I Did It

Numbers

I was feeling pretty good at my 2000+ visitors I have reached (probably mostly my own PC) today until I went to new blog today and saw their meter said 32,000+ since Jan 2005 as well....wow...I don't know if I could ever get those numbers in that amount of time unless I was posting porn (which the site in question was not).

Bush Criticized for Linking 9/11 and Iraq - Yahoo! News

Apparently the PR campaign did not work this time...

Woman says finger found in Applebee's salad - Yahoo! News

I hope this is another hoax or we are facing a finger epidemic in this country and seriously need to get control of our extremities...

Can We Say Humid?

Currently 76 degrees and 96% humidity...just what I love. Reminds me fondly of a beautiful place in a far away land.

Contacts

I have been wearing contacts since my second year in college and I just only realized in the last couple of months that the letters printed on the contact themselves are there to tell you which way out they are....no more trial and error for me....whooeeee!

I'm Trying

I mean to write, really I do. I have a huge list of Blog ideas, I have just not had the time to sit down and write anything up. Perhaps tonight after I get home, I can get the laptop out and get something jotted down...hang in there.

Lights Out

The lights went out today while I was at the gym. I guess their circuit breaker must have been overloaded with all the electricity they were running to include the A/C. Anyhow, due to the fact that the entire front of the gym is window, we could still workout without the lights (at least in most parts...I am sure the bathrooms were pretty dark).

The weird thing about it is, that it reminded me of being in grade school as a kid in the late spring when it would get hot (and we didn't have A/C in our schools) so the teacher would leave the lights off and, whether it actually did or not, we were convinced it was cooler...

A. Retentive...That's What I Am

This is how bad I am....my awesome Pampered Chef peeler (looks like a regular potato peeler but works amazingly better) was in the dishwasher and I needed to peel some cucumber for salad.

I decide to look in our gadget drawer on the off chance (who am I kidding, there is no off chance) that I have a back up peeler in there (basically the old one before I bought the PC one...) and guess what? I did!!! So sad, I know.

I am sure there is medication for this, and if there isn't, perhaps there should be.

CIA has 'excellent' idea where bin Laden is -Time - Yahoo! News

Are these the same people that said we would find WMD in Iraq as well?

Bush fighting to regain confidence of Americans - Yahoo! News

You know, it irritates me when each day the news comes out with some new poll on how approval ratings are doing this or that...it really doesn't matter if more than 50% of Americans NOW think we should have stayed out of Iraq...it doesn't change the fact that we are there and that people are dying...why couldn't those people have made up their minds BEFORE we went to Iraq????

And Then There Were Four

Well the official and final egg count for the second clutch is at 4. I checked the nest yesterday to take a pic for my sis and there was a fourth egg in there. I think the pic came out pretty good if I don't say so myself....haha.

We Have Achieved Egg(s)

Update----I checked the nest this morning and there were three little eggs in there. So my first check was in the middle of the laying time...oops...

___________________________________

Well, as of last night when I was watering, there was one bluebird egg in the nest. I don't think the second and third clutches are as big as the first each year so that might be it.

You should have seen them divebomb this squirrel that ventured too close to the nest box...he didn't know what hit him.

On another note, the birdbath that we finally moved over near the feeders is getting tons of use. We have had some hot weather the last couple of days and the birds are hilarious in that thing. They get in there and just throw water all over the place with their wings until they are completely soaked. There was actually a line of them waiting to use it....

Schiavo Autopsy Shows Massive Brain Damage - Yahoo! News

I am glad this is finally out and he can rest in piece knowing he did the right thing by his wife and her wishes.

All those others that meddled should get "shame on you" fingers waved at them.

Weight Loss

If this week does not do something to push my body into overdrive, I don't know what will.

I am still carrying around the winter coat...even though the scale says I am not, the mirror says I am. I have been trying to be good about not eating too much (we eat pretty healthy, but I think I eat too big of portions most times). I have been drinking diet soda and doing some cardio pretty much everyday but no change.

This week has been a calorie burn from hell and I am hoping that I will see results, and even if I don't, I hope it will motivate me to step it up a notch to get back to the gym more and lift weights. It is so much easier to lose weight when you lift weights at the same time because the extra muscle burns calories too. The only thing is that you usually get smaller (fitter, toner..however you want to put it) but you don't usually go down on the scale much. In my case, I go up on the scale because I pick up muscle mass pretty easily.

It is only Wednesday, and I have ridden my bike for 30 minutes 4 times, have walked for about 5 hours each of the three days and played a 1 hour soccer game on Monday. I have at least 4 more of the 30 minutes rides scheduled, 4 more of the 5 hours of walking and one more 1 hour soccer game before Monday. Oh, and I went to the gym today as well....all of this in over 90 degree temps with tons of humidity...so can we say SWEAT!!!!

I hope to keep up the gym thing and that at the end of all the pain (and I am in pain, especially those little butt bones you sit on a bike with), I will have gained something if nothing more than motivation to continue.

Information?

I was at Lowe's the other day looking at different bottles of pesticides (I know....bad, bad, but when you live in cockroach land and you are afraid of cockroaches, you have to take extreme measures), and I kept getting asked by other shoppers about the products.

I don't know if I was wearing a shirt that looked like I worked there, or if I just looked like I knew something about bug spray but for some reason, I kept getting asked which product was better, what to do about red ants, cockroaches and such...it was very strange.

I was glad to help where I could, although I am far from an expert, but I just thought it was curious that I looked like I had the answers...I wish I could look like that more often.

Banned Contractor Soliciting Iraq Deals - Yahoo! News

I makes me sick that anyone could use this war as an opportunity to get rich by scheming and cheating the very people they claim to be loyal to.

I am embarrassed for all these former "soldiers" (I put it in quotations because they don't deserve to be called soldiers), and for anyone that is doing business for them.

This however is just another perfect example how the administration was not prepared. There is nothing in place to monitor all these companies that are contracted and that in itself lends to corruption and greed.

Pavlov's Dog

I admit it, I am a creature of habit.

When we lived in Japan, we would get paid in US Dollars but in order to pay our rent, and utilities, we had to have Yen (they don't really do checks there). So near the end of every month, I would withdraw the money from the bank, and take it to a superstore called Jusco. At Jusco they had two machines provided by an inhouse bank to exchange US Dollars to Japanese Yen. Everyone knew that Jusco had an equal or better rate than anywhere else locally so sometimes the line would be long to exchange money.

After exchanging my money, I would peruse the store, usually picking out some sushi and a canned sweet iced tea for lunch. This became a bit of a habit. If I didn't get sushi from Jusco, then I would head across the street to a conveyor belt sushi bar (we affectionately called "Sushi-Go-Round"), and eat my fill there for lunch with some green tea on the side.

Now it seems that every time I go to run errands, I get a hankering for sushi. Fortunately for me, the grocery store I shop at has an inhouse sushi bar so I have been able to quench that thirst each time. I have to wonder if, when I am old and tired, will running to the pharmacy for my multitude of medications will induce sushi cravings or not. Can you tell I just got home from running errands, and boy was that sushi good?!

Congradulations

My sis is graduating tonight with her Associates degree, and even though I could not be there, I wanted to announce to the world how proud I am of her...so here you go world, "I am so proud of you, sis".

I wish I could have been there, but the airlines did not cooperate with me so I am stuck here while the rest of my family is celebrating their butts off...

Congrats little sis, you are awesome.

Hip Flexors

Played soccer for my second day this week. Only the one game this time...now that I have a correct schedule. Anyhow, I ate better this time so I was not too full but still had lots of energy to run around and that made my performance at least more energenic if not better (skill-wise).

Now my hip flexors are killing me from sprinting up and down the field chasing men that run much faster than me....ugh!!!!

Come On

Girls...if you are dripping enough to leave piss on the toilet rim and on the floor, you did not wipe well enough!!!!!

Soccer

I had my first soccer game last night. I was a bit nervous about it throughout the day but nothing too crazy. I showed up on time to find out that our team didn't play until the later game. I settled in for watching a game when one of the teams announced they didn't have enough players to start and would I mind filling in. So I did.

It was warm and muggy with thunderstorms looming but it started to downpour halfway through so that cooled things off a bit. I ended up playing the whole game for them. I was pretty much smoked after a few minutes as it has been 9 months since I played and I am so out of "running" shape. I exercise pretty regularly but running is not usually part of my program. I basically only run if there is a soccer ball involved.

We had started late so the team I actually play on was there when the game finished up. I introduced myself and switched jerseys to play again. Fortunately our team had extra players so I didn't play the entire second game. I am sure my muscles and feet are very thankful. We won by quite a margin, but then there are some awesome players on our team. It was a lot of fun, even if we didn't get out of there until an hour after we were supposed to due to the late start.

I have another game tonight, which hopefully will be easier on my body than last night.

Another Thunderstorm Day

We have had thunderstorms every evening for the last couple of days. We are once again in thunderstorm watch today. Last night we had a terrific storm and a ton of rain (about 1 inch an hour, the news said). Today they are saying possible marble sized hail and 2-4 inches in an hour...should definitely add some spice to the evening.

Please note that thunderstorms usually mean power outages as well. I have everything in this house of any value plugged into hefty surge protectors. Yesterday, the power went out while I was at Lowes, but apparently they have their registers on back up power because we were still able to shop and check out, there were just no lights inside the store. Good thing I was in the garden center...haha.

UPS

Waiting for UPS to come is like watching water boil...I know if I were to leave the house, they would come right away but because I am sitting here waiting for them, they won't be here until the end of the day when I won't have time to do any of my other errands...

I have to be here because I have to sign for this package, they can't just leave it, or I would be gone in a heartbeat.

Bluebirds Are At It Again

I just cleaned out the old nest from the cavity nestbox this last weekend. This is what the BB Society website tells you to do, but was still afraid that they wouldn't come back if they had to do so much work for the next clutch of eggs.

I just spied the female in my yard grabbing pinestraw and stuffing it into the nest box so I guess they are planning to return for the next clutch. I am thrilled because I really didn't want to drive them away...and after the death of that Cardinal chick, I am looking forward to something positive in the bird arena.

Forced To Do It

Well, we reached that temp where I have to turn on the AC or have warm floating fish in my tank...

It is not any hotter than the previous post about this subject but it has maintained it for a few days and that is enough to get the tank nice and warm. I have been dropping ice cubes (probably not the best thing) in there to cool it down some but it is still hovering around 84-86 degrees which is really limit of what they can take.

So I broke down, closed all the windows, shut the shades and set the AC at 80 degrees. That should be enough to keep them in the cool range without over killing my need for warmth and low utility bills...I might be able to turn it off at night since the temps are lower then and the house will already be coolish.

I am bummed because I think the AC is what makes the outdoors feel hotter and muggier than it really is. Oh well, for the good of the fish, it is okay for now. I am sure it will get hotter later and I'll be glad we have the option.

Happy Birthday Daddy

Today is my Dad's birthday. I hope he is having fun and doing something cool. Unfortunately we are on opposite sides of the US right now, or I would be celebrating with him. My brother (in law's) birthday is tomorrow and when we are all on the same coast it has been tradition to do a dual celebration the weekend of...too bad we can't do it this year.

You guys are in our thoughts and we hope you both have great days...

The Beaufort Gazette: World watching South Carolina on geocaching

Geocaching is not a crime. I came across the above article today while looking for some caches for a trip I might be going on soon.

While I do agree, that there are some bad eggs that will do whatever it takes to find a cache (trample vegetation, trespass on private property, litter or worse), the majority of geocachers are just outdoor enthusiasts who have found a new way to enjoy the outdoors.

In my years of geocaching, most of the caches I have found have taken me to places I would never have seen otherwise. It has always been awe inspiring and educational, and I can't believe that South Carolina would even consider making it against the law even just for historical or National Registered sites. That would be a shame.

I also find it hysterical that an editorial is quoted in the article to imply that only people from the South treasure and respect historical sites, state owned properties, and cemeteries. Give me a break.

Rationality would dictate that those that have broken the law by defacing a grave marker or trampling protected plants, would be punished but to make a law to encompass all geocachers is not the answer. Deal with the individuals that are committing the crimes and leave the rest of us alone.

Golfing

I currently reside in a golf intensive area of the US. Fortunately for me, I enjoy golf. It is not really about the competition or anything (although I do like to hit the ball well if possible), it is about the atmosphere.

As long as I don't have some idiot behind me rushing me along so they can play 36 holes in 2 hours, I really just enjoy being out on the course. It is like taking a very long stroll through a park that you hit a little white ball in once in a while. My favorites are courses that are in urban areas, because it is like a little green oasis that kind of blots out in your mind that you are in the middle of a city. It is so refreshing....

So anyhow, even though I live in this golf intensive area, I have not golfed in a few months. Most of the golfing here is pretty expensive and I just recently received new clubs that J's grandpa made for me. Today was the first time I got to play with them on the course (I have hit them on the range once and in the backyard a bit). They are much nicer than my old beginner clubs and the fact that I know they were made especially for me, makes them all the bit nicer to play with.

So I got out, got some exercise, used some muscles that have been dormant for a while, breathed some fresh air and enjoyed the green lush vegetation. It has been quite rainy here for a few days so it was cool, but a bit muggy and there were lots of bugs out. I still had a great time and can't wait to go again.

Kid Songs

Why is it that every new horror movie out these days has to take an innocent song or rhyme from my childhood and turn it into a theme for a horror movie?

Sad News

It seems that one of the Cardinal babies did not make it. It has been in the nest, not moving for a couple of days now. The parents have given up...they were trying to get it to come out for a while...I was so sad to see it, especially since it has been raining here and that makes it look even more sad and cold.

California appeals judge's ruling on gay marriage - Yahoo! News

Regardless of which side of this issue that you stand, the fact is that the Constitution does not cover marriage, and should not start to.

The Constitution covers in broad strokes what the government is obligated to do for its people. It is not written to "ban" things or discriminate. Then the "right" to get married gets brought up like it is in one of the amendments or something....wrong...it is not. There is no "right" to marriage for anyone. The amendments are written to limit the government's actions on the people in broad strokes as well.

I can't see where the argument for or against gay marriage falls under any kind of "Constitutional" rule. Heterosexual marriage is not covered in the Constitution. The Constitution would be ruined if it is changed to allow for discrimination. While I understand this issue is something that needs to be resolved, I don't think bringing the Constitution into it will do anything positive and may end up doing permanent damage.

The whole argument of the sanctity of marriage is a bunch of crap as well. We are talking about a history of arranged marriages, fly by the night marriages, teenage marriages, Las Vegas marriages, golddigging marriages, oopsIgotyoupregnant marriages, and immigration marriages but somehow letting two people that love each other get married is going to ruin the sanctity...give me a break.

Yeah, this really makes me want to buy chicken... - Yahoo! News

Wow, the UK is getting as bad as the US with complaints...come on, bad manners and insults to handicap people? Are they serious?

It is just a commercial people, not the letter of the law. It is called the off button, just use it once in a while, get outside and don't sweat the small shit. Life is too short as it is to worry about this kind of crap. Bitch about it on your blog and then move on....