B1G Mascots "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae

Another great referral from Twitter! According to the Detroit Free Press, USA Today ranked this the best sports video of it's kind! Sparty was singled out as the STAR, due to his over-the-top dance moves!
"We Are Spartans! Woof, Woof, Woof!!!"

Kids Do The Darndest Things

Watch "11 Month Old Twins Dancing to Daddy's Guitar" on YouTube

It's Burning Man time again!

This area isn't known for much (unless you count Reno, and even that is getting pretty sad), but arguably the biggest thing we're known for is.....BURNING MAN!!!

I have to admit I don't actually know anyone personally that has gone to this, but evidently it always draws a huge crowd. You can always tell it's getting close to Burning Man time because of the odd assortment of people, RV's, clothing, and STUFF you see going through town and stopping at WalMart! I'm afraid I may have posted this video last year, but if so, enjoy it again.  If you ever get out here for Burning Man, drop me a line ahead of time, and we'll get together! (You may need a break from the desert heat!)

We interrupt this program....

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I'm having to put PEDIA on hold for the tkme being. I'm having technical problems trying to upload photos using Android's Blogger app. In other words, the app sucks, so don't buy it. Although it was a free app, so maybe iy was worth what I paid for it. My laptop is now about six years old, so I can't transfer photos from my phone to the laptop. Now the plan is to buy a tablet that will hopefully do all of these things with much less hassle. In the meantime, I hope you all have some good days and I'll get back to the photos as soon as I can!

PEDIA Day 4-- I be Stylin'!

How do you like my new shoes? You can oolder them from Converse.com!

PEDIA Day 3

This is the third time I''ve tried to post this....blogger is not my friend today!

Anyhow, This was the view that greeted me today as I left wwork. Smoke from a fire in California!

PEDIA Day 2

Hi! It's day 2! Here's the view from backyard. We live on a golf course, and neither of us golf. Irony!.

PEDIA day 1

Hey everyone! What does PEDIA mean?  Well, it means Picture Every Day In August! So I'm going to try my best to send out a picture to you in August! Simple, right? Hmmm. That has yet to be seen.
Celebrating "The dog days of summer" here's Cappy!


             

Okay, well obviously I haven't quite grasped the mechanics of taking photos and then transferring them to blogger. :-(.  Hopefully as the month goes on, I'll get the hang of this!

Simple Pleasures

1. Summertime 2. A brand new book to read 3. Having air conditioning, so you can sleep under the blanket even in the summer 4. That first sip of ice cold soda 5. Laughing 6. Tulips & daffodils 7. A taste, sound, or aroma that brings back memories 8. Waking up and knowing you can go back to sleep if you want 9. Being around positive people 10. Family Do YOU have any simple pleasures?

Books, Crafts, and Back to Work

I thought I'd get one more entry in before I have to go back to work again tomorrow night. It's been a busy week for me. I'm doing lots of reading, like usual. I've been working on scrapbook/journal for one of my nieces who is getting married in September, and I think it's about done. I've also been watching YouTube a lot to see what kind of books/scrapbooks/journals other people are coming up with. Some of the things people make are just amazing to me! I don't know where they get the ideas for the things they create, much like I don't know how authors come up with the ideas for stories. I'll have to see if I can take some pictures of what I'm doing, although I'll warn you now that I'm not nearly as artistic as most of these folks on YouTube! By the way, if there are no paragraph breaks in this entry, it's not because I'm THAT ignorant about English and the rules of writing. My last entry posted as though it were one long paragraph even though I HAD put in paragraph breaks. It must be some secret of computers that I'm not doing something right. Books, books, and more books! I'm pretty much reading at my usual pace. I've got the opportunity to write a book review for the blog "Joyfully Jay", and I'm very excited about that! In my little mind, it's almost as good as being published. I'm reading my assigned book right now, and hopefully I'll be able to write the review tomorrow or the next day. I work every day for a week starting tomorrow, except for Sunday. After that, I'm going to visit my Father for a few days. Depending on time, I may not have another post until after I get back, which will be on the 19th of June. Don't give up on me; I'm just not sure if I'll have the opportunity to write an entry while I'm at my Dad's. Take care, and I'll talk to you soon!

Updates

Hi Everyone! (All one of you!) I haven't thought of anything witty or intriguing to post about. Even Twitter has been somewhat lacking on new info lately. So I'll give a couple of general updates. I'M GOING TO INDIA!! I've finally taken the plunge, and have booked a trip to India which will be from March 14 - April 5, 2013. Yep, that's a long time away, but I have to feel like I'm earning enough money to pay for it as well as have spending money! The trip itself is to Southern India. This is a little different from the typical tourist trip, as most people go to Northern India, which is where the Taj Mahal and other big tourist draws are. I chose the Southern India trip because the reviews I've read say that the people are nicer, the pace is slower, and the traffic isn't QUITE so wild. Not that I'm going to be driving; I'm going on a tour through Overseas Adventure Travel, which is the company I used when I went to Costa Rica in February 2011. They are a sister company of Grand Circle Travel, and I've taken a couple of European River Cruises with them. Needless to say, I'm REALLY excited about this trip, and have started counting the days already. I think it's something like 267 days from today. (Silly, much?) I'm going to visit my Dad in about 10 days. I didn't actually plan it this way, but I'll be with him over Father's Day, which will be nice. I need to call my sister and see if anyone is planning anything for that weekend. I got a new camera recently in anticipation of the trip to India, but I think I'll take it with me to Michigan as well. It's by Polaroid, called a POGO. It's a digital camera, and a printer in one! The prints aren't the greatest quality, but for having the prints within a minute, it's pretty cool! It'll be nice on the trip to be able to take photos and have them right away to remember exactly what we did and where we went on each day. I've also been back to working on my crafts again lately. I've made a scrapbook/journal for one of my nieces who is getting married soon. I've also got 2 more nieces getting married in the next 2 years, so I think I'll make one for each of them. If any of you are reading this, FORGET ABOUT THIS!! Anyway, it's been fun to get back into the hands-on stuff, even though I'm really not the least bit artistic. This post turned out longer than I thought it would! But at least it hasn't been 4 months since the last one!

Boxford police: Bovine brewski lovers crash party, leave trail of evidence you wouldn’t want to step in

Boxford police: Bovine brewski lovers crash party, leave trail of evidence you wouldn’t want to step in

Wasted by ACLS

This will be a short post, as I'm about ready to hit the sack. I spent most of the day in ACLS today. For those of you lucky enough not to be in the healthcare field, ACLS is "Advanced Cardiac Life Support". Many hospitals and emergency services require staff to be certified in ACLS in order to be qualified to perform procedures necessary to saving a life while hospitalized. I.E. administering correct medications in correct dosages, identifying cardiac rhythms in order to decide what drugs to give at when, and what steps to take to 'hopefully' prolong cardiac function long enough to have some high tech procedure done by the folks who make the big money. The only drawback to all this educating and certifying is that unless you're employed in some very specific areas, you may only have occasion to use this info once or twice a year. In many cases, you cram all this info into your brain, only to forget it again before you use it! This is the time when I'm glad to NOT be a doctor, because generally they are in charge and telling the rest of us what to do. Prior to the class, you're required to take the "Pre-test" to determine your current level of knowledge and what areas you may need to review. My score was 62%. Uh-oh.(Did I mention that I have to have this certification in order to actually work and earn money?) Hmmm, guess I better hurry up and start cramming! Two more tries at the pre-test and my score was up to 95%. Okay, well that's better. (I hope). Anyway, through divine intervention and a lot of finger crossing, I managed to squeak through. It's safe for me to go back into work next week. (Too bad. I would have liked to take early retirement!) I'm safe for another two years (or until someone codes on my shift). Time to go to bed.

MSNBC - The Last Word - Sean Harris gives 'punch gay kids' sermon

Another video going viral on Twitter that just made my chin drop. Speechless.

Amendment 1, Oh Lord

Hi All, It's been a looonnnggg time since I last posted. Let's call it a combination of Winter Blahs, lack of ideas, and too many "to be read" books on Kindle. But one thing in particular made me pick up my pen (or laptop)again. Yesterday in North Carolina, Amendment 1 was passed into law. Contrary to popular belief, this amendment is NOT just about gay marriage. It has the potential to affect many more people than just the LGBT people of North Carolina. My fear is that it has the potential to affect ALL people in ALL states if a movement of this sort were to pick up in other areas. Please view the video below. it's something I wish I and all the people of North Carolina had seen before voting for this amendment. Doesn't that video give you a lot to think about? I don't consider myself a political person in any sense of the word. I'm embarrassed and ashamed to say that at my age (almost 50) I have never voted in an election of any sort. Strangely enough, Twitter, of all things, has brought things to my attention that I probably would never have been aware of. It probably sounds crazy to you, but I rarely watch television, and when I do it's not the news that I watch. We don't subscribe to any newspapers or magazines. Occasionally I may see bits of a newspaper online, but political news is not something that I would normally gravitate to. The people I follow on Twitter have introduced me to issues and ideas that I haven't known about. I encourage all of you (few that you may be) to become informed. Learn about the issues, the people, and consider the future of this country that we live in. It's scary to think about sometimes. We have people who call themselves "christians" who seem to have an awful lot of hate inside. We have politicians running on "family values" platforms who seem to have a lack of them in their personal lives. (Didn't John Edwards run on this, as well as playing on the sympathies of the American people with his poor, sick, cancer-stricken wife? Now he's in the news for using campaign funds to pay off his mistress and support his illegitimate child. Hello...hypocritical much?) Everyone seems to feel free to play with semantics; using their own definitions of 'family values', 'christian', and 'equal rights'. Amendment 1 in North Carolina has the potential to limit and/or revoke rights of ALL persons in the state, unless they are "one man & one woman" who are "married". To be honest, I'm saddened and afraid. I don't want to see ANYONE'S child with any fewer rights that anyone else, just because he or she chooses not to get married, or loves someone of the same sex. It INFURIATES me to hear people say that gay marriage threatens the sanctity of marriage, when more than 50% of heterosexual marriages end in divorce. It seems like "marriage" is really just a contract between two persons. What makes it "sanctified" is the deep commitment involved if it's a TRUE marriage. The ability to make that commitment depends on the values, morals, and beliefs of the people involved; NOT their physical sexual characteristics. Ah, well. I guess I've had my rant for today. Thus is the value of the blog. I feel much better now, having gotten all that off my chest! Stay tuned for the next rant of the day, sponsored by Twitter!

Vacation Plans

I'm leaving tomorrow for a blissful week in Hawaii with my millionaire lover. We'll be spending time eating at all the best restaurants and mixing with all the upper crust of society, of course. Oh, and flying first class, as well.








NOT!! I know, I really didn't have you fooled at all, did I? I'm actually leaving tomorrow to go visit my father in Michigan. Not quiiittte as good as a week in Hawaii, but close. Since it is the middle of winter, I'm going into this expecting flight delays and weather issues. Meaning, I won't be terribly disappointed if I get delayed enough that I miss work next week and get fired. (Kidding, DH.)

Anyway...I made it to the David Garrett concert in Reno last week, and it was outstanding. Turned out my tickets were in the 3rd row; unfortunately on the wrong side of the auditorium, so most of the show had him with his back to our side of the place. But the music was great, and a good time was had by all. At least until the end of the show and we had to go outside. THEN, it was pouring rain and windy.But that took care of the wild-fire south of Reno, which ended up destroying some 20 homes. Talk about weird...I've lived here about six years, and to have two major fires in two months is kind of strange.

It's also been strange because we haven't had any snow yet. (Now that I've said it, I'll probably jinx myself and tomorrow will wake up to a foot of snow) The ski resorts around Lake Tahoe are having problems, of course. As I'm not a skier, I can't empathize a whole lot, but I'm sure they're losing money like crazy.

In any case, I need to do laundry before I can head out of here tomorrow. I hope everyone (anyone?) reading this is safe, warm, and happy. :-)

The Bark Side

I was browsing YouTube today (you see how motivated I am when I'm not working!)and ran across this cute video. I'm not endorsing Volkswagen (even though I've had a couple), but this made me laugh out loud. In addition, Goofy Dog heard all the barking and had to come over and investigate it. He then added his own touch to the finale, giving a good old howl at the end! (I really like the one on the right hand side dressed as an Ewok, and the one who comes across the front as one of those 'walker' thingies) :P

Pontiac, Michigan (yesterdays)

An old friend of mine, Peggy, posted this to her Facebook profile today. Because most of my relatives who are from this area probably don't get her feed, I thought I'd add this here myself. It's amazing how many old places I had forgotten about. When you go back to Pontiac now, it's really sad to see what's become of it.

For those of you who haven't a clue...sorry, but I thought my family and others originally from the area would enjoy this!

Who's Your Favourite?

I'm well beyond the 'having babies' stage in my life, but I stumbled on this video on YouTube today and thought it was worth a share. Some of my younger family members who are still having babies might find it pretty funny!

And completely on a different subject:

Did you know there's a new $1 coin out in the world? Remember the old Susan B Anthony dollars that failed so miserably 10 years ago or so? Now, there's a gold colored dollar coin that has...wait for it....Andrew Johnson on it! Okay, I think this guy was a president quite some time ago in the 19th century, but does anyone remember anything about him? How did he end up with a coin in his honor? Anyway, somehow I ended up with one of these in my change. I have no clue where I got it, but when I went to get a soda at work last night, there it was. It's just a tad bigger than a quarter, so it's a good thing they made it gold colored. I don't know if it will go over any better than Susan did, but wanted to let you know about it.
Considering how NOT up to date I am with the news, all of you are probably aware of these things, and they've been out there for a year or something!

This Friday I'm going to the David Garrett concert in Reno. If you look back, you can find a video of him that I posted. I'm really looking forward to it, but now DH doesn't want to go after all! So now I'm trying to decide if I'll go alone or take MIL (Mom in Law) along with me so the other ticket won't go to waste. Anyone out there want to make a quick trip to Reno? LOL!

Another of my favorites, Adam Lambert, made an appearance on the Jay Leno show last night. If you didn't see it, you can (I think) see video of the appearance on YouTube and probably other places. It seems that Mr Lambert is changing his look with this new album. He's not so glitter/glam with the leather gloves, spiked suits, and over-the-top makeup now. I can't be sure, of course, but it appeared he had on some kind of designer suit, along with a bright white collarless (?) shirt. (Obviously fashion is another area where I know nothing...I spend all my time in scrubs or in my pajamas!)

I hope everyone's having a great day, and I'll be sure to come by and let you know how the concert is!

Why Is It.......?

Why is it.....

.....whenever you're late for work or for an appointment, you hit every red light along the way?

.....no matter what line you get in at the grocery store, your line seems to move the slowest?

.....the more you sleep, the more tired you get?

.....when you're wearing new clothes you always manage to spill something on yourself?

I'm sure there's lots more of these questions out there; I just haven't run across them yet!

I know it's been a while since I posted; I apologize. It's a combination of too much time at work and then being too tired to post, and not having anything interesting to post! Sometimes it seems like my mind is too tired to do anything that requires mental effort! Although depending on who you speak to, that could describe me almost any day!

Anyway, I haven't given up on the blog yet...if anyone has any ideas of what I might write about, let me know!

The Power of Words

A thought-provoking video that shows us how words can affect others.

Oy, It's 2012! The Year I've Been Dreading!

Sorry for only the one post in the last couple of weeks. The holidays have my schedule completely screwed up. Anyone that works in health care can tell you that the holidays are a bitch. Chances are you have to work them, and if you don't, someone else will call in sick so you'll get asked to work anyway! But enough about that. If I start ranting about work I may not stop. Don't ask why. I'm glad I'm not in health care management, because clearly I'm not rude enough. STOP ME!!!! AAAGGHHH!!

Anyway, the reason I've been dreading 2012 is because this year I turn 50. Yes, FIFTY!! As you probably figured out from my previous posts about 'How you can tell you're getting old', I don't want to get old, and am trying my hardest to deny that it's happening. People always say that getting 30 is the bad year. That wasn't bad at all for me. For some reason, 50 is hitting me like a 2 x 4 upside the head. Turning 50 makes me feel like death is just around the corner. I have a feeling that I'll be giving my anti-depressants a workout this year.

A lot of the other blogs I've been reading have been covering goals, resolutions, plans for the new year, etc. I think my goal, plan, and resolution is just to survive till 2013! Not that having goals and making resolutions isn't a good thing. Many of these writers are young and just going into the best years of their lives. I can't help feeling like I'm kind of on the downhill side of my life. Geez, now I'm depressing myself.

Okay, so what are some GOOD things to look forward to? I'm going to see David Garrett in concert in just a couple of weeks; that will be fun! It remains to be seen whether DH will go with me, but I'll have fun either way. The next week after that, I'll be traveling back to Michigan to see how my Dad is doing. Hey, if work calls me that week, I'll be able to say "NO" without feeling guilty! February means our wedding anniversary and Valentine's day...lots of chocolate, yum! Has anyone else heard that chocolate is good for depression? Some chemical in it works on the brain like serotonin & nor-epinephrine, I think. Any excuse for chocolate works for me!

By the way, our holidays were very quiet. As mentioned above, I worked Christmas Eve, New Years Eve, and New Years Day.(among others) I was so tired on Christmas, I ended up sleeping the whole day instead of going to the in-laws for dinner. I felt bad about that, but I guess it's better than falling asleep in my mashed w/ gravy. In case you couldn't tell, my DH and I are not overly-social people. We never go out for New Years Eve, so I didn't miss anything by working that night. DH did buy me a beautiful bracelet for Christmas, which I was totally not expecting. I had just bought myself a new Kindle the week before, so I was counting that as my gift. Many thanks to DH!

What would we do without social networking? I've found that I'm more able to keep up with family stuff since I installed Twitter and Facebook on my phone, lol! For years I've lived in the West of the US and felt like I was a million miles away. Who knew all I had to do was install a couple of apps? I'm also able to keep up with my favorite blogs and YouTube through my phone as well, so I'm all set!

Okay, so maybe I wouldn't want to go back to the 80's or 90's just to be younger. We didn't have all this fun technology (even tho I hate it sometimes) back then! To keep up with family and friends we had to go to bars and use the phone! I bet by the time I die we won't even have to have any personal touch at all. Remember that movie with Sly Stallone & Sandra Bullock? It took place in the future, and sex didn't involve any contact between the two people, they just put on these funny caps and were 'stimulated'? We wouldn't want any bodily fluids getting in the way of things, would we? (That movie also starred Wesley Snipes, and I can't for the life of me remember what the name of it was. Old age, you know?)