Christmas is Going to the Dogs

May You're Day Be Merry and Bright

The Real Nightmare Before Christmas

May all of your shopping have been done long ago, and Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

New York City at Christmas

The Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center

Radio City Music Hall

These are from last Christmas.  I never got around to posting them.

Comic Corner: Global Warming

And Santa begins to regret giving all of those people coal for all of those years...

Let's Not Get Carried Away...

Enough Already!

What do you want for Christmas?

You should send your letters to Santa at Macy's Department Stores. For each letter the receive, they'll donate $1 to the Make A Wish Foundation (up to $1,000,000).

Thankfulness Journal

In this day and age, everyone is always complaining about something.  Do not get me wrong.  Life is not all lemon drops and gumdrops, I just think we should focus more on the things that are going right, rather than those that are going badly.

Even if you cannot see it right away, everyone has something to be thankful for.  When you are thankful for the blessings in your life, you begin to appreciate everything more.

I suggest that you (even if you love life), try keeping a Thankfulness Journal.  Every day, write down at least one thing you are thankful for.  It may be difficult to begin, and it is perfectly normal if your first entries look something like this:

Day 1:  I am so thankful that asshole that cut me off so dangerously on the highway did NOT cause an accident, which could have ended my life all too short in a fiery ball of death.

Day 2:  I am thankful they served something edible in the cafeteria today.

Eventually you will be able to look deeper than that, and see what you are truly appreciative for in life.  Everyone has their good and bad days, but dwelling on the good makes the bad all the more tolerable.

Be thankful for your life, and the people in it.

How To Tell Someone Something

     Have you ever needed to tell someone something, but was not sure how to do it?  Hopefully this will give you some ideas:

     First of all, if it has ANYTHING to do with a relationship, you do it RIGHT TO THEIR FACE.  None of this calling on the phone, writing a letter, emailing, or texting crap.  If you have to say something regarding your feelings about someone, you have the decency to do it to their FACE.  Not much is worse than getting a text: “wanted u 2 no its over between the 2 of us. l8r.”

     When you have a piece of news to tell someone that is urgent or needs to be acted on quickly, that is another matter where I recommend talking to the person directly.  Depending on the situation, a phone call may be acceptable.  If the person will be floored and the sheer shock of the news may put the person at risk, then speaking with the person in person may be best.

     Before putting anything on the internet, think about it.  That is a permanent record that will be there a FOREVER.  Even if you delete it, it can be recovered.  Do not post anything you are not comfortable with the whole world knowing.  Pretend you are writing for your grandmother to read.  If she would be upset, don’t post it.  Even if your settings are on “private,” people have access to what you post.

     Taking that into consideration, if you are debating how to inform your friends or family about something (you don’t care who finds out in the long run) about, posting about it nonchalantly on a social networking site is one way to go.  “Really nervous for my test later.  Hope I pass this time.”  Now something like this does not substitute for telling someone something.  There is no guarantee that the intended person will even read it, let alone get the full message.  But it is a nice way to break the ice.  Your dad might ask you later that week “so how did your test go?”  This would be a perfect time to tell him you are dropping out of high school to join the circus.  Each to his own.

     If a message goes unmentioned for a week or more, either try posting again (more direct this time), or in another location.  Perhaps the person you are calling out to is not stalking you on ALL of your social networking accounts.  It does not mean that they are not listening.  In today’s day in age we think that everyone is listening to EVERYTHING we have to say.  NOT always the case.

     The last thing you can do on the internet is to blog about it.  You can write all you want about how much you LOVE Paris, and cannot wait to return.  Then you can come right out and tell the “world” (whoever reads your blog: aka not as many people as you think) all about your plans to study abroad there this summer JUST so you can go again.

     Why the heck not?  They may or may not be reading, and you can get everything you could not muster the courage to say out.  If they read it, great, you told them.  If not, then you may just have to find the most understanding person to talk with first (I suggest a friend or close sibling before breaking into the weak parent).

     Nothing substitutes talking with someone in person, but sometimes you just need to buy yourself some time.  Hope this helps point you in the right direction (if at the very least you never break up with someone via text message).  Good luck!

DISCLAIMER: Not a psychologist, and not responsible for any fall-out of advice. Use to discretion.

Not Again...

     “Okay.  I’m just going to check the right one, and then we’re all done.”
     That sort of tickles.

     “Hmm.”

     She doubles back over the same spot and makes tighter, more concentric circles.

     “Does that hurt?”

     “No.  I can hardly feel it at all.”

     See hovers for another moment.

     “Oh-kay.  I’m just going to send you for an ultrasound.  I found a small mass in your right breast, and just want to have it checked out.  There should be nothing to worry about since it is mobile and doesn’t seem to hurt.  I just want to have a closer look at it.  You can schedule the appointment on your way out.  You can get dressed now.”

     See exits the room, leaving me to my imagination.

     Should be nothing to worry about.  Easier said than done.  She said it as if she were suggesting a new restaurant. 

     A mass.  What the hell?

     To anyone, being told they have a mass in their breast would be terrifying.  For a cancer survivor, it is even worse.  You are warned and warned time after time that each medicine and treatment you take, a secondary cancer is a possible side effect.  You live day to day with the threat of a possible relapse or recurrence hanging over your head like a heavy dark shadow.  But you hope for the best.  What are your other alternatives?  You think: how can you be “lucky” enough to draw the short stick twice in one lifetime?  It won’t be me.

     It might.

     It seems now, clearer than ever, that my run of luck is not yet over.

     It could be nothing.

     I hope it’s nothing.

     It might not be nothing.

     Can I really handle this all over again?

     Would I survive this time around?

     I would I be one of the lucky round two cancer survivors?

     It could be nothing.

     It might be nothing.

     Only time will tell.

     One day at a time.  No one is guaranteed a tomorrow.  At least I had today.

     My life is not yet over.  I still have a lot of living to do.

     It could be nothing.

     It might be nothing.

     PLEASE be nothing!

A prayer for everyone who has dealt with a threat like that above: I wish you all the best.  That your worrying is for nothing, and that if it is not, that you have the love and support you need to get you through every trial.  Good luck, and may God be with you (even if you do not believe).

Re-Gifting Guide

     Well, it’s that time of year again.  Thanksgiving is over and it is a little too early for Valentine’s Day, so it must be the Christmas Season once again.  The daunting task of gift shopping is once again upon us.  It is one thing to buy a special present for your loved ones, but once you factor in the cost of those, your friends, and your aunt’s nephew cousin twice removed, you can be facing a credit card bill as high as the sky. 

     What do we resort to?  Re-gifting. 

     Don’t worry.  We all do it.  It’s doing it right and not getting caught that is the trick. 

     But don’t fret.  There are a few simple rules to follow when re-gifting to another:

1) Be aware of the current packaging of the item in question.  Never re-gift a candle when the company has changed its design.  That is a dead giveaway.

2) Be aware of expiration dates.  Even lotions expire.  Check so you are not embarrassed.

3) When reusing wrapping, (hey! It’s recycling!), just make sure there are no used gift tags on it.

And MOST important:

     4) NEVER give the item to the person who gave it to you originally.

     If you ever get a gift you don’t want and can’t unload on some poor sap, either tag sale it, E-Bay, or donate it.  Again, just make sure it never crosses the path of the person who gave it to you.

     Remember, be smart, and there is nothing wrong with being resourceful in these economically difficult times.  Happy gifting!

Why English is the Most Difficult Language to Learn

     If you speak English, you may think that other languages do not make sense.  In reality, it is ENGLISH that is nearly impossible to understand.  We have a word for EVERYTHING, so much so that many different (often unrelated things) have the same name.  But are they pronounced the same?  Of course not!!!  It is all in the context that tells you how these words are supposed to be pronounced.  When speaking with someone they are not to be confused, but reading them is another matter. 

     Here are just a few of the words I have found that must make learning English one of the most difficult tasks imaginable:

Minute (small) Minute (60 seconds)

Read (present tense of interpreting words) Read (Past tense of “read”)

Wound (injury) Wound (something that has been wrapped)

Wind (breeze) Wind (to wrap something)

Polish (the language) Polish (what you put on nails)

Lead (as in to be a leader) Lead (the element)

Fair (rides, food, whatnot) Fair (to treat people equally)

Tire (to become bored) Tire (round rubber things on cars)

Can (able) Can (metal container)

Jar (to bump or unsettle) Jar (glass container)
Close (near) Close (to shut)
Change (to become different) Change (coins)

Stick (to make something become stuck as with tape) Stick (the arms of snowmen)

Staples (that which go in a stapler) Staples (international office supply company)

Point (an impolite thing to do) Point (good things to make)
Project (something to make) Project (to make yourself heard, as on a stage)

Box (used to ship) Box (a fake sport)

Ship (a large boat) Ship (to send something, which can be done via a ship)

Free (available) Free (no cost)

Pop (a sound) Pop (dad) Pop (soda)

     Then you have the words that SOUND the same, but are spelt differently!  This is where it becomes confusing to listen to someone, and you have to pay attention to the rest of the story.  Oh my goodness!

Read (this word is just annoying) Red (the color)

Fair (again, always annoying) Fare (the price to enter something such as a fair)

Lead (ditto for the frustration level) Led (past tense of to lead)

Road (the street) Rode (to have ridden)

Be (preposition) Bee (buzz)

Bored (to become tired) Board (plank)

Bore (repetitive and uninteresting) Boar (animal)

Weather (snow, rain…) Whether (or not)

Which (either or) Witch (pointy hat and broomstick)

One (1) Won (to win)

Eight (8) Ate (to have eaten)

Four (4) For (preposition)

Two (2) To (preposition) Too (also)

Do (action) Due (needs to be done) Doo (poopy)

There (place) Their (ownership) They’re (They + are)

     I have a new found respect for people with Dyslexia, especially in English-speaking countries.  And this isn't even taking into account slang!

Tetradrachm

     So I am doing a project on a silver tetradrachm of Alexander the Great.  I thought a good place to start was learning what the heck a tetradrachm was, and thought I would share this (probably useless - but that is the point) piece of knowledge.

A drachm (also called a dram) was the primary unit of currency in Greece before the adoption of the euro.  It is a Greek unit of weight equal to six obols, an eighth of an ounce (fluid or solid), or 60 grains. 

Tetra means four.

Tetradrachm therefore means four drachms, or drams.  This would be equivalent to ½ ounce (4 X 1/8 oz. = ½ oz.)  It is an ancient Greek coin equivalent to four drachms, or ½ oz.

So now you know!  Here is a picture of the silver tetradrachm I am doing my project on, currently located at the British Museum in London.  (This is from their website.  I'll share my own photo when I go and see it for myself!)

Black Friday Cartoon

What comes after Thanksgiving?  Black Friday and all of its crazy deals and shoppers.  The sales start so early in the morning, they basically start Thanksgiving night.

Happy Thanksgiving: To Family

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate.  If you don't, you should still take time to be thankful for the blessings in your life...such as family.

May your family dinner be much calmer than this one tonight!

Christmas is Coming...FAST!

Holidays have their own seasons for a reason.

Oz Thanksgiving

The Hypocrite

Tables Have Turned

Mooing Turkeys

     Here in America we celebrate Thanksgiving every forth Thursday of November.  It is "Turkey Day," where we gather with family, eat LOTS of food, and are thankful for the joys in our lives.

     Seeing as next Thursday is Thanksgiving, I'll be posting some Thanksgiving cartoons from now until then to get us all in the spirit, (especially since where I live it snowed before Halloween and Christmas decorations are already out).  None of them are mine, but TOTALLY worth sharing.



4 Years!!!!

     Today is my four year anniversary from the day I was diagnosed with cancer.  My perspective on life has changed since then.  I appreciate the little things, as I think everyone should.


     I also understand what seems terrible in the moment, may just be a blessing incognito.  For the worst day of my life ultimately led to the greatest day of my life.  I am so happy to be here today.  


     No one guaranteed you a tomorrow, so make the most out of today!  There is no time like the present!  (And I could come up with other clichés...)  Life is precious; enjoy it!


     November 14, 2007, thank you SO much for September 19, 2011.

11/11/11

     Hey!  It's 11:11 on 11/11/11!  You'll see that tonight, and then never again!  Make a wish!

London Time

     I went to London back in September, and am still there mentally.  I was not there long enough to adjust to the time zone, and yet I will still look at my watch and say “gee, it’s 3 am in London.”  And not just because my watch is still set five hours ahead, but because I like to imagine what would I be doing over the pond at a given time.

     What is must be like to live over there…The public transportation is so easy to follow, and everyone is so friendly.  For as fast-paced as the city is, I never felt as if I was lost.  New York, Boston, and Hartford scare me, and yet I can walk around the streets of London at 23:30 (I told you I am still on London Time).

     It all just makes more sense over there.  The stores close early and many are not open on Sundays (or close by noon).  As annoying as that may be to a tourist, that must be nice to people who live there.  The city gets quite early, and Sunday is family day. 

     We have lost that sense of family in America.  Here you try to work late to squeeze in more than 40 hours so you can make some extra money.  Children go in so many directions for sports and activities that dinner is no longer a family meal.  You grab something to eat on your way out of the door.  We want instant gratification.  Fast food.  On Demand television.  Movies downloaded right to your computer. 

     Where does it end?  No one can sit down and play a board game as a family anymore.  If it doesn’t have a million different lights and buzzers and play itself, no child wants to take part in it.  We are losing not only the family unit, but the ability to think for our selves.  We want to be entertained, and want to exert as little effort as possible in order to do so. 

     Another thing I loved about London was the fact that there were bikes for rent every few feet of the sidewalk.  People would rent them and ride around the city.  I realize that this was in some cases the best form of transportation, but it was also a nice way to see the city and to get some extra exercise.  Not many people ride bikes in America.  If they do, they have no where to ride them since there are no bike lanes like there are in London.

     London may do some things backwards, but they have the right idea with many others.  When you see me move to London, now you’ll know why.  It is better over there.

Dreams Lead Us Down The Right Path

"The worst thing that happens to you may be the best thing for you if you don't let it get the best of you."
-Will Rogers

     Sometimes what we truly want in life is what we get in life; it is meant to be.  Other times what we really want in life will lead us down a path that we had never imagined traveling.  That is not the time to dwell on how our expectations are not being met the way we had planned, but to see where our goal will lead us. 

     Most of the time where you will find yourself is a much better place than you ever could have found on your own.

     That is not to say that you should give up on your dreams.  They will always be an enjoyable part of your life if you allow them to be.

     Continue shooting for the moon.  If your dreams NEVER seem impossible, chances are that you are thinking too small.

Power OUT

     So I lost power on October 29^th due to snow.  Is something wrong with that picture?  Two days before Halloween, and I had snow.  It was the first white Halloween I have ever seen, not to mention the first one that was cancelled (no one was allowed to go trick-or-treating in my area). 

     Global Warming is getting bad quick.  But what got me wasn’t so much the fact that snow came in late October; it was how little we can do without electricity.  When the power goes out, the world seems to stop.  No one can function anymore.  What is even scarier, is that the more advanced we become, the further behind we are falling.

     Years ago when the power went out, it was restored within a few hours.  Now you are lucky if you get it back within a few DAYS.  And no one can fend for themselves.  No TV.  No internet.  No way of charging the electronics we have come to rely on.  When a battery dies, that’s it, game over.  Finished. 

     Many people don’t even have landlines anymore.  How long do you think a cell phone battery lasts?  A lot less than a modern-day black-out, especially if your battery was on its last leg at the time.

     You can’t do your banking, you can’t check out a library book, and you can’t even pump gas without electricity.  You also can’t watch a battery-powered TV in a black-out anymore with digital cable.  There is no reception for analog television sets.  And if your phone service is bundled with your cable, your phone does out along with the power (unlike if they are separate services you have a chance the line will remain working).  But if your phones are all cordless?  Forget it!  You have no phone service anyhow.  (EVERYONE should have at least one corded phone in their house so they will have service in case power goes out.)  What an advancement!

     What is this world coming to?  You can’t look up or watch the weather.  If there  is an emergency notice, how are you supposed to know what is going on?  All this advancement is biting us in the butt. 

Happy Halloween!!! - Comic Corner

One of my dearest friends sent me this joke, so I hope you enjoy it.

Once upon a time there was a ghost

who wanted to go trick-or-treating,

but did not have anything to wear.

So she went to all of her neighbors

to see if she could borrow a costume,

but had to stay home

because no one would

give a SHEET!!!

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween!!!

When Witches Trick-or-Treat

Comic Corner

Edgar Allan Pooh

What to Wear (On Halloween)

    With Halloween right around the corner, everyone is scrambling to find the perfect costume.  Maybe you already have one.  If you do, good for you!  If not, don’t worry.  The perfect costume is only minutes and pennies away.

     Tip one: Don’t be that lame guy at the party who came in his work uniform.  As terrifying as it might be to work as a waiter, don’t show up in your apron and slacks.  Not cool.  Other Halloween don’ts: your favorite football jersey does NOT a good costume make!  Nor does any outfit you would wear on a daily basis.

     You can put to use items you have hanging around your closet, and mix and match to make the perfect Halloween costume.  I am not promising you a “Best Dressed” award at your next party, but hopefully you will not be “that guy-who-showed-up-in-his-child’s-soccer-uniform.”

     Idea 1) Ghosts are always popular.  You do not have to have the sheet over your head if that seems too lame.  Dressing in whites and grays, with white make-up and hairspray will give you the aged-dead look.

     If you are going to wear the sheet for the more traditional ghost, why not put a spin on it?  Go as the Charlie Brown ghost from “It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.”  Either draw a lot of black circles all over the sheet (remembering to cut two holes for your eye), or go authentic and actually cut a bunch of holes all over the sheet!  Take a costume-gone-bad idea to make your own great costume.

     Idea 2) Go as a stick figure!  Dress all in black, and use glow sticks to make the shape of a stick figure on your body.  Tape the activated sticks to your body, and in the dark you will look like a stick figure!  (Tape a necklace from a black hat for your face, and tape straight sticks down the center of your body, legs, and arms.)

     Idea 3) Go as the floor of a movie theater.  Dress all in black and drape popcorn garland around your neck.  Tape empty candy wrappers and ticket stubs to your clothes, and you are all set!  If you have reflectors, you can arrange them to look like the lights on the floor of a theater, and get creative with “no smoking” or “exit” signs on your back.  Have fun with this one!

     Idea 4) Go as a picnic.  Cut a hole in a picnic blanket for your head (disposable ones work), and tape/glue everything you would bring on a picnic to it.  Empty plates, napkins, place settings, fake ants, fake food, a mini basket, etc.  Go nuts!

     Idea 5) Go as a clothing drive.  Wear mix-matched clothes, with a sign that says “donations welcome.”  Take an empty cardboard box and cut a hole in it for your body, and strap it on with suspenders.  Drape more clothes hanging outside of the box.

     You do not need to spend $50-100 on a pre-packaged costume this year.  If nothing above caught your interest, I hope they at least got you thinking. 

     One last tip: If you are going to buy a costume, try to do it the semi-homemade way.  See if you have any of the items you need at home, and anything you need to buy, make sure it is something you can use again in the future (either any day or for another costume; recycling is key to saving).  You will find that building your own costume saves you money, and the finished product will usually look neater and more creative.  At the very least, no one else will be wearing the same thing as you.  You do not need to be able to sew to have a great home-made costume (but having a friend hem your pants doesn’t hurt either).

London Photos (Set 1)

I promised I would post some of my photos, and here they are, (well, the first few)!!!  Some were taken through windows, so I apologize for the quality.  A few are either simply skylines of London, or famous, postcard-like photos (that I took just to prove I was there!).

This is not just ANY plane!  This is the bird that took me across the Atlantic for the very first time in my life.  When we boarded the plane at 2am, we were informed that the reason our flight had been delayed was that the plane (THIS ONE), had been stuck by lightning on the way over, and they had to "check it out."  Nothing like flying it across the pond to "check it out."  What if they found the problem when we were half-way there? At least we got there safe and sound, and did not miss the reason we were going.

When in London, you have to ride a Two Decker!

These are just trains.  I liked the view from the ninth floor of my hotel.

See that building WAY in the back?  That's the Tower of London.  (Back and center.)

This is one of those "just skyline" photos.

I trust you can tell that these are telephone booths, but I'll tell you anyway...I just did.

I have more photos, some of which are more creative than these.  They're coming soon!

They'll Never Get It

People see that I’m young and say:

“You’ll never understand.”

“You’ve never known pain,”

“You’ve never known sorrow,”

“You’ve never known sacrifice,”
“You’ve never known loss,”
“You’ve never known darkness,”

“You’ve never known suffering.”

I see these people beaten down by life and think:

“They’ll never understand.”

10 Things That Irritate Me (Round 3)

1) When people are smoking right outside of a public building so you have to walk through it.  Yeah, um, why don’t you just like go shoot yourself in the face?  That way I don’t have to slowly die along with you.  Thanks.

2) When a group of people are walking shoulder to shoulder blocking a sidewalk in front of you, and then have the nerve to go at a ridiculously slow pace.

3) When someone walks directly at you (usually on the wrong side of the path nonetheless), and does not even make the slightest effort to get out of your way.  You have to step aside before they plow you over.

4) When a textbook has a section “what’s new to this edition.”  I never took the class before so do not care what was in the old editions, and if someone had taken the class previously with an older edition, chances are they would not know the difference, seeing as they never opened the first copy.  Make the book lighter for me to carry and save some trees.

5) When you feel a piece of hair on your face but can’t find it.  And then you are not only being itched by an invisible piece of hair, buy whacking your face like a crazy person in attempt to persuade it to leave.

6) When you wake up not feeling good (with a headache, stomachache, your period, etc).  The day is just shot.

7) When people think that just because they are in a shower, on a lawn mower, or drying their hair, that others cannot hear them singing.  Sorry.  It’s ceramic tile, not a soundproof room.

8) When a bug flies directly into your eye.  That moment where you think that you are going to forever have bug guts in your eyeball is simultaneously disgusting and terrifying.

9) When a bird poops on your windshield.  Of ALL the places to go, you HAD to make my car your bathroom?  Gee, thanks.

10) When it starts raining before you come out of a building.  You are always caught unprepared, without an umbrella or proper attire.  Of course, you always seem to be in the furthest building from where you were headed.

WOM

floccinaucinihilipilification:


     The act or habit of describing or regarding something as worthless or trivial.




Quoted in William Shenstone's Letters in 1741: 


"I loved him for nothing so much as his flocci-nauci-nihili-pili-fication of money."




Note:
Often cited as the longest non-technical word in the English language.

All Talk

They told me to dream on.

          I did.

They told me to move on.

          I wouldn’t.

They told me to forget about it.

          I couldn’t.

They said it wouldn’t last.

          It has.

They said he was a fake.

          He isn’t.

They said I’d never have a chance.

          I do.

They said it would never happen.

          It did.

 

They were wrong.

What I am Thankful For Today

     Not everything goes the way we would like.  We may not get that promotion at work, the grade we were hoping for, or the girl or guy we were madly in love with.  When it seems as if the whole world is against you and your life sucks, it is nice to stop and think about what you do have.  It may not be all of the materialistic possessions you were hoping for by this point in your life, but I know you have something worth being thankful for.

     What I am thankful for right now (among many other things I am not even recognizing at the moment):

-My family

-My friends

-10 toes 

-10 fingers (all 20 where they belong)

-2 legs that get me where I want to go

-2 arms that hold my dear ones close

-1 brain (which is above average if I do say so myself)

-1 heart to give and receive love (and keep my blood pumping – always a good thing)

-2 eyes with which to see the world

-2 ears with which to hear

-1 nose to smell freshly baked cookies

-1 tongue to taste those cookies

-a full set of my own pearly whites

-a beautiful crop of hair on top of my head

-the correct number of other organs in proper working order

     See?  When times look glum, it may just be the little things that are keeping us going (literally).  If you have all of the above, be thankful.  One day you very well may not.  If you are missing any of the above, appreciate all the more the ones you do have.  Instead of what we are lacking in life, we should be focused on what we have. 

There Is No Place Like London

     I recently had the opportunity of visiting London, England.  I had never traveled to the United Kingdom before, and was excited at the opportunity.

     I cannot wait to go back!!!

     There are so many practices that they do over there that make much more sense than we do here in America. There is the obvious, such as we drive on the opposite side of the road, to the more discrete.

     In the City of London, the stop lights do not switch from red right to green.  The yellow light comes back on to warn the drivers that it is about to change, and then it turns green.  In America, the lights flip to green, which leaves people blankly staring at the road, unaware that the light has even changed.  With that warning, the drivers can prepare to drive, and not be honked at for slowing other people down.  That can also be slightly dangerous, because there were many times were people were driving while the light was still red, over-anticipating that it was turning green.

     All of the public museums have free admittance.  From the science museum to the museum of natural history.  This encourages not only the tourists to visit, but the citizens as well.  There are many people here who live down the road from a major museum who have never visited it because of the high admittance fee.  Donations are encouraged, but you are not obligated to fork over $30 per person (or should I say more like 19 pounds).

     People are so friendly.  Not only is there almost no road rage, but they are willing to help you with almost anything.  If you are struggling with something, they will stop to help you.  Or they will patiently explain how something works to a tourist.  In America, people like that are few and far between in many places.  The only thing you have to worry about in London is being pick-pocketed, but that fear is everywhere in the world.

     There were a few things that did irritate me.  For one thing, the 1 and 2 pound (the currency) are coins.  That just adds weight to your wallet, and more coins to learn the difference between.  Paper money is easier to organize.  Only a slight negative, especially since most places work on chip and pin cards (where you can pay the bills right at the table - another positive).

     The suggested gratuity is less over there, but the taxes are a lot higher on purchases (give and take).

     The roads are TOO narrow.  The lanes were barely any wider than the width of a car, and there were many close calls.  No one seems to have fear on the roads, and have no problem skimming right past one another.  People on bikes and motorcycles also squeeze through between cars.  It just makes tourists like me nervous.  I can never see myself driving in those conditions, especially since the streets are not straight, but twist through the city.

     This was such an amazing trip!!!  I was fortunate to have to opportunity to go, and hope I get the chance to go again.  I will post pictures soon.  Cheers!

Tip: To Do Lists

     This may seem juvenile or tedious, but if you find yourself with more tasks to complete than time left to do them in, make yourself a To Do List.  When you do, you will have it organized of what you have left, and can arrange everything by priority.

     When we have our minds in a million different directions, it can be difficult to remember what we had to do, when we had to have it done by, and if we completed it already.  A list organizes that information in one location.  It also feels as if you are accomplishing something when you get to cross one of them off of the list.

     Try one for a week if you do not use them already.  It will alleviate that unnecessary stress of when your teacher asks you to pass in your homework or your boss asks for your report, and you just THEN remembered what you forgot to do last night.

Do a Good Turn Daily

     We have all heard the expression “do a good turn daily.”  The Boy Scouts know what they are talking about.  We cannot only help ourselves, but must give back to others in any way possible.

     There are two main groups of people that can be categorized by this saying.  One will not listen to it at all, and the other takes it to heart.

     Some people take it overboard.  They try to help EVERYONE.  One day they are soliciting for cancer research, the next they are trying to save the rainforest, and the following day they are trying to save premature baby hippos.  You can’t save EVERYBODY by yourself.  If you focus your energy on one or two charities/causes, then you will get somewhere.  When you spread yourself too thin, no one wins.  It is better to give $1 to one organization, than one penny to a hundred different charities.

     Sort out your priorities, find out what matters most to you, and fight for a cause.  Or start your own.

Talk Like A Pirate Day

Today is Talk Like A Pirate Day!!!

Rrrrrr ye speaking like a true pirate?

Give 'er a try!

Tip: Fight for the Right Ideas

     If an idea is worth fighting for, then fight for it.  Whether it is an original idea, or just a good cause, it will not get anywhere unless someone speaks up for it and sticks by it.  When others try to beat the idea down or stop you, you need to know if this is something you should go after, and go after it.  Knowing what you want is 75% of the battle.  Defending it is the other 25%.

10 More Things That Irritate Me

1)  When people don’t understand that “12 items or less” is not referring to 12 DIFFERENT items.  Sorry, 30 yogurts automatically puts you over the 12 item threshold.

2)  When people cut you off in traffic (especially when there is no one behind you), and then come to a DEAD stop so they can take the next turn off.  Why couldn’t you wait ten more seconds for me to pass?

3)  When pedestrians decide to cross the street a few seconds before you’re on top of them, ignoring the crosswalks, and then have the gall to get angry when you almost run them down.  Or worse, they press the button for the walk signal, but cross whenever they feel like there is an opening.  Then you are left sitting at a pointless red light.

4)  Bees.  I know they’re important to the cycle of life or whatever, I just do not want them flying ANYWHERE near me, thank you very much.

5)  When people (especially comedians) laugh HYSTERICALLY at their own jokes, particularly when they are the only ones.

6)  When my television program is interrupted by a “breaking news” bulletin (especially when there are no new developments).  There’ll be a national crisis if I miss the finale of my show!

7)  When I get my take-out home and the order was messed-up beyond recognition.  Me hungry and on a tight schedule; not the time to make mistakes.

8)  When you go to kill a spider on the wall but only manage to knock it to the ground.  And then you have a great battle, but it escapes, getting loose in the room.  Why didn’t I leave you alone?  I would rather SEE it, than know it is running around.

9)  Never-ending chores.  By the time I get around to folding the laundry or drying the dishes, there always seems to be another load to be done.

10)  When people say you look tired.  Just tell me how crappy I look to my face!

Ten Years Ago...

     Where were you on September 11, 2001?  Did you know what was going on?  History was in the making.

     I was in school, and no one told us anything.  When I left at the end of the day my dad and brother picked me up.  They had the radio on, which they never did.  The news caster was saying that the World Trade Centers had fallen.  I had never heard of those before in my life.  My brother said that they were the Twin Towers.  Not one bell was going off in my head.

     When we got home, we put television on, and all there was, was coverage of the terrorist attacks on our country.  That’s all that was on for the next six months.

     During that time, America changed.  We became a family.  People banded together to clean up, take care of one another, and were nice to each other (even while driving).  Nearly every house or car sported a flag or a “Support Our Troops” ribbon.  It was nice to see America as a family, but the reason for it was something I would have liked to never happen.

     I cannot believe it has been ten years since 9/11.  Let’s make sure this never happens again.

Comic Corner

Fast and Easy Healthy Dinner: Recipe Repertoire

Chicken Vegetable Alfredo

What you will need:

-Ronzoni Garden Delight pasta (variety and amount of your choice)

-Classico Light Creamy Alfredo pasta sauce (at least on 15 oz jar to every box of pasta)

-skinless, boneless chicken breasts

-asparagus spears or broccoli florets

What you do:

1)    1) Grill the chicken breasts or bake until the juices run clear.

2)    2) Sauté the asparagus or broccoli.

3)    3) Dice the chicken and asparagus/broccoli into bite-sized pieces.

4   4) Prepare the pasta according to the directions on the package.

5)    5) Simmer the sauce in a separate pan on the stove.

6)    6) When everything is cooked, mix the ingredients together and serve immediately.  Enjoy your garden fresh pasta dinner!