12 Days of Sabres

Well, works pretty slow this week so I've pretty much been surfing the net. I haven't been to Chris' blog in a couple of weeks so I decided to jump on and see what's new. She had this link and I couldn't help but check it out. If you're a true Sabres fan, you'll LOVE this. If not, look elsewhere!!! LOL


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpMLTZNhzzU

Travis goes to the mall

Travis finally made it out of the mail room and even off post! Here's a quick shot of him at a mall off post just after Christmas. Isn't he just too cute! See you soon!!!

Just in case you were wondering....

Just had to share this. Got it from mom!!

I almost forgot the best part of Christmas 2006. Dad got us tickets to see the TSO concert again this year. Donald had to work so we ended up taking mom's friend Edna to the concert. Her husband Joe is dying of cancer and she really needed the night out. There were only a few changes from last year's show but it was no less enjoyable. I can hardly wait to go next year. This year we got to sit on the floor, row 40 in the end 5 seats. We all agreed that we'd rather sit in the 100 section because then there aren't people right in front of you but to be honest, who needs to see the musicians? The sweet music and amazing lights combine together for what can only be described as an Orgasm Set to Music. What else do you expect from a band billed as Pink Floyd Meets Santa??? LOL

Santa was gooooood!!!!!

Santa Jenn was good to dad this year. Now his frequent stops to Tim Horton's will reap more than a good coffee buzz! Yup, I got him 2 shares of Tim Horton's stock for Christmas. Now how to top that in just 3 short weeks for his birthday. Santa was good to me to. I got the tea kettle I wanted, one of those great new Kone Vacs from Target (www.target.com), some new clothes, a new radio, earmuffs and greatest of all..... tickets to see the Rockette's Christmas show up in Toronto. Mom, Kari & I are going this Saturday and we'll be back on Sunday afternoon. I can hardly wait. Hope Santa was as good to all of you as he was to us! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Ladies who Christmas Lunch

The girls and I had our annual Christmas / Secret Santa reveal lunch. Our group may be bigger this year but we didn't have any less fun. I still can't believe S'Morris was my secret santa! I was sure it was Yates!!! LOL We laughed, we ate, we laughed more and we ate more. All in all it was a great afternoon and I wouldn't trade a minute or a calorie of any of it. Merry Christmas to one and all.

News from Iraq

eMOM sent me 11 more names in need of support via emails and cards. No problem! I sent emails then Christmas cards and as always, you never expect a response. It makes it that much more fun when someone does respond. Today I heard from Inspector General Miller. He's stationed in Iraq for a while longer yet but seems to have one of the less dangerous jobs....... if that's possible. Here he's at a building that's 5,000 years old!!! How come we can't get the asphalt to last longer than 1 winter before it's full of potholes and they've got buildings older than any of us can imagine? Keep up the great work I.G. Miller and as always............. Keep your spirits up and your butt down.

3rd Annual Christmas Party

Saturday was our 3rd Annual Christmas party. The truth is I invited a ton of people and hoped most didn't show up because I'd come down with a horrible cold. Looks like Santa grants wishes to all of us! My crew showed up plus Rosing and that was really all we wanted. The guys watched the hockey game, the girls nibbled then we all chowed down and watched the Dallas vs Atlanta game. All in all it was a great group and by 1:30 a.m. I had the photo's downloaded and emailed out. Curled up on the couch and slept in late the next morning. Ahhhhh.... that felt good.

Keeping it in perspective....

Sometimes I find that I get stressed and can snap at those around me. I feel bad for doing it but sometimes we just lose perspective a bit. When I was getting myself set up for work this morning I spotted something hanging up on my cubicle wall and for the first time in ages I read it. It helped me put things in perspective this morning and I think I'll make a habit of reading it each morning. Here's what it says:

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.
"Well," she said, "I t hink I'll braid my hair today." so she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw she had only two hairs on her head. "Hmmm" she said, " I think I'll part my hair down the middle today." So she did and she had a grand day.

the next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, " Today I'm going to wear my hair ina pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed there wasn't a single hair on her head.
"YEAH!!" she exclaimed.
"I don't have to fix my hair today!"
Attitude is everything. Be kinder than necessary, fir everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Is it akin to rape???

So here's a serious question. In NYS you can't have your "baby bits & bots" if you're a woman without serious health risk until you are 35, married and have at least 1 child. Even if you have no maternal instincts or simply don't want children. I've never wanted them. For those who do I say "Go Head! Congrats! Best To Ya!" Does it mean that so me day I won't adopt? Nope. Maybe the right guy really will come along and we'll adopt a whole football team - wouldn't my brother love that! But the urge to be pregnant, to feel something moving inside you, get streatch marks, have hemhorroids and vomit? Not for me. You want streatch marks? Go get fat. You wanna vomit? Drink a bar dry. Lemme tell ya, I've got IBS (what they tell you when they have no clear answer for you) and that's enough inner activity for me. So here's my question: Is a doctor forcing you to keep your body "baby ready" akin to rape? It's not like we need more people in the world. Aren't they forcing you to do something that you don't want to do? I've been hearing it for years and I swear I may deck the next person who says "Oh, you'll change your mind when you meet that someone special." or "It's different when they're your own." I don't want orange carpet, I don't want metal pieces poking out of my flesh and I don't want to be pregnant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Leave me & my uterus alone!!

Who needs an ordinary nutcracker???

Ok, so last night I was talking to my friend Jean online and I always try to check out my cousin Corrie's "Rant Space" as she calls it. It's her very own blog where she just let's it all out. I can always count on her for something fab to read and last night she didn't disappoint. In fact, I was laughing so hard at midnight I'm surprised she didn't hear me across the street! What was so funny you ask???? Well check it out for yourself! www.pimpmynutcracker.com

Vu & Crew!!

Hi all. A while back, eMOM asked if I'd take on a couple new service members as penpals. Being the good American that I am I said sure! Send as many as you'd like. Well, I got 11 of them!!! LOL Here's a picture of Thy Vu and his crew over in the middle east. He another one of our great American Hero's who's making the sacrifice on our behalf to keep the world safe and free of chaos..... or at least trying to. To Vu and all of his crew I say Thanks! and my eMOM motto: Keep Your Spirits Up and Your Butt down! LOL

Healthy Tips for Holiday Eating

My friend Nicole was kind enough to share some great holiday eating tips to help us stay away from the dreaded Holiday Extra. Happy Eating!!

Healthy Tips for Holiday Eating
1) Red or White Wine- red
2) Mixed nuts/olives- olives
3) Soft/hard cheese- soft cheese
4) Cheese & crackers or crudites & dip- crudites & dip
5) Pigs in a blanket or mini quiches- mini quiches
6) Roast beef or ham- roast beef
7) Champagne or a cocktail- champagne
8) Sugar/Gingerbread cookie- gingerbread
9) Cocoa or eggnog- cocoa
10) candy cane or chocolate kisses- candy cane

Go Elf Yourself!!

Go Elf Yourself! You heard me! Go Elf Yourself!!! No, it's not some holiday way of telling you off, it's a new virtual toy from Office Max. Go wo www.elfyourself.com and you can upload a picture of your favorite - or not so favorite - person. Watch as the computer then superimposes their face onto a rhythym challenged elf in stripped tights. So far I've put on my friend Nicole's girls Ashley & Alexa. Then we put in our friend Sean's face. That's one of my favorites!! ^_* Go elf someone you love today! And thanks to my cousin Nikki for finding this site and sending it to me in the first place with her son Brandon's picture on it. He really does look like an elf!

Happy Holiday's!!!!!!!!!!!

Metro Made Easy - My Ass

Allright, so this morning I leave the house at my normal time to catch my normal bus to start my normal day at work. Well, is anything actually normal? Anyway, the bus (Thruway Express #63) is due at my stop at 7:20 a.m. This morning? No Show. 20 minutes later I was too cold to wait anymore.... hello, it's only 12 degrees out.... and I jump on the next #5 that comes by. This will take me 3 times as long to get downtown but I need the heat. At this point my toes are cold enough to snap off with my next step! I finally make it downtown, wait another 10 minutes to cross Niagara Street, skate myway up Mohawk to Delaware and see a traffic jam. Perfect! Just what I need. God must have been smiling on me because a #25 Delaware was sitting there waiting to go through. We get flagged through after another 10 minutes of waiting - I don't care, it's heated - and we get to the new office building that they're putting up just down the road. The unions have been protesting this and in the beginning were blocking traffic. What do they do today? Yup! Why have 1 roadblock when you can have 2? All during morning rush hour traffic. I'd already called Rozzie to let her know I'd be late and what was going on. Turns out she's not even in today. I get into work and flop into my chair tired, cold and pissed off. "Metro Made Easy"..... my ass.

Winter is coming!!!

Winter is officially on it's way. We got socked with that surprise storm in October but now it's really on its way. We've had a few days where the snow's really come down and the temp is taking a serious nosedive at night. This morning when I left the house we were at a whopping 12 degrees!! It's going to be sunny over the weekend but not much warmer. Well, maybe we'll get a white Christmas this year after all! Last year it was actually too cold to snow!! Yup, it's possible to be that cold. LOL Oh, before I forget. This picture is of a street in Providence, R.I. where my friend Travis is from. If you have a second, stop by their website and look around. You'll really enjoy the photos. www.providenceri.com
~J

BRRLLF Banquet

On Saturday, December 2nd, the Black Rock Riverside Little League Football had their annual banquet at the Convention Center. Not exactly a prime location but it was extra special for us this year. It was Donald's first year as Head Coach. It was his job to give the speech and hand out the trophies. Leave it to him to find a deep purple shirt and gold tie!!!! LOL He said something special to and about each of his players and didn't fail to mention that, despite the you-know-what who runs Tyro's decision, they were the 2006 Champions. You know what? He's not wrong. Congrats to coach Don, coach Ken, Coach Jon and Coach Bob (hope I didn't miss one) and all the players of the BRRLLF Knights 90lb division. We're so proud of you. Here's to next season!!

My friend Joe is having the experience of a lifetime teaching in Kyoto Japan. Since he doesn't work on the weekend and really doesn't know too many people, he has plenty of time to travel and see the sights around him. This is just one of the amazing pictures he's taken. There's over 900 in just one group. This one just reminded me of "harmony." A house that looks so calm and at ease with itself in the wild riot of color in the trees around it. Here's hoping I get to visit some day.

A belated Happy Thanksgiving

Sorry this is a bit late folks but I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. This year we went to my aunt Sue & uncle Bob's for dinner. My cousin Rob even helped cook! Everything was great and - as has become an annual tradition - my sister Kari tried to wake up aunt Sue's Furby. It was a rough night for the little fellow as you can see. He fell off the wagon and started hitting the bottle again. Oh well, he gets until next Christmas to try and recover. LOL

Weird Article

Got this from my cousin Nikki. Talk about a psycho. ~J

Hired hit man warns woman instead of killing her
Associated PressNov. 28, 2006 02:38 PM
ALLEN, Texas - A woman found a stranger in her bedroom, but the man said he was there to warn her that he had been hired to kill her, police said."Your husband wants you murdered," the man told Roxane Sterling on Nov. 21, according to police reports.He told Sterling, who is eight months' pregnant, to call police.
Her husband, Albert Jackson Sterling II, was arrested in Alamogordo, N.M., on two counts of criminal solicitation of murder - one for his wife and another for their unborn child, authorities said.Authorities said the man who warned Sterling was not charged with a crime. They did not release his name."He did not go there with the intent to murder her," said Capt. Robert Flores. "He went with the intent to warn her."The man had entered the family's empty house while Sterling was out and her husband and their 3-year-old son were visiting relatives in New Mexico.Investigators said Albert Sterling, 38, had offered the man a large amount of money to kill his wife and had helped him get into the house in this Dallas suburb.

Sweet Memories of South America

My friends Chris & Steve just got back from 9 beautiful days in South America for their honeymoon. Don't they look great together! They took over 300 pictures, boiled it down to their favorite 116 to share and I picked my favorite from there. Ahhh, true love.

Home Interiors Update

Well, I wanted to give you an update on the disaster that is Home Interiors - decorating your lives with ulcers. It turns out that you don't get "Credits". Nope folks, the credits you see on your account are like a credit card. Sure you can use them to pay for the order but it's not money you've paid it's a credit line you ear with each order. So you need to pay back whatever you use your credits on. Yup, I've gotta pay $1132. Let's see what they say about the fundraiser. I can't wait to be done with this. Once I am they can fall into the ocean for all I care.

Christmas Decorating has begun!!!

Well, Thanksgiving is over and the Christmas season has officially begun! Friday we put up the tree.... Donald mysteriously disappeared right about the time it was time for the lights to go up. LOL We've decided to go with an American themed Christmas this year so everything is red, white & blue with Santa & Frosty thrown in the mix. It's really going to be interesting and I can't wait to see everyone's faces. It's hard to picture the mittens I have haning up next to what would normally be 4th of July ribbon. LOL My boxes for out-of-towners are all packed & ready to go. Just need to fill out the customs forms for the troops. Christmas cards are written & posted. They'll go out on Friday, December 1st. I'm kinda ahead this year..... feels pretty good because then I can concentrate on a few last minute gifts and my upcoming party. Too cook a turkey or not...... hmmmm. ~J

A very happy Thanksgiving

I didn't get to post before so I'll send my Thanksgiving day wishes belated. Hope you all had as great a day as we did. Sleeping in late was a much needed treat. Worked on a friend's afghan for Christmas, watched a couple of movies, then it was off to the showers and out the door at 4:30 to my aunt & uncle's for dinner at 5:00. It was great to relax, just the 8 of us. My cousin Rob helped cook dinner this year and it was pretty great. Bring on the desserts!!!! And I do mean that plural. Dad made this new pumpkin cake recipe he'd found. My aunt made her traditional apple & cherry pies. Then she threw in a banana cream pie, chocolate cream pie and something else. There was such a whirlwind of sugar it's amazing we slept at all that night! We left about 8:45 and were shocked when we opened the door! The fog was so thick you couldn't see the bottom of the steps from the porch. Thank God we live close! Mom had wanted to go out to CompUSA to look at a cell phone accessory for dad for Christmas but not in that fog! So we snuggled in and watched Grey's Anatomy then Brothers & Sisters and off to bed. Sorta ! I like to put the Christmas tree up at midnight after Thanksgiving. It's too heavy to carry down from the attic myself so I had to wait. I did put up some bows though!!! Well I had to put something up to get the decorating started!! `J

Veterans Day

Last week we celebrate Veterans Day. A day to reflect on those who have and still serve our country through our armed forces. To visibly thank as a nation those who have lost limbs and lives so that we may be free and seek the joyous life we desire. My friend Nathan in the Navy, Dion in the Army, James in the Navy, Kevin (yes even you) in the Marines. One veteran I see every day and love listening to stories from is my co-worker and friend Dave. Dave served in the Navy and has some awesome stories. Some you'd never imagine happening. But you know what I heard most all day? It wasn't "Thank You" or even "Happy Veterans Day." It was "I can't believe we have to work. Other places are closed today. Is there gonna be mail delivery tomorrow?" Folks, let's just stop and put some perspective on things, shall we?

Thank you to all of our Veteran's, their families and those who still serve. We owe it all to you. Love & Respect, J

Happiness in a big white truck

When I was downloading some pictures I came across this one that just warmed my heart. Yup, it's a moving truck backed up to Mrs. Robinson's house. It's a bit blurry but you get the idea and the joy that it brings to anyone who knows the story. Ahhh..... like a sweet cup of tea and a dark chocolate biscotti.

Halloween 2006

Here's a couple snapshots from Halloween 2006. Kari found one of Donald's costume's and was Dr. Abbott this year while mom's office traveled the Yellow Brick Road. They're the mostly motly looking Wizard of Oz crew I've ever seen but the best part is that the students didn't know they were dressing up!! How funny to walk in and see your princiapal dressed as Dorothy!!! Treats for all!!!

The sweet taste of victory

Even though they didn't have to physically play a championship game, the North Buffalo Rams pulled out (forfeit) leaving Donald & his Knights with the best record in the lead and therefore #1. Here's a snapshot of the victory cake I made for them. Thousands of tiny frosting stars to look like a football laying on the terf. Whew! It tasted as good as it looked!

Maxed Out Gross Factor

I've gotten this article before but it was P.B. (pre-blog) so I only sent it on and never really thought of it again. Well, when I was glancing at my friend Chris's blog today, it reminded me that I now have a way to reach more people. So, that being said, ladies of the world............. Sanatize your purse! ~J

Mom got so upset when guests came in the door and plopped their purses down on the counter where she was cooking or setting up food. She always said that purses are really dirty, because of where they have been. Smart Momma!!! It's something just about every woman carries with them. While we may know what's inside our purses, do you have any idea what's on the outside?Shauna Lake put purses to the test - for bacteria - with surprising results. You may think twice about where you put your purse. Women carry purses everywhere; from the office to public restrooms to the floor of the car. Most women won't be caught without their purses, but did you ever stop to think about where your purse goes during the day?"I put my purse in grocery shopping carts, where a baby just sat with a dirty diaper, on the floor of bathroom stalls, says another woman " and of course in my home which should be clean."We decided to find out if purses harbor a lot of bacteria. We learned how to test them at Nelson Laboratories in Salt Lake, then we set out to test the average woman's purse.Most women told us they didn't stop to think about what was on the bottom of their purse. Most said at home they usually set their purses on top of kitchen tables and counters where food is prepared. Most of the ladies we talked to told us they wouldn't be surprised if their purses were at least a little bit dirty.It turns out purses are so surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologist who tested them was shocked. Microbiologist Amy Karen of Nelson Labs says nearly all of the purses tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aurous can cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and e-coli found on the purses could make people very sick. In one sampling, four of five purses tested positive for salmonella, and that's not the worst of it. "There is fecal contamination on the purses," says Amy.Leather or vinyl purses tended to be cleaner than cloth purses, and lifestyles seemed to play a role. People with kids tended to have dirtier purses than those without, with one exception. The purse of one single woman who frequented nightclubs had one of the worst contaminations of all. "Some type of feces, or possibly vomit" says Amy.So the moral of this story - your purse won't kill you, but it does have the potential to make you very sick if you keep it on places where you eat. Use hooks to hang your purse at home and in restrooms, and don't put it on your desk, a restaurant table, or on your kitchen countertop.Experts say you should think of your purse the same way you would a pair of shoes. "If you think about putting a pair of shoes onto your countertops, that's the same thing you're doing when you put your purse on the countertops" - your purse has gone where individuals before you have sneezed, coughed, spat, urinated, emptied bowels, etc! Do you really want to bring that home with you?Themicrobiologists at Nelson also said Cleaning a purse will help. Wash cloth purses and use leather cleaner to clean the bottom of leather purses.

Home Interior Update....

I finally got through to my unit director's supervisor - her Branch Director Pat. I explained the situation and surprise, surprise, she got it right away!!!! Not sure what the problem is with the Home Office then. Pat said that my credit's were not correctly applied and that is an error on the end of HIG. She emailed my unit director while I was on the phone with her to take care of this. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Football Fiasco

Well, I've kept you up to date on what was happening with our little league football. As of Friday, the Knights were going to play their play-off game this past Sunday then the championship game next Sunday. Then it became just the championship game this past Sunday against the North Buffalo Rams. While Donald was at the Cheerleading competition he got the call. North Buffalo pulled out, the season is done. WHAT???? Are you kidding me???? I wish I was. My own personal guess is that N.B. got wind there was gonna be partial ref's that they weren't gonna be able to pay-off and they knew they couldn't win in a legitimate game so they folded. As upset as all of our guys are, and they're plenty upset, I see this as a victory for them. They played with all their hearts, Donald & his coaches led these kids with heart and integrity and therefore are the real winners. Trophy's or not they're the champs of this year's game. All the Knights are getting together tonight for a pizza party and to watch game films. I'm gonna make a really great cake for them and I'll post a picture tomorrow. To the Knights who played so valiently..... Way To Go!!! To the other teams........ grow up. To Rick A, President of Tyro - retire, no one needs / wants you.

You know I love shoes

I was surfing around the internet, something I don't often get to do for simple pleasure, but this weekend was different. I got about 20 minutes to just glance around. Knowing me as most of you do, you're probably not surprised at what's coming next. I found a shoe site! No, they don't sell shoes. There were some great shoe stories for people like my cousin Lori who wears a woman's size 12 or 13 shoe. It's http://designershoes.typepad.com/designershoescom/2006/10/shoe_stories_co.html and I think you'd get a kick (no pun intended) out of these stories. Being a size 8.5 puts me in the middle, normal size for most shoes. That's even though the industry says the average size is 6, I'd like to meet that majority. In fact, larger feet on women are everywhere! Even Paris Hilton has bigger feet (size 9 or 11 I think.) This site is chock full of stories by women growing up in ugly or no shoes because they couldn't find it in their size. As a plus sized woman I understand. Even if these women are "skinny", they're plus sized in the foot department. Don't lose hope ladies!!!! Just put your best foot forward! LOL

A surprise poetry sighting

Everyone once in a while I like to glance through my blog to see if anyone's posted any comments. Mostly it's my friends - awesome as always - but once in a while I get a post from a random stranger. Such was the case of the weekend. I spotted a posted comment from a fellow blogger and decided to check out his site (www.meekoconn.blogspot.com). It was great because it was full of quirky little poems that I myself might like to write. If you get a chance, check it out! I think it's totally worth it.

John Kerry is an ass...

So I'm not someone who'll get into a political argument with someone but I don't always hold back my opinion either. I will say that John Kerry has got to be one of the dumbest people on the face of the earth. Either that or he has the largest pair of brass, diamond covered balls the world has ever seen. It always pissed me off when people bash the military yet the enjoy the freedoms. Isn't that like shouting to the world you should eat healthy while shoving fried twinkies into your mouth? Well, Mr. Kerry is right in that league with his latest comments. I guess you don't have to guess what our military thinks of him. I can say that I work with people who have masters degrees and can't make a 2 sided copy. People with their GED are fighting and losing their lives so this "College Educated" jackass can spout off his mouth. Just goes to show you that you can spend thousands of dollars on an education to make more money but it doesn't make you any smarter. If factories need to put those scrubber vents on the top of their smoke stakes to keep from polluting the air, maybe we can put one on John Kerry to help lessen his pollution on the world.

One Day Off......

Yesterday I had an IBS flare up so I took the day off. No problem since I've got tons of time off anyway. I slept until noon when my mother called to make sure I was still alive. A few minutes after that my cell phone rings and the caller ID shows my best friend Caron so I answer without hesitation. Problem. Damon - our Admin Exec Asst - is downstairs panicking because he lost yet another packet for a big meeting that's taking place this afternoon. He is asking for one thing, really means something else, I'm trying to talk him through finding what he needs only for him to get an attitue because I'm not right there for him! What nerve!!! No sooner do I hang up from that "fun time" then my phone rings again showing my friend Caron (I think she's calling to check up on me) but it's our marketing guy looking for something we used last year. So much for sleep!! I didn't mind Mr. V. calling to see if I had something, especially since he probably had a meeting and he's such a great guy. But it's off to HR to discuss the issue of Mr. Fancy Pants he's lost countless packets (well to be less dramatic it's really only 4), he's gotten an attitude with and pissed off each member of the Support Staff team and walks around like he's the Queen Bee! Lemme tell ya something, being a "Queen" doesn't actually make you one.

Living the Zen Life

My best friend Joe is teaching English over in Japan. Here's a picture of him with his crew in Taki. He's living in Kyoto which my friend Chris tells me is just great. I wanted to post a couple of his pictures from his site to show the absolute beauty he's surrounded by on a daily basis. Oh! And apparently there's these "Love Hotels" that you can rent for either a few hours or for the night (http://www.quirkyjapan.or.tv/hotels.html) if you want to check them out. Each room has a different theme. Joe & I are really thinking about starting one here in the US. Heck, if we do it right we could bring in around $10,000 a week! LOL Enjoy the pix & talk to you later. ~J

Pray for our Savior #30

Got this from my mother this morning. What a hoot!! It was actually my favorite picture at church when I was little. I've been good and NOT watching the games - no matter how much it kills me - to keep the Sabres on their winning streak. For those of you who don't know... if I watch the game, we lose. If I don't watch the game we win! I turned the game on for a second when we played the Flyers a couple games back and as soon as I turned the TV on they scored! I could hear the screams from downstairs to turn off the TV. Then, 2 games ago I was hiding under a blanket - listening is watching, right? I got to peak out for a couple minutes before our opponets scored a goal. I'd just hung up the phone with my friend Skip who quickly called back to say "Get your ass back under that damn blanket!!" LOL Ahhh, the things I'll do for Lord Stanley!

When are you too old for a boyfriend???

Hey guys. Got this from my friend Smithy. She brings up a good point. ~J

Ok. Since I mentioned engagement on my blog already once this week, I figured I should keep this one in an email.Perhaps some of you could assist. :)At this tender age of me, at no longer 30 and Mark pushing 40 (in a few months) I find it feels odd to say "boyfriend" when speaking of my love to others. For example, whem meeting new people at Junior League (if you are not a member and you live in Buffalo, you MUST join!!) I'm living with my *boyfriend*, my *boyfriend* and I...blah blah blah.Today, I was speaking to the ladies on the Development Committee for the Women's Fund (where I work, of course) and maybe my biscotti was mentioned ;) (I brought some to one of our NFL 101 meetings, they were a big hit!) Today, I bought scones from Wegman's and one of the ladies mentioned that I could have made them...which led into a discussion of how I enjoy baking and cooking and how my *significant other* makes for a good taste tester. I think fiance rolls better off my tongue ;) D'oh! Of course there is NO WAY that HUSBAND rolls off my tongue, that seems far too strange and far away. But fiance? I can handle...and considering that when we moved in together back in July, we both already knew that this was where our relationship was headed or we wouldn't have moved in, well...back then I couldn't breathe. Now, here I am wanting to say fiance. :) Mark takes it all in stride of course, I am just not sure where the HELL all this engagementness is coming from in my head, and of course the more I think about it (out loud) the more of a not surprise it will be and Mark did say to me, "Well, you DO want it to be a surprise, right?" Right. I suppose. But? Can't I just say we are engaged and we can make all those plans later? Ah, a day in the life of a woman, surrounded by women.

How many of you are in the world???

My friend Smithy has some great posts on her blog which I was just enjoying. I came across this one that I just had to try. www.howmanyofu.com lets you type in your name and it'll tell you how many other people in the USA have your name. Poor Smithy had over 14,000 people with the same name. I'm more unique with only 349 people. Hah! And my mother would have flipped if I was a twin! LOL

Hypoallergenic Cats??? I don't think so.

My friend Chris always puts these great posts on her blog and I love checking it out because it never fails she blogs about something I want to but forget to. Check out this one. The only thing I'd spend $3,000 on is a pair of Stuart Weitzmans! LOL


he loves animals and desperately wants cats.she is deathly allergic.can this relationship survive?it can now! thanks to genetically engineered allergy free cats. for only $3000.http://www.allerca.com/ALLERCA has produced the world's first scientifically-proven hypoallergenic cats. These cats allow some of the millions of people with feline allergies to finally enjoy the love and companionship of a household pet without suffering from allergic symptoms.

Buffalo - the city of snow

My friend Patty who lives in Amherst - a suburb of Buffalo - sent me these pictures from Friday, October 13th. It's pretty enough to be a Christmas Card! Hmm... don't be surprised if this picture pops up again in your snail mail box!

A dear friend has passed.....

When you ride the Metro, you become friends with the other riders and you form your own little community. When something happens to one member of the community, it affects all of us. Well, our community of #63 riders has lost a great friend to cancer. We all knew Jan had a cancer spot on her lung but they removed it, she had some Chemo & Radiation and was fine. We worried about her husband Karl and his bad heart but things were starting to look a bit better for her. Then one day she just couldn't find a comfortable position to sit in. Then as time went on it just got worse. She described it as sitting on a small rock. Well, it turns out it was a cancer cluster. Chemo began again with some new procedures and before you knew it, her immune system was so weak she had to miss a week of work for fear one of them had a cold or something. Then she came back and said she was going to work for a while, would be out two months, come back after the first of the year for 2 weeks then just retire. We sent cards and letters telling her how much we missed her and hoped she was doing well. We decided to take her to dinner or lunch - her choice - just let us know. No response. Then we thought maybe she wouldn't be comfortable in public so we'd all make dishes and meet at my house one night. So we sent her a note and let her know. No response. Even "Vilhelm" our favorite driver was trying to track down an old friend who'd driven our run a few years before so she could see him. Then, yesterday on the way home, Cheri gave me the news. Jan had died. Not only did we feel bad that she had died but she died on October 12th and the service was October 14th, the weekend of our snow storm so no one knew and none of us were there. We'd planned that, when the time came and she passed, we'd each put a bus token in her hand so she always had the correct fare. She always preferred to sit in the senior citizen seats facing in to the bus instead of facing forward. Well Miss Jan, now you've got the softest seat in the house with the best view. Don't forget about us, we won't forget about you. Love, your Family of the #63

Coach Don saves the season!!!

After what's amounted to hours of phone calls, the official ruling came down in the 11th hour. Like a pardon from the Gov. at 11:59 p.m., Donald got an email that the parks were going to be reopened and the football season ws going to get a proper ending. November 4th will be the play-off game and then the date will be set for the Tyro Bowl along with the location. Ahhhh...... I love the smell of football in the morning!!! LOL

Way to Go Guys!! We're all sooooooo proud of you!

HIG & Me

Almost 2 years ago I started selling Home Interiors. A great and easy way to have fun and make some extra cash, right? Wrong! Since I started there's been one problem after another. Just about every one of my orders has been shorted. Not a candle here or a candle there. I could deal with that. I'm talking boxes were missing from the delivery. I'd let my unit director LM know and she assured me she'd let Home Office know, that I'd get credit on my account and can then use that money to re-order at anytime. Well, over the course of time I've built up quite a bit of money and used it to place two orders, one rather large and one to replace what was sent to me in error. Now they want me to pay for these orders..... again! What I try to explain - and maybe it's a southern thing that they don't get it - is that I've paid for full orders, not received full orders, received "credit" for missing merchandise and used that "credit" to place my orders. The latest is that I got a call at 7:30 last night from a nice lady named Natalia who said "Oh no. This is more like a credit card. For each order you place you earn credits." Hmm..... that's a new one to me! What about the merchandise I didn't receive? I didn't get the items later, nor did I receive my money back. Shouldn't I get one or the other, items or money back? Now I have yet another person I need to try and contact and try to get this straightened out. I've got a fundraiser on hold with 1,500 kids. They're gonna be pretty upset if something they've got planned falls apart this close to kick-off date. Keep your fingers crossed!

To Score or Not to Score....

Tonight there's an emergency meeting of Presidents within the Tyro league and the parents. My brother's cell phone was ringing off the hook last night. They need 2/3 of the Presidents to vote Yes in order to overturn the Tyro Dick's ruling. I'm not psychic or anything, but I think you might just see something on the 11:00 news tonight. Keep an eye out and GO KNIGHTS!!

Off to the gym.....

After work yesterday - and I admit I was not only feeling crappy, I just didn't want to go - I went to the gym. My saving grace? My best friend Chris (love ya girl!!) who'd kindly given me a raincheck from last week. We went down right after work, got changed and headed upstairs to the treadmills. We hopped on, started talking, talked to my trainer Kim, then talked some more. I'd kinda felt this distance beteween us since she'd gotten engaged but I knew she was busy so I didn't really push it. Going to the gym last night with her was awesome. It was like the perfect way for us to reconnect. We both enjoy going to the gym but need that other person as motivation so this was just right. We talked about her classes, her husband Steve, work and a myriad of other topics. We even made plans to make Tuesday our gym day. One day a week that we can motivate each other to the gym and reconnect as friends. It's awesome!

RPCI & Me

Well, yesterday was the day. The day I was going to let total strangers stab me in both arms with what I was sure would be King Arthur's sword then syphen out my blood only to return kool-aid. I was terrified all day long, of course the sucking noises my co-workers made didn't help!! The bewitching hour of 5:00 arrives and mom & I are in the hospital hanging up our coat. Nurse Amanda tells me my hands are too cold and to run them under hot water. I'm looking around at 3 smiling nurses who's sunny demeaner looks hiddenly sinister. Are those recliners waving at me????? Nope, just nerves. The hot water felt good for about 10 seconds which is how long it took for me to remember the impending sword. I come back just to be told to sit down. She's gotta prick my finger (nerve endings folks!!!!) to test my levels. Surprisingly it didn't hurt..... but this is where the fun begins. First Nurse Amanda tells me that my blood is watery. Call me crazy but it's not pudding in my veins. Isn't blood supposed to be watery? Apparently not. Despite my watery blood I'm not bleeding fast enough for Nurse Amanda who's suddenly growing fangs. Whew! I made it through step one. Next comes the reading. Reading! Did I miss that there's a quiz????? I flip through what seems like pretty standard stuff and once done, Nurse Dee takes me to another room. Wait, all these arm waving beds and I have to go into another room? Must be the quiz portion of our entertainment. We start going through the 50 questions and I notice a pattern. About 30 of these questions involve sex. It's basically 30 different ways of asking if you're a dirty, drug using slut. (I can hear my cousin Corrie laughing at City Hall as she reads this) I put Nurse Dee's fears to rest and confirm I'm sweet as new fallen snow (Shut up Corrie). As she's entering my info into the computer my test results come up. The sunshine is gone as she asks "Are you feeling ok?" Aside from the nerves that are sure to make me vomit like Linda Blair? Sure, I feel great! Apparently all my levels were great except my white cell count. I was almost 6 points over their max. This means I've been rejected by the sword weilding nurses. Well, mom should be good and she can give. Nope! Her iron is too low and her blood pressure is too high, thanks to a glass of regular soda at lunch. So now we have to wait 2 weeks to see if we sprout colds or regain our iron levels. Well, at least it's not the Red Cross!! See ya later ladies!!!!

A little note about my Knights

I was talking to my brother this weekend about football and what was going on since the parks were closed. They haven't been on the field in over a week. Friday night there was a meeting of all the league presidents with the Tyro prez Rick. Apparently the Head Dick decided to just flat out end the season. No play-off's, no Tyro Bowl against the top two teams, nothing. Just over. Boy was my brother pissed and so were the parents that he had to call and tell them their kids, who'd worked so hard all season, were getting jipped out of their shot at their 15 minutes of fame. Did it ever occure to him to call the Bills and see if we could borrow their practice dome for an afternoon? Apparently not. I know there's a lot of anger flowing around, let's see if anything comes of it. If nothing else, I think Rick should step down. Doesn't sound like his hearts in it.

Another one bites the dust.........

Ok, so I'd been nagging my brother to put up a shelf in the front hall closet upstairs for a while now and got fed up with waiting. Heck, what I wanted was easy enough to do, I can do it myself. Note of caution to those who don't know me well. When I say that stay away. It's what's known in my circle as my "Martha Moment." The moment I see something and go "I can do that!" and it becomes a total disaster taking twice as long to do. Well, Thursday night it's off to Home Depot for my mother & me. All I wanted was some brackets to screw into the wall and a piece of MDF to screw into the wood. Easy enough, right? Of course not silly! You see, I needed a piece that was 4' 4" long and MDF only comes in 4' pieces. Oops! Lucky enough for me, this hottie that I actually look for when I'm there (Ben) happened to be standing at the end of an isle while someone moved some stuff the next isle over. I explained what I wanted to do and he gave some great advice. He even offered to cut the wood I needed as soon as this other guy was done. Well, in the 5 minutes we stood there talking I found out he loves camping (I'll pass) and especially the smell of a camp fire (I'm in love.) He's expecting a little one March 30th (single guys without kids are rapidly disappearing) and that he's mega noble. Yup, he feels that since he got his girlfriend pregnant he should be doing which he'll be doing this Saturday. He's not in love with her, he's just trying to right by her. Where has he been all my life?!!!!!?!?!?!?!?!? We chatted about it and I told him not to do it if it's not for the right reasons but he said he should at least give it a try for the kid. I then told him I admired him for his act of nobility and wished him the best of luck. Of course the whole time we talked after the marriage bomb shell I kept hearing in the back of my mind "Another one bites the dust.........." Can I just tell you how hot he is!!! Tall, dark hair, dark eyes, killer smile and a butt to worship. LOL The search continues.

AC Moore and more and more and more!

Went to AC Moore this weekend - I could totally spend a million dollars in that store EASY! I had to get some extra yarn for a Christmas present I'm working on. One of two. Hey! That means I'm catching up! Well, I got a ton of stuff for my aunt's scrapbook that we're doing for her birthday. Mom got some halloween stuff for her friend Marcy because her birthday's right around the same time and it's her favorite holiday. Well, all of mom's stuff was supposed to ring up 50% off but nothing did. The manager - I didn't catch his name but kinda cute - was really nice. He shut down a register so mom could get in line and get her refund. It was $6 which may not seem like a lot but why get jipped out of your own money? As it turns out, they'd been without power for 5 days and not all the registers were back up and running properly yet. God bless 'em. They held their cool and got us through the line as quick as they could. Good Job Guys!!

Giving back to life

A friend of ours named Joe has cancer and it doesn't look good. Last Saturday he went for chemo but couldn't get it because his platlets (sp?) were too low. None of his kids would donate any of their own (I'm reserving judgement at this time) so mom & I decided we'd like to do it. We're going at 5:00 on Monday, October 23rd to Roswell Park Cancer Institute www.roswellpark.com because the Red Cross doesn't feel they should accomodate the community. Well, mom explained the exact situation on how this whole thing works and I'm a bit scared but if it means saving a life, or at least prolonging a good one, then I'm all for it.

Just hung up the phone with Maria from Roswell. We're all set! Wish me luck!!!

Secure Boarders??

My friend Chris (love ya!) sent me this article this a.m. and I thought it was pretty interesting. Hope it comes out again at election time.


I am an avid fan of your new organization, thanks for keeping the information flowing!
I wanted to notify you of an issue at our border that
I discovered Sunday evening. I live in Buffalo, NY and spend a
great deal of time at my family's cottage in Ontario.
My husband and I went to Canada for the afternoon
to watch the Bills game and enjoy the sunshine.
Our return back to the US was across the Peace Bridge.
As we approached Customs we noticed that no lights
were on and traffic was moving rather quickly. Well, I
find it amazing that the Customs office at our border
was still without power nearly 72 hours after the storm! Besides hospitals, I would
imagine our border crossing would be one of the first
places to be fixed. My husband and I were both
immediately overcome with shock when we realized that
the agents at the border could not research vehicle or
driver's license information. I'd imagine the
radiological testing equipment all vehicles drive
through was disabled as well. There were no trucks at
this bridge, so I'm guessing all truck traffic was
diverted to Lewiston or Niagara Falls. Still, this
lack of security deeply troubles me. Power has been
off in this area since early Friday morning. That is
a great deal of time that customs has been without
their most essential tools.
I hope you will look into this further and see how
such a security over site could occur, and when if yet, power was restored to our border-crossing. Perhaps Ms Clinton who cares so deeply about Homeleand Secuirty issues could be of some assistance.

SSG Fluharty gets his kids back....

As you know, One Marine's View has quickly become one of my favorite sites. I've been following the story of SSG Fluharty since Major Pain first posted about it on his blog. Personally, I'd like to Bitch Slap his ex-wife for the hell she's putting their kids through. The good news is that they're currently with him in Ohio. Read below for the latest post and check on One Marine's View for previous posts. This story is truly amazing. ~J




Hello Major Pain,
I am not sure if I am emailing the right person, but here it goes... if not maybe you can tell me who to contact. I typed in a few words and came up with your site... I didn't know that it was there. I knew about the anysoldier site, but not the anymarine site. I am the mother of SSG Bryan Fluharty. First, I want to thank you for posting it... second I am wondering if you could help me come up with a way to get the story out and also update you on what has been happening. Bryan now has his children back... Children's Services took them away from mom last weekend and he got the call to come to Louisiana. There are pictures of them and updates on this website... V.O.I.C.E.S. Home and check out Chelsie's Letter It is a heartbreaker.

This isn't over by far, he has hearings coming up the end of the month there is Louisiana and is told there will be more...and hopefully the kids will be able to stay here, stay in school, and not have to attend the hearings. There is another scheduled for here in November, but we are told it may be canceled... again.
There are also some senators getting involved in making some law changes so others don't have to go through this. A very special lady, Kim Willmon has been emailing away and has had some very positive response. Senator Nick Gautreaux was especially helpful in "rescuing" these children and has been speaking to Senator Marc Dann's office here in Ohio. There are some others also from other states who are climbing on board too.. this should have never happened, those kids should have never been sent back to endure being "dragged by their hair and beaten." I am very proud of my son being able to hold it together to make sure he would be able to be here for his kids, I don't know how he did it. Yes I do, he did it FOR THEM.
These law changes would benefit not only other children but service members as well... and it is the right thing to do. Please feel free to contact me if you would like with any suggestions. I truly would appreciate anything you can do to help make all of their V.O.I.CE.S. heard. Thank you for everything you have done, including serving our country.
Sincerely,
Char Fluharty

A light breeze & a few flakes......

So Mother Nature decided she didn't like something down here on earth or maybe she was just PMS-ing but the weather was pretty rotten this weekend. We all watched out the window on Thursday saying "The last time the sky was pink we got 7' of snow." I'm not kidding folks. My aunt once told me on a visit to Georgia, "If the sky turns green, run for cover because a tornado's coming." I've always been quite fond of the color pink, just not in the sky. Well, we stopped at CSAT for a hispanic heritage event they were having, returned Kari's coat to Target then went to the Olive Garden for dinner. The weather pretty much sucked all day and wasn't getting any better. Once we got into Amherst we noticed all the tree limbs that had fallen. Maple Road & Sheridan Drive were about 1/2 lit. By the time we left dinner we had the window's down to try and see. Ok, I was hot and froze my brother & sister out of the car but hey! At least I could see what was going on. I started getting calls at 3:00 Friday morning from friends making sure I was ok. Apparently, power was just about everywhere. By 6:15 a.m. I was on the phone to my boss Rema who told me to stay in bed. A driving ban was technically in effect but dad had to go to work because he works for the Post Office and is technically a federal employee. After he got home we went to Tops to get groceries and what we couldn't get there we got at Wegmans. The police were there pretty much to make sure no one rioted. Water was supposed to be shut off but the city of Buffalo has their own supply so we were good. The pictures don't show the carnage that is the city and suburb but they give you an idea. Some of the suburban schools are closed all week. Kari's off today but will be back in classes tomorrow.... Sorry FrogToes!! Hope all are safe. To those who have no power & won't get it back until next Sunday, keep your chin up. At least you're not on a farm! LOL ~J

Finn is Finally Here!!

Hey everyone, here's a picture of my friends Pat & Shannon's new bab Finnegan Robert. He was born at 1:22 p.m. on October 10th. Mom, dad & baby are all doing fine. Congrats to the new family!!

Slimming down......

Today was Weigh In Wednesday and I'm happy to report I lost another 1/2 a pound!! That means I've lost 3.5lbs in 5 weeks. A slow go but the "experts" say I'm at the right pace so I'm pretty stoked. Our team leader Rosing lost 1.2lbs and our teammate Smithy went up .5lbs. Not sure how the 4th teammate Tracy did. I think she weighs in Thursday anyway.

Watch Me Melt Away!

Knights go to 5-1

This weekend the Knights took on West Side - the poor souls they slaughtered in the "Friendship Game" at the beginning of the season. Well, we beat 'em once again giving the Knights a 5-1 record. I can smell the Tyro Turf already1 LOL Congrats & Go Knights!!

Fat free, calorie free and fully enjoyable CANDY CORN!!!

So last night we stopped at AC Moore and got some yarn for 2 baby blankets a friend has ordered as gifts. As we wandered around - I just love that store and never walk out under $20 - we were just falling in love with the Halloween decorations. Well, being on the Biggest Loser here at work means I can't fully enjoy my favorite Halloween food............ CANDY CORN!!!! Or can I? Yup folks, I did it. I found the only fat free, calorie free yet fully enjoyable candy corn on the planet. At AC Moore you ask? YUP!! They're candy corn LIGHTS!!! I strung them up at my cube this a.m. with the help of my best friend Nicole (love ya Mama Moo!) and they look great. Maybe it's all in my mind but I'm totally not craving the actual thing. I love that!! Lorna & Nikki would be so proud. If you've got an AC Moore in your neck of the world stop by and "grocery shop." You'll be glad you did!!!

Weight Loss & Stressed Out!

This week for our "Snack Attack" we had to earn it by dancing to the YMCA. I honestly can say that we burned off just as many calories laughing as we did dancing. It must have paid off because when Weigh In Wednesday rolled around I was 2lbs lighter! Yeah!!! That makes 3lbs in 4 weeks. According to all the experts I'm on the right track. Let's hope they're right.

I've heard that being overweight can give you headaches because there's more pressure on the brain. Well, work is mega stressfull and I can say without a doubt that it's contributing to my headaches which seem to be getting worse. Yesterday I had a dull ache when I woke up that just got worse as the day went on and the stress piled up. It got to the point where my eyeballs were literally throbbing and I had these silver glitter pieces floating in front of my vision. Soooo not good folks. I left at 2:00 and when I finally made it home at 4:00 (gotta love our Metro system) I took to Excedrin Migraine and had some lunch. It worked because by 6:30 when we went to dinner for mom's birthday I felt much better. So good in fact we made a jaunt across the parking lot to my favorite store AC Moore! Had to get yarn for 2 baby blankets a friend ordered and some lights. Read the post above to learn more about those!!

It's Birthday Time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today's October 5th and that means BIRTHDAY!!!! Celebrating their birthday's today is my boss Rema, my cool co-worker Dave, my spiritual guru friend Lorna and my very own mummy! I can't reveal their ages........ well, I could but I value both my job and my life! LOL So instead I'll just say Happy Birthday to one and all. May your day be as special as you are and full of sinful calorie filled cake!!!

A side note on religion.....

Ok, just a quick personal not. Going to church each week doesn't make you better than anyone else. There's actually a few short steps to being a good Christian and you can learn the first two from ride operators at Darien Lake. Keep your hands and feet to yourself and don't be an asshole. That's pretty much about it.

Knights charge over Stingray's

This weekend the Knights faced off to the South Buffalo Stingray's who went into the game with a 4-0 record. Well, after a lot of hard work and even more spirit, the Knights walked away victorious with their 18-8 win. This puts the Knights at 4-1 while the Stingray's were handed their first loss who now sit with a 4-1-1 record. With only 3 more games left in the regular season, Coach Don & his Knights are looking ahead to the play-off's and can already smell the Tyro Bowl. Keep plugging away Knights, one game at a time, and you'll walk away with that mega trophy. We're all proud of you!!!

Cold Stone... the new DQ?

Last night we went to Cold Stone Creamery for dessert. It was quite an experience and one you wouldn't have too often. As you enter the sub-zero store you're greeted with a chorus of "Welcome to Cold Stone" from the staff. Make your way through the line and you get to choose from one of like 20 flavors of freshly made ice creams and sorbets. I had the raspberry. Here's choice number 2. They don't come in normal sizes. Instead they come in "Like It", "Love It" and "Gotta Have It." We all got the "Love It" size which was plenty, trust me. After choosing your base, they take it over to a marble slab where they soften it up and make a well. Now comes another set of choices. You get one add it and for $0.60 you can add in another choice. I got strawberries and twix! It may not sound appetizing but WOW!!! It was great. She actually puts in fresh strawberries and a real twix bar. Mash & Mix, Mash & Mix. Now that your custom ice cream is mixed you have yet another choice. How do you want to eat it? You can get it in a waffle cone (plain, dipped in chocolate, choclate with nuts, chocolate with sprinkles, chocolate with cocoanut) or you can get it in a waffle bowl (same subchoices as before) or you can get it in a plain dish. Unless you're glutton, stick with the plain dish. Grand total for last nights trip with 1 "Like It" and 4 "Love It"?????? $24. Pretty comparable to DQ Blizzards but unless you've got patience, stick to DQ. If your CS staffer is new it could take her a bit to mix it and the line gets long and bunched up. All and all I'd give it *** / *****.

Dalai Lama comes to Buffalo

The Dalai Lama was in Buffalo for 3 days this week. A lot of people I know when to see him. What a once in a lifetime experience. While I wasn't one of the lucky ones this time around, here's what my friend Chris had to say about it:

Last night, I went to an interfaith service requested and attended by the Dalai Lama. Over six thousand people attended the service. people of various faiths and backgrounds and ages. What struck me was the Dalai Lama's call for religious harmony. he stressed that we are all "from the same family" as humanity, and the closer we are to our own religions, the more peace and understanding we can bring to the world around us. he also encouraged the exchange of ideas. He believes in learning about other faiths, that this is a key to promoting better undnerstanding and the ultimate goal of harmony. (Think:The world is shrinking)Six thousand people prayed for peace and meditated together, it struck me --how powerful we are when we come together in prayer.

So, how drunk do you have to be to bite a panda?

Got this article from my friend Skippy. How drunk do you need to be???


Man bites panda in Beijing zoo as retribution
Drunken migrant worker jumped in cage, was bitten after petting bear

Tourists look on as a panda named Pang Pang walks through its enclosure at the Beijing Zoo on Wednesday. Police were investigating another panda in the zoo, Gu Gu, who bit a drunken Chinese tourist who jumped into the enclosure on Tuesday.
View related photos
Greg Baker / AP


Updated: 2 hours, 55 minutes ago
BEIJING - A drunken Chinese migrant worker jumped into a panda enclosure at the Beijing Zoo, was bitten by the bear and retaliated by chomping down on the animal’s back, state media said Wednesday.
Zhang Xinyan, from the central province of Henan, drank four jugs of beer at a restaurant near the zoo before visiting Gu Gu the panda on Tuesday, the Beijing Morning Post said.
"He felt a sudden urge to touch the panda with his hand," and jumped into the enclosure, the newspaper said.
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

The panda, who was asleep, was startled and bit Zhang, 35, on the right leg, it said. Zhang got angry and kicked the panda, who then bit his other leg. A tussle ensued, the paper said.
"I bit the fellow in the back," Zhang was quoted as saying in the newspaper. "Its skin was quite thick."
Other tourists yelled for a zookeeper, who got the panda under control by spraying it with water, reports said. Zhang was hospitalized.
Newspaper photographs showed Zhang lying on a hospital bed with blood-soaked bandages and a seam of stitches running down his leg.
‘No one ever said they would bite’
The Beijing Youth Daily quoted Zhang as saying that he had seen pandas on television and "they seemed to get along well with people."
"No one ever said they would bite people," Zhang said. "I just wanted to touch it. I was so dizzy from the beer. I don’t remember much."
Ye Mingxia, a spokeswoman for the Beijing Zoo, confirmed the incident happened but would not give any details. She said Gu Gu was "healthy."
"We’re not considering punishing him now," Ye said in a telephone interview. "He’s suffered quite a bit of shock."

Painting the Private Property, Yea or Nay?

Got this article from my friend "Smithy." I have to say, it's something I'd never given serious thought to. I'd love to hear what guys honestly think about this topic.



September 20, 2006
The Coloring Box



Granted, the drapes match the rug. But the color scheme just ain't working — maybe because the whole matchy-matchy look is so last season. (Apologies, LiLo.)
Time to refurbish your special no-no place with a jazzy fall color: Put your triangle's tresses in the capable hands of Betty, the first dye created especially for your down-there hair. The easy-to-use formula is safe enough for your sensitive lady place. And if your orchid is wilting, fear not — Betty easily covers grays.
Decorate your fuzzy éclair with a variety of icings, like subtle auburn, blonde, brown, and black. Not enough options (or unsettling euphemisms) for ya? Feather your nest with FunBetty, an oh-no-she-didn't pink. The dripless formula guarantees that no dye will sully your pee-pee's teepee, and your new plumage is more than certain to attract plenty of male attention.
So go on and wash that man right into your hair.

Available by phone order at 212-288-9070 or e-mail info@bettybeauty.com. For more information, go to bettybeauty.com.

One pound down!!

Well, last week was our first weigh in and I was disappointed because I'd maintained. Couldn't really complain though because it was "around that time." Well, this a.m. I got on the scale and told Val I didn't want to know. When I reached down to grab my sneakers I saw that I'd lost 1lb. Hey, it's only 1lb but it's better than maintaining or gaining! At last, I'm contributing to my team. Go Team #4!!!!


On a side note, my sister is not "little" anymore. Yesterday she joined the "Young Ladies Club." Way too fast for me! LOL

Proof God really does answer prayers

I got some GREAT news yesterday. The evil woman who has made my life a living hell for the past 4 yrs, the lives of my family and most of our neighbors lives a living hell, is finally moving. At first it was July 1st, then August 1st, then September 1st. Well, yesterday came the call that we'd all been waiting and praying for. Things are being moved out of the house. Yup! That's right! Objects are being taken out of the house that once was adorable and has been turned into a smoke filled cathouse with children. Doors are missing, windows are broken, there is no lawn anymore and the front steps need to be fixed. Carpet needs to be replaced and walls need to be repainted. Hmm....... wonder if I could pick that house up cheap? No driveway but not a big deal. While she's not moving to Antartica like we'd have all hoped - or a nice muslim country where she'd have to say covered up and secluded - she is moving 25 minutes away to the suburb of Lancaster. As long as it's not my neighborhood, I don't care. I will miss seeing the kids though. Good news is we're friends with her soon-to-be-ex husband who's promised to let us see the kids as often as we want. That's just fine with me. I love all 5 of them, especially the littelest ones but never fear, aunt Jenn's not far. Here's a great BIG glass of champagne to being able to sit on our porch and just enjoy the neighborhood, no screaming involved. ;-)

Ya gotta love those sneaky Marines!!

My brother forwarded me an email that showed our Marines at their finest. As my cousin Corrie would say "You can insult people without calling them bad names." Check out what our brilliant, yet sneaky Marines did and keep in mind - when muslim men see a naked woman, they're apparently supposed to kill themselves. hmm.......

A newcomer to Monday Night Football......

Found this on one of my favorite blogs "One Marine's View." I check it almost daily and loved this article. Enjoy!

Are you ready for some football?
There is a newcomer to the sport that is getting a taste of freedom with the game!!
Who you ask?……….

There is a new station in the end zone of Monday Night Football who has never been there before. Usually reporting stories that are even anti-American. Have been known to have ties to the enemy of the
US(Taliban) and other scumbag organizations. However, like many others in the past couple years that have received the taste of freedom, they also want it. Who is this new guest??
Well its none other than the notorious Aljazeera news channel. Now as they report lies about American service members, they can bask in a pre game Monday Night Football parties!! ……………..I can’t wait to see their version of the virgin cheerleader.

Knight cage the Bulldogs!!!

On Sunday, September 17th the Riverside Knights played the Airlanes B-Team the Bulldogs. The morning started with the Bulldogs coach threatening my brother in the parking lot before the game....... obviously this dumb schmuck is new. No one threatens my family. The weigh in goes through uneventful and the game begins. After a ton of unfair calls and a few illegal hits Donald called the president of Tyro, Rick. Well, Rick sauntered over just as Donald was down on the field with a hurt player (hear you're ok Jarid! Keep up the good work!) Jarid gets taken off the field in an ambulance and Rick gets informed about what's going on. A few words to the ref's and the game resumes on level playing fields. Rick's also then informed by Jim - Riverside's President - about the threat to Donald. These are all points that will be brought up at the emergency meeting on Tuesday. All the coaches surrounded Donald on the walk through the handshakes at the end and all the parents were standing right on the sidelines watching to make sure nothing happened. Heck, he even got escorted to his car! Through all the threats, dirty plays, cheap shots and missed call.........the KNIGHTS WON!!!!!! Knight 28-Bulldogs 7. Suck on that Airlanes.

Red Robin......not just great burgers!

On Saturday we went out to this new place called Red Robin for dinner. They claim that they serve the best burgers and that it's their specialty even though chicken and salades are offered. I have to say that if you're looking for a fairly decent burger, outstanding spinach dip and some great entertainment, this is the place to go. Our friend Sandy who worked at Pizza Hut now works there. We offered to wait the extra 5-10 minutes to sit in her section. Well, since they'd seated a large party in her area already "Joe" - whom we'll say is the manger - decided to seat us. Next thing we knew he was sitting between my brother and I and here's where the fun begins. I'll save the embarassing details but we're still not sure if "Joe" was hitting on me or my brother. Equal opportunity flirting??? He even gave Kari an extra Freckled Lemonade (Minute Maid lemonade with strawberries) in the specialty glass to go. And here's the kicker.......... it really was GLASS! Not one of those plastic jobs. So if you want a good laugh and some decent food to boot, head out to Maple Road and stop by Red Robin and ask for "Joe."

What's wrong with the old logo?

What the hell is wrong with this logo? I mean come on now folks? So the switch to Black & Red was a shock, I won't deny that but at least you know what our symbol is...... or should I say was. Why can't we have this logo in the blue & gold? And who was dropping the cheap acid that came up with the new logo. I can't even bring myself to put that awful thing on my blog. I'd feel tainted.

Are you defective if you don't want kids?????

So, just about all my friends are now married and 2 of them are expecting their first babies. What do married friends who are pregnant do? They try to marry off their single friends. Marriage isn't so bad, in fact some day I'd love to get married. If I can find a guy who doesn't think with his pecker or a beer stein. To be honest though, I really don't think I want kids? Everyone gets this shocked expression on their face when I say it to. What just happened? Did I admit to being Hitler's offspring? Sure I think kids are great........... for other people. I want to be the loveable aunt who spoils 'em, sugars 'em up and sends 'em home. What's wrong with that? Times have changed. Women want careers and full lives. I'm not saying you can't have that with kids, in fact some think kids make our lives fuller. But we don't fit into molds anymore. We don't want to be housewives taking care of kids, we don't want to juggle babies and projection reports. We want it all and there's nothing wrong with that. All for one isn't always the same for everyone. So if you come across that childless friend remember it might be by freedom of choice.

Our first weigh in

Ok, so the first week of our Biggest Loser contest at work has come and gone. The bad news is I didn't lose anything. The good news is I didn't gain anything. Maintain is better than gain!!! The really great news is that my team is in 2nd place and we're not far behind the first place team at all. Keep up the good work girls.

Team Huff'N'Puff Rules!!!

Drink more to earn more....

People who consume alcohol earn significantly more at their jobs than non-drinkers, according to a US study that highlighted "social capital" gained from drinking.
The study published in the Journal of Labor Research Thursday concluded that drinkers earn 10 to 14 percent more than teetotalers, and that men who drink socially bring home an additional seven percent in pay.

"Social drinking builds social capital," said Edward Stringham, an economics professor at San Jose State University and co-author of the study with fellow researcher Bethany Peters.
"Social drinkers are out networking, building relationships, and adding contacts to their BlackBerries that result in bigger paychecks."
The authors acknowledged their study, funded by the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank, contradicted research released in 2000 by the Harvard School of Public Health.
"We created our hypothesis through casual observation and examination of scholarly accounts," the authors said.
"Drinkers typically tend to be more social than abstainers."
The researchers said their empirical survey backed up the theory, and said the most likely explanation is that drinkers have a wider range of social contacts that help provide better job and business opportunities.
"Drinkers may be able to socialize more with clients and co-workers, giving drinkers an advantage in important relationships," the researchers said.
"Drinking may also provide individuals with opportunities to learn people, business, and social skills."
They also said these conclusions provide arguments against policies aimed at curbing alcohol use on university campuses and public venues.
"Not only do anti-alcohol policies reduce drinkers' fun, but they may also decrease earnings," the study said.
"One of the unintended consequences of alcohol restrictions is that they push drinking into private settings. This occurred during the Alcohol Prohibition of 1920-1933 and is happening on college campuses today. By preventing people from drinking in public, anti-alcohol policies eliminate one of the most important aspects of drinking: increased social capital."
The researchers found some differences in the economic effects of drinking among men and women. They concluded that men who drink earn 10 percent more than abstainers and women drinkers earn 14 percent more than non-drinkers.
However, unlike men, who get a seven percent income boost from drinking in bars, women who frequent bars at least once per month do not show higher earnings than women drinkers who do not visit bars.
"Perhaps women increase social capital apart from drinking in bars," the researchers said in an effort to explain the gender gap.

September 11th again

Here's another post from One Marine's View. Makes ya think! - J

WHERE IS YOUR FLAG?

Listen people, are you happy eating greasy burgers, driving whatever car you like, living where you want, and saying what you feel? Then by god show some respect and fly a US Flag, it won’t kill you. In many countries, if you fly another country’s flag, you could get shot. This won’t happen here (except for maybe in L.A).
After 9.11 every house had a flag as everyone used it to help “get through” the events of the time. Now, where is that flag???? On your drive to work, count the number of American flags you see. If you can’t count more than 20, then you will get the drift. Its simple, since you probably don’t fly a flag 24/7/365, how about pushing out of your freaking comfort zone this weekend and spend the 10 min it takes to put up an American flag. They cost a whopping $10 at Lowe’s, Home Depot and the mother of all stores, WalMart. It’s contagious. If you do it I guarantee it your neighbor will also. Besides, its only your country, those who have died defending it, the forefathers who created it, the one who will go in the future to defend it, that you are honoring.
If you don’t know much about putting up a flag or haven’t ever put up a flag, first kick your own ass up and down the street because you have obviously taken advantage of what you have here and have no clue what life would be like to not have your freedom. Second, get your sorry butt to the store, get a screwdriver and put the flag up. Third, give yourself another lashing……….your parents would be so disappointed you sorry maggot!
Highlight this post, post it on your blogs, link to it, email it, call it your own, I don’t care, but get the word to your other non flying, non patriotic, Im going to live here and not show any respect buddies out there and get their butts to put a flag up as well!!!

USS New York

Here's a post I loved from my favorite other site - One Marine's View



Very Special New Navy Ship

USS New YorkWith a year to go before it even touches the water, the Navy's amphibious assault ship USS New Yorkhas already made history.It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center
The USS New York is about 45 percent complete and should be ready for launch in mid-2007.Katrina disrupted construction when it pounded the Gulf Coast last summer, but the 684-foot vessel escaped serious damage, and workers were back at the yard near New Orleans two weeks after the storm.It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft."It would be fitting if the first mission this ship would go on is to make sure that bin Laden and his terrorist organization is taken out," said Glenn Clement, a paint foreman. "He came in through the back door and knocked our towers down and (the New York ) is coming right through the front door, and we want them to know that."Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, LA., to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept. 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was a spiritual moment for everybody there."Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck stood up. It had a big meaning for all of us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back."The ship's motto - ''Never Forget"
Keep kicking Ass!
Major Pain!