Vital Musings

Denver Bound

2008-07-03T23:55:00.002-04:00

Hi!Well, here I am in Denver. It's bright, dry and hot. I don't have a place to stay yet so I am in a hotel - Crossland Economy Suites. The room is small, but it has wireless internet access, a tv, kitchenette and bathroom. All the necessities of life :) There's even a doggie day care next door. I took my two dogs in this morning - it cost more for them to go to daycare then it did for the room

Dog Toys

2008-03-31T22:20:00.003-04:00

If you have a dog, maybe even a toddler, you HAVE to check out Egg Babies dog toys. I got the duck for my dog last weekend. The plush toy has three eggs that go inside the duck. It came with three eggs inside and a little bag of two extra eggs. Each egg has a squeak toy in it. My dog has been playing with this ever since I showed her the squeaking egg. She is having so much fun. I can't believe

My OK Cupid personality is...

2008-03-30T14:10:00.002-04:00

The Wild RoseRandom Brutal Love Dreamer (RBLD). . . Interesting, she kind of looks like me, in a vague way.http://www.okcupid.com/personality?type=RBLD&g=0&o=1

First knitting project completed!

2008-03-28T23:25:00.003-04:00

I've been learning to knit recently. I bought a condensed Knitting for Dummies booklet that was complete enough for me to get the basic stitches. I spent a week or two doing sample swatches over and over. Things were going ok, but I was having a problem gaining stitches, and I wasn't exactly sure how I was doing it. So I consulted my favorite, near-by crafter, Anna. She's kind of a second mother

I've got the car; Now, where can I get the sheep?

2008-03-26T18:23:00.002-04:00

Hmm, good deals at PC Mall

2008-03-24T19:48:00.002-04:00

You have to see this picture.

2008-03-24T19:14:00.002-04:00

I recently joined facebook and last week was looking through some group profiles I found searching for groups for dog lovers. Dogs and music are probably my biggest passions if you don't count reading. Anyway, one group for Owners of Bearded Collies has the most interesting, fun picture of a running Bearded Collie. How does that dog see to run that fast?

Fire alarms: Necessary, but will yours work on your sleeping children?

2008-03-20T16:42:00.002-04:00

Will your smoke detectors awaken your children in the middle of the night. New findings suggest they won't, but there is a possible solution.OMG, this video is so disturbing! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTLOF6lixLc

Grand Prank

2008-03-12T19:31:00.002-04:00

OK, maybe I'm on an e-mail junket. Another friend sent me this link to a prank. Over 200 people freeze in place. You've got to see it to believe it. Enjoy.

E-mail pictures

2008-03-12T13:30:00.003-04:00

I am not a big fan of e-mail forwards; you know, the ones that tell you to forward this to ten/ twenty of your closest friends or something evil will get you... >oooh, scary!< No, I just get annoyed that some anonymous person is spreading fear and superstition. Occasionally, its worded in a more positive way, and I'm ok with it. So this week, my aunt sent me one about the center of the bible. I

Doggy Games

2008-03-09T22:34:00.002-04:00

Buttercup and I made up a new game today. I gathered up all her toys, well most of them anyway, and put them all in an old canvas bag. Then she spent 5 minutes or so pulling each of them out. It was great fun. You should try it sometime! :)

Ice

2008-03-06T12:04:00.005-05:00

I love all the snow we've been having here in Michigan. However, sometimes the companies that remove snow in parking lots and sidewalks are not keeping up. When I got to work on Tuesday, as I was coming around my car, I slipped on some black ice. I didn't actually fall, but I wrenched my back trying to keep my balance. Because I have heard over and over how important it is to take care of your

Meanderings

2008-03-01T10:04:00.003-05:00

This week has been a hectic one in the news. Leapers got to celebrate their birthdays. That must be a bit of a bummer when you're a kid. Having the teacher wish your friends a happy birthday, and then skipping over you because the calendar doesn't have your birth date on it that year. It sounds like it gets better though as you age... When you're in your sixties you can truthfully claim to be a

Crafts on Martha Stewart

2008-02-25T10:30:00.004-05:00

I caught most of an episode of Martha Stewart today. There was this really cool idea on cake decorating. I'm not saying that I'll ever decorate a cake, but its still really cool. A young woman, Lauren Ulm, author of the blog VeganYumYum demonstrated how to make little 'knitted' items of marzipan (kind of like stiff icing). It was incredible how she made this past look like a ball of yarn, or a

How well do you know your geography?

2008-02-22T13:43:00.006-05:00

I received this link in an email from my aunt. The map was a little small, but I got to medium my first try. Check it out. http://www.minijuegosgratis.com/juegos/hwdykyworld/hwdykyworld.html?a45 or just scroll to the bottom of my blog.

Magical Tube of Toothpaste

2008-02-22T11:47:00.002-05:00

I love fresh breath. I can't wait to brush my teeth in the morning. Sometimes I'll brush my teeth during the day just because I want that fresh, clean taste. You know how you get to the end of the tube, and there are always a couple more squeezes in it?? Well, I have been using the same apparently empty tube of Crest Tartar control toothpaste for about 2 months now. It's never ending!! Seriously,

On the way home from work

2008-02-16T18:35:00.002-05:00

Last night, I made the realization that I am as bad as any addict out there. I tried to stop myself, but I couldn't. I stopped at the bookstore on the way home from work to but the next book in the Stardoc series. But they didn't have the next one, so I bought all the ones they had that I haven't read so far. I am such a book junkie!

Internet match sites

2008-02-13T23:43:00.003-05:00

I was on OK Cupid tonight, flipping through the quick matches. Kind of a fun way to waste a few hours. It's amazing how many single guys there are in Chicago who kept coming up as possible matches for me. Check it out if you are looking for companionship. I've noticed that I am retrieving apparently much NICER people in my searches now. Kind of spooky as I don't really think I've changed my

I made you a store on Amazon.com

2008-02-13T01:49:00.002-05:00

OK, I like all the techie stuff, but looking up individual links to things that I'm blogging about can get to be more time consuming than its worth.First I tried adding content links and Google ads. The content links are the orange colored links that appear occasionally on individual words. It was supposed to enable you to link to websites with information about that word. For instance, if I was

Link TV - Nobelity

2008-02-12T22:12:00.006-05:00

Have you ever heard of Link TV? I hadn't before tonight. As I was flipping through the program guide on my satellite TV, I noticed a documentary called "Nobelity." Turk Pipkin examines our world and future through interviews with several Nobel Laureates including: Steven Weinberg, Jody Williams, Ahmed Zewail, Rick Smalley, Wangari Maathai, Sir Joseph Rotblat, Dr. Harold Varmus, Desmond Tutu,

Bill Maher on Health and Nutrition

2008-02-11T19:31:00.000-05:00

Bill Maher, host of HBO's show, Real Time with Bill Maher, makes a point of discussing politics and other controversial topics with sometimes unlikely people such as Hollywood celebrates or sports commentators as well as political pundits or journalists. This past week, the panel got into a discussion about health care and drug use in America. At the moment I can't find a transcript to reference

Wind Chill

2008-02-11T12:49:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I mentioned how COLD I felt outside on my way into church. On the weather bug banner I have on top of my blog, I kept seeing a red notice of weather advisory. Then this morning, the news was reporting the wind chill at -7 etc. So I found the actual temperatures & wind speeds from yesterday on www.wunderground.com and then I plugged the numbers into a calculator on www.weatherdesk.org.

The Greater Good

2008-02-11T02:01:00.000-05:00

I first mentioned a Greater Good website on February 2, 2008, the Animal Rescue site. I've clicked on the links I posted to my blog here every few days. Tonight, I noticed a link to help the people affected by the killer tornadoes in the midwest last week. Here's what their main website has to say about their efforts."The GreaterGood Network of websites offer the public a unique opportunity to

Health situation - Asthma

2008-02-11T01:08:00.001-05:00

I am still having trouble breathing. I feel much better, not like I have a cold anymore. Unfortunately, the asthma kicked in and is making it painful to breathe right now. I went to the doctor's again yesterday because I wasn't feeling a whole lot better. I couldn't get in to see the doctor I saw the first time so he couldn't make a direct comparison to how I was earlier in the week, except based

Learned my something new for today

2008-02-11T00:49:00.000-05:00

I have an iBook (old version of Powerbook) and most of the time I happily feel superior to the windows based operating system (I know, it's not like I had anything to do with its creation, I just use it,) on friends computers.Sometimes however, I see an APP or technique that I don't know on the MAC and I get it stuck in the back of my mind that I want it. Many months ago, a co-worker showed me

Guilty Pleasures

2008-02-08T16:58:00.000-05:00

I have been home sick for over a week. I've been watching TV too much. Yesterday, I went through the list of channels and added a few to my favorites list to hopefully give me something new and different to watch. Today, I started watching Beauty and the Geek, a reality program apparently re-broadcast on MTV. Among the cliques (no surprise) and bathing suits I was pleasantly surprised to find

Books and authors

2008-02-08T01:44:00.001-05:00

If you noticed my (relatively) new link to "my library" you have some idea of how important books are in my life. Well, I want to tell you about a favorite author and series of mine. Laurell K. Hamilton writes several series that I enjoy immensely. The genre is my favorite, science fiction fantasy. I will warn you, the novels are not written for children. One series, the Meredith Gentry novels,

Asthma Inhaler

2008-02-04T22:54:00.000-05:00

I was watching some videos on You Tube people had uploaded of Lewis Black. He's a fantastic comedian. He's often angry at the ridiculous mess of our political system. I was watching and laughing, I swear, I almost peed my pants. I finally had to stop because I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe, I started to have an asthma attack. At one point he warned viewers to prepare by getting their

It's late Sunday night

2008-02-04T01:52:00.000-05:00

I guess, technically, it's Monday morning. I am still sick and having trouble resting. When I try to lay down, it is harder to breathe and I start coughing (more). So I am still up, or rather, I am up again as I first tried to go to sleep around 7 pm but only got a nap in. Anyway, I watched the last bit of the Superbowl. I saw the outstanding tackle of Brady that I think was crucial in the Giants

Picasso Peace Dove

2008-02-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

Picasso Peace Dove - Box of 15 Cards $8.95The Literacy Site will fund 1.0 children's book(s) for each box of Picasso Peace Dove cards purchased.http://www.thechildhealthsite.com/clickToGive/ad.do?siteId=6&adId=152727&page=thankyou&url=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.theliteracysite.com%2Fstore%2Fitem.do%3FsiteId%3D2001%26itemId%3D27036%26origin%3D152727

Shopping for more than just fun

2008-02-02T23:15:00.000-05:00

Images by Jyn Meyer, Evan Earwicker, and Vedrana BosnjakI was looking through the apartment and rental listings in Saline and surrounding areas this evening. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am one of those real people caught in the mortgage interest rate scandal. I am looking for a place to move in May 2008. Anyway, I was getting bored, frustrated with the search and decided to search for

Fun on the internet

2008-02-02T12:49:00.000-05:00

You should check out this really cute catalog, or is it? Go ahead, have some fun on the internet.The email that started this... (I did not verify the veracity of the email's statements, only the fun.)HEMA is a Dutch department store. The first store opened on November 4, 1926, in Amsterdam. Now there are 150 stores all over the Netherlands . HEMA also has stores in Belgium , Luxembourg and

What's your diagnosis?

2008-01-31T19:08:00.000-05:00

At least I'm upright now. I think yesterday was probably my worst day. Today's better, but I still didn't make it in to work. Symptoms = fever, chills, headache, non-productive cough, short of breath, feel lousy (malaise), mild runny nose, mild intermittent wheezing, fatigue, slight nausea.When I list them all out, it really doesn't seem like it should be all that bad, but, I feel like crap. Man,

I don't miss

2008-01-18T23:45:00.000-05:00

going to the bar to dance in the middle of the winter...I remember getting dressed up in jeans and a t-shirt or blouse and going to the bar on a dark, cold, windy night when I was in my twenties. My friends would have less on then I did.Then there was the decision of what coat to wear... Should you wear a warm coat, but then take it off and leave it in the car when you went into the bar; or

Political Campaign in Michigan

2008-01-16T14:03:00.000-05:00

After all the hoopla, I guess I was expecting a little more from yesterday's primary. None of the Democratic hopefuls came around. Perhaps it was naive of me to hope to meet any of them given that Michigan won't have any delegates to give for their nomination. However, whoever wins the nomination will still need Michigan votes in November.The Republicans didn't seem to put a whole lot of effort

Human Rights

2008-01-11T23:39:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I was listening to a favorite program, The Story, on Michigan Public Radio. They had a lawyer for one of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, the prison where the US government is holding prisoners of war illegally. I am really angry about this. My government, which supposedly represents my ideals and wishes, is behaving in an unethical and illegal manner, & no one of consequence/ power is

This is about what Southeast Michigan looks like

2008-01-07T23:41:00.000-05:00

View Larger Map

This is starting to look like a weather channel.

2008-01-07T23:13:00.000-05:00

Today, January 7, 2008, I went outside to get into my car and it was warm. W A R M, in January, in Michigan. I believe I pointed out last week that we are in the northern hemisphere. Our low was 48 degrees F, our high was 64 degrees F. And I was wondering why I had to put my car's temperature in the cool position because I was hot on my ride home tonight. When I was a kid, I went swimming in

The First Day of 2008 in Michigan

2008-01-01T11:32:00.000-05:00

I live in southeastern Michigan. When most people think of Michigan and weather, snow comes to mind. Over the last 10-20 years, our weather has been changing. We don’t get as much snow as we received in the 1970s and early 80s. It also seems that we get more of the freezing rain and sleet than we used to; although I am willing to consider that this may all me in my imagination, as I am not

Rejoice

2007-12-24T22:47:00.001-05:00

Be Joyful, our Lord has come to earth. May your life be filled with God's Blessings. Merry Christmas.

It's green and shaped like a triangle in 3D.

2007-12-23T21:11:00.000-05:00

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, dah, dah, dah dah dah dah dah. Do you like Christmas Carols? I really enjoy the old fashioned tunes.

The War

2007-12-15T13:48:00.000-05:00

It is difficult to imagine what people in our armed forces feel as they are get up every day away from home, family and friends. I get homesick when I visit my family for more than a week. Because of this and SO many other reasons, most people I know want to express their thanks personally to people in the military. I have seen emails forwarded and printed out with information on how to do this.

ice

2007-12-09T22:27:00.000-05:00

wet droplets hit my window, turning instantly to iceit must be cold outside my carbut I can't feel it.my feet are warm.

Perry Como is dreaming of a white Christmas

2007-12-08T18:15:00.000-05:00

Oh, you have to chesk this out! It's so cute. http://badaboo.free.fr/merryxmas.swf

Pet Peave - Clothing

2007-12-05T12:31:00.000-05:00

I like to wear turtlenecks in the winter. I find they keep me warmer than a regular blouse. I have noticed that several brands, including a favorite, Just My Size, has a problem in the arms length. Now, I am a large woman, I have to buy the plus sized clothing. I don't think my arms are long in proportion to the rest of my body. When I try clothes on, I will often buy them in a bigger size in

Good news mixed with bad news - Life

2007-12-03T21:16:00.000-05:00

I've had quite a lot of things go on since I posted last. I started back to work. I graduated from a cane, now I just walk with a limp. My handicap parking tag ran out, good thing I recovered from foot surgery on time. My grandmother said I could come for a visit over Thanksgiving Holiday. Its the first time she's said yes to a visit in the 2 1/2 years since her husband died. I had a great visit

Ever heard of "weapon's grade plutonium?"

2007-11-17T23:12:00.000-05:00

After the Buckeyes proved they could handle a wet ball better than the Wolverines, I took a little nap. I got up and watched Michigan State beat Penn State, preserving their chances of a bowl game this season. Wonders never cease.Anyhoo, Then I came upon a HBO film, Pu-239. The Russian characters all spoke heavily accented English. (Personally I find this annoying.) The premise was pretty good, a

"The Big Game"

2007-11-16T21:48:00.000-05:00

Well, Saturday, November 17, 2007 is a day for the history books. The University of Michigan hosts arch rival Ohio State University at The Big House (ABC, noon ET). The rivalry heated up when "Bo" became head coach at Michigan, going head to head against OSU's head coach, "Woody." In 2000, ESPN ranked this Big Ten rivalry number one in North America. Last year was probably one of the most intense

Entertainment Suggestions

2007-11-15T00:56:00.000-05:00

The Discovery Channel:Futurecar: The Fuel Alternatives - Thought provoking, is it really that easy to make my car run off of fast food waste products?The Mythbusters 2 hour special - Do dolphins repel sharks? Plausible; Don't miss where they blow some things up too.HBO:To Die In Jerusalem - Heartwrenching: Mothers of a victim and her suicide bomber share their feelings and thoughts. It is really

2007-11-12T21:02:00.000-05:00

According to the National Priorities Project, Taxpayers in Michigan will pay $12.1 billion for the cost of the Iraq War through 2007. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided: 4,165,298 People with Health Care OR 17,033,455 Homes with Renewable Electricity OR 262,045 Public Safety Officers OR 167,369 Music and Arts Teachers OR 1,315,486 Scholarships for University

WEEK 11, College Football

2007-11-07T16:18:00.000-05:00

Several Saturday college football games were pretty good last weekend. Navy beat Notre Dame in triple overtime. The Michigan State University Spartans put up a fight, but the University of Michigan Wolverines rallied in the end, winning the game, 28/24. Congratulations.

Joke hits a nerve

2007-11-07T14:06:00.000-05:00

I received one of those jokes/stories that get emailed around today. I enjoyed it, BUT. The antagonist character is an "atheist and member of the ACLU." The author uses membership in these two groups to let the reader know just how low/bad/evil the antagonist is. I have to ask though, because this makes me mad every time I see it, why do people, usually conservatives, equate the ACLU with atheism

The Game is Saturday, 11/1/07 at 3:30 on ABC

2007-11-02T21:56:00.000-04:00

Spartan Football Looks To Bounce Back Against Archrival WolverinesI grabbed the following info from the official MSU Spartans site. . .Saturday's game marks the 100th meeting between Michigan State and Michigan. The Wolverines lead the all-time series 66-28-5, including an 18-10-2 record in games played in East Lansing, Mich. Michigan has won five in a row and 12 of the last 16 meetings overall.

Halloween

2007-10-31T16:58:00.000-04:00

I caught my cat Jordan and stuffed her into a pet carrier today. Then I put her and my dog Buttercup into the car and we went off to the vet at Petsmart, Banfield. They got all their vaccinations and the vet verified they were both healthy. They also both got their 3 year Rabies vaccinations. Jordan was a little overdue. I kept putting it off given how difficult I anticipated her capture and

Geneaology

2007-10-30T03:14:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited. I just found a new (for me) record of my ancestors in the 1910 census in MD. Yeah!! It allowed me to correct some of Annie's siblings birthdates and place of birth. It also confirmed place of birth of both her parents in MD, and her paternal grandparents were from England. How exciting. The name I am researching is SCHOOLDEN. Let me know if you have any leads.

Michigan keeps the Brown Jug in 2007

2007-10-28T20:25:00.001-04:00

Michigan Photo

Football scores

2007-10-27T18:56:00.000-04:00

Again this week, the Michigan Wolverines let the opposing team start with a touchdown. Maybe the defense need some caffeine before game time? They recovered nicely this week. Michigan kept the Brown Jug, beating Minnesota 10-34.Michigan State had more time with the ball, more first downs and phenomenal passing (308 -53 yards). Unfortunately, the Iowa Hawkeyes trampled over the Spartans with their

A Child's Voice

2007-10-27T17:21:00.000-04:00

Sometimes one person is able to articulate a position so well, they become the authority for that position. Severn Cullis-Suzuki, a member of ECO, speaks eloquently about our ecological situation. This was recorded in 1992. Has anything changed?

The all important wooden kitchen table

2007-10-26T14:47:00.000-04:00

The Cleaning Angel

2007-10-24T17:44:00.000-04:00

Today, an angel came to my door in the form of Barb W. She entered my dirty and cluttered home, offered a few minutes of chit chat, made goo goo with my darling buttercup and then went to work. She had a helper for the first few hours. Finally, after scrubbing my bathroom tub within a milimeter of it's porcelin finish, she was done. I came out of my bedroom where I fell asleep and took a 2 hour

Disney - Not the best choice to re-broadcast dangerous show

2007-10-22T21:38:00.000-04:00

Who knew choosing a topic to write about would be so difficult. I kind of feel like I used to in English class when the teacher would tell you to write a ten page, persuading essay. Yep, that's it. Choose something, and then persuade people to believe/ vote/ do what you want them to do. After cleaning my living room a little and starting the dishwasher, I've decided on what to write about.Have

Why now?

2007-10-20T19:58:00.000-04:00

To blog, or not to blog? Heavy question. Should I post my private musings in a public forum? Should I share thoughts, wonderings and observations here, that I will not share in person? Certainly I can. However, the act of writing and publishing does not make those ideas any more worthy than they would be had I told them to you in person. What blogging does, is to make them available to everyone