Luanne's Spot

Just Beat It

2009-06-26T13:35:00.002-04:00

Today is the day after we lost Michael Jackson, an artist who I grew up with as a kid. As I set here, working in my office and the kids are off from school. A chill went down my spine when I could hear my seventeen year old son playing "Beat It" by Michael Jackson. It's like an echo because even on the major news networks that I watch (CNN and MSNBC) they're playing all of the great hits or bits of them from Michael. It just amazes me how much of an impact he truly did have on all of us, even the newer generation. I'm pleased that Michael was such a big part of my youth as well. It saddens me though that as he grew older, he just never seemed to be truly happy. He was always trying to find ways to improve his happiness or self worth. What a shame that he lived such a traumautic life? I know that I will be glued to the news programs as more information about his life comes out. I've always wondered about his skin tone changing color. I honestly have always believed that it was a genetic thing and have always "had his back" when others would criticize him. I truly believe though that Michael was in his "own little world". It's really too bad, but with his fame, I guess he didn't have much of a choice but to just do what made him feel good. I have to say, "good for you Michael for staying true to yourself". I look forward to hearing the music which you never shared with the world. What a sad day for the world.

You will be missed.

McKean County for Barack Obama

2008-09-24T22:25:00.002-04:00

Are you interested in helping with the campaign locally to help Barack Obama win the 2008 Presidential Election.

Feel free to email for additional information.

A Brotha from Anutha Motha

2007-05-01T08:11:00.001-04:00

If you had a brother from another mother somewhere out there in the world, would you want to know? Would you want to find him? Would you be concerned about connecting with him in fear of hurting either of your mother's feelings? How would the Mom's feel about it? Would each of them encourage or discourage you to find someone who was half related to you?

I'm personally in this dilemma myself, in fact, my son has two half brothers, and both of them are from other mothers, but the three boys are all related and I want to see them "together" or at least to meet each other. If I'm not mistaken, all three of the boys are "only" children from each of those mothers. I know now that the oldest boy, also has his own child, so that would mean that the other two boys are uncle's to this child. Half uncles, but still uncles.

What would you do if you KNEW you had found one of the "other brothers" but he had NO idea who you were, this "weird" woman contacting me via the internet. Do I dare to tell this young man that he has a half brother? Does he even know that he has these other two brothers? Has his Mom ever said to him, "Honey, you have two half brothers out there in this world."

My son knows he has two half brothers and has recently been doing web searches for them. Now I'm concerned that he'll find them and not handle this delicately and he'll just say, "Hey, I'm your half brother." Now, the recipient of that news will go "HUH? What are you smokin'?" Or will he say, "Cool, I always knew I had a brother out there, but had no idea how to find you or where to even begin." His mother and I were never close, because, well, you know, the ole love triangle sort of plays in here and we were always kept away from each other, never allowed to share notes. I was young and vulnerable in the big city. It's all history now and all of us have moved on with our lives. For the sake of "getting in the middle" I'm sorry that I did that, but I don't regret having my son. At this point in our lives, I just think it would be so awesome for him to know his brother, even if he was only a half brother.

I DID find one of my son's half brothers and now I'm not sure which step to take next. I've told my son's biological father that my son wants to meet the oldest half brother, who now lives in NC, but who knows if he'll help us to "make it happen". Hopefully, I'll hear from the middle son's aunt who I knew first so I can run it past her, to see what they know and if she thinks that the middle son is even interested. I know if I were the one with other siblings out there, I would want to know them.

How would you feel about it? What would you do? Should I pursue this or let well enough alone??

A Typical Nigerian Scam!!

2007-04-27T15:11:00.000-04:00

I am so sick and tired of receiving these emails. Don't these people have anything better to do. I am NOT a mugu and have no interest in a romance with a man who lives 5,505 miles away from me. I WILL NOT send you money!! I DO NOT have any relatives on that side of the world. I WILL NOT let you send purchased items to me and have me ship them to you. You are ALL con artists and I am so sick of you. Dateline NBC did a program on these Nigerian scammers, Dr. Phil did a brief segment on it, Oprah also did a show on the current scams and featured victims of internet fraud.

Here is the latest email I received. It really makes me laugh how they try so hard to personalize the email. I'd go through and point out the corrections, but I don't need to give them any pointers on how to improve their scam. GRRRRRRRRR If you have any sort of intelligence, whatsoever, you'll be able to dissect this yourself. I must give them a little credit though, because I think they must use spell check for the most part. LOLOL I think the part that really made me chuckle was the "Mr. Brain Lane" lmao

Dear Lane,

Please I wish to humbly solicit for your assistance and business know-how to actualise this transaction. I am a regional bank manager of a bank in the West African region (name of the bank withheld for obvious reasons) and I have a business proposition below which I will like you to go through carefully, make up your mind and give me an urgent reply if you are satisfied to transact with me.

In the year 2005, a businessman (Mr.Brain Lane) made a Fixed Deposit of US$12,060,000.00 (Twelve Million and Sixty Thousand United States Dollars) in my branch office. Unfortunately before the maturity date he passed on after a brief illness and since then this fund US$12,060,000.00 have been in the bank under my watchful eyes as the account officer of the account and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. Up until this time that I am writing this to you, no one has ever come forward to put up a claim due to the man's childlessness/relation to stand-in as his next-of-kin and he did not indicate thus in his bank deposit form.

My writing you therefore, is to solicit and propose that you stand-in as his next of kin or a co-investor being a foreigner to claim this fund ($12.060m), such that this fund does not revert to the government as custodian of such funds in the event that nobody applies to claim it within the next six months or thereabout.

Upon your willingness to transact, we could discuss in advance our relationship regarding the compensatory aspect of the business, which will now lead to me providing more detail information regarding the transaction to you, to enable you have a clearer picture.

Thank you for reading through while I await your return mail please.

My regards,

R. Peter

It's a Conspiracy I tell ya

2007-04-11T08:51:00.001-04:00

Why is it when you buy a bag of awesome looking oranges, that there is always at least one in the bag which is one of those ones which had been frozen. Why is it that they all come from the same farm and some of those oranges are more damaged than the others. I swear they just don't have the heart to throw them away. Guess we need to get a pig for the farm so we don't waste food either. Geez. They need to teach these crop growers how to spot the questionable fruit. Sort of like my friend Gayla and her box of pop tart's missing one tart. It's a conspiracy I tell ya.

I'm so EXCITED - I can hardly stand it!!

2007-02-13T09:49:00.000-05:00

Van Halen has announced a summer tour for 2007, with David Lee Roth joining them for this reunion. I am so excited, as Van Halen (the David Lee Roth bunch) has been my all time favorite band. My friend Teressa and I, along with several other of our friends, saw Van Halen for the first time back in either 1978 or 1979 at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, NY. We were only 16 - 17 at the time and our very first concert in 'the big city' and our parents were concerned about letting us drive, let alone go to the concert alone in the big city of Buffalo. So my mom, drove 6 or 7 of us girls (yes, we were packed into the car) to Buffalo to watch the show. We were sooooo excited to be going and when we arrived, my Mom had brought along a book to read (she had NO ticket for herself) and ear plugs. She entered "The Aud" and asked a security person if there was a waiting area for parents to set and wait while their kids enjoyed the show. Well, the security man, took my mother and placed her in the secure booth, right off the stage, no ticket!! She had better seats than us girls did who were on the floor, about 20 rows back. Mom said she could have touched David Lee Roth because she was just that close to the stage. I remember her telling us girls, that that she could have reached right up there and pulled his pants right off. Now she tells me she might have embellished the story a little bit. lolol.

Now we just need to find out when and where they are playing. I suspect it will be difficult to get tickets because we aren't the only ones who are still living in the past, knowing that Van Halen was the greatest of all time. It's even possible we might take have to take along some ear plugs at this ripe ole age of 46. LOLOL.

Source:

And we'll never forget, Freitag's Liquor Store and stopping halfway up so that we could use the restroom and Sunny not being able to wait and peeing in the sink in the bathroom. What a crazy woman!! lolol What wonderful memories. Oh, the good ole days.

More interesting facts about this awesome band!!!

Return call at 8am Zulu Time

2007-02-04T10:30:00.000-05:00

I had a real good chuckle on this one. I belong to a message board and one of the members was complaining about receiving phone calls at 700am PST (that would be pacific time) from a woman who was located on the East Coast (10am for her). This woman calls her on a daily basis and one of the other group members said that on his message machine, he states that: "All calls will be returned at 800am zulu time". I really had a great chuckle on that one because for the annoying woman from the East Coast of the USA who was calling, if I returned her call at 8am Zulu time, she'd be receiving her return call at 3am EST. LOLOL Payback!! I just thought that was a neat idea.

Let me tell ya, my laughter was an evil laugh. How funny!! Especially to the dimwits who have no clue what Zulu time is lolol

Apples, Oranges & Raisins Recipe

2007-01-21T13:14:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to watch what I eat lately and let me tell ya, the fruit alone is getting pretty boring and plus, my poor apples were starting to die. So anyway, yesterday, I decided to clean out my refridgerator of the excess fruits I had in the fruit drawer. I cut up 2 apples, 2 oranges and poured about 1/4 cup of raisins into the bowl and covered them with about 1/4 cup of coconut flakes (I have a ton of them for a very tasty, yet fattening treat, which I have NO business eating LOL). So I grabbed one of my Betty Crocker cookbooks to see if I could find something else which would maybe spruce up my fruit salad. I found something similar to what I had already started throwing together and the dressing below really added a bit of a kick to my fruit. It was yummy. Try this out:

2 T of lemon juice
2 T of honey
1/4 t. of cinnamon

Mix the juice, honey and cinnamon all together, then drizzle it over the fruit. Don't stir it all together until after you let it set for awhile in the fridge. I left mine for about 2 hours, pulled it out, stirred it up and enjoyed the fruit with this different twist. Try it, I'll bet you'll enjoy it.

Supposedly coconut is a "good fat"

Living with an STD?

2007-01-20T12:09:00.000-05:00

Positive Singles is a website dedicated to people who are living with an STD and are wanting to connect with others who understand their situation or who are simply looking for love. These people are wanting to live honestly and without the fear of passing an STD along. Too many times, when a "positive" person needs to share their "positive" status with a new mate, they are rejected out of ignorance or basic fear. Usually, they are searching for that special someone who also shares a concern in regard to their positive STD status, such as HPV, HSV, HSV1, HSV2 or HIV.

You can search profiles and if nothing else, make a lifelong friend, someone with whom you can share your story with and be there for each other for support. To not feel alone. So check them out today and add your profile to the website if you are living with an STD. Heck, even if you're not living with an STD and interested in learning more about all of the different viruses you can join. Who knows, you might have it and not even know it. So stop living your life in fear of passing it on. Stop being ashamed if you're living with an STD. After all most of these viruses won't kill you.

Tattoo at 14? Too Young?

2007-01-20T11:30:00.000-05:00

My son is now interested in getting a tattoo at the age of 14. I personally am not jazzed about this idea, but he's so sure that it's the right thing to do to his body. I don't agree at all, however not agreeing is NOT a first. I'm looking forward to the day when my son agrees with me, but I digress *chuckling*

So, we go on vacation right before Christmas and my son sees a sign for tattoos in the Bayside Market Place (aka: shopping mall) in Miami and of course, he just has to have a tattoo, RIGHT NOW!!. He claims that everyone else in school (those damn Jones'!!!) is getting one and of course, he thinks he's entitled. Ah, the good ole I'm entitled strikes again!! OK, so thank goodness they were henna tattoos, because you know, he knows everything there is to know about tattoos at 14 *healthy roll of the eyes again* and he wants his to be PERMANENT because he just knows that an armband would be something he wants to live with for life! I have such a SMART kid. (note sarcasm)

OK, so the tattoo topic was shelved until we got back from our cruise and we decided to drive around Tampa, waiting for our cheaper flight to return home. My son begged and begged and begged for a tattoo. I said, we'll look into it and I kept my promise. I looked through the yellow pages because I couldn't think of anyone I knew in Tampa who might be savvy about tattoo artist recommendations, so I went with my gut instinct on finding someone who had a decent business vs. a hole in the wall (mind you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a hole in the wall). I personally don't know much about tattoos, except for the needle thing needs to be clean and that it hurts like hell. So, we find what seemed to be an upstanding tattoo place because they had paid for a huge ad in the Tampa yellow pages (my logic, if they can afford a big ad, they must be good) What do I know?? That's the way I do things *shrugging my shoulders* lol. We walked in, they were super friendly guys (wish I could think of their name now) and seemed to be very knowledgeable about their craft. The one fellow asked if they could help and I told them that my son would like an armband, how much would it cost (that's ALWAYS an issue for me) and his response was "How old is he?". I said, "Oh, he's 14." The guy replied with, "Sorry, we won't do tattoos for anyone under 18." I secretly mouthed to him "THANK YOU!!!" *wink* and then of course, my ALL KNOWING son says, "Well, all my friends have one!!" (the damn Jones' strike again!!). UGH, I can't win, so we left there and my son was PISSED!!! He wasn't mad at me, (even though I felt like he was), but just at that "professional" tattoo artists opinion, but of course, in my son's opinion, the guy didn't know anything!! The point made was that my son at 14 is still growing and they also admitted that they regretted having gotten tattoos at such a young age as well. Exactly my points I had tried to impress upon my son too. Thank you guys! So needless to say, I've been able to avoid the tattoo topic for awhile. He wants everything, but what kid doesn't.

So, what do you think? Should a 14 year old get a tattoo?

Do Clothes and Fashion make a Person?

2007-01-07T11:45:00.000-05:00

Does it really matter how you dress for school or for a job? I believe that dressing for success has everything to do with comfort and being relaxed in your day to day activities. Sure, there is a time and a place for everything, depending on the title you might hold at your job, but should we be judged because of the attire we choose to slip on before we head off to our jobs each day?

This has been a topic as well as an issue for the past two years for me, both in regard to myself and my son. For me, I was involved in Mary Kay Cosmetics and the big push was to only wear a blouse, skirt and closed toed shoes!! *rollin' my eyes here* That is simply not me and to be honest, I didn't feel comfortable in that get up. OK, so the Mary Kay corporation and those in the upper echelon of the organization felt that being dressed to the hilt, all made up with Mary Kay make up only, was one of the ways of being successful in Mary Kay. Of course, now I know better and realize it was simply a case of smoke and mirrors. If you dress like a business woman, you send off the message that you are successful at selling Mary Kay. UGH!! Can I say bullshit? Yep, because after having "seen the light" I realized that it was what it was, just another way to get new recruits to believe that they wanted to sign up too. Ah, but that's another story. For the real truth on Mary Kay Cosmetics, be sure to check out Pink Truth. I'm now back to dressing for comfort and occasion, not trying to impress anyone.

Now on to my kid!! He's 14 years old and is trying to dress like he's a hip hop rap star or a city kid. Well he is definitely into the music, but don't let him fool you, he listens to all sorts of music. So anyway, we took a trip before Christmas and after getting settled into our Miami hotel for one night, we walked across the street to a shopping mall called Bayfront. This mall was geared towards the kids in the biggest way. We're talkin' Hooters Bar. Yes, for some reason my kid is impressed with Hooters lolol -go figure-. I guess that could simply mean that he has a normal sex drive (normal=in the eyes of the general population). WHEW!!! *smile* So anyway, he found this "blingin" watch and just HAD to have it. OK, so it was Christmas time and I succumbed to the purchase, even though I knew darn well what would happen. He wore it on vacation and I haven't noticed that he's worn it since, but he just HAD to have it!! He just loved this mall, saw lots of things he thought he would like to have, but fortunately, I didn't give in to his every whim. I did end up buying him a new pair of sneakers, made in Argentina (modeled after their soccer team) while we were in Key West and he's actually been wearing those. Luckily, they didn't soak me for 100.00, but I did buy him some nice cologne. He's all about 'smellin' good' lol. We returned home from vacation on Christmas Eve and luckily, I had done a bit of Christmas shopping prior to even knowing about this last minute vacation so at least I had some Christmas presents for him. All in all, I think I did pretty good. It's so difficult to buy for kids who think they have to 'dress to impress' and keep up with those darn Jones' In the past, I have let him pick out his own Christmas clothes, but this year, I got smart *wink*. I followed a couple of "men of color" around the store in Erie and bought what they bought after having seen basically how they dress. Akademis sounded like a possible hit and Old Skool worked for me too in regard to urban wear. He really wanted some Ice Cream sneakers by Pharrell, but we never did find any his size. So that's when he settled for the shoes from Argentina. *smile*

Don't Miss: Nov 18th 2006 Leonid Meteor Shower

2006-11-18T20:38:00.000-05:00

About two, maybe three years ago, I woke up at 3am to watch a spectacular meteor shower and this one is sounding like something I won't want to miss either.

It's happening tonight, in the Northwestern PA, Southern Tier of NY state starting anywhere from 1030pm until 2am this morning. Last one was absolutely magnificent.

source:

Luanne's Favorite Perfumes

2006-11-18T20:33:00.000-05:00

Need a gift idea for Luanne. Her absolute favorite perfume sprays are:

Samsara by Guerlain

Samsara is a feminine scent which posesses a blend of: amber, sandalwood and jasmine, blended with other oriental florals and vanilla. It is recommended for evening wear. I love this stuff!!

Ysatis by Givenchy

Ysatis is a feminine scent which posesses a blend of flowers and aromatic woods, with spice, musk and rum. It is recommended for daytime wear. (lots of compliments on this one)

Opium by Yves St. Laurent

Opium is a feminine scent which posesses a blend of: exotic florals, mandarin and coriander blend to create this rich, exotic fragrance. It is recommended for evening wear.

I love all three of these scents and always make an excellent gift for Luanne :-)

Mary Kay Sucks

2006-10-26T00:58:00.000-04:00

I spend entirely too much time over on what used to be called the "Mary Kay Sucks" blog, but I'm sorry it is so addicting. Well, I read this post today and it literally describes my story to a T. Amazing how so many of these stories and real life situations are exactly what I experienced in Mary Kay and could see coming down the pike.

Here is the quote from today's post:

Maybe it’s time to move some of our “I” or “me” stories into this section as all of you are aware how much data is really on this blog. I’ll go back and construct my story, luckily I wasn’t in it long enough to go too deeply into debt, but I did feel as though I was “conned” or coerced into this “opportunity”. When I was actually recruited, the frontloading happened and I was “convinced” that that was the only way to go as I had planned on holding skin care classes etc, to “make some money”. But as time went on, being a single mother, drawn away from my son and what really frustrated me more than anything was the lack of training which I was promised and I truly felt that the weekly meetings were soooooo much more about recruiting and finding “5 sharp women” to bring as a guest to our meetings. I actually made a “list” of those women and two of them were my customers. As time went on, I started thinking, why in the world would I want to “recruit” my customers!!?? That was a lightbulb moment for me, and then I was sick of the childish foolnishness which would happen at the meetings, that fakey smile my recruitor would slow out at us. The sad thing is, I really do like her and I believe that she’s a good person if I could just get through that phony Mary Kay outer shell of hers. I wonder if she’s really as sweet as she appears to be. So as time went on, for each meeting, internally, I hated using up all of my samples (but I was thinking I was just being greedy/selfish), but ya know what, I PAID for those samples for MY business, not to use at training sessions to put on my own face all the time. Then they (recruitor and director) kept saying you should just buy the full size products to use instead of samples, because you could write those off as demos/supplies for your business on your tax return. Of course, they also told me that whatever make up, nail polish etc, that I purchased for my own personal use could be taken as a tax deduction too because I was “demonstrating” the product. Puleez…..I really wondered about that one.

So I started searching the internet, because God Forbid if you even hinted to ANY negativity at your weekly “training (aka: recruiting”) sessions. (that always used to get me too, I’m sooooo glad I NEVER brought a guest) and of course, none of my friends wanted to ever hear anything I had to say about Mary Kay. In the beginning, I was spewing Mary Kay. I even tried to warm chatter with my perfume samples. That poor girl!! I live in a small town and I’m guessing if that girl ever sees me again, she’ll probably avoid me like the plague. So glad I didn’t try to get her to hold a skin care class. That would have made it even worse!! Back to my internet search….I honestly don’t remember what I typed in, but I went searching for groups of other women who were in Mary Kay to see how they were running their business and I came across a few groups, some HOT pink (no negativity allowed there!!!), some mildly light pink, they still had issues with any negativity, because they were trying to do things the right way, but at that time, no negativity was allowed, no true feelings were allowed, no support was given for our feelings. So I FINALLY found a place where I could vent and get it “out of my system” to know I wasn’t alone. I just felt icky prior to going to the meetings, then of course, after the meetings, felt that maybe, just maybe I could do this (ahh, brainwashing at work (learned that one later too). I held the product for about one year and returned it in time to maximize my return and for some reason, I still feel “addicted” to this blog? I wonder why, I’ve said it sooooo many times, why can’t I JUST let this go? Why are women finding this blog who left Mary Kay over 10 years ago and they’re saying things to us like, I am SO glad to now know that it WASN’T ME, it was the system of Mary Kay!! It amazes me how these women have struggled with this for so many years and they’re now just getting some validation to realize they truly weren’t losers or quitters. They were simply following their gut instincts and knew that something just didn’t smell right.

So anyway……..

I had no intention of writing my “I” story right this minute, but once it started flowing from my fingertips, I couldn’t stop, so here is my story. Shortlived as it may be, but nonetheless, my story. I am so glad that I got out when I did and that I was able to find online support to help me do what was best for me and my child. I still had my full time job which was a job I loved and still love doing to this day. I believe I’ve learned my lesson and I have no interest in ever trying to do Mary Kay again, mainly because it has such a bad name and people avoid a “mary kay” lady around my neck of the woods, like the friggin’ plague. They don’t want to host parties, they don’t want to hear it, because for a period of time, I know that the one who recruited me, tried to recruit (with some luck I might add) several others and as I mentioned earlier, we live in a very small town and this “recruitor” (very very short lived director I might add too - she couldn’t keep up production and also got a divorce -claims it was his fault, but I REALLY have my doubts about that one too), but she could sure sell that product though!!. She alienated many of these women from the thought of even being involved with Mary Kay because she was sooooo pushy. I’ve talked to others and her name always came up. I wish I could rescue her more than she knows, but the last I checked, she didn’t feel as though she needed to be rescued, so I’ll just check back in with her from time to time. She’s aware of this blog and I wonder if she’s been reading all this time. Something tells me that she might, but she won’t admit I’m sure. Why do I care? Why do I want to ’save’ her? Crazy huh……

source:

Could it be?

Technorati

2006-10-17T12:56:00.000-04:00

Well, today I'm going to try and get linked in with Technorati. This is one of the bigger blogging networks. This will be interesting to see how this works.

Technorati

We Lost George Tonight

2006-10-07T01:02:00.000-04:00

This is such a sad day for me and I'm just not sure where to start. Have you ever met someone and you immediately make a connection, you just have this bond of friendship that the two of you can not ignore. It's not a sexual connection, but more like a brother and sister, best friends who didn't have enough time to really be able to nurture that friendship for as long as we would have enjoyed. That makes me sad.

Tonight, I lost my very dear friend George Lee. He was in a motorcycle accident on Thursday night, September 21, 2006, headed towards Eldred, PA. I had seen him earlier that night at the Two Mile Inn in Port Allegany. He was out and about, having dinner and a few drinks. I got three hugs from him that night and I just wonder why? Did he know something or was God preparing him to say goodbye and we just didn't know it? From that night, I remember that this was the first time he had ever officially met my friend Dawn, in fact it was her son Josh's birthday and the first time Josh had ever met George either. George kept fussin' about his fish not being cooked. Just ask Hartle. He had to take it back to zap it and even then it still wasn't cooked just right. Apparently, George really knew his fish and apparently was a good cook himself. I can still see him setting at the end of the table, poking at that fish saying "look how rubbery it is". I can't eat this!!! It's NOT cooked.

George always greeted me with a warm hug and that friendly smile. He was only 39 and left his daughter without her dad. I know that was not his intention, because he loved her so much. He absolutely adored his daughter. George always wanted to have more babies. That's all he ever talked about, his daughter, his job and wanting to meet a woman, younger than him, who would want to have more of his babies. He hadn't met her yet and he felt that his life was just starting over again. He shared custody of his daughter with her mother. I had met both he and his ex-wife on Valentine's night, 2003 at Mo's in Port Allegany. It was a wonderful evening, filled with laughter. He never forgot that night, nor did I. We had such an instant connection the first time we met. He always commented to me how he felt that same connection, we couldn't explain it, it was just there. He was a great friend and I will miss him. I still can't believe he's gone. He was so full of life. Can I say that George was filled with "piss and vinegar"? That would be George, always with a twinkle in his eye and he always looked like he was up to no good, in a good way of course. One thing for sure, he always had a smile and a hug for me, without fail, no matter who else was around.

I will miss his happy go lucky attitude, the love of his daughter and the wonderful connection that he and I shared as friends. This all really sucks. I'm thankful for the fun times hanging out and sharing laughter with George. You know what I keep thinking about is his email address: "livetoride" I wonder if while laying in an induced coma for two weeks, if he finally gave up with living because maybe he knew that, due to his head and chest injuries that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be able to "ride" again and I think that would have killed him spiritually if he couldn't do that. This man loved his Harley, I would dare to say, second to his daughter. I understand he had a dog as well and I'm sure the dog rated up right up there. I don't know, it's so hard to say what people feel and think when they're in that situation. Are they aware? I think he probably lived a full and wonderful, yet short life, with hard times like the rest of us, but he always made the best of it. This is a tribute to my friend. I will go to his funeral, to let his family know how important he was to me and that he will be missed.

Below is the news article which gives details about his accident and his obituary below that:
09/22/06

A Port Allegany motorcyclist was hurt in a mishap taking place late last night on Route 155 just south of Route 446 in Eldred Township Troopers said George Lee was headed north at about 11:00 p.m. when his Harley Davidson failed to negotiate a curve and struck a road sign, before sliding to a stop along the western berm. Lee was taken to Olean General Hospital by Eldred volunteer ambulance. (Source)

George J. Lee

Published: Sunday, October 8, 2006 11:58 PM CDT
BUFFALO George J. Lee, 39, of Port Allegany, Pa., died Friday, Oct. 6, 2006, at the Erie County Medical Center.

He was an engineer.

Survivors include his mother Catherine Lee of Genesee Pa.; father, George C. Lee of Genesee Pa.; a daughter, Taylor Kaye Lee of Port Allegany, Pa.; a sister, Karen Fox of Port Allegany, Pa.; a brother, Stephen Lee of Lititz, Pa.

Calling hours are 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at Olney Funeral Home & Cremation Service.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Eulalia Catholic Church.
source:

George, I will miss you.

Luanne

An Open Apology

2006-08-28T01:13:00.000-04:00

OK, so maybe I was a bit harsh when I indicated that I believed that Kevin Eckenrode was an idiot!! Maybe irresponsible would have been a more politically correct comment to make. Maybe it wasn't even any of my business to comment on them, seeing how I didn't know them personally. It's scary as a parent to think that your child might do something so reckless and hopefully others will learn from this situation. It's an unfortunate thing which happened to Rachel Kozlusky back on February 25, 2006.

In doing a web search today using "idiot Kevin Eckenrode", I find that I'm not the only one who felt that way when I initially read the story. I was horrified when I had read what this boyfriend had done, even if it was accidental according to Kevin.

I almost now regret having deleted my original post, but I still feel as though, what Kevin did, no matter how much he and Rachel loved eath other, no matter how much of a free spirit she was, and how much they were so connected because they got matching tattoos, still doesn't make me feel any better about the choices they made which were very unfortunate. I'm sure Kevin feels horrible for what happened, but I still feel strongly about their actions and yes, this was apparently, according to Rachels' friends and family, sure sounds like something she would have trusted him to do was to let her dangle over a ledge from 23 floors up. I cringe. Who did he think he was? Michael Jackson? Rachel was a full grown woman. I'm sorry, I'm sure Rachel was a lovely girl and I'm sure I probably would have liked her too and yes, I'm a mother, but you have to agree that they did make some really bad choices that night so my initial reaction of saying that Kevin was an idiot still stands. Heck, I'm sure he probably thinks that about himself too and he's probably a GREAT, upstanding young man, but COME ON people, he did something that was totally irresponsible and he lost his best friend in the process. How sad!! Originally I had said that this was idiotic and I hate to say it, but I still feel the same way.

Most recent information on this case:

Kitchen Blenders?

2006-08-11T22:02:00.000-04:00

Someday I'm going to invest in this blender. I've read several excellent reviews on the product and someday I'm going to splurge. Check out these awesome blenders by Waring. Be sure to check out the Amazon reviews on this link.

comment from a personal friend:

If there is a better home blender, I've never seen it, and I've seen a lot of blenders!
-Chris

Grief Stricken? Do you Believe?

2006-05-06T10:15:00.000-04:00

It is so very important for family members to attend funerals and to accept the death of a parent or sibling. Here are some ramblings of my life's lessons in dealing with grief. I hope you enjoy as it did bring tears to my eyes while writing.

I'll never forget, when I was 12 years old, my eldest sister passed at 24 (she died from a juvenile diabetic coma, no one was around to help her at the time, she went to sleep and never woke up), but when I was 12, I was too young to realize or I hate to say it, care, because she had been away at school since I was much younger, so I never really got to know her. That happened in 75, maybe it was 73, (the numbers aren't adding up), but anyway, my brother got married in 1978, family all travelled to Ft Kent, Maine (on the Canadian border) and did the marriage thing and during that ceremony is when it finally struck me that Linda (my sister) was gone for good, that a part of our family was missing from such a big family celebration. I still didn't cry, but I was in a funk during that entire wedding/reception. The family all returned to PA and had the 2nd wedding reception for family and friends here locally. That night, my brother pulled me aside and I just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. I don't think I ever remember crying so much. My brother who is the greatest man, most compassionate person I've ever known (1 boy with 5 girls -he had all these sisters lol) had never in his life held me in the strongest/longest hug/hold. I will never forget it or the exact spot in my Mom's house where it happened. I wonder if he remembers that time slot in our lives. That was my grieving moment, grieving for the loss of my sister who had passed only a few years earlier, but it too was the best thing and way overdue. I still did well in school prior to that time and still went on with life because I was just a kid, but I'll never forget that moment when my brother held me in his arms while I sobbed. That's why I feel so strongly about family, as we have all since been through so many things which makes family even that much more important. I'm a huge fan of "John Edwards; the medium who "talks to the dead". Some people think it's hokey, but I don't. I truly believe that all of us are born with the gift, our heart just needs to be open to receive it. I'm not a real religious person (8am mass on Sunday is way too early :-) but all of us kids went when we were little, religiously for lack of a better word.

Before my dad was told that there was no turning back, that it was just a matter of time for him (weeks), Dad was lying in his hospital bed, I was home from DC to see Dad before he got too sick to the point of unrecognizable or oblivious to the fact that I was there to see him (so glad I was able to be here). Mom and a few of us were setting around the kitchen table discussing what was coming, losing Dad was just too unbelieveable, he was only 61, we were trying to decide if we should bring him home and do the hospice thing, etc. Well, as we were talking, in the other room (the dining room), there is an old grandfather's clock which sets on a shelf. No one had fooled with that thing since my grandfather passed shortly before my sister Linda, that might have been '73 that he passed, maybe a tad earlier. It had just sat there, never chimed, was your basic dust collector.

Remember the children's song (it happened like this with Grandpa's clock)

My grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf,
So it stood ninety years on the floor.
It was taller by half, than the old man himself,
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born,
And was always his treasure and pride.
Chorus:
But it stopped short, never to go again,
When the old man died.
Ninety years without slumbering, tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering, tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short never to go again,
When the old man died.

Ok, so anyway, we were setting around the kitchen table and out of the blue, that dang clock chimed, no one was next to it and it was officially 11am-ish and the clock said 1pm. A few of us heard it chime (me being one of them) and my nephew (11 yrs old) came from the living room where he was watching TV and said "What was that". It was the strangest thing that I've ever experienced. At 11am-ish, the doctor was scheduled to tell Dad of his situation. It was almost as if Grandpa had come to let us know that everything would be OK, that he was there for Daddy. It was such a heartwarming experience. We went to the hospital later in the day, told Dad and he said, my Dad is just letting us all know it'll be OK. Since Dad has passed, Mom senses Dad's presence in the house all the time, she also hears my grandfather (we all lived in our grandfather's home and he lived with our entire family) shuffling through the house (he sort of dragged his feet when he walked) and she finds pennies around the house in places where that the only explanation would be someone other than her (she lives alone) had left them there. Ever heard the phrase "pennies from heaven"? So anyway, I guess my point is that Dad is still around all of us, mostly Mom I'm guessing, but I believe they watch over us even from "the other side".

Feel free to share your comments about things which have happened to you in my comments section. I would love to hear of other people's experiences.

Do you have a healthy heart?

2006-05-05T17:20:00.000-04:00

I finally had a chance to watch Oprah's show which aired earlier this week in regard to our hearts and how one in two women will die from heart disease. What they failed to really expand upon was.......How can people help reduce the amount of plaque in their arteries to avoid possible aneurysms. What builds plaque in the arteries? What changes in my lifestyle can I make to help decrease my risk for heart disease.

Here are some tips:

Dr. Ornish's Heart-Healthy Suggestions

The plan involves a low-fat, high-fiber diet that puts food into three categories: foods to choose most often, foods to eat in moderation, and foods to choose least often.

Don't count calories. Instead, keep track of fat and sugar, which cause problems for the heart.
Choose a diet high in fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains not high in animal proteins.
Try to replace white foods such as sugar, white rice and white flour with whole grains like brown rice and whole-wheat flour.
Try to use hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils less often. They preserve food but could add to your cholesterol levels.
Take three grams a day of fish oil. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, it can reduce sudden cardiac death by 50–80 percent. It can also reduce incidences of breast cancer and prostate cancer. Conversely, women (but not men) may try flax seed oil.
Everybody should know his or her cholesterol level. The goal should be to get the total cholesterol number under 150, and the LDL (or the "bad" cholesterol) under 95.
Smoking contributes to a much greater risk of heart disease. If you smoke and take birth control pills, you quadruple your risk.

Source:

Let Enterprise Pick You Up

2006-05-05T16:36:00.000-04:00

Being in the travel business, I hear people complain all the
time, but you hardly ever hear compliments. It seems to
me though, that whenever I do get a compliment on a car
rental company, it's always Enterprise. They are some of
the friendliest agents in the business and the great thing
is that they'll come to pick you up and return you back to
your location. Many times, I've needed a rental car when
mine was in the shop and Enterprise was always there
for me. They even drove over 20 miles one way to come
and get me (40 miles round trip). How's that for service!
I can't say enough good things about their service.

So next time, Rent-A-Car from Enterprise.

Thank you.
Luanne

Traveling to Canada? Reserve your car online here

What is Reggaeton

2006-04-16T19:33:00.000-04:00

All I can say is "Reggaeton is HOT" This description below tells it all. If you want to get down and dance to some awesome non-country music, then come hang out with me and I'll turn you onto some awesome dance music. It's all the rage. Reggaeton is awesome!! woo hoo Some call it "black puerto rico" My friend Raquel is puerto rican and this girl just LOVES this stuff. Now if I could just learn how to say it with that roll in the tongue lol You go girl. Bring it to life in Port Allamagheny ;-) lol

Reggaeton is a type of Spanish language dance music developed in Puerto Rico in the mid-1990s. It has now become popular in other Latin American countries. Reggaeton - also spelled Reggaetón and hispanicised as Reguetón - blends dancehall and hip hop genres, with additional influences from electronic, bomba, plena, and other styles. This gives Reggaeton its distinct Latin touch.

Source:

And this link is simply relevant to me. I personally love this type of music which my son has turned me onto. I can't get enough of it, but shhhhh, don't tell my son. lol Top 50 R & B/Hip Hop Songs

Daddy Yankee is currently the number one Reggaeton singer with top hits such as "Gasolina" LOVE IT!!!

Ayala's rapid ascent to wealth and fame is a result of the hit song Gasolina, from his 2004 album "Barrio Fino". The album has sold over 1,000,000 copies in Puerto Rico alone and has also sold well in the United States and Europe. He has appeared on over 70 albums, including compilations such as; "Más Flow 2" and "Blin Blin Vol. 1". Ayala is famous for recording songs in both English and Spanish, although the latter is more prominently used. Ayala first became involved in recording music in the early 1990s alongside DJ Playero, a pioneer of reggaeton music. He has also performed with Nicky Jam, Luny Tunes, DJ Blass, DJ Eric, Eliel, Nas, DJ Tony Touch and many others. In Italy, his international hit Gasolina is being used in a TV Ad campaign for the new 2006 Citroën C2 Deejay. The commercial will run through the spring and summer 2005

In 2005, Ayala was cast in a Paramount Pictures film, tentatively titled Talento de Barrio (Barrio talent). Ayala says that although the movie is not autobiographical, it does represent the lives of himself and others living on the streets of Latin America. The movie is expected to première on DVD in Spring 2006.

Also due out in 2006 is Ayala's own clothing line, named DY. He has also teamed up with Reebok to have his own shoes and sporting goods, also to be available on May 23, 2006

Source:

Are you a Mary Kay Cosmetics Beauty Consultant?

2006-04-14T13:11:00.000-04:00

Are you involved in an MLM and you feel like you're spinnin' your wheels? You are not alone. I can only imagine that ladies living in the pink bubble will not be pleased with this post and these links, but at this point in time, it doesn't matter to me because this is how I feel. I simply feel the need for closure on this and to share with you, what I believe and so many other women believe are the "real truths" about this business of Mary Kay Cosmetics. When I read the part about the "car insurance", I wondered to myself, was that just another carrot which was dangled in front of me? I wanted to "share this" non opportunity with you to show you how damaging being involved with this company can be for those who are not comfortable doing what they're "trained" to do. I have read this and so many other survivor stories of women who "failed" in trying to sell Mary Kay Cosmetics. I honestly don't believe that I failed, I just believe that it was simply not for me. Why do I keep thinking about it? Good question. It's now been over a year and I have since returned all of the product which I had been frontloaded with, but I still can't just move on. It's not that I don't want to and I will. I know I'm not alone, that's for sure and I feel like a total fool for allowing myself to get sucked into this "non-pyramid" scheme. Ha!! I have to laugh because I am now convinced that MK is a total multi level marketing plan, not a dual marketing as it was presented to me. There are so many things that I now understand now that I'm out of the pink bubble. I was out of that bubble very soon into this whole mess. My ex-directors could sense that I wasn't feeling it, soon after I got started. Negative Nellie!! Yep, that was me. There is no such thing as "our car". What a joke. OK, I'm getting annoyed and could go on. You'll understand what I'm saying though when you check out these links.

In regard to my recruiter, I sincerely hope that by being involved in Mary Kay Cosmetics is not what has caused the demise of her marriage. She claims it was all his fault, but the way I see it, I almost wonder if that's not what she has been programmed to believe by other ladies caught up in the pink bubble. She claims she was having marital problems before she even started selling MK. I see this whole business and how it can affect marriages. I have read many, many stories of men who have left their wives because the wives were way too deep in the pink bubble.

So, if you ever felt like you were spinnin' your wheels........read on

Where I found this link: *A Former Director Speaks Out*

Here is the former director's letter which is also linked from the page above.

Many I stories are written on this link.

What are the health benefits of cinnamon

2006-04-03T01:13:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was reading an article telling me that if I wanted to increase my metabolism, that all I would need to do was to add 1 tsp. of cinnamon to my daily diet, so I started doing that along with a 1 tbsp of baking cocoa into my coffee because I understand that dark chcolate is good for you too. Boy, did I enjoy that dark chocolate bar I bought from Aldi's a few weeks ago lolol. I'll use whatever womenly excuse I can to eat some chocolate :-) I'd be interested to hear from others on their experiences with the use adding of cinnamon tablets to their daily diet. Did you see where it made a difference? I also read on a USDA website that taking cinnamon can help to decrease your blood sugar level. I'm still likin' that metabolism angle ;-) Wow it'also mentions on that same website where it's beneficial in controlling cholesterol also. It all goes back to the caveman days when I'm sure they used to knaw on some cinnamon bark. We are such an unhealthy society, myself included.

And of course, as I dig deeper from what I believe to be reputable sources where they discuss the advantages of cinnamon in reference to diabetes.

And last but not least, this would be the very best reason to have a jar of cinnamon in your cupboard:

Cinnamon oil, they found, kills mosquito larvae more effectively than DEET, a common pesticide and mosquito repellent. The next step is to test it against adult mosquitoes.
Now I'm curious to know if you should rub the cinnamon oil on your skin or if
just by eating the cinnamon tablets alone will keep those nasty critters
off of your skin.

While I'm on the topic of Crack

2006-02-28T13:07:00.000-05:00

OK, this fella is just a wild lookin' thing. You can't help but like him. He cracked me up and I wanted to share my find with the world. You should hear my son say that "What's crackin'" and of course, his what's crackin' comes from good ole Dave Chapelle. Now that boy is a piece a work :-)

Alternative Medicine

2006-02-28T08:53:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine is quite sure that there's something to be said for algae extract and the things he mentions makes alot of sense to me. This is something I want to do some research on and I'm with him, in that, the government doesn't want to recognize alternative medicines as being safe and something which works.

Some things I've been trying lately is that I put 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon into my coffee each morning because I read somewhere that cinnamon helps to increase your metabolism. We'll see if it makes any difference. I might just be experiencing coffee jitters lol. Also, I've been putting in 1/4 tblspn of good ole fashioned cocoa into my coffee grounds too. The coffee still tastes good and apparently the antioxidants in the cocoa are beneficial to you. Now, the 8 glasses of water I've been drinking, sometimes it tastes like the nasty gas smell which my water has and sometimes not. I'm thinking that I should not have put my britta in the dishwasher the other day (shrunk it maybe??). I'll taste test the water again today to see if it still has that funky taste or if my water is being filtered properly by my britta. Love my britta.

According to my friend, he claims that this Algae Extract is supposed to be a cure for many viruses (aka: herpes, common cold), certain cancers, supposedly is good for MS patients and those who suffer from sinusitis. I'll try to come back and update this.

I definitely believe in the cholesterol fighting properties of oatmeal though. And now I'm thinking about apple cider vinegar and to mix it with my water. Just have to watch what it does to my teeth and I read something yesterday about something in vinegar called "mother". I wonder if that's something like mold which is what they supposedly make pencillin out of? Who knows, you hear so many old wives tales, some of which are true and heck, I'd love to believe that there are some natural things out here which do aid in curing folks of certain illnesses. Why not is what I say. I always think about "what did they used to do in the old days?" That's what I ask myself. Of course, folks always come back to me and say, ah but their life span was alot shorter too way back then. Oh well, there will always be critics.

Bed Time

2006-02-28T08:18:00.000-05:00

EWWWWWWWW - Timewise 3 in 1 (this was written by a Mary Kay lady - yuck!!! lolol) Some of you don't know what I personally just went through, but it wasn't pretty......I was sucked into this letter till I got to the cleanser part......ewwwwwwwww.......ewwwwwwwwwww.......ewwwwwwwwww lolol

Thanks for turning a wonderful story into a sales pitch kaybots (aka: Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants) I have been reading so much garbage that this cult sends out and it says Mary Kay ALL OVER IT. Even down to the type of print....Man, talk about brainwashing!! Also be sure to check out the font which Mary Kay consultants LOVE to use!! yuck, yuck, yuck.

It's unfortunate how they turn a good memory into such a yucky sales pitch. Does this NOT hurt your eyes? My childhood was exactly the same up to the part where Mom put 3 in 1 cleanser on! NOT. Heck, my mom wouldn't have had the bucks to spend foolishly on cleanser, especially the stuff sold by Mary Kay stepford wives.

WHY I LOVE MOM *

Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, "I'm tired, and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed"

She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches.

Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning.

She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button

She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer.

She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry.

She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair.

She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse.

Mom then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night solution & age fighting moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails.

Dad called out, "I thought you were going to bed."

"I'm on my way," she said.

She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked and the patio light was on.

She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and TV's, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework.

In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list. She said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals.

About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular. "I'm going to bed."

And he did...without another thought.

Anything extraordinary here? Wonder why women live longer...?

CAUSE WE ARE MADE FOR THE LONG HAUL..... (and we can't die sooner, we still have things to do!!!!)

Send this to five phenomenal women today...they'll love you for it! I just did.

THEN, GO TO BED!

Chippewa Street in Buffalo

2006-02-25T18:45:00.000-05:00

Here is a great description about Chippewa Street in Buffalo, something which many years ago used to be called the red light district or rather it was simply someplace which if you were a "good girl" you weren't supposed to go there.

It's basically the downtown area of Buffalo; the
"Chippewa Strip" as it's casually known to locals, is
essentially a 4 block stretch of literally
wall-to-wall bars and clubs, beginning at Pearl St. and
ending at Delaware Ave. On a weekend nite it feels
like a little chunk of NYC was plopped down into
Buffalo; bustling sidewalks and craziness...lots of
eye-candy too. Downside is dodging obnoxious drunks,
but, hey, sometimes that's kinda fun. I can't recall
which exit to take off the 190, but it is easy to
find from the main Avenues of Buffalo: Elmwood,
Delaware and Main St. all run smack into it.

Thanks to my friend Martin for his eloquent description of this famed area.

Will I EVER get DSL?

2006-02-25T17:37:00.000-05:00

Gosh, I would love to have DSL or broadband service at my house. It's really a bummer because I could be working more than one job, expanding my horizons. There are more and more companies who offer telecommuting to it's employee's and I would like that opportunity as well.

I've proven to myself and my current employer that I do make for an excellent telecommuter. Productive and never late for work. So I look forward to the day when I can finally have DSL access hooked up. If I'm not mistaken, it wouldn't take much for Verizon to "send us the message" and as far as zitomedia (who used to be Adelphia Communications) or maybe it's Time Warner who will be taking over the lines. Whoever it is, I am so frustrated by the fact that the old Adelphia cable which is now zitomedia is within 1 mile from my house and because of the change of hands and reorganizing of the old adelphia, the extension to my home and beyond has not happened. Maybe it's time for me to take a petition around Annin Township and send it to both Zitomedia and Verizon. Hmmm, sounds like a good project. :-)
While I'm at it, I might as well get Verizon going on putting in another cell phone tower too. Heck, kill two birds with one stone. As long as our ex supervisor doesn't convince me to get involved with our local politics. LOL But of course, they tell me all I have to do is "turn my back" to the crowd lol OK, anyway, I look forward to the day when I can finally get a DSL hook up here in Northwestern Pennsylvania, rural areas.

I love the word chuckle

2006-02-11T15:03:00.000-05:00

Does the word chuckle just make you smile when you're reading something which another human being has written. I just love that word chuckle. You can actually see the person writing it have a smile come across their face while they are reading something or usually writing something. What does a chuckle mean? Does it mean they're thinking of something evil and sinister? In a good way of course lol Well anyway, it was just something I thought about and wanted to blog about. Chuckle, what a great word!! *smile* and a thank you to my friend Karen who got me hooked on using that word. This qualifies as dribble for sure lolol

Still flyin with the flylady

2006-02-11T14:14:00.000-05:00

I'm still flyin!! No silly, not on drugs, not on alcohol, but on my clean sink lol I don't care what anyone says, I LOVE the flylady.net I have it saved as one of my favorites in my internet explorer. My sink has NEVER been cleaner, dish free since early January of this year. It has been amazing. I even got my 13 year old son helping me to keep it clean. I guess he must be appreciating a clean sink because I don't even have to fight with him about keeping his dishes cleaned and in the dishwasher, ready to be washed. Or maybe I'm just becoming a better mom. I'll call that "my momness" *smile*

I even started writing little notes to him, so when he gets home from school, he can do little tasks which need to be taken care of around the house. Such as, Oh my goodness, it was so wonderful walking up the steps this morning to see lintfree steps. Can you say "woo-hoo" *smile* Anyway, I highly recommend Fly Lady. I'm sure I've written about her in an earlier post, but this is my progression blog, so I just need to express my excitement. *smile again and laugh out loud too*

Too cool huh.

Netflix - Get your videos in the mail

2006-01-29T11:47:00.000-05:00

Who needs Blockbuster when you can have videos, DVD's and
games delivered to your home, right in your mailbox. I have
discovered Netflix and am interested in checking them
out. I am horrible when it comes to renting and returning my
videos to the video store and inevitably I always get stuck
paying those darned late fees.

I belong to an online support group and these women have
just been raving about Netflix.

Netflix DVD Rentals. NO LATE FEES; Free Shipping. Try for FREE!

After Mary Kay, but still dressed up

2006-01-28T13:39:00.000-05:00

Notice how the make up is toned down just a bit. I have to find a totally non make up one to publish too. If nothing else, I think I learned how to apply make up pretty good huh lol Looking forward to total freedom.

I was a Mary Kay Clown

2006-01-28T11:07:00.000-05:00

This is my corpse look ;-) This is so not the normal me. So plastic lookin', but I had to at least put my Mary Kay face out here.

And no, I never wanted to be a director. In fact, hell no lolol.
You just spin your wheels, keep bustin' your butt until you just
can't do it anymore. Some lose their families and friends (who they stalked and were always in the pink bubble - ick!!). I could see myself changing and not for the good. Like Dr. Phil says; "Self Matters". When they talk about "warm chattering" that makes things even worse for the "friend".

So anyway, I wanted to share my corpse pic ;-) lol

Be a Baby Fly Lady

2006-01-21T21:05:00.000-05:00

Need to get organized in your life and around your home? She says
the key to getting started is to keep your kitchen sink spotless.
Everything else will just fall into place after that. Join this
excellent, motivational newsgroup for some great inspirational tips
to help you unclutter your life. It has even been rubbing off on
my son. He's in deep trouble if he doesn't put his dirty dishes
in the dishwasher. I even caught him wiping down the bathroom counter
this morning :-)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FlyLadyMentors/

Icicles forming on your house?

2006-01-19T09:55:00.000-05:00

You're losing precious heat, but there could be other serious problems as well.
What causes icicles to form on your gutters and end of your roof?

Maternity leave not an option

2006-01-18T18:48:00.000-05:00

excuse to miss an exam administered by the Houston Fire Department.

Headline reads: Woman firefighter in Houston forced to take
promotion exam hours after childbirth.

This article was almost too unbelievable. You simply have
to read it for yourself.

By Pam Easton
Associated Press
01/17/2006
HOUSTON (AP) -- A firefighter took a promotion exam just
12 hours after giving birth because of a state law requiring all
promotion candidates to be tested at once.

Beda Kent gave birth Jan. 10, slept for a little more than two
hours and popped some painkillers before taking the exam.
She scored 104 out of 110 and expects to return from
maternity leave in March as a captain with a $6,000 raise.
"I wanted that promotion," Kent said of the job she had
sought for two years. "I feel I was overdue for this promotion."

When she was six months' pregnant, Kent learned the test
would be given on Jan. 11 -- just four days after her due date.
She asked if a proctor could administer the exam at the
hospital if necessary, but was told there could be no exceptions,
except for firefighters on active military duty.

Kent's doctor tried to induce labor on Jan. 4, but discovered
doing so could cause complications and force a Caesarean
birth, with a longer recovery that would take away from
Kent's time to study.

After her daughter was born, Kent left the infant named
Brina Sue at the hospital within hours.Houston Fire Chief
Phil Boriskie had an ambulance on standby at the test site
in case Kent needed it, she said."After a while, it did get to
be uncomfortable, and thank God they did give us 2.5 hours
to take the test because I had to readjust and refocus," Kent
said.

After the exam, Kent's insurance did not allow her to
be readmitted to the hospital so she and her husband
returned every four to five hours to nurse the new baby.
"We made the best of it for the next 36 hours," Kent said.
"It was tough."

Houston Fire Capt. Gilbert Bennett said the rules are
intended to ensure that firefighters don't gain an unfair
advantage by learning about the exam from test-takers,
then taking it later.But Bennett said the fire department
would likely evaluate the regulation. "By all means, we
want what is best for the child and the mom," he said.

Terese Floren, executive director of Women in the Fire
Service Inc., acknowledged that the fire department was
probably powerless because of the law, but said women
shouldn't be forced to choose between having a family
and a career.Kent, who has worked for the Houston Fire
Department for 12 years, opted to take the test because
missing it would have meant waiting at least two years
before the next promotion exam. But, she said, the
department should accommodate those with legitimate
medical excuses."The law said that they didn't have to,
but they could have sent a proctor," Kent said. "The
test is in a sealed envelope. It shouldn't have been a problem."

New Orleans Mardi Gras 2006

2006-01-18T11:15:00.000-05:00

The show must go on. I've been to Mardi Gras several times in the
past, but I'm thinking this year will be the most special one ever.
Even though it will be scaled down alot in size, the spirit of
Mardi Gras will live on. I wish I could afford to go this year, as
I'm sure it will be an awesome time of renewal for the residents
of New Orleans after having dealt with the hardships of Hurricane
Katrina. Here is the write up from the New Orleans convention and visitors bureau.

2006 was already primed to be a special year since it marks the 150th anniversary of Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. Now it has an even greater significance,” said Arthur Hardy, author of the Mardi Gras Guide.

Bad Cholesterol vs. Good Cholesterol

2006-01-10T09:34:00.000-05:00

In order to find out your cholesterol level which can lead to
heart disease if not corrected, you need to get a blood test
known as a cholesterol test. You need to fast for 9-12 hours
prior to having your blood sample drawn and sent to the lab
for testing.

LDL (bad cholesterol) is the type of cholesterol which builds
up in the walls of arteries and can clog blood vessels.

HDL (good cholesterol) carries cholesterol away from the walls
of arteries.

The risk factors for Heart Disease are:

smoking cigarettes
high blood pressure (140/90 or higher or taking medicine to lower blood pressure
low hdl cholesterol (HDL-C) level (less than 40 mg/dl)
Family history of early heart disease (father or brother had heart disease before age 55, or mother or sister had heart disease before age 65)
Age (you are a man 45 years or older, or you are a woman 55 years or older)

I am a 44 year old female and was at risk, so these are simply guidelines above. The way it has been described to me is that the bad cholesterol is similiar to the placque you find on your teeth. I've read that oatmeal, because of it's sticky texture, grabs the cholesterol on the way out of your body. Here's an article which talks more about what happens when oatmeal travels through your body. But the key or trick is to eat it EVERY DAY!!

Check out Web MD too

How I lowered my Cholesterol

2006-01-10T09:20:00.000-05:00

For the past 2 years, my doctor has been closely monitoring my
cholesterol and it seems as though no matter how many pills he
prescribed (of course I'm on lovastatin and zetia at the present
time) my cholesterol was always at dangerous levels. Now I
realize that if I lose some weight, that would probably help, but
I haven't done that yet so that quick fix wasn't happening. I got
tired of yo-yo diets, so when I lose weight this next time, I want
to do it the "right way" (I'm still working on figuring out the right
way, even though I totally believe it has so much to do with
exercise, for me!!).

OK, so this past month, same diagnosis, horrible cholesterol problems. I
decided to try the once a day oatmeal trick, I figured it couldn't hurt and if
the American Heart Association recommended it, why not. So for the past
month, I have been eating a bowl of oatmeal with a few raisins added for
sweetness almost religiously each day and I got great news from my Dr's
office yesterday. The finally tell me, my cholesterol levels are perfect and
whatever I'm doing, I need to keep doing it. Now, who ever said food was
not good for you :-)

Now I can do that and continue to try and make things better in my life along with getting to bed earlier at night. I need to shift my evening online activities to morning w/coffee sessions and then get my much needed rest and spend more time with my son in the morning. Discipline is NOT an easy thing.

National Cholesterol Education Program

CHAOS in your life?

2006-01-08T16:50:00.000-05:00

I've decided to try and take care of things in my life. Trying to get things
in order. Do you do these things too?

I read, research, scheme and plan, and then not do too much of what I
had all figured out! I am like that in many other areas of my life, in the
home, in my job, in my quest for losing weight and getting in shape, in
my plans to start my own craft business, to sell my unwanted goods on
EBAY, to have a tag sale in my home, to have dinner ready by 6pm,
etc. She found something which helps people like us! We are called
SHE's = (Sidetracked Home Executives)

We try to do a million things all at once, and be superwoman, and end
up crashing and burning! The idea is to have the "routines" become
habit, that your house seems to clean itself, and you find it infiltrates
other areas of your life, heart, and mind, so that you end up FLYing
(Finally Loving Yourself!) every day!

1st step of her morning routine is to "Get Dressed to the Shoes, face
and hair." This way, you are always ready for anything and not sitting
there, feeling in a slump all day.

Are you living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome),
or you just need to organize your life, I think this website and/or
yahoo group might help get us motivated.

I'm a Mary Kay Survivor

2006-01-07T23:46:00.000-05:00

Well, it's time for me to return my product back to the company. I gave it
a try and became totally disenchanted rather quickly with this company. I
like to put make up on and help other women put make up on, but I wasn't
interested in all of the phoniness of it all. I have a hard time believing that
these women, in all of there rah-rah sessions, never ever had a down
time. And God forbid if you even breathe a hint of negativity or doubt
about the company, as you are quickly chastized and told you are either
a negative nellie or just not working your business. It's been a slow
process, trying to get through this mess, realizing that I will have lost
alot of money by being a part of this organization. I'll be glad when it's
all over. Getting ready to return my product, hopefully this week.

Sent my stuff back via USPS - 2 boxes for a little over 80.00. So glad
it's out of my life. Just waiting for my small refund check to finally
close that chapter.

Tips for reducing my gas and electric heating bills

2006-01-07T14:04:00.001-05:00

Some of the things I have been doing to reduce my home heating bill have been:

If you're not using your gas stove every single day, turn off the gas to it if you're able to reach the power source knob easily. It's easy to light the pilot light if and when you might need to use your stove.
Turn down the heat on your water heater. No need to run that all day long at the regular temperature. It takes about 15 minutes to heat the water up before you take a shower. Have everyone in your household take showers right about the same time.
Do your laundry in cold water.
Keep your home temperature set at 55 degrees. Yes, it will be a bit nippy, but you can survive it. As my dad used to say "Put more clothes on" He was such a smart man. I have several blankets I use in my living room during the cold months to snuggle under and I also turn my electric blanket on my bed, about an hour before I go to bed to warm up the sheets. Right before I crawl in, I turn the electric blanket off.
I no longer have an alarm clock in my bedroom. I use my cell phone alarm to wake up in the morning. Most cell phones have a snooze feature on the alarms as well. My electric bill has been reduced significantly. I'm vigilant about turning off any lights which are not necessary.
My sister recommends using an electric power strip to "shut off" the power source which all of our utilities are on standby anyway. Turn off your computer completely. It's always on standby, but if you don't use it on a daily basis, you're wasting alot of electricity having it "ready" for the big turn on. Unplug that sucker from the wall.
If you have a basement which you can live in, move down there for the winter. The earth serves as insulation. You just have to be careful not to turn your temperature down too low because you don't want mold to start growing.
If you have more than one refridgerator in your home, try to consolidate and turn it off completely. Refridgerators take alot of energy to run.

I had an excrutiating pain in my side

2006-01-07T13:55:00.000-05:00

and the Doctor thinks it's the beginning of pleuresy.......???

Well, I described my symptoms to my girlfriend and she said it was simple
gas. She gave me an old fashioned remedy to try and it seemed to work,
so now I have that pain medicine to use for something else at a later date.
lol

home remedy and recipe for gas relief:

1 tablespoon of baking soda
1 juice size glass of warm water (same temp as you would use for alka seltzer)

drink that down in one fell swoop, all of it, every drop (it will taste nasty, but it will cure what ails you for sure)

Now, you will begin to burp and burp and burp, just let it all out and trust me you will feel so much better after having got that gas out of your intestines (intestinal gas). I was only able to belch and sadly, it was funky smelling but you've got to get that out of your system. I had to take about 3 doses over a 2 day period to try and get some relief. It was a horrible smelling burp.

My symptoms in the beginning were; I had this awful pain in my left side and I thought it was the beginning of a kidney infection. Whenever I took a deep breath or coughed, it was very painful. Like I said, the doctor simply sent me away, hoping for the best. Guess I'll have to let him know next time I see him how I "cured" myself. Mind you, I'm sure he won't agree with me, because you know that doctors don't promote homeopathic remedies, but I say, if it works, why not :-)

Get your favorite Dr. Phil book today.......

2006-01-04T12:13:00.000-05:00

Dr. Phil, can he help you with a life situation? Be sure to check out his books. Yesterday, Dr. Phil talked about his newest book, Love Smart. This might be a good book to invest in.

SODA-CLUB: AN INTRODUCTION

2005-12-27T20:55:00.000-05:00

Soda Club USA

Sleek and stylish, the home soda maker is a countertop appliance about the size of a coffeemaker that transforms water into fresh, fizzy seltzer/sparkling water at the push of a button. Soda makers operate without batteries, electricity or plumbing, so they are simple to use in a kitchen and great for bringing along on a boat, RV or to a second home. Making seltzer and soda takes just seconds and requires no clean-up.

A reusable, one-liter carbonating bottle (provided by Soda-Club) is filled with water and screwed into the machine fitting. A CO2 carbonator, housed inside the soda maker, adds carbonation at the touch of a button – as much or as little as the consumer prefers. After carbonating the water, the soda drinker simply adds a capful from one of over 25 sodamix flavors to make his or her favorite, great-tasting soda.

Despite recently arriving in the US market, Soda-Club is the global leader of in-home carbonation. Over the past decade, Soda-Club’s home soda makers and soda-making accessories have been sold into over 10 million households in 18 countries around the world. In fact, it is estimated that over 800 million liters of water are carbonated with Soda-Club’s system worldwide each year.

BENEFITS OF FRESHLY MADE SODA AND SELTZER
With a home soda maker, a household will save in many ways - save trips to the store, save lugging and storage, save the environment, save sugar and sodium…and save money!

With Soda-Club, soda stays fizzy, thanks to a special hermetic seal in the carbonating bottle caps. That means no more flat, wasted soda. A home soda maker and concentrated sodamix flavors means no more lugging and storing soda. Each bottle of sodamix is about the size of a can of soda but contains enough syrup to make 12 one-liter bottles (about 36 cans) of soda. So, Soda-Club is great for families and for anyone with tight space, including RVers, boaters, college students and urban dwellers.

Soda-Club seltzer/sparkling water has several advantages over store-bought. First, the carbonation can be customized. Secondly, seltzer/sparkling water made with a Soda-Club machine contains no sodium, unlike many store-bought brands. A Soda-Club household will save as much as 50% over store-bought seltzer/sparkling water.

Soda-Club sodas are a sensible alternative to store-bought sodas. Soda-Club’s regular sodamix flavors have 2/3 less sugar, calories, carbs and sodium than regular store-bought soda. Diet flavors are of course sugar-free, contain less sodium than store-bought diet flavors and contain no aspartame – all diet flavors are sweetened with Splenda® brand sweetener.

And finally, soda and seltzer households will save money with Soda-Club. Seltzer starts at just 17 cents per liter; soda starts at just 42 cents per liter. Soda-Club even offers an Energy Drink sodamix that consumers can make for about 25 cents per serving (compared to $1.99 per serving in the store.) Soda-Club is an even greater value when you consider that you’ll stop pouring money down the drain with flat, wasted bottles of store-bought soda. And no more lost deposit fees for customers in bottle bill states. Plus, you’ll help the environment by cutting down on all those cases of store-bought cans and bottles.

SODA-CLUB'S CUSTOMER PROFILE
Soda-Club has found success in a variety of consumer segments, and is therefore suitable for a variety of affiliates. Our most successful affiliates will likely be those whose primary consumers are: * Large families
* Sugar/carb-conscious (e.g. dieters, diabetics)
* Seltzer fans (e.g. people of recent European or Jewish descent)
* People for whom space is at a premium (eg. college students, apartment dwellers, RVers, boaters)
* Energy drink fans (for our Energy Drink sodamix)
* Upscale homes who consume imported sparkling water (for our Penguin machine)
Almost everyone drinks soda or seltzer/sparkling water. Even upscale households, who tend to index lower on in-home soda, tend to index much higher on sparkling water, seltzer and cocktail mixers such as Ginger Ale and Tonic. Soda-Club’s compactness, mobility and space-saving convenience make it an attractive appliance for boats, RVs, second homes…even college dorm rooms. In short, Soda-Club offers a single appliance solution that provides beverages catering to every taste palate in the household.

Demographic results from a recent customer survey:
* 53% Male
* 77% Age 25-55 years old
* 85% Have at least some college
* 80% Have household income over $50K
* 38% Have household income over $100K
* 39% Have children under 18 living in the home

SODA-CLUB: THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON FIZZING
Most Americans have a holiday shopping list that includes brothers and sisters, friends, in-laws - and their kids. That adds up to a lot of stress and effort figuring out what to get everyone. But the Soda-Club soda maker is an ideal solution for a family gift. Mom, Dad and all the kids will love making fresh delicious soda over the holidays and throughout the year.
* Great-tasting, fizzy seltzer and soda - in over 25 great flavors
* No more lugging or storing bulky bottles and cans from the store
* Regular flavors with 2/3 less carbs, calories and sugar than store-bought
* Diet flavors sweetened with Splenda® - not aspartame
* No batteries ... No electricity ... No cleanup
* Money back guarantee. Three-year warranty

A Soda-Club soda maker is a unique and memorable gift for just about any occasion.
* Holidays
* Birthdays
* Mother’s Day
* Father’s Day
* Housewarmings
* Weddings
* Showers
* Graduation

Consumer Pricing: Package prices range from $89.99 to $359.99 depending on the choice of soda maker and package components. There is free shipping on all value packages.

Delivery areas: Soda-Club delivers anywhere in the continental United States, plus most areas of Canada. We cannot ship to PO boxes. Deliveries are made within 3-5 business days after placing an order.

Soda-Club limits any downside risk for customers by offering a 30-day money-back guarantee, and a three-year warranty on all home soda makers, something that is nearly unheard of among small appliances.

Tax season is just around the corner

2005-12-27T20:39:00.000-05:00

Use H&R Block's TaxCut Software to file your taxes.
I've been using this program for the past 4 years
and have been very pleased with it. User friendly
and accurate. Get yours today.

Viva La Bam

2005-12-16T10:44:00.000-05:00

Have you ever seen this show? It's one of those ones that you really must see, just for the craziness factor. I wish I could come up with one of these ideas to make some money. These guys are all the craziest. Some of the, rather should I say, all of the antics they do are simply brilliant and off the paper. Is there such a thing? lol I guess what I'm saying is they do things which are always "outside of the box". Like the time they removed the wall in Don Vito's bedroom and he insisted that they fix it and put it back!!! Well, they put a garage door opener in its place lolol.... And the time that Vito needed to get back at Bam and he stole Bam's hummer (yes, this expensive vehicle) and pushed it into a very deep gravel pit (kaboom!!) That poor hummer. They are basically destructive on material things which is probably not a bad message. Society is way too materialistic and these guys have fun with terrorizing people and stuff. You just never know what they're gonna do next!! lol

Don Vito is a bumbling idiot. Is he like this in real life? Some of their antics are simply amazing. What can I say, this show just makes me laugh. It qualifies as "so stupid, it's funny".

I love their theme song. It kicks some serious butt!!

"King of Rock n Roll"

I'm gonna give you what you need
I'm gonna make your ears bleed

rock'n roll, rock'n roll, I'm the king of rock'n roll

I'm gonna give you what you want
a jigely wigely, jigely wigely, jigely wigely show

rock'n roll, rock'n roll, I'm the king of rock'n roll

(vamos Danny)

they call me the white bombo a rock'n roll rebel inna Babylon

rock'n roll, rock'n roll, I'm the king of rock'n roll.

I'm relieved! They finally have a name for it!

2005-12-08T00:30:00.000-05:00

Internet Addiction Disorder, also known my psychiatrist's (of all places from Univ of Pitt at Bradford) as IAD (not to be confused with the airport code for Washington Dulles ;-)

Wow, wonder how much he'll get paid for that diagnosis and can they blame us lol It's not like we all have lives around here. :-)

source:

More gas conserving tips

2005-11-07T12:29:00.000-05:00

Non-essential travel will be ended, idling of vehicles will be limited as much as possible and air conditioning will not be used. Carpooling will become essential.

Utilize your local bus systems to get around.

mowing grass less frequently

street sweeping could be cancelled for a few days to conserve fuel

work schedules also are being adjusted so employees can carpool, drive at off-peak hours to avoid traffic congestion or telecommute.

employees should be encouraged to walk or bike to work.

officers would patrol their beats on bicycle or on foot. Some calls would be handled over the phone, she said.

Police in Fayetteville also will be walking and biking more, Pitts said. When not answering a call, they will park their cruisers in crime-prone areas to be close enough to patrol on foot, he said.

Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison has obtained fuel cards for his deputies so they can fill their tanks closer to their patrol areas.

"I didn't want them driving all the way from Zebulon and Wendell or the Apex-New Hill area to downtown Raleigh to fill up," said Harrison, who also has made the fleet of patrol cars more fuel-efficient in recent years. "I took the SUVs off patrol and gave them to K-9 units, school resource officers and crime prevention units that aren't patrolling every day."

The sheriff also has ordered deputies to patrol smarter to conserve gas.

"We're having deputies sit in middle of their patrol zones and do paperwork and try to cut their cars off," he said.

Deputy Kenneth Bagwell, who covers both Wendell and Zebulon, has taken the order to heart.

"I can sort of judge where the majority of my calls are going to come from and lean that way more than the other," Bagwell said. "We are very conscientious because of so much traveling on the job."

Our Gushing Oil Wells

2005-11-04T23:40:00.000-05:00

By KATHRYN ROSS - Wellsville Daily Reporter
LITTLE GENESEE - With a pop and a gush, nearly 75 people watched oil history repeat itself in Allegany County Tuesday.

Back in the late '40s, old timers recalled it used to take place three or four times a day, but the last time an oil well was “shot” in Allegany County was over three years ago, according to state Department of Environmental Conservation officials who were on the scene Tuesday when Chris Kellner shot a well belonging to Ron Smith.

The well, a new well drilled over last winter and spring, is located on county Route 5 about 2.5 miles from the post office in Little Genesee.

“Shooting a well” is oil country terminology for dropping nitroglycerin into a well to fracture the surrounding rock for the purpose of increasing oil production by opening up pockets and fissures containing oil. In the old days, the life expectancy of a shooter was counted in days, because transporting the highly explosive nitroglycerin over rutted terrain was very often a fatal experience. John Herrick in “Empire Oil,” printed in 1949, relates that the remains of unlucky shooters were collected in cigar boxes, and buried in full-size coffins.

The procedure wasn't much different on Tuesday than that carried out by men named Garthwaite and VanCuren during the oil boom in the county as Kellner used an aluminum emulsion, primer cord, detonators and highly explosive dynamite to shoot Smith's well.

Kellner, who apprenticed under the retiring Glenn Benson, is trained and certified in the use of explosives. He is taking over ownership of Kellner Well Services, of Olean, which specialized in oil field explosives.

In a procedure very similar to loading a black powder rifle, Kellner packed six bags of aluminum-based explosive emulsion each weighing 30-pounds and two-feet long, into six, two-foot long sections of tin pipe. He lined the tin shells with primer cord and attached highly explosive dynamite and detonators to each end and wrapped them with tape. They were lowered into the hole, that had been drilled to 1,123 feet, after it was filled with sand and gravel to bring it up to a depth of 1,050 feet, the level the DEC approved for the explosion.

When the “shells' snagged in the hole, and had to be fished free, Kellner decided not to wrap the last five bags in tin. Instead, looking like a string of sausages they were lowered into the hole. The hole was created not by drilling with a rotary bit, but instead by slowly pounding the rock with an outfit called a spudder.

A total of 25 feet of explosives were place in the well. Smith hoped the shot well would increase production to four barrels a day. (A barrel of oil contains 42 to 45 gallons of oil.)

In the old days an iron ball called a “go devil” was dropped into the well to hit a firing pin and detonate the nitroglycerin, and the shooter would ‘go like the devil' for cover. Kellner's go devil was more like a terrorist's pipe bomb. Calling it a drop pack, he took a three feet long length of pipe and crimped one end. In the other end Benson, with the help of Bill Dibble, packed dynamite, attached detonators and fuse, stuffed in some wadding and constructed a bail from which to hang it.

Kellner, Smith and Benson then lit up cigarettes and strolled over to the circa 1947 Cyrus Erie “Spudder” rig with the go/pack in hand. They puffed furiously sending small clouds of blue smoke into the air as they walked. Then after lighting the fuse, with the hot end of their smokes, like in old western movies, they dropped the go/pack into the hole, and strolled back to the crowd.

The spectators had been told to retreat to the tree line of the tiny clearing.

As the men reached the tree line an audible pop was heard from the well, and a tiny vibration was felt through the soles of workboots and hiking shoes as a chain reaction explosion took place more than 1,000 feet under ground.

Then, the air above the mouth of the well shimmered with the release of gas which was followed by a jet of Richburg crude reaching twice the height of the 42 foot tall rig as it hurtled into the gray sky. Twisted tin, rocks, water and oil spewed over the muddy ground before the tide receded.

After the explosion Kellner said he was pleased with the efficiency of the light load. Earlier he exclaimed at the number of people who stood for five hours in the drenching rain waiting for the event.

“I've never had this many people at something like this or answered so many questions,” he said.

Smith, who has 24 wells that produce about 11 barrels a day, said he was pleased with the outcome and plans to have another well shot in the spring.

As for Tuesday's event, Smith said, shooting the well was historic, because it was done the old way.

“Today they use a method called hydrofraccing to increase production. This is the way it used to be done. It's the way it was done when I was a kid,” Smith said.

Smith is a third generation oil man, and cut his teeth in the oil business holding the dynamite for his father Richard and grandfather Gordon.

He believes that with the high cost of oil there will be renewed interest in drilling for oil in the Allegany County fields. Currently his oil, which is part of the Richburg Field, is shipped to Bradford, Pa., for refining.

DEC official Chris Miller said the number of permits for drilling in the six county area he covers has increased over the last couple of months to more than 30 a month.

Wells not dry yet, experts contend

2005-11-03T22:54:00.000-05:00

By DANIEL LEBLANC, The Times Herald
10/21/2005

CUBA — More oil wells are being drilled locally and outside companies are taking more interest in the Twin Tier’s supply of gas and oil, local oil producers said at Thursday’s New York State Oil Producers Association Inc. meeting.

The group met at Moonwinks Restaurant for its 87th annual meeting and discussed the state of some of the local oil and gas fields.

Association President Paul Plants told members that “it’s hard to find a time when the price of fuel has been so volatile.”

He added that there is also concern over the possible rise in natural gas costs this winter.

“Sixty percent of the Gulf Coast’s gas wells have been shut down” due to recent hurricanes, he said. “This is good for local producers, but difficult for the elderly who are on fixed incomes.”

With an ever-increasing demand for natural gas, Mr. Plants said New York stands poised to potentially pick up some of the slack in the industry.

“We have 100 years (supply) or better of natural gas in New York,” he said. “New York could make a difference in the natural gas supply.”

With this large supply, the problem is tapping the natural gas wells and piping it to other areas of the country, he said.

“We don’t have the infrastructure to bring it to the market,” he said.

After the meeting, he said that a new pipeline would likely have to be laid in some areas, which is difficult to get approval for due to environmental regulations.

Also, with the renewed interest in oil products due to rising crude oil prices, he said there has been increased interest in the Twin Tier’s oil reserves.

“Things are beginning to pick up,” he said.
Most of the interest has been in the Bradford, Pa., area, but New York’s Southern Tier has seen some increased activity as well, he said.

The Department of Environmental Conservation has received nearly double the number of well permits than from a year ago, Mr. Plants said. That number could double again in 2006.

“There are a lot of heavy hitters from outside the area” looking to drill wells of 10,000 feet, he said. Most of the smaller local operations only drill as deep as 2,000 feet.

Smaller producers are getting more out of these shallower wells because of new technologies and techniques, he said.

The 156-member Association has also seen its first increase in members in several years, he said.

John Miller, a geologist with Beldon & Blake Corp., which has many oil fields around Bradford, Pa., said that his company is continuing to expand its number of oil wells in the world’s first billion dollar oil field.

Between 1871 and 1936 an estimated 352.7 million barrels of oil were produced from the oil wells surrounding Bradford, he said.

“This is an extremely exciting area. There is a tremendous amount of opportunity there,” Mr. Miller said.

The Company’s main focus has been on wells in Westline, which is south of Bradford. The company has been drilling wells as close as 450 feet apart.

A lot of the oil being produced comes from old wells from the 1800’s and 1900’s that were not completely used up, he said.

Gone in flames - Spontaneous Human Combustion

2005-11-02T01:41:00.000-05:00

One of the strangest tales is the story of the ghastly death of
Dr. John Irving Bentley of Coudersport, Pa., by spontaneous
human combustion. On the morning of Dec. 5, 1966, Don. E.
Gosnell, a meter reader for the North Penn Gas Company, began
his usual rounds in the small town of Coudersport.

His first stop was at the home of a 92-year-old, retired
physician Dr. John Irving Bentley. Dr. Bentley was a
semi-invalid but able to get around in his home with the aid
of a walker. Gosnell opened the doctor's door and yelled that
he was there to read the meter, but received no answer. He went
down to the basement to read the meter and immediately
encountered a light blue smoke and an unusual odor.

In a corner of the basement floor, Gosnell discovered a mound
of fine ash about 5 inches high and 15 inches wide. With his
foot he kicked and scattered the pile of ash, thinking nothing
further of it. Unknown to him, above his head was a hole 2
feet wide and 4 feet long burned right through the floorboards.

Gosnell read the meter and next went upstairs to check in on
the doctor. Upstairs the blue smoke was thicker and, becoming
alarmed, he called for the doctor but still received no answer.
When Gosnell stuck his head into the bathroom, however, he saw
a ghastly sight which haunted him for the rest of his life.

The doctor's walker was tilted over the large hole burned into
the floor. Alongside the walker was all that remained of the
doctor -- his right leg from the knee down. The leg was browned
but not burned, and the shoe was still intact.

In horror Gosnell ran from the house yelling, "Doctor Bentley
burned up."

Coroner John Dec was summoned to investigate the suspicious
death. One theory proposed was that Bentley had set his robe on
fire while striking a match to light his pipe. When the robe
ignited he used the walker to reach the bathroom for water to
douse on the flames. This theory, however, was quickly discounted
when the doctor's robe -- singed but not burned -- was found in
the nearby bathtub. Even if the robe had caught fire, how would
the fire have been hot enough to consume most of the body?

Another question that arose was that if the fire had started
in the living room, why was there no trace of it? Others asked
how a fire could have been so hot as to almost completely
incinerate a body, but have almost no effect on other objects
in the house.

Coroner Dec's certificate of death gave the cause of death as
"asphyxiation and 90 percent burning" but the questions
surrounding the event remained unanswered. The incident is today
regarded as one of the most unusual occurrences of spontaneous
human combustion.

This story always amazed me to read about what happened
to this Dr. What an awful way to go!!

Pimp my Room

2005-10-28T13:28:00.000-04:00

Ah, the brilliance that comes out of PSU. OK, so this isn't a TV reality show, but gosh darn it, I think it's extremely creative and why wouldn't it be because it was concocted by a couple of college fellows from the great university in Pennsylvania. Penn State, home of the Nittany Lions. I think this is an awesome idea guys. Very cool.

Check out their story and website:

I have to say....."I want the Corona lamp for myself, thank you very much."

*smile*

Can I have a freebie lol I'll even bring the limes.

Another MLM in the making?

2005-10-27T08:25:00.000-04:00

They compare themselves to home based businesses such as Avon and
Mary Kay cosmetics, but I guess I'd have to reread this article
to make an educated decision. I know many women who know how to
use a drill and hammer efficiently. If nothing else, this is
what I REALLY call empowering women!!!

Click the title name for the article.

Heating alternatives-Corn Burning

2005-10-24T00:30:00.000-04:00

Corn-burning/multi-fuel insert which she and her husband recently
installed this insert into their fireplace. They live in a big old
house with a natural gas boiler and radiators. In the coldest months,
Jan. and Feb. last year and the year before, their combined Gas/Electric
bill was over $400 for one month, and they don't use much electricity,
it was mostly the boiler! They went on the "level-pay-plan" or
"budget plan" which their power company offers, so now, they were
paying like $182 every month, instead of the bill being super high in
the winter months and having low bills in the summer. Going on the
budget plan, helped them to spread the payment out over time, BUT they still wanted to pay less, so they got a corn-burner, as corn is
abundant and cheap supply where they live in Central IL. Lots of the
farmers have surplus and are willing to sell it to them directly.

The kind they purchased was a Countryside Stove. The one they purchased was a fireplace insert, but they also make free-standing sotves. They got their unit, used from another family friend,
and the used price was $1500. Installation and some pellets and
"gel starter fluid" was around $550. They figure it will pay for
itself with the decrease in heating bills, in 3-4 years, and that
is pretty good.

The brochure indicates that it will burn shelled corn (kernels, not ON
the cob) - dried, <15% moisture content burns most efficiently),
wood pellets (basically sawdust and leftover bits form furniture and
lumber manufacturing places, compressed into little cylindrical
pellets), cherry pits, waste paper pellets, and "a host of other
fuels" it says.

More about corn-burning:

"Corn Comparison:
An average home will burn 85 to 150 bushels of corn
a season, depending on temperature, size of home,
insulation, and placement of unit.

1 bushel of shelled corn = 5.0 gallons of LP gas
or 3.4 gallons of Fuel Oil
or 140 kilowatt hours of Electricity
or 4.75 C.C.F. of Natural Gas

It burns very efficiently, too, one bushel of corn makes only one
pound of ash.

A friend who they bought their unit from, has been heating his
whole house with a corn burning unit for the past 4 years. It is
a free-standing one, and has it in his attached garage. He just
puts a box-fan in the doorway into the house and blows the heat in.
He still has gas and electric service, but only pays a few dollars
a month for that access. In fact, the power company has come and
changed his meter 3 times since he has had the corn-burner, because
they think he is tampering with it, because he is using so little
of the pay for power. He hasn't told them he has a corn burner. He
enjoys watching the confused meter-readers in the dead of winter!
*chuckle* They must think he is an eskimo and just doesn't heat
his house!

Corn burning units emits sort of a sweet smell, very different than
wood-burning, and there is not kreosote or soot. Also, because it
is inside a self-contained unit and burns so efficiently, there is
very little waste. The ashes fall down into a little pan and then
you can dump them on your gardens as fertilizer, or throw them out,
they are not toxic to the environment. Occasionally you have to pull
a "clinker" out of the fire-box, the sugar naturally found in corn.
When burned, corn will make these little chunks that are too big to
fall through into the ash pan, and you have to clean them out. You
can also purchase a metal ash vaccuum to assist in the cleaning.

Also, corn in a bucket seems much easier to refill and haul in
compared to big ole logs and stuff :-)

Austin, PA Police chief busted for stealing pot

2005-10-17T00:05:00.000-04:00

The police chief of the borough of Austin resigned Tuesday and is jailed today after being arrested for allegedly stealing two pounds of marijuana.

Shawn Henry Foringer, 26, allegedly stole the marijuana from the Austin Borough Police Station and reported that it was stolen during a burglary last Thursday, according to Coudersport-based State Police.

Officials said Foringer was suspended from his position Monday and was charged Tuesday with violation of the Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act and theft by unlawful taking, both felonies. He also was charged with making false reports to law enforcement officials and was remanded to Potter County Jail in Coudersport in lieu of $50,000. Officials said today that Foringer had not posted bail and remained in jail.

Trooper Scott Henry, a public information officer for the Pennsylvania State Police in Mansfield, said he believes Foringer had worked for the Austin Police Department for approximately three years.

He said Foringer was cooperative with investigators after it was discovered that he had falsely reported that the marijuana had been stolen during a burglary at the department.

Foringer had initially reported the burglary to Austin Borough Mayor Albert Gledhill late Wednesday and that information was relayed to the State Police Thursday.

“It’s a very tough situation, it’s bad enough when it’s a normal situation ... but when you have a law enforcement perspective, it’s very difficult,” Tpr. Henry said today.

This just amazes me how some people can be sooooooo stupid, especially in a small town and believe me, I've been to that town, good ole Austin, PA and it's small. I just chuckle over the "duh" ness of this all. I have a high respect for police officers in general and yes I do know there are crooked ones out there. I wonder how much there was? Was he the local pot dealer in town?

Shop here for some holiday gifts

2005-10-16T16:42:00.000-04:00

My friend Sandy is getting married and has this great site to purchase
gifts for Christmas time and I'm trying to help her out. Feel free to
send this to anyone you know. :-)

Feel free to check it out and ORDER :-)

They are sort of Avon and home interiorors products and she is helping to
sell these products online. They have awesome holiday decor, gifts, and
tons more.. check it out.. and book mark, please do feel free to send it
out to anyone you know.

Sandy thanks you all.

I can't afford my gasoline

2005-10-13T01:14:00.000-04:00

Sad but true. Anyone up for a hybrid car?

PF Chang's Chinese Restaurant chain

2005-10-11T11:27:00.000-04:00

I love Chinese food and have heard this is place is awesome. We'll have to see
if it comes to a town near us. Erie? Buffalo? Olean NY lol, now that's funny.

Anchor Bar - Chicken Wings are movin'

2005-10-09T22:07:00.000-04:00

Chicken wing's birthplace is ready to spread its wings. This is an exciting
move for the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY. I am looking forward to this. It's about time. When I used to live in the Washington, DC area, I always wanted some "real Buffalo Wings" I think this is a great move on the Anchor Bar's part. It's
always nice to have a little bit of home with you when you're living in another
city. It's heartwarming and let me tell ya, these wings are guaranteed to warm
your heart. :-)

It's the restaurant where Buffalo wings took flight. Now the Anchor Bar may be coming to a city near you.

The Main Street restaurant that deep fried and drenched in hot sauce the first batch of chicken wings in 1964 is ready to offer franchises. It's the traveling Buffalonian's lament that good wings can't be found away from home _ wrong size, not crisp, too much sauce, too little, too hot, not hot enough.

But "If you have wings (at a franchise) in Delray Beach, Fla., or wings in Seattle, Wash., they're going to taste exactly the way they taste at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York," promised John Veyette, president of the Anchor Bar Franchise Co.

Not only will franchisees get their wings from specific buyers and use only authentic Anchor Bar sauce, bottled in Rochester, they'll be required to cook the wings in a specific _ and secret _ way. Veyette wouldn't describe the cooking method, except to say it involves more than a toss into the deep fryer.

The Anchor Bar will offer three franchise models: a full-scale replica of the original restaurant that includes a bar, a smaller version without a separate bar and an "express" version to fit in food courts, casinos and arenas. Franchise fees range from $20,000 to $49,500. The company's franchise offering recently was accepted by the state Department of Law.

source:

Officer dot com

2005-10-08T12:13:00.000-04:00

The source for law enforcement officials. I found this to be an interesting website, worthy of posting on my blog. Enjoy.

Andy Ferguson - listen

2005-10-08T00:38:00.000-04:00

Check out my friend Ron's son's music online:

LOL - OK he even writes notes like his dad.....I loved the spanish song.....how cool!!

His Dad writes like this too (too funny)

Hey, I'm Andy Ferguson, a fun lovin' guy - Bohemian Revolutionary at heart, and always up for an adventure~ basically im "starting out" as a musician, doing as much writing as i can and as much playing in front of as many people possible, (just getting myself out there) and aspiring to be the next, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, or Jack Johnson! Music is truly a passion in my life and i would love to "make it big". If i could, i would take my guitar with me wherever i go :D i love to meet people and talk to people and ill try anything once. .. and i really like hot chocolate too! :P haha

It's the I really like hot chocolate too part. Makes the reader go HUH????? lol

I have lyrics I want to sell

2005-09-29T23:15:00.000-04:00

I want a hip hop artist to create music for lyrics that I plan
on writing. How in the world would I even go about getting in
touch with one of these guys or their recording people to even
have them consider an idea which I have.

Currently, Kanye West is on the top of my list of preferred
artists. I just LOVE his song "Gold Digger" Love it, love it,
luvvvvvvv it!!! It is so awesome.

So if anyone out there in the hip hop world, would like to hook
me up with Kanye West, I have something which I would love his
help on.

Senator Reid Unveils "GiveEmHellHarry.com"

2005-09-28T11:22:00.000-04:00

News from Friends for Harry Reid
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 28th, 2005

New Online Campaign HQ Demands Answers from Oil Execs

"It's the truth, they just think it's hell"

Washington, DC - Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid today unveiled a
new online campaign headquarters - GiveEmHellHarry.com - to provide
Americans with the tools to make an impact on the fight for control of
the U.S. Senate.

"There is a great deal at stake. While Democrats fight for better
health care, energy independence, restoring America's global strength
and rebuilding our economy through innovation and reform, Republicans
continue to ignore their failures and resist progress," This website is
a place where people can take action. Together, we can change the
future."

Today on GiveEmHellHarry.com, Reid called on Americans to join him in
sending a clear, unambiguous message to the nation's largest oil
companies who refused to testify at a Democratic Policy Committee last
week on rising gas prices. Reid also is leading efforts with his caucus
on an Energy Independence 2020 effort to reduce gas prices and America's
dependence on Middle East oil.

In the face of national tragedy, our nation's oil companies are
recording record profits while Americans are paying 50% more at the pump
than they did just one year ago," Reid said. "Democrats in the Senate
have set a national priority to make America safer and more secure by
reducing our dependence on foreign oil by 2020. If Republicans can't
lead on this issue, we will."

GiveEmHellHarry.com's formal launch will be supported by paid
advertising including billboards in three key western states -
Albuquerque, New Mexico; Phoenix, Arizona; and Helena, Montana -
reaffirming his commitment to winning in the American west.

The name of the site was inspired by an event that occurred during Harry
Truman's successful 1948 presidential campaign. While delivering a
speech on a whistle stop tour in Seattle, a supporter yelled to Truman,
"Give 'em hell, Harry!" Truman responded, "I don't give them hell, I
just tell the truth and they think it's hell."

The new web site can be found at www.GiveEmHellHarry.com

Bloggers comments: I've been looking forward to the announcement

of this website. Thank you Sheila for sharing the information with me.

Excellent everyday tips that DO work!!

2005-09-26T09:24:00.000-04:00

DID YOU KNOW THAT. .

Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately -- without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional"pain relievers."

Did you know that Colgate Toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns?

Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong
Altoid Peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.

Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of Horseradish in a cup of Olive Oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.

Sore Throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.

Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms.
Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly -- even though the product was never been advertised for this use.

Eliminate puffiness under your eyes..... All you need is a dab of Preparation H, Carefully rubbed into the skin, avoiding the eyes. The Hemorrhoid ointment acts as a vasoconstrictor, relieving the swelling instantly.

Honey remedy for skin blemishes... Cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.

Listerine therapy for toenail fungus... Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.

Easy eyeglass protection... To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear Nail Polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.

Coca-Cola Cure for rust... Forget those expensive rust removers. Justsaturate an abrasive sponge with Coca Cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job done.

Apply a bit of VASELINE to the base of a light bulb when changing it, especially those outside and they are easier to remove.
Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer... If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the
insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.

Smart splinter remover... just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue all over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.

Hunt's Tomato Paste boil cure... cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothes the pain and brings the boil to a head.

Balm for broken blisters... To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine... a powerful antiseptic.

Heinz Vinegar To heal bruises... Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.

Kills fleas instantly. Dawn Dish Washing Liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Good-bye fleas.

Rainy day cure for dog odor... Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.

Eliminate ear mites... All it takes is a few drops of Wesson Corn Oil in your cat's ear. Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.

Vaseline cure for hair balls..... To prevent troublesome hair balls, apply a dollop of Vaseline petroleum jelly to your cat's nose. The cat will lick off the jelly, lubricating any hair in its stomach so it can pass easily through the digestive system.

Quaker Oats for fast pain relief.... It's not for breakfast anymore! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.

If you send this to 15 people and only one of them doesn't know about this, then it was all worth it. You might have saved a life or at least a little PAIN!!!

If you send this to 15 people and only one of them doesn't know about this, then it was all worth it. You might have saved a life or at least a little PAIN!!!

Corn Burning Boiler unit

2005-09-25T16:34:00.000-04:00

Well, winter is coming upon us, quicker than we'll know and so will
the rising heating costs. This particular method intrigued me and
you might be interested as well. Read on.....

The average price for corn from Illinois, as of Sept 13, 2005 was
$1.825/Bushel, so say we use the max of the range of fuel to
heat this season (quoted in the brochure), 150 bushels, then
our corn cost would be around $273.75 for the whole winter.....now
the unit does require some power to run the auger and fan - electricity,
and I am not sure how much. The unit (used) plus installation for
one family was $2100, and they will need to get a trailer to haul
and store corn in in the garage - estimate: $500.00

Time will tell how much it lowers the heating bills of past.

This man has a corn-burning Boiler unit in his large old house in
WI....here is his website:

Cosmetic Company Secret?

2005-09-19T13:11:00.000-04:00

A Cosmetic company secret: Just a warning, this story may give you
the chills. Workers at a make-up company in China says they've been
putting a little something extra in their products! According to
insiders, the company (which isn't named for legal reasons) has been
using skin harvested from the corpses of executed convicts to create
beauty products. The make-up , which is sold in Europe, includes
collagen for lip and wrinkle treatments. The anonymous workers say
using the skin, is "traditional" and "nothing to make a big fuss
about". But doctors in Europe say it is a big deal because there is a
risk of infection!

Source:

Bitchology - there IS a science to it

2005-09-17T15:31:00.000-04:00

I found this little diddy and thought it was worthy. So I guess if I'm called this, I should be proud ;-) No problem, it's the higheset of compliments.

When I stand up for myself and my beliefs, they call me a bitch.
When I stand up for those I love, they call me a bitch.
When I speak my mind, think my own thoughts or do things my own
way, they call me a bitch. Being a bitch means I won't compromise
what's in my heart. It means I live my life MY way. It means I won't
allow anyone to step on me. When I refuse to tolerate injustice and
speak against it, I am defined as a bitch. The same thing happens
when I take time for myself instead of being everyone's maid, or
when I act a little selfish. It means I have the courage and
strength to allow myself to be who I truly am and won't become
anyone else's idea of what they think I "should" be. I am outspoken,
opinionated and determined. I want what I want and there is nothing
wrong with that! So try to stomp on me, try to douse my inner flame,
try to squash every ounce of beauty I hold within me. You won't succeed.
And if that makes me a bitch, so be it. I embrace the title and am
proud to bear it.

B - Babe
I - In
T - Total
C - Control of
H - Herself

B = Beautiful
I = Intelligent
T = Talented
C = Charming
H = Hell of a Woman

B = Beautiful
I = Individual
T = That
C = Can
H = Handle anything

So what they're telling me here is that it's OK to HAVE a SPINE!! :-)

Geico is now recruiting in Buffalo

2005-09-16T16:28:00.000-04:00

GEICO Recruiting Associates for New Service Center in Buffalo-Amherst

BUFFALO, N.Y., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- GEICO, the fourth-largest private passenger auto insurer in the country, is recruiting associates to fill jobs for its new 250,000-square-foot service center at 300 CrossPoint Parkway in Amherst, N.Y. The company expects to employ some 2,500 associates at the center.

read the press release here:

Katrina victims - Should I let a total stranger live with me?

2005-09-16T11:41:00.000-04:00

I want to help Katrina victims, but I don't even know these people!! I've had roommates in the past, there are some good ones and some bad ones.

Some people who work with disaster and trauma victims believe it's not the best housing solution. They think it's safer and better for the survivors to pool our funds to support them in rented housing, for several reasons:

Homeowners may not have considered what kind of responsibilities they're taking on.

There's been no background screening of either homeowners or those needing housing.

They worry about liability concerns for the temporary hosts.

The victims will likely prefer to be in their own homes.
"We think these people don't want to be in other people's faces," said the Rev. David Hockensmith, director of the Greater Ozarks Council of Churches. "They want their own space. And after being jammed into large facilities with 50,000 other people, who can blame them?"

Bev Tedeja, coordinator of social services for The Kitchen, Inc., works with those who have been suddenly plunged into homelessness. She doesn't think adding them into a household of strangers is a good idea.

"If we put them in with a lot of other people, that just increases their stress," Tedeja explains. "It would be like taking people here and cramming them in a dorm. They don't need to be confined, put in with another family. Coming from those domes, they need to be with their own families."

Jim Rives, vice president of corporate development at The Burrell Center, says he and other mental health professionals have been discussing the subject, also. "Some ... are going to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and will be getting and making phone calls, wondering about family members and friends. If they're already depressed and highly stressed to begin with, it tends to push some people over the edge."

Much more on this here:

Tandem blogging: mom and dad blog side-by-side

2005-09-15T11:27:00.000-04:00

I like this concept and I think it might be kind of fun. I already have something in mind about a couple of folks who I almost always disagree with, but I personally would have a concern about totally getting into it. I'm talking about "right fighters" and "know it alls". They drive me nuts, because the way I see it, there are always two sides to every story. We'll see where this one goes. I'm not one for rockin' the boat if I don't need to. Sometimes, you can say too much and you know you can't take it back once it's been said.

But here is the concept:

Should I ask a guy out on a first date?

2005-09-14T23:57:00.000-04:00

Here is what one man (Don: aka: skibum19682000@yahoo.com) had to say about this:

OK here is my input on the subject of girls asking guys out. OK here goes,since you all have figured out.....lol. I take everything really seriously and always take people for their word,that makes me really gullible. I know i am deathly afraid to ask any woman out on a date,almost to the point that i would rather be shot than ask a simple question as a date. I guess it is because i as others fear rejection. Life sort ta sucks for me because i am that way and it really makes it hard for me.

OK here we go on the subject of weather a lady should ask a gent out on a date, I think it would be flattering to have a lady ask me out on a date. More than likely I would gladly accept the invite if i had the cash to cover the date.

So on the question should a lady ask a man out on a date? Sure! But let me pose these questions to you:

1. if she asks should she pay for the date or should the guy be a man and insist on paying for the date so as she doesn't feel she has been used?

2. If she asked the man out should she make all the plans for the date?

3. Should he drive or should she drive?

4. Is it OK for the man to sneak a bottle of wine or sparkling grape juice with a blanket in case they decide to spend some time outside in a nature setting so as there are no other people to interrupt the conversation?

5. LOL Last and least of all should they both shut their cellphones off during the date?

God this is a messed up world at times..........who knows what is right and wrong anymore.

All i can say about the question should a lady ask a guy out on a date........YES Ladys go for it!!! I know there are others like me out there that are afraid to ask for a date. That's why there are so many of us that are single and still looking for love and happiness in this world of ours. Well it is time for me to stumble back off this soap box and let someone else have their say.

I couldn't agree with you more on why there are so many of us who are single. Sometimes I guess we need to "step out of the box" (ie: our comfort zone) and just take a chance. Just always remember to be prepared for a possible rejection. Good luck.

Another guy wrote:

Don't get caught up in tradition. Get aggressive!! If a man
can not handle your approaching him because he is supposed to be
the aggressor, then ultimatly he's going to think your place is
in the kitchen!!

My response: good point

Listing of organizations to donate to

2005-09-08T12:41:00.000-04:00

According to some of the firefighters, we have been
advised that the biggest thing the Red Cross needs
is money. For the first time in the history of Red
Cross they are actually writing checks out to the victims.

In regard to donating clothes, they have said that storage
is a big problem with items like this. If someone in your
area is offering shelter to a family then they will need
everything to set up a household. Clothes and toiletries
are being handled locally.

Cash donations allow agencies to avoid the need to store,
pack, and distribute donated goods. It is cost prohibitive,
which is why cash donations are being sought.

FEMA, listed the following agencies
as needing cash to assist hurricane victims:

American Red Cross: 800-435-7669 English
800-257-7575 Spanish

Operation Blessing: 800-436-6348

America's Second Harvest: 800-344-8070

Adventist Community Services: 800-381-7171

Catholic Charities USA: 703-549-1390

Christian Disaster Response: 941-956-5183 or 941-551-9554

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee: 800-848-5818

Church World Service: 800-297-1516

Convoy of Hope: 417-823-8998

Lutheran Disaster Response: 800-638-3522

Mennonite Disaster Service: 717-859-2210

Nazarene Disaster Response: 888-256-5886

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: 800-872-3283

Salvation Army: 800-725-2769

Southern Baptist Convention-Disaster Relief: 800-462-8657 x6440

United Methodist Committee on Relief: 800-554-8583

Please, everyone help. Spare change can make a huge difference! I personally would recommend The Red Cross, due to I'm sure there are tons of organizations out there who are not legitimately these companies. I would just be careful who I was sending my hard earned dollars to.

New Orleans resident and famous author: Anne Rice comments

2005-09-07T16:05:00.000-04:00

Do you know what it means to lose New Orleans?

This is truly worth reading, check it out:

It answers alot of our questions as to "Why?" I can relate as I love New Orleans too. Have spent many times in that lovely city. I do wish it well.

Governor Rendell Says It's Time to Increase Pennsylvania's Minimum Wage Level

2005-09-06T00:06:00.000-04:00

Increase From $5.15 an Hour to $6.25 in January 2006 and $7.15 in 2007

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- In an ongoing effort to keep
Pennsylvanians competitive in the global marketplace, Governor Edward
G. Rendell today said he is proposing increasing the state's minimum wage to $6.25/hr in January 2006 and $7.15/hr in January 2007.
The Governor called for the change during a rally at the United
Steelworkers Building in Pittsburgh.

Read the complete story by clicking on the link above.

High gas prices eating up your paycheck?

2005-09-05T12:07:00.000-04:00

Telecommute? Car pool? Why not check with your company to see how you can network with others in your office and start the car pooling process. Car pools were originally formed to cut down on the massive amount of traffic in the cities and has proven to work quite efficiently. It's time that those of us who live in the rural areas and commute 80 miles round trip, begin to buckle down as gas prices increase and our paychecks remain the same.

No money but want to give?

2005-09-04T11:24:00.000-04:00

How about donating blood to the Red Cross? That should be worth something, right?

Just a couple of notes on the more prevalent topics/concerns:

1. If you have herpes (oral or genital), you can donate blood.

2. If you are not sure if you have ever been exposed to AIDS/HIV and you would like to know, this is a good opportunity for you to find out. When you donate blood, they always screen it automatically and they'll let you know if you are living with this virus. Wouldn't you want to know? I would.

Other Frequently Asked Questions about donating blood

Buffalo NY - Out of gasoline??

2005-09-03T11:50:00.000-04:00

Heard a rumor or is it true?

September 10th - Katrina fund raiser in Port Allegany, PA

2005-09-02T13:42:00.000-04:00

Fund raising effort being sponsored by Port Allegany community members, raising money for victims of Hurricane Katrina to be held September 10th, 2005 at the Port Allegany Vets Club on Route 155 South just outside of Port Allegany, PA.

The event will be held from 7pm until 11pm. This will be held outdoors at the Pavillion.

The cost to attend this community fundraiser is 3.00 per person and volunteer members of the community will also be selling hot dogs, sloppy joes, chips, soda pop and baked goods as part of the fundraising efforts. A DJ will be provided and alcohol can be purchased from the VFW. Donations will all go to the Red Cross.

Directions: after you go over the bridge, you will pass the baseball field on the left and the VFW building is directly after the baseball field and also on the left.

So come to Port Allegany and have fun while raising money for a great cause. This is open to the public and kid friendly.

Hurricane Katrina relief efforts

2005-09-01T09:50:00.000-04:00

I would like to donate money, but I have no extra cash to spare. How can I help with the relief effort?

While watching the weather channel this morning, about the place I've been to many times, New Orleans and knowing what a fun, fun city it is and how many times, I've been there to enjoy the ambience of the French Quarter. It's just hard to imagine the pain and suffering these people are going through. As I was headed to work in my home office, I just wished that there was something that I could do, but knowing my own personal current financial situation, I knew there was no way I could afford to send money, but I thought to myself, I could send clothing, some canned goods which I'll probably never use (carbs), cosmetics & or shampoo, soaps, etc.

Then I no sooner set down at my office desk, my cell phone rings and a friend of mine is sounding panicky. So I listen and she says, "Luanne, we (Becky and I) want to do something to help out the victims of Katrina and will you help.". I said, I was just thinking about that and I mentioned that I didn't have any spare money and she said, No, I don't mean that, but we want to get our community together to raise money by holding a spaghetti dinner in our town (we do that ALOT when folks need assistance for cancer or accidental injuries) to help them out monetarily. So, I said sure (I'm not a cook lolol) but I said I'd gladly help. Then I mentioned to her about donations of other items, the things I mentioned above and she has been in touch with the Red Cross and they claim that they will not take donations of clothing etc. So she is checking with the Salvation Army to see if they are willing to do this.

You know, sometimes you feel so helpless, but if any of you can help to organize something in your community as a fundraiser, every little bit will help these people and remind them that we as Americans stick together and help each other out.

Bad Business Bureau

2005-08-31T13:08:00.000-04:00

I thought the Better Business Bureau was a place to find bad things on businesses. Apparently not. So if you're looking for comments on a business in regard to if they are worthy or not, check out this site.

Adelphia Cable Service

2005-08-13T00:09:00.000-04:00

Is Adelphia required to provide service if I live within one mile of existing service? Is it a law that they have to extend the cable to my residence? I wrote a letter to my neighbor, who just happens to work for the State of Pennsylvania government. This will be interesting if I can open up my working from home opportunities. I'll keep you posted.

Pictures of STD's on the web

2005-08-01T21:50:00.000-04:00

Let's talk about STD's. I created a few singles groups in the area where I live and from time to time, the topic of STD's come up in conversation. Someone in the group commented about how descriptive these pictures are and this was my reply to them. I'd like to add, that yes, pictures are descriptive in a way, but not every picture you see.....truly depicts the "average" person and how some STD's react on a person's body.

I have NOT done ALOT of research in regard to HIV (AIDS), however I have in regard to HSV1 & 2 (oral/genital herpes)........so please please please, make sure your children or friends for that matter, know that even if for instance, a person has genital or even oral herpes (that would be cold sores folks, probably lots of us carry that "virus", but prefer to call it a "coldsore", well it's not "just" a coldsore. IT IS ORAL HERPES and you can transmit it to another person, orally as well as genitally). Most herpes outbreaks DO NOT look like those ones on the web. Most times, if a person gets an outbreak of any amount of severity, it's usually their "first outbreak" which is sorta God's way of sayin' "Hello!!, you now have to really be a responsible sexual partner. You have to "tell" and telling another person about something so personal can be very difficult for many". I've even read where some people have committed suicide over this because they couldn't deal with it emotionally. That is so sad and soooooo unnecessary. They could deal with outbreaks etc, but they feel like "NO ONE will ever lovethem" which is soooooooo untrue. Some people choose meds (you've probably seen the Valtrex commercials) to "suppress" outbreaks and to minimize shedding.

OK....now you're saying.....what the heck is shedding? I'm glad you asked.

shedding: an excerpt from a website: "This is called asymptomatic or subclinical shedding of the virus; giving off the virus from the body with no apparent symptoms. The more sensitive our virus detection methods become, the more subclinical viral shedding we can identify. The exact frequency of subclinical shedding is not known. We do know that up to 70% of new cases of herpes are transmitted from someone showing no apparent symptoms at the time they infected their partner. Research has shown that subclinical shedding occurs more frequently during the first year of having herpes than it does subsequently. This information may present difficult emotional concerns about sexuality, and,unfortunately, there are no guarantees for fail-safe methods of dealing with this thorny issue. It is probably true that many people who have herpes do have symptomatic episodes when they give off virus but do not recognize them as herpes symptoms.

Check here for a great online herpes handbook to read for more valuable information.

Also, I'd like to add, that even if a person does have or gets herpes, they can live a healthy sexual life with this virus. They just have to know their body and use precautions to protect a partner. Sadly, there is no "guarantee" that a person won't get it, so casual sex (I didn't say casual dating) is not a good idea for someone who lives with this virus. It is not a death sentence, not the end of the world, however society has placed a stigmatism on it that it is "bad" "dirty" "only sluts get it".....NONE of which are true!! It can happen to anyone!! On the other hand, HIV does scare the heck out of me. Both HIV and the herpes virus HSV1 (oral herpes) and HSV2 (genital herpes).

So for teens, help to spread awareness, I believe there is even a pledge in there.. PTA organizations might want to even connect with the gal who runs this site: Stop, Think and Decide It is still being constructed, but there is already a ton of great information on here. I'm sure the owner would love feedback if you find something of interest to you. I've done alot of research on herpes specifically, know a few people who have it, have had MANY conversations, so I know how it affects them. It's more an emotional issue, because of the stigmatism which society has placed. So that's why I can't stress enough that it is possible to live a happy and healthy life, even if you get herpes. BTW, because Oral sex is such a huge thing amongst kids. I read someplace recently, that the numbers/percentages of people contracting HSV1 (oral herpes) and transmitting it to the genital area have risen tremendously. I believe I read that, today it is the most common form of herpes is oral transferred genitally.

Ok....off of my soapbox. Any questions or comments, I'll be happy to get the info for you. If you have herpes, it's not the end of the world. If you need to chat with someone about this, I can hook you up. You don't have to feel alone. If I had to choose an STD, I would certainly choose HSV (herpes) over AIDS or incurable cancer's ANYDAY. How about you? Have a great day everyone.

Luanne

Why can't we all just get along?

2004-06-15T22:49:00.000-04:00

I don't like being around mean spirited people. I personally try to get along with everyone, but there are some who relish in making other people miserable. Why is that? What purpose does it serve? Well, I know it's not healthy for me, so it's best to not surround myself with negative people.

We Are All Luscious Apples

2004-05-30T17:23:00.000-04:00

Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just get the rotten apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy....... So the apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree. Share this with other women who are good apples, even those who have already been picked! And Men are like a fine wine. They start out as grapes, and it's up to women to stomp on them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

I found this to be a bit poetic.

2004-04-07T11:51:00.000-04:00

To curse or not to curse!!

In regard to the use of profanity.........I have a difficult time tolerating it on message boards.......I'm not into censorship, but there should be a bit of grace applied when sending messages to many people whom you've never met.

First, such language shows a lack of class. However, the complete disregard for the feelings of others, the sensitivities of children, etc., shows a lack of class in anyone who uses profanity in public. Second, it shows an inability to express oneself by using the English language. Expletives are a lazy way of substituting gutter language for the adjectives and adverbs that make our language colorful and powerful. Young people, realize this. It is not cool to cuss, and it shows no power. The only thing that is revealed by your use of profanity is ignorance!

"Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one"

Although many are unwilling to recognize it, the use of profanity is a big deal. "Swearing" imposes both personal and societal penalties. For the individual user, it endangers relationships, discloses a lack of character, reflects ignorance as well as immaturity, and creates an overall bad impression. It often turns discussions into arguments and can lead to violence. Our reluctance to restrain our impulses and to make the effort to be polite is contributing to a coarser, less civil society."

It does not present a good impression for visitors, and I don't care to have to wade through some of it either. It is so common that many people do not realize how it reflects upon them.

Profanity is never necessary. It is a matter of not thinking in those words, and phrases. The use of profanity makes me cringe ......

Phrases such as........

The bitch is coming into heat (dog breeder lingo).

Get your ass out of my garden, it's eating my corn. (if you own a jackass that got into the neighbor's property).

Proper and fine when used in the right context, but context is everything.

Profanity is a crutch that people with a poor grasp of the English language and a lack of creativity use to make themselves feel better. The lengths that some go to to include implied profanity in message board posts makes one wonder why they don't spend that time & energy expanding their vocabulary. Laziness I guess.

Not that I'm guiltless of it but I do try to keep it to a minimum. There are enough descriptive words in the English language which will still get your point across.

Continued use of profanity on a public message board, could cause fence sitting members to shy away or simply unsubscribe, which would hurt our cause by making us appear to be the 'uneducated uncouth rednecks with a gun' image. With the political climate being what it is more effort is needed to polish the image of intelligent responsible citizens discussing the issues of our age.

Try to show a little class in your posts. Who wants to make someone look bad to their grandmother by making it sound like they're hanging out with a bunch of uneducated lowlifes? Or anyone else. Not me. Carefully chosen phrases can keep some of the lurkers here long enough to expand their knowledge base from some of the more knowledgable members.

"Profanity is the effort of a feeble mind trying to express itself forcefully" Like anything else, there is a time and place for everything. Cursing is simply a nasty habit.

Now, you will say to me "The First Amendment gives us the freedom of speech, but it only limits it to politics and creative arts. There are no real ways of determining whether a word is vulgar, because each person might not take offense to the same word or words.

Cursing is more of a moral issue. It’s actually annoying to hear profanity.

2004-04-07T11:32:00.000-04:00

I felt as though it would be a good reminder to any of us who have felt this way in life. "No one is as good as all of us"! None of us are alone in this world and we all have something of value to give everyone. We as people are so much more and who we are does not necessarily define who we are.
================================================
A speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In
the room of 200 he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands
started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of
you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the $20
dollar bill. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands
were up in the air.

Well, he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the
ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He
picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?"
Still the hands went into the air. Waving the bill he said, "My
friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what
I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease
in value. It was still worth $20."

'Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into
the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our
way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has
happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty
or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to
those who LOVE you. You are special - Don't EVER forget it." Count
your blessings, not your problems. And remember: amateurs built the
ark, professionals built the Titanic.

If God brings you to it , He will bring you through it.

2004-04-02T14:13:00.000-05:00

Zero Tolerance for bashing or flaming of others.

It's simply unnecessary and uncalled for. Someplace in my many writings, I've said, that if you don't have something good to say, then maybe you shouldn't say it. I can guarantee that no one wants to hear it and I'm mostly referring to being hateful to other human beings. It simply does not say anything good about you if you slam others publicly. I would have no interest in being friends with someone who acts this way, or I would be cautious with them. I try to be fair to each and everyone to give them a chance to finally say something nice but sometimes it never happens. As they say, enough is enough.

We all have to consider the source and realize that one's persons actions do not reflect how the rest of us are. I hope that any of you who ever considered leaving a group because of one persons immaturity, will simply realize that these things will and do happen, and to please reconsider that groups, for the most part have alot of super people as members. You have no idea how many fires I have had to put out in the past. It's just a thing and we will move forward and continue to meet wonderful people and share many more fun times!! :-) Think about it, age range 25-55, there are alot of different stages of life that you've gone through during these times in your life and if you're younger, you will hopefully have many more years of maturing. I still continue to learn and grow and I'm a young 42. So please reconsider and hang in there with me and the rest of us.

Just a request to the rest of you who may have commented in response to negative posts with other negative or what may be perceived as a "bashing or flaming" post. Just remember that what you type back might reflect about you as a person as well. There are several words that we can choose which can get a message across without bashing back. Ask yourself this question...."How is this gonna sound and what will it tell the others about me?" The way I see it most of the time, they're lookin for a fight and some posts simply fuel the fire and encourage them. In the future, I just ask that you try to stay neutral and not give them any cause to be defensive. This individual most likely does not know me or any of you. Sometimes in life, you just have to let certain comments slide and bite your tongue. I personally don't care what someone may have thought of me as a person or anyone else for that matter. As they say "each to his own" and most likely they were here for the wrong reasons anyway, but I try to be diplomatic and give everyone a chance to show their good side. I personally am here to make friends and if someone is going to be so short sighted and simple minded, I don't believe they should be a part of the groups that I operate. When they bash over and over again, they certainly proved that many times.

There are several different personalites among us, but please refrain from making the situation worse. There's no need for it. All it does is causes hate and discontent and those feelings are simply NEGATIVE!!! I understand and respect that some of us feel as though we just can't sit by and ignore certain comments, but I like said, you have to consider the source and just bite your tongue. Please... for the good of the groups cause. Remember, just because you don't like a post or it offends you, it does not give you the permission to publicly bash back.

2004-04-02T13:57:00.000-05:00

Warning to those who meet new people online... Just be careful.

I operate a couple of singles groups in my local area and needed to remind everyone, females especially, that just because someone says "I'm a member of such and such group", doesn't mean that it's safe to visit them at their home or alone anyplace.

I can't stress enough, that even though you might think you have
"screened" or we have screened members in regard to requiring personal information about themselves in their profiles, doesn't mean that they are safe to be around or that they are even being honest. Remember, that we're dealing with the internet and anyone can put anything in their profiles, but it truly doesn't tell you about their character or who they really are or what their history is. It doesn't tell you about their past, their preferences, their "real" marital status. Nor, does it let you know if "the member" has a history of date rape, alcohol abuse, drug abuse or whatever you deem as unsafe or undesirable. Sexual predators are not welcome in my groups and the females in these groups are not here for their entertainment.

I created my groups as a safe place to make friendships, have some good clean fun and if something positive as far as a relationship comes from it, then that's great, but I know there are alot of predators out there and believe me when I say, they will not step forward and tell you about their past or present desires if it is of a dangerous nature or something which might make you feel uncomfortable. You need to protect yourself and not allow anyone to endanger you or anyone you care about.

If you are approached by someone online, you should still always maintain a bit of caution and use your better judgement. I truly believe that in any kind of relationship, you're better off to get to know them in a friendship setting, gain them as friends first. People always show their true colors over a period of time. If you are unsure about the type of person you are contemplating meeting in person, feel free to see if any of the other members know or have met this person and we might have more information about them as to if they've ever even attended a gathering. People like to use the groups as a tool to gain entry into other peoples lives, making the other person have a false level of comfort and security. Don't fall victim to this type of come on.

Many people are members, but they don't post (lurking is fine in most cases and understandable until they feel comfortable with the nature of the group), but alot of times, you find lurkers who literally do not have good intentions. The ones who are simply here looking for sex!! Remember that this is not our number one priority and I can't stress enough how important it is when meeting people via the internet that you need to be extremely cautious.

I've made some great friendships and I look forward to making many more.

2004-04-02T13:49:00.000-05:00

Being in the airline business, I found this post to be so poetic and true.....

It doesn't pay to be negative........

This is something to think about when negative people are doing their best to rain on your parade. So remember this story the next time someone who knows nothing and cares less makes your life miserable.

A woman was at her hairdresser's getting her hair styled for a trip
to Rome with her boyfriend. She mentioned the trip to the hairdresser, who responded, "Rome? Why would anyone want to go there? It's crowded and dirty and full of Italians. You're crazy to go to Rome. So, how are you getting there?"

"We're taking Continental," was the reply. "We got a great rate!"

"Continental?" exclaimed the hairdresser. "That's a terrible airline. Their planes are old, their flight attendants are ugly, and they're always late. So, where are you staying in Rome?"

"We'll be at this exclusive little place over on Rome's Tiber River called Teste."

"Don't go any further." I know that place. "Everybody thinks its gonna be something special and exclusive, but it's really a dump, the worst hotel in the city! The rooms are small, the service is surly and they're overpriced. So, whatcha doing when you get there?"

"We're going to go to see the Vatican and we hope to see the Pope."

"That's rich," laughed the hairdresser. "You and a million other people trying to see him. He'll look the size of an ant. Boy, good luck on this lousy trip of yours. You're going to need it!"

A month later, the woman again came in for a hairdo. The hairdresser asked her about her trip to Rome.

"It was wonderful," explained the woman, "not only were we on time in one of Continental's brand new planes, but it was overbooked and they bumped us up to first class. The food and wine were wonderful, and I had a handsome 28-year-old steward who waited on me hand and foot.

And the hotel was great! They'd just finished a $5 million remodeling job and now it's a jewel, the finest hotel in the city. They, too, were overbooked, so they apologized and gave us their owner's suite at no extra charge!"

"Well," muttered the hairdresser, "That's all well and good, but I know you didn't get to see the Pope."

"Actually, we were quite lucky, because as we toured the Vatican, a Swiss Guard tapped me on the shoulder and explained that the Pope likes to meet some of the visitors. He asked if I'd be so kind as to step into his private room and wait, the Pope would personally greet me.

Sure enough, five minutes later, the Pope walked through the door and shook my hand! I knelt down and he spoke a few words to me."

"Oh, really! What'd he say?"

He said, "Where'd you get the shitty hairdo?"