books they read. Some, of course, will see the author's name and based on past experience, will immediately choose the book. It could be Danielle Steele, or Robert Ludlow, or Jodi Picoult or Diane Chamberlain. You just KNOW the book will be great. Some people choose the book on their first impressions, the cover, the title or the synopsis on the front or back cover.
I took note when I was at K-Mart yesterday and walking through the book section on what caught my eye. It was all three. If I saw an author I liked, I would check out the synopsis. Most of the time, it was the cover picture and then the title. I always find many books that look so interesting and then I look for them at the library. I also will look at the book if it is an Oprah book club selection or an award winning book.
I also noticed the behavior of young children with their parents in the store, I heard more kids complaining and whining yesterday and today than I have in a very long time. One mother was talking about getting something for her daughter's room when it was redecorated and the child was saying "I Hate that, it's so ugly. I don't want to have that in my room". Then I could hear her stomping across the aisle and when I looked at her, she was about 11 years old. About that time, I heard some child screaming and when I saw them, it was a little boy about 12 months old, pointing at a doll and screaming because his father didn't know he wanted it. Why are these children so badly behaved? Are they overwhelmed with toys and get whatever they want? Are they tired because they don't get regular naps? Are they overly stimulated because they don't stay home and play? I believe that most young people have no imagination. They are bombarded with video games, TV, CDs, music, noise and have never learned to sit quietly and play with a puzzle, a board game, blocks or read a book. I am so glad my son enjoys reading as much as I do and now his wife and his 2 step-daughters love to read and draw and play card games too.
That brings me to another thought. How often do we take our loved ones for granted? How often do we think - Well, they know I love them, I don't need to give them a hug or a kiss today. We can take pictures tomorrow, we can plan a big family reunion next year. You know as we are getting older, our time here on earth is getting shorter. Please don't put off for tomorrow what you really want today. Spent time with your friends and loved ones because you never know when it will be the last time.
A family who lives in our area had a fire on Friday. The mother always does a load of laundry and puts it into the dryer when she leaves to take her children to school. The dryer caught on fire and when she returned home, the basement and lower level were burning and there was damage on the main floor for a total of about $50,000. All within a few minutes. I have been guilty of turning the dryer on when I have left the house to go to the store. I won't be doing that again. Also, take the lint filter out of your dryer and wash it in the kitchen sink. The fabric softener sheets we use plug the holes. It isn't enough to take the lint off the filter; you need to wash it. You will be surprised how much less time it will take to dry a load if you clean the filter regularly and it is safer too.
Finally, this is from the flylady.com. It is very important to read this. It has good information on taking care of yourself and your family in the event of a disaster or health epidemic.
Avian Flu
Last night she attended a meeting regarding a pandemic and how
disaster volunteers would respond. This is just in the beginning
stages and may Never happen, (we can only pray) but we were told how to be better prepared if and when this happens. They have said, there will be little the government can do so it will have to be handled at the community levels as it will be EVERYWHERE and probably all at the same time. That is why we must prepare now.
So...... please stock your cupboards with a minimum of 2 weeks worth
of food and water. It may be that you will not be leaving your
home....expect the worst so that you are prepared.
Go down to hardware store and buy N95 masks for yourself and your
family members. They come in packs of 3 and are in different sizes.
Make sure they fit properly.
Once it becomes pandemic, these will not be on the shelves and it will
be to LATE! As far as Tamiflu, they don't even know if it will work,
not alot you can do at this time.
One more thing...if you have babies or small children, make sure you
always have at least 1 month supply of formula...etc.
**********************************
FlyLady here: This is a section in our Control Journals, but it
doesn't do you any good if you have not put the plan into action.
Staying home will help to prevent the spread of any flu bug. This is
hard to do if you don't have food in the house. At this point you
would need to look at your home as the evacuation center.
Here is my 11 Points of Preparedness for an Evacuation
1. PEOPLE: Have a plan for getting out of the house and make sure
everyone knows it. Have an emergency bag of food and water for your
family. Include wholesome snacks and treats for the children: dried
fruit, nuts, peanut butter, crackers and granola bars.
2. PETS: Keep pet carriers and leashes readily available to lead pets
to safety. Also take pet food with you.
3. PICTURES: Keep negatives or CDs of pictures in a lock box or at a
family member's home. Have picture albums in one place ready to grab
and go at a moments notice.
4. PAPERS: Have all your important papers in a lock box at a bank and
only keep copies at the house. This keeps you from panicking. If you
have them at home then put them in a folder that you can easily grab
if you have to move fast. Color code it so you can find it!
5. PRESCRIPTIONS: Take your medications with you. Don't forget the
ones that have to be refrigerated like insulin. Have small ice chest
and cold packs readily accessible to pack and go. If you have babies;
remember their formula or medications.
6. PURSES and PETRO: This is where you keep your identification,
credit cards and cash. Keep a stash of cash for emergencies and grab
it. You may not be able to use an ATM in the event of a power outage.
Make sure your car always has a half a tank of gas.
7. PROPER CLOTHES and COMFORT ITEMS: According to the weather
conditions; gather up a change of clothes along with outer clothing:
coats, rain gear, boots, gloves and hats. If you have babies remember
diapers. Remember to grab your children's favorite blanket, stuffed
animal or toy. A game or a deck of cards could keep them occupied and
calm too.
8. PLANNER/CALENDAR/CONTROL JOURNAL: These documents have all the information you will need from phone numbers, insurance numbers and
important dates. They are small and filled with things you don't have
to try to remember.
9. PERSONAL PROTECTION: Many of us still have that time of the month.
Be sure and grab a box of your preferred protection. It may be hard to
find if you have been evacuated. Stress can cause our bodies to do
strange things too. So be prepared. Take medication for cramps too.
10. PHONES, RADIOS, FUEL FOR THE CAR: Many of us have cell phones now. Always keep them charged up and have a charger in the car or an extra
battery. They may not work in the event of power outages, but then they might. Know which local radio station has emergency bulletins. Keep your battery powered radio tuned to that local station and have plenty of batteries for it. Also keep a old type regular phone that does not operate with electricity. GAS PUMPS don't work without power either. You can't leave if your car is on empty. So keep your car fuel tank topped off when it hits a half of tank. This way you will have gas to drive at least a couple of hours. Evacuation
routes are usually bumper to bumper traffic. Having a tank filled will
keep you less stressed.
11. PATIENCE: This is one of the most important things to pack. Keep
it inside of you so that you have a clear calm head. Having your P's
to Preparedness list guiding you will keep you patient. In the event
of an evacuation there will be lots of displaced people. Being patient
will make things less stressful. Your children need to see you calm
and collected. This will help keep them calm too.
We can FLY in the face of Danger and Emergency if we are prepared.
Don't wait till you are being asked to evacuate. Everyone thinks that
it could not happen to them. Well it could and it is up to you to make
sure you are prepared. Don't wait! DO IT NOW!! -- FlyLady
###############
Now I think we need some humor to top off this entry.
@@@@@@@
If you can't smile after reading this, your smiler must be broken.
We Is Friends!
Me And You Is Friends
You Smile, I Smile
You Hurt, I Hurt
You Cry, I Cry
You Jump Off A Bridge . . .
I Gonna Miss Your E-Mails
%%%%%%%%%%
this is just good sense....Please read and pay attention:
SCENE 1. This is a new one.
A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker. After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker open, and thought to himself, "Funny, I thought I locked the locker. Hmmmmm." He dressed and just flipped the wallet to make sure all was in order. Everything looked okay - all cards were in place.
A few weeks later his credit card bill came - a whooping bill of $14,000!
He called the credit card company and started yelling at them, saying that he did not make the transactions. Customer care personnel verified that there was no mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen.
"No," he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit card, and yep - you guessed it - a switch had been made. An expired similar credit card from the same bank was in the wallet. The thief broke into his locker at the gym and switched cards.
Verdict: The credit card issuer said since he did not report the card missing earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them. How much did he have to pay for items he did not buy? $9,000! Why were there no calls made to verify the amount swiped? Small amounts rarely trigger a "warning bell" with some credit card companies. It just so happens that all the small amounts added up to big one!
SCENE 2. A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit card. The bill for the meal came, he signed it, and the waitress folded the receipt and passed the credit card along.
Usually, he would just take it and place it in his wallet or pocket. Funny enough, though, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and behold, it was the expired card of another person! . He called the waitress and she looked perplexed. She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to the counter under the watchful eye of the man. All the waitress did while walking to the counter was wave the wrong expired card to the counter cashier, and the counter cashier immediately looked down and took out the real card. No exchange of words --- nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an apology.
Verdict: Make sure the credit cards in your wallet at yours. Check the name on the card every time you sign for something and/or the card is taken away for even a short period of time. Many people just take back the credit card without even looking at it, "assuming" that it has to be theirs. FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION!
SCENE 3: Yesterday I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order that I had called in. I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of course, is linked directly to my checking account.
The young man behind the counter took my card, swiped it, then laid it on the counter as he waited for the approval, which is pretty standard procedure. While he waited, he picked up his cell phone and started dialing.
I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then I heard a click that sounded like my phone sounds when I take a picture. He then gave me back my card but kept the phone in his hand as if he was still pressing buttons. Meanwhile, I'm thinking: I wonder what he is taking a picture of, oblivious to what was really going on. It then dawned on me: the only thing there was my credit card, so now I'm paying close attention to what he is doing.
He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open. About five seconds later, I heard the chime that tells you that the picture has been saved.
Now I'm standing there struggling with the fact that this boy just took a picture of my credit card. Yes, he played it off well, because had we not had the same kind of phone, I probably would never have known what happened. Needless to say, I immediately canceled that card as I was walking out of the pizza parlor.
All I am saying is, be aware of your surroundings at all times. Whenever you are using your credit cards, take caution and don't be careless. Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing when you use your card. Be aware of phones because many have a camera phone these days.
When you are in a restaurant and the waiter/waitress brings your card and receipt for you to sign, make sure you scratch the number off. Some restaurants are using only the last four digits, but a lot of them are still putting the whole thing on there. I have already been a victim of credit card fraud and, believe me, it is not fun. The truth is that they can get you even when you are careful, but don't make it easy for them.
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Subject: I Love My Job! I Love My Job! I Love My Job!
Next time you have a bad day at work . . . think of this guy.
Rob is a commercial saturation diver for Global Divers in
Louisiana. He performs underwater repairs on offshore drilling rigs. Below is an email he sent to his sister. She then sent it to radio station 103.2 on FM dial in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, who was sponsoring a "Worst Job Experience" contest. Needless to say, she won.
Here's the letter ----
Hi Sue,
Just another note from your bottom-dwelling brother. Last week I had a bad day at the office. I know you've been feeling kind of down lately, so I thought I would share my dilemma with you to make you realize it's not so bad after all. Before I can tell you what happened to me, I first must bore you with a few technicalities of my job.
As you know, my office lies at the bottom of the sea. I wear a suit to the office. It's a wetsuit. This time of year the water is quite cool. So what we do to keep warm is this: We have a diesel powered industrial water heater.
This $20,000 piece of equipment sucks the water out of the sea. It heats it to a delightful temperature. It then pumps it down to the diver through hose, similar to a garden hose, which is taped to the air hose. Now this sounds like a darn good plan, and I've used it several times with no complaints.
What I do, when I get to the bottom and start working, is take the hose and stuff it down the back of my wetsuit. This floods my whole suit with warm water. It's like working in a Jacuzzi.
Everything was going well until all of a sudden, my butt started
to itch. So, of course, I scratched it. This only made things worse. Within a few seconds my butt started to burn. I pulled the hose out from my back,but the damage was done. In agony I realized what had happened. The hot water machine had sucked up a very small jellyfish and pumped it into my suit. Since I don't have any hair on my back, the jellyfish couldn't stick to it. However, the crack of my butt was not as fortunate.
When I scratched what I thought was an itch, I was actually
grinding the jellyfish into the crack of my butt. I informed the dive supervisor of my dilemma over the communicator. His instructions were unclear due to the fact that he, along with five other divers, were all laughing hysterically.
Needless to say I aborted the dive. I was instructed to make three agonizing in-water decompress ion stops totaling thirty-five minutes before I could reach the surface to begin my chamber dry decompression.
When I arrived at the surface, I was wearing nothing but my brass helmet. As I climbed out of the water, the medic, with tears of laughter running down his face, handed me a tube of cream and told me to rub it on my butt as soon as I got in the chamber. The cream put the fire out, but I couldn't poop for two days because my butt was swollen shut.
So, next time you're having a bad day at work, think about how much worse it would be if you had a jellyfish shoved up your butt.
Now repeat to yourself, "I love my job, I love my job, I love my job".
######
Subject: trucker
A trucker who has been out on the road for three weeks stops into a brothel
outside Vegas. He walks straight up to the Madam, drops down $500 and says,
"I want your ugliest woman and a bologna sandwich!!!"
The Madam is astonished. "But sir, for that kind of money you could have one
of my finest ladies and a three-course meal."
The trucker replies, "Listen, sweetheart, I ain't horny; I'm homesick
##########***
The Veterinarian
One Sunday, in counting the money in the weekly offering, the pastor of
a small Florida church found a pink envelope containing $1000. It
happened again the next week.
The following Sunday, he watched as the offering was collected and saw a
little old lady put the distinctive pink envelope in the plate. This
went on for weeks until the pastor, overcome by curiosity, approached
her. "Ma'am, I couldn't help but notice that you put $1,000 a week in
the collection plate," he stated.
"Why yes," she replied, "every week my son sends me money, and I give
some of it to the church."
The pastor replied, "That's wonderful, how much does he send you?"
The old lady said, "$10,000 a week."
The pastor was amazed. "Your son is very successful; what does he do for
a living?"
"He is a veterinarian," she answered.
"That is an honorable profession," the pastor said. "Where does he
practice?"
The old lady said proudly, "In Nevada. He has two cat houses in Las
Vegas and one in Reno."
##########
Subject: The Fuse
A body builder walks into a bar, and after a while and a few drinks, picks up a girl, and decided to head back to his place. By the time they got home he saw that the girl was so excited that he rips off his shirt, points to the bulging biceps and says, "See these baby - 1000lbs. of dynamite!"
The girl becomes even more excited. Seeing this, he then tears off his jeans, points to his muscular thighs and says, "See these baby - 1000lbs. of dynamite!"
The girl can hardly contain herself at this point. So finally, he drops his "fruit of the looms". The girl jumps up and runs for the door, the guy catches up with her and says, "Baby, where are you going?"
She replies, "With 2000lbs. of dynamite and such a short fuse I was afraid you were going to explode!"
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Weird Facts
American car horns beep in the tone of F.
The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache.
Mosquito repellents don't repel. They hide you. The spray blocks the
mosquito's sensors so they don't know you're there.
Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.
The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.
Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.
The first owner of the Marlboro company died of lung cancer.
Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.
Betsy Ross is the only real person to ever have been the head on a Pez
dispenser.
The citrus soda 7-UP was created in 1929; "7" was selected because the
original containers were 7 ounces. "UP" indicated the direction of the bubbles.
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times.
1 in every 4 Americans has appeared on television.
Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty years of age or older.
A Boeing 747's wingspan is longer than the Wright brothers' first flight.
The albatross drinks sea water. It has a special desalinization apparatus
that strains out and excretes all excess salt.
In Clarendon, Texas, there is reportedly a law on the books that lawyers must accept eggs, chickens, or other produce, as well as money, as payment of legal fees.
Cats purr at 26 cycles per second, the same as an idling diesel engine.
A dragonfly flaps its wings 20 to 40 times a second, bees and houseflies 200
times, some mosquitoes 600 times, and a tiny gnat 1,000 times.
Adolf Hitler's mother seriously considered having an abortion but was talked out of it by her doctor.
Marilyn Monroe had six toes.
The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum.
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
The combination "ough" can be pronounced in nine different ways. The
following sentence contains them all: "A rough-coated, dough-faced,
thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough; after
falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed."
Facetious and abstemious contain all the vowels in the correct order, as
does arsenious, meaning "containing arsenic."
The United States has never lost a war in which mules were used.
Blueberry Jelly Bellies were created especially for Ronald Reagan.
All porcupines float in water.
Cat's urine glows under a black light.
Non-dairy creamer is flammable.
When opossums are playing 'possum', they are not "playing." They actually
pass out from sheer terror
A group of unicorns is called a blessing.
Twelve or more cows are known as a "flink."
A group of frogs is called an army.
A group of rhinos is called a crash.
A group of kangaroos is called a mob
A group of whales is called a pod.
A group of ravens is called a murder.
A group of officers is called a mess.
A group of larks is called an exaltation.
A group of owls is called a parliament.
Ivory bar soap floating was a mistake. They had been overmixing the soap
formula causing excess air bubbles that made it float. Customers wrote and
told how much they loved that it floated, and it has floated ever since. [It floats in gasoline, too.]
If you could count the number of times a cricket chirps in one minute,
divide by 2, add 9 and divide by 2 again, you would have the correct
temperature in Celsius degrees
During the Civil War, Robert E. Lee was offered command of the Union Army
before he accepted his post with the Confederacy.
Margaret Higgins Sanger, the birth-control pioneer, was one of eleven
children.
There are more than 15,000 different varieties of rice.
When a man died in ancient Egypt, the females in his family would smear
their heads and faces with mud and wander through the city beating
themselves and tearing off their clothes.
Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it will digest itself.
Good Night
